的場静司 | Matoba Seiji (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
worldbent) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
jigokulogs2022-04-18 06:17 pm
worldbent) wrote in jigokulogs2022-04-18 06:17 pm
OPEN ➸ Two ⦿ Circles
Who ⬤ Matoba Seiji and you! with mixed OTA/limited prompts
What ⬤ The first attack of the Matoba curse, selling charms, and various business™
When ⬤ Between the 2nd and 3rd weeks of April, roughly (more than a week after Night Parade, before the Daitengu's funeral, basically)
Where ⬤ Sutoku territory
Content Warnings ⬤ Violence/blood likely from first prompt, will warn for anything specific in tag headers!
A1 ➸ FIRST STRIKE - limited to the first 3 tag-ins, new CR for now please!
[(OOC; Before tagging in to these prompts, please read through this information and feel free to ask questions there or via PM! I will be NPCing the attacker for these threads.)]
[Despite the Daitengu's untimely demise and the uncertainty surrounding the Alliance, Sutoku territory was back to business as usual for the most part by the week after the Night Parade. The streets are bustling with shoppers and workers like nothing untoward had even occurred, and although everyone remains suspicious behind closed doors, few seem to be on much of a high alert.]
[...Which is likely why none of the youkai around you blink an eye at the stumbling, muttering Kawatengu pushing past people on the sidewalk and menacingly growling. He's probably just had too much to drink- that's the most likely excuse, right? Even though it's the middle of the afternoon, but in big cities like this you learn to keep to yourself and not worry much about weirdos on the street around you.]
[Except that if you look at him closely, his right eye is blotted out as if possessed by something, and if you have any supernatural senses at all you can just barely feel something awful and malicious emanating from him. Too late, it becomes obvious that he's not just shambling about randomly- he has a target, and the black-haired man walking a few paces in front of you both seems to have no idea what's coming when the Tengu lunges forward with a nasty hiss--]
RiGHt...EYe......
A2 ➸ What the hell was THAT - OTA!
[After the sudden scuffle that erupts in the middle of the street, something black and hideous like a huge mass of sludge erupted out from the mouth of a Tengu and lashed itself away through the street, scrambling up the side of a brick building and slithering off to parts unknown. Whatever that thing was, it just attacked a man on the street in broad daylight, and to the spiritually sensitive had an oppressively awful, malicious aura that may be unlike anything you've felt. Youkai are left knocked back on the sidewalk in the wake of its escape, and some were sent scrambling to get away.]
[The man who was attacked, however, seems more calm than anyone. He ignores the panic of the youkai around him, and even the Tengu that's now left knocked out cold on the sidewalk. Instead, he seems to take notice your stare first and simply smiles- wiping away whatever blood was drawn from him in the scuffle with little concern.]
I do apologize for the commotion. It's probably not used to big cities like this.
--
B1 ➸ Souvenir Shop - OTA!
[With great power came great... opportunities. Or so he'd been told by the Tengu Elders upon being granted back both his spiritual senses, and his ability to create protective charms. Opportunities, in this case, meant a job offer to help mass-produce the tacky little souvenir good-luck charms sold at the gates of the Tengu Temple for any desperate enough for luck that they would even buy a trinket for their troubles.]
[Well, far be it for Matoba to judge a good scam. It was excellent business and a good dog and pony show for the weak and Sightless, both in the human realm and this one.]
[Since the Night Parade had just gone by and no-doubt plenty of festival goers had drawn bad to terrible luck in the Hadaka, there was plenty of business, which meant that Matoba had plenty to do as he sat manning a stall, carefully inking charms on strips of paper to go in the bright little pouches lining the counter. When he notices his new customer, he glances up, and flashes you a bright and cheerful smile.]
In need of a bit of luck?
B2 ➸ Protection Racket - Open to Sutoku Alliance and those with Spiritual Senses
[If he recognizes you as an ally, or if you're the spiritually sensitive sort, he might notice that you're unlikely to be tricked by these useless little trinkets- but that just meant that he had an opportunity to do a little... under the table business. His eye will then sharpen on you, and he gestures you away from the pouches.]
Not those ones. I have something else for you.
--
[ooc; questions/plotting/etc! Hit me up via PM or![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
kitsoru!]
What ⬤ The first attack of the Matoba curse, selling charms, and various business™
When ⬤ Between the 2nd and 3rd weeks of April, roughly (more than a week after Night Parade, before the Daitengu's funeral, basically)
Where ⬤ Sutoku territory
Content Warnings ⬤ Violence/blood likely from first prompt, will warn for anything specific in tag headers!
A1 ➸ FIRST STRIKE - limited to the first 3 tag-ins, new CR for now please!
[(OOC; Before tagging in to these prompts, please read through this information and feel free to ask questions there or via PM! I will be NPCing the attacker for these threads.)]
[Despite the Daitengu's untimely demise and the uncertainty surrounding the Alliance, Sutoku territory was back to business as usual for the most part by the week after the Night Parade. The streets are bustling with shoppers and workers like nothing untoward had even occurred, and although everyone remains suspicious behind closed doors, few seem to be on much of a high alert.]
[...Which is likely why none of the youkai around you blink an eye at the stumbling, muttering Kawatengu pushing past people on the sidewalk and menacingly growling. He's probably just had too much to drink- that's the most likely excuse, right? Even though it's the middle of the afternoon, but in big cities like this you learn to keep to yourself and not worry much about weirdos on the street around you.]
[Except that if you look at him closely, his right eye is blotted out as if possessed by something, and if you have any supernatural senses at all you can just barely feel something awful and malicious emanating from him. Too late, it becomes obvious that he's not just shambling about randomly- he has a target, and the black-haired man walking a few paces in front of you both seems to have no idea what's coming when the Tengu lunges forward with a nasty hiss--]
RiGHt...EYe......
A2 ➸ What the hell was THAT - OTA!
[After the sudden scuffle that erupts in the middle of the street, something black and hideous like a huge mass of sludge erupted out from the mouth of a Tengu and lashed itself away through the street, scrambling up the side of a brick building and slithering off to parts unknown. Whatever that thing was, it just attacked a man on the street in broad daylight, and to the spiritually sensitive had an oppressively awful, malicious aura that may be unlike anything you've felt. Youkai are left knocked back on the sidewalk in the wake of its escape, and some were sent scrambling to get away.]
[The man who was attacked, however, seems more calm than anyone. He ignores the panic of the youkai around him, and even the Tengu that's now left knocked out cold on the sidewalk. Instead, he seems to take notice your stare first and simply smiles- wiping away whatever blood was drawn from him in the scuffle with little concern.]
I do apologize for the commotion. It's probably not used to big cities like this.
--
B1 ➸ Souvenir Shop - OTA!
[With great power came great... opportunities. Or so he'd been told by the Tengu Elders upon being granted back both his spiritual senses, and his ability to create protective charms. Opportunities, in this case, meant a job offer to help mass-produce the tacky little souvenir good-luck charms sold at the gates of the Tengu Temple for any desperate enough for luck that they would even buy a trinket for their troubles.]
[Well, far be it for Matoba to judge a good scam. It was excellent business and a good dog and pony show for the weak and Sightless, both in the human realm and this one.]
[Since the Night Parade had just gone by and no-doubt plenty of festival goers had drawn bad to terrible luck in the Hadaka, there was plenty of business, which meant that Matoba had plenty to do as he sat manning a stall, carefully inking charms on strips of paper to go in the bright little pouches lining the counter. When he notices his new customer, he glances up, and flashes you a bright and cheerful smile.]
In need of a bit of luck?
B2 ➸ Protection Racket - Open to Sutoku Alliance and those with Spiritual Senses
[If he recognizes you as an ally, or if you're the spiritually sensitive sort, he might notice that you're unlikely to be tricked by these useless little trinkets- but that just meant that he had an opportunity to do a little... under the table business. His eye will then sharpen on you, and he gestures you away from the pouches.]
Not those ones. I have something else for you.
--
[ooc; questions/plotting/etc! Hit me up via PM or
no subject
[He felt the aura first, really. His eyes look down at Matoba's right arm. Most likely from the attack. They seem fresh enough to his eyes. Norimune glances over towards the tengu, watching him being dragged away.
His sleeping body would just get in the way. But there's the other odd thing from where the tengu was, and his gaze linger on that spot. Remnants of the attack?]
Can you tell me about it?
[He's asking as a curious old man, not as an Enma member. He's off-duty, anyway.]
no subject
[Matoba unwinds some bandages from his sleeves and carefully wraps his forearm- bandages up both arms now, what is he- some sort of cage fighter?? But it was best to take care of these things quickly, lest some smallfry think that fresh exorcist blood was an invitation to a meal.]
[Especially such potent blood. Perhaps that could be why that malice-filled ayakashi was so attracted to him- there is certainly a different, oppressively cold aura to Matoba now than there was the last few times Norimune had come across him, although he holds it skillfully under tap.]
That one is... a legacy of my clan, you might call it. For centuries, it has targeted us- or more specifically, targeted the right eye of the clanhead.
[Matoba chuckles, grinning back up at Norimune as he tucks the end of his bandage.] It seems that not even Hell will come between its attacks. Interesting, isn't it?
no subject
As long it stay "interesting", not "harmful to people he likes".]
Oh... So it's a curse. How interesting.
[A curse that only targeted a certain family, maybe within a certain criteria. . He wonders how it was born in the first place?]
It sounds particularly powerful it if follows you here. [How does it work, exactly...] It makes me wonder how it got started.
no subject
[Matoba takes the moment to reaffix his eye covering now that his minor would has been taken care of.] That one comes along every month or so, taking a swipe at me and sulking off who-knows-where when its attacks fail each time. Although it seems that perhaps it couldn't find its way back to me until my power was restored...
It's only natural, after all. Curses, with control, can be rather useful.
[Matoba meets Norimune's eye with his own, and tilts his head slightly. It shifts his bangs, across from his eye to hide the other side.] It's unusual for me to come across spirits unaware of our name, but things seem quite different here. It's convenient for me. Would you like to hear the story, gramps?
no subject
[How cute. But the information so far seems interesting. A monthly or bimonthly curse, and it can be fended off. What decided the timing for it, the curse's mood? the cursed victim's state? Or simply spiritual protection, and how strong they are?
It did make sense if Matoba's power draw it back. He lowers his fan a little, now that he get a better control of his facial expression again. Unless he get surprised again... Norimune smiles at Matoba.]
I would love to hear it, Matoba. The story of the curse, yourself and your family.
[And how powerful the story might be, whether figuratively or more so.]
This old man have some free time right now.
no subject
[He watches as Norimune's interest hooks on, and the fan lowers to show his shuttered expression. Better. So that fan was his 'mask', huh... Matoba's eye draws back up to Norimune's, and he nods to his request.] Very well, I don't mind recounting it.
The story goes that my ancestor, many generations ago, had made a deal with an ayakashi- some help with an exorcism, in exchange for his right eye. [He smiles. Well, it's sort of obvious where this is going just from that, huh?] ...It's impossible to know the reason now, I suppose, but it seems he never did give it up.
And you ayakashi, being the dogged and single-minded creatures you are, it did not let go of its grudge when that ancestor passed. That grudge passed on to the next clanhead, and when he did not fail to lose his eye, the next after that... We Matoba have managed to evade its attempts to steal our eye for a long time. And so, over centuries, that ayakashi's grudge has formed into a powerful curse, honing our power as the bearers of that thing's hatred.
[Centuries of hatred- it was no wonder that monster had such a powerful aura, mindless though it may be. And Matoba's, standing in equal opposition to it, connected by his inheritance. He reaches up, tapping the paper ward that shielded his eye. It had remained untouched, this time.] So long as we continue to skillfully evade it, we Matoba will always have the power to shield countless other clans from similar, petty grudges. The fate that meets clans who no longer have power.
[Nori can probably figure that one out.]
no subject
The story started off simple yet obvious enough. A human made a deal, yet never honouring it. How many tales feature that exact setup? The differences between them all are in the details, and why.
And the biggest difference here, as he can see, is the Matoba haven't "lost" yet. This tale can either go on forever, or end with one member finally losing an eye. He glances at Matoba's eye, the one that remain covered.]
I wouldn't know what your ancestor's thinking. But I can understand that ayakashi's thinking. They lend their aid, only to get cheated out of their payment. I would be a little mad, myself.
[He say with a smile.]
Your duty is admirable. But as I see it, there's always a chance for the curse to get what it wants. If it's not from you, it'd be from your successor or future generations. All it need is just one chance.
[An opening, a chance, anything that may lead to the Matoba's end.]
Just one, and that would be it.
no subject
[Whether or not Matoba could find it in him to commiserate with the original intent, the fact was that all these centuries later, it was no longer something which could likely remember the original slight it had suffered, or whatever feelings may have been attached. Now, it was just some wretched and powerful monster with a single-minded goal, the pillar of the Matoba's empire.]
You're right. [He smiles, radiating hatred- for that thing, and for ayakashi like Norimune, who found delight in their fate.] How fortunate then, that my ancestors have been so skilled. I will of course do my utmost to follow in their footsteps, until the time comes that I will pass it on to my own heir.
[Then again, if his contract is fulfilled, maybe he won't have to.]
no subject
[But would he actually do it? He couldn't imagine turning his blade on a human without orders. So it simply exist as an amusing mental exercise. Oh, and if he keep his words to himself... His family, regardless of his status, may choose to heed them.
His smile didn't falter at Matoba's, clearly sensing the hatred coming from him. It's so different from the pure love he's used to observing.]
How fortunate indeed. I do wish you good luck with this curse, and hopefully I may hear more from you in the future. [Depending on how long they're here... Will they cross paths again? Norimune have his own contract to consider, along with his tasks in the department.] You're an interesting fellow, Matoba. So I wouldn't want to see you gone so soon.
[An interesting tale's chapter cut short.]
no subject
[How optimistic. Norimune excuses himself, and Matoba tilts his head politely, inclining without lowering himself.]
Thank you for the well-wishes. Honestly, it isn't difficult to talk about; if you have questions, I am happy to answer them. [Perhaps some might expect it- something traumatic, something of a sore spot. But for Matoba, who could no longer feel such things, it was all simply matter of fact.]
Is that so? [The corner of his mouth curls, and his eye widens slightly to broadcast mild surprise.] Then I suppose it is a good thing that I am a model citizen, and you are an obedient arm of the Enma's order.
no subject
[Merely a fun imagination exercise. Even if there's no point to it for him.]
Well, I don't have any questions to ask right now. Maybe next time, I'll think of some nice questions.
[He likes to ponder on what Matoba told him, going over his words in his mind and savouring each part of the tale. He simply smiles. "Obedient arm"... It's true for now. Norimune haven't seen any reason to disobey, yet.]
Let's try and keep it that way. [He would cut him down if he have to. But Matoba's more interesting while he's alive and free. Relatively free, as in "not in jail" or sealed, however the Enma may choose to handle this case.] For now, I'm just a simple old man who got his fill for the day.
[It's his free time right now, okay. He doesn't want to work when he's off the clock.]