bunnylord phd, doctor of extremely good philosophy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
existentialcrisis) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thenearshore2016-11-20 12:06 am
existentialcrisis) wrote in thenearshore2016-11-20 12:06 am
[closed]
Who: Ukoku and friends (I'm sure they're friends)
What: luring people into his hell temple to do bad magic for bad reasons, nice conversations
When: some days
Where: aforementioned hell temple
Warnings: crows in a literal pie
[ The enchantment was a little too much. His fault, maybe, for being economical (see also "lazy") about it, but it doesn't really matter. It worked, and it's still working. The question, now that things have changed, is whether it's still useful.
But there's no benefit in being quick to throw away Ni Jianyi. So he shows up at the temple of Dionysus, not a priest (a not-like-the-other-old-guys professor, at best, with a hoodie over a dress shirt and his stupid yellow monkey hair tie wrapped around his wrist on top of an incongruously sober black watch), and knocks. ]
[ Generally, nothing she does really surprises Ukoku—but the text asking after his hangover (as if he had no experience handling them) came close. That was a week and a half ago. He's never expecting her, strictly speaking, but now, less than ever.
The temple has changed since she was last there. The boxes around the perimeter of the atrium are gone, as are the sigils—and the pool in the center. It's been replaced by a crater with sharp, curving edges.
Ukoku himself is out in his makeshift lab, behind the temple. ]
[ It's been days since the pool disappeared, and the most Ukoku has said about it—in passing—is that he made a mistake with some magic. Nothing to worry about! He's been busy, too, either out of the temple or in the greenhouse (which now has zero plants) when Guy's not, and he may or may not be inconspicuously checking whatever easy, boring lab work Guy chooses to do for him.
On this particular day, though, Ukoku actually makes a point to locate him as soon as he gets back to the temple. ]
Guy?
What: luring people into his hell temple to do bad magic for bad reasons, nice conversations
When: some days
Where: aforementioned hell temple
Warnings: crows in a literal pie
[ The enchantment was a little too much. His fault, maybe, for being economical (see also "lazy") about it, but it doesn't really matter. It worked, and it's still working. The question, now that things have changed, is whether it's still useful.
But there's no benefit in being quick to throw away Ni Jianyi. So he shows up at the temple of Dionysus, not a priest (a not-like-the-other-old-guys professor, at best, with a hoodie over a dress shirt and his stupid yellow monkey hair tie wrapped around his wrist on top of an incongruously sober black watch), and knocks. ]
[ Generally, nothing she does really surprises Ukoku—but the text asking after his hangover (as if he had no experience handling them) came close. That was a week and a half ago. He's never expecting her, strictly speaking, but now, less than ever.
The temple has changed since she was last there. The boxes around the perimeter of the atrium are gone, as are the sigils—and the pool in the center. It's been replaced by a crater with sharp, curving edges.
Ukoku himself is out in his makeshift lab, behind the temple. ]
[ It's been days since the pool disappeared, and the most Ukoku has said about it—in passing—is that he made a mistake with some magic. Nothing to worry about! He's been busy, too, either out of the temple or in the greenhouse (which now has zero plants) when Guy's not, and he may or may not be inconspicuously checking whatever easy, boring lab work Guy chooses to do for him.
On this particular day, though, Ukoku actually makes a point to locate him as soon as he gets back to the temple. ]
Guy?
no subject
Yeah, we probably could take out one of th'old gods. And then their shinki would go rat us out and we'd have all of heaven breathin' down our necks.
[ Does Ni think he's really that stupid after all? How disappointing. ...Unsurprising though. ]
If it's so easy, why haven't you done it yet?
no subject
[ Ukoku looks away, after a second, blowing smoke at the ceiling. ]
"We can't do it because it'd never work." That's defeatism! [ He emphasizes each word with a thump of his beer can. ] Anything can work. You don't even know what resources you have access to. How can you accurately judge what you can or can't do? For instance: I'm offering to help you. Who am I?
no subject
You? You're a stage magician who can't even manage a tracking spell without it misfiring. [ Call him defeatist. Fuck you, clown. ]
no subject
[ It's good-natured. He tosses his pack of cigarettes from hand to hand as he speaks, back and forth. ]
Besides: even stage magicians have a few skills, yeah? Misdirection, illusions—
[ With a minor flourish, the cigarettes are gone: in his hand is an origami rabbit. He flicks it across the table at Gojyo. ]
—Keeping secrets. I found that in Susano'o's temple before it disappeared, among other things that might be more useful to someone looking for information. I really think you should reconsider this magic thing.
no subject
Who are you? [ --he asks at last, a little quieter and a little more serious than he's been so far. Like he's expecting to not like the answer. ]
no subject
His cigarettes are on the table, now, next to his hand. It was really just the kind of cheap parlor trick Gojyo was accusing him of, but cheap tricks are underrated.
Ukoku sinks lower in his chair as if thinking about how to answer, taking a slow sip of his beer. ]
A dharmapala.
[ It kills him that they gave him the name of one, even if it's false, even if they missed the joke. ]
Who are you?
no subject
That a fancy word for ghost?
no subject
It's a fancy word for—
[ He breaks off when he sees what's happening, and suddenly his cigarettes are flying across the table at Gojyo's head. He has great aim. ]
Don't hurt him!
[ He's reaching across the table now for his stupid paper rabbit. He's going to spill both their beers. ]
no subject
[ For all that he's been straight-up accusing Ni of being a suspicious bastard, he didn't actually expect to be attacked. The cigarettes to the face take him off guard, and as Ni leans forward Gojyo pulls back, clutching the little origami rabbit to his chest purely on instinct.
At least, until his chair goes all the way back and he finds himself flat on the floor. Ow. ]
What the hell?!
[ He throws the rabbit at Ni (not that it goes far -- poor aerodynamics, Sho, -3 points), legs flailing as he kicks himself back up onto his feet. ]
What th'fuck is wrong with you?
no subject
Then he pitches the frog at Gojyo. ]
You're pretty fast, though!
[ That's what's important here. ]