jigokucho | (post-mingle) text; un: UEHARA

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(post-mingle) text; un: UEHARA

Good morning, everyone. I hope you're well.

[read: he hopes that you're not too hungover and that none of you died out there last night.]

Despite the different clans to which we've been assigned, we all find ourselves in strange territory in Jigoku-cho. It may look close to what several of us recognize as Japan, but as you might've already discovered, familiarity does not guarantee similarity. The other day, I met a man who could have easily been from my world, perhaps even my continent or country-- only to discover he hailed from a completely different planet.

So, I'd like to begin gathering information. [He's no Sutoku, but this is important to all of them, and-- as he's been taught-- there are no shortcuts when it comes to investigation.] The more that we know about our fellow lost souls, the more we will have to work from as we learn more about this place and why we're here. We can start with something simple. If you would like, please share where, and when, you are from.

I'll start. I am from Tokyo's 25th Ward, in Japan, on Earth, in the year 2005.

(ooc: feel free to threadjack around! ✌️)

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[Ah yes, bureaucracy...]

It's a lot less attractive than the field work part of the job, isn't it?

[At least he actually does it. Some of his coworkers (cough Kuroyanagi) are always skipping out and shoving it onto the lower-ranking agents in favor of, well, only doing the fun stuff.]

You have a point. I don't envy our Enma colleagues. That's a bit much for learning on the job, in my opinion.

I'd argue that it's of equal importance, unfortunately. But nobody joins the force for the paperwork. If that's all you wanted to do, you could find a job that actually pays.

[ That's operating under the assumption that they're underpaid everywhere. He's pretty sure he's right. ]

Policing ideally means you have a responsibility to the people. Hard to accomplish, when you don't even know who the people are.

[ LB's answer just brings up more questions. But any of those would be getting far too personal with a stranger he had struck up a conversation with solely to discuss linguistic differences of their disparate worlds, like don't you have a home you'd miss? or do you really think you could be happy here? Kim doesn't think he could be, but nobody has ever accused him of being comfortable with change. And he knows, too, that military contractors are not people who are known for their happy childhoods. ]

Yes. It was a great relief. And if that's the case for you, then I hope you can find what you're looking for here. Would you rather stay? I'm sure it appeals to some as a fresh start. I can think of plenty who would be better off here than they were at home.

[ An appreciative smile blooms across Aerith's face, easy as pie. A giggle, too, but it's clear that believes him. Kamui was, indeed, just being nice. ]

Yep! Most of this kind of stuff you see Topside where I'm from, but to be honest, I think the company made it that much more enjoyable. Thanks, Kamui.

[ She still hasn't given him her name. Oops. ]

( it's easy for him to focus on one thing at a time, but more pointedly, he tucks that bit of information away to be focused on later--using his voice with the device? these are remarkable developments! at first, the barrage of technology in this place had felt almost overwhelming, but slowly, he's learning to work his way through it encounter by encounter. having friendly faces, who also don't mind giving him a tip or two? he feels particularly grateful.

he lets his new companion lead him inside--this arcade in particular is one that he hasn't visited yet, but he feels somewhat pleased with his previous experiences; for example, he knows now that he can't grip the glass itself and shake the crane games into submission, just as he knows that some machines are far more clever than others. still, like the other arcade, this one is full of so many glorious noises and bleeping, musical machines; there are less people here, and this time, he's not hiding from a gang trying to murder him, so: more opportunity to explore!

cheerfully, he follows after kamui, letting him pick the machine. when they finally stop, it's so that kyojuro can wind himself over kamui's shoulder to peer into the glass. for a moment, he waits, as though expecting the colorful birds to move; they do not.

he gives a hearty, bright laugh--right...near kamui's ear, whoops. )

Yes, of course! You move the grip with your hands, and the clawed hand moves accordingly inside the box! There, you must line it up carefully to claim your prize...!

( he settles back on his heels, plants his hands on his hips, and grins. )

However! I would like to see young Uehara's handiwork, first.

I suppose it's a little silly to say that I don't mind staying in what's supposed to be hell, isn't it? Heheh?

[And truth be told, LB wondered if she had even been here long enough to know whether or not Jigoku-cho was worse than what it seemed on the surface. But even if it turned out to be a nightmare? LB was still certain she was exactly where she deserved to be.]

For now, I think I'm just glad to get a little relief from all the wars going on.

[Even if it wasn't entirely peaceful here, it was still less chaotic than the war economy that ran rampant on her home planet. Granted, that wasn't the actual full reason for her preference either.]

Ah, but if it's your preference to return, I do hope there's some way for you to return eventually. Ahaha - even if I do imagine it'll be a while.

Thank you. It is my preference to return, yes. I know where I belong.

[ In Revachol, where he was born, where he intends to die. After that, he never considered the afterlife. He thought that he would simply disappear into the Pale, to be forgotten by all but those brave enough to sail through. Hell had been an unhappy surprise. ]

We all have preferences due to our circumstances. I can respect that. It seems... premature to say so, but perhaps there's a peaceful life to be had here.

[He's right as far as Kamui is concerned...] My boss did do a lot of moonlighting. She claimed it was for fun, but that can't be the whole truth.

Exactly. We don't know how anything works here, from the laws themselves to the culture. I'm still getting used to the youkai, to be honest. I only know them from legends and stories back home, and some of them make our mutual shopkeeper acquaintance look tame in comparison.

I'm glad you asked me to take you, um...

[Oops. He just remembered she hasn't, too.]

It isn't really 'flowery', is it? I'm sure it's not.

Precisely. Perhaps more than our knowledge of the laws, what gives us the right to be the ones to uphold them when we've only just arrived? Gaining the public's trust is difficult enough when you've grown up among them. To gain their trust when we're trespassers on their homes isn't a task that I envy.

Though before coming here, I hadn't even heard of them in stories. I've learned a great deal from those of you who have, however.

Nope! What tipped you off?

[ She's ribbing him. ]

Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Aerith. Aerith Gainsborough, local florist and newly appointed Starbucks aficionado.

I don't expect it to be entirely calm here - ahaha - we all have work to do here, after all.

[With the contract she was given, she could only assume that all the other Lost Souls here were similarly expected to put in the work for something they really wanted. At the very least, she's a little glad to expand her skill set in a different direction for at least a little while.]

But it's the best we can hope for in this situation, isn't it?

Just a hunch?

[He smiles, less hesitant now. Look, Aerith, he's catching up!!!]

Then it's nice to officially meet you, Aerith. [Kamui fiddles with the petals of that synthetic flower she's given him.] Are there many flowers in hell to sell? Everything seems very, um, urban. I've barely seen any trees around.

Nope. Not yet, at least. [ Apparently, she intends to change that. ]

If it was up to me... I'd really want to see this whole place in bloom. [ Leaning back, she drinks in the image of shop go-ers living busily: From the customers to the employees, it seems like life is in full swing in Hell. ] What's your favorite flower, Kamui?

We can hope for something between peace and active warfare, [ Kim says dryly, though not unsympathetically. ] War is quite beyond me.

[ Or at least... an all-out war. Urban warfare is something he grew up around, as natural as breathing. But war of the likes a contractor is used to? Unthinkable. ]

That sounds beautiful. It'd make our stay here much more pleasant, that's for sure.

And my favorite flower... mm. [He takes a thoughtful slurp of his drink.]

Ayame, probably. They're a kind of Japanese iris: they're this really vibrant blue-violet color. [It's a woman's name too, of course. His thoughts even drift toward a particular Ayame in his mind as he builds the image of the flower in his head.] They grow wild in Japan in some places, but... not the area I'm from. It's about as bare as it is here in the 25th Ward.

[ The thoughtful slurp is noted, as Aerith listens intently. He has her full attention for several moments, and when he speaks, she hangs off his every word. ]

Irises, huh... You know, they used to give bright blue irises like that to people celebrating their birthdays or, to welcome in big, great news. Interesting, huh?

[ Aerith mimics him, taking a thoughtful slurp of own drink. ]

So? Did you have something to celebrate?

I hope, for your sake, that it stays beyond you, heheh.

[And that much is genuine. She wished that she didn't ever have to know it at all, even if she supposed the experience and knowledge she gained from being a contractor would likely be a benefit to her not being eaten up completely by Jigoku-cho.]

I don't even know what I'd do with myself if it were completely peaceful here. [Which wasn't for a love of her job, rather that she hadn't known peace for at least the last decade or so of her life.] So yes, I suppose that would be the best outcome.

You know, I don’t sense a lot of trust for the Enma around here. I suppose it figures. [ba dum tssh.]

Hmm… Then our legends haven’t translated to your world like our languages have. Are there any kind of spirit or monster stories you know of from Revachol? Just because this looks like Japan, doesn’t mean everything here will necessarily be Japanese.

I think we could hope that for all of our sakes. Even those accustomed to such things tend not to prefer them -- not unless there are more serious issues at play.

[ Like the mercenaries he'd met, who relished in the violence. He chooses not to believe that of anyone unless they make it too present to be ignored. Why believe people to be monsters when he can believe them to be human? ]

If it were peaceful here, all that would be left would be to live. I'd recommend picking up a hobby.

I'll admit that I never paid very close attention to those sorts of things. There are some stories of cryptids, I suppose. [ Maybe he should have paid closer attention to those... ] But none like the ayakishi I've seen here. They're all much more animal in nature. Beasts, not spirits.

I wouldn't expect to see them here. Frankly, I wouldn't like to. It would be an inconvenience.

You know, usually I'd call them youkai. Ayakishi is sort of an older term. The last person I met who used that term claimed to be an exorcist. Did you hear it from someone like him?

[when they find out they each met one half of a pair of messy exes....]

Well, I certainly hope we don't run into Bigfoot here on top of all the ~~youkai~~ ayakishi. But we'll have to wait and see. About everything, really.

[Though unseen, LB smiles wistfully. Even if a peaceful life was what she really desired, she wasn't certain if she deserved it.]

The sad thing is that it's been so long that I'm not even certain what I even enjoy anymore, heheh...

[Which even though it seemed innocuous enough that LB didn't feel like it was too much to unload on a relative stranger, it did reveal more than she intended to on just how sad her life really was. However, LB does at least realize that perhaps she should try to leave off on a lighter note.]

But, ah. I guess I have plenty of time to figure that much out, hmm?

Is that so? We must have spoken to the same person. I've never heard of these things one way or the other, and he seemed to be an expert on the matter, so I took it at face value. I wonder what the ayakishi, or yokai, themselves prefer.

[ It seems safest to go with that. But that would require having a conversation with them. No thank you. ]

At this point, I would prefer Bigfoot. That's just an enormous ape. Downright ordinary compared to some of the things I've seen. I could do without some of the others, however, so best that this place steers clear of them entirely.

[ Unseen, Kim only nods. What she says may sound bleak, but it doesn't come as a surprise to him; those who label themselves as war mercenaries rarely have what they would describe as happy lives, and he doubts that it leaves room for much beyond the job. Kim's a cop, not a soldier, and even he has precious little time for his hobbies, though he does have them. ]

Yes. My advice is to make a list -- though I rarely think a list is a bad idea. Somewhere down the line, you'll come across something you enjoy. [ Although... ] Some of the more expensive hobbies will have to wait, however. I think our paychecks are spoken for in acquiring the essentials first.

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