thenearshore | [closed]

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Who: Sheryl Nome

scrap_metal
What: Exercise classes resuming their activities... supposedly
When: April 22th
Where: Menrva's temple
Warnings: a lot of wtf, most likely

From what Genos remembers Friday's classes focus mostly on yoga, so there is less direct work with participants for him than on other days. Which is probably good, because his appearance might earn him few stares; he's wearing blue yukata, the same that he got on Amaterasu party.

He doesn't question if the fitness classes resume activity today. There was no word from Sheryl that they won't, so as a dutiful assistant, Genos isn't going to be late either. He's always twenty minutes before classes at Menrva's temple.

Only today, there is no temple where it should be.

It catches him completely, off-guard and he gets his phone to try and reach Sheryl. Temples do not disappear over night, and he's pretty certain he didn't get lost either.

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It's been three days since the attack on the Heavens, images of destruction, blood, fire, and smoke still lingering at the back of Sheryl's mind. She remembers vividly how she fought, how she gained blights and aches in certain places of her body, how she covered herself in bandages to keep moving. Her body ached back then, and it still does now. Pop singers weren't supposed to be on the frontlines.

But as a woman with a certain amount of influence, it'd be foolish of her if she neglected her responsibilities.

Immediately after receiving Genos' phone call, Sheryl makes a quick jog towards the direction of Menrva's temple. Dressed in a simple T-shirt and shorts, the bandages are visible from her arms and thighs, and she still has that patch taped to her cheek. Her steps slow to a halt once she approaches Genos, then stay in place as she gasps at the obvious lack of building, mouth agape with shock.

"Hey... just what is going on here?!" The words are shrill, filled to the brim with confusion.

"I have no idea" And that's not something easy to admit. He tried his scanners and scouted the area, in vain hope that maybe, just maybe, he got lost. But all he did was to confirm the location. Sheryl arriving in the same place was last bit of ultimate confirmation of that.

"I have never heard of it happening and-" he pauses, never finishing his thought. Inexperience and lack of knowledge weighing down on him. He changes subject instead, going for more pragmatic direction.

"I assume you have way of contacting Menrva?" An experiment, but if Sheryl knows that goddess - and Genos assumes she does, she's doing classes in her school - she probably has a way to contact her. Phone number, e-mail, raven mailbox, whatever.

Aside from talking to her shinki, Sheryl was avoiding contact these past few days to recuperate in between her usual work hours, which means foregoing the usual trawling around the BBS. So if Elsa made a post, she missed it...

"I hope something bad didn't happen to her," She said, her voice laced with concern. Her eyes dart to the purse that she usually carries around, and with no time to spare, she shoves her hand inside to pull out her smartphone. Her fingers brush upon the buttons, dialing Elsa's number.

She knits her brows, tapping her foot impatiently as she waits. One minute, then another... before her expression drops into something grim, lips tightly pursed.

"Her phone number is unavailable. That's what I just heard."

"That's inconvenient. We will need to find another place to hold classes in." That's harsh... but Genos never met Elsa, so he's not bothered personally by her disappearance. But he is intrigued. From his short experience here, temples do not disappear overnight.

His standard frown deepens as he takes closer look at Sheryl and notices how literally wrapped up she is. "I assume these bandages are not a fashion choice?"

"Inconvenient?"

Just that one word sounds hollow coming from Sheryl. Unfortunately as Elsa is one of her favorite people, it doesn't take long for her to look and feel upset. Her facial expression contorts as she bristles, like she'd just been stabbed in the chest. It hurts.

"This is way more than inconvenient! Miss Elsa is gone, Genos! That's totally unacceptable!"

Sheryl clutches the phone tightly, pressing it against her chest with tightly-knitted brows. Not having classes is something that can be easily fixed, but losing someone she considers a friend, well... that's different. Eventually she spares the bandages around different parts of her body a glance before sighing.

"A fight with the ayakashi happened. That's all you needed to know," she explains, keeping her words brief.

There was an ayakashi fight, and I got hurt, that's what Genos gets from that explanation.

"And you wanted to exert yourself by leading the exercises--?" Genos turns to her, and notices his earlier mistake too late. Well, shit.

"...I apologize, I wasn't aware you were this close." his remorse is honest, even if he doesn't know how to express it properly. Dealing with feelings, either someone elses or his own, isn't his forte.

"Could the temple be relocated somewhere?"

"You're talking to a professional here, Genos," Her response is swift, keeping her lips pursed and arms folded across her bust with her eyes on her assistant. Then she adds, quietly, "as if ugly monsters can stop Sheryl Nome."

Ayakashi may not, but the lack of Elsa might. The rest of her words could have held the usual weighty arrogance, but her tone is otherwise just flat, lacking flair and energy. Sheryl takes a moment to stare at Genos, noting the remorse in his voice, then she sighs with a shake of her head. Now she looks despondent.

"I don't know." A reluctant admittance. If Elsa's phone was disconnected and couldn't be contacted, then... "This is weird. All of this, as though that building never existed."

Her hand gestures at the empty plot of land in front of them.

There goes being hopeful of weird Far Shore glitch. The most probable answer is that Menrva, or Elsa as Sheryl called her, was simply gone. And her temple followed. Though temple of his god didn't follow his disappearance.Not that trying to understand weird Far Shore occurring was going to fruitful.

"If you intend to confront the higher-ups for more information what might have happened, I'll have your back" Though they might not let him in... The first time he talked with Sheryl over internet included mention of complaining to the bureaucratic body of Far Shore.She was let in and listened to, he was not.

Because shinki.

A thought occurs to Sheryl as instantly as it appears: what if Elsa found a way out of Takamagahara, somehow? What if? Her disappearance brings a lot more questions than answers aside from "why did this happen?" It's selfish of her to think this, she knows, but she'd rather Elsa be here right now. She was one of several people who earnestly believed in Sheryl the most.

"I don't expect any good answers out of Miss Amaterasu, but..." She trails off, thinking about the advice thoroughly. Emotions can be a fickle thing, really, especially when a pop idol is very upset. But if Genos has her back, then surely this will work. A deep scowl sets forth on her lips. "This must be done!"

"Let's go then"

Taking action no matter what is Sheryl's one most admirable trait, at least in Genos eyes. It's one of those ways of dealing with sadness he can understand. Even if stupid decisions comes from it.

"I have a small request." he finds it hard to ask for this, because of how selfish it is, but he also knows he needs to try. "If we are granted a hearing and there is time left, could you please ask what happened with Radegast?" Again, he suspects that even if by some chance they let him in, they probably won't listen to anything he says.

Even getting yelled at by a random god from the Heavens is preferable than simply dwelling on the sadness that's tugging her chest so insistently. If she has to complain again, then so be it.

"Your god is missing, isn't he?" Sheryl replies, the slightest of furrowing on her brows that's partly visible behind her bangs. As much as she hates to observe it, she's starting to notice a trend of multiple people being missing for one whole day. She doesn't do favors for people unless it's for friends... and well, Genos is someone she considers a friend.

And so, she nods firmly. "All right. I'll make sure to mention him, too. If I don't find Miss Amaterasu, then I'll have to see that Kagatsuchi fellow again just in case."

"Thank you." Genos answers rather matter-of-factly. "It's been a week now and I got re-assigned so I don't expect to see him back, but I'd like to know if he succeeded and found his way back home."

He's not happy about the change. His new god...well, like many of the new gods, confused about the new position. He can't say he have a solid opinion on him, aside from "seems like a good man". But that's something he has to deal with himself. It's Sheryl who is just going through similar situation right now, and while he doesn't know much about giving emotional support, he at least can offer support on action side of things.

"It's middle of the day, the main office should be still open." he starts walking in the general direction of that location, but then he turns around remembering the "Amaterasu" part. "Or are we going for the Meeting Hall?"

"Ah, did you now? Who's your new god?" Sheryl asks, her eyebrows perking up in curiosity before her lips purse together. It would be nice if a way to return home had been found, she hopes, but wouldn't there be a space shuttle? Or a plane? Or some kind of transportation?

She follows Genos from behind, folding her arms across her chest with a displeased sigh and a scowl. "They had better be open, or they will hear from me! We might as well head for the office first."

Demanding words slip out as easily as breathing air, right before she halts her steps in realization. She's been busy worrying about the lack of Elsa in her life that she gives Genos a quick glance at his attire. Of course, she just had to ask one question about it.

"You look like you're going to a festival," she observes with an eyebrow raise. "What happened?"

Genos stops too and looks back at Sheryl.

"I've lost most of access to my wardrobe. and what was left got damaged in accidents.. Cuts, burns, acid." It's not as serious as it sounds, really. Genos extends his arm to flop the sleeve of the yukata around. The only clothing that he can wear with sleeves, kind of amazing. "This is the only thing without holes I have left."

After that he picks the earlier question to answer, and starts walking the road ahead again. The distances in Far Shore are weird. Sometimes everything is right next to each other, other time it takes many steps to reach the destinations. Or maybe the bureau just wants to elude them.

"And my new god is Averruncus, god of averting harm. He's part of the roman pantheon and arrived just recently"

Sheryl hears lost access to wardrobe, and it instantly becomes a trigger, her eyes narrowing so hard that they become slits. She breezes ahead of Genos, stopping just a few feet so she can turn around to face him, pointing at him. The lack of proper clothes alone pings a part of herself, a sense of belief that one must be fashionable.

"As if I'd let you walk around with just a yukata!" She declares, giving his current attire a quick glance before she huffs, dropping her arm to her side. "Once this is over, I'm definitely taking you shopping. New clothes for you!"

If she's made enough money in two jobs as a lounge singer to make ends meet, surely she can splurge a little.

"I- I planned to get some new ones." Genos takes a step back, like if avoiding that accusatory finger.Now he's on the defensive and excusing himself. "Eventually."

The main excuse would be that he was busy with something else. But really, any excuse could be good in this situation. He was just moping around, getting busy with all kinds of basic things, so he wouldn't have to examine how he feels, and what can he do about it.

"But I'm sure with your direct guidance, I'll be able to find much better wardrobe than I used to have." he adds quickly, straightening his back. He almost would "yessir" or rather "yesma'am" by the looks of his.

"Eventually, hmm?"

The way Sheryl says those words with casual disbelief is rather obvious even with the chipper tone she attaches to them. Genos' answer, however, placates her just as quick as she approaches him, a tiniest bounce to her step. Her moves may not be jovial — why would they if she's still worried about Elsa's disappearance? — but the prospect of taking Genos out shopping is enough to keep her happy.

"Well, you are talking to a fashionable goddess, after all," she proclaims, the slightest emphasis in one word with a proud expression, more subdued than usual. "I'll make sure you come out of the mall as the envy of all the Far Shore men."

As in, Genos will outpretty (outhandsome?) all the men.

Genos crosses arms on his chest and gives her a challenging stare. "I want to see you try."

If that's going to lift her spirits a bit, then why not? He got some money saved, and eventually he will need the update in the wardrobe.

"Not that I doubt your abilities, in fact I'm genuinely curious." He adds, so it doesn't sound like he's doubting Sheryl's abilities. But given the fact that he can't wear most of the sleeves-featuring items of clothing it leaves him with quite a limited choice.

It's always the thought that counts, regardless of how it's worded. Sheryl straightens up, resting both hands on her hips with her own gaze right back at Genos.

"Just who do you think I am?" Her confidence hitches right back up with one simple question. "I'm Sheryl. Sheryl Nome!"

Genos turns out to the catalyst for a well-needed distraction, a notion that puts a smile right on her lips. This might be a challenge with his arms looking what they are, but let it be said that she's willing to try. If she puts her mind to something, she'll make it come true... even if she has to cut the sleeves off.

There's a grin on her face. "I'll just have to prove it to you myself."

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