thenearshore | 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

Kittie? Korn?

[Mention anything music or fashion-related, and Sheryl is instantly perked up, lifting herself up in a seated position with her eyebrows so raised, they're hiding behind her bangs. The names, however, bring upon confusion on her features.]

I didn't know bands can be named after cats and vegetables!

[What's this, a kiddy band??]

I wonder what the fashion trends were like back in the day.

Bands can be named just about anything if you try hard enough.

[Kurama comes over to sit next to Sheryl, magazine held open to a photo of smiling, fresh-faced white girls with English text detailing which companies produced which pieces of their outfits. With his free hand he's searching youtube on his phone, and hits play on the first result.

It's not like they have anything better to do, right?]

They're certainly aggressive, aren't they?

Band names are supposed to have pizzazz! If you call yourself, let's say... Mashed Potato, then you're begging to be laughed out of the stage.

[Then again she speaks with bias in mind; only Fire Bomber gets her attention! Sheryl glances at the photo of those fashionable girls, eyeing the outfits with interest. Hailing from the futuristic space fleets, some of the pieces seem "antique" to Sheryl, products from an old time before she was even born. They do look nice, she must admit.

Then she listens to the music video, perhaps a little too intently. She's mentally assessing the videos and making notes — the girls using real instruments like Fire Bomber (good), the middle part of the instrumentation where it changes keys (not bad), the vocalist's voice (potent enough), and the outfits (edgy). Just as there are good parts, Sheryl can't say she likes the screeching.

Still, her eyes remain open like saucers.]

... Very aggressive, yes. I'm not sure what to think!

If that's the sound they can manage with a cute name like Kittie, Mashed Potato may yet make a name for themselves.

[He lets Sheryl hold the magazine and, when the video ends, returns to the search results, his homesickness all the stronger for how little the song reminded him of where he wants to be. This isn't a much better time to mope than most of their other face-to-face encounters, however, so he musters up a smile.]

Shall we try another, or look for something else to keep us in the cleaning spirit?

[After Sheryl holds the magazine to flip over a few pages, she spares the search results an idle glance, the titles of their songs making her squint. "Into the Darkness", "Die My Darling", so much edge. But then again, looking through internet videos with Kurama is a better time spender than cleaning duties.]

Let's look for other artists. There may be other rock songs that we can listen to.

[Probably nothing like Fire Bomber, but a girl can hope.]

[Kurama isn't entirely sure who to search for next, having already discovered that Megallica doesn't exist in this world, so he just goes for "rock music" instead, skipping past a couple of playlists for a whole topic on the matter. Its first page of videos is largely populated with unfamiliar names and artists he's not in the mood for, and then--]

Why is Michael Jackson listed with the rock music?

Michael Jackson?

[Now that's a name she doesn't recognize, confusion apparent all over her face from the way she arches an eyebrow. Her knowledge in music history comes from knowing about certain legendary musicians who affected war outcomes like Lynn Minmay. Nothing about this fellow...]

You mean he's not normally associated with rock music? Perhaps whoever created this page made a mistake.

[A mistake is almost certainly the reason, but Kurama's not going to let that stop him, tapping through to play the video for Black or White as he clarifies this bit of Earth culture.]

He's been an influential pop star since he was a child, so I'm sure we'll find something of his that you'll like.

[Very rarely does Sheryl become easily impressed with musicians. One would have to be extremely talented to even garner her attention, or as she put it in her blog, be someone who "seem to have a breeze blowing from their bodies".]

This video... this man...

[Her eyes keep fixed onto the video, watching the scenes unfold before her. It's like she's watching a movie! And those vocals, that choreography, those special effects...

It's like a breeze just blew from his body every time he opens his mouth.]

[Sheryl remains silent as the video ends, stunned with disbelief but utterly mesmerized. This would normally be a troublesome notion; to have more singers like him means competition for her. She has to be better than go— no, better than her best.

But right now, she thinks she can find inspiration for her next set of lyrics.]

Now I see why he's influential! [And with knitted brows:] How come I've never seen him before until now?! He's from Earth, right?

[Up to this point, every time Kurama's seen her, Sheryl's had an air of composure about her, like even sadness has to get through a security check first. It's not unpleasant--he appreciates it, even, as someone from a similar school of behavior--but there's something to be said for the occasional bout of unrestrained wonder.]

That video is probably two and a half decades old by now. I think he had an album out before I was brought here, but that was still only a decade after this. If he hasn't worked since then... well, I'm sure you're familiar with the prioritization of new material. [Since she's a musician herself and all.]

Older than me, then.

[If the video is decades old, this musician must have been established long before she was born. She nods at Kurama's words, affirming them as she tones down her wonder. Being in the music industry long enough has helped her learn that every chart-topping act will go through a revolving door of popularity and relevancy.]

That's how it goes. You shine for one moment and then someone else will hold the public's attention. It's why certain musicians stress about leaving a legacy behind so they won't be forgotten.

[Like herself.]

007 | Clean Up Your Act

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