tabularasa_rp | [open] because i can only be me

[Akechi twitches violently at the unexpected voice, but doesn't react more than that. He hadn't seen or heard her coming, but he has more control over himself than to point the sword at whomever's approaching. A beat until he recognizes her, and he just laughs politely, tilting his head with a smile.]

Yes, in that underground bathhouse, of all places.

[He flourishes the blade briefly, the edges making it hum through the air with the cut.]

The more time passes without one, the more I'm convinced it's coming. It's not like me to reject the evidence, but, well... Call it my detective's intuition?

Wait, undergrou... oh right, that wall market place. I found an old wok you could use as a hat. It didn't that good for cooking.

[She'd almost brought it back for fear of the thing coming awake. She was starting to get paranoid about all this old crap lying around coming alive on her.]

That's some cynical thinking. Not that I think you're wrong. Just saying. But I do think it's kind of obvious. We're eventually going to have something worse than a ... whatever those pink chicken things are to fight.

So, you're pretty good with that, I see. Is it actually yours, or just fancy?

A... wok you can use for a hat?

[Well, that's certainly an interesting image. Not really his style, no matter what its use as a helmet. But he just nods at her assessment. The horrifying plucked-chickens-with-hands (as Diogenes would say, "Behold, a man!") are likely only the start.]

It's mine, [he confirms after only a beat of hesitation, flicking his wrist in an easy flourish. He'd considered lying, but there's the risk someone could call his bluff and claim it's actually theirs if he tried, and he's not exactly willing to part with it.] Though perhaps it's more accurate to say it was given to me, instead of something I'd have chosen for myself.

[He flourishes the blade again, taking a hidden delight in the way it hums through the air.]

You haven't trained with a sword, have you, Parsee-san?

It'd be a way to keep the wok busy so it didn't freak out at least.

[She grunted and shook her head. When he spoke of the weapon having been a gift rather than a choice, it made her think of items whose souls were awake yet again. Hmmmm. But it wasn't important in and of itself. The serrated edge definitely looked to be more than natural.]

No, I have nothing like that skill. Noble women only ever carried a tanto in my time. I haven't wielded a blade since back then. the claws usually do fine.

[Well, not quite an item with a soul, but perhaps it would be more accurate to say an item from his soul? Something formed from his cognition, replacing the Lumina Saber he wields with Robin Hood with a weapon more suited to Loki, bringer of chaos.

He flicks his wrist again, letting the blade move in an easy circle.]

To tell the truth, sometimes I wish I had claws myself. It would make things much more efficient.

[His gauntlets are clawed, but with Loki locked away as he is, there's no sign of his Metaverse outfit, either. That, perhaps, is a good thing; it's hard to act like a pleasant boy when the spirit of your rebellion takes the form of a suit bound with belts and armed with jagged, sharp points.]

Unfortunately, we humans have to make do with our own weapons.

Yeah, though a weapon like that'll do more harm than claws unless I get in real close. Have to say. You people come up with all kinds of toys for destroying each other. [A low chuckle.]

But the one thing I'll admit is that you can't really lose claws normally.

[normally.]

That's true. There's nothing in the world better at killing humans than other humans, wouldn't you say?

[Swords, guns, bombs, drones -- like humanity is in a race to destroy itself as dispassionately and violently as possible. Not that Akechi cares one way or another, really.]

Would you like to learn? A tree branch can be formed into the right shape for a sword in a pinch, and even a blunt weapon is better than nothing at all.

Hmmm... I wouldn't disagree, no. They're extremely good at ruining their own lives pretty effectively. And making the weapons to do it with. [A shake of the head followed.] Nice of you to offer, but I think if I were to pick up that sort of skill, I'm much more of a knives kind of girl, not a sword sort.

Knives...

[Akechi brings his free hand to his chin, nodding at the assessment. It aligns with someone who's familiar with using her own hands (claws) as a weapon, along with the knowledge of using a tanto.]

I can't claim to be a specialist myself, but both Ren and Cole-san are. Ren is quite naturally gifted, and Cole-san has this odd desire to "help" those around him. Phrase it as he's helping you, and I'm certain he'd be willing to teach you, if you're interested.

[Both of them have a desire to help those around them for no obvious personal gain: Akechi can't fathom it.]

Edited 2020-08-20 19:09 (UTC)

[As he guessed, a woman of noble birth who was not one of the rare samurai-ko was usually trained only in the use of a tanto, possibly a polearm or bow, but likely only the knife. So it was definitely much more familiar to her, especially with the claws since those days.]

It's in Cole's nature. I would expect no less of him than to want to help everyone he meets. [Spirit of compassion. Yeah, she was certain of that.] He'd probably teach me without even me manipulating it.

And I'd rather keep an eye on him anyway.

That's right... he is a spirit of a sort, isn't he?

[Spirit, demon, ghost... sometimes, Akechi can't be entirely certain he's not, in essence, a Shadow, but at the very least he's not an overtly hostile one.]

Are you concerned?

What? Why would I be c...concerned about a sp...spirit of c...

[She clamped her mouth shut and glared at Akechi like he'd done something wrong. AHEM. there was a grumble in the back of her throat, but afterwards she cleared her thought, eyes narrowing and getting her composure again.]

Ok, yeah. Obviously I'm a little concerned. [Hmmph.]

We're both spirits and I think of him as a vulnerable type. He brings out a bit of a rare emotion for me to experience. I get a little protective. I don't want to see him stop being what he is, even if I'm always more than a little jealous.

World needs spirits like him. So... yeah, a little.

[She actually, know it or not, had that in common with Solas, a lot. Spirits of compassion were these precious little things that could get broken and, for as nasty as the queen of envy could get she was protective of the existence of something like that. And around here? They needed compassion.

But she was also little stingy with that detail, despite the fluster. It was the protective side coming out.]

[Oh. Well, Akechi's own surprise shows in the widening of his eyes as she gets obviously flustered. He'd meant "keep an eye on" in the event that he became a threat, not literally watch over to protect.

It's an unexpected side of her, and he can't help but chuckle, covering it behind a polite hand.]

My apologies. It's just... unexpected. I thought perhaps you might see another spirit as competition, but that's clearly not the case.

[Goro "why can't I be the only special one" Akechi at it again.]

Eh.... I'm jealous of him, how pure he is, how kindhearted, how everyone who can remember him seems to like him, how easy it all seems for him. But...

No. I get jealous of everything. Rivalries and the like, competition? That's mostly for other Hashihime. [There was an uncomfortable look.]

You don't want two of them here. One's more than enough.

[Easier to explain without another of them present.]

Hm.

[He hums, nodding as she speaks. When she puts it that way, he can understand. It's not unlike certain aspects of his relationship with Ren, after all, though rivalry and competition is certainly at its core. Envy of his kindheartedness and how everyone seems to like him? Well, that he has in spades.]

I suppose that's for the best for us mere mortals, then, [he observes with a slight grin, said in the tone of voice that implies he thinks it'd be rather interesting to see, actually.]

[She caught that tone. She didn't say anything about it, but she caught it. A grunt followed and she nodded.]

well, a lot less bridge wars, at the very least. For now everyone's behaving. Might be best to keep it that way a little longer.

[open] because i can only be me

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