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In Tribute (12) : In the days leading up to the Star Festival, small stone shrines began to appear randomly throughout Destiny City–on rooftops, in alleyways, hidden down long forest paths. They’re small, altar-like platforms with a little bowl in the center and a single glowing stone inside. There’s something peaceful, refreshing, about the shrine, even if no one seems to know who is setting them. However, if the stone is removed, the glow vanishes–along with your sense of peace. This was not your offering to take. Immediately, you feel something breathing on the back of your neck but there’s nothing to be seen. Returning the stone returns the area to an uneasy stillness, but if you attempt to leave without returning the stone, a mounting pressure and anxiety will grow within you. You never make it far from the shrine before some unseen force overtakes you. It feels like a great force collides into your back, and unconsciousness is quick to follow. When you awaken, the shrine is gone. All that remains is pain and fear. If you are tempted to leave an offering of your own, however small, you will find yourself feeling as though you have received the protection of something greater than you can understand. This strange blanket of security will last for the remainder of the day. A shrine never stays in the same place for long but no one ever sees who is setting them up or taking them down.
Idri was familiar with the fact that Destiny City was a city of magic and weird random s**t that happened for reasons no one knew. Which was why he was not surprised at all to see the tiny little shrines that had popped up all over the city in all kinds of places. The first one he’d seen had been outside of Ainsley’s school, when he picked her up from her last day. It had been tucked in an out of the way nook surrounded by small flowers. He hadn’t seen the glow of the stone sitting in the altar bowl, but there was a sense of peace exuded by the shrine.
The next one he’d seen had been at night, on top of a roof where he’d been looking for trouble as Captain Polarite. That time he had been surprised to see the altar with its glowing stone because who put random shrines on top of buildings? Regardless, the sense of violence that always filled him when he was transformed had settled a little while he was in the shrine’s proximity.
Now he was meeting up with Eli again, more comfortable with the other man now that he knew he was a corrupt senshi. It was nice having friends on the same side, even if his power was a little freaky. Idri had enough nightmares; he didn’t need to be on the receiving end of one of Villon’s tentacles. The closer he got to the meeting place they had agreed on, the more shrines he noticed. He wondered who was setting the things up, or if it was just another weird thing that happened in Destiny City.
Another summer, another day where unexplainable weird s**t around Destiny city was happening. Eli had gotten used to it honestly, but seeing a shrine outside his house? In his yard? Where his son constantly plays and is continuously curious? Not something he enjoyed. Colin had reached for the stone in the shrine and he had to explain to his curious little boy that he is not supposed to touch stuff that he doesn't know about. That was when he got the message from Idri to meet later on today. Lily was more than happy to let him go meet his new friend, and after getting ready, he gave her a kiss on the forehead while she held Willow before heading out.
He tried not to pay attention to the fact that there were shrines starting to show up everywhere and way more often while he was on his way to the meeting spot, and as tempted as he was to investigate the shrines, he had a destination to get to. Maybe he could check out the shrines once he met his friend? Or they could go out on patrol and see if they could make quota and maybe take a couple of starseeds? Either way, he was kind of excited for once.
Idri leaned against a wall downtown, eyeing one of the little shrines nestled against a nearby fence. They hadn’t planned anything specific for tonight, but he was sure they could think of something. Patrolling was always an option, and it might be fun to see more of Villon’s style. He didn’t know any other senshi, and the other man had been patient with his questions about pregnancy. Perhaps he wouldn’t mind teaching him more about senshi, too.
He lifted a hand in greeting when he saw Eli coming, a little bit of a smile on his face. “Hey,” he said as his friend got closer. “You know anything about these shrines?” he asked, gesturing to the one against the fence. The stone in the bowl glowed softly, and he wondered what would happen if someone were to take the stone from the shrine.
Eli lifted a hand in return, looking at the shrines with narrowed eyes. “No, but one showed up in my yard. Colin tried to touch it.” Fat chance he’d let that happen, “It's Destiny City. I have learned to just accept s**t as it comes.” Not that it meant allowing his family to put themselves in danger. “How is Noa?” He stared at one of the glowing stones, feeling tempted to touch it. He refrained though, unsure of what the consequences would be.
In his yard? Where his kids played? That was a bit much. Whoever was placing these things was bold as ********. “What the hell?” He shook his head at the audacity. Eli’s comment about Destiny City’s weird s**t made him snort. That was fair, but it was something else entirely when there was a chance it put loved ones at risk. “Noa’s doing good. She’s always upbeat, but there’s moments when it can get overwhelming.” And he knew that Haji’s abuse of her bladder could be annoying. “How are Lily and the kids?” he asked as he crouched by the shrine.
Knowing what Noa looked like, Eli could see how she would always be upbeat. One day, maybe she could meet Lily. He had an inkling that they would get along just fine given their sunny dispositions. “Lily is being her usual bubbly self.” He chuckled, shaking his head fondly. How he got the chance to wife a woman as beautiful as her would be beyond him. She was clearly out of his league but then again, opposites attract and he did have to thank his son as well.
“Colin is ever energetic. He started school not too long ago so he gets to run out some of his energy during recess. Still, he comes home with enough energy to light up an entire city block.” He clearly gets that from Lily, not that he was complaining. “Willow is doing better. Found out through her aunt that all you have to do is bribe her with yogurt chips and she's your best friend.”
Yeah, his daughter was either going to be a business mogel, or a ******** loan shark. Either one would be fine with him but he was sure Lily would prefer she become something more productive to society.
He chuckled a little as he mentioned Lily being bubbly. “Sounds like she and Noa would get along great.” Noa could make friends with anyone, but it was starting to look like their whole families could be friends. “Colin sounds like my sister when she was little.” He had sometimes had a hard time keeping up with the little girl. “Yogurt chips,” he said with a laugh as he stood up. There was something weird about those little shrines, but he was not about to touch that thing.
“Got anything you wanna do tonight?” he asked, sliding his hands into his pockets. Inside one of them, he found a small imitation gem that Ainsley had given him to hold onto. He was pretty sure she’d forgotten about it by now, and it seemed…appropriate. Crouching down once more, he set the gem on top of the stone in the altar bowl. A weird feeling went over him then, like some kind of protective shield.
”Your sister full of sunshine and nothing else too?” He loved his son dearly but it was indeed hard to keep up with him and keep him still long enough to do something. The only time when Colin was calm and focused was when he had homework, singing, dancing or playing games with him on stream. Because of his son he had thought about starting Vtubing…Maybe. He wasn't female so it would be hard and he would have to work to get the public to forget what he looked like [not that he showed all of his face, just his eyes. Collin always had on a dinosaur mask while he made sure Lily at least covered her lower face and hair], but it could be worth a shot.
He saw Idri put something in the shrine, waiting to see if anything bad would happen. When nothing did, he took out a nickel and placed it in with the gem, blue eyes widening when he felt something akin to a calming protection wash over him. Interesting. He looked to Idri with a more chaotic look in his eyes, “Down for a bit of a spar? Maybe some ‘hunting’ after?” Now that he knew Idri was one of Metallica's own, having a patrolling buddy was looking more and more appealing.
“Pretty much,” he confirmed. And that had been the battle he was most proud of winning. Ainsley deserved to live the life she had, without worrying about pissing off their dad and getting beaten for it. He hoped Garrett was getting the s**t beaten out of him in jail. He shook off those thoughts as they were irrelevant to his life now. “She’s 15 now and probably more spoiled than she needs to be.” And his son would be spoiled rotten, too. Between himself and Noa, Ainsley, Bets, Waru, and his aunt Selene? Spoiled. Rotten.
He watched Eli follow suit and place a nickel in the shrine, eyes showing a bit more of his chaotic nature when he turned to Idri. In response, Idri grinned and let some of his own chaos show in his eyes. “Sounds like a good time to me,” he said. They just needed to find somewhere to transform. He had always patrolled with Saleeite before, but he liked having another guy to patrol with. Not that he would say that to Salee. He might ask Eli if he would mind keeping an eye on her on the nights she went out and he stayed in to watch the baby. He knew she was going a little bit stir crazy being unable to transform.
Viva Viola
