jigokulogs | ( open ) 001

Entry tags:

( open ) 001

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(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?)

[ ~~what do you mean sus look at his extremely not suspicious face.~~ but wow, you didn't have to insult the poor, hard-working(??) shopkeeper. this is no time to consider how a sheet of cotton does business but that's not as important as the fact that it does. ]

Oh, don't be like that. It's a perfectly fine shop! [ please don't strangle him because he's not into clubwear for people who like to wear strings. ] I wouldn't steal anything, but if my word isn't enough to go on, I wouldn't want it getting around that that's how the Sutoku Alliance does business.

[ reputation is key! especially when you're having to rep for someone else. ]

He's just here to waste your time.

(Definitely not to buy anything. He grabs a sweatshirt from the rack, one size too big and worn for wear... and tosses it at the keeper who catches it.)

This one.

(And it's as he's making his way by Ryouma to pay at the register that he actually sees the sword at his side and

this sure is the stink eye. Maybe it's because Ryouma said he's with Sutoku. Yeah, definitely. )

[ well, that may be true. he wasn't planning on it. but unfortunately, money speaks louder than words so making that purchase automatically sets hizen ahead and if ryouma's gunning for points with the locals, he's going to have to keep up. looking around quickly, he grabs something off a rack to follow, which is when he realises the look he's being given.

it's weird. weird because he'd almost shrugged it off because izō is just like this only of course it's not izō it's a stranger and so he looks visibly confused. he hasn't connected the dots yet that his sword might've been what earned that reaction, but he's still stuck on the other thing. ]

That's interesting. I feel like I've seen you before...

[ he's going to feel dumb later. ]

(There's the sweatshirt and is that a pair of jeans on the counter too? A little torn, definitely scratched up, but definitely a pair of jeans that are also being added with the sweatshirt. Step up your game, Ryouma.

It seems to be all Hizen is getting though because he quickly pays the exact amount and wastes no time taking his purchase. No, he doesn't need any plastic bags. He'll carry this just fine. You aren't catching Hizen spending yennies on extra things he doesn't need.)

You haven't.

(He's quick to reply, snappy even. As he turns, his eyes narrow at whatever it is Ryouma's going to waste his money on. What the hell? Why? He stands by his assessment!! Ryouma has no business here!!!)

[ ryouma said something snappy once about investments and that's still true, so it doesn't really matter what he buys. maybe he'll stumble on someone who can use it. it doesn't really matter! consider the game stepped up~

and even if the spirit knows that he only spent the money to get on its good side, that's still good, right? ~~he's still bad at this yakuza thing.~~

ryouma takes care of his business quickly, the bag he'd agreed to take hanging off one arm, and his wallet lighter with no progress made in his pursuit to piece together some sort of wardrobe. well, oh well. he sighs and straightens his hat, knowing he can't be doing this at every store in the area but then this entire thing is out of the ordinary. ]

Really? Maybe it's because you remind me of someone.

[ not that he's about to hop on the nostalgia or anything but this is when he takes another good look at hizen and parses something he hadn't before. something to the order of seeing a sword he knows he knows but reeling from the cognitive dissonance of not expecting to see it here and now with someone he doesn't know. first, there was finding izō who had become part-bird at some point and now this. no shortage of surprises here. too bad he's just going to stare though. ]

Go find someone else if you're lonely, then.

(A familiar sword, an obnoxious attitude, and a naval uniform that doesn't match any of his recollections or records but still makes sense... the only thing missing is that telltale accent but three out of four is enough for Hizen, especially when point sticks out to him so much.

He catches Ryouma's glance and is quick but still too late to hang his purchases across his to cover the sword at his side. He's careful to make sure the clothes cover his hands too. The last thing he needs is to let this guy see the combined crest on his gloves. Okada Izou. This guy. Who's next? That guy himself? This is truly hell.)

I'm leaving.

(And he's quick as he turns and tries to slip away, making sure to put as many racks and displays between him and Ryouma as possible as he heads out the cramped store.)

Wait!

[ don't forget who you're dealing with, hizen. once he has the idea in his head, he can't let it go until he's satisfied. if he were thinking about this more clearly — and he's not — he'd just let sleeping dogs lie and be glad he got away without anyone realising who he is. it's just too personal to ignore.

hizen can slow him down all he wants but ryouma is shameless enough to go running after him as soon as he's clear. he's careful to make sure his hat doesn't blow away. ]

I just want to ask you about your sword!

[ wouldn't hizen, a fellow swordsman, be into that? ]

(No, because Hizen is not a fellow swordsman.

He doesn't pick up his pace or try to run but he continues at the same brisk, pace he'd been going at. All the while, he doesn't look back,)

What about it? (He doesn't have to show his face for anyone to see. It's clear from his voice that he's annoyed,) It's not like it's yours.

("So mind your own business" he would say but he knows better than that. Too much like that guy. Annoying, nosy, too curious for his own good.)

[ at least once he catches up he can keep up, brisk pace or not. ryouma is also not at all put off by the annoyance in hizen's tone whatsoever, because that he's used to. again, he shouldn't be extending a stranger the same sort of trust as he does a friend, but he's all mixed up somewhere between recognising what he'd seen and his usual ease about everything. ]

I used to have one just like it...

[ his mind is starting to work again and he's remembered things like the existence of different worlds and timelines. so. not actually as weird as it had initially felt but one still expects in the vastness of the multiverse the odds would be astronomical. and yet. ]

So I wondered where you might've gotten it.

[ his tone is a little more serious now because it's all starting to sink in. a version of izō from another world is his current working theory, and everything that goes along with that. ]

("Use to." He almost wants to spit those words right back but instead, he opts to bite down on his tongue. He has his own cover to keep. He can't exactly go off and reveal who he is or let too much information slip after scolding Norimune...)

I've always had it. (And while he still tries to keep it covered, he grips it tight under his clothes.) It's been with me for as long as I can remember.

(Because it's him, that's why. And if Ryouma wants more little clues, though Hizen hides the crest on the back of his hand, there's a bandage tied loosely around his neck. It's tight enough to obscure whatever it's covering but Ryouma should know how his old friend died. There's also that light accent that he's doing his best to keep under control even as his temper grows,)

You've got your own sword so keep your eyes off of me.

(Don't! Look! At! Him!)

But you recognised it too, didn't you?

[ servants being what they are, things not matching up is to be expected. factoring in other worlds and timelines? well. but objects seem to be a constant, somehow. a thought for far smarter minds to think about; it is what it is, so he's just going to go with it. ]

Since you say we've never met. We're both new here, so it's still a little early to hate me for who I work for, isn't it?

[ just in case hizen was wondering how he arrived at that conclusion, he's showing his work. ]

What about it?

(So what if he recognizes the sword? He comes to a sudden, abrupt stop and stays silent for a moment before replying,)

What? We're working for different sides but none of it matters, right? 'Cause we're all coming from the same place or something? All in the same shitty situation; starting from the bottom with nothing?

(It all sounds tongue in cheek with Hizen says it and it's hard to tell if he's making a specific attack at Ryouma or speaking generally about their current situation. It probably doesn't help Ryouma's guesses either considering it's all part of an argument anyone in Tosa would vent about,)

Save it.

[ ryouma is more focused on their conversation than anything else, so he's lucky he doesn't just run right into hizen. instead, he just sighs quietly and smiles. true, he can stop following people like this around any time he wants but... he won't. ]

I only meant that I figured you might know who I am, in that case. Or someone like me, anyway. Since you don't know me personally and removing that we work for different people, that could be the only reason.

[ a pause. ]

But what you say is pretty true too. Can I use that?

...

(An old conversation replays in his memory,

"I feel like I know you."
"What are you implying?"
"Your name is Hizen, right? What a coincidence."

Some things really are the same, no matter the time or place. Even this guy, if Hizen is right, had pinned him down easily. How annoying.)

... You remind me of someone I used to know.

(He'll concede that much.)

The most annoying guys in the world.

(Not just one guy! Two.)

[ oho! he's getting somewhere! experience tells him not to look smug or like he's won just because he's made a tiny bit of progress ~~mostly because either of those things really piss off izō~~ but quietly he's pleased all the same.

the curious look in his eyes cannot be helped. ]

Guys? As in more than one? [ another difference? or something he's misunderstood? both equally possible. ] I expected there to be people from all kinds of places but hadn't imagined this sort of thing. Let me buy you a drink, I'd like to hear all about it.

[ because as usual he's ignored the part where everything about hizen so far has been prickly and evasive but plying people with alcohol is, more often than not, a perfectly effective and legitimate method for getting what he wants. ]

("So, let's share a drink and deepen our friendship."

Even this is the same and Hizen and he looks visibly uncomfortable. Usually, the offer for a free drink would be something he'd jump at but right now, he just feels aware. He takes a step back,)

What're you thinking?

[ ryouma thinks it over for a moment or two, trying to consider where he is versus what little of this place he knows. in the end, he just shrugs. relax! look how casual ryouma's being! he's not worrying about how bad things could go if being this open ends up going sideways or anything. ]

Whatever looks good? It's my treat, so I should at least let you choose.

[ freely opening his wallet to people who might potentially drink up the rest of what he'd held onto is also a risk, but he's not going to ruin the opportunity to learn more because he's being stingy. ]

Maybe... just steer clear of kitsune, for now?

[ he has nothing against them or any other youkai, but this is complicated enough without adding a layer of tamamo-adjacent foolishness. ]

...

(>Ryouma
>free drink
>Ryouma
>free drink

What wins out in the end is...)

Fine.

(He concedes. If he treats this as a chance to gather information, it becomes more tolerable.

And like that, he begins walking again, this time, in a different direction. Somewhere in a more neutral area; a quieter place that only wants to make a profit. How many drinks has Hizen been treated to since he arrived here? Enough to know a few places.

In some poor attempt to make conversation,)

If you try to play me, I'll kill you.

(Or maybe it's less of a conversation and more of a warning. He'll find you, Osamu Dazai, and he'll make you pay for that bill you left him.)

[ he tries not to look like a winner but he always looks happy when he gets a yes and now is no different. he falls back into step following hizen to their new destination, wherever that will be. ryouma attempts to make note of familiar landmarks to remember for the future. ]

I don't intend to try anything at all, but I know you have no reason to believe me, so I'll just have to prove it.

[ he seems to be doing that a lot these days, but the payoff will be worth it. ]

That's just what he would say too, you know? That person you remind me of. You really are alike...

[ yes, that is fondness in his tone. ]

(Because Ryouma is the spoiled youngest son that's why.

Hizen's shoulder visibly tense and as ever, he makes a point to not look at Ryouma,)

I don't know what you're talking about.

(A lie. Touken danshi are influenced by their history and stories. Hizen, the sword of a killer, manifested in this world with a character based off his most famous master; a master who was Ryouma's childhood friend. A friend who was so close, he even gave him one of his family swords...)

Stop acting like you know me. I told you, we've never met before.

(And sure enough, they get to a little bar. It's quaint and quiet, a place where people can even meet and talk during the daylight hours evne if it isn't very busy. It smells of lingering smoke and oil that has seeped into the walls and furniture, it's cramped, and everything seems a little mismatched but Hizen has never cared for things like appearance or aesthetic. The walls are lined with bottles and a simple grill and stove in the back suggest this place also serves some simple foods-- things that are grilled or fried. A menu on the wall reveals pickled side dishes and snacks. A TV in the corner plays a sports game in fuzzy definition.

Hizen grabs them a seat at the end of the bar and to no one's surprise... he immediately orders,)

Sake.

That's true, you and I have never met. But I don't need to know you to hear it.

[ the only thing missing is the accent, which he feels like he hears every so often but then wonders if he might've imagined it because he almost expects it. ]

He's here too, actually. I bet you'd see too it if you met.

[ and won't he have a curious story to tell izō later? ryouma appreciates a quaint and quiet atmosphere, especially as a nice contrast to what you usually get in sutoku territory which is a whole lot of sensory overload. this is much more his speed.

he sits down and sets his little bag of assorted items aside, looking amused at hizen's quick order. ]

Make it two.

[ no point in attempting to split it. that handled, he turns right back to hizen. ]

And before I ask you anything else... what should I call you?

[ introductions are an easy thing to forget, but now that they're here it's about that time. he expects to be given an alias, but that still beats referring to hizen in his mind as "this guy with a sword just like the one that i used to have". ]

(He knows exactly who he's talking about because he met him earlier, too. The first one here to figure out who not only figured out who he was but what he was. He still isn't sure how he feels about that; he needs to investigate this Izo more closely, he thinks, but he wonders if that's also just an excuse to watch.

But the question just catches Hizen in a situation he'd rather not be in. He'd told Izo it didn't matter if people knew what he was here. What's one more tsukumogami in a place where so many others are running and hopping around? But this guy is someone Hizen would rather not reveal himself to. It's out of pure stubbornness that he doesn't want to give him any answers. But if he knows Izo already? It's just a matter of time and that's just another excuse to meet. Another excuse where the attention is going to be focused on him.

While debating with himself, the drinks: Two bottles of sake and two cups.

He reaches with his left hand-- the one that doesn't bear his brand-- and pours. The way to drink is to take a sip, drink slowly, and savor the taste but he's been here before. He knows how it is already and no one here is going to judge when he just knocks back the shot and goes to pour another. Just when it looks like he isn't going to answer, he grumbles, )

I'm not who you think I am.

(He's not Okada Izo. He's not the manslayer. He's--)

... Hizen.

(Just mumbles it into his cup.)

Eh?

[ he has to lean forward a little to make sure he's heard that properly. at first, ryouma assumes it's the convenient alias he'd been expecting — why not just use the name of the sword? — but then things settle into place on their own one by one. oh. ]

So, when you say you've always had that sword, y'mean—...

[ his accent slips for just a moment because he's preoccupied thinking about how no, that's not impossible at all, considering the things he's seen and that's not even taking into account another world with different rules. at the next moment, ryouma springs up out of his seat again because it finally clicks. ]

Eh?!

[ sorry, everyone else in this bar, there's no inside voices in tosa. no personal space either, apparently, since ryouma is really right here now like he hasn't really been looking up until now. ]

But you look so—... [ he looks thoughtful. ] I just would've expected you to be a lot older. And taller.

[ you know, like he might expect the spirit of a cherished heirloom of the sakamoto family to look. because he obviously has no idea how this works and is just running his mouth. ]

(Takes another shot and immediately goes to pour himself one more which will reveal... the glove on his hand bearing a unique but familiar crest.

And there Ryouma goes. Getting loud, prattling away, making a scene, and he's tired. He's so damn tired he feels like he just aged all the way back into the Heian era. )

( open ) 001

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