[OPEN] someone please suggest cut text and subject title for me

[mahoraga]

Who ⬤ Megumi and awesome people (YOU)
What ⬤ May catch-all - substories, IC Mingle log, Megumi's part-time job, anything else that comes up
When ⬤ Throughout May
Where ⬤ Various places
Content Warnings ⬤ N/A - will add as I go


SUBSTORY #1: thanks mods i happen to love body heat meme

[ This is just about the last time he takes free food from anyone, even if they look like a harmless rabbit. Curse his slight fondness for rabbits. While Megumi went a good half hour with no side effects, the chill gradually sets in after that, his long-sleeved clothing and large collar that usually keep him fairly warm no longer making the cut. The worst part is, the effects set in right in the middle of the busy pavement. He would be able to deal with this better if he could wrap himself up at home.

Megumi tries to tough it out for as long as he is able to, arms wrapping around himself as he tries to keep the shivers at bay. He doesn't particularly like to draw attention to himself or make people worry about him, but it's hard to walk normally when the chill seems to have permeated every inch of his body. ]

What did she feed me ... [ Another day he wishes he could summon Divine Dog. Their fur would actually feel divine right about now.

Eventually, his hands seem to seek heat on their own, grabbing the sleeve of someone nearby to give them a light tug closer. ]

SUBSTORY #2: the one with the butts and wild goose chase

[ As if life couldn't get any harder, upon Megumi's refusal to help it with its pointless request, the shirime in all its eye-in-butt glory has taken to following him around, harassing him with its request incessantly.

"So, you'll help me, right? Hey, are you listening? Will you help me? I want the A5! You'll help me, right?"

There's only so much of being followed around and pestered that a boy can take. He doesn't even know which vending machine the shirime is talking about and it keeps ignoring the question when he asks.

There's only one way to solve this problem: Pawn it on someone else. Though he feels a little bad about this, there's no other choice. Megumi addresses whoever might be nearby, thumbing at the silly-looking yokai who's following him. ]

You. Can you help him?

IC MINGLE #1: welcome wagon

[ Megumi doesn't particularly care about movies, preferring to spend his evenings with a good book. When he does watch movies, it's when he's being roped into it by someone else.

He doesn't have much interest in using the movie ticket but it also feels like a waste to throw it away when someone else might want to use it. Anyone who's hovering around the theater will be approached by a tall young man with a deadpan expression. He straight up puts his ticket in your hand. ]

Here. Enjoy.

IC MINGLE #2: haniwa dolls

[ As the night goes on, and the partying locals and lost souls continue to drink themselves silly, a lot of people are focused on having a good time and paying less and less attention to the sporadically emerging dolls. They were creepy at first, but after the fourth time you see one popping up, it becomes a bit easier to ignore, apparently. It's because people are paying less attention that they're being less cautious and allowing themselves to be exposed to its cursed effects.

At a local nightclub, a fight seems to have broken out, a wolf demon randomly breaking out into some paranoid hysteria about everyone else's faces changing, and charging at the other patrons with his sharp claws. At the center of it all is a haniwa figure, and though Megumi's spiritual senses have dulled immensely, he can still pick up its off-putting, dreadful aura.

The other patrons, some also succumbing to the hallucinations, are obviously going to return in kind. A bottle thrown by one of the angry patrons sails through the air towards your character. Before it can hit, they'll be yanked to the side by a young man with dark hair. ]

I have to get rid of that figure. [ He turns to the person he's grabbing now. ] Go somewhere else.

[ He can handle this!!! (Allegedly ... )

ooc: As a note, Megumi is a helpful boy who will be trying to remove the statues as advised by Enma. He might succumb to the effects after a while and i'm happy to plot it out with whoever ]

PART TIME JOB: book shop boys (later in the month)

[ Megumi has found a part-time job at a local bookstore in the Sutoku Alliance. There are books of all sorts available, and the colourful and upbeat members of the staff (with the exception of .. Megumi, who stands out with how quiet he is by comparison) are always ready to help out.

A: If your character looks unsure of what they want to browse, they'll be approached by a quiet young man in a blue apron, who will point at one particular book in the non-fiction section. ]

This one wasn't bad.

[ The title reads 'Everything You Need to Know About Concrete Engineering'. That's ... so boring, why would anyone (who isn't a builder) ever read it??? ]

[ B: Or, if your character happened to wander near the shelves behind some bashful yuki-onna who quickly takes off and leaves, they might get falsely accused of a book-related crime.

Megumi will approach them with a book in hand (a romance story, apparently) and open up the cover. Written on the pages are the romantic exchanges between two regular patrons, who have chosen to trade their love notes through this one book.

The latest one reads "There isn't a day I go on without thinking about you. I long for the touch of your fingers, to hear the sound of your voice. My heart can take no more of this cruel fate that separates us."

Love between enemy faction members? Whatever, he doesn't care. Megumi looks very unimpressed. ]

Please have your love affair somewhere else.

[ OOC: Do something else with me??? You can reach me via PM or at charsiu (feel free to add) ]

Comments

[mahoraga]

[ Megumi holds his breath as he's drawn in, feeling his body naturally tense up from his general unuse to touch. The chin against his shoulder and pink hairs poking at his cheek are ticklish, making him frown, but not unpleasant. Actually, the whole experience isn't unpleasant - it might be that he hates the thought of being touched much more than the actual sensation of it once it's happened.

Or it might have something to do with the person who's touching him. Just like his memories of that night a week ago, Yuuji's supremely warm against his skin, running hot for some unknown reason, and it's a soft kind of comfort to be embraced by that warmth for a person who gets cold easily. There's a bubbling sort of pleasant feeling from within, and it makes him consider that Yuuji might have a point when he made those claims about the correlation between cuddling and happiness. When Megumi has enough time to accustom to the sensation, he eases into Yuuji's body, leaning some of his weight against his chest and gripping onto the hands wrapped around him. A soft flush of pink colours his pale skin, and he keeps his face turned away from Yuuji's.

He's already allowing the hug? Why does Yuuji always have a new stupid request up for sleeve! ]

Aren't you worried about being late? [ holding work hostage??? ]

[ahost]

[ considering how close they are, it was easy for yuuji to pick up on when the other started relaxing; dropping his guard just enough to allow their little embrace to be more genuine. just like he's missing out on the lovely shade on megumi's cheeks, the other wouldn't be able to see the utter adoration behind yuuji's smile.

the touch of the other boy's hands against his own— is beautifully unexpected; it warmed up his aching heart in all the right spots. despite his personality, yuuji had a habit to talk about anything and welcomes any topic so long as it didn't involve his inner demons. it left him painfully aware of that accumulation, anxious about how long he can get away with brushing it under the rug— but as he held into megumi, he felt an odd sense of sympathy. desperate for that sense of acceptance, it was difficult to break it off-

he didn't want to. ]

You're mean.

[ because megumi is right. the sorcerer had commitments and being late is not something he could afford. sighing, he sits up; stretching his arms over his head. ]

I'll be late. You can have dinner without me.

[mahoraga]

[ Somehow, it felt like Yuuji would push him a little more, and when that doesn't happen, when the other boy simply accepts his scolding without trying to squeeze more affection out of him, Megumi's left with the feeling that something is missing. Even more so when Yuuji sits up casually after that, breaking their embrace quickly. He's met with the harsh chill of the cold air right after, feeling harsher in comparison to the warmth enveloping him while Yuuji was still holding him. His fingers twitch like they want to hold on a little longer, grip onto the other boy's hand before it retreats away, but they give up on the effort quickly. Megumi is exactly the type of person to dispel their desires before they can take form.

The knowledge that Yuuji won't be joining him tonight is strangely lonely. ]

Alright ... [ Why would it feel lonely? It isn't like he's unused to having dinners alone, given how this was the norm for him after Tsumiki got cursed. He doesn't know if he should act on his feelings or leave them alone. Megumi looks down, fidgeting with the fabric of his pants like he's unsure if he should pursue it or not. ]

Actually ... I think I'll wait for you.

[ahost]

[ why ruin a sweet moment by pushing his luck? yuuji knew better than to leave with the other resenting the experience instead of feeling— well, what he is feeling right now. a rare bliss and ecstasy. if he's allowed to, he'll keep smiling for the rest of the night, relishing on the rush of blood through his system, with his head high in the clouds. ]

Hmm? [ he stares the other down, still chilling on his side of the bed. perhaps using the word 'late' is an understatement— truth is, yuuji won't be coming until early morning. still, he didn't want to spark any further questions. after all, picking up those extra shifts is a buildup to a surprise that involved megumi. he'll have to persuade him otherwise and make up a lie or something!

he squints, thinking really hard before he randomly gasped. ]

Oh!! I promised to meet Junpei for dinner after work. So, really! Don't wait for me. We can have dinner together tomorrow night. I promise!

[ he pats megumi on the shoulder before he moved out of bed; trying to pump himself up for a night of playing a cop. ]

Enjoy your super boring book!

[mahoraga]

[ If it's dinner with Junpei as Yuuji says then he won't pursue the matter further, but he still can't help but feel like something is amiss. That's what his intuition is telling him. There's no evidence pointing to that, however, so he decides to just keep an eye on the matter.

He would prefer to eat with Yuuji, but he won't try to change his existing plans. As Yuuji starts to get ready for his shift, Megumi regards him from where he's sitting in their room. ]

... Be careful.