THE TANABATA FESTIVAL

[goldless]

[ It's a breezy summer day on Isle Bermuda. There are gulls crying, a few lazy clouds, and plenty of sunshine with a cooling wind.

Today also happens to be a special event! It's time for Tanabata, and seemingly out of nowhere, a thicket of bamboo has sprung up in the trees near the shoreline. Speaking of the beach, a festival seems to be underway; there are lanterns strung up, fresh food, and plenty of goat-people selling fresh food and games.

The festival goes long into the evening, so don't miss it!

The tradition of Tanabata, as you will notice, is to write a wish on a tag and hang it from a bamboo tree. So make a wish and hope for the best! ♥ And what's this? A mysterious, female voice is drifting along, carried by the wind; ]

The bamboo leaves rustle,
shaking away in the eaves.
The stars twinkle
on the gold and silver grains of sand.
The five-colour paper strips
I have already written.
The stars twinkle,
they watch us from heaven.

Comments

[pishirogane]

It's wise not to risk it.

[404_knight]

But yeah, the optical part of my eyes, that's what they do.

[pishirogane]

Without a doubt, that would be difficult to label, but you understand why it shouldn't be x-ray eyes.

[404_knight]

Oh totally.

I'm just saying...

[Robo-Ky unscrews one of his eyes and turns it over, showing the connection port where there is a worn etching that reads "XRAYTED EYES®"]

[pishirogane]

[Naoto looks close. That... that's a terrible pun.]

Be a little more careful next time.

[404_knight]

I'm always careful.

[He screws the eye back in. It flashes a few times, glows red and then returns to its yellow.]

[pishirogane]

Keep my gender to yourself. I'd prefer it didn't get out publicly until I'm prepared.

[404_knight]

Whatever you say.

Got a name?

[pishirogane]

... Naoto. And you are?

[404_knight]

Robo-Ky. Don't ask who Ky is. He's a jerk. Also french.

[pishirogane]

Very well.

[Why would she even ask. He's only made her curious about it now.]

[404_knight]

Well I mean, you can ask, but all I'll say is that he's a jerk and french.

[pishirogane]

... Alright.

[That's... that's not really anything to go off of.]

[404_knight]

Nice eye for clothes, though. Pretty sure he designed the uniform. Not sure on that, though.

[pishirogane]

Uniform? Your uniform or his?

[404_knight]

It's his, technically. It's the uniform of the Holy Order. I'm meant to look like him, clothes and all.

[If couldn't see his hilariously obvious robot face, he could pass for a human in form and with that hair.]

[pishirogane]

Ah, I see.

[Interesting. Something in his world then...]

[404_knight]

So yeah, just so you know.

[pishirogane]

So, should I address you as Robo-Ky, or would you rather I drop the end?

[404_knight]

Nah, I knew a guy named Robo once. He was a dick.

Robo-Ky will do.

[pishirogane]

Very well. It's... a pleasure, Robo-Ky-san.

[404_knight]

You can drop the -san too, I'm not Japanese, I don't like it.

I understand it's a force of habit, just letting you know.

[pishirogane]

[Everyone's saying that to her.]

Fine. I'll drop it.

[404_knight]

I'm just saying, I get it's a politeness thing, but the courtesy likely won't be returned, so just drop it.

...also, if we're being strict, I was originally manufactured in Hong Kong, though almost all of my parts have been replaced by foreign replicas since then, and my hard drive was made by an American company.

[pishirogane]

I always address people this way, even foreigners. It doesn't matter if the courtesy isn't returned.

[Sounds like a normal manufacturing]