estoria | ( OPEN )

--Oh, no. If this is a noise complaint, then you've certainly found the right room.

[Sighing, Koumei opened the door further so he could regard the man more directly. The fine cloth of his robes was as disheveled as his hair, and the oddly ornate fan that he carried in his hands would have seemed like an odd accessory to a passing stranger.

Koumei held said fan up, almost as if to give himself some space while he thought.]

There's at least a dozen or so young men with swords residing in this apartment and the two surrounding. They can get quite energetic, and don't always understand how people need their rest. While I'm new to this residence, I can still pass along a message for you.

[he almost misses the explanation, because that fan gets his attention immediately. He hasn't spent how many years around Sima Yi's black-feathered fan not to recognize a cousin. His eyes go to it rather obviously despite any effort at keeping his icy expression in place.]

A dozen. That would certainly explain a lot.

...that fan. It belongs to you? [you know, just checking]

[A dozen was an underestimation as well. Koumei hadn't met all of Haru's army yet, but he was certain that there were many, many more.

The path that the man's eyes took was impossible not to notice, no matter how practiced his expression was. Koumei watched him carefully from above the black feathers of it, not daring to glance down at the eight pointed star that was emblazoned on the side of the hilt that faced his person.]

It belongs to none but me, [he replied evenly, his gaze unwavering.] Why do you ask?

It seems familiar. [not that he knows whether there are other kingdoms in the world whose strategists use feathered war fans, but it's a little too alike to be coincidence.] One of my head tacticians has one very alike to it. I wonder. From where do you hail?

[War fans were fairly common; his step-sister and comrade in arms also carried one into battle with her. But, that was only within the boundaries of his family's Empire. He had never seen such items used by the likes of the neighboring countries or Kingdoms.]

The Kou Empire, where I serve as chief tactician for my Brother and King.

[He bobbed his head in a short bow, not even bothered by outing himself as an Imperial Prince as well as a military man.]

Likewise, where do you hail from? None of the people I've met thus far have even heard of Kou or our neighboring countries, which makes me curious about the people who live in this city.

[POINTS over his shoulder and into the apartment!! Other swords are milling around, most likely, but considering they all look human that probably wasn't the best non-verbal explanation.]

Those guys! Not me. I walk quietly, y'know? You have to know how to do that in heels.

[NOT UNTRUE.]

[he mirrors that head-bob, from one prince to another. Neither of them need to kowtow if they essentially rank the same.]

I have not heard of Kou either, but I recognize the mark of a strategist. My kingdom is Wei, though my father was born during the Han Dynasty.

[his kingdom, no less]

[Kashuu let him introduce you to Zhang He and his heels someday]

I see people, not swords. Though I've noticed a fair number of people carrying swords in the last day or two. Are all of you swordsmen?

[And peer around he will! Of course it doesn't take long to find the source of the loud boom, and Kashuu's immediately internally going why is it always the microwave.

More accurately, why is he always the one near the microwave when the microwave explodes??]

What did you do...?

[He'll step cautiously closer, poking around to see if he can find what was inside. A-- A MUG. A mug that's too hot to handle - that much is clear after he briefly touches its handle.] Oh my god, I think it's broken again.

[Ah, a fellow man displaced from similar circumstances.]

I'm Ren Koumei. While I've never heard of Wei or Han, there's much in this world that is like that. Please forgive me if I make any mistakes.

Cao Pi, styled Zihuan. [but no explanation on his style name. It's just proper introduction.] Ren is a familiar name, I have a relative by that name, but Koumei is strange. It sounds more like a name from Wa.

I was trying to heat up some milk to try out a rememdy I had heard of during my travels, [Koumei said blandly, toeing his way across the room in Kashuu's path-- careful to avoid anything that looked dangerous to unprotected feet.]

But this city lacks proper turmeric root-- just a powdered form of it-- and it didn't feel right making so little on this strange stove...

[So he tried the microwave. And killed it. The digital read outs weren't as simple to understand as people believed.]

Wa is another country I've not heard of, Lord Zihuan. It seems my homeland has little besides culture in common with most of the lands represented here.

[It was the most rational reason he could find for why there were so many strange countries listed whenever people spoke. China and Japan meant little to him without context-- he had a feeling that he would need to find a library to attain a proper understanding of this world.]

Hm. Even so, there is always a chance time is the culprit, rather than place. Names do change in time, after all.

[gives another small dip of his head] Forgive me for rousing you, Master Koumei, but it seems my interruption was a worthy one. I've only been here a few days myself, and there has been little in the way of familiarity for me. This world is strange, to put it lightly.

[Heels Anonymous, honestly.]

Kiiinda. [He's well used to the whole having-to-explain-we're-swords thing by now, at least, and he's quick to do just that.] We are swords! We just look like people 'cause Haruji gave us human forms, see? That's why some of us are still super clumsy!

[This said at a louder volume than the rest of the sentence JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS HE'S TALKING ABOUT THEM.]

[Rest in pieces, microwave... Kashuu learned his lesson about trying to hide evidence the first time, though - and more importantly, he's not at fault this time!! Excellent. So he'll just... reach for a towel and start to mop up the spilled milk. He'll get a better look at the inside of the mug this way too, and:]

Geez... There's your problem. You're not supposed to stick metal stuff in here. [A sigh! As if he did any better his first few times... The only reason he managed to use it so well for as long as he did is because Haru helped his dumb ass.]

But it's fine. We'll just tell Haruji about it tomorrow, 'kay?

[hopefully he's used to doubt, too, because Cao Pi isn't quick to accept such an explanation. His eyes narrow in suspicion.]

You are a sword. [like, pull the other one]

That is not possible.

[HE SURE IS... Though he hasn't figured out a foolproof way of proving it yet.]

You don't have spirits in your world? Nothing like tsukumogami?

[THAT...is a very complicated question, actually. In his own world? Cao Pi was always known as a skeptic, a man who did not tolerate superstitions and dismissed the mere suggestion that gods and immortals existed. But he's just come from several years of battling actual demons and rubbing shoulders with his own creator gods...

How to explain without spilling his guts? Because he's not about to do that. The conflicted look on his face says as much.]

Ordinarily, I would say no, but...perhaps I should not be so hasty.

That word. It sounds like it comes from the language spoken in Wa...

[Whenever he finally comes in, Koumei might catch sight of a small fox running out of one of the rooms, with what appears to be a very tiny (sheathed) katana clutched in its mouth.

This fox is followed shortly afterward by another small fox! Only this one is apparently talking.]

Get back here!!

[The swordfox may eventually run over in Koumei's direction, circling around his legs in a way that'd probably induce tripping if he's not careful, before going to hide behind him...]

[Kashuu waits patiently while he considers what to say, at least, and the interim gives him time to cool his jets.]

There are spirits in a lot of places, even when people can't see 'em, y'know? [He would know!! He spent his entire first life being invisible to like 99% of the population... That said:]

It's Japanese. I guess there's like, no real Cerealian equivalent for it so it comes out sounding like it does in my regular language.

[ it's funny how celty lives next to vietnam and never actually visited swordhaus before. well, technically she's dropped things off at their door but she's never actually been inside.

so she figures she'll change that today. she's baked a lot of things in the past few days that she can't eat, so why let it go to waste? the castella seemed to be a hit with mutsu the other day, so she brings more of them this time, as well as some others.

everything is in one large container that she quietly places on the kitchen counter. maybe you'll run into her when she's cutting up the cakes or distributing the cookies onto some plates. either way, she'll hand you a slice or a few cookies if you ask nice, or if you just look cute. also, don't be alarmed when she breaks out her device to talk. ]

Hello, would you like to try some?

[ Kon has to wonder how often they have new people coming into their living space that there's only a brief pause before he's given an affirmative. Then again, considering how many people he'd seen for the little while he'd shown up, it's not really that shocking. Just how many of the people that are hanging out here actually live here? It's kind of crazy, but in a funny kind of way.

He offers Kashuu a grin in response to the answer, though, and heads into the kitchen. Although, he has to pause as he eyes the mugs and bowls, resisting the urge to comment on them. For now, anyways, as he goes to set the bag he'd loaded up with food onto the floor for the meantime. He has to roll and tie up the sleeves of his yukata, after all. ]

Just figured making you guys food would be a good way of showing gratitude for the, uh, impromptu invite that Mutsu tossed at me. [ Read as: you weren't wrong, Kashuu. ]

[ That's sort of cute. Kon raises a hand in greeting to all three of them, not sure which one of them is going to talk first - because Amatsuki was full of ayakashi, and who knows what could talk and what couldn't. Also, apartments full of sword spirits.

But there, it's one of the foxes that talks up, and he slants a grin at them, just as curious about the trio as they are of him. ]

Thanks. Yeah, Mutsu extended an invite, so I figured I'd take a look around, get to know a few more people. [ He's not 100% sure if he's staying yet, but it wouldn't be bad. ]

[On the plus side, it's not... as messy as it could be...! There are a few messy swords around, true enough, but there are also a lot of nitpicky cleaners who make sure nothing's ever sitting out for too long. Kashuu himself is pretty tidy despite how fussy he can be about cleaning, so he's efficient at scraping down whatever needs it and leaving everything in a neat stack in the sink to go in the dishwasher later.]

That's super nice of you! And food's always good to have when there are so many mouths to feed, yeah? [Even if they don't actually need to eat...

THAT SAID:] So that guy was the one who found you first, huh? I'm kinda surprised... I thought it'd be Haruji again. What's your name?

( OPEN )

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i

no subject

open........

nourishment for swords!

no subject

now they'll never leave him alone