un: forgery; (posted 5-10).

[misclassed]

This is Muramasa.

Just before we left last month, I was given leave to keep a smithy on the premises of the base in Kyoto. It's functional now, so the lot of you using blades from our employer need to come have a proper edge put on them. Don't dawdle: you're embarrassing me, walking around like that as it is with those things. Same goes for those of you with personal blades that need upkeep.

[ now, time for the announcement of the grand opening of peepaw's sword emporium. Sort of. ]

Now, if you just want a proper blade of your own for our work here, and I've got a finished one on hand, you can have it if you pay me back for those materials. (Don't do anything stupid with it — they're swords, not toys.) Or, if katana ain't your style and you want something special, or you'd like a matching set, I can do that too. I'll have to test ya so I can see what suits you, plus I'll be charging you for materials and time away from my own work, but it's a properly forged sword made by a master, and you can't beat that price these days.

[ nobody would be so shifty as to start selling those swords on an underground, black market, right? definitely not. ]

And before I forget—Kuzunoha, Laios. You two come see me at the smithy when you're free, regarding the work we talked about before.

[ He already talked to you boys about blades, so you're exempt from this decree about payment... but only once.

And lastly, but most importantly: ]

... Tsurumaru-dono, please feel free to come visit as well. I'd like to see how you're holding up, now that there's a proper forge to work in.

Comments

[misclassed]

Ah.

Have him bring those too, I'll give them a once over.

[ Not negotiable. ]

[the_fourteenth]

[Raidou wanders in, looking around at the work done to the place since his last visit. He likes being here, a reminder of a different time, something closer to his own than the rest of this world ever did. Naturally he has to stop by and greet the cats, glad to see them well.

When Muramasa finally emerges from the back, he'll find Raidou seated at the table. His sword his paid next to him, as he's pulling out some bento boxes from his backpack. One for him, one for Muramasa, and a couple of larger ones.]

Good afternoon. I brought lunch, if you don't mind. Ah. These are for Aventurine-san. For... whenever he'd like them.

[He slides the two larger boxes across the table.]

[soft_shelled]

Okay.

Oh, how are you with your swords being like... A focus for mystic energy?

[Since Donnie has seen Leo use his swords for teleporting/portalling. So may as well ask.]

[misclassed]

Well... How do I put this?

I'm a spirit, kid. Anything I make is already legendary, you know?

[soft_shelled]

Oh, like the rest of the Hamato clan then.

[He has some experience with ghosts and spirits, kind of. If seeing all his ancestors at once after the whole thing with the Shredder counts.]

But no, I wouldn't know.

[stonehearts]

I don't doubt that, but there's a difference between robbing them of their money and making them think you're one of them. Though now you have me interested in those books of yours!

( look he's just saying that silco doesn't seem like a people person! )

Excellent. I look forward to working with you! Both of you!

[vorous]

_{[ this is great to know.. but Laios is curious. ]}

So..
is there anything specific about my sword that you like especially?

_{[ like the fact it’s a monster?? ]}

[misclassed]

There's plenty of beasts out there that can grow their own armor or weapons... so I suppose it's novel to find one that grows itself in the shape of a human weapon. I got a bone to pick with it about the grain, and the brittleness, though...

What's it eat?

🎀

[misclassed]

[ Aventurine writes this while sitting across from Muramasa, who can see him wrapped up in his pile of blankets. The old man says nothing, just sips his drink as he watches the words jump across his sight. ]

It's settled, then. Once I've got the materials all in hand, you'll get your masterwork.

[ Congratulations, Silco. You are now Muramasa's responsibility until this job is done. ]

[misclassed]

I ain't a fletcher proper, but I can do arrows easy enough.

Whatever it is, lay it on me. Getting you all outfitted properly is the reason I built this forge.

[misclassed]

I ain't arguing with you there, I'm just saying it'd be foolish to rush in with some new untested, unreliable method when the old one already works, especially when everyone doesn't even have the old one on hand.

People here have been hunting Kaiju for going back two millenia with nothing fancier than good iron, and there's nothing stopping us from doing that too.

But once everyone's got a blade I'm satisfied with, I'll make you as many prototypes as you want.

[byoukyu]

Great!

Are you at your forge now?

I'm in Neo Tokyo...

Can I just send you one of my arrows and the specs?

[misclassed]

Yeah, yeah, that's fine.

[byoukyu]

Alright!

I'll see if I can borrow one of those bird drones and send it to you later, then.

(And eventually, Muramasa will receive a single arrow! It's made from a lightweight but strong metal. It all seems normal and unassuming enough but if he isn't careful, the tip of the arrow will open and let out an electric shock. If he's unlucky, he might end up stunned, sorry.

Of course, if he reads the note Harumasa attached, this can all be avoided. The note is a simple thank you and a promise to pay a certain amount per arrow. There is also detailed, hand-drawn blue print explaining how the arrow is made-- measurements, how the arrowhead works... and the voltage range. Yikes. )

🎀, NOT HERE.

[misclassed]

Sounds good.

[ Later that day, there's a bit of a commotion at the forge. The details need not be known, but the results are plenty for anyone who pays attention and has ears. A sudden buzzing noise, like a stun gun, and then Muramasa's irate shout: ]

Goddamnsonovabitch—!

[ At least he knows the intended function, now. ]

[lostdestiny]

Millenia? They were around a long time ago, but they haven't been around this whole time, right? Like, it was a big problem when they showed up and killed most of the people here....

[ People posted on the network about finding kaiju-related stuff in tombs while they were in Alexandria, and Dearka found that research paper, but... didn't a sort-of-recent string of kaiju appearances cause an apocalypse and wipe out a bunch of people? Did Shinn just assume that this place had a few thousand years of what he'd consider a standard human history, when maybe medieval knights were actually fighting Imugi and guys in tanks were actually taking on crocodile-kaiju? Huh, he should have paid better attention when he was pretending to go to school, and maybe the Outsiders should be looking for signs of not-recent-but-not-ancient kaiju here in Tokyo.

But more importantly.

Swords. ]

Anyway, I was a test pilot before we went into combat. Give me prototypes and I'll give you all the info you need

[misclassed]

How should I know? Point is, you can kill 'em with a plain blade, and people were doing it before they had your fancy robots or a goddamn blast furnace to smelt in.

After everyone gets their blades you'll get your prototype, boy. I promise.

[lostdestiny]

[ Haha, victory. Kaiju-part-plus-sword hybrids incoming eventually. ]

Somebody has to know. If kaiju were only around in ancient times, how the hell did people get them to go away for a few thousand years, and why'd they come back now? And if kaiju were around this whole time, why'd they only become a big problem a while ago--?

Swords are great, but you've gotta be interested in that stuff too

[misclassed]

Can't your internet thing tell you the answer? All I know is what the researcher in Alexandria told me, and what lookin' at the sword told me.

Working iron is what I'm made to do — that, and killin' gods. Anything else is the business of living humans. In that regard, I'm not much different from a blade itself.

[lostdestiny]

[ That last bit touches a nerve, so there's a bit of a delay before Shinn responds. ]







You're wrong. People aren't made for things

[misclassed]

[ Ah. What a change in tone, and pace... how to do this gently? ]

Muramasa was already a smith, so I am too.



But believe me, I'll take a hot fire and good sand over dealing with god shit or bodyguard work any day of the week! And I'd prefer it if I can leave that kaiju mystery shit to you too, frankly. Sound good?

[misclassed]

[ Good grief, why didn't he let Yuta gas him up more for the rest of the group before trying to convince people how good his swords are? ]

Uhhh, sure. Never heard of them.

There's a Muramasa in this world, same as my own. So I got the advantage of being able to lean on my own fame, which gives my work an edge when it comes to dealing with things of a spiritual nature, on top of just being top quality to begin with.

[ Just don't google him. Please. ]

[soft_shelled]

[hey the fact Donnie is willing to delegate swords to Muramasa says a lot. He's maybe a little bit of a control freak when it comes to his family.]

I mean, yeah you haven't? Ninjas.

... And that's interesting to know.

[He is so going to google you man.]

[lionize]

Fine, I'll just bring a giant barrel of assorted snacks, and you guys can go wild.

[This is probably just sarcasm.]

🎀

[misclassed]

Just be careful, you have no idea how picky this lot can get.