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[unionjackoff]

[there is a pause that has been recorded, unintentionally, followed by the sound of someone clearing his throat]

Uh. Hullo. This is Arthur Kirkland. Please leave a message. Or text. Or whatever...

[beep]

Comments

[helmsplitter]

[Yeah plz don't die here. Dotanuki needs his war buddies.

Dotanuki carefully wipes his blade off, inspecting the new scratches. Only a few. It means his bruises won't be so bad. ]

Maybe get something you can move more easily. That thing can take and deal a punch but it'll slow you down.

[He slides his sword back into its saya. ]

Or just be willing to leave it if you have to.

[unionjackoff]

I'm not leaving this baby anywhere. I spent good money on it! [sniff. oh, right, his nose...

England seeks out a handkerchief from his pocket and uses that to clean up a bit] If I do get another sword, it'll be a smaller one. For now, I think I'll just stick to my gun.

[helmsplitter]

[Meanwhile, Dotanuki doesn't care that he's bleeding. It's the mark of a good practice!]

You'll want a dagger - something small and light, easy to put in the boot or on the waist. Guns can run outta bullets at the worst time.

[He doesn't carry a dagger or a gun, but usually he has a tantou backing him somewhere. Or one of the wakizashis. Or Mutsunokami.]

But money can be replaced. Your life? Not so much.

[unionjackoff]

Back at home, I never had to worry about my life. [England massages the back of his neck, closing his eyes] No weapon could kill me, and I healed faster than humans. Here? It varies. I think I'm still able to heal faster, but if I die, that's a crap shoot.

[helmsplitter]

Heard about that - something having to do with you bein' a country's tsukumogami, right?

[It's about as close to what Dotanuki knows.]

I heard about one of you that died here. Heard his code went back into the system [He says that like he's reciting it from memory, which he is.] and then he came back.

[unionjackoff]

Yeah... that happened to America. [he tucks his handkerchief away and then stands up, brushes off his pants] He shot himself, and it killed him. But he popped up a few days later as though nothing'd happened. Normally, a gunshot wound wouldn't do anything to us, so it was quite a surprise.

[helmsplitter]

...

[Give him a second to process what England just said.

America, the country and tsukumogami, shot himself in the head. ...What.]

Why the hell did he shoot himself in the first place? Even I wouldn't do that and I'm practically unbreakable.

[unionjackoff]

[England rolls his eyes, not at Dotanuki, but at America's actions]

Part of it had something to do with CERES, and some spell they put us under... I don't think that was all CERES' fault, though, since America's always doing stupid shite like that back home.

[helmsplitter]

A spell...? They have some magic that can make people kill themselves?

[THAT is alarming. How the hell is he supposed to fight against magic? The keibiishi were bad enough, but magic?]

[unionjackoff]

[England makes a thoughtful noise]

Magic... or science. I'm not sure what it was. [a short pause as he tries to recall what happened. honestly, most of the day is a blur. a messed up, jumbled blur] ...I think it had something to do with a tarot reading. The ones who got cards started acting strangely, based on what they got, myself included.

[helmsplitter]

[To Dotanuki magic and science are closely intertwined. He recalls days when medicine was magic and now it's called science.

And when England mentions the "tarot" thing, he assumes one thing:]

So a curse.

[He lets out a sigh and wipes at the last remnants of blood at his lips with the back of his hand.]

Seems to be in line with the rest of this stupid place.

[unionjackoff]

[a curse! that was a better way of putting it, so England nods at that]

I have been alive for a very long time, and I don't recall ever being as confused about something as I am Cerealia. I have witnessed so many bizarre, terrifying things here, and I still don't think I'm any closer to getting home as when I arrived.