NAGANOHARA YOIMIYA!

She made a mental note: closer to the water next time. Sand is good for snuffling out fires.

But at the same time, Yoimiya often found herself mesmerised by the fire, perhaps in some part due to her Vision. The way the flames lapped at the bush, desperate to seize any sort of life– it was dangerously stunning. A primal form of fireworks, wild and unpredictable. Was that not a sort of beauty in itself? The flames, always shifting, its heat warming her all the way down to her bones.

Right. She was still in trouble. The girl reeled her thoughts in, setting it aside for later (in a more controlled environment). If the General caught her spacing out, she’d be in bigger trouble than she already was.

The timing appeared to be just right– upon hearing that the bake-danuki had appreciated her fireworks, her face lit up, the moment of gravitas that Kujou Sara had so painstakingly set up flew right over Yoimiya’s head. “They thought my fireworks were endearing?” If such was the case, then she would have to pay them a personal visit sometime: first to apologize, then to bring them some less explosive fireworks for them to enjoy. They had sensitive hearing, right? So maybe she should pick something quieter-

Something shifted in the General’s tone, and she perked up once more to pay attention. Sara sounded… nicer, maybe? While she usually seemed fairly stoic, perhaps Yoimiya had finally cracked that tough shell of hers (wishful thinking, obviously, but still).

Sara opened her mouth to reject the idea, to tell her she had duties far more pressing than supervising a pyrotechnician with a penchant for chaos, but... something gave her pause.

Free time was... something the General was rarely afforded. She had her men to command, after all, and the whole of Inazuma to guard and protect, but Yoimiya was right—it would be best that she be kept under strict supervision during the three-week period, and who else was better fit for it if not Kujou Sara? Her strictness had earned her a reputation, but the rest of the Shogunate tend to be... quite lenient. The people of Inazuma, contrary to popular belief, especially its soldiers, can be quite doting to their people. Which was no issue, mind. Except, well… That also meant they would often dote upon even repeat offenders like the fireworks maker. And though Sara didn’t relish the thought of babysitting Yoimiya, she could not shake the concern that without her oversight, another accident—one much more dangerous—could be on the horizon.

Indeed, typically, it took far more to convince Kujou Sara to abandon her post and take on a different task. As Kujou Takayuki often reminded her, tools of Eternity like herself belonged on the battlefield—to fight where conflict brewed and to safeguard Inazuma from all threats. Anything less was a waste of her purpose. But she found herself reasoning, much to her own surprise, that Naganohara Yoimiya’s fireworks were more than just fleeting sparks of light—they were symbols of joy. An expression of freedom that had time and again rekindled Inazuma’s spirit even in the most dire of times. That, above all else, deserved protection, did it not?

“Very well.” She allowed herself a long sigh before continuing, arms uncrossed as she weighed the idea in her mind. “I shall be the one to oversee punishment. But allow me to remind you this: I have no plans to indulge you in your whims. If I am to supervise you, then I shall expect you to follow my instructions when they are given. No buts, no questions. Is that clear?”

Despite her words, this did not mean that Sara planned on being too overbearing to the poor blonde, of course. Hearing her think of ways to improve herself earlier deserved a reward, not further torment. “In exchange, I can introduce you to the bake-danuki within the forest and see to it that they do not trick you into playing one of their endless games.”

There. This should surely be a sufficient compromise.

Nothing sinister, of course. She still needed to be on her best behavior, and she doubted that Kujou Sara would be all that amused by another mishap. If anything, it was probably on the forefront of that poor General’s mind, a very immediate (and admittedly valid) concern. However! Yoimiya did feel rather bad about the number of headaches she had left the other with in recent times– even without her antics, she could see the stress and exhaustion settle into the taller woman’s bones, no matter how subtle the change was. The bags were forming under her eyes, the light in her eyes just a shade dimmer than usual… She needed to get her to take a break.

Besides, it didn’t feel right to just leave her misdeed as is, so she cooked up a little something on the spot. A surprise for Kujou Sara, both as thanks for the kindness shown to her and as an apology for the trouble she’d caused. But the General didn’t need to know that yet!

“In that case, do you mind coming with me to Naganohara Fireworks for a second? I need to get a few things for a new thing I’m trying out, and I don’t think I could carry everything by myself in one go.” She paused, then added, “Not safely, at least.”

Her golden eyes twinkled with hopeful eagerness as she watched for Kujou’s reaction. Of course, it would be entirely possible that the woman would simply reject her offer under the pretense of safety concerns. If that was the case, well, maybe she’d have to think of something other than fireworks, which would suck, but it wasn’t the end of the world, per se.

With Autumn leaves underfoot, the crisp air managed to send a small shiver down the Archon's spine as she surveyed the colorful lanterns swaying with the breeze. They hung from nearly every stall that lined the streets, each vendor offering seasonal treats like dango, warm sake (for those with a bit more... mature tastes), roasted chestnuts-- a few children darted between the booths, eyes wide with excitement as they clutched what seemed to be a sort of sparkler that popped and fizzled with an assortment of incredibly vibrant colors. Impressive, truly. For such a small, insignificant creation to produce such beauty- it had been crafted with the greatest care. A love for one's craft would always be evident in the details of their work, and Ei finds herself unable to tear her eyes away from the dancing lights until the children had long since disappeared from sight with their contraptions. Violet eyes flickered to the side in order to catch sight of her loyal General who stood rigid to the point of discomfort; Ei stifled the urge to request for the other to relax, instead allowing her to carry out her "task" of being a bodyguard in whatever way she pleased. It hadn't been her idea to have General Kujou accompany her-- quite the opposite, actually... Ei didn't have the heart to continue turning her down, seeing the unfiltered desire to protect and serve settling on the determined woman's face. And so she had agreed, if only to sate the General's desire to assist her Archon in whatever capacity possible. If the General was going to be here, though, perhaps they could find something worthwhile to engage in? Kujou Sara certainly did not strike her as the type to ever have a relaxing moment, and perhaps Ei could... attempt to assist in such a matter. Starting with those little fireworks the children had procured. A brief sweep of the crowds led her gaze to settle on a blonde woman of short stature, animatedly waving her wares at a gaggle of children that were captivated by her every word and display. There was little hesitation in how she handed out the items to the children, and such a sight brought a sense of warmth to see the youth of Inazuma City being exposed to such simple joys-- many of which would never have had this opportunity in the distant past.

A determined set of her jaw is evident as Ei strode forward, weaving through several shocked onlookers before coming to a halt several feet behind Yoimiya-- arms remained crossed over her chest in what might appear to be a defensive stance to others... But for her, she wasn't used to these sorts of outings quite yet, and it almost functioned as a gesture of comfort to herself. "I apologize for the interruption," Her voice remained soft in tone, barely audible over the bustle of patrons around them. "But perhaps I could trouble you for two of those? They're quite beautiful." An ordinary person would be petrified at the sight of the Shogun and General showing up to speak to them-- but hopefully, this girl wouldn't... mind?

The Shogun had only ever left the Tenshukaku for official duties before, and even then, it wouldn’t be but a few paces away from the castle… Yet, here she was now, wandering among the citizens, observing her people up close with such… Gentleness in her eyes. It was a shift Sara had noted recently: the Shogun’s once cold gaze had thawed into something warm and soft. The change had been subtle, but to someone who had spent her entire life looking upon her Archon, it was undeniable.

No wonder, then, that the General found it quite difficult to be anything but rigid around her God.

See, at first, Sara’s insistence to accompany Her Excellency had been less about her own desires and more about quelling the Tri-Commission’s inevitable concerns—she could almost hear their panicked words that would echo through Tenshukaku’s corridors, should they be informed that their Archon was out and about without an escort. To them, the Shogun’s well-being was paramount. To have her unguarded was an unforgivable crime, even if the Shogun could protect herself and the whole of Inazuma on her own. To keep them from spiralling further, Sara stepped in, and when they looked as though they longed for more soldiers to join her, the General answered thus, “I alone am worth a thousand of our men.”

And while that may have satisfied the Tri-Commission’s dilemma, it had only strengthened Sara’s own. These little outings, the craving for a sweet snack, and the kind looks—they weren’t something the Shogun would have indulged in before. Had her meeting with the Traveller changed her so? Sara wished she could speak with the Traveller once more, if only to ask what had happened shortly after she fell.

The flicker of light snapped her out of her reverie—small sparklers held in the hands of children. She could see the way her Archon’s eyes softened at the sight, and it was… Odd, how such small things could captivate the Shogun now. In the past, she had never paid attention to such trivial things.

She had nearly stepped in to speak to Yoimiya for the Shogun, before settling instead with remaining a few (five, to be exact) paces back, arms folded behind her as she watched.

The Shogun’s tone was soft—where had that stern and more strict voice gone?—and Sara could only cast the poor Pyrotechnician a quick apologetic nod as she stood there in silence. Naganohara, given how quick she had always been to make friends, should be able to handle this, surely.

Besides, there were always festivals in autumn to look forward to, such as the one happening now. Without fail, the children seemed to find her within minutes of her stepping foot within the venue, and they clamoured around her, begging for “Big Sis Yoimiya” to show them her latest creations.

“Alright, alright, you guys better be ready! I’ve brought a lot of trinkets this time.” Laughing, she dug through a pocket to pull out all sorts of things: multi-colored sparklers, candy, marbles… each one seemed to start a roar of excitement among the children, their grins stretching from ear to ear as Yoimiya gave them each an item depending on their preferences before scurrying off. A few stayed behind after receiving their item, hugging her leg to express their gratitude before joining their friends.

“Make sure to keep the sparklers away from flammable things!” she called after them, cupping her hands around her mouth in hopes of making her voice travel further. “Don’t get big sister Yoimiya in trouble with Miss Kujou….”

The blonde never stayed in one spot for long, often migrating from corner to corner of the festival either by her own volition or due to the herding of the children. Not that she minded, of course! They always added a lively energy to the atmosphere that she greatly cherished.

She was close to the food stalls now, her sparkler supply dwindling slowly but steadily as the evening went on. Her back was to the path, and she was recounting the story about the Great Mujina Youkai to the children, waving an unlit sparkler around as she spoke.

Yoimiya had started talking about the Raiden Shogun's encounter with the Great Mujina Yokai when some of the children began to tug at her kimono, pointing at something (or someone?) behind her. Curious, she turned around to find none other than the Raiden Shogun herself in the flesh. She would’ve thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, if it weren’t for Kujou Sara standing a little ways away behind her. Five paces away, perhaps? (Unlikely, but it would be a little funny if she was.)

“Oh! Good evening, Your Excellency.” Although caught off-guard, she managed to recover quickly enough to offer her archon a bright smile. “It’s not trouble for me at all! I still have a few left, so you’re in luck.”

Pulling out a handful of sparklers, she handed them out to the Shogun. “Here, you don’t seem to come here often, so you can have all of these.” Leaning slightly to look over the Shogun’s shoulder at Kujou Sara, she held out a couple of sparklers to her as well. “You too, Miss Kujou. Oh! Before I forget–”

Not waiting for the tengu to take them in her hands, Yoimiya let go of them to unclip her hair accessory. Gripping it in her hands, she twisted it open, revealing some fish-shaped candies. She held this out to the two taller women as well. “Would you two like some?”

(with @immovablewill )

Festival season or not, Naganohara Yoimiya was always working hard to make fireworks that would catch the eye of even the most unimpressed spectators. Throughout the years, she had made all sorts of unique fireworks: ones that darted across the water, ones that exploded into intricate designs, and even ones that resembled stars in the night sky when they set off at the apex of their climb. These innovations sometimes came with a cost, however– such as multiple fire mishaps that accidentally set a bush (or five… or ten… or twenty?) on fire, but Yoimiya was always careful to bring the suitable equipment needed to put it out. Usually.

Unfortunately for her and the fire brigade that came to clean up her mess, this was not the case today. In her defense, she had finally figured out how to make the fireworks change color mid-explosion, and she just had to test it out, just to check that it wasn't a fluke!

That's what she tried to tell Kujou Sara anyways, her hands clasped behind her back sheepishly as she tried to claim whatever innocence she could.

Which… only made this situation all the more frustrating.

“Naganohara,” Sara began, her voice steady but firm. “We have already gone through this several times, in the past.” She turned her gaze towards the smoking remnants of bushfires not far from where they stood, the faint scent of char still hanging in the air and the dark smoke lingering in the skies. It was lucky that Yoimiya had chosen to test her fireworks an ample distance away from the village, but had the fire brigade been any slower, what was a small fire could have grown to be much worse. “And as I have said before, although it was not your intention to start a fire, mere apologies cannot undo the damages made.”

The General took a deep breath in, a hand coming up to pinch the bridge of her nose. “You were reckless,” she continued with a sigh. “You have endangered the animals in the forest, which cannot be overlooked. There will be a fine, and though I would have brought you to the outpost and have you remain there for a week for this, I have approached the bake-danuki that reside within the forest, and much to your luck they thought your fireworks were endearing, the threat of their home burning down aside.”

There was a long pause, and she allowed it to sit for a while if only to let the weight of the moment sink in. It would be for the best, after all, if Yoimiya finally learned from this. While yes, the whole of Inazuma adored the pyrotechnician’s art, the Commission can only forgive these sorts of incidents so many times before they would finally come to think of it as a nuisance and demand the business be closed down, and Sara would rather not see that happen.

“Your fireworks are meant to bring joy, Naganohara. Not danger.” Her tone softened, just barely, but Sara hoped it was enough to take away the usual stern edge in her voice—if even possible. “Do not let excitement and passion rule over caution.” She brought her arms to cross before her chest once more, her frown returning as she announced; “A fine and three weeks of community service. That is your punishment for today’s incident. This should give you ample time to work on your new fireworks before the next festival.”

She made a mental note: closer to the water next time. Sand is good for snuffling out fires.

But at the same time, Yoimiya often found herself mesmerised by the fire, perhaps in some part due to her Vision. The way the flames lapped at the bush, desperate to seize any sort of life– it was dangerously stunning. A primal form of fireworks, wild and unpredictable. Was that not a sort of beauty in itself? The flames, always shifting, its heat warming her all the way down to her bones.

Right. She was still in trouble. The girl reeled her thoughts in, setting it aside for later (in a more controlled environment). If the General caught her spacing out, she’d be in bigger trouble than she already was.

The timing appeared to be just right– upon hearing that the bake-danuki had appreciated her fireworks, her face lit up, the moment of gravitas that Kujou Sara had so painstakingly set up flew right over Yoimiya’s head. “They thought my fireworks were endearing?” If such was the case, then she would have to pay them a personal visit sometime: first to apologize, then to bring them some less explosive fireworks for them to enjoy. They had sensitive hearing, right? So maybe she should pick something quieter-

Something shifted in the General’s tone, and she perked up once more to pay attention. Sara sounded… nicer, maybe? While she usually seemed fairly stoic, perhaps Yoimiya had finally cracked that tough shell of hers (wishful thinking, obviously, but still).