elibe | damaged

inspired by this comic!

(It's after a particularly rough sortie and after everyone's been looked over and evaluated. Most of them might be able to get by with just some light repairs and rest but some are not as lucky. Rest alone won't be enough and they'll have to go in for more serious repairs. It could take all day at best or more at worst.

Serious repairs are exactly what they sound like-- serious-- but there's always that extra element that makes them a little more hesitant to surrender their true forms and enter the repairs room. Without their swords and reeling from heavy damage, they're perhaps in their most vulnerable state. It's times like this, alone with just their thoughts for company, that their years really begin to catch up with them. For some, it isn't too bad. There are a lucky few who are blessed with shorter histories or brighter lives but the unfortunate truth is that for many of them, the years have not been kind.

But this is their situation! And it can go one of a few ways right now...)

A.

(After some light harassing, Mutsunokami has managed to convince someone to get repairs! Would it help if he went with them? He doesn't mind, really and he'll even hold their hand as they stand in front of the room.)

Ready? (He gives their hand a firm squeeze,) It'll be over before ya know it!

(Or maybe Mutsunokami is the one that's here for heavy repairs. Mutsunokami is one of the luckier swords in question, someone with a shorter and much more pleasant history compared to others. Honestly, he finds repairs more boring than anything. Of course, he uses his blessings to focus on his companion right now. Being stuck in this room sure is boring! Sorry to get you dragged in here with him, heh heh... And sometimes he dozes off because being damaged is exhausting.

Repairs are pleasant enough for him but his damage is a little heavier today than usual. It's not something he's really used to and it shows when he suddenly jerks awake from a short nap, looking around the room in an alert sort of daze before relaxing.

Huh... strange.)

(Wildcard, give me your own prompt, talk to me, maybe theyre both in for repairs or something instead.)

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[There's a voice he doesn't remember, cutting through the fog.]

'He'll be right back.'

[Of course not. Master is dead. Dead because Taroutachi was too long and too heavy to properly wield in battle. Everyone said so. They were right.]

I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you...

Hey, hey!

( He's loud when he calls out to Taroutachi but not too loud. This is, after all, a place for rest. )

What'd I say? Don't worry. ( He's never really sure exactly what to do in these sort of situations and he isn't particularly close to Taroutachi. If they hadn't been in the same squad before all of this happened, he probably wouldn't be here at all. Maybe Jiroutachi would be here instead but he isn't so he has to make do with what he can. ) Remember how ya got here in the first place, Taroutachi?

( Reaching to brush aside some of Taroutachi's hair from his face and just generally keep him comfortable a the memories catch up, )

Ya made sure we all got back home and master was right there to greet all of us. Well, maybe ya don't remember that last part...

( The injuries had been pretty severe. Was he even conscious? )

[No, he definitely doesn't remember that last part. Or much of the parts before that, for now.

His eyes are hazy and unfocused as he turns towards the voice. He can't really make out the face of whoever is talking to him in the dark.]

... Have you come to pray?

[He remembers that too. The endless line of people holding their hands out, bringing offerings, imploring in front of him.]

It's... useless. I have never seen... any gods... I can't help you...

Nah, I'm just here to talk.

( So he's still pretty out of it, huh? Well, he'll just roll with it for now. He's good with doing that. )

You can listen, right?

... Talk?

[He sounds a little surprised. No one ever came to the temple just to talk to a holy sword. They always had something to ask for. Some wish to be granted.]

I can... listen. There is nothing else for me to do anyway.

[The faces become a blur, day after day. Always asking for the same things. better health, more money, good crops... love. As if he could do anything about it.]

But I can't... grant your wish.

Hear me out first!

( Gee, talk about depressing. Not that he's surprised at all. A lot of guys here are pretty messed up and have their own luggage to carry around. )

The other day, I was real happy. My master chose me to do something real important. It was a real difficult task and he was really counting on me. So I took a bunch of guys out to take care of everything and it was all going real great! ( He speaks lightly and casually, careful to not muddle his story with too many details. He doesn't want to cause Taroutachi any unnecessary stress, ) 'til it got hard all of the sudden. We underestimated our enemy real bad and got caught up in a surprise attack... We managed to get out in one piece but a lot of guys got hurt.

( He frowns, wondering how much more he should continue, )

Talk about a real lousy first impression with some of those guys. And I let my aster down too! ( Even if he sounds cheerful, he's more bothered by this than he really wants to let on. ) One of 'em got hurt real bad.... he's still recovering, ya know? I'm not gonna ask ya for any miracles or anything like that 'cause this is all on me.

But how about some advice, huh? How can I make it up to him?

[Even the simple version is a bit hard to follow in Taroutachi's state. But he does his best to concentrate.

There's a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he knows this story, but he just can't put his finger on it, somehow.]

You were not the one who hurt them, were you? So... why would you need to... make it up to anyone?

(It's the kind of answer he'd expected but it's not the most satisfying one.)

Because I led them there in the first place. (Even if that was the whole point of the mission. It's not his fault they were attacked by surprise but maybe if he'd dedicated more time to scouting or something...) Even if I didn't hurt 'em, they were my responsibility.

And you brought... all of them back... didn't you?

[Okay, so some people got hurt, but they're alive, right?]

As long as you are not broken, you can keep going. Your master trusted you. I don't think they were wrong to. So you have to pick up the pieces and go back to the battlefield.

[A small wince. The limit between reality and memory is hazy.]

I'm too big. I can't be wielded by human hands, even if I wish to. If i can't be used to fight, do I even exist?

(Of course he'd put it that way. That's exactly how everyone else has put it when he touched base with them. How did he luck out with such a good squad? Well, it's not surprising when you consider how many good guys are at the citadel.)

Yeah... (They all came back alive, even if they'd all seen better days. He'll have to ask Taroutachi about all of this again when he's in a better state of mind. Just to make sure. Would they all follow him back out there?) Yeah, I guess ya have a point.

(But Taroutachi winces and Mutsu sits up straighter, giving the other sword his full attention,)

So what if you're too big for most guys, huh? You'll just have to carry yourself.

... Carry myself?

[Taroutachi holds up his hand in front of his face. A big hand. A big body, capable of wielding that big sword...]

Carry myself... I can do that.

That's right.

( This is a better direction they're going in right now and he knows if he can keep it this way, the recovery will go smoother. )

Everyone's waiting for ya so hurry up, Taroutachi. You're tired right now... probably feeling like you're in a dream, right? But when you're ready, ya'll get to walk right outta here and join everyone else.

A dream...

[Is this a dream? It's not a very good dream if it is. It keeps showing him painful things. And also...]

Where's Jiroutachi? Is he alright?

damaged

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