thenearshore | 007 | Clean Up Your Act

Entry tags:

007 | Clean Up Your Act

Who: Everyone!
What: Spring cleaning
When: All day April 15
Where: All around the Heavens
Summary: The Heavens don't like things being cluttered, so it's time to clean up a little bit.

Main Hall

While the main hall of the Heavens seems spotlessly clean at all times, that's not the case at all. In fact, it's been at least a decade since the last time they actually cleaned everything out properly. There are a lot of hidden closets and back rooms that have layers of dust and dozens of boxes filled with nothing but junk. Who knows, though! You might find something interesting and useful in there along with all the garbage.

Suprises

Unfortunately, some of the older temples on the Far Shore seem to have some interesting surprises tucked away, ranging from cursed artifacts all the way to magical creatures locked up in long-forgotten rooms. You are free to be creative with this as a way to get your characters into trouble while cleaning.

Complimentary Dinner

After all of your hard work, you deserve to have some tasty food and refreshing beverages. So the Heavens have provided that for you, so that you can wind down after a long day. It's not as fancy as the banquets they often put on, but there is a nice array of food and drinks for everyone to enjoy.

Counselling

As usual, there is a white-robed shinki bearing the gold chrysanthemum of Amaterasu sitting at a table in the Main Hall. There is a small sign that denotes her as the counselling shinki. Anyone is welcome to approach her, and she will smile serenely at anyone passing by as well.

In Summary:

Clean up your home
Help clean others' homes
Get the main hall clean too!
Hope no hidden magic jumps out
Seek counselling if you need it
Enjoy your complimentary dinner
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well... I think chickens will eat any kind of grain, and household waste too, so maybe that goes for ducks too?

[Look, they're the same basic shape, so that should work, right? Help this kid, the only experience he's ever had at taking care of an animal was a pig, and he doesn't even remember that in so many words. He just remembers the general facts more than the specific details of his own life.

...But oh, look! His eyes widen, and the ducks are suddenly definitely surging forward toward Sanae.] Ah, that's amazing! Is that your power as a Goddess? [It kind of has to be, right?]

This... [ Eh. ] Yes, I can create miracles. [ She can create miracles even if she weren't a god, apparently. But it's a simpler explanation to say that divinity and miracles go hand in hand.

Also she can use rice as a bullet curtain attack. Because she's ~creative~ like that. ] So if these little ones are hungry, I'll grant them something to eat. It's important that they grow up strong to make their rainbows, don't you agree?

[Having put down his duckling to be fed as well, Souji actually applauds, bouncing into the balls of his feet and back.]

That is truly awe inspiring!

[He's so earnest, it's almost embarrassing. Look at how his eyes shine.]

I've never heard of a Goddess of Miracles before, but it really makes sense that there should be one. [After all, it was one of the things that people needed more than anything from Gods, right?] What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?

Edited 2016-08-17 00:43 (UTC)

[ She watches the ducks crowd around them. There aren't just ten. Or twenty. They are being swarmed by rainbow colored ducklings all wanting to get a bite to eat. ] Sanae Kochiya. [ Awwww, she feels as if her existence has been validated! Because, yeah! No one has heard of the goddess of miracles before, but clearly miracles existed before she became one! It's about time there was a name to one. ] It's a pleasure to meet you-- [ A laugh as one duckling nips at her fingers. ] --I don't think I'll ever forget an introduction quite like this!

[ She glances at him. ] And... who are you? [ She can't tell if he's a god or a shinki, either. ]

[Maybe one day Souji will stop being awed and impressed by the Gods around him, but he might also quite possibly (once more) be incredibly dead by then. For now, he's just going to be unashamedly excited about finding out more about them.

He giggles in agreement, watching the hundreds of ducks tumble forward toward the offered food. The stream might be abating a bit at this point? He's not sure.]

It's a pretty good way of getting introduced though, right? Everything probably gets better while surrounded by cute animals.

[He asks only simple things from life.]

Ah, and I'm Okita Souji. I'm Hijikata-sama's - that is to say, Hachiman-sama's - Shinki. [He holds up his left hand to show off the kanji on his palm, turning the gesture into a small wave.]

Okita--.... [ . . ......Ah. She knows that name, as clearly as she recognized Hijikata's name when they had met earlier. Then, she had met the man-turned-god, clearly recognizing his name for the Shinsengumi vice-captain.

And she had asked him if his friends were here, his comrades, as she had noticed he had been drinking alone.

While anyone can say that yes, this other member of the Shinsengumi is here. It occurs to her that this Okita doesn't remember his own friend, let alone all the times they may have fought together. ] Oh--... that is... [ It's sad. Sad that he doesn't remember. And sad that as two people could be so close, one cannot tell the other that they know each other. ]

[ Sanae is a terrible liar, and also terrible at hiding some of her expressions. So the sorrow and surprise clearly washes across her face. Fortunately she's quick to recover, focusing on the fact that she's meeting Okita Souji even if he doesn't remember who he is. ]

He's a very lucky man, to have a kind shinki like you. [ Well, she assumes that he's kind from how he treats all these ducks. ]

[He sees those expressions, but he doesn't quite understand them. Maybe his name reminds her of one belonging to someone she's lost? Maybe it's some kind of God thing, something he has no way of understanding. At any rate, there is definite remorse softening his face, and he takes a couple of steps closer before stopping a bit awkwardly. He's really not sure why his first impulse toward comforting her was to hug someone who is still a stranger, not knowing that most people he's ever comforted in his short life were all like family to him, one way or another.

In response to her words, he bows deeply, gracefully.]

That is a really kind thing for you to say. Please accept my thanks.

[As he looks up, his eyes are alight with sheer devotion.] But really, I'm the one who should count myself lucky. It's an honor to serve him as my God. [Wow, that's an embarrassing amount of pure, unashamed feelings. Clearly something has survived the death of his memories, at least.]

[ She smiles in return.

At the very least, she hopes that Hijikata won't be too alone while as a god in this world. They can always make a new bond, new memories together. Besides, she's sure that if friendship stands the test of time, surely it can stand the test of memory loss as well!

Buuuut she really doesn't like somber moods so have a light tease: ] You better take good care of him, Souji-san. Because I just recently made friends with him, and if he's hurt-- I'll have words with you.

[ Words. The best she can do. ]

[It helps that even without memories, so many of the little things which Souji connects to safety and happiness are directly derived from the other man, even if he doesn't know it. The smell of tobacco and ink; the sound of quiet, steady voices; the sensation of callused hands against his own or thick hair between his fingers. He's already programmed to slip effortlessly into this new life, has already lived a lifetime before thinking of himself as Hijikata's weapon. This really won't be that different.

He laughs at her playful admonishment, eyes bright with amusement.]

Is that so? Well, I can't promise that I won't tease him or pull at his hair to stop him being so serious, if he needs it. But I don't think that's the sort of thing words are needed for, right?

....Oh, well if it's to make sure that he's not being as serious, then I can let some teasing slide. [ She met Hijikata for one conversation and yeah she can tell he's the serious type.

He needs entertainment and fun, and not just the kind that the bottom of the bottle drinks. ]

[Souji has, in a sense, only know Hijikata for a couple of hours as well, and he can already tell that he needs to smile more, brood less, and relax every once in a while. He thinks all of this with fondness, of course, but even so.

Grinning, he nods.]

I was hoping you'd understand.

Ah, and it's of course good to know that he'll have protectors among the other Gods as well, Sanae-sama. That will make my job a lot easier, right?

Oh yes--- they say that shinki and their gods must work together... but there's no reason we can't all work together as one big team to protect everyone!

[ A small head tilt at the honorific. Should she say that it isn't necessary? Or... or maybe it is at this point, because she's now a ~proper~ god? Either way, her surprised expression may give it away that she's unsued to being addressed so respectfully. ] S...speaking of. I should get back to helping clean the other temples.

Like comrades.

[The words leave his lips effortlessly, as if it's the most natural thing in the world, and somehow putting it like that feels right. Like home.

Then he glances down at the feeding ducklings by her feet, and laughs a bit sheepishly.]

I should probably do something about them. Being out here in the corridor isn't safe for them. [A small bow.] Thank you for talking to me.

[ She returns the bow. ] No, no, thank you. [ Srsly without him she would never have encountered rainbow ducks!

Straightening up, she turns to leave. ] Take good care of those ducklings in the meantime, alright?

I will, I promise.

[In fact, he'll decide later to adopt them all to Hijikata's temple, so she'll be able to meet them again.

But for now he waves her off with a bright smile, before starting to gently nudge the ducklings back toward the door.]

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007 | Clean Up Your Act

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