thenearshore | (Open) Well hello world

Entry tags:

ω masaki kurosaki | bleach

(Open) Well hello world

Who: Masaki and you!
Where: Near shore town, Tezcatlipoca's temple Near Shore, Calico cat cafe
When: May 9-10
What: Masaki slowly getting the ropes with cleaning up and exploring the Near Shore.
Warnings: TBA

May 9, the Near Shore:

A: Outside Tezcatlipoca's temple morning:

[Perhaps you were visiting the area; perhaps it was on the way to your own temple. Either way, there comes in sight a young woman, who has found some improvised tools to give the Near Shore Temple a good cleaning up. She wasn't dressed as a priestess-she was wearing pretty modern clothing in fact-but noticing the company, she perked right up.]

Oh, hello! Have you come for a visit?

[Her smile was bright and girlish, nevermind that she might have looked like a bit of a mess.]

I didn't realize we'd have people coming by!

[Do they even have supplies for gods and shinki visits? Like tea and cookies? Ah...she can't remember...]

B: Within the surrounding town afternoon/evening:

i: Benches

[She'd been going around, trying to get a good idea of how the area was but...yeah, she had to stop, and watch the people go by for a bit. She felt tired, and she didn't quite realize why until she saw someone go by with food. From the near drooling, she remembered.

She hadn't eaten since she arrived. Drank water, but eat? She didn't know if she could. Or had to.

But when the next person went by, her stomach gurgled. Loudly. What a mess...]

ii Music Store

This is...music?

[It mostly had movies, items related to that and music, but there were head phones too, and codes they said for downloading music. What was downloading? Why would you want to download music? She was baffled.

But they had music samples. She tentatively put on the headphones, and listened for a few moments, her expression becoming...more or less baffled.

She gave a wave of her arm, trying to catch attention.]

Hey, have you ever heard music like this before?

[She'll offer up the headphones, eyes gleaming. She's learning something today.]

C: May 10, Morning, Cat Cafe Calico:

[Since she didn't know about the whole prayer system per se, she wanted to make sure that there would be grocery money. She didn't know what Dio liked, but she was going to make sure of one thing: she wasn't going to put too much pressure on her god. So she looked for work on and off yesterday, and found...well. A cat cafe.

Which was something she had never heard of before, and found amazing. So she applied, and when they figured out she was there, she had an interview on the spot and...found herself surprisingly hired.

So this was her first day. She was in a cute dress, and wearing cat ears (because for some reason one of the other servers thought it would be a good idea if she wore them) and was going around, beaming. It hadn't taken long to get the gist of what she was supposed to be doing.]

Nya, welcome to Calico! How may I serve you today ♥?

D: Choose your own adventure!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's pretty much impossible for him not to level Masaki with a sharp glare at that remark, because if she hasn't figured out from this conversation so far that he's really not the sort of person who'd appreciate that sort of thing, he's not sure she'll even get it if he puts it directly.]

Do you seriously think I'd enjoy something like that? It's ridiculous and unnecessary.

[He doesn't exactly sound annoyed, but he does sound incredibly dismissive of the notion. He doesn't even need to get into the practical reasons he'd dislike something like that.

At her question about the previous incident, he shakes his head.]

There was no circle, as far as I know. There was a shrine and some occult books, but that was about it.

[The sharp glare seems to bounce off of her, or she's just...not going to let it get to her. Or maybe it's the sleeping kitten. It's difficult to say at this point.]

It's something different and new. Sometimes, people find out that what they thought they didn't like, they would.

[Smile, smile. It's almost better to talk about weird jelly demon things that eat people like them.]

A shrine and occult books? Weird. Then again...this whole place is weird to me. This is some kind of afterlife.

[Given the kitten is still purring, it's more than a little impossible for Shun to forget it's on his head even without the weight, but he either doesn't care or just thinks he can be intimidating despite its presence. Or both. Either way, he gives a quiet, annoyed huff.]

That's true of some things, but I doubt something like that would be one of them.

[At least he's less irritable about the jelly ayakashi. With a slight shrug, he goes on in a much more neutral tone.]

It was strange to me, too. We don't have that sort of thing in my world. But if you're adaptable, it won't take long to get used to how things work here.

[She can't forget it either, when the kitten looks so content on his head. But...well. She's not ignoring his annoyance, but she's not letting herself get intimidated by him either.]

You never know.

[She says it mildly, something he can dismiss. But hearing the last part...she blinks, taken aback.]

Oh? You're a god then? I'm a shinki, so everything feels new. It's kind of neat, most of the time.

[It's hard to tell gods and shinki apart on sight unless the shinki's name is somewhere easily visible, so Shun takes the revelation in stride. Though she seems optimistic about the lack of memories, he has his own opinions on that which don't fall along nearly as happy lines, and the hard line of his mouth says as much.]

I'm supposed to be Nekhbet, not that it makes much difference to me. And I doubt having things feel new makes up for having your experiences stripped away from you like that with no say in the matter.

[His voice is terse and on the edges of bitter - more so than is really valid for what's been said about shinki.]

[Hers was on her back, right against the small of it. It was a hard to find location, most of the time. This was starting to feel like the don't cringe challenge though. He was very...bitter, it seemed. Or maybe the cat ear headband really made him that grumpy.]

Sorry, I don't know the name. Maybe you can tell me about your godly role sometime- I'd like to hear it.

[That...ah. She has to wonder if he knew, or had Axel as a...what did Sora call it? A nora. Or maybe he had friends among the forgotten. Her voice went a little more quiet, but she kept smiling.]

I can't mourn what I don't have. Even if I wanted to. So I would rather move forward. I can't have my past, but I can have a future. I would rather count my blessings.

Because while I didn't choose and it's not fair? I can decide how to feel about it.

I doubt you'll still be saying that when you hear it. [The response is near-immediate, but not vehement or bitter, or any overt emotion at all. It's a role Shun's been willing enough to take because he's used to it, but a godly domain largely based on funerals and cemeteries is never a pleasant one to discuss.

It's obvious enough from the fact that she's still smiling that she's determined to see the best in this, and while Shun likely would have dragged that notion down previously, it does take a certain amount of willpower to maintain that outlook. Still, he makes no attempt to look as optimistic as her, and there's a certain distance to his still intense gaze as he replies. Even without his personal circumstances, he read Add's post. He knows now what careless discussion of the past will lead to.]

You can't, but others can. This place almost makes remembering as much of an ordeal as forgetting for some gods here. But if you're so insistent on counting your blessings, at least make sure you aren't blindsided by the curses.

Even if neither of us is going to change the other's mind about this. [He knows enough optimistic sorts to know they don't bend to realists and pessimists.]

[She wondered about that. But he didn't seem to like much, or was grumpy over the tail thing or...grumpy overall. It was hard to say.

Or there were a lot of things he didn't want to talk about in his own past.]

I don't think we will agree, but I think we can agree to disagree, respectfully.

This place...does seem to make it easy to get dragged down by negativity. You gods have your hands full. I mean, we shinki are as dangerous as we are useful.

[She smiled at him gently.]

I hope your shinki, or your friends, show how grateful we are to you and the other gods. Or if they haven't, they should.

[At the very least, he gives an an accepting nod at the notion that they leave things at that in regards to what they disagree on. Even if he can't see things her way, he's at least somewhat grateful for the fact that she's not trying to impress the other view onto him.

As she remarks on "this place" making it easy to be dragged down, Shun's expression shifts subtly into something more closed. It's really not this place that's the problem, but he's not prone to going into detail about that easily unless he's enraged or has good reason to.]

I wouldn't lay it on this place and being a god so quickly. I'm used to far worse than this. [A few people here know Shun came from war, but for now, that's all she gets. At the remark on his shinki or friends, though, he gives what would probably be a much more convincing sound of frustration if he wasn't looking more at the ground than he was at her in the moment he makes it.]

My shinki is more grateful for me than he probably should be. [He still doesn't understand why Joker thinks of him so highly when several of his dealings with Joker haven't been up to the high standards he sets for himself, but oh well.] And the people who call me a friend are usually too busy fussing about unnecessary things.

[Like Shun's mental and physical health. As far as he's concerned, he can take care of himself, so their worry is uncalled for.]

[No more tail discussion. But there may be more that that don't agree on, or that she doesn't understand. Her head tilts, as his expression shuts down. She said something wrong, didn't she.

She clasped her hands in front of her. She can't expect him to open up to her anyway. They're strangers. She'd be the same way, she thinks, in his position.]

That's...an interesting thing to say. And I'm how to respond.

But maybe your shinki...I know, that for me, I feel a sense of...purpose. Because my god gave me that. I don't know if he feels the same. Or maybe, when he was alive, he was treated badly.

Maybe you and your shinki should talk. It's up to you.

[She shrugged.]

I don't know what they're fussing about either, so I can't say anything. Really, I shouldn't, because it's your life. I shouldn't be making judgements or anything because I don't know a darn thing about you.

So...I'm sorry. Please feel free to dismiss all I said.

[From the times he's talked about this kind of thing before, Shun was prepared for intrusive answers. Disagreements over his opinion on the matter, being told he needs to lighten up, things along those lines. And he's about to point out that he and his shinki already spoke when she goes on, and a faint air of surprise enters his face at her open admission that she can't really judge when she doesn't know anything about him. It takes a sadly rare self-awareness to make that admission, and like when Hajime did the same, he can't help but respect it to some degree.

After a moment, he shakes his head. His look isn't much more open, but the bitter, annoyed notes are gone from his face, replaced by something more thoughtful. Before he actually says anything, he takes a moment to lift the sleeping kitten off his head. It makes a sleepy mew of complaint, but tucks itself into the crook of his elbow to continue its snooze.]

Don't waste your breath apologising. You haven't said anything nearly stupid enough for me to ignore. [Considering how much to say - he figures Joker doesn't want to be outed, but knowing who the god is doesn't necessarily mean knowing who the shinki is - he continues in a slightly lower tone.] We talked already. There's not much else you can do when your shinki has to ask for nameless advice from the rest of the heavens instead of coming to you directly. I think his reasoning is something like yours, but I don't want whatever "purpose" he finds to be serving me. That was why I hated having a soulless shinki so much - they didn't have a choice but to be like that.

[She might not have had the awareness once, but...whether she remembers or not, she's learned that there are times that she needs to take a step back. And this is one of those times.

It doesn't make the little squeak of the kitten's protest any less cute though, or make her smile any less.]

Best to be careful, you know?

[Her smile is softer, less nervous. She didn't want to offended but...well. It happened sometimes. And...his shinki was the one she spoke to? Ah.]

I think I spoke to him.

[She had been about to say something else, but she blinked.]

Souless shinki...?

Not really. I've said to Amaterasu herself that apologies are none of my concern. [It's not a boast, but he feels it does a relatively good job at making the point that he treats apologies the same way regardless of the position they're coming from. Actions speak louder than words, in his opinion.

There were several shinki on that post, most of whom Shun hadn't met, so her mentioning being on it doesn't much help him identify her. Still, he gives a faint snort that might be mistaken for amused.]

As long as you weren't the one who suggested he punch me. [Not that it's not good advice for dealing with him sometimes, but that situation needed a bit more delicacy.

Since soulless shinki aren't overly common, it's not altogether surprising she hasn't heard of them, and he grimaces a little as he explains.]

As far as I can tell, if there aren't enough shinki for a god to be assigned one, they're given a soulless shinki by the heavens. At least, that's how it happened with me. They're like blank slates - rudimentary emotions, but no will to defy or question their god.

You spoke with her?

[She didn't know that Amaterasu spoke with anyone. But, well, he was a god so...she hadn't been aware of what she did, or any of that. So it was a bit of a surprise. She was learning, bit by bit.

Though surprise gave way to amusement, briefly.]

And have him hurt his hand? No way. But...souless shinki. Are they just...weapons?

[It'd be creepy to just have a husk of a person around. But...it doesn't sound good either, to have souless shinki.]

[That reaction isn't a real surprise given how infrequently Amaterasu presents herself, so Shun merely nods.]

She occasionally posts in the wake of major oversights and damage, and she came to help with the fire at that picnic a few weeks ago along with some of the other old gods. I doubt I'm the only person who spoke to her there.

[It had been an...interesting conversation, even if he'd had to admit to himself that he'd seriously misjudged the entire situation here, her included.

The uncomfortable, almost disgusted look on Shun's face at the question about soulless shinki is answer enough, but he elaborates anyway.] Yes. Their only real point is to serve as a weapon - otherwise, they might as well be an empty shell.

[She did seem to live in her own world. Or...so she assumed.]

Huh...it would make sense for her to help with the fire.

[She would have complete control over it, Masaki thinks. But...still, she has to wonder what she was like, and what she said to Shun. But some things can wait.

Especially when he looks so disgusted at the mention of souless shinki. She feels a little queasy herself.]

That does sound...horrible. It's like they're not supposed to exist. At least your shinki now can make his own choices.

There was a post a few weeks ago where me and a few others mentioned her lack of presence when disasters happen here. It seems like she listened to that, at least.

[Though he has to wonder where she was during the curse on the town. He saw two of the other old gods there, but with the apparent cause of it being a known enemy of the heavens, it's hard not to question her not being there.

With the moment of revulsion over, Shun gives a slight shrug.]

Who the hell knows whether they're meant to exist or not? In this place, there could be any reason they ended up like that. [He can't entirely shake the deeper fear that the soulless ones might be normal shinki having gone through something horrible, as much as he'd rather not think about it.]

Guess she really did.

[She might have even been worried about losing face, but Masaki would rather keep that to herself. Though she did have to wonder what the old gods were doing. Were they hiding? Panicking? Researching? It was hard to know.]

...and you might be right about that too. Do you think...they were made that way on purpose...?

[It might be easier, for some gods. They don't have to worry about getting stung, or blighted by their tools. It's a little chilling to think about.]

[While it's hard to be sure of most things here, Shun has more suspicions than most probably do, and it's kind of gratifying to hear someone pick up the point so quickly. Most people take that as a cue to call him paranoid, which isn't entirely wrong, but still gets old very quickly.

Regardless of how long he's suspected it, though, he still looks somewhat unsettled by the concept. When he knew a shinki before this world, it's even more cause for worry than it would normally be.]

I wouldn't say for sure, but the decent old gods I've met - other than Amaterasu, and that could be something about status - people have always specifically mentioned that they have shinki more like you and the other new ones. It's possible the older gods think it's more efficient to have shinki that don't question.

[He says the word with clear and unmistakeable bitterness and derision.]

[Paranoid? Possibly. Aware of things could go badly? Very much so. He's not the only one unsettled by the possibility. She's certain that Dio wouldn't want her that way, but what if he didn't have a choice? What if the Heaven's decided for one reason or another to have a blanket policy on shinki?

The idea was chilling.]

The decent gods. I guess...the only thing I could be hopeful for is that the opinion of the gods want shinki like us. We're likely painful sometimes, but that's also life.

[Still...she has to wonder.]

What happens when you...release a shinki? Do they move on to the next life?

[Though it's a horrible enough concept for Shun having a close friend as a shinki, he knows it can't be any better of a thought for someone who's a shinki themselves. But as much as it's difficult to consider, it has to be said. They can hope for the better option, but it's not always going to be the case.

After a moment of consideration, though, Shun's expression becomes a little less disturbed.]

It at least seems like most of the new gods prefer their shinki this way. I have seen one network post where someone tried to find a way to strip their shinki of "inconvenient" emotions, but most people treated the god involved with the derision he deserved.

[In response to the question, he shakes his head. He's not fully certain of what happens to freed shinki, but he knows they don't move on.]

As far as I know, they wander until they find another god to name them and take them in. Some of the new ones ask for certain gods to take them in before or after they're released.

[All things considered, she'd think it'd be horrifying for anyone who bore witness or was part of it.

But hearing that, she relaxed.]

Good. Emotions aren't inconvenient or anything. They just are.

[She bites her lip though.]

Are there certain gods that take in souless shinki in, or just their friends?

[She can almost picture a souless shinki shelter...]

The shinki involved was part of it as well - most would probably fight back against their god trying to do something like that, but this one let it happen.

[There's a note of distaste in Shun's tone, because as much as it's the god's fault for having the idea in the first place, he can't sympathise with someone who couldn't even bring themselves to disagree with having something like that stripped away.

Shrugging, Shun quickly recalls the soulless shinki he's known of so far.]

Not that I've seen - they probably go back to the older gods. I haven't seen mine since I released it, someone else I know who had one doesn't seem to have seen his since he did the same, and a god I know who disappeared recently had one that looks like it vanished when he did.

[She shakes her head a little.]

That sounds awful. I wonder what shinki would want that-or at least accept it and allow their gods to just...run over them.

[It makes her worry for that shinki; there might be a reason why the shinki didn't object. Maybe they had...she wasn't sure. There was a part of her that wanted to ask more, but she also didn't want to know too. Maybe there would be a way of finding out, if she ever decides to do something about it.

For now, she'll let it rest.]

Sometimes, people do foolish things. But...in any case, let's hope the souless shinki go back to the Heavens. It doesn't sound like they can take care of themselves, or want to.

I don't know. They probably don't even know why they did it. I might not like people who don't fight back, but a god taking advantage of their position like that is far worse.

[It just goes to show that there are some people here who deserve to be called gods even less than others. The shinki system might be unfair for a variety of reasons, but gods like that abusing the power they've been given over another person is hardly insignificant.

The issue of the soulless shinki is one that Shun's a bit less worried about by this point, largely because Masaki's hope is what he's been assuming about them from the start.]

They're the ones who send them, so that's probably where they go back to. They have to have had some kind of role before the Heavens started having to give them to us.

probably not tbh

yeaaaah

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