epidemiology | [Open] Back when I was a brat, I found a sparrow with a broken leg

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[Open] Back when I was a brat, I found a sparrow with a broken leg

CHARACTERS: Majima and [you]
DATE: After the festival to the present
WARNINGS: Typical mildly salty language, probably. Mentions of death? Mentions of death.
SUMMARY: Leaving flowers for the dead, bounties, bullshit subquests that will only end in tears

Laying flowers;
[ It wasn't as though death was anything new to Majima. Sure. People died all the time, and all it took was ending up on the wrong side of someone else's bad day. And it wasn't like he'd personally been acquainted with any of these people, either -- so it certainly wasn't his place to cry about it or anything. That'd be disrespecting the actual family members, people who actually knew a damn thing about the lost.

One thing did prod him to act, though: finding out one of those people had been killed by a teammate of his. That was something they were responsible for.

With a small bundle of wildflowers in hand, he made his way to a spot near the former festival grounds, where it appeared several people had already been by to make small offerings in memoriam. He set down the flowers without a word -- a little bloom of wild color against the dark earth. ]

Falcon it up; (slightly earlier)
[ Should someone end up near the raptor mews one fine morning, they might be addressed by a six-foot tall Japanese man who frankly did not look like someone who should be anywhere near a bunch of baby hunting birds. ]

Hey. You like birds?

[ sketchy af, tbh

ooc: Limited to one, please! This is for the For the Birds bounty. ]

Got my goat;
[ Somehow, for some godforsaken reason, Majima was in the middle of an argument with a young commoner woman. Well, maybe 'argument' wasn't quite the right word here... ]

Listen, lady, I don't know anything about goats, much less tracking one down! Don't you have a... goat whisperer or somethin'?

[ "A goat what? See here -- novice or not, there's no one else I can ask! I need to look after the flock here, and you're obviously free. If you track down my Maisy for me, I'll even throw in some compensation!" The woman crossed her arms obstinately over her chest, fixing him with a look that did not inspire high hopes that she was just going to let this go.

ugh......... ]

Wildcard;
[ this space reserved for whatever your terrible grinch heart desires ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It was not Hayame's intent to search for goats this day... but, it was not her intent not to search for them... and trotting by, she cannot help but overhear the newly familiar voice of a certain Japanese man who she felt she could recognize at even a single word after how long he had talked about strange topics beneath the cherry trees.

Not that she should be lingering on memories such as that, indecent as they were by very nature.

But the point is... she changes course, hooves announcing presence before her arrival, bowing slightly to the woman he spoke to in acknowledgement before she turns her gaze to Majima.]

You cannot track animals?

[What skills do they teach these Showa men?]

It ain't a matter of trackin' em, Hayame-han. It's a matter of --

[ The woman seized on this opportunity to double-team Majima at once. "Ah! Finally, someone speaks some sense! Besides, it's not as though the men around here have anything better to do."

Majima's expression suggested that the world was one filled with injustice.

"If you have some free time, why not see to it that this man does his task properly? I'll even throw in a special reward." ]

[A matter of... ?

Hayame could fill in the blanks herself if she wished to, but there was something to be said about not assuming (when one was in calm enough spirits to heed that advice), and so she merely raises an eyebrow at him before turning to the woman.

She did so enjoy that part of this world being different from her own.]

If there is some way we might assist you, good woman, I am sure it can be done. We shall return with your livestock or not at all.

[She had things she could do that might serve better... but there was still some merit to drumming up good will amongst the people of this world. One never knew when one might have to rely on such... and though looking for goats was something she liked to believe was beneath her...

Hayame flicks her tail, gesturing for Majima to walk ahead.]

Do get moving, Majima-dono. A woman's livelihood is at stake.

[ She was enjoying this. She might not be grinning from ear to horse-lady-ear, but Majima was pretty damn sure Hayame was inwardly laughing it up. ]

Of course...

[ Ugh. At the very least, a recent light rain had made the distinctive footprints of Maisy the goat fairly easy to spot. Majima walked alongside them, feeling slightly mutinous but resigned to the task now that he'd accepted it. ]

It's a miracle anyone gets anything done around here.

[ he'd say, once they were out of earshot. ]

If ya can't even run an errand without three other people tryin' to make you do theirs.

[Just slightly. In her own world, she had not been allowed to go where she wished, eat where she wished, or even help who she wished... and while there was something terrifying, in a way, a world without that order and that structure... there was a part of her that enjoyed it.

And for women to be the lauded ones while men had to wish and hope to be acknowledged or allowed... she cannot help but revel in the irony.]

What better use for outsiders? It is not as if we would be trusted for actual work.

[It makes enough sense by her, walking easily along the path. Once they left this soft terrain she would pay more actual attention, but for now... the tracking was child's play.]

Unless you had somewhere pressing to be?

[ Majima sighed. ]

Since it sounds like people're planning to ingratiate themselves with the nobility, I was gonna look for some clothes and other props that might make the act a little more convincing. Most of the agents on this mission couldn't pick out a fittin' pattern if it slapped 'em in the face. Plus, a good gift can help deal with the right personality...

But now that we're doing this, might as well see it through.

[ He did his work properly, ok

There was a man busy carrying a large bundle of sticks, who called out to them as they passed. "Roped into looking for Maisy, were you? Best of luck!"

...was this goat infamous ]

[At the mention of the plan Hayame found in her opinion to be... poorly formed, to be polite, her lips twist into a small sneer. Parading about as nobles when they had no actual idea of how to conduct themselves in a place like this, acting like announcing themselves would somehow get themselves an audience with the highest ranked person in the entire land...

But that wasn't something she had any interest in rehashing and getting all bothered over again, so she grits her teeth to keep her mouth shut, to physically prevent herself from complaining that would get her nowhere closer to satisfied with what some members of their team were doing.

Even she is a bit surprised that this goat's fame, though, muttering,]

It is a good thing I have become better acquainted with goats of late.

[Sharing a stable with Toothgrinder those months in ALASTAIR might actually become useful.]

[ Oh, boy. Looked like someone didn't like The Plan (TM). Granted, there was... plenty of room for things to go wrong.

wait what ]

...Better acquainted how?

[ Majima's last interaction with a goat was probably at a petting zoo. Civilized people did not keep goats in their city apartment.

Up ahead, the ground was harder, and the tracks more difficult to follow with a small riot of human footprints complicating the issue. However, Maisy's path did seem to be heading away from the center of town. ]

My-

[Far better option to talk about goats.

Even though she immediately almost puts her hoof in her mouth, snapping it shut suddenly with a click of teeth and stopping to examine the tracks a bit too intently for how obvious they were, looking almost embarrassed for a second before it passes, knowing she is overreacting, that she should keep talking and surely no one will notice anything-]

In ALASTAIR's base Oska, I shared the stables with a... goat said to be the god of such creatures.

[Toothgrinder was an excellent specimen, but. She's still out on whether she considers it a god or not...]

[ Majima opened his mouth, closed it. Looked at her.

There were so many questions here. Where could he even start. Hayame lived in a stable?

With a goat??

A goat god??? ]

Uh... was the goat an agent?

[Of course she lived in the stables, Majima! What was she supposed to do, walk about inside a castle like that was normal to be surrounded by cold stone all the time, and live in a room as if she was human?

She'd never thought to miss Oska, to miss that stable... but compared to the echoing metal ship in the deep black, to the room she now is assigned... it seems a paradise in retrospect.]

No. It's keeper is Odinson, who is a god in his world.

[Play it cool, Hayame.]

It's stall was next to mine, so I doubt I will forget the scent of goat any time soon.

[ Ye...s? Didn't they have rooms for for horse ladies? Rooms with, like... horse lady beds??

Not that Majima was really one to talk -- he didn't even have a proper futon back home, why bother when you barely sleep... but it was sort of baffling that someone with an exacting as Hayame's would be a-okay with sleeping with a goat.

Even a really special goat. ]

...yer a real mystery, Hayame-han.

[ Now the town was falling away; apparently, this non-special goat had decided to book it for the forest. Not particularly good news, considering that ogres apparently had a taste for them. ]

And just how far is this Maisy going?

[Humans slept in houses. Jinba slept in stalls. That's how it had always been, and it was easier to feel more comfortable there... even with the reasons involved.

But she rounds on him somewhat defensively for that comment, studying his reaction for a moment to see if there was something behind those words.]

There is nothing mysterious about me, or him, or the goat.

[OK?????

Just focus on this damned goat.]

Perhaps we should pick up the pace.

[If he was jogging maybe he couldn't talk.]

goatssss

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flowers!

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