thenearshore | 34 - Love is in the Air

34 - Love is in the Air

Who: Everyone!
What: An enterprising pair of shinki is trying to spread love throughout the Far Shore with exciting blind dates.
When: February 14
Where: Hot romantic spots throughout Tokyo
Summary: Blind dates on Valentine's Day? Sounds like fun (or possibly a disaster, but everyone needs some good disaster stories.) That's not all that's going on, though. Ayakashi are looking to chow down on the negative emotions that a romantic holiday can generate, and those who aren't busy with their own dates might be sucked into helping out followers who need help to make the day go well.

The Dates

Blind Date Matchups

Date One: The Romantic Brunch.
Couples will find themselves with reservations (and pre-paid coupons for the prix fixe menu) at a swanky French restaurant with a wide balcony overlooking the lake in a central Tokyo park. They can dine on dainty pastries, sweet milk coffees, bowls of grapes and hothouse strawberries, and a selection of fancy chocolates and petit-fours-- plus, some of the trees in the park are blooming in holiday-appropriate red and white!

Date Two: The Aquarium.
Couples scheduled for this date have tickets to a rooftop aquarium in Ikebukuro: brightly colored fish, animals including penguins, seals and pelicans, a small petting zoo and plenty of shadowy, secluded nooks to cuddle in make for a fun lunchtime date. The tickets even include admission to the one o'clock penguin and seal show!

Date Three: The Amusement Park.
This date sends couples to spend the evening enjoying themselves at a seaside amusement park. Ride the roller coasters! Take selfies with the costumed attendants! Share an overpriced ice cream cone while you watch the fireworks after sunset, then wind up the night with a ride on the colorfully lit Ferris wheel with a romantic view of the Tokyo skyline.

Ayakashi Menace

dove

shadow

teddy bear

need

Praying for Love

Wild Card

In Summary:

Enjoy your dates
Fight some ayakashi
Make sure to answer prayers for a good Valentine's Day
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Hakkai glances up -- well, yes, of course. He hadn't been able to find her in the last few times he'd visited the forest; of course he's worrying.]

I can't imagine how it could.

[He folds the soiled tissue and tucks it into his pocket, since there's nowhere to throw it away here, and he's not going to litter Votelli's shrine, small as it is. Hands free again, he straightens up, and puts a hand, lightly, on Gojyo's shoulder.]

The worst that might happen is that it doesn't work.

[With a different name on it, far away from where she stays, it wouldn't even provide much of a clue if the Heavens found it; there's no way she could have been hurt by Gojyo's efforts.]

[ The touch is unexpected -- Gojyo's shoulder jumps beneath Hakkai's hand, but there's no mistaking the relief in that smile. ]

Okay. [ Hakkai doesn't know as much about shrines as Gojyo wishes he did, but if he says that the shrine didn't hurt Votelli, Gojyo's going to believe that until proven otherwise. He takes a deep breath, his breath fogging in the chill air. ] Okay, so let's go find her.

[ Not right this second, obviously. ]

Tomorrow?

[Hakkai returns his smile; it's embarrassing how much better he feels to be trusted enough to see this little handmade shrine.]

Tomorrow. I'll meet you at noon.

Ah, if you'd like, we can probably get back to the restaurant in time to finish dinner...

[If they're lucky, the waitress won't have noticed their table and cleared it. He's not particularly hungry, but the food had been good, and they'd barely had time to start eating after their fight and before leaving the table. He offers Gojyo a tiny quirk of a smile.]

[ I'd like to spend more time with you, says Hakkai, and Gojyo can feel his mood lifting.

(Not just his mood, to be honest... although with how tight his pants are there isn't room for much lift.) ]

I'm not gonna say no! [ Little smiles, private meals, working together to overthrow the people in power. This is okay. This is better than okay. Maybe Hakkai's right, maybe sex would just get in the way.

He's got his memories. That'll be enough.

He meets Hakkai's tiny smile with a broad one of his own, and holds out his hand. ]

I'm starving.

[Hakkai's smile widens, just a little, in response, and he folds his hand around Gojyo's to take them both back to the street just outside the restaurant.

He doesn't release Gojyo's hand immediately; it's warm in his, and the mid-February breeze is brisk.]

So am I.

[He lets go, and steps inside. There's a plate of sliced meats ready on their table -- the main course, good -- and the waitress is standing next to it, counting the money he'd left, looking confused.

Perfect timing.]

[ She looks so confused, poor lady. Confused, and when she spots them, guilty. Does she think they think she's stealing from them?

Well, that's easily fixed. ]

Don't mind us. [ He shrugs out of his jacket and drapes it over the back of his chair, casual as anything. ] Just stepped out for a smoke, and didn't want you thinkin' we'd bailed on the tab. [ He nods at the cash, favoring her with his smoothest, flirtiest grin. The grin is actually for Hakkai, of course. ] Don't think we're done yet, though.

[ Things get a little squeezed as he slides into his seat, but it's a good reminder to keep his mind out of his pants. His palm still holds a ghost of the heat from Hakkai's hand, and he rubs it casually across his mouth, breathing in the faint scent of Hakkai's soap. ]

Think we could get some tea?

Yes, please, tea would be appreciated.

[Gojyo has the situation well in hand, sprawling down into his chair and grinning at her with his familiar charm. He's in a good mood again, it seems, without the tension he'd had when Hakkai arrived but with plenty of cheer, and Hakkai finds himself watching Gojyo charm the waitress with an affectionate smile of his own before she bustles off to settle their bill and get their tea. He ducks his head and reaches for one of the plates to fill with some of the grilled meats on their sample platter.]

[ He's watching Hakkai out of the corner of his eye the entire time, a subtle observation that becomes blatant once the waitress leaves. He got Hakkai to smile again -- that's more smiles than he'd counted in the whole previous month. How can he make that happen again?

Talking. Hakkai likes talking. Gojyo opens his mouth, then thinks better of the first thing that comes to mind... and the second... and he has to laugh and look away for a moment, shaking his head. This is harder than he thought it'd be. What's safe to talk about? ]

I think it's your turn to pick th'topic. [ It's not cowardly, he tells himself. It's fair. He brought up Votelli, and now it's Hakkai's turn to fumble through this awkward silence. He fills his own plate, the suit's seams creaking audibly with every movement. ] You'd better speak up though, 'cause this getup's getting louder all the time.

Fashion is suffering. [Hakkai makes his tone as stuffy and solemn as he can, shooting Gojyo an amused look -- the suit really is a little tight on him, despite how comfortable the coat looks.

A new topic -- hm.]

Have you seen the school lately? All of the ash from the volcano seems to have turned the yard into a garden.

[Dryly, he adds:] Without collapsing the roof, which I was grateful for.

[ He honestly can't remember the last time he went by the school. Maybe he should fix that? If it's something Hakkai's interested in, then it should be something he's interested in, too.

But what the hell part of a school would a guy like him find interesting? ]

Oh yeah? That's good. You were lucky!

[ Maybe that boulder that he and the magical princess horse blocked was one that was destined for the school roof? That's a nice thought, but that mountainside was absolute chaos -- the fact that the school survived really can't be anything other than luck. ]

So what're you growin'? Flowers?

Actually, yes. They've all sprouted on their own. [It's, well, it looks like a fairyland more than anything else.]

If I'd had my way it would mostly be vegetables, but I have to admit it's prettier like this.

Perhaps if I took some pictures they'd work for advertising.

[ Now he's got a mental image of Hakkai strolling through a flower bed, on a warm sunny day, looking a little ragged and dirty from working in the garden, cheeks flushed, leaning over to sniff a rose...

God he's an idiot.

Quickly, he stuffs a hunk of meat into his face before he can say anything stupid. ]

Advertising?

[ Damn. You know, he's glad they came back -- this meal is fantastic! How'd they get the meat so tender? ]

I thought there were a bunch of kids there takin' classes already. [ ...Oh, wait. His brow crinkles into a frown. ] Shit, don't tell me they've all disappeared.

No, not all of them. But some of them, and we haven't gotten as many newcomers...

He picks out a piece of meat himself, taking a bite, and his eyebrows go up in surprised approval. Slow-cooked, he thinks, with a quick sear at the end for flavor: he'll have to try that himself, and see if he can match this.]

Ah, this is good, isn't it? In any case, I thought it would be a good idea to get a bit of publicity.

[A line deepens at the corner of his mouth. Publicity, as if his stay will be indefinite, as if the school does any good other than helping him maintain the framework of his days. It does at least do that; losing himself in working in the stillroom would be as easy, but perhaps less good for him, in the long run. It's also good to have a place to help out the newcomers and keep an eye on the lost children who find themselves trapped here, of course.

After a moment, perhaps too honestly, he adds:] Maybe it's just habit that keeps me teaching them.

[ Hakkai sounds, what, guilty? Like he feels that he shouldn't be bothering with the school, maybe. But that's stupid -- so long as there's kids here, it's good for them to have a place to go. And it's got to be good for Hakkai, too. ]

If you like doin' it, does it matter if it's just a habit?

[ After all, what's a habit other than something you've done so many times it's automatic? It's got to be something Hakkai loves doing, or he wouldn't have developed the habit in the first place, right? ]

Ha ha, maybe it doesn't matter.

[Does he like doing it? That's a difficult question. He doesn't dislike it, at least. He could probably be doing more -- or doing something more useful than teaching children who will disappear or forget it all -- but it's good to have something familiar.]

Sometimes I feel like I should be trying harder to find our way free of all this, that's all.

[He picks up another piece of the meat, neatly rolling it with his chopsticks and savoring each bite.]

[ Mmm. Well, Goyjo can't really blame him for that. He feels the same way... when he's not freaking out over the idea of disappearing entirely and being replaced by another version of himself, that is. ]

What else could you do, though? [ He helps himself to another bite of meat, but toys with it on his plate instead of eating it. ] I mean... there's Amaterasu.

[ He draws a short line of sauce on his plate, then dots all around it. ]

And all her guards. If she knows anything, and I don't think she does, then she's never gonna spill. [ A swipe of his chopstick's tip, and the Amaterasu line is smeared away. ] I bet some of her court know something, but good luck figuring out anything about those secretive bastards. [ A squiggle, this time, and Amaterasu's whole court is gone. ]

So who's that leave? Sensei? We're goin' after him by goin' through Votelli, right? There's other gods around, but none of 'em seem to care about what's going on here, 'cause this isn't their heaven. So what else could we be doing?

Edited 2018-12-04 22:19 (UTC)

I don't think she does know anything either. The people around her, on the other hand...

Well, you're right, I don't have the power to force them to say anything, and they rarely bother with us at the best of times.

[Which makes it hard to find out much about them. This problem isn't helped by Fuujin wanting to murder him and Suijin's reserved manner. He shakes his head.]

I don't think there is much else that we can do. Or if there is, I can't think of it.

[The corner of his mouth tucks up, ruefully, as he glances over at Gojyo.]

I'm just frustrated.

Yeah.

[ Yeah, he gets that. He's frustrated too, and he's not even all that eager to 'get back'. Going home means that he'll stop being himself, and while he's come to accept that this is for the best, it doesn't mean he's too excited to make it happen. ]

Do you ever think about staying? [ Wait, that probably came out wrong. He doesn't mean voluntarily staying. ] I mean... if we can't get back, for whatever reason.

[ He can't ask about their world, but it's no secret that there's something important Hakkai and Goku both want to get back to.

Shit, this is getting serious again, isn't it? Quick, lighten the mood! ]

You can go anywhere in this world, do anything. [ He pops a bite of meat into his mouth, and grins around it. ] Where would you go?

... Yes, I've thought about it. [Still half-smiling, he adds:] I'm not sure if we can get back, after all.

[But Gojyo's trying to lighten the mood, so Hakkai picks out another piece of meat, and follows the deliberate lightness of his tone.]

Hmm, I've thought about a seaside vacation. Somewhere tropical, with drinks that have umbrellas on sticks.

A beach?

[ One of the worst things about being a shinki has to be always being hungry... but at least he's not starving anymore. He picks at the remaining food on the table, choosing a smaller piece and leaving the bigger for Hakkai. ]

I would've expected you to say somethin' like a museum or university. Someplace full of smart people talkin' about big lofty things. [ Not that he doesn't like the idea! ] A beach would be nice. Someplace hot, where you can feel it in your bones.

[The face Hakkai makes at that suggestion is mostly facetious -- mostly. He takes the last piece of barbecue from the plate.]

No, no, I dropped out of university once already.

I'd much rather choose the beach. [Someplace hot... it's not that cold, really, here. It's never really that cold here; although the chill is sometimes deep enough that snow can linger in the shadows until afternoon, it never accumulates, and it's already warming back up for spring.

Still, the damp and the chill of winter have lingered too long for his taste.]

I'll bring a book and we can see if gods and shinki tan.

[ It's tempting to flag their waitress down and get another beer, but the drowsiness starting to settle heavy in the back of Gojyo's mind makes that a terrible idea. He can't risk being out of control, even a little, around Hakkai these days -- his stupid brain and his stupid mouth just can't be trusted.

So he swipes his finger -- his finger, not his wrong hand's pointer -- through the sauce remaining on the plate, and enjoys a last taste of dinner instead. ]

Go out diving, see if there's anything fresh in the sand, then have a bonfire. [ He's never gone diving for abalone or dug for clams, but he's had them enough times in restaurants. They can only be better fresh, right? And this fantasy they're building, this vacation date... it's never going to happen. It's only ever going to be words, here and now, so why not make it as full as they can? ] Bet the stars look great, out on a beach.

I bet they reflect off the ocean....

[It may only be a dream-vacation, but it's nice to talk about. And, perhaps, if they do end up staying, if there's no escape from this place in the end, it'll happen someday.

He can, after all, go anywhere he wants.]

But yes. We could steam clams, or sea snails, if we find any.

You've never been?

[ He didn't mean to ask -- he's usually better about controlling his curiosity when it comes to things that might relate to his past. But the moment passes and he doesn't get that jolt that tells him he's fucking up, so he mentally shrugs and goes with it. ]

I mean, I guess there's a lot of China that's not near the ocean, huh. Not like here.

I've visited a few times here, but not before that.

[He sighs out a breath, and adds:] There was the training session -- and we did have one summer party on the beach that Amaterasu attended, some time ago. I was still a shinki then.

[He'd found out exactly who 'Ukoku Sanzo' was that evening, in fact, and it'd ended in a fight that nearly involved a murder.

And Sanzo had vanished, overnight, leaving him without a god again.

Ah, memories. His eyebrows flicker up briefly.]

34 - Love is in the Air

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