Forget all those places

[chronobreak]

Who: Ekko and Gojyo
When: June 30
Where: Tokyo
What: Prayer #17
Warnings: None at the moment.


["There are so many homeless people around here. I just wish I could give them all a hot meal. Won't someone help me help them?"

He's not sure he's the right god to pick up this prayer. Charity work isn't exactly governed by time, but he still took it. If he's being honest... it resonates with him. He knows what it's like to have very little and have to skim on meals.

The problem becomes: Ekko cannot cook.

Which is why they're right outside soup kitchen- even if they can't cook, they can at least hand out food, right?]

Don't suppose you know how to cook?

Comments

[erogappa]

[ Maybe the petitioner didn't have the time to cook for all the homeless, and that's why they directed their prayer to Chronos? It makes as much sense as anything.

Hands tucked in his pockets, Gojyo surveys the neighborhood. It's rough -- he wouldn't want to be here alone at night, and everything for the last couple blocks has stunk of old piss -- but the people sitting around outside the soup kitchen don't look like bad people at all. Most of them just look tired. ]

Guess we're gonna find out.

[ Assuming the folks running this place are even able to see them. The homeless people milling about sure don't seem to... except for the wild-eyed young man in the tattered purple sweater. He sees them, all right.

The way he's staring at them is really starting to freak Gojyo out. He nudges Ekko with his elbow, not wanting to fully turn his back on the boy, and nods towards the entrance. ]

After you, Lord Chronos.

[chronobreak]

[It's not a great place, but Ekko seems at ease here. It's closer to the rough streets of Zaun than the cleanliness of Heaven is ever going to get. And he knows that tired look damn well, it's the expression his parents would have after every day of working at the Zaunite factories.

Even if the higher ups aren't going to take care of them, Ekko will- he'll bring Gojyo right along with him.

He waves at the guy looking at them. Don't worry about it, kid.]

Huh, I could get used to that.

[Vaguely amused, and obviously joking- but he makes his way to the doors and pulls it open slipping in.]

[erogappa]

[ What? No, hey, don't... goddammit, Ekko!

Gojyo tosses one more wary look at the guy in the purple sweater -- who seems thankfully unwilling to leave his cart in order to follow them -- and jogs to catch up with Ekko. ]

Yeah? You liked that, huh? Tough shit, my friend.

[ Inside, it's loud. There's a couple of people arguing in the entryway -- the two young eager types in the matching red tee-shirts don't seem to be having much luck in breaking up the fight -- and further back Gojyo can just see the cafeteria. It looks pretty standard, from where he's standing: long metal tables with attached benches, stained and pitted lino on the floors, too-bright overhead lights, and, along the far wall, a row of steam tables keeping vats of stew and vegetables and meat patties warm. There's also a pile of pre-packed bag lunches at the edge. Not a bad set-up, really.

He leans over Ekko's shoulder, to be heard over the dim of banging pots and raises voices. ]

I think we just go in?

[chronobreak]

[The problem of having a reset button is that danger doesn't quite register as danger. There's always an out, so he's far more willing to test the boundaries of any given event.

He does grin when he gets the smartass answer back. That's more like it.

This is the closest he's ever going to get to Zaun, he's pretty sure. The fight, the loudness- it's practically home-- Minus the table full of food. Then again it is a soup kitchen.]

Nobody's going to stop us.

[So he'll take a moment to look around before finding the hallway that leads into the kitchens.]

[erogappa]

[ No, nobody's going to stop them, Gojyo thinks, following Ekko towards the kitchens. He's not worried about anyone stopping them. He's worried about whether or not anyone's going to be able to see them. How can they serve food when they're basically invisible?

But he'll let Ekko figure that part out, he decides, dismissing the concern. He's got more important things to think about. Like the fact that the kitchen door is locked. ]

What the...?

[ He pulls on the handle again, but nope, that door is locked tight. Which only makes sense, he supposes -- locking the door is the easiest way to make sure only staff can get into the kitchen, but then how the hell are they supposed to get in? He can see red-shirted volunteers moving around in the kitchen through the little window in the door... but when he knocks, they glance over, don't see him, and shrug and return to their work. ]

Oh come on!

[ Now what? ]

[chronobreak]

[They can still interact with stuff even if they're practically invisible to the normal folk. Hopefully the homeless will assume the food that's being put onto their plates is done by a shy worker instead of a ghost.

He sighs when the door is locked. It only makes sense to do that, but without them really acknowledging their existence, how are they going to get in?

Hakkai did mention something about vessel forms...]

Hey, you mind if I turn you into your vessel?

[erogappa]

[ That's... really not what Gojyo was expecting. ]

Huh?

[ How in the hell is him being a staple remover going to help them out here? ]

Are you gonna try to pick the lock or something?

[chronobreak]

Something like that. I've broken into my fair share of places.

[Probably more than his fair share, all things considered.]

So, what do you say?

[erogappa]

[ They could stand out in the hallway until one of the staff members entered or left the kitchen, or they could find another way in... or he could be a staple remover.

This is his life now. Gojyo shrugs. ]

Sure, why the hell not. [ He sounds completely unenthusiastic, but that because this is futile. There's no way Ekko will be able to pick the lock with his teeth in that form, but if he wants to try...?

Gojyo squares his stance, and holds his arms out slightly to the side. ]

Do it.

[chronobreak]

Juuki.

[He'll swipe him as he turns and looks at the door. Alright, now if he puts the 'tooth' of the staple remover into the lock...?]

[erogappa]

[ The world shrinks, and then he's able to 'see' in all directions without the need to turn his head. Or blink, for that matter. Nope, he's still not used to this.

There's no way his 'tooth' is going to fit in that lock, he thinks, but as it turns out, it doesn't have to. Ekko touches him to the lockplate and there's a click as the mechanism inside disengages. The door swings wide open, and if Gojyo had a jaw right now it would be hanging down to his knees. ]

What did you do? It just opened! How did you do that?

[chronobreak]

[There's an amused chuckle as he makes his way into the next room.

Ekko might not seem as surprised, but Hakkai did say something about shinki vessel abilities.]

Nah man, that was all you. Looks like this form can open up locks.

Useful.

[erogappa]

I did that?

[ But how? He didn't do anything, he just touched the lock.

Gojyo's deep in thought (let's be honest, it's mostly just a confused kind of '...how?') as Ekko carries him into the kitchen. One of the volunteer cooks looked up when the door opened, but Ekko's presence doesn't seem to register as anything out of the ordinary. 'Hey, make sure the door latches!' she calls, before turning back to the huge pile of cans she's sorting through. Seems they're more or less welcome here. ]

Oi, lemme be a person again!

[ He can't exactly chop onions in this form! ]

[chronobreak]

[For a moment he clicks the stapler remover together. Look, Gojyo, you're a weird tool with a kind of out there ability. Magic? It's probably magic, all things considered. Not the kind of magic he's used to at home, but this place uses a different sort of set as far as he can tell.

He'll move out of the way,]

Sha Gojyo.