(open.) goldenseal

[medicative]

Who ⬤ Emily and open!
What ⬤ Monthly catchall - substories, life, etc.
When ⬤ Over March
Where ⬤ Across the city.
Content Warnings ⬤ TBA if needed


sprout. - post mingle

[it's not her scene at all. already on edge, Emily had kept it together long enough to get her pay advance, thanked people kindly, and then bolted. overwhelming, bad for her senses, and so she had gone to the roof, stretched her wings, and flown away. immediately, she had started feeling better, the relief that comes from exercise and movement and being out of an environment that puts her ill at ease.

where she lands, it's away from the nightclub, but she carefully wanders, trying to get her bearings. it's much harder than it appears, in the dimmer light, even with things illuminated by electricity and the life that still thrums through the place. and unfortunately for a person that looks lost, it's all too easy to get spotted by those who might be drunk, might not be, but see virtue in calling out on the street to try to get one more person to join them for fun.]

No thank you, I'm not-

[they don't seem to be willing to accept the first no for an answer. alternatively, you've arrived later, and someone has Emily slung over their shoulder. despite the awkward state of affairs, she is very clearly trying to squirm out of their grasp, more annoyed than anything else about being swept away, and the youkai holding her seems ignorant to how she's trying to get out. or maybe just used to it. ugh. she's not giving up yet though.]

growth. - night parade

[decorating is an important part of being ready for the parade, Emily knows, and for this, she can put her full energy behind it. after failing so miserably at socializing earlier, she's doing her best to remain dutiful here. that means fetching what she's been told to, assisting those who might have shakier footing, or giving gentle but honest advice about what looks best. and of course, for those harder to reach spots, it does help when you can fly up and hover some to affix it in the best spot. this might be why she keeps getting assigned to the trickier bits.

of course, no one can keep being full of steam all the time, and so it is that on break, she's found a good spot to sit down - right on a wooden box, slumped over and clutching onto a water bottle as if it will save her. but hearing any footsteps, she sits up, the flush of exertion in her face still evident.]

Has it been twenty minutes already? Goodness.

[self defense training or not, it's like running a marathon...]

bloom. - work

[she bows her head and accepts the sneers thrown her ways from the other girls - they don't understand why an uptight member of the Sutoku would seek a steadier job with the club that falls under more of the Tamamo purview, but the manager accepts it with a grunt and lets Emily have her work. employment is employment, and she needs funds if she's going to get anywhere, so she'll sell what's most useful right now - her voice. Hotaru is the stage name she chooses for herself, and she does her best to ingratiate herself with the others, learning what the band would prefer to play and what songs they can collaborate on. really, she closes her ears to anything else, keeps to herself - even the most sharp eyed can't find fault with her attitude off stage, and so she'll gain her money carefully.

so, perhaps you've come in to enjoy a leisurely night at a slower pace, and she's in the midst of her set, singing and making the right kind of eye contact with customers. maybe it's earlier, and you work there, early enough to hear the sounds of a minor scuffle in the back that ends with a door slammed and Emily stumbling out of that direction, a bundle in her arms. or maybe it's later, and you're at the bar, and a soft voice comes from your side.]

I wouldn't, if I were you.

[it's the careful grind, after all. there's the idea of quitting and finding a different place, and she has the number of a different club in another district, but...she wants her first paycheck at least.]

wildcard.

[for custom prompts and new ideas and the like. ooc intro if you'd like to plot something specific, or hit me up via PM!]

Comments

bloom

[everblooms]

[ Tamamo is just a bead on a thread, lined up with the rest of the clans. The thread they're laced on is easily identifiable: Business. It controls everything in the districts, even Sutoku, because having influence over the utilities is a business itself. Tamamo deals in pleasure, like another little seedy place she knows of, but there's an openness afforded to this one that the other doesn't have.

Aerith's at the bar, a wicker basket in hand with a little picnic blanket sticking out of it. A bottle neck beer is placed in front of her, and as she reaches up to grab it, a soft voice speaks out over the speakers that are pumping the room with music. When Aerith looks over, she purses her lips in thought, immediately identifying the woman. She's seen her work, and knows her name is Hotaru— or maybe something else entirely, but that's her public name. ]

Really? Why not? [ It's a simple question that she seemingly ignores as she places the bottle into her basket. ]

I'm making a delivery. Unless you mean the extra Tamamo spice in there, I think that's part of the appeal for clients.

[ She flashes the woman a knowing smile, kind and sweet, like they're both in on some kind of joke she just made. ]

[medicative]

Oh.

[there's relief in her frame, but it's not enough to dispel the thread of tension through her. the business card in her hand, she's been turning over and over, thinking deeply about pros and cons. so far, her list was even both ways, which helped nothing.]

I was afraid you were unknowingly going to drink that. People should know what they're getting into, after all - particularly when the results can be so...undignified.

majima and izo.

[medicative]

[both of them, at some point, get a message handed off to them by a stranger. innocent enough, but perhaps they recognize the handwriting, or just the fact that it's signed "E", and nothing else. asking for a meeting at a certain address, at a certain time. it leads them to the Sutoku apartments - as expected - and asks them to please be behaved. likely also expected.

if they adhere to it, they'll be there at the same time, and thus, be ushered into Emily's tiny apartment and the door shut before the superintendent can catch too much wind that there's surprise guests in the building.]

Sorry for all the fuss and secrecy - I hardly wanted to place a posting in public asking for the two of you, when I'm not sure how to contact you directly.

[that would have been awkward to explain.]

[heretic_blade]

Almost tossed th' note, I'm gonna be honest.

[ Izō's natural suspicion almost put him off of meeting up at the address. A strange note to meet up at somewhere in a rival faction's territory? Suspicious as hell. The fact that Majima got the same note and the handwriting is familiar enough put him as ease enough to at least go. ]

But I don't blame ya for not blastin' it out for everyone.

six.

[medicative]

[it was a simple request. if he could come meet her at the club in the day, she'd take him to lunch - this is no doubt in part because Emily knows well enough Six's habits, and also because it's easier to adjust to a city like this with a friend at hand. so it is that a lunch feels like the easiest thing to ask for.

when he shows up, they'll let him in - she'd told them there would be a guest, and in comparison to the other night, it's just Emily and the pianist, working on a piece together. she's too engrossed in getting the melody right to look over, but it means that he's able to take a seat and wait, if he can. she'll be done soon enough.]

[wray]

[ six arrives not too long after emily's request to meet up for lunch. he would have declined her more firmly but he knows the kind of person emily is. she wasn't likely to take his no for an answer — and that's probably for the best. if not for this invitation, six would have skipped lunch altogether. sometimes he can be so stupid.

he makes his way over to where he thinks she'll be, but by the end of it, he's simply following the melody. this song is different from the one she sang the night before and yet no less enchanting. he doesn't even realize it's slowly coming to an end until the piano hits its closing notes.

he won't say anything until it's over. no one's going to judge him too much for simply waiting for the song to come to an end.

if their eyes meet before then, at least emily will catch him playing close attention. ]

bloom

[breweries]

[ shylock, too, is working his usual shift at this certain bar; honestly, he could not care less if people from other factions decide to work at one of their chosen territories. work is work, and one has to "get that bread" or however that previous sage from his world would've put it. ]

Oh?

[ he tilts his head at emily-- er, hotaru's voice, his quizzical expression then easing into a smile as he starts pouring a piss-yellow drink into a glass. shaken, not stirred. ]

You should know by now that I know my way around my liquor, Miss Hotaru. Although, this one might not be suitable for most humans, much less winged beings. Would you like a sip and find out?

[ he's serious, even with that teasing smile. maybe. ]

[medicative]

Only if you can sincerely vouch to me that it's only a drink. Call me terribly old-fashioned for it, Mr. Bennet.

[she knows one runs risks accepting any drinks around here, which is why she's stuck to water and carefully guards her glass. it'd be like someone to change it, or hide something, all in the name of "relaxation" or fun. she grows more fed up with it every day.]

sprout 🌱

[metafictions]

[The party's not his scene either. Focusing on the food and drink, and wallflowering aggressively enough to keep any of his anxiousness at bay, had given him about an hour or two's endurance, but that'd been all-- soon enough, Kamui had taken his chances outside, the cool night air and silence bracing at last after a too warm and too densely attended club.

He's a moment from turning the corner to make his way home when he sees the men following a woman around. A couple of them are oni-- the more boisterous ones, of course-- but as for her...

Well. You don't see winged women every day. It has to be Emily, even if he can barely make her face out in the evening's narrow light. He crosses the street to meet the group with a calm smile on his face, but he does shoot Emily a meaningful look as he approaches.]

Is everything all right here?

[One of the men, recognizing Kamui from their own party, barks out a throaty laugh: Oi, it's Uehara! Finally crawled outta your corner, huh? You know this girl?] Yes, but-- [Ya both gotta get the sticks outta your asses! I got this buddy who can get us into this Tamamo joint...]

[medicative]

[shooting him a look back, the men seem lost in their own world, and she mouths a quiet sorry towards him before she musters up enough courage to make something decent up. it's a risk, but he seems like the sort to play along, and she'll apologize enough later...

the look on her face shifts to something irritated, her voice dropping into nothing more than scolding as she marches over to Kamui.]

Kamui. And here I thought you utterly intended to forget about me. Is this where you disappeared to?

[go with it, she silently begs him. go along.]

"Is everything all right" - I was waiting for an hour!

[another of the guys chuckles, muttering something about being in the doghouse.]

sprout

[harimaya]

(Hizen is a wakizashi and not just any wakizashi either. He's the sword of a killer and is therefore naturally used to the dark. His eyes adjust easily and his senses are sharp at night. This is why it doesn't take him very long to catch on to the fact that something is happening nearby.

... Damn, and he just wanted some fresh air from the crush of being in a crowded building with too many people with too many personalities. This voice sounds terribly familiar though and it drives him to act faster than he would usually. Sure enough, it's that woman. What was her name again... Emily? )

There you are.

(No, he wasn't looking for her but he'll act like it for now.)

[medicative]

[a saving grace, in the form of a bandaged man. immediately, she hastens to his side, glad for the excuse to get further away from the rowdy bunch.]

I'm sorry - I must have misheard the address you said, and then I got so turned around...

[one of the men laughs, and says the more the merrier, they'll take the new guy along as well. Emily, catching Hizen's eyes, has a plea in her expression. Let's get out of here.

she'll play along with anything at the moment to extract herself.]

nia.

[medicative]

[the rabbit providing the experimental drugs is one thing, but with the sheer lack of disclosure on ingredients, Emily can only get a possibly and a perhaps from her, and it's frustrating. the longer she has to wait to get established, the longer it will take before she can start crafting medicines again. it's another irritant under her skin, and the polite smile she's been giving the gyokuto fades the instant she turns around.

it's enough, being wrapped up in her head, that she both doesn't realize where she's going and that she has the world's most put out look on her face. meaning that if she's not careful, she's going to end up walking straight into a youkai carrying boxes...and the contents are going to go everywhere.

it's tragic, really. all she can do is apologize over and over, while they're both definitely blocking the sidewalk, trying to restore order to the crates. she looks like she wants to disappear from the amount of scolding that's coming.]

[nya]

( for what it's worth, she's pretty interested in the drugs, too. not for any personal use, mind, but moreso because without her healing powers intact, she's... pretty useless, as far as helping others goes. she doesn't really go around and throw her kindness just anywhere, but she's met a few people she wants to look after, at least on a surface level — and she can't really do that without any knowledge, can she? basic medicine, things like caring for wounds without using her power... all of that is foreign, really.

so, she figures she can at least do some research, just in case.

getting any closer to said rabbit isn't easy, though; and, even if she were to take the drugs, being under their influence herself wouldn't help much. instead, she hangs around, waiting for an opportunity —

that's when she hears a loud crash, followed by the tumbling of boxes — a little startled, she jumps in her place, turning around to look at the noise's source. a yokai, and a woman with wings — a yokai, too? — surrounded by the carton boxes, undoubtedly falling in the result of their run-in. hm... what could be inside of these? was the yokai carrying them over to the rabbit? as he's busy scolding the woman, she sneaks up from behind and uses a sharp claw to tear one open, just to peek at what's inside...

... empty syringes... )

Hey, what's the big deal? Shut up and start picking these up before the boss gets mad! ( nothing that useful, then, but she swipes two before speaking up, anyway, opting to distract the yokai so the woman can escape, or something — she looks miserable enough as is.

it helps that she looks like a yokai, what with the ears and her clothes. the man gives her a quick once-over and starts grumbling, spewing curses while he gathers the boxes in his arms. )

Come on — ( she motions to the woman. she can stay here if she wants and help, but it looks like he'd bite her if she tried to touch any of it — and nia doesn't want to be around when he gets to the open box, anyway. )

sprout

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Huge parties aren't ever his type of scene. While the loss of his powers means he won't suffer too much from the loud noises and bright lights, it was still a headache staying in there for more than an hour. Some fresh air was needed, the silence the night street provide was most welcoming, and it was also an opportunity to test out transforming into his alt mode.

Which is... an adjustment.

At some point during his night drive, Soundwave comes across the scene of a group youkai. Something he would ignore and be on his way if not for the fact that one of them is carrying a person, and said person appear to be trying to escape their grasp. Curious, he flicks his headlight on at them for a brief moment, to catch their attention. Should they look at where the light source came from, they'll find what stands before them is an armored vehicle.... that's the size of a Power Wheel.]

What's going on here? [That voice is definitely coming from the tiny vehicle, tone deep and mechanical in quality.]

[medicative]

[one of the youkai laughs, wondering aloud who lost their toy. it does stop the group, though, and Emily takes the chance to wiggle more, trying to get at least one wing free. an awkward state of affairs, but as she can't see the little car, she can only persevere in her main goal of trying to get out.

another of the youkai starts to circle the car, eying it up. Not bad. Might race pretty well.]

growth

[baofeng]

Oh, no, no-

[It’s no bristling overseer here to chase any slackers back to work - it’s another Lost Soul, similarly flushed in the face and grasping his own water bottle. Yizhi feels like he hasn’t the right to complain about how physical labour is hard, because this is a gentle infant’s routine compared to what some of his friends have been through, but... he is but a slender reed in the breeze, alright. He is a delicate flower. He's never toiled so hard in his life and his arms hurt.]

I’m just here to sit down. Is that- is that alright with you?

[The long-haired young man wanders around Emily’s box as he speaks, because his legs can’t wait for that answer. He leans against a lamppost to catch his breath and slowly starts sliding downwards. The earth, it calls to him!]

[medicative]

Of course. I can keep an eye out for anyone else.

[he's in good company, if he needs to complain - while Emily's used to work and endurance, it's adding flight into the mixture that's throwing everything off. that, and she's no more built for extended hard labor than Yizhi is.]

Here -

[and she's shifting over so that he might have some box to sit on, and not have to fully collapse on the street.]

bloom

[nemuru]

( oh, he didn't know she could sing...

ritsu sips his mocktail, smiling when he catches her eye; he raises his eyebrows at her too, very hellooooo miss nurse. can he have her company later..? he doesn't know how to ask for it but he tilts his drink at her anyway, if she needs a break he can pay. probably. )

[medicative]

[she has time when she's done with her set. true, her style might be old fashioned and modest compared to others that work here, who tend to have more of a wild style and far more forward, but it's different enough that it gives people a break, allows them to have a background that's a little less raucous. they do applaud when she's done, and she smiles, bows her head, and exits without lingering.

so it is that afterwards she makes her way to where Ritsu is, having seen him earlier.]

Are you finding enough to enjoy yourself with?

[socializing is never frowned upon.]

wildcard/substoriessssss

[apathie]

[somehow, nehan manages to enter the library with a plant. he thinks he got a couple of looks from the front desk, but... no one has tried to stop him so far. besides, the aloe vera is in a pot, and the pot is in a "plastic bag" hanging from his elbow, so the erune is just not tracking dirt and pebbles everywhere as he stalks through the bookshelves looking for very specific titles.

rather, books with titles that would point towards topics he's very interested in.

plants.

hell plants.

so far he has found a general book on botany and has tucked it under his arm, but is scouring the shelves for more when he spots someone nearby-- with a book with an interesting title. so nehan finds himself in need of the ability to pretend to be a normal person just to socialize. he inhales deeply, rearranges his expression to be more neutral and less of a scowl, and approaches.]

Excuse me. Are you done with that book?

[medicative]

[the library is a sanctuary, and a place to do more research. she has her own notebooks, her own formulas, but more information is always better. if there are substitutes for certain ingredients, if there are more potent applications, she has to know before she invests enough time in looking for things. it was all so much simpler when she could just walk into the forest, but she can't be mired in the past.

someone's voice comes to her, after she hears them walk up, and she pauses from where she was getting another book from the shelf.]

This one?

[she shifts the one in her arm, bound in a deep red, marked as The Pharmacist's Home Garden, and looks to him. it's the plastic bag that strikes her as odd to have in a library, and as for the ears...well, she won't speculate, it's more remarkable to see someone look more human than not at this rate.]

I'm sorry, but I just picked it up. I can show you where I got it from, though, I think there's another copy.

growth

[bristle]

( edgar, for his part, couldn't care less if she's taking her break for twenty minutes or twenty hours. in fact, so far as he's concerned, keeping those unskilled masses away from the decorations can only be of benefit to their displays, as it takes nothing less than a keen artistic eye to place them at their best. unfortunately (fortunately) he's not in charge of anything except hanging up the decorations that he's insisted on preparing himself. as things are, as little as he cares about his fellow workers' breaks, this one in particular does catch him by surprise. )

Dyer? Is that you? ( the... nurse, was it? doctor? some kind of medical actor, in any case. ) You look wretched.

( though his eyes do flicker to those... attachments on her back. he quickly meets her gaze again, lips curling in a sneer. )

Hmph. Sit back down, won't you. There's no use in forcing yourself back up if you're just going to topple back down again. You'll make a mess of everything that way, and waste perfectly good decorations, too.

( and that, of course, would be the greatest travesty of them all, seeing as some of these decorations are being put together by edgar valden himself. )

[medicative]

[unfortunately for him, half of his statement is utterly unheard, because Emily's expression has shifted from the polite worker into sheer astonishment. eyes wide, looking at him like she hasn't seen him in an age - because she hasn't, in her view. and here he is, in this place? it's shocking.]

Mr. Valden...

[forgive her for a moment. his presence is more important than any scolding on his decorations.]

Sprout; It's about time these two cross paths again~

[pervy_kappa]

[Gojyo had been enjoying his night as best he could. Patrolling the streets for any trouble as any thug signed into the Shuten Clan would. He was protecting the turf- freaking lackey work at best. But he was new and didn't have much say, so what else was he to do?

Truthfully, unlike Emily, he had at least seemed to take to the atmosphere of Jigoku-Cho like a fish to water. (A horrible pun, but it would do.) His weapon still slung over his back, cigarette dangling from his lips, and thumbs hanging off his belt, he gave off every possible air he could of a guy you didn't want to piss off. Taking heavy steps down the center of the sidewalk as he looked over each passing face with interest.

What he did not expect to find, though, was someone familiar.]

-- Eh?

[He had heard the drunken jeering before he had managed to process what exactly was going down. His eyes glanced towards the nearby alley only to see some guy skeeving up on a cute girl. A cute girl with light brown hair and a naturally gentle expression.]

Well shit.

[Of course, he knew Emily was more than capable of handling herself if she needed to. But he also knew she was far too nice of a person than she should be in a city like this. And hell, he hated seeing her limits being pushed in such away.

And so it was with little hesitation that he made his way over. Lifting his leg high before playfully kicking the strange youkai in the back, sending him fumbling past Emily.]

Oooooy! Can't you see the lady's tryin' a get past?

[Hi Emily. ♥]

[medicative]

[before she can say anything, the stranger's sent sprawling, and the voice she hears confirms the presence that Hibiki had alerted her to. her eyes wide, she looks to the side, and that hair couldn't belong to anyone else. of the people she expected to find here, he wasn't on the list, but she can't deny she's grateful for his sudden appearance.]

Gojyo?!

[the youkai groans, trying to get back to his feet, and shoots Gojyo a dirty look, asking him if he's angling for a fight - he'll give him one, if so.]