thenearshore | [closed] a place of fun and friendship

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[closed] a place of fun and friendship

Who: Ayumu and Gojyo
What: Ayumu promised to drop by the newly remodeled bar and name him as a shinki!
Where: The Near Shore, ASATO (the bar formerly known as KINYOBI)
When: December 30th, evening
Warnings: Possible references to past violence and PTSD.

[The bar's changed a lot since Ayumu's last visit. She takes note of the criss-cross wire pattern in the glass and the renamed sign. The latter prompts a bittersweet smile. She never did get around to checking up on Tsuzuki after that night, had she? She'd always figured she'd find the time at some point after her life had settled down once more but she never had. And now, the time to do so has run out.

She thinks Tsuzuki would appreciate a bar renamed in his honor, though, somehow.

It's not easy for her to come back here, even with all the changes Gojyo had told her about over the phone but Ayumu had promised. She can still hear the echo of a gunshot and feel the bullet tearing through her flesh but she can't keep running forever. The bar had been a treasured place of shared friendship before the yakuza had come into the picture. She'd like very much for it become that sort of place again.

Once Ayumu's collected herself, she opens the door and steps in out of the cold. It should still be early enough to beat any of the patrons.]

Hello? Gojyo?

[She calls out quietly, studying the new interior with careful casualness out of fear that if she stares at anything too hard, the memories of that terrible violent night will start resurfacing. Everything might look different but it's only been a couple of months since she'd been stabbed and gunned down in the common room.]

Are you up?

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[ There won't be any patrons tonight. The bar is different in more ways than just the fresh coat of paint and the new name on the front window. The bar itself still looks the same, but all the tables and chairs have been pushed together into one long tables at the far side of the room, leaving a big open space in the middle. It's a setup for smaller, more intimate parties... but most of the lights aren't up, the bar's only half restocked, there's a couple glasses on the bartop that look like they've been there for at least a day, maybe two...

The brightest light is coming from the back, where the room Gojyo and Tsuzuki built out of the storage closet is tucked between the bathroom and the wall of the warehouse the bar backs onto. It's from this room that Gojyo emerges, shirtless and shoeless, one arm in a bright orange SAM splint, rubbing the sleep from his eyes like a little kid. ]

Ayumu? [ His posture shifts then, becoming more attentive, his expression hardening. ] Is everything okay?

Edited 2018-08-23 20:04 (UTC)

[The bright orange cast catches Ayumu's attention immediately, effectively stamping out any lingering distress over being back in the place she'd nearly died alone for the time being. She hurries forward in one fluid movement, hand instinctively straying toward one of the knives concealed on her person at all all times as if the perpetrator might still be present.

Was it the yakuza again? Had they come back? Surely, they must have forgotten them by now. Right?

She stops herself short of arming herself, however. The last thing Gojyo needs to see when he's half-asleep is Ayumu standing there, unprovoked, with a knife. With great care, she keeps her tone as calm and casual as she can.]

I should be asking you the same thing. What happened to your arm?

[The usual pleasantries can wait a moment.]

[ One arm's a tattooed mess, and the other is wrapped from mid-forearm down over the back of his hand in safety orange foam. His personal style is getting a lot more colorful these days. ]

This? [ He holds it up, confused -- he's still a little sleepy -- ah, but she hasn't seen him since it happens. That's right. ] Oh, yeah. I broke it, it's fine.

[ But what about her? Is everything okay there? ]

You didn't come here for that though, did you?

[Ayumu's curious about how he broke it but if he's not going to volunteer, she's not going to pry. She's seen Gojyo fight. He's no slouch in combat and just as capable of taking out opponents as she is. Usually. If it'd been the yakuza, he would have told her, she thinks.

He would've told her to leave if it wasn't safe here. Right? Besides, there's lots of ways to break an arm. Maybe he just fell. She puts that issue aside for now.]

Well, I said I'd drop by. I wanted to see the place, see how it was going.

[And then something else hits her.]

...Are you sleeping here again?

[ If there was any danger to her here, he would have said so immediately. He would never have invited her over, if that were the case. She's been hurt enough in this building already. ]

I never should have left. [ His wry laugh isn't very convincing, sorry. ] Movin' in with Hakkai was a terrible decision. He...

[ He's standing here half-naked, isn't he? ]

Crap, hold on one second.

[ And he ducks back into the back room, fishing around for his shirt. ]

It just wasn't meant to be, I guess.

Oh, I see. Go ahead.

[Already? That things were going badly is hardly a surprise. Honestly, Ayumu would have been shocked if it had gone well. She's always thought Hakkai and Gojyo to be romantically unsuited for each other - at best, wanting and needing different things. The presence of children in a relationship complicates matters, too, and for better or worse, Hakkai's made a commitment to Chikusa and Ken that's going to impact any relationship he might have.

While she's waiting, Ayumu takes a seat at the bar on the nearest stool, ignoring the dirty glasses for the moment. If she's looking for a distraction and feeling up to the task, she might wash them and put them away in their proper place before she leaves. That is if their proper place hasn't changed.

She calls out to him in back without thinking. ]

How are you holding up?

[ For all the visual changes -- the paint, the new room, the tables pushed together -- very little has actually changed. All the stuff behind the bar is exactly where it was when Kinyobi was at its peak, although the quality has changed. There's less rotgut garbage and more solidly middle-shelf product. Whoever's been drinking at the bar lately, they've got more money than the old crowd did. ]

I'll live. [ Gojyo reappears, his nearly chin-length hair up in a sloppy topknot, an oversized grey sweatshirt hanging loose on his frame. The effect is homeless-but-comfortable, which really isn't far from the truth. ] We just couldn't stop fighting, you know? We fought about everything. [ He ducks behind the bar -- is she drinking? He's going to have one. Midori and lemon-lime, in Tsuzuki's honor. ] Eventually I just couldn't take it anymore.

I'll have some, too, if you don't mind. I could use a drink.

[It's not that life's been particularly stressful, even with the addition of horrible nightmares she now remembers with stark painful clarity and her new, rather unique position as parent for a bloodthirsty and traumatized child centuries older than she is. But she bottles things up too much, pushes herself too hard to be perfect and follow the rules of people long dead and no longer in charge of her life. Maybe if she indulges a bit and takes more breaks, she won't wind up as bad off as she used to be.]

I wish it'd turned out better for you both. Are you still named?

[Either way, she's following through with naming him, just as she'd said she would. He'd asked her and she'd agreed. Besides, it'll make it easier to keep track of him and where he's going in case he pulls another disappearing act.]

[ Two drinks it is! Just like old times. ]

Yeah. I asked him to take it off -- I was mad, I didn't really mean it -- and he freaked out. [ And as mad as he was, it upset him enough that it's visible on his face even now. Hakkai's an asshole, and he's cruel and unfair, but Gojyo doesn't doubt that the man loves him. His love is just cruel and unfair, like the rest of him. ] If it's a problem later I'll have him take it off, but for now... [ He shrugs, and slides her glass over the bar to her. ] If he wants to deal with how shitty I've been feelin' all week, that's on him.

[ He meets her eye, briefly, as he reaches for his own glass. That was a warning, Ayumu -- his mood's been terrible. There's been blight. It's really sucked. But instead of saying anything more, he just raises his glass. ]

Tsuzuki, wherever he is.

To Tsuzuki. May he be happy and have all the sweets.

[Ayumu raises her glass as well. She never did spend as much time with Tsuzuki as she would have liked. He'd been pleasant, a bit of a disaster but a well-meaning one with a good heart. She'd always thought there'd be more time, that she'd be able to work it into her schedule when life calmed down. And now the opportunity's gone - just like so many others throughout her life. But at least, she's getting better at accepting loss.]

Let me know if you ask and he doesn't, 'kay? I can't imagine he wouldn't but it can't hurt to have some backup lined up just in case.

[Kairi had put her down as a contact on the pamphlet for circumstances like that, after all. If she can't help her friends, she can't really help anyone else, can she?]

How have you been feeling this week? Sad, angry, depressed...? If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here, you know. It doesn't matter what it is. I might not have advice but I can listen, at least.

[He's been there for her, after all, even helped her when she'd been a goddess before. And he'd looked out for her when neither of them knew each other. The least she can do is listen to what's troubling him. With Tsuzuki and Sharak gone, it's on her to step up now.]

[ He meant to just have a swig of his drink, but instead he finds himself downing the whole thing. His mouth is sticky-sweet when he sets the glass down, and he immediately regrets wiping it with the back of his hand.

Gross. ]

You might wanna reconsider saying something like that! [ But at least there's a sink back here. The building code says it's not for handwashing, but he's never been good at following the building code. ] Or at the very least, charge me hourly.

[ But if he's going to wear her name and she's going to carry his feelings, then he doesn't get to play coy. Shutting off the water, his shakes his hand to dry it and leans comfortably on the bartop. ]

I just can't help but feel that I make everyone's lives worse, you know?

[Charge money for listening? People actually do that nowadays? The future is a strange place, indeed.]

Any particular reasons why that come to mind?

[She has some ideas but this conversation isn't about her ideas of what she thinks is going on with Gojyo. It's about what Gojyo and what he thinks and feels. If she's going to name shinki and be half the goddess Sanzang had been to her, listening to how her shinki think and feel without judgment would be a good place to start.

And maybe it'd be good for her to use those information gathering skills she wasted her youth learning and perfecting in a positive, constructive way. She might as well try.]

[ He just raises an eyebrow at her for that. ]

You, of all people, have to ask me that?

[ He's not mad, though... and it's not fair to her to be grovelling and sad about it all the time, so he won't do that either. She seems to want him to talk, so he'll talk -- he's tried everything else! ]

I don't know why I can't just be happy about bein' a shinki. [ Is happy really the right word, though? ] Or, maybe not happy, but okay with it. [ He waves dismissively at the door. ] The folks runnin' heaven are fucked up, I don't know why everyone doesn't see that, but even the ones who do, they're all still so damn sure that this part is real, [ --as he emphasizes the word by slapping his palm on the bartop. ] This one thing, we're gettin' told the truth about. This is the way things are. We remember being living people, so we used to be living people, end of discussion, everybody go home.

[ He really should have another drink, to get the candy coating off his tongue, but that way lies karaoke and bad decisions. He can just be sticky for awhile. ]

And I can't buy that. Kids, dumb kids like Ken, those memories are all they have, and then here I come, tellin' him that it's maybe not real. That maybe he wasn't, what, fuckin' tortured for years and years until he got turned into a dog boy. Maybe he's just a piece of a spirit with a spell cast on him to make him into a better tool.

[Asking why was the right thing to do, she thinks. Now Ayumu has new information on what's been happening that she didn't before. Whether Gojyo will feel any better getting things off his chest after this will have to be seen, though. True to her word, she listens intently, sipping her drink.]

That's an interesting idea. I wonder about that. I've been doing a lot of thinking myself since I came back. Trying to make sense of everything, my memories, my feelings... Who or what I even am now.

[Ayumu sighs. She'd gotten answers to questions she'd had. Now she's wondering if her memories are really trustworthy or her life outside this place was real at all. She has people she remembers and Hijikata recognized her. 'Past connections' are all moot if they're from a fake reality.]

I agree. It's suspicious. And I don't understand how some shinki can be so comfortable with themselves. I wasn't. I couldn't trust myself at all, no matter how hard I tried. I was so scared of the person I seemed to be. Seemed to have been from what I could witness.

[It was paintful and still hurts to think about. But she wants to help shinki struggling to simply find and be themselves.]

Is anything else on your mind?

[ That's an interesting idea, she says, and Gojyo's breath catches in his throat. She really is the only person in all of heaven who doesn't dismiss his thoughts and concerns offhand, isn't she? The one, single person who treats him with respect.

He loves her a little more, for that. ]

Yeah. [ Maybe a water is what he needs, just clean water to get this taste out of his mouth. ] I want to know this Ayumu.

[Ayumu appreciates that distinction. It's confusing being back in this state. She's not the same woman she'd been before Masuya's men had tortured her. And she's not the same woman she'd been as a shinki - chronically empty and consumed by a pain she could never fathom or move beyond. She's not the same woman who'd first come to the Far Shore so long ago either. Yet all of those thoughts and feelings still exist within her and remain a part of her now.

Who is she? What is she? Is she a god or a human? A demon? She's not simply a shinobi anyore, if she'd ever truly been one at all. Has Ayumu Yamazaki reached a new stage of enlightment or simply gone mad after recalling so much painful experiences, any one of which might break a person weaker than herself?

Maybe if she tries opening up to others a bit more than she has in the past, she can start figuring this all out in time. Focusing on the present and the future feels like as good a start as any.

There's a slight, mysterious smile on her lips as she turns to look at Gojyo, propping one elbow up on the bar and leaning her cheek in her hand.]

What do you wanna know? I can try to answer as best as I can.

[If he's to be her shinki, it's only fair that he knows as much about her as she'll know about him, isn't it? Ayumu's never liked the idea of being the one with all her shinki's secrets while they get nothing in return. Gojyo's her friend and she doesn't want the god and shinki stuff to get in the way of that.]

[ He... okay, he really should have expected that answer. He'd meant it just to turn the tables back on her -- he's so, so glad that she wants to hear what he's thinking and feeling, but it's weird, okay? It's weird and vulnerable to share something like that with someone, even someone he trusts as much as he trusts her.

With a laugh, he sets his glass of water down and runs his wrong hand through his (almost chin length now, and still dyed black on the bottom few inches) hair. ]

I don't know, really. I guess... [ Shit, what can he ask her? Family is out. Memories are tricky.

And then it hits him. ]

Does it make more sense now? What you were thinkin', and feelin' before?

It does. I feel a little more at peace but it came with such heavy cost, that I can't recommend others do the same. I remembered some truly heinous things.

[She knows how she got her scars, why she's uneasy with most men, how she became blind in one eye. How she learned to lie, to kill, what drove her to become a monster those yakuza. But did it change anything? Did it heal her? Was knowledge about herself an equivocal trade for what she'd ultimately sacrificed for it?]

But I don't live in constant fear of myself. I don't hate myself for not being able to perform my duties as a shinki. I trust myself more when I'm not a stranger and I can remind myself I'm stronger than I thought myself to be.

[Is she saying too much? Is she going to encourage her friend to go die like she did? It's not her intention but she's lonely. True friendship can't exist if it's built on lies. A lifetime of deceiving others, even those she cares about, is a curse she refuses to accept and live with.]

When I was shinki, I had terrible nightmares. At the end, I barely slept and I woke up screaming, not knowing why it was happening. I didn't remember what I dreamt about then. Now I do. And the sleepless nights are so much worse.

[She sighs again and takes another drink.]

I've been thinking of asking Hakkai if he knows of any sleep medicines that could help me sleep through the night. And maybe some suitable for a child. Joscelin's been having nightmares, too.

[It doesn't even occur to her in that moment that Gojyo doesn't even know who Joscelin is.]

[ He very carefully doesn't so much as blink at can't recommend others do the same. Not a twitch, that's how much he's behaving. But she's more than earned the right to lecture him, and he takes the warning to heart.

She doesn't have to worry, though -- if he kills himself, it won't be because he's trying to get his memories back. ]

I'm sure he's got something. Or he could brew you up something special. ...I just wouldn't tell him you named me, or he might slip something in there to give you the shits! [ Not, uh. Not that they shat. He sobers again, his lips thinning. ] So to speak.

[ It's interesting, isn't it, that he can only remember this life, this body, but he's got vocabulary -- words he uses out of habit! -- that refer to body functions he's never had. The thought catches hold for him for a brief pause, but then it's gone, and his full attention -- his full concern -- is on her again. Her, and her final bizarre words. ]

Joscelin. [ Suitable for a child? ] You have a kid?

Well, yes. It's kind of funny how that happened.

[An impulsive decision made while she'd been in a bad state but so far the risk's paid off well. They get along remarkably well considering they'd starting out snipping at each other. Her expression softens considerably in a way that tends to only ever happen when kittens are involved.]

He was a new shinki I met at the hot springs. After remembering everything and things went so badly with Chikusa, I just couldn't face anyone else so I got drunk. When I was heading too bed, I accidentally stepped on him when he was sleeping. Joss was so cross with me. He called me pathetic, said I smelled like a brewery, and demanded I make him tea so he could go back to sleep.

[Despite that description, Ayumu's smiling and speaking of it as if it's a very fond memory. Objectively, they'd gotten off on a terrible foot but yet they've already grown quite attached in a very short period of time,]

We wound up talking and we turned out be different than first impressions suggested. There was a pressing need for him to have a god capable enough to fight and he took a liking to me. He asked me to name him so I did.

[Another sip.]

He's been having bad dreams lately. I'm worried the lack of sleep will catch up to him eventually and he'll get hurt. I've been doing what I can - staying with him, watching over him while he rests but I'm not sure it's enough.

[How it's impacting her own ability to rest isn't as much of a concern. Except for one matter -]

It's imperative that he and I be able to fight.

[ This Joscelin sounds like a little shit, but if he makes Ayumu happy, Gojyo won't say a word. She always seemed to like having somebody to care for, whether that was the little assholes in Hakkai's temple or him and Tsu here, so maybe having a kid to care for is just what she needs. ]

Does havin' somebody there while he's sleepin' help? [ Because if she's sitting up all night to let the kid sleep, then she's going to be even more exhausted. ] The Friday folks only show up here twice a week, so if you need me to come over...

Well, he sleeps better when I'm there. I'm not sure someone else would have the same effect. But it couldn't hurt to introduce you. You'll need to meet eventually.

[Joss, bless his heart, can be a little brat but she knows how to handle him if he gets too sassy. She's not above transforming him into his vessel to enforce a strict time out if he gets too rowdy toward guests.]

I'd like for him to meet everyone sometime. He's a cheeky one but can be very sweet when he wants to be.

[There's a bit of motherly pride in her tone. Joss is rapidly becoming a very big and important part of her life here. She wants him to have a place of some kind among her other important people, too.]

[ Way back in the back of his mind Gojyo has the fleeting concern that he's looking at the beginning of another Ayumu-and-Chikusa situation, and he almost -- almost -- says something.

But you can't go through life gunshy about getting hurt. Just because her relationship with Chikusa didn't work out doesn't mean that Joscelin won't be great for her. She has to keep going, and it's easier to keep going when you're not alone.

For her, anyway. He's planning to die cold and alone. ]

So you're sayin' he's gonna give me shit, is that it?

He can be very blunt but if he crosses the line, I'll handle it.

[Unlike a certain new God of Fortune that shall not be named, she's willing and capable enough to take charge of a situation before it can escalate into a nasty convoluted mess. And not above pulling rank and giving orders if necessary.]

I'm working with him on his manners around company.

[Not everyone's skin's as thick as hers after all.]

So he's definitely gonna give me shit, then.

[ He sounds like a real little asshole! But that'll keep her busy, so that's all that matters. ]

Good! He needs guts if he's gonna make it here. [ And then, as the thought occurs to him... ] He doesn't get to give me orders though.

[ The kid can be her exemplar -- Gojyo's got no interest in the role -- but he's not going to play along with heaven's power games either. He wants Ayumu to name him so that they can be connected, nothing more. ]

Fair enough. I'll speak to him about it when I can.

[She and Joss are both underslept, making it difficult to discuss things like heavenly politics and household rules in great detail. Back home, she'd been rather strict about setting rules for her kitchen to ensure that she had a calm, orderly sanctuary to retreat to though she'd sometimes made exceptions to her rules. Much of her life has been determined by regulations and while much has changed since she'd worked for the Oniwaban, that she takes comfort in order hasn't.

But if Gojyo wishes to limit his role in her household, it's an accommodation she can make.]

But there'll be certain rules in effect that I'll expect you both to follow in my home and in situations that reflect upon the household in an official capacity. I intend to run a household with minimal internal conflict and strife and operate with discreet independence from Heaven.

[She's not interested in starting a war with Heaven; she's only interested in seizing enough power to maintain and protect a secure existence within it.]

I'll do my best to keep you out of any conflicts that may arise, however.

[ He can't resist -- he snaps to attention, and salutes her with his cast. ]

Yes ma'am!

[At least, Ayumu has a sense of humor. She chuckles.]

So long as we all try to understand and treat each other with respect, we should be fine.

[She's not one for intricate creeds like warrior's code or written documents of rules like the Shinsengumi had lived by. But something simple and flexible enough to account fo special, changing circumstances, maybe.]

There's enough conflict and turmoil outside the temple. And all manner of chaos to pursue if one's inclined. But a home should be a sanctuary for its residents and guests.

You're right, you're right.

[ And he certainly caused enough conflict and turmoil when he'd moved into Hakkai's temple. That's not a mistake he's going to make again. ]

I'm not lookin' for a home, Ayu. Bein' your shinki, it's not about that for me. It's... [ I don't want to lose you just sounds too pathetic, doesn't it? Even if it's the truth. ] This way, we're connected. You'll always know where I am, and it doesn't really go the other way, but I can call you, right? Somethin' bad happens, and you'll know it.

[ But it's not just about that serious stuff! ]

And I can fight. Against people or ayakashi or heaven or whoever, this way we're a team.

I get what you mean, I think. And that's fine. I don't mind naming you with that in mind.

[She smiles gently, a bit bittersweet.]

I had a shinki once that I'd named for no other reason than mutual survival. Doing it simply as a connection is fine, too. I'm not gonna force anything you didn't sign up for. The team consists of more than just me, however. There's Joss, too, and any other shinki that might come into my care.

[She takes a sip of her drink.]

I don't expect you to make friends with my other shinki but I do expect you to treat them civilly - if for no other reason than respect for me. And inform me of any serious problems that might arise before taking matters into your own hands. There may be situations that force us to all work together and I'd prefer it to go as smoothly as possible. Of course, this all applies to them. too.

[ He nods, listening. She knows the problems he's had with Chikusa and Ken -- not all the details, but enough. When she says this goes for my other shinki too, he knows she means it. ]

That sounds fair. [ He finishes off his water, and sets the glass aside. ] And anytime you don't want me as your shinki anymore, for any reason, just unname me. No questions asked.

[ She's got a kid now, and family has to come first. He can respect that. ]

Alright, then.

[Now that's sorted out. It's better to discuss all of this openly, she thinks. Much better to work out expectations and conditions before going through with the formalities. What else to address?]

How about necessities? Do you need any extra support there?

[She might not be nearly as well as some gods but surely, she could manage a regular care package of some sort.]

Necessities?

[ He scratches his head at that, looking around. The things he needs aren't things she can give him. Aside from that, he's got a bed, and a roof over it, he's got distractions a couple times a week, money for food... ]

Oh. Ha ha, I wouldn't mind usin' a shower at your place now and then.

[ The bar doesn't have all the amenities, after all. ]

I have a bathhouse, actually. It's a bit like having my own personal onsen - a small one, but it's still nice. But you're welcome to drop by and use it whenever you like or grab a bite to eat from the kitchen. Or take some time to do laundry.

[While Ayumu still prefers to do a lot of laundry by hand, she is the proud owner of a number of brand new household appliances she doesn't remotely understand, courtesy of New Year's offerings.]

All I ask is you tidy up after yourself before leaving. Don't worry about leaving things spotless.

[ That sure sounds like leave it spotless or else, but that's not a problem at all. She's willing to let him use her stuff -- she's willing to let him be a part of her household -- and she cares about her things. She cares about him.

He couldn't hide his smile if he wanted to. ]

I think I can manage that. [ He steps around from behind the bar -- chances are he's going to transform into something small and embarrassing again, but on the off chance he's big, he doesn't want to risk damaging anything behind the bar. ] Any other details we need to work out, or should we do this?

[ She's going to see him die, and there's nothing he can do about that. Best make it like pulling a tooth -- no buildup, just reach in and give in a yank. ]

No, I think we're good.

[The smile's a good look on him, really, and fortifying, too. Seeing people die never gets easier; she's just gotten more efficient at numbing herself when she sees it. This time she'll be seeing a close friend die and that'd be tough in normal circumstances, more so when she's soft and delicate in a way she hasn't been in years.

Ayumu simply spins on her stool without bothering to stand up, casually crossing one leg over the other as she starts speaking the incantation in her natural Kansai drawl.]

My name is Vesta. 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.

[Heaven and it's longwinded theatrics. Seriously, there has to be a simpler, more efficient way of doing this. But she continues.]

The name, Wakeru. The vessel, Han. Come, Hanki!

[ And then Gojyo dies. In the street, in the rain, beneath the claws of an unmistakable Cho Hakkai (diverted, for the moment, from his assault on a boy about Goku's size and coloring, but with a youkai's long ears and vicious talons), he's torn apart and falls.

Back in the bar, meanwhile, the very much alive Sha Gojyo (or as alive as shinki get) shimmers, dissolving into a soft smear of light. Han, he thinks, swirling around Ayumu's body. I don't know that one. Wonder what it means?

He forms tighter against Ayumu's body, wrapping around her shoulders and chest and finally solidifying into sturdy, red leather armor.

Or maybe he's just red because he's blushing.

Oh shit. ]

[Oh, this is different.

Without thinking, Ayumu starts touching and inspecting the material just as she might do wth normal, non-magical protective gear that isn't actually her friend. It's tough but light and cut in a way that'll protect her vitals. She gives the armor a quick thump followed by something's that almost a caress.]

This is good. This will help a lot. I have to get in so close to kill ayakashi now.

[She's no stranger to close quarters combat - it's her specialty, for all her skll with throwing weapons. But it's certainly something to get in the face of an enemy that can blight a person with the slightest touch.

Ayumu doesn't turn him back immediately, instead standing up. It could't hurt to find an open spot to try a brief kata in to see how much her movement's impeded.]

[ It's an intimate touch -- almost too intimate, as she tugs one of his straps -- but it's in no way sexual. It's... nice. He's holding her, but he's not holding her, you know? Or maybe it's not him holding her. Whatever. It's not something he needs to think about -- he can feel how sturdy he is, how well he fits around her. How well he'll be able to protect her.

Yeah? What's the kid turn into

He lets her take the lead -- it's not like with Sharak, with Hakkai, he's not a held thing. He's not even sure how he'd move on his own, like this -- focusing instead on following the way her body moves as she turns and bends. Where her blind spots are, where she's vulnerable.

It's good. He's useful. He can help her. His relief is nearly physical. ]

A knife. Not ideal for fighting ayakashi without cover but he makes up for range with sheer power. And he's able to feed off from them and transfer that energy to me somehow if he chooses. He's certainly one of the more useful shinki I've had.

[While she 'speaks', she goes through the motions of the first of a set of kata. It's a very aggressive style of fighting, nearly every movement being an attack or grapple, all of which are designed to take an opponent down in swift, efficient silence. The way she'd fought the yakuza during their raid hadn't quite had the same polish and elegance, given how anxious and vindictive she'd been at the time but the barebones remain the same.]

Having protection will make things much easier. Most of the shinki I've had haven't turned into objects I could use to keep us safe. One turned into a pair of dice and another into a sword as big as I am. My first turned into... something. Some kind of strange yellow beast that could harness lightning. I still don't have a clue what manner of creature it was meant to be.

[It's been frustrating and disappointing. She'd tried not to let it get to her and she'd done her best to keep her feelings hidden. It hadn't been fair to penalize them for her own bad luck. But it's as much of a relief to her that her current shinki have useful vessel forms instead of something that she can do little more than stare at awkwardly like she'd been handed a gift that completely missed its mark.]

[ A knife that drains energy? Gojyo may be picturing something more like a giant syringe than a knife right now. What a good power to have! Not just for combat -- although it's obviously got to be a huge benefit to Ayumu there -- but when just walking around the Far Shore. Some jerk won't go away, and she can use her shinki to make them tired.

She could charge good money for that!

I was a knife with Sharak. Not really a knife, more a broken sword, but he doesn't want to admit to that part. The shapes are chosen by heaven, and they have nothing to do with him... but there's still a little shame that he transformed into something actually damaged. He understands her frustration and disappointment only too well. I glowed, a little, but if I had another power we couldn't figure it out. Sometimes shinki just turn into stupid stuff.

He's starting to get the feel of her movements. Keep going, I want to try something. This close, he can feel her muscles bunching in that split second before she turns, or dips, or strikes out. He tries to predict her movements, turning himself in the same direction he thinks she'll be turning. Maybe it'll be weird, having her shirt move with her, but he's hoping it'll make her movements faster, let her devote more energy to the strike itself. ]

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[closed] a place of fun and friendship

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cw: suicidal ideation

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