heaven is [open]

[reformedsinner]

Who: Cho Hakkai & you
What: Hakkai just has a few questions: where is he, what day is it, what's going on, and why exactly does everyone keep telling him he's a god?
Where: Li Tieguai's temple and other sites around the Far Shore
When: September 18 - 19

September 18 - Li Tieguai's Temple

Closed to Chikusa, Ken and Ayumu

[The ceiling is plain white plaster, but the air is strangely warm, and, Hakkai notes with a deep breath, not nearly so thin as it had been only --

Not only moments ago. No: as he sits up and looks around, it's clear that he's missed more than just moments. The room is spare but neat, the furniture simple, the walls as plain as the ceiling: it's comfortable, in its way, but it feels like a comfortable inn, and not anyone's home. It certainly doesn't have any of the ornamentation he's growing used to seeing in the mountains of the far west. He's missed, it seems, a great deal.

Even more bizarrely, he's not in any pain. Had he been drugged? Has he been unconscious so long that his injuries have somehow healed? No -- he stands, testing his legs, and finds they hold him easily. No long unconsciousness.

Questions whirling uncomfortably in his mind, he checks the dresser, and finds it full of clothes. Neatly folded slacks, briefs, undershirts, shirts, in his size, and in styles he would have chosen for himself, none of which he remembers choosing. Perhaps, he reflects, dressing hastily, it's his memory that's gone wrong. Perhaps -- and it seems just as plausible, right now -- perhaps he's in a carefully crafted trap. Strange, if so, that no one is here to manipulate his confusion.

He closes the bedroom door quietly behind himself, and is halfway down the stairs when he hears voices. For several seconds, he considers heading in the other direction, but curiosity overrules paranoia at last, and he moves towards them. A woman's voice, and two men, one sounding sleepy, the other casual-gruff.

There's a wide dining room, clearly meant for more than just three diners, and a kitchen beyond. He stops just outside the kitchen doorway, mustering polite confusion to cover the chill of real panic before he steps forward and interrupts their conversation with a polite throat-clearing cough.]

Excuse me. Do you live here?


September 18 - Li Tieguai's Temple - Open

[He doesn't, to his intense annoyance, seem to have kept any journals. He could have at least left himself something, even if he hadn't expected this.

He does, at least, have a fascinating little device with a touch-sensitive screen, which he's investigating with great care on the front steps of his temple. It's not that he doesn't feel comfortable inside. It's just that outside seems, at the moment, to involve less annoyance.

(It's not as if he has any idea what happened, either, of course.)

He glances up occasionally to scan the dusty path running by the temple, but the phone keeps sucking him back in. It really is immensely complex. And there's quite a bit of information on it, it turns out. Lists of names, and some sort of message board, and videos, too.

An immensely furry red-and-white cat swaggers outside to join him, and settles with all the aplomb of a lady in heavy skirts at his side. Hakkai eyes it.]

Don't tell me I know you, too.


September 19 - Abandoned Temple School - Open

[Asking Ayumu about the last few months of his life had had all of the appeal of waltzing through a minefield. Luckily, he'd apparently saved a map to some sort of school in his phone gallery. (It's a remarkable device. If he can keep it when he goes home, he's already planning to.)

The school had turned out to be where he'd kept quite a few more records: student workbooks, lesson plans, and schedules. It seems, in fact, to be his, if the familiar handwriting on so many of the plans is any indication.

He's prowling the grounds and the halls this morning, poking his nose into every side room with proprietary fascination. His own school! He'd never expected it, especially not when by all rights he should have been working on getting back to Sanzo's party instead. They're facing a new threat in the person of that youkai-exterminating heavenly emissary, after all. They do need him there... and how long has he been here?

Has he given up?

What has he been doing?]


Wildcard - hit me up at tinwateringcan if you'd like to work out another prompt!

Comments

[kagenonadeshiko]

[He's been gone long enough for Ayumu to grow used to his absence just as the boys have stayed over enough for her to grow accustomed to, and even fond of, their presence. That they hadn't left her alone with her fear and anguish and given her some emotional support. She's been a wreck but not nearly as much of one as she would have had she been here by herself all this time. Their assorted baking projects and having someone around to take care of have eased the burden of worrying about Hakkai and she hopes she's managed to do the same for her juniors.

However, when Hakkai arrives in the kitchen as if nothing at all had occurred, as if he didn't even know her or them at all, her temper still snaps. She murmurs a calm 'excuse me' to the boys, leaving the bowl of cookie batter to them, and takes off the frilly apron she's been wearing during these cooking sessions.

Then she marches directly over to her god, good eye blazing with fury. He's taller than her by several inches; his nose is within her reach but she doesn't quite trust herself not to go for a killing strike and shove his bone into his brain.

So instead, she delivers a quick, hard strike to Hakkai's solar plexus. Enjoy that love tap, boss.]

[reformedsinner]

[The barely-suppressed fury in her face and posture is clear as the stranger pulls off her apron and stalks towards him. Hakkai stares, bewildered, and not moving to defend himself in the least as she approaches.

He's expecting a slap. Possibly a punch, but she's a slightly built, unarmed human woman, and no matter how angry she might be--

-- he's thinking, when the knuckles to his solar plexus take him completely by surprise. His air goes out and his breathing locks up on a pained wheeze as he hunches around the impact, fighting to get his breath back.

He has, he notes, slightly underestimated her. It seems unfair: he's never seen her before in his life, and she's hitting him like an angry, well-trained, close friend would hit.

On a wheeze, he manages:]

I'll take that as-- [gasp] -- a yes. Have we met?

[There's a strange connection he feels as he looks up to meet her eyes: it's as if her rage is burning in his own blood. He doesn't understand it.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ordinarily, Ayumu would stop herself there. Ordinarily, she could stop herself there. But her anger is just too great, her emotions too chaotic, and her mental control far too shaky. A cold, ruthless part of her mind quickly calculates that Hakkai hunched over like that is too good of an opportunity to miss. So she seizes him by the hair, clutching it as close to his scalp as she can, and attempts to pull him down further, her knee slamming up straight towards his face. It's all very quick - Ayumu's strength has always been her agility and willingness to get her hands dirty and it's clear from her grip on him that she's a very experienced grappler.

She continues not to speak, apparently content to let her fists do all the talking for her.]

temple school~

[discerp]

[It's no Hope's Peak Academy, but it's impressive that it's been set up to begin with. It's nice! And she kind of missed school, the good old days filled with pleasant memories of her classmates... You know, before all the murder.

Good times.

She's just doing some exploring herself, enjoying having a little time alone and considering if it'd be okay to attend school again or if maybe it's in need of a school nurse or something, when she realizes there are another set of footsteps around the place.

Unfortunately she realizes this a tad too late, as one of the classrooms Hakkai peeks into will have her standing stock still in the middle of it, eyes wide with an unrestrained mixture of fear and surprise. She looks instantly like she's about to start crying. What better way to look unthreatening and not worth deeper study??]

I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't touch anything, I p-promise! I'm sorry!

[Good start, not suspicious at all.]

[reformedsinner]

[Slightly suspicious. Hakkai stares at her: wide, panicked eyes brimming with tears, stuttering voice. What is she-- sixteen? Isn't that a bit old for an act this helpless?]

I take it you're not a student?

[No, that's definitely the response of someone who doesn't think she should be here, and expects to be challenged.]

[discerp]

[You haven’t even gotten the full range of her semi-act, Hakkai. Be strong.

She’s shaking like a leaf and sniffles, shaking her head as she twists her hands together anxiously.] N-no, I mean— not here. I just got here. Um, I mean, I just got to the school and also, um, this... w-world? Thing?

Are you a t-teacher...? [She assumes that’s why an adult would be here. Surprisingly, she and Hakkai are actually pretty close in age, probably. Not that you’d ever tell looking at her. Mikan carefully scrutinizes Hakkai’s face, eyes intense and analyzing despite her fear.] N-not that you have to answer, of course! I-I’m sorry! I w-was asking questions w-without permission, please forgive me...!

18th

[bussounoshima]

[The devices are interesting. They have many uses. They can be used, for instance, by a helpful young shinki to notify a worried, old priest about recent events. They can do this remarkably quickly, about as soon as someone else has left the room and the shinki has decided that's worth getting around to.

Teleportation means her response is even quicker. Oh yeah, that's also a thing, by the way. Without warning, a Sanzo priest lands on the path leading to Li Tieguai's front steps. Immediately her stern gaze focuses on Hakkai and she strides purposefully towards him.]

So. [Sharak lashes out quickly, grabbing Hakkai by the hair to yank his face into position so she can look him in the eye.] ... She's hit you already, huh? Good.

[Saves her the trouble.]

[reformedsinner]

[That's far more familiarity than he's used to from Sharak Sanzo, but Hakkai's so relieved to see someone he recognizes that he doesn't even care. He returns the look, deadpan. There's a red mark along one cheekbone, although it's not quite as sore as his scalp, which she could have avoided grabbing; he has a perfectly functional collar for that.]

Good morning, Sanzo-sama. [Morning? His gaze drifts from her face over her shoulder to judge the position of the sun in the sky, and he corrects himself.] -- Afternoon.

[And, since she does seem to know him better than she should, he adds in a tone of dry complaint:]

Is there a reason why I'm being hit?

[bussounoshima]

So you at least remember that much. [Enough to recognise her. Chikusa hadn't gone into much detail, but that's good to know anyway. She tilts his head to the side as she quickly looks him over for any obvious injuries or harm, beyond what she accounts to Ayumu's work.

(She probably doesn't have to grab him by the scalp, but she's annoyed too.)]

You've been missing with no word to anyone who knows you for four days. [She releases her grip on him, but keeps the stern glare.] You don't expect to be hit for that?

wow i wonder what option i'm choosing

[kokuyoyo]

[Perhaps, while he'd been vending off a very angry and well trained housewife, Hakkai had faintly noticed the presence of the two teenagers in the background. One of them, clearly the owner of the gruff voice he'd overheard just moments ago, had been excited, exuberant, to see the older man. Yet he'd been herded away by his taller companion once it became clear that Ayumu would either break Hakkai's nose or die trying.]

[The blond had returned once Ayumu had finished, eager to yell at Hakkai just as much with his initial excitement apparently soured.... but without his partner. Hakkai had gotten to deal with that on his own.]

[Frankly, with the quiet and simple way he'd escorted Ken out away from Ayumu's wrath, there's likely an impression that the much taller teenager would have fucked right off without any fuss. Certainly he's not within the temple itself. Yet it's around when Hakkai tries to escape that he'll nearly step onto him; the boy's escaped out onto the front porch himself. With his lanky legs drawn upwards to balance a mixing bowl, Chikusa glances dully back at Hakkai from underneath a cat eared beanie, gray with brown accents and two big puffballs on either side of his head. A wooden spoon is still in his hand, but it's debatable how much stirring he's done.]

[He doesn't say anything. He just stares up at Hakkai, expression hard to read.]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai holds his gaze for a moment. This is the young man with the tired voice, he thinks: the one who'd kept the other out of the way of the fight.

He has interesting taste in hats.

Blowing out his breath at last, Hakkai folds himself neatly down onto the other side of the stairs, maintaining as much distance as he can, and folds his arms on his knees.]

Well, if you'd like to hit me, too, go ahead.

[Hat-boy, just like the woman with the bad eye and the angry blond, can get one free. He's apparently done something to deserve it.]

school

[disciplineking]

Guess who was back, Hakkai-thought neither of them would recognize each other at the moment. Hibari wasn't even wearing his school uniform. His half baked excuse for a god kept insisting on clothes that he had given the shinki, but like a true stubborn jackass, he kept trying to tell him to fuck off.

But for some reason the minute Hibari heard there was a school, he was there. It felt almost natural somehow, being in the halls and seeing the makeshift classrooms was calming. It probably had to do something with the uneasy feeling that came when he thought about his past, but he'd found a place he definitely liked better than Hades' temple.

Then someone stuck their head into the classroom where he was gracefully perched on a desk like a misbehaving cat. Hibari turned his annoyed gaze to the newcomer; an adult whom he'd never seen before and was probably a god. Or the owner of this place. "What are you doing here?"

[reformedsinner]

"Learning the layout," Hakkai said lightly: that hadn't been What are you doing here, which would have suggested that this is yet another stranger he's expected to know. No, it had just been the angry tone of someone who didn't expect his quiet survey of a classroom to be interrupted.

That was a relief. Hakkai had had enough familiar strangers for one twenty-four-hour period. Actual strangers were the next best thing to the actually familiar.

"What are you doing?" he added, casually. All just normal conversation here, yes.

Temple

[junkyarddog]

[Chikusa had almost had to bodily restrain Ken, when Hakkai had first arrived; Ken's excited, almost hyperactive level of relief had been strong enough that he'd almost ignored the fact that Ayumu was actively assaulting Hakkai at the moment. Hakkai may have been, if he'd observed Ken in those brief moments before Ken was hauled outside, a little flattered to see that at least someone was happy to see him - at least in retrospect, once people explained to him why any of them would be happy to see him.

But by the time Ken is actually able to get at him, in between Ayumu's rage and Chikusa's lecturing, Ken's mood has shifted. In part, it's been because Hakkai's memory loss has set in for him, and it hurts; all of the people Ken's closest to, save for Roy and Chikusa himself, seem to have vanished or forgotten him. (In Hibari's case, both.) He's starting to wonder if it's a problem with him. Either way, it's certainly brought his mood down. Having Chikusa dully explain to him, in the interim, just why Hakkai must have forgotten them - especially since their names and Hakkai's temple never vanished - hasn't helped. It certainly gives Ayumu's response context for Ken, who...definitely didn't understand it at first.

Mostly, though, it's because he definitely warned Hakkai about this, and apparently this matter was in Hakkai's control, and he didn't tell them anything or make sure not to do stupid stuff at all. After Ken warned him!

So when there's enough quiet in the temple to risk venturing back in, Ken prowls inside and fixes Hakkai with a glower, hands stuffed in his pockets.]

I told you not to disappear on us, byon!

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai stares at the angry teenager for a few seconds, and then lets out a breath, and leans back against the wall behind him, letting the neatly packed bag in his hand drop next to his feet. This is probably going to take a little while, too.

It's quite a gantlet he's running.]

I see. So far as I know, I didn't intend to.

[And, because that anger doesn't seem like the kind of anger that responds well to logic, he adds:]

But I'm sorry.

School

[bartenderizing]

[ After a 'follow up' call from someone who knew Grell, it reminded Shizuo that he should probably check back at the school for that clinic, or to see if there was something for his insides. Just to make sure that it was still healing right, if it wasn't done yet. Instead he got to one of the areas that Hakkai was poking his head into. ]

... Huh. Does everyone else know you're back yet?

[ If Sharak shot him, would he just heal himself and clean the blood? Shizuo didn't even know if Hakkai could heal himself. ]

[reformedsinner]

I don't know about everyone.

[He'd seen that post that Chikusa had made. He's not feeling quite ready, yet, to follow it up with one of his own and pretend nothing has changed -- and if he really was murdered somehow, he doesn't want to expose himself as a new target without a better grasp on this place and on his life.

He sighs, and straightens up, eyeing the blond stranger warily.]

I may as well tell you that I remember very little about this place. Who are you?

19th

[redotiertwo]

[Davesprite keeps meaning to check in about the whole spell class thing and then keeps...not doing it, and even if Hakkai might have vanished without telling anyone why in the last few days, Chikusa claims he's back, so he might as well confirm. So it is that he finally approaches the abandoned temple school for the first time, rambling to himself quietly as he goes.]

Aren't these things supposed to vanish when the gods do, or is that just an us thing and not an old gods thing, because this sure as fuck isn't the only one I've--

[And then Davesprite walks into the next hallway and finds himself a very short distance away from Hakkai. His look of surprise is mostly hidden by his shades, even before he schools his expression back to neutral, and he moves a little closer on his tail to critically inspect Hakkai.]

Oh hey, you are back, anyone tell you you're an idiot for disappearing without saying shit yet because if not then I can do the honours.

[reformedsinner]

[That certainly is an orange, winged, flying man whose legs disappear into a tail.

That's... interesting. Hakkai confines his startled reaction to a quick blink, before stepping forward with a smile.]

Oh, believe me, there has been a line. I'm afraid I... have forgotten a lot about this place. I'm sorry -- but could we be reintroduced?

school!

[minogame]

( He'd promised he would start going to class and Urashima Kotetsu is an honest and good spirit who keeps his word. Sometimes he's late, sometimes he doesn't show up at all because he's busy, but he has tried to make a habit out of coming. Doing homework is a slightly less consistent story. Math is hard, okay. And after the second week, it stopped being fun and interesting. But attendance matters for something, right?

He's sitting in one of the desks, balancing his chair on the back legs and a pencil on his nose when he hears someone nearby. Huh, there are a lot of people who come in and out of the school so it could be anyone. He glances over to see who it is and-- )

--senseiaaaugh! ( He loses his balance, the chair toppling backwards as he tries to roll over and.. well, now he's just tangled in chair on the floor. He scrambles back up onto his knees and throws his hands over the desk, covering a notebook and Kamekichi. ) You're here?!

( He'd heard Hakkai was missing??? )

[reformedsinner]

[Is this a student? Hakkai stares blankly at him for a moment, then lifts a finger in polite question. (Also: was that thing with the fluffy tail a turtle? A real one?)]

Yes, I am.

... Are you all right?

[That had been quite a fall.]

the temple

[smilingbullet]

[ Since Hakkai's death, D2 has been running past way more often than he usually does. It's normally only twice in the morning, with exactly two hours inbetween, on his usual course. But he was worried (aka scared) that he would see the temple gone and equally worried (still scared) that he would find out over the bbs. So he's been passing by a lot these last few days (when he's not been hiding out at a gym or other).

He definitely blames himself for Hakkai's death, so when he hears his voice so unexpectedly (saying something like that) just as he comes close enough to actually see, he stumbles a little and his steps falters. And he just...stares. (Which he didn't mean to do but, well, he's been hoping to see him again but once he does he doesn't know if pouncing and hugging him is that good of an idea. Or apologizing, for that matter. ]

[reformedsinner]

[That's a stare that suggests that, yes, Hakkai absolutely should know this person. He puts his phone away and sits up a bit straighter, letting the prickly annoyance go. It won't do any good, that's the problem.

He'll just have to handle this on his own.]

Please excuse me. It's been a long day so far.

[And it's barely afternoon.]

I don't seem to remember much about this place, you see.

September 19 - school

[boneofsword]

[Archer was planning to get back to Hakkai sooner, but he was busy. Then he saw Chikusa's post about his god missing, but both the temple and shinki name intact.

It wasn't good.

It's still been a few days before Archer visited the school, wondering whom to ask about the lessons and just walking around, checking the rooms out of habit. So it comes as a surprise to see Hakkai prowling the school grounds. Archer offers a polite nod and smirk as fake as Hakkai's own smile.]

Welcome back, Cho Hakkai.

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai's sidelong glance is wary. That smirk is a bit knowing for his taste, or, perhaps, he's just a little sensitive to strangers knowing his name. It's been a long thirty-some hours since he woke up here.

He hides the wariness under a polite return smile and inclination of his head, though.]

Why, thank you.

Please forgive me, but -- [He's admitted it to a half-dozen people so far, which makes it no longer something he needs to be careful with; and without knowing what he should know, he can hardly hide his amnesia.] -- I've forgotten quite a lot about this place. Your name is...?