jigokulogs | [open] a smoke and mirrors game

Entry tags:

[open] a smoke and mirrors game

Who ⬤ Majima

meowjima & Open
What ⬤ March 2022 Substories
When ⬤ March
Where ⬤ Around
Content Warnings ⬤ Can add as needed

Notes: Majima is a snake man from Slumscape! Covered in a sheen of white scales, snake eyes, split tongue, tail, fangs.

Doms Wanted!

[ Majima is out on the street with a night queen, also with a hand of exasperation dragging down his face, ]

Fuck's sake. It ain't that hard, lady. Just tell him he's disgustin'.

[ He shoots a contemptuous sideways look at the sniffling pig yokai at her feet. Who pipes up helpfully, ]

Hey, he's pretty good at this, maybe I should ask for him.

[ Majima bristles like a cat. Bursting out noisily, ]

Shut it, you!

[ Hrr. He turns is attention back to the girl once again trying to explain how to just be fucking scornful. She keeps closing her eyes and meekly repeating after him, shaking her nine tail whip punily.

Majima has both hands on his face, head tilted back, before long. ]

High Definition

[ Oh... Majima knows better than this one. His lip curls incredulously when he's asked to participate ]

No thanks.

[ He points at whoever is nearby too, ]

Y'all shouldn't either.

[ But he's not hanging around to babysit anyone. What is he, your mother? He carries on his way, slouched with his hands in his pocket. But of course nobody listens to him, it can't be so bad, right?

He pauses later in the night, a cigarette drooping from his lip as he watches some truly bizarre behavior. ]

All right there?

[ His tone conveys that he really doesn't want to be bothered with this, but here he is and he's a little too soft to just walk away. ]

Look at this sweet jacket

[ Majima listens to this story about the jacket. Tilt to the side the take a look at the back of it. It doesn't seem that damn cool, or that damn inflammatory, but he has definitely seen guys throw down over someone's jacket in Sotenbori before... ]

Yeah, all right, I'll help ya cross the bridge...

[ A sigh. He rolls up his shirt sleeves in preparation for a fight. Maybe someone with a little more attention to detail will notice that all is not at it seems and come enlighten him to the plight of Hasihime. Otherwise Majima's taking this at face value and muscling his way through this. ]

Welcome to the Night Parade

[ Majima doesn't trust... anyone in this town, really. A place like this, you need to take just about everyone with a grain of salt. So he sneaks a little closer to what the Kappa are doing. He's not so sure he likes what he sees: Lots of extremely carefully covered cases are being quickly taken further into the city's underground, suspiciously more than one might need to simply be building some parade floats or decorations.

He comes back from the sewers chewing on a cigarette. He takes out his phone and gets on the network then, ]

We got anybody real stealthy wanna come take a look at somethin' with me? Make it worth your while.

[ He did get that advance from the Enma, he can turn it over for this. ]

[[ooc: Here is the current info on the Kappa mission. Once I know about your skillset, we can put that to the mods and move forwrd. ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Her smile is just as soft and just as sweet, but there's something steely in her eyes. Yes, she's well aware. ]

I don't. But I wouldn't be here if I wanted to do things the safe way.

[ Eugh. His head flops a little, he's fucking useless against that determined girl face. ]

Fine. But I'm waitin' here with ya.

[ He ambles over tiredly, patting down his jacket for his cigarettes. At least these Japanese flavor yokai towns still have his brand of cigarettes in their weird 7-Elevens. It's the exact same brand Majima always smokes. ]

That's fine.

[ She'll find a good spot to lean against the wall, wrapping her hoodie around herself a little as she keeps her eye everywhere but him. She doesn't need to watch him. He has been designated 'safe person' in her head, very very clearly. ]

My name is Haruka.

[ He would disagree heartily with that assessment, even knowing at the same time that he would never do anything to hurt what he perceives to be a civilian girl. ]

M'Majima.

[ He answers around his cigarette before taking in a breath and pulling it away with his fingers. ]

Where ya from?

[ Looks Japanese. He still sort of does too, under all the snake. ]

[ There's a lot of ways to answer this and all of them are fraught, or used to be. Now, it's easy enough. ]

Just outside of Tokyo, originally. Have you ever heard of a place called Sunflower Orphanage?

[ She is most certainly watching his response. ]

[ He shakes his head. He's not up on Kazama's little philanthropy side gig at the moment. Although by the end of it all he'll wonder whose experiment was sicker: Kazama's or Shimano's. There's a direct brutality to Shimano's version that sits a little less insidiously with him. Go figure. ]

Nah. Ya an' orphan girl?

[ That would at least explain why she seems a little tougher than your average 20 year old. ]

No. I have a family now. But that's where I grew up.

[ And there's more of that determination in her face around the word 'family'. It's certainly not some fairy tale where her mom and dad came and found her and took her home. No, the kind of family someone like her gets is hard fought for and even harder to keep. ]

What about you?

[ Given his accent, she gives a teasing little smile. ]

Are you from down in Osaka?

[ That's such a question. He should just lie. He just talks around it a little instead, ]

...Been in Osaka lately. Was in Tokyo with my kyodai an' his sister 'fore that.

[ Whether or not he is an orphan is immaterial. He is of a class of unwanted children who end up out on the streets and don't go home for one reason or another. Drunk mother? Abusive father? Doesn't matter. There was no comfort there, likely little to no food, so taking small time jobs from the neighborhood yakuza became the better option. Like running cigarettes or delivering messages, until you're big enough to swear up. Feels like yesterday but also a million years ago.

Doesn't matter where he came from. He's here now and more yokai than man some days. ]

I spent a while in Sotenbori a few years ago, but I haven't been back since.

[ She lets her feet kind of sway back and forth, back and forth as she chats. ]

Before I was here, though, I was in Okinawa with the rest of my family. That's where I lived after Tokyo, other than some traveling I did.

[ 'Traveling' is a nice way of saying 'running from reporters and hiding'. ]

Which do you like better? For places?

Ya did, huh?

[ He scratches the back of his neck and wonders if he should even say anything. ]

Ran a couple clubs in Sotenbori, nowhere ya shoulda been.

[ Not that ladies can't come enjoy a hostess club too, but she's a little young for that and definitely not the kind of glittery arm candy he would have seen. ]

I'd rather be in Tokyo, but I ain't never been t'Okinawa. Maybe it's nice.

[ City boy, he might as well have sprung up from the streets of Kamurocho. That's his home. He is deeply bothered how like Jigoku is to Kamuro. Home without being home, surreal and unpleasant to him. ]

[ There are very few people that she'll tell this to and he can hopefully tell, the way she lowers her voice, that she'd rather it didn't get out. But she nods about Okinawa before she switches back to explain. ]

I was training to be an idol. And dancing in the dance battle scene. I actually... did pretty well.

Huh.

[ Yeah, he could see that. Got a pretty little face like a doll. ]

That's hard work.

[ He hasn't met Mirei yet, but after working with all the hostess girls he knows a lot of effort goes into entertainment. Worse when they want you on TV. ]

[ That is a single firm nod. ]

It is. But when I looked at what I was going to have to give up to really follow my dream to the top, I decided it wasn't for me.

[ Huh. That's pretty mature for such a young girl. Majima gets the feeling that a lot of idols get a lot deeper in to all the glitz and excitement before they figure that out.

He thinks about all the things he's given up in the name of being... what he thought was being a good yakuza. ]

Better t'figure that out now 'fore it's gone.

[ Tune of crippling depression. ]

Edited 2022-03-30 00:33 (UTC)

[ Yeah, she's definitely got some Feelings on when and how she decided to figure it out but for now- ]

I know. But I know what's important to me now. And... I like bartending and hostessing too, so I can always do that.

Well, if ya need any hostessin' tips...

[ He managed to train Yuki, didn't he? Also look at Majima and his inability to just not be helpful. ]

[ Okay, she can't help that she smiles, just a little. She didn't get to see most of the shenanigans in Club Fourshine, but she's definitely heard a little about it. Enough that after the quick smile, she considers it. ]

I never mind advice. There's always something useful to learn.

[ If she can take health and beauty secrets from an enigmatic woman under a bridge, this really isn't that odd. ]

Yer already better than some'a th'worst girls I've had t'train, you'll do fine.

[ The fact that she's conversing normally with him already tells him plenty. ]

I know some makeup an' hair shit too.

I know a little too, though I was saving the makeup for work.

[ She hadn't been able to find quite the same products here and some of them were expensive, so she was budgeting them carefully. But since he knows- ]

Does it look okay now?

Oh.

[ He wasn't looking that closely, but now that the investigation has been invited he turns his attention closer. ]

Looks good for out here. Out in th'clubs the lights are different, gonna want some more color an' shape. Maybe somethin' glittery.

I have some of that where I'm staying. I like glitter but I don't use too much of it during the day.

[ She's always gone for that fresh faced natural look. Which isn't to say you can't go for something else, but she'd been told this works for her. And it's less difficult to take on and off. ]

Clubs aren't too different from concerts, lighting wise. So I should be okay.

You'll do all right, don't worry about it.

[ The best trait for a cute little hostess is that right edge of confidence. Not enough to push at her guest's fragile ego, but just enough that he feels comfortable she knows the score, is in on the game and can handle it. He slides into manager mode in an instant, ready with easy praise. ]

[ She blushes, and gives him a dip of her head in thanks for the compliment. ]

I'm not too worried about the work. It's more the clientele. I don't know how different it'll be down here.

Yokai are a strange bunch. But they're showin' up t'drink an' talk like anybody else. Just make sure ya've talked t'yer manager about whatever the safety protocols are.

[ What the signal, when the signal. ]

There's rules for a reason.

It was the first thing I asked about. My old boss made it really clear how important those things can be for everyone's safety.

[ After all, if there was anyone who knew the risks, it was Kiyomi. She'd built very nicely on Haruka's own skills and experience. She'd also made it clear how deep the rabbit hole could go.

She tilts her head at him. ]

Are you running a club here, Majima-san?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject