Ayato Naoi [直井 文人, Naoi Ayato] (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
theonewhodied) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
poly_chromatic2013-05-28 02:49 am
theonewhodied) wrote in poly_chromatic2013-05-28 02:49 am
Entry tags:
#001 [action]
[action]
[If you happen to be anywhere near the fountain, you will probably hear a scream as a boy drops out of the sky—]
You can't juST THROOOOW ME LIKE THIIIIiiiiiis, I'm god!!
[— and hits the water with a splash.
After getting over the initial shock, but not before he snatches his drifting hat before it gets too far, the boy sits up, soaking wet, to look around himself.
He doesn't look impressed with what he sees, replacing his hat atop his head... without dumping out the water, so it sends the water crashing down in a miniature waterfall around his face.
A moment spent in silent rage.]
What now? Honestly! Why do I still have a lifetime's worth of memories and awareness? I was expecting to be reborn...
[He climbs up to sit on the edge, taking off the hat and his jacket. Time to wait for his clothes to dry before he tries to get some information. He's not about to willingly interact with anyone looking like this!]
[If you happen to be anywhere near the fountain, you will probably hear a scream as a boy drops out of the sky—]
You can't juST THROOOOW ME LIKE THIIIIiiiiiis, I'm god!!
[— and hits the water with a splash.
After getting over the initial shock, but not before he snatches his drifting hat before it gets too far, the boy sits up, soaking wet, to look around himself.
He doesn't look impressed with what he sees, replacing his hat atop his head... without dumping out the water, so it sends the water crashing down in a miniature waterfall around his face.
A moment spent in silent rage.]
What now? Honestly! Why do I still have a lifetime's worth of memories and awareness? I was expecting to be reborn...
[He climbs up to sit on the edge, taking off the hat and his jacket. Time to wait for his clothes to dry before he tries to get some information. He's not about to willingly interact with anyone looking like this!]
action; (a bit later than Utsuho's arrival)
She approaches him and offers a light bow in greeting. Her expression is one of mild concern as she watches him.]
Are you all right? You took quite a fall, from what I saw.
action; 1/2
action; 2/2
Hmph! Of course, I am. A fall like that is nothing to god.
[He puts on a brave front, but the show of concern does confuse him into silence, initially. That's twice in one day, complete strangers showing concern for him...] I'm Naoi Ayato and you are...?
action;
I would certainly be displeased after such an impact, but perhaps you have greater physical resilience than I.
[Let him make of that what he will.]
I am Shikieiki Yamaxanadu, of Gensokyo. Welcome to the City, Ayato-san.
action;
... right. Aren't you a bit old for this? That costume's really elaborate for a school play. [He looks at her dubiously.] Wait, are you some sort of cosplayer?
Or are you from the past? I definitely don't understand this City... I've never heard of Gensokyo either.
Re: action;
No, you do not understand the City, as you are a new arrival. If you did, you would realize that there are individuals from many worlds here, and that not all of them are like yours.
I do not know what a cosplayer is, but this uniform is what the ten highest Yama wear. If you do not have presences like ours in your world, you would not know, but we are the gods of judgement. This position also explains my name.
Take care to learn about your surroundings before showing such arrogance towards those whom you do not know.
action; 1/2
The false pleasantness leaves him after that.]
action; 2/2
action;
And as much as she did wish there were a place for her work here, that is not the reason for his arrival.]
For good or ill...no. At least, that is not what I have gained upon living here. Here, none die, and as such, no souls depart for anywhere as far as we know. Here, I have been involving myself in the City's justice system, rather than performing my particular usual work.
I could attempt an explanation of the City, but there are others who are more knowledgeable of this place than I. If you wish, I will take you there.
action;
If I may interrupt— departed souls may not have a way out, but there's certainly a way in.
Which is why I wondered if this was yet another afterlife, why I asked if I was here to be judged... I'm already dead, you see.
If you wish to test it, you are free to strangle me until my eyes pop or snap my spine in half. Run me through with a blade or riddle me with bullets. Cut me and carve out my intestines if you'd rather finish me off slowly. No matter what kind of damage you inflict, clean or messy, this body will return to the way it was and I will carry on as I do.
I wonder if the same goes for others here? Is that what you mean by their souls having no way out. Do they simply revive and go back to living or are they trapped as spirits?
Before you take me there, I'd like to hear what you know.
action;
[Odd. Gods don't tend to go anywhere when they die. They just vanish...like she will someday. It doesn't bother her, but this is odd by her standards. As for the rather graphic details -- nope, not a single reaction out of her. She has seen all kinds of horrors that others can inflict on each other, although perhaps it reflects on Naoi that he uses such descriptions.]
When an entity dies here, they simply awake in a matter of days in the body they once inhabited. For mortals and the previously living, they lack a pulse and seem distinctly not alive, but they still think and act and have a corporeal form. They do not proceed to any sort of afterlife...they are half-revived, as it were. However, they are forbidden from leaving, if they have died here in the City.
As for what I know, here it is.
The City is an inter-universe hub where creatures from different worlds are brought together. This transport is organized by a set of god-figures who seem to have power over this place, and those of us with what should be similar levels of influence have our powers docked upon entering. Language here is synchronized -- no one has to translate for anyone else -- but conventions are not, so you might meet very alien cultures here.
Technology is ahead of my time if not entirely my magical era, though I am not sure that would be the case for you; there are technologically driven machines, self-lighting lamps, communication at light speed, so on and so forth. Magic does exist here, though it seems mostly confined to the local gods, the City itself, and any individuals brought here who had magic before they left. Many here are completely magically impotent.
The magical properties of the City can induce curses for limited periods of time, during which many citizens will be partially or thoroughly invaded by magical force and changed either physically or in personality, or the City itself will have strange happenings that attempt to cause problems or strange situations. (The explanation I have heard is that the City or its gods may feed on the experiences created by these curses, but I do not know for sure.)
Residents here tend to come and go quickly, and as a result, the structure of this place is in disarray. Most here attempt to find some sort of work, as it does cost money to rent housing here.
...Otherwise, this is life in a city, as far as I can tell.
[She is obviously very used to long-winded explanations; all this just flows out without a single hitch, calmly and confidently.]
action;
This does explain a great many things... her explanation seems to fit, in a lot of ways, so he accepts what makes sense and considers what seems dubious for further study.
However, the talk of curses does manage to earn a reaction out of him, particularly with her word choice: invaded.
If he had his arms crossed before, his fingers are now clawing into his arms, while he tries to keep a neutral expression until she's finished. He steels himself before responding:] ... thank you very much for that explanation. Please, take me to the ones who know the most. [In a strangely genuine gesture, he removes his hat and gives a bow of gratitude, despite failing to reciprocate earlier.]
action;
This way, Ayato-san. The office where they work is not far.
action; 1/2
She remembered his name.]
action; 2/2
For now, he should follow her to learn.]