mementobellum-blog

[mementobellum-blog]

kyokasuru:

      “Or you could just hem and haw in front of the doorway and keep other people from going in.”           Though normally her voice would be high and shrill, even she isn’t so cold-hearted as to want to wake a sleeping child with her volume. Besides, the inevitable shrieking to follow would doubtless put even her to shame, and that was hardly something she’d consider pleasant.

          “Here–” she grouses, stepping around him and yanking the door open, propping it open with a hip just so she can gesture him inside. “–just get in there already…” Voice trailing off, she spares him a second glance and her nose wrinkles at the sight of the mess that’s been made of him. “And that is exactly why I keep the little gremlins at least three feet away at all times.” 

“He’s not a gremlin,” he’s quick to defend, even though, yes, his royal garments are a mess because of the boy.

Takumi shoots her a glare, only for it ebb and for him to falter. She’s rude yet willing to help him, contradictory signals which leave him at a loss for how to proceed - other than to head into the store. “He’s too precious to be a gremlin. Do gremlins look like angels when they’re asleep?”

[mementobellum-blog]

Between finding himself in a new realm and looking after small children (while getting paid to do so), the young prince of Hoshido has barely had time for himself. It’s one of those rare days when he’s not expected to lull a newborn to sleep and is able to, instead, peruse a quaint little antique shop. At first, he hadn’t known the appeal, thinking it just a dusty mish-mash of odds and ends.

But as he wanders further into the store, the eccentric pieces begin to tell stories. He sees an armoire that belonged to a countess, carved from a tree that grew upon holy soil; a mirror encrusted with seashells collected during a summer solstice; and buttons that once adorned an admiral’s coat. He’s fallen into a world separate from the one right outside the door. Takumi sneezes.

When he opens his eyes after that untimely interruption - curse his body for betraying him - he notices a chessboard made from nacre. His eyes sparkle at the iridescent shimmer of the pieces and the white tiles. Oh no. He has to have it. Takumi plucks it off the shelf and tries to hasten towards the register, only to knock into another patron.

“Ack! Didn’t see you there...”

@lucktobeirish

[mementobellum-blog]

tenebrynhildr:

Leo’s shoulders tightened under the unexpected - though not entirely unwelcome - arm. He coughed out a nervous sound, shifting until he was free of Takumi and falling into step beside him, without the physical guidance.

“I have not, no,” he admitted. To be honest, ales weren’t really his kind of drink. Wines, yes, but he hadn’t much opportunity to partake of any kind of drink, as such, since coming here. Apparently this world had a thing called ‘age laws’ which prevented him from consuming alcohol quite yet.

18 until adulthood and 21 until drink. In Nohr, a person was considered an adult at 13 and there was no limitation on when someone could consume liquor. It was a matter of personal responsibility, which was apparently lacking in other universes.

Ah well.

He sent a thin smile in Takumi’s direction. “Yes, of course. Rice. Except in a nation comprised of marsh and swampland in which rice cannot grow,” he pointed out. Hell, barley and wheat barely grew in Nohr and only after much coaxing. But then, Nohrian produce in general was nothing like the Hoshidan equivalent.

“All the same, I prefer the taste of our drinks over your sah-key.”

When Leo drew away, Takumi let out an amused snort. Though they said Hoshidans were more frugal with their physical affections, he and his friend proved quite the opposite. Granted, Leo had quite the, ah, reticent personality as it was.

He halted in his tracks.

Takumi’s eyes widened as he recognized his blunder. Hastily, he made up for his delay in pace and looked to Leo with regret brimming his eyes. He tried to say something, he really did, but the words never quite made it out of his throat and onto his tongue. He clamped his mouth shut and glanced away, brushing the matter underneath the metaphorical rug which held their tenuous friendship together.

He resolved to do better.

And by better, he meant right after he guffawed at Leo’s mispronunciation. Takumi clamped a hand over his mouth and gulped.

Ah hell, it wasn’t like him to hold back this much. With a sigh, he murmured, “Sake’s not for everyone.” He tucked his hands against his elbows and said, “Unlike soda, which you are going to try, even if I have to hold your head under the fountain.”

[mementobellum-blog]

abyssalfated:

In many ways, Riful was no better than he was. At least he didn’t have a giant sword on his back that he needed to compensate for in all his movements. But years with her blade had taught the girl to work around it. Not that she didn’t still knock over a trashcan or two. But she was impossibly curious. Even though Sabers should stick close to their Master, she couldn’t help but wonder. Sometimes she was far too much like a cat.

“That’d be a raccoon, I’d say. Clearly it’s a dreaded Raccoon class Servant. Better run. There’s no way you can take it alone.”

How was she alright at stealth despite her sword and armor? In the dark, neither reflected. That aside, she was quite good at hiding her aura. If you weren’t looking for it, you weren’t likely to pick it up. She sat, leaning half off a nearby roof, watching the exchange with such amusement.

“You’re a little jumpy, don’t you think?”

A girl calls out from above and he almost summons his yumi instead of his spear.

Bah, she’s not even a threat! He lowers his weapon and scowls.

A teasing quip leaves her lips and all he hears is the condescension in between the syllables instead of coherent words. His brow stitches together into a neat little scarf of indignation that’ll keep his face nice and hot. His cheeks burn.

“Hah, hah, very funny,” he spits out.

Takumi crosses his arms and fixes her with a look that hollers ‘no one asked you!’ Still, he accepts her bait like a wooden horse wheeling through the gates and retorts, “I’m quick on my toes, nothing gets past me!”

[mementobellum-blog]

"Who’s there?”

A trash can tips over and rattles against the ground. He swears under his breath as a raccoon scampers past his feet, brushing against his pant leg. He should know better than to venture into an unknown part of town like this but curiosity has always been a temptress. Besides, he can justify almost anything when wording it as a means of protecting his Master. The more he knows, the more he can call upon, the better his chances of surviving in this unknown city.

Nannying for small children invites little more than exhaustion and ear worms. No one can expect him, a warrior-prince, to make a smooth transition towards the mundane. You can’t reinvent your lifestyle overnight. So yeah, the unnecessary reconnaissance fills a certain void in his new life. Even if he’s a little spooked right now.

@abyssalfated

[mementobellum-blog]

"Hey, Saber!”

He marches up to the cyborg ninja in broad daylight and directs the point of his naginata towards the stranger. With the confidence of youth that has yet to be stomped out by cynicism, he calls out, “Just how long exactly do you think you’ll last against me?”

It may come off as brusque, the way he asks for a sparring match, but in his mind, the fact that he’s so upfront about what he’s after is actually a show of respect. Beating around the bush is for people with ulterior motives. He just wants to see how he fares against the sword.

Perhaps it’s fate for them to cross paths like this, while the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Or maybe that’s just a whim of the program that now dictates their lives. Either way, it’s the perfect backdrop for their battle - serene yet rife with symbolism: Life is tragically short.

@ryuunosenshii

[mementobellum-blog]

It’s funny, how one of the kids he’s now in charge of babysitting shares a name with his older brother. What isn’t funny is how many times Ryouma has thrown up in his lap since starting this job. The poor darling is now asleep but daily life is just a tad harder when you’ve an armful of twelve months. All he’s trying to do is open the door to the convenience store without waking his bundle of joy up.

“Okay, Takumi, you can do this. You’ve led an army, you’ve survived a dinner with foreign dignitaries, you can figure out a way to get inside that building and buy wet wipes--”

@kyokasuru

[mementobellum-blog]

“May!” he flags her down with a toss of his arm and a jump to his step. Takumi’s grinning as he zips through the crowded streets, catching her just as she’s about to cross. “I guess your Servant did a pretty good job of keeping you from getting all banged up.” Not that he’d been worried or anything like that. Maybe.

(Though, honestly, having run into Ayano during the citywide epidemic had definitely put things into perspective for the warrior prince.)

@gentlysweeps

[mementobellum-blog]

fatesxng:

 Gardening was not one of Phyr’ssyn’s favorite things to do. Though a plentiful amount of food in the darklands was grown on harsh soil, and as such they had learned to adapt, tending to fields was hardly work for a noble. Dirt got under nails far too easily, and was nothing but a nuisance. 

 On top of that, she hadn’t the slightest clue where to begin. Was growing one’s food really so worth it? She plucked a package from one of the shelves, scrutinizing the text with an uncharacteristically wrinkled nose. Tomatoes. Whatever that meant.

 Tossing the package back onto the shelf, she hummed, moving towards the displayed flowers instead. The vibrant colors were truly eye-catching. She was briefly in the midst of debating buying a particularly lovely purple plant when a shout caught her ear.

 Plants could wait.

 She made her way towards the sound, gathering her skirt as she stepped over an overturned bag of dirt. The source seemed to be someone resting their face on… Whatever it was. She almost felt sorry for them.

 Almost.

                    “Such things are more easily said than done, it                      would seem.”

He jumps away from the bag of fertilizer, weapon drawn at the ready. It takes him all of two seconds to remember that he is no longer at war and sheepishly tucks his naginata away where the sharp blade can’t hurt anyone. Now would be a good time to apologize for his hostile reflex but he can’t bring himself to actually utter the words. Instead, he lets out a non-committal grunt and glances pointedly at the far off wall.

He indulges in his childish behavior for a second longer before daring to look the stranger in the eye. With a cough, he mumbles, “Only because there’s so many choices. They can’t possibly expect us to thoroughly research all these options for every single product line. How do people function in this era?”

[mementobellum-blog]

unapostle:

@mementobellum

     Something happened in the city before he came here, that much Allen can tell. He knows the site of newly destroyed buildings better than he’d like, and Utopia has many of them. No one’s told him about it yet though, all the ones he asked are tight lipped and still visibly shaken by it. People are still injured too, from what he’s glanced at. The destruction still too fresh in their minds he supposes. He doesn’t mind being met with vague answers, there’s still stuff to do after all. 

     Without proper knowledge, he can’t do much, but helps wherever he can. It’s mostly in the form of clearing rubble from toppled buildings. It’s an easy feat given the fact that his role as Servant makes him stronger than he was as just a regular human. That’s what he’s been doing all day, clearing rubble in the hot sun, getting a few odd glances because he’s wearing gloves and a coat. Normal things really.

    “Can I help you with something?” voice pleasant and polite, words directed at someone who has a look on their face like they want to say something to him. “I’m fairly new to the city, so I can’t promise I’ll be able to answer fully.”

Takumi may be a prince but he isn’t the sort to twiddle his thumbs while slouching on a throne all day; he owes it to these people - even if they aren’t his - to help them in any way he can. Some days, that means clearing the rubble and debris caused by the recent plague. He’s got dust in every fold of his clothes and a thin layer of grime on his hands but that doesn’t stop him from approaching one of the other workers.

He quirks a brow at the guy’s question, glances around for some sort of context, then shakes his head when he finds none. “No, I was just gonna ask if you needed help.” He points out a fragment of what used to be a wall, comparable to a car in length. It looks like a six-man job, or a two-Servant attempt, if you prefer. “That piece is going to slide onto the street if we don’t move it before clearing out the surrounding rubble.”

[mementobellum-blog]

panthermask:

     ❛   isn’t there like normally an interview process? then again, it’s not like there would be that much competition here…   ❜   but it does give ann hope that it’ll be easier to obtain some sort of employment here to fuel her, given that she doesn’t have her parents nor her previous job to sustain herself.   ❛   i’ve got something! a cashier at a museum. it’s not exciting, but at least it’s something i can do!   ❜

He doesn’t care to wonder how he landed the position on the spot. Some might think it shady but he really doesn’t think that anything that involves looking after kids would attract that sort of unsavory business. Anyone who takes advantage like that is welcome to meet the business end of his naginata.

“Well, hey! That just means you get to check out all the cool exhibits all the time.” It’d be the perfect place to drag Leo, come to think of it. Maybe he can get a discount if he knows an employee. “Err, this is a little late, but... I’m Takumi.”

[mementobellum-blog]

So, like... like this post if you want a starter with Takumi. Five slots for characters he’s hasn’t interacted with and three slots for people he has! *If we already have a post-event thread going on, please msg me to plot instead!

[mementobellum-blog]

Animal Crossing Starters:

“I figured you must be blackmailing that poor girl to have lunch with you.”

“I think it’s fair to say that I’m pretty sexy.”

“I don’t want to live in a world where I have to eat sugar free sugar cookies.”

“I remembered today was your birthday so I thought I’d say hi.”

“You have nothing to lose except your lonely loser status.”

“Shut it, you faker!”

“I sure am tired from all that relaxing I did today.”

“Then I can spend my entire allowance on comic books and video games and no one can stop me.”

“When you listen to pop music, you often hear them saying ‘shawty.’”

“[NAME] made fun of me because I say ‘poot’ all the time.”

“I waited and waited because I really wanted to see you.”

“Tell papa/mama what’s up.”

“It hurts my face just looking at you.”

“Marry me.”

“I look forward to seeing what you’re gonna do with my butt.”

“A trash bin..? Is this a clue to your true identity?”

“I’m beautiful, but I’m also deadly.”

“I hope you go to jail.”

“What did you do to my body?”

“Stick to chocolate and comic books. You’re too young for love anyway.”

“I’m sorry.. please don’t be too mad at me.”

“I have a big favor to ask you.”

“Maybe I’ll just go home and lock myself in a closet.”

“I gotta admit, I really love that one show where all those people do the stuff and then something happens.”

“Here, touch my skin. It’s totally slimy right now.”

“I probably look in the mirror 24 times a day just to be sure I’m still so darned handsome/beautiful.”

“Guess what I’ve got in my pockets right now.”

“Better not catch you making goo-goo eyes at my wife/husband.”

“No one understands me. I’m hungry all the time and no one cares.”

“Are you suggesting my style is outdated?”

“Don’t play with stink bugs, especially when you’ve got a date coming up.”

“They don’t even care who wins. They just all flex their pecs.”

“Love means accepting that there will be times when you don’t get the last scallop.”

“Yeah exercise is totally hard and stuff. I think I’m gonna go take a nap and read a book or whatever.”

“Today was the day my best friend in the whole wide world was born.”

“Whoa you look so weird. And not weird in a hip way. More like ‘weird’ as in ‘makes me want to barf.’”

“End my suffering.”

“Not to sound corny but I really like you.”

“I wonder how I can say ‘swaggy ’ in the most grown up way possible.”

“Just because two people are good friends doesn’t mean they’d make a good couple.”

“Sorry, I was staring at your face because I don’t know you. Not because there’s something wrong with your face.”

“Would it surprise you if I said I’m pretty proud of my legs?”

“The truth is never free.. but sometimes it’s on sale.”

“I hear the sound of rap coming from somewhere.”

“They tell you to sleep on a problem. But what if your problem is insomnia?”

“I’ll just observe your friends from the shadows.”

“I heard allergies are caused by the government.”

“Watch out, 'cause I’ll compliment you until you puke.”

“So D.I.Y. stands for 'do it yourself’? Well, if these guys think I’m going to do my own manual labor, they’ve got another acronym coming.”

“I can smell your confidence. Smells like soup.”

“I’m gay.”

“You’re my hero.”

“Please don’t call on me.”

“I think I dropped my house key somewhere. That was my favorite key… it opened my house.”

“Do you want to hear the brutal truth? That outfit is a hot mess.”

“Oh, I get it! You’re playing it cool. Trying your best not to cry.”

[mementobellum-blog]

panthermask:

     lending him the phone isn’t really much of an issue; what’s he going to do with it? she supposes he could always pawn it off, but it isn’t as if it’d be impossible find him again in this small world that they currently reside in.   (   though she’d believe herself to be better than petty, a girl with a vengeance is hard to get rid of.   ) 

     ❛   no way! congratulations!   ❜   she claps her hands together, makeshift applause in an ecstatic manner. she’s almost a bit jealous that things work out so well for him, but she refuses to let that bring her down.   ❛   what job was it? i’m sure you’ll do great at it whatever it is though!   ❜

“I’ll be looking after the kids at an after-school program. Heh, who knew finding a job would be this easy!” He’s in a good mood now, and eternally grateful to this stranger for nudging him in the right direction. It’s only fitting that he help her in return. “Now let’s get you a job...”

[mementobellum-blog]

“Glad that’s over... I didn’t think it’d last so long.”

[mementobellum-blog]

People don’t grow their own food anymore. On the one hand, he has a vague understanding of the time constraints of a modern lifestyle. On the other hand, this is absolutely ridiculous and his Master will not subsist on instant noodles and pre-packaged dinners. He won’t allow it.

But, you know, that is a rather bold claim when he’s gone and gotten himself lost in the gardening center section of the home supply store: He’s baffled by all the different kinds of fertilizer, wondering how different one cow’s poop can be from another. (Never mind that this stuff has been synthetically made but the manure joke still stands!)

With an aggravated sigh, he leans forward and rests his forehead against a giant sack of ‘PLANT PLUS’, as if he will absorb all the knowledge he needs to make an educated purchase through osmosis.

“I just want to grow stuff!” his voice echoes against the high ceilings of the warehouse-like structure of the store. Oops.

@fatesxng

[mementobellum-blog]

People race down the street in a mad panic, fleeing from an unknown threat - he balks at the violent reaction and his mind races for some sort of explanation. He finds that he has no frame of reference beyond the fact that ‘they need my help’ and that alone will have to drive his every action.

Takumi leaps from rooftop to rooftop, following the wake of terrified victims: Anger boils in his veins as he sees a child squeezing the stuffing out of her dollie. He can’t stand for this.

He hastens his pace and skids to a halt, eyes widening at the miasma floating through the air. That... can’t be good. He falters as he takes distancing steps back. Dammit! He didn’t want to have to do this so soon, but... Fuujin Yumi flickers into existence as the Servant summons his Noble Phantasm.

In the midst of the poisonous haze is a terrifying fellow who, quite honestly, looks more monster than man. Takumi feels a shudder crawl down his spine. He’s not scared, he’s not scared, he’s not scared--

“Hey, you! Back off!” he calls out as he pulls back the bowstring, calling forth a pure bolt of energy that melds into the shape of an arrow. Give him one good reason not to shoot.

@miedoauncuervo