The Hashihime is In - (OTA for October)

[bridge_princess]

Who: Parsee bridge_princess and you!
What: Open Log for October
--In which Parsee attempts to turn over a new leaf with mixed results by updating the shrine
Where: Predominately around the Shrine and Bridge, but out and about in a couple prompts.
When: October anytime
Content Warnings: None! (Will update if needed)



Option 1) DAMNIT CACTAUR!
Parsee could be found around the region at some point in the company of what looked looked like the severed head of a teddy bear turned into a pin-cushion and a creature with a paintbrush on its tail, colored black. She was quietly and with great annoyance pulling needles out of her normal clothes and her skin as she walked from place to place along the paths, and currently dressed in a hunter green version of those school uniforms they were 'selling' inside of the mountains. She grumbled a lot, but every time she reached a corner, she stopped and set the clothes down before looking over to the painter and nodding.

"Ok, let's start here. Hmmmph, they'd better be grateful someone's finally getting around to this," she murmured and smiled over at the creature as she started to plant down a simple wooden sign, letting one stitch it into place and make sure it was in good shape while the other started to paint on it with their tail. "Good job, ok... uh... arrow that way, and say Bar. Arrow that way, say Mt. Silver." Someone was trying to get signs up. It was probably mostly futile, but new people were showing up.

Option 2) Getting set up. (Shrine/Bridge to the Void)
Parsee and her two companions of the moment were busy as hell. She had some food and water set out for them, and each was currently busily working on something as she'd directed. The rolling head was quietly and busily using its thread to finish fixing up a house out back of the Shrine, near the river. It was finally time to make the thing stable, and it was putting the finishing touches on her little residence. Meanwhile, the 'smeargle' was happily painting a welcome sign and a sign in front of the shrine, the latter of which said 'Prayers - One Pebble.' The welcome sign ended up in front of the shrine.

"Welcome Back. Bar -->" it read, pointing towards the path leading up to the Heavenly Blanc. The Smeargle seemed happy to be painting certainly and she was grateful.

What was Parsee doing? She was beating wood to a pulp in front of a big vat of water, a grim look on her face. If anyone knew such things, it was a very old fashioned way to make paper. Crude, bad paper, but paper nevertheless. As she worked, a water clock 'tonked' beside her and she occasionally glared over at it. "Behave!" she said if it sounded even a half second off. She would get that damned thing to behave one of these days.

Option 3) The Hashihime is In (Bridge-Shrine)
When the work was finally done, Parsee could be found around the shrine from time to time in the month of October. She was dressed in as much an all-white outfit as she could pull off, given that there were no kimono here right now, complete with a woven metal crown and and a couple metal candle holders she'd ut together from scraps. It gave her a bit of an eerie look. When she saw someone approach, she made sure the things were lit and settled herself inside of the shrine.

The sign by the shrine said 'Prayers - 1 Pebble' and there was a pair of little boxes. One had some scraps of crude paper in it and a stencil, while the other was empty, waiting for pebbles. Tifa had suggested this, and once upon a time? People had prayed at a youkai's shrine, so... she could try the practice out. Maybe it would help people? She wasn't sure. She felt a little silly, but hey. Whatever.

Option 4)... (Osomatsu's room at the Apartments)
She was standing there in front of Osomatsu's place at the apartment complex. It didn't really matter if someone had taken it over now. That wasn't the point. She had an unreadable but displeased expression on her face, her arms folded in front of her. A foot tapped and she seemed to be trying to decide something, but unable to quite reach a conclusion on the matter.

"You're probably better off right now, but still... why'd you have to go?" she muttered, fussing with the hem of her skirt. "You're probably not going to be the last either. 2B's gone too..."


Wildcard) Need/want something else, start a log of your choice or private message me. I'm pretty good with anything here.

Comments

3

[forceofnature]

"Huh."

The little girl with the flower hairpin stops in front of the shrine and stares at it for a few moments.

"Wow. Is this what we're reduced to here? I'm already depressed, but this is pretty much rock bottom for me."

It wasn't that she needed worship to survive. It was just awfully nice to be adored and adulated. That had fallen off in recent years, even before she had embarked on her whole human genocide thing.

"What are you the god of?"

[bridge_princess]

Mmmmm? Oh, new face eh? Well she was asking questions, so she might as well answer, right? Reaching up, she plucked the twin candle holders out of her lips and held them lightly in her hands. There now, she could speak.

"Eeeeeh, god's kind of a relative term. I used to get worshiped a long time ago, but I'm one of the closest things to it and it's my shrine, so someone suggested I try a different MO. Nobody breaking up here, so general prayers and all." Gruuuuunt. "Still feeling it out. So, who're you?"

[forceofnature]

"So... what, general nature spirit?"

She's down with that.

"I'm Viridi. ...Goddess of Nature. Not to butt in on your territory, but I'm definitely a god, and I definitely would rather puke than ask for any of these humans' prayers.

"I like you, though. Want to be my minion? I give great health care and retirement benefits."

[bridge_princess]

Freaking celestials. She was jealous already. But she shelved that. Hard, mostly because it was too easy to get into, even if she kind of glared over at her and rested her arm on top of her leg. "You're not butting in on my territory. Goddess of nature's not 'god of the local bridge and breakups.' There's a lot of things out there humans worship, and if you want to keep the ... all this?" She gestured towards their natural environment, where in the distance a nug chicken was pawing at the ground, clucking and leaving yet another egg. "Yep, you've got it. I'm more the human relations department." It did help that Shinto had a very broad notion of divinity and a whole crapload of local varieties that were venerated.

"But trust me. You really don't want a vengeful spirit of jealousy on the payroll there. I tend to be bad for troop morale. Let me guess, you didn't bring your entourage with you did you?"

[forceofnature]

"Oh, you're a spirit of a concept. Like one of the anthropomorphics. Are you distantly related to anyone named Phthonos?"

Theology between two different cultures never quite worked out.

"And believe you me, I'm considering changing my title to Goddess of Despair. This place is a dump." Viridi picks up a rock, drops it, and watches as it falls with the speed of a feather. "I don't know if you can even call this nature. I don't feel a single connection to any life form.

"Sadly, my generals didn't make it along for the ride. ...It's probably for the best. That's why I'm recruiting for the Forces of Nature! This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer; I'll even throw in a free T-shirt."

2

[fluffyharpy]

The harpy girl had been trying to take stock of the world around her when she noticed Parsee's little set up. The thing looked a bit strange to someone so far removed in time from the her and caused Lysandra to stop and ask just what was up.

"Hey there, Miss Parsee!" she yelled while waving one of her long wings. "What are you up to?"

[bridge_princess]

"Oh been getting the shrine cleaned up and ready. Someone told me I should try something, so trying it. Found a couple dumb dumbs willing to help out" which got an indignant squawk from the painter. "Hey, it's a term of endearment you. You're helping, you're helping!"

[fluffyharpy]

Lysandra giggled as Parsee ordered the creatures around. It was quite the sight and one she would likely remember for some time.

"Seems like you and your friends there have been working hard! Have you have gotten many visitors yet?"

[bridge_princess]

"People stop by the shrine now and again, and the bridge is still the easiest way out into the void without swimming, so folks do take it when they want to search the white." A cough and she glanced over at Lysandra, a bit uncomfortable. "And for some reason people seem to want to visit me now and again. Still figuring that one out."

1.

[king_in_dreams]

Oh, hey. This is a good idea.

[Noct stops behind her, looking past her to where the painter is working.]

Considering I'm still trying to figure out where everything is.

[bridge_princess]

It's honestly kind of futile, since I expect more strange places will keep showing up. But if we don't get started who knows how bad it'll get.

[She grunted and then turned around to take in the sight of Noctis.]

You new, or we just not met yet? I'm not really a ... people person.

[king_in_dreams]

[Noct nods.] Yeah. Do you have a, like... bigger map or anything yet?

[He's really not the kind of person to be making a map, but if she's out here putting up signs, maybe she's ahead on that one, too.]

I'm new. Or, well, I haven't been here that long. I think. It's kinda hard to tell when there's no, like... nighttime. I'm Noct.

[bridge_princess]

Pfft, not my specialty. I'll let someone else do maps thank you very much. And it's hard to tell because time doesn't work properly yet. I've managed to get it to behave around me. Sometimes.

Getting it to behave everywhere is a chore. [snort] Parsee Mizuhashi. Resident bridge troll.

3

[starshower]

[Tifa had heard about the shrine being set up, and had even seen it in passing on her way back to the apartments from Wall Market when she'd stopped by Heavenly Blanc for a refreshment, but it isn't until it's properly open that she visits it, stopping at the two boxes beneath the sign.]

Pebbles...? [She says to herself, her head tilting. She doesn't have any of those handy, but... Digging through her pockets, she pulls out a single coin, tossing a gil into the box instead of a tiny rock.] This'll have to do.

[She pauses when she takes a slip of paper between her fingers, not quite sure how this works, and glances around for Parsee, who she finds dolled up in the shrine. Her smile widens when she jogs over.]

This looks great! You look great!

[bridge_princess]

[She had to stifle a laugh. Yeah, actual coinage would work. They just didn't really have any sort of coinage so pebbles seemed good enough and ... hey she could eat them if she got hungry enough not to walk over to the bar.

...don't judge her.

She pulled the torches from her lips and smirked a little at Tifa]

You realize it's supposed to look surreal and intimidating. Right? [She chuckled a bit.] Kind of making do as best we can. It's still a little slap-dash.

[starshower]

Gonna be honest, it's hard to be intimidated when you know the person behind it. [She chuckles along with Parsee.] I think you nailed it, specially with not having much to work with.

[The only things they really have to go on are what washes up on Takoba Beach, and the things down in the underground mall, which... isn't much at all. So needless to say, Parsee is on the right track to becoming a proper shrine maiden here in the Void!

She lifts the slip of paper up and waves it around.]

So, how does this work?

[Tifa thinks she can figure it out on her own, but this is Parsee's shrine! She wants to give her the chance to teach her all about it.]

[bridge_princess]

[Siiiiiiiiiigh]

yeah, I can't exactly pull the whole demon out of the river without my tricks if you guys are used to me just being the bum down by the shrine. I know. But at least the look's close. If we find kimono I can do it right.

[She settled herself in position. Why on earth they'd ever told her to hold the damned candles in her teeth had never made sense to her, but whatever. So, she looked at the paper and breathed a bit carefully. They were really doing this were they?]

Alright. Since I'm playing the role of the kami, we can't burn or consume it, so I'm going to eat the piece of paper, but I think... here's the order of things. Usually you'd pop the payment in, maybe wash your hands if you wanted, get my attention, and then slip the paper somewhere the kami, me, could see it. Then I guess I eat it since there's not a miko here to burn it or anything.

Something like that. So... uh... why don't we try this? [I mean, they were feeling this out right?]

You tell me about them, we pray together and I swallow it? So I know who we're doing this for.

[forethinking]

(To be absolutely honest, Ren is doing this much more for her than for him. He's much more a hands-on type of person when it comes to solving issues, but he knows Parsee is trying to find her place here too. The least he can do is support her.

Of course, upon meeting her, he bows in her presence.)

You seem excited.

(He shoots her a gentle smile, she even put together an outfit!)

[bridge_princess]

[She laughed a little and took the torches out of her mouth. Really not the most practical of outfits, but that wasn't the point.]

Excited? I guess it's ... uh... something to do? Yeah, it's something to do. And I don't have enough of that, clearly.

We'll see if anyone plays along.

[forethinking]

Am I the first?

(It sure isn't a practical outfit by any means, but alas. He's happy either way that Parsee found her niche.)

[bridge_princess]

Mmmm, Tifa IS the one who suggested you know. She's been by already, so you're not the first. But you get to be second.

[Not even remotely practical. It only made sense for scaring the crap out of someone. But it was the ceremonial outfit for herself, so...]

3

[forwearemany]

Legion is familiar with organic spiritualism, but not fully enough to understand Parsee's place in it, not really. They understand that she is tied to negative feelings and actions, that she is unhappy, that changing this may not be possible. They know the circumstances of how she became what she is.

Perhaps if they had access to the extranet, it would be easier to acquire relevant data.

As it is, they know the shrine and bridge are Parsee's, but when they arrive there and see the sign, the boxes, and Parsee's current outfit, they're surprised, and also a little confused.

They pause at the entrance, chattering uncertainly.

Re: 3

[bridge_princess]

It didn't help that Shinto was different from so many modern spiritual paths. It and old Japanese folklore were some of the lingering holdovers of an ancient set of beliefs that were, in many ways, put aside around the world. And Parsee was only so-so at explaining it all. But that was all ok.

She caught sight of Legion in the entrance and cocked her head, motioning for the Geth to enter with a raised eyebrow. No coin plinking, no pebble and no slip of paper. Hmmm, it was probably trying to figure this out wasn it? Withdrawing the candles from her mouth, she coughed once into a hand.

"Yo. Curious?" She imagined that was like calling water wet. Legion was always a little curious, she found.

[forwearemany]

"Yes."

They headtilt in the opposite direction. Why did she have that in her mouth? It didn't seem convenient or comfortable.

A fashion statement?

It would be odd, even for organics, if that were the case. Something ceremonial? That seemed more likely, though they couldn't guess what it was for.

They couldn't really guess what any of this was for.

"Ceremony?"

[bridge_princess]

Not even remotely comfortable, convenient or helpful. The costuming was about soliciting fear of revenge, not communication. Definitely ceremonial in nature, though.

"Trying to try out an old ceremony converted to a new purpose, yeah. This is... similar to the outfit I wore in that memory you saw. It's what a Hashihime looked like while doing Hashihime things." When murdering cheaters, she meant. "Tifa suggested I try something else, so I'm ... doing a little of both?"