Live By The Sword

My name is Hamasaki Mikoto. I understand that in this country it is most common to refer to people by their first names, so you may call me Mikoto if you must. ((hmmasterlist, sidebar by 貴和 of pixiv))

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Reunion? [Mikoto and Marla]

In Japan, Mikoto had never had any connection to the sea, which was perhaps strange considering so much of the country was coastal. But it had never concerned him. He lived in-land, and his fights were within the country. He had never seen the ocean, let alone considered its vast depths, and he had no reason to. It was only when he left his family that he was forced to see just how far it reached. That was what he was considering as he looked out at it now. A way to put things in scale. He shut his eyes, sitting cross-legged on the rocky shore, and listened to the sounds of the waves.

[merylshybyebye]

actually that's the rcmp my house is their secret base || Mikoto&Meryl

[merylshybyebye]

[Hearing him say that brought a twinkle to her eyes, and she felt like she could trust him a little more]…Really?…I’ve seen it too…but it seems like most others…don’t get it…

[Runs her fingers along her braid] …Yes…She was a birthday gift…from a wizard…

[dark-haired-swordsman]

"Magic is rather difficult to understand, after all." He looked over at the bird curiously. Just what kind of spell was it under? Was it a bird at all, or some spirit in a bird's form? "A wizard, really? I've never met one before." Though if they were like any of the witches he'd met in the past, he wouldn't get along with them at all. Perhaps Meryl was better off not knowing that. "What was he like?"

[merylshybyebye]

the police are at your door as we speak || Mikoto&Meryl

[merylshybyebye]

[Meryl blushed unsure of how to describe, her mouth was open to protest but instead she nodded her head]…I guess…

…Yes…I walked…[Looking from him to the river she muttered softly]…You can sit…here if you want…

[Cupping her head with her hands she watched as Cielo flew off her shoulder to the tree near them and perched on a branch]

[Saying absentmindedly with very little emotion]…Her name is Cielo…She’s a kind of magic…[Sideways glances at him a hint of hesitation in her voice]…Do you believe in magic…?

[dark-haired-swordsman]

He paused for a moment at her invitation, then settled next to her by the river, sitting cross-legged as not to get his feet wet. He forgot, sometimes, that there were people out there ignorant not only to the ways of monsters but even to magic. Most of the towns he'd been in had a witch, for whatever reason... still, he gave her a reassuring nod. "It would be very difficult for me not to believe in magic. I've encountered it far too many times to count." "Did someone give her to you?"

[merylshybyebye]

lumi you're under arrest || Mikoto&Meryl

[Bored out of her mind, Meryl decided to make a game of following a river out of town, Cielo flying above her a little ahead, she watched her for guidance.]

[After an hour of so, she got tired of walking figuring the river probably went on much further than she had realized.]

[Sitting on the bank of the river, she ran her fingers along the lush grass growing]

[Looking back to where she had come from, she figured the way home was probably found by following the river, but something about it made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go alone.]

[Sighing softly, Cielo perched on her shoulder and feeling as if she were being watched she turned around and saw along the beaten path, a familiar face]…Mikoto…?

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Mikoto looked up and saw a lone blackbird making circles in the air. What a curious thing to see by a river. It didn’t seem to be going anywhere in particular. For lack of a better term, it seemed to be waiting, though whether for something or someone he could not say. He stopped by the side of the river, watching, and a child came walking downstream, settling on the bank. They knew one another, it seemed, and he couldn’t help but be intrigued. However, when the bird finally took its perch, and he moved forward to meet it, he could not help but be surprised by the identity of its owner. “You’re very young to be training birds.” Mikoto gave the young girl a nod, wondering what she was doing this far from home. “Did you walk here?”

[witch-kins]

I'm only a damn kid what the hell is wrong with you

[witch-kins]

[Snickers at his reaction flicking her tongue at him, which is a bit longer than most]

Oooh is it your girlfriend, my this is quite forward of you, I’ll be sure to be on my best behavior, in fact I promise I’ll use my weaker magic!~ [With a flick of the hand a dash of water is spurted on top of his head]

[Takes great offense at being ushered away and falls to the ground angrily, stepping on his toes] HEY! Don’t you push me!

[dark-haired-swordsman]

*shocked* No, I don't have a girlfriend. Why did you think -- *jolts as he feels the water on his head, then just decides to shut up about it* *Lily looks up as the girl falls, and looks rather concerned about the whole thing* L: Is everything alright? M: Yes, I was just on my daily patrol, and this young lady here asked if she could come along. *continues to walk off, hoping wk will either follow nicely or stay behind and not cause trouble*

[witch-kins]

I'm only a damn kid what the hell is wrong with you

[witch-kins]

[Sniffling back tears, her happiness swells so much that she forgets to stay put and floats into the air almost beyond her will ]

So where we going Mr. Grumpy?

[Swims through the air like one would swim through water]

[dark-haired-swordsman]

*only notices her floating when she swims right in front of him, and ends up jolting a little* I suppose we could first head to the church. There's someone you might get along with there, but if I'm lucky she'll still be asleep. *heads outside and starts quietly walking towards the church, nodding towards Lily who's sweeping outside but trying to usher Witchkins away from her*

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Swords [Mikoto, Gaius and Raven]

[raven-reborn]

Having been out mining for most of the day, Raven was ready to simply go back home and rest.  Sure, she had some things to take care of at the shop, but nothing too difficult, so if she worked hard, she could be done before it got too late.

However, her plans for the day were seemingly ruined when someone opened the door to the forge just as she was reaching her own hand out.

"… ?" Raven stared at the familiar man for quite a few moments, before stepping around him and walking to the back of the shop.  "I’m not a visitor, I live here," she eventually responded bluntly, not bothering to look at Mikoto as she spoke.

A few moments later and she turned to look over her shoulder at Gaius.  ”How did things go while I was out, Gaius?  Okay… from what I can see?”

[dwarven-smithy-blog]

Gaius looked up from what he was doing at the sound of Raven’s voice, beaming. “Welcome home, Raven,” he said lightly before getting back to work. He didn’t think anything of the rather rude way she greeted the customer, and couldn’t see their faces well enough to tell they knew each other.

When Raven spoke again the dwarf set down what he was doing, leaning against a wall of the shop and crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, things went fine. This man,” he beckoned to Mikoto with a smile, “is just using some oil stones to sharpen his blade.” Suddenly remembering the man’s interest in the jewelry, he perked up, turning to Mikoto. “This is my assistant, the one that made the accessories you were looking at earlier.” He turned back to Raven and chimed, “He was really impressed by your work, Raven!”

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Mikoto wasn’t exactly expecting a proper greeting, but he was agitated by the lack of eye contact. Could he not be given even that small amount of respect? Regardless, he couldn’t help but be surprised that she lived here. It seemed somehow inappropriate to be in a place full of ore and weaponry. What did she think the swords in here were for, decoration? If she was serious about her devotion to monsters, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to live with them then in a place that felt so strongly like humanity and its kind? Raven and Gaius. They weren’t of the same race, that much was obvious. From his point of view, that meant that they were master and apprentice, or, more likely, that she was boarding there for lack of another home – he had very little experience with adoption. Furthermore, Raven didn’t seem to be the sort of girl someone would want to adopt. Of course, with someone as friendly as Gaius, perhaps there were exceptions. Mikoto allowed Gaius to explain his situation, only for his eyes to widen ever so slightly at the dwarf’s next comment. …Well, perhaps she was better than she acted. “She has good hands,“ he said – to Gaius, seeing as Raven didn’t like him very much. “You’re quite lucky to have her here.”

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Surrounded By Flowers [Mikoto and Shara]

[finding-daisies]

Shara watched the elefun as it made its journey home. Once she was satisfied they had done all they could do she let out a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding in.

She gave her companion a timid smile. "Thank you. I do my best with it. The flowers deserve the care." She looked over her shoulder and could just make out the flower field. Her mind immediately filled with gardening plans. Perhaps a bit of replanting would replenish the field a bit...

"It's nice to meet you. And my name is Shara, yes."

[dark-haired-swordsman]

“I’m glad this town is blessed with such a skilled gardener.” Mikoto’s smile was small as well, but rather than being shy, it was more than he simply didn’t show much emotion. “I worry sometimes that people think too much of how plants can be useful to us and forget that they have the right to simply be beautiful.” “Ah, so I was right.” He couldn’t help but be somewhat pleased. “Your grandfather speaks very fondly of you.”

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Swords [Mikoto, Gaius and Raven]

[dwarven-smithy-blog]

Gaius shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets, though the large smile on his face gave away the answer before he spoke. “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind that at all. I’m sure Raven will be back soon, but until then, feel free to do what you like.” He turned to walk through the door of the forge, beckoning for the man to follow. “My workspace is right through here.”

[dark-haired-swordsman]

"Thank you." Mikoto gave the man a short bow, then followed him quietly into his forge. For the hour they worked together, there was a strange energy in the forge. The two men were in the same room, both handling weapons they knew and cared for, and yet their auras could not be more different -- the blacksmith, crashing his hammer against the anvil. The warrior, sliding his sword against the stone. Sparks flew and dropped by his side, and yet his concentration never faltered. Despite the differences between them, they both had a great calm to them, as if this was what they were meant to do. Unlike Gaius, though, Mikoto had always had a very strong perception of his surroundings. On the final stroke of his sword against the stone, he felt a presence in the shop and looked up. "You have a visitor," he said simply, and stood up, opening the door to the forge. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he recognized the red-haired girl, but after just a moment of surprise he recovered and gestured inside. "You have business with the blacksmith, I assume."

[witch-kins]

I'm only a damn kid what the hell is wrong with you

[witch-kins]

[Sobs as she hits the wall, her sniffle slowly turning into a stream of tears which forms a puddle on the floor]…Y-you!

WAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Notices he’s leaving and runs up to him, tears stil flowing]

I wanna c-come…

[dark-haired-swordsman]

*flinches when she starts crying and stops* ... *glares at her for a moment, then huffs and turns away* I suppose it can't be helped. It's a long walk. Try to keep up.

[witch-kins]

I'm only a damn kid what the hell is wrong with you

[witch-kins]

[Makes a hand puppet as he speaks mocking him]

[Squeaks as she falls to the floor rubbing at her head which was slammed in the face with the door.]

[Saying nothing she takes out the tadpole pin in her hair and slips it into the lock and with a bit of magic, manages to open the door.]

[Creeps up quietly behind him and jumps on his back] Honey I’m hoooome ~

[dark-haired-swordsman]

*barely realizes the girl is there in time to stop her* *swivels around and wrenches her off of him roughly, tossing her against the wall since she seems to be tough as balls for a kid anyways* I have patrols to get to. Leave. *heads off grouchily*

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Snowman [Mikoto and Raven]

[raven-reborn]

"You’re right." Raven stared at the man with a steady gaze, her voice coming across as blunt and clearly still angry.  "You’re right… fairness is unnatural.  I know that life isn’t fair.  It’s never been fair to me… but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to take that fairness away from other people… or creatures.”  Raven had been attacked by monsters - she had been almost killed by them - but it would be unfair of her to resent them because of this.  Instead she held an attachment to monsters because she understood them and she knew that many other people did not.

Apparently Mikoto had become aware of her own attachment to the monsters as well, and Raven’s eyes widened when he spoke of it.  ”In… In that way you are also correct,” she admitted, adverting her gaze from the man and uncertain of what she should say.  ”All… All monsters mean a lot to me… and although I will admit to fighting them when absolutely necessary, I’d rather simply let them be.”

She watched as Mikoto’s gaze was directed towards the snowy and she moved to bend down to pick the little monster up.  The snowy did not fight and it instead sat and stared at Raven as she spoke.  ”But in that sense… you are wrong.  I can’t agree with what you believe because I know that you’re wrong.  I’ve come to learn that monsters and animals… really aren’t all that different.  They all have their own personalities.  They know what they like and dislike and… they know that they want.  They have ways of trying to communicate these things to people and, well… people need to get better at listening to them, I think.”

Moving to set the snowy down, she ushered it away from the two of them, leading it to a small group of monsters that had formed nearby.  ”So thank you… for agreeing to reconsider.”

[dark-haired-swordsman]

“Hm.” He had to have respect for someone who had seen unfairness in their life and chose not to take revenge. To some extent, revenge was the path Mikoto had chosen. He knew he was not a kind man, and that was something he had accepted. Although Fenith Island had changed him somewhat… he was still irredeemable, at the root of it. There was something very unusual about this girl indeed. He wondered what had happened to her. Was she abandoned, perhaps, raised by these creatures? He’d heard of such things before, though they tended to be things of legend. He listened quietly to what she said, then shook his head. “I understand your opinion, but you have both a bias and a naiveté,” he said. “Whatever your connection to these creatures, it is unique. That is a blessing, but it means you cannot see them in the same eyes as the rest of us. They do not react to you the same way.” “They are not vicious, but they are not kind, either. Not as a whole. A rat will never stop to consider the feelings of a homeowner before raiding their home. A flatworm burrows into a man’s body and ruins him without a second thought. They want to survive, and they will kill while doing it, make no mistake.” “But that does not make your ideas entirely incorrect.” Mikoto turned away, looking for the path he wished to take next. “At the risk of losing his favour, I would ask that you apologize to the mayor for my inability to complete this job. If you would like, you can explain that it was you that forced this outcome.” And then he walked away.

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Swords [Mikoto and Gaius]

[dwarven-smithy-blog]

"Not a problem!" he replied lightly, turning back to the doorway to the forge and descending the few steps into his workroom. It was a messy space, feigning disorganization, though in reality Gaius spent so much time in there, he knew exactly where everything was. After picking out two, good-sized oil stones, he turned back to the doorway and made his way back into the shop, where the customer was holding a silver chain that Raven had recently crafted up to the light. 

He smiled, making a mental note to relay the compliment on to Raven later on. “She’s a natural at making those,” the dwarf remarked, nodding. “She’s out on break right now, but she’ll be back pretty soon.” He tilted his head a little and offered another grin. “Probably by the time you’re done with these stones, actually,” and with that he held out the stones for him to take.

[dark-haired-swordsman]

"I can tell." He set the chain down again. He didn’t have a reason to wear a pendant of simple silver, but perhaps something… He recognized some of the gems as having elemental properties. Perhaps he could do with a hair pin. “Oh? I’ll have to pay my compliments.” He took the stones in hand, pleased with the thought of meeting a skilled accessory maker. He considered taking them outside, but then paused. “Would you mind if I worked inside? I’d like the chance to see you work, if at all possible.”

[witch-kins]

I'm only a damn kid what the hell is wrong with you

[witch-kins]

What? You can’t do that you meanie! [On the verge of tears, upset from him not recognizing her power]

FINE! I won’t maim you, I’ll just curse your family for the next ten generations but I doubt someone as stuck up and un-fun as you will ever land a husband!

[dark-haired-swordsman]

And yet, I am doing it. *continues walking* *voice dangerously low at her comment* Little witch, I chose a life of celibacy many years ago, and even if I did not I have no time to raise a child even if I did have a wife. You are a nuisance, and I would thank you never to come here again. *flings her out of the back door and slams it in her face*

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Boar [Mikoto and Jamie]

[thedistantrancher]

"The soul is not the boar," Jamie replied. "The body is that of a boar; it is your boar." She did not have the time to argue philosophy, though. It was clear the first time they met, they would be at a stalemate with their arguments. Jamie did not resent the man, however. As much as she disliked him, she had some respect for someone who at least lived their life with pride.

At his question, Jamie smirked. “So, you are just a warrior, not a hunter,” she said. “Otherwise, you’d be able to find a river yourself.” Jamie knew these woods and her internal compass was always working. “Go north-east from here and keep straight,” she explained. “You will find a river that way.” She looked at the boar and although she did not want to help Mikoto, it was such a waste of life, if the boar was left there. “I will take you.” 

[dark-haired-swordsman]

“The body is that of a boar, but it does not currently contain a boar.” He knew this man would never agree with him, but he felt the point needed to be made. “I could have found a river if I needed to, but I thought I’d ask.” Clearly he shouldn’t have. Jamie was as smarmy and annoying as ever. He began to prepare the body to drag it towards the river with as little damage as possible, but then Jamie spoke again. “I have no need for your assistance, your directions were more than clear enough. What interest do you have in my company?”

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Boar [Mikoto and Jamie]

[thedistantrancher]

"I see," she said, as she looked at the bloodstained grass. The katana had bit into it very deeply. She was still wary of Mikoto, however. Their last meeting did not go over well, after all. There was something about the way he carried himself that Jamie found something interesting, though. She knew not to trust her intuition, but it was strange… 

"I’m here because I heard your boar," she said. 

[dark-haired-swordsman]

At least the man wasn’t as intrusive as he could have been. “It’s not my boar,” Mikoto said simply. “I’ve only taken his body. His soul is elsewhere.” “I need a river. Do you know the direction to the nearest one?”

[dark-haired-swordsman]

Surrounded By Flowers [Mikoto and Shara]

[finding-daisies]

Shara shrugged. "It's okay. Flowers ought to be useful, so I'm glad they could help you. It's a free-for-all field, anyway. I tend the flowers, but they aren't my property." Yet, considering her friends' attitude towards it sometimes, it might as well have been her field. No matter. "It isn't any trouble, don't worry."

Hopefully the elefun wasn't in too much discomfort. Regardless, they could soon send it home.

[dark-haired-swordsman]

“You’re certain? It was such a beautiful arrangement, I hesitated to use it. You’ve done a wonderful job.” He meant it honestly. He’d made quite a few false compliments in his time, and to be honest his expression was just about indistinguishable between the two kinds, but there wasn’t much else he could do. “…There’s a gate over there.” He steered the two of them towards it, then stopped a few feet away, gesturing for Shara to move away and doing the same. He took a few careful steps backwards, and watched as the lumbering creature wandered into the light and disappeared. After a few seconds, he turned to the young woman thoughtfully. “My name is Mikoto. You’re… You wouldn’t happen to be Shara, would you?”