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

[ What? ] Oi, that's not what I...!

[ He kicks the rope out of the way and storms off back toward Yuri -- and he willget there first. ] Asshole. [ Besides, it's probably time to get her out of that tree, huh? ]

[It's a good thing Yuri's been busy with other things or she might've wondered if she has to call for help. The Heaven's version of firefighters getting a cat out of a tree.

There isn't a whole lot of rope on the ground by the tree, though Yuri's moved branches since they left her. But she's sitting there with a definite air of concern, rubbing the back of her neck.]

Oh. [She glances over, but the worried expression doesn't leave her face.] Gojyo, do you know what it's like to be stung? [He's been here longer, after all, and she suspects he'd know more than she does.

Also what a greeting hey guys welcome back]

[ They weren't gone that long, were they? ...Whoops. Sorry about that. Gojyo heads right over to give her a hand (or a shoulder to step on, as the case may be) in getting off that branch.

Also thanks for totally sharing his name with the creeper, Yuri. ]

Stung? [ Crap, she's rubbin her neck, isn't she? He still holds out his hand to give her an assist down, but there's a moment of hesitation there. ] Yeah, it, uh. It happens. [ But it's not a big thing, really! ] Anything that stresses your shinki out is gonna do it. Are they new?

[ Yes, thanks for sharing his name with the creeper, Yuri! Ukoku says nothing, but he hops nimbly up into the tree behind her—both to see what she'll do and to subtly remind her that she doesn't really need help getting down. She didn't need him to catch her, either, but what's done is done! ]

[She wasn't aware it was a secret!! Communication, guys! It's key!!!!

She chews on her bottom lip a moment, uncomfortable.] Ah... Mm-hm. I got a second one this morning. I don't think he likes me much, honestly, but for it to go this far... [She trails off and pulls her hand from her neck, frowning as it marks up her hand as well. Why this.

She leans over takes Gojyo's hand with her clean one, then freezes as Ukoku jumps into the tree. For a moment Yuri just looks mildly bewildered, if unimpressed--what a show-off-- before it clicks.

Oh.

Face going carefully blank in an effort to save herself further embarrassment, her hand tightens on Gojyo's in annoyance before she goes ahead and hops down, totally fine. Thanks god abilities boosting all that shit. She'd even been experimenting with it hopping around buildings and such the day she arrived, and she'd forgotten that quickly??

Look, it wasn't easy to remember she wasn't a totally normal (for a given value of normal) human anymore. She shoots Ukoku a mildly irritated look before focusing on Gojyo again.]

What do I do about it? My house--temple-- [Thing] has a pool in the middle of it of holy water. Would that help?

Edited 2016-08-21 02:29 (UTC)

[ Gojyo frowns at the blight, but if it's not creeping out over her face (or growing those fucked up eyeballs) then it's not bad yet. He keeps forgetting they have magic jumping powers too, okay, it's not just her. Super-strength and summon magic, sure, that's easy enough to remember, but being able to bounce like a flea? That's just weird. ]

Yeah, you want to wash it off right away. [ He pointedly doesn't glance at Ukoku here. The creep's still listening, he's sure of that, and Gojyo's not super excited at the prospect of Texas being involved in any conversation about anyone's weaknesses. Call it a gut feeling. ] It can get bad if you let it go too long.

[ Ukoku jumps back down and follows on Yuri's other side, just listening until Gojyo's finished—and then he holds out his hand, palm up, in a request for her blighted one. ]

May I?

Great. [She has a feeling she's going to have to make several trips to that pool soon until Neji gets his shit together.]

Sorry for the detour... [Probably she should get that done now, noose forest be damned, but she pauses at Ukoku's arrival at her side. She tilts her head curiously, figuring he just wants to examine it, and gives him her tainted hand without a second thought.

HAVE FUN]

[ If it were anybody else, he'd point out that the blight could spread from person to person (at least, that's what he'd been told). But it's Texas, and he doesn't give a shit, so he just sucks on his cigarette and watches curiously. ]

[ For a second examine it is all he does, walking slowly. ]

Well, this is more important. You said they'll probably be back tomorrow anyway, didn't you?

[ In the process of turning her hand to catch the light better he touches the blighted skin with his thumb, and lets go of her with a little whoops noise. Now he needs the pool. Pool party!! ]

Mm... [She frowns at Ukoku as the blight takes hold on his skin, and then quickly looks to Gojyo.]

It's infectious? [Her tone is--slightly accusing, because did he know and let Ukoku do this on purpose?? Is whatever problem they have between them really worth this?

Men.]

...Come on, my temple isn't too far. [And is, thankfully, much nicer than it looks on the outside and its surrounding woods.]

[ It's apparently infectious! Who knew?

Hands in his pockets, he strolls after her. ]

If he's gonna keep doing this, you might want to start carrying around a bottle of water from your shrine to wash with. [ He's not carrying one himself (he only takes one with him when he's going to the Near Shore in case of ayakashi attack), but it's still a good idea! ]

[ Ukoku cuts in with a mild hmm of disagreement. He's checking out his own hand, now, where blight has discolored it. ]

If he does it all the time that's not fair to you, is it? If he really doesn't like you, you might be better off releasing him.

[Yuri chews on her bottom lip; Gojyo's idea is sound, and she doesn't particularly want to think about Ukoku's suggestion.]

It's only his first day, I'm sure it's stressful. I'll have to figure something out if it keeps going on, though...

[The front of her temple looks as foreboding and creepy as the rest of the forest surrounding it, but she moves ahead to open the door and gesture for them to go ahead in. Unlike the outside, the inside is like an entirely different world. It's warmer and inviting, and there's a smell like freshly brewing coffee that seems to permeate the air.]

There's a pool back here. [The rest of the home surrounds the deep pool. At Ukoku just has to wash his hand; she's going to have to dump a bucket over her head or something. And considering water enhanced her abilities... She's not really looking forward to this.]

Gojyo, it didn't spread to you, right?

[ He holds up his hands -- both clean of blight. ]

If he's still stressing out after a few days, then maybe there's someone else here he'd rather be living with? [ He realizes as soon as he says it that that sounds like there's something wrong with Yuri, and he promptly backpedals. ] I mean, because so many of us seem to be comin' from the same worlds! Maybe there's other folks here who know him.

[ Having blight appear on the back of the neck first is such a pain in the ass, isn't it? Why couldn't it show up on the back of the hand or something? ]

You want a hand washin' that off?

[ Ukoku's been silent since the suggestion, good hand in his pocket and the blighted one held at his side, just looking around—but at that he shoots Gojyo a look over Yuri's head; cheeky grin, eyebrows raised: who's the creeper now? ]

[She kicks her shoes off and walks to the pool's edge, not wanting to let the blight hang around for longer than she needs it to.

Gojyo's words make her pause--mostly because the implication that Neji might not be happy with her] Well... That wouldn't be very surprising, I guess... [She's not exactly the exemplar goddess or anything, and who'd be happy knowing they have to serve a goddess who specialized in suicides?

Still, it's a little depressing, but she faces it stoically, shrugging as if to say 'you're not wrong' at his attempts to clarify.

The offer makes her look back at him and she hesitates. She knows she hasn't warned Gojyo about her powers, but... It should be alright. Right?]

Ah... I don't mind. Thank you. [It does feel a little strangely intimate, but she ignores it. It's just Gojyo, after all.

(Does she really know him well enough to say something like that though? Whatever.) She reaches up and gathers her hair over one shoulder, standing on the first step into the pool so it's around her ankles.] There are cloths and bowls over there. [She points to a chest next to the pool.]

[ Jesus... both of you, he's just gonna make sure she gets it all, okay? Fuck, he's not... he's just not.

With a glare at Ukoku (say something, asshole, say one fucking word), Gojyo fetches a bowl and a cloth to use as a towel, the latter of which he hands to Yuri. ]

Here. You might wanna... [ Slightly red-faced, he taps his own chest. There's gonna be trickles from this. ] The least they could have done was make all the shrine pools heated, you know?

[ This isn't serious, c'mon, laugh. Please? ]

[Sorry Gojyo, Yuri doesn't really do 'happy,' but there's a hint of a smile for his efforts which is about all one can hope for from her.]

I'll put a work order in. [Look she even made a joke back!! She presses the cloth to her chest to try and minimize the water that'll go dripping down her shirt and waits expectantly. Her nerves feel like they're running high and she holds herself a little tensely, as if somehow that'll keep her abilities down more.]

[ Hint of a smile? He'll take it! ]

I'm betting heavenly repairs work on heaven time, so you'll hear back in, oh... [ He leans over and scoops up a half-bowlful of water. ] ...fifty, sixty years?

[ Sorry, this is gonna be cold. He sets one big broad hand on her shoulder to keep everybody steady as he carefully pours the water right over that patch of blight on the back of her neck. ]

[She huffs a laugh, just a soft 'hah,' and shakes her head a little.

The hand on her shoulder makes her go still again, carefully trying to shield herself against accidentally seeing anything. The application of water is a shock though--it really is freezing--and it makes her jump, but the break in concentration is enough.

It's not an obvious invasion-- Gojyo probably wouldn't even know she was doing it if it wasn't for the fact that he'll be aware of whatever memory she's inadvertently pulling from him.]

[ It hits him like a slap in the face. One moment he's concnetrating on getting the last traces of the blight on the back of Yuri's neck and the next, he's twelve years old, his back pressed to the grimy paint of the kitchen wall as his mother (crying, snarling, eyes wild) brings the firewood ax up for a second swing.

It almost misses, just like the first one almost missed. But the sharp blade whistles through the air, slicing a second line through his cheek from nose to ear, gouging the bone beneath. He's frozen, unable to move, unable to think, and as she raises the ax a third time he closes his eyes.

The memory breaks off as abruptly as it emerged. The bowl splashes into the water at Yuri's feet as Gojyo stumbles backwards, hand flying to his face to check what he's sure are two fresh cuts. But the scars there are hard, slightly cool, many years old. ]

What th'fuck was that?! [ --he gasps, heart still rabbiting. ]

[She takes a few stumbling steps forward, falling to her knees in the pool. She lands on the steps, knees scraping harshly against the stones, and braces herself for a few moments.

Her face is killing her and she reaches up in a mirror of him, touching her face where the scars are on his own. She half-expects to find blood, but there's none, of course. Just the phantom pain echoing from his memories, sticking to her.]

I... I'm sorry. [She doesn't even know what else to say here, and 'sorry' doesn't feel like it's nearly enough. Yuri turns, still pressing a hand to her face; her eyes zero in his scars a moment, and then on the rest of his face. She looks-- expectant. Not so much like she expects him to hit or something, but clearly expecting some sort of lashing out.]

I didn't think to warn you, I thought... I could control it.

[ Ukoku comes up behind Gojyo, heading for the pool, and lays an innocuous hand on his back—the sort of silent reassuring gesture that none of their interaction has warranted at all.

It's his blighted hand, of course.

He kneels down at the edge of the pool, glancing at Yuri. ]

Are you all right?

[ Gojyo doesn't even notice the pat on the back, still staring in a sort of wounded horror at Yuri. It's not even that she's got the power to make him remember one of the worst days of his life... it's that, given the way she touched her own cheek after, she saw it too.

He's only ever told that story to two other people (and only one of those in any detail). For somebody to be able to just reach into his mind and pull those thoughts out? It's... intrusive. Violating in a way that he's not really able to process. ]

It's okay. [ The words come out on automatic -- it's clearly not her fault, he can see that, but... he can't be here right now. Without another word he heads for the door. He'll find himself a spot just outside and smoke through most of his pack, and then... then he'll be able to look her in the eye again.

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