[OPEN.]

[payingthepiper]

Who: "payingthepiper" and open!
When: All day Friday.
Where: Any sector, any place.
Summary: After putting away two remnants, Allen takes a rest. His body's shareholder wants to see the city for himself.
Warnings: D.Gray-Man spoilers, possible psychopathy and other ... things.

Comments

[topslug]

[ Lately, Yako's been having to drag herself out of bed through sheer will power alone. The endurance training that Sasuke's been putting her through is by no means as brutal as Neuro's more sadistic whims, but getting used to abusing her body again is taking awhile. Today, she smothers a yawn as she jogs briskly along the sidewalk, happy that she's wincing less with every impact of her feet on the concrete. She's running a bit late to work, but not horrendously so; if she hurries, she can still pick up a bite to eat at her favorite cafe (and it really will be a bite, she thinks, a bit mournfully, considering she doesn't have money left).

Almost too late, she notices the figure approaching her from the side of an intersection. Caught mid-yawn, she tries to avoid a collision by side-stepping, nearly falling as her legs get tangled up. ] Sorry--!

[payingthepiper]

[he doesn't notice her until she's almost run into him; he'd been too busy studying the cars that were stopped, the cars that were moving, the turn of a bicyclist's wheels--]

Ah! [as she stumbled, tripped over herself, and he reached out with his right hand to grab her arm, try to help to steady her. (the feel of skin was so strange--) his eyebrows were raised, mouth turned down: his attempt at the expression of earnest concern, all while wracking Allen's memories to see if they were to know this girl.] No, don't apologize. Are you alright?

[topslug]

[ she's an unfamiliar face; at best, he'll recognize her in passing as a fellow Newcomer, and one who posts on the network regularly. a sheepish grin as she's righted, not brushing him off just yet, the expression on her face is genuine-- if apologetic. ]

I'm all right. Thank you-- I should have watched where I was going. [ he's younger than she first thought-- the white hair made her think she had just avoided someone's granny or something. ]

[payingthepiper]

[random faces were too vague of memories for Neah to grab onto without a true fight against his exhausted mind-roommate, and so his look back to her was purely his own: a gentleman's amused smile, the subtle look of someone who was laughing on the inside.]

No harm was done. You must have somewhere important to go to. [he let go of her arm but didn't step back, quirking an eyebrow instead (and as long as that granny comment wasn't voiced, it didn't exist).]

[topslug]

[ the pedestrian light on the other side of the street hadn't turned green yet, so there was a little more time before she had to cross. Yako shook her head-- at her best guess, the stranger was young enough that he should still be in school, but so few Newcomers went that he'd be remarkable if he was. ]

Just a bit, maybe. I'm picking up some breakfast. There's a great cafe a few blocks down, though it's a little out of the way from the place I work.

[payingthepiper]

That's definitely important. [even with the Innocence blocked from him, he could feel its effects-- food never sounded bad in any way. but here he was, trying to be nice to a woman and thinking of food -] What's it called, if I might ask?

[topslug]

Schrodinger's Cat. [ there's a touch of humor, in the way she said that, but she wasn't sure she could count on him to understand why it was funny. He didn't seem like he came from this time, after all, if the uniform was anything to go by. and from the uniform it was easy to let her gaze wander to his eye, his arm, taking note and visibly observing though not staring, filing them away as curiosities.

the light turned green. Yako Katsuragi reached a decision. ]

Would you like to see it for yourself? [ and a smile. ]

[payingthepiper]

[the corner of his mouth did hitch up-- Allen Walker didn't understand it at all, but the Noah caught it, cross-referenced and enjoyed it. (will we be dead, indeed.)]

[when the invitation came, his eyebrows rose; that was almost too easy. but why look a gift horse in the mouth, when it came from a princess who had no idea--]

Sure, I'd love to. It... isn't too expensive, is it?

[but even as he asked that, he started toward the cross walk.]

[topslug]

[ she shook her head as they crossed and kept slightly ahead of him so she could lead the way, hair dyed blond (and now shoulder-length from going entirely too long without a haircut) bobbing lightly in the side ponytail it was tied in. ]

It's good quality for the price. I think the couple who run it must be scientists-- everything on the menu is named after a theory, and they argue all the time about the best way to prepare the bread dough. [ another intersection, but this time she doesn't direct them across the street but around the corner. ]

[payingthepiper]

They prepare everything right there in front of you? How old fashioned.

[how quaint, how nice, and how kind of this girl to lead him along. his steps were only slightly tilted: he'd only had a day to get used to his "new" body so far, after all, so comparatively, he was doing pretty good.]

[he still nearly fell over on turning the corner, but nearly wasn't actually doing so.]

[topslug]

[ nearly was still enough for her to reach out, casually, to steady him with a hand on his good arm. The contact was brief, warm fingers pressing in gently before she let go. ] Careful, there. Are you all right?

[ her tone was sweet concern, but her eyes were watching him with a sudden keen interest, searching for signs of intoxication or injury that might be causing his body to be out of sync with his center of gravity. ]

[payingthepiper]

-- Er, yeah. I mean, yes, I am, thank you. I must just be a bit tired.

[he gives her an assuring smile, even a bit sheepish at the edges; but he also picks up on that look in her eyes, feels a trill of amusement at it-- continues on, regardless.]

... This place is always pretty busy.

[topslug]

[ she nods, apparently accepting what he's said as a plausible explanation; at his observation, she looks around as well, curiosity forgotten for the moment. ]

Well, it's a city. It wouldn't be much of one if it wasn't, especially with the Darkness every night. [ trotting along briskly again, bringing them down a side street and-- there, right on the corner. Schrodinger's Cat is unmistakable, with the sign of an airborne feline getting flung out of a box prominently displayed. there's not much of a visible queue inside yet, which is why Yako perks up instantly. ]

Ah, lucky! Looks like there aren't too many people around-- let's hurry up, Mr... [ hang on, did she even remember to get his name? ]

[payingthepiper]

[... what a fun little cafe (what truth on the Darkness). Neah's smile grew more, more genuine to himself: that is to say that it gained a sharper quality, something that was cruel and amused and just waiting to take the life out of something.]

Allen. Allen Walker. [murmured, then his eyes turned on her, pausing for just a moment out on the sidewalk, hand outstretched as if to shake hers for the first time,] It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss...?

[topslug]

[ the tone in his voice was enough to give her pause for a moment, but she chose to ignore the instincts blaring danger, for a moment. she'd faced demons and far worse, before, so if he wasn't human-- just another thing to take in stride. ]

Yako Katsuragi. [ obediently, she held out a hand. ] It's nice to meet you, Mr. Walker!

[payingthepiper]

A pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Katsuragi. [he bows at the waist, gives her knuckles the brush of a kiss; a gentleman's actions in an awkward boy's body. it would have been funny, if he wasn't immediately stepping back to the proper distance and turning his gaze to the restaurant.]

[with a light, jovial air,]

Do they know you by name in here?