bonobos: (pic#17124404)
sha-ming. ([personal profile] bonobos) wrote in [community profile] expiationlogs2024-05-10 10:31 pm

[closed] call me curious george the way i keep asking questions

Who: Sha-Ming and assorted
Where: Aldrip
What: A closed log comprised of custom starters for the month of May; if you would like to do something, just hit me up at [plurk.com profile] moontrip -- I don't bite!
Warnings: None as of yet.

memori3s: (49)

[personal profile] memori3s 2024-05-11 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
[ On the seventh day, Koromaru catches a familiar scent in the hall. He leaps to his feet and barks urgently at Minato's door. Minato glances over and watches from his seat on the bed, wordlessly, as the person he's been searching for finally enters the room.

He swallows, visibly. Had Koromaru not started barking furiously as Sha-Ming entered, he might have written this person off as a figment of his imagination, a trick being played on him by his fatigued mind. He'd lost all desire for food and sleep. The only thing that stopped him from wondering whether he'd developed Apathy Syndrome was the fact that he remained keen on searching for Sha-Ming. ]


...hey.

[ Koromaru whines and presses himself against Minato's side. His human companion raises a hand to tangle his fingers in the dog's fur. ]

I made sure no one tossed your stuff.

[ A beat. ]

Kotone and Cloud helped.

[ Spotted him Sha-Ming's portion of the rent, he means.

And though he'd like to throw those very words Sha-Ming spoke at the clinic, they all die on his tongue. The fact that he's been here, waiting like a dog who'd lost its master, must speak for itself. ]
memori3s: (21)

[personal profile] memori3s 2024-05-11 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ "Arf, arf!" goes Koromaru.

"Of course, I've had a lot of practice."

He was there doing exactly that for those few months after Nyx's defeat. And though no one else had sensed it, Koromaru could detect those small changes in Minato, the little things that cumulatively indicated he was fading away.

Minato rises, responding with a small nod. He'd eaten earlier in the day, but that was only a single meal for someone who typically had an incredibly healthy appetite. ]


...okay.

[ He'll join Sha-Ming for food, but as for the other request, ]

...I don't want to.

[ Maybe he sounds petulant raising that objection. He can't find it in him to care. What if he wakes up the next morning only to find that Sha-Ming's vanished again? ]
cursegod: (cup ramen best)

into the woods to free the titties

[personal profile] cursegod 2024-05-11 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
[With no clowns to bother her and her head clear of any angst related to The Feels, Dara has returned to the woods! The place she typically returns to to relax. Although the scenery has shifted somewhat since her extended nap, she's able to relocate her favorite spots after slithering around for a bit. (Both ground and treetops are fair game for wandering.) It's been awhile since she's felt comfortable enough just letting her tail be rather than staying in a hyper-aware state by morphing it into "legs". Without the threat of losing control, it's now time to stretch her muscles a bit. But before all the roaming, she folds up her clothes and hides them in a tree hollow. Freedom!!!

There's a certain waterfall that she always gravitates to for clearing her mind. The spring waters are deep enough to submerge the length of her tail, and a convenient rock at the bottom of the falls makes for a great spot to meditate. She may not be able to sense the cold anymore, but it's refreshing to let the flowing water to surge over her.

Aside from lounging in the tree-tops and surveying everything from high above, Dara happens to glimpse a new area that is unfamiliar: a large boulder sitting atop a hill. What's perfect about it is that the size of it has made it hard for trees to completely overshadow it. That means it's an ideal basking spot! When she finally arrives to her destination, the curse god immediately flops down to soak in the sun. She may enjoy the water more, but she can also appreciate a nice warm place. (A distant sense, maybe, but still warm nonetheless.)

No worries, just reconnecting with nature and enjoying the freedom of being a monster in the woods.]
quizpersona: (pic#15917121)

[personal profile] quizpersona 2024-05-11 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ A big hand is midway through delicately pinching off a piece from a loaf when a vaguely familiar voice floats over. As a widened eye shifts over to confirm, recollection of the expression worn during the last time he saw this guy-- when he had strangled him to death-- occurs.

Yet now the goggled man is approaching with the intention of striking up a conversation. A not-so normal reaction--a thought he has accompanied with inner glee. ]


I know, [ A low drawl with audible regret reserved for the birds. ] but there wasn't exactly a lot left in the pantry after so long!

[ Not many people tend to approach during birdfeeding time so it's one of those rare occasions to be wearing something less eccentric. It's kind of a nice peacoat actually, with something black and white tucked in as the underlayer. ]

Unlike any human these guys are always free to fly away if they don't like it.
quizpersona: (🕊️ xxxii.)

[personal profile] quizpersona 2024-05-11 04:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Well that's that, Gogol thinks, while watching the retreating back. Guess he's satisfied in infodumping biology facts before retreating? But then goggles returns to park his nerd-ass back down on the bench and isn't that an interesting turn of events. Nikolai laughs aloud—a lively sounding ahehe—and it's because of the obvious distance between them on the bench. As if that'll do anything if he wanted to do something nefarious. ]

Oh, is that so? [ An impish grin appears. ] You sure found this quick!

[ Some would say that means he's up to no good. What happens is that Nikolai activates The Overcoat to send his right hand to reach over from the left of Sha-Ming to take the handful of bird seed. Go on bro, give those seed to the disembodied hand. While it's held out patiently the rest of it from the wrist down disappears from sight into a glimmering yellow portal. ]
quizpersona: (pic#15951068)

[personal profile] quizpersona 2024-05-11 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That's the kind of reaction that's always at least a bit entertaining to witness. Naturally it draws out another bout of irritating laughter. It's fleeting because the jubilant expression turns contemplative following the silence and ensuing apology. The fact that there is an apology coming his way legitimately gives him pause. ]

Good gracious, you make it sound like I didn't choose to play along!? You know Goggles you might have a screw loose yourself if you're really here to apologize to a madman who abducted and murdered you.

[ Nikolai leans forward as he begins to say all of this, that's where his attention splits between that and offering some of the seed to a pretty little pigeon that's shown interest. Although that's quickly and surprisingly abandoned when he pauses in thought—only to deposit some seeds on the ground in favor of leaning back to peer at Sha-Ming directly with a unsettling grin. ]

I oh so hate to shatter the illusion—but agreeing to that was actually something I got to decide myself. Now doesn't it sound like a thrill to do so when there was this itty bitty compulsion to do good nagging the back of my mind? I think it does! and it was.

[ Although he'd stared listlessly up at the ceiling for some time after— ]

Question is... Did you find what you were looking for in death?
quizpersona: (pic#16260471)

[personal profile] quizpersona 2024-05-12 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
Not at all~ [ A swift, confident, and sing-song interjection to deny the accusation that he's doing anything to cheer anyone up. Fact is death is rendered moot and there was no solid reason to torture Sha-Ming for long. Following that interjection he waits very politely for the guy to finish sharing those thoughts- so the next part sounds particularly, and pretty much comically, belated. ]

and I wouldn't do anything about it! This is a pot calling the kettle black— Isn't that great? If anything I'm gonna use that to twist the knife when it's going to hurt most.

[ Something about showing his hand—or lying again. Pressing a palm against his cheek in a mock-bashful way Gogol cheekily beams at him. Officially leaving it up to Sha-Ming to figure out which he believes is true in this case. An attempt at obfuscation... might be familiar. ]

'Cause you've got to know you're confiding in one of the least trustworthy and predictable people present?! So! I am starting to feel bad for you here. But you know now how disappointing death is so that's something you've got going for you... Since you're halfway there I'll go ahead and give you an even more exciting spoiler about this place. Ready for it?

[ Turning that palm to cover over a grinning mouth he waits a moment to drum up the anticipation for what will be said next. As seconds tick by he leans in closer inch by inch with a gaze that's trying to burn a hole in the side of Sha-Ming's face ...There's so much to unpack about Gogol's relationship with death and people being gone in this place. Certified moment of being off-putting on purpose. ]

True or false! Based on the definition you just gave disappearing or watching someone else disappear is more like death than death itself.
quizpersona: (🐦 xxv.)

[personal profile] quizpersona 2024-05-13 02:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ His breath hitches audibly. What do you do when you're a big scary terrorist, a cruel murderer, a being with an ability no person should have—and someone calls you sensitive and sane and it's not altogether incorrect? Not entirely correct, either, mind you. The use of a metaphor he usually presents to others himself... The persistent, consistent effort to dissect him. A different kind of laughter builds up in his chest; it shakes his shoulders silently. ]

You think so? Conversely, I wonder if you can. So let's trade a question for a question. Here's a scientific inquiry just for you! At what point can a sane man live in a state of false madness before truly descending into it? Take your time thinking about that one, in the meantime, I'll answer yours...

[ He should be issuing that warning he's given out to just about anyone who has tried to pin down and preserve his sense of self—studying and recording it certainly counts. But from the way his voice stirs it sort of sounds like he's just barely not kicking his feet back and forth in giddiness. ]

No. [ He answers, then mutters further. Choice of words selected carefully. ] I don't want it to scare me at all.

Since it goes against the core instinct of survival I could agree to something like being extinguished.

[ Sha-Ming is just a little too calm for his liking. Hearing this story it's expected that his face should be pinching in pain and misery yet all there is all calm. He should keep his hands to himself, Nikolai thinks— and immediately fails when he hooks his finger in the necklace Sha-Ming has on. Mindful not to break it Nikolai uses it to pull the younger man down and closer as he jeers down at him. ]

Hmmm... That all sounds veeery impressive! Are you going to do it again anytime soon?
orphne: (Kotone 63)

[personal profile] orphne 2024-05-13 10:51 am (UTC)(link)
[Sha-Ming can be forgiven for thinking she's about to jump him, because she's marching toward him with determination on her face and her phone in hand. She's more assertive than Minato usually is, and she's been wearing her Evoker on her waist more and more often now that it's clear Aldrip is no longer the idyllic country village it had once been.

Of course, the effect is someone dimmed by the fact that she's being trailed by a lamb trying its best to keep up, bleating unhappily behind her because hey! Hey!! Can't just stop petting him like that!]


Did you call him?

[Straight to the point. The set of her eyes and the phone in her hand make it clear that if Sha-Ming hasn't talked to Minato yet, she's about to call him herself. They can exchange pleasantries in a second -- this is way more important!]
quizpersona: no you didn't. please just roll with it. (pic#15218025)

[personal profile] quizpersona 2024-05-13 03:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Do that and you're little more than a string of data that can be easily manipulated.

[ There's this heavy pause here. A quiet little smugness that means he is wearing a similar expression, all sharp smiles and cold eyes--there's an irony here Gogol feels he is aware of. That pause is fuelled by the current understanding of their reality, courtesy of the recent chat with Jerry. "What if I told you that you're already in that heaven?" he almost announces if only to see if this guy's expression will crumble in despair.

Instead he bites his own lip and worries it between his teeth with that manic expression. Seems he makes the choice to focus on the thing that actually matters to him personally. ]


You see? You're already sooo close to understanding why I wouldn't willingly take that option— it achieves nothing and does nothing for attaining my end goal! What you explained sounds pretty pointless if you ask me.

Because I'm built to be just as self-preserving as you. That means in spite of that nature I'd agree to cease existing because I would want to live. Despite the limits of our design you have free will—As do I! I know I have an animalistic brain and one day I'll figure out the way to prove the existence of that perfect freewill without a shadow of a doubt.

[ Jokes on you guy he both likes and hates it when the observations are mean and someone is thumbing through his innards. Momentarily, he's distracted by the thought that he could physically and literally thumbs through his organs in return in thanks. That hand comes at him so slowly but nothing is done to stop him from grabbing Nikolai by the collar. Instead Nikolai responds by shuffling across the bench to space invade and grab Sha-Ming at the wrist with his free hand. Doubling down! ]

Go on, tell me why you're jealous. Do you not feel like just some guy?

[ There's laughter in his voice. At a glance he knows they make for a weird picture on this otherwise serene park bench. That's part of the fun. ]
fieldtrip: (128)

[personal profile] fieldtrip 2024-05-13 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Toph likes to stay active and ever since her stint living clueless in the woods, she's grown some fondness for the place. That on top of Minato explicitly asking her to check around for Sha-Ming means she regularly takes a sweep through, though doing so alone makes her miss her friends from home more than ever. It's exactly the kind of thing the rest of the Gaang would normally join her for.

With her ability to sense motion around her in a wide range, Toph doesn't need to do more than take a stroll. This ends with her standing directly underneath Sha-Ming's tree, pointing directly up at him with finger alone, staring sightlessly ahead rather than up. ]


You better get down here right now or I'm going to make you get down.

[ He's obviously fine and he's obviously been here for a while, which means she's mad on top of worried. ]
quizpersona: (🕊️ xv.)

[personal profile] quizpersona 2024-05-14 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
[ The notion that a person can become trapped by themself... It's not the first time someone has arrived at a similar conclusion and presented it to him. In fact, it's the conclusion he came to first. It goes beyond God. It goes beyond socialization. Yet it involves both. It's something deeply internalized and oh so hard to escape from. ]

How I've come to understand any of those concepts is precisely what might turn me into a flightless bird you could study. The one with broken wings, but one that otherwise lives life with some level of satisfaction within the confines of the cage... and it's a lot more fun if you figure out what the cage is a metaphor by yourself!

[ It's his own brain. The one that stalls for a second. Between the flash of pink he watches wet a lower lip, the undivided attention, and the legitimate compliment lays the reason for a hint of fluster. Because it's cute really--the effort being made. ]

Oh, ehehe, you think so do you? Speaking of that, though.

[ The hold on the necklace is abandoned for now. Really he is quietly impressed Sha-Ming didn't flinch having his hand so close to his throat considering it's the same one that helped choke him to death. Without announcing the reason why Gogol reaches back to a pocket to fish something out.

It's the phone that was... left behind. Unintentionally, one could say. The evil giggle is a preemptive one but his plan is apparent soon enough when instead of merely handing it back he slips it down the front of Sha-Ming's shirt, pats the area between the collar bone and pec in a way that's definitely a little condescending, and winks. ]


That's yours !

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