hugtopia_logs | [Open] Petals & Pages

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[Open] Petals & Pages - Mingle #1

♥ 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!!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kyoko-chan! Nice to meet you! [ Zenitsu returns the bow as well. He knows they're all in a strange world, but even interacting with Kyoko felt like he was back at home with the mannerisms. ] But yeah! I think if I didn't meet Vianca-chan I'd probably still be scared of this world, actually. She reminds me of a friend's sister back at home.

[ From Kyoko's mannerisms and her name, he learns something, though, and his curosity gets the better of him to bring up the question: ] So, you're from Japan too?

[ Kyoko had gone right ahead and assumed Zenitsu was Japanese at first sight, based on his outfit alone--but ah, she's probably not as obvious, huh? It hadn't occurred to her until now that anyone would take her as anything besides Japanese, gosh! ]

Ah, yes! Maybe my hair's a little misleading? [ Though his looks bleached too? ] But I was living in Tokyo, and I'm from Kyoto originally.

A little...! Other people from here are from places I have no clue about, so I wasn't sure.

[ He really wasn't sure where Kyoko is from just by looking at her, especially with all the other people who were brought to this world from places that seem like fairy tales. And if it weren't for meeting with Cyan soon after arriving to this world himself, Zenitsu would have freaked out more.

He perks up at the mention of Tokyo, though! ]

Tokyo!! I'm from there too!! But wow, you moved from Tokyo to Kyoto? That must have been a real life changer!

[ like super life-changing...distance between the two places would feel so much farther because of travel time back in the era Zenitsu is from. He's super impressed with Kyoko's bravery for traveling that far! ]

Edited 2020-01-18 10:09 (UTC)

[ Kyoko's smile turns a little strained, rueful, but it's not Zenitsu's fault. ]

Yes... after moving to Tokyo, my life changed radically, for sure. More than once....

[ Zenitsu jerks a little from the change in Kyoko's sound. ]

O-oh... That doesn't sound good... [ how does one turn this back around to a better topic? He's not Tanjiro with his super optimistic personality, so he shifts a little uncomfortably. He's curious of what part of Tokyo she moved to, but he's going to hold off from asking that question. ]

M-maybe we can talk about something else? Sorry for bringing up bad memories.

[ She shakes her head, and the gloomy aura eases up after a moment. Jeez, what's she doing, thinking about ancient history like that! ]

No... I was being silly! Plenty of the changes were good, too. --Ah, but I think you might be the first person from Tokyo I've met here, so far! Not that I've asked everyone--but it's an amazing coincidence, right?

It definitely is a big coincidence! I think I might have died from loneliness if I didn't know anyone else from Japan...

[ For the most part, he's kind of glad his friend Tanjiro's brought to this world too, although Zenitsu's not happy that they still have to train because Tanjiro's a stubborn training-idiot.

Oh but enough about his friend, he's talking to a girl right now! ]

So have you been here long? I guess it's obvious that I just got to this world...but yeah! The robot people gave me an explanation of why I was brought here, but saving the world seems way too grand...

[ Dying from loneliness... what a dramatic idea. Kyoko quickly brushes it off before it can strike too close to home. ]

Yes... [ Her smile takes on a strained, dark feel again. ] It's been about three months, for me... an unthinkably long time to serve as a source of fuel for an alien planet, and yet there are people who've been here even longer....

[ The sudden change in Kyoko's sound makes Zenitsu jump and he takes a step back. ]

Eek—!! S-Sorry for asking that question! I'm sure it must be pretty upsetting to be suddenly woken up in this place!!

[ Kyoko simply blinks at him, not really registering how she's causing this alarm. ]

Well, it just happened to you, too, right? So you would know.

R-right! That's right, I was suddenly brought here without warning... But if people need help, you can't just leave them be, right?

[ He's still fretting around, but at least she's not as angry anymore. ]

If I'm stuck here for a while, then I should at least try to help out... Hugging people doesn't seem to be as hard as killing demons...

[ Ah, and here it is again. There's a little tug of guilt, because it's not like Kyoko can really be against something as undoubtedly good as saving an entire world, but... resentment just bubbles up anyway, with a twinge of loneliness. ]

These people... are already beyond help, though, don't you think? It's really their gods we're supposed to be saving, if you get down to it. I know this is just me, but I'd pick being a demon slayer over being stolen fuel for sure.

[ Does she even realize he was being literal about killing demons? It's hard to say; these are just the sort of terms she thinks in. ]

[ 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.

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.

[ 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. ]

[ 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. ]

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. ]

[ 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?

It's fine!

[ Zenitsu cracks a smile at Kyoko's direction. As long as girls don't hate and leave him, he's all for anything, really. But he's a lot more relieved when the heavy, depressed sound from Kyoko lightens up. ]

It's a shame I can't treat you to something to eat, I don't have any money to buy anything for you.

Huh? [ She just stares at him for a second, stunned by the offer. And then it's a big flurry of shaking her head and waving her hands in protest ] No way, no way! If anyone should be treating anyone in this situation, it should be me treating you! --Actually, yes! Please let me get you some tea at least!

Oh no no!

[ This is probably where how coming from a different era would differentiate how these two would think. Gender norms, etc. ]

A guy's the one who should be treating a lady to a lunch, not the other way around!

[ He's not that shameless! Or so he'd like to think. ]

[ The head shake just keeps whirring along. Shouldn't she be getting dizzy by now? ]

You've already met your manful courtesy quota for the day just by listening to me complain so much! And it's the old-timers who have to look after the newcomers, so it's only natural that I treat! And moreover! How old are you?

[ Granted, the difference can't be very big either way, but just from looking at Zenitsu she's pretty sure he isn't older than her, at least. ]

[ Not a lot of girls would even want to talk to him unless he's curled up in the middle of the road, listening to you complain is at least he could do! ]

I'm 16, actually? [ He's not sure what to take about that sudden question, though. ] Why do you ask?

There! You see! I'm your elder, so it's definitely my responsibility! [ Triumph!! She clenches a fist. ] Zenitsu-san! Pick something you want!

Ehhh???

[ Since when were they competing? For what too?? Zenitsu's so confused. ]

U-uhm...is there dango here?? [ Still confused!! ]

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