thenearshore | [Closed]

Entry tags:

[Closed]

Who: Yona and Misc
When: October
Where: Various
What: Prayers, Missions, Closed Threads

Closed to Caster, prior to October 1st; Mission 23
[ Considering Caster had given her an open invitation to question him about what he knew of the Irish gods - her own included - it's late one quiet morning when she shows up outside his temple to knock on his gate, looking hopeful. ]

Caster? Are you home?

Closed to Kija, October 8th; Prayer 65 -> 50
[ Having received quite the peculiar prayer out of the blue - on something she knew very little about, Yona had been a little perplexed about what to do. But, seeking out one of her friends for assistance with it, she shows up on Kija's doorstep one afternoon, dressed for a trip to the Near Shore. ]

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[One of the many daily miracles this place has seen fit to bestow on them is the miracle of the cell phone. The numerous attempts to explain quite why this is not miraculous and he really should not be so impressed by it have not served to dampen Kija's enthusiasm for what he still cannot but see as a small box full of magic that lights up and collects letters from the ether, and speaks in the voices of friends.

[Thus it is that he knows the Princess has need of him in advance, and is ready for her when she arrives.]

Princess?

[No, Nari, you still cannot go out there. You will get stuck. Kija nudges the cat away from the doorway. She contrives to look as if this was entirely her idea and stalks haughtily away.]

How can I be of assistance? You said you needed help with a prayer?

[Does it involve going to war with anyone? Kija has the dim feeling that Chiyou really should be focusing on that.]

[ She smiles brightly at him as she comes to a stop in front of his door and holds up her hands in a sheepish shrug. ]

I do. I received one yesterday that I could use some help with. If you're sure you're not busy? It's... sort of an unusual request, compared to some of the ones I receive. I'm not entirely certain why it came to me at all, but it didn't feel right not answering it, so...

Of course not! It would be my pleasure.

[Anything. For her, no request could ever be too much trouble, no matter how unusual.

[Kija is not surprised, of course, to know that she had been unable to turn down the request. It is no less than he would have expected. That the Princess cannot ignore a cry for help, even a misdirected one, is simply part of her nature and just one of the manifold reasons that Kija will gladly follow her anywhere. Even if it is somewhat unusual.]

And the request? What was its nature? Is it something that should have been directed to me?

[Perhaps it really did involve going to war with someone...]

Ah, well, I'm not sure I know who it should have gone to, honestly, but I wasn't sure who I could ask for help. Apparently, there is a designer in need of inspiration, something with modern fashion? I thought it might be fun if we went and learned about it and maybe helped fulfill the prayer in the process?

[ Looking sheepish, she gives Kija a hopeful smile. ]

I know it might not really be in either of our gods' range of expertise, but... it could be fun?

Modern fashion?

[Well, that explains the outfit.

[The answer to her question may well have been 'absolutely anybody else, ever: stopping a complete stranger on the street would probably get you better results', but Kija is certainly not about to let a little thing like that keep him from Helping Out. Okay, so maybe he still does not quite understand why zippers still less how to work them, but it cannot be that hard, surely?]

It cannot be that difficult to learn how to get dressed. There must be somewhere we can go to find out.

Well, I believe the designer has her studio in her home, so I thought we could go there and see what she's working with. It might be a place to start, at least? Or to perhaps figure out what she is looking for...

[ Which, granted, could be a great many things. But Yona seems enthusiastic enough about trying, especially when Kija agrees to help. ]

That sounds like an excellent idea. 'Fashion' does cover quite a lot.

[And a lot of it is very strange.

[There can be no harm in simply taking a look, if only to figure out exactly which variety of bizarreness this designer is interested in. Bizarre with far too little fabric, as if there were some kind of shortage that meant a lady's skirts now had to be less than half the length? Bizarre with deliberately arcane fastenings a man had to be mindful of his fingertips around? Bizarre for children?]

Certainly, Princess. I think we should start there.

[ Just wait till they find miniskirts, Kija. Are you sure you're prepared for this?

Not that Yona knows if she is, either...

But she beams at him, pleased, and holds out her hand to him in invitation. ]

Very well, Kija! Shall we go then?

[--and is this really okay?

[Kija looks at Yona. At her hand. Back at her. She would seem to be absolutely serious and of course meaning absolutely nothing by it, which-- which made it Okay, surely? She would offer the same to any of them and there was nothing the matter with being friendly, with being her.

[Very well, then. He hesitates, and then he doesn't: he takes her hand in his own.]

Of course. Whenever you are ready.

[ Her fingers close warmly about his hand when he places his in hers. Waiting until she's certain he has everything he needs, she then teleports them to the Near Shore, to the place the prayer had come from.

Only... she's not sure she focused that right, because when they arrive, it's inside what looks like... ]

Are we inside a giant closet?

[ The room itself seemed almost as big as the main room of her temple, the walls lined with racks and shelves of brightly colored clothing of every make and style imaginable. ]

How could anyone have trouble coming up with inspiration when surrounded by all this?

It is a room, surely?

[A room for clothes.

[Perhaps they are in a shop, and this is some kind of storeroom? A single glance would seem to put paid to that hypothesis. A shop, in this world, would have multiple versions of the same thing, in an attempt to render the seamstress obsolete that ends with absolutely everybody wearing clothing that does not quite fit. Everything here (though arranged by color, as if reflected in a prism) would appear to be quite different...

[A closer look, a plucking of hemlines and a gentle touch to a sleeve or two, only proves the point. Though the differences, to Kija's mind, are sometimes so subtle as to be academic, everything here is unique.]

Perhaps that is the problem?

[He hardly knows where to look. Perhaps the owner of these outfits does not either.]

[ Yona had been poking through various items of clothing as well, taking in the bright colors and strange designs of them. Her head comes up at Kija's suggestion, however, thinking that possibility over. ]

Well. I know artists do sometimes struggle with inspiration, after all. Perhaps they are indecisive? Or perhaps they just need something new to give them a burst of creativity? Maybe that's how we can help them?

What do we have that this world would consider new?

[Though Kija is nothing if not excessively decorous, with the larger sin of trespass and breach of privacy already quite unwittingly committed, his curiosity has slipped its leash and, blinking and glancing this way and that, has led him to continue walking right down this row of clothes, taking in the curiosity of their color and cut...]

Are these shoes?

[Kija is clear on the concept, of course, but as a man whose main concern about his footwear is 'will it give me blisters' and 'assume I needed to kick a man in the stomach--' the items on display seem to be somewhat lacking. Of course, he has been in this world long enough to see things like this worn, but the mechanics of the whole process remain quite baffling. It's curiosity as to how in the world one even puts these things on without injuring oneself that leads him to start, very carefully, picking things up.]

How would one walk?

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darkestbefore - 2018-06-24 21:19 (UTC) - Expand

[ She can hear a very enthusiastic barking from inside the building, but when Caster shows up, it's not through the door. ]

Ah, Yona!

[ He looks down from the roof, it's quite a way down, but he jumps down as if it was nothing- and kind of is, because he teleports himself just a few centimeters above the planned landing spot- instead of traveling whole way down thanks to gravity. ]

What a nice surprise visit- what brings you today?

[ Showoff.

Yona's head comes up when his voice calls from somewhere above her and then he's jumping off the roof and she can't quite bite back the squeak of alarm as he plummets downwards, only to vanish and reappear in the blink of an eye.

She stares at him with wide eyes for a moment before regathering her composure in a huff, one hand clasped over her chest as she tries to calm her pulse again. ]

Do you greet everyone who comes to visit by scaring them half to death first? What are you the god of again?

[ That's his other name... ]

Hard to say, I got fewer visitors then you think! [ Caster laughs her stress off and offers an unsolicited hair ruffle as an apology. He got his troll-moments and seeing her face just now satisfied it ]

But I'm doing my best to uncover what am I god of. [ Light? Courage? Determination? Bad decisions? So many possibilities Please, don't say dogs, someone will die. Anyway, moving on, he opens the door and invites her inside, to the surprisingly warm, and rustic interior. They even got crackling fireplace and bear pelts on the ground covered ]

Welcome, welcome, there are probably some snacks in the fridge, if you want.

[ Taking a deep breath, she just shakes her head in amusement. ]

Wait, how do you not know what you're the god of? I thought you knew a great deal about Ireland's gods?

[ It's partly why she's here, after all, Caster. Please don't tell her you were bluffing. ]

I do, they're my people and my gods. [ Caster says as he grabs some snacks - gummy grapes what is this even - and gives them to her. Here, here, cavities incoming ]

Huh, so Shizuo can keep his mouth shut. [ He muses out loud, somehow he assumes what her shinki knows, Yona also does. Especially since he doesn't remember to make it a big secret. But really, he'd probably rather tell her himself- so thanks Shizu for not babbling out that ]

They called me a child of light, son of the sun, Ulster's savage dog- The name of Cú Chulainn was also later called when the homeland needed to bolster defenses. [ Which does fit well with his plans to have his name remembered in the collective history of the world and is incredibly flattering ] But I was no longer there when it happened.

[ Hard to say what people did about his story after he died. And it's still weird to come to terms with own "divinity" given his godly father wasn't a big presence in his life. Despite his origin, he associates himself more with the "mortal" side of the world. ]

But that's not the story you're here for today, right?

[ She accepts the offering with a look of mingled curiosity and amusement. Popping one of the strange treats into her mouth and making a surprised hum of pleasure at the new candy. ] These are good.

[ But he's explaining, and she listens with her typical intent attention, only to stop in following him about halfway through his tale, to stare at him with a hint of shock. When he finishes, she looks a little dazed, shaking her head to try and make sure she's hearing this right. ]

Wait, you mean to tell me... you're the original Cú Chulainn? You weren't brought here to replace him, you're actually him?

Caster just laughs and winks at her, bringing a finger to his lips with a "shhhh" sound. But it's not that much of a secret anymore, not with Saber telling everyone everything, starting with his real name. So far it didn't explode in his face, yet, and Caster doesn't like the secrecy either so- eh, he can be more lenient with this.

Truth is, my father was a god, so- I'm still figuring out if I should go into his steps or find my niche. [ Hence the "I have no idea what am I god of" thing. Le shrug. He's not working on that very hard though.

But enough of that, she surely has something more interesting on her mind. ]

[ Her mouth remains dropped open as she stares at him. ]

Caster, you... That... That's incredible. And also a little terrifying. I had no idea.

Yeah, I'm used to hiding that little fact. [ The whole true name secrecy. It's incredible what can be done when everything can be learned from a simple question to good uncle Google ]

But I guess it doesn't matter that much here. [ He shrugs and ends making them both some tea. ] Or should I rather say "I trust you"?

[ That sounds better, no? ]

[ It does, and in fact, it has a faint flush sliding across her cheeks as she smiles up at him, touched by the sentiment. ]

Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, if that's how you wish to keep it. I think it's quite impressive.

And also just a tad bit of weird.[ He's one of the new, strange people/gods, foreign to this land- but he's also the owner of the name as the local old gods- and then, he doesn't feel too divine at all. ] Talk about weirdest promotion-

[ Some people might have figured it out, but it's rare to just own the name so plainly. ]

But hey, enough about me. What problem brought you here? [ He's teasing, not suggesting that only problems brings here guests... ]

Ah! Right! [ She looks a little sheepish at having forgotten in the first place. ] Ahh, when we spoke before, you offered to tell me a little more about the Irish gods. A more personal retelling, as it were. I was wondering... do you have time? If not, it's okay, I don't mind if we make it another time. I just thought... I would ask.