[ which is honestly an answer in and of itself, but nico doesn't know that. so he continues. ]
I'm the finest blade of the samurai era, created by the twelfth generation Kanesada. I'm the sword famous for being wielded by Hijikata Toshizou of the Shinsengumi.
...is this like...Kogitsunemaru? [ wait, he's thinking this through. he's made the connection...he's doing it. ] A tsukumogami. When we talked about spirits before, you made it sound like your experience was a little different than mine.
Exactly like that. There is a Kogitsunemaru at the citadel I was summoned to, but I don't know if he is the same one. And he is much, much older than I am - I was one of the last to be born, just before the era of swords ended.
[ well. that's weird but also he's not going to touch it since it's not his business. if there are timeline shenanigans, then whatever. ]
So you're like a young sword. [ he hums in thought, trying to decide what he wants to ask. ] ...was that something you were able to choose? I guess what I mean is how are tsukumogami born?
[ smiling, without a trace of humor. once upon a time, he might have been bitter about that, but it's a simple fact. spirit or not, swords are tools, and they don't get a say in how their masters use them, or don't use them. that's how it's always been. there's a whole song about this. ]
I don't know exactly how we're born, but it may have something to do with the legends surrounding us and our masters.
[ yeah he hates that actually, considering he's immediately frowning again. ]
It just...kind of happened, and now you're alive. But you didn't get a choice in what got you there. [ again, dislike! i hate touken ranbu!! ]
So what happens now...? You're alive, but what does that really mean for you? You've talked about a team and missions and stuff, but I didn't think...[ he did not think phoenix was a weapon, literally. ] I mean this explains why you're a good sparring partner, at least.
I'm in this form because my current master summoned me this way, if that's what you mean. Before that, I was still just a spirit. [ he shrugs. ] History is what it is. I'm not ashamed of mine.
In my world, my job now is to help preserve history. There are some out there who try to change it for their own purposes, so I and the others are meant to stop them. Sometimes that means fighting. Sometimes it's saving lives. Sometimes it means ensuring that someone dies at the right time.
[ grins. ]
No one knows how to wield my blade better than I do, after all.
That is what I meant, yeah. That makes sense to me. [ and this is something he's...well, he's not happy, exactly, to hear that phoenix isn't running from their history. but rather that it's a part of them. this is the story he wanted to hear in the first place. ]
When you say preserve history, you mean everything that's already happened. So...how do you protect it? Who's trying to change it? [ he does not ask why because sometimes people/monsters/whatever are just assholes who do things because they can and he can accept that. ] It doesn't...sound too different from what we're used to, too. Except I guess you could say we're busy securing our future.
[ that gets him to laugh though. ]
I can't disagree with that. It's you. So it makes the most sense you know what works best. [ curious though. ] ...how connected to the actual blade are you? [ he's a little concerned that it'll hurt if the sword itself takes too much damage. ]
Time is fluid. It may have already happened, but there are ways of changing it, when you travel through time. As for who's trying - they're called the History Retrograde Army, though why they want to change things, we don't know.
As connected as you are to your body. The sword Izuminokami Kanesada is my true body, so if I'm hurt, my blade is damaged. If I die, my blade will break. And it's true in reverse - any damage inflicted on one will show on the other.
[ crawls back after the no good terrible very bad day to lift my bird. ]
I've done a lot of things, Phoenix, but time travel is a new one. I mean...kind of. Nothing like going back and forth between fixed points in time or anything like that. [ he kind of goes :nyeh: at the idea of an army because of course it's an army. of course. ] Sounds complicated though. Especially if you're not sure who's leading this army and what their ultimate goal is.
[ that also does not sound great though, and he's concerned for a second. ]
...yeah, I guess that makes sense. My powers are pretty tied to me, so if I use them too much that could be the end of it for me, too. It's just another thing we have to be careful about and do more to protect ourselves.
That's as it should be. Humans aren't supposed to travel through time. The pressure of time catches up to your kind much faster than spirits like us. [ shrugs. ] All I need to know is that when they try to mess with my previous master again, I will stop them.
[ haha anyway ]
If it makes you feel any better, I seem to have lost my connection to my sword since we arrived. [ now he looks a little annoyed. ] I didn't even have it when we arrived.
[ i have no way of saying this other than he looks like he at least approves of the sentiment even though it sounds like it'll end in someone dying. it's fine. people do not get to fuck with what is yours and get away with it, that's how it works. ]
I think I've had enough issues with time in my life already. I don't need additional pressure. [ haha. ] That's probably...better so you can't get damaged while we're figuring things out, but it probably also feels really disorienting for you. Like the rest of us who lost our original powers.
[ wait. ] ...did you have to order your sword through Amazoom, too?
It's probably similar, so I can understand what it's like to be without something you're used to, in that way. It used to be that if you repaired my sword, I'd be healed, too, but it doesn't work that way here... It'd be nice if that were still an option.
[ alas, he's basically a regular human now. with superpowers. you know. ]
But no, I didn't. I found it when we were on our own adventure a month or two after we first arrived here.
[ glad all phoenixes may or may not have slightly yan tendencies. ]
It's one of the things I'm still looking into and something I hope to find an answer for. I haven't found a reason as to why this disconnection happened when these are integral parts of who we are as people. Things don't work right now, but they might if I can find what's blocking them.
[ sometimes you are reduced to mortal but to the left. ]
...you mean when you went to the netherworld and the moon and stuff? Did you all find things that belonged to you out there?
Magic, usually. Or a deity? [ he puts some thought into this one. ] There are places where certain powers won't work because of the environment or because there aren't the right resources. And without knowing enough about Oceanside, I can't say if this is one of those places.
[ interesting though. ] Did the other six ever go someplace else after that?
Even our master doesn't do that to us. But I understand what you mean - different environments are better for different types of swords, too. Kogitsunemaru probably shouldn't be asked to fight indoors, for one.
[ it's not quite the same, though. ]
They did, but they didn't tell me too much about it. But it seems like they found things of their own there, too.
I'll keep that in mind should I ever encounter him in a fight. [ it's a silly thing to keep in mind, but. you know. ] I'm sure there's a totally different reason, but I'm keeping an open mind.
[ so he can beat the shit out of someone later. ]
...think it's worth asking them myself? Just for comparison's sake.
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Uh huh, I'm starting to see exactly why you guys are friends. [ he tilts his head a little though, very obviously examining kanesan carefully. ]
I feel like it's a trap if I agree or disagree either way though, you know?
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Why would it be a trap? It's not an opinion, it's fact. I'm no Mikazuki Munechika, but people used to come from all over to see me for a reason.
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...to see you? [ listen he uses swords and i'm sure he has some knowledge of history but japanese history is wobbly for a demigod. ] See you where?
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Is it rude if I ask what you are, exactly?
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[ which is honestly an answer in and of itself, but nico doesn't know that. so he continues. ]
I'm the finest blade of the samurai era, created by the twelfth generation Kanesada. I'm the sword famous for being wielded by Hijikata Toshizou of the Shinsengumi.
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...is this like...Kogitsunemaru? [ wait, he's thinking this through. he's made the connection...he's doing it. ] A tsukumogami. When we talked about spirits before, you made it sound like your experience was a little different than mine.
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But yes. We are tsukumogami.
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So you're like a young sword. [ he hums in thought, trying to decide what he wants to ask. ] ...was that something you were able to choose? I guess what I mean is how are tsukumogami born?
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[ smiling, without a trace of humor. once upon a time, he might have been bitter about that, but it's a simple fact. spirit or not, swords are tools, and they don't get a say in how their masters use them, or don't use them. that's how it's always been. there's a whole song about this. ]
I don't know exactly how we're born, but it may have something to do with the legends surrounding us and our masters.
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It just...kind of happened, and now you're alive. But you didn't get a choice in what got you there. [ again, dislike! i hate touken ranbu!! ]
So what happens now...? You're alive, but what does that really mean for you? You've talked about a team and missions and stuff, but I didn't think...[ he did not think phoenix was a weapon, literally. ] I mean this explains why you're a good sparring partner, at least.
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In my world, my job now is to help preserve history. There are some out there who try to change it for their own purposes, so I and the others are meant to stop them. Sometimes that means fighting. Sometimes it's saving lives. Sometimes it means ensuring that someone dies at the right time.
[ grins. ]
No one knows how to wield my blade better than I do, after all.
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When you say preserve history, you mean everything that's already happened. So...how do you protect it? Who's trying to change it? [ he does not ask why because sometimes people/monsters/whatever are just assholes who do things because they can and he can accept that. ] It doesn't...sound too different from what we're used to, too. Except I guess you could say we're busy securing our future.
[ that gets him to laugh though. ]
I can't disagree with that. It's you. So it makes the most sense you know what works best. [ curious though. ] ...how connected to the actual blade are you? [ he's a little concerned that it'll hurt if the sword itself takes too much damage. ]
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As connected as you are to your body. The sword Izuminokami Kanesada is my true body, so if I'm hurt, my blade is damaged. If I die, my blade will break. And it's true in reverse - any damage inflicted on one will show on the other.
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I've done a lot of things, Phoenix, but time travel is a new one. I mean...kind of. Nothing like going back and forth between fixed points in time or anything like that. [ he kind of goes :nyeh: at the idea of an army because of course it's an army. of course. ] Sounds complicated though. Especially if you're not sure who's leading this army and what their ultimate goal is.
[ that also does not sound great though, and he's concerned for a second. ]
...yeah, I guess that makes sense. My powers are pretty tied to me, so if I use them too much that could be the end of it for me, too. It's just another thing we have to be careful about and do more to protect ourselves.
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[ haha anyway ]
If it makes you feel any better, I seem to have lost my connection to my sword since we arrived. [ now he looks a little annoyed. ] I didn't even have it when we arrived.
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I think I've had enough issues with time in my life already. I don't need additional pressure. [ haha. ] That's probably...better so you can't get damaged while we're figuring things out, but it probably also feels really disorienting for you. Like the rest of us who lost our original powers.
[ wait. ] ...did you have to order your sword through Amazoom, too?
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It's probably similar, so I can understand what it's like to be without something you're used to, in that way. It used to be that if you repaired my sword, I'd be healed, too, but it doesn't work that way here... It'd be nice if that were still an option.
[ alas, he's basically a regular human now. with superpowers. you know. ]
But no, I didn't. I found it when we were on our own adventure a month or two after we first arrived here.
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It's one of the things I'm still looking into and something I hope to find an answer for. I haven't found a reason as to why this disconnection happened when these are integral parts of who we are as people. Things don't work right now, but they might if I can find what's blocking them.
[ sometimes you are reduced to mortal but to the left. ]
...you mean when you went to the netherworld and the moon and stuff? Did you all find things that belonged to you out there?
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The six of us who went did, yes. The others found something of theirs wherever they were, too.
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[ interesting though. ] Did the other six ever go someplace else after that?
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[ it's not quite the same, though. ]
They did, but they didn't tell me too much about it. But it seems like they found things of their own there, too.
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[ so he can beat the shit out of someone later. ]
...think it's worth asking them myself? Just for comparison's sake.
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I don't see why you couldn't.
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Maybe I will then if I ever figure out how to talk to them like a normal person. [ kind of a joke but also. you know. ]
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