savetheearth | something doesn't feel right today 王 action

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something doesn't feel right today 王 action | open

who: Shuji Kiyokumi and whoever wishes to ~~annoy~~ meet him.
what: Going through a normal day and being social. For once.
where: Locke City's Police Station to begin; Aikawa's later on
when: May 27th, all day.
warnings: Shuji being a jerk?

While Shuji's first echo had essentially gone unnoticed other than the annoying ache in his chest that seemed to resurface at random times, the second piece of himself to return hadn't happened as quietly. The emotion he'd felt a few days after entering the city was completely different from this: A stirring in his chest as if something was just under the surface. At the art gallery, when it had happened, he had rushed out of the room only to collapse on the ground outside, coughing and completely convinced that he was having an early heart attack. More than anything, he had been focused on getting away from everyone else in that room. Drawing attention was something Shuji wanted to avoid more and more.

The dreams he'd had that night were unpleasant. Shuji found it hard to sleep, but that wasn't anything new. In the morning, he couldn't remember anything. The memories felt as far off as the idea of the person he felt drawn to. How could he feel such strong emotions without any reasoning behind them? What was the purpose?

Shuji opted against going to the doctor to get the pain in his chest checked out, settling for taking medicine in the morning before he left for work. It was a gamble: Either the pain in his chest was relating to those numbers, or he really was suffering from some sort of injury. If it kept going, then he promised himself he would get it checked out. For now, everything he'd seen on the network had put him on high alert.

While at work, Shuji had accessed the network during his break via his phone to see a message from someone he felt looked familiar, though the sight of the other didn't cause that emotional ache to respond. It had to be someone else, but he couldn't get the thought out of his mind. To quell his curiosity, he made a point of checking the police report when the officer who had investigated the crash came back in. Here, at least, something finally made sense. It was something he would have to follow up on after work, if nothing else came up.

The rest of the work day seemed as though it would be uneventful. There was nothing in particular that Shuji had to investigate, so he passed through the halls as usual from one place to another, pulling up information on cases he had been assigned to and talking over various topics with some of the officers. Being on the inside had its advantages if he wanted to uncover something, but it also meant putting himself far too close to the fire.

. . .

After work, Shuji packed up all of his notes and material to take home, giving his coworkers the same sort of farewell he'd become accustomed to while working in Tokyo. It was difficult to break himself of habits and manners that had been ingrained in his head since he was born, even if he was never particular sincere about any of it. Faking kindness had managed to get him pretty far in life, whenever he needed to use it -- and he only used it when he needed to.

Even though he had practically barricaded himself in his apartment since arriving, it felt as though he should nudge himself away from his usual habits. If strange things were happening in the town, it would help to put himself out there so he could take note of anything on his own without having to rely exclusively on the network. So, Shuji had decided to visit one of the nearby Japanese restaurants, his bag from work still slung over his shoulder as he shuffled inside, casting a cautious glance around the room.

(Feel free to nudge him while he's at the police station all morning/afternoon or while he's at Aikawa's for a few hours during the night. Nudge me if you have any questions/requests/other things. Both action tags or prose are fine.

Also, for any of you special sensing people who are wary of detectives who smell like animals, he now smells like a t-rex. :|)

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Hajime's rather glad that today has turned out to be a rather ho-hum, boring sort of day. At least as far as he's concerned. No weird memories, no more oddly-appearing jewelry or anything like that. Just as normal as things get these days. He's making the rounds of the floor now, checking on customers and trying to act like he is intensely concerned about their well-being. He hasn't been sleeping well, and it's starting to take its toll. He could really do with a nap, or at least a break, even if he didn't want to admit that to himself. Overworking wasn't the healthiest coping strategy, but it was his.

He'll approach Shuji's table. He's got no idea Shuji is also on the network, and even less of an idea Shuji just might recognize his voice from the darn thing. He's made a few video replies to people, true, but they were infrequent enough that he doesn't think he'd get recognized that way, either. "How is everything?"

[Like always, whenever a customer enters the restaurant, it's the same automatic greeting he'd give them. Smile and welcome them in a rather friendly tone.]

Irasshaimase!

[Okay so he's actually just gathering up the dishes to be cleaned that were left on the tables, but that doesn't stop him from greeting the other anyway. Better offer the best customer service after all.]

By the time that Hajime made it around to Shuji's table, the man was already absorbed in his work. Overworking to compensate for other areas of his life was a bad habit they seemed to share, though Shuji was doing it primarily because he had nothing else to do with his life. There were no friends or loyalties or family or anything of that nature to worry about. The phone he had been using to access the network was off to the side, only kept out and visible because he had been considering reconnecting while he had some time to himself in the restaurant.

Part of the table was covered in stacks of paperwork and notes relating to his current assignment (investigating an ongoing case in no way related to the strange happenings in the city.) Shuji, of course, had started taking notes on the strange happenings, but what information he had on that was kept far separate from the rest of his work. He couldn't risk any of it mixing together by accident.

Shuji's tea was the only thing he'd really touched, though he'd taken a few bites of katsudon while reading over some material his superior had given him earlier. When he heard the question, Shuji lifted his gaze from the paper and stared up at the other, pausing mid-bite and setting his food back down. "Everything is fine. Thank you." It was habit. There really was no emotion behind the automatic addition of manners to his response.

[The bubbly greeting had almost caused Shuji to jump, but at the very least it certainly made his posture straighten a bit more. At least this much was something familiar -- not that he missed his home, but it was somewhat comforting to be in a situation like this. Shuji gave a short, quick bow of his head in response, still looking a bit skeptical as to where he should go first.]

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. One of the things he really disliked about crashing a car - next to the monstrous task of getting the car fixed - was the paperwork. At least this time he did not have any hint of alcohol in his system and he was actually driving the limit when he had swerved... well, whatever it was that had gotten in his way. From what other people had been saying on the network, he wasn't the only one to see something like that.

But what was it? Distracted by the thought, he quickly went through the reports, signed where he was asked to, collected the copies he needed and requested another copy be sent on to his insurance agent. That done, he shoved everything into his messenger bag and then turned to leave, muttering something in English that sounded like he had a very bad lisp. He was going to leave and get back to the shop when he noticed a familiar face.

Shou grinned to himself, pushed aside the thought of a keukegen marking his car for death, and almost leaped towards his long-lost cousin.

"Shuji-kun!"

There were few things in Shuji's life that would grab his attention so suddenly, making everything else screech to a halt. For one, he still wasn't used to the fact that some of his coworkers addressed him on a first name basis (which he flat out refused to do with any of them), so it always caused a bit of a double-take. Having the honorific attached and then the voice speaking his name and the appearance of the man saying it -- that was enough to make him stop completely, staring wide-eyed at the other.

It took a few moments for Shuji's mouth to catch up with his mind. Any attempt to actually embrace him in that moment would have succeeded, with him being caught so far off-guard. Once he'd seen Shou's message on the network and seen his face, he'd checked the report when it had come in to verify. It was indeed someone he knew, who he hadn't seen in at least six or seven years.

"Shou..." The name slipped out without a hint of honorific. With everyone Shuji had known in his life, Shou was probably the only one who was ever referred to by his first name to begin with, so the habit Shuji had carried during his younger years had easily resurfaced. "I would have never expected to see you here." It felt good to speak Japanese so easily. Forcing himself to finally use his years of practicing English could be tiring.

It was true. And to be honest, he wasn't sure he liked it. The first place he picked in America happened to be the same place where his cousin was, and they were both part of that network? It made him skeptical.

Shuji was one of those cousins that just was always there. Their mothers thought that since they were the same age, they could help each other out. It did not occur to them that they had different personalities and that Shuji and Shou clashed as much as they stuck together. So while Shou was all for giving his cousin a huge hug and clinging to him, he knew that Shuji would not tolerate it once he actually got his bearings.

So instead of letting go, Shou kept an arm draped over Shuji's shoulder, waving his other hand at the various people in the station.

"But police like me no matter where I go," he said and then laughed a little. It was more like that they liked to make sure he wasn't breaking the law. He often claimed that he doesn't try to, but usually always found himself in one.

"Mother decided I needed to lay low so she sent me to stay at her uncle's. What are you doing here, Shuji? I'd thought you were still busting up crime in Tokyo."

"You know how I feel about that," Shuji said, keeping his tone calm and casual. It was hard to tell if he meant the physical contact or the fact that Shou was talking about getting wrapped up with the cops wherever he went. When he had been young, Shuji had been well known in school for getting into fights with anyone who he felt was over-stepping their authority. Boasting about getting away with something was a surefire way to rile Shuji up, which always led to fights and both boys getting in trouble. Other than that, he'd been a quiet kid.

"What did you get in to that they sent you here for?" That part concerned him. Maybe it had something to do with this whole mess. The question about his own arrival in Locke City caused a displeased expression on his face, the memory of what had happened before his departure from home being something he had tried to avoid thinking about. "I transferred. It's a long story."

"So stiff," he replied, take a small step away to give Shuji some space. It wasn't much, but he at least dropped his arm. Fighting each other might be fun but Shou didn't want to get slapped with the charge of hitting an officer. He doubt anyone would accept that they were family and do that sort of thing all the time.

"You know Mother and her idea of what kind of image I should be projecting. One messy breakup in the middle of a club and I'm a shame to the family." Was it a bad thing that he had to think about it for a moment? "Again."

"I had a car accident and needed to get papers for the insurance company. Nothing really big." He shrugged off the earlier encounter, not about to go into details about the weird creature. He didn't know that Shuji was privy to the Network and he was in a place where others might hear something strange and decide to go after them both.

"Mm, family problems too, huh?"

"I thought messy breakups were a thing of yours." Really, while it seemed like Shuji was straining to be casual and joking, it was the most relaxed he had acted around anyone since... well, probably the last time they'd spoken to each other. While the pair could easily grate each others nerves, Shuji still considered Shou the only person in his past he could tolerate.

Shuji wasn't going to mention the car accident or that he'd already looked at the other's paperwork to confirm that it was him. Mentioning such things had no purpose. At the other's assumption as to why he was in America, Shuji scoffed, feeling his reaction alone was enough to confirm Shou's suspicions.

"I was working on a few cases and traced them back to Father. Blackmail, stealing money, shady deals..." He let out a sigh. "I turned him in and everything I put together against him was thrown out, just because he had the power and influence stronger than mine. I left the country before they disowned me."

Shuji had also never been one to talk so openly about life circumstances, except in rare occasions where he happened to keep something big to himself for too long. This was one of those times. For him to turn in his own father shouldn't have come as a surprise, despite how awful it would seem. After all, Shuji had always had a strange sense of justice and no loyalty at all to his name and family.

"So did I, but apparently having one in the middle of a club opening jammed with idols was going a little too far." It did not help that one of the reporters in questions was also an ex, and she decided to drag out all the old gossip, including the stupid ones about him being yakuza.

Shou frowned. He really didn't understand their family dynamics. His father and mother might be strict and try to install some sense of proper behavior in him but they had never pushed him away or pawn him off to other people. He might have been a trouble maker - and still was one according to his sister - but his parents were there when he really needed them. Shuji though, he always was left behind when it came to his parents and their goals.

"I haven't heard about them disowning you. Stuff like that, Mother would have called me if there was something big happening to the family." He chewed on his lower lip for a moment and then shrugged.

"I doubt they'll talk about it to anyone. I don't feel like I belong there anymore." Not that he felt like he belonged in America either, but being anywhere but home at the current time seemed like a good idea. This place wasn't so bad either, aside from all of the strange circumstances and the network and... ... well, it was fairly weird. Noting that he'd been standing there for a few minutes at this point, Shuji cast a quick glance around the room to make sure no one was trying to get his attention or there was anything he needed to attend to.

Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to Shou before speaking again. If anyone in the world would be able to give him a hint as to what the strange feeling was that he'd had since arriving in the town, it would be Shou. "Can I ask you something that might sound a bit strange?"

Fair enough. Hajime could respect not showing much emotion; it didn't bother him. He'd always been taught that's what men did--not show very strong emotions. "Let me know if you need anything else, then." It was a boring night. Hajime couldn't help himself and curiously glanced towards those papers before moving on to the next table. At least he tried to be subtle about it...even though subtlety had never been his strong suit.

"I really don't think you would have ever belong there," he replied quietly.

Shuji was always a bit different. They both came from rich families. During their school years, they stuck to the same social level as their parents, being expected to make bonds with people that should better their family fortunes once out of school, but Shuji never clicked with any of them. He was always far too honest and willing to see justice done. Shou too wasn't a fan of their peers, spending more of his time with those less privileged than him.

Shou still never had the problems being accepted by peers wherever he went, Shuji always seemed to stand apart from everyone.

At his question, Shou looked at his cousin, studying him for a second and then glanced around them. No one was paying too much attention yet, and he hoped it would remain that way.

"Sure. You can ask me anything."

[Once he's done with his task, he'll gesture Shuji to take the table he cleaned up.]

Please, take a seat!

[He'll place the menu on the table before heading off to the kitchen to leave the dishes. Once done, he'll return to his post, waiting for the customer to call him over once he decides on an order.]

Thankfully, the case Shuji was working on seemed to be related to drug trafficking in the city and not so much anything that could have been tied to the network or the odd happenings in the city. Interviewing people and keeping track of information was something that Shuji was usually assigned to, so starting on the somewhat-bottom rung at his new station didn't bother him as much as it might bother someone else. Aside from what had happened on the network, he felt he coworkers were tolerable enough at times.

Shuji gave a short nod in response to the the other, then turned his attention back to his work. After a few minutes of eating, he set the bowl down and picked up his phone, keying in his number to access the network as easily as he might have been sending a text message. There was nothing new since the last time he'd checked, which didn't surprise him. Things seemed to have slowed down in time for his arrival, but that only made him more wary of the future.

[Shuji gave another slight bow of his head as he was directed to his table, sliding the bag from his shoulder and dropping it to the floor before sitting down. For now, the only thing he kept on the surface of the table was his phone. As soon as he sat down, Shuji put his head down in his hands, taking a few deep breaths to try and force up the energy he needed to stay awake for a few more hours. Going through the menu even took a bit longer than he'd planned, though he softly motioned the boy over to him once he had decided.]

Excuse me...

[And just as he'd done a number of times since coming in to the city, he'd slipped right back into Japanese without meaning to.]

Shuji didn't respond to the first part, though he had to agree with Shou. He really had never fit in with their family... or their schoolmates... or anyone. It was part of the reason why the pull he'd felt since coming in to the city bothered him so much. There was some sort of attachment he had somewhere and he just couldn't place it.

"When we were growing up..." How could he even word something like this. "Was there anyone I was close to? Maybe someone I liked?" Shuji seriously doubted the second part of that considering how everything else in his life had gone, but that was part of what the feeling made him think of. It was such a strong emotional pull that he felt like he was missing part of himself.

That had to be the strangest question he had ever heard from Shuji considering the fact that he never really cared about making close ties. Sure, the two of them hung out together more often than not, and Shou liked to think that Shuji saw him as - if not a friend - as least trustworthy to be acknowledged. Shou had even tried to get Shuji into dating, which resulted in some of their more spectacular fights.

"I was the closest person to you," he replied, thinking it over. "There were a couple teachers you used to do things for, and the one aide in the school's library, but I can't think of anyone you really liked."

He bit back the tease that popped up in his mind. There were times when a good tease were a welcomed relief from a serious situation but this was not one of them. Shuji rarely showed any uncertainty over an emotional attachment.

"Is there something I can explain for you?"

The answer was exactly as Shuji had expected. He didn't know why he thought asking would help, but at least now ... well. Now he was more confused than before. Was it a misplaced anxiety over leaving his family? It seemed like so much more than that. As if on cue, Shuji raised one hand and rubbed the bottom of his palm against his chest. The more he tried to ignore it, the more he thought about it.

I can't be here without him. I have to find him. I have to bring him back... Those were the types of thoughts that kept going through his mind ever since he'd seen the hawk a few days after arriving into town. ... the hawk. That bird wouldn't have had anything to do with it, would it? People on the network had reported seeing strange creatures, but nothing had seemed particularly strange about that bird...

Shuji hesitated before speaking again. He could tell that he'd made Shou fairly concerned over the nature of the question, but he couldn't blame the other. Even Shuji realized how abnormal it was for him to be so open.

"I keep thinking about someone, but I can't remember who it is." The more he spoke, the crazier it sounded. He anticipated the teasing that would follow this. Shuji, attached to someone? Thinking about them constantly? "It's really starting to bother me."

Hajime finished his cursory glance of the paper and went on to check on another table. He decided to return to Shuji's with a fresh cup of tea, and by the time he'd come back around, he happened to catch a glimpse of what was on the screen of Shuji's phone. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized that this guy was accessing the network.

And this guy was a cop, wasn't he? Hajime sort of froze there with his tray of tea, looking over Shuji's shoulder. Subtle, he isn't, even if he thinks he is. Sure, Kotetsu was a cop and on the network and so far no one had died from it, but this guy seemed...well, didn't seem like quite as much of a goof.

As soon as Shuji realized the other other man was standing behind him, he pressed the button to lock his phone, setting it aside with the rest of his paperwork. After a few moments, he gave a glance behind himself to look the other over, wondering if perhaps there was another reason he happened to be there. Shuji, of course, was aware that being on the network in a public place probably wasn't the best idea, but he doubted anyone would get close enough to him to pick up on what it was unless they had prior knowledge. He could attribute it to anything.

Without saying anything, Shuji returned his attention to his food, turning over a page in his notes before he picked the bowl up again.

Hajime quickly turned his attention to messing with something on his tray, which worked out--he needed to give another table the extra wasabi they had asked him for. The action also gave him a chance to debate his next move. If this guy was also on the network, then Hajime wanted to see what sort of person he was.

He made up his mind. He set another cup of tea down on that table, as though he were simply bringing a refill. He took a guess based on the other man's accent, and said in quiet Japanese, "You might want to be careful looking at the network in public." He did his best to keep his tone calm and nonthreatening; the last thing he needed was to give this guy a bad scare, and he knew just saying something would be bad enough.

While Shuji was not one to react strongly in respects to anything, the comment certainly got a reaction from him. His body tensed up and he raised his gaze to meet Hajime's. However, instead of looking surprised or shocked or scared, he simply looked upset. Rather upset, really. It was as though by simply acknowledging what Shuji was doing had thrown a wrench into his plans. That was essentially what had happened, since Shuji had been intent on keeping his presence on the network a secret for as long as possible.

So much for that.

Instead of speaking, Shuji held his stare for a moment longer and then set his bowl down and reached to the side to turn his phone over, even though the screen was already dark. What could he even say in response to something like that? Now he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it.

This wasn't like Shuji at all. Shou wasn't sure how he could even begin to comfort him. Shuji didn't like to be touched so hugging was out. He didn't like being treated as weak or messed up so that was out. Shou couldn't even tease because he knew that Shuji would hide everything back under his mask and then Shou would have to wait years for his cousin to speak up again.

What was worse though was how much Shuji's words affected him. Ever since that night on the beach with that unfamiliar song stuck in his head, Shou had felt like someone was missing from his life. Someone a little shorter than him, with light hair and a soft voice. Sometimes he thought he could see that person standing at his shoulder, that he could almost hear his voice but then was gone. It was worse during the few hours when he did sleep, especially when he was alone in bed. Once he could have sworn that there was someone against his back, warm and solid and sure.

Of course always that voice, soft, a little sad, and maddeningly right.

He shuddered slightly, almost feeling a puff of air and smelling cigarette smoke tainted with blood. His skin broke out in bumps and he took a deep breath to shake off the weird feeling of being in the wrong place in the wrong time.

"Shuji," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't think you're alone with that feeling."

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something doesn't feel right today 王 action | open

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Later at Aikawa's

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