016 | The Good Old Days

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Ageswapping
When: July 15-17
Where: Everywhere
Summary: A breach in the space-time continuum is messing things up.

Edit: OVERFLOW is here!



The Far Shore has been dealing with a lot of space-time pulsating through the past week or so and everything is culminating on the night of the 15th, even though the Heavens are preparing for an all-out Obon bash. They had planned to have the celebration on the 15th itself, but Amaterasu asked to postpone a day due to the horrible feeling that is permeating the Far Shore.

And it turns out she was right to postpone everything. In fact, it will have to be postponed another whole month at this rate...



Before

Late in the day on July 15th, the new batch of shinki will arrive to a Far Shore with a thick, tense atmosphere. All night on the 15th it feels like something is about to happen - and it's difficult to tell whether that something will be good or bad. Any attempts to contact the management of the Far Shore have fallen on deaf, slightly harried ears and so everyone is left to their own devices to try and figure out why things are so tense.

July 16

Just after midnight, an explosive shock wave rips through the Far Shore, bringing on the age changes with it. Even the spirits of the Far Shore seem to be affected - for example, the library goblins are either toddling around on wobbly legs or are dragging themselves from place to place and looking decrepit. There are a few gods and shinki that seem to have been exceptions from the change, though it is not clear why.

July 17

Another wave of energy comes in the early morning of the 17th. Fewer people are affected this time and it seems to alter those people's ages a second time. There is no rhyme or reason to who is being affected further. Several of the library goblins have just dropped dead from severe old age. Oops.

Aftermath

Late on the 17th brings about one final burst from the energy that has been plaguing the Far Shore. For a short moment, every new temple glows with a soft light, seeming to beckon to their owners. But the light is gone quickly and everyone will find themselves back to normal with complete memories of everything that happened during their age adventures. The goblins that died, though, are still very dead. Looks like the library will need to get some new help soon.

In Summary:

• Meet the newbies
• Get aged or de-aged
• Deal with other too young/too old people
• Try to handle the consequences
• Have fun~

Comments

chikusa time

[kokuyoyo]

[There's no response, when normally Chikusa would come running at the call of his name. Which is probably enough for worry. However, if he listen, Axel can no doubt hear the sound of soft sniffling and barely muffled sobs coming from one of the rooms.]

Yay!

[nobodyperfect]

[That's... worrying. Even more worrying is the crying. It's like a horror movie. At least the temple's not dark this time...]

Chikusa? Are you ok?

[He goes to the door to the room his exemplar normally uses, and raps softly on the door.]

[kokuyoyo]

[A hiccup of alarm, and then the sounds behind the door go quiet.]

[....Yeah, it's kind of like a horror movie. But Axel isn't getting an answer here.]

[nobodyperfect]

[He's not getting an answer, so he checks the doorknob. Even if it's locked, he can get the master key. Probably. Might need to pull up a chair to reach its hiding place. Why did he have to be so short when he was a kid?]

[kokuyoyo]

[Bad news: the door is locked.]

[More bad news: when Axel goes to get the master key and open the door, the room... seems empty. But then, how aware is Axel of his shinki's weird sleeping habits?]

[nobodyperfect]

[... Well. The door was locked, and the window isn't open. So Chikusa must still be in here.

Axel closes the door behind him and moves to the closet. If Chikusa's not in there, there are very few other places he could be hiding.]

Chikusa? It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you.

[kokuyoyo]

[Nothing in the closet, and nothing as a response. Well, it's not the only place in the room..... although there's not much else.]

[nobodyperfect]

[Axel checks behind the curtains, too, even in the dresser, all avoiding where he suspects Chikusa actually is.

Finally, though, there's nowhere else to look, so he drops his smaller-than-usual frame to the ground and peers into the darkness under the bed.]

[kokuyoyo]

[A pair of wide teary eyes stare right back at him.]

[Yep. There he is.]

[Chikusa as a child seems very much the same as a lanky teenager, with some key differences. One is that, even curled up underneath the bed as far back as he could go, it's clear to see that he's far too skinny. The other is that, well...]

[Those sure are emotions on his face for once, apparent despite the fact that he has his hands clasped over his mouth to help make sure he doesn't make any noise.]

[It doesn't help now that Axel has really found him, however, so the tears start to trickle out, and he gives a frightened hiccup that dislodges his hands from his mouth.]

[nobodyperfect]

[... Oh man.

Well, he's smaller, that's for sure. And he's scared stiff, that's also true. Axel knows better than to reach for him. He sits up, thinking. Maybe this is a bad idea, but... He's not sure what Chikusa's story is, he can't really help him much. Instead, he just talks, quietly, gently.]

You want me to leave?

[kokuyoyo]

[A slow, mute nod.]

[Honestly, he's half surprised he's being asked his opinion at all- although, of course, he wouldn't be able to explain the reasoning behind such feelings. It simply is as it is.]

[nobodyperfect]

[He peeks down just enough to witness the nod.]

Should I bring you something to eat? I can leave it just inside the door.

[kokuyoyo]

[Common sense says he shouldn't accept, but his stomach has other ideas. He lowers his hands tentatively.]

....Normal food....?

[nobodyperfect]

Sort of. It's Japanese food. It tastes good, though.

[He straightens up, and lifts the pillow to check for food there. Just in case. This might be easier than he thought.]

[kokuyoyo]

[.....Okay, yeah, there's canned chicken soboro hidden there. Sue him.]

[Or, rather, his teen self, because the bitty is still asking questions.]

What's Japanese?

[nobodyperfect]

It means it's from the country Japan.

[He stands up and inspects the can. Might need to heat this up, and get a can opener, which requires going to the kitchen.

He has no doubts that Chibikusa won't be here when he gets back.]

I've gotta open this can, so I'll be back in a few minutes.

[kokuyoyo]

...And it'll be normal Japanese food?

[It feels important to get that clarified.]

[nobodyperfect]

Yes. Canned, but normal.

[Chikusa's always been weird. At least this explains some of it. Axel makes his way to the door, and doesn't lock it behind him when he leaves. That'd just be cruel to a kid with so many issues and might motivate him doing something stupid, like climbing out the window. The windows are smaller on the outside and pretty high up, so that could be very dangerous.]

[kokuyoyo]

[By the time Axel comes back, Chikusa seems to have edged closer to the edges of his hidey-hole instead of burrowing all the way in the back. The tips of his knuckles can be seen, and he occasionally shifts his head in an attempt to see better from under the bed.]

[nobodyperfect]

[It's been a good few minutes, between Ken and Pookie, but Axel still has the food. Somehow. It's even open and in a bowl with leftover rice, the whole thing heated to an appropriate temperature.]

I think it's ground chicken. I'll just leave it by the door.

[kokuyoyo]

[Chicken.... It smells good, at least, and he almost seems like he might stick his head out.]

...How come you're being nice?

[nobodyperfect]

Why wouldn't I be? I'm a kid too.

[Apparently that's somehow significant.]

Look, if you want me to take a bite, I will. Prove it's not messed with.

[kokuyoyo]

You are? You're taller...

[...But maybe that's because he's under the bed. Carefully, he starts to edge out, even as he nods.]

[nobodyperfect]

I'm... probably about 14. [Right now, anyway.] So taller but not an adult, right?

[Axel nods, mostly to himself, but also in response to Chikusa's nod, and takes a bit of the food with the fork he brought with it. It's... well, not super good, but definitely edible and definitely chicken, which is more than can be said for some canned products.]

[kokuyoyo]

....I guess not....

[He's now a thirds out from underneath the bed, but he doesn't go any further. Instead, he just watches him like a hawk, waiting to see if he starts writhing in pain or slumps over dead or any other number of things. When it's clear things are okay, he finally and tentatively holds out his hand.]