open

[imaginex]

WHO: Sakura and you!
WHERE: all around Recollé, check the prompts for more deets
WHEN: 11th-13th for nighttime shenanigans, the other prompts can be any time
WHAT: Egg hunting, handing out Japanese yams, or wandering the streets in a trance because memories suck
WARNINGS: None most likely but will update as necessary

I. Egg hunt

[Mmm Sakura vs runaway turkeys? Not good odds, and she's very aware of it. Hence why she decides to leave the turkey-wrangling to the professionals and instead turns her eyes on the golden eggs littered all over the city.

To be honest, she's a little disappointed they're not made of actual gold, like something out of a fantasy novel, y'know? But ah well, it still captures the spirit of fun. It's why she's got herself a little basket and a smile as she dutifully goes around gathering however many will fit, and will later find a seat in the park to open them all. Anyone who wanders close and looks mildly intrigued by her shenanigans will be gifted a smile, Sakura shyly holding up an egg in her delight]

Would you like to open it with me? So far I have three pieces of candy, two balloons, and a human skull.

[... she might've made that last one up. +_+]

II. Nightly Wanderings

[It's 9 pm - or is it 11 pm - or a little past midnight. Does it really matter? Especially after last month, this is hardly the time for anyone to be wandering the streets all alone.

But from the corner of your eye, you might see her - gait unbalanced and constantly shifting like she's navigating through mud, eyelids perpetually drooped to half-mast, the mark of a trance. Calling out to her doesn't reap results; instead she ignores her surroundings while she stumbles along barefoot, sometimes pausing precariously close to the sidewalk's edge, swaying back and forth before continuing.

It's... almost like she thinks she's following something.

Despite her slow progress, anyone who attempts to follow her will find her as skittish as a mare, always maintaining distance when given the opportunity. Whatever's wrong with Sakura, she's aware enough to sense your intent if you're not careful.

For three consecutive nights, she'll wander through the city: Tisse on the 11th (darting into the alleyways between the shops), Enprise on the 12th (along the streets, steps flirting nervously close to traffic), and Apprassage on the 13th (near the woods). Follow her at your own risk.]

III. Be My Sweet Potato Heart

[Whelp. Since everything in her life is Perfect and there are No Problems whatsoever, Sakura holes herself in her apartment for a day. Tries to give her parents a call. And upon failing that, just completely shuts off her phone. Yep, this is fine. Everything's fine.

It's fine.

But soon after she's out and about the city again, having bounced back with an aggressive amount of cheer that probably smells fake. Never fear, though! That's why she's got a basket of Japanese yams that have all been cooked to perfection, wrapped in tin foil and ready to be distributed.

Doesn't matter if it's a stranger or acquaintance; she'll steel her nerves and offer the treat to anyone, complete with a spiel about how often she made them as a child with her family during the chiller months. Then she steps back, arms folded behind her as she watches eagerly]

Please try it. I promise it tastes delicious.

[Good stuff, right? See - everything's fine. It's... fine.]

IV. Wildcard

[hit me up on ignitible or just surprise me. I'll roll with anything.]

Comments

ii;11/11

[compendiem]

[ It's after midnight when Minato is finished with work, switching out his work shoes for his boots and zipping his jacket up as far is it'll go so that he can duck his head and keep his chin warm as he pushes out the swinging doors of Expressive in Tisse with the intention on passing through by Tribunal Terrace to make a stop there before heading home, but Sakura catches his eye somewhere in between.

At first, he thought maybe she were drunk, stumbling around like that and paying very little attention to her surroundings, but she's also barefoot and dangerously close to the car's domain of the streets where it'd be a losing battle, so he veers off towards her direction, not calling out to her, and instead stepping in front of her in hopes that she'll either bump into him and stop, or see him and stop. ]

[imaginex]

[Minato's actions prove to be effective... of a sort. She does stop when he walks in front of her, yes, but almost immediately backtracks to put distance between them. Her sleepy expression doesn't so much as flinch.

And after a pause, in which regards this newest person with her head tilted like a bird, Sakura starts walking again - the same slow, uneven cadence.]

[compendiem]

[ O...kay. He was obviously noticed, or she wouldn't have reacted, but he can't really say for sure whether it was an entirely conscious reaction to his presence. Doesn't really matter though; he moves again when she does, maintaining the same set distance as if they were repelling magnets, with him almost tightrope walking the curb to keep her towards the buildings and seeing if he can guide her towards an open store or street bench that way. ]

i

[unenvied]

[Bruno's a tad wary of the eggs, having had less than stellar experience with them so far, but still, it's curious to see someone who's made a point of gathering so many to open them.

Though, uh.]

A-A human skull...!?

[imaginex]

[Oh no, he's precious.]

Mmhmm! Just imagine opening an egg and finding two eye sockets staring back at you...

[Goodness, she sounds delighted by the prospect]

III, kinda

[destiny_key]

[It's a Saturday, which means Sora is volunteering at the animal shelter. So instead of just Buck on a leash like one might be used to seeing, he's got three dogs on leashes leading him through the city towards the park, all eager and happy to be around so many people. Paying more attention to the dogs than his surroundings, Sora almost misses when Sakura passes right by him.

Normally, he might just wave and keep on his way. But today, after debating a moment, he stops, turns around, and pulls the dogs to go after her.]

Sakura! Hey!

[imaginex]

[Ooooh lord that's a lot of dogs? All cute dogs, but Sakura stares in surprise (and probably pulls back her sweet potatoes with alarm) before she rights herself and gives Sora a proper smile]

Sora-san!

Good afternoon! Are these all your dogs?

i

[ohrlyeh]

A human skull? Aw...that sounds like quite the find.

[Says Howard, actually looking somewhat disappointed. Look, candy is great, but sometimes a human skull is great enough to put on a desk and be an inspiration for writing about terrible things happening to boats and people. It's ambiance.]

[He nods at her question though, reaching for the egg in her hands.]

What do you think will be inside? Have a guess. For fun.

[imaginex]

[Gdit Howard, she doesn't have the heart to admit she was lying. Bless his soul, though; she needs more acquaintances who get why skulls are excellent decorations.]

Hmm, maybe you'll get a different skull? [She taps her chin in thought]

Like a vulture! Those look amazing, I think.

ii; 11/12

[coinflipped]

[It's been a long day and all Isaac's thinking about doing is driving home. That usually means that the music is up loud in his car and he's barely paying attention to anything but the traffic and maybe some of his close surroundings. Breaking when the cars in front break and accelerating when traffic is getting faster. It's a pretty simple and mindless process.

It's why when there's someone walking a little too closer to the passenger side of his car and it alarms him enough to actually suddenly stop, inducing the angry honks behind him, he looks and sees that it's Sakura who is the one walking alongside danger. Driving up a bit and parking along side the street, he gets out of his car to confront her.

That means to yell and scold her.]

What the hell do you think you're doing?!

[He does this because he cares or something like that.]

[imaginex]

[Well shit.

All that noise means Sakura is going to shy away from the sidewalk, but the yelling is what has her wilting back with both shoulders bunched around her shoulders. No half-closed eyes this time - she stares at Isaac, eyes blown open, the gaze of a person who has no idea what she's looking at.

And then she... steps back? One foot then two, eyes nearly falling closed as she turns to keep walking]

iii

[sketchythief]

[ He looks at the Japanese yam wrapped in tin foil when he's offered one. It reminds him of the times when he ate one with his family too, but that feels like it was so long ago... anyway, he takes one and holds it with both hands.

He eats it, because it looks like he's expected to right there, and after he chews and swallows-- ]

It's really good! Do you have a recipe... or do you have to handpick the best ones in the market?

[imaginex]

Mmm... it comes down to timing, I think! [Hands still held behind her back, she bounces a little on the balls of her feet, smiling at him]

The longer you cook them at a low, constant temperature, the better they taste.

[She gives a nod to the yam in his hand] I stuck those in the oven for about three hours.

iii

[me_matey]

-By now, Sakura definitely knows the way to May's heart and that's the words "free" and "food" in a particular order. She happily takes the hot potato with a giggle, peeling off the foil and taking a big, huge bite.

Sure, she nearly burns her tongue in the process, wincing, but oh it's so good... She hasn't had one in damn near forever. Part of what came from being so far away from her apparently Japanese roots...

But once she'd had a bite, she remembered something...-

Hey, were you out on a walk late the other night? I coulda sworn I saw you while I was out, uh... -Quick, think of something innocuous and not illegal!- ... uh. Walkin'. -Genius.-

[imaginex]

[Oh rest assured, Sakura was going to hunt May down if she didn't see her. One of these yams absolutely has the other girl's name on it. Her expression is tickled pink by the girl's reaction--

And then the corners of her smile slip a bit at the question]

Oh, that? [A little shrug]

I-- some errands, you know! That's probably it.

II/WILDCARD technically the morning of the 13th or fourteenth take ur pick

[stopbleeding]

[when sakura wakes up, she won't be where she last was. it's an unfamiliar apartment in an unfamiliar bed. directly opposite her is a a floor to ceiling wall, covered in other-worldly snapshots of a vibrant sea, pieced together into a photographic mural. to her left is a floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over recolle, high enough to snatch a generous glimpse of the ocean beyond the city's border. Other than that, the place is sparse. white walls and the unmistakeable greasy smell of–

–Burger King breakfast?

yeah. zoro rounds the corner just to throw her a grease covered burger king bag filled with greasy breakfast food.]

Took you long enough. Hope you're not vegan.

[imaginex]

[Right. So... there's a lot to unpackage when Sakura does finally wake up, groggy and tense from the instinctive awareness that this is not her home. And following that would be rightful panic and a demand for explanations--

if there wasn't sudden this greasy bag in her lap. So greasy that her priorities shift into mindless worry about the bedsheets, she'd feel so guilty if they were soiled on her account-- ah.]

Zoro-san...? [She probably looks like an unkept owl, what with her staring unblinkingly in his direction] Good... morning?

[...] Where am I?

II, 11/13: Revenge of the Sausage

[falsepretentious]

[Byakuya normally was one to keep to a normal sleeping schedule. But that was before the time of the turkeys. He had been hunting them down each night while they're at their most vulnerable in order to collect more of the reward funds. And tonight, he was going to seek some out by the forest, armed with his mighty night vision goggles!

But as he neared the forest, he managed to stop someone wholly unexpected in the area.]

...Sakura? [His muttering of that name is carried forward through the empty night air.]

[imaginex]

[Sorry, Byakuya, no turkeys here. Might be because Sakura is just... standing creepily, bathed in whatever moonlight peeking through the cloud cover. No self-respecting turkey wants to deal with that.

It's also difficult to feel out if she's ignoring him, or simply hadn't heard her name being called, but the result is the same - at no point does she turn to face him, and though she stumbles along the border of the forest, her trajectory will eventually send her disappearing between the trees.

What's his first move?]

i; mid-month; sorry I'm so late!!

[complementing]

[Minako pauses at Sakura's bench at her call, grinning. She's in her Red Riding Hood Halloween costume, with a basket of golden eggs on her arm, and a leash in her other hand...which belongs to a silver Shiba Inu dressed up like a huntman, and a basket in his mouth.]

Sakura! I'd love to open eggs with you. Though I only have a few right now, I was going to look for more before opening them.

NO WORRIES /o/

[imaginex]

[At no point does Sakura think to point out that Halloween is over because A) that outfit is amazing, and B) she doesn't want to tank her chances of petting that adorable doggy.

Plus it is never too late to dress up in costume.]

I can always help you! [In fact, she's already climbed to her feet, scooting her eggs back into her own basket.]

- And your dog is adorable, too! [Waggling her fingers at him] Is he going to help?

iv

[spirithacker]

[So, while contacting anyone outside of Recolle is a bust, there is still Sakura's aunt and uncle to consider. They did insist on having Sakura over for dinner, after all.

The Matou family lives in a fairly nice house that's maybe a little too big for three people - they do come from money, as Sakura well knows, so it's not like they have to clean it themselves. Sakura's aunt is the one to answer the door when Sakura rings the doorbell, and after letting her in and fussing over how grown-up Sakura is now and how much she looks like her mother did at her age-]

Sakura's here?

[Shinji peeks around a corner, then comes out to see Sakura face to face for the first time. Even with his brown hair, and much younger appearance, his resemblance to someone else might be obvious.]

[imaginex]

[... She'd practiced, y'know. The moment she had remembered that her cousin's name matched the boy in the fog, Sakura had practiced her smile before coming over for dinner, just in case. She'd made sure that she wouldn't twitch, that her eyes wouldn't grow wide in disbelief, that she wouldn't recoil backwards--

Seeing Shinji now, she can tell the practice was unnecessary. Those canny similarities aren't enough to drum up uncomfortable memories. This is a young boy - her cousin - who stands before her, not her tormentor for all of October.

Beneath her sunny smile, the relief is palatable. She gives him a slight bow]

Ah, Shinji-kun! It's nice to meet you. [And with a pleased follow-up, hands on her knees:] Goodness, you're tall for your age.

ii; 13th

[vitis]

[ because why wouldn't he be just exiting from the woods in the dead of night. at least john has somewhat good reason to be here; which, as soon as he spies sakura from between a few trees, skirting at the edge of the woods, begs the question as to whether she does. ]

[ and it's apparent from the getgo that there's something a bit off about this situation - a lot off, in fact - but john doesn't want to assume the worst right away. time, and place aside, and that sway to her step, and... well, he feels a tiny twinge of anxiety pull at his chest. he steps forward, a routine smile on his face- ]

Hey, Ms. Tohsaka!

[ and he might wave, but instead he takes just a second to roll down his sleeves to their proper length, to adjust his jacket before looking her way again. ]

Wait up a lil', would you?

[imaginex]

[Mmm or she could do the exact opposite of waiting.

How fast she moves depends entirely on John's approach. If he stays where he is, she'll keep to her uneven pace, swaying slowly without much purpose -- but seeing as he was so helpful to announce his presence, she'll take a purposeful step away for each one he takes forward, shy as a doe.

At no point does she turn to look at him properly]