Kim Kitsuragi (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
aceslow) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
jigokulogs2022-05-08 02:03 am
aceslow) wrote in jigokulogs2022-05-08 02:03 am
[ OPEN ] scaring at the sky
Who⬤ Kim & YOU
What ⬤ Kim takes on shifts at the local 7-11, fields an attempted robbery at aforementioned 7-11, visits a gay bar, finds a skeleton woman's bones (substory 2), contemplates haunted dolls (substory 4), and goes about his daily life.
When ⬤ Throughout May (and probably into June as a catch-all!)
Where ⬤ Throughout Jigokucho
Content Warnings ⬤ None anticipated; will edit as needed
a. 7-11 shifts.
i. a normal day in hell.
[ A lifelong policeman, Kim had quickly come to realize both that his skills as a detective aren’t exactly transferable here, and that the paltry salary that their clan leaders have given them is not enough to live off of. The only solution to that is to get a job and, much to Kim’s chagrin, the most convenient place to pick up a paycheck happened to be one of Jigokucho’s many convenience stores. A temporary position, Kim had told himself, but a position nonetheless.
Which is why Kim finds himself here, perched behind the counter of a 7-11 in some awful polyester uniform, sporadically working day and night shifts alike and feeling bored out of his skull. Is your character here to pick up their daily slushie? Have they been living off of convenience store foods for the past week? Or do they want a chat as they’re picking up lottery tickets and cigarettes? Whatever the case, Kim is here, seeing exactly what everyone’s daily routine looks like.
When he’s not restocking shelves or tidying up or looking terribly bored, he can be found reading a book underneath the counter or scribbling away in that omnipresent blue notebook of his. But feel free to interrupt him – that’s his job, after all. ]
ii. a normal day in hell: robbery edition!
[ Though late one evening, Kim’s stupor is interrupted by a young humanoid yokai slamming down his haul - slushies, saran wrapped pastries, ice cream and candy; somebody’s got a sweet tooth! - and jabbing the stubbiest looking switchblade Kim has ever seen in his direction. ]
This is a robbery! Give me everything in your register, now!
[ If you’re particularly good at reading expressions, Kim looks almost… glad for the excitement? He raises his brows at the young man, reaching underneath the counter. ]
You’re... robbing me? With that?
[ Do you want to intervene in the world’s most pathetic robbery? Or did you see that there could be more dangerous accomplices around the corner? Or maybe you just feel like watching the show? Take your pick! ]
b. the homo-sexual underground (it’s a gay bar).
[ With how busy his job kept him back home it’s not as though Kim had the time or energy to frequent gay bars, but with more time on his hands and a lack of community at his disposal, he’s slowly come to realize precisely what it is that he’s missing: a tether to the homo-sexual underground or, as it may be here, the homo-sexual overground. For how little he’d frequented the bars back home in the past few years, it’s a place that’s always welcomed him and a place he always knew he could go back to. He’d cut his teeth in those dingy, secretive bars even before he had been old enough to drink after all, and he decides it’s about time he gets acquainted with what Jigukocho has to offer.
With that in mind, Kim dons appropriate attire - a black leather jacket, white undershirt, dark wash trousers and some good, solid boots; there’s no point in messing with the classics - and heads to the Tamamo District to scope out the scene. It’s less a matter of asking around, and more of being able to spot his own. Once he sees exactly who is streaming into one of the bars, he slips in himself, looking comfortable and at ease, though in truth, he’s trying to get a lay of the land. He’s only ever been in the gay scene in one city, and to acquaint himself with another’s language seems like quite the task.
He winds up sitting at the bar, waiting for the bartender to finish chatting with another customer to place his order and looking far more approachable than he usually does. He’s in no hurry to get his drink, though – whether you’re here on purpose or stumbled into the gay bar by accident, why not say hello? ]
c. substory 2: vend me a dream.
[ If Kim had known just how long this satellite investigation was going to go, he wouldn’t have signed up for it in the first place, he thinks. But now that he’s invested, he’s come face to face with someone that he would probably feel obligated to help regardless of what comes at the end of this whole jaunt: skeleton clad in a beautiful, intricate dress, pooling on the filthy streets of Jigokucho. If you happen to listen in, you may hear Kim say, perplexed: ] You say they… took your bones, Madam?
My bones! They stole my bones! [ The woman’s jaw crackles and pops as she speaks, the entire effect a rather eerie one, though Kim tries his damnedest to keep a straight face. ] How will I get anywhere without my legs?
And who were these miscreants, exactly?
A dog.
A dog, ma'am?
A dog, a dog!
A dog took both of your legs?
[ The skeleton woman shrugs. Her bones crackle. ] A dog took one of my legs.
I see. [ Kim very carefully does not sigh. The absence of a sigh is somehow even louder than if he had. He turns to anyone nearby - that’s you! - and says, ] Pardon me. I don’t suppose you’ve seen a dog with a bone around here, have you? It would be a very large bone.
d. substory 4: haniwhat?
[ While his aren't as bad as some, Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi is no stranger to nightmares, especially at times of unrest. When he bolts awake in the morning with a shout - perhaps audible to other residents of Sutoku housing - he expects that it's nothing more than an overactive subconscious up until the point he sees an eerie looking doll staring back at him from across the room, perched precariously on the chair he habitually hangs his jacket on. Voice croaky from sleep, he rasps, ] What the fuck?
[ He doesn't do more than get himself looking baseline presentable before taking action, grabbing a pair of tongs from the kitchen to transfer the strange figurine from a chair to an old grocery bag. He carries it out of his apartment and sets it down as gently he can out on the sidewalk, using the tongs again to unwrap it from the bag and peer suspiciously at it, more than a little spooked. Usually he wouldn't want to be seen like this, in a loose tank top and sweatpants, hair mussed instead of being slicked back with a prodigious amount of hair gel and face unshaven, but he feels inclined to get to the bottom of this. Experimentally, he pokes it. ]
If you're alive, [ he tells it sternly, ] You should say so. And you certainly shouldn't be breaking into people's homes.
[ It stares emptily back at him, silent as the grave. Perhaps you've seen one of these too and can enlighten him as to what's going on -- or where to dispose of it. ]
e. daily life.
[ Otherwise, you can find Kim going about his regular business. If you live in Sutoku housing, you may have him for a neighbour and run into him as he takes out the trash, or perhaps figure out his schedule by the fact that he stands out on the communal porch of Sutoku's building for his daily cigarette, breathing chestnut-scented smoke into the light-saturated nighttime of the city of the dead that never sleeps. He's largely a polite, conscientious neighbour, though he sticks to himself and never appears to welcome any visitors.
Otherwise, he can be found doing his weekly grocery shopping, hitting up thrift stores for clothing and household goods, peering into the windows of Sutoku's many arcades (he seems particularly interested in those racing games), eating at one of Jigokucho's many cheap dining establishments, or even studying the advertisement in the window of a gym. Wherever you can reasonably expect someone to visit while going about their day, you can find Kim! ]
f. wildcard!
[ hit me with a wildcard – or if you’d like to plot/would like me to write you a custom starter, I’m more than happy to do so! Comment to me on the cr meme or on plurk and we can work something out! ]
What ⬤ Kim takes on shifts at the local 7-11, fields an attempted robbery at aforementioned 7-11, visits a gay bar, finds a skeleton woman's bones (substory 2), contemplates haunted dolls (substory 4), and goes about his daily life.
When ⬤ Throughout May (and probably into June as a catch-all!)
Where ⬤ Throughout Jigokucho
Content Warnings ⬤ None anticipated; will edit as needed
a. 7-11 shifts.
i. a normal day in hell.
[ A lifelong policeman, Kim had quickly come to realize both that his skills as a detective aren’t exactly transferable here, and that the paltry salary that their clan leaders have given them is not enough to live off of. The only solution to that is to get a job and, much to Kim’s chagrin, the most convenient place to pick up a paycheck happened to be one of Jigokucho’s many convenience stores. A temporary position, Kim had told himself, but a position nonetheless.
Which is why Kim finds himself here, perched behind the counter of a 7-11 in some awful polyester uniform, sporadically working day and night shifts alike and feeling bored out of his skull. Is your character here to pick up their daily slushie? Have they been living off of convenience store foods for the past week? Or do they want a chat as they’re picking up lottery tickets and cigarettes? Whatever the case, Kim is here, seeing exactly what everyone’s daily routine looks like.
When he’s not restocking shelves or tidying up or looking terribly bored, he can be found reading a book underneath the counter or scribbling away in that omnipresent blue notebook of his. But feel free to interrupt him – that’s his job, after all. ]
ii. a normal day in hell: robbery edition!
[ Though late one evening, Kim’s stupor is interrupted by a young humanoid yokai slamming down his haul - slushies, saran wrapped pastries, ice cream and candy; somebody’s got a sweet tooth! - and jabbing the stubbiest looking switchblade Kim has ever seen in his direction. ]
This is a robbery! Give me everything in your register, now!
[ If you’re particularly good at reading expressions, Kim looks almost… glad for the excitement? He raises his brows at the young man, reaching underneath the counter. ]
You’re... robbing me? With that?
[ Do you want to intervene in the world’s most pathetic robbery? Or did you see that there could be more dangerous accomplices around the corner? Or maybe you just feel like watching the show? Take your pick! ]
b. the homo-sexual underground (it’s a gay bar).
[ With how busy his job kept him back home it’s not as though Kim had the time or energy to frequent gay bars, but with more time on his hands and a lack of community at his disposal, he’s slowly come to realize precisely what it is that he’s missing: a tether to the homo-sexual underground or, as it may be here, the homo-sexual overground. For how little he’d frequented the bars back home in the past few years, it’s a place that’s always welcomed him and a place he always knew he could go back to. He’d cut his teeth in those dingy, secretive bars even before he had been old enough to drink after all, and he decides it’s about time he gets acquainted with what Jigukocho has to offer.
With that in mind, Kim dons appropriate attire - a black leather jacket, white undershirt, dark wash trousers and some good, solid boots; there’s no point in messing with the classics - and heads to the Tamamo District to scope out the scene. It’s less a matter of asking around, and more of being able to spot his own. Once he sees exactly who is streaming into one of the bars, he slips in himself, looking comfortable and at ease, though in truth, he’s trying to get a lay of the land. He’s only ever been in the gay scene in one city, and to acquaint himself with another’s language seems like quite the task.
He winds up sitting at the bar, waiting for the bartender to finish chatting with another customer to place his order and looking far more approachable than he usually does. He’s in no hurry to get his drink, though – whether you’re here on purpose or stumbled into the gay bar by accident, why not say hello? ]
c. substory 2: vend me a dream.
[ If Kim had known just how long this satellite investigation was going to go, he wouldn’t have signed up for it in the first place, he thinks. But now that he’s invested, he’s come face to face with someone that he would probably feel obligated to help regardless of what comes at the end of this whole jaunt: skeleton clad in a beautiful, intricate dress, pooling on the filthy streets of Jigokucho. If you happen to listen in, you may hear Kim say, perplexed: ] You say they… took your bones, Madam?
My bones! They stole my bones! [ The woman’s jaw crackles and pops as she speaks, the entire effect a rather eerie one, though Kim tries his damnedest to keep a straight face. ] How will I get anywhere without my legs?
And who were these miscreants, exactly?
A dog.
A dog, ma'am?
A dog, a dog!
A dog took both of your legs?
[ The skeleton woman shrugs. Her bones crackle. ] A dog took one of my legs.
I see. [ Kim very carefully does not sigh. The absence of a sigh is somehow even louder than if he had. He turns to anyone nearby - that’s you! - and says, ] Pardon me. I don’t suppose you’ve seen a dog with a bone around here, have you? It would be a very large bone.
d. substory 4: haniwhat?
[ While his aren't as bad as some, Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi is no stranger to nightmares, especially at times of unrest. When he bolts awake in the morning with a shout - perhaps audible to other residents of Sutoku housing - he expects that it's nothing more than an overactive subconscious up until the point he sees an eerie looking doll staring back at him from across the room, perched precariously on the chair he habitually hangs his jacket on. Voice croaky from sleep, he rasps, ] What the fuck?
[ He doesn't do more than get himself looking baseline presentable before taking action, grabbing a pair of tongs from the kitchen to transfer the strange figurine from a chair to an old grocery bag. He carries it out of his apartment and sets it down as gently he can out on the sidewalk, using the tongs again to unwrap it from the bag and peer suspiciously at it, more than a little spooked. Usually he wouldn't want to be seen like this, in a loose tank top and sweatpants, hair mussed instead of being slicked back with a prodigious amount of hair gel and face unshaven, but he feels inclined to get to the bottom of this. Experimentally, he pokes it. ]
If you're alive, [ he tells it sternly, ] You should say so. And you certainly shouldn't be breaking into people's homes.
[ It stares emptily back at him, silent as the grave. Perhaps you've seen one of these too and can enlighten him as to what's going on -- or where to dispose of it. ]
e. daily life.
[ Otherwise, you can find Kim going about his regular business. If you live in Sutoku housing, you may have him for a neighbour and run into him as he takes out the trash, or perhaps figure out his schedule by the fact that he stands out on the communal porch of Sutoku's building for his daily cigarette, breathing chestnut-scented smoke into the light-saturated nighttime of the city of the dead that never sleeps. He's largely a polite, conscientious neighbour, though he sticks to himself and never appears to welcome any visitors.
Otherwise, he can be found doing his weekly grocery shopping, hitting up thrift stores for clothing and household goods, peering into the windows of Sutoku's many arcades (he seems particularly interested in those racing games), eating at one of Jigokucho's many cheap dining establishments, or even studying the advertisement in the window of a gym. Wherever you can reasonably expect someone to visit while going about their day, you can find Kim! ]
f. wildcard!
[ hit me with a wildcard – or if you’d like to plot/would like me to write you a custom starter, I’m more than happy to do so! Comment to me on the cr meme or on plurk and we can work something out! ]
no subject
Either Robin's gay as well, or he's particularly open-minded. Both options are honestly touching in their own way; Kim's an old dog, accustomed to a certain level of discretion, but it does his heart good to see younger people who feel that's not necessary. ] Ah, Robin! I wasn't expecting to see you here.
[ He does offer Robin a small smile, though. He's looking well. ] I was just about to get one, in fact. Is this where you've been working, or...?
no subject
No, I don't work at this bar! Mine is just a few buildings down. I like coming here because it's got a completely different feel to what I'm used to.
[ as he finally gets comfortable, the bartender does make his way to the two of them, and robin is quick to place his own order: ]
Cranberry juice and soda! Oh, and if you could please put in a lime wedge, that'd make me so happy.
[ something very simple. something light. the youkai behind the bar nods, already having an idea of what robin was going to ask for in the first place. there aren't many who occupy tamamo's bars that only orders some kind of juice to begin with, so. ]
no subject
[ Around Robin, Kim feels oddly like a figure of authority -- something lingering from his position as a Lieutenant, or perhaps it's just the fact that he feels inclined to look out for him. Regardless, it feels a bit odd to drink around him. He doesn't intend to let that stop him, though; he rarely goes out for a drink, and he certainly isn't going to squander a rare night out.
Besides, he only intends to have the one. Once his drink is served to him, he takes a slow sip, then swivels around to face Robin properly. ]
How have things been since we've last spoken? Have you found a place to perform?
no subject
Um... it's been fine, I guess. [ he idly rubs his cheek as he takes a sip of his fizzing drink. ] I learned how to fix some drinks and the place I work at will let me sing now and then.
[ he's never been good at hiding his emotions, which is why robin continues to look down at the bar for a moment or two longer. ]
I think they expect some things from me that I still don't want to do.
no subject
[ Even if they're not going to actively coerce Robin into such things, Kim wonders if it's only a matter of time before Robin buckles underneath the pressure to appease his bosses and do precisely what they expect of him. It's a story Kim has heard many, many times before, and rarely do they have happy endings. If Robin was not so intent upon a singing career here and could instead find happiness in some other daytime occupation...
But he had seemed so set on it the last time they had spoken. Down that road is a series of diminishing returns, he thinks. He tilts his hand, the dim lights of the bar nonetheless shining through the liquid amber of the glass, ice clinking noisily against its sides. ]
What are your feelings on working in a club outside of Tamamo? In Sutoku territory, to be precise.
no subject
I don't think Lady Tenko-hime would be happy if I did that.
[ at the end of the day, even as bright and cheery and optimistic as robin is, he knows there's a very hard line when it comes to business. after all: being a singer is a business. being a performer and idol is a business. what makes them the most money to pour into the district is the most important thing to a clan like them. how else will they attract lost souls and youkai alike, to give them the 'freedom' that they deserve with their money? ]
It'd be like betraying her trust, and I've heard... I've heard bad things happen if you do that.
[ the enemies of the tamamo clan disappear. not necessarily killed. just--- poof! missing. gone. ]
Besides. There are other places that I can work. I just have to find the right one.
[ or one that'll just be safer for him. there might be a place like that. he just has to look.
anyway: ]
What have you been doing?
no subject
[ Others had gained employment outside of their own districts, others had not. How much they want to obey their clan leaders seems to depend on how much they feel a genuine loyalty to them -- or on how wary they are of potential repercussions. Kim wonders which Robin falls into. A little bit of both, he supposes. Lady Tenko-hime seems to be remarkably hands-on, as does Toraguma, both being far more traditional varieties of what Kim thinks of when he considers organized crime. The Daitengu is a mystery, and that mystery makes it feel safer to do as they please, he thinks, whether that's true or not.
But when Robin asks him what he's been doing, he can't help but grimace. Honestly, it's embarrassing. He's a grown man, working in a job that he can't help but feel is meant for teenagers straight out of high school. ] In terms of work? Nothing significant. I've picked up some hours at a local convenience store. It's not what I'd like to be doing, but... it's an income.
[ He's certainly not chasing his dreams like Robin is, that's for damn sure. ]
I'm afraid the only significant job experience I have is in policework. Without being in Enma, that's out of the question. We're all restricted by where we were placed, I suppose.
no subject
[ don't be ashamed of what you do. that's what robin believes, though there is also a very hard limit as to where shame comes into play and how it affects him personally. religion having been part of his life, of his early successes and one major life event, was transformative.
the vampire part years later, equally so. ]
Yeah. I guess I got lucky in that way, huh? [ he's not trying to brag or boast. he could've easily been placed into shuten, where the brutes and drunks might've really taken advantage of robin's appearance and lack of fight. ] But... I don't see why you couldn't be like, a private investigator or something!
[ a detective. someone who could set their own rules and rates. things like that. ]
no subject
[ It seems insane to be worrying about something like career goals when they're ostensibly dead and in hell, but so much of Kim's life has circulated around his career and he had given up so much of himself to it that having to throw it all away is a difficult pill to swallow. And it's not as though he's the only one; that's what his and Robin's conversations have circulated around in the past, after all. ]
Maybe one day. When I have a better grasp on the community here, and what they would be asking of me. A large part of work like ours is knowing how the city itself functions, and this city's dynamics... [ He shakes his head. ] I haven't quite grasped it yet. Even without the difference in species, this world is quite unlike my own. People here who were originally from Japan seem to have the advantage here.
no subject
The dynamics... they're kind of erratic, huh?
[ things change quickly. nothing is predictable. the expectations seem immense and out of touch with what would normally make sense. coupled with how the clans interact, even robin has been left to try to make do with what he's got and without compromising whatever morals he has. ]
I can probably try to help though! Japan is my second home, after all. And if I can't then I know someone who could. Though... it's also like there are a lot of different kinds of Japans we're all from.
[ one has superheroes. one has sorcerers. his has vampires. it's kinda crazy. ]
no subject
[ This... isn't what he expected to be talking about when he came to a gay bar for a drink, but there are precious few men Kim's age anyway. Why not discuss the way this world works with a bright young man instead? He taps a gloved finger against the bar. ]
The hypothesis holds up, generally speaking. But it's surprising how many different varieties of Japan there are. And yet... only one Revachol.
[ His own home. He's glad for it, though. He doesn't know how he'd feel about there being more than one. ]
Almost as though my colleague and I were pulled here entirely by mistake.
no subject
Revachol? Is that where you're from? [ his eyes brighten instantly. ] Tell me more! Is it nothing like this? Or Japan? Or... I guess, anywhere else, if you can compare it?
[ what has kim experienced? not that robin needs a full run down, but. it does appeal to his inner traveler. ]
... a colleague... so you have a friend here too?
[ he's now even happier. to understand people better, especially someone like the lieutenant. ]
no subject
[ Leaving would take more money than Kim has at his disposal, but even if he had the money, where would he go? Would he really risk a voyage off into the Pale for some traipse to another country, to go sight-seeing? He doesn't think so. He never thought he could bear to be away from home for more than a week at a time, and lo and behold, he's found himself away for far, far longer. ]
Some people speculate that it is analagous to your version of... France? [ It's probably his accent, thick and recognizably French and to some, unexpected coming out of someone who looks like him. ] It's nothing like this, though. The buildings, the technology, the language, the food, even the bar we're in now -- it's nothing like home.
[ He rests his chin on the heel of his hand, glancing over at Robin with a wry slant to his mouth. ]
And the only person who knows what my home is like here is my colleague, yes. [ Is he dodging the 'friend' question? Maybe. ] Lieutenant double-yefreitor Du Bois. We were collaborating on a case before we both found ourselves here.
no subject
but there's something romantic about loving the place you've lived in for your entire life, too. no judgement from this boy. ]
... I guess it does. [ unexpected but not unheard of. anyone can be from anywhere. it doesn't matter what people look like, right?
but that expression though! ]
You don't have to be specific, but what kind of case? [ his eyes are open, brows raised in curiosity. ] Was it dangerous?
no subject
I'm afraid it was. The details are not secret -- it was quite public. It was in a small town, outside of my jurisdiction and my new partner's, so we were both called to the scene. A man was murdered, then hung from a tree. It was believed to be political in nature. Even if that wasn't the original intention, that's certainly what it became.
[ He takes a long, slow sip from his drink. ]
A lot of people died, [ he says soberly. ] We were lucky that there were not more -- and that we were not among them. Not the most entertaining case to recount, I admit.
[ It's lacking in dramatic car chases, in the guilty being brought to their knees, in a jubilant ending. But Kim hasn't experienced a whole lot of those, not outside of the Vespertine cop dramas he used to read as a kid. ]
no subject
well. he respects him a lot! he already did beforehand. ]
A lot of people... that's scary. [ he exhales softly, takes his drink, swishes it around thoughtfully. ] ... well, I'm glad you were able to figure it out.
[ a laugh, and robin sips. ]
I don't think I'd make a very good cop! Or detective! But you sound like you were really good.
no subject
But not without error, and certainly not when the ramifications of the last case and everything it implies stands out so clearly in his mind. ]
If I were better, perhaps it would not have come to that. But there's little point in lingering on that -- all we can do is make sure that we do better next time, hm? You don't have to be a cop to follow that philosophy. [ He sets his drink down on the counter. ]
And I'm sure you'd make a perfectly good cop. [ The bar is not, admittedly, very high. ] But I can't say I particularly recommend it. I think... that you have been very lucky to find that what you're good at and what you enjoy are one and the same. Best to keep on that path. [ His lips curl, good humoured despite it all. ] I do enjoy my job, mind you. I just realize it's not for everyone.
no subject
You're right! As long as we try our best... well, everything else that happens after is not always in our hands!
[ maybe the best way to think about things. cautious optimism. ]
Yeah, I feel very lucky. I don't like to think there's anything else out there for me. Including being a police officer!
[ robin would probably be the worst, let's be real. ]
... even though it's hard being anything here. I'm still... you know. Just trying to hang on.
[ being in hell isn't ideal. it's been rough for him, even with friends. ]
no subject
[ Kim's not sure if he would phrase it with such unfettered enthusiasm, but that's more or less what he was trying to get across -- besides, he can appreciate the optimistic attitude. He's right. Once you've done all that you can, there's little to be done for it. ]
But just trying to hang on is all right too. As long as you're still hanging on. [ He rests his chin on the heel of his hand, regarding Robin thoughtfully. ] It's still been difficult for you, hasn't it? Is it that you miss home?
[ That's certainly what gets to Kim the most. Otherwise, being here can sometimes be downright pleasant. What an unsettling thought. ]
no subject
[ robin idly swishes the contents of his glass around, watches as some of the pulp from the fruit moves lazily in the still fizzling liquid. that he uses it as a brief excuse to think of why and what he misses the most. ]
It's weird. The lights here are the same. The crowds are, too. Even if they're not all human... that's fine. That doesn't change what I do.
[ and then he sighs, resting an elbow on the bar as he turns to look at kim. ]
But it's not the same, too. There's something menacing and scary about everything here, except for other Lost Souls. That's the one thing that keeps sticking out to me.
[ robin laughs nervously, a hesitant giggle. ]
Or maybe I'm just overthinking it all!
no subject
I'm not always in the practice of telling people to listen to their gut, but in this case, I think it's appropriate. Whether or not this really is Hell - [ Kim still has his doubts ] - there's no denying this is a dangerous place. Not to say that my home doesn't have plenty gang activity, and dangerous gang activity at that, but they don't rule in the way that they do here. Who you speak to is not of such vital importance. And the amount of casual violence in this city is notable.
[ Revachol is known as a city completely overrun by crime, thanks to a mixture of a desperate post-war limbo, a struggling economy, lack of proper governance, and a volunteer-run, underfunded police force, but even there, seemingly random acts of violence on the street aren't so common. It feels like there's no rhyme or reason to it. It frustrates him. ]
Your time as a singer back home sounds more dangerous than most - [ he still hasn't forgotten that odd vampire business Robin had alluded to ] - but I can't imagine things were on this level.
[ He props his chin up on the heel of his hand. ]
It will get easier once you understand it. And them.
[ If he were to be honest with Robin, he would admit that some of the ayakishi still scare the shit out of him. His ego wouldn't survive it, but it's the truth. ]
no subject
rough place, this "hell" is. ]
I'd trade a lot of things to go back home in a heartbeat. Though... I've made plenty of friends!
[ and people who are more than friends, at least to him. he'd say he loves everyone very much regardless. ]
That much to me feels real. That, I understand.
no subject
[ Friends? He doesn't know if he'd go that far. But that has less to do with them, and more to do with him; Kim isn't a man who makes friends easily, nor is he someone who has historically allowed people in past his defenses. It's a protective measure, learned the hard way after what feels like a very long life. But people here have crawled under his skin far, far more than what he's accustomed to. In some ways, Robin is included in that. The young man has made a good impression on him; in many other circumstances, if joined by another at a bar, Kim would simply walk away.
Or maybe he's just gone soft. ]
It's the greatest piece of evidence I have against this place being all that it seems. I have a difficult time seeing everyone I met as belonging here. Some are... uncommonly decent, I think.
[ Frankly, he's had an easier go of it in Hell than he did back home. That's not such a nice thought. ]
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... so you're saying this may be hell but it's not Hell.
[ emphasis on the latter. robin is religious to some extent: his parents raised him, but so did the church. he wouldn't have become such a prolific singer without it. ]
What if... this is someone else's hell... guess it makes more sense if you think about it like that. Right?
[ it's not his, at the very least. his would probably be way more boring. ]
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You know, I hadn't considered it that way. That is a possibility, isn't it? For every person here, for every homeland represented, there must be at least a slightly different idea of what Hell is, and what it means. And what constitutes as wrongdoing enough to belong here.
[ Does Kim belong here? Yes, he thinks. It's likely that he does. He does not labour underneath a sense of self-hatred, but he knows what system he works within just as well as he knows his own wrong-doing. But the younger souls among them, the people who have been trying to scrape by or never had an opportunity to change course? Those count for less, he thinks. ]
I always thought it was a bit pleasant to be my version of Hell anyway. But that begs the question of whose version of hell it is, doesn't it? The people born and raised here - the ayakishi - seem more or less as content with their lives as humans are back home.
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