estoria | ( OPEN )

[She really doesn't understand why they keep putting her on a higher pedestal!]

A-ah, I am not more important than any master, o-or shogun. [Shogun?] World leaders are our bosses! I am just a vassal.

[That...doesn't seem right.]

You're a country. Even if you can't "die" in a conventional sense, your distress is your country's distress, isn't it? Wouldn't it be a bad thing to put such an important person in the line of fire?

[Now she's beginning to make sense why they, like Doutanuki, keeps making sure she's never in battle. It took a while to convince Haru that she's nothing more than a vassal.]

Well, it sort of is, but it isn't? How to explain...I can feel the distress, but as long as I am there, life continues. And I am always still there. So I try to do what I can by going into battle, since I can help. I'm not that important, even though the country is.

[He tries. HE IS REALLY TRYING to understand, so he stares at her for a good, say, thirty seconds.]

...Yeah, I don't get that.

[COMPREHENSION: FAILED.

So he'll just stick to his idea that even if she can't die, she's a VIP. That makes sense to him.]

Point is, here you gotta be more careful, right?

[She's going to stare back, she's going to let him think.

SHE FAILED.]

You will be pleased to know that I do have to as now I am mortal here. [With powers, sure. But still a fleshy bag.] I believe if I am careless, you will scold me.

Yeah, good bet.

[He leans back again and closes his eyes. Because even if he'll scold her, he won't listen to the same scolding if it's directed at him.

Hypocrisy! /jazzhands]

[SHE WOULD JUST SHAKE HER HEAD AT HIM.]

Well, I will listen to you...if you also try to keep safe as well.

[Though this is harder since he keeps thinking she's important?! DAMMIT.]

[He shrugs, then goes back to cleaning the sword, wiping the powder off with a dry cloth before sliding it back into the saya.]

Don't have to worry about that. Haven't been to any good battles here that mattered recently. A damn shame, too.

[Looks like he's nearly done. And she's finished with her donuts now, so she sits up to watch.]

It seems some of the swords are too tired to battle as well, like myself. I would offer to fight, but I am very exhausted. [Thanks for the mood crash, water element.]

Yeah, I had that awhile back. Damn near fell asleep wherever I went, but now? [He shrugs.] Feel just fine.

[Even if he wasn't feeling fine, he'd feel fine, which is kind of weird, but he doesn't notice much of a difference.]

If you're tired, shouldn't you be resting more?

Goodness, I remember seeing many endure that too. Other than you. And now with Mutsunokami, we could not even find the energy to reach for the remote control, sometimes. [But she puts more pressure on herself to work harder!

She stretches and yawns, but she shakes her head.]

I try, but I am unsure how much help it is.

[That's weird... Dotanuki frowns and set his sword by his side, propped up against the couch.]

That explains Mutsunokami being strange lately, then. I wonder if something weird is going on at CERES again.

[She nods, setting aside the bowl now that Dotanuki has finished, which means table space!!]

Yes, we were very energetic until recently. I could suspect that. As while we were energetic, a few of us were able to walk over water too. Like myself and Kousetsu.

...Wait, what? You could walk on water?

--

Kousetsu walked on water?

[Very slow nod.]

Temporarily, but yes. We...could. It was an experience.

Damn.

[That's crazy! Swords and countries walking on water. Anyone walking on water. It sounded like a ghost story, straight out of the old days.]

I'm guessin' the power's gone now, huh? Must mean something's up with CERES again.

Mmm. [Crossing her arms, looking towards the walls. She sure had an Adventure. And they weren't the only ones either.]

Yes, we can't walk on water now. We weren't able to if we touched others too to try to pull them out of the water, so it really was something CERES controlled.

Ugh, those bastards are still messin' with us even if they aren't around.

[He runs a hand over his face. He can't really get upset over it, but he feels like he should? He just can't muster up the energy to do it.]

At least it isn't anything too bad.

Indeed. I wonder if the new staff is actually making it worse.

[She's upset, but it's not like they could do anything about it.]

True, we all survived, and our apartments are relatively well off. It could've been worse.

I wouldn't be surprised. Nothing here is what it's supposed to be. Even if we aren't hurting badly, we're still hurtin'.

[He won't forgive CERES, the Flamines, or the spirits who brought down the ceiling. All of them are just different names for the same thing.]

Yes...there's so much we need to do while we're in such a state. I'm glad to see that everyone has a good mindset about it though.

[No one is panicking, they're teaming up to try to beat the problem. It's worrying, and she has had first hand experience on how powerful they can be once they brought her in for interrogation. But even then, she hasn't seen a single person with low spirit. Aside from the tiredness.]

Could be an effect of whatever's going around, too.

[Maybe one of them is to make everyone happy, or diligent? Or just...something. It makes him wonder about emotions here and if it has any connection to the cause of all this.

He'd think more on it, but his ability to care a lot has been voided out.]

Guess it's not the worst effect that could happen though.

[That's...a good point. What if they're all energetic because of this.

Well, at least it's not so much that being in certain moods have ruined their resolve completely. Some are still trying.]

That's true. I rather not think about what could be worse... [And she knows there could be many worse scenarios.]

Soon as you say it, you know you've cursed us, right?

[Because that's how this works. They're screwed now.

Yamatonokami is blowing up the damn TV soon.]

[She sits up immediately. SHE REALLY DID ACCIDENTALLY CURSE THEM!!!]

We must cleanse and clear this curse!

kidnaps back!!

whoa whoa time to call in the fbi and put out abduction alert

missing: one donut

dunkin donuts and krispy kreme come calling

but it's the wrong donut!!! /eats them nyway

oic so any donut will do!!!

WASTE NO DONUT

but what if he wants to get wasted

oh......only a little bit

/recalls jirou and nihongou

suddenly a party here

everywhere's a party if they're involved

TIME FOR A BIGGER PARTY

well he can't say no to that

just cos he wanted all that booze!

yes, yes he does

don't get drunk, look what happened to kuri

ah kuri...his grumpy role model...

so this is what's happening now...

yeah p much

BOYS NO

BOYS YES

IF THEY GET STUCK IN THE GUTTER

THEY'LL HAVE A GUTTER PARTY

IT'S DIRTY IN THERE!!!