[Video] About Ablution

[pure_radiantics]

From: Kairi & Yukine
Date: Dusk on July 8, 2016

[ Kairi and Yukine both look worn out and stressed. They'd each been holding a Borderline active for a very long time, relatively speaking, on top of the emotional strain of the confession they heard and the empathy they tried to give back.

The backdrop will tell anyone who knows the area that they're not far from Hakkai's school, just not directly inside it anymore. Kairi speaks first. ]

This message is for my fellow shinki specifically, although I hope gods will be sensitive to this as well. I know that we as shinki struggle with the knowledge that our gods can feel things we feel. It's not something we can change, though. The biggest thing they can feel from us... is guilt. You might have heard it called by another name: blight.

Blight is... it's like this acid on your skin. It hurts. Guilt makes the blight appear, but you can also get it by touching someone who's blighted. That goes for touching blighted gods and shinki both, but it also goes for touching ayakashi, which are nothing but blight. There's a way to reverse really bad blight - the guilt kind, because holy water can fix the kind you get by touching someone.

It's called an ablution. It's not easy and it's definitely not painless and it requires the support of your god as well as three strong shinki friends.

[ She'd started to get a little hysterical in her description of how much effort goes into an ablution, but then she pauses to take a breath. Her voice gets quieter, more purposeful. ]

... I need you all to hear this: I have witnessed two ablutions now, and participated in one of them. It's awful what someone has to go through during that, and it's awful to watch it too.

So please, if you start to feel some blight, don't hide it and refuse to talk to your shinki or god about it. It doesn't just go away like a bad cold. It gets worse and worse and worse.

[Yukine edges into frame, the bags under his eyes and tight expression worth more than a few words on their own.]

I've been telling you guys from the start to get along with your gods. This is a part of it... a part I'd hoped none of you'd have t' see. But it's happened.

When you do something you feel guilty over, admit it. Pretending to smile and acting like everything's fine does neither you or your god any good. Talk about it, fight about it. [He gives a jagged smile as he adds in a low voice,] You can go a bit crazy. Gods don't die so easily.

But after getting it all off your chest then apologize and start fresh.

... Shinki are spirits. We're just across the line from ayakashi. We're human... none of us are perfect. The darkness... is always by our side. So be careful. Don't let it in.

... Damn. That's all I have to say. I'm going to go sleep for a few dozen hours now.

[ Kairi leans a little then, like she would have given Yukine a hug but thought better of it, so he gets a shoulder lean instead. ]

Yukine brought up a good point too. Since our gods feel all this stuff, but "don't die so easily"? They're basically going through the ablution too. They're hurting just like their shinki is.

[ But she doesn't leave the focus on Yukine by that point, knowing without voicing it that he'd been on the other side of the ablution before. That had come up earlier today. So she stands back up straight and pulls her phone back so that he can leave. It's getting late, after all. ]

So that's our warning. Please take care of yourselves and your shinki friends. And please be understanding if you see some blight, offer to help with it or tell someone who can help. I know it's scary.

Thank you.

[[OOC: Both Yukine and Kairi can respond to this BBS post, but if you'd like one of them specifically you can ask for it in the subject line or tag.

Chronologically, this happens not long after Hakkai's Ablution.]]

Comments

[latentforlife]

[He's not going to comment. He's felt the "bad touch" blight already and isn't really big on experiencing this kind that can't be cured by holy water.

So he's just watching this post to read up on this. He's also thinking he's been lucky that some of the things others have been worried about have not caused him guilt.]

audio;

[skepticstarbuck]

"Just across the line from ayakashi"... so that's why we have to be careful.

In other words, we have to follow our conscience.

text; morning the next day

[returnedfromtheline]

That’s just one reason to be careful.

But yes, that’s basically it. If you feel guilty over doing something, you’ll sting your god.

text;

[nolittlesecret]

[This whole blight thing sounds like a righteous mess, which makes Nari glad that he doesn't really feel guilty about anything he does.]

So only guilt does this? The blight thing.

Also, if you need an ablution, do they have to be friends?
Can't they just drag a random shinki off of the street?

text; morning the next day

[returnedfromtheline]

Basically, when you do something you end up feeling bad over, it will sting your god, and affect you too.
Like Kairi said, it’s a bit different from the blight you get from ayakashi.

And you can bring in anyone. But it’s better if it’s someone you at least know. It helps.

text; anon

[rev13_3]

I would like to know more about the process of ablution.

text; morning the next day

[returnedfromtheline]

About how it goes in detail… if you really have to know, it’s better to talk about it face to face.

[He's not trying to out you, anon. But he has reasons for saying that.]

Text

[bussounoshima]

[Sharak does know the area around the school and does recognise it. That's concerning. It's a common place to spend time among the younger shinki and gods though, she knows, so maybe that's the only reason they're nearby. Well, she can look into that later. Yukine and Kairi haven't explicitly mentioned that an ablution just took place, but by the look of them and the tone of this post, it certainly seems that way.]

Thank you for reminding us. You're right that it's important for gods to keep this in mind as well. Both of you make sure to get some rest.

[You too, Kairi.]

Re: Text

[pure_radiantics]

Thank you for understanding, Miss Sharak. I'll be going home soon.

Video

[clothes_make_the_man]

[Hey, Kairi. Have a very worried looking boyfriend.]

Kairi! Are you all right? Did you get blighted? Do you need to rest?

Re: Video

[pure_radiantics]

It wasn't me, don't worry. I do need to rest, though.

Video

[misterfrumpyface]

I trust it was successful, at least?

text; private; morning the next day

[returnedfromtheline]

[No one said that they'd just done an ablution... but he supposes it's pretty obvious.
As long as he doesn't give any details, it should be fine.]

It was. Thanks for asking.

text;

[glacierflower]

Is this the only healing process available for this...?

Re: text;

[pure_radiantics]

As far as any of us know, yes unfortunately it is. The holy water can fix the less intense versions.

text

[festal]

Thank you for telling us.
First, if you don't me asking, how is everyone now?

( Kairi and Yukine look absolutely exhausted and based one everything that's been said, there are others who are probably just as tired if not more. )

Re: text

[pure_radiantics]

I can't speak for everyone of course, but I think we're going to be okay. Just a lot of rest all around.

Voice

[minogame]

Kairi, Yukine! ( They look so tired and given the topic at hand, he can't help but be worried, ) What happened? Are you okay?!

text; morning the next day

[returnedfromtheline]

[Here's one person who for sure wouldn't read between the lines, huh?]

Urashima, please don't worry. Everyone is fine.

text; anon

[tuishou]

[He'd been looking for an escape-- sometimes people post stupid things like cat pictures-- and lo and behold there's something thoroughly humiliating staring right back at him.

Well.] If a shinki goes through an ablution are they more to resistant to blight afterwards? [Like a vaccine--]

Not anon; text

[pure_radiantics]

[She's definitely interested to hear Yukine's response here.]

I don't know. That would be nice if so.

Audio

[bartenderizing]

[ Well, this post definitely put a pit in his gut. Not out of worry for why the post went up- clearly it was handled because these kids looked exhausted and had the time to make this post. It was probably because a part of him recognized that it could easily be his own future.

It's because he's too lazy for text, and was so crummy with words anyway, that it seemed easier to just say what he was worried about. ]

So uh, what you're the kind of person that can still feel guilty even after admitting what you feel guilty over? Is feeling like shit about what happens the thing that causes this blight or is it the keeping it to yourself?

[pure_radiantics]

[Another one she wants to hear Yukine's take on.]

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure keeping it to yourself won't help.

voice;

[dreamprotector]

[Riku isn't even going to ask if Kairi is all right – he can see her distress plain as day… but how does he approach her? He isn't her best friend here, can't just offer his support, or can he?]

Kairi… do you need an ear? I'll listen if you want to talk.

[If she wants to rant, if she needs comfort… he is here for her.]

Re: voice;

[pure_radiantics]

[She's a little surprised - not because it's Riku, they'd talked enough about former bonds that she understands why he'd notice her video. She's only surprised because she's physically exhausted more than anything.]

Riku... Thank you. I mean that. I wasn't the one in trouble, though, so you don't have to worry about that. I appreciate the offer, honest. Do you want me to come over now?

[Because of course now she has to be the one reassuring him she's going to be fine with a little rest. She hasn't really revisited the emotional part just yet in the midst of talking to everyone.]

Video

[bear_necessities]

[Senri doesn't use the phone a lot, so it takes him a minute to find the right button. But Kairi looks really tired and upset and something bad must have happened and he needs to know if she's okay.]

Kairi?

Re: Video

[pure_radiantics]

Hi Senri. [She even gives him a wave.] You look worried.

[And she laughs a little - tiredly - because she's sure that she's the one he's worried about.]

[Video]

[cuteshit]

I already thought it was important to get along with our shinki, but I had no idea it could be like this if we didn't.

[Kanji grimaces. He's still pretty new, barely here longer than his shinki, and he still has a lot to learn.]

We're supposed to be partners. Help each other. I don't want Naoto goin' through any of that shit.

Re: [Video]

[pure_radiantics]

Naoto huh?

[She thinks she knows who that is.]

I'm glad you feel that way. That's the kind of thing I hoped to get across. Some people wouldn't ever do this intentionally to their friends - their partners - but maybe if more people know it can happen, even by accident... maybe other shinki won't have to go through this again.

[nopixiedust]

So when we feel guilty, we get acid on our skin!?

[what the fuck]

[pure_radiantics]

It definitely feels like acid. Whenever an ayakashi got me, or my god while I was their vessel, it felt that bad.

from: carl adler (video)

[smilingbullet]

I hope you're all alright. [ Both the two making the video, and the others who had been involved. Kairi and this Yukine boy doesn't look hurt, at least. He can definitely tell where they are and is wondering if it has anything to do with Hakkai. ]

This is just hypothetical, [ and at least Kairi should know by now that D2 is fairly blunt in certain ways, and doesn't want to get others hurt, so yes, it really is hypothetical. ] but if it'd become necessary to go through with an ablution, how does that work? I only know a little bit about it, and it would be good to know it in detail. [ Having the knowledge is absolutely necessary, that much is obvious. ]

[pure_radiantics]

It's a delicate process. It's not the kind of thing I can describe like this very well. And... I think Yukine's worried about too many people trying it on their own. It's exhausting, so shinki shouldn't be doing it if they're just... "pulled off the street" as someone else put it. I think it's something a few people should be able to do really well.

But I can tell you a bit more about it if you want. There's an incantation involved, there's borderline casting, and what the shinki going through it has to deal with too... and how to help them through it.