Subway Master Nobori (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
brothertragedy) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
poly_chromatic2013-02-16 05:27 pm
brothertragedy) wrote in poly_chromatic2013-02-16 05:27 pm
Entry tags:
[#008 (video/action)]
[Nobori is standing outside and not in horrible weather for once! He's recording by the fountain, while Chandela watches the water shoot through the air, flames dancing as it flits from left to right and back again, perfectly cheerful in stark contrast to its grim-looking human companion.]
The City feels congested once more. It remains to be seen whether or not these guests are of the dangerous sort. Are we to play dispatcher again?
I wonder if we've done something to offend these so-called deities... unless someone else has a better explanation for so many curses in rapid succession. I cannot wait for the last stop; I've grown tired of counting off the miles.
[He's too uneasy for the usual "all aboard!" closing, it seems?
He adds as though it were an afterthought:]
Look both ways, listen, and proceed with caution.
The City feels congested once more. It remains to be seen whether or not these guests are of the dangerous sort. Are we to play dispatcher again?
I wonder if we've done something to offend these so-called deities... unless someone else has a better explanation for so many curses in rapid succession. I cannot wait for the last stop; I've grown tired of counting off the miles.
[He's too uneasy for the usual "all aboard!" closing, it seems?
He adds as though it were an afterthought:]
Look both ways, listen, and proceed with caution.
perma-action, permaction, something;
Right, of course! There we go. We'll find our way around this platform yet, won't we? No matter how strange.
[Speaking of...]
Say, what was that about deities and curses?
[permaction sounds funniest]
He will try! For his brother's sake.]
Allow me to explain, Kudari.
I have been reliably informed that this place is ruled by deities who kidnap unwilling persons to this City for their own reasons, the details of which are not known. The residents of this City are then subject to strange afflictions they dub "curses." Such curses range from harmlessly juvenile pranks to more serious problems, but they rarely last longer than a day.
[He isn't lying, really! He's never seen the deities for himself, only heard about them.]
parmesan it is;
Sounds like you know a lot about all this then! Muuuch more than me, at least. That's good! We'll know what to expect down the line. Well. Sort of.
[aaaaand he's not going to question the outlandish claims because one, they are kind of here after all, and two, Nobori has no reason to lie to him right? Right. Though this curse business sounds a bit silly, honestly!
Gesturing with his left arm, though? Nobori tends to favor his right, usually...]
Your arm, did something happen? It can't have been too long, but still, it did take a while for me to find you in the crowd! And it's likely something could've occurred in that time, especially for you to be so well-informed.
[Persimmons too!]
[Spin yarn, Nobori. Just keep it close enough to the truth that it doesn't take too much time to come up with, nor would it sound completely unbelievable.]
... ah, one of the more permanent curses of this City. A monster took me by surprise and attacked me. We dispatched it and I even had time to reroute to the hospital, not far from here. [His tone is matter-of-fact, entirely unaffected, and wholly convincing. The pointed avoidance of eye contact and the fist at his side, fingers curling so tightly that his nails would be cutting into his palm were he not wearing gloves, were sadly less so.]
It was promptly taken care of and is nothing serious, rest assured.
no subject
That doesn't sound like 'nothing serious.' You had enough time to do all that? Unless you were here for longer than I was, but that wouldn't make any sense.
What sort of Pokemon was it, anyway? I haven't seen any here other than Chandela!
no subject
... Kudari won't remember this, will he, when he goes back?
Remembering that, Nobori yields.]
I have been here for quite some time, yes. [Nobori knows exactly how many months, weeks, and days it has been since his arrival, but he won't overload his explanation with unnecessary details. Short and concise.] It was not a Pokemon. There are no Pokemon here, only "animals." The one who attacked me was neither, a monster in the bakemono sense. Changed and corrupted. It was soulless, but driven by a singular desire to kill.
You aren't likely to run into one now, just don't wander too far.
It was taken care of, so please don't worry. [He relaxes some now that the's given his explanation, giving Kudari a smile.] It cut me rather deeply, so it's going to take a long time to heal. That is all there is to the matter.
no subject
It was taken care of. Right. [He takes a moment to shake himself out of the faintly shocked state Nobori's words put him into and beams, determined to be positive about this.] You've passed that station by! Just, with an unwanted souvenir or two.
[The only thing now is that Kudari knows he saw Nobori just this morning, but. Something tells him the answer to that question won't be very satisfying either, so he won't bother. More doing things, less useless questions!]
So! How far is too far?
no subject
[It's no surprise that the revelation's left him shaken, but Nobori feels guilty and responsible for it all the same.]
Stay out of the Underground. Aside from that, you're free to travel wherever you wish. [He doesn't really want to let Kudari go, but he doesn't want to come off as needy either.]
... also, please check your pockets. There might be a communicator of some sort that will link you to the Network. You can contact others, myself included, if you need help or simply to communicate. Mine is a cellular phone, but they come in different forms.
[He wonders if Kudari's noticed the constant ticking sound that grinds away in the mind of everyone here, increasing in severity the more time one spends alone, or if he's been here for too little time and/or is too much of a chatterbox for it to ever become too much of a bother. As for the communicator, in case Kudari feels the run off on his own, just hearing his voice would be enough for Nobori.]
no subject
The Underground's off-limits, though? That's unfortunate. I thought it'd be a good idea to explore. But now, I think I have a better idea.
[See Kudari.
See Kudari grab on to Nobori's good wrist and attempt to drag him away from the fountain and toward whichever unspecified direction it is he's pointing at.]
You should show me around!
no subject
Very well. [He's trying to walk with some semblance of dignity restored. Secretly, he's thrilled Kudari's not going to wander off without him. He's been warned this isn't likely to last very long, so against advice and better judgement, he's going to enjoy this reunion to the fullest!]
There's the Carousel; it's always moving and has been for as long as anybody knows. All the apartment buildings are arranged centrifugal to it, numbered from one to twelve. Chandela and I are staying in that building over there. [He points at it as he walks.
Twelve buildings revolving around a central point, the place is even built to look like a giant clock face.] There's also the Welcome House and the Hall of the Missing not too far from here. [That is almost the full extent of his knowledge of this place! He doesn't wander outside very much,
preferring to bury himself in paperwork of his own design.]... ah, come to think of it, I do believe I have a map of this place. [On his own cell phone, which is predictably black. He loads up the map for Kudari to have a look at while they walk.]
no subject
At any rate, he sets a fast pace. It'd be called brisk if it weren't for the fact that Kudari isn't exactly carrying himself like he's on the job- quite the opposite in fact; boundless enthusiasm is apparent in every movement, though he tilts his head to look questioningly at Nobori when the carousel is mentioned.]
But if it doesn't stop, then how does anyone board it? [Said while walking, hand outstretched to receive the phone.
It doesn't take him long to find where they are on the map; it takes him just a moment longer to figure out which direction they're heading in. Let's see here...
That's a lot of buildings and labels.]
Ah, so many stops! You've been here longer than I have, are there any you'd recommend we visit?
no subject
Of course, it is the fear of losing him again after such a long absence that prompts him to think this way. (Of course, he will not resign himself! His dignity will go out in a dignified manner; now, please don't point out the paradoxical nature of that statment and the sentiment it represents.)
To be honest, Nobori had little interest in exploring this place on his own... and what little interest he had was snuffed out entirely by the more horrific curses; therefore, Nobori's usual haunts were restricted to his apartment, his workplace, shops, and... that was it, really. He holed himself up and worked, rarely venturing out to investigate a possible way out or purchase food.
(Yes, his life without Kudari mostly consists of work. This is a problem.)
He's so disinterested in places of amusement that he can only think of two names off the top of his head (he doesn't want to admit to not knowing any of these other places to Kudari!):]
... the Blue Light.
[The bar-slash-jazz-club, Nobori?
The only other place he knows about closed for repairs because it was apparently set on fire. Good job, Nobori.]
no subject
[...Explain a lot about what, exactly?
Just don't question his logic, it only invites trouble. That train of thought followed a logical enough track anyway, so long as one could figure out the point of departure.]
So, the Blue Light, right? Sounds fun! [You know, barring the fact that the only thing he knows about it is its name, but.]
You'll have to lead the way; let's go!
no subject
Now, if he'd done that, Nobori would not hold it against Kudari if he decided to disown him as his brother right then and there.Fortunately, this place is not too far off and they'll reach it after not too much time spent walking! It's pretty clean for a bar. It's... nothing fancy, kind of forgettable and unimpressive in appearance, but at least it's inoffensive? Okay, it's actually kind of tacky-looking (there are too many poorly arranged posters and are those records hanging on the walls? It's faux-artsy or faux-retro or maybe it's just faux decor in general), but hey, it's clean, there's places to sit, a modest selection of food to eat, and good music.
Actually, the musicians are genuinely talented and the music's pretty much the best thing about this place. Kind of makes up for the lackluster look of the place, huh?
Chandela doesn't seem to approve much of this choice of scenery and spends all its time since stepping foot into this place nudging its trainer, looking annoyed, and turning to look longingly at the door.] Shandela-shan! Shanshan...!