Just Keeping Swimming | March Planet Mingle

[thespaceopera]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: If you want!
Action: Anywhere on Mafik
When: The month of March



[Welcome to Mafik, the water world! Hope you brought your best swimming gear and don't have a paralyzing fear of water, because that's all that's here! So get out those wet suits and enjoy life under the sea!

In other words, it's a mingle! ]

> System Information

Comments

[helmsplitter]

[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?

[stoccado]

[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.

[helmsplitter]

[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?

[stoccado]

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?

[helmsplitter]

[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.

[stoccado]

[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?

[helmsplitter]

[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?

[stoccado]

[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.

[helmsplitter]

[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.

[stoccado]

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...

[helmsplitter]

[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.]

[stoccado]

[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?

[helmsplitter]

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.

[stoccado]

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.]

[helmsplitter]

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.

[stoccado]

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.

[helmsplitter]

[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.

[stoccado]

[Again with the surprises.]

What? No. I'm offering-- I don't need anything in return. You seem like you'd be interested in trying things, and I like cooking.

[helmsplitter]

[He is not Tsurumaru, but apparently he is full of surprises right now.]

....

[So this is free?




Aw hell yissssss]

Oh, then sure. I'll eat whatever you decide to put in front of me as long as it's edible.

[Never forget when the older swords decided iron ore belonged in a hotpot. RIP their dinner.]

[stoccado]

As long as you honestly tell me what you think of it. Things shouldn't all taste the same.

[She seems very adamant about this. Finding favorite dishes is super important.]

[helmsplitter]

[Okay, but...food is...food??? He doesn't really know the difference between good food and bad food. He just eats whatever is put in front of him.]

What if I can't tell the difference? Taste is still a pretty new concept to me.

[stoccado]

Then I'll be sure to make them different enough that you can tell. Don't worry about that at all!

[Throughout the conversation, Asuna's very excited at the very idea of it all. Still, since making food in the real world takes time...]

Oh, but you must be hungry right now. We can stop somewhere for food if you'd like.

[helmsplitter]

[Of course, now he is a little worried because sword concepts of what constitutes food can be really skewed. Like putting iron ore into a hotpot or eating wild berries and puking in the woods because they didn't know any better.]

I guess I could eat?

[He isn't sure if he's hungry so he stares down at his stomach. It's hard to tell with the wetsuit covering everything.]

My stomach isn't in pain so maybe I can wait a bit.

[And yes, that's how he tells he's hungry.]

Are you hungry?

[stoccado]

I am. And that's not a good way to tell if you're hungry at all!

[Jeez, she has her work cut out for her! She sighs a little.]

Come on, I know a place nearby that's pretty good, it'll be my treat.

[helmsplitter]

Well, how else are you supposed to tell?

[Asking honestly because most of them just eat on a schedule and if he missed it, he'd just wait until his stomach hurt to go find food....]

But you don't have to pay for me. I'm pretty sure I get paid for existing here.

[No idea why though.]