thenearshore | /man in black lyrics

Who: Gojyo and anyone who wants to stop by!
What: Hanging out, having adventures, engaging in healthy coping habits
When: Any time of any day from May 12-15ish
Where: chez Dinosaur
Warnings: Homo-antagonistic language in the Niles thread.

He's never going to sleep again. Which is fine -- he knows from experience that he can go weeks on end with only a few hours of sleep snatched here and there between youkai attacks. It won't kill him. He doesn't even feel all that tired, not really. He more feels like he's asleep and dreaming than anything else -- everything is at a bit of a distance and his reactions are slowed, like the air's gone thicker or something. Like he's a little drunk, even though he hasn't touched a drop since his return. It's weird and unsettling, but he's sure it'll wear off. And even if it doesn't, it's not something to bother anybody with. He's been enough of a bother already.

So during the day, he sticks close to Hakkai -- he's worried the other man enough already by vanishing, so it's the least he can do to stay near (and if that means running errands or sitting quietly in the back of the classroom while school is in session, he supposes that he can manage). And at night, when he wakes after only an hour or two of sleep, he tracks down Asshole and drags the half-man out to the porch with him, for company while he smokes pack after pack and watches the moon.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Dokugakuji's been wandering around the Far Shore for a few days since Gojyo's return - not that he knows it. Mainly, Doku just never knew where to find his brother; the most he'd gotten was from Goku: Dinosaur temple. It's perhaps apt that the place is called 'The Far Shore' because everything seems so far away. Finally, he gets really close to Dionysus's temple - and finally he senses it.

"Found ya."

There's some kind of nervous energy to Doku as he walks up to the front of the temple, but not as much as would have been there the first day he was there. He'd been so convinced before that he was dead, and now he's no longer sure. He decides to be a little ridiculously polite -- he comes up to the temple and knocks on the front entry way, loud enough he hopes the people inside will hear it. "Yo~ Anyone home? Looking for the resident Dinosaur."

The resident Dinosaur doesn't hear Doku knocking -- he's out back -- but Asshole is always more than happy to gree guests. For a given definition of 'happy', of course.

The white-haired youkai man emerges from a side hallway and offers Doku a short bow. If he recognizes something similar in Doku's ears and clan mark, it doesn't show in either his expression or actions. Dinosaur isn't a word he's familiar with, so he waits patiently for the guest to make his wishes known.

Who in the hell is this guy Gojyo's got answering his door? Dokugakuji's pretty darn sure this guy is a youkai too. Really... quiet, isn't he? "Hey -- name's Dokugakuji." He pauses for a moment. "I'm here looking for Gojyo?" Surely he's gotten the right place... Unless Goku had been mistaken, which he's actually realizing could be a possibility. Under normal circumstances he'd have worried about being outright lied to, but a genuine miscommunication seems more likely.

Doku even looks around the guy blocking his view to see if maybe Gojyo will suddenly appear in a corner of the room just out of sight.

Nope, no Gojyo back there. For once, he's being a responsible god (shhh, don't tell anybody) and tending to the winery at the back of the house. There isn't much that he needs to do -- the place pretty much runs itself, which is both convenient and really creepy -- but some of the kegs need to be rotated and the empty ones cleaned out. It gives him something to do, not that he'll admit that's why he's doing it.

Asshole doesn't change his expression, not so much as a quirk of an eyebrow. Dokugakuji... the Master called out a similar name once when he was injured. Is this person a person who has harmed the Master in the past, or is this person a former servant of the Master's? It's too difficult a decision for a simple shinki to make -- obviously the solution is to let the Master do the thinking.

With a wave of his hand (but no expression at all), Asshole gestures for Dokugakuji to follow him into the front hallway. It's garishly decorated in gold and wine-purple velvet and more gold, but Asshole is very proud of it. It's a fine temple.

If Dokugakuji would care to sit...? Then Asshole will return in a moment. A long moment. Several moments, in fact.

Weider and weirder. He has no idea what's going on, but for now he'll at least keep his senses finely tuned for an ambush, in case Gojyo's gotten himself into some kind of trouble (again) and he's about to be hauled out bound in ropes and a gag or something. That's all that he can think of with a mute servant welcoming him into an equally quiet place and no sign of his brother anywhere. That or the true master of the house would show up and it wasn't Gojyo at all, but someone really named Dinosaur that Goku had simply become fond of. None of this registered to Dokugakuji outside of the political games the youkai clans played, hence his apprehension.

For now, he does sit where the guy shows him to. He just doesn't look thrilled about it, since it doesn't appear that it'll matter to the guy either way. "I'll just wait here then!" He pulls out his sword to instinctively start polishing it, still knowing that this is a person - a shinki - of his now. It's habit and, he kind of hopes, something that will make Meji feel good about having a Master that treats him well in either form.

A few minutes later, there's footsteps thudding down the long marble hallway, a distinct difference from Asshole's silent glide. The complaining is a stark difference to Asshole's mute manners as well: before he's even visible, his voice can be heard loud and clear. "I don't need any more well-wishers or fruit baskets, sorry, so whoever you are, you can just pack it up and leave. I'm fine."

But that fine is cut off halfway as he hits the end of the hall and sees just who his guest is. Gojyo freezes, mouth hanging open, a hilarious picture with his grimy clothes and the cobwebs in his hair. He begins to form the word Ji--, but stops himself with a shake of his head. Hakkai doesn't know the name Gonou -- if this man is a shinki, who knows what name he might be using?

"Yo." An echo of that first greeting Doku had given him all those months back, when he'd met the prince's man Dokugakuji for the first time.

No matter what's changed - and a lot has, before and after this new mess of circumstances - Dokugakuji's never felt compelled to react in any way to Gojyo that doesn't acknowledge they're brothers. Of course, he has no idea it's because Gojyo's not sure if he has his memories or not. He learned enough to know that Gojyo's a God so he's temporarily forgotten that distinction.

So instead, Gojyo gets a fond, teasing smile. "That's all I get? 'Yo'?" He stands up for now, more comfortable standing than sitting in most situations, pulling his sword with him. "Took me awhile to find a temple to Dinosaur. Revert, Meji." The tall man with one eye appears and Doku gestures to Gojyo. "This is my brother." Meji nods his head very lightly in greeting, but since Gojyo's spent so much time around Asshole he may notice the similar attitude in Meji - that of a Soulless Shinki.

Meanwhile Doku's taking more time to inspect Gojyo's disheveled state and combine it with the things he'd said before he saw Dokugakuji's face. Something definitely happened, but what?

Well. That answers one question, at least, but now he's got about a million more. Gojyo gives Meji a quick once-over, but the shinki thankfully doesn't look familiar, so he doesn't do more than nod in Meji's direction before redirecting his attention to his brother. His godly brother. His stupid brother who apparently got himself caught in the same trap as the rest of them did.

"Dionysus," he retorts; damn Goku and spreading that damn Dinosaur name everywhere! Although... that means Doku's met Goku, doesn't it? "Some Western god of wine." Which would explain all the grape imagery on the walls and statuary. And, let's be fair, a lot of the naked people imagery on the walls and statuary, too. "What about you, Dokugakuji?"

"Okay, Dionysus. I'm not sure if I'll be able to remember that..." He teases right back with a grin on his face. "But I'll try. It sounds right up your alley, god of wine." He does look around and realize that's what all of the accoutrements are about. So that means Gojyo probably didn't willingly decorate the place, any more than he decorate his own shrine. Well, maybe everything except the naked people.

"It's Ksitigarbha," Doku replied, finally having gotten the name down well enough to say it without stumbling. "Buddhist. Most I know is that he can travel to hell and bring people back from it." Which he does actually take very seriously as a power, but it's said with a lot more light-hearted attitude in front of Gojyo. "No pressure."

That's when he gives a more noticeable appraisal of Gojyo. "Are you... happier here?" On the one hand, no youkai vs. hanyou problems. On the other... whatever's eating Gojyo lately.

/man in black lyrics

May 16th

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