LOADING...OVERFLOW

[recollecters]

Hello and happy new year! A lot of poll results came in from R&D and we've almost fixed taste all the way. Horses are almost fixed, too. We've been working pretty much non-stop around the holidays to stabilize everything, so I hope this works! Just so you guys know, while we were working on fixing the original problems we received some alerts of residual effects outside of our usual domain. Don't worry though! Remember what I said a while ago? We're still moving more resources around into better defenses to protect the city from huge storms like last summer. We'll be taking care of that really soon and isolating the unknown problem. I wish I could tell you more, but we're all working overtime here to finish the final stages of a big project. No matter what happens you guys should be safe while we finish up, so just stay calm, okay? Don't get too reckless! Joanne Wiseman Technician 2nd class Retrspec Incorporated As of this post taste tier 4 has been icly regained; tier 5 will go into effect on Saturday, January 6th at 9pm EST and taste will be fully restored! Per the mod plotting post, you may use this post to obtain this month's freebie! This month's freebie can be earned by turning in a thread on this post that has 10 or more consecutive comments from you. Please feel free to use this post as a network mingle. Every toplevel can be considered a new post, and threadjacking is permitted. No NPC response will be given. Usernames are the character's full real AU names, not aliases or chosen nicknames or usernames, and seemed to have filled themselves in; nothing characters do can change or obscure their names currently.

Comments

☽ Overflow + open to new threads!

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((Continued from here and open to new people!!))

I'm not entirely sure I trust their advice to 'stay calm' and 'not be reckless', when they're not telling us about we should be remaining calm about in the first place. This talk about things outside their domain, especially in regards to whatever happened during the summer, isn't all that comforting.

That aside: does anyone here have any knowledge in regards to swords? Specifically sword-fighting? It's for research reasons.

☽ zhong hui

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[LIKE-- HE APPRECIATES THAT SIDE?? HONESTLY?? But not when he's trying to ask a completely serious question that isn't suspicious on a network full of strangers.]

I'll show it to you once it's graded. [Read: he'll throw together some sort of bullshit essay to show him at some later point in time with the things he's learned here. THEN, EVERYONE WINS.]

Um-- I'd appreciate that, though. Maybe before school gets back in session? We'll probably have the most free time before then.

Do you think the exercises would work for things that are heavier than fencing foils? Just in case I don't have one around to practice with on my own. [Or... you know, for broader and sharper swords, like a jian, but y'know. Not telling him THAT.]

[hairstroke]

[ SMART IDEA! EVERYONE WINS!!! Leon would be proud if he wasn't the one on the receiving end of that. ]

Yeah, let's do that. We can try and get in a lot of practice before school starts back up.

[ That's a little suspicious, Xiaolang!! Leon can't help but narrow his eyes as he reads the question. His cousin's follow up made perfect sense but his gut instinct was telling him otherwise. For now, he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. He just hoped that his imagination of Xiaolang playing with a broad sword is just him being overly paranoid. ]

I never tried it with a heavier sword myself but I believe it should? Fencing exercise helps with upper-body and arm strength, so you should get stronger to be able to hold something heavy. If anything, I think it would be interesting to try out.

☽ shinji

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You can't block it completely, no, and I agree that knowledge shouldn't be withheld from people.

But they should at least have some safeguards up. You could wind up on some dangerous websites.

[spirithacker]

i have an adblocker
and i run antivirus programs once a week

☽♡ sakura

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['It's still almost scary to think how much went on that I had no idea about until I got the app.' Girl. Don't even get him STARTED.]

... I agree. But now that we do know,
we can do what we can to protect ourselves and others from whatever may happen. That way anyone else we know without the app won't be worried about us if they ever do receive it. [You know, much like he was about her, and Leon was about him.]

The basics are better than nothing, anyway. When did you want to start this? The sooner the better is probably the best option, but there's still work and school to consider, too.

[SAKURA, HIS WHOLE POINT IN THIS WAS KEEPING YOU SAFE, IF YOU TRY TO PROTECT HIM, HE'S JUST GOING TO LEAD YOU INTO DANGER........ although there's a surprising flutter in his chest at the thought of her wanting to be at his side, should anything were to happen to him.]

... I'll try. Maybe best we can do is just look after one another, to the best of our abilities.

[keystaff]

Right! Um. I'll talk to Fai-san on when he could drop me off and all, if you talk to Leon-san about lessons?You're probably right, the sooner the better for figuring starting at least.

But yes! Together, we'll figure it.

☽ orihime

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Wendy... not the one with the name like 'wendigo', right? She seemed kind of, ah-- abrasive.

[Which says something if Xiaolang is mentioning it. All that cursing...]

[lastcomfort]

Yes, that's Wendy!

[ Oh boy. ]

She may not seem very friendly but I think she's a little homesick, based on what she said.

☽ tsurumaru

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[Look, he totally gets the skepticism. If it wasn't his own memory, he'd be suspicious too.]

I'm... pretty positive? It certainly looked like one. No normal animal has a head quite that round, or eyes that beady. A classmate did say it spoke to her, in her own memories, though, so I can't be too sure.

[It takes Xiaolang a moment to do a quick google search on tachi swords-- but once he's satisfied with what he's seen, he switches the conversation over to private]

I see.

Being a sword, would you be able to identify other swords as well? I received this recently from Retrospec [And attached is an image of a jian sword], but I'm not sure which type it is, exactly. You-- I mean, your sword seems a better match to mine than a fencing foil or a wooden one, so I'd like to hear your advice on it.

[surprising]

[ he takes a moment to examine the image sent over to him, inspecting it carefully. it looks different than the other swords he's seen so far, and while his recolle life is still catching up to his sword knowledge, there are still some facts that he can tell. so when he replies back, he does so equally in private. ]

i can recognize other japanese swords, but this one wasn't forged in japan. they usually have curved blades, but this one has a straight blade. the sheath is also a dull color, so it was probably used for fighting and not for display.
although... the red string decoration would definitely get in the way when you swing it, and that's an easy way to get yourself killed if you're fighting against someone — so you probably used this sword for some purpose other than just swordfighting.

[ which he concludes from his own sword being so decoration-heavy, and having been put on display at some point. ]

do you remember knowing any other ways to fight?

☽ Li-Na

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... they're THAT powerful?!

[Like-- he knew they could make her jump high, and she mentioned them being strong enough to beat a monster, but... jeez. That was kind of scary?? Although now that she mentions the woods, he sort of wonders if that's a good place to train on his own himself...]

... I see. I usually make it at home, but maybe that's worth looking into.

As a side note, my tea tasted normal this morning, so I think drinks are back? So milk tea may be possible to drink again if you don't mind it unsweetened.

Re: ☽ Li-Na

[invocate]

In one of the memories I got in October, she fights a giant robot and kicks it down a shaft.

[along with the head of the science dept]

Really? I do not mind, so this is good to know!
Thank you Xiaolang!

☽ draco

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That's not a real answer. [Seriously, Derek--]

But... if you could introduce me to him, I'd appreciate it. After what we've discussed, and what Retrospec's hinting might happen... I want to be prepared, somehow. And I recently... acquired something, from Retrospec, that could help.

Re: ☽ draco

[blondferret]

It's a sword isn't it? That's why you want to talk to someone about swords? I'll ask my friend.

[me_matey]

see this kid fuckn gets it i knew there was a reason i liked u

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... gets what?

[What did he do so he can never do it ever again--]

☽ foggy

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[THANK GOODNESS FOR NETWORK POSTS THEN?? because Xiaolang is 100% convinced someone bought his awful cover story]

... I see. I'm in karate myself, so I've gotten a number of them on my feet, but... it makes sense you'd get a lot for your hands for sports like those. I guess it must improve the grip on it over time, too.

[But yes, PLEASE, spook the child-- he needs to be aware that there are some very real dangers behind all of this.]

The paper's not on a specific sword, but-- the one I have in mind is straight and tapers a bit at the end? Not as thin as a fencing sword, or a rapier, but it's not huge, either. I'm not sure what country it came from, exactly, but the blade is double-edged, from what I can tell. [And what he can feel--] I saw a photo of it in a book at school, so I decided to base my essay off of that one in particular. [It'd probably be easier to just show Foggy his photo of his sword, but then it'd be extremely obvious that it belonged to him?? so not the best idea to do that--]

[devilsadvocato]

A sword in a book and there was no caption or anything to suggest where it came from or what you would call this type of sword? Sounds like an odd book.

You're going to want to comb through the network. Visit local dojos until you find someone who truly understands the way of the sword. You can't rely on movies or youtube videos to teach you how it works. People end up in the ER all the time because they think they can do what they saw on tv only to discover after it's too late that the technique was too advanced or not even realistically possible without special effects. You don't want that kind of content in your paper do you? Only an experienced swordsman can break down the unspoken rules of the weapon that unlock the secrets you'll want to write in your paper. In fact I wouldn't even start writing the paper until I've talked to an expert and taken extensive notes. It would be a real shame if an inaccuracy made it into your essay. The entire paper could be messed up if that happened.

[Is this the scared straight program?]

☽ mimori

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It doesn't matter. I know what it's going to be, and I'm not in the mood for it. [But when are you ever in the mood for people poking fun at you, Xiaolang--]

[kabloom]

So
What kind of sword is it?

☽ shion

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... I suppose. I'm not sure how one can prepare themselves for a potential monster attack or anything in that degree of danger, though. Do we stock up on things right now? Set up bunkers for ourselves and the people we know in case our homes get damaged? How much can we do without becoming completely paranoid?

[Although the other side of this coin is, of course, teach yourself to fight and protect yourself, but Xiaolang doesn't even want to mention that in case it sets Mio's suspicions up again.

That said...]

... hold on, what other things?

☽ kamui

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I'm... not sure? It looks like this, though.

[Attached: one photo of a sweet ass jian sword]

Would you happen to know what it is?

☽ prompto

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[shit, man, Xiaolang was so ready to be salty at you, but you're cool with him secretly learning how to wield dangerous weapons and not giving him grief over it

he's not sure how to feel about this]

A couple of people already approached me about training after I put this up, so I'm not at a lack of teachers, but

I could use all the practice I can get, so if you know anyone else... I'd appreciate it.

[Screencap this so you can document the one time Xiaolang has showed you gratitude, Prompto]

☽ four

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[HE DIED AS HE LIVED... AS A HUGE FUCKING MESS....]

It'd be nice. But something tells me the moment they decide to be upfront about their intentions is the moment things head for the worse. You don't need to tell me that, though-- I haven't trusted them ever since I received the app. Much like how I don't need to tell you that, either.

[........ well, shit. He probably should know better than to be cagey around Clover, of all people. Quickly, he sets their messages to private mode, before responding.]

It's not so much that I want to use a sword, I just... happened to get one into my possession thanks to Retrospec. With everything going on and everything that's possibly going to happen, though, I

I don't want to be unprepared. I want to be able to use what I have and help others if I have to.
I'm not reckless-- I'm looking into people to help me train and being as careful as I can about this, but... not everyone is okay with someone my age wielding a weapon, no matter what precautions I take.

... that said. I don't know how often you speak to him these days, but don't tell any of this to Leon. I'd rather he didn't know, at least until I have a better idea of what to do with it.