expiationnet | [Charm

[wow this was almost a kind of cute moment before he got jumpscared with boobs. Like wow. Right there. Attached to some wild looking shoulders and her face is split like a murder victim's and then there's the huge Naga tail but mostly just massive tits and...

To be honest, he thinks he's seen their leader summon a Persona kind of like this? This isn't as bad as the dick chariot. Still, his brows go all the way up, and he's glad that he's 100% sticking to voice. Because wow.

There are attempts to be polite and not stare but-- there's kind of the loop happening of "Snake? Tits? Too many arms snake tits??"]

So.... definitely not human looking.

[snakes shouldn't even have-- you know what whatever.]

Huh.

[god he really doesn't have anything smarter to say about that for like a full couple seconds, what a fucking embarassment.]

Guess the snake part could be intimidating, yeah.

[Every second that ticks by after that initial response builds up as a red frustrated tint to her face, as she were balloon ready to pop with a screech! Yet, her expression deflates in an instant when he mentions the "snake part".]

Oh, so you're just not afraid of snakes. [She shrugs. Let her ego have this one.] Well, I guess there are people like that. It's not as if I'm going to curse you either.

[Shinjiro can thank her hair for being an excellent censor bar even when she decides to comb her fingers through it, like a cat grooming after being pet the wrong way.]

It's been awhile since I've talked to anyone other than the caretaker's kids.

Huh? [--Oh! His less-than-scared reaction. He nods, though since he's on voice it's completely useless.]

Yeah. I don't have a problem with snakes. And you kind of get used to supernatural stuff after a while. Shadows come in all kinds of forms.

[Sorry, Dara...! Let your pride be assuaged. You are probably very spooky to people who arsn't used to seeing eldritch horrors on a nightly basis.]

You mentioned being sealed, right? So does that mean you only got to see the people who'd come to you?

Must suck, being cooped up like that.

[Huh, sounds her human-half's experience. The wandering lifestyle allowed for her to take on many different types of exorcism before settling down in her ~~shack~~ home.]

No, that's just my shrine. The mountain it resides on is my territory, and I spent a large portion of time in the spirit realm. My shrine doesn't have much meaning to me aside from the box that's sealed inside. It's not a place to be approached by those aside from the caretaker's family.

[Dara looks to the sky, lost in thought for a moment before directing her attention to the charm again.]

The monsters you fight, Shadows-- they're not from the spirit realm?

I guess if you're a curse god, most people would be too scared to come visit.

[He has to consider her question for a moment. He wouldn't have called it a spirit realm, but Shadows sure didn't typically exist out and about with humans-- only in the weird distortion of time and space that Persona Users could be aware of and experience.]

...I guess you could call it that, but we don't. They just show up during an extra hour of the day. It's hard to explain, but... I guess time is warped, then, and our world and the one the Shadows come from kinda cross. So that's when they feed on people.

[And leave them mindless, living husks. Empty and apathetic. Just as likely to mindlessly wander into traffic as they are to die of thirst sprawled out where they fell.]

It's just a few of us that can be awake and aware when it's all happening, though. Most people've got no idea.

What's your spirit realm like?

There are not many people who still possess a spiritual sense, at least compared to the past. But the Shadows sound more complex than the haunting hour for a yūrei...

[An odd sort of spirit realm or completely different beings? It's hard to parse out with limited information, but it's not her place to do so either. If anything, it sounds like this young man is straddled with the similar responsibilities of a priest, albeit set in a certain amount of time.]

...It's a dark place, full of lost things and lost souls. A place with ghosts, rogue spirits, and yokai. Divine beings dwell in the deepest layer. It's not a place for humans to wander if for long, or else they may lose their connection to the physical realm.

[Sounds lovely, right?]

Same back home. Out of the whole damn city, we've only found eight or nine of us that can or will fight.

[She's describing something completely different, but the threads definitely feel like they're echoing back to the Dark Hour. A twisted, stagnant realm, with people trapped inside coffins and Shadows roaming about, waiting to feast on their minds. A twisted, impossible tower that only exists in that time, full of stronger and stronger creatures, and any hope of answers locked deep within.

His end is silent for a few moments as he thinks about it. Definitely not the same. But not that different, either.]

Sounds kinda similar to back home. Just way more, uh... [What's a nicer way to put it than 'super old fashioned'.] Traditional. I guess.

[Another pause, and finally:]

I'm Shinjiro, by the way. Shinjiro Aragaki.

[It's so nice to talk to someone who doesn't blurt out whatever they're immediately thinking. Kids these days. Shinjiro's been a small blessing to her already.]

Have to start with the basics somewhere, right? Just like how most people back in the day knew not to give their names to the spirits. [A blip of a teasing smile fizzles out pretty quickly.] But don't worry, I'm not about to curse you. I obviously have more pressing matters at hand.

[Which is why part of her tail moves to dunk itself in the stream just outside of the hologram's reach. She should be getting to scrying immediately, yet there's a part of her that doesn't want to cut off the conversation.]

The ones you fought together with...are they family?

[Her faint chastisement earns a short, amused noise.]

Gonna be hard to curse me any worse. But hey, maybe my imagination's just lacking.

[Oh, But that question.... he's silent for a long moment. The feed is continuing, there's some fabric noises like someone shuffling position. But he has to think on it.]

None of them by blood. But-- yeah. One.

[And thinking about Akihiko and how Shinjiro just abandoned him to his future is-- hard. After shoving off him and collapsing to bleed out on the pavement, telling him that this was the way things should be.... he doesn't want to think of him. That's when the guilt starts roiling up.

Stupid. Aki cares too damn much. The fucking idiot.]

Most of the group was friendly to each other.

Hm, sounds like you're lucky then. You may not have been able to cover a whole city simultaneously, but it takes more than one to defeat the impossible.

[She's usually not one for uplifting messages, but there's something about that initial pause that keeps Dara from prying. Maybe he'll tell her one day if they were to chat again. It reminds the god that she still owes Kaoru a storyboard about the true story of her past-- well, that's on pause because he'd have responded by now if he were around.]

...You have me curious, though. What sort of curse are you dealing with?

[She's a god of curses; of course she wants to know about one that's supposedly so dire that she can't one-up it.]

Yeah. We did what we could. I'm not the best to ask for how it all works, but we were pretty close to finding a way to close the gap between things. For good hopefully.

[Sure, he could ask Ken. Apparently it's been two years since Shinjiro's last memory. But that feels... too real. When she asks about his 'curse' though:]

The personal sort.

[Sorry, Dara. he's just being depressed and dramatic.]

Hopefully nothing that's too big of a deal here. [hahaha he is sadly counting his pills to know when to assume a tradgedy will occur. Maybe of he gets far enough from town, Castor will just kill him instead.]

What sort of curses do you put on people?

[So very edgy, to which Dara raises a thin eyebrow. Well, at least he's asking questions instead of running headfirst into trouble like the kids--]

Nowadays I prefer the small insignificant ones or variations-- similar to some you might see on shows. You know, the whole paranoia and insanity from hauntings sort. The ones that make you lose sleep. Anything bigger is annoying... [Dara stretches as if to emphasize her passivity.]

I'm the resonance type if we're talking about my main curse. Think of it as directly affecting a person's soul and its connection with the physical realm.

[...Huh. definitely more of a 'toy with the human playthings' vibes it feels like.]

Enough to keep people on their toes, but not enough to have them come hunt you down? Or is it more of an effort thing.

[being if the answer is 'effort' he totally gets it.

Her last comment grabs his attention quickly, though. Altering someone's... soul, or spirit, or whatever? In full or in part? What sort of effect would that have? Despite his curiosity, he still speaks with a carefully even tone.]

Oh yeah? What's that look like. You shut people in the spirit realm, or like block off half their soul or what?

[Wow, she thought the description was pretty menacing! Barely a reaction. Well, he is used to the supernatural, so maybe this is all pointless effort.]

It's whether I feel like it or not. [So yes, effort-based.]

Spiriting away people goes along more with the hauntings. Blocking off a soul-- that sounds more like a sealing ritual. Doable, but not part of the process. [A set of arms crosses over her chest, and Dara closes her eyes as she debates for a moment for how to explain.] Without getting too detailed, let's say that the soul begins to view the body as a foreign entity. A person's will to live is a large factor in determining the effects.

[To a Normal Person, it was probably pretty Spooky! But his life has been daily nightmares for two years with crawling horrors and real-life consequences. He's a hard one to scare. Especially with his complete lack of any sort of fear of death.

But she's explaining, and while he doesn't quite understand.... could things be more similar than he thinks? A soul and a body (a mind?) at odds. Some sort of sealing art. Are all these supernatural things really just variants on the same pieces in play? Personas and Shadows in his world, souls and spirits in hers?

....Huh.]

I don't... really understand. But it sounds interesting. [Never one to air all his bullshit in public, if at all:]

I should come ask you about it sometime. I'm guessing from the look of things that you're not in town? [he feels like there would be way more activity outside if a nude multi-limbed snake god/dess was hanging around.]

...You're the interesting one for wanting to know more.

[Which means maybe he'll actually remember this little lesson? Hinata & Kaoru barely seemed to, and they're the next generation of caretakers!]

These woods are the closest thing I have that resembles my territory. [Trying to cram herself into a building is too bothersome.] If you're really so inclined, ask someone where the closest stream is to the town. I'll be here for a few hours.

[Not that she knows what sort of stranger to expect, but Dara isn't about to go out of her way to hunt him down either. Shinjiro's gotta do the legwork for their meeting ~~because she has none~~]

[Okay, that earns a laugh.]

That or you just don't get out to talk to people enough. Fine-- I'll see if I can or if I'm too busy today.

[he is not busy this day or any other day.

And you know what!! It probably takes a good hour and a half because he does not know this place at all. That and the woods are fairly nondescript and the locals not-quite helpful. (After all, why would you want to go there? Shit's Spooky.) But eventually he finds some running water of some kind and just... decides to follow it. Upstream is as good a choice as ever. She mentioned being a mountain god, right? So-- upstream seems most likely.

And it does end up paying off. Eventually Dara is approached by... some punk, really. Tall-ish. Long, scruffy hair. Deadened grey eyes and extremely subtle expressions. All wrapped up in a long, red woolen coat that he's attempted to scrub the bloodstains out of, but still bears those singed, ruined holes.

His brows go up as he approaches, though he doesn't show any fear or hesitancy. He's mostly just noticing how much more being in person conveys the scale of-- everything.]

...Unless there's two of you, I'm guessing you're Dara?

[During his travels, Dara does as she says-- sticking to the water for scrying purposes. She can't sit idly without feeling anxious about her cursed box just lying around in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, her efforts are fruitless, and the god can't help but sigh to herself as the light from the enchanted water begins to fade. After returning the rest of her tail to land, Dara attention shifts to the not so distant sound of footsteps-- a human...Maybe even the one she's expecting.

Shinjiro finds her resting on the bank, coiled up on herself and lounged along the top layer. His greeting, oddly enough, makes her mouth open then close as if she had to walk back a thought. Even when she was alive, no one really mistook her for her elder twin unless it was from behind.]

Correct. [Dara sits up a bit so she can give Shinjiro a good look over. She really wants to sew up those holes, goddamn.]

Brave of you to approach me so soon. You really want to know more, huh?

[She sits up a bit, and it really brings into scale how huge she is. Mostly due to the massive coils of her tail, and he's trying his damn best not to stare at other massive objects hanging around in front of him. Man, she really just does not believe in shirts. Most be a god thing.]

Dunno if it's brave or stupid. But yeah.

[He rolls a shoulder neutrally, still not quite able to help from just-- trying to figure out what he's looking at. The spider-like joints of her shoulders, the wide gash of her mouth. She reminds him of the bizarre not quite human appearances of so many of their personas or shadows. But a bit more... grounded? Less abstract or fantastical in a way?]

I don't like talking about all this stuff right in front of everyone. You usually end up having to deal with nosy assholes. [Or concerned teammates. He'll eventually settle by one of the trees, hands dipping into his coat pockets as he leans back against it.]

Besides, you seemed curious, too.

Hmmm...If you say so.

[She's actually not sure what him means. Maybe the charms connection stuff? She's oblivious to any difference between public forums vs private messaging. But their meeting isn't about technology--]

Typically someone your age doesn't dive deep into knowledge about curses. Then again, your circumstances are different...Your "personal" curse-- [She tilts her head with a squint.] Whatever it may be, I don't see what I would usually expect from one.

[Calling you out on your angst. And another head tilt to the other side. Examining, debating.]

Yet there is a...quality that I suspect is a result of dealing with the supernatural. Similar to a gut feeling.

'Typically' people my age live pretty normal lives. People these days barely even believe in that stuff, anyway.

[He sure doesn't. Didn't? Not in the way like old time myths and legends about kami and yokai and whatever else. But who knows about this place.]

And it's not like anyone else really 'cursed' me. [It's... weird, talking about this. With a mountain god of curses, clearly inhuman and half serpentine. But it also, stragely enough, feels like the most normal place to talk about it there could be.]

The team I was on back home- who fight the Shadows. We summon a power from inside ourselves. Kind of.... manifest our own spirit, or some part of ourselves or whatever, to be able to fight them.

[A faint pause, the words clearly catching on his tongue. Has he ever actually said these words outloud? It's a bit stilted as he tries to figure out how to say it.]

Mine's... it's not right. It doesn't work easily, like the rest. Or follow instructions all the time.

[Another silence, and he pulls a hand from his pocket to gesture uselessly, rolling the wrist as though whatever he's saying is the most normal thing in the world.]

It's dangerous.

[Finally he lifts his head a bit, back to eye contact. Might as well be honest about his motives, right?] That's why I was interested when you mentioned that stuff about affecting a soul's connection to the physical realm.

[For Dara's part, she listens intently even while Shinjiro's seems to be finding his own words. The closest she can think of is some sort of shikigami, except it doesn't entirely fit the picture. Shikigami were more of her sister's expertise anyways-- not that Dara doesn't know how to handle them. She would just need more information.]

Your own spirit running rampant, huh? [She folds a set of arms across her chest, staying upright and balanced as her tail unwraps itself and moves her closer to Shinjiro.] Doesn't exactly fit your image.

[Distant yet thoughtful. Level-headed. Qualities that the god has already determined that he possesses even though it's their first time meeting. So she'll meet him where he's at, jumping straight to the point.]

If you want to work with me, you have to be clear with what you want. Whether it's sealing or subjugation or something else entirely. In any of those cases, there's always the risk of death. [Her gaze pointedly fixated on one of the holes in his jacket.] A price must be paid no matter your decision.

That's fine. [It's a response with full certainty and no hesitation. It's a choice he's made before and a choice he will make again as many times as it takes. He's fine with trading his life if it means preventing anyone else's from being destroyed. He'd already taken lives and orphaned a kid once-- why even tempt that sort of danger?]

It's not really unexpected either. Back home I had some meds I could take to keep it under control, but I know they ain't gonna last long here. And they were gonna kill me anyway, if someone else didn't beat 'em to it.

[He's not sure he's been this open about anything in years. He'll chalk it up to desperation.

She uncoils and nears, those strangely fluid arms shifting and cTching his eye, but Shinjiro doesn't shove himself you from where he's settled against the tree. He's-- probably less composed than he acts. His heart feels like it's nosing up into his throat, knowing he's again doing some possibly-suicidal, self-destructive bullshit behind his teammate's backs. But what's the alternative? Sit around and just hope it will be fine?

Fuck that. He'll latch onto the first avenue that seems promising, and then the next and the next and the next if it doesn't work.]

I don't mind being clear, I just wasn't sure what my options were or what you could do. But if you've got the power to seal it away, I'll take it. You just tell me what you need or want.

[Drugs, huh? A bit unorthodox for handling a situation as intense as his. What else did he try before that step? All of this simply leads to the implications of his desperation.]

There are several options on how to tackle this based on severity. I need as much information as possible, so I must see this spirit. And you...

[The tree shudders with reverberation as a fist slams into it just above Shinjiro's head, and the god looms over him ~~kabedon style~~. It's lecture time, boy.]

As a god, I could require many things. If you're not the type to sacrifice others, then you must offer from yourself. The problem is...you cheapen your soul by looking upon death nonchalantly. So why should I help a soul that's valued poorly when you could easily end it all by your own hands? Why do you still exist?

[There's finally a bit of a reaction as she throws her fist next to him, looming. His brows flicker in their furrow, head tilting slightly from the impact. But more powerful than the physical threat and the looming are her words. Poignant and brusque and absolutely correct. Questions he's had for himself, too, and never dared look closer at the answer to. Instead of maintaining that defiant eye contact as she slithers and hovers in close, clearly scrutinizing whatever answer he chooses to give, he just... tips his head down. Staring at the grass and fallen leaves and small growths in between.

Why does he still exist? The question clings to his insides, heavy and insidious like a rotten sort of fungus, enveloping the inside of the ribs and clinging into every crack. He shouldn't. He'd died. He'd made his choices. And yet here he is.

His hands curl, lips pressing tight together as he maintains that downward gaze, the thin facade of bravado having been easily swatted away.]

...I don't know. A few days ago I didn't.

[Exist, that is. For Mitsuru it had been weeks since his death. For Ken it had been years. And then there's whatever was happening in this place, with people having known some other iteration of himself months ago, something he has absolutely no recollection of.]

I'm already dead back home. And if it didn't stick last time, I got no reason to think it will again. Besides, I...

['am a fucking coward'? Had a tiny screaming part of himself inside that had never wanted to die, that he'd drowned and smothered under years of self loathing and attempted rationalization? Wasn't strong enough to do it himself?

He lets out a long, slow exhale, eyes falling closed. He's never had an answer to any of it. So he might as well just say so.]

I don't got an answer. End've the day we both make our own decisions. If you don't want to, then I'll figure something else out.

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Voice -> Action!

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cw: implied suicide

These two and their constant trigger warning smfh