Shuu
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Shinigami
Posts: 24
Likes: 17
Gender: Male
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Post by Shuu on Aug 13, 2021 23:01:16 GMT -8
Water rushed around him, the echo of churning tides bouncing in his head as the violet haired shinigami was thrown about like a rag-doll. Swirling, pulling, pushing, he barely had time to breathe as his head broke the surface and he took a painful and panicked gulp of air before being tossed under again. Muscles ached as he felt like he was flowing through a thick gel rather than a raging river.
A sinking pit in his stomach made him realize that he had just tumbled over an edge, body flung outward as he careened out of the volatile rapids. Instead of falling down, he was soaring upward, green eyes staring strained and wide eyed as he took in the sight around him. Stars dotted around him and swirling galaxies of brilliant colors expanded outward and inward, some imploding in an array of sparks and flowers while others fizzled out into a flying flock of birds that ranged from the smallest parakeet to the largest eagle.
Gravity held no meaning as he was soaring in every direction before coming to an abrupt halt. Quick breaths, beating heart, Shuu dangled precariously in the air as he tried not to scream and think of way to get back onto the ground. The thought itself hit him hard as the ground rushed up to meet him. Not falling, not in any sense of the word, but rather it just met him and bumped into him like a stranger in a crowd. Tumbling head over heel, the violet haired young man was suddenly aware he wasn’t in his body but an array of colorful butterflies that burst forth and reformed.
It traveled along silk, swaying in and out of mountains, scattering and regrouping around guppies riding bicycles. Abruptly it ended, Shuu feeling his body come to a halt. A blank void surrounded him and he blinked several times, opening his mouth and closing it as he tried to find the words.
“Wh-” The white void ceased to be as it came back one piece at time. The road, paved black as buildings rose from the ground and descend from above to line the now apparent city street. Light posts, mailboxes, numbers fluttered through the air like a school of fish as they slapped haphazardly onto the side of buildings.
Taking a step forward, Shuu immediately jumped back as a car sped past him. Looking into the horizon he could see that the road continued for a time before tilting up into the sky towards the sun. Squinting he saw what must have been thousands upon thousands of vehicles pouring from the bright sky and hurdling towards him. Panicking, he scrambled out of the street and danced and leaped and tumbled. Someone took him by the arm as the headlights of a truck came barreling towards him.
Flung forward through an open door, he noticed he was dressed in a white button up paired with a black vest and matching black slacks. A small red bow tie at his neck and a comically large tray he propped up with his shoulder. All for a single drink, cool to the touch.
Shuu placed the drink down, something he couldn’t really describe as it shimmered and twisted until it started to take a firm shape as it approached the person he was serving. The tray disappeared and a notebook and pen appeared in his hand. A din of a busy restaurant filled all around him, people moving, talking, laughing, eating. Clearing his throat, his gaze was brought to the person sitting at the table. Thoughts popped into his head, not his own but he felt like they were. Lines to be said, words to be spoken. Was he being forced to play some role?
“Have you decided what you’ll be having today?”
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Post by Meridith Sheppard on Aug 14, 2021 11:59:32 GMT -8
The dreamer sat still and curious at their surroundings. Meridith/Anastasia/Criminal wondered briefly where she was and why but knew of course instantly what she was there for and why. After all, all dreamers had their scripts ready for them. The cafe of course~ Ah, the wonderful cafe, full of promise and wonder. She made friends here! Friends, um, and nothing else! Ah it was already so much like a dream that day that what could she possibly change~♪♫
Wait. No, it wasn't a dream was it? How did it end again? Oh no...
Oh no. Wait...
The localized area around the area shivered with resonant static as the dreamers uncertainty grew. How did it go again? Was it...her? Or... The dreamer closed their eyes and tried to remember, across from them a shape flickered, bright pink hair, flickered and shifted back to dark brown curls, back to pink and then to black before settling into the uncertain shape of something that looks like a human but all its features were filled static. Her eyes snapped back open and she wore a particular languid expression belying the lucidity of the moment prior.
She turned her gaze over to the waiter who addressed her and she offered them a honeyed smile. "Oh, goodness, what do you recommend?" Tiramisu? The thought made her feel uneasy. Don't offer her Tiramisu Shuu. She won't like that. I'm warning you.
But of course...the script was what it was.
The dreamer appeared in full regalia. Bright red hair, soft blue eyes and head to toe in the formal robes of the Quincy.
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Shuu
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Shinigami
Posts: 24
Likes: 17
Gender: Male
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Post by Shuu on Aug 14, 2021 22:31:54 GMT -8
A moment, ever brief, passed between the two. An instant or an eternity, it was difficult to distinguish as the static wavered between that of a woman with pink hair and a plethora of identities squashed beneath a tugging sense of purpose. A manor, resplendent and decadent tucked away in a corner of the world shimmered behind her. Eyes snapped back down, the instant gone, his brain rattled. Her outfit was familiar to him in only pictures and videos of his academy days. A quincy? It didn’t matter as he went through the motions, forced into the rules of this strange world.
Back straight, pen to the paper, Shuu began to speak the words that were in his mind. Hesitance caught him, his mouth trying to put form to words that weren’t his. Scrambling, the cafe growing silent and still before moving forward. Again images popped into being as they passed behind the girl, out in the street. A school rushing by, monsters crawling around it as a woman with bow and arrow brought one down after another. It vanished, having no more solidity to it than anything else had. Fluid. Lucid.
“I recommend the ti...the...ti…” Blue eyes looked into him, past him, and he could feel the denial for what was supposed to be said. Fiery defiance belayed by the subconscious mind. Of what should be. Denial of rigid structure in more ways than one. All Shuu could put together was that this girl did not want tiramisu and the world around her insisted that he not break the routine. His confusion slipped onto his face, breaking the facade of a smiling waiter.
“T...tea...mochi. Green tea mochi. You seem the type to want to try new things. Besides, it will compliment the drink.” Shuu managed to scramble together a coherent strain of thought. His own thoughts, though the nagging of the world wanting the script read began to pitter and adjust to this new rebuttal. The drink suddenly held form. A cup of coffee, steam lazily drifting out and fading into the air.
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Post by Meridith Sheppard on Aug 15, 2021 7:02:40 GMT -8
She stared up at him for a moment and her visage flickered, her uniform traded for a pink long pleated skirt, a full-length jacket, a button-up top with ribbon across the front. It latest a moment, arrayed with static and vanished. She stared up at the look of confusion and her smile melted away to an expression that matched his. Wait, this isn't how it went? I wasn't here in this place with her, I was there with her. And I was...
Who was I that day?
As soon as he spoke the words allowed the impact was immediate. Something had been asserted as fact and the shimmering static vanished, replaced with hard lines. As it got further away from her the details faded into vaguery leaving it up to someone else to imagine, she simply hadn't the interest. Her partner across the table was gone. She had come here alone after all, and this wasn't Paris it was somewhere else. London maybe? Was that her next destination?
Meridith shot back a playful grin full of teeth. "Green tea mochi! I hate sweets! But I suppose I should try new things, I'd love some." Her eyes held a dangerous kind of lucidity in them.
She leaned forward, studying his expression. So full of detail and real she almost reached out to touch him but restrained herself and looked across the table. She didn't want to be here alone. Why was she here alone? She was supposed to have someone...
Her grin softened to a smile and she regarded him once more. "...Do you mind taking a seat for a moment?" The Quincy uniform melted away. Of course, she wasn't a Quincy, not here anyway. She was dressed in blue jeans, sneakers, a long hoodie a size too large, bright vivid orange with a white t-shirt underneath. "If you're not too busy."
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Shuu
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Shinigami
Posts: 24
Likes: 17
Gender: Male
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Post by Shuu on Aug 15, 2021 13:14:44 GMT -8
Blinking, Shuu opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut. The entire wall vanished behind the woman, a scenic view of a city cropped up. In the center was an odd tower, made of steel and stretching into the sky. Soon after that crumbled down and another city sifted up from the rubble, a clock tower taking prominence as the new landmark. He took it in, tried to comprehend what he was looking at but the focus slipped from him quickly, like oil to water. Deep blue eyes regarded him and again the shinigami had nothing to say…
Was he too busy? Was he supposed to be doing something different? Coherent thought danced around just out of reach. Again he looked her in the eyes, this time they were no longer far and away, no longer absently looking past him. They were focused. And that focus extended to the other people that were around them, all looking at him.
A wave of goosebumps washed over him and he resisted the urge to swallow or even breathe.
“N-no, not too busy.” He accepted her offer to sit, pulling out a chair that began to change shape from a lovely white framed piece made of metal with a single cushion to a high-back wooden chair, ornately carved with green cushioning and velvet trim. The stares finally ceased and the people in the cafe went about their business. Plates appeared in front of them both, three pale green pieces of mochi popping into existence on each plate.
Here outfit had changed again, something simple, more casual. Almost by instinct, the world adjusted his own attire for this meeting. Made of static, it warped and twisted. Shifting, it settled on his shinigami uniform for a moment, sword at his side, deep black and his hair was tied into a ponytail. Warping again the outfit shimmered apart into a thousand black butterflies that drifted away behind him.
An extravagant robe in a white hue, with billowing sleeves, trimmed in gold with red strings fastened to each adjoining shoulder. Instead of his sword, a large staff with many rings rested upright at his side. Atop his head was a flat black straw hat, a white cloth hung over his face with a red star printed on the front. A scene stretch behind him, the wall falling away to reveal a vast forest that opened up on a small fishing village, the sea itself filled with hundreds of ships. Dark skies shone above, lightning rumbling in night-stained clouds.
All of this escaped Shuu’s notice, all of this only a brief flash in a blink of an eye as they were once again in the cafe. Coffee hot, mochi left untouched. Before the girl sat a well dressed man with purple hair and green eyes. A white dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and a pair of dark slacks.
A topic...a topic. Questions? In his gut he knew asking the wrong question might be dangerous. If not for her then most certainly for him. Between these brief seconds, the shinigami wracked his brain for something, anything to remove the pressure that was beginning to weigh down on him A name! That would do, just ask her na-
Meri, Meri, sweet Meridith, heiress to bow, slave to arrow. Meridith, Meridith.
Taken aback by the sudden assault, Shuu maintained his composure and only blinked a few times as to keep the tears from welling up. Pain seared his mind but it wasn’t unpleasant, more as though a memory had been laid bare before him and that he should’ve already known. Pursing his lips in annoyance, he found the intrusion to be quite annoying. Even if he knew prior, he had never met her...right? Right. Only fair to introduce oneself anyways.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, miss. My name is Shuu. What is your name?” With that statement the world around them seemed to come more into focus, less a slight blur or an image caught in the peripherals. He was blissfully unaware of this despite the alarm bells ringing in his mind. All he did was offer a genuine smile and awaited her response.
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Post by Meridith Sheppard on Aug 15, 2021 15:12:47 GMT -8
"Oh you're not?" She smiled winningly bright and wide and leaned forward, gesturing him to sit across from her. The shifting and shuddering of their surroundings went unnoticed to Meridith, it was after all the nature of such a place. The drift and change with the whimsy of fleeting emotion and to bask in the thread of logic which tied together nonsense.
The Shinigami uniform stopped her, she went cold and white. She pulled back and leaned against her seat. The lights in the cafe dimmed, faded low and ominous. She gripped white knuckled at the edge of the table and froze staring at him with eyes equally part in terror and anger.
Then it passed, flitted away like it was never there the moment his clothing shifted once more. The lights returned, bathing their quaint little scene in intimate ambiance. She leaned forward again, studying his white robes and gold trim. Gosh, she thought, his outfit was so lovely~ Did he make it himself? Oh, would he be offended if she took some ideas from it? Her eyes trended behind him, watching the village, the sea itself and the hundred ships which drifted cast on its peculiar whims on any given day. Dark skies lie ahead of them, the crack of lightning threatened great disaster.
Poor boy. There was trouble there? Could she help? Oh not here, not here...but maybe some day.
She sat back and regarded the coffee and mochi and then the man fondly. There was a silence to follow, that was fine. While he grappled with an introduction she turned her attention to the mochi and her coffee. She liked it black, but oh would that be droll? She may as well experiment. She poured a small amount of cream then thought of Her and added a single teaspoon of sugar into the mixture, stirring until the black cup turned a beautiful lighter mix of brown and black that reminded her of another.
She raised the cup to her lips and took a little sip. Delightful~♪♫ The colours around her brightened within the liminal space. She lowered it back down and took hold of a spoon, pausing as her name was asked.
"Name. That's easy. Someone called me Anastasia once. But, that's not my name, right?" She looked up at him as if he knew the answer, she smiled coyly. "I know myself as Meridith though. I think that's important isn't it?"
She pressed the tip of the spoon against the mochi, pressing until the thin edge sliced into it. "Shuu is a pretty name. It's very nice to meet you too Shuu," she said carving off a piece of the mochi.
"Is this a date?" she asked, eyes alight with curiosity, holding a slim piece of mochi aloft as she awaited the answer.
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Shuu
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Shinigami
Posts: 24
Likes: 17
Gender: Male
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Post by Shuu on Aug 15, 2021 16:16:57 GMT -8
Reaching out and taking up his own cup of coffee as she did, he lifted it up to his lips and blew gently. Taking a sip, dark and bitter though the flavor changed in an array of powerful memories. Dry hazelnut. A dank, dimly lit room. Wet dew. Fear liquidated. Tulips with a hint of fresh sea air. Stealing a glance at her from behind his cup, he noted the girl didn’t seem to mind the coffee and even had a smile of delight on her face. He cleared his throat, if only to futilely remove the cornucopia of life’s flavors in his mouth.
Meridith. The name spoken felt powerful, as if it were some established bedrock in this realm he found himself in. Shuu found himself fidgeting and thinking of other things when she smiled at him, thinking of anything to keep his cheeks from growing hot. What am I, some child?
“Names are always important. They have history. Meaning.” Green eyes locked with hers and again he offered a humble smile, reaching for a spoon as the world dictated he do. No longer feeling like he was being pulled sharply like a puppet on a string, it felt more like floating idly down a calm river. He decided he wouldn’t resist such a fleeting sensation unless the situation dictated otherwise. Nodding at the compliment to his name, he took a scoop of the mochi and hesitated to put it to his mouth.
Am I going to get a weird mixture again…? Was it even a real taste? Is any of this real or just another odd dream?
Shrugging off his thoughts, he took a bite from the spoon. Macha and green tea mingled with memories that tasted of missing family and happier times. Not entirely turned off from that, his sights were more set on the dessert than her for a second…
“Is this a date?”
Frozen in place, the second spoonful of mochi inches from his mouth that now hung wider than intended, there was no stopping his cheeks flushing with color. They were a vibrant array of color before settling on a rosy red. That gentle river that he let guide him now stood still, the world offering him a voided opening. Free to answer how he pleased.
“A date? I...I think…” It was akin to dusting cobwebs from his mind, Shuu briefly...almost slightly...coming to realize he was aware of where he was, of what he was doing. It darted away from him as the void began to disperse, the world growing impatient with him in just a mere moment. Acting now would be prudent, his gut instinct screaming at him to say something, anything but to also tread with caution.
“I think perhaps this is a chance meeting. Two people crossing paths for a moment. Reprieve from an otherwise busy world…” Shuu mused at the thought even though he was the one to say it. Felt right to say but not entirely complete. Another heartbeat passes by.
“But...if it would ease your mind to consider it a date, then it would make me happy to keep you company.” He wasn’t sure it was the right answer but reality seemed appeased with something to fill the void. The lazy river that pulled him on this scripted journey began to flow once again.
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Post by Meridith Sheppard on Aug 15, 2021 18:53:37 GMT -8
"They do don't they? Sometimes they're just names though. You know, I could call you whatever I wanted but that name doesn't have any power unless it carries something with it. Names gain power, but I don't know what gives them power. Not yet anyway!" Her expression beamed a kind of assuredness of her youth, it said something like, I'll tell you what it is the next time we meet okay?
She liked that he understood, a shimmering cascade of colour filtered out behind her in satisfaction. The coffee, the mochi, and especially the company. She delighted at the response she got from him. Was it such a strange question? She hadn't thought so, but the script was broken and uncertainty lingered in the space where once was a single voice guiding a narrative a second intruded. It would have been a date, of course, perhaps not an altogether pleasant one if not for his interference. The cafe, the intimacy, the lighting, everything suggested so to her but perhaps not to him, and in this space which no longer belonged to her what he said mattered very greatly.
She giggled warmly at his answer. "Gosh, you know if you're trying to tell a girl it's not a date, maybe don't talk about all that star-crossed happenstance stuff. I could practically swoon at it, so romantic~" She took a bit of the mochi and sigh contentedly, letting the taste envelop her for a moment. She didn't like it, but whose taste of it did she have on her tongue? Her own imagined flavour? Or was it the flavour Shuu imagined it to be? Perhaps she would like it after all if it was his.
She set the spoon down on the table and leaned forward, hands folding together and resting her hand atop of them, perched just so.
"I'm sorry. I'll stop teasing. A reprieve from an otherwise busy world, huhn..." She considered it. Did she need a reprieve? Possibly, but she was alright, or she was pretty sure she was alright.
"Well, Shuu...what is it you could use reprieve from?" She asked, wondering which of them this space truly belonged to.
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Shuu
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Shinigami
Posts: 24
Likes: 17
Gender: Male
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Post by Shuu on Aug 16, 2021 6:46:59 GMT -8
Reprieve? She had an air about her that spoke of a lack of tragedy, boundless optimism contained in one person. Shuu wasn’t sure if it was off putting or a breath of fresh air. Shinigami were charged with maintaining the balance of life and death, most seeing more death in a handful of lifetimes than a mortal could experience in one. He had considered himself lucky in the face of such negativity, though he held many hardships he’d rather soon forget.
“I...I suppose I could use a break from...work.” Again the shinigami uniform flashed into existence only to disappear just as quickly. Unsure if that was what he really felt, if it was the most logical thing to say after having his idle chatter turned around on him. Was all this really for him? A cafe he’d never been to, a world he’d yet to truly see?
“Hmm...perhaps more than that? Life has its ebbs and flows, sure, and I feel as though I have purpose. Though, I think I’m kidding myself on that, sometimes. Better to stay busy than...sleep.” During this fantastical encounter, he never thought much on it. On what he was escaping from. It dawned on him that such a meeting would most certainly be a change of pace, his life was starting to become a bit mundane and he was sure it was only a matter of time before the higher-ups figured it was time for him to do something other than volunteer for every low-risk, dull and unexciting job out there.
He’d be sent to the field, eventually. Be forced to actually use his weapon and hunt Hollows, help the dead pass on. All this internal contemplation left a worried look on his face as he stared absentmindedly at another spoonful of mochi before setting it down. The tug of the river, that subtle feeling he should be going with the flow, began to shiver and twist. Splitting and parting, reforming and mingling in an extravagant dance. Almost as though it had reversed course or become something new entirely. Blinking a few times, he looked back up at her and forced a smile.
"Ah, my apologies," Shuu let out a breath as if he had been holding and shook his head as if to clear a thought from his mind, "Why don't you tell me about yourself, Meridith? I don't meet many people like you, I'm curious." A small crack on one of the coffee mugs. The busy street outside was now devoid of anyone, just idling cars with windows tinted too dark to see within.
Awareness slowly crept in...thunder rumbled in the distance...
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Post by Meridith Sheppard on Aug 16, 2021 7:53:50 GMT -8
She leaned forward and reached out towards him. Shinigami. She bristled again, dark wisps of light fading behind her. She knew what that meant, what he was. But she couldn't bring herself to react. She surrendered part of this domain to him, and so she could tell that what he was, was unsettled as she was. Shuu wasn't like Him. But maybe that wouldn't matter in the end? What would she do here, lean across the table and stab him?
She giggled and spun the spoon slowly in her fingers. Maybe. She'd leave the option on the table at least.
"You've picked a poor place to stay busy, haven't you?" She looked around herself, at the still and idle patrons. "But maybe that's my fault," she offered with a hint of apology. There was something about this place, about the Mochi about sitting across from Shuu here. She didn't want to leave. There was something she was supposed to be doing but-
She exhaled sharply, frustrated. Pointless. She was never going to figure it out. She turned her attention to Shuu, she was being a terrible date spacing out like that!
"I asked didn't I?" She replied easily. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want an answer like that you know. You shouldn't apologize for taking up space, certainly not the space offered to you. I don't say things just to be polite." She wasn't scolding him, at least she didn't intend to. "I'll tell you all about me if you want but I just wanna say. I think it's okay to be uncertain, finding a purpose is really hard, it's okay to wander until you find it."
She tilted the spoon down and pierced another piece of the dessert, undecided yet how she liked the taste. She ate it and smiled and thought about what to say. People like me? So he could tell, that was good right? She felt a little better about that.
Her visage shifted, dressed in formal robes once more. She sat upright, perhaps a little taller than she had been moments prior. She radiated poise, a light cast from behind her. She didn't react to the abrupt change, simply reached over to her coffee with a dignified air, carefully raised it to her lips, blew gently across the surface, waited for it to settle and took a gentle sip. She set the coffee down and gestured towards him.
"I am Meridith Sheppard. Quincy. A criminal at this point I suspect." Her voice became lofty and full, a maturity that was lacking moments prior. "Though, I hope in time my deeds will outweigh my crimes. Itinerant hunter. It is my belief that the world is one where someone who has the means and desire can make something good. And, if I'm wrong in my belief, I intend to change the world to make it so."
She smiled benevolently. "Well, was there anything, in particular, you'd like me to share?"
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Shuu
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Shinigami
Posts: 24
Likes: 17
Gender: Male
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Post by Shuu on Aug 17, 2021 17:08:50 GMT -8
If he didn’t know any better, he would say that Meridith handled the spoon in her hand as if it were a deadly weapon. Hand outstretched towards him, Shuu could feel himself stiffen and his breathing become slower. Behind her, the backdrop of the cafe fell away again and vibrant, illuminated arrows that numbered in the thousands came into view. They were fanned out, positioned and arrayed in stunning geometric forms that would have made even a world renowned artist balk at the design. Her bright red hair lit with a neon glow and her eyes shone with ferocity.
Bristling, hair raised on the back of his neck, he remained composed as though years upon years of training had snapped in at that moment. Eyes relaxed, smile maintained, both hands on the table, one atop the other. Whatever happened to unnerve her seemed to have passed, or rather it simply subsided. He’d let out a heavy sigh of relief if it didn’t give away that he was genuinely concerned. He was but not in the sense of his own well-being, despite the circumstances.
It was both an odd yet familiar sensation.
“We find ourselves in a place outside of our control, no need to fret over me. I tend to speak my thoughts idly when I should be more considerate with my words.” He replied, suddenly more aware of the cafe and its occupants more than he ever did before. Faint blue outlined everything around them, barely visible to the naked eye. Everything but the mochi and the coffee on the table which had a purple hue, something he was sure his company couldn’t see. Was this truly outside of her control? What an odd…
Suddenly her entire outfit changed as well as the aura that shone around her. No more was it mere flickering, no longer convoluted imagery or vague hinting. Royalty had emerged, the red-haired girl holding majesty to every slight movement as if she had command over everything within sight. Radiant. Regal. Extravagant. The once stilled and lifeless occupants of the cafe were now kneeling in her presence, fully aware of what she represented as she formally introduced herself.
Mind racing, the fog of the world becoming less and less forceful, Shuu took a moment before he answered. While inside he was screaming, he had constantly beat back any sense of dread sneaking up on him. The world quaked more as his mind became sharper, more cognizant of the situation he found himself in. A Quincy? He had never met one...never seen her face before in any report or had any inkling of what Paris or London actually looked like. Did he recognize a single face here? Again another shiver to the world that only he noticed.
She was being quite assertive, yet there was sincerity there. Meridith seemed to have a great deal weighing on her, that was apparent in the images that flashed around her like hastily put together scenes on a projector. Yet her tone, despite the dignified air, seemed to hide a tinge of fear. Of pain. Letting out a sigh, Shuu could feel the air around him shift and fold. No longer was he wearing a casual outfit but instead his uniform, well maintained and free of wrinkles. Scabbard in hand, its design of a brilliant ivory with gold trimming, the sword sheathed within held a handle that was old and decrepit in stark contrast. Black gloves were stretched over his hands, and an array of charms hung from his obi. Violet hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his eyes seemed a more vibrant green than before.
Holding out his hand for her to wait, he got up and placed his sword at a table further from them before turning back around. If anything, he considered it a gesture of peace. Offering a formal bow, he stood up and smiled.
“I am Katsuragi Shuu, Shinigami of the 10th Division. Though, really, I am little more than a recruit that has taken it upon himself to attend to meaningless tasks. You have a dangerous way of thinking, Meridith Sheppard, but I can’t deny your resolve. I enjoy the company of people that speak their hearts. Once more, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Pulling out his seat, he sat back down and found himself nervous and unsure what to do with his hands. Again he just placed them on the table, back still straight and though she held that brilliant aura about her, his was small and subtle in comparison.
Rubbing the back of his neck, blatantly uncomfortable at both the position he was in and looking at images he was sure he shouldn’t be snooping about with, Shuu let out a nervous chuckle.
“I...uh...think you may have expected too much from my observational skills. When I said someone like you, I just meant someone that is very different from those I deal with normally. I’ve never journeyed to the mortal world, you see.” Again he let out a nervous chuckle, trying to ease the tension in the air and his own embarrassment. Would a meeting between a Shinigami and Quincy really be like this? Should he be more aggressive, shouldn’t he be trying to kill her. The thought was dismissed almost as quickly as it came. Once more the world shook, awareness finally settling in.
“While I would love to ask about the places you’ve seen and the people you’ve met, I think I can only ask one question that pertains to our chance meeting.” That once aloof and caring expression shifted to something more stern, more worried.
“Think carefully on this. Do not panic.” He took a deep, steady breath before letting it out. He knew the answer already, the people of the cafe looking at him as if he was some invasive disease. Another tremor that only he felt as the world outside held blacker clouds and flashes of lightning.
“Is this your dream or mine?”
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Post by Meridith Sheppard on Aug 18, 2021 7:21:43 GMT -8
How impressive was he then, to speak so guarded in a place that caused his very inner thoughts to spill out so casually? She would giggle to herself at that. Despite her amusement, there was an unmistakable bit of hostility in the air and she couldn't help but be aware of it. It felt like motes of black and red, drifting lazily in the spaces between them. She wasn't sure what it was for though, certainly it wasn't from her? She considered the spoon in her hand and nearly grinned. Oh, of course, it must have been her. Why did she feel that way about someone so pleasant? The 'why' would be answered shortly however, no need to rush ahead.
She became aware of the impact that her changing outfit made on him and that furthered her smile. Her eyes scanned and noticed the kneeling patrons and...that stopped her. She didn't want them to kneel before her but wasn't it expected? Wasn't that really the point of it all? Not because she demanded deference, but because she wanted to be someone who inspired it. Power had a price. Still, she couldn't help but wonder, which of them drew the patrons to do that? Was this her subconscious desire? Or his subconscious response?
He answered her in kind. There was no hiding it further, she supposed. She would admit, it was honourable of him to present himself honestly before her. Her face was a stony mask, she shifted imperceptibly back and her hand lowered to the side of her left hip. At the tip of her fingers was shimmering outline of a hilt, faint, nearly invisible, a sheath which stretched down to a few inches from the floor but only if you looked at it quite so. She made no move to draw it, it was far less a threat than a personal reassurance. Right there if she needed it.
Then he presented his scabbard, sheathed and set it before her. A peace offering.
Part of her thought of Him, of her Clan, of her family tree with all those holes and she gripped the hilt -just so-.
But she knew she could never bring herself to do that, to strike a man who disarmed herself before her, who spoke cordially, who sat with her at a table and treated her so. Her hand drifted from the hilt of the near intangible blade and it vanished as if it had never existed.
She smiled albeit slightly forced. "I see, well, I suppose I have tipped my hand early but then again I don't intend to hide my nature, not even from your kind." Her tone was just as calm before but it lost a hint of its warmth. She gestured. She thought to explain her hostility, how long was it since she had nearly been killed? A day? Perhaps this was the night she struggled to survive. Or perhaps it was a year passed...
At either end of the extreme, it was fresh in her mind.
"As much as I have thus far appreciated your company, this is as far as we might go. I will, in repayment of your kindness and the gesture of your disarmament, answer your question so that we might part on even terms, owing one another nothing."
She hesitated as he framed it, do not panic? Why would she panic?
Oh.
"Dream...?"
She hesitated. Certainly, she had been aware of it this entire time on some level, but presenting it so plainly was like a cold bucket of water dumped over her. She shimmered uncertainly, back to her casual outfit, flickering to her Quincy outfit, and then to the street clothes she wore in Paris on the night that He attacked her. A dark red wound from the bullet appeared in her shoulder. She clutched it loosely and drew a short breath. The world around them shimmered.
"...I-..." She shook her head. "I've never had Mochi. I wouldn't have known...what it looked like...or its taste," She said through shorter breaths.
"...ours?" Meridith wondered aloud.
The dreamer had no ability to remain in a dream that it became aware of was a dream. She vanished in a hiss of static, and all the parts of the dream that belonged to her began to go with her.
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Shuu
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Shinigami
Posts: 24
Likes: 17
Gender: Male
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Post by Shuu on Aug 18, 2021 17:52:26 GMT -8
Pain cut deep into his heart as she let down her guard for a moment, resentment and apprehension sliding beneath her mask of stoic calm. Replacing the mirth and delight she had from their initial conversation. The reaction from his inquiry was equally gut-wrenching as her entire visage shifted in and out. That pain in his heart was replaced with dread, a cold pit settling in his stomach. He had asked the wrong question, his curiosity got the better of him. Shimmering and shattering, the world began to fall apart. From casual wear to extravagant Quincy outfit, it was the exposed wound in her shoulder that really worried him. Sorrowful eyes met hers for a moment, the Shinigami reaching out a comforting hand as she panicked. Careless. Stupid. The stream that had pulled on him, that had dictated most of his actions, dried out and with that sudden realization, Meridith disappeared as though she was never there. A snap, the quickest of thoughts, could not replicate the speed with which the world around him vanished. Stark white surrounded Shuu, a clattering of plates and coffee mugs. They shattered only to turn into a bright rainbow of bubbles that soon fizzled out. Looking down at the mochi that was starting to fade away, the Shinigami squatted down and hugged his knees. “ I’m sorry…” He mumbled to himself but the voice was loud and booming. Yet nowhere near as loud as the roar of thunder in the distance. Head snapping up, sweat immediately breaking out across his body as his blood went cold, Shuu could see the approaching storm in the distance. It did not leave with the disappearance of Meridith which meant...this was his. He knew what was coming, a flash of pain shooting up his scarred arm. Clutching it tightly, breathing fast, Shuu could make out the silhouette of a massive figure running towards him. Lightning erupted from every step, red and angry as it ripped into the reality of the void. Run, run, run, run!
“ Run…” Shuu whispered to himself, forcing his petrified body to move. Muscle strained and his mind was alight with a searing pain as he fought to keep the tears back. Fought to keep his fear from strangling him into inaction. It did little as they were pouring down his face by the time he managed to turn around. Time slowed down as he tripped, falling through the void and hitting it as if it were water. Sinking through it he found himself standing upright...or rather, upside down as he hung from the now radiant blue ocean he found himself standing in. Looking up he saw a world below him, thousands of miles away. Jaw dropped in awe, he shook free from his stupor as he remembered why he was fleeing. Head jerking left and right, eyes wide with fright, Shuu saw no sign of the menacing figure. A water droplet smacked into the bottom of his chin and the Shinigami looked around him to see that the ocean was starting to fall apart, drop by drop. Trepidation echoed through his core, feet trapped in the ankle-deep water. From the far off distance, the ocean popped and let loose. It rushed towards him, green eyes shut tight as the force of the water shot him down to the earth below. Spinning out of control, ricocheting off towers of falling water, the violet-haired man gulped in air every time he broke free from the water. The sun, bright and punishing, peered up from the horizon. It echoed outside of itself, a swirling dance of many suns of many colors before reforming. One sun after another burst free from the last, stopping short from the falling Shinigami. Small, almost the size of his palm, it maintained its speed with the falling man. Slowly the ball turned around and revealed a small bird, wings burst forth and displaying an infinite ray of light with each flap of its little wings. Careening out of nowhere a small mint-green ball of mochi hit him upside the head, the force of it felt like it was thrown by a pro pitcher. Letting out a screech of pain as he tried cover both his eyes and the side of his head, that scream was cut short as he found himself swallowing water once again. Stuck in a twisting pillar of falling water, he was flung about before finally opening his eyes and seeing a massive array of clock faces approaching quickly. Throwing his arms in front of him, he slammed into one after another, each shattering into a rainbow of butterflies. As he breached the last ticking clock-face, a giant eel was there to greet him and Shuu let out a drowned scream as he fell into its mouth...only to stumble forward onto an empty park. Unable to catch himself, Shuu lost his balance and found himself stumbling down a grassy hill. One tumble after another, the ground was soft and elastic as it slingshot him into the air. Still screaming, not even sure if he was making anymore noise at this point as his throat felt strained, he threw his arms in front of him again as he landed on a cement sidewalk with a...squeak? Slowly, filled with all the hesitation he had ever felt in his life, he opened his eyes to see he was on all fours on a sidewalk that overlooked a river bed. Looking back just as slowly, heart ready to beat out of his chest, he saw rolling grassy hills. Powerlines buzzed overhead and in the distance he could see houses dotting the other side of the river. Sitting upright he felt a familiar pull at his conscious as he took in his surrounding. Forcing him to adjust to a new world. That feeling of someone watching him tingled along the back of his skull, the Shinigami trying to find his composure as his eyes darted back and forth. “ H-hello? Is someone there?”
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Post by Lyra d'Aiglemort on Aug 27, 2021 13:52:38 GMT -8
The park was empty. Shadows drew long across the playground equipment which jutted towards the sky like a splayed ribcage. If there was no moon then what cast the shadow?
Lyra ran her fingers over the metal slide, ignoring how it burned and seared against her touch as if it was high noon. Perhaps she should stop and savor the feeling, but she had somewhere to be. The fragmented shard of a memory came to her all of a sudden and Lyra smiled.
“I’m getting warmer.”
A child’s game for a children’s playground. She ducked to go under the slide and found herself staring at a tree with a giant knot in the center. No – a hollow. Darkness pooled there, swirling lazily in a counterclockwise motion as if someone had stirred it recently and walked away.
The distance between herself and the tree evaporated. Lyra tilted her head back, unsure where her hands went, and oddly grateful for the numb tingling of their absence. She wasn’t sure whether she could resist reaching for the abyss and surely there were bugs and other dangers lurking in the hollow.
“Hot,” she murmured to herself in a conversation that felt ancient.
Lyra peered at the hole in the tree waiting for teeth like garden spades to stretch in an endless smile. She knew that once she saw the smile then all the lights would disappear, no more glare or halogen reflection to stab at her eyes. Just cool darkness. A nothingness wrapped around her until the edges blurred.
It was late – Lyra had come at the wrong time. Knocking on a door when the occupant was out.
That was no good.
Her timing was poor. Lyra didn’t want to be rude.
It was a terrifying thought. An echo of an imprint, falling between her fingers even as she reached to grasp the concept. Her heart thundered, crawling into her throat, and Lyra ran.
She shut her eyes tight and stretched her legs. The earth didn’t hurt when her boots made contact but that was all right – her muscles extended and contracted on their own, following a pattern she didn’t have to think about.
Lyra ran until she forgot why she was fleeing. Her chest rose and fell, the sweet flush of exertion burning in her calves, and the grass looked quite soft.
She could stop here. She could do this. Couldn’t she?
Kneeling on the grassy hill Lyra watched a man hurtle from the sky with a detached sense of amusement. He didn’t hit her when he landed though she made no move to react to his descent. At first Lyra thought him a doll until he lifted his head and caught her eye. They stared across the riverbed at one another.
(Dolls didn’t talk. She knew that.)
Lyra tilted her head, curls brushing her cheeks. “Do you think it’s good luck or bad that you struck pavement first?”
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Shuu
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Shinigami
Posts: 24
Likes: 17
Gender: Male
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Post by Shuu on Aug 28, 2021 12:43:27 GMT -8
Strings pulled on him, a sharp pull or a slow tug on his awareness, made him feel like a puppet. Yet it felt as though a master puppeteer was controlling him, his movements smooth and lifelike as he took a few steps towards the water’s edge. Gold-green eyes peered into him from across the waterway, her question perplexing him at first as he turned to observe his surroundings once more. It would have been better had he landed on the grass or in the water, right? Touching his head, a reflexive gesture with no meaning other to acknowledge his head wasn’t split like an over ripe melon, Shuu once more looked at the brown-haired girl. Curled hair catching the stray beam of sun above gave it a lovely sheen and the Shinigami processed his thoughts as he looked from the girl to the cement under his feet. His thoughts? Shared thoughts? His moment with Meridith seemed to gently glide away, the lessons learned vanishing and impending doom sinking away. “ I think...good luck? If the grass is like a trampoline and cement is as soft as a mattress...maybe water is hard enough to walk on?” Shuu mused, looking down at the reflective surface of the water though his actions weren’t quite his own. At least, not so much as being aware of what he was doing rather just following subliminal suggestions that he figured were his own. Taking a step forward he plunged into the still water just as he would in any normal circumstance. It was chilled and tasted of...swamp? It was pungent, Shuu coughing and spitting as he broke the surface. Wiping his face, he looked up at the girl who was still staring at him, embarrassment difficult to hide on his face. “ I...don’t know why I thought that would work out,” Almost gargling his words, the violet-haired shinigami swam to the opposite shore closer to her. Motions he felt familiar with, one arm in front of the other, pushing back and kicking his feet. Still, subtly, the strings pulled to replace familiar movement. As he emerged from the water, really no better than a crawl, he found his outfit had changed once more. A white tracksuit with red trimming, his hair held back by a headband, his normal black shoes replaced with vibrant green sneakers. “Hello...my name is Shuu. What brings you here?” The informality in his greeting and the odd garb he would never wear forced reality around them to warble for a split second in retaliation before snapping back.
This was a normal greeting.
On a normal day.
In a normal world.
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