3 - Action/Video

[bossybrows]

[Action]

[When Izumo finds herself back in the village post-mallynap, the first thing she does is head home--she'll talk to Rin and Shiemi if they're around, but regardless she doesn't wind up staying too long. Why? Because after searching the house, she's come to realize that the fox kit she got for Christmas is missing. Hoping he hadn't been gone for too long or gotten too far, she'll wander the village asking people if they've seen a tiny gray fox in town lately.]

[Video]

[Later in the day Izumo sits in her room, making sure to keep the fox close now that she's retrieved him--after a lot of searching, she found him with Ran Fan.]

I've had a long day and I don't think going to the library would do me much good anyway, so I'm just going to ask--does anyone know what kinds of foods are best to eat when you can't smell?

[Izumo lets out a sigh, pausing for a minute as the baby fox tries to crawl up her and onto her shoulder...which frankly wouldn't make a very good perch for him.] Get down...

[Grabbing him and placing him in her lap, she returns her focus to her journal.]

...Anyway, before anyone stupid asks? Yes, smell and taste are connected.

Comments

[bossybrows]

...Just one, but it's not like I really see her anymore or anything. Even before I came here, we...had to part ways, for awhile.

[fierybluebird]

I see. And here?

[bossybrows]

I don't have any here.

[Which isn't true, she definitely has a few at this point--plus the two from her world she lives with--but tsunderes gonna tsun.]

[fierybluebird]

Do you want to?

[Everyone has friends. Even if they don't want to. But he wants to get a good beat on her thoughts about it first.]

[bossybrows]

No. Trusting someone like that...it's not something someone like me needs.

[fierybluebird]

No? And why not?

[bossybrows]

It makes you weak. Vulnerable. Few people are worth that--they're just going to turn on you when it's convenient for them.

[fierybluebird]

And you know all that from the friends you don't have?

[bossybrows]

Anyone who isn't stupid would realize. And I've seen enough of it firsthand to know I'm right.

[fierybluebird]

How so? I've had over two thousand friends in my lifetime and I've only ever been betrayed once. If you had even a fifty-fifty chance at casinos they'd never even make any money.

[bossybrows]

...How do you even manage to have over 2,000 friends?

[Locked 50%]

[fierybluebird]

[Laughs.] I cheat.

I'm a pirate. I've got sixteen hundred brothers and sisters that my father adopted. There have been others throughout the years that died or retired, or simply were adopted by my old man, but didn't join the crew officially. Whitey Bay, the Delculvan brothers, Squardo, Little Oars Jr. Several dozen allies and their crews. And so on, eh?

My Pops and one of my brothers though, they're the real cheats. They've had over fifty thousand friends. I can't even keep that many names in my head, eh? Much less faces.

Same for them though, only one of out all those friends and allies ever betrayed us.

It's easy to say you're protecting your heart so it won't get hurt, but your heart is a muscle just like your brain or in your limbs. If you don't use it, it's not protected, it just won't ever get strong.

[Locked 50%]

[bossybrows]

[Wow she was not expecting that. She's just gonna. Stare at him, for a moment...]

..."Friendly" isn't exactly the first term that comes to mind when anyone thinks "pirate," you know.

As for what you've said...ha. I'm already strong enough, it isn't a matter of "protecting myself"...I'm just not being foolish.

[Really grasping at straws there, Izumo.]

If it's something worth locking, why did you tell me that, anyway? I'm not someone you know you can trust or anything like that.

[Locked 50%]

[fierybluebird]

And normally that's valid. But as pirates, we do whatever the hell we want, eh.

[He grins quietly, trying to find a polite way to say this, but seriously lacking in one because there is far too much ego on his part in the way.]

I don't have to trust you with it, there's nothing you could do to use it against me. I locked it because I'd rather not have the rest of Luceti hearing that last part.

[Locked 50%]

[bossybrows]

And why is that? You were already asking me about my friends and crap like that publicly.

[Marco she doesn't get you.]

[Locked 50%]

[fierybluebird]

Asking is one thing. Admitting that kind of a mushy thing to everyone in the city is just embarrassing. Besides, if Ace or someone like that saw it they'd just use it as an excuse to try to get me to make more friends.

It's like exercise. Sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's okay, and there are some benefits and all, but being forced to do it is still a pain in the ass.

[Locked 50%]

[bossybrows]

You're trying to force me to do it.

[Hypocrite alert! As far as she's concerned, anyway.]

[Locked 50%]

[fierybluebird]

No, I haven't even dragged you to parties or anything. Even Ikki's dog forces him to make friends more than I'm forcing you.

I'm just telling you an unfortunate truth.

There's something to be said for having very few friends, but there's nothing good to be said for having none at all.

[Locked 50%]

[bossybrows]

I have one. That's good enough for me.

[Locked 50%]

[fierybluebird]

So long as you're happy with that, eh?

[Locked 50%]

[bossybrows]

I'm more than fine with it.

[Locked 50%]

[fierybluebird]

You sure sound like it, eh. [All the deadpan.]

[Locked 50%]

[bossybrows]

What are you implying?

[Locked 50%]

[fierybluebird]

Nothing. What implications in my words are you hearing?

[It should be noted here that Marco is a) a liar, and b) thoroughly enjoys using his deadpan lies to joke around. Good luck Izumo.]

[Locked 50%]

[bossybrows]

[Hmmmmm...]

...I don't trust you. Don't think this conversation means anything.