Roleplay

Izumi Tatsu || [Human Form] || Izumi: Oeda Alley --> Hiroto's Research Center of Ethology || Interacting with: Zhigong Hou and Oedo Alley’s workers [@InsanityAbyss] ... Nabiki Yousei [@Baihe]

"Eh?" Izumi turned his attention to the sudden sound of a voice addressing him. The owner of the voice was unfamiliar, but he introduced himself, and with his outfit Izumi knew he was a coworker. "Oh, yeah, I'm Tatsu. And that's my sister, yes." The next few sentences Makoto spoke caused some concern for Izumi. For one thing, setting his sister up with someone felt taboo. Another thing, Izumi knew that he was the only guy Touko tolerated, and he was unsure if he wanted to subject Makoto to her. However, he had always thought that she needed more people to interact with besides himself. With the way Touko was, Izumi was pretty sure they might end up as friends anyway (unless Makoto had the persistence of a madman, of course). "Uh...yeah, I can do that. But I'd like to-" The sound of Izumi's boss interrupted him. He watched Makoto run off from the corner of his eyeas Izumi turned to face his boss, Mr. Hou, who Izumi had always been a little wary around due to his strictness with the workers.

"Yes, I can make the delivery," Izumi replied, nodding. "I'll head there straight away, sir." Izumi hurried off to the kitchen to pick up the delivery so that he could stay on Mr. Hou's good side.

Delivery in hand, Izumi stepped outside and looked around. In his desire to please his boss, it did not occur to Izumi that he lacked a vehicle to use to drive to the research center. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand as he thought about what to do. There was always the Genny's, and while he disliked using them, it seemed like they were his best option.

Izumi hurried along to the nearest train stop and located the nearest touch screen directory. He thought about the conversation he had earlier with the new worker as he waited in line.

This will be good for Touko, he thought to himself. She needs friends...at least. He pulled himself out of his thoughts and refocused himself on inserting his destination into the directory. Thankfully, his ride did not take too long to arrive. Izumi hesitantly stepped inside. His arms wrapped around the order as he sat down. As he leaned back in his seat, he realized he still had his bag with him. Izumi was so quick to fulfil the delivery that he did not have a chance to take it off! Oh well.

The ride was the same as last time: vaguely uncomfortable. As soon as he reached his destination, Izumi got off the strange contraption and looked up at the building before him. Hiroto's Research Center of Ethology. An animal lab, essentially. That knowledge made Izumi uncomfortable, as someone who was essentially an animal. But he reminded himself that he was here as a human, not an animal, and stepped inside the building.

The break room on the third floor if I remember correctly... Izumi thought as he looked around. He spotted what he was sure to be a researcher and approached them, reaching a hand out and setting it on their shoulder.

"Excuse me," Izumi began. It was not until he started speaking that he realized this researcher had earbuds in. Since Izumi already started speaking to him, he decided to continue, but hoped he was not bothering this person. "Can you tell me where the breakroom on the third flood is located? I have an order to personally deliver."

Hyun-Ki Gok || Frost Dragon [Human Form] || Home -> work: The Stormy Serpent || mostly freaking out about email

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He wasn't sure when he dozed off, but his eyes fluttered open once more and he squinted against the light that was flooding the room, groaning and rolling onto his side, his laptop nearly sliding off of the bed if he hadn't put his arm around it before.

Blue eyes flicking to the clock, he jolted and shot into a sitting position, throwing the covers off of himself and jumping of his bed. He had thirty minutes to get to the bar. If he missed today he was sure to get chewed out! He didn't have enough time to call in sick, either...ugh!

Hyun-Ki sprinted to his bathroom and grabbed the uniform that was folded on the sink, hastily pulling it on and fumbling with the buttons on his shirt before he gave up halfway, his white undershirt half seen as he quickly brushed his teeth and hair. His face was flushed with adrenaline and panic as he put down his brush and finished up with his teeth and it only got redder as he rushed around the room and gathered his phone, keys, wallet, and knife (he was always prepared).

Grabbing his shoes, Hyun-Ki hopped out of his apartment as he slid them on while locking his door. Once his door was secure and his shoes were settled on his feet, he took off down the stairs. He jumped down three steps at a time and slid down the railing a bit before reading the door, bursting out into the fresh air and sprinting down the sidewalk. He didn't have time to order a Genny! He wasn't even sure if he had enough to pay for it....

"Excuse me!" He called, pulling his mask on over his face as he weaved between the pedestrians walking around. Some were on their lunch break, others were heading to school. He dimly wondered what he looked like in the eyes of these strangers...uniform half buttoned, hair unkempt, face red, and panic flaring in his eyes. "Sorry! Coming in behind you!"

A few people yelped as he rushed by, feet pounding against the ground and wind howling past his face. The dense crowd dwindled out right as he reached a stoplight which was, in fact, red, and he didn't have enough time to stop. So he barreled right through it, skidding around the hovercars that were passing through the intersection. Shrill honks reverberated in his head as he held up a hand of apology, ducking and rolling under the last one. Some of them flew higher than others...it seemed like the cheaper ones stuck closer to the ground. Even then, the cheap ones weren't all that cheap!

If he was in one of those old cars with wheels, he was sure he would be burning rubber at how hard he took the turn to make it around the pole to go down the road he had to be on. Just a block or so more and he would be there!

Shoving his hand in his pocket, he fumbled for his phone and barely offered it a glance to see the time. He had five more minutes to get there...! It was just down the street! He could see it! If he could get in he would be clocked in immediately so he didn't have to worry. After that, he could head to the breakroom and fix himself up. Easy peasy!

Except for the fact that his eyes caught on the notification of an email that he had just received. His brows furrowed and, before he knew it, he ran into something that was quite solid.

"Agh!" he cried out, reeling back and landing right on his butt, his phone flying a few feet away as his mind reeled at the contact. What did he run into?

"Imbecile!" a deep voice cursed, a hulking form entering his vision as they stepped over him, a nasty look in their eyes. "Watch where you are going next time! Damn kid...!"

Hyun-Ki was barely able to offer a quick, "My apologies," before he snatched up his phone and got to his feet. He checked for any visible cracks before opening it and rushing to his email, not seeming to notice that he was still in the middle of the sidewalk.

Clicking on the screen, the mail enlarged. It wasn't particularly long. A sentence at most...there was no sender. What...?

Blinking, Hyun-Ki read the words on his screen in milliseconds. What...?! Who was this? Koya Cemetery? Were they dead?! Oh gods...1:00 AM. Did they find him out? What was going on?

Someone bumped into him, forcing him to take a step out of the way numbly before he seemed to gather his bearings again. Right...work! Ah...sh*t! Work! Maybe if he was quiet enough they wouldn't notice he was late...!

Right as he opened the door, a wet towel was thrown at him, smacking him in the face and nearly wrapping around his head. It smelled like bleach.

"You're late, Gok-kun! You're on cleaning duty today!"

Ah. Guess not. He could focus on the email during his break....

To say he was starving would be an understatement. Kohaku was rather... well... exhausted from this morning's events. So, when his stomach began to growl hungrily, he decided to stop by someplace for a quick bite to eat.

"I swear, this city gets more confusing as the decades pass by." Kohaku mutters, quickly slipping to the side to avoid colliding into someone. He's been to the Sakura Cafe hundreds of times before, but for some reason, he really sucked at finding the place.

Yes, he was lost. Again.

The dragon stopped at the end of a crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn green. If he was being honest with himself, he was feeling particularly bothered, a rare sight to see. However, he still kindly smiled at the stranger who passed him as he made his way across the street. Suddenly, his nose twitched as he caught scent of a familiar coffee brew. Immediately, Kohaku broke into a smile and quickly jogged down the block, turning left to finally find the cafe.

"Hello!" He called out as he entered, grinning. Some people cast quizzical looks his way, but he paid them no mind as he made his way to the counter. His previously sour mood now forgotten, Kohaku eagerly waited in line as he perused through the menu for today.

When it was finally his turn, the dragon chuckled warmly when he realized who was standing on the other side of the counter. "Ah, are you working again today, Tsurui-san?" He hadn't known Tsurui for long, seeing as he was the cafe's newest employee, but he had certainly grown to like the barista. "Oh! Is Shizuru-san working too?" The TV was being rather difficult and Jun was growing rather impatient. Although the bar wasn't packed, there was still some light chatter that kept threatening his focus. Cursing softly under his breath, Jun tried a different approach, this time with the wires, hypothetically crossing his fingers and praying that it would work. But it didn't, of course, and the man had to finally admit that he needed a break. He didn't like taking breaks while he was on duty, but frankly, he was exhausted from a long day of work and he really needed to have his lunch.

"You're late, Gok-kun! You're on cleaning duty today!"

Jun's eyes snapped to the commotion at the entrance door, frowning slightly as he watched the bar's owner scold one of the workers. The worker in question grabbed the towel that had just been thrown in his face, looking a little defeated. Sighing softly, Jun turned away and climbed down his step stool, making for the back door. He preferred parking in the back of establishments so he wouldn't take up any customer parking. Besides, it was a nice escape, since hardly anyone would be found there. He figured he'd just grab his sandwich, snarf it down within the car, and then get back to work.

The trip only took him an entirety of five minutes, so he was slightly taken aback to see the owner suspiciously eyeing him as he re-entered the bar. He threw her a polite, albeit strained smile, adjusted his cap, and returned to his place of work. However, just as he was climbing back onto the ladder, a rather blind customer managed to effortlessly bumble into him.

Immediately, Jun tensed, already turning...

Nope, not turning. Just falling.

Jun crashed into a nearby table with a loud thud, the breath forcefully knocked from his lungs. He lay stunned for a moment, blinking, before pulling himself back up with a soft groan. Waving away the patron who was now profusely apologizing to him, Jun made his way back to the ladder and climbed up again, silently grateful that he and nothing else had been broken.

Frowning once more, he returned to his work, hoping that there wouldn't be anymore interruptions.

(apologies for the repost! i thought it'd look better with both of the posts together)

Tsurui || Earth Dragon [Human Form] || Location: Sakura Cafe
|| Interacting with: Shizuru [@InsanityAbyss], Kohaku [@Kinged]

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As Tsurui has been working here since a couple months ago, it's natural that he know most of the workers here, which also includes Shizuru. He doesn't really talk to her all that much, but he does find her to be quite an interesting person.

"Hmm, again? Last time the manager wants to meet me, I couldn't find them at all." He gave a confused look and crossed his arms, seemingly pondering. "Well then, I guess I'll have to go and see if they're here this time." He gave a brief shrug. "Good luck, uh, what is it again.... Oh, right! Murasame-kun! See you around!" He said as he gave a hurried wave and left to find the manager.

He's not too worried about the line of people, since he's sure that his co-workers can handle the orders while he's away. He tugged on the scarf loosely wrapped around his neck as he walks to the manager's office. He doesn't usually wear a scarf while going outside, since the scales on his neck are barely visible anyway, but today is especially cold so he made an exception.

Once he reached the office, he knocked on the door and waited for a response. After nobody replied, he waited around a bit longer before finally opening the door. Unsurprisingly, the manager is nowhere to be seen just as he expected. Manager-san, you keep wanting to talk to me but can you please stop disappearing so I can find you?

As a last resort, Tsurui pulled out his phone and checked if they've messaged him. The only message he found was one from his brother this morning, much to his disappointment. With a defeated sigh, he closed the door and began making his way to the working area. He made a mental note to look for the manager during lunch break, as that's when they're most likely to show up.

He did a few stretches before he starts to work, and the day swiftly went by without much problem as usual—well, except for one minor accident that caused someone to spill some coffee beans and perhaps a cup of coffee or two, but that barely affected anyone at all. Before he knows it, lunch break is nearly here.

Tsurui decided to brew another cup of coffee before his lunch break. Despite the advanced machines other coffee shops use, the owner opted to use older machines that can be dated back as early as the 20th and 21st century. Personally, he doesn't mind the old machineries that they had to use, though they are a bit bothersome at times.

While he waits for the coffee to fill the cup, he glanced around to see if there's anything interesting. His co-workers are hardworking as always, and the same could also be said to the waiter and waitresses—though he did caught Shizuru yawning once or twice while jotting down orders. A variety of customers visited the place, most of them eager to start their day once they had their cup of coffee.

As he watches the last drip of the coffee drops into the cup, Tsurui heard a familiar voice coming from the entrance. He playfully rolled his eyes to himself while he placed the cup of espresso on the other side of the counter. He rung the bell a few times so someone will come and take it to the customer, then he went to greet Kohaku.

"Of course! I can't exactly slack off if I wish to get my paycheck, can I?" He chuckled. He'd only spoken a few times with Kohaku, but Tsurui considers the other to be a rather friendly guy and certainly another interesting person in his book (though, he does consider everyone he knows to be interesting, so maybe it's not that surprising).

"And yes, Murasame-kun is indeed working today. She should be near the table over there." He pointed to a table near to the entrance. "Either way, Kohaku-san, what's your order? You're not here just to chat, right?" He asked with a small smile, grabbing his notepad out so he could can jot down the details before he forgets them.

Millie Etoshi || Dergen|| In search of a building || Interacting with: None

Millie stepped out of her apartment, a piece of toast folded in half, strawberry marmalade thickly spread onto it. She stepped out as she took a large bite. She exhaled in elation and took another two bites for good measure. “This is the life”, she said to herself, and made her way down the corridor, nearly tripping over the welcoming carpet of one of her neighbours. She quickly made apologies should the inhabitant be close by and continued on her path, down the stairs. She gave preppy steps, kicking forward and taking it a step at a time, savoring her sweet toast. About halfway down she realised she was in a hurry. Or rather, she should be in a hurry. She took two quick strides and came to a halt. What was she in a hurry for again?

She looked down at the bundle of book cradled against her chest, and remembered she was carrying a book bag. . Ah yes. It would definitely return to her if she just kept walking ahead. It can’t be that important if it slipped her mind that fast.

On the pavement, she balanced herself on the curb, attempting to walk on a “tightrope”.. She pushed out her cheeks and frowned seriously, arms stretched wide to the sides. In her one hand she was still holding onto some books and her other was holding onto her breakfast.

At the back of her mind, she could imagine cheers from spectators below. In Between cheers, she would quickly take a bite of her bread and continue on, having a rather difficult time walking a straight line. She couldn't care less that there were people rushing past her obviously in a hurry to get to their destinations. Nearby, a young child was crying for its mother. Another young person ran into a pole not a few feet from where she was standing too. That caught her eye, but for a moment, and she turned her attention back to her “cheering crowds”. After a while, she hopped off nearly in front of a moving Gen. She giggled at it and the person inside’s reaction. They were yelling something at her, but then the breeze hit her and she couldn’t make out what it was that they were saying.

The breeze gave rise to the wind chimes of a nearby shop. The bell chimed and she found it to be pleasant. As she approached, a flyer hit her smack in the face. The flyer read of a library and some kind of research division. There and then she remembered for the time being where he was headed.

Licking off her fingertips, she started looking at the building names around her, for maybe she might just find what she’d been looking for. It wasn’t long before she got to the entrance of the place where she was destined to be at. It seemed as if there were more students there than normal too.

Hyun-Ki || Frost Dragon [Human Form] || The Stormy Serpent || Natsuki [@InsanityAbyss] and Jun [@Kinged]

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Hyun-Ki allowed himself to give the boss a small smile as he pulled the towel from his face. Before he was fully aware of the question that was asked, his eyes traveled to Shibata-san who was working on repairing the TV. He nodded towards the man before shrugging lightly, still out of breath as he buttoned up the rest of his uniform.

There were quite a few people in the bar for noon.

"That's fine," Hyun-Ki said, taking a deep breath to steady his breathing a little. Despite being a dragon of frost, he felt really hot right now. Screw his human body and its weird systems...! "And...yeah. Just got a weird email this morning. Nothing too bad I hope."

He took off his mask and shoved it into his pockets, saying, "I'm gonna fix myself up really quick. I'll be back in a minute or so." He sent a wave to the owner before opening the door to the break room and making his way over to the mirror, sighing at the mess his hair was. He did what he could with his hands, splashed some water on his face, and grabbed his apron from the wall before sliding back out. Just in time to see the repair man fall after a customer bumped into the ladder he was on.

He would have rushed over if Boss hadn't gotten there first, so he did what he could to lead the clearly intoxicated customer out of the way, hiding his dark grimace at the smell of alcohol in his breath.

"Why don't you order a Genny and get yourself home?" he offered. "If you need, I can order one for you." The man just grunted and shook his head, face red as he waved Hyun-Ki off and made his way out of the bar anyways.

Here's to hoping he makes it back safe, the man thought, scratching his head and offering a light sigh. That man must be having a rough day, huh?

Hyun-Ki smiled at the joke Boss cracked, eyes carefully watching the human get back to work like nothing had happened. Such a resilient creature.... He did what he could to gather the condiments that had fallen onto the ground and shuffled over to the upright table, wiping off the surface before he placed them down.

"I guess it is a Monday," Hyun-Ki murmured, draping the towel over his shoulder as he crossed his arms. "They seem to be cursed to be more unpleasant than the days the rest of the week holds."

He tilted his head at the worker, though, and asked, "Are you all right? That was quite the fall."

Izumi Tatsu || [Human Form] || Hiroto's Research Center of Ethology || Interacting with: Nabiki Yousei [@Baihe]

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Izumi's hand retreated quickly after seeing how the stranger reacted to him. Perhaps Izumi should have picked someone who was more attentive to their surroundings, but the soft smile the man gave Izumi told him that he was not disgruntled in any way about the disturbance, which provided Izumi relief. His eyes could not help but to look around the man's work area. All those papers and books.... Izumi wondered about their contents.

"Hm?" Izumi pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of the man speaking. While he was thinking about the paper and books, the man had moved from his seat and gestured for Izumi to follow him, which he did, promising himself to be more attentive. "Oh, I never said, sorry. My name is Tatsu Izumi." His gaze wandered around at his surroundings as he followed the worker. In all honesty, the place was dull, but it did not fail to unnerve him. His arms wrapped around the order. "By the way, what is your name?"

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Touko Tatsu || [Human Form] || Oeda Alley --> Grocery Store || Interacting with: N/A

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As Touko departed from Oeda Alley, she ran through what she needed to buy from the grocers, which came out to be a bit of everything. She sighed and pulled out her little cat-shaped purse from the pocket of the hoodie she wore. Her fingers nimbly opened the purse and looked through its contents, determining that she should have enough to buy what they needed thanks to Izumi's hard working.

Touko looked around at her surroundings as she walked. She could remember when every city looked more like a village; now they all look shiny and flashy and were full to the brim with human technology. Something new seemed to come out every day. If Izumi was here with her, he would be commenting on the ingenuity of the humans and their technology. He was a nerd like that.

The farther Touko got from Oeda Alley, the more she started to notice the building pressure in her chest. She reminded herself that Izumi was at Oeda Alley and that he would be safe, but she could not help but to feel anxious when apart from him like this, especially after all they had been through.

Touko noticed her grip on her cat purse had become hard enough to wrinkle it. She smoothed it out, apologizing to the cat in her head.

Sorry, friend, she said, I was just worried, that's all.

As Touko was nearing the usual grocery store she frequented, she noticed some capsule machines had been set up near the entrance. She walked over to them and examined the possible prizes one could get. Some featured characters from popular anime and games, while some were just cute critters.

Izumi would like these cutesy things. No! I gotta buy groceries, and if I have money left over, I can eat out with brother. But he would like one of these cute animals... Touko bit her lip as she mulled over what she wanted to do. Deciding to come back to the machines after seeing how much money was left over from grocery shopping, she stepped inside the store, hoping that they had many discounts today.