thenearshore | 23 - Crazy Cat Shuffle

I saw a few earlier. They're small, but there's a lot of them lurking around the area. [There were a few around the crowd earlier, but either they've slipped into the press of people or run off somewhere else. It's not really something he wants to devote too much thought to considering he has to keep throwing people at other people before he has much time to think about anything else.

While Shun raises a brow at Caster's suggestion, the first criticism he makes of it is perhaps not the obvious one.] Both of us can't jump into the crowd and keep people off the truck at the same time. Doesn't leave a backup if it doesn't work as planned.

[One of them could always test it, but then, it's hard to tell whether two people jumping in would have a markedly larger effect on them.]

Oh, I'm not suggesting both of us going into the fray. And you seem more than capable enough to handle them here, Nekhbet. [ He tries to limit how much strength he is using to shove people off, but they are so annoyingly persistent, he might stop caring soon. ]

Stupid things, ruining my day like this... [ he mutters to himself. The craze has totally ruined his plans, that's true. ]

[Shun gives him a sidelong look dripping with an unspoken "really?" at the instance of calling him by his god name - he knows exactly why it is, because this isn't the first time he's gotten a petulant response to disallowing someone from using his first name, but it is the only time so far he's had someone switch to his god name.]

I'm not sure all of them are going to be attracted to just one god. We're more appealing to them, but one god against a crowd of humans probably isn't going to cut it.

[ Hey, there are no other options. He wouldn’t go as far as to use the surname - so if the original given name is out of question, there is only another one to use ]

Hmm… shame. [ It seemed like a good idea, playing the bait that’s it. He wants to say something else, but someone catches him by the ankle and almost drags him down, while attempting to climb on the truck. ] -ugh!

[ A well-aimed kick makes the man in question let go and Caster climbs back ] Tch- they’re relentless.

[ a beat ]

I could try and put them all to sleep but-- [ yeah, there’s an unspoken yet “but” ]

Edited (botched coding) 2017-12-09 00:54 (UTC)

[Shun glances back as Caster deals with that guy trying to climb the truck, and to make sure he doesn't take another shot at grabbing them, Shun lifts a leg to kick the guy clean in the jaw and back into the crowd. He doesn't take his other foot off the ground to do so, the motion requiring a pretty exceptional leg-split as a result.]

You noticed. [Shun's tone is a little dry, because he wouldn't be dealing with them so roughly if they weren't being so persistent.

Caster's mention of putting them to sleep gets his attention, but the sudden break off gets a distinctly unimpressed look.] If there's a reason why you can't do that, spit it out.

[ Sarcasm, he sees it, he just chooses to ignore it. ]

See, I'm kind of running low on reserves... [ Getting involved with a bit too much magical stuff in one day, can do that to you. Not to mention he's been for over a month, it's miracle it took him this long to deplete MP ] I'd need you to boost me up a bit first.

[ He could possibly feed on the crowd, but they're kind of too animated right now, and apparently they're also ayakashi infested. Which means a bit too risky to be the first choice. ]

[Yeah, that's definitely not a request Shun is particularly fond of hearing from magic users he doesn't know very well, and he shoots Caster an exceedingly suspicious look as he punches someone trying to sneak up on him in the jaw.]

Even if I was going to agree to something like that, leaving out the details makes me think it's a bad idea.

[Then again, Shun considers most things involving people he doesn't know all that well a bad idea, so what else is new.]

[ Now he's getting The Look, and he totally deserves that. Shun is right about being suspicious here. ]

Don't give me that face, I'm not going to bite you! [ He could, sure. Blood is good for those things, can transfer a lot of energy very quickly- but it's also messy, painful and potentially traumatic experience. He'd rather skulk on the edges of good, old, spiritual vampirism. ]

See, you let me borrow some of your energy, I can fire off something that will put everyone here to sleep. It doesn't hurt- [ He can't promise Shun won't notice it at all though ] Literally hand-holding level.

[ In the meantime, Caster materializes his staff, to play whack-a-mole with another desperate cat-charm chaser. ]

[None of that is in any way reassuring or really any more specific than what Shun was hearing before, and he hisses in mild annoyance as he spin-kicks someone back into the crowd.]

Whether it hurts isn't the problem. It's whether I'm going to pass out where I stand afterwards that I'm concerned about. [Because he's had some close calls even using his own powers here, even if they were a while ago. He's not sure he wants to know what kind of energy drain someone else using his energy for a spell is going to cause.]

[ Caster commends your paranoia, Shun. Many would say that caster-class is inherently untrustworthy, but the truth is- neither of the classes is. Anyone claiming otherwise is either naive or a fool. ]

First, I don't intend to take more than I need. [ There isn't time for lengthy explanations when he's in the middle of smacking people off the truck right and left, and trying to not break too many teeth at that... but he is going to answer the concerns in a most concise way possible ] Second, I can't take much if we're going by just hand-contact. You won't pass out, but I can't promise you won't get a mild headache later.

[ He holds his palm upwards, as if suggesting to take his hand ]

We both have better things to do than guard this truck for the rest of the day.

[That, at least, is a bit more relevant information. Shun still doesn't look particularly convinced, but he's thinking over the advantages and disadvantages quickly as he kicks another few people back into the crowd. There's not really enough ayakashi here to take advantage of it even if he does pass out, nor are they really vicious enough to be doing so. And if it does deal with the people, that's going to take out another considerable threat.

Unconvinced as he is that Caster isn't still going to find some way to take advantage of it, Shun figures the payoff is probably higher than the risk in this case. Though he still eyes off the offered hand for a moment longer before he moves.]

If you're lying, I'll come and kick your ass myself. [Or try, at least. But after a moment to let that sit, he reluctantly reaches out to take Caster's hand.]

Absolutely do. [ Caster is not fond of liars but then he got some weird definition of those. It's different to not give some information, basically the omission game he's been always playing, that's not a lie, that's acceptable strategy.

He catches the offered hand - that's literally handholding that is happening, but it's all about direct contact. With that consent, he reaches and carefully drains a bit of that life energy radiating from under the skin. Bit by bit, not too much.

Enough to throw the staff away, and write a long string of runes in the air- it stays in the air for few seconds, before flying towards the crowd in form of a bunch of strings, and anyone touched by it? Falls exhausted to the ground. ]

See? Not that scary.

[ He says letting go of Shun's hand, and writing a follow-up, this time shorter, targeting few confused stragglers who seem shaken off from their maniacal need of looting the truck. Apparently, people dropping unconscious all around you can do that, but Caster wants no witnesses, they fall to sleep as well ]

I wonder what they will write in the newspapers. [ "Accident with a truck, it knocks the whole crowd unconscious! Fortunately, no fatalities" Either way, the crisis is solved, and Shun did not contract some magical necrosis, all is good in his book. ]

[It's an odd feeling, but Shun figures he's had weirder in the time he's been here. Though he clearly doesn't really like staying in extended contact with somebody he doesn't know well, he doesn't withdraw his hand until Caster lets go of it, which he takes to mean that he's taken what he needs.

And then he immediately crosses his arms, because apparently even that much contact was too much for Shun's purposes.] Probably something about a freak accident, or a disease if they really want to scare people. It could be anything when nobody knows what really happened.

[With that solved, though, Shun looks around the area with a careful eye, trying to spot whether any of the ayakashi that have been driving this are hanging around.]

I don't like this. This would have to have been set up to be so focused on those keychains, but so far basically all its been has been mindless chaos. It's a lot of trouble to go to for just that.

[ Thank you for the meal, well snack more likely, but still. It worked, bought them time, at least until ambulances appear to haul those mysteriously asleep people ]

I've entertained the thought that machines might be cursed-- [ Caster jumps down the truck and moves towards its back to do what everyone in the crowd just failed - break inside ] -but you're right, it might be just the objects themselves.

[ The door creak as he forcibly tears them open, and right, inside instead of the machines are packaged the content of them itself - they keychains, lots and lots of cute kittens lying around ]

Huh.. these are kind of cute.

It's not the first time something like that's happened, so I'd guess the objects over the machines. [And that's pretty much confirmed when Caster yanks open the back of the truck. No machines in sight, and only a mass of the keychains within.

Shun looks over them to make sure there's not any of the greedy ayakashi hiding among them, but shoots Caster a sidelong glance at that remark.]

Don't you start. [He doesn't really see it himself, but he tends to have a somewhat different idea of cute than other people do.]

[ The reply is just a bark of laughter. ] They kind of are-

But don't worry, a curse like that won't affect me. [ He's not going to waste money on pulling gacha for rest of the day. It seems one bag = filling for one machine, and some of them opened in the crash. He grabs the keychain, seemingly from the rare sort and inspects it, before showing it to Shun ] Last time it happened- what was the cause of the commotion?

It wasn't "commotion" last time, but we've had supernaturally contaminated products. Last time it was chocolates, but it was a long while ago.

[Even before he got here, which means it would've been a good half year or so ago by now considering Shun's coming up on that length of time himself. It's old news, but still relevant enough.

Somewhat cautiously, Shun steps into the back of the truck, looking over the bag Caster shows before pulling out his wakizashi so he can prod at and turn over a few of the charms without touching them.]

[ A faint ambulance siren can be heard in the distance. Oh finally. And meanwhile, Caster doesn't even hide that he pockets one of the super rare kitty cat charms- for research you know ]

Chocolates..? What happened to those who ate them? [ The moment phrase "supernaturally contaminated products" is thrown, it stops being the question "if something happened" and changes into "what the hell happened next?" ]

[While Shun raises a brow at Caster taking one of the charms, considering his own boyfriend still has a stock of the chocolates from that first incident, he can't really complain too hard.]

Apparently Far Shore people just got something like food poisoning. But Near Shore residents were driven to try killing themselves. The chocolates somehow contained ayakashi, so eating them let them out.

[It's not the only time something like that has happened either, and Shun was unlucky enough to be around for the second.]

[ So that's what happens after ingesting ayakashi? ]

Disgusting things... But that makes them a lot smarter than expected. If this happens on such a big scale, it's not just a coincidence. [ Do they have a hivemind? Or maybe there are various levels of ayakashi, grunts, and those issuing orders.

They don't know that much about their enemy, don't they? ]

No, but I don't think it was the ayakashi themselves. Apparently with the chocolates, they were only handled by people the Heavens trusted. So the obvious conclusion there is that there's a traitor in their midst who set it up.

[Considering the attacks they've had since then, especially the one on Amaterasu's temple and the cherry blossom viewing, Shun finds the idea that their enemies don't have some kind of high-up spy in the Heavens difficult to believe. It's too much to buy that those plans went off without a hitch otherwise.]

Now that took a darker turn... [ Caster ponders on what he just learned, but before he gets to answer the ambulance and then another one arrive- ]

I suppose that's our cue to get out of here. But I have to say I'm tempted to set all those things on fire now.

[ Can they just... dump it into a river or sea? ]

As long as you're not careless, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea. [Shun is definitely not the kind of person to be asking for a level-headed opinion on these sorts of matters. He could always stay and try getting rid of them with his god powers, but that would take an unnecessary amount of time and effort.]

You know what? That's exactly what I'm going to do.

[ Once he gets the packs of the toys outside because setting them on fire while a rescue operation is happening will make things worse. Good thing he can make it in few jumps, because that whole Servant strength allows him to carry a lot of heavy stuff. ]

In the meantime. you have fun out there, Nekhbet! [ Fighting ayakashi, and angry mobs ]

Edited 2018-01-12 20:46 (UTC)

Go ahead. [Shun's not being asked to help in this instance, so he's not going to offer, especially since there's a lot more to worry about out there right now. So he turns on his heel and starts to leave the truck even before Caster's done talking.

He does give a faint scoff at Caster's making a point to use his god name at the end, though.] Idiot.

[It's quiet, but not quiet enough that he's trying to hide the remark in any way.]

23 - Crazy Cat Shuffle

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cw: suicide mentions

Re: cw: suicide mentions

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wraps it up a million years later

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