destinystrings | 01 - Pint Sized Terror Unleashed!

Entry tags:

01 - Pint Sized Terror Unleashed!

Who: Yamato Hotsuin and YOU!
Where: Taurus Ward at night
Summary: Yamato is more than a little disorientated
Warnings: A fire breathing dog. THE FIRE BREATHING DOG. Also Taurus ward I guess.

Yamato's brain felt like it was in the middle of a grand overload.

The bright neon lights, the bustle of people in all sorts of outlandish clothing moving from building to building in groups, the loud laughter and catcalls - it was so alien to Yamato, who had spent his years isolated in a quiet, out of the way mansion, that he found himself frozen in place, his head stiffly moving from side to side as he drank in the gaudy sight.

At least he had his faithful demon companion by his side. Cerberus was looming over him, more than twice his height, the beast's shoulders hunched in a tense way. Its body language clearly stated that it was prepared to lash out at anything that exhibited the slightest bit of threat, a low, muted growl rumbling in the back of its throat.

Yamato took an abrupt, cautious step forward, and Cerberus shadowed the movement. As... bewildering and confusing this was, he couldn't stand still all night. He...had to get to the bottom of this. A calm, detached observation of his surroundings, even if the lack of memory about his arrival here was disconcerting.

So. A child by his lonesome, dressed in a traditional yukata, with a Cerberus trailing after him... in the red light district during the busiest hour. Approach?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yamato made an irritated noise in the back of his throat, but obediently trailed after the woman, his geta clacking against the street's tarmac. Cerberus lumbered by his side, and Yamato actually lifted his hand up to curl his fingers into the beast's thick mane - just to make sure nothing caught Cerberus's attention and made him wander off.

Yes. It was that reason only.

They walked in silence for a long while, but when the bright lights and raucous crowd started to thin out...

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to the station. It will take a little while, but it will take us right over to the government buildings, where we can find out where you will be living as long as you stay here."

True to her word, she sticks to main streets (although that is also in part because frankly the alleyways could be dangerous for herself as well, much less with a small child in tow). As the station comes into sight, she points it out. "See? It's that building over there."

And, rather cheerily: "Have you ever ridden on a tram before, Hotsuin?"

Government buildings? Where he'd be living? Yamato pressed his mouth into a thin line, confused and hating himself for it. Was he being relocated...? His head was beginning to hurt. He had heard no whispers of him moving to a new location, and he doubted that he would be abandoned in the middle of a civilian street without explanation. Considering how they tried to keep him as separate as possible from the common man...

He was broken out of his anxious thoughts by the woman speaking again, and he looked up to see a large building. It was somewhat sparse, crowd wise, this late at night, and the clock mounted on the very front of the building said it was inching close to ten o'clock at night.

"...no," he said after a pause, disliking how the woman was speaking to him. She sounded... patronising to his ears. Treating him like a child. It irritated him. "I've never been on public transportation before."

"The transportation they have here is a little different from what I'm used to as well, but... it's the most convenient way to get around the city. You'll probably need to ask for help from an adult, though. The different tram lines can get confusing until you memorize them."

Once they reach the station, she pays for both of their passes before pausing to look at Cerberus. Does he... count as a passenger too...?

Yamato was quiet when he watched the entire process with fascinated eyes. Having been ferried about in a car whenever he had to move locations, this was quite... interesting, seeing how civilians travelled if they didn't possess a car. Tickets were purchased with currency, the prices differing upon the person's ages (children were cheaper than adults, and, according to the ticket board, elders were cheaper as well, and there were things like season tickets, or year long passes, and-), and there was a very intricate map of all the rails that led to different parts of the city (that Yamato tried to memorise as well as he could in a one minute glance over).

Despite his suspicion and confusion, Yamato felt a childish sort of excitement bubbling up in him - not that he would recognise it as such.

When Aoi stared at Cerberus though, Yamato tilted his head at the delay. Was there a problem with the demon's presence? Ah, well, yes, Cerberus was quite large. Would he fit in a 'tram'? Yamato didn't really know what a tram looked like, so he wasn't quite sure how the sizings would be...

"Cerberus can follow the tram. His speed is very impressive."

"Well..."

She's beginning to see now that Cerberus seems to be there to protect him, and realizing that it might be more comforting for the little Hotsuin to have Cerberus close by. She taps her COMP on the scanner once more, purchasing yet another ticket.

"Just in case there's room. He wouldn't be the first demon to ride along, I'm sure."

She checks the time as they step into the waiting area and decides it would be best to just sit it out until the tram comes. She makes her way to the benches, always keeping an eye on Yamato to make sure he follows safely before seating herself, gesturing at the open space next to her.

"I can explain things in a little more detail while we wait, if you'd like."

"Hmm..."

Yamato absorbed that titbit of information. Not the first demon - he understood that the existence of demons were kept hidden from the public, but she spoke as if it was common for demons to roam about in this city, in full view. Of course, he knew something was up when she took Cerberus's appearance without batting an eyelash, but it was... strange? Very strange. Yamato just couldn't puzzle this out.

He followed her into a sort of waiting area, the room filled with hard, metal looking benches. They looked uncomfortable, and when Aoi gestured to the seat next to her, Yamato decided to decline with a small shake of his head.

"Yes," he said, straightening up and tilting his jaw upwards slightly, "Explain the situation to me in thorough detail."

Too close, maybe? Well, she'll begin anyhow.

Her expression becomes serious again as she gives him not answers, but instead a question: "Do you remember a dream of a masked man?"

A masked man?

Yamato thought deeply. He remembered reading in his room as usual, then feeling somewhat drowsy. It happened regularly. He took random naps throughout the day, as it was quite wearisome to have Cerberus maintained twenty four seven. He fell asleep... and then, yes, he remembered some sort of dream with a butterfly? Yamato couldn't quite remember the details but...

"Vaguely."

She'd known from the start that he was another Visitor just like herself, but her expression still tightens when she hears that. He's really, truly young for this kind of a responsibility.

But now that he'd been drawn here, he deserves an explanation, so she will do the best she can.

"That man... his name is Philemon. He brings people like you and I from all different worlds to help this city, Hinoto-Ri. It must sound strange, but... As far as we know, this seems to be the only city left in the world, and we have to protect it and its people. In order to do this, we are each given a special power called Persona."

She pauses to make sure he gets all of this, ready to try to break it down even further in the case that he does not.

There was a bit of a pause.

"I don't understand," Yamato said, his tone bland, "We are to protect a city that we have no prior connection to, and therefore no duty towards, simply because some supernatural entity conscripts us into being its guards?"

It was laughable really, and Yamato felt his lips twitch into a smile in response. It wasn't a very nice one, and in fact, carried a slight, mocking edge to it.

"Unless there is something more, of course. Is there a prize or reward given to those who obey?"

She'd met Yamato (the older) and Miyako, and realized that they did not share her ideals when it came to saving people. But for even this small child to be saying such things...

"The people here are struggling. With the demon population as it is, and this city being the only one that remains... There's only so much they can give. However, as long as you are here you will be provided with a room, as well as enough money to pay for supplies for about a month."

Which... just reminds her of yet another concern, really.

"Hotsuin... It might be best if we found your sister and stayed with her as long as you're here."

This didn't really seem satisfactory to Yamato - kidnapped and placed into a city with the mission to protect it, and gently bribed with offers of food and lodgings, even though they were the ones to kidnap the person in the first place? It left a bad taste in Yamato's mouth.

But he dropped the subject, giving Aoi a blank look, his eyes sliding half closed. "My sister...? I'm self-sufficient enough." And, considering at that moment Yamato thought Miyako was a child like him... would just give him extra baggage to carry around, as she hadn't yet summoned her first demon yet.

...But he's just a child.

"Still, it would probably be best for you to stay with someone older... Especially in a dangerous place like this."

Older?

"My sister is younger," Yamato said slowly, his blank expression crinkling in confusion.

...Huh?

"But Hotsuin-- That is, Miyako - is about the same age as I am." It's clear from her expression that she is just as confused. Were they speaking about different people? Just how large was their family...?

"That's impossible," Yamato said, his frown deepening at the mention of his sister's name. Miyako was the youngest twin, and should be his age. Just what was going on?

"Miyako is seven, like me."

'Like me'? But that would imply...

It's then when something clicks. Even though it's such a strange idea, this being Hinoto-Ri, it just might be possible...

"This may be rude, but... Is your name Yamato?"

She had originally chalked it up to familial resemblance, but looking at him like this, he really does look exactly like a younger version of the twins.

Yamato twitched, his lips pressing together in an uncomfortable line at hearing his name. He wasn't sure what to make of this situation - his mind was buzzing miles a minute, trying to piece together a coherent idea from the shred of information he had gleaned so far.

A world where people are dragged from their own realities, if that's so, then the only near logical conclusion he could make was...

"...yes, I am Yamato Hotsuin."

Was Miyako taken from a reality further into the future? That was the only thing that made sense.

Well this is strange. She can't help but lean a little closer, taking in his features, noting the differences - the baby fat that hasn't yet been shed, the lack of lines from sleep deprivation. But it does well and truly appear to be him after all.

"...I'm sorry. Even though we have met before..." In a manner of speaking, "It didn't even occur to me that you might be the same person."

There is a very slight pause before she continues. "It may be difficult to believe, but there was a time when you came here before. However, you were the same age as your sister and I."

"..."

For a long moment, Yamato didn't say anything. He just stared at Aoi blankly, his expression betraying nothing - not shock, not confusion, not anything. It was sort of creepy. But, after a few minutes, the child turned away and stared at the wall instead, heaving a sigh.

"...so my sister is older than I am here?"

Yamato latched onto that first. He... didn't know how to process the situation properly yet, so he decided to focus on the trivial details first. Get those out of the way, and then... yeah.

They can be in similar boats, even if Aoi is slightly more used to it after having lived here for a good number of months. It's frankly a bit relieving to focus on the details instead of trying to explain the why or how.

"That's right. I think she may be about ten years older than you."

At least, she's pretty sure Miyako is around her age, and if Yamato is only seven right now...

"Ten years-"

Yamato turned back to Aoi, and his blank expression had finally broken into what could only be called childish horror. Miyako was ten years older than him - well, that made sense, if she was supposedly the same age as this woman, but... it settled badly, now that he was actually processing it.

The Hotsuin were built on a hierarchy of ability and usefulness. Due to there being no more adult Hotsuin, Yamato was on top of the pyramid because of his promising ability and potential - but if Miyako was an adult here, then that meant that balance was upset, and Yamato would be shifted into a more submissive position, while Miyako adopted the leading one!

It wasn't really fair... it'd be one thing if his twin had bested him as a child, but for him to lose his place because Miyako was fortune enough to be here as an adult, than a child...! That was temporal cheating!

"...is she powerful?" Yamato asked, his tone beginning to creep into petulant.

It's a lot to take in, so she doesn't blame him in the slightest when he needs a moment to sort it all out. Really, she wouldn't be surprised if it took even longer for it to settle in. How else could you react upon finding out that your very own twin was no longer the same age as you?

What does surprise her in the end is his question. It's so unexpected, it takes her a bit to formulate an answer.

"She's... very capable of fighting, yes. We did have to battle demons together once." Although why that would be his first question, she cannot even fathom.

"Ugh." The amount of disgust Yamato managed to inject into that one noise was impressive. "I'd never live it down..."

He shook his head after that half-mutter, and reached up to rake his fingers through Cerberus's thick mane - more to soothe himself than the beast. He would just have to avoid his sister for as long as possible, until Yamato came to terms with this kind of unfair loss. He'd quickly regain his top position though - he was naturally stronger than Miyako as a child, and he'd be naturally stronger than her when he grew up. It was just a matter of... time...

"In any case, I'd like it if you won't tell her about me yet."

01 - Pint Sized Terror Unleashed!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)