Early morning meetings [closed]

[tacomeme]

Who: Takumi and Dust (mithrarin )
What: Takumi gets a message that he's getting a new shinki, literally moments before the poor guy is dropped off.
When: June 8
Where: Ninigi-no-Mikoto's Temple
Warnings: Mentions of Dust's death, Takumi trying too hard

[Takumi woke up that day dreaming of lava and grief.

He had been told by Lara that gods knew things about their shinki, but the dream didn't seem to fit Ineki- she was soulless, did she even have memories? Luckily the answer came quickly. Literally. By a messenger standing right outside his bedroom door and causing Takumi to curse and dart into a restroom. Wow, rude?!

Once he was more put together (and Ineki kept offering the messenger breakfast), he was told what was happening- he was being assigned a new shinki. One that was an actual soul. He was reminded of the Secret and to name him, told he was downstairs.

Then they left, with Ineki still trying to put his hair up for the day.

In fact she still was when Takumi jogged downstairs, the soulless shinki trailing after him.]

Dust? Are you Dust?

[Oh. He had been expecting a human. Not a... kitsune? The tail makes him think kitsune, though it's not exact. Well, either way, he was here now]

Comments

[mithrarin]

[Things had gone from lost to confused, as the messenger had tracked him down as he'd been literally wandering the street or picking up books -- and though Dust had been inclined to rebel just out of anger and frustration, the desire to know what's going on is too great.]

[So here he is, presumably regarding Takumi from beneath his hat (since he doesn't do eye contact), and not sure if he should be angry, or... not angry.]

As far as I know. I could be wrong, since I don't remember anything else.

[tacomeme]

Ah... yeah I bet things have been pretty crazy for you.

[he pads down the stairs in his bare feet, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his kimono.]

This is pretty new for me too.

[once he reaches Dust he bows slightly]

I'm Takumi, though the name they gave me here is Ninigi-no-Mikoto. Urm... welcome?

[he a mess, and a sense of awkwardness is clear in his voice]

[mithrarin]

...Thanks.

[The awkward is strong in this room. Dust pauses a moment more.]

Am I supposed to call you by that name? Is that a rule?

[tacomeme]

[he gives a startled laugh at that]

Gods, I hope not! It's a mouthful- just Takumi is fine.

[plus anything with 'Mikoto' makes his heart ache. No, no Takumi was all he needed]

... have you ate? I was about to start breakfast. We could talk while I do that instead of standing around here like a pair of fools.

[mithrarin]

No. I haven't eaten. [To be honest, it's been a while -- he's been paying no attention to his body as he tries to figure things out. He's dead, right? Dead people don't eat...]

You're supposed to be -- my god, right?

[tacomeme]

[Takumi pauses at that, looking conflicted... and settling on frowning]

I'm sorry if I'm not what you expected.

[mithrarin]

I've had no idea what to expect! I show up, get forced onto a beach, and wander around hearing stories of what it's like for other people... Is it really so surprising that I'd finally be meeting my god, after running into half a dozen others that can only shrug?

[The delay, more than anything, had angered and frustrated him.]

[tacomeme]

Wait, what?! I literally just found out about you five minutes ago- wait... the messenger mentioned something about you being 'reassigned'? Is that even a thing?

[he starts pacing angrily, though the anger is no longer aimed at Dust]

Bastards, did they really let someone wander around for two whole days with no idea what was going on? Then just dump you here like that fixes it?!

[mithrarin]

[Wait... what? The sudden outburst startles him out of his own anger, enough so that he leans backs slightly with one hand raised, trying to ward off -- well, not Takumi so much as everything, while he tries to get a handle on things.]

I showed up here, they made me go to a beach. They didn't tell me anything. The people there kept talking about shinki and gods and everything, and how I was supposed to find my gods... and today is when that messenger tracked me down and made me come here.

[tacomeme]

[Dust startling is enough for him to stop his ranting, looking sheepish]

...sorry, I got a little carried away. I assumed they told you at LEAST as much as they told me when I arrived. I guess they assumed that would be your god's job. But from the looks of it you were supposed to have a different god... but something happened to them. So now you have me.

[he recalls the advice he gave Leo the day before, and:]

...I'm sorry you were put through all that.

[mithrarin]

Apparently shinki tend to get a raw deal in how much they're told by the messengers and all those. 'Gods explain things', I hear.

[Dust runs a hand down his face. As the anger he's carried for days now subsides within him, it feels faintly embarrassing. The more so with the apologies coming his way.]

...Sorry. I thought I'd just been left hanging. Clearly there was a lot more to it than that.

[tacomeme]

No, it's fine. Honestly if it had been me I would have come in here swinging.

[mithrarin]

Well, maybe you should be grateful I don't have a weapon. [Dust cracks the briefest ghost of a smile.]

...I'd like to fix that, by the way.

[tacomeme]

A weapon? Now that I can do.

[He gives Dust a 'follow me' gesture, trotting off deeper into the temple]

Though, did any of the people you talked to on the beach mention 'vessels' to you?

[mithrarin]

No. It didn't come up. [Not in so many words, although the basic idea had been discussed. Dust just doesn't know it yet.]

[He follows along readily enough, looking around to get a sense of the temple from beneath his hat as he does.]

[tacomeme]

Well, apparently once a shinki is named they can turn into a weapon. Techically I think I'm supposed to have done that by now but I'm pretty sure slapping a name on you that I pulled out of a hat would have just made things MORE confusing.

[The temple itself seems rather simple- they pass a kitchen and a room that seems to be full of books with a small table for two, a game of some sort set out on it, before they reach where Takumi is heading.

It's a very large room, compared to the others, and set up like some sort of training area- including plenty of classic weapons on racks, mats and dummies. He walks over and plucks a spear from one of them]

Any idea what you use? There's a bigger space outside, too. Can't really practice with a bow indoors.

[mithrarin]

That -- yes. That got mentioned. Shinki turn into weapons... or household objects. [The latter remains a sticking point in Dust's mind. Takumi isn't going to turn him into a credenza, is he?]

When I picked up a stick on the beach, it felt natural to use it like a sword. If I can do anything else, I don't know about it.

[tacomeme]

[He puts the spear down and offers him a small wakizashi sword]

See how this feels.

I don't know if we get to choose what form you'd take or not. Ineki, my soulless shinki, is a dagger. Not something I'd normally use but good enough if I needed to defend myself.

From what I was told there's evil spirits here- ayakashi, that attack people. Gods protect the people, and the shinki help them fight. That's the basic idea at least?

[mithrarin]

That's what I've heard. More than once.

[Dust takes the sword, then lifts it, judging its weight and length critically. He flips it once to hold it in a reverse grip, frowns slightly, then flips it back to a straight grip once more.]

I could use this... it feels a bit short for me, though.

[tacomeme]

Well, there's a few other options here. And worse comes to it we can get others so don't worry about it. Anything in here you're free to use.

[mithrarin]

[With permission granted, Dust drifts closer to the weapons on racks, looking them over for something that seemed right.]

...You're supposed to give me a name, aren't you.

[tacomeme]

Yeah. Are you ready? We can see what your vessel form is too while we're at it.

[mithrarin]

I don't know.

[Honest answer, there. How can anyone be ready for something like this? This whole experience?]

[Pausing, Dust reaches out to pick up a katana, balancing it in his hand for a moment as he considers the weight and heft of it. Not perfect. The balance is a little off from what his body expects, and the sword blade itself seems less than what he wants, but...]

[Dust slashes it through the air, back and forth and back again in great sweeps that arc out and back at speed. On the third one he twists with the momentum, letting it carry him back in a flip that he completes by springing off the floor with one hand. Even as he lands, his sword arm comes up -- and the blade blurs into a vortex as he spins it on his hand, just for a moment but long enough for the sudden wind to tug on the room's contents.]

[The hilt slaps into his hand, and then he reverses it, casually holding it at his side.]

...if you let me use this sword, then yes. I think I'm ready.

[tacomeme]

[Takumi's eyes widen, his still unbound hair whipping about in the small malstrom. It reminded him of the Fuujin Yumi- the familiar winds making him feel more assured of this partnership.]

Of course. As long as you're here everything in this temple is okay for you to use.

Though you might wanna put it down- you might not have hands in a minute.

[He gives Dust a chance to get ready before:]

Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my divine instrument. The name, Dust. The vessel, Ran. Come, Ranki!

[He's ready to catch whatever Dust turns into- assuming it's not something huge which honestly would be his own fault]

[mithrarin]

[Dust puts the sword down, carefully and respectfully, then braces himself for whatever is about to come. Just as he expects, it is literally nothing one can brace oneself for.]

[A hilt slaps into Takumi's hand, belonging to a sword that is long, broad, and nonetheless quite light. Runes shine on its blade and power hums within it, ready to be unleashed.]

[tacomeme]

[It's unlike any sword Takumi has ever held- much broader then even most nohrian blades of it's length but amazingly light. Whatever metal Dust's form is made of, it's definitely nothing Takumi has seen before.

Takumi gets into stance, seeing how it feels]

You okay in there, Dust?

[mithrarin]

How am I supposed to -- [The runes flicker in time with Dust's mental voice, and something about the sensation gives him pause.] Can you hear this?

[tacomeme]

Yeah. It's kinda weird but I can hear you.

[He gives the blade a small twirl]

It'll take some getting used to- I'm used to thinner blades. But I can use this. The wider edge SHOULD make it harder to use, like a club. But it's so light weight... And, whoa- those hooked edges at the top... that must be devastating-!

[Don't mind him gushing over you, Dust]

[mithrarin]

[Dust lets him gush a little, paying little mind to it, while he steels himself to ask something. It's embarrassing, and strange, and yet...]

So... It might be better if you take a few practice swings?

[He wants to see just what Takumi can do with him.]

[tacomeme]

Right, right. Let's go outside. I don't want to wreak the place if you have some ability we don't know about.

[Luckily it's not a long walk- and Takumi is almost jogging in his eagerness. The yard is lovely- with the light warmness of spring and many blooming trees. And an area for archery practice, just like he mentioned before, along with a few dummies already full of arrows a bit away from the more classic targets]

Alright... let's see.

[He does a few practice swings, getting used to the size and weight of the blade before darting in at one of the dummies. His strikes are fast and precise. Not the strength of someone looking to cleave a limb certainly, but aimed directly at vitals. The heart, the kidneys, the throat.

A bit of wind kicks up as he moves- he's so used to the Fujin Yumi's abilities that he mimics them with his god powers almost without thinking, making his steps lighter.]

Heh, not bad.

[mithrarin]

I feel like I ought to be getting sick from this. [Not that he's sad he isn't, but being swung around like the weapon he now physically is is a little disconcerting at best.] But from what I can tell...

I think this will work. If we have to. I think we can make it work. [And as hesitant as he is to be used as a weapon instead of use a weapon himself, he can't entirely keep from feeling a certain amount of satisfaction.]

[tacomeme]

[He can feel an echo of that satisfaction, and smiles]

Good. I'm not to excited about being conscripted into all this god stuff, but the people here can't defend themselves with their gods gone. So I'm going to do what I can.

And I'd appreciate having someone to back me up.

[mithrarin]

I'm not exactly thrilled about being pushed in all this myself.

But... I couldn't just stand by and watch either. So conscripted or forced, we just have to remember we're doing what we'd be doing anyway, right?

[Think positive, focus on what needs to be done and not why it's being done. Dust can try to do that much, especially if his god is sharing that viewpoint.]

[tacomeme]

Exactly.

[He relaxes his hold on Dust's hilt, so he can revert if he wants to]

If you're up to it, I'd like to start training first thing tomorrow. I think we could BOTH use the rest of the day to relax.

[mithrarin]

[Dust... isn't certain how to change back. Doesn't Takumi have to say his actual name or something?]

Relax... I'll have to see if I can figure out how to. I'm not certain what it is I like to DO for that.

[Little do either of them know... it's very little.]

[tacomeme]

I have a few things around here- books and a few games. But you're free to use any of it or bring things in. Basically any place but where I sleep is open if you wanna use it.

... Oh. You can turn back now, Dust.

[He's a brand new baby god, he's still learning]

[mithrarin]

[And just like that, Dust lands on the ground in a crouch, which he rises from a bit unsteadily. The whole experience had been rather unnerving, though he's betting the next time will be better.]

Well... I don't have any idea how to make a home out of any place, but I'm sure I'll work it out. Especially since I don't have much other choice. [He smiles faintly, not meaning it as any dig against Takumi.] I guess the question is, what now? Are we supposed to go out and fight the -- 'ayakashi'?

[tacomeme]

[He seems to understand it's not personal, and grips Dust's shoulder companionably]

That's the plan. I know I'll feel better once I have something to fight.

[mithrarin]

[A bit surprised by the unexpected contact, Dust hesitates a moment -- before smiling.]

You know, I think we can make this work.