choo choo open log train

[unevoke]

Who: Shinjiro (unevoke & open
When: misc. days after event 9
Where: PLACES
What: THINGS
Rating/Warning: shouldn't be anything crazy!

---

a - mcceres
[By this point, work's become a monotony. It's a way to earn money, and he doesn't bedgrudge it for that purpose, but the forced socialization doesn't suit his tastes and the risk of running into someone he's conversed with - particularly after the events of the previous week - leave him tenser than he usually is.

At least he's an entertaining sight, dressed in his standard uniform of brightly colored apron and hat, sporting one of the flattest looks known to man as he asks:]

What can I get you today?

b - some random thrift store
[Shinji's stay thus far in Cerealia has been unkind to his limited wardrobe. His hat's looking particularly worse for the wear, his pants have small rips in them, and his coat is probably going to disintegrate the moment someone touches it.

Hence, his presence at the local thrift store.

There's not a whole lot on display, most of either not in his size or in atrocious colors and patterns he would never think to wear in public. Like the shirt he pulls out off the rack in sheer disbelief: a lemon yellow, with pink beach balls and blue umbrellas.

Who the hell even thought this was a good idea? And no he's not going to buy it, don't you dare ask.]

c - the cybuddy store
[Out of all the places in Cerealia though, the CYBuddy store is where Shinji's spent the most time of late. His guilt over attempting to sacrifice the things (and in some cases successfully) have led him to return time and again, to offer assistance in the store and give the remaining CYBuddies some proper attention.

It also gives him an excuse not to be social, and to put off thinking about the terrible things he tried to do.

Of course, there's no point in spending time in the CYBuddy store if he's not going to buy anything. There's Mitsuru's CYbuddy to spoil, and since he can't exactly buy gourmet CYBuddy food (does that even exist?) he settles for toys, picking out two and weighing them against each other.

He turns, eyes questioning.]

Hey, you got any idea which of these lasts longer?

[Quality over quantity, yo.]

d - game center
[Shinjiro isn't much for games. Having played only a rare few during his childhood, he'd never developed the fervor for them many of his peers had. That said, the pseudo-game of live action Pac-man he'd played his first day here had been kind of fun. He wanders into the game center one day when it's mostly empty - blame the early hour for that - and spends a good ten minutes just walking down the rows, checking out what there is on offer.

He stops in front of a fighting game and cracks a small smile. Akihiko would probably love this.]

e - choose your own adventure
[ooc: feel free to make your own scenario or pm me for an individualized prompt!]

Comments

[deontology]

Japan. [A pause, but he can't be certain Shinji is Japanese from his appearance alone and he doesn't know his name, so he converts to a western year just for him.] 1878.

[so no.

No he's not familiar with any of this, and he assumes that will help.]

[unevoke]

[.................Okay, hold on while Shinji doubletakes because that is a year that makes no sense to him. Japan, yes. 1878, absolutely not.]

You sure you don't mean 1978?

[Maybe the guy's giving his birth year?]

[deontology]

[Really...does he look like the sort of guy who gets his dates mixed up.]

Meiji 11. 1878. I'm certain.

[unevoke]

[No but he also doesn't look like a withered mummy wrapped in bandages. Shinji sighs, rubs one hand over this place. Honestly, he's not sure he'll ever get used to this place, with all its weird events and happenings and its dragging in from people from over a hundred years ago.]

Bet there's a lot different now than from what you're used to.

[deontology]

[Aren't you familiar with time shenanigans yet, Shinji... nonetheless, he just nods at that.]

I have adapted to what I can and continue to do so. [The future sure is trippy, though...

... ... ... like clothes.]

Though Western clothing is still a mystery to me.

[unevoke]

[Being familiar with something doesn't mean he likes it....Then again, when does he like anything that isn't cooking and dogs.

But, huh, interesting that clothing's the part this guy seems to be having the most difficulty with. Shinji glances over, mild curiosity on his face.]

They're just like any other clothes. You put 'em on and wear 'em. If you look like an idiot doing so, that's your problem.

[Let's return our attention back to Exhibit A: the ugly as sin lemon yellow beach shirt.]

[deontology]

[They are not.... western fashion is a new and mindboggling thing, from what Yang has told him........

But hey, he's trying.]

Hm.

[Sort of. It's a noise of acknowledgement that shinji spoke more than anything.]

I take it you are from a more "modern" time, then.

[unevoke]

[Maybe it's a good thing they haven't encountered speedos yet. The simplicity of Sousei's question earns him a straightforward and prompt answer. There's nothing overtly prying about it, so there's no other response it would get.]

2009. Still Japan though. Think we learned about Meiji period in school.

[Maybe. The classes he didn't skip, he slept through.]

[deontology]

[It's a little strange to think of his era being taught as history, but... he's not going to ask. Better to not know, he thinks.

More importantly--]

I see. In that case, my name is Abe no Sousei. [nice to meet you... even if he doesn't say that. But it's true that Japanese citizens are a bit more on his radar than anyone else. He feels some vague obligation to protect them, even if they're from the future--it's his duty.

... also:]

I won't ask you about the clothing, then. [or about the shirt Shinji was holding...]

[unevoke]

[Ah, is that an insult to his fashion choices there, Sousei....Even if it isn't, Shinjiro narrows his eyes somewhat, finally relinquishing control of the shirt in his hands to place it back on the rack.]

I'm not gonna wear the damn thing. Not sure I'd wear anything in here. [Maybe it's hopeless for him. But that doesn't mean everything's lost.] Were you lookin' for something?

[deontology]

[What if he is!!!! Okay, no, it wasn't, he doesn't care enough about other peoples' fashion choices to judge them.]

No. I had never entered this building before, and I am trying to gain familiarity with this place.

[It is a big place, though, so he's doing it a few buildings at a time.

once a military killjoy, always a military killjoy]

[unevoke]

[That's admirable, though Shinji isn't sure what Sousei will gain from entering every single building in this weird city-state-country-place. (Aren't half of them basically the same?) Still, whatever minor irritation had been plaguing him before at the maybe-insult vanishes.]

See anything interesting so far?

[Information about this place is always worth keeping an ear open for.]

[deontology]

No.

[Well, at least he's honest...]

I would not expect there to be important information or places out in the open to be easily accessed by us. [...]

Nonetheless, there's no good reason for not being thorough.

[unevoke]

[Honesty's something he can appreciate, even if the lack of information isn't. But it's not surprising; Mitsuru hadn't been able to find out anything either and she'd always been the most tech-savvy out of them, at least until Fuuka had arrived.

All the clothing goes momentarily forgotten.]

So you really don't trust this place?

[Not that he does, but a majority of the people he's met seem to be content with what they're given.]

[deontology]

[Honestly, the lack of information is really irritating for Sousei as well. He's not used to being this misinformed about the entire situation--but there's not a lot he can do about that except keep trying.

At the question, though, he crosses his arms.]

No. Nor should we. Our greatest enemy right now is complacency.

[They're given food, homes, lives. All to keep them from thinking too hard or getting too discontent.]

[unevoke]

[Sousei reminds Shinjiro a great deal of Mitsuru, and it's with a hint of amusement that he says:]

You'd get along great with someone I know.

[Actually, he wouldn't be surprised if they knew each other already. The smart types always seem to flock together, and it's not as though the two of them have different goals.]

[deontology]

[... He's not entirely sure how to take a comment like that. Is it an invitation to introduce him to someone? Is it an insult? A compliment?

So he just leaves it, focusing instead on other things.]

What is your name?

[unevoke]

[Nothing more than a passing remark.

Despite the friendliness of the people here, foreigners and natives alike, Shinjiro stills feels it a bit strange to be so directly asked for his name, even if it's a request that makes perfect sense. None of them belong here, there's probably something strange going on here, and creating temporary bonds of alliance is wiser than doing everything alone. Still, he hesitates before answering, eyeing Sousei with wariness.]

Shinjiro.

[Not his full name, but it's enough to get by on.]

[deontology]

[It's not something he'll pry about, anyway. He doesn't need a full name to know how to refer to Shinji, and that's all that really matters. So in response, he nods simply, and then gives the building one last sweeping glance.

Nope.

Nothing useful here.]

I see. [Then...that's about a wrap for that conversation, he thinks!! He's not going to press, but he's also not going to drag this out either, so he turns on his heel to go.]