thenearshore | [OPEN] Trials and tribulations / I've had my share

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[OPEN] Trials and tribulations / I've had my share

Who: Kairi and YOU!
When: March 24th 2017 - April 21st 2017 (January 18th 2019 - March 14th 2019)
Where: Leo's Temple, near the Meeting Hall, the Library, or anywhere else in the Far Shore
What: Training, of the Shinki Spell variety

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Option A: Training - Leo's Temple, near the Meeting Hall, etc.
[ No matter what day it is, Kairi and her fellow Shinki friends inevitably end up talking about spells. She's kind in her offers to talk about Spellwork after finally being confident in her mastery of several of them, but she always comes back to the same thing...

It's one thing to talk about it, it's another thing entirely to make the spell happen. It requires practice. It requires a real stare-down of one shinki against another, trying to overcome each other's willpower. And Kairi, well...

She's pretty sure that around the time she felt confident enough to explain spells to someone she didn't know that well was around the time that her will to defend against another shinki's spell started to increase too. Now she has another reason to keep up her training - with Hajime gone, she's at her 3rd god, and she doesn't want to lose another. Some of that she knows she doesn't have control over, but the times when she does? Fighting ayakashi? That's when she doesn't want to let Leo down - or by extension, Forrest.

So she'll go wherever her training partner wants to in order to practice today. ]

Option B: Research in a New Age - Leo's Temple, the Library, Hakkai's School, etc
[ The funny thing about knowing so many spells herself was that Kairi started to become even more curious about what other spells were out there. She couldn't contact Kazuma or Yukine anymore, nor Lavi or Izuku, so she resorts to going to the Library to look through the books on her own.

Maybe she'll find a new spell, or maybe she'll find more about the... theory behind spells, for lack of a better word. Kairi knew enough about the magic of her own world now to know that some things were predictable, or advancements of other spells and not really new spells at all. So what kind of "theory" made the Shinki spells work? And could she crack it enough to stop needing to learn individual spell names - especially with her old tutors all gone? ]

Option C: Wild(card) Magic!
[ If it's anything related to spells or magic from your canon's world, that would be cool to talk about! If it's anything else you can think of related to Shinki spells and magic in the Far Shore, that's cool too! ]

OOC: Plot with me at

frudence

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[Shinki spell information? Ginia sits back in her chair, trying to recall if she's seen anything lately. It doesn't help there's no real rhyme or reason to how the books are arranged. Her luck with searching for books on magics or illusions have mostly turned up card tricks and optical illusion books too.]

Haven't seen anything lately, not for a lack of trying. If you're interested in learning more spells, I could introduce you to some of Ebisu's shinki.

[ Kairi looks shocked. ]

I... I'm not sure I read your signs right, Ginia. Did you just offer to introduce me to Ebisu's shinki?

[ She puts her hands in her lap, gripping her skirt. How exciting that would be--!! ]

[Ginia grins a little at Kairi's shock.]

Yes, I offered to introduce you to Ebisu's shinki.

[She pauses, fingers tapping together excteidly as she tries to figure out who would be the best to introduce. Takami is too nervous, Kiwami too serious. Kimi is always personable, but spells aren't his specialty.]

Aomi is the best when it comes to song spells, but Unmi knows a fair amount of spells too.

Ah! It's okay, it's okay!

[ Her hands come up a little wildly, trying to lower her expectations. ]

I only know one song spell right now! So I'm sure it's fine! Even if he knew the same spell I do and that's it, I'd really appreciate having a mentor again, to tell me what I could to make song spells more effective in general.

[ She looks a little sad. ]

I miss Kazuma and Yukine, you see... did you ever get the chance to meet them?

Edited 2019-03-05 02:43 (UTC)

I'll definitely speak to Aomi then. He's very kind, I think you'd like him.

[All of his shinki are fairly likable and not only because she's biased. But Aomi is sensitive and kind and feels like him and Kairi would be kindred spirits.

As for her question, Ginia shakes her head.]

I've heard of them from a few people, but never had a chance to meet them. What were they like?

As far as I know, they're just off on special missions with their gods right now, but that's why they can't stay here in the Far Shore training us anymore. Kazuma is very refined and proper. He likes thinks just so and wears glasses and was very hard to get time with, but he knows so much... Yukine was hard to get to know at first, but that's because he's just a little shy. Kazuma's been a shinki for a long time, but not Yukine. Kazuma's closer to your age and Yukine's closer to mine, but that also meant that Yukine knew how to have some fun from time to time. He played with Goten and I a couple of times, just practicing shinki spells and other silly things.

[ She's smiling now at least. ]

I hope I'll like Aomi too. I really appreciate it, Ginia. I think anything's easier to figure out when you have friends and mentors and allies, anybody, who's willing to help you. I'll have to find some way to return the favor.

[How would things be if there were more old shinki around to turn to as mentors and resources? Listening to Kairi, Ginia realizes she's incredibly lucky living in Ebisu's temple and having the experience and support of much older shinki to fall back on. Support, community, family, it's all important here.]

They sound like great people. I hope one day there's a chance to meet them. Their gods too. Ebisu pointed out Bishamon at the Hinamatsuri festival, but there wasn't an opportunity for introductions. Same with [her signing slows a little to make sure she's spelling the name right] Daikokuten. He has very cute rabbits.

[Adorable rabbits. Ebisu petting rabbits, a picture-perfect moment. That's getting off-topic though.]

Aomi looks closer to my age, but I've heard he's one of the older ones at the temple. I don't see him as much as I see Takami or Kimi, but I like him a lot. And if you wanted to repay the favor, there's always helping out with office work for a bit. There's always something to file.

I'm not sure that I'd be any good at filing papers, but I could certainly try! At least that isn't a favor to a god that would need being named.

[ She has no idea that Ginia was named by anyone else. So Kairi does look a little awkward in her concern, but it's entirely personal. She's never been named by more than one god at once; in her whole time in the Far Shore, she's never been a nora. ]

But if it would help Aomi, then I can do it. I just figured I could help him practice, like... a song spell or something. He probably knows them all, but- it was what I was thinking about? Since I can't exactly track down Mr. Kazuma and Lady Bishamon to get training time with a Hafuri Exemplar.

There are a lot of different things to work on, I'm sure we could find something interesting to you and helpful to us. Most of the work doesn't require a name in any way. All his shinki are nora, but it doesn't mean anyone helping there needs to be too.

[They're not too dissimilar from an office on the Near Shore in a lot of ways, though it's understandable given the domains Ebisu covers. Sometimes they encounter ayakashi, but chasing them off with borderlines or pinning them in place until someone can rend them is their greater method. Any ayakashi hunting Ginia does on behalf of Ebisu's temple is usually with Chris. It's convenient her other god works there part-time.]

Are Hafuri that much stronger or important? I know they're rare, though I guess it's understandable why.

[She's never confirmed it, but Chikusa hits a lot harder these days. If that's what he's like, Ginia can't imagine what power an older shinki has.]

I was pretty new when they were teaching me last... so my impression of them might be a little off... but I really did think they were much more powerful than the rest of us. There's a reason they were teaching the shinki training when I arrived, Mr. Kazuma especially. And Yukine... he was much more chill about the whole thing, honestly, but he took teaching us things very seriously. He was so sweet to Goten too.

[ She smiles and rubs at her neck a little. ]

I'm glad that you think Mr. Ebisu won't be upset about that sort of thing. I don't know him that well.

It sounds like it was a better way to learn? I've had a few people mention Bishamon used to run the training sessions.

[Enough people have spoken of the goddess with respect too. Knowing nothing but the training sessions now, they aren't bad, but Ginia certainly has her own hang ups about Heaven's leader and her shinki.]

Ebisu is the best and therefore all his shinki are all.

[She grins a little, slightly parroting what Ebisu likes to say so often about his shinki.]

But it's more a business deal. Aomi practices song spells with you, you do some work in exchange, a balanced deal. Plenty of people work part-time at the temple since the pay is good and it's easier working for someone on the Far Shore than trying to find work on the Near Shore.

[There's a small pause.]

By the way, if you or anyone else is looking for a job, our hourly rate starts at 4000 yen.

[SEE THE OPPORTUNITY. TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY.]

[ Kairi nods. ]

Even though it's hard finding common ground with people who have lived for centuries, you can't fault their experience either. Kazuma was a very good teacher, and Bishamon too. They'd done it over and over again for the shinki in their temple, so it makes sense they'd know some of the better ways to learn.

I'm sure she thinks the same way that Ebisu does. [ A small chuckle there. ] That she's the best and therefore so are her shinki.

As for a job... I appreciate the offer, Ginia, but I just... I don't know. Ever since I lost the big family I had with the joint temple Sora and Roxas had, I've only ever wanted one god who really cared about me. Just one.

I'll keep it in mind for someone else, though - and I'll make sure that Aomi and Ebisu feel like I made a balanced deal. Thank you so much - I can't wait to meet them.

The other shinki tease me a little for being the baby of the temple. Most have been around for decades, more for centuries, and a few over a thousand years. It's amazing what they've lived through [--or in the case of Ebisu's temple, what they've survived--] but they've always been easy to talk to. I can't imagine living that long, but it'd be nice. I'd like to.

I meant it as a job offer or business deal, not as a temple offer. [Which isn't to say Ebisu's shinki don't care about the part-timers, but it's different. Business versus family.]

But I see your point. I'm a nora, but I can't imagine not being a part of Ebisu's temple either. The Mi Clan is my family. [A beat.] I'm sorry for your losses.

Oh! Oh, sorry. [ She's so used to the idea of working with another god to mean getting named by them. Even though Ginia and her already talked about the business deal, it's just so easy to slip back into that mindset. ]

I'm happy for you though, Ginia. If you love the Mi Clan that much, I just don't know why you have other gods I guess. I don't mean it... to be mean. I guess I'm genuinely curious... what that feeling is like.

[ She can't hardly imagine it. Even the idea of letting Aymeric name her while being Leo's husband seemed strange. Like if Sora of all people hadn't wanted to name her while dating Roxas, knowing now what she did about all of their shared pasts, then how could she let anyone else either? ]

[Ginia leans back in her chair as she tries to find the right words. The new generation may see nora differently and are far more accepting than the old generation, but it's not something that seems to come up in conversation either.]

I love my friends and want to protect them too. I suppose that's what it comes down to.

[Which isn't to say she'll accept a name from all her friends either. As it stands, Ginia sometimes feels like she can't properly help Chris with how much she focuses on working at Ebisu's temple. She's doing her best to make things work and she knows Chris understands, but sometimes she wonders if she's really doing a disservice.]

Though do you know most nora of the old generation aren't by choice? When an old god dies and doesn't reincarnate, or disappears from a lack of belief, the names they give their shinki don't disappear.

[ Kairi certainly does care about the comment Ginia makes, but in the way that she completely agrees with it. Not that it explains to her why that means she has to be a nora but... that other comment is making Kairi's head spin. Neither Yukine nor Kazuma mentioned that to her, and she hasn't her a peep about it being an oddity between old shinki and new. Surely someone like Fuujin would have called it out to her by now? ]

Who told you that, Ginia?

[Ginia pauses. Everyone in the old generation knows Ebisu's temple is a temple of nora, but like so many other things, it's not information that reaches the new generation. She doesn't think Kairi would act negatively, but she still weighs out whether it's safe mentioning the truth.]

It's the common story of my temple. Minor gods born from a child's game forgotten as the children grow up, local legends eventually forgotten, gods killed by ayakashi. With their god gone, it's either living alone forever or find a god who accepts nora.

[And with present attitudes and stigmas, it's not an easy task finding a god who cares and treats them equally.]

Everyone at Ebisu's temple is a nora. It's not a requirement, but Ebisu is maybe the only god that accepts nora without question or judgment and treats them as equal as any other shinki.

[ Kairi is very taken aback by this information, her hands coming up to her mouth. It sounds so unfair - way more unfair than when one of their friends disappears who happens to be a god and leaves a shinki behind in a traumatic evening. To have something permanently branding them in a way that the old gods don't like... how on earth could that happen?

Surely the other shinki in Ebisu's temple wouldn't lie to Ginia, would they? Old shinki were some of the most honorable towards their gods that Kairi had ever met. ]

We've never heard about that before, though. You would think that the old gods might have mentioned how strange it was that new shinki didn't keep their names, wouldn't you? And... and the way Fuujin is kinder to all of us, compared to the new gods... I can't imagine many of the new shinki here have remained with their original god after all of this time... It's just so strange to me, Ginia...

[Welcome to Heaven. It's not so pretty once you begin peeling back the layers. There's a lot that divide the old and new generations. For all she wants to belong, sometimes it's hard not to see how poorly they all fit in here.]

Would they? Or do they assume the majority of us are nora bearing names of departed gods? I didn't learn more until I began living in the temple of an old god. They still forget to mention things they all know because they assume I know.

Have you ever thought to ask why an old shinki might be nora? Why Heaven hates nora? Or did you also assume when an old god disappears, all their shinki were automatically released too?

[It's not only Kairi, it's others she's spoken to that assume an old shinki is free to find a new god at will if their god disappears.

Ginia sighs heavily. She's not angry at Kairi, but it does highlight how little their generation knows when even someone that's been around as long as Kairi is surprised at what all old shinki know as basic fact.]

The big difference everyone knows is sometimes we remember things while the old generation doesn't. Beyond that, how often do we talk with old gods and their shinki and ask the right questions or know what to ask? It never occurred to me knowing my name was unusual until Ebisu pointed it out. I didn't know how different the relationship between a shinki and their first god was.

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[OPEN] Trials and tribulations / I've had my share

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