thenearshore | Semi-open!

Entry tags:

Semi-open!

Who: One god of war and her entourage
What: Back to business.
When: February 16, Morning
Where: Several places
Warnings: None

A. Wish Fulfillment | Closed to Kazuma | On the roof of a local hospital

[ Despite these newcomers, there was still business to attend to. Somehow, it helped to take her mind off whatever caused the new arrivals. One less thing to worry about? A sense of normalcy? Either way, it was... calming. In a way. These prayers did her well. They reminded her of earlier times when they were needed for war. Prayers for strength were nothing out of the ordinary. So she decided to wait on the roof, as was their usual practice. Kazuma could scout around and she could cover ground on their own with Kuraha. It was a good tactic, something that widened how much ground they could cover. ]

Kazuma.

[ It isn't an order. Just to grab his attention the minute she landed on the roof they'd agreed to meet at. ]

Is there anything out of the ordinary here? I know this is where that prayer came from.

--

B. No Parking Zone | OPEN | Outside a convenience store

I suppose that's it for today. You've done a good job, Kuraha.

[ She says this just as she steps out of a convenience store. Today, she's dressed in something a touch more revealing. Definitely bolder than what one would expect if you take what she was wearing at the welcoming banquet into consideration. She also seems armed, at least with a dagger and a whip. Nothing heavy. If you're observant though, you might notice who she's addressing: A lion. A full sized, full grown male lion who's content to lie against the wall and bathe in the sunlight. At his master's words, he looks up and seems to take notice of her.

There's a laugh as Bishamon opens a bottle of water for him and sticks a straw in. Within seconds, you are now witness to a lion sipping water from a bottle through a straw. ]

When you're done with that, we should go home.

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-- Hey, nice to meet you!

[Tsuzuki was just going to grab some onigiri from the convenience store -- it's the cheapest option for lunch, for himself and for Hisoka both -- but the long, blonde hair catches his eye. It takes him a moment to place it: yeah, right, at the banquet!

Anyway, anyone walking around with a whip and a lion who's not surrounded by fifty people taking pictures has to be a god. He waves at them, jogging across the street.]

I saw you at the party the other day! Uh -- I didn't catch your names, though.

[He rubs the back of his neck, glancing from god to lion and back. It makes him miss Byakko, a little, seeing her here with what must be her shinki. He'd tried a summons. It hadn't worked.]

I'm Asato Tsuzuki.

[ Quelle suprise, someone else who can actually see her.

She straightens up as Tsuzuki approaches, placing a hand in front of Kuraha as he gets up to intercept the newcomer. ]

Back down, Kuraha. It's alright.

[ And at that, she'll turn her attention back to Tsuzuki. ]

I apologize if I seemed to overlook you at the banquet. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Tsuzuki. My name is Bishamon, one of the gods of fortune and these are... forgive me.

[ With that, she's going to call out her regalia to introduce them in turn: Kuraha, Kinuha, Tsuguha and Akiha. Lion, whip, dagger and... armor. But give her a moment as she instructs Tsuguha to head back into the convenience store with the rest to check up on Kazuma. ]

My exemplar, Kazuma is inside. I'd asked him to take care of a few things while I stayed out here with Kuraha. But what brings you here?

[Oh... yeah. That's who she was introduced as! The memory swims back up from the fog of however much he'd had by the point in the evening when... who had it been, the moon god?... mentioned her name, and Tsuzuki straightens up, bowing politely to each of her shinki in turn.]

I'm the one who should've come by to say hi! Sorry about that. I'm still figuring things out -- it's a bit of a change from my last position, you know...!

[He clears his throat, a little embarrassed.]

Shopping trip, actually, we're out of coffee. Er, if you don't mind me asking, what's an exemplar? Is he a kind of shinki, too?

Is it? And I apologize... I'd forgotten you might not have been given all the details yet.

[ Last position? Now that's new. At least this new guy seems to be comfortable with the whole god business. ]

An exemplar is a term we use for a shinki usually designated as their god's right hand. With gods who only have one, the shinki they have is generally assigned as exemplar.

Yeah, it's like throwing us in at the deep end.... But you guys have been great hosts! That party -- and having shrines for us to stay at and everything...! [He lowers his voice confidentially.] Do you know if they're going to charge rent on those, by the way? I should probably save up if they do.

[Important question asked, he brightens again. She does seem friendly -- much friendlier than he would've expected from Bishamonten, considering the scary reputation. He's not complaining. If he can take the chance to get a better idea of what's going on, maybe he and Hisoka really will have a chance to get on their feet here.]

So an exemplar is just the term for your number one shinki! Got it.

No, I don't think you'll have to worry about rent. There are other ways to earn your keep.

[ Being a god is a full time job, man. The least they can do is to make sure they're not living out in the streets.

And really, Tsu. If you really want to see where she gets her reputation from, you should see her when she's working. ]

You seem more adjusted than the others, if you don't mind my saying. Were you a god from another part of Japan? You mentioned a previous position, after all.

Does it show? [He laughs cheerfully.] I've been a shinigami with the Summons division since the 1920s! I mean, it's different -- we're human souls chosen for our abilities, so I guess you could say we're kind of like Enma's shinki...!

[That's a funny thought. Of course, it's not like Enma turned them into weapons, or lions, or little protective charms. These gods work by slightly different rules.]

Which makes this a big promotion. [He bows, and, half-joking, adds:] Sorry for all the trouble! Do you get batches of new gods often, or is this a new thing?

A shinigami?

[ Color her even more surprised. It isn't his age that she's surprised about really. It's the fact that a shinigami got such a promotion. ]

There are occasions where heaven gets one or two new gods from foreign shores but never en masse like recently.

A shinigami! I sure wasn't expecting all of this, let me tell you.

So... what happened? You know, to the last set. I've heard of Tajimamori, and I know the name wasn't mine until a few days ago, so he must have been someone else, right?

[He's not sure that will get an answer -- he's not sure she'll even know it -- but at least she was in this world when whatever it was happened. That's one step beyond Tsuzuki.]

No... I don't think any of us were.

[ A shinigami being promoted to an actual god. Fancy that. But there's a frown that comes to her brow at his question. Because if those two gods were killed.. that's not how death works for them, to say the least. ]

Tajimamori... I've seen him several times. As for what happened to him, there's nothing I can note. Between him and Tsukiyomi, we weren't told of anything happening to either of them.

-- Tsukiyomi? The short blonde guy? You're kidding me, something happened to him, too?

[It must've just been in the past few days! Tsuzuki met him at the party with everyone else. Short, platinum blonde, a little sarcastic: it's a shock to think of him being killed, or captured and replaced, or whatever else might have happened to end up with someone new in his divine role.

It's more of a shock to think that, if Tsukiyomi wasn't able to stop whatever this was, Tsuzuki might have a really hard time protecting Hisoka from it.]

[ See, now here's where things get dicey. There's actually a pause as she considers this. I mean, she talked to the kid after all. And while she hadn't been all that acquainted with the previous Tsukiyomi either, she distinctly remembered him.. well... not being that short, platinum blond sardonic kid. ]

That... wasn't the Tsukiyomi I remember. It isn't likely that this is a case of reincarnation. Things simply don't work that way here.

Oh. Oh.

[... so he was just another brand-new arrival like Tsuzuki was? That jerk! He must have been laughing up his sleeve the whole time!

Tsuzuki glances aside, pulling an annoyed face, before shaking it off and looking back at Bishamon.]

-- Okay, so he's one of the new ones too! I guess we're all in the same boat, huh.

[And whatever's going after the gods here, it's not going after them that fast. Which is a real relief. But if Bishamon didn't hear of anything happening to them, Tsuzuki's going to have to think of someone closer to the old Tajimamori to ask.

Well, there's one obvious possibility.]

Did all their shinki disappear too?

Yes.... I believe he is....

[ That little sneak. Already he's telling others he was one of the original gods? How dare. How very dare, Josh. But that minute twitch in her eye is gone by the time Tsuzuki offers her second question. ]

It looks that way. The shinki he has is new, I can tell you that much. Where the original Tsukiyomi is and if his shinki are with him is as much a mystery as where everyone suddenly came from. I wish I had more answers but...

[ And there's a sigh after that which looks both defeated and irritated. ]

So their shinki aren't even still around to ask? Great. [The other gods would probably have found and asked them, otherwise. It's just one more reminder that Hisoka's survival's depending on him now.

Compared to that, his annoyance with Tsukiyomi -- or whatever his real name is -- passes quickly.]

Hey, you don't happen to know if they put us in the same shrines that used to belong to the older ones, do you? I mean, with the Western gods, they probably couldn't have, but me and Tsukiyomi, at least?

[Maybe there'll be some kind of clue there.]

I'm afraid so. If you were looking for more information, you're right in thinking you're probably better off looking for any temples they might have had.

[ But that's a good question. ]

Sadly, I can't say. I haven't been visiting neighbors as much as I should, admittedly. But despite that, there should be some temples in the Near Shore you and Tsukiyomi may have had. That could point you in the right direction.

Hey, there's a thought! Thanks, Bishamon! I'm going to have to go give those a look.

[Near Shore temples aren't going to have changed, no matter what happened to their namesakes' old dwellings on the Far Shore. Tsuzuki hadn't thought of it, because no one puts up a temple to a Shinigami, but he's not a Shinigami any more.

He smiles at her, relieved. It's at least a lead to start with.]

Anyway, I should go get that coffee. It's been great talking to you! If you ever feel like visiting, let me know -- I've got this pasta carbonara recipe that's to die for...

I'd appreciate any information you'd be willing to share with me. As much as anyone, I'd like to get to the bottom of this.

[ Because the heavens are being rather cryptic about this. ]

We'll be sure to take you up on your generous offer, of course. Perhaps the next time we speak, it'll be under better circumstances.

Yeah, I bet so!

[She's in as much danger as any of them, if something strange is happening to gods. Tsuzuki nods decisively at her, a relieved smile spreading across his face.]

Here, I'll give you my number. [He pulls his phone out, tapping through menus.] Sorry, I'm not used to these fancy new phones yet... there! [The number glows on the screen as he holds it up.] I'll let you know whatever I find out, and if you hear anything, I'd really appreciate it if you drop me a line.

Of course.

[ Just give her a sec to take down his number. Usually Kazuma's the one with the cellphone but, eh. Suddenly having one is imperative. ]

Though a word of advice: it may be best not to sow discord. Some others may see this as rebellion.

Rebellion?

I thought even Amaterasu wanted to know what was happening.

[Tsuzuki's tone is suddenly cautious and neutral. It's not that he doesn't believe her -- sure, it seems pretty straightforward to find out what's going on when the Heavens are confused and in disarray over it, but there's no question that Bishamon knows divine politics here better than he does.

And he's in no position to start making enemies.]

[ There's a sigh and a momentary massage of her temples. ]

Given the circumstances, it'll be hard to tell who knows things and who doesn't.

[ Or who to trust, to begin with. But she's trying to phrase it in a way that doesn't sound worrisome.

Ebisu's execution is still on her mind, after all. Trusting heaven? Betraying heaven? And Tsuzuki seemed like a trustworthy god. She'd hate to see another execution like that because he poked his nose where it shouldn't be. ]

I'm just telling you to be careful.

It sounds like you think there's a conspiracy.

[His smile is nervous. He's going to have to be a lot more careful about poking his nose into things than he'd thought he was going to be, if Bishamon's warnings are genuine. She seems pretty genuine, and Tsuzuki's not going to risk himself and Hisoka on the good faith of a bunch of gods he hasn't even had the chance to speak with face to face.

So...]

Well -- thanks for the warning. I'll be careful.

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