just fishin' [open]

[futhark]

Who: Caster and you
When: September 3rd - 6th
Where: Rivers, lakes and ponds of the Far Shore
What: fishing, troubles, also dogs



[ Do you remember those fishes splashing people and laughing? Caster does, and as he finally finished crafting his weapon - a grand, hand-made fishing rod. Then proceed to get a can of bait and a can of beer for good measure, and there he goes to find the revenge. ]


1. I luv my fishes cuz they are delicious - 3rd to 5th September

[ When he's fishing in the river near his temple, two big white dogs accompany him. One is sleeping and providing a fluffy back-rest to lean on. The other is a bit too hyper, chasing some insects or mice and greeting anyone approaching too close with a happy bark, and a tail wag.

Though he is alone when fishing not near his property but at various ponds, lakes, and rivers found on the Far Shore - did he just trespass at your place? oops!

Incidentally, you might come at him carefully unhooking a koi and... talking to it, apparently ]

Huh, now you're just a normal fish? Who's laughing now?!

[ The fish flops in his grip terrified. It's a pitiful sight, and it's not like he's going to get a reply out of it ]

Eh, you're too small for even get a bite.

[ And surprisingly gently he lets it back to the water. With an abundance of food, any fishing is going to be catch-and-release. ]

That will teach you a lesson! [ Yeah, go, tell those fishes where is their place... yeah ]



2. It's kappastic! - 6th September

[ Several days and several terrified kois later, he's really having a good day. Sitting on a bridge in silence. He just knows it. This will be the day of that epic catch, the majestic fishing experience! It's possibly the most uninteresting hobby under the sun, but if he could spend time on it regularly, he would.

Fresh air, picturesque landscapes of the Heavens, and nice warm weather, what to want more? Suddenly there's bite on the line - just like he expected! - and... the rod gets fully yanked out of his hands. ]

Wooa--!!

[ Certainly, not as expected. There's no way of saving it, the rod disappears far into the water being pulled by a massive catch-- What would be that massive catch turns to be something else. A kappa surfaces and holds the fishing rod for a few tense seconds. It maintains the eye contact with the fisher and slowly, so very slowly... breaks the rod piece by piece. ]

...oh, now it's personal..! [ Caster obviously takes it as an offense. He drops his cape - bracers and generally all unnecessary stuff that might limit his movement and leaps into the lake from the bridge, possibly water splashing an innocent bystander. The kappa is going to pay

That might not be the best idea ]



3. Peace offering - 6th September

[ Later and somewhere else most likely the strangest sight might be seen. Few lake brawls later, both Caster and the kappa seem to no longer be set on killing each other. The bruises and scratches are more visible on Caster, but anyone familiar with kappas - is there anyone like that there? - might notice that his opponent is in similarly poor shape.

The peace offering for the destroyed fishing rod is pretty simple - it's a pack of cigarettes. All is forgiven, they say - or rather, wave - their goodbyes, and Caster sits on a rock to enjoy what is going to be his first smoke in the Far Shore. Only to fail in lighting the cig up with small ansuz rune.

Obviously, it's sogging wet, kappas live underwater. ]

You cheating bastard!! [ He yells in the kappa direction, who is almost in the middle of the lake. Kappa just cackles, shows an obscene gesture and dives underwater. ]

Ugh, think these will work after drying?


4. Obligatory wildcard, [ Have something else in mind? Leave a comment and I'll write you a starter! Also feel free to play with and modify any of the above. ]

Comments

[futhark]

[ Oh, so sick spear tricks were noticed. Good. Not that he got feathers ruffled over it, but he's prideful enough to feel good about that mention. ]

Plenty of people have red-- really? [ It probably means nothing here, but back in his place, that was the sure way to spot someone of divine lineage. If that rule is still at works here, some of the new gods might have ancestral maybe to hold their new positions. Perhaps not, but it's an interesting possibility to ponder on. He waves that off, there is more important topic at hand ]

I heard bits and pieces about that fire. But I didn't know the old gods started to hide after it happened. [ Is culprit one of them then? ] Are they afraid, I wonder.

[revolutionfalcon]

It's not every second person or anything, but I've met at least a handful other than you. Enough that it's not a useful distinguishing feature. [Not to mention some of the others here with red eyes have much more interesting ones, in his opinion.

Shun gives a faint hum as if he's thinking on those words.] I'd say they've withdrawn to try and protect Amaterasu. Her advisors "grounded" her after a previous attack, but an attack on her own home means that's no longer enough. Especially considering nobody seems to really know how it started, and it took some of us newcomers to save her.

[That, in all honesty, is the thing that had always unsettled him most about the fire - the complete lack of presence of the advisors at the time. Someone like Suijin could have combatted the spread a hundred times better than most of the newcomers.]

[futhark]

[ Wording like "previous attack" implies... ] So the fire was the second attack? Someone sure wants her dead if they go for assassination attempts. I probably shouldn't gossip, but I heard something about messages against her scattered around Greece.

[ He's been having ears open, yes ]

But you know what I'm most curious about - what is our role in this? Are we supposed to protect her, or not get involved? [ Sworn loyalty to the old gods, and so on, or every god goes for themselves ]

Most of us are not even related to Japanese pantheon. Shouldn't we reside in different otherworlds?

[revolutionfalcon]

First one wasn't a direct assassination attempt, but there was a cherry blossom viewing in late April she and all of her advisors attended. The same people who sent out those messages and burnt her temple later on set the entire cherry blossom grove alight. [And it hadn't been a pretty sight. If that other party had been trying to drum up support, they'd failed at it there and then with the careless attack on whoever happened to be in the vicinity at the time.]

So far, not get involved. Her advisors seem convinced this is something for the old gods to handle. And they refuse to give us the information we'd need to help anyway. [So even if anyone wanted to, they've made it much harder than it needs to be.]

We should be in other afterlives, but we're in this one for some reason. You can set up visits with the one you're supposed to be part of if you want, it's happened before.

[futhark]

[ So it's not their business, got it. He's good in just staying neutral, so he doesn't mind it that much... even if he dislikes the implication of being left in the dark. ]

But it's just a visit, right? Not a possibility to move there... [ He does wonder what troubles other types of Heavens deal with. Ayakashi was surely not a thing existing back in Ireland, but they had their own share of troublemakers. ]

Say- do they also use shinki? [ Probably going by the different name, but it's not the name that matters - only the idea of using human souls as weapons ]

[revolutionfalcon]

Apparently not. They're welcoming enough, but this whole thing seems to be the Japanese Heavens' problem. [Even if the other pantheons had seemed happy enough to greet and talk to these new incarnations of gods that should have been theirs. Though he's honestly not sure what the politics there are, since he didn't discuss it much while there.]

Not sure. They didn't mention them while I was visiting mine, but it's possible there's an equivalent. [They'd need some way to fight, unless the problems they deal with aren't as resilient to conventional weapons as ayakashi.]

[futhark]

Setting up a visit is probably a huge bother, hmm... [ Maybe he doesn't mind it that way. It would surely get weird to return and- no idea what then? Lots of awkwardness probably. And possibly lots of problems too. And with that, he drops the idea, at least for now ]

Thanks for all the gossip, it does give ma better insight about what's going on. [ A thoughtful pause ] Are you just helpful- [ Even despite that permanent expression glued to the face ] -or do you want something for that?

[ It's asked very matter-of-factly, and not suspicious at all, because he does know some people just like to be helpful. Even when they have resting bitch face case going, like his battle-butler of a shinki ]

[revolutionfalcon]

You'd have to ask them. [Since the Heavens were the ones who organised the previous trips, Shun has no idea of the trouble that might be involved. He wouldn't mind talking with Horus again, but he's not desperate enough to set up a trip.

At the idea that he's just helpful, Shun gives a somewhat dismissive sound.] The more information that's around, the less idiots and the less ignorance I have to deal with. Consider it giving myself insurance.

[Because he's been here long enough to be a prime source of information anyway, so he figures he might as well offer it before someone tracks him down to try and get it sometime he'd rather not deal with that.]

[futhark]

So- helpful. I'll take it! [ That's what he gets from this explanation. Even if it's selfish helpful, it's still not a trade. ]

You know what else you could give me? Your name. [ God name, real name, either way is fine. But it's good to know who to thank for all the intel ]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun's not concerned enough with what other people think of him to correct the notion, though he does offer a more obvious derogatory snort at the idea he's being helpful.

And it's hardly a surprise to be asked for his name by this point.] And you could give me yours as well. [But he's typically not protective enough of that to expect Caster to say it first, so he goes on after a moment anyway.] Kurosaki Shun. Nekhbet when I have to be.

[futhark]

[ The obligatory introductions time. Double useful when someone is being so totally-not-helpful-just-insuring-himself helpful. Gotta know who to ask when shit goes down and why is everything on fire. ]

Cú Chulainn [ he's tempted to add "always" alas he does not give in ], but I tend to go as Caster around here.

[ So a god-name, name and a moniker. True 3 in 2 promo offer. ]

When is the time when you "have to be" Nekhbet?

[revolutionfalcon]

[It's an interesting way of phrasing it, and Shun has to wonder if Caster isn't the actual name at play here, but it doesn't really matter that much to him. If Caster is what he prefers to go by, then he may as well use it.

At the question, he shrugs slightly.] When I'm answering prayers, mostly, or dealing with some of the more insistent old gods. Or using the BBS, considering we can't force that to use our real names.

[It's a good thing to pass on, in any case, because he can't always get away with going by his real name here.]

[futhark]

Really? I didn't realize that. [ Ah, yes, network. He gets the idea, but he didn't fiddle much with it. Technology can be tricky-

Anyway, there is something else that's been bothering him ]

You answer the prayers of people on this island, right? Have you found out why they would pray to Egyptian goddess? [ Or Greek, or Celtic, or freaking Persian, take your pick. They're colorful bunch. ]

[revolutionfalcon]

It doesn't even work to keep our identities known when we can post anonymously anyway, so I never saw the point. [He's fairly certain the murderer was posting anonymously for a while, and there are definitely people who use it to stir trouble and never get caught.

Caster has a pretty good point with that question, though, and it's one Shun's asked himself before. His initial answer is a shrug even so, because he doesn't know that anyone has the answer to it.] Nobody seems to know. We didn't even have shrines in the home countries of the gods we're representing until July, or at least not ones we could use.

[futhark]

[ So that's a lot of "no idea", but at least some baby steps are being made. ]

And wait, let me guess! The elder gods are not giving answers either. [ Is that a bingo? Does he get a reward? ]

At least the duties are straightforward enough. [ He starts gathering his fishing equipment. Ever since they started talking there was absolutely no sign of biting. Either a wrong spot or they chatter spooked the fishes. ]

[revolutionfalcon]

Exactly. Can't tell if they actually don't know like they claim or they're just not telling us. [Especially with the recent cutoff of contact. Suijin, Bishamon and Amaterasu hadn't been too bad about it before then, but now it was getting a lot worse.

Watching him pack up, Shun shrugs slightly.] If you're used to taking initiative, it's not hard.

[futhark]

Be on guard, kill ayakashi when you see them, answer prayers people throw at you. I can manage that. [ There is hardly initiative needed.

He always was one to follow the orders, instead of throwing them around. So the god business did turn it all on its head ]

Thanks for the chat, Shun. It was very informative. [ He'll be moving to greener pastures- or rather fishful shores. While he won't say no to a company, he also suspects the other god has his own business to attend. ]

[revolutionfalcon]

Most people can. [This guy seems at least reasonably like he has a good head on his shoulders, so Shun figures he'll do a better job than some people here, at least.

He tenses a bit at the use of his first name, even as he turns away.] Don't call me that.

[But he doesn't linger to press the issue. Caster is right that he has business to attend to - that of returning to his patrol, which he proceeds to do, though he keeps an eye on Caster until the other god gets out of sight.]

[futhark]

[ Caster does hear that part though, and figures he will call him Nekhbet next time they meet. Because what option there is - aside from the last name of course.

This is going to go so well... ]