( open ) 001

[harimaya]

Who ⬤ Hizen & you
What ⬤ Catchall for March. Open prompts in main post for substories. Closed starters in comments.
When ⬤ All of march!
Where ⬤ See prompts.
Content Warnings ⬤ TBA

SUBSTORY: WELCOME TO THE NIGHT PARADE (I)

("Outta the way, outta the way!"

A group of smaller youkai yell. They might not be big but what they lack in size, they make up for in number in spirit. They push their way through the crowd carrying a portable shrine. It's a diverse group made up of smaller youkai and spirits— little oni, cats walking on hind legs, a one eyed umbrella, something with a face as large as its body, and fish-looking creature that flails across the ground as it makes its way through.

Do you get out of the way? Or do you miss the warning in all of the hustle and bustle?

In the case of the latter, you can expect one of several things to happen…)

A.
(Hizen loudly snaps at you,)

Oi! Pay attention and get out of the way!

(You probably don't want to get caught up with these little guys. Their patience is as little as they are. The shorter the person, the shorter their temper. If you'd like to avoid confrontation, Hizen can suddenly grab your character by the arm and pull the aside. Alternatively, you can just let the crowd crash into you. Maybe he'll help?)

B.
(Or maybe you're helping Hizen with setting up for someone's game stand. Have you noticed that the owner won't actually let either of you help with getting the game part together? Leave that part to them (so they can rig it). You and Hizen can set up the prize wall made up of different masks and toy weapons.

As the little procession goes by, Hizen stops for a moment to stare and mutters,)

The "parade of a hundred demons," huh...

(He sounds like he might know something?)

SUBSTORY: WELCOME TO THE NIGHT PARADE (II)

(It's security detail!

… Or really, it's more like crosswalk duty.

On the night of the parade, you and Hizen will be expected to keep the pedestrians from crossing the street before their turn. Instead, you'll wait for scheduled stops in the parade that will give enough time for people to get to the other side.

Before the parade begins, you'll have to help set up the barrier using cones or barrels or what have you. And the person in charge of overseeing? It's a long-necked woman that keeps looking over your shoulder and telling you the barriers are too close or too far from the street. The crosswalk openings are too narrow or too wide. She keeps picking at everything you're doing! Is this your first night parade? Do you have any idea what you're doing? She asks for help and she gets sent a bunch of fresh lost souls who have no idea what they're doing!

She doesn't even have the courtesy to say this behind your back. She's right there with her long neck, complaining right in your ear. Or Hizen's ear.

And he looks like he's going to snap. )

SUBSTORY: LOOK AT THIS SWEET JACKET

(The first step to any assignment is gathering information. It's time to get to find the bridge in question and meet the client. Hizen checks the writing on one of the columns at the end of the bridge and looks over to you,)

This is it. (This is the bridge.)Looks pretty normal.

(He's unimpressed. But because timing is comedic, as soon as he finishes speaking, a man gets tossed back across the bridge, rolls like a ball, and stops right in front of them.)

...

(Hizen looks down and... looks away. He sure is going to make you take care of the talking first)

WILDCARD.

❀ Hizen is in the Shuten Clan.
❀ If you have another idea for a prompt or would like to plot anything out, let me know
❀ You can check out my intro comment for some ideas, too.
❀ contact; eski | discord: eski#9874 | PM

Comments

( closed ) for daylight

[harimaya]

(This guy keeps going on about his cool jacket. Really, he really loves his jacket and he's absolutely convinced it's the jacket's fault he can't cross this bridge which... sounds ridiculous if you ask Hizen. But this guy keeps insisting it's because of his really cool jacket and turns around to show off the design on the back.)

...

("It's a really cool jacket!" He says again.)

...

("I said--"

Hizen can't take it anymore,)

-- We heard you the first twelve times! (Seriously, how much time have they wasted listening to this guy and his jacket? It seems secondary to his actual problem.) Say it again and I'll...

(throw you into the river myself he's about to say but maybe Daylight should interrupt. Hizen has never pretended to be good with people. In fact, he's made it very obvious that he's poorly suited for interacting with most! But Daylight looks like he might be better suited for the social aspect of this task. He's got that tiresome "I like people" and "I'm positive" energy to him. )

[sunborne]

-be unable to help you out! [ thankfully, day seems to have a sense of timing and quickly butts in, looking at hizen apologetically before he looks back at their subject. he's clearly put off at not getting a chance to brag about his jacket and day tries to smooth over that: ] We want to do what we can to aid you, mister, but we need to know more about the circumstances of your incidents.

It's for, um, documentation's sake. Yeah! [ day is getting flashbacks to his first paired mission with nightbreak, when she had ended up threatening to break the arms and backup arms of their contact if they didn't simply tell them what they needed to know.

they got the job done at the end, sure, but sharp mission debriefing note of 'possibly improving personal diplomatic skills for the sake of future missions' outcome' always stuck with him. he does get where hizen is coming from - how can someone be so obsessed with a jacket? it is a human thing he missed? - but tries to get some information and peace of mind for them. ]

Have you ever noticed anything during the attacks? Attempts to pull the jacket off you or noises and sounds while getting away?

[ that seems to work! it gets the guy to actually think about something besides his jacket - to an extent. he assures the pair that he did everything he could to protect his clothing item - can't lose this good drip, after all!. - but did hear something while fleeing retreating from the bridge... ]

... Cursing? You heard a 'shit ton of of cursing' from under the bridge? [ huh. day frowns after he notes that down on his comically tiny notepad before looks to hizen and tilts his helm, lowering his voice to try and keep this between the two of them.

(not that it'll be hard. the guy notices a wrinkle in his jacket and is fussing loudly over it.) ] I guess that's a start. Should we bring him along? I don't like the idea of bringing a civilian along to a place that's proven to be dangerous but, um, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try and draw the source out. What do you think?

[harimaya]

(He immediately shuts his mouth, crossing his arms and just settling to glare at Jackie. Because his name is Jackie now. I've decided.

It's nice to know that Hizen was right. Day really does seem to have a better handle on dealing with people than Hizen does. With that in mind, he's able to bite down on his tongue and settle for tapping his finger on his elbow impatiently.

Finally, they catch a break though and the tension in Hizen's shoulders visibly eases. Oh, thank gods, they finally have a clue.)

Some sort of oni...?

(But he can't imagine an oni being under a bridge. They're usually on top of the bridge, ready to fight off and scare any travelers. No, this doesn't quite add up and Hizen's brows knit together, clearly thinking. In this town where youkai and spirits roam freely, could it be something from a story...?

He casts a glance at Jackie. Should they bring him along?)

Give me your jacket.

("Hell no!")

Either give it to me or you're coming with us!

(This way, they don't have to drag any civilians along and they can still go into the dangerous place.)

( closed ) for ryouma

[harimaya]

(Hizen can't keep walking around the city in tattered and dirty clothes. It really isn't much money to start with but there's enough to feed himself for awhile and if he budgets around a little… yes, he can probably afford a change of clothes.

He can be found in one of the second-hand shops in the city. The shop is small but incredibly cramped, packed from wall to wall with clothes on hangers and in bins with no order or reason. A lot of the fashion is loud, tacky, and outdated but it's cheap and that's all that's most important.

While diving through one of the racks, the shop owner emerges suddenly and Hizen pulls back. Ittan-Momen rises in the air and hovers around, watching Hizen with beady eyes. Is it... suspicious? Well, Hizen just glares back and growls,)

It's not like I'm here to steal anything.

(He's an honest customer?! Ittan-Momen then swerves to look right at the other customer in the shop. Hello, Ryouma. What about you? Are you up to no good? Can you really blame the keeper for being nervous when two swordsmen from different factions are in his little shop?)

[kaientai]

[ ryouma hadn't exactly announced himself when he'd come in, but that was intentional. the last shopkeeper had been extremely pushy (see: it was arguably a shakedown) and he was hoping to avoid a similar confrontation.

looking through a rack of assorted everything, he happens upon something that has so many cut-outs in it that he's not entirely sure how anyone is supposed to wear it. or maybe it's for a youkai that isn't even human-shaped and he's thinking about this all wrong...? what a time to get the feeling you're being watched. he shoves whatever that was back onto the rack and holds his hands up in front of him. ]

I'm just looking!

[ this is the first time he realises he's not the only person here (besides the owner) too. one would think he'd be a little more alert in neutral territory but if experience hasn't changed that habit, nothing will. he starts heading towards the door anyway, intending to just squeeze past the ittan-momen and hizen and leave while he has the chance... ]

[harimaya]

(It's not difficult to squeeze past them. Ittan-momen is literally a sheet of cotton and Hizen himself is thin and largely unassuming. But ittan-momen isn't going to let Ryouma get away easily. The spirit follows after him, weaving through the racks and circling around Ryouma much like a serpant... but very loosely. It looks like it isn't convinced by Ryouma's answer,)

Really?

(Hihzen rolls his eyes,)

Look at him. You think a guy like that is going to steal from a place like this?

(Which makes the keeper SWERVE to look right back at Hizen who is still... looking through the racks, largely unamused. But what he means is, look at Ryouma in his fancy naval dress in this place that looks like one part dumpster dive and another part teens getting ready for some tacky rave.

The spirit swerves back to look Ryouma up and down. Does he reaaaaaally look like he wouldn't be a good customer or thief? How sus is Ryouma looking today?)

( closed ) for nehan

[harimaya]

(Hizen is running errands for the clan, delivering some orders to a favored sake shop in a certain part of the city. It's grunt work, hardly anything special, but it's easy for now. No doubt, he'll have to help carry said deliveries later but that's a problem for the Hizen of the future.

While he's looking for the shop, he spots a familiar (or rather, unfamiliar) looking youkai.)

...

(He could easily just let Nehan go without ever acknowledging him but this is the guy that paid for his drinks and offered him a job... It wasn't a bad first impression? It's enough for Hizen to acknowledge him.)

... It's the new youkai.

(He still isn't sure about that but you know, this place is full of weirdos. He'll roll with it. Also worth noting, Hizen has since found some new clothes. He still looks largely unassuming but at least he looks somewhat cleaner.)

[apathie]

[nehan raises an eyebrow, before side-stepping some youkai bustling through the shop as well.]

You know my name, and you refuse to use it, I see. [and after making a scene, too... for shame, for shame.]

[harimaya]

(He bristles,)

It's my choice, isn't it?

(He can use it if he wants to, wow.)

( closed ) for norimune

[harimaya]

(He knows Norimune is here. The issue is just tracking him down again. He asks around enough and Norimune has probably heard of some Shuten punk with an edge looking for him. Luckily, this isn't some rascal looking for a fight but a familiar face that finally finds his old comrade--)

Oi.

(He's making a line straight for Norimune now. He has him in his sights,)

I can't tell if you're trying to be hard to find or not.

[kikuichi]

[For what it's worth, Norimune have been behaving. He's taking in the sights, learning where things are, before he consider his next possible step. Can't risk any dangerous moves if he doesn't know how to safely escape. Or if nothing else, looking for where to find supplies.

He looks over from window shopping, a there's quite a number of shops in this area. He blinks, before he smiles.]

Oh? I'm just simply looking around. There's a lot to see around here.

[If this is literally any other situation, he would love to browse around to his heart's content. Alas, he have to keep track of his time and his surroundings.]

What brings you here?

[Either it's something important, such as information, or Hizen got annoyed at him.]

[harimaya]

(Don't smile at him like that.)

"One flower?"

(Someone saw Norimune on the network.)

Welcome to the Night Parade, II;

[littleshield]

[ When Felix had been told he would be part of security detail, this is not what he had imagined. Hizen isn't the only one about to snap.

In fact, Felix is seeing red and it is a goddess' grand miracle he has kept his mouth shut for so long before the vitriol just begins to spill. ]

Enough!

I don't know who the hell you are but right now, I don't give a damn. If you keep running that big, oversized mouth of yours we may as well knock all over the barriers and call it a day. Now, are you going to shut it and let us do our jobs or are you going to squawk until your face implodes from the amount of distraction you are causing us?

[ God. Damn.

That overseer looks appalled at hearing a rookie day speak like that at them so it's hard to tell whether they're gearing for a tongue lashing or just humoring him. Whatever the case, Felix gets back to work. Though he will cast a glance to see how well his partner is faring. ]

[harimaya]

(She pulls her long neck back, bunching up and raising it up high so she's more "tall" than spread out. She looks at Felix with utter disbelief. How dare this fresh meat speak to her like that? Do they know who she is?

(no one important. don't worry. but she's been riding on them not knowing.)

Despite Felix's outburst in their defense, Hizen doesn't look impressed. If anything, he just looks even more tired now and he kicks one barrel into place with his foot. Don't worry, Felix, it's not you, it's just the way Hizen is. After some time, he seems to calm down some and grumbles,)

... I'm going to snap her neck.

(Just when she was about to resume her snooping, her neck does a sudden swerve away from them.)

[littleshield]

[ When Felix noticed her looking like even more of a wild goose than usual, he can only think one think for certain:

He hates it here.

Anyway, as Hizen kicks a barrel into place he just imagines the barrel being that overseer's face. It's fine, they can both be cranky and sullen about it. ]

It's pretty tempting, isn't it? Really, who does she think she is?

[ Thank goodness it is suddenly mercifully quiet from overseer goose lady. ]

( closed ) for dazai

[harimaya]

(The Shuten clan is known for being rowdy and no doubt, they'd caused enough of a stir at the party but Hizen is more.... well, tired. Even with the promise of drinks, he'd been more reserved. He downs his shots regardless of taste or quality, he holds himself well enough when challenged, and despite his own muted personality... he seems used to the noise and chaos. So it isn't like he's completely out of place among the clan! He just isn't going to warm up to them because they're supposed to be his "clan."

As the party begins to wind down with different factions calling it a night and others opting to move to new locations, Hizen also slips away from the main group, his pay in hand. Everything is worth it for the right price and he isn't getting paid for going to the clan's second-third-however many parties.

What he finds is a quieter place. A small, narrow shop filled with smoke from a grill, a tv playing monotonously in the background, and a moderate selection of drink. There are some regulars sitting at the center of the bar, chatting away with the owner and a certain familiar face. Ugh.

Hizen makes a point to sit as far from Dazai as possible before ordering his drink. )

[diesuki]

[Dazai has followed along with the rest of the new crowd for a while, but there are limits to how much he can learn from that - and there is a lot he needs to learn as soon as possible about this place and how it functions, the big players, the delicate (and not so delicate) power balances, etc. There was something to be learned from how newbies like him were treated, but undoubtedly the meatier stuff can only be found out in the wild.

Er, out in the urban jungle, that is.

And so Dazai has found himself a small place where he can drink and chat up the waitstaff (no suggestions about strangling him, this time; he doesn't know if this crowd might take that seriously!), and get some solid intel in the process. He's just about winding it all down, and considering whether to go to another bar or to sleep it all off, when a familiar face shows up, and he just about beams. (So sorry, Hizen. You have been spotted.)

Leaving his empty glass behind, Dazai walks over and slides into the seat next to Hizen, leaning his elbow on the bar and resting his head in his hand. He's not that intoxicated, really, but he's in flirting mode from before, and honestly, why not?]

Hello, Mr. Babysitter~ Fancy meeting you here.

[Or don't fancy it, but meeting you sure happened.]

welcome to the night parade; i.b

[breweries]

[ rigged games are practically commonplace in western country back home, with how the poor are easily suckered into making a quick buck or a decent price only to get nothing. not that shylock is that heartless to begin with, but the familiarity of the situation is most likely why he is helping with setting up one of the game stalls today.

the procession passing by is a good enough sign to take a breather, he can't help but overhear the tiny shuten boy mutter something under his breath. ]

A hundred demons?

[ do tell him more. one of these days, he'll need to do research on this world's version of hell. ]

[harimaya]

(tiNY SHUTEN BOY???? If Hizen could read minds, he'd throw hands. Hizen shrugs,)

It's what they call it back home. See it in paintings and stuff.

Night Parade 1-b

[silentscout]

['Helping' is a bit too generous here. Lalli's contributions to this effort are "check to make sure the rows are straight" and "hold the stand's already-built wall like it's helping keep the stand together". He's somewhat talented at looking like he's helping while not actually doing any work.

When he hears Hizen say that, though, he has to speak up.]

There weren't 100 of them there.

[He's saying that wasn't the parade of 100 demons, probably.]

[harimaya]

That's 'cause it isn't all of them yet.

(And he sort of just gestures at the whole world around them,)

All of this is just a peek at whatever the main event's going to be.

night parade i.b

[nemuru]

( Ritsu follows his gaze, always welcoming any chance at a break--he chuckles softly, hanging up another mask. )

I think there's gonna be more than a hundred demons at this parade, easy. The whole city's full of 'em, after all. ( Unless a hundred are picked out just for it... Ritsu holds up another mask--tengu, he thinks? Long-nosed weirdos.

slowly holds it up to the side of Hizen's face... hmm... yeah. ) Hope it's not as loud as the welcome night was.

[harimaya]

(He snaps,)

I know that! (Wow, is he... embarrassed? A mixture of embarrassed and annoyed, to be honest. He dislikes being corrected to begin with but he didn't mean it literally!) It's just a saying!

Hundred's a big number and all that!

(Now he's explaining himself unnecessarily.)

welcome to the night parade (II)

[sleepinglyra]

[Sheliak had been tasked with all sorts of odd jobs that were beneath him since he got here. Unfortunately he wasn't in the position to refuse so he quietly did whatever jobs they decided to throw at the newbie without a fuss. He was relieved when he heard he would be working a security detail next, well, at first anyway.

This was not what he had in mind and the yokai overseeing their work was insufferable. Even he wasn't this much of a perfectionist! His eyes narrowed slightly under her constant bombardment but he stayed quiet. Think of a calm lake, that he can throw her into, no that's not helpful. He needed to quiet the ripples, not make them worse. Speaking of making things worse, his fellow victim looked dangerously close to doing just that. That won't do. Those that got a taste of power could be annoyingly petty when crossed and he did not want to deal with that hassle.

Sheliak picked up one the barrels that was apparently in the wrong place again, and carried it over Hizen's head. Being tall had its advantages and since Hizen was short hopefully it didn't look too suspicious when he "accidently" knocked the long necked yokai away from Hizen with an apologetic smile.]

Ah! My apologizes. Your helpful instruction distracted me.

[Before the yokai could question it, Shelaik placed the barrel where it was supposed to go and quickly talked over her, letting a hint of real authority slip though his calm voice.]

I believe that should be good enough. There are still many things that need to be done after all.

[She could blame them for the delay but they were just "fresh lost souls that had no idea what they were doing." She was in charge of this task, not them, and she had more to lose. So what was more important, bullying newbies or her reputation? The choice is hers, as long as nobody does anything stupid.]

[harimaya]

(Why do we mention his height if Hizen could read bracket text he'd throw hands with the long necked woman and Sheliak.

A shadow passes over him and he looks up. He's not a hopeful person but for .5 seconds, he hopes it's the equivalent of a piano dropping from a nearby building onto this woman. Hell, it could drop on him at this point as long as it means putting him out of his misery. Instead, it's just a barrel carried by his companion for the evening.

The woman balks! Before she can begin to scold him though, he's already talking over and she pulls her neck back and raises her head up high to look down at him. It's clear that she hadn't expected anyone to speak back to her like this. Her eyes narrow and she snaps at them, "Hurry up! You're not finished yet!" She mentions something about them finishing this section and then a small area a little further down and brushes them away with her hand and emphasizes how important this parade is.

It isn't much but it's enough for Hizen to feel some karmic satisfaction. Just enough to keep his temper down but not completely get rid of it. Just enough for him to grumble under his breath and behind Sheliak instead of yell out loud,)

I'll finish her if she doesn't back the fuck off.