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Appointments & Messages
| APPOINTMENTS & MESSAGES |
Please label with the date and type of interaction. EX: [Voice - March 5th] / [Action - March 12th] / [Video - April 7th] |
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[Souji regards him for a moment, noting the strange amount of interest he's paying and how easily he's following this conversation. Earlier he'd been so stiff and standoffish... Good to know.]
Oh, drinking, gambling, going to the theatre and the pleasure quarters; the things men and women do to distract themselves when the world seems grim.
Oh, drinking, gambling, going to the theatre and the pleasure quarters; the things men and women do to distract themselves when the world seems grim.
[As said before, he regards this as a comfortable topic. There's little else to do in the Great Silver Shrine other than read the world's history and mythology, and wait to be called upon as a harbinger of death.]
Maybe they're not too far off the mark.
[...Or maybe they are. He's admittedly seen very little of the world and had the unfortunate luck to be picked up by Valuans. And Valua was never known for its hospitality toward outsiders. Or for its philanthropic nature.
But Upper City nobles still left their impression on him, and a part of him is so very, very disappointed that there are so many people who were exactly like the awful figures that the Elders had always described.]
Maybe they're not too far off the mark.
[...Or maybe they are. He's admittedly seen very little of the world and had the unfortunate luck to be picked up by Valuans. And Valua was never known for its hospitality toward outsiders. Or for its philanthropic nature.
But Upper City nobles still left their impression on him, and a part of him is so very, very disappointed that there are so many people who were exactly like the awful figures that the Elders had always described.]
[He laughs a bit and shakes his head.]
My country has been at peace for over 200 years. The arrival of foreigners has upset the balance we have enjoyed for a very long time. Recently, talk of the floating world has waned, but it is still there, like a flower blooming in the the growing dusk.
My country has been at peace for over 200 years. The arrival of foreigners has upset the balance we have enjoyed for a very long time. Recently, talk of the floating world has waned, but it is still there, like a flower blooming in the the growing dusk.
Poetic.
[...Oddly enough, that causes him to laugh, though there isn't anything particularly warm about it.]
That sounds familiar. Tell me, do you call them "Men from the East" as well?
I suppose it'd be "West" for you, but the direction is irrelevant.
[...Oddly enough, that causes him to laugh, though there isn't anything particularly warm about it.]
That sounds familiar. Tell me, do you call them "Men from the East" as well?
I suppose it'd be "West" for you, but the direction is irrelevant.
[Whoa, a laugh. Souji smiles and nods.]
They came in black ships with cannons and guns threatening to destroy our ports if we did not open them to trade. And yes, they came from the east, from far across the sea. They call themselves the West, however.
They came in black ships with cannons and guns threatening to destroy our ports if we did not open them to trade. And yes, they came from the east, from far across the sea. They call themselves the West, however.
["Black ships"
"Cannons and guns"
"Men from the East"
Oh, God, it was exactly the same. Maybe not from Ixa' Taka, but everything else was exactly the same.]
...That's terrible.
[He almost wants to apologize for them, but Ramirez bites it back. The Ixa'Takans didn't want apologies, nor did they want his sympathy. They wanted a savior, and they asked for something he couldn't give.]
"Cannons and guns"
"Men from the East"
Oh, God, it was exactly the same. Maybe not from Ixa' Taka, but everything else was exactly the same.]
...That's terrible.
[He almost wants to apologize for them, but Ramirez bites it back. The Ixa'Takans didn't want apologies, nor did they want his sympathy. They wanted a savior, and they asked for something he couldn't give.]
[He can see something like regret? Sympathy? Empathy? in Ramirez's actions and feel it in his tone of voice. He can guess why, too. That Ramirez would ask about men from the east either meant he had experienced this same thing in his own world, or that he'd heard of it there. It was unpleasant and it meant wars and people dying, but Okita simply shakes his head and keeps the usual smile on his face.]
We could not avoid them forever and knew, one day, they would come. The world is changing...
[He picks up the teacup, looking into it as his smile fades faintly. The world is most definitely changing and he won't live to see it. That is up to people like Tetsu. People who have the hope of the future riding upon their shoulders.
A moment later and the hints of sadness are gone, replaced with his usual expression.]
It isn't so terrible though. That I'm able to help my country is a great thing. I've met my friends through it and I'm going to meet many more before my days are done.
We could not avoid them forever and knew, one day, they would come. The world is changing...
[He picks up the teacup, looking into it as his smile fades faintly. The world is most definitely changing and he won't live to see it. That is up to people like Tetsu. People who have the hope of the future riding upon their shoulders.
A moment later and the hints of sadness are gone, replaced with his usual expression.]
It isn't so terrible though. That I'm able to help my country is a great thing. I've met my friends through it and I'm going to meet many more before my days are done.
[It was exactly the same, right down to their black ships and barging through foreign lands like they owned the place. Though there was less war with Valua and more an onslaught of massacre. He couldn't stand being a part of it and it makes him think maybe, just maybe, he's not fit for the role of blood and death that had always been laid out for him.
That sadness in his face is hard to miss, but Ramirez presses his lips together and makes no mention of it, letting his gaze drop down to Okita's hands and and pretending not to notice. He keeps it there, momentarily, before he remembers the way he had grabbed his hand and clung to him like a lifeline. His heart gives an unpleasant, lurching little pound and his eyes promptly drop down to the table again.]
You're some sort of soldier, aren't you?
That sadness in his face is hard to miss, but Ramirez presses his lips together and makes no mention of it, letting his gaze drop down to Okita's hands and and pretending not to notice. He keeps it there, momentarily, before he remembers the way he had grabbed his hand and clung to him like a lifeline. His heart gives an unpleasant, lurching little pound and his eyes promptly drop down to the table again.]
You're some sort of soldier, aren't you?
[THUD!
Giles lands in a graceless heap out in the street...somewhere in the housing area of Luceti, at least judging by the fact that he can see houses here instead of apartment buildings.
He did manage to successfully break his fall with his legs this time, at least, but now that means the pain is in his shoulders rather than his chest and the possibility of getting up for a while is still not an attractive option right now. At least he hasn't broken anything again.
So Giles is just...going to pull himself out of the line of traffic, lay himself down on the edge of the lawn of the nearest house, and catch his breath.]
((ooc: Am actually on hiatus, but it's way less crazy than I thought it would be and I have been bugging you about this for a while. So here's a dragon to troll, no worries.))
Giles lands in a graceless heap out in the street...somewhere in the housing area of Luceti, at least judging by the fact that he can see houses here instead of apartment buildings.
He did manage to successfully break his fall with his legs this time, at least, but now that means the pain is in his shoulders rather than his chest and the possibility of getting up for a while is still not an attractive option right now. At least he hasn't broken anything again.
So Giles is just...going to pull himself out of the line of traffic, lay himself down on the edge of the lawn of the nearest house, and catch his breath.]
((ooc: Am actually on hiatus, but it's way less crazy than I thought it would be and I have been bugging you about this for a while. So here's a dragon to troll, no worries.))
[He raises his eyes and notices Ramirez staring at the table again. He can't allow himself to be so melancholy and picks up Ramirez's teacup, setting it in front of him.]
Not technically. I am a samurai, part of the warrior class, but not a "soldier" in an army as some would think it.
Not technically. I am a samurai, part of the warrior class, but not a "soldier" in an army as some would think it.
[The sound of something falling outside the house attracted him. It helped that Saizou heard it and went squealing for the door like a guard dog, too. After calming his pet down and leaving him inside, Okita peers out the front door to see...a large black thing on his lawn.
What.]
...Hello? Are you alright?
What.]
...Hello? Are you alright?
[Fair enough. He reaches out to take the teacup, but he doesn't drink from it just yet, preferring instead to let his fingers absently trace the rim.]
Explain.
Explain.
[Giles lifts his head at the sound of a familiar voice and just...blinks owlishly at Okita for a second, clearly still a little stunned. But, somehow, not terribly surprised.]
Oh. Okita-san. Hello.
...sorry about the crash.
Oh. Okita-san. Hello.
...sorry about the crash.
... [He knows that voice and trots outside, closing the door behind him.]
Giles-san?
[After a quick once over to see that the thing Giles has turned into isn't hurt, he smiles.]
A bit of a rough landing?
Giles-san?
[After a quick once over to see that the thing Giles has turned into isn't hurt, he smiles.]
A bit of a rough landing?
We are born into a class based on our familial occupations. Mine was the warrior class, the samurai. Long ago we were warriors and soldiers, but until recently there were no wars to fight. Now, certain groups of us are moving under orders like soldiers, but my group specifically is not technically an army.
[You answer so easily, Souji. He's not sure if he could do the same.]
How so?
[It's part deflection that he keeps asking questions, and part genuine curiosity. There are striking similarities against the other cultures and situations currently pervading throughout Arcadia, but none of it is quite exactly the same.]
How so?
[It's part deflection that he keeps asking questions, and part genuine curiosity. There are striking similarities against the other cultures and situations currently pervading throughout Arcadia, but none of it is quite exactly the same.]
Unfortunately.
[He smiles wryly and shifts himself into a much less apparently wounded position, instead resting his head on his paws to look up at Okita.]
...but, um, also an improvement, actually. My landings were much worse yesterday.
[He smiles wryly and shifts himself into a much less apparently wounded position, instead resting his head on his paws to look up at Okita.]
...but, um, also an improvement, actually. My landings were much worse yesterday.
[Okita steps closer and crouches down in front of Giles, wrapping his arms around his knees. He hears what Giles says, but he's distracted by what he is.]
I'm glad you're learning then.
[He reaches out a hand toward Gile's head and then stops, pulling it back.]
...What are you exactly?
I'm glad you're learning then.
[He reaches out a hand toward Gile's head and then stops, pulling it back.]
...What are you exactly?
I'm a dragon, actually. Or so I've been told.
...there's supposedly another dragon like what I am right now somewhere around the village, and I met a friend of his who was able to identify me.
...there's supposedly another dragon like what I am right now somewhere around the village, and I met a friend of his who was able to identify me.
[A dragon? But he's....]
...You're so cute.
...You're so cute.
[It's easy to answer when he's not really giving any personal information away.]
Because it's not technically a war yet. There have been skirmishes and we stopped a plot by the rebels to burn the capital, but we are only a bunch of masterless samurai that the people see as ruffians and hooligans who just happened to fall into the right daimyo's favor.
Because it's not technically a war yet. There have been skirmishes and we stopped a plot by the rebels to burn the capital, but we are only a bunch of masterless samurai that the people see as ruffians and hooligans who just happened to fall into the right daimyo's favor.
[asdfjkl;lkjfdsa what.]
N-No I'm not!
N-No I'm not!
[Ramirez continues to twirl his fingers around the rim, inclining his head and passively listening to Souji's explanation. "Daimyo" doesn't mean much to him, but he can guess the meaning through the context.]
Hmmm.
[He draws his hands back and looks up again, a funny, tight-lipped smile on his face.]
Even if they think that way, you are willing to protect them. That's honorable of you.
[Oh Ramirez, how ridiculously idealistic you sound sometimes. :C]
Hmmm.
[He draws his hands back and looks up again, a funny, tight-lipped smile on his face.]
Even if they think that way, you are willing to protect them. That's honorable of you.
[Oh Ramirez, how ridiculously idealistic you sound sometimes. :C]
But you are! [He would so squish Giles' face right now if he didn't want to allow the man some dignity.]
[That look on his face surprises Souji for a moment. Then he lowers his head, laughing softly behind his hand.]
It isn't that honorable. I don't much care for what they think of me. I'll always be a demon to them, but the time we live in needs demons like us so they can stay innocent.
It isn't that honorable. I don't much care for what they think of me. I'll always be a demon to them, but the time we live in needs demons like us so they can stay innocent.
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