Fourth Curse

[bondsofsuffering]

Who: Hizumi Mizushiro, OPEN
Where: Libra Ward (The 20th); Cancer Ward Arcade (The 24th)
Summary: Hizumi's getting his memories stuck in a blender, and the end result is a coffee-loving devil who's acting a little more... well, devious.
Warnings: None in particular.

MAY 20TH

[A fight has broken out on the streets today, involving a few of the residents. Characters who listen to the shouting might, through the heavy swearing, be able to put two and two together and figure out that it has something to do with Mr. Redshirt scamming Mr. Greenshirt's grandmother out of her money.

It hadn't been all that difficult to set up. Redshirt was far too obvious about his ploys, and his data was readily available if you knew how to go about getting it... A single anonymous tip-off was all it took to get the easily riled Greenshirt to dole out the proper punishment himself.

Eventually, someone calls the cops and the two men are taken in, but a certain boy lingers at the scene, sipping idly at a can of coffee.

Is he... smiling?]

MAY 24TH

[Hizumi can be found working his shift at the arcade as usual, but he seems... distracted. He frequently puts a hand on his head whenever he doesn't think anyone is looking, and although he can usually get it together enough to greet customers with the usual cheer, there are times when he can't quite hide a wince.]

'I died. But that can't be right. I can't die. Not like that, not like--'

A card for two hours? Sure, I'll ring you up!

'I don't have a wife. And I definitely didn't work on a farm. ...Right?'

There, that should do it. Have fun!

'I became a demon. But I was already born as the devil. So how...?'

Comments

[bondsofsuffering]

I only started cooking recently. Up until now, there's always been... someone else.

[A wife - no, that can't be right. Or was it God himself? But that doesn't sound right either, considering he's a low-level demon. But that God seemed a lot different from the one he'd heard of...

He can't completely hide the wince at the sudden pain in his head as his mind tries to access memories that simply do not exist. However, he does recover quickly, giving only a small shake of the head.]

It'll save money on eating out, too.

[otakuro]

...Right.

[Atsuro's own expression is slightly confused. While he was generally capable of cooking for himself, he appreciated a healthy supply of take-out and prepackaged bento from the convenience stores, too. ...Right?]

You lived with someone else before? A roommate?

[bondsofsuffering]

Yeah... something like that, anyway.

[Honestly, he's not entirely sure himself right now.]

But what about you? Were you just helping out around the house, or what?

[otakuro]

...Not exactly. My parents passed a --

[Atsuro cuts himself off halfway with a surprised expression.]

N-No, sorry. I don't know where that came from. ...My parents spend most of their overseas. In America.

[bondsofsuffering]

America, huh? It's not bad over there... What part of the country are they in?

[otakuro]

Silicon Valley. They work with computers.

[Suddenly Atsuro's obsessions make sense.]

I was wondering if I should go ahead and join them when I finished school...

[bondsofsuffering]

Aah, that explains some things.

There are definitely worse places to live! How's your English?

[otakuro]

...Do you know any adjectives that means 'worse than terrible'?

I never went along because I was pretty sure I'd just get in the way...

[bondsofsuffering]

Language just isn't a strong point, huh?

[otakuro]

English is complicated! ...They have so many verb tenses and... extra sounds.

[bondsofsuffering]

Well, any language is going to take some getting used to. It's the same with French or Swahili, too.

[otakuro]

I'm pretty sure it's a lost cause for me to even try if I can't get English down...

You don't know those languages, do you?

[bondsofsuffering]

But just think, if you can learn English, that already gives you an advantage if you try to pick up some similar ones!

...Hm? Well, I know some. [An understatement as usual.]

[otakuro]

[He was pretty sure English and Swahili had nothing to do with each other linguistically but...]

Do you really? That's impressive...! How many languages do you know?

[bondsofsuffering]

[If you learn English, and then pick up French, and then use that to understand the French loan words in Swahili...

That question does give him a pause, though. He'd of course picked up languages as he traveled the world, but...]

Probably... four or so?

[He doesn't sound very certain.]

[otakuro]

[Atsuro takes the hesitancy as modesty over claiming that he really 'knew' a language as opposed to just knowing a few words.]

That's four times as many as I know. Are French and Swahili included in those?

[bondsofsuffering]

...Yeah.

[He looks almost contemplative for a second before shaking his head again. He hadn't actually meant to lie there, but given something is definitely wrong with his memories right now, he may have just unintentionally done so.]

Mais, le français n'est pas si difficile.

[Ah, seems like he can speak that one after all!]

[otakuro]

...Sorry. English not good.

[That had been French, but the principle of the thing was the same.]

You're full of surprises. Did you travel around a lot as a kid or did you just really like reading language textbooks?

[bondsofsuffering]

[He chuckles.]

Not exactly traveling as a kid, no. It's more of a recent thing, actually.

[A recent thing for... how many years? It's either been just a few to a good many decades.]

[otakuro]

You should've learned how to cook while you were traveling! Then you'd be some sort of international chef. French cuisine is supposed to be the best of the best, right?

[bondsofsuffering]

But my roommate was cooking for us then! And believe me, if you tried his cooking, you wouldn't see any reason to learn how to do it yourself, either.

[otakuro]

Your roommate traveled around the world with you?

[That was kinda strange.]

Well... Anyway, if you'd like some recipes, I can bring them around the next time I stop by here. ...I could never work in a place like this; I'd never be able to keep myself from playing.

[bondsofsuffering]

It was his idea in the first place. I just got dragged along.

[Probably as part of the surveillance thing, but.]

Could you? I'd really appreciate it!

[otakuro]

Sure.

...It will probably be tomorrow, barring anything that comes up. ...I go to these places pretty often.

[bondsofsuffering]

My shift's a little earlier in the day tomorrow. Think you can still make it then?