Curiosity killed the... [open]

[wildguardian]

Who: Zhao Yunlan & OPEN
When: The second week of February
Where: Far Shore - the library, near Ebisu's temple, the Western District; Near Shore - the ruins of a burned-out department store
What: Exploring, unwisely.

Library

[Zhao Yunlan is becoming a regular sight at a corner table in the library; he's accumulating a stack of books, filling them with bookmarks, taking copious notes in a cheap black notebook, swearing at them and not putting them away again when he leaves.

Research! He hates it. He needs an assistant who will do it for him, but in the absence of that helpful whoever, he's stuck hitting the books himself. It's going to age him posthumously.

Hopefully, no one minds the fact that a largely useless pile of books keeps being renewed on the corner table, and filled with paper scrap bookmarks that have to be removed before they're put away.]

Ebisu's temple

[Since he's died young regardless, Zhao is seriously considering switching from lollipops to cigarettes. There's something enticing about the smell of burning tobacco, and, besides, importantly: smokers can take smoke breaks. As a non-smoker, he's having to find some other excuse to sneak outside and see the sun every once in a while during his workday.

His excuse today is picking flowers. He doesn't recognize the flowers sprouting from the grayish soil clinging to cracks in the temple's modern-looking concrete courtyard, but they're bright, colorful, and have a non-zero chance of brightening the day of the poor white-collar workers typing their fingers to the bone on either side of his temp desk. Fresh flowers, an important part of office feng shui: or something like that.

(He's considering bringing in a houseplant. Those also make great excuses to take a break.)

He nips off the stem of a bright red daisy-looking thing, considers it, and turns with a shameless grin. Whoops, there's somebody, has he been caught skiving off?]

Here! It goes with your eyes.

Western District

[It's late on the night of the 12th, and Zhao had been working his way back home to Bakugou's place after a long day doing accounting and a few drinks out afterwards, except, annoyingly, his stomach is killing him. All right, so he'd skipped breakfast, and lunch, and dinner, and: all right, the last time he ate something was yesterday when Bakugou'd made breakfast. But it's not like he ever gets more or less hungry no matter what he eats! He'd thought it was no big deal.

Apparently even dead men can get heartburn from strong liquor on an empty stomach, he reflects, and slumps down onto a comfortable rock at the edge of the road, indulging his solitude with a wince as he bends over and puts his head on his knees.

This is really embarrassing. He'll just give it a few minutes, and once he feels a bit better, he'll just drag himself back home to bed....]

Department Store

[Mysteries abound. These mysteries, though, don't look like they're going to be solved anytime soon. Zhao ducks under plastic disaster cleanup sheeting and looks around the dripping, ice-cold, smoke-blackened floor of the unlucky department store, and shakes his head. Any clues that might've once been here are long since gone. If the fire hadn't gotten them, the months of abandonment and subsequent investigation would've.

Maybe he can sneak in and pull the investigation files somehow. Shinki do tend to go unnoticed, so he's willing to bet he can shadow a cop into any police office he wants. Getting keys to get into their files might be a little trickier, of course....

Sighing, he turns to go, just in time to spot a pale, whitish, sheet-like thing that's not plastic lashing out towards his ankle across the debris-strewn concrete floor.

With a shout, he jumps back, landing in a puddle. Filthy water splashes everywhere, and the sheet rears up like it's been possessed by a cobra, striking out at him again. The edge of it brushes his hand as he scrambles out of the way, raising an instant, aching, purplish welt.

Well, fuck. He's just found his first ayakashi all on his own, he realizes, turns, and bolts for the stairs with a possessed sheet in hot pursuit.

This is making a lot of noise.

Hopefully someone's passing by.

Help?]

Comments

text

[wildguardian]

That's one real fucking smug cat. She's a cutie, too.

How's Orbis getting along with her so far?

[abgrund]

My shinki Ren found her outside and adopted her. Her name is Spots.

They're still warming up to each other, but it should be alright. Orbis is quite harmless.

[wildguardian]

He's a cat, he's not harmless. Good to hear they're warming up, though.

I should stop by and say hi one of these days. Where's your temple at?

[abgrund]

[ He sends the coordinates ]

It is quite unique in appearance. I do not think you will miss it.

[ Considering part of the walls and monoliths are covered in Henir patterns, it stands out a lot. ]

[wildguardian]

Sounds good! Thanks, Ain.

[And, although it'll take him a few days to get the free time, he will be dropping by. He's even brought a small gift: a couple of catnip mice still wired to the cardboard backing from the pet store.

Ain had been right: the temple's hard to miss. Blue-black glowing designs radiate from its walls and standing stones. Zhao's a little dubious about knocking, but he sucks it up and raps his knuckles against the front door anyway.]

[abgrund]

[ The path leading up to the temple's gate is ringed with red spider lilies. If Zhao knows of their symbolism, it would definitely add to the creepiness.

Luckily for both of them, the door opens immediately; the slab of stone sliding into the ground to reveal an open hallway. The interior of the temple is similarly decorated to the outside, giving it a somber air. Braziers are lit in regular intervals in front of silk tapestries, and the Greek architecture ends in a statue of a winged woman holding her hands out in a vaguely benevolent gesture.

Compared to the Everything of his temple, Ain looks ironically more ordinary. His illusion is dressed in civilian clothes, with complete concealment of anything that might look strange. ]

Hello. Did you get here without difficulty?

[ Orbis comes leisurely strolling towards the door. The cat looks creepier than Ain at this point ]

[wildguardian]

[The flowers of the other shore are pretty well suited, in Zhao's opinion, to being planted all over what is in fact the Far Shore. As for the braziers, the massive statues, the tapestries, the weird glowing patterns...

... well, look, he lives in an actual coliseum. He's not making any decorating critiques.]

Sure did. You were right, the place stands out! It's good to see you, Ain. [He offers a hand to shake, grinning as he spots Orbis strolling in their direction.]

[abgrund]

[ Ain takes Zhao's hand with a nod and a slight smile that passes for contentment given his general placidity. Orbis comes to a halt in front of Zhao's legs and stands there, as if expecting a pat. ]

You too. I just made some tea if you would like some.

[ The rear of his temple is devoid of all the Extra, so that would be a return to a semblance of normalcy, at least. A hidden entrance behind the statue leads to a replica of a stereotypical landed house, complete with framed pictures and decorations.

The pictures are of cats. ]

[wildguardian]

I'll take you up on that. -- hey there, Orbis. [He leans down to scratch behind the cat's ears before following Ain back behind the statue. It's a lot more comfortable back here. Very cat-themed.]

So if your shinki adopted the new cat, I'm guessing he likes them too?

[abgrund]

[ Ain walks to the kitchen and picks up the kettle while two shadow hands emerge out of the space surrounding him and pulls out two cups from cupboards. Once that's done, he sets both of them on the dining table so Zhao can have a seat if he wishes to. Orbis follows Zhao and jumps onto the table, curling up. ]

He does. Cats are very calming for the soul. The quiet ones, at least.

[ No Mandragora for him. He's too old for that. ]

[wildguardian]

And the loud ones can make good company.

[Zhao finds he doesn't mind the idea of non-calming cats. Calm is fine, but it gets old fast.

He settles into a chair at the table, taking one of the cups without blinking at the shadow hands pulling it out of the cupboard, and reaches over to pet Orbis.]

That's a useful ability you have. How many of those can you manifest at a time?

[abgrund]

[ It's a pity that Zhao wasn't around when he turned himself into a maypole to clean an entire house. It would be a very efficient demonstration. ]

As many as I need, though I try to keep the number to a minimum. It' gets a bit hard to coordinate upwards of a hundred.

[ Is he joking? It's hard to tell. But as with most of his powers, overusing it tends to draw the attention of the Heavens... and he doesn't want that. ]

[wildguardian]

Yeah, I just bet it does. [His eyebrows climb, but he seems to be taking Ain's comment at face value.

Though, with a grin, he can't resist joking:]

I guess you never have to ask anyone else for a hand.

[abgrund]

[ There's a poignant pause where one would expect a badumtsh, but then Ain tilts his head in the slightest suggestion of a smile ]

That's true. I often happen to be the one lending people hands.

[ Literally or otherwise. The default form of his summons are also hands if not eyes, so that's a second tier for that joke. ]

[wildguardian]

[Zhao's return grin brightens: what the fuck, Ain just made a joke. Good for him!]

Good thing you've got so many to spare!

[abgrund]

[ Consider it one of the things he's learned ever since deciding to imitate the mortal mentality. ]

Indeed.

[ He says sagely while making a point to sip his tea with his (human) hands. Orbis curls up on the table into a bundle of fur, a tail swishing here and there. ]

So... as most people ask, how are you?

[wildguardian]

Me? I've been just fine. [He picks up his own tea for a sip.]

I've been spending most of my time off work in the library, actually. There's a lot to learn about this place.

[abgrund]

[ He has to wonder whether it's some hidden sagacity inside Zhao that prompts him to do it, or he's just someone who tries everything for fun. ]

What are you looking into?

[wildguardian]

History, politics, mythology -- funny thing, around here, mythology pretty much is history and politics, isn't it?

[He casts Ain a grin.]

Oh yeah, and I was looking into shinki abilities. I wound up striking a deal with one of the librarians to learn from him instead, though. That library could use some better organization.

[abgrund]

[ Is there really a difference between myth and politics, though? Many tales are of the divine scheming against, or together with each other. It's interesting to see. ]

Considering their bureaucratic approach, I am not surprised.

[ It reminds him a lot of the government, of which mortals would complain a lot about delays and unnecessary paperwork. Which propagated which? Also a curious question. ]

Self-improvement is always worth, I find.

[wildguardian]

Absolutely. [He takes another sip of the tea, wriggling his fingers at the cat to try to entice it to bat at them.]

Besides, my god runs straight into fights wherever he sees them. I've got to make sure I can keep up.

[abgrund]

[ Orbis pads forward and tries to poke at Zhao's hand, but rather methodically instead of the wild hunting instincts of most cats. ]

Is that so? Do you think he is reckless?

[ Ain instead props his chin up with one hand, looking at Zhao with slight interest. ]

[wildguardian]

Reckless?

[Some of the things Zhao's seen him do could be categorized that way, but he thinks about it, continuing to wriggle his fingers at Orbis, since the cat does seem at least a little interested in playing.]

No, not really. I just think he's got strengths I don't.

[abgrund]

You can tell me about him if you'd like.

[ Which is basically 'definitely tell me about him'. While Ain watches people in general, he doesn't have much knowledge of most of the population apart from a surface observation. The more he knows, the better - especially if there's something he can help with. ]

[wildguardian]

Well, let's see. [Zhao can read that curiosity -- or he thinks it's curiosity, anyway, Ain's a pretty deadpan guy. There'd been a flicker of interest, there, though.]

He's touchy, for one thing. You know how it goes: even the littlest hint that you're looking down on him for something and he blows up.

Turns out he's pretty good at most things, though, so at least he can back it up.