( open ) 003

[harimaya]

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

Comments

JUNE - IT'S MONSTER TIME!!!

[aceslow]

[ A point of pride for Kim is his ability to distinguish between his strengths and his weaknesses. It had taken quite a long time for him to actually get to that point, but at the age of forty-three, he likes to think that he's finally managed it. He's effective enough in a fight; he has passed his firearm tests, knows the basics of hand-to-hand and has certainly survived in many a fight, from breaking up unruly drunks to dangerous shoot-outs between warring gangs, to being caught as an undercover cop and being alarmingly faced with a group of very righteously angry and very violent people. He can handle himself there. He knows he can.

These beasts prowling the streets are a different story. With that in mind, Kim resolved to do what he could, which was not to stake his claim on the frontlines and instead do what he was good at: organizing what needed to be done and investigating to the best of his abilities. The Kineema made this task much easier, capable of speeding away or speeding over the monsters in its path. But from time to time, Kim had to stray from its safe shelter. In this case, he had a dolly filled with supplies to deliver to a hideout filled with frightened ayakishi, their home unreachable save for through an alleyway too narrow for his vehicle to get through. So off Kim went, peering around with his sturdy flashlight before venturing forward.

What he wasn't expecting was a beast that made its home not in the alley itself, but in the alley's shadows; evading the laws of matter themselves as a creature, inky-black and horned, with a single glowing eye set deep into its skull and a wide, fanged maw suddenly leaps out of the darkness with a sound like nails against chalkboard.

Kim falls with a heavy thump as it ensnares both of his legs in a massive claw and he lets out a yell of surprise, immediately scrabbling for his firearm and is stymied when a second claw comes crashing down to pin his arm to the ground. He writhes in its grasp with all his might, a collection of flailing limbs and sharp knees and elbows, powered both by instinct and his own strong desire to live as he grasps for what he can to hurl it at the creature.

It doesn't seem intent on killing him, or at least not yet -- just on dragging him away. Regardless, it's impossible not to hear him shouting himself hoarse, frightened and furious in equal measures, and determined not to find out exactly where the beast wishes to carry him. ]

[harimaya]

(People are stubborn. People are foolish. People are weak. People are just unlucky. For whatever the reason, not everyone makes it to the safety of the Shuten arena or the other shelters. There aren't many people here exactly experienced with the world falling apart and the people twisting and going mad with fear and despair. It's one of the reasons why Hizen decides to venture out into the rain.

It's not that he likes it or he wants to be a hero or anything. He just knows he can do it. He can endure it. He might even be good at it.

He manages to chase down an ameonna, distraught by the rain and trying desperately to make things "right." He shoves her into a convenience store the employees are exasperated with other customers huddling in place but Hizen doesn't care about their comfort. Despite it all, they warn him not to go back out. He doesn't listen.

All he can really hear is the fall of the rain mixed with whispers and curses. Why do you look like me? Again and again and again and again and again. Why do you get to be happy? All outsiders must perish. You don't want this either. You didn't ask for this mission.

And a scream cuts through, distinctly clear from the distorted, twisted voices that have been following him since this rain started. He runs towards the source. It doesn't take him long. He isn't very far. But when Hizen arrives, his sword is drawn and he moves with both speed and skill. Even more, Hizen is nothing but brutal. Even if it's against shadows, he aims to kill and he aims his sword right for the creature's eye.)

[aceslow]

[ When Kim hears more than sees a blade swinging through the night, he squirms all the harder, half expecting there to be some other creature here trying to steal the others' quarry, or worse, that the beast itself has some sort of blade atop its head, as strange and malformed as the deep sea creatures he had read about in his youth, equal parts fascinated and repulsed. His fears are swiftly proven wrong as the beast lets out a shriek of pain that he can feel rumbling down to his very ribs and as he's sprayed with a highly kinetic wave of blood, black and viscous and sticky, clinging to his skin, his clothes, his glasses.

He takes advantage of the way the beast's grasp loosens, quickly scrambling away, heart beating a loud tattoo in his own head. He fumbles for something to protect him and eventually lands on the lid of a trash can held aloft as he squints and shoots three shots into the creature as it whirls around, no doubt looking for whatever it is that had the gall to cause it such pain. It staggers, moans pitiful now, pitiful enough that while Kim may not feel remorse, he still feels a pang of something; between a life removed from slaughtering his own food and his own relatively low kill-count, the act of killing is still a jarring, upsetting experience for him. ]

Watch out! [ He yells, voice raspy with overuse as the beast swings wildly upon the shadowy figure. Between the darkness, the rain, and the fact that his spectacles are smeared with blood, he can't make out who it was that saved him: just the vague shape of a person, a sword, movements nearly too quick to track. ]

[harimaya]

(He makes contact with the beast and he makes sure every move he takes is deliberate. The way he twists his sword and drags it free in a slashing motion to inflict maximum damage despite his concentrated area of attack. He lets lands on the ground and raises his sword at eye level, eyes a bright, almost glowing red in the dark as he readies himself for his next strike.

Everything happens quickly. The beast flails, Kim gets away, shots fire, and he hears a warning to look out. He strikes again, this time in a wide arch to sever the beast's claw. He pays no attention to the blood-- rain or otherwise-- and barrels toward the creature. )

I'll kill you.

(His voice might sound familiar to Kim. Usually surly and tired but impatient and prone to fits of aggression and stubbornness. Hizen's sword style is skilled, fast, and aggressive. He's very much in this fight to not just win but to kill.

Somewhere in the sound of pouring rain and brushing water and chaos, a dry, clattering sound like sticks (bones) shifts. In the air, the metallic scent of blood seems sharper, like it's particularly high in iron. A green light floats by, circling above them and disappearing into the shadows again. Its distorted whisper cuts through, "All things in our way should be erased. Why do you get to seek forgiveness?"

If Hizen hears or notices, he doesn't show it. He's too focused on the enemy in front of him.)

[aceslow]

Hizen?

[ It shouldn't surprise Kim to see Hizen out here. He has been prowling the streets during every other occurrence, chasing down foes and attempting to protect others with a fervor that borders on mania, as though it has never even occurred to him that he could lay low, stay safe, stay silent. It is an impulse as commendable as it is worrisome, though Kim would be ungrateful to linger on it being a poor idea, considering he had come a close shave to near-certain doom, and he's not sure what will happen if you die when you're already supposed to be dead.

Once the creature that had ensnared Kim starts to get cleaved away by the sword, it doesn't pose much more of a threat; its danger is in striking when it's dark, when people are alone, to ensure that others cannot fight back. When they can, it's a different story entirely. Kim could shoot, but he doesn't dare, not when he can scarcely make out Hizen's shadowy figure and risks shooting him as much as shooting the horrible creature that had come breathtakingly close to dragging him off to god knows where. To be eaten, some ancient part of Kim argues, though he chooses not to linger on that thought.

Instead of interfering in the battle, he turns his attention to the green light bobbing in and out of sight, aiming his firearm directly at it, though he has neither the nerve nor the aim to shoot. ]

We're not seeking anything, [ he snaps at it. ] Show yourself!

[harimaya]

(It's funny because it's not that he can't keep down and settle for observing things. In fact, it's something he specializes in as one who is usually trusted to spy on enemies. Kim just happens to run into him every time he's decided to get up and do something instead.

Above them, the green light burns ominously. For something so small, its voice carries through the air.

Haven̴̰̹͇̯̤͌̐̚'t you ever wanted to chá̵̟̾͆͌n̴̰̹͇̯̤͌̐̚ge the p̴̡̖͓̫͖͔̩̼̣̞̞̺̜̐̿͝ả̵̭͖̠̘͉͇̟͍̠͒̎̏͒̑̄̚̚͠͝st̶̺̅͠? What would you c̵̭̽han̸̨͖̣̋̔̀͜g̸̪̈́̋̔̀͝e?
You're thinking about it already. Why not ș̴̢̡̩̝̊̽ay̶͎̺̱̟̹̘̆̓̇̄ it̴́͜?

It sounds sad, sympathetic, like it understands something but there's an edge under it all. It's distant, not truly caring, and there might be a feeling that while it may understand you, it doesn't necessarily have your best interests in mind.

If you say it, it can become real.

It twists in the air like a snake, trying to tempt anyone who will listen.)

You're bein' noisy!

(Even when Hizen is busy hacking and slashing, it seems that he's still listening. His strikes slow until he thinks he's done enough and he stops, breathing heavily after his attack and glares up at the tantou spirit. Annoying out of his range for the time being, there isn't much he can really do from down here. It does, however, stop, and the dagger it carries in its mouth flashes in its own light. It asks once more,

Would you chan̴̰̹͇̯̤͌̐̚ge the pả̵̭͖̠̘͉͇̟͍̠͒̎̏͒̑̄̚̚͠͝st?)

[aceslow]

[ The creature circling above them unsettles Kim, though not for the question that he's asking. It's a question that Kim has asked himself, several times over, and one that he had seen etched in ink in his own contract, with as much finality as dates upon a gravestone. Nobody gets out of life without regrets, but Kim has positioned himself as someone who looks steadily towards the future, too consumed with putting one foot in front of the other to linger on what could have been. If he does, it's something he does in the quiet privacy of his own home, when he feels as though he can indulge in his own sentimentality, and certainly not something he's ever dared to voice aloud.

Instead, voice rich with skepticism and bewilderment, he says, ] Why in god's name would we talk about that with you?

[ Honestly. If the Precinct therapist can't get it out of him, the terrifying knife-wielding snake skeleton doesn't stand a chance. Still skittish, he skitters over to where Hizen is, though he doesn't take his eyes off of the creature tormenting them. ]

Thank you for that, [ he says, distracted but genuinely grateful. ] Are you all right? [ Is he injured? He can't tell. ] ...and do you know what that is? I could try to shoot it, but...

[ He doesn't have enough trust in his aim for a moving target like this one. ]

[harimaya]

(Fighting over for now, he wipes some of the rain off his face with the back of his hand. It doesn't do much but he just feels gross being out here. If he's injured, he makes no sign of showing it but... he does seem fine, albeit, worn. Then again, everyone here is at least a little exhausted.)

I'm fine.

(He isn't but it's not so serious that he needs to be called out on it now. No one is fine in the city right now. There are just some that aren't doing better off than others.)

A Revisionist spirit. Tantou class. (Which probably doesn't make any sense to Kim but Hizen is just going to state the facts here.) A spirit that's become twisted.

Just shoot it.

(His voice is serious and cold. And isn't going to bother with this lower level nightmare. Compared to everything, it's just an annoying bug flying by his ear,)

... Swords are no match against a gun.

[aceslow]

I'm not sure if I would agree with that, watching how you dispatched that... thing.

[ He doesn't well know what to call it. It lays before him in a gruesome pile, more gore and fur than anything that he could recognize as something that was once alive. He's never been so happy to see a corpse in his life, but he's rarely the primary target of any of the dead killers he's had the displeasure of studying. But Hizen doesn't seem like he's in a talking mood, and Kim can't say he disagrees, heart still pounding and adrenaline still flooding through his veins after the scare he'd had. His brain knows that he's safe, but his treacherous body is still clawing at its prison, demanding that Kim flee, still petrified of what dangers await.

Luckily, Kim is well-practiced at ignoring what his instincts are telling him, and simply takes a deep breath. Shoot it, Hizen says. He's not going to voice his doubts, but he'll at least hedge his bets. He raises the gun and fires three times at the shimmering light, blam-blam-blam. At least one will hit, and he can escape this encounter without his pride being any more bruised than it already is.

Just as he predicted, the first two shots don't strike true, but the third does, the velocity of the bullet sending it whizzing straight into the creature with the sound of crunching bone. ]

Tantou class, [ he mumbles underneath his breath as he watches it fall. An enemy Hizen has dealt with before, he surmises. Apparently everyone here deals with supernatural foes except for him. ]

[harimaya]

(The creature lets out a shriek, a sharp sound like metal screeching and it falls apart in the air. Its ominously burning light burns out, black smoke forms like ink in the air, and before it can touch the ground, it all turns to ash and becomes a wet pile in the water. )

Tantou class.

(Hize repeats. He doesn't even spare it another glance. It's best to not acknowledge that creature, after all.)

Better off not thinking about it. Didn't come here to fight. Just came here to see what it could change.

(Which doesn't mean much without the context but that's a conversation for another night.)

What were you doing?

(Before he got into trouble?)

[aceslow]

What? What does any of that mean? [ Kim, on the other hand, does spare it another glance. He lingers, both on that horrible spirit and on the creature that Hizen had struck down, staring down at their cooling corpses as though he should do something about it, or feel something about it. All he can see from the beast that had ensnared him is the bleakness of what Hizen had done to it, sword slicing cleanly through it time and time again until it had fallen. What that looks like cutting through a human being, Kim can only imagine. You don't get many swords in Revachol.

He's quiet for a moment, brushing himself off and patting himself down for any injuries - he's going to have a hell of a bruise climbing up his side and his ankle has seen better days, but it's certainly ignorable for now - then looks back over at Hizen, gesturing over at the rolling cart of goods. ]

I was delivering supplies. The shelters that some of the yokai here had erected have been running out of food, mostly. This is just my first stop.