A day for coffee

The road had been a long and weary one, and now the city had been put into a spot of bother by the appearance of what seemed to be spirits. People made unsettled musings in the street to the going-on with mumbling about the appearance of what people were calling spirits. Shades. Specters from the past wandered aimlessly through the streets. Of course, the apparition of spirit-like entities was something that Joski had gotten more and more used to. Ever since his time on the beach, he had witnessed the strange appearance of creatures around him. Not quite ghosts, not quite beasts. Whatever they were, they lingered everywhere.

Some followed people. Some stood in place doing seemingly nothing. Others stood by an object as though they were guarding or looking for something. It was strange to see other people reacting to them now, but it thankfully gave Joski the reality check he needed in order to reassure him he hadn't yet lost his mind. So now, sitting in the window seat of a cafe that was down on its business due to whatever the heck was going on, Joski would sip at his coffee with a slow, appreciative hum. Most of the places he stopped at only had tea. Which was good and well. But Hoshigakure had coffee. A rarity from where he was from. Strange occurrences aside, Joski wouldn't allow the strangeness to dissuade him from this rare treat.

WC - 360

It took a fair bit of consideration for where Joski was headed, unfamiliar with the village as he was. The notion of being able to revisit anyone was a curious notion, but the same hesitations that existed once upon a time ago still exist now; how could he face the spirit of someone he had never met? What would happen if they were still alive? What if he reached out and nothing answered, then he'd be back to the exact same spot he was now, just with a little more disappointment. Then again, taking a chance was what brought him to Hoshigakure in the first place. Even having found a dead end to the answers he sought, he still benefited greatly from being here. He had managed to acquire some useful scrolls and even got some knowledge on fuinjutsu while getting a few of them placed on him. All in all, it had shaped up to have been a fruitful journey, so what could be so wrong with giving a stray idea a shot?

It took a deal of time, but eventually, Jojo found his feet leading him to one of the local cemeteries. It wasn't as though anyone he knew was buried here, but it seemed like the most appropriate spot when talking to spirits, or even thinking about them. The plot of land was a small affair in the midst of the town put in the shadow of several large trees. Starring down at the headstones, marked by names he had no knowledge of, Joski got a pang of guilt for coming to this sacred ground for selfish reasons. Still, there was no reason not to try. Taking in a few deep breaths, Joski would close his eyes and focused his mind, considering the possibility of his parents, and waiting patiently for something to happen.

TWC - 947

...but nothing came of it. There was no sensation of being joined by someone, nor was there any sort of words or feelings that sprang into his mind. For several long minutes, Joski stood among the grounds of the dead surrounded by tombstones etched with the names of people from the village. To the credit of Hoshigakure, even this somewhat small plot of land dedicated to the dead was well maintained. The fauna were all well cared for even in the arid heat of Haven and it was evident that someone took a great deal of care to make sure that the land remained undisturbed. Signs of recent vandalism all seemed to have been handled with delicate precision such that it was clear that the markings hadn't lasted all that long.

Still, none of this really made up for the resounding lack of response he got. Not like he knew if there were any sort of rules to whatever it was that was going on but if what he had overheard was true, then something was meant to have happened. Or the ones that he called forward simply didn't exist in a state to be called. Letting himself untense, Joski would tilt his head back and open his eyes to half-lid, letting his gaze peer into the evening sky as he took in a long breath through his nose before letting it out in a huff. "Well, I guess I can say I tried at least," he mused to himself.

TWC - 1,197

With hands stuffed in his pockets, Joski would walk back down the streets while doing his best to not let the darker thoughts creep into his mind about his experience thus far. Extending even beyond the circumstances of these strange happenings involving apparitions of the dead, his journey to Hoshi had been in order to find out more about what it was that allowed him to see these spirits more often than most. What allowed him to sense these spirits that traveled the road just like him? Perhaps it had nothing to do with these ninja bloodlines at all; perhaps it was simply a curse that had been placed upon him. This was the dark cloud that hovered over his head up until he passed by a section of the city that had been turned into a small park.

Kneeling the in the grass was a woman, whose voice she fought to control from a shake that seemed to be tempting at each of her words. She reached out a hand and stroked at the image of a dog with long, golden hair that sat in front of her, wagging its tale happily. Joski couldn't hear the words being uttered by the woman but knew that in some way, he was witnessing a precious moment. A moment that the woman would never knew he was there for. It almost felt like it should be important to him as well, even if neither the dog nor the woman was any different to him than a perfect stranger. Still, it put an interesting perspective. A perspective on loss, and what exactly he should be looking for.

TWC - 1,471

It wasn't as though Joski had an inclination to sit there and watch as the woman professed to the apparition of their late companion, but he might admit a shade of guilt for lingering there longer than he had meant. For moments that lingered, Joski would rest his purple gaze on the woman who would continue to quietly whisper to her friend until he felt something in his core tell him the moment had passed. At least the moment in which he was meant to be there, and like a ghost, he was gone down the street. Blending into the crowd like the perfect stranger he was.

Loss is a funny concept. Often it was difficult for Joski to put into perspective what it meant to lose something, and what it meant to only have something for so long. Nothing was forever, and fooling one's self into thinking it was would only lessen their experience. It would only be after something was lost that people might remember it so fondly, or wish that they had spent more time in what had been the present. Joski would recount the things he loved and would remind himself that those things were not here forever. A throb in his chest accompanied a small pang of hurt with the realization, but immediately following was a deep, cool breath that reminded him that that loss had yet to come. His brothers, for instance, were still alive. And that was something to be happy about, even if it was only for now.

TWC - 1,727

His mind continued to ponder the concept of loss as he wandered the streets of Hoshi without aim. The day had gotten along and crawled into twilight with the chill of the night threatening to come close behind and yet Joski didn't particularly feel as though he had to be anywhere. No laws he found said there was any kind of a curfew, so he may just wander the village while its people slept. A part of him acknowledged the possibility that the village shinobi might not take kindly to a stranger walking their streets at night even if his intentions were just to walk out his thoughts. Still, trying to be elusive would likely only exacerbate the misconception, and thus he walked down the middle of the road with his hands in his pocket and his eyes on the ground.

His travel stayed like this for some time, mind sorting his thoughts until the bottom robe coupled with what appeared to be the legs of a very large bird stood before him. The apparitions hadn't seemed to have mind passing through others, but the way this one stood in his path felt deliberate. Scanning up its figure, the robe would flow upwards into a tall figure, but where the head would be was only a mass of darkness in which sat a pair of white lights that gave the appearance of eyes. On top of the mass sat a wide, flat hat that looked like something from a different land. Joski was not a short man, but this robbed figure stood nearly twice as tall as he, looking down at him with the pair of lights as though expecting something to happen. Joski, likewise, expected something, yet neither of them made motion to open dialogue, so instead, Joski would make an attempt to walk around them, only for the figure to likewise moving into his path. Looking back up again, Joski would furrow his brows at the spirit in a display of confusion.

From the mass of darkness, a deep, cold voice would speak. "I think it's about time you and I had a talk, fledgling."

TWC - 2,084

The palpable shock and confusion on the young man's face must have been plain, his brows furrowing harder attempting to funnel down the top of his nose. "What?" He managed to stumble out. His hands remained in his pockets; Joski didn't suspect that the spirit meant him any ill will despite the somewhat offputting nature of its appearance.

"You've come to this place seeking answers yet have only found more questions. A revelation that your journey is not yet over." The mass of darkness would speak again, its voice a strange echo that never seemed to carry the same pitch yet would be unmistakable in the fading tune that carried behind each of its words. "Let your surprise be lifted. I am the Kami that follows your stride, as well as thought set along a path that is tragic or strife with trial. Zu'Jizo." The spirit didn't move much as it spoke, yet the words sounded prideful and solemn.

Joski released a huff of breath as he stood up straight, listening to what was being said. "Tragedy and hardship? That sounds about right. But what brings you to me? What makes me so special?"

"Your blood!" Zu answered readily. "The blood of your ancestors is strongly tied to the spiritual realm. It is why you can see the stars that shimmer and shine within the souls of people, can you not? The nature of your family has always been closely entwined with the dealings of spirits- I'm more impressed that no one has told you any of this sooner." Zu explained calmly, yet there was still an undertone of energy that reverberated in the words. "And I am the spirit that will accompany you on your journey."

TWC - 2,371

The spirit spoke of tragedy and hardship, and yet it offered so freely the very thing Joski had come to seek: the truth of his bloodline, and why these things were happening to him. It wasn't just him but his entire ancestor that suffered from this strange phenomenon that allowed him to see the spark of life within people. Which meant that one or both of his parents likely had this same affliction, and even if that didn't move Joski any closer to knowing who they were, it did mean that there was at least some connection he had not just to a couple of people but possibly an entire clan. "If this is true, then what is your duty to me? Or...I to you? I didn't sign any sort of contract, so what do we do now?"

The spirit rustled some, and though it made no noise, Joski got the sense that it was amusement that gripped the being. "You are correct and you are incorrect. The duty of the guiding kami is to see to the nature of your crossing between the boundary of planes. So too is it the duty of you- the Kamigawa- to see to the passage of souls from your world to ours. Many of your kind have taken a different approach to what this means, though it is not unusual for your kin to be considered "shepherds" of the soul, so to speak. A duty so closely aligned with we Kami, our paths were bound to cross. And so they did. Long, long ago." Zu concluded matter-of-factly.

A hand would rise up to Joski's chin as he hummed out in thought. "A shepherd of souls. Can't say that is exactly what I was expecting. I don't know the first thing about guiding anyone unless its along a road and they can keep up with me." Less of a fact that Joski was proud of and more of a veil to hide the sense of unpreparedness that washed over him at this revelation.

That same shutter of amusement overtook Zu for a moment before they spoke once more, "Don't worry, fledgling. You will, in due time."

TWC - 2,733

Together, the two of them would work their way through the streets of Hoshigakure as the street lamps began to flicker on. People began to take leave of their day and make their way to their abode; most of the shops had experienced some amount of disruption due to the appearance of the spirits and the village had already experienced a few days' slumps in activity though thankfully there was a notable lack of unrest. In fact, many people seemed to have taken solace in the reappearance of their loved ones who passed having an opportunity to share any words they had left unsaid. "I have come to an understanding." Zu would speak out suddenly, speaking despite others being nearby. "You are vastly unaware of what your ancestors have contracted you with. This is not surprising. You seem adept at travel. This reason binds us for your journey." The manner in which the spirit spoke was still taking some getting used to, and its choice of words wasn't helping matters much. "But before this journey begins, there is another matter that demands our attention."

Joski took a moment to glance up at the towering spirit he strode beside down that street. "Oh? Something to do with my ancestors, then?"

"No," Zu answered flatly. "Your blood makes the reach of your ancestors much shorter than others. Time is plentiful in regard to connections made betwixt you and they. There is a matter of the Creeping Darkness, as your tongue would recognize. A being that exists on the edge of existence. It's great maw ever consuming those who lose themselves to madness. A piece of it- a very small piece- has arrived upon this point in space to this world you call your home. We have been beseeched. We must see to the removal of this stain less it becomes like a rotting filth. A disease that threatens to become something more."

"I see," Joski answered, looking back to the path down their road. "And what is it we have to do about this...thing?"

"We must remove it. At any costs." These words were spoken with a solemn sense of duty; a coldness that punctuated the seriousness of the matter.

TWC - 3,101