(open) feed your artists.

[sketchedout]

Who: Yusuke Kitagawa and you!
Where: The diner & the gardens
When: The beginning of May
Rating: PG-13-ish
Summary: A starving artist wanders off on his own to explore parts of Wonderland that would grab his interest. Hijinks ensue.
The Story:

A. the diner

[ The idea that there were a number of options for food — none of which actually required any real form of currency, apparently — was almost overwhelming to Yusuke at first. With the key word there being "almost," naturally. He'd made his way down to the dining room to glance over at it briefly — charming, of course, and it certainly meshed well with the aesthetic of the rest of the mansion but in a way, it seemed like it was missing . . . something.

So after a bit of wandering, Yusuke makes his way to the diner (one floor up from his own room, he notes — far more convenient, at least). He steps in quietly, glancing around briefly before making his way over to a booth in the corner. It was, of course, a perfect place for people watching, after all. Settling in, he takes a moment to really examine his surroundings, then tilts his head to one side in consideration before he speaks to no one in particular. ]

It really is quite charming in here.


B. the gardens

[ Sustenance is all well and good but after a bit of dithering about, Yusuke is just about ready to get to work. After all, what sort of artist would he be if he let such lavish and detailed surroundings go unsketched? Surely the inspiration he'd been looking for could be found somewhere within Wonderland's various pockets. So first? Back to where he'd started off, now that he's managed to procure a sketch pad and a decent set of pencils from his closet.

Anyone passing through the gardens may find a young man standing near the fountain with said sketch pad, brows furrowed in deep concentration as he glances from the lilies back down to his pad, hand gliding across the page and etching out neat strokes. Occasionally, he stops and chews at his lip briefly, tucking the pencil behind his ear and the pad under his arm as he lifts his fingers up as if to frame it in his mind.

. . . at least whatever it is he's drawing looks nice. ]

Comments

[promiselist]

[ She's not following him. She's really not. Probably. but she does happen to be sneaking up into the diner around the same time as he finds a seat and well. He's safer that a stranger to go hide with. Moderately.

She flops into the booth across from him, perching on the edge of it in typical Futaba-style. ]

It's not Leblanc.

[sketchedout]

[ He shifts his attention back towards her when she speaks up, smiling faintly in response. It's only natural that she'd be more reserved without their leader around, but it was nice to see her out. For certain definitions of the word "nice," of course. He'd likely have to rethink that once the two of them inevitably start bickering about something or other eventually. ]

Yes. However, most places are not Leblanc. I find this one has its own atmosphere that makes it rather unique.

[promiselist]

[ She's got a timer running on her phone to see how long it takes to get them there, actually. ]

It's still not Leblanc. [ Because that's a sticking point here, alas. ] I bet they don't even have decent curry.

A

[jivitadana]

[Minato was glad the the Diner was getting more foot traffic. Not that he would wish Wonderland on someone who didn't want to be in Wonderland. But still.

He came out from the back after finishing a few things in the kitchen, seeing someone else out there who he didn't recognize. Not really, anyway. He only saw glimpses through the communication of their devices. Thank goodness for the open network.]

You can stay as long as you like.

[And have food too, there was always food here.]

[sketchedout]

[ He tilts his head in the direction of the voice, taking a moment to locate the source. After giving him a brief onceover, Yusuke nods slowly. ]

That's rather generous. And appreciated, of course.

[jivitadana]

Did you want something to eat?

[While waiting or hanging out. He was more than welcome to stay though without actually ordering anything.]

B

[naughty_nurse]

[Oh! There's someone here! It would be rude to enter their field of vision and bother them. So Mikan cancels her walk, turns around -

And trips over some roots. And somehow gets tangled in a few them.]

Eek!

[sketchedout]

[ He may be oblivious, but even Yusuke is going to notice if someone falls over and lets out a cry like that. He snaps his head up from his sketch pad in the direction of the shout, then quickly slips the pencil behind his ear and closing his pad up before approaching her. ]

Are you alright?

[naughty_nurse]

Uuu... This is so embarrassing...

[She sniffles, trying to to untangle herself.]

I'm so sorry!

B!

[uncaging]

[Painting had been one of Elizabeth's main pastimes in her tower, and now that she has unlimited time to while away in Wonderland she'd decided to take it up again. With a population as diverse as the residents of the mansion, it made sense that someone here would share her love of art, but she hadn't found anyone so far. She's pleasantly surprised, then, when she sees Yusuke at work on his sketch, and diverts her path on the walk she's taking through the gardens to see what he's doing.]

That looks wonderful.

[sketchedout]

[ It isn't until she speaks up that he really notices her, glancing to the side slowly as he lets his eyes drift away from his work to her. A soft smile begins to cross Yusuke's face and he gives her a small nod of gratitude. ]

Why, thank you.

[ He pauses for a moment, tilting his head to one side. ]

Would you happen to be an artist as well?

[ Or someone who appreciates art at the very least, surely? ]

[uncaging]

I dabble a little, but I'm really only an amateur.

[She looks a little embarrassed to admit it, thinking that while her painting was passable it certainly wasn't as good as this.]

B. Because artists are precious creatures.

[theothermrgray]

[Of course, Dorian Gray finds something familiar about the artist at work. Perhaps it's due to the familiar guilt surrounding an old friend, or maybe a tiny reminder of some dark secret he'd rather leave behind?]

[Either way, his first impulse is to approach the artist and greet him with a friendly, gentlemanly air.]

Good day, sir. That's a remarkable painting you've started, there.

[sketchedout]

[ He looks up from his sketch pad at the sound of the newcomer's voice, pencil stilling on paper, and then gives him a small nod in turn. ]

It's . . . simply a sketch now, of course, for something much greater in the future. But thank you.

[theothermrgray]

[He smiles back. Yes, this does remind him of that old friend. Perhaps things might turn out better this time?]

You're welcome. As someone who has modeled for an artist like yourself, I understand the time and effort that is put into these things.

B

[idolings]

[Visiting the gardens was always relaxing and she needed some inspiration for her music.

Sayaka notices Yusuke from afar and was curious about what he was sketching. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have any talents in drawing, so she couldn't help but feel intrigued whenever she sees artists at work. She steps closer and looks at his painting from behind him. Her eyes immediately started to twinkle from the sight.]

What a lovely painting!

[sketchedout]

[ He lifts his head up from his sketch pad at the sound of her voice, looking confused for a brief moment before he thinks to check behind himself. ]

— I hope it will be, one day. [ At that, he taps at the pad lightly with his pencil. ] But thank you.

[idolings]

[She greets him with a polite smile and hopes that she didn't accidentally scare him. Luckily he didn't seemed to be spooked? Well, she couldn't really read his expression.]

If it looks this pretty now, I'm sure the finished work will be beautiful!

[She pauses as a realization hits her.]

Ah! I'm so sorry for interrupting you!

diner!

[cuteshit]

[Though Yusuke might not have been addressing him directly, Kanji appears above a nearby booth, having been bent over while wiping it down. He cracks a half-smile in Yusuke's direction-- another new face. There's been a lot of those lately.]

Glad you like it. The person who originally put this place together designed it to look like a diner they used to work at back home, I think.

[sketchedout]

[ He turns his head to the side until he finds the source of the voice, giving him a soft smile in turn as he nods. ]

I see. So this is a reflection of a place they once knew. Almost a home away from home in some respects.

[cuteshit]

[Kanji nods, confirming. He stands up and props his hand against the back of the booth, tossing the towel he'd been using over his shoulder.]

Yeah, somethin' like that. Kind of the whole reason we have the place is to make people feel a little more at home-- not like the kitchen doesn't give you whatever you want to eat already. But it's nice, havin' something normal here.

THE DINER

[alphyswhatsabara]

::If you are people watching, you are going to have to expand the definition of people to include 8-foot tall, burly goat monsters drinking large mugs of tea and eating an over-sized plate of hotwings. The bright orange aura of wing sauce in his beard his somehow mesmerizing - orange on blonde on white on goat.::

::If he notices you noticing him, he'll wave at you from his seat.::

i'm so glad.

[sketchedout]

[ It's not often that Yusuke does a double-take. He's very calm as he scans his surroundings, taking in everything — visuals, atmosphere, how it all feels — and the diner is no different, really. People watching has always been the most relaxing of his hobbies, after all. The kind young man whose hair framed his face neatly, a color resembling the cake he'd been served. The upbeat one, bleached blond, probably off-putting to some but a welcome and almost soothing presence to him. The goat man with the massive horns and majestic beard that was also currently serving as some sort of sauce filter. The gentleman at the—

Wait.

Yusuke jerks his head back in that direction. Subtlety is for other people, so it's only natural he'd be caught staring. After receiving the cordial gesture from said majestic bearded sauce man, he does what anyone would do in a similar situation (or so he imagines).

He waves back, head slowly tilting to one side in fascination. ]

May 10th

[nomorules]

<sub>[It'd been a long night of tossing and turning, too wired at being in a new bed and in a new world to sleep despite the familiar comfort of having Akira and Morgana nearby once it'd been agreed on he'd crash there. By morning, Ryuji had given up the pretense of sleep and plopped down in front of the magic closet he'd heard tell about.

Closets that can give you anything you ask for, huh...

He'd tried wishing for the first thing he could think of, and it's the same item he now carries into the diner and presses to the back of Yusuke's neck: a cold, sweating can of soda.]</sub>

Yu~suke! Guess who!

_{[First order of business: getting in touch with the other thieves. Literally. Getting in touch. Haha.]}

Man, it's like Roppongi Hills in here. Why don't they have a damn elevator? But look what I got out of the closet! I just thought about it, and boom. Can't believe those things actually work.

_{[Nice to see you, bud.]}

[sketchedout]

[ There he was, minding his own business and admiring the particular decor of the diner. Perhaps he should stay a bit longer today and start to sketch out a new piece? If he got the framing just right, it could be an interesting composition, one that—

That thought is interrupted by the sudden jolt of coldness at the back of his neck. He starts, jerking his head up and out of his thoughts. ]

— Ah!

[ It takes him a moment or two to regain his bearings as well as his composure — long enough for the warmth to return to his skin. He turns around to find himself face to face with Ryuji, and it's like an instant, knee-jerk reaction. ]

Ryuji! Must you? I know all too well that you were hard . . . ly . . .

[ His voice trails off, the heat leaving it, as the realization hits him belatedly. It's Ryuji. Of course it's Ryuji, who else would be obnoxious enough to greet him with an obscenely cold soda to the neck? But it's hard to be even remotely annoyed when he's here too, and Yusuke's not about to hide his wonder at that fact. ]

You're here. [ a beat. ] When did you . . . ?