thenearshore | 016 | The Good Old Days

Entry tags:

016 | The Good Old Days

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~

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Eh, must be losing your touch then.

[Hey, if he's gonna ask such a question, he's gonna get such an answer. Sousuke knows all about the limitations they're stuck with; he's in his own tiny body after all. But he's not going to let that stop him, right? Rin taught him that. Don't let anything get in your way.

He hears the stomping behind him and picks up his pace, making sure he beats Rin to the diving block first so he doesn't get his heels stepped on. Of course, now that he's here, Sousuke crouches down and looks at the water. The pool's a lot bigger from this view...]

Psh, says you. [It's oddly a lot easier to be expressive ~~a little shit~~ in this body. Jeeze, he must've really mellowed out as he grew up.]

You think we're dressed for this? My shirt's gonna make a lot of drag.

[Sousuke better not take his favorite diving block! It’s lucky, you know, block number 4! Can’t explain why... just that it is and he’ll really pitch a fit if Sousuke tries to snatch it away. Although he supposes a true professional Olympian can make a lucky starting block out of any of them...

At least they should. In regular circumstances. With goggles and proper swim gear. Which they don’t have in their size at the moment.

He could be practical and postpone this until they can do some shopping around, but Sousuke’s already revved him up and his cockiness won’t let him wait.]

Then just take your shirt off! We don’t swim with them on anyway.

[Annnd off he goes, already tugging at his own shirt so he can tug it up over his head. Ugh, finally. He hated drowning in that thing.]

[A diving block's a diving block; if you can't dive just as well off this one as that one, you need to go back to some basic training and theory. Is Sousuke's theory on the matter. Either that or the pool constructors need to come back and make sure all the blocks were put in evenly. Or whatever.

... he doesn't take No. 4.

5, however, is the one he's crouching on and stirring the water with his eyes. Normally he'd be ready to dive right in without a single issue. But right now, things look and feel really different. They should probably take a few practice laps. Regardless of what his competitive nature's yelling.]

Hmph, I know that.

[It's not just their shirts though; their pants aren't the skin-tight clings they normally wear. As he pulls his tent-of-a-shirt over his head and tosses it aside, Sousuke gets a feel for how his legs are going to move in said pants. Better make sure they're tied real good and tight too.

Being barechested again feels good though.]

I'm gonna take a lap to warm up.

[And dives right in without waiting. Even in this small body, muscle memory remains and his form is completely perfect.]

[Rin’s in a similar state, impatient and itching to leap in even though he knows he should warm up first to test this body’s limits, so when he steps up on his block he has to take a deep breath to center himself. It’s weird. He wonders if this is what Haru feels when he sees water. Palms itching, legs bouncing, eyes darting around to measure up his diving distance.

Maybe he should stretch first. Get his arms moving so he won’t cramp up—

SPLASH!]

Hey! Where do you think you’re going!?

[The nerve! Rin quickly fumbles with his shirt before Sousuke can swim too far, and after tossing it aside he takes aim and pushes off towards his own lane. Even in a hurry his precision and posture are exact, cutting him through the water’s surface like a knife. They might just be warming up here, but he makes sure to dolphin kick just fast enough to keep pace at Sousuke’s side.]

[The moment the water meets him, everything feels calm once again. Sure, there’s the quiet anxiety and dread the water always brings, lurking around in his mind like a shark just outside the light, but he’s able to ignore it by now thanks to all of Rin’s patience and hard work helping him refamiliarize himself with the water. With swimming. That fear is a strange power for his strokes, always determined to best his own mind and prove this is not only okay and a good thing, but a place where Yamazaki Sousuke belongs.

One arm overhead, then the other, practiced and coordinated strokes that come as naturally to him as breathing. He’s already made the connection that he and Rin are mirror image swimmers. The motion of his arms match his best friend’s without fail, the timing of his head turns to breath are the exact same, and the kick of his legs hold an equal rhythm. Only in power are they perhaps different. And other smaller nuances, like Sousuke’s flexible shoulders and Rin’s edge in skill at freestyle.

It's not hard to catch up to him; Sousuke’s not swimming to win. He’s slow and leisurely, doing that very rare thing of just swimming in the water for the sake of enjoying a swim. No competition, no urge to defeat anyone. Just getting used to the water and this small body. Before that same competitive side comes powering back like normal.

And just like always, Rin's there with him, swimming at his side and keeping pace with him. These are some of Sousuke's happiest moments.]

[He catches up to Sousuke soon enough, and with his back raised above the water he starts with his arms, carving himself a way forward with one then the other with practiced ease. It’d be easier if he had proper gear, but that’s a minor inconvenience to a professional, right?

Even without being able to look across the lanes, it’s easy to sense Sousuke moving beside him. Without trying he finds himself matching strokes. One arm, then the other, stretching his fingers as far as he can while being mindful not to over exert his energy with his legs in particular. They’re not racing yet, after all. He’ll need to preserve as much of it as he can.

Less than a minute in and here comes the turn! A miracle he’s able to see it coming at all when he’s getting chlorine in his eyes. He tucks his legs as he flips—hn, not as tight as he would’ve liked—and with feet pressed down to the wall he rockets back in a flurry of bubbles. He’s less slow about this than Sousuke’s that’s for sure, but that’s how he’s always been anyway. No matter what, neither one of them will be too far behind.]

[Yeah, the proper gear would make this more comfortable. He’d immediately noticed the drag at his hips and legs, making it feel like his lower limbs were treading through a current. But Sousuke adapts to it soon enough, putting a little more power into his limbs to keep his pace steady and ready. A minor inconvenience. Right.

The familiar rhythm beside him seems to breathe ease into him. He knows Rin’s there without even having to look. They move together, well-oiled machines with perfect syncopation. Fingers cupping to cut into the water and then drag through it in the smooth crawl of freestyling. The normal power he’s used to pumping into his stroke is hibernating for now, allowing for more leisurely motions. Comfortable and pleasant.

Sousuke cracks one eye open as he takes in a breath, getting the barest of snapshots of the markings, and dives. Head tucking, body curling, he flips in the water, feet pressing to the wall now below him. Not perfect, but he’s not trying for perfect. And shoves off, the diamonds of bubbles rippling down his skin and catching in pants before rolling off. Rin gains a bit on him in speed, but that’s okay. Rin edges him just a bit in speed, while Sousuke holds the slight advantage in power. Which makes them perfectly equal when they apply them in all their skill.]

[He told Sousuke once before how swimming’s always been in his blood. Without it, he’d never feel quite right, never feel complete. It’s never been just a sport. More like... a lifestyle, he guesses. Something to keep his heart pumping, eyes forward, one foot moving in front of the other. But all of that could never happen if he doesn’t have anyone else to share the water with. Yeah, going it alone can be satisfying sometimes... but nothing compares to the sensation of someone else’s rhythm resonating with his.

Halfway down his lane and his body’s already humming. Restless and eager, even when he slows down and pivots himself towards Sousuke’s lane instead, arms directing him deeper into a dive a few feet beneath his shinki’s body. They’re not racing anyway, right? It can’t hurt to wander off course.

Rin twists in the water once he matches Sousuke’s speed, his back to the pool floor, eyes glimmering in his best friend’s shadow. Hope he’s not distracting you or anything. Just thought he’d... enjoy swimming for once.]

[Sousuke’s heard Rin’s professions of passion and love for swimming. While he greatly enjoys swimming and he’s good at it, there are times when he wonders about his own passions for the water. He loves being in it, loves swimming, but for him, is it a sport or is it a lifestyle like Rin? What does he want and what does he do? Maybe some of those answers are locked away in his memories, but even still, his heart hasn’t changed. The same heart that beats faster when he feels Rin’s rhythm next to him, the same heart that burns with eagerness for a race he’s not quite ready to jump on yet. Still getting used to this smaller body.

The rhythm disappears and he’s suddenly very aware that he’s… alone? No, there’s a current brushing at his chest and legs, flowing over his skin. Sousuke takes a breath and slows his arms before sliding under the water. Of course it’s what he expects. There’s Rin below him, threading through the water with all the grace of a shark in the sea. The shimmering of lights through the pool make glassy lines on the bottom and across Rin’s arms and legs whenever they fall out of Sousuke’s shadow.

The muffled sounds of water swirling and sloshing around their limbs is a quiet murmur, lulling and sweet. Without prodding, he sinks lower in the pool, diving down until he’s swimming a few feet above Rin. Neither breaking the surface, it’s just them suspended in the lagoon. It’s… nice. To just swim together without race or challenge. He kicks a few times and curves to the right, starting a lazy loop around his best friend’s body.]

[He’s not expecting Sousuke to follow after him, so when he does he throws off Rin’s rhythm by a beat, causing him to sink closer torwards the floor before he pumps his legs to rise again. It’s... not really like him to just swim. There’s usually some sort of purpose to it. Training, competing, beating another record. Not doing this. Whatever it is. And to think a few months ago he could barely look at a pool without breaking into a sweat.

It’s a pleasant surprise though and Rin watches it in silent awe, eyes and eventually body following as Sousuke begins that lazy loop. He curves in the opposite direction. Tilting, floating, until he’s switched their positions completely. ... he kind of wishes he could breathe underwater while they do something like this. Next thing he knows he might just sprout a tail too.

He smiles at the thought, baring those small sharp teeth at his best friend floating beneath him.

Isn’t this fun?]

[It’s rare for Sousuke to actually just… swim. He usually prefers the surface, powering through the pool. Underwater, it’s different beneath the surface, without the momentary air affecting his arms or legs. Thicker, compact, but also more controlled. Like he’s able to just flow around in the “emptiness” of the water. It’s strange to think it akin to flying underwater, but the weightlessness of the moment is a gentle relaxation that’s rare to find elsewhere. So, he enjoys it every now and then.

The water flows against his face and skin as he works himself into the leisurely spiral around Rin’s body, bringing himself close to the floor before he curves upward. Teal eyes linger on the other boy as the move through the pool, an uncanny shared symmetry between them. From distance to direction to the motion of their bodies. It’s something Sousuke’s always noticed, yet despite logic reaction, never found an issue with. Instead of being annoying, it’s comforting. And yes, if there was the possibility of sprouting a tail and gills down here, Sousuke would take it. It’s not grown up that much. (And this boyish body would make it even more acceptable.)

What’s Rin smiling at? There’s no way to know exactly, but it’s obvious Rin’s having fun. Sousuke can’t help a gentle smile back, eyes calm as the water around them.

Aa. It is.]

[It really is like flying, he thinks, or at least the closest he’ll ever come to it without having to get on a plane. He feels weightless, but not completely at a loss of control. He can still breathe normally, pivot and twist himself in the direction he wants to go... There’s a strange sense of understanding between his body and the water that he can’t quite explain to anyone else without making himself sound crazy... or at least like Haru. It’s down here where he feels like he exists in a separate reality, where everything beneath the water’s surface connects and follows the same wavelength. It’s easy to predict where Sousuke will turn in a second. Easy to mirror it and spiral in the opposite direction... easy to smile back at him as if he can hear that response resonating in his chest.

He swims closer, kicking his legs until they’ll be almost face to face, nearly nose to nose.

It’s kinda stupid... but suddenly I want to stay down here forever.]

[They match perfectly. The motion of their legs a mirror image. It takes practice for synchronized swimming, yet the two boys do it without even thinking about it. A spiral to the left begets a spiral to the right; they pass each other in unison before once more settling in front of each other again. Without effort or even thought, Sousuke’s legs move with Rin’s, lifting one to follow Rin’s drawn back, pulling the other down as Rin moves his forward. Swimming together almost as if one body moved within two boys. So close to him, he can feel the warmth of Rin’s nose brush over his own. Close enough that he could simply reach out and touch him. It’d be easy to give him a playful little push, but…

Here in the deep blue, with the lights glistening in ripples and watery patterns over Rin’s face, there’s another feeling. Peaceful, nostalgic, comforting. The way Rin’s hair moves under the water, conforming to the sculpture of his face even as a little kid, flowing with the current in ripples and bobs that mimic all that is the water around them. Yeah, it’s very much like he can read his best friend’s mind, understanding without even saying. To stay down here forever, to swim like this… it’s a romantic dream, but one even Sousuke hasn’t completely grown out of.

In the end, all he does is offer Rin a cool, happy little smile, soft and appreciative. Aa. So long as it’s with you, I’ll stay anywhere.]

[Being this close, Rin expects to be pushed. Kicked, shoved. Any sort of playful, rough and boyish thing the two of them are used to doing. But it doesn’t come, none of it does, and Rin blinks with a tilt of his head. He’s seen his best friend in the light before, seen him underwater, seen him smile at him and all that... so then why does this feel different? It feels... softer. Lighter. Warm.

Tiny bubbles escape between his lips once his chest begins to constrict and he realizes a second too late he’s getting low on air. He kicks quickly soon after in a startled panic, grabbing for Sousuke’s hand as he does. Time to surface! Hurry!]

[Sousuke feels the same sort of sensation. That strange lightness that he at first doesn’t recognize, but soon enough begins to dawn on him. The same sort of feelings he’s had during those other times, lying at Rin’s side, gazing at him in the light of the morning sun or the night moon. A quiet admiration that seems to tip a little further each time it happens. It’s magnetic almost… he finds himself leaning closer…

And suddenly bubbles go flurrying as Rin arches up and grabs him. Sousuke quickly follows after him, legs moving to propel himself to the surface. He breaks through the water with a huge gasp, breathing hard to fill his lungs. Wow! They’d been down there a long time! Looping one lanky are over the lane divider, he looks at Rin with a little grin.]

Admit it, you were dreaming about having gills down there, weren’t you.

[He breaks the surface with a gasp and with a few shakes sends water flying in every which direction. That’s what he gets for not having a swim cap on... but it’s not like they were swimmingly seriously anyways. Back to focusing in front of him, making sure Sousuke surfaced at his side and didn’t stay at the bottom of the pool all by himself.]

Huh? As if.

[He looks away, eyes shut... before propping both arms over the divider so he can lean forward, head tilted at his best friend in question.]

Were you?

[Well they weren’t exactly down here planning to swim; it just kind of took the logical course. That’s all. And he doesn’t regret it either. Though it’s a good thing he ditched his shirt. Even these baggy shorts still feel a little uncomfortable on his legs when they brush at his skin. Not used to that at all. He keeps an easy tread in the water, arm dangled over the dividing lane to bob while he breaths.]

Oh yeah?

[Sousuke points at Rin and laughs when his best friend averts his gaze. That’s totally a pout to cover up the truth. But when he gets the question tossed back at him, Sousuke hums with a sneaky smile.]

Of course not; that’s your job to think all the romantic stuff.

[Liar liar, but Rin won’t know.]

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016 | The Good Old Days

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Sha la la la la la My oh my, Go on and kiss the girl~

Boy u better do it soon >:C

Too bad, you gonna miss de girl~

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