open ► march catchall.

[cutcloud]

Who ⬤ chongyun & you.
What ⬤ substories, working hard for the $$$, general day-to-day, let's build 🌈 friendships 🌈 and hold hands 💋
When ⬤ throughout march.
Where ⬤ mainly tamamo territory, with a dash of sutoku and enma.
Content Warnings ⬤ light nudity, language, slapstick violence.

will add closed starters as well, feel free to hit me up for a private prompt.


◐ i. (substory 1; evening; tamamo territory — open to all )

[ A tall building, painted black, boasts neon-pink and green sprawl across its brick walls. Despite night having barely fallen, the inside of the club is dark, still calm because its just recently opened its doors to welcome patrons. The music is low, a baseline throb to the clank of chains and whips; women with bright red lipstick and high heels linger at the bar, chatting casually, and men dressed in dark colors begin to pander to what guests have already arrived. What are you looking for? What do you like?

As far as BDSM clubs go, it’s beginner level. An introduction for newbies; it’s why the doms linger by the front, flirting with guests, wanting to build new relationships with clients. Not all of them—behind the scenes a huddle of new doms have been admonished for failing to be properly domineering. Complaints from unsatisfied guests have come in as of late and the boss is getting desperate. Anyone, everyone, please show these kids the right way to force someone into submission!

Enter: someone who is going to completely misunderstand the assignment.

Force a spirit into submission? Who better to teach these wet-eared youths than an exorcist? There are many ways to purge spirits, but naturally, one must quell it first. Which is why Chongyun strides up, straight-faced and cool, 160cm of icy poise as he snaps a thin red rope between his hands. Binding with charmed rope works extremely well for corporeal spirits, he explains to the group, who nod eagerly.

Perhaps you’re someone who’s wandered in—on purpose or by accident, maybe that extremely eager receptionist grabbed you off the street—or maybe another Tamamo. Either way, this young man with clear blue eyes and cool expression comes up and gives a short bow in greeting. The red chord is wrapped around his arm, hot color a sharp contrast to his cold palette. ]

Excuse me. I’m looking for a volunteer—would you be willing?

◐ ii. ( any weekday; late night; tamamo territory — open to all )

[ It’s growing late, and a neon-bright gentleman’s club wrapped in panels of tatami mat and smooth bamboo open for companionship sitting on the crossroads of territories hums with activity—trussed up in richly patterned fabrics, low tables, cushions, and delicate ukiyo-e paintings, the clasped hands of eager managers and the low giggles of entertainers promises … something. Anything you want. Conversation, flirtatious gazes, bated breaths and rich flattery (information, rumors, veiled threats), customers are king within the cocoon gauzy curtains and velvety daybeds.

Within the nest at a short table kneels a young man. Downy hair pushed back to show off a pleasant face, clear blue eyes, light lashes—they match the cool veining beneath his pale skin, a mapline that works over knuckle and delves beneath wrist. Unlike the rich kimono that several of the women wear, he’s styled in soft whites and trimmed blues, a snowy visage against the heated backdrop—his thaumaturge wear has been exchanged for a delicate Chinese style of dress, drawing a handsome figure with fine lines that’s softened by the touch of cusped youth.

In the end, he hadn’t been able to escape customer service jobs completely. Tolerant of today’s assignment, Chongyun can’t find it in himself to complain when companionship isn’t the worst thing sold in the club. They offer more—the managers usher workers into private rooms as quickly as they turn over drinks—but he’s begun to get used to Tamamo’s methods. He can ignore it, instead focusing on his own role. ]

Hello. [ he greets with a small nod of the head—maybe you’ve just come in, or maybe you’ve been occupied on the other side of the club and got bored with the giggling girls plying with compliments and wine—either way, Chongyun glances up from beneath his lashes, expression cool, contrary to the wide-plaster smiles printed on most faces. ] Do you want to play?

[ He gestures in front of him: three cups, a small pad, a pen, and a coin. He’s not entertaining anyone right now, cushion in front of him open for the taking, because most of the youkai and spirits are hesitant to approach him. Intimidation? Perhaps. He had thought his inborn trait defunct here, but it seems that the weak-willed spirits still find it difficult to come close. ]

◐ iii. ( weekend; afternoon/evening; tamamo territory — open to all )

[ Weekend rush—the novelty café is bustling, each and every waiter dressed in various costumes swamped with tables and guests to entertain. Compared to the sex clubs only open late at night, this café sees more foot traffic despite only offering cute boys in cute clothes and sweet desserts—right now, their fat pancakes are the hottest thing on the street! Limited time only, served with honey, butter, and your choice of ice cream. Better get them now or you’ll never have the chance for such deliciousness again!

Chongyun had been dragged in that morning, told that because he was so difficult to place that he needed to shut up and deal with what he could do, and shoved into a costume. We’re short on hands, get to work. So, the newly minted catboy had been forced out onto the floor as a server, dressed in short shorts, a button up shirt, a collar, a tail, and a fluffy pair of cat ears.

Barely even looking at the customer at his table, Chongyun tries to disassociate from reality completely while giving his welcoming spiel, ]

… W, welcome home master, nya. [ this is a fever dream, ] We have a meow-tastic menu for you today. [ this is a fever dream, ] You’ll definitely want to wet your whiskers on our limited edition pancakes. [ this is a fever dream, ] The rule is, if you finish your whole plate, you get a kiss from your cat. Nya.

[ He’s disassociating so hard that he’s actually staring straight at the wall, so embarrassed by his lines that he just. Can’t look at who he’s even talking to (which only makes this worse if you’re already an acquaintance). Stifling a sigh, he closes his eyes, trying to pretend he’s somewhere else completely. ]

Unless master wants something else. Your wish is my command…… nya.

[ That last nya is so resigned. This cat… he is tired. ]

◐ iv. ( anytime; tamamo territory — tamamos only )

[ Maybe running himself ragged working so many jobs had been a mistake.

It’s a thought he has after retreating to one of the back break rooms in one of the quieter clubs. Leaning over the communal sink, Chongyun washes his face, water from the faucet freezing cold. Icy enough that enough scrubbing have turned both his lips and fingertips blue—it blends into his scheme, so isn’t extremely obvious, but he doesn’t look well. Exposure to the “heaty” elements of Tamamo’s territory has taken its toll; sinking down onto the couch, the young exorcist begins to wilt, looking quite unwell.

If it were just work this would be nothing, but …

Between working and using all of his spare time to learn everything he can about Jigoku-cho that he can in an atmosphere he can’t deal with, he’s been burning the candle at both ends. Evil waits for no man—so he’s been hunting for it heartily through the streets, while trying to scrape for as many funds as he can save, as a cushion. Everything is so expensive that it feels almost dangerous to have no funds. What if there’s an emergency?

Head throbbing, Chongyun tries to peel open the slippery packaging of some painkillers without avail. His fingers feel clumsy and his focus isn’t quite there—it’s a fever he doesn’t even realize he has—and eventually he gives up, dropping the still-intact packaging onto the table. Then glares at it, childishly, as if that’ll somehow get the tabs out of the packaging and into his mouth.

When the door to the Tamamo only communal space opens, he startles, standing up right away as though he shouldn’t be there, ]

A… apologies, I’ll get out of your way.

[ He moves toward the door to let the new person have some privacy in the room, but the ground… ends up… moving…

Or, as you guessed: Chongyun flops over, sprawled across the floor with a dazed oomph. ]

How’d that happen…?

[ Comes his confused voice, muffled into the floor, where his face is still planted. Sorry you had to meet this mess when you were probably looking for a place to relax, huh… ]

◐ v. ( substory 3; earlier March; river bridge — open to all )

[ The young exorcist, dressed neatly in cottony white trimmed with blue, stands at the edge of riverbank while gazing up at an arching red bridge. The man with the jacket had stayed behind for his investigation—though Chongyun expects he just planned to harass more people about his sweet jacket and how he’s been personally attacked over fashion. It doesn’t really matter—he doesn’t need to be here for an initial assessment.

Curious, Chongyun explores the underneath of the bridge and then walks across it himself. No issues, not even an angry bubble in the rushing waters beneath. There are more people passing over the bridge as well, completely freely, not a one being attacked. Chongyun’s sure—he stepped back to watch, guard raised, just in case the supposed attacker decided to target someone else.

But… no. Nothing. Lost souls come and go without a problem. They actually give him weird looks for being so studious, watching all of them pass with an even expression and barely blinking.

Chongyun hums, leaning against the railing in the middle of the bridge, peering down once more to try and pick out something amiss in the water. Why would the guy make such a fuss to everyone if he hadn’t been attacked? It would be remiss of him to just brush the guy off, even if Chongyun isn’t exactly convinced that a jacket could make someone irresistible to haters. What if something actually happened later? That would be his responsibility for negligence.

Musing, out loud, voice carrying enough for anyone nearby to hear (and answer), the young man questions to the air, ]

Could an evil spirit really be attracted to someone’s jacket…? Maybe it’s the jacket itself that’s possessed?

◐ vi. ( daytime; convenience store; sutoku territory — open to previous cr )

[ Convenience stores… are a marvel.

Liyue had no lack of stores, of course. There were merchants along the harbor, constant trade coming in from ships passing through, stalls and shops that sold wares from nearby towns to distant lands. Yet this convenience store is different. There’s no contracts, no haggling—one merely walks inside and places the items they want in a basket, and then checks out at a register. No haggling. No negotiating. Prices are labeled and reasonable.

And inside—so many things! Food, stationary, first aid, hygiene products … Chongyun had spent a whole day exploring them upon first walking into one. Refrigerated rice balls with all of their ingredients clearly labeled? What more could someone like him, who only takes his meals cold and must avoid anything “heaty”, ask for? A place where one can get supplies at any time. So far, it might be one of his favorite things.

Speaking of supplies—it’s morning when he goes to stock up on ice packs. Tamamo territory has proven difficult to navigate with his particular condition, and without Mist Flowers or Qingxin he’d been at quite a loss until discovering the ice packs sold at convenience stores. Little packaged squares of ice that can be reused a few times, if you take care.

He has three baskets. Two are already filled with ice packs, and he’s in the middle of clearing out the freezer and filling the third when he notices a familiar face. ]

Oh, hello there. [ he seems in an extremely good mood as he continues to drop ice pack after ice pack into his baskets … who on earth needs so many ice packs… 60, 61, 62, 63… ] It’s good to see you. How have you been?

[ He pauses, reaching into the freezer only to find his fingers grasping nothing. With a frown he draws his hand back and blinks, ]

.... Is that all?

[ Apparently 63 ice packs isn’t enough?? ]

◐ vii. ( daytime; end of March; enma — open to all )

[ He hadn't expected to end up back in this building so soon. Like the day he arrived, the lines are long, and administration continues to churn its wheels. Take a ticket, wait in line. Only, this time, he isn't registering—the young man is waiting on line at the inquiries desk, which is thankfully not too far into the building. It's part of the main lobby where plenty of people loiter, though the fact that they could be from any territory and that they may be eavesdropping for scraps of information isn't lost on him. It doesn't particularly bother Chongyun either way, but he does make note of it.

Patiently, he waits on line until his ticket is called; he places it politely down onto the desk before turning his attention on to the poor person who's been answering the questions of Lost Souls all day. It's mostly directing them toward certain areas, really, and general questions like Am I dead? or Where do I live? Nothing crazy. You'd be surprised how similarly people who show up in Jigoku think; priorities are priorities, in the end.

If you're that poor Enma employee covering the front inquiries desk, have a young man with clear blue eyes studying you for a moment before speaking. ]

Excuse me. Where are all of the evil and extremely malicious spirits being held? It doesn't seem that they're amongst the general populace, and I would very much like to see them.

[ ... or perhaps you're just someone nearby, overhearing this young man quiz the poor office worker about evil spirits. Where are they? Is there a secondary location for spirits too evil to be allowed free to roam? Where would they be kept, if there were a place where they needed to be segregated in?

If you're that nearby person, he'll finally step away from the desk with a resigned sigh after getting absolutely no answers from the person working. He sighs, looking fairly disappointed. ]

Did I really wait on that line for no answers at all..?

[ He just wants!! To find!! The evil spirits!!! ]

Comments

iv

[apathie]

... What are you doing? [and why is this child always in trouble of some sort?

nehan just... stares down at him, ears pulled back a little in annoyance even if chongyun cant even see him. he just wanted a bit of a rest while getting rewarded for his work in being security for the club... and here chongyun is, right in his way.]

Little cloud child, why are you always on the brink of losing consciousness whenever I see you?

iii... nya

[nya]

( she really, really doesn't get it.

to begin with, being accused of having fake ears so many times since her arrival has put a bad taste in her mouth: do they look fake?! sure, they're a little... tall, for cat ears, but still! they move around! they're real! a lot of people here seem to assume dressing up as a cat is, for whatever reason, a common and appealing thing to do, and considering she comes from a town that's basically all beast-people (and they don't exactly get treated any better thanks to it) it's a very strange concept.

so, today is for research. a "catboy cafe" they call it, offering a wide variety of sweets and other treats. she likes food, and though she prefers seafood, she won't turn down a nice dessert, either — so, with what money she's scrounged up, she decides to take an educational trip inside. seated comfortably by a table near a window, she glances outside, then down at the menu, as some... she presumes catboy... presents her with an offer full of terrible cat puns. his voice sounds vaguely similar, but she doesn't look up until he mutters his last, resigned nya, and — )

Gah!!! ( points at him accusingly. ) It's you! Shoe thief guy!! ( she has Not forgotten, no. it's kind of hard, when they both almost got kidnapped that day... but, more importantly, she looks him up down to top and then back, making a face. ) You look weird.

( the outfit is cute, she supposes, but the ears are obviously fake, and she's still coming to terms with the fact humans just seem fond of dressing up as animals?? it's harmless, probably... but still! wish she didn't get accused of being a fake because of it!!! )

Stop making bad puns! And it's nya not "nya"! Repeat after me: nya, nya, nya! Do it properly!! ( is that really the issue here... )

[cutcloud]

[ Ah. While it isn’t like he’s overly familiar with that voice, this situation is … it’s basically the same, isn’t it? Only this time Chongyun’s actually on the floor instead of clutching at a nicely pressed sleeve.

Rex Lapis, if only you could strike me where I lay … appearing before this man two times in shambles is just too much. It isn’t always like this!!

Normally he would get up, but the throbbing at his temples hasn’t subsided. Vague vertigo dazes him, which is why he responds to the entirely less important thing first. ]

Oh. You know the meaning of my name.

[ A rush of giddiness tangles with everything else. This time he’s … definitely worse. He’d been dealing well with the heaty things for too long, and their revenge is nigh. ]

[apathie]

Obviously. [it's from his native language, after all.

nehan crouches down beside chongyun, checking what he can see of the boy's face just in case symptoms are showing themselves. there's not much he can see, though, so he taps on chongyun's head with his gloved hand.]

Open your eyes for me, boy. I might as well deal with you before anything else. I will also be rolling you over onto your back if you cant do it yourself. [because if someone dies in this place, of course the authorities will be coming. nehan refuses to have a fuss happen here when he literally just finished making sure that the idiots out on the floor would not make a fuss.]

like… nya

[cutcloud]

G, gah…!?!

[ His tepid resignation immediately flips when she gasps, eyes going wide on her accusatory point. Wait a second…!?

Oooooh no, this someone that kind of knows him! Oh no, it’s the girl he met in the club, danced with, stole her shoe, and wore it as a hat (though most of this is actually a blur, like it’d been a drunken blackout binge)! Oh no, she’s some kind of cat aficionado and now she’s aggressively nyaing at him!

There’s a lot to unpack here and he wants to do exactly none of that.

In the end, the instinct to brush his last embarrassing buffoonery under the rug overrules everything else. Besides, the cafe rules are clear—the customer is the master, and whatever the master wants the master gets. He can just feel the burning gaze of their catboy manager from across the room (who, incidentally, is actually 45 and has a bushy mustache… that isn’t stopping him from wearing the short shorts and the ears though). ]

……. Nya. Nya, nya nya. Nya.

[ Doubtful that these hesitant nyas are up to her standards, even if he would argue that all of these nyas sound the same!!!!!!! ]

Is master satisfied?

[ He can feel that gaze grow more searing; sighing, he raises a hand, curling his fingers in that cat-like claw motion. The manager nods to himself, satisfied. ]

[cutcloud]

I’m in your debt again…

[ Open his eyes and roll over onto his back—he thinks he can do those things. No, he has to do those things, because he isn’t an invalid.

So, with a puff, Chongyun rolls over onto his back, eyelids fluttering open. His catlike pupils don’t quite focus on anything at first, but eventually they find Nehan’s face. His lips and fingertips are still blue from soaking himself in the sink. ]

It’s alright, I’m used to this. [ even the fever… despite having a Cyro vision, apparently he can’t just soak in the lake on Dragonspine and run around wearing just a t-shirt without getting ill. ] Isolating has been … difficult. It was bound to happen.

[ His condition makes anything rousing difficult… normally he would turn down invitations or jobs like this, but right now, there’s little choice.

Not that he has the energy to explain. He just sighs. ]

My apologies.

[apathie]

[the erune's eyebrows raise when he notes the condition that chongyun is in, and he forgets that he's supposed to be irritated. he gingerly touches the boy's blue lips and fingers, noting that they are indeed cold and not just dyed from artificial coloring, and takes chongyun's hands to rub some warmth into them. he hasn't forgotten that he needs to look at the human's eyes, but this takes precedence.

though he suspects the beginnings of a fever, given the flushed face. ]

Chongyun, what did you do to yourself? [he does sound like it's a serious condition... but he's not so worried about the fingers. he's more concerned about where to go from here.]

[cutcloud]

Hm? I rinsed off in the sink. The water gets delightfully cold.

[ Ah, but that rubbing is taking away his hard won coldness! Which is why he curls his fingers to hold Nehan’s hand, hopefully stilling the man’s efforts to warm him up. ]

It helped quite a bit.

[ It’s granted him clarity, at the very least—if he’s going to get sick, it’s much better for it to be this way. ]

Hm … I think the restaurant next door has a walk in freezer. I should be fine if I spend some time in there.

[ He has no idea how insane this sounds without context. ]

[apathie]

[chongyun's hand curling around his just makes the erune think that feeling is returning to the boy's fingers-- which is a good thing, when everything else chongyun says is so beyond concerning that nehan is having trouble finding a word to describe it, in all of the languages he knows.]

You didn't answer me properly, child. [nehan renews the friction just to get cold digits to warm again.] Why are you doing this to yourself?

You look halfway to a delirious fever spell, but you almost have frostbite as well.

[then his tone takes on a snap. a bark of command.]

Explain.

[cutcloud]

[ He blinks once, twice, before finally realizing what Nehan meant. ]

Oh. [ a soft exhale as the young exorcist finally sits up, again trying to still the friction by clutching Nehan’s hand. ] It’s necessary for me.

[ He glances up at the older man from beneath his eyelashes. Considering, for a moment, before relenting. He did ask, and now it’s twice that Chongyun has inconvenienced him. He does deserve an explanation. ]

I have a special condition. Are you familiar with congenital positivity?

v.

[paperpusher]

Haha, it could be either.

[Sorry for eavesdropping, tiny exorcist Tamamo bud...! Natori waves a couple of fingers in the air as a lazy greeting as he comes up towards the railing to join Chongyun. He can never resist the urge to infodump about exorcism factoids, so!]

A jacket wouldn't be my first thought for a possession unless it's old enough to have developed sentience, but it's certainly not impossible, especially not if it's made from a particularly reactive material. At the same time, there's no telling what sort of things an ayakashi could become obsessed with. Usually it's because they feel some ownership towards the item, but it could be as simple as seeing it every day and deciding that it's "theirs."

[Unfortunately his job in canon is explaining worldbuilding to the teenage protagonist and it's just too easy for him to fit Chongyun into that category. He smiles down at him, adjusting his glasses to see if there's a visible difference when he looks at Chongyun through the lenses compared to not. Something of a meaningless gesture here, since being in the ayakashi realm means there shouldn't be those differences in sight any longer, but it's a hard habit to break.]

Is something bothering you? Or, uh, your jacket?

[apathie]

[nehan refuses to be deterred from making sure that chongyun's fingers stay intact. still, his eyes narrow at the term the boy has given him-- of course he knows what the words mean individually, but together? what exactly is this issue he was born with?]

No.

Explain. [if he has to repeat himself again, he might just lose his mind.]

[cutcloud]

[ Good thing no one else is trying to come in right now—because they'd walk into something right out of a crime drama. Victim, on the cusp of death, while the snazzily dressed detective holds him in his last moments and demands to know who viciously attacked him. ]

Yin and yang. A balance between the two in the spirit is normal. For me... I was born with too much yang energy. My spirit is actually pure yang—so I become, [ pause, then ] ... unwell, if I'm too stimulated. Or warm. Or if I eat anything hot or spicy ... [ alright well Nehan doesn't need an essay, ] I need to supplement with yin energy manually.

[ He coughs, head still hurting—it's about now that it's drawing on him that he might actually have caught a cold. Can that seriously happen in Hell? ]

........ And I may have pushed myself too much, in this territory.

[ He'd gotten optimistic (and a little brazen) since his condition hadn't been so bad lately. Likely because of the yin nature of Hell itself, but apparently his spirit is still strong enough that this happens... sounds about right, for his luck. ]

[cutcloud]

[ Aha. Chongyun blinks at the unexpected approach, but doesn't seem to mind the intrusion. In fact, whilst Natori waxes about the nature of spirits and the possession of objects and materials, he kicks out his white parasol that had been trustily at his side and opens it up to share. It's sunny on the bridge, after all.

Of course, the shade does nothing to hide the luminescence of his spirit—a vivid color to those that look for it and can see it, more like the faint scorch of the sun than the snowy fields that better suit his color palette. Even with suppression and the yin nature of Hell, he's all yang, and yang is extremely out of place in any kind of underworld or spirit realm. What's normally a gasoline explosion has been pressed to something more like a candle-flame, for now.

He listens, quite earnestly. When you're the "quiet" half of a "quiet-chatty" duo, it comes naturally to sit back and absorb; he hums softly at the explanation, taking it in while glancing back out and down toward the river in contemplation. ]

No, not mine. [ he shakes his head, and then looks back at Natori, gazing at the other man from beneath light eyelashes, ] There's a man who has been having trouble with a spirit when trying to cross his bridge. He insisted that it's hating on his sweet jacket, but I didn't think that alone would be cause for a spirit to viciously attack someone.

[ He pauses, before, ]

......... It is a tacky jacket, though. Maybe it really does just hate it.

[ No one said that demons and spirits aren't allowed to have taste. ]

[paperpusher]

Honestly, that might be all there is to it. Some spirits can be very petty. [He says this with the casual matter-of-factness of an exorcist who has had to deal with some very silly jobs; one of the difficulties with trying to establish an exorcist business from (essentially) scratch is that by nature you're only going to get offered the jobs that everyone else has turned down.] Or rather, it might not be how he's presenting it, but rather that, say... the jacket has a koi fish on it and the spirit hates them, or the color is one that reminds the spirit of something unpleasant...

[He idly raises a hand above his eyes to cut some of the sun reflecting off of all that white, not to mention off of the river itself. It's not like it's overpowering, but Natori was up for the bulk of the night doing his stupid himbo host routine; he wouldn't mind blocking a bit of the glare.] Mm, but we could spend hours guessing at the motivation behind it. What sort of spirit is it? It might be easier to figure it out from there.

[apathie]

[nehan's eyes nattow even further when he takes in what chongyun is telling him--the boy's no good storyteller, but his explanation is succinct... and he should be glad that the karm clan has some experience in such things. nehan was never trained fur such things as the qi balance in one's body, but coming across such things are inevitable when you're a herbalist.

and of the karm clan.

though he's never heard of such an imbalance of energy. pure yang? what fantasy. but still, the evidence is right in front of him, chongyun is hotter than should be, and if his body were just a tad warmer, people would worry of his brain boiling in his skull.

still nehan reaches out with one hand and smacks chongyun in the forehead with his palm.]

You fool, you're going about it the wrong way. You don't suppress the yang, you introduce yin into your body to balance yourself. Dunking your face into ice-cold water will do nothing because it's making contact with your skin, and not affecting your core.

[great, he sounds like a village elder. he never wanted this.]

Specific food, specific additives to your food, go sleep and rest. Did you even visit an acupuncurist?

[cutcloud]

I'm just glad it's actually a spirit ...

[ That's more to himself than Natori, a mild comment with a small crease between his brows. Other exorcist problems: when what you're hunting for turns out to be completely unrelated to spirits at all. The number of times that it's been some annoying neighbor or a bird trapped in someone's chimney is just... too many to count. ]

But, it hasn't shown itself to me. Everyone else has been passing by without a problem too.

[ Soooo, he doesn't know. Getting spirits to come out and face him has always been a bit of a problem, though that had always been because of his innate trait before. Now? Maybe it's a bit of that still, but now that they won't explode getting too close, he still isn't sure the best way to make them come out. As far as experience, he's lacking in that department.

He looks at Natori again, and then offers a little smile. ]

You're very knowledgable. How about we team up?

[cutcloud]

[ Ack!

His face scrunches when Nehan paps his forehead with his palm. Admonished... but, he really does need to keep his body cold, too! Specific food is not enough! Especially when he's around the heaty threats all the time now!! ]

I usually have food with Mist Flowers and Qingxin, but I haven't found them here...

[ And then there's the fact that his Vision is capoot here, with no Cyro to balance it out either. Not that he ever relied blindly on the tool, of course, but it was effective. Still, he'd argue that introducing yin in various ways isn't the problem itself, but he's just too tired. In fact, he's leaning, slumping somewhat against Nehan.

Tired... it's really been a lot. ]

I haven't seen any acupuncturists here either.

[apathie]

[the sound that comes from nehan is one of sheer disgust. he just wanted to come here and rest, and now he has an idiot to take care of.

the erune stands, and puts his hands underneath chongyun's arms to pick him up-- the way a child would pick up a stuffie, or the family cat.]

You couldn't handle your problem on your own, and now your problem is my problem. Ugh.

What am I to do with you?

[paperpusher]

I've just got a few more years of dealing with ayakashi than you, that's all! I'm happy to lend a hand, but I don't want you thinking I'm stealing your job out from under you. You lead the investigation, and I'll chime in when I think of something. [Which is to say, Natori is absolutely here for teaming up, but also wants to tell himself that he's being a good mentor... He's always wanted to be someone's exorcist senpai, especially someone who, y'know, is actually interested in exorcisms instead of getting roped in against his will.] It's Chongyun-kun, right?

[As he's speaking, the lizard-shaped youkai that lives on his skin slithers up from under his collar like a moving tattoo to rest on his jawline. Even if it hadn't made a quiet scurrying noise when it moved, Natori would know where it was without having to look. He realizes that Chongyun could easily get the wrong idea in his quest to locate the ayakashi responsible for this jacket trouble, so he breezily adds]

That's unrelated to the jacket issue, pro--

[cutcloud]

I am very sorry.

[ Honestly, it's embarrassing. Twice. The first time hadn't been so bad, but this time Chongyun really can only blame his own lack of judgement. So he's just 😔-face, reflecting on his own misdeeds. It would have been better to isolate sooner and to worry less about funds and his contract, not lose focus on keeping his qi balanced. It's a new place, new situation, new everything—of course this would happen.

Hangs there, cat-shamed..... ]

You, you needn't bother with me. I will go isolate at once.

[ Seriously, he can't trouble this man twice. ]

comedy wins..... im sorry grandpa

[cutcloud]

[ He nods—of course, of course. In the eyes of a 17 year old, Natori's probably like, what? 40? Naturally, his depth of experience makes sense. As expected of an elder exorcist. As far as job-stealing goes, that nod quickly turns to a shake. ]

No, no no. Not at all. I'd actually really like to learn from your experience...

[ He drifts at about the same time that shadow passes, gaze narrowing on what seems to be a nuisance. How Chongyun raises his hand is automatic—just what youkai has the guts to crawl all over someone right in front of him?! It might be small but that isn't going to stop him from launching it into the sun.

And, honestly ... Chongyun is so eager to have one come so close to him that he doesn't even second guess his decision to move. Before Natori can finish his sentence to reassure him that the little youkai has nothing to do with their situation, Chongyun's throwing hands, palm swift with the practice of a boy who has studied martial arts his whole life, as well as the strength of a boy that uses an incredibly heavy sword every day. He might be short, but he's pretty strong. ]

Whence you came!

[ Aha!! Gotcha!!!!

His hand makes fierce contact with Natori's poor handsome cheek—and that's more or less when Chongyun realizes he's made a mistake. He... definitely didn't need to use so much force in his slap to get rid of tiny youkai like that. Ah, but Natori is an exorcist, surely he also does intense body training on the daily? And isn't about to go flying over the railing, off the bridge, and down into the waters below? ]

rip natori's cool senpai dreams march 2022 - march 2022

[paperpusher]

[Natori has had a pretty long day. Between exorcisms and film sets, he's used to keeping somewhat atypical hours in his normal life, but the schedule of working at the host club here in hell still requires an adjustment. He's more accustomed to spending the wee hours of the morning in a forest or a mountain conducting some sort of ritual by lanternlight, speaking only to his familiars and to recite archaic spells by memory. Instead, he's out until nearly dawn schmoozing, flirting with any strangers who wants to pay for the privilege; it's not that different from acting, but it's still a persona he has to put on, and it's taken more energy than he expected. All of this is to say that though it's not that late in the day, it's essentially the end of Natori's, and he was expecting at most to serve as a consultant for an odd exorcist job on his way home to sleep in his bare apartment until it's time to head back to the club.

The Natori clan is known for its paper magic. There are countless ways to manipulate paper that are known to no other living exorcist. His protective charms are well-regarded throughout the community. In normal circumstances, Natori can chain together paper dolls as easily as breathing, make them sturdy enough to bind and seal whatever creatures he comes across, strengthen them to the point of being able to drawn blood. Unfortunately, exorcists arts-and-crafts does not require any sort of body strength. Incidentally, his paper isn't waterproof either; maybe it's better that he doesn't have access to his abilities right now. It'd just add insult to injury if all of his tools got soaked alongside the rest of him.

Chongyun's palm comes with a speed and precision that Natori has never even tried to obtain. It catches Natori completely off-guard; at worst, he expected Chongyun to make some hand signals and chant some words, not give his face a good shove. Leaning as he was against the railing moments earlier, it's the worst time to go top-heavy. For a moment, Natori scrambles for his balance to try to prevent the worst, but gravity and a lack of really any physical training win out. On instinct, as he's plummeting over the side he shouts]

Hiiragi--!

[but his familiars can't save him now.

Splash.]

[apathie]

[if chongyun were held by anybody else, they would have folded under the look on his face-- not unlike a kicked puppy, or a kitten doused with water. but nehan?

nehan is merciless, and leans in to catch chongyun's eyes, and make sure the boy knows that disapproval is the erune's entire expression.]

You are going to take a bath. [likely the most unorthodox prescription he's ever given, but then again, he's not a typical doctor.]

Soak in the tub in warm water and let the heat leech out of you. And while that's happening, I'm going to make you drink whatever cold drink I can get my hands on, and make the process faster.

Do you have a bath tub, wherever you live?

[cutcloud]

A, a bath??

[ That's.... seriously not what he expected at all?! No one's told him to take a bath since he was five. His eyes grow big and his expression falters, expression going to a little miserable to fairly panicked. Soak in warm water? He's alright with the cold drink thing, that makes sense, but sitting in hot water strikes him as sheer madness. Madness. ]

I do, but—... warm water? Shouldn't it be cold water?

[ He can't even imagine sitting in a bath of warm water. The mental image alone is getting him flustered. ]