an incredible mess

[subtract]

Who: Add & OPEN
Where: Various locations around the Far Shore
When: All day on September 1st
What: A search for a lost cat. Also getting into more petty fights with Chikusa, probably.
Warnings: Add being incredibly moody, seriously.

It's been a week since Jakob disappeared, and so far Add has done a fantastic job of avoiding everyone and everything outside his temple. Isolating himself probably isn't the healthiest coping mechanism, but no one ever said he was good at coping. The last thing he wants is for anyone to see him in such a pathetic state.

But when he finally pulls himself away from his dimensional research, he realizes a certain needy cat hasn't been bothering him for a few days now—his food dish hasn't been touched, either. A thorough search of the temple turns up nothing (which is a trial in and of itself), and not even Apocalypse's scanners can detect the missing feline... but it's not like the cat could just vanish. Did he break through the temple's illusions and escape outside? It's the only answer that makes sense...

Is he really such an unlucky person he can't even keep a cat without losing them? The depressing thought only makes Add feel more miserable, but he pushes it aside to focus on the task at hand. He will find his cat, no matter what it takes. Even if it means tearing through every temple in the Far Shore!

And that's exactly what he does, all while shouting "Disaster!" as loudly as possible. Private property is an easily ignored suggestion and any black cats that happen to be roaming are getting chased down on sight. If he's making a disturbance, too bad. This is a dire cat-related emergency, damnit, and like hell he's going to let anything get in his way.

Comments

[reformedsinner]

"Excuse me," Hakkai interjects as Kishi bolts in terror from the running man and ducklings scatter everywhere in a quacking explosion of pastel down. "What is the disaster?"

He crosses his arms, considering Add's expression. "Is something on fire?"

His tone suggests that something had better be.

[subtract]

From a distance the Kishi almost looks like the cat he's looking for, but once he's close enough for it to bolt off he can see the white accents. Definitely not Disaster. Add slows to a stop amid the chaotic quacking, heaving a defeated sigh.

And of course he runs into someone like Hakkai. He shoots the man a glare before straightening his posture, as if that might make him look less ridiculous somehow.

"Have you seen a solid black cat around here?" he asks, rather than answering the question posed at him.

[reformedsinner]

Hakkai pauses for a moment. "...Is his name Disaster?"

Suddenly, this situation makes more sense. Still, he has to shake his head, glancing after Kishi, who's disappeared into the temple.

"No, I haven't, but I'll keep an eye out."

[subtract]

"Obviously." He emphasizes the obviousness of it with an eyeroll. "What else would I be talking about? My cat is missing, so I'm looking for him." Pfft, as if he'd warn anyone of an actual impending disaster.

He grumbles out something that might've been a "thanks" before turning away from Hakkai... and continuing towards his temple, because if his cat can get inside so easily then Add's cat could also be in there, maybe. Hakkai offering to keep an eye out is helpful, but Add is still going to do his own searching if he can get away with it.

[saiyanhybrid]

"Ah, wait! Don't--!"

Gohan is quick to follow after Add and the black cat that happened to be lounging around at his temple continues to flee. Somewhere in the distance, there's a low grumbling sound that Gohan ignores as he tries to catch Add and the black cat before they wander in too far.

[subtract]

Add scoffs, paying little heed to Gohan's warning. This guy probably just doesn't want him wandering around his temple or whatever—too bad! Once the cat bolts into the forest Add doesn't hesitate to pursue it, riding on top of his assistant drones like a hoverboard to keep up. All he has to do is catch it—

Except he's caught off guard when the cat lets out an agitated yowl and suddenly runs back the other way, escaping under his feet. Confused, he just barely manages to turn around before crashing into the giant creature just on the other side of the trees... which he somehow hasn't noticed yet, because all his attention is still on the damn cat.

"Grab that cat!" he yells at Gohan as it runs back his way.

[saiyanhybrid]

How do you not notice the dinosaur, Add?

But Gohan immediately zooms after the cat, picking it up and lifting it up, keeping his feet off the ground as if it'll be enough to deter the small creature from wanting to fall out of his grip. It works; the cat is now clinging onto Gohan for dear life as he keeps off the ground.

"Is this your cat?"

[kokuyoyo]

With how much Add is wandering around... It's only inevitable that he would end up in one of the few temples about the Far Shore that happens to be a farm. And, like any farm, it has more than its fair share of cats.

As they go disappearing into the rather expansive farm with its many buildings and fields, startled by a really loud strange, Chikusa pauses at the ruckus. Being in the main house itself makes him uneasy, most days, too nice and pleasant and not home for him to stand. So he's seated right outside the stables, a book in his lap, when one of the cats goes scurrying by at the sound of yelling.

By the time Add comes around the corner, Chikusa's owl beanie is glaring right at him, and the teen has a yoyo in one hand.

"...Why are you at this place?"

[subtract]

Chikusa is the absolute last person he wants to deal with right now, so of course he practically runs right into the guy. His already sour mood is immediately worsened. There's an audible hum of static in the air as he shoots the shinki a dirty look, Dynamo poised in an arc behind his back.

"None of your damn business," he growls, refusing to back down. Not after what happened last week. He stands up straight, trying to seem larger and intimidating even though he's actually 2cm shorter. "I'll deal with you later. Get out of my way."

His mocking and sarcastic tone is completely absent for once. Not in the mood for stupid shenanigans.

[kokuyoyo]

Typical... Chikusa's other hand quietly forms the gesture required for a borderline. If the other is looking for a fight, then he's not sure his yoyo will be so lucky again, and he's pretty sure his poison needles wouldn't be able to break through the defense he made last time. (Easily shattered with blunt force as it was.) Spell casting will have to be his best defense, although he can't use the good ones on a god.

"This isn't your property..." His head lulls slightly to the side, although his eyes don't leave Add for a second. "So technically it is my business. What are you doing?"

[subtract]

"I don't care if it's your property. What are you going to do stop me? Poison me again?"

Add isn't interested in shenanigans, but picking a fight? He has every right to, doesn't he? Chikusa could've killed him with that poison for all he knows, or worse, he could've killed Jakob if Add hadn't gotten to it first. Either way he crossed a line and Add isn't in a forgiving mood. In his current state of mind, everything might as well be Chikusa's fault right now. There's no evidence to prove Chikusa's stupid poison wasn't the reason Jakob was sent away.

He takes a step further into Chikusa's personal space, static radiating off his body and likely causing the other's hair to stick up. He's pissed off, upset, and Chikusa is too easy to blame. A spiteful grin begins to spread across his face as he looms over the shinki.

"Do you really think a worthless piece of trash like yourself can tell me what to do?" he sneers. "You couldn't stop me even if you tried. I can bend time and space to my will, moron, I'm only asking you to move to give you a chance at keeping some of your dignity. But you wouldn't have much of that to begin with, would you?"

[yasei]

Add isn't the only one who ignores the concept of private property, though this time Obi actually isn't a home invader. He drops down on the rail to the stairs in Baron Samedi's haunted temple, sliding down it and he sits down in a crouch at the bottom of the rail.

"What's the disaster, Mister? Are you here to tell my Master about it?"

[subtract]

Add is poking around under the stairs when Obi slides in, looking for little holes or crawlspaces that a cat might climb into to hide... but so far he hasn't spotted anything, at least not on this side of the building. He nearly bangs his head on the stairs in surprise when Obi starts talking at him, though.

"Why would I? It's none of his business." Though the grouchy response is kinda pointless when he's been asking everyone about the cat anyway. So, yeah, in a way he did come here to tell his master about it.

Add straightens his back, glancing around the rest of the grounds for a moment before turning back to the shinki. "Do you get any animals around here?"

[yasei]

Since it’s an old house, there are a lot of spaces for animals to hide. Even more than there are spaces for a person to hide in. If the cat is there or not is a totally different story. Obi leans his cheek against his palm and looks down at Add. He notices he almost hit himself but doesn’t say.

“If it’s a disaster, he might be interested.” But maybe it’s not an actual disaster? The way he talks makes it seem like it’s something else… Maybe that’s why he was asking about animals? “Yeah, we do. Though we have more hauntings than animals, I think.”

[subtract]

...Hauntings...

"Don't be ridiculous," he responds maybe a little too suddenly. "All shinki here are dead, so the same could apply to any temple." That... doesn't actually have anything to do with what Obi said, but Add is definitely sure that he isn't scared of any ghosts or spirits that may or may not be hanging around here. He quickly glances over both shoulders before folding his arms, trying not to think about it.

Back to the important questions— "Have you seen any black cats around?"

[fadingsunshine]

There are no felines in Hebe's temple -yet, at least- but a girl was watering the flowers when Add barged into the garden in front of the golden building. She jumps from the surprise and almost drops the hose in her hand.

"D-Disaster? A-Are you okay, can I help you?"

[subtract]

At least he's polite enough not to stomp all over the flowers, though he's probably still walking through the garden instead of around it. He stops when the girl addresses him all in a panic, sighing loudly and pressing a hand to his temples.

"Disaster is my cat," he corrects, slightly annoyed. Why can't anyone figure that out?? Obviously it's a cool name for a cat. "Have you seen a black cat around here at all? Or maybe a day or two ago?"

[fadingsunshine]

Kaya is kind enough to be more concerned about the stranger and his problem than the places he would step on, but she appreciates he's not damaging anything.

"Oh no, your kitty is lost? Um, I haven't seen any cat but I can help you look for Disaster. Four eyes are better than two, right?" She gives him a smile.

[futhark]

It is indeed a disaster. Two of the dogs are yapping loudly somewhere outside the temple, someone is screaming bloody murder... sadly it requires intervention. Caster just follows the noise the hounds are making, and finds them trying to climb one of the trees that surround the area of his temple - it is a druid grove, after all, trees are given.

"Shut up, everyone." he whistles at the dogs and forces one of them to leave the tree alone- the other only is a living proof that yes, they need some good old training - because it's still barking like mad. As if something or someone climbed that tree.

"Where is that disaster, huh?" He says, looking around to catch a glimpse of the yelling person.

[subtract]

Add is not stuck up in the tree, thank you very much. In fact, he's not even technically in the tree since he's standing on his dynamos. He can come down whenever he wants.

Just not right now, because this stupid cat ran up here after the dogs (and Add, probably) scared it and he can't get a good look at it when it's clinging to the tree and hissing and swiping at him. It's a small relief when the dogs are finally called off by someone. If he can just get the damn cat to calm down, maybe he can pry it free and figure out if it's Disaster.

... but he's not having a lot of success so far. There's a lot of angry hissing coming from both sides up there.

"Ugh, quit it already! I'm trying to save you!"

[futhark]

Caster eventually looks up to notice the... a cat and wait, is it a guy floating on something? Floating people aren't as weird as it probably should be, and the presence of cat explains why the dumb dog is so agitated.

He's really going to name him Dumber, or something equally flattering. Caster shooshes off the last dog and pulls his hood down to get a better look at the wrestling that happens above him.

"That cat sure doesn't like you. Maybe try to bribe her with food?" He comments casually as if it wasn't his dogs' fault that the poor cat is probably in a state of hating literally everything too close to her. Simple logic, right? But not applied here.

[subtract]

"This is— your stupid dog's fault, so don't lecture me!!" he hisses, trying not to get clawed in the face while also leaning halfway around the tree. The cat is slowly making its way further up, putting in every effort to stay out of Add's range.

Is it actually the dog's fault, though? The cat probably didn't come this far into the temple on its own... so, maybe Add might've spooked it a little when he tried to snatch it up on the outskirts, and it ran into the grove only to run into the dogs instead. But he totally would've caught it if that last part hadn't happened, probably. This is 100% the dog's fault.

Add ends up twisted awkwardly around the tree, with the cat now clinging to the trunk a good two feet above him. He sighs in frustration as he tries to untangle himself from the branches and get back on his dynamos.

"I don't have any treats left on me." Of course he brought cat treats for his cat hunt. Too bad there are a lot of cats around the Far Shore. "Obviously, if I did I would've tried that by now. I'm not stupid. I know how to deal with cats."

Not that he's displaying much of that particular skill right now.

[festal]

About a week had passed since she'd last spoken to Jakob or Add. She'd figured Jakob would be busy tending to his god and based on her limited interactions with Add, she couldn't think of any reason he'd want to contact her. But Add had been her patient even if only for a little while and she can't help but worry. Is he still trying to get away from Jakob? Is he making Jakob worry? She figured she'd give Jakob a call just to check in on him but...

She couldn't find his contact information. It was all gone and though she knows what this means but... maybe he'd come back? It was just a mistake, right?

But his name was still gone this morning and she wonders when it disappeared. The only other person she can think of who would know was Add and...

She jumps when she hears someone yelling near her shrine's entrance. Disaster? She dashes outside, slipping on her slippers as she runs out into the garden to see what the problem is--

"It's you!" Add. What was the saying? Speak of the Devil and he will appear? Did the same apply to thoughts? "W-what's wrong?"

[subtract]

By now he's starting to get a bit disheartened in his search. He still hasn't found any sign of Disaster... he doesn't want to dwell on the other possibilities, but the situation is seeming more hopeless by the minute. What if Disaster is gone for good? He refuses to give up, not yet, but it feels like a hopeless endeavour at this point.

He's shaken from his thoughts when a familiar voice answers his call. Add stops, staring blankly for a moment before quickly putting on a tired scowl. This must be Sakura's temple.

"Nothing," he grunts back reflexively, averting his eyes to scowl in another direction. "It's my cat's name. There's no disaster."

He doesn't know how to deal with Sakura right now. She's too kindhearted of a person for him, and the fact that she's Jakob's friend (was Jakob's friend) only makes him feel bitter now. Does she even know that Jakob is gone? It'd be better to just leave now rather than risk a conversation. All he's going to do is end up insulting her or embarrassing himself. He sighs and turns back towards the way he came.

"Tell me if you see a black cat around."

[festal]

"A cat...?" That's some name for a cat but she won't comment on it. Instead, she looks around her as if half expecting said cat to appear somewhere in her garden. When she looks back at him, it's almost like he's getting ready to leave and she takes a step forward, "W-wait!" She won't go after him just yet but she has to ask.

"Does Jakob know you're..." She stops. It's a question she would normally ask but another one is on her mind and quietly, she tries again, "No, what I mean is..." And louder, she tries to not sound too worried but it's clear from the pitch that she's anxious, "I-I haven't been able to reach him. Maybe its b-because I'm not very good at using the machines in this world b-but... Do you... Do you know anything about that?"

Her hands are held tightly in front of her, eyes watching Add carefully for any sign that might prepare her for whatever answer he might have.