[Closed] And I guess I wasn't aware / That after all I was prepared

[pure_radiantics]

Who: Kairi and Goten
What: Prayer Answering on their gods' behalf
When: June 22nd, afternoon/evening
Where: Heligoland, Germany, Near Shore
Warnings: n/a this is Kairi and Goten for crying out loud

---
Kairi and Goten are off on an adventure to answer a prayer in Aymeric's absence, since Goten wants to impress this god enough he'll stick around. Poor Goten is on God #3. Since Aymeric is Forseti, they learn that the beseecher - whose fish traps are getting their fish eaten after hauled in - is located on "Heligoland." For starters, where on earth is that?

Comments

[sonofson]

[Goten has only been on one prayer and it was with someone he didn't like but he knows that prayers are important. Maybe the lack there of has been making his gods disappear. He isn't going to let that happen with Aymeric! But there's one problem with this one prayer he ran off with...he doesn't know where it is. At all.
Staring at it hasn't offered him anymore clues on where to start so going to one of the smartest people he knows has got to be better then that----Kairi! She helped him with Nimbus' name so she must know where this place is too, right?

So here they were. After handing her the prayer he stares up at her expectingly]

I donno where Hellegoland is...have you heard of it, Kairi? I need to get there.

[pure_radiantics]

I don't either, but I've got some good news at least.

[She walks with him out of Aymeric's temple to Forseti on the Near Shore in Germany onto the street, then pulls her phone out of her pocket and jiggles it at him merrily.]

These things can help us by showing a map of where that is.

[What she finds first is just a general information page about it.]

Oh look at this, Goten - this is probably why Aymeric got a prayer from someone there. "Heligoland used to be called Heyligeland, or "holy land", possibly due to the island's long association with the god Forseti." So we're definitely on the right track.

[Then she points out towards the sea.]

It's going to be somewhere over there - since it's an archipelago. That means it's a small island.

[sonofson]

[Didn't prayers just come from everybody? He didn't realize some gods would be more popular in different places. He gives a slow nod as he follows along side Kairi. He was right to ask her about it!]

Okay! An island shouldn't be too hard to find.

[This isn't so bad. With a smile he looks up to the sky, one hand cupping the side of his mouth.]

Nimmmbuss!

[It's not more then a second or so before that familiar yellow cloud comes into view and zooms down to greet them. It obediently stops just in front the pair of shinki. Goten's smile grows as he bounces up and lands on the cloud before looking back to Kairi]

We'll fly over there and find it that way.

[pure_radiantics]

[She laughs a bit at that.]

Well it's a specific island but...

[She stops as he calls for Nimbus.]

I mean, you are right that flying will help us out. And I do have a map of about where the island should be compared to the mainland.

[Not gonna keep calling it an archipelago with Goten. Just not. She crawls on top of Nimbus then and puts her legs to either side of Goten - yay for skorts - before holding onto his shoulders.]

Alright, ready.

[And she hangs on tight to her phone, but keeps the map page up.]

[sonofson]

Oh.... That's okay! If you got a map then we're fine. There can't be that many islands...

[He waits for her to get securely on Nimbus and announce she's set before nodding. With a 'Let's go!', the cloud shoots off into the sky with the duo, shooting up high before soaring over the direction of the various islands. Once they get over the water, he leans to peek over the yellow cloud]

Thanks for coming with me, Kairi! I don't think I'd be able to find this place with your help!

[He means it too. How she knows so much or how to find things out is amazing. Kairi has to be one of the smartest people he knows.]

Is it a big island?

Prayer #32 A hunt for a hunter:

[sonofson]

[With no leads and a bit of fading hope, the fisherman had left them most of his catch. What'd he have to loose at this point? He'd already lost so many fish and if these kids could somehow pull off stopping whatever it was from killing his catch then maybe this nightmare would finally be over and he could do his job in peace. After setting up a few more nets just off the dock and shore and he left the duo in the spot.

Goten was enthusiastic about it first. Being sneaking and catching whatever it was.---But as more and more time started to pass, he was getting tired of waiting. Goten can't sit still for long. He whines, kicking one of the nearby rocks with the toe of his shoe.]

Kaiiiiiri. I don't think it's coming. Isn't there another way to find whatever it is?

[A way that wasn't so boring and required so much waiting?]

[pure_radiantics]

[Kairi does feel bad that Goten has to learn patience with something so normally high-energy as a prayer.]

Aww Goten, I'm sorry. [She gives him a shoulder hug.] We both need to stay safe without our gods around, though. Normally I'd suggest one of us flying around and looking for signs of disturbances in the water, but that's really risky to do alone.

[One of the times she kind of couldn't count Nimbus - for the 'being alone' caveat.]

Let's try to wait just a few more minutes. I can normally sense when ayakashi are close - I get really bad butterflies in my stomach.

[sonofson]

[The shoulder hug pulls a smile out of him but he tilts his head up to look at her. He gets being careful, he does, but are ayakashi really all that dangerous? He's only fought against them once and even then they didn't seem that bad. Just really big and gross.]

Really? I don't think I've gotten that feeling before. Unless it feels like your stomach grumbling cause that's what mine is doing.

[He pats his stomach lightly, looking over the water. It's starting to get darker. At this rate the sun will be setting in the next hour or so and then they won't be able to see the creature.]

[pure_radiantics]

No, no, not like that Goten!

[She gives him a quick rub on his back to show she's not trying to laugh AT him anyway.]

I mean like when an ayakashi gets up really close-

[And she starts acting like she's telling a ghost story.]

My stomach ties up in knots like I can feel the blight inside me instead of touching my skin! Blech~ It's a really yucky feeling. You've never had that happen before?

[All of his gods disappeared so fast, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd never gotten up close to an ayaskhi before.]

[sonofson]

.......

[Goten's attention is completely soaked up by Kairi now, he stares at her with wide eyes. A mix of horror and awe as a small gasp escapes his lips. W-What?! He shakes his head quickly. No. He's never felt that!]

...You get blight inside your stomach?! Kairi, that sounds awful! You should drink that pure water stuff! No wonder you get a yucky feeling!

[HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?! That awful. Super awful. The worse she should ever get is grumbling pains from being hungry. Please tell him he heard her wrong because that's VERY concerning!]

Prayer #33 A pair of predators

[sonofson]

[He's gotta get his borderlines up to Kairi's level! That's amazing! He doesn't know how she makes them so strong but they really pack a punch!

With the fish safe that just means they have to chase after the ayakashi. He couldn't stop it from leaving, it's better that it's gone. Goten hops off the dock and floats over the water's surface, something catching his eyes.]

What's that...

[There's a faint but eye catching black-oozy trail going further out to sea in the direction the creature fled. Goten would swear was blood or something or maybe it was apart of the ayakashi? Kairi did hurt it. But with the water and moving waves its slowly dispersing. Fish around it are turning belly up and floating to the surface with a nasty purple coloring similar to blight.

Goten floats a little closer, curiously reaching to poke one of the belly-up fish.]

What's happening to all the fish? I think they're sick or something...

[pure_radiantics]

No! It's-- [Kairi instinctively jumps for Goten's hand, but didn't realize just how far out Goten was planning to go. She wavers on the edge of the dock and is about to fall into the dark water when Nimbus catches her and she lands on the fluffy cloud with a little OOF!]

Thanks, Nimbus.

[And she even managed to catch Goten's hand too!] Goten, it's blight - the ayakashi don't bleed. This darkness it left behind has to be a bunch of blighted fish and other small sea creatures. [She almost said organisms, geez.]

Let's just... try to follow alongside it or something.

[She holds up her free hand in front of her.] Maybe if I just... drag my hand along the water beside the trail of blight, I can get just enough water at each spot to cleanse this area. Before more damage is done to your god's favorite island.

[sonofson]

[Goten blinks, looking at the hand that grabs his and then to her.]

Oh! I thought you had to touch an ayakashi to get blighted...

[Okay, so no touching the poor blighted fish, got it. He floats there, moving his hand so he can hold onto Kairi's now, tightly. As useful as her power sounds-]

You sure that won't blight you too? I wanna save the island but I don't want you to get blighted doing it...

[pure_radiantics]

That's sweet of you to worry, Goten.

[She gives him a light squeeze of a hug.]

Actually I've done this before where someone got hurt on their leg with blight and--

[She looks aghast at her own realization, both hands going to her mouth.]

Oh no! I have to be in my vessel form to do that! And... Roxas would have to be here for that...

[She frowns sadly, then looks off into the distance.] Okay, maybe we can come back later to take care of just this part so there's not more ayakashi being created... for now I guess we should focus on that big one.

M05

[sonofson]

[Goten isn't ready to head back home to Aymeric's temple just yet. The blight is gone so his god shouldn't be feeling anymore stinging, right? He can't help but keep looking at his now blight-free hands as he clenches and unclenches them.]

Mmm...I didn't know any of that. I didn't think Aymeric or anyone else could get hurt cause of stuff I do. I thought if I took a prayer for him it would help him.

[Goten sighs, letting his shoulder drop feeling guilty and defeated. For all his playing around and fun-loving nature, Goten really does care for his friends. Aymeric, is new to him, but the god has been nothing but nice to him since they first met. This was a chance to repay that kindness and possibly keep his god longer. That maybe somehow prayers had something to do with a god staying or disappearing. They had more or less completed the prayer but not without hurting their gods or themselves.]

I'm sorry Kairi. I'll be more careful next time, I promise. I thought I was the only one getting blighted, not you, Roxas and Aymeric. I'm not that good at being a shinki...

[pure_radiantics]

Oh Goten, it's not that at all.

[She sits down nearby and pulls him to sit next to her with an arm around his shoulder.]

You haven't had a god that's been able to stay here. I don't know why they disappear - if I did I'm sure Sora would love to know, he just lost a best friend because of it - but now that you have Aymeric and he's letting you answer prayers and I think he's going to find out just how much you care because of this. And now that you know all of this, you won't make the same mistake again, right? So it's just some learning, that's all.

[She's trying to be gentle because if any of his other gods had spent very long with him, maybe they'd have been able to teach him these things instead of her telling him after the fact.]

Neither of us are very good at being shinki, Goten, but that doesn't mean we're terrible either. Just getting the hang of things.

[sonofson]

[Goten leans against her still frowning all the while. The contact is nice, Kairi sort of acts like a big older sister he's never had before. He gets what she's saying and that she cares but it doesn't change what he did.]

You don't think he'll be mad at me? I like Aymeric a lot. I don't want him to dissappear or not want me as a shinki...

[He mutters the words, looking from his hands to Kairi. He's use to fending for himself outside of shelter and food. With Sharak he was free to do whatever and come and go whenever he pleased and still have a full stomach. But Kairi's statement makes him blink. He pulls away from her just so he can turnaround full to face her. His brow furrows and his frown gets bigger as he leans up to get closer to her face.]

Ah! Liar! Liar! Kairi! You're one of the best shinki, you can't say that! You're really strong with borderlines and good at finding things! You even told Roxas super fast when stuff happened. I would be in a lot more trouble with you!

[pure_radiantics]

[Oh no Goten calling her a liar makes her flush - had she lied on purpose? No, she didn't think so, but now she was doubting herself because that would undoubtedly affect Roxas as well. She didn't MEAN to lie to Goten... but the things he rattles off... well, she's done all of those things consciously now.]

I... Well... I didn't lie to you Goten, I just... If I was as good as you say I am, I think I'd be an exemplar, right? Lady Bishamon said they're the best kinds of shinki. They help their gods the most.

[But she smirks a bit.]

Actually, you're Aymeric's exemplar, did you know that? Because you're the only shinki that can support him right now. Why, I bet if we practiced a bit more, on some better spell like... like that Bind I've been working on with Mr. Kazuma, then he'd never want to let you go, not ever.

[She ends with a smile into Goten's scolding face.]

oh boy here goes

[missingache]

[If Kairi was expecting a warm welcome, well, at the moment she's not getting it. The moment she'll arrive there will be very irritated and growling hounds sitting right by the door. They're feeding off of what Roxas is feeling. Komitis is far more vocal than Asteri, who looks ready to attack. Roxas bursts through the door and walks right up to Kairi.

Without another word he starts checking her over. Kairi will see a spot of blight along his neck, though at the moment he's ignoring it. When he's done he just fixes her with a look and stays quiet.

Explain yourself fast.]

hooo buddy

[pure_radiantics]

[She's never seen him like this. She's so, so worried that he's disappointed, mad, that he'll ground her and never let her out again.]

All the prayer said was that his fish were getting attacked. We were just supposed to watch them and try to fend off some thief taking his fish from him. Then an ayakashi showed up instead, and I used my Borderline to run it off. Then it left a trail of blight behind and I was worried it would infect the whole area.

[She rests a hand on Nimbus.]

Goten was flying over the water and I was on Nimbus when we saw the cave, and the ayakashi came back out to attack us - with a friend in tow. I tried to get Goten's attention to run away but...

[She squeezes her eyes shut and lowers her head.]

He grabbed one of them with his bare hands, Roxas! I was so worried we'd lose him, I just grabbed onto him myself and made Nimbus fly us away, back to Aymeric's nearest shrine to Forseti where we'd come down to the Near Shore in the first place. As soon as we got enough holy water on the both of us that the blight was gone, I texted you.

[... And now to hold her breath.]

[missingache]

........

[He lets out a sigh, shooing Nimbus out of her arms before pulling her into a hug.]

Don't do that again. [He lets her go but keeps his hand on her shoulder.] You should've told me you were going only with another shinki. You both could have died! And I wouldn't have... I wouldn't have known till you didn't ever come back home.

[pure_radiantics]

[There's a lot of initial hesitation and pricking tears at her eyes when he bats Nimbus away, but then relief as he hugs her. She listens softly, nodding against his shoulder until he pulls away that little bit.]

... I thought I did tell you. I'm sorry I didn't explain well enough. I don't want to keep things from you, Roxas - I really don't. I told Lance that, and Goten, and Sora, and Riku, and Axel...

[She could go on, but she takes a breath.]

And I'm sorry Goten yelled at you. I was trying to cheer him up after- after I explained how the blight could hurt Aymeric and how if I didn't tell you right away, you wouldn't know if it was me or Senri or Raichi who was in trouble... and I guess I just made things worse. He's so afraid of losing a third god, Roxas - so many shinki are. And they ask me why I'm not as unhappy as they are...

[She tilts her head slightly towards the temple.]

And I tell them about our family. I'd never... intentionally... [She bites her lip them, trying not to cry - but it's in relief that he cares about her this much, enough to try and forgive a mistake like this.]

Prayer #33: Return to Forseti island, later that same day

[pure_radiantics]

[Kairi waits just long enough to feel like she's apologized before prompting Roxas once more.]

So... if you have some time, I still really want to go back down there - with you, I mean.

[She holds up one hand for emphasis.]

My power? I wanted to use it on the water around the island where those ayakashi blighted all of the fish. I forgot I couldn't do that part without you - and I don't know if Goten will want to go back with Aymeric to finish off the ayakashi themselves. I know Goten thought about it. You know, unfinished business.

[missingache]

[Roxas has calmed down as much as he can for now when she comes back. He takes a moment or so before nodding.]

Then let's go. If we take a while, Sora and the others can just make their own food. [He's taught his boyfriend a few recipes.] We can fix the water after defeating the ayakashi.

[pure_radiantics]

[She's very relieved. Unlike some shinki, she doesn't have this driving desire to fight ayakashi, but having found one and left it... that's the part that doesn't sit well with her. That and especially the water being left in that state.]

Thank you, Roxas. If you want to hurry, we could always borrow Nimbus again? Goten says that it likes me.

[Nimbus of course being the cloud that's still floating around out in front of the temple like it's doing circular laps at a low altitude.]

I could be wrong about the speed; I just thought it might be a little faster than running, if I go into my vessel form and you ride.

[She doesn't know Nimbus has any conditions to ride either.]