thenearshore | 004 | Too Much Chocolate

Entry tags:

004 | Too Much Chocolate

Who: Everyone!
What: Passing out chocolates
When: All day March 15, 2016
Where: Throughout Japan
Summary: There is so much leftover chocolate from White Day that the Heavens have asked Far Shore residents to pass out the remaining candies to Near Shore residents.
Warnings: Content warning for: emetophobia and suicide mentions/ideation.

It is the day after White Day and, for some reason, there is a mass of chocolates left over. Oddly enough, these chocolates all appear to have been produced by the same small company: Fujisaki Confectioneries. The Heavens hate to see all of this chocolate that was meant to spread joy to the Near Shore go to waste, so they have asked residents of the Far Shore - specifically all you lovely gods and shinki - to go about Japan and pass out chocolates to unsuspecting humans, who will obviously be grateful for such a thoughtful gift, even from a stranger.

There are two problems, though, both stemming from the fact that the chocolates are 'cursed':

First, gods and shinki are prohibited from eating the chocolate and will face dire consequences if they indulge in the goodies, though the Heavens failed to mention what those consequences might be. Second, Near Shore residents are susceptible to the actual 'curse' that has been placed upon the chocolates, which turns out to actually be small ayakashi who want nothing more than to lead any Near Shore resident that they can to their death.

All gods and shinki have been tasked with this errand, including the group that have just arrived as of today. They will find themselves informed of their situation and then promptly handed a large box of chocolates and told to be on their way to pass them out.

Please remember: The only thing the Heavens have said to the gods and shinki is that they are to hand out chocolates and not eat any themselves. There is no IC information about the chocolates being 'cursed' and they seem like perfectly normal chocolates.

Chocolate Giving

Giving out chocolates might seem like a perfectly easy task, but the people of the Far Shore have always had a hard time being noticed by residents of the Near Shore. It might be difficult to catch someone's attention long enough to actually even pass them a bar of chocolate. In fact, you might have to resort to desperate measures, like stepping directly in front of them or grabbing their hand to stop them from continuing onward. How you catch their attention to give them their treat is entirely up to you, but most Near Shore residents don't particularly like being manhandled.

Dire Consequences

Unfortunately, some shinki and gods will likely give in to temptation and take a bite or more of the chocolates they've been given. Any Far Shore resident who eats the chocolates will find themselves suddenly and violently ill. They might come down with an instant fever, find that they can't control their bowels, or be overcome by intense and overwhelming nausea. The way that the sickness hits will be different for each person. Additionally, any shinki that eats the chocolate will find that they have stung their god, blighting themselves and their god in the process.

Ayakashi

The small ayakashi that were hiding out in the chocolate bars are freed the moment that a Near Shore resident takes a bite of the chocolate. These ayakashi may be small, but they are far from weak. As soon as they are free, they will take up residence on the shoulder of the person they are attached to and begin whispering ideas of death in their ears. All Near Shore residents under this influence will instantly find themselves too depressed to go on and will take immediate action to try and end their own suffering. It's best to kill the ayakashi quickly to stop the inevitable from happening.

Noisy Ayakashi

Oddly enough, some of the chocolate bars do not have the depressing ayakashi hanging out in them, but instead a different kind of ayakashi which seem to be completely alright with leaving the Near Shore residents alone. However, the moment that they lay eyes on a Far Shore resident - be it shinki or god - they will attack with a vicious fervor, obviously intending to do as much harm as possible. These Noisy ayakashi will range in size and shape from bugs all the way to small birds. Thank goodness they're not much larger, because they are harder and it seems they can only be taken down when solid teamwork is involved.

In Summary:

Pass out chocolate
Don't eat it or you'll get sick
Save the people you just gave chocolate to
Hope you have friends nearby to kill the Noisy ayakashi with
Try not to let anyone die
Have fun~

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[Mikleo shrugs his shoulders lightly, but it doesn't look like he thinks it's a crazy idea.]

I'm not sure. I wasn't told which god I was partnered with.

['Partnered' just sounds a hell of a lot better than 'assigned.' Still...it's strange how he gets an immediate sense that this guy is someone he can place his total trust in. Perhaps that's because he's supposed to feel that way towards his god? Mikleo will have to see if there's any research he can do on that.]

Even if I'm not your shinki, then I suppose I can help you find them. My name is Mikleo. Which...is really all I know about myself.

[Why did he say that to someone he just met? Mikleo frowns at himself, wondering where on earth his better judgment went.]

Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned that.

[ To be fair, anyone would think it was. But it's something Sorey feels confident about. Well, maybe something like a gut feeling? With this connection he feels towards him.

However, the instant the name comes to him does Sorey brighten up. Mikleo. Mikleo.. Yeah, that was his name. ] Mikleo.

[ It sounds so familiar when he says it. Of course he knew Mikleo. Though, he's cut off when he hears him continue on. So.. Mikleo didn't remember anything else. Lips press together, but he shakes his head after. ] It's fine. You don't need to apologize.

[ He keeps it in mind nonetheless. After does he show a smile. ] My name is Sorey. [ Though Heaven seems to be gathering attentions of the Gods and their shinki anyways for their next purpose. Maybe that could be their way to find out? ]

[Mikleo gives him a somewhat inquiring look at the way he says his name, but doesn't comment on it further. As bad as it is that he doesn't remember anything about himself, he gets this feeling that it'll be bad for him to learn who he'd been.]

It wasn't the right time nor place to say something like that, especially when we've just met.

[Just. Pointing that out, despite being forgiven.

The seraph nods politely at him.]

It's nice to meet you, Sorey. [Mikleo absently brushes his bangs out of his eyes, thinking.] Do you have any hints as to your shinki's identity?

[A part of him is kind of hoping that it is Sorey who's his partnered god. After all, it's not everyday that someone manages to put Mikleo instantly at ease on the first meeting, which is something he'll have to think about later.]

You think so? [ It didn't seem like that to him. Was that weird? A gloved hand rubs at the back of his head with a sheepish look.

Green eyes watches the way that hair is brushed to the side with a thought that Mikleo's looks were.. really unique. Lavender eyes, silvery blue hair- he stands out. In a good way, though. ] ..Huh?

Oh, uh.. they said I would be able to tell? [ To be honest he was a bit more preoccupied with other things. ] They're handing out tasks to everyone so maybe we can just use that. [ He brings his hand to point out where Heaven is going about and handing out ..packages? He's curious to know what if he's honest. ] You don't know which God you're with then, right? We can help each other out this way!

[ Though, if Mikleo isn't the shinki he's partnered like he thought he was, he can't help feel some disappointment. ]

Well, yes. It's not something I should be troubling you with so soon. [Or ever, really, in Mikleo's opinion.

He'll not comment on Sorey's lack of focus in that moment. This is all pretty overwhelming, so he simply chalks it down to the god simply being new to this. It's not very encouraging, but at least they'll be on the same level.

The water seraph covers his mouth to hide a small smile. Mikleo has a feeling that even if they aren't partners, he'll be keeping an eye on this god to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. He seems like the type to put his trust in a serial killer if they're nice enough.]

That's better than standing around doing nothing. I'll follow your lead.

It's okay, I don't mind. [ Especially if it turns out that they are partnered, he'd want for the other to be able to tell him anything. But that's a discussion left for another time maybe.

He does perk a little when Mikleo's expression seems to shift. Even if hidden, he can definitely tell that he's smiling at this moment and it has a grin widening on Sorey's own lips in response. ]

Alright, let's go! [ As they draw nearer to them, Sorey is already speaking again: ] Um, excuse me--

[ Though he's surprised instantly by their responses. When they see the pair of them, they seem to already take hint: "Good, the both of you are here." They're not allowed to be told of their mission until the incantation is done and the pact is made. Looks like plenty of the newly arrivals had to go through the process too so they're not the first, and certainly not the last.

The incantation is a bit.. lengthy. It rings up a memory in Sorey, one still a bit too hazy but he remembers hearing of something similar. Has he already been through this process before...? He can't help looking to Mikleo as though it would provide some answers. He isn't sure what to expect by the end of it. ]

[Mikleo decides to let it go for now. It's not worth arguing about it, and he has a feeling he'd lose the argument anyway.

That's quite a bright grin, and it looks so natural on Sorey's face that Mikleo can guess that he smiles a lot. He simply nods and falls in step with Sorey, trailing a little behind him and to the left. It feels right to him, so he doesn't question it just now.

He's quiet as the young god talks to Heaven's officials, and remains so as the incantation is recited. It's something only a god does when partnering with a shinki and requires nothing on the shinki's part. What Mikleo doesn't know is a rather nasty side-effect that'll hit the god making this pact.

Sorey must see the memory of his shinki's death, and it'll hit the god almost immediately.

"Sorey!" Mikleo's voice calls out as he shoves what looks like a slightly older and different-looking Sorey. The young man hits the ground hard and in a sprawl, unable to do anything except watch in horror as the ceiling above the water seraph falls on top of him. The last thing Mikleo sees of him is wide green eyes before rocks obscure his vision.

Unfortunately, it's not a quick death. The pain is practically unbearable as multiple bones have been broken and a few ribs have punctured his lungs. One hand he thinks has been totally crushed, but he can't move his head well enough to check. Blood is quickly pooling out from under him and it trickles from his head as well. The rocks are slowly crushing him to death, if he doesn't bleed out first.

It's muted, but there's a sound of rocks being shifted and a voice calling out. The last thing Mikleo sees before death finally takes him is the hope and then utter devastation on Sorey's face when he finally manages to dig to where the water seraph's broken body is.]

[ The memory shocks him. Yet the amount of emotions and the realization of what happen hits him hard.

Especially when it's his own name he hears and it clicks to him. Why Mikleo looked familiar, why he seemed familiar- in their life before this they knew one another. Before coming here.

But what led to them meeting is what pains him greatly. Mikleo had died.. because of him? Because of Sorey- he had died. He died so painfully, having collapsed under all of those rocks--

When the memory is over Sorey doesn't realize he had been holding his breath until he's gasping for air. Vision glossed over and tears have begun spilling from his eyes. The constricting pain around his chest and heart is almost unbearable as his hand loosely grips at it.

But not before he realizes he has taken one of Mikleo's own into them. He can't say anything about this memory. He can feel it resonating strongly inside him- under no circumstances can he say anything. Even so--] ..Sorry. I'm sorry.

[ He apologizes. It's the only thing he can do. His other hand wipes messily at his face, ridding of tears from his pain stricten face. Sorey didn't know what he was going to see. Death was.. certainly hard. Really hard. But there was an ache in his heart to know Mikleo apparently had died saving him.

It was unfair. And now here they both are. ] S, Sorry I-- [ Here he was crying. The young God had to be stronger than this, but his hand still trembles from the memory. That brief hope that things would be okay only to be crushed. And he couldn't even say anything. Not a single mention to Mikleo.

Why? ]

Sorey?!

[His immediate reaction is to be concerned when the god takes his hand like that. The concern just increases at seeing the grief and sorrow on his face as he cries, a hand clutching at his heart. Mikleo has no idea what's happening to Sorey right now. All he knows is that he doesn't like it, and the pain Sorey's feeling...it's like he's experiencing it as his own, though he knows that it's not.

Whatever happened, it hurt badly. This...this isn't something he wants to see on Sorey ever again, nor does he ever want Sorey to experience these feelings again. Perhaps it's weird for Mikleo to be so immediately protective over someone he just met, but...his heart's made up his mind on this one. Whatever it takes, he'll do his best to protect Sorey from that pain.

Then the apologies come and he doesn't know why they're even being said. All Mikleo can think to do is try to give gentle comfort.]

Hey, come on. Whatever just happened, it wasn't your fault.

[Mikleo doesn't know, can't possibly know, if that's true, but he feels that it is. He doesn't believe that Sorey is ever someone he can put blame on.

Purely through instinct, he tries to "send" feelings of forgiveness and calm to Sorey, but there's an undertone of concern with it. It's a bit clumsy and perhaps comes off as a little too strong. However, it's clear that they're Mikleo's emotions and not Sorey's.]

[ Sorey just needs a moment. That's what he tells himself anyways. Willing to calm down, but the pain is more evident upon his face at those words.

If Sorey hadn't been there, would Mikleo still be alive? Though.. that goes to ask, why was Sorey here? He's quiet for that moment. But he closes his eyes after with a clear shake of his head. He doesn't want to worry Mikleo.

Already he feels bad for having worried him. He can't bring himself to smile though. Not after all of that. ] I just.. wish there was something I could have done.

[ It's vague, at least. It's the most he can say without diving into it anymore. But he stays quiet after that, to show he won't go any more further into it. Brows knitted together and he lowers his gaze painfully to the side.

But it's the weird collision of emotions that has him confused. He feels it- those emotions, but rather than feeling like their his own, it's just something he also feels. In comparison that he can feel Mikleo's hand in his own but he can tell which hand is his and which is Mikleo's, to which he lets go after a moment. He can feel those emotions but they aren't his. ] What.. is that? [ Was that.. Mikleo's doing? Or his own? It's a bit overwhelming if he was honest given how strong it is. But he's more taken aback than anything. ]

[Mikleo sighs softly at that.]

I might not have known you for very long, but you seem like the type of person who would've done everything in your power to do. All you can do now is keep moving forward, right?

[It's all he can offer Sorey, at least right now. Luckily, the seraph doesn't want to pry further into it. Whatever Sorey experienced is something that's private, and he'll respect that privacy.

At the question, Mikleo actually looks a little embarrassed. Now that his hand's been relinquished, he crosses his arms over his chest and looks away. The emotions from Mikleo fade away as he stops sending them to Sorey, though he might have caught a hint of the seraph's embarrassment before the connection dissolved.]

Me. Well, my emotions. It seems I have some sort of empathic ability, but...frankly, I don't know the extent of it. I've been able to sense the emotions of everyone here, and apparently I can also actively send my own to you. Although, I'm not sure if I can do that with anyone else.

[It's something to experiment with in the future. This is perhaps one thing he's kind of excited to learn more about.]

Mikleo.. [ The next words feels like it's something he's said before but-- ] You're a pretty gentle soul, you know that? [ Sorey has a bit of a watery smile as his lips lift but honestly he really does appreciate it. He might not be over it- he .. probably won't be, not anytime soon.

The ache is still there solid in his heart but he'll take some time to worry about it later. He doesn't want to worry Mikleo anymore than he already has- and they still have the whole matter of obtaining their mission to focus on next.

Sorey can't help a chuckle at the seraph's obvious embarrassment. He does feel a bit better- Mikleo's attempts with this apparent ability did help, even if it was clumsy and a poor actual attempt. It's the fact that Mikleo was trying to reassure and cheer him up that perks his mood again. Plus his own attitude of not wanting to burden his feelings upon anyone else- he'll just hole it up for now. ] That's pretty neat! I'd like to learn more about it-- [ Probably later. As Sorey is suddenly being handed some packages. To which the young God blinks blankly at, fortunately the officials are beginning to explain what they are. Even as Sorey is already opening one and peering into the contents.

Chocolates. "You are to pass these out--" Don't mind Sorey as he eats one. "they are only to be given to Near Shore residents--" And maybe munching on a few more though his chewing slows at those words. "..and you are not suppose to eat any yourselves." A flat stare and now the God laughs sheepishly. ] S-Sorry.

[ A clear of his throat as he boxes them up. ]

If you say so. [Mikleo sounds unconvinced and unimpressed by the observation. It's true, yes, but nobody needs to point it out okay!!!

He still senses that ache, but he's done all he can for now. So, Mikleo won't comment on it. The seraph will just have to keep it in mind as they continue with their partnership. Though...he's not sure why he cares so much about this god, frankly.

Mikleo takes the box with more grace and ~~fortunately~~ doesn't eat the chocolate that's apparently inside. He covers his eyes with his free hand as Sorey does while the officials say not to eat them and that they're for the Near Shore.

This is his life, now.

He takes his hand away and instead has it rest on his hip as he looks at his partnered god.]

We should get going, then.

[Before poor Sorey embarrasses himself further. Oi...]

[ Look, they were too appetizing and were being begged to be eaten. Sorey couldn't very much ignore them! Even though he feels it was a bit rude to do so and not offer any to Mikleo. Before he realizes his mistake, that is.

Oh well. They mention there would be consequences but nothing specific so.. maybe he'll be punished after his task..? Or maybe they can let him off easily since he's a new God?! ~~he can hope~~ ]

Right!

[ Not before he turns back to the officials to give them a brief small bow. He turns to Mikleo after. ] Next stop, the Near Shore! Hmm... I wonder how it is over there- what do you think? I kinda want to explore but we should probably focus on passing out these chocolates first.

[Mikleo will bow with Sorey to the officials. It's only polite, and he's not exactly sure how shinki function in this kind of society anyway. Basically, there's a lot of research in his future.

He looks thoughtful at that.]

I don't think it'd hurt to do both. As long as we have a place where we can get back to the Far Shore or somewhere to meet up if we decide to separate.

[The seraph glances over at Sorey.]

If our jobs are going to be dealing with Near Shore residents, this is a good opportunity to see what the general area is like.

[ Separating would help them cover more ground.. ] Hmmm.

[ At first he just cups his chin thoughtfully though he nods as Mikleo continues, already starting to think of their plan. It would benefit them to know more about the area for the next time they come down too. ] Alright, so how about this.. we split up to finish the mission, then meet up where we started and explore the area from there?

[ He looks on over to Mikleo after he offers the idea to see what he thinks. Or if maybe Mikleo has a better idea of how to handle this. ]

[Mikleo thinks it over for a second before nodding in agreement.]

That sounds good.

[He smiles slightly at Sorey.]

Let's do this quickly so that we have as much time to explore as possible, huh?

Deal!

[ Here's to hoping he can, which he's sure he can politely catch their attention and hand them out. Wait till he sees it won't be that easy.

Once they arrive in the Near Shore does he pause to ensure they each have an even amount of chocolates to hand out. ~~minus the choice few missing in one of the boxes he has.~~ ]

I'll see you soon?

[He closes up his box and nods at the question.]

Of course. We're partners in this, after all. Just try not to get into any trouble.

[The last comment is mostly a tease, though. Mikleo heads off to pass out his chocolates, and he really does hope that Sorey doesn't get into any trouble.]

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004 | Too Much Chocolate

Excellent

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tw for death scene

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