GENKI SILENT PROTAG. She'll probably strong-arm you into doing something ridiculous, and do so with the cutest smile on earth. She might also poke you with a naginata if you're a punk.
THE SASSY PROTAG. a phantom thief with a heart of gold. lives rebelliously and without regrets, though spends most of his time feigning a very unassuming persona. #nailedit
A true sunshine protagonist. Country bumpkin, slow on the uptake. Wants to be everyone's friend. Swordian Master of fire, incredibly hot-blooded. A GOOD BEAN. Please love him. He's my favorite and I am biased.
The original fabulous Tales science lady. Probably wants to dissect you pretty shamelessly. Loves and adores cute things. Inventor of the Swordians. Definitely the definition of Mad Scientist.
[WHAT A MESS... And so many cute things, too, but goodness. Not that he's much better though, honestly - his things are well organized but tend to just. Spread out and take over any room that they're in, somehow. Funny, that.
It's nicer in here than it was in any of the rooms or areas they passed by, though. As a sword, you'd think he feels most at home in highly militarized places, but he finds them pretty boring and tedious. The necessities of war tend to fall into that category when they're not falling into the "straight-up horrific" category, as far as he's concerned.]
Wow... [There is just so much. There's so much happening here, there's so much. But most importantly--] Yeah, that's what's going on, but you're the first person I've ever met who... y'know, knew it? I mean, most people don't really do the whole time travel thing.
[Though it's not because the option isn't available where he comes from, at least...]
—If this is a base and you know what's going on, are you guys tied to the time war somehow?
[well, she sure answered that one quickly, huh.] This war is all our own in this time. But now that I know there's a time war, you've got me cur-i-ous!
[why is harold berselius like this, we just don't know.]
I've tinkered a bit with the idea of time travel, but now's not really the time to go exploring, not until I finish my biggest contribution to this war effort, at least! [what does that even mean.]
So, who are you and what's all this time war business about here [choose your words wisely, kashuu. this is a woman who joined the tod2 party solely because she thought the idea of fighting and kicking the crap out of a goddess sounded like a fun experience.]
[AND HE TRUSTS HER. After all, why would someone who knows all of this already lie about being involved?? (Many reasons, Kashuu. Many.)
But even if he maintains some wariness, he definitely just takes that at face value for now... Face value means he's also giving her a look of fair concern.]
Time travel's not really something humans should be messing around with, anyway... [Because apparently it just straight-up crushes them with temporal pressure and makes them glitch out like the matrix where he comes from?! Also, everything evil wants to change history and that's a problem.]
Um-- Anyway, I'm Kashuu Kiyomitsu, child beneath the river, captain of the first squad of the saniwa's Sword Army. [A LONGASS TITLE.] You can just call me Kashuu. ...We're trying to keep some real nasty guys from messing up our future, basically, but they're still working out the tech. [...] What war's going on here? Just a regular war?
[oh, that's quite a title. harold hums, listening to what kashuu has to say before she returns the gesture.]
Harold Berselius, Lieutenant Colonel of the Er'ther Army, as well as top, genius scientist, researcher and weapons & technology development! [basically, she has a top position because she's a genius and develops all of their weapons tech, not because she's out on the field leading troops.
though she's absolutely capable of wrecking shit in a fight if needed.]
I wouldn't call our war a "regular" one, but it all exists on the same plane of existence. Your war, and your technology though... ohoho! I'm interested in hearing more about it!
[of course she is. she could probably solve their tech problems in a real hurry. but one thing at a time, right? she seems interested, but she's also rummaging through a drawer for... something.]
[HE WILL... GO FIND A PLACE TO SIT but also neatly and quietly tidy up the area that he chooses, folding things gently and setting them aside. A messy room just needs a little TLC, okay.]
I haven't heard of that army, so I guess this really is the wrong place...
[It's a good measurement to use, honestly. As a sword, he's most familiar with armies, after all... And even in all of the wrong worlds he's ended up in, he's never heard that.]
You really do a lot though, huh? No wonder you're so on top of stuff. [THAT SAID-- and he looks a little hesitant at this, but more because he doesn't really like being useless:]
If it's about technology, I don't think I can help much. I don't really get stuff like that. They just tell me how to use it and send me out to the frontlines, y'know? I'm no good with figuring out how it works.
[He only just used a digital camera for the first time recently...]
Of course, of course! There's nobody in this army as amazing as I am!
[duh, kashuu. in any case:]
You can just tell me the parts you know—I'm sure I can fill in the blanks, anyway. [which is probably true.
she might also curse him later for tidying her room, because she's the kind of person who lives in a mess—but it's organized chaos. she knows where just about everything of value is in the mess. but for now? it's probably fine.
after a second, she'll just yell—]
Found it, there you are! [...and then slam the bottle of nail polish on the desk. you know, gently enough so it doesn't break.
she's got this.]
I TOOK A MURDER BREAK BUT FORGOT TO RETURN AFTER I DIED
[WELL DANG he's just distracted by everything because of that-- Do you know how many times a day he tries to talk other swords into letting him paint their nails? How many times he's tried to convince his saniwa to let him do that? How many times he's straight-up kidnapped their mascot fox to paint his little claws like some sort of fashion demon??
Many.
Many.
So his eyes just light the hell up and he goes to inspect what color she's brought, forgetting about tidying and also about the actually important things for a hot second.]
Ooh, what kind is it? [SO EXCITED. But also, right, right, business--] Um... I guess you could say we're, like, in the business of eradicating time anomalies? And the things that cause 'em, of course.
it's fine bc i was too busy turbo murdering too ig
[it's definitely hot pink. she's got an assortment of colors, but pinks and purples are her favorites and it definitely matches harold's aesthetic, even if her own nails are currently matched well to her skirt.
the color she offers to kashuu matches her shorts and boots, so there's clearly an aesthetic thing going on.]
Ohooo, time anomalies. I'm no stranger to that one, but it sounds like you've got something different, unless you've got a pissy Goddess behind your messes too!
Wow! That's super cute! I don't think I have any polishes that bright...
[Because, as she can probably tell just from looking at him, his own palette tends to be more subdued and darker toned. Lots of reds, blacks, golds - for some reason, despite the fact that he always yells about wanting to be cute, he dresses more elegantly than anything.
He also looks a little Concerned™ about pissy Goddesses. Being a minor god himself, he knows... HE KNOWS... Gods and goddesses can be assholes.]
Nah... At least I don't think so? Just other tsukumogami like me and whoever's leading 'em. An enemy saniwa - ah, those're the guys who summon us.
Mm, mm! I could see that. Your colors are very muted, aren't they?
[it's a very different aesthetic of her own—though she thinks it's a look at that suits him well enough. in any case, he'll get a bit of a shift with his manicure today?
it's fine, this is totally fine.
in any case, harold herself doesn't seem to be too fussed about the goddess thing. weird? she had fun with that part, though.
...maybe harold's just the weird one.]
Talk about a word salad. Things to learn, things to learn! ♪ [because of course.]
So these saniwa are the ones leading the charge. And you're... tsukumogami. I think I might need a bit of a better definition than that.
i cant believe you got murdered even tho you didnt die, paintrain game 2stronk
Mm, except red! But that definitely works better as an accent color.
[Unlike some of his fellows, he's not a particularly gaudy bean... Dressing entirely in red would be Too Much for him - and he prefers to bring attention to things like his eyes anyway, without overpowering them. #aesthetic
Also look even if she's weird at least she has great taste, so it evens out!]
Kinda! The time government's in charge of 'em, but they're in charge of us. [A TRUE CHAIN OF COMMAND. What's the time government?? Who knows, 2+ years later and it's still a complete mystery.
He'll gesture to himself after that, though - and then to his sword.]
Tsukumogami are object spirits! Or tool kami, if you wanna get technical. Baaasically, this sword here is my body and I'm the spirit that was born from it! Like that.
[She's sparkling. Should he be concerned?? He might be if he had more self preservation, but alas, he's an idiot. If anything, he just seems caught somewhere between baffled and proud, because of course he's proud of his weird status as a freaky sword spirit!]
Mmhm! You could say I'm the soul of this sword, and it's my true body. This one- [Pats his chest!] -was made for me by my new master.
[So he himself is a freaky weird magic anomaly, traveling through abnormal rifts in space-time to fight against other freaky weird magic anomalies. FUN FOR SCIENCE.]
Your master is pretty impressive. I want to meet him and learn some of his secrets—
[she's pondering.]
I didn't think it could be done the other way around. Even putting a personality into a sword is pretty risky, but giving the soul of a sword a body of it's own, ohoooo! ♪
[she might be leaning in to poke kahuu a little. she really has no respect at all for personal boundaries.]
He sounds like that kind of person that would be a good rival for me!
weeks later, panzoom to aly still suffering in p5 murder hell
[The poking and prodding is again met without resistance. As long as she's not chucking his sword into the sea or bashing it against a table leg to see how sturdy it is, he's pretty dang okay with personal space invasions!
Though he now has So Many Questions. So many, and also a mild creeping concern--]
Eh? Don't fight aruji, he's already tired all the time. [It's no wonder, considering he has 50+ idiots to manage 24/7, including this one who hears "rival" and just automatically assume actual battles will be involved.]
But what do you mean, the other way around? Putting a personality into a sword-- D'you mean, like... A soul? Putting a soul in a sword?
[BAFFLING. AND ALSO VERY WORRISOME. Like, what if the sword already had a soul?! And what if the soul didn't want to be a sword! So many questions and zero answers.]
Oh? Who said anything about fighting? A rival like that is a rival of brains! ♥ Someone who might actually be able to keep up with my genius might be worthy of that title, y'know, y'know?
[she'll eventually get to the part where she gives him a proper manicure, but they started talking technical shit and that gets harold riled up in a different way entirely.
whoops?
whoops.]
You could call it that, anyway. It's not exactly the same as putting a soul in. More like copying the personality to a very powerful Lens and outfitting it to a custom-made sword for the wielder to create a perfect resonance and harmony in battle!
[he doesn't want to know what happens when the soul and the sword soul have dissonance, it's alarming.
though she really doesn't actually know that side effect yet.]
Oh! ...Oh. [...] Well, I mean, as long as you're not gonna try cutting his head off or something, it should be fine.
[Except not at all because that's probably breaking like 5000 codes of spacetime travel conduct?! But he's just a sword okay, he's here for manicures and to be confused about complicated stuff he doesn't fully grasp. Like this! It's clear he's trying though, if nothing else.]
Mm... I'm not sure I get it. How can you copy a whole personality? And what's a Lens, too?
[Out of all of that, the thing he gets the most is creating a perfect harmony between a wielder and sword, but that's what the sword soul is for in his weird corner of reality.]
But I guess if it's such a young sword, it probably doesn't have a soul of its own yet, anyway...
[she can give kashuu a pass on this mostly because he's not from this world, or time, or whatever. it's when people should know but don't that she gets exasperated by being the smartest person in the room.
...while also enjoying being the smartest person in the room, naturally.]
A Lens is pretty powerful mineral, it's our prime source of energy! [she'll rummage around her desk, pulling up a crystal that is golden in color; one day, it'll be put right into this swordian.]
This is a Core Crystal, it'll be the centerpiece the great Swordian Berselius! [a beat, and:] When it's done.
We're still in the experimental phases of imbuing the personality into the Core Crystal, but once that's done and a little extra legwork, the Master and their Swordian will have a flawless, seamless consciousness to operate in tandem!
[she'll motion to a casing on the wall, which does seem to carry an unfinished sword—dymlos.] There's still a lot of work to be done, but there's no doubt that with my genius, it'll be a success!
He seems pretty fascinated by all of this even if he doesn't get it, at least! When she pulls the lens out to display, he's trotting right on over to get a close look, tilting his head this way and that. Granted, he's not picking up the same resonance from it that he does from his fellow spirits - but he supposes that isn't surprising, considering how fundamentally different they sound.
It's still just a little unnerving, even so...]
Huh... So it's a project you're working on that'll basically create a perfect duo of swordsman and sword? [He follows the gesture to the sword on the wall, brow furrowing a little.]
Are they gonna be good comrades, then? Like - partners that take care of each other, that kinda stuff?
which kashuu is probably about to learn in a hurry.]
Nnnnnoooot exactly! The Swordians will be a very literal extension of the Master! Their own personalities imbued into the swords. Only one seamless consciousness, it's not the same kind of autonomy that you have at all.
I could probably invent personalities out of thin air, but that might get a bit tricky. The key to Swordians will be their abilities, anyway. Our generals will be souped-up versions of themselves with abilities they'd never be able to pull off without my genius aiding them!
[it's definitely stupid rpg science. it's also not going to go as she plans at all since they'll gain a consciousness of their own eventually anyway... but she hasn't learned that nifty face yet.]
[THIS IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT AND HE immediately looks even more confused than he was before... A bond between a sword and master is something he can get! After all, it's what samurai strive for - to find the "perfect sword" that resonates with them, that listens to their directions smoothly, that reflects what they want to achieve. Being in-tune with one's sword is a concept he very much understands.
But copying a personality into a sword that's basically the same - or actually the same?! - as the wielder itself... That's a little beyond his ability to really Get.]
Ah... So it's like making a copy of a person and sending 'em out to fight together? Closer to that...? This is super confusing.
[At least he's honest.]
Is a sword wielder finding a sword that suits their style not, like... [He doesn't want to say "enough" since that makes him sound indignant and SWORD BIASED, but he doesn't really know what else to say.] ...I mean, does your war need more outta the soldiers in it than that?
[he may not really get it, but kashuu understands at least enough that she doesn't have to dumb it down too much further.
which is a blessing.
but there's still more, so as she picks up the nail polish bottle finally, shaking it, she'll explain further.]
It does. All the Swordians will be forged to be blades that match their Master's fighting style. But just being able to swing a sword isn't enough for this war, not with what we're up against.
[and so, harold smiles—almost deviously. her intentions are good, but she does live up to being a genius mad scientist in just about every way imaginable.]
Which is why the Swordians will have an extra oomph! to them that will give them the upper-hand to actually end this war once and for all! ★
[and she doesn't mean the personality part, either.]
[HE PICKS UP ON THAT... If only because personalities largely just affect wars if they're talking in terms of leaders and the decisions they make. If it's just about infusing a sword with a personality for better resonance of some sort, he can't imagine it has much real bearing on the outcome...
Not beyond what it's able to do to maximize a soldier's ability to fight, anyway.]
Can I ask what you're up against, anyway? If you've gotta add all these fancy bells and whistles to your armory, it must be a pretty big deal, yeah?
[Being from the spirit world himself, he's no stranger to Big Wild Enemies... It's much more common for him to face off against minor gods, but he's seen the havoc that some of the bigger forces of nature can wreak. Or even mankind itself, honestly. That's a pretty wildly destructive force.]
[it's pretty hard to miss, since it looms pretty closely overhead; it's not directly over their base right now—but it's in view for a reason.]
That's the aerial city of Dycroft. And it's ruler, Miktran, hoo... he's a real jerk if I've ever met one!
[no, there's more to this story, so harold actually sobers up a bit and cools her theatrics.]
That's where I'm from, but we left that place behind a long time ago, since we couldn't agree with what he wants. He wants Dycroft and the other Aerial cities to be all that's left. The Aetherians don't care about what's happening here.
They're a huge thing attached to Dycroft, it's called Belcrant and when it fires... it takes earth up into the sky to fortify their land. The more it fires, the worse it gets. Cities are destroyed, and the earth is falling apart. If we let this keep going, the whole planet will be ruined... the Aether lands will cover our sky, blocking out the sun and leaving everyone on this planet to die while they prosper.
[it's a huge issue.]
They have technology that can't be matched here... aside from what I can do. We don't have the resources, so this is basically our last stand. If we're going to take down Miktran, this will be our only opportunity to do it.
[Holy shit?! THIS IS SOME WILD LORE. Kashuu's expression shifts as she explains, jumping from confusion to understanding to displeasure. Not shock, though - of course not. As a tool of war, he absolutely understands that people can be cruel to each other. That people are mowed down all the time for reasons like greed or power or even "just because".
Still, this is definitely the first time he's ever heard of-- well, any of this. There are no aerial cities where he comes from. The threat their world faces comes in the form of the past being altered, not of what remains in the present being wiped out by rude punks who refuse to share the sun.]
Why? [Isn't that always the question?] Why does that guy hate this place that much? It's not like they're doing anything to those guys up in the sky, right? Do they just think these people are worth less or something?
[Another concept he's greatly familiar with, but still. It's a shame it's one that lasts between time and worlds.]
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no subject
It's nicer in here than it was in any of the rooms or areas they passed by, though. As a sword, you'd think he feels most at home in highly militarized places, but he finds them pretty boring and tedious. The necessities of war tend to fall into that category when they're not falling into the "straight-up horrific" category, as far as he's concerned.]
Wow... [There is just so much. There's so much happening here, there's so much. But most importantly--] Yeah, that's what's going on, but you're the first person I've ever met who... y'know, knew it? I mean, most people don't really do the whole time travel thing.
[Though it's not because the option isn't available where he comes from, at least...]
—If this is a base and you know what's going on, are you guys tied to the time war somehow?
no subject
[well, she sure answered that one quickly, huh.] This war is all our own in this time. But now that I know there's a time war, you've got me cur-i-ous!
[why is harold berselius like this, we just don't know.]
I've tinkered a bit with the idea of time travel, but now's not really the time to go exploring, not until I finish my biggest contribution to this war effort, at least! [what does that even mean.]
So, who are you and what's all this time war business about here [choose your words wisely, kashuu. this is a woman who joined the tod2 party solely because she thought the idea of fighting and kicking the crap out of a goddess sounded like a fun experience.]
no subject
But even if he maintains some wariness, he definitely just takes that at face value for now... Face value means he's also giving her a look of fair concern.]
Time travel's not really something humans should be messing around with, anyway... [Because apparently it just straight-up crushes them with temporal pressure and makes them glitch out like the matrix where he comes from?! Also, everything evil wants to change history and that's a problem.]
Um-- Anyway, I'm Kashuu Kiyomitsu, child beneath the river, captain of the first squad of the saniwa's Sword Army. [A LONGASS TITLE.] You can just call me Kashuu. ...We're trying to keep some real nasty guys from messing up our future, basically, but they're still working out the tech. [...] What war's going on here? Just a regular war?
["Regular" by whose definition...]
no subject
Harold Berselius, Lieutenant Colonel of the Er'ther Army, as well as top, genius scientist, researcher and weapons & technology development! [basically, she has a top position because she's a genius and develops all of their weapons tech, not because she's out on the field leading troops.
though she's absolutely capable of wrecking shit in a fight if needed.]
I wouldn't call our war a "regular" one, but it all exists on the same plane of existence. Your war, and your technology though... ohoho! I'm interested in hearing more about it!
[of course she is. she could probably solve their tech problems in a real hurry. but one thing at a time, right? she seems interested, but she's also rummaging through a drawer for... something.]
Go on... sit, sit! Tell me more!
no subject
I haven't heard of that army, so I guess this really is the wrong place...
[It's a good measurement to use, honestly. As a sword, he's most familiar with armies, after all... And even in all of the wrong worlds he's ended up in, he's never heard that.]
You really do a lot though, huh? No wonder you're so on top of stuff. [THAT SAID-- and he looks a little hesitant at this, but more because he doesn't really like being useless:]
If it's about technology, I don't think I can help much. I don't really get stuff like that. They just tell me how to use it and send me out to the frontlines, y'know? I'm no good with figuring out how it works.
[He only just used a digital camera for the first time recently...]
no subject
[duh, kashuu. in any case:]
You can just tell me the parts you know—I'm sure I can fill in the blanks, anyway. [which is probably true.
she might also curse him later for tidying her room, because she's the kind of person who lives in a mess—but it's organized chaos. she knows where just about everything of value is in the mess. but for now? it's probably fine.
after a second, she'll just yell—]
Found it, there you are! [...and then slam the bottle of nail polish on the desk. you know, gently enough so it doesn't break.
she's got this.]
I TOOK A MURDER BREAK BUT FORGOT TO RETURN AFTER I DIED
Many.
Many.
So his eyes just light the hell up and he goes to inspect what color she's brought, forgetting about tidying and also about the actually important things for a hot second.]
Ooh, what kind is it? [SO EXCITED. But also, right, right, business--] Um... I guess you could say we're, like, in the business of eradicating time anomalies? And the things that cause 'em, of course.
it's fine bc i was too busy turbo murdering too ig
[it's definitely hot pink. she's got an assortment of colors, but pinks and purples are her favorites and it definitely matches harold's aesthetic, even if her own nails are currently matched well to her skirt.
the color she offers to kashuu matches her shorts and boots, so there's clearly an aesthetic thing going on.]
Ohooo, time anomalies. I'm no stranger to that one, but it sounds like you've got something different, unless you've got a pissy Goddess behind your messes too!
sometimes u just gotta murder hard for 5 weeks
[Because, as she can probably tell just from looking at him, his own palette tends to be more subdued and darker toned. Lots of reds, blacks, golds - for some reason, despite the fact that he always yells about wanting to be cute, he dresses more elegantly than anything.
He also looks a little Concerned™ about pissy Goddesses. Being a minor god himself, he knows... HE KNOWS... Gods and goddesses can be assholes.]
Nah... At least I don't think so? Just other tsukumogami like me and whoever's leading 'em. An enemy saniwa - ah, those're the guys who summon us.
we murdered and got murdered and it was good
[it's a very different aesthetic of her own—though she thinks it's a look at that suits him well enough. in any case, he'll get a bit of a shift with his manicure today?
it's fine, this is totally fine.
in any case, harold herself doesn't seem to be too fussed about the goddess thing. weird? she had fun with that part, though.
...maybe harold's just the weird one.]
Talk about a word salad. Things to learn, things to learn! ♪ [because of course.]
So these saniwa are the ones leading the charge. And you're... tsukumogami. I think I might need a bit of a better definition than that.
i cant believe you got murdered even tho you didnt die, paintrain game 2stronk
[Unlike some of his fellows, he's not a particularly gaudy bean... Dressing entirely in red would be Too Much for him - and he prefers to bring attention to things like his eyes anyway, without overpowering them. #aesthetic
Also look even if she's weird at least she has great taste, so it evens out!]
Kinda! The time government's in charge of 'em, but they're in charge of us. [A TRUE CHAIN OF COMMAND. What's the time government?? Who knows, 2+ years later and it's still a complete mystery.
He'll gesture to himself after that, though - and then to his sword.]
Tsukumogami are object spirits! Or tool kami, if you wanna get technical. Baaasically, this sword here is my body and I'm the spirit that was born from it! Like that.
i am pretty deda tbh
well, it's not hard to understand.]
So... you and the sword are one. The sword is you, and you're the sword.
[...she's.
sparkling.
why the hell is she sparkling?]
TOSSES A FLOWER TO THE SEA IN UR MEMORY..
Mmhm! You could say I'm the soul of this sword, and it's my true body. This one- [Pats his chest!] -was made for me by my new master.
[So he himself is a freaky weird magic anomaly, traveling through abnormal rifts in space-time to fight against other freaky weird magic anomalies. FUN FOR SCIENCE.]
rip in pieces, me
[she's pondering.]
I didn't think it could be done the other way around. Even putting a personality into a sword is pretty risky, but giving the soul of a sword a body of it's own, ohoooo! ♪
[she might be leaning in to poke kahuu a little. she really has no respect at all for personal boundaries.]
He sounds like that kind of person that would be a good rival for me!
weeks later, panzoom to aly still suffering in p5 murder hell
Though he now has So Many Questions. So many, and also a mild creeping concern--]
Eh? Don't fight aruji, he's already tired all the time. [It's no wonder, considering he has 50+ idiots to manage 24/7, including this one who hears "rival" and just automatically assume actual battles will be involved.]
But what do you mean, the other way around? Putting a personality into a sword-- D'you mean, like... A soul? Putting a soul in a sword?
[BAFFLING. AND ALSO VERY WORRISOME. Like, what if the sword already had a soul?! And what if the soul didn't want to be a sword! So many questions and zero answers.]
i mean, if it's not one hell, it's another anyway
[she'll eventually get to the part where she gives him a proper manicure, but they started talking technical shit and that gets harold riled up in a different way entirely.
whoops?
whoops.]
You could call it that, anyway. It's not exactly the same as putting a soul in. More like copying the personality to a very powerful Lens and outfitting it to a custom-made sword for the wielder to create a perfect resonance and harmony in battle!
[he doesn't want to know what happens when the soul and the sword soul have dissonance, it's alarming.
though she really doesn't actually know that side effect yet.]
these trueass words
[Except not at all because that's probably breaking like 5000 codes of spacetime travel conduct?! But he's just a sword okay, he's here for manicures and to be confused about complicated stuff he doesn't fully grasp. Like this! It's clear he's trying though, if nothing else.]
Mm... I'm not sure I get it. How can you copy a whole personality? And what's a Lens, too?
[Out of all of that, the thing he gets the most is creating a perfect harmony between a wielder and sword, but that's what the sword soul is for in his weird corner of reality.]
But I guess if it's such a young sword, it probably doesn't have a soul of its own yet, anyway...
no subject
...while also enjoying being the smartest person in the room, naturally.]
A Lens is pretty powerful mineral, it's our prime source of energy! [she'll rummage around her desk, pulling up a crystal that is golden in color; one day, it'll be put right into this swordian.]
This is a Core Crystal, it'll be the centerpiece the great Swordian Berselius! [a beat, and:] When it's done.
We're still in the experimental phases of imbuing the personality into the Core Crystal, but once that's done and a little extra legwork, the Master and their Swordian will have a flawless, seamless consciousness to operate in tandem!
[she'll motion to a casing on the wall, which does seem to carry an unfinished sword—dymlos.] There's still a lot of work to be done, but there's no doubt that with my genius, it'll be a success!
no subject
He seems pretty fascinated by all of this even if he doesn't get it, at least! When she pulls the lens out to display, he's trotting right on over to get a close look, tilting his head this way and that. Granted, he's not picking up the same resonance from it that he does from his fellow spirits - but he supposes that isn't surprising, considering how fundamentally different they sound.
It's still just a little unnerving, even so...]
Huh... So it's a project you're working on that'll basically create a perfect duo of swordsman and sword? [He follows the gesture to the sword on the wall, brow furrowing a little.]
Are they gonna be good comrades, then? Like - partners that take care of each other, that kinda stuff?
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which kashuu is probably about to learn in a hurry.]
Nnnnnoooot exactly! The Swordians will be a very literal extension of the Master! Their own personalities imbued into the swords. Only one seamless consciousness, it's not the same kind of autonomy that you have at all.
I could probably invent personalities out of thin air, but that might get a bit tricky. The key to Swordians will be their abilities, anyway. Our generals will be souped-up versions of themselves with abilities they'd never be able to pull off without my genius aiding them!
[it's definitely stupid rpg science. it's also not going to go as she plans at all since they'll gain a consciousness of their own eventually anyway... but she hasn't learned that nifty face yet.]
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But copying a personality into a sword that's basically the same - or actually the same?! - as the wielder itself... That's a little beyond his ability to really Get.]
Ah... So it's like making a copy of a person and sending 'em out to fight together? Closer to that...? This is super confusing.
[At least he's honest.]
Is a sword wielder finding a sword that suits their style not, like... [He doesn't want to say "enough" since that makes him sound indignant and SWORD BIASED, but he doesn't really know what else to say.] ...I mean, does your war need more outta the soldiers in it than that?
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[he may not really get it, but kashuu understands at least enough that she doesn't have to dumb it down too much further.
which is a blessing.
but there's still more, so as she picks up the nail polish bottle finally, shaking it, she'll explain further.]
It does. All the Swordians will be forged to be blades that match their Master's fighting style. But just being able to swing a sword isn't enough for this war, not with what we're up against.
[and so, harold smiles—almost deviously. her intentions are good, but she does live up to being a genius mad scientist in just about every way imaginable.]
Which is why the Swordians will have an extra oomph! to them that will give them the upper-hand to actually end this war once and for all! ★
[and she doesn't mean the personality part, either.]
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Not beyond what it's able to do to maximize a soldier's ability to fight, anyway.]
Can I ask what you're up against, anyway? If you've gotta add all these fancy bells and whistles to your armory, it must be a pretty big deal, yeah?
[Being from the spirit world himself, he's no stranger to Big Wild Enemies... It's much more common for him to face off against minor gods, but he's seen the havoc that some of the bigger forces of nature can wreak. Or even mankind itself, honestly. That's a pretty wildly destructive force.]
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[it's pretty hard to miss, since it looms pretty closely overhead; it's not directly over their base right now—but it's in view for a reason.]
That's the aerial city of Dycroft. And it's ruler, Miktran, hoo... he's a real jerk if I've ever met one!
[no, there's more to this story, so harold actually sobers up a bit and cools her theatrics.]
That's where I'm from, but we left that place behind a long time ago, since we couldn't agree with what he wants. He wants Dycroft and the other Aerial cities to be all that's left. The Aetherians don't care about what's happening here.
They're a huge thing attached to Dycroft, it's called Belcrant and when it fires... it takes earth up into the sky to fortify their land. The more it fires, the worse it gets. Cities are destroyed, and the earth is falling apart. If we let this keep going, the whole planet will be ruined... the Aether lands will cover our sky, blocking out the sun and leaving everyone on this planet to die while they prosper.
[it's a huge issue.]
They have technology that can't be matched here... aside from what I can do. We don't have the resources, so this is basically our last stand. If we're going to take down Miktran, this will be our only opportunity to do it.
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Still, this is definitely the first time he's ever heard of-- well, any of this. There are no aerial cities where he comes from. The threat their world faces comes in the form of the past being altered, not of what remains in the present being wiped out by rude punks who refuse to share the sun.]
Why? [Isn't that always the question?] Why does that guy hate this place that much? It's not like they're doing anything to those guys up in the sky, right? Do they just think these people are worth less or something?
[Another concept he's greatly familiar with, but still. It's a shame it's one that lasts between time and worlds.]
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