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[chokuto]

UN: 火
𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓 / 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐎 / 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎 / 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 / 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖
𝟖♣ ( 𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝑳𝑼𝑩𝑺 )

Comments

[mensrea]

Ahh, good old tomatoes. Can't have a pizza without them. You know what pizza is, right?

Yeah, that was him. How'd you know?

[chokuto]

No, I’ve never heard of ‘pizza’ before.

He told me he was staying with someone who was in danger around that time. Also, I saw the guitar, and I recognized it as one he made.

Cy is a good person. I’m glad he could help you.

[mensrea]

Christ. Okay, we'll fix you, buddy. Don't worry. One bite of pizza and all your worries will fade away. (Do not sue me for false advertisement.) Basically, pizza is cheese and tomato sauce spread over bread dough. It's all baked. I'll buy you a slice soon and you can see what you think.

[The guitar? Huh.]

Wow, you guys must be close. I didn't even know about the guitar until he gifted it to me.

And yeah, he's a big goof, but definitely a good guy.

[chokuto]

‘Sue’?

I’m willing to try it, if you think it’s so good.

[He hasn’t actually spoken about Cy to someone else directly, so with this — he hesitates. He’s not exactly certain how to put it into words.]

We are. I was there when he first began carving it. Can you play?

[mensrea]

Sue is like... Legal proceedings against someone? Please tell me that's a thing where you're from.

[Otherwise? Terrifying.]

He's been teaching me. It's a little hard for me to pick up, honestly. I don't have the best attention span for hobbies like that. But it's a fun way to spend time with a cool dude, so I'm trying. Do you play any instruments?

[chokuto]

We have a council. Decisions are made through them as well as the Hokage — our leader.

I don't. He's a good teacher, though. I expect you'll pick it up with enough time and effort.

[mensrea]

How are people elected to Hokage and the council?

Got any tunes you'd wanna hear? This place is kinda wild...I bet we'd be able to find tracks from your world. I can try to learn them.

[chokuto]

It's based on experience.

I've never listened to music. [child soldier vibes intensity] So I wouldn't know what to suggest.

[mensrea]

But people vote them into those positions, right?

Cy gave me a music player. I'll put different genres of music on it, then lend it to you. You can listen and see what types you like best. We'll go from there.

[chokuto]

The Hokage will sometimes select their own successor, but the council has a say as well.

What do you prefer to listen to?

[mensrea]

Dude... How do people feel about that? I mean, just going by historical track records... Governments tend to be corrupt as hell. I'd be surprised if your world was an exception, even if your culture is way different than what I'm used to. Do you think your leaders do a good job?

I listen to a bunch of stuff. Not sure how to describe it to you though, because I don't know what genres exist where you come from. And I'm definitely not familiar with what's trending in Japan.

Like... Here are the super broad umbrella genres from modern Western society: classical, rock, pop, hip hop, country, blues, jazz... I'm into rock mostly (and pop, but I probably wouldn't have admitted that back home just because of stereotypes). I feel like you'd probably like some of the subgenres of rock. Maybe hip hop too? I barely know anything when it comes to blues and jazz, so you'd have to get Cy's advice there.

[chokuto]

You're asking a complicated question. No, I don't believe it's a perfect system, or that it functions without fault. But my world is also one of constant strife and war. To overhaul a system of that nature isn't simple. The ones who hold power need to be responsible with it — and have the best intentions at heart for the people they govern. Some leaders are better at this than others. What matters is how well they're able to maintain peace while protecting the village by whatever means necessary.

[vibrates in "I will be the Hokage's shadow" crazy]

I see. Music seems complicated in your world. What was wrong with listening to the 'pop' genre?

[mensrea]

No offense, dude, but I don't think any governmental system is simple to overhaul. You also keep avoiding a direct answer to my questions.

[Stiles isn't stupid. The little information he has about Sasuke's father, about the "clan," must be tied to this subject somehow.]

If you don't want to get into it, I won't push. I'm just trying to get to know you better. And your home too.

When people from my country think of "pop," they probably imagine music geared toward teenage girls. It's stupid.

[chokuto]

[He wants to pursue more on the topic of musical genres, but the first part of Stiles' message takes his full attention — he doesn't want to neglect the severity it requires.]

My opinion isn't representative. No, I didn't believe the leaders of my village were competent and I attempted to alter that system myself, but someone changed my mind. So I decided I would live to see that person in power instead.

As I said, you're asking a complicated question.

[mensrea]

I don't care about what's representative. I asked about your opinion, because it's one I would trust sooner than a bunch of strangers'.

Is this a kind of "change the system from within" situation, with this guy you're backing?

[The wording isn't lost on Stiles. "...I attempted to alter that system myself..." He wants more information on this, especially because he doubts that Sasuke means in a political sense. No, most likely, the shinobi hoped to change things through force. What does that mean for someone so young? Was he part of an organization, or was he alone?]

[chokuto]

Yes. I trust the future in his hands. I intend to protect it.

However, I don’t know what has changed back in my own world since I came to these dimensions, so I can’t speak to the situation now.

[mensrea]

How long have you been gone? Do you know?

[chokuto]

Not with certainty. It was a few months in the last dimension, and now a few months here. Perhaps half a year.

And I've changed, too. That's something I have to consider. I don't know if I should return, even if I have the opportunity.

[mensrea]

Do you want to return?

[That, more than anything, feels like the key question.]

[chokuto]

I'm not sure anymore.

Though I wouldn't choose to stay here. It seems there's a risk of losing one's sense of identity, or at least integrity of mind, the longer they live in this dimension.

[mensrea]

Hey, third time's the charm, right? Maybe the next dimension you're dragged off to will be an actual paradise.

[Not that either of them are likely to actually believe that.]

[chokuto]

I'm not planning to let that happen.

From what we've seen, this place would also prefer to keep us here.

[A downer of a subject...]

But you want to return for your father, don't you?

[mensrea]

Even without my dad in the picture, I'd still want to go back. I don't belong here.

[Though, can he say he still belongs in Beacon Hills?]

How exactly do you "plan" on preventing more interdimensional travel?

[chokuto]

I understand. I doubt many of us do.

[Except the hos... and the thots...]

I told you that I have the ability to travel dimensions. If I can find a way to access that ability, then it will be possible. The force that holds us here is not infallible. Likely, it will come down to a better understanding the suits that brand us, given the nature of their influence.

[mensrea]

I want to believe that. The "infallible" thing. But if this place can kidnap and then seal the power of GODS–and we're talking MANY people who are allegedly gods, SIMULTANEOUSLY... I don't know.

The suits might be the key, though. If we can figure out how to remove them, maybe you'll be able to access your ability again.