verdant green

red like roses (and nothing scarier than that)

⤷ infamous: sleepwalking

#god went back to our dms like :marge: and we talked about this exactly one month ago #SORRY FOR THE WAIT #misericordel #🍃 veyle 01

Sleepwalking - a poorly understood phenomenon steeped in superstition. There are rumors lately about the killer possessing arcane, mind-control powers. It’s the only way these well-protected noble men and women could possibly be killed inside their own homes. You don’t believe these rumors at first… not until you catch one of your allies stumbling around outside one night, covered in blood.

The medicine cabinet Midori carries around is quite heavy, but there are times that that comes in handy. Like in the wind last night! She's fairly certain she could've been blown clear away if there wasn't something anchoring her in place.

It'd definitely paid off, though, in the form of a bundle of red clover tucked neatly into one of the drawers. An herb not natural to Hoshido, and even rarely found in the Garreg Mach greenhouses, it was definitely worth the huge mess of pollen that the flowers left all over her!

And so, despite the sleep deprivation from the late night, Midori is in quite high spirits as she heads into the hall to meet the new friends whom she had come on this mission with.

"Good morning, Veyle!" Stifling a yawn, she nonetheless gives a cheery wave at the other girl. Midori knows that she's part of the church, and so more likely is more grown up, but she looks just her age, so it's natural for her to want to be friends! She heads over to Veyle's side with a smile that is tired but still genuine.

"I feel like I barely got any sleep at all, and I woke up to a huge mess... But I think we're gonna do a good job on protection detail today anyway! You think so too, right?"

@misericordel

sacrificialspear

[ MINT CANDY ]

"Did you hear? That man loves mints so much that he's flooding the hall with them!"

"He's enlisted so many people to give them away, but there's still always more!"

Midori never expected the man at the end of the trail of gossip to be the man who reminded her of the sad clown from months ago, but the resemblance is still strong enough to immediately remind her the moment she sees his face. Withdrawing something carefully from a pouch, Midori approaches, gift in hand.

"Are you the Mint Man?" She looks up at him, "I mean, I didn't expect it to be you, but that's nice! Mint is really good for you! Not just for your breath, but also for digestion and congestion and focus and all kinds of stuff..."

Oh, but being the Mint Man, he probably already knew all this, didn't he? She hastily holds out her offering, a sprig of fresh mint leaves from the limited stock she'd brought to Fódlan.

"I'm not sure what else they've put into those candies, but the actual plant is always the best thing for you! Here, take some!" Her love for herbs might be more all-encompassing, but she won't deny this bond with a fellow mint-lover!

Is he the Mint Man?

Finn stares blankly at the young lady as she rambles before him. She's excitable in a way that's so different from Nanna, who usually keeps her excitement bottled until it's near to bursting.

Is he the Mint Man?

Is this to be his fate? Not a proud knight of Leonster, not the personal retainer to his lord, but a man with mint in his pockets? With every passing minute, the exhaustion that regularly sits on his shoulders feels heavier, more weighty.

"I did not..." make them, he thinks, because the bowl full of them is right there on the table over there for anyone to take, and she could just go grab some if she pleased, but he accepts the bundle of mint that's shoved into his hands without a word because what else is he going to do?

Finn stares silently at the bundle, then sighs. "Thank you."

#i hope it soothes his soul (????????) to know this small child believes in him so wholeheartedly #did not end up using it in narrative but imagine finn has 10 different herbs in his hands + the orchids #sacrificialspear #toaball2026

"You're welcome!! You're doing a really important job, telling so many people how good mint is, after all!" Oblivious to his internal turmoil, Midori beams, before her expression turns curious, considering.

"Anyway, I heard you've recruited a lot of people to hand out mints for you...?"

She'd seen one of them, she thinks, a taller woman from her class who was trying to hand one to Mitama, but who knows how many more there are?

"You know, if you want, we can work together! I have lots of different kinds of herbs on me, but even a lot of my friends don't know all that much about them until I make a concoction or an ointment out of them. If all your friends can help hand these out for me as well, more people will learn about them!"

Midori turns out her pockets, and starts piling other plants atop the mint already in the man's hands. Luckily, the ball happened right after one of her herb collection days, so his palms are quickly filled with all her usual favorites, some Fódlan specialties, and... oh!

"I was telling someone else earlier, but even orchids are edible and have health benefits, so here, you can take some of mine too!"

She takes a generous handful from her bouquet and piles them on top of his already overflowing hands. He probably doesn't know all the benefits for everything here, but Midori can make him a list. She looks back up at him, excitement shining in her eyes.

"Maybe, instead of Mint Man, you can become Herb Man instead!!"

Always aim higher, Finn!!

At first, Hector had approached because it looked like a giant bird had gotten into the hall. What else would explain that plume of feathers, so tall they crested above the partygoers?

But at the end of his walk across the dance floor and over to the entrance, he finds a young human girl. Not even hiding his baffled frown, Hector sweeps a hand at the very feathered headdress that's nearly as tall as the girl wearing it.

"What's all this? Some new fashion?"

The headdress is really heavy, but with all her experience carrying her medicine cabinet on her back all these years, Midori finds she's getting used to it quite handily. With the new, colorful picture in her pocket, her night was only getting better!

The staff at the photo-artifex had told her that she could borrow the feather plumes for the evening, because no one else had used it even once since they started operating it. And if it'll feature in the photo she's sending to her father, then she thinks it's only right that she should wear it around for real so that it's an actual part of her ball experience.

It sure gets her more attention! She's used to being one of the shortest people in the crowd, blending in easily, but she finds herself approached by strangers asking after her fashion choices now.

"Do you like it? It's cool, right?" She beams up at the older man, though the vertical motion of her neck is a little limited by the heavy weight, "I'm wearing it so that I can show my father how much fun the ball is!"

She indicates the direction she came from. "There's lots of different hats that they'll let you borrow at the photo-artifex booth, if you want to try one out too!"

The feather one is Midori's for the night, though, and she'll definitely make the most out of it!

of-ostia

Cool isn't the word Hector would choose. In her case, heavy is more like it; he can tell it's an effort for the kid to keep it upright. But he's a big fan of her can-do spirit, especially if she's here without her father. Hector is pretty sure he can imagine how much she must miss him.

And, frankly, she's the first child in some time that hasn't either tried to kill him, hid from him, or sized him up before kicking him in the shins as hard as they could. He still had no idea why they kicked him.

"Is that right?" He smirks as an idea comes to him. "Say, you think we can get those feathers to touch the ceiling?" The hall's clearly far too vast for that, but before she can say so, Hector's got his hands under her arms, hoisting her up onto his shoulders.

"Well? How close are they?" He calls up to her. Then, spotting an attendant with a photo-artifex, he waves them down. "Let's show your father how tall you are! Hey! You there. Get a picture of us!"

#of-ostia #kaze is getting this picture for sure :pleading_face:#my girl can be such a silly goose sometimes truly thank u for letting her have fun hector :wahoorat:#toaball2026

Midori's startled yelp melts easily into delighted laughter as she finds herself lifted high onto the man's shoulders. Grown-up though she might be, surely no one can resist a good shoulder ride!!

At the other's question, she looks up, the tallest feathers cutting a wide, colorful arc through the air as the chinstrap barely holds the headpiece in place.

"Uhhh, not quite... I think we'll need five more people's shoulders to sit on...!" she says through her giggles.

The man calls another photo-artifex operator over, and Midori, now experienced, smiles and throws her arms out wide, feeling really quite big and tall in the moment!

"Thank you! That was fun!" As the picture begins rolling out from the edge of the machine, Midori leans down (the feathers swoooooshing forward this time) to meet the upside-down face whose shoulders she's sitting on. With not much else to thank the older man with at the moment, she takes one of her flowers and sticks it where collar meets cape, trying to find an artful angle that helps accentuate his outfit.

"I'm Midori, and I'm an apothecary!" Even despite their relative positions, she decides to introduce herself properly, "Tonight we're just enjoying ourselves, but normally I'm really focused on my job! So if you ever need any herbs or medicines, you can call on me anytime!"

estelular

[ FLOWER ARRANGEMENT ] - No matter how many flowers you gather, your bouquet won’t look its best unless you have the skill to make it so. A couple of students have taken upon itself to imbue their peers with the knowledge of flower language and the art of flower arrangement, and as a result the garden has become something of a workshop.

leaning her head toward the girl beside her, estel murmurs, “i didn’t realize that flowers could mean so many different things.”

there had just been so many people gathering around—she only wanted to see what all the fuss was about. really, if she’d known that it would result in her getting roped into listening to one of her fellow students go on and on about what the flowers in her bouquet meant then she would have settled for observing them from afar.

it’s not that she’s disinterested, exactly. but there are plenty of things she reckons would be more helpful to know than flower language. were they safe to eat? poisonous? estel has spent plenty of time hunting in the forest and can tell you the best way to track down its fauna, but she knows admittedly very little about its various flora.

“do you think these are edible?” she asks after a pause of consideration, staring down at her bouquet of hyacinths.

#estelular #toaball2026 #mmm infinite snack (flowers) glitch

Pretty much everything Midori knows about flowers are only related to their medicinal usage, so all this talk about flower languages is fairly unfamiliar to her. Apparently the yellow orchids she'd been given are symbols of friendship and joy, though, which are nice meanings! Wholly unconnected to her craft, though, and she thinks maybe she won't be able to remember everything she hears today for very long...

The student next to her leans over, long ears — did she get that from the photo-artifex booth too? — hanging over her head, and she peers at the flowers in the other's hand.

"Oh, most hyacinths are toxic, so I wouldn't recommend it..." There are only a select few species that are ok to eat, but she can't be completely sure they're the same as the ones the girl has, so it's probably best to play it safe. She raises her own bouquet.

"These ones are edible though! Orchids are good for immune health and digestion, and they don't have a very sharp taste, so they're a possible addition to any meal if you ever get a lot of it. Here!"

She takes two yellow blooms from her bundle, presenting the symbol of friendship to the other with a bright grin.

"One is for your bouquet! You can try eating the other one if you're curious. I think it tastes a lot like a milder, creamier lettuce!"

At first, Hector had approached because it looked like a giant bird had gotten into the hall. What else would explain that plume of feathers, so tall they crested above the partygoers?

"What's all this? Some new fashion?"

It sure gets her more attention! She's used to being one of the shortest people in the crowd, blending in easily, but she finds herself approached by strangers asking after her fashion choices now.

She indicates the direction she came from. "There's lots of different hats that they'll let you borrow at the photo-artifex booth, if you want to try one out too!"

The feather one is Midori's for the night, though, and she'll definitely make the most out of it!

#of-ostia #i love thissssssss thank u so much :crylaugh:#midori will be wearing this all evening and this is /th for the asks that i haven't answered yet #toaball2026

petalblight

verdelixir approaches.

[ PHOTO-ARTIFEX ] - The ever-popular photo-artifex makes its annual return, allowing users to capture pictures in as little as a flash of light and a moment. Take home something to remember the event by!

IT'S UNSURPRISING THAT THE PHOTO-ARTIFEX HAS GARNERED A QUEUE. The newest technologies always do, if the latest models of karakuri in Hoshido have taught him anything. Carmine eyes sweep the crowd until he finds a familiar child all in her lonesome. The masses almost swallow her tiny stature; Tsubaki weaves through bodies before finding a place at the young girl's side.

"やああ、ミドリー” Tsubaki greets and his eyes flickers from the young teenager and to the photo-artifex, "Have you thought about taking one~? It'd be a nice memorabilia to send back to your father."

@verdelixir

#petalblight #toaball2026 #midori wholeheartedly embracing the 'mr caeldori's dad is really good at everything' perspective hahaha #anyway this leads into the hector ask which is upcoming :crylaugh:

Wonder colors Midori's features as she watches the line slowly move up, each participant met with a bright flash and then a small piece of glossy paper that captures their image in the moment faster than any portrait could be painted.

It's so amazing that they get it so fast, and for free too! And if the picture is small enough that it can be easily rolled into a scroll and sent out...

She looks up at the sound of her name, giving the trusted adult a nervously excited grin.

"Y-yeah!!" Maybe it's a little embarrassing, that Caeldori's dad can immediately tell what she's thinking, but it is what she wanted, after all!

"You know how to use it, right? Midori would really love to have a picture to send to Father..."

Oh, but if she's just standing there looking really normal, wouldn't he think this is just from any random day? No, she needs to show him how unique and special this ball is! Spotting a rack of props prepared for the picture-takers, she runs off.

"Hold on, Mister Tsubaki!! I'll go get something cool-looking for the occasion!"

🃏 — What trait or habit of theirs does your muse tell themselves is virtuous when it is in fact making them a worse person?

—— SWEET LOVE. (no longer accepting!)

There is a slippery slope where I want to be helpful becomes I need to find a problem so I can solve it becomes I kind of want you to have a problem, and Midori isn't very good at navigating it right now.

Her love for her craft is genuine, yes, but a lot of her actions are tinged with the subconscious knowledge that she needs to be useful to earn her place at the side of her friends and family, and this is something that absolutely directs her every move. If someone doesn't have any need of her services, whether it's her expertise in medicine or her lesser but still present skill in battle, there is no reason they would want her around, so a lot of her interpersonal relations banks on finding or creating such a need.

In her mind, this makes her a better person! It makes her a better Apothecary, for sure, and with every increase of her skill she will only become more useful, so her friends and family will have more and more reason to want her to stay with them. In reality, though, when this is taken to the very extreme, her need to be useful is turned around to the point where her friends are only useful if they need her.

This is best shown in her B support with Selkie, where she's momentarily disappointed that Selkie had recovered from her cold without Midori's help.

Midori: I just finished... my new... Oh no. Don't tell me you've already recovered from that cold. Selkie: Yep! I feel fantastic! I hit the hay early and woke up late, and by that time I was allll better! Midori: Oh... Selkie: Is that... bad? Midori: Well... no. I mean... I did make a special trip deep into the forest to find the right herbs. And I did spend half the night devising the right balance to make them palatable. But if you're over your cold, I guess none of that matters now! Hooray.

Absolutely insane reaction to hearing that a friend feels better, and Midori does realize this and apologize immediately after, but this is a genuine issue that she struggles with, and I do want to explore her process of seeing past relationships as purely a need-based exchange over the course of her time here.

#🍃 herbal infusion (headcanon)#diadic #thank youuuuuu #this is the very first of these ones i've answered alksdjfalk i will clear these all out before may is over i promise #i do want to explore the fact that midori can genuinely be so annoying sometimes :crylaugh:

your honor his head just kind of did that || midori & byleth

infamous - sword +1

I do not recall where I was after dinner. - Byleth

It would be nice to write something else, but the truth is, the last thing he can remember is standing from the table with the intention to head to his room. The travel here, the job, none of it is out of his ordinary. It couldn't have been something wrong with the-

Timid whisper draws him from his thoughts. He reads over her alibi carefully before the cogs begin to spin. The garden is near the south end of the manor and the man was murdered in the master's quarters to the east. Their assigned rooms were not this for guests of the house, rather those guest's servants so they had been bundled with the other servants whose rooms were southward as well.

"What kind of herbs did you find?" Will a question like that break the tension a little bit? While they wait on the others, it's better to keep nerves in check.

#crested-flames #🍃 mbyleth 01

"Oh! All kinds!" Surprised by the professor's interest, Midori's exclamation comes a little too enthusiastic, a little too loud, before she quickly glances around at the others with a burst of self-consciousness.

She leans in a little closer to speak next.

"I'm not from Fódlan, so there are a lot of herbs here that are brand new to me. See?"

Withdrawing a notebook from her pocket, she shows the professor the pages she had filled in last night, simple drawings with all her observations written alongside, to be researched upon her return. It had seemed rude to go pick herbs that belong to the manor, despite how much she wanted to, so this had been the next best thing. She closes the book, looking back up at the other again.

"Midori wasn't anywhere near the viscount or the kitchen at all, honest... Do you really think it was one of us who killed him?"

your honor his head just kind of did that || midori & byleth

infamous - sword +1

One, where is he? They were assigned as a protection detail. He for the physical, she for the medical. Four others joined, two beneath him and two beneath her. It's both a job and a lesson. Why in their detail of six is their charge dead?

"We will not be pointing fingers," Byleth says first and foremost as they gather in the dining hall. A sheet of paper and quill is given to each student as well as his fellow professor. "Write me where you were deftly after dinner."

He takes a seat himself next to one of the students and begins to think. He'd had dinner and then...

@verdelixir

#crested-flames #🍃 mbyleth 01

If the viscount is dead, that means they failed their mission, right?

Resisting the urge to fidget out of nervousness, Midori sets her quill on the paper, her usual, neat script a little shaky as she writes.

After dinner, Midori spent some time in the garden to observe the herbs grown in this area,

She pauses. Is 'some time' too vague? If they're at the point of asking for alibis, she needs to give more. Crossing the offending words out, she replaces them with a smaller 'two hours' hovering over the stricken text, and continues.

before returning to her room, where she stayed until morning.

It's not much; a single-sentenced claim with nothing to prove it, but it's all she has. Midori looks up at the professor at her side, violet eyes wide and anxious.

" Is— is this ok?" she whispers, pushing the paper towards his direction.

midori's delivery service

⤷ reunion thread with uncle saizo

hoshidosflame

If he said he hadn't missed her or his brother, he'd be lying. Their smiles were always brighter than his and they had more kindness in their hearts. Not to say Saizo didn't but he was known to be more harsh and stubborn, or more likely to say things he'll have to apologize for later.

"I'm glad you made it safely. You'll have to let your father know too." Saizo doesn't want to think about how Kaze would have reacted if she hadn't. Luckily, he doesn't have to. He watches as Midori digs through one of the many drawers and wondered if her equipment or tools needed to be replaced soon... It was omething to think about for the future.

When he's handed the piece of paper, Saizo holds it carefully as not to risk tearing it and skims over the ingredients. The ninja knew very little about herbs and medicine in general, but he recognized the names on her list. The smile underneath his mask grows ever-so-slightly wider, and he nods his head. "A lot of them grow in the forests and mountains. In between training and missions, the other young ninja and I used to collect them for the herbalists."

He gives the recipe back to his niece, eye locking on her for a split second in an attempt at reading her expression while she rocks on her heels. Unable to discern any worry from her expression, Saizo gives her a short but affirmative nod of his head. "As if I would be able to replicate it myself. You've got talent and I'd feel like a bad uncle if I didn't encourage it." The ninja replies, tucking the jar and pouch of spices into the leather pouch he kept at his hip. "Once I run out, I'll let you know."

"Do you need any help unpacking?" It was okay if she wanted to say no but the least he could do was ask, right? "If not, I could show you around and we can make dinner together later?"

#hoshidosflame #🍃 saizo 01 #we can end it here or with one more reply from your end; whichever you prefer!!#tyyy i love the ninja fam...... kaze and asugi pspspsps #if we get a kaze then midori will never die /lh

"I'm writing Father a letter this evening!" Midori confirms, "I'll tell him the trip went well, and that I'm settled, and I gave you the spices and the ointment. Oh! And I'll tell him that Uncle Saizo says hi too."

Her father and uncle must have their own correspondence, but she thinks her father might be happy to hear that she's completed her mission right away, and that she and her uncle are now both here to watch out for each other.

It'd be better if he were actually here in person, of course. If all of their family were here, and there's no war, and they could all just live happily together. But they're all adults now, and had their own plans with life, and Midori can't interfere with that. As long as she has friends and her uncle here, she can be happy with that too!

At Saizo's reassurance that he'll continue to have need of her skills, and at his offer of more accompaniment, Midori gives a cheer.

"Yay!! I'd love it if you can show me around!" She bounces around him in excitement, accustomed enough to the heavy cabinet at her back that it hardly hampers her movements at all. She's still got some things she needs to unpack, sure, but she can do that on her own time without bothering her uncle over it. More importantly, she gets to spend all afternoon with him, and have dinner together too!

Hoisting her cabinet more securely against her shoulders, Midori beams up at her uncle.

"I'm ready to go right now!"

To Be Merry

↳ Karla & Midori TOA Starlight — Daytime ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Karla remembers this; being the little sister, too tiny to reach anything. In those instances, Karel had been there for her — had always lifted her here-and-there, higher and higher. On his back, on his shoulders, in his arms. She remembers being Midori's height, Midori's figure. Though Karla is taller, she's still a bit frailer, but she should be able to lift a small girl up on a horse…

1d20 = … 20!

But the young girl is light, and Karla feels strong. She pulls her up onto the wooden horse with ease, lifting her high in the air for a moment as she does so. Then, remembering her request that they go together, she climbs on after her, situating her between a strange metal rod and Karla.

"Are you comfortable, Midori…?" She attempts to give the tiny girl more space.

#says the girl who can promote to mechanist which is using strings to ride around on a puppet doing basically the same thing :crylaugh:#anyway sorry for the delay!! rl started kicking me once term started but i'd love to finish this still #new friemd for midori #scarletplain #🍃 karla 01 #toastarlight2026

Lifted by Karla's arms, Midori settles into the makeshift saddle easily, holding onto the pole in front of her in lieu of any real reins. There's plenty of space, even when the other student climbs atop the horse as well.

"Uh-huh! It's nice and snug this way, hehe," she says, just as the entrance gate swings shut and the magic begins to swell in the enclosure, the wooden steeds seemingly taking on a life of their own.

With a gentle movement, the platform itself spins, and the wooden horses begin to hover up and down, legs moving as though in a slow-motion gallop across a field. In awe, Midori turns to beam at Karla.

"Wow! This is so cool!" She hadn't ever considered that magic could be used for something like this, and while it might not be for any use on a battlefield, it's certainly the most fun she's ever had with something magical!

"Is it anything like riding a real horse, Karla?"

you think you’re a heretic? watch this—

⤷ mission board: epidemic; gouda boy

sollegro

GOUDA IS A NICKNAME. kind of, at least. gouda's the name of a city somewhere, but in the native tongue: it's called goudse kaas, and so soleil does not want to merely call this vagabond ' gouda boy ' as that implies that this is either a friend or a boy when he is neither! she will call him what he is. "midori," she begins, her voice suspiciously stern but fair as she rests her furred paws on her hips ( where are her hips? maybe they're just spiritual ). "do you think if most parents paid any attention to what their kids did that we would've been, you know—" normal?

not that they necessarily come from the same place, or timeline, which is an entirely different mess that she really doesn't have the ability to think about right now but she suspects the situations were similar.

thump, thump! goes her bepawed foot, heavy leg jerking as if she's got somewhere to run in the next few minutes.

"it's very weird, isn't it?" she thinks she saw a paper bird folded earlier from the documents, so it wasn't as if anyone was really reading it? maybe it's magic. fódlan was much richer in magic than their homeland was. they needed focuses there, divine weapons for even the strongest of them—here, it just gets conjured out of nowhere and by the oddest groups of people she's ever seen in her life. "well!"

she glances down at midori through pockmarked eyes.

"we'll just have to do them one better. if we can't grab them, and they won't come out, then we have to make them come to us!" open paw drops hollow into open paw, because she cannot get this glove to close into a fist.

"how good is midori—er, how good are you at singing songs?"

#my sweet summer child who believes in the goodness of the world #let's disillusion her :wahoorat:#🍃 soleil 01 #sollegro

Normal. Maybe it's true, and that's something out of their reach by now. But maybe that's exactly why they have to succeed at this mission!

Midori thinks she gets what Soleil's plan entails, but really, that doesn't make looking up to see her friend's head replaced by the face of one of these weird furred creatures any less jarring. She looks nicer than Gouda Boy, at least! Though that might just be because Midori knows it's her friend underneath. In any case, she nods.

"So we're gonna get the kids to come over to our side instead, and then teach them that… uh, that the Goddess is good, actually? Or were you thinking more like general life lessons? Eat your vegetables and listen to your mom and dad?" Her own caretakers had been really big on the first point, growing up, since her own Deeprealm was covered in so much forest. Not as much on the second point, though Midori developed her own beliefs about that one in time as well.

Of course, her caretakers were dressed normally when they said it, and also didn't sing.

"I guess I can make up some lyrics if needed," she says, a little doubtfully. They won't be good lyrics, maybe, but probably enough to entertain some kids.

Midori doesn't think Soleil knows all that much more about Fódlan than she does, so it can't be anything too deep, right?

i got your card are we besties now

Starlight Dreams | Sunshine Supports

Now it is the exotic one’s turn to exert a confused noise.

“...Huh?”

With a delayed backing of her hand upon retracting the kunai also comes the delayed realization that Midori speaks aloud. Has being so enveloped within her magnified act made her so unaware of the obvious implications?

“Aye, your intuition is lovingly sound. Hoshido is my home, and although I have traveled close and far from it in recent years, it remains my home forevermore,” the bustle in her voice diminishes, her usual tone melting through more. “I seem to be meeting many more that hail from that land. But the comfort of crossing another never lessens.”

Fully backing off with a hint of abashment in her heart, Yuzu retreats one hand back to the overly flowing cape. The act of working under a false guise still feels so…foreign to her.

At least the smile that Yuzu has seen from right across her feels less foreign than ever now.

“Ah, and sorry for the witless carelessness I put on display. It has merely been so long since I’ve thrown a kunai of true caliber. So long that… Fie, I fail to even recall the battle whatsoever,” she sheepishly shakes her head while feeling comfortable enough to stop clinging to her cape. “However, would a demonstration after the festivities are complete suffice for a better time?”

They can play it as preparation for when the world faces the tragedy of darkness. Fighting it off together as two fabled warriors…or just friends. Friends work too.

#toastarlight2026 #craneswings #🍃 yuzu 01 #sorry it's a little late but tyyy it's always fun threading with u hehe

Relieved that Yuzu had relented, Midori breaks into a genuine grin at her confirmation of their shared homeland. Even with so many Hoshidans she already knew from Corrin's army here in Fódlan, it's still truly exciting to meet someone new who came from home!

Yuzu's tone softens at the subject matter at hand, and Midori leans in, as though sharing a little secret in the midst of their bombastic act.

"I'm really happy that I met you, warrior of Hoshido! Midori would love to call you a friend, now and in the future too."

She gives a proper bow before straightening, taking just a moment's pause to consider before nodding at the challenge as well, one last sweeping, theatrical pose for the ending of the game.

"And of course I cannot say no to such inspiring passion!! I shall have plenty more tales of my ninja heritage for you after the festivities are over!"

She might have to include the part where, you know, she never really fully inherited the legacy. Still, Midori is glad for another Hoshidan friend! And if Yuzu is really serious about that kunai throwing contest, she could always introduce her to the real Uncle Saizo...

—end.

lunaestice

The sun has said goodbye, and now it is the moon whose glow illuminates the festival. On top of that, the comet of blessings is visible now even more than before. All the previously closed blue stalls are now open and with the little star shaped lights lining each of them, the atmosphere has completely changed. It’s like an entirely new Star Festival!

Nightlight Phase: Feb 19th - Feb 23rd.

Prompts:

(Stars) Atop a hill overlooking the night sky there’s a mage. For a little gold he’ll write whatever you ask of him as a message made from stars. Whether that’s a heartfelt message.. or a joke!

(Flower) A stall has been set up that sells rare flowers: ones that glow under the moonlight. A bouquet of these would already be perfect, but a beautiful flower crown made from them would look like a halo placed on a loved one’s head..

(Hubba) A girl who claims to be the granddaughter of a famous matchmaker sets up a stall for the festival! Would you and a friend like to see how compatible you two are? Or maybe you wanna know if your beloved really is your happily ever after?

(Rest) The festival will go on well past midnight. As such, there’s a tent that’s been hit with a sound proof spell so no sound will leak inside. In the tent are comfortable chairs, pillows and even beds for those looking to unwind a little.

(Candy) One stall sells little fruit flavored candies shaped much like the stars everyone’s been gathering. There’s also a challenge going on in a different bowl where one half of the candies has delicious fruity flavors and the other half… doesn’t. Do you take on the 50/50?

(Carousel) The wooden horses are now Pegasi! The platform, which at first only spun around now also rises into the air, allowing you to see the starry night sky from even closer. Takes a little more bravery, but the view is worth it!

(Lake) The stars and moon above reflect beautifully on the lake’s surface. The festival committee has provided delightful, duck-shaped two-person paddle boats for those wanting to enjoy the clear waters up close.

(Circus) A short distance away from the rest of the festival is a single, dilapidated looking circus tent. People have mentioned seeing strange lights dance around this tent, as well as hearing clown-like sobs if they get up close… Discover what’s inside.. if you dare.

(Mirrors) One stall holds a maze made of mirrors, promising a reward for those able to make it out to the other side. Be careful though, it’s quite disorienting to be seeing yourself on all sides!

(Soup) In the mood for dinner? This stall has several pots of boiling broth, as well as selections of proteins, veggies and carbs, allowing you to add whatever you like to them to make your own soup! Or to live out your witch roleplay dreams. Both are valid.

#toastarlight2026 #will send out asks later on in the day :monkering:

i got your card are we besties now

Starlight Dreams | Sunshine Supports

Another quite stupified look claims the face of the expressive crane. Though can you blame her? Not only does the green-haired girl hold and even show off her supposed weapon of choice with much greater expertise than Yuzu could…but the reason behind her wielding such knives is a great shock to the Hoshidan.

No, she did not take an extensive look at all of the dressing room’s offerings. To her innocent and linear mind, the kunai is indistinguishable from the real thing.

“I-Incredible!!” she explains with mouth agape before quickly correcting her immature gushing. “Fie, not the occurrence of tragedy, mind you. It’s simply that… I have yet to even dare to barely reach the heights of ninja mastery, in spite of my homeland. Being in the presence of a master such as yourself is…”

Incredible, she means to repeat in exclamation aloud but fails to do so. For her hands have abandoned trying to wring out her katana and instead begin to stretch up and outward. Particularly, one of them begin to stray toward the kunai in Midori’s hand.

Blame the excitement, but Yuzu believes this to be the best way to satisfy both their card claims. “But why wait for the battlefield? You must have multiple of those, yes? A throwing duel…I cannot see a better way to solidify our comradery today!”

Considering the great amount of people surrounding them and no clear sign of a safe target whatsoever, there are certainly much better ways to solidify their bond. Though if she frames it as the superior way…who can argue otherwise?

#craneswings #toastarlight2026 #🍃 yuzu 01

“Huh? H-here?!” Briefly dropping character in shock, Midori jumps back, eyes wide. There are so many people who could get hurt if they started tossing things around, even if the kunai are just fake!

(Is this Yuzu’s way of trying to fulfill what Midori wrote on her card…?)

Anyway, the other girl seems really, truly invested into this act, so Midori doesn’t want to discard it fully, but she also doesn’t want to start lobbing projectiles (one she's not actually super great with, at that) all around the crowded room, either. Instead, she tucks the kunai away, striking a contemplative pose with clasped hands and two fingers straightened against her chin.

“A ninja must be very careful with their powers. I should not do anything that might contribute to the tragedy of the world, of which I've already seen enough..."

The earlier mention of homeland, though, piques her interest. Never, in all the material she’d read from other continents, had she seen any mention of ninja. Sure, they might not be a huge feature in books primarily about herbs and medicine, but to have not a single mention, when shinobi do tend to make use of herbs, seems to suggest they don't exist elsewhere. Midori peers up at the other.

“But to speak of ninja with such familiarity, could it be that you, too, hail from Hoshido? If so, then we have much more in common than just a love of weaponry!”

That alone would definitely make Yuzu a friend for real, just like all the people she'd met in Corrin's army!

To Be Merry

↳ Karla & Midori TOA Starlight — Daytime ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Prettier up close?… She looks at the decorated horses, carved carefully and painted, and attempts to see what the young girl sees — the work of art that they are, something that took hours of time and energy and years to hone a craft, and… she believes she sees it. It's just — real horses have such a majesty that she feels can hardly be matched, even by such statuesque figures, that it is hard to compare. But, no… these things are pretty, too. She can see it. She can.

"My family used to have a real horse," she tells Midori, softly. "I suppose she would be my favorite." Then it dawns on Karla; she meant out of the horses here. "Oh… that one, I mean." She points to a brown horse, speckled hide, long, free tail. It looks the most like her mare. "She looks the most like her."