deercountry | And I will wait, I will wait, I will wait

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And I will wait, I will wait, I will wait | Open

Who: Ryan Akagi [

chickenchoicejudy] and you! Open to all.
What: Catch all for September + events! Ryan discovers his omen, starts busking while the Raccoon Room is being spruced up, and all the while misses Min-Gi terribly.
When: September!
Where: Various places, but most of them are in Cellar Door

Content Warnings: Minor blood ritual, possible mentions of past self harm

A. TOMO [CELLAR DOOR; EARLY SEPTEMBER]

All things considered, Ryan is settling in okay. Maybe even alarmingly well, considering he wasn't in that town the others came from - Deerington? He's pretty sure they said it was Deerington.

It takes him a few days to really notice some of the changes. Some things stuck out immediately, like the sharing of thoughts he doesn't want shared, or the apparent ability to show memories to others. He...still hasn't quite figured that out, but it's somehow one of the less weird things to happen to him here. Being reborn as some sort of squid is up there, but now he has more bizarre things to add to the tally.

Apparently he's something called a paleblood, and it turns his blood milky in the light of the moon. He's noticed that if he's outside for long enough at night his veins will start to look white, standing out against his tan skin as though someone drew on his arms with White-Out. On top of that, his entire sleep schedule has gotten out of control - he's at his most awake in the early evening, and has been crashing until at least three in the afternoon, but he feels...good? It feels like that's what he's supposed to be doing, so he hasn't fought it much. Maybe he's just a vampire now. A telepathic vampire, soaking up the emotions of others.

One night, he was wondering to himself what Min would be if he were here. The thought creeped into his head and left him a little lonely, but he didn't have much time to reflect on it or let it spiral, because a smoky otter leapt from his chest as soon as he started to process that thought.

Their name is Tomo, and they have not left since then. They even stuck through the ridiculous amount of screaming Ryan did when they first turned up. Since then they've become more solid and they've taken to climbing around on Ryan, getting tangled up under his feet and making them both trip, and pushing their whole head against Ryan when they want attention.

And they want a lot of attention.

Right now, Ryan's been sort of idly feeding them some sort of fried fish sticks he got as a to-go order from somewhere. He's had one or two himself, but he's mostly been picking at the fries that came with it and trying to work up an appetite. Tomo chitters at him in some sort of a fuss, stamping their feet on the bench they're sharing and Ryan boggles at them.

"What? There's no more fish sticks!" he says, exasperated. "Do you even need to eat? You're like, made of smoke or whatever!"

This is his life now. He has telepathic powers and he's arguing with an otter in public, out loud. He probably looks like a basket case to anyone walking by.

B. BUSKING [CELLAR DOOR; MOST OF SEPTEMBER]

The Raccoon Room isn't ready yet, and even though Ryan knows he'll have a standing gig there with a real stage and a real audience he's still itching to perform. Plus bouncing around with his guitar is a good way to burn off some of that weird fighty energy everyone seems to be feeling.

So, he's been busking in Cellar Door. He's gotten the hang of what people wear so that he won't be ragged on for his exposed knees by the locals, and he's playing...well, whatever he feels like playing at that given moment. His lunar orb is attached to his amp with a decorative macramé holder like a gigantic keychain (since it's not like his house needs electricity without him in it right now), and he's putting on a show for anybody who feels like standing around and listening for a few minutes. His guitar case is open on the ground in front of him, and locals have dropped a number of small shiny things, which he's learned are not insults and can in fact be exchanged for goods and services! Wow!

His set list is wide and varied - sometimes he's just messing around with new chords, sometimes he's singing about dressing a dog in a toque, and sometimes he's playing around with covers of songs he's recently learned exist. He avoids the more recent Chicken Choice Judy songs though, since they don't sound right without Min-Gi. His previous solo career songs all have a lot of baggage as well, so...he really needs to get cracking on writing more songs. But for now, just to have something to do, this is fine.

Tomo is with him, but the entire time he's performing they're curled up on a nearby ledge - more content than they've ever been. They look like they're cozy enough to just take a nap there while Ryan does his thing.

It feels great to be performing for a crowd again - he just wishes Min was by his side on synth, and he can't make that little heartache fade every time it slinks back into his thoughts.

C. GROWING PAINS [CELLAR DOOR (RYAN'S PLACE); SEPT 21ST]
Throughout town he's heard news of some...new beginnings ritual, and even seen people carrying around flowers. It seems harmless enough, and they're all magic now, and perhaps more importantly Ryan can't sleep. The sun is well in the sky now, so his body is insisting that it is actually very, very late. What else is he going to do, stare at a wall? Might as well play with this magic stuff, especially if it's just going to make a flower grow.

The locals are all about not being stuck in the past, right? ...Sounds nice.

He digs in a tiny patch of aesthetic earth in front of an absolutely decrepit-looking townhouse that he's been crashing in - the kind of dirt that isn't really a yard but is a place a tree could theoretically grow if it wanted to be a tree-lined city street. He's not sure if it's enough, but he decides to bury an old guitar pick. There are other things he could probably go with, but...it feels like it should be something small. It should be something small, and he doesn't want to bury the Chicken Choice Judy shirt.

(Maybe that should have been his first clue that this isn't a great impulsive thing to do at 8AM.)

He steels himself, still sitting in the dirt. It just needs one drop of blood. That's nothing. That's like, a pin prick. It won't even leave a mark.

It isn't until he feels a weight on his knees that he realizes he's just been sitting there for a few minutes now. He blinks, and Tomo is looking at him, staring directly into his soul.

You don't have to rush yourself.

For a second he stares, dumbly. Tomo hasn't spoken very much to him - this is one of very few full sentences they've said, and they say it directly into his mind. He can feel something pricking at his eyes, but he wipes it away before it can get out of hand.

"I just...really miss Min," he says. He speaks out loud, still not quite comfortable with his abilities.

Then miss him.

"It's not like it would...I dunno, make me forget or stop caring," he goes on. "But it still feels...wrong? I guess?"

...Then do what feels right?

Tomo climbs up onto Ryan's shoulder, curling up there like a living fur scarf, and nuzzles his neck. He takes a deep breath and...starts digging in the dirt again, desperate to unearth the guitar pick.

It's probably an odd sight in the middle of a heavily populated district first thing in the morning.

D. WHATEVER [WHEREVER; WHENEVER]

[Got something else in mind? Hit me up and I'll make a top level! Also I'll match format to either prose or [brackets]; I'm not picky.]

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Fritter does in fact leap into his arms, crawling up to perch on Ryan's shoulder.

Wu blinks at him, then looks up at the buildings, then back to Ryan. "Your... you live here?"

Oh, boy. Ryan. There are standards. Wu is aghast, but he's keeping it in. Don't judge, don't judge, don't lose your new friend because you think anything less than a 5 star hotel is a dump.

But this really is a dump. He stares at the building, his jaw hanging open. "Why?!"

That's a very good question. Ryan looks up at the buildings too, as though he can't see what Wu is seeing. It's all for show though - he's well aware that it sucks.

"It's not that bad," he says, crossing his arms and shrugging. "Besides, it didn't look like anyone was using it."

This is obvious, considering the broken windows and peeling paint. The entire place is a disaster.

"I'm not even here that much - it's just a place to crash and drop my stuff," he goes on, as though any of this makes it any better. "And compared to all the times I've slept in a van, it's practically the Ritz!"

Tomo lets out a little high pitched whine of displeasure in Wu's arms. Apparently they aren't the biggest fan of this living arrangement either.

Wu looks down at Tomo, nodding his agreement. "That doens't mean you have to live here! The Raccoon Room was abandoned too, but it isn't, it isn't-- this!"

Sheesh, Ryan! Have some standards!

Wu stares up at the building in something like disbelief. Then Ryan's words hit him. "A van? Like a Satomobile? Ryan!"

He steps over to Ryan to whack him lightly on the arm. "You're as bad as Mako! He slept under his desk, before. You need to take care of yourself, and that starts with a good place to sleep. Show me."

It's not a request.

"Hey!" He pouts and rubs his arm. "It had a mattress in the back, okay? It wasn't that bad. I just...I was solo for a while and didn't have motel money. It's definitely a step up from sleeping under a desk."

It feels weirdly important to him to defend that shitty mattress in that beat-up van, as though he wasn't expecting his flippant comparison to get that kind of reaction. He's not used to it. He's not used to people caring enough to think about the things he says for more than a second or two.

Honestly, it leaves him sort of flustered.

"...Oh. Oh, you want to go iiiiin," Ryan says, slowly, stalling for time. Tomo decides to leap off of Wu's shoulder at that moment into a puff of smoke, and then reforms at the door - which is only maybe six feet away from them. They seem almost smug as they pace around on the doorstep and Ryan squints at them. Little traitor.

But, it's probably weirder to not go in at this point right? It's fine. It'll be fine. Faking it gives him a bit more resolve, and he steels himself.

"Yeah, totally! I can show you around," he says, ignoring every reasonable thought that this is a terrible idea and going for acting like nothing's wrong instead. "C'mon, I'll give you the grand tour!"

He refuses to give himself time to think about it more before opening the door and heading inside. Tomo looks up at Wu with a look of concern before scampering after Ryan. They hang back for a second once inside though, to make sure Wu is following.

The inside, perhaps unsurprisingly, is exactly as bad as the outside. The paint in the entranceway is peeling, dust is collecting on just about every surface, and the stairs look extremely questionable. Thankfully there's a hall that passes them and they don't have to risk their lives for now.

"Welcome to Casa de Ryan!" he grins, because this is fine. "I'm mostly on the first floor 'cause, you know. Stairs, right? Pfft, they're so overrated."

"A mattress is good..."

Wu shares that concerned look with Tomo, but it's totally sure what he should be concerned about yet until he steps inside and he stops, looking around slack-jawed.

Oh, no. Oh, no. He's stock still to keep himself from vibrating with the need to do something about this travesty.

He doesn't say anything, though, which is never a good sign, and trails after Ryan in something like a fugue state. He's cataloging everything wrong with this place. It might be the worst place he's ever been? Why is it falling apart? Why do the stairs look so dangerous? Why is paint peeling? Even the Palace didn't look this awful when he finally came back and half of it was still not renovated after the coup.

He doesn't fully understand what he's seeing, but it definitely doesn't look like a place where someone should be sleeping.

Ryan presses on with a strange energy - he knew going in that Wu wasn't going to like the situation at all, and that there was no way for him to actually change that, so he seems determined to dig his heels in. If this is going to ruin things, then he's going to be the one to do the ruining.

"C'mon! I'll show you around."

There's enough grime that it's hard to imagine the place was ever clean. Moving past the stairs opens into a sitting room with a couch that looks not only uncomfortable, but moments from falling apart. Most of the things around are very old and dusty - and clearly don't actually belong to Ryan. They must have come with the house. Despite Ryan flipping on the lights, it still feels uncomfortably dark. There's one sad little light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and if there was ever a proper lamp there it's long gone now.

"This is the living room--"

The signs that Ryan is doing much living there are very small. His guitar case is leaned against one of the peeling walls, with his amp and other assorted equipment nearby. There are places where the dust has been disturbed, proving that someone has in fact been walking around and touching things.

"--aaaand that's the kitchen!"

There isn't much of a wall separating the two rooms, and the lighting isn't much better in there. There are kitchen utensils and pans, but many of them are rusted - possibly beyond repair. It does have some modern amenities, like a stove and running water, but Ryan hasn't been using the room much. If Wu peeks in the fridge, he'll find it alarmingly empty, aside from a couple of drinks, an untouched bag of oranges, and questionable takeaway that might gain sentience if it's left in there much longer.

He'll be able to see the one spot at the kitchen table that's actually been used, painting a particularly sad picture. There's another hall that leads to a couple more rooms, though it remains to be seen whether that's a relief or not.

The horror grows in Wu. Everything Ryan shows him makes it worse, and his skin crawls. He's pretty sure he's going to get sick or covered in bugs or something from just being here. He tries not to judge, he knows not everyone grew up the way he did, but it can't be this bad. He knows that Mako and Bolin had to sleep in some awful places as kids, but it can't be this bad. Not if he had a choice!

He follows Ryan on this "tour," nodding helplessly at each new thing he sees. Fritter, at least, has the grace to look just as affronted. She scampers away from Ryan and runs up to Wu, who picks her up so her little paws don't have to touch the floor. Wu doesn't touch anything that he doesn't have to, standing as far away from the sparse furniture as he can. Horrified is too soft of a word for how he's feeling.

Finally, when Ryan seems to be done, Wu turns to him, brows furrowed. "Ryan..." What does he say? Boy, what does he say?! Does he say what he's really feeling? Either way, Ryan can probably feel it. The amount that he Does Not Like this is rolling off of him in waves. He's scared and a little disgusted and very concerned for Ryan. And confused, very confused. He's trying his best to be diplomatic here.

"Is this, um. Is this how you normally live? In your world?" Nailed it.

The worst part is Ryan can feel it. He can feel the disgust radiating off of Wu, but also the fear and...something else that twists at him. It makes his manic energy start to dissipate with the realization that those bad feelings are entirely his fault.

...Why is he doing this?

Tomo seems to sense this change in Ryan instinctively, and that is the moment they go to his side. They don't ask to be picked up - they jump up in a show-offy poof of smoke and reform on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck.

"...Not always," is the tired answer Wu gets. "I mean, like I said, I was living out of a van before. My dad gave me his old one when I graduated, 'cause I wanted to hit the ground running and go on tour, even if it had to be solo. I guess it seemed like a good trade to him? His van for not having to feed another kid or deal with me anymore."

It's a little dark and bitter, but it's the truth. Ryan shrugs.

"So, I did that for a year, and then I wound up having to give it to an ex-girlfriend, and kinda..." He trails off. "Uh. Me and Min went...somewhere. And when we came back, we went on tour again! Together this time, as a band!"

Ryan brightens a bit when he mentions Min-Gi. He genuinely seems a little lighter when he thinks about him, in a genuine way.

"It was so much better the second time around," he admits. "Min was always the one making sure we had a motel lined up."

And there in lies the real problem - Min isn't here, and when Min isn't around Ryan's life turns into a total disaster, for a number of reasons.

Wu nods slowly, his eyes shifting back to Ryan, away from the desolation of this "house." He doesn't want Ryan to feel bad, but he also certainly doesn't approve of his choice to live here.

And he gets it, sort of. He gets your family not wanting you. He gets wanting to leave, to be free of them.

But he can't figure out what to say, not yet. So the pair of them stand halfway across this room, each with their respective fuzzy omens on their shoulders, watching each other.

"I don't now, Ryan. This seems worse than a van," maybe that isn't the best thing to say, but he's not trying to judge all of Ryan's choices! Just this one. "And there are plenty of other places you could stay, here! Or, or, or we could get you, um. Anything, really. Anything. To make this place less, less--" what word can he even use for this? What word would be appropriate? "Bad?"

Not the best choice, but he doesn't really know what to do here aside from clap his hands together. "Okay that's what we're going to do! We're going to spruce this place up! You like red, right? Let's look for some drapery or something, just-- anything, really. Anything. Would help. I'm sure Min wouldn't want to see you living like this! I know I wouldn't let Mako hear the end of it if he decided to sleep under a desk again. Min has the right idea here, even if-- what's a motel? Is it like a hotel?"

"Well...it's got utilities?" he tries. "Like, running water and heat and stuff? In that sense it's better."

It's a very soft argument though - he doesn't feel bad about his choices, but he feels bad for worrying Wu so much, and the kneejerk impulse is to push against that. He doesn't need to worry. This objectively isn't worse. But he doesn't seem upset with Wu, at the least.

"Yeah, it's like. A hotel, but cheaper? They're not luxurious, but they usually have a bed or two, a TV, and a shower."

The rest of Wu's offer finally sinks in though, and Ryan flushes as though sincere care and consideration is somehow embarrassing. It sounds nice, and it would probably look a lot better but--

"Wait, you're already making over the Raccoon Room!" he points out. "You don't have to do my place too. It's--"

...Hm. Not worth it? Too much work? Every way he wants to finish that sentence is probably just going to make things worse here. So, he just sort of cuts himself off and looks at Wu. That's enough to make him realize the truth of this situation.

"...It's happening either way, isn't it."

He's resigned, but it's at least in a sort of fond way. Of course it's happening. This is Wu.

It is happening, and Wu's glad that Ryan knows it. He finally smiles, and walks over to Ryan to take his arm, pulling him out of this awful space.

"Yep! It is. If you want to stay here, we're going to make it amazing. Make it a real Casa de Ryan!" He pronounces it wrong, he doesn't know what it means, but hey, Ryan said it, and it sounded fun. "And don't worry, the Raccoon Room comes first, but now I can do something with all the other amazing stuff I've found. You know, the Raccoon Room can only use so many chandeliers."

They're free of the house now, back in the fresh air, and Wu breathes a sigh of relief. It's much better out here, so much better, and he can pretend like he didn't see the place where his new best friend is living.

"Come on, Ryan! Let's see what we can find-- oh," his eyes land on the patch of dirt that Ryan was working on when he arrived. "Oh! Were you doing the flower thing?"

"Is there really such a thing as too many chandeliers?" Evidently he's feeling a little better, if he's able to joke around again.

Ryan lets himself be tugged though, perfectly content to let Wu take the lead. He'd rather be outside anyway, and he takes a deep breath of fresh air once they're in front of the house. He's perfectly ready to follow Wu to whatever store he wants to go to - he's gotten a second wind, and feels totally able to stay up longer to hang with Wu. It's something he does pretty regularly anyway, since they get brunch a lot.

But, Wu reminds him of the flower ritual. Ryan looks down at the patch of disturbed soil. The words come easier this time, easier than he expects them to.

"Yeah. I was going to, but...I wasn't ready."

"Of course not!" Wu laughs, squeezing his arm. But his smile drifts off a moment later, and he looks down at the patch of dirt again. He nods, contemplating it.

"Not ready to let go of your old life? That makes sense, you haven't had as long as a lot of us to get used to the idea. I went home for a bit, when the dream was breaking, and it was so strange. It was like I didn't really fit there anymore."

Fritter chitters softly on his shoulder, and Wu absent-mindedly reaches up to pet her.

"You don't have to do it right now, but if you want to, maybe I could help?"

Since Wu is squeezing him, he'll hear the thought Ryan has that he doesn't voice out loud - his real reservation about the flower ritual.

"...I don't want to let go of Min. I don't want to leave him behind again."

Ryan smiles though, and leans into a friendly shoulder nudge. He really is feeling better now than he was inside and it shows, even if he doesn't say exactly why he was feeling so lousy in the first place.

"Maybe later," he says. "But thanks, man. It means a lot."

"Yeah, of course," Wu smiles softly at him. He... gets it. He does. Accepting that he lived in Deerington was hard, and Ryan's only been here for a few weeks. He hasn't had the time the rest of them have had to get used to the idea of living in a new world.

Then he laughs, tugging Ryan along with him. "Then let's go shopping! Oh, boy, Ryan, we'll get so many great things for your house. You won't even recognize it when I'm done."

"Should I be scared?" he laughs back. "I feel like I should be scared, dude."

He isn't though. Wu would be able to feel it rolling off of him if he was. There are a lot of other things under the surface, but mostly sincere relief and gratitude. He's just kidding, but it's a good sign.

More importantly, he certainly isn't stopping Wu. With his free hand he gestures out to the road.

"Lead the way!"

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And I will wait, I will wait, I will wait | Open

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