thenearshore | [open]

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Who: Hope and YOU.
What: Some angst over the loss of his shinki/a friend (he's not good at coping with that stuff), and random encounters.
When: April 11 and onwards, at least until the new event.
Where: Around the Far Shore and the Near Shore.
Warnings: FF-style angst but other than that, none.

OPTION A

[If there are trees around, one can expect to see a small, white-haired god running about in them, milling in them, even sitting on the branches if they can carry his weight. Though even if he's of short stature, he may still catch someone's eye because of how exactly he gets around up there-- by letting his powers do the work for him. For a second his body turns into light and the figure jumps, and he loses the special effects once he's got something solid under his feet.

Over and over again, though Hope doesn't bother with his abilities if the trees are just right next to each other. So yes, he might be turning a few heads here and there, and he will notice, turning to look. Not immediately, but eventually, unless he's called out to first.]

Oh... Am I trespassing?

Sorry. [He's not so enthusiastic about his apology however, even as he's swinging himself out of it and landing on his feet on the ground.]

OPTION B

[Okay, so sometimes Hope does more than just mope. Though what he does outside of that is... pretty damn nerdy.

See, the Near Shore has a lot of stuff some people just toss away even if they're still perfectly fine in Hope's opinion, like this electronic store with all the machines and phones and other items that someone could still use, but they just toss because no one wants them! And that someone is probably Hope, honestly.

He's already gathered up the stuff that don't look totally broken or ruined into a box, and now he's trying to lift the box. Keyword being try.

If he notes that someone is looking at him-- actually looking and seeing him, not just seeing through him like any resident of the Near Shore-- he might perk up a little.]

Hi, can you help me out here? [With the big box of stuff, he means.]

Closed to Slaine
[Maybe he's expecting this, maybe not, but Slaine will be getting a text message in the early morning anyway.]

Hi. Can we talk?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[As a naturally early riser, Slaine's already up...though he has to rummage through an assortment of books to locate his phone.

Having lost three gods, he's almost tacitly accepted they must have all vanished, but he knows this name and number... So he's still here after all. It takes him a moment to process that]

Of course. Do you mean like this, or do you want me to meet you somewhere?

I'd like face-to-face, please. If you can. It's easier. Do you still remember where my place is?

I can get there. The architecture stands out from others I've seen, so I wouldn't mistake it for another place.

Thanks, Slaine.

[With that, Hope waits on the so-called front porch, because there's no other word he can use to describe the spot out before his temple's main door. His mood may suit the surroundings of his house, given how gloomy he is at the moment.]

[Slaine pockets his phone and makes his way along. One benefit of having been reassigned a few times is that he's at least got a varied perspective of the Far Shore, what with having resided in various stretches over his brief tenure as a shinki.

It still takes him a while, since he lacks a god's capacity to move from one locale to another instantaneously, but Hope's temple comes into view eventually. As does Hope, he observes, and he offers a small wave as he approaches]

Sorry for the wait.

Hi. [That seems to be his standard opener nowadays.

Hope stands from the floor and dusts off his shorts before looking up at Slaine. And sighs. He's been stewing in this for a while, but now that he's gotten someone to talk to...

He honestly has no idea what to say.]

Thanks for coming.

[It's the second hi he's gotten from Hope in a short duration, but he doesn't think too much on it... Aside that he has the impression that there's something on his mind. There's a small stiffness about his words.

At least, he's given to think so. Maybe in the short time he'd spent with Hisoka, he'd gotten too accustomed to analyzing small details]

Nothing you need thank me for. [Really, Hope had been his god. And he remains surprised that changed without him vanishing as Dal Dal had before, but it's a thought he shelves for now] So...what's on your mind?

[A pause, as Hope waits to gather his thoughts again.]

... Ky's gone. [Slaine had come and gone, but Ky had been by his side from the start. The temple feels a whole lot more quiet without him around.

And definitely emptier.]

[The surprise is plain on his face for a long moment. Ky showed up around the same time he had, and though they hadn't been in contact...for some reason, he'd never thought his fellow shinki would simply vanish.

He wipes the look off his face shortly after]

So you don't... [Pausing, Slaine debates how to put this] sense him?

[That seems the sort of way it works. But then, that's surely a question he needn't ask. And if he'd contacted him, that must mean no one else came after he was reassigned, or it stands to reason]

...I'm sorry. I know what it's like when someone just...vanishes.

I cant.

[He's been trying for a while, ever since he noticed that Ky didn't come back.]

I just... It's been like this for a while, but I didn't know who to talk to? [He brushes his fringe out of his face.] You're the first one I told about this since I figured it out.

[It's a difficult thing, not knowing who to turn to. With circumstances the way they are, for the lot of them, it's hard to think of where to turn in the face of loss. For his part, Slaine hadn't been very good with that when Dal Dal vanished]

I imagine it's very different for a god... You feel that absence in a unique way.

[And he'd be remiss if he didn't acknowledge that. Gods feel things that shinki don't, so that void must bear its own distinction. Even so, he can still listen, can't he?]

For whatever it may be worth, you can always talk to me.

Edited 2016-08-10 18:26 (UTC)

[He breathes, something tight, like a knotted rope, easing in his chest. He feels slightly better now that he's spoken to Slaine, and the older teen actually wants to help him in some way. He probably needed this in all honesty, but he just never noticed or realized.]

Well... the house is emptier without him. I mean, we were never noisy, but.

[He doesn't know how to describe it.]

There's something to be said for someone being there.

[Even if they're quiet, even if they barely say anything. There's a perceptible difference in simply having that presence in the same space, and Slaine can understand that. Much as he's tried to avoid doing so, he thinks back on Dal Dal's disappearance.

She was loud, all vivacious energy, poking and prodding and dragging him in her wake. And when she was gone, her temple felt cavernous and empty]

Because then you're not alone, right?

Yeah... [Ky was a quiet presence that was always there for him. He was great, he was dependable, even during the short time they were partners.]

And I liked him, you know?

[His first answer to that is a simple nod, as he thinks back on it. Although his time with the two of them had been brief, it was clear enough the two were on good terms...

Even if Hope seemed to be trying to get Ky to drop some levels of formality. It's something Slaine can understand, having had a few gods correct him on as much]

You appeared to get along well, from what I observed. Not all teams I've seen manage that.

Yeah...

[Hope sighs. He thinks he looks pathetic in front of Slaine, acting out of sorts like this.]

We did-- I think we did. I liked him at least, and I did my best to make sure he's okay around here.

I'm sure that meant a great deal to him.

[Slaine thinks he can speak from a position of experience there, mostly because...]

I know I felt welcomed.

[That sort of kindness doesn't seem pathetic from where he's standing. And missing someone, well. He knows that feeling]

[Why would Slaine say that kind of thing...?]

It was the right thing to do. Isn't it?

We didn't hate you, or anything like that.

I can't say any god hasn't treated me kindly, but...

[He trails off, suddenly questioning just how much that kindness stands out to him. Was it truly that strange?]

...Perhaps it's a matter of my background, but it was distinctive to me. Regardless, I think there's something to be said for it.

[Background? What kind of background exactly did Slaine have when he was still alive? Hope can get a bit of it from the images of his death when the older teen was still his shinki, but...

What kind of life would someone have led to think like that?

He doesn't ask, because he knows the deal with shinki.]

Well... It's just something people should do when they have partners.

From what I've seen in this place...not everyone thinks that way.

[For whatever little information it might yield, Slaine does pay attention to the network. What people say and how they approach certain topics can give a good sense of what their population is like.

So, at least from his perspective, that stands out]

And I'm sure it meant something to him that you do. Wherever he is now, I think he'll remember that.

[His impression of Ky makes him believe as much, at least. It may be of little solace where Hope is missing that companionship, but it's what comes to mind in this moment]

Maybe.

[Given, as a shinki, you don't remember your past... Hope doubts it. He's sad that Ky might not even be able to remember him in his next life, but he just hopes that he doesn't get placed elsewhere. He deserves a proper afterlife, whatever that may be.

He's not the religious or faithful type after all.]

I just want him to be fine, wherever he is. Even if he cant remember.

He always struck me as a very capable person, even when we were new.

[Slaine remembers what it was like that first day, nudging boats away from the shore. They'd seemed determined at times for collision, and it wasn't a simple task, but he recalls Ky's grace and composure under those strange and hectic circumstances.

So, at least, he thinks such a person could handle himself admirably, wherever he is]

Would you say that's accurate?

Yeah? [But what does that have to do with...

Oh. Is Slaine trying to remind him of how strong Ky is on his own? Because Hope knows that well-- the man practically hauled off a boat on his own while Hope sat on the muddy bank. But that's not what Hope is thinking about.

Talk about miscommunication.]

That's not what I meant. I know he can take care of himself. He's been taking care of me most of the time... But I just want him okay.

[Hope know the man can take care of himself...but he's concerned with him being alright. That's something Slaine has to take a few moments to ponder]

...Are you concerned he'll feel alone?

[It's his best guess, after some consideration, as to what Hope might mean.

If he's wrong, maybe it just reflects on his own expectations]

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