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Kasen Kaneda shared a photo.
9/20 near Home

San-ju-roku Kasen

三十六歌仙. The 36 Immortals of Poetry

My namesake. 歌仙. I was named after these men and women.

And that name, associated with these creators of beauty, was used to carry out an act grave brutality. All for some point I don't even understand.

I could really use someone to talk to right now. Someone who has had

seen great violence. in their new memories.

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i know a few things yeah
stuff about how the swords work
what we are
what those guys are
a little about where we all used to live
anything in particular? all of it?

As much as you can, really. So much of this vexes me. But what particularly weighs on my soul is the conflict between my humanity and an apparent existence as a tool.

idk if i can help with that part because i still don't really get it
anyway
do you want to meet up at a cafe or something?
this seems like the kind of convo to have in person

That may be for the best. Do you have a preferred venue?

we can use the employee table at a good bean
no one should come back there so we can talk as long as we need to

Sounds like a plan. Is there a good time in particular?

i work today and tomorrow in the afternoon if you want to stop by after around 4
either day works for me

I can do that. Thank you, again, for the invitation.

[[ did you wanna stay here with an action thread or take this to a log? ]]

[i'm fine with continuing as an action thread!]

any time!

[And as stated, he'll be leaning against the outer wall of the cafe near a little side door, thumbing through things on his phone like a true millennial.]

-It took Kasen a bit more time than he'd liked. Parking was always an issue around this part of town. But he did eventually arrive, giving a wave as he stepped closer.-

Hey! Sorry if I'm a bit late...

[He'll hop away from the building once he sees Kasen approaching, raising a hand in greeting.]

It's fine, it's fine. I have all afternoon off. A-ny-way, the room's right over here!

[And he'll open the little side door, which leads to a somewhat cramped back room that looks like it's mostly used for coffee breaks and lunches.]

-It was always a little awkward stepping into places like this. He couldn't ever quite shake that feeling of not belonging. And not just because he wasn't an employee.

He seated himself, straightening out his shirt as he did so.-

Well... where to begin...

[Kashuu, meanwhile, seems perfectly comfortable sliding into the chair across from him. Even with the cramped quarters and the topic at hand, he maintains an air of ease, like they're going to chat about the weather.]

Hm... Well, we can start with what you remember, and I can fill in the spaces with the stuff that I remember.

Most of the recollections I've been faced with so far seem to be the memories of Kasen the blade, itself. Memories of a man who 'owned' me, a very complicated individual...

But as far as memories of something beyond that, I do recall fighting that army you and Kenta mentioned, but little else. How I got from being a sword, to that, is all a mystery.

That one I think I can explain... I'm pretty sure we ended up there 'cause of one person, but I don't really remember anything about 'em. I remember that person pulling me into the place we all stayed at, and I think they're the reason we ended up fighting against that army. I don't remember much about them either, but they definitely weren't good guys. We had to chase 'em all through history, too.

[Just in case the sword part wasn't enough and Kasen wanted to add time traveler to his list.]

I remember that being part of my motivation. To protect the artistic history of Japan, or something like that.

Eh, seriously? I can't really remember why I was doing it, except 'cause that person asked me to... But that's a pretty good reason, I guess. I'm not really sure what those enemies were trying to change, either, but they definitely liked interfering during battles and wars and stuff.

...

Philosophically speaking, it's not as if any of us truly needed motivation to involve ourselves in that. The purpose of a sword is to cut, right?

Well... You're not wrong about that. I know that the people who used me were really important, too - just 'cause I was theirs, I think? Something like that. I could see myself fighting for only that reason.

[Which is pretty weird to admit, since the sword versus human dissonance is still strong.]

I really... really wish I could say that as clearly as you seem to.

The man who I've seen in my memories... I can't say I truly understand him, yet, or have an emotional resonance with.

He's not someone we learned a great deal about in history classes. Ironically, his wife is more well remembered than he was.

Tadaoki Hosokawa.

[Kashuu didn't even recognize the Shinsengumi haori the first time he saw it in his memory, so that name definitely flies right over his head. His nose wrinkles a little, reflecting his confusion.]

What do you remember about that guy, then?

-Kasen settled back into his seat, raising a hand to rub at his chin and nose and taking in a breath as he did so. It took him a moment to speak...-

He... used me... to kill 36 of his vassals. Innocent people that had done no wrong, as far as I can know.

Just... killed them, one by one, in front of his son. Some... demonstration of what it meant to be a daimyo, to have life and death in your hands.

[There's a strange sort of understanding that dawns on him then, and he nods his head just a little.]

And it's pretty much impossible, matching that kinda thing up with our lives today. Right?

Exactly. I can't comprehend what he was thinking, or what point he was trying to make. At least not as I am now.

... And I'm not sure I want to.

To be honest, I dunno if we'll ever one hundred percent be able to understand those kinds of things anymore.

[Even though he's acknowledged that his own thought process is becoming distinctly less human than it used to be, that hasn't undone his experiences as a human. He imagines it's the same - or will at least be similar - for his fellows.]

Kasen Kaneda shared a photo. 9/20 near Home
San-ju-roku Kasen 三十六歌仙. The 36 Immortals of Poetry My namesake. 歌仙. I was named after these men and women. And that name, associated with these creators of beauty, was used to carry out an act grave brutality. All for some point I don't even understand. I could really use someone to talk to right now. Someone who has had seen great violence. in their new memories.