NIGHTMARE
RANK 3
Kotemon
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Post by Kimura Kyōryoku on Sept 22, 2017 13:35:09 GMT
Hibiya Park had probably been the calmest area in Chiyoda, being overlooked by government buildings and close to the gardens of the imperial palace. It was always decently populated, whether for simple lounging or for the tennis courts that tended to remain reserved. Some took refugee by the lakes in calming their spirits where others would escape the heat under the wisteria groves. A light breeze made its way through the blades of grass, making them dance for a moment until it subsided. The beauty of nature would soon subsist as well, once fall had taken place to create the gradual changes that would be accepted by the winter.
Better to enjoy it now than to let it pass and have to wait almost six months to relive it. While he may have not been paying too much attention to the idyllic form of nature, it did influence his mood this day. Even while he was running to once again push his physical endurance, the feeling of the breeze against his face washed away his stress. A few goosebumps had littered his cheeks while his body remain in a decently warm state, partially due to the wind breaker, partially due to the continued body movement. It was a long journey skirting the perimeter of he park, but there was more than enough dedication to push him to do it. So far, he'd manage to make one lap around its entirety.
The park wasn't exactly full and bustling, just well occupied enough that you could see someone every tens of meters or so. Whether it be teenagers, adults, couples, families, or just people like him. They were all just basking in the glow of the sun and living life how they wanted. Some took a slow pace and just took in the sights, others were simply passing through the park on a busy work day to relieve the stress of doing so. The relaxed nature of it all was the purpose for Hibiya's creation, after all. Not like you needed much reason to build a park in this great country, more than enough scenic getaways that served as tourist attractions. |
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THE SHINJUKU BUSTERS
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Post by Sayako Asaka on Sept 23, 2017 20:29:38 GMT
Ashijou was her pride and joy. Having always followed a set path in her life—do as her parents willed, be the perfect mannered lady, pull a persona to her fans—her kai ken breed dog was one of the few boundaries she could push in this life and so she did. He was no small, cute and womanly dog, but a medium sized, fox-faced creature with a coat dark as night with golden brindle markings. Loyal, active, and her best friend besides her kudamon Roku; with such qualities she too needed to be faithful in her duties to him. And that meant walking him at least once every day. He was four and quickly becoming his full size which, coupled with his boisterousness, was almost too much to handle. And things had been going well so far: they traversed the bridge with the mandarin ducks, skirted the well-worn joggers path, and crossed the picnic fields. It was only once they had gotten to the playground did Ashijou bolt, the leash flying from Sayako's hands as he bounded across the swings and sandpits. Children were screaming with both joy and terror, a toddler got knocked over and started crying, parents were coming over with shaking heads and tsk tsks, and Sayako was running in circles trying to reign in her wily dog. Just another day in paradise. Kimura Kyōryoku the picture still hangs on the wall
from back in the day when you had it all |
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NIGHTMARE
RANK 3
Kotemon
SPIRIT
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Post by Kimura Kyōryoku on Sept 24, 2017 2:23:22 GMT
With another lap around the park, thing seemed as if they wouldn't change. Every place looked the same until he managed to get to the playground, which was now a mess with a dog running loose. It's owner was making an attempt to catch it, but she didn't seem to have the speed to keep up with it. Stopping for a second, a bit suddenly at that, Kimura took the time to gather some breath and think about the situation. You couldn't just let this poor woman chase down her dog until they were both tired, it was bothersome to the other park goers. What was going to happen now, was anyone going to step in and be reasonable about all of this?
Now, the young man didn't blame anyone in this problem, you just couldn't do that. The woman was trying her best to get her dog back and restrain them, plus the dog was just trying to have a good time among its peers, small children. Dogs were social creatures, they loved children, most of the times children loved dogs too. Sadly not everyone held that opinion just as he had. Kimura himself sympathized with this problem the woman was having, pretty much having the judgment of a large child anyway. At least when it came to dogs, which is why the plan was to catch and return the runaround mutt.
Okay, maybe that wasn't the whole plan, he was also gonna pet it a bunch, hopefully a belly rub if he's lucky. Either way, in came the young man with his coal-black hair, trying to run at the same speed this dog was. His pace was at least more capable than what the woman had been doing, but he wasn't sure exactly how he was gonna do this. Definitely didn't want to hurt the dog, that was the last thing that he wanted to do. That's when his quick wits began to make their move, what would a dog want that would cause it to slow down? This entirely depended on what this canine used as motivation, but there was a fair guess being made.
Holding out his hand in a lightly clenched fist, he tried to get a little bit ahead of the black-furred friend. The only thing he said to accompany it was a very enthusiastic, "Treat! Treat!" Honestly, if he didn't say anything, there would be no context as to why he'd done this at all. A clever ruse, or so he thought, maybe it wasn't a dog that cared about treats. Sometimes, just the sheer enjoyment of freedom was more than enough to cause excitement in anyone. Looked as if it was well taken care of, so there must have been treats that it got. When you get treats, you tend to become a little picky, making preferences for certain kinds. Having never seen Kimura, it must've made him a little interested as to what was in his hands. |
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THE SHINJUKU BUSTERS
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Post by Sayako Asaka on Sept 26, 2017 0:10:33 GMT
After stumbling her way through some slide sets, Sayako looked on to see her animal barreling towards a dark-haired young man that was focused on the animal rather than on trying to get away from it. The kai ken stopped in front of him, bushy curled tail wagging about as he sniffed at the outstretched hand and then whined a few times. Looking back at Sayako, it took a moment for her to realize what was happening. She spread her arms out wide, then made a motion to pull them back in slightly. Almost as if mirroring his calls for treats, she said: "Ashijou! Hug! Hug!"The dog turned and put his front paws on the man's torso, trying to reach for his shoulders. Generally speaking, the canine was well trained especially in acting cute towards others. People fawned over dogs in the first place, but nothing was better a distraction for the budding pop idol than an adorable pup. Sayako walked over, a little out of breath from the running around in heels, and fished around in her purse for the treat Ashijou would be expecting for being a good dog. "T-thanks," she stammered as she brought out the treat, which was not nearly as novel as it was coming from the new guy. But whether or not he accepted the doggy hug and kisses mattered little, seeing as her pup had taken a liking to him. Kimura Kyōryoku the picture still hangs on the wall
from back in the day when you had it all |
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NIGHTMARE
RANK 3
Kotemon
SPIRIT
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Post by Kimura Kyōryoku on Sept 26, 2017 14:02:35 GMT
Managing to catch the dogs attention was one thing, but giving him what he wanted was another. The young man knelt down as if to give it what it desired, but only to one fatal flaw. To say it plainly, Kimura did not have as advertised, feeling bad about the enthused tail wagging ceasing to be and the whining starting. How was he going to explain this to the canine? Upset women were far easier to deal with than upset dogs, they couldn't understand your words as easily and didn't immediately accept apologies. The one downfall of his plan, the fact he wasn't properly equipped for this, mirroring the dogs reaction as his face fell into sadness as well.
At least for a moment, that all changed when its owner called out and gave the good boy a command. As he stayed on his knees, the dog got up on its hind legs, the front paws now on top of his shoulders. They were belly-to-belly in a hug, causing his frown to turn upside down in a hot minute. Stretching his arms around the Kai ken, he'd stroked its fur and started praising it, "Who's a good boy? It's you! You're the best boy!" He may have been having a little bit too much fun cooing at the dog and scratching behind his ears as a consolation for his earlier lie. Hopefully this managed to keep him happy until his owner would come upon them, actually handing him a treat.
The look on the dogs face had a hint of disappointment, as if to say he was bored of the same old routine. He wanted someone new to feed him, to shake things up in his usual life, something Kimura could relate to. Maybe that old adage was right, maybe men were just like dogs. Either way, he rose to his feet, the young man standing tall and looking at the woman that thanked him for a moment. Something about her face seemed familiar, being washed over with a sense of deja vu. "You're welcome, but could you stand there for a moment?" He asked for a moment of her time, still trying to figure it out.
What was it that made her stand out so much, the color of her hair, the clothes she chose to wear, or the demeanor in which she thanked him? There hadn't been many blonde women in Japan, admittedly, whether that was caused by its mythic properties was hard to say. Most blonde girls tended to be models or fashion icons or artists or, at worst, delinquents. She didn't seem like the type of girl who'd cause any kind of trouble, so it had to be one of the latter choices. Certainly had the grace and poise for any of those three, making it hard to narrow it down. "I'm sorry, but I'm really sure I've seen you somewhere," An apology on his part for wasting her time, even though he wasn't done.
The young man hadn't moved, hoping the girl chose not to as he studied exactly where this feeling came from. Stretching out his thumb and forefinger, he held them up to create a frame around her face and collarbone. He moved it around a little bit before focusing on dead center, as if he were some kind of photographer trying to line up the scene just right. Something about her voice, even though he'd only heard a single word, sounded reminiscent of something he'd heard earlier this week. Just what was it? "Pretty like model. Definitely cute enough to be an idol," Speaking his thoughts out loud, the socialite didn't mind openly complimenting her. There was something there that he just couldn't put his finger on, although he was piecing it together slowly.
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THE SHINJUKU BUSTERS
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Post by Sayako Asaka on Sept 27, 2017 2:35:03 GMT
The tentative smile faltered as the young man told her to keep still. A very odd request, the kind that reminded her of photographers moving her about like a ragdoll for their perfect shot. Or the many faces she practiced to wear when she strode out into the limelight along her group like frozen masks on cold barbies. And, sure enough, he started using his hands in that exact same, if mocking, manner that she was used to. Though he apologized, at least, yet the motion still left her with an unease. "No, it's... it's quite alright..."And then he started honing in on the exact kinds of professions that she pursued, though maybe pursuit was a strong term. "You're too kind. I'm nobody, really." Partly because she was loathe of the attention of recognized, and partly because though she was indeed a somebody, the nature of showbiz, the endless dance choreography and the makeup, the voice acting and sheer effort felt like doll plastic. She didn't really contribute anything meaningful to society at its base. She was only an entertainer. An unattainable ideal that plagued the self-esteem of young girls, and a heart-breaker for their boy counterparts. 'Well,' she thought, her hands tightening on her purse as she looked down, 'I'm trying to change it from the inside, aren't I?'"Ashijou," she called out, one hand gingerly reaching out towards her animal. And perhaps if he was astute enough he'd realize her tendency to avoidance. But her dog stayed put, very happy with him. And so she was stuck and her hand withdrew awkwardly. Kimura Kyōryoku the picture still hangs on the wall
from back in the day when you had it all |
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NIGHTMARE
RANK 3
Kotemon
SPIRIT
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Post by Kimura Kyōryoku on Sept 28, 2017 11:45:41 GMT
What had originally started as an attempt at flattery hadn't gone over very well. People handled fame different, either your ego inflates and you act like the best thing since sliced bread. Or you shy away from the limelight, similar to a young child who would not leave their parents side, guarding their face behind them. He had an idea of who she was now, just not a name to put to the face, "I'm sorry to bother you, it was a bit silly of me." Kimura looked away after speaking, scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. Hopefully this wouldn't be ruining her day, although it's hard to say how well it was going once she lost control of her dog.
So, here they were, with her politely telling him that there wasn't anything of substance and him having acted as if there was some big spectacle to behold. Putting his hands back down by his sides, things only became more awkward as she called for her dog, who wasn't moving much away from him. Instead of calling again, she simply retreated the notion that such had been done in the first place, much like him with his apology. Kneeling down again and scratching the Kai ken around the ears, there was still a slight bit of happiness left in this situation. Dogs tended to stay happier for much longer, generally more content with life than human beings had been. The question was how did he plan on sharing that feeling with its owner?
Maybe he could talk about the dog, most people enjoyed talking about their pets. Some people even decided to consider them their children in lieu of the decision on having none. Not that he was judging, not really his place to. Continuing to stroke its coat, the young man spoke out loud to the both of them, "So, your name is Ashijou? Such a nice name!" Kimura tried to sound as enthused as possible around the dog, it's just what they like. It was more of an educated guess than an understanding, having not had a dog in his household at all.
Taking his eyes off the dog, he'd place them back on the woman who seemingly didn't want too much attention. Thankfully, his next question was about the dog and not her own occupation, "So, how old is he?" The assumption was that this had been a male dog, as supported by his masculine sounding name. "Must be rather young to still be so stubborn," Joking a little, he wasn't wrong about the stubbornness. Most dogs would have returned by now, but this one decided to stick around him, despite not much reason to. Did he like Kimura's face, just as most people seemed to do? Didn't look like the case, dogs were simply curious about the people willing to give them attention, as long as they sounded nice. Maybe the promise of a treat was still keeping him there. |
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