thenearshore

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Who: Ginia and YOU!
When: April 11th - April 14th
Where: Around the Near Shore
What: Work never ends when you work for a God of Fortune. Come help out (or not) Ginia with prayers all around the Near shore.

[A. Maid Mayhem]
[A popular maid cafe is putting on an event for tokyo's Deaf community with all of their regular services provided in Japanese Sign Language along with Japanese. With multiple prayers begging for the event to go well, Ginia and some of her coworkers are keeping an eye on things and lending a hand. However, with the cafe crowded as ever, news stations covering the event adding to the crowd, and tensions running high, plenty of help is needed.

1) Help out at the cafe. You don't have to don a maid outfit; there's also cooking in the kitchen, making sure the light and sound equipment is ready for the stage show, and helping the media crews with filming.

2) Fend off ayakashi. The place is a hotbed for minor ayakashi seeking to cause some trouble. Throw up some borderlines, rend some ayakashi, just keep the place going without making a mess!

3) Or maybe you're here to enjoy the cafe. The food and drinks are cute and great, Ginia is happy to greet with a smile and a heart made with her hands as you're seated in her section.]

[B. Baker's Dilemma]
[A bakery in a shopping district is struggling with a new bread. Everyone who has tasted it either thinks it's the most delicious bread they've ever had or the most disgusting, inedible thing with no middle ground. Sometimes disagreement comes from two people trying the same loaf!

Ginia and her coworker, Hidemi, stand a few feet away from the store. They're wearing matching black suits with dark green ties. They're having a quiet discussion, Hidemi holding a loaf of bread that's had a few pieces torn from it. A third opinion is desperately needed and they're quick to flag down anyone that feels like they're from the Far Shore. You! Yes, you! Come over here!]

"Excuse me, can you try a sample of this bread and let us know what you think?"

[Delicious or disgusting? There's no middle ground.]

[C. A Horse of a Different Coat]
[Spring is a great time to go to the zoo and Uneo Zoo is hosting some mini programs aimed at children. When the person originally assigned to help with the zebra program falls sick, Ginia quickly steps in to help. There's only one problem. While Ginia, dressed in a zebra costume is busy entertaining kids, it means she can't focus on borderline duty like she intended. With mild ayakashi swirling around, drawn by children and shinki alike, Ginia looks around for anyone who can help out. Wrangle those ayakashi as the program continues, but don't let the kids see!]

[D. Wildcard!]
[Have something else you want to thread out? Contact me through PM or at

cordially!]

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"It isn't. You're right."

But really that's why Suzaku felt they couldn't relax. The raid on the cultists had been a victory of sorts, but as far as he knew both the teenager and the old woman had escaped, they had infiltrated the stronghold but they had no idea if it was the only one or where they had regrouped.

As far as Suzaku knew. He also had no idea how many other gods the cult had. Considering he had been completely incapacitated fighting one of them he knew he had a lot to do if he wanted to be any use in the fight ahead.

"We need to be ready for next time."

There's a difference between relaxing and letting ones guard down and relaxing to reset and focus. Everyone needs rest of some kind, especially with as dragged out as things can get.

Frankly, after almost dying, damn what anyone else thinks; she deserved that vacation.

Ginia nods. Who knows what and when next time will be.

"Don't get wound up and jump at shadows though," gently suggests one of the other shinki as he loads mango onto a plate. "You two are young. This could go on for awhile."

Ginia did deserve a vacation. Suzaku would not argue that for a moment.

He looks around at the advice and nods once. It could go on a long time, but that was just another reason they should remain vigilant.

But getting worked up about it wouldn't help either.

"It could... Especially since... Do you know where any of them went after the fight?"

Asking Ginia, because she knows things, but his gaze takes in the other shinki as well, in case they know something too.

The other shinki, having been in the temple and generally out of the loop, shake their heads, taking it as their cue to hurry back to their desks. Ginia taps her phone to her chin in thought, trying to remember how things had gone. With her coworkers leaving, Ginia resumes signing.

"A gorilla grabbed the old woman. I only imagine she's in someone's custody? The teen... I remember there was a bright flash and she disappeared. I think she was a god and the spear her shinki?"

Given the look of her and the way the spear flew around, it's not a difficult assumption to make. Ginia swears she heard the god unvessel the shinki before the flash too.

"A gorilla?" Suzaku spoke as he repeated the sign, unsure if he had understood it properly. Someone in vessel form perhaps. The teenage girl had disappeared.

"So the teenager got away it seems." And she had at least one shinki. "So four gods... How many more in this cult I wonder."

It would make sense for there to be more, but how had so many gods risen outside of the knowledge of heaven?

Gorilla. Ginia nods and repeats the sign. She's not sure where the gorilla came from. Vessel form? Ability? Who knows, the specifics don't matter. As long as someone has the old woman in custody, the shinki too. They need answers and Ginia is beginning to find she's caring less how they're gotten.

Her brow furrows a little in thought. "I think we're at three gods, unless I missed one? I suppose the old woman could be one, but I'm not sure. But the specific number doesn't matter. Gods are born out of belief. The cult could, in theory, continue to will gods into existence."

Or kill gods, bring them back, and control them that way. It's an unsupported theory but still a possibility.

"Ah I assumed the old woman was." He nodded, three then. Perhaps a fourth. "She had power but the paper itself might have held the spells rather than her..."

He really doesn't understand magic. He might have to ask Caster, he had been clearly in a hurry to get away after he had rescued Suzaku but Suzaku was sure he would have some theories. More than Suzaku anyways.

"I wonder if the spell paper was any different from the spell tags we keep finding?" In itself ofuda aren't unusual. That one could stop Suzaku in his tracks makes her wonder if they're designed to target those of the Far Shore or anyone it touches?

"You wouldn't happen to have it, do you? The paper?"

"No. Lord Caster may have it. He was the one who freed me. I'm not sure if he kept it." It seemed like something he might do, as it was clearly magical.

But the paper spells as well as the traps made it clear that the cult knew how to stop and hinder those from the far shore. That was worrying enough on its own.

Lord Caster? There's a slight uprward raise of her brow, but Ginia doesn't comment any more. If that's the case, then it's a lead she'll leave for him to pursue. She has her hands full enough with the mask and questions around the ayakashi.

"The amount of magic used at the compound is troubling, especially anything that could target us directly. I wonder who they have working with them?"

He sees that raise of eyebrows but doesn't say anything. He knew that she had left Caster's temple and doesn't really... know everything about what happened. He hoped he had not caused her unpleasant memories and for a moment he looked a little awkward.

A slight subject change was welcome. "Yes. Especially some of the traps like the one that you helped me with. That was clearly something that was only useful against those from heaven." It made sense if there were gods within the cult, but that was still a lot of power, considering the sheer number of traps. Not to mention the magic in the walls themselves.

"Perhaps made by those in Heaven too." A treasonous statement if the powers that be were to hear. A statement that feels more true after the solid connection of the dolls to the cult. It's impossible for a cult of humans to know exactly who has come and gone without inside knowledge.

"With so many gods and shinki up here, I wouldn't be surprised if a few were aiding the cult."

"I've thought that for a little while." He nodded, ever since the doll festival. It seemed too... How would a cult know exactly which of their number had disappeared. Unless they were either involved in those disappearances or had at least eyes on the inside.

And very good eyes indeed. The question of course was, was it one of the newer gods or their shinki. Or one of the old gods. All clues pointed to the old gods. "It seems at least possible. It would need to be someone with access to whatever records are kept about us, or at least a very good information network."

He's not sure any of the newer gods have that... But he's unsure. Some have been here a long time.

The dolls were the kicker for a lot of things, weren't they. Is it any better knowing it's the cult and whoever else is backing them behind things? They're also no clearer to finding out any answers.

"All signs point to Amaterasu's folk." They are the first point of contact, where they appear, and the ones they're all supposed to report to. But the goddess herself insists Heaven isn't behind things, and strangely, it's believable. For all the sayings about Heaven being "Just" and "Right", it's unusual they'd openly admit having no clue what's going on.

"By the way, if you see any intact dolls like the ones around the crystal? Don't handle them."

Suzaku frowned, a traitor then? Someone within heavens ranks who was working for the cult? Giving them information. Someone high up enough to have the information in the first place.

He frowned thinking of the implications of that. But it wasn't like he really knew any of heavens people, the couple he had met all seemed loyal to Lady Amaterasu but... someone undercover would.

Ginia's warning made him frown. "It sounds like you speak from experience."

Ginia sighs. Her arms cross as she looks past him. It's been over a week since the compound, nothing has happened since then. No further cult action, no pain, just a stillness Ginia knows she shouldn't count on lasting long, but is enjoying while it does.

Her arms fall down as she signs.

"Moving my doll almost killed me."

"Almost..." Almost killed her?

He knows Shinki can die again, as strange as that seems and the knowledge that Ginia had almost died, right there in that room floored him for a moment.

A moment later the fact that the cult had dolls of ever new god and shinki in the heavens and those dolls could be used to kill them...

"You are alright now though? No lasting effects?"

"None that I've noticed." Lingering feelings aside, though a bit of trauma these days seems standard. But none of the sudden dizziness, no pain, nothing like anything she felt when her doll was moved.

"More accurately, Kiwami moved my doll on my request and Ebisu's order. He was handling it with a robe and it was fine, but when he moved it away from the crystal, it felt like..." her hands hover as she tries to figure out how to describe the feeling. "...like I was being torn apart, cell by cell."

"Oh." That was extremely disturbing news. He had barely had time to take in the crystal and the dolls before the fight had started and he hadn't exactly stuck around once he had been freed from being frozen.

"I'm sorry that happened." Awful that it had happened to her, terrifying that it had happened at all. At least she was alright, she was alive. And now they knew the danger.

"Do we know what happened to the dolls? Or the crystal?"

As horrible as everything was to her, it was horrible for her temples too. For Chris and Ebisu, who felt every moment of panic and the threat of losing a shinki. For Kiwami, responsible for moving the doll. Kunimi, Aomi, Takami, and Kimi, present as she collapsed and convulsed in pain, unable to do anything. No chance to say goodbye, just pain and death as she detaches from the world.

So the fact she doesn't know what happened to the dolls or crystal... Ginia blinks at Suzaku. It's been a thought at the back of her mind. She knows no one is irresponsible enough to simply let all of that be. But she doesn't have a solid answer.

"Hold on, I'm going to ask someone."

The joys of technology. Ginia considers her contact list before sending a text to Waver. Magic specialist after all. There, done.

"I can only imagine it's secured. I doubt anyone would leave anything there unattended and still in the hands of the cult."

Or in the hands of Heaven given how they were sent there in the first place. The fact she hasn't felt any pain since the compound is a possible sign no one has moved her doll from the crystal's area. Or if they did, they managed to deactivate or detach things. However, it's still an assumption at best.

Edited 2019-03-15 18:48 (UTC)

"I hope so." Suzaku nodded, it was not surprising she did not know, after everything that had happened. But hopefully someone would, hopefully it no longer belonged to the cult.

They might have not used that full power against them yet but then again they had just been attacked. A counter attack might be imminent.

Hopefully that power was out of their hands. "If you find out what happened, please let me know."

"When I hear something, you'll be the first to know."

Until then... Ginia glances at the picked through food, the sounds of the office rolling beyond the doorway.

"I should get back to work. Need to make up for lost time. I'll text you when I have news."

"Thank you Ginia." He nodded at her politely and smiled. "Yes I should get back as well."

He was still learning his job, which meant he was slower than the others in his department, so he didn't want to add being last back to that. He was determined to keep up.

Ebisu's temple is a well-oiled machine and it's easy for anyone new to the system to feel like they aren't doing enough. However, the truth is no one cares about speed as long as things are done right. Suzaku is new, his work is appreciated, everyone understands. He's fine.

Ginia offers a friendly wave before heading back to her floor.

As promised, Suzaku receives a text from Ginia later that day.

"Everything is still at the compound, but it's under Heaven's control now. Everything is secure.

A reply comes quickly.

Thank you for letting me know Ginia.

It was reassuring to know it was under Heaven's control and not disappeared off with those cultists that had escaped the compound.

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