Pigs may whistle, but they have an ill mouth for't

[reformedsinner]

Who: Cho Hakkai and you! (Closed prompt for Sanzo.)
What: Looking around for abandoned buildings on the Far Shore that might clean up nice for a new school. Definitely not looking for his god, who has vanished without even taking his phone along. Not in the least.
Where: Out and about on the Far Shore
When: May 7th
Warnings: Hakkai is angry and upset, so possible violence and probable unfair conversational low blows.

(open)

[What a very lovely day.

Hakkai's limiters are in his pocket, in case he needs to visit the Near Shore as well, but not on; his youkai markings are dark across his skin and his ears are long and extravagantly pinnate. His claws are hidden by the simple expedient of keeping his hands in his pockets. It's quiet on the path.

The sun is shining and the trees are bursting out in full verdant May leaf.

If a bird sings, he may be driven to violence.

He's not outside for a purpose as much as he is outside because waiting quietly at home with every sense alert for a closed door or a footstep that isn't Asshole's had suddenly become too much to bear. He'd come up with an excuse five minutes after he'd locked the front door behind him. After all, he'd promised Ren; he'll scout the area, and see if he can find Hibari out and about while he's at it.

And perhaps, in the meantime, he'll find some sign, any sign, anywhere, of where Gojyo might have gone. It's not as though waiting has gotten him anywhere. His nostrils flare, briefly, as he tries to catch that familiar tang of Gojyo's cheap cigarettes, and he turns absently to head off the path.

With any luck, no one will mind if he happens to wander through the back yard of their temple, or perhaps the front. Really, he's just looking for an unoccupied building. That's all. Unquestionably.]


(closed to Sanzo)

[It's after he's been out for hours that he leans back against a mossy stone retaining wall at last, lets out a long breath, and pulls his phone free of his pocket.

He's not sure what obscure impulse drives him to pick a certain recent conversation to add to. Maybe it's friendship. Maybe it's that first fragmented memory, and the absurd trust that rests in it.

Without thinking too hard -- it'll only make him hesitate again -- he types, swiftly, and hits send.]

There's no sign of him yet.

[And -- one more, because he has to, even if he knows the answer and knows asking only makes him look stupid and desperate.]

You haven't heard from him either, of course.

Comments

Closed

[killsthebuddha]

[ It's not the news he wanted.

It's troubling enough that he isn't even trying to lie to himself on the matter. He smokes a cigarette before he puts together a response. ]

I'm going to kill him. I'll tell you when I do it.

[reformedsinner]

Ha ha. If you find him, call me first?

I'd like to help.

[He probably wouldn't -- well, all right, if Gojyo's done this of his own free will he might want to break a few large and painful bones -- but the joking helps, in an odd way.

He doesn't know what to say after that, though, exactly. He leaves it as it is.]

[killsthebuddha]

Ganging up on him works for me.

[ It's teamwork. They'd been good at it once. But, then, they'd been terrible at it before that.

Maybe they could reach that point again.]

He has shit timing. Running off when he'd actually be useful for something.

Another Sanzo priest appeared.

[commoncurtissy]

[Jade is sitting on the porch of GuanYin's beautiful Chinese temple, using the fresh air to keep his mind afloat as papers are spread around him held down by small jade ornaments found around the temple.

He looks up as he sees someone wandering around and he has to squint his red eyes to recognize who exactly it is.]

I believe we've met before, haven't we?

[reformedsinner]

Yes.

[Hakkai's distracted enough to execute a polite bow before he glances around the garden; it's lovely, really. Very traditional. Not Gojyo's sort of place at all, and when it comes right down to it, beyond the smell of his cigarettes and his tendency to scatter around trash, Hakkai doesn't even know what sort of traces he might leave in a place.

He smiles at Jade, a moment late. The other man looks occupied. Good; that'll make it easy for Hakkai to slip a few questions by him and escape.]

When we were all cleaning, wasn't it? Please excuse my interruption. I thought I saw--

[It's a lie, but he breaks off realistically. He seems to be good at lying. Well, it's a skill.]

Have you seen a man with long red hair anytime today? I'm afraid he's left his phone at home.

[fontechnician]

[Wandering near Mahakala's temple will net Hakkai a mostly unoccupied building (and outbuilding), several birds, and a shinki, but nothing he's actually really looking for.

He actually might've been able to pass through unimpeded had he come by a few minutes later, as Guy's only come outside to toss the crows that hang around some food scraps.]

Hey! Haven't seen you in a while.

[reformedsinner]

Ah! Hello.

[Hakkai glances up at the crows: there's really something unsettling about the way they crowd the dead trees out here. Perhaps Ni can't be blamed for his temple's design after all, any more than Yuri can, but Hakkai sometimes wonders just what, if anything, the place reflects about him.

Guy seems to be adjusting regardless. Hakkai inclines his head politely in greeting.]

Sorry to intrude. Ah -- my god happened to leave his phone at home, and I'm trying to get it back to him. You haven't seen a man about my height with long red hair around, have you?

[kagenonadeshiko]

[As far as Ayumu knows, it's a lovely day, indeed. Without memories of the tragedy that's befallen her recently and familiar faces from home, she's taken to her new cover reasonably well. And of course, it's just a cover. She's a shinobi, no matter what the Heavens declare her to be, but she'll play the role of hearth goddess for as long as it's useful and furthers her commander's goals.

When Hakkai passes through her yard, Ayumu's cheerfully humming to herself as she prunes her flowerbed directly in his path in clear view, seemingly oblivious to her own mysterious disappearance. She glances up when she hears footsteps, eyes widening slightly as she takes in the long ears and strange markings, but there's no glimmer of recognition, just vague interest and surprise.

Then she recovers, realizing she's staring and just how rude that is. Best to offer a greeting to the stranger.]

Oh, hello. Nice weather we're having, isn't it?

[Snip, snip.]

[reformedsinner]

[Now this, Hakkai hadn't expected to see. He slows to a stop, staring at her for a moment too long before quickly summoning a smile. Of course she doesn't recognize him; the last time they met was brief, and, of course, he had been wearing his limiters then. He offers her a polite inclination of his head.]

Yes, it is. It's good to see you back, Yumi. Your shinki was looking for you a while ago -- everything is all right, then, I hope?

[bussounoshima]

[The birds at Aditi's temple aren't singing, at least, but they are clucking. There's half a dozen chickens wandering around by the bottom of the hill, pecking at the grass, with the actual building at the top. It's not very grand, as far as temples go, with thick fabric in place of a few walls that billow in the wind. Apart from the chickens, it's quiet- maybe this temple is abandoned?

If Hakkai decides to explore, a rather angry looking rooster will start chasing him though. Rushing forward it crows and goes to scratch at the youkai's legs.]

Just give him a kick if he's trouble. [Oh, look, there is a person standing by the temple now. A woman, robes and hair fluttering in time with the curtains.] Little shit woke us up at five this morning.

[reformedsinner]

I'll keep that in -- [That kick to his shin actually hurt, and Hakkai doesn't quite kick the bird back. It's more a very firm shoving of the rooster away with his foot.

The slender figure in familiar robes is more interesting than her rooster, though, and Hakkai's eyebrows soar as he looks back over at her.

Well, Sanzo had told him there was another one.]

-- in mind. Excuse me, but you don't happen to be a Sanzo, do you?

outside like normal people

[disciplineking]

[For whatever reason Hakkai had been restless more than usual and it was annoying to the shinki that was freeloading at his temple. Perhaps it was because Gojyo seemed to be gone? Hibari was happy he was gone, which made the entire place much quieter, but now the rhythm of his routine had been thrown off, especially regarding Hakkai.

And it was pissing him off.

He came here to get away from the tension of his god having another shinki and in general being an asshole, and now this was added on top of it. Simply speaking, Hibari was a mess and there wasn't even a school for him to go to where he could feel better.

Which is how he came to be stalking outside, weapons drawn like something was about to attack him. He left just a few minutes after Hakkai did, wandering around in much the same manner. Perhaps he was looking for a something to fight-or maybe he'd run across Hakkai doing the exact same thing he was doing.]

What are you doing?

they are both very normal people

[reformedsinner]

Ah! Hibari. As a matter of fact, I was wondering if I'd run across you.

Would you like to help me look for an abandoned temple? Someplace that we can clean up to replace the school?

[He'll be shocked if the answer is no. And if it works out -- well, then he'll invite Ren, too.

And it'll be a good distraction. But he's still going to look.]

[solar_avatar]

[ There really were quite a few unoccupied and abandoned temples, just waiting to have some sort of use to them again. Which is why one of the yards had quite a few piles of upturned dirt and a stack of cloth and twine for an otherwise overgrown and derelict garden. In fact, many of the flora in the area look like they had just gotten a fresh dose of miraclegro after being starved of nutrients for a long while.

Trance was carefully digging around a plant that looked ready to fall apart in one section, looking up after she hears someone. Lifting herself back up, it's clear that while she has pointed ears, the golden woman is a lot of curly golden-blonde hair. ]

Hello!

[ Then she realizes just why someone would be coming into the yard. So she drops the smile and carefully sets the plant (and its bulb) to a stable position before standing up. ]

Sorry if this was your place. The garden looked- I mean- I thought the place was abandoned.

[ Because it was, Trance. ]

[reformedsinner]

Oh, no, not at all!

[His glance goes, interestedly, to her pointed ears; they're shorter than his own, but is she a youkai, too? She certainly could be.

A youkai with a gardening interest. Hakkai thaws enough to smile at her.]

It certainly seems abandoned to me. In fact, I was just looking around -- ah... do you happen to have seen a man about my height with long red hair? He forgot his phone and I'm trying to track him down.

[onerous]

[Well, it isn't like Yuri's temple often gets visitors anyhow, so it's only natural she takes instant notice of someone wandering around. There aren't even any animals, the grounds as a whole taking on a quiet somberness-- serene, almost, if you ignore the nooses that hang from the trees.

She steps out on the front landing, resting her hands on her hips as she watches him.]

...If you were going to come over, you could have said something ahead of time. [Her tone is dry, but her eyes give away her curiosity and concern. Is everything okay? She's quietly asking.]

[reformedsinner]

Ah -- Yuri, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. [He half-bows, reflexively, in apology, and then clears his throat as he straightens back up.

He really is distracted, isn't he. He refuses to feel guilty for it (that's counterproductive) but he can at least allow himself a little embarrassment. She's worried, and he really hadn't meant to worry anyone. He's worried himself, and that's bad enough.]

You... haven't happened to see Gojyo lately, have you?

I'm afraid he's left without his phone, and I'm trying to get it back to him.

[This would be a much more effective cover story if he hadn't led into it by wandering through the edge of her noose-filled forest without noticing where he was.]

[redotiertwo]

[Davesprite is presently chilling out on one of the arches of Hajime's temple front, the few vultures she apparently adopted off some broody death god type hopping around him and picking at loose feathers. From the vantage point, it's not hard to notice Hakkai rambling through the front garden of the temple, and he raises his head a bit - the movement revealing the neon orange sword now stuck through his middle - and eyes him off for a moment before speaking up, his tone a little measured.]

Damn, you look like you've stood in some serious business since I last saw you. And that's including when you were dealing with the shitty cashier.

[Perhaps not the best way to point out that Hakkai looks pissed off, but hey.]

[reformedsinner]

Ah... sorry? [Stood in some -- clearly, Hakkai thinks, he's not at all accustomed to modern slang. He will have to work on that.

Luckily there's something more eye-catching than his own mood to turn the subject to. He inclines his head curiously in the direction of the sword piercing Davesprite's stomach.]

So have you. Ah... does that hurt?

[skyleopardess]

[Yoruichi's temple is lush and inviting, the fruit trees and rivers giving way to a beach behind the house. The lady herself is out front, barefoot and relaxed, picking some peaches from a tree that normally wouldn't be ready to harvest so early in the year.

But with all the other weird things around here, some out of season fruit isn't going to faze her.

Yoruichi's back is to Hakkai, and there's the briefest tensing of her muscles as she senses a visitor approach. But her expression is one of polite inquiry when she turns around, and relaxes into genuine welcome when she recognizes him.]

Yo. [She raises a hand in greeting, settling her basket at one hip.] What brings you by?

[reformedsinner]

Ah, Yoruichi! It's a pleasure to see you again. [He inclines his head in polite greeting, raising his eyebrows at the lush fruit growing on her temple grounds. That's a stroke of luck indeed. It's mostly out of season -- not much is in season in early May, of course. The perks of divinity, he supposes, and offers her a small, genuine smile.]

I didn't realize your temple was over this way. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to find Gojyo. He left his phone on the charger, and I'm afraid I'm not sure where he was headed. Have you seen him today?

[herbalsupplements]

[Today's already been more eventful than Saturdays have any right being, so Kurama is lying among the plants at the back of the pyramid when a vaguely familiar scent drifts towards him. It's been a while since he encountered it, he thinks, but also there's something qualitatively different about it...

Maybe if he'd gone to Menrva's school for more than a week he'd recognize it, but no, Kurama is completely in the dark when he sits up and looks over to see a strange man approaching. Or, well, depending on how loosely one defines "man". A demon, anyway, and isn't that a surprise?]

Can I help you?

[reformedsinner]

Ah -- [Hakkai frowns at the boy: redheaded, maybe sixteen, with a thoughtful expression. He's sure he remembers seeing him around at the school, once, although (like most of the teenagers here) he hadn't ended up being a very regular student. He inclines his head politely.]

I'm sorry to interrupt your afternoon. I've been trying to track down my god; you see, he forgot his phone at home. You haven't happened to see a redheaded man, about my height, with a scarred cheek -- have you?

[He folds his clawed hands, smiling with apparent unconcerned cheer. He's told the cover story a few times now, and it's rehearsed into fluent plausibility. There's hardly any worry showing in the set of his shoulders at all.]

[soothes]

( It's not a bird but someone is certainly singing on these temple grounds.

In fact, Freyja is dancing too. She's on the outskirts of the apple orchard that makes up a large part of her temple grounds, singing and twirling around in rhythm with the song. After the eventful welcome to this world there hasn't been a lot of chances to relax between healing people and helping fight back demons. Although she is still not used to everything it is hard not to be excited by her temple and the surrounding grounds. It reminded her of home with the endless orchards but without the constant presence of snow turning everything white and really the sky a lifeless shade of grey.

This, instead, was close to perfect. She spins, arms held wide but comes to sudden stop when she spots someone unfamiliar. It's just been Nightshade and her so she wonders if this is a friend of her shinki. Despite the surprise, Freyja offers a smile and steps closer. )

Oh! Can I help you?

[reformedsinner]

[That's almost too much brightness and cheer for Hakkai to put up with right now. It's a lovely temple, bright and verdant with fruit, and he's sure that's what has its occupant so cheerful.

He smiles perfunctorily at her.]

I'm sorry to disturb you! I was just looking around -- er, I don't believe we've met. Cho Hakkai. It's a pleasure.