Open! | Catch-All for August

[darkestbefore]

Who: Yona and anyone!
When: Various points during the month.
Where: Her temple, the Far Shore, the Near Shore
What: Yona has decided this is the month she's going to learn more about this strange world she's been brought to.


A. The Near Shore

[ With most of the excitement over the past few weeks, Yona's in the mood for some distracting, something to keep her busy, or something she can engage in with the new companions she's made in this place. The biggest priority here is understanding more about this world she's found herself in and so she makes several trips down to the mortal world with the intent of exploring and learning more about it.

The place is full of wonders and she's often easily distracted as she wanders, whether it's by some strange new type of food that might catches her attention or a colorful storefront that draws her over to peruse strange wares. The first time she discovers an open market fills her with delight, because this is at least a little more familiar to how commerce is dealt in her world, but then she discovers a grocery store and her mind is blown all over again. She might loose several hours wandering through a bookstore, filled with more tomes than she's ever seen in one place. A colorful candyshop has her stopping to pick out gifts to take back home to her friends, picking out a strange and varied sample, all of them ones she'd never heard of before, but look fantastic all the same.

But as fascinating as it is, it's also a little overwhelming, and all too easy to get turned around. Hopefully, she can manage to not get too lost, or at the very least find someone to point her in the right direction, if she does... ]

B. The Far Shore/Aine's Temple

[ Things at her temple are often lively and filled with laughter. Any visitors are greeted with happy smiles, although on occasion, it's the temple's other residents that beat the gods and shinki to the greeting. Namely a mischievous pair of kittens who answer to the names of Eun and Min and enjoy getting into every bit of trouble they can find. Or perhaps it's one of the horses that make their home among the orchards, an intelligence in their gazes that speaks to much more than just a common animal and hints at fae bloodlines that come as part of Aine's heritage.

Or perhaps you've wandered by and there's a conspicuous lack of a greeting. A little wandering around might lead you to find the temple's goddess seated in the center of one of the gardens, eyes closed and her attention focused on.... something. Occasionally strange things will happen around her, such as a sudden gust of icy wind rushing outwards away from her or a shadowy outline of a bubble around her or a fiery claw slashing downwards, shattering a nearby rock in half before vanishing abruptly. Yona's only starting to understand what her magic can do and learning to master it is proving to be a challenge... ]

Comments

Closed to Kija

[darkestbefore]

[ For one of her ventures to the Near Shore, Yona shows up early one morning outside of Kija's temple, lifting a hand to rap softly on his door frame.]

Kija? Are you home?

[justclaws]

[Indeed he is.

[That is not who greets her, though. That would be Nari (formerly known as Kitty, formerly known as The Cat, occasionally addressed by her full title, Queen of the Spider-Slayers). Nari, very obviously, Owns The Place. Kija simply happens to live there.

[Kija himself arrives in time to see Nari milling about by the doors, tail high, mewing piteously - then mewing considerably less piteously once it becomes apparent the door is going to be opened and why was this not done five minutes ago before I even knew I wanted to be on the other side of it, human? That Kija might also want it open is, of course, utterly irrelevant, and she is out of the door and winding her queenly self about Yona's ankles before Kija has managed to so much as work out that it is Yona who is standing there.]

Yes, very well, you can go out if you-- oh, Princess!

[How quickly can he retrieve his cat?]

I - do hope she is not troubling you.

Closed to Chikusa

[darkestbefore]

[ It's been several days now since the ablution was needed and while things are starting to get back to normal about her temple, those who came to assist her remain prevalent in her thoughts.

Which is why she shows up outside of the temple where CHikusa lives one afternoon, remembering it from when she had encountered him here before. She carries a small wrapped parcel with her as she hesitates outside, then moves up to the door to knock, hoping she'll find the shinki at home. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[As Yona comes up to the door of the deceivingly small and simple temple, a goat that's tethered nearby wanders up to her. Sorry, excuse him, just gonna try to nibble on your clothes there lady- ]

[Which is around the time when Chikusa cautiously opens the door, blinking at her.... and then down at the goat.]

Pezzente.... Stop that...

Closed to Goten

[darkestbefore]

[ Next on her list of 'Shinki she owes a thank-you to' is Goten, the one she hadn't met before the Purification, although she'd heard about him from Izumo and Shizuo before. With Izumo's directions, she arrives in front of the temple where he lives, heading for the door to knock, a small, colorful bag clutched in one hand. ]

Hello?

[sonofson]

[It isn't long after the knock that Goten's voice can be heard echoing through the door and through out the door that 'I got it!'. The knob turns and he cracked the door enough to peek out. Blinking up at Yona curiously, it instantly swings wide open when he recognizes her.]

Yona! Hi!

[He beams brightly up at her. They may not know each other that well but she seemed nice and she was Shizuo's god.]

Ah, did you come here to see Aymeric or something?

[That's his guess anyway since it's the temple and well, Izumo and Shizuo don't often come by. If anything he's the one that is usually out and about.]

[Closed to Izumo]

[darkestbefore]

[ Instead of seeking the final shinki out, she sends Izumo a text instead. ]

If you're not busy this afternoon, would you be able to swing by the temple?

[toremainbehind]

I can. I might be able to come by in an hour at the earliest.

Is something the matter?

A

[brynwieldr]

[Leo's been here for a few months now, so he's well accustomed to some of the stranger things in the Near Shore. Never going to get used to grocery stores, though, which is where he stumbles across Yona. His handcart has...several packages of cherry tomatoes. Don't ask.]

Are you lost?

[darkestbefore]

[ She might be a little overwhelmed by the produce section in general. She's staring with very wide eyes at the selection, half of the things being fruits and vegetables she's never even heard of. ]

Yes. [ She answers without thinking. And then blinks, drawn abruptly out of her wonder to laugh self-consciously, looking sheepish at being caught. ] I mean no. I don't think so. There' just... so much.

A

[freezetheheavens]

[Why is he on the Near Shore? Simply because he's been doing a few patrols to keep himself occupied.

It's for that reason that he spots Yona soon enough from the air, landing beside her.]

You look a little lost.

[darkestbefore]

Ahh! [ She starts a little when he lands beside her out of nowhere. You'd think she'd be used to that with Jae-Ha around all the time, but she can usually feel him coming. ] I'm not lost!

...

I don't think I'm lost? Actually, I wasn't really.... headed anywhere in particular so I'm not sure I could get lost at the moment.

B

[isayvol]

[Lance has been led here by a kitten. And no one is surprised.

I mean seriously! How could he NOT try and pet an adorable kitten that keeps going out of reach and then flopping over for belly rubs but runs away the moment he got close enough to touch?! Have to touch... soft kitty belly.....!!

And that's how he winds up on the grounds of a temple he's unfamiliar with before he suddenly realizes he's trespassing. He looks up and sudden realization hits him.]

....oops!

[darkestbefore]

[ It's fine, this temple's goddess has been watching her Kitten play this teasing game of keep-away with the strange human for halfway across her courtyard. By the time he looks up and realizes where he is, Yona has a hand clapped over her mouth to help stifle her laughter at the pair's antics. ]

I do believe Min has won the game.

B

[reformedsinner]

[He'd been dropping by the temple to see how Shizuo was healing, and check on Izumo's condition -- not having heard anything in a few days -- but the abrupt flare of flame captures his attention instead. It won't make any difference to Shizuo and Izumo's condition if he wanders off to the gardens to see where exactly that flame is coming from.

It's not really a surprise to see it's a person. The gust of wind that almost blows his monocle off his face, though, is a surprise. He catches it and sets it back in place, raising his voice.]

Hello! Sorry to disturb you.

... What was that just now?

[darkestbefore]

[ Letting go of her focus, Yona looks up when someone speaks from nearby, breaking into a warm smile at the greeting and apology. ]

You're not, I was just about to take a break anyway. And ahh, I'm not sure if I have a word for it, beyond the fact that it's an ability I gained when I was brought here as a god. I am still trying to figure it out myself.

A

[chickshades]

[ There were a few reasons Bandou considered himself pretty lucky for getting paired up with Princess Celestia as his god. One of which was that she was willing to cook for them. Bandou'd never really bothered to learn anything about cooking. Or he assumed as such, since he had no interest in doing so and would much rather just buy something premade so he wouldn't have to put in too much effort. His first god, Izuminokami, had pretty much the same mentality, so their diet mainly consisted of take out from the Near Shore and instant cup noodles. Needless to say, it was nice having someone who enjoyed making them both breakfast in the morning. And considering his new god was a pony, that was pretty impressive. She made some damn good pancakes.

But, as almost a silent agreement between them, since she was cooking, that meant Bandou had to do the shopping. Hence why he is now wandering around the busy market place. He has a note in hand, where a short greeting is followed by a precise list of items, all neatly written with a quill on pretty fancy looking paper.

And since he's kinda distracted by reading the note aloud to himself, while walking through a crowded market, it's not long before he walks straight into someone. ]

Why do we need regular and powdered suga--Eh?!

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona had just turned a corner herself when someone collided with her heavily, toppling her balance with the unexpectedness of it.

With a quiet yelp, she falls backward to land in the middle of the aisle. ]

A!

[onedrinkwithme]

[Sometimes modern conveniences were more complicated than they needed to be. Which was why Aymeric too was also wandering around a Farmer's Market. He just finds the wares in these places a bit more welcoming (and less plastic). But as he spots a booth selling some sweeter goods, Aymeric couldn't help but take notice of the young woman who looks a little out of place...and possibly in the way of a man trying to carry a bushel of corn.]

Miss, look out!

[darkestbefore]

[ She glances up at the called warning, just in time to see the man barring the large bushel straight for her. She manages to leap backwards at the last second, getting out of his way and catching a hand on a nearby stall as she tries to catch her balance again before landing on the ground. ]

Oh!

A

[priforprince]

Food out of a box doesn't seem like it would be edible.

[ SUDDEN HIBIKI BEHIND YOU she followed you into the grocery store because that red hair is kind of unmistakable, and she got curious.

Except then she ended up completely baffled by the entire interior of this place. She's got nothing against those whose constitutions are less refined than hers consuming whatever they please (so long as they do so neatly), but....that box. Claims to contain. Potatoes.

How did the potatoes even fit in the box. ]

[darkestbefore]

[ It really is. Even in her world, it's unique. She'd often lamented about it when she was younger, when she had nothing more serious on her mind than her looks, but now she's mostly resigned herself to it.

Still, she is eyeing the same contents as Hibiki with a mildly skeptical look. ]

Perhaps they are very small potatoes? [ She reaches for the box in curiosity, lifting it to shake lightly. ] Although it sounds like.... That does not sound like a potato...

B

[sogetsu]

[Kirie had passed by the temple many times before but this was the first time she was actually letting her curiosity get the better of her enough to finally check it out. She was still unsure about this world. She didn't like being here and she had bothered to really reach out and see the who occupied the temples near her own.

The lack of a greeting near the entrance of the temple seems odd for how warm and welcoming the vibe of the place gives. Also, after making it up all those stairs she's not about to just turn around. She walks around the building noting differences from her own temple. Actually, every temple she had the chance to get a closer look at was very different from the next. This one is almost like a castle!

Exploring the grounds leads her to a garden where Yona is. She blinks at the back of the the goddess' head. This girl is just...sitting there. Before she can speak up or take a step closer, the fiery claw slash nearby draws a surprise yell and has Kirie stumbling back. It wasn't close enough to get her, just--Unexpected in such a serene place! What the hell!?]

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona startles at the sudden yell, and any effects she'd been channeling immediately vanish, as if they'd never been. Glancing back over her shoulder, her eyes widen in alarm when she realizes she is no longer alone. ]

Oh dear, are you alright? I hadn't realized anyone else was here! I didn't hurt you, did I?

A

[smilingbullet]

[ On the way home from a lesson, he drops by a couple of shops and eventually spots Yona in the crowd, so he heads over to her. ]

Yona~

[darkestbefore]

[ She glances up at the sound of a familiar voice, immediately breaking into a warm smile at the sight of him. ]

Hello! Are you out shopping today as well?

14th/15th after that midnight hour

[bartenderizing]

[ Everything started later in the afternoon on the 12th. It actually wasn't so unusual, seeing Shizuo napping out in the sun. That's was actually closer to being back to normal than things have been for a while, because he was back to one of his usual places, relaxing as best he can with finishing the day up with the sling on.

Then night came and he still didn't wake up. Even throughout the next day, whether or not he was moved elsewhere, the blond kept sleeping on. It's not until the days finally roll over into the 15th, considered either very late at night or very early in the morning, when Shizuo finally wakes up.

What does he do first?

Not wonder what day it is, or how things changed around him so much. No. He watches his hand in amazement for something like ten minutes before realizing something else.

Which is why it's the middle of the night (kind of) when the smell of food starts filling up the temple. Beef, vegetables, rice and broth all being worked on in their own things. ]

[darkestbefore]

[ It's the smell that wakes her, just because it's such an unusual thing, especially at such a late hour when the temple usually falls to quiet. She lays there in the dark for a few moments, considering what it could mean and if she should look into it before she slides out from beneath her comforter and grabs a dressing robe.

Moving on silent feet through the darkened castle corridors, she finds herself at the doorway of the kitchen, pausing to blink in surprise at the sight that greets her. ]

Shizuo! You're awake!

[ She'd been worried. And starting to wonder if these long sleeping spells were getting to be an epidemic among her friends and acquaintances. ]