[OPEN] moving day!

[watermemory]

Who ⬤ Minato, Eiichi, and anyone
What ⬤ July substories in a get-along “shirt” / knb camera footage / catchall post.
When ⬤ July to August because it’s already middle of the month orz
Where ⬤ Various
Content Warnings ⬤ Substory 2 has the naked guy? The camera threads may discuss elements of violence and horror imagery.

[ Around one of the Sutoku residential buildings, it’s a nice peaceful morning broken by the sound of an argument. What else is new. ]

[ The excuse for Minato’s presence this time (not that anyone in this building is buying it now) is he’s helping Tama with packing and moving. It’s a relatable plight to many others, honestly, after their residences were made uninhabitable after the cursed month. The arrival of their mutual friend Eiichi has only made the move that much more urgent. ]

[ That isn’t the cause of the argument. But it might be easy to guess, considering that for the rest of the day, Minato and Eiichi can be found together. Quite… literally together. Is… that a set of handcuffs…? ]

[ The sight of them makes for an odd mirrored effect, given their similar appearances. The only real difference is their expressions: Minato looks distinctly harassed, Eiichi has a permanent scowl — they do seem to be agreed on one thing: Doggedly go on with their day as if there is nothing weird about the situation. ]

(( All Substory logs below are duo threads with both Minato and Eiichi handcuffed together and trying to play it cool. Though if you’d rather only tag one or the other, it can be handwaved that they’d gotten out of this daft predicament at some point. If there’s something else you have in mind, hit us up or pm watermemory / frogmarched. ))

Comments

[watermemory]

[ What- ah, right, Cain's visibility curse. When Minato does pop into view, he looks sheepish, gesturing at the disarray behind him. ]

No, uh... I thought you were my flatmate, he's very particular. [ It's not that he isn't tidy (he is, besides the fact that if it weren't for the whole enforced dress code business, he wouldn't bother with ironing his shirts...) but Eiichi Segawa is a force unto himself. ]

--Oh! That's very kind of you -- I didn't know you could cook? Come in, just let me... [ He retreats, hefting up the half-finished bookshelf and backing up a few steps, to set against the wall so it isn't in the way. Over his shoulder, he says lightly: ] ...I'm a little surprised you're in one piece -- I saw you get mobbed, at Lord Enma's statement. They really are tenacious, aren't they?

[himbosupreme]

[Ah, so he saw that. It was not one of his smarter decisions (like he made many of those), and it had been dangerous there for awhile.]

Yeah, my uh, my own roomate, Megumi? He managed to get me out. A bit startling, I gotta say.

[He's not totally used to being dropped into someone's shadow and dragged out, at least. But he has the skewers at the ready, setting them down where Minato indicated that it was a good spot.]

And as for cooking, well I'm nowhere near Nero's level, but I don't mind making stuff for my friends. It makes me happy when they enjoy the things I cook.

[Just don't ask about the fried oreos.]

I'm glad you seem to be settling in okay-I'll have to meet your roommate at some point.

[watermemory]

[ A shrug: ] I hardly escaped, myself, if it wasn't for my friend. It's for the best -- even if I wanted to tell them anything [ HE DOES NOT ] , I don't think I know that much more.

Nero? [ There's a bare space on the kitchen counter, though once Cain places the platter down, Minato puts a mesh food dome over it, to protect Cain's gift from bugs -- or other scavengers, as a little black cat hops up on the counter to sniff at the chicken interestedly. ] ...and here's someone who would appreciate your cooking, it seems.

[ ...a complicated series of expressions cross Minato's face, the same expressions he probably makes any time people talked about meeting his errant best friend. ]

Eiichi's the smartest person I know, but he's also... contrary. I should forewarn you, if you do meet him, he hates being touched. I'm sure you've encountered that with your curse, but if you ever need to talk to him, it'd be better to... [ He picks up his cellphone from the low table, where the camera and a laptop are sitting, giving the phone a wiggle for emphasis. ]

[himbosupreme]

[Cat!! Suddenly Cain is distracted.]

Hello there, buddy. I would've made some for you if I knew you were here!

[He reached out his hand for the cat to sniff and possibly rub against. But Minato's expression and tone was enough to make him look up, considering the man's words.]

I see...I would like to meet him sometime if he'd let me. I don't really enjoy having to touch people to be able to see them, but in unnerves me more if I knew they were there. I mean...if you can warn him before hand, even just a hi five works. Or I could tell him.

[It's what he often did with the wizards around the manor and people who knew his affliction. Still, it was a shame since Cain was a type of guy who really liked to be physically close to other people.]

I know I can kind of be touchy, haha....

[watermemory]

[ The cat mrows in greeting, butting his head against Cain's hand. Minato covers a smile with his hand. ]

He already had enough of a taste for people-food. Back in the world I have to sneak dinner to him so my landlady doesn't notice. Now we don't need to sneak around, he's gotten incorrigible.

You don't need to apologize. You're you, and Eiichi is... Eiichi. [ Eloquent. ] Don't worry, I'll let him know. Anyway, if you weren't "touchy", I wouldn't be-- [ He clears his throat, face colouring, and he picks a screwdriver up and heads to the half-finished bookshelf. Talking over his shoulder: ]

Where did this affliction come from, anyway? I know you explained how it works, but there wasn't time to ask questions before the mission.

[ And, well, Minato hadn't known anyone on the team prior to the assignment, not to mention how... locked into his own head he'd gotten by that time, so he hadn't been exactly talkative before they'd headed in. ]

[himbosupreme]

[Aw, he was so cute! Cain's going to happily scoop him up if the cat let him and give him all the scritches he deserved.]

Well I can't deny a cute face like that. Meat is okay for them anyway, so I'll have to do something next time.

[But anyway, back to more serious things to talk about. He was more than a little curious about this Eiichi, and Minato had agreed to let them get in contact at some point, but he supposed he'd just have to have his questions answered then.

As for the affliction...]

I don't know if you saw the post I made on the network thing awhile back. Every year the Great Calamity comes close to our world, and the Sage's wizards have to fight it off. It used to be basically a ritual that happened, but this last time...

[His voice was trailing off before he could continue with it steady.]

This last time someone had interfered. We're not sure how or why, but the strength of the Calamity was far worse than anything we'd seen ever before, and the battle did damage to our very souls. Well...those of us who survived.

[He'd come here to ask more about the tower and what had happened, but he owed it to Minato to tell him about this.]

[watermemory]

[ Mina does think Eiichi would understand, it's not like they weren't acquainted with strange curses. He'd just... have some weird prurient remark to make about it first, as usual. But hopefully Minato warning both of them in advance will head off any awkwardness. (It will not.) ]

Ah, no, I hadn't seen the message. [ At the time, he'd still been awkward (well, more awkward than now) with the phone device, and not really inclined to check it much. And Minato had been advised to skim the network archives before Cain's post went up. It must have just slipped past. ]

[ Wizards, rituals, a traitor who nearly caused a massacre (or maybe succeeded, for all he knew)... What could you say to something like that? He doesn't turn around when Cain's voice wavers, letting him get himself under control without having to have a witness. ]

A yearly "Calamity"... I see. So the mission wasn't the first time you've been called to fight something like that. [ It made sense then, how Cain had brushed off his actions in the tower as no big deal. ] I'm... I'm sorry to hear about your friends. Did you ever find the person who did it?

[himbosupreme]

[Cain was thankful, because there was nothing he hated more than showing a moment of weakness in front of anyone. It was not just because of pride-but he was the one the other younger wizards relied on. He was supposed to be the prince's sword and shield.]

This was the second time I fought the Calamity. I'm not a stranger to battle as the former General of the knights but that...before I even knew it, half of us had turned into stone.

[He remembers looking back only to find the southern wizards all gone and he and Oz were the only central wizards left standing.

No, he couldn't do this. Minato was a friend, and it did them a disservice to get upset over their deaths when it wasn't even resolved. At least the cat in his arms helped distract him as he softly scratched its head.]

We haven't found him yet, though not for want of trying. I hope that eventually we will find him, especially before the next Calamity.

Sorry..that really wasn't the reason I came here, but you deserved an explanation. We're doing pretty well now, all things considered!

[Not very believable, but it will have to do.]

I also did come to ask about if there's any more information on the tower investigation, though I understand if you don't want to since you just moved in.

[watermemory]

[ He's torn between incredulousness (a knight and a general, when Cain doesn't look a day older than him) and silent dismay at what he's describing. He almost asks if surely there's some a way to... un-petrify the victims? Somehow? But given Cain's reaction just now, Minato can guess the answer is no. Better to listen quietly, and not dig into this. ]

You will. [ He says it firmly, as if he could know anything about the culprit at all; what Minato does know is that sounding sure matters more. Especially here and now, when nothing could be done about this mystery person until their contracts were up. ] Someone like that can't stay hidden for long.

[ Hm. He's brushed off friends and family enough times with similar "doing pretty well"'s not to recognize it from someone else. ] I'm glad to hear that.

[ Minato turns around to lean against the wall, accepting the change of subject. ] Less information, more... a promise of it, I guess? Inspector Norimune-- he's in Enma with you, I don't know if you've met-- said he was going to ask Captain Shiki what she knew. Strife and his friend are going to ask some contact he has in Sutoku. And... [ With everyone else he's been reserved when talking about the entity, but Cain and the rest of the team saw it, too. ] I don't think anyone really knows what to make of that thing -- Haniyasu. If the Enma's right about their name.

[himbosupreme]

[Cain was at least 19 when he became the leader of the knights because child soldiers and all that...but also he was noted to be unsually skilled at what he did for his age.

None of that mattered when he was outed as a wizard, of course. And he desperately wanted to believe Minato was right. But he definitely took the change of subject easily.]

Oh yeah, I've talked with him a few times. I think if something important came out he would tell us. But well, I did actually manage to talk to the Lord Enma. He called this Haniyasu a profane god...are those common? I don't even know if that's significant.

[watermemory]

[ He's nodding along -- Norimune's Cain's superior, after all, and the man had been pretty affable in Minato's own meeting with him -- but his chin jerks up at the mention of Cain's meeting. ]

You actually--? After that public address, I assumed he wouldn't be talking with anyone.

[ While he isn't like his friend Tama (who's made his opinion of the king of hell very loud and clear), the news that Lord Enma was deigning to talk to any mere Lost Soul is genuinely a surprise to Minato. ]

[ Also. "Profane"? ] Well... I can tell you what I know of the mythology. They're a god of soil, who came into being when the goddess Izanami was dying in childbirth. They're one of many deities who were 'born' from her agonies. Sometimes Haniyasu is a single being, sometimes they're a pair, male and female... But I don't know any stories of them doing anything like what they did.

[ He rubs his forehead. ] If their malice isn't inherent to their myth, I can only assume it's from some personal grievance they have with Lord Enma. [ Who isn't even in the same mythos! >:\ ] Did he mention anything like that? What else did he say?

[himbosupreme]

[Honestly, Cain was suprised too. He hadn't expected even asking would work, which is even more why the Enma's answer hurt.

He did listen to the mythos of the Haniyasu, though, as it seems they were actual gods to some people.]

I was recently promoted, so I decided to stick around a little longer and ask him a couple things I'd been meaning to. I...didn't think he'd answer me either.

[He was hoping the profane part maybe held a clue to someone who knew more, but perhaps in that case it really was something unique to this world and this being. The Enma's remarks still cut deep and he was still reeling from it despite having not told anywone.

Somehow Minato seemed almost safe. He was a good companion, none of the baggage of being a wizard and-he'd seen how Cain hesitated when Nicholas had appeared.]

Otherwise....there's not much else. He said he told the people who needed to know what they needed. And I was-am, not one of them.

[It is very obvious that he does not want to make eye contact again because he absolutely couldn't control his expression.]

I,well...I can't deny the things he said are true, so I'll just have to keep working to earn his trust.