synflux | ( OPEN ) MAY CATCH ALL

[ It's the privilege of the older to enjoy wandering off during field trips with the kids. Albert Einstein probably said that.

Kaito flourishes a few plucked flowers into sight before sliding them back into his hoodie. ]

I saw some pretty blooms, so I thought I might grow some in my room. [ A beat; he glances around the shrine. ]

This place is in much better shape than I expected. Places of worship are rather resilient, huh?

(For just a moment, eyes widen with surprise at the idea of growing flowers from the shrine back at the base. It hadn't even crossed his mind but the possibility now... well, it makes his heart leap. It makes him feel excited and he wonders if they can take anything else to preserve at the base. He owners how long it would take for them to grow, too.

He tries to shake off the surprise and regain his composure but he can't help but smile warmly,)

Mhm! This shrine has been around since even before this city was the old capital.

(Back when the years were still in triple digits. It's old.)

Maybe it shouldn't be so surprising it's still standing... but I'm surprised all the same!

[ 'Just a moment' can easily overlap with 'for the next five minutes' when the perceiver in question is a cheater like Kaito. A warm smile tugs at the corners of his lips. ]

Got the gears turning, huh? I wonder if that means you're thinking about proper restoration efforts...

[ He trails off, chuckling. ]

I'm guessing you and the kids haven't done much exploring yet? Seems like everyone's still loitering in the courtyard.

Where do you plan on looking first?

Eh? That would be a lot of work for one person!

(And he waves his hand in front of him, as if dismissing the idea. Wistfully,)

And this place is so far away from the main city...

(As much as he would like to see it restored, he knows its selfish. The logistics don't make it easy. If the city was ever restored, at the current scale of loss and destruction, it would all be centered around LILITH's old base. It would take years to reach out here.

And so, he shakes his head. He isn't here for his peace of mind. He's hear to help protect this world.

Hands on his hips, he looks over the grounds. There's the dried cleansing spring nearby so the can't even purify themselves before paying respects. Across from that is a large, worn stone building made in a more modern and western style. )

This place is new. (He points to it,) Or rather, it looks different.

(It's obvious: He's been here before. A sign in the dusty window reads "main office" and "treasure hall." )

I don't remember it being like this.

(It was a much smaller and wooden building back in his day.)

That's not stopping me from trying to build a sanctuary for the cats back in Tokyo.

[ A laugh. Kaito claps Tsuru 's back all friendly-like. ]

Maybe it's unlikely. But don't call it quits without giving things some thought. You never know who'd be willing to help.

[ That's as far as he pushes, though. Kaito notes the spirit's commentary, falling in step beside him... ]

I'm sure it was much more modest back in your... mmm, back in the day, ne?

Did a lot of people tend to the shrine? Or were there a small number of keepers?

(Imagine a crane being selfish... that wouldn't be very cranelike at all, would it? He can only smile wryly in response. He isn't the type to get his hopes up. If he expects nothing, he'll always be surprised by the outcome for better or worse.)

...

(The slip doesn't go unnoticed but he continues as normal,)

Despite how big it is, it was usually quiet here. You didn't need a lot of people most days.

(So, yeah, there were just a few dedicated keepers. A head priest assigned to the old post, their family, and some local families from the neighborhood that came and went depending on the seasons and demand.)

... It really was a totally boring place.

(Said without a bit of bite. In fact, he sounds more fond than anything.)

What a snooze fest.

...Sounds like the kind of time I'd have enjoyed being born in.

[ Kaito looks around the grounds... And his golds gleam with a mix of mischief and inspiration.

He'll have to come back here once he can manage sustaining another double. ]

What'll you do if you find a particularly nostalgic memento here, hm? Plan to take it back to base? Or make sure it's in good shape?

A total snooze fest.

(He's just teasing now. But wow, what are these questions? Each one seems to hit him directly in just the right way that makes him have to consider how to answer,)

... I'm not sure. (He knows himself.) I can't stand people who take from shrines.

(But is it different if it's him taking himself? Can he even find himself?)

But this place is so boring... maybe somewhere exciting would be a better home.

(He really doesn't know.)

Are you people?

[ An immediate counter. Almost as if it were asked intentionally. Kaito looks down at some cracked stones beneath his feet. ]

Who's going to take care of it if it's left behind, I wonder?

[ He looks up. Tilts his head. ]

Would its spirit be happier to maintain its vigil in the shrine for a few more centuries? Or would it prefer a change of pace?

("I am now" he could say back if he was a little more petulant but his mood is good for now so he bites his tongue and keeps his heavier thoughts to himself for now. At least, that's what he would do if not for the shift in conversation.

It's enough to get him to stand his ground, pausing his approach towards the treasure hall and looking at Kaito as if he'd just asked him for some national secret or huge reveal.

Would it be happier to stay in the same place for centuries? Or would it rather go on and experience many exciting days? What would he want? Having it asked so plainly is like ripping a curtain away, revealing something obvious that had been hidden and kept out of sight before.

He's been wondering this lately. It's been in the back of his mind. He's been pushing it away, putting it off, trying to avoid it, and now...

(A voice in his head asks, "Well? What do you want?")

... That isn't for it to decide.

(That isn't for him to decide. He's never been able to before. How can he decide now? )

...Is that so?

[ Kaito stopped in his tracks a few moments before Tsuru, waiting for the greater implications of his question to hit. He's had his suspicions for a while now, since before taking the crane out skydiving.

Realizing the other was a spirit didn't take too much sleuthing—he'd spent his entire life surrounded by other spirits and folktales, and that's before counting everything he's seen on the other side of the Veil.

His answer narrows things down considerably, but not all the way. If they were in Osaka or even back in Tokyo, it'd be a different story. ]

I think you should consider alternative options... But I suppose you have time, ne? At this point, who's going to disturb 'it' besides you or me?

And for the record, I still don't know what you—or it—is. Yet.

Mhm.

(He nods. That's so. He isn't sure if he's ready for anything else and as if to make a point, he stands his ground, looking right back at Kaito. He's stubborn but aren't most spirits his age set in their ways?)

We could make it a game. You might be surprised.

(And with that, he presses forward, right up the steps to the treasure hall. When he presses against the double doors, they budge but only barely against the lock. Of course, it would be locked, but he's surprised to find it holding so well,)

Any ideas?

(For how to get in?)

I wouldn't be opposed to a game, so long as you don't make it haunted.

[ A wink, followed by a laugh. Back to following the crane. It's unsurprising that the treasure hall is locked. Only slightly surprising that no one else has looted it in the years since the shrine's abandonment.

Golds flit over to Tsurumaru. A hint of azure begins to glow within their boundaries. ]

That all depends. Do you want the door to survive this lockpicking attempt?

I'm not that kind of spirit.

(That much he can admit to. It's clear Kaito understands that much already. As for the next point? He seems to consider it for a moment and then places his hand on the door, palm agains the wood, patting it,)

Forgive us.

(He's actually... sorry for the door but it'll be fine. THey'll put it back in place if they have to. Pay their respects properly later.

And a look over at Kaito. Do the thing.)

No, you're not.

[ Kaito watches on as Tsuru takes a moment to apologize to the door. It's cute how earnestly he goes about it—enough that when his gaze flits back to the dragon, he can't help but grin.

His golds are gone, replaced by glowing cerulean. ]

As much fun as it would be to kick the door down, I was never planning on making a big scene.

[ Kaito walks up to the door and casually slides his fingers along the gap between it and the frame. Liquid seeps out from his fingertips, and soon after the sound of shorn metal and the thud of iron on wood follow.

One solid tug on the knob opens the door smoothly, revealing a bisected lock on the floor. ]

After you.

(It would be a lie to say he wasn't at least a little disappointed. He'd gotten all worked up and ready for a scene! Only to have something much more low key instead. Still, it's interesting to watch his magic work again.

Water... there'd been water that night, too. He's starting to understand how his new friend operates.)

Don't get my hopes up next time.

(He's teasing. It's clear from the smile on his face when he slips right past and calls out into the treasure hall,)

Pardon the intrusion!

(And his voice echoes off the walls... an early of sign of what's to find... or not find. It sounds empty inside. It feels empty. It just smells of old wood, dust, and mildew in here.)

Hah! I'd have a lot to answer for if I just stomped around like a delinquent trashing other folks' shrines...

[ There, how about a Large Crumb to think about? Kaito falls in step once more. ]

'Scuuuuuse us.

[ Damn, that echo is impressive. ] Alright, let's see... Somehow, you don't strike me as much of a scroll guy...

Are you one of the bells?

[ Is he even taking this seriously? ]

Would I be called "Suzumaru" instead?

(If it isn't evident by the teasing... he is not a bell but he decides he likes it as a guess. It's quite flattering, if he's honest.)

I'm definitely not a dusty old scroll, either.

(There's a large noticeboard display in front of them. A wooden plaque with a painted "no photos beyond this point" can be read. Another plaque, much larger than the photos sign, has a faded summary of the shrine's history. The ink has mostly faded and the engravings have become worn but some parts are still legible. Fujinomori shrine. Enshrined deities: Susano-o, Wakeikazuchi no mikoto, Yamato Takeru, the Emperor Ojin, the Empress Jingu... Built in the 700s. A shrine designated on the prefectural level...)

I wonder what's still here...

(And he'll make a turn down the hall to the large, open room next to them with dusty glass cases and cabinets. There are some models that have been left behind-- a replica of the shrine grounds, some old dolls, diagrams of maps...)

If I had any say in it, yeah. It's a beautiful name.

[ Kaito whistles a slow tune as they continue on. Gloved fingers graze over the dusty signs, and internally he laments being unable to read the memories of everything around him.

This shrine's almost as old as the Nagano Clan. Maybe some of his ancestors devoted time to watching over it? ]

Oh, I guess I should take some pictures. Souvenirs, and all that...

[ Kaito reaches into his hoodie and produces one (1) digital camera that may or may not be the same model as March's. ]

Well, I have no intention of changing mine.

(He's quite fond of his name, after all. He's shaped his entire image around it.

Their footsteps creak on worn wood as they make their way across the room. He looks back at Kaito. He didn't expect to see a camera and its a shame there isn't much to really see here any more. He drags a hand across the dusty glass, a gloved finger tracing a line across. Through it, it's clear... there isn't anything valuable behind the glass. There are stands where armor may have been displayed in the past and there are some panels with faded writing. A reconstruction of some screen hangs, faded with moth-bitten holes.

In one display... there is a shelf filled with old toys and figures. Clearly not important enough to take. There sure are a lot of horses in there.)

Ah, look here. (He's going to wipe at the glass with his hand,) What a shame. They must be lonely.

[ Boring or not, Kaito takes plenty of pictures. The amount borders on tourist-levels of excessive. He doesn't care. SD cards can hold terabytes these days.

He follows Tsurumaru's call to the toy display. He mimics the sword's wave, but with his hand wreathed in magicked water. A wave of the stuff sweeps over and even slips inside, cleaning the display and its contents thoroughly. Strangely (or typically, considering the caster), there's no dampness left in the water's wake, nor does the element soak into any wood or paper or fabric...

Blues cast a glance sidelong as he peeps the camera for another shot. ]

Why not take them back with you? Surely this wouldn't be so excessive. I wouldn't mind helping you carry and rearrange everything.

(He'll never tire of watching Kaito do his work and he watches, gold eyes narrowing and smiling a small, careful smile,)

... I wonder if that's what they would like. (Thinking about objects as if they could feel again.) Or if they'd rather spend the rest of their days in quiet peace.

Of course, that means sticking around for a long time with nothing to do.

—Would you like me to ask?

[ Such an absurd sequence of words—yet his tone and smile are as sincere as ever. ]

I'd wager these little ones have lived more than long enough to be gifted a soul, don't you? [ He would speak with a bit more confidence, but on this Earth it's a bit tough to perceive any auras that these potential tsukumogami might possess without a considerable degree of concentration.

Kaito turns to the crane, expectant. ]

Making a decision is much easier when all relevant parties are involved.

(Ask? Tsurumaru tilts his head. He isn't really sure what Kaito means and he wonders if he'll explain...

Ah. He looks down at the dolls and then back at Kaitou,)

Can you hear them?

Less hear and more feel.

[ Kaito splays his scarred hands over the glass and closes his eyes.

Truth be told, if they had auras he would have latched onto them long before stepping on shrine grounds, assuming they weren't sealed away.

After a few seconds, he pulls back tosses a frown over his shoulder. ]

...The answer is no either way. I guess I was feeling optimistic today. Sorry.

( OPEN ) MAY CATCH ALL

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