( 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

[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.)

[sunborne]

[ at this point, most people would realize the irritation radiating from hizen and the pleading look from daylight would mean that maybe, just maybe, parting with the item of clothing would be for the best. because it could be the best drip in the world but enough individuals would have common sense to call it when they see it and hand it over, allow the proper authorities to handle the situation you've find yourself in.

you would think that and yet-

fine! i'll go with you two to the bridge! ]

What.

[ what. ] What? That's- That's not safe at all! I'm sorry but I think-

[ i think i have a right to confront the asshole who wants to rough me up and ruin my jacket! i got this baby customized and everything. ain't no one is gonna ruin this drip and not get an earful from me!'

day sighs and his usually friendly demeanor wavers as he counts to ten, realizing that this is what emergency aid must feel during his shift in the medbay. ]

[harimaya]

(Hizen's soul leaves his body. It leaves this mortal coil that is clearly keeping him hostage and subjecting him to this suffering he never would have had to experience if he was just a sword again. And yet, he's still here. Still very much in his human form, on this hellish plain, and dealing with this menace to society.)

...

(Not even Day can convince him to leave which means Hizen sure isn't going to make it happen, at least, not without using worse words,)

You think an earful is going to be enough? (Hizen is so largely unimpressed but th) If it can throw you back without even seeing you, imagine what it can do when you meet it.

(... Ah, but then Hizen goes quiet for just a second. Kind of like an idea might have come to him and he looks at the bridge and the water underneath it... and just starts heading down towards the bank.)

Whatever, let's just go. If you get in the way, I'm leaving you.

[sunborne]

[ hell yeah! let's show that asshole what i'm made of!

while the guy looks confident and cocky, more than pleased he's getting his way after the initial resistance, day looks very, very worried as he brings up the rear just in case something tries to jump the trio from behind.

he may not be the most adept when it comes to combat but there's some benefits to being one of the bigger lifeforms in a city. (he... he likes to think so, at the moment.)

it doesn't take them long to reach their destination and, true to his words, day's audials pick up on a string of grumbling, harsh and aggressive the closer they get to their destination. huh. looks like there is someone involved and he's quick to notice someone ducking behind the structure of the bridge: a person with dark hair, long white robes that float around them in the waters.]

Uhhhh... Hello! Hi! We come in peace! [ the hell? no we don't- ] Please let us handle this, mister. Hizen and I know what we're doing!

Right, Hizen? [ ... right? it seems like you had a plan earlier, with the silence and all. even if it made day a little nervous. ]

[harimaya]

Annoying...

(Why is he so annoying! Careful with his steps so he doesn't go rolling down the bank into the river or anything, he just leads the way.

Up ahead though, something moves and he stops, going tense and alert in response. Eyes adjust to the shadowy parts under the bridge quickly and he's able to make out... a woman? He tries to rack his brain for what kind of youkai she might be. A bridge spirit of some sort, of course, but he can only really recall one story. There is no shrine at Harimaya Bridge but sometimes you just have an affinity for you know

murdering people near bridges

and you pick up a few stories along the way.)

...

(This probably isn't very comforting for Day. Hizen doesn't really contribute right away. What is he thinking? Was he thinking of anything?)

So you're a spirit. (That seems to make her angry though and she splashes water at them? He just. Takes it and stands there for a second, wiping at his face.) Goddess, whatever.

(He's so tired. If you think him pinning her down as a more divine spirit might make things easier then you're in for it because what follows next is--)

Knock it off already.

(Blunt, direct, very not disrespectful.)

Seriously. (Pointing at Jackie with his thumb,) This guy's nothing.

(Casually insults both parties. Have fun with that, Day.)

[sunborne]

[ s c r e a m i n g. at the rate this is going, broken limbs are going to become a reality! ]

Uhhhhh-

[ before day can get a word into the inevitable explosion, both parties immediately erupt but not against hizen, surprisingly enough.

rather, their ire is drawn to the other as the man draws himself to his full height, tugging on his jacket snug to his frame to try and appear bigger and tougher. on the other side the mysterious spirit - a hashihime, though day wouldn't have any knowledge of this spirit from his world, only knowing they're a water spirit at best - makes herself better known, eyes blazing bright as the lit candles she somehow wears as a crown.

we know he's nothing! hisses the spirit, splashing some water more for emphasis, day guesses. the pompous fool is nothing to us but he doesn't know his place! always clomping about the bridge, wearing down spots that we're trying to maintain because his head is too big for his eyes! ]

I know we're all on edge right now but I think we got on the wrong foot here, so how about we all cool down and whoa! [ at this point, the guy realizes that he was being insulted by the spirit.

day has to quickly put himself between the pair as the guy tries to lunge for the spirit's direction. -i'm doing you a favor with my presence on this drab pile of wood! my jacket and i are the only cool things whenever we stroll by. and he goes off on another tangent about his jacket. something but a threadcount but day is more concerned making sure the two don't get their hands on the other. ]

Hey! Hey hey hey! [ this is like herding cats. murderous cats at that. ] There's no need to be making threats like this! Or gestures like that, come on!

Are you two seriously going to duke it out here on the bank? Is that what you two want?

[harimaya]

(The hashihime explains her side of the story and really, none of this is helping either party. Jackie already had ten points against him just by merit of being annoying. Hizen would gladly toss him into the river himself if he could.

But the Hashihime isn't helping her case either. As annoying as Jackie is... he still doesn't know what the problem is,)

That's the point of a bridge...

(To walk across it many times to get from point A to point B. He's literally using the bridge the way it's supposed to be used!!)

There's gotta be more to-- (Right on cue, the guy starts going about his damned jacket again and Hizen yells,) Shut up about the damned jacket!

(Hashihime sounds just as irritated too when she hisses, "Again with the jacket!"

However, it seems like seeing that Hizen also seems to share her annoyance appeals to her. She begins to complain, criticize, and insult the man even more. "He has no respect!" She goes on, about how insulting he is. Does he have any idea how hard they work to maintain these bridges with what they have? And he has the audacity to come and insult them! Call them boring! Rickety! If he thinks their bridges are so poor then he can just not use them. It's at least starting to make a little more sense.

Of course, this just sends the man off. He insults the bridge and says he's just telling the truth. It really does look like the two of them are going to start brawling on the bank.

Hizen always looks tired but he looks especially tired now. He closes his eyes and mumbles to Day,)

A bridge spirit. (Less of a water spirit and more about the bridge itself.) They guard old bridges. Usually important ones.

(And this bridge is, in fact, one of the larger ones in the city. It gets a lot of foot traffic.)

... This idiot's basically insulting her life work.

(Does that help Day any? He can only guess because he seems like a more... modern being. Someone that might not interact with spirits on the regular or be very familiar with some of the old tales and customs Hizen is more used to.)