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~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'll just be a minute. [It shouldn't take him too long to check all the rooms. He'd passed the bedrooms on the way down, so he just has to pop up and knock on Shun's door, and then the downstairs...] Maybe two minutes.

[...He stares for a second more, because...Shun. Because of Shun. If his first conjecture doesn't turn out to be correct...~~can we keep him~~]

...Pipey'll be upset if you move him around too much. I'll be right back. [Off he goes.]

That's alright, then. [Small Shun is confident he can birdsit for that long, he was just worried it was going to be something way longer, and then he'd have to stay here for all that time too.

As Fubuki heads off to check the rest of the temple, Shun very carefully goes to sit on one of the big couches in the temple lounge, making sure not to jostle the plush bird too much. By the time Fubuki gets back, he'll be kicking his legs a bit, but it's not enough to move Pipey.]

Are you done checking the thing?

[He would never say as much, but when Actual Shun didn't turn up, he was halfway expecting to walk in to be met with the usual glare. He was halfway convinced he was sleepwalking, actually...]

...Yeah. Didn't find who you were looking for, either. Sorry. [It must have been someone Shun knew, but Fubuki has always felt like he shouldn't ask people things about their pasts too often, because, as a shinki, that's not a good habit to get into. And, since it's Shun, it's probably cheating to ask the little version things that Shun hasn't already told him.]

[...No but seriously, how did this happen]

Can you sit tight for another minute or...ten...? [He has to feed the vultures.]

That's okay. [Shun sounds worried, but he can look for Ruri in places other than this temple. Maybe she wandered off or something. He stops kicking his feet on the assumption that he's going to be able to go somewhere now, but he also frowns a bit when Fubuki asks him to stay put longer.]

But ten minutes is a really long time. You said you only had to check one thing.

[Clearly this is a breach of contract, Fubuki. Or something along those lines.]

I have to— [Er, wait, maybe he shouldn't mention it. He stands there for a moment longer, in a very obvious thinking pose, before he goes over.]

Is there somewhere you need to go? [He noticed the worry, and while he hasn't seen anyone of that description around, it's not like he's met every single person ever. Since he doesn't know Shun's mental state, he might be subconsciously heading to a meeting he's arranged prior, for all Fubuki knows. He...has to ask.] ...Who is she?

Have to what? [At least Shun sounds curious rather than judging, but if it's something important maybe he can at least come and watch.

He tilts his head when Fubuki asks if there's somewhere he needs to go, but he seems to understand once he instead asks who the girl he's looking for is, and he hugs the plush bird a little tighter, the anxious expression creeping up on him a bit more.]

My sister, Ruri. She's younger than me, so I'm supposed to look after her and stuff, but I haven't seen her since I woke up in this weird house.

["Weird house"... Then she probably isn't here. He can't just say that, though, and he doubts he'd be believed.]

[After a second of dithering, he reaches up and pats Lil Shun on the head. Actual Shun would have his head for this afterward, but Actual Shun's never made that anxious face, either.] It'll be alright. [He has no idea if it'll be alright, but that's just one of the things you say.]

I'll help you look later. For now... [Shun should still be the god of this temple, and he'd given that as the reason the vultures listen to him, but...] Are you sure you can't wait a while?

[Small Shun still seems a bit surprised at the headpat, but he seems to calm himself a bit with that and the verbal reassurance. He's seen nothing yet to indicate that it won't be okay, so he's happy enough with it for now.

When it comes to the next question, Shun frowns a little at Fubuki.] Why do you want me to wait? Is the thing you're doing a secret or are you just being boring?

[Shots fired.]

I-it's... [Quick, Fubuki, think fast!!] It's something you'll understand when you're older.

[...No, that'll just make him even more curious. (He knows this from generalities.)]

[Maybe he should explain it.] This weird house is a temple, and there are some temple duties that are slightly dangerous...

[That's not explaining it at all.]

It's... I can't leave them, and I can't leave you. It puts me in a bit of a bind...

[At the very least, the little Shun doesn't look particularly impressed by the non-answer, and he frowns very hard until Fubuki decides to actually answer properly.

Once Fubuki mentions the house is a temple, though, Shun looks surprised, glancing around at the room.] It doesn't look like a temple...am I even allowed to be here?

[He's hugging the bird again. Temples are supposed to be all important and sacred and stuff, right? If he is here, though, he feels like he should be helping out somehow, and rather abruptly, he stands up from his seat.]

I'll protect you from the dangerous stuff. It's okay. [Sure, he doesn't know what the dangerous stuff is, but he'll protect this guy from it anyway. He is Determined.]

[That prompts a chuckle out of him. (Sorry, Shun, he couldn't help it.)] I'm sure you will.

[He stands.] You're more allowed than most people to be here. But you have to listen to me exactly.

[He doesn't like it, but the risk that Shun would end up following him is too much of a bad prospect. He honestly has no idea if Shun would, but that's even more reason to be careful...]

When we get there...you'll need to hide.

I mean it! [Take him seriously, Fubuki. The tiny god demands it. But any lingering upset over that clears in the wake of being reassured that he's allowed to be here (mostly, at least), and he nods solemnly when it comes to the matter of having to listen to him.

Even if his first order makes Shun go a little wide-eyed. It's hard to tell if he's scared or just more excited.]

Where should I hide? I don't want to be really far away if you're going to be in danger...

You've already protected me plenty.

[He proceeds to the door.] Let's go outside.

[...This is a terrible idea...]

[Hiding his misgivings, he turns to Shun with as much of a cheery demeanor as he can under the circumstances.] You'll have to stay out of sight. Don't make any noise, and don't let the birds see you. Promise me.

Have I? [Shun doesn't remember being here any longer than when he woke up this morning, and he's only been talking to this guy for a few minutes, so it doesn't seem right. But he still follows Fubuki to the door, still holding the plush bird.

Though he also looks as curious as any kid would be getting told something like that, Shun nods his agreement.]

Okay. Birds are nice, though. Are you sure this is really that dangerous?

There are some things you can't risk.

[Even if it weren't for Fubuki's personal dislike, Shun had warned him about not treating the vultures as pets.]

You have to be careful. Alright?

[...No matter what Shun says, he finds it's easier for him to regard them collectively as an enemy. As he steps to face them, that feeling settles over him—slightly uncomfortable, slightly off, slightly tenuous, slightly not like himself, but like a pattern that's carved deeply inside, ultimately still him. Even with the survival conditions changed, his goal is still the defeat of his enemy. Toss the meat, wait a moment to make sure nothing's gone wrong. Section out some for Shoulderbird. A challenge of this level is nothing.]

[That done, when he turns and walks away, a bubble of panic bursts inside him, fear he won't be able to come back. But a ragged breath, and he's...himself. Holding a hand to his brow, for some reason.]

[He straightens.] ...Shun?

[Shun still looks kind of skeptical, but he nods a little with how seriously Fubuki is treating the whole thing.]

If you say so, I guess. [It's enough of a reassurance, probably.

Even as Shun hangs back a little and Fubuki turns and walks away to feed the birds, he can feel a weird kind of panic in him. Weird if only because he doesn't feel afraid himself - even if he's staying as out of sight as he can near the door, his expression on seeing the vultures is one of wide-eyed curiosity and excitement rather than any manner of fear.

Fubuki looks kind of freaked out by the time he gets back, though, and Shun looks over him a bit concernedly as he straightens up and holds his hand up like that.] What?

Edited 2017-05-26 01:37 (UTC)

Ah—it's nothing. [He drops his hand.]

...You stayed hidden. [It's not like he's...particularly surprised, but he hadn't had the composure to spare and so couldn't check while he was amidst the vultures.]

[But with the way Shun's looking at him now...] ...You don't think they're scary at all, do you?

[People naturally react first to what they fear: he knows that well. He doesn't know if it's because Shun is a kid now or if it's Shun being Shun, though. In either case, it might be a good thing if he wants to go in and out of the temple (his bed is here...); Fubuki has no idea how long this will last, and that means he has to look into it.]

I want to try something. [He holds out his hands.] Take my hands? [With anyone else, he would have just done it, but even though Shun hadn't reacted adversely to the headpat earlier...it's still Shun.]

[[Continued to the overflow.]]

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016 | The Good Old Days

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i apologize in advance :I

fubuki pls

o/

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