Hizen Tadahiro (肥前忠広) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
harimaya) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
jigokulogs2022-05-07 08:29 pm
harimaya) wrote in jigokulogs2022-05-07 08:29 pm
( open ) 003
Who ⬤ Hizen Tadahiro & you
What ⬤ Catchall for May & June
When ⬤ May
Where ⬤ See prompts
Content Warnings ⬤ N/A for now
SUBSTORY 1: MOON MEDICINE
SUBSTORY 2: VEND ME A DREAM
SUBSTORY 4: HANIWHAT?
GENERAL: SHUTEN TERRITORY
OPEN TOP LEVELS
WILDCARD
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
no subject
[Matoba looks back at him, seeming as collected as ever on the outside. But if he could feel the human's aura, it wasn't quite as crisp as it normally was. Not corruption- exhaustion.]
Hoh? [His brow lifts in amusement, and perhaps he was a little pleased with that reply- but he'll take it apparently, because he continues on his way, expecting Hizen to follow after him.] Should I feel lucky? [If he was hip, maybe he'd be #blessed, but alas, 2005,] Or am I being escorted?
[Either way, it satisfied him to hear that offer. Hasn't he been working towards this?] ...But you know, Hizen-kun, I promise I can handle myself.
no subject
Don't make it weird.
(They just happened to run into each other. He isn't going to make it more than that. All he's doing now is making sure Matoba stays safe.)
Didn't say you couldn't either. (And he shrugs.) Just that I can help.
no subject
[Of course he'd liken it to a pursuit. Now that's making it weird. But he won't give him too much more grief about it, since it would be in his interest for his willing assistance to continue.]
[Reaffirmed, even. Another time, perhaps, Matoba might allow himself to consciously consider that Hizen had let his guard down enough to even admit that it was an act of generosity and kindness; perhaps he might even allow himself to question why that was.]
[Not for long. But maybe.]
[But in an ocean of malice, that was asking for death. If there was one silver lining to this nightmare that they were all living, it was that Matoba had spent his life being well prepared for this. Asking him to keep up a guard- emotional, spiritual- which never wavered- was not asking a lot.]
Where are the majority of Shuten's Lost Souls taking shelter, currently? I'd like to start there.
no subject
(And he shrugs. He isn't running away from Matoba. He just knows when to leave unlike some people.)
The arena. Dunno if you can actually go in...
(He isn't sure if the goons of the Shuten or the higher ups will care in a state of crisis or if they'll be suspicious of Matoba. He isn't exactly a likable person?
But as they walk, there are times when it almost seems like... the shadows form what looks like a tear in the world. From those shadows, creatures like that first, serpent-like tantou appear. They go in and out, their distorted whispers calling out,
"I know you. You're the one they call D̵̡̧̛̬͖͖̦͋͂́͠ivine P̶̳̈́unis̵͇̮̼̎͑hmen̶̮͈͙͇̻̏̊͂̀̃̾t. What do you thin̷̛͕̲̹̻̝̼̼̘͕͎̝̍́͒͑͑͒̓̚k w̷̡̥̮̍̽̚ill comẽ̵̻͍͕ from killing people?"
The voice changes from something vaguely male and human to something else. It echoes emptily in the air but also carries feelings of sympathy, despair, anger, and regret.
"Wouldn't you rather shine in everyone's mem̷̥͎͘orieš̶͕̖̘̱̥̦̔͊͜?"
While the tantou float and twist, something else skitters in the streets. Something larger that lets out a long agonizing sigh and cries, "If you could change the past... What would you change...?")
Ignore them. (Hizen's voice is sharp, as annoyed as ever,) They're just bein' noisy.
no subject
[Anyway. The arena, huh... Matoba supposes he would have expected that or the casino, Shuten's two larger properties. The arena was centralized and spacious, and easy to take account of everyone inside. Perhaps not the best amenities for prolonged living-in, though.] I see. Then, we shall head there.....
[...Or, so was the plan, but it seems they've attracted some stragglers that just aren't taking the hint. That strange crack in the darkness overhead is persistent, as if it was both close and very far away at the same time. Whatever those malignant ayakashi were, they were quite annoying... But they were saying some very interesting things, weren't they?]
I see that, [He comments back to Hizen, but he is not ignoring them. Rather, he seems to have taken an interest. He steps out in front of the sword and glances at the hissing, shimmering green and instead, raises his voice.]
Nothing. I wouldn't change the past. Foolish is the one that believes that they are capable of treading a different path by traveling backwards, rather than forwards. The one who exists in the present to say so only exists as a result of that past.
[He pauses a moment, considering, and tilts his head.]
...Besides. Some paths would never be changed even if you could see them ahead of you. Dissatisfaction won't change fate, so you might as well accept that, and move forward with what you are, hm?
[He glances back towards Hizen, his face plastered into one of his overpowering smiles; he looks only at the spirit, and not the eyes still at their back, watching their every move.]
no subject
He doesn't understand what Matoba is doing when he steps out, either. He hisses under his breath and rushes to his side, hand ready on his sword in case the spirit takes it as a challenge but--
What he doesn't expect is for Matoba to say what he does. The whispering stops and the green spirit freezes in place. Only its shimmering light moves and it's clear that the creature is assessing Matoba. It's clear that Matoba has said something. The right thing? Or the wrong thing?
When Matoba looks back at Hizen, he'll see that Hizen is also staring. His attention is completely captured by Matoba as he considers everything he just said. It's exactly what he's been told before. Exactly what he's had to tell himself during all of his training and all of his missions. All of these different philosophies and theories that they have to rationalize and understand to stay on the right path-- to make sure history stays on the right path. And before he can really think about it anymore...
The corrupted spirit in the air lets out a loud, twisted sound like something between a cry and a roar. Agony, rage, desperation, grief, pain, frustration, desire. It's hard to describe the exact feeling the sound gives and it seems to burn brighter before flying right at Matoba,
"So YOU would c̵̬͈͕̲̈́̑͒o̶̺̦̻͕̦̍̽́̍͝ṉ̵̆̇ͅdemn ȕ̴͇̼s ALL to liv̴̫͊̐̓͝e in mis̷̺̩͂͐er̴̹͊̋y̸̦̥̰̐͆̒?!")
Watch out--
(The spirit charges, the knife in its mouth shining bright in its light. Hizen jumps ahead and in one, swift move, draws his sword, raising it at eye level and pierces it straight through. The skeletal creature impales itself on his blade and it's green light bursts into shadow and light. Like ink, like smoke, like dust, it dissolves and scatters into the air with a final, sad sigh, "You would ç̴̨̛̪̣̟͝͠o̴̗͓̿nd̸̯͍̆͋em̴̮͐̎ͅn us̴̡̹̩̘̏̆̎͗ a̷̘͚͛͋͝ll.")
...
(Interestingly, the shadowy tear seems to have disappeared as well and Hizen sheathes his sword,)
... Let's go.
(He'd rather carry on than give Matoba a chance to immediately go into questions.)
no subject
[Although he does find the effect of his own words on those things very interesting...] Are you angry? [He taunts them in that silence, feeling Hizen's eyes on him, as they had been the last time they had spoken. Perhaps he didn't expect such words from an exorcist. But all of Matoba's experiences, all of his learning, has taught him this thing: there was no point in dwelling on that which could not be changed; on who you could not be.]
[Not that it seems it will really matter. The spirit seems to erupt with fury at his words; he reaches to draw an ofuda, but before he can strike, Hizen rushes past him to dispel the creature himself.]
[What a pitiful thing.]
Writhe in your misery, then. [He replies calmly to its dying gasp, and turns after a moment to follow after Hizen, feeling the stare of the eyes on him as he ensures the gaps remain tightly closed.]
[What interesting things these sword spirits had to say, though. At another time, at a moment where they could afford it- he would ask.]
.... With things like that out here, it'd be for the best to ensure the Arena is well-warded, don't you think?
no subject
His mood is definitely going to take a turn for the worse which might not mean anything at all considering how foul tempered he usually is. But it's definitely a turn for the worse,)
Don't rub it in. (He snaps,) I'm already taking you there.
no subject
[That's fine. They will have plenty of time in the future to discuss the interesting things he has seen today.]
Very well. [He inclines his head.] Then, I will follow your lead.