[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?

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. ]

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]

[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.]

[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]

[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. ]

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?

[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. )

[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?

[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.]

[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?

[disagree]

[ she's ready for anything, and she quickly steps back and draws her sword to defend herself in time. it's obvious that she isn't used to wielding lighter weapons, judging from her two-handed grip around a shortsword... ]

Here? Now? Is this some sort of initiation, sir?

[ but the coast is relatively clear. no one will ever know a fight has broken out here. she thinks it over, then sighs. ]

...All right. But make it quick, I still have to check in the other areas. [ such a responsible gal... ]

[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?

[himbosupreme]

[Well...he was both expecting and not expecting this. Usually, if someone was pointing a sword at his neck, they didn't ask before engaging in a fight. But Cain honestly couldn't really find a reason to refuse. He'd been itching to get some real practice in too.

He stepped back from the sword, drawing his own much less fancy one. It was honestly the only thing he could afford right now, but it was workable. A bit thinner than he was used to, so he just hoped it wouldn't break.]

Yeah, I'm game.

[And with that, he struck out at the man's shoulder, making it easily dodge-able to at least test if this man really was as skilled as he looked. It wouldn't do to hurt him accidentally....]

[kikuichi]

Initiation? Oh, it's nothing like that. Just this old man wanting to stretch his legs.

[Her stance seem to imply she prefers weightier weapons. If she can wield her preferred weapon, would she give a better challenge? That's a question for later, perhaps sooner than later.]

It'll be quick, young miss. Now... let's dance.

[Soon after he say that, he quickly moves in to strike first. He's not as strong as he used to, but his pure skills seems untouched in this land.]

[disagree]

[ what's he calling himself an old man for? curiouser and curiouser. but with the way norimune literally cuts into her thoughts with a swing of his blade, this isn't the most ideal time to ponder on it.

"let's dance," huh? well, don't mind if she does. despite her relative inexperience with this particular sword, she's able to parry norimine's strike before calmly twirling around for the offensive, almost like a pirouette. the way she moves in on the other enma member is almost like leading him in a waltz -- a wild sword dance, if you will.

the only thing that's setting her back though, aside from the weapon mismatch, is her halved stamina. hopefully she can keep up with whatever her opponent decides to dish out. ]

Doji I'm sorry for this

[enlighteneds]

[ Oh boy here we go. Yae takes a deep breath before she starts with her explanation. ]

Let's see, if I were to name four out of the many things that I'd include, they'd be...

[ Yae raises her voice as well as four of her fingers, putting them down one by one at each mention of the specific stuff. ]

A, double penetration! B, interspecies sex between youkais! C, pegging! and D, cheating and cuckoldry!

[ She crosses her arms again, clearly still mad with the shirime's taste. Can you blame her? She got her points, after all?? Why would people buy an adult magazine that only presented the reader about the most basic, blandest, most vanilla fetish!? If this magazine was in Inazuma, Yae would definitely kinkshame the magazine just for that very reason. ]

Granted, I'll give them some points for some enema plays content but ugh, everyone expected it from, surprise, shirime! You think so too, right?

[ Yeah Yae you definitely didn't just give the old sword some new fetish phrases that the tsukumogami had heard or something... ]

[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. )

[kikuichi]

How?

[Unfortunately, or fortunately, writing up reports for the government is familiar affair for him. The angle is different from his usual assessment.]

Hm... 'All the haniwa appeared without notice. Neither physical or spiritual senses detect them prior to their appearance'. Something similiar to that.

[He looks at the haniwa again, before turning his attention to Ayato.]

There's also something else I heard. There's some people who collapsed around.

apologise to my search history for this one tag

[kikuichi]

[He listens to her without any interruption, because he's polite like that. And because he's always so curious to hear about things, even if he'd regret it afterwards.]

Oho! All four of those are wonderful choices.

[All of them are things he can understand, or aware of in some way (pls work with me here). That said, one thing did stand out because he didn't know what it is. The fact that it's "expected" for shirime give him a very general idea. Something about the ass? He glance at the magazine, before looking back at her with a raised brow.]

I would agree. However, I actually don't know what "enema" is. In that regard, it'd be hard for me to say.

[He say, while smiling. It doesn't sound like he's lying, either.]

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.