[Open-ish]

[darkestbefore]

Who: The members of Áine's temple and affected castmates/CR.
When: July 31 and the days following
Where: Cnoc Áine
What: Between Ablution fallout and Memory Regains, there really never is a dull moment around here. Catch-all for various happenings revolving around both.


[ Yona had hoped that perhaps, after the ablution, things might calm down for a little while at her temple, give them all a chance to catch their breaths. Work out the tensions and problems that still lingered between them so they could get back to figuring out how to work as a team, a cohesive unit.

...Unfortunately, someone somewhere seemed to have a different idea... ]

Comments

drops this on your head....

[thethunderbeast]

[Hak isn't normally a late sleeper, usually up with the sun when it peeks over the horizon in the mornings. He enjoys the quiet within the temple grounds and will typically wander through them to clear his head before the others are up and making noise. However, the morning of July 31 is a bit different. The sun is already crawling to its peak in the sky when he stirs in his bed, his sheets in a disarray.

The dream had started out with the familiar motion of his spear swinging out and around in front of him before spiraling quickly into feelings of anger, hatred and betrayal as he yelled across at a man with long hair and dressed in even longer robes - the man named Soo-Won. And then there was the sound of metal against metal as he fought with every bit of strength he had. No matter how hard Hak tried to pull himself free of this nightmare, it kept him there to witness all of it from his own perspective. At first, he didn't think it was him but as they repeated his name over and over and the voices become more and more familiar, it became harder to deny. Hak is the one fighting this man, and Hak is the one with the blades pointed at his neck.

His arms begin to feel heavy with the weight of a limp body in them, tucked beneath one arm with his spear in the other, and he's running in a frantic manner, the feelings of anger still there. But there's a boy now, too...

It isn't the arrows nearly missing him or the warm spatters of blood against the skin on his face or the cold air outside the castle gates that finally shakes him awake, but it's when he catches a glimpse of the red hair, and when he sees the fire leave her eyes. That's when he knows.

This isn't a dream. Dreams fade when you wake from them and the details slip through your fingers faster than sand before you are able to hold onto them. Not this one, though. This is a memory - a memory of Yona, of Soo-Won, and of a boy named Min-Soo who risked his life to save theirs. Hak remembers how he felt mislead, resentful, hurt.

This is the escape from the castle that fateful night that lead to everything that came after - all of the things he still can't remember. He was the one who was with her during her escape from the castle as Shizuo said. He was the one who saved her from an even more unfortunate fate that night.

He doesn't immediately bolt out of his bed, but he slides across so that he can sit upright with his feet touching the cool floor beneath him, burying his face in his hands with cold sweat dripping across his brow. He knows what he needs to do, but he's afraid. She's been giving him the same answers whenever he's asked. It's too risky, that she's in a difficult situation... but there's no skirting around it this time. Not when he knows that what he remembers is true - that that was the princess... that she is the princess, and that's all that matters.

He sways when he gets to his feet at last and once he's washed up and changed, he seeks her out in the grounds. Hak knows exactly where to find her, and so he heads to the stables where she's tending to the horses the same way she does every morning. She might have felt him coming before he gets there but regardless of whether she turns to him or not when she comes into his view, he calls out to her anyway.]

Princess Yona!

[darkestbefore]

[ She'd felt him coming before he ever reached the stables, but assuming he was only coming to fetch her back for breakfast, she continued her task, feeding the last of the horses who had wandered inside for their breakfast. At least in this much, she'd managed to train them, but they still went where they wanted most of the time and even she hadn't figured out how they did it. If they wanted out? They got out. But for the moment, they were all inside the stables happily munching on their breakfasts.

She turns with a warm smile when she hears his voice, turning to greet him in a good mood. ]

Good morning, Hak! Did you....

[ Her words trail off to an abrupt stop as his own greeting finally sinks in and she goes pale, like she'd just seen a ghost. Perhaps, in a way, she has. ]

....What did you call me?

[thethunderbeast]

[He stops inches from her, his breath short and quick from when he'd hurried over, and his grip takes her by the shoulder to push her against the nearest wall. The sudden movement stirs the horses, some of them padding their feet on the ground, but he ignores them. He's too busy staring down at her pale face, his jaw clenching and an anger burning in his chest as he repeats the name again with more heat this time.]

Princess Yona.

[Hak's fingers tighten around her shoulder.]

That's your name. Right?

[darkestbefore]

[ Her back impacts against the stable wall but she barely notices, staring up at his face, at the fire in his eyes, the emotions she can see swirling there. She opens her mouth to answer, but for a moment, no words come and she can only gape at him as her mind races to figure out how she should answer that question. ]

I... yes?

[ It's not like she's about to lie to him about. She hadn't purposefully hidden it, had just once again struggled with how much she could say that would not trigger any of the memories he'd forgotten. ]

How did you....?

The Fallout - Mostly open

[bartenderizing]

[ Ever since the day when an accidental blighting turned into a desperate attempt to force Yona's hand, Shizuo has been mostly reclusive. Either in his room, with the door closed, or hiding away in a quiet spot no one (as far as he knew) had found, or out on the Near Shore. He wasn't even eating or drinking milk anywhere near the amount that he normally did. Partially it was to lick his wounds, so to speak, as the very ritual was a kind of humiliation act to get a shinki to confess everything. It was made worse by two of those performers being people he knew, and the things he said to them...

It was all humiliating and, while this wasn't something that would cause Yona pain, he felt like garbage over everything he reflected over. Even looking back on that PSA post that was on the boards, about blight and ablutions, didn't warn how easily you were hooked and drawn into making things worse out of desperation.

That part of you wouldn't want to be saved.

Except this wasn't over because an ablution was performed. There were standing consequences, and he'd have to face anyone that wanted to confront him about the blight, the ritual, and his attempt to force Yona's hand. ]


[For Yona] in August

[ The very idea of having to face the young redhead was still twisting the man's stomach into knots. Remembering what he said, and how it only caused the blight to worsen even further, made it hard to think of how he'd come across the stubborn goddess.

What if it just happened again, because that was the kind of person he was?

On one of his days out on the Near Shore, an older plan that he had came to mind. Which is why, early in the afternoon, the blond man was heading back up the stairs with a drink tray full of cups that had a sealed top and strange pearls on the bottom of each. ]

[toremainbehind]

There you are.

['sup Shizuo.

Whether you were trying to hide or not, it's hard to actually hide from Izumo. Izumo hasn't really been looking for Shizuo, but since he's been staying at the temple for a few days, anyway, he's been making a few rounds.

So, he approaches Shizuo, though it's evident it's not with his usual 'merriment' when it comes to greeting his twin.]

[bartenderizing]

[ Hiding or not, Shizuo wasn't exactly hard to find. In his simple ways, there was a simplicity in the patterns of where he'd go to hide away. Because it was the same places as he'd go to just relax. The main thing lacking, in comparison to his routines, was that he avoided the easily spotted areas and hadn't been drinking milk or eating nearly as much as he normally did.

It was going to happen eventually, right? This confrontation. Shizuo knew he'd have to take his lumps for the stunt he pulled after what was honestly unintentional. ]

Yeah. Here I am, Izumo.

[toremainbehind]

How are you feeling?

[Izumo doesn't come closer, keeping some distance between them.

He doesn't sound angry, even, but with the way things have been lately, it'll only be a matter of time before everything that's happened throughout the month finally crashes down on him.]

[darkestbefore]

[ When he reaches the top of the stairs and enters the Courtyard, it will be just in time to see his goddess teleport into sight in the middle of the open area, a deep red cape tucked about her slim form today. It momentarily hides what she has in her hands, but when she hears his footsteps approaching, she spins about to greet him, able to feel him coming closer. ]

Shizuo! I was just looking for you!

[ She has a smile on her lips, warm and friendly as she turns to him. They haven't seen each other much since the purification ritual although she had checked up on him as often as she could and perhaps hovered worriedly when he slept, even if he wasn't aware of it. Still a little uncertain about whether or not he might prefer for him to release him still, she'd been nervous about approaching him when he was awake until he was feeling stronger, but today he'd been up and about before even she had risen, so she had taken that as a sign that he might be feeling a little more like himself.

Which had prompted a visit to the Near Shore, to the little ice cream parlor he had taken her to the one time. She'd only just returned, carefully gripping a milkshake of his favorite flavor - a hopeful peace offering and apology she intends to offer.

But she stops short when she sees the tray he holds, a surprised expression flitting across her face before she turns sheepish. ]

Ahh.... It seems we had similar ideas.

[bartenderizing]

[ A lot of Shizuo's core was still numb, trying to find ground and a way to move on after that whole issue that ended with the ablution. He had sort of emptied out, and even now was working on figuring out where to go from this point. Thing is, he couldn't keep hiding away in his room and those various quiet spots that were hidden away from the others.

When Yona sees him, his hair is a bit of a wild mess. Not simply from the heat and humidity, but proof that he didn't even bother with his hair after his last shower. Shizuo may've woken up early, but he was still a shadow of himself. He couldn't even add a smile on top of his surprised expression. ]

I, uh... I mentioned bubble tea to you a little while back. There's a few different kinds, some with or without milk or with different bubbles. So I got a few kinds.

[darkestbefore]

For me?

[ There's a soft hint of pleasure in her smile as he explains. She can tell how uncomfortable he is and after a moment of consideration, she beckons for him to follow her. ]

Come with me. We can go sit in the shade of one of the apple trees and try them. Ahh, I tried my best to remember which was your favorite flavor of milkshake. I hope I picked the right one. There were a lot of choices.

[ She might have been obsessively fussing and just a little overwhelmed, to be perfectly honest. ]

[sonofson]

[Goten hadn't seen heads or tails of Shizuo since the ablution thing happened. Granted the first day after, he hadn't really tried to look for the blonde being too tired himself. Ablution took a lot out of both sides and Shizuo was so stubborn and such a fighter...it was probably one of the few times Goten didn't have that much energy and slept a lot.

But he's back at it now, flying around the Far Shore looking for the blond with a bag in his hands The only things that made finding Shizuo a little easier then it would have been otherwise was the fact Goten could fly and sense his energy. He spent enough time around the twin duo to do that practically effortlessly so it isn't long before he's swooping down to Shizuo]

Shizuo!! Found you!

[bartenderizing]

[ Given how easily it seems to be for Goten to find him, maybe Shizuo should be glad that the kid hasn't barrelled his way into his bedroom yet. Hopefully that won't be something to worry about in the future, either. Especially with how hot it could be at the temple...

When the kid gets on scene, it's all the more obvious that Shizuo wasn't completely back to his routine, if only for the fact that his hair was still in that 'lion' form. Actually, it's a little more wild and fluffier than Goten's seen, because it was left this way after a shower and letting it dry naturally. He looked... Less like Izumo, overall. There would always be similarities, but there was no way they could be mistaken for one another right now. ]

Something tells me I wasn't that hard to find. What's up?

[justclaws]

[The next few days are spent in attempting to comprehend exactly how he feels about it all.

[It is like - it is, Kija thinks, rather like trying to be angry with Ao. Not the squirrel. Ao. Obstinate, infuriating Ao, complicated by the nature of his life, the manner of his death, the devotion that Shin-ah had for him, so many years later. He could never be angry with such a man, not really. Not properly, straightforwardly angry, the kind of anger that knew no quarter and no remorse. One could, Kija sometimes feels, only ever be that angry with a man you knew nothing of, somebody who is nothing but the sum total of his actions. Even Soo-won, in the flesh, was after all a man.

[So it is with Shizuo. His actions had been maddening, a provocation scarce to be borne. And it would have been easy, Kija would have known how to feel, if that had only been where it ended. For Shizuo had paid for his offenses toward the Princess, and he had paid for them dearly. Nobody had got away with anything.

[Which leaves Kija's anger with nowhere to go.

[Which leaves him entirely unsure of what he does feel, now, about Shizuo. Kija has of course never doubted that the Princess would want the man to remain by her side: there was never, that being so, going to be any way to evade the issue of continued co-operation. He still isn't sure the day he goes to - to what? To confront him, to challenge him, simply to speak? He does not know. He feels, though, that it is beyond him to resolve this alone. That, perhaps, the only way he will ever understand what he thinks of Shizuo now is if he goes and finds out.

[Once again, he is unprepared; he has nothing whatever to say for himself. Once again, Kija realizes this only when he lays eyes on the man. One really would think that was one lesson he would have learned first time.]

Shizuo.

[bartenderizing]

[ To say that Kija found a shadow of the person he barely knew wasn't entirely accurate. He wasn't hollow or looking to be dead inside- No, Shizuo had looked emptied out after the ablution, because the ritual demanded everything. With unkempt hair that was more like a lion's mane, with its wildness, and tired eyes, this was probably the first time that Shizuo looked weak.

He was still trying to figure out where to go after all of this. What to do, and what kind of person to try and become after all of this. Yet maybe he was still punishing himself, as if the ablution wasn't enough.

With an open shirt and shorts, it was easy to see just how thin the blond really was. There really wasn't any muscle to back up the raw strength that he had. ]

Kija. Ah, if you want Yona, she's...

[ Actually, that's when he realizes that, with the days having started to blur together- ]

I'm actually not sure where she is. She could be up in the temple, at the archery range or something...

walks in five years late with no starbucks, sorry!

[thethunderbeast]

[Hak had taken to wandering the grounds a lot more as of late and knew all the good quiet spots to nap, eat a snack, or do absolutely nothing. Today though, he wasn't looking to do any of those things. Instead, he's seeking out one particular shinki who he's been granting some space to after the Ablution.

Him not speaking to Shizuo for several days didn't mean that he had no concern for the other man - not at all. Among the worry, he was angry about everything that happened that day. Hak watched it all from the sidelines because had no place in getting involved, especially when Jae-Ha and Kija could do a much better job at restraining him than he could.

So when things are finally settling down, he finds Shizuo in one of the spots around the temple grounds Hak figured he would be and pipes up the moment he comes into view.]

How long are you going to do this?

no offering? how dare

[bartenderizing]

[ There's a couple of long seconds where Shizuo doesn't respond- In fact, he doesn't seem to do anything. The only proof that he wasn't asleep is after that time passes, when the blond (with that unkempt and wild hair,) turns his head away while staying laid out on his back. ]

Going to do what? I haven't been doing anything.

[ Yeah, absolutely nothing. Not taking care of himself, not interacting with people- At least he's bathing. If there was going to be any small graces, at least he was keeping clean. ]

open, and late. >.>

[leapinglizard]

[Much like Hak, Jae-Ha's memories came to him while he slept, far too bright and vivid to simply be a dream. The clash of steel, the flash of Yona's red hair in the crow's nest as she loosed the arrow that turned the tide of battle-- Hak and Kija and another warrior that Jae-Ha had yet to meet here on the Far Shore if he was present at all, all fighting alongside one another under a pirate captain whose name and face were both painfully familiar, though he could remember little else about her.

Captain Gi-Gan. She was important, and he wished for the life of him that he could remember why.

The entire scene stays with him upon waking, the thick smell of smoke from the flares that had been sent up, the tang of blood in the air from open wounds. He wastes little time in setting out to find both his goddess and his fellow shinki, eager to confirm what he'd seen-- if he remembered, then certainly so did they. Yona had known him even before he came to this place, and suddenly so many of their interactions make more sense to him than they did before, even if the details remain hazy or lost.

Later in the day, he can be found training out behind the temple itself, trying to imitate and recreate some of the techniques he'd used during that particular battle, letting muscle memory guide him. The method's not perfect, but it expands his repertoire, lets him build on what his body had already known to do upon his arrival here.]

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona had had a talk already this morning with Hak in the stables and even though that had gone... about as well as expected, she's feeling a little shaken by the sudden rush of his emotions and the understanding that he had memories now.

When Jae-Ha finds her, she's settled on the steps outside her room, hands curved around a steaming cup of tea as she tries to gather her thoughts into some sort of coherent order. ]

[leapinglizard]

[He stops short when he spots her, sensing her unease-- it's entirely possible that the partial return of his memory could have been timed a bit better, from the looks of things, but he clears his throat to get her attention all the same.]

Yona-chan.

walks in here late as well >.>

[thethunderbeast]

[After his talk with Yona early that morning, Hak has been wandering around the temple grounds, mostly keeping to himself in an effort to clear his head. How well that's working? Well, that's still up in the air. It at least gives him some more time to mull over his new, or not so new, memory and what all of it means for him and for Yona.

It's certainly going to be shaking things up a lot around here. Hopefully that's the last thing that will.

...

When Jae-Ha discovers him, he's napping in the sun in the middle of the orchards, surrounded by the sweet smell of growing fruit and fresh air. He is't really sleeping, more like lounging with the sun beating down on his face, hands pillowing his head.]

<.<

[leapinglizard]

[With Hak looking so comfortable, sprawled out in the grass like that, naturally there's only one thing to do.

Jae-Ha approaches him without ceremony and begins to toe at his shoulder, hard enough to nudge but not quite a full-blown kick.]

Hey. You. Hak.

[Hi. :D]

Later still, with cake~

[justclaws]

[Very well, he came back. That is permitted, is not not?

[Of course, Kija is aware that... well, personally he feels it would be too optimistic to assume that everything is all right now. He is aware that matters have been resolved. That, no matter what he may think of Shizuo (and Kija is not sure he knows the answer to that question) the Princess is nonetheless in safe hands. That there is no pressing reason for him to return to the temple. None, that is, save that he wants to.

[He has bought cake. There are some positives to this place, and cake is very much one of them. The Princess deserves nice things anyway; all the more so considering what she has been through lately. Perhaps they could both do with the reminder that this world is not all bad.]

Princess?

tackles you!

[darkestbefore]

[ Not only permitted but openly encouraged! Otherwise she'd just be here moping and missing you, Kija.

As it is, she's sprawled on her stomach beneath one of the apple trees, playing with her pair of kittens, teasing them with a string that she may or may not have stolen from out of Jae-Ha's hair, At the sound of the familiar voice, however, she sits up, looking for him eagerly. ]

Kija? Is that you? I'm back here.

[justclaws]

[Ah, there she is--

[Well, why not outside? It is a beautiful day, and a shame to waste it indoors. He quickens his pace, rounding a corner to spot the Princess sitting beneath a tree, a length of ribbon in one hand as she plays with a pair of tiny tabby cats Kija is almost sure he has not seen about the temple before. For a moment, he simply stands and watches, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Then - she is, after all, waiting - he hurries toward her.]

I am glad to see you, princess. I trust you are keeping well?