Post by freshstrawberries on Apr 22, 2023 5:10:08 GMT
Tokyo was a pretty nice place. It was a far cry from the simple village of Miyobi, far more crowded, more dense. That part took some getting used to, but Tsubaki had to admit. It was nice being in a place so busy, so thick and crowded, that a D-list paranormal celebrity like herself barely merited any attention at all. She still got some occasionally, but given Kawakatsu Shrine rarely consented to TV appearances, it wasn't a lot.
To most of the people around she was just a...slightly strange shrine maiden. A girl with a gohei that looked a bit more like a staff. A girl who went riding around neighborhoods on a simple bike, basket filled with a variety of accoutrements common to Shrine Maidens. She hadn't been in Tokyo long, and she'd be warned she probably wouldn't have time to investigate every spirit she found, and it was more important to do what she could for those she did find. So she wasn't going to spend too much time just finding all the potential spirits lurking in a place as dense and huge as Tokyo. This was...her last day of doing that, second to last maybe.
There weren't a ton of spirits, but there were some. Some were easy to see and feel, those malevolent hangers on, often chained quite literally to a place they cared about in life. She could feel those when she got close enough and had already marked several. Others were more benign, wandering with that broken chain hanging from their chest. Those she had to keep a closer eye out for. Those ones she could usually talk to without a problem.
Even if it meant stopping on a street corner and talking to nothing while passersby looked on in confusion. She'd just stop and talk to the spirit, ask what happened to them, how long they'd been here, if they felt alright, and of course if they wanted help passing on. Those in public spaces were always the most difficult. It meant actually getting permission to perform the ritual and was the most likely to turn into a media circus...but not many spirits wanted to travel to the shrine she was staying at to pass on...if they wanted her help at all.
"Nah, it's okay big sis! I like it here!" She was talking to the spirit of a young girl, in a public park. Not too busy today thankfully. "I get to just play all I want, and besides, mama and papa come and visit me sometimes, even if they don't realize I'm here!"
"Haha, well alright, if that's really what you want. I promise, it's not so bad on the other side though, when you do feel like going." Tsubaki said, putting on a gentle smile, squatting near the tree the spirit liked to relax under. It was probably where she'd died.
"Thanks big sis, but um, could you give my parents a message for me? Tell them something since they can't hear it from me?"
"I can try...not everyone believes me when I tell them I can see people like you you know? But if they want to hear it, I'll be happy to tell them." The kids were always the saddest, but it was comforting in a way knowing there was an actual afterlife for them. Made it a bit less...harsh. Still she always made sure to put on a friendly smile for them.