thenearshore | 003 | Save The Boats

003 | Save The Boats

Who: Everyone!
What: It's a few days after Hinamatsuri - time for a party!
When: Late evening (March 5, 2016) into early morning (March 6, 2016)
Where: The banks of the Kamo River
Summary: The Heavens have thrown together an outdoor party to celebrate Spring and ALSO to ask the Far Shore residents to keep the boats from Hinamatsuri from coming to shore.

Hinamatsuri is celebrated in Japan on March 3 every year. It is a festival to celebrate all of the young girls of Japan, not as important as their own birthdays, but certainly a big day for all families with a little girl among their household. It's perfectly normal for all of the cuties to dress up and get all sorts of delightful treats out of the day.

One of the normal festivities is a ceremony during which ornamental dolls are placed on tiers on boats and floated down the river. It is thought that all of the bad luck for the coming year floats down the river with the dolls, taking that bad luck away from their young girls to keep them safe for another year.

But the boats don't always make it all the way down the river like they're supposed to, and the Heavens sometimes like to make sure that the year will be full of less bad luck for the people of Japan. So they have decided to have the almighty gods do some legwork and disguised it as a fun Springtime party! They expect gods and shinki alike to push the boats away from the shoreline wherever they see them venturing near.

New gods and shinki will have been ushered immediately to the party as well, given all of the normal information, and then left to mingle among their new cohorts. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce the newbies to both their co-workers and the kinds of jobs they'll be expected to perform.

Buffet

A luxurious buffet is set up for everyone to enjoy. There are all kinds of foods to enjoy, though they all seem to be of a local variety. The Heavens have apparently used the funding from their own temples to purchase local food and support local businesses at the same time. In particular among the food and copious amounts of booze, you will find some Hinamatsuri staples - hina-arare, hishi mochi, chirashizushi, and a salt-based clam soup called ushijiru. Among the booze you'll find shirozake, a sake made from fermented rice, also a regular fare of Hinamatsuri.

The Boats

As if they are literally overflowing with bad luck, the boats seem to be making a desperate attempt to land themselves upon the shoreline. They are reluctant to make their way back into the water and will gladly run people down if they're allowed to and are happy to ram into someone over and over again to try and get their way. When they are finally pushed back to the center of the river, they will begrudgingly continue on their way. Of course, some of them will simply sink because of the weight of all that bad luck, but who can really blame them.

Children

As expected of a day dedicated to celebrating children, there are dozens of children running around and playing games during the festivities. It's hard to distinguish, but some of them appear to be human children while others are shinki. They are happy to let anyone in on their games and will gladly bother adults to come play with them or to let them try some of the liquor. (Mods will be available to play out any child interactions you may want, just flag us down.)

Counselling

Off to the side, there is a tiny table set up with a small, nicely written sign that reads "Gentle Counselling". On the other side of the table is a sweetly smiling shinki who is willing to listen to your problems and answer any questions you might have. She is also here to help out any gods that are having a hard time dealing with knowing about how their shinki died and any shinki that is having trouble coming to terms with the fact that they are dead.

In Summary:

Keep the boats off the shore
Enjoy the food and booze and spring atmosphere
Have some fun with cute little kids
Seek counselling if you need it!
Flag the mods in the top thread if you'd like an NPC
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Me?

[ He glances around slightly, somewhat confused at the fact that this cute girl is talking to him. Maybe it's the hair or the way she seems naturally charismatic but she kind of reminds him of one of those popular cosplayers... or an Idol.

But ah man, first impressions are terrible things and this cute girl caught him just when he had a piece of mochi in his mouth so give him a second to swallow it down. He's got more manners than to talk to someone with his mouth full. ]

No. I just got here, too. But I kind of don't remember how I wound up here. Weird, huh?

[ Awkward laugh. Oh no, she probably thinks he's a weirdo. ]

(OOC: I had to deal with an earthquake in my country, so sorry for this belated response.)

[Judging from Sheryl's posture, the thick air of confident bravado surrounding her from the way she sits, and her rather flashy concert outfit, Eno would certainly be right in his assumptions.

Upon seeing this man cross her line of vision, Sheryl's hands droop past her chin and fall slack to the table, right around the same time she widens her eyes, slack-jawed. Not from the way he looks after munching on his mochi, though she'd find it to be an amusing sight nonetheless.

No... earlier, she had a vision of a tall man with long, dark hair in a ponytail. This person, he looked exactly like him.]

['Is this what these so-called gods warned me about?! What the hell?!'

Oh, but now she's the one who probably looks all awkward, gaping at this handsome man like a fish. Quickly, she pats her cheeks like she's dusting away the surprise from her features.]

Yeah... totally weird! [...] This is not how you send someone to new places! 100% unnatural.

[ There's something about this woman that draws his attention. It's a little weird but it feels... magnetic. He's felt this sensation before toward someone but that feels like an all-too-distant memory. No faces, no names come to mind but he knows this feeling is familiar.

So what does he do?

Step forward and introduce himself. ]

Yeah... really weird.

[ There's one awkward smile as he steps closer, extending his hand out for a handshake. This is how you introduce yourself to a girl, right? ]

Um... I'm.. Tatsuya Enomoto though... Eno's fine. You can call me Eno.

Right? I mean, come on... there's a time and place for that sort of thing.

[Having people flock to her side like she's her own gravitational pull is nothing new to her, but seeing this man is giving her the warm shivers. A strange sensation, but a calm one...

Oh right, she has to introduce herself. She's his goddess!

Her eyes perk up at the name, and she gathers his hand with both of hers, giving him an enthusiastic handshake. That grip of hers is extra firm.]

Sheryl! It's Sheryl Nome, don't you forget it! [Some soft chortling ensues before she releases his hand.] Nice to meet you, Eno.

You'd think they'd be less rude, huh?

[ Wow, that's a tight grip. But he can't help but smile back at her enthusiasm. ]

It'll be a hard name to forget, Nome-san. For some reason, I kind of felt like I knew you before I met y--

[ But there's a moment of panic where he catches himself. Gosh Eno, pick better words when talking to girls. ]

S... sorry. That came out kind of creepy, didn't it?

Try "not rude". I've been warned that this is some lame hostage situation already. That's not how it should be!

[Tsuzuki gave Sheryl some paranoia as is... her eyes perk up a bit and she laughs amiably, waving her hand in a casual manner.]

Nah, not creepy. I've heard worse, really... aaah, maybe you attended one of my concerts before? Thousands, if not millions, have seen me on stage.

[It'd be an odd but fortunate coincidence.]

Is... that so? That just makes things sound worse.

[ He can't help but rub at the back of his neck, brow furrowing ever so slightly. ]

You think that's it? Though it's even weirder because I kind of can't remember anything before I woke up here so... who knows, right?

Mr. Tsuzuki tried to assure me that it'll be okay, but I want to give these gods a piece of my mind!

[Sheryl, they're gods. What can you really do...

Her eyes widen in surprise with her mouth agape, expression turning into a grimace.]

Wait a minute... this sounds like you have amnesia. How awful.

Maybe they'll listen to reason and let us know what's going on.

[ And then he gets the most curious look on his face when it comes to that bit about him not remembering anything from before he became a shinki. ]

You mean... you don't? I mean... you remember things from before this?

[ This is just confusing him more and more. ]

[His response prompts a furrowed look from Sheryl, and slowly she nods. Tsuzuki's warnings of not telling her shinki his memories are nagging at her like an itch that won't go away.]

I do, I still remember everything. My home, my friends, my fans...

[And now she looks awkward and guilty. Welp.]

[ Wow. That's... well...

Part of him wants to say 'unfair' but then it feels like he's comparing apples and oranges at this point. He doesn't know anything about her or how she got here to begin with. Heck, she's probably just as lost as he is right now. There may be just the tiniest prick of a sting but he's quick to shake it off.

So that look of confusion quickly disappears and is replaced by a smile. Well, best that he can offer. It looked like his question might have upset her slightly. ]

So a god with fans, huh? What's that like?

[It comes as sudden as it flees, but Sheryl reaches for the back of her neck and scratches it with her nails. Can an itch even manifest that quickly with thoughts alone? How odd. Did a fly whizz past her and bite her without her noticing?

There's a small sigh of relief at the itch fading away, and she moves her hand aside. The mention of fans at least shakes the nagging thoughts aside, a sense of nostalgia washing over her instead.]

It's amazing, Eno. [A happy grin.] Having millions of fans scream your name, chant your songs, and dance along with you... it's like putting them in a trance. To be able to touch the hearts of so many with your voice alone... there's nothing quite like it, really.

That sounds... pretty amazing.

[ And it is! He'd never heard of someone who had such a giving attitude about performing. Most idols seemed to be unattainable... but that was part of the allure, wasn't it? As much as he can't imagine all that attention on him, the way she describes it, it sounds immesurable. ]

Gods probably don't get that much attention but... there's still a good chance of helping people, right?

Isn't it?

[All said with pride, that Sheryl. She's used to being influential with millions of people, almost untouchable, so being a goddess isn't too different... except that she has to deal with blights and monsters appearing. While it's unnerving to be away from her fans and friends, she can't let it show that it bothers her.

So when she hears Eno she nods firmly, a muted smile this time.]

Right! I wouldn't be Sheryl Nome if I didn't make a difference in people's lives. [A pause.] What about you?

I guess so...

[ And he can't help the nostalgic smile that comes to him at the thought of helping people. It's weird but... it's a nagging feeling at the back of his head that he used to do that. Used to help people. ]

Even if I don't remember anything about who I used to be... that sounds about right. Being able to help people, I mean.

[ There's no regret, no sting. He just wishes he knew more so he could be more useful. ]

[Helping people... can she still make a difference, even while she's trapped in a world like this one, though? Oh, but perhaps he can do the same thing, too, shinki or no.

Her voice perks up, a shift in tone.]

Well then! It looks like you'll get to help people out, after all. [Then she points to herself, a proud grin.] You're officially blessed by the Galactic Fairy.

I'll count myself lucky then.

[ And he can't help but laugh at that. Gosh but she's quite energetic. It's infectious. But her talking about blessings reminds him of something. ]

Oh, right! Speaking of blessings... I don't suppose you'd be able to find a god named Euterpe, would you? God to god and all that? I'm supposed to be assigned to them.

Euterpe?

[Sheryl cants her head to one side before a knowing look spreads across her face. Her shinki is about to learn who Euterpe really is. Lazily, she points to herself.]

Why, you're talking to her right now! In fact, you'll be working with me for now on. Prepare yourself, okay?

[ The look on his face shifts from that small pleasant smile to surprise. ]

Then... that's pretty lucky for me! I... I mean, it's lucky I got to bump into you here like this! I-- ah!

[ And suddenly there's a sharp bow, as if he finally decided what to do. ]

I'll try my best, ma'am!

[... Oh, Eno.

Oh, Eno.

There's a brief moment of surprise in her eyes, and slowly but surely, small chortles bubble up from out of her. Then those chortles transform into a jovial laugh. Lots and lots of laughter.]

Geez! You're so cute, Eno!

[ There's as much surprise in his eyes when she says this. He's practically stunned... especially when she starts to laugh.

Did... did an idol actually call him cute?! ]

I... I don't think I'm that cute, really!

Oh, but I beg to differ.

[Her laughter is still going, although much subdued this around, morphing into giggles.]

So humble, too. I have my own adorable shinki to take care of!

[ gah! A girl is calling him cute!!!!111

But it's probably cute in the adorable way and he's not quite used to that thought. ]

well... I'll try not to be a burden so it'll probably be better to say that we'll take care of each other, right?

[Yes today is your lucky day, Eno!]

Sounds fair to me, but instead of "try", you should "do" instead.

[She tucks a curled hand under her chin, propping it on the table with a curious look.]

It'd be better if we both work hard, don't you think?

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hackberrydragon - 2016-06-02 13:41 (UTC) - Expand

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galactically - 2016-06-02 23:01 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

003 | Save The Boats

Buffet!

apologies for the delay! 1/2

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Hey I was delayed too! And D: I hope everything's okay!

it's all good, no worries c:

c:

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