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

Most people find excitement bothersome so I gave up.

[He won't. However, it could be fun in the long run to use it against him.]

Overheating and passing out.

[ Really, he's content enough with the fact that he didn't accidentally hurt someone. He'd feel bad, even if it were Niles in this case. Yet it spoke to either how groggy or how much Shizuo was starting to wake up, because that didn't line up. Sure, he knew about the dangers of passing out in the path, but- ]

Wait, what's that got to do with being careful for who's around?

[ Wouldn't that make it safer to pass out for a little while, if there was someone to make sure he didn't drown? Which, as the blond learned that he didn't float, was a possibility. ]

Someone could take advantage of your state.

[It's mostly Niles being an asshole (but since when isn't he an asshole?) that he's having fun here. He smirks, moving in a bit closer to him.]

To drown you... or to do other things.

[ Luckily for Niles, Shizuo's barely open eyes were already drifting to a close. He seems to not see what threat Niles could be to his personal space. ]

Yeah, people don't really need to do anything to drown me. I don't float. If anything, I can drown on my own.

[ He obviously doesn't see what 'other things' could be done to him. ]

I suppose it depends on if you want to drown.

[Because if you WANT to drown... then whatever. If you do not, then he would suggest sleeping somewhere else.]

Not that it's really my business.

Look, I'm not gonna drown.

[ If he opens his eyes now, or any time soon, is he going to find out someone's way too close, or things have moved? ~~Shh. It's fine if we're vague and completely without detail.~~

Though... Right now he still seems unconcerned and sort of drifting near that sleep state. ]

I'll wake up before I do that.

[ ... Well, he knows how he'd drown himself. ~~Shizuo, you're too careless.~~ ]

If you're sure.

[He's fairly close. He's not touching anything yet but he might be if things keep going this way.

He looks at Shizuo and shakes his head.]

Will you? Or will you just sleep through it.

[ He certainly has that slow, heavy breathing that's usually associated with someone sleeping or meditating.

At least he's so unthreatened by Niles' proximity that he's that relaxed. ]

Geeze, even someone like you has that little faith in me, huh? For all that I don't feel, even I can tell when water's in my nose and trying to get into my lungs.

[ As if to make his point, Shizuo does open his eyes. Which has those hazel eyes, which were on the verge of falling asleep, slowly getting confused. Yet with how little energy he has, the blond rolls his head back as he sinks further into the hot spring so he had some support. ]

... The hell're you still so close for?

[He doesn't know how to feel about that. He'd rather someone want to punch him over being so relaxed near him they can sleep.

He doesn't like that.]

Depends on how deep you sleep. Also what do you mean 'someone like me'? I have no faith in anyone.

[He shakes his head and moves to slip in the water beside him.]

It's the baths. We're supposed to be comfortable.

As in someone that doesn't even know me.

[ Afraid of being seen as safe, Niles? Then you should be happy that he seems a bit disturbed by the proximity, as in a way, Niles was closing more.

Surely... He wouldn't do anything he shouldn't.

Still, this does not stop the blond from his relaxation. He can stay lazy and be puzzled at the same time. ]

Almost getting in the baths on top of me counts as being comfortable for you?

[ Shizuo, you really have the ~~best~~ worst phrasing at times. ]

Oh, I know you enough. I'd prefer to know you better.

[He hates being seen as safe. He definitely feels more joy knowing people dislike him.

He gets a kick out of it.]

It certainly does. A nice, warm body? Who could ask for more.

[He has other places he'd rather you be though.]

We've only crossed paths, what, once or twice?

[ He doesn't know how that means this guy knows him 'enough.' Though, much like how Shizuo doesn't have the energy to get riled up or disturbed by Niles, he can't really question or fight any of the other things.

Maybe he'll be more fun when that sling is gone. ~~Spoilers: He will be.~~ ]

If you want a nice body, there are better people to be right up on.

And yet, here we keep doing it. Must be fate.

[or, you know, Niles being a stalky stalker and finding out where shizuo is. some day, he'll get closer to him.

Maybe.]

I disagree.

[And that's why he's here.]

... Dude, it was a training thing that everyone was invited to. That's not fate.

[ That's just Bishamon's temple for ya.

But hey, disagreeing got Shizuo to give the laziest ~~and gentlest~~ of shoves at Niles to push him further away. Of course what's really gentle for him is still a pretty solid amount of strength for a shove. ]

Then go away and find out for yourself. Go to Izumo if that's what you want. He probably won't mind if you went and did that.

The fate comes to us. Being alone. Here.

[In the bathhouse almost naked.

The shove gets him away. For a moment. Before he slinks back.]

I have. But I'm interested in other bodies.

[yours.]

[ He still doesn't see how fate has anything to do with-

Dude, did you just get back closer? His eyes barely peek open towards the guy, who clearly has no understanding of a 'bubble' for personal space. ]

Then go find other bodies. This one isn't interested.

[ Even more, he has no clue how to deal with someone that's interested in his body.

[Personal space is a myth. Niles wants to debunk it.]

I don't believe that's true.

[Most people are interested in his body. They just don't want to admit it.]

[ ... He's going to have to force his way into having personal space again, isn't he? Geeze, this ended up using more energy than he'd like. ]

You calling me a liar? Cuz I seriously mean it when I say I'm not interested.

But do you?

[That's what you get for dozing off in a hot springs.]

You certainly could do a lot more to get rid of me.

I don't like violence.

[ As monstrous as he can seem, and with all that strength, that's true. Yet at this point, he's using his only good arm to push himself back up to standing, using the edge of the hot spring.

Man, it sure is tempting, the way the water pulled the towel downwards an inch from where it originally was. Probably because soaking in the hot spring loosened that tie Shizuo did. ]

I also really don't have the energy to deal with this.

Very few people do... except in the bedroom.

[Whatever could that mean? Niles notices the slowly coming undone tie. He moves a finger quickly to loosen it up a bit more.

Let's see if he notices...]

Fine fine. Spoil my fun evening.

Try having fun that isn't on someone else's expense.

[ Between the arm in the sling obscuring his vision, and having lacked more than enough energy to pay attention to that when getting up, it's obvious when Shizuo doesn't notice right away. It's not like he can feel it. Niles' quick fingers served him well in that instance.

At least there's no way for him to realize that it was anything more than an unfortunate incident. Yet this leaves Niles with getting more of a half-show than anything else when he steps out. Which is still more than what there was before the interference. ]

Or with someone who wants it. Ah... Damn arm.

[ Almost to the changing area, he finally notices and hikes up the towel, holding it back in place. It seems that he blames his lack of available hands for the knot having gotten as loose as it did, instead of knowing who was really behind that. ]

I've tried. Not as good.

[Niles just smirks as he gets a half show. And he whistles, taking a quick picture (thanks to his phone being close by). For his own enjoyment. And to share with Zoro later.]

Make sure you get healed up.

[So you can punch him better later.]

Sounds like you didn't really try.

[ He doesn't completely look to glare back at Niles when he whistles, stopping to more of a side-glare than anything. Which means he's blissfully unaware of the collection that he just added to. ]

That's what I'm waiting on.

[ Not for the reasons you're hoping for, Niles. Unfortunately for you. Just watch him walk back off to the changing area again. ]

I tried enough.

[He just shrugged his shoulders. Enough was, indeed, good enough. Also at least his phone survived. Pretty sure Shizuo could break it if he wanted.]

See you then.

[He'll just keep whistling as he sends nudies to Zoro.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

19 | Peaceful Departure

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