thenearshore | [open]

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Who: Yoruichi and OPEN, with one closed prompt
What: Catch all
When: 5/1-4
Where: The Near Shore, The Far Shore
Warnings: will update if needed

Amane

[The young man running the homeless shelter is tall and slightly stooped, with shaggy hair falling into tired eyes. But he has unfailing patience, and his smile never dims from the moment he arrives until he leaves late at night. But funding is down, and more people need help than ever, resulting in his desperate prayer.

It's hard to volunteer when people keep forgetting you're there. And frankly, while an extra couple of pairs of hands are useful, they don't solve the long-term problem.

So Yoruichi has something else in mind. She and Amane are sitting on a bench in the nondescript park where a government official accepts bribes from local businessmen. Yoruichi knows this because she's seen it on an earlier visit, completely by chance. If the man's going to take dirty money, he can damn sure put it to better use.]

Get ready with your camera. [she tilts her head, giving Amane a smirk] After this, the shelter should have all the money they need.

[Yoruichi the role model--teaching her shinki how to blackmail corrupt officials for the public good.]

Deliveries

[Carting supplies all over Tokyo isn't the way Yoruichi might have thought she'd use her superhuman speed, but it pays the bills. While she can only take a few small parcels at a time, the fact that she can bypass traffic altogether means she's faster and more reliable than standard services.]

Yo! [It's a relaxed greeting from the small woman as she enters, her arms full of a tightly sealed brown box.] Can you sign for this?

[Do you happen to have a job in the Near Shore? Then Yoruichi's got a parcel for you.]

Training, Oya's temple

[Ever since the fire, Yoruichi's been trying to get a better hold on this new power of hers. But she can't find much consistency in it. So far, she's generated storms, lightning and tremors, but even that seems to be random. Whenever she thinks she might have a handle on it, the power slips through her fingers, taking whatever shape it wants.

Power she can't control is worse than useless--it's dangerous to her and her allies, and unreliable in a fight. So she's come to a remote part of her grounds, a stretch of beach where there's nothing to hurt but sand, rocks and water.

Blowing out a long breath, she turns her attention inward, seeking that power she first tapped unintentionally. In a way, it's the opposite of kidou--instead of manipulating her own spiritual energy, it's like she's tapping into forces that are part of the natural world.

Her eyes snap open as that weird, discordant noise echoes in her ears, signaling that her power is kicking in. As she watches, the boulder in front of her seems to shiver, just before the top half dissolves into sand. Instead of lapping against its craggy sides, the waves now wash over its newly smooth top before breaking on the shoreline.]

Shit.

[It's a sound of quiet consternation. It's been a long time since Yoruichi has had to work quite so hard at learning a technique, but hell if she's going to back down now.]

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[Normally, the concept of blackmail would make anyone stop and reconsider. But under the context of blackmailing a corrupt official into helping a good cause? Somehow, Amane found it easier to swallow and accept like that.]

Yes. [With a nod, she holds up the camera in her hands. It's just a simple, small compact camera. But it's more than enough to take a good enough photo, or more. The shutters are open, showing the clear lens to the world.] I'll take as many as we need.

[Why settle for one photo, when they can have as many incriminating ones as possible?]

After we took them... we're going to approach him immediately?

[Yoruichi hadn't expected much fuss from Amane on the subject, but she's glad to see her take to the idea as well as she has. Yoruichi isn't about to steal from someone already hurting financially, but she's certainly not going to waste her sympathy or guilt on someone like this.

She gives Amane an approving nod; the more the better.]

As soon as we see a good opening, yeah. Hold on--here he comes.

[Ogata Shugo looks pleasant and nondescript and like no one's idea of a corrupt politician. Which is partly why he's gotten away with it for as long as he has. Trees shield him from chance views by passersby, and he obviously believes himself safe.

He sits down on a nearby bench, setting his briefcase on the ground as he checks his watch. Any moment now, his contact should arrive.]

[As Ogata Shugo expected, his contact did arrive. Amane raise the camera, ready to take the photographs. Until it starts to look incriminating...

The contact seems like a man who knows what he's doing, and carrying a briefcase with him. (One photo) By all intents and purpose, he seems like a respectable businessman. He speaks with Ogata, and they shake hands. (Second photo)

The contact glances around for a moment, not seeing the spying Far Shore duo. Sometimes, their lack of presence as Far Shore residents help in their favour. Then, he pulls out something and hands it over Ogata. (Third photo)

Probably a bundle of money. Amane's watching through the camera's lens carefully, taking photos of this apparent exchange.]

[Excellent. As she'd expected, neither man is spiritually aware enough to notice the two. Amane diligently snaps away, catching several shots of their interaction--including the exchange of money.]

There it is. [Yoruichi murmurs] See if you can get a couple more.

[They've likely got enough to spook him, but nothing wrong with having a little extra insurance.

The men stand, their business concluded. The contact leaves first, while Ogata lingers a moment. He lifts his briefcase onto the bench, swiftly opening it to place the money inside.

Excellent--they couldn't have asked for a better shot.]

[The more the merrier. While singular shots might be innocent looking. All of these combined would definitely paint a suspicious picture. Suspicious enough that other possible readings are unlikely.

After that final shot, Amane lowers the camera from her face and glances at Yoruichi.]

I got all of them.

[Every single damning part of the exchange. It might make for a nice, short picture book. Ogata closes the suitcase and seems to let out a deep breath for a moment.]

[Yoruichi squeezes Amane's shoulder in approval as Ogata stands up and heads out, looking secure after another successful payoff.]

Good job. He always goes for a drink after this. We'll follow and confront him there.

[She stands up, hanging back a bit. Even if he doesn't notice them, it's long habit from her former life as a covert operative.

Ogata heads out of the park and through the streets, ending up at a tiny hole in the wall with some of the best grilled and fried snacks Yoruichi has ever had. He takes a seat at the long, spotless bar, setting his briefcase down at his feet. One of the seats next to him is empty--having empty seats on either side would have been ideal, but this will do well enough.

Yoruichi motions Amane to stand behind them, just as Ogata receives his first beer. She slips into the empty seat, brushing his arm to make sure he notices she's there.]

Ogata-san. [She gives him a pleasant nod, as if she's a friendly acquaintance.] Nice to see you here.

[Amane couldn't help but make a small smile, feeling a little glad and proud for a brief moment. Before she turns her focus back on the task at hand, nodding and following soon afterwards.]

Understood.

[... Now at the bar, Amane stands behind them and watches. Ogata glances up with a start, looking quite surprised to see Yoruichi. But he smiles, mostly to regain his composure again, and greet her back.

Amane glances between them, hm... this is almost making her a little curious. But she should save such questions for this meeting.]

[She can see him wondering where he'd met her before, assuming she was someone he'd met in the course of his business, and too polite to say he doesn't remember her.

Well, she's about to correct that assumption right now.]

Got a minute? My friend and I want to talk to you about something. [She reaches back towards Amane for the camera, then queues up the first of the incriminating photos.] I think you'll want to make time, regardless.

[His face goes pale as he sees the picture; she doesn't have to worry about him forgetting she's there any time soon.]

[It's almost interesting how quickly Ogata went pale at the sight of the photos. Amane made sure she took enough photos to paint a clear story with them. A slideshow of incriminating photos and the not so subtle threat.]

Can you spare us some of your time for this?

[Of course, he have to. Amane knows that, but it can't hurt to point it out to him. They have these photos, so who knows what they would do if he choose to walk away?

He's silent for a moment, but it's clear that he's tense. Eventually, he slowly nods with a strained smile. Of course, he can spare some time for them. Would they like to sit down?]

Good. I won't waste any time, then. [Yoruichi's manner remains casual, but her eyes are hard and level.]

You know the homeless shelter over by the temple? It's run by a man named Hasegawa. [Still pale, Ogata nods automatically, looking faintly confused.]

I suggest you use some of that money to help keep it afloat, and encourage others to help as well. Or I'll make sure these [she gestures with the camera] get out to every news crew in town.

Help the people like you're supposed to. [Her smile sharpens; she doesn't move, but there's no mistaking the threat.] Understand?

[Amane observed Ogata's behaviour and expression. He looks like he's trapped between a rock and a hard place. Blackmail, or being ruined for real.

She speaks up, adding more pressure on him with some words.]

Please donate to them. They would greatly appreciate any aid coming their way. And... [Normally, she would let earnest actions speaks for themselves. But she thought this would help with persuading them.] ... people would speak well of those who donate to good causes.

[Appealing to his public image. Ogata's quiet for a moment, as he think about their words. After a moment, he nods in agreement and resignation. He will do it.]

[Having found an apparent piece of home - or himself, technically - in his room this morning, Davesprite's taking a brief course around the Far Shore to think. He doesn't want to risk hurting Hajime by thinking too much about it, but despite how much he doesn't at all want to, his mind keeps swinging back that way until he feels that revulsion and rejection at trying to think about his past, and then his mind goes off it for another few minutes until...

It's frustrating, and he almost doesn't notice the practice happening as he skims low through the tropical temple grounds. But it's difficult to miss the incredibly weird noise of half a boulder suddenly disintegrating, and he pulls up short, his hand going reflexively for a few inches in front of his stomach before he notices Yoruichi, looking from her to the rock.]

...Correct me if I've completely lost my fucking mind in the week since the fire, but I'm pretty sure your power was something about adorable portable storm clouds.

[Yoruichi's brow is still creased in irritated frustration, but it clears a bit when she turns to see Davesprite hovering over the beach.]

You and me both. But as far as I can tell, it just does whatever the hell it wants.

[Which makes it something of a match for Yoruichi herself, but not as helpful as she might like just yet.]

[That doesn't sound like the easiest power to figure out, and now it suddenly feels a lot more like the baby cloud during the fire was an incredibly lucky break.]

Wow. So clearly whatever the fuck it wanted last week was actually useful at the time, but now it thinks you want landscaping.

[Look, he has no real idea what's going on with her powers, so he's making an (un)educated guess.]

[Despite herself, a smirk tugs up one corner of her mouth.]

Yeah, I guess it thought the sand was looking a little thin. [She gestures to the beach, absolutely covered in it.] In which case I need to work on its judgment.

[At least the effect is relatively benign this time--a power that can turn rocks into sand could probably do a lot more damage than it had.]

[Looking up and down the beach with a rather flat look, Davesprite quirks a brow.]

Maybe you should get a professional opinion just to shut it up, but I'm gonna say this place has more sand than your average resort town. Can't say I have any fucking clue what connects a baby storm cloud and busting the hell out of rocks, though.

[As far as he can tell, god powers tend to be at least vaguely one single area of things, but the two things he's seen of Yoruichi's so far are almost entirely unrelated.]

Well, at least it's not just me. [Because Yoruichi's stumped, too. First, she'd thought it was just rains and storms she controlled. Then there were the tremors--earthquakes aren't really weather, but she guesses she can see the connection. But this?

No, she's as stumped as Davesprite. She shakes her head, setting the matter aside for now.]

So what brings you this way? Just out for some air?

[Given Davesprite came out here partially because of a personal confusion party, getting involved in another confusion party about Yoruichi's powers isn't quite what he was aiming for. So he takes the change of topic and flies with it, shrugging non-committally.]

In the sense of "fuck sitting around in my temple thinking about shit I probably shouldn't be thinking about", yeah. Have you seen those people on the BBS that talk about getting animals and random lucky draw shenanigans back from their own world?

[Nobody's pointed out a pattern to it, so it's probably random.]

[She nods; she doesn't reply much, but she does try to keep up on messages that look useful or interesting.]

Yeah, and no one seems to know why. [Which is unsettling, given that they've now seen the dangers of shinki regaining too many of their memories.] I take it you've gotten something you don't remember having?

[With a lax nod, Davesprite settles down on his tail and rearranges his wings a little.]

Pretty much. Kinda hard to say I never had it, though, because. [There's a pointed pause as he runs his talons down a near-imperceptible cut in his shirt and parts it wide to reveal a completely clean, seemingly healed wound that somehow still manages to be open. It's distinctly the height and thinness of a forward-facing blade.] When a neon orange sword turns up all shy behind your curtains and you've got a convenient sword sheath in your stomach, you don't even need to do the maths, the maths has already been done, marked and hung in a position of highest honour on the fridge.

[It's impossible to hide her surprise at the reveal. She blinks, her eyes flicking up to his and back down to the sheath.]

Wow. [It's like nothing she's ever seen before. Was he born like this? Was this a modification? Davesprite has no way of knowing, and no way of knowing if he'll ever find out.

Or if the price of finding out will be his sanity, and then his life, like Zangetsu's friend. Once again, anger flares within her; the shinki system strikes her as unbearably cruel.]

And as far as you know, you're the only person here from your home?

Yeah, it's a thing. I kind of figured there might be a sword involved just by the shape, but apparently I still was not prepared for the actuality here.

[Letting the gap in his shirt close, Davesprite's expression becomes a shade or so more serious at Yoruichi's question. He's not entirely sure of it, but there is one person who immediately comes up in his memory.]

...There was this dude, when I got here. He wasn't human, but I recognised what species he was and damn if I could remember ever seeing that species before or since. I think he was a shinki as well, and I think he recognised I was a sprite, but I haven't seen so much as a lick of grey skin or orange horns since then, so I'm pretty sure even if he was from my world he's gone with the fucking wind or whatever it is that takes people away in this place.

[Her expression sobers at the answer. Even with the risk, she figures having another person around who remembers your home would be more of a comfort than not.

But she doubts he wants sympathy, so she keeps it to herself.]

One of my shinki is from my home. He doesn't look human either, so I'm glad I was around to explain what he is. [Yoruichi's glad she's around period, because Zangetsu's other god doesn't seem to do much of anything to curb his baser instincts.] Even if I disappear, he'll at least have some information to go on.

[The hope, of course, is that people go back to where they came from rather than some other place altogether. Even those who died before coming here deserve to pass on peacefully to whatever afterlife they have in their world.]

[Davesprite can appreciate how damn annoying that would be, even if he didn't come out quite that unlucky himself, and his mouth twists briefly in what might be sympathy.]

Yeah, I remember what I am in the broadest sense but I don't know what the fuck's up with the how or why or what circumstances lead to this precise level of neon orange feathery bullshit. My god's last shinki apparently remembered a thing before she disappeared, but I didn't really get the lowdown on that so it's pretty much a mystery whether I'm going to win the random memories lottery.

[He spreads his hands to accentuate the mysterious bit of it, even if his expression is still as linefaced as anything.]

It's too bad the old gods and shinki don't know much more than we do.

[And the things they do know they seem to be somewhat stingy about sharing. They may not understand or like the arrival of the new people, but holding back information that might get people killed--like the fact that shinki who push for too much of their past turn into ayakashi--is just stupid.]

Have you ever spoken to any of them?

The old guard? Haven't seen shit of them, let alone talked to them. They might be doing that whole working in mysterious ways shit humans totally fucking appreciate, but it doesn't make them real easy to get hold of for a casual phone call about what the hell's going on in the heavens.

[Unbeknownst to Davesprite, he's actually spoken to Amaterasu before, but that was mostly shenanigans anyway. As it is, it seems like they either don't care, have way too much on their plates to share basic information, or both.]

[ The Itoya flagship store in Ginza is a place to behold. It's got twelve floors (twelve!) and one of them is a damn farm. There's a pens floor, a stationary floor, an 'inspiration' floor, a cafe floor, everything you could possibly want for your writing and organizing office needs, and more. Honestly, it's exactly the sort of place that's suited for Konzen.

Today he's manning one of the fine pens desk. He looks up when a delivery arrives for signature. He blinks. ]

You!

[ It's not often he sees a familiar face in here. The city is enormous after all, and what use do Far Shore folk have of pens and paper? ]

[Even Yoruichi can slow a bit to appreciate the sheer variety of writing implements and supplies, despite suspecting she won't have need of it anytime soon. Too many afternoons holed up in the classroom studying calligraphy--the princess couldn't have anything less than a graceful, perfect hand.

She snickers at Konzen's greeting, propping the box on her hip.]

You really know how to talk to a lady. Careful, I might swoon.

[ The look of surprise falls way to his more usual resting bitch face. Yeah, yeah, he knows he doesn't have the best social face. It's a miracle he's lasted in a customer service type position, but it's not like the clientele really remember his surly attitude. Besides, he knows his stuff. ]

Very funny.

[ He sticks his hand out expectantly. He's gotta sign for it, right? ]

Guess you've managed to survive all the goings on. [ Which doesn't surprise him at all. She was ready for a war the last time they spoke. And Konzen has a feeling she could handle it. ]

[Yoruichi hands over the parcel, putting the electronic pad and stylus on top for his signature.]

I'm annoyingly hard to kill. [People have tried, off and on, for centuries.] And you seem to be settling in okay. How'd you land a job here?

[ He signs for the package and hands her back the pad. ]

So am I, apparently, [ he says dryly. After all, he's 'alive' now, even though he should be quite dead. Flat and dead.

As for this job... ]

A friend. He told me I should look into this place. Apparently he thinks it suits me.

[Yoruichi takes the pad back, then leans a hip against the counter. As fast as she is, she can afford to take the time to chat a little.]

Oh? Were you a scribe or something back home? [House Shihouin had plenty of them, as do most organizations in Soul Society. Their duties have shifted somewhat with the recent use of computers in the last century, but Yoruichi suspects there will always be a need for history and information to be recorded somehow.]

[ Normally, he'd go back to work, but ... it's a quiet part of the day and there aren't any customers on this floor right now anyway. ]

Scribe? No.

[ What did Konzen do? It's not like he's embarrassed about it, but he doesn't think 'I stamped papers and shit' is really a good answer. ]

I did mostly admin work. [ Hey, it takes a lot of bureaucracy to run heaven. ]

[She gives him a good-natured grimace, because she has a good idea of how much bureaucracy it took to run her own heaven.] I couldn't stand to be at a desk all day. I'd push off whatever paperwork I could back home.

[Despite the way she makes it sound, she did her fair share. As nonchalant as she could be, Yoruichi took her responsibilities seriously, and was very, very good at her many jobs.]

Hn. Yeah, well. Someone's gotta do it, I guess.

[ Tenpou is also the sort to push off paperwork. Konzen has a meticulous personality though, that is especially suited for this kind of thing. Even if he complains about it. ]

What did you used to do, 'back home'?

[Yoruichi peers at some of the pens at the counter as she answers, her voice nonchalant.]

I was in the military, more or less. But I left a while ago.

[She doesn't seem like the sort who'd do well in a rigid military structure, but the Gotei 13 is full of eccentrics to this day.]

[ She might look sleight, but Konzen somehow believes it. Tenpou doesn't look like much either, but he was a formidable military officer. ]

I guess that's why you think we're here for a war...

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