dear_mun | Upon apping to Tu Shanshu

Well, you could. I mean, I doubt anyone would really mind if you just watched the fun.

But that would be boring.

As ideal as sleeping in for the entire stay sounds, I doubt the taskmasters who are dragging me into that world would be too happy. From what I understand, everyone's being sent there to kill evil incarnate or something like that. They'd probably be pretty pissed if I didn't get the job done.

That's not going to stop me from taking my time, though. If they're going to offer me a place to stay rent free for as long as it takes, then I'll take it.

Is not earning one's keep the quintessence of a happy and healthy society, something one should do purely for the sake of duty?

[Because what is fun anyway?]

Granted I can only speak from the High Entia experience, I have not acquainted myself with enough Homs, let alone male Homs, to know how they practice societal contribution.

I guess they would be a little hurt if you didn't lend a hand against the ultimate evil.

You don't sound all that worried. Shouldn't evil incarnate be a little more unnerving to face down?

...

[He actually does know what those words mean, but the clinical dialect and implication that he should be happy to work throw him off. He needs a second to process what this person was saying.]

Kid, even if I haven't contributed a hell of a lot more than any pencil pusher ever did, I'm not about to start caring about what I'm doing for society.

[He could have just said "Fuck you, I've saved the world multiple times", but he isn't that much of a brag.]

But if you want to know what a human would think, you should ask some of them, not me.

K-kid? Implying that I am a child is insulting, I have long since graduated to adulthood!

[Yeah, she'll choose that to focus on because her sensibilities have just been bruised. Of course allowing it to show isn't very dignified so she'll take a moment to collect herself before pressing forward.]

I might just deign myself to do that if I knew what a human was.

If you're trying to save face, let me give you a pointer from an old pro. You shouldn't get so defensive. It makes you look insecure.

That's what you meant by "Hom", right? It sounds sort of close.

Indignant would be the proper term, I am in my eighty-eighth year, being referred to so casually as a child is an affront to my dignity. [She's not at all insecure, how did you get to be so insightful?] Are you always so cavalier?

By Hom I simply meant Hom. [You'll have to forgive her lack of conceptualization when it comes to humanity--even if it sounds close and even if Homs are human...it's just not a thing.]

Nope.

[Even if he can't face it, he lives in between battles, especially battles like this. On a more pragmatic note, what's there to lose? His soul is safely stashed somewhere and ready to be sent back at any time, nobody he cares about is there to get hurt, and he's experienced with dealing with demonic beings that could potentially destroy the Earth. In his opinion, he'll worry when there's actually something to worry about.]

If these guys are exaggerating, then it's just another day at the office. I kill the son of a bitch, and the emperor just wasted months of everyone's time. And if it actually is that bad, well... Like you said, it'll be fun. The way I see it, it's either the job of the century or a nice vacation, so I can't lose.

Eighty eight? Okay, so you weren't kidding when you said that you had no idea what a human even was.

[He's not at all taken aback by the age difference. This kind of thing happens all of the time where he comes from.]

If Homs are something different, you'll have to ask someone else what they're like. I'm afraid I've never heard of them.

[He isn't short-tempered, but he's not patient enough to try and figure out if she actually is talking about humans.]

Correct. [Going on eighty-nine if you will.] No, I'm not familiar with the word, but judging by the way you are speaking I can assume they are a species of sorts.

[Fortunately she's not dim, she can gather that much on her own.]

Not many Homs make it up to Eryth Sea on the Bionis, but my late mother was a Hom. They look like me, but without the wings.

[You know, the ones on her head. So basically a Hom is a human.]

So in other words, they're pretty much just like humans. They look a bit like you or me, but they don't have wings or anything else thrown on.

[He's a bit uneducated and illiterate, but he's good at putting information he does have together.]

[Fortunately Melia didn't get too caught up in how educated people were considering that she knew a great many Nopon. They weren't exactly scientists, her own world of 88 years hadn't exactly been a very large one.]

If that's what a human is, then they exist where you are from? [Melia pondered to herself for a moment, because this person said something that caught her attention.] And...are you implying that you are not one?

They're the majority where I come from.

[Oh, so she noticed that little slip up.]

Truth be told, I have no idea what I am. My mother was human, so I guess that's close enough.

[He's a Cambion. His close friends have all told him this. Every time the term is brought up, it goes in one ear and out the other.]

Is that a positive thing? I am aware that the Mechon are attempting to drive the Homs to extinction where I am from--as is usually the case when one species exhibits its dominance.

[Well, it did stand out rather nicely.]

I suppose that means we have something in common, my mixed heritage means that I cannot go out in public as I am. Are you able to pass where you are from?

[Unfortunately Melia can't get away from what people say and think about her.]

Well, it sure beats seeing them killed by whatever you were talking about.

[That sounds fairly upsetting. While Dante doesn't exactly fit in thanks to his unusual lifestyle, he can't even imagine being an outright outcast. However, he doesn't show this, and instead keeps his laid-back demeanor as he tries to offer some advice.]

But as far as the rest of the world cares, I'm human. If you can find any... Homs where you come from, you should try crashing with them. They'll probably just assume that your wings are an accessory or something.

They are mechanical monsters. [Best to keep it simple.] Our world is composed of two Titans, frozen in battle. On the body of the Titan Machonis dwell the Mechon, my people reside on the Titan Bionis.

[There's no real way to simply define her world, living on the body of some giant is crazy enough even for the inhabitants.]

I wouldn't mind--[well, there was a small band of Homs that had been of service to her recently, but she quickly shook her head]--no, that's an impossible thing to wish for. I have obligations.

Why would anyone want to live there? Seems to make a whole lot more sense to pack up and get away from a place that might get smacked hard.

[He could come to terms with it if it was a peaceful creature, but two monsters locked into perpetual battle? He's trying to figure out why anyone would ever try living there.]

You don't mean obligations to the people who are treating you like crap now, are you? Well, you've got a better work ethic than I do, I'll give you that. But it sounds like your little hometown owes you a lot too, especially if you plan on sticking around there.

[Dante tries his best to put the situation into terms she'll understand, while still being as direct and impersonal sounding as possible.]

[It's not often Melia laughs, and when she does it's still restrained and brief.]

Oh, no, they are dormant, these Titans, they became dormant in the middle of their ancient battle where they remained locked forever. They are the universe.

[It wasn't long after Melia became as ceremonious as she had been moments before.]

It's...it is complicated. I am the crown princess and appointed empress of the High Entia, successor to my father. I have the weight of an entire people I cannot ignore resting on my shoulders, lives that were sacrificed on my behalf, warriors that I could not bring home. I will endure and earn their respect.

[Her unshakable loyalty and sense of duty makes her incredibly stubborn that's for sure, even if she'd like to be freer.]

[So this kid- er, woman had a sense of humor after all. He makes note of his mistake with no visible reaction.]

It's your call.

[And this is where his ability to be insightful ends. He can't even begin to to imagine what kind of responsibility that must be, and he's not going to even pretend he does. As sympathetic as he is, it's probably not a good idea to keep pressing the issue.]

All I can say is that it already sounds like you've earned a hell of a lot more respect then they're giving you.

Edited 2014-07-24 01:15 (UTC)

You are too kind. [A vastly different interpretation of him than at the beginning which was a more confused and defensive on her part.] Perhaps I have misjudged you, if you will permit my forgiveness and excuse my tardiness, I am Melia Antiqua.

[She doesn't request that he refer to her by a title and she doesn't really want him to. Sometimes it was nice just being herself.]

Huh, don't hear that too often.

[The part where people get confused and defensive at what he has to say happens pretty often, though.]

Name's Dante.

I guess that's one way to look at it.

[He sounds vaguely amused. Apparently Dante is used to crazy, and the fact that he thinks of real danger as a good challenge says something. Probably that Dante himself might be a little crazy, but that's okay. Tony's kind of used to that one too.]

You sound like the right man for the job. Just make sure you don't lose the whole city when you take it on. I doubt the emperor would appreciate that.

[If anyone was to ask Dante, he would proudly and bluntly say that he is crazy. However, that's also part of the reason he keeps up his almost self-destructive "lazy and carefree" routine. The time he's spending on his rear eating pizza or napping is time he's not spending seeking a fight or worse, getting it in his head that he should have any kind of great ambition.]

No promises. I don't like to hurt bystanders or level buildings, but I can't speak for whatever that thing is.

Upon apping to Tu Shanshu

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