Weird-looking, half blind, spook wrangling world-walkers that smoke.

[goldeneyeball]

THREAD DIRECTORY

One Fine Day
A Taste of the Future
Pumpkins
Aches
Trauma 50% Off!
I Got a Disease and You're the Cure
Taco Night
Buck Eyes
The Turns Have Tabled
JW and Ginko's Fancy Dinner Date
You Know What They Say When You ASSume...
Sit, Stay, Beg

Comments

[onegreeneye]

"They're not dangerous. But it's not really a good sign that they're here."

He tilted his head up to examine the mushi on the wall; they were a little high up to reach, but it wasn't like they really needed to be removed. "Would you say you're... stressed or nervous a lot?"

[goldeneyeball]

JW continued trying in vain to see the mushi and squinted so hard at the ceiling that his forehead started to hurt.

At Ginko's question, JW hesitated. It wasn't a secret that he was under a lot of stress--being sick, bills, the whole Town Hero thing. But being nervous wasn't something he wanted to admit to. "Why? Do the mushi creep into houses and give off bad vibes?"

[onegreeneye]

"No. More like the opposite, in this case."

He pointed up at the corner, as if there were any doubt that he was looking at something up there. "There are mushi here that feed off anxiety - stress, fear, especially in combination. From the look of it, they're doing pretty well for themselves here."

[goldeneyeball]

James made A Face. Great, now he had invisible things in his house ratting him out. It was worse than Deuteronomy. He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair again.

"I've got a bad back, gives me grief."

[onegreeneye]

"Hm." That's all he's saying in response to that. If JW doesn't want to tell him, pushing the issue won't help.

Ginko stepped away from the wall, turning back to JW. "Well, in any case, you'll be glad to hear there's nothing in here that needs to be removed. Just a few common, harmless types."

[goldeneyeball]

"Well that's good." He fumbled with the scarf around his neck before leaving it be and getting up. "Want some coffee?"

He went ahead and started making himself some, dragging the coffee maker out of its corner and opening one of the cabinets to dig for the canister. As he worked, he gestured to various things in the kitchen.

"That there is the heat-em-up." A microwave. "And that's the cool-em-down." The fridge. "And...well that's an oven, you know what an oven is."

Something click click clacked on the hardwood in the next room.

[onegreeneye]

"Uh... sure, why not." He considered whether to mention that he had never actually had coffee before - JW was awfully casual about it, but then he supposed it may have been easier to get in America, anyway. Especially given this time's apparently ability to produce massive amounts of everything.

He leaned over a little to look curiously at each device JW pointed out. "Do they work off electricity, too...?"

Then he paused, turning to glance in the direction of the sounds coming from the next room.

[goldeneyeball]

Git ready for some store brand coffee, Ginko. Git ready.

"Yup. They run it out here on wires--the big ones hanging from those poles out by the road."

And that is where the mushi master's lesson on the future was cut short because something that used to be a wolf sashayed into the kitchen. Her movements were unnatural, stilted, almost as if the animal were a child pretending to move like an animal. Deuteronomy was a grey and brown wolf pelt stretched over questionably canine bones, stuffed with straw and hinged with wire. Her eyes were wet and alive though and they squinted up at the white-haired man at the table.

She gave two loud sniffs and then said, "It's you." in an older woman's voice.

JW jumped and whirled around, nearly spilling the sugar. "Deuteronomy! You can't-- you aren't supposed to come in when I have people over, someone could see you!"

The she wolf made a rasping sound deep in her empty throat that was probably a laugh. Now that JW was facing her, she could see the scarf trailing down his shirt. Hooo boy did he have it bad. She grinned a grin full of mismatched teeth (and a couple of white-painted screws).

"I think he's seen enough weird stuff already. I'm just a drop in the bucket."

[onegreeneye]

Ginko's eyes widened a little when Deuteronomy came into view, glancing uncertainly over at JW - should he let him know that there seemed to be a wolf corpse wandering around his house?

Hearing her actually speak up came as yet another surprise - not to mention what she said. But any questions he may have had about that were put on hold by JW's reaction.

...Well. That answered... some of that. He glanced curiously between them as they talked. "I, uh... take it you're a friend of JW's, then?" And that she had heard some about him.

[goldeneyeball]

"I'm his keeper." She sat and lifted a paw to gesture at the quietly simmering man. "I apologize for his gettin' out again and botherin' you. He couldn't behave if his life depended on it, bless his heart, but somebody's got to watch him."

"Dueteronomy," JW said with that same forced WE ARE A NORMAL HOUSEHOLD folks use when the object of their affections has just encountered a really embarrassing relative. "Don't you have your stories to watch?"

The wolf didn't even turn an ear his way. Instead, she studied Ginko. He was weird looking. Had a big nose too. She could see where JW thought he had a chance.

"Thank you for bringing him back."

JW muttered something and turned back to the coffee pot to pretend this wasn't happening.

[onegreeneye]

"It's fine - it doesn't bother me that he comes by. I'm glad he does, actually." Well, he was definitely sitting here talking to a taxidermy wolf. That was new. But she seemed nice enough, and... honestly, pointing out that she seemed to be dead struck him as kind of rude.

He shrugged a little, sitting back slightly against the chair. "I would say it's more like he brought me; I couldn't find my way around here on my own if my life depended on it."

[goldeneyeball]

If JW's ears had been mobile, they would have perked at that. Ginko was glad he visited! The antlered man treated himself to a grin neither of them saw.

"Is that ssssooo," the wolf grinned as she hopped up onto a chair. She was polite enough to keep her paws off the table. "Where on Earth did he find you? You must be some kinda special for him to walk such a long ways every other week." She had no way of knowing most of JW's hunting trips were unsuccessful.

"That isn't any of your business." JW was suddenly behind her with a coffee mug in one hand. He hooked the other arm under her forelegs and carried her to the kitchen door. She was as light as she looked and wore a face of utmost indignance when she was removed. When he put her down she looked over her shoulder at the two of them before giving Ginko a wink and trotting off.

James rolled his eyes and groaned before placing the mug before Ginko. He then fetched himself a cup and brought a fistful of probably stolen sugar packets with him when he sat back down. "She came with the house. Can't get rid of her."

[onegreeneye]

Ginko didn't quite get the chance to respond to Deuteronomy - or really process that last sentence, though it may well be that all the time in the world wouldn't have been enough for him to figure out what she meant - before JW removed her from the table. He watched her leave, giving her a look of vague confusion at the wink before turning back to James.

"She doesn't seem too bad. ...I... don't suppose it would be too rude of me to ask, ah... how she can talk?" That seemed... relatively safe to ask about. And frankly, he would wonder about that even if she seemed to be a normal wolf otherwise.

He took a cautious sip of the coffee, then jolted a little, setting the cup down and managing to keep himself from spluttering this time. "--okay, that's really bitter."

[goldeneyeball]

"Magic," he said without a single hint of sarcasm. He shoved a few of the sugar packets Ginko's way. "Necromancy, to be exact. Somebody made her..." He dumped some sugar into his own cup before squinting at the doorway.

A single brown ear was poking around the frame.

"A thing about zombies is THEY'RE NOSY."

Click clack click clack _{click clackclick clack.}

"Ahem."

[onegreeneye]

"Magic, huh..." He would have been a little unsure normally, but there was a lot about this place that was falling outside his usual range of experiences already.

Following JW's lead, Ginko emptied a couple sugar packets into his coffee and tried taking another sip. It was certainly easier to stomach this time.

He followed JW's gaze to the door, giving a quiet, amused snort as Deuteronomy retreated. "Why's she so interested, anyway? Is it really that rare for you to have guests?"

[goldeneyeball]

"Well," he hesitated, staring into his cup. "You are pretty weird looking. No offence."

Said the six foot nine man with antlers and a yellow eyeball.

[onegreeneye]

Ginko blinked, then gave a quiet snort, taking another sip of coffee. "Yeah. So I've noticed."

[goldeneyeball]

"Luckily, you won't stick out too badly in town. The kids these days? They fry the shit outta their hair with bleach and lye and anything else they can get their hands on to look just like you."

[onegreeneye]

He almost choked on the coffee, making a sound resembling a laugh. "Why? I wouldn't look like me if I had the choice."

[goldeneyeball]

"Hmmmnn," was all he said at first. He could see why. Some days JW wore a patch to cover his eye if he had to go to an unfamiliar town. There was nothing he could do about the antlers though save pray for winter to take its course. Still, he was having a hard time picturing his new friend with anything but a white mop on his head.

"Why not dye it, then?" He waved an arm to the kitchen as if he were gesturing to all of the Land of Plenty. "S'not hard. I mean, I've never done it, but it can't be that hard."

[onegreeneye]

"Mm. I dunno; seems like nothing that might darken it ever really sticks. Don't see why dye would be any different."

He shrugged, sitting back a little. "Besides, even if it did, it would only do so much."

[goldeneyeball]

JW rubbed his chin and let his eyes wander to the screen door. A sly grin crossed his face. "Maybe... but I know a lady..."

Please do not bring the bee keeper NASCAR witch into this, JW.

[onegreeneye]

Okay what was that look. Ginko frowned slightly, watching JW with some doubt. "Do I even want to know what you're considering?"

[goldeneyeball]

"Okay, so, the bees are a huge turn-off, but she's incredibly intelligent, and a witch! If you wanna blend in, she's your gal." He spread his fingers again doing the MUSHI LAND gesture.

[onegreeneye]

Bees...?

Ginko kept staring at him doubtfully. "...Yeah, that doesn't seem like a good idea. Honestly, as nice as looking normal would be, I think I can deal with this after this long."