Mushi-shi

The sun rises today and sets again. A flower that bloomed in the morning, falls from its stem. The sun sets today and rises again. Flowers bloom to fill the land, but not the flowers of yesterday… -Affiliated with Citta Alveare- Citizen District Gamma

[cynicismcatalyst]

—{☢} Finally he started getting used to the city— it didn’t take a century, but just a few days. However, he didn’t know what to do, so far. All what he just had to think about was who was still here? He knew, he had met Ryuko, who told him about Mikisugi. But he wasn’t here yet— was he gone missing?             He knew he shouldn’t take care about it— maybe he would reappear. However, it was hard to organize his day since he had moved into the housing. Probably helping a hand would be nice. But his need for nicotine was very huge, so he took the freedom and left the housing. He wasn’t that kind of a guy who would smoke in a house full of people, a little fresh air wouldn’t damage him either.

            Sitting on a bench not far away from his housing, he turned on his cigarette and took a deep pull. Yes perfect. He needed that, definitely.

[silverinsect]

It could've been worse, thought Ginko. The city wasn't unpleasant. The new Districts gave him lots of places to wander, and people always welcomed (and paid for) knowledge like his. It was a simple existence, just like back home. Sure, there were less mushi, but that wasn't entirely a bad thing if it meant less people with odd ailments. He'd settled back into the ways that suited him best, and there wasn't any chance it would stop soon.

Finding plants was a problem, though. And while running out of medicine was somethign he wanted to avoid, he could also run out of tobacco. Cigarettes had started out as a necessity, but they became a quiet addiction for Ginko. It had happened so slowly he barely even realized it was an addiction.

Ginko disposed of a stub and pulled out another thin roll from one of his pockets. His missing pack meant he didn't have any matches, and it was a hassle to light new cigarette in Hive City since no one had a handy fireplace or a candle going, and no one seemed to carry matches. How did they do it?

But maybe he still had some luck, he thought, spotting a smoking man sitting not too far from him. "Hey, sorry to bother you," he said, drawing near. He brandished the cigarette in his fingers, an easy smile playing on his lips. "I just need a light. Can you help?"

[celestialcanine]

Cherry Blossoms [open]

[celestialcanine]

The man seemed ecstatic by the tiny portion of spring she had wrought to their very feet, as he quickly distracted himself with searching for plants among the colorful, lively foliage. The wolf would loom over him in silence until he registered her presence, to which he responded by turning around to gingerly pat the crown of her head before speaking of how all the different plants he was finding would benefit many.

It lifted her spirits to know this - or so it did, judging by the inky tail that wagged hastily at her hind-quarters. Amaterasu would continue to observe the man until he made a request for a pack to put the plants in. As canines were notoriously obedient and complied with mostly anything, Amaterasu was no exception to this dog-like quality. She’d immediately turn around, hopeful to fetch something at least similar to what he requested, leaving the man to scrounge through the new earth. 

It’d not take Amaterasu long to find something questionably similar to what her friend had requested of her. The city, even in the green district itself, was treated absolutely horribly; a good majority of the less-admirable humans often carelessly treating the area as a giant waste bin.  So, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see a grocery bag drifting aimlessly in the breeze. After a brief moment of thought and hesitation, the wolf would bolt after it, struggling to press the slippery bag under her weight. Once she had manage to trap it and get a grip of the tasteless plastic bag, she’d turn back.

In good time from her friend’s perspective, the wolf would return with the bag in jaw. The animal would promptly sit to the right of the man, awaiting both a reaction and approval. While it wasn’t the most ideal pack for carrying herbs, it was better then coming back empty-pawed and letting some unfortunate critter hurt itself by trying to eat the grocery bag. If he reached over to grab the bag, she’d let go, then give a meek bark.

“Aruuf.”

[silverinsect]

Ginko watched the dog scamper off, and went back to his harvesting. Was he just imagining those inky trails it left behind, or were they real? He almost reached out to touch them, but the thought of getting ink on his fingers dissuaded him. The God knew what it was doing, surely. He'd just go back to his herbs. There wasn't a huge selection available, but it was better than nothing. Until the warmer months came, Ginko would have to make do with these, and there were no doubts in his mind that he could do just that.

An odd crinkling noise announced the return of the dog, and Ginko found himself blinking in the sunlight. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but being alone with his thoughts and with a menial task made it easy to forget the world for a little while.

"Ah, thanks. Now, what is this...?" he said, taking the bag. It felt strange to his fingers, slick and light, but at the same time, crumpled and worn. Ginko had never seen a material like it. But it wasn't very big, and it couldn't be carried over the shoulders, either. "Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose," muttered the man. "But it'll do for now."

A pile of large leaves sat next to the pile of herbs, and Ginko got to work. He didn't have the paper he usually used for wrapping medicines, but these would do in a pinch. "Once I make some money, things'll easier. I can buy a pack and some real containers to carry all of this in. I used to have this wooden chest back home, filled with medicines, scrolls, and things like that. I'm not entirely starting over, but it's pretty close."

With a nod, Ginko placed the final parcel in the bag, and got to his feet. The lack of weight on his shoulders was noticeable and bothersome, but he'd get used to it in time. "Alright, that's all done," he said, looking to the dog-god. "Thanks for your help, and I mean it. I would've had to wait until Spring if it weren't for you. Now then... Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I owe you, after all. If you need anything, I'll do what I can. Of course, it doesn't have to be right now..."

[bewitchedblade-archive-deactiva]

Upon hearing his request for seeing magic itself, the maid pulled out a golden pocket watch that had its chain tucked behind her apron and stared at it in her hands. She could only stop time three times a day, and after each use she had to wait another half hour. Was it worth it to show it off? Well, why not? 

"I could do that for you."

The maid pressed the stop button on top of the Luna Dial, and the world froze. Time ceased to flow for everyone and everything except for her. In the split ten seconds that she had to move, she flew into the air and zipped her way on top of a lamp post, quickly seating herself atop the horizontal pole. Within a few more seconds, her time stop ended, and she gave a small wave to signify her new position — she had disappeared right in front of him and seemingly ‘teleported’.

She slipped right off the pole and drifted to the ground in front of Ginko once more, much slower than usual to show that she was indeed using flight, not falling. With her feet now on the ground again, she smiled cheerfully.

"How was that? Do you still think people cannot fly? I hope that satisfied your curiosity, but there are far more bizarre things than time-stopping and flight you will encounter. Now, what were those questions?"

[silverinsect]

Perhaps Sakuya wouldn't show him. Ginko would've liked to see if the girl's claims were true, and he had no reason to believe she was trying to trick him, but he was vaguely aware of some limits placed on certain abilities. He had no such abilities, aside from seeing in the dark, and as such, had no limits placed on him. But he couldn't really blame her if she didn't want to waste whatever uses she had of her powers just to satisfy the man's curiosity. Ginko was about to speak up, but the girl spoke first.

"Really? Sorry to make you indulge my whims like this, but I really am curious. And if you really don't mind..." He pulled the cigarette from his mouth again, holding it down by his side and watching as the girl pulled out a golden watch. She pressed a button and then-

She was gone. Ginko stared for a few seconds, wide-eyed and somewhat concerned. Only when he finally spotted the girl at the top of a nearby pole did he relax, putting the cigarette back in his mouth. He didn't react much when Sakuya slipped off- her sudden disappearance had already absorbed most of his shock, and the slow drifting wasn't as surprising as it might've been.

"That was... impressive," said Ginko. "But that might be putting it a bit mildly. I've never seen someone who could do those sorts of things under their own power. I can't imagine what might be more bizarre than that." He didn't really want to think about it, either.

"Well, I had some questions about the city..." Ginko brought a hand to his chin, frowning.  He was still concerned about this whole experiment thing, but there was something else weighing on his mind, something more important. "Do you know if there's a place to eat around here? I feel like I've been starving for weeks."

[iyashikei]

[salbo5]

[celestialcanine]

Cherry Blossoms [open]

[celestialcanine]

The thick perfume of spring hung in the air. It was like an old montage of spring. It was a sight the animal was all too familiar with; and yet, the blossoming life still found a way to uplift the deity’s spirits. The wolf sat tidily in place, observing as the white snow receded into puddles as green blades of grass perked from its’ frozen tomb, buds blossomed, and color was restored. A brief look upon the man’s face spoke it all; he gawked in awe, kindling a brief canine-like smile to tug at the corners of the wolf’s maw in mild amusement. 

The silence between them was broken as the man spoke, leading Amaterasu to look back up at him again. When he spoke of labor, the canine would promptly stand on all fours, sounding a brief bark.

“Aroof!"

The deity inched forward to stand parallel at the man’s hip, a tail wagging contently at the wolf’s rear. Yes, Ammy had already done what he had asked, but the wolf couldn’t possibly stand idly and watch him struggle with collecting his herbs. It was for a good cause, after all.

[silverinsect]

Ginko got down on one knee, placing his hand on the grass as if to check whether or not it was real. The initial shock had worn off, and he merely smiled now, impressed with the dog-god's powers. It was also nice to be out of the cold white for a little while.

The dog appeared at his side, and Ginko scratched it behind the ears, hoping a deity wouldn't find that rude. "Thanks a lot. I owe you one. And hopefully it won't be just me that benefits from all this." Mushi or no, Ginko still had enough medical know-how to be a decent doctor. A few medical herbs like this could set him on the right path pretty easily.

Already he was spotting useful plants, and he knelt down to start gathering them. "Ah, this one will be useful. And the root makes good tea, that's useful too. I think this one is a bit too specific, but it can't hurt to grab it for now..."

The dog barked, grabbing Ginko's attention. He stared at it for a moment, trying to divine what it was saying to him. For some reason, looking into its eyes seemed to make its meaning more easily understood. "Actually, come to think of it, I've missed something pretty obvious," he said, casting a glance to the pile of plants he'd gathered. "Could you find something I could carry these in? Maybe a bundle or a pack or something like that. If you can't, I can probably go find something myself..."

[silverinsect]

Watering Hole [CA Open]

[timidronin]

Masa didn’t really drink. At least not often and rarely ever more than one or two cups. The last time he had drank more he had awaken from the floor of Ume’s izakaya’s floor with nothing but headache remaining from the last night. Therefore he kept himself content with teas and sweeter drinks they had in the City. For it was something he rather enjoyed the thought of visiting a bar never truly crossed his mind until a stranger came to him with with a request.

With a small twitch Masa turned his head casting a careful look towards them. Eyes widened if only a bit - a white hair, even lighter shade than Yaichi had… By now it was no oddity for Masa however so few blinks after Masa turned fully around.

"A-ah, it is no trouble", he muttered then slightly scratching the back of his head. Despite not having visited he had indeed spotted some places, one of them was even rather close if he wasn’t wrong… But would he dare to recommend a place he hadn’t visited? As usual the thoughts soon slipped into words.

"While I have not paid a visit I know there is one near, I think", Masa mumbled, "but I am not familiar of the nature of the place… It seemed small, I can say as much…"

His glance sank a little. It was a little embarrassing really but he didn’t want to be rude and decline such a kind request and certainly wouldn’t want to leave the man to their own devices. The city could be quite a labyrinth…..

"Hmm, well, I suppose it will be fineI think that will be the last round for me but regardless…", he muttered before turning to the other again, "it does not sound bad. I would be glad to accompany you…."

[silverinsect]

This man struck a chord with Ginko. It was probably something about the way he dressed; it was very similar to the things Ginko had seen back home, so he couldn't help but feel a bit more amicable towards him.

"That's fine," he said, putting the cigarette back in his mouth. "I just need directions. The drink is an incentive. If you're really not interested, it can't be helped..." The other man's demeanor was rather feeble-  wide eyes, trembling voice, lots of blinking... He lacked confidence, but Ginko couldn't really judge him for that. People all had their own strengths and weaknesses. "As long as I can relax a little, it'll be fine," he said, smiling. "It's been a stressful week."

He wasn't too fond of drinking, either, it seemed. "That's fine too. I could use some company either way. I've mostly just been trying to settle back into my life now that I'm here. It's a lot more difficult now, especially with all these buildings around. Plus, the countryside was a lot bigger than this city." With a sigh, he put his hand to his lips, drawing in a deep breath before pulling his cigarette away and breathing out a cloud of smoke. "I just have to do things a certain way, you see. If I don't, it just becomes a hassle."

It was the mushi. Ginko never stayed long in one place back in Japan, because the mushi tended to father around him, and they brought their own host of problems with them. It was better to just wander from place to place and life life as it was dealt to him. Even this sojurn to Hive City was nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things.

"Anyways, where was I? Right, a drink. If you're up to it, then lead the way," he said, lifting the stub to his mouth again. "I'm Ginko. Good to meet someone who knows their way around this city."

[silverinsect]

Watering Hole [CA Open]

[plegixn-deactivated20200416]

Weather turning more bearable for the plegian she would go back to her usual mindless strolling around the city. With all of these people having forgotten their time in here, it was incredibly annoying to deal with the most of them, however those who she had never seen in the past were pretty much normal interactions that somewhat turned a bit less stressful, you could say, not having to explain or help someone remember was a bit more enjoyable.

At first when her shoulder was tapped the dark mage let out a loud hiss, though the moment her sight met the other, she sorted to simply turn around and listen to what he had to say. 

Not too long ago, he talked to her about mythical creatures. But failed to recognize one as common as a Wayvern, still he seemed to know about magic, but if it wasn’t entirely magic what he knew about, enough tricks to catch the attention of the female. 

"A place to have a drink?" 

She knew a few, though she never frequented them, mostly because she didn’t understand the point in drinking, never had the pleasure of getting at it when she would always be in war. And then again it all seemed like a waste of time. It seemed though that they had an age ‘rule’ in this city for that, but nobody need to know that she for the time being remained a ‘minor’.

An endearing smile coming from the ebony, in an honest moment of not having in mind wanting to harm the male. More like genuine harmless curiosity that took over the magician. “Well, I do… but, you will have to tell me more of those mermaids and creatures you were commenting on the other day.” 

Never acted like an underaged girl, never looked like one, so she might as well get away with coming into the place.

"Follow me?"

[silverinsect]

Oh, this one. Ginko hadn't really recognized her from the back, but he smiled as she turned to face him, at least until she hissed at him. It was unsettling. He considered backing off until she made eye contact, at which point the hissing stopped. Was that a good sign? They'd had a conversation once, covering topics like mythical creatures and love-inducing mixtures, but Ginko didn't know her well enough to know if the hissing was good or bad.

She echoed his question, which Ginko took as a good sign. For some reason, something about this woman put him on edge. The hissing didn't help, either.

"Well, only if you want. I mean, if you're busy, that can't be helped..." But the woman smiled, and Ginko found himself letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. Suddenly he was feeling a lot more optimistic about the whole thing. He matched her smile with an easy one of his own, bringing his hand to his mouth to pull his cigarette away. "Sounds good to me, then. But in return, why don't you tell me about how your love potion recipe? I'm always open to alternatives."

Maybe he'd been overthinking things. Sure, the hissing was... a little weird, but maybe it was an ordinary thing where she came from. Snakes hissed when threatened too, maybe she just came from a world where people really liked snakes. Or maybe he was overthinking it again. Better to just not question it, decided Ginko.

"Lead the way," he said, bringing the stub back to his mouth. "And if you know someplace that serves sake, I'd really appreciate it. I have a craving for it." He took a drag from his cigarette, flicking the ashes before a thought occurred to him. "I'm Ginko, by the way," he said, another smile spreading across his lips. "I don't think we ever introduced ourselves."

[hypodermicsyrinx]

self dx || open/intro

[hypodermicsyrinx]

There was no need to discuss the topic any further, so Mikan simply nodded in response to his first inquiry. To his next, she shifted nervously on her feet. It was a pretty bad idea, wasn’t it…however, as he continued to speak, she relaxed a little.

"Mikan Tsumiki." She returned Ginko’s smile. 

She took another look around, hoping to find someone who was familiar with the place. Unfortunately, she could not discern people’s knowledge with a simple glance, and the thought of approaching them made her tremble a little. Ginko clearly didn’t have as much problems socializing as she did; if not for him she would probably end up lost for hours.

Granted, they would likely be lost for hours anyway. But the company made her feel a little better about it.

"The apartment complex p-probably won’t be too hard to find…" Mikan tapped her fingers together thoughtfully. "But I’m…not sure where the districts would be from there…"

[silverinsect]

Her name sounded vaguely Japanese to Ginko, maybe something from more modern times, like the rest of the city. He was almost tempted to voice his suspicions and ask her about the state of the country, but thought better of it. "Nice to meet you," he said, raising a hand to his lips. The corners of a smile could be seen through his fingers as he pulled the cigarette away from his mouth and let it hang at his side.

At least the girl had calmed down a bit. She seemed to be on the verge of some kind of anxiety attack earlier. Ginko knew how to make medicine for calming one's nerves, but it was with his other supplies, and only the scientists knew where those were.

"Would it? I'll take your word for it, I don't really know where that might be, either. Wonder how much it costs to get a room in one of them, though." It was something to think about. Ginko put his cigarette back to his lips, scratching his head and glancing around. "Well, let's go. We're not getting anything done just standing around." The man's hands moved to his pockets, and he began to walk, only pausing to glance behind him and see if Mikan was beside him.

"Where to start, then? Guess I can just ask someone for us, if you don't want to. Just wait a moment." Already Ginko had spotted someone promising, and crossed over to them. "Excuse me, can I ask you something? My friend and I need directions..."

[silverinsect]

Watering Hole [CA Open]

[taomaster]

Ushiwaka felt oddly at home in Hive City, despite it never being his actual home. Perhaps it was because here he’d finally been able to put his worries aside. He didn’t need to save the world from anything, and there weren’t constant reminders of his mistakes everywhere. It wasn’t that he was running away, but after decades of guilt, the taomaster needed a break.

It was Hive City where he’d met so many wonderful people from strange, far off worlds and universes, who taught him more than he could’ve ever imagined existed. It was here where he met a woman that taught him that even someone like him, who had caused so much despair to so many people could love someone, even if he’d never had a real chance to let her know how he felt. Either way, Hive City was full of memories for him.

He was comfortable here. He had favorite places to eat, favorite places to sit, and favorite places to drink. Somehow, he’d managed to procure a decent amount of money from telling prophecies to people on the street. He typically didn’t charge, but well, he wasn’t the type of man that’d do well in a conventional job. But at least he had enough to get by and get a drink.

That was his aim right now, as he stood in front of a large glass building in Sector 005. This bar was his favorite, for the traditional Japanese set up and decor that reminded him of home. But there was a problem. It had an automatic door that was somewhat faulty. The technology was still confusing to Waka, and even though he’d stood there for a while, it still hadn’t opened. What in the world was going on?

He stomped his geta a couple of times, the door still not opening. Waka huffed, crossing his arms before he felt a tap on his should. In a sudden movement, Waka whirled around, his levitation activating as he crossed his legs, sitting in the air and smiling at the stranger before him. It was a reflex.

“It’s like you’ve read my mind, mon ami. That was my goal here, but I’m afraid I can’t get the door open. If we get inside though, I’ll gladly take you up on yo—”

As the stranger drew closer, the door suddenly opened, his presence acting like a key to a lock. 

“Oh! You did it! Sacre bleu!” Waka laughed, setting his feet down on the ground gently before motioning for the man to come inside. ”After you. For that, the first round is on moi instead.”

[silverinsect]

The architecture here looked familiar, maybe that was what drew Ginko to this area in the first place. It was still bigger and more confined than even the biggest village he'd ever been to in Japan, but it was better than nothing. The person (it was hard to tell if it was a man or a woman from the back) he'd chosen was even dressed in something that reminded him or more traditional Japanese clothing.

The floating was new, however.

"That wasn't... really necessary," said Ginko, taking a long, almost sigh-like drag on his cigarette. "Though I suppose it's impressive. Magic, right? Anyways, if we're looking for the same thing..."

Before he could continue, the nearby door opened. That was much more interesting to Ginko than the floating, for some reason, if only because he couldn't see anyone behind the door to open it. "Oh, what happened there? How did that door open? Was that magic too, or was it something else? This city can be really impressive sometimes." The floating man in pink also seemed excited by it, though for different reasons.

Ginko raised an eyebrow. "I did? Well, glad I could help." Part of him really doubted he had done anything, but it wasn't his place to doubt. Why question it? He stepped through the open door, smiling now.

"Well, if you insist. Maybe I can return the favor later," he said over his shoulder. When he finally looked back to the bar, his eye widened. It was eerily similar to some of the places he'd seen back home, but just different enough to remind him that he was not home. Ginko wasn't sure if he appreciated it or not. At least they didn't seem to mind his smoking in it.

"Ginko," he said, looking back to the man in pink. "You knew what kind of place this was, right? Did you come from Japan? You know, before this whole..." He shrugged, blowing out a string of smoke for a moment. "Experiment thing."

[silverinsect]

Watering Hole [CA Open]

[spherebot]

     He was tired.

     So. So tired.

     The buzzing street contraptions, the “televisions” and “stereos.” He was so confused at everything the city had to offer, whether it was the technology… and well, everything else. He had no idea what was going on, or why he was even brought here in the first place. He was so amazed by the TV screen alone he had hardly listened to what the man talking in front had to say.

     Edward heaved a heavy sigh. With a hand smoothing out his hair, he adjusted the hidden blades butter knives at his wrists. Honestly, they strip him of his dignity and hand him butter knives, expecting everything to be okay?

     He needed a drink. He needed a drink badly.

     To his luck, Edward felt a tap at his shoulder.

“Sorry to bother you, but I have a request. Do you know if there’s a good place to get a drink around here? Normally I wouldn’t bother, but I feel like I deserve it after the past few weeks.”

     What looked back at him was a laid-back sort of man. Honestly the type of person Edward wouldn’t mind spending a couple hours with. Lips stretching to a grin, he simply nodded his head and opened his mouth to reply but—

“First round’s on me, if you like.”

     This man was a saint. 

     “Ah, ’fraid I don’t. But I’d be more than willin’ to help you find one. I could go for a drink myself.”

[silverinsect]

At least the person was of an agreeable sort; maybe a bit rough around the edges and slightly smelling of seawater, but still friendly-looking. Aside from his good nature and overall harmlessness, he was defenseless against anyone who might try to do him harm. Ginko knew full well there were plenty of people in Hive City that were far less friendly, but even they might be swayed by the promise of a free drink.

"Is that so? Well, that's alright," he said, flicking the ash from his cigarette. "Must be fate then, huh? Good luck for both of us."

There were a few problems, but nothing that couldn't be solved with a bit of wandering. "I'll be honest, I don't know the city as well as I'd like to. Do you have any idea as to where we should start looking, or would you rather just wander until we find something? Either way is fine by me."

What sort of drinks would they serve in a place like this, anyways? Ginko was fond of sake, but he had no idea what "modern" cities like this would drink. Hopefully they still made drinks he was more familiar with.

"Ginko," he said by way of introduction. "A pleasure. So, tell me, what are you looking to drink?"

[silverinsect]

Watering Hole [CA Open]

Ginko felt he'd finally gotten settled in Hive City. It had taken far longer than he would've liked, but he was somewhere approaching comfortable now. He found his home, though he never spent much time in it, a had a backpack full of herbs and other useful plants, and a good sense of where things were. Sure, he missed the long dirt roads and open plains of Japan, but things could've been a lot worse. He'd just adapt and keep on living, same as he always did. There were mushi floating around the city, and if there were mushi, people would undoubtedly have need of a mushi master. It was only a matter of time, and the longer he stayed in the city, the more would be drawn to him. Nothing would change.

Except for the setting, of course. It had taken Ginko a bit of time to get used to the technology, like cars, televisions, radios, street lights, vending machines, automatic doors, escalators, elevators... Maybe he still wasn't used to it all. It all seemed so complex to him, and without great reason. Maybe people in modern times were just lazy.

There was one, little thing that was bothering him, though. Normally, Ginko just would've wandered until a solution presented itself, but he hadn't had much luck on that front.  Might as well ask some of the locals, he decided.

The next person who walked by would feel a tap on their shoulder. Ginko gave them an easy smile, stubby cigarette still held in the corner of his mouth. "Sorry to bother you, but I have a request. Do you know if there's a good place to get a drink around here? Normally I wouldn't bother, but I feel like I deserve it after the past few weeks."

He pulled the cigarette from his mouth, holding it at his side as he turned his head to exhale a cloud of smoke. "First round's on me, if you like."

[hypodermicsyrinx]

self dx || open/intro

[hypodermicsyrinx]

"There aren’t many dirt roads where I’m from. Most of them are made of cement." It was impressive, when Mikan stopped to think about it. Not the method in which the streets were made, but how they’d gotten to it. This man probably came from a world far back in the past.

She crinkled her nose a little at the cigarette smoke. She was hesitant to scold him for his habit, considering they had just met and he was likely much older and much stronger than she was— but if she had the chance, she would definitely chastise him for it. For now, though, she would hold her tongue.

"Oh, yes…! I-it’s no trouble at all." She nodded once, as if to confirm what she had said, and also glanced around a bit. "There may be a map, somewhere, but it…it may be easier just to search for it ourselves."

To his second inquiry, Mikan shrugged. “Sorry, I’m not…s-sure where we should start. I-I suppose we could just wander until we find something, but that could take hours.” She looked back at the man. “D-do you happen to know what sector we’re in…?”

[silverinsect]

"Is that so? Never heard of it. I'm guessing that it's this stone?" asked Ginko, tilting his gaze down. The surface beneath his feet was pocked and rugged, though countless people walking on it would do that. He dragged his foot along it, creating a crackling noise that made him raise an eyebrow. Maybe it wasn't exactly one stone...

"I'll look into it later," he announced, picking his gaze up to the girl again. "There's more important things to worry about right now." He listened to her talk, reaching up to hold his cigarette between his fingers and turning his head to blow the smoke away. Making more tobacco was priority number one, he decided, before the mushi began to congregate around him again.

"Ourselves? I'm not too sure about that. It sounds like a good way to get lost." He let the thought hang for a moment, looking past the girl into the city itself, and wondering if he could find his way around even with instructions. "Although... That might not be a bad thing. At the very least, it would be a good way to get to know the city. And I don't really have anything to do, so we might as well." At the very least, it could help him get his mind off things.

"I don't mind wandering. That's mostly all I did back home," he said, cracking a small grin. "Though I suppose it's different now. I'm not sure where we are now, but it can't be hard to find out. We'll just ask someone." He was about to walk past the girl and find someone who at least looked more knowledgeable than she did, but he turned back before he'd even taken a full step.

"Almost forgot. I'm Ginko," he said, giving the girl a smile. Hopefully she wouldn't have any more panicky moments as they walked. "You ready?"

[celestialcanine]

Cherry Blossoms [open]

[celestialcanine]

She studied him intently as he sat down before her; her head still cast at a most curious angle. He spoke specifically of several plants, some of them foreign to Amaterasu, and all with attributes necessary to help the dreadfully ill. A noble cause, to say the least. The canine’s head would cease to be cast at an inquiring tilt before she stood upon all fours again, producing a series of barks: "Arf, arf, arf!"

Plenty of times in the past was Amaterasu tasked with the chores of her fellow villagers. Most of them were frivolous, minute tasks such as a new pole for drying laundry, or fixing the water-mill to brew Sake again; and all were handled swiftly with efficient care with a simple swish of the goddess’s chalky tail. This case, while with a different cause, would be no more different then the chores from her motherland. 

The goddess of the sun would cast her head towards the heart of the infamously known Green District, formally dubbed Sector 6. Before the blistering cold, it lavished with flora, life and the perfume of spring deep within it’s grove of flowers and trees. And now? It was a graveyard of trees and brittle flowers that had wilted into mere nothings. It was a sorrowful sight to say the least. Turning her head back, she’d grunt once, considering the man. "Rrrrr."

While she couldn’t grow specific plants, perhaps,  if she attempts to paint some life into the grove that made constant, silent pleas for respite that perhaps they would find at least one if not all the plants the man deemed necessary for his mission. The god froze in her tracks as she reached a section closest to the center of the grove. Ink bled from her tail as it swished in various, scribbling motions which translated into making the wilted area blossom with fertility; trees resurrected, flowers regained their color… in summary: Life. Even if they did not find the plants he needed in the portion of the forest she had benevolently rekindled with life, she would not be upset. The sight of an incoming spring always lightened her heart. 

[silverinsect]

The barks seemed to be a confirmation, or at least Ginko imagined it was. Suddenly self-conscious, he turned his head left and right, wondering if anyone around was thinking him odd for talking to a hound. Thankfully, nobody was paying him much attention. Perhaps stranger things had happened in Hive City. Come to think of it, he'd seen stranger things too.

The dog got to its feet, and Ginko followed suit. It looked off to the side and then looked back at him, growling. It wasn't an unfriendly growl, but Ginko felt, somehow, that he should follow the dog. "Lead the way," he said, turning his head to follow the dog's. "I don't really know where we're going, so I'll just follow you."

Hands tucked in his pockets, Ginko followed. The pair walked for a time, and Ginko used their relaxed pace to study his surroundings. This city was huge, even the biggest cities he'd seen in Japan were nowhere near this size. He didn't even know what to think about the level of technology, mostly because even things like electricity were entirely foreign to him. Some people might have panicked, but Ginko was too easy-going to let it get to him. He'd just pick it up as he went along.

Ginko was about to ask how much further they had to go when the dog-god stopped. They'd crossed one of the Sector borders some time ago, but he wasn't sure which one they were in now, though he certainly wouldn't have minded staying here. Unlike all the other places he'd been to before now, this one was lush, with more plant life than buildings. But now, he peered around at the snow-covered trees without interest. "Is this it?" he asked, talking mostly to himself. "I guess we're on the right track..." He looked back over to the dog, just in time to see the ink flow from its tail. Ginko's eye widened; it was the same as the boy with the god-like powers. He was about to voice it when the plants came back to life.

He'd seen something like this before, too. There was a kind of mushi that could bring spring to a snowy area, bringing the plants and animals out form their slumber. Ginko's surprised expression turned to one of contentedness as the whites melted away, replaced with the greens of fresh life. Buds grew on branches, growing and eventually unfurling into leaves, and sprouts on the ground straightened up, opening to reveal colorful petals. Ginko stood still for a few moments, watching the winter's reprieve with a smile.

"Well, I think it's time to get to work," he said, picking the cigarette from his mouth. "You've given me more than enough, I think. It should tide me over until I get my pack back." Come to think of it, maybe he should have brought something to carry this all in...

[fayevalentiine-old]

[silverinsect]

You may not be able to be in direct sunlight. You may hate the sun. But you are able to live beacuse of sunlight

[bewitchedblade-archive-deactiva]

It wasn’t surprising to the maid that the ability to fly wasn’t perceived as normal to Ginko. The outside world was separated from Gensokyo, after all — these things were generally kept secret… back in her universe, at least, for what it was worth.

"You should expect to see a large number of supernatural abilities here in this city. A world like yours, where magic isn’t abundant, simply isn’t very common, it seems." A small smile fell upon her lips. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had taken a trip to the world outside the realm she was sealed in since she had little to no interest in doing so, but she did remember that it had baffled her how ignorant the humans there were of magic’s existence. 

"A pleasure to meet you, then, Ginko. My name is Sakuya." Shaky start they had, but he was a newcomer, so perhaps his surprise was to be expected. "If there is anything you have questions about, I would be glad to help."

[silverinsect]

The only difference between the natural and the supernatural, as far as Ginko was concerned, was merely an explanation. To the uneducated, mushi might seem like magic; beings of concentrated life who could influence the people and world around them in mysterious ways. But once you studied them, suddenly everything made sense. It was no longer magic, it was a science. It was reality. Ginko didn't voice his thoughts to the girl in the dress, however. It might've come across as rude.

"Well, I guess I'll have to wait and see if that's a good thing or not," he said, rubbing at his chin. "So long as none of it is directed at me, I don't think I'll mind too much. I mean, I've stories about gods and demons and the powers they had, and I don't think I'd want to be on the receiving end of any of that."

Ginko picked the cigarette from his mouth and blew out a cloud of smoke before replacing it. He wondered if this girl was really capable of magic, because he hadn't seen any yet."Same to you," he said, an easy smile growin on his face. "I do actually have a few questions, but before that, I was wondering if you'd satisfy my curiosity. You said you could do magic, right? Is there any you can show me? Preferably while keeping my body intact."

[plegixn-deactivated20200416]

Mermaid nails… wait… what? Even is a mermaid…

"Forgive me but, what exactly is a mermaid I don’t recall having those in my world… Wyvern saliva helps a lot for mine, I would say, they are tested as they worked on… someone in the past.” Flashback of the hex to Gaius. 

[silverinsect]

""They're people who live in the sea, with lower bodies like fish. Sailors claim to see them when they cross the oceans on their boats, beautiful women who live in the water. Men too, I guess. Some would say they don't actually exist, but..." Ginko smiled, taking a drag on his cigarette and saying nothing more on the subject.

"You're just supposed to brew the nails into tea and give it to someone. I had a few in my pack, but they took that from me when I came here, so I can't show you. I've never heard of wyvern saliva, though. Or even just wyverns. Is it hard to find? How much do you sell it for? Just curious."