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

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...?

[When she exits her bathroom she'll find that the sheets have been changed and her shinki nowhere in sight. The corridor is quiet too...but light peeks out underneath one of the doors near her bedroom. He could be in there.

Compared to the luxurious bedroom she has, this one is simple. There's only a plain bed tucked at the corner, and a cupboard and a dressing table learning against one wall. Like her room this one has a balcony as well, but that's the only outstanding feature here.

Or well, it should be the only outstanding feature here, except for the fact that the bathroom door is thrown open and she gets quite a view of Lu Meng from behind, cautiously poking at the sink. His clothes have been discarded but there's no show here today folks; there's a towel wrapped around his bottom half. But although it's somewhat obscured due to his hair getting in the way, she'll get treated to the sight of his back...and the scars. Two old arrow scars, one near the right shoulder blade, the other on his left arm. There's a line of discoloured skin that seems to stretch across his side from front to back slightly above the waist, possibly a sword wound that had sliced him there.

There's a thoughtful hum, and a hand carefully reaches forward to grab the tap and turn. But he may have turned it a bit too much though. He barely has time to yelp and jump back before the water's splashing up at him instead, bouncing against the sink and upwards from the force of the water gushing out of the tap.]

[ The last thing she expects to see today is some booty. Not that he's showing any, but there is an illusion that he's wearing nothing because of that wild hair of his draping low. ] ---Whaa--!

[ She yelps, staggering back, although she doesn't quite bolt out the door. If he turns, he'll get to see her face turn a strong shade of pink and then red, her eyes roaming downward on his body for two separate reasons. One, because she finally sees that he is wearing a towel. And two, she's noticing his body in general, specifically all the scars and old wounds.

His life's memories are now hers, but she hasn't sorted through all of them yet, and she certainly hasn't fished through to figure out when he had been wounded badly enough to produce such markings on his shoulder blades and around his waist. Frankly, she's a little scared to do so, not being one for violence. Still, seeing him without his clothes, noting how both his muscular physique and those scars reinforces the fact he was a warrior in his old life. ] ---Lu... Lu Meng, when you're in the bathroom, you leave the door closed!

Edited 2016-08-31 06:21 (UTC)

[Equally as startled as she is, he jumps and turns around. Unfortunately the floor's a little slippery from being splashed. He nearly loses his balance when he'd spun around, and just barely managed to grip the sink with both his hands.]

Do you just walk right into people's private quarters? Knock first! [If he wasn't so embarrassed he'd probably be more polite, but he'd just caught his god staring at his bottom half before her flustered eyes snap up, and oh look they're matching colours now, the both of them flushing like tomatoes.]

[ Still beet red-- and it's a miracle she's not actually steaming out of her ears-- she quickly covers her eyes with her hands. But it's too late, he caught her staring! Wait, no, checking, she was just checking that there was a towel where it should be that's all!!! ]

--The door was wide open! I didn't know where you were...! I'll leave right away---! [ She says, not daring to lower her hands. Only now she's trying to back away with her eyes covered. That's not a good idea, and she bumps into whatever other furnishing he has in the room. ] Ow. R....right away! [ And then the wall. ] Ouch.

Okay, now I'm leaving...! [ Nope nope that's her foot being snagged on a rug. Down she goes! ]

Lady Kochiya-- [Oops, there's the first bump. He speaks up louder.] Lady Kochiya, you can't-- [Ouch. That's the wall. And, and there's the rug!!!] My lady--

[And down she goes. Well, semi-nude or not he can't just leave her on the floor like that. And that was quite a fall too; worryingly enough, she'd nearly knocked her head against the dresser table, stumbling about like that.

So if she's still got her eyes closed, she'll hear him calling her name out, his hands helping to sit her up. When she opens her eyes she'll see concern in his eyes as he begins to scolds her lightly, looking over her to check for bruises. Especially her head; he's checking the back of it carefully for any damage.]

[ The fall isn't that bad, all things considering. Maybe it's because she's had worse falls in her life, being a veteran of many battles herself. But no fall before involved being later sat up by a grown man in nothing but a towel.

She's looking up at him, dazed through the light scolding, when this last thought finally snaps her back to reality. Her eyes widen, and her cheeks flush another shade of pink as he checks over her for any signs of damage. ] Th--that's not necessary, I'm fine!

[ Sanae squeaks, waving a hand. She breaks eye contact, flustered and suddenly shy as she's sitting right next to him. And being held sitting upright by him. ] Y...you're right, I'll knock next time!

Edited 2016-08-31 06:57 (UTC)

You could have injured yourself badly just now. You came close to knocking your head against the furniture.

[But he's satisfied that there's not even a bruise on her. He'll try to gently help her up and guide her to his bed to sit on.]

I apologise for...for all this. And for raising my voice; I thought keeping my bedroom door shut was sufficient.

It's fine-- really. [ She repeats, this time a little exasperated from all of this embarrassment. Sitting on bed rather than the floor does help, though. Even if it's a simpler design, it still is comfortable. ] I'm sorry.

[ She wonders if he's heard that "the gods can do no wrong" mantra Amaterasu's shinki had spoken about. Does that mean she was right to walk into his room? Does this mean she shouldn't apologize for her action? Of course she doesn't believe that! It's nonsense, and thus she believes her apology is justly offered. ] T...to be honest, I didn't think your room was as close as it was to mine. [ Is that normal? She doesn't know. It almost seems inefficient. They could have shared a room together!! ]

[As a note, his bed is unfortunately not as fluffy as hers. Still comfortable, but not bounce-on-the-bed-and-roll-all-over-it fluffy.

Now he had heard that, but he's not too sure he wants to buy that thought. Weren't there stories of the gods making mistakes, with quite dire consequences? That kind of arrogance, that a god can do no wrong...well, he thinks the stories have proven otherwise. A god could grow in wisdom and knowledge, but they could definitely err along the way.

So he gives an apology and accepts one from her this time.] That's alright. We just need to establish some house rules and sort out our living arrangements.

[Which reminds him!! Bathtime. He casts a look back at the bathroom, the tap still running water. In fact, there's water on the floor now as the water had overrun the sink, and he makes watery footsteps across the bathroom floor, fumbling a little while he tries to figure out how to switch off the tap. When that's done he glances down at the mess on the floor and lets out a sigh.]

More cleaning. It looks like I'll need to drain the water out. [He looks back up to her.] My lady, please head back to your room. I'm sorry to have disturbed you after you've had a long day of work.

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