deercountry | open | homesickness

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;]

[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.]

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.]

need

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.]

[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;]

[But he does look over his shoulder as he tries to walk away. And nearly collides into someone as a result;]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Heard of it? I used to run that shit, b.

( He narrows his eyes a little, pupils slit and ringed with red, horns tall. )

I kicked it there with my division for a while until I got ... pulled away elsewhere. You from there?

Run it..?

[Atsushi’s first thought is that sounds like something that the Port Mafia might say. Or a similarly powerful gang.]

Yeah, I live- lived there. Though I haven’t been back in a year. My name is Atsushi Nakajima.

Yeah, I was wakagashira for a yakuza family but my real pride was the rap division I was part of.

( Not far off, honestly. )

I'm Samatoki Aohitsugi. Does the name Mad Trigger Crew mean anything to you?

Yakuza, huh?

[Atsushi can’t help but frown slightly. He isn’t very fond of the gangsters in Yokohama, it’s true, but he’s trying not to let his judgment cloud immediately.

Which is very hard for him to do.]

No, it’s doesn’t. I’m with the Armed Detective Agency? If that means anything to you?

Yeah. Hm. Haven't heard of yours either.

( Armed Detective Agency? It occurs to Samatoki that they're on opposite ends of the law here, or something like that; Jyuto would be laughing. )

If that doesn't mean anything to you ... Sounds like we're from different Yokohamas. Ain't no thing.

[Different Yokohamas. So really, Atsushi shouldn't be looking at him this way. Their friends aren't technically enemies. Their situations could be very complicated. Their morals might even align.

But Atsushi doesn't like the idea of yakuza. He's having a hard time getting over that word.]

Yeah, that seems to be the case. There seem to be a lot of different versions of Japan out there. [One thought does shine through, helping to alleviate some of Atsushi's harsher thoughts;]

But I think you're the first person I've met who is also from Yokohama. Does yours also have the ferris wheel? [Meeting someone from home is making him more nostalgic than angry.]

I knew some people in my last city who were from Japan too, but not the one I knew.

( He has to smirk a little at the ferris wheel question; makes him remember something distant, a little murky, but still welcome and warm. )

Sure the fuck does. Never went to it much but my homie Riou thought it might be a good team-building thing.

Kyouka-chan and I only went once. It got pretty high up. You could see practically everything, huh..?

[His smile is weak, but he's trying to cheer up.]

Last city..? Were you in Deerington? I never saw you myself.

All I could focus on was this navy man and a cop talking about dinner in front of me. ... But minus the bickering, view's not bad.

( He shakes his head. )

Nah. Hakagemachi. I don't think there's anyone here from there. There weren't many of us mask-bearers anyway.

( He taps the mask at his belt, helpfully. )

Hakagemachi..? Sorry. Haven't heard of it.

[Though he does recognize the style of mask. Atsushi guesses that it wasn't just another city along a trainline like Yokohama, otherwise he might have wondered if someone from there made it to the Trenches. Instead, he sounds quite definitive. What kind of place would get that reaction?

He doesn't want to be rude and nosy either. But so long as he's relaxing, Atsushi glances back at the Earworm.]

Seeing that place made me nostalgic for home, I guess. It looks like the hangouts you'd see in Yokohama, doesn't it? [He's not crazy, right? Because after how long he's been away, Atsushi wonders which memories are real and which he's made up to comfort himself.]

Not surprised. It's all good.

( He looks towards Earworm too, nodding. )

More Yokohama-like than the towers an' weird architecture around here for sure. Such a weird city, this one.

( But he should be used to weird by now. )

Mm. It looks like something out of a storybook, doesn't it?

[Atsushi has been reminded of fairytales and gothic tales when he looks at the buildings.]

Have you been in that one? The 'Earworm?'

Earworm? Not yet. Noise like that can be fun but it ain't my gig since I got here.

( Mister Hardcore? No, Mister Fun At Parties. )

Doesn't look like it's going anywhere. I was more interested in that Red joint if I ever got back into performing.

open | homesickness

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