[ open ] i'm paid to smile

[kaientai]

Who ⬤ sakamoto ryouma + you!
What ⬤ september catch-all
When ⬤ september!
Where ⬤ wherever!
Content Warnings ⬤ will add as needed!

Comments

🍢 otegine

[kaientai]

[ the address ryouma provided is to his office, which is in a ten-story building in the heart of sutoku alliance territory. the space is surprisingly tidy, considering it's ryouma's and he's usually a disaster. It's only the futon folded up and shoved against the wall that suggests he might actually spend the night here at least... sometimes. it's fine! there is, oddly enough, a small pile of food and snacks on his desk, all shoved over to one side, so they don't take up the entire desktop. he's yet to sort through those... ]

[passthrough]

[He's not hard to miss even before he gets to the office, a rather tall man with a stick even taller than himself practically glued to his arm, squinting at the directions and having to ask a couple different other office staff to point him in the right direction. Why are stairs so exhausting... they didn't USED to be this exhausting!! He hates this place.

But eventually, he gets himself turned the right direction, rapping his knuckles against the doorway as he peeks his way in.]

Sakamoto-san?

[Ah. Well, this place definitely looks... lived in? Weird to have a futon here, but who is he to complain.]

[kaientai]

[ people regarded ryouma as a tall guy in his own time, but around here he's sorta average when you're rubbing elbows with oni and such. otegine is what tall really looks like and ryouma is suitably impressed, for whatever that's worth.

mostly he's just gawking like an idiot. ]

Well, if I had any doubts 'bout ya bein' the real deal, now I'm sure of it! I think I'm startin' t' figure some of this stuff out.

[ he's observed that a small sword is small and a spear is tall. very scientific. ]

Hehe, anyway, that's right! Sakamoto Ryouma, at your service!

[ he could sit at his desk like a normal person, but he just sits on it instead. no need to make this any more formal than it needs to be. ]

⭐ emily

[kaientai]

[ this is not the first time ryouma has invited emily over — personal invitations and business ones tend to overlap when you live and work in the same space — but this time, she'll find a sticky note on the door directing her up to the roof. sure, he could've sent a text, but that's less fun.

it's a big roof, and ryouma's only one guy with limited resources so it's not a very large or ambitious project at this point, but ryouma has managed to convert a corner of the space into the beginnings of a nice little garden. there are a few different boxes with an assortment of plants in neat rows. other, individual pots have other things — little trees, flowers, etc. there are some comfortable chairs to relax in, shaded by cloth awnings he's tied up for exactly that purpose. it's a nice start and probably pretty clear that he's only managed to get as much done as he has with everything else he has going on because he's here all night. well oh well, don't focus on that part!! ]

[medicative]

[he hasn't been convinced to go back to the apartments, which means that anything she brings him - food, information, and the rest - comes here. not that he asks for it, it just happens. following the note, she comes up to the roof, and pauses in surprise when she takes in the surprising setup.

he might even escape a scolding this time, with her distracted by the looks. walking over, she admires what he's been putting together, and takes the opportunity to breathe in deep - fresh air feels wonderful in the lungs.]

You have something remarkable here, Ryouma.

[kaientai]

[ he's just finished up making sure what needs water has been watered, and now he can settle and enjoy it a little. ryouma looks pretty proud of himself right now, but he's earned it this time?? ]

Think so? It ain't much yet, but I've got big plans! It's funny, I hated this sorta thing when I was a kid. Now it's kinda nice spendin' time and gettin' my hands dirty in a good way.

crashes in here

[bratherine]

( Admittedly, finding time to do things is getting harder since promotion, since Dandelion got added to the list of Kate's jobs, but Ryouma promised drinks and laser tag, which is enough reason to carve a couple of hours out of her evening and meet up with him.

Kate is, for once, out of her usual gym ready attire, replacing leggings and hoodies for shorts and a long-sleeved top. flat boots instead of trainers, still easy to move in, but everything's a little bit nicer than the usual girl he sees. There's even makeup happening. Not that most places around Jigokucho really seem to care how old their drinkers are, but a little bit of deniability never hurt anyone, right? )

...Hey.

( She's here on time, give or take a couple of minutes lost to a crossing that refused to clear of traffic. )

🕵️ +1 spicy detective

[shikanoinheizou]

[Since his brief chat with Levi about the specifics of Ryouma's role within the Alliance, Heizou has been considering putting aside some time to go and speak to the man directly. He's been keeping himself surprisingly busy, even for him, since arriving in the town and it's a few days down the line before he finally pencils in a free afternoon to make his way down to the other man's office.

Heizou doesn't knock, but nor does he waltz right into the room. He opens the door and looks in, then rests his shoulder against the door frame and lightly touches one curled hand to the centre of his chest as he gives a faint bow in complete contrast to the way he had just so abruptly made his presence known.]

Do you have a few minutes to spare for a new hire?

[Oh, he's aware of his audacity. Don't worry about that.]

[kaientai]

[ usually ryouma expects a knock or a text or generally any other indication that someone's arrived so that he can appear at least marginally more professional.

as it is, his jacket is tossed over the back of his desk chair and he's sat half-reclined on the couch, a foot up on the table in front of it. he's partly through a thick book he's reading, but a quick glance is enough to tell that it's no novel; that's definitely comics of some kind.

ryouma just blinks at the sudden intrusion, setting his reading aside and standing up. it's a curious sort of entrance and it makes him wonder if it was intended to get a reaction out of him because it's the sort of thing he might do. ryouma doesn't seem to mind that he's been caught unawares; he'll roll with things as they are, as he usually does. ]

Sure do! Just takin' a little break. Come on in.

[shikanoinheizou]

[It is absolutely intended to get a reaction, but more than that it is intended to allow Heizou to get a more rounded idea of the kind of person Sakamoto Ryouma is. If the man had known he was coming, he may have been putting up a front when he arrived. Like this, he gets a far clearer picture of the man he's dealing with in a far more immediate way.]

Appreciate it.

[And he does come in then, pressing the door closed behind him and confidently crossing the room to slide into an available chair. His body language is subdued and polite, but his overall attitude is clearly anything but.

Heizou smiles.]

I thought it would be a good thing for the two of us to get properly acquainted. Levi was of the opinion that you might have some use for me. I can't promise anything, but I'm open to hearing you out.

after the town hall, before Bombs.... calm down september

[passthrough]

[It's pretty late in the afternoon when Otegine circles back to Ryouma's office. He's never been the type to be good at hiding when something's on his mind, and today is no exception, looking more than a little distracted as he ducks against the doorway with as polite a knock as possible.]

Sakamoto-san. If I can talk to you for a minute.

It's about the Wasteland.

💣 we know who you are #1

[kaientai]

[ it's lousy luck that ryouma is in shuten territory today. that's not how it started, since ryouma ending up with a rare shipment of arms and ammunition he ordinarily shouldn't have been able to acquire is the definition of good luck. however, it's the fact that he came to shuten territory to unload it for the best price he can get for it that's the trouble because ordinarily, he wouldn't be here.

his business concluded for the day, ryouma intends to stick around one of the local bars and grab a drink when the bomb goes off. it's close enough that he can feel the shockwaves through the earth, only making him more unsteady on his feet as the people on the street around him start to panic and flee. he ends up forced back against a building, trying to cover his ears with his hands to keep out the sounds. it's not an ideal spot by any means since people keep bumping into him.

ryouma is no coward, but the sudden panic and dread that builds up in him overwhelm him, and he falls back on childish habits. he's not afraid to die either, but he's witnessed men perish in horrible ways without even a moment spared to say their last words.

he wants to run away, but he can't move. what else can he do but wait for the inevitable? ]

[adversus]

[It seems that her luck is just as lousy as his, and she's rarely in Shuten's territory. Today, she just wanted to stop by to take a look, but as luck would have it, the bomb suddenly goes off, and she's caught completely off guard. This was not what she was expecting to happen when she got here, and the initial blast has her covering her ears. Not that it helps, but the ringing pierces her deep, and it's familiar from her days at war.

The blast leaves her dazed for a moment, but, she blinks, and realizes that her unconscious running has led her to Ryouma. To see him in such a state is... Shocking, but the fact people keep running past him and bumping into him is even more shocking. Still, she knows that she's different from most people -- built to handle the most shocking of events.

Well aware that people are in a panic, she carefully makes her way past the crowd of running people, and over to Ryouma. It isn't much, but she gently places her hands against his shoulders. Her knee placed on the ground, as she kneels and actually pulls him into a gentle embrace. Careful not to disturb him too much, and trying her best to keep a gentle touch and voice.]

Boss... I don't know if you can move or not, but I can help you get a move on if you can't.

[While she would absolutely get his permission, things weren't good right now, and they would have to get a move on, eventually. Her body shielding him from the rounds of people running past them and inevitably bumping into them.]

💣 we know who you are #2

[kaientai]

[ relief came in some form at some point, at least in the immediate aftermath, so now all that's left to do is cope with the residual feelings in the most unhealthy way possible. that means posting up at the watering hole in sutoku territory most likely to cave to ryouma's (gentle) demands to keep pouring even when he ought to stop because that's the plan. he doesn't throw his position around at all but can make himself a hard guy to say no to when he's trying.

ryouma isn't a rowdy drunk on his own, he just broods, and chain smokes. he hasn't gotten there yet, but if left to his own devices, that's where he'll end up. ideally, that'll kill the anxiety that won't let his heart stop pounding and his hands stop shaking since the bombing. he'll feel better in the morning... probably? unlikely; at this rate, he only has a hangover to look forward to. ]

[threateningly]

[Sannan doesn't question how he ended up here. He was in a right-wrong place at a right-wrong time, and he ended up helping with some of the people impacted by the explosion despite this not being his territory even remotely. He's ducked into here, unfortunately looking less put-together than he's used to, before heading back to his apartment at long last.

It's a surprise to see Ryouma, and while at first he thinks it's a pleasant surprise, he soon realizes that Ryouma is in his own world. And as Sannan watches from the other end of the bar, he notes with increasing concern that Ryouma's condition is... well, bad.

He waits for the person beside Ryouma to get sick of his chainsmoking, then slips over to take the seat beside him without even asking. His own drink is newly refilled, and it's a lovely azure color, so he coyly slides it in front of Ryouma's empty glass before motioning for the bartender to make him a fresh one.]

[kaientai]

[ it's the movement beside him and the appearance of the drink together gets his attention, since the person sitting next to him has been a couple of different people before sannan. anyone buying him a drink right now must be joking! ryouma snuffs out the remnants of the cigarette in his hand and resists pulling out another because there's something new to occupy his attention for the moment instead. ]

Y' know, I'm plannin' on gettin' way more drunk and possibly doin' somethin' I'll get scolded for t' morrow, but if ya wanna contribute, I accept your donation.

[ he doesn't know how long sannan has been here observing, so he's going to do his usual thing, which is to act like he's fine.

sort of.

he wouldn't admit that he's not planning on having a respectable night to someone he thought wouldn't probably see right through him anyway. ]

[breweries]

[ thankfully, hemlock was safe. but for obvious reasons it needs to close for a while -- fix the broken windows, replace the shattered glasswares and liquor bottles and all that. it's not going to be easy, but for someone who has owned the same bar back home for seven hundred years, this is another eventful day for shylock in hell.

but that would mean he can't work today. so off to the other territories he goes, checking in on his favorite watering holes to see if they're doing all right after that blast, in one of them he notices a familiar figure almost hidden by the amount of smoke wafting around him. the sutoku lieutenant doesn't even notice shylock sitting beside him, and the wizard merely stares at him with a chin on his hand, observing him for a while before he attempts to snap the other man out of it by nudging his hand. ]

Do you have one more of those?

[ points at the cigarette he's holding. looks like they all needed this now more than ever. ]

[kaientai]

[ god. how long has he been sitting like that, just staring? the wide-eyed look of confusion he has for a second or two as he looks at shylock is entirely genuine too. ]

Eh?

[ ryouma takes a moment to look all around — probably just to confirm he didn't end up at hemlock instead because ??? it's where he'd expect shylock to be, not as his local alliance bar, after all. he'd partly missed the question, so he looks where shylock is pointing instead. ]

Wait—... [ he actually has to think about it. ] Oh! Yeah, yeah, I gotcha...

[ he picks up the pack that's sitting next to him on the bar and opens it up, offering it to shylock so he can help himself to one. ]

... So, how long were ya sittin' there exactly?

[ embarrassing... ]

[passthrough]

[wow this sure has been a horrible day, hasn't it

He doesn't mean to turn to drink in a time like this. Not when it feels so important to be clear headed and to try and pay attention. But his anxiety is high, his ego is bruised, he's irritated and vacant and very, very tired... and a glass or two or five of sake is feeling too tempting to pass up.

That he sees a commander sharing the space shouldn't be too much of a surprise - he can't imagine what the actually useful members of their alliance have had to deal with, given all they've had to swallow in the last 24 hours. But it still catches him off guard at first. Does he give the officer some space and find another bar? Or does he take the company where it comes, and try to salvage something that feels like usefulness?

...

Ultimately, he chooses the latter, a gentle knocking of his knuckles against one of Ryouma's shoulders as Otegine slides to a seat next to him.]

You look like you've had better ones, huh?

[It's an exhausted little quip, because he doesn't look a whole lot better... at least he hasn't been smoking or drinking himself silly. Well... yet.

The bartender passes for an order, and Ote doesn't hesitate. Sake, chilled. Anything to get the thought of the heat away for now.]

...Did you find what you were looking for out there today?

[kaientai]

[ the contact startles him and he dumps the cigarette he nearly drops into the ashtray before he burns himself, looking over at otegine with a puzzled expression. he doesn't ultimately mind the shock given where his thoughts tend to go when left to his own devices. he'd rather be reminded that he's still here and present and his heart pounds when he's surprised because he's alive. ]

What I was lookin' for...?

[ he tries to laugh a little, but it's a bit strained. ]

I know, this a pretty pathetic look for somebody in my position, right? Ain't gonna lose it when the time comes though, so don't worry...

[ because he feels like he needs to say so. doesn't everyone tell him he has to be mindful of these things? how stuff looks and what happens if he dies and how it affects morale and nobody needs to know how wildly unqualified for his job he really is...

otegine has said none of this, he just happens to be a very large and nice example of someone who is new here and ryouma feels responsible for. ]

🪩 harry

[kaientai]

[ after a little digging through posts that are ancient in internet terms, he finally finds harry's contact information and hopes the guy hasn't gone the way of some folks around here and vanished. ]

>> text; un: rider

Hello! You don't know me, but you posted on the network awhile back about being able to ask the city questions if we had one. Are you still offering that service? I wouldn't ask you to do it for free, of course!

[horrifictie]

text; un: tequila sunset

yeah i can offer it
what would you pay me?

[ he would do it for free, but he can't resist the offer. ]

[kaientai]

How's it work? Do you need to perform a ritual or something like that?

Otherwise, I can pay you whatever it's worth to you. Dinner? Drinks?

[ currency that's gotten him pretty far with other shutens. ]

action;

[shikanoinheizou]

[Once may be dismissed as a one-off, but when something happens twice in short order anyone could be forgiven for thinking it's going to become a habit.

Heizou walks into Ryouma's office without knocking and without prior appointment. He glances quickly about the room and then closes the door firmly behind him before he crosses to the other man's desk and places his hands down against it.

The last time he had strolled in here, it had been with a flippant smile and cheeky attitude. This time, he looks serious. There's a hard light in his eyes that Ryouma would not have seen before but may have been able to predict the likelihood of given what he knows of Heizou's interests when it comes to his work.]

What would you say, Ryouma, if I could tell you that I know without a doubt not only which faction planted the bomb in the Shuten Clan warehouse, but that they have a traitor in their midst.

[There's a sharp edge to his smile. He has no reason to doubt Lark's integrity in the matter. The young man had no reason to come to him to begin with, let alone follow up on what they talked about.]

Would you call that valuable information?

[kaientai]

[ ryouma closes up the book he's writing in and throws the pen he was using back in its little cup like a dart. heizou officially has his undivided attention, once again forgiving the sudden intrusion by just going along with it. he's much more interested in whatever heizou has to say and there's no point in wasting time with formalities anyway. ]

Would I!

[ he looks like someone just told him he's won something. ]

I mean, I sorta figured, but knowin' without a doubt would make this a lot easier.