thenearshore | [closed] Sitting in a old Monte Carlo

Entry tags:

[closed] Sitting in a old Monte Carlo

Who: Sanae and Adachi
What: talking, then prayer 20
Where: her temple, by those damn dustbunnies
When: Backdated to May 23rd
Warnings: None!

[ People come into her life, people move out of her life. That is what she's realized with everyone she has met here, however short or long. Gods and shinki appear and disappear, but she makes a point to meet many of them, and a promise to herself to help and protect all of them to the best of her abilities. Adachi has come into her life when she recently lost a friend, righting a balance that had been lost. But that's not to say he is a replacement, no. It's that he's someone else she can now devote her care and concern towards just as much.

Ever since she allowed him into her temple to stay, she's been mostly gone. That very same night she set up his guest room, she had left to complete a prayer with her shinki. And when she returned, she didn't seem in the best of moods. But today is a new day, and her smile is as friendly as ever. ] Good afternoon, Adachi-san.

[ She greets politely, bringing a hand to her mouth as she giggles. Really, what she's walked in on is nothing short of a mess. It seems he's found her ranch of dust bunnies, and goodness do those little fellas like to bounce up and around him. ] They haven't been giving you too much trouble, have they...?

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[ Adachi didn't know what the things were at first. He thought for a moment that they were just dust moving around in the breeze. He didn't realize they were actual dust bunnies, not until their ears popped out and they started hopping around. Once that happened, he couldn't help but sit down and humor the little guys, teasing and playing with them a little. ]

[ Well, at least until he got caught. ]

[ He let out a yelp, shooting up from the floor and trying to look like he hadn't been doing anything. ]

Wha--? U-uh... no, no trouble at all!

[ She chuckles, leaning over a few of the bunnies. ] Clarissa seems to like nibbling on your pants... [ YEP she's named them. All 500+ of them. ]

But here, they might like these, too-- [ A few carrots appear in her palm, and she offers the treats to Adachi to feed to the rabbits. ] But be careful. If you give them these, they will want to follow you wherever you go!

[ ...wait, what? Adachi's attention was immediately drawn down, and he let out a yelp, trying to shoo the little guy away from his pants. No, please, he needed those to be in good shape...! ]

Ah, thanks... I guess they're hungry.

[ He didn't pay much attention to the last part; that sounded more a cat. No way a bunny made of literal dust would be like that, right? ]

[ Sanae crouches down, offering a few of the carrots to the dust bunnies herself. ] These little ones always are. They can't help it-- always searching for the next big mess to burrow into, or the next big mess to create...

[ Her voice drifts off for a moment, and she clears her throat before she continues. ] But unlike ayakashi, they are just benign mononoke.

[ She lets one of the bunnies nibble upon the end of the carrot she holds, looking at it reflectively. ] But the true ayakashi are dangerous to both of us. The only way to eliminate them is by working together. [ Sure, they can bind the ayakashi, or block them with barriers. But to actually rend them? That requires a partnership between a god and a shinki. ]

Adachi-san, I know I asked you before, but--... in addition to my home, I want to offer you my protection. [ She lets go of the treat, and the dust bunny greedily nibbles on it. ] Until you find a god you truly wish to be with, it would be safer to have a name at least temporarily.

[ And there are other gods out there to, that force a name upon their shinki. She doesn't want to have Adachi be subject to that. And if he's with her, at least she can offer an additional layer of security. ]

[ He figured they weren't ayakashi. They seemed to benign to be monsters, and he got the impression that that's what ayakashi were, just from what he'd heard so far. ]

[ He managed to pull himself from the bunnies for a moment, peering over at her curiously. Hunh, she was asking him again? She must have been worried about him; that was a weird thing for him to process, all things considered. Adachi let out a soft breath, rubbing at the back of his neck. ]

Well... I can understand why. I'm a little afraid to go anywhere without being tied to a god, not gonna lie.

[ He let out a faint breath, hoping she just wouldn't expect him to do stuff all of a sudden. That would be seriously annoying! ]

I mean... sure, I guess. If it's not going to be too much trouble.

[ Eh...? He agreed to is so casually...? She looks up at him, blinking. ] Ah, of course it isn't too much trouble, but...

[ She dusts off the front of her skirt, standing up. ] This isn't a light matter. If you didn't know, a god has been forcing names upon a shinki here-- and I just want to make sure that even if this is a temporary union, that it is by your own decision, completely.

[ In short, she doesn't want to make him feel like she's pressuring him into this. ]

Forcing...?

[ Geeze, what kind of dick would do that? He shook his head after a moment, letting out a sigh. ]

Well, I'll admit, I'm not sure, but at the same time, there's no way I'll ever really know what I'm capable outside of just... being lazy and hungry all the time if I don't get out there. Which I can't really do without a god. So... it just makes sense?

[ He let out a sheepish noise. ]

Besides, I was told repeatedly that I needed to attach to someone before the powers that be made me, so...

[ Again Adachi paused, grinning slightly. ]

At... least I can choose to hang around with someone cute? Eh heh...

[ Wow, that was bad. ]

[ He's... not the smoothest. But does that matter to someone like Sanae? NOPE SHE'S BEEN CALLED CUTE that earns him a soft flush of her cheeks. ]

O-oh, I don't know about that...

[ Hello, yes, she is also a loser. Sanae shuffles, embarrassed where she stands as she glances away.

Ahem. ] B-but..! Mm. So long as you're safe and protected that's really my intention. And I promise to release your name when you find a permanent god.

[ ...awwwww, he got her to blush! That may have been a pretty lame attempt at flirting, but the end result was worth it! ]

Heh... sure. Then yeah; I'm okay with you naming me temporarily.

[ He paused, rubbing at his neck again. ]

So, what do we gotta do for that?

[ Okay...! Okay. Calming herself, she looks back at him again, taking a deep breath. ] W...well!

There's an incantation us gods recite, and it just comes to us. All you have to do is stand there, I think. [ She's not quite sure what happens on the shinki's part. ] And I'll take care of the rest.

Are you ready?

[ ...oh. Well. That sounded easy. ]

Sure. Hit me? Heh...

[ ...hopefully she wouldn't take that literally. ]

[ Sanae begins by respectfully stepping away from him, bowing politely. When she straightens again, a soft wind passes through the field, rustling the dust-covered blades of grass. A bit of the ash is kicked up into the sky, creating a haze of dark gray around them. The dust bunnies scurry away, giving the two some space.

Slowly, she raises a hand towards the young man in front of her. Leading with her index finger, she begins to inscribe upon the very air itself, a trail of shimmering light following the path. The words come to her as naturally as breathing itself, and she closes her eyes as she lets the instinct she's been given as a god here take over. ]

Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my shinki. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my regalia. [ She announces to their audience of no one + five hundred bunnies. Regardless, her voice remains firm, as she's done this before, spoken with authority before. ]

Thy name, Adachi. Thy vessel-- [ The wind stirs, and for a moment the clouds above darken as she utters a single title. ] Magatsu.

[ She opens her eyes, seeing the new name written. It pulses a deep red, as if she had carved it into raw flesh instead of the air. Corruption, huh? Well, it's too late to turn back now. With one final command, she finishes the incantation: ] Come, Magaki!

[ Adachi stiffened slightly as she started moving, like for a moment he really thought she was going to actually hit him. Of course that didn't happen, and he kind of felt... calm? No, that wasn't it; he wasn't sure there was a name for what he was feeling, but he still let out a soft sigh, closing his eyes. ]

[ It's not clear if he's aware of when he changed, but soon after calling Adachi's name, there's a pole arm standing before Sanae, red and black, with one side of the blade razor sharp, the other serrated. The weapon was, to put it in a word, absolutely wicked looking. ]

[ It falls into her hands effortlessly, her fingers curling delicately around the shaft of the weapon before she strengthens her grip. With a whip, she tests the weight of his new form, slicing through the air. The dust and wind settle in that same instant, and with it a new and tense silence curtains the field.

She obtains his memories in quick flashes, the feelings he had during those experiences in his life, the strife and struggle of studying, the anger and turmoil of his demotion... and the darkness within his heart. There is a profound emptiness she identifies within him during this time, as if he had been trying to fill some sort of void, that he was not satisfied with the way things were. He had been alone during this time. Adachi isn't her first shinki to have killed others. Lu Meng, first shinki, had participated in a war. Witnessing the slaughter of hundred through memories is not an easy task. Yet neither is watching Adachi murder two women through his memories.

Sanae can't condone his actions, but she can empathize with his turmoil, as she has a great want to alleviate anyone of their sorrow and hatred. What helps is that by the end of his memories, Adachi's interaction with the so-called "Investigation Team" of Inaba changed him for the better. The determination he had saw in them, their hope and want for the truth-- it all helped him pursue his own. To even help the IT team later in his own way. To know remorse and regret for his actions as well.

Although, perhaps a bit too late. His execution is the last memory she receives, a solemn, cold hanging, and she can almost feel the rope tighten around her neck as the memories come to an end. ]

[ Indeed, the weapon does look wicked, and for a god like Sanae-- one who prides herself on being pure-- the spear ought to be anathema to her.

But what Sanae does is pull the weapon close to her chest. Yes, she's embracing him tightly, as if the action could transmit to her actually hugging his true form. ] No more, Adachi-san...

[ She whispers gently to the... pole? Ear? Something? Ah, she doesn't know, but she's sure he can hear her. ] You don't have to be go through anything alone anymore.

[ Adachi realized the error of his sins, and he payed the ultimate price. He may be dead now, but Sanae sees his second life here as an opportunity for a second chance to do good. She often wonders-- if someone had reached out to him during his life, extended an offer for help, a smile or an act of kindness, would things have been different? She can't say for sure, but one thing is crystal clear: she won't have him suffer alone. ]

[ Adachi heard his real name, and he opened his eyes... only to find himself being held rather tightly by Sanae... ]

[ U M ? ! ]

[ He wasn't really sure what to do, so he just stood still for a long moment. But it was quickly getting even more awkward than it already was, and he just let out a soft cough. ]

Ah...? Is this part of it?

[ SHE DOESN'T MEAN TO BE AWKWARD! She just is a girl with a lot of feelings. ] Mm-mm. [ She shakes her head, and thankfully for all involved she stops hugging what is essentially a weapon. ]

I'm just letting you know that as a god, I'll be here for you. [ Because! Duty! And friendship! ] So if you come across any sort of trouble or need help-- please don't hesitate to ask.

[ Adachi tilted his head in confusion. He liked to think that the dust bunnies behind him were just as confused as he was, which would be amazing since they didn't seem to have faces. ]

Ah... hunh. Um... yeah, sure. No problem.

[ She was crazy, wasn't she? ]

[ She chuckles, and then tests the weight of the weapon again. ] "No problem" is right...!

Oh--! Let's test you out. [ She says excitedly, holding him up to the skies. ] There're plenty of ayakashi on the Near Shore to go around. [ As much ayakashi as there is darkness within human hearts, really. ] It would be good practice, too!

[ She doesn't know how often he's rended an ayakashi with his old god. But she hasn't used a spear before. Oh, sure, some miko were trained in its use for ceremony, but not Sanae. ] What do you say?

[ ...holy hell how did she lift him so easily? ]

[ It takes Adachi a moment to process just what the heck is going on, and when it finally does, he's struck dumb for a moment. What? He's a sword? How did that...? When did that...? ]

[ WHAT?! ]

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!

[ On that note, the answer as to how often his old god got to use him would be "never". ]

It's your weapon form....! [ She informs him, a little belated. She's rather surprised that he didn't notice he had transformed. Maybe it means he's that in tune with this javelin-spear-harpoon-type thing. ]

It looks like you're... [ A pause. ] A type of hoko-yari...? [ If what she's seen from his memories is correct, then it makes sense. The Ame-no-nuhoko was used by Izanagi and Izanami to form the islands of Japan. In which case, this man named Adachi is due some reverence for having a reflection of the creator god within him, corrupted or not. As someone who was raised as a miko, to be holding a duplicate of such a holy relic is quite breathtaking. These legends were what she grew up with. ] Or maybe a naginata.

[ Whatever technical term he may be called, she's rather in awe of it. Just holding it makes her feel-- oh, she doesn't know. More powerful, perhaps. She feels that she's tapping into a dangerous sort of energy, one that tickles at her fingertips. ]

All shinki transform into a type of vessel when their name is called. Yours is "Magaki", from "magatsu".

[ Of course he didn't notice! It's not like it's every day that you suddenly transform into a weapon! That's not cool! That's not cool at all! ]

...naginata. Hoko-yari have a hook as part of the blad-- and that's not the point here!

[ Adachi let out a huff. ]

You could have warned me this would happen!

Ehhhh... [ She doesn't mean to offend him! ] But-- you had a god before, surely you would have known this would happen by now.

With a form like this, they could have gone on all sorts of ayakashi-exterminating adventures...!

I literally showed up here a few days ago! She disappeared not long after that! I haven't had a chance to find out this was a thing!

[ AND WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK?! ]

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