i can only offer my voice in exchange

[shiitan]

Who: Ross and OPEN
When: September 9
Where: Tokyo area
What: Ross' quest to eat 100 flavours of ice cream begins, which is a nice distraction from coming up with tools for god murder.

[It was September. In other words, it was starting to be a little bit late in the year for ice cream. However, such a thing would never stop someone with a sweet tooth, and Ross did have that plus a need to distract himself from recent events. While he had no fondness for his current situation as a shinki, being so light on his feet was a perk. It was significantly easier to jump on top of an ice cream truck than climb it, after all.

And so, that was how he ended up sitting on top of the ice cream trucks as they drove through the parks of Tokyo. How else was he going to try all 100 flavours?]

---

[His next order of business was significantly more serious. To be honest, he still had his own misgivings about what to do about Schuldig. It didn't make him feel any better to know that Hakkai was going to take part in it whether he liked it or not.

But as a shinki who was trapped by a god who wasn't in a big hurry to release him, he didn't feel he had any other choice. It was still possible that killing Schuldig wouldn't work. If it didn't, from what Hakkai had told him, Hibari's fate would then be his own, if not worse. So, he had to take any precautions he could to make sure he could defend himself in some small way.

He was still in the Near Shore, with a vibrant blue flame on his forehead. Ross was sure he'd need it for what was about to come, and he certainly needed it for the all the testing he still needed to do. And, well, the only person to test that new magic was himself.

He reached out to nothing in particular, and slowly squeezed his hand into a fist. To his dismay, his voice came out as raspy rather than not at all, and he loosened his fist.]

Not yet...

Comments

[smilingbullet]

[ Sometimes you sure do see some out of place things in the Near Shore. He's used to seeing the ayakashi around, but this boy with his forehead on fire (?) is still out of place. D2 was on his way to do some shopping after a tutoring session, and he shifts the strap of his shoulder bag as he heads a little closer. ]

Are you alright?

[ He didn't really sound alright. Though the look in his eyes felt a little..familiar. ]

[shiitan]

[His head whipped around at that question. Being spotted by a resident of the Far Shore was one thing, but someone surprising him like that was entirely another.]

...I'm fine. [His voice sounded no better than before. This magic was a bigger strain on himself than he expected.] My throat's just sore.

[smilingbullet]

[ “Fine” he says.. ]

Ah. [ Well, there is that question “why is it sore” but. ] Then, would you like water or coffee? I always have some of both and it might help a little.

[shiitan]

I've got a stranger offering me drinks that he carries around everywhere. Creepy...

[This was not at all a helpful response. It was, however, more useful for changing the topic of the conversation.]

[smilingbullet]

Hm? [ For a moment he looks a little surprised, but then it turns into a cheerful grin. ] Ah, I guess that might be a bit strange?

[shiitan]

There's no "guess" about it. It's strange.

[He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the creak in his voice. It didn't help much, and he did have another option, but maybe being any more upfront with his powers was a bit too risky.]

I don't want to think about what you might have put in it.

[smilingbullet]

I put cinnamon in the coffee?

[ That's not what he meant, but D2 knows that. ]

There're vending machines around too though.

[shiitan]

Ah, too bad. I have to take my coffee black.

[...That probably said a lot about how often he pulled all-nighters.]

Then I'll buy my own later.

[smilingbullet]

That's a shame, but alright.

[ Just a bit. ]

Are you sure you'll remember it?

[shiitan]

No, not at all. [He seemed pretty okay with that though. Or maybe he just didn't have much pocket money.]

But it's not like I need to eat or drink anyway.

[smilingbullet]

Right... I'll buy you something, then. Not needing to drink or eat doesn't really matter when you're all caught up in training and stuff. Drinking something is still important.

[shiitan]

You're really...

[Was he about to say something nice?]

Annoyingly persistent.

[Oh. Welp, moment ruined. That wasn't strictly a "no," though.]

[smilingbullet]

[ D2's face splits into a cheerful grin. ]

Yep, I am definitely that.

[ He's been told that before, can you tell? ]

[shiitan]

Then buy me food until I die of old age.

[There it was. He went and took a mile.]

[tadanokusuriuri]

[It was always interesting to spot Far Shore residents out and about, to see what they did when no one else could see them. The brightness of of blue flame caught the Medicine Seller's attention first, but none of the humans nearby seemed to be alarmed about it, didn't even notice it whatsoever.]

[At his distance, someone less attentive might not have heard the words that the stranger rasped out. "Not yet"?]

[He wondered what the goal was.]

[A faint sound of wood clacking against the ground and layered silk swishing accompanied him as he stepped nearer, his posture unthreatening in every way but his gaze unsettlingly direct.]

Out here training alone? How studious...

[shiitan]

[He felt his ear twitch at those soft sounds. It certainly didn't help that he couldn't be sure how long he had been watched, and he could think of a lot of reasons why someone noticing him could backfire on him, too.

Okay. He had reel back his visible reaction if he was going to minimize suspicion. When Ross turned to face him, his demeanour was as casual as he could manage.]

Just that makes me studious? You insulted a lot of shinki just now.