PSL (closed)

[1stknight]

[Honestly, being summoned was quite the surprise to Bedivere. Being a saber, he knew he was at a disadvantage. After all, there were so many more sabers even just from the Round Table who were much more famous, so surely they would have been summoned over him. In fact, he was sure it had happened countless times before. That one master he had met, the one from Chaldea, they had spoken of singularities and grail wars to span several worlds and timelines. And with so many fine Sabers to choose from, he was sure that he hadn't ever been summoned before. The short time between the 'creation of his legend' and 'now' notwithstanding.

It made him feel a touch inadequate, if he was being truthful. After all, he was a simple knight. The master who had summoned him, he deserved better than someone like him. But if he was the one who was summoned, then he would fulfill his duty to this new master. Nothing would be done in half-steps, never again.

So as his form solidified in the summoning circle, Bedivere offered his new master a warm smile. Once again, his life was sworn to someone else's. Whatever his master wished for, Bedivere would help him achieve it.]

Saber, Bedivere. I am honored to be summoned by you. From now on, I shall be your Servant.

['I am honored to be summoned at all' was the truth, but he didn't speak that.

Then he paused, and he took a survey of the situation. The summoning circle was expertly made, but this man in front of him...well. He didn't look like a mage. He looked like a normal person. Perhaps it was a disguise? Or maybe there was more to this situation than he could see immediately. He would have to wait for his new master to respond in order to find out more.]

Comments

[1stknight]

[Oh. What casual arm-holding. Bedivere accepted it, but he blushed a faint pink at the gesture while looking pleased at the arrangement.]

Yes, let's.

[Though when they got to the food stalls, Bedivere was distracted by the takoyaki stand.]

Ah, it's these again.

[neverwashere]

Yep.

[Bedivere singling out the takoyaki was enough of a prompt for Dazai to get them some, followed by taiyaki, dango, and whatever else Bedivere seemed curious about.

There were a couple of picnic tables nearby, and Dazai led them to be seated at one.

He blinked. It wasn't until he could stretch his legs that he realized just how much they'd walked around that morning. If he had to guess, though, Bedivere probably wasn't even winded.]

What kind of exotic creatures live in England, anyway? Well, exotic relative to Japan, at least.

[1stknight]

[So much food, and Bedivere liked it all. He was still very much a 'meat and potatoes' kind of person, but this food was good too. He would eat up anything Dazai offered him. RIP Dazai's wallet though. He wasn't as bad as Atsushi, but he still had a big appetite when he wasn't trying to be reserved.]

Ah? I'm not sure what counts as exotic, I grew up around them. I suppose cardinals a nd blue jays, though? Do you have those here?

[Dazai was also right that Bedivere wasn't winded at all.]

[neverwashere]

[Bedivere being here meant that Dazai a) wasn't able to gamble, and b) wasn't even interested in gambling. So in a sense, Bedivere's appetite was bringing equilibrium to Dazai's usual budget, and this was a far better activity compared to betting on races.

He liked that Bedivere was starting to cut loose around him, too. Who knew that a night of intimacy and open affection was enough to smoothen out things between them.]

I don't believe so.

They're small birds, aren't they?

[1stknight]

[Sometimes you touch another dude's dick and get some hickeys and your feelings get complicated. It's totally fine, nothing troubling will come of it.]

They are, yes. Blue jays, as the name suggests, are blue. But they're a bright blue, with white bellies and black lines around their eyes. the patterning is very distinct and- oh, actually-

[They shared dreams, so sharing mental images should be possible, yes? Bedivere's face screwed up in concentration as he focused on the mental image of a blue jay. He looked absolutely ridiculous, with his sight a little cross-eyed and the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth. But with effort, the mental image of a blue jay would come across eventually.]

[neverwashere]

[Hazards of the heart going doki doki. Nothing special.

The shared vision, on the other hand, was. Dazai visibly straightened - as a nullifier, being able to actually participate in something like this was incredibly new, and his first thought was about how lucky he was to have summoned Bedivere, however unusual the circumstances.]

They're beautiful. [He was so stunned with this whole memory sharing thing his brain hasn't caught up to how ridiculous Bedivere looked.] Has one ever perched on your finger?

[1stknight]

[The image didn't last long, because as soon as Dazai indicated he had seen it Bedivere stopped focusing. He was at risk of a headache and he didn't want to be in pain the rest of the day. No more silly face, he was back to normal.]

Not on my finger, no. But sometimes they got close when I was working on the farm. They were always looking for fallen grains of wheat to eat.

Cardinals are like blue jays, but they are entirely red.

Do you think either of them would be at the zoo here?

[neverwashere]

We can check after eating.

[He still sounded a little dazed, but he'd promise he was fine.]

If they aren't, I'm sure there's a tiny bird out there who'll be colorful and friendly to you.

[Also, have +1 dango for the successful telepathy]

[1stknight]

[He would take that dango, sure. But not before seeing that dazed look on Dazai's face, and oh he felt his heart flutter again. Butterflies in his stomach were dangerous, it could lead him to do foolish things.]

Ah...what bird?

[He was so caught up in seeing Dazai so cute that he had forgotten what they were discussing with the birds.

He was also busy wondering what it would be like to kiss Dazai, but he quickly squashed those thoughts.]

[neverwashere]

A tiny bird that isn't a cardinal or a blue jay. Maybe the meguro.

[Bedivere's secret was safe, because Dazai was trying to remember what species were part of the local bird population.]

[1stknight]

Ah. I will have to see, then.

[He still had forgotten what they were talking about. So he shoved the dango in his mouth so he didn't have to speak anymore, lest Dazai figure out he had gotten distracted by his face.

And then, after he had finished chewing his bite:]

Let's continue, then?

[Though there was still much to see, Bedivere would come away from the day saying that chameleons were still his favorite. So much so that, while they took the train home that afternoon, Bedivere was already busy reading the book on chameleons and looking over the pictures. It was a children's book, sure, but he had never seen images so bright in a book before.]

It still amazes me that such vivid images are possible in this day and age. All of this would have been hand-drawn in the past, you know?

[neverwashere]

Alright.

[Even the stuffed animal Dazai got from the souvenir shop was a chameleon: something he gave along with the book.

Something, perhaps, to remember Bedivere by, once everything was said and done.]

I can imagine.

Although there is a trade-off: some of the illustration techniques from those times are difficult to recreate. Restorers have it tough.

[1stknight]

[That chameleon was absolutely getting tucked under Bedivere's arm, though he would struggle with where to put both it and the book once they got back to Dazai's apartment. He didn't really have his own space there, and wouldn't be sure where to put them so they were out of the way.]

Oh? They're trying to restore that art? But why not appreciate it for what it is and make something new?

[neverwashere]

[Bedivere was welcome to put the stuffed chameleon wherever he wished in the apartment, although Dazai certainly wouldn't mind if it got carried around.]

They're to be treasured. To modern eyes, the past may as well be a different country.

It's not so different from having legends survive up to this day, you know? Old paintings, embroidery, pottery, metal craftsmanship - all of those represent what humans are capable of doing as they chase the pinnacle of their potential. They're there to remind us of where we've been and imagine where we could've been, even if we've forgotten the very language we spoke a thousand years ago.

[1stknight]

Ahh, but the legends of old aren't told the same word-for-word. The general structure is the same, but each storyteller's quirks and biases change them just a little bit. Even if two men are reading aloud from a piece of paper, the way they read it will be different.

Art is the same as well. Two artists can paint the same subjects and have different results. It isn't to say that any one result is better, just that humans see things differently.

[neverwashere]

[Dazai nodded in agreement.

Paused.

Snapped his fingers.]

You're not wrong, and even the context with which we enjoy these tales now is different from when they were first made.

That said, what kind of stories did you enjoy growing up? [He pulled out his phone and opened a browser tab.] Provided it survived in some form, someone's probably drawn inspiration from it, and we can check if it's available to watch or read.

Finally, my English degree (somewhat) pays off!

[1stknight]

[Oh, that was sweet. And it brought a smile to Bedivere's face.]

Beowulf is one I remember, it was a popular one told by storytellers when I was young. And we always listened to stories of humans who ran afoul the Fair Folk, though I suspect those were ones more meant to get us to behave than for our entertainment. I never would have suspected that they had any basis in reality, and I'm sure you can imagine how surprised I was when I found out that there was some truth to both of them.

\o/

[neverwashere]

[Already, he was looking up lists of adaptations. Not his usual myth hangout, but he was looking forward to it.

Unsurprisingly, the lists were very long. There were even rock musicals and a board game.]

So which parts are real? the Fair Folk? Beowulf himself?

[The dragon was already covered earlier.

And, come to think of it, maybe even the Fair Folk. There were a couple of them tied into King Arthur's myth.]

[1stknight]

Beowulf is real. He is also a hero that can be summoned as part of a Grail War. Also, the Fair Folk are real as well, though they are trickier to see and define. Using their real names draws their attention, which isn't a good thing.

[Dragons were definitely real too.]

Demons as well are real. Merlin is the son of a human woman and an incubus.

[neverwashere]

[Dazai whistled.]

I don't suppose that applies to our ayakashi? They're well-known, and their presence in pop culture's too widespread.

[Also - here, a movie trailer. Plus a couple of additional clips if Bedivere was interested in seeing more.]

[1stknight]

[For someone who was not familiar with motion caption animation, that movie seemed off a bit. And he frowned as he pressed his face closer to the phone, as if it would make it easier to see.]

Why does everyone look so strange? It's like...they're painted, but they look real too? It's a little unsettling to see.

And I don't know what an ayakashi is, but I would presume that there is some truth to the stories.

[neverwashere]

[Biting the inside of his cheek was now necessary, because that was cute.]

They're computer generated images - hmm. It's like having a picture that gives the characters volume by wrapping their images around a wire frame, except it's all digital. Here - [he held out his hand] I'll look for a different film.

Ayakashi are ghosts, demons, spirits, that sort of thing.

Knowing that they're real to some degree lessens the appeal of watching horror movies.

[1stknight]

Alright.

[He didn't know why Dazai was offering out his hand, but he just went with it and held Dazai's hand. Even if it meant losing control of his metal arm temporarily, he did like holding hands with Dazai. That warm feeling in his chest was coming back.]

Why? Does it seem less scary if you know they're real?

[neverwashere]

[So like an idiot who was used to borrowing another person's gadgets - anything from a smartphone to a gun - he'd run his mouth and automatically extended his palm, completely forgetting the phone in his other hand.

Welp too late to take that back now, and the surprised flush on his face was obvious before he ducked his head to type one-handed on his phone. Tellingly, Dazai had yet to let go of Bedivere's hand.]

It's not discomfort based on the fact that they exist, but on their possible intrusion into my space. [This was such a directly honest answer that Dazai surprised himself.] I have a rather active imagination, you know? Unless it's absolutely necessary, I'd rather not have to factor in ghostly activity when I plan my day-to-day.

[1stknight]

[Dazai, trapping himself in his own embarrassment. It would be funny if it weren't so damn cute.

Okay, no, it was cute and funny at the same time. And while Bedivere did try to keep a straight face for Dazai's sake, he couldn't stop that small, warm chuckle that escaped him.

If he were bolder, maybe he would try to steal a kiss. But Bedivere was not a bold man, not when it came to romance. So hand-holding would have to do for now.]

Would it help you to know that, if you leave them alone, they will usually leave you alone? They more care about entertainment, and as long as you are not entertaining to them then they have no reason to seek you out.