[Open] Break my back till the mornin' comes

[volksdaemon]

Who: Schuldig volksdaemon etc.
What: Helpful!Schuldig (thank you Eros) is out and about helping gods & shinki answer their prayers and other miscellaneous desires
When: May 27+
Where: Near Shore for most Open Prompts
Warnings: none currently but new CR please fill out his powers & permissions post.
Prompts are in Action format, but I can switch if you'd like.

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[Closed Prompts in comments]

[OPEN] Near Shore: Grisly Kabuki Show
[A long time ago, okay two weeks ago, someone had anonymously suggested to Schuldig that he go to see a kabuki show. Not just any kabuki show, though - Yotsuya Kaidan, the Ghost Story of Yotsuya - on the promise that there was 'plenty of grisly revenge for you there.'

Now that he's being subtly encouraged to get out and about more, he's planning to see it. If you see him on his second or third watch, he might even be outside of the theater conning scalpers out of their own money - a deal that's not a deal sort of thing where he buys 7 at the cost of 10 - so that he can give them to people waiting in line.]

[OPEN] Near Shore: Beach Bum
[Schuldig's pale skin is getting tanned and those sunglasses he's normally only wearing like decoration are actually getting use, finally. Feel free to notice him lounging or trying to chat up the lifeguards.

Then there's the matter of trying to be a good-hearted God of Mischief down here. If he notices that there are people haggling down 'tourist' prices from the locals, he uses his telepathy to calm both parties down. If he sees kids playing pranks, he'll help them not get noticed by parents or authority figures as they run off. That sort of thing.]

[OPEN] Near Shore: Ayakashi
[If you've wandered near that fishy ayakashi and gotten yourself trapped, he'll definitely notice, or try to keep you away from it if he notices you wandering too close. He can hear the thoughts of ayakashi getting closer - the raw, tangled mess of raw emotions that is - as well as those of gods and shinki without strong mental shields.

If you actually do manage to get yourself trapped, he'll have to call a shinki to get you out of there, but he might still do it. Depending on who it is and depending on if you got yourself trapped so that one of his followers didn't get caught.]

[OPEN] Near Shore: Fireworks
[Trying to get a better spot to watch? Schuldig might use his telepathy to convince some noisy neighbors on a blanket to take their drinking elsewhere so you can have that one. Or he might be able to get a crying baby to fall asleep. The line for drinks & food could be a lot shorter as soon as he decides to go there, standing behind you in line. If you're trying to get an adult beverage and you're not an adult, he has no problem getting you one. Drinking customs in Europe are different, so he doesn't care.]

[OPEN] Far Shore: Anywhere But His Temple
[Even while very empathetic towards the human race now - specifically his followers - Schuldig doesn't plan to invite people out to his temple. As a result, he's out wandering. Specifically, he's combing the place for one of Amaterasu's lackeys somewhere down the chain of command with low enough mental shields that he can read their minds. It's a promise he owes Jae-Ha, actually.

As a result, Schuldig could be found just about anywhere standing off to the side with a thousand-yard-stare as he canvasses small sections of the Far Shore for just such a lackey.]

Comments

[eternalshield]

Zeno wouldn't know about that, either!

[Though he looks carefully at the ayakashi when Schuldig says it... tempting... he's so curious about whether or not he can survive it... maybe he was sent here to grant his own greatest wish?

His reverie is disturbed when the ayakashi lunges at him, spilling grunge and pollution... Zeno isn't quick enough to dodge, but he manages to throw off his coat and hears the clang of his pendant reappearing around his neck.

Immediately, he pulls it off and throws it again, before jumping into the pond and submerging himself, hoping the ayakashi will follow... and that the water is sufficiently holy.]

[volksdaemon]

[Schuldig watches in amusement as the ayakashi thinks about it - seemingly forever - before it finally jumps into the pool and starts steaming up all of the water in it. There's a loud screeching noise that practically deafens Schuldig and he falls to his knees clutching his head as the emotional wail goes out.

The steam more or less clears out as the bull head looms in Zeno's direction, clearly worse for the wear but not fully gone yet. That's enough of a signal to Schuldig.]

Right then. Fuck this.

[He reaches out to find Jennifer - he needs his shinki that can end this swiftly. He has to hope she's somewhere on the Near Shore or he can't telepathically communicate with her, but if it doesn't work he'll just send her a message through the phone.]

'Jennifer? Chiri? Are you there, I need to call you - this ayakashi's injured, but you know we can't kill it without a shinki around.'

[Normally he'd be a lot more pissed off about having to call someone else because he can't do something, but not today. It's more appreciation for her than he's shown in awhile and all of it genuine.]

[eternalshield]

[On the one hand, Zeno has a better idea than most of what 'forever' really feels like, and this isn't it.

On the other, he can't breathe down here and that can really mess with your perception of time!

Zeno, aware that it's going to hurt, forces himself down further, now that the water level is lowering, but he needs to get further away from this creature while still keeping it in the water... he can already see spots on the edges of his vision and he's pretty sure a minute has passed. He won't be able to hold his breath much longer, but if all goes well, he'll just wake up on a dry former pond bed...]

[theunluckygirl]

[The sudden voice in her head gives her a start and she looks up from whatever little work she'd been doing.]

'Schuldig?' [There wasn't much use in using his god name when it was just them talking, after all] 'I, um, yes, of course. I'll come, of course.'

[Schuldig's relative niceness lately had been a strange, but welcomed change, and she smiles a little, pleased that he'd thought to ask first.]

[volksdaemon]

[He'd be relieved that she answered, but he expects it from her. She's the good one, the reliable one he's already practiced with and taken on powers. The one who's easy to partner with because she's not a weapon he needs to re-learn but rather someone who amplifies what he's already good at. That's the different level of appreciation he has for her lately.]

'Thanks.'

Come, Kekki!

[The white light that would normally go to a god's hand ends up warping around both of his feet as he jumps into the air to 'catch' Jennifer coming in. When he lands, he's wearing her leather boots.]

I think we can make this quick. It's just like before - the spell's only as powerful as you make it.

[Then he jumps again, this time forward at the bull-shaped ayakashi and aims a side-kick at the creature's rump that will slice it horizontally if they do this right.]

You who desecrate this Land of the Rising Sun! With my advent, I, Loki, lay waste with the Kekki and expel thy vast defilement!

Rend!

[theunluckygirl]

'Yes.' [She understands and she concentrates. He said it was weakened already, but she doesn't allow herself to hold back anyhow. The Rend is powerful enough to slice right through the ayakashi, and Jennifer gives a sigh of relief.

It always feels good to give a job well done and to get something done quickly, and hopefully Schuldig will be pleased as well.

And hopefully Zeno won't actually drown that wold kind of suck?? Pls don't die, dragon man.]

[volksdaemon]

[Schuldig's not worried about dragon man because he knows his secret - that he can't die. Now, there's the feeling pain part still, but that's just another reason he's glad they got this done quickly.]

Excellent.

[He lands on the other side of the pool of holy water - or former pool, anyway. It's misted away to steam as the rest of the ayakashi dies off.]

All done, Zeno.

[Jumping down to the drenched dragon, he confirms through telepathy that he's alive.]

Revert, Jennifer.

[eternalshield]

[Zeno gasps in a very deep breath, still watching the spots dance on the edge of his vision before... yes, they're fading now. For a fraction of a second, he feels dizzy and anticipates vertigo if he stands, but once it passes, it's passed.

He springs to his feet as though nothing happened, arms raised with a cheer.]

Aaah, that was amazing...!

[theunluckygirl]

[Jennifer takes a deep breath herself, holds folded in front of her chest as she watches Zeno curiously. Was... Was he okay?? Had he actually died, or something? She looks cautiously to Schuldig, but doesn't dare ask. Zeno seems fine right now anyhow, and isn't that what mattered?

She's not sure what Zeno's referring to as being 'amazing' either, but she assumes it must have something to do with ther taking down the ayakashi.] Thank you, sir.

[eternalshield]

[The formality makes him blink in incredulity. He hasn't been called something so formal as 'sir' since he left the palace. He laughs like it's the funniest thing in the world, because with his clothes soaked and tattered the way they are now, he really doesn't look like a sir!]

This cute little miss was all the power against that great beast? Zeno should be thanking you! Zeno's in so much trouble... in desperate need of a bath, but Zeno never wants to be under water again!

[volksdaemon]

Heh. I can't imagine why. But you're certainly sturdy, aren't you?

[He gestures to Zeno while speaking to Jennifer.]

Guy was running around telling stories when I first met him, so we sat for a drink and swapped them instead.

[Which hilariously was even before Saint Schuldig appeared on the scene. Then he turned to Zeno.]

Now you see why I like having her around. You would be lucky to find yourself such a shinki. It makes answering prayers much easier, Zeno.

[theunluckygirl]

I see. [Jennifer watches Zeno curiously, blushing and looking flustered instantly at the compliments-- cute?? power?? She was just doing her job!

She's also not used to Schuldig being open about liking to have her around or anything, so she simply bows her head.] I... was just doing what I'm supposed to do. That's all. [And humble as ever. But she curtsys anyhow]

Pleased to meet you, Mr. Zeno. I'm glad I was able to help

[eternalshield]

Sturdy? Zeno just has big lungs from talking so much. It's Zeno who's glad, really.

[Any longer and the horrible choice between breathing in the water and drowning, or blacking out from lack of oxygen and then drowning...

He shakes some of the pond water out of his hair, and wonders... how that worked. The pond water... probably should not have worked, not with only his prayers to Hiryuu and the dragon gods, and the proximity to another god's shrine. Maybe Schuldig prayed as well, or maybe his one artifact from a true god...

As if called by the thought, the clanging of Hiryuu's pendant reappearing around his neck jars him back. He was meeting someone. He quickly tucks it under his soaked and tattered clothes, only the rich polished beads on the chain showing at the sides.]

Zeno despairs of ever finding one as sweet as the one lost, or this miss here, but Zeno is happy to wait.

[volksdaemon]

[None of that got past Schuldig of course, but he had no reason to out Zeno now. For one, it wouldn't actually get him anything right now, and for another he was in a much nicer mood right now so the 'just because' rationale doesn't work right now.]

Hopefully you won't be waiting long.

[He gives a little two-finger wave from the spot where his sunglasses sit on his headband.]

Come on, Jennifer.

[And he teleports them both back out to the temple, although he's quick to remember that he pulled Jen from somewhere else and offers to teleport her back wherever that was before going back to his business of the day.]