30 - Deep Clean

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: The Heavens have issued everyone invitations to a relaxing hot spring vacation.
When: Dec 14 - 16
Where: A traditional onsen hotel on the Far Shore
Summary: The invitations might have looked like an opportunity for a pampered getaway, but this onsen seems a little run down. And shouldn't there be a bigger staff? Is this an excuse to get the new gods and shinki to clean up an old building, or is it an opportunity for a rustic getaway? It's all in how you look at it....






Rustic Baths

Heaven's messenger doves drop invitations off by the doorways of temples throughout the Far Shore in the second week of December. Ornamented with a calligraphed swirl of steam, they invite the residents of each temple to relax at a recently re-opened hot spring in the safety and comfort of the Far Shore's southern fields.

Upon arrival, visitors will discover that the hot spring itself is heavenly. Cloudy waters in every shade from nearly white to turquoise fill pools that are cut cleanly into stone. The hottest baths are filled from pipes ten feet up, with steaming waters cascading down, cooled enough by the fall not to burn. Outdoors, fences cleverly masked with bushes and vines provide privacy for bathers. The indoor baths are set into the floor in solid wooden buildings, for those who would prefer not to brave the elements for their relaxing soak. Other wooden buildings are airier, with traditional sliding paper doors and tatami rooms within for visitors to sleep.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look all that ready to "re-open." The buildings are worn down by time and neglect; sliding doors are off their tracks, paper screens are torn, tatami is worn out, and the landscaping is badly overgrown. This looks more like a haunted house than a luxurious getaway. At least the baths are nice.

Cooking & Cleaning

There's a noticeable lack of staff around the hot spring; the only caretakers for the place appear to be two elderly shinki in plain indigo robes, one man and one woman. The man can be spotted here and there around the place over the few days that their guests are present, industriously scrubbing floors, patching screens, repairing tatami and cutting back bushes. It's far more work than just one person can do, and he'll be eager to explain the tasks and accept any help that's offered.

The other shinki is a slight, stooped old woman who bustles about with fresh towels and robes, lays out futons and pillows for the guests, and cooks three meals a day. She, too, is terribly overworked, and help with the laundry or the cooking will be gratefully accepted! Surely, if everyone works together, they'll be able to make this a wonderful.... vacation?

Spooky Sleepover

For those who take the two shinki up on their offer of hospitality, they will find that the rooms are comfortable, the futon are soft and warm, the stars are beautiful far from the lights of more densely populated areas of the Heavens... and as soon as the lanterns are all snuffed for bedtime, the remote resort starts to feel a little creepy. Strange creaking noises resound overhead. Is that the wind, or someone walking on the roof? What about the shadows cast through the paper screens by the moonlight? Is the flicker of light outside someone taking a flashlight as they go for a late-night walk, or a will-o'-the-wisp beckoning the unwary to their doom? And what about those distant animal howls in the forest?!

Investigate the mysterious noises, or pull the covers up and try to get some sleep. Extra-brave guests could even take the opportunity to light some candles and tell ghost stories.

The Bath's Master Returns

On the 16th, the two shinki will wake all of their guests up promptly at dawn by ringing a big brass bell in front of the dining building. Bursting with pride, they introduce the bath's proprietor, home at last from a long flight: he's a man in his thirties, tall, heavy-set and wearing a trailing feathery cloak, with a red face and a very large nose. (Or is that really a cloak? It could be wings....) He fans himself vigorously with a white feather fan, and welcomes the remaining guests in a booming voice, before inviting them to enjoy a lavish breakfast spread and come back soon!

Guests who have stayed until the final day will find a gift at their place setting when they go inside, especially if they helped the proprietor's poor overworked shinki with their tasks. Comment below on the "Gift" thread to learn what your character found in their package.

In Summary:

• Vacation at a run-down hot spring
• Help the staff get things in order
• Try not to get scared by the spooky surroundings
• Get a present from the bath's proprietor
• Have fun~

Comments

[purr_ince]

This isn't something you can handle for me, Dust. This is - [He sighed.] I told her I was in love with her and I told her I was in love with Snake. This is why we are where we are right now. You're doing the best you can and you're helping by being here. It's fine.

[mithrarin]

...How do you even know? That that's what you feel.

[This is getting way too deep into things he doesn't understand, but... no offense to Adrien, but he's on the younger side, isn't he?]

[purr_ince]

It's kind of complicated. It's different for everyone. But it... it's this warmth in your chest when they're around, this desire to be around them, to make them happy see them smile, hear them laugh.

[He considers.] Now that I'm a god and remember everything - My mother always told me that loving someone was wanting what was best for them. They were someone that makes you want to be the best you but love an accept you good and bad...

[mithrarin]

...Isn't that just friendship, though? Good friendship, but...

[He can't tell the difference, doesn't understand it. Maybe one of his souls would, but he doesn't have their memories...]

[purr_ince]

It is.. but it isn't. Friendship is its own kind of love. But romance love is a little different. It's... hand holding and kisses, wanting a life together. Wanting to share everything and give them everything they've ever dreamed of.

Like Marinette. Marinette wants to be a fashion designer. I'd give her a place to focus on that - in fact there's a studio in my temple just for her. Snake, well I don't know what he wants but there's that massive green house and the sauna - those are for his health and happiness.

[mithrarin]

So it's... wanting to always be with them, and also physical intimacy.

[Just... listen to that quiet intensity in Dust's voice as he considers things.]

[So close, and yet Dust asks...] Can you do really that for both of them?

[purr_ince]

Well not always? I mean you can have that feeling with out the desire for physical intimacy. It's kind of complicated but I think if you really do love someone like that you'll know.

It's... it's like they're the most important person to you. Sure you have friends and everything but somehow they're different. They're set apart from everyone else. Yes.

[Adrien blinked remembering something Emilie had told him when he'd asked if she loved him or his father more.] The love in a person's heart is not limited. There are all kinds of love and all kinds of ways to love. Love isn't a finite amount. Like you can't just love three people in your life and be empty. Love is in endless supply so we can never run out.

[He paused before adding on carefully.] That isn't to say that we'll all romantically love many people. For some people it's just one, or even none. But that doesn't mean they don't love they could love their friends, their family, themselves. Does... that make sense?

[mithrarin]

Maybe the emotion isn't finite, but you are. I can barely imagine being with one person... two sounds like a recipe for exhaustion and jealousy.

[Dust curls his fingers, then relaxes them, a slow sequence that repeats a few times as he turns the words over in his head. After a moment, he chuckles.] You almost worried me there. But now I think there's not anyone I love... not if you just 'know it'.

[purr_ince]

It's entirely possible? Jealousy... is a very real thing.
[He laughed softly.]

You know back home before I knew Marinette was Ladybug this guy was talking about her - how great she was how awesome she was... and I kind of got mad. So I told him she and I were a thing. Because how dare this guy just moon after her like that - like I did. But I knew her. I was with her every night and afternoon and every fight...This guy didn't know her at all and it made me want to punch him or yell at him; my claws almost came out.

[He considered.] Well some people do though, for some people they don't. They don't know until it's too late. It's stupid but true. I loved Ladybug instantly The minute she gave that speech I was hers but if you'd have asked me how I felt about Marinette I'd have told you she was just a good friend - because I didn't know how I really felt about her because I didn't let myself feel that way. I kept saying 'Wow, Marinette's really nice to me. She's so kind, sweet, and pretty. Amazingly talented and always there when I need someone to talk to and cheer me up. What a good friend. I love having her as a friend.'

I didn't understand. Sometimes love is this instant zap but sometimes? Sometimes it's this slow gentle, growing thing that takes hold and you don't know it's there til someone points it out or you almost lose it. Sometimes you don't know until it's too late because you didn't let yourself see... You get comfy in the feeling like it's a blanket and you think it'll be there forever only it won't not unless you see it for what it is, admit it and they feel the same.

[mithrarin]

[That--]

[That--]

[Well.]

[But that doesn't--]

[Because it isn't--]

[Hold on. Wait.]

But they were the same person, so that's -- that's not exactly the sort of situation anyone is going to get into. Unless there's a lot of dual identities I don't know about.

[purr_ince]

That was not the part you were supposed to fixate on or take away from the story, Dust. What I'm saying is sometimes Love is like a punch to the gut and that's how you know but sometimes... it's light and subtle and just settles naturally - so naturally that you don't notice.

Like.. falling for Marinette here when I didn't have any memories was something I was kind of aware of. I knew something was shifting between us. I knew and I felt it. But with Snake? Nope It just kind of happened and I woke up one day going. 'Oh no..' then I started panicking a bit ..But I guess when I was sick and hurt not telling them was more scary.

[mithrarin]

I'm not sure you're the best role model for understanding romance.

[Dust is trying to joke to quickly deflect any thoughts Adrien might be putting in his head. Because it's crazy. And impossible.]

Besides -- even if I was interested in finding that sort of thing, and even if someone could get around all of the facts of who I am... there aren't any other Warmbloods here anyway.

[purr_ince]

Hey. It's not my fault identity nonsense go in my way back home. And when I got here I had no memories. I'm doing the best I can to straighten out this mess I made.

[Adrien shrugged his shoulders.]

What does that have to do with anything? Snake isn't entirely human but that doesn't stop me from loving him. Some people might be narrow minded sure but as long as you and whoever you like don't see anything wrong with it.

[mithrarin]

I had that discussion with him. [Dust can't help but smile a little.] He had some worries on that score too. To be honest, he looks pretty much as human to me as you do. The differences are a lot more... pronounced, when it comes to me.

[purr_ince]

Really? [He hasn't heard about this. Adrien'll ask the kittens if they heard about it. Or maybe Ayn and Martin?] Okay but he's not - I don't treat him differently and if anyone else does I'll punch them.

[Adrien shrugged.] Even if you're different that doesn't mean someone couldn't love you? I think everyone has that fear, no matter how like everyone around them they are. I know I'm absolutely terrified to be frank.

[mithrarin]

You said it yourself, love is also about a certain level of... physical intimacy. There's a barrier if someone expects skin and gets fur, or gets swatted by a tail they didn't expect. Or vice versa. Maybe I expect some fur.

[Even as he says that, he knows it's not true. But it could be true. So it is probably true for others.]

[purr_ince]

Not always. [But he has to admit it's true.] But you might be right - Only um if they're with you they know there's fur and a tail so it shouldn't be that surprising. I mean they've seen you? [He snorts.] That would be like me telling Snake I like him but not his scales. That's just dumb. You can't help you have fur or whatever. I suppose you might want that but is that really going to be the thing to hold you back from meeting someone that loves you?

[mithrarin]

It -- might be the thing that stops them from loving me, that way.

[If there was someone. Which he's not saying there might be. Because there's too much wrong with it.]

[purr_ince]

I ... don't think it would? There's bound to be someone who'd love you just like you are. They could be here now. You don't know that they're not.

[mithrarin]

It's not that simple. I'm not... there's too much about me. I'm... not normal.

[purr_ince]

Normal is such a stupid phrase. If I was on your world I wouldn't be normal. But there'd be nothing wrong with me there would there? Just like there's nothing wrong with you either.

[mithrarin]

[Dust shifts slightly. Very slightly, just enough that a hint of one eye peeks out from beneath the hat, regarding Adrien with every scrap of intensity Dust possesses.]

I don't have my own soul. How about that?

[purr_ince]

[Well that does make him draw back a little bit.] But - souls are a completely metaphysical concept. How can you know if it's not your own or if you have it or not? [Then he hums softly.] And if you have something it's yours - like say I gave you something like um.. my baton as an example. Until you gave it back or unless we had a ready understanding I'd be wanting it back it'd be yours while you had it.

[mithrarin]

They're real. And I don't have one of my own. I have two, two souls who killed each other, and who the Moonblood Elder bounded together with his power to create me. The Sen-Mithrarin. He Who Is Born From the Dust.

[Dust lifts one hand, slowly, as he recites this; on the last syllable, he snaps it shut into a fist.]

Created. I was made as a weapon, to fight, and eventually die. Even if she -- even if everything else were the same...

[purr_ince]

[For a second he's just staring trying to process the fact that souls are apparently real. Well that makes the concept of death completely terrifying so thanks for that Dust. But it explains a lot like that intense conversation they had before when he was a shinki.]

Okay but, you realize that you're here. This is the Heavens. You might have been made as a weapon and to fight but all that is over now. Aside from Ayakashi I mean. I think you should give her a bit more credit and at least a chance.

Sure she might not love you back like that - for a million and one reasons - but what if she did? Even with all the things you think are wrong and abnormal about you; she might not feel that they are bad things. She might not even care about them the way you do.

You shouldn't get to make that choice for her or make blind assumptions.