Mitsunari in the fast food-land

[rebellions]

[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.]

Comments

[curseking]

[ Everything is Serious Business when Mitsunari gets involved. ]

Refraining from taking anything that is mine would be a start.

[ A N Y T H I N G.

Mitsunari glances over at his untouched soda. He still doesn't know what it's supposed to be, but he's trying to make an effort to try new things because that's supposed to improve the quality of your life, or... something.

He takes a sip. ]

...It burns going down. Is this alcohol?

[rebellions]

[You know what, while he doesn't concern himself a thief (let alone petty), that comment makes Ragna really tempted to take something of his in the near future just to screw around with him. Gotta keep that in mind.

He raises an eyebrow at Mitsunari's question. That's one hell of an odd assumption, and he'd probably never arrive at that conclusion himself. Is it because the sensation is kinda similar to, say, champagne and stuff?]

What? No. It just...

[Actually, what is it that makes soda like that? It was carbon... something ot the other. Gas for sure, but who cares about the details? Not Ragna.]

... has bubbles and shit.

[Thank you for the elaborate explanation, Professor Bloodedge.]

[curseking]

[ Joke's on you Ragna, Mitsun has like zero personal possessions.

Ragna's response earns a very dead look from Mitsunari. ]

...I cannot fathom a more useless response than the one you just gave to me. It has bubbles. Of course.

[rebellions]

[Sword. Clothes. Fries. That's more than enough to choose from.

Ragna shoots him an equally unimpressed look as he takes a sip of his milkshake. Through a straw. Like a Civilized Person that he is.]

Well excuuuse me. Never said I was a specialist on soda and crap. What else do you wanna know, anyway? It has bubbles. It also has more sugar in it than you can probably imagine. And it could melt bones if you left 'em in it long enough.

[He maaay be exaggerating a little, but hey. It's informative!! Sort of.]

[curseking]

Melt...

[ Mitsunari suddenly stares down at his soda like it's really a cup of acid. With ice! ]

Ragna, what the hell kind of poison did you give me!?

[rebellions]

[Ragna doesn't seem to fully comprehend Mitsunari's outrage, but he sure finds it hilarious. Not worth any reaction beyond shrugging it off, though.]

Chill. People drink it all the time and live.

[He probably thinks that sounds reassuring.]

[curseking]

[ Okay, Ragna's not trying to poison him, but he's not touching that drink a second time. ]

Careless people! Who's to say what it does when consumed in large quantities? Burn holes in their stomachs? Don't serve me such a thing again.

[rebellions]

[Who knew Mitsunari would turn out to be such a health freak? Sure thing, he's got a point there, but there's no need to be so drastic about it.]

Don't be such a drama queen. It's just a drink.

[But since it doesn't look like he'll be touching that anytime soon... Ragna grabs the soda from him, sticks a straw in it and takes a sip himself. It would be a waste to just leave it, no?]

[curseking]

[ Should... he stop him? It may not be immediately dangerous to drink, but... Ugh, stupid Ragna! ]

How can you bring yourself to ingest that?

[ He's so disconcerted that he forgot to be angry that it was stolen. ]

[rebellions]

[Ragna raises an eyebrow at him, wondering just how deadly Mitsunari thinks soda truly is. "More than it really is" seems to be the answer.

But that's not the only surprising thing about that statement, he realizes. Is he like... concerned or some shit? Ragna stirs in his seat, uncomfortable at the thought; some time ago he would have said it's impossible for Mitsunari to worry about him, but knows better now (even if he doesn't necessarily like it). He frowns, almost wishing the other man freaked out over him being a Soda Thief this time, but decides to keep his tone casual as he replies.]

Y'know what they say... what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and all that.

[It's not even remotely close to the truth when it comes to soda, but eh. Who cares about details.]

[curseking]

[ Mitsunari stares down at his fries. He doesn't know if he's ever heard that saying before. For all he knows, Ragna made it up just now. ]

What a foolish saying. It couldn't be further from the truth.

[rebellions]

[Ragna can tell Mitsunari is skeptical, even though it's one time he's not pulling this shit out of his ass as he speaks. Talk about irony.]

It's worked out for me.

[He glances down at his right arm, immediately realizing it's not exactly right; the Azure Grimoire will eventually kill him. But until then, it's made him stronger, so... close enough, right?]

[curseking]

Has it.

[ Still very dubious of this claim, Mitsunari takes a bite out of another fry. These really are pretty good... ]

I would say... What doesn't kill you may as well have.

[ But like Ragna, he realizes after saying it that it's not quite true either. He's doing so much better than he used to be, isn't he? ]

No... it makes one believe that to be true.

[ Of course, he's talking about himself. ]

[rebellions]

[Wow, that's almost positive thinking right there. Didn't expect that one. This conversation is getting a bit too #deep for Ragna's liking, though, so he casually leans back in his chair, finishing his burger.]

Either way, fries ain't gonna kill you. Promise.

[It may not be a very serious comment, but a promise is a promise nonetheless, so. Eat your damn fries, Mitsun.]

[curseking]

[ He can trust a promise from Ragna, which is... a pretty wild thought. Every once in a while he has to wonder how things got so amiable between them. ]

When the time comes to return to the Katabami, purchase more of these fries. I want to save some for later.

[ He could do it himself, but why should he when he can order Ragna to do it? ]

[rebellions]

[Ragna has to wonder the same thing, especially when Mitsunari chooses not to make a fuss over everything he says or does. They seem to have buried the hatchet for good and he's oddly comfortable with that.

Not so much with the implication that he should do what he's telling him.]

What am I, your slave?

[He lets out a snort. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Mitsunari isn't a kid. He should be able to handle his purchases on his own.]

'Sides, they're best served fresh. Ain't gonna be that good after a day or two.

[He doubts Mitsunari knows much about how food preservation works, beyond maybe "if it was white and is now green, do not eat it". Ragna figures he wouldn't be happy with cold or moist fries, though, so he makes an offer that could help him avoid the disappointment.]

I could make you some instead.

[curseking]

[ When you spend most of your life ordering people around, that mindset tends to bleed into inappropriate situations...

Though if it's true that they're just going to get gross that quickly, there's no point in bothering. How irritating.

--Wait, what did Ragna just say?

Mitsunari stares at him. ]

...What do you ask for in return for this generosity?

[rebellions]

[As he's finishing the (now his) soda, Ragna nearly chokes on it. "Generosity"? Is this guy for real?]

Are you stupid? It's just some dumb potato. It's not like I'm saving your life with that or some shit.

[More like he's ruining Mitsunari's previous diet. And, let's be real, he probably wouldn't ask for anything in return even if he was saving him. Has he ever?]

[curseking]

You're the idiot here. Are you offering out of the kindness of your heart or some other such inane reason?

[ He sounds sarcastic. People offer to do things because they expect compensation. That's how the world works.

But actually... Ragna's not really the kind of person who would demand something in return. Maybe he's offering because it's really just not an imposition on him in any way and that's what... friends... do.

Stupid, confusing Ragna. Why does he never act in a way Mitsunari can anticipate? ]

...If you really want nothing in return, then yes. Make some for me. I... would not be unappreciative.

[ That last sentence all but kills him to say. Tsun tsun Mitsun. ]

[rebellions]

The fuck does that even mean...

[Mitsunari's noble effort to express gratitude without actually showing it goes unappreciated because. Seriously. What does that even mean?? He'll have to use smaller words if he wants Ragna to understand, otherwise he's just gonna assume he's insulting him.

Just like he is with that "kindness of his heart" bullshit. It's not that, obviously; Ragna only does what he wants or feels like doing, duh. Which, as much as he hates to admit it, usually involves doing things for people he... cares about...

Fuck.]

Just say "thanks" or something, dumbass.

[The Grim Reaper huffs angrily and, in order to drive his point home



he steals another fry.]

[curseking]

I refuse to dumb down my vocabulary for your sake.

[ He would have left it that and then maybe found it within himself to force out the words "thank you" anyway if Ragna hadn't stolen another goddamn fry.

That it's "only" a single French fry is irrelevant! It is the principle of the matter! ]

I said ask for my permission, you thieving animal!

[ Damn it. How can he properly avenge this theft? Steal something back? No, he won't stoop to Ragna's level. Throw the fries away so no one can have them? ...No, he's not done with them yet.

He's not sure. How do you avenge yourself without resorting to violence? Why is this so hard?! ]

Somehow... somehow I will find a way to instill a sense of shame in you!

[ He slams his fist down on the table, but it's obvious he's not sure how he's going to accomplish this task. ]

[rebellions]

Suuure you will.

[Ragna doesn't even try to keep the smug look from showing on his face. Still, he does find it pretty impressive Mitsunari has yet to draw weapons over this ─ stealing fries is one thing, but Ragna is blatantly disrespecting him and his principles (which he's perfectly aware of, he just doesn't care). If nothing else, he can show some maturity himself by stopping the terrible thievery for the time being. It's not like he's trying to push him over the edge here, after all.]

C'mon, hurry it up. Or just grab 'em to eat while we walk, we're not gonna sit here all day.

[curseking]

[ If looks could kill, this one would... maybe not quite kill, but maim, certainly.

He's almost tempted to sit here all damn day to spite Ragna, but Ragna would probably leave and Mitsunari does kind of want to see the rest of the city.

He stands up, container of fries in hand. ]

I do not operate on your schedule, but I tire of this place all the same.

[ He heads for the exit, not bothering to wait on Ragna, of course. He hopes the door slams in his face, in fact. ]

[rebellions]

[When Mitsunari walks past him, Ragna smiles. Not the smug smirk from before, mind you, but a genuine smile. It's pretty weird to find comfort in dumb bickering, but there's something reassuring about knowing things are the same as always between them (well, maybe not "always", but ever since they stopped trying to hack each other apart at sight for sure). He doesn't want to admit it, but he was a little worried about how their interactions would go now that Mitsunari has found out he's practically a dead man walking. Like... maybe he'd look at him with pity or something? That'd be pretty unsettling, he thought. But it seems nothing has changed between them, or rather, not in a way that would leave him feeling uneasy around the other man.

The Grim Reaper chuckles to himself lightly as he throws the remains of his meal to the bin, and is in a good enough mood that he doesn't complain when the door does, in fact, very nearly slam him in the face (though it does manage to wipe the smile off his face for most part).]

Well? What do you wanna do next?

[He asks, as if Mitsunari has any way of knowing what can be done in a city like this.]

[curseking]

[ Mitsunari is not a man who pities anyone, least of all a person who is important to him. Pity is an emotion miles away from respect. Though, he doesn't think he'll be engaging Ragna in any more fights, now knowing the price he has to pay for his powers. Ragna must stay alive; because he has unfulfilled vengeance, and because Mitsunari wants him to.

Mitsunari, in any case, gives Ragna a look that says "are you an idiot?". ]

How do you expect me to have any destination in mind? These sorry excuses for architecture could serve any number of purposes.

[ But then he gets an idea. ]

...Where do I obtain a horseless carriage?