thenearshore | 014 | A Whole New World

Entry tags:

014 | A Whole New World

Who: Everyone!
What: Exploring the world
When: All day June 26
Where: The Near Shore (All Over)
Summary: So many shrines have popped up! Go visit your homelands!

The Heavens have received reports of many shrines to the "new gods" they are harboring appearing all over the world. These shrines seem to be additional, new shrines to those gods. Older shrines to those gods still exist, but these ones are shiny, new, and way more compatible with the "new gods". God characters, as well, will have felt the sudden pull towards their homelands and be compelled to travel to them. But the Heavens have taken it a step farther, offering the Meeting Hall as a place for gods and shinki to group up and go out for the day to the various places that are now calling out to them.

Please ignore the fact that they are mostly doing this so that you all will collect information for them without their begging for it or having to reward you.

Meeting Hall

The Meeting Hall is being used as a sort of hub right now. Any groups that are planning to meet up and travel together can meet here, but you might also find someone who's going somewhere you'd like to and tag along with them. Additionally, the Heavens have provided packed lunches for everyone to take with them, should they desire to. This also serves as a meeting place for all of the new gods and shinki.

Locals

Local pantheons have been alerted to the impending visitors. They are happy to welcome their brethren home and are likely to make a big fuss about their brothers and sisters staying with them. Local gods are welcome to be interpreted however you would like, just be sure not to NPC any god that is already taken by a god player. Also, you may find yourself running into some local spirits during your sight-seeing - including local ayakashi and various folklore spirits.

Flyers

They may not stick out at first, but those who are paying attention will notice that there are a large number of flyers being left around at their new shrines. Heck, even walking through the human towns, you will find flyers scattered on the ground and pinned to cork boards and nailed to telephone poles. All bear the same message: "Down with the Heavens. Down with Amaterasu." The locals gods are well versed in the flyers, saying that there have been some strange characters around throwing these flyers at anyone who will give them the time of day. Even humans will note that some shady-looking people have been putting up these strange posters.

Destruction

Note:

Who will discover Amaterasu will be decided randomly on 3/20/17 OOC. At that point, a follow-up post will be made by Amaterasu herself.

In Summary:

Explore the world
Get to know your homelands
Investigate insurgents
Deal with a riot
Save Amaterasu
Have fun~

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[ Yoon's been doing his best during the entire chaos, but eventually things do settle down. That's when Yoon gets to work, walking around the site and generally trying to help people who look like they could use it. One such person he assumes to be this young woman. He doesn't give her an ounce of recognition. He's dressed in a more modern t-shirt and slacks currently (although they ARE still hand made), but the telltale satchel is slung over his shoulder and the feather is in his hair.

The difference is that there's a symbol on his left inner wrist, clearly visible as his hands move when he approaches her. ]

Oi. You're not hurt, are you? You don't look burned...

[ He's analyzing her from a short distance to start with. ]

[ While learning about this place and keeping track of everything she's learning and encountering here is overwhelming in itself, the sound of his familiar voice is enough to distract her from all she's been trying to keep straight. Her head comes up quickly, eyes wide as they immediately fix onto his face - and completely miss everything else.

Relief and delight flare across her expression as she quickly pushes to her feet, the exhaustion of helping with the rescue efforts forgotten in a moment. No, she's not burned, although she's certainly covered with enough soot to show that she'd spent a good deal of time searching through the burning temple. And of course it is here that he is making himself the most useful. That part she doesn't find surprising in the least. ]

Yoon! Oh, thank goodness!

[There's a flash of panic on his face immediately and he puts up both hands in front of himself.]

WAIT! DON'T!

[He puts both hands over his ears and shuts his eyes.]

Don't say another word, if you do-

[It's another person who knew him, another - don't think about it. Don't think about it.]

I'll get blighted again! Find Simon Tam or Kija if you don't believe me!

[ His outburst takes her completely off-guard and she freezes, eyes wide in alarm, her hands coming up to press over lips when he yells not to speak, staring at him in bewildered confusion.

She's heard of blighting already, they'd mentioned it in passing, they'd spoken of it when...

The note. The instructions in regards to her shinki. What it meant and what she was forbidden to speak of. And why.

Yona's face drains of color as she stares at him in disbelief for a moment, speechless and horrified. ]

I.... I'm sorry. I didn't mean....

[ She stops, stumbles over her words in a way she rarely does, uncertain of how to proceed. Both Zeno and Kija were here as gods and she'd assumed... but if she was wrong? What had happened? She didn't understand any of this. Just when she'd thought she was maybe starting to understand how to act in this place and what was to be expected of her...

The question was on the tip of her tongue, but she bites it back, because he'd asked her not to. He'd mentioned Kija... Kija knew. She could ask him. Maybe...

Swallowing thickly, she tries to manage a smile, apologetic and gentle, doing her best to redirect her misstep. And if it didn't quite reach her stinging eyes? Well. Maybe she could blame it on the smoke. ]

I... I heard of you from Kija. [ She's lying, but it's the only name she could latch onto in a panic. ] I do believe you. I'm sorry. It wasn't... I didn't mean to frighten you. Perhaps I should start again?

[ She dips into an apologetic bow because at least that gives her a moment to compose her expression because she's not at all sure her smile is managing to be convincing at all right now. ]

My name is Yona. I've... only just arrived today. I... [ she scrambles for an excuse. ] I thought I might lend my aid in helping with the shinki who'd been injured in the fire.

Edited 2017-03-26 06:45 (UTC)

[In spite of his best efforts, he DID hear what she was saying. He'd been too panicked to properly plug them, just place his hands over them and too frightened by the memory to actually flee. It'd hurt so, so much...

But then she explains Kija said his name. That was understandable, he supposed... Kija was particularly skittish around Yoon for good reason. And if she'd only just arrived today, Kija being the first person you talked to sounded like a bad idea to him.]

... Oh. [Slowly, he pulls his hands away, still clearly shaken.] Kija of all people should know better than to send strangers after me acting like they know who I am.

[Thinking Kija and Yona have nothing in common, and at least trying to explain himself, Yoon places both hands at his side and fidgets a bit with lowered head while trying to explain.]

It's his fault that happened to me before - if it hadn't been for Simon, I'd probably be dead. For real this time. [He's trying to explain it without focusing too much on WHY the incident with Kija happened.] He... knows me. Somehow. From before. I didn't even think that could happen.

[His shoulders hunch up though.]

I got blight so bad I had to wade into a pool of holy water to get it to stop. It hurt so much... I was afraid that would happen again. [There, that's his explanation.]

So... if you're here to help... I don't mind that, Yona. Call it payback for both of us freaking out so much.

[ His explanation of before, of what had happened, of what the consequences could have been again and nearly had been...

Yona closes her eyes, unable to stop the tears from spilling over this time, although she quickly lifts her arm to rub at them, trying to hide them from him. ]

He... he was distracted, I think. There's so much confusion, with the fire... I would never want to cause pain like that, even accidentally. I'm sorry I frightened you. It won't... It won't happen again.

[ Struggling to blink back any more tears, she lifts her chin and takes a deep breath, her hands fisted into fists at her side. And if her nails bit into her palms in an effort to reign her composure back in, at least that part was out of sight.

When she meets his gaze, it's with a stubborn determination, despite the faint traces of tears in the soot still clinging to her face. ] What can I do to help?

... Yeah, that sounds like him. Getting distracted and not thinking about me until after the fact.

[He's still a little bitter. Okay a lot bitter. But more importantly, she's crying and it's not her fault she scared him, or so he's willing to believe.]

First off you can stop crying. [He crosses his arms over his chest, even though he's still taking deep breaths to calm himself too.]

Then you can tell me if you've seen anyone yet with bad burns or something.

[He pulls his satchel around front.] When I woke up here, I had this bag, and I've started to figure out what most of the things in it are for. They're way more useful than some of this magic I've heard about so far. One of them is ointment for injuries and I've replenished some wraps to go on top of it.

Sorry. it's.. It must be the smoke. Perhaps I wandered too far into the temple after all.

[ It's not the smoke, but she'll use it as an excuse at the moment anyway as she rubs at her eyes. It smears some of the soot further, smudging her cheeks and face, but she doesn't really care at the moment.

She feels a little numb. And cold. And she really wants to go somewhere and cry more, but she forces it away and musters a smile for Yoon instead

The sight of his familiar satchel causes another pang, for a different reason, one she disguises by leaning forward to peer at it with interest. ] That must be very useful. You must be very smart if you've learned how to use it to heal. I did see some of the shinki they brought out over by the east gate. That seems to be where some of the rescue efforts were being sent in from.

[He sighs as she does it and reaches into his bag while pushing her back upright with one hand on her shoulder. Cloth in his free hand, he uses that to clean the soot from her face without asking permission to do so.]

Don't get that kind of stuff in your eyes or it could blind you.

[He's not one to talk about going into the flames because that still makes her braver than him in his book.]

Now let's go to the east gate.

[And he starts walking that way while pushing the cloth back into his bag, but folded up.]

How about you - if you have some respect for healing arts, does that mean you know how it works?

[Because if so he'll be very interested.]

[ She lets him, in part because she's surprised by the action when he doesn't remember her. But that's silly, because he's still Yoon and she shouldn't find that surprising at all. She sniffles, hanging on to her warm smile with all her strength, feeling it waver at the familiar action despite the fact that they're strangers. ]

Thank you. I'll be more careful.

[ She quickly moves to walk with him, falling into step at his side and matching his pace easily, as she has so many times before. At his question, she gives a self-conscious laugh and shakes her head. ]

Very little, I'm afraid. I only know a little about bandaging wounds and treating small injuries. And all of that I... learned from a friend. It was his skill I watched, and followed instructions when he needed another pair of hands. Left on my on, I'd probably cause more harm than good, I'm afraid. I don't have his talent for it.

[Yoon nods approvingly.]

Not everyone can pick up every skill at the drop of a hat. At least you're a god, so you'll be able to pick things up faster here too.

[Because if she was a shinki, she wouldn't have mentioned her friend.]

East gate, east gate... this place apparently doesn't believe in maps, but I'm finally figuring out my cardinal directions around here. This way...

[And he keeps walking that direction.]

So, what then? If not a god of medicine, god of what?

Will I? I suppose that is good. I will need to learn quickly. Everything here is... very different from the world I know. There is much this place accepts as commonplace that is completely new and unknown to me.

[ Following him, she glances over at his question, then looks a little sheepish. ] Ah, I'm still learning that. I've only just arrived today. It's been very busy, but the distant shrine I visited for her was beautiful. Her lands are very green and lush. I'm told she was a goddess of sun and summer.

Of course you will. You have your memories to guide you. Shinki are just thrown into a god's arms and told to hope for the best, without even knowing who they are.

[Thankfully he didn't have exactly that situation, but it still bothered him that that was how it was for so many of them.]

To trust complete strangers with their lives - including the ones who aren't your god and know who you are. [Like Kija.] So whoever your shinki is, just be more understanding of that and everything else will work out, I think. At least a sun-summer goddess should get a lot of followers, I think. There's always crops that need tending to.

[He comes to a stop near a shinki that has a bandage already bled through.]

Hey - sit still. [As if the shinki is moving much right now anyway.] We'll change this bandage for you.

[ His words have her stopping in her tracks, turning to look at him with an intense expression as she searches his face. ]

I'm sorry. That sounds even more difficult that what is asked of the rest of us. Thank you for the advice, I will try to be. Your god... Have they been understanding? Are they kind?

[ Despite the innocuous question, there's a hint of underlying steel in those words, a determination that is completely different than what the simple genuine question might suggest. ]

Placing your trust in the unknown is difficult for anyone. It has to be earned. [ That's... more of an absent observation from her than anything.

Approaching the shinki he'd paused to help, she quickly moves to come and crouch on the other side. She reaches into her cloak for the fresh bottle of water she'd been given earlier, offering it to Yoon. ]

Here, take this if it will help. What would you like me to do?

[Before they get too involved with the other shinki, he turns back over to her a little incredulous.]

Who, Ran? He's not kind but he's not cruel either. If anything... well... Apparently the power of Itsu-papa-lotaru is really taxing on his body.

[He gets a slightly far-off look in his eyes.]

When I met him for the first time, he was a bleeding mess from trying to use it.

[Which is why Yoon doesn't push him to be a better god either. He genuinely doesn't think Ran can handle it.]

Besides, he has former coworkers here that remember him because they're gods too. So he doesn't need me if he's not performing his godly duties. [To be anything closer than his nursemaid, that is.

And then he takes the water from her with a slight nod, jerking him out of those thoughts. ] Thanks. I can clean the wound with this.

[He sits down and rummages in his satchel with his free hand.] Can you take the old bandage off? [Can she stomach it, he wonders.]

[ She can, because the shinki he's crouched beside needs their help and she'll do what needs to be done. She gives the poor shinki a gentle, encouraging smile as she kneels beside them, however. ]

I can. This might hurt a little, I'm sorry. I'll be as careful as I can. [ She adds this to the shinki in question as she bends to take care of the task, her expression firmed into one of concentration. Although she keeps up the conversation with Yoon as she does so because this is equally important. ]

He's fortunate to have a talented shinki then, and one who can take care of him so well, if his power is something so dangerous. [ She makes note of his answer and how he gives it, although Yoon had also complained about Ik-su when in truth he'd been very fond and close to the other man, so she would wait and see how they interacted before deciding what she thought of that. ]

... Yeah, exactly.

[ By virtue of her questions, she's reminding him that he's the one who offered to be Ran's shinki - because he was in such a bad state at the time. Even then, the man had named him in between bouts of consciousness and openly admitted now that he didn't actually remember it happening, or what Yoon became as his vessel the first time. ]

More people should tell him that.

[ After that, Yoon sets to work applying ointment over the burned area on the shinki even as there's clear wincing from it. ]

[ She stifles a laugh for the sake of the poor injured shinki between them. ]

Perhaps I will, if I meet him. You're certainly proving yourself quite adept here tonight.

I look forward to it!

[Because he'd love to see Ran just... taken aback by a little girl bossing him around the same way that he gets bossed around by Yoon.]

About you meeting him, I mean. Since I've already proved myself.

[And the shinki's wound is dressed, so Yoon stands up.]

[ Yona doesn't straighten just yet, offering the poor injured shinki a drink from her bottle of water first. ] Here, take this and just rest here until you get your strength back. We'll check on your companions.

[ When the shinki seems to relax a little at that, she also gets to her feet to come around to stand beside Yoon, casting him a mischievous smile as she laughs. ] You have. And I'll be sure to tell him, then. You'll have to point him out to me, if you see him.

Is there anyone else we need to see to?

[Yoon is a little too eager to keep showing off in front of someone who'll praise him.]

We could keep walking around to the other shinki and see if they need their bandages changed too!

[If it were a more serious injury than burns he probably wouldn't act like this.]

[ Whether he realizes it or not, it's something she's aware of and she doens't mind indulging for now, because part of her is still reeling from the fact that... he's here. As a shinki.

Would his god remember how he'd died? Was there even anything she could do about it? She had no idea how this was even possible and despite the warmth of her smile and avid attention to assisting him in whatever tasks he needed to see to at the moment, that worry churned constantly in the back of her thoughts.

But she kept that hidden for the time being because there was nothing she could do about it right this moment, instead nodding in response to his suggestion. ]

If I can help, feel free to direct me wherever you might need me. I'm happy to help wherever I can. After getting everyone out of the temple we could find, there's not much I could do about the fire itself. But if I can help here... [ Well. She wanted to be useful. And maybe, at the moment, to be kept busy. ]

[He can't say he's been lonely since arriving. He had his god after all. He wasn't alone and even then he didn't mind being on his own. But Yona's determination to assist with the things he thinks are important... that'll stick with him.]

Alright, let's see if we can find more shinki.

[She knows how in his element he is, but the truth is that he was thrust into the perfect opportunity to naturally re-learn what everything in his satchel was for when he appeared during the zombie attack festival. As a result of his antipathy towards fighting... well, this is what they can manage for probably another half hour without any complaint on his end. And that's saying something for Yoon of all people.]

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014 | A Whole New World

Post-Destruction

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Gonna fade to black here XD;