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 hesitates a moment, eyeing his arm, but he's offered the one on the side of her Blighted shoulder and that won't do at all. She drops her gaze a moment before taking a deep breath, trying to gather her courage back up. ]

I'm not, no. Would you mind... I can take your other arm, if it's alright? [ She glances up to meet his gaze once more. ] I can explain once we're sitting.

[The request surprises him, but he quickly adjusts to offer her the opposite arm, his frown persisting.]

Of course. You only need ask.

[He guides her to the bench once she's safely taken his other arm, waiting until she's seated before he sits down beside her.]

What's troubling you?

[ Settling down on the bench beside him, she hesitates a moment before giving a quiet sigh and angling herself just enough so she can tuf her sleeve aside to reveal the Blight that has spread across her flesh. What had started as just a spot on her shoulder has spread over the course of the day, dark, angry-looking tendrils roping down her arm now and also up along her torso, even though that part remains hidden beneath her clothing. ]

This, I'm afraid.

[His eyes go wide for half a moment before his expression contorts, shifting to one of anger rather than surprise. He knows not what it is, not exactly, but it's clearly causing her pain, and that's reason enough to be furious.]

Yona-- who did this to you?

[He will fight them.]

I'm... still trying to figure that part out.

[ She musters a rueful smile for him, ducking her head. ]

I, ah. I believe it was an accident. You were upset this morning - all of you, I mean. It's why I wanted to come talk to each of you.

[His face falls almost immediately. It was them-- her shinki? He had played a part in this?]

How--

[He doesn't quite understand all the logistics of what it means to be a shinki bonded to a god just yet, but his chest feels tight, disappointment coming over him as he realizes that he'd had an active hand in this.]

I had no idea...

[ She's quick to reach out and lay her hand on his arm, squeezing gently, her own expression worried over how hard he takes that. She can feel it, rushing along the link they share, and whether or not there is a sting to accompany it is hard to tell, considering the Blight has taken up most of her awareness now. ]

I know. This... I didn't expect this either. Trust me when I say I don't believe any of you did anything wrong - I know you would never purposefully cause me harm. But there is something in the link that binds us, that... I can feel it, when each of you feel more negative emotions. Anger, jealousy, guilt, sorrow. It stings when you do, but the little moments of emotions have never been that big a deal before now. I expected nothing less, while this place is new and strange and confusing and gave none of you any choice in the matter. It was always something that could be easily dispelled just by talking it through and making sure each of you was alright.

But then this morning.... [ She trails off, glancing down at her shoulder to indicate the effects of today. She'd already put together that the three of them had interacted in such a way that had the negative emotions building until this had been the result.

She even strongly suspects what it was that had set all three of them off. ]

[His eyes narrow critically. He's had plenty of negative thoughts about this place, plenty of anger and disappointment, and he has to wonder just how many times he's stung her since his arrival. How was one supposed to stop feeling? Was wanting to spare her enough to stop emotions from working as they did?

He exhales slowly, steeling himself.]

It must have been what Shizuo told me. I can't remember being so angry ever since I arrived here.

[ She heaves a soft sigh at that, because she'd expected that. Especially after talking to Hak. ]

He told you, didn't he? About this place.

More than that.

[He grimaces, shaking his head.]

We were talking about you. Why you haven't been sleeping well.

[ She gives a soft laugh, a hint self-depreciating. ]

And here I thought I'd done so well at hiding it.

Well, I won't deny that you've definitely put effort into that.

[It wasn't quite enough, however.]

You've been having nightmares.

I have been.

[ She doesn't deny it - she would never lie to them anyway. ]

[His expression darkens slightly, troubled, though he takes care not to let it overwhelm him. He doesn't want to hurt her further.]

Shizuo told me why. I couldn't help being angry.

[ That gets a small smile and a laugh from her as she reaches out with her good hand to lay it on his arm. ]

I know. And you're allowed that. I'm fairly certain there was more to it than just this. [ And she could have taken the stings from just that confession, but the Blight was something more, something she still needed to get to the bottom. ]

It still makes me angry.

[He reaches to lay a hand atop hers, curling his fingers slightly.]

How can I help?

[With the nightmares. With this.]

Jae-Ha, you already do help. [ She's quick to try and reassure him of that, just in case. ] Having you here, having each of you here as my shinki... It is... [ heartbreaking? ] How could I not feel safe? But that is not always enough to shake bad memories, it seems. [ She pauses to glance around her with a sad smile. ] Especially here.

As for this, [ She motions carefully to her shoulder. ] Ahh, this part I am still figuring out. From what I've been told, negative emotions might only cause some stinging, a warning to me that perhaps something is wrong. But it's guilt or deeper emotions of a shinki purposefully doing something they know is wrong that can cause Blight to their god. It's why I wanted to speak to each of you about what happened, about what you learned.

[His expression softens as she reassures him of his place here, of what he already does for her-- it doesn't seem enough, but who is he to question her if that's what she says she feels?

His gaze travels back to her shoulder, his frown pulling deeper.]

Purposefully...

[He shakes his head.]

I was angry. Made some threats should the one responsible ever show his face, but-- nothing that I felt was wrong.

You're allowed to be angry. [ Hak had confessed something similar, after all. Among some other confessions she was keeping between them. As she would this conversation, as well. ] And that your first instinct to protect me is not something to be punished - it's something I'm grateful for.

[ And knowing him - knowing any of her dragons - it did not surprise her in the least.

But that also meant that her final conversation would be the most difficult and relevant. ]

But I still wanted to speak to you, to understand what you were thinking and feeling. I felt you all get upset. It worried me.

We all want to protect you.

[That much is getting easier to admit. While he still doesn't care for the idea of being bound to someone, there are certainly worse 'masters' he could ask for. Yona has been kind and patient, among other things. He's grateful-- and it only makes him want to protect her all the more.]

But you never need to worry about me. I'm always fine.

[Or so he tells himself.]

Jae-Ha. [ Her voice is patient and fond as she smiles up at him. ] I am well aware. But I will worry about you all the same, because you're important to me.

[He smiles faintly despite the situation, that teasing look he was so well known for causing his eyes to glint mischievously.]

How important?

[ She just laughs and gives him a playful shove. ]

Important enough, trust me.

[He's tempted to shove her back in jest, but he doesn't dare when she's already in pain, and so he settles for reaching for one of her hands, loosely closing his fingers around her wrist. His expression is serious once more, unblinking.]

Whatever I can do to help alleviate this, I will. You know that.

[ Her smile turns rueful although none of the fondness fades. ]

I do know that. Thank you, Jae-Ha. I hope that this can be resolved as simply between all of us. But it's a relief to me to know I have your support.