thenearshore | Open! | Catch-All for August

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Open! | Catch-All for August

Who: Yona and anyone!
When: Various points during the month.
Where: Her temple, the Far Shore, the Near Shore
What: Yona has decided this is the month she's going to learn more about this strange world she's been brought to.

A. The Near Shore

[ With most of the excitement over the past few weeks, Yona's in the mood for some distracting, something to keep her busy, or something she can engage in with the new companions she's made in this place. The biggest priority here is understanding more about this world she's found herself in and so she makes several trips down to the mortal world with the intent of exploring and learning more about it.

The place is full of wonders and she's often easily distracted as she wanders, whether it's by some strange new type of food that might catches her attention or a colorful storefront that draws her over to peruse strange wares. The first time she discovers an open market fills her with delight, because this is at least a little more familiar to how commerce is dealt in her world, but then she discovers a grocery store and her mind is blown all over again. She might loose several hours wandering through a bookstore, filled with more tomes than she's ever seen in one place. A colorful candyshop has her stopping to pick out gifts to take back home to her friends, picking out a strange and varied sample, all of them ones she'd never heard of before, but look fantastic all the same.

But as fascinating as it is, it's also a little overwhelming, and all too easy to get turned around. Hopefully, she can manage to not get too lost, or at the very least find someone to point her in the right direction, if she does... ]

B. The Far Shore/Aine's Temple

[ Things at her temple are often lively and filled with laughter. Any visitors are greeted with happy smiles, although on occasion, it's the temple's other residents that beat the gods and shinki to the greeting. Namely a mischievous pair of kittens who answer to the names of Eun and Min and enjoy getting into every bit of trouble they can find. Or perhaps it's one of the horses that make their home among the orchards, an intelligence in their gazes that speaks to much more than just a common animal and hints at fae bloodlines that come as part of Aine's heritage.

Or perhaps you've wandered by and there's a conspicuous lack of a greeting. A little wandering around might lead you to find the temple's goddess seated in the center of one of the gardens, eyes closed and her attention focused on.... something. Occasionally strange things will happen around her, such as a sudden gust of icy wind rushing outwards away from her or a shadowy outline of a bubble around her or a fiery claw slashing downwards, shattering a nearby rock in half before vanishing abruptly. Yona's only starting to understand what her magic can do and learning to master it is proving to be a challenge... ]

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[ Everything started later in the afternoon on the 12th. It actually wasn't so unusual, seeing Shizuo napping out in the sun. That's was actually closer to being back to normal than things have been for a while, because he was back to one of his usual places, relaxing as best he can with finishing the day up with the sling on.

Then night came and he still didn't wake up. Even throughout the next day, whether or not he was moved elsewhere, the blond kept sleeping on. It's not until the days finally roll over into the 15th, considered either very late at night or very early in the morning, when Shizuo finally wakes up.

What does he do first?

Not wonder what day it is, or how things changed around him so much. No. He watches his hand in amazement for something like ten minutes before realizing something else.

Which is why it's the middle of the night (kind of) when the smell of food starts filling up the temple. Beef, vegetables, rice and broth all being worked on in their own things. ]

[ It's the smell that wakes her, just because it's such an unusual thing, especially at such a late hour when the temple usually falls to quiet. She lays there in the dark for a few moments, considering what it could mean and if she should look into it before she slides out from beneath her comforter and grabs a dressing robe.

Moving on silent feet through the darkened castle corridors, she finds herself at the doorway of the kitchen, pausing to blink in surprise at the sight that greets her. ]

Shizuo! You're awake!

[ She'd been worried. And starting to wonder if these long sleeping spells were getting to be an epidemic among her friends and acquaintances. ]

Yo. Sorry if I worried ya.

[ He's not quite aware of how much time he'd been asleep, but there's a significant difference between late afternoon and super late into the night. Instead, while adding some sauce to the beef, he points with his chin over to the medium pot of broth. ]

Hey, you wanna grab the spoon on top and stir the broth?

[ This is definitely more energy than she's seen from him in a while, that's for sure. ]

Of course!

[ Despite her surprise - and the late hour - Yona is quick to comply, tying her robe around her waist and moving to the stove to assist. ]

What's all this? Are you feeling better? You slept for... a while.

[ Helping out was also a good sign to see just how much food was being made as well. The rice was mostly finished and just keeping warm at this point, but there was a good amount of the stuff he was messing around with. ]

Yeah. I feel pretty good, actually. But I've been asleep for what, ten hours or something? I know it wasn't too late when I went to relax outside.

[ She shoots him a sideways glance for a moment before shaking her head and offering him a crooked smile. ]

Try two days. I was beginning to wonder if Izumo was contagious.

Hah?

[ The hell, Izumo this probably was your fault somehow. Even if it's not, he's getting some of the credit. Then again... ]

Guess that explains some things. Oh yeah, I think I got some weird memory back. Given that I don't really watch TV or anything, I'm pretty sure that's what it was.

[ The most casual way of telling someone that kind of thing. ]

[ Her hand stills and her mouth drops open as she shoots him a surprised look.

Now it was three for three? What on earth was going on in her temple this month? ]

You did? What happened? I mean, if you feel like talking about it?

[ Considering memories sometimes could be very unpleasant, she was concerned. Then again, he was out here cooking a feast, maybe it wasn't so bad? ]

It's gonna sound pretty weird or crazy, probably...

[ Actually, how does he describe it in a way that would sound plausible? Then again, with the circumstances, Yona might believe anything. ]

I was fighting a bunch of people- a lot of people, actually, with knives and these really red eyes. Apparently they were attacking me to show their love? I don't really get it, but the point was to buy time. Then their eyes went back to normal and they stopped attacking. Turns out I can have enough control to not kill anyone, even in that kinda thing.

[ There was far more to the memory, more of what he realized and admitted about himself, but that was a little more personal. It was a little embarrassing to say you couldn't fail or let down someone who says they love him. ]

So I think I finally have a reason as to why I've got trouble training with Izumo and Goten.

You were worried about hurting them by accident, about not being able to hold back your strength enough.

[ She's still stirring the pot absently as she listens to his words and watches his face as he explains his memory. ]

I don't think that sounds crazy at all. [ She knows how important controlling his strength is to him. ]

I mean, it's more the red eyes and weird love stuff that I was thinking would sound crazy.

[ The control was surprisingly pleasant. If he could manage it before, then it'd be possible here. Right? Maybe accomplish enough where he actually deserved the way Yona seemed to regard him. ]

How many people get attacked by some mob with knives because of that?

Well, yes, that does sound very strange. Perhaps it was some sort of magic spell?

[ She frowns in thought, because she really knows very little about the world Shizuo comes from, other than the brief glimpse she'd gotten upon naming him. ]

But either way, that's good news, isn't it? What you remembered?

No clue. Thing is, I don't know how much I can question about that.

[ When he was given this memory, what was safe and what was going too far with the questions? As long as there was someone who loved or cared about him, looked up to him, he couldn't keep being a disappointment like before. It was time to straighten out.

Which is why he was finally going to eat like normal. ]

But yeah, it's good news. Here, keep stirring that while I add something else.

[ Setting the other things in the pan on simmer, Shizuo goes to get those liquid eggs from the fridge. Opening the carton, he tips it over into the pot- Turns out this was all for egg drop soup. More importantly, while slowly pouring the eggs, he was resting his hand on top of Yona's head. ]

They certainly don't make it easy to understand here, do they?

[ There's a note of frustration in her voice at that, but she was studying his face curiously, trying to read his expression. She didn't know what had made such a difference in him, but obviously, something had.

And then he comes to join her to continue cooking whatever this was and add more ingredients and.... that was his hand. That was his hand on her head. Had he ever voluntarily reached out and touched her like this, even something so casual and simple? He'd always been so careful to keep his distance, never reciprocating when she might have instigated it with him. But for him to do it like this, out of the blue, with no hesitation...

She completely forgets to keep stirring. She might also be blinking back unexpected tears. ]

[ He was going to comment about how he knows his body can listen to him now, but Yona completely stopped what she was doing. ]

O-oi, Yona.

[ Just like that, the hand was gone as he goes to take over for the stirring. When he looks down and sees the way that she was blinking, a big pit settled down in his stomach. He was trying something simple as an example for that thing he was about to say, and now it could've all went the other way. ]

Shit, I didn't hurt you, did I? I thought that memory meant my body can actually listen to me.

[ She abruptly throws her arms around his waist, the sound of a soft - if tearful - laugh muffled against his shirt. ]

You didn't hurt me at all. You just surprised me. It made me happy.

[ Well, that's a relief. It'd suck if the first time he tried that, it went completely the wrong direction from what he wanted. Then again- is she also crying in that muffled laughter?

Now he's not reciprocating the gesture in any way because both his hands are over the stove. ]

Well, as long as there's someone who looks up to me, I think I can get my body to listen to me. I'm gonna do better for you as a shinki.

You're a wonderful shinki, Shizuo. [ She pulls her head back to smile brightly at him, delighted and touched that this was his motivation. ]

But I will continue to look up to you all the same. [ A pause, before she gives a playful giggle. ] If only because you're so tall.

I'm not that great. Maybe I will be eventually, though.

[ Well, it's a small step towards being confident. Which is huge for someone like Shizuo. But man, that was a bad joke. ]

C'mon, back to stirring this with you. I'e gotta work on the other stuff again.

I have faith in you, Shizuo.

[ Her gaze is fond, but she grins at him and takes the spoon back to take up her job for stirring once more. ]

Alright, I can handle it from here. ...What are you making, anyway? It smells delicious.

Just not too much.

[ He doesn't need that much pressure on his self-improvement. With Yona back at the helm with stirring, he can grab the teriyaki to add to the other stuff. ]

Well, what you're stirring is egg drop soup, or close enough to it at least. Aside from that, this is stir-fry to go on top of the rice that's keeping warm.

[ It seems that whenever Shizuo's making 'stir-fry' it always has a few different ingredients in it. Much like when he makes 'curry,' there seems to always been a variation. ]

Just the right amount, then?

[ She laughs softly, glancing over at him. She's not intending to put more pressure on him, because really he's the one more likely to do that. She's really not so hard to please, at least not that she'd thought. As long as he was happy, she was content. ]

Egg drop soup. [ She echoes this curiously as she peers into it with a pleased smile. ] I don't think I've tried this yet. I'm looking forward to it. It all smells amazing.

I mean, I wouldn't know what to do if you put too much. So try going easy on the faith.

[ While he's more confident and relaxed than he had been before that extended 'nap,' that was going from a 1 to a 3, when the scale went to 20. Shizuo still had a very long way to go. ]

It's gonna be thicker than most of the soups you've had, but not the same kind of thick that curry can be. You'll find out when it's all done.

[ She reaches out and lays a hand on his arm, casting him a smile, her gaze fond. ]

No pressure, Shizuo. What I want most for you is for you to be happy. Everything else we can work out when we come to it.

Hmm, really? She leans over to peer in the pot curiously. Then I am very much looking forward to trying it out.

[ Oh geeze, don't give him that look. It just shows that you have more faith in him than he thinks he deserves. Let him work up to it. ]

Well, I'm not sure I really deserve that so much just yet, but I'm working on it.

[ He'll let the other stuff simmer while collecting a couple of plates and bowls, along with the utensils for it all. ]

It should be ready after a couple more minutes.

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Open! | Catch-All for August

14th/15th after that midnight hour

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