(Untitled)

[dream_departed]

((THNMY'd to a couple of weeks after the rescue.))

It had been a crack-headed idea, but Ginta seemed willing enough. She rented a cabin in the U.S. she had seen on the Internet. The area was supposed to be remote. The ad promised a quiet getaway. Maybe that's why Ginta had agree so readily. Maybe they both needed to get away.

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[x_ginta_x]

Once they'd stepped out on the trail, Ginta breathed deeply. Sure, it wasn't much different from the air quality of his own time, but it was refreshing to encounter it in Aya's world. That, and the place had a scent that seemed unique since the plants and were different from a lot of the ones he encountered in Japan.

He was a little quiet as they approached, just taking the scenery in, but he piped up once they were in viewing range of the cabin. "Is that the one?"

[x_ginta_x]

Ginta's eyes go buggy when she removes the trinket. If it was a seal, and it was just removed... that would be bad news. Then again, if there was any wrath to actually be incurred then they probably would have experienced it since the monkey was now relieved of not only his seal but his fingers. He tries to take a deep breath to calm himself. If nothing's happened yet, maybe that means nothing will.

He leans forward, inspecting the bell. "There's more of those funny symbols written all over it. I wonder what it means..." He looks up at Aya, "Maybe it says something about the markings in those other letters from upstairs?"

[dream_departed]

Aya nods and climbs to her feet.

"Lets go see."

She carries the monkey in her arms like a baby doll as she walks up the stairs. She puts the monkey on the rung as she begins to sort through the letters, mumbling something like, "We can never have normal vacation."

[x_ginta_x]

Ginta snorts in wry amusement. "We really can't."

The second letter in the stack was once sealed in wax, the broken imprint of which bears a remarkable resemblance to the symbols from earlier.

"Hey," Ginta said, picking it up, "this one looks promising."

He opens the letter and holds it out for Aya to read. Most of it speaks of plans to bring the knowledge and power of Wookung, the monkey god, to the world outside. There seemed to be some sort of key for most of the symbols found on the bell, providing phoenetic spellings and sometimes meanings. In order to raise the monkey god the words on the bell had to be recited on a certain day for while a sacrifice covered in fruit and flowers was burnt.

[dream_departed]

It had to be summoning, didn't it. Aya's eyes go dark with grief and remembered guilt. She pushes away the letters in disgust after reading them out loud to Ginta.

That they won't even attempt the ritual goes without saying.

"Do we put these back or bury them or burn them?"

[x_ginta_x]

It doesn't take much to guess what might be getting to Aya. Ginta starts gathering the items so she won't have to touch them again.

"I say burn it all. That way there's no chance it can come back on anyone." He tilts his head and peers up at her before trying a bit of levity. "Or we could dump it in the Dimension of Shrimp. That may not be fair to the shrimp, though."

He sets the lot of it on the rack in the fireplace. "You said you saw some wood around, right?"

[dream_departed]

Aya's smile is small but very real.

I love him.

She stands, going out back to get the wood.

"Is there a Dimension of Shrimp?"

[x_ginta_x]

His face breaks into a smile of its own when he sees hers. Much better. He rises to go with her. "So I've heard. I've never been there, but I've heard it mentioned a lot when people are speaking of the stranger worlds they've heard of. It's apparently all cooked shrimp too."

He opens the back door, letting her step out first. The racoon from earlier is sitting on top of the wood pile. He pokes his nose up at them, seeming to debate whether to beg for something or flee before jumping off the pile.

[dream_departed]

Aya stops walking. She blinks rapidly. A dimension of cooked shrimp is strange even by the standards of the Nexus. She shakes her head to clear it as she steps outside.

Aya points to the wood pile.

"We need that." She tells it in a calm but firm voice. When the racoon only bobs its head and stares at her, she turns to Ginta. As far as she is concerned this is a wild animal and entirely his department.

[x_ginta_x]

Ginta moves forward to shoo the racoon away and forgets to close the door behind him. Knowing that the inside of the house usually contains tasty foods, the critter darts inside and heads for the most interesting smelling thing in the house.

Ginta doubles back and chases after the racoon. When he catches up he finds that it has found the monkey and has started gnawing on it. "Oh no... give that here." He almost inserts a warning growl into that, but holds back for fear of making the critter run for it.

[dream_departed]

Aya is finds it difficult not laugh. She isn't entirely sure it's not a good idea just to let the racoon have the thing.

She takes a granola bar out of her pocket. She peels the shiny silver wrapper quickly and tosses it gently near the racoon, hoping the racoon will find the granola bar more tempting and have to put down the monkey to pick up the bar.

[x_ginta_x]

Ooh, decisions, decisions! The monkey is interesting, no doubt, but it it's dusty and tastes funny. The granola smells better and it has a shiny on it. The racoon looks between the two a couple of times, obviously debating what to do. After a long moment he abandons the monkey in favour of the shiny-tasty. Ginta ducks in and picks up the monkey before the 'coon can change it's mind.

"Whew. Good work," he says, grinning at Aya.

[dream_departed]

Aya skirts aside as racoon skitters away with the treat.

Aya-chan laughs, picking up pieces of firewood and arranging it in the fireplace. She puts the letters on top.