Day 56: Main Street (Late Afternoon)

[mustbethesuit]

Cripes, it was just getting colder by the minute. Peter was rattling inside his coat, feeling mighty sore that the cocoa didn't do him much good now once he left the restaurant. If he wasn't so stuffed he might have gone back and bought one for the road

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[spandexorgtfo]

It wasn't often that he allowed himself to be dragged into so many conversations whether he wanted them or not, so after lunch, Kratos had wandered off to go take a proper walk alone to clear his head before buckling down and deciding what he wanted to do with the twenty-five dollars sitting on the little plastic card in his jacket pocket. It was obvious to him that finding some tools would be the wisest course of action, but the problem was that he had very little knowledge of anything this world had to offer

[osoreirimasu]

Augh, snow. It was winter that that meant he should be indoors, drawing up plans for FuyuComi at the kotatsu with Pochi-kun at his side while they watched some random variety show on TV and ate mikan. Instead, he was stuck out in the cold in an unfamiliar town, wearing what looked like Otaku Fashion with naught but 5 dollars to his name. Japan sighed and pulled the blue down jacket a little closer over the unsightly flannel shirt

[spandexorgtfo]

If he squinted enough, it seemed like he could make out a sign for the hardware store in the distance, but he couldn't be sure. Either way, it wasn't as if he would get anywhere by just standing on a street corner. Kratos sighed and tugged a little on his left glove to keep it from sliding down: even though he'd managed to get it situated over the Crystal, it wasn't exactly a good fit.

"I'm looking for the hardware store," he said flatly, glancing in the direction of the man who'd approached him - one of the man he'd spoken to only yesterday, as it turned out. Kratos briefly wracked his brain for the name...something similar to the Mizuho...ah--Honda Kiku. "Would you happen to know where it is?"

[osoreirimasu]

Oh! He remembered! Or he seemed to remember. Japan knew he couldn't exactly ask everyone to remember him, especially since he himself often...misplaced people's names. He tried to attribute it to his age, but really it was more that remembering every single name of every single person he'd ever met was so difficult. Worse yet, other countries hadn't picked up on the business card thing as much as his had. How was he supposed to know all the names and ranks of people if they didn't write it out? And their names were usually so difficult to say. Come to think of it, Japan still didn't know the name of that one man who'd come to see him at the World Meetings... But that was neither here nor there and Japan focused on the conversation at hand

[moarnomsplz]

Ax's morning had been one of unsettling revelations and emotions he did not know how to process, especially in the all too physical way his human body experienced them, with its rushes of blood to his face, and surges of chemicals that made him first agitated, then weak when they receded. He did not know how humans were able to cope with this, and had gained a measure of respect for them in dealing with it. Not only did they have to wobble around on two legs, they had to learn to mask their emotions, and most did it very well, as far as Ax could tell. He could not read human facial expressions with the degree of certainty he would have wished

[notachick]

Late afternoon and he hadn't spent the day doing much, he realized. Most of the day had been spent shuttling from store to store and talking to Allelujah. Staying out of the cold was one of his biggest priorities at the moment and so, when the day began to grow colder and the moods of the staff at the store he'd been hiding in began to match the weather, Okita headed out to find new shelter. The little card he'd been given was supposedly to be used for money, but even after figuring that out, he wasn't sure what to get

[moarnomsplz]

Ax's balance was only questionable for a moment when he turned his head to see who was speaking. A young human male, although not so young as himself, he thought. He had not observed that strange fur humans had on the tops of their heads to occur in that color before, and he looked at it curiously. Hair, yes, that was what they called it.

"I do not mind. Mine, mine-duh." He had been going back over everything he had learned, and he still did not know what to think. What was more, even if he had been able to reach some kind of conclusion, there was nothing he could do about it. He was in even less of a position to contact the fleet now than he had been only two days ago, and they would not have believed much of what he would have said to them. Nor would he have necessarily believed them, as things stood now. Ax did not like uncertainty, and uncertainty with no resolution in sight was even less enjoyable. He welcomed the distraction of talking to someone.

"Your hair is very unusual, you-shu-al," he observed.

[notachick]

Rather than look at him, the stranger looked at his hair. How odd, Okita thought. He'd never really had anyone stare at his hair before. Although...looking back on it, Heiji had once said that he did have nice hair so maybe that was why? The boy didn't seem to be off-put by it, however, and so Okita smiled and took up a place at his side, keeping an even pace as he kicked up the snow playfully

[allroadslead]

After the minor shopping detour, there wasn't a lot of reason for Sam to stick around and so he ended up parting ways with his roommate pretty soon after that. Besides, Peter probably had his own things to do and he'd see him again soon enough once they got back to the institute

[allroadslead]

Sam offered a small smile, an expression that could only be called awkward reassurance

[predictator]

Overall, the trip to town had been more enjoyable than Izaya had anticipated. It was small and barren compared to big cities, but as long as there were still humans around, it wasn't a waste.

He stretched his arms as he walked down the Main Street, wondering where he should go next. Ah... Maybe one of the parks to see if anyone was there? It was cold out, but there could be one or two people out playing in the snow... Plus, he'd left that note earlier; he didn't think there were actually any Dollars members here (who would show up, at least), but there was always a chance he'd be surprised. And what if Ryuugamine Mikado were to appear in the 'Institute' as well? Given Masaomi and Celty and Shizuo, he couldn't say there was no possibility for others to appear.

He smiled to himself at the thought. If that happened, if the conflict he'd been constructing in Ikebukuro could be brought here... Celty's head would be a slight problem, but things would start to get really enjoyable regardless. Maybe he could add a little more spice

[deadlyjuliet]

What a deliciously delightful day. Putting the snow aside, Grell was rather enjoying this trip for once. It was so freeing to be himself again. His hair up in a high ponytail rather than the usual low one, nails painted, being treated like a woman should be treated. It was a rare opportunity he rarely got back at Headquarters. As much as he missed his work (not the actual work, just the fun bits), there was nothing wrong with taking an afternoon like this to simply enjoy town.

Albeit a small town.

Grell could never get over how these people could live here. Sure, they probably weren't really alive if the little Z-Problem they had was any indication, but they certainly acted alive. Wasn't it a bit dull to live in a town where everyone knew everyone else and the dirty little secrets were so few? Grell would certainly get bored

[predictator]

Thoughts of Dollars were put aside for the time being when Izaya noticed that someone was coming up alongside him: Grell. They may have only just met yesterday, but that sole meeting had been enough to pique Izaya's curiosity about what kind of person had the same (or at least similar) hobbies as him.

"'Izzy'?" he repeated, with raised eyebrows and a short laugh at the nickname. It sounded odd to his ears-not least of all because Grell was, after all, a new acquaintance-but he was hardly going to protest it with all the vehemence of Shizuo protesting being called 'Shizu-chan'.

A smile had found its way onto his face as Izaya reflected on the entertainment of the day, and if Grell looked closely, he might notice that there was a hidden edge to it. "I've been keeping busy, yes... It's such a quiet little town, though, isn't it? It's enough to make one wish to stir up trouble." Or to encourage someone else to, as was more the case. He added in a hasty-sounding fashion, "But with our 'guards' around, I'm sure that wouldn't end

[escapedpandora]

Hope had... barely managed to get the nerve to duck into Tasty Burger to claim the meal from the voucher before wandering out again, having warmed up from the wait even as his nerves continued to fray from the people in the joint constantly looking up from their meals at him or from their conversations. Not that any of them looked particularly hostile (usually curious or with disdain), but it was still attention that he didn't want. He was only here because he was hungry, after all, and the moment it was done it murmured a brief thanks and left the shop.

It was even colder out, if that was possible, feeling like a wall of ice the moment he stepped outside. But at least there was warm food in his hands and all he'd have to do was find somewhere with a little less people to sit down and eat.

...Maybe not that much less people, seeing the last time he had wandered out to be by himself. That had only been an hour or so ago, but he still couldn't get over it. The person had looked like Lightning and sounded like Lightning, but... hadn'

[in_your_defense]

When Phoenix saw Hope as he walked by, it wasn't difficult to figure out that he was troubled - just looking at his face, his expression clouded with concern and thought, made that incredibly obvious - and the emotions exuded by him was so strongly reminiscent of the ones Maya and Pearls seemed to express when they were sad or worried that it caused him to pause. As Hope was walking in a singular direction, he passed by Phoenix easily, clearly not even noticing that he was there - and Phoenix stopped in his tracks, turning so he could follow him at an easy pace. As Phoenix's legs were a bit longer than Hope's, catching up to him wasn't difficult - but he kept a slight distance at first, not wanting to startle him.

"Hey," Phoenix spoke up loudly in a friendly tone, once he was a bit closer. Tucking his hands into his pockets, Phoenix managed to step to the side so he could walk next to the young man, only continuing to speak once there was a possibility that Hope could easily turn to look at him. "Are you okay?"

[escapedpandora]

Hope startled at the voice close to him-- he hadn't been paying any attention to his surroundings, but had figured that the townspeople would have done their best to ignore him anyway or at the very least, give him a wide berth. They hadn't been exactly friendly, even though a few of them had look curious and he didn't understand why. Nor did he want to find out, really. He'd much rather not have to talk to them if he didn't have to. It was hard enough stepping through the town on his own, but the idea of starting a conversation with a stranger was far too overwhelming.

He missed home already. Palumpolum had been friendly, with open shops and groups of people who would be walking around laughing with friends. Tourists were common and there were usually teens curious enough to strike conversation with strangers to hear of their travel stories.

Not that he'd be welcomed back again.

He shook his thoughts away as he turned to look up at the person who had spoken to him, wondering for a moment if that person was indeed talking to him

[in_your_defense]

Slowing his pace as well, a light smile tugged at Phoenix's lips, the look in his blue eyes warming as he looked at Hope. "...as okay as anyone can be when they're here, right?" Phoenix asked, his tone lightly probing and rueful - he was hoping that his words would give Hope some kind of indicator of the fact that he was trapped in the institute as well. "And um, I don't mean to be a weirdo about all of this - I just saw you while I was walking, and...you remind me of someone I know, and I thought you might need some help