Welcome to Tokyo, Japan. January, 1991. The world has entered the technology era, portable phones, home computers, internet, video games. Japan quickly became the epicenter of the latest and greatest. Companies and factories flourished. Where money was, people followed. And while many rose to live a comfortable, happy, and delightful life from this new found money... Others did not. You see, money has this effect on people that can't be outdone. People will do anything for it. And when it starts slipping into the wrong hands, it's impossible to stop. Benethe the day time laborers and the double-shift workers, a seedy underbelly of syndicates exists. Narctics, black market, organized crime, money laundering, you name it and it's been growing as fast as the upper world economy. While many do it just to stay alive, there's those who make it their posh lifestyle. Either way, there's only one question. What would you do if the money was good enough?
JAN 29 2021: Welcome!! ƎLEMENT has been open for two weeks now and we're so happy to see such a bright beginning! If you're new feel free to drop into the discord and say hi before joining.
Self esteem was a journey, Yoshi felt that as much. He would say overall he felt a little happier, a little truer to himself than he did five years ago. But sometimes, that inner voice whispered maliciously in his ears and the faces of his family flashed through his memory so fast it sickened him. Today was one of those days. Cooped up in his little apartment, he’d woken up sweating and panicking before remembering that he lived alone. As a creature that could barely take care of himself, he lived alone. It was better this way, he thought missing the small but temporary pets of his youth. Never his of course, as the moment they acted up or were too noisy for his siblings they’d disappear without a trace. Its late morning, and his stomach growling grounded him.
No more thoughts on the past, only thoughts of food. As Yoshi dragged himself out of bed to change, barely looking at untamed, scruffy blue hair he debated whether he wanted to make himself something or buy something at a convenience store… “Lawson, definitely.” He murmured to himself as he stumbled through his room in an attempt to look decent.
And much like that he stumbled out of his home and stumbled into the mini mart, grabbing a little backset and dumping snacks as well as his breakfast into it. Onigiri was a good, healthy start and a good way to start the day off. It was almost 11, but for Yoshi, who tended to live a rather fickle sleep schedule, it was really early. But good early. A productive kind of early. The kind of early that made him want to try to be a little more social. In the middle of a Lawson?? Yes. If anything went wrong he could pay and leave. Better not. Yoshi decided, immediately doubling back on the idea. Place was empty with maybe a high schooler playing hooky reading dirty mags in the corner. He ambled further, eyeing a few drinks in the corner. Bing bong! His eyes lazily move to look before catching the brief sight of pink hair slowly moving through.
AH, CRAP. The universe was pushing his to socialize. ( More like punishing ). But now he didn’t have any excuses left. Should he though? Then again it was so rare to meet someone during the ay. By the time Yoshi spotted his type of crowd at night they were halfway into their third or fourth drink and not exactly interest in platonic bonding. “Ok…deep breaths Yoshi.” He whispered as he peeled himself away from the corner he had unknowingly tried to hide himself in. God ok! Ok! He patted himself down as if it would magically make him look tidier and slowly made his way towards the beacon of bright hair before they grabbed what they wanted and left. He stood next to them, at first glancing over similar product, jaw clenched tightly, nerves turning his knuckles white as he gripped his basket of goodies very tightly. He opened his mouth attempting a friendly smile in preparation for his greeting, thought it resembled more of a pointed grin. “H-Hey, Shortcake.” He started his voice low and gravely, still groggy from waking up. He was too nervous to try to clear his throat in front of a strange though.
He waited for a moment, suddenly terrified that maybe they wouldn’t get the nickname. “You know like- like Strawberry…Shortcake…” There’s another beat, and Yoshi looks like he’s about to growl something else but in his mind alarm sirens are deafening him to his own panicked thoughts on how BAD of an ice breaker that was. Quick, bounce back! “What business meeting d-did you roll out of?” he continued with the same lopsided grin as he loomed over the other poor soul.
Days off for Shuichi Morita usually included three things: a long, spa-like soak in his tub; a not-so-healthy dose of relaxation-inducing narcotics; and a trip to the minimart to fill up on snacks. He normally ate out, the hum of crowds comforting as long as he wasn't approached by someone, eating alone at a restaurant one of his favorite little calming pastimes. He could pretend, amidst the hustle-and-bustle, that he was some quiet island, secure in company without having to actually interact. That said, he still needed things to nibble at when he was home, especially after those particularly long nights trotting around Roppongi and making sure rich bastards didn't overdose on his products. [break][break] So there he was, amidst the too-bright lights, some muffled music playing through the mart's speakers. He was grateful for the quiet, the reprieve that the average workday provided. It was always unlikely that he'd get recognized when most of his clients were off in business meetings at that point in the day. He still looked the part, though; he'd been too lazy to pick out a new, more casual outfit that morning, instead opting for the clothes he'd worn out the day prior, the ones that had been haphazardly tossed onto the corner of his bed when he'd returned from the late-night housecall. Black slacks, white sweater covered by that long gray, double-breasted petticoat, the only splash of real color the crimson scarf Sachi had gifted him for his birthday last year. [break][break] Even with the assurance that he wasn't about to run into a client, Shu still became fully aware of the form drawing closer, prey-like instincts kicking in the moment he noticed the approaching body. The man didn't make any immediate moves or comments, Shu far too anxious to actually chance a glance at the guy, only noting from his peripherals that long cascade of azure. Cool... he silently mused before he could stop himself, subtly grimacing at the thought as he made to move away, hoping the guy wouldn't follow. [break][break] "H-Hey, Shortcake." [break][break] Well, that gave him pause. Confusion creasing his brow, Shu's emeralds finally fell fully on his neighbor, that gravelly tone giving him a start even with the noticeable nervousness ingrained in it. He stayed like that for a long moment, silence lingering between them, Shu unsure what he was supposed to say in that moment, wondering if maybe he was getting confused for someone else. Not quite the norm, considering the unique hair color, though looking over his companion's visage, he certainly looked like someone who would have friends with unique locks. His certainly stood out, Shu's mind again noting how cool he thought the guy looked. Dangerous, too, his nerves noted, stomach flipping with that lingering anxiety right up until... [break][break] "You know like- like Strawberry... Shortcake..." [break][break] All Shuichi could manage was a confused blink. What the hell was this guy talking about? Was he... Was he joking? Dumbfounded, the young physician could do little more than stay silent as he tried to catch up and figure out what the hell was going on. The guy, for as jarring as his appearance might have been, didn't seem like he had any ill-intentions. Shu did glance around, though, as if expecting some related thugs to come up creeping behind him. When none appeared, he turned back, preparing some sort of response, the idea interjected by the taller man's inquiry. [break][break] "What business meeting d-did you roll out of?" [break][break] Wh-What? Dumbstruck was too simple a word for the clear confusion that littered his expression, though as that lopsided grin graced the other man's visage, Shu couldn't help the faintest, endeared chuckle to slip from him. Was this guy for real? He glanced away, embarrassed, fist lifting to disguise that little smile that he let slip out. For as scary as the guy looked, he sounded like some 15 year old trying to talk to a crush for the first time. It was cute; innocent; far different from what Shuichi had expected. [break][break] "U-Uh, none," he replied, feeling a bit dumb for the lame response. "I-It's my day off... Just uh... tossed this on...?" [break][break] He ran a sheepish hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd had since childhood, but he'd forgotten that his hair was up in a ponytail, finger snagging and resulting in some mismatched looseness. A little yip left him, cheeks flushing as he realized what he'd done, basket hooking on his elbow as he went to release the trapped locks, cascades of pink watefalling around him for a moment before he tugged them all over one shoulder and went to work brushing out any remaining snags. [break][break] "S-Sorry," he murmured, staring at the end strands of pink instead of the man before him. "Did uh... Did you need something?"
He had expected this, the immediate hesitation. After all, it wasn’t like he was a kid anymore. Adults didn’t usually hit each other up in the middle of a mini mart. If this had been a girl it’d be even worse for him. Still, rejection was part of life, right? He just had to be mindful of how uncomfortable he might make other people and make a quick getaway if he was coming across as- well- the usual. After all, Yoshi wasn’t unaware he looked a little- a LOT untrustworthy, but it had it’s benefits. People stayed away and that was better for him and for his nerves. He seemed to perk up as the stranger began to answer him, and he didn’t sound… too stressed out. He’d push a little more then. Though he felt a little out of his depth, pausing at the thought that dressing so businesslike was just ‘throwing stuff on’. He couldn’t help but look down at his disheveled appearance: old pajama pants, a hoodie, brightly colored fuzzy socks in slides. Not the most impressive outfit he’d ever concocted. “Oh- uh-…me too.” He replied. “I-I’m not off though…I head out to work later tonight.”No one cares, Yoshi. He flinched at the terrible follow up.
Ok, ok, bounce back now. His eyes flickered from one of the snacks in the aisle and back to Shuichi as he watched him struggle with his hair. He wondered what kind of job he had that allowed him that? OR maybe he wore a wig?? That’d be a pain, but it was something Yoshi had done once or twice, when he went back to visit his family. “No- you’re fine I mean-…I-I have a tough time with m-my hair too.” He said as he squeeze the long, frizzy blue bush that was his ponytail. No doubt still tangled from a long night of restless sleep. “I think you’re l-lucky though…my hair is only smooth when- um- when I shower.” He said trailing off, a little self-conscious again. He doesn’t know you, Yoshi he doesn’t care. a little voice in his head nagged as he searched for a way to turn the conversation back onto the pinkette. Yoshi snapped to attention once more at the question, fidgeting a little as he tried to phrase his intentions in the least creepy way possible.
“No!” he blurted out trying not to take too long to respond before his mouth clamped shut. Panic blanked out his brain it took him a few seconds to recalibrate. “I- I mean yes? Kinda??” The words fell together like legos finally. Better just get this over with. “I was just uh…wondering if you…” he lowered his voice a little. “Um, do you g-go to that club in Shinjuku? H-Hysteria?” Yoshi then gestured at the salmon locks. “Ya know…c-cause I haven’t seen you around there? But I thought I’d a-ask if you were…uh into that kind of stuff?” His words came out a little faster now, and he seemed a little hopeful. Hysteria, after all, seemed to just be one giant cesspool of people that look wild if not more so than him. The music was always blaring, the black lights were on, people starting fights in the back alleyways. One of the few places Yoshi had spoken to people that just kind of liked dressing up. Though, he had only been lucky twice so far, in finding someone sober enough to gush about leather jackets or decent make up brands.
✉ tag -- ( morita shuichi ) ✎ 000 words ※ hope this ok!!
“Oh- uh-…me too. I-I’m not off though…I head out to work later tonight.” [break][break] Maybe it was just that he felt some kinship in the awkwardness, in the nerves; hell, maybe it was pity. Regardless of the reason behind it, Shu felt that usual tension and fear when around other people begin to dissipate, some sense of calm overcoming that anxiety for even the briefest of moments. Maybe the guys wasn't so bad. Maybe Shu was actually craving some kinship after the time he'd forced himself alone. Maybe this was his sign from the fates that it was time to make some friends. [break][break] And maybe it was just the Xanax kicking in and calming the frayed edges of his self-isolation tendencies. [break][break] Regardless, his cheeks tinted a bit darker in shade as he fumbled with his hair and attempted to look less an anxious fool [break][break] “No- you’re fine I mean-…I-I have a tough time with m-my hair too.I think you’re l-lucky though…my hair is only smooth when- um- when I shower.” [break][break] Shuichi's gaze flicked up to watch the other toy with his azure locks, his mind traitorously wondering how soft that fluffed bush would feel. His own was smooth enough, soft even, but he'd always been a fan of long thick locks, one of the reasons he'd let his own grow to that length. He smiled slightly at the other's fidgeting, finding it, again, endearing. [break][break] He was thrown off, though, by the returned explanation, by that question as his companion gestured to his locks. He tried to rack his brain, tried to think if he'd ever been to the place, but the confusion was evident in his expression, tinged with the faintest hue of embarrassment, like he felt he was supposed to know what the hell the guy was talking about, like he was letting him down for not. That excitable rush to his words surely wasn't making the mild, ever-present guilt any easier to avoid. [break][break] "H-Hysteria?" he questioned, fingers absently fidgeting with the ends of his hair despite the fact that it was already sufficiently brushed out. He glanced away sheepishly, brows knitting as if frustrated with himself. "N-No sorry. I uh..." He laughed, sardonic, managing to flash Yoshi an apologetic smile, such an uncommon expression in any capacity for the young physician. "I don't really get out much except for work. What uh-- What kinda stuff do you mean?" [break][break] He wasn't quite sure if he would share any interests besides unique hair stylings with this guy, but he could at least try, right? What was the point in sticking around for the conversation if he didn't at least aim for some kind of connection? For as scary as the prospect was, the guy seemed--despite his outward appearance--nice enough. He reminded Shu a bit of his sister, actually, or at least of the style of friends she kept around her. Maybe befriending this guy would creep him a little bit closer to her level of social success.
It was disappointing to have made a mistake, but the conversation itself had been a risk. Yoshi hid his disappointment, tilting his head slightly to the left as he listened to the other guy stutter through a reply. “Ah, t-that’s fine! I-It’s not like it’s a well-known club.” he said waving the pinkette off. Not unless you were part of certain circles anyway. Despite himself, he felt a bit of heat rush to his face as he was asked to explain just what sort of thing when on in the alternative club. Other than going deaf, a dizzying exposure to vastly different musical tastes that were just barely connected to each other, and avoiding drunken brawls? What else did one do at Hysteria that sounded appealing enough to a- a- a normie? Yes, he had definitely approached the wrong type of person for sure, but he didn’t want to scare him off either. He would’ve liked someone wit the same interested but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and people were rarely nice to him.
“Oh y-you know…listen to music…uh…l-…lively discussions on fashion?” Yoshi did his best to word it in a way that sounded just fine and dandy. “The occasional…glass of something alcoholic?? It’s a bar after all.” He averted his eyes for a moment. “It’s where I meet…you know…” he gestured at his hair and tilted his head, the light glinting off his pierced ears a bit. “Goths…but sort of every kind of person hangs in that s-scene.”
“I don’t get to go o-often, since usually night is w-when I mind the arcade instead. Er- my business.” Yoshi added quickly. He tended to get to the place later, and by then more people weren’t sober anymore which really made it hard to socialize when he refused the array of cocktails or shots offered to him. “I-I get being too b-busy to go out though…w-when I was in school I h-had a hard time too.”
✉ tag -- ( morita shuichi ) ✎ 000 words ※ hope this ok!!
"Oh y-you know...listen to music...uh...l-...lively discussions on fashion? The occasional...glass of something alcoholic? It's a bar after all." [break][break] Huh, maybe he knew Sachi after all; it certainly sounded like a place that she would go to. For as much as the little pinkette had tried to keep her late-night extracurriculars hidden away, Shu's anxiety had made him particularly keen on knowing how the younger Morita spent her evenings. Better to keep her safe, he'd justified. [break][break] "Well, it doesn't really sound like a place I end up," he replied, small smile apologetic as he flashed it Yoshi's way. Then, a bit more contemplative, "Though I could see some of my clients ending up in a place like that. Uhm, but I think my sister might go there sometimes! She uh..." and he lifted a clump of salmon locks, waving them around as an indicator, immediately feeling stupid about the gesture. "She has the same... uh... colored hair as me. We did it together when I went off to school." [break][break] He paused, feeling awkward; feeling stupid, but wanting to keep trying. Gods, what he wouldn't give to have Sachi there with him; she always knew how to handle social situations like this. Really, she was the only reason he had survived the years of elitist Ajiwau parties and outings. Shit, he needed to grab onto something... He'd said arcade, right? [break][break] "W-Wait, you said arcade right?" he asked, hopeful; maybe there was some sort of kinship to be found after all. Nervously twirling a strand of pink around his finger, an absent little anxiety-induced habit, he rushed on. "I-I've always loved games! I mean l-like board games... but Sachi-- I mean, my sister-- says that I'd probably like arcade. Uhm wh-where is it?" A pause, minute, before he hurriedly added, nervousness coating his tone, "N-Not that you have to tell me if you don't want to! That's... That's a weird thing to ask someone... where they work... especially before I know you're name... Oh! What's your name? I'm Shuichi!" And he shut himself up, forced that manic speed to his tone to settle before pushing himself to hold out his hand for some obligatory shake as he quietly added, face red as a tomato, "Y-You can call me Shu, though."
He nodded along with the stranger, lips twitching into a nervous grin as he spoke up. To be fair, Yoshi could’ve told he didn’t frequent clubs form his dress. At least, not Hysteria. That just wasn’t the vibe really. Especially when there was a constant risk of getting your clothes stains from fights or spilled drinks or even rust off barrels to sit on or exposed beams of the building. The man mentioned clients though and like a dimwitt Yoshi blurted out, “Like a dealer?” The idiot of course slapped a hand on his mouth and looked away. “Sorry- tha’s rude.” He muttered rushing through his apology for fear of offending a possible new friend. OR acquaintance? New, friendly acquaintance. At the mention of a sister, he was forced to look back to fellow nervous nelly, glancing over the hair once more and then running a good look over the brother’s features. His eyes, the nose, the mannerisms. They didn’t match in appearance, but he did have someone in mind that matched the appearance at least. Then again, it wasn’t like pink was an uncommon color for people to dye. He’d considered it once for spring.
Narrowed eyes then widened, as Yoshi perked up at the mention of the arcade. Yes, his baby, his pride and joy. Absolute delight with a very fickle profit margin he was still grappling with. “Oh- uh- you know the cheaper pa- um- near the r-red light district…” he trailed off as he began to explain where before recovering as he heard a name he recognized. “Oh, Sachi! I know her!!” He smiled, happy that his risk was already paying off. Sachi was nice enough to him, and she didn’t cause a lot of trouble when she decided to come around. “Y-You should come by with her. I’ll give you some tokens.” He added with a small laugh. Yoshi hesitated to continue as the guy more or less rattled off something else and paused a moment to process. E waited a second just so he could make sure they weren’t about to speak over each other before gingerly taking the man’s hand and shaking it. “Igarashi Yoshi. B-but Yoshi is just fine too.” He replied, now a little embarrassed because Shuichi was embarrassed.
A nickname????? Just like that?! He tried not to faint then and there to be honest. “S-Shu’s cute too….I thought I was Sachi’s only older brother.” Though, he could see why she might rely on his appearance more so than Shu’s. Then again, Yoshi wasn’t much different. Most of his intimidation came from how tall he was and the way his expression froze into a weird snarl when caught unawares. Everyone expressed their nerves differently after all. Some more visibly than others. Or more normal. He realized he’d been shaking Shu’s hand for a while and quickly pulled back. “A-Anyway, come by. There’s things you can play by yourself as well as with others, unlike board games. And its n-not too loud, at least the bar isn’t.” he added, both wanting to hang out and also wanting to advertise his business.
✉ tag -- ( morita shuichi ) ✎ 000 words ※ hope this ok!!
