thefarshore | HEAVEN'S BBS

You ought to get the chance to enjoy it, then!

[Tsuzuki dropped his hand on Jae-Ha's shoulder in return, grinning encouragingly at him. If he's been wanting to go out and grab a drink all this time and hasn't had anybody to go with, no wonder he was just asking for anybody on the bulletin board.]

C'mon. [Letting his hand fall back to his side, he speeds up, leading the way.]

Have you had much of a chance to hang out on the Near Shore since you got here? Tokyo's a nice place! Kind of busy, but there are still some quieter spots.

Not yet. Along with my god, there's a companion shinki that I have to watch over. We've both been adapting to this place, so I haven't had any time to relax.

[Not that it's been bad, but he sure did buy a fridge full of milk the other day. They'll figure things out slowly.] Quiet or loud... I happen to like a mix of both.

Crowds just get depressing these days. See, mortals don't really notice us unless they've got enough supernatural power. If it's a quiet place, it doesn't show as much.

[Tsuzuki glances back over his shoulder, with a rueful smile, and shrugs.]

You've just been here a couple of days, but you'll get used to it.

Hey, there it is!

[He points at a small lower-floor place, dusty windows but with a nice ink-painted sign.]

Yes, I've noticed that...

[He trails off in his thought. The whole thing does bother and depress him, honestly, because as much as he might say he's a natural loner, that's not the case in his heart at all. Still, he puts on a smile when the place comes into view.]

How cute! A small place like this must be more cozy. [Makes assumptions right outside, this is fine... They're heading in now anyway, so he'll open the door for them!] What type of drinks do you like best, Tsuzuki?

[It's cozy, in Tsuzuki's opinion. Not real well-lit, but not dirty (as far as he can tell): the decor's about twenty years old but there's a good selection of bottles behind the bar and the bartender leaning on it is pretty nice, when he remembers somebody's talking to him, anyway.

He grabs one of the barstools and waves until the guy notices.]

Fruity cocktails mostly. They just taste better, you know? What about you?

[It reminds him of something he can't quite place his finger on. It's nice, regardless of what he can remember, and he finds himself smiling a little as they walk through. He'll leave gathering the attention to Tsuzuki, so he might go unnoticed himself for the time being.]

Me? It's hard to say, when I've no memories to go off of... But looking into it, the description of sake sounds nice. I feel like I'd enjoy anything smooth or sweet. A bit of a bite isn't so bad, either.

Got it. [Tsuzuki waves again, and the bartender's eyes re-focus on him. He beams, and sets off into a cheerful spiel: one Salty Dog, one sake, whatever kind he's got that's good, maybe something local, how's your day been, how's your cat?

As long as he keeps chatting, it keeps the guy's mind on what he's doing, and that they're there. Plus, he tells really cute stories about his cat. He's got a YouTube channel and everything. Tsuzuki assures him that Shiromimi-san will rival Maru someday, and the guy slides their drinks across the counter in what Tsuzuki is willing to call an unqualified success.]

There's yours, Jae-Ha!

[It looks like Jae-Ha is appreciating the place. Tsuzuki brightens. It's always nice bringing people to your favorite spots and having them go over well.]

Thank you.

[For taking care of all that, and so on! He reaches to wrap a hand loosely around his own drink.] You're good at holding attention, aren't you? You must do it often enough that it's become second nature. But I thought we were discouraged from doing things like this?

Things like what, talking to mortals? Nah. [Tsuzuki glances back at the bartender, who's finished wiping down the counter and has pulled out his cell phone, checking it in casual obliviousness to his two customers.]

He's forgotten we're here already. It doesn't really matter who we talk to, most of the time.

[Casting a sheepish glance at Jae-Ha, he takes a swig of his drink. The bite of the salt on the edge softens the bitterness of the grapefruit, and he savors the mouthful for a moment. He usually doesn't bother to talk people through mixed drinks. Beer or sake is quick... just not as good.]

It's not a great idea to come hang out on the Near Shore like this just because ayakashi sometimes show up, but as long as we're not here 'til closing it should be okay.

Is that what it is?

[Ayakashi appearing... He supposes that would be dangerous, if you're here alone without your god or shinki. He's noticed by now how quickly they'll forget about their presence, but he's tried not to think about it too long or hard. Jae-Ha takes a long drink now before he sets it down.]

Ahh, just as I thought! I do like it! There's something a little lacking, but that only means I should try for it harder and harder, right? [He laughs, leaning forward a little over the bar. He'll have to try a lot of different types of drinks, and maybe he'll find one even more nostalgic.]

Enough about these depressing topics. You should tell me a bit about yourself.

Yeah. Maybe you'd like a sake cocktail?

[Tsuzuki swirls the swizzle stick in his drink, smiling ruefully. No depressing topics, huh. Well...]

Uh, let's see. I actually grew up around Tokyo myself! It's been a long time, though. Over a hundred years. Things have really changed....

[A sake cocktail... Maybe he'll try that next! Ah, but those thoughts are interrupted when he calmly tries to register what Tsuzuki is saying. Oh, so he's familiar with this place, and...

Wait.]

A hundred years?!

Yeah, I haven't been Tajimamori all that long, but before that, I spent a pretty long time as a god of death.

[Which explains the age and the twentysomething face all at once. Tsuzuki goes for another sip of his drink, glancing at Jae-Ha to see just how he was reacting to that.]

Oh, I see, so you were already a god.

[.......]

How is it that a god of death was brought here to be a god again...? That seems excessive.

Haha, I know, right? It's weird!

[Tsuzuki takes a slightly too-big swig of his cocktail and coughs.]

-- Anyway, um, gods of death are a little more like shinki. You know -- we're the souls of the dead, given special powers and a new job working for the Lord of Hell.

What about the memories of your life? Did you still have those?

[This is very interesting, so he puts a pause on flirting for it. The next drink he takes is a little long, as well.]

... Yeah, that's the one thing that's different. It didn't do anything to the memories of our life.

[He eyes Jae-Ha sidelong.]

In that case, it doesn't sound so bad at all.

[Holding old memories fondly... And maybe watching over anyone he left behind, too, if that was something that was possible. At this point in time, Jae-Ha is really sad that he can't recall a single thing, and yet there are these strings tugging at his heart like pieces of him are missing.

It's horrible. He's glad Kija is here. He doesn't look over as he watches his drink.]

I have no way of knowing if these feelings I have hold any real meaning other than it "feels right." Though I suppose some who keep their memories would like for them to be erased. The grass is always greener, right?

Maybe. I wouldn't want to lose even the bad parts, though. [Not because the bad parts were worth keeping, but because to lose them, he'd have to lose everything. His sister, their house, the garden: the memories of love as well as the memories of hate. He swallows. It's awful, what shinki go through. It's hard to wrap his mind around a violation like that, forgetting your entire human life.]

For you guys, though... do what feels right, okay?

It doesn't matter if something feels good because it meant more to you in life. If it means something now, that's good enough.

Tsuzuki, you have a kind heart to go along with your kind smile, after all.

[Jae-Ha smiles warmly himself once he finally looks up and over.] These feelings of what's right or wrong in my heart are the strongest thing I remember. I wouldn't dare go against something like my principles.

But thank you.

[Tsuzuki laughs, a little awkwardly, and rubs the back of his neck. It's nice of Jae-Ha to say that, anyway. But it's more important that he seems to be confident in what his principles are. For a shinki, that's gonna serve him well.]

Okay, good. I think you'll be fine.

You think I'll be fine, as in, you think I'm beautiful?

[That doesn't even make any sense to anyone but Jae-Ha, who thinks his principles are just another sign of his beauty. Love him.]

Whoa, wait, what?

I mean, sure, you're good-looking! I'm not into guys like that though!

[This might not strictly be accurate. It is, however, Tsuzuki's story and he's sticking to it.

It's a good way to clear up anybody having any unfortunate thoughts about the kind of date this is, too! Because the answer is "two guys, hanging out and having a drink, not in a romantic way, at all."]

So long as you think I'm beautiful, that's fine.

[Jae-Ha doesn't buy that excuse... And well, he's smooth with rejections, anyway. Don't they just make a chase that much more interesting?

...Not that he's chasing this man, of course. He doesn't chase men, no, not at all. He'll just casually drink even more sake.]

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