thenearshore | [OPEN] All work and none of the play, ever.

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[OPEN] All work and none of the play, ever.

Who: Shun Kurosaki and you!
What: Various forms of not-recreation ~~someone stop him~~
When: A: May 13th, B: May 14th, C: Night of May 14th
Where: A: Calico Cat Cafe, B: various Far Shore areas, C: Top of the overlarge hill that is Nekhbet's Temple.
Warnings: PTSD warning for prompt C.

[A]

[It's getting close to closing time at the cat cafe, and that means someone has to round up all the cats for the night. And that somone is generally Shun, being that looking after the cats is basically what he was hired for considering his absolute refusal to ever do customer service.

Given what cats are like, this isn't always an easy or straightforward task, and right now Shun's lying on the floor in one of the back corners of the cafe, reaching as far under a low-to-the-floor couch as he can to try and pull out a kitten that's crammed itself under there. Its three friends have decided to join the effort by way of sitting and lying on various areas of Shun's legs and back, and he looks decidedly unimpressed as he manages to get hold of the other cat and pull it out.]

Just because people pay for this for some reason don't mean I'm asking for it. [Still, he needs all four of these cats in, and if he knocks them off chances are it's going to take him another ten minutes to dig at least one of them out from something else. So looking over his shoulder and weighing up the placements of the three, he parts his legs so he can hold the cat lying there between them, then with both hands still on the first cat, he stretches back to loop his arms around the other two on his spine and then rolls sharply onto his back, pulling them onto his front as he does.

On one hand, he has all four cats, all of them looking somewhat bemusedly at the roof. On the other, now he can't get up, and if someone else approaches, he tenses visibly and gives them a wary look. He might've put himself in the situation, but he doesn't like not having the limbs to fight with. Not that he shows it beyond that, though, because his next remark is calm and curt as ever.]

Are you going to do something useful, or just stand there and stare?

--

[B]

[After what happened earlier in the month, with the vampire and that attack on the town coming one day after another, Shun's been determined to improve his endurance when it comes to extended use of his powers. So on his little patrols around the Far Shore, he's been checking for cut and broken trees, ones that are still a substantial size but not what he figures will be too much.

Still, "too much" is a loose term when it comes to him. A faint, but building hissing might catch the ear of people by various forested Far Shore areas, something almost like a massive snake - except closer inspection into the trees will likely reveal Shun, hands pressed to the shattered trunk of a tree that's still twice his size or more. The bark has gone grey-black and dead, and Shun's hands sink through it for a moment before the entire thing gives out and crumples into decayed dust. By this point, though, he's aware he has company, and turns to face whoever's found him. He looks a little worn from the exertion, but it's not like those tired lines and the flatness to his eyes aren't always there anyway.]

That hissing wasn't an ayakashi, if that's why you came out here.

--

[C]

[It's late. Really late. Shun knows from his own movements around the Far Shore at this hour that there are still people who move around at this time of night, which is why on this particular night, he's seated at the very top of the tall, oddly-shaped hill that is his temple. A few of the vultures have flocked around him, and he seems uncharacteristically unfocused as he feeds them scraps of rotted food.

Nightmares are nothing unusual for him, but usually it takes a little longer for them to wake him up like this. Tonight is just one of those nights, he supposes, where the laughter and screaming, the death in his eyes and ears that doesn't feel like it'll ever leave, drives him out of bed within the first hour and puts him out of sleep for the rest of the night. After a day like this, he knows he needs the rest, but he can still faintly hear the strains of sound from his nightmares and he knows they'll just come back in force as soon as he closes his eyes again.

As a few more of the vultures wake and seemingly realise the presence of food, the sharp sound of large wings breaks out over the area of the temple, and anyone passing by may very closely miss being run into in some manner by a vulture in flight. With all of them going to the top of the temple, the presence there is made obvious, and anyone bothering to make the trek up will be met by a cold stare from Shun, surrounded by a crowd of vultures.]

There's nothing for you up here, unless you like rotted scraps as much as these ones do.

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[At least Ren corrected himself on the mention of play, otherwise Shun probably would've given him a hiding right here. But that's his own error in assuming otherwise, he supposes, and he inclines his head.]

Good. I haven't seen an attitude like that before, so I wasn't sure how to read it. But as long as you're taking it seriously, it's fine.

[Maybe not as seriously as Shun takes it, but he still needs some degree of seriousness to teach someone decently. Still, he is right about at least one thing there, and even though the smile has faded, Shun looks rather satisfied.]

Knowing when to concede is fine, but knowing not to do it before the fight has even started is better. I can hardly argue with that view of it.

Tetsu didn't know what to make of it either at first.

[He's not sure Tetsu knows what to make of it even now, other than sighing at him. Tetsu is only rarely on the receiving end of that kind of talk so he doesn't actually hear much of it.]

I know when it's time to admit I'm in over my head, don't worry. I'm still here, aren't I? [Not that Shun knows yet about either of his solitary run-ins with ayakashi to give him context on that...] But I also trust that you know what you're doing and that you like me enough not to put me in too much danger.

[So he might be pushing it with that last bit, but it had to be said, okay.]

Edited (omg i'm sorry for all my constant edits) 2016-11-16 08:53 (UTC)

I don't know who that is, but I'm not surprised.

[Even if Shun isn't familiar with it for other reasons, it's probably a little odd to most people. It doesn't help that Shun's more familiar with seeing actual cruelty or masochism when it comes to that particular kind of eagerness for combat.

It's difficult not to raise a brow at Ren's question, and pretty much impossible not to ask his own back.] What have you been doing that it's been that important?

[Last Shun knew of Ren putting himself in over his head, Shun had to drag him out before he got himself set on fire. That's not much of an example. And while pushing it the remark might be, Shun gives a faint, dry snort at it, like he's missed the mark anyway.]

That just means I put you in as much danger as I think is necessary for you to learn. [Which hasn't been as much as it could have been, but after that challenge, apparently a little more learning is needed.]

[Ren immediately perks up and takes in a breath so he can excitedly and at length tell Shun all about Tetsu because Tetsu is amazing and Shun would like him very much--

Only for Shun to ask that question and he stops like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar. This first time wasn't really his fault, but the second, more recent time definitely was and he can only imagine how Shun might react to hearing about his research. Which he had actually been meaning to tell him about at some point, except that this would come up then instead of now...]

Well, you know, ayakashi don't really care if you have your shinki with you or not...

[...Yep, that should work.]

I do learn pretty well with that approach, so i guess that kind of answer will have to do.

[That's quite possibly the worst attempt to avoid a question that Shun's recently heard, and he levels Ren with a rather severe look. Even if he'd explained it away better, that reaction to Shun bringing the topic up at all speaks volumes.]

If you're trying to tell me that you called me for lunch but didn't call me when you had an ayakashi on your back and no way to protect yourself, that might even be worse than whatever it is you're trying to avoid telling me.

[With the whole fire incident having gone how it is, he already knows Ren isn't the most alert to danger, but an ayakashi attack is even harder to miss than an encroaching fire most of the time. Not that he can blame Ren for not having his shinki with him, but he was also the person reminding him during the fire the other week that teleportation existed.]

[Okay, he has a point and several mistakes were definitely made that evening, but he's going to have to correct Shun on one little point.]

I didn't say I had no way of protecting myself.

[That is absolutely the worst argument he could make, though, and he winces a little for both of them as he thinks about just how effective that particular method of defending himself had been.]

...It just wasn't a very good one. But I did get myself out of there eventually.

[Even in the state he's currently in, it only takes Shun a few moments to realise what Ren means by that. He'd almost forgotten the suggestion, honestly, though given he carries a knife nowadays he probably could've tried it, but as soon as he makes the connection, he's hard-pressed not to outright bring a hand to his face.]

You mean that suggestion I made once and specifically said would be a stupid as hell idea to pull out against an ayakashi when you had no other weapon?

[Still, he is at least alive, so there's only a certain degree of pissed-off he can be about this. It just happens to be a reasonably high degree.]

Maybe it'll at least put you off trying anything like that again.

[Yep, that's the one, going by the surprise on his face that Shun guessed it from something like that. But since Shun did figure it out and actually remembers the suggestion in the first place, Ren is actually a little more eager to fill him in on how it went.]

It wasn't a bad idea! It works really well to ward off the smaller ones. It doesn't seem to hurt them, but they don't want anything to do with it. [Sigh.] It just made the bigger one mad, though.

[He is not going to mention that he purposefully sought out something bigger to try it on rather than happening to run into one and using what he had on him. Shun can figure that out for himself.]

I don't regret trying it, but that was too exciting even for me.

[So, no, he won't be doing that again.]

Which is the kind of backfire I was expecting when I said testing it would be risky. You can't expect a weapon to work the same way on different kinds of enemies.

[It is useful to know that it does something against smaller ones, even if it is just deterring them, but if it puts bigger ones on the rampage as well, that's less promising. At least now they know and they can never make that mistake again. In theory.

Thankfully for Ren's continued health, there's not enough context here for Shun to figure out that Ren went looking for the bigger one voluntarily. However, he does get another sharp glare at his choice of wording to finish up, which is still pretty strong despite the fact that Shun's bothering less and less to cover up his tiredness.]

I don't think "exciting" is the right word.

"Exciting" is a fine word for it. It was very exciting in a bad way.

[The sad thing is, he don't actually have a better word for it, because that is genuinely how he feels. It wasn't fun and he wouldn't do it again, but it was exciting.

And that probably doesn't help much. Ren sighs a little and cups his chin in his hand and he pouts over at Shun a little. He's angry and he has every right to be angry and it's touching that he is angry, but he doesn't like Shun being angry either.]

I'm sorry I didn't call you. I wasn't really thinking straight that day.

Most people don't use that word for bad things.

[But then, it's Ren. They pretty much just got through an introduction to the fact that Ren likely has a very different concept of what's exciting than Shun does.

Pouting and sighing doesn't lighten Shun's expression any, but even though he considers apologies rather pointless for the most part, he supposes it helps here. At least Ren might think twice about taking something like that on alone if it happens again.

Letting out a short breath, he lets his look come back to something a bit more neutral.] Then prove it by looking out for yourself next time, even if you're having other problems. Nobody wants to find you covered in blight or dead.

[Oh, do they not?

...Ok, maybe most people don't. But they should.]

I can think of one person.

[Maybe. He's not entirely sure what Hibari's feelings about him actually are anymore. At one time, he would have said Hibari would have been pissed off at him too, but after the fit he'd thrown when he left...

But he's really only saying it to be contradictory anyway, so he doesn't even sound like he's being serious about that.]

Well, I don't have any intention of dying any time soon, and if I did, it would be because of something silly like that. So I'll try not to make you worry.

You don't count.

[Not an entirely serious answer either, but with Shun it's almost impossible to tell anyway.

Making a remark like that doesn't really help the issue of not making Shun worry, and while he's not making too much of a point of it, he does raise his brow a bit at Ren.]

Having no intention of dying doesn't change much. Anyone can be caught off guard, it's just more likely if you're not taking it seriously. You say you are, so I'll take your word for it for now, but saying things like that isn't a reassurance.

[And now he's back to all serious, which may help highlight the lack of it in his earlier remark. Anyone can die. He knows that all too well.]

Not me.

[He has been there, done that, and his curiosity on that front has been thoroughly satisfied.]

Taking things seriously won't always keep you safe either. [Oh, he intimately remembers a certain soul-threatening situation that he took very seriously and still lost.] But I would rather go out while fighting seriously. Still, I'll have to show you what I can do so you won't worry so much.

I know that. How many times do you think I've seen it? [There's a sharpness to Shun's tone as he says that fit to bite through steel, and the lines under his eyes deepen for just a moment with pain. All the people he's lost had been fighting seriously when they were overcome, and just because not taking it seriously makes it more likely doesn't mean seriousness is a total protection from it.

It fades off after a few moments, though, leaving him looking tired again for a second before he recovers himself.]

That's something, at least. And I'll have to show you what comes of making a challenge you're not ready for yet in return.

[Ah. Ren smile immediately fades away as soon as Shun snaps at him, leaving behind something far more attentive and serious.

That hadn't been the right thing to say. He hadn't meant to be callous by saying that, but that is clearly a sorer subject for Shun than it is for him. Of course, as Shun just said ten seconds ago, most people don't use "exciting" for bad things either...

He eyes Shun for a little while longer before he finally nods and turns away...only to turn back to him with a smile after a moment.]

...Speaking of challenges, let's race to the end of the block! I bet I could definitely beat you at that.

[Sorry, Shun, but the best way he knows of to lighten the mood is to avoid the subject entirely in favor of something sillier.]

[It's nothing if not a transparent attempt to lighten the mood, and Shun seriously considers calling him out on it for a moment. But for all the occasional mental lapses, he doubts Ren isn't entirely aware of that himself, and though he doesn't entirely play along with the lightening of the mood, he indulges the change of subject with a raised eyebrow.]

Is there a reason you're so sure about it, or are you just asking to get beaten again?

[At least in this case the "beaten" is slightly less literal than it will be tomorrow, but it still feels like a valid question to ask.]

[For a fraction of a second, Ren's smile edges into the same challenging look he had earlier--he's jus that pleased that Shun when along with it. But then it's gone and he playfully pokes at Shun's shoulder like he's starting a game of Tag.]

Because I'm getting a head start!

[Sure enough, there he goes, dashing off down the street before he's even finished his sentence.]

[The disadvantage of running off halfway through that sentence is that halfway is all Shun really needs to figure out what he's about to do, and with a slight, annoyed sigh, he runs after Ren almost as soon as the other's "headstart" begins. Unsurprisingly, Shun's running speed is about as honed as everything else about his physical ability, and it's not so much a question of if he'll catch up as when.]

You call that a headstart? [At least he sounds a little more engaged now.]

[Luckily, this is one area where Ren feels confident that he can give Shun an okay challenge. Shun is still probably going to pass him and win, but it won't be quite as easy as he might be expecting. Especially since, as soon as he glances back and sees how quickly his lead his shrinking, he pushes himself even harder to try to stay ahead.]

It is when we only have a block!

[Ren is faster than Shun expected him to be, he'll give him that. But even if that's true, he's hardly going to let that stop him from winning even something as trivial as this. The added speed slows the closing of the gap for a moment, but Shun pushes himself that little bit harder as well, and brings things back to where they'd been.

Shun draws level with him quickly enough, and starts to pull ahead as they get closer to the end of the block.]

It still won't be enough! [...Definitely more engaged than he was at the start.]

[Maybe it had been inevitable, but Ren still lets out a gusty sigh through his lips as Shun passes him. He can't push himself much harder than this. Although, if he's honest, he probably could catch back up and pass him...if he used his powers. He'd been able to move pretty fast in his shadow form while avoiding fighting with Hibari.

Or he could just teleport.

In the middle of running along a hard concrete sidewalk is not really when he wants to test something that could involve him tripping and falling flat on his face, though. And the whole point of this was just to get Shun to play a little bit, which has absolutely been accomplished.

He'll just have to get Shun to race him again sometime. Maybe while he's wearing that coat of his so Ren could grab the back and let shun pull him along...]

[In all honesty, Shun had been half expecting him to teleport from the start, but had assumed that would have ended things too quickly and put them back to where Ren had been trying to change the topic from.

As he reaches the end of the block, Shun comes to a quick, restrained stop, turning back to look at Ren. He doesn't have that challenging look from earlier, but he looks a lot less annoyed than he did when they started.]

That wasn't bad, but if you're going to start first make it less obvious next time.

[Ren come to a stop much more gradually, even overshooting Shun a bit so he has to backtrack a few steps. (At least he didn't go with what else had come to mind, which was plowing right into him). But even though he definitely breathing heavier than shun (not by a whole lot, but it's noticeable) and he lost, he still grins right back at him.]

That wouldn't have been as fun.

I don't understand half your reasons for finding things fun, anyway.

[It's a little on the exasperated side, because honestly, some things he gets, but others just seem entirely random when Ren describes them as fun. Like what difference a second either way of the headstart would have made.

Looking down either side of the street they're on now to get a better idea of where they are, Shun considers how close his own shrine is.]

Unless your shrine is any closer, mine should be a few streets from here. [By streets he means at least half of those are shortcuts or back-alleys, but it's not far either way.]

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