( 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 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.)

[apathie]

Then... It would be my choice as well to call you "my hero", wouldn't it?

[nehan doesn't actually think to do that, but he is making a point. his name, even just the name he used when he cast off his birth name, shouldn't be lightly tossed around but if someone throws a tantrum just to get it... then use it.]

[harimaya]

I'm not a hero.

(He snaps all too quickly. It's obvious he dislikes the suggestion. Meanwhile, Nehan himself had said he was a new youkai! It's different?)

...

(He sucks his teeth,)

Tch, fine, whatever. Nehan.

[apathie]

[nehan gives a nod, satisfied. of course, he still doesn't know this man's name, but still... it doesn't matter, not right now.

then he turns to pluck a bottle of red wine-- on the cheaper end to save money, but still, cheap wine is better than no wine-- from the shelf.]

What are you buying?

[harimaya]

Nothing. Just doing a favor.

(It's the truth. He's just here to deliver a message to the owner; a list of orders so everyone can have a good time at the parade. But he doesn't have to explain himself to Nehan nor does he want to. It's none of his business and he's not the type to go talking about his jobs.

And yet, there don't appear to be any employees in this shop! There is, however, a large, battered paper lantern by the register. Weird, maybe? Maybe. Either way, Hizen is watching it.

Hey, Nehan, ever get the feeling that you're also being watched?)

[apathie]

[he really does get the feeling of being watched, ever since he stepped inside, in fact. he doesn't go straight to the counter to pay, not yet, because the counter seems empty and whoever is supposed to be working at it is... well, where are they?

one ear twitches as he looks around and around, bottle in hand.]

[harimaya]

(Hizen also looks around. It's not a very big shop and besides being stacked wall to wall with different bottles and cans, it doesn't have much going on inside. It looks like no one is really around...

And Hizen goes to the counter. That sensation of being watched intensifies.

Reaching into his pocket, he holds out a sheet of folded paper to the lantern... which then opens at the slit and sticks out a long, wide tongue. A faint glow emits from the lantern growing brighter. Another tear at the top of the lantern opens, revealing a single eye.

Without much reaction at all, Hizen places the note on its tongue which then curls back into its mouth. All is quiet as if the lantern is... thinking? And then it shines brighter for a moment before going dim then dark again.

Hello, it is the shop employee.)

[apathie]

[... oh. well then. nehan should probably have expected that... except not really, because what would you even expect from a world like this? he's already learning that anything can be a youkai. but, then, what would be a youkai?

how can you tell a youkai from a regular, every day item?

both ears flick, before he steps forward himself.]

Is the transaction done?

[harimaya]

(Instead of replying, Hizen looks at the lantern.)

...

(The lantern flickers once.)

Looks like it.

(...

And a glance over at Nehan,)

You can give them the money. Same way.

(Just like he gave the note to the lantern earlier.)

[apathie]

I see.

[nehan counts coins from a small purse until he has the right amount, and holds out his hand to the lantern-youkai. his ears are perked and twitching slightly-- he's paying close attention to the youkai so he can experience this for himself. they flap when the tongue comes out to accept the coins, and once again when the lantern reels it back in and the eye glows to show that he's done right.

his ears are still perked and alert when he tucks the bottle into his coat for safekeeping. that was definitely an interesting experience.]

[harimaya]

(Hizen watches the exchange. He can tell by the way Nehan's ears react that this is his first time doing this sort of exchange. To be fair, it's Hizens' too but at least in his own defense, he'd had some idea of what to expect.

When it's all done, Hizen lets the observation settle for a moment before asking,)

...Surprised?

[apathie]

Fascinated. [he tucks his arms into his coat as well, before continuing.]

Things are done differently, where I'm from. Obviously.

[harimaya]

(Business done, it's really just time to leave and Hizen is only going in the same direction-- out.)

Obviously.

You don't really see spirits like this back home. (Is he... making conversation?) Mostly just hear about 'em in stories or see 'em in old pictures.

[apathie]

Which is different from the stories I know, and the others I've seen. [that's what happens when patrons and guardians walk amongst mere mortals like nehan.

also, ghosts.]

Mortals have the businesses, guardian spirits do not.

[harimaya]

Maybe where you are.

(He'll concede that much,)

A lot of spirits I know'll do anything if given the chance though. Most just don't bother with humans 'cause they can't see them. It's easier to just stick to their own worlds. It's different here.

(There are plenty of humans here and they can all interact with the spirits and youkai here.)

[apathie]

And different where I come from as well. [he has to pause and think first about a primal manning a business... leviathan, selling auguste water in a bottle? no, impossible. one of the more humanoid primals... it's more likely.

and because he's still pretending to be a spirit or youkai himself, he has to offer:]

I raised medicinal plants, mostly. [it's not even a lie, he did raise medicinal plants. but he didn't sell them.]

[harimaya]

(A suspect glance,)

You're a healer?

(He doesn't sound convinced.)

[apathie]

In a way. [because why lie?]

[harimaya]

...

(He might not be the smartest sword in the citadel but he's still sharp. He gives Nehan another glance... and decides to move on,)

Things might be different but a lot's still the same. You heard about the parade, right?

[apathie]

Yes. [who hasn't? he got growled at just for coming close to the decor more than once.]

We just don't have the same, where I'm from. [which is true enough, he hasn't heard of such a tradition in the sky realm at all, unless it's quite niche to one island, one town.]

You know it, I imagine.

[harimaya]

Just stories. Never been to one myself or anything.

(And he sort of just... shrugs. He might be a spirit but he was lost for most of his time. He couldn't even tell you where he was or what he was doing before he was summoned and given a new purpose.)

You know... the type of stories people tell to keep kids inside and from sticking their nose in places they shouldn't.

[apathie]

[for a moment, nehan doesn't understand what he's saying. then it clicks-- something like halloween, but more of keeping the children inside rather than letting them dress up as monsters and go outside and having parties.

then he just nods.

it's... painfully obvious to any observant person that nehan doesn't know what it's like to have a childhood where the adults care.]

Taking the title seriously... the local youkai will be parading the streets, showing their pride, is it?

[harimaya]

(Nodding,)

That's how it goes back home. Once in a while, the demons come out. They raise hell and cause all sort of trouble if you look at 'em or cross their path when you aren't supposed to. If you're lucky, you end up dead and everyone finds you the next morning.

(Because there are things worse than death? Maybe.)