[D7 EE] Firefall (Closed)

[Nozomi]

It might have been one of the last idyllic and pleasant images that any of them would see for the next few weeks. For more than one of them, Phi was pretty much certain it was one of the last pleasant images they would ever see in this life. She was trudging back to the waterfall as the hour of the Monkey wound onward toward the Rooster, and the sight before her was of the scintillating spray of the falls bedecked in the amber glow of the fading light. It created a visual effect that made the falls look like they were on fire, magma spraying out and into the steaming pool below. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant sight, she had to admit.

But that wasn't what she was here for. One of the few runners had said someone came up this way, and she figured that they might be here for the same sight while there was still a chance. Even holy men were allowed to appreciate the view once in a while. She'd have the decency once she found him of at least to not interrupt until the light was properly fading, but she needed to have words with the man.

[Shinsei]

Among the gorgeous scenery and fading light sat a hooded figure, a rather familiar sight around the camp but even more so to the woman currently seeking his audience, having had more direct interaction with him than much of the other members of the expedition by now.

Shinsei sat on a wide, flat stone overlooking much of the surrounding area, in a spot perfectly balanced amidst every sight and sound available in the area. One might have expected the man to be sitting dead center, but he was to one side, as if expecting company. The stone beneath him...

Was the same stone from his tents? That couldn't possibly be right. But it looked exactly the same and had just as much room for two...

Anyway, Shinsei appeared to be meditating, though his stormy grey eyes were open to his surroundings.

[Nozomi]

That.... that looked like the same rock he'd had in the Twilight Mountains... which was the same bleeding rock he'd had in the swamps... which was... Ok. She paused there. She looked at it and frowned behind her veil, trying to figure out if this man could conjure an identical rock with some sort of secret earth magic even though he didn't have the scars of a shaman' cuts, or if he was secretly going out of his way to find similar rocks or, even more unlikely, was personally hauling the same blasted stone from one place to another. Did he plan to bash a demon over the head with that thing when they got to hell?

No, she wasn't going to think about that now. She had plenty more on her mind than rocks. Walking forward, she settled down and sat onto the rock without much pre-amble or even introducing herself. Even feels the same as the last time... don't think about it. Folding her legs under her, she took up a position similar to his meditative pose, with her back facing him a little at first, so that they were kind of back to back.

"So... I hear you know things." ...She was definitely doing that on purpose.

[Shinsei]

Turned away as she was, Phi wouldn't be able to see the way Shinsei's shoulders bounced when she made her system. She would not, however, miss the choked sound in his voice as he struggled to restrain his laughter.

"Yes... indeed....I know things." There was something akin to a quickly stifled snort before he continued. "Are you here to know things, Phi?"

Shinsei had turned to look over his shoulder at the woman, concurrently perplexed and bemused by her behavior. It had a refreshing effect on his demeanor.

[Nozomi]

"Oh, I wish I was here to talk about pleasant things and ask what you know about rock arranging," she teased a little, glancing over her shoulder at him, letting him catch a hint of red eye. The behavior was helping her keep her cool because of some of what she wanted to talk about in coming to him. "But, here we are, at a lovely waterfall a few day's travel from the mouth of hell, and I find I just can't quite enjoy the view the way I might otherwise. So, I guess I'm here to know things."

Her laughter died a little, and she shifted, glad for the position choice. she didn't have to meet his gaze just yet. "Maybe... just talk about some of them. I... know a little too much about one of the things, and I wish I didn't. It's made me paranoid." Extremely paranoid. She spent a chunk of the day guarding the bleeding baths today instead of using them because she expected one of the people to get skin-snatched by another skinrider and she couldn't tell them that, because that was going to be a little too unpleasant for bathtime conversation. She was on edge, badly on edge right now. This wasn't fighting bandits, conducting raids or sneaking around Scorpion patrols at all.

[Shinsei]

Shinsei's mirth trickled away as well, but he seemed to take the cue from Phi and didn't turn to face her yet. Such a thing would be equivalent to asking her to turn towards him, which she didn't seem ready to do yet, and he wished to respect that. So he leveled his gaze at the surrounding area as calmly as he could.

"I see. Then I have but one stipulation. We can speak on whatever topic you need to divest yourself of, so long as you take the time to watch the moment the sun sets with me. I should not like to miss it, and one should never become so burdened as to prevent themselves from enjoying moments of true beauty. Do you think this is amenable?"

[Nozomi]

She blinked. She frowned. She fidgeted. And then she nodded. "Yes, I think those fair terms." Why the bloody hell do you want to watch the sunset with me? It can't be that great? I mean sure it's on fire, but ... getting off topic. A breath in and out. The sun hadn't quite hit the horizon yet, so there was a moment to get some things off of her chest.

"Were you informed of the skinriders we found? Two nights ago? I know I reported to Shinjo..." But she'd learned not to assume people did a great job informing everyone around here. "All of them should be gone, and everybody received jade, so ... I shouldn't be concerned." And yet it was obvious from her tone that she was very much concerned about this, about making sure that this was not something that repeated, and about the fact that she was still having trouble dealing with people who weren't as they seemed.

"Promise me you're you."

[Shinsei]

Shinsei frowned deeply. "I have heard some talk of it, but rumors have skewed things to a degree. What I have gleaned from consistent reports, and from Shinjo herself, is that these things are capable of perfect or near perfect mimicry of whoever they take. Whether they can glean memories from those taken or not clouds proper identification even further. It would be fairly difficult to prove myself to you in a way that satisfies your fears, I think."

Shinsei was silent for a moment, thoughtful, looking down at his hands. Then he turned and looked to the side slightly, smiled, and looked over his shoulder at Phi.

"It's the same rock."

[Nozomi]

She fidgeted again in irritation. Of course it was the same rock. It felt like the same rock. "You seriously brought this down from the twilight mountains? Does it have some sort of property I don't know?" she said, before turning towards him and reaching in, making a bit of a grab for his face. she was a little surprised she did it when she did, but she did it, trying to give his cheek a pinch and pull on it. "You realize I could test you by making you hold some jade and see what happens or try to pull your face off, right? Don't be so damned analytical all the time and just promise me it's you, ok?"

He could be so infuriating sometime. She knew good and well he couldn't prove it. The only real proof was the two who'd been with her that night, and how could she prove it the night afterwards. "Why don't you show me your jade in the meantime, eh?" Because boy, it seemed like a really smart move to steal the skin of the most trusted man in the entire camp.

Assuming you weren't Nanzi.

[Shinsei]

Phi's sudden grab for Shinsei's face had the secondary effect of knocking his hood down, revealing more of his features than many had seen in the time since their departure.

He was bald, but the rugged, youthful planes of his face suggested that it was by choice and not an act of age or cruel fate. The dark gray of his eyes, which might otherwise have held a hint of mirth to them, showed only concern as he saw the wild fear roiling behind her eyes.

"I promise I am myself." He reached up and took her hand, his palm and fingers just as rough and calloused as her own, and forced her to tug his cheek until it was definitely past the point of pain. "I do not possess any jade with which to prove it further. Supplies were limited, and there are others more susceptible than I who need it all the more. I would not rob them of their protection."

[Nozomi]

I... well, I didn't expect him to be bald. Did he shave his hair? Why'd he do that? I guess that be useful if you were swimming or on a stealth mission so you couldn't get it snagged or grabb... but short hair would be... huh.

She coughed and settled back, face flushing a little as she released his face. "Please don't look at me like that. I'm going to be fine. I've ... I've lived my life for eight years with these fears. It's just a lot at once and I think this place is mocking me," she said, starting to come down and coughing once into her hand. He looked legitimately worried about her and that bothered a little, because people did not worry about Phi. Phi bashed things heads in and little deaf girls thought she was somehow their savior. She was Hikaru, and you didn't worry about Hikaru people. They were all fine, and she was going to be fine. And...

...

"What do you mean you don't have jade?" She narrowed her eyes and squinted at him, leaning in again. "They gave a finger to everyone who didn't have one. You're not secretly one of those kami things who can just sit in this hole in the ground for years at a time and not get tainted, are you?" There was a definite note of irritation there.

[Shinsei]

"I am about as resistant as any mortal could hope to be, but as I said, supplies were limited. Mostly that limitation is from the Nezumi needing the stones themselves to fight against Jigoku wherever they are able. I was not considered to be in great need, as I have been beyond these parts without showing any signs of corruption at all. I did not want to strain relations with the Nezumi. Every piece is critical to them, and the negotiations that have begun could be crucial to the growth of mankind in the future."

It was a thin excuse, but definitely the kind that Shinsei would have for not carrying any for himself, with such a limited supply.

[Nozomi]

Of all the pig-headed, stubborn...

She grabbed into her sleeve and yanked a jade bracelet off of it before thrusting it at him. "They make jewelry out if it, for the love of all that's holy. They can't be that worried about it if they do that. Take this and don't pretend like you're some sort of immortal mountain. If the darkness is coming for anyone, it's going to be Reiko, you or the kami first. Look, I bought extra with rope I brought down off the mountains. Just put it on, damnit!" She was obviously a little upset with him. Not that upset, but there was a bit of the same nerves in her eyes he might have been giving her a moment before.

She honestly couldn't believe what she was hearing right now. Well, no. She could absolutely believe it. She hadn't met a medicine man who actually took their own foul-smelling medicines when they were sick. Why should it be any different here?

[Shinsei]

Shinsei looked at he offered bracelet with a mixture of gratitude, foolish pride, and something that was largely unreadable written into his features. He held his hand up as if to ward off the gift.

"I appreciate the concern, Phi, more than you could likely know, but I don't want to deny you the protection that you are offering me. We don't know fully how dangerous the terrain we will be traversing is. That extra jade could be the difference between your life and your freedom."

He seemed uncharacteristically adamant about Phi keeping the jade for herself, and he confrontation seemed to make him all the more rigid.

[Nozomi]

"Maybe you didn't hear me. I traded a whole coil of rope for jade. Do you think I just have the one finger hiding in my bindings?" she said, flabberghasted and staring at him with a sort of mild stupefication. "If I seriously need six pieces of jade to get through this, we are all infinitely screwed beyond recognition and we're all going to die. I didn't buy the extra just for myself. I bought it so that certain people don't get tainted in there because they only had the one piece, and I just kind of assumed the guy who told us about this would have, I don't know, one piece at least?"

She thrust it at him again while his hands were up in protest. "Are you serious, though? We're not skirting this thing. We're leaping into this pit. You are not superhuman, Shinsei, take the bracelet. I will keep at least three pieces for myself if you insist, but take it. Do not go starting to pretend you can handle everything on your own, you. I am not above making you practice what you preach."

[Shinsei]

Shinsei blinked in surprise. Few people ever tried to cross wills with him and fewer still considered the possible needs of his own protection against the influence of the realms. Everyone else seemed to believe he was invincible, had he begun to believe the same?

Shinsei's resolve started to crack, but he still waved his hand before him. "I'm certain there are others in greater need than I am. I don't feel that I should be placed above any others in importance. If your bindings have no room I'm certain you could carry them elsewhere..."

[Nozomi]

He was still arguing with her? He was absolutely still arguing with her. When she spoke, the first words were a shout loud enough that it probably carried more than a tiny bit.

"Are you seriously refusing me a second time?!? Will you take the blasted thing and stop complaining? Do it for me if you have to, because if you refuse me a third time I am going to be really pissed off at you!"

She breathed out, realizing how loud she'd been. A hand shakily went to her veil and she started to fold some, undoing it and leaning in to try and rest her forehead against his, pressing the bracelet into his hand. "Please... please take it, Shinsei. I'm afraid. I don't want to admit it, but I'm fucking terrified right now, and I'm more afraid that I don't think they're as afraid as they should be. Please take the jade. Don't pretend to be the hero here. We... we all have to be careful here."

She was closing her eyes, struggling visibly. She had just admitted something she couldn't admit to publicly. Hikaru didn't get afraid. They got even. They endured. But she had seen a green skinned monster croak out blighted blood when it tried to crawl out of one skin and into another. She'd almost drowned in black mire and her skin been used by those... things because she'd had a dream of her dead parents. She'd seen nightmares of horrible things she hadn't seen since her childhood, and it was bad enough that she had to admit it to someone, because nobody but Miuna was admitting it and deep down she thought most of them were probably afraid.

"That girl... looked at me like I was the most beautiful, terrifying and strongest person alive, and I'm shaking like a leaf. I'm as scared as she is."

[Shinsei]

Shinsei was shaken, not just by the admission of Phi's fear, but also the intensity with which she had demanded he accept her gift of jade. Nobody ever fought against him like this, stood their ground so firmly, or expressed their fear for his safety in so bold a fashion. He hadn't been prepared at all for this outburst, and before he'd even processed it all, his hand had closed around the bracelet, and one or two of Phi's fingers along with it.

"I...I am sorry. I've been inconsiderate of your concerns." He sighed, steadying his breath and this thoughts. "I accept your gift of jade. I accept your fears, and I accept that the future may bring things I'm too feeble to face alone."

Shinsei slowly lifted his head, allowing himself a look at Phi at her most vulnerable. She likely hadn't shown this side of herself to anyone, and he found himself almost blushing to see her in such a private manner.

"Whoever you are referring to is right," he said, smiling. "You are strong, and terrifying." There was a pause as he reached up to lift her veil more fully from her face. His mouth opened, but a flash off to the side drew his focus, interrupting whatever he was about to say as the burning light of the sunset washed over the face of the cliff and shattered into millions of colors against the falling water.

[Nozomi]

Why did he look away? She glanced and sighed at the sight. Oh right, the sun was setting wasn't it? Shed promised, so she just kind of let him hold onto the jade right then, her head drooping and resting on his shoulder, one hand dragging the hood back so she could see it properly. Her eyes squinted in mild discomfort. The sun at sunset hurt a little more, was a little more direct and unpleasant to feel. The light was always a little brighter for her than most people.

"Thank you, Shinsei... I mean it. I... can't tell the others. I can't let them know. But you won't tell them Phi's scared. I trust you with that," she breathed out, going a little quiet afterwards. He was taking the jade. He wasn't being an idiot, just stubborn. Men were always kind of stubborn, she found, not that she was much better really.

She waited for a moment, letting the sun gradually work its way down, not saying much else, listening to the faint sounds and realizing that... fuck, she'd said what she'd said really loud and people were going to wonder who the hell she'd said it to, and what all that was about. Gods, this whole trip was insane, you know that? It really really was at times.

[Shinsei]

Somewhere during the sunset Shinsei had leaned his head against Phi's where it rested on his shoulder. He wasn't certain precisely when it happened, and his attention to the setting sun was so complete that he was only vaguely aware of having done it at all. Rainbows of color danced and played in the air even as they faded from view, and the sun became little more than a tiny speck against the horizon before erupting into a single, vibrant plume of light just before the onset of dusk. Stars gradually twinkled into existence above, becoming the only light in the small grove in which they now sat.

Shinsei was somewhat thankful for the wan light. As the rays of sunlight died away he'd become more aware of the position he'd gotten himself into, and a faint heat rose to his cheeks as he realized he was still leaning heavily on Phi, unable to move without drawing all the more attention to it, but unable to stay put without doing the same.

This was a riddle he was not used to puzzling out, and he still hadn't let go of her hand after accepting the jade...