jigokulogs | ( open ) you doing anything to keep her by your side

#4. it's in the stars

[ everyone may be clamoring for these "stardust", but eula's not stupid nor buying it. after the blood rain from last month, she's not trusting anything that falls right out of the sky and onto people's awaiting hands for the taking. so when she's approached for a silly little challenge-- ]

Right, and what would I even get out of it?

[ she's being a killjoy, as per usual, even if she's tying up the stardust she'd collected so far in cute little pouches like decoration. don't ask, she's just bored. ]

I should take these up to headquarters for further testing. Not that I'd get anything substantial from them at this point, but... [ her faith in the enma really tanked since last month, rip ] It's not as though these little candies can grant wishes for you, right? So forget it.

[ sorry, she's not really in the mood... but she can be convinced with just a little mor nudging. she'd already wrapped up the stardust all cutelike, after all. ]

[ He was told to go collect these little things as well, and by the looks of it everyone and their grandmother was looking for them.

He gave the bare minimum to gathering them (by that he means he sees them and acknowledges it exists and only picking up whatever is less than five inches from his boot), when he hears her talking about the stardust. ]

I wouldn't doubt it so much. If there's one thing I know about magic and strange occurances, it's never underestimate the power of small things in great numbers.

[ He says while rotating a stardust between his fingers and tossing to her. ]

Besides, its Tanabata. Wishes may actually come true this time.

[ He got roped into this with her somehow, so he might as well make sure she does it. Besides, despite her grumbling, she seems pretty excited by the prospect. ]

[ she deftly snatches the speck of stardust out of the air and... puts it in one of the little bags anyway. ]

To be quite honest, I'm not familiar with the holiday itself. It sounds Inazuman from the word alone.

[ she should get in touch with either ayato or yae again. it's been a while. ]

What does wishing have anything to do with it?

[ He figured she knew but, guess that was a mistake on his part to assume. But here he goes. ]

Tanabata, the Star Festival, is an event to commemorate the romantic story of two - quite literally - star-crossed lovers. The seamstress, Princess Orihime, daughter of the God of the heavens, and Hikoboshi a humble cow-herder.

[ He picked up another piece of nearby stardust and tossed it in his palm as he continued with the story whilst walking slowly. ]

Orihime weaved wonderous and beautiful cloths along the banks of the Amanogawa, or the heavenly river or Milky Way whichever you wanna call it, which her father adored almost as much as her. She wove these stunning cloths everyday, tirelessly working to make each one more elegant, more radiant, than the last. Sadly with each cloth she wove her heart ached terribly for you see, Orihime longed to fall in love.

[ He suddenly stopped and caught the stardust, turning on his heel for effect, and faced Eula.]

To find that ellusive and magical emotion that can make everything you look at suddenly glow and shimmer with beauty you've never realized, make colors vibrant, scents more alluring, tastes more divine, and can make the world a more...breath taking place.

[ There's flair to his words and simple gestures, signs that despite his appearance and cold attitude towards the task - he enjoys the season and festival. ]

Edited 2022-07-13 22:29 (UTC)

[ she listens to his story as she matches strides with him, putting the little packets of stardust away into her bag. ]

Is that what this festival is truly about?

[ love, though. it has always been a complicated matter for her; being a social pariah since birth means that she's never given a chance by anyone growing up, even if she did her best in looking presentable anyway. now she's used to stamping any feelings of romantic attraction down as she focuses on the tasks at hand...

she can only shake her head. that magical emotion he described sounds alien to her at this point, and it's almost... terrifying in a way. she can't imagine herself falling for anyone at all, at least not while she's here. ]

I assume that she'd found her love anyway. But you mentioned their star-crossed destiny, so there's no doubt that it had ended quite badly for them.

[ of course it did. so why even celebrate...? ]

Mmmm. Not as bad as you'd think. I did say they were literally star-crossed. As in this whole story takes place in the heavens, the Milky Way being the galaxy where we reside.

[ He thinks. ]

Continuing our story, with Orihime's melancholy reaching her father, the God of the heavens saught to ease his daughters woes and so he called upon the cow-herder on the opposite bank, Hikoboshi.

He arranged for the two to meet and once they did, they each had fallen in love at first sight of each other. It was beautiful and magnificent, the sight brought a smile to the God, and soon after their meeting Orihime and Hikoboshi were happily wed.

The two lived in bliss, for their love is true and everlasting as the stars however, things were not well elsewhere. Orihime no longer weaved her cloths, and Hikoboshi neglected his herd and they wandered all over the banks of the Amanogawa.

The God was obviously very v~e~r~y dipleased by this. The union he himself brought about to make his daughter happy created indolence in his kingdom and in his fury, he forbade the two lovers to be together. Orihime pleaded with her father to allow their union, and because he loved his daughter so, he allowed it on the condition she returned to her weaving and Hikoboshi returned to herding his cattle and once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, they would be allowed to spend a day together.

As for why wishes are said to be granted on Tanabata, we join the two a year later - the first day they are to be reunited after the decree. Orihime rushed to meet her beloved but found the Amanogawa to be too wide and difficult to cross. Growing despondent Orihime was about to give up but then, a flock of magpies came and saw her sorrow and made a bridge for her to cross, reuniting her Hikoboshi. Since then, the magpies come every year to reunite them, and humans in turn celebrate their union. Or reunion, rather.

[ He picked up a few more stardusts and started to juggle them. ]

So I wouldn't sweep the possibility of wishes being granted under the proverbial rug just yet. Magic has a funny little quirk of being unpredictable, so who knows? Maybe collecting enough of these things might just grant your deepest wish. Power pilling up on each other like the-

[ He cut himself off as he nearly mentioned the Haniwa and what led to the events from a few days ago. Though the thought is pretty much in his head now. ]

[ hmm, so there is more to this story than she thought. she listens, face pensive the more the other man goes on--

but she has to make a face at that reference from last month, shooting him a Look. ]

Don't. Remind me.

[ SIGH. please, her own faction is still coming under fire with that stupid move from the higher-ups. it's not like she wanted to put them all in one place either...?!

ahem. ]

I do come from an age of mysticism, after all. I understand why that story you told me has certain appeal, but I'd rather make my own dreams come true. [ can u tell she's not a romantic ] But I'll admit that it's a romantic story all the same.

[ she turns to him. ]

How about you? You're taking this seriously, so that means you have a wish on your own. Correct?

Edited 2022-07-17 16:13 (UTC)

[ He sighs softly at the question. ]

I don't wish anymore.

...

But, Tanabata is a tradition. A celebration, usually with good food and good booze. A time to let your hair down, so nothing wrong with playing along, right?

[ He pauses and catches all the pieces he was tossing. ]

These things same enough to gather, but it kinda makes you wonder what these leaders would want with them.

[ she ponders on this, before offering one of her tiny bags for bishop to take. don't waste any of them, now. ]

Perhaps they believe in that fairytale you told me just now.

[ a wry smile. haha, as if. can you imagine the enma wishing the same way? that'd be a laugh. ]

...Fine. I'll amuse you for now and play this game with you.

[ He raised a brow. She'll amuse him? He wasn't the one putting them in a cutsy little bag but, well, her gesture does make him smile and chuckle as he takes the bag. ]

Right then.

[ He gives the bag a little toss. ]

That reminds me, I don't think I got your name. I'm called Bishop.

Eula.

[ no last name, but it's not as if it's noticeable. besides, this is a good way to collect more of these things and have them checked. or something. she is NOT putting any of these in her mouth, at any rate. ]

All right. The one who can fill their bag to the brim first, wins. Understand?

You're making a competition of this?

[ He raised a brow. Given he just got his old physical abilities back, it'll be like taking candy from a baby, but where would the fun be in that? ]

What does the winner get? Other than the stardust, I mean.

Why not? It'll help liven things up, won't it?

[ and it'll stave off suspicion that she'll be collecting this for... other reasons. ]

Winner will get a free drink from the loser. How does that sound?

[ Ear twitch. ]

Ohooh? That sounds tempting. I have to warn you, I have very refined tastes when it comes to spirits.

[ Agent Bishop: Professional Alcoholic. ]

Lets keep things fair then. Lets even out how many we currently have. [ He says opening the pouch. ] There's...ten pieces in here. How many do you have?

That makes two of us, then.

[ she may despise her noble heritage, but she did get her high-class taste from them. she opens her own pouch and counts them down... ]

I have ten as well. A fair number to start with. Let's meet again after ten minutes then to keep up the theme?

Sounds good.

[ He says sealing the pouch then takes out a coin from his pocket and readies to flip it. ]

I'll check this side. Game starts when the coin hits the ground.

[ The coin spins through the air with a ring, Bishop turning and readying himself as comes back down with a clack and clang - the signal to go. ]

Edited 2022-07-26 01:00 (UTC)

[ the coin resonates, and eula books it. spotting an emergency ladder that leads to the rooftop of some random building, she does a great leap towards it and runs up, up, up, until she reaches the top.

it'd be easier to catch falling stardust here, so. nothing personal. bishop will have to check the ground in the meantime. ]

[ Color him surprised. She must really want that free drink or she's a lot more motivated by this than she let on.

He waited a good minute before spotting her climbing up to the roof. Smart. Wish he thought of that. ]

Well, the lady wants to play seriously so...

[ He moves, not quite using the blinding speed he would against an enemy, but certainly fast enough to show he's playing fairly as he gathers up the stardust on the street. ]

[ who knows? maybe she just wanted to prove herself or flex a little. or she's probably bored. either way she's gone off into the night, nowhere to be seen (for now).

the stardust, she admits, look ethereal in the moonlight. they almost resemble snowfall in dragonspine at night. she gathers one, two, three, leaping from one rooftop to another before landing back down on the ground and checking the contents of her pouch. think this should be enough...

okay, time to find that guy. now where is he...? ]

Edited 2022-08-02 11:38 (UTC)

[ He was at most just playing out of sport, picking things up like he were collecting trash - and in way he is - and by the time she spots him he was helping an old yokai lady cross the street and carry her groceries.

Very not Shuten-clan like, but anyone who ignores a little old lady that's troubled is actually scum.

Checking his pouch, he thinks he's more or less gotten past the half way mark but he thinks he might not have enough as hers. ]

Hmmm...I wonder how I can get a bit more?

[ she blinks. huh, okay. didn't think there would be guys like him in this day and age in jigoku-cho, but eula doesn't recall him being someone from enma. must be one of those goody-goody guys who got sorted into this side of hell anyway. archons know how many people who made it here who don't deserve it...

she walks over to him, a hand to her hip. ]

Finished? I could help you.

[ she doesn't mean to showboat, but. ]

[ There isn't a fella like him anywhere in the world. Evil, cruel, kind, sane, and unhinged. A walking hypocrisy, a very human thing. ]

Ah, is it that time already?

[ Of course she won, that was pretty much the outcome to be expected. ]

No, no. I accept defeat, anymore than this is just rubbing salt in the wound.

[ Tucking the pouch into his inner jacket pocket, a Shuten pin pinned right at the seam to indicate he's not on duty right now. ]

So, drinks for the victor - if I remember correctly?

[ her brows knit at the sight of the pin. so he's a ranked member, huh... not that she's on shift right now either. it's not like what they're doing is illegal, anyway. ]

Precisely. Truth be told, I have not delved too deeply in the Shuten Clan's drinking scene. I'd like some pointers for future reference.

Shuten?

[ He glances at the pin, that couldn't have been more than a few seconds - so she has a good eye. ]

Well, if it's them, Toraguma aside, most just drink until it's tomorrow then do it again. They wouldn't know a good bottle even if you smacked them in the head with it.

[ He grins. ]

I, on the other hand, am not like them. Despite how I look I'm a professional chef, I was the one who manned the barbeque Gojyo had set up during that beach party. Part of being a chef is knowing my spirits, and I can say with no arrogance - I am damn good bartender.

( open ) you doing anything to keep her by your side

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