[OPEN] may is here

[kikuichi]

Who ⬤ Norimune and you!
What ⬤ May substories
When ⬤ Throughout May.
Where ⬤ Around.
Content Warnings ⬤ N/A.

► Moon Medicine
A. Chilly
[It's just a mochi, what's the harm? Norimune knows better than to think otherwise. But at first, it seems fine, But eventually, the chill suddenly strike him hard and deeply. So deeply, it almost throws him off.

Norimune is noticeably shivering, as he's trying to warm himself up with some simple methods. Wearing more layers, ordering hot drinks... and another. And another. How many tea is he going to order from this joint? It's enough for people, both nearby and the joint's staff, to start noticing.]

U... ha ha ha, it's awfully chilly today.

[Maybe? But he's trying his best to stay warm. Even as he slowly draw closer to another person.]

B. Fight (or Fuck?)
[Or perhaps one can come across Norimune, who looks increasingly on edge. The effects of this particular mochi is a slow burn. At first, he thought it'd be the opposite of the chilly one he had before. But gradually, he pinpoint the familiar feeling. It's one he haven't felt so keenly in many years.

The desire to fight it out, no matter who his opponent is. He's able to keep it to himself, it won't do to cause trouble among the crowds and in the busy, bustling areas. Off the clock or not, he still works for Enma. People can easily remember his face.

But the urge, the sheer energy, continue to grow within him. He try to head to a less populated area, his footsteps moving quickly as if he's in a rush. But whether he rnns into someone, or they approach him suddenly. Norimune's hand is already on his blade's hilt.

He turn his gaze at the other person, sharp and wary.]

Oh, I almost didn't see you there.

[Norimune almost, almost draw his blade at them. But his hand is still gripping his sword's hilt.]
(OOC: Mostly just fighting. If anyone want smut, just hit me up for planning.)

► Vend Me A Dream
[Compared to the mochi, this is easier to bear with. Well, physically speaking as his body isn't affected by suspicious food.

Whether he's with someone else already and they teamed up for this task, or they come across him in the middle of an errand, Norimune looks like he's enjoying this way too much.]

Uhahaha! Who knew such a simple task can be so involved?

[They're in the middle of yet another oddly specific request. Who knew how overly specific the youkai can be with their tastes and needs?]

► Haniwhat?
[Norimune can be found going out into the city, listening and questioning the locals on where the haniwa appeared at. Some of them seems pretty eager to answer his questions, once he told them he's from the Department of the Enma. He can see it in their eyes (or body language, or words spoken, depending on which youkai they are), they rather let the Enma handle this instead of messing with them. He haven't come across anyone, yet, that dare to touch them. He wonders if the more rowdier people tries?

The haniwa is giving him a bad feeling... Fortunately, he have a carry bag with him to put them in. Once he find them, anyway.

As he questions them, one answer earn his full attention.]

Collapsed, you say? I'll pass it along, and we'll have this wrapped up. Would you mind telling me where they are?

[He doesn't know if they will solve this, but reassuring the citizens and giving them a reason to believe in Enma is necessary. Necessary and also useful, and that means forging a positive impression on those he meet. Norimune goes to look for the fallen, reckless fools.

At any point, another person (you) might join him during his investigations. Or even come across him right now, on his way to follow-up his information. All while keeping an eye out for the haniwa. Shouldn't be too hard with their unmissable discomforting aura.]

Let's see, let's see... around this block or so?

► Wild Card
[Plotting comment.
Got your own scenario? Bring it here. Hit me up via PMs/Sonica. I'm open to writing up custom starters, just let me know!]

Comments

haniwa

[kamisabro]

( When he got the order from the Enma to rid the place of the haniwas, Ayato questioned it (mentally) at first, but after getting close enough to the mysterious... thingy, he can tell why these things terrorizes the whole city. There's just something inexplicable around them - the ambience they let out are simply heavy, for the lack of better words. Hell, even for someone who's not exactly an expert at spiritual stuff like him, he could feel it down to his bones.

At one of the big intersection of the town, Ayato is carrying a small crate filled of haniwas of his own that he has collected from the townies himself when he notices a familiar sight. Nobody can mistake that golden hair even from that distance. )

Mr. Norimune? Are you collecting the haniwas as well?

[kikuichi]

[Norimune just finished questioning locals about the haniwas. After they left, there's a frown on his face. But once he hear someone call out for him, he looks over and smiles. Ah, he knows this young man.]

Hello, Ayato. That's right, and I've been asking around as well.

[The answers he received so far tell him little, yet also confirm some of his suspicions.]

[kamisabro]

( Ayato makes a small nod as a greeting back. Normally, he'd probably something more elaborate for that, but he's on the clock, so... )

Have they been telling you that the haniwa would appear out of thin air, out of sudden, when you're not looking?

( At first, Ayato himself didn't believe that. But after he actually found one out of sudden after he just blinked his eyes, he was forced to believe the assessment, like it or not.

Speaking of which, there might be one or two haniwa(s) appearing just like five foot away from them as they're speaking. Oh, look, there's one near the trash can on the side out of sudden. )

[kikuichi]

[He gives a nod in respond. It matches up with what he heard so far.]

That's right. I was hoping to find at least one person who directly saw them appear.

[He spot those nearby haniwa by chance, after glancing to the side.]

If anyone saw them, how they exactly appear might be a clue. If it's not, I can cross it out.

[Another one appears, sitting neatly next to a manhole.]

[kamisabro]

( The moment Norimune throws a glance at the side, Ayato knows what it probably means. Right, it's another haniwa out of thin air moment. )

How would you write 'it just appeared out of sudden' in our reports? Granted that it's probably understandable considering the nature of our place, but...

( It's honestly still feel weird for him to write something illogically like that. Even when he was working in the Yashiro commision, he'd never write something like that. )

Vend me a dream

[enlighteneds]

[ Earlier, Yae has agreed to do the youkai's request just because it gave her the chance to look closer at their taste, from knowing which host from which club is the most popular, to the food they prefer, to ultimately something that sticks with her the most: Their taste in printed medias. She thought she'd get something good out of it, but turns out... Welp.

When Norimune (finally) arrived at his last, er, checkpoint, for the lack of better terms to describe the weird chain of quests, he can easily notice Yae has probably finished the errand and is walking away from the vending machine that sold the "Juicy Peaches" magazine away from the backlot towards his direction. She's... noticeably fuming, pouting, and clearly dissatisfied with the turn of events as she holds up the copy that she bought from the machine earlier. ]

Pardon me, are you also on the hunt for this thing? If so, by all means, please take this one instead of wasting your money on them.

[ If he didn't want it, Miko is definitely going to throw it to the river or just burn it elsewhere. She's Triggered™ by its mere existence because of a specific reason. ]

[kikuichi]

[When he finally arrived, it didn't take him very long to notice someone's already there. She's noticeably angry, but it won't deter him from asking questions. Maybe she knows where the vending machine is?

... Or she can just told him outright.]

Oh, yes, I am. If it's the "A5" item that youkai wants.

[He's going to walk over to accept the item, a magazine. Once he's close enough, he sees the cover and chuckles.]

Uhahaha, so this is their coveted treasure?

[Considering what the shirime is, well...]

[enlighteneds]

[ If she sounds like she's coming off very rude, she's going to apologize to him later for this. But for now, her inner publisher side is being insulted to its very core. She can't hide her audible groans. ]

"Coveted" my butt. This is a straight insult for the erotic literature's connoisseurs! If they were here to review this magazine, they'd probably skip it and go straight to burning the whole publishing company to the ground.

[ Yae is just going to point to the cover at first with her finger, before spinning it around as if trying to say 'Please try to read some of the pages' at Norimune. ]

I'd let it pass if this was just a run of the mill adult magazine! But this! Is! Considered! A masterpiece! By them! Ugh, the audacity of those youkais...! What gibberish tastes!

[ .......You gotta excuse her, Norimune. This is just how she is. ]

[kikuichi]

[He listens to it all. It's pretty clear to him that she cares about published works. He flick through some of the pages, his eyes widen in surprised and amusement. And he laughs.]

Haha! I can't say I understand their tastes, but I'm not too surprised if they think it's a "masterpiece".

[The shirime are literally a butthole youkai. But being a sword, he can only imagine what people likes about these erotic media. On the other hands, youkai's tastes probably differs from humans'.]

If these are awful, what would be "good" in your eyes?

fight....?!

[disagree]

[ eula needed to patrol anyway to become more familiar with the environment -- a simple task for a seasoned reconnaissance expert like her. the deserted areas are something to keep track of since illicit activity might be more rampant here, but that's neither here or there when you're in hell that practically encourages that kind of stuff.

she was so absorbed into taking mental notes that she unknowingly bumps into someone, and she steps back with her feathers almost ruffled. ]

Hey, what--

[ ...oh, it's one of her seniors at the department. she doesn't know his name, but the long blond hair's a indicator -- and so is that stance. huh. ]

Is there a problem? [ she's not mad yet, just... curious. ]

[kikuichi]

[Fortunately, he stopped himself in time. While he didn't know her name, he recalls seeing her around at the department. One of the newer Lost Souls, he thinks.]

Oh, I apologise.

[Although he say that, the restless energy within him continue to stir. Stronger and stronger, wanting to come out. He gives her a smile.]

I'm just a little restless, that's all.

[He wonders... can she fight?]

[disagree]

Restless...?

[ she quickly scans their surroundings. this part of town is practically deserted, save for some homeless youkai just making the best out of their situation. what's their to be restless about? ]

Well, if you're sure. Everything seems to be in order here. Unless you saw something I missed?

[ she did a thorough check of the area earlier and so far, nothing has come up. that doesn't mean she's going to let down her guard for anything, though. ]

[kikuichi]

[He can hold on just a little bit longer, just so he can give her some details.]

No, it's nothing like that. I believe it's due to something else. But to confirm it...

[Taking a step back, Norimune quickly draws his blade and and points it at Eula. The tip of it is near her neck, unless she moves away in time.]

Would you mind fighting me, young miss?

Fite !!

[himbosupreme]

[It's easy to run into Cain when he was functionally blind to other people, but this was pretty normal for him. What wasn't was that the guy was radiated an aura he rarely saw off the battlefield, and his hand was on his sword. The man's stance had Cain reaching for his own, though he just rested a hand on the hilt for right now.]

Sorry. I can't really see people until they touch me. Can I help you with anything?

faito!!

[kikuichi]

[He notice Cain's reaction, and it seems to empower the restless energy he's feeling. Like he come across a warrior he'd like to cross blades with. What an interesting effect that mochi gave him.

Because it's either that, or his instincts.]

Oh?

[The man's choice of words would intrigued him, but his usual curiosity is being overwhelmed by the sheer restless energy.]

Well, I'm not sure if you can help... May I ask you something?

[himbosupreme]

Uh, sure? What's up?

[This man was acting oddly at the very least, like he was being bothered by something. Maybe someone had cast a spell on him? Either way, Cain would like to help with whatever it was.

He still did not let go of his sword.]

[kikuichi]

[With one smooth, swift move, Norimune unsheathed his sword and points at him. Perhaps it also reaches Cain's neck. The sword looks quite ornate, but it's clear he knows how to wield it.]

I feel like going for a round. Wanna dance with this old man?

vend me a dream.

[cutcloud]

[ Very specific indeed. And very long. When Chongyun first began this endeavor he had expected three stops at most, because anything else had seemed excessive for a request. Yet here he is, on the fifth stop, trying to trade what someone had claimed was a shriveled mermaid finger for a packet of seeds. What are the seeds for? He doesn't know. Why they want them? He also doesn't know. Will this just lead to another stop? Probably. He's given up hope on this being a quick commission already.

But it's all for the sake of finishing this job. He won't leave it alone now that he's picked it up.

When he approaches the youkai next in line for a swap, he realizes that he recognizes the man nearby from his times at the Department of the Enma. ]

Norimune? [ yes, he remembers. he had specifically printed this man's face in his mind because he was a connection within the department, and Chongyun is still convinced they have information that could be useful. ] You've taken up this task as well? It has been surprisingly involved.

[kikuichi]

[Norimune's mentally going over his current task again, as he write down his notes. At first, it's to keep track. Now the paper is getting more and more filled. Maybe he should show this to the first client whenever he's done...

Upon hearing his name, he looks up. He smiles when he recognise the young man. He specifically remember this one for his earnest desire for evil spirits. How did he do since then>]

Chongyun, hello. And yes, indeed. I never thought I'd find myself running this many tasks in a row. Are you going to talk with that youkai next?

[cutcloud]

Oh, please. You were here before me. I don’t want to cut in line.

[ Just how many people has this youkai asked to do this? Is he that desperate for something from a vending machine? Chongyun can only expect that whatever it is, it’s extremely important. Why else bother more than one person? ]

I wouldn’t mind a five minute break anyway … he’s had me running around all over the city.

[kikuichi]

Uhaha. Oh, I don't mind letting you go ahead. Or we can go together.

[Unless their respective tasks are different. Which is likely, since they haven't cross paths during this request until now. Is Chongyun holding the item he's supposed to trade away? Norimune might glance at it.

To ask now or later.]

What's your current task?

I'm just gonna wildcard a little if that's cool w/ you!!!

[holeful]

[Fukuda is hardly the classic image of a bright eyed and bushy tailed rookie cop. For one, he's in his mid-thirties. For another he's got these dull, eternally melancholy eyes. But he certainly has a sort of mute enthusiasm about him. He may not really fully get what's going on, but he's eager to do something roughly equivalent to a good job.

He was frankly, wandering around the Enma HQ fairly aimlessly, tired of patrolling but still wanting to make himself useful. So when he spots someone who looks like one of the Lost Souls, but still more in control of the situation, he pipes up,]

Ah, you've been here for a while, right? Is there anything I can help you with?
[He's a free assistant, apparently.]

it's all good!

[kikuichi]

[Norimune's generally doing some routine work, every time he's at HQ. He's been trying to stay low-key, but sometimes he ponder about going out and seek more work. If he do well again, he may get promoted...

Hearing someone speak up, he blinks and looks over to see a taller person. Much, much taller.]

Oh, yes. I have been here for a little while.

[One, two months? He tap his folded fan to his chin, thinking. An eager person who wants to help... Another one to his potential list of people to count on?]

Come with me for now. What's your name, young man?

[holeful]

[The fact that there was no reaction to his appearance means Fukuda thinks this is going stellarly so far. He's a bit thrown at being called young man by a man who doesn't really look that old but he's certainly not going to complain.]

Ah, it's Fukuda! Fukuda Tamotsu. I've never been in law enforcement before so I'm trying to learn what I can from my senpai.
[So he will dutifully trot after Norimune wherever the older man sees fit to lead him.]

[kikuichi]

[He seems thrown off by being called "young man", but didn't try to refute it. Which means this young man is nice, and potentially easy to persuade.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, young Fukuda. I'm Ichimonji Norimune, but just Norimune is fine with me.

[Being in Enma, Fukuda get the privilege of hearing Norimune's full name. Because his colleagues will eventually find out anyway.]

What have you done so far?

[Some idle conversation, until they arrive at their destination... the office rooms.]