thenearshore | 19 | Peaceful Departure

19 | Peaceful Departure

Who: Everyone!
What: Celebrating Obon
When: Evening August 10
Where: The Near Shore
Summary: Mortals may be partying, but there's lots of work for the denizens of the Far Shore to do.

It's the final day of Obon and spirits are being sent back to their homes -- both the ancestral spirits that have been welcomed home for the duration of the festival and the mischievous spirits that have been plaguing the Heavens. But some of them might not go easy, so Amaterasu has requested that gods and shinki old and new alike help ensure the spirits' peaceful departure.

Mukae-bi

Fires have been lit on hillsides and near cemeteries to lead the spirits back to their resting places and to protect them on their way, but angry ghosts and ayakashi are trying to quench the fires so they can attack weaker spirits. Keep the firewood stocked and the fires blazing high while you fight off the attacks.

Heavenly Exorcisms

Guarding the Gates

Hidden pathways into the underworld in caves throughout Japan are open from sunset to moonset on this night to allow the spirits who have temporarily left to return. Gods and shinki must watch over these pathways and ensure that no dangerous ayakashi take the opportunity to escape from the underworld before the moon sets.

After-party

After the moon sets, the denizens of the Heavens can finally kick back. Everyone is invited to a private hot spring on the Far Shore, where a midnight banquet spread is waiting in thanks for their hard work. Wash off any blight in the hot springs and enjoy the banquet before heading back home for a good night's sleep.

In Summary:

Keep the fires burning
Exorcise those annoying spirits
Fight powerful ayakashi
Enjoy a banquet
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's fine if Tatara's muscles are protesting the efforts right now. Though it's only one arm going to the back to provide the guy with support on staying in place, it's more than strong enough to handle his light amount of weight. ]

Don't mention it. You're gonna have to give me directions, though.

[ Ah, yes. The arm. ]

Ah... I was an idiot and let some people dislocate it in an attempt to force my god's hand. Didn't work, but that's probably for the best.

[ Because, like he said, he was an idiot. ]

[ One arm is more than sufficient -- especially given that, with how slender Shizuo is, Tatara might just be able to lock his legs at the ankles to steady himself, at the very least. He has zero shame about being a human backpack, at this point. ]

Force your god’s hand...?

[ He repeats the words in a sort of contemplative mumble, partly in disbelief. “Force”, meaning that, from the sound of it, he was tortured for the sake of someone getting something out of his god. Tatara’s expression tightens with worry at that knowledge. Who would do such a thing...?

He has to internally remind himself here that there’s still a killer on the loose. And if murder is possible, surely torture is far from off the table. ]

I’m sorry that happened to you. Does it hurt still?

[ He’s not especially great with it all just yet, but Tatara is a healer here, to some degree. (An unsurprising role for him, given his past life.) ]

I'm really an idiot, so when I accidentally caused my god blight, I tried pushing that so she'd remove my name. That way it wouldn't happen again.

[ It wasn't exactly torture, but this was clearly of his own doing. ]

Nah. I don't actually feel pain, so that was never a problem.

Aah, I see. [ It was his own doing. So, basically, he harmed himself in effort to manipulate his god into releasing him, in case he caused further blight.

...Honestly, that is pretty stupid. Stupid; and yet, Tatara can see the good intent in it and respects him for it. As if he needed further proof that Shizuo is a good man.

After all, even good men do really dumb things. Tatara would be the foremost authority on that. He smiles wryly. ]

Sounds like the two of you are pretty loyal to each other.

[ He's glad for it. Exhaling, he settles some and falls quiet until hearing that second bit of information. That's got him peering at Shizuo as best he can from over the man's shoulder. ]

Haaah? Seriously?!

[ No pain? He's got to be bluffing. ]

For better or worse, I guess.

[ The worse, obviously, being that he caused Yona another case of blight. To which he'd have to scold her for breaking that promise he pushed her into making. ]

The only time I've felt pain was when I was a kid or during my ablution. Everything else, while I sometimes can tell there's something happening, I don't know about any injuries unless I can see it or if something isn't working right.

[ Hence that sling. ]

[ Cue the lift of brows. ]

Your ablution?

[ Someone's been a bad, bad boy... ]

Why... what happened?

[ It's more that he considered himself to be very bad and has a very high guilt complex. ]

I, uh, made some bad decisions in how I reacted to a few things. After I was shown how it was causing blight, I tried using that to try and force my god's hand into releasing my name. Y'know, so she wouldn't have to worry about it happening again.

[ That's it in the tightest nutshell possible. ]

I was really being an idiot.

Aah, I see. [ He angles in his head some on Shizuo's shoulder. ] Lost your temper...?

[ That's his best guess; and his first grab for a conclusion, given the company he keeps. ~~Here's lookin' at you, Yata.~~ ]

That happened as well, yeah. It was... a bunch of things in a short time. Like deciding things that I had no place in, or using my own pathetic situation to push someone into confiding with me about theirs.

[ It's not even things that are that bad, but when you're someone with his ability of self-blame, it's dangerous. ]

I think the way you say that makes it sound worse than it actually was.

[ This is him speaking up for you, Shizuo. A vote of confidence.

A small pause. ]

...You're a complicated man, aren't you?

[ That's way more confidence than Shizuo has in himself, but that's what got him in that situation in the first place. ]

Nah, not really. I try to keep simple because it's easier that way. It's a lot less work that way, y'know?

[ ... Shizuo, no one that's decidedly simple actually is simple. It's how people know you're both smarter than you act and just as much of an idiot as you claim to be. ]

Aah, I think we all try.

[ But he's far from the type to pessimistically point out the reality here. ]

So your ablution was... recent?

Yeah. It was... a bit over a week ago at this point, I guess.

[ A week. Good heavens. The pain must still be fresh in memory, at that rate.

For that, among other things, Tatara gives Shizuo a sort of deliberate hug around the neck, which... might be hard to tell, given their current positioning. But it is very much both brief, and deliberate. ]

I'm glad it worked, in that case.

[ Everyone makes mistakes. Shinki make mistakes. Gods make mistakes. He hates the idea of anyone paying a finite price for an accident -- even if that's what he's done now, twice over. ]

[ Luckily only the emotional pain and humiliation stayed fresh. While the ablution struck deeper than something physical, that had also passed. Now... he was stuck.

As well as oblivious of the hug that was being given, due to his dulled sensation. ]

Yeah, it'd have sucked otherwise. Plus you'd have someone else getting you home.

Aah, and I would’ve missed my shot to meet my best friend’s twin brother! Wouldn’t want that, now would I? [ Tatara cheerily chirps. ]

But without your help I probably would have just slept where I was, and gone home when I was able.

[ There's something about a god calling you someone's twin brother that felt weird- not wrong or bad, but it was something they avoided calling each other or trying to confirm. For the obvious shinki reasons. ]

Yeah, well it's not good to just fall asleep wherever. Not like that.

[ Shizuo, you are literally the last person that should be saying that. You bask in the sun as a hobby, and do it in the park and at abandoned temples. ]

[ If Shizuo ever decided to ask, Tatara could and would easily confirm they're not, in fact, related. Not by blood, at least.

...But he'd be the last person to say that doesn't make them family, even looks aside. ]

Yeah, heh... that's what King said. It's not safe, with a killer lurking around.

[ If a shinki should ask anything like that, Tatara should know better than to confirm anything until they get their own memories about that.

'What King said' though- Shizuo has an idea of who this king is supposed to be. While not up for being likened to that guy in any way, this was pretty important. Because that was another point, not even taking health into consideration. ]

They're still trying to find that guy? Then yeah, that's even more reason to not be sleeping out in the open like that.

As far as I know, he's still on the loose.

[ Tatara has no idea he's met the man, held a full, normal conversation with him. He also has no idea the man aspired -- or perhaps still aspires -- to kill him, too. ]

King and the others will catch him soon. I believe in them.

[ Since he's more or less stepped out of the investigation himself. Hearing about someone finding the disembodied head of your romantic interest...? Tatara's an optimist -- and has seen a lot in his time as a Red Clansman -- but that's... personal. Too personal for it to not weigh on his heart. ]

Yeah, they better hurry it up.

[ If Shizuo thought he'd be of any help, he would've offered. Except not only did he not have any skills, someone that was looking into the case pointed out how much it looked like he was the one responsible for the murders.

If he didn't have Izumo's 'approval,' then Mikoto might have actually put Shizuo on that list of likely suspects. ]

It'd be nice to not have to warn people about going around alone.

It’s fine, it’s fine; I know they’re doing the best they can.

[ Especially because Mikoto had That Look in his eyes -- red ones, not the usual mellow gold -- when he heard the news and took the hunt upon himself. The fact of the matter is, someone hurt one of his men, and even though it’s in a trivial way, it’s still a grievance that can’t stand.

He’ll make someone pay for it. With their life.

Of course, Tatara’s goal is to prevent that. Not because the killer deserves to be spared, no; but because the burden upon the Red King’s Sword of Damocles might be too much. If he’s got to die, it needs to be by someone else’s hand. But first, he’d like to speak to the man, just to get some questions answered.

Mainly, why Johan? Why someone so innocent and kind, who only wanted good things for everyone? Why...?

Tatara’s head hurts. Or is it his heart? Hard to tell. Either way, he rests his head down fully, thinking he’ll just ‘rest his eyes’ for a moment until that painful pounding abates.

He’s promptly asleep. ]

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19 | Peaceful Departure

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we can wrap here if you want?