thenearshore | Like the Barenaked Ladies

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Like the Barenaked Ladies

Who: Shizuo and OPEN
When: August 7th-13th
Where: Specified with each prompt
What: Let's just say that it's been quite a week.

I. Ra's Third Destruction - August 7th (Temple of Ra)
[ It'd been a while, and Izumo hadn't shown up at the bar. Like at all. Which was starting to get Shizuo very concerned. Enough that he did something that he would otherwise never go about doing; Actually invite himself to Mikoto/Ra's temple. Imagine his surprise when there were two giant and neon purple, pink and green centipedes crawling all over the structure and already having started to break through the walls' integrity. ]

Ah... Shit.

[ There's no borderline, which meant something happened to Izumo. Which has the blond looking to see if he can grab someone to run assistance. And him without those damn gauntlets that were made for this exact thing. ]

II. Double Vision Delivery - August 7th (The Far Shore)
[ While not in the best state right now, Shizuo was walking down the paths and across the Far Shore with two people that were in far worse shape than he was. If being comatose and snoozing away counted as worse shape, at least. Which meant anyone could see the awkward scene of Shizuo trying to carry the two over one shoulder, as his other arm hung limp as a wet noodle at his side.

Look, it's weird and out in the open for anyone to see. That can't be helped. It's less awkward than the destroyed temple. ]

III. Double Cross's Delayed Debut - August 8th-10th (Double Cross Bar)
[ This was about the time that Double Cross was supposed to officially open for business. It was certainly supposed to be one of these days. However the bar had this thing going on where, despite the time it was actively being renovated, people could still be served if they showed up and Izumo was around. The supplies were in, everything was cleaned up and that wall of photos had started to get filled out.

Now there was a different blond in place, manning the bar. Not that everyone noticed when they first got in; after all, they looked similar enough for some people. The main thing is that they sounded different. Shizuo's voice was deeper, despite being the thinner/more waif of the two. The other is that this blond wore a black vest instead of a nice suit jacket, though both were suitable for a bartender's uniform. ]

Welcome.

IV. Poor Man's Football - August 9th - 13th (Abandoned Temples)
[ Hearing strange and loud sounds from the abandoned temples is nothing new. Unless you haven't been here for long, it was a regular enough occurrence that it usually meant someone was training or working on something.

This time, though it was hard to tell when or how he got them there (or from where,) there was a junk car and motorcycle on the temple property. Given the notice for being crushed, they weren't stolen from someone who would actually care enough to miss it. Neither had wheels, and judging by the lack of shattered fiberglass and filaments, the lights were also gone.

Today's disastrous sounds were coming from Shizuo, currently bound with one arm in a sling, trying to kick the motorcycle carcass up to bounce up onto his knee. The trick isn't kicking it up- it's managing the height and angle to easily get to his knee. Just as the difficulty for any other football trick is. ]

C'mon. I know I can do this...

V. Cat Tower Tribulations - August 9th - 12th (Aine's Temple)
[ After getting his shoulder looked at, and 'advised' to wear the sling again for a few days, there was a new challenge that started presenting itself. For, at the temple, there were two sets of problems. By two sets, that meant two striped kittens that went by the names Eun and Min. When he wore the sling for all of the first two days after the ablution, they weren't a problem because he was mostly sleeping that time away. Now he was moving around, and with one arm unable to stop them, it wasn't long until they realized he was a moving cat tower.

The problem is that he didn't know they were there until he saw something, and that only alerted him to one of the felines. If he saw the grey striped one, then the brown one was probably on his back or something. This was probably one of their more favorite games. ]

Oi, stop- Dammit, not again.

[ Help. ]

VI. The Wildcard
[ Come up with something, anything, for this time period if none of the other prompts fits. You can either just toss that in, or plot with me at

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[Celty heard about the troubles at Ra's temple, but she kept being diverted by other things rather than being able to lend a hand. Likewise she saw the impacts of Shizuo's training from afar but was always busy with one thing or another.

So when she finally runs into him it's a few days on when he's dealing with a particularly nefarious pair of foes. She stopped by the temple to pay a visit, and when she heard his distress she doubled her pace to see what was going on.

But the sight of it made her pause and then double over in silent laughter.]

[ It's in his attempt to twist and reach over at the grey cat that Shizuo spots the doubled over figure. Which was also enough of a distraction for the cat to get out of reach and Shizuo's field of vision.

... She was definitely laughing at this. There was no mistake about that.

Geeze. There goes any potential image he may have had. ]

When you're done laughing, it'd be nice if you gave a hand.

[Don't worry, she still thinks you're cool and also frightfully strong, Shizuo. But it's nice to see this gentle side too. It helps to ground him and make him more human.

She persists in her laughter a moment longer, but soon she's at his side helping to pluck the eager kittens from his back. They seem uneasy at first but the trust he has in her is picked up on by the mountaineering felines. Soon enough one is nuzzled in her arms while the other perches on her shoulder.]

[ You'd almost believe that the two were always so well-behaved, with how they took to Celty. It seems the girls only targeted guys in their michief. ]

Thanks. Eun and Min picked up that I couldn't reach them as easily as usual and have been taking advantage of it whenever they could.

[ Though now he's curious as to why the headless biker was here. ]

Taking a break from all the birds at the temple?

Something like that. But I just was in the mood to get out and about anyway. I didn't really have a direction in mind.

[They did keep running into each other, but she didn't think it much more than good fortune or coincidence. He was a nice guy but nothing she'd mistake for anything stronger.]

It seems they like you though. I guess they don't get the same vibe off of you that boulders do.

They like anyone they can climb without getting caught.

[ Which was clearly done by staying out of his good arm's reach. As for them running into each other repeatedly... If there was anything more, then they were both completely oblivious to it. ]

Ah, well in that case, welcome to the front of Yona's temple. The rest of it is, uh, less bike friendly.

[ Even Sharak's was easier to get a bike up, because it had a slope. The hill used for Cnoc Áine was more like a cliff side with it's added structure at the top. So what he said was a bit of an understatement. ]

[Celty's not entirely sure Shizuou couldn't catch them if he didn't want to. It's telling of who he is deep down and comforting to her in an odd way she can't quite put a finger on. Maybe because she's a monster living among humans and there was something about him that seemed like...the opposite side of the coin.

The thought, or perhaps feeling, came to her on its own, correcting herself a moment later as she considered all the nonhumans among the gods and shinki.]

It's okay. I can leave it here. I don't expect anyone will try to take it.

[She shrugs softly. As much as she's happy to have it she doesn't feel like it would be the end of the world if she lost it.]

Thank you for the welcome.

[ Yes, he could. However it would lead to the injury of at least one cat and risk irritating the shoulder injury- which would lead to a very irate Hakkai. Even Shizuo knows better than to actually anger the person who acts as your doctor. ]

Well, instead of a rooster and some chickens, we've got horses and these two.

[ So, in a way the temples weren't so different while being nothing at all like each other. With the topic of boulders before, though- ]

Sharak's not shooting at you as a part of training again, is she? We've got enough rooms and buildings here if you need a break from that.

[ As attracted to Sharak as he was, Shizuo also valued the time away from that monk. ]

Horses and cats. I'm almost jealous.

[Her two favorite animals in fact, thanks in no small part to youtube.]

No, everything is fine. Mostly I've just been trying to get a handle on borderlines. Same as before. It's hard to separate it from the shadows I already use. Like trying to suppress instinct I guess?

But otherwise things are fine.

Yeah?

[ It was clear, by the way she was handling Eun and Min, that she liked cats, but the horses were a bit of a surprise. Not a huge one. Maybe they'll be easy to spot- those horses were oddly selective about who they let see them, and would often hide when guests were around. ]

Goten has the same problem with using his energy stuff. Apparently the two are close enough that he's gotta really concentrate to make it work right. I think he went to Hakkai for help on working on that.

[She didn't see any horses right now, but she didn't take it personally. Or at least she didn't think to do so. More than just being a guest there's also the question of how they'd react to one of her nature.]

I've met both of them. I'll see if I can ask them for advice.

How about you? Your skills are more physical right? Did that make borderlines easier or harder for you?

[ That was the thing with horses that seemed to be a bit fae, they had their own reasons for changing their behavior. Either way, it was all far beyond Shizuo's understanding. Hak was the one that knew how to handle them. ]

It, uh, doesn't affect it at all. The trouble I get comes from my... personality.

[ You need some confidence to pull off strong borderlines, and he had settled that it'd make sense if his were as weak as when he first managed to pull it off. Because why would he expect better? ]

[Even if they were fae, that narrowed it down to a fifty fifty shot at best that they'd be willing to interact with Celty. Really this sort of thing was all really complicated in subtle ways.]

Ah. You don't seem like someone who enjoys fighting. Or rather it doesn't suit you even knowing I've seen you throw boulders around.

It's that obvious, huh?

[ From what he can see, it seems like they're out hiding away, probably relaxing and grazing in the sun. Hak mentioned something about one of them being ready to foal, so maybe they'll be more reclusive than usual. Honestly, Shizuo didn't know anything about horses. Whenever Hak or Yona said something about them, he'd just nod along and agree. ]

I mean, I'm actually pretty good at fighting, but you're right. I'd prefer to just relax and watch the fountains, like we have on the grounds here.

It's the way you talk. And the way you carry yourself. There's those people who act loose because of pride or attitude but you're the other way. I just don't see you being the type to hold a grudge unless it was made really personal.

Like water.

[ Huh. She seemed to get him a lot easier than most people did. He couldn't say it was surprising, exactly, but it was a better way of putting it than how other people described his personality. Hell, it's better than how he saw himself. ]

Yeah, I guess you'd be right about the grudge thing. It'd probably have to affect others too, for me to stay pissed off at someone, or even hate 'em.

Probably.

[There's a pause for a moment and then a quick addition.]

I hope you don't have anyone like that?

Ah, no... I haven't met anyone like that so far.

[ Luckily the one person that he knew who was like that was locked away with most of his other memories. ]

I'd say the serial killer, but I never met them, so it couldn't count.

[Ah...wait what?!

She types quickly and then holds out her phone with a shaky hand.]

Wwhhat do you mean serial killer?

[So it seems she somehow missed all of that.]

... There's been one since the day of that festival.

[ Yes, the very one that you arrived in time for, Celty. ]

Wait, did you miss the reports and posts about the bodies and everything?

I uh

I suppose I did

I saw a few things but I was still trying to get my bearings. I guess I should have paid it more attention.

[ She- She would have a lot to get used to. Plus she found that bike on top of it all, didn't she? ]

Nah. You can't be on top of everything.

Besides, if we're lucky, someone's already caught the guy.

[Even so, there should be limits to being a ditz. Her reliance on her motorcycle meant she didn't know much about teleportation skills.

Then again, if it didn't involve guns Sharak probably wasn't the best teacher.]

Ah. One can only hope.

[ It's fine, if only because most people didn't rely on those anyway. ]

Well, I haven't heard anything about murders for a while, so...

[ The hope is looking good? ]

Right.
Well if something like that happens again I hope I can be more of help then
not that I want this to happen again I mean

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bartenderizing - 2017-10-28 02:40 (UTC) - Expand

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