[Closed] I was listening to the ocean

[thekillerwhale]

Who: Makoto Tachibana and Haruka Nanase
What: Meeting up as god and shinki
When: Morning April 25th
Where: Poseidon's Lighthouse
Summary: Makoto has become a god while his best friend of years has become his tool. Feelings are happen.
Warnings: None.

Makoto stood on the shore of the magical beach that floated in the sky. He stared off into the vast ocean that ended abruptly and fell into nothingness. The waves acted like the oceans down on Earth. He allowed the salty water to crawl up his feet before retreating again. The water was calm and only moved to make gentle noises that were soothing to the living.

As his green eyes were trained on the horizon, his hand was clenched in a loose fist. Everything had been so sudden. He was suddenly a god, he suddenly had powers, he was suddenly thrust from his home and family and friends, and he was suddenly no longer human. He was a deity. He was Poseidon: God of the Sea, brother of Zeus and Hades, the "Earth Shaker".

But he didn't feel like Poseidon. He felt like...Makoto.

A sigh escaped his lips as his vision focused back from beyond his thoughts.

The gods in charge of him said that he was to be assigned a "shinki"--a tool that he was to use for answering prayers directed to the gods. Which, he guessed, was him now as well as some others.

He wondered who it was going to be and what they were going to be like. That part was a little exciting, but the facts still remained. He was no longer apart of the Near Shore.

Comments

[ephydriade]

'You're dead.' That was the first thing that rang through Haru's mind as his consciousness slowly returned. 'You're no longer of the living.' The voice in his head kept going until Haru's conscious fully returned. Blue eyes soon widened as he sat up straight, faltering slightly as he struggled to subdue the dizziness. Once he was okay again, he looked at his surroundings. Nothing was familiar.

Letting out a frustrated groan, he sat in his spot for a moment, unsure of what to do. He had no idea where he was, and had no recollection of what he had been doing prior to dying. What was he supposed to do now?

As if on cue, a shiver ran through him, and as he instinctively moved to huddle himself to keep warmer, he realized his current attire... or lack thereof. He frowned, his frustration slowly growing; why on earth was he in nothing but a pair of jammers? The question is fleeting, however, and soon he stood from his spot, walking off to find some place that could maybe have a decent change of clothes.

Not knowing where he was made the attempt all more difficult, however, as he blindly chose a direction to follow. Hopefully he wouldn't get too lost. Minutes passed as he continued onward, passing numerous and shrines, each one different than the other. He didn't particularly pay any mind to them, though, too focused on finding any sort of place with clothing. Eventually, though, the sound of waves in the distance reach his ears, effectively catching his attention and prompting him to stop. Staying still in his spot for a few seconds, he listened closely to the faint sound. Soon enough, he couldn't help his growing curiosity as he stepped closer in the direction of the sound.

He felt a sort of comfort overcoming him as he moved, soon stopping a little ways off from where the beach was, eyes taking in the breathtaking view. His eyes practically shone as he looked out towards the ocean. For whatever reason, he felt at peace while looking at the gentle waves, momentarily forgetting his confusion about this place... and even his want to find more proper clothing.

He even neglected to notice the lone figure standing on the beach...

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto sensed the soul that was nearby. That was a strange feeling because he's never really magically sensed anything before. Sure there was that strange feeling of someone who might be watching you or feeling that there's a presence of another person nearby. But knowing through merely the senses was completely new to him.

His eyes went straight for the source and he could see the familiar shape out in the distance. His heart felt heavy as if cement were flowing straight into it through his veins. His breath caught in his lungs and his body went rigid.

That soul could only be one person and one person only. He knew that presense from anywhere.

"Ha...ru..." he said as soft as the cool spring sea breeze.

If Haru was a soul then that meant that Haru was...

Makoto's strong legs began to move before his brain fully had time to process everything that was happening. His heart told him to run for him no matter what the fact were.

"Haruuu!" he cried out, his feet pushing against the sand and kicking it up behind him as he ran.

[ephydriade]

His attention immediately shifted from the ocean as soon as he heard his name being called. If anything, it was a relief that he was still able to remember his name. Everything else was still a mystery to him.

The bigger mystery, however, was the fact that some stranger knew who he was... His head turned to look at the now running figure. He tensed slightly, stepping back a bit from his spot, unsure if he should attempt to book it or deal with the consequence of being seen. Of course, the effort he'd have to put in to running made him not want even bother trying, and in the end, he stayed where he was.

He was still tense when Makoto finally reached him, his expression showing nothing but confusion. And maybe a bit of annoyance.

"... how do you know my name? Who are you?"

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto stopped slowly as he watched Haru's face turn into one of irritated confusion. He was only a few feet away now where he could see his face clearly. This was Haru, there was no doubt about that. Those clear blue eyes and that expression on his face could only belong to Haru.

Who are you? Those words made his heart sink like an anchor. He almost felt sick from his stomach twisting itself into a tight knot.

But that meant...

Haru was dead.

How did this happen? How had he become a god while Haru died? It didn't make sense to him and it was cruel.

But he knew that he couldn't explain things to him. It was a rule, right?

"I'm...Makoto" he said, starting slowly, trying to build up his courage and strength to handle this properly. "Makoto Tachibana--er...but I guess also Poseidon now." He didn't explain how he knew his name. Maybe Haru would just think that it's because he's a god.

But he couldn't let Haru wander around lost. Maybe this was the shinki that was assigned to him as well.

With a heavy sigh and a heavier heart.

"I'm...going to make you my shinki now." he said softly. "...Okay?"

[ephydriade]

Haru's brow rose at his introduction. "... Poseidon? Like the god...?" What. None of this was making sense. Unfortunately, he had no other information to know whether or not this guy was lying, and honestly, he wasn't interested in finding out.

At this point, he started wondering if running really was the better idea, though at Makoto's next sentence, Haru couldn't help but inquire about what he had just said.

"... shinki?" He paused, brows furrowing slightly. "Why me...?"

Even with how apprehensive he was, though, there was something about this guy that made Haru feel as if he could trust him.

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto nodded when Haru questioned his God hood, but he didn't have anymore information himself to give to Haru. He felt bad that he couldn't explain more, but that's how it was. He made a note to find out more later, but right now, he had to take care of Haru.

Despite the fact that his heart felt like it was dropping further and further into his stomach at Haru questioning him like this, he just smiled. He needed to stay strong for him and this was the way he knew how.

"Because you need a home, right?" He replied.

He put his hand to his chin in thought. "Let's see...I don't really remember how that chant went, but I guess I'll just have to try my best" He nodded once.

He stuck two fingers out in front of him. "Lost soul with no where to go, I claim you as my shinki" something like that. "I give you the vessel name of 'Eizouki'. Come forth!"

Makoto wrote the Kanji into the air, his handwriting now going to be permanently branded onto Haru's skin. He could see the name forming on his hips above his jammers. He held out his hand as he called him into his vessel form.

[ephydriade]

A home... did he really need one? If this was Heaven (or something of the sort), a home was the last thing he figured he needed. More importantly, why was this person offering a home to him? Hadn't they just met? All they knew were each other's names, after all. He still couldn't figure it out.

At Makoto's musing, Haru's brow rose. He wasn't convinced this person was a god... he apparently didn't know what he was supposed to do regarding this whole shinki thing. His apparent lack of knowledge left him skeptical if he really could offer him a home. He watched silently as Makoto started his chant. He hadn't even agreed to becoming his shinki, still unsure of what even a shinki was or what it was supposed to do.

His thoughts are soon halted as he started to feel a slight sensation at his hip. "... ?!" Any and all doubt of the other's godliness immediately disappeared as the spoken kanji took a tangible form before them. Before he can even say anything, though, he felt a new energy starting to run through him, eventually causing him to glow in his spot. In the the blink of an eye, his physical form jumps from its spot, shapeshifting in midair as he made his way towards Makoto. Soon enough, the light disappears, revealing a new pair of swim goggles around Makoto's neck.

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto watched with awe as he watched Haru's form shift and glow and reappear as a pair of swimming goggles. So this was the "godly tool" that his best friend had become for him. It was too appropriate. He almost wanted to let out an "of course" at the appropriateness of Haru's vessel form.

But he didn't have time to. As his fingertips glided across the smooth lenses there was an intense rush that he hadn't been anticipating.

Suddenly, he could see everything. Haruka's life from his eyes was flowing into his head rapidly like a flash flood.

Of course there was a lot of water, but there were also a lot of people. There were many different people from Haru's parents to his own parents, to their classmates, swim club mates, and beyond. There was Rin, Nagisa, Kisumi, Ikuya, Asahi, Rei, and Sousuke. Each person came with their own set of feelings that he was taking into his heart. Most of them started with annoyance, but then smoothed out to friendship and care.

He could see each person's smile that was directed specially towards him. He could see worried faces. He could feel the anger when emotions ran high between friends. He felt the ebb and flow of Haru's happiness. He felt the crushing pain of his heart ache. He could feel the dredges of his despair and the elation of his hope.

Makoto could even see himself. He could see himself through Haru's eyes--through Haru's soul. He felt the irritation that Haru felt when he would stick his nose into his business, but then he could feel the worry and care.

Behind that stoic and indifferent face, there were so many emotions for the people that he cared about and he called his friends and Makoto could feel all of them. It was overwhelming.

And then finally, his death. Pushing, choking, gasping, reaching...then nothing.

...Haru had drowned. The water that he loved so much had taken him.

It was too much. It was all far too much.

His strong legs felt like gelatin beneath him and he had to kneel down in the sand.

"Ha...Haru...return" he choked out so that Haru could be in his regular form.

There were tears streaming down his face and sobs were stuck in his throat until finally one let itself loose from his lips. A heart wrenching cry escaped him before he pulled in a sharp gasp of air. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand to stifle the ugly noises, but it didn't do much good.

He sat in the sand and started to weep.

[ephydriade]

Being in his vessel form was... weird, to say the least. It was certainly different that his normal form, but considering he had turned into a pair of swimming goggles, he figured that was to be expected. More importantly, though, if he were going to shape shift, shouldn't he at least be something useful? What good were a pair of swimming goggles to the god of the sea? Of course, thinking back to his god made him realize that maybe the goggles were fitting after all.

The most intriguing part of this whole ordeal, though, was the fact that he felt a faint connection with Makoto while in this form. He couldn't understand it, but it felt as if their energies were connected somehow. Was this what it meant to be a shinki? If so, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to tolerate it. Having to interact with new people was always a hassle...

As the minutes started to pass, Haru wondered how long he'd have to stay in this form. It wasn't until he felt Makoto moving down that he wondered just what was going on with him. At his stutter, the goggles glowed once more, immediately flying a little ways off from where Makoto knelt. The light formed back to Haru's normal presence, and he blinked a few times. So he was back to normal now...

The sudden sob caught Haru's attention, and he gave a horrified look when noticed the tears falling freely from Makoto's face. His sobbing continued, and soon a sense of dread started to run through Haru.

".. o-oi. What happened? Why are you crying?" He really did not want to deal with this.

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto took in a breath to try and force himself to calm down. It was no good to cry in front of Haru like this. He knew that he couldn't deal with these kinds of things easily.

The ocean had become a bit choppy with his crying, but it was starting to settle down along with him.

He wiped at his eyes quickly then shook his head at the questions.

"No...no it's nothing. I'm sorry" he sniffed, his nose running a bit. "I didn't mean to make you feel awkward. I felt our connection and became a little overwhelmed, that's all"

It wasn't a complete lie, but he knew that he couldn't give him a detailed explanation of what he had seen and why it made him overcome with emotions. He didn't know why exactly, but he had this sense of foreboding that something really bad would happen if he said anymore than he just did.

Makoto pushed himself back up to his feet. His legs still felt shaky, but he kept them steady to give Haru as least a sliver of strength that he had to offer him. He was his god now, after all. He had a duty to protect his shinki and to make sure that he was taken care of. He had to be strong.

He had to be...

Or he had to at least try.

He sniffled once again, wiping away any left over escaping tears. His face was red and his eyes were a little puffy.

"You must be a little cold in that, right? Let's go inside for a little bit, I might have something you can borrow...I think" Makoto actually wasn't sure of what he had stowed away in the house.

[ephydriade]

He hadn't even noticed the more violent sound of the waves in the distance, too focused on the situation at hand. He could already tell this was going to be annoying; their connection was already making this guy emotional to the point of tears, and all Haru could do was stand there helplessly, unsure of what even to do to help. He didn't know this guy... why should he care anyways?

'You're his tool now.' That voice was back in his head again. 'He is your god. You are to serve him.' How did he even manage to get himself into this predicament...

The other's comment about his current state being nothing left him skeptical... but he bought it regardless. He figured he'd have to at least take the other's word, now that they were connected. If things went downhill... well, that wasn't his fault, right?

He watched him shakily return to his feet, blue eyes studying him carefully. He watched as he steeled himself... watched him wipe the remaining tears from his face, and watched as he addressed him once again. Blinking, Haru looked back down to look at himself. Seemed he had forgotten the main reason he was in this area in the first place. Pouting slightly, he glanced away, in typical tsundere fashion before quietly responding.

"... yeah." A pause. "... thanks."

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto smiled fondly towards Haru when he pouted. While the very core of his being was in pain, there was a little consolation of Haru still being Haru. Even though he had no memories of anything, he was still the same boy that he's know since forever.

"No problem" he replied. He was finally calm enough to function the way he needed to in order to take care of Haru properly.

He gestured towards the cottage that was right next to a magnificent looking lighthouse. It was uphill at the edge of a short rocky drop off.

"That's our new home" he said. "It's yours as much as it is mine, so don't worry about making yourself feel comfortable. I haven't had much time to explore it myself, so we can pick out a room for you and you can get settled in."

Makoto then started heading toward their new place, leading the way.

"I don't know if I have any spare clothes, but we can see. They'll be a little big on you, but we'll be able to get you some clothes soon" Maybe...How did that even work? He needed to buy him things, but he didn't have any money. He'd figure something out.

[ephydriade]

Clothing issue aside, he could have just walked away from this all. Connected or not, there wasn't anything forcing him to stay. God or not, he didn't have to follow Makoto. He didn't have to do anything, as far as he was concerned. That voice in his head was persistent, but he could learn to block it out. 'I don't need to do anything. I don't--'

... or could he?

Even though he was still highly unsure of this whole thing, he couldn't help but feel safe with Makoto. It was weird. They had just met after all; doesn't that sort of feeling come from after knowing one another for years? He doesn't think too much on that question, still wondering why he's caving...

Running sounded like a great idea... but having a place to stay... having a home sounded even better.

His attention returned to the matter at hand when Makoto pointed out the cottage. Blue eyes squinted slightly, before moving to the lighthouse that stood next to it. This was certainly a home fitting for a god of water. Watching as Makoto started to walk, he waited a few seconds before following after, keeping some distance between them. He was still trying to figure the guy out, after all. Even if he did feel safe to be around...

At Makoto's inquiry, Haru's brows furrowed. "... anything is better than this."

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto was scared. He carried on as if nothing was terribly awful about this situation, but he was terrified out of his mind. But he still kept calm for Haru's sake. He had a resting smile on his face for Haru's sake. He was trying his best not to tremble for Haru's sake. Everything he was doing right at this moment was for his sake.

Because there was that lingering possibility that he could fail. He could inadvertently push Haru away and there would be nothing he could do about it.

So he remained steadfast and as calm as he could. He had to walk that fine line of overbearing and showing compassion. Haru had always considered him a busybody, but in this case, it could hurt him more than help.

Thus for now, he remained silent. He would let Haru take in everything around him. He had explained everything that was necessary and it was time for Haru to process it...as well as himself.

While everything was confusing and scary, having Haru to focus on helped even if that was also terrifying.

He led the way inside of the cottage where it was being warmed up with the fireplace. Since it was still April and by the ocean, it was a little on the cool side, but it was cozy inside.

Makoto led him through sea side themed portraits and ship wheels that hung on the wall. Shells, empty bottles, nets, and tiny wooden ships decorated around the cottage. Outside, the ocean could be heard distantly enough to lull anyone into a state of serenity.

He would let Haru poke around the rooms to ultimately choose his own. In the meanwhile, "I'm going to check my room for clothes"

[ephydriade]

Everything about this situation was... overwhelming, honestly. From the bits and pieces of information they knew, to the lingering questions that remained. The whiplash of emotions seemed to be taking the most toll on Haru's mentality at the moment, the thought of crawling under the covers of a bed seeming more and more appealing with each passing second.

Fortunately, the walk to the cottage wasn't too far, the warmth from the cottage soon hitting them as they got closer. The warmth was certainly welcomed, the chill from being outside for so long instantly vanishing; even so, he still hoped he'd get some change of clothes.

Upon entering, Haru's eyes immediately began taking everything in. It was certainly cozy, and appropriately themed. He inspected the tiny shells, admiring their simple designs before looking towards the more intricate paintings. He certainly felt a little more relaxed now. Maybe this was a side effect of this being Makoto's home; he was a god after all.

He turned when Makoto mentioned checking his room for clothes. "Mm. Sure."

While Makoto went off, Haru decided to indulge in his curiosity with the rest of the cottage, heading in the opposite direction that Makoto had gone. There had to be more bedrooms around here right? Spotting a door nearby, he walked over to it, cracking it open and he sticking his head in to give a quick inspection of the room. It was... small. But still decent. Nothing too extravagant, and relatively simple. He'd definitely keep this in mind while looking some more. Shutting the door once more, he went off to the next room. It was a little too big for his liking, and so without much thought, he shut the door.

The next door he opened turned out to be the door to the bathroom. He was ready to shut the door again, considering that it wasn't the right room he meant to look at, but instead, found himself taking everything in. His gaze remained particularly on the bathtub, though after a moment or two, he managed to shift his gaze away with ease, finally shutting the door behind him.

Sighing to himself, he made his way back to the first room he found, not wanting to put in any more effort into looking at the other rooms. Opening the door once more, stepped inside and made a beeline for the bed, flopping down onto it face first before rolling onto his side. With his back to the wall, he curled up slightly, eyes soon shutting tightly as he laid there in silence.

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto made his way to his own bedroom. It was the master bedroom and however this place came to fruition took "master bedroom" seriously. It was huge. The bed was a large king-sized canopy with silky sea-blue blankets and satin pillows. The drapery around the canopy was a white with blue undertones that shone mainly in the light. Two bedside tables flanked either side of it.

There were ornate fixtures on the walls such as a Triton on one wall and an unbelievably large clam shell on another. There was a huge aquarium that was full of colorful sea fish.

There were large white double doors with golden handles that led to the grand bathroom. The bathtub inside was almost the size of a small pool. In fact, there were too tubs. One tub produced hot water, the other had cold salt water for purification. There was a shower in the corner that had statues of mermaids pouring the water out of vases instead of your typical shower head.

There were two sinks, one on each side. The faucets were golden and the counters looked like they were made of pearl. The tiles on the floor were beautiful ceramic inlaid with smooth stones from the beach.

But that was the bathroom and needless to say, this was all too fancy for him.

Back to the bedroom, there was a large wardrobe that stood on one side of the room instead of there being a closet. He made his way over to it and pulled open the doors. He opened the drawers inside and found his own jammers and a pair of his sleeping clothes.

This would have to work for now.

Makoto went to go find Haru with a pair of sleep pants and his orange sleep shirt in tow.

He walked down the hallway and peeked in each room until he finally found his shinki, curled up in bed.

"Haru..." he called out to him softly just in case he had fallen asleep.

[ephydriade]

Even with everything that was running through his head, Haru was still able to drift off slightly. The immediate comfort from the bed was enough for him to realize that he was actually tired. Tired from this whole thing, no doubt. Who knew dead people still felt tired.

His eyes fluttered when he heard his name, and he took a moment to focus on what he had just heard before shifting slightly to look behind him and see who it was that had called him. Seeing Makoto with the clothes in his hands answered his question. Shifting more, he moved to sit up, turning towards him, his gaze instantly going to the clothes in his hand.

"... sorry. Are those for me?"

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto didn't blame him for being tuckered out and perhaps wanting a nap. This whole thing was mentally exhausting.

"Yeah. They're kind of big, but we can get some for you later" He said with a soft smile. He goes over to him and sets the clothes down at the foot of the bed.

"I'll be back, I'm going to see what's around the house" And with that, he closed the door only to a crack.

Makoto puttered around the large cottage looking through cabinets and drawers trying to gather things for Haru. He got a glass and a water pitcher for his bed side table, some extra blankets and pillows, and an extra towel. With each thing, he brought it back to Haru's room which made him seem a bit overly doting or as Haru has put in the past, "a busy body".

He came back once more with some soap that he found in the shape of a seashell. "I think we'll need to make a trip to the store for some things, Haru"

[ephydriade]

He watched as Makoto laid the clothes before him, eyeing them for a moment longer before looking up to the other as he continued to talk. He gave a single nod in confirmation, and waited for him to leave before moving to pick the clothes up. He wasted no time in putting them, immediately taking note of just how much of a size difference there was between them. The shirt hung loosely on him, pants baggy as well. It was... annoying, but at least it was better than just the jammers he was wearing.

He was ready to drift back to sleep, but as soon as he laid back down, Makoto was back in his room, setting the pitcher and glass down at his bedside. Sighing softly, he waited until he left again. His moment of peace didn't last long, however, as Makoto continued to come in and out of his room. He was starting to become annoyed with the constant disruption.

"... you can go."

As helpful as Makoto was being, Haru just... wanted to be alone.

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto's face fell at that. He was silent, but just for a moment. In that short moment he gathered himself so that he could push on a smile.

"Oh...yeah. Of course. We could just go later when you're ready." He said, waving his hand a bit. Of course! What was he thinking? Haru would of course want time to rest.

...how thoughtless...

"Do...you need anything else?"

[ephydriade]

Haru let out a sigh before curling into himself some more.

"... sure." His lack of enthusiasm said otherwise as he kept his back to Makoto. Maybe his short replies would give him an idea that he wanted to be left alone.

"... I'm fine."

[thekillerwhale]

Makoto nodded slowly. He could take a hint, especially from Haru. He knew he was finished with him possibly for the whole day.

"Mhm...okay then" he replied softly. He took a small step back to let him know he was going to leave.

"I'll let you rest. Let me know if you need anything" And with that, he left the room and shut the door to leave Haru with his own thoughts and to take it easy. As easy as anything could be taken.