City Life, City Trouble

Iyuki made sure he had everything he needed, before heading off in the direction of his bike after warning the two he needed it. It had a basket on the back and other holding places for things. It could help them carry things back, whatever they needed. He'd also need to check in with the place he was staying... He could pick up the rest of his things too.

"This is my bicycle, Yamato and Lady Okura. I can lead us easily back into to town from here. If I could make a quick stop at my lodgings, I have some clothes I'd like to change into and some items. If while I am grabbing such things if you wished to get some of the other items with Yamato's help and the extra money? We can meet back up once I gather up my things, and go shopping for food."

He spoke as they walked, hoping for assent or other ideas.

Muika gave a nod, "If that's okay with the two of you, it's okay with me." Though, she was concerned about Iyuki heading back to where he was staying before, it seemed like it would be a prime place for the people that'd hired him to be lying in wait.

She couldn't exactly voice that though though, as Yamato had no idea of the agreement she and Iyuki had had.

As Yamato didn't know Muika's and Iyuki's personal situation and the danger, he didn't think much about splitting up for convenience.

"What other items do we need other than food?" Yamato asked. He didn't want to pry too far in their affairs, but the names of items could hint what Muika's and Iyuki's situation was, which still made Yamato curious.

Lady Okura seemed okay with it, and so did Yamato. The plan set, they'd continue on walking and talking probably. Iyuki thought about what they'd need and frowned.

"We'll need some kind of generator in the near future but that can wait for now... I have some proper cooking utensils and a few pots and pans. Most of my things have barely been unpacked so it should be a quick trip and packing of my motorcycle. Other than food, I believe for now we are all set? Would you know of anything else we need Lady Okura? Of course, other than the promised items for you Yamato."

Lady Okura seemed distracted, so Iyuki gave her a quick smile. He had to reassure her and let a bit too much slip. "Do not worry, They did not know of my room. I should be safe."

Quote :

"What other items do we need other than food?"

Quote :

"We'll need some kind of generator in the near future but that can wait for now... I have some proper cooking utensils and a few pots and pans. Most of my things have barely been unpacked so it should be a quick trip and packing of my motorcycle. Other than food, I believe for now we are all set? Would you know of anything else we need Lady Okura? Of course, other than the promised items for you Yamato."

Muika shook her head, "No, I can't think of anything else we'd need other than that."

She didn't have anything else she needed. Whenever she made trips to the city to buy things it was mostly for food every time and they already had food on their list of things to get.

Muika saw Iyuki seem to take notice of her concern of him heading back alone to his home and gave her a quick smile.

Quote :

"Do not worry, They did not know of my room. I should be safe."

Her eyes widened slightly at Iyuki's words, as she was still aware of Yamato's presence. There was no doubt Iyuki's slip would raise questions, she immediately knew that. Now she had to worry about leading him off the subject in case he were to ask.

"Ah...um, sure." She said in response to Iyuki.

Yamato had forgotten about the 'promised items' that were discussed before; he had been thinking about how he was faring with his new friends, although still guarded about how it might develop.

Quote :

"Do not worry, They did not know of my room. I should be safe."

Hunted.
Previously, he didn't want to interfere too closely in their affairs, but now Yamato had to accept that he was now part of the trouble, having chosen to associate with new people. The first word that came to his head struck hard.

Hunted, like me.
If Iyuki was someone's - or something's - quarry, then was Muika safe? Was he safe? Still, Yamato couldn't understand why these two would be a quarry. What was the reward? What was the thrill?

A flash to the red gem that Yamato glanced at last night was the first to appear in his mind. He hadn't expected such a thing to be found in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Their histories were shared, however brief; that proved that they were not ordinary people. How unordinary were Iyuki and Muika?

All these questions swirled in Yamato's mind, again as emotion, and not quite as structured. The worry suddenly became something else; that somewhat troubled Yamato. Animal demons hunting him had given him a mixture of dread and self-loathing, but like his repressed romantic feelings, gave him a thrill.

His quest for retribution against overwhelming odds gave him a new spice of life when living as the Hayato Pet Killer during the night was no longer enough, when his pathetic love for Chiri (or was it Nen?) shattered in a million pieces. These new hunters added to that excitement; perhaps a fight would show Yamato what these two people were really made of.

I need high ground to better know my environment; both hunter and prey knew it well if they were to survive.

Yamato imagined what a city from the inside would look like; he tended to avoid cities when he could. If rural people couldn't really understand him, 'city-slickers' wouldn't either. A couple such people had drifted into Hayato from time to time, if only to stop by for small festivities.

"I recommend that we meet at a landmark that you both know by midday, which should give Muika and I enough time to gather supplies..."

Yamato couldn't avoid staying out of their affairs, no matter how hard he tried to think of something that could get him out of it. The way he drifted gave that away.

With neither party disagreeing, the trio was set to move out. And move out they did. None of them were fully out of shape, Iyuki probably being the one most so, so it probably didn't take too long. They had left early, so shops were probably opening up...

While they walked, Iyuki wrote down a detailed list and handed it to Lady Okura along with some of the money he had been given. She'd probably protest but... "Please take it, My Lady. I will be eating and think of it as part of my rent. Your attempt at charity could hurt us both, besides it is not as if I wouldn't have to pay for things anyway."

He had thought about what Lady Okura had had in that cabin and was afeared for his life if she cooked too much.

"I know of a landmark Yamato. There is a shinto shrine near the middle of the city, it would not be odd for a group of travellers to meet there. People offering prayers are common, especially those who might be headed into the unknown. Also, Yamato, it is...rather large. Please do not panic. It may be hard to take in the sights and sounds at first but you seem strong enough to adapt quickly." Iyuki was being entirely honest, more worried about Yamato getting disturbed as the man seemed half wild. He might not react well to it.

He felt bad about keeping the man in the dark about things, especially if he was coming along with them... He shot Lady Okura a look, a questioning one and nodded at Yamato as if to try and ask her without words if they should say more.

(OC: If someone would like to put them right in the city, I am okay with it.)

Quote :

"I recommend that we meet at a landmark that you both know by midday, which should give Muika and I enough time to gather supplies..."

Quote :

"I know of a landmark Yamato. There is a shinto shrine near the middle of the city, it would not be odd for a group of travellers to meet there. People offering prayers are common, especially those who might be headed into the unknown. Also, Yamato, it is...rather large. Please do not panic. It may be hard to take in the sights and sounds at first but you seem strong enough to adapt quickly."

"I know where the shrine is, so if we're in agreement we can meet there at noon."

Soon after she'd said that, she'd noticed Iyuki shoot her a look, she knew what he was asking. Whether or not to say more, but, there was still a chance to keep him out of it, to keep him out of this danger she'd been in and Iyuki had been been pulled into.

With a quick look of apology of her own, she diverted her eyes from the two of them, turning as she began walking towards the main part of the city.

'Sorry, Iyuki. I just want to keep anyone else from getting involved.'

What if someone got hurt, or even worse? She couldn't let that happen, she'd blame herself and things would only get worse from there.

As the paper money changed hands, Yamato thought to himself if there was any possible way he could bluff knowing how money works.
How much paper money was to a pint of milk again?

Quote :

"There is a shinto shrine near the middle of the city"

Shrine? FFFUUUU the Creator won't want me there.

Quote :

"Also, Yamato, it is...rather large. Please do not panic. It may be hard to take in the sights and sounds at first but you seem strong enough to adapt quickly."

...

Quote :

"I know where the shrine is, so if we're in agreement we can meet there at noon."

Yamato nodded and turned his back towards Iyuki and Muika, not waiting for another to make another word. He was confused enough, and full of anxiety. Iyuki's warning did not help.
--
[city outskirts]

As Yamato approached closer to the city alone with Muika, he didn't bother trying to start a conversation. She was a quiet person anyway, even when Iyuki was around. It was understandable having known a person for pretty much a day. He was also too far entrenched as his eyes absorbed the sheer magnitude of the city he was approaching.

They slowly moved between the gradient of soil and concrete, and Yamato felt severed from what he was most familiar with. A sense of foreboding fell upon him. He turned to Muika as he was walking to see how she felt and to make sure he was still walking the direction she was heading.

Muika kept walking, already knowing where to go. She kept her eyes either ahead of her or downcast while her expression remained stoic.

She knew this was awkward and had to be even more awkward for Yamato. She wasn't making any attempts to indulge in a conversation while they walked but really she couldn't think of anything that could really be brought up.

"There." She said, looking ahead at a supermarket just a ways away.

The distance between it and the shrine wasn't much but it would still be a bit of a walk.

The door opened automatically with the chime of a bell notifying employee's there were new customers coming in. Muika paid no heed and approached the baskets and carts before taking a basket.

"This way." She said, directed at Yamato as she began walking towards some of the first things on their list.

[gomen. saying you should post faster but you post faster than me]

The stimuli bombarded Yamato's senses. The first thing that Yamato did recognize was the chime of the bell. Despite it being electronic, Yamato took it like a mechanical bell that he heard in small stores in Hayato county. It was one of the few familiar things in the damn place.

Numbers. Numbers everywhere. Yamato knew they were numbers because of their shape, but not their meaning; he didn't have a damn clue what these things cost. There were scales by the bulk; what was he supposed to balance the scale with? The letters also didn't make much sense underneath the products on display. Yamato knew what the produce was, and the milk was, and what meat was. He didn't need to be reminded. Although, he couldn't really guess other things unless it had a good image on the box/can. The smell was also different, because of how clean the place was. Dirt practically nowhere on those linoleum and coated hardwood floors.

Some of the customers looked at the gun on Yamato's back in apprehension, but averted their eyes to save themselves a fight and assume based on its looks that it was an antique. Convince themselves it was the case in hopes not to call the police and escalate matters unless someone was crazy enough to do so. Yamato still appeared handy-man ish, with his tool belt hung heavy at his waist with gear. Trustworthy? Not so much.

"There's a lot of stuff here." Yamato said awkwardly, trying to spark conversation. "Do you come here often?"

He didn't know numbers, but he encouraged himself to continue trying to be of some help despite being initially discouraged. Appraising quality of produce, meat, milk, etc., was something he still felt comfortable in doing, and showing Muika that he was still a worthwhile addition in the pack.

Muika continued placing the necessary items they needed into the basket she carried.

Some of these things she'd never bought before as she'd always be worried about not being able to keep them fresh since she'd never eat or consume much to begin with.

Quote :

"There's a lot of stuff here." Yamato said awkwardly, trying to spark conversation. "Do you come here often?"

Muika shook her head, "Not much, I usually buy things that don't expire or by a quick meal when I have the money available. So I make trips here maybe every few weeks to a few months at most."

"Things that don't expire? What do you mean? Everything dies eventually."

Non-perishable foods had not been in Yamato's informal and very incomplete home schooling. Things grew, then rot.

"Although, I have been surprised by the looks of all these fruits and vegetables. Shiny apples, with little dents. Lettuce with no holes and not even a tinge of yellow. Where are the insects?"

He was quite astonished by this fact, though he didn't know it was the work of pesticides.

"Nonperishable's don't exactly taste like a five-star establishment's would but...It's still food." Muika responded. "It's usually cheap and people keep stocks of them in case of emergencies, for me they're usually regular meals."

She listened as Yamato commented on the fruit and vegetables, he sounded surprised by how clean they all were. "There's stuff that farmer's use now that keep bugs and stuff off of them. Though I don't exactly know how they work, I've never grown anything myself."

'Nonperishable' was quite the mouthful.

"Oh, so like military rations." Yamato concluded. He heard about those when talking about his grandfather and the war. "Would be useful to have stuff like that in a pinch."

Quote :

"There's stuff that farmer's use now that keep bugs and stuff off of them. Though I don't exactly know how they work, I've never grown anything myself."

No full crops lost to insect swarms? That sounded incredible to Yamato. If he ever had a chance to settle again, he would find out how this worked.

"It's quite different from killing." Yamato had meant to say 'hunting', but 'killing' was the word that came out. "Growing things, I mean. When I was settled, that's all I ever did. A real sense of accomplishment when a crop turns out good."

Quote :

"Oh, so like military rations." Yamato concluded. He heard about those when talking about his grandfather and the war. "Would be useful to have stuff like that in a pinch."

"Kinda, and yeah, they come in handy."

Quote :

"It's quite different from killing."

"Growing things, I mean. When I was settled, that's all I ever did. A real sense of accomplishment when a crop turns out good."

Muika could understand that, that feeling after accomplishing something whether it be growing something yourself, making a meal, fulfilling a chore, to hunting an animal for food; although it'd been a long time since she'd felt that feeling.

"Although, it's kinda pointless unless you have someone else to share in your accomplishments. Iyuki, for instance. He's the first person that has ever learned anything from me, and making jerky seem like a big deal."

Yamato partially hated himself because of the apparent need to bring Iyuki back into the situation between Muika and himself just to make the conversation less awkward. It was, however, a common point.

"Wandering around alone kinda makes you forget the desire to impress people."

Quote :

"Although, it's kinda pointless unless you have someone else to share in your accomplishments. Iyuki, for instance. He's the first person that has ever learned anything from me, and making jerky seem like a big deal."

"He seemed happy to learn." Muika replied, placing another item they needed in the basket after checking it's expiration date.

Quote :

"Wandering around alone kinda makes you forget the desire to impress people."

"Mm," She looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to remember ever trying to impress anyone other than...well, Seiya, but nothing came to mind, not even her father... "I can't even remember the last time I wanted to impress someone. Hmm..."

It surprised Yamato that Muika couldn't even remember a time impressing someone. It seemed like an essential human experience. Though, they were both alone in their own way. Didn't matter if one wandered and the other was a settler. Nobody to impress. On a rare occasion, Yamato could impress himself, but it was not often. Even after a difficult animal demon kill, it had become routine.

"How do you know something is good in those boxes?" Yamato asked as Muika was putting things in the cart. He hadn't expected this sort of inspection. Faith?

"Oh, there's a date on it." She answered, taking one of the boxes and point to the small print of an expiration date. "If it's passed that it's usually a good decision to not buy it. Most people say it'll still be good a few days after the date but I'm not exactly keen on it."

Yamato squinted his eyes to see the letters which he couldn't read. He understood the concept of time okay, concepts like 'morning', 'mid-afternoon', 'night', just not in a good mathematical sense. Ask him to meet you in 90 minutes and he wouldn't understand what you meant. He heard the word 'date' before in his life; a romantic meeting. Calendar dates were pretty much useless when Yamato's mind focused on the concept of seasons.

He nodded, however, appreciating Muika's openness and willingness to teach the concept in the plainest terms possible. She wasn't talking down to him like his previous onlookers in Hayato. He thought it was amazing people could predict when food was no longer fit for consumption.

The system Yamato observed didn't seem to require his expertise after all. He had been displaced by more sophisticated concepts. Food at your fingertips without risk. No longer was food only available to those that could farm or hunt. Those that shopped around him didn't seem fit enough, but perhaps were more specialized in areas Yamato didn't yet understand. More things could be done if food seemed like the least of their problems.

He didn't know what else he could say to Muika at the moment.

With a nod, Muika kept going, the basket was about half full now with what they needed and soon they'd be ready to go and wait at the shrine on Iyuki.

"We have almost every-"

"Owaaah? Muika?"

!?

Muika turned to the sound of the voice, it belonged to a male. He had mid-length, scruffy black hair with long bangs. He was young, about Muika's age or a couple of years older. His eyes were a deep hazel in color in contrast to his black attire such as his hoodie, pants, and shirt.

Muika's expression didn't change as the male approached her and Yamato with a grin on his face.

"Been awhile." He laughed, "What no 'hello' for your old friend, Aito?"

"We're not friends though." Muika replied, her expression and tone never changing from her usual.

"Ouch." Another laugh.

This man, so he was going by Aito now? Like her, he'd been one of the subjects of Bell's Viper. The only remote explanation she could come to on how he was here now was that he was working for Seiya.

Back then, her and Aito, previously known as Subject 542, were often put into fights with one another during weapon's testing and so they'd never been on good terms.

Now he was approaching her like some long-time friend...

If he was working for Seiya, then it wasn't a coincidence they'd happened to meet. Seiya had sent him as a spy if anything...

"Doing some shopping I see, and with a friend too." Aito said, after Muika had failed to voice anything else. "You always were the loner type, good to see you getting out."

'Cut the shit...' She was only thinking it, but she wasn't exactly happy with this goody, friendship act.

They'd hated each other and that didn't suddenly change.

"Mmm. Now if you'll excuse us." Muika said, walking by him towards the registers.

"Fine, fine." Aito said with a shrug, a smirk on his face. "Until next time, Muika!"

With those final words and a goodbye wave to Yamato, Aito left.

"Ow!" Iyuki walked in his own thoughts, so he didn't notice when the hydrant appeared in his direct path. Holding his shin as he bent over with a hiss, Iyuki mastered his face from pain to just mildly annoyed. There weren't many out this time of day near his place and he hoped his landlady was in the bottom apartment, as that would speed up the process.

"I wish I could have stayed..." It felt awful after only being here such a short time to leave, but he had planned on it since receiving the job from those people. They had offered him enough that could have moved onto the next place quite quickly and had warned the Landlady of it. Speeding it up by a few days should be fine.

He reached the store that he lived above and found the landlady at the counter, and with a short bow began to explain.

-----------

It wasn't long before he had packed everything that had been out and changed into fresh clothes. His jacket needed airing, as did his vest so instead he just left those off of his outfit. Iyuki then started loading up his motorcycle, glad it was still set up for the recent move. He hadn't bought one of those fancy, sleek looking ones, instead buying for long drive time comfort and reliability. It didn't look as good, but honestly it was well worth it.

The applications he had filled out before he got the job from the crazy people had been on the room's desk, and Iyuki figured this would be a great time to put them in. Most were on the way to the shrine. It took only a few minutes to get to the first place that was hiring, and the workers looked at him askance. They weren't used to men putting in applications...

A few more stops and he was heading towards the Shrine, and Iyuki decided it was time to put his glasses on. He should have had them on before, but it was just a headache to walk his bike through all those colors in such a busy place.

As the purple haired man slipped them on, one color stood out to him. It wasn't a multiple color, like those with powers, nor was it the bleak colors of the monsters or the echo colors of the others... It was human, but it was one he'd seen before and memorized. It was a sick color, almost as bleak as the monsters. Iyuki got a flash of Muika in a store as he focused on the color, getting a sick feeling in his stomach as he did. A backlash of pain in his eyes caused him to pull them off and wince as he closed them. "What...was that... I've never done that before..."

He had no idea where that store was, so instead he hurried to the Shrine. He hoped that both Muika and Yamato would be okay.. Iyuki was under no illusions he wouldn't be much help if they were though.

Yamato thought it was strange that this 'Aito' person would come into a supermarket just to greet Muika. From the looks of things, Yamato could easily appraise their relationship as rotton and valueless. Although not seemingly a threat, Yamato did have a hand close to his belt, ready to quick draw one of his filet knifes if he tried anything that wasn't talking. Whatever the man's intent was, he was gone before Yamato could step in.

Was it meant to be a warning of some kind? Aito could be tracking Muika's movements, her patterns, waiting for the right time to strike. If that was the case, revealing himself in this way was stupid. Maybe he was just an ex-boyfriend or something and he just couldn't take a hint. Iyuki was much better suited anyway.

At the cashier, Yamato say people exchange paper and coins for whatever they had. No bartering at all. Where was the spirit in that?

"Don't these people know how to barter?" Yamato asked Muika, in an attempt to divert attention away from the recent encounter.

Muika shook her head, "Everything here has a set price." She explained as their items were bagged. "You pay that and it's yours. Nothing more, nothing less. There are some places you can do that though, just not places like this."

Once everything was bagged, she took what was their's after paying the cashier and made her way out of the store with Yamato.

She was still sour over Aito, Seiya even more so.

She'd lived here for a good two years, so she'd already figured if Seiya was actually tracking her that he'd have at least narrowed down a location by now, just not an exact one. Seeing Aito practically confirmed it.

Aito got freedom to roam cities while working for Seiya instead of remaining in one of the facilities as an experiment subject. Who wouldn't want that after having lived in that hell for most of their lives?

She couldn't help but wonder on Seiya's current position. He was already rather revered as one of the most intelligent doctors in Bell's Viper. By now he'd probably risen in his ranks to an even high position, free to do as he wishes. That's how he was, he always did things for his own gain or entertainment...

If he was sending guys like Aito out, he was likely somewhere in the city. Probably sitting comfortably in some nice place watching his puppets dance for him.

"Tch." At that, she realized she was outwardly frustrated and that she was behaving this way in front of Yamato.

"Ah...sorry...about that." She said, reverting back to her usual self. "Was just thinking too much..."