The World of the Non-Living

From: Vesta
Date: December 24

[Being an old-timey Japanese person, Ayumu's unfamiliar with Christmas Eve or Christmas traditions. What she is acquainted with is New Year's and it's coming up very soon. Since her return from the dead, Ayumu's been too busy recovering from her ordeal and its fallout this month to really announce herself.

Between returning to the Shinsengumi and getting affairs in order at her own temple, Ayumu simply hasn't had the time or energy to dedicate to making all the social calls she'd like. There's something she's been thinking about doing, however, and Ayumu's running out of time to do it.

So here is a video of a very solemn and subdued looking Ayumu Yamazaki in a plum-blossom patterned kimono with her hair done up in a sleek bun. The eyepatch over her left eye is absent today, revealing the facial scarring marring her brow and the drooping lid in stark clarity. Her posture is straighter than it's been in quite some time. She appears to be seated at a kitchen table, her hands clasped neatly in front of her.

After a moment, Ayumu begins to speak quietly and evenly in the Kyoto accent she hasn't used since her first time here as a goddess.]

Hello. My name is Ayumu Yamazaki. I'm also known as Vesta and have gone by Lady Yumi on this shore in the past. I'm aware that many of you do not know me. Many of those that do are not aware that prior to my life here as a shinki, I was once a goddess. It's because of those who were once here but have long since passed on or vanished that I am speaking now.

[Ayumu bows her head briefly in a moment of silence before lifting it once more.]

On New Year's Eve, I'll be holding a candlelit vigil at my temple to honor and bid a proper farewell to those who've left us, whether it be through choice, death, or unknown forces. A new year awaits us all, one that may prove to be full of better prospects but I believe that in order to greet it fully with open arms, we must first let go of what binds us in the past. If anyone would like to do the same, you are all welcome to join me at my temple.

[Ayumu includes directions to her temple in the western district. When she's done, she bows deeply to the camera then straightens up. Just before the video cuts out, there's the sound of a very demanding meow coming from off-screen.]

From: Ayumu Yamazaki
Date: September 22nd

[In all the time that Ayumu's resided on the Far Shore, both as a goddess and a shinki, she's never once started her own thread on the BBS. It's very rare for her to even comment and it wasn't until her tenure as a shinki that she bothered to check it occasionally. She's deeply uncomfortable with using modern technology outside of emergency situations unless it involves browsing cute animal pictures and videos.

So for Ayumu to put her aversion aside long enough to make a post, it has to be for something really damn important to her. And this announcement is.

As soon as the video starts, it shows Ayumu seated at the kitchen table. She's wearing a long sleeved blouse with a high collar and her hair's loose but been neatly brushed. Usually, her body language radiates confidence and self-assurance but today, she's hugging her arms in an unusual display of shyness and uncertainty.

It takes her a few moments to start speaking; the view wavers back and forth briefly as she reaches out to adjust her phone, trying to get it properly centered for her recording. Once satisfied, she breaks out into a bright, cheerful smile and starts talking in a rather animated fashion.]

Hello! I hope everyone is having a good day. My name is Yamazaki Ayumu. Some of you may know me as Hakkai-sama's exemplar but many of you I have yet to meet.

[She gives a slight self-deprecating laugh before continuing.]

I'm making this video to inform you all of a personal project of mine that I'm working on. I'm sure that most of you know that a shinki's life can be an unstable and unpredictable one as their gods and homes vanish can vanish without warning. I believe the solution to this problem is to build community resources outside the gods they are bound to.

[The longer Ayumu talks about this, the more confident and passionate she seems. There's a slight sparkle of excitement in her good eye. She reaches for something out of view and there's the sound of papers rustling before Ayumu is replaced with a close up of a somewhat clumsily drawn but surprisingly detailed sketch of an idyllic temple. Kairi might recognize it as the one she'd spent time cleaning up but Ayumu added cutesy little doodles of what are presumably supposed to be happy, carefree shinki frolicking with cats and other animals.]

This is the Community Home for Lost Shinki, a shelter designed to provide a safe sanctuary for any shinki who finds themselves suddenly bereft of their god or feels unsafe in the service of the god they've been assigned to. My goal is to lessen the anxiety of shinki who are uncertain or uncomfortable about their future here on the Far Shore.

[There's a brief pause as another idea occurs to her on the spot. Oh, she should sell the potential benefits to the new gods as well, shouldn't she? Her tone becomes very grave and serious as she goes on.]

It will also ease the strain on gods who are unfit or unwilling to be responsible for a shinki. As I'm sure many of us are aware, none of us have arrived here of our own free will. But it's imperative that we cope and manage the best we can in this situation as a community.

[Ayumu pulls the drawing back and she's visible again, a genuine, sweet smile on her face. This is the essence of who she is - a woman who's dedicated her life to the service of others.]

As a member of this community, I propose a charity event to raise funds for this project. Perhaps a swap meet?

['Swap meet' comes out a little awkwardly on her tongue; it's not as unfamiliar as it was when she first heard but it's still a relatively new phrase and concept to her. The video cuts off here rather abruptly. Maybe she ran out of recording time?]