(ic inbox - jgk)

[medicative]

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text | voice | video | action

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3/17!!

[breweries]

[ assuming that emily is still working at the cabaret club at the end of the day, she will find a lone bottle of wine waiting for her at the bar, long after the eponymous bartender had disappeared. and if she tries to put it back in the cabinets, a fancy-looking red card will fall to the floor, which reads (in pretty dark cursive no less): ]

I heard that it is your birthday today. As for how I came across this information, let's just say that certain people in my clan aren't inclined to keep secrets.

But to celebrate, I have here a wonderful bottle of moscato set aside for you. With a zesty flavor and low alcohol content, I am sure that this is to your very liking. If not, there is always a next time until I can get it right. :)

Once again, happy birthday, Ms. Dyer.

-- Shylock

[medicative]

[okay, getting this bottle and the letter privately means that she can't protest it, downplay a birthday she thought she'd not have. it's a kind gesture, and she'll accept it in the spirit that it's been given. it'll pair nicely with dinner, something to be savored and taken in over a few days.
.
in return, when Shylock comes into work next, there's a note addressed to him in neat cursive, tucked behind the bar in his usual spot.]

Mr. Bennet,

Your thoughtfulness and well wishes are most appreciated. Please know I very much enjoyed your selection, particularly because it was not anything I would have gone and tried myself. It reminds me to be a touch more adventurous when the opportunity arises.

-E.D.

[no_kyouken]

[ Majima has come for an awkward visit, he's sitting quietly on the edge of her bed with his chin in his hand. There's obviously something on his mind and he'll get to it, it's just uncomfortable. ]

I know ya ain't got much'a your supplies... But think ya could whip up some kind'a antidote to all that shit the Tamamo Clan keeps putting in th'food?

[ His face is a little red. ]

[medicative]

[her face goes through a mix of emotions, warring between sympathy, wanting to ask questions, and the thoughtful look she gets when she's coming up with a plan that will require multiple careful steps.]

I can certainly try, though I can't guarantee a complete antidote given what's currently possible to get.

[come on, Miss Gyokuto...spill.]

Could you settle for something that would dull it down, if I can't neutralize it completely? More along the concept of being able to restrain any urges, just until I get supplies strong enough to counter it.

[if she uses the idea behind the one formula that worked to clear the mind...though it would require a more physical base...]

text; un: tengennohana

[ryototsukai]

hey you didn't get swept up in that chaos at the funeral, did you? are you okay?

un: emilydyer

[medicative]

Somewhat, but I managed to extract myself from the situation before it got too out of hand. Thank you for your concern, however.

What about you? Are you all right?

un: majima

[no_kyouken]

Old friend from Sotenbori is in town.

He's going to be a problem.

[medicative]

[that's not a reassuring text to get at all.]

Name, physical description, and his clan if you know it.

How should I handle him if I find him?

text | un: andy

[killtime]

need you

[medicative]

What's going on?

[notched]

[ She had asked around for a chemist, a doctor. That was how one of the other Lost Souls had pointed her to the clinic. She finds it easily enough, since all she has done since she arrived here is wander the streets like a cat with the furious determination to learn her way in this new city. She hadn't realized the location was a clinic last time she passed by here, but now she knows.

She is allowed inside, because she is not contagious. She sits in the waiting room until it is her turn and in the meantime studies the other people with a lack of shame that makes them uncomfortable. She blinks out of it when someone finally tells her she can come back.

She waits for Doctor Dyer, contemplating once again what it is she will say. Why is she here. Why has she come. ]

The world rings around me, like a bell. Vibrating, singing. I am never at rest.

[ She looks at Emily with her large, haunted eyes. ]

It is unbearable.

[medicative]

And how long has this been going on?

[she looks back, and her mind already turns with ideas, with things she could do to help. she doesn't know what this woman, Anna, has gone through, but she knows what it is to have moments of your mind unable to be quieted. still, she can't hand her anything without being cautious - too strong, and the woman could wind up essentially catatonic.

there is no judgement, though. there's only her and her clipboard, and no one had pressed for her clan, to doubt her when she said she needed to see the doctor. that's not the kind of place this is.]

some days before beach ep; un: sangria

[breweries]

Burning the midnight oil again, I see.

[ he doesn't actually know this, it's just an educated guess. there are plenty of reasons why people stay up this late nowadays, him included. ]

[medicative]

I won't ask how you know, since it's a fair assumption to make. But don't tell anyone.

[the amount of people begging her to not overwork herself? non-zero. she tries, but then she gets into habits.]

[pervy_kappa]

Hey Em. Long time.

Maji's telling me you came up with some type of medicine to help with the youkai possessing us should they act up.

Is that true?

[medicative]

Yes. I actually developed it the last time something like this happened to counteract that particular rain's influence.

[and had distributed it in Hakagemachi. there was enough left over when her medicine cabinet came through that she could use it and start adjusting it to the curse.]

Something amiss?

post kaigo no bou

[everblooms]

[ It'd been so easy to make the decision to break from them, leaving the umbrella with Emily and the two of them scattering for the first time in two weeks. It wasn't that they hadn't been away from one another for prolonged periods of time, but this felt different. An ending to a chapter.

The new one is terrifying, though. In the middle of the night, Emily will receive a text from a familiar face. ]

he's stable now. theyre about to let me into his room.
how are you doing?

[medicative]

Well enough. I'm going to save the rest of the incense and medicine just in case, however. May they never be needed.

[...that she's replying in the middle of the night says much, however.]

knock knock it's yer girl

[ryototsukai]

[ She promised she'd show up first chance she got, and well... that took a bit longer than expected, given the immediate fallout of the crisis she had to deal with (and her promotion) but she does eventually show up at the door to Emily's clinic, knocking on a nearby table so she didn't just sneak up on her.

Dressed fully in suit and tie, her badge shined up, like she'd just been in a meeting, but she has a bottle of plum wine in one hand and a few flowers in the other. ]

Not busy right now, are you?

[ She had no idea of Emily still had people she was seeing to, or if they all got transferred to the main hospital now that it was open again, or what... ]

[medicative]

[really, she's more working to cope with the news she just got, venting more of her frustration into paperwork, into shuffling around more of this place's connections to make it feasible. in the event of her "disappearance," the management should go to someone...Aerith might be able to temporarily handle things and find a new head doctor. it's enough to crease worry lines into her forehead, but the knock pulls her out of her daze, trying to fix her expression -

well, goodness, that's not who she expected to see, but the sight's surprising enough to get her to smile again.]

You look quite sharp. Some grand occasion that I'm forgetting?

[not that she doesn't know. but she can play dumb.]

txt, first week of july

[everblooms]

good morning! clinics open already. i left something in the back. check on it for me when you get a chance?

[medicative]

Of course I can. I'll let you know how it is.

[trying to trust her surprises...]

mid-July

[heretic_blade]

[ Izō has been having a rough time because everyone around him is having a rough time. With Majima in the middle of a meltdown and Ryouma repeating everything in his life that eventually ended in assassination, Izō is on his last bit of sanity. He'd holed up with Nishitani and Andy because of their shockingly stable home life, but now it's time for him to see Emily. She must behaving a rough time of it, too.

He shows up while she's still at the clinic, making himself at home in the front room. Just like he did with Nishitani, he doesn't give her any advance notice. She gave him a key for a reason...and he needs the peace right now. She won't mind him laying around in little more than a loosely tied kimono, scrolling on his phone, drinking sake straight from the bottle.

Izō looks up from where he's sprawled out and waves. ]

Hey.

[ Like nothing's unusual at all. ]

[medicative]

[she looks exhausted when she comes back, tired from hard work and a general world weariness, but she starts when she sees him - and then relaxes. if someone had broken into her apartment to be waiting for her, she doubts they'd have relocked the door, and seeing him is a very welcome sight.]

Hi.

[quiet, soft, she takes off her shoes and comes to leave her bag on the table, pausing in favor of coming over to him and joining what he's doing. really, just being close in his proximity, letting herself be calmed by it. the day's over. she can just exist for a second.

she knows why he's here, and she's not happy about that, yet Emily still feels glad that he came here - chose her to come be with for a while. living alone has its ups and downs.]

backdated a lil

[pitfight]

We need to talk. It's about Majima.

[medicative]

Are you free tonight? I'd prefer such a conversation to happen in person.

[no_kyouken]

[ He's waiting for her, smoking in her window contemplatively. He turns his head when she comes in but doesn't say anything. He just puts his cigarette out and comes over to her, puts his arms around her waist, and kisses her. There's something decisive in the action, a sense of chosen finality. Then he just picks her up, twining his arms around her. He's taking her to bed, plucking her out of her clothes and kissing her until she's pink. He's going to show her: just how selfish she can be, how many times she can come before she's just putty.

Pulls her over him and back onto his mouth, presses his tongue deep while she cries out and tenses before he rolls her over. Lingers over her with fingers pressed between her legs, toying with the wet before he takes her, gathering her legs up around his hips and bowed deeply over her; shoulders to cling to and mouth to catch, throat to nip. Even heaving and sticky, he descends back down her body and presses his mouth between her legs. Licks and sucks until he's certain she's as loud as she's going to get, head tossed back into the sheets and hands curled tight.

And that's enough, for the moment; sweaty and heart fluttering. He extends his arm out to her, takes her in against his chest and shoulder with his cheek resting on her hair. Either of them may have fallen asleep for a little while. His voice is thick and drowsy when he finally murmurs to her, ]

Met someone, from Tokyo. My Tokyo.

[medicative]

[whatever plans she had for later are quickly abandoned. far be it from her to question his enthusiasm, to quell whatever fire's been lit, but to only respond to it as best she can and be thoroughly taken apart in the best possible way. his name gasped between them - Goro - said and meaning a dozen sweet things every time. grasping for him when she can, hoping he knows you do this to me. makes her selfish and shameless, and unable to worry. nothing more than the present moment, and welcoming it without hesitation, every time.

when it's over, she's flushed and oversensitive, strands of hair stuck to her neck from sweat, her body feels like it's faintly buzzing from that much, and she's never felt better as she falls in next to him.

Emily's pretty certain she half dozes just like that, not moving a muscle and without a single thought in her head. blissful, really, to be so unconcerned, and when he speaks, she doesn't even move, only replies from where she is. her voice is soft, knowing she doesn't have to do anything right now.]

Did they know you?

letter;

[worldbent]

[A few days after the Sutoku investigations into the stardust market begin, Emily will find one of Matoba's slender, creepy shiki patiently waiting for her at the clinic office the next time she returns. It holds out a letter and a small pouch wordlessly, and then stands in waiting.]

I hope this letter finds you well, Emily-san.

Here are the results of my investigations into the matter Sakamoto-san has asked us to take care of, thus far.

The traders within the city are obtaining their bounty directly from the ships coming in through the river, with the appearance of some legality. However, their documentation is conveniently missing. I was able to find no missing deliveries through Sutoku records, so we will have to partner with connections involved in other factions' business and ask them to corroborate any discrepancies.

The individuals from whom I received this information were very adamant that delving any deeper into the identity of these fixers was not a road to be followed. This is quite interesting, given they were rather broken down at that point and I did not expect them to put up much more of an argument. [Whatever that means.] Given that many of these trading ships seem to be Celestial-owned, we may have to pursue furthered relationships with them in order to gain any ground. I imagine despite their flippancy, they may have more access to staff logs and other information that may pinpoint a source on the inside.

Please feel free to hand off a reply to my shiki. I gave it the order to remain until you have dismissed it.

Respectfully,

Matoba まとば

P.S.– I would like you to examine the sleeping drug in the vial I have provided. Please let me know if you think this will be helpful to stock in the clinic. It is experimental, so test with care.

[medicative]

[a letter returns back, handwritten and crisply folded.]

Matoba,

Thank you for the insights you've provided. Your words corroborate my own findings of a short while back, when I attempted to look closer into where the strange clay that formed the haniwa statues came from. I was told in a rather blunt and intimidating manner to leave the matter be, so I can only assume at that point the same suppliers become involved. Beyond this, we may need to look into more aquatic sources of information.

As for the sleeping drug, I will inform you how my testing goes.

-E.D.

oh you know

[everblooms]

[ In the morning, she'd made it know to Emily through text that she was picking her up for a date. Brunch, then skating. A shopping trip through Tamamo district; Aerith's dragged Emily through the district as she sees it. Only the cheapest of shops with their finest wares. Dresses, dinnerware, home decor; all of it was on the table today. Everyone knows her there. They have nice things to say. She's helped out so many small businesses, and all of them are eager to help her out, too. Aerith is all too happy to tease: Emily has been introduced as her date the enter day.

Skating had been fun, even if Aerith was as clumsy as a newborn deer. She slipped, fell, and held onto Emily for dear life in the rink. There had been plenty of moments stolen, in her book, and now she supposes the real treat should come. After some fun on skates, Aerith leads her to an izakaya in Sutoku. It's a small, homely place, a real hole in the wall sort of establishment, with dim lights and good liquor. Aerith nurses a shot like it's a tall glass of water, not one for the bottle herself. ]

I always wanted to ask.

[ She sips it again, but this time at least, she makes no face. ]

About that mask you've got. What's the story?

[medicative]

[it's fun, to go out with Aerith. she goes about to places she's never been, has lighthearted conversation, supports her when she nearly topples on the ice. she laughs, admires what they see, and in general feels lighter throughout the day. she's bad at taking time for herself, but Emily does better when there's a plan, things to do. and now, with the flush of the day settled, her sitting with Aerith and an actual glass of water. she's not more inclined to drink than Aerith is, but the appeal of homey food is attractive.

at the mention of the mask, her hand automatically goes to touch it, a reflexive thing.]

...It's a bit complicated, I warn you.

[but it's not like she can't tell her.]

text; un: rider

[kaientai]

Feel like grabbing a drink? Have some news about our friend 💰🐺.

[ emojis are a subtle art, emily. ]

[medicative]

Would you prefer my place, yours, or somewhere else altogether?

[emojis are for other people.]

text; un: skewer - after town hall, before Bombs

[passthrough]

Dyer-san, are you at the clinic right now?

I think there's something we really need to talk about. But if this is interrupting your work or anything, there's no pressure.

Just message me back when you can?

[medicative]

[skewer...who is this.]

Hello, I am currently finishing up my shift, but if you'd like to talk, I'm happy to meet you nearby.

[she'll send a location - it's a small park not too far off from the clinic location.]