jigokulogs | ( open ) 003

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Who ⬤ Hizen Tadahiro & you
What ⬤ Catchall for May & June
When ⬤ May
Where ⬤ See prompts
Content Warnings ⬤ N/A for now

SUBSTORY 1: MOON MEDICINE

(It was just mochi. How dangerous could mochi be? There's a reason why mochi is up high on Hizens' list of favorite foods and it's because mochi has never done him wrong.

… Yeah, this definitely isn't his brightest moment and in his defense, he never pretended to be particularly smart.

It's a warm, sunny spring day but Hizen is bundled up in his hoodie and a scarf. No matter what does, he can't fight off this chill and even being out in the sun isn't helping. Desperate, he tries to buy a hot drink from a vending machine if only so he can have something to warm his hands with and

it just takes his money without giving him anything. He tries one more time and gets the exact same result! He can be found sticking his arm up the slot, shaking the machine, or punching it. Sensitive to being watched, he turns his head to see you. Yes, you and snaps, teeth chattering,)

What?! (He's defensive,) Stop looking!

(And please don't perceive the fact that he's literally shaking while he yells at you.)

SUBSTORY 2: VEND ME A DREAM

(They had to retrieve a photograph of a certain host and then bring a hitobashira some takoyaki from a particular vendor that required waiting in an obscenely long line that never seemed to move. After getting the takoyaki, they had to go to a cafe and find a kitsune who was actually a very offended tanuki who asked them if they tried the vending machine alley on the other side of the city. When they get to the alley, they find a strange vending machine in the place that should have had the vending machine they were looking for. It looks like it's been replaced with one that just gives ominous mystery items instead.

His body is small and can only hold so much frustration before he explodes. He lets out a yell when he sees the vending machine,)

Aaaaaaaah! (He kicks at it which makes it beep and flicker,) Where the hell is it?!

(An entire floor full of vending machines and the right one isn't even here.

Maybe you were already with Hizen on his quest. Or maybe you were also led to the hall of vending machines. Or you just heard about this weird place and want to try your luck for unrelated reasons.)

SUBSTORY 4: HANIWHAT?

(He isn't the most sensitive person, even back home when he knows what to look out for. It's easy for most things to slip past him if he isn't paying attention, especially in Jigoku-cho where there are so many things happening, a strange occurrence here and there can be overlooked. But these dolls are strange. He isn't an expert on them but he recognizes them for what they are. They're old; far beyond in his time or knowledge. At first, he hadn't thought much of them but the more he noticed them, the more uncomfortable he became.

These things just feel bad to him. They make him uncomfortable and put him on edge and when he hears that the Enma are calling for them, he's relieved. Good riddance. He has no idea what they're up to but it isn't going to be his problem.

But everyone is so nosy. Everyone wants to push their luck and see what they are. They touch them, they move them around, they treat them roughly, and it just makes him feel anxious. When he sees you checking one out, he snaps,)

Oi. Leave it alone.

(He's clearly irritated,)

You're gonna get in trouble if you keep messing with it.

GENERAL: SHUTEN TERRITORY

(Hizen can be found checking out some of the weapons stores in Shuten territory. He isn't looking for a new weapon— he's perfectly content with his own sword, thank you very much. But when your true form is your sword, weapon maintenance is important. He's shopping for oil, cloth, and other things to take care of himself and he's also asking around to see if anyone can recommend a good smith but no one really wants to give out their source. Instead, they keep trying to sell him a new sword,)

I told ya already, I'm not interested.

(Yeah, but they really don't want to give out their suppliers. It's bad for business, you know?)

I don't give a shit about that. I'm just looking for a guy that can fix things.

(Well, if your sword is broken then might they recommend this one here? It's quite popular with the new recruits—)

I'm not broke!

(Kind of a weird thing to yell but yeah.)

OPEN TOP LEVELS

I'll be adding more top-levels and linking them here so they don't end up lost in the other comments,

⟡ Post-Intro Mingle: (It's raining, it's pouring)

WILDCARD

❀ If you have another idea for a prompt or would like to plot anything out, let me know
❀ Plotting comment here
❀ contact; eski | discord: eski#9874 | PM

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[ a smile. ] As you wish.

[ and while he and his magic gets to work: ]

Now, how have you been? The last time we met was rather... heated, I would say.

[ just going to cut to the chase. but no pressure if hizen doesn't want to talk about it. ]

(Cutting right to the chase. Yeah, he figured this would come up.

He slumps in his seat and looks down at the counter.)

... Sorry.

(He isn't really sure why he's apologizing. For the way his bar was still trashed? For causing him trouble in the end? For losing himself for a moment? For just everything being awkward?)

[ blinkblink. even the bottle of rum that was hovering beside shylock paused for a hot second upon hearing that apology. he shakes his head ]

You have nothing to apologize for. If you hadn't stepped in, they would have reduced my bar into dust.

[ seriously. hizen had no idea how much he saved shylock back there -- this wizard was just greatly downplaying it for the poor sword's sake. ]

Let me return the favor next time. For when you least expect it.

(Ah. He shrinks more. He's just awkward as ever.)

You don't gotta do anything.

(As far as he's concerned, Shylock has done plenty. Being kind, treating him like a person, taking care of him with little actions, not pitying him or looking down on him when he feels low. Hizen's expectations are low; simple, basic compassion is enough to win him over.

... He can't express all of this, though. He's aware of how poor that all sound so instead, what he says stiffly is,)

... You're always nice to me.

I'd only shown you basic decency that most people should have.

[ so it's not? a big deal?? but apparently it is to hizen. here, a mai tai to help loosen things up. ]

I can only wonder what you went through for you to think of me like that. Not many people would call me nice, after all. I am usually a nuisance.

[ his gaze can't help but land on hizen's neck. it's hard to forget the circle of read on skin like that. ]

That's it, though.

(Isn't it funny how the promise of being treated with basic decency was enough to bring people over to a revolutionary cause that would change an entire nation?

He looks down at the drink. It's more colorful up close like this. It's almost too pretty to drink, he thinks but that would be a waste. Before he drinks, he tugs at the collar of his hoodie. He can feel Shylock watching.)

Y'know I'm not human. (A reminder, a way to begin his explanation,) The way spirits like me work... we're shaped by stories. Facts, legends, rumors, histories... all of that.

(His gloomy nature, his constant state of being tired and frustrated. All of his insecurities and everything else that makes his character is inherited.)

[ a nod. that's interesting, because jack also described himself as such the last time shylock had talked to them. and thus, shylock will ask hizen the same thing. ]

I understand. [ somewhat. ] In this case, who or what is Hizen supposed to be?

(He takes a drink while he waits for Shylock to answer. It's sweet as usual but again, not bad. He really does never disappoint...)

Hizen Tadahiro. I am a first-rate and well-known sword, but because of my former master, I've been branded a killer's sword.

(It sounds almost like he's reciting it, like he's had to explain himself before.)

My master was a genius swordsman even though he never had real training. We killed a bunch of guys together. They called him a "manslayer" 'cause he was one of the best assassins in the country. But one night he used me...

(It's here that his hand makes his way up to his neck and he tugs at his collar, pulling it up around his neck uncomfortably before he continues,)

And I broke.

[ a sword... almost on reflex, shylock's eyes scan hizen's entire person. does he have his sword on him? also, it sounds like hizen has been rehearsing this entire spiel before saying it upfront. shylock thinks back to their previous conversation as the pieces slowly but surely fall into place.

"I'm a killer, ya know?!"

his gaze then lands on hizen's neck that is still stubbornly covered up. even tools shatter after overuse. just how many people did they kill together? ]

Was that the moment when you died, then?

[ the bar, thankfully, has come to a lull at this time of day -- the intense volleyball match outside would have diverted anyone's attention from this grisly topic. ]

Edited 2022-06-11 07:52 (UTC)

( He’s quiet for a moment and thinks about the question. The answer is easy enough— )

No. ( That isn’t when it ended because— ) My master was poor. He couldn’t get another sword so he kept using me. Usually breaking’d be the end but he kept me around. Instead of getting a new one, he got me fixed for some reason, though…

( But Shylock wants to know about the end so he skips the details (which he’d rather do anyway). )

He had… a friend. ( The way Hizen hesitates before saying the word should be a hint, ) He was always telling my master to kill someone. And he gave him a job one day.

We killed the guy but… it went bad.

[ the master must've been attached to his sword, shylock thinks. most weapons come and go, but hizen must've mattered so much to him in particular. maybe there's something special about him other than being a Damn Good Killing Sword?

he listens as he polishes a random glass, just to keep his hands busy. from the way hizen said it, that "friend" may be anything but, though that's not enough info to go off of. ]

Did your master get caught?

[ the other logical conclusion other than getting killed himself. ]

(Hizen was, after all, a gift from another friend. A friend that still left Izo behind which--)

He did a lot of jobs and everyone wanted to know who hired him. They tried to get it outta him. (They tortured him.) But he never said anything.

He thought his friends would come help him 'cause they were important but... they didn't. They told everyone else to give up on him and tried to keep him quiet 'cause he knew too much. They couldn't kill him but when he realized what they were doing... he finally told everyone. But once he talked, there was no reason to keep him alive.

(He's quiet for a moment, his hand twirling at the loose end of the bandage.)

In Tosa, your social class is everything. It determines how you live and even how you can die. When everyone thinks you're no more than a beast, you die like one.

[ even though their surroundings kept up its liveliness, hizen's story puts quite a damper on that on their end of the bar. shylock is all too aware how oppressive certain worlds can get, and hizen's sliver of history reminded him of how restrictive eastern country can get combined with the brutality of the north. no human could ever survive that, genius swordsman or not.

he's silent for a moment, out of respect more than anything. but one question comes to mind after that, said in a whisper: ]

And where were you after that?

[ izou's history aside, where does his sword lie in this equation? unless his very own blade was used in his execution. now wouldn't that be horrible indeed. ]

(It sure is a damper on the festivities and the fun but Shylock had wanted to know.)

... Dunno. The next thing I remember is,

(He reaches for his neck,)

I was summoned like this. (His story ended with Izo and his memories stop there too. When he continues, he speaks casually,) No one knows what happened to me, either. Wasn't important enough for anyone to care.

Probably got scrapped or something. People stopped using swords after awhile. Bunch of us got melted down and turned into more useful things.

[ he did want to know! and he refuses to let the gloomy air permeate through the bar like the atrocious vibes of a haniwa. ]

It's hard to imagine humans abandoning useful weaponry. Though it's the result of your world's modernization, I suppose.

[ shakes head. this is why he hates industrialization, yadda yadda. ]

But you were important, Hizen. And still are. If your master were here, he'd express the very same thing in his own special way. [ maybe. shylock hasn't even met the guy yet. ] Wouldn't you agree?

(It's funny because soon, Izo will, in fact, tell him that he's important. All that matters is that a sword can cut, he'll say, and for a brief moment, Hizen will feel filled with purpose and love... only to be told to leave but that's something that will happen in the future.

For now, Hizen is quiet and stirs at his drink to mix it up after the ice has melted and diluted part of it.)

Hmm... (It's a complicated relationship, one with a lot of baggage and issues to sort through but,) I only ever felt special for him.

That's why... even if he's different here, I'm still his. (Because a version of his master is, in fact, here. Softly, but with resolution, ) As long as he wants me, I'll be his.

Oya? To think he's here all along and you have not introduced us yet.

[ don't get him wrong, it's heartwarming to hear hizen say that, hardened as he is with the bloody battles he'd had gone through under his belt. but shylock sometimes has the tendency to switch the mood of the topic to whichever he sees fit, and to be honest, they really need it. ]

I'd love to meet him one day. What kind of drinks does he usually partake in? Would you know?

(The redirect is successful. Hizen looks taken aback like... should have introduced them? But no, wait, he only has to think about that for half a second to realize he didn't have to do anything like that at all.)

I don't gotta introduce anyone--

(Ah, but he really is grateful for the change in topic. Even he knows how heavy his story is. It's heavy for him and he carries it everyday. )

... Sake.

(Just like Hizen.)

[ which is why he should be able to take that heavy burden off his shoulders every now and then, hm? ]

Sake... [ mentally writes it down ] Could it be that you take on his preferences as his sword? I'll be sure to keep an eye out on anyone who has a fondness for them, then.

[ which isn't much, since it's a beloved japanese beverage, but this western wizard has his ways. ]

(Shylock is absolutely right and as soon as he asks, Hizen can hear that conversation led by Kogarasumaru. They are who they are because of the stories they've inherited and for some of them, their stories are deeply tied to a certain master or masters. It's true for Hizen who has manifested as practically a mirror.

He knows if Shylock meets Izo, he'll know who he is. People have mentioned their similarities before.

But instead, he replies flatly, )

Anyone fron Tosa's gonna like sake.

How delightful. If it were possible, I'd love to visit this Tosa one day.

[ nodnod. ]

Now, then. Don't you have any other plans for the rest of the day? I appreciate you keeping me company, but it'd be a waste of a beautiful day out if you don't enjoy it to the fullest.

...

(A glance at the beach and then a shrug,)

Nah. Water and steel don't mix. (He literally always carries his sword with him. To not see him with it would be unusual. Even now, he has it at his side.) I ain't leaving it hanging around either.

(It is, after all, his true form, and as he's told Shylock, he's broken once and would like to not have any more trauma related to his true form.)

[ well, makes sense. don't mind if shylock tries to take a peek at the sword he carries on his hip. ]

Haven't you thought of leaving it with someone you trust? Alternatively, I can help hide it away underneath the counter here, if you're comfortable with it.

Norimune's on "lifeguard duty" now. (Does Norimune even know how to swim? Hizen doesn't doubt it but... can he swim well? He wonders what Norimune is doing, though. But they've been splitting duties and watching each other until Norimune asked to take his sword back (likely to let Hizen enjoy himself more). Unfortunately, Hizen insisted he'd carry himself because he'd troubled Norimune enough...) We were taking turns 'til he went on duty.

(Ah, but when Shylock makes his offer, he narrows his eyes,)

You're not gonna have fun?

Ah, yes. The Department has been working rather hard even during our so-called respite... Those poor officers.

[ a sigh. ]

As for myself, I will be taking my break in an hour or so. I shall let you know via smartphone.

[ see? he can adapt... somewhat. ]

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