estoria | ( OPEN )

[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!

[He blinks and watches her suddenly bolt upright.]

I wasn't being serious? I'm not a superstitious sword.

[LOOK--]

I am not usually this superstitious either. [But more than him.] But that I would like to keep this place curse free, knowing how CERES is.

[...believing is curses is superstition.......

but fine, whatevs, vietsen. He stares for a moment, then shrugs.]

Alright, so how do we do it?

[SHUSH she just does it because of tradition! Being in Cerealia has made her more superstitious than she once was...]

Ah...[They're in a house full of Japanese swords, perhaps it was better to go by majority ruling.] What are the type of cleansing techniques from Japan?

[okay, now she gets a real Look(tm). The kind reserved for when people say really dumb things to him.]

Ahn? I'm a war sword, how the hell should I know?

[It's not stupid, he's been living there all his life?!]

Didn't you see any practices? Had blessings performed before battle?

I wouldn't be there for 'em even if they had 'em.

[His was a sword meant for killing. His masters left him behind for any purification that needed to happen.]

You'd be better off askin' Kousetsu or Taroutachi.

[They could bless his master!!! God the people around him, she's going to beat them up.]

I suppose I could. [But she's too tired to bother later.] But for now, we will have to improvise. We need salt.

Salt?

...

Okay.

[Well, he was done here anyway, so he gets up and goes to the kitchen. It takes him a moment of opening and closing cupboards to find what he needs, but he comes back a few moments later with a cannister of salt. Or is it sugar? He has no idea. He doesn't cook.

He sets it on the table.]

Now what?

[Great, they have salt! Now, she's mixing here. Some say toss the salt at the evil spirits, but for now...]

We need to offer salt to hungry spirits. [Since they don't have sticky rice.] Let's make a pile outside the door of the apartment.

Just on the ground or do we need to put it on something?

[Also why the hell do spirits eat salt? He's going to have to ask Taroutachi this later.]

[She thinks about this. Since they're not trying to scare them away, just offer peace offerings...]

A plate or a bowl? It might be more polite that way.

[LOOK, they eat anything, but in S*pernatural they hate salt so she's like go figure. Going with they like food right now.]

'kay.

[Back to the kitchen he goes to get a plate. He isn't sure which one is best to use, but spirits aren't huge, right? So a small plate will work? He looks around, and manages to find one in the back that likely won't be used for awhile.

It's shaped like a panda face and about the size of his hand. Good enough.

He brings it back and hands it to Vietnam.]

This'll work?

[He came back with a really cute plate. She's staring at it for a moment after she took it like ah, she's endeared.]

This will work perfectly. [The hungry spirits should be appeased if they use such cute plates too? She now decides to stand up after all that relaxing.]

Let's head to the door.

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!!!

SO IS HE

......okay he needs a bath

ugh no more water

too bad!!!

nope nope

YES???

NO

HE'LL BE SPARKLY

ugh double NO now

it attracts more rivals!!!

STILL NO

DOUBLE YES

ugh ur the worst

do u mean the best