maskormenace | 1st hat ~ Video

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1st hat ~ Video

You know, life can be hard for the small trader in the big city! Especially when he suddenly finds himself no longer in his city at all, and also quite unable to ply his trade, what with hat shops not being particularly known for their ability to follow a man around. Mind you, considering how this week is going, I suppose I wouldn’t be overly surprised if it turned out that my humble haberdashery had followed in the footsteps – or wing beats – of its namesake, and had learned how to fly.

[The man on the screen, despite his words, seems fairly unshaken by recent events. He's smiling pleasantly, comfortably leaned back in an armchair. The translator mechanism appears to still have left him with a Russian accent, and the clothes he's wearing look distinctly Victorian. As he speaks, something like laughter is audible off-screen, although it sounds weirdly mechanical.]

Not to mention, being here has faced me with something that can only be described as a bit of a conundrum. You see, I am already well acquainted to this manner of work for which we've all been recruited. I have been allowed to be a hero through the good graces of my government - or rather, through the grudging ill graces of the same, and the much kinder graces of a rather special girl. I won't say I didn't enjoy the experience, or that I won't long on occasion for the glory days of yore-

[His eyes dart momentarily off-screen, his smile flickering but not quite giving away the emotion underneath. There is a loud snort from whoever it is he's looking at, also this sounding strange; more like steam escaping from a valve than an actual human sound. Luvander laughs in turn, shaking his head and turning his focus back to the camera.]

But being someone's pet idol and political advantage has with time and certain recent events lost some of its appeal to me, and I can't deny I find myself uncharacteristically hesitant to return to life as it used to be. Not to mention, I rather miss my shop. So what is an old soldier to do? I was informed that the purpose of these devices is communication, so some advice would be appreciated.

[OOC: Also open to action posts for people living in Residence #033. The off-screen presence is in fact an incorporeal dragon appearing to be made of some glowing pearlescent substance and hints of fire, slightly larger than a horse. The only reason she's managed to squeeze herself into the living room is probably that part of her body goes right through the wall and is fully visible outside. Sorry about that.]

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[ The clothes are the first thing Gil latches onto. He's rarely seen anyone in clothes familiar to him, being from a (pseudo) Victorian era himself.

When he speak, his accent is quite distinctly English: ]

Most industries have changed or disappeared altogether with the rise of technology.

[ Technology has been useful, but he longs for something a bit old-fashioned himself. ]

Did they employ you anywhere where you can make use of your skills?

I suppose that is to be expected, what with the abundance so readily at hand and quite so many people living in just one city. I guess this means I've got quite a lot of catching up to do.

[He still maintains the unflappable calm he's presented so far, but to tell the truth the idea is rather unsettling. It seems somewhat unfair that just when he has managed to get life figured out for himself, someone comes along and alters the rules this fundamentally.]

And yes they did, in a manner of speaking. I'm fairly experienced at speaking to customers and making them feel at ease, which I assume is the reason I'm currently employed to do exactly that at a store complex nearby.

[To put it another way, they employed a guy with rampant verbal incontinence in customer service.]

You're selling clothes?

[ It could be worse, but he thinks anyone with a talent for making hats can do a lot more. There's always going to be the fashion industry, after all. ]

Well, you don't need to do that job either, if you don't want to. Are you Registered?

I figured that what with just having arrived here and therefore not being what you could call financially secure, it's as well for me to take whatever job they decided to give me. At least, that is, until I've got enough money to make my way on my own terms. [He shrugs nonchalantly.] Besides, I rather like talking to people.

[You don't say, sir. We're all shocked.]

I've not Registered yet, no, due to my previously mentioned reservations about being roped into someone else's war once again.

I agree, though I can understand anyone's frustrations. They do offer... odd jobs.

You don't have to register. They've been pushy about it and there have been talks about taking away whatever benefits unregistered have been receiving, but I was going to say if you were, you could take advantage of their offer to help find a more suitable job.

I have to admit that the job is quite honestly the least odd thing about this place so far, but perhaps I'm speaking too soon.

[His lips quirk slightly in amusement, but he listens closely to what he's told.]

I see. It's not quite the ultimatum I was faced with the first time around, then. And that is a service they offer out of the goodness of their heart... provided we're also available to serve when they call us?

[ Gil pauses, his jaw tightening at the thought. ]

It's a possibility. It hasn't happened yet, but there are emergencies imPorts have assisted with before without being ordered by the government.

It's very polite of them to give us all this freedom. Of course, in my experience, people who end up being in charge of things generally aren't the sort who will remain satisfied with merely asking nicely - a bit cynical, perhaps, but the track record isn't looking so good so far.

[What with him being there and everything, definitely against his will. He tilts his head slightly, curious.]

What kind of emergencies, exactly?

I might not know a lot about this world's government or politics, though I imagine you're right; they won't ask nicely if this Cold War gets any more violent than it already has.

[ Which is apparently the opposite of what a Cold War is supposed to be. ]

Attacks on imPorts or civilians... or both.

I have to admit myself similarly ignorant - more so, I imagine. But somehow I doubt that people here are free of the less savory aspects of human nature, even if it's a nice thought. And war so does tend to bring out both the worst and the best, and more of the former, usually.

[And sometimes combined in the same people.]

It's nice to know that my stay here won't be boring at least, though I'm not sure if that's something I would have traded my safety over, given a choice.

You don't have to fight their war, soldier or not.

[ He says this like it's easy; he knows it's not. For someone who wants nothing but to avoid trouble, he finds himself running to it more often these days. It's difficult to abandon people in their time of need. ]

[Wow, that is an impressive ramble even for Kotetsu's standards.]

So far, they haven't forced us to fight if we don't want to. Not much you can do about getting used for politics, though. For some reason they're convinced we actually give a crap about their stupid war, and everything we do or don't do somehow ~shows our loyalties~ or whatever.

[Talking is what he's good at, and it is in fact incredibly hard to get him to stop.]

Oh, of course. I know what that is like as well. Even after I retired from my old job, it seemed I was still expected to be at hand for any smiling and waving that my ruler saw as necessary, and even take whatever job he deemed most fitting. I managed to squirm out of most of that nonsense back home, but I suspect I might not be as successful here. [He rolls his eyes, but there is definitely a hint of sharpness in his voice.] Especially since the country I hail from seems remarkably similar to the one we're apparently meant to be fighting here.

Edited 2014-11-17 02:40 (UTC)

Even after you retired? Jeez.

[He technically retired like five seconds before he arrived here, so he didn't actually get to experience retirement, but he imagines he'd be super pissed if Apollon ever asked anything like that of him, especially considering those were his least favorite parts of the job which were just necessary for the people-saving parts.]

Yeaaaah, there's a couple Russian people around here. The government is pretty stupid about 'em sometimes. Apparently another universe's Russian heritage somehow means you're more likely to join up with the Soviets here, because that obviously makes so much sense.

Well, the crux is that I didn't "retire" so much as "survive". The end of the war was a very heroic endeavor, which means that most people involved in it died. And if you've risked your life for a government and seen your comrades fall, that naturally implies signing up as a symbol for one thing or another.

[He tugs his scarf up, since it has momentarily slipped down to partly reveal the nasty hook-shaped scarf on his throat.]

My home country isn't even called Russia. But the language and general location seems to be the same.

Edited 2014-11-17 05:01 (UTC)

[He's by no means a soldier, of course, could never be, but the implications of that still hit a somewhat raw nerve in the form of the Orlando and Sofia incidents, and that one funeral swear-in. Deaths and personal tragedy being used for politics and publicity...ugh. It still makes him sick. He rubs at his face.]

I dunno why I'm even surprised by this crap anymore. I'd probably have told whoever to go to hell, but that's also probably bad advice that you shouldn't take.

[A sigh.]

Anyway, don't worry too much 'bout the Russian thing. We imPorts take care of each other. [...] Well, mostly.

[Freddie Lounds sucks. Lunatic also sucks. And the Manipulator sucks too. But by and large they do.]

I wasn't quite so bold, although I have a couple of friends who made your sentiment incredibly clear, in actions if not in words. I simply evaded my responsibilities. [He grimaces.] Two of my friends were not quite so lucky.

[He had been a lot more pleased with his little escape act before he'd seen how harassed Balfour was looking, and how frustrated Adamo was with his lot. After that, he'd felt a little bit like a traitor, but sometimes a man just had to look out for himself before he could help anyone else.]

I know what you mean, though. In one way or another I suppose we're meant to be comrades, so even if the lot of us might not always like each other personally, we need to have each other's backs when no one else will. Something like that?

I wouldn't call it a responsibility. You already did your part.

[The cameras and interviews and such might have been something he had to deal with in order to do his job, but he never saw it as a responsibility. It was secondary, something that was required but not necessary.

His serious expression lightens at Luvander's last comment, though.]

Exactly like that. I'm Kotetsu, by the way.

[Sure, it says so on his communicator already, but proper introductions and all that.]

Edited 2015-01-02 23:19 (UTC)

[It's not so much the man's words but his accent that catches Jayden's attention.]

вы говорите русский? [You speak Russian?]

[Well, that certainly is fascinating. It takes Luvander a moment of fiddling around with his phone to actually be able to reply in kind.]

{Yes, in a manner of speaking. Though where I come from, we call it Volstovic.}

sure looks like russian to me
where you from then?

A country called Volstov. Though from what I can tell from maps it is in fact the same as what you call Russia, except a fair deal smaller, not to mention rather fundamentally different - or at least that's what I'm led to assume.

well the russia here isn't the same as the russia i know
well it is but it stopped being the ussr about 15 years ago, so now there are other smaller countries nearby
or places that want to be their own countries but aren't, like where i'm from
long story though
is it like that in your world?

Not quite like that, no. There are border areas which have been disputed for a long time, but most of that settled once we made peace with the Ke-Han - or China, I think it's called in this world. Although the Ke-Han empire encompasses several areas which seem to be their own countries here. It's fascinating, is it not, how we can come from places which are more or less the same on the surface, and still the differences underneath are so very glaring?

yeah its pretty crazy
hopefully no one will give you shit around here
they aren't the nicest to russians.... or people who sound russian

[It seems like a normal-for-Heropa day at first, as Kang is coming home from work. He doesn't notice the strange glowing figure that looks a bit like a dragon's back end and tail until he's already parked his motorcycle under the carport.

What in the Abyss?

He debates taking on his normal form for a moment before deciding not to, in order to more safely judge the situation, and quietly makes his way inside.]

[Luvander has made himself rather at home in the living room at the moment, since it suits his purposes for conversing with Yesfir far better than the bedroom, where she'd hardly fit at all. So he's still in the same armchair with his feet flung onto the table, eating a salad which he had managed to procure with a fairly minimal level of awkwardness from a restaurant earlier.]

The glory days of yore? You do have a way of turning even the most innocent statement irreparably pretentious.

[The hissing voice of his strange companion still manages to sound despite its mechanical quality.]

You can't blame a man for wanting to lend a certain dramatic flair to his story, beautiful.

[The reply is mild, even indulgent, and the short fellow in the armchair is watching the glowing form of the dragon with rapt affection, far too absorbed to notice anyone stealing inside.]

[...it is a dragon. A mechanical one, but a dragon nonetheless. Kang frowns slightly before mentally sighing and adopting a neutral expression, and makes sure to close the door with enough force to be heard.]

New housemates?

[He's never seen these two in his life and his other housemates tend to not have guests over without being present themselves.]

[Well, the sudden intrusion of a voice is certainly enough to redirect Luvander's attention. He tenses slightly, too, because while he's aware that this is a rather different place than the one he came from, it's hard for an old soldier to let go of certain reactions, and the stranger looks-]

I'd suggest not killing your housemates, even in they look like they're from Ke-Han.

[The dragon snickers, the sound bell-like despite her body seeming to be made of nothing more substantial that glowing pearly mist, lowering her head as if she's laying down to rest. Luvander sighs.]

I was going to do nothing of the sort. I'm sorry, my dear, but you are making the room a bit crowded. [The dragon shrugs her wings carelessly, and after a moment she slowly fades away. Luvander gets to his feet and smiles a bit ruefully at Kang.] Dreadfully sorry about that. The lady speaks her mind. But you are correct in your surmise; my name is Luvander, and I arrived not that long ago.

Ke-Han isn't a place I'm familiar with.

[Maybe he should have entered in his normal form. Oh well.]

Well met, Luvander. My name is Kang. And the lady's name?

Most likely not! If you were from this world, perhaps you'd call it China, though the geography is still a bit of a mystery to me. No matter, I don't kill people as a rule if I can help it.

[He only really had in the capacity of a soldier, and while that might not make it right, at least it makes it less personal?]

The lady is Yesfir, and while she is rather small for her kind, in terms of dragons that doesn't say much. We'll try very hard not to cause any undue inconvenience.

[Giorno has a lot of things to say - he could talk about politics, and hat shops and whether this person makes the hats they sell because, actually some hats might be a good addition to the suit shop he works in, especially on consignment.]

[But right now he's distracted by that noise, so in the end what he comes up with is...]

What's that laughter?

[Some of that studied flippancy drains away at the question, and leaves behind a smile of genuine pleasure.] Oh, that? That would be the one reason why I can't in good conscience claim that this kidnapping was an entirely bad thing.

[Off-screen there's another snort.]

Don't be smug, my pet. It's not very attractive.

[The light in the room seems to shift, as if it was shining through some sort of liquid, and then a creature seemingly composed of some sort of gentle glow is peering over Luvander's shoulder at the small screen.]

The lady's name is Yesfir, and she's a dragon. Don't ask me how magic works, because I'm certainly no Margrave, but this place appears to have gifted me with a Talent I most definitely didn't have before.

A talent?

[....]

Having a dragon isn't a talent.

[He tips his head and squints his eye a little. Only one of them.]

I have to admit, I don't know anything about magic. But she's very beautiful.

What a nice boy. I like this one.

[Up close, the dragon's face looks like it has been constructed, bolts and rivets and all, except the material also appears not to be quite there. If you look closely, you can see the wall behind through her. After a moment or two, she disappears out of view again.

Luvander laughs, rolling his eyes.]

You are such a fickle thing, my girl, falling for every pretty face with a compliment for you. [He shrugs lightly, turning his attention back to Giorno.] And you're right, of course. Just having her is no talent in itself, back when she had something more like a body - although to be fair it's more accurate to say that she had me. But as she does not anymore, it takes a not inconsiderable effort on my part to maintain her. I suppose that's the magic part.

Ah!

You're maintaining her presence here, then?

That's very impressive.

[Luvander waves a hand and laughs, and a quick headshake follows that gesture.]

Not nearly as impressive as if it was like a Talent acquired through more conventional means, and carefully honed to obey my will. This seems more like an accident particular to this place, a power placed inelegantly in hands unskilled at wielding them. [He tilts his head curiously, while offscreen there is a scoff.] I assumed that this happens to everyone that arrive here, but perhaps I was wrong?

I'm afraid I can't say with any certainty. I haven't seen much change in myself.

[Not that he's had a chance to test it thoroughly at this point.]

I do know many find their abilities changed, or enhanced, or... well, they have abilities they previously didn't.

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1st hat ~ Video

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private text. - my russian is actually terrible, just assume perma-russian unless otherwise noted

private text. - shhh any Russian at all is p cool ^^

private text. - awww thanks, maybe one day i'll finally have time to study it properly again

private text. - SO LATE please ignore if you feel like it <3

private text. - no worries, maybe we can wrap this up & jayden will guiltily reply to his new post?

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so very late, feel free to ignore <3

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