netherwork | npc || amun [ @ hierarchy ]

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npc || amun [ @ hierarchy ]

( ping ping ping. or, y'know, whatever your phone chime is. the face of a man who looks like he's never smiled once in his entire life appears on your screen. you may have seen him before, while you were busy surviving a storm or battling reapers. no matter. you might as well bask in his impromptu company now, because his appearances are few, and his indulgences even fewer. )

Allow me to make this clear. For those of you who wonder still: I am the Hierarchy. You do not come to us; we summon, invite, and hire. Order is of the utmost importance if you wish to survive, and time is of the essence. Do not waste mine.

( behind him, movement. if you squint, you may notice strands of greying hair near the door, though the person it belongs to remains off-screen. )

Your personal troubles are your own. If you expected us to hold your hand, do think again; there are far greater affairs to attend to, so do yourselves a favor, and look for soulmates. We've prepared an application for you, easily accessible from your device's home page. Should you need additional information, perhaps it's time for you to practice self-reliance.

I will not be answering questions.

( and the feed cuts, abruptly, without greetings or a name. )

ooc note

► Amun will not be responding, though you're absolutely welcome to react, comment and discuss amongst yourselves on this post! Other NPCs might show up!
► This is, more or less, Tinder for Soulmates o/ You'll find the permanent post (aka phone application) right HERE! If you're interested, simply fill out the form and comment on the post, and bam. Browse, swipe left or swipe right, and have fun! This is not mandatory.
► Forms and replies should be posted ICly (yes, even if it's located in the OOC comm -- you may choose one (1) thread for october's AC) .
► Another character may post in your character's stead. Additionally, feel free to have their Shadow influence their blurb!
► The application offers all the information your character needs to know! To recap: All that's required for another Restless to become your Soulmate is for them to enter your home, touch your Tethers upon invitation, and from then on, a piece of their soul will merge with yours, fortifying your Self. As a literal extension of your being, they'll easily gain access to your thoughts if you let them (or if you're careless), they'll experience your pains, fears, and joys on weaker levels, and their voice, touch and overall vicinity can become great soothing weapons against your Shadow. However. If two characters already share a powerful bond and one incidentally touches the other's Tethers, it's an accidental done deal. You may thank Naruto's player for this.
► You may have multiple Soulmates!
► If you have questions regarding the app, redirect them here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I mean, clearly the ghost market? Or I guess Restless here? Music's pretty good for a restless soul, you know?

[ Hibiki, that was terrible and you know it. She hums quietly in thought. ]

I mean, they probably want us staying put and waiting for this guy to grace us with his presence again... but honestly, I kind of want to see what's out here. I've never been good at sitting still. [ A beat, with a grin that's apparent over voice. ] Plus, that guy's kind of a dick, so why would I do what he wants me to do if he's just going to be like that no matter what?

That was horrible. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[ Retort's retort is followed by a small laugh that picks up over the mic.

...He hasn't laughed since he woke up.

P̷̛͓͚͗̇̏ã̸͈͌ṯ̷̩̜̔̈̃̚ͅh̵͕̼́ͅe̴̬̻̭͐́t̴̲̗̻̆̏͊ḯ̶̡̂̂c̸̤͆͑̽͑.̶͔̥̺̫͆

Shut up. ]

Food's good comfort, too.

Anyway, it sounds like we're in agreement here. I haven't decided if I'm going to go off and look for clues on my own or try to find like-minded folks to travel with. There's safety in numbers, sure, but...

Well, some of us are a bit more paranoid than others, and some of us just prefer not to expose ourselves.

I should, buuuut I'm not.

[ And Hibiki will let that hang there for a moment, as she mulls over what she wants to say next. ]

A healthy helping of paranoia is good, especially right now since there's a lot we don't know yet. But I don't see the harm in teaming up with somebody who is also trying to dig for clues. If you're worried about finding someone to trust to tag along... Ask me anything you want, I'll answer truthfully. [ A beat. ] Oh, my name's Hibiki by the way. Probably important to have that first.

[ There's a lengthier pause before his reply arrives. ]

Kaito. I only need to know one thing.

Will you stab me in the back if it seems convenient?

Kaito-san, then. Nice to meet you, I just wish the circumstances were better.

No, I won't; that isn't the kind of person I am. I'm more of the "kick the ass of anyone who tries that on anyone" type. Mind if I ask you the same question?

[ L̶̛͓̝̰̜̋̚ḯ̶͓͎͉̚͜ą̵͈̦͝r̵͚͎̽̾.̵̧̠̖̫̅̈͘. ]

Mm.

I will not.

Our answers are irrelevant anyway—at least, right now.

We're inevitably going to piss someone or something off. If we're going to work together, you'll need to be prepared to fight. Perhaps that goes without saying. Perhaps not.

Good, glad we're on the same page then.

I can hold my own, you don't need to worry about me. I'm not sure what all transfers over between the living and the not, but if it's like where I'm from, I should still be fine in theory.

I will be worrying regardless, if we're teammates.

Alright then. What are you working with? Powers? Blessings? Plain physical abilities?

[ At that she makes a brief contemplative noise, hesitating. ]

That's... kind of complicated. I can start with the physical abilities at least. I've been studying aikido pretty much since I could walk. I like to think I'm pretty good at it too. The other things... Give me a sec, I want to check something.

[ And instead of getting another reply on the initial post from Amun, Kaito will receive a video call from a certain "Songbird," who waves vaguely as soon as he answers. ]

Sorry about that, just wanted to make sure I could get a line to you directly. I'd rather have this conversation here like this, if that's okay with you. In person would be even better, but beggars can't be choosers.

[ Because about that whole paranoia thing... ]

To give you a better answer... I'm still figuring out what I can do. Or was, until I woke up here. Normally, I think just being good in a fight is about all I have going for me, but in certain circumstances... [ Should she say when that happens? Probably not yet. ]

I can see ghosts, spirits, things that normal people usually can't. I've also been able to pull in air around myself, create wind gusts, things like that--but I haven't had as much time to really play around with it to see what all I'm capable of. I've been too focused on other things to really experiment.

[ Well, that's not super encouraging. Is he going to have to pick up the slack for her lack of experience using her powers? Hopefully not. It's less that he doesn't want her weighing him down and more that he doesn't want to be constantly fretting over whether she's Okay™ or not...

D̷r̴o̶p̸ ̴t̸h̷e̸ ̷d̶e̶a̴d̶ ̶w̵e̸i̴g̴h̸t̸.̷

Yeah, sure, go with the scripted edgy lines...

Black-gloved hands tug at his high collar before he responds. ]

Hm. I guess that's not the worst. We'll find out, I'm sure. As far as physical things go, I've got a little knowledge of aikido. Well, I have a smattering of knowledge of most Japanese martial arts. As far as abilities go...

Wait.

[ He trails off. Golds widen considerably. ]

Are you from Japan?

[ The smile she offers him is apologetic, her head tilted slightly as her shoulders raise. She knows she isn't giving him much to work with, and she's more than a little frustrated at herself for that, even if the fault isn't hers. Why had her mother insisted on not saying anything beforehand..?

Hibiki readies a quick justification, but then he throws an entirely different question at her. Stormy-blue eyes blink a few times. ]

Yeah, I'm from Tokyo. Well. And Shizuoka for a bit, but I just moved back partially for family reasons before... well, you know. [ Her smile slips into something more relaxed. ] You're from Japan too, right? Or am I just getting my hopes up for nothing?

Shibuya.

[ He's frankly relieved to be meeting someone from his world. Or, well, probably his world. He knows all too well that there are countless variations of Earth.

Not that it matters here. They're all the same in the Netherworld: shades, spectres, undead...

He pushes the thought away. While Kaito's not quite ready to relax, he at least seems to shift his posture to something a bit more open, with his arms at his sides. ]

It's not much, but there's a little comfort in knowing I won't be the only dead Japanese guy around here. Heh.

Anyway, I see spirits too. It's completely normal for anyone who grew up surrounded by what the normies called the supernatural. As far as powers go, I'm pretty good with water. Though... It seems like my connection to the element has weakened a fair bit since arriving here. Simple manipulations that I've had mastered for years will just fizzle unexpectedly.

Sucks, but I can't say I'm surprised.

[ It feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders the moment he rattles off a name, and for the first time since she arrived here in the Netherworld, she feels like she can finally breathe, ironically enough. Hibiki shrugs her shoulder a bit, feeling much more at ease. ]

I grew up in Ikebukuro, so not too far away. Just a couple stations. Small Netherworld, huh?

[ For someone who wasn't fully aware that there was a supernatural world until just recently, she seems to take all of this reasonably well, even if she does look away from him for a split second as she thinks. Her brows furrow a bit. ]

I... didn't have the luxury of growing up in it like you, we'll say. Honestly, I wish I had the chance to ask my mom why before she died, especially after the last couple of months. But hearing that somebody who's lived this his whole life is struggling to get his powers to work is... not great.

But we do what we can with what we've got, right?

[ ...Ah. His eyes drop, downcast.

W̵e̸l̶l̵,̸ ̸w̶e̵l̸l̶,̷ ̵l̶o̸o̵k̶ ̶a̵t̴ ̸t̸h̴a̶t̵.̷

̷S̵o̴m̸e̷o̷n̶e̴ ̵y̴o̷u̷ ̶c̴a̵n̷ ̵c̵o̸m̷m̴i̸s̵e̷r̸a̸t̸e̸ ̷w̶i̸t̷h̷.̴

Kaito can't even muster the energy to bite back. All the weight that had started to float away comes crashing right back down on his shoulders.

If there's any sick silver lining in this situation, it's that he's not the only one who seems to have been lied to all his life.

...Presumably.

Kaito makes sure to wipe any trace of his reaction away from his expression before replying. He does a damn good job of covering it up, though the prolonged pause between her message and his reply will probably be noteworthy. ]

Yes. We do.

I know what it's like to be left in the dark, too.

[ —Suddenly, he pauses.

Hands lift to his cheeks. He gives them a little self-motivating clap with his palms.

It was a hard clap too, judging by the faint red glow that barely registers in the video. Dropping his arms again, he... smiles.

His shoulders straighten, but the stiffness that's been in his posture finally vanishes. ]

Sorry. I actually had a little moment off-camera.

I'm going to trust you with this tidbit, so if you tell anyone else, I'm beating your ass.

I lost my mom, too. And I've only recently discovered that she and my dad were keeping secrets from me for my entire life.

[ Golds seem to gleam in the video feed. Maybe she's lying. He can't read her emotions if they're not in person. His rational side is screaming for him to think just a little bit longer before opening his mouth again.

...But he won't.

His gut's telling him to just blurt it out. ]

Hibiki.

When we finish our first round of explorations, I'd like to help you develop your powers.

[ The comment about her mother was used to compare how different Hibiki was from him, as a means to apologize for the severe gap in their abilities. The fact that she even knew anything about those powers she possessed and that they had been sealed, which... shouldn't bother her as much as it does. Leaves her feeling tired and numb. She and her mother were so close, and if it hadn't been for receiving one of her old journals, Hibiki would have never known who she was, what she was capable of.

But her mother never told her. Poor thing, no one ever tells her anything. Look what she could have had, if her mother cared enough about her to tell her the truth. It's quite sad. Tragic. Predictable.

This man won't offer her sympathy either, he probably thinks she'll be a liability. Stupid girl, this is why you never admit to your flaws. He can't even find the right words to say to back out from this arrangement. So she needs to do it for him. ]

But if you think that's gonna be a problem--

Edited (I'll figure out text formatting later) 2022-10-02 10:04 (UTC)

[ She hadn't realized her gaze had slipped away until Kaito cuts her off, her eyes snapping back to the feed and to him, widening considerably as she stares. He knows what it's like..? Her lips part as she tries to say something in response, make some kind of sound, but nothing comes out; he's effectively knocked the wind out of her with just a few words.

And he doesn't stop there.

Hibiki sees him smack his own cheeks, but that doesn't fully register. She can hear him do it (even blinks owlishly when he does), but her mind is fixed on what he says rather than what he does. And oh, what he tells her makes his original point pale in comparison. His family was keeping secrets from him as well. If she is a liar, then she deserves an award for how convincing she makes this seem, her expression deeply conflicted. Sad, upset (for him, for her), trepidation. Then for a brief moment, a look that makes it clear she might genuinely try to reassure him.

But held in those warm golds as he continues to smile at her, he hits with one final blow. She manages to breathe this time, even as she has to force it. The blonde blinks rapidly, not just out of shock but because her eyes have started to sting. No one told her anything. About her powers, about her lineage. No one let her walk the path she should have always known, but now..?

Taking a deep breath, Hibiki musters the best smile that she can. Even if it feels like it might crumble at any given moment, like she might at any moment, showing her gratitude like this is important. ]

I'd like that... I'd like that a lot.

[ Because she can't begin to express how much this means to her. She probably never could. ]

Edited (minor change (for pain)) 2022-10-02 15:53 (UTC)

[ D̶o̷ ̵y̴o̵u̸ ̴h̸e̶a̵r̵ ̸t̵h̷e̸ ̵s̵o̷u̶n̶d̸ ̶o̵f̷ ̶m̵e̶ ̵p̶u̷k̷i̵n̶g̶ ̴i̷n̴ ̸t̷h̴e̸ ̴f̸o̷r̶e̶f̷r̵o̸n̸t̸ ̵o̸f̸ ̷y̷o̸u̷r̴ ̴c̸o̶n̸s̵c̵i̴o̷u̴s̴?̵ ̶N̴o̷?̴ ̸W̴e̷l̷l̸ ̵y̸o̶u̷ ̴s̵h̴o̵u̶l̴d̴ ̸i̶n̸ ̶e̸x̴c̷h̴a̸n̶g̵e̵ ̵f̵o̴r̸ ̶m̶a̸k̴i̶n̴g̴ ̵m̵e̷ ̴s̶w̵a̶l̸l̸o̵w̶ ̶t̸h̶i̴s̵ ̴l̶i̷t̴e̴r̴a̴l̵ ̶f̶i̷g̵u̶r̷a̶t̵i̷v̴e̸ ̴r̶e̶f̵u̸s̵e̷.̸

Someone didn't take well to that declaration. Yet Kaito can't find it in himself to care about that ever-growing voice blaring in his head. Hibiki's smile stirs something in his chest that he hasn't felt since awakening in the Netherworld.

It's a faint feeling, minuscule yet so very concrete. A hint of hope.

This is only the start of his un-life's trials, but if he can still make such an impact on people, then maybe he's got a chance to make a difference.

Y̸e̶a̵h̶,̸ ̶l̷e̷t̶'̵s̵ ̶s̵e̴e̸ ̸h̵o̷w̵ ̸l̵o̴n̴g̴ ̶t̸h̷a̶t̴ ̵l̷a̷s̴t̸s̷ ̵y̸o̵u̴ ̴b̴e̷f̶o̵r̸e̵ ̴y̴o̴u̷ ̵s̶t̵a̴r̸t̷ ̶d̶r̵o̴w̸n̷i̷n̷g̴ ̶a̵g̷a̷i̶n̶.̴

Nope. Not listening!

Flashing a grin of his own, Kaito balls a fist and raps it against his chest, next to his shoulder. ]

Consider yourself my first client, then. At least, here in the Netherworld. I used to be an odd-jobber back home. Cooked noodles during the day, investigated supernatural cases at night.

Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I can't keep working.

[ Hibiki doesn't show emotion, has learned not to (N̵o̶ ̵o̶n̶e̴ ̷w̶a̷n̶t̷s̷ ̴t̵o̴ ̶s̴e̷e̴ ̴t̵h̸a̷t̶ ̴d̷i̸s̸a̴s̶t̷e̴r̴), so when Kaito seems to snap to and immediately flash her a grin, he pulls her right up with her. It's so abrupt that she hasn't even noticed her own smile grow a little bit.

Huh. And here she thought this guy was more guarded and reserved. This is a nice surprise, actually. ]

Client? [ Well, that's one way of looking at it, although... ] Well, I guess I should say I look forward to working with you, Kaito-san!

Wow, who knew I'd meet a chef-slash-supernatural-investigator in the Netherworld. But I guess where else would I meet him? ...Shibuya I guess!

[ It's good that she's so used to driving her feelings into the ground, because it helps her bounce back. Not to her normal radiant self, but somewhere presentable. ]

Oh yeah? Sounds a lot like me, actually. Well... except I would usually get let go from those jobs because weird things kept happening. I'm sure you can probably guess why. But I respect the hustle, from one workaholic to I think another. ...Hmm, actually, I should pick up a student or two if there's time..?

[ Yeah we'll see how well that works when y'all are in person and you can't hide shit from him anymore lmfao ]

Better that we met now rather than then. If we had already been working together I might have just ended up leaving you in the dust. Not super cool.

[ A beat as we ignore PSL. ]

Did someone say student? Or student loan? I barely picked something up from the speaker.

[ But she likes ground pounding her emotions, it's fun :c ]

Hey, you never know. I might be a natural and we don't know it. Maybe I would've been the one leaving you in the dust.

[ She highly doubts that, but if he's going to be cheeky at her, then she is contractually obligated to return fire. ]

Oh, sorry, just a bad habit of mine. I was just saying that I might try to look at taking on a student or two myself. I never had time to before, but I mean, all we have is time now, right?

The possibilities are endless. Still are, in un-life.

[ Does he truly believe that? ]

What would you teach these students? Who knows, you might have a student here.

Un-life huh? Mind if I take that one? I'll pay royalties once I find work.

[ Because he strikes her as the type who would want a cut--or at least say he does. ]

Music. I had to spend so much of my time either working or playing clubs that I never got to pay all those teachers who dealt with me back. What better time than now, you know?

[ Although, her sensei was hoping she might help with lessons, but she wasn't sure if she wanted it. Didn't know what she want until she got the package that would change her life. And probably ended it. What would have happened if she took him up on his offer? ]

There are other things too, but I dunno if I'm cut out for those.

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