[open] kappa rehousing time

[playfoul]

Who ⬤ Yuri + Sutoku members (& other charitable Lost Souls)
What ⬤ Kappa crowdfunding
When ⬤ Late April
Where ⬤ Warehouse within Sutoku's grounds
Content Warnings ⬤ N/A


OOC Context: Yuri is coordinating relief efforts for the displaced Kappa and mods have approved temp housing for them in a warehouse provided by the Alliance. He'll need help from Lost Souls to get supplies there! Sutoku members will receive a message from him. If your muse is not Sutoku but would like to pitch in, you can assume word got out through the grapevine.

Hi gang. Been a fun month, hasn't it? Especially for our Kappa friends.

On a serious note, the Kappa are in need of shelter. I spoke with the Alliance and they've agreed to convert an unused warehouse to housing space. I'm looking for help with set up and supplies, as well as with getting the word out.

Message me if you can lend a hand. Every bit helps.

-Yuri

[ If you express interest, Yuri will follow up with details and the address of the warehouse. He'll ask you to use discretion who you share the location with since he doesn't want to attract trouble for the Kappa.

When you reach the location, you'll find a warehouse with running electricity and racks that have been pushed to one side to make room. The warehouse has been sectioned off into a sleeping area, a common area, and a storage area that the Kappa have been filling with equipment they've managed to retrieve from underground. ]





[ Yuri will be seeking volunteers to serve food at the food lines the Alliance has negotiated for from local restaurants. We'll need drivers to help transport nonperishable donations to the warehouse. People to carry it all. Bookkeepers to track the numbers. Anyone willing to network with nearby businesses to procure supplies or temp jobs for the Kappa to get back on their feet. Idk... morale boosting activities? Maybe someone can hook up a karaoke machine. Feel free to bring your own ideas!

If you need to get in touch with me, you can drop me a PM or message me on plurk ahlyo! ]

Comments

[aceslow]

[ Kim would have more questions about Yuri's world, but they're immediately shorted out the moment that Yuri addresses a vehicle instead. Kim is not a particularly expressive person, but there's something of an actively brightening of his eyes, a perk of interest. ] This? [ He pats the flat of the door almost affectionately. ] I wouldn't start with a truck of this size. When I was your age, I started with a motorbike instead -- which would be more in your price range anyway. But it's not terribly difficult. If you're dedicated to learning it properly, I can't imagine it would take you too long.

[ Kim had taken to it like a fish to water. He still mourns the loss of that first motorbike of his, years and years ago. ]

The way vehicles operate where I'm from is different - they use levers, not wheels - but it wasn't hard to figure out. [ He glances out over towards a nearby parking lot. Empty. Immediately the gears in his mind get to turning. Every young person ought to learn how to drive, after all. ] Are you interested in learning?

[playfoul]

Motorbikes are the rides with two wheels, yeah?

[ Plenty of young youkai as well as gangsters took to the streets with them, and Yuri recalls the deliverymen zooming around during the night parade. While he's yet to understand what's cool about a noisy vehicle that's startled him from behind on more than one occasion, he can see how they're practical for getting around. He listens to Kim's explanation and nods in response. ]

I can't remain behind the times. Better to adapt quickly than find myself unable to do basic things.

[aceslow]

Yes. Two wheels and an exposed seat. You straddle them as you do horses.

[ Where Kim's from, equestrian cops are still the norm. His affection for vehicles and, quite frankly, pushiness on the matter had won him his station's Kineema, but he'd done his time with horses and is very glad that that phase of his life has come to an end. He much prefers machines over anything that's actually alive. ]

Unfortunately, I don't have a motorbike on-hand. But if you'd at least like to learn the basics, the parking lot's empty. [ He holds up the truck keys, jingling them in mid-air. ] Why not give it a shot? Underneath my supervision, that is.

[playfoul]

Yes, you have me curious. I've ridden horses, but I don't imagine it's anything like driving a vehicle.

[ Well, besides the fact that one can go toppling off both motorbikes and horses. Yuri's never been great at riding, at least in comparison to the noble kids whose fathers owned a dozen horses and pastures. Perhaps it's for the best they're starting with a truck.

There's still unloading to do, so they reconvene at the end of the shift. After sorting out the boxes and calling up an internet provider (with the help of a kappa providing much needed context over his shoulder), Yuri meets Kim out in the open parking lot. ]

Should I watch you first?

[aceslow]

No, not at all. My occupation has some of us riding horses as well, and it's a different beast. I much prefer automobiles. More reliable. Less moody.

[ More prone to getting into horrifying accidents where you can get really, really hurt, but he prefers not to focus on that bit. It's not that he dislikes horses, per se, but when he's on the go, he would prefer to only focus on himself. Horses are unpredictable, moody beasts, and Kim does not enjoy the responsibility for caring for another's well-being. ]

You can watch me first, yes. Just to get the basics down. [ He swings the passenger door open and gestures for Yuri to hop into the passengers side. ] The basics are really quite simple. [ He beckons for Yuri to lean over to the drivers side to get a better look at things. ] This pedal is to brake. The other is the accelerator; you need to use a light touch with it. The more firmly you push it, the faster you will go. And the wheel here is to steer. Just turn it in the direction you wish to go.

[ He prefers lever-based steering, but beggars cannot be choosers. And he can admit, however begrudgingly, that this way is more intuitive. He drives slowly around the parking lot, pointing things out as he goes. ]

Does that all make sense?

[playfoul]

[ Yuri takes the adjacent seat and listens as Kim goes over the various knobs. Stop, go, and turn. He finds the basics simple enough, at least compared to coaxing a horse forward. ]

Doesn't seem hard when your ride listens to you. I can see why horses have been all but replaced by automobiles.

[ Once the demonstration is over, they swap places. Yuri takes a moment to settle in, finding the wheel and pedals where his hands and feet should go. Then he starts up the engine and begins to take the truck forward, but while he's attentive enough to the road, he's overlooked the first rule of vehicle safety - the seatbelt. ]

[aceslow]

Indeed. Horses are still relatively common where I'm from, but as motor carriages become more and more affordable, I can only see that changing. It helps that they don't defecate onto the street either, [ Kim says dryly, knowing damn well that the pollution the motor carriages he's used to likely causes far more damage than a few horse droppings. Still, he's a biased man, and he makes no attempt to remedy the fact. ]

Ah, hold on -- seatbelt first. [ Kim leans over Yuri and yanks on it to motion to where it is. ] Not that it's necessary for something like this, but it's good to get into the habit. Crashing into something in a parking lot would almost be impressive.

[playfoul]

Is there a point when traffic moves at a snail's pace?

[ The notion of seatbelts is met with some grumbling. Yuri tugs the thing on, though not without fiddling with the strap and finding that he doesn't like the feeling of being buckled down.

Once he's properly strapped in, he takes the truck in a circle around the lot. The going is uneventful and he's starting to get a feel for the controls when their practice is interrupted by a supply van turning into the space. Yuri quickly veers out of the way, which then gets the truck stuck at an awkward angle. His bold attempt to course correct only runs the truck against the curb. ]

Damn. I miscalculated.