( There's a breath of an almost-laugh at that as he steps inside. He can appreciate the joking digs at people around him, after all. )
Nope. You're the star of the hour.
( Lightly, he stretches his neck as he enters and does an immediate and subtle sweep of the area. Taking it in, seeing what Megumi lives like, what it says about him. )
My name's Guren Ichinose. I hear you're the one who helped with all of that information for newcomers, so thanks for that.
( Satisfied with his brief glance, he drops his hand and turns back to face the other, sizing him up. )
And, I guess you could say I got scolded for hanging out on my own. You have extra rooms here?
[ It's a very tidy room, with most things stored and organized. There's a pretty big stack of books swiped from the library on the desk, and a couple of stuffed animals keeping watch on a high shelf (the white dog given to him by Aventurine, and the blue elephant given to him by Caelus), but those are the only touches that lack obvious practicality. ]
Somebody had to do it. [ His standard response every time someone praises that particular effort of his. ]
I've got more rooms than I know what to do with. There are a couple of people who pop in and out, but only a few of us using this as our main safehouse.
( An easy retort, and one Guren would give himself, in Megumi's shoes— but it's also one that doesn't quite work. Sure, somebody should have done it, but does that always mean it gets done? Of course not. And so those efforts were praised all the same, and Guren decides not to comment on the dismissal of them. He gets it.
What shows of Guren's shadow in this room might stand out the most, with one or two chunks missing like bites that don't reflect in his form at all. He looks a little pale, a lot tired, but other than that, doing well, especially considering his time underground. He's got a makeshift pack of cloth holding a few supplies swung over his shoulder, and a metal alloy rod with runes engraved along the side tucked in there, too, for easy grabbing. )
A few as in you and "Yuji" only? Or a few as in a handful. ( He doesn't mind either way, but he's curious, head tilting to one side and hands shoving into his pockets. ) It's a good idea to stay more or less grouped together in a situation like this, but I'm not a fan of too much noise. So, as long as it wouldn't be a problem for you, I can help myself to one of the outer rooms.
( A pause, as he considers. ) Are you all friends, here?
[ The shadow certainly stands out -- even setting aside that Megumi's more inclined to notice shadows than the average person, thanks to his cursed technique. But things are weird here, and everyone's got their circumstances, so it's nothing he's inclined to call attention to. Just files it away in his memory for later. ]
Me, Yuji. I guess Choso will probably hanging around, now that he's here -- he's Yuji's brother. Dr. Bashir's getting his clinic set up here. That might bring some people around, but I doubt it'll be a lot in the way of noise.
[ Julian seems like the kind of guy who will jump in and throw hands if he perceives anyone as disrupting the peace his patients might need. (Not necessarily the kind of guy who would win, if it came to that, but Megumi's not going to make rash assumptions...) ]
Yuji's my best friend from back home. He's pretty easygoing, so you being here won't be a problem for him. He'll probably take it as an invitation to befriend you, actually.
( Though he says that, there's a lightness beyond the gruff grump of Guren's words that would be apparent to anyone: he doesn't mind. If anyone has learned how important and key friendships can be in a place and setting like this, it's him. ...He'll put aside his exhaustion and deal with any "easygoing" types as well as he can, obviously. )
But it's good you have someone you trust here. You can have each other's backs. ( Friendships, relationships, people that matter, people you'd die for, people you want to live for. That's key, right? After a moment, he extends his hand to Megumi in offering, for a grip or for a handshake, whatever he'd like to take it as. )
I'll help however I can, so let me know what you need. Supplies, scouts, guards, whatever it is, I can handle it.
( Repayment for staying here? It's all abandoned, he knows, but he's not about to just squat uselessly next door. )
[ Behind every great grump, there is a sunshine boy/girl/enby.
Megumi meets his hand with a solid, firm handshake. ]
Welcome aboard. I can show you around what we've got stockpiled -- I've tried to make sure we're set to hole up for a bit if we need to, since the situation on the streets can change pretty quickly.
...If you don't mind. I heard you were busy until recently.
( He didn't pry very far at all, since it didn't sound like it was his business. But now, after a firm handshake, he withdraws his hand back to his pocket, standing casually. Faint marks of leaves hint beneath the sleeves over his wrists, a bit around his neck, hinting at his brush with succumbence. But he looks little more than roughly tired as he is now.
Megumi, though? He can't tell enough. The guy looks competent, holds himself calmly. Who knows what's behind that. )
It's been a weird few weeks. [ Vicious understatement, frankly, but he's at least been back on his feet long enough that he's caught up on the things he should've been doing during his impromptu coma, both in terms of outside tasks and physical self-care. (Mental self-care is a different battle entirely, but he's never been far ahead on that one.) ]
The important stuff is mostly on the first couple floors. Once you get up here, it's a lot of bedrooms...some of which I've gone through to pull supplies from, some I haven't gotten to yet. [ He tilts his head towards the hall, to indicate that they should head back down the stairs. ] X over the doorknob means I've been through it -- which doesn't mean it's completely empty, but the important stuff has been salvaged. Other writing on the door means somebody's claimed that room for their own use.
[ This floor, from the X's, has been pretty well cleaned up. He's been starting from the bottom and working his way up. ]
( That's what it's sounding like, and that's... interesting, to say the least. Can work in smaller, tight-knit groups, but the moment something goes wrong and trust is broken, it'll all fall apart. Still, it's nicer than walking into an organization run like the Hiiragis run it. Like Kureto.
Guren moves to follow Megumi's lead, heading back down the stairs in this little tour. )
Yeah. It hasn't been a problem with the group staying here, so far. I'm not sure how well that's worked for other groups.
[ But Megumi has mostly wound up with like-minded do-gooders who actively contribute to the effort. The more mercenary types seem to have congregated elsewhere, at least for now.
He leads them back to the first floor, where the front door opens straight into a large common area. Some of the furniture has been pushed out of the way to make room for a central firepit, with couch cushions for seating around it. ]
The firepit hasn't been as important since we got an actual day/night cycle back, but it's still here if we need it. Or just feel like it. The first couple months were completely dark, though, so it was pretty frigid.
...You should be more careful who you let in, if that's the case. All it'd take is one bad egg.
( And Megumi let him in without so much as a background check? Not that Guren can blame him, or fault him, or anything close. He understands it. He wants it to work, too, for long periods of time. But if the city falls into worse conditions than it's already in, who's to say another group won't raid theirs, either? ...He's just trying to be prepared for the worst of humanity. )
But I won't rock the boat. People will trust each other more like this, for as long as it's kept up, so I don't blame you. Morale is low enough with everything else going on, right?
Yeah, I won't say the thought hasn't occurred to me. Now that Dr. Bashir's set up here, we're probably going to have more people coming by. So at least splitting some of the stockpile to move up a floor or two might be prudent.
[ Fort Knox it ain't, but it'd keep some things better removed from potential crimes of opportunity. ]
There was a dining hall over on this end of the first floor, so most of what we've got is stored by the kitchen. [ He leads them over to the rooms in question. Some of the furniture from the dining room is missing; what's still there is wood, so it's easy enough to guess that some of the extra tables and chairs have been being used for firewood. ]
( There's a quiet noise of approval at that idea, a first step that doesn't cause too much tension. Eyes trail over the clear spots where the dining room looks more barren, and he can gather why. The weather outside is freezing, and if things had been stuck in night for long before this, it would be even worse. )
Honestly, I'm kind of surprised more people didn't go for the university as a place to shelter. Having all the facilities grouped together helps a lot.
[ Although they did seem to start all over the place, and Megumi was lucky enough to wake up here. Relocating in the endless night would've been a hurdle. ]
( His own joke falls out in response. Honestly, he wonders, too— pride, if he had to guess? Adults who don't want to give in to the idea of going back to younger days, maybe. Or it could be that they have attachment in other places, spaces or ideas that draw them and bring them closer to their own homes, in some way or another.
But, well. In the end, logic isn't always followed, and that's the thing about humanity, huh. )
[ People are petty, whimsical, and unreasonable at the best of times. There's a reason Megumi prefers the company of animals.
But maybe jujutsu society's influence is making itself felt here, too. A school feels like a natural base of operations to Megumi, but that's an easy conclusion to draw when sorcerers at every stage of their career still return to Jujutsu High to avail themselves of information and resources.
He tilts his head to indicate one of the side rooms as they make their way back to the stairs. ]
Some clothing storage in there -- just about every one of the dorm rooms has things in it, but I figured having some basics in the run of sizes handy would be better than new arrivals having to go through a whole floor to find something that fits.
( Clothing. Guren definitely looks there as they pass by— he's done some scavenging, but it's been harder to find things to make do with lately. There was the issue of succumbence threatening him, getting involved in too much... And now he's here, caked on blood still worked into his uniform. It'll be easier to clean it if he's got at least one spare. Less to worry about getting stabbed or torn up in, too...
Mildly. )
You've really got everything here. I appreciate it.
It's taken a bit to get to this point. The first couple months I'd remember something else that should probably be here like every couple hours.
[ But those moments have slowed down, even if they haven't quite stopped. He's mostly either found the things that he knows they'll probably need, or figured out how to function in their absence...so now it's just the occasional oddity that comes up, aside from restocking the normal stuff. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Nope. You're the star of the hour.
( Lightly, he stretches his neck as he enters and does an immediate and subtle sweep of the area. Taking it in, seeing what Megumi lives like, what it says about him. )
My name's Guren Ichinose. I hear you're the one who helped with all of that information for newcomers, so thanks for that.
( Satisfied with his brief glance, he drops his hand and turns back to face the other, sizing him up. )
And, I guess you could say I got scolded for hanging out on my own. You have extra rooms here?
no subject
Somebody had to do it. [ His standard response every time someone praises that particular effort of his. ]
I've got more rooms than I know what to do with. There are a couple of people who pop in and out, but only a few of us using this as our main safehouse.
no subject
What shows of Guren's shadow in this room might stand out the most, with one or two chunks missing like bites that don't reflect in his form at all. He looks a little pale, a lot tired, but other than that, doing well, especially considering his time underground. He's got a makeshift pack of cloth holding a few supplies swung over his shoulder, and a metal alloy rod with runes engraved along the side tucked in there, too, for easy grabbing. )
A few as in you and "Yuji" only? Or a few as in a handful. ( He doesn't mind either way, but he's curious, head tilting to one side and hands shoving into his pockets. ) It's a good idea to stay more or less grouped together in a situation like this, but I'm not a fan of too much noise. So, as long as it wouldn't be a problem for you, I can help myself to one of the outer rooms.
( A pause, as he considers. ) Are you all friends, here?
no subject
Me, Yuji. I guess Choso will probably hanging around, now that he's here -- he's Yuji's brother. Dr. Bashir's getting his clinic set up here. That might bring some people around, but I doubt it'll be a lot in the way of noise.
[ Julian seems like the kind of guy who will jump in and throw hands if he perceives anyone as disrupting the peace his patients might need. (Not necessarily the kind of guy who would win, if it came to that, but Megumi's not going to make rash assumptions...) ]
Yuji's my best friend from back home. He's pretty easygoing, so you being here won't be a problem for him. He'll probably take it as an invitation to befriend you, actually.
[ A warning or a reassurance. Maybe both. ]
no subject
( Though he says that, there's a lightness beyond the gruff grump of Guren's words that would be apparent to anyone: he doesn't mind. If anyone has learned how important and key friendships can be in a place and setting like this, it's him. ...He'll put aside his exhaustion and deal with any "easygoing" types as well as he can, obviously. )
But it's good you have someone you trust here. You can have each other's backs. ( Friendships, relationships, people that matter, people you'd die for, people you want to live for. That's key, right? After a moment, he extends his hand to Megumi in offering, for a grip or for a handshake, whatever he'd like to take it as. )
I'll help however I can, so let me know what you need. Supplies, scouts, guards, whatever it is, I can handle it.
( Repayment for staying here? It's all abandoned, he knows, but he's not about to just squat uselessly next door. )
no subject
Megumi meets his hand with a solid, firm handshake. ]
Welcome aboard. I can show you around what we've got stockpiled -- I've tried to make sure we're set to hole up for a bit if we need to, since the situation on the streets can change pretty quickly.
no subject
( He didn't pry very far at all, since it didn't sound like it was his business. But now, after a firm handshake, he withdraws his hand back to his pocket, standing casually. Faint marks of leaves hint beneath the sleeves over his wrists, a bit around his neck, hinting at his brush with succumbence. But he looks little more than roughly tired as he is now.
Megumi, though? He can't tell enough. The guy looks competent, holds himself calmly. Who knows what's behind that. )
no subject
The important stuff is mostly on the first couple floors. Once you get up here, it's a lot of bedrooms...some of which I've gone through to pull supplies from, some I haven't gotten to yet. [ He tilts his head towards the hall, to indicate that they should head back down the stairs. ] X over the doorknob means I've been through it -- which doesn't mean it's completely empty, but the important stuff has been salvaged. Other writing on the door means somebody's claimed that room for their own use.
[ This floor, from the X's, has been pretty well cleaned up. He's been starting from the bottom and working his way up. ]
no subject
( That's what it's sounding like, and that's... interesting, to say the least. Can work in smaller, tight-knit groups, but the moment something goes wrong and trust is broken, it'll all fall apart. Still, it's nicer than walking into an organization run like the Hiiragis run it. Like Kureto.
Guren moves to follow Megumi's lead, heading back down the stairs in this little tour. )
no subject
[ But Megumi has mostly wound up with like-minded do-gooders who actively contribute to the effort. The more mercenary types seem to have congregated elsewhere, at least for now.
He leads them back to the first floor, where the front door opens straight into a large common area. Some of the furniture has been pushed out of the way to make room for a central firepit, with couch cushions for seating around it. ]
The firepit hasn't been as important since we got an actual day/night cycle back, but it's still here if we need it. Or just feel like it. The first couple months were completely dark, though, so it was pretty frigid.
no subject
( And Megumi let him in without so much as a background check? Not that Guren can blame him, or fault him, or anything close. He understands it. He wants it to work, too, for long periods of time. But if the city falls into worse conditions than it's already in, who's to say another group won't raid theirs, either? ...He's just trying to be prepared for the worst of humanity. )
But I won't rock the boat. People will trust each other more like this, for as long as it's kept up, so I don't blame you. Morale is low enough with everything else going on, right?
( His eyes scan over the firepit, noting it. )
no subject
[ Fort Knox it ain't, but it'd keep some things better removed from potential crimes of opportunity. ]
There was a dining hall over on this end of the first floor, so most of what we've got is stored by the kitchen. [ He leads them over to the rooms in question. Some of the furniture from the dining room is missing; what's still there is wood, so it's easy enough to guess that some of the extra tables and chairs have been being used for firewood. ]
no subject
Looks like you've got a good flow, here.
no subject
[ Although they did seem to start all over the place, and Megumi was lucky enough to wake up here. Relocating in the endless night would've been a hurdle. ]
no subject
( His own joke falls out in response. Honestly, he wonders, too— pride, if he had to guess? Adults who don't want to give in to the idea of going back to younger days, maybe. Or it could be that they have attachment in other places, spaces or ideas that draw them and bring them closer to their own homes, in some way or another.
But, well. In the end, logic isn't always followed, and that's the thing about humanity, huh. )
no subject
But maybe jujutsu society's influence is making itself felt here, too. A school feels like a natural base of operations to Megumi, but that's an easy conclusion to draw when sorcerers at every stage of their career still return to Jujutsu High to avail themselves of information and resources.
He tilts his head to indicate one of the side rooms as they make their way back to the stairs. ]
Some clothing storage in there -- just about every one of the dorm rooms has things in it, but I figured having some basics in the run of sizes handy would be better than new arrivals having to go through a whole floor to find something that fits.
no subject
Mildly. )
You've really got everything here. I appreciate it.
no subject
[ But those moments have slowed down, even if they haven't quite stopped. He's mostly either found the things that he knows they'll probably need, or figured out how to function in their absence...so now it's just the occasional oddity that comes up, aside from restocking the normal stuff. ]
Clinic's up these stairs.