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Who: Souji and Reiji
What: There was a hiccup in Heaven, and Reiji finds himself under new management.
When: April 6th
Where: Izanagi's shrine
Warning: Reference to shinki death but otherwise N/A.

[ Generally speaking, Souji has seen some pretty interesting things, in the past year. So this entire god thing, it's not that strange, compared to summoning gods and fighting others; exploring an alternate world inside the TV; fighting monsters called Shadows, and inner selves called Shadows; spending time in a different plain of reality that was housed in a limousine. But... it's still strange. So after having fought the weird Jell-O cube at the school, he'd gone to his apparent shrine to recover and try to figure out where he'd go from there.

It's the next morning that he gets yet another surprise, as he's heading downstairs from his room and into the kitchen. He can see one of the tatami rooms from the lounge area of the kitchen, and he has to pause, then take a step back to get a second look, when something catches his attention out of the corner of his eye.

Slowly, his eyebrows raise, and he heads towards the figure just sort of... lying around in his new house. Aside from a stray cat he'd brought across the Shore with him and his soulless shinki - who he hasn't seen yet this morning, strangely enough - Souji thought he was rather alone. His eyebrows raise higher when he gets a look at who it is, and he kneels down, carefully reaching a hand out. Before he makes contact, though, he's suddenly struck with an image, and an understanding - yelling, a gunshot, blood.

Death. Reiji's, he realizes.

His fingers curl into a fist, and he has to steel himself for a beat, two, before he loosens it so that he can reach out and touch his shoulder. ]

Reiji?

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[ That's definitely a better reception than he's expecting. He'll have to learn about how to do the wiring, too. It's better to be busy than to slack. ]

Sure. You can ask me anything.

[ He has a vague idea of what it probably would be, though. ]

[ There are quite a few questions he has for Reiji, honestly, but he thinks this one is the most important to address. To the point that he stops working. Whatever distraction the preparation was meant to be for what could be a stressful conversation dissipates. ]

Since we're going to be partners now, I'm meant to give you a second name so that you can take a different form. For fighting ayakashi. And apparently some gods just go ahead and give their shinki the name without talking to them, but I wanted to know if you were okay with it. I want us to be able to communicate these kinds of things.

[ Souji gestures around the kitchen space. ] From music to prayers, you know? Anything that comes to mind for either of us.

[ His instinct being confirmed, Reiji shifts his posture to stand straighter. So this would be the major event that he had heard from all the other shinki he's met.

He can't say he's not excited. Souji bothering to ask also cements their partnership as, well, a partnership, and not an ownership. ]

By all means, go ahead. And - thanks.

[ With that, he waits. ]

Of course. After all, we're partners now.

[ That settled - because it's important, to distinguish things, to distinguish that Reiji is still a person, not an object - Souji lowers his hand to his chin and considers him for a long moment. There are things he can glean from memories that he now has but Reiji doesn't, and from his personality. Their conversations.

He eventually lets out a soft sound. ]

I'm not fond of what we're meant to recite, but... [ He drops his hand. ] Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my divine instrument. The name, Suwa Reiji. The vessel, Ryou. Come, Ryouki.

[ Reiji closes his eyes as soon as Souji begins the rite. It probably looks dramatic, but that's what feels natural.

'After all, we're partners now.' Not servants, even if the scripted text says so.

For a brief moment there is silence before a soft golden light envelops his form - a curious but not uncomfortable sensation. A second later he knows he's no longer in human form, mind elsewhere from his body which has now turned into something else.

The light resolves itself into a decorated sword, floating in the air where Reiji had been. The hilt is positioned just at the correct height for Souji to grasp it - a substance with the sturdiness of metal and the clarity of golden glass, curving down to meet the blade in the form of four wings. The sword itself glows from within - a purple blade outlined faintly by gold.

Very anime. ]

Wow. This is quite cool, if I may say so myself.

[ It is a little dramatic, but the entire thing is very, very anime. It reminds him of one of Nanako's shows, the ones she half watches when it's not Featherman. (Hell, even Featherman would eat this up, though.) But it suits the situation, he thinks.

Souji does well to not lift his hand to shield his eyes from the light, and is rewarded by the... very ornate sword in front of him. He can't help the soft huff of a laugh as he reaches out, taking the hilt in his hand, natural as anything. Maybe he's self taught, but he at least knows how to hold a blade, has handled enough of them across a broad range of styles that this isn't too farfetched. ]

I think it suits you. [ Flashy, but capable, even with the decorations around the hilt. It's frankly a Lot to take in.

Definitely very anime. ] How does it feel?

[ Maybe that's just his style. Why not be a little flashy when you've got the ability to back it up?

At least, he hopes he does. Even if he doesn't, he'll work until it's achieved. ]

Kind of surreal. It's like I'm here but not really? Like some of those 'out of body phenomena', I'd suppose. But it's nice.

[ There might be a bit of sparkling coming out from the wings now. ]

I'll get used to it. I'm not really sure what I should be doing per se, though. Do you feel anything different?

[ That's fair, and also true. Souji would definitely find himself agreeing with it, in Reiji's case.

He adjusts his grip, holding the sword two-handed now as he assesses it. A good weight, not too heavy but obviously not light enough so as to be weak. Well balanced. He doesn't swing it - him - right now, since they're smack in the middle of the kitchen. He has more sense than that. ]

You're sparkling a little. [ Amused. ] There's a sort of... draw, maybe? I'm a summoner, of sorts, so it feels a little like the connection I have with my Personae when I'm about to summon one of them.

[ Personae - he files that away for later conversation - but the concept of the draw intrigues him. Maybe a capability he doesn't know he has yet.

Though, Souji being a summoner might also clue in to his experience with this whole shinki business. Maybe there was a similar system back home. ]

I'd say draw it, but maybe outside?

[ He'll tone down the sparkling for now. ]

[ He knows he'll have to explain more about his Personae, later, but right now the focus is obvious on Reiji and his vessel. He regards the ingredients on the counter for a second, before he rests the flat of Reiji's blade against his shoulder and turns to head for one of the numerous doors to the yard. ]

Good plan. I like this kitchen, so I'd rather not take a chunk out of it somehow.

[ That gets Reiji to chuckle. The way Souji says it sounds like he's expecting some sort of possibly explosive power. Which would be cool, but inconvenient. ]

Right, right. Let's go.

[ He doesn't say much until they're outside, instead taking the time to look around, so to speak. ]

I'm ready whenever you are.

[ Given all of the things that have happened in his life? Souji would much rather play it safe, in this case. No summoning indoors, no powers indoors. ]

I wonder if you have some kind of power in your vessel form, and that's what I'm picking up on.

[ Bringing the sword around again, he holds it with his right hand, left supporting it under the decorative hilt. ]

[ It's all very new for Reiji so he's just going to roll with it. ]

That should be it. I saw several other gods doing stuff with their shinki's vessel forms, too.

[ When Souji does access the draw, a golden rune circle will appear beneath his feet. Whether he'll actually finish the draw is up to him, however. ]

Edited 2016-09-17 03:02 (UTC)

Oh - [ whoop there it is

Souji doesn't necessarily do anything beyond pulling on the thread he feels, until that rune appears. And then he considers it thoughtfully, before he takes Reiji's vessel and extends him out and upwards at a slight angle. So that if anything happens, it'll be aimed above the garden.

And then he twists his wrist, much like when he crushes the tarot cards he uses to summon his Personae, and thinks to release. ]

[ For a few moments, nothing actually happens.

And then there's a soft hum as the runes below him start to turn much like a wheel, and a connection opens. Souji would feel the impression of something dazzlingly bright against an impossibly dark backdrop - a star. Not in the sky, but in space; with uncountable other stars barely visible due to the four-pointed lens flare that its light might give. Probably a star in a galaxy, but somehow alone in the emptiness that its impression gives.

Energy starts pouring in from parts unknown, light and heat pooling along the blade and accentuating the golden glow on its edge. It's just a trickle for now, but still steady enough to be used.

If Souji leaves it be, it'll continue to accumulate in Reiji's vessel. ]

[ Thankfully it's not explosive. That's a relief. Souji would be able to adjust and find a way to use it if it was, though that sort of reaction wouldn't have suited someone like Reiji anyways. So he lowers the shinki, examining the glow of the blade after he takes in the effect of everything around him. ]

You have star power, of some kind. It feels like really powerful energy. [ He lets it accumulate for a little longer, curious about its uses, but deciding that there will be plenty of time to practice with it.

Slowly, he eases the connection to what it was when he first called for Reiji as Ryouki. ]

[ Much like closing a tap, the inflow of energy slows and then stops. The accompanying rune circle stops moving, fading to only a slight yellow glow on the ground. The energy already in the blade still remains, however. ]

That's... quite cool, actually. I wonder what it means.

[ For Reiji, it's much like being surrounded by a sudden inpouring of fireflies. ]

I hope it's useful.

[ Waiting until everything dims down, Souji regards the sword in his hand, and the way it seems like he just... stockpiled energy? That's what he thinks happened, anyways. And he's kind of glad that he did. If something happens for real, it'll already be there. ]

I'm sure it will be. We'll just have to learn how to harness it properly.

[ Just to get a better feeling for the weight and force, he gives the shinki a few swings, forward and backhanded, left hand still supporting underneath the hilt. ]

Would you like to change back?

[ There's a slight pause as Reiji considers it. ]

Give me a bit. I want to try out something.

[ There's a beat of silence, and then the energy within the blade disperses out in a shower of twinkling lights. The individual points are much softer than the brilliance they had displayed together when stored in his vessel form, and they float around slowly as if in an unseen breeze. ]

Okay, I'm done.

[ Complying, Souji waits - and then huffs a soft breath of a laugh when he pretty much starts to sparkle all over again. With a purpose. But it's nice. Suits him. And it feels rather peaceful, actually, so he just observes calmly before inclining his head. ]

Suwa Reiji. [ It's convenient that he can change with just a name, after the initial rites.

Less sketchy, too, with the lack of the word servant being thrown around. ]

[ The sword in Souji's hands starts to glow again, dissolving into a stream of golden light before reforming some distance away into Reiji's human form. When the light fades, he'll be examining his hands for a few seconds before he looks up, smiling. ]

That was amazing.

[ He looks happy. That's one that he can learn and improve on, at least. ]

Edited (iconnn) 2016-09-17 05:13 (UTC)

[ When the vessel becomes light, Souji drops his hand, hooking his thumb in his pocket and looking rather pleased with the results, himself. Especially when he feels the emotion radiating off of Reiji like the light just did. ]

It was. I'm really looking forward to finding out what we can do with it. And I'm pretty glad that you're a sword, honestly.

[ They have a lot of work ahead of them, but that at least means that he won't have to learn how to wield a completely different weapon at the same time. Maybe if he gets another shinki, but not with his first one when they're both wandering in the dark. ]

[ Reiji dusts his shirt a little, just in case. Some of the light dots from earlier are starting to wink out, but he reaches out to try and catch one anyway. ]

You're familiar with swords?

[ Him being a sword fits, he thinks, so that's that. ]

[ That's surprisingly cute of you, Reiji. But Souji won't comment. ]

I started off with golf clubs. [ He's laughing, softly, but is definitely serious. ] And bats, sometimes. But then we started basically scavenging loot from fights and taking them to a man in town who did metalwork, and he'd make us weapons mostly for artistic reasons.

[ The sword definitely suits him. So does the starlight. ]

[ Souji sounds like someone who worked hard to get from the bottom up. That is something he can very much respect. ]

I hope we can get weapons more easily here, at least. [ A pause. ] Could you teach me how to use a sword, then? I'd like to learn.

[ Since he's pretty sure he doesn't know. ]

I'd say that shinki probably fulfill the role most weapons would serve, although I certainly hope that people aren't referring to or treating them simply as weapons or tools. [ It sits on the same "this is sketchy" discomfort as calling someone a servant.

He perks a little, and inclines his head. ]

If you're okay with learning from someone that was self-taught.

[ That's true. Reiji nods, but thats's more of a problem of other gods (hypothetically, he hopes these people don't actually exist) than of Souji. ]

I'll need one too, but that can be solved later. [ What matters is that he gets a teacher in the first place. ] I'm perfectly okay with that.

I'm sure we can find something. Even if it's just a bokken - although that might be more advisable than trying to skip straight to an actual sword. [ He lifts his hands, palmside up. There are callouses built up, but also scarred nicks here and there on both his palms and the backs of his hands, when he turns them over. ]

I can heal most injuries with a couple different Personae, but that doesn't mean they're any fun to get.

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SOCIAL LINK GOOOO

[ glass sound effect ]

the persona crew must need to clean up so many broken glass every day

considering all those friendships

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