thenearshore | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Yona, her shinki, and others happening to be wandering by her temple.
When: Mid-to-late July (following certain conversations among her shinki)
Where: Yona's Temple
What: Information (and volatile emotion) is being shared among Yona's three shinki and it has some less-than-pleasant side effects for their goddess.

[ It had been a few days since she'd revealed the truth behind her nightmares - and the happenings that haunted one particular chamber within her temple - to Shizuo after he'd pressed for her trust and it had given her a lot to think about as well, revisiting that place and the memories of that night. Not that she didn't still see it so vividly in her memories and nightmares, but here... she hoped that being here might be able to give her new perspective on that night.

So far, she wasn't having much luck finding it. But she hadn't spoken any more about it to anyone either, spending a few days quieter than normal and immersed in her own thoughts as she dealt with her own emotions and the grief Shizuo told her she needed time to accept. It's distracting enough that she doesn't immediately realize how much it's affected her first shinki until she feels the sharp stinging pain that she knows come from him, but feels it much more intensely this time than she has before. Giving a yelp, she drops the book she'd been holding (and definitely not paying attention to enough to be reading) to rub at the sharp pain in her upper arm.

Well. That had been decidedly unpleasant. And far worse than the stings she'd gotten from her shinki before. Troubled by that, she debated what to do and whether or not to confront him over this one, but as it seemed serious, she finally pushes herself to her feet to go looking for him. Unfortunately, he proved rather difficult to find (because she hadn't thought of the roof) and while she looks, her other two shinki have, in the meantime, discovered him. And the hole he'd left in the wall. And then got the story directly from him about why it was now there.

Which is why, in abrupt succession, There is more stinging, each more painful than the last but still annoyingly in the same spot on her upper arm as tempers flare and the negative emotions created by the information has a direct physical effect. Shizuo's own is still mixed with the guilt of having damaged her temple and the effect rebounds between the three until Yona gives a soft cry, clutching at her arm near the entrance to her temple as she staggers for a moment and leans against one of the bright crimson pillars.

Her arm throbs in a way it's never done before, the pain deep and aching, and without thinking, she draws the sleeve of her dress up to reveal the dark discoloration of Blight now staining her skin and she stares at it in alarm, completely caught off-guard. ]

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[ She studies him for a moment, her gaze narrowed as she considers those words and the meaning behind them. ]

This is about what I told you, isn't it? About what happened in this place, to my father. To me. Is this what has you feeling this way?

[ He really didn't want to see Yona's face if he said everything- so instead he swallows it all and took another couple of steps away. ]

I'll come back when you're ready to revoke my name.

No.

[ She moves then, darting around him to place herself between him and the tall gate that leads down the mountain, her hands outstretched to still his retreat. Her expression is firm and stubborn, a challenging light in her eyes. ]

That's not happening, Shizuo. There is nothing you can say that will change what I think of you.

What is it? What is so bad that you must hide it from me and lie about it? What? Do you think me a fool, naive for being so blind to someone like that? Weak, for letting it happen to me? For not knowing that it was coming? Did it make you angry? Afraid? Do you think there is anything so terrible that it might have made you think, made you feel, something that I have not already have felt or thought myself?

[ His expression must've been strange. For someone that would be so transparent that you could see when he was holding back, Shizuo's face was oddly blank, with the strangest of stares down at the redhead. ]

You think that's going to goad me into telling you anything? We're done, Yona.

[ For they were fleet of foot, but Shizuo had the stronger legs of them. Leaping into the sky, it was clear that he was ready to run and shut Yona out before she had to hear what actions he's settled on taking. ]

[ Izumo had warned her of what the consequences would be if Shizuo was not willing to talk, to open up about what was causing this. She'd heeded him, even though she hadn't believed her shinki would truly turn away instead of confiding in her. The fact that that's exactly what Shizuo had done leaves her standing and staring after him a moment before she swiftly reacts, calling in the backup plan she'd had in place, just in case.

She hadn't thought she'd need it. There's part of her that's devastated over having to use it even now. But the Blight couldn't be left to spread, not through either of them. She only hoped he could forgive her when this was over. Would she have to release him after this after all if he could not?

But prepared to deal with one disaster at a time, she calls out to the dragons she knows are waiting in the room behind her, giving her the privacy she'd requested but still staying within a reachable distance should she need them. Which she now apparently did. ]

Jae-Ha!

[He had known that her calling on him was a very real possibility, and Jae-Ha wastes no time springing into action. He appears almost instantaneously, faster and more agile than even his slender and athletic build gave him credit for. A surge of heat fills him as he pushes off from the ground, his leg propelling him upwards, soaring towards Shizuo with an arm outstretched.]

You're not finished!

[He seizes his fellow shinki by the back of his collar, prepared to rein him back in.]

You can't run from this!

[None of them can.]

[ If there was anyone who could catch Shizuo, Jae-Ha really was the only choice. Especially with the way that Shizuo had tried to escape- the guy was the only one with strong enough legs to catch up and easily match the height that the blond could reach.

Who, as he heard Jae-Ha's voice, started to look towards the source. If he knew that the green-haired man had grabbed his collar, he wasn't fighting it- in reality they both know that Shizuo had no way of being aware of the feeling, and had to see to know what was being done. Meaning he'd already been grabbed, and in such an awkward way and place. ]

Oi, get off! You know it'd be safer for her if my name was revoked.

[ Yona breathes a sigh of relief when Jae-Ha catches him before he gets too far. She watches with her hands clutched worriedly in front of her, biting her lower lip. ]

Please bring him inside, Jae-Ha, if you will?

[ Or if he can. She also knows Kija will be hovering nearby in case his strength is needed as well. ]

Of course.

[It doesn't even occur to him that he might not be able to bring Shizuo in as she desired. He turns his attention to Shizuo, grimacing as he aims to touch back down on the ground, dragging the other man along with him.]

Don't be stupid. Even if she would be safer, that's not what she wants. You have to know that.

[And what Yona wanted? That had to matter to them.]

[ With the look in Shizuo's eyes, he disagreed with this whole thing. With the look on the back of his neck, the dark purple stain that proved he was the cause of this issue was easily seen for Jae-Ha. ]

This is probably a case where Yona doesn't get what she wants.

[ He's digging his heels in, and Shizuo reaches back for a warning grab to the other shinki's wrist. Of course even a warning comes with more strength than there probably should be. He wasn't going anywhere so easily. ]

What she wants will just keep causing this to happen

[His gaze is fixed on that stain for a moment, an uncommonly serious frown pulling at both corners of his mouth.]

You can't just leave!

[But Shizuo is putting up a lot of resistance, and Jae-Ha flinches as he feels the other man's hand close around his wrist. The force is already more than a normal person would be capable of, and Jae-Ha knows that Shizuo is capable of more yet. He pulls his wrist free before further damage can be done, wincing, but he's not willing to give up just yet.]

You have to know that's not true. Other gods and shinki make it work. So can we.

[No, you really cannot just leave.

[Of course, this is something the Princess can handle alone, something she feels she has to. Kija has, consequently, Stayed Out Of It, whatever It is; it is not his affair how she chooses to achieve that aim, and no matter how much he may wish to it certainly is not his place to compound her troubles by chasing after the offending parties himself. So he has waited, quiet and completely and entirely patient thank you very much, and if he has chosen to do so as from as close a vantage as possible and to pace the floor while he waits, it is merely because the weather is entirely too hot to sit immobile.

[That good intention lasts precisely as long as it takes for the Princess to call Jae-Ha's name, and it is extremely fortunate that Kija is already on his feet, as it makes it all the easier to fly to her--

[Just in time to see Shizuo grappling with Jae-Ha, and his brother pulling his wrist free from the other man's grasp.

[That, Kija thinks, is quite far enough.]

Shizuo!

[That was the warning shot.

[The back of the collar would be easiest: with no time to flank him it is not an option. Kija instead - excuse me, Jae-Ha, could you step back please? - snatches for the front of the man's shirt, the fabric catching in his claws as he lifts Shizuo off his feet, and hurls him bodily back toward the temple.]

That was not a request!

[ She sees Jae-Ha flinch at the grip Shizuo has on his wrist and she winces along with him, because no, she didn't want more of her shinki getting hurt. But before she can even cry out she feels another presence at her side and she glances up just in time to see Kija reach for them. ]

Ahh...!

[ In its own way, that's even more comforting, because Kija understands what's happening and knows his own strength perfectly well. And even though he all but tosses Shizuo back towards the temple, there's something in her breathing a quiet sigh of relief that at the moment, she doesn't have to handle this on her own.

If she had, she didn't know what she would have done. ]

Thank you, Jae-Ha. Thank you, Kija.

[ She's quick to shoot them both a grateful smile, small though it may be. Before she even moves, however, she reaches for her phone. Shizuo has made up his mind, it seems. That means she's going to need more help. She's going to call Izumo. it looked as if she was going to need his expertise after all. ]

[ There was plenty that could be said- that the other gods probably didn't have a shinki who would cause them this many problems and blight. Yet as quickly as Jae-Ha had pulled his wrist away, there's another voice that he hadn't heard in a long time.

In fact, despite how important the guy was to Yona, Shizuo wouldn't be able to say the person's name. He couldn't remember it. There was so many people to remember, and even with Hak and Jae-Ha, it'd taken a while before he started getting their names right. Not that the blond couldn't remember the person themselves, as it's easy to remember someone that throws you out of a building and into one of Yona's pools, but names were hard.

The point is, before he realized who was shouting his name, there was something on the stranger's hand that had tossed him back into the temple grounds. Of course Yona wouldn't feel any pain from him. No matter how rough the throw was, and even if the claws had gotten more than just fabric, the blond sort of ragdolls onto the ground.

Only to pick himself back up. Was he going to have to hurt all these people who mattered to Yona, just to get the right thing to happen? The idea made him sick. ]

You know, I really hate violence. I'd rather not have to go to it...

[ Yet he's already taking a step back towards the temple exit. ~~Have you been learning your shinki skills, Jae-Ha?~~ ]

[Jae-Ha had been quick to leap back, just enough to give Kija a clear shot, but he's far from through with this. He exchanges a serious glance with Kija himself-- they don't know each other well, but they both clearly have Yona's interests at heart, and that makes them allies if nothing else.

Agile and fleet-footed, Jae-Ha ducks behind Shizuo in order to cut off an easy escape route-- no, he hasn't been practicing his shinki skills as much as he ought, but he has a few other options before he resorts to those. Giving Kija a firm nod, he quickly drops and uses his dragon's leg to deliver a low, sweeping kick, aiming to knock Shizuo's feet out from under him.]

Then let's not let this come to blows. You're outnumbered.

[If Shizuo hates violence so much, there is a very obvious way to solve this: by listening to the Princess and not being an idiot. If he is determined, however, there is nothing else for it. Kija nods back at Jae-Ha, quick and firm, and tries not to think of how much he has missed this--

[Later.

[He's there when Jae-Ha sweeps Shizuo's feet from beneath him, there and already moving. He springs straight at the man, bearing him bodily to the floor and holding him there with his claw, pressing down with all the strength he has in his powerful right arm - all right, we will see how much you have. Yes, his nails are digging furrows in the dirt: Kija drives them deeper, pinning Shizuo to the floor with one immense hand. So much the better, more traction that way.

[Stay.]

Oh, no. You caused this mess. You are not going to walk away from it!

[ Yona tucks her phone away, having left a voicemail for Izumo while Jae-Ha and Kija worked at subduing her shinki. her face is solemn and composed but there's a deep sadness in her gaze as she approaches them. ]

Izumo is on his way, he'll know how to make the arrangements. [ She meets Shizuo's gaze evenly from where he's pinned on the ground. ] Please, stop, Shizuo. The Blight needs to be taken care of before anything else. After you are healed from that... If you still truly wish me to release you, then we can discuss it then. But only once this is taken care of and I am certain you're in your right mind once more. Deal?

[ Someday, he's going to get used to dealing with the scaly limbs that don't act like actual human parts most of the time. Despite knowing about Jae-Ha's leg, he still braces for the impact of a normal one. Instead he staggers just enough that the claw finishes the job in tackling the blond to the ground.

There's a hard and guarded look in Shizuo's hazel eyes- a look he's never had before this whole mess started. With how Yona's expression already was, he really didn't want to see her face if she had to hear everything else.

Which is why Kija could feel in his claw, despite it digging into the ground, resistance. There was no way of knowing whether the ground or 'hand' would give up first, but Shizuo was pushing against the force. He was even adjusting his legs to get a little more traction. ]

That's not really a deal. You'll just keep insisting that I'm not in my right mind. I'm pretty sure cutting our connection will make you just fine as well.

[ He didn't seem to care about being healed himself. No, if he was going to take all the blight from this, even without the name, it'd be the least he deserved. ]

[Jae-Ha decides to give Kija a bit of assistance with this one, propping his foot against Shizuo's shoulder to help keep him pinned to the ground, his arms folded over his lean form.]

Don't you trust her?

[Shinki were supposed to trust their gods.]

If she says she'll release you, then she'll keep her word. Yona doesn't believe in keeping anyone against their will, but before you go anywhere, the Blight needs to be healed!

[He digs his heel in just a little, for emphasis.]

It is a deal. You'll get what you want, once you do the right thing and help clean up this mess that you made.

Thank you, Jae-Ha.

[Were Shizuo a normal man, the idea that he needed assistance would be insulting, from anyone but a brother. Here and now, however, the assistance is nothing but appreciated.

[Because Shizuo does not appear inclined to co-operate. As if this situation could be resolved by simply walking from it, by disclaiming all responsibility and trusting that everyone else would resolve the matter quite alone and never mind the absence of the principal architect. Kija would not understand that, would think such a course quite shameful even were the Princess not the offended party. That she is? To try and shirk that responsibility is unforgivable.

[Kija exchanges a glance with Jae-Ha; he forces Shizuo back to the ground. Yes, he knows exactly what the man is thinking. He will have to think again.]

You promised to protect her! How could you break that vow so readily?

[And now that Shizuo has been grounded and there is an opening in the fireworks display, Zeno moseys on out, himself. He wanders over to where Shizuo's head is, and crouches there. Hakuryuu and Ryokuryuu have the brute strength to handle this themselves, and the young mister is no slouch in his own right, so Zeno just ruffles his hair fondly. Because this is so cute, this whole attempt to run away from the dragons and the young lady.]

You didn't really think it'd work out like that, did you?

[He asks with a soft smile.]

Let Zeno give you the god's perspective. Gods like miss love adorable shinki like you, and blight can be healed. Take your medicine like a man and trust the miss to know herself and her mind.

[ He shoots a look at Jae-Ha. They both knew that Yona would take liberties with deals if she thought it was for the best. Just as she'd hold back whatever was causing her to suffer. Isn't that what she'd been doing for the past month?

This whole time that he made that promise; had such a show about it against the weird-armed guy, and he'd failed before having realized it.

Which is why Shizuo tried pushing against both limbs, not knowing just how much force they were using, or how much he'd been attempting to use- Honestly, Shizuo didn't want to actually hurt them, so much as get away and give Yona the time to see that it was smarter to get rid of him and the blight, along with the chance for future stinging, all in one shot. The two would've been able to feel something shift around the shoulder Jae-Ha was keeping pinned down, and possibly somewhere else. Not like he was gearing up into some strange power, but the unnatural kind that you'd normally expect to hear a sickening pop or crunch with.

Yet he doesn't pause until there's a hand ruffling through his hair. ]

Does it matter what she knows? Yona just lets the stinging happen and doesn't do shit about it, even if it's for her own health. Maybe it's my own fault, because this was a place that welcomed me, but I'd rather be thrown away than let it keep happening.

[ Which is when he looks past Zeno to where the redhead was. What he was about to say would probably hurt more than his 'thrown away' comment, but Yona knew how important promises were to Shizuo. He'd feel absolutely sick to his stomach (which would probably make this stinging blight even worse,) but if it worked, he could also save her.

It'd be worth it down the line, right? ]

You knew I was breaking my promise by keeping me on as a shinki. Was there even a single damn day where I didn't sting you?

[ Yona listens to his outburst before coming to kneel on the grass where Jae-Ha and Kija have him pinned. The comment hurt, more than she's willing to show, but she somehow manages to keep her expression mostly calm - if saddened by the words he uses to jab at her - causing more pain in themselves than any of the stinging had ever done. her shoulder throbs, the Blight spreading a little further, but she holds back a wince, because in a way, even that is telling in itself. ]

Shizuo, if I thought for a moment that you'd intended me harm or hurt, then yes, I would have called you out on breaking your promise. Yes, there have been days that you haven't stung me. There have also been days when you stung me quite a bit. But those were also the days I sought you out to talk to you about what might be bothering you. And every time, it was quite clear that it was something you were worrying over or troubled about but nothing that wouldn't pass.

You punish yourself enough already for the stray thoughts and emotions you feel - you had no say in the rules of this place watching even that, none of us did. No, I didn't tell you every time you stung me, because I worried that you would just heap more blame upon yourself because of that, when you had already done nothing wrong.

[Jae-Ha's leg begins to bulge beneath its wrapping as he feels something shift beneath his foot, amplifying his own strength on gut instinct, though he doesn't go quite as far as Kija has with his hand. He sets his jaw, grimacing as he looks down at Shizuo beneath him.]

Listen to her. She's far from unreasonable. You're the one taking this to an unnecessary extreme.

I doubt he is listening.

[Stay.

[There must be an easier way to achieve these ends. If nothing else, it is simply undignified that any servant of the Princess should require the combined talents of two of her guardians to keep him restrained for long enough to see sense, something that Shizuo only seems less inclined to do now, if anything--]

You have to stop this!

[Not that the knowledge is enough to keep Kija from trying, too.

[We can end this, Shizuo. All you have to do is let her help.]