punorama | Mitsunari in the fast food-land

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Mitsunari in the fast food-land

[After all this time of traveling between worlds that seem to have been stuck in Middle Ages, Ragna was beginning to suspect advanced technology was nothing more than a product of his imagination and/or fever dream he'd had at some point in his life. Sure, he'd never relied too much on crap like computers and smartphones and whatnot, but the rest of the world depended heavily on Ars Magus stuff, and even Sector Seven (which shunned Ars Magus usage) used electric technology far more developed than any place they have come across during their travels. What are the odds of his world being literally the only one out there that has managed to figure that shit out?

Finally, Ragna is proved wrong when the crew of the Katabami find themselves in a world far different from the ones they've visited so far. It's not quite the same as what Ragna is used to from his own world, but the busy streets of a city constantly illuminated by lights, shops and traffic feels at least somewhat familiar. Enough not to get lost or overwhelmed, at least. In fact, it's kinda fun not to feel like he's traveled back in time a few centuries for once. Maybe he can get some nice food he hasn't had for while? Or watch TV on the screens in the market. You know, appreciate the things that used to be so obvious he kind of didn't pay them any attention back then.

However, not all of them are used to this sort of environment, so whether he likes it or not, Ragna is now stuck on babysitting duty. Frankly, he's not too worried about Mitsunari ─ rather, he's worried about the unfortunate souls who happen to run into him and invoke his wrath by asking him to take a picture of them at the local landmark or something like that. So here he is, apparently resigning himself to damage control whatever goes wrong here ─ and let's be real, something definitely will.]

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[ Of all the worlds Mitsunari has found himself in, this has to be one of the more foreign ones. It's loud compared to what he's grown used to, not to mention bright. There's so many things he's never seen before, and so much movement. When was the last time he saw this many people in one place? He's definitely feeling a bit of culture shock.

Ragna, however, appears to be perfectly at home in this environment, and admittedly, Mitsunari feels an irrational annoyance at this.

But as his days of hating Ragna are over, he doesn't think it's beneath him to ask Ragna a few things about this odd city. ]

Are those... horse-less carriages? They smell repulsive.

[ He is referring to cars. Some people like the smell of gasoline, but he's not one of them. ]

[It quickly turns out the term "babysitting" describes the situation perfectly: Mitsunari seems rather lost and pretty confused by, well, just about everything. Ragna can't exactly blame him for that, knowing full well he comes from distant past (from his point of view, anyway), but that sure doesn't prevent the feeling ot irritation with each pointless question. And this time it's about─

Oh. Huh. They don't actually use those kind of things anymore in his time, either, but at the very least he can make an educated guess this must have been what people had used prior to development of Ars Magus vessels? Sounds about right.]

Guess you can call 'em that. Though last I checked, horses didn't smell roses, either.

[If Mitsunari thinks this smell is bad, he could be in for some unpleasant surprises in a big city like this.]

I'm accustomed to the smell of horses.

[ These carriages sure give off a lot of smoke. Are they supposed to be doing that? Robots like the ones Motochika builds start smoking when they're broken, don't they? ]

Are these tall buildings meant to be impressive? Toyotomi architecture is far superior.

[32 seconds into the conversation until the mention of the Toyoyos. He was counting.

Ragna glances up, though it's hard to tell whether it's to check the buildings for himself or if he's looking up to the sky and thinking "why this". Might be a little of both.]

Hell if I know, I ain't an architect. Practical reasons, probably?

[Makes no difference to him, honestly. Instead of contemplating this world's architecture, Ragna reaches out with his arm to stop Mitsunari from walking any farther. There's a crossing in front of them and he really doesn't want to find out what could happen if he let him cross at a red light.]

They're indistinguishable from one another. They pale in comparison to any castle I've ever seen.

[ Fuck practicality, basically.

One might not assume Mitsunari to be someone who cares about things like this, but it can only be a product of a renewed interest in the world. With less apathy to grapple with and no vengeance on his mind, he can muster the will to actually think about subjects like aesthetics.

Mitsunari turns and scowls when Ragna stops him. ]

What?

Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.

[It's not that Ragna necessarily disagrees, since he hasn't seen any of the aforementioned castles. But even if he did, he probably wouldn't care either way, having little interest in such things. Apparently having unfulfilled desire for revenge dulls one's aesthetic senses.]

See that light there? You can only cross when it's green.

[He can't believe he has to explain this to a supposedly adult man. What is the world coming to?]

[ Mitsunari is confused by many things in this world, but he can at least work out why he's only supposed to cross when it's green. ]

...The carriages will attempt to run me down, otherwise?

[ He huffs, thoroughly unimpressed. ]

I am faster than they are.

Edited 2017-07-27 09:27 (UTC)

[Ragna just kind of gapes at him. Unbelievable. Mitsunari is fast, he'll give him that, but there's no way he could outrun mechanical vehicles like these. It's almost tempting to let him try, if only because it might be kinda fun to watch. Thankfully, Ragna is spared from having to make a difficult decision of "how much of an asshole am I really" once the light changes, so he just shakes his head and begins walking again.]

Don't.

[That refers to both crossing at a red light and racing against the cars. Just in case he got a stupid idea of trying either.

Once they reach the other side of the street, Ragna notices some kind of fast food joint nearby. It's not that he's that much of a junk food fan, but after so many years without it, he wouldn't mind stuffing himself with some of that crap for a change.]

You hungry?

[... He asks like he's ever witnessed Mitsunari consume food without having to be reminded it's necessary.]

[ Geez, Ragna. What are you, his mother?

...Someone has to be the responsible adult here...

Mitsunari looks at him like this is an incredibly stupid question -- of course he's not -- until he realizes, oh. He's starting to get those annoying signals from his body that suggest he should probably ingest something before he starts feeling weak.

Also known as "experiencing hunger" to normal people. ]

Fine.

[ "Yes" is a more logical answer, but he doesn't care. ]

[For real. Mitsunari is one of those people who require adult supervision 24/7 or else he'll bring you a bloody corpse home and toss it at your feet. Or were those cats? Same difference.

Ragna rolls his eyes at the response. He's not doing him a favor by agreeing to eat, even though that's clearly what it is to him.]

We can eat here. We pay them money and they give us food.

[Is he treating him like a complete idiot? Yes. Yes, he is.]

[ ~~Mitsunyari.~~

Mitsunari bristles at his tone. ]

Don't you dare patronize me, you lout. And with what money? Have you any idea which currency they're using?

Nope.

[He also doesn't think it matters that much. They have some kind of money, so that should be more than enough, no? The Grim Reaper shrugs, completely unconcerned. In worst case scenario, they can just leave without paying. Been there, done that.]

Stop making a fuss and let's go.

[Who's the adult here again?]

[ Mitsunari glowers for a moment more before relenting. The storeowners can just take whatever they're given... ]

You be quiet.

[ Mitsunari stomps ahead into the fast food joint, shoving open the doors and not even bothering to hold them for Ragna. This doesn't smell like any other food vendor he's been to before. Are they drowning the food in grease before they serve it or what? And none of the food being advertised looks familiar. Burgers? Milkshakes? ]

Is there a purpose to shaking milk before drinking it?

[He'd be surprised if he was kind enough to wait for him. Ragna drags his hand across his face and lets out an exasperated sigh before following him inside. Being an adult is so hard.]

Huh? Well, it's not just milk. More like... ice cream with stuff like chocolate or strawberries or whatnot added for flavor.

[... Does Mitsunari even know what ice cream is? If not, then that explanation won't make things any more clear for him. Oh well, perhaps it's just better to let him see it for himself rather than talk about it.]

Anything specific you wanna try?

[If not, he'll just pick whatever he feels like.]

[ The SenBASA world is so filled with anachronisms that he really might as well know what ice cream is. He's not a huge fan of chocolate or strawberries, since they're both too sweet for his tastes. The burgers, too, don't seem appealing, as he doesn't much like meat either.

There is something that catches his notice on account of looking remarkably inoffensive. ]

What are these "fries"? The name tells me nothing.

[It's sort of amazing how Mitsunari is capable of feeling offended by food existing. That makes Ragna miss taking Tao out to eat. She's far less picky and actually appreciates it.]

Fried pieces of potato. Pretty good if you ask me.

[Which he never did and likely doesn't care, but he's getting his opinion anyway.]

[ That doesn't sound inedible... Compared to some of the things he can see people eating in here, it's downright safe. ]

...I will try them.

[ He doesn't have any solid reason to distrust Ragna's opinions on food, anyway. ]

[Ragna definitely knows more about food than Mitsunari does, if only because he doesn't share his weird aversion to eating. Convincing him to actually try something went easier than expected, though, so perhaps there's still hope for him.]

Cool. I'll go get it and you find us a table.

[Surely that can be done without murdering anyone, so he can probably leave it to him.]

[ Not being the most social creature in the world, Mitsunari sits down at the table farthest away from any other people. There's a nice view out the window, though. The tall buildings are dull eyesores that embody the words "wasted potential", but some of the horse-less carriages are surprisingly interesting in terms of design. You'll never see a real carriage look as sleek as some of these. As he pays closer attention, he notices that they appear to be able to accelerate quickly and stop just as fast... Very interesting. ]

[In the meantime, Ragna places their order and somehow manages to pay with the money he has on him. Whether it's because it's a big city and the cashier is used to accepting various currencies (and simply failed to check), or because he noticed the coins are made of gold (and probably worth more than the order) isn't of too much importance; all that matters is that they won't have to run away from the place while being chased by an angry manager.

He's not surprised by Mitunari's choice of table ─ honestly, he would've picked the same one. It's refreshing to get in touch with civilization for a change, but that doesn't mean he wants to be right in the middle of it.]

Here ya go.

[Ragna places the tray on the table and takes a seat across Mitsunari. He got him fries as requested, plus a soda to drink. For himself, he's got a burger and a milkshake.

The culinary future is here.]

[ Mitsunari is, as always, allergic to thanking people, so instead he makes a quiet sound of acknowledgement.

The soda's a surprise. Not knowing how straws work and not caring to find out, he just pulls the top off. Inside is a dark liquid, like tea, but it's fizzy. That's very unlike tea. He frowns at it suspiciously.

...Maybe he'll try it. It's not like he's obligated to just because Ragna bought it for him!

On to the food. It doesn't look like it's going to poison him, so he picks up a fry and gives it a taste.

It's... not bad? Warm, but not too hot. Saltier than anything he's ever eaten before, to be sure, but not overwhelmingly so. He eats it and tries another one. And then a third one. And a fourth. ]

I expected worse.

[ He doesn't want to say he likes them, but... ]

[Look, just seeing him eat something without too much complaining is quite shocking. Hearing Mitsunari express gratitude might have been more than Ragna's brain (limited as it is) could handle, so perhaps it's for the better that he hasn't gone out of the character.]

Coming from you, that's pretty much a praise.

[Ragna lets out an amused snort between the bites of his burger. That was almost a sign of approval. Must be a cold day in hell.]

[ Mitsunari's appetite may border on non-existent, but these fries are appealing all the same. They're different from what he's used to eating and simple enough that he can stomach them easily. They are, therefore, the ideal food.

He raises an eyebrow at Ragna. ]

"Praise" is an overstatement. And does it amuse you that I am capable of acknowledging when something exceeds my expectations?

[Food is one of the very few things left that Ragna sort of enjoys about life, so it baffles him why anyone would deny themselves that. On the other hand, he's used to Mitsunari being weird in many, many ways, and none of his oddities make much sense to him. It certainly doesn't bother him, though, as he's come to accept them as Mitsunari things that exist, no more and no less.

This one included.]

More like that you can't straight-up admit you like something.

[Pot, meeting kettle.]

[ Oh. That's. Actually true. He's not always the most self-aware man, but this is something he recognizes in himself.

And having it pointed out is frustrating, because he doesn't want to agree that this is the case. ]

You would do well to mind your own business.

[ Grumble, grumble, shoving another fry into his mouth now. ]

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