jigokulogs | [ OPEN ] sunrise, sunset

Entry tags:

[ OPEN ] sunrise, sunset

Who ⬤ Kim Kitsuragi & YOU
What ⬤ March substories (night parade & babysitting bad trips) & more!
When ⬤ Throughout March
Where ⬤ Throughout Jigoku-cho
Content Warnings ⬤ Drug use for the applicable substory, otherwise n/a

a. high definition.

[ When Kim notices people exiting the drug testing location looking decidedly worse for wear, his first instinct is to simply ignore them. They knew what they signed up for, did so willingly, and evidently did so without having the contingency of planning for a friend to accompany them and keep them safe afterwards. He stands off to the side for a frankly unconsciable amount of time, reasoning that some good samaritan will choose to be helpful. It doesn't have to be him. He's done enough of babysitting people on unadvisable drug trips for an entire lifetime, and he's not keen on repeating the experience.

Except it quickly becomes clear that nobody else is going to step in, even when he's given one or two passer-bys a hopeful glance. Whether it's the blindness, hallucinations, or general revelry that influences people to make terrible decisions, participants in the study are going to wind up being a danger to themselves or others, Kim decides, and reluctantly approaches one of them. ]

Khm. Excuse me. Are you all right?

[ He knows the answer to that question. It's no, because agreeing to be the guinea pig for unknown drugs as administered by some bizarre rabbit creatures is not something you do when you're all right, but he makes the executive decision to err on the side of politeness anyway. ]

b. night parade.

i. decorating.

[ Assisting with the parade seems like an easy way of currying favour with his superiors and to at least put on the pretense of helping out, so Kim gladly accepts the task of hanging up the decorations. He'll be around to help hold ladders, move boxes from point A to point B, or toss a bottle of water to one of his fellow assistants who looks as though they've failed to hydrate through any of their hard labour.

He does, however, become more invested in it than he specifically means to as he stands back, hands tucked neatly behind him, and scrutinizes one of the stalls' decorations, in a very interesting colour scheme. ]

No. I'm sorry, this needs to come down. These colours are... [ There is a polite way of putting this. ] ...very ugly.

ii. eyes needed.

[ Kim, having been deemed a very responsible looking man (probably because he's one of the older people here, he thinks with a sigh), has been tasked with sorting the fireworks and putting them in appropriate storage. Some need to be stored at certain temperatures to maintain the brilliance of their colours, and others need to be put under lock and key in a nearby storage unit because in the wrong hands, they have the capacity to do an awful lot of damage.

Which is fine. Kim is more than capable of handling this. Only he's supposed to be reading the criminally tiny fine print along the sides of the tubes. He holds them away from his face as far as possible in a desperate bid to translate it, but to no avail. He could rely on guesswork, but...

Reluctantly, he turns to one of his fellows, roped into helping with the parade as well. ] Can you make this out?

[ He's secretly hoping the answer is no, which is a possibility. It would be less embarrassing that way. ]
c. sutoku district & housing.

[ Otherwise, Kim can be found wandering around what he's been told is his new home, pausing occasionally to look at the huge, flashy arcades, the blindingly bright department stores, or perhaps dwelling a little too long on one of the vehicles parked along the side of the road. Shopping isn't the most exciting thing, perhaps, but Kim has plenty he needs to get with his first paycheck: groceries (largely frozen and canned foods, specialty-made for the consummate bachelor), a first-aid kit, cigarettes and toiletries, instant coffee, and a pitstop where he inspects a truly tragic looking pot of mint planted in ruinously dry soil.

By the end of the evening, he can be found on the balcony of the long line of depressing apartments that all of the newcomers have been put into, staring out at the night sky with a cigarette dangling from his fingers and a convenience store bag filled with premade food hanging off the crook of his elbow. He's willing to share, if interest is shown -- a cigarette for the adults, or a an extra onigiri for the kids. If he's going to eat a depressing late-night dinner standing out here, he may as well have some company. ]

d. wildcard.

[ want something else? I'd love to make a starter for you! just hit me up at my ooc comment here and we'll figure something out. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It was moreso curiosity than a sense of goodwill that had brought Matoba strolling down the parade-prep avenue, but once he's there, he can't help a childlike sense of wonder at the massive floats and colorful decorations of the festival. Spending most of his time in lush forests and mountainsides far from this kind of urban environment, the neon of the city was different enough, to say nothing of how it looked when trussed up for a celebration.]

[Really, he's probably more in the way of everyone doing actual work as he strolls around between the different worksites, but it's one in particular that causes him to stop in his tracks, and not entirely of his own will.]

[He tries to look at the stall. Really, he does- except that his one good eye just keeps trying to squint shut as he stares at it.] Aah. This is a problem...

[Luckily, he hears a familiar voice nearby! Still shaking his head out from the disorientation, Matoba turns his head away from the trainwreck of a stall and towards the voice, trying to make out the face. Too bad his eye is seeing spots now.] ...Don't tell me, you're responsible for this?

Unfortunately.

[ Kim lets out an absolutely withering sigh that is probably a disproportionate reaction to dislikes the colour scheme he's been tasked with putting up, but in his defense, it has been a very, very long couple of weeks. ]

This is what the owners said they wanted, but I'm beginning to think they may be colour-blind. [ He glances over at the source of the voice, recognizing the fellow he'd spoken to in the waiting room. The fact that he deals in what Kim would ordinarily declare as nonsense aside, he had been relatively helpful and forthcoming, moreso than the people Kim usually runs into. It's not terrible, to run into him again. ]

I don't suppose there are any supra-natural reasons why someone would prefer this eyesore.

[ Maybe ayakishi just love horrible design choices. It would make as much sense as everything else. ]

Hum. I'm really going to have to request that it's changed, [Matoba sighs out, as if he had any kind of authority to declare such a thing. He tries to look back at it again, but thinks better of it as soon as his eye starts trying to close again and turns so that the offending stall is to his back.] I've never specifically heard of ayakashi being colorblind, but now that you mention it, I have certainly come across ones that were simply blind. Typically, they rely their sense of smell, instead... Perhaps beasts such as bakeneko, as well.

[He glances back to see if the offending owners were around. Matoba had absolutely no qualms about bullying some ayakashi whose only offense was having an ugly street stall- not that Kim had asked for it, but he thinks he's being helpful.]

Besides causing a menace like usual? I don't really think so, [He replies cheerfully, eye still tensely squinted at Kim as it recovers from staring back at the sun.] If you need to convince them, perhaps I may be of service?

I wasn't aware that you had the authority to dictate the street's decorations, [ Kim says dryly, though in truth, the offer to field the ayakishi is a welcome one. He doesn't relish the idea of heckling strangers about their poor aesthetic choices, but was perfectly willing to do so. If someone else can do it in his stead, he's more than happy to simply stand behind him, nod, and look even remotely official enough to lend Matoba an air of professionalism.

It's not nice to bully innocent shop owners over such indiscretions, but Kim has never advertised himself as a nice man. ]

But by all means, be my guest, [ he says, gesturing towards the open door of the storefront. ] At least try to be polite about it.

[Matoba laughs at the dry reply, letting it roll off him easily.] Not yet. Although, perhaps I should, if this is what we end up with otherwise. Maybe give it some time!

[He's mostly joking. Probably. And if Kim was willing to let him get away with his usual brand of shamelessness, then there was nothing really standing in his way unless some actual authority showed up, right?]

[Glancing towards the doorway, Matoba considers with a tilt of his head, and then strides towards the door.] Very well. Of course, I am never anything less.

[As if delivering insults with polite words was any better.]

[Upon entering the shop, Matoba's eye adjusts to the lighting to settle on an ayakashi with the form of a little old man, wearing a single-horned Hannya mask. The ayakashi seems to be muttering to itself as it works, bustling here and there, and when the two men enter it wheels about and gives a little shriek.] WHAT DO YOU WANT!?

Ahaha, leave it to an old gramps like this to have the ugliest stall... [Matoba hums to himself, folding his hands in his sleeves. He looks about the shop... It seemed to be selling what looked like toys and games of some sort- colorful tops and figures filled the shelves.] But I understand the colors, now.

Edited (idk how I managed to hit enter too early) 2022-03-13 03:17 (UTC)

[ It is a testament to Kim's nigh legendary compsure that he manages to neither jump nor grimace at being greeted with that awful little shriek from one of the creatures that he frankly still finds to be a little unsettling. He would like to jump and head out, of course, but he's a creature of pride after all, and knows he has to get used to his non-human companions at some point. Still, it's nice to have someone else take the lead, even if it's to be a big enough asshole to tell someone that they've got shit taste in decorations and they've got to take them down.

They really don't have to do this. It's a silly idea, and unkind besides. But Kim rather feels as though they've committed, and besides, they're doing the man a favour; he's going to get better business without having that eyesore out front. ] Yes, [ Kim murmurs back at Matoba. ] But at least most of the toys are at least colour-coordinated.

Khm. [ He adjusts his glasses, then pitches his voice louder to speak with the stall owner. ] Good evening, sir. My name is Kim Kitsuragi. My colleague and I from the Sutoku Alliance are here to discuss your stall's place in parade preparations with you.

[ He looks at Matoba, as though to say: tag, you're it. ]

[A puff of laughter escapes Matoba as he reaches out to fiddle with a mobile hanging from the shop's ceiling; cut out shapes like ghosts and imps danced in the air with streamers that looked like sacred ropes. It was almost charming, if not for the fact that it looked like it could go in some sort of demonic shrine.]

[The shopkeeper eyes them both mistrustfully, stomping up to face them with his hands on his hips. He was short, barely 4' tall next to them, but didn't seem to be intimidated in the slightest.] Harumph! Tengu muscle, you mean!?

That's right. [Matoba flashes his ineffable smile, a sign of trouble, as he takes over.] Allow me to be blunt, gramps. Those hideous streamers you've got up out there need to change. If you don't, we'll take them down for you anyway... But, you might not get the business you want on Parade Night, if that's the case.

[Nailed it. The shopkeeper staggers a little at the threat, and then shrieks even louder.] WHY, YOU MEDDLING-- I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW, MY SHOP HAS BEEN IN THIS DISTRICT FOR-- YOU CAN'T JUST--!!

[He's still actively ranting as Matoba turns to Kim, cheerful.] I think that should do it, don't you?

What? No! I was hoping that you would convince him, not insult him.

[ He should have known better than to just trust in Matoba's sense of subtlety. He rubs at the bridge of his nose, sighing. They could switch out the stall's design on their own, certainly, and Kim is not above it, but his preference is always for people to cooperate willingly.

It also feels a little silly to be making this big of a fuss over something as simple as a bad colour palette, but when Kim commits, he has a hard time backtracking on that decision. ]

Never mind. Let me try. [ He clears his throat. ] Excuse me. Sir? Sir?

[ The shopkeeper keeps ranting and, to his credit, Kim simply stands there and tolerates it, a pillar of stoicism in the face of an impressive amount of spittle showering his face and spectacles. He does, however, pause to pull an embroidered handkerchief out of his pocket and clean his glasses.

Eventually the shopkeeper runs out of steam, huffing and puffing like he just ran a uniform, and Kim raises a brow at him. ]

Khm. Sir, if I may? There is a colour scheme that complements the parade coming through. Every other stall in the vicinity has abided by this. If you do not, I don't doubt that there will be trouble -- and as my colleague pointed out, your business will suffer for it. It is a simple change, and a temporary one. After the parade, you are free to decorate however you see fit.

[ He glances over at Matoba, though it's unclear whether he's appealing for him to keep his trap shut or to back him up on this one. ]

I think I'm getting there, [Matoba cheerfully, and rather nonchalantly retorts. He's working the guy! Jeez, Kim, you gotta break them down slowly--]

[But he supposes that the other man ought to give a try to doing so, and so he watches with curiosity and interest as Kim endures the shopkeeper's ire. He was perhaps enjoying this a little too much... Could it be that he was actually a troublemaking type? When it suited his needs.]

[It said a lot about a person to see how they would handle a negotiation like this, and Kim's sound reasoning was certainly another way to go about it. A little respectful for Matoba's taste- there wasn't much reason to afford it, in his opinion- but results were results. He meets Kim's glance as the shopkeeper appeared to be grinding his teeth, muttering about bullying and humans that think they know better and how his toy shop has been in operation for over 2 thousand years, you upstarts- but against all odds, seemingly thinking it over.]

You'll be doing the work, right!? Since you know so much better! HMPH!

That's right, sir. You will not regret your decision. Thank you for your cooperation.

[ With a polite nod of his head, Kim turns tail and heads out of the tiny shop, holding the door open behind him for Matoba. Once the door has safely shut behind them, he waves a hand in the air in front of his face, wrinkling his nose with apparent disgust and mutters, ] Eugh, the stench of his breath. Rancid.

[ What did that guy eat? It's a good question, actually, though not one he chooses to linger on now. He glances over at Matoba, considering that he probably shouldn't have expected any better from him. ]

Hasn't anyone ever told you it's best not to make any unnecessary enemies?

Haha, well most lower-level ayakashi of that sort feed on blood and entrails, so it's no surprise. They particularly love human ones. [Was Kim looking to be educated, here? No, but he's getting schooled anyway. Matoba follows out of the shop looking satisfied with the outcome, and then half-glances back up to the searing brightness of the colors again. Eugh. Mistake.]

[They should take them down as quickly as possible.] No, never, [He answers, which may or may not be truthful, turning his search back towards where the rest of the parade volunteers were working.] Negotiating for something worthwhile is one thing, but I find that often the most direct path is the most efficient one.

...Of course, typically, smallfry like that aren't something I'd even have to worry about. [A minor irritation in itself. But as long as he still had the presence to intimidate them, a bluff would serve him well. After all, they could have whatever grudges they liked; he would remember those that crossed him, when his power was restored.]

Now then! What colors shall we fix this up with, hm? Perhaps dull the reds and greens, a little...

Hm. Lovely. Truly, I love to hear about how a population would just love to feast on our entrails. It's good to know my body won't go to waste.

[ Is he being sarcastic...? Honestly, it's hard to tell. The only person Kim usually amuses is himself, mostly in accordance with everyone's inability to read him, and he seems to be utterly fine with that. Really, though, is that something he'll have to worry about?

Not really, he decides. People have wanted to kill him for a great variety of reasons. The why doesn't particularly matter. If he's dead, he's dead, and what happens to his ignomious corpse is no longer his problem. ]

A light pink would do, I think. With a tamer green. A mint, perhaps, [ he says, looking down at the box of decorations at their disposal. ] Have you run into any ayakishi that you wouldn't regard as smallfry?

[ None of them seem normal to Kim, but normal enough. Just people, going through their lives. Same as anyone else. ]

Haha, well you don't have to worry! As long as you're with me, your intestines are probably safe. All the denizens of this world seem well-fed, anyway.

[It's hard to say if Matoba is amused, or just humoring him. Power or no, Matoba feels that he is sufficiently experienced enough to menace most of the weaker ones from bothering them- if they didn't catch the whiff of exorcism from him, the malice connected to his eye would probably make them take pause.]

[It's been working out for him, so far. He leans over to rummage through one of the streamer boxes, taking a look at the available decorations. He's no artist, so he'll leave the decisions here to Kim, who seems to be much better at it if the rest of the decor around them was anything to go by.] Oh, like classic cotton candy colors? How nostalgic. [He plucks a roll of pink crepe-paper streamers up from the box, examining them.] Ahh, this does take me back to stalls on the riverside, during the summer festivals....

[He sets that one aside, and then continues to dig for a proper green, as he considers Kim's question. Certainly, this place held a great variety of them, to the extent that it was almost a blessing that his senses had been dulled a little. He would likely feel nauseous all the time, if he could feel their power at full-blast without the ability to wear some sort of charm to keep their auras out.]

Let's see... I have brushed past a few more powerful ones... lieutenants, I would guess, that would give even me trouble. And under normal circumstances, I'd imagine the heads of the clans would not be ayakashi I would try to involve myself with at all, if it could helped.

...Then again, ones this powerful usually keep to themselves and their own realms, as they do here. It has likely been some centuries since the human world had to worry about such powerful youkai running amok.

[And if they did? The modern world of humans would be ill-equipped to handle them. But as belief waned even in the countryside areas, kami and youkai alike had lost much of the power they had to remain in the human world, nature now hardly thriving enough to sustain them long enough to muster much force. There were some that remained- he had encountered a handful in his time- and for many reasons, the Matoba withdrew when they were an obstacle.]

Mmhm. My hero.

[ He still has yet to see Matoba's self-proclaimed skills of exorcism, and while they would be fully justified in the case of some good old-fashioned devouring of entrails, Kim idly thinks that in this place, it would rightfully be considered to be murder. He doesn't think it will become necessary, in any case. None of the ayakishi he's met thus far have been interested in more than taking what little money he has or swearing at him for walking a little too slowly in front of them as he tries to figure out the geography of this city.

The rest, though, he listens to with fascination as he hangs up the much tamer decorations. ]

Lieutenants, you call them? They use our power structures? That seems... a little unimaginative, actually. [ He would imagine it more as a free-for-all. He shrugs. ] All the better for our understanding, I suppose. I can't say I'm in any hurry to meet our employer either. [ He frowns. ] I get the impression that their business is much more complicated than we've seen. Even if all they have us doing right now is hanging up a few streamers.

[ Just like when Matoba was a kid, apparently. A riverside summer festival... that sounds nice. He'd probably like that. ]

[Kim had come to the same conclusion as Matoba, where the exorcism of ayakashi was concerned- not that he had the power to do so currently, which was probably for the best, so he had decided. It would surely only create further mistrust, and allowing him to have time to curry favor within the clan and create opportunities without being seen as a threat was more useful to him now than the bit of power to seal or punish.]

[He wasn't a clanhead, here. He was merely one of many feet on the ground, a footsoldier within a political organization, and he had to be careful where he stepped anyway. Matoba easily set aside his own biases in order to accomplish the task set in front of him, something he could do because he was so used to suppression anyway.]

Well, after all, we are all a part of their yakuza families now, so it makes sense that they would have captains and lieutenants as well, no? [He speaks as if it's as familiar to him as everything else here, the man-eating and the esoteric nature of everything.] But I suppose in my view, it is quite like ayakashi to mimic humans and our structures, as they mimic daily life. After all, many of them are life that gathered because of human influence- human-worship, within human homes, in things belonging to humans.

[Matoba gestures nearby, to a kasa-obake hopping past with a line to tie down one of the floats.]

[He hums and remains thoughtfully quiet a moment, unwinding a streamer and beginning to braid the colors together, pink and green. It was like braiding the shimanawa ropes for a shrine, he had thought to himself as he strolled down the avenue on his way here. Human-like activities, indeed.] I think it is no more complicated than any business which is done in private.

[And that is all he'll say about that, without incriminating himself further.]

Edited (rip small tags) 2022-03-26 18:08 (UTC)

[ The more Kim learns about the ayakishi, the bigger his headache will get, he thinks. It just makes no sense to him. Life that gathered because of human worship? It's something he's heard of in much vaguer concepts, but to hear that it's true is simply bizarre. But he won't voice any of that to Matoba; questionable attitude aside, he's been an incredibly helpful source of information thus far - assuming that this world works like his own, which Matoba seems fairly certain about - and Kim doesn't want to discourage that. Frankly speaking, he'll probably owe the man a beer at some point for telling him all of this, pulling the truly ignorant into the fray of the supernatural.

When he glances over at the kasa-obake, he does not voice his private thought either, which is that it's terrifying. He should get used to this at some point, but if not for his pride and a sense of self-preservation, if he saw one of those heading up to him in the dead of night, he'd sprint as far as he can in the opposite direction. As it is, it would take someone very practiced in reading expressions to see how much this unsettles him. At least the shopowner seemed... organic. ]

I see. It's convenient for me, I suppose. This is enough to get used to without having to sort out an entirely new power structure as well. [ He taps a foot, thinking, then starts to mimic Matoba in weaving the streamers together. ] I'm sure it's much the same as what I'm familiar with back home.

[ Gang activity. Nothing he thought he would ever have to get involved with. ]

You really do know a lot about them, don't you? Is it something you learned about from a young age?

[ He speaks like an expert -- but he's really not that old. ]

[Matoba hums to himself as Kim voices his thoughts on the ayakashi. For now, he decides to ponder that one; instead, he answers Kim's question, first, which was simple.]

Yes, that's right. I was born into an exorcist family, and so it was pretty much always certain that I would become one. [He tugs on the streamers he's working on to tighten the braiding up, pulling off a piece of tape to secure them at one side.] The ability to see manifested more or less as early as I can remember, so my training similarly started as soon as I could walk, and talk. Well, basic education, anyway- learning how to safely navigate my way through the world of ayakashi, and starting with little spells, until I worked my way up.

[Born the male child of the main family of the most powerful exorcist clan in his region. There was never a choice, really. After a time, he seems to have something else on his mind, and decides to address Kim's earlier comment.]

--To be frank, normal humans shouldn't ever have to see them, [Matoba says, with a sigh that's a bit weary.] That is, after all, a part of our function as well- us exorcists, I mean. That normal humans should not have to trouble themselves to be bothered by them. [His face has fallen into a frown, like one he might have while working out a troublesome knot.] This place... It's a totally unnatural state of affairs.

[Despite his total airs of shadiness, when it came to his work, Matoba was apparently totally focused.]

So it's genetic, [ Kim translates, musing on it. ] That's a heavy burden to carry by virtue of what's basically luck. [ Good or bad luck? It's hard to say. He supposes it depends on how happy Matoba is with his lot. He doesn't seem to be particularly moody, but Kim knows better than to judge someone on outside appearances. He remembers telling Harry once about how his name carried with it expectations of who he would be. That was the only expectation he carried. Lonely as that may be, it's also freeing.

His companion here does not appear to have had a choice in the matter. ]

You won't find any arguments from me. Everything about this is unnatural. [ He frowns out at the street. Every ayakishi he's met here has been human, in a way. He hasn't felt particularly threatened by them, and their demeanor down to the cantankerous shop owner, is not at all dissimilar to dealing with an ordinary person. ]

Would it be correct to say that you're like... [ He grasps for a better simile. He cannot find one. Kim is not a creative person. ] A police officer, for ayakishi? The ones I've met here seem to more or less stick to themselves. And I can't imagine you go around exorcising every one you see.

[ Unless they're all mischievous. This is completely new ground for him. ]

Perhaps, [Matoba agrees,] But, as with any bloodline trait, the ability to See can become diluted throughout the generations. [There's little reaction- negative or positive- in his expression as he explains, although his eye remains trained on his work.] Unfortunately, the grudges of the many ayakashi that have been sealed, banished, and chased off by their ancestors do not cease with a bloodline's abilities. Thus, it becomes necessary to be absorbed by a functioning clan such as the Matoba when there are no heirs to continue the business.

If they do not......

[He trails off, but Kim can probably fill in the blank. It was no wonder there were fewer and fewer exorcists left in business.]

[It wasn't something he'd ever explained in much detail to someone without Sight before, even though it was surely knowledge to some with a peripheral relationship to the business. Collectors, long-standing clientele, even the traditional craftsmen who once served the exorcist community all surely knew some of the dangers that came with the job.]

[His mouth upturns in a smirk at Kim's descriptor. Many had used that in a derogatory sense towards the Matoba in the past, but he didn't really mind the comparison.] Yes, that probably applies, at least sometimes. After all, we are the strongest and largest clan, so we have a responsibility to uphold some level of standards for the rest of the community, and to provide opportunities for information and jobs.

[Matoba tugs a tanto dagger out of his sleeve like it's totally normal, and uses the blade to cut the streamers, tying them off, and starting a new set. He sheathes the blade and tucks it back into his kimono.] Indiscriminate exorcism is for reckless newcomers trying to show off. I don't waste my clan's resources, or my own, unless there's a reason.

[A job, a favor, a useful tool, someone's gratitude. At the end of the day, it was all quite practical. It was business.]

[ Life in Revachol has dictated that Kim is no stranger to hearing all manner of tragic stories, varied and macabre. Life in Revachol has, too, dictated that he's aware that much of the tragedy is generational; you don't generally peel underage addicts off the sidewalk with the knowledge that you're sending them home to a happy, healthy home. Unhappiness seems to be their birthright, inheriting their parents' regrets and bad habits, shouldering their debts and responsibilities.

So in a way, what Matoba describes is not a surprise, provided that he accept the reality of Matoba's life. In another way, it's usually not quite so literal; even one trapped by the expectations of their ancestors are able to find a way out without feeling as though the balance of life itself hangs in the balance. Those who pursue them may be old crime associates or debt collecters, not... demons.

Matoba seems to speak of it in stride, so Kim certainly won't voice any unwanted pity. It is a sad lot, though. It also reaffirms how little Kim thinks of supra-natural matters; it should never be someone's duty to deal with something just because they're one of the few special people who were born that way. ]

So even if you chose not to pursue this line of work, you'd be affected anyway. I doubt that the ayakishi who hold grudges are willing to accept that you've chosen a different career path. [ He watches Matoba cut at the streamers thoughtfully. ] Being here must be as alien for you as it is for me. That expectation hasn't followed you here. Would I be right in assuming that the ones with grudges against your family haven't followed you here either?

Yes, [Matoba tilts his head in a small nod, fingers slipping paper up and over,] Although some have tried. I suppose if you were an independent, or come from a less prolific clan, you may not have accrued as many grudges... In any case, Sight can disappear with age, as well, and if you have no heir to carry on the business then your shiki- ah, that is, your ayakashi servants- may continue to protect you until your death, as part of your contract with them.

Although I have heard of some complications stemming from that...

[Matoba wouldn't have to worry about that. Matoba clanheads never lived long enough for that to be a problem.]

[There is a much longer period of quiet after Kim asks about the Matoba's grudges in particular. Finishing off another set of streamers, Matoba secures the ends, and then sets it aside, turning to face Kim.]

[His hand reaches upward towards the sheet of paper, the spell that covered his right eye, and brushes aside the bangs that usually covered it.] This spelltag... You can see it, right? Normally, you wouldn't be able to.

[He lets his hair drop again, and props his chin in one hand with a lazy smirk.] There is a particularly nasty one for which my family is quite famous. Would you like to hear the story, Kim-san?

Yes, I can. I assumed it was cultural in nature. I was half-right, I think.

[ It's rude to pry, after all. And despite asking so many questions, it's rarely Kim's intention to do so. He likes to know things - he would hardly be a detective if he didn't - but it's rarely personal, and he never wants people to speak on things that make them uncomfortable. Largely because their discomfort makes Kim uncomfortable.

Matoba's odd, blase attitude is something of a blessing in that respect. Kim never feels as though he's emotionally overstepping in any way, and as a result, he never needs to deal with the burden of Matoba's doubtlessly messy emotions about his lot in life. As sympathetic as he maybe, personal conversations are always something that Kim has found difficult to navigate.

But if Matoba's offering to share? He nods. ]

If you're comfortable with sharing, then yes. I would.

Hah. Not far off, no.

[He folds his hands over his lap, eye drifting to the side. How to best discuss this with an outsider....]

Many generations ago, one of my ancestors- the head of the Matoba clan at the time- had made a promise with an ayakashi. Shiki contracts, you see, benefit both the contract holder and the ayakashi who has made the contract. Both increase greatly in power, the ayakashi may get some reward upon the death of the master, and the human receives a loyal servant. But sometimes ayakashi can also be enlisted for one job, casually, for some promised reward....

He promised his right eye. But in the end, for whatever reasons, he did not keep his promise. [There is a long and thoughtful pause.]

Ayakashi take promises and contracts very seriously, Kim-san. [He meets the man's eyes again, with a smile that doesn't reach his own.] That is why I am willing to go along easily enough with our employer's requests. Not that we have much say in the matter, hm?

[His head tilts upwards towards the strange sky of hell- as if seeking something.] Well. Ever since then, that ayakashi has been hunting for the thing it was promised, not caring that the individual who broke their promise is long, long dead. And over the many years, its hatred towards us has grown to a rather significant degree.

--Contracts are not the only way to forge connections with them, by the by. [Matoba smiles to himself, his eye still on the sky overhead.] Malicious hatred, focused and honed over a particular individual over many decades, over centuries... That, too, can forge particularly powerful bonds.

[ Kim listens carefully. He has the presence of mind to realize that writing down someone else's painful family history in front of them would be an uncouth thing to do, but his hand itches for a pen nonetheless; as far as he's concerned, while this is personal to Matoba, it also gives him an indication for how the beings here work, and how Kim might expect deals made with them to backfire.

He'll write it down later. Frankly, it sounds like the fairy tales he'd grown up with, fanciful stories meant to moralize to impressionable children. This sort of story would seem to say: keep your promises, little Kim, or you'll be sorry! A useful tool for any guardian to keep their kid in line -- or in Kim's case, many, many kids in line. But what was a fictional tool to Kim is an uncomfortable reality to the man in front of him. ]

So your occupation isn't your only birthright, [ he translates. Horrible thing, that. ] My condolences. That must be a terrible thing to grow up with.

[ And Kim thought he had it bad with his eyesight. He ruminates on what he's been told. If the case is that hatred can forge a bond, then there are many in Revachol who could have done exactly that. It's something to keep in mind with others he meets as well, he thinks. While he's certain he himself has never harboured a hatred like that for that long (at least towards a single person; groups of people are a different matter entirely) he doesn't doubt that there are others here that had. ]

Has that ayakishi never been successful in taking an eye from one of your clan? [ He did say that its hatred towards them had grown... ] Would that even satisfy them?

[Kim wasn't wrong. It was an excellent cautionary tale, and the rest of the exorcist community looked at the Matoba with varying levels of distaste for their history- and perhaps moreso, the tradition they spun out of it, and passed along (forced upon) their heirs.]

[But in the view of the Matoba clan, that distaste was only a convenient moral high-ground covering for jealousy. Matoba's mouth curls up at Kim's question, thinking of the disdainful words that were spoken behind their backs by their enemies and rivals.] Never. After all, once the eye is taken, the curse would be broken.

That is because that monster's desire for my eye- mine, and all the clanheads that have come before me- is what has made our clan so powerful. And as long as we are chased, and evade its attacks properly, our power will only grow stronger still.

[He meets Kim's eyes again.] That is also why we have not simply exorcised it. It is a malignant being whose hatred has grown its power so much that even other ayakashi do not wish to cross it, and our own power is reflected in that.

And so, [Matoba curls his fingers under his chin, other hand teasing at another roll of crepe paper,] Even the ayakashi here, who do not seem to have heard the reputation of the Matoba clan, can sense that it's unwise to remain around me... So long as that one may appear.

But don't worry, Kim-san. I wouldn't allow you to be caught up by that thing, so you can rest easy. [Reassuring??]

[ OPEN ] sunrise, sunset

b. decorating!

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