thenearshore | [closed]

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Who: Cho Hakkai, Bishamon, Kazuma
What: Currying favor with cake, plus a few questions that Hakkai wants to run by an experienced deity.
Where: Bishamon's residence on the Far Shore
When: April 2, 2016, lunchtime
Warnings: N/A, hopefully!

[The garden of Bishamon's mansion is surprisingly quiet and peaceful for a war goddess's home. The scale of it, though, impresses.

Hakkai's brought four cake boxes, stacked up in his arms almost to the extent of what he can carry (chocolate, vanilla, chocolate and vanilla again) but he's starting to wonder if this will really be enough for her shinki. How many can one goddess support? Amaterasu's seem ubiquitous at events, but then, she's the most powerful of them. He probably should have asked Kazuma about quantity of cake, not just flavors.

Well, he can hope it'll be enough, and if she does have more shinki than he's guessed maybe some of them won't be fond of sweets.

He maneuvers the boxes into one arm, freeing a hand, and raps at the front door.]

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[ Her office is probably the best place to conduct business. It's quiet and a place that most of her shinki at least aren't going to enter without knocking so that's where she'd direct them to go. After a word or two to Kazuma, (half to assure him it wasn't anything he should worry about) she'll make for said office and offer Hakkai a seat on the couch facing her desk.

She may need to explain things to her exemplar when they have the chance but Hakkai seems to be a trustworthy shinki, at the very least. And he was nice enough to bring cake for the kids, too apart from several other things so she'll oblige him when he asks to speak with her privately. ]

I was sure there was another reason you came without Elsa. It must be something of concern if you can't bring it up in the presence of my exemplar.

Thank you. It's-- ah, it's nothing that Elsa doesn't know about already, but I don't want to concern her.

[Maybe it's entirely pointless to ask at all. Gojyo isn't safe to be near right now, not until he can control his power well enough to avoid inciting homicidal rage. And yet... surely he'll figure that out. When he does, Hakkai wants to know what he's really risking.]

It's about one of the other new gods here. I think he must have known me when I was still alive.

[ Well that's a touchy subject, to be sure. There's an obvious frown coming to her brow right after the momentary look of surprise. What did this even mean? Sure, she'd put two and two together that gods and shinki were being pulled in from other worlds but this...?

But no, she can speculate as much as she can later. The last thing she wants is for all this to blow up. ]

It might be possible seeing as these gods and shinki that arrive seem to come from somewhere other than the Near Shore native to this land. Clearly you wouldn't have any memory of him.

[ And steepling her fingers now. ]

Though I must caution you. As tempting as it is, do not, under any circumstance ask for details of who you were.

[ Pausing to turn her attention back to him. ]

Did he introduce himself to you?

Are you asking for his name? I'm afraid I'd -- for now I'd rather keep that to myself. But, yes, he did introduce himself.

[Hakkai folds his hands on his knee, very carefully.]

I feel as though I'd rather not ask for those details. Who I was, I am no longer.

[To whatever degree that memory can determine identity... that is no small matter, Hakkai thinks. Without memory, even if his personality has been shaped by what he has forgotten, he can't help but be different. The man Gojyo had known cannot truly exist again.]

But I... if I am near him, I can't help but notice hints.

Is that dangerous?

[He looks up at her again, leaning forward slightly. His gaze is intense. Is it only a taboo? Or will there be real consequences, consequences that he can't imagine?]

[ At least Hakkai has a good attitude about this. There are those who can accept their own death and those who might go mad if they learn about the details. She presses her fingers together, trying to choose her words wisely. ]

There's never been a case of a god knowing a shinki when they were alive... but nontheless.

[ And an exhale when she finally opens her eyes. ]

It's only as dangerous as you believe it to be. The reason why shinki are discouraged from learning about their missing memories is that knowing how one died may lead to madness. There is a chance that a shinki could fall into despair when learning of their death or who they were. I believe it would be better to ask yourself if you're ready to learn these things.

Nevertheless, it might not be wise. Even if you tell yourself you're ready... you can never truly predict how well you'll take what you find out.

Edited (mouse pls I wasn't done.) 2016-08-02 13:04 (UTC)

I... see.

[There's a distant, thoughtful look lingering in Hakkai's eye. If knowing too much about who he was could bring him to despair -- depending on what he learns -- then he won't risk it. He wouldn't dare. He knows he's already stung Elsa a time or two by wondering about what his skills mean, what kind of man he might once have been, because so little about them suggests that he was a good man at all.

He nods slowly.]

I doubt I would ever be ready for that. Thank you, Bishamon. I -- knew it felt wrong, but I didn't know if there might be some other effect.

[From what she's saying, there's no punishment. The Heavens won't care. The only concern is what he knows about himself, and whether he can bear the weight without hurting anyone else.

He's almost completely certain he can't.]

[ It's clear she's giving him something to think about. Hopefully this doesn't send him spiraling the wrong way. But she's already spoken her mind on the matter. He seems like a man with a decent head on his shoulders, after all, so she has no doubts he'll do some good with what she's told him.

Though she does nod back at his thanks. ]

I wouldn't advise you to never speak to this god. Given the circumstances we're in, we should be building bridges, not burning them. However, caution him about telling you more. Not only for your sake, but for Elsa's as well.

[ There's furrow on her brow as she says this. Corruption via shinki is never easy and that's the last thing she'd want to see anyone go through because if worse comes to worse, she'd have to be the one to take him down.

And that's something she doesn't fancy doing. ]

Yes, of course. I -- wouldn't risk her safety like that.

[He clears his throat, and folds his hands neatly on his knee, shooting Bishamon a wry glance as he tucks his uncertainty away where it won't show.]

Besides, I rather like this existence!

[He's still going to speak to Gojyo, he thinks. If it's safe. As for speaking of his past, well, it's already clear Gojyo'd rather not say or do anything that might be dangerous. Hakkai will just have to explain to him that his existence doesn't count.]

[ There's a momentary look of surprise that breaks through the earlier look of concern. But she finally manages a smile. ]

Good... then... I don't think you have anything to worry about. This also brings to mind some concerns I didn't think would have been possible in the past.

[ A shake of her head before she turns her attention back to Hakkai, as if remembering something. ]

Thank you, by the way, for being able to trust us with this.

Thank you for your honesty. I wasn't sure where else I could go with a question like this one.

[And it seems that one thing Bishamon can be trusted to do is care about shinki; it's not something he'd necessarily expect from a random old god. The new ones, of course, simply wouldn't know.]

We'll do what we can. Needless to say, Elsa has been an invaluable ally during these times... and of course, that includes you.

[ But she's going to lean back in her seat, hands back on her desk. ]

Is there anything else?

No, thank you, that's been my primary concern.

[He stands, and reflexively moves to begin to bow before he catches himself and clears his throat.]

Ah -- I'm sorry, it's very difficult to get over those reflexes! Please let me know if there's anything I can help you with, Bishamon, you've been an invaluable help to us as well as we settle in here.

No, I understand it to be customary among humans.

[ She will get up though, approaching him. ]

I appreciate your willingness to cooperate with me and my shinki. Rest assured you have an ally in us, no matter how dire things may seem. If there isn't anything else, you might need help finding your way to the front door.

I'd appreciate it! [This time he remembers, and smiles politely at her instead of starting to offer another bow, turning to move towards the office door.]

Of course.

[ There's a smile back as she motions to the door, following after him. ]

I can help show you out. If you need to contact us any time in the future, I'm certain you know how to reach Kazuma or myself.

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[closed]

Evasive questions are a go!

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