Hiyoko is a busy girl...

[talkbirdytome]

Who: Hiyoko and Nageki/ Hiyoko and Sheryl/ Hiyoko and Open
What: Talking to animals, a maybe!date, and who even knows what else.
When: The weekend of April 15th-17th
Where: Meilikki's temple, several places around the near shore, and the zoo.
Warnings: Hiyoko is weird.


Nageki-

[On Saturday, Hiyoko picked up Nageki right on time at his new god's temple. She's got her hair pulled back with a cute flower clip and made sure to wear something relatively nice. She still doesn't know if this counts as a date though, so she didn't bring flowers.

He wouldn't want flowers anyway. Do they make book bouquets? Their first stop is a little cafe where they can chat. But she does have something a little more exciting planned for later. It takes a little more effort than she likes to get somebirdie at the cafe to come take their order, but at least nobirdie will listen in on their conversation.]

I'll have a cappuccino please!

[And a big smile in Nageki's direction.]

Order whatever you want, okay?


Sheryl-

[Finally, a chance to show off her magnificent palace! It's got so many wonderful features her glorious abode back home lacked. Like an actual door.

Yeah, Sheryl may be a little disappointed to discover that this 'palace' is actually a rustic hunting lodge. It's very well crafted though, as befits a goddess of the hunt. And the view overlooking the expanse of rocky wilderness is impressive. Considering Hiyoko used to live in an actual cave, this is definitely a step up. And since Sheryl wanted to meet some animals, she's got one of the bears up here and also a wood grouse. They can find an elk later if she wants to chat with one. Or if she's hungry. Hiyoko is determined to be a good hostess.]

Hi! Welcome to Mielikki-land!

[That's... probably not it's official name. Hiyoko waves cheerfully. The bear copies her after she nudges it.]


Open-

[So after a certain conversation, Hiyoko is curious about what her newfound powers could be used for. And whether animals in the zoo enjoy their lazy but uninteresting lifestyle. So on Sunday, she's taking some time to visit the local zoo and find out for herself. Which means it's a good thing people don't notice her. Because she sure is just sitting in front of one of the cages, deep in conversation with a tiger. If Kija does decide to tag along, they can totally hit up the bear enclosure though.]

I mean, security is a thing I completely understand. Nobody wants to go hungry. But, c'mon, be honest. Don't you ever miss stalking your helpless prey though the jungle?

[Anybirdie is welcome to bother her. If you... actually want to talk to the crazy girl.]

Comments

April 15th

[galactically]

[A little disappointed that it's not the grand palace that Hiyoko is hyping it up to be? Perhaps, yes, but that disappointment comes and goes as swiftly as the wind after Sheryl takes a really good look at the lodge. Very rustic and quaint, yet there's a certain charm to it that she can describe — in her own words — as "homey".

Yes, homey. By glancing at the lodge, she just conjured up an image of two people huddled under one blanket in front of the fireplace during cold, winter nights.

That image goes poof when Sheryl jumps, her mouth agape, an expression of shock at the sight before. A bear just waved to her!]

O-Oh! Hi there!

[How did Hiyoko do that?! Hastily, she waves hello, casting a gaze at the hostess before her eyes linger on the bear with a look that clearly says "please don't eat me!"]

Re: April 15th

[talkbirdytome]

[Hiyoko runs over to Sheryl excitedly. The bear slowly lumbers after her. Honestly it just looks sort of bored. He really doesn't understand why this is so exciting.]

So what do you think? Pretty nice, right? Let me give you a tour. C'mon.

[She is just so genuinely proud of her new home. It's so much fancier than her cave. The first stop on her tour is likely to be very enlightening.]

Let me show you the door.

[She's not kidding.]

Now I don't have to hang animal skins to keep the cold out.

[galactically]

[Oh, so the bear isn't going to eat Sheryl, after all... time for a sigh of relief, a hand on her chest while she takes the effort to compose herself. She's a guest in someone's temple, so she must act the part!]

It reminds me of those lovely homes that people go to when it snows outside. I've seen them in magazines.

[She means that sincerely. A home doesn't have to be extravagant to look nice. Her eyes linger on the door, and she arches an eyebrow at the mention of animal skins.]

You used to hang those skins?

[talkbirdytome]

[Her home would look great in a magazine! Lifestyles of the hunters and gatherers.]

Thanks! It's got windows too, so I can see outside!

[Door and windows. So fancy.]

Animal skins are the best way to keep the cold and rain from getting in a cave. If you hang them over the entrance, it's actually pretty cozy.

[This not being remotely interesting, the bear yawns and rubs it's face with a paw. Seriously what's wrong with caves?]

[galactically]

[Hiyoko's temple would be the best-looking one in that magazine, true facts.

What Hiyoko says next causes Sheryl to hike her eyebrows all the way up, so high that her bangs are now hiding them.]

I didn't know you used to live in a cave! That does explain why you had to use those skins to keep warm...

[Perhaps the hostess travels a lot or really likes the outdoors! She seems like the type to Sheryl. It doesn't take long for the bear to capture her attention, with its yawning and face rubbing that evokes some quiet laughter from her end.]

[readerofthestars]

[The privacy is nice, yeah, but Nageki has a sinking suspicion someone's going to try to sit on them thanks to their limited presence. He points at the menu board, quietly enough that he might be missed even if he wasn't a shinki.]

Tea will be fine.

[This is weird. And only partially because he'd been so reluctant about it in the first place. Mostly, really, because he wasn't sure if this was a date or not. He doesn't know how you'd act if it was a date. He doesn't know how to act if it wasn't a date, let's be real.

At least he's dressed mostly decently. He's replaced his sweater with a nicer jacket. There's that. That's a start, right? It's not like he had anyone to ask...]

[talkbirdytome]

[It's not as if she knows how to act on a date. Or whether this is a date.

Yeah, this will be awkward. While they wait for their drinks she tries desperately to figure out where to start.]

Um, so...

[Say something, say something....]

How have you been? Is your new god nice?

[readerofthestars]

I think he can hear my thoughts. [There's no lead up to that apparently. He pauses for a moment, one hand holding his other on the table and he's staring very intently at his knuckles.]

Miss Tosaka, may I ask you something?

[talkbirdytome]

Wh-what? He's not violating your privacy is he?

[Geez, can't he just get a nice god? Her tirade about personal privacy is derailed by his question though.]

Huh? Sure. Ask me anything.

[readerofthestars]

[He's been sitting on this question all week, hesitant and nervous, and now that he has the chance, he doesn't know how to phrase it. He can't small talk around it, can't just pretend it hasn't been weighing on his mind since she invited him out.

He can't ask why she has such an interest in him, no matter how confused he is by the matter. She clams up whenever he asks her questions that involve him. Besides, the question is more important than a personal relationship.]

What is it like where you're from?

[Now that he thinks of it, it's cold and impersonal.

But he's cold and impersonal himself. And this distances him from the question. Hiyoko might actually answer it now.]

I can't remember anything about when I was alive. The only world I know now is this one, but I don't belong here. I've never had the chance to ask any of my gods what it was like where they're from.

Zoo!

[hackberrydragon]

[ He's decided to make himself useful and wander about town today. At least take a detour on his way back from the convenience store. As he hasn't been to the zoo before, he decides it should be a good idea to go... at least once.

And then there's this girl he spots in front of the tiger cage just when he approaches. There's a tilt of his head when he realizes she isn't addressing him... but the tiger. ]

It might have never seen the wild before... if it was bred in captivity.

Re: Zoo!

[talkbirdytome]

[She turns to the newcomer, frowning.]

In that case shouldn't he want to at least experience life in the wild? It's way too sad to spend his whole life not knowing the freedom and majesty of his ancestors!

[hackberrydragon]

You know... I guess that makes sense.

[ He offers a bit of an apologetic smile as he approaches. ]

So... has he said anything interesting?

[talkbirdytome]

Mostly just stuff about the zoo. Which keepers he likes, which ones are jerks, that kind of thing.

[She stands and stretches.]

Most of the animals I talked to do wish they had more room to run around. But they also really like not having to worry about starving.

[hackberrydragon]

So I guess things aren't all that bad. At least they don't have to starve.

[ Always sounds like a plus to him. There's a pause as he closes his eyes and just takes in the ambiance. It's calm here. No pings of ayakashi, no danger to the animals... yeah, this isn't so bad.

He does steal a bit of a glance at his companion though. Nope. Nothing dangerous with her either. Though she does seem pretty cute. ]

Your power's talking to animals, huh? Or is this something you could always do?

zoo

[bighand]

[And of course, Kija will be at the zoo, as planned. He might have to sneak out of his own temple, since he might not exactly be allowed to go to the zoo unsupervised after climbing into the bear enclosure last time... But he makes it! He's here!

Hiyoko is easy to spot, considering she's sitting there talking to a tiger - and Kija's big scaly dragon arm likely marks him as the only "white dragon" around who isn't someone's pet. So. Here he is.]

Hello! Are you making progress?

Re: zoo

[talkbirdytome]

Hi!

[She stands up, brushing the dirt from her clothes. Then she shrugs.]

Most of the animals here were bred in captivity. And they really like the steady supply of free food.

[She can't really blame them for that.]

But a few of them are interested in trying out an independent lifestyle.

[bighand]

[Wow... lazy non-warriors... Well, those are a hopeless case. But the others-!]

Ah! Which ones? The bear?

[talkbirdytome]

One of the bears. She was super excited about the idea of exploring the wilderness and meeting more of her kind.

[She ticks the rest off on her fingers.]

Also two of the capybaras, some of the bats, and all of the wolves.

[bighand]

[!!! A BEAR... Now he's excited.]

Are we going to release them?

April 16

[bon_bon]

[ Konzen finds that he has to step out of the Far Shore every now and then. Something about that place just feels too lukewarm and comfortable for his liking. It reminds him too much of the life he'd left behind. Maybe all heavens are the same. The bullshit is definitely unchanged.

He steps out into the city of the Near Shore, quite accustomed now to the sights and sounds that were once such an unknown thing to him. He finds himself going down a street he hasn't been before, and then another, until it leads to a place where they keep animals in enclosed spaces. He's seen a similar place before: the horrible basement laboratory of Litouten. The failed experiments had been kept caged and prodded, all in the name of a madman's revenge.

This place bothers him.

He also feels some odd sort of affinity here, as if the animals in the enclosures speak to him. Not in so many words, but he feels them, somehow. Curious, he walks around to see what he might discover.

He pauses in front of a cage where a large tiger sits, facing a little girl. She doesn't seem afraid. But maybe this mortal is too young to be fearful. Goku was once like this. Konzen feels a little wistful. ]

[talkbirdytome]

[Living in the wild has given Hiyoko very good instincts and she notices him watching almost immediately. The fact that he noticed her means he's fro the far shore. There's no hint of a threat though, so she stands and turns to him with a smile.]

Hello, fellow Farshorian!

[Farshorite? They can work on that.]

Did you also come to inspect the latest in modern animal containment?

[bon_bon]

[ Farshorian. Farshorian. Konzen's eyebrow twitches. ]

Er. Hello.

[ Konzen's instincts on who's a Farshorian versus not is still a work in progress. So it does give him a moment's surprise to realize she's also like him. As for the animal "containment," he has no idea. ]

I hadn't realized it was done on such a ... scale. Is this a usual thing for mortals to do?

[talkbirdytome]

What, a zoo? Have you never seen one before?

[The only weird thing about this zoo to her is that they keep birds in cages. That would not be okay where she comes from.]

Yeah, they're pretty normal. I think the idea is for people to be able to see animals that live really far away in the wild. Little kids like it a lot.

[bon_bon]

Not really, no.

[ If a 'zoo' is what this girl describes, he's pretty sure Litouten's laboratory in the basement does not count. No child would want to see that sort of thing, unless they want terrible nightmares for the rest of their lives. ]

It seems rather unnatural, [ he says, with skepticism. The concept of caging a living thing for the purpose of observation seems odd to him. ]