I've been sent on missions without much info before, and you kind of just have to trust where you're going. [they did that for paraiso and look how good that one turned out :) ] ... but I dunno, it was a little interesting.
To see a world without humans, because something led to them wiping each other out.
trying to figure out what to admit to here but it's kind of pointless to hide anymore,]
We already know what a world will look like if we don't protect humans. It's ours. We accomplish our missions to protect them, and to try to rebalance things so that they have a chance at a future.
[but he'll hum thoughtfully]
.... I don't know. Maybe it's a weird way of looking at it - but I thought it was pretty hopeful. It's desolate and it's dark and there's no one there but us and some gophers...
But maybe those seeds that Kuwa planted might turn into something. Those roads could be used someday, by someone. Like... even if there's no one there, we left a little bit of something meaningful behind.
[Rang takes a long sip, thinks about Matsui's desolation at the text from Froggystyle that night, about how their existences supposedly tether the safety of their worlds.
No wonder Matsui had been resolved to continue living, if protecting humanity was what he was made for. What a burden. Rang like I already don't like this Aruji for being a human, but I like them even less now.]
That's very much like you to see it that way. [with hope, and not the foolishness of humans who don't deserve to live.] Even a mountain devastated by fire will regrow someday, so maybe you did leave something meaningful.
But the weight feels a little burdensome, honestly.
[said rather honestly, as buzen tries to count them all off on his fingers and then... gives up. he laughs]
We're all just parts of it. We get sent out in teams of two to six, but each blade is just one more warrior. We're important, obviously, and we try to keep each other safe.
... but we know the mission is the most important thing. Burdens feel less heavy when they're shared.
[he is still frowning, not that he doesn't believe buzen. but he can't imagine what it's really like, to have comrades who share anything with you, much less a duty like this one.]
And when you break? When it's just one of you who's left to bear it all?
No matter how strong you are or what you were forged to be, you should be able to let it all go if you choose to.
There won't be just one - because even if one of us breaks, more warriors are summoned all the time. Matsu was there before I was, and then I got to welcome Kumo and Ame - even more Gous. And there's plenty of other strong comrades, outside of the Gous.
[he's really so confident about this even though toumyu canon suggests that (meme voice) this is how you lose the time war but it's cool]
.... I think the idea of it is nice, Rang. Ylfa-san would say similar things - like if we could choose to be more than what we're summoned for. Sometimes I think we dream about stuff like that.
[ . . . ]
But we can't act on it. Because serving Aruji and following our missions is what we were forged and summoned for - it'd be going against everything we know. And then... we'd stop being ourselves.
[that sounds both great and also terrifying, this is just making rang hate this aruji more, wow.
but the idea of being bound in service to any human will always make his skin crawl, considering his own circumstances.]
Fine. [HE SOUNDS SO ANNOYED EVEN THO BUZEN IS JUST LAYING OUT THE FACTS,] I can't say that I don't understand. Even if you were made by humans and have human hearts, you're still spirits. And spirits can't change their natures so easily, not like how humans can.
[it's why so many spirits have died or been lost, unable to keep up with the rapid rush of time. unable to keep up with being treasured and then abandoned in the very same breath,]
What will happen to all of you when your mission's over?
[rang looking truly like he was just force fed a lemon. all that work and duty and then... back to the forms they've always had as if nothing happened, and worse -- separated from each other?
as for libby -- he opens his mouth, no doubt to spew more vitriol about her, and then he pauses, no. he's spent enough time on libby. no doubt, if lambda or monika or anyone else who realized how horrid the reason was shows up here, then they can tell buzen how little her decision was worth. he's not going to hammer it in over and over again, not to buzen who's made it clear that the kind of sword he is will always be understanding. and more importantly --]
It's too uneven. [tense,] Constant obedience and loyalty and saving all of humanity -- for what, just to go back to display cases or disappear?
You should at least get to choose, at the end. Human hearts are awful and full of suffering, so it's not like it'd be much of a reward if he let you keep them.
[ . . . buzen just smiles faintly at that, more than a little sheepish. in the end, he doesn't disagree with rang. in fact, he thinks that it'd be nice to get to choose. to not have to lose this body and this heart, even for all the times that it's become inconvenient.]
... I want to keep it. Even for all the times that it's hurt me, it lets me reach the people that I want to. So... I'd like to hold onto it.
[he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly]
But - that's not up to me.
So I guess that's just one more impossible thing that I want.
[rang clicks his tongue in lieu of a better answer. because normally at this point, he'd say something like 'what if I could grant that wish for you?' and then propose a deal with terrible odds just so he can see the other person suffer.
but he doesn't have that power here. and maybe he doesn't want to see buzen suffer. not when any suffering rang doles out pales in comparison to whatever these swords have to shoulder,]
I want you to keep your heart, even if it is impossible. You wouldn't be as interesting without it.
[ah - that makes buzen smile a little bit, amused, considering what rang had just said.]
Oh? Even though it's a punishment? Do you want me to keep suffering some more, Rang?
[even though buzen's mentality is entirely different - sure, this heart is a burden sometimes. it aches when he doesn't want it to. but it's also full of so much warmth and love. there is so much he gets to experience, because he is more human now
in the end, this curse has become a blessing to him.]
no subject
Kuwa and I were sent to farm and build roads in an abandoned world devoid of all human life once.
no subject
Why. And who's Kuwa?
no subject
Kuwa's another Gou, though. He's better at farming and stuff... so if you're gonna send anyone, might as well be him.
no subject
Why were you sent to an abandoned world in the first place?
no subject
shrugs again????]
Aruji told us to.
[IT'S REALLY THAT SIMPLE]
I've been sent on missions without much info before, and you kind of just have to trust where you're going. [they did that for paraiso and look how good that one turned out :) ] ... but I dunno, it was a little interesting.
To see a world without humans, because something led to them wiping each other out.
no subject
...And you and your comrade built and farmed things there and then, what? Left?
[JUST TO BUILD STUFF?]
That feels a little like rubbing it in. LIke your Aruji was trying to show you what could happen to your world if you don't protect humans.
no subject
trying to figure out what to admit to here but it's kind of pointless to hide anymore,]
We already know what a world will look like if we don't protect humans. It's ours. We accomplish our missions to protect them, and to try to rebalance things so that they have a chance at a future.
[but he'll hum thoughtfully]
.... I don't know. Maybe it's a weird way of looking at it - but I thought it was pretty hopeful. It's desolate and it's dark and there's no one there but us and some gophers...
But maybe those seeds that Kuwa planted might turn into something. Those roads could be used someday, by someone. Like... even if there's no one there, we left a little bit of something meaningful behind.
no subject
No wonder Matsui had been resolved to continue living, if protecting humanity was what he was made for. What a burden. Rang like I already don't like this Aruji for being a human, but I like them even less now.]
That's very much like you to see it that way. [with hope, and not the foolishness of humans who don't deserve to live.] Even a mountain devastated by fire will regrow someday, so maybe you did leave something meaningful.
But the weight feels a little burdensome, honestly.
no subject
The weight? What do you mean?
no subject
[rang doesn't even know about the timelines,]
How can that not be heavy? Whether you want to save them out of obligation or love -- the reasons don't change the fact that it's there.
no subject
[said rather honestly, as buzen tries to count them all off on his fingers and then... gives up. he laughs]
We're all just parts of it. We get sent out in teams of two to six, but each blade is just one more warrior. We're important, obviously, and we try to keep each other safe.
... but we know the mission is the most important thing. Burdens feel less heavy when they're shared.
no subject
And when you break? When it's just one of you who's left to bear it all?
No matter how strong you are or what you were forged to be, you should be able to let it all go if you choose to.
no subject
[he's really so confident about this even though toumyu canon suggests that (meme voice) this is how you lose the time war but it's cool]
.... I think the idea of it is nice, Rang. Ylfa-san would say similar things - like if we could choose to be more than what we're summoned for. Sometimes I think we dream about stuff like that.
[ . . . ]
But we can't act on it. Because serving Aruji and following our missions is what we were forged and summoned for - it'd be going against everything we know. And then... we'd stop being ourselves.
no subject
but the idea of being bound in service to any human will always make his skin crawl, considering his own circumstances.]
Fine. [HE SOUNDS SO ANNOYED EVEN THO BUZEN IS JUST LAYING OUT THE FACTS,] I can't say that I don't understand. Even if you were made by humans and have human hearts, you're still spirits. And spirits can't change their natures so easily, not like how humans can.
[it's why so many spirits have died or been lost, unable to keep up with the rapid rush of time. unable to keep up with being treasured and then abandoned in the very same breath,]
What will happen to all of you when your mission's over?
no subject
Mm... Our swords will be returned to where they're meant to be, I guess? Back on display, or storage, or private collections.
[ . . . ]
And for ones like me... I guess we disappear. So... I guess that's why I understand it a little. Why Libby-san chose me.
no subject
as for libby -- he opens his mouth, no doubt to spew more vitriol about her, and then he pauses, no. he's spent enough time on libby. no doubt, if lambda or monika or anyone else who realized how horrid the reason was shows up here, then they can tell buzen how little her decision was worth. he's not going to hammer it in over and over again, not to buzen who's made it clear that the kind of sword he is will always be understanding. and more importantly --]
It's too uneven. [tense,] Constant obedience and loyalty and saving all of humanity -- for what, just to go back to display cases or disappear?
You should at least get to choose, at the end. Human hearts are awful and full of suffering, so it's not like it'd be much of a reward if he let you keep them.
no subject
... I want to keep it. Even for all the times that it's hurt me, it lets me reach the people that I want to. So... I'd like to hold onto it.
[he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly]
But - that's not up to me.
So I guess that's just one more impossible thing that I want.
no subject
but he doesn't have that power here. and maybe he doesn't want to see buzen suffer. not when any suffering rang doles out pales in comparison to whatever these swords have to shoulder,]
I want you to keep your heart, even if it is impossible. You wouldn't be as interesting without it.
no subject
Oh? Even though it's a punishment? Do you want me to keep suffering some more, Rang?
[even though buzen's mentality is entirely different - sure, this heart is a burden sometimes. it aches when he doesn't want it to. but it's also full of so much warmth and love. there is so much he gets to experience, because he is more human now
in the end, this curse has become a blessing to him.]
no subject
That's just what living is.
[existence is a curse!! sure there are upsides to it but we don't talk about that here,
he's sure that buzen already knows all of the great things that come with living anyway,]
So just keep on living.