closed ໒꒱ july catch-all

[lemoncandy]

Who ⬤ Shealtiel & Various
What ⬤ July mini event/substories/misc threads
When ⬤ Through July
Where ⬤ Various
Content Warnings ⬤ None currently
( it's "closed" only because I don't have any open prompts, but hit me up if you'd like to start anything! starters in the comments. )

Comments

໒꒱ eula

[lemoncandy]

( The market that Eula has found is a significantly large one, all things considered. A lead that she had followed pointed right to an abandoned old building previously used for storing equipment— a warehouse, run down and hardly standing. It should be entirely empty, and so it's enough of a red flag when one or two youkai are seen entering and exiting from separate doorways repeatedly over the course of a couple of days. The other red flag being that one of those youkai was a suspect already in the eyes of the Department of the Enma. A known name floating around as a potential carrier and distributer of stardust.

Obviously, it wasn't a task that one person could take on alone, no matter how strong or confident they were. And when a call for backup went out, Shealtiel was the one refreshing all relevant channels, waiting for another chance to help. Sure, he was already helping out at the law offices and working overtime there, but that wasn't enough to feel worth something. This building required no warrant, being abandoned city property, and it meant he had time to get up and move.

After agreeing to help, he arrived at their decided meeting place a block away from the building in question. The meeting place? A food stand, selling delicious smelling street food that has already drawn Shealtiel in enough to grab about five sticks of some kind of meat and eat them in single bites each...

His mouth is full when Eula arrives, but he fixes that quickly, chucking the cleaned skewers into a trash bin to the side and standing up straighter. )

M-miss Eula, isn't it? My name is Shealtiel! I'm an angel, and a fellow member of the Department of Enma. What can you tell me about today's assignment?

( He's just used to saying assignment, but. He wants more details than he was given over quick communication, and he's ready to help!

At 5'3" and with his thin build, he might not look the most impressive of a partner, though. )

[disagree]

[ even before this fiasco, eula had always thought these stardust is suspicious. the fact that they just came out of nowhere despite being associated with tanabata should ring bells in people's heads, but she supposes that most of them were too charmed by the idea of literal stardust falling from the sky... can't relate.

so she'd looked more into it in the meantime, and found that there's been a lucrative business regarding illegal stardust trade lately. it's expected, really, what with its effects being drug-like at this point. she'll need a partner for this, but since she's still incredibly mad at her usual partner wrecking her car recently.........

well. there are other vehicles available in the department, so she'll take advantage of those for now. eula rolls into the scene in a borrowed motorcycle, taking off her helmet and shaking her head to get rid of the hat-hair before checking out her designated partner with her usual cold once-overs. ah, it's one of those new Lost Souls, isn't it? ]

Mm, likewise. [ not to judge, but he's rather frail and tiny, isn't he? he sure is an angel, all right. can he really handle this...? ] I'll brief you along the way. Hop on.

[ pats the seat behind her on the motorbike. come on kid let's bounce ]

[lemoncandy]

( A motorcycle... It isn't the stealthiest approach, but he supposes everyone drives around in the city anyway, so it isn't too suspicious. He can hardly talk when he spent time stalking someone in a convertible he stole.

So, he hops on, wrapping his arms around Eula's waist for security. Immediately, he finds he has to lean in to be able to speak or hear her properly, and he's sure that's going to be worse when they're actually driving. )

You're going to brief me on this thing? ( He doesn't want to sound too skeptical, but... You know, it's fine. )

Alright, I'm good.

( If there's a helmet for him, you can assume he put it on. )

[disagree]

[ guess he'll have to lean in close in order to hear her out. how unfortunate! but they're running out of time here, so there's no type to be standing around and eat, shealtiel...

and with that, eula kicks the motorbike into ignition and drives them off. she does talk loud enough for the other man to hear, though, as she speeds him through today's objective: one of the warehouses has turned out to be quite a treasure trove for stardust for the past couple of weeks now. ]

It's headed by an oni simply known as Hoshino. Cute name, isn't it? [ rather apt, too. ] Anyway, the mission is simple -- expose the manufacturing of stardust and bust this oni. But that goes without saying.

[ she slows down as they arrive at their destination, and she makes sure to park it well far away from the building itself. but before she can get off, she turns to shealtiel and asks: ]

Do you know how to fight? Be honest with me.

[lemoncandy]

Yes, I do. Killing demons is what angels do.

( Not that he has personally killed a demon yet, no... but he certainly does know how to fight, believe it or not. His weapon is nowhere to be seen because he can summon it from his chest, and he doesn't feel the need to show this just yet. He frowns seriously. )

Are we going in through the front door? Or secretly? Disguises? ( He wants so much information up front. )

I'll follow your orders, but I think we should probably be as prepared as we can be.

[disagree]

[ angels and demons... she'll need a primer on that one day. those things are not in the anemo archon's bible, as far as she's concerned. ]

We're going to be discreet about this mission. No time for disguises, so we'll have to sneak in at the back.

[ she walks over to the wall of the building they're currently hiding at, and gestures over to the younger(?) boy to take a much closer look. see those emergency staircases crisscrossing outside the warehouse? that's where they'll be breaking in. ]

Inside, we'll have to do a mental count on how much stardust they're holding inside. The head oni should be at his office, but I imagine that it won't be easy getting inside without some form of key. Fighting is unavoidable from there on out, but our goal is to acquire that key in order to get inside, then apprehend Hoshino. Don't eliminate everyone, as they'll be prosecuted in due time.

[ she did do her best in mapping this out, but anything can go wrong inside. but if this guy knows how to fight, then she won't have to babysit him too much. besides, he looks like the guy who needs the experience more than ever. ]

Understand? In that case, follow me.

[ the grounds of the warehouse look busy, what with a multitude of trucks loading and unloading a whole bunch of suspicious-looking cargo. no doubt that they're stardust, but they should be able to sneak in by using said trucks and cargo as hiding places if they're quick enough. ]

[lemoncandy]

I have one more question, Miss Eula.

( Oni... he's read up on all of the youkai by now, so he mostly can understand the differences. But there's something clearly on his mind as he takes a couple of steps after Eula. Shealtiel's eyes slide back to the building in question, their target, and the trucks. He knows this has to be quick, so he doesn't mind moving as he asks this one thing. )

Do you know if any of the youkai inside will have wings? Or all they all oni?

[disagree]

[ she makes them stop behind a huge pile of cargo, just a few steps away from the building itself. just going to take a peek if they're still good to go... okay. ]

I'm not too sure about that. The head honcho himself is an oni, but I can't guarantee that all of them would be the same.

...Do you have anything against winged beings?

[ it's such an odd thing to be particular about. ]

[lemoncandy]

Not angel wings, but demon wings. Dark, black, disgusting, flapping and vile...

( He has to cut himself off from going further. He'd gone far enough with that, and he grabs at his left hand with his right, fingers digging lightly into the cut scars that are already there. He frowns. )

They just make me sick to my stomach, but I brought some candy to help with the nausea in case that happens.

( He doesn't want to mess this up. )

I'm ready.

໒꒱ van zieks

[lemoncandy]

( Things were much different here than in Paradiso, but in a way, Shealtiel almost felt at home. Being assigned bottom tier work, being whispered about by the others around him, slaving away to try and earn as much reputation as he can and try to make a name for himself. Trying to be useful, and being stuck looking through hundreds of documents and files instead.

But he does it well. The "laws" here are different, but they're not so unfamiliar from the human laws he recalls back home. It makes it easy to read a few handfuls of books on the law and slip his way into an easy job at the law department, and this way, he doesn't have to speak too much to others, he can focus on his work, and he can get information all at the same time.

The stardust news has him itching to be out on the streets, and he does do that when he can. But when he first sees van Zieks in the office, he realizes that he holds himself with a confidence and familiarity that only those who know what they're doing possibly can. So he's in charge in some way, right? And from the gossip around the office, he's working people really hard right now.

Shealtiel shows up voluntarily, knocking on the door frame outside of where van Zieks is currently set up, his tiny self peeking in. At 5'3", he looks unassuming and a little stiffly nervous, but his eyes are bright and he has a stack of books and files in his arms. A new face that's already busy. )

Excuse me. I heard that you were in need of help. I could take some assignments, if you want?

[dehallow]

[ Being an attorney in Jigoku-cho is a lot different from being a noble serving as an attorney in the London of 1900, Barok has come to understand that quite intimately in the last few months. In London, he's been able to pick and choose his cases with ease from the very beginning of his career. In Jigoku-cho, he gets whatever passes his desk and most of the work falls to himself. His recent promotion has given him more and more opportunity to delegate, but the busywork he himself has to keep doing doesn't seem to come to an end.

As such, Shealtiel is treated to the sight of a very tall brooding man standing over thick folders as well as piles of papers and photographs. He has a wine glass in hand, but it doesn't look like he's been drinking so much as just swirling the liquid contemplatively. ]

You have heard right.

[ Judging by the lack of outright demonic features, van Zieks figures that the newcomer is a Lost Soul. He is pleased to note that - the majority of Lost Souls remain on policing duty where they were initially assigned. The career path that requires the least thought about what you want to do and what your aptitude may be.

Van Zieks puts down his glass and lets papers be papers for a moment, curious. ]

Please enter. Have you worked in the judiciary before?

[ The office isn't particularly luxurious but there is a second chair in front of the desk and van Zieks gestures for Shealtiel to sit down. ]

[lemoncandy]

This is my first day here.

( He starts with that, more focused on the man himself than the rest of the room at he moves forward. He takes the seat when beckoned, keeping his own personal pile of books and files in his lap. It's relatively small compared to everything in here, after all. )

But I've read enough books on the law here to feel confident that I can help. The entire "Jigokucho Law" series, "Youkai Criminals and How to Stop Them," "Law and Disorder"... ( He continues to list a handful of books after that with similarly informative, boring yet mildly humorous titles. He's ready for it, it seems! After all, Paradiso HQ really is just like the Department of the Enma itself. The more he stays here, the more he feels familiar with it. Including the mystery surrounding the higher ups. Weaving his way into every nook and cranny of the administrative side of things was natural. Law was a natural path along the way to see where he could fit in. )

I finished orientation early, so I wanted to see what more I could do.

( He's a nerd........ )

[dehallow]

[ Van Zieks recognizes some of these books from his own studies. He gives a little nod at those titles. Out of a (possibly misplaced) sense of professionalism, he's generally opted for the more dry texts to educate himself but it turns out that there are quite a few mischievous youkai yet renowned in the law business who enjoy writing snark that makes him groan. Somehow "How To Arrest Your Runaway Kappa" is a foundational text here??

He's pretty sure that a lot of their colleagues have not even read those more amusingly phrased texts. Shealtiel is rising above the masses with more ease than appropriate here. ]

Normally, I would demand a proper law school education for any subordinate of mine. Self-study in the library is admirable but does not replace legitimate training. However... There is a concerning lack of well-educated personnel here. No, it is more apt to say there is a concerning lack of even badly educated personnel among the Lost Souls.

[ Tell him again why we keep employing serial killers... ]

Under these circumstances, I will be glad to welcome you into my entourage. The Stardust investigation has all of us working overtime as-is.

[lemoncandy]

Thank you, sir! I promise you I can handle it. I won't disappoint you.

( He's so serious about this. Words like this from anyone else might come off as fake, but the earnest and eager way Shealtiel holds himself makes it far too apparent that he's serious. He just wants to be worth something, really, and he's a hard worker to make it happen.

Just don't question his body count. )

Can I start working right away? I've heard that there are a lot of requests coming in for warrants around the Stardust investigations. Everyone's been talking about it.

[dehallow]

[ Van Zieks has decided to never question anybody's bodycount unless it directly comes up because he's not sure how many coworkers he could still talk to if he knew this fact about everybody...

Though he really doesn't suspect this enthusiastic young man of anything, rip. ]

Please do, you immediate assistance would be appreciated.

[ Demonstrating what a good and reasonable work attitude he has, van Zieks picks up his wine glass and swirls it a little - though he's still not drinking. ]

We are being swamped with requests for search warrants for various establishments around town - the leftmost stack of paper you can see is ones that still need answering. The expectation appears to be that we will hand out warrants without question, but my office does not support this amount of negligence among the field agents. We properly investigate each request and only hand out warrants if the state pf evidence is sufficient.

[ Which explains the large backlog... ]

[lemoncandy]

So you want to make sure everything is legal. That makes sense, for the law...

( Shealtiel had of course noticed that many corners were cut here with the locals. It's not that he's super opinionated on it himself, but this does sound like something that the Enma would only encourage and be impressed by, right? If the Enma is capable of being impressed.

...At the very least, it sounds like something impressive to most people. It also sounds like something he can handle, and a great way to become more and more familiar with the way things work around here. )

I can see why you want more familiarity, in that case. But I still think I can handle it.

( Paperwork! His area of expertise! He glances down, unfolding his journal that's at the top of his stack of belongings and marking a little note in angelic writing. So, on the one hand, making sure warrants are handed out, but more importantly, making sure they are done legally. He's more confident the more he thinks about it. Closing his journal, he leans forward a little, reaching to take a paper from the leftmost stack. To get a preview. )

Do you want me to go through them and run them by you to start?

[dehallow]

[ There is soemthing absolutely despair-inducing about job interviewing someone in the legal department and seeing them express mild surprise that you want things to be legal, but van Zieks knows it's not Shealtiel's fault that this is the state of affairs. At least the Enma's office has the decency not to cover up most of its corruption, it is a strangely honest way of doing everything wrong...??

Van Zieks suppresses another sigh and nods. ]

If you please. Since these are extraordinary circumstances, your trial period is until the end of this work-day. If you convince me that you are quick on the uptake, you'll hold full responsibilites by tomorrow.

[ Which is also insane, but there is no time to train. LET'S GO; FOOT OFF THE BRAKES. ]

Pray forgive the rough beginning. May you grow from the experience.

໒꒱ lio

[lemoncandy]

( His leads had all pointed to here. Shealtiel stood quiet in the dark across the street from a rather shady looking casino of some kind— loud youkai were gambling and drinking away inside, some of the rambunctiousness spilling out onto the street itself.

On his own side of the street was a number of food stands catering to the hungry and drunk, selling greasy and great-smelling food that was honestly distracting for the angel as he tried to stare out across at the busy parlor. Was he really supposed to go in there? Between all of the chaos? How was he supposed to find anything like this? Handfuls of youkai were talking close, sliding things between one another, but Shealtiel couldn't tell what it was from here. Useless.

Grunting to himself as he stands, he's ready to face the disorderly crowds and head across and inside when something catches his eye from the side. A spark flicking between all of the neon and bright advertising. His eyes slide over and catch Lio's shape just as that neon flame fades away, sparkles left in its wake.

Immediately, Shealtiel moves, crossing the street and stepping into Lio's path, eyes focused and serious. )

Stop right there.

( They're the same height, which is a nice bonus, and Shealtiel lifts his chin a little, ready to fight if he has to. )

Leave the Stardust to me and I won't have to fight you.

[ganashara]

[ Lio had been making those sparks to demonstrate something for a fellow enforcer, when he'd heard those words. And at first, he didn't even think those words were for him, since he hadn't pulled out any Stardust.

But... nope. This guy's eyes were right on him. He tilted his head to the side, not unlike an incredulous cat, eyebrow arched. ]

You don't look like you'd be much of a fight, officer.

[lemoncandy]

( There's no way someone innocent would react in a way like that, right? That's the logic that Shealtiel's brainwashed mind hops to, and his expression doesn't falter. Not even at the criticism. He's used to it, after all, and his hand moves in front of himself, fingertips touching to his own chest in preparation.

No light forms yet, and nothing comes after, but he's clearly got some kind of intention with that motion. )

I have no problem with proving that wrong, criminal.

( His left foot shifts backwards slightly, his whole form bending a bit in preparation for a fight. Right here? Right now? Sure! )

I'm giving you one more chance to give it up.

[ganashara]

[ The guy didn't look familiar... and while he didn't make a habit of memorizing the faces of the Enma's goons, he still got the impression this guy was a newbie. Which made his hassling of him all the weirder... ]

Give up what? I haven't done anything.

[lemoncandy]

Don't play dumb with me. Just because I'm a new officer doesn't mean that you can write me off as useless.

( At this point, Shealtiel is so determined to be of some sort of worth, to do something right for once. He needs as much stardust as he can get his hands on for that purpose. So, without waiting any longer, a blue circle forms over his chest like a summoning spell, and his hand grips onto the end of a spear. He pulls it out in an instant, twirling it into a proper hold in his right hand.

And there, after making sure this part of the street is clear enough to manage swinging only at his target, he does just that, aiming to spear through his leg. You know, a warning stab! Or something like that. )

Your stardust is now property of the Department of the Enma!

[ganashara]

[ With a snap of Lio's fingers, those 'sparkles' appeared once more, though this time a lot less mistakeable in what they truly were; a spiral of neon-colored flames formed from his hand, coiling tight, forming the shape of a blade within that moment.

Swung down, it clashed with the spear as if somehow solid, sending out more sparks, directing the thrust away from himself. ]

So you're a newbie and an idiot...

[lemoncandy]

( The thrust is redirected, but Shealtiel doesn't stop even when he sees the flames. They're strange, different from anything he's seen, and until he can verify if it's really stardust or not, he can't stop. This is important.

He spins and swipes next, the sharpened sides of the blade of his spear angling towards Lio. He expects that it will be parried all the same, but he's collecting information on his movements, trying to push forward. )

How are you doing that? You're sure you're not embedding stardust into your attacks?

[ganashara]

You have a pretty single-minded imagination, don't you?

[ As predicted, Lio used the makeshift sword to parry, once more, with a flourish, spinning the blade and casting out several rings of flame, sending them forward. ]

Unfortunately, I don't owe any explanations to over-zealous cops.