action/text

[cosmo_call]

Who: aoba and you, everyone's favourite children's tv show~
What: general settling in catch all.
When: augustish. you may think i've been in the game a month and done nothing but you'd be wrong, i was merely biding my time... watching... waiting... (i was being a flake, but shh)
Where: all over town!
Warnings: none, but aoba's got a permissions post here if you wanna check up on what he's capable of and opt out as required!


first impression.

[ After everything that's gone on there's this air of needing to sleep about him, like he's been awake for a week, or seen too much in too short a span of time, which is probably not the best look for someone just about to start a holiday to have.. but here we are. Perhaps this is the perfect place for a guy who looks like he does, to finally disconnect from everything and take in some fresh air, some fresh faces, some new scenery.

He steps off the bus with a bulging messenger bag slung over his shoulder, a bag that looks like it's weighing him down as he navigates himself through town and toward his new house with the air of a guy who's not entirely used to following maps without any outside assistance. He turns it around once or twice after he realises that he's following it upside-down, eventually setting it right and continuing on his journey. Perhaps you run into him here, maybe help him with that bag of his, though he'll offer a poor first impression if you do.

Probably best to wait till later, when he's had a nap that feels like it lasted a week (and for all he knows, it might have) and emerges from his abode with a whole new aura; he looks refreshed, energised, and even though there's a hint of trepidation loitering in his movements, he seems ready to take this new life with both hands. ]

shopping trip.

[ Eventually he'll get used to it here. Once or twice he finds himself falling into a rhythm, his feet stepping in time with everyone elses, his day-to-day lining up pretty well with the sunlight and the habits of the other residents... but more often than not Aoba looks and feels the outsider he is.

This particular occasion has him staring up at the signs above the stores in central Pelican Town, his eyebrows knitted together just slightly in the middle, his mouth muttering as though he's talking to himself... though the large pink headphones over his ears create the impression that he might be murmuring along to a song he knows. Without warning he moves off from his spot having seemingly decided on a target, but of course goes wheeling into someone's side as they pass a little in front of him. ]

U-Uwah..! [ He can't really blame them - because really, who expects a blur of blue to come shooting out across the road? - but nevertheless he's rubbing his side where he collided with the stranger as his expression goes a little sour, as if on impulse. ] Ooi! Look- [ Then he seems to catch himself, like a child does when they're trying to act grown up, and his face goes from angry to apologetic in no time at all. ]

Ah... Sorry about that. [ He takes his headphones off next. ] I wasn't paying attention.]

[ That much is obvious. Hopefully whoever he bumped into is forgiving.... ]

pick me up.

[ After a week or two, though Aoba thinks of and misses home a fair amount, it becomes easier to think about it. He's even managed to be able to think about Granny for longer than a few minutes, and has made a determined effort to raise a tomato plant like she has on her windowsill.. to no success as of yet, but still he tries.

On his way to pick up some fertiliser in the hopes that it'll get the fruit to grow beyond the size of Aoba's thumbnail, he's distracted from entirely amateur gardening thoughts by a soft doof of feeling to his lower leg. Looking down he sees an energetic-looking border collie puppy with it's teeth in the plush fabric of his oversocks.

Rather than reacting in anger at the iminient destruction of his clothes by this little weilder of terror, Aoba delights in the sight of the dog and is instantly crouching down to pick the puppy up. ]

Hello, where did you come from? [ He asks, but the puppy merely yips happily at him, wriggling it's legs as if it's trying to swim through the air to get closer to him. There's no collar that Aoba can see, so instead he brings the dog closer as he stands, looking around for anyone who might look like they're looking for a dog.

He taps the nearest person turned away from him on the shoulder, right as the puppy starts gnawing on the cuff of his coat. ]

Ah, sorry. But, do you have any idea who's dog this is?

network post.

hello, out there..

[ His awkwardness is readable, isn't it? He would have made this a video, only Aoba really doesn't fancy seeing if his phone-trick works over video cameras too. If he still.. has his phone-trick. But that's an issue for another day. Right now, Aoba is sitting somewhere - maybe at home, maybe outside, maybe somewhere secluded or maybe he's in the middle of a crowd - trying to figure out how best to word this to the public at large, in a way that doesn't make him want to dig a hole for himself in the ground. ]

so, basically.
i'm really bad at this growing crops thing. i gave it my best shot, i tried to do what i've watched my granny do for years, but she makes it look easy. and i can tell you all right now, that for someone with very little experience in organic things, it definitely isn't easy.

sometimes i work with technology, back home, but it's mostly poking around in things i don't entirely understand. i've got enough knowledge to make it work, but nothing like some of the more

[ Pause. ]

extreme people out there.

[ Another pause. ]

what i'm trying to ask is, does anyone know where i could maybe get a job, or something like that? i work in a store where i'm from, i answer phones and do deliveries, i'm quick and handy and i guess i'm pretty strong? and..

... haha, jeez, it's been years since i had to sell myself like this for a job, and even then it was a five minute phone interview followed by me sending my work history over in an email.. this place sure is different from what i'm used to.

wildcard.

[ feel free to wildcard me something between these prompts, or something new entirely! aoba will be wandering around trying to find his feet for uh, a lot of the first month he's here, so he'll be around looking lost should you need him.

if you'd like to hit me up, i can be found at mirobug or by pming this journal o7 <3 ]

Comments

[terraria]

[ The tilt of his head is birdlike along with his clueless blink. ]

There's always been a healer nearby, so I've never...

[ He pauses, something occurring to him. Well, most of his wounds are on his back, so of course he'd never recognize what they looked like. He purses his lips momentarily, hissing softly--he almost pulls away from the water, but a short moment later of fidgeting he stays still. ]

You're getting wet.

[ What a smart birb. ]

... I'm Aspen.

[cosmo_call]

[ Healer makes Aoba think of video games where a specific character can heal others with a spell or the touch of their hands.. and given what he's seen of this place so far and the strange people in it, he figures it's probably not all that unlikely for those kind of people to be real. So he nods like he knows what Aspen is talking about.

The only thing he does continue to wonder about is the reason for Aspen needing a healer. He doesn't look like he fights all that often.. maybe he just falls over lots? The way he wriggles is reminiscent of Aoba himself when he was younger, always wriggling away from his Granny trying to patch up his bumps. ]

I'm Aoba. [ He smiles, genuine and soft. It's always nice to make friends, after all. ] Good to meet you, Aspen. Though I.. wish I hadn't literally bumped into you.

[ He laughs only a little awkwardly, then sets the half empty water bottle aside and starts to fold the bandage around Aspen's hand, and down his wrist and arm. He's clearly got some skill here, like he's done it more than a few times. ]

[terraria]

[ Aspen laughs, warm and fond. ]

Aoba... [ He repeats the name after a moment and then nods firmly. ] My meetings are usually much more coordinated, I'll admit... but it was not a horrible stroke of luck. You seem gentle, so I'm happy to have met you.

[ His eyes fall back to the way Aoba folds the bandage around him, letting out a noise of approval. ]

Do you do this often? Your motions are experienced. I hope you don't get into scrapes like these. Not even when I'm dancing do I injure myself overmuch.

[ He fixes Aoba with a slightly concerned edge to his gaze, now. ]

[cosmo_call]

[ Aoba smiles in response, hearing Aspen's voice form his name is surprisingly nice to hear.... but then he struggles to think of anything that might not sound nice in Aspen's voice, if he's totally honest.

His question, though, makes Aoba raise his eyebrows, both at Aspen showing care for him and at the mention of dance. ]

I.. well, not so much anymore, but when I was younger I used to get into fights a lot, so I'd come home with bumps a lot of the time. I watched my Granny patch me up, and help other people out, so I guess I kind of just picked it up that way. She's something like a healer back where I'm from.

[ A pause, just while Aoba winds and ties up the ends of the bandage. ]

Is that what you do where you're from.. dance?

[terraria]

[ An understanding sound escapes him - though his brows still furrow together. ]

You don't seem the type to fight... [ Oh, wait. He laughs sheepishly, a bit of red rising to his cheeks. ] I apologize for being bold. I simply meant that you are showing yourself to be very kind, so it is hard to imagine.

[ He smiles as he watches Aoba's hands tie up the bandage. ]

Mm. I'm the lead courtesan of my king's harem, so I'm often the center of our performances.

[cosmo_call]

[ Aoba laughs along with Aspen. It's definitely not the first time he's been told something like that; getting underestimated for the way he looks in a city full of thugs and gangs is pretty commonplace where Aoba comes from... but it's refreshing to be underestimated for good reasons rather than because he looks weak, for a change.

At the latter comment, Aoba kind of chokes on an inhale and looks up at Aspen with widened eyes. That.. wasn't what he was expecting, but.. it definitely explains that ethereal kind of allure Aspen seems to have naturally.

He's already done the nani react but he doesn't want to seem entirely rude, so he lets Aspen's bandaged arm fall and nods his head, smiling.. only a liiiittle awkward. ]

Ah, that makes sense. I've-- never met a courtesan before.