( closed )

[minogame]

Who: Urashima and Nari, Urashima and Chinatsu
When: Mid-August
Where: Neptune's Temple and around the Far Shore
What: Urashima finds himself assigned to another god and checks up on his kohai


for Nari

( When Urashima wakes up, he smells salt on the air and hears waves splashing on the shore. It's different from what he's become used to waking up to-- fresh water, bubbling ponds, the wind blowing through the garden. He sits up quickly in the sand, and finds himself staring out into the sea. Clouds form on the horizon and he can feel in the air that it won't be long before it starts to rain. This isn't Eris' temple and he understands exactly what's happened. So this is where the Heavens want him to be? He looks down the shore both ways and then turns to look back. He can see trees and homes. That must be the temple, he thinks.

He'll go to investigate later. Just give him a minute. He sits on the sand, knees pulled close to his chest, chin resting on his folded arms, looking out at the sea. Kamekichi sits next to him and he pets her shell. )

Mmm, I wonder where Chinatsu-chan is...

( He'll meet his new god first and then look for her. She's a strong person, he thinks.
She'll be fine for a little while. )

for Chinatsu

( After getting in touch with her, Urashima sets out to meet Chinatsu. She's been here for a little while but it isn't as long as him. This is her first time losing a god and he remembers how that feels. When he finally meets Chinatsu again, he arms himself with a smile and calls out to her as brightly as ever, )

Chinatsu-cha~an!~

Comments

[nolittlesecret]

[Before Urashima can meet his new god, he's going to be investigated first. Or just have kittens curiously watching him from some tufts of grass by the sand. There's four of them of various colors just staring at this newcomer.

It's a big white cat that comes over and just rubs herself against Urashima. Hi! Do you remember May from Sora's place? Because she remembers your smell. One of her favorite gods homes had your smell, too.]

[minogame]

(He recognizes the cat if only because she's so big and soft. He hadn't really been to Sora's temple much at all to remember things like names but you better believe he knows a familiar face when he sees one.)

Ah! (He lets out a surprised gasp and reaches to pet along her back and tail.) Hey, Kitty-chan.

(He looks up and around. This sure isn't Sora's temple and it isn't Roxas' either. And both of their temples were... gone so it wouldn't make sense for him to be at any of those places. He moves a little closer, moving onto his knees to scratch May behind the ear,)

You're really far away, aren't you?

[nolittlesecret]

[May purrs when she's petted, leaning against Urashima. Seems her approval is enough for the other kittens to slowly come out from the hiding place and see just what this person is all about. Sorry, turtle boy, you are now the sitting place of four kittens who love people. Only two of them have collars on with the names Pumpernickel and Rosemary.

With a chirp, May looks over at the treeline. There seems to be someone standing over there and watching this going on now. Maybe your new god?]

[minogame]

(Wow, that might actually make Kamekichi jealous. Excuse you, felines, but this is her boy and her resting place not all of yours? She yawn-roars at the cats silently and Urashima reaches over all of them and between petting them to rub her shell. Don't worry, Kamekichi, he's always going to be a turtle boy. He's trying to read the collars and search the others for names,)

Rosemary and... Pumpkin? Ah, Pumper...nickel...? (What a strange name. It makes him kind of... hungry? He's surrounded by cats and a turtle and he doesn't really mind. He's speaking quietly to all of them like it's totally natural to have regular conversations with animals.) Do you live here too? Who takes care of you...? The god of cats...?

(And then he feels something. He can't put his finger on it but it's like... someone is close? He looks around at the empty shore. May meows and he follows her eyes. He starting to get up which is pretty difficult considering he's basically become a living cat fort but... Who's there...?)

[nolittlesecret]

[The kittens soak up the attention, purring and looking rather content. One of them even starts to try and groom Kamekichi. She's just another weird cat to them.

May trots over to this new person.] Hey there, May. Found another stray?

[Nari looks over at Urashima, frowning.]

You are?

[minogame]

(Urashima moves some the kittens aside and stands properly to meet Nari. He bows his head once in greeting and easily breaks into a smile,)

Urashima Kotetsu and this is Himechan. (He nods towards the turtle that is trying to deal with this kitten.) Is this your temple?

[nolittlesecret]

[The kittens are going to complain loudly about this, but they settle down with actual turtle fast enough. Nari mimics the head bow. Why so formal...]

Nari Reno. [He nods and takes a look around.] Part of it. This is just the beach. There's a lot more past the trees.

[minogame]

(Because he's a good kid from a good family, that's why.)

Nari.

(He says it once to make sure he has it right and moves on. He looks at the trees. This temple is big. Bigger than the others he's stayed at but maybe that's because the ocean view makes it feel bigger.)

What kind of god are you? (He's trying to guess.) Heh heh, I can't tell if you're the god of beaches or the god of cats.

(He's joking. Joking!)

[nolittlesecret]

[It's big because Urashima will get to meet a member of this god's family that needs a lot of space to run around in.]

Close. Neptune, god of seas, lakes, earthquake, dirt, storms, and horses. But I love cats, and apparently they all belonged to me or someone I knew back when I was a shinki. May belonged to Sora according to Caly.

[He motions with a tilt of his head for the shinki to follow him through the trees.]

I'm guessing you're supposed to be here. [If that awful dream was any indication.] Didn't think I'd get a shinki that wasn't Mark.

1/2

[minogame]

(The temple will be big enough for Tsukuyomi to wander around too.. Tsukuyomi's probably appeared somewhere else on the temple by now.

He lights up. Ah--)

Like the Dragon King! (Almost. Also, no context there but Nari will find out about Urashima's fascination with the God of the Seas and magic treasure soon enough.

And he grins at Nari, looking as proud as he can,) That's right~

[minogame]

If it's okay with you, of course.

(He calms down almost as easily as he'd lit up. This is a kid that can switch between energetic and calm easily,)

I know I look like a kid... but I'm really strong.

[nolittlesecret]

[Dragon King? Uh, yeah, that's a cool comparison. Nari loves dragons!]

Why wouldn't it be? A god needs a shinki to fight those ayakashi things.

[Not that he's run across any yet. Chores and training keep him pretty busy. It is a pretty big place to maintain upkeep on.]

If a kid is willing to fight, I ain't gonna tell them not to. Strong or not..... are you a kid?

[minogame]

That's right.

(He can definitely fight his share of ayakashi too if Nari lets him. If he's still a sword. He's been a sword every time so far so why would that change?)

Hm... (The question makes him thoughtful. He's genuinely thoughtful and he taps his chin, looking up at the sky as he tries to do some math. He's repeating a lot of different years-- Heisei, Showa, Edo... and numbers. Japanese calendars are rough, Nari.) I think I'm between 300 and 400...

(357, more or less.)

But I don't feel very old.

[redmare]

[It didn't bother Chinatsu when Urashima asked her to meet up, but seeing him running towards her..somehow it felt like she hadn't seen him in so long, and that only made it feel more real. Their god, their temple, what kept them together was gone. It was still weird not seeing him cleaning or doing something around the temple when she got up from every morning.]

Hey, senpai. Enthusiastic as always.

[minogame]

(he's as enthusiastic as ever. you would almost never know he'd just lost his third god... unless you happened to have shared the same god as him at the time. He stops just short of her and grins. He's fine but when he starts to speak, he sounds concerned-- good natured, but still concerned, )

Mm. What about you? Are you okay?

[redmare]

I'm fine.

[She shrugs, glancing to the side before looking back at him.]

Did you need help with something?

[minogame]

(he shakes his head no,)

If you're okay then I am too. (It's that easy.) Losing a god can be very hard...

(But he doesnt seem afraid at all. Really, he's more concerned for Chinatsu.)

[redmare]

It's not hard or anything..

[Her voice trails off. Chinatsu kicks at a random pebble on the floor.]

It's annoying, sure.

[minogame]

(He can tell there's more to it than just that but he doesn't push the issue. Some things are better left unsaid at the moment,)

Mmm... you'll need to be careful, you know. (He's been through this before but this is her first time losing a god. So it's important to let her know.) Without a god, you don't have a name. (One hand touches his shoulder, where his name used to be,) And without that, you can't make borderlines. It's the only way we can protect ourselves. We're really vulnerable without a god...

... Do you have a new one, yet?

[redmare]

Huh? I can't?

[Chinatsu feels her stomach sink.]

I...No, I don't..

[minogame]

(He wonders if she's having the same feelings he had when he lost Pippa. He reaches to hold Chinatsu's hand-- physical touch always calmed him down so maybe it would help put her at ease too.)

When Pippa disappeared, I was alone for a long time. (An unfamiliar name.) She was my first god.

I stayed with Roxas and he took care of me but I didn't want him to name me because I thought Pippa might come back... Then I met Terra and he helped me a lot so I let him name me. (Another god.) But then he left too and I woke up at Oona's temple. And this morning, I woke up at Nari's temple.

I've never met him before... but he's really nice, I think. So I can ask him to name you too, if you want.

(He's trying to look out for his junior!!!)

I'll make sure you're okay too.

[redmare]

[Her hand twitches when he takes hold of it, but she doesnt pull away. Hearing that he had lost so many gods already surprised Chinatsu, making her look up at him. It kind of made her see him in a different light.]

Senpai...

[That he'd do that for her touched her, but...

Chinatsu squeezes his hand.]

But what if he leaves too? What if I make him leave? You and Oona were fine before I came along...

[minogame]

(He tilts his head curiously to one side. Is that what's wrong? He knows it isnt her fault but he supposes he can see why she would come to that conclusion. He gives her hand reassuring squeeze and smiles,)

Then we'll find another god. We'll be okay, really! (Really!!) It's not your fault. Sometimes people go away and that's really sad and scary... but as long as we're here, we'll be okay.

[redmare]

[Chinatsu glances up at him, uncertainty in her eyes.]

...Isn't that why you got assigned another god and I wasn't?

[Hearing that he got one already, she figured she was being punished or something.]

[minogame]

(He's surprised. How does he even respond to that beyond--)

That's not it! (It absolutely isn't the reason. He doesn't know why but...) When I my first god went away, I had to find someone too.

Ah... but I think... I also had to find myself, you know?