008 | OVERFLOW

[godsoffortune]

This is an overflow post for 008 | Sakura 2.0: You Can (Not) Have A Picnic. Please bring any further comments here and link to your threads at the original source.

Thank you!

Comments

[eternalshield]

[Zeno giggles. Clearly he chose the right thing to focus on, because this kind of passion... it's so cute. His smiles make Zeno all happy, too.]

So it's something you can do anything with, does Zeno have that right?

[And following that lean. Zeno's eyes widen.]

Could Zeno have had it here all along, and not known?!

[sweetdeath]

Yeah, I bet you have! Look for one with brown frosting.

[White, purple, pink, blue... there! That looks like chocolate! Tsuzuki points it out.]

[eternalshield]

[With the indicated confection in hand, Zeno... contemplates it solemnly. Will it live up to the hype. Or will the novelty carry it?

Only one way to find out. The cake part is very moist, and the frosting is... quite intense. He takes a second bite, right over the first, and gets a little frosting on the tip of his nose.]

It's good. [That much is true.] Sweet, definitely. Zeno's not sure how to compare it, but... this is common here?

[sweetdeath]

Absolutely! I'm surprised you never tried any before. Where are you from?

Uh -- if you know.

[He frowns suddenly, worried. Is this guy a shinki?]

[eternalshield]

The Kingdom of Kouka.

[So, yeah, not a shinki.]

Zeno hasn't the ability to forget that. Do you know of it?

[sweetdeath]

Kouka? Nah, never heard of it.

[He frowns thoughtfully up at the sky. Kouka, Kouka... well, okay, if it's a kingdom then he definitely would have. That's like a whole country. Maybe it's someplace older, though, or Zeno's somebody else from another world.]

I'm from Japan myself.

[eternalshield]

Your land and Zeno's must be very far apart, then. Zeno's never heard of "Japan," either.

[That's actually a little alarming. If he's so far away from Kouka that no one's heard of it, what does that mean for his powers? For the other dragons?]

No wonder everything here is so wonderful and strange!

[sweetdeath]

Never even heard of it? ... Yeah, okay, I guess you are from someplace pretty far away!

Japan's the place most of our shrines are, so that's where you're likely to end up when you're hanging out on the Near Shore. So, if you've got any questions...?

[He trails off invitingly, grinning.]

[eternalshield]

[Ooh, questions. People who answered questions were a special sort, who feared little and understood much.

Or sometimes the reverse.]

Was it the gods of your Japan who [spreads arms wide] organized this picnic?

[sweetdeath]

[Well, in this case, it's a lot closer to the reverse.]

Yeah, it is! Amaterasu's household usually comes up with something to welcome in the newcomers.

[eternalshield]

So she's a good goddess, really? You all love her very much?

[Does she rule the country, too? Is she like Hiryuu? He's not pledging himself to any new mistress any time soon -- Yona is it for him -- but it'd be nice... to know the people here were in good hands.]

[sweetdeath]

... She tries hard, anyway.

[All love her very... okay, Tsuzuki can't even fake that one. His face falls, and he glances away. Things're tougher than that, but it's true, Amaterasu does seem to be trying.]

I mean, she's got a lot on her plate!

[eternalshield]

[...oh, okay, so she's useless like King Il-- unable to rule a land or its men. Zeno can't quite disguise a brief downtown at the corners of his mouth-- but he pushes it away quickly.]

She inspires loyalty, at least? [Il's personal servants, like Hak, spoke well of him. It was just the people who actually had to deal with the repercussions of his decisions...] You speak very diplomatically.

[sweetdeath]

I've never met her personally, but it seems like she's working pretty hard for us. It's just that, well, it's been nonstop crises since we got here! Anybody'd have a tough time.

[It's hard to tell if Amaterasu is a good ruler or a bad one. She hasn't totally caved in turbulent times, and she's trying to take care of the newcomers and not punishing them even when they insult her to her face, so, Tsuzuki thinks, it could be a lot worse.]

[eternalshield]

[Perhaps, but crises would show the real measure of a king... though Zeno also likes how fair-minded this guy is. His words are measured and thoughtful, he's not got any kind of agenda... Zeno trusts his opinion so far. If people can still be so even-minded to her, that signals at least a good heart, if not strong leadership.]

Crises, huh? Will Zeno wander into the next one, I wonder... Maybe Zeno's arrival is the next crisis! The great chocolate shortage!