thenearshore | -Overflow- for 016

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.]

[..................why is he getting double-teamed here]

[Looks like...Shun is going to be Shun, and Keba is still Shoulderbird... What is he going to do with the two of you]

[And there is something wrong with being curious, just...not for a god, so he can't exactly say that. "Be curious about less dangerous things" obviously wouldn't work...]

Let's just say there are some difficulties...

[One of these days he'll wonder why Keba was able to sense Fubuki's glaring and whether he accidentally did a disorientation or if she can sense hostility or what, but today is not that day.]

Can you understand it when I say I had to make sure? [He doesn't know where Shun's absolute trust in the vultures comes from, but...even friends can...]

...Let's go inside. Are you hungry?

[Shun's still frowning at him a lot, and Keba is still staring at him a lot, but after a few moments, Shun sighs like he's making some enormous concession here. Because accepting that some people might consider vultures dangerous is apparently an enormous concession.]

I still don't get why you're so scared of them, but I guess if you are then it makes sense that you'd want to make sure. [So at least he'll admit he understands, even if he's not going to say anything else particularly positive about it.

The suggestion of food reminds Shun of something, though, and he smiles a bit awkwardly as he gives Keba a farewell pat on the head.]

Oh, I didn't have breakfast yet...I was really confused when I woke up, so I forgot.

[A chuckle.] Glad you understand. [He'd say something about how phobias work, but it...doesn't feel like a phobia, not really. There's a feeling roiling underneath, always accompanied by the feeling of alarm that he doesn't want to admit that he'd gotten used to, but... Well. Shinki things are something he especially can't explain right now. (If there's a way to turn Shun back before long, he won't have to! Totally perfect plan)]

[But for now, he heads inside.] I should have fed you first.

[Shinki of the year!! But at least he thought of it eventually...]

[He turns to hold the door open.] What do you want to eat?

[At least Shun still doesn't know about the whole shinki and god thing, so Fubuki can get away with not quite being shinki of the year on this occasion. As Fubuki holds the door, he heads in, looking around at the stylised vulture art on the walls of the entrance hall.]

I don't know. I'm not really picky about that sort of thing, so whatever there is in this temple place is fine.

[It feels weird to be invited to eat in a temple, but this whole morning has been pretty weird, so at this point he's sort of just rolling with it.]

So do you look after the temple or something?

Maybe some...fruit? [Shun eats that in the morning, right?] It's fine to ask for whatever you want.

[The question throws him, because...not...really?] It's more like...I look after the person who looks after the temple. [That's a good way of putting it, right? Ahaha...]

I live here, actually... [That clears things up]

...It's not too important. Don't worry about it for now.

[As he's walking into the kitchen, he's struck by a thought.] Shun, where did you wake up? [He doesn't know where Shun keeps it when he sleeps, but...that dagger he always carries......]

Fruit is good. And maybe some bread too. [It's good to have a substantial breakfast, especially if he's probably going to try going out looking for Ruri after this. He doesn't really want to stay here and keep worrying about her without doing anything.

Shun hums a bit at Fubuki's answer.] I figured you would if you looked after the temple anyway, but that makes sense, I guess, if the person who looks after it is old. [Nailed it.

As soon as Fubuki asks that question, Shun points back in the direction of the bedrooms.] In the top room up those stairs down the hall. I think there was something hard under the pillow that I had my hand on, but I forgot about it once I realised I wasn't at home.

[So that probably answers the question of where the dagger was, and still is.]

[...No, don't mind him, Shun, he's not laughing to himself for any particular reason.]

[Good to know the dagger wasn't out anywhere, though; he doubts Shun would be careless with it, but Actual Shun would also have been more used to it... But if bedtime comes while Shun is still like this, Fubuki might have to do something about that.]

...Can you show me? [Considering Shun had told him not to go into his room, he'll catch flack from Shun later, probably, but he can't just leave it.]

[The younger Shun doesn't see a problem with it, at least, and he nods a little before heading in that direction with a wave of the hand.] Okay, come on.

[Once he gets to the top of the stairs, he pushes the door to his older self's room open, looking around it a bit more than he did the first time. It's a round room, large but mostly empty, since the furniture is scattered around the extremities. There's a large pile of somewhat haphazard, but seemingly untouched white cushions to the left of the door, with one of the ones from Ankh's temple placed on top with no other disturbance to the stack. Just along from that is another, smaller door, then a long set of shelves which are also mostly empty, then a bed and side table at the opposite end of the room to the main door. There's a dresser to the right of it, though the clothes Shun regularly wears are folded neatly on top of it instead of in it, a sliding door which is probably a wardrobe next to that, and the stretch of wall between that and the main door is taken up by a vulture mural similar to the ones in the main hallway, but larger and more intricate. There's a single armchair like the ones in the lounge set in front of it, also largely undisturbed, as if it's meant to be a reading corner.]

It seems like a kind of lonely place to wake up, huh? [But with that, Shun heads across the room to prod at the pillow he felt the hard thing under. The side table next to it has an odd few items: a photo frame resting face-down so the photo can't be seen, and his duel disk, which to the untrained eye just appears to be some kind of weird, purple computer with a round screen. Perhaps thankfully for both of them, the cards that would usually be in it aren't actually there, and the slot for them has pushed out accordingly to leave no sign anything should have been inserted there at all.

Less thankfully, as well as the canteen of blessed water he usually carries, Shun's lighter is sitting on the side table as well. His sword is visible behind his clothes atop the dresser, but that's too high for a child to easily reach regardless.]

Haha, is it? [He barely spares the room a glance as he follows Shun to the pillow. He retrieves the dagger, and with a quick glance at the bedside table, grabs the lighter, too. When he turns around, he finally takes the room in.]

Hm... [The dresser seems like a fine place to put these. He gets on that. Shun is a good kid—he assumes Shun won't try to get at them.]

Okay! All done. Let's go find you some bread.

[Because that's a natural thing to segue to. All the same, he heads back to the kitchen and starts gathering the things. Maybe too many things. That's a big pile of fruit...]

[Though Shun definitely looks a little surprised at what the object he had his hand on is, he just watches Fubuki put the items on top of the dresser. They might be cool things, but they're also dangerous, so he resolves himself not to try and touch them unless something equally dangerous happens.

When Fubuki decides they're done, Shun just nods happily and follows him back to the kitchen.

...That doesn't mean he isn't going to stare when it seems like Fubuki is gathering half the fruit content of the kitchen.]

Are there guests or something?

Better too much than too little! [Does he actually believe that? Not...in particular...]

I can always put them back. [Aaand here's some bread.]

[But really, he's mostly trying to distract himself from thoughts of Shun why do you sleep with that under your pillow. Why do so many things make sense all of a sudden... He'd had an inkling, but someone being vigilant (and sharpening daggers at sleepovers) is something else from seeing what someone does on their downtime. (And sleeping is downtime, you know??]

[He's more or less confirmed that the change happened before Shun woke up, at least, meaning it must have happened overnight. (It's his best guess.)]

Shun... [He lays his head on his arms.] If you ever feel sick or in pain today, come and tell me.

[At least Shun can regulate his own serving. He picks up an apple and a stem of grapes to go with the bread, but that seems to be enough for him for the moment. Initially he's focused more on eating than anything, but Fubuki's comment makes him tilt his head a bit in curiosity.]

Do you think that's going to happen? [It's a genuine question, since the remark had seemed a little bit off-hand to him without real context of his situation. As it is, it seems like some kind of oblique warning about the outside.]

I'd probably come back here anyway. I mean, it's the only place here I kind of know.

I hope it won't... I just needed you to know.

[Technically there are other places Shun could go for help, but Fubuki only knows like one of them, and he knows where things are here. Not to mention...Shun doesn't seem to remember them, himself, either...]

[...What'll they do if it happens but Fubuki isn't here, though.]

[...Since he doesn't know how savvy Shun currently is with smartphones, he grabs a piece of paper and writes his number on it.] If I'm not here, call this number. Keep this with you. [He holds it up with two hands like it is Very Important. Better safe than sorry]

[Shun hums a bit like he wonders if that's really all, but turns his attention back to eating before log.] Okay. Like I said, I probably would've come back here anyway.

[Though he continues making his way through breakfast, when Fubuki writes that number down, Shun seems to have a brief realisation, and goes looking in his pocket for something.]

Oh right, I woke up with this as well... [At least he recognises it, though duel disks are in wider use for communications in his world. Taking the number from Fubuki, he starts fumbling his way through adding it to the phone before pausing.]

There's already a bunch of contacts in here. This is you, right? [Shun turns the phone towards him and points at part of the screen, having found Fubuki's name in the phone's speed dial list. Unsurprisingly, "Inanna" is at the top, and beneath Fubuki, Reisi's name is already on there as well.]

Hm? Ah—yeah, it is!

[Well, looks like that problem solved itself. Ahaha!] Keep that paper in case you lose one or the other, though.

[But seeing "Inanna" does remind him to do something.] Wait here. [He comes back with his camera, and snaps a picture. Mission complete. (Entirely self-imposed mission, but details.)]

If you say so. [Folding the paper over, Shun tucks it into one of his pockets, and the phone back into the other once he's closed everything again. Even if he looks a bit confused as to why Fubuki's telling him to wait here this time, he just keeps eating in the interim.

Having a photo taken of him seems kind of weird, but maybe people don't show up here very often. At least little Shun knows the etiquette, smiling a little as the picture is taken before frowning in curiosity.]

Is it that lonely here?

Not as such! [Is he going to elaborate on that? Nooope.]

[He puts the camera on the table. For some reason, he had the idea that he needed to be quick and then run away, but it doesn't look like he needs to.] Good smile! Do you like getting your picture taken?

[Totally not looking for things to tease Shun forever with, nope.]

-Overflow- for 016 | The Good Old Days

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