[He is, however, interested. He'll take the discretion for the sign it is, and consider it worth his time.]
I see. Well then, I must recommend you try the penny candies at Wow!Sweets. It is a bright little shop tucked away between a pharmacy and a pizza parlor.
I think I might indulge myself, in fact.
[It's a location on the border of Sutoku and Shuten territory. He's trying not to take many chances, with security so tight.]
(But sweets... not exactly his favorite but he isn't picky. Food is food. But fine. He'll go! And when he gets there, he'll linger around outside the shop. His attention is split between looking at some of the sweets through the window and also keeping an eye out for that guy but overall, he's alert. If anything, he actually looks tense. Moving around hurts when you have stitches in your side but he's nothing but stubborn. He's also probably sporting a few new bandages here and there since that night but he's never been fussed about his appearances.)
[Matoba, on the other hand, arrives looking as cool and collected as he did the day Hizen met him, robed in his clan's signature dark kimono and long black haori. There's no indication of the injured arm still healing and wrapped in bandages under his left sleeve.]
[He holds his parasol in his right hand, as usual.]
Oh, funny meeting you here, [Matoba cheerfully greets him, keeping up weak appearances. He gestures towards the inside of the shop as he steps inside.] I think I will just get myself a small bag.... Oh, I don't know what I should choose, though.
What kind of candy do you favor, gohan-kun? [You're a -kun now that he knows who you are, sorry, Hizen.]
(An impatient correction. An uncommon name and one more associated with an old province KyΕ«shΕ« which... gives some hints of his origin! The catch is Hizen speaks with a slight accent and it's not really certain if it's the same one associated with that area. Hm.
As for the question itself? Something comes to mind immediately but like hell he's telling this guy.)
It doesn't matter. (He just... likes to eat. ) Let's get this over with.
(He also just... wants to check out the shop maybe. When he moves towards the shop, there's something stiff to his walk. It's clear that he's trying to hide it but he's careful with an injury that he has covered up somewhere on his person.)
[A name, at last. Matoba is sure it isn't a true name, but there was always a nugget of truth in what anyone chose to call themselves. His smile spreads slyly, and he cheerfully inclines his head.] Hizen, it is.
[It's certainly not a Kumamoto accent, but he can't help but think it familiar. Hm.]
[Matoba moves with his same grace as ever, folding his parasol and tucking it in his belt before browsing around the shop. Honestly, he just starts... perusing, and making himself little packets of different candies he likes. He sure is getting a lot of candy.]
Doesn't it? My, no one around here has anything they like, do they? [Whatever that means! Well, Matoba has things that he likes- so it scoops some chocolate-covered almonds into a bag as he feels more than watches Hizen's movements around the store, cautious and deliberate.] ...What became of you, after we parted ways? Perhaps you should not have run off, after all.
(His name is just his smith's name which is common enough with swords. If anything, the name Matoba has now has provided the origin of his smith. Hizen βββ or βββ of Hizen; a smith significant enough to earn the right to use the domain's name and let his work represent them.
He looks through the displays of sweets. He seems interested by the chocolates but moves on, stopping in front of a shelf for different types of rice crackers...)
I got things I like. (Plenty of foods, plenty of drinks. He likes to sleep. His favorite chore is anything that doesn't involve βββ or βββ. He takes a few rice crackers. Not many and he doesn't seem to favor any particular one.) But its not like you really wanna know.
(Does he? Matoba isn't really interested in him. He's just trying to learn information. Which probably explains how nondescript most of his choices have been so far. Some rice snacks. Some konpeito. A taffy or two. Overall, it isn't much.)
... Went after some of the youkai. (He keeps his tone even and quiet, careful not to speak so loudly others can just hear what he's saying,) When they saw me going after them, they decided to shoot.
(And you know how history goes.... gun beats sword.)
[The meaning is not lost on him: were it more than simply a convenient name, that would place him as a sword from Hizen, neighbor of Higo- the origin of the Matoba clan. Clan history was rich with premodern records that Matoba knew like the back of his hand. Beyond this, he might not have much information, and indeed it may not ever matter- but it was certainly of passing interest to him.]
No, that's not quite it, [He corrects, watching Hizen pass the chocolates in favor of the saltier snacks. Ah, that's right; he seemed to be the 'alcohol and salty snacks' type.] I would like to know. You simply don't like the reason.
[He is watching Hizen's movements as a hunter would notice the habits of his prey, but this wasn't an occasion for him to pose any threat. Mutually beneficial information was important right now.]
[So he listens carefully as Hizen lowers his voice, and inclines his head in a nod as he takes another bag for sour gummies.] It seems we should have stuck together after all, [He comments wryly. His arm twinges as he lifts his left forearm slightly to open the baggy for his candy, but any reaction to it is suppressed.] And?
(He sure does seem like an alcohol and salty snacks person, doesn't he... and yet, he lingers in front of bowls of mixed hard candies and begins to help himself to one scoop... and another... and half a scoop more. Everything in this shop is so cheap, he can afford to indulge a little.
He does glance over at Matoba. He wouldn't like the reason? He doesn't like a lot of things.
Very flatly, he answers Matoba's question,)
Got shot.
(Like, yeah, that happened. He doesn't want to dwell on it. It probably explains why he seems to be walking a little more slowly and gingerly than usual. He's still wounded; in recovery.)
Guess the guns were weird. I dunno. Not like I know much about them.
Yes, well. [Matoba replies, in the tone of 'I figured that part'. He doesn't hide his amusement at Hizen piling up on hard candy, but then it isn't a judging kind of amusement. He was currently doing the same thing, with gummies.] That's unfortunate.
[He could have said, 'that makes two of us', but he has zero desire to admit to his injury more than the few who had already witnessed it- and certainly not to an ayakashi.]
[Hizen's comments about the guns catch his interest, and he considers them before replying. He was not exactly a firearms expert either, but they were like no human weapons he had ever seen.] ...Yes. They were, weren't they? Not a trace of magic, but something different from that of human, modern weapons.
[It was more like an advanced technology he would see in a movie or anime, something alien rather than ayakashi. He ties off another bag of candy and repeats himself again.] And?
[Matoba's head tilts in consideration as Hizen at last asks his question, thoughtfully sliding a finger along the container for some cookie dough balls.]
I have not.
[The bullet entered his arm and passed through the muscle, exiting and missing the bone. He was fortunate. Had it hit that, or an artery, he would have either never shot a bow again or been dead. Actually, either was practically death, for the head of Matoba.]
[He is used to his face being attacked, not the rest of his body.]
Something was on 'em. Like a carving. Mine was too messed up to read.
(He's finished with his selection. He's largely favored some rice crackers and hard candies and some taffies. Things with a good crunch or chew.)
Don't think it's s'posed to look pretty. (Like the decorative swords that are meant to be displayed as treasures and works of art instead of real, functional blades. It seems like a waste to decorate something that's just going to be hidden away in a gun and destroyed upon release, too. Too small and too fast for anyone to see.) It's gotta be something short... like a name or a charm, maybe.
[A carving....? Matoba's expression carefully remains neutral, stopping himself from the furrow of his brow that would have shown otherwise. Indeed, apart from the markings unique to a bullet from a gun chamber, the type used by police forensics to identify the gun used, nothing clearly readable should typically be on it... at least, on a normal bullet.]
[But these were clearly not normal.]
Do you have it with you?
--Not here, [He warns, and turns a bright smile upon the shopkeeper as he takes his selections to the counter. He pulls out some coin for his treats, and then watches as Hizen pays for his own.]
Ah, taffy.... That takes me back. [He comments cheerfully, for the shopkeeper's benefit.]
(His own expression doesn't really change but he gives a short hum in response. It's a yes.
To the counter they go and he keeps his distance. He doesn't like being too close to Matoba. It makes him uncomfortable. He pays for his sweets and doesn't react much to Matoba.)
It's just candy.
(He pays and is already heading out the shop. Once he's out the door, he's rummaging through his bag of sweets, )
I'll show you what I have... but I'm not giving you any.
(He's not just talking about the candy. Matoba can look but he isn't going to give him his bullet.)
[Hizen's reluctance to move towards Matoba was cute, in the way Matoba might regard the cuteness of some other feeble, lesser thing. If not for the fact that he would quite like to see the bullet, he might just keep pushing.]
[Oh well. Another time.] Do you not have any memories attached to favorite treats? [Matoba asks flippantly, reaching into his bag to pluck out a sour gummy ring and popping into his mouth with a delighted face.] Well, you spirits have such long memories, after all.
[Matoba waits for the sword spirit to trail out the door before following him, making a mock chide of disappointment at his act.] Hahaha, now, now, you don't have to be so up front about it.......
[(He'll pretend he's not actually disappointed)]
[It's good to walk a little further down before sharing anything further. Matoba stops to lean on the inner corner of an alleyway, still tossing gummies into his mouth with the casual delight of a child.] I'll take a look anyway, if you don't mind.
(Don't call him cute. It wouldn't be so intimidating if he wasn't completely sure what he was sensing.)
No.
(Not entirely true. He might not have any memories of his own but he still has the stories that shaped his character. It has nothing to do with the length of his memories either considering his experiences are only a few short years long.
He follows along until they're in a quieter place and he reaches into his pocket to show Matoba the bullet. It's been damaged from being fired and the impact but now that it's been cleaned up, there is some sort of carving there. Impossible to read now but still present.)
[After emptying his hand of gummy sour dust, he holds it out for Hizen to deposit the bullet into. It makes contact with his skin and he mentally pauses, before curling his palm around it and then working it between his thumb and forefinger.]
[He gazes at it, turns it in the pads of his fingers to look at the warped symbol, before speaking slowly.]
This is not... a normal material.
[Then he was wrong, with his initial thoughts at the Sutoku meeting immediately following the attack. While it could still be human, it wasn't as simple as that. It reminded him of something like an exorcist tool- carrying the signature of something with power. He wasn't sure if it was because of the material it was made from, or because of the craftsman who made it, but he turns it over in his fingers and strains his eye to look at the symbol.]
[It isn't quite clear enough... He frowns to himself.] Did no one obtain a clearer specimen?
[That could mean many things. That it wasn't a sword material; that it wasn't a material of an age that Hizen would recognize. It could be from a different region, a different place, it could be Hell in origin.]
[All Matoba can say for the moment was that it was not a mere, mass-produced bullet that a human could obtain, as he had thought. Frowning, Matoba holds the bullet back out for the tsukumogami to take.]
Indeed. I also have not yet heard of anyone who has an intact bullet with a clear mark.
...However, should you come across one, [Matoba turns to lean against the wall again, and plucks another gummy from his bag.] I would like to see it. [He tosses the gummy into his mouth, chewing on the thought.]
[The sensation... The sensation was barely on the edges of his further consciousness. If only he had his normal power, his proper eyes, then maybe he could tell something about it. How frustrating.] If you require payment for that, contact me and name your price then.
(He holds his hand out to take it back, fingers curling around it tightly before he tucks it away for safekeeping.
He doesn't really reply right away. Yes, if he finds another one and he thinks Matoba can help, he wouldn't mind reaching out again but he dislikes making promises.)
... I'll see what I can find.
(An offer. Not a promise. As for payment... that's something he hadn't expected. He shrugs,)
Didn't do much.
(He got shot and... shared a bullet neither of them could figure out. If anything, he feels like he just wasted both of their time. He rummages through his bag of sweets and holds out... a random taffy. A strawberry one? Or maybe it's cherry. Who knows what "pink" flavor really is.)
[At the end of the day, the offer, on his part, was a flippant one out of the expectation of business that only came naturally; the Matoba did not offer anything for free, and likewise he always assumed that payment would be expected for the information he was getting out of this, in return. Scratching backs was a part of the lifestyle.]
[Yet he still stares in bafflement for a split second as Hizen digs into his bag of candy and sticks one out towards Matoba until he remembers the joking comment he had made, and has to hold back the laughter. It was like a dog trotting up to you with a stick or a frog in its mouth as a gift of affection to one of its pack; he canβt help the comical scene to his mind.]
I did say I was an expensive consultant, didnβt I? [He cheerfully grins and plucks the taffy out of Hizenβs outstretched hand, and popping it into his mouth like a greedy child.] Iβll accept this payment.
Edited (goddamn you autocorrect) 2022-04-11 18:59 (UTC)
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no subject
Which is not a yes or no question,
But I have some idea of who you are, now.
[See, he's even corrected you exactly like this before! Fun times.]
I am a very expensive consultant, gohan-san. Can you afford my time?
no subject
(HE REGRETS THIS)
im not paying you
fuck
just say you don't want to help
no subject
What exactly is it you wish to ask about, little sword?
Do keep in mind the situation outside after recent events.
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(It's annoying. He's sensitive about his size. After a while of no response though, he finally replies with,)
i got something from the festival
i cant figure it out
(he doesn't really want to talk about it too much in writing.)
no subject
[He is, however, interested. He'll take the discretion for the sign it is, and consider it worth his time.]
I see. Well then, I must recommend you try the penny candies at Wow!Sweets. It is a bright little shop tucked away between a pharmacy and a pizza parlor.
I think I might indulge myself, in fact.
[It's a location on the border of Sutoku and Shuten territory. He's trying not to take many chances, with security so tight.]
See you, little sword.
no subject
what the heck)
i said stop calling me that
(But sweets... not exactly his favorite but he isn't picky. Food is food. But fine. He'll go! And when he gets there, he'll linger around outside the shop. His attention is split between looking at some of the sweets through the window and also keeping an eye out for that guy but overall, he's alert. If anything, he actually looks tense. Moving around hurts when you have stitches in your side but he's nothing but stubborn. He's also probably sporting a few new bandages here and there since that night but he's never been fussed about his appearances.)
>action
[He holds his parasol in his right hand, as usual.]
Oh, funny meeting you here, [Matoba cheerfully greets him, keeping up weak appearances. He gestures towards the inside of the shop as he steps inside.] I think I will just get myself a small bag.... Oh, I don't know what I should choose, though.
What kind of candy do you favor, gohan-kun? [You're a -kun now that he knows who you are, sorry, Hizen.]
no subject
(An impatient correction. An uncommon name and one more associated with an old province KyΕ«shΕ« which... gives some hints of his origin! The catch is Hizen speaks with a slight accent and it's not really certain if it's the same one associated with that area. Hm.
As for the question itself? Something comes to mind immediately but like hell he's telling this guy.)
It doesn't matter. (He just... likes to eat. ) Let's get this over with.
(He also just... wants to check out the shop maybe. When he moves towards the shop, there's something stiff to his walk. It's clear that he's trying to hide it but he's careful with an injury that he has covered up somewhere on his person.)
no subject
[It's certainly not a Kumamoto accent, but he can't help but think it familiar. Hm.]
[Matoba moves with his same grace as ever, folding his parasol and tucking it in his belt before browsing around the shop. Honestly, he just starts... perusing, and making himself little packets of different candies he likes. He sure is getting a lot of candy.]
Doesn't it? My, no one around here has anything they like, do they? [Whatever that means! Well, Matoba has things that he likes- so it scoops some chocolate-covered almonds into a bag as he feels more than watches Hizen's movements around the store, cautious and deliberate.] ...What became of you, after we parted ways? Perhaps you should not have run off, after all.
no subject
He looks through the displays of sweets. He seems interested by the chocolates but moves on, stopping in front of a shelf for different types of rice crackers...)
I got things I like. (Plenty of foods, plenty of drinks. He likes to sleep. His favorite chore is anything that doesn't involve βββ or βββ. He takes a few rice crackers. Not many and he doesn't seem to favor any particular one.) But its not like you really wanna know.
(Does he? Matoba isn't really interested in him. He's just trying to learn information. Which probably explains how nondescript most of his choices have been so far. Some rice snacks. Some konpeito. A taffy or two. Overall, it isn't much.)
... Went after some of the youkai. (He keeps his tone even and quiet, careful not to speak so loudly others can just hear what he's saying,) When they saw me going after them, they decided to shoot.
(And you know how history goes.... gun beats sword.)
no subject
No, that's not quite it, [He corrects, watching Hizen pass the chocolates in favor of the saltier snacks. Ah, that's right; he seemed to be the 'alcohol and salty snacks' type.] I would like to know. You simply don't like the reason.
[He is watching Hizen's movements as a hunter would notice the habits of his prey, but this wasn't an occasion for him to pose any threat. Mutually beneficial information was important right now.]
[So he listens carefully as Hizen lowers his voice, and inclines his head in a nod as he takes another bag for sour gummies.] It seems we should have stuck together after all, [He comments wryly. His arm twinges as he lifts his left forearm slightly to open the baggy for his candy, but any reaction to it is suppressed.] And?
no subject
He does glance over at Matoba. He wouldn't like the reason? He doesn't like a lot of things.
Very flatly, he answers Matoba's question,)
Got shot.
(Like, yeah, that happened. He doesn't want to dwell on it. It probably explains why he seems to be walking a little more slowly and gingerly than usual. He's still wounded; in recovery.)
Guess the guns were weird. I dunno. Not like I know much about them.
(He is, after all, a sword.)
no subject
[He could have said, 'that makes two of us', but he has zero desire to admit to his injury more than the few who had already witnessed it- and certainly not to an ayakashi.]
[Hizen's comments about the guns catch his interest, and he considers them before replying. He was not exactly a firearms expert either, but they were like no human weapons he had ever seen.] ...Yes. They were, weren't they? Not a trace of magic, but something different from that of human, modern weapons.
[It was more like an advanced technology he would see in a movie or anime, something alien rather than ayakashi. He ties off another bag of candy and repeats himself again.] And?
no subject
But he'll keep his temper controlled because he did come here to ask Matoba something in particular,)
Have you seen any of the bullets?
cw: bit'a injury talk
I have not.
[The bullet entered his arm and passed through the muscle, exiting and missing the bone. He was fortunate. Had it hit that, or an artery, he would have either never shot a bow again or been dead. Actually, either was practically death, for the head of Matoba.]
[He is used to his face being attacked, not the rest of his body.]
Have you?
Re: cw: bit'a injury talk
Something was on 'em. Like a carving. Mine was too messed up to read.
(He's finished with his selection. He's largely favored some rice crackers and hard candies and some taffies. Things with a good crunch or chew.)
Don't think it's s'posed to look pretty. (Like the decorative swords that are meant to be displayed as treasures and works of art instead of real, functional blades. It seems like a waste to decorate something that's just going to be hidden away in a gun and destroyed upon release, too. Too small and too fast for anyone to see.) It's gotta be something short... like a name or a charm, maybe.
(Something short and simple.)
no subject
[But these were clearly not normal.]
Do you have it with you?
--Not here, [He warns, and turns a bright smile upon the shopkeeper as he takes his selections to the counter. He pulls out some coin for his treats, and then watches as Hizen pays for his own.]
Ah, taffy.... That takes me back. [He comments cheerfully, for the shopkeeper's benefit.]
no subject
To the counter they go and he keeps his distance. He doesn't like being too close to Matoba. It makes him uncomfortable. He pays for his sweets and doesn't react much to Matoba.)
It's just candy.
(He pays and is already heading out the shop. Once he's out the door, he's rummaging through his bag of sweets, )
I'll show you what I have... but I'm not giving you any.
(He's not just talking about the candy. Matoba can look but he isn't going to give him his bullet.)
no subject
[Oh well. Another time.] Do you not have any memories attached to favorite treats? [Matoba asks flippantly, reaching into his bag to pluck out a sour gummy ring and popping into his mouth with a delighted face.] Well, you spirits have such long memories, after all.
[Matoba waits for the sword spirit to trail out the door before following him, making a mock chide of disappointment at his act.] Hahaha, now, now, you don't have to be so up front about it.......
[(He'll pretend he's not actually disappointed)]
[It's good to walk a little further down before sharing anything further. Matoba stops to lean on the inner corner of an alleyway, still tossing gummies into his mouth with the casual delight of a child.] I'll take a look anyway, if you don't mind.
no subject
No.
(Not entirely true. He might not have any memories of his own but he still has the stories that shaped his character. It has nothing to do with the length of his memories either considering his experiences are only a few short years long.
He follows along until they're in a quieter place and he reaches into his pocket to show Matoba the bullet. It's been damaged from being fired and the impact but now that it's been cleaned up, there is some sort of carving there. Impossible to read now but still present.)
Something was there.
no subject
[After emptying his hand of gummy sour dust, he holds it out for Hizen to deposit the bullet into. It makes contact with his skin and he mentally pauses, before curling his palm around it and then working it between his thumb and forefinger.]
[He gazes at it, turns it in the pads of his fingers to look at the warped symbol, before speaking slowly.]
This is not... a normal material.
[Then he was wrong, with his initial thoughts at the Sutoku meeting immediately following the attack. While it could still be human, it wasn't as simple as that. It reminded him of something like an exorcist tool- carrying the signature of something with power. He wasn't sure if it was because of the material it was made from, or because of the craftsman who made it, but he turns it over in his fingers and strains his eye to look at the symbol.]
[It isn't quite clear enough... He frowns to himself.] Did no one obtain a clearer specimen?
no subject
(The metal. So yes, Hizen is agreeing with Matoba's observations there,)
We found some others but they're all pretty bad. Someone might get lucky and find a better one, though.
no subject
[All Matoba can say for the moment was that it was not a mere, mass-produced bullet that a human could obtain, as he had thought. Frowning, Matoba holds the bullet back out for the tsukumogami to take.]
Indeed. I also have not yet heard of anyone who has an intact bullet with a clear mark.
...However, should you come across one, [Matoba turns to lean against the wall again, and plucks another gummy from his bag.] I would like to see it. [He tosses the gummy into his mouth, chewing on the thought.]
[The sensation... The sensation was barely on the edges of his further consciousness. If only he had his normal power, his proper eyes, then maybe he could tell something about it. How frustrating.] If you require payment for that, contact me and name your price then.
no subject
He doesn't really reply right away. Yes, if he finds another one and he thinks Matoba can help, he wouldn't mind reaching out again but he dislikes making promises.)
... I'll see what I can find.
(An offer. Not a promise. As for payment... that's something he hadn't expected. He shrugs,)
Didn't do much.
(He got shot and... shared a bullet neither of them could figure out. If anything, he feels like he just wasted both of their time. He rummages through his bag of sweets and holds out... a random taffy. A strawberry one? Or maybe it's cherry. Who knows what "pink" flavor really is.)
no subject
[Yet he still stares in bafflement for a split second as Hizen digs into his bag of candy and sticks one out towards Matoba until he remembers the joking comment he had made, and has to hold back the laughter. It was like a dog trotting up to you with a stick or a frog in its mouth as a gift of affection to one of its pack; he canβt help the comical scene to his mind.]
I did say I was an expensive consultant, didnβt I? [He cheerfully grins and plucks the taffy out of Hizenβs outstretched hand, and popping it into his mouth like a greedy child.] Iβll accept this payment.
(no subject)