016 | The Good Old Days

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Ageswapping
When: July 15-17
Where: Everywhere
Summary: A breach in the space-time continuum is messing things up.

Edit: OVERFLOW is here!



The Far Shore has been dealing with a lot of space-time pulsating through the past week or so and everything is culminating on the night of the 15th, even though the Heavens are preparing for an all-out Obon bash. They had planned to have the celebration on the 15th itself, but Amaterasu asked to postpone a day due to the horrible feeling that is permeating the Far Shore.

And it turns out she was right to postpone everything. In fact, it will have to be postponed another whole month at this rate...



Before

Late in the day on July 15th, the new batch of shinki will arrive to a Far Shore with a thick, tense atmosphere. All night on the 15th it feels like something is about to happen - and it's difficult to tell whether that something will be good or bad. Any attempts to contact the management of the Far Shore have fallen on deaf, slightly harried ears and so everyone is left to their own devices to try and figure out why things are so tense.

July 16

Just after midnight, an explosive shock wave rips through the Far Shore, bringing on the age changes with it. Even the spirits of the Far Shore seem to be affected - for example, the library goblins are either toddling around on wobbly legs or are dragging themselves from place to place and looking decrepit. There are a few gods and shinki that seem to have been exceptions from the change, though it is not clear why.

July 17

Another wave of energy comes in the early morning of the 17th. Fewer people are affected this time and it seems to alter those people's ages a second time. There is no rhyme or reason to who is being affected further. Several of the library goblins have just dropped dead from severe old age. Oops.

Aftermath

Late on the 17th brings about one final burst from the energy that has been plaguing the Far Shore. For a short moment, every new temple glows with a soft light, seeming to beckon to their owners. But the light is gone quickly and everyone will find themselves back to normal with complete memories of everything that happened during their age adventures. The goblins that died, though, are still very dead. Looks like the library will need to get some new help soon.

In Summary:

• Meet the newbies
• Get aged or de-aged
• Deal with other too young/too old people
• Try to handle the consequences
• Have fun~

Comments

[mermaiding]

Himechan. Urashima. [She echoes the words and then grins at the turtle, rubbing her cheek against the shell.

She pauses a moment, because she realizes he uses that name again and points to herself uncertainly] Oona? [ARE YOU SURE...] ...Guess so...? [She just looks a little uncertain about it all but. She supposes it's okay??]

[mermaiding]

[Oona bursts out laughing and claps her hands in delight, before reaching for Chikusa to give him an apology hug and kiss on the cheek if he'll let her.]

Fun! [She giggles more; I mean, it was fun for her] Mad...?

[mermaiding]

[She's ALWAYS hungry, Natsuru, don't question it. She perks up at the question and doesn't even have to think about it]

Fish! [She begins to tug her into a random direction, then realizes she has no idea where to even look.] Where...? [She pauses, then looks at Natsuru expectantly]

[reformedsinner]

We have one other regular teacher. I'm Cho Gonou. It's nice to meet you, Shun.

[At least, if the schedule he'd found among his papers is accurate, they have one other. He doesn't have the least idea what this Izumo might look like, but those are small details, too. Presumably he'll show up for his classes.

Presumably, at some point, Gonou will remember too.]

Very well done!

[He nods at the big stack of workbooks now safely ensconced on the shelf.]

[nobodyperfect]

[With a little smile, Axel hands over the food before sidling out the door. Once it's shut, the smile, so easily faked, drops away.

What the hell is going on?! He's gotta go find someone who knows.]

[reformedsinner]

[He wasn't quite in time, but it was a good try. Gonou headed for the window with a wary expression -- it's not that he minds children stopping by, of course. This is a school. It's just that some of those children try to bite him, steal food, or throw rocks, and it's been a trying day.

He slides the window open and leans out.]

Good afternoon! Would you like to come in?

[Or is he going to have to duck?]

[nobodyperfect]

No, it's just nasty and for the cat. [Axel's voice is matter-of-fact, but it gains energy as the one he knows as Ken darts away.] Hey, wait a second!

[The kitchen's not the safest place to be a child. There are knives and other sharp implements around. Axel wasn't expecting to have kids around, though, and when he eventually catches up, can still in his hand, he's already run a little ragged.]

... There's food in the cupboards for you and Pookie. The ones with the cat pictures are for her. You can pick whatever you want, and I'll heat it up.

[... Because Ken probably can't reach the microwave.]

[nobodyperfect]

I don't know. Maybe they were called something different as kids.

[He shrugs.]

They're strong when they're teenagers, but I don't think they can take care of themselves at this age. And they don't trust adults.

[reformedsinner]

Yes. Yes, it really has. [He sighs, shoulders slumping a tiny fraction: it's been a long and strange day, and there's still a panicked fluttering thing trapped behind his ribs at the thought that he doesn't know where Kanan is, or even how long she's been away.]

We're, ah, I have things mostly under control here. There's a small infestation of angry children on the second floor, but I'm trying to negotiate.

[He glances back at her curiously.] Do you usually work here? I don't remember anything before this morning, you see.

[nobodyperfect]

Huh. Yeah, guess it would be.

[Well, that's a mystery for another time. For now, Axel's got other priorities.]

... Do you know how to use your phone?

[nobodyperfect]

Cute name.

[And then he's back to painting some giant... weird... lizard thing. It appears to be breathing orange cotton candy onto some trees.]

[reformedsinner]

Hmm, let's see.

I learned how to cook from a book.

[He'd helped out in the orphanage cooking, but spices? Fancy cooking? No, those he'd all studied in cookbooks and guides. He'd considered, briefly, having his own restaurant -- but they're not very reliable sources of income. Maybe later, when they have enough savings to afford to start a new business....]

[nobodyperfect]

Yeah, odd. Like time warp stuff. Not like talking cats.

[The latter is normal.]

[nobodyperfect]

Yeah, there are. And most of them SHOULD be adults and teenagers.

[He crosses his arms. It's hard not to take this personally when his household's been so affected.]

Something time-warpy happened last night... I'm normally almost a foot taller.

[nobodyperfect]

Y-yeah, sure am. How d'you know that?

[He's not sure where this is going, but it's WEIRD. Maybe Sora has his memories? But then why would he leave Roxas? It's hard to make sense of it.]

[minogame]

( Urashima nods. Himechan and Urashima. )

That's right. ( He points at her one more time. ) "Oona."

( There are tons of questions he could ask but he's figured out her grasp of the language is weak right now so he looks around. How does he ask her what's wrong? Ah, he reaches for one of the pearls on he ground and holds it up,
pointing at her again. Is this from you? )

What's wrong?

[minogame]

( Oh. )

Heh heh! Did you become young too? ( He crouches down on the ground next to him and gives him a playful smile, ) I didn't see! What were you like, Hijikata-san?

Hmm... you were really cool, maybe?

[minogame]

( Looking at the swords. At Zoro. )

... Are you sure? ( This isn't just a kid claiming ot be an adult, is it... ) How do I know you're telling the truth?

[revolutionfalcon]

[As soon as his name is said again, Shun turns back to Yuto to check where he's pointing.]

Okay. Let's see where it goes, then. [Turning in the indicated direction, Shun starts keeping more of a lookout himself. All the weird buildings he's seen so far on ths route have been way off in the distance, so maybe Yuto had been walking for a while.]

[revolutionfalcon]

Okay, that sounds better. Maybe I should join the school too...but I don't know how long I'm gonna be here.

[It's a bit of a dilemma. On one hand, he likes school and should probably still be learning stuff even if he isn't home. On the other, what if this situation is all some big, weird mix-up?

The compliment distracts him from that matter, though, and he grins once he catches up to what was said.]

Thanks. They're really heavy, but I'm strong enough that it's okay.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Maybe she doesn't sound like she believes it, but Shun goes along with it anyway, still grinning.] But what if you made a really great cleaning spell? Like something that could clean a big room all at once? Everybody would think that was cool.

[revolutionfalcon]

I think so, kinda. A lot of people don't seem to know what's going on either. [Neither does he, honestly, but he's just kind of carrying on with things to the best of a kid his age's ability.]

Maybe when they figure it out, everyone can be together again.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun thinks on that for a few moments, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't grasp at anything further back than perhaps the very last throes of one.]

I don't remember it well enough to say if I felt it as well. [That's all the answer he really feels satisfied giving there. The other remark is much more relateable, though, and Shun pulls a bit of a face.]

You as well? I've had a few do the same to me today, and I only remember being here since this morning. They said I've been here longer than that.

[revolutionfalcon]

I hope so...it'd be really bad if we lost each other. Maybe your friend found a different weird building to hang out in, too.

[He looks pretty thoughtful about that possibility. It's a lot more reassuring than thinking Ruri isn't here at all, or this guy's friend is completely lost.]

[redotiertwo]

[That's about what Dave was expecting, so honestly he can't even feign surprise or disappoinment right now.]

Okay, change in target, do you have like, some vague idea of how far you ran. Did it take you a long time to get here or is this just where you ended up after your initial hot minute of freakout running.