thenearshore | -Overflow- for 016

[ From here. ]

[ Despite his embarrassment, Nanako's expression brightens up like it's Christmas, however. ]

Ah! That's you and Ren! And you're holding hands! [ She's so delighted right now. ] That's the Tanabata bridge! Oh no, that's the best! I didn't know you two had gone there together!

[ She hadn't even realized they were a thing, but boy does she know now! ]

[If anything, Nanako's reaction only makes it worse, from her immediate recognition to the words that come out of her mouth, and Shun very nearly drops the phone in slightly flustered shock.

That has the side effect of having swiped him over to another picture by the time he gets the screen facing him again, and why does he have another picture of this person on his phone--]

I don't even know who that is! Why would I be crossing the Tanabata bridge with--?

[...There's honestly so many ways he could end that sentence that he can't even pick one. "Anyone" is his first thought, but "a boy", "several additional years on me", "someone I don't even know", and really the entire question of how the Tanabata bridge exists as an actual thing here all cross his mind at around the same time after it.]

[ She laughs and reaches out to pat his arm consolingly. ]

It's okay, you're really good friends with Ren! [ And apparently much more than just good friends... ] You introduced me to him, too, because our gods are from the same pantheon. He's here as the goddess Inanna.

[ Oh, you are not living this down anytime soon, Shun. ]

[The consoling arm pat does not do a great deal to help, though at this point Shun's already locked the phone lest he find another picture he's not entirely sure how to deal with. It feels strange and sad to have forgotten someone he's apparently such good friends - if that's even all they are - with, but at the same time, this is an incredibly confusing and embarrassing thing for him to be confronted with on no notice at all.]

...If he's supposed to be a good friend of mine, then it just makes me feel like I should remember him. What if he remembers like you?

[The idea of having his apparently-future-self's possibly-friend-possibly-boyfriend come looking for him is possibly the most embarrassing thing he's come up with this conversation, though, so he ends the thought at that and raises a hand to try and cover the continuing fluster on his face.]

[ Nanako blinks because she's not sure what the problem here is. ]

Then he'd be happy to see you, of course? And I'm sure you'll remember him again soon. It's just that things keep changing a lot here over the past day or so, but once someone figures out what's wrong with it, I'm certain it'll go back to normal.

It's not me he'd want to see, though. [It's hard not to differentiate himself from his future self, because when he's only getting bits and pieces of story and context to what his older self has been doing, it's like he's peering into the life of a completely different person.

Nanako has a point on the second part of that, though, so he sighs quietly.] I hope so. I don't like feeling this out of place.

You're still Shun. [ She's quick to shake her head and contradict him. ] You might be a little different than the one we know, but you're still you. I think getting to know even more about you this way is wonderful. And I'm pretty sure Ren would like who you are either way. [ She's not certain, of course, but she can't imagine anyone not liking Shun in whatever age he comes in. Not that she's biased or anything. ]

Is it really just a little different? [A few things here haven't entirely been sitting right with Shun, and it feels like she might be understating a bit. While he doesn't exactly look reassured by the rest of it, he does at least ease off looking actively uncomfortable.]

I must not have told you much about me, if the things we've talked about here are new.

[ She gives him a warm smile at that, shaking her head again. ]

Maybe not, but you've always helped me when I needed it. You've always taken the time to explain things I didn't understand. Maybe we haven't talked about things from before we met here, but that doesn't mean you haven't told me lots of other things.

It's good to hear I helped you, then. It'd be nice if I could still do that right now, but I probably have less idea of what's going on right now than most other people here.

[At least some of them seem to remember having been here before, but his mind is blank of anything between leaving his world and this morning.]

It's okay. This time those of us you've helped can return the favor and help you back.

Well, I've learnt a lot from this conversation already. [Not all of it necessarily things he wanted to know, but...he can't really do much about that.] Do you know if there are any other people I should be looking out for to ask, or who I'm supposed to know?

Mmm, Ren would have been the one I suggested first, honestly. [ She admits this with a sheepish smile, knowing that's probably not the answer he was hoping for.

...But she's not sure who else to suggest. She didn't even know who his shinki were, now that she thought about it... ]

Ahh, another person you've mentioned to me before was Bishamon, you seemed to respect her quite a bit?

[Who's suddenly looking shifty, because it definitely isn't Shun--] Oh. I'll...keep an eye out for him, I guess.

[So he can make a discreet exit if he sees him, more like. The level of awkward he feels that conversation would be isn't worth any information he could get out of it.

The other name sounds more likely, though, and he tilts his head.] Bishamon...so they must have already been a god, right?

[At least, he hasn't met anyone named after gods who was pulled her to be one yet.]

Yes! I think she's been here for a while, even before the rest of us started showing up. her temple is often used when all of us get together to train our skills, too.

[ She didn't miss that shifty look, Shun, but she lets it pass for now. mostly because she has no idea what this strange day has done to Ren. ]

Sounds like she might actually be a good place to start for some information. Maybe something like this has happened in the time she's been here. What does she look like?

[He doubts he'll be able to find her with just a name, especially since the fact that she's a woman pretty much puts her looking like any depiction of that god he's familiar with out the window.]

Ahhh... [ Nanako pauses, because that's a bit more complicated than it would normally be. ]

If she hasn't been affected by whatever's happening, she's very tall with long blond hair. And she has purple eyes, I think. She... has a very commanding presence, too.

[...Right, that could be a problem. Shun frowns a bit, but he notes the information anyway in hopes that he'll get lucky with the circumstances here.]

I'll keep an eye out for her anyway. At least I might be able to find out whether or not she was affected. [And at this point, he figures he's probably bothered Nanako enough for information, so he smiles a bit and raises a hand.] I should probably keep looking for information on this whole thing, then. Is there anything else I should know before I go?

-Overflow- for 016 | The Good Old Days

For Shun #2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject