thenearshore | 19 | Peaceful Departure

19 | Peaceful Departure

Who: Everyone!
What: Celebrating Obon
When: Evening August 10
Where: The Near Shore
Summary: Mortals may be partying, but there's lots of work for the denizens of the Far Shore to do.

It's the final day of Obon and spirits are being sent back to their homes -- both the ancestral spirits that have been welcomed home for the duration of the festival and the mischievous spirits that have been plaguing the Heavens. But some of them might not go easy, so Amaterasu has requested that gods and shinki old and new alike help ensure the spirits' peaceful departure.

Mukae-bi

Fires have been lit on hillsides and near cemeteries to lead the spirits back to their resting places and to protect them on their way, but angry ghosts and ayakashi are trying to quench the fires so they can attack weaker spirits. Keep the firewood stocked and the fires blazing high while you fight off the attacks.

Heavenly Exorcisms

Guarding the Gates

Hidden pathways into the underworld in caves throughout Japan are open from sunset to moonset on this night to allow the spirits who have temporarily left to return. Gods and shinki must watch over these pathways and ensure that no dangerous ayakashi take the opportunity to escape from the underworld before the moon sets.

After-party

After the moon sets, the denizens of the Heavens can finally kick back. Everyone is invited to a private hot spring on the Far Shore, where a midnight banquet spread is waiting in thanks for their hard work. Wash off any blight in the hot springs and enjoy the banquet before heading back home for a good night's sleep.

In Summary:

Keep the fires burning
Exorcise those annoying spirits
Fight powerful ayakashi
Enjoy a banquet
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sakon stops dead in his tracks and whips around to look at Tatara. You can practically seem him sparkle. He snaps to attention and salutes, looking positively overjoyed.]

Really? Now? Yeah!! Let's do it! Let's -- Uh, I have no idea how it works, but I'll do anything you need me to!

[ That is the face of a delighted man. Wow. Has he... never been used this way before? That seems a shame. But, no matter -- Tatara’s going to rectify that right now. ]

Don't sweat it! We'll figure it out together.

[ All he does is call his vessel name, right? ]

Come, Hakki!

[The transformation is immediate and dramatic and wow, that's weird and if he still had a mouth to speak with, everyone would hear him chattering his head off about it. As it is, only Tatara has to put up with it.]

THIS IS SO STRANGE! Is it always like this? Wow, I'm surprised you haven't tried this before. You could carry me in your pocket like this. We could get into movies for half price and things like that! I guess I'd be able to see even though I don't have eyes. Who knows how that works, right?

Edited 2017-08-03 17:55 (UTC)

[ . . .

...Tatara Totsuka, incarnation of goddess Minerva, would be the young man standing alone on a hillside, giggling at his open palm like a lunatic.

Sakon. Pls. He’s trying to concentrate. They can talk about all the secret benefits to having a shinki so small later. (And yes, probably coordinate theatre-sneaking.) ]

Aside from all that, do you feel alright?

[ And now he’s the young man standing alone on a hillside talking to his palm like a lunatic. ]

I think so! It's kinda hard to say for sure because I don't have a body or anything. Or maybe I have two bodies? Imagine if I was a deck of cards! There'd be a ton of me!

[To be honest, he hasn't really given it much thought before now. No one has ever transformed him like this, so he's not even sure he would have been dice each time. He knows shinki can change forms when they switch gods and he's certainly switched enough times. Really, he just hopes Tatara can get some use out of this one.]

There's no less of you now.

[ Tatara comments with another laugh slipping through. He means that as a compliment -- trust him! ]

Aah, well, I'm glad you're okay! [ His expression turns absolutely sheepish. The portrait of awkward. ] ...Because I think I have to... roll you, somehow.

Oh, yeah...

[That does make sense. He doesn't know what Tatara's so worried about, though.]

It's not gonna bother me no matter how you do it! It's my job after all. If I get to help out, I'm not gonna complain about it!

[ He's heard of shinki getting hurt before; and though a roll -- which Sakon should be designed(??) to do -- shouldn't hurt him, well...

Okay, this is new to him, too, alright? He's a right to be cautious! ]

Alright then. If you're ready...!

[ Time for the Great Roll of Fate. (Should he... blow on him for good luck, first? No, that'd be too weird.)

Tatara rolls twin fours, for a total of eight. ]

What happened? Was it a good roll? I can't see it!

[The dice wobble a little and you can kind of tell that he's thinking it over.]

That should make you stronger, right? Did it? I think sixes bust everything so I hope it wasn't sixes!

[ Seeing the dice wiggle a little, Tatara’s quick to scoop them back up. It’s almost hard to believe there’s a whole person in there -- and not a small one, either. Sakon is almost Mikoto’s size normally, now easily held in the palm of a hand. ]

It’s fine, it’s fine! Don’t sweat it! I rolled an eight, actually. I think that should be more than enough.

[ Boy is it ever. The next time Tatara calls upon the powers given to him by his king, he doesn’t get a mere spit of flame like before, but rather, a whole fist of fire. It stuns even himself, prompting a nervous chuckle. ]

Yes, this will work out just fine! [ To say the least. With a flick of the wrist, he’s able to light the torches anew -- and the best part? He’s not even close to tired yet. Normally he’d be spent after just a few concentrated efforts. ] Thank you, for helping me.

[He's gonna explode. Right here. Right now. Gonna explode.

Well, maybe not explode explode because that would be a huge problem, but he feels like his heart is about to burst. If that's possible considering he doesn't actually have one at this immediate moment.]

You're welcome!

[That's about all he can blurt out to start because he's sort of aware that once he starts talking, he's really not going to be able to stop this time and Tatara needs him to do things.

Tatara needs him and he kind of wants to scream and run around and tell everyone he knows, so it's a good thing he doesn't have legs right now, probably.]

[ Please don’t explode, Sakon. Even if right now it’d be the equivalent of a handful of bang snaps on concrete, he doesn’t want to see you pop.

Nevertheless, as strange as it is, Tatara can tell how close his shinki is to doing just that. It’s as if he can feel that excitement, somehow, right this very moment, through their bond. Unless he’s making it all up, of course, and it’s all in his head. He’s an imaginative creature; he wouldn’t put it past himself.

As with everyone actively using HOMRA’s power, his body takes on a red glow, eyes perhaps changing color from their usual soft ambery-hazel to something more crimson. Not that Tatara’s completely aware of that, or that Sakon can confirm or deny, and perhaps that’s a good thing. After all, Mikoto’s eyes glow bright red when his power’s in use, and it can be downright eerie to those less informed.

Lighting another dwindling fire with an ease more Izumo’s level, the blond chuckles softly. ]

This is much easier with your help! [ His expression turns sheepish. Now he see why King had so much trouble holding back before: This kind of power can be extremely alluring, to the right person.

Aaaand, talking to his palm again: ] If you get tired, let me know, okay?

[ Because it's gonna be a long night, and Tatara isn't exactly thinking of the repercussions to using this much power. He'll be lucky to stay upright on his own two feet when it's all said and done. ]

You got it!

[It's less a lie and more an automatic response made without thinking about what he's actually agreeing to. In reality, there's no way in hell that he'll actually say anything if he's too tired to go on. He'll work until he collapses, probably, maybe longer if he can still help. After all, it's not like he needs to keep himself upright or anything. He's dice, he just kind of sits.]

That's awesome, though! How are you setting stuff on fire? Is that a god thing?

[ Tatara has a feeling that’s the truth behind Sakon’s words. Call it Minerva’s “woman’s intuition”. But it’s also logical, given his enthusiasm about being of use to his god. This, said god would say, is the definite positive side of having a shinki that Johan missed out on before. It’s understandable that he didn’t want to see Sakon’s death, yes, but both of Tatara’s shinki have been nothing but eager and excited about being needed like this. And that, honestly, is something special.

To the question, however, he shrugs somewhat. ] I had this power long before I came here, actually! [ And then a sheepish chuckle as he marvels, stunned, at his own flaming hand. ] ...But it’s never been this strong before.

[ Says the one called “HOMRA’s weakest” by their adversaries, singled out and targeted as being the clan’s weakest link, remembered by their rivals as “the one with insufficient strength”. To think on it, really, it’s no wonder Tatara died first; and, with his optimistic, affable persona, equally unsurprising that his death started a war.

With Sakon’s help here, for the first time, the Red Vassal doesn’t have to run; he doesn’t have to be escorted off the battlefield, out of the fray, protected by his stronger clanmates. He can defend himself. He can stand his ground. Just that much is a huge, dramatic shift away from the usual. ]

Aah, to tell you the truth, using this much power would have already worn me out, without your help!

[ Nope, still not thinking about the punishment that’s coming. Just because he doesn’t feel tired doesn’t mean he won’t be, once Sakon’s job is done. ]

Then we're an unstoppable team!

[He's not sure how he manages to laugh without, you know, lungs, but it happens. And then he proceeds to hum happily to himself as Tatara works. It won't be a big deal if Tatara wears himself out, he thinks. He should be able to carry him home without any problem.

Oh, wait.]

Do I change myself back? Do you change me back? You gotta do that before you pass out, okay?

[ Tatara laughs gently, alongside his shinki. ] Sure feels like it, doesn’t it?

[ With this much power coursing through him, absolutely. For perhaps the first time in his young life, the Red Vassal truly feels like a force to be reckoned with, though typically he’s the furthest thing from; the antithesis of, even. But Sakon is giving him a chance to be something more, to do more than he ever could in his last life. ]

If I remember right, I change you back. Just tell me when you’re ready! I don’t want to wear you out, too!

[ And that’s not just because yeah, he’ll probably need help back home, whether he’s aware of that at present or not.

Tatara pauses for just a moment. ] Or... you might not have to, actually.

[ It’s strange, but... it’s almost like he can pick up on faint bits and pieces of emotion from the shinki. Or at least, they aren’t his own, so who else would they belong to? ]

Huh? Not what? Not tell you if I'm worn out? I'm not, you know! I'm totally not if that's what you're thinking!

[He's not sure where Tatara is going with this, but he feels like he has to stick up for himself. He's finally getting a chance to be useful and he doesn't want it to end, even though he knows it has to. That doesn't mean he has to accept that, though.]

[ Amazing, how one little well-meaning comment causes such an uproar all on accident. Tatara laughs sheepishly. ] Sorry, sorry...! I know you’re not.

I mean to say that, well... [ The hand holding Sakon in shinki form curls around him and pulls in, toward the god himself. ] ...I can tell, somehow. Or at least I think I can.

[ It’s like a sixth sense of some kind; a sort of intuition that whispers in the back of his mind. He doesn’t consciously reach out to Sakon, the knowledge is just there. And no, he’s not tired -- he’s excited, practically a livewire in Tatara’s palm, positively electric with energy.

It’s the strangest thing he’s ever encountered. But, then again, this is his first time really working with one of his shinki in their other form, so there’s bound to be a learning curve. ]

I wonder, can you feel anything from me?

[ Or is it a one-way channel from shinki to god, perhaps to keep the god apprised of their shinki’s status? ]

I don't think so!

[Feeling in general is hard thing to pin down right now.]

So you can read my mind? Are you reading it right now? I don't know what I'm thinking, though.

[Well, he does do a little thinking once he stops talking, since it's kind of hard to do both at the same time. He considers that maybe he shouldn't be cool with Tatara being able to know what's in his head, but even though that's probably how most people would feel, he can't really bring himself to be upset by it at all. After all, he belongs to Tatara right now, so why shouldn't Tatara know everything? He'd tell him out loud if he had half the chance to, really.]

Eheh... I can’t read your mind, exactly. [ He puts up a placating (yet still flaming) palm. ] Even if I could, I wouldn’t.

[ Those are Sakon’s private thoughts, whatever they are, and Tatara respects his right to have them, period. ]

But I can tell how you feel -- happy, sad, scared, hurt... that kind of thing!

I bet it’s so we know how our shinki are doing even when they’re in vessel form. [ He lifts the pair of dice in his palm up to eye level, smiling wanly at them. ] It’d be kinda hard to tell otherwise, don’t you think?

Yeah, 'cause I don't have a face. Or I don't think I do.

[He'd be nodding along if he had a head, but he doesn't have one of those, either.]

So it's just at times like this? Not all the time?

[He doesn't think he'd mind if it was all the time.]

You might not at the moment, but don't sweat it -- I can still see your face in my mind.

[ That's not really a pickup line -- he promises! But, true enough, he can recall Sakon's face from memory. And it's a good face.

As for the bit about feeling his shinki more than just now, well... Should he be honest? Yes. Will he be? ]

Sorry, I guess I haven't really noticed anything until now!

[ His mind has been elsewhere, so to speak. He'll omit that bit. ]

[It gives him a warm feeling in the chest he doesn't have at the moment to think that Tatara can see him so clearly when he isn't there. Well, he is there, but it stands to reason that it would still be true if he wasn't there at all. It's all he really wants out of life, after all, to be useful to someone. And he must be succeeding if he's enough of a presence in Tatara's life to actually be remembered.]

That's okay! We can test it out later. Like, after we get home later, not just when you're done setting stuff on fire later.

[ There's an influx of a sort of joy at Tatara's last comment, warm and content.

To be fair, he's got a great memory for people, what with his Heart's Shutter and all that. To some degree or another, Sakon would be remembered on that merit alone -- of being someone the god's met. Of course, he's also been through a bit with this shinki of his, after inheriting him from someone he used to be very close to.

But he'll admit that he really doesn't know the first thing about Sakon still, even after all this time. ]

How should we do that?

[ He'll ask just in the spirit of keeping the conversation going between the two of them while he continues with his fire endeavors. ]

Oh! I know you like food. Would you like me to cook you something? [ It'll have to wait until he's rested enough to hold himself upright, of course; but at the moment, he's not taking that into consideration, exactly. ]

What else makes you happy?

I'm not ever gonna turn down food, especially if you're cooking!

[That's an easy question to answer. The other one...not so much.]

But...um...what else...

[There are a lot of things that he enjoys doing, but if he rattled them all off, they'd be here all night. He's not really sure that counts as making him happy, though...]

...it's kinda hard when you don't remember much, you know? There's stuff that's fun, yeah, but really what makes me happy is when I get to really be your shinki. Stuff like this.

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