voicemail.

[coastal]

[Following the "record your voicemail at the beep" message--]

What? Who gave you the right to order me around? -- W-Wait, was that the beep?

I wasn't prepared--!! [a whispered hiss:] How do you get this thing to stop-?!

[Beep!

You know the drill! IC Inbox for voice/video/action threads for whatever occasion.]

Comments

[coastal]

No, it's pretty surprising.

[Ah.]

As much as I've seen you all train in the dojo, it's not as if I've gotten a gauge for your true skill levels.

[And she... hopes that she won't have to, even though she knows it's not likely.]

[adornmental]

Wow.

[THE SMILE DROPS ugh now he's gonna have to kick Hijikata's ass to prove his point, clearly.]

Well— I'm definitely one of the top class uchigatana!

[coastal]

[boys are so dumb wtf]

I don't doubt your strength at all. [Compliment?!] But it's not like I know anything of Hijikata's strength.

[who knows, man]

Someone who so casually gives out death threats is probably able to deliver results.

[adornmental]

[LOOK, HE'S GOTTA. He's gotta beat Hijikata, it's just in his blood.]

Anyone can give out a casual death threat! I mean, you're right, but still. That totally doesn't mean he's stronger than I am.

[coastal]

[ . . . . ]

Why do all of you speak so casually of death threats? Were you raised in barns?!

[Actually maybe.]

[adornmental]

A bunch of 'em were farmers before they became samurai.

[DOES THAT COUNT. He kind of was!!]

[1/2]

[coastal]

[ . . . . . A pause.

Thoughtful, considering. That's right, soldiers are often conscripted from other walks of life, aren't they? Perhaps it's the same for the Shinsengumi.]

Oh... I suppose that does make sense.

[coastal]

—Only the part about farmers - the death threats still don't!

[It took her a second to remember.]

[adornmental]

Eh, has that guy not gone on and on about their shady reputation yet? I'm kinda surprised.

[Lili should clearly be well-versed in how sketchy their group is by now!!]

[coastal]

Which guy?

[They're all... guys....

But also-]

"Their"? Or "our"? Make up your mind. You know I don't care about presumed reputations anyway.

[adornmental]

Hijikata! [Said in a DUH tone, as if that were obvious... AND SINCE SHE CALLED HIM OUT, he'll just correct himself with a flippant handwave.]

Their, their. I'm just saying, it's always "blah blah wolves of Mibu" with them, y'know? Like, death threats are basically part of the package.

[coastal]

[DUH.... but honestly, she shakes her head. She asked because-]

Souji was the only one who's bothered to make a point about any sort of gossip. [because Souji is also constantly in a state of "i'M A BAD PERSON" with Lili] But it's not like civilians are actually targeted.

[which is probably why she... does thinks positively of the Shinsengumi

also Saitou exists]

[adornmental]

[Saitou is basically the biggest plus point they could ever hope to have in their favor and he's still somehow almost entirely overpowered by Souji...]

True, true. But a bad rep helped keep troublemakers low too, y'know? That's why a lot of 'em brag about that stuff.

[coastal]

[It's a miracle that Lili doesn't hate Souji as much as she says she does.]

That doesn't mean that they need to give out threats to people like me too....

[bc she is so clearly polite and sweet and demure]

[adornmental]

[He has an awful sort of charm that no one (except certain rude demons) is immune to...]

Nah, but it's just force of habit by now, I think. They see people and are like, "I gotta wave around my sword a lot and make people think I'm way intimidating and shady!"

[He's specifically thinking of one Souji when he says this, honestly, but he's seen the same thing from a lot of other gumis too... Including Yamato?? WHY ARE THEY ALL LIKE THIS.]

[coastal]

[ . . . . well.]

Saitou's not like that.

[aka Her Fav.]

Though... the rest of them.... really need to learn how to deal with people better.

[oh god the irony]

[adornmental]

You're right, you're right! That guy's definitely more like a stick in the mud. He reminds me a little of another guy who used to be here, actually! It took me just as long to get him to dance with me, too.

[BUT HE WON EVENTUALLY, because no one can truly defeat Kashuu in contests of willpower over stupid inane stuff.]

But yeah, you're right about that, too. That's gonna be a harder fix, though.

[coastal]

[She looks up at him when he says that.]

You've gotten to dance with Saitou?

[Not that she

wants to dance with Saitou.

But of all the people in the colony that would be acceptable to dance with, Saitou might be on the list.]

[adornmental]

Yeah, I did! He was nice to dance with. He's good at handling his partners, y'know?

[It's a shame that all these good dancers are also WALLFLOWERS.]

Well, it's not like I could pass up an opportunity like that! Besides, it's sad to see people sticking to the walls at parties when everyone else is dancing and having a good time.

[coastal]

[That's... simultaneously surprising but also not? Lili's just going to have a thoughtful look at that. It's not like she wants to dance with Saitou, really.

But. Well, at least it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.]

I see.... Well, parties can be rather taxing and annoying - a lot of dancing is irritating when you don't want to be in the space of another person. Sometimes you can't wait for the song to end.

[ . . . . ]

Well, it's not like that's an issue here.

[No mandatory attendance parties for her!]

[adornmental]

I loved it!

[OF COURSE HE DID does that surprise anyone... There wasn't a single person that night that he minded sharing the space of, but then again, this is Kashuu "LA-LA-LA-LOVE ME LOVE ME" Kiyomitsu.]

But CERES doesn't throw good parties and we haven't had one like that since then. It's kinda sad since there was a lot of great music and food and tons and tons of dancing! It's hard to get people like Saitou to agree to dances even at places where you're supposed to dance, so it's aaalmost impossible otherwise.

[But only almost??]

[coastal]

[OF COURSE HE DID. Lili just gives him a bit of a withering look at that. No, she's very much a fan of her personal space, Kashuu, even though she supposes that in theory dancing with a proper partner could be fun.

But lmao re: finding a proper partner.]

Someone as stubborn and hard-headed as you would be even more impossible to deny.

[ . . . ok as if Lili wouldn't still try.]

Do you really like dancing that much.....

[adornmental]

Yep, that's pretty much exactly it! I always win out with my good arguments and charm.

[Or his stubborn hardheadedness but that sounds so much worse??]

But yeah, I love it a lot. I told that guy earlier that it's a shame not to get the most use out of a body if you have one!

[coastal]

Who said anything about charm or good arguments?

[Kashuu...................]

I suppose that's one way of looking at it. How like you.

[Even though she hates dancing herself, she'll file this away for future reference.]

[adornmental]

I did, 'cause that's totally how I won 'em over!

[OBVIOUSLY. Come on, Lili, gosh. How like you too, what the heck! That almost sounds like an insult, somehow!!]

How else am I gonna look at it?