[OPEN] When the winter chrysanthemums go...

[minorgod]

WHO: Yato + OPEN
WHERE: Heropa, De Chima
WHEN: Week of his arrival, so around Mar 8-15
WHAT: Yato's less than pleased about being yanked into this world, and the lack of familiar things is starting to become troubling...
WARNINGS: Probably none, will update if needed


A. HEROPA - PARK
The introductory meeting with the agents at the Porter facility had... not gone well. It had resulted in near-fisticuffs, a ride to Heropa in stony silence and a slammed vehicle door at his back. For a good part of the afternoon, he just wanders around and tries to get his bearings, trying to ignore the bubbling feeling of this is wrong, you're not where you're supposed to be, you don't belong here, wrong wrong wrong. He'd never actually been outside of Japan before, Takamagahara aside - why would he need to? He was supposed to be there. Being elsewhere felt like having his skin put on wrong.

Finally, he settled on a bench in the sun to take out the information packet that had been shoved into his hands when they'd had enough of dealing with his attitude. The more he reads however, the more baffled he becomes.

"What are they talking about, that's not how that works..." he mumbles, flipping through the section on his supposed 'abilities' and wondering how they a) knew this much about him and b) what the everloving hell was going on. "Are they just--? I can't even do that without a shinki, this is crazy..."

B. DE CHIMA - DOWNTOWN
Eventually he gets around to relocating himself to the city they've told him he'll be staying in, and De Chima's ambiance actually does remind him somewhat of Nerima, which dulls the sting somewhat. (A little.) It takes him mere minutes to get the hang of the new communicator, although he often seems to pull a red cellphone from his pocket and stare at it -- and its lack of network connection -- morosely before stuffing it back into its place.

During the day he can be found in the downtown area, taking in the sights. To anyone observing, they may notice that very few of the locals interact with him unless he addresses them first, and then they act surprised, as if they simply hadn't realized he was there at all, and Yato doesn't seem alarmed by this. Looks like the Far Shore rules still apply even here...

After a while though, he recalls that there's supposed to be a job he's been tasked, though he has no idea where to find it yet, and hails the nearest person he can find. "Oi, you ever heard of some place called 'Cryptic Costume Emporium'?"

C. DE CHIMA - NIGHTTIME
Once the happy hubbub of the city dies down however, Yato finds he misses the familiar presences of his friends that he's come to associate with feeling content. While he hasn't had any run-ins with akayashi here yet, finding a shrine to spend the night at is a long-ingrained habit, and so he can be found just walking aimlessly down the streets in the small hours of the morning, kicking a soda can along ahead of him listlessly and muttering to himself.

"What kind of country doesn't have any god shrines... if I was looking for a church then I'd have asked about a church..."

D. DE CHIMA - #007
Consequently, it's a few days before he actually gets around to dropping by his government-assigned housing, raising his hand to knock on the door before trying to decide if that's even appropriate, since he's supposed to be living here now. He settles for a few quick taps before letting himself in anyway, hands shoved in the pockets of his jersey jacket.

"Uhhh... hello? Anyone home?"

E. WILDCARD
Hit me at sojourney if you'd like something specific for a starter!

Also please check out Yato's permissions post, thank you!

Comments

c.

[darkov]

Despite insisting otherwise, Martin isn't utterly inept. He can learn patterns, remember particular landmarks, and even recall his letters if he puts his mind to it. More than that, as anyone in his family must, he remembers rules. To forget can often lead to misfortune and worse back home; no doubt the same can be said here.

So he remembers the rules: how some human places are connected by these...things. You stand on it, then you get off, and it's a new place. Thinking about it too hard gives him the real creeps, but after passing through more than once, he's accepted this rule. But accepting doesn't mean like...


The tinkling of the tin can down the street from him cuts into his thoughts. Where he stands, between street lights with his eyes fixed up, tracing the outlines of the bigger buildings that make up the...uh...down town?

It's more UP than DOWN, though, isn't i-- Martin blinks, the can snagging his attention in the middle of that thought. He stares at it as it rolls under a street light, frowning.

Just...trash, right? Not an omen.

[minorgod]

He's been mostly lost in his own thoughts, the can skittering ahead of him by several yards each time, and it's only when he raises his head to give it another punt with his boot that he realizes the street's not empty.

Yato stops, recognizing the kid with an unsubtle rise of relief at seeing him apparently unharmed. When he hadn't returned to the place near the food cart, Yato had had to assume he'd indeed found somewhere safe to stay, but seeing it confirmed is still better than cautious optimism. Martin is staring at the can, and Yato isn't sure if that's because it was just the loudest thing in the immediate vicinity or if Martin's simply befallen the same state as other Near Shore dwellers, and won't notice Yato until he draws attention to himself.

"Yo," the god says in greeting, raising a hand. And then a little more cautiously (because it's only been a few days, true, but he's seen it happen faster even than that) he adds, "Remember me?"

[darkov]

His eyes flicker up, glinting with that strange, off-green color that night creatures' eyes have in the light. Color is hard to make out in the dark, but once Yato's crossed the threshold into streetlight, the shapes he took fill in, and his distinctive eyes are what Martin remembers more than the rest.

He nods, silent at first, but after a beat, utters "Yes," in reply.

[minorgod]

At the confirmation, Yato's grin is back and ready as ever. He comes closer, resting his foot on the top of the can and rolling it back and forth a little while he looks over Martin, but the boy seems no worse for wear that he can see.

"Guess you found somewhere, huh? Everything been--" Well, he can probably guess the answer to 'good' or 'fine', so... "Manageable?"

[darkov]

"..."

That's a hard question to answer a solid yes or no to; one way or the other, it's kind of a lie. Martin hesitates, looking Yato up and down while he thinks of what best to say.

"I...leaned a lot," he says at last. That's true. "But--I still don't know a lot. But...I can get out of the way better. Sometimes."

[minorgod]

You shouldn't need to get out of the way is on the tip of his tongue, but recalling how the last conversation went down, Yato shelves the automatic reply for the moment.

"Always a good day when you learn something new," he replies instead. Martin doesn't look like he's a fugitive on the run at the moment, so that's something. "I never got your name last time, kid."

d.

[vanto]

Why yes, someone is home. Except this isn't really Eli's house, he spends a lot of time here with Thrawn, his clothes are in his drawers, etc, etc but no one needs to know those details.

Right now, everything is awkward as he's in the kitchen in pjs making a sandwich when Yato arrives.

Eli pokes his head out and gives Yato a guilty look as if he's been stealing something from 007 (which he most resolutely had not, he paid for the bread and other ingredients okay).

"Uh, hello?"

[minorgod]

What's with that look? Yato wonders, lifting a hand in greeting, because he thinks it's safe to assume that whomever is puttering around the house in their pajamas probably lives here. (Irony, considering he does the same at Kofuku's place.)

Yato holds up the sheet of paper from the information packet that lists this address. "Right, some stiffs in suits gave me this..." he began, hoping he didn't have to start at the beginning.

[vanto]

"Oh, right!" Eli leaves the sandwich forgotten on the kitchen counter and pads over to Yato, "Sorry, this is your house now. I don't know who else is in right now."

Better to get that explanation over and done with, "Uh, so yeah, welcome. I'm Eli Vanto and technically I'm your neighbour."

[minorgod]

Yato breathed a silent sigh of relief when Eli seemed to be in the know regarding getting randomly assigned to a house where there were already a bunch of people living. "How many other people living here are there?" he inquired curiously.

"My name's Yato," he responded, followed by a beat while he parsed the neighbour part. "Technically?"

[vanto]

"Good to meet you." He gestures towards the stairs where the rooms are, "Well, two people that I'm aware of Sabriel and Thrawn. Well, three, a guy called Blue but I've never seen him here."

Eli observed Yato, curious and also assessing, much like Thrawn had taught him to do. For the most part, he seemed harmless and friendly.

"Yeah, I, uh, well one of your roommates was my former boss back in our galaxy? So, I tend to stick around here some days. Hopefully, that's not a problem?"

B

[dreamkid]

The nearest person is Matthew, a burly but very pleasant-looking boy, who happens to be wandering around while eating a somewhat outrageously-sized sub sandwich. He doesn't act surprised to see Yato, but there's something about his curly head that hints at belonging to the kind of person who might just be unobservant most of the time and quite accustomed to it.

"No, sorry," he answers cheerily. "Is it around here?"

sorry for the delay in replying!

[minorgod]

Yato laughs a little, scratching the back of his head. "I have no idea," he admits, shoulders lifting in a shrug. "Someone told me it was downtown, but that's a lot of area to cover."

He'd somewhere misplaced the sheet from his file with the address on it, and he'd been unsuccessful trying to find their website online either; either they didn't have one, or the internet here didn't work the same as at home. Given everything else, that was definitely possible.

"I'm supposed to start work there," he adds ruefully. "I'm not going to make a good first impression if I can't find the place."

No worries, same here!

[dreamkid]

"Oh," Matthew says very simply, but he sounds sympathetic. That's definitely a dilemma! (As for losing things, Matthew has managed to lose his entire file... twice. So that's something he understands, too.) He 'hmm's in thought, index finger tapping the bread of his sandwich, and then--

"I can help you look! You said it's a costume place? That should be easy to find."

He thinks, at least.

[minorgod]

"Right?" Yato agrees with a laugh, because he's thought the same thing - that such a place shouldn't really be too obscure. "That'd be great, two sets of eyes should find it twice as fast... that's the hope, anyway."

[dreamkid]

Matthew laughs when Yato does, because laughter comes as easily to him as breathing.

"Right! Oh! I'm Matthew, by the way." He offers his free hand for a friendly shake, and then glances up and down the street that they're on.

"So you've already been... umm, that way, right?" He points behind Yato because that makes the most sense, but he doesn't actually remember which direction the guy came from.

b

[liontomyself]

Leo was also kind of unaware of the guy until he was spoken to, but what a good person to choose to ask about a costume emporium, because Leo was dressed like he lived there, in full plate armor, with a cape and all.

He blinks at the guy for a moment, raising his brows when he was asked for the location of a 'Costume Emporium', Leo then grunting and frowning.

"For the last time, it's not a costume! It's traditional armor of the royal family of Nohr!" He says that, but really he's just... looking a little uncomfortable. Socially, this was bad, wasn't it? But he still felt so WEIRD going out without his armor. "L-look... I just. I'm still new here, kind of. I spent last month on a weird island."

sorry for the delay in replying!

[minorgod]

Yato blinks owlishly at the man's retort. True, he'd thought he'd hit upon someone who might know the answer, but he hadn't expected that kind of reaction.

"Okay, okay, sorry," he said, holding up his hands. "I'm new too, I'm just trying to find where I'm supposed to start work."

D

[bindsthedead]

Yes? [Sabriel's cooking stew again- mostly because it's something that will last for a few days. She looks at Yato curiously, and then smiles.]

My name is Sabriel. Are you our new housemate?

sorry for the delay in replying!

[minorgod]

[ Yato returns the smile, hand lifting in a wave. ]

I'm-- I think so?

[ He's got the government file folder tucked under one arm. ]

My name's Yato.

D

[halloflamer]

Curiously, Yato's call is greeted first not by any human voice, but by the swift pitter-pattering of four-legged footsteps. A small, fox-like creature, barely a foot tall, pops up from the couch in the living room in front of him, long ears twitching this way and that.

"Vui?" The little thing makes a curious sound before jumping to the floor and cautiously approaching Yato with a sniff. Who are you, stranger?

sorry for the delay in replying!

[minorgod]

The creature's appearance automatically makes Yato take a step back, but only because he's used to unfamiliar creatures being phantoms and this is clearly, definitely not. It's actually very cute.

"So you're what, the guard... pet?" he ventures, not really expecting an answer.

no worries! might be a lil slow too cuz of the event!!

[halloflamer]

"Vu? Vui, vui!" Being called a guard pet doesn't insult Eevee, in fact he puffs out his chest a little with a seemingly smug grin, the ruff of fur around his neck fluffing up. And for that matter, it seems that he's fully capable of understanding what Yato is saying, with that reaction.

Certainly, he doesn't seem at all afraid of him, but still cautious as he raises up on his hind legs and offers one tiny paw to shake. "Ee~vui!" He chirps. That's an introduction.

yeeep I know this feeling :D

[minorgod]

The apparent sapience noted -- it's not the most unusual thing he's seen, given that some gods don't prefer human form, even though Yato's pretty certain this isn't a divine being.

Therefore he'll offer a hand to shake the small paw with only a quirked grin. "Welcoming committee, then? Better than those guys in suits, that's for sure."

[halloflamer]

"Vui vui!" Eevee nods as he shakes, then plops back down onto all fours. His tail wags as he gestures further into the living room. Sit, make yourself comfortable, Eevee'll just get you something--

"Hey, Eevee, what're you makin' all that racket about?" A voice calls from the kitchen, and after a moment, a head pops out to follow. Blue blinks once, twice, squints his eyes as he glances around the room, and it takes him a moment before he actually spots Yato there down with Eevee. "--Woah, who're you? Lookin' for one'a my roommates?"

Or maybe he is one. Blue might be loud and a bit rude, but he waves all the same. "I'm Blue."