jigokulogs | ( open ) here I am, swollen red

Well, if it turns out that I am speaking in bad faith, then I suppose I'll have to eat my words when proven wrong.

[ maybe there's a slight disdain for them...not like they've done anything to jack directly, but perhaps just their sense of caution warning them. the haniwa are powerful curses, and to amass so many can still be used as a sword against the people, as double-edged as it may be.

though, for now, all they can do is wait to see how things unfold. in the now, it's just them and a rather kind bartender. ]

Thankfully, I am far from drunk. [ they step off the barstool, giving the bartender a curt nod. ] Apologies, I haven't given you my name. Jack. It's a pleasure to meet you, despite the circumstances.

Likewise. It is no problem at all, Jack. I am Shylock Bennett, a wizard from the West and the proprietor of this bar.

[ a small bow and a smile. nothing too complicated, but it is amusing to think that most tamamos he's come across so far are pretty ehhhhh towards the enma. can't really blame them, what with their own penchant for mischief and cunning.

if there's nothing else to discuss, he too will stand up and lead the way back upstairs. even though his bar has opened recently, there's not much traffic -- which is odd considering that it's not too late into the night yet. he'll take his place at the bar, like he's always belonged there, and gestures jack to occupy one of the counter seats. thankfully the haniwa that usually pops up around here has been cleared off for the time being. ]

Would you like something to drink, at least for to go? In case you had some pressing matters to attend to prior to passing out.

[ jack will gladly follow shylock, only giving a furtive glance back where they once came as they make their way up the stairs. their hesitation is not the wizard's (they heard that right? a wizard?) fault, but more their own. call it caution or a killer's intuition, but they truly cannot stop feeling their skin crawl while thinking about the haniwa.

but they are soon away from them, thankfully and back in the bar area. when offered the seat, jack does so without complaint, setting his forearms on the counter with his fingers laced together. ]

I'm in no hurry, actually. If anything, I had come here specifically to meet you. I was curious, from when you were promoting the place. Though now I can't help but feel embarrassed over my actions...

[ passing out before even meeting the guy? total no. ]

[ he shakes his head. ] Don't be. The fact that you went to me when you were wracked with nightmares is a good decision on your part. Unless you'd rather deal with anyone else in your right state earlier.

[ at least they're provided with some privacy in the lounge. it's rather unsightly to encounter someone writhing in their sleep in the streets, you know? ]

Let's see... Aside from cocktails, we also serve non-alcoholics and coffee and tea for those who wish to stay sober. Would you rather like those?

Do not worry, I appreciate your help and company, though I am aware it is part of your job.

[ jack’s gaze lowers at their hands that are on the bar counter, sighing softly. ]

A cup of tea would be perfect, actually. [ they nod, looking around to take the ambience. it’s comforting, in a way that they can’t describe. or maybe they’re so desperate for connection that they’ll even seek for it with a stranger. ]

Have you been a bartender for long, Mister Bennett? The detail in your establishment and service does not seem like this is a new passion of yours.

[ all right. one cup of earl grey tea, coming up. and while he busies himself with the drink -- ]

Yes. Rather long, you might say. Most humans can't comprehend centuries of being in the same profession, but I think it's normal so long as you're doing what you love the most.

Centuries...

[ jack blinks in mild surprise, their eyes following shylock's movements. ]

I will admit that such a length of time is difficult for me to wrap my head around, especially as a being myself that, technically, was only around for little more than a season. But if it's what you are passionate about then I would agree that there is nothing wrong with that. [ they tilt their head to the side just slightly. ] Is there any reason that you gravitated towards bartending over something else?

[ mhm, just dropping that there. though he's not going to reveal how old he is exactly, if jack knows what's good for them. ]

I suppose you could say that I was born into it. My family used to own a vineyard, after all. And I merely wanted a place for old souls like us to have a place where we can stay as ourselves as life and time goes on.

[ shylock then serves the cup of tea with the softest of clinks on the countertop. ]

But enough about me. It is also part of my job description to listen to the myriad of stories my patrons have to offer, so I'd like to know -- who is Jack?

“Who is Jack,” you ask?

[ they take the cup in both their hands, their expression thoughtful as they look down and watches how the reflection of their master stares back at them.

…

jack raises the cup to their lips, and sips quietly. after savoring the taste of the tea, they set the cup down on the plate with the softest of clinks. ]

To be frank, I’m not sure. My existence is one that’s so entrenched in mystery and folklore, that it’s impossible to separate the fiction from the truth.

[ … ]

But somehow, I’ve ended up in this form despite all of that. Ah, but how was it that my Master said it? Because I am nobody, I am capable of becoming anybody. [ they smile self-deprecatingly. ] The only reason I can even call myself Jack is because it’s supposedly the name I signed one of my letters with.

[ oya. he was merely asking a simple question, but the answer he received was so much more than what he expected. this is exactly why he loves his job -- he gets to meet all sorts of people with backstories more colorful than the last. ]

It is a lovely name, regardless. Fictional you may be, the most important is that you are here, breathing and taking in the sights as you take your first sip of tea. I can tell you that much that everything that is happening to you right now is real.

[ which means they are not dead yet -- something that he and some of his patrons patrons will have to talk amongst themselves later on. ]

If you are capable of becoming anybody, who or what do you wish to be?

[ ... ]

Ultimately, I think I'd like to be myself. [ they pause, taking another sip of their drink, brows knit together in a distant expression. ] The 'true' me, the one of history, the one that disappeared into the misty night.

[ after committing five murders, that is. ]

In a way, you could say that such a form is not the most ideal. If I can become anyone, then I should choose to be someone that is a respectable member of society. But that's not the type of person that I was. But that hypothetical 'person' is impossible to reach now. The only other identity that would fit me as well as that...

[ ....they look down at themselves. ]

I guess it'd be this one.

[ he nods. ] Then that settles it. Furthermore, the Tamamo Clan aims to let everyone be themselves no matter who you are. Who knows, you might not be alone in your current circumstances while you're here.

[ and color shylock intrigued while he's at it. a being formed from various legends from where they're from, hm? said tales might mean nothing to him as someone who isn't even from earth or proper human history in the first place, but that what makes him so eager to hear more about the rest. ]

I don't know if I'd feel relieved about seeing someone with a similar situation as me. I'm not the type to get along with others like me.

[ because, listen, jack understands that they are Not a great person ]

That said...I'm not sure if I could be "myself" in this form, despite what I just said earlier. Yes, it is a form that I'm comfortable with, but it's only because someone tampered with mine and my Master's...well, let's say "souls" for the time being. I believe that is the easiest way to put it.

[ in other words, even when they are in a form that fits them to a t, jack still cannot be themselves. all they can do is, at best, a pathetic imitation of the real thing. ]

( open ) here I am, swollen red

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