maskormenacelogs | [closed] rise and shrine

Entry tags:

[closed] rise and shrine

WHO: Yato & Darin
WHERE: De Chima Shopping District
WHEN: Following this conversation, during the TMI event
WHAT: Darin's found out about shrines, so he's doing some ~~scheming~~ recon.
WARNINGS: Two idiots being idiots.

When Yato had offhand mentioned shrines and explained their importance to Japanese gods like himself, he hadn't really expected anymore to come of it. True, he wished he had Hiyori's mini shrine, but it was safely in his world, so at least he was sure it would stay that way. But when Darin had messaged him saying that there were similar charms and decorations at a De Chima shop, his interest had immediately shot back up.

He knew the park that Darin was talking about, near the downtown area, and so he popped from Nonah there with a waver and shimmer of light. Who needed the Porter? Not him! Looking around for his best friend.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So, for as long as Darin had known Yato, he'd never actually seen the god pop into and out of existence. Darin was eating a hot dog in the park when Yato decided to pop into reality with a godly flourish, and as soon as Darin recognizes his pal, he's choking.

Like, choking incredibly loudly and doubled over.

Because, Yato, what the hell?! That was so cool!!

Yato is not expecting Darin to start choking as soon as he appears, so now he's whacking Darin hard over the back, hoping to dislodge whatever's gotten caught.

"What is wrong with you, did you forget how to eat?!"

"YOU CAN TELEPORT?! SINCE WHEN?!"

He stops coughing and straightens up, wiping his mouth with his forearm.

"I've known you for almost a year and the fact that you can blink around reality never came up?! Not once?!"

"Since always?!" Yato sputters, agape at the fact that Darin didn't know this about him. "I told you I didn't use the Porter when I was working jobs! What'd you think I meant?!"

"I thought you took a cab! Or like! Superhero parkoured around town! How the hell do you think I get around?!"

It is unclear if he means he takes a cab or he superhero parkours.

"I'm gonna put a bell or something on you. Maybe that's what I'll find today in one of these shops. A bell to summon you or something."

As he says this, he throws a playful arm around Yato's shoulders.

"Anyway, come on, I wanna show you all this neat stuff I found and pick your brain about it."

"Well, I can parkour too, but this is easier!"

It's true, he regularly leaps around buildings and rooftops like gravity is something more of a suggestion than a hard and fast rule, and come to think of it he doesn't believe Darin has ever seen him do that either.

He lets Darin toss a familiar arm around him, the pair of them making an incongruous sight of mismatches. "Sure sure, just for you I'd wear a bell. So let's go see what you found."

Darin escorts Yato down some smaller streets in De Chima until they enter what is very clearly the Little China of De Chima. Incidentally, it's called "De China" by the locals.

The streets are lined with shops, restaurants, and markets all brimming with imported goods from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and the Phillipines. There's all kinds of idolatry in the windows and on street corners; images of gods and friendly spirits. Darin stops in front of a store with a kitsune statue out front, guarding the establishment.

"Here's the store I was talking about. Does anything in any of these shops look familiar to you? I've never seen so many images of gods outside of a church in my life."

As they wander through the area, Yato's clearly getting more excited seeing familiar things. He had no idea this area was here, which is kind of sad considering he lives in De Chima. How had he missed it? Trying too hard to get clients in other cities, most likely...

"Yeah, a lot looks familiar! It's actually really nice to see, I'm used to things being everywhere like this and then the cities, it's like a complete blank."

Darin takes a step into the store.

"You know, I've been thinking a lot about what we talked about last time. The whole...beholden thing. You said that gods can't be beholden to people, and I get why. But aren't there cases where gods get bound to people? Like, against their will? Kinda like what Diomuhr is to me?"

Darin picks up a cat with some sort of medallion and looks at it curiously.

"Maneki Neko," Yato smiles. "The Lucky Cat. Probably the most well-known fortune charm in Japan. There's actually a bunch of different ones, and they mean different things. If the left paw is raised, it means it's supposed to attract customers. If the right paw is raised, this invites good fortune and money. There's other different meanings depending on what colour the cat is, and what it's holding."

Darin looks from the cat to Yato.

Then back to the cat again.

Then he sets the cat down, walks over to Yato, and lifts his right hand and poses it like a cat paw.

"..."

Then he switches it and pulls up Yato's left hand.

"Yeah, that's better."

Yato can't help but start laughing, letting Darin pose him as he wants. Honestly, it's fun and when he's done, the god says smugly, "Well, left paw up is supposed to attract customers. I can always use more of those! You should get one for your forge too, they're good for all kinds of businesses. A calico one is the luckiest, if we find one."

Darin laughs and goes back to looking through the charms.

"You know, now that I think on it, my world had some charms dedicated to luck and the like too. I always thought it was kinda bogus."

He holds up a statue of a really neat looking dog.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. About my home and stuff. About what we talked about being beholden to people."

"To answer your question before, gods can be beholden to humans if they've given their word to be. A god's word is binding, that's why it allows us to grant our Regalia names and make them people again. It literally taps into our life force. It doesn't normally happen since that's obviously a big commitment, but usually it takes the path of a god pledging to look after a family line or something if they've had really devout worshippers, that sort of thing."

He glances over at Darin, wondering where the conversation was going. "Yeah?"

"So...have gods in your world ever...y'know."

He fidgets with the statue in his hands.

"Fallen in love with mortals?"

"It's a bigger things in other pantheons," Yato shrugged. "Because it's forbidden by the Heavens. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but it's not really talked about. It's the same with our Regalia... it's unfair to them, it'd just hurt both sides. But I don't know, other types of gods outside of Japan, I guess they've made it work. Lots of them have stories about it."

"I see...I suppose it makes sense."

Darin looks a little downcast. If he were being honest, he didn't know what he was expecting. All he knew was that the last couple of days were such a complete whirlwind of every possible emotion, that he found himself just sort of...floundering.

"Sorry for asking such a weird question. I haven't been myself lately."

It's not hard to see that Yato's answer isn't what Darin was hoping to hear. This time, it's the god who slings his arm up and around that of his friend.

"So are you going to tell me what's really on your mind, or keep dancing around the subject?"

Darin laughs sheepishly. He, of all people, knew how he wore his emotions on his sleeve, but it was still weird being called out on it.

"Man, I don't know if I'm coming or going anymore. Every time I think I've got my ducks in a row, something comes along and makes me rethink the whole thing. Like the fact that I ah...well..."

This part's got him stumbling over his words a bit. It was still weird to say out loud.

"I'm...well. I've got this...relationship. Thing."

(He calls you out with love, Darin. With love.)

Yato's grin is wide when the blacksmith admits even that much. "Go ooooon..." he drawls out.

Darin playfully puts his hand over Yato's face and shoves it away. Not hard, but so he doesn't have to look at the sneer on his face when he admits the next part.

"Allura and I are dating, okay? Or...more than that. I dunno! It's royal stuff! Things happened quickly!"

Meanwhile, Darin's face has taken on a bright shade of crimson.

Yato laughs harder when Darin shoves him away; he appreciates that the blacksmith always takes care not to hurt him, even though Yato can probably take as least as much physical damage as Darin can due to his godly nature.

"Maybe moooooore," he croons playfully. "I need more detail than that! What kind of royal stuff? Are you going to be a prince? Do I have to call you Prince Darin now? If you end up with a palace can I be your official royal god?"

"Nrrgh!" Darin bites his tongue in equal parts embarrassment and frustration.

"She...named me her royal consort! And she's next in line for the Altean throne so that's 'King Darin' to you, you goof!!"

Saying it out loud like this was almost too much. Now he's pulling Yato into one of his trademark playful headlocks and using both hands to noogie the sides of his head.

"We're keeping it as quiet as possible! So ix-nay on the alace-pay!"

'Royal consort' sounded really official and important, but Yato's too busy getting his head boxed to do much besides laugh and try to wriggle free. "But you didn't say no to the official royal god part! Wait, why are you keeping it quiet?"

He's still ignoring the 'Royal God' part just to wind Yato up.

"Because you know how imPorts are treated here. Half of us vilify us, the other half think we're celebrities. Now, you tell me; how quick do you think the tabloids would jump on something like a royal space princess naming a new royal consort? The people of this world lose their minds over their own royalty getting married. And they don't even have super powers!"

Yato's noticed!! Don't think he's going to let it go, either.

"I don't mind the half that thinks we're celebrities," Yato mumbled. "They're more likely to remember my name."

Even as an imPort, being a Far Shore being still had Yato fading fast from people's memories. It was less common with other imPorts, but still a regular occurrence with the natives of this world.

"I guess? I don't know, seems like something to celebrate to me."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[closed] rise and shrine

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

SORRY FOR THE DELAY FRIENDO

SORRY FOR THE DELAY BACK

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject