( open ) unfortunately, about me

[hitokiller]

WHO: Anyone and everyone.
WHAT: Izou being Izou.
WHERE: The busy streets of Shinjuku, what's left of the Nishimuki Tenjinsha shrine in Shinjuku, a run-down looking 7-10, etc.

WHEN: Sometime near the tail-end of the first week.
WARNINGS: Mild violence (right now), severe intoxication.

█ 001, "some people make us feel more human". —

Gerroffa me, you—!

( the sounds of a struggle ensue, and suddenly a couple well-dressed gentlemen are shoving the offender out the club's door. it's pretty obvious he's a bit far-gone with the way he stumbles backwards, arms raises as if to protect himself or perhaps start throwing a mean punch. he doesn't get very far with the idea though, a quick swing of his arm completely missing its target to the irritation of the bouncers who were holding back as best they could. ) 

T-Try'na... laugh at me. I'll show ya... I'll show ya ALL! I don't forget anyhone... anyone who, crosses my...

( izou quickly discovers how difficult it is to move his mouth properly, visibly flabbergasted at how rapidly his words are starting to slur despite how often he's been through this song-and-dance. it's a familiar strangeness, a something he might find easier to digest as a problem if he weren't so horribly far-gone by most people's standards while a majority of those passing by opt to ignore his cursing and outbursts at the door. gradually, slowly, the chatty drunk realizes that no one's paying him any mind, and, with a couple exaggerated movements, places himself closer to the side of the street against a cold street-light. anything to keep the world from turning for a minute. anything to give him a little comfort.

he'll just... totally get up and leave, any minute now. with a groan, his head starts drooping against the steel that is clearly not designed to be a pillow, hands crawling clumsily up it for support. he's absolutely about to fall asleep in the middle of the city. ) 


█ 002, "and some people make us feel less human". —

( here, the ever present hum of the city was more faint, and the historic and solemn stone entryway of the temple, adorned with carved pillars and cracks, seemed all the more impressive in the darkness. in fact, one would even call it serene when compared to the hustle and bustle of neo-tokyo, so much so that it's a wonder a spot like this hasn't been entirely torn apart given its proximity to such ruin on the outskirts of shinjuku. tall stalks of grass blow delicately in a breeze, the inherent sensuality of their presence enough to beguile any visitor into venturing up the short steps and into the sacred.

it was easier to breathe here, and those with the courage to approach further into the center of the complex this late at night would see the triumphant emergence of greenery amidst the prayer chambers—new life among wood stained by time and rain. scenery worth committing to memory for anyone who might be losing hope. a glimpse into a world full of air for all who were suffocating.

yes... the perfect spot for some respite, if only a certain man hadn't been tailing behind whatever stranger came here for some peace of mind.

for izou, the night is far from suffocating—it's pleasant, full of sheltered places covered in withered leaves and welcoming to the quick manner his feet move familiarly on the ground without making a sound. a man in his element, aided by an abnormal adeptness in concealing his presence, listening carefully for the slightest shift in movement, the gentle smack of nervous lips. if he weren't so hungry, a cold reminder of how flippantly he tossed his cash around already, the thrill of stalking would bring an even bigger grin to his face... but whatever.

moments later, the soft clink of a blade being unsheathed could be heard as he raised it towards the back of his prey. )

Better start walkin' with a friend at night. Now, take out your valuables.

* alternatively, for those who aren't okay with being surprised and/or more than capable of noticing him following you despite the reduced effectiveness of his presence concealment skill: just assume you caught him before this.


█ 003, "and that is a fact as much as gravity is a fact". —

( it's a convenience store. you know. sickeningly bright, and with the same song looping for the past hour or so. it's the witching hour, and whoever shuffled in was probably just hungry... or bored.

a scrunkly-looking gentleman in an apron at the counter watches whoever's browsing with an impatient expression, a clock in the far-corner wall ticking needlessly the only other sound aside from the shop jingle. after a good ten minutes he smacks a hand down on the counter, shattering the banal background noise with his scratchy voice. )

I'm sick of ya criss-crossin' between shelves like a chicken with it's head chopped off. Buy somethin' or leave.

( my smoke break... )

* Anyone from Brimstone, feel free to recognize Izou from his loud demeanor around their commons.

Comments

02

[cleansewithfire]

[ Normally, Sunrise would be in bed as per her typical schedule, but tonight she decided to change things up out of curiosity. Back home, you could never be too sure whether or not the gods were listening. It certainly didn't hurt to know at least a few different ones to pray to when you were on the road often enough.

So that's why she's at the shrine, curious to see what sort of gods the locals here believed in. Or...well, honestly, she got the impression that a lot of locals both believed in and simultaneously didn't put much stock in the gods. It seemed that the gods weren't actually real here as far as they were concerned, a notion that was alien to her. When she arrives at the temple, as peaceful as it is, she can't help but wonder if the god it was meant for felt lonely.

Maybe that's why she only notices she's not alone in the temple when she hears the sound of a blade being drawn. By then, it's a little too late to wonder how long he's been there. ]

...But I do not have any valuables.

[ She says this so calmly as if there isn't a blade being pointed at her, but it's true. Anything she had that she considered valuable did not make the trip to Neo-Tokyo with her, and her firearm was left at the base because she felt it was too conspicuous to carry around town until she found a new case for it. ]

[hitokiller]

( nothing. nothing at all?

everyone has something on their person. weapons. nails. hair. a feeling of being sad in the world, of being ready for sleep and the contentment that comes with it.

the eerie calm with which she regards him even with a blade drawn towards her back is notable. noble, even, to most, but to a man like izou steeped in the blood of many, it reeks of simple foolishness.

izou gives her another leisurely look-over as the ocular device gives his one eye an unsettling gleam, the perceived lack of concern arousing an innate curiosity in him. )

Come to pay your respects within nothin' on ya, then.

[cleansewithfire]

[ To be fair to Izou, it's not an incorrect assumption to make. Despite several people's best efforts to drill a little more self-preservation into her, it hasn't exactly gone well. It's like she's dimly aware that this might turn out to be a fatal encounter, but she's still more preoccupied that any violence here would be rather troublesome to deal with. This is probably not the order of priorities she should be having, but here she is.

Though now that Izou's mentioned it, she really did come to a temple to visit a god empty-handed, huh... ]

Oh. I should have brought something. [ Sunrise, is this really a realization to have when someone's pointing a sword at your back. ] And you were hoping to get something too, sir. [ Why yes Sunrise, that's why the sword is there.

She's of the opinion that most people don't resort to threats unless they feel they have to, admittedly, so in a roundabout way, she's hoping to find out what Izou actually wants. ]