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avalaughs2021-08-01 12:44 am
avalonmods) wrote in avalaughs2021-08-01 12:44 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 10
 Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ 
A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival
Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, helping to rescue any wayward travelers who look like they're struggling in the water. This month's helpers are giant pillow jellies, a species of jellyfish that is capable of ballooning itself at the surface to create bouncy pads for characters to hop across to the shore, should they choose or not be able to swim. They come in a variety of bioluminescent colors, but do not seem to be very talkative even to animal magic users. Those who try may find themselves being ignored, even if they hear the jellies talking amongst themselves about this and that. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly. (Though.. given how hot and muggy the weather is this first week, maybe you might want to ask him to toss you right back into the lake where the waters are still cool.) *Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot
These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with whole coconuts filled with tropical drinks and topped with tiny umbrellas. Strawberry daiquiris, pina coladas, margaritas, mai tais, and more... all frosty and in the spirit of keeping you cool during the sunny month of August. (Naturally, virgin editions are available for the underaged.) Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk.C ⦿ The Red Spring
If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there. 
With communications with Elphame in Celliwig disrupted by specters and Arthur temporarily decommissioned, the Hall of Mirrors is temporarily off limits for cleansing rituals. Celliwig has encouraged people to return to Camelot for the time being, which is just as well with all the newcomers flooding in. Last month's new arrivals through the old guard got an introduction to the new aquatic mounts and there are now plenty of people versed in how to handle and work with the magical alpacapies, mossatees, and deinosuchus. As scout parties head out further, there are a few problems that they've run into that need a helping hand from Camelot's otherworldly population.
B ⦿ Clash of the Titans
C ⦿ Fresh Waters
Or if you weren't so lucky, you may find yourself waking up on a slightly different shore. An underwater shore. An underwater town, in fact. After the initial panic of realizing that you're not drowning when you wake up settles in, you'll realize that you seem to be able to breathe underwater just fine. In fact, the real panic is probably about to start when you realize that like the fine people of this town that saved you, you've been temporarily gifted gills and a bottom lower half of either a merperson, a naga, or a cecaelia. Your caretaker, a nurse of the local town, offers the explanation that the only way to save everyone from drowning was to pull them into their territory, which is cursed to turn them all into sea monsters. Not to worry though, as long as you leave before the sun sets on the third day, you'll turn back to normal just fine. ...Though, they're not really sure when that was or if they battle is over, so you should probably find your friends and any possessions you had with you and start heading toward the surface. Not too much time to explore this strange, underwater town... especially since you don't have much practice not having legs to get you up to the surface. Don't worry, if you don't make it out in time, the Lady of the Lake will come fetch you... though perhaps not in time, so you may need to spend some time back in Camelot seeking out someone to break a curse. 
Arthur is injured and recovering, and news has spread on social media about it. There are lots of well-wishers and gifts being sent to the castle... enough that there's just too much for Arthur to do anything with it. He needs time to recover and rest and not be bothered, and as such declares that all those who need it shall share in the wealth and generosity of those wishing him well. The abundance (Especially from guilty Celliwigians who didn't realize what was happening right under their own noses) results in a few things happening...
B ⦿ Swap Meet
C ⦿ Healing Circle After Party
MOD NOTES: • All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ. |
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[But that's enough of that. It's self-pitying, yeah, big surprise coming from him; Kadoc knows what he's like. But there's another undercurrent to it that could be interpreted as excusing his actions instead, and that he can't abide. The last thing he wants is for Fujimaru to look at him as some tragic soul who hadn't had a choice in everything he pulled. He had.
He shakes his head, expression hardening.]
But that's whatever. I've got no idea why you think what I'm doing right now isn't what I wanna do. Did you expect a fist to the face? I've never been any good at that, and I don't like shit I'm not good at. Besides, there are a lot of reasons why that'd be a bad idea.
[And he doesn't want to. He doesn't say that part explicitly. It feels almost secondary to the rest. But it's in there: he doesn't actually want to throw a punch at this girl.]
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[ He's said it himself! There's a lot of reasons it'd be a bad idea for them to get into a fistfight! Even if she knows he's probably just applying it to himself, she feels like the scope is a little wider than that! ]
I don't want to fight you. I never have. You can make of that what you will. We can have a big old screaming argument, if you want that instead, but that's not going to change how I feel.
[ She, meanwhile, just feels bad. Not even emotionally, though that's certainly still there. Her head hurts, she's tired, she wants some water and a nap and maybe some food, in whatever order she can get it. But she doesn't really want to walk away from this, either. No matter what, Ritsuka's bad at backing down, even from something she doesn't want to do. ]
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[His tone goes a little petulant, childish. Once upon a time, when he'd first woken up, he'd had fantasies about taking his anger and envy out on Fujimaru. Confronting her somewhere alone, dressing her down until she felt as miserable as he did at the time. But those fantasies had always been as childish as his tone is right now—the very height of meaningless, impossible self-indulgence. It never would have happened that way, and not just because Kadoc isn't the kind of person who finds it easy to have a screaming argument. It's because you can't just pass on misery that comes from inside of yourself to someone else and have it leave you.
Back then, he hadn't known that, but he does now.
Still. He indulges just a taste of the childish right now. He can feel it in the little pout of his lip, and the color he knows is in his cheeks, and the hardness of his eyes that feels more affected than anything else. Like a kid trying to give someone the Evil Eye after learning about it for the first time, thinking it's just a matter of glaring as hard as they can.]
. . . You're a mess right now. Yeah, I felt it. I know you felt I'm a mess too, unless you didn't, and I've got surprise Cognitive I just learned about in the worst possible way. But either way, I think you might be worse off than I am. Why bother with my bullshit? Just walk away. Get some damn sleep. You don't owe me this consideration.
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[ She says it automatically, like it's a placeholder response. Ritsuka wouldn't classify herself a workaholic--especially not compared to Roman--but she does have some bad habits. Sometimes, the habit is just acknowledging her own limits and then flagrantly ignoring them.
That's a little harder to do when someone calls it out to her face, but is she a quitter? Absolutely not. ]
I've already been sleeping. I slept pretty much since they dropped us off at that weird little motel place. I'm tired of sleeping. And...
[ And. And this is perhaps the thing that doesn't make sense to Ritsuka; he's said the words, and she's heard them with her own ears, but it feels like there's some fundamental disconnect between that and her understanding. ]
Of course I do. You deserve consideration, just like anyone else.
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[Take care of your own damn self. Kadoc also can't argue with being bored of sleeping; god knows he understands that one. It's been a pain to readjust to doing it here now that he's forced to do so, even though he also has no reason anymore to stay up all night other than habit and masochism. Habit is still habit, and a full night's sleep is pretty boring. But he won't give her that one out loud.
(That said, because he has been forced to actually sleep here at least some, he is looking a bit more healthy than he did last she saw him. Stab wound aside.)
But the point is that someone else can give Kadoc all the consideration they want. Someone whose life he didn't help destroy—though Ritsuka isn't the first from Chaldea to offer it to him. Ah.]
. . . Speaking of which, you're probably gonna want your Servants back. I won't fight you on it.
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Can you even form a contract here? Because if not, then what's there to take back? They're their own people. They can make friends with whoever they want.
...And maybe it doesn't have to come from me, but if I want to give it, then that's my choice.
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[If they could form contracts, he'd probably have one with Medea by now, but she isn't Fujimaru's Medea, which makes things a lot easier. Still, he has a reason for having brought this up that isn't quite as stupid as he feels anyway at her pointing out the obvious; his arms tighten over his chest, though he's no longer glaring, at least.]
But if nothing else, your Minotaur swore to stand by me until you arrived. Heh . . . what a sick joke. He's got no idea how I used the Lostbelt version of him for my own gain. They couldn't be more different. It really drives home how twisted the Lostbelts are. The point is, he'll be thrilled to have you back. Contract or not, they're still your Servants. Any one of them would agree with me.
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[ Maybe he doesn't! Maybe this is another one of those flaws about mage society, which Ritsuka only barely understands. For all she knows, they do sincerely believe you can only have one person to be friends with, ever. ]
Asterios isn't stupid. If he's decided to follow you, then that's because he's decided you're worth listening to. And just because he might defer to me doesn't mean he'll never listen to you again.
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[He can't even snipe at her without attacking himself a little, but it is also true. He has friends, a decent chunk of them even, and that's still pretty incredible to him. When's he ever been afforded that before in his life?]
He decided to follow me because you weren't here, and because Medea told him I was trustworthy. And he was pretty clear that any Master and Servant aspect to that was over once you got here. It's got nothing to do with being friends with each other.
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[ If he's going to be suspicious of literally everything she says, she might as well be as blatantly clear as possible, and if that's condescending... oh well. He can take it however he wants. ]
I don't know the context of what's been going on with you guys here. I didn't even know Asterios was here. All I get is you throwing stuff at me and getting mad when I take you at face value. Do you wanna set up some kind of signal so we never have to run into each other again, or what?
[ She doesn't actually want that; it goes against almost everything in how she relates to people, but... she's still tired. She's so tired, and right now, she's willing to take the risk that he'll say yes.
(Probably, even if they agree to this, there will be something that throws them together, because she knows how these things go. But the offer is there on the metaphorical table.) ]
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[It's supposed to be an insult, and it is one, but the end of the "question" gets softened some by Kadoc actually . . . considering it as a question when he comes out with it. Is she? Maybe she's not, not nearly as much as he took for granted she must be, considering her success with things throughout the Singularities and his Lostbelt? But that's the thing she has, isn't it? Isn't that supposed to be How Fujimaru Ritsuka Can Still Win?
Why is she so weird and normal and awkward and tired instead?
Well, so is he. Kadoc sighs in a huff, looking at a spot on the ground somewhere to her left, arms tight.]
But anyway, that's not gonna work out. Sorry to disappoint you.
[There's a safe answer. He's confident in it. It isn't going to work out, due to the nature of this place and the natures of their respective relationships with the Servants here. This is honest enough, and it's a bonus that by giving it, he doesn't have to think about whether or not he would actually want to draw that boundary if he could.]
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[ Ritsuka's greatest strength is in her inability to give up. Knock her down, beat her up, whatever it is, she can and will just get to her feet again. It applies to people around her, too--once she's invested, she doesn't give up.
But it's different when it's another human, and not a Servant that she has to work with or else. She wants to get along with him--she's had a lot of time to think about the what-ifs and whys in regards to Team A and how that could have been. She can't just browbeat him into being friends with her. Her Servants did choose to answer her call, however roundabout; he's never chosen anything to do with her. ]
I'm not trying to condescend to you. Don't you have to feel superior to someone to condescend to them? I'm insulting you flat-out, because for a smart guy, you're being really stupid about this.
And since you're a smart guy, I know you know that's a cop-out answer. It's not about whatever weird stuff is going to happen here. It's about intent.
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[There's some mild surprise in that. Maybe even some admiration. If anything, this reminds him just a little of his recent conversation with Gawain, which had left him similarly discombobulated: the combination of insulting, honest rudeness right to his face, along with the stated desire to be around him and see him well, and for him to have relationships with their loved ones. How is he supposed to deal with this? It's so . . .
It's honest, is what it is. It's impossible to read anything else into, and Kadoc's brain doesn't know how not to read into things people say to him. How is he supposed to infer resentment and distrust into the caring comments when the insults are right there out in the open in the other remarks? Fujimaru, it would seem, is entirely willing to be an asshole to him, and yet she's still putting this decision on his shoulders.
Goddammit. Fuck!]
Fine. Lemme ask you something before I answer that. Wouldn't you rather not have anything to do with a walnut-brained raccoon yourself? Why am I the one making this choice? You're within your rights to tell me to screw off forever. Sure you don't wanna do that and save yourself the trouble of giving me the choice to say no? What if I don't?
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[ Honestly, she both is and isn't surprised that he'd turn the question on her. It feels incredibly obvious to her--why would she be sticking around, otherwise? Why would she be here talking to him, when he's given her multiple openings to simply walk away?
But also, she might not know him, but she knows enough about him. She isn't actually surprised he'd be suspicious, or that he would either not notice, or completely dismiss that obvious answer right there. Any immediate fierce anger she had for him withered long ago; now, it's not unlike the way she's felt towards former enemy Servants summoned to Chaldea.
It's just again--he knows. He actually remembers. That matters a lot. ]
I don't mind working with you. I'd rather do that than the alternative. But I'm not gonna strongarm you into it, either. Something like this has to be a mutual decision.
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[A little grumble of sound that he doesn't mean to be audible. Ugh. She's not going to budge and let him turn this on her, is she? He had a feeling, but it'd still been worth a try—and it was a legitimate concern, of course. It's not like Kadoc wants to be the only one here with the right to set boundaries.
For one thing, he's fucking terrible at that.
Because here's the thing: he could do that right here and now, and she'd listen. He can tell she would. Fujimaru would back off entirely, leaving a gaping hole where their extremely awkward relationship currently lies. And Kadoc isn't used to that kind of person. Leave me alone already, goes the script, and Pepe's return dialogue goes, Oh honey, I know you don't mean that! Or maybe Beryl sneers at him before clapping him roughly, insincerely on the back: C'mon, you know I'm only saying it because I care about you! It could be them. Or it could be Anastasia, refusing his childish whining with a crisp You must think twice before speaking to me that way again, Kadoc. Do you think of me as a mere Servant?
It's always been so easy. He's never had to think about how much he means it when he says it. It never mattered.
And now, if he says it because it's the easy thing, the thing he always says, leave me the hell alone—and he doesn't mean it, what then? He just has to live with that?
Ngh.
Okay. This is like any problem. You start with the easy parts and keep going, taking it apart bit by bit, and then the hard part is done before you know it. So the easy part first:]
I know you know being friends isn't the same thing as working with someone. Or maybe it is, for you. But it never has been for us. Just ask Kyrielight . . . she knows.
[After all, Fujimaru hadn't been thrilled with how Kadoc had treated her in Russia. May as well remind her of that right now.
Now for the next-hardest part. Kadoc watches her warily, gaze steady now in meeting Ritsuka's, but his posture is still protectively shuttered.]
But working together here only makes sense. I'm already doing that with your Servants. As you pointed out yourself, that was their choice. They'd probably stop if you ordered them, but I know you won't, and neither will I. As of now, there's a truce between me and the others who've shown up that's not going anywhere.
. . . So I'm not gonna withhold my cooperation.
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[ She meets his gaze without flinching or blinking, her expression calm. Her own posture stays upright, not defensive, but not relaxed. Everything she's built has come as a partnership, not one side making a concrete decision over the other; even on the battlefield, she only directs where it seems necessary.
But she is, on a small private level, relieved that he hasn't just immediately flounced off with the offer she's made. It's a start. As long as there's some foundation, however shaky it is, she can work with that.
So she takes a deep breath, lets it out slowly, and lifts her chin as she looks at him. He's taller than her, but she's not going to back down. ]
That's still not the same thing as what I'm asking... but okay.
So I'm going to assume you mean you'll extend this "truce" to me? But what about the rest of it?
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[He wheedles half to himself, but absolutely loudly enough for her to hear without difficulty. What else is he supposed to do?! He can't just have this conversation without complaint! Perish the thought. Whatever he says or agrees to here, let everyone know it was begrudging and whiny! It's just so easy to fall back on. She may not be treating him the way his colleagues back home ever did, but he can still kinda act like she is anyway, and it makes things feel simpler. It makes Kadoc able to meet her eyes, despite her overwhelming sincerity.
He takes a breath too, in echo of hers, if less dramatically.]
Are you actually asking me if we're friends now? Of course we're not. If you're really masochistic enough that you wanna try . . . I'm not the boss of you. Try, if you've decided you want that. We'll see how long that lasts.
[Buried under all of that bluster, that is permission.
Fujimaru isn't good at giving up on things, he knows, but surely this will be the exception, right?]
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[ She raises an eyebrow at him. While she doesn't know him well enough to really have a solid bead on him, she can at least recognize a come at me challenge from him when she hears one. There's the temptation to keep needling him on that, but honestly, this seems equally reasonable to point out. ]
If I said all that, and you were complaining like this, and I just said, yeah, okay, you're right, it's not worth it, you'd be just as mad, wouldn't you?
[ Ritsuka would be mad. Oh, she'd be so mad to be dismissed right when she thought she was being taken seriously. It's a gamble to think he'd feel the same, but it's one she's willing to take. ]
Anyway, I'm not saying I expect us to be friends now. But there's a big gap between--[ she pitches her voice lower, in a bad imitation of him ]--"I won't withhold my cooperation--[ and back to normal again ]--and actually agreeing to work together. Or just get along.
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[It's already happening, isn't it! They've (he's) managed to make even this simple exchange of greetings and truce offerings into nitpicky bickering. Kadoc knows better than to think he can just promise to be a good coworker, at least in this situation. He'd promise that to Gundham or Crow. This is five thousand times more fraught.
But at least he feels on much more even ground than he did just earlier. This may be petty, but he can navigate it. Somehow he did manage to agree to work with her without the world or his head exploding, which had been a very real fear. His arms cross loosely now over his chest, less aggressively defensive and more . . . The Attitude.]
But I'm not gonna go out of my way to antagonize you, if that's what you mean. And if you'd sized me up and told me I wasn't worth it after all that? I'd know I deserved it, so I wouldn't even blink. I've heard worse that I didn't deserve, and I was fucking begging for it this time.
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[ He's a giant M, isn't he? An SSR M! It's almost impressive, if also exasperating. This isn't exactly being a tsundere, is it? This is just all tsun, no dere.
But she doesn't finish the sentence aloud. He can ask for it if he wants her to tell him that much. ]
...If you really think that you're gonna be enough to drive me nuts, you've never had to live through a GUDAGUDA phenomenon. Trust me, after you've been through even one of those, your patience level hits max rank. So I feel pretty comfortable promising you there's no way I'm gonna punk out.
So, hey, glad to be working with you... Senpai.
[ Will he even know the word? He's not Japanese, but it's popular enough, these days. Even if he doesn't, though, there's no way he won't pick up on the layers of sarcasm as she holds a hand out to him, offering a shake. ]
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[Kadoc offers her this, and his hand. Let this be the phrase they shake on. He refuses to return the glad to be working with you sentiment, or to rise to the bait of the word senpai, which he does know. He makes a little face at her tone that isn't quite a literal eyeroll, but the spirit is there.
Shake shake. It's official: they're senpai and kouhai. Or at least allies. . . . Or at least kinda attempting it.]
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Honestly? "What the hell" is probably the best way to describe it.
[ Her tone is deeply, deeply long-suffering. What the hell, indeed. ]
It's just... a very special time of year, where people break the fourth wall right into your face, there's weird little mini versions of Oda Nobunaga running around, with added Shinsengumi? And friends? A couple of years ago, there were honest to god flying saucers zipping around. They've been back every year since.
...I know that all sounds like some kind of fever dream that I'm saying to get one over you, but for real, I wish it were just that.
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Finally,]
. . . No, if you were making that up, you'd have to have done it a while ago. No one could come up with that off the top of their heads and just spout it off without missing a beat. And if you did spend entire minutes of your day working on that in advance just to see the look on my face, I've got no idea what to say to that.
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[ She doesn't resent GUDAGUDA--sometimes she's even grateful for the sheer rollercoaster that it is--but it is incredibly difficult to explain, as someone who's lived it. Not without sounding like she's the one with a Madness Enhancement, that's for sure. ]
If I were gonna make up a story to get a reaction, it'd be less "Warring States Period meets Meiji Restoration" and more...
[ ... ]
Actually, now that I think about it, I think most of my life is stranger than anything I can come up with.