130bladeworks | open post, cuts ribbon to musebox proudly

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open post, cuts ribbon to musebox proudly

[The Citadel is huge, so it's a good thing they have all the time in the world to dick around.

--Well, no, they don't. But the point is, it's a free day. There will be absolutely no work done at all. Unless you want to or something. If you do, you're pretty weird.

The dojo is always open for sparring and practice. If there's any sparring errand you've slacked on, now's the chance to make up! The horse stables are also full of activity, whether the horses are being tended to or rode around-- be careful not to let them trample the fields, though, which is full of rice sprouts and budding cabbage. The lake in front of the saniwa(s)' room has tiny frogs jumping about, and you could catch them in the palm of your hand.

The kitchen is full of food, if you're volunteering to make lunch or have decided that meal time cannot possibly come any later and you simply must prepare something before you die from starvation. While there has been a considerable effort made to make the Citadel look as homely as possible to the swords which come from Japan's past, there's speckles of technology here and there.

The TV room is a good example, with a huge screen sitting on top of a few console systems. Don't break them, you'll only be getting this luxury once. Take turns and play nice. The swords may also find themselves tending the fields with water sprinklers and hoses instead of watering cans, for instance, or heating up some leftover pie in the fridge instead of making another one from scratch since there's technology to preserve food well over a week. The armory and smithy are definitely a little bit more modern than they'd be back in the past, though much is still made by hand-- nothing beats the fine work of a master. Perhaps you'll have a few new friends today, or you want to try creating a cute little soldier spirits to ~~die for you~~ accompany you in battle. Make sure they enter the orb completely, or else it'll turn brown and crack.

Or perhaps you're one of the unlucky swords still stuck in the repair room, sword body still being re-smelted and fixed. Hope the saniwa is good at making you all shiny. If you want to skip all that waiting, perhaps you can try to use a helper token... but they're all in the saniwa's room! Guess you've got to use that Camouflage stat...

But if you truly cannot bear with staying in the Citadel, the time device the saniwa(s) have isn't locked away. You can go on sorties or expeditions to fill your time with something productive.

Just a warning: don't change the past. You won't succeed.

...You could always try, though.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i. the swordventures of yamsato nadeshanko

[ it's a rare day off and yamato no kami yasusada is still wiping the dojo floor with people's asses. actual news at eleven.

there's something very compelling about the transformation yasusada undergoes whenever he steps onto the training room floor. his easy-going nature gets swept under a rug, for one, along with the gentle wondrous tone that he adopts when chatting merrily about anything ranging from horses to being patted. similarly, his wide-eyed look of abject innocence goes the way of the dodo. it's hard to remember that this is the same sword who'd just been admiring how sparkly horse eyes are a scant three ago when everything about him on the dojo floor now all but screams i'll put you into the ground, you pathetic cretin.

it's an understatement to say that yasusada takes sparring a little too seriously.

he's been at it since seven this morning, too, consistently and methodically beating up every person who steps in with a single-mindedness he usually reserves for slaughtering their enemies and being gloomy about okita-kun. the non-stop sparring has left him sweaty, the back of his neck sticky and his breath heavy, though he remarkably keeps his breathing even as he lowers his training sword with military precision. ]

You're dead. [ that's putting it mildly. ] Next.

[ are you his unfortunate training partner? are you next in line to get your ass kicked around the dojo? did you peer in to see what workaholics were still training on a rare day off like this? yasusada's been at this for the past three hours, and he's likely to do this for three more like the over-eager yamato nadeshanko he is if nobody drags him out the twilight zone that is the citadel dojo. please do something before he decides that not enough people are excited about being beaten up and goes out to drag more people in himself... i mean, you could be next. you never know. ]

ii. karaoke with vegetables

[ further proof that when yasusada isn't training, actively shanking something or being gloomy about dead people, he honestly has no idea what's going on. yasusada, in essence, can be compared to that of a piggy bank, if his head is the bank and the coins are obsessive thoughts about battle and shanking things. once you empty out the bank, all you have left is a whole lot of air and maybe a few unpaid bills. in essence, yasusada is an airhead by nature, and once you take the fight out of him (or if that can't be done, remove him from the fight) he becomes almost charmingly funny.

case in point, he's discovered the karaoke channel on television. armed with a set of microphones that nobody knew they had but that he somehow had procured from out of thin air, he's now very engaged in singing whatever that happens to come on-screen.

the upside: he's surprisingly good.

the downside: all the songs are awkwardly morbid.

join him in his adventures to be the best karaoke master there ever was? challenge him to a sing-off so you can finally change your channel to national geographic? stop this nonsense before he actually scares all the younger tantous to tears? it's up to you, friend. ]

iii. for all you insect haters out there, this unnecessary violence is dedicated to you

[ it doesn't matter where you are, or what you're doing, but suddenly, everything is bugs.

okay, that's an exaggeration. there's only one bug here. but the problem is, it's big, it's nasty, it probably has like 23894728934 legs and is 0.3 seconds away from crawling up your pant leg or something. maybe you were just trying to write up a note, or you're trying to take a cat-nap (in the middle of the day, you lazy ass) but suddenly there's this big-ass bug wigging out your day, and you can't help the screech that comes out of your mouth, proving that the average age of the swords in the citadel is four years old and nobody can convince me otherwise.

luckily, there's one sword in this encampment who hates insects more than you do. not three seconds after the initial scream, a sudden sword spears down from the heavens to the cacophony of hallelujah to end what would have been a very embarrassing scramble around a bug 1/70th of your size. yes, you could even be in the baths, and yasusada will somehow find his way there to shank that thing. he has a bullshit radar. apparently it picks up on squirmy insects too. and it'd almost be funny if it weren't for the fact that his expression looks like it could've been animated by shaft...

thankfully, the moment passes quickly enough, and his air-headed cheer is back as he casually flicks the dead bug to the side. was that all just a dream? you just don't know, but at least the bug is dead. ]

x. choose your own yams adventure??

[ punch me. i'll punch back. ]

Edited (fuck i keep doing this) 2015-03-28 18:13 (UTC)

[You know, it's not like Shishiō even dislikes bugs. They're gross, yes, but that screech is his nue, he swears. (Actually, it's the both of them, so maybe he's not completely wrong in his internal monologue.) The bug has landed on Shishiō's meal, but honestly, he could just flick it away and continue eating. There can't be too many germs on it--

--but that plan is foiled by the holy fucking sword that comes from the ceiling and also stabs through his food and also breaks the goddamn plate.

Right, this time he screeches for real, and there's no excuse.]

Hyaaah?!

[Yamato is the most terrifying of sweet children.

His nue stretches out its neck to snap up the dead bug in mid-air when Yamato tosses it away. Gross.]

[ to be honest, yasusada doesn't hate bugs so much as it's a conditioned response after having lived with kashuu 'i might break a nail' kiyomitsu all his life. so much that the moment he hears the right-pitched scream and the corroborating ping of something with more than four legs on his bullshit radar, he's pretty much compelled to cross time and space to stab the offending creature. shishio's food and plate combo being casualties to this awful, vengeance-filled habit of his, is something that doesn't even register until the okita switch switches from 'on' to 'off' and he mildly realizes that not only has he made a mess, he's also stabbed through the table.

which is a pretty usual occurrence in a camp full of socially maladjusted people, all of whom wield swords, but it still looks pretty bad on the paperwork whenever they need to put in a request for new furniture and have to put 'yamato no kami yasusada' as the reason for it.

there's genuine chagrin in yasusada's expression as he nods his head in polite deference to his elder, even as he smoothly cleans his sword with a cloth and sheathes it (food stains are gross). ]

Shishio-san. Please excuse me. [ for, ah, the mess. this mess. this whole thing. also, shishio looks kind of spooked-- can't imagine why. a concerned look. ] Did I hurt you?

[It's okay, they can always just cover the hole in the table and pretend it's there for aesthetic effect. God knows how many times they've gone through that.

What is most alarming is how Yasusada immediately becomes so polite, but once again, god knows how many times they've gone through that. Shishiō's mouth just opens with an 'ahhhh', like he's waiting for another insect to fly in and for Yasusada to just stab him through the teeth instead. Finally he closes his mouth, affirming that his jaw isn't broken.]

What made you think that was a good idea!?

[The real question on everyone's lips right now.]

It'll take more than that to actually hurt me, though. [--And of course, he has to add that. Just to. Make it clear. You know. He's just pissed off, not at all spooked.]

[ but is there a bug in there...? yasusada peers at shishio's open mouth with patient curiosity, and waits for shishio to stop making faces at him to reply to his question because when he's not actively shanking things or kicking people's asses around the dojo, he's a polite sword kouhai who does polite sword kouhai things. and of course, the question that comes out of shishio's mouth gets right at the main issue-- sasuga shishio.

yasusada, for his part, is genuinely not sure how to answer that question. part of the reason is because he doesn't know why he thinks shanking bugs with the anger of a thousand suns is a good idea, and the other part of the reason is that he honestly has never thought about his reasoning before at all. as far as he can remember, he's been doing this. it's his Thing. of course, he's not particularly good with words, and therefore just looks more chagrined. ]

I don't know. To be honest, when I heard your scream, my body moved on its own.

[ yeah that's... literally it. he does look on to shishio with admiration, however, putting his hands together. ] And I did make sure to avoid you, though I couldn't stop the plate from shattering. You dodged all the pieces. That's amazing.

[ KOUHAI ADMIRATION, shishio-san ur cool ]

[why thank you, though he hears that every day--

Shishiō has several different ways to answer that. For example, 'you wield a dangerous weapon at all times, what the hell do you mean your body moved on your own, you need impulse control'. Or maybe he could choose to say 'don't avoid the question, you're secretly trying to kill me, aren't you?!' like the line of a mob boss in a wuxia drama right before the climatic main fight. But if Yasusada is the hero, then the strange blur of moral grey that would make is too complex for a wuxia drama.

So instead, Shishiō chooses the most practical answer:]

What do you mean, I screamed?! That was... my nue! [Look, he even referenced it in his internal monologue 2 comments ago. What did you expect. He does look at Yasusada's cute little face now and slacken his shoulders a bit, though.] But I guess I am pretty amazing, aren't I--

--wait, you're trying to distract me from the main point, aren't you?!

[Ah, if only things were that simple, Shishiō.]

[ if pressed, yasusada's answer would be 'my impulse control is fine, shishio-san. i only kill what deserves a painful death' followed by 'i wouldn't dream of it, shishio-san. i only kill comrades who try to kill me first', all the while smiling that uncanny little smile that belies his words, like an odd echo from the past. look, there's that smile now as he laughs and shakes his head firmly. ]

Not at all, Shishio-san. I'd still like to offer my apologizes for startling your Nue. [ that's a small nod of his head, look how dutiful and safe and polite he is. you'd think the person who just shanked your bug was a completely different person...

except no, it was still this punk, and the smile on his face only gets more beatific. ] Though it's also amazing that your Nue's scream can sound like two people at once. Nues are really interesting creatures, huh.

[ What are you doing, Yasusada. It's been a whole half-day, and you've been banging around inside the dojo all this time. People are getting injured - not to the extent to be sent to the repair room, but injured nevertheless.

Mitsutada didn't plan to spend his day anytime near the dojo, having tasks to do around the Citadel instead - but when swords start streaming into the kitchen asking for tea (and assorted comfort food), he had to take note.

So here he is, sliding open the door to the dojo, his true body belted to his waist in an almost nonchalant manner. His face is anything but, however, instead looking marginally worried. ]

You should go take a rest, yknow. [ God, don't beat people up even on free days. ]

[ training, tiring as it wont to be, leaves yasusada hyper-sensitive. even has he grabs a towel to wipe himself down, his senses are honed enough that he can sense the approach of someone at the dojo door, count out the exact number of steps the individual takes before opening said door, and upon the opening of the door, his eyes immediately trains to the sword at the man's side, before his eyes flip upward to mitsutada's face. he doesn't spar often with this particular sword, but mitsutada is his senpai, which prompts a proper dojo bow out of yasusada, along with an accompanying greeting. ]

Mitsutada-san, good morning. [ yasusada's ever-serious when he's in the dojo, devoid of his usual smile, but that doesn't mean he doesn't look friendly, wide-eyed and composed, sharp. at mitsutada's words, he lowers his head just a tad. not meaning to be rude, but in his usual blunt manner: ] I'm not yet done.

[ as if being tired out after three hours of non-stop ass-kicking isn't a good enough reason to be done. or a least take a break. but yasusada's never really had a good sense of when to take a break and when to keep pressing on-- it was always kashuu who called the shots and held him back. here, he finishes wiping himself down with a sigh, and then shoots a discerning look at mitsutada once more. they haven't sparred in a while-- and of course, since the only thing on yasusada's mind right now is fighting, he wonders how he matches up to his senpai now. ] Are you here to spar?

[ Yasusada is... well. The uchigatana is definitely well-meaning, like the rest of the swords (and nobody in the citadel is outrightly bloodthirsty), but he did worry Mitsutada a little. He's dedicated, perhaps too dedicated, and had the most drastic transformation when he shifted gear into battle mode. It's normal to have a different stance on the field and off it, but the intense seriousness (he hesitates to call it anything more) that Yasusada calls up can get unsettling. Mitsutada hasn't spent as much time with Yasusada as he did with the other swords of his class, but he did notice. In fact, everyone noticed, to some extent. The only difference lay in how they responded to it. ]

You've been here quite long, Yasusada-kun. [ The tachi glances around, single golden gaze sweeping across the room. No one else is here, and he can easily think of why. ] If you don't take a break, your focus will wear down and practice won't be as effective. [ Always plan ahead for each session and analyze the results after it was finished, that was the way he did it. It kept the chances of unexpected mishaps at a minimum. ]

No, I just came to check up on you. [ He shakes his head slightly, before reaching up to flick a loose strand of hair away from his face. It should be evident, by how he is dressed in his casual attire instead of battle uniform. He had chosen to add a red scarf to his ensemble this morning, to see how it would work colour-wise.

It then occurs to him that he didn't actually see Yasusada this morning. The uchigatana must have gotten up earlier than he did, leaving for the dojo afterwards - and judging from how the kitchen stores had only been slightly depleted, he can guess at how much Yasusada actually ate. While the other definitely has enough sense to not fight on an empty stomach, that amount of food isn't going to last him too long if he keeps up like this. ]

Don't stress yourself, okay?

[ it's not as though yasusada isn't used to being chided or cared for -- the latter may be slightly questionable, but he does know concern and care when he hears it, which amounts to the same thing, really -- but it takes a moment for it to register on account of how tired he is, the dojo setting, and the fact that it's mitsutada and not, say, kashuu or okita-kun, directing that concern towards him. he's always found mitsutada to be a bit odd amongst the swords, in interest of full honesty. after all, he seemed happy while cooking and cleaning, which were very un-swordlike things to enjoy doing. his appearance was also incongruous with his personality. not in the dramatic sense that tsurumaru kuninaga gives off, but in a more 'well, i certainly didn't expect him to be such a mother' sort of way, because any younger sword looking at him would've assumed him to be stern and vicious when he really... isn't.

still, he's not entirely sure how to respond to mitsutada's words. he's not here to spar, but to check up on him: which is puzzling, because yasusada doesn't see any reason why anyone would need to check up on him. but since the sentiment is kind, he nods again in deference, taking his senpai's advice to heart (though it notably doesn't make it quite all the way up to his brain). ]

Understood, Mitsutada-san. Though I think my focus has been fine, and I am not the least bit stressed. [ he thinks. but now that you mention it... he frowns a little as he puts down his towel, and grabs a second one to drape over his neck to prevent him from losing heat. ]

What time is it?

[ how long has he spent at the dojo? he realizes that he didn't really keep track. ]

[ It is true. Mitsutada's appearance is always kept meticulously neat, not a single crease out of place, and the eyepatch he wears in part due (and as homage) to his master only served to accentuate that. While he may be vicious at times on the field of battle, the assumption that he had a sharp and precise personality is usually shattered the moment he opens his mouth. Sure, his speech is casual and his mannerisms fluid, but his constant quips about being cool do indicate that he really isn't. And as for why he was so willing to do chores and the like... well, no one else was willing to do them, so why not. His most famous Master did these things himself, and as they say - like master, like sword.

The tachi's answer comes almost immediately, punctuated by a brief blink. ] It's lunchtime. You've been here for three hours, maybe even more. [ He didn't know when Yasusada went in, but it was definitely before he started checking the storerooms. ]

At least, go get some lunch and water. There isn't going to be much left if you come late.

[ Thanks to the menagerie of creatures that are wandering around, as well as certain tachis' big stomachs. ]

Edited 2015-03-29 11:05 (UTC)

[ like master like sword seems to be the running tagline throughout all of these swordventures, and yasusada is honestly not exempt. okita's life was the sword, after all, and it stands to reason that his sword would take on his life. this unfortunately means that yasusada is about as useless as a flopping fish when it comes to un-battle-y pursuits, like figuring out how to take care of himself and getting to his meals on time. lunch honestly wasn't even on his mind until mitsutada mentions it, and even then, it's sort of a vague 'ah, i guess lunch is probably a thing' sort of afterthought. he's definitely been in this dojo for a while. how did time pass by this quickly?

still, he's reluctant. after all, he really had a rhythm going with his training, and though he's run out of opponents to beat, he still has katas he can go through. he opens his mouth to politely protest: ]

I'm-- [ and finds himself unable to continue the words when something like an ungodly number of training hours starting from shit o'clock finally hits him. couple that with quite literally the handful of food he grabbed before setting out this morning, and he feels the world spin.

well. blinking rapidly, he refocuses on mitsutada as though he's not quite sure just what happened. chagrined, now. ]

... am I late already?

[ maybe he really should consider thinking about eating. ]

[ Mitsutada's time was long before Yasusada's, so he didn't have a good handle on Okita's direct personality. That man had raised two swords, both as different as fire and water - and he isn't very sure what that says about their owner. Perhaps it was a cruel twist of fate, as was almost everything else - but as they say, like master, like sword.

He doesn't want to think about it.

The moment Yasusada gets unsteady there's immediately a firm hand on his shoulder, anchoring the uchigatana down just in case he fell over. Mitsutada has one golden eye trained on the other, his expression now changed to full-on concern. ]

Yes, you are. You're coming with me.

[ While he still says it in his usual fluid and casual way, there is an undertone of firmness that indicates that he won't take refusal for an answer. ]

I'll clear up your stuff later, don't worry about it.

aggressively yans and terrorizes everywhere...

inamorati - 2015-04-07 21:33 (UTC) - Expand

what a beautiful child

candlecutterpikachu - 2015-04-09 13:21 (UTC) - Expand

clearly the sweetest of them all

inamorati - 2015-04-09 22:25 (UTC) - Expand

yamato no kami yasusada / punch me

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YUUUUUN

YOOOOO

HUGS!!!

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he's so cute

he is a yan terror tbh

still a cute yan terror

i;

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i broke all my icons lmao, edits an icon in

but your icons are super cute now

he's a very dere yam

a very bloodthirsty dere yam

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