[Open] Petals & Pages - Mingle #1

[pinkmin]

♥ Who: You~ (and Vianca)
♥ Where: Shopping District - a new shop!
♥ When: January/February (Lasra/Nalom)
♥ What: Open Mingle Log
♥ Rating: Probably Pretty G

With the coming of Lasra, there was at least one new shop opening its doors in the quiet bustle of the Shopping District! There had been a distinct lack of places to simply sit in that district, but look no further if you were searching for such a spot. There are warm lights on inside, with the sights of large, comfy chairs and couches beckoning from the welcoming windows.

At times, from the same windows, you can catch sight of a pink little girl sitting near the glass, thumbing through an honest-to-goodness paper book.

Walking through the door would earn you a soft greeting. Welcome to Petals & Pages~


It's an Open Mingle Log!!
+ Shop Info is here, plus book requests.
+ Vianca will have her own top-level, and can reply to yours, but this log isn't just for interacting with her!
+ Feel free to use this post for your own plans how you please! The only House Rule is that you gotta sit with someone and get some sweet Dora, it doesn't have to be Vianca~ This includes multiple top-levels if you desire, since the log is for two months.
+ Have! Fun!!

Comments

[zapdope]

Ear phones? What are they? [ Not even earplugs were invented during his time, so he just looks at Cyan with a completely lost look. ]

There's so much more things that are invented after my time... [ Man, this must be how Tanjiro and Inosuke must feel when all the modern items during Taisho era were shown to them. ]

[nyani]

You put these little things in your ears and you can listen to music and talk on the phone with them! [ Cyan sighs happily. ]

There's so much to show you... This world isn't like mine either but enough is similar that I can show you everything!

[zapdope]

[ The mix of negative emotions that Kyoko is feeling gets picked up as sounds to Zenitsu's keen ears, and he quiets down a little from his usual whiny self. He's all too familiar with these emotions, as he'd feel them himself so many times.

He's not sure how to respond to Kyoko's words. He's pessimistic to most things too, and trying to think of encouraging words is not his forte. Tanjiro would do such a better job at handling this situation, he figures. ]

...I dunno if I'd go that far? I don't think there's anything bad about sharing hugs. I mean yeah, the robot people might be beyond help since they don't even have human bodies anymore... [ He's about to continue with a 'but' but he lets his voice die right there, because he doesn't have any other words to go after that, even if he tries to think what his friend would say in a situation like this. Mm. ]

I don't think anyone should want to be a demon slayer, though. A girl shouldn't throw herself into a dangerous situation like that.

[zapdope]

[ god why is Cyan so cute..! ] Cyan-chan know about so many things! It'be awesome if you could teach more stuff!

[ more excuse to hang around her, really. ] Oh, and I'm supposed to be treating you to some snacks sometime too! There's so much we can do!

[kahunanu]

[Hm. Now they're starting to sound like Legendary Pokemon...]

Well, they're not here now, are they? [He's an old dude and unfortunately a cynical one too.] It'd seem counter productive for Havenwell's gods to summon other competition.

[nyani]

[ He said the magical word. ] Snacks - ! Yes, we need to do that! Should we bring others long? [ friend zone ]

[zapdope]

[ What others ]

I was hoping we could go get snacks with just the two of us?

[nyani]

[ Oh no...................................





maybe he has some anxiety! ]

Oh! Sure! If that's what you want to do! [ Poor Zenitsu, can't keep it up under pressure ]

[daikonrose]

It's not that there's anything bad about it. But those kinds of actions... to know they're being used every time, and then getting money for them.... It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, you know? I can't help but hate it.

[ There have been days when Kyoko's anger flares hot enough to make her shout all those sentiments, but today the feeling is just cold and bitter. Maybe she's just worn herself out on this subject; she knows she's in the minority, okay? and she even understands why. She doesn't expect to change anybody's mind. None of that makes her feel any better, though.

And none of it is Zenitsu's fault, either, nor is it his responsibility to deal with her unhappiness. Jeez. Get it together, Kyoko. Meeting his eyes properly again, she gives him a smile, though there's still a taste of that bitterness to it. ]

But if I was throwing myself into demon slaying, it would be a whole different matter, you know? A sword is something you use deliberately.

[zapdope]

[ Zenitsu doesn't know what else to say. The bitter and cold sounds Kyoko's making at the moment doesn't seem to be something she gained after coming here, it was more deep-rooted than that. It clashed with her positive sounds, so much that it made his chest hurt.

All the while, though, Zenitsu himself knew that the closer the emotion is at the person's core, it's a lot harder for them to change away from it. He himself was cynical and dark deep inside, hating himself. Because of this, it was a lot harder to really go against her words, and there's a part of him that agreed with them. ]

If you put it that way, yeah. Being stuck in here with no way back to our home world, essentially dangling rewards to make us give hugs... It really doesn't leave a good feeling if you think that way.

But still, I think getting something back from them is still better than nothing at all?

[ Like the love and care he wished his past relationships would've given him. Not that he'd talk about that any time soon, that'll just make things more depressing. ]

[yallstupid]

[There's a long pause before Guzma begins to laugh. Loud, sudden, and with a slight tone to it that sounds...manic? Mocking? It's somewhere in between, and he ignores the dark looks people give him for the sudden outburst, touching not his heart, but his stomach with one hand, because his gut hurts from the sheer force of that laughter.

Oh, Pyra...you sweet, summer child. There is absolutely nothing beautiful about any part of him. Hasn't been for a good decade and a half, probably.]

Oh..ahah...wow, that--...whoo. [He wipes at the corners of his eyes.] Dang, didn't think I needed a laugh like that.

[yallstupid]

[Guzma shrugs. He's not a reader by any means, but will scratch the itch if he's bored enough, or the source material tickles his fancy. Something exciting, maybe a bit of horror...or informative to a specific subject he cares about.]

Well, this is...Pokemon and trainer don't understand one another, but we understand each other, yeah? Like...words don't gotta be said between you n' another person sometimes, and y'all still get what they're thinking, or feeling. Not all of it, but the gist anyway. S'kinda like that.

But at the same time, a bond between a Pokemon and its trainer varies, and it's real hard to put into words.

[iustaegis]

[ She waits for his laughter to calm, keeping her smile peaceful. It’s clear that he doesn’t believe her, and the hint of mocking tone within the laughter betrays how naive he thinks of her for it. This. This is fine, too. He can laugh all he wishes at her, so long as he does laugh and smile. She does not mind, so long as he is happy.

How sad, that he can’t see the grace of the (admittedly, just the base beats ) music that he’s produced.

Gently, ]

I’m being sincere, Guzma. Don’t tell me— you think too little of your talent? [ Him and everyone in this place seem to not know or accept how wonderful they are. ]

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita doesn't quite have the same reference frame Guzma does... but then there is Kit and Ponch. Even before Kit had been a wizard he'd mentioned being close to his dog, and some things don't change.

Even when everything else does.]

When you're with someone, day in and day out, working with them on a common goal or just because you want to, for the joy of it...

[Nita's looking thoughtful now, nodding once more.]

It's okay; I think I get it, or something close.

[The peridexis doesn't speak up in her head during this conversation, but it's listening all the while, thoughtfully silent as well...]

[begguiling]

Naaahhh, that was an accident. Probably. Who knows? I'm talking about some past situations. I don't know if it's meant to be a punishment, or if they'd admit to that even if it is . . . but even if it's not deliberate, it's caused by imbalances in the gods' power! So in other words, if we don't do what we're supposed to do and do it right, we end up in situations where we might have nightmares that can only be cured by sleeping in someone's bed, or be kept awake by squeaking animals that only go away if you cuddle. Or you get sick, but guess what cures it? Go on, guess!

[Magolor waves his hand merrily. There's probably no need to guess, but he's gonna make Nanu do it anyway. The point is clear either way: the gods have ways of making you cooperate.]

[begguiling]

The service of Life . . . that's interesting. I can make a guess as to what that means, but I'd rather hear you explain it. These wizard rules are totally new to me, you know? You have my full attention!

[Mostly, he thinks the natives here couldn't have picked a better candidate for helping out their planet. Service of life indeed! Even robotic life. It's funny how they get some real gems and also some real losers up in here, in good samaritan terms.]

[pinkmin]

[She was thumbing through a few pages to find some good entries, but glanced up at him at that.]

The Cosmogony?

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita gets the feeling he's humoring her at least a little, but she recites the Oath without further provocation.]

In Life's name and for Life's sake, I assert that I will employ the Art which is its gift in Life's service alone, rejecting all other usages. I will guard growth and ease pain. I will fight to preserve what grows and lives well in its own way; and I will change no object or creature unless its growth and life, or that of the system of which it is part, are threatened. To these ends, in the practice of my Art, I will put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it is right to do so - till Universe's end.

[It's not in the Speech, but there's a resonance to it all the same - or perhaps that's just how she's saying it.

Settling back on the couch, she adds.]

There's variations, sometimes, in adapting to a given species' idiom or describing the tenets of the Oath with terms most important to them, but that's the crux of it.

[21kingpuddings]

[Ah... how truly incredible it would be if they had been given laptops with all sorts of cool software instead of the communicators. Or even future-tech laptops, they'd probably be capable of all sorts of cool things. Get on that, Havenwell...!]

So, like a remix. [Neat!] You must do a lotta stuff like that, huh?

[daikonrose]

[ If only Kyoko knew how much she was troubling Zenitsu with all her loud feelings, she would find a way to excuse herself from the conversation, and spare him from all this. But it hasn't occurred to her that he might have such keen senses; she doesn't know she's being too much again.

Luckily, the intensity of all those bitter feelings lessens some anyway, into quieter grumblings from her heart. At least he isn't talking about how saving this planet is their purpose here, or their duty, or that kind of thing. So Kyoko just sighs. ]

Mm, it's not like I can really argue with that. If we're stuck in this situation either way, it's better to have kidnappers who want us to think kindly of them, right? And there are people who really would rather live in this world than whatever they got taken from, so... at the end of the day, I guess I'm just a spoiled brat, right? Yours is probably the "correct" attitude.

[ While she's sincere enough about all that, she also can't bring herself to feel too bad about anything besides being such a slacker as far as world-saving goes. She's not sorry about being mad. ]

[zapdope]

But...what you feel is what you feel? No one should say it's wrong or anything like that. I whine and cry all the time, because I get too scared. My friend, Tanjiro, would say it's shameless, but I can't do anything with how I feel. To be honest, I still feel scared being here. If I don't keep myself busy I start getting scared and feel like crying.

[ What's even the correct way to react to things, though? Zenitsu never had the proper way to react to things even before becoming a demon slayer, at least that's how he felt. He was a scardy-cat, and if he ever cried about it people who were close to him would immediately give up on him. ]

It might sound weird, but I'm actually glad to meet you, Kyoko-chan. I'd have thought this world is crazy if everyone all thought it's their purpose to be here.

[ Because it really wasn't, even for Zenitsu himself. ]

[carbungle]

Yeah, it's a book from back home. It's like... legends, or prophecies, or stories about the gods and the origins of the world. But everything's so old and vague- I know it's about my family and my world, but it doesn't always feel real.

[daikonrose]

[ As Zenitsu speaks, Kyoko falls silent, and gradually the angry murmurs of loneliness and resentment in her heart quiet as well. There's probably nothing anyone could do to make her feel great about this situation, but....

Those might just have been the most reassuring words she's heard since she arrived. Kaito had told her that not everyone wanted to be here, and that it was okay if she didn't feel like smiling, yes; and it wasn't as if everyone she met was falling over themselves to do the gods' bidding, even if the necessity of touch kept coming up everywhere she turned. But Zenitsu had validated her in such a simple, honest way, and maybe it doesn't make everything okay, but a bit of the weight on her heart lifts.

Her eyes widen for a moment, and then she smiles, just a little. ]

... Ah, I ended up making things pretty heavy, huh? And it's the first time we're meeting, too. But I'm glad I got to meet you too, Zenitsu-san. It's just common sense to be scared here, right?

[zapdope]

[ And then he realizes something... ]

...We'd probably have to buy pre-made food though, but I don't have any money for this world yet...

[ Otherwise they'd have to make the sweets themselves. ] ...Do you know how to make sweets, Cyan-chan?

1/2

[nyani]

Uhm -

[ OH NO HE WANTS HER TO BAKE???? ]