swordprincess | 004 [Video]

[Karla seems to be recovering from her mallynap effect now. She's beginning to remember the people she's met in the past week, remembering them for who they really were, rather than the image of her brother. They had corrected her countless times, giving her their names, but it didn't matter. She still only saw them as her brother. What's happening to her? Is she losing her mind?]

[Still, she ought to address those people now that she's come to her senses.]

I feel...strange. I had been taken by those things...those sleek, armored things...and then I awoke, injured in the forest. And then, I thought I saw my brother...everywhere. No matter who I saw, I could only see my brother.

But now I remember clearly. I remember the people I saw, who they really were. I remember only seeing them as my brother at the time. And now I wonder how I could have been so foolish. So, to everyone I met during that time...I apologize for my mistake.

[Now she can get on to the next thing, something that's been on her mind for a while.]

I am curious about something, though. For a long time, I've traveled throughout Elibe. I've visited many arenas, and claimed countless victories. I have my skills with a sword, but I hate it. It must be different for the other fighters, though.

[Otherwise, there would be no arenas.]

So I've always wondered, why do the fighters enjoy fighting in the arenas? What good are skills that can only be used to kill? I don't mean the soldiers who fight for their countries or the like. I mean in the arenas, fighters come to fight because they choose to. They enjoy it. But I'm curious to know why...

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I wouldn't know anything about that, but if I had to guess, I'd say it might have something to do with showing their strength.

Showing their strength...

[She mulls over that for a moment. That makes sense, especially combined with what Effie had said.]

...Is it also something to do with egos and becoming self-gratified for winning?

Maybe. [He sounds slightly amused by the way she says it. It sounds so selfish that way... but then again, maybe that's exactly what it is.] If you spend all your life training, winning would be quite an accomplishment.

You do not need to apologise... I hope you feel better now at least.

As for your question... I cannot say. I do not condone violence in the first place and to think that people would willingly display it when it is not especially necessary is rather baffling to me.

But humans can be selfish. I assume that must contribute to an underlying cause. Perhaps they will gain wealth from it or fame. It is something for them to strive towards regardless of the atrocities they must perform to get there.

I think I feel better...but I'm not sure. I'm just...so disappointed. To think that I'd finally found my brother, and now...

[All the disappointment...]

All I wanted was to find my brother. I hadn't paid much attention to anything or anyone else. I guess I am...selfish...

I think in this instance, it is understandable. He is... family and someone obviously close to you. It would be natural for a human to seek out their family members, I believe.

But while you are here, I would suggest that you try to focus on yourself and those around you. In time you may find him here or you will return home. For now, your well-being is what is important.

But...what should I do? Aside from training with the sword, I really don't know anything else. But I don't want to spend all my time training either...

When I came here, I was given a human body, but I knew very little about how to live like one. I have spent my time here learning new skills, investigating things I had not given a second thought to in my own world.

Perhaps you should also try new things and expand your skills. I am sure you could find jobs to do around the village... or you could simply take up a new hobby. There are many people here, someone will be sure to work with you in this. I know they have been more than helpful to someone like me.

Really?

[He's got her attention now. Perhaps he can help her, as someone who's more or less been in her shoes.]

...What sorts of things have you learned?

I have learned of rituals such as birthdays and Valentine's. I have discovered the taste of food and drink despite having no need of such a thing to survive. Most importantly, I have been learning the value of friendship.

[Then there were the playthings - the bubbles and strange technology of other worlds... and human mating habits, but he won't get into that.]

I have also been given an instrument to learn and since my interest in food has been growing, I hope to be able to cook more proficiently one day.

[Wow, he really is learning from scratch. Even Karla knows most of those things. Most of them...]

I know about birthdays...but what is "Valentine's"?

What kind of instrument are you learning?

Valentine's Day? It was a celebration of love if I remember correctly. There was also gift-giving... and a strange plant called mistletoe which forced those under it to kiss. [The less said about that the better, ahem.]

It is a harmonica. A friend of mine gave it to me and I have been trying to master it ever since. Not only for my friend but also for myself. Music reminds me of my home... it relaxes me.

Why does anybody enjoy doin' anything? You don't always have to have a reason why something's fun, it just is.

[Firo himself enjoys sparring both as a way to improve his skills and for personal entertainment. Because she's talking about "arenas", he imagines something more akin to gladiator fighting than what he and his friends do.]

Or they might be sick freaks who like hurtin' other people. Why did you do it?

Things are fun without reasons?

[She'll take a moment to ponder that a bit. As for why she does it?]

...I was searching for my brother.

[As if it wasn't already painfully obvious how fixated she is on that man...]

Yeah. Can you explain why you've enjoyed every "fun" thing you've ever did?

[Firo sure can't.

He wonders if her brother being missing explains the mallynap effect she mentioned earlier in her message. The Malnosso would be that cruel.]

Was he supposed to be in the arenas?

Well...

[First she'd need to think of a fun thing that she's done...which she actually can't.]

My brother has been seeking out strong opponents for a long time. He competes in the arenas, wins, and vanishes. I've been trying to catch up with him...

[He takes the lack of an answer as agreement.]

Yeah, I don't think anyone can.

[Randomly showing up and disappearing? Firo sighs as he thinks of his elusive friend Claire back home, though at least he usually has a general idea of what Claire's doing.]

That's not very considerate of him... Any reason why he didn't take you with him?

[He's probably prying too much, but he's curious.]

...I was weak at the time. He left long ago to seek out strong opponents. I took up the sword just to be closer to him.

[This doesn't mean that she wants to be his opponent, though...]

[Firo's kneejerk reaction is to condemn a sibling who'd leave their family like that, but he understands the drive to get stronger.]

...Sounds rough. No way to get a message to him, I'm guessin'? And no idea when he planned to come back?

004 [Video]

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