[OPEN + closed] And for today's weather: vultures

[revolutionfalcon]

Who: A: Shun and you! B: Shun and Joker
What: VULTURES GET (a.k.a. shun accidentally wakes up all those vultures he figured were in his temple somewhere), also a prayer
When: A: May 1st, B: April 27th
Where: A, i.: Nekhbet's temple, ii.: Anywhere on the Far Shore, B: Near Shore
Warnings: None presently.

A

i.
[One thing that's been bothering Shun a lot about the whole moving into a pre-existing temple deal is the fact that there always seems to be something else that didn't quite get noticed on first glance when he goes over things again. For someone who likes to know things as inside and out as he does, it's frustrating, and it's that which eventually drives him to take a flashlight down to some of the furthest sunken rooms of his buried temple.

Everything's going reasonably smoothly until he opens the door of what he knows is the passage out to the other side of the hill, and the appearance of the light is heralded by the opening of what looks like dozens of beady eyes and the deafening ruffle of a hell of a lot of wings.

Now around the half-buried temple in the hill, there's a massive flock of vultures, some with bald pink heads, some with feathery white ones. A few of them have decided to try flying out past the bounds of the temple ground to see what lies beyond, but most of them seem to be responding to the movements of two among their number who don't quite fit the rest, strongly robotic despite the fact that they're still clearly vultures, one purple and one orange and grey-green. With an irritable caw, one of the younger-looking vultures tries to swoop out and peck at the purple robot...and its beak merely goes through like nothing, the bird coasting in apparent confusion through the hologram before rejoining the flock reluctantly.

The robotic guides are themselves being directed by Shun, standing on the hill above the first floor of his temple with his duel disk on his arm. Though he's attentive to the movement of the flock, if anyone approaches, he'll immediately turn to look in their direction.]

Wait. [With that short command, he lets the two robotic vultures part, and the flock of actual birds swoops down to perch all over any available ledge on the hillside, all staring at whoever's decided to come by. Shun gives a slight, dismissive sound through his teeth.] At least they're sociable...in a way.

ii.

[Anyone else on the Far Shore may have the questionable luck of running into one of the wayward vultures, whether it decides to perch on a head, on another temple animal's head, or maybe even raid some bins for food scraps. When attention is called to it, though, it'll start flapping away, back in the direction of its god's temple.

Follow?]

B

[The first time Shun did a prayer, it was with another god, and they were convincing someone not to give up on a loved one's life. Now he's come to answer a call regarding moving on, and this time, he actually has a shinki he's okay with doing prayers with. For a difference of a few weeks' time, it feels like a significant change.

Rather than a seedy bar, this desperate prayer has drawn him to the area of his own shrine on the Near Shore, a street or two away from it at best. Glancing up and down the near-empty street, the movement of a rather downtrodden and furtive-looking young woman isn't difficult to catch, and Shun looks over to his companion before nodding towards her.]

That should be the one who made the call. [At least they should be able to learn more, instead of working on the vague wording of the prayer.]

Comments

a, ii

[flagitate]

[ Well. That was an annoying sight to wake up to. Katniss wasn't very impressed with the bird, especially when it insisted on staring at her through the window of her bedroom. How did it even get-- nevermind. She'd gonna outside with the intention of scaring the thing off, but then it'd flown away. Damn. She'd even brought out her silver bow and arrows to give it a good scare.

So here Katniss is, standing outside Nekhbet's temple. ]

Hey. [ Her voice is loud and clear. ] Your bird almost got an arrow in its head for coming into my temple.

[revolutionfalcon]

[The vulture got back just a little ahead of Katniss, and Shun extends his arm to catch it as he turns to face her. Rather than flocking in the sky, most of the rest of them are now perching all over various areas of the temple garden, seemingly very entertained by the whole thing.

Shun inclines his head slightly - he's not one to apologise, but he can understand the annoyance.]

I can hardly blame you. If something like that came into my temple unannounced I'd probably throw a knife at it. [As he speaks, his eyes shift up and down her in that way he's prone to when meeting and sizing people up.] You're a hunter, then?

[That's the only thing he can picture confidently hitting a moving bird with a bow and arrow.]

[flagitate]

[ At least she's not gonna get into an argument with him. Probably? The fact that he's not getting snippy at her at least gets her to relax a bit. ]

Maybe you should teach it not to fly off randomly. [ She nods once. ] Yeah. Back home I hunted pretty much every day. [ Illegally. But. You know. ]

[revolutionfalcon]

[With a faint snort of what might be extremely dry amusement, Shun tilts his head towards where the other vultures are covering the garden.]

That's the first thing I did when they got out, but a handful fled the flock before I could gather them. I'll be making sure it doesn't happen again. [Not least because the escaped ones seem to have made it quite some distance, judging by the answers to his post about it.

A shadow of wariness crosses Shun's face for a moment, but she doesn't seem to be boasting of the hunt, and that's the kind of thing that would have bothered him with his history.] For survival, then, if it was that often. It's been a long time since I met a hunter who did it for that.

[flagitate]

You should lecture them. Teach them flying off into random strangers' temples is bad manners.

[ ... that's supposed to be a joke. ]

When hunting's the only way to get food on your table and in your family's stomachs, then yeah, it's for survival.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun seems to understand the intent there, and he gives a slight shrug.]

I'm sure the arrows coming out were worth more than a lecture to the one you brought back. If it hasn't learnt its lesson after that then no amount of words would save it.

[At her elaboration on the need for her hunting, Shun nods like that's a much more familiar concept to him. He knows how hard survival can be.]

Most of the people who called themselves hunters in my world mowed down innocents for the hell of it, like it was a game to them. The word doesn't sit the same to me as it used to.

[flagitate]

If they're smart, then yeah. You shouldn't have any problem. I guess we'll see, right?

[ Right. Katniss actually looks pretty disgusted. ]

That shouldn't be the point of hunting. If you do it for fun, you don't have any respect for the animals. Then it's a matter of time before you lose your respect for people and hunt them.

[ It's a sore spot. Sorry, Shun. ]

a, i. (continued from network)

[reformedsinner]

Hello! Nekhbet?

[Hakkai pauses at the edge of the courtyard, eyebrows soaring as the vultures come to rest. There's one on his own shoulder, comfortably settled with its talons sunk into the fabric of his shirt. It's a bit painful, but as long as he doesn't make any sudden movements, it's not drawing blood.]

They do seem sociable!

[revolutionfalcon]

[It's not hard for Shun to recognise the newcomer, given their...memorable first meeting, and a couple of the vultures ruffle their wings a little as Shun's eyes narrow faintly.]

It's better than attacking mindlessly, at least. I'm surprised you volunteered to bring one back.

[He is the one who walked out on their first conversation, after all. Not that Shun knows much about him past that disagreement, so he can't judge this too quickly beyond handling it with some healthy wariness.]

[reformedsinner]

[Oh. It's him. Hakkai's memories of their first meeting are a little clouded by the effects of the flowers, but he recalls thinking he was probably not going to last.

No caution... wasn't that it?]

Why, there's no reason to hold anything against your vultures.

[Besides, he hadn't recognized the network identification as the same person he'd argued with at the party. The vulture on his shoulder fluffs its feathers self-importantly and attempts a nip at the tip of his long, pointed ear. Hakkai turns his head hastily to get it out of beak range.]

Tsk, now, I may be dead but I'm not food.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun gives a faint, dry snort at that way of viewing it, and just after the vulture tries to peck at Hakkai's ear, Shun gives a sharp, commanding whistle. The bird's head turns sharply, and it looks at him with a cocked head for a moment before hopping off the shoulder and into the air, skimming across the distance to land on Shun's outstretched arm.]

You should've seen that coming. [Given one of them got Hajime's finger earlier while she was trying to feed them, apparently they like nipping at extremeties.]

[reformedsinner]

Yes? [Hakkai smiles imperturbably at him. After all, if he hadn't seen it coming he'd be short an ear tip right now. Shun's still feeling a bit ruffled from their previous conversation, isn't he?

Well, Hakkai's not particularly interested in smoothing his feathers. His vultures are cuter.]

You seem to have them well trained.

[revolutionfalcon]

[That assumption might be proven misplaced by the fact that Shun obviously has no interest in rising to such an obvious bait. It's something he's more than used to ignoring, and he merely makes a dismissive sound before he moves on.]

The ones that stayed didn't take long to organise, and calling them to me isn't a matter of training.

[Also he's fairly certain their status as temple animals is helping his command, but he considers that fairly obvious information.]

B

[jocularly]

[Joker has come to trust Shun - something that isn't terribly hard for him to do. He is very accepting of all types and his heart is likely bigger than it should be, which leaves him vulnerable to being used. Yet his god has never lorded over him or treated as anything other than an acquaintance. Joker hopes that, one day, Shun will see him as a friend.]

Aye, she looks like she needs some help in enjoyin' life again. [He frowns sadly before giving Shun a confident smile.] Let's brighten her day, yeah?

[revolutionfalcon]

[The woman's footsteps lead her in the direction of the shrine, and Shun starts to follow her along as he turns his head to answer Joker. Considering the kinds of shinki Shun's heard about previously, he's grateful to have someone competent and level-headed, so while Joker may not have quite reached the level of friend yet, he doubts it'll take more than a little time.]

We'll need to learn a little more about the source of this first, but if we do get a chance to send her on to something brighter after we've sorted out the rest, I'll leave that to you. You have to have a better idea of brighter things than I do.

[His tone isn't particularly positive or negative - it's just a fact of his life, and one he's had cast into harsher and harsher relief since coming here. This isn't "peace" as he knew it, but it isn't war, and the adjustment is rough even with the amount of people who seem happy to assist in the transition.]

[jocularly]

I think I kin handle it. Ye don't know the effect of a good laugh. [He winks at Shun when the god turns to look at him, walking contentedly as if he has done this a thousand times before.] I've been thinkin'...

Maybe even you could do with one? [Suddenly, he is much closer, resting a hand on Shun's shoulder.] Ye've got such a serious expression and I'd embarrass myself to see ye rid of it for a time.

[His voice lowers a notch - sounding pleasant. Even his accent seems less harsh. This is an entertainer who inherently knows the effect of his voice, perhaps.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Since there's little to surmise or overhear when they're just following the woman to the temple, Shun listens to Joker's words calmly.

That is, calmly until the hand goes to his shoulder. At that, his muscles tense up immediately, and a hand darts up reflexively to grab at the wrist, tightening as if to pull forward before Shun restrains his reflexes and loosens it a little. Not without giving Joker a warning glare, though.]

If you want to rid me of it, don't do that. Even if you're fast enough that I don't punch or throw you, it isn't going to help. [It's not a threat, it's just stated as flat fact. Reflexes are hard to control, especially ones as ingrained as his own combative ones.

Still, he looks away slightly, a reserved grimace on his face. Joker's not the first to bring this up, and Shun highly doubts he'll be the last.] Don't you people have more important things to worry about than how serious I am?

[jocularly]

[His expression hardens, but he makes no move to free himself.] Skittish, aren't ye? Jumpin' at shadows? There's no need to. Yer not alone. [The warning glare seems to amuse him, though his eyes are sad.]

Ye shouldn't let someone have that much power over you. I'm sure I could dodge yer punches, but ye'd be throwin' them out of fear and anger. That's givin' me too much credit.

[A sudden, bright smile replaces his stern look.] Apparently not!

[revolutionfalcon]

[With a bitter hiss, Shun lets go, looking ahead with a sour glare.] The credit - if that's what you want to call it - goes to the war that made me like this. Not any one person. It's survival instinct, nothing else.

[He resents the notion that he still fears Academia, because he's hunted more than enough of their number in return for what they've taken. But then, fear for his comrades' lives is still fear, and they can still ignite that all too easily.

The bright smile is shot a dour look in return, Shun keeping an eye on the woman ahead as he replies, his tone prickly but somewhat resigned.] Maybe I should introduce you to the other ones who fuss about it so you can all talk to each other and stop bothering me about it.

a, ii

[rainofterror]

[As promised, Archie shows up a little while after the end of their chat. He's actually carrying the still-soaked vulture, with one hand wrapped around its talons and the other holding its body against his to keep it from smacking him with its wings. He looks entirely comfortable handling wildlife, and as they get back to its proper place he tosses it into the air to let it flap away.]

Nice bird you got there! Once he ain't gettin' sprayed with water, anyway!

[revolutionfalcon]

[Having kept the rest of the vultures in a pack after the initial runaways, Shun's now sitting on the section of the hill over the first floor of his temple, inspecting the wings of a vulture that looks like it got a little buffeted in the initial escape. As soon as the man gets near, Shun's attention snaps to him, and he looks him up and down even as he speaks.

After he releases the vulture, it flaps awkwardly over to Shun, who holds up an arm for it to land on before it flops into the hillside. There's a folded towel draped over it to reinforce it from the talons, and he brings the bird in closer to inspect it, fingers moving deftly over the feathers.]

That's what happens when you run into the unknown right after you wake up. It's just good it didn't get itself hurt on top of that. [Though thanks doesn't come easily to Shun, he gives an appreciative nod to Archie.] Not everyone would've bothered going to get it.

A-II

[twiceinhabited]

[Amane was making her rounds around Oya's temple, when she happened to saw the vulture. But alas, it starts to fly away.

After a moment of thought, she made up her mind and follows after it. It didn't seems to be (actively) malicious so far. As she follows after it, it's heading towards a... temple?]

... Hm? Whose temple was this...?

[One way of finding out. That is, actually keep on following the vulture until she might find someone. Or it leads her to some kind of answer.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[The windows visible in the hill give it away as a temple regardless of which angle it's being approached from, and the vulture is heading a little off to the side. There's a small garden set off the front of the hill, and a flock of other vultures has settled down in the trees, a few of them rustling wings and shuffling themselves about before they decide to settle.

The returning vulture heads to join them, but there's a sharp whistle from just past the sharp curve of the hill, and it skims down its speed to make the turn. As it does, Shun steps forward to meet it, extending his arm so it can land and immediately bringing it in to inspect.]

At least one of you came back without pissing off half the Far Shore. [As soon as that's done, his gaze shifts to Amane, and he nods briefly in recognition. Given the circumstances of their last meeting, his initial comment probably sounds a little impolite.] It's been a while since I've seen you in your right mind.

[twiceinhabited]

[It's quite clear to her that the vultures belong to this temple. Or at very least, feels comfortable enough to flock to this place in such numbers. Maybe a temple for a god associated with vultures? Hm... she doesn't know anyone at the top of her head like that.

Amane continue to follow after that one vulture, until she find herself facing a familiar person. Although his comment does sound a little rude, there's some truth in it. She blinks, before she feel a little embarrassed by the reminder. It's rather fortunate that she have a good amount of self control to keep her expression as calm as possible.

Even if it feels like her ears are slightly warm. Or how her cheeks feel warm for the briefest of moments.]

... Yes, it has been. Fortunately, there's none of those cherry blossoms here. [So no, she wouldn't act so... open and unreserved like that time. But to move the topic onto something else, Amane glances at the vulture on Shun's arm.] Is it yours?

[She sounds curious, more than anything.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun isn't planning to press on the topic too much, but he nods in agreement with the remark on the cherry blossoms. He hadn't even been seriously affected, but he's still grateful for not having to deal with them.]

True. Maybe the heavens won't decide having another picnic around them is a good plan after what happened. [His tone becomes much more serious for a moment there, because the fire raises a lot of potential questions, none of them good. In any case, when she asks about the vulture, he inclines his head slightly before gesturing towards the ones in the trees.]

They've been living in the temple, it looks like, but the damn thing is big enough that we didn't cross paths until now. I'd suspected something like this since I heard about Artemis' dogs and the fact that Nekhbet is represented as a vulture, though, so at least it's out of the way now.

[He'd been trying to figure out all the unseen weirdness of his temple, and finding a room full of vultures certainly fell under that category.]