elibe | saniwa!tsuru

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saniwa!tsuru

(At a certain citadel somewhere in Japan, there is a certain saniwa. For as long as he could remember, he was raised and trained to be a saniwa who would some day care for his own sword army. Cool, calm, and always composed, he held a lot of promise as someone who could help to lead an army to victory... if he didn't have such a troublesome streak!

He's never really known his True Name and only know the name he was given to protect him from being spirited away (whether by his own spirits or others). Named after the crane, he's very fond of his name-- Tsuru. The story was similar to a certain sword...)

✧ summoning
✧ repairs
✧ daily life
✧ insomnia
✧ citadel attacks
✧ ETC

Open post for an alternate universe where Tsuru is the saniwa! Leaving some details vague... does he remember being Tsurumaru? Is his face always behind a veil so his swords don't really know who he is? It's a mystery and we do what we want.

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[It's barely been a few days since the new Saniwa has been granted his Citadel. He has summoned his starter, gotten his starter tantou as well, and now with the few resources granted by the government to starting Saniwas and gotten from the first few missions, it's time to try for more summoning.

Suffice to say, someone at the time government headquarters is probably having a heart attack right about now as the sakura petals disperse and a book entry unlocks int he records.]

Mikazuki Munechika. They call me Mikazuki on account of the many patterns on my blade. Please take care of me.

(He's a fresh saniwa, new to his official duties and just starting to grow into his citadel. He's settled in well thanks to his training but there are still some challenges he has to overcome... like summoning touken danshi all on his own. He'd been surprised when his next sword... took so long to be ready.

When the timer runs out, he goes to greet the sword, the veil still covering his face and--)

Woah-- Mikazuki!

(It's a familiar voice coming from the one meant to be Mikazuki's saniwa. The Konnosuke on his shoulder also falls off in surprise, gasping, "--Mikazuki Munechika?!" and the saniwa kneels down to pick up his stunned Konnosuke,)

Oi, that's what he said, Konnosuke. (Pat, pat, pat. There, all clean.) Didn't I tell you it would be him?

(He had a feeling based on how long it took! It just felt like it would be him! Picking up the Konnosuke in his arms, the saniwa smiles.... well, not that Mikazuki can see behind the veil but maybe he can feel it?)

Welcome home, Mikazuki.

[The voice is familiar... and it causes the beautiful Tenka Goken to cock his head to the side, a little puzzled. He knows this voice. But it should not belong to a human. Strange.

The veil is hiding the Saniwa's face for now, and Mikazuki suddenly focuses on the Konnosuke, coming forward to give the fox a scratch under the chin.]

Hahahahaha, my apologies for startling you. Were you not expecting me?

[Where exactly has he landed that a Konnosuke would be surprised to see him? Yes, he is not easy to obtain, but any Saniwa worth their salt should be able to summon him after some time.]

This old man will be in your care, Aruji.

(Even with a veil, there are little things that still stand out-- white hair, pale skin, his all white robes-- things that might be familiar enough.)

Ah, don't mind Konnosuke. (He might be pinching Konnosuke's cheek,) He thought it was too soon to summon you.

("It's only been a few days, aruji! This is UNPRECEDENTED." Except not really. It's rare! But not unheard of.)

My, my, are you so surprised, Konnosuke? (He's teasing, definitely picking at the Konnosuke that grows more and more frustrated at the saniwa's clear harassment and it leaps from his arms to land on Tsuru's shoulders instead.) Well, it's a pleasant one all the same.

(As for taking care of Mikazuki?)

Then that makes the two of us. (Because as a saniwa dealing with gods... he's also in the care of his swords.) ... Are you hungry?

(The saniwa seems to be handling all of this casually and yet... there's not a glimmer of familiarity coming from him.)

It's better to answer questions with sweets than it is just standing around.

[All those little things are noted, filed away for later perusal. This person, this new master, feels familiar in more ways than one.

Could they be related to one of Mikazuki's former masters? A descendant, maybe, making something resonate within him? Something to investigate, maybe. And also...]

... Only a few days? How many others are there?

I would not say not to a cup of tea, hahahaha!

(That's a question he can answer easily,)

Kasen Kanesada and Midare Toushirou are here. (And... that's it. Did he really summon Mikazuki Munechika on his first independent try? His third one overall? Looks like it.

He'll turn on his heel though and start to lead the way, looking back only to beckon Mikazuki to follow. He leads Mikazuki to the tea room which already has a tray with some sweet and a pot of hot water. )

I got it ready for you. (When he saw the timer was running down, he'd gotten things ready. Taking a seat, he touches the side of the pot to test how warm it is and then begins to prepare the tea. He slides the plate of traditional sweets over towards Mikazuki,) Kasen made them this morning.

(Konnosuke jumps down from Tsuru's shoulder and takes a seat in a patch of sun coming into the room, stretching out and the saniwa starts to run through the basics of the situation. He's concise, explaining things quickly and clearly like someone rushing to get to more interesting points but there are things that need to be explained just in case... the state of the world, their assignment, and so on.)

... And that's all of the boring stuff. (And boy is it boring.) Aaah~, Konnosuke, do I really have to explain this every time I summon someone?

(Konnosuke stretches, "It's your duty." )

Tsk. Any questions?

(And the tea is finished brewing! So he'll just... start to pour a cup for Mikazuki in the mean time. A light green tea, perfect for spring.)

[Oh. So it really was early for him to be summoned, then.

That is, indeed, a lot to take in. He doesn't look like he's listening very closely either. In fact, when the saniwa asks if he asks questions, it takes him a full two seconds to sort of... tune back in.]

...Hm? No, no questions, hahahaha!

[Letting this voice wash over him, he might have been reminiscing instead of listening much, really.

He takes the cup of tea, appreciates the aroma of it, and then takes a small sip.

Perfect. Just what he likes. Exactly how he likes it. Aaah, this will not help the odd nostalgia he's getting from hearing this voice. And does his new master have white hair, in spite of the young voice?]

... No questions.

[So many questions. But it is not his style to just come out and ask them unless it serves some purpose.]

Good.

(Perfect, even. Because the usual run down is boring already! Maybe he can dodge it in the future and make Kasen or Midare do it all instead... he'll figure it out.

He starts to raise his own cup to his face and stops, setting it back down and laughing to himself. )

It's difficult to drink like this.

(And he slips the veil off over his head, fixing his now messed up hair to get it back in place. When he looks at Mikazuki again, the face that looks at the sword is one that he might familiar— a thin, pale face with bright gold eyes staring back at him. There's something a little off, though… there's still a sense of distance that probably comes from one that is mindful that he is working with spirits and shouldn't get too close but there's a brightness— a sense of human youthfulness that comes from only a couple fo decades of experience in the world at most instead of the thousand some touken danshi might expect him to have. And there's certainly no recognition or familiarity in his eyes when he looks at Mikazuki.

Everything is normal and he only raises his cup to his lips, taking a sip of tea. Moving on with business, casually,)

I can show you around later. There aren't many of us here but well, I suppose that means you can choose your room before everyone else.

(Ya snooze, ya lose, maybe all of those other swords should have beat Mikazuki to the summoning.)

[The veil comes off and Mikazuki just.... stares.

He knows this face. He could describe it in his sleep. This is not the face that the Saniwa should bear. This is the face of one of his comrades. One that is dear to him. And yet... the eyes looking back at him do not seem to recognize him. This person feels entirely human. They should not be. But they are

Let him give him a meaningful look towards the Konnosuke because what exactly is going on here, hmmmmm?

And then he'll go for a sip of his tea. Now his not the time. maybe later he'll manage to corner one of the little fox helpers and ask some questions.]

Ah, as long as there is a quiet one with a view of the garden, it's fine for me, hahahahaha!

(The poor Konnosuke senses Mikazuki's eyes and immediately sits up, fidgeting in his little sun patch. It's enough that Tsuru can tell that he's stressed and he reaches to slide Konnosuke towards and set him down in his lap. Relax, Konnosuke. He won't slack off on his duties (because that's surely what he was worried about, right?).

Catch a Konnosuke and they'll say they have no idea what happened. One day, Tsurumaru Kuninaga was no longer available for summoning and a couple of years later... the government took in a curious child that would grow into an even more curious saniwa. At the very least, the Konnosuke here are just as baffled! And there's nothing they can do within their limits... the signature for Tsurumaru's spirit is lost and the records for the saniwa are sealed as far as they can access. He'll have to try to get what he can from their saniwa who always seems reluctant to open up... or find a way to access the libraries and files at the main headquarters.

As for Mikazuki? The saniwa can sense himself being watched but by the time he looks at Mikazuki... the spirit is already sipping away at his tea as if nothing had happened.)

Haha! Everywhere is quiet. (The citadel is too big for just the three of them and even now with a fourth, it doesn't make much difference.) It's so quiet, it's boring.

(He could die. He can feel himself rotting away with each passing day... he needs to summon more spirits. Liven this place up a bit more but resources are hard to get when you're just starting.)

... But a room with a view? We can do that.

(He might already have one in mind, even. But for now, they should just enjoy their tea and appreciate the moment such as the fact that--)

It is surprising, though... I didn't expect to summon someone like you so soon...

(He might be a new saniwa but he isn't oblivious. )

'It's so quiet it's boring.'

[Mikazuki gives a start, looking up from his tea cup, before he laughs.

Of course. Of course he'd find it boring. If truly this child somehow has inherited Tsurumaru Kuninaga's spirit, however that is even possible, then of course they'd find this boring.

he will definitely corner a Konnosuke later to ask more and ponder over the information given, which will only give him more to think about. The relation with Tsurumaru Kuninaga is obvious, but how does this even work? Tsukumogami are not normally permitted such extensive contact with humans that it should result in offspring.]

Hahahahaha, so I did surprise you! Well, I guess it is my win this time, Aruji.

I am looking forward to seeing how you will surprise me.

[He's not... going to answre the question since after all no question was asked, right?]

(There's no question because why would there be a question? He doesn't know why Mikazuki would come so soon and he doesn't expect Mikazuki to know either. Aren't these things usually out of everyone's control? Though, he has heard some stories of saniwa with certain affinities being able to summon spirits easier. They say there's a saniwa with an affinity for Kondou Isami who stumbled upon Nagasone Kotetsu in almost record time but unlike that saniwa, Tsuru doesn't know much of his history.

... Maybe he'll ask about it in his report.

He'll think about all of this later and he looks up from his thoughts.)

Hm? (Win this time? He likes the sound of that and he really can't help the way he smiles and his eyes light up mischievously,) Is this a challenge~?

(He likes it and it will only inspire him to do more in the future. He props his elbow on the table, resting the side of his face on his hand, and watches Mikazuki with interest,)

I'm looking forward to it too.

(The citadel is too big for him and it has a quiet that makes him want to fill the silence, especially at night. Right now, there are too many things that need to be organized and he feels like all he does his work, prepare, and think. But he has high hopes for the future.

He'll let a few more moments pass, when the tea is finished and the snacks are mostly gone and he'll rise holding out his hand to Mikazuki, one hand on his hip,)

Well, why don't I show you your room?

[Even his mannerism is so similar to Tsurumaru Kuninaga's that it's almost frightening. It makes Mikazuki want to reach out and ruffle the white hair, just so he gets the indignant, fluffing up reaction he knows he is going to get.

It's a good thing he is wearing gloves so the white-knuckled grip he has on his cup is not immediately visible. ]

You will summon and find many others, Aruji. Soon, it won't be so quiet in here.

[Once someone gets wind of him having summoned Mikazuki, they'll probably ask him to try it more to see if his luck holds out, after all. And now that there are three of them, missions and expeditions become possible.

Mikazuki blinks at the hand extended to him, but after a moment of hesitation, he takes it, groaning a little exaggeratedly as he gets to his feet.]

Lead the way, Aruji.

[Okay, so maybe not the most respectful way to address your master, but this master doesn't seem like he stands much on ceremony.]

(Once they hear, they'll surely want to see how far his luck will go. It won't be long until Mikazuki is surrounded with other familiar faces but until then, it's just the four of them.

He laughs lightly at Mikazuki's groan and gives his hand a friendly squeeze,)

Are you really an old man? (He isn't convinced. Sure, the spirits he's working with are old but are they really so old they have to creak and moan just from getting up? Regardless, he'll humor this old man and be his guide.

He's light and quick on his feet, leading him excitedly down the outside patio, following along the garden until they come to a certain room that will surely offer it's inhabitant a beautiful view.

The room itself is mostly empty with only a few pieces of furniture and some bedding folded in the corner but it's easy to imagine the place being fixed up to preference in time,)

What do you think?

(He glances down the corridor and points,)

My room is over there.

(The corner room which is in a quieter spot.)

I am. I was made more than a thousand years ago, Aruji. I have been in this world for... a very long time.

[Sword spirits do vary in appearances, even tough most of them do tend to skew young. Of course, Mikazuki's body is in perfect working order, his steel as shining as if it was brand new... but he's spent his whole life playing this up, so why would he stop now, even for a curiously familiar new master?

Especially for a curiously familiar new master.

The room is sparsely decorated, but it's just fine for its purposes. With an extra bamboo blind in front of the doors that open to the garden and a dais to cover the bedding, it will feel just like home.

He notes how close he is to his new master's room and nods. It'll be easier to protect him should anything happen.]

Thank you, Aruji. Shall I int toroduce myself my sempai, then?

[Surely he needs to greet the starter sword and tantou.]

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