thenearshore | August Training

[ Akutagawa takes in this information. They normally attack people as well as Shinki and gods. It sounds like something he's read in the pamphlet, but compared to the ayakashi before his eyes, they seem mild-mannered.

He tilts his head to the side. If they normally go after people, then it certainly is weird that they are attracted to this boat. There must be a reason. Maybe not to use, but for some other purpose.]

Then what should we do about it? Eliminate the threat?

[Before they can do harm, it only makes sense to eradicate the enemy, before they can pose a threat.]</small?

[Shun makes a gesture to where people are still leaving.] There's a risk if they're attacked now that they'll become hostile to everyone, not just the people attacking. And getting rid of this many ayakashi in a single blow just isn't possible. So for now I'd say it's best to leave it and observe.

[Especially since he doesn't have any of his shinki here with him, which makes the idea of attacking the ayakashi a very bad one. Kotori's generally the easiest one to call on short notice, but the fragility of her form would make facing a group of this size a risk he doesn't entirely consider worth taking.]

[ He momentarily glances over to the shinki and gods who are still departing. Akutagawa makes a face, he doesn't really care about other people getting in the crossfire. If they're not able to fend off the enemy's attack, isn't that their own fault?

However, he doesn't voice his opinions, since this man gives a valid point. They won't be able to defeat these creatures with one blow, it would probably be a tedious brawl. He doesn't want to worry about people getting in the way. Akutagawa is also without his god, he's unable to rend any of ayakashi, but the ability he possesses is versatile. If anything he can help with restraining and containing the monsters to that area.

He then decides to sit on the sand. His gaze intent on the ayakashi as he folds his legs in front of him.]

Very well. At least, they can entertain me for a bit.

[Shun can't say this guy is the first he's met who's considered ayakashi to be "entertaining", though he still keeps an eye on him, especially in the wake of the face he made at the implication of concern about people in the crossfire. Shun doesn't much care for people who disregard caution like that.]

With all your questions about it, I'm guessing you're one of the ones who only just showed up today.

[Most people wouldn't be asking whether they should attack ayakashi, for one thing, and this guy doesn't appear to have his partner with him despite the suggestion. And he did express curiosity about the things right at the very start - typically it doesn't take long for anyone here to encounter at least one ayakashi.]

That's right.

[ There's no reason to deny it since it must be obvious to this man. Probably not only being a new face, but Akutagawa asks things that only a novice would. He just didn't expect to have the first-hand experience with these monsters so soon. He's not sure how to deal with them, but this man seems to really understand their behavior. Even to be wary about attacking them while innocent bystanders are still roaming around.

He turns away from the swarm of the jellyfish ayakashi and turns to Shun.]

You seem to be an expert, or maybe you've just encountered them enough times that you can anticipate how they might react.

The latter. [Shun wouldn't consider himself an "expert" on anything that goes on in this world, considering how many questions they always have left unanswered. But he's been here for quite a while compared to most others, and there's something to be said for that.]

I've been here longer than most newcomers, so I've fought more ayakashi, and I go out of my way to do it more than most others as well. So it's easier to tell what they usually do for me.

[Reacting with hostility when attacked is fairly normal anyway, but in ayakashi it's vanishingly rare for one to take the flight instead of fight response.]

[ So he's been here for a while. Not many could say that especially those Akutagawa has come across so far. So it's no wonder this man is so confident about his understanding of ayakashi, he's fought against them numerous times in order to get a sense of their behavior. And perhaps this is why he urges caution when it comes to engaging these apparitions.]

...that's impressive.

[ Although, Akutagawa lingers on Shun's choice of words, that he goes out of his way to fight these creatures. A sense of duty? Maybe, no one else wanted to deal with them? There's even the possibility that this man might enjoy the thrill of it?]

Fighting ayakashi seems to be important, but it doesn't appear to be a high priority here. Why is that you feel obligated to deal with them? It sounds like you've done this alone, too.

[ If these phantoms are so dangerous to people, there doesn't seem to be a witch hunt to get rid of them. It seems shinki and gods are trained merely to combat them if they ever come across one. There are no preventive measures to keep them at bay, besides killing them when they interfere with the living.]

[All the suggestion of it being impressive gets is a passive shrug, as if Shun doesn't really see it. It's clear enough he doesn't think of it as anything that remarkable or noteworthy.]

I don't really feel "obligated". [Shun corrects that notion first, because it makes it sound like it's some kind of selfless idealism, which is never what he wants to be associated with.] But if I'm in a position to deal with them before they can prey on people, then I'll take advantage of that. Better someone who can get rid of them handles it before they even get the chance to feed off a human who might not even know they're there.

[As far as Shun's concerned, he has the experience, so it'd be an oversight not to put it to good use. He's not the type to hang around in complacency or let people suffer when he can do something about it.]

[ He's not obligated, but Akutagawa still doesn't quite understand this man's motives. Just because he's in the position to fend of ayakashi, he will do so. But where's the goal? What does he gain? More experience, more insight?

He agrees that it would be a waste of his knowledge and skill if he doesn't utilize it when the time arrives. However, because he does have this experience, his knowledge is invaluable. He could educate others and solidify his place in the heavens as an asset. Yet, this man doesn't seem hungry for power and influence, which Akutagawa finds a bit disappointing.

Despite Shun denying that his actions are altruistic, simply wanting to prevent someone from suffering from an ayakashi sounds pretty generous to him.]

I understand that it's a god and shinki's duty to eliminate ayakashi. If you're not being chivalrous, then what are you trying to achieve?

[Shun does have a deeper motivation for wanting to protect people, but it's something he's definitely not getting into with some guy he's just met. Particularly one who seems determined to ascribe reasoning and duty to something Shun considers a matter of course.

So he gives Akutagawa a length sidelong look before responding, still eying him closely.]

Ayakashi are as much a danger to us as they are to humans. If you're determined to put a motive on me, call it self-serving. The less of them alive after crossing me, the better.

[And the less danger to people important to him who may otherwise cross them later.]

[ The shinki doesn't seem unnerved as Shun gives him a lengthy look. His face remains void of emotionless, so it's really hard to read. Though his face seems to perk up when Shun gives his answer. Self-serving? Well he has no complaints about that, everyone has their own set of priorities after all.]

...I like that answer, and that's why intend to assist you. I want the strength to be able to defeat any ayakashi in my way. It doesn't matter if they're dangerous, I want to eradicate them all the same.

[ He turns back to the jellyfish ayakashi. They still don't seem to be attacking anyone. It'll be easier if their temperament stays the same,too.]

So what's the game plan? Wait for everyone to leave and then secure the area?

[It's not exactly reassuring that this man seems to take the self-serving answer so well, and Shun largely just spares the ayakashi a glance for a moment in favour of keeping an eye on him.

The intention of assistance leaves one thing wide open to be pointed out, though.] It would be, but unless your god is here or any of my shinki show up, we're not going to have much luck actually eradicating them, since they only go down to a Rend.

[He could go back through his temple and pick up Kotori, but he's planning to see what it is this man was going to suggest first.]

[ As a lone shinki, he knows he's powerless against the ayakashi. Without a god, he's not able to destroy them on his own. He doesn't even know who his god is. This man brings up the idea that he does have shinki, but they aren't around. Though it's probably as easy as calling one to him.

There is a fleeting thought about allowing this god to give him a name and be a nora, but he rules it out, simply because he's only met this man. If he's going to take on another name, it will be under his terms.]

Unfortunately, I will only be able to assist in a small way. As much as I want to be involved, I can't do anything.

[ Akutagawa makes a face of discontent at that admission.]

As a god, you should be able to retrieve your shinki. It's something you would have done whether I was here or not. What I can do is make sure the ayakashi don't leave the perimeter.

[Be more of a rearguard of sorts. He can't really cast a borderline either, but he feels confident in his ability. With his power, he doesn't have to worry about touching the phantoms, and risk incurring blight.]

[So that's it. Shun gives a slight shrug and glances over the area once more to see what the status of the people leaving it before turning his attention back to Akutagawa.]

I can't just call my shinki here - I'll need to go and bring one of them back. If you're confident enough that you can handle anything that's going to go wrong in that time, then I can do it.

[He's slightly limited in his options, considering how things have been going for his shinki lately, otherwise he probably wouldn't jump immediately to Kotori as the main option. But it'll definitely take a shorter time to find her than it would to track down Chinatsu, who is the only other one he'd really feel okay contacting about this right now.

And while he's not really too fussed about whether this guy ends up getting himself hurt being overconfident, he seems engaged enough with the idea that Shun's a little curious to see how he'd end up handling things in his brief absence.]

I am.

[ He believes he can, at least. He feels this is a good opportunity to test what he's able to learn about his unique power. He stands up, dusting the sand off his coat. Although his expression is deadpan, he's excited to help out. He gives himself some more distance between himself and the ayakashi. His ability is mid-range, so the more distance between the target and himself the better.

Once he's at a safe spot, he wills the threads from his coat to extend outward. He makes them expand into a thicker fabric and then stretching the fibers enough so that it can reach farther. It could probably reach the ship, but Akutagawa refrains from getting closer, so he doesn't alert the ayakashi. It almost looks like several black ribbons hovering around him, ready for use.

He turns towards Shun.]

I'll leave it to you then.

Edited 2018-08-27 05:28 (UTC)

[Shun keeps an eye on the initial tactic Akutagawa uses to keep the shinki at bay - it's an odd kind of power, but Shun's seen a lot of weirdness since he came here. It's not entirely dissimilar to Orihime's influence over items required for weaving, either, so the most the fabric manipulation gets is a quirk of the brow.

He doesn't hesitate to depart when indicated, though, inclining his head slightly and vanishing from his position.

A minute or two later, he reappears, a cracked war hammer with a head shaped like the head of a bird held in one hand.]

Let's deal with this, then. [They may not be attacking, but he presumes they're here for some kind of reason, and when it comes to ayakashi, he's not inclined to think it's a good one.]

[Nothing really happens in Shun's very brief absence. The jellyfish-like ayakashi are still congregating on the abandoned ship. Though Akutagawa's stance doesn't waver, even if the few minutes that elapses are uneventful. When Shun does turn up, he eyes the large hammer he carries with him, and it has a distinctive feature of having a bird's head. That's something he doesn't recall ever seeing before, but his memory isn't really reliable.

Once Shun is ready to begin, the black ribbons hovering around his body start to extend out. Some of the threads sink into the sand, rising out of the sand closes to the ship. He believes if he can contain the majority of the ayakashi in one spot, then it will make it easier for Shun to attack them. The threads wrap itself around the ship, enclosing most of the jellyfish within a bundle of black ribbon. Even with how stealthily his movements are, there are a few stranglers flee. Unexpectantly, some of the ayakashi start to fight back underneath the cover. The tentacles of the ayakashi manage to tear through the cloth, and he wills more ribbons to secure the bunch, but it doesn't seem he can contain them for very long.]

[Keeping them contained does make it a little easier - Shun sees what he's trying to do and doesn't hesitate to leap in to take advantage of it. There's only so long something like this can hold that number of them, and he's just going to have to hope they're the type to go down easily.

His first hit is relatively reassuring to that end - the head of the hammer drags across the ayakashi sticking out from under the cloth, and several flashes of light flare up from the individual impacts, a substantial count of the ayakashi bursting into light with just that. Shun grits his teeth slightly at it, but the crack down Kotori's side doesn't seem to be displaying any worrying signs just yet, so he lets himself land on the ship's edge and then spring back again so he doesn't remain in easy range of the tentacles. Even mid-leap, his eyes are marking out where to go for the next impact.]

[ He feels some of the pressure let off as Shun is able to rend some of the ayakashi. He sees orbs of light sail into the air and ascends into the night sky. Somehow, Akutagawa feels some satisfaction from seeing it, but he's cautious not to lose his focus. There's still many more to take care of, and he feels the swarm beating against his ribbons. He takes notice of Shun as he jumps onto the boat evading the tentacles that are able to get loose from his hold.

Even if Akutagawa is able to contain them to some degree, it doesn't really give the god much visibility to initiate an attack. Maybe if he's able to release them one by one? Or still, have a grasp of the jellyfish and still make them perceptible to Shun. Sweat forms on Akutagawa's brow as he sends more of the black tendrils to the boat. However, he switches the form they take. Instead of binding the jellyfish as a group, he decides to individually attach his ribbon around the tentacles around each ayakashi.

They dangle from their restraints as Akutagawa holds them up in the air as if on display. His grip is not perfect since the tentacles can still extend to attack Shun, but at least the god will be able to cut down a lot more at once.]

[It's a useful shift - he needs a direct hit to rend, so having fabric covering up the ayakashi, even if the restraint was helpful, was ultimately a hindrance. With them arranged in this different way, though, he doesn't hesitate to take advantage of it, plunging back down towards the group after having spent a little more time than was entirely natural in mid-air.

He swipes the hammer down the gathered jellyfish, though there's something measured about the moment, not using more pressure than he absolutely has to as the bubble-like creatures burst into white light under the impact. Even just one swipe through takes out a substantial portion of the group, though Shun is still keeping a very close eye on his own weapon as he lands and leaps up again for a diagonal strike this time, drawing his sword as a few of the jellyfish extend their tentacles towards him so he can slash them away with one hand and still rend with the other.]

[ It seems like his change of tactics works better in Shun's favor. Not only is the ayakashi more visible to the god, he seems to be able to rend them more easily. The jellyfish are still able to extend their tentacles, but it seems like a minor inconvenience, Shun is able to eradicate a good number of them in such a short time.

It's not because of how he positions them, but his hammer packs enough power to hit more than one at a time. Shun is really adept in using his shinki to take care of the other ayakashi. He's glad that his ability isn't wasted on an incompetent god.

He then retracts the ribbons that no longer hold ayakashi, concentrates on gathering remaining ayakashi into a cluster. Now that the number of ayakashi continues to decreases, it's a lot easier for Akutagawa to control the swarm that he has a grasp of now. He's able to restrain the tentacles of the jellyfish a bit better by wrapping the limbs with the fabric. Shun should be able to finish the rest off with no incident.]

[Considering Akutagawa is taking the time to gather the ayakashi together into an easy last hit, Shun takes a moment to focus on corralling any that have gone astray to make them easier to grasp into a single group. Once they're in a reasonably satisfactory bundle, Shun leaps into the air again and swings straight down into the cluster, making the whole thing erupt into a burst of white light as the last of the ayakashi disintegrate.

On that final hit, the crack on the war hammer lights up ever so slightly with the overflowing light as well, and Shun's jaw tightens a little at the sight of it. Nonetheless, he makes no comment as he drops to the beach - though he doesn't revert the vessel either.]

That must be a useful power. [He glances back towards Akutagawa.]

[ The explosion of light blinds Akutagawa enough that he has to hold an arm up against the radiance. The light starts to ascend to the sky just like the other batches Shun has rend before. However, his focus leaves the cluster of light to Shun's hammer. There is distinct light to comes out from the breach on the hammer. Akutagawa noticed the crack the hammer had earlier, but he wonders if that could be the design or maybe the weapon was fractured during the fight.

Akutagawa retracts his threads and allows them to return to his coat. The fight is a little exhausting, but he's able to gauge his level of control even further than before. At the comment, Akutagawa shrugs.]

It's versatile, certainly. Though it does have it's limitations.

[Though he doesn't go into details about its weakness, he's pretty sure it's susceptible to certain elements. He's learning how to use his ability, and he's sure it could be used in more unique situations if given the chance.

As he can't unsee the crack on his weapon, he decides to ask him about it. It might be relevant information for something down the line.]

Is your vessel fit for use? That rift must be troubling.

[Shun had been able to see some of those limitations during the fight, but he's sure there are more he's not informed of. Most people don't tend to be open about things that can potentially be used against them.

Unfortunately, this particular thing doesn't seem to be common knowledge, enough that Shun kind of has to explain it when it's brought up. A slight touch of irritation enters his expression as he answers.]

It's what happens when someone discards a spirit and they're fed on by ayakashi. Someone in that situation can still be saved, but the blight has to be cut out of their body, not just washed away. It leaves permanent marks.

[The ones on the vessel more so than the ones on the body itself.] She's fine for smaller jobs, but taking on too much risks furthering the damage.

[ He believes he's been informed about blight, and that in most cases, washing the curse with holy water will alleviate it. However, they didn't go into detail about this particular occurrence. If the severity of the blight requires detaching the contamination from the body, then it must be quite serious.

Akutagawa hasn't seen Shun's shinki outside of its vessel form, so he has no idea if this mark will be visible on its person. He hasn't seen an injured shinki, but this makes him wonder if it's possible. It's clear that shinki and even gods aren't invincible. No one really states so aloud, but there seems to be an implicit acceptance.

Akutagawa looks over Shun's hammer once more. It's damaged it seems that this vessel can only handle a certain workload, which is unfortunate since it seems like an impressive instrument.]

Then you must have really pushed its limit with this. Is there a risk of it breaking completely?

[ As a shinki, it feels like something he should know. Though risking injury or even idea of his vessel form being broken apart doesn't scare Akutagawa. He accepts that he is a tool of his god, and fulfilling their desire to the best of his ability is what he strives to do. No matter the consequence.]

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