[OPEN] Ilda’s April Catch-All

[ilda]

Characters: Ilda, you, your bibiru, anyone!
Date: April 16th to 30th
Location: all over Aifaran
Situation: selfies, putting up advertisements for/with Yato, affinity things
Warnings/Rating: none, but will update when something comes up


A - IT’S SELFIE TIME! (open)

[ Perhaps her friends would regret encouraging her. Or even simply giving her the idea in the first place. But Ilda, barely a month in Aifaran, has decided that she has a life goal: to be queen of Xa Xa! As she’s told Bakura before, if she’s gonna be laughed at anyway, why not make money out of it and have fun at the same time?

So she’s been exploring the city, during various times of the day (and night) and in varying weather conditions, looking for interesting and unusual things and places and even people to take selfies with. Rooftops! Under bridges! Under tables! Beside a stranger’s feet for his mismatched pair of socks!

She’s not even asking permission. She just comes zooming in, a quick clickity click, then poof! Off she goes, laughing at her own selfies!

They’re not even pretty. Some of them are blurry. Most of them either have too much of her face, or too little of it. Like just her forehead. ]


B - DOUBLE TROUBLE (Meta 1, open)

[ Wait, is that Ilda again? What does she want now? Another selfie? And why can’t she use her own yimo for that?

But now that you think about it, the first Ilda actually seemed kind of... off. By Ilda standards. This one looks more like her usual self - bubbly, chatty, with no care in the world.

A wild Ilda approaches! ]


C - EXPLORADVERTISING (closed to Yato)

[ Ilda remembers what she and Yato are supposed to be doing today, but she can’t quite recall if he’d said that he would bring the posters. So she’s taken the initiative to procure some customized ones! They’re basically large printouts of a really adorable cat poster she found on Xa Xa, and she’s handwritten Yato’s name and a message on each of them.

She sticks up one on a random wall, then leans back to look at her work, quite pleased with herself. Fitting, eh? BELIEVE! IN YATO! MAKE A WISH NOW! ]


D - WILDCARD (open)
[ Hit me up at notanybunny for a specific starter! :D ]

Comments

[ilda]

[ Ilda’s grin is just as wide as she comes bounding over to X, excitement clearly radiating off her in waves. When she finally speaks, she sounds like she’s trying not to explode in a gleefit. ] Oh my goddess, it’s really you!

[ Then she catches herself, her smile turning a little sheepish, and she plops down beside him. Oops, she’s not exactly sensitive about personal space, sorry about that. ]

Hi.

That wasn't supposed to be "not to delete it"...

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena's eyes widen. "Always? Just how much trouble do you get into, Ilda?" she asks good-naturedly. She can't imagine this young woman doing anything too dire, and only with the best of intentions.

The ninja looks at her knowingly. "It's a lot different than just a painting, isn't it? While some people can be smiling in their portrait, this," and she taps the yimo, "can catch the person's emotions so much better." Like a spooked ninja, for instance. She laughs with her at the mention of Conan.

"I know Conan, and we can't have him lecturing you, now can we?" Standing next to Ilda, she helps her steady the yimo. "Okay, ready!"

[ilda]

Ilda laughs. “A lot, but nothing I’ve had to go to prison for.” So far, anyway. Her excitable nature would probably get her in trouble in Aifaran one of these days, but she’s hardly worried.

She nods at Sheena’s comparison of the yimo’s pictures to paintings. “There’s definitely more emotion in these pictures than portraits! Must be the eyes? The details are also so... well, detailed. And layers and layers of colors!”

She brings her face a little closer to the ninja’s, remembering similar shots she’d seen over at Xa Xa of happy, giggly girl friends. Yay! New friends! “If he doesn’t like this picture, he’s just an unappreciative grump. Smile!”

[psituational]

[It's a good thing X isn't really sensitive about personal space either, all things considered. Joy and humour twinkle in his eyes as he turns to face her properly.]

Hi! I was actually just trying to reach you. [He holds up the yimo. Reach her, leave her a message... same thing, right?] I'm sorry I've been so scarce. It's...

[... yeah. He didn't have the words for the message, and he sure as hell doesn't have them when put on the spot like this. X takes a breath, exhales, and smiles.]

How have you been?

[spoilsfun]

Conan sighs and shows her the steps again. He really didn't think that this was so difficult to understand.

...This was also why he made a terrible teacher.

"Maybe you should see if you can find a book on composition. There are dozens of methods people use to improve photos like that, and like most arts, there are just as many opinions on which are the best."

[ilda]

[ Ilda laughs, delighted that he's been trying to reach her - nevermind that it's been ages. ] As long as you weren't doing it on purpose! You were very hard to stalk, you know? Even worse than my last crush!

[ But she doesn't really dwell on it. Not even the fact that he does't explain why he'd been scarce. ]

I'm pretty good. I made some new friends! I'm also helping Yato put up advertisements for his wish-granting scheme. [ She makes it sound so shady. ] Do you know Yato? He says he's a god, and it's really sad because he doesn't have a shrine so he's technically homeless, so I'm helping him raise funds for it! It's probably going to take a while, though, since he's only charging one copper rhinn and I think you'll need more than that to actually get a shrine built?

... But enough about me! How are you? [ She looks up at him, smiling sweetly, chin in hands. You know what she wants to hear, X. ]

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena gives her an amused look. "That's not something you're trying to do, is it? Because trust me, it's not fun."

Not that she would know, of course.

"Hmmm. I think you might be right. The camera can capture more than what an artist can. I mean, some artists are good and can duplicate an emotion, but this?" She nods. "It's definitely the detail."

Since she knows what Ilda's doing, the ninja doesn't shy away from the other woman as she moves closer. Plus, she's genuinely liking the girl, and it shows in her eyes and her smile as she laughs in response to the comment about Conan.

Hopefully just in time for Ilda to take the picture.

[psituational]

[Oh, that was a lot of worrying things said very quickly. X sits and blinks at Ilda, for a moment completely lost for words.]

A god? I don't -- wish-granting? What does that mean? [concern concern concern.] Charging one copper rhinn for what?

[Even worse than my last crush completely fails to escape X's attention, but let's. Let's deal with one thing at a time. In pursuit of that goal, X ignores Ilda's last question, because what does she mean there are gods in Aifaran.]

[ilda]

Ilda tries her best to keep up, but Conan’s still going a little too fast for her to completely follow. She’s noticed the sigh and the exasperation, though; her own twin brother’s reacted the exact same way many many times before.

She makes a mental note to just go through the steps again later, although she’ll have to be extra-careful not to send her pictures to the entire city again. Maybe she’ll just use something else for practice. Like cats. Everyone likes cats, right?

At Conan’s mention of a book, though, she can’t help but make a face. She’s never really liked books. Too many words. “Um, just one more question?” she starts with a sheepish smile. “Are there books with pictures instead of words?”

[ilda]

"Of course not! Do you have any idea how boring it is in prison?" Not that she would know, either, but she's always thought that you punished those having too much fun by taking it away, and so, following that logic, prisons would be a terrible bore.

One has to wonder about Ilda's priorities sometimes.

She taps the camera button a couple of times, making a different face before every click. She starts with a normal smile in the first few shots, then her expressions just get sillier and sillier. She even throws in the surprised deer-in-the-headlights look Sheena's had on earlier, because why not?

She then holds the yimo out to her friend so she might do the honor of checking out the shots, although she stays close enough to peer into the screen with her.

[ilda]

[ She doesn't notice that he's not answered her last question, and willingly provides the answers to his own. ]

Yes, a god. [ She kind of rolls her eyes at that. It's not too harsh a reaction because she's spent some time with Yato and she's decided he's pretty decent, but still, she's not a fan of them godly types in general. ] He does favors for people and calls it wish-granting. All you have to do is pay him one copper rhinn to do... well, whatever. As long as it's within his power, I think.

Shrines are expensive, though! It'll take forever. I think I might go to the market next week and just... shout at people to avail of his services. [ It's not as bad as it sounds, X. It's worked before. Ilda can be quite persuasive. ]

[minorgod]

I walk a lot too!

[ Which is actually true, at least at home. In fact a good portion of his day, and Yukine's now as well, is taken up just in walking around and looking for work. ]

I was thinking down near the docks?

[ilda]

I'll race you!

[ Aaaaand Ilda takes off, just like that. Of course Yato can simply teleport himself to the docks and beat her to it, but surely he knows how to have a little fun? That's part of why she has trouble wrapping her head around the idea of him being a god, because he's quite fun to have around. So far, anyway. ]

The loser buys dinner!

[psituational]

[This is not the conversation X was expecting.

Doing favours for people is very different from wish-granting, though, at least in X's experience, and he visibly relaxes. That... doesn't sound quite as bad. With so many different worlds represented in one place, 'god' might mean something entirely different for Yato.

At the last, X laughs, one of those fondly indulgent laughs of parents, his head resting on one hand.] I see. Charging a little more for favours, or... shouting at strangers in town squares, and you choose shouting? Yato must be some god.

[ilda]

Not without trying to get him to charge more first! But he’s totally made up his mind about the price. If there’s one “godly” thing about him that I can believe in, it’s that. Unchanging, unyielding... that’s them divine types. [ She says that with a mix of amusement and bitterness. ]

Oh, and he can go to places instantly! It’s so cool, he doesn’t have to walk at all!

Enough about me and Yato though! I-I mean, not together in some great romancey way, because, uh, it’s Yato?

How are you? [ This conversation will probably take a while, if X keeps derailing her like that. ]

[psituational]

[In X's defence, who wouldn't be caught off guard by someone's casual mention of befriending a god who charges money for granting wishes.

Ahem.]

Are you asking because you want to know how I am, or are you asking because you're hoping it'll remind me that I promised to tell you about my family? [Resignedly fond. He couldn't keep putting off the conversation forever, after all, and maybe talking about happy memories will do him some good.]

[ilda]

[ Ilda at least has the courtesy to look sheepish... but only for a moment. She tries, but she really can't do subtle. Why else is she so good at getting people to buy her stuff by shouting at them?

Don't get her wrong, though, because she's cares for you, X. Enough to stalk you and hunt you down so she can finally meet you! ]

Well I figured if you weren't okay you wouldn't be sitting here where people can easy come up to you and bug you and send you selfies and talk to you to the point of boredom, and you wouldn't have laughed when I sent you a selfie and revealed yourself... although I'm making an awful lot of assumptions there now that I think about it. So, yeah, I guess I should ask. How are you, as in how is your general state of being and are you eating and sleeping and doing all the things you should be doing in life?

[ Then she just goes into chinhands mode and looks up at him fondly. She doesn't need to whip out the puppy eyes, does she? ] But, yeah, I was also hoping it'll remind you. I love family stories!

[spoilsfun]

"Probably. Most instructional books usually have diagrams at least."

[psituational]

[She's adorable. And, it seems, physically incapable of not saying whatever crosses her mind. X likes that; he wishes more people felt safe enough not to worry about what they say to others. Asri knows his life would have been very different if he'd felt safe enough.]

I think I'm as alright as I can be.

[Minus sleeping. As far as X is concerned, he's never going to sleep again. But that's a conversation for another time.]

Where do you want me to start? I'm -- sorry, that's a silly question. Hmm... how do all the great romance stories you've heard start? 'Once upon a time'?

[ilda]

Good! Although... [ She lifts her yimo. ] I already stocked up on funny selfies to send to you, in case you need some cheering up!

[ She sets the yimo down again and refocuses on him, her eagerness to hear his story just radiating out of her. ]

It's 'In the old days, in the Old World' where I'm from, but that sounds more romantic! Sooooooo. Once upon a time...?

I know I started a reply to this a while ago...

[ninjainviolet]

"Ummm...well...Not prison, exactly." Yep. There sure is a lot of non-information in that statement isn't there?

Nothing wrong with prioritizing not wanting to go to prison. The reason why, on the other hand...

Even though she's trying not to laugh, Sheena's expression barely changes as Ilda's goes through her poses--well, except for a few raised eyebrows and looks to the side at the younger woman gets sillier and sillier. Still, it's easy to see the humor glinting in the ninja's eyes each time.

Taking the yimo, the ninja does scroll through them, her brows coming together as she scans them more than once. Backwards, forwards, as though trying to decide. "These are all really good, but I like this one," and she stops at one taken just when Ilda begins to get silly, Sheena's smile genuine and her eyes glittering with laughter.

[psituational]

[X laughs again. Really, he doesn't think he'll ever grow tired of the selfies.]

Once upon a time, in the old days, in the Old World, there were two different places that existed in the same space. One was magical, and one was... not. The mundane place strived for equality wherever it could, and the magical place...

[Didn't.]

Let's just say it needed help. Two of the people in our romance come from the magical world, and the third person comes from the other. With me so far?

[ilda]

[ Ilda looks positively enamored. A love triangle! But not. At least, not in the "traditional" sense. She likes how X combined the narrative starters, too, and she makes a mental note to start using that from now on.

She doesn't bother to try to understand the bit about different places existing in the same space. It's too complicated, and besides, it's all but secondary to the ROMANCE! Priorities, priorities. ]

I have sooooo many questions already... but! Please continue. You'll be introducing the three, right?

[psituational]

Of course! [With a smile.] What great romance doesn't introduce the main characters? Let's see... one of the people born in the magical world -- let's call him Unlucky -- was actually born a very long time ago. Even he doesn't know how long, but he thinks it's about three thousand years. He's immortal, you see, and...

[A short pause, here, as X considers whether or not to say something he's known for a while and never voiced out loud. But in the end:]

... and he's an angel.

[This is soft, like X is testing out unfamiliar words, and it's full of quiet affection. The fact that 'Unlucky' still doesn't believe X knows would be insulting if it wasn't so adorable.]

Do you have angels in your world?

[ilda]

[ Ilda's eyes widen at the revelation that Unlucky is an angel. She's imagining him now -- all glorious and good-looking, with grand wings. ]

I've never seen one, but people say they exist! At least, the traveling people do. I've heard all sorts of stories about them. They're supposed to be very beautiful! So Unlucky is very beautiful, then?

[ She pushes her face a little closer to him, grinning knowingly. ]