[Open]

[choseneutrality]

Who: Flynn and you
What: Exploring a city he once knew but cannot recall
When: March 24
Where: A bookstore in Tokyo
Warnings: Reference to the existence of 18+ manga


[There was no immediate task that to attend to as far as he knew. Otegine had yet indicate that there was any request that they needed to take care of so Flynn was left to his own devices. Instead of remaining in the house he had opted to go to the near shore for the day. There wasn't anything he wanted to do in particular so he was more or less going wherever without a clear goal. It made him feel directionless really.

But sometimes things would catch his eye; items on display in the windows of shopping malls or bits and pieces of conversation that would be talking about subjects that sparked his curiosity. But very rarely did he enter the stores themselves.

The one he was currently in was a bookstore that sold a variety of texts. Flynn browsed the shelves of the section labeled "manga" and was giving a wide berth to anything underneath 'literature.' He couldn't quite pinpoint why but something about the word made him feel a sense of unease. The manga didn't stir up such feelings so he felt comfortable looking them over.

There's a small tilt of his head when he reaches a shelf that had a sticker with an 18+ on it. How curious. But he wasn't anywhere close to that section and doesn't pay much attention to it. He pulls out one book and looks it over. The cover had all the hallmarks of something meant to appear cute and feminine. The girl on the cover was dressed in cute clothes with a huge bow and cute pose to match. There was even a cute mascot on the cover with her.]

Comments

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai's collected an armful of books -- folk tales and mythology, almost all of them, with a few different culture's descriptions of journeys into the underworld. It's remarkable what a common theme it is. Perhaps that's why Izanami wants someone to stay so badly.

He's about to head for the front desk and start trying to convince the attendant to ring up his books and allow him to pay when he sees a familiar face. In the comics section, of all places...?

Pausing by the shelf, Hakkai clears his throat.]

Flynn, isn't it? Why, I didn't expect to see you here! Good afternoon.

[choseneutrality]

[Flynn blinks once and his attention turns from the manga cover to where Hakkai was. He hadn't really been expecting to run into a familiar face here. Flynn inclines his head in acknowledgement nonetheless.]

Good afternoon.

[reformedsinner]

Do you like comics?

[Hakkai glances at the shelf again, and pauses, arrested. Oh. My.

Those kinds of comics? That's really not what he'd expected at all. Such a quiet young man...]

[choseneutrality]

I don't know. I was simply examining them.

[Just curiosity at work here. He glances at the books Hakkai was holding then back at him.]

[reformedsinner]

Oh, I thought you might have unusual hobbies.

Perhaps you should try a different shelf if you're just looking! [Hakkai beams, somewhat helpfully, and resettles the books in his arms. Some of their titles are visible: the Jade Guidebook, the Records of Observation of Hell...]

[choseneutrality]

[Unusual? His head tilts a little to the side, giving Hakkai a questioning look. He's not exactly sure what the older man is implying here.]

Which shelf?

[He puts the book he was holding back in its resting spot.]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai smiles through the stare, not elaborating. If Flynn doesn't know what he's talking about, he probably hasn't looked through the book in his hands yet, and it's better for everyone if he goes on in comfortable oblivion.]

That depends. What sorts of things are you interested in?

[choseneutrality]

[That question again. Flynn relapses into dead silence as he seems to be searching for some kind of answer. He glances around once more and seems to be pointedly avoiding looking at the literature section if possible.]

... The manga, the everyday objects that the people use; those interest me.

[reformedsinner]

Everyday objects...

[Hakkai's glance is curious. It seems as though there's some deeper meaning, but he can't guess what it is, not without knowing the man a little better.]

... Then if you're looking for a good story, perhaps there?

[He points out a section labeled "young men's," which seems general enough.]

[choseneutrality]

[Even if Hakkai did, he may find that Flynn wasn't certain why he was so interested in what people would find mundane and normal. He had no memories to go off of after all.

Flynn's line of sight follows to where Hakkai had pointed towards. So there was a section for just young men.]

That one there, then?

[reformedsinner]

Well, I haven't read any of these, but yes, I think so!

[It's just a guess. "Young men's" sounds like where the normal adventure stories would go, doesn't it? Or perhaps something with literary merit?

... There are a few too many bright colors and curvy girls on the covers of those books for Hakkai to be convinced of their literary merit, but it's at least possible.]

[choseneutrality]

[Whether or not something had "literary merit" was pretty low on Flynn's list of priorities. Though just hearing anything that had the label "literature" in it set him on edge for a reason Flynn was unable to describe. But it was certainly worth looking into and there probably wasn't any harm in checking out Hakkai's recommendation. Flynn approaches the shelf underneath the "Young Men's" label and browses for a little bit.]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai bows politely and turns to take his book selection to the cashier.]

[5yenwish]

[Surprise! There just happens to be a god perusing this store too! (That's a lie, he had gotten a call and had just finished unplugging a toilet, okay?) All the same, Yato seems to appear from practically nowhere and is suddenly peering at the book over Flynn's shoulder.]

Oooooh? You didn't strike me as the shoujo kinda guy!

[Yato please, no, stop.]

[choseneutrality]

[Flynn stiffens at having been caught off guard by Yato's sudden appearance and his eyes widen to show as such. Who was--oh, he recognizes this person. He met him during that whole fiasco with the chocolate.]

'Shoujo?'

[5yenwish]

[What?? C'mon dude, you don't know what shoujo is??]

You know! Like stories meant for little girls!

[He's pretty enthusiastic about this for... a man...]

[choseneutrality]

[Apparently he does not. Flynn blinks once as he digests the new information. Ah, so this wasn't something meant for him.]

I see.

[He turns back to the shelf and puts the book back.]

[5yenwish]

[... welp, that weirded the guy out, huh?]

It's okay! If that's what you like, it's what you like, right?

[No judgement here!]

[choseneutrality]

[No, not weirded out. He just didn't know.]

I was simply curious. I didn't say anything about liking it.

[He didn't even look at the contents of the book. How could he like it if he didn't know what was in it?]

[5yenwish]

Oh. Ooooohhhhh.

[Yato get it now, okay, he just grins then.]

You've never seen a shoujo manga before or something?

[choseneutrality]

[A nod from him. For Flynn, shoujo manga was a new term and unlike anything he can recall seeing or hearing about.]

Yes.

[5yenwish]

Whoa!

[He actually looks pretty taken aback.]

What rock have you been hiding under?

[choseneutrality]

[To that, Yato gets silence and Flynn staring at him. Was it really so shocking that he didn't know or even recognize what a shoujo manga was? He had only recognized it as manga.]

[5yenwish]

[Two can play at this game, buddy!

Except that Yato is steadily leaning closer as he stares back.]

[choseneutrality]

[Why is the distance between them getting smaller? Flynn doesn't stop his staring but he does ask.]

... What are you doing?

[5yenwish]

I'm trying to figure out if there's something wrong with you!

[A blunt statement. Sorry, Flynn.]

[choseneutrality]

[That blunt statement is met by... Flynn's eyes slightly narrowing a smidge.]

There is nothing wrong with me.

[5yenwish]

Well then how come you don't know what a shoujo manga is??

[He throws his hands up. Silly guy!]

[blazeit]

[ Oh, Flynn... this is why people buy covers for their manga, you know, so they don't get judged by random teenagers like this guy right here.

Surprisingly, despite his looks, he's in the science section of the bookstore initially — it's as he passes through to find the history section that he witnesses Flynn with his R-manga... ]

You know you're supposed to at least pretend to not be reading porn in public, right?

[choseneutrality]

Pardon?

[He gets a genuinely confused look.]

[blazeit]

[ ... He doesn't quite understand where the confusion is, so Bakugou just ends up more or less repeating himself, but slower. ]

People are gonna look at you funny for reading porn in public.

[ Kind of like what Bakugou is doing right now, at this very moment. ]

[choseneutrality]

[Technically he wasn't reading it but he was still looking at it. Flynn stares at the other man for a beat before putting the book back where he had found. He seems to have gotten the message; this wasn't something to be looked at when others were around.]