thenearshore | Sleepover!

Who: Forrest, all of his teenage CR, and CR of that CR
What: Giant sleepover log
When: The night of June 21
Where: Lakshmi's temple
Warnings: Cuteness overload

[Forrest has never had a sleepover before, so he's pretty excited to host one at his temple. He sends out invitations ahead of time to everyone he can think of, letting them know to bring pajamas, snacks, and even a friend or two if they want. He's clad in a frilly pink nightgown with ribbons and bows for the occasion, and he's temporarily converted Lakshmi's audience chamber into a space where the guests can all party and sleep. It was already mostly full of pillows to begin with, so all he had to do was move some more in and set up some tables for snacks and things. One of the tables conspicuously contains all of his beauty supplies, because like hell is Forrest hosting a slumber party without makeovers. Anyone who shows even the slightest bit of interest will get their makeup, hair, or nails done. Soft music and the scent of lotus blossoms drift through the air, creating the perfect atmosphere for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.]

((OOC: If you've got a teenager that Forrest has talked to more than once, assume he invited them. Friends of friends are totally welcome as well. Everyone can feel free to put up their own toplevels, and everybody tag everybody and mingle to your heart's content!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Then you'll probably be able to stick it out.
It's important to have loyalty to your god. [Even if that's another thing the new shinki are weird on.]
I think you can work together better, that way.

[ Surprisingly enough, that gets a bit of a laugh from him, a hint of a pleased smile tugging at one corner of his lips. ]

Well, that's what we're here for, right? She seems pretty nice. Told me up front she wanted me to be her partner instead of... I don't know, whatever some other people here do.

Tools. [The word slips from his mouth before he thinks about it, and he quickly shakes his head.]

No, I mean, that's the worst-case. Most of the new gods and shinki really do seem to want to work on getting along as partners, which is great. The old gods have all sorts of different relationships with their shinki too, but all of them that I've seen look positive and respectful.

Yeah. That.

[ It's what he'd expected, honestly. To have her immediately inform him otherwise had been... nice. ]

She doesn't even seem to mind that I sorta suck as a shinki. So I guess I lucked out.

[Yukine shakes his head.]

You don't suck as a shinki. You and your god just have to work together to figure out the best way to use your ability.

And... seeing as you just got here, I'm guessing you haven't learnt how to make a borderline yet. I can teach you.

You can try.

[ Yata huffs out an exasperated sigh, looking frustrated. ]

I tried at training. But apparently I can do something weird instead and every time I tried to cast a Borderline I just ended up making some sort of fire barrier instead.

... Fire...

Weird is the norm for you guys...

[Yukine puts on a stubbron expression.]

But that doesn't mean you can't do a borderline too. I had another shinki with a similar problem, and he's mostly gotten over it. [If Goten-kun can do it, you sure as heck can, Yata.]

Another shinki who could summon fire?

[ Yata's atention is piqued by that. ]

Well, if you can teach me, then awesome. Because the last thing I need is to accidentally set my god on fire when I'm trying to protect her.

[Yukine shakes his head.]

Naw, it was actually some sort of energy beam. Heh, compared to that, fire is kinda normal.
But I get what you mean- you gotta learn control either way.

[And Yukine now enters teaching-mode, looking over at Yata seriously.]

I'll start by recommending to you what I did for him- if you always shoot fire with your right hand, try making a borderline with your left. It might help separating them like that. Other than that, it's just a lot of concentration and practice.

Heh.

[ Yata just gives a lazy smirk and a moment later, his Red Aura unfurls around him, surrounding him in red flames. Oddly enough, although there's a sudden heat around him, nothing around him catches fire. ]

It's not so easy as picking a hand.

[Trying to swallow the startled yelp that escapes him at the sudden appearance of the red flames around Yata, Yukine readies himself to make a borderline and scrambles backwards a few meters. And he’s glad he did. That’s pretty warm! His eyes still wide he can only respond,]

No, I guess not.

[Not lowering his hand yet, he tries to look at this more objectively, but right now all he can think is,]

That’s kinda amazing. And weird, but, [shrug] you know. Are you not hot at all?

A little, but not really. More warm than anything.

[ Yata sighs and gives a shrug. He waves a dismissive hand and the flames die back down, vanishing as if they'd never been. ]

It doesn't burn me, though. And if I focus, it only burns what I want it to, although that took some practice.

[Once the flames die out Yukine also relaxes his stance, stepping closer to Yata again.]

See, that's just like a borderline! You have to focus on it keeping out what you want kept out. And it takes practice. Maybe that fire stuff is more... natural to you somehow, but you really do have the potential to make borderlines just as well.

Okay, but... Every time I try to cast a Borderline, the fire happens instead. I don't know how to pull whatever this shinki stuff is instead of the fire. How do you tell them apart? Does it even work like that? [ He squints with a quietly huffed sigh. ] Because right now? I'm just setting things on fire a lot each time I try.

[ It's a good thing his god's backyard is a water park so he doesn't have to worry about it getting too much out of control. ]

[Yukine winces slightly. He has to say the words he doesn’t like very much:]
I don’t know. I don’t have any extra weird powers like you new shinki, so I don’t know how to tell them apart. You’ll have to ask another new shinki about it, I guess.

[He balls his fists up in a determined gesture.] But you’ve been trying, even setting stuff on fire doing it, and you’re frustrated because it’s not working, right? So don’t give up on it.

[ Yata makes a face. ] There was a god here who seemed to know something about, but I don't think he's gonna be much help.

[ Still, he's always easy to get fired up (literally and figuratively) so Yukine's words get a laugh and a mirrored motion, Yata looking determined. ] Hah! Yeah, I won't give up. I'll figure it out. I just have to keep trying, right?

[Don't mind it, Yata. Gods can only help so much with shinki stuff anyway.]

Right! [Yukine is happy, and relieved, that the other boy seems to have gotten his spirit back.]

Anyway, I'm not doin' formal classes or anything, but if you have any questions about shinki stuff, I'll help you out.

[ Yata grins at him, relieved as well, since it's been bugging him a lot lately, especially after the day of Training had pretty much been a bust for him. ]

Thanks! I'll remember that. You were a big help!

[Yes, he was a big help! (Yukine remains the better senpai; take that, Kazuma-san.)]

No problem. Send me a message if anything else comes up. And... good luck getting through tonight.

[He'd been on his way out the door himself, so straightening up he makes to return to that.]

[ Oh, right. Yata just grins and waves him off. ]

Thanks, I might need it. Good luck with your escape.

Sleepover!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject