Ayumu Yamazaki [ 山崎 歩 ] (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kagenonadeshiko) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thenearshore2016-06-07 02:44 pm
kagenonadeshiko) wrote in thenearshore2016-06-07 02:44 pm
[Open and Closed]
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.]
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.]
no subject
The temperature seems quite comfortable, she thinks, setting her tray down on the table. When he asks her about tea, Ayumu's hit with more memories, ones of delivering reports to Hijikata in his room while Okita served tea to visitors.
She sounds a little distracted when she speaks.]
Ah! Hot tea is fine. Or cold if that's more convenient. I'm not picky!
no subject
Still, Yamato's clearly comfortable here. There's an uchigatana resting up against the wall, next to a small pile of books and papers. No artwork on the walls, but no sign of computers or cell phones, either--this room has the makings of a sanctuary for
stuffy oldtraditionalist sword spirits.]Alright. Just a moment. [If he notices her distraction, he doesn't comment, simply shuffling off to the kitchen with her plate of treats. His steps are soft, quick but quiet, and if the influence wasn't clear enough in sight, Ayumu's got sound to match.
He returns a little later with their provisions, tea and daifuku for the both of them. He doesn't eat much, but politeness wins out, and they look fairly tasty besides. Certainly nothing as strange as half the things he's seen at heavenly banquets.]
You said you've only just come recently, right? When did you arrive here?
no subject
It's impossible for Ayumu to not be curious and fascinated with this young man who reminds her positively of someone she'd lost. She has almost dreamy smile on her face when he returns. She nods a 'thank you' when he places the provisions on the table.]
Ah! Yes. I believe it was about five or six days ago. I don't think it's even been a full week yet. How about yourself? How long have you been here, Yamato-san?
no subject
Are you a god or a shinki? [He doesn't see a name on her, but that doesn't mean anything--his is hidden by his mop of fluffy hair, even if he keeps it in a ponytail all the time.
He has to take a minute to do the math, for his own answer. Brow furrowed, his lips move as he counts, the concept of time no easier to grasp now than it was as a tsukumogami.]
About... a month, I think? Maybe a little longer... it was still fairly cold when I arrived.
no subject
[So Yamato hasn't been in this situation very long either though he appears to have adapted to it much more easily than she is. While Ayumu can certainly see the vulnerabilities that come with forgetting one's life before, she can also see its blessings. Would she be happier in this time without her memories? She thinks she would.]
Oh, I'm a god. The goddess of the hearth, Vesta, apparently. I'm not familiar with her or most foreign gods.
[She chuckles softly.]
I assume she's from the West.
no subject
Vesta-sama... [He repeats slowly, taking care to pronounce it correctly. He lucked out with Mórrígan as his god, even if he only ever calls her Commander-kun anyway.] I'm sorry, I don't know her either.
[There's a library, he starts to say, but there's something in her face, in her voice that gives him pause. The look in his eyes is piercing, but not unkind, and something stirs in his chest when she says those words. What is it? That ever-present urge to shy away wars with his desire to find meaning behind all these stray emotions, and he presses his lips together, looking down into his tea.]
There are a lot of things from the West here. [He says instead. It's not really a safer topic--skirting along the edges of dangerous, actually, and he can feel a tension in his blood that's not unlike what he feels before a battle.] Some people seem so comfortable with them...
[But not me, he doesn't say. Doesn't have to.]
no subject
In Ayumu's final moments in her world, she'd suspected she might never see her loved ones again. She'd been captured, prepared to face a shinobi's fate, and with her death, her brother would go on living and the Shinsengumi would still succeed without her. But that she should live on in a future time with their fates unknown to her... It's a loss much harder to accept.]
Life is very different here. So much has changed so quickly!
[And she misses them. Each and every one of them had a place in her heart and to lose them all at once and have to go on living without them... Even Ayumu's strength has its limits.
Ayumu picks up her tea and sips it slowly, trying her best to mask her sorrow. What would Yamato think of her - a stranger - if she started crying in his home? And tears were useless in this situation. They would not bring her loved ones back to her, nor would they return her to where she belonged.]
Ah! This tea is lovely. Thank you, Yamato-san.
no subject
(Not him, she says, it's nothing to do with him, she says, but fear and doubt nestle inside him anyway. Him or her old life, should the choice arise--is there really any question of what she would choose? What any of the gods would choose?)
He wouldn't judge her for tears, not in a situation like this. But she's right. They won't help, and there isn't anything Yamato could say that would, either.
(Avoiding things that make them upset--that's a habit he picked up somewhere, too. But where?)]
I'm glad you like it. It took a little time to learn how to get it right. [He hadn't gone out and plucked the leaves personally, but if Shepard asked, he'd do it without complaint.] Commander-kun doesn't like to cook, but she likes eating and drinking, so I'm trying to learn.
no subject
Oh? What dishes do you know how to make, Yamato-san?
[An idea is starting to form in her mind, one that'd give her an excuse to see him again. Hopefully, regularly without being too obvious of a ploy.]
If you'd like some pointers, I'd be happy to give them. Cooking's my hobby.
[It's also a practice that soothes her nerves.]
no subject
[Guess who doesn't know how to fish.
It's not entirely his fault. He'd been gifted this body, but even then the citadel had been secluded, and they'd grown their rice and vegetables themselves. Aside from a fun excursion and some mail-order novelty snacks, they ate what they grew.
But the reasons don't matter. He wants to learn now, and he perks up, visibly interested.]
Really? You wouldn't mind? I don't know what I could offer in return...
no subject
[She does study him a moment, expression thoughtful. To suggest what's on her mind would mean revealing herself to him. But would that really be such a bad thing? Even if he's not Okita, he's enough like him to inspire her to be more open than she ordinarily would be.
Finally after taking another sip of her tea, she nods decisively to herself and smiles.]
But if you'd like to return the favor, I could use a sparring partner.
[She sips her tea again, discreetly gauging his reaction under her lashes. Ayumu might be wearing a haori but she doesn't have much of a warrior's demeanor.]
no subject
[And he does look happy! Anything that will help him make Shepard happy is enough for him, he's a simple sword. That, and if Ayumu lives nearby, maybe she and Shepard will become friends! Maybe even allies, that would be even better.
The way he perks up at the word "sparring" is telling, not an ounce of judgment or doubt on his face. He's expressed concerns about shinki like Yukine and Neku, but he's never judged their skill by their appearances. Ayumu is no different. Hell, Shepard and Yuuki are prime examples that women make excellent fighters--all Yamato cares about is drive and dedication.]
Really? Of course, any time you'd like. And I teach a sparring class at Elsa-san's school if you'd like to come.
no subject
She just looks at him, smiling softly, like a mother gazing fondly at one of her children. Ayumu has no intention of coaxing this one away from his master. If he's as much like Okita as he seems, she's fairly sure it'd be an impossible task. But if he came to her of his free will, Ayumu knows she wouldn't be able to turn him away.]
I'd love to, Yamato-san. Could you give me directions to Elsa-san's school?
[She wanted to visit anyway. It wasn't until later that Ayumu had realized that she'd forgotten to ask for directions there. And of course, she wouldn't miss a chance to watch Yamato fight for the world.]
no subject
But that doesn't mean he can't make friends. They're all allies here--everyone except those who mistreat their shinki, in his mind. So he nods without hesitation, getting to his feet.]
Of course, let me draw you a map.
[The books and papers in the corner belong to him, it seems, since he rifles through them with familiarity. Perhaps surprisingly, he doesn't extract a brush and ink, but a pen--a fountain pen, but a regular, modern pen nonetheless. He may not know what Google is, but at least he isn't totally ignorant of modernity.
His writing and illustrations aren't anything fancy, but the map precise and easy to understand. He slides it across the table when he's finished, laying down the pen.] Does this make sense? I don't know where your temple is...
no subject
You're very good at this!
[Ayumu beams like a mother presented with an exceptionally good drawing of a cat. Those mapdrawing skills must be incredibly useful to his goddess! Hopefully, she is utilizing him well.]
And yes, I understand! My temple is over here.
[Ayumu points to a spot on the map.]
If you like, I can teach you how to cook there!
[Whether he's her shinki or a friend, Ayumu's just happy to have a familiar face (of sorts) in this unfamiliar place. She feels far less alone in this world now.]