[Open and Closed]

[kagenonadeshiko]

Who: Ayumu Yamazaki, Satoshi, and you!
What: Getting to know the neighbors + attempting to sell Vesta's stuff + Prayer #2
When: March 20 - 23, various times of day
Where: Takamagahara and the Near Shore
Warnings: None currently!


March 20st - Takamagahara, afternoon (Open)

[Outwardly, Ayumu seems perfectly calm as she strolls through Takamagahara. She's clad in a blue haori today, having decided that it'd be better to avoid garments that could restrict her movement outside her temple. She's largely kept to herself since her arrival, far more preoccupied with getting her new home in order and adjusting to living with a child under her roof. It's a big change and grave responsibility, one she takes quite seriously, but it's a daunting task, too. The last youth Ayumu had regular dealings with was Tetsu and he was a good five years older than Satoshi.

Adapting to such a quiet home and cooking and cleaning for two instead of a whole fighting force of rowdy men is difficult, too. She keeps making too much food and there are always leftovers and while that cuts back on the amount of meals she has to prepare, it also cuts down on the amount of time she spends doing her hobby.

Today, Ayumu's chosen to venture outside her temple for the first time since her return following the chocolate affair. She's currently going around to different temples with small plates of daifuku mochi - strawberry-filled pastries traditionally associated with spring. It'd be in her best interests to get to know her neighbors, she thinks, and get to know the layout of the area better.

Feel free to answer her polite knock on the door or intercept her in transit.]



March 21st and 22nd - The Near Shore, various shopping districts, all day (Open)

[ So far, Vesta's pantry seems very well-stocked but it's not going to last forever. With a child in her care, it's imperative that Ayumu take initiative and ward off potential financial problems well in advance.

One positive thing to come of the break in was the understanding that Vesta's temple had valuables that could be sold if Ayumu could find a buyer. But before that, she needs to find somewhere to appraise the items. And that's how she's come to find herself walking down a street of local businesses, carrying a priceless Roman urn in her arms, while she looks for a merchant or secondhand shop.

The Near Shore residents don't seem to be paying her any mind but an old-fashioned Japanese woman carrying an object that looks like it belongs in a museum might catch the eye of any Far Shore residents in the area.]



March 23rd - Near Shore, city hospital somewhere in Shikoku, morning (Closed to Satoshi; Prayer #2)

[The size and style of the hospital building are a little intimidating to Ayumu as they approach the front lobby. She may not know much about the modern world just yet but she does understand the importance of family. Having lost her own due to a strange circumstance very recently, the woman's worries about her mother's health and her ability to take care of her moved her to act on her behalf. She isn't sure what support or comfort she can give but there is solace in working, even if it's different from the type of work she's used to. It's still a job and Ayumu makes it a point to complete those to the best of her ability.

She turns to Satoshi, smiling down at him with a confidence she doesn't quite feel in this situation. The woman's concerns about being unable to support her mother through such a trying time certainly resonated with Ayumu's own doubts as to whether she's fit to take care of a child.]

Are you ready, Satoshi-kun?

[Ayumu's about to ask him if he knows his way around these types of buildings when she remembers that she'd know better than he would. ]

The lady we're looking should be with her mother right now...

[Hopefully, they won't get too lost on the way to her.]

Comments

March 20th-Inanna's temple

[disciplineking]

[What first greeted Ayumu if she came to Inanna's temple in order to make friends was not a god or shinki, but four kittens who swarmed around her feet, looking for attention. They had been sitting out in the sun, but now there was a person here, and they were mewing and attempting to swat at her feet.

Hibari, the shinki of the house was resting on his roof, as he didn't like spending time with people. He hadn't heard Ayumu or the kittens yet, but if they made a little more noise, he'd wake up and investigate.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Oh, what little darlings! Ayumu crouches down to pet the mewing kittens, holding her platter of treats aloft with her other hand. As cute as they are, they aren't getting the treats she's brought the temple's residents as a greeting gift.]

Sorry, little ones, these are for your masters!

[She's not sure who lives here exactly so the sooner she makes their acquaintance, the better. Ayumu stands up again, walking gingerly up to the entrance. Her steps are careful; the kittens are still twining around her ankles.]

Out of the way, little ones, 'kay? Shoo, go on. I don't want to step on you!

[disciplineking]

[The kittens, of course, completely ignored, her, continuing to orbit her ankles as she tried to walk up to the entrance. Strangely enough, they were finally joined by a fifth one, a cute tuxedo kitten that appeared coming from somewhere above.

Kishi leaving and the woman speaking was enough to rouse Hibari from his light slumber, where he padded himself silently to the front of the temple, and with barely a glance, dropped down.

He landed on a small alcove above the doorway with enough motion to call attention to the fact that he had arrived.]

State your business or I will bite you to death.

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ayumu looks up to the source of the voice, the kittens forgotten for the moment. Her eyes narrow slightly. Mission of hospitality or not, she doesn't respond kindly to threats. From what she can see, the boy looks young but not young enough to dissuade her from countering with lethal force should he try to make good on his word.

But for now, she'll let it slide. She is a stranger and he's too far away for a proper reprimand, anyway. Instead, Ayumu forces herself to smile pleasantly and respond as if he hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.]

Hello! My name is Yumi. I'm new here. Is this your home? I brought some daifuku mochi!

[She holds up the platter.]

Wanna try some?

3/20 - KICKS DOWN THE DOOR HELLO HAVE A FAMILIAR HAORI

[okitactless]

[HAORI TWINS

It's Yamato who comes to answer her call, one of those rare occasions when Shepard is out and he's not off swinging around sharp pointy objects in the meantime. He's dressed in his housework clothes, the dark blue yukata a complement to the oh-so familiar sky blue and shards of white that hide the movements of his body.

There's little need to be cautious here, in the heart of Shepard's domain, but he's careful when he opens the door anyway, peering curiously at the unfamiliar face in front of him. That's unusual, but unless she plans to hit him over the head with the plate, probably not anything to worry about.]

Hello. Are you looking for Commander-kun?

Eee, Shinsengumi~ <3333

[kagenonadeshiko]

[It's not often one catches Ayumu off-guard but this young man has managed to do just that. For a moment, she just stares at him, taking in his appearance. That clothing is so familiar; she'd washed many uniforms just like it prior to coming here. She'd truly never expected to see it again after leaving the Shinsengumi's compound for the last time.

He bears a strong resemblance to Okita, she notices, similarly pretty face, gentle smile, polite tone. Enough to be a relative, she thinks though to her knowledge, Okita had only sisters.

After a moment, she blushes faintly, realizing she's being rude staring at him so openly. Ayumu clears her throat.]

Ah, Commander-kun? My name is Ayumu. I arrived recently and I'm making my rounds around the neighborhood with some treats I made. Please take as many as you like!

[Ayumu offers the platter, so flustered that she doesn't realize she's given him her real name instead of the alias she's been using.]

GUMIBUDDIES <333

[okitactless]

[If they'd met in the land of the living, and she'd mentioned any of those thoughts to him, he would've been utterly delighted. Unlike Kashuu--Okita's other sword, his first sword, that blessed, unfortunate river child who'd turned his back on the past--Yamato's put his everything into being Okita Souji's sword. From his clothes, to his fighting style, to the very emotions that play across his face, he's done all that he could to make sure no one would ever wonder who he'd belonged to. To bring honor and pride to the Shinsengumi name, even in the year 2205, fighting with Sakamoto Ryouma's beloved uchigatana as a comrade. If he'd had even a hint of his memories, maybe he would've recognized-- something. Anything.

But they didn't meet on earth. All he has for memories are the odd jolts of nostalgia he gets in the company of certain people. And her staring gets nothing more than a slightly furrowed brow, a hint of concern in his unnaturally blue eyes.

But whatever's bothering her seems to pass, more or less. He smiles, and it's uncanny, beyond the point of similarities. It's as if someone had cut the smile off of Okita and pinned it to Yamato's face, with only the barest hint of something solely Yamato peeking through.]

Oh! It's nice to meet you, Ayumu-san. [He's not sure if she's a god or a shinki, so he'll go with a safe middle ground. And he'll take the treats; he doesn't quite get the point of eating, but Shepard enjoys it, so he won't turn her away.] I'm Yamato no Kami Yasusada, Commander-kun's shinki. She's not here right now, but would you like to come in? [He may not know how to catch a fish, but he can manage some tea.]

march 21st, shopping district

[sheepherd]

[ The young Apollo god has taken to mostly exploring again, though admittedly he likes looking at the shops as well. However, it's the sight of the woman carrying that object that sparks his interest.

He's there close by soon enough and his voice is dripping with excitement as he calls out. ] Hello! That's a- Roman urn, right? [ Sorey has got a mixture of Greek and Roman things in his own temple so he's learning to distinguish the difference between them- despite Roman adapting plenty from Greek.

He's also a bit of a nerd so he indulges and takes huge interest in being able to examine things. And well look into artifacts of all kind usually.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

Hello!

[Ayumu bows in greeting. He noticed her so he must be a Far Shore resident as well. No one else has paid her much mind.

At his question, she inspects the urn carefully. Roman? Ayumu really has no idea of its origins aside from 'Western'.]

Maybe? I don't know much about it... A lot of these were cluttering up the temple so I was looking for good homes for them.

[Preferably in exchange for monetary compensation. She has another mouth to feed, after all.]

[sheepherd]

[ Politely returning the bow, he smiles a little more at her reply and starts to point at the the structure and design painted on the urn. ]

Yeah! Sometimes they get confused whether it's Greek or Roman, but you can tell it's Roman. [ He's been doing a lot of reading up and being a bit of a history buff well he's started to notice smaller details and familiar signs. ] Oh, I see, so you're looking to sell them?

[ It must be that if she's here by the shopping districts and all. ]

March 20th - Aidos's apartment building

[fullcowl]

[Unfortunately Aidos' temple has gone and manifested itself as a four story Japanese apartment building, with a bunch of doors that lead to unoccupied rooms.

Luckily Deku was just heading out to look for a part-time job, so he'll see her in the halls.]

Excuse me, are you looking for somebody?

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Is this really a temple? Ayumu's treading slowly down the hall, plate in hand, when she runs into a young boy. She turns to greet him with a smile and a practiced bow.]

Hello. I'm looking for the residents of this... temple?

[She says it slowly, sounding a little confused.]

My name is Yumi. I'm new here and thought to bring my neighbors a gift.

[She holds up the plate.]

[fullcowl]

I'm pretty sure it's my temple. I'm not sure why it looks like this.

[But he's glad it isn't a Greek temple, that would have been much weirder for him.

He'll bow back to be polite.]

I'm Deku, it's nice to meet you. I'm also pretty new. How've you been adjusting to all of this?

3/22

[doestheickyjobs]

Wow, talk about fancy! Hey there, Yumi. What'd you do, loot a museum?

[Axel's just been hanging out: sitting around outside Pippa's temple gets old, so he's exploring the Near Shore instead, and this shopping district has enough weird little niches and hole-in-the-wall stores to keep him entertained. The shop he's leaving now is an antiques store with a pretty great collection of weaponry.

He hadn't expected to see Yumi there, though. He waves, brightening. It gets old not having anybody see him.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ayumu's face lights up as well upon seeing him and she waves back, hugging the urn to her chest with her other arm. She'd been hoping to run into Axel again soon. This is truly a fortunate encounter.]

My temple, actually!

[A sneaky little grin surfaces briefly.]

I have about twenty more just like this one that I'm looking to sell.

[She smiles warmly.]

I don't suppose you're familiar with this area, are you? This is my first time here and I'm not sure where to take these just yet.

[Of course, stocking up on practical items comes first but it would be nice to redecorate the temple in her own style. If it's supposed to be her temple, it should feel more like hers.]

[doestheickyjobs]

Naaah, I just dropped by. That place behind me's an antiques shop, though.

[He eyes the vase again. So, she got it from her temple, which means it isn't going to have any kind of proof of authenticity or anything like that.]

If you're selling something like that, shouldn't you try a museum first? Or at least a swankier district than this one. You'd get a better price.

March 20th, Euterpe's fancy mansion

[galactically]

— I'm coming!

[Sheryl happens to be heading towards the front door, right as she hears the polite knocking from outside. Once the door opens, Ayumu will soon be greeted by the sight of a woman in a white tank top and blue shorts, long pink hair up in a high ponytail — or is it blonde with pink highlights? No one knows .

It's not everyday that Sheryl receives visitors to her mansion, so she's quick to let wide-eyed surprise flicker briefly across her face, but it comes and goes. Her expression shifts into a jovial one, and she glances at Ayumu with a smile.]

Hi there! Can I help you?

[kagenonadeshiko]

[It is certainly a unique building, Ayumu thinks as she approaches but also very beautiful. Some parts of it remind her of her own temple but still others are very exotic to her eyes. She can't help but stare at everything with wide, curious eyes.

The woman who greets her at the door is exotic and beautiful as well. Her hair is pale as Ayumu has heard which is common for foreigners or so she's heard but it seems to have an unusual pink cast to it. It's truly remarkable.

She quickly recovers from her surprise, however, and offers a friendly smile of her own.]

Hello. My name is Yumi and I'm new to the neighborhood. I came to offer my greetings and bring you some treats.

[Ayumu lifts her plate of pastries.]

[galactically]

[If there is anything that can uplift Sheryl's mood, it's the sight of delicious sweets, prompting a huge ear-to-ear grin. Don't mind the sudden happy noise coming from her as she clasps her hands together with her eyes glittering with joy. She's just really excited!

There's something about the classy woman in a haori before her that emits a god-like aura, not unlike herself.]

Oh, my... these look incredible, Yumi! How delicious!

[She quickly reins in her excitement, however, looking sheepish at how she's acting in front of Ayumu. It's her cue to compose herself, stretching out a hand.]

Sorry, I got carried away, didn't I? [A small chortle.] My name is Sheryl. It's nice to meet you!

march 20th;

[shufu]

[Horikawa is out running a lot of errands himself today. Keeping up with the god of chaos was likely to be a losing battle but he was still up to the task and he takes to it with a kind of fervent energy that keeps rushing back and forth throughout the day. As such it's not hard for him to come across Ayumu's.

Huh. There's that shade of blue again.

The first time he doesn't think much of it, just two strangers on their way. The second time he almost chalks it up to deja vu but the haori sticks in his mind just a little too striking to be dismissed.

Finally, by the forth or fifth time that he spots her, Horikawa notices something else. The plate she carries is always laden with a few daifuku, omnipresent and never diminishing throughout the day. Which means she must have been carrying it the whole time -- what a strange thing to do? -- or...

This time, he stops her as cordially as he can manage.]

Excuse me. I hope you don't mind me saying, those look delicious. How many did you make?

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ayumu turns to the young man, smiling with genuine warmth. Compliments to her cooking are always a good way to get on her good side.]

Way too many!

[She chuckles.]

Would you like to try one? I have five more platters full back at the temple.

[Ayumu cooks when she's stressed and between her mission prior to being spirited away and the unforeseen events afterward, her nerves have been a bit frayed of late. Until today, she hadn't realized just how much she'd been making. Passing them off to her new neighbors while introducing herself to them seemed like a good way to spend the day.]

[shufu]

[Horikawa could certainly relate in a number of ways. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of those around them however intentional or otherwise it may be, it was all a way of trying to give a sense of order to a situation that was anything but. Keeping busy made Horikawa feel like he was working towards some goal, if though the shape of it wasn't very clear from his perspective. Perhaps that had more to do with being a shinki.

But he can still sympathize. And in Ayumu's case the results were certainly something to marvel at.]

Five more...? [Only a second passes wherein he does the math and then he's seriously impressed. Somehow, he knows the kind of work that's involved if she managed it all from scratch.] Woah.

If you've got that many I suppose it's fine but... [He pauses again, thinking he still had more work today. But he had to head back to the shrine for the next task, so perhaps a small detour wouldn't be much of a problem at the moment.] Alright! If I didn't, I'd just spend the rest of the day wondering if they taste as good as they look.

[gekkodaze]

[ Satoshi looked around and thought for a moment. He felt some familiarity, but it wasn't something he was completely sure on. It was a basic knowledge of the setting that helped fuel his confidence to point forward. It just felt like the right way to go. ]

I think it's just up here...at least, I think the room is, anyway.

And of course I'm ready!

[kagenonadeshiko]

'Kay. Let's go, then.

[She ruffles his hair affectionately and gestures ahead.]

I'm counting on you to lead the way.

[It'd be a good opportunity for her to assess Satoshi's capabilities as well, Ayumu thinks. He might be a child but he's far from helpless from what she's able to tell. Still, she wants to get to know him better and see how he performs on a job with her before incorporating him into too many of her strategies just yet.]

[gekkodaze]

[ Satoshi grinned at the vote of confidence, moving to lead her to the room. He wasn't entirely sure what he could do, but he was going to try his best. Once they were at the hospital room, Satoshi opened the door and looked the situation.

For all of his boasting and hyperactivity lately, Satoshi was able to tell the kind of situation this was. His expression changed as he looked at the girl, less so at the mother. Satoshi slowly moved into the room, listening aptly to what she was saying. ]