thefarshore | Heaven's BBS

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Heaven's BBS | Video

Posted: June 21st
From: Eros

[There's a dull clicking sound in the background when the feed starts but judging by the odd lower angle and blurred image it seems this wasn't supposed to start in the first place. Upon closer inspection, and with a bit of shifting, the video focuses and reveals what definitely looks to be a young man's bare back facing the camera. He's laying down on his side in the grass, currently unmoving, but when the clicking sound starts up again he finally shifts to lazily roll over and face the feed with tired, half-lidded eyes.

No, he isn't wearing a shirt. Too hot for that. And even if it wasn't, he'd probably feel too unenergetic to put one on anyway.]

Oi... Put that away. It's too hot for this.

[said as he lifts his hand up, considers reaching over... and chooses instead to drop it atop his forehead which is currently dappled with sweat. He could go for a swim. He could grab a drink, take a cold shower. He could. But he won't.

Whoever's on the other side of the screen makes a noncommittal, almost animal like growl... before finally obliging and dropping the device in the grass so it can eventually pad over and flop down beside Rin in the afternoon shade. Is that... an ayakashi? Seems somewhat tame for one, though there's no mistaking it's features. Bear. Small. Cuddly. Definitely ayakashi. Regardless, Rin doesn't seem pressed to move much, and with a lazy, cat-like stretch he rolls his shoulders before absently wiping more sweat away from his neck and chiseled stomach with the backs of his fingertips.

Well. There's Eros in the flesh for you.]

Tsk... stupid bear. Now I can't sleep.

(( ooc: Rin ran into a bear cub ayakashi and it's made him uncharacteristically tired, lazy, and all around listless! Please help... or take the opportunity to admire. Your choice bro. ))

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[~~Where do you even get that idea?~~ And this is completely different than snuggling; this is a piggyback ride and it’s perfectly fine. Sousuke looks up to the trees above them and watches the petals drifting down through the air. All the awkward and danger aside, it is nice to be out here with Rin.]

Hn, I’ll wring them out on yours.

[Said with a little sly-eyed smirk towards his shoulder. And back to the trees. While he could have gone straight for the door, Sousuke finds himself quietly wandering off course. Green grass, the dark trunks of the sakura, the pink petals in the fresh air, all of it looking livelier than it had been a few moments ago. The tighter hold isn’t missed and he blows a sakura petal away with a puff of air. You know, before it settles on his face or something.]

I’m glad you weren’t eaten.

[There may have been just a tiny bit of emphasis on the “I’m” right there… but who knows.]

I'll steal your pillows.

[That smirk. He should pinch it right off his face. He's just started considering it when he notices Sousuke's wandering off course.]

Oy, where are you going? The door's that way.

[If he wants him to remain uneaten then what the hell's he still walking around here for? Well... there's no denying the scenery is nice and compared to some of the fighting and rigorous training they've been up to these past couple days, a leisurely stroll--piggyback ride--is a welcome change of pace. But seriously...]

I know.

[That’s what he’s going to say about the door. It’s over there and they’ll get to it eventually, but for right now, isn’t it nice to wander around and linger outside? Normally they’re going somewhere or training outside. A bit of a rarity to just walk through the sakura grove. Come to think of that though…]

Do you know if gods can… arrange their temples?

[He releases one of Rin’s legs just long enough to gesture to the side, indicating a wide swath of grass among the sakura.]

You could put a pool there.

[While he does like their pools in the gym, it’s always nagged him that the pools are underground. No windows to see outside or let in the light. No way to backstroke and look up at the sky.]

Huh?

[He turns to look off the side where Sousuke directs him. There's definitely a lot of space on these grounds to put countless things if he wanted, but to be honest he's never thought about the idea. Can he do something like that?]

I don't know.

[The pool he does have here serves its purpose after all. But Sousuke's right. It feels artificial being down there.]

... Do you want a pool over there?

[Honestly, Sousuke’s pretty sure Rin has no idea. He’s never encountered a god that wants to do remodeling on their temple. Then again, they’re gods and this place is obviously crafted to suit Rin’s likes. Why else would it be a romantic castle with sakura trees around it and a full gym of weight machines and Olympic-sized swimming pools below ground? All of that is very much Rin.

He tucks his arm back under Rin’s leg and starts walking again.]

I don’t know. Maybe. I like our pools, but they’re kind of dark. You can’t see outside at all.

[Now he's got him thinking. If this place really is tailored to his likes, then is there a way for him to tailor it even more? Maybe if he thinks really hard about it... Part of him wants to try but somehow he doubts a new pool will come falling out of the sky in an instant. Right?]

Yeah. There's light down there, but no daylight.

[He sighs softly before resting his chin on Sousuke's head again. Cozy.]

I'll try. It has to be doable somehow, don't you think?

That way you can see the sky when you swim.

[Sousuke lets him stew for a while as he walks. Maybe the place only gave Rin’s preferences thought when it made the temple for his arrival. If that’s how it even works. But who said they couldn’t change it if Rin wishes? Asides from all signs pointing contradictory. No one else’s has changed as far as he knows.]

Aa. It’s all electric.

[Which is nice and pretty, of course, but… like right now, out here in the sun and warm air, wouldn’t it be nice to go swimming under this sky?

… oy. Chin on his head. Don’t think he doesn’t notice that. Sousuke rolls his eyes, but decides Rin can enjoy that rarity for the time being.]

Can’t say. We might have to start digging or something.

[A little smirk at the softer words.]

Oy, you want to do the same. Plus sakura petals in the pool, you romantic.

[He can always ask around with some of the older gods to see if they have any tips. Their temples couldn't have stayed the same over the hundreds or thousands of years of them being here, could they?

Rin hums thoughtfully (and, no, he doesn't move his chin from its new perch, thank you) before turning to gaze out over the gardens again. It'd be a lot of work to do it themselves... and they're hardly qualified for that sort of thing. Still, swimming in the sun with all these beautiful trees--]

Oy.

[He nudges him in the side for that with his foot, but then, quietly, maybe a little dreamily,]

... I guess I have always wanted to swim in a sakura pool.

[Sousuke’s curious, but he doesn’t want Rin to go out of his way or have to risk something for it. The pools they have are fine and all. But if there’s a price, he’s going to make sure they share it. The pool’s going to be for both of them, got it?

Since that chin’s not moving, he does his best not to move his head too much, not wanting to tug his hair or buck Rin’s jaw or something like that. Sousuke passed by the front door and heads for the other side of the grounds, lazily sweeping his foot through a pile of sakura petals. Building a pool’s out of the question, even if he does want to entertain the idea.]

Hn. [A soft smile at the nudge and response. Thought so.] Just like a romantic swimming maniac would say.

[He doubts he'll be risking anything just to try. What harm could it do? And if it ends up costing something, there's no harm in that either. He'll probably refuse Sousuke sharing the cost at first (naturally) but in the end he'll most likely concede. They share everything these days. A bedroom, a bed... a sakura pool.

A romantic swimming maniac, huh... It's bittersweet, the feeling those words give him. It seems no matter if he remembers Rin or not, those nicknames will come naturally. So naturally...

He slips his chin away so he can stare down at the top of his shinki's head.]

Yeah.

[...]

Sousuke. [There's something he wants to ask.] Are you happy here?

[Doubtful. Maybe just get a weird look. Or maybe they’d wake up one morning and there’d be a pristine pool sitting outside under the cherry blossoms. Who knew in this place? And if Rin refuses to share the cost, he’ll ignore it and share it anyways (because that’s how they do things). He lets his eyes wander around the temple grounds. Apart from the cherry blossoms, what else is around here?

They’ve usually kept their sparring and training confined to one area, typically around the front of the castle. So why not head around back and see what’s out that way. There’s plenty of space. Maybe they should set up something… like a volleyball net or another similar past time.

Sousuke arches a brow and glances up when the chin leaves his head and he gets a question instead. But simple as it is, the shinki doesn’t answer right away, only lowers his gaze and frowns slightly. Happy… He could answer so readily, but that’s not what Rin wants. And he knows Rin doesn’t want a lie either.]

Aa. I am.

[His hands unconsciously firm around Rin’s legs, holding him securely.]

I’d like to know more about things. Why we’re here and who we are. You know my thoughts on the god/shinki relationship.

[Admittedly his opinion has improved and he’s not really vitriolic about it anymore. Mostly wishes for more equality and freedom for both god and shinki, but Rin’s patience and relationship with him has definitely helped to improve Sousuke’s ideas regarding gods. He has him to thank for that.]

But… I’d be dead otherwise if it weren’t for you. You gave me a life… a good one.

[And a friend, someone he can trust and care for. What they have together isn’t perfect; nothing is. He knows Rin misses his past life as much as Sousuke can’t remember his. But they’re here together, they’ve grown together. And in truth, all pettiness and trivial issues aside, it’s hard to complain.]

[Hard to believe this castle is a finite area with how far it goes. Rin swears the two of them could spend hours every day scouting the grounds and the rooms without once discovering all the hidden secrets. Still, in a way he finds that preferable, because it means they have time. Time to walk, to explore, to simply be with each other when he days allow it. They're not known for taking things slowly. Actually, they both tend to charge on ahead at their own paces. So... something like this, walking like this... It's as welcome as it is strange.

Along the other side of the castle the hedges line pathways towards more open grass, but beyond them the back gardens stretch far and wide. There's a pond he's yet to visit, he notes. The one with all the swans and the hanging wisteria trees, their overflowing, weeping branches tinting the water pink and lavender. But all of this, as new as it is... does that amount to anything for Sousuke? Is it too much, too little, nothing at all? What, he wonders, can bring him happiness?

... Or maybe he doesn't have to look far.

Rin doesn't say anything at first, only listens, and as he does he feels his heart flutter with relief and awe. A little while ago Sousuke might have given him a different answer entirely. Now this... The firmer hold isn't lost on him and he drops his gaze towards the grass as it happens. He wants to tell him everything in that moment, to answer all his questions big or small. Because even if he has a satisfying life, he knows he can make it worth so much more.]

I...

[For once, it seems, Rin is speechless. At least at first. He couldn't have done that much. Still–]

... I'm happy that you're happy.

[It’s another facet of the castle that Sousuke sometimes wonders if tilted towards Rin’s preferences. The sakura trees and gym pools are obviously tailored to his god’s likes, those of being a romantic sap and a powerful swimmer respectively. But other aspects, like the sheer size of it. The hidden places and secrets that could leave them wandering and exploring together for days. It’s rather engaging actually, giving them ample time to get away from each other if they want, but always somehow making it easy for them to get back together. Sousuke wonders if that’s because of their relationship, if the castle somehow reflects who they are… what they have together.

None of those thoughts he’d ever admit to Rin, of course. He’d probably be a jerk enough to tease him about it, hmph. But all that aside… it’s nice to walk with him like this. Even if Rin is piggybacking. Sousuke wanders his gaze over the hedges and open grass. But as nice as they are, the back gardens are far more impressive. Vast and reflective of the richness of the place, one particular area surrounding a pristine pond that reflects the swans swimming within its glassy surface and the violet trails of the weeping wisteria. It’s… it’s definitely impressive. His pace slows as he walks, taking in the scenery they don’t often see.

He knows Rin’s concerned about his happiness. After all, Rin’s not the shinki. But at the same time, Sousuke doesn’t want to be the only one happy. Rin should be too. And he knows Rin knows that as well as he does. They’re close enough after all by now. Sleeping in the same bed and all… ahem … Yeah, earlier on, he wouldn’t have answered like that. But a lot changes in several weeks. And Rin’s shown himself to be not just someone Sousuke can trust, but someone he can open up to. Someone he can call a friend.]

Hm. Cute answer. [His voice is soft and there’s obvious fondness in it, a little smile hidden below as he holds the other boy’s legs.] But your happiness isn’t just related to mine, right?

[Look, if he has to get all feelsy for a moment, you have to too. So there. Let’s hear it.]

Edited 2017-05-15 22:15 (UTC)

[He wonders if Sousuke plans on heading down towards the water (if he's even ok with that) and even considers hopping down to run over and admire it on his own before the swans up and fly away, but in the end Rin's able to control himself and decides to stay right where he is, admiring the view from afar. They're both tired after all and there's still no telling if there's other ayakashi roaming around the castle grounds. Just a few more minutes. Then they can--

--cute?

Rin nearly chokes on his air at that response but it's the question afterwards that keeps him from snapping back. His happiness... Well, sure. It isn't. But-- Just what is Sousuke getting at here?

Tsk. Who is he kidding. Of course he knows what he's getting at. ... Whether or not he has the right answer for it though, well--]

I'm happy that you're happy.

[he repeats it because it's true.]

I'm happy we're alive and that we're working together to accomplish a lot of things.

[Rin pauses before suddenly his tone turns soft.]

... but I'd be lying if I told you I'm happy being away from my real home.

[Sousuke takes his time to wander through the shrubbery, taking the path along the flowering greens. They’re rarely in the back of the castle and he doesn’t know if he’s ever bothered to look out the back. Maybe he has, but regardless, all of this looks fresh and new. It’s a nice feeling, though he does keep an eye out for anything that’s not supposed to be here. Like Rin’s figuring, there might still be threats so… Sousuke doesn’t want to get caught unaware again.

He snirks a little at that almost-choke above him, but doesn’t feel like rubbing it in. Nice to surprise Rin. He turns his path and heads for the pond, keeping his pace leisurely and slow. The swans don’t need to be startled by this… weird shape coming towards them.]

You said that.

[Of course Rin knows that, but the answer, while nice, doesn’t sit all well with Sousuke. It’s trite while true, but makes him wonder what Rin’s happiness really holds to? He doesn’t want to be the sole reason for Rin’s happiness or sadness; there should be more to it than that. And he wants to know what that is.]

Together, hm…

[Yes, that is something he’s happy about as well. Even if it’s been only a couple months, being with Rin… feels nice. It makes him happy. But when the tone softens, Sousuke guesses what’s coming and slows his pace as they reach the edge of the pond. Swans still included.]

Aa… [He gazes at the water, the silence understanding between them. Rin’s home…] Nah, Rin… Tell me about your home. What was it like?

[Thankfully it seems the swans are content to keep on swimming even as they both approach, and once Sousuke's right by the water's edge the pair even paddle over, necks stretched to give themselves a better look. Rin wonders if they know who they are, if they've ever seen them on the castle grounds before today... Maybe that's why they seem comfortable. Hm. More weird things about being a god he'll probably never figure out.

Anyway, the scenery does help to keep him calm at least, even in a strange conversation like this.

But that--

Rin doesn't say anything at first and after switching his gaze from this way and that he gently pushes at Sousuke's shoulders, signalling he's about to hop down from his little piggyback ride. Back on his feet, he rubs at his arm and turns towards the water, towards the swans who swim closer to stare with their beady black eyes. His home, their home, our home...]

What's there to tell?

[What can he tell?]

It was... small. Quiet. To be honest, I never even stayed there long.

[Vague. He has to keep it vague. ... And yet--]

... No matter where you were, you were always close to the ocean.

[Sousuke wonders if the swans are simply part of the castle or if they’d come from somewhere. He assumes it’s the former, considering other gods’ temples have animals he’s sure aren’t wandering around this world. Easier to just accept and not think too hard about this place. When he feels that soft push at his shoulders, the larger boy nods and rolls his shoulders, fingers releasing Rin’s legs so he can swing them back and dismount. It’s… admittedly a little relief. Even if Sousuke’s strong, Rin’s all muscle and not that much shorter/smaller than him.

Once he’s got his back clear, he gives his shirt a small tug to put it back in order and then wanders off towards the bridge arching over the water. It’s a strange question, since Sousuke knows he reminds Rin of someone from his home. But at least he gets an answer… a vague one. He sighs and rests his forearms on the bridge’s railing, trying not to sound frustrated or dejected. Rin doesn’t want to get either of them in trouble… and he’d know, right?]

So it’s an ocean town. I guess it was some kind of fishing town then…

[He looks down at the water, watching his crystal-clear reflection.]

Why’d you leave so soon? Didn’t you like your hometown?

[Rin looks over while Sousuke walks to the bridge and as he does it seems like one of the swans is comfortable enough to paddle along after him. They're probably bound to this place, this castle... even to Rin himself. Can't imagine how that would work out, but those are all thoughts for another time. For now he's content to watch and even fool himself into thinking this is all a different reality. They aren't in heaven, nobody's dead or forgotten. They're just as they've always been, standing together on a lazy afternoon...

Hearing Sousuke sigh breaks the illusion though and Rin bites his lip, because he knows what he's thinking. He knows his god's being vague. He knows he's holding information from him for their safety. And really, he wants to tell him more. Every detail, every memory...]

Yeah. It was.

[he pauses before adding,]

My dad was a fisherman before he passed.

[Rin soon follows after him, stepping up onto the bridge to fold his arms over the railing too and stare down at their reflections between the swans. He laughs, but only a little... It's bittersweet.]

I loved it. I still do. ... But I had dreams to follow.

[Sousuke eyes the swan following him. This place is peaceful, as always. The quietness and beauty are sculpted, he’s convinced, to fit his god’s personal tastes. A strong castle, yet still beautiful. The little romantic touches here and there seem like fairy tales flittering in and out of the stone towering behind them. For some people, this place would be a dream come true. For others, it’s a place to wait until what happens happens. Moments like these, Sousuke’s not even sure what he’s thinking about and why he is. It’s simply… something to. Like his brain’s rambling.

Guess it’s not just Rin that got affected by that laze-inducing bear. Wonder if some of that got on his foot after he kicked it… ewugh. It’s a distracting thought from the little ire that needles him at Rin’s vagueness. He knows Rin doesn’t want to be, but has to be in order to keep him safe. How anyone shinki’s supposed to exist in this place without thinking of their past is beyond him. He simply tries to obey the warnings in his gut when something veers towards a “bad” topic.

It’s as frustrating for Rin as it is for him. Strange to take comfort in that thought.]

So ka… Hn, your dad was a nice guy. [Sousuke rests one hand over the other, eyes lifting to the sky.] He must’ve thought the world of you.

[It makes him wonder, makes him think, and those thoughts aren’t fun. He knows he can’t remember anything and he tries not to since it’s dangerous. But… even now the feeling’s creeping into his stomach and it frustrates him that he can’t know. He’s alive, but there’s a price he’s eternally paying for it.]

And those dreams lay outside your home, didn’t they…

[Rin figures it's been long enough for that ayakashi's effects to wear off, and yet here the two of them are, lazy and slow regardless. Ok, so it's not as bad as Rin was, rolling around in the grass and being rude to everyone he remotely felt like speaking to, but it's close enough.]

Mm. You would know, wouldn't you?

[What with being possessed and all. An awkward thing to remember at a time like this (at a time like any, actually) and he clears his throat as if that will make the thought disappear.

Looking out over the pond this time, Rin's silent at first... then he laughs again.]

Actually, I found out I didn't need to look far for them. They were with me all along.

[Turning back to Sousuke, Rin smiles wide.]

I guess that's why I'm not as down as I could be in the end, even being here. As long as I know who's most important to me, it doesn't matter how far away I go.

[He’s not being lazy; he’s simply thinking about things. Lazy didn’t carry someone’s butt halfway around the castle grounds. But yeah, he’s pretty relaxed right now, pensive more like it, resting on the railing and gazing at their reflection in the water below. Funny… they’re normally together so much.]

Hmph. I don’t know that much. He wasn’t in my head, you know.

[And Sousuke definitely wasn’t in Matsuoka-san’s. That had been an… interesting time. But the result was better than what it could have been. Sousuke regrets nothing about his choice, even if it is awkward every time he remembers it.

The change back to the other topic earns a glance to Rin’s reflection and Sousuke studies him in the water. It’s such a romantic thing to say, he’s surprised he didn’t expect it. But at the same time… he furrows his brows a little.]

Aa, but…

[Sousuke trails off as the side of his face practically warms under the beam of that brilliant smile. Whatever he’d been going to say fades away from his lips and he shakes his head lightly, a tiny smile appearing as well.]

You must have someone very important to you back home. I hope they know how lucky they are to have a friend like you.

[Rin turns away at those words and it's just in time to watch the pair of swans rejoin then slowly drift away towards the opposite end of the pond. Someone important... Unconsciously he intertwines and loosens his fingers a few times out of restlessness. It's never easy, being put on the spot like this.

Especially when he isn't so sure how to answer.

It took him a long time to reach out to those important people, he knows that much. So caught up in his selfish goals, his father's dream, his times and records... Having important people didn't even exist for a time.

If only you knew... If only you knew how unfair I really was to all of you.

Rin pushes away from the railing on that note and turns back towards the castle. His smile's gone, but he isn't frowning at least.]

We should head back inside. Before that ayakashi shows up again and all that...

Edited 2017-05-22 08:23 (UTC)

[Sousuke shifts a little on his arms before folding them across the top of the bridge’s banister. This feels… he’s not sure. There’s comfort here standing silently beside Rin over the water. But it’s also uneasy and slightly anxious. Even with things going well for them, there always seems to be a soft melancholy between them whenever things settle and they have time to simply be silent together.

Especially when the conversation turns to things like this. It’s obvious Rin holds people very close to his heart. But sometimes Sousuke wonders what else Rin keeps so close. He knows there are things his god can’t say to him and it bothers them both. This goes beyond those kinds of things. What’s bad about asking Rin about his past? Is that something in the “dangerous” category? Rin’s the only one with a past between the two of them…

But he gets nothing for it and looks to the side as Rin pushes away from the railing. For a few moments, Sousuke’s silent, watching Rin’s back as the breeze licks at the longer strands of hair at the nape of his god’s neck. He could refuse and stay out here till he’s good and ready to go inside…

Not that there’s a point to that. Sousuke lets his arms fall by his side as he backs away from the railing. Hands slide into his pockets and he heads towards the castle.]

Aa.

[Can’t have him kicking more bear cubs now can we.]

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Heaven's BBS | Video

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