007 | Clean Up Your Act

[godsoffortune]

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~

Comments

[lecturehall]

["Hasumi"? He chokes on something that's either a laugh or a sob. He's not sure. Doesn't care much either. Just wants to know if it'd really be so wrong to ask for a "boss" in front of that "Hasumi".]

I know. I know. I don't—This doesn't happen often, I'm sorry. I just—[It's just hard to speak. Hard to forget. Hard to look at him and try not to think of everything they had just been through. Everything they had been through since Akatsuki was started. And—God. Everything before that too?]—I think I lost a friend. When they—when I came here.

[softpunk]

[Kuro pauses at that, brow furrowed.]

...guess we're not the only ones who lost things, huh.

[And it's not like he can really miss anything he doesn't know he had, can he? He doesn't even know how he died, just that he did; all he has is that, his name, and this tie to Keito. He's unaware of anything specific being gone now that he's here.

Having memories to miss-- people to miss-- plus the responsibility of being a god... he doesn't envy it.]

I can't say I get it, not the same way, but- if you're my god, then I'm here to support you, y'know. [The hand at Keito's sleeve shifts to rest on his arm instead, the other occupied drying his face for him. It's a bit of a mess.] You just tell me how.

[lecturehall]

[He knows the answer to that. It's simple and selfish and stupid. He wants Kuro to stay. Not just as a remnant of home but as something more. Akatsuki had evolved since he had started it. Once a wall, it had been hollowed out into a sanctuary. It felt too cliche to call Kanzaki and Kiryu the light of those cold days he spent running the Student Council alone. They were more consistent than sunshine ever could be. They were more persistent than even his own lectures. Even with all the honorifics, he had managed to escape back into youth with them.

He could easily try to fool himself and say things were the same here. That, even without memories, Kiryu at least was still the same. It would be so easy to accept, so easy to answer. Just tell him how.

"Stay."]

... No. [He has to drag the letters out through teeth. It's hard and Kuro holding him just makes it harder. He slaps at his chest in weak attempts to push him away.] No. I don't want that. Just who—[More sniffles get wiped on his sleeve and he forces what little steel he can behind his voice.]—Just who would trust the support of someone obligated to give it? I don't want some... some fake sympathy. I don't want a servant or a weapon or a shinki or whatever you are either!

[He's gained some power now. Enough for the sniffles and tears to have momentarily subsided. His cheeks are still stiffened from the moisture, his cheeks still burning from the shame, but at least the small burst of anger boils up enough petulance that he can look Kuro in the eye.] Be my friend if you want to support me. Otherwise I'll shred your sympathy back into the paper thin pieces it was made from!

[softpunk]

[He doesn't fight being pushed away physically, doesn't necessarily mind it-- if Keito wants more space between the two of them, that's up to him-- but he can't help the slightly hurt look that settles into place as Keito continues with that rejection. Of the few things he knows, one is that none of those feelings and nothing he's offered is fake, and while he's sure it shouldn't bother him that a near-stranger doesn't want him to be what he is... well, maybe it's just the god thing again, but it does.

It's still there when Keito finally manages to look at him properly, but something about that last bit of his outburst chases it away, leaves Kuro blinking at him for a moment before a small smile replaces it, one that likely only someone like Keito would really notice. There's something about the spark there that's almost reassuring, in a strange way.]

I'll keep it in mind-- but I'm not gonna just follow you blindly, Hasumi. I'm not sayin' any of that because I have to.

[Kuro folds his arms there, quiet for just a moment while he considers his words.]

...I do want to be here. Couldn't tell you exactly why, but I do. If I decide I don't like it, I'll tell you so, alright?

[lecturehall]

[No matter how hard he tries to fight it, that smile crushes all of his resolve. He crumbles beneath it, fists clenching as he looks away, voice small.]

Idiot. What an overly simple reason. At least... at least show some resistance. [Make him work for it. How much time had it taken to pester Kuro into Akatsuki? And yet he'd accept swearing his life away to someone else so quickly?] Don't you know what you're saying? It's worrisome. Being so accepting will only cause trouble. Really... You really... [Haven't changed at all. He's not sure if it's worse, knowing each other so well without knowing each other at all. He thinks he'd prefer it if they had to start all over again. At least then he wouldn't be so tempted to believe nothing had changed.

His eyes sting again. He closes his eyes in a vain attempt to stop the tears from coming back. Still, no matter how hard he fights them the sobs still bubble back up. In the end, he has no choice but to talk through them.] If you don't tell me I'll never forgive you. Do you understand that? I'll keep reminding you so you never forget. Take that as a threat. I'm relentless. Even if you—even if you beg me to stop I won't. I'll... I'll... [No, he can't hold them back any longer. The tears break through and he collapses back into the crying mess he was before, weakly banging his fists on Kuro's chest.]

... Just. Just help me get out of this already.

[softpunk]

Hey, hey-- I understand, Hasumi. None of that, now.

[He sets a hand on Keito's shoulder and ruffles his hair a little before he gets to work, peering at the outfit he's wearing again and then deftly undoing ties and fastenings. He's in no rush, though, as careful as he is sure.]

It's nothin' for you to worry about, alright? Like I told you, I'm not just sayin' things here. [Kuro hums under his breath, there, pausing to undo one more thing.] Maybe it's just that you're my god, but it feels like I can trust you more than just anyone, you know?

[He tugs lightly at the fabric in a couple spots, making sure it's all loosened up and he hasn't missed anything, before he steps back.]

There you go. Should be able to get it all off yourself, from here.

[lecturehall]

[Nothing for him to worry about? As if. He can feel the anxiety building up in his chest and stymies it with slow breaths. It's all he can do; none of his other methods are calming him down. There's no way to rationalize visions of death. There's no schedule he can tailor to correct the course to where it should be. All he can do is breathe deep and be thankful when Kiryu moves behind him.

He hates how it's easier when he doesn't have to see him.

The tears stop eventually. He rubs the traces away with his sleeves. The sniffles are still there, interrupting Kuro's words and breaking down silences he'd rather have remained intact. It's embarrassing, hearing himself like this. It's humiliating to be so out of sorts.]

... Thank you. [His voice is weak and his shoulders sag as if his joints were broken. It's hard to tell what he's thanking Kuro for but he doesn't think it's for the clothes. As much as it pains him to know Kuro's personality remains eternal, it's greater comfort to know he'd still remain with him. That he'd still be trusted.

He sniffs again, reaching for the fresh t-shirt.]

You don't mind if I change here, do you? [It's more of a courtesy, considering Keito's already shrugging off his costume mid-sentence.]

[softpunk]

Doesn't bother me any. You go right ahead.

[...he says, as if he's not going to help now that this is what Keito's decided on.

Which he is.

Kuro takes hold of the costume as Keito shrugs it off, keeping it from falling to the floor and letting him step out of it; there's an odd sort of ease to all of it, the motions somehow familiar, and none of it is as uncomfortable as it might be with anyone else. He'll even hold Keito's glasses for him or help him change too if he needs to, casually smoothing his hair back into place afterward.]

That oughta be more comfortable. You need anything else, or are we all set?

[We, because there's no question in Kuro's mind that whatever's next, they're not parting ways for it. He's not going to leave Keito by himself, not after all of this.]

[lecturehall]

[Keito doesn't speak. He barely looks at Kuro. The costume eases off of him but the weight of it stays. It's not like this was abnormal for them. Kiryu always fit their unit just as he always helped them get out of it. Keito would use the time to go over their routine or give orders to a techie, never thinking about anything but the performance. Souma would listen, sometimes practice certain moves he was uncertain about, sometimes just swing his sword about. Everything had felt normal. Keito wished it felt that way now.

He's both relieved and regretful that it ends.

Shrugging on the sweatshirt, he tries to take at least one article of clothing back from Kuro, sure to keep his gaze lowered. Despite the pang of guilt it brings, the "we" is at least nice to hear.]

I don't need anything else. Thank you. [He looks back at the rest of the main hall or whatever, mulling over the piles of cleaning supplies waiting to be taken.] According to their orders we should be helping out but truth be told, it's insulting for them to inconvenience us solely for cleaning up their own mess.

[He still had to find Kanzaki not to mention where exactly this new home of his–of theirs–was. There was a gut feeling of it's direction and how to get there. All that was blocking him from doing so was the threat of disobeying a set task.

Then again, there was nothing wrong with exploiting a loophole.] ... Which is why we won't be. After a certain age, when a child causes destruction the parents merely hand them the means to clean it up. They've got enough means to do it here, and we do have orders to make sure everything gets thoroughly picked clean.

[So... fuck it. Keito starts marching off in the opposite direction.] Come on. We need to go find a shrine for this outdated goddess of mine.