driftfleet | Just Keeping Swimming

Hold on-- [TIGHT? HOLY SHIT THEY'RE FLYING UNDER WATER??

When the wings first sprouted he just thought it was another weird thing like what happened to England, but then she took off and his arm jerked and he nearly lost his grip on his sword and the troop ball. He fumbles and then clutches them tight to his chest, letting out a strained yelp of surprise and then immediately clamming the heck up.

He did not just scream.

He did not.

The fish swarm for a second, confused about what just happened and start their pursuit. Sadly, they are not winged speed demons, so they start to fall away school by school the longer they fly until they give up and go elsewhere.]

[It takes a little longer than she tought, somewhere around thirty seconds, to lose them, but eventually, once she sees they're not being followed, she slows down to a complete stop. Only then do her wings disappear, and she releases his hand with a sigh. She looks over to check on him.]

You're okay, right? Sorry, but that was the only thing I could think of.

[When they finally slow and stop, Doudanuki drops to the ground and finally loses his battle with juggling. The golden ball thumps to the seabed and he fumbles the plastic bag holding his sword, barely managing to keep that in his free hand.]

Y-You coulda warned me first!

[Never mind how his voice wavers or how his heart is pounding his chest okay. That's totally normal for a sword!!!

But at least the fish are gone.]

[She crouches to join him again, expression a little apologetic.] You just seemed like you really wanted out of that sooner than later. But I probably should have, I'm sorry.

[Asuna reaches for the orb and picks it up, holding it out for him.] I'm Asuna, by the way.

[His anger never stays around for long and he lets it out with a sigh and a few bubbles. She's right in that she got him out of that situation. Any longer and he was probably going to waterlog and be stuck down here forever.

He reaches out to take the ball and checks it over. Nothing cracked or scratched. The troop inside was probably fine.]

I'm Doudanuki Masakuni, the war sword.

[Ir rolls off the tongue like that wasn't the weirdest self-introduction ever.]

And thanks. ...I guess I forgot to say that.

Mm, it's no problem at all. [Her concern now shifts to a smile as she stands, extending a hand again, this time to simply help him up.]

You're a... sword? [Once he's standing-- having taken her hand or not-- her brow furrows in a slight question. Explain, please.]

Yeah.

[He stands without taking her hand, patting himself down even though he's underwater. It's a habit that's hard to break now that he has a human body that gets dirty and dusty. The puffs of sand diffuse into the water around him and he frowns as he remembers.

The wetsuits still have no pockets. Where the hell does he even put this orb? He's searching around himself as if pockets might magically appear as he talks.]

This body's real, but it's a manifestation of my spirit. My real body's stuck in this bag.

[He holds it out absently, showing the black lacquered sheath and katana wrapped up in plastic to keep it out of the water.]

Oh wow. [Asuna reaches out, not to completely take it from him, but to bring it closer for a better look. She looks very interested in it, peering intently at the sheath and hilt, careful not to move anything.]

I've never used a katana myself, but I can definitely appreciate the quality. [Another couple moments pass before she lets go with an appreciative smile.] My sword's a rapier, more western than not.

[It's resting in a red sheath on her waist when she removes it, from its holster to show him. Water doesn't seem to be an issue.]

[He gives up on trying to find a place to stick the golden orb for now and tucks it under his arm. No fish are around to suddenly come bite at it, so it should be safe for awhile.

Then he turns his attention to Asuna fully, his eyes traveling from her to the sword at her side. It's definitely a Western blade, but it's sturdy and has good construction. The offered weapon piques his interest immediately and he leans in for a closer look, inspecting it from side to side.]

Katana's good for slashin' and can cut straight through armor if it's sharp enough. I got used on battlefields a lot, so I'm a lot more practical than most katana these days.

[He switches to another angle to look at the rapier and whistles softly.]

Looks like you got yourself a solid weapon though. You use it often?

[She nods in understanding.] They are. I have a friend back home who wields one, so I've seen it in action numerous time.

[In a video game. Sorta. It's complicated like everything else.] I did, for a long while. It got me through so many tough situations, I wouldn't be here without it. And I'm not exaggerating.

[There's fondness for the rapier in her voice, evident in her gaze as she looks at it.] Due to circumstances out of anyone's control, I was separated from it, about a year and a half ago. I never expected to get it back at all, let alone here.

Edited 2017-03-09 06:42 (UTC)

[He appreciates hearing people talk so fondly about their weapons, but he's always a little skeptical nevertheless. In the past, he heard a lot of masters talk that way about him, but when the wars ended and money became tight, he was often sold for scrap and destroyed. He always hopes that people won't be like that, but the scar on his face is an ugly reminder of what happens when a sword is broken too often.]

If your rapier's got a spirit in it, it's probably pretty happy to be back with you, too. Swords are meant to be used, and a lot of us languish without a master or a purpose.

[He hefts his weapon over his shoulder and straightens up, the plastic crinkling against his head.]

So why'd you get separated? It got lost?

There's no certain way for me to answer that, but if there is, I hope so.

[Asuna fall silent at the question, a myriad of emotions quickly flickering across her features, until she answers it as carefully as she can. He did ask a reasonable question, after all.]

Like now, I was trapped in another world for a long time. When I was able to finally go home, my sword was left behind with no way of retrieving it. I'm glad I was proven wrong, in a sense.

[She takes back her blade to resheath it by her side. But that does raise a question she poses in return.] What about you? Do you have a master?

[He could give the honest answer to that, but considering she was likely...human(ish? considering she has pointed ears) it wasn't going to an answer she liked. "Wait around a hundred years and see," was not what most mortals wanted to hear.

He waits while she thinks, not completely registering the wall of emotions trying to break through. Some swords were more attuned to people, but despite all his time spent with them, Doudanuki wasn't all that great at the subtleties of human emotion yet.]

Hn... [But when she finished, he rolls that around in his head. Getting trapped and separated forever...? That sword must've been lonesome after all that.]

Well, if it does have a spirit, then it's probably glad you got it back here. Being separated from your master is hard.

[Which sort of answers her question. He has a master, he's had several to be fair, but his current one is so far away in time and space that he isn't sure what to think about it.

The closest he had was his "captain" in McCoy, but he wasn't exactly itching to wield and direct a war sword when he was a doctor. He chews the corner of his lip and then looks away.]

....Guess for now I'm masterless. Again.

[Watching him (and hearing his answer), she realizes he's speaking from very personal, first hand experience. It saddens her, hearing it from that point of view, considering they were just discussing her own blade.

What comes next isn't a hard decision at all, despite the fact they just met. With a renewed smile, Asuna holds out her hand again, this time in the form of a handshake's beginning.]

Well, I don't think I'm master material, nor do I want to be, but I do want to be your friend. How about that?

Edited 2017-03-09 07:14 (UTC)

[She's sticking her hand out again and he's wary. The last time he took her hand, she dragged him across the map!! But this looks different and she's smiling, which makes him weirdly more suspicious until she speaks.

A friend?

He raises an eyebrow, confused.]

What d'you mean 'be my friend?' Like an alliance?

[Now it's her turn to look confused. Well done, them.]

What? No! [Pause.] Well, sort of?

[She sighs, trying to figure out how to put it.]

Uh, let's see... Our conversation just now, I really enjoyed it. I'd like to have more! Spending time together and talking, or doing fun things-- that's part of friendship. There's no obligation involved.

[High five to them not getting stuff.

Because at first she disagreed and then she agreed? Humans, why are you so confusing. His eyes flit from side to side as he tries to figure out what she's saying.]

..........So it's like a peacetime alliance.

[He doesn't get it. He figures what's what it means to get along and help each other out and sometimes shoot the breeze when the enemy isn't pounding at the gates. He never really was privy to family life with his masters since a sword wasn't exactly necessary for that.]

I mean, I guess, sure? If you need another weapon at your side, I'll be there.

Ahaha... [Asuna chuckles weakly at the takeaway.] Sort of, yes. But I'm not asking just to have another weapon.

[She lowers her hand, but doesn't seem discouraged.] Well, for starters, are you hungry? I know I am, and you-- oh!

Do you eat? I mean, since you're technically a sword...

[What is friendship, Asuna-sensei.

He perks up at the mention of food though. Of the few things in the human world that have wormed their way into his heart, food is one of the big ones.]

Yeah, we eat now that we have these bodies. What d'you have in mind?

[Sadly, he cannot eat fish here, but there is other food!!! New and interesting food!! That isn't jelly paste blegh.]

[His immediate reaction of interest causes her to giggle.] That's good to know. Now we've got some common ground.

[She makes a "hum" sound as she thinks on it.]

Well, do you have anything you like to eat? Like some favorite foods?

Protein.

[The answer leaps out of him as soon as he hears the question. His entire life revolves around getting stronger, being better, training.]

What about you? I don't have a lot of experience with humans other'n what I saw when I was a sword.

Protein...? Like meat?

[She's used to people telling her about specific foods or dishes. But she can work with this. Probably.]

Me? Do you mean my favorite foods? [Admittedly, Asuna is a little taken aback by his interest in her, too, even if it is meant as a general human question.]

Meat works. I drank a lot of protein shakes before, too.

[Meat, fish, chicken, beef, pork, beans, tofu, whatever was available. Food is amazing when you're just learning about what "taste" is.]

But uh, yeah, I guess I am? I never really asked any of the other swords what they liked 'cause we all were learning about food together.

Hm, well, I like sweets. But vegetables and sandwiches are good... [She's thinking about this ver seriously.] Ah, but they need to have the right texture and taste, too.

[Then an idea hits her!] Well, I'm a cook on the Paisley. You're welcome to come over so you can try some things! I'd be more than happy to whip up some dishes.

[Human mouths are picky. As long as something isn't too spicy, he'll probably eat it. Spicy hurts.]

Uh...I don't have a lot of money to pay you back for that.

[And he isn't about to sell his gold troop ball. Even if that would rake in the cash like nothing else.]

But I can do some work if you need payment.

always c:

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