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

[The pen he'd put together out of pieces of scrap wood donated from the temples they cleaned was a temporary solution; dusting his hands as he stands back to watch the rabbits spring and hop around their new home, he knows he'll have to come up with something better. Something that fit in with the beautiful place around them rather than this scrappy fence.

Oh, and a path. That's what they need to build too. The rocks are a little slippery, shining wet from the spray of the water, and the fall that someone would take if they lost their footing...well, no one can die again in Heaven, right?] I'll see to the construction of a proper path up here then once we're settled--

[And that's when he hears her shriek, sees the sudden drop as she slips on a patch of moss. Thank Heaven he was right next to her; his hand snaps out to grab her arm right before she takes a nasty tumble.]

Lady Kochiya! Are you alright?

[ Ah, right before she's about to fall, she feels her arm being grabbed and her body pulled back to a normal balance.

That could have been a disaster. ] S...sorry. [ She says, breathing out of relief. ] That moss is more slippery than it looks.

[ She'll give credit when it is due, of course. And while he's still holding onto her arm, she turns slightly to look up at him. ] Thank you, Lu Meng. [ She smiles sweetly at him, grateful that he's saved her from a nasty fall. This also tells her that his reflexes are quite honed. And, honestly? Between this and him helping her out with the dust bunnies, she feel inadequate in comparison. He's very talented! ]

Please be more careful. [And there it is, that slightly scolding tone of his that fits over his voice so naturally it must've been something he did plenty of times while still alive.] A fall from this height could cause broken bones and even death. If you are to come up here again, flight would be a far safer option to traverse this trail until I get it fixed.

[He won't let go of her until he's certain she's got her balance, at which he lets go and takes a step back.]

[ Free from his hold now, she simply continues to smile. ] Ehhh, in that case-- I have to thank you for saving my life!

[Well that does bring up the question if gods can die here. He's fairly certain there are stories of gods dying, but from a fall? He's not too sure.

At any rate he merely shakes his head at this smiling girl in front of him, maintaining his serious, stoic demeanor.]

I was merely carrying out my duty to protect you; there is no need for any further thanks. Your words are more than enough. But please watch where you step from here on out, my lady.

Yes, sir! [ Going to salute to him with that fist and palm salute thing he did earlier. Hopefully he won't be offended by her using it too lightly.

And she continues on her way to the temple. ] It's not as if I plan on falling. I'll be more careful from now on! Besides, I don't want to worry you at all.

Your safety comes first to me; to not be concerned would be unforgivably negligent. [He's not offended, but he's lightly miffed that she seems to all but brushed off that potential fall. People were normally more somber after such a close brush with death, not go back to smiles and giggles.

But before he can speak up, he quickly reigns himself back in and reminds himself again that she's a god, not a child. And as she said before she's had experience taking on malicious spirits; how many times has she come close to death before he met her, he wonders?

...he's doing a lot of wondering about his god, and maybe not enough asking. But there's a place and time for everything, and a long Q&A session would be better after they've both had a bathed and settled down for the night. He follows her into the temple, taking note of where all the rooms are and which corridors go where. The place is huge.]

A map would be useful...[He mutters to himself, already thinking about what else he needs to do. Bunny hutch, path, map, maybe room signs and sign boards until they both get used to this sprawling complex?]

[ Sanae's amazed with the layout of the temple. It's so big and open, there're many extra rooms she can see not being stepped into for years unless she has a specific reason to use them! ] All of this extra space... it almost seems like a waste.

[ She reflects quietly, but overall her tone remains pleasant. ] It's a shame no humans would be able to come up here to see it. Or to use any of these rooms for meditation or prayer.

I am in agreement. [This temple is big enough to form a small monastery and still leave enough room for quiet meditation, thought and prayer. Eventually after walking for awhile they come to a corridor that connects to the manor. He squints up at the house before he shakes his head, unable to figure out the purpose of that strange building. ] We can consider what to do with these rooms later. For now, we should find the living quarters of the temple and clean ourselves up. There is plenty still to discuss between us.

Oh, yes, of course.

[ Now.

Which way should they choose. there are two different halls in front of them. ] Hmmmm... since we came from this way, we should go...--that way!

[ Going to head down the hall to the left. Hopefully she's right and it'll either a) take them to the outside so they can see where each building is at or b) bring them to a bridge that connects them directly to their house. ]

[And it brings them to b) the bridge! From there they get their first upfront view of the house.]

I've never seen a building like this before. It wasn't at any of the other temples either. [Admittedly there are no two temples that are alike, but they all carried a certain grand and majestic air to them, and they were all obviously places of worship for the gods. This structure though was simpler and smaller, and very oddly shaped. He turns to her.]

My lady, please pardon my ignorance. Would you know what purpose it serves?

That? It looks like a house.

[ There's probably some symbolism to it, with such a modern looking house-- or really, mansion-- contrasting with the traditional appearance of the temple. As in, Sanae hails from a modern era but takes up the mantel of tradition as a miko and god. But those are thoughts for a later time. As of this moment, Sanae can only be in awe that this building is now her now her new home. ] C'mon-- let's go see what it looks on the inside!

And if there's food, too! [ Because she can go for a few snacks too. ]

A house? [He echoes questioningly, glancing back to the building; he hadn't seen any such structure in the other temples that carried such an odd design. But before he can say anything else she's already sprinted forward to the front door, and he can only run after her, calling out to her to wait a moment so that they can explore together...and no running in the halls either!! Because what if she trips on a rug or knocks a vase down?? This house looks expensive and even if it does belong to her, she should take better care of her property!!

Privately, he has a feeling that this (him running after her as she jumps straight into a situation) is going to be happening very, very often. Her enthusiasm is going to be both a charming point...and a source of frustration for him.

But it's a good frustration...no, it feels nostalgic. And somehow he doesn't mind it so much, even if this is going to end up with him developing stomach ulcers. These are the little whispers of his past life, and it's a small comfort to know that although he's lost his memories, he hasn't lost himself.]

Edited 2016-08-22 04:04 (UTC)

Not just a house, a modern one! A very, very modern one! [ Just look at how geometric and minimalist it is. Yet the interior displays its own share of luxury, with fine polished marble and cherry wood. ]

Look, look-- there's a dining room. [ A pause, and she looks down another corridor. ] And another one! And a tea room.... [ More running. ] Three tea rooms and living rooms! [ She's going to be skirting around the first floor. Hopefully he can keep up. ]

Is that...so? [OK, he can't appreciate the finer points of interior design (actually he can't really appreciate interior design at all), but he does lay a hand on the wood and the marble, marveling at the quality of the materials used to build this house.

A modern house. Thankfully his back is to her, otherwise she'd catch the moment of tension across his features. Because the way she emphasizes the word, how "modern" this house is, it all just piles more questions upon questions. As far as he can recall, this is not what a modern house looks like, at least to him. How much time has passed since his death?

But then there's the pounding of running feet on the corridor, and he looks up just in time to see her turn a sharp corner. His eyebrows hitch up in alarm and immediately all thoughts of self-pity and brooding are dumped as he runs after her.]

My lady, please wait a moment! [So much for not running.]

[ NOPE NOPE STILL RUNNING!

Running towards him in fact! She only stops for a moment, beaming at him. ] Lu Meng, Lu Meng-- did you see the downstairs? We [ Yes, "we". And yes she already checked out the basement level. ] Have an indoor theater! And a game room! That means we'll have to go shopping for games.

But let's check out the upper floors...! [ Excitedly, she's going tug as his arm. C'mooooon. ]

[Ok ok, he can see she's very excited by everything, so he'll let her drag him around the place even if really, all he wants to do right now is get a bath and sleep.

But eventually his fatigue is kept at bay by wonder. When his hand accidentally hits the light switch he flusters about it, poking the button and apologizing profusely that he seems to have broken the magic spell that kept the place lit up. And his eyes almost seem to similarly light up when she switches the lights back on. And, and running water without a river or a stream anywhere!? What is this madness??? He twists and untwists the tap, in awe just to see water gushing in and out with such a simple motion.

And eventually they come to one room with a giant queen-sized bed in the middle. The room is sparsely decorated, the empty shelves are just beckoning to be filled. Curtains flutter on one side of the room, and pulling them aside reveals a balcony that looks out onto the rest of the temple and the lake.

This...this must be...]

This must be your room, Lady Kochiya.

[ That would be a king-sized bed, thank you very much. ]

Oh, wow, would you look at the size of this room?! And what a view! [ She immediately goes to open the sliding doors to the balcony, letting the fresh air in. Wind brushes her hair over her shoulders, and she outstretches her arms to bask in the sun and breeze for a moment. ] It's almost too much... [ She says quietly.

But a moment later, she's turned back around. ] Except, the real question is-- how fluffy is that bed? [ That would be her running over to hop on the bed. Thankfully she's had the foresight to remove her shoes. But still. She's jumped on the bed. And then she flops onto it, belly first.

Just as she thought, it feels as if the mattress is made from clouds. ]

Edited 2016-08-22 05:10 (UTC)

[...annnnd she only gets to enjoy one second of the fluffy cloud mattress before she'll feel herself lifted up from the bed, Lu Meng's hand holding onto her collar firmly.]

Lady Kochiya, mind the clean sheets! [He puts her back down on her feet, radiating mild disapproval as he examines the bed. Eyebrows furrow when there's a bit of smudge, the dirty grey standing out against the clean quilt. He gives out a sigh and shakes his head, before heading over to her closet to look for a replacement.] You shouldn't lie in bed when you're covered in dust and sweat. We'll have to change the blanket. I'll look for a fresh one, and my lady can get herself cleaned up.

[Because he won't abide dirty sheets if he can help it!

And thankfully his hand had missed her blight when he'd hoisted her up from her bed, her long hair doing a good job of obscuring the darkened patch of skin.]

Edited 2016-08-24 05:21 (UTC)

[ Whoa!! And she's pulled back from the fluffy cover!

But hey, now that it has a smug of soot on it, it won't matter if she does it again, no? So flop she goes, face down on the bed. ] Fmmf Mm-mmff mmf mmffffff fffm!

[ "But Lu Meng, it's so fluffy!" ]

[He just lets her out of his sight for one second--!!!

And whoopsy daisy, up she goes again.]

My lady, please. You're a god, not a ten year old. Behave.. [And he places stern emphasis on the word.] Now get yourself to the bathroom; you'll feel better after you've washed the dirt off yourself.

[And this time he's grabbing her by the shoulders and frogmarching her to the room that she had described to him as the bathroom, all shining and squeaky clean tiles.]

Edited 2016-08-24 06:09 (UTC)

[ Aw man, she's denied the fluffiness, no! ] But....! You'll have to try my bed one time! The mattress feels like you're on clouds!

[ Yet now as he's steering her to the bathroom, she can't complain any further. ] ---Oh, but good thinking! The baths here must be just as big and probably will support a hundred liters of bubbles...! [ What's this about not being a 10 year old. ]

There'll be no need for that. I have my own bed. [Which is probably not as fluffy as hers, but he'll live.

And it seems the powers that be that granted her this temple have thought ahead; there's a set of pyjamas, freshly laundered and hanging off a wall hook. ...not that he knows what pyjamas are, but it's a fresh set of clothes that she can change into once she's done. He points them out to her and with that done, he's going to be stepping out of the bathroom and looking for a change of sheets to replace the ones she'd left smudges on.

He stops at the door though and turns around to sternly remind her:]

Now, see that you clean yourself up properly.

[ Sanae will do as told, cleaning herself-- and taking her sweet-ass time doing it, too. She's never seen such a bath and shower or heard of all of the scrubs and soaps and shampoo and conditioner. By the time she's done, the entire bathroom is covered in a lazy, thick haze, the mirrors completely fogged, and with a small cloud seeping out of the door cracks. Her skin is flushed from the steam, but having become softer than butter and cleaner than cream, almost glowing after trying out so many soaps. Her hair, too, seems as if it's been pampered in the most luxurious of spas, the long and thick strands actually manageable.

The pajamas she wears come as a lightweight, silver night kimono. It's seemingly waved from water, and the fabric shimmers in the light where it hangs loosely off her body. She wipes the fogged mirror with a small cloth, and when she catches a glimpse of her reflection, she can hardly recognize herself. Do all gods live this luxuriously?

Finally, Sanae emerges from the bathroom, braiding her hair. ] Lu Meng...?

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