(open) ordeal of a traveler

[blizzardrock]

Who: Fubuki AND YOU
When: Aug 3—??
Where: Near Shore
What: that is a dress + pranked by fireflies

A.
[So he was just walking by, nothing unusual, when something in a window catches his eye. And keeps his eye; he's staring at it very intently, with the focus of someone who's pondering the most deepest of mysteries]

[Please don't ask why he's looking at girls' clothes. On second thought, PLEASE DO (or ask why the dress he's looking at is so tacky instead)]
 
B.
[The thing about fireflies—he is so done with them. Twice already he's been victimized by these demonic, malevolent, devious, virulent fiends!!]

[He covers his face with a hand, not enough that he can't see, but just enough that he can block most of them by concentrating on the path ahead and moving forward carefully.]

[But eventually...his hand slips, and lowers to his side, as he continues moving forward. Something's...there, pulling him closer. Something...]

[ SPLASH ]

[ . . . Something watery. The river. He was lured into the river.]

...I wasn't planning on taking a swim today...

Comments

[kokuyoyo]

....So why are you down there...

[Still safely on the show himself, Mukurou settled comfortably on his shoulder, Chikusa stares blankly down at where Fubuki is sitting soaked. All he'd wanted to do was go somewhere to give the owl some air...]

[It figure he would run into someone doing something ridiculous while he was at it.]

[blizzardrock]

[...listen]

[weren't you in some space portal a few days ago]

Fireflies. [He considers that all the explanation anyone needs.]

[He picks himself up and squelches back onto dry land.] I guess they didn't get you...

[kokuyoyo]

[Through what is clearly no fault of his own, thank you. (Poisoning, what poisoning)]

[As Fubuki sloshes and squelches back to land, Chikusa simply reaches into the bag slung around his shoulder and pulls out a tiny squirt bottle.]

No.

[blizzardrock]

[WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT]

...

[No, he's going to say that out loud.] What are you going to do with that?

[kokuyoyo]

Spray things.

[An eyebrow slowly rises up.]

Obviously.

[blizzardrock]

[That clears it up.]

That's kind of ominous, you know... [He wipes some mud off his jaw.]

[Now he has to find a way to get out of this without falling prey to the fireflies again. And that's why he's eyeing Chikusa speculatively. Speaking of ominous...]

A

[artificialrose]

....You know, I think I'd choose something different for you, if that's what you're looking for.

[After his talk with Komaeda, Garry thinks he feels a little better about this sort of thing himeslf, so he doesn't hesitate to offer his opinion as he slows to a stop behind Fubuki to glance over the dress he's looking at.]

Or, is it for a friend?

[blizzardrock]

[the dress is very red]

[and very tacky]

[so many bows]

Hmm? Ah—it's for my sister. I just remembered her...

[He turns to Garry in earnest.] Her name is Asuka, she's this tall—

[He stops midway to gesturing a height. He...can't actually tell how tall she is from the snippet he'd remembered. ...Which means he doesn't know her measurements, either, meaning it was pointless to look... Not that it wasn't already pointless, since she isn't here. And her not being here means it was pointless to ask about her... Wow, he's just really wasting this stranger's time, huh.] ...No, never mind.

[He folds his arms instead.] Are you a personal shopper or something...?

[artificialrose]

[....Huh. That's a sudden turn around. Garry doesn't have much time to ask about it, however, before the question is being turned around on him. Suddenly realizing how strange it is to just ask that kind of thing, he looks a little sheepish.]

Oh, no. I just thought you might like some feedback. Sorry about that.

[blizzardrock]

Haha...maybe I would, in a different situation.

Just... [Sheepish.] I was wondering if she was married already. [He doesn't know how old she is now, after all.]

...But I wouldn't be looking at that style. Thanks, though.

[He glances at the vessel name on Garry's cheek. It finally occurs to Fubuki that he probably shouldn't have brought up remembering someone to a shinki... Quick a diversion—]

I'm Fubuki. So what would you have suggested?

[artificialrose]

[This sounds like a lot of information he's not getting... But Garry doesn't really have much time to dwell on it. The conversation switches a little bit, and he tilts his head to the side, hair brushing further against the cheek bearing his vessel name.]

Well... It depends on what you mean. Do you mean for yourself or- this other person?

[blizzardrock]

Me. Unless you can really do it if you can't see her...? [He's just joking around now.] Haha. Don't worry about it, though. [He also means, "don't worry about memories" when he says that, but he shouldn't call attention to it. But, style things take effort, anyway, and with nothing in front of them to anchor opinions on, his initial question just seems like an unreasonable thing to ask someone to do.]

[As a distraction, though, it seems like it was successful!] You're interested in this kind of thing?

[artificialrose]

[That kind of telepathy joke has Garry laughing, and his arms loosely cross.]

Well, I'd need a description, first! But there are some things that suit different hair colors, or go with people's eyes... You know. I could make a reasonable guess, or so I'd like to think.

[And who knows? Maybe he'd even be right. People might tease him about his own clothing choices (the coat is artistic, dammit!), but Garry is careful about what he recommends for other people.]

Anyway, yes... Art and fashion are things I've found I rather like! Although I suppose I haven't had time for the former.

A!

[shadowrevenger]

I don't think that color suits you, Fubuki-kun~

['Sup, here is Ren just suddenly right up behind him and looking over his shoulder like he's never heard of such things as "personal space" or" making noise when you come up behind someone so you don't startle them".]

[blizzardrock]

[Thanks for the heart attack Ren]

Ah—

[In the wake of the startlement, it takes him a second to process what Ren actually said—]

You really think so? [Leaving aside that it's a dress, he's worn that color before! Ahaha. The revelation that he has bad fashion taste is coming for Fubuki. Soon.]

...By the way. If Shun sees you like that...I think he'd kill me. [Said perfectly seriously]

[shadowrevenger]

[Ren does take a step back at that, but it's just so he has room to pat his head and clothes while looking very confused.]

Like what? Is something wrong?

[He has no idea what that could possibly be about, none at all~]

[blizzardrock]

[He's under no illusions that Ren doesn't know exactly what he means, so he doesn't bother to answer those questions. Ren, please. He has so much to (un)live for]

[But anyway, he starts to move away from the window.]

Were you looking for something here? ...Were you looking at dresses?

[shadowrevenger]

[He's pretty sure Shun wouldn't actually kill you, though...

Ren leans over again to look through the window again, eyeing the rest of the shop thoughtfully before he shakes his head a bit.]

Maybe the skirts...but it doesn't look like there's anything my style in there. No, I just saw you and thought I'd come say hello. [In fact--here, have a small wave. Hello!]

Why were you looking? It doesn't seem like your style either.

[blizzardrock]

[don't underestimate the jealousies of men]

Ah...really... [Skirts, huh.]

[He waves back, because...that seems the thing to do.]

Haha, you may be right...I was thinking of my sister. [Originally he was out here for cooking ingredients and a nice box, though, so he starts walking again.]

It suits her perfectly! [And not tacky at all! He can totally be believed when it comes to these things.] Or...it used to? [Shinki memories. Haha.]

B

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun was here because he'd noticed a particular concentration of the firefly ayakashi in this forest, and with some school trip happening in the area today, he'd rather not leave anything up to chance with them. What he isn't quite expecting when he hears the sound of someone splashing into the river after following the mislaid trail of the ayakashi is for it to be Fubuki, and he simply stares for a few moments before sighing quietly.]

Well, at least it wasn't one of those kids. [Net positive outcome?]

[blizzardrock]

Were you expecting kids to fall in...

[...It does explain what Shun's doing here.]

[He picks himself up.] Are you alone?

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun tilts his head back the way he came.] There's some kind of school trip happening. One of those orienteering things. So yes.

[Kids wandering around trying to read maps and getting lost is basically prime opportunity for this kind of ayakashi to lure them in.]

For the moment. It's too much of a risk to work with Kotori or Munakata on something like this. [For entirely different reasons, considering Kotori is too fragile for mass exterminations, and Reisi is too overpowered for menial tasks.]

[blizzardrock]

[Not a single shinki. There are other ways to protect the children without eradicating the ayakashi, after all.]

[...Should he be happy about that?]

I didn't think you'd be paying attention to those. School trips, I mean.

[He moves onto dry land and starts to squeeze the water out of the hem of his shirt.] How many are there?

[revolutionfalcon]

I didn't come here because of the trip, if that's what you're thinking. I came here because there were a lot of those fireflies here, and then I ran across the students on my way through.

[So it's more a case of coincidence leading him to keep a closer eye on things than intent from the very beginning. Shun is the sort to want to protect young lives, but it's not like there's an easy record of where schools take their students and when.]

A few classes' worth. Probably about sixty, if I had to guess.

[blizzardrock]

So that was it... [He did wonder how Shun was tracking that.]

...They didn't happen to go off in groups, did they? [Or stayed with their classes. If they all wandered off alone, that would be a nightmare to keep track of...]