open | homesickness

[undermoonlight]

Who: undermoonlight + Open
What: Atsushi explores and misses Yokohama
When: Sept 1st - 6th
Where: Boardwalk, Odd End, & Earworm

Content Warnings: N/A for this log.



A | The Boardwalk

[Out of reach, purposefully ignored, is a thought: "This is pointless. They're not coming here."

But Atsushi comes back to the Boardwalk anyway. He's figured out by now that new squids won't be appearing on the shores and no new faces will be arriving, but he still wants them to. He's spent a few hours walking up and down the beach in search of familiar items, but nothing from Yokohama has washed up on shore.

When he goes back to the boardwalk, hoping to clear his head, he only finds himself more distracted. Male presenting characters with brown hair might hear a startled Atsushi walk up behind them and call out hopefully, only to be quite disappointed when they turn around. Otherwise, characters may notice him calling out to a native;]

Dazai-san? Is that you-- oh. [He goes from reaching out his hand to lowering it. Disappointed. Sometimes he'll do this to a non-sleeper and watch them walk away afterward. In these cases, Atsushi gives them a few seconds to get away. Then he clenches his fist and lowers his head; Guilty, ashamed, and frustrated all at once.]

Stop it. They aren't coming.

B | Cassandra District - Odd End

[Missing Yokohama makes Atsushi want to be a proper apprentice. He's been poking into shops for a while now in search of a blank notebook to write notes in, and Odd End feels hopeful. The things here don't cater to the uncomfortable blood magic that seems to be everywhere else.

Some of the odds and ends even seem charming at first glance. He doesn't recognize the occult value for the candles or plants, but he does think they look interesting. Usagi might like that candle and Makoto likes plants, doesn't she? But as soon as he crosses paths with someone else, Atsushi withdraws his hands and awkwardly tries to move away.]

Sorry! Am I in your way? I don't really need that, so if you want it then go for it?

C | Cellar Door Distract - Passing Earworm

[After some wandering, Atsushi ends up in the Cellar Door district. It feels nicer than the rest of the Trench (which isn't saying much,) and the atmosphere change does help him relax. Enough so that he's able to notice the Earworm and look at the sign curiously.]

They had places like these in Yokohama... Clubs? [He stands awkwardly there for a moment longer. Atsushi never had time for this sort of thing in Yokohama. His only experiences with them are judgmental ones, where he thinks they're indecent and vulgar. But compared to the hellhole that is the Trench, the Earworm looks like a nice place to visit. It looks like a normal place for someone his age to go.

After getting a look from the bouncer, Atsushi steps away in a hurry. Shaking his head and scolding himself aloud;]

It's too noisy. I won't get any work done in a place like that. [But he does look over his shoulder as he tries to walk away. And nearly collides into someone as a result;] Ack- Sorry!!

Comments

[onerthes]

Oh, don't think that Atsushi. You had no control of whether or not you woke up, after all, and we were fine. We got through it in one piece, more or less.

[She tried to offer him a reassuring smile as the two were walking in the direction of the beach. She couldn't say how likely or not it was to see one of his old friends. It could be unpredictable.]

You're here now, and Makoto and Usagi are very happy to see you. I'm sure of it.

[undermoonlight]

Ah... I appreciate you worrying about them, but it's you I'm worried about?

[He still speaks timidly, not sure if he's overstepping boundaries with his insistence.]

You always took everything to seriously over there... You managed FEAR and always checked up on people, and cared a lot about getting everyone home safely... Are you okay?

[Okay with how things ended up? With how the nightmare ended? He can't say that this was his ideal ending for their journey through hell.]

[onerthes]

Oh, you darling sweet boy.

[She reached up to ruffle his hair and smiled over at Atsushi, winking. Compared to when he had last seen her in the nightmares, she looked a little tired but considerably more healthy, more at ease. There were moments when her gaze glazed over aa little, but she was much more comfortable right now.]

I have left the task of mounting a defense to others this time around. I feel more comfortable leaving it in Winter's hands than my own. It is what she is gifted to do. I'm doing alright, considering everything we went through. Certainly I'm physically much better off and happier.

[Was she ok with how it ended? She had misgivings, especially about Julia's fate, but she was doing much better than she'd been during the end of the dreams themselves. All in all, for someone trapped in another nightmarish world, she was actually smiling?]

[undermoonlight]

[The bar for Vira-Lorr being physically well was quite low, given how the nightmare had treated her. Still, Atsushi isn't one to bring up such things and only smiles with relief. Completely trusting her to tell the truth right now, as well as trusting his eyes when he sees she looks more relaxed.]

I'm glad you'll be able to take a break. It seemed like a lot of work. I don't know Winter-san very well myself, but I trust your judgment.

What are you going to do now?

[onerthes]

It was. good work. But it was still a lot of work, and I was never great at logistics.

[She sighed and smiled. Winter was good at military work. She'd be a good leader among the Hunters. She could at least feel safe with her there.]

I'm running a fortune telling booth and offering my services in arcane research and counseling. I'll be working with the scholars to keep a record of what we see here, so we can learn from it.