thenearshore | [open + 1 closed + 1 semi-closed] a pocket full of posies

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[open + 1 closed + 1 semi-closed] a pocket full of posies

Who: A + B: Shun and anyone! C: Shun and Ren, D: Shun and existing CR
What: Shun attempts to relocate a substantial portion of his temple garden to his Near Shore shrine. This goes about as well as you'd expect.
When: June 22nd
Where: A: Nekhbet's Temple and surrounds, B + C: A seemingly innocuous Near Shore park (a.k.a. Nekhbet's shrine), D: Network/anywhere!

A + B: Open

[A: Morning, Nekhbet's Temple]

[There are a lot of things Shun could say about having a rapidly growing garden of funerary and death-themed flowers, and most of them are some form of complaint. However, with recent events on the Near Shore and disappearances on the Far Shore, he's decided it's about time he made his shrine look a bit more lived-in, and if there's any good way to do that, it's hitting two birds with one stone and thinning out his garden to use for decorative purposes. Ignoring the fact that he has no idea how to decorate anything these days, because he'll deal with that hurdle when he reaches it.

The strange hill-shaped temple isn't difficult to spot even from a distance, and the large, tree-enclosed garden to one side even less so. The dwelling vultures are a little agitated today, rustling wings and hopping from tree to tree as they try to get a better look at Shun, who's moving along the edge of the garden with a dagger in hand. With how much the flowers have grown out, there's only an incredibly narrow strip for Shun to walk on between them and the shallow pools flanking the main path, but as always, he walks as if his every step is certain.

At certain plants, he'll stop, either taking one flower stem or a few at once and pushing neatly through them with the knife in his hand. Apparently nobody ever told him pruning shears were a thing, or he just didn't want to bother with that.

There's already a budding line of flowers down the middle of the garden path, loosely arranged by type and then colour, which Shun goes back to add to each time he cuts more. It's probably obvious to most people that he has far too many cut for any purpose other than maybe starting a florist's, but he doesn't seem to care, and the garden barely looks like it's been pruned.

He'll acknowledge anyone who comes to the mouth of the garden...just maybe try not to do it while his back is turned, since he is still holding a knife.]

--

[B: Afternoon, Park/Shrine]

[There's a lot of nice parks around on the Near Shore, and the quiet ones can be especially nice. This one in particular is off a small and relatively low-density street, the entrance flanked by currently unlit lanterns, and looks like the kind of spot someone might elect to have a picnic. There's tables, a large and venerable-looking tree over near the back...and, of course, the tiny shrine building (more the size to house vultures than any kind of human) that looks like it was made by some very dedicated follower, built and painted simply and surrounded by offerings of flowers. Today, there's also a very eye-catching one lying across the shrine "balcony"; a large arrangement of purple and orange flowers, done with not the skill of someone who actually knows what they're doing, but the care of someone determined to do it anyway and make it good.

Also in the park today is Shun, who's commandeered a picnic table with his excessive amount of flowers and is currently sorting through them with a rather critical eye. When he comes across one that looks on the dead or dying side, he runs his fingers carefully up the stem, focusing intently on the flower, and after a few moments, the petals liven up and heal, the natural decay reversing to return them to full bloom.

Unfortunately, the need for focus means Shun isn't in a particularly welcoming mood towards distractions right now, so any Far Shore residents hanging around the park may or may not feel upon them the kind of stare that could probably bore through concrete given long enough.]

If you're just going to be a distraction anyway, you might as well put it to some use over here. [Translation: he's...asking for help. Kind of. Not really, but still.]

[C: Closed to Ren, late afternoon/early evening]

[After several attempts at putting together certain flowers and getting the impression they just look wrong (and that if even someone like him who doesn't really give a damn is noticing, then others certainly will), Shun decides to cut his losses and text maybe the one person he can trust to help with this and be a tolerable presence for the amount of time it will probably take.

So sometime later in the afternoon, Ren gets a text containing a picture of the table overflowing with sorted flowers, and Shun's shrine in the background in the hopes that he'll recognise it from that evening they walked back there.]

Need someone who knows more about how flowers go together than me. I'll explain why if you help.

[D: Closed to existing CR, evening]

[So as it turns out, Shun absolutely cut way too many flowers, and though he definitely knows one person who'll want them, there's still a ton that aren't really spoken for. So anyone Shun knows the name of (or god name, in those cases) and doesn't hate stands a chance of getting a very brief text containing an image of a table still covered in flowers, but with vastly less than there were earlier. There's quite a variety - roses, lilies, crysanthemums, orchids, and so on - and it might be hard to pick up on the funerary and death associations of every single one of them unless one is very well-versed in flower language.]

Trying to get rid of these. Pick some out and you can have them.

[[Any kind of death or funeral-associated flower is fair game to request, even if it's not listed there.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's definitely more satisfying.

[That, and he's been trying to be better about recognizing when he's made progress so he doesn't lose himself again. Of course, he'd asked Shun to watch out for that too, but he doesn't want to only rely on Shun.

He spends a few moments concentrating on picking out flowers, as he's decided on a more difficult combination of purple, red, and yellow this time and there's a fine line between looking good and looking like a mess with that. And it's really nice to just hang out with Shun like this even without talking. When he does speak up again, it's much quieter, like he feels bad about breaking the silence.]

When do you think I should sleep over? I'll make sure to bring along my toothbrush.

That doesn't surprise me. [While training for the sake of getting stronger is one thing, deriving some satisfaction from the fact that you've improved and done something makes it a lot easier to keep going and not obsess. Which is probably Ren's intent here, Shun has to figure.

As Ren concentrates on his choice of flowers this time, Shun glances over in apparent mild curiosity. Most of the combinations so far have been relatively obvious, so seeing how a more complex one is supposed to be done might help in future if he ever has reason to do something like this again.

When the silence is broken, though, Shun turns his attention to Ren with a slight raised brow.]

Your teeth aren't going to die just because you forgot to brush them one day. And we should probably wait until after the next time we get newcomers before making any plans. That sort of thing breaks our schedule often enough I wouldn't be surprised if it did it here as well.

Oh, that's good point. That should be in a few days, shouldn't it? [Maybe he'll just start bringing his toothbrush along to lessons after that.] I'm glad it's always so regular, but it's annoying having to plan around it...

[and speaking of planning...that toothbrush is totally important, okay.]

It's not the toothbrush that's important, it's being ready to stay over. I'll have to make sure my cats will be okay and bring clothes too.

Probably. It was the sixteenth last time and it's usually somewhere around ten days, so I doubt we'll be waiting long. [Four days, tops, at least in theory. It'd be just like things here to start screwing them around when they think they know the pattern.] At least we can plan around it instead of it being completely unpredictable.

[And he can't argue so much with being ready for things, even if he seems to take the point about the cats much more on board than the one about the clothes.]

Cats don't need that much to take care of themselves for a night, at least. And the only thing you'd need to change clothes for is sleeping. If we weren't training, you wouldn't even need to.

[Apparently even Shun can recognise people don't really want to sleep in sweaty clothes...but still can't recognise that Ren might not want to engage in Shun's usual habit of washing his single set of clothes overnight and only keeping a spare set just in case.]

[He almost feels like he wants one of these gatherings to be at some random time just to be more interesting, but it would probably be one of the ones that includes rampaging ayakashi or something which is already interesting enough as it is. Being able to plan for it is definitely still a plus for now.]

No, but I do need to make sure they have food for the night. [Or he needs to make sure Eric knows it's his turn. Either one requires a little planning.

And maybe he doesn't want to engage in that habit because he likes wearing clothes when he sleeps. But it's nice to see Shun seems to have made a tiny bit of progress in the accepting the other people wear more clothes than he does department.]

Well you're right, I don't really want to sleep in the same clothes I was training in. But I don't want to lounge around in them either. I usually change clothes when I get home after we're done.

[Given that answer, Shun doesn't argue any further on the issue of the cats, returning his attention to his weaving for a few moments so he can finish it properly. As Ren goes on to the issue of clothes, Shun is tying the ends of the ribbon, almost done with this particular arrangement.

The idea of "progress" probably isn't furthered any by the rather stumped look Shun gives Ren at that explanation, as if he doesn't understand that at all.]

I don't see why that would be damaging enough to change for, but if you do it all the time I suppose it explains why you have so many. If I changed twice a day I'd be out of clothes. [And he'd also have to use his work outfit, which is its own inconvenience. In any case, as he finishes talking, he places the second completed bunch of flowers alongside the first one on the bench.]

[Okay, so maybe it was only a fractional amount of progress. Ren does his best not to look too amused by his confusion, since he does get why Shun is like this a little better than he did the first time they had this conversation.]

Because they get damp and dirty and that's uncomfortable to me.

[No doubt that's going to be one of those things Shun Doesn't Get since he probably just had to deal with it for so long that it's become a non-issue...but thinking about that for too long makes him sad.]

I do try to wear the same set of clothes for training every time, so it's probably fewer than you're thinking.

[It might be the fact that this is being talked about as such a normal thing that pushes Shun along from still looking confused to some level of reconciled with the idea. This is probably just one of those things he's forgotten the logic of being out of civilian life for so long.

While he doesn't look in any way abashed for his lack of comprehension, he does lean against the table for a moment with a somewhat accepting nod.]

I still don't really understand, but I should probably get out of the habit of treating clothes as a limited resource anyway. Last time I had to buy them here I barely even knew where to start.

[And that was just looking for a plain black shirt.]

Edited 2017-03-24 01:16 (UTC)

Maybe I could come with you next time. I'm sure I could help.

[And then he can correct this grievous error that was Shun trying to shop for clothes while he wasn't there to see it.

Ren twists his bundle of flowers around a couple times, trying to decide if it was done or not. After a moment, he decides it needs more purple and goes back to picking out flowers from the table.]

If you don't want to make it a habit, you don't have to. But they're definitely not a limited resource here, no.

That's assuming you don't get too overexcited about the concept of me changing clothes to help. [His tone is dry enough to mark that as some form of joke, but he still hasn't forgotten that one time at the thrift shop. If Ren had been so surprised about his work "uniform" and so disappointed he hadn't actually chosen to change clothes, he can only imagine what he'd be like with an entire clothing store or more at his disposal.

As Ren returns to fine-tuning that arrangement, Shun's attention returns to it, because he still hasn't really figured out the logic behind this. He doubts he will, but if he doesn't try to understand it at all, it feels a little like a waste of the effort going into it.]

I doubt I'd ever make it a habit, but it is a little annoying having to try and put aside time I don't always have to wash things every night.

[Ren freezes for a second, and then finishes tucking the last flower into place with a light laugh.]

I can't believe I never thought of using that as an argument. I can't promise I won't be excited, but I can definitely help you avoid having to do that all the time.

[He can at least try not to be overexcited, although he has a feeling they disagree on what exactly counts as overexcited.

Ren looks over finally, expecting to have to wait for Shun to finish again, and is presently surprised to see that Shun is the one waiting for him and he can hand over the next set of flowers immediately.]

Oh! You're getting faster at this. I think this one should have a yellow ribbon, if you have one.

Edited 2017-03-25 09:10 (UTC)

If you'd used it as an argument, we probably would have just gotten back into why you were interested enough in making me buy clothes to argue the point. [Even now, Shun is a little on the non-comprehending side as to why Ren seems this enthusiastic about the idea - and now why he'd frozen for that moment at Shun making his point - though he supposes Ren obviously finds clothes shopping more interesting than Shun does since he does it willingly, so that probably has something to do with it.

Since he's been waiting for them for a little while now, Shun takes the flowers immediately, though when Ren makes the comment on ribbon, he frowns a little and reaches into his back pocket. Given he'd been trying to spend as little time as possible on the ribbon area of things, he only actually has one colour other than black, but luckily, it might fit the criteria here.]

I have gold, if that's close enough. [He pulls out the little spool; the only thing he's used that colour on so far today was Joker's arrangement, so there's a lot more of it than there is of the black right now.]

Mmm, that's true. I don't really have a satisfying answer to that either...

[Look, it's not his fault you're attractive and new clothes means even more chances to be attractive and you don't get it and probably wouldn't get it even if he said as much. Not his fault at all. ~~It's all Academia's fault.~~

He hasn't actually been paying all that much attention to what color ribbon shun has been using. He kind of figured he had more than one. When shun pulls out the second he, he wonders why he thought Shun would have had more than that. But at least the second one is gold, which is perfect, although the black would have actually been okay too. But he'll definitely need the gold for the next one.]

That's perfect. And it's perfect for the next one too.

[Which he'll be starting on immediately, as he starts picking out shade of blue, white, and more yellow.]

Edited 2017-03-26 10:56 (UTC)

[~~Blaming Academia is always the best course of action, as far as Shun's concerned.~~

Since even Ren apparently doesn't have a better answer to that question than Shun himself does, he just lets out a short breath as if frustrated with the lack of sense it's making to him before starting to unwind the gold ribbon a bit. Once he has enough to start himself off with, he threads it in and goes back into the pattern of the weaving as naturally as if he'd been doing it all day.]

You should only need to make one more after the one you're on now. Any more than five and we're going to be taking up space others are using for their offerings.

[And yet...there are still way too many flowers on this table. If it wasn't already obvious Shun had no idea what he was doing when he cut these, it definitely is now.]

[Really? Ren glances at him and then at the all the flowers still on the table in surprise. He can understand the reasoning, and he didn't really think they were going to keep going until they used all of the flowers, but...there are still a lot left...]

Okay. But what are you going to do with the rest of them?

[It's...actually a good question, honestly. Throwing them out was never really high on Shun's list, because even if they're useless to him, he still doesn't like wasting things. But there's not a great deal that can be done with an excess of cut flowers like this.

After a moment of consideration, Shun shrugs slightly.]

Ask people I know if they want them, maybe. Some of them would have to be interested in that kind of unnecessary decoration, and others might want them for offerings or whatever else.

[...Oh good, he didn't have any concrete plans for them.]

If you have an extras after all that, can I have some of them?

[He almost feels bad for asking, considering Shun already gave him his own, very thoughtful arrangement which he loves very much, but if they're just going to go to waste otherwise...anyway, he probably couldn't even take all of what could be left. There are a lot of flowers here.]

Edited 2017-03-27 09:52 (UTC)

[It's probably a good thing that Shun already has his doubts he'd be able to offload this amount of flowers, because it means he's not too inclined to question Ren wanting others. At least, not any more than glancing at him with a slight raised eyebrow.]

I don't know what you'd be doing with that many flowers, but if I have any left after I do that then you can take as many as you like.

[Because otherwise, the best use he can imagine for them would be decaying and recycling them back into the earth of his garden.]

[Yeeesss, mission accomplished. Ren doesn't quite start bouncing again, but it's close.]

Exactly what you just said--unnecessary decoration. Just lots of it. I have a lot of places I could put flowers around my temple.

[While Shun admittedly hasn't been to Ren's temple in a long while, given they meet at Shun's normally, what he does remember from that first time he went there does speak to having a lot of places to put that sort of thing. However, he gives the piles of flowers an almost wary glance before turning his attention back to Ren.]

Then at least do it sensibly. Leaving lilies near your kittens isn't going to end well for anyone.

[For once, the veritable encyclopedia of reading Shun did on cats when he started working at the cat cafe pays off.]

[What do you know, there's something Shun seems to know about flowers that Ren doesn't. Although, to be fair, Ren mostly just like looking at them and doesn't often look up more than that, and his cat at home had never had the opportunity to get into that kind of trouble.]

Oh, are they bad for them? I'll try to make sure they won't get into them then.

{Which pretty much means that if he decides to leave flowers along the courtyard balcony, they'll have to be something else.]

[There's a short nod from Shun at that. Even if there's plenty of other options for things to put around Ren's temple, he figured the warning was warranted given Ren's obvious fondness for lilies.]

Poisonous, apparently. And I doubt this being the afterlife would make it any less unpleasant for them or you.

[It's probably a bit morbid even for this entire area of conversation, but even if he ended up with a spirit of a cat coming back, it wouldn't exactly be a nice thing to deal with.]

[Ren grimaces slightly as he tucks another flower in with the rest in his hand. He didn't really need that much of a warning to keep them out of his flowers, but he sure as heck is going to take 100% seriously now.]

No, considering they aren't spirits to begin with...

[And he'd really rather not find out if being in the Heavens would affect anything if they died, especially since he's betting it wouldn't.]

[Normally, Shun wouldn't have really considered how morbid the remark was, but that expression from Ren makes him reconsider briefly. It's not an obvious thing, but he does turn his attention back to his weaving as if to try and give the impression he hadn't noticed.]

As long as you're careful, you shouldn't need to find out. [Now to attempt to redirect things towards something Ren might be a little more comfortable talking about.] Anyway, if you want anything that isn't the same thing I have all the time for dinner when you stay over, you might as well tell me ahead of time so we don't waste twenty minutes cooking rice again.

[Oh, that's a much nicer thing to think about and Ren is more than happy to go along with the change in topic. If it had been about something other than his own cats, it would haven't been that bad, but...good for Shun for deciding to move on.]

Mmm, we should still have rice, though. Waiting for it wasn't actually that bad...

[The stew Shun likes to eat all the time hadn't been that bad either, but if he's willing to try something else...]

Maybe I could make you something.

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