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
[ 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. ]
no subject
... 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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
Maybe they're used to it. Maybe this is just the kind of place they know best. Oh, maybe hell is just... the hell of all these combined spirits...?
[ these thoughts are a little much for robin. it's not that he isn't used to thinking, but that he usually leaves the bigger thoughts to those who can muster the mental strength for it.
another sip, and robin hums. ]
Either way... it doesn't stop us from trying to help them. Right?
[ or keep the lost souls from getting what they were offered by their leaders. ]
no subject
[ Some would call Revachol closer to hell on earth. It's easier for Kim to dismiss those ideas, to believe that he had simply been plunged into the Pale and that this is what was on the other side. ]
But yes, they are in need of just as much help as anyone else. I suppose you wouldn't have first-hand experience with this, being in Tamamo, but Sutoku has had their hands full erecting a new home for the Kappa. Anyone deprived of their home would be in the same fix. The people around us are no different.
no subject
I... no, I helped with that. A little. Not that much! Just carried some things around for a friend of mine who was involved with the rehousing...
[ and then he blinks a few times, before raising a finger up to his lips. ]
It's a secret, though. I know the lady would rather not have us get involved into too many things that aren't our own, but... I think friends are more important at times. It's not really betrayal or anything.
[ as robin continues to grin, it begins to fade on the corners, though his lips stay turned upward. ]
You wouldn't... um, rat me out. Would you?
no subject
[ Robin may not be willing to cross his clan for his own gain, but apparently he thinks it's a worthy cause when someone else benefits from it. He places his fingers against his mouth to supress a small smile, corners of his mouth twitching upwards. He can't say he disapproves. The kappas' plight was unforgivable on the part of the Daitengu, who he felt was implicitly to blame, and was worsened by the increasing tensions between Tamamo and Shuten. They were just ammunition in a war they had nothing to do with. ]
I heard nothing. As far as I'm concerned, you're a righteous member of your clan that has done nothing but help your own. Though in this hypothetical that you did not adhere to your clan's party line, I can't say that I disapprove. Things are not always so simple, but that is a very simple, good thing to do. Was that friend Yuri, by any chance?
no subject
[ otherwise, he would've received some kind of punishment. would've gotten the cold shoulder from other bartenders, other clubs. instead everything has been as normal as possible.
his expression brightens upon hearing yuri's name. as robin finishes off his drink, he nods enthusiastically. ]
Yes. It was! He's a very good friend, I like him a lot.
[ not to the point of romance. at least--- not yet? he would say that he loves all of his friends dearly. ]
And knowing he was in charge, I couldn't help myself.
no subject
Then I hope that attitude always serves you well, [ he says sincerely, privately considering that there will come a day that it will not. Why mention it, though? It's not as though it will ever change what Robin decides to do. ]
He seems like a good kid. Proactive. Not just anyone would have taken that initiative. [ He laces his fingers in front of him on the bar, a little pensive. ]
We're certainly helped by the fact that Sutoku isn't actively feuding with anyone at the present. Your superiors may look less kindly upon working with Shuten, but that's where discretion comes into play. You have my word that you have mine.
[ Information broker or not, he's not about to sell anyone out without a damn good reason. ]
no subject
[ not in front of her but also he literally say untruths. it's impossible. it's not just a moral imperative. regardless, his smile is bright and eyes are clear. coming from kim, it's hard for robin not want to be his best in front of the man who has years of experience--- in life, especially. ]
I feel that no matter where people may be, I will always try to help! I don't want to be some unfeeling and uncaring soul. I'm not just a performer and singer and idol, or whatever, so...
[ this is when robin quietly taps the bar and the man behind it already knows what robin wants. a glass of ice water, a slice of lemon on the rim. ]
... but yeah. I'm glad you'll keep my activities quiet... I want to be able to trust everyone as much as I can.
no subject
[ Telling others to be more selfish is new to Kim, but he's a long, long way from Revachol. Still, it's not unlike training a junior officer, is it? Fresh out of high school, bright eyed and bushy tailed, not yet aware of how much the job will beat out of them. There's still a touch of that idealist in Kim too, but it's been tempered, cowed by the realities of survival. ]
You can do both. And -- well. I told you this the first time we met, but you always know where you can find me if you need some help. [ With a wry smile, he adds on, ] I suppose it's not so bad for me to be around your idealism either.
[ When the bartender comes to take Kim's glass to ask him if he likes a refill, he shakes his head. ]
No, just the one is fine for me, thank you.
no subject
so he has to be there to greet them. whoever they may be. ]
I know. [ a beat, then: ] I can always message you too.
[ as the bartender is here, robin raises his hand. ]
Please make sure his tab is put on my bill. Okay?~