2026-08-25: Blessings for Battle
- Log: Blessings for Battle
- Cast: Kanae Fuyuki, Kazusa Motojima
- Where: Kagurazaka - Hillside Street
- OOC Date: August 25, 2026
- IC Date: Sunday, December 30, 2012
- Summary: Kanae and Kazusa meet up with plans to go to a chocolate shop, but before they do, Kana wants to take a trip to a shrine. But along the way they also chat about how various aspects of their lives are going.
(|======================= Kagurazaka - Hillside Street =======================|)
-===================================================== Tokyo/Shinjuku Ward ====-
Kagurazaka, Tokyo is a small neighborhood in eastern Shinjuku, straddling
Chiyoda. Home to a large swath of French expatriates residing in Tokyo, it has a
pleasantly warm atmosphere, a cozy little piece of Europe abroad. Part of it is
on the banks of a Tokugawa castle's moat, now a canal that provides comfort
while walking alongside it.
The main heart of the neighborhood is Kagurazaka-dori, a street that starts on a
soft incline before moving further towards a succession of restaurants and
shops. The buildings are low and the sidewalks narrow, with pleasant greenery
alongside the walkways, and road traffic is occasionally prohibited at certain
times, providing a gentle walking experience for the tourist and resident alike.
Of the shrines, shops and restaurants that line the streets, a few stand out
more than others. Zenkoku-ji is a classical Buddhist temple that worships
Bishamonten, a warrior god associated with good fortune. On the other end of the
spectrum is the Akagi shrine, a Shinto shrine that was renovated over the past
few years to possess a more modern outlook, with glass and wood as principal
pieces of the shrine's aesthetic.
For drinking and dining, one can visit Fleur de Lis, a bar and bistro themed
after classical Parisian bars, complete with a piano player during the daytime
hours and special events during the night. They can also visit the Patisserie
Kurayama, a French-style bakery owned by one Marie-Chantal Kurayama, a local
Rumormonger.
Entertainment may bring one to Le Cinéma du Monde, a single-screen movie theater
renovated to be similar to an old-style French theater. Here, one can find
movies old and new, as well as a charming vintage aesthetic. Kagurazaka is also
a Geisha district, and one can find traditional restaurants where the draw is to
watch one perform.
The sick and injured can visit the Clinique Lovelace, a side-street clinic that
treats both mundane and supernatural injuries thanks to the Awakened proprietor,
as long as they can withstand the somewhat-shady atmosphere. Several letters on
the signage are both missing and broken, giving a clear idea of what to expect.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Kanae Fuyuki lives in Kagurazaka, a small neighborhood in eastern Shinjuku. A lot of French extpatriates live here, and her French skills are regularly used in this area. It's a place she feels more comfortable than many, which is good, because it's home.
...But she hasn't invited Kazusa to her house.
Instead, they've approached from the station and headed towards the beautiful, red-and-white edifice of Zenkoku-ji, a temple dedicated to Bishamonten. Now, this is not exactly the average place for two teenage girls to go together for fun... but the fun is planned elsewhere.
Right now, they're not far off--and Kanae holds out her hand to pause.
"...SErvice is in a bit," she says.
"Thanks for going with me."
But why?
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa won't comment on not being invited to Kanae's house. She's not exactly in a rush to invite Kanae--or anyone--over to hers, so.
Kazusa is no stranger to temples, of course, but it did strike her as a little odd... but she's not going to complain. This must be important to Kanae to suggest it.
She stops when prompted to, nodding quietly. She's moving a little easier than she has been,m at least. She's been doing her best to rest.
She's curious, but she doesn't want to press, and she hesitates a moment as she weighs the question. "... of course."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
She might bring her over later... but maybe not. It's a pretty small apartment.
"It shouldn't be too intensive," she says. "You sit down, wait for the top priest, and get a blessing. I figured..."
She looks up to the sky. "OK, so, some background," she says. "One of the things my aunt and uncle taught me that actually stuck was stuff about religion--not just 'visit the shrine at the new year', but stuff during the year, too."
"...The temple we're going to is devoted to Bishamonten. He's one of the Seven Lucky Gods; he basically presides over fortune in war and battle, and has some associtions with authority, and dignity. People who follow the rules, behave appropriately, too--that's not always us... but in this case, it is, because we're pursuing an evil spirit."
"The Homunculus."
I figure..." Kanae looks to Kazusa. "He's already come after both of us, in his ways. We need all the blessings we can get if we're going to take him out before he takes us out first."
"You know. We're Hunting. ...We're going to war. So..."
"Might as well pay our respects, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa nods a little, as Kanae explains the process. "Seems simple enough..."
But then Kanae explains the why, and Kazusa listens. Her aunt and her uncle... are those the people that raised Kanae? She won't ask. Not right now, anyway.
"Bishamonten, huh..." There are some rules and authority figures she'd rather not follow, it's true. She nods, as Kanae clarifies the 'evil spirit.' "Right."
He's already come after them. Kazusa pulls her coat tighter. "... yeah. I'm not going to object to a blessing to deal with that thing. But... you're the one grabbing the monster by the horns. How are you holding up?"
She's worried, but she doesn't have to voice that she is. Kanae knows that already.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"We can stick around for the longer service too, but... I wasn't going to ask you to. We can hit up the chocolate shop or something instead, it's really good."
Kanae nods along. "Right. Following the rules... it's a way to stay safe," she opines. "Going off the beaten path... Sometimes it's right. But it makes you vulnerable, too. Like what we're doing."
"Cool." Not objecting. "...Heh. Well, i haven't seen him a lot since school went on break. The biggest thing I'm worried about is he's going to get pushy about getting... physical," she says. "I really don't want to do that with that thing."
"...But it's been useful, short of that. I figure... those other girls don't know what they're getting into, but I do. And I can learn things from him."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazusa shrugs a little at the prospect of staying for the longer service. "If you think it'd help... I don't mind." She looks aside, but her muttering is loud enough for Kanae to hear. "... feels like we could use all the help we can get."
"... but let's check out the chocolate shop after, either way."
Going off the beaten path... "Yeah. I guess that's true."
Kazusa scrunches up her face for a moment as Kanae mentions getting physical. "Ugh. Yeah, I don't blame you."
"... I'll admit, I've kind of been looking over my shoulder a lot." Kazusa shivers. "... I keep expecting him to pop up somewhere."
She raises an eyebrow. "Have you learned anything useful, though?"
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"Mmm," Kanae says, "I don't... want to stay still that long, right now. I'm too restless. Maybe it would help, but..." She shakes her head. "You've got a point, though. Do you go in for this stuff much? I mean, I know most people just kind of have it in the background. 'Born Shinto, married Christian, die Buddhist' Right?"
"Well, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon."
She nods. "Mm. I mean, kissing a monster... I dunno, I guess I can do that. But..." She shivers. "No, thanks."
But she's looking over her shoulder. "I get it," Kanae says. "He hurt you, and part of how he gets you is he... gets in your head. Keeps you off-balance."
"Mmm, maybe. I've learned some things I might be able to use in the Atelier. But soon we've got to follow up on some of these leads."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"Then we'll do the shorter one." There's a voice in the back of her head that wants to snap and go 'Then why did you even bring up the longer service in that case?' but she shoves that thought back down again.
Another shrug. "... I don't know. I guess I never thought about it that much. I was always concerned with... other things."
Not planning to die. "Please don't. I'd rather not deal with that thing by myself." It could be a joke, but she doesn't say it like one.
Kazusa nods, and she pulls her coat tighter around herself as a pretense to hug herself a little. "... yeah. I don't... it's hard to keep up the 'Demon Queen' persona when he's just..."
"Well if you learned something..." She nods. "We do."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
It's for the best that Kazusa keeps that voice down. Kanae is not her usual easygoing self lately. Well, is that 'easygoing', or 'pushover'? Hmm.
"They say most Japanese people are," Kanae says. "Of course, if you ask the same people, I wouldn't know." She scowls. "Anyway."
"Right. Don't worry too much--I'm just saying, that's not the plan."
The persona...
"Being like that... It's a way to hang onto 'power', right?" Kanae says. "People do what you want, because they're afraid of you. But he's not. He doesn't play by any of the rules except the ones he wants to."
"That's the problem. He's in our world... but he's not one of us."
"Anyway, yeah. We'll do that. I'm hoping his 'family' keeps him busy for a while over the new year, anyway."
Kanae looks out into the distance. "...Yeah."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
What's that scowl for? Kazusa's not sure, and she doesn't know if she should ask, so she doesn't. "I guess."
"Good."
As for power, Kazusa nods. "... yeah, I guess. Though mostly hat I wanted was for people not to look at me too closely... but he was convinced he knew what I was 'rally' like..."
"Yeah. And he's making everyone else bolder, too."
"Let's hope." Kazusa waits for a moment. "... what do you think, of his sister? What do you think she has planned?"
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
Kanae's background radiation just includes a lot of things. Not all of them are very obvious.
Still, "Mm. Being able to control how people see you is big," she says. "...But all it takes is someone not buying in, like him. He's convinced of a lot of things. He's really sure of how the world works, of how people are..."
"It's not a put-on. He really does think the things he's been saying."
"And yeah. A lot of boys are getting worse, because of his example."
"Nagisa-san..." Kanae shakes her head. "We agreed that we wouldn't get in her way, and I'm fine with that. ...Maybe it's a family thing for her. 'Responsibility.'"
"I don't know. Family's not exactly my area of expertise."
"...I just know... The sort of person I want to be, is the sort of person who saves people from things like this monster."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"Yeah, well... my homunculus saying... whatever to him really didn't help matters, anyway." Kazusa is scowling ow herself. "... and it's not like I have much of a reputation to protect anymore, after everything."
Thanks to the efforts of two different Homunculi, and the incident at the con.
"The worst part is, he's willing to just..." Kazusa shudders. "... use force. I was... lucky, but I don't think my luck is going to hold out."
"... maybe", she says of responsibility. "... but he has something they want, too. Or the Atelier does? I guess it's both."
But the type of person Kanae wants to be... Kazusa studies her for a long moment. "... well, I'm glad you were that, for me," she offers quietly. "The type of person I want to be..." She looks off into the distance. "... I'm still figuring that out."
Well, no, she does know. But her experience in the Cocoon... that last part, where she declared what she wanted, what type of person she wanted to be... still feels too personal to share.
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"It was probably innocent," Kanae says of Kazusa's Homunuclus. "Your Homunuculus was weird but not like--flirty. I saw her around. The worst thing she said to me was she got real curious about dating and kissing and stuff. ...Which was weird, but like, creepy weird, not... Slutty weird."
She's helping!
"Yeah, he is. He doesn't follow the rules. ...And because of that, a lot of guys are thinking they don't have to anymore, either. It's not... supernatural. It's just what they're like, when they think they can get away with it."
Kanae may be a little cynical. Regardless, "Yeah. Everybody wants something. I'm not convinced it's a bad thing, yet."
"...Yes," Kanae says. "And now I've got a friend. I don't have a lot of those these days."
She pauses, looking over Kazusa. "...That's fine," Kanae says. "We're supposed to be figuring that out now, right? This age."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"Yeah, no, I remember what she said to you. And I don't know if 'creepy weird' is much better." Kazusa huffs. "God, she was so obsessed with... getting married and what dating was like and just... eugh."
Specifically, dating boys. There's nothing to read into there.
"And they're the ones getting on my case. I know I can't claim innocence, but... Come on. I can't wait for things to back to--" She hesitates. "... I can't believe 'normal' at Shujin is somehow an improvement for something."
There's a brief smile as Kanae mentions having a friend, though Kazusa tries to hide it. "... me neither," she admits, after a moment.
"I guess. I mean, I know what I've wanted to do for a while, at least, but... actually getting to do it is going to be difficult."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"Something she couldn't understand but latched onto as being part of 'humanity'?" Kanae prompts.
It's fine.
"Right." They're getting on hers less... for now, because she's 'dating' Shinichi. But that's going to change sooner or later, and Kanae's not exactly thrilled at the prospect. "Who knows?" she says. "Maybe it won't go back to normal. Maybe it'll get worse!" Helpful?
But she smiles back. "...Cool," Kanae says. "Whatever happens we've got that going, right?"
But...
"Mm. Well," Kanae says, "If you need help figuring out how... That's what friends are for, right?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"I guess, I don't know. But whatever Nagisa-san thought of my Homunuculus... his Homunculus sure latched onto it." She shrugs, like she's trying to play it off. "I guess that's just what she thought a girl was 'supposed' to be concerned about."
But not Kazusa? She doesn't clarify her stance on it.
Kazusa gives Kanae a flat stare. "How optimistic of you. Thanks."
But she does nod back. "... yeah. I guess we're stuck with each other." Okay, there might be a little bit of playfulness in her voice as she says that. Just a little.
But as for helping... Kazusa hesitates. The obstacle is her father, but... is it to awkward to talk about him around Kanae? "... Right. I'll think about it."
<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.
"I mean, I was curious about him and the Homunculus decided that meant I was 'into' him, so..." She gestures vaguely. "Seems like he thinks that's just how it is. That girls and guys can't just talk to each other. ...For a lot of guys, he doesn't seem to be wrong."
Kanae doesn't push. Instead she grins at that flat stare. "Glad to be helpful."
Still, "Looks like. Co-conspirators, anyway. We're both trouble, now."
"OK. Just think about it. For now..."
"We might as well get going."
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
"Yeah, I think it was kind of the same with me..." Kazusa makes a face. "The Homunculus asked him to sort the cafeteria garbage with her..." Kazusa shakes her head. "Yeaaah that is how it works for a lot of people."
She would sayshe doesn't have a lot of guy friends for that reason, but... it's not like she has a lot of girl friends, either.
"Not going to call us 'co-stalkers'?"
But she nods. "Yeah, let's."