II. the priestess's third wish | video | violet city

[fullmoonfortune]

[Ryoji's grinning this evening because - not only is it Tanabata, one of the festivals he never had the chance to celebrate back home - his Eevee egg has hatched! The sleepy fox pokémon in question is lolling around beside him, and he's scratching her stomach softly as he shows her off.]

Hello everyone! It's Ryoji again. I hope everyone's celebrations are going well, and that you've made your wishes! I know I have.

[The Eevee yawns and Ryoji chuckles, turning the 'Gear away from her and back to himself.]

I guess Orihime-chan's still a little tired. She's named after the beautiful woman from the legend - isn't that great? I thought it'd be fitting, since she was born today.

[And while he is super interested about wishes, he won't ask about anyone's in public.]

Comments

[usedshooshpap]

WHAT CELEBRATIONS?

[fullmoonfortune]

On Tanabata, you're supposed to write wishes on slips of paper and wrap them in bamboo leaves, and later on you either set them afloat or burn them so that the two lovers can grant them when they meet. Since it isn't cloudy or raining, every wish written'll get granted! At least, that's how it usually goes. I know there's a celebration in Goldenrod, but I'm too far from there so I thought I'd just wish everyone well.

Oh, and it has a song too! I'd sing it for you, but I'm not very good at it...

[usedshooshpap]

WHAT'S TANABATA?

[fullmoonfortune]

A festival celebrating the day that Orihime, a beautiful weaver who was the daughter of the king of the sky, and Hikoboshi, the man she fell in love with and was wedded to, can meet. Unfortunately, if it rains the magpies that usually make a bridge across the river that separates them can't do that, and so Orihime and Hikoboshi don't get to meet. It's a very lovely legend in Japan, if sad.

[usedshooshpap]

I MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN HEARING THE WHOLE THING.

[fullmoonfortune]

[Phew! All right, let's see.]

Well, once upon a time there was a beautiful woman named Orihime, the Weaving Princess, who - like her name suggested - wove equally as beautiful cloth by the bank of the Amanogawa, which is a river of stars to the gods but just the regular Milky Way to us. Her father adored the cloth she wove, and she worked hard every day for his sake. However, because she worked so hard, she could never meet a man and fall in love with him. Her father, the King of the Sky, loved her so dearly that he decided to arrange a meeting between him and a young man named Hikoboshi, a cow herder who lived on the other side of the river.

The two fell in love as soon as they laid eyes on each other, and married not long after. However, after they wed, they forgot all about their daily tasks, and so Orihime never wove her beautiful cloth for her father and Hikoboshi's cows wandered all over Heaven. Furious, the king sent Hikoboshi back to his own side of the river and forbade them two ever meet again. Orihime was understandably saddened by the separation - as was Hikoboshi - and she pled to her father to let them meet once more. He loved his daughter so much that, his anger forgotten, he agreed to give them one day - the seventh day of the seventh month - to meet -- as long as Orihime worked hard and finished her weaving.

However, it was almost not meant to be. When the day came, and Orihime and Hikoboshi stood at each bank of the Amanogawa, they found the water too treacherous to wade through. Orihime began to cry, and her tears summoned a flock of magpies, who then promised to help form a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river from then on and meet her husband. However, the magpies can't come down to make the river if it's raining, which means that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't meet, and wishes made on the day won't get granted because neither lover will be happy.

[usedshooshpap]

IS THIS SOME HUMAN MYTH?

[fullmoonfortune]

I guess that's pretty obvious, huh? [Heheh.] It is. Japan has a lot of them, since they have a lot of gods.

[usedlaserbeam]

[Oh, look, an Eevee. Yagyuu remembers the days of being enthralled by seeing one of those hatch. Lady was once newly hatched and adorable that way, too before her reign of Eevee terror.]

That's a fine name for her, I agree.

[fullmoonfortune]

[Hopefully Orihime will stay cute forever.]

I'm glad. I wonder if that means I should find a Hikoboshi for her... [He hmms in wonder; evidently he's been thinking about this for a bit.] Oh well. Did you celebrate today?

[usedlaserbeam]

I'd advise being careful if you do; you might find your cows scattered and your cloth no longer being woven.

I made a wish, but that's all. And yourself?

[fullmoonfortune]

Mina-kun wouldn't let them get too wrapped up in each other, I think. [Thank you for that!!]

Ah, I made a wish too! It was for -- [Wait!] It won't come true if I tell you it, will it?

[usedlaserbeam]

I would hope not. In any event, congratulations on your Eevee. They're rewarding creatures, and I hope your Orihime-chan is no exception for you.

Ah, and I think you're right that it's better not to tell. Particularly if it's an important wish.

[fullmoonfortune]

[And it is! But Ryoji's focus is most on the first part -- he likes finding Eeveebuddies.] Ah, have you had an Eevee before?

1/2

[usedlaserbeam]

[...Um. Well.]

[usedlaserbeam]

I've raised a few of them, yes. I believe I'm up to eleven now, all told.

[fullmoonfortune]

Eleven? Wow! How do you take care of all of them?

[conduit]

Hm~! What a cute name for her! I have a friend named Orihime~! [ She giggles! ] When she was here, she really liked the Eevees~! [ She happily sighs in the memories of her fallen friend. ] You're really great with naming your pokemon~!

[fullmoonfortune]

[You're such a flatterer, Rangiku!]

I wouldn't say that! Naming a newborn after someone from a legend just because they happened to be hatched or born on it doesn't seem very original at all.

[conduit]

I think it is~! Most people don't seem to celebrate or think twice about their birthday. Now, this person will always have a reminder about it wherever they go~! It's a very smart thing to do! [ especially since Rangiku's real birthday isn't very well known ): ]

[fullmoonfortune]

Do you have a birthday like that, Rangiku-san? [He's only teasing.]

[conduit]

[ For a brief, but definitely noticeable moment, Rangiku's immediate reaction is a crestfallen and empty stare. Her birthday. The day where a Gin Ichimaru saved her life and gave her food before she whittled away. The day that spawned the rest of her life, the beating and soul robbing from Aizen, the constant betrayals of Gin that culminated in his death still as a traitor to the soul society. The fact that she doesn't even know her own birthday, or why her name was Rangiku seemed to flood her thoughts and overpower them enough to show some visible hurt. It appears that trying not to think about it just worsens the problem.

As quickly as the emotions arrives, it fades. ]

My birthday~? It's usually a celebration all of the best food, saké and people one could find!

[fullmoonfortune]

[Ryoji furrows his brow, wondering at the expression; it seems so off with the happy words that arrive after it, almost as if it had never existed.]

Then I guess I'll know exactly when it is, if you celebrate it so well. I'll make sure to bring you an amazing gift too.

[Maybe a hug. Or two, for that hurt he'd seen.]

[conduit]

I'll tell you now it's near the end of September~! [ The reason why the mun remembers it so well is because Rangiku and I share the same birthday |D Or her fake birthday, whatever. ]

I'll be looking forward to your fantastic gift! [ and the hugs. She likes the hugs. ]

[fullmoonfortune]

[Mun'll be sure to get you a present too, if you don't mind fic |D.]

I'll be looking forward to giving it to you.