(post-mingle) text; un: UEHARA

[metafictions]

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! ✌️)

Comments

[lonelinessloop]

When we had fresh fish, it was really good. But we didn't go out for food much.

[metafictions]

[fresh fish from okinawa... god, that MUST be really delicious...]

Makes sense. If you have high quality ingredients, you can easily make something high quality yourself.

[Back to business--] I'm curious, since no one who's said they were Japanese has mentioned it. Do you know of a 25th Ward? Or a 24th?

[lonelinessloop]

[ It's clear from the pause, at least, that she's still thinking about it. And then- ]

I haven't heard anything like that either. Does it have something to do with the military??

[metafictions]

Neither of them? Really?

[Definitely an alternate Japan from his own, then.]

They're not military affiliated, but they were... let's call them experimental wards, quite different from the original 23. The social engineering that took place in both was intended to decrease rates of violent crime and improve life for their citizens.

If you're from 2017, you would've heard of both by now. I'm 12 years behind you, after all.

[lonelinessloop]

Oh no, we haven't had anything like that.

[ And she's definitely got mixed feelings about 'decreasing the rate of violent crime' given her family. ]

What were the original 23 for?

[metafictions]

Oh, they're just their own municipal regions. [Like Queens and Brooklyn in New York. Sort of.] I don't recall what differentiates Tokyo's wards from other cities' wards, but only 24 and 25 had a special purpose like that.

Sorry to talk bureaucracy. It just seemed like a very notable difference, is all. Is there anything else different about your Japan and Jigoku-cho, by the way, or has it been mostly familiar to you? I have to say, being Japanese, I think we've got a tiny bit of an edge in this city...

[lonelinessloop]

I can't imagine trying to adjust. It's hard enough for me and I'm more familiar with something like this than most people would be.

I can't really think of anything that's different, though. Nothing big or specific.