side boob archer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pummelling) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
epidemiology2018-01-15 12:42 pm
pummelling) wrote in epidemiology2018-01-15 12:42 pm
a vagabond with flowers for algernon
CHARACTERS: A: Kung Jin, Clarice Fong, and Connor Walsh. A pair of cute kids, and a strange figure in the crowd. B: Veronica Lodge, Kisuke Urahara, Ginko, and Majima Goro. A frail, but spirited old merchant woman.
DATE: Within the first few days of Hanabira!
WARNINGS: Veronica and her squad of hot boys maybe????
SUMMARY: Exploring the commoner's district.
Trust me, the best answers we're going to get on what this situation's really like are going to come from real people: the ones at the bottom of the food chain who're going to be REALLY affected by all of this. I'm going to the commoner's district in half an hour. If you want to help, meet me here.
[The message had been direct enough, and so had the location Jin had linked -- the storefront of an antique shop near the entrance to the poorer district. Right on time, and even a few minutes earlier, Jin's waiting outside, pacing impatiently with his hands folded inside the roomy Hanabiran kimono he's donned for the occasion.
It's not that he's particularly anxious about how this is going to go. He can handle himself around Hanabirans of the lower strata: a couple of years on the street have made him more comfortable with the lower class than most other people, in fact. Almost like going back to his roots.
It's which of his new teammates are going to show up that worries him...]
DATE: Within the first few days of Hanabira!
WARNINGS: Veronica and her squad of hot boys maybe????
SUMMARY: Exploring the commoner's district.
Trust me, the best answers we're going to get on what this situation's really like are going to come from real people: the ones at the bottom of the food chain who're going to be REALLY affected by all of this. I'm going to the commoner's district in half an hour. If you want to help, meet me here.
[The message had been direct enough, and so had the location Jin had linked -- the storefront of an antique shop near the entrance to the poorer district. Right on time, and even a few minutes earlier, Jin's waiting outside, pacing impatiently with his hands folded inside the roomy Hanabiran kimono he's donned for the occasion.
It's not that he's particularly anxious about how this is going to go. He can handle himself around Hanabirans of the lower strata: a couple of years on the street have made him more comfortable with the lower class than most other people, in fact. Almost like going back to his roots.
It's which of his new teammates are going to show up that worries him...]
ARRIVAL; kung jin
You made it.
[Jin's got to at least act the part of a team leader here-- that's what this is, right? the first guy to get people together counts as that, doesn't it?-- so he draws himself up to his full height, back straight, shoulders square, the picture of confidence. He hopes.]
You think you're up to gathering intel? Working with these kinds of people is tricky. Trust me, I've done this plenty of times.
GROUP A; two girls
So maybe he's starting this expedition out a little... prickly. Big whoop, he can be professional if he's forced to. Hathaway had deemed him a Negotiator, hadn't they?
He should at least try that.
Jin's lingering a few paces behind the two of them through the main thoroughfare, keeping a subtle but sure eye on their surroundings. He'd like to avoid getting any of them mugged.]
We have to actually speak to somebody to get intel, you know.
GROUP B; merchant woman
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I can confidently say that I can handle this, but I think I'll look much more empowering if you flank me from behind. All of you. [The thing is, Veronica isn't very tall. She manages to carry herself as if she should be, posture perfectly straight and eyes pointed ahead. But she's not tall. She just smiles like she knows what she's doing, as if she doesn't have a single doubt in the world about what's coming next.]
Does anyone have any concerns before we go for it? I'd like to clear that up. For, you know, for both equality and equanimity's sake. [Said as if she's not living her best life with older men having to listen to everything she tells them to do.
(But she is. She really is.)]
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Unless you know something I don't. I'd like your insight.
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Be real suspicious if someone asks and we trip all over ourselves.
[ Also it was quite possible Majima hadn't yet gotten to know any of these people. 100% possible, in fact. Who are all you weirdos. ]
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Well, she could. But she'd fail. She has that much self-awareness.]
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well. she's got a job to do, and if nothing else she's motivated enough to ensure she carries out her end of the bargain with hathaway.
at jin's words, she lets out a little snort — nothing malicious, just wryly amused. ]
That's pretty rich, considering that's like the first thing you've said to either of us all trip.
[ she's... leading down some narrow alleyways. despite the bulk jin provides as reinforcement, she still finds it a lot more comforting to be in slightly more enclosed spaces. less to have to watch out for. ]
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Nevertheless, Jin's comment has him rolling his eyes.]
Brilliant advice there. Remind me again why you're in charge? This is supposed to be a matriarchy.
[And he inclines his head toward Clarice - a stranger, but one he'll gladly side with if it means getting on Jin's nerves.]
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Also Urahara has his fan out and looks pretty much like he belongs here, so WELL DONE on that front.] That's about what I've been pretending, myself. I've spent a lot of time around places like this.
[So if they need someone to take point, he's your guy.]
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He brushes their complaints aside, seeming less than ruffled.]
Because I'm the most experienced member of the team. [he says matter-of-factly, his eyes wandering from person to person, shopfront to shopfront. All clear, so far.] And I used to spend a lot of time around neighborhoods that your everyday person would consider unseemly, so I've got an edge here, gender aside.
It's Clarice, right? What d'you see up ahead? Besides all the dried fish on sale.
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Some trash, some stalls, some more trash.
[ the alleyway they're in begins to lead back out into the streets. ]
I'm not gonna have to worry about you two, am I? [ yeah, don't think she hasn't noticed your pettiness towards each other, boys. ] I'm not really in the mood to play mediator here.
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[ Since he didn't know 2/3 of his teammates here, he figured he ought to at least state his name. Good luck finding out what he wanted to be when he grew up though, that was #topsecret ]
I'll try and smooth things over if things start goin' south. No guarantees, though.
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The knot that's formed in his own gut starts to ease when he sees that the alleyway begins to broaden again. He raises his eyebrows at Clarice.]
You have nothing to worry about. I was just offering Kung Fu Jin here a little constructive criticism, so he can grow to be an even better teammate.
[There is not a single drop of sincerity in this declaration. (And please, Connor...Kung Fu Jin is literally not any better than Kung Pao Jin...)]
Anyway...I hear someone coming up ahead.
[And luckily, it's the benign laughter of children. A moment later, two girls appear at the mouth of the alleyway, turning into it as they chase after a ball.]
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[It's a bright red flag fluttering in the wind of privilege. Jin takes one look at her, eyebrow raised in scrutiny. It wasn't until that comment that he'd noticed her just-too-nice attire.
Oh boy.]
Here's some insight: don't assume these are poor unfortunate souls who need your pity.
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You missed some trash over there, too. [🔥🔥🔥
Fortunately for Clarice's patience, the presence of the young girls breaks the tension. The elder of the two manages to catch the ball, but not before catching sight of the three strangers to her neighborhood. She nudges her friend in the side to get her attention-- ow! that hurt!-- and stare suspiciously up at them.]
Didn't think we looked that obvious. [mutters Jin to himself. They really are, though, in spite of best efforts: none of them look especially like the sorts of wanderers who're native to Hanabira, and with what the girls have heard whispered and murmured about those visitors from foreign lands... they're an especially exciting attraction.
For a pair of children growing up in a matriarchy, Clarice is the most approachable of the newcomers. They still don't dare to speak to them directly, not yet, but they seem to gravitate toward the only woman in the group.]
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Hey... Sorry, don't be afraid.
[ she puts on a smile, holding her hands out in what she hopes is a multiuniversal gesture of peace. ]
We're visiting, so we're a little lost.
[ at this point, she's hoping to appeal to every little kid's desire to be mightier in the moment. ]
Think you can help us out?
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Where are you trying to go? asks one.]
We heard there's a good tea house around here. Is that true?
[He lies smoothly, without pausing to consider that perhaps he should let Clarice do most of the talking. Luckily, the girls don't seem ruffled by his interjection - they're young, after all, and moreover the social customs that are so rigidly arranged in the upper classes are more relaxed here.
The girl turns to consult with her companion with eyebrows scrunched. You think they mean Uncle's?
I dunno, maybe so.
This is followed by a great deal of pointing - this way? No, over there - before finally the second girl jabs her finger back toward the street from which she had come. That way - with the big red sign.]
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Jin can't help the little smirk on his lips when the girl presses the ball into Clarice's hands. He can't deny it's cute, even if he's resolved to take a back seat on this matter. The rest of the market bustles around them, lively as ever despite their distance from the largest area; maybe speaking to the two of them'll yield some answers an adult wouldn't have caught sooner.]
I don't think there's anything wrong with working up an appetite before tea.
[Yeah! Rice dumplings and tea! the second girl giggles.
Jin gives the other two a look, as if to urge them along. If anything, it'll at least be fun.]
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[He should be more polite about it. And he will be. ...Maybe later.]
Either way, it doesn't matter. Like I said, getting in on the ground floor will get us better information than what we'd get from nobles. You'd be surprised how little they know about what's really happening.
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