thenearshore | [log] i'm hellbent baby

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[log] i'm hellbent baby

Who: Chikusa Kakimoto, and various members of his CR
What: So a bunch of teenagers and kids play some romantic visual novel games...
When: Some vague time after training
Where: Temple Li Tieguai
Notes: First of all, post order is a myth, just start out with your character playing one of the game in the top levels I've prepared below and people can react to things as they happen. Don't worry about cohesive story, just go wild with tropes. Threadjacking is fine with me, go wild. Secondly, while some characters were definitely invited (Sanada, Minako, Davesprite), if your character has CR with Chikusa or the others in any way, you're definitely welcome to jump in. Just hit me up on plurk or PM this journal, and we can BS a reason for coming... even if that reason is just party crashing. Third, feel free to make a top level for whatever if you want to do something besides playing

It is done.

Finally, at long last, Chikusa is free from the self-inflicted hell of being forced to do the whole household's chores for a week. It's been a week of pure suffering, where Hakkai hasn't let him get much relief at all, but it's finally over with. Now, at long last, he can get to all the things he actually wants and needs to do.

....But the problem, Chikusa has found, is that after a week of hard work, his brain doesn't want to get to any other kinds of hard work... even if it's hard work that he actually wants to do. His life is fucking suffering.

For a good chunk of his morning, he stares emptily up at his ceiling, wondering what he should even do... but an idea comes to him while flipping back through the BBS- his story that he's working on, to be more exact. Oh, right... He said he would look into visual novels, didn't he? And that sniper anon...

It takes a little bit to get up regardless, and then some more time to take the cupboard money so that he can go down to the Far Shore... but that's fine. That's enough time to text some people he knows while going down to the Far Shore to get the appropriate game system and games.

And thus, that's how a small group has gathered in Hakkai's living room, a bunch of games spread out on the coffee table while Chikusa finishes setting up the game system on Hakkai's shitty old television.

"So just pick whichever one you want to try, I guess... And we can figure out who plays first after."

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Having a mediator does seem like it would be a good idea, and the fluffmonster of a cat surveys Minako for a moment before nodding to herself. "Indeed." Delicately, she places her paw on Minako's foot. "When one reaches a refined age, mere fun is not enough. What if he is a wandering tom whose whim will take him away or cannot be relied on for hunting?"

"You don't know that," grumbles the tabby, and Steeltail deadeyes him.

"You only say that because you were a wandering tom," she sniffs, and ignores the resulting sputters as she looks back up at Minako. "I would prefer one with a confident stride and keen eyes, because I find those of proper nobility of the soul."

"Oh.. So you have those deep sort of tastes, huh?"

Minako nods, seeming to take this plenty seriously. Especially by the standards of something where she's talking to literal cat monsters about their choice in partners. It's still totally cute though. She's treasuring that cute paw on her foot.

"I guess it's true.. There's upsides and downsides to those kinds of types! They're really cute, but you also have to make sure that they can be trusted. Wouldn't all of you feel very sad if someone you liked a lot left you?"

In the quiet way that all cats are capable of, Steeltail radiates smugness with her eyes partially shut. Panicked, Pookie starts to knead at the carpet frantically. Darnit, Bloodfang, why couldn't you be more useful!

"But energy is important, is it not?" the younger cat blurts out, ears pressed flat against her head. "Lounging is the pinnacle of pleasure, understood by all those with any sense to feline sensibilities, and yet, to live a life too slowly, with no care for the thrill of chase or claw- that is a waste!!!" She has a lot of feelings about this.

"Of course that's important too!"

These cats are lucky that Minako's tastes are just.. way too wide. Because it means she can agree with every single one of them here. Even though it means she isn't exactly helping them get closer to resolving this whole problem, huh...

"That's why it's so important to find a good balance! Someone who will comfortably rest with you, but also have wild adventures with you! And who will forever be loyal to only you!"

.. Maybe she forgot this is about picking between fictional video game boys and not about actual real life dating advice..

It's definitely not helping them come to a decision, no, and Steeltail's ears flick back a little too. "That would be ideal, and yet which of them shall surpass such expectations," she mutters, while Pookie continues her frantic kneading of the couch.

Fortunately, the skinny sphynx cat is here to get everyone back on track, and mildly comments, "It wants us to continue on, my compatriots." While the other three cats perk up to look at the television, Bonemouth looks up at Minako. "Shall you accompany us on affairs of the heart?"

".. Really?!"

Oh no, now they've done it. Minako's eyes light up in that way they always do when she's way too excited for something. Which means there's definitely no more getting rid of her beyond this point - but hey, at least she looks happy?

"You would let me play with you? I'd love to! All of you seem like the best company!" At this rate she's just going to turn into an old cat lady..

If it's any consolation, Chikusa has already turned into a young cat man through no purposeful attempt of his own. Cats just... exist. And impose themselves upon humans, regardless of what the humans in question have to say about it. She's in solid enough company on that front. Probably.

Still, now that they're decided to keep forging on ahead, the cats begin to press along the controller. Mostly it's Bonemouth, since a lack of fur means nothing gets stuck inbetween button and controller. (Does this mean fluffmonster Steeltail bugs them to do it for her? Listen, maybe. But she does it very classily.) The story seems to be simple enough: the main heroine is lost in life and unsure of what to do with her future, full of classwork. Still better than directly living with an overbearing and harsh mother who smothers her.

(Bloodfang touches Minako's knee at this and nods sagely. "To abscond is not a choice of cowardice. We shall guide this human properly."

"To the black feline," Steeltail says.

"Your manipulations shall be all for naught!")

After a simple exposition in a simple drawing of her bedroom, the scene is interrupted... and cuts to a picture of all of the adorable animals (proper animal, for right now) awake and in a cute basket by the bed! There's not much character to the rabbits yet, but the orange cat is already trying to make kitty eye while the black cat is lounging about on its back trying to take up all the space possible.

Pookie immediately goes up to the television and puts her paw up on the screen along the orange cat's image.

It's honestly a little difficult for Minako to pay attention to the game. Sure, she does get what's generally going on in it, but she does miss a few lines sometimes just to watch the cute antics of the actual cats around her right now. They're definitely just as important as what's happening on the screen.

So when Pookie is touching the screen when the animals pop up, Minako giggles happily.

"Right, right, this is where the important stuff starts happening! There they are!"

She claps her hands. "We have to start paying attention reaaaal close now to see what those two cute kitties are like! Don't let anything slip under your notice, team!"

Gently, Pookie taps the screen a few more times. "I shall not have my gaze stray," she says solemnly, before resident fluffmonster Steeltail comes over and patiently drags her away by the scruff of her neck.

In the meantime, Bonemouth patiently keeps pressing buttons to get through the scene. On the screen, the text details how the black cat follows after the heroine as she eventually goes to get kitchen in the food, a relatively mundane thing, although it soon reveals the black cat seeming to stumble into his.

That has one cat on Team Orange squint a little bit in suspicion, while the other pauses from where she's being groomed against her will. "Is that one... more playful?" Pookie asks while Steeltail grooms determinedly behind her ear. The young cat seems tentative.

"Well.. You guys would be able to tell that better than I can, right?"

Minako may be kind of a cat lady, but at least she isn't a cat herself. It's not gotten to that level of extreme yet. She still thinks the cat being groomed like that is so cute too though.. Everything they do is cute!! If she didn't like Chikusa so much, she might've just made off with the cats at one point.. She's at least hoping to get a chance to pat one, but she doesn't want to scare them off mid-game.

"Is that typical playful cat behaviour? I think I could tell it better once they're human!"

"Then perhaps that is the goal to which we must accomplish first," Bloodfang says thoughtfully. "Many images from which this story is to take place in make much of its focus on human form. No doubt such input shall help us reach a true decision." Pointedly, he bristles at Steeltail, who just continues to ~~torment~~ clean her captive.

Bonemouth continues to press their paw down against the controller. "Then we shall make the utmost haste," he says decisively.

There's a lot of filler text to get through, it looks like, as the heroine hastily tries to figure out how she's going to take care of five different animals once she decides to keep them, talks with a classmate about the issue... Some introduction to some "where to go/what to do" gameplay mechanics... This goes on for a couple of "weeks" in the game, with plenty of bickering even then between the cats on going home, studying, or working. (All of which, it should be noted, include cute little animations of the heroine doing exactly what is chosen.) There's even a picnic scene.

But the thing they're all waiting for happens one weekend, where the heroine is playing with her new pets in her room, a blanket ends up falling on her... and it's like a reverse magic trick, because there's suddenly a bunch of cute boys scattered on her bed when she takes it off!

Pookie makes an interested noise from where she's escaped Steeltail's grip. "Regal!" It's true. They're all dressed like princes.

...And have the appropriate animal ears. You know. As should be, probably.

The animal antics are pretty cute to Minako too, at least. Not just the actual cats around her, but the ones on the screen too. Minako sure wouldn't say no to living with a bunch of cute animals who suddenly transform into handsome guys. That sounds like it'd be an ideal life.

She might be kind of daydreaming what they'll look like as humans as well.. But nothing prepares her for the actual moment when they turn into guys. Guys with animal ears, sure, but there's a certain appeal to that! She can live with that!

But Minako does make a fatal mistake. Since for a moment complete ~~thirst~~ instinct takes over, and she completely forgets that she was going for diplomacy and keeping the peace and balancing the scales between the cats with various preferences her. Instead she just blurts out without thinking--

"Oh my god, the black cat is so hot as a human!"

The reaction is instantaneous.

Chaos breaks out as Steeltail the fluffmonster lets out a triumphant cry which only gets interrupted as Bloodfang tackles into her in dismay. It's not the worst cat fight in the universe, but it is loud, with plenty of profanity so antiquated that it could be put into a museum. Pookie keeps attempting to leap in to assist her heartbroken senior, with little reward for her efforts. A couple of tries, and she's left to sprawl dramatically across the carpet, making distressed crying noises that only really annoying cats are capable of.

Bonemouth, to their credit, does none of this. Instead, the hairless cat just shoots off like a rocket, cackling madly as they make a frenzied victory lap around the temple.

The entire time, Chikusa has been lounging in a nearby armchair with his laptop balanced on his lap, his phone in one hand that he's been idly browsing, and a camera in his free hand that's been filming the entire thing. You know. Because it's been kind of funny. Now, it's outright hilarious, and he finally stirs.

"...Guess that's settled."

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[log] i'm hellbent baby

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