的場静司 | Matoba Seiji (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
worldbent) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
jigokulogs2022-09-17 01:27 pm
worldbent) wrote in jigokulogs2022-09-17 01:27 pm
OPEN ➸ September Catchall
Who ⬤ Matoba Seiji and you
What ⬤ Substories, monthly eye curse, etc. Closed starters in the comments.
When ⬤ Throughout September
Where ⬤ More or less everywhere
Content Warnings ⬤ Will add if needed
A. SUBSTORY 3: DRIFTER GRIFTER - I want thatSpiderman Wastelander!!
[What a classic wild goosechase, huh? When Matoba's connections had told him of a certain individual that had been spotted around the city with information on the Iron Bear, he had set to finding this mystery youkai. But every time he gets to a location where the man was said to be, he finds nothing but other angry individuals looking for the same man.]
[Surely he can't be only a mirage...]
[Perhaps the Wastelander got you to pay for a meal or a new pair of shoes, only to leave you down on your luck.] I see... Don't you think this will be a good lesson for you? [Matoba offers you a cheerful smile after hearing your tale.] Never give up your side of the bargain before you get your information.
Shall I assist you in finding him, then?
B. CURSED EYES - The Me in the Mirror Limit first 5 tag-ins, please!
[ooc; If you are tagging in to this prompt, PLEASE READ THIS INFO/PERMISSIONS POST FIRST, thanks! If your character has spiritual awareness, they can tell the spirit in this prompt feels Real Bad.]
-------
[It's another busy day in Sutoku's shopping districts, with their modern buildings and flashy neon signs. It was easy to feel as though this was a normal shopping district in any human city, with the sort of glamor present.]
[As you pass by the reflective windows of a shop, you might have to do a double-take once or twice when the reflection that stares back at you is missing its right eye. You must have been seeing things- when you look back again, it's normal.]
[Maybe it takes you a few times to notice that your "reflection" moves on from your shadow and along the glass on its own after a while; it seems to be looking for something. But when you stop and try to look at it, you'll instead be interrupted by a voice that approaches you from behind, suddenly too-close to your ear--]
Excuse me. Are you looking for something?
C. SNACK RUN - Even menacing Lieutenants need a day off
[Matoba had earned quite a reputation over his months in Jigoku-cho for being "always on the clock"- it was, perhaps, a part of why he had managed to climb the ranks of the Alliance so quickly. Always dressed for success in either a suit or his clan's traditional kimono, it was perhaps hard to relate more personally to a man who seemed to carry himself as so apart from others in both appearance and speech.]
[But once in a while, you can catch even Matoba Seiji on an off-day.]
[In an adidas hoodie and a casual pair of joggers, Matoba has perched himself on the railing of a walkway overlooking the river at one of the bridge crossings. The Hashihime Clan may have to put up with a Lieutenant's presence now, but she doesn't look much happier about the crumbs from the flaky pastry he's eating, or the flecks of rice from that onigiri, as they fall onto her bridge and waters.]
[Like this, Matoba-san almost just looks like what he is- a bored 22 year old.]
---
[ooc; as always feel free to hit me up via my CR meme post, PM or![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
kitsoru for plotting!]
What ⬤ Substories, monthly eye curse, etc. Closed starters in the comments.
When ⬤ Throughout September
Where ⬤ More or less everywhere
Content Warnings ⬤ Will add if needed
A. SUBSTORY 3: DRIFTER GRIFTER - I want that
[What a classic wild goosechase, huh? When Matoba's connections had told him of a certain individual that had been spotted around the city with information on the Iron Bear, he had set to finding this mystery youkai. But every time he gets to a location where the man was said to be, he finds nothing but other angry individuals looking for the same man.]
[Surely he can't be only a mirage...]
[Perhaps the Wastelander got you to pay for a meal or a new pair of shoes, only to leave you down on your luck.] I see... Don't you think this will be a good lesson for you? [Matoba offers you a cheerful smile after hearing your tale.] Never give up your side of the bargain before you get your information.
Shall I assist you in finding him, then?
B. CURSED EYES - The Me in the Mirror Limit first 5 tag-ins, please!
[ooc; If you are tagging in to this prompt, PLEASE READ THIS INFO/PERMISSIONS POST FIRST, thanks! If your character has spiritual awareness, they can tell the spirit in this prompt feels Real Bad.]
-------
[It's another busy day in Sutoku's shopping districts, with their modern buildings and flashy neon signs. It was easy to feel as though this was a normal shopping district in any human city, with the sort of glamor present.]
[As you pass by the reflective windows of a shop, you might have to do a double-take once or twice when the reflection that stares back at you is missing its right eye. You must have been seeing things- when you look back again, it's normal.]
[Maybe it takes you a few times to notice that your "reflection" moves on from your shadow and along the glass on its own after a while; it seems to be looking for something. But when you stop and try to look at it, you'll instead be interrupted by a voice that approaches you from behind, suddenly too-close to your ear--]
Excuse me. Are you looking for something?
C. SNACK RUN - Even menacing Lieutenants need a day off
[Matoba had earned quite a reputation over his months in Jigoku-cho for being "always on the clock"- it was, perhaps, a part of why he had managed to climb the ranks of the Alliance so quickly. Always dressed for success in either a suit or his clan's traditional kimono, it was perhaps hard to relate more personally to a man who seemed to carry himself as so apart from others in both appearance and speech.]
[But once in a while, you can catch even Matoba Seiji on an off-day.]
[In an adidas hoodie and a casual pair of joggers, Matoba has perched himself on the railing of a walkway overlooking the river at one of the bridge crossings. The Hashihime Clan may have to put up with a Lieutenant's presence now, but she doesn't look much happier about the crumbs from the flaky pastry he's eating, or the flecks of rice from that onigiri, as they fall onto her bridge and waters.]
[Like this, Matoba-san almost just looks like what he is- a bored 22 year old.]
---
[ooc; as always feel free to hit me up via my CR meme post, PM or
no subject
He clears his throat a little.] Thanks for the warning, I g--
[Well. And then the glass speaks up, and that unsettling feeling that's been following him just grows a little stronger. Was it the man in front of him, or something else????? He hates that he can't tell - it feels like he's been stuffed underwater with everything fuzzy and unclear and indistinct from one another unless they're right in his face...
He can't quite make the syllable out, but his head turns just enough, expression tightening, the look of a dog hearing something far away that barely catches its attention. There's only glass to the side, why would...]
...
...Oi. [His voice drops a bit, grip tightening against his polearm out of reflex. He still doesn't look directly at the glass, very carefully turning back towards his strange companion and giving the briefest of tilts of his head to the side.] What exactly is it you're looking for?
no subject
[Matoba's voice is clear, and stern, like he's giving orders. He keeps his eye on Otegine's.] If you look, you will become possessed.
[The corner of his mouth lifts, slightly. So this one could feel it. The rest of the youkai passing by didn't seem to be able to feel it yet... so it had learned to conceal its presence in other reflective surfaces, as well. How incredibly troublesome.] "The eye is the reflection of the soul". Have you ever heard of that? Don't show it your eyes.
[If he could feel it, then he was good enough. Matoba breaks the eye contact only long enough to confirm Otegine's Sutoku pin, and then returns to his gaze.]
Come away from the window without turning around. Slowly.
no subject
His grip grows white against his weapon. Really, to not jump into combat against something with a negative aura THIS close to him feels wrong. But there's too many variations of spirits wandering around this place, good and bad, and plenty that could overwhelm even tsukumogami like himself if they truly wanted.
Why this man in particular seemed to be able to pick it out, he can't begin to guess right now. But he's not in the mood to find out the hard way.
It's difficult to keep himself from turning his back to the glass. But he obediently makes an attempt, side stepping to the far end of the curb, eyes flitting between that firm stare from the stranger and the spiraling pattern through the frame of his umbrella. His voice stays hushed.]
Ungaikyo? [Except no, this was a window, not a mirror.... hm.] This isn't, uh... common around this part of town, is it?
no subject
[Best to let him think that, isn't it? It's not entirely a lie; Majima had told him that they were chasing him, and it had made Matoba interested to see if they were targeting anyone else, being the nuisances they are. Instead, he had found something far worse... Or rather, it had found him.]
[Even though Otegine spots the gaps in the lie, if it made him easier to maneuver out of the way, then it was still useful.]
[As the man finally inches away from the windows, he watches the shadow shift out of the corner of his eye. Don't notice it. Don't look at it. Don't let it know you're already aware. It follows after Otegine as if pleading towards him, it's rattling voice trapped in the glass.]
My.... eye..... Where is.....
When it leaps out, it's going to go for me. Whatever you do, don't look it in the eyes. [Matoba's right hand grips onto his parasol, and his left draws into the fold of his kimono.] Keep these small fry out of the way.
[The youkai passing to and fro on the street; they would be devoured in an instant, if they got in the way.]
no subject
[It's an openly confused exclamation, even though he's carefully lowering his spear to a vertical position. God, Mr Window Eyes, shut up, he can't concentrate on two conversations at once.]
I'm not exactly a battering ram, you know. [He's going to try, of course, and his eyes break with Matoba to instead pay attention to the flow of pedestrians, but that's beside the point.] Besides, what are you even planning on doing?
no subject
[It was a plus, as far as he was concerned. The shadow's muttering suddenly stops as it seems to all at once swing its attention to Matoba, who has now looked at it.]
Not dying, for one.
[The glass suddenly vibrates and shatters as a black, formless shape launches itself, teeth first, towards Matoba. The parasol is (yet again) an unfortunate sacrifice to the cause as it spins, eye-like shape catching the monster's notice and setting upon it immediately. Too distracted, it doesn't see the ofuda thrown after it, which slaps onto its body with a deep roar of pain before the spell sizzles and then burns away from the monster's power.]
[The crowds around erupt with panic and screams. Now that it's out of the glass, its cursed energy is immense, and no one wants to coming anywhere near them.]
no subject
As soon as it goes quiet, Otegine dips into the offensive. The glass shatters, and despite the residual damage he gets, his sheathed spear is immediately thrust out as a physical barrier to stop and herd a couple screaming passersby out of the rain of the glass and keep them from backing further into the fray. That the crowd in general seems to be keeping their distance despite the panic is a relief, but he's still quickly circling a parameter around Matoba, whacking out deliberately with the tip of his spear when a younger youkai whips out a cell phone and starts sneaking closer for a Sweet Pic.]
Oi, oi! Back off, this isn't the time for that! Back off!!
[It is EXTREMELY hard not to look behind him at whatever Matoba has corralled onto the street in amidst the glass, though he spares enough of a glance to see the remains of an ofuda, a writhing mass of something Horrible. Now that it's free, he can definitely feel it, enough of a revolting presence to make his skin run cold with sweat.
He isn't here to interfere, though. So he keeps his polearm at full length, a silenced X motion of his hands pushed at the panicked staff of the building that just lost a front window. So long as they stayed put, he wasn't about to get rough... he didn't particularly like doing that anyway.
SURE HOPE YOU'RE NOT GETTING EATEN BEHIND HIM, STRANGER.]
no subject
[A peek provides a glance of its appearance- nothing but deep blackness, a shapeless form that seemed to have weight to it, and its... eye. One left eye staring back at Matoba with attention, and the deep, impossibly dark hollow where the right eye should be.]
[While the ofuda was only a shock for it, it's enough, at least. It sends the curse scrambling away, rocketing up and over the crowd of shocked onlookers and into the rooftops of the city.] There goes another one... [Matoba laments, looking not at the monster as it fled away into the sky, but at the mess of glass it has left behind. At least it wasn't a live victim, this time.]
[Around them, the crowd seems shaken and confused, but at least no one was hurt directly, or worse, possessed. Matoba casually tidies the spell that covered the right half of his face, and turns towards Otegine.] Well done. You were able to prevent a more pressing disaster. It would have been quite the mess if it had devoured one of these onlookers...
What about the mess of my shop!!? [Shaken and furious, the owner of the shoe store they'd been in front of stomps out to huff and puff at his poor shop window...]
no subject
[The ofuda, though... what a ballsy thing to be carrying around a land full of yokai. He's glad he wasn't in range when that was thrown...
With a sigh, Otegine starts removing his jacket, now peppered with smaller glass shards, as the owner comes stomping out to berate the state of their building. The brunette keeps politely mum, an awkward attempt at a laugh as he keeps one hand up, not wanting the upset youkai to come get in his face and earn glass all over them for their troubles.]
Really kind of unfortunate, huh... [It's muttered towards Matoba, even as the Touken takes a much firmer glance over his outfit. His eyes land on the pin, then back up to the man's face.]
Are we making this Alliance business, then, or do you have a better idea?
no subject
My deepest apologies, sir. It seems that there was some malicious actors hanging about, and your shop has been caught in the crossfire. Rest assured, I will notify one of our contractors immediately to have your windows taken care of by the end of the day, on our dime, of course.
[There's a bit more back and forth of sputtering as the youkai, a spirit like an elderly man with one eye, gets out his frustrations- but with a solution offered, it seems to die down soon enough. Matoba flicks his fingers out, and a shadow-like shikigami grows out from under his feet, tall and slender, with orders to go and pass the message along for a repairman.]
...Unfortunately, this is the cost of doing business in such a city, [He comments to Otegine, head tilted in a smile.] Whose territory is always in a struggle. You never know what excitement will crop up. You performed well, by the way, for a new recruit. Lieutenant Matoba.
[His eye shifts to the sheathed spear over Otegine's back, and recognition glints in his eye.] And you must be "Skewer"-kun?