( open ) when he opened the box, he aged 300 years

[minogame]

Who: Urashima and you
When: July 11-12
Where: Various
What: Urashima remembers something from the past and basically ages 300 years tbh.


1. ( 7/11 ) Waking up, Eris' Temple (closed)

(Urashima has always been an early riser. From the moment he arrived in the Far Shore, he was always one to wake up in the morning and get moving-- whether it be helping out around the temple, training on his own, or finding a friend to bother. It was an old habit, developed from months of waking up early to train and clean at the citadel, not that he remembered. He only knew this was a thing he did and he didn’t mind.

As he wakes, he turns over in his bed and recalls a dream he’d just had. A dream? Is that what he’s remembering right now?

Being in a room, tucked away to the side but also on display. Men and women crowding around him to point and exclaim, “There it is. Urashima Kotetsu.” That’s him. That’s his name but someone reaches out to him and picks up. Not by the arms, not from the stomach, but they pick up so easily, turning him over in their hands and it feels so wonderfully natural… “Is it authentic?” Someone asks and he practically glows because he knows the answer. Yes, he’s an authentic Kotetsu sword.

And that’s when it hits him.

Snapping up in bed, he practically falls out of it, scrambling to find his sword. To find himself. He finds it nearby (it’s always nearby) and he grabs it with shaking hands, heart racing, breath gone. That wasn’t a dream. When you remember a dream, you know its a dream. When he remembered this one, it felt real.

The realization sends him into a panic as he tries to stop the memory from seeping into mind, taking place, filling in empty spaces with something. He’s a sword. He’s a spirit. A tsukumogami.)

No… no, no, no…!

( Urashima's a good kid— a good shinki. Always keeping himself in line, Oona's never had to feel any sort of twinge of guilt from him and for all of his naïveté and youth, he was confident and brave, never feeling any real fear.

Until now. He's never felt this way before. Not in his time in the Far Shore and not in his old life— never in over three hundred years. He's afraid to the point he's working himself into more and more of a panic. Good morning, Oona. )

2. ( 7/11 ) Afternoon, a park in the near shore (open)

( After he'd had a chance to recover from his earlier panic, Urashima tries to find some time to think about his new memory properly. Not that there's much to really think about. Being a shinki, he'd never worried about his lack of memories. Things simply were the way they were and everything would be okay. Of course, he'd had basic knowledge of some things but for other things, he'd had to assume. He'd assumed he knew how to use a sword before and that he liked practicing just like he'd assumed he'd been human. And now, in an instant, he'd changed. He'd gone from being human to never being a human at all. With a single memory, he'd aged.

In the park, he sits on the edge of a bridge over a small stream, leaning against the guard railing. His feet kick at the air and he holds out his sheathed sword in front of him. He'd tried to leave it behind at the temple but after remembering… he couldn't quite leave it behind. It's a good thing normal people don't notice shinki and gods.

He keeps it sheathed but he knows exactly what the blade looks like. He knows the carving on the blade— Urashima Taro, the forge date. Over three hundred years.

He frowns and lets out a loud, frustrated sigh before trying to say the word on his tongue, )

Tsukumogami…

( Those who know Urashima might also realize that while there are other children in the park, Urashima doesn't appear particularly interested in playing with them right now. )

3. ( 7/12 ) Morning, the Far Shore (open)

( Now that he's had a day to adjust. Urashima appears to bounce back to his usual self. He's taken to exploring the Far Shore a bit, passing the different temples on some sort of curious quest. And maybe you're just minding your own business doing your own thing or maybe you look like you need to be bothered but one way or another, Urashima asks, )

Hey, hey! Have you ever heard of "Ryujin?"

Comments

3

[chronobreak]

[It may be morning, but Ekko's got an entire stack of what looks like rusted metals parts in his hands. He's also swaying slightly in exhaustion.

A minor gay (bi?) crisis totally calls for stocking up on machine parts and drowning his sorrows in machines.]

What? Ryu...? Can't say I have.

[minogame]

Huh... ( He frowns a bit, raising his arms to the back of his head, hands behind his neck. ) Ryujin, the god of the sea!

Since this is heaven, I thought he'd be around... but maybe he's in the sea?

2

[revolutionfalcon]

[For once, Shun's not actually patrolling on a trip to the Near Shore - he did that this morning. Right now, he's halfway through his excuse for a grocery run, which for the moment only seems to involve a bag of coffee and another bag of various fruits.

However, that doesn't mean he's not as on his guard as usual, and he can spot the sheathed sword from several paces away as he passes through the park. He pauses briefly, eyes narrowing - he recognises this guy from the Tanabata celebrations, and he'd seemed harmless enough then, but it's still not something Shun thinks he can leave alone, so after a moment or two, he turns on his heel and heads over.]

They might not be able to see you, but having a sword out in a park full of kids isn't going to endear you to anyone else. [Even if it's sheathed. Shun actually has his own sword on him as well, but it's concealed under the drop of the long, light, short-sleeved coat he's wearing rather than his usual thicker one.]

[minogame]

( Well not all of us have dramatic overcoats in the summer, Shun! Some people just have simple clothes!!!

He really can't help but jump when Shun approaches him. Look, he'd just wanted some time to think to himself and the near shore seemed like the best place to do it when most of the people around can't see him unless he wants them too. He holds onto the edge of the bridge and looks up at Shun, )

What? ( Down at his sword and back at Shun, ) Oh!

( And he sets it down beside him as he scrambles back up onto his feet, slinging a shoulder bag on his back to the front to put it away. )

Sorry... I was just thinking about something, heh heh.

3!

[gentilitea]

[ …Not exactly what he’d expected to hear the moment he’d stepped out of the temple. Jakob frowns at him for a moment, before sighing, ]

You didn’t lose another one of your friends, did you?

[minogame]

Nope! ( And he tilts his head some towards the turtle on his shoulder. He hasn't lost Kamekichi either, see? ) We're all here.

But I wanted to see if Ryujin was here! This is heaven so he must be here, right?

( MAYBE SOME DAY HE'LL SLOW DOWN AND GIVE JAKOB SOME CONTEXT )

3

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki looks over at being thus addressed. Why does everyone here think accosting people on the street is a done thing? It's extremely bothersome. ]

Strangers introduce themselves, typically.

[ Can't a person drink tea while standing on the street thinking about how best to convince somebody they should help you link your world to this one by singing really, really amazingly in peace... ]

[minogame]

( Urashima encountered: A bossy girl. His greatest weakness. He's taken aback by the response and he frowns. Was he rude? Was he being rude? He suppoes he could have been more polite. )

Uu... Sorry. I'm Urashima...! ( And he bows? Kind of? It's a small and quick bow but an attempt was made. ) Uhm... have you ever heard of "Ryujin?"

3

[put_a_ring_on_it]

Ryujin... no, I haven't. Is that the name of a friend of yours?

[Luna's the helpful sort, so if he's looking for someone, she can at least hear him out.]

[minogame]

( He shakes his head no, )

Nu-uh... he's someone from a story... He's the dragon god of the sea. Since this is heaven, I thought he might be here.

2

[kokuyoyo]

[Hey. Urashima. How hard are you holding onto that sword? Is it pretty tightly? You should probably hold it pretty tightly.]

[Because that sure is an owl colliding with your face right about now.]

[If there's any upside to this, it's that it's talons aren't.... actively being used. Immediately.]

[minogame]

( The answer is not very hard and he fumbles to keep a hold of it, clinging onto the edge bridge's guard and the sword for dear life but also making himself small because Kamekichi was on his shoulder. )

H-hey, stop! Leave Himechan alone...!

( Because clearly this bird is coming after his turtle princess. )

points at eyes points at you

[mermaiding]

[Oona is used to nightmares that send her thrashing and tossing and turning in her sleep. Nightmares that mix memories of what has happened with what could have, but always a theme of confinement, of claustrophobia and the need to escape, escape, escape.

The feeling doesn't disappear when she rolls out of her bed an onto the floor. It doesn't disappear when she shakes off her blankets and rolls to her feet, crouching a moment in an animalistic fight-or-flight response, heart pounding a tattoo against her chest.

She feels-- Dizzy, terrified. Anxiety and a stinging pain in her neck. A distinct feeling that this panic isn't her own.

Oona can't say for sure how she knows it's Urashima in trouble. Instinct, maybe? It doesn't matter, because bare feet pound on the floor and she stomps towards Urashima's room, equal parts terrified and angry because she's scared--and the more the fear grows, so to does the anger until she's all but ripping the door off it's hinges to force it open, eyes scanning the room before falling on the sword-boy.]

What is happening? What is wrong!?

[minogame]

( His hands are shaking, his entire body is trembling, and he tries to catch his breath. His heart is beating against his chest like it could come out at any moment and his head is still spinning as he works himself into a bigger panic.

The sword in his hands is him and he remembers every detail about it like it was his own body because it is. Or was? It had been? He doesn't know anymore but he remembers the carving of the fisherman, Urashima Taro, and he remembers the inscription of his smith's name and forge date. The date. His age hits him like a cold wave and he shakes his head as if trying to shake the memories away because it's then that he remembers something else.

Being in the Temple of Aphrodite when Pippa suddenly doubled over in pain, blight spreading across her body. Of a grotesque ayakashi appearing... He doesn't want that to happen again and his eyes begin to water. By the time Oona appears, he's on the brink of tears and his head snaps up, )

Oona...! ( He's afraid. Everything about him is afraid-- the way he's huddled on the floor, the look on his face, the tremble in his voice but even in his fear, he can see Oona too. He can see that she can feel it too and he can tell that she isn't happy and he's sorry. ) O-Oona, I didn't mean to--

( He didn't mean to remember anything. He's sorry. He's really, really, really--. )

--'m sorry...

3

[fadingsunshine]

[Kaya is sweeping the entrance of the Temple of Hebe. Usually she'd cheerfully receive any visit, but there was a strange guy looking for Zeno. So she almost drops the broom from the surprise when she hears a voice.

She had been warned about a man with short hair, scars on his face, and an eyepatch. Urashima has none of these things. He doesn't look like someone who'd work with the creepy guy, and he wasn't asking about Zeno like the BBS post but another person. She decides not to overshare just in case, but she's not going to be mean to someone who probably has nothing to do with the stalker.]

Ryujin...? No. Is it a dragon or a person? [Her glance strays toward the golden dragon statue.]

[minogame]

Both!

( But oh, who's this girl? He's never seen her at Zeno's temple before but then again, he hasn't been around in awhile. He can't help but try to look around her to see if Zeno or anyone else is around. He doesn't see anyone or anything though, except for the dragon statue. )

Hmm... ( He hums a bit to himself, thoughtful. Bringing his arms up, he folds his hands behind his neck and continues, ) Ryujin's the dragon king. I thought if I came here, Zeno would know...

2

[oathkeeper]

[Sora happens to be strolling through the park on his way back home after an assignment that he notices the shinki nearby. Curious-- he's just sitting around instead of playing around in this big park on this beautiful day? What's up with that?

He heads over and notices Urashima has some sort of sword. He's even more curious now.

So with a playful teleport closer Sora appears sitting right next to Urashima.]

Boo! Be careful, looking so focused on something might make your hair fall out. You okay, Urashima?

[minogame]

Aah! ( He jumps! He actually jumps and he's left holding onto the bridge railing with his arms, sword held tightly and looking next to Sora like a ghost has just appeared beside him. ) S-Sora!

( Why would you sneak up on him!!! Not that he's actualy mad or anything but he sure was got good...
He doesn't relax right away because he half expects Sora to do something else but considering this is just Sora... he relaxes a bit and frowns at the question. )

Mmm. ( He's okay. Not great but definitely okay. ) I was just thinking.

2

[smilingbullet]

[ He wanted some Near Shore ice cream because the weather was nice and the language lesson he was supposed to have with a Near Shorer (booked through an interesting app he had discovered when surfing the net) was canceled last minute, he didn't really have anything better to do. That's why he finds himself in a random park, and comes across a familiar face looking less energetic than he's seen it before. ]

Hey, you okay? What's that about tsukumogami?

[minogame]

( He looks up when he hears someone speaking to him. )

Huh? ( Ah, a familiar face, and Urashima smiles some, leaning back so he's almost (but not quite) laying on the ground to look up at him. ) Have you ever heard of it?

3

[lovemguns]

[ Don't mind the small horse that is following Butch. He's been having trouble getting her to stop stalking him for the past two days now. Not that he actually minds, and she knows that. He loves horses. She stops behind him and since she's already not as wary of strangers as she was yesterday (or maybe she just senses that the approaching boy has no ill intentions) but she does stop halfway behind the god as she peers up at the stranger. Meanwhile, Butch tries to figure out if he's ever heard that word before as he rubs his neck and his cigarette tilts thoughtfully upwards. ]

Can't say that I do. What's that?

[minogame]

No?

( You would think the god of the sea would be a bigger celebrity in heaven. )

He's the Dragon King and the god of the sea.

3

[eternalshield]

Eh?

[Zeno's head tilts. Given the, uh, eventful week he's been having, he was a little alarmed to see someone approaching his and Kaya's temple, but it's just his young reptilian friend. And the temple with the great golden dragon statue was the obvious place to go when posing questions about ryujin.]

Yeah, very often.

[He smiles. He's been doing his best to keep close to home the last few days-- both to enjoy the first, tenderest new memories he gets to make with Kaya, and to not provoke the strange individual from the BBS and his questions about killing gods.

End result is he hasn't seen much of anyone and Urashima's visits are always welcome! He makes a mental note to introduce him to Yona sometime, if they haven't already met. She isn't the Red Dragon King per se, but...]

What's the matter...?

[minogame]

( After bust after bust, to finally catch a break, Urashima looks up. He can't believe what he's hearing and he practically lights up, a smile forming on his face and eyes shining. )

Really?! ( He'd been feeling off and not quite himself since yesterday morning but this has him almost as good as new. ) You have?!

( He's like a child on Christmas and he steps closer, clearly excited, )

I just... I've wanted to meet him for a long time! For as long as I can remember...!

[pure_radiantics]

[ Kairi's heading out from Baldr-Artemis to meet up with Hajime for morning exercise when Urashima finds her. ]

Morning, Urashima! Did you mean "Raijin"?

[ Because that's the only person she knows that sounds remotely close to who Urashima's asking about. She doesn't know any gods or shinki that have 'ryu' in any part of their name, let alone "Ryujin" himself. ]

[minogame]

Good morning, Kairi!

( Urashima shakes his head no, )

Nu-uh. Raijin's the god of thunder... Ryujin is the god of the sea.