thenearshore | -Overflow- for 016

[As he should.

While little Shun apparently doesn't feel much of a need to pick on that answer to the question of how afraid Fubuki would be, he frowns a bit at the implication he wouldn't know the meaning of his own name.]

As soon as I learnt how to write it. It would be weird if I didn't know what it meant, especially when it's not even a hard word.

[...Okay so it's a fairly long word, but it's still just one kanji that doesn't have that many strokes in it.]

Heh, me, too. [Or something close to it.]

That wasn't meant to imply anything. You're free to like your namesake as much as you like!

[~~Fubuki certainly does~~]

Just take care to be careful.

[He's repeating himself, but... Other vultures are landing nearby. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, or if it was a mistake to ascribe human-like behaviors to birds, but Shoulderbird had seemed pretty curious. If all the vultures decide to be curious at the same, that...would be a thing.]

It's a cool bird, so I don't know why I wouldn't like it anyway. [But the little Shun lets the subject go, since Fubuki seems okay with it anyway. In any case, he gets distracted pretty quickly by the subject of the other vultures landing nearby, and takes a few steps in that direction.

Curious is definitely a word for what the birds are, but some of them almost seem cautious as well. Even if he feels like the boss of the temple, it's a much smaller creature in front of them, and one who appears to be doing a lot of petting and prodding to their companion.

...Honestly, a few of them are ruffling wings and backing away almost as soon as they land. Apparently the knowledge of human children and their usual reaction to animals of huggable size is universal enough to lie somewhere in their heads.]

[He watches some of the birds back away with...not interest, but something like it.]

Shun, are you doing that?

[Because this is a totally rational thing to assume, considering most of the vultures have left Fubuki alone. He doesn't pay that much attention to the vultures, though; aside from knowing what to do if Shun doesn't make it back to the temple, he's perfectly happy to let Shun handle them.]

Why would I be doing that? I don't want them to go away. [Though...they do definitely seem to be reacting to him in some way, so Shun has to wonder about that. He extends an arm to them as if in peaceful invitation, but a few of them just seem to consider that a confirmation of their fears and fly off.]

...Maybe they don't like hands. [Which would be weird, because the one he's with right now doesn't seem to have a problem with them, but not much else makes any more sense here.]

Well...

[So Shun thinks stuff like that, too? Ahaha.]

Better not test that too much. [In case they take it as an invitation to bite.]

[But despite what Shun says, Fubuki really does suspect that Shun's doing something. Children aren't lacking in self-preservation instinct, and sometimes that instinct can take over...]

[—Wait, that would be bad, though. Well...as long as no one (else) is distressed here...]

Looks like they don't want to play. Listen, Shun. If you ever want to pet them again...don't do it without me. [Since he doesn't know how long this will last, and all.]

If they fly away when they see hands, then testing it wouldn't be that hard. [His tone is a little petulant, but he at least doesn't push it past that. He does, however, take a few steps closer to one of the nearby ones...that also flies away as soon as he wriggles his fingers.

Shun looks kind of disappointed, but he supposes he already has one that's happy to be touched, so he turns his attention back to Shoulderbird and gives it a few light pats on the back.]

I still don't really get why you're so worried. They're all either nice or more scared of us than you are of them. [Notably excluding himself from the group of scared people there.]

You may be right about that...but sometimes it isn't rational. And you don't want to regret it after the fact.

[Not to mention, there are cases when someone or something might not mean to...]

...People can be easily hurt. Especially one as small as you!

[The mask is the same shape, but definitely smaller. Not like the difference in Shun wasn't incredibly obvious just by looking, but there's something about being in a smaller vessel form that made it visceral.]

Don't worry the people who worry about you too much, Shun.

I'm not that small. [Annoyed child huff. He's used to being the big brother, which usually entails being "big" by at least some kind of arbitrary standard.

Fubuki's last remark seems to remind him more of his situation, though, and he pauses in his affection over Shoulderbird to frown a little, first at the birds and then back at the temple. He did only just wake up here this morning, and he doesn't really know anything about what's going on...but he hasn't seen anyone he knows yet.]

I don't know if the people who worry about me are here.

[He sounds a bit distant from that remark, in the way of someone who doesn't quite grasp the ramifications of what they're saying, but realises there are some somewhere.]

They would if they were here, wouldn't they?

[Probably best not to press that point, though. Shun isn't a shinki and therefore isn't subject to those rules, but Fubuki's gotten used to having to be careful.]

You're smaller than me, so you count as small. [Because being childish at a child is totally a tactic that works right???]

[Shun looks all set to think about that question, but then Fubuki changes the subject and distracts him from it. Probably a good thing, given the faint hint of a troubled look that had been creeping up on him.]

You're not even that big. Adults are meant to be really big, right? [Not necessarily true, but at this point it's basically the verbal equivalent of sticking his tongue out at Fubuki, because it's kind of hard to do that when he's on Shun's face.]

[SPUTTER]

What kind of adults have you been seeing?

[...Does he want to know? ...Maybe Shun means "bigger" in the width sense... (That's what he's going to tell himself and no one can stop him.)]

Besides, you're not allowed to say that until you get to my age.

[...Which is normally a thing to say to be annoying—once Shun (for example) hits Fubuki's age, Fubuki will still be older—except...do gods age here...? Shinki probably don't for obvious reasons...]

[He just made himself sad. His adulthood...!!]

...Or until you get big enough that your bird friend can't swallow your fist whole, at least. [Sobbing internally.]

Bigger ones than you. [HA. Definitely a valid answer and not at all super vague and mostly for petty taunting purposes.

The comment on age really does make him stick his tongue out, because if there's one thing about kids that's pretty much universal, it's that dislike of any variation of the phrase "when you're older".]

That's silly. I can see whether you're big or small even before I'm an adult too.

[The comment about swallowing his fist actually gets him thinking, though, and Shun curls his fingers and looks at his hand seriously for a few moments.]

...I don't think it could swallow it. Maybe just put the end of its beak around it.

How do I say it... Before you get this old, your sense of scale is a bit off...

[Everything looks big in Small-o-Vision, after all! Ahahaha!]

[He gets a jolt by Shun's next comment, though.] Don't test it!

[Doesn't look like he will, but... Note to self: don't say things that Shun would take seriously for some reason. Well...Shun doesn't believe that Shoulderbird would, so he can see where it comes from...]

[Shoulderbird can't see it because of Fubuki's vessel-ation, but she is getting glared at so hard.]

[...Maybe if he distracts Shun from that train of thought...?]

You know...it doesn't have a name.

No, you're still small. [Apparently Shun is unconvinced by this particular argument. It's not like scale changes some things being big or small, like buildings or crumbs.

Fubuki's sudden warning makes him frown a bit, though, and he drops his hand to his side.]

I wasn't going to. You're being really wimpy about this. [It's said more petulantly than anything, but still. Also, maybe Shoulderbird can still feel that glare, because she's totally turning back to stare at the mask Very Intently.

Shun looks very surprised by the fact that she doesn't have a name, though, and he's definitely distracted by that thought as he looks at the vulture just as seriously as ever.]

That doesn't seem right. [It takes him a good few seconds to try and think up an appropriate name, though, but he's looking at her ruffled neck feathers as he does, and eventually...]

Maybe we should call it Keba. [Yes, he is trying to name the bird "fluff".]

[You'd think he'd be used to that reaction whenever the issue of the temple birds come up... Better Shun consider him a wimp than get hurt, though, so he doesn't respond even though he wants to. Besides, there are more pressing matters—]

Are you sure? You won't be able to take it back!

[Even if he did take it back, Fubuki would never let him forget he came up with it, so it's not that big a decision, but details]

Well, you said it didn't have a name, so nobody else is gonna name it, probably. [Extremely logical deduction here from the currently reigning captain of logic.] And it's a good name. It has a fluffy neck and stuff, and people usually name animals things that are distinctive, right?

[Some of the other birds were fluffy too, but this one is also kind of fluffy in nature compared to them, so it seems more fitting.]

Well, there doesn't have to be that much rationale behind it.

[But if Little Shun sees no issue with that name, Actual Shun isn't allowed to protest. That's the argument he's going to present to Shun and nothing short of an actual command will prevent him from calling Shoulderbird "Fluffy"—]

[...Was Fluffy glaring at him back just now? ...Maybe he should leave mask form.]

Shun, can you tear yourself away from your friend for a bit? I want to check something.

Exactly. So let's just call it Keba.

[Once he ages up again, Shun is absolutely blaming Fubuki for this development by way of tricking him into naming the bird at a time he'd be both inclined to name it and inclined to giving it a stupid one, but for now, it's decided.

And the newly-named Keba is absolutely glaring at Fubuki still, though Shun doesn't appear to have noticed, even if he frowns a bit at Fubuki's request.]

What is it?

[listen Shun, it doesn't count as tricking if Fubuki didn't actually know that he would]

I want to check something.

[If Keba really is glaring at him specifically, then he shouldn't be near Shun... And if she's gone this long without getting agitated and if the rest of the flock is going to fly away, that should cover most of the bases.]

Don't worry, it's nothing serious. Just say "Tenjoin Fubuki," and I'll go back to normal.

[Try explaining that to Shun when he reverts back to normal age.

Keba is still eying off the mask, so Fubuki's concern at least has some kind of vague basis this time. Even so, Shun looks a little puzzled as he raises his hands to the mask.]

You mean you'll turn into a person again if I say that? [Not that Shun really understands how or why he turned into a mask, but it sounds reassuring, so Shun just goes with it and doesn't think too much about it.] Okay then..."Tenjoin Fubuki", right?

[He says it with more firmness now that he actually knows it's supposed to signify something.]

That's right. [Don't worry little Shun, Fubuki doesn't know how it works, either.]

[He pivots as soon as he lands, and backs away a few steps, an eye on Keba. For one thing, it occurs to him (too late) that Keba might get startled by that, and for another, he still hasn't gotten over that one time Keba had flown at him. He still has the (mental) scars]

See, I'm back! [And with less range of vision than he had in vessel form, but that can't be helped... He gives everything a glance-over anyway.]

If they like you, it looks like you can come and go as you please. [So that's a relief.]

[It's possibly even weirder to see Fubuki turn back than it had been to see him become the mask, and Shun watches with a bit of a curious look. The sudden change definitely does startle Keba, though - she rears back with a harsh flap of wings, but eventually settles once she seemingly recognises Fubuki and goes back to just glaring at him, if perhaps with a bit more bristle to her feathers than before.

When Fubuki says he's back, Shun pokes his own face where the mask used to be.] That's weird. [A pause.] You're weird.

[Clearly the appropriate answer to not knowing how it works. In any case, Shun has to frown at this all being to test that.]

Couldn't you have figured that out anyway?

[Well, he won't contest that turning into a mask is weird and always feels weird, but...] It's something you get used to eventually... [He doesn't actually know if or when Shun's gotten used to it, but he must have, right? That was one of the first things he wanted to know from Fubuki, after all.]

[...As for the other thing.]

Not when you wanted to hug them! [Not safely, anyway. And it was feeding time and it was the first time Fubuki's had to do it...]

You were being curious and I didn't know if I could stop you... [Way to put trust in your god Fubuki]

[That excuse gets a bit of a doubtful hum from Shun, but then, he only just got here, so he can't really question it too much. And Fubuki does seem pretty used to it since he's not freaking out about it, so Shun figures it must be okay for him, at least.

As for Fubuki's comment on hugging, Shun very deliberately looks Fubuki in the eye...and then goes over to very carefully hug Keba. She's still staring at Fubuki, but takes a brief reprieve to bump her head against Shun.]

There's nothing wrong with being curious. And most of them ran away from that anyway, and the ones that don't are nice.

[He says, while Keba returns to Staring More at Fubuki.]

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