[open]

[adornmental]

Who: Kashuu Kiyomitsu adornmental & you!
When: Slightly before and during the event
Where: Apartments + around town!
What: Kashuu deals with forgetting stupid things, being cold forever and memory shares
Rating/Warning: Memories of sword death and emperor death and probably some other deaths, it's time for a death party

A, swordhaus:
[SO, sometime before the wispy spirit animals show up but after the elemental effects set in, Kashuu can be found... freezing his ass off. It only took him the better part of a day to figure out what was triggering his weird flashbacks, so now he's sitting by the open window with a fan in as few pieces of clothing as possible (which is still a lot, honestly), eating a popsicle. He's definitely shivering... Maybe he went too far in the opposite direction?!]

This is so stupid! This is seriously the worst—! [But you know what will keep his soul warm even in the face of hypothermia? Salty, salty complaints. MMM, YES.

Anyone wandering by either in the apartment itself or walking past the window will be dragged into this salt session, either with a jealous look and a:] What, are you warm? [Or, a sympathetic look to anyone else who seems to be trying to become an igloo, and a peace offering of another pospicle.]

B, park/dojo:
[The wispy animals have shown up! Kashuu's already tried and failed to talk to his, but he does at least have some control over it, being a spirit himself.

Granted, he has to actually be paying attention to it in order for perfect control to be A Thing, and he can't devote his attention to it 24/7...

So here are the perfect times to bump into his little fox friend; either when he's doing his best to lead a class in the dojo despite all of the tomfoolery going on, or when he's on his way to or from said building and trying to plan the rest of his day out on his phone. His attention is gone and WHOOSH, SO IS THIS SKITTERISH FOX. That catches his eye, at least, though maybe not quite fast enough--]

Woah, hey— Watch out!

[AND THERE HE GOES, TOO, tripping over this fox that he can't even touch. Congrats, you get a double whammy of being knocked to the ground and then slammed with a memory.]

C, shopping district:
[By now, he's bumped into enough people that the lovely memory loss side effects are starting to show...

On one hand, he got off pretty lucky?! He hasn't forgotten any people yet, or significant events - as far as he knows, anyway. On the other...]

Ow—! Ugh... Sorry, sorry. [He may have just crashed into you/a store mannequin/a display case, because he's wearing some pretty tall heels but he sure doesn't remember how to walk in them gracefully anymore. NICE.

His sad, sad fox is still tailing him around out here too, of course, though he's getting a little irritated now that he's put two and two together. This thing needs to stop touching people?! Just, stop! Just stop!! While he's picking himself/you/this mannequin arm off the floor, he gives it a miffed look, even though it's already darted off again.]

This is your fault, y'know. Just calm down for like, five seconds!

WILDCARD:
[Hit me up with any scenario that floats your boat!]

[ooc; If we haven't plotted anything out yet, just let me know if you want a good or bad memory! If there's nothing specific you want, I'll just reach into my paintrain grabbag and give you something random. I'm down for memory swaps too, of course!]

Comments

C BC WE GOTTA SHOP!!!!!

[rosaichthys]

( there he go, walking into a non moving mannequin in all his graceful qualities. saber is not worried about his collision since she's trying to cull a small fox from under a display case. what she doesn't understand is that this creature is almost like a figment of her imagination, that no one can see it but her but there are a few people which pass by to get a nice look at her rear end. when a cute girl is there on the floor with her rear in the air, who can't help but look!?

but to no avail is she able to get the small creature out from under but what does happen is that the mannequins are like dominos which knock into each other. one after one, they all start to tilt over but what crashes down on nero is a stone, man-made mannequin to show the latest fashions. it falls right down on her back, crushing her down to the ground as kashuu is doing his best to pick up his mess.

though what he says brings her to raise a brow as she looks back under the case, her small fox walking off elsewhere and decides to reply. ) My fault!? Where do you hold these claims! ( maybe he wasn't talking to you nero, don't get mad. )

AAA TIME TO SHOP AND DIE

[adornmental]

Huh—?

[Oh. OH, DAMN, OOPS. Someone sure just got crushed under one of these mannequins?! They're not really light ones, either?? HE'S CONCERNED. He'll just-- ditch the one he's currently picking up to go help her out, ah...]

Sorry. But - no, I wasn't even talking to you! I was talking to-- Uh.

[His fox, but. His fox is now temporarily awol. That's never a good thing... He almost drops the mannequin again as he twists around looking for it. WHERE DID IT GO.]

C IS FOR C-SHOPPING

[reprizesal]

[Sayo's been pretty okay, although he's trying to keep an eye on his new fox... friend? Which is kind of hard to do while navigating the shopping district because there's so many people!?

Until something crash? The noise got his attention, temporarily breaking his focus away from his fox as he looks over. Oh, Kashuu knocked over a display. What happened? During this brief moment, Sayo's fox skitters away and over towards Kashuu...]

Kashuu-san?

[Sayo's quickly moving over, checking on his comrade out of concern. He'll find his fox again in a bit.]

PICKS UP SAYO TIME FOR SHOPPING ADVENTURES

[adornmental]

Sayo—?

[Glancing over toward the sound of his voice...! WITH EMBARRASSMENT because geez, he just can't remember how to walk in heels, he can still remember that he should know. He's kneeling down, collecting the various hats that have fallen off of this Hat Display™, and his own fox has trotted off for the time being. He doesn't seem to have noticed Sayo's either, yet - he's mostly just focused on rapidly picking this mess up so no one stares.

It's too late.

People are staring.]

Uh— Just, like, gimme a second-- [SPEED CLEANING.]

PARK!!!!

[psycholawgy]

[ why... why does athena have to keep falling down? it's a good thing she isn't holding anything and was just jogging with her new buddy! (even though it only has one leg LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT HOW FREAKY THAT IS.)

GIMME SOMETHING RANDOM THOUGH!!!

but. athena's fox does end up sniffing kashuu, though, and ends up putting a paw on his feet.

ah... ]

FREEDOM FOR ATHENA

[adornmental]

[OH BOY, THANKS ATHENA'S FOX. What glorious memory will he be gifted with...?!

As for Athena, who pretty much gets mowed over by Kashuu's fox as it's spooked by the fall— She'll experience a memory from his days by the riverside! Lucky lotto winner #1!

That is - it's a strange scene, a little emotionally disconnected. There's a muddy, nearly-dried river in the background and poorly constructed huts dotted along it. A neighbor has died; it's the first time Kashuu has ever experienced a human dying while being fully conscious of it, and he doesn't really understand what it means just yet. He watches - a passive spirit with his knees tucked against his chest, resting his chin on them - as they carry a small body out on a plank of wood. Probably their son. A man is wailing and wandering after them. They all look sickly, too. Thin and gaunt, like they've never experienced what it's like to have a full stomach. The plank is carried out to the bank, but the man stays near, because there are river birds that he needs to fight off. There's a man inside of the house Kashuu sits in front of, too - one who can't see or hear him, but he looks over his shoulder anyway, and asks: What happens to humans who die?

The question remains unanswered, and Kashuu goes back to staring out at the stagnant water.]

—Sorry, um...

[Give him a second, he's a bit disoriented from 1) forgetting what he'd been on his way to do, 2) experiencing Athena's Magical Grab Bag Memory Moment and 3) the lovely nausea that accompanies every lost memory.]

C

[newtimes]

Aw, man.

( Says Mutsu perhaps a little too nonchalantly because he sure did just watch Kashuu run into a display of wooden prop crates. Of course, he's being followed by his own, messed up goat spirit, but that isn't a problem right now. Right now. At the moment, he'll just watch Kashuu fall over and start blaming whatever it is that's following him around. )

Look at ya. ( Just look. ) Ya're all over the place.

( It's hard to tell if he's actually being calm about all of this or teasing by coming off as calm... )

[adornmental]

[Ah, his new home... this stack of collapsed cases. It takes Kashuu a second to try standing upright again and his balance is pretty wobbly, but he manages! Picking up and stacking crates while balancing is another matter entirely, though... This crate is not a friendly counterbalance.

He seems to realize that right as Mutsu speaks up, so of course poor puppy sword is the immediate target of his ire. At least he can throw things at Mutsu if he needs to! His fox is just like useless poofs of smoke.]

Shut up! I don't wanna hear it! Geez... If you're gonna stand around, at least help me put these back.

[A rude peanut, as always.]

B dojo

[yourotherleft]

[Spirit foxes everywhere! Man, Zoro's just trying to get some extra training in to keep himself from noticing the weirdness, one sword already out, and here we are with foxes and more foxes and Kashuu flying at him.

Wait, Kashuu flying at him?

Zoro manages to quickly sheathe Shuusui before it can do any damage, but that leaves him a ripe target to get smashed into.]

Kashuu! Dammit - oi!

[His own fox is somewhere tangled in this mess, too, so Kashuu might glimpse something in return, but the warm body is enough to trigger the strange memory effect, and for a moment Zoro is left sprawled on the floor in the doorway of the dojo, eye unfocused, reliving the memory of Luffy taking about fifty bullets and snapping them back at the Marines intent on executing one unfortunate tied-up pirate hunter. Too bad that's not the one Kashuu will see as his spirit-fox slips out from between them like a bar of soap.]

...the hell was that?

[adornmental]

[He is so tired of spirit shenanigans. So tired. Not even the spirit realm back in his own world had this many hooligans! All these magic foxes causing trouble!! He's definitely bumping into Zoro's wisp fox in his attempt to scramble upright again, too, so there goes a memory swap as his own fox darts charmingly over Zoro's head as it scampers off again, spooked.

The memory Zoro gets is a pleasant one, at least. The worst thing he'll have to deal with is Kashuu probably accidentally kneeing him as he attempts to stand up so he can help poor Zoro up, too... It takes place in a big banquet hall, but it's empty for now, with the exception of a few people. A relatively simple meal is on the table. Rice, fish, vegetables - meager, but Kashuu is excited. It's his first meal, after all, and his very first bite (plain white rice) is far from haute cuisine... But he's practically sparkling nonetheless, even as his chopsticks slip from his fingers a little and get crossed. The atmosphere is warm and pleasant, and he's content.

Which is pretty unlike the present, where he's just Tired™, possibly reeling from whatever memory he's seen - and now nauseous to boot, as another of his own memories slips away.]

—Gimme a sec.

[He might be sick first. HOPEFULLY NOT.]

i'm here for b-pain

[soukoku]

[ wow kashuu, and this isn't even the prompt where you forget how to walk in your heels!! ]

anyway, chuya has no idea how to control the small creature that's been following him around faithfully -- or... something like that, because it tends to run off at any available opportunity, and there's absolutely nothing he can do about it.

curse you, lack of spiritual powers? ]

Hey, watch out -- !

[ before his back hits the ground along with kashuu, he adjusts their gravity and hangs them in the air for a brief second -- at least until the other's fox runs straight into them, making chuya completely lose focus due to the flashback...

... and BAM, down they go! but hey, at least his fox seems to have taken interest in kashuu, and is currently attempting to climb on his back. ]

i hope all of their bonding just involves death murder and chess

[adornmental]

[HE'S HAVING A BAD TIME... His balance is also having a bad time... So is his little punkass fox, who's startled by all of this sudden movement! It skitters over Chuya while Chuya is trying to save their old man backs from the pavement and scampers off into some nearby bushes like a rudeass punk.

Kashuu, in the meantime, is too dazed from the sudden LOVELY MEMORY-LOSS NAUSEA to really be able to move, so Chuya's fox can have free reign on his new home, Kashuu's back. Time to walk down shitty memory lane--!

As for Chuya, that lucky bean...

The memory he sees starts out as a burst of chaos. He's probably use to it - to death, to the visceral splatter of guts against the floor, to people moving on with fast and furious efficiency that has no time for the fallen. There's yelling and the sound of footsteps and the clang of steel, things like don't let him get away! and please, please, spare me! The scent of iron hangs heavily in the air. Those famed men in blue sweep the building; fire and the spray of blood mark their trail.

One man is surrounded by bodies. There's ten or fifteen or maybe more, it's hard to tell. He's efficient and it scares even the volatile warriors around him, but he's kneeling over and coughing blood into his open palm. The sound is almost lost in the pandemonium. What isn't lost comes from the person at his side - a younger Kashuu, crumpled and bleeding and shouting and reaching with fumbling fingers for that man's sleeve—

Stop, stop, stop! It's not over, stop it, I can still fight! We can still fight!

But the chaos carries on as though he's unseen - little more than a spectre in the historic halls of that inn. There's a sense of desperate denial, of terror at being anything less than a useful, perfect weapon, and the memory ends.]

b; park

[majinken]

[aaaaaaaand down stahn goes, because he's too engrossed in a conversation with dymlos about his own little spirit fox. of course, dymlos goes clattering to the ground as well, and he's calling out:

"Hey! Stahn, be careful!"]

Ooof— [though it doesn't seem like there's going to be much time to react when they're about to have a good, old-fashioned memory exchange going on here.]

[adornmental]

[OH NOOO DYMLOS--

Kashuu will be concerned about him in like .5 seconds, when he's done REELING FROM THIS MEMORY EXCHANGE. The now-familiar feeling of nausea hits, and he nearly collapses on Stahn all over again as he deals with this sparkling new memory that totally isn't his.

Stahn, in the meantime, gets the rude short end of the stick here. What a lucky mullet...!

The memory starts in a marketplace, which is busy and bustling - at first. The people who line the dusty road and buzz from stall to stall begin to pull away from the center and tuck themselves closer to the shop sides, and the reason will become clear shortly. A man is walking through, carrying a basket on his back that is full of materials for smithing. A sword is held in his right hand, and what appears to be a slightly younger-looking Kashuu walks alongside him, though it seems no one around him notices. They're focused on the smith, pulling away like they're afraid to come into contact with him, covering their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs, sleeves - holding bags up in front of their faces, walking hurriedly, as though that man is plagued.

There are some whispered words - why do they need to come into this market? - or the repeated utterance of kegare through many muffled mouths. The man himself seems unaffected, moving through a back door between alleys to do business with a stallkeeper who handles all of his items with cloth, rather than touching it directly, and keeps his face covered.

Kashuu looks back at the crowd that had parted for them, taking in the lingering wary stares with an air of forced impassivity, but Stahn will be able to feel the rolling upset. This had been his first time going to the market, which he had been excited for. It's also his first true glimpse at how deep the stigma of the hinin runs.]

(t) b

[princeshuzo]

[ It's probably a little too soon for the future swordsfox-to-be to be coming by for a lesson, but he does have those towels that Kashuu loaned him! They're fresh and clean, fluffy and white, and Shu probably would have kept them but it's not like he was staying at a hotel or something. He was graciously borrowing them!

Stepping into the Die-jo, Shu's a little in awe at how spacious it is. He's looking at the list of instructors that he shouldn't be fighting. Sayo Samonji? Yamato-blahblahblah? Tanuki-san??? The names remind him a little of home, especially that last one... is that a Myumon or what?

HOWEVER! Shu doesn't expect a flying nut and an invisible fox to be part of his day, so there he is taking a fall and the towels fly out of his hands and into the air but he's definitely going to get a memory. ]

why are you like this

[adornmental]

[That Shu, a gracious guy, returning those borrowed towels...!

That said, wow, welcome to the dojo. ALWAYS BE PRPEPARED FOR DANGER, that's lesson number one?! Normally there aren't peanuts and foxes flying all over the place, but hey! Sometimes there are!! A soldier's gotta be prepared for everything, clearly. (Not that Kashuu's prepared either, considering after the crash, he's also struck down by Memory Loss Nausea™, which gets him every damn time.)

As for Shu and his memory roulette?

His starts out in the rain - a frantic sweep of figures with shields and spears and swords, of catapults and horses and great, massive figures in the distance that seem to be made up of shockingly malicious energy. The ground is soaked with water and blood, making dark red mud that splashes up on the boots and pants of the fighters still left standing. Kashuu is there, carrying someone on his back. Gashes run down the side of his face and torso - deep enough to be severe to a human, but not enough to stop a sword.

We're calling a retreat!

It's a high and loud cry across the battlefield, and the army scampers through slews of broken bones and fallen troops, torn and battered and looking like they should really not be moving but they still are, because they're sturdier than humans and this is what they were made to weather.

In the distance, one of the looming figures begins to move forward and a shock of panic shoots through the ones scrambling for safety. A voice calls out - I'll hold them off! The memory ends.]

Ugh— Sorry, I'm— gimme a--

[SECOND OR THREE OR TEN so he doesn't hurl, boy howdy. He's got his hand clapped over his mouth, and he'll politely try to roll away from poor Shu...]

A

[notsolomon]

[After a while, you become used to the idea of your mind being screwed with in this place. So William had quickly caught on after the first hallucination, though the first pang had gnawed at him. He missed everyone from back home, Dantalion most of all, much as he hated admitting it. But hearing his voice and seeing him, how ever fake it was, well, it had jolted him badly. That seemed to be happening a lot with these various events. It seemed that there were times when even Mr. William Twining's nerves began to fray.

But today, he was just annoyed, because the worst thing about a hallucination was you couldn't just call it stupid and get a meaningful reaction. Well you can and it had reacted, but it wasn't the same. So without a moment's deliberation, William had decided to take a good, long walk.

He'd set a brisk pace and was going past a house he had walked by a hundred times without a thought when he heard the complaining. He paused and was about to say something snappish, because man what a surly mood he was in, when he saw a familiar face. Shivering horribly.]

...what is wrong with you?

[adornmental]

[Ah - it's that kid from the ice cream thing! Which immediately has Kashuu feeling a little guilty, because he'd liked him well enough back then. He just sort of snaps at everything that moves when he's grumpy, like the actual five year old he is in his heart of hearts.]

I'm freezing to death, basically.

[Basically. A dramatic sigh follows, and he leans out the window a little.]

More stupid stuff from that stupid CERES, probably. You don't look like you're bothered by being warm...

(B) ring on the paintrain

[tsukainikui]

[As if being sleep-deprived wasn't bad enough, now Yamato has a weird wispy goat to keep track of, too. It's annoying, and bothersome, and okay sure, the spirit is kind of listless, but then... so is he, so it's kind of hard to keep track of it entirely.

But he'll still be going about his routines (of course) because no one can know he's not sleeping, and that includes going to and from the dojo to train and clean and whip students into shape. Just little sword things.

Unfortunately, this means he's in prime position for one (1) Kashuu Kiyomitsu to end up barrelling him over, and in even more prime position for That Fox He Can't See to get all tangled up around his ankles as he falls over.]

You watch out, Kashuu Kiyomitsu-!

[He does manage to get one last snipe in before The Memory hits him, at least. Small mercies? Small mercies.]

consider it (b)rought

[adornmental]

[AND DOWN THE GO and off his fox darts after it has successfully run all over Yamato's legs. Kashuu is also a prime target for being headbutted by a sickly ghost, since he sure isn't getting up any time soon! He's looking pretty sick instead, actually.]

Ugh— Great.

[EXACTLY WHAT HE NEEDS. The pain of crash-landing and toppling over onto Yamato and the double-whammy of nausea that he's gotten semi-used to, what with his shitty eye and all. The missing memory thing that accompanies it is definitely a problem, though... He's disoriented for a second, and once he gets home he'll discover he's forgotten how to use the microwave, but for now he's just trying not to get sick, bracing his arms against the floor by Yamato's head.

And Yamato sure will be having an even worse time! OH BOY.

That is to say - the memory probably won't be entirely unfamiliar at first. The only difference is the perspective this time. Kashuu, sitting in a state of disrepair. Souji is finally well enough to go into town again, and the feeling of tentative hope is bursting in his chest. He's done his best not to be too discouraged by his own messy state, and he mops up his face and tidies his hair even though his spirit projection still reflects the damage on his blade, making his fussy work negligible in the end.

There's the simple call - I'll be back soon! - and Souji leaves with Kashuu in his belt, as it should be. Kashuu's projection returns to its vessel because there's no point in walking if he doesn't have to (he aches, anyway, he's been aching and disoriented and drifting in and out of consciousness ever since he came back, like his head is stuffed with cotton) and then... Then, they're at the smithy. Souji may have said some things on the way, but they don't really register. Most things don't, until he's placed on the counter and unsheathed and appraised--

Sorry, but that's the way it is. This blade can't be mended.

Kashuu snaps to life.

Compared to the drowsy disjointed thinking beforehand, everything suddenly pulls into razorsharp focus. That bubble of hope from earlier chills and twists in his chest and he thinks maybe he heard wrong, but no, that man is shaking his head and Souji looks upset but he's not picking his vessel up again, why is he not picking him up again. There's talk of getting some money in exchange for the scrap metal, because a poor samurai has no place for a useless blade but can use yen for an extra portion of meat. He's picked up by unfamiliar hands - he doesn't like it, the feeling is awful - and he wills himself to reach out for that back as it turns, wailing in wild desperation. His fingers can't hold anything, the projection of his spirit can only move so far away from his vessel, but he stumbles and tries to cling and trips all the way to the shop entrance.

Wait—! Wait!! Come back—! Stop, stop, stop-- Don't leave! Please, come back!!

But Souji won't, as history shows, and as the Kashuu of today knows bitterly well. The memory is filled with painful waves of choking love and adoration, fear and anger and sorrow and betrayal, rising up like the heat of the furnace in the back room that he hasn't been taken to yet. Mercifully, the memory ends as he's being carried to a table where other useless objects lay waiting to be broken down.]

c for cashew

[adminproof]

[ Saiduq is surprisingly calm for a guy who had a sword spirit suddenly crash into him like that, as he holds Kashuu steadily to prevent the both of them falling over, instead of flipping out and pushing him off. ]

But I am calm. I do not understand how that was my fault.

[ But he wants to know and correct himself if it is!! For all his spiritual knowledge and senses, he apparently can't see Kashuu's fox-like troublemaker. ]

mixed nuts for saiduq

[adornmental]

[EMBARRASSING. He was pretty much born into the human world knowing how to walk on 4-5" heels, so all of this tripping around and needing to be caught is kicking his pride in the shins.

At least he's caught by a charming gentleman who isn't literally kicking him in the actual shins, though. He tries to straighten himself a little, so Saiduq isn't supporting his weight.]

Sorry - sorry, my balance is just super off today. [To say the least.

He waves his free hand in response to the rest of that, though. Maybe he should take this as a lesson and stop talking to his rudeass fox when no one else can see it?!]

Anyway, not you. You're fine. I'm talking about that guy. [And he POINTS at... nothing, as it'll look to Saiduq. But there's definitely a little spooked fox hiding behind part of the display case he's gesturing to.]

c

[yaayaa]

[Naki was just minding his own business, looking at cute hello puppy merchandise, occasionally sneaking glances at the mysterious wispy cat hiding under the display...when suddenly the whole display falls over? WHERE DID THE CAT GO is the cat okay is--

Is that Kashuu.]

Kashuu-dono! Are you...who are you yelling at?

[He's holding a very large stuffed puppy but he can shift it over and offer a hand?]

[adornmental]

[IT SURE IS KASHUU. He's just chilling out here, sprawled out over the display case... This is fine. He's fine!!

(He's not fine, he is definitely having a struggle moment...)

At least Naki is a pure goodhearted bean who's lending a hand, which Kashuu will take for like .5 seconds before immediately withdrawing his hand back in a snap.]

Ugh, sorry, you might be too warm for me to touch. [Even though he's had good luck on that front lately... NO RISKS. But it'll take him a little longer to stand upright on his own... Why is there no winning here??

Meanwhile, the punkass fox that started it all is darting around nearby on Naki's side of the display. Dangerzone...]

BBBBB

[osuni]

[KASHUU WHY ARE YOU TRIPPING EVERYWHERE LIKE AN OTOME PROTAG.... is what Okuni would say, if she hadn't actually just jumped out of a handy bush with a bucket of rubber snakes IN ORDER TO SCARE THE LIVING LIGHTS OUT OF HIM]

[except NO THINGS ARE GOING WRONG??? He's tripping?? (and he didn't even scream once wow) and TAKING DOWN OKUNI WITH HIM, APPARENTLY with RUBBER SNAKES FLYING EVERYWHERE]

[this is what karma does to okuni, it punishes her for trying to attempt lame pranks on people.]

Hey -- !!!

[DOWN THEY GO.....]

WHY IS OKUNI LIKE THIS?!

[adornmental]

[What kind of lame prank was she even trying to pull here?! THE SNAKES GO FLYING EVERYWHERE AND KASHUU SCREAMS.]

WHAT THE HELL—?!

[And then nausea socks him in the gut once more, and he also forgets how to braid hair, but hopefully he'll never notice that missing memory or he'll be Upset...

While Kashuu's busy trying not to barf on Okuni (enjoy the up-close face of someone who looks like they're about to barf, Okuni), his little punk fox scampers on over and sniffs at her face!! And then moves on because those fake snakes are more interesting.

But the once-off touch is enough to send Okuni careening INTO HELL.

Or not. She careens into a village, instead! It's a little beat-up, run down hamlet by the side of a drying river. The sun hangs low in the sky and flies hover above the mud, seemingly the only life at first - or at least the liveliest things. Some people are still toiling away in a field nearby, gathering up the grain for harvest and selling. No rice grows here, because the river is too dry for it, so they have to make do with barley and wheat (even though it's never enough - the people look half-starved and move sluggishly.)

A slightly younger Kashuu sits on the dried bank, digging his toes into the mud. A man sits on a rock nearby, looking out over the lands. He's absentmindedly working while he sits, polishing up a sword that Okuni will probably recognize as belonging to Kashuu. The man doesn't seem to notice the little spirit, but he speaks anyway, smoothly as if he's used to having these one-sided conversations.

Why are we dirty?

The question itself is simple, but holds a lot of more complex sentiments that Kashuu can't give voice to just yet. The feeling that's starting to form is strange and sullen and upset, because it's not fair but the heavy air around this hamlet is strung through with resignation. People resigned to starving and dying, getting sick and dying, being unable to even purify their dead, adding to that stigma. His fingers splay out in the mud, too, as he leans back and looks toward the sky and mouths the word kegare.

No one loves dirty people like them. It's a heavy stigma to hold. With that realization, the meandering memory flickers to an end.]

b for i am blate and bfinally here

[gravesite]

[ after having planted Nameless Surprise #24924928 at the dojo, he'd think he wouldn't run into any unwarranted surprises on his way back... aside from that pesky, wispy bird following him around, half-hopping and half-flying. tsurumaru gets it, though. cranes spend more time walking than they do flying, anyway, and they're still birds!

unfortunately, he does run into a surprise — in the form of one kashuu kiyomitsu, just knocking him over without a single care in the world!! how rude!! but being toppled over does hurt, because he's ancient and his bones creak; still, he just laughs gently. ]

Was that your idea of a surprise?

[ but when will kashuu get off of him he's heavy and tsurumaru is built like a stick he is going to snap — ]

bfinally jasper has breturned from the war

[adornmental]

No way—! Who do you think I am, you?

[He doesn't do the surprise thing, gosh!!

He also doesn't normally bowl over old men, but here they are... Here he is, apparently trying to break Tsurumaru's glass hip! He's in the process of pushing himself up off the ground again when his punkass fox decides to go sniffing at Tsurumaru's hair since it's such a lovely color, and instead he gets suckerpunched in the gut with nausea for the 51st time and just winds up collapsing again with a loud "OOGH". SORRY, TSURUMARU.

Though, on the plus(???) side, he probably won't have to worry about his old man bones suffering for long, because he's pulled into a memory--

It's a smithy. Not one that's very well-off, judging by how cramped and crowded the shop is and how the billows of smoke from the furnace have darkened the wood around it, since none of it has been sealed for protection. A broken blade sits on the counter, its sheath set aside, being appraised by the worker. A man stands on the other side, resting a hand on the hilt and looking - upset? Upset, in the way someone would be if they had just been told they were fundamentally wrong about something they had believed was entirely right. ("We'll get you fixed", he'd said, and Kashuu had wanted to trust in the man that changed his life even though the aching pains that rippled through his ruined body spoke to the contrary.)

Sorry, but that's the way it is. This blade can't be mended.

Then there's the battered spirit of a broken blade manifesting, screaming, wailing like the earth is caving down around him because this is what he had been afraid of, but he'd allowed himself to think, maybe not, maybe it would be fine—

The man looks upset, but in the end, an object is an object even to the samurai who love their blades like an extension of themselves, and he has no reason to keep something that he can't use. After an exchange like any other daily business, he turns to leave.

Kashuu is already on the cusp of death. His blade isn't destroyed, but the damage done to it is so great that he's got one foot in the river (or maybe, more accurately, that's the way it's always been). He can't move very far, even though he tries, desperately tries to follow that man as he leaves, and the feelings of collapsing hope and betrayal are oppressively strong. He's picked up by the smithy and placed on a table with other things slated to be scrapped for a few spare coins, and it's probably the sheer force of Kashuu's disbelief and panic that keep him from becoming some sort of ugly onryo right there in the shop.

It isn't a long wait on that table, for better or worse. The process of dismantling a blade isn't an artform like forging one is; there's nothing to preserve here but the metal's integrity. The fire is scorching and the hammer is merciless and Kashuu's body, already broken, can't hold out. It's a searing, splintering pain that strikes deeper than his blade - dying hurts and he's still screaming, he'll scream til the end - but even that pales in comparison to his wild spin of emotion. Tsurumaru probably knows that Kashuu feels intensely just from spending time together in the Citadel, but he'll be able to experience it now, like Kashuu is trying to cram lifetimes of having a heart into its few last beats. White-hot bursts of terror and fury and rejection like the live end of a cut electrical wire, sparking through the air as strongly as the fire, rising with each fall of the mallet. Mourning - an absence of something precious. The shadow of hopelessness. Disbelief. That nameless weight - being forced to let go too soon, I'm not ready. Grief. Longing.

Love.

The manifestation of Kashuu burns away with his broken vessel, and what's left behind are remnants of reusable metal and lingering glimmers of despair and regret.]

b;

[discard]

[It's not like Leon wants to go into the dojo.

It's not like he wants to see where all of the noise and craziness is coming from. It's not like he's curious or anything!!!

(It's not like he's trying to get away from his angry cat, either, which is really aggravating, shut up angry cat, he's the angry cat in this relationship!!!)

So yeah he barely pokes his head in before he's being slammed into by a Kashuu and a spastic fox and down Leon goes like the piece of wet tissue he is, because he wasn't ready for this at all!!!]

[adornmental]

OH, NO NO NO—!!

[Shouts Kashuu EVER SO GRACEFULLY as they both tumble down... Said fox scampers right over Leon's face in its attempt to escape! These noisy punks are too much!! At least he won't feel it...

Instead, while Kashuu's reeling from the fiftieth bout of nausea in as many hours, he'll be treated to a memory:

It starts out in the hallway of a spacious, open building. Kashuu is there, and he's bleeding badly, holding himself in a surprisingly timid way like he's afraid of being seen. He calls out, though - Master? - and the person in the room turns to look at him with open fear. (It's the first time either of them are dealing with heavy damage, and neither are equipped to handle it.)

He's ushered inside and his movements are stiff and the feeling of anxiety and fear are overwhelming. Blood leaks across the tatami as he moves, gets all over this person's shirt and hands, but he doesn't seem to care. Neither of them do, for different reasons. When Kashuu finally speaks up again, it's to ask if he'll be repaired, full of hesitation like he already expects (or fears) that the answer will be "no".

And there's a flurry of reassurance and too much emotion for one small room, and Kashuu is set on a futon now, still bleeding. Surely a human would have bled into unconsciousness by this point, but he isn't human, he can go much farther, last much longer, bleed out all of these toxic feelings before he runs out of blood that isn't really real to begin with. The other person is trying to calm him down even though he's also panicking, and somehow, the tense feeling snaps even tighter when he asks for Kashuu to take his jacket off so he can treat the wounds. He screams and begs to be left alone, smearing blood across the floor, causing the other person to flinch back in reflexive fright.

You'll change your mind. Is his answer when that person gathers up the nerve to try reasoning with him. He shrinks away like a cornered animal, wild-eyed and terrified with just a stutter-spark glimmer of tentative hope. If you see, you won't want me anymore.

The memory ends as Kashuu reaches up with his arms like he's trying to protect himself from scrutiny.

It's a pretty stark difference with the current Kashuu, who's rolling on his side and looking like he's about to barf. Ah...]

C

[tsuranuki]

...are you well? [ Because he has never seen Kashuu trip like that, colliding with a mannequin which proceeded to fall on him. The goat trailing him suddenly sips away and hides.

Saitou offers his hand, and hopes there isn't a sprained or broken ankle from that. ]

[ooc: any memory works! Paintrain works too lol ]

[adornmental]

[The only thing that's injured here is his PRIDE...

But he'll accept the hand anyway, climbing shakily to his feet.]

Yeah, I'm fine. Just, like - having a little trouble balancing, that's all. [Ain't no thang, clearly!!

Kashuu immediately turns to try righting the mannequin, that said, because people are starting to stare.]

—D'you mind giving me a hand?

[PLEASE, GOOD BEAN SAITOU. Though if he does step forward, Kashuu's little fox will find that now is the prime time to come darting over!]

arrives 15 minutes late to the B party

[meniscus]

[ After what seemed like such a long time, Mikazuki did his fair share of asking around to seek out a certain peanut. There was things he needed to catch up on (his blog, the daily gossip, the usual) and he had sorely been missing Kashuu! That and there was also something he wanted to get his opinion on...Kashuu's was highly valued for Mikazuki.

Having been told that Kashuu was finishing up a class at the dojo, that's where this old tachi was heading! He never quite makes it there, colliding mid-step with the very uchigatana he had been looking for — missions accomplished one way or the other? Even if he feels his old bones ache from the crash... ] I'm eager to see you as well, Kashuu-kun but maybe next time give this old man a bit of warning?

the bparty dont start til kou stumbles in with starbux

[adornmental]

[Well gosh, he's always in the mood to talk to his favorite oldass tachi grandpa, too!

Less so if it involves direct collisions first, though?! He's youthful and spry so he doesn't break a joint or anything, but it's still unpleasant... Poor Mikazuki, though. SO OLD. SO FRAIL.]

Sorry, sorry. I just—

[And then he pitches forward, looking Dangerously Ill for a hot second. His fox has managed to come over and paw at Mikazuki's foot while his attention was elsewhere, so there are his good pals nausea and vertigo coming back for an encore.

Mikazuki will get a memory for his old bean efforts!

It starts with a dingy shop.

There are children hunkered down outside of it, peering in through the corner of the window, and they all look awful. Emaciated, wearing little more than rags, all dirt and oil and muck and blotchy skin because they only have enough water for one communal bath every few weeks, and no way of cleaning away pests and illness. They have the deep-set eyes of people much, much older than their physical age, tired and weary and not at all the way children should be.

Kashuu is there, too - a younger Kashuu, who's just a spirit and thus not afflicted by the same conditions that these small humans are, but is affected by his environment nonetheless. He doesn't need to eat, but being surrounded by starvation leaves him feeling achingly empty. He doesn't need to bathe, but the clothes he wears are just as disheveled and dirty, because it's the only thing he knows. Nice, clean, expensive kimono are for people who don't come from the tainted villages by the dry riverbed.

Tasty-looking pastries aren't for them, either. It's what these children are looking at through the window, talking about the things they would buy if they had the money to spare - things like I'd buy ten whole dango sticks! The good ones! - but there are always sick relatives to care for and they often don't even have enough barley to make gruel to keep every belly full. The scavenger birds in their fields eat better than they do. A simple hot bun is an unimaginable treat - a goal to work toward that they all know they'll never reach.

Kashuu places his hand on the glass, but his smith soon exits the shop next door, and he has to turn to leave. Partway down the street, the baker runs out of his store with a wide fan, covering his mouth and shooing the children away as if they carry a black mark.

Get away from here! I can't sell food that you've been near!

They scatter like rats, but seem unbothered, as if this is just the way things are. Even Kashuu watches over his shoulder with an air of impassivity - a light tug of pity, because his heart goes out to these children, but this is just the way things are.

Meanwhile, the current Kashuu makes a very unattractive oogh sound, trying to pat Mikazuki's shoulder as he attempts to right himself.]

b!! hit me with your best shot

[rated]

Watch wha—

[HOLY SHIT.

Tytree's rather surprised by all that, sure, even though he's doing his best to at least catch Kashuu before they both go tumbling down? No, that doesn't really work, he's too off-guard and everything happened way too fast and way too much. His own cat is beginning to skitter away nervously now that Tytree's not focusing on trying to walk with it....]

Wah?!

FIRES THE CUTE CANNON

[adornmental]

STOP IT—!!

[Why is he even yelling at poor Tytree, as if he's not solely the one responsible for this crash and tumble?! A mystery... But down they go, and his fox - now no longer under Kashuu's careful watch - goes nyooming right over Tytree on its way into a safe bush. Kashuu, who'd been in the process of pushing himself back upright, promptly falls RIGHT OVER AGAIN due to the onset of vertigo, smacking his forehead against the dirt gracefully.

AND TYTREE GETS MORE DEATH AND PAIN.

Just kidding.

The memory starts out in a plain room. It's spacious - Kashuu will have to share it eventually, but for now it's all his, and he's only just gotten started on decorating it and making it his own. There's a rolled up futon off to the side, a low-laying desk with a nice mirror on it, and the doors open out onto a veranda that overlooks a pretty courtyard dressed up in the colors of spring. He sits at the table, fussing over his nails, and the general atmosphere is lazy but warm and content.

Then - from behind, a person calls out. There's a gentle rise of affection and excitement; Kashuu turns his head immediately. Welcome back, aruji!

He's got something in his hands. He'd gone back to the city for a trip - business, maybe? A visit? He's not entirely sure, the saniwa was already gone by the time he got back from his expedition and he'd been waiting for his return. Kashuu is more happy to see this person again, but he's curious, too. What is it?

It's a gift, as it turns out. A gift for him, that this person had picked up while they were in the city. Just a little clip-in bow for his hair, since they don't have much spare money, but Kashuu is positively delighted anyway. This is the first gift he's ever gotten, after all, and he reaches out to take it with a delicate grip, cradling it in his palm.

This is for me? ...Thank you! I'll take super good care of it, pro-mise!

The memory fades out as he settles the clip into his hair, still warm and pleasant, ringed with the softness of affection and a feeling of gratitude, of belonging. He hasn't been this happy in quite a while, and it's so vast that it almost overwhelms him now.]

WILDCARD aquarium date 2: electric boogaloo

[coastal]

[Lili's solution for trauma: ram straight into it until you aren't traumatized anymore.

That's how it works, right?

Which is why even though she definitely drowned maybe even less than a week ago, she won't really back off from the promise that she and Kashuu were going to head back to the aquarium at some point. This probably isn't a good idea. Yet she's still waiting outside again, admiring the murals up until she catches sight of him and then she turns.]

I bought the tickets this time.

[And she's not scared!! Nope. Not at all.

Not even a little.

Her spirit goat agitatedly hooving at the ground behind her doesn't even know what it's feeling.]

when will they learn not to go to the aquarium

[adornmental]

[This is definitely not a good idea and yet here he is, Kashuu "deal with trauma by walking in a wide circle around it and pretending it doesn't exist" Kiyomitsu, showing up right on time. If Lili says she's okay with it, then surely she actually is! No way she's just psyching herself up for an endeavor doomed to failure!! Only true morons do things like that!]

Oh— 'Kay. I can catch the tab for the cafe after, then.

[If they weren't planning on going to a cafe after, apparently they are now...]

Ready?

[His own fox is more skittish than agitated, slinking around near the backs of his heels. He's come to accept(ish) its presence by now to the point that he doesn't really notice it unless it tries to wander off, but he has a decent amount of control by this point too, as long as he's focused on it.]

b!

[flaredo]

[ Is she finally venturing out further? AMAZING. But Yang's finally putting forth an active effort into slowly improving herself. She's ready to head home, though-- which is, of course, when Kashuu and his fox both slam into her and down she goes, her own fox emitting a silent yip of alarm before running into Kashuu's leg.

What a peaceful day. ]

[adornmental]

[A PEACEFUL DAY INDEED.]

Yang—!?

[Is about all he manages to get out before he's got a faceful of bright yellow hair and then THE COLD HARD GROUND. Nausea keeps him from getting up again just yet, too, which is swiftly followed by STOLEN MEMORY CENTRAL. What surprises does Yang's sordid past have for him today?!

As for her - it's blackness, at first. There are no visual cues to go off of, only the echoing of feelings, little glimpses and glimmers as if they're coming from far away. It's an oppressively heavy air at first - despair and regret are the feelings that keep coming back, even though others drift in and out. Anger. Resignation. Fear.

And then, hope.

It's like a small match, barely a spark of something in the dark, but he can feel it, he can feel someone reaching out for him, extending themselves out to pull him up from this awful, endless loop. He reaches back - not physically, because he doesn't have a body to do so, but in will and intent. It's been so long since he's felt hope that he's almost afraid of it, too, but he needs to fight to protect it all the same. He knows that. He can't let this spark go out, so he reaches with all his might, and the scattered web of his thoughts and feelings are starting to bind together again until he's able to form one desperate, coherent thought: Please don't let me go!

And in the next second, he's opening his eyes. A burst of sakura petals drift through the air around him, and it's overwhelming on all of his senses at once but in such a good way that he thinks he might cry. He doesn't, though. Instead, he speaks, wiping away the last vestiges of loss with a deep breath and a confident smile.

Uh— I'm the child beneath the river, Kashuu Kiyomitsu. I'm hard to handle, but my performance is good!]

b!!

[manolia]

[Just in the park, trying to find a spot to sit and write a poem, and maybe a spot where dreamless sleep will come to him... (And Chibi needs dreamless sleep; the nightmares have robbed him of it, and he certainly looks exhausted.) But he is interrupted from the little song he's humming by yelling, the sight of Kashuu tripping over himself, and then weight.]

[Kashuu's weight crashing into him alone isn't enough to knock him over - Chibi is a solid guy, and strong - but the step Chibi takes back is enough to do the trick. He goes crashing onto his ass the second one of his feet leaves the ground.]

Kashuu, wh-- [The fox is on his head. Memory status: obtained. Chibi status: bewildered.]

[[gimme smth random out of the pain train bag! and also if you want Kashuu to get one of Chibi's memories, do you want positive, neutral, or negative?]]

[adornmental]

[[i'd love for him to get one of chibi's memories! LET'S GO FULL PAINTRAIN]]

WAH—!!

[What a graceful and elegant answer to Chibi's unfinished question! Apparently that's the sound that one suddenly nauseous, dizzy and off-balance Kashuu makes as he tries desperately (and fails super hard) to push himself upright again. His fox has skittered off rudely to hide in some bushes after they've toppled, leaving Kashuu alone in his struggle... Betrayal.

And Chibi will receive a memory in exchange for his head being a nice soft cushion for his fox to briefly rest on! What a swell guy.

The memory starts off at what appears to be a battlefield. There are low stone walls and burned bridges, stalks of bamboo shooting out from the ground here and there. The fighting has passed through recently, it seems. Kashuu and another person stand on the outskirts, looking on. The air is melancholy, but he mostly seems agitated, settling his hands on his hips defiantly. He asks about the gloomy air, insisting that it's irritating.

The other person is insistent in his melancholy, reminding Kashuu that this is Toba, the place that neither of them had ever reached. Kashuu was gone by that time, and their wielder was sick in bed, unable to accompany the rest of his team into their final skirmishes. The feeling of irritation spikes, though strangely, it's almost like he's focusing on it - like he'd rather be annoyed than feel whatever is lying beneath that emotion. (It's because he would be gloomy too, if he allowed himself to linger on the past.)

His voice is light and airy when he speaks again, dismissive to the point of being rude.

I guess! That guy had a weak body even though he liked a hard to use sword like you.

The air doesn't shift, so it's clear that this banter is probably normal for these two. The retort is something like "you're hard to use too, aren't you?" and Kashuu makes a little displeased noise. He's right, after all. Shifting where he stands, his gaze drifts back out onto the historical battlefield that they'll never get to be a part of, and he actively shoves away those growing feelings of remorse and regret. Geez...

For swords like us, it's a real pain if our master doesn't live a long life.]

c, shopping district.

[brain]

( initially, he suspected other than what he could physically see being evidenced (for example, the dove, or even the swimsuits on his arrival), there wasn't much to this whole farce. but, as the day carried forth, he evidently experienced ... mishaps that were entirely unexpected to him. discomforting to say to a degree, if only due to the sheer element of surprise. as someone who was constantly in the state of predicting and anticipating, he can't say he can truly accustom himself to all the staggering events and the subsequent eye-opening revelations that naturally came with. even now, he can't deny being perturbed by these facts. while on the surface he shows an unaffected front, his questionable mood is surely evident in everything else.

for example, the minute he sees kashuu tumble into a mannequin... is the same precise moment, he sticks his foot out, just enough to kick... the entire display over. ) Ah— ( he's fully prepared to push more of the blame onto kashuu... except.

... looks like his plan has backfired. or, at least, the blame is being casted in his direction instead. ) ... excuse me?

( his awkward bird hobbles overly weakly. taking another rest on top of ... the mess before him. )

[adornmental]

[A RUDE SHIT, THAT SUPER-S KYRIE...

Kashuu doesn't even think hm, it sure is weird that I managed to knock this whole display over all by myself either... Mostly because he's too busy panicking, since that sure was an attention-grabbing thing that just happened and there sure are quite a few people staring now. He's rushing to put things back up as well as he can, but it's a slow-going process when he can barely... stand. Ah. Heels.

He also nearly entirely misses the fact that Kyrie is there at all, except he speaks up again, and Kashuu glances over with a furrowed brow, clearly distracted.]

Eh— What? ...Oh! Oh, no, not you. I'm talking to that guy.

[GESTURING OVER TOWARD his fox, which will 1) be unseen to Kyrie anyway and 2) isn't even there anymore, since it's skittered away over near Kyrie's feet like a dangerzone menace. Kashuu might just end up touching this sad hobbly bird while he's trying to scoop up the wreckage too, OH BOY.]

C it's time to memshare canons

[clownage]

[ Allen shuffles to the side to catch his own balance after being bumped into, then looks around at Kashuu with wide eyes once he rights himself. He's also instinctively reaching out to grab Kashuu's arm to steady him too, good thing he has COLD HANDS after eating like twenty ice cream cones earlier. ]

Oh, Kashuu! It's fine! Are you alright?

[ ahhh his tsukumogami comrade friend!! He glances around to spot whatever Kashuu's berating, and is grateful that he doesn't find Timcanpy floating around like a guilty ghost.

Instead he sees nothing? Then he looks further to the side and sees his goat staring back at him. it's... probably not the goat. probably. ]

IM HERE FOR IT

[adornmental]

[THANKS FOR THE COLD HANDS, ALLEN. Sparing him from flashback central, but also earning him A Look because Kashuu is apparently just never satisfied.]

Your hands are freezing! ...But thanks.

[Nice.

Anyway, he'll try to right himself on his own now that his balance has been caught, making a little huffy sound and trying not to look supremely embarrassed.]

I'm fine... This thing's just been tripping me up all day, that's all. It's starting to get reeeally annoying!

c... shopping but at like night

[retorter]

[ don't yell at the fox what did it ever do to you!!!

Souji watches as Kashuu falls against a mannequin in a rare moment of clumsiness that he didn't actually expect from the tsukumogami, which means he just stands there for a moment with his arms crossed to look Kashuu over. (instead of you know, helping him up or anything like that). ]

Is there really a point in blaming others? The one who tripped was you, you know.

[ HELPFUL. Souji follows Kashuu's gaze with curiosity, only to see nothing. His own fox is lurking nearby, snickering jk it's not snickering since it's too sad to do that, but it's nearby anyway. ]

why is souji like this

[adornmental]

[HE'LL YELL AT THE FOX, YOU'RE NOT HIS BOSS!!

Souji is a rude shit, though, geez. Kashuu, who looks pretty damn embarrassed about suddenly careening into the arms of an elegant mannequin, makes a sputtering sound.]

I wouldn't have tripped if it wasn't for that thing! Are you gonna help me up or not?

[A DEMANDING PUNK, TOO. Please save him Souji, he looks like a swooning maiden.]

B; come at me bro and lmk if you want one of Maya's memories/which

[feytality]

[Maya frequently doesn't pay attention to where she's going anyway, let alone when she has her own little spirit bird and hallucinations to distract her.]

[So naturally, she bowls right into her previous savior, just as he's bowling into her. But she's tiny, so naturally her twiggy ass is getting knocked down]

[WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO HER]

OW!!!

YE GIMME A RANDOM MEM

[adornmental]

UGH—?!

[His equally indignant yelp happens at about the same time, because she's twiggy and not a very soft landing cushion!! And then, since his fox scoots right on up and over her head while she's down, he has The Nausea to deal with, too! So much fun. Boy, does he love nausea. And dizziness. That's definitely sending him over like a sack of potatoes right as he's trying to push himself upright. Hopefully he doesn't land on her a second time!

She might be distracted with other things anyway, though, because of course she's treated to a memory now...

It starts off in a dingy shop, one that clearly isn't well off. Swords in their sheathes are lined up along the wall, and woven baskets with even more sit at the sides of the open building. Uchigatana seem to be the primary ones sold here, though there are wakizashi and even a few tantou. Men come in and out of the building, looking for this or that. A slightly younger Kashuu sits by a blade that's no longer on display, because it always gets bites and never gets people who are talented enough to wield it, which angers the customers, makes them blame the smith or the shopkeep for selling awful swords.

He's used to it by now, and watches other swords get tried out and bought with an impassive expression. Sometimes irritated, but mostly distant, like he's bored with the entire situation.

I'd like to try that one, please!

The voice is mostly ignored, even though Kashuu glances over when he feels someone pick up his vessel. It'll be the same as every other person. He's used to this routine. Pick him up, try him out, not even be able to cut through the first straw mat, yell at the seller - it's the endless cycle that he hates, but it's just the way things are. He hears the shopkeep try to warn the man - This sword is difficult to use. Are you sure you don't want to try something else? - but he's insistent. They always are. He takes up a stance in front of the straw dummies, looking confident like they always do. Kashuu leans against the wall, glancing out toward the window, thinking about inconsequential things like how hot and dry it's been lately--

And then, he feels his vessel slice smoothly through all of the dummies in one single sweep.

There's only disbelief first as his head snaps back, watching as the severed mats hit the floor, scattering dirt and bits of straw. The shopkeep has the same look on his face, and the man holding the blade lifts it up approvingly.

This is a good sword. I'll take it!

Surprise is still strong, but it's turning into something giddy now. Incredulous, but joyful. As the memory fades, Kashuu slumps back against the wall, laughing.]