thenearshore | It's the thought that counts [Closed]

Entry tags:

It's the thought that counts [Closed]

Who: Nia and Shizuo
When: Dec. 22 (backdated)
Where: The suspicious forest in the Near Shore
What: Nia talks Shizuo into going hunting for a no-goodnik. It goes poorly.

"...So anyway, Votelli was talking a lot about some guy she's following, a human named Sensei."

The two of them paced through the wilderness -- three, actually. Nia's Blade followed behind her, only occasionally taking a look around as if it might spot something the two of them didn't. Though she didn't remember her history of tromping across Alrest's Titans, her body did, and the mud and occasional patches of snow that the sun couldn't peek through to melt didn't challenge her at all.

"He stole her when she was young and raised her as a tool, I'm sure of it," she said, anger deepening her accent a shade. "The way she talked, he'd been treating her poorly, making her think she was powerless so she wouldn't get any ideas, putting her down so she'd want to please him, feeding her lines. This guy's part of our problems for sure!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Either stole or found, I guess.

[ He heard all about the girl- And by all, it only had to be just enough to get him to agree, which isn't a lot. Kids being used were a bit of a sore point after some things that happened back in his life before the shores. While Nia also seemed to have no trouble going through the forest, Shizuo was definitely a city type; it was their temple that had started getting him used to the setting. ]

His, uh, name isn't Sensei, though. That's just something like a title given to those that are meant to guide and take care of you... basically.

[ Doctors, teachers, mentors- Going through all of the stuff of what Sensei was for was a pain in the ass. Not that this was the time for a language lesson. ]

[That doesn't surprise Nia, and she just shrugs as she walks on.] Votelli used it like his name. Probably all he ever told her to keep his real name a secret. That way she wouldn't even suspect he was called something else. I told you, the guy really has her under his thumb.

[And it makes her angry, really angry. If they catch that guy, Nia's not gonna be too kind to him.]

He's supposed to be an ordinary human. I don't buy it.

[ Oh, he's not going to make Nia be kind to him at all. He sort of did this with Yona- using things as opportunities so she'd learn more about a world she wasn't from. Except Yona learned more about ice cream and milkshakes instead of terms and stuff. ]

A-ah...

[ He can feel the anger- yeah. It's because the anger makes sense that it doesn't really bleed through. At this point he's sort of getting used to Nia's normal ire and other negative emotions, so he can tell how serious it was to her. ]

Don't think ordinary means much. I'm an ordinary, normal human, but I was able to lift something several times my own weight back when I was a little kid.

[ Now it was things several thousand times his own weight. ]

If she's a kid on her own, and he's the only one she's really known, then it makes sense. Shitty sense, but this kinda thing can only be fucked up.

[Everything about how that guy is using Votelli makes her burn inside. However she might try to hide it, she cares about that sort of stuff too much to just let someone being abused like that slide.]

...You're not an ordinary human, ordinary humans don't do that. At least no one here on the Near Shore does, and that's all Votelli has to go on. I don't believe it, but aside from maybe getting to the Far Shore, nothing he's done isn't something any bastard willing to twist a girl's mind could do.

[She really is worked up over this.]

Hey, so how do you want to play this?

I'll explain what I mean another time. The point is that ordinary humans do things beyond the ordinary pretty often.

[ Besides, he's not going to try to make Nia hide her feelings- that'd just make it all worse. That would lead to things like blight and ablutions, and he wouldn't want to cause that kind of failure on both sides of things. So he lets Nia feel and go with how she thinks she should- because burying it and pretending that she's not offended and feeling vengeful would only cause more problems. ]

First thing's first is figuring out which guy is the asshole. We've got no way of knowing when it's him. After that... While I don't like violence, I wouldn't mind having that guy's skull crushed in, or some bones shattered. People will probably want him to figure out how he got to the Far Shore and got in contact with that kid in the first place.

I'll bet you anything he looks different. You know, not like your average guy walking through here. The way Votelli told it, he doesn't come here all that often. I also figure there's something out of the ordinary here. If I were him, I'd think now that everyone's searched the place, it's the best time to come back.

[Nia frowns -- not because Shizuo's words disturb her. They do bother her, but for maybe the wrong reason.] Yeah, if we catch him we gotta keep him alive and able to answer questions. That might not be too hard though.

Try not to expect him to look any particular way.

[ A lot of the people he knew looked pretty ordinary but were anything but. That counted for his old life and the people he's met on the Far Shore. There was a little girl he knew that fit that pretty well. ]

You sure the kid's not going to let him know, even out of habit or thinking it's right?

[ His foot brushes over some of the disturbed brush on the ground, noting some of the traps that were disabled over a month ago ]

If he's connected to the other group that messed with the megamart that had all these curses a while back, it's likely he's not the only one who knows how to get here.

If he hasn't gotten everything out of her, I'll be shocked. I don't think anything we said got through to her. Guy's done a real number on her head. Telling her that power she's got is worthless even while he's using it for causing all sorts of trouble... from what I hear. [She almost, almost wishes she'd seen that whole forest affair just to understand how bad it had been.]

But you know, if we find someone else who's causing all this trouble, I won't complain too much.

[ The whole thing was... Tough. It's also why he makes sure to have Rei wearing long sleeves, even when it's a decent temperature indoors- Not that he gives the full reason, but it's to give her the safety and respect to not show off the second name that was put upon her. Not just because of how it was done, but so no one used it against her in spells, and to keep her from being a target against those who were severely against or judgemental about Nora.

He wasn't good with words, and wanted Nia to come to her own opinions on certain matters that were unique to the Far Shore. So he left the reason being respect and valuing the young woman. ]

I'm not sure when the change happens, but there's a point where this crosses from the Far Shore to another forest on the Near shore. We can keep an eye on that area to see if anyone's trying to purposefully go over.

[ Though it doesn't do much about Votelli, does it? ]

She probably won't be ready to accept it or anything, but go ahead and give her the key to one of the suites in the tunnels. She can stay there whenever. I can go to the meeting hall and see if there was ever a Votelli registered with them, or if one had ever applied. If she's young for the same reason Amaterasu is, then she might have before.

[Nia's made up her mind about a lot of things regarding the Far Shore. But... at least she isn't so stuck and stubborn than she can't reconsider a few of those beliefs. Shizuo being one.]

She won't take it. She's convinced the Far Shore is a place where they force everyone to obey the rules and kill those who don't fall in line. Not that we'd do that, but she can't see it. [Nia huffs out an irritated breath.] Checking for her isn't a bad idea, but I'll bet anything 'Votelli' isn't her real name. Probably not even close to it.

Which she either feels from before she reincarnated, or something this asshole taught her.

[ It has nothing to do with it being true- If she believes it, there's some kind of reason. ]

Unless she remembers another name, I've got nothing else to go on to check for. Including if you don't know how old she is. But offer the key to her anyway- It'd pretty much be the only one to get into the room. Whether she uses it or not is up to her, and she doesn't have to deal with the Far Shore, but she should have somewhere to stay if it gets dangerous.

[ Though being a god... That could mean that the forest was her temple, it's obviously turned into a less than safe place for others. Votelli included, given who's been influencing her. ]

I'm sure it was him. You should've heard the way she was talking. I guarantee you, Shizuo, he's just using her. [Which angers her, and not in the "Nia is grumpy and hostile" style he's used to. This cuts straight to the heart, infuriates her deeply, and rather than undirected hostility, produces a quiet and sharp determination to act.] She thinks he's some caring guy even while he's telling her her powers are worthless at the same time he's using them to cause all sorts of hell for people here. Urrrgh!

[Nia pauses in climbing over a small muddy bump to ball her fists and just shake them, like she's trying to throttle the guy.] I don't know how to break her out of it though! How do you undo years of brainwashing from what amounts to like a parent to her?!

You don't have to guarantee anything, Nia. I've seen things like that before.

[ Hosts and hostesses getting people to fall in love with them, saying that they need a certain amount of money to actually get out of the business and be with the sap who fell for them. It was a bunch of nonsense that happened too often and too easily. ]

There's no easy or quick way of breaking them out of it, though. I'm not really sure you fully can. Even if she sees how little he cares, it'd mean breaking off contact as well.

Yeah, I know. I hate it. [And there, just once, she's quiet, a hint of what's lurking deeper in her soul below all the anger and distrust peeking out. This really bothers her. A lot.]

So, do we stake out a place and hope we can find him by laying low, or explore a bit and risk him hearing us coming for greater coverage?

[ He can tell it bothers her, not just because of the emotional connection they had. The problem was, not only was Shizuo sure he didn't know how to help, he was pretty sure it was something that couldn't be so easily fixed even if he did know. ]

Let's go find a place to lay low for a while. If we get hungry or thirsty, I guess I can teleport back and I'll know where to return as well.

Oh yeah. You can do that. I keep forgetting.

[Nia glares off at a tree as if that lapse on her part is all said tree's fault. Stupid tree!]

Yeah. I kind of do too.

[ He just... Didn't want to have to walk all the way back, and remembered afterwards that he didn't have to. ]

I could probably get something for Votelli, too. Did she look like she could use something filling?

[ Eating and drinking wasn't quite as necessary, but it provided energy and was a nice and regular thing to stick with. Plus it'd give this kid something new to try out if she wasn't being given regular things to eat or drink. ]

It's almost like my constant complaining has given you the power to imagine her in your head. [Which is sad. It's such an obvious bad story, they both know how it goes. And probably how it ends. She's starting to regret she cares, since it's going to end up hurting. Probably badly.]

There aren't really any kitchens or anything in this forest either.

[ But yes, you've given the mental image of a stick-thin girl that could use some help and a warm place to stay. ]

But yeah, keep an eye out. I'll get the stuff and come back. I think I've got something to put the food in...

[ Nothing incredibly perishable, but give him a few minutes to come back with some shelf-stable flavored milk, snacks and some sandwiches and stuff. Along with that key and a note to which of the tunnel rooms it goes to. He couldn't control whether the kid used it or not, but there wasn't any harm in offering the space in general. ]

[By the time he gets back, Nia's found a spot for them to hunker down in and hopefully keep an eye on their surroundings. A recently-fallen tree gives cover and shelter behind its branches, mostly concealing them while giving them a view in turn. Nia beckons him over to join her, the better to begin their vigil.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's the thought that counts [Closed]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Also, we can keep going, but go ahead and turn this in (we may get a follow-up mission)

no subject