thenearshore | [open] then i'll raise you like a phoenix

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[open] then i'll raise you like a phoenix

Who: Shun and you!
When: August 18th-19th
Where: Various Far Shore areas
What: An extremely unfortunate spider lily encounter...
Warnings: PTSD (including flashbacks, both visual and auditory)

[A: August 18th, Day]

[The spider lilies have been around for a little while now, and Shun's largely been ignoring them. He knows Ren likes those kinds of flowers, but he must have seen them himself by now, and other than being a distracting shade of red, they're not really bothering Shun any just by existing.

It's sheer luck it takes him this long to get close enough to them to hear. Just walking by them doesn't do it, but there's the rustle of something small in a patch of them as he passes, and Shun pauses as the motion catches his eye. It might be a stray spirit that didn't get caught up in the mass exodus from the other day, but it could be something else, and Shun doesn't hesitate any longer before he leans down to investigate.

And when his head comes within about a foot of the blossoms, a cacophony of screaming breaks out in his head - thousands of people, and millions more he can't hear beyond that.

For a fleeting moment, he thinks it's a flashback, and the images that break through to the forefront of his mind at the sound don't help at all. He recognises the sounds, remembers that day all too well, and what the flowers are causing and what his own mind is supplementing it with start to blur to the point of indistinguishable.

Anyone in the vicinity may notice the unnatural, instinctive manner of his movements as he backs away from the flower patch. It doesn't quite seem like he's aware of where he's going or where he wants to be other than not here, and what to him is a comforting change of the sound under his feet indicating progress will be to others him darting halfway across a nearby bridge before stopping rather abruptly in the shadow of a small, covered viewing area.

He's still not fully aware of his surroundings as he winds an arm around one of the support posts and simply drops into a protective crouch at the base of it, fingers trying to dig into the wood, but as absent as he is, the sound of approach still puts him on alert. It takes perhaps a little longer than usual for his attention to snap to the sound of approaching footsteps. Long enough that it's likely easily visible he's shivering and pale, even as his eyes narrow and he grits his teeth in a characteristic attempt to push through it.]

What are you looking at? [It's ground out, and it's definitely not his proudest attempt at trying to drive people off.]

--

[B: August 19th, Morning]

[He doesn't sleep well that night. It's just a one-off nightmare, or so he hopes, but it's as bad as the ones that cycle back around every few months and keep him awake for days on end, so he's not holding out too much hope. He is, however, doing his level best to distract himself with whatever means he can.

Unfortunately, he's found enclosed spaces like his usual training area only really serve to make things worse on the front of his memories. It means he's dragged a punching bag outside with considerable reluctance, set up a little behind his temple garden so it's not as easy to spot for people coming to his front door. Not that it's not easy to spot overall, though - his temple hill is still surrounded by open plain on all sides, and even with the hill and garden blocking two of those, that's plenty of approach visibility.

The sound might catch attention first, though; the heavy, repetitive thudding of a sandbag taking a rapid and considerable beating. Shun doesn't really care how exhausted or exerted he might end up looking - right now, he just wants to forget, or at least take out his frustrations, and it's pretty obvious he's doing just that. His attacks on the bag are focused and brutal, and they only get harder and faster until he finally lets out a frustrated yell and drives a fist into the bag hard enough that the clip outright breaks and the bag flies for a short distance before thudding bonelessly into the grass.

Straightening up, Shun finally starts breathing again, the efforts heavy and laboured. His knuckles are bright red and starting to crack from lack of protective covering, but he doesn't seem to particularly care about that.]

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[ Yona has been taking a wary care of avoiding the flowers herself after one such disastrous encounter with them that had given her the familiar voice of her father. Of Min-Soo. There were already enough reminders in this place of who and what she had lost without the aid of the local flora reminding her as well.

But on her way back from an outing with Kija, she comes across the bridge right about the same moment Shun does. Eyes widening at the frantic dash, her first instinct is to glance around, alert for an attack. But when everything seems quiet and peaceful in their surrounding area, she rushes instead towards the person crouched near one of the pillars.

She doesn't take his demand personally - he's clearly quite distraught over something. In her own way, she recognizes that all too well, even if she doesn't know what could have caused it. ]

Are you hurt?

[The fact that Shun doesn't recognise this woman has him particularly wary, and he watches her closely for a few moments as if deciding whether to answer her question. It at least means he's not going to be trying to hide his reactions, but purely because he doesn't trust her enough to take his eyes off her while he's in this condition.

Eventually, he lets out a slight, bitter sound through his teeth.]

No. So you can go away. [Somehow, he's in an even less welcoming mood than usual, which is quite the achievement when one takes his usual attitude into consideration. It doesn't seem like he's prepared to just accept an expression of help from someone he's never met.]

[ He watches her with a wariness that reminds her of a cornered and trapped animal, so no, she's not going anywhere just yet.

Instead, she shifts to sink down in the middle of the bridge, keeping enough of a distance between them that he hopefully won't feel more threatened. Crossing her legs in front of her, she lets her hands rest on her knees, palms open and where he can see them. ]

While I am glad you're not injured, you still don't seem to be in any state of mind for me to just leave you here. It's alright. I'll come no closer. [ A pause before she hazards a guess, because she can see the splash of color of familiar blossoms from here. ] Was it the flowers?

[Shun's eyes narrow as Yona instead chooses to sit down where she is, but at least she isn't getting closer. The word of assurance doesn't seem to do much for him, making him part his lips slightly to display gritted teeth, but the way he pauses at her question probably gives away that she's guessed the root of the problem.

Though he continues watching her suspiciously for a few moments longer, eventually he concedes, even if it sounds ground out still.]

So you heard them too. [Or maybe not the same "them" he did, but...something. He's not quite sure what's going on with them.]

I have, yes.

[ Simply stated, she's not really all that intimidated by the curl of his lips or the defensive display he puts on. She understands feeling cornered and hunted - or perhaps haunted is the better word? - all too well. ]

It's a shame that something so pretty could hold something so unpleasant.

[There's a somewhat derisive noise at that remark.] I didn't bend down because they were pretty.

[It does, however, bring to mind the fact that others very well could have, which isn't the most settling thought. He knows plenty of people who like flowers enough to stop and take a closer look.]

I shouldn't be surprised. Sometimes this place just screws with us.

No. But you bent down all the same, so something about them obviously caught your attention.

[ Wasn't that what they were intended to do, after all? Even if the results were the unpleasant ones.

His assessment gets a curious look from her and she tips her head to the side to consider that. ]

Is it this place? Or someone in this place?

There was something in that patch of flowers. I couldn't tell if it was a spirit or something else.

[So he bent down to try and identify it. And regretted it immediately.

Her question gets a faint, bitter snort. It seems he doesn't think much of either one.]

Doesn't make much difference. But I'd call it both even if you ask a question like that.

[ She gives him a serious look. ] Did you find it?

Hmm. [ She hums softly. ] Perhaps you're right. But it'd be nice to think it'd be simpler to stop, were it just a person responsible.

[The rather dim look he casts her probably answers that question.] I got distracted before I could.

[To say the least. If it hadn't happened basically the moment he'd bent down, maybe he would've had more luck.

There's a slight scoff at the show of optimism.] We haven't even stopped the ones who burnt down that sakura grove or Amaterasu's temple.

[ She considers that a moment before giving a soft sigh. ] I know nothing about a sakura grove - that must have been before my arrival - but you have my agreement on the temple. You'd think someone with so much discontent towards the gods - or a god - would be more vocal in their grievances.

[ But that wasn't the point here and now. Leaning slightly to glance past him on the bridge, she frowns a little. ]

Would you like me to go investigate?

Being vocal means more chance of getting caught. [While Shun can understand the train of thought she's taking, he also considers it more of a risk than the payoff would validate to do something like that. They've done an excellent job of covering their backs so far, so why would they ruin that?

Following her gaze initally, Shun shoots her a sharp glare at the question.]

Didn't you say you heard the flowers as well? [Going hunting in the flower patch seems unlikely to end any better for her.]

I have. [ There's a flicker of grief that shadows her gaze for a moment before she gives him a half-hearted smile, one that does not completely reach her eyes. ] But they cannot tell me anything I have not heard over and over again in my own memories a hundred times before. And if there is something dangerous hiding within them, that should be rooted out before anyone else is hurt by it.

[Shun recognises that kind of look well enough, and he sets his jaw. He still feels a little absent in the head, but he shakes it off and starts to stand up. It's careful to begin with, but once he establishes he isn't going to unbalance, he goes back to confident.]

Then both of us can check. There's no reason only one of us needs to. [Also he kind of wouldn't trust her word at this early a juncture, so there's that. At least this time he's prepared for what the flowers might throw at him.]

[ She straightens when he does, pushing to her feet as well. A hand is outstretched when he wavers a little, although she stops herself before invading his personal space too much, because his continued wariness is noted, and understood. ]

If you insist. Although considering you've already had one unpleasant run-in with the blossoms this morning, I wouldn't hold it against you if you'd prefer not to repeat the unpleasantness.

[ Still, she steps around him, moving back the way he'd apparently come from, stepping off the bridge and glancing around before letting her gaze rest on the nearby cluster of flowers. ]

[Unsurprisingly, Shun regards the hand with a dismissive, wary look no matter how far away it is. He barely takes help at the best of times, so getting offered it by someone he only just met doesn't sit well with him.

The attempt at consideration also goes just as badly, with Shun offering a slight hiss of annoyance as he moves alongside her.]

Don't act like you know how much I can handle. [Regardless of the acidic remark, since they're here for a reason, he points out the direction he saw the movement in.]

Whatever it was headed that way out of the flower patch. [It's up the bank of the river from them.]

[ She glances over, giving him an even look, her expression mildly curious, but she doesn't take offense at his words. ]

I don't. And I didn't intend to assume such. It's not about how much you can. More that you didn't need to.

[ She looks in the direction he points and nods, starting in that direction. ] Let's see if it's still here, then.

I didn't need to stay out of it, either. [And that, to him, is the more relevant matter. If he's capable of it, then he should try to do it if it needs doing. It's as simple as that.

Though whatever he spotted would be long gone if it kept moving at the same speed he saw it at first, Shun still figures they might as well make sure, so he continues up the riverside with her. His eyes scan across the area in front of them, picking out the other areas of lily growth.]

It might be hiding in another patch.

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[open] then i'll raise you like a phoenix

A. because I obviously need more Shun threads in my inbox >.>

pours shun threads over u

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