Questing, learning, fighting, meeting [May log catch-all]

[youwillbeunequaled]

Who: Tonbokiri, Kurusu Akira, Ichinose Guren, Sakamoto Ryouma, Clark Kent, Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki
What: Questing, learning, fighting, meeting (not in that particular order.)
When: May (Dates in top threads)
Where: Tonbokiri's place in Flavo, unless otherwise noted
Warning: Violence in the training/sparring threads.

Top-threads below! ↓
[*I prefer prose, especially for action-based threads like sparring. But if you want to do action brackets instead, please reply in that format and I'll follow.]

Comments

May 9 - Akira

[youwillbeunequaled]

Following Akira's (no family name given) directions to his home in Ruga was no trouble. After the last time he'd been stuck walking in the rain, Tonbokiri had found an umbrella and so was considerably dryer, despite the occasional dribble from tears in the material, which itself was not quite water resistant any longer, given its apparent age.

Still, on the whole, he makes an entirely normal (for him*) appearance at the front door. Holding both spear and umbrella in one hand for a moment he knocks politely but firmly.

[theshowsover]

Akira comes to the door quickly enough. His eyes widen in surprise when he opens it, taking in the sight of Tonbokiri, before quickly stepping back to allow him entry.

He waves a hand to the side. "You can put your umbrella there. And your spear... wherever."

They'll leave those there to drip dry. Once those are deposited, Akira leads him to the kitchen. He already has all the stuff they'll need to do the work laid out: a filer, and some thin strips of metal. They're pretty crude lockpicks, when you get right down to it, but they've gotten the job done for him.

[youwillbeunequaled]

Crossing the threshold, he bows slightly.

"Please pardon the intrusion." Propping both spear and umbrella near the door, he follows Akira into the kitchen. Feeling that something is missing unless he introduces himself in person he speaks as they walk, "I am called Tonbokiri, one of the Three Great Spears of Japan. It is a pleasure to meet you in person."

He then pauses at the table that has the tools, such as they are, laid out. "Ah. This is all that is needed to make a lockpick? I had no idea it was that simple. Although, I suppose this means that all the skill is in the technique."

[theshowsover]

He nods at the introduction, responding simply with, "Akira Kurusu. Nice to meet you."

As for what they need to make a lockpick, this is more or less it! Though they do need a tension wrench as well, which he has gotten little pieces of metal for.

"More or less. Though, they tend to break easily."

He sits down at the table, gesturing for Tonbokiri to sit as well. "If I had better metals, I could make one that doesn't break." But all they have to work with now is the flimsy stuff he's found around town.

May 13

[youwillbeunequaled]

With the weather being sunny and warm, Tonbokiri takes the opportunity to contact Ichinose about sparring. Fortunately the timing is good for the other man as well, so they meet in a open space not far from Tonbokiri's home in Flavo, where the grass has become well trodden down by his daily practice.

In the midst of stretching out while he waits, he raises a hand in greeting once he sees Ichinose-dono approaching, and then bows slightly.

"Good afternoon, and thank you for meeting with me today. It is a pleasure to properly meet you face-to-face."

Before now, they'd only encountered each other briefly at the town meeting, after all.

[swordfucker]

"Hey."

Guren doesn't have anywhere near the same level of politeness to him. He could fake it, if he wanted to— he has before— but he prefers being true to himself. He's dressed in some simple peasant clothing today, and he's got a couple things in his hands as he walks over. First, he tosses Tonbokiri a pretty basic spear.

"I'm not any good at making something like this, but I tried my best. You said you needed one, right?" It's wood, with a sharp stone tied firmly at the end for the spear portion. But as Guren steps closer, he'll reveal that he has a knife to offer forward, too, unsure. "It's not all that good, and I want this to be fair. If you want to use that, or the knife, or something else you have... Whatever you want is fine."

But they are both Real Weapons. It seems he's not bothering with wood only.

[youwillbeunequaled]

Tonbokiri catches the practice spear out of the air easily.

"Apologies for the trouble, and my thanks." Anything that Ichinose could make would be better than what he could do himself, for various reasons.

He then tilts his head slightly, curious at the offer.

"You mean to spar with live weapons? While I am not opposed to it, I must warn you that I am a spear of legendary cutting prowess. You will most certainly be cut at some point in the bout. Are you prepared for that?"

As soon as he asks that, he wonders if perhaps Ichinose-dono is, as he's wearing those strange clothes that seem to be from town itself. This way, his own clothing from his world would not be harmed. Not a bad idea, actually.

[swordfucker]

"I don't know how much you read of my discussions with other people on the network, but I have a contract with the demon in my sword."

He places a hand on it now. "Even deep wounds will heal." But yeah, that's exactly why he's wearing these town clothes instead of his uniform. Still, he cocks his head with a little smirk, gesturing to his chest with his free hand.

"If you can even cut me in the first place, that is."

Just a little friendly egging on.

May 24 - Ryouma

[youwillbeunequaled]

Waking up to a warm and sunny morning that makes yesterday's cloudy, threatening-to-rain weather feel like a lie, Tonbokiri resolves to do some laundry.

It's been a rough couple months that have made him deeply appreciate Kasen-dono's knack for it. His own clothes are now looking slightly worse for wear, with holes from sparring carefully mended and a couple stains of mud on the hem of his hakama pants that stubbornly won't come out. Coupled with the fact that he's found no local clothes that fit him particularly well (which is to say, western-style pants are uncomfortable), taking care of what he has has grown in importance.

So now, he can be found at a spring just slightly into the forest north of his home in Flavo. The spring is one of the few places where the water seems normal (if still quite cold). Tonbokiri sits seiza-style at the edge, carefully working suds from the bar of soap through his vest. Seeing as he has no other clothes to speak of, he's stripped completely down with only a light blanket tied about his waist, so that he can wash his things first. Then while those dry, he'll work on the basket full of other linens he brought with him.

That's the plan. Hopefully he's started this early enough that not many people will be up yet, let alone wandering this area. (Especially not one of the girls.)
But as time goes quietly on he focuses more on the cleaning, absently humming a soft tune to himself.

[teradaya]

The sun.

Ryouma had woken up to actual rays of sunshine peeking through his window and that had warmed his soul. Sure, the world is still in various shades of grey, but now they're bright shades and the weather isn't out to drench him to the bone. Basically, Ryouma easily convinces himself to take the day for even more exploration. He's gone through the Town a little bit already, but now it's actually pleasant to be outside. Today, his coat is abandoned, leaving him in his shirt and waistcoat, though his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. He keeps his daishou at his side, and his revolver is tucked away in his pants, visible now with no coat to keep it hidden. But like hell he's going to leave anywhere without that means of defense.

The forest is somewhere in which he's yet to stick his nose, which means there is no better day than today. Ryouma doesn't go too far in, wanting to be able to quickly get back out should something happen, but he does eventually stumble on something of a scene.

A nearly-naked, solid guy. Humming and...doing laundry?

Hey, sure. It's not going to do itself, right? Still, judging by the man's appearance, he probably shouldn't stick around, or he should at least make his presence known. "Ya know, when I think of forests, this isn't what I expected to see." Ryouma smiles in good fun, meaning no harm to the stranger.

[youwillbeunequaled]

The other man's appearance is not startling - it's not like he'd been snuck up on - but what does make Tonbokiri snap his head up is that accent. He takes in the swords and the gun, then... decides it's best to not jump to conclusions. And that he should start with an apology.

Out of unconscious habit his hand rises and almost rubs the back of his head before he realizes that his hand is all wet and soapy.

"I imagine not. I apologize for my appearance right now. Although, I must say, in this forest you never know what might happen." He grins a little and adds, "Outside of finding one doing laundry. And although you are well-armed, I would still advise against going much further in alone."

[teradaya]

If nothing else, this guy is pleasant enough, though Ryouma unfortunately knows better than to take people at surface level. In his experiences, most people have something to hide, or a face to present in order to get the upper hand in some way. Most people. There are good people, of course, but it's hard to tell who's genuine after only a few moments of meeting.

He doesn't let his own thoughts bother him, though, just waves off the bigger man's apology. "We may find ourselves on some strange adventure, but the necessities ain't gonna wait for us." He takes in that last bit, though. Implications of the forest depths being a lot more dangerous. Could Ryouma put up with more dangerous things? Possibly. But does he have a reason to run in deeper with no actual goal? Not at all.

"What kinda scary things would I find if I did?" Come on, give him the good scoop.

Intro overflow

[asano_san]

[Continued from here.]

If someone else ends up here, I hope it's someone good. Do you think thinking about them helped at all?

[Should he hope for a close friend or a cute girl? Sorry, Ichigo, you'll have to understand the priorities of the healthy teenage male.]

Thank you! o7

[youwillbeunequaled]

[[Priorities are important.]]

I cannot say for certain, but at the very least it does no harm. And it might help in other ways, like bringing you courage.

[And taking the opportunity, he interjects-]

If I may, could I ask your name? [Because mentally referring to him as 'boy' indefinitely would be unkind.]

[asano_san]

[Now that he's thinking about it more, what if someone from his world shows up but they're someone annoying. Or even one of the bad guys? That's it. He's coming up with a list of who he wants to end up here and wishing for them in prioritized order.]

That's right. All I could think about was how you were a spear and I never told you my name when you told me yours. I'm Keigo Asano.

[youwillbeunequaled]

A pleasure to meet you, Asano-dono.

And do not worry about it. Being distracted by my nature is a perfectly reasonable reaction. If you ever have any questions about myself, I would welcome you to ask them so that you can put your mind at ease.

And in turn, I would be pleased to hear more about you. At least, it seems that you are from Japan, and know of the same history I do, which is very reassuring.

[Another comforting thing might be that they are now in the Flavo district, and not far from warm shelter.]

May 27 - Clark

[youwillbeunequaled]

It's something of a shame that the strange appearance of the birds happens on the day that he has plans with someone, but quests wait on no man, it seems.

Tonbokiri awaits his guest by the field that he, as mentioned, suspects to be wheat. But only because he happened to find an tattered, empty sack of grain seed in a nearby shed. It is truly hard to tell, as the field has long gone wild, and most of what has sprouted is still only like grass blades. Of course, all in tones of grey.

Beside him leaning against the low stone fence that surrounds the field rests his sheathed spear. And perched on the top of the sheath as if it belongs there is a dark yellow bird. Its features are freakish: overly large red eyes, a broad beak that holds a mouth full of sharp teeth, rock-like feet, and a disturbingly human-like 'cheep'. Not at all like the adorable canary that had been in his dream. But there is no mistake that both birds are on the same mission.

So perhaps it's not such a bad thing that he has plans today. It will help distract him for a moment from the fact that this town is entering his mind again.

[girod]

Clark comes to the field with a cardinal on his shoulder that looks like something out of a Don Bluth animation. It's bopping along as he walks, going slower as he gets to the field itself, looking through the brush and the weeds to see the soil itself and the roots that are in deep.

But he makes his way over to the man and offers his hand automatically.

"Clark Kent."

[youwillbeunequaled]

Not being used to handshakes himself, Tonbokiri hesitates a beat before taking the offered hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, Clark-dono. I am called Tonbokiri, one of the Three Great Spears of Japan." Perhaps it sounds like a lot compared to the other man's simple and straight-forward introduction, but this is his way.

"Thank you for coming today. ...Especially today." He gives the strange red bird on Clark's shoulder a glance to clearly indicate what he means.

[girod]

He doesn't fuss about it. After playing interstellar diplomat more than a few times, and having traveled a decent amount during his life, this kind of a different rolls off of his back. He takes the shake as offered before drawing back and offering a short bow as well.

At the mention, his eye goes to his own bird.

"Well, just because this place decided to throw some new strangeness at us isn't any reason to give up important work. And this field will certainly need a bit of work."

Event things!

[tosa]

It start off as just annoying. There's a bag of mint chocolate chip cookies in his home and before he can grab it, his new feathered friend let's out a sound like a chirp and a hiss. A cardinal with two reptile-like tails swoops down at his hand and warns him not to take things that don't belong to him. The day progresses and he learns he isn't the only one going through these strange things. There are hungry people from the Blue district who are unable to eat and he's watched people go through various stages of struggle to deal with their new challenge.

There are plenty of people in this town that Mutsunokami has begun to know and he checks on them as he makes his way through the districts, trying to seek out one person in particular. He and Tonbokiri have been though a lot already. It's only natural that he would check in on his friend. This is also a good opportunity to find out what those in the Flavo district are dealing with.

It doesn't take long to find Tonbokiri (he's an easy guy to find). When he sees him, he calls out from behind, "Tonbokiri-san!" Loud and cheerful, whatever frustrations Mutsunokami might be experiencing, he won't let anyone see those easily. When others are struggling, he needs to keep his spirits up.

[youwillbeunequaled]

Likewise, Tonbokiri has been thinking of his comrade. But he could not settle himself enough to go see him yet- he does not want Mutsunokami-dono to worry over him and his... challenge. Not when he surely has one of his own right now as well.

Restless, he is quietly weeding the field next to his home. The work is somewhat distracting for his mind, and if he hears any voice, he need not turn around. But even if he is so tempted, the bird will warn him.

Even now, the bird is perched on Tonbokiri's sheathed spear as if it belongs there. The dark yellow bird itself is somewhat freakish in appearance: overly large red eyes, a broad beak that holds a mouth full of sharp teeth, rock-like feet, and a disturbingly human-like 'cheep'.


Given the nature of his challenge, Tonbokiri gives an unusual start at the sound of his name being called loudly by a familiar voice behind him. It... sounds like Mutsunokami. And he is in this town now. But even so, he dare not turn around.
The bird blinks at him.

After an (unnaturally) long pause, he calls out without turning around, "I am here, Mutsunokami-dono."

[tosa]

Tonbokiri doesn't turn around and that's... well, it's not unusual. Maybe he hadn't heard him?

... Impossible.

He knows himself and he knows he's loud. Everyone can hear Mutsu before they ever see him and Tonbokiri is no exception. Also, he'd clearly heard him based on the way his shoulders seem to tense. If Tonbokiri had turned around, Mutsu's hand would have been half raised in greeting and with a curious look in his eye. It's not his usual, excited bout of curiosity though. This one is quieter and more observant.

There's an obnoxious (and vaguely familiar) looking yellow bird and he understands that something is happening. With quiet consideration, he picks up his pace and hurries over to check on his friend. Next to him, he bends over so his face can meet Tonbokiri's.

"So ya did hear me." It's a joke. Of course Tonbokiri had heard. "Not like ya to give the cold shoulder."

[youwillbeunequaled]

The relief that Tonbokiri feels when he actually sees Mutsu's face is almost palatable - it certainly must show in his expression. He tries to laugh in return to the friendly jab, but he cannot deny the truth of it.

"No, it's not, is it. My apologies, Mutsunokami-dono. I suppose you could say... I am preoccupied." He gives the bird a brief frown with that- the thing is as obnoxious as it is helpful, isn't it. But he returns to a placid smile as he speaks to Mutsunokami. "It seems that everyone is caught up in this quest, doesn't it."

May 15 - Ieyasu (overflow)

[youwillbeunequaled]

[From here]

[He can't help but be warmed by this man once again clapping him on the shoulder with such familiarity. Although his mind is awhirl with all this, he tries to take it one part at a time.
At the lord's command, he rises to his feet.]

My Lord, this may well be difficult to believe, but please allow me to explain where you met me last.
The truth is that I am the tsukumogami of Tonbokiri, the spear of your favoured general Honda Tadakatsu.

[As he explains he slowly unsheathes his spear and presents it with both hands to his lord to inspect. Even if he is Tokugawa Ieyasu from another 'world'... even then, surely he will recognize it? Even 'there', he had Tadakatsu at his side, didn't he? ... Right? ... Suddenly, Tonbokiri finds himself a bit anxious. (This is what he gets for overthinking things.)]