network; @shizukisoujuurou

[emptyself]

Hi, good morning.

Today, I found these two things at my door. They're not mine, so if it's yours, let me know and I'll give them to you.

Thanks.

[ attached are (some slightly awkwardly taken) photos of the items received. ]

Comments

[bloodandstars]

[ But she didn't! Not a single singe mark on it! Nevermind that the first words out of her mouth are: ]

You're in luck. Leather doesn't burn so good.

[ Hopefully he's a polite young man who won't make note of the wakazashi in the red scabbard she definitely didn't advertise in her message, sitting beside the collar. She's paying it no mind, anyway. She holds the collar out gingerly, dangling it from her fingers. ]

Sounds like you've got enough problems to deal with as it is. You sure they're not gonna assume you've been running around spilling all their secrets while you've been gone for weeks like this?

[emptyself]

[ he is, in fact, a polite young man that won't make note of the wakazashi. though it did catch his eye, he figures that it's none of his business to talk about, and is fine ignoring it for the rest of this conversation. ]

It's possible. [ he nods in agreement. his roommates are unreasonable like that. ] But that'll be a misunderstanding that I'll have to clear up once I'm back.

[bloodandstars]

[ Thanks, Soujuurou... You're a bro. ]

Yeah, not my problem. Got it.

[ And she's really going to stop poking her nose into other people's business for free. Maybe. But she gives the collar one more look of disaste before dropping it into his hand. ]

Well, do what you have to. Or... whatever you're into.

[emptyself]

Oh, thank you.

[ he'll take that, holding it in one hand. see? he's not even trying to wear it. but he does tilt his head to the side, his look one of mild confusion. ]

'Whatever I'm into'? What do you mean?

[bloodandstars]

[ He better not! She's still watching with narrowed eyes, like he might suddenly whip it out around his neck after all. ]

Nothing. If you like letting murderous women put a leash on you and train you to heel and do tricks on command... it's none of my business.

[emptyself]

[ wow that sure is specific? soujuurou wonders who she could be talking about. ]

All of that sounds really unpleasant. But there’s people that like that? Wow.

[bloodandstars]

[ It's somehow worse that he's saying this with a completely blank expression?? If she glares more, can she get him to crack?? ]

That's exactly what you told me it's for!

[emptyself]

Yeah, but I don’t enjoy being choked with it. And I also didn’t say anything about doing tricks. I’m not their dog.

[ never mind that he does most of the housework at their command. he himself doesn’t even realize that that might count. ]

wheels back in to stare at this after crimes

[bloodandstars]

Do you come when they call? Let them order you around, like telling you to wear a collar?

[ That's dog behavior, man. She puffs out a sigh. ]

isn’t this thread so much funnier now?

[emptyself]

Well, wouldn’t it be rude to ignore them?

[ this is what he’s worried about?? ]

STARES INTO THE VOID

[bloodandstars]

If you're not gonna shoot them, at least be rude to people who put a collar on you.

[ Goddess. She can see she's going to have to publish a basic life tips manuscript for some people here. ]

[emptyself]

That will just end up with me dead. This collar can magically choke me, after all. Aozaki pulls no punches.

[bloodandstars]

[ ...Yeah she's got no answer to that. She keeps telling herself she's going to leave it, but, man. ]

You ever think about just not going back? Stay in this shitty city, take the free rent.

[emptyself]

...

[ that does get soujuurou to pause. yes, that sure is an option but... ]

And then what? It wouldn't be any different here than it is over there.

[bloodandstars]

Not any? Who's holding your leash here?

[ ...Although once she says it, it's kind of hard to deny the goddess is holding all of their leashes. ]

[emptyself]

The goddess, but that isn't really the problem here. It's a bit more complicated than that.

[ while a normal person would likely consider not being leashed by two crazy witches to be incentive enough to leave, the reality is far different for soujuurou. in his eyes, they are the best option, collar or no collar. ]

[bloodandstars]

...Tell me about it. Nobody here has a straightforward life. [ Including her, but will that stop her from sounding exasperated? No. ] Fuck. No matter where in the universe you go, you carry your problems with you.

[ Or some philosophical cat nonsense like that. ]

[emptyself]

I realized that not many people have a straightforward life in the cities. It's full of troubles and strange situations that they can't solve on their own.

[ he sighs softly, mulling over the things he has seen since his descent from the mountains. people facing situations that he couldn't have even dreamed up of back in his former home, good and bad alike. ]

But that's why they depend on each other more, I think. So that they can survive.

[bloodandstars]

And the mountains aren't? They're full of bears. If you can't find food for yourself, you starve, don't you?

[ Well, those are pretty solvable problems, though. She's not disagreeing there... she gives a provisional shrug. ]

Maybe. But when survival is really on the line, I've seen cities turn on each other just as fast.

[emptyself]

They are. [ he nods, agreeing with what she says wholeheartedly. ] But that's more simple. You look for food and you do your best to avoid bears. I know how to do that.

[ it's all he did for almost a decade. if anything, one could say that he's got that down to an art form. ]

But it's just as you said. The city depends on others, but then they can quickly turn on each other. I don't know how to avoid that like I would a bear. And that's why living with Aozaki and Alice is safer than living on my own in the city.....collar and all.

[bloodandstars]

Anyone ever tell you you're pretty feral, for a human?

[ But it's not said like an insult. If anything, she thinks she gets him, a little. ]

Well, survival makes for strange alliances. I'm not blaming you for that. I'll stop giving you shit about the collar. Still wouldn't trust anyone who makes you wear one, though.