Relationships Post.

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

Tch. I don't need ( people. )

...

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.

... [And he's masking the pain in his voice somewhat, but he can't completely do it.]

Got in a fight. It's not a big deal, but...

I'm not gonna be at the bar for awhile. A few days, at least...maybe longer. Should be safe to head over there now, though.

Tch. It's been awhile since anyone mentioned this, so... watch out for that Legato guy. He's actin' like a more of a psycho for whatever reason, and he's dangerous. Maybe he won't be a problem for awhile. Still, keep it in mind if you're gonna talk to him.

...anyone got any extra medical shit? Bandages, anything like that...

( Filtered to Sorata and Sanji )

( Locked to Vash )

((ooc:Concerning the fight between Wolfwood, Shinji and Legato. Which ended in all of them getting wrecked, pretty much.))

[Some fumbling sounds as the device switches on. A very annoyed Shinjiro appears, arms crossed. He stops walking just the street just to scowl at the communicator-- and at Anemone, who just swiped it from him. Apparently she got bored on their walk over to Horton.]

Hey! Give that back.

I'm just making sure it doesn't shock you. You should thank me.

I don't even care if it does! Quit broadcasting that shit. [He makes a grab, but she's teasingly holding it out of reach.]

Yes you do. You'd get all cranky. Say, Shinji, you should help Sorata with his cooking lessons.

...HEY! He can do just fine by himself, one hand or not. [And now he goes to snatch it again. Halfway there, his face changes from cranky to surprised... instead of taking the device, he grabs Anemone, herself, and yanks her out of the way.

Just behind her, a whole group of Coralian monsters are floating, silently menacing. He starts to pull her in the opposite direction, but another group of them rise into view. Surrounding them on both sides. Shinji sticks a hand in his pocket, closing it around something--but he hesitates.]

Oh jeez, not you guys again. Do we have to kill you to make you go away?

... [As the monsters close in, Shinjiro decides. He has to. He yanks the gun-like evoker out of his pocket and puts it to his own head. Pulls the trigger, and summons his persona. He pushes Anemone back and starts taking the attackers down with his power (and by now he's forgotten all about the video.)]

...

At least the hospital's clear now. For-- the people who come back, it's gotta be easier and not as fuckin' dangerous. Knowing him, I guess he'd want the damn monsters back.

So about Kadaj. This ain't the first time for him, so he's not gonna show up for a few days. If I understand it right. No point in waiting around yet, but is anyone else gonna...

...

[A sudden, heavy thud-- sounds suspiciously like he threw something.]

Screw this shit. Just screw it...