Relationships Post.

(click the cut for Shinji's (long) relationship post. Timeline/etc to come later.)

Tch. I don't need ( people. )

Alright, alright... tch. I'm kinda busy right now, but I guess I'll ask

[A bad video feed flickers on. Even in the dim light, one can easily see an odd animal directly in the camera's view. A dog? Lying in a basket (on the bartop counter of the Northern Lights). Aside from the big, blue, catlike eyes, and the fact that it's -purple-, it's a medium sized dog with wolfish features and big tufted ears. Friendly looking... but obviously seems under the weather or hurt.

Meanwhile Shinjiro is all but glaring at the camera. The shadows under his eyes are deeper than usual. He obviously hasn't slept much. Despite that, he's got his left arm wrapped absently around the strange dog.]

So, did this dog just...fall from the sky, or does he belong to someone? You're gonna hear it from me if he does. What kinda asshole just lets their pet wander around this part of town at night?

If he's yours... and you'd better prove it... let me know. He was trapped under a fuckin' wall when I found him, over by the abandoned restaurants. Almost got eaten by some wolves. [Glare intensifies here. Meanwhile the dog starts to lick Shinji's left coat sleeve. Shinjiro looks startled... his eyes soften for a second, then he ends the video.]

( OOC note and picture )

I can't fit this many god-damned people in my bar at once. Take turns or else I'm gonna shut the place down!

[Sigh] I guess you bastards gotta eat, so... if you need directions, let me know. Make sure to bring some trades or something. This ain't a charity.

Oh, right. Kool-aid asshole. You put a hole in my wall, I'm gonna put a hole in your face. Steer clear of the Northern Lights!

Who's it gonna be this time...? Wouldn't be so bad to see a couple of 'em.

[BzzzzzzZZZZttt]

What the fuck was that?!? .... No way. It's been two weeks already?

[Yep, Shinjiro's communicator shocked him for the first time in a year and a half. He growls under his breath for a minute and thinks... might as well say something now, since it's already on.]

I guess there's gotta be some new people around. In case any of 'em gives a damn, there's a bar and restaurant off Bonito drive called the Northern Lights. That's kinda behind the High School. It's not free, so... make sure to bring something to trade.

Oh... right. [Sigh.] We gotta hire a couple more people for the bar. If anyone's interested, let me know.

( Filtered to Fuuka )

( Private to self )

...

Alright, guess I've kept the place closed long enough. Northern Lights should be up and ready to go by tomorrow night.

...except I've gotta run a few more repairs during the day. If anyone's up to the work, we could use a few more hands. It's mostly roof work and repainting a few spots outside. If I get too many people... there's construction going on next door too. We're gonna have a cafe right next to us, so who knows. They might want help.

Tch. About Halloween. We're not gonna run a party this year, but I came into some vodka awhile back. We'll have that out instead of battery acid on Halloween Night.

( Locked to Sorata and Anemone )

( Locked to Wolfwood )

[The comm. switches on to silence at first. When the voice does come, it's dazed, shocked...]

In case anyone knows him. Wolfwood just... he's dead. Killed himself.

[Just as he finishes saying that, Wolfwood's body disappears on him. Taken to wherever the Scientists revive people. There's another long silence as Shinjiro stares at his empty hands.]

...couldn't stop him.

[At which point he punches the communicator off and starts to take out his rage and grief on the apartment around him.]

[ooc note: Wolfwood has died of Hinamizawa Syndrome from Rika's injection. He ripped out his own throat in front of Shinji. And so...there will be an IC delay on any communicator responses. Or he might not even respond to some of them. orz]

Ugh...

If I ever try leaving this city again, someone just shoot me in the head.

...great welcome back, too. Thanks Ace. By the way, we're not fuckin' done with that shit. I don't care if you're crazy or not.

[Quiet hiss of pain goes here. And footsteps... he's heading around, trying to check on people. Or kind of limping around after his earlier fight with Ace at the bar.]

Sorata, Anemone, Nill...Testament? Dizzy? You guys alright? Tch...or at least alive? If anyone else wants to tell me you're not dead, that's fine too.

...at least the bar's mostly in one piece. Pretty much the only thing that is.

Damn it... that's three, no four of 'em gone now. All in this one past month...shit.
Not even sure if that's a coincidence.

[And he goes quiet for a sec. He'd been fiddling with his communicator, but hadn't planned to turn it on yet.]

Not gonna be around tomorrow. Packing... and shit for that trip outta town on the fifth.

I guess... [Long silence, and he forgets what he's gonna say.] That's it I guess.

[As a note, Shinjiro will be leaving his comm. device in his room for the duration of tomorrow. Whatever he's doing, he's disappearing off the map. October 4th will do that to this guy.]

Couple things I should mention...

Some of you probably uh... noticed, but in case anyone missed it. We've got a new cow in the barn. One of those crazy ones, but it's givin' milk. So we don't gotta use the powdered shit for everything now.

Alright, this one's more important.

A group of us are gonna head outside the city pretty soon. Exploring or whatever... My whole damned cooking staff, so... from the 5th of October, the Northern Lights is gonna be bar nights only. Dinners will just have to pick up again once we get back.

( Locked to Jackie, Anemone, Haruka, and Vash )

( Private to self )

Damn it, has anyone seen...

[A low, creepy moan cuts him short. One of those zombie things in the far distance... too far to chase maybe. Then another closer one.

Shinjiro curses under his breath. He's sounding exhausted, drained, and generally like he hasn't slept in two days.]

Tch. Thought I was done fighting those bastards. Haven't seen one up near here for a couple hours yet.

... Did anyone die this time? Damn it, this was a fuckin' cake walk compared to those Heaven Smiles...

I need a drink...

[And he's just tiredly messing around with his communicator.]

Miracles huh... I guess you got what you wanted, so that's not so bad.

... [And he looks down, realizing he's turned the thing on. Oh well, it's been awhile anyway. Have a pause while he collects some tired thoughts.]

Tch. If you're heading to the bar, watch out for this tricky fog... sometimes monsters show up around here, and those abandoned buildings ain't real safe. Don't get killed over a fuckin' drink.

... And I don't know who the hell left old food lyin' around out here, but I don't wanna hear about that shit again. We've got a working generator and a fridge for a reason.

... [A yawn catches him before more cranky words find their way out.]

That's... it, I guess. Except, uh... anyone else been hearing... never mind.

[Chalking it up to lack of sleep.]

( Private )

So... I guess those damned visions are over with? It's about time. Fuckin' tired of bumping into those force fields, or whatever they were.

There's a lot of dead frequencies right now... That Hughes guy... just in case you all didn't know, he's been here twice. He might even show up again. Or anyone else.

...Tch. Whether you'd want them to or not.

Oh uh. Yeah. Whoever went on that last supply run? Thanks... I don't even know where to put half this shit. We're not gonna need one of those anytime soon.

...and it's still snowing. Makes me wonder if it's gonna heatwave in December, or something. Never know with this place.

At least those damned earthquakes stopped...

Tch. With all the shit that happens to the apartments, sometimes I think it'd be safer to live on the streets. Almost wanna go back to that.

Horton doesn't usually act possessed, so I'll put up with it for now.

...It's been awhile, so. For the 'new people,' I run a bar and restaurant off Bonito drive. The Northern Lights. It's not free, so bring something to trade.

And if some cheerful, pain in the ass guy tries giving you free food there, do me a favor. Let me know?

( Locked to Anemone )

[The video flickers on to a rooftop scene in thick snowfall. One can see Shinjiro's left coat sleeve from the edge of the camera. Otherwise, it's a view of Bonito street from the Northern Lights roof. The frozen, slippery roof, which Shinji is sitting on precariously.]

Never thought I'd see this so soon. August, huh? ... It's nothing like last year's August, and that's for damned sure. I wonder who's even left to remember all that.

It's more like December was, I guess. Kinda peaceful.

[He shakes his head, switching out of rambling mode.]

Tch. And the cold isn't that bad. We've got power at the 'Lights, just make sure to get a drink or something if you sit around in here. Gotta keep the place running.

Oh... shit, forgot to mention. Anyone got welding tools, or something else for takin' metal apart? Figured we could use the supplies off this dead robot monster.

... [Long, distracted pause before he shuts it off.]

I wonder if this is gonna last 'till the 11th.

Uh, so I was gonna ask. Can you even find 'nice' clothes in any of those damned stores? I figured they'd be picked clean by now.

...! What the hell? [Some frantic crushing noises go here. He's killing a lone butterfly that just happened to land on his neck and sink its teeth in.]

Shit. That's it! If I catch anyone letting those fuckers in my bar, you get to chase 'em right back out again! Stupid bastards. Uh. Lute? You got any magic to keep them outta here?

( Locked to Sanji, Umi, Sorata )

I need a headcount of people staying at the Northern Lights. It's fine (at least until this damn weather clears up,) but I'm gonna need to plan for supplies. Maybe make a quick run with a few of you. So, if you're staying here, or gonna stay here, just mention it.

... Tch.

I'm sick of this memory-loss shit. If this really is someone's chip removal, why didn't they just stay the hell away from people for a week?

Could be something else... I guess we'll know if it doesn't let up.

( Locked to Wolfwood )

Got the bar generator back up. Makes it look even darker outside, if you ask me.

If anyone's gotta stay in here longer, it's fine. We did a supply run right before this shit happened. Just let me know if you're leaving?

Oh yeah. Careful walkin' around Bonito right now. This place is secure, but I don't know about those other buildings. They weren't real stable even before the earthquakes. And don't expect the monsters to lay low. Most of 'em can see better than us in the dark.

Testament...gotta ask you something.

( Locked to Wolfwood/Text )

[ooc: Any commentlogs in the Northern Lights can go here, if anyone wants?]

...not a god damned cactus.

Alright. Like you probably heard from Hughes or Sorata, we're lettin' people hole up at the Northern Lights. We've still got some room left. Figured some of you might need directions.

We're at the end of Bonito drive. That's right behind the High School. From the apartments, you can just head south on Lander, then west on Ingles. Ain't that hard, but...

...don't walk over here by your damned self! Especially if you can't fight...that's just askin' for trouble. If you need to get over here and can't, let me or Sorata know and we'll figure something out.

One year today...

Not gonna do much for it. Maybe if anyone's up for drinks later on...? Hell, what does anyone even do on this kinda day. Parties or something... it doesn't seem like a good time for one.

It's a damn frustrating place to live. But I guess... it's my damned frustrating place to live. If that makes any sense.

( Locked to Jon )

( Locked to Wolfwood )

It's not quiet yet, but is that malice shit done with? Sounded like it might be.

So in about a week, I'm gonna hit my year mark. 'Discoversary,' or whatever you guys call it... seems like longer. Not that I mind. Even with all the shit that's happened here, I guess I still consider it important.

Tch. Maybe everything turned out... different than I figured, but I wouldn't take it back. Being here I mean. Even if I had a choice, this is where I'd stay. Makes me wonder what it's gonna be like next year... it's changed a lot. At least I think so.

...Whatever. By the way, since I'm feeling better tired of laying around, I'm gonna be at work tomorrow. That's if my damn employees keep my bar in one piece until then.

Speaking of. Anyone else want a job? I got one new person over at the 'Lights, but I kinda need a couple more. Even if it's temporary.