jigokulogs | Catch-All

Incredibly boring. I sort of 'get it.' For the enlightened, it's the prize that they've been seeking all this time. They're at nirvana. They're ready for it. I just kind of showed up there.

It's really boring when you're not prepared for that sorta thing.

Paradise is supposed to be a place of rest. Kinda defeats the purpose if there's a bit too much stimulation, eh?

[ In the distance the familiar neon sign of the subway entrance being right around corner catches his eye. ]

Here we are. You got any change?

[ Immediately he rummages through his pockets, all six of them and getting a few coins for the machine. ]

[She rifled through her pockets, pulling out a small amount. She'd probably use up what extra she had to do this job and be done with it, but at least she had a little. Sighing, she went up to the machine and grunted.]

If you ask me, those old codgers could use some stimulation now and again. [Clink] They never appreciate it when I tell them that though.

[ He's about a hundred percent sure that he's gotten the measure of what she's like from that statement alone, and now he wonders if she was cast out or something. ]

I wonder why?

[ He gets his own ticket and frowned just at how expensive it is. This is highway robbery. ]

Have you considered that perhaps they might actually like how boring it is?

[Repeatedly. One does not earn the title of "Heaven's delinquent" by being a good little celestial and meditating all day.]

Pffft. It's always something. They've got sticks up their butts.

Oh, I'm sure some of them do. The ones who got in their on their own through enlightenment are their own kind of breed. I don't usually talk with them. Nothing in common, honestly. The rest of the family's kind of duty-bound and prissy about it. I don't think they ever really thought about the situation.

[She looked at her ticket and frowned.]

Man, these guys know how to keep us under their thumb. We're not making a profit on this job, you know.

[ He inhaled deeply and sighed just as long. ]

Don't remind me.

[ Money was never an issue for him in his previous life, but that didn't mean he spent like crazy. He saved and spent carefully. He wasn't exactly a man of expensive tastes, but great food and drink was pretty much the only thing he spurlged on. ]

Let's get going before we miss the train.

[ Navigating through the station and getting odd stares about the good they were carrying, one guard even trying to stop and tell them they can't carry that in only to be met with a glare from Bishop so intense that the guard turned an odd color. ]

That should keep them from bothering us.

Hey, you're pretty good at that. I've never been that great at intimidating anyone, personally. Just not so hot at giving them the stare of death, so I just have to beat them up to get them to know better.

[Which she was all too happy to say as the two trapsed their way up to the edge of the subway platform. They were still getting looks, but not over the thing itself so much as all together. It was kind of a sight to behold, really, the two of them hauling this thing onto the train.]

At least we'll be done with this soon.

Just something I picked up from an amusing trip through China.

[ The station is mostly quiet save the hustle of the yokai coming through and the wind twisting slowly across the platform. ]

For now. So far only two things have been settled. I'll check the list again to see if there's a trade we can bypass once we're on the train.

[ He glances down the rails and clicks his tongue. ]

Probably in the next few minutes.

[She whistled softly and shook her head.]

At this point, my biggest enemy is patience. I want this to be done so very badly. We've been at this for almost the whole day after all...

[But she'd put enough effort in and done enough favors that she was seeing it through to the end.]

(OOC: If you wanna fast forward some, just go for it.)

[ He nodded in tired agreement as the train came into view and pulled into the station for them to board. He plopped right down onto the seat with no shame, he was tired and irrirtated by how much they've had to do and still have to do.

It didn't take him long to fall half-asleep in the train and throughout the whole ride, crossed arms and dozing quietly only stirring occasionally when the conducter annouced what station they pulled into. ]

[She wasn't able to sleep through the whole thing, having the eagerness of one much younger than her to just watch the whole of the city pass by. It was fascinating to see a city this large, after all, though she wouldn't often admit it. By the time the conductor was calling their spot, she reached down to give him a punch in the air.]

Showtime, buddy. Time to get this thing offloaded and get things done hopefully.

[ He snorted and woke to show how deeply he actually managed to sleep, but he rouses himself with a rub of the eye and scramble to his feet. ]

Right. Right.

[ From there they travel time from the station to where the client was, trading the mackerel for the school supplies. ]

Okay next is...

[ He takes out their list of trades, crossing out the ones they completed and cross referencing the list. ]

.....We can by pass five trades. We can by pass five trades if I'm reading this right.

If you can see ways to save time? I didn't make any promises about who got what and I'm all for doing the least amount of work on this thing now that we're this far in.

[She started hauling the stuff off of the bus, looking around and then ready to follow his lead wherever the next spot was.]

One way or another, this punk better at least remember our names for all this effort.

[ He doubts they woukd but, at the very least he does confirm they can bypass a few trades. ]

Right, c'mon. We're looking for an old second hand bookstore run by a tengu oldman.

[ It shouldn't take that long to find as the distrct was close by. ]

From there, we get and old pocket watch we can give to a zashiki warashi at an inn near the Tamamo district.

[She nodded and started to haul the fish along with them as they took to the road. It wasn't going to be that long. She remembered the bookstore at the very least, though she'd walked from there to the last two places she'd reached before seeing Bishop.]

Ugh, that Tengu. They're all pains in the neck, you know? And Zashiki Warashi are always whining so much. Bah, but they did want that pocket watch? Probably some old family keepsake that got pawned and bought up.

[ Bishop just laughed at the remark at the tengu. Yeah, they are all pains. ]

Who knows; and who cares?

[ A couple minutes of walking and they find the client for the fish, Bishop taking the bag from Tenshi and then rushing over to make the trade. Once the box of supplies is safely tucked under his arm he nods while passing. ]

Okay, the bookstore is that way. It's called Little Feather or something like that. I'll take this side, you keep an eye out on the other.

Good point. If we're not exorcising it, we don't really need to care do we?

[And what would be the point of exorcising a spirit in hell anyway? His suggestion that they take opposite sides gets a quick nod and she started to move over to that end, looking over at him.]

Expecting trouble? Probably not a bad idea to expect it, mind you.

Oh noooo....you said it.

[ He stopped and sighed before cautiously started again. ]

I was trying so hard not to say it, but now you said it so now it's a possibility. Uuuuughhhhh....

[ All of this was already a lot of trouble but now he has to be on the lookout for active trouble. ]

I hope its trouble I can punch in the face, so its easier to deal with.

Well, most trouble is trouble you can punch in the face, except for Zashiki Warashi, but I don't think they're actually going to be trouble.

[She gave him an overly confident thumbs up as she focused on her own path, coming around to the backdoor and looking around the corner at him. At least she was ready in case anyone came bolting out the back, right?]

So you say.

[ But his karma is terrible. Finding and entering the bookstore, he quickly realized justy how OLD it actually is. ]

Hello?

[ He says cautiously as an old tengu popped around the corner and said - ]

Get out! You're not welcome!

[ Bishop paused and furrowed his brow, whispering to Tenshi. ]

This is the right place right?

Hey, oji-san! We got 'yer pens and... the heck are these things? Protractors? Protractors! ... [Frown] What exactly IS a protractor?

[There was a bunch of squawking, irritation, more than a few cuss words shouted before one window was opened and he looked out at her first from one end. And then went to the front and looked out before noting that yes indeed, there was one for Bishop.]

Damnit, it's the idiot! Well, at least you managed to find 'em. Get in here fast 'fore someone sees you!

[She walked around and shrugged over at Bishop. 'paranoid?' she mouthed, motioning with her thumb as she carried the box with the supplies.]

Edited 2022-07-21 02:40 (UTC)

[ 'I don't know, probably just old and cranky' he mouths back. ]

Here's our end of the deal. Do you have the pocket watch?

[ He says leading the conversation, simply because he seemed less likely to get chewed out. ]

Eh? Watch? Watch, what?

[ Bishop sighed. ]

P-O-C-K-E-T W-A-T-C-H.

Oh, that. Give me a second. And you didn't need to yell!

[ Somewhere, a vein was throbbing hard in Bishop's body ready to pop. ]

[She groaned as the man toddled off to get the pocketwatch, leaning in and whispering.]

I'll admit. Getting that old's not something I'm sorry I missed out on.

'WHAT WAS THAT, KID? YA GOTTA SPEAK UP!'

Nothing Oji-san!

[She smiled positively innocently as the pocket watch was brought out and presented. Giving him a quick bow, she moved to hustle them out.]

Enjoy your protractors. We'll be out of your hair soon.

'WHAT?!?'

GOODBYE!

'Damn girl, ya don't have to scream at an old man! Have a nice day. ...whippersnappers!'

[She gave him a 'let's get out of here before he remembers his hearing' look]

[ Grabbing the watch, the first thing Bishop noticed - other than Tenshi's look - was how decrepit it felt in his hand. Once outside he held it before them and - wow, this thing was something.

The metal was rusted, even turning green in some parts. The chain too was rusted and looked like it could crumble, and the glass of the watch face was yellowed and foggy around the edges. Surprisingly though, the mechanism was still fucntioning albeit a few minutes off. ]

Good Lord, this thing is running on the power of hopes and prayers.

[ Gently tucking it in his inner breast pocket, Bishop took out the list. ]

Alright, now we bring this old thing to the zashiki in the inn.....according to this it's near the edge of the Tamamo district. Lead the way will you, lets see if I can find a trade we can skip.

Edited 2022-07-22 14:26 (UTC)

Yeah... I see why the Zashiki Warashi wanted it. Bet you bottom dollar this was from the spirit's original house, since I doubt they're actually from hell.

[She nodded and folded her arms, squinting at the thing. The irritation she had been showing melted a little and she looked almost sympathetic.]

Youkai like this get kind of lost. they want pieces of who they were, since now they're here. Anyway, don't want to take too long. That thing's barely holding together.

[She motioned and set off, letting him check for stuff to skip while she focused on finding the fastest way to get this done.]

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