awashlogs | [closed] June Catch-All

( When their quest ends and everyone returns, Mutsu is quick to head out and check on his lost friends. He'd checked on Tonbokiri right away-- someone he felt had an unfairly difficult task compared to others. He'd touched base with his new friends in this place as well, but there was one person he'd made a point of avoiding even if, in his heart, he'd been one of the first people he wanted to check on.

He can't, he thinks. Not until he knows how to handle it.

But he's impatient and after only a day, he can feel everything turning and twisting inside of him. He can't stay still and he can't stay away and it's exhausting. So now, he reaches out to the one person here who would really understand what he was going through. Everything is normal enough at first. It's just another visit, this one seemingly less urgent than the one from the day before. They can tend to the garden or set out trying to do something else to get things to return to normal. It's in the middle of whatever task they're doing at the moment that Mutsu suddenly begins to complain,, )

... This place really likes to test us, huh?

( Clearly he's just talking about their recent quest! Or the new ones. )

( After thinking of how things could go and preparing himself for how they might be, Mutsu sets out to check on one last person. It feels silly, now. By now, things have begun to regain some normalcy and he's certain that that person must be find and going about his way. Mutsu, however, won't relax until he sees it for himself.

At first, he lingers around where he'd last spoken to Ryouma-- near the shore. If it's really him, he'll be drawn to this place again, right? When he sees Ryouma, he doesn't approach right away, though. He's become too used to the idea of being distant and keeping things away. The idea of getting close makes him anxious and makes him want to flee because this feels like a bad idea.

But this is a different world with different rules and if they're going to be here then he wants to help. He wants to help him. He wants to protect him. He wants to be close to him again. He wants to talk to him-- Slow down, slow down, don't get ahead of yourself, Yoshiyuki.

And after all of the nervous hovering and waffling around, Mutsu finally calls out, addressing Ryouma, )

You're back.

( At the shore or back? )

Edited 2018-06-06 15:59 (UTC)

( Mutsu had promised to help Dextera with his lady problems. Even if this place wants to distract them with quests and trials and what have you, Mutsu is a spirit that keeps his word. Dextera probably doesn't know that, though, so who knows how he's going to react when Mutsu suddenly appears at his home one morning and is... chasing one loose chicken around the house. He could definitely catch it faster if he was being more serious but right now, it looks like he's having more fun than anything.

When he sees Dextera, he'll stop his chase for the moment and call out very loudly, )

Dextera!

Edited 2018-06-06 15:59 (UTC)

[ well... sure!

this is not the weirdest nor the most unwelcome thing that dextera has ever witnessed, so when mutsunokami calls out to him like nothing is wrong, dextera responds in kind.

he hopes mutsu can catch that chicken before somebody hurts themselves, though, or property damage is caused. ]

Hello.

[ one hand waving, the gentlest little ciao ciao! you ever did see. ]

( This is totally normal. Mutsu grins, waving back in turn, )

It's been a while, right? I guess the girls are still running around wild? Have ya been treating 'em right?

( What is this? Twenty questions? There's a cluck from somewhere and Mutsu adds, )

Don't lie. They'll tell me if ya are.

( Because he's suddenly a chicken whisperer.... )

Heh!

[ dextera was about to give an honest answer, but then mutsu follows up with that playful little threat, and he can’t help but laugh—the sound of it is small, mostly a breath from the back of his throat, but undeniably a laugh all the same. ]

Made nests. [ and then, a pause. ] Need eggs?

[ because they now have several, since damian taught him how to safely harvest them without the chickens getting mad. ]

( A quiet laugh is a laugh all the same. Some are loud and boisterous like Mutsu's and others are so quiet, you might miss them if you don't pay attention... But Mutsu is paying attention and when Dextera let's out his breathy laugh, Mutsu thinks how nice it is. Dextera is so quiet. It's good for him to laugh and smile. He might worry about him otherwise. )

Hm? ( He looks around for his wild feathered friend and then back at Dextera, ) We can eat 'em?!

( Shh, don't say that so loud in front of the mothers, maybe? )

(It's been over a week since Mutsu had woken up to find a strange coin next to his bed. As impulsive as he normally was, he'd held onto his coin since then, thinking carefully about what to wish for. There are a hundred things that he wants-- his first quest had been proof enough that he wasn't lacking when it came to things he wanted. But if he only had one wish and had seen some of them come true for himself, he doesn't want to take this opportunity lightly.

After sitting on it for some time, he thinks he has a few ideas and he goes to speak to someone who can help him make his decision. It can't be too hard to find Guren around town, right? When he sees him, Mutsu is quick to call out,)

Yo~, Guren! (What is this casual greeting.) Got a minute?

(As far as Mutsu is aware, he knows far fewer people who are "yellow" than he does who are "red" or "blue." And yet, this district is of particular note to Mutsu because his one friend from home resided here.

He'd come to visit his said friend but found that, at present, no one was home. Well, that was fine and he could wait. Or he so thinks. He's restless and doesn't do well when it comes to just sitting around and waiting. At some point, he's taken to picking at his friend's garden, trying to pick at one of the weeds in the little plot of dirt near his home. Except this one seems to have particularly wide spread roots and as Mutsu pulls, he keeps unearthing more and more and more... Until he finally manages to yank it free from the ground with a snap, sending dirt flying back right at Kyrie or something.

Don't mind this dog-sword digging in the garden? Maybe Kyrie shouldn't have been standing nearby.)

Edited 2018-06-07 01:06 (UTC)

[Ever since his arrival in the town, Ryouma has kept tabs on the ocean. He hasn't necessarily visited it every day, but often enough that assuming he'd be at the shore is reasonable. Like today. It's still grey, and lifeless, and depressing, though. Whatever they'll have to do to bring color back, it's clear it'll take quite a lot considering the size of it. And that's fine. Working hard toward a goal makes reaping the benefits all the more satisfying.

But that's neither here nor there. After his meeting with Tonbokiri about a week past, Ryouma has been mulling all of that information in his head. But he still doesn't have any real evidence that the Yoshiyuki he met and the Yoshiyuki blade in his possession are one and the same, despite everything else pointing madly to that assumption. There's still that slight chance that his thoughts are wrong and boy wouldn't that make this whole mental endeavor a waste of his time. Yet, perhaps he should just seek Yoshiyuki out and drop the bullshit and simply ask him for his full name.

He's pretty sure he's right, though. Besides, what's life without at least a little bit of adventure?

Luckily, though, he doesn't even have to go searching for the other man, as he calls out to Ryouma. How fortuitous!

He turns to look at Yoshiyuki, immediately smiling and raising a hand in greeting.]

Oh, so I am! And so are you.

[To the shore, obviously.]

It's like fate has drawn us back together.

(Ryouma smiles easily and immediately and where Mutsu would usually be quick to do the same, right now, he only meets it with a polite nod of the head in greeting. He's still cautious around Ryouma, despite being the one who had tried to seek him out in this scenario. There's still a distance and Mutsu is mindful of it.

Is it fate? He knows it can work in strange ways, forcing encounters and bringing up old memories. It likes to mess with the touken danshi in particular, doesn't it? Ryouma's comment draws a frown on Mutsu's face and he wonders again if this is the right thing to do,)

How've ya been? (With almost half a week having passed since their quest, he still wants to know. And so he pushes himself to cheer up, arms his spirit with a smile at last and follows up, ) Did ya get through everything alright?

[There's that distance, that unease that had hit Yoshiyuki suddenly on the day they met. Ryouma wonders if this is normally how Yoshiyuki acts, or if his presence is just that upsetting for whatever reason. He won't know just by wondering, though.

And yet, Yoshiyuki manages to muster up a smile and continue the conversation. That's fine. He's making some effort, which is all any of them can do. Ryouma rests a hand on his hip and blows out a breath, speaking with a slight, whiny undertone.]

Let me tell ya, it was rough. I'm sure ya heard, but us blues couldn't just eat whatever we wanted. I don't think I've ever appreciated food more than I did back then.

[His smile softens as he takes a moment to study Yoshiyuki. To see if there's any reason why he's so far away.]

You can come closer, y'know. I won't bite ya.

[Tonbokiri looks much better today than when Mutsunokami had come looking for him after the quest ended. And although his eyes hold a thoughtful melancholy at times, he is for the greater part back to his old self.

Today's task is trying to weed a narrow field not far from Tonbokiri's place. There's some plants that look enticingly like asparagus, which would be lovely when they regain their colour.

Looking up at that complaint, he pauses in his work.]

Yes, it does. A penchant made even worse by its ability to see into our minds.
Did it do something to you?

[ okay, well, dextera isn’t sure that he exactly likes mutsu’s enthusiasm—the chickens don’t produce as many eggs as expected, but four hens laying even a small amount of eggs is more than any of them can use up normally.

as long as mutsu doesn’t want to eat the ladies themselves...!! ]

Shh.

[ dextera cautions him to silence, but then nods. the eggs don’t have flavor, but it feels like a waste to just toss them out. ]

( It was either going hungry or ignoring ghosts and while he hadn't thought about it very much, he thinks that this one is the worst of the two. He can't imagine Ryouma being the type to fall for phantoms and regrets. Listening to Ryouma explain, the first thought that runs across his mind is have you eaten? Is he eating? Is he getting enough rest? Is taking care of himself? Is--

Questions. If he could ask every question on his mind right now, most of them would be making sure the man in front of him was well off. It would be easier if he could just ask them out loud but he keeps them to himself, holding back his questions. Some things are better left unasked. He isn't sure if it's okay to ask.

"It's okay to come closer." Mutsu looks up, and it's like all of that uncertain hesitation dissolves so he can snap, )

I know that! ( Who said anything about being afraid of getting bit? Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki isn't afraid of anything! ) I'm fine right here.

( Being stubborn. )

I was just making sure you were okay is all!

( Look, just let Mutsu eat? He loves food. He loves all food. Dextera could offer him a single bowl of rice and Mutsu would appreciate it like it was a whole, grand feast. He's confused when Dextera suddenly shushes him and he flinches and brings himself down, )

Sorry.

( He was just really excited? He gives an embarrassed laugh, scratching at his cheek, )

I mean... I don't really need 'em but it'd be a shame to waste 'em, right?

( He's picking at the weeds, trying to get at one particularly troublesome one. The roots are shallow but they seem to go out wide. If they don't get the entire thing, it'll just sprout back up later. )

Nah. ( It's a half-answer, his voice trailing into an almost sigh that implies there's more to be said. As much as he likes to run his mouth, he's also a thoughtful spirit though so while something is on his mind, it's clear that he hasn't figured it all out yet.

He stops what he's doing for a moment, looking at his work and frowning, )

Ya know I've been checking on everyone, right? Since everything happened?

[He is relieved to hear that at least it is not the town disturbing him.]

Yes. [Tonbokiri answers simply, letting his hands rest on his knees. Mutsunokami is clearly trying to work something out, and he feels that it would not help him to inject any extra thoughts or tangents.]

[Who said he could "yo" him...!! Just kidding, he's not in an office or his room or anything, so he'll allow it. He's got just peasant clothes on today, so it's a little more casual, even if he looks unfairly good in horrible clothing. One hand on his hip, he turns to the sound and gives Mutsu a look like he's bracing for something.

It's mostly for show. It's good to see him again.]

Depends. What do you want? [he's so nice]

[He's distant. He's defensive. Ryouma files these observations away, close enough to the front of his mind, but far enough away that he can still focus on Yoshiyuki's actions and words. He could try and whittle Yoshiyuki down with perseverance, or bridge the gap between them himself, but he doesn't know the other man's personality well enough to know where either of those routes would lead. Would Yoshiyuki retreat into himself? Would he bolt entirely?

Ryouma narrows his eyes slightly. No, he's got fire in him, even if it's tamped down somewhat. He can probably get away with prodding, up to a point.]

Y'got an odd way of showin' it, but that's real sweet. I'm right as rain, though!

[He even got a bathtub toy boat for all his suffering! It's the little things in life.]

I hope you got by okay. You're awful jumpy, which is a little worrisome.

(The silence is what really bothers him now. If they'd kept talking, it would have been easy to distract himself and focus on the conversation instead of everything else on his mind.

But there are no distractions here and dirt is only so interesting after staring at it long enough. He also knows that Tonbokiri understands something is heavy on the air. After another moment of silence, he looks down at the ground, picking at the leaves of a plant that may or may not be a weed and speaks,)

Ryouma's here.

Mm. [There is some combination of 'Is that so' and 'I thought so' in that sound. Figuring that neither would be helpful to say right now, he is silent for a moment. Then, just to be certain, he asks,]

Is he the one you know, or one from another world? [From his experience with Ieyasu he knows that the difference can be large but barely there at the same time, yet still he wants to know.]

(He bristles, standing up straighter in a defensive-- no, offensive, posture. Ryouma's right: Mutsu has a fire inside of him and when poked and prodded, it makes him want to fight. In response to Ryouma's teasing, Mutsu can only shoot him a look. Try saying that again and see what happens.)

I'm not. (Spoken a little too quickly.) And I got by just fine.

(He really did, compared to others and he seems rather proud of himself now,)

This place never even got close to giving me anything I really wanted. (Head held high, bragging,) What I want isn't something you can just get so the whole quest was easy.

[Yeah, it definitely seems like spooking Yoshiyuki isn't very likely, but if he can keep just gently poking, then they might actually get somewhere.]

Good, good! We've both been tested and come out stronger for it, yeah?

[But Yoshiyuki goes on and piques Ryouma's interest. Curiosity. He could just want something like friendship or...or love? But Ryouma does wonder. It could be a step too far, but he takes a risk.]

Oh? And what is it that you want?

( And like that, he begins to ease up. Talking does that-- brings people closer and sets aside feelings of unease. )

That's right! ( They'd been tested and come out stronger which is more than can be said for those who came out shaken. ) If that's the best this place can throw at me then things'll be easy.

( Where there's risk there's reward and thoughtless, Mutsu continues, indulging Ryouma's curiosity, )

I'm gonna see the world. ( Not want. "Going to." ) I'll get on a ship and see the world and talk to all the different people in it. Listen to what they gotta say and learn everything from 'em.

( A grand dream. )

[closed] June Catch-All

Tonbokiri, ~6/2

Ryouma, ~6/4

Dextera

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Guren, ~6/13

Kyrie, ~6/14

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