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( It's a pretty normal day in the colony when Lili stumbles on Mutsu. He's finished up a day at Vietnam's flower shop when he stops in front of one bakery. It's one that he stops by fairly frequently but today, he's stopped right in front of the display window, eyeing what looks like to be fresh loaves of bread... )

[ . . . . oh.

Lili tilts her head, trying to get an idea of what Mutsu's looking at... and then she immediately slips into the bakery as quietly as she can since he seems so fixated! Hopefully she won't get caught...

The next thing Mutsu knows, there will be eyes claiming those fresh loaves of bread - an entire loaf being taken and placed into a bag just as Lili swipes her money card so that her credits can pay for it! Then she'll take the bag, bring it outside to Mutsu, and... hold it out to him so suddenly that it'll swing a little bit and thwap him in the arm?!]

T-Take this!

[oh.]

( Ah, and before he can even decide, the loaves are getting taken away and he looks a little disappointed, if we're being honest. He wasn't sure if he was going to get some today or not but as soon as it's gone, he kind of regrets not acting sooner. Oh, well, he'll come again later--

And just as he's leaving, there's a bag being thrust at him and he takes one step back. Don't surprise him like that? He's a flighty sword spirit. )

Lili...?!

( He's looking down at the bag and then at Lili. Was she asking him to carry it? She doesn't seem like that type, though. She doesn't really like to ask for help, isn't that right? So then... is it... for him? Slowly, he accepts it and looks inside, ah.

Mutsu doesn't say anything but the look he gives her is clearly asking: What's this for...? Why? Are you sure? )

[Stoooop looking at her like thaaaaat.

Immediately she's looking away! But it doesn't stop her face from heating up more because what is she supposed to say now? She gave him the bread that he wanted, right? That's the correct one? But he looked so confused and it wouldn't do for her to have spent money on the wrong thing so-]

That's.... That's the one you were looking at, right?!

[WELL?]

( It's a good thing Lili is blushing or else Mutsu would be doing the same right now. He's a loud and boisterous spirit but really, getting special attention from anyone is enough to make him all flustered...! So thanks, Lili, for being flustered first because it's enough to give him that little push to keep him cool, )

Yeah, yeah.

( Heh heh. Okay, maybe he's still just a little shy. )

Is that why ya got it? Ya didn't hafta. ( He could have gotten it for himself? ) ... Thanks.

[Lili is the most easily flustered person ever. So she's still just going to refuse to meet his eyes at that, huffing a little bit. But he... got the point.

She got it for him because he was looking at it and she made the decision for him.

. . . b-but they're still not friends.]

Don't thank me for something like this....

[Even though she's. Floundering and not quite able to find a reason for why he wouldn't?! oh dammit]

I gotta!

( No one ever say he isn't at least a polite spirit. Also, he looks really happy. Granted, he's always a happy guy but right now, it's that quiet, satisfied sort of happiness. Think of a shy kid, ducking his head down and trying to not look too happy about something he's clearly excited about.

And did that fake tail of his shift a little bit? Like a single wag? No way, it's not a real tail. It's just her imagination. )

... Can I walk ya home? Or where ever ya're going? ( Shifting nervously from one foot to the other, ) A spirit's gotta repay favors.

( LET HIM DO THIS ONE SMALL THING OR HE'LL DO SOMETHING BIGGER LATER. )

[NOOOOO STOOOOOOP.

Lili's just going to be over here, still flustered at how happy he looks and how much she doesn't know how to deal with it. Did she do that? Is he happy because of what she did? Is that.... really the kind of reaction that people can have when she does something that she thinks is a rather small, impulsive thing?

Feelings are hard.]

You don't have a favor to repay with me...!

[UGH.]

This is my favorite so I gotta repay ya. ( One of his absolute favorite things. ) If ya won't let me walk ya to where ever ya wanna go then I gotta find something else to do!

( What could a simple sword like Mutsu possibly do... )

... Ya don't look like the drinking type.

( Like, the get loud, get smashed type. )

[asd;fljk]

O-Of course I don't! What kind of drunken, boarish buffoon do you take me for?!

[Lili would probably be the worst lightweight in the world. But also she's still going to fuss-]

You really don't need to do anything, though...! C-Consider it repayment for the cake you gave me before!

Ya aren't one! You're too classy for something like that.

( Lili is definitely one of those classy girls. )

From before...? Oh. ( She means the cake... that he shared with her and Kashuu? ) Heh heh, it was pretty good, wasn't it?

[Well. He's not wrong. So he's just getting a little nod at that because yes, she is quite classy.

That said she's just going to nod a little bit...]

I-It was good! I didn't want to remain in your debt forever, so...!

[Except she's totally just making this up as she goes along.]

Alright, alright, if ya say so. ( He's laughing, okay? You win. For now. ) Where' ya going?

[Conditional victory is hers.

But she's just going to relax a little bit at that, deflating ever so slightly even as she adjusts the bag that's on her shoulder.]

Work... Why are you asking?

[Still a suspicious little shit - even though she trusts Mutsu with her safety at the very least. But why is he interested?]

Work? Where? ( And aaaha, don't mind that fake tail of his shifting a little shly?? Awkwardly? Heh heh. ) Maybe I wanna visit some day.

[ . . . a glance to his fake tail before back up at him. What a weirdo.]

Why would you do that? It's a flower shop. Do you have an interest in those kinds of things too?

[One that Lili has decided to claim as a rival to Vietnam's.]

Why? I can't just come see ya?

( And maybe check out the competition too? )

But maybe I just wanna see. My master was a merchant so I like seeing how people work.

Why would you want to?

[Lili still doesn't know how to friendship. The road to being a real person is hard.]

I didn't realize he was a merchant.... did he have you for self-defense?

Most famous merchant in Japan!

( HUFFS and look at him... look at him!!! He's proud as heck. He's practically glowing. He's sparkling. )

Ya wouldn't think a merchant'd need a sword, right? I stayed home most of the time but then Ryouma decided to go out and follow his dream so I went with him. ( For protection, of course. ) Heh heh... he didn't really need me, though. He wasn't much of a fighter, ya know? ( Probably not since they're from different worlds but ya know!? YA KNOW??? ) Didn't like fighting unless there wasn't another choice and then he used his gun instead so he could get out fast and run. Those Shinsengumi guys couldn't keep up!

( Finger guns-- whoops, almost dropped the bag right there he was too excited. )

[Oh dear god, what sort of sparkly happy landmine has she stepped on here. Lili blinks, honestly amazed at that. It's a lot to take in.]

Oh.

So that's why you don't like Kashuu - [That clicks into place.] You were on opposing sides back then....

[ . . . wait.]

Why?

[She likes the gumis??? But also Mutsu seems like a Good Sword. What on earth happened in the world that would put them against each other?]

Huh? ( Oh, has no one ever mentioned that? He deflates a little bit if only because the Shinsengumi are a massive buzzkill. ) Yeah, we were.

( And he's not ashamed of it? But he likes Lili and LIli likes Kashuu and then Mutsu's relationship status with the Shinsengumi has been "It's Complicated" for centuries. )

Those guys... were stubborn. Real stubborn. And Ryouma was a revolutionary.

( And Ryouma was wanted for leaving the domain without permission? And wanted to overthrow the government that was supporting the Shinsengumi? So the Shinsengumi were doing their jobs as the police trying to stop rebels like Ryouma? Also Ryouma was killed and his faction blamed the Shinsengumi but... )

[It's impossible to get Kashuu to talk about the past, Mutsu. Who do you think would care to tell her?

Still though, Lili's just going to pause and consider that. Stubborn? Sounds about right. They uphold their code and their honor - they protect citizens and whatever else. As long as they don't attack civilians, they're not bad by Lili's standards. Still, it's that sense of honor that has her respect the Shinsengumi.

But.

Lili is almost always on the side of revolution and change. So she's genuinely interested as she asks:]

What was he a revolutionary for?

D'ya wanna know or do d'ya wanna get to work on time?

( Or both? He didn't plan this but he's a merchant sword! If he has an opportunity, he's going to take it. )

Both, obviously. What kind of question is that?

[SORRY MUTSU?

DID YOU NOT WANT TO ACCOMPANY HER?]

Sorry, sorry!

( And he'll follow? Lead the way? Either is fine with him. But he'll explain either way, )

He wanted to do everything. Japan was pretty old fashioned and isolated back then... He wanted to open up the ports! Make sure we could trade with other countries and grow strong like the other nations in the world. Our military was pretty weak too... we couldn't even defend ourselves from other countries, really 'cos all their weapons were better than us. So Ryouma got himself a navy and started trading arms so we could stand up for ourselves against the westerners. He wasn't lookin` for a fight or nothing like that... really, he didn't like fighting but he just wanted to make sure we'd be respected, ya know?

But a lotta people didn't like what he was doing there... 'cause swords were getting old fashioned by then. Everyone was using guns and he knew if wanted anyone ot take us serious, we'd have to switch over. But a lotta people were real proud about their swords for a lotta reasons and didn't wanna give those up.

... The Shinsengumi were guys that really liked their swords.

And that's just some of what he did, heh heh...

( There's a political and social side too!! His old man did a lot, okay. )

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