[Closed] March/April Catchall

[moondregs]

Who ⬤ Junpei Yoshino + Various
What ⬤ March/April Goings On
When ⬤ Throughout March/April
Where ⬤ Around Jigoku-cho
Content Warnings ⬤ Will add as needed.


[ If you’d like to do something from the current events PM me and I’ll make a top level! ]

Comments

Yuri - High Definition

[moondregs]

Is ... is there a ukulele playing somewhere?

[ Through a series of decisions that have now blurred in his mind, Junpei is currently a mess. He isn’t a mess alone, which is a good thing and also a bad thing at the same time. Good because there’s someone around to keep him aware of what is a hallucination and what is not, bad because his helplessness has a witness. It’s embarrassing, and thanks to his pride he’s been fighting trying to rely on Yuri too much as he waits desperately for the drug he’d agreed to take to wear off.

That ghost ukulele is being played horribly out of tune, however, and his face twitches every time there’s a sour note. It’s like a slow, truly evil torture.

He thinks it’s trying to play the Silver Shamrock theme from Halloween 3, which leads him to lean in the hallucination direction. ]

This place is weird enough without this.

[playfoul]

No ukeleles playing, friend, unless the sounds of an imminent street brawl sound like music to your ears.

[ Yeah, so probably not a good idea to go that way. Yuri gives Junpei's arm a tug and begins to lead them down an alternate route back to Sutoku territory. Junpei's complexion has been looking worse and worse as time wears on. Figures the youkai was deliberately omitting information about the risks of the drug. Money is money, though, and he'll do his part to look after the other until it comes time to collect. ]

You doing okay? I think it's best we get you back to your quarters.

[moondregs]

[ It is entirely possible that Yuri could just abandon him at any time. Leave him to the mercy of the streets while he’s hearing sounds that don’t exist and seeing shadow creatures that probably also don’t. The thought has been heavy on Junpei’s mind, although he doesn’t voice it. What good would it do? There have also been little chills running through him, even though he’s appropriately dressed for the weather.

He’s about to say that he’s fine when, in trying to avoid a deep crack in the path that isn’t actually there, he stumbles and only barely avoids tumbling into the other. ]

Yeah ... it’s the hotel with the broken tanuki statue outside ... I can’t remember the name. Sorry.

[playfoul]

Careful there. You can hang onto me if you want.

[ Yuri will offer Junpei his arm when he stumbles, but it's up to Junpei if he wants to take it. People are bound to look and assume things, and he seems mortified by the whole ordeal already.

With only a description to go off of, Yuri takes out his phone and spends some time tapping around until he finds the map he's been using to get around. From the app, he's able to search up the hotels in the area, and oh, look, there's even pictures... though nothing appears to be broken when the pictures were taken. He turns the app towards Junpei. ]

A tanuki is what, exactly? Do you recognize any of these buildings?

[moondregs]

[ After a moment of hesitation Junpei opts to take the offered arm. Yes it’s slightly embarrassing to be seen this way, but even more embarrassing to keep falling over or crashing into things avoiding various imagined obstacles.

He squints at the phone, looking over the pictures. When he sees the one that seems to be of his hotel he points to it. ]

That one. That’s it. I’m sure.

[ It looks seedy as hell, even with the statue in one piece, but then again everyone’s starting accommodations aren’t anything fancy. ]

[playfoul]

[ Hmm. Seedy as hell, but the cheap-looking kind of accommodation a rookie can afford. If it turns out to be the wrong destination, well, it's still a place to stay. So Yuri tucks the phone away and begins to lead Junpei there by the arm.

The further they go, the buildings turn run-down and spattered in spray paint. Neon signs illuminate the sale of alcohol and other mind altering substances whose odors can sometimes be whiffed in the air. The only thing encouraging about the sketchiness is that it's confirmation they're going the right way. ]

Lovely neighborhood. Watch your step. [ Yuri maneuvers them around broken bottle shards on the ground. ] Shouldn't be long now. Any of it look familiar?

[moondregs]

[ The roughness of the neighborhood isn’t something Junpei has adjusted to yet. When he was alive he hadn’t lived somewhere fancy - just an average small Tokyo apartment that his mother could afford as a single parent. Their neighborhood had been quiet and fairly clean, one of many just like it in the city.

He won’t admit aloud that the sketchy place he now finds himself makes him nervous. It’s not like he’s the only one having to survive in this environment, so he pushes any fear he has out of his mind and reminds himself he’s on his own now. He has to deal with whatever may come, there’s no room for tears or being timid.

At Yuri’s question he scans the area, frowning as the shadow gremlins pop out to distract him. When one gets close enough he swats at it, cursing under his breath as it vanishes before he makes contact. ]

Yeah. I think we’re only a block or two away now ... do you think they’ll follow us?

[playfoul]

[ Yuri frowns when Junpei begins to swat at an invisible creature. Auditory and now visual hallucinations? Wonderful. ]

The drug must be playing tricks on you. No one's been following us. I've checked.

[ He's remained alert as they traveled here. Yuri, for better or worse, is too used to being in the sketchy parts of town.

They continue down the street...and soon enough, there's the hotel, and the statue of what Yuri assumes is a 'tanuki'. The poor creature is chipped and painted over like most everything in the area. ]

Here we are. Home sweet home. Let's get you inside.

[moondregs]

[ At being told he’s hallucinating the pesky critters bothering him he frowns deeply. That means he must look absolutely ridiculous arguing with nothing. Does he even have any dignity left in front of this person? He sighs as they reach the hotel. ]

Room 37.

[ He fishes around in his pocket and pulls out a key. Not a keycard like all hotel rooms have in his era, just a plain old metal key. Not exactly the most secure thing, especially considering the abilities many here have.

It’s offered to Yuri, Junpei not sure he has the coordination to be able to even unlock the door at this point. He’s at the other’s mercy as it is, what more harm is it to allow him full access to his room? ]

I’d apologize for the state of it, but it’s not as if it’s my fault. It was like this when I got it.

[playfoul]

[ Yuri's not judging, but maybe he'll tease him about it, later, when Junpei isn't under the cruel assault of hallucinations and a cut of the money's securely in his pockets. Until then, he can be benevolent. Don't worry that he'll leave you hanging.

Yuri takes the key to the lock. It's just as well. He'd have trouble knowing what to do with a card, or any sort of digital lock. An old-fashioned lock is workable. Pickable, even. ]

However much a dump it is, I've probably lived in worse.

[ The door creaks open, and Yuri looks for a chair or couch to help Junpei into. ]

[moondregs]

[ Having only been in the room for a few days there’s not much in the way of personal items in the room. It’s incredibly basic and, though it’s likely lost on Yuri, very dated. There’s gaudy flower wallpaper that’s peeling off in several places, a single buzzing naked lightbulb in the ceiling, curtains with mysterious stains, a single king sized bed with a ratty green blanket, a sad little wooden chair, and a small nightstand. There’s a little device on the nightstand that seems to be attached to the bed. It reads: ‘Massage: 50 yen’. Very classy.

Junpei takes the bed, figuring with him seeing and hearing things laying down is the best option. Even if he absolutely loathes this bed and it’s tendency to start ‘massaging’ him unbidden in the middle of the night. ]

Thank you ... I mean, I know it’s because of the money, but ... thank you.

[playfoul]

[ ...hey, what do you know, it looks on par with the moth-bitten accomodations in the Abyss. ]

Don't thank me too early. You still don't know if you'll make it to the morning.

[ He answers in a dark but joking tone. The ordeal isn't over yet, and even if it was, Yuri would have deflected the gratitude some other way. He's not deserving of it. This is an arrangement. ]

If you don't mind a stranger rummaging through your kitchen, I can get you something to eat or drink.

[moondregs]

If by kitchen you mean the sink in the bathroom.

[ He groans as he turns around to bury his face in the pillow as a way to at least keep the visual hallucinations at bay. He’d seen a shadow insect start to crawl out of one of the tears in the wallpaper.

His response is slightly muffled after, but still fairly audible. ]

There’s a cup by the sink, I just get water from the tap. For food I’ve been mostly eating from stalls, so I don’t have anything here. There’s not much room to store it. Sorry.

Ydris - A Night Parade To Remember

[moondregs]

[ It all happened so abruptly.

Junpei had been exhausted, his social battery in the red from being among the raucous crowd all day for the festival activities. It hadn’t helped that he’d taken on food delivery work before night fell, rushing about in the chaos of the celebration while trying not to drop any of his wares.

The fireworks meant that soon the craziness would be over and he’d be able to go hide in his depressing little wreck of a hotel room again. Free from the responsibility of putting on a polite face and pretending he wasn’t a ball of stress.

At some point while the Daitengu was speaking he’d run into Ydris. He hadn’t even said anything to the dragon, just nodded a greeting, too tired to bother with words.

Then the explosion happened, followed shortly after by steam totally clouding his surroundings. Not even an inch in front of him was visible and he soon found himself being easily knocked around by others panicking to try and escape the area. Many of the people around and even more of the youkai outsized him, not giving him much hope of pushing his way out of the madness.

In his fear, he became paralyzed. Could he even die in hell? Was he about to be trampled? And what of the one he’d just been beside? As frustrating as they could be, he still found himself terrified they’d be hurt as well. ]

Y-Ydris ... !

[enterthe]

[Though Ydris could be a lot of talk, it was about time they prove those protective instincts they went on about were more than just words. The streets flood with wet steam, melting off their illusion and changing their senses in any instant. All the better, really, because they had been hovering within arm's reach of Junpei and thus do not lose track of him in the obscuring fog.

Given Ydris was interested in the speeches, the Daitengu's in particular, they ran into Junpei very close by the front of the stage are. The dragon doesn't have the best hearing, so being close by a speaker was best for them. It was also useful in this case, because as the chaos erupts it gives them something to shove Junpei behind to block him from the crowd. Indelicate, perhaps, but a projected hand grabs Junpei by the back of the neck. With a decisive pull, they drag him around the amp and stand in front of him.

A good thing, too, because they shield him in time from a couple stray bullets popping off so close to them. Ydris moves their head to catch two that shot their direction on accident. Wax absorbs both with a bizarre thump-thump sound, not at all the splatter one might expect from getting two slugs to the temple.]

Duck down and be still. [an orderly command from them, cutting through the chaos. When things calm down and some of that steam clears, Ydris is still floating dutifully before Junpei in their tucked away spot from the bulk of the now scattered crowd. They'd reform their illusion, but the bullets lodged into their head would make it more disturbing than comforting to create. They also don't want to be limited to such a narrow field of vision, it was easier for them to feel out Junpei through heat than with sight]

[moondregs]

[ In the steam, Junpei isn’t totally sure who’s tugging him around, though he hopes it to be Ydris or at the very least someone not trying to get him into a position to be ... what? Beat up? Thrown? His mind is a mess. At the very least that means he’s easy to move where Ydris wants, too frightened to offer much resistance. Each sound of gunshot makes him jump, and without realizing it he’s summoned the currently very small and ineffectual Moon Dregs to appear. It stays close to him, bobbing up and down erratically, connected to his soul and able to keep track of him even in the thick steam.

The sound of the dragon’s voice confirming he’s the one nearby does help Junpei’s panic slightly, and he obediently ducks down as ordered, hugging his legs to his body.

For awhile he doesn’t even look up, going into his own head as a million possible scenarios play out.

When he does notice there’s more visibility he tilts his head upwards - and promptly lets out a shrill scream at the sight of Ydris’s waxy form. ]

[enterthe]

[Ydris' fire just sort of shrinks real small in surprise at the scream. They'll be glad it was just because they're horrifying looking and not because Junpei is dying. Their ethereal voice, now lacking in direction, spouts out of them with utmost concern]

Are you hurt-!? [Ah shit- ah fuck- did they do a bad job, somehow!?]

[moondregs]

Y-Ydris!

[ Tears, suddenly, fat and hot are rolling down his cheeks. All he knows is the dragon is on FIRE and MELTING and neither of those things can possibly be good. He’s backed up against the amp, absolutely terrified as he stares in horror.

He finally manages to stammer out a question, voice raspy. ]

You ... are you ... dying?

[enterthe]

No-!? What? No! [ghostly hands pat over Junpei to feel for injuries, warm but not feeling like flesh. Porcelain would be a better descriptor for how the projected limbs pat Junpei down with orderly concern for his wellbeing.

Seems like he's in place! He's just scattered from the chaos, that's fine, that's good even, Ydris can't heal anybody worth shit. They had Silas for that-!]

I just look like this! I was made wrong. Don't rub it in.

[moondregs]

[ The hands are regarded curiously, even through the trembling panic Junpei is still dealing with. Moon Dregs seems to mimic his curiosity, following the hands to and fro as if swimming through the air. ]

But ... why do you look like ... and did you get shot? Why are you standing here worrying about me? W-we need to get you out of here! I can’t ... handle anything happening to you! I can’t!

[ More tears, an absolute deluge of them now as he tries to stand up on wobbly legs. ]

[enterthe]

Stop yelling..! [they hate getting yelled at is anything worse-!?

Well, maybe losing a human they now care about. Or. Are. Compelled! To care about! That's all-

Ydris can deny it in their mind, but they can't hide that they sound very upset. Correcting their tone, those hand reach and ruffle Junpei's hair out of some desperate attempt to lighten the mood while harmlessly expressing their own nervous frustration! They're only upset because you're upset, Junpei!]

Whatever hit me did not and cannot hurt me. The speed and heat with which they were traveling made it clear it shouldn't hit you! Obviously, I'm concerned, you're not made of wax, you- fleshy, fragile, mortal thing..!

[moondregs]

[ At the very least, the words do cause Junpei to consider their circumstances more deeply than his panic had previously allowed.

His eyes finally catch the bobbing form of Moon Dregs, and after a moment of concentration the jellyfish vanishes again.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath and looking up at Ydris again, Junpei attempts to keep his tone steady. ]

Am I really mortal anymore ...

[enterthe]

That- Doesn't matter. You're not allowed to die on my watch. It would reflect poorly on me.

[they mean this with utmost affection, even if they're trying to pick words that sound detached. It's just about their pride, definitely, and not a deep longing to be loved and respected-

Their hands push thumbs across Junpei's cheeks, in a way they would do to Petunia when she cried over something, warming the tears away without burning the young man...]

I asked and you did not answer. Are you hurt?

[moondregs]

[ The comforting touches take him back to another time and place. Waking up from a bad dream, sniffling and scared, a gentle voice and a weight sitting down beside him on his bed. He was okay. He was safe. She’d always be there ...

... the tears return. Searing pain. Not from Ydris. From memories. He’s already shaken up from the chaos around them.

But he forces himself to answer. ]

I’m not hurt. I’ll ... I’ll be okay ...

[enterthe]

Good. Then. You will be! I promise. I'll make sure. [Ydris is mad about whatever has happened, because they'd been looking out for it all evening, but it still snuck by them. Infuriating!

Still, what matters most is that Junpei is safe and comforted for the time being. They can look at what occurred after they're certain beyond all doubt that the boy is actually okay.]

I should have shown you this true form of mine earlier. You are used to the illusion I wear around it to contain my heat. [and appear sort of human-ish, though they can never perform humanity all that well]