the muscle hustle man you never needed nor deserved

[yakyuuman]

Who: Jyushimatsu joins the fray (OTA)
What: Making his grand entrance, looking for his dumb brothers, and doing stupid shit because he's Jyushimatsu and that's all you need to know
When: 10/19 and onwards
Where: Various
Warnings: He's a warning of his own



i; a proper arrival

[ No matter how mundane whatever he's doing is, Jyushimatsu never does it half-assed. He needs to be at least some degree of intense about it. In this specific case he wakes up, and one split second later he's already on his feet, after literally bouncing like a rubber ball, slamming back to the ground with a loud thud.

This is not his home. He's not in a futon, not wearing a pajama, and none of his brothers are around.

He's suddenly invested by a dreadful sense of deja-vu.

A dream in which he was in a deserted island, fighting off a storm while two dragons had an epic battle in the distance. The same kind of dream where he found a baby dragon and named him Homerun King, after which he met Ichimatsu and learned all sort of things that a fleeting dream world shouldn't have so much in detail. Just when he thought he could piece stuff together in his galaxy brain, everything ended abruptly. Then a talking rabbit says all sorts of weird things, gives him some kind of infodrop, and dumps him afterwards.

And now, while he's standing at the temple, with some materials he thinks are his property now, all he can think of is, "I'm back".

Well, no point thinking about it too much. If he really is back to dream island hell, he might find Ichimatsu here. So he picks his stuff and goes off on his own. There's so much explore and see, and he's hungry of both knowledge and food.

He'll be seen around a mana pool, squatting by it and staring into his reflection, his face very very close to the watery surface, like he's about to dip in on his own.

Alternatively, he'll be found by the infirmary area, stuffing his face with mangoes.

Or there's also the Camp BASE, where he gets acquainted with some islanders before going off on his daily baseball practice by using his newly acquired hatchet as a replacement bat, swinging it with not a care in the world. ]

ii; you are not my homerun king

[ Apparently a lot of things happened before his arrival. Things that involved dragons, if he heard it right. Jyushimatsu felt a little like that pizza guy meme, except it's doubtful whether or not it was a popular meme in Japan, but you know, who cares.

He will finally understand the extent of such fallout when he finds a pair of draclings hanging near his new home, in the third islet. And then they find him, too, prompting them to shoot fire before he could even utter a word. Rude much?! After scrambling to escape the attack, he's now perching on a branch of the tree he climbed up on to escape them. It's during these moments that he wishes Homerun King was here. Homerun King wouldn't spit fire and venom in his face! ]

Heeeey! [ He calls out to a random person passing by. ] Please tell me those flamethrowing lizards are gone! I've been here for like, hours?

[ Help an idiot out... ]

iii; have you seen this cat?

[ During his new, fresh routine - which includes running around, swimming, rolling in the dirt, and probably weirding out whoever stands in his path, Jyushimatsu also continues his search for Ichimatsu. He'll walk up to whoever islanders is also some other poor soul thrown off their own world, and waves at them with his long, floppy sleeve. ]

Have you seen my brother? He looks like me but he wears purple and he's gloomy and he also likes cats!

[ That... should do, as a description. ]

iv; wildcard

[ Reach me over at gaiamemories or PM or also the Discord channel if you'd like something else! ]

Comments

camp base

[catpiper]

[Look, she's going about her morning, living her best life by bothering Kravitz before she ambles off for the afternoon to do whatever, packing the treasures she's going to use today, when-

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees him and with a glance that quick, with recognition happening that fast, she doesn't really think about it. She's been wishing for this-every time she passed by the monkey nest he used to live in or the hill their cats would play together on or the tall batches of grass they would pluck from to whistle together-

She sees that face and the happy tears that well up in her eyes is instantaneous. Even ESP kitty seems to pick up on whatever's happening here-his little ears perking up from the bowl of fish he has his faced shoved into.]

You're back? You found a way back?

[yakyuuman]

Eh...?

[ Few things shock Jyushimatsu into silence, and one of them unreveals itself in front of him short of completing his 3000th swing. There's a girl who's crying and saying things he can't comprehend for several reasons that he will voice out soon.

And then there's that cat, with those characteristic glasses on his face, which makes him extremely recognizable to everyone with a single brain cell.

There's so much to address in one single picture and all he can do immediately is drop his hatchet. ]

EXP Kitty?! Huh? What are you doing here?

[ More importantly, if he's here, then also Ichimatsu-

Oh, right, the girl. She's crying and he doesn't have water with him so he can't do that one trick that usually makes people laugh. Wah... ]

Uh... I'm back? I never really left? [ Wait, that's wrong. ] I've just arrived here! I have no idea what you're talking about but you've got something that belongs to Ichimatsu-niisan there!

[catpiper]

[It takes only a second-

For her to really see the brightly clothed boy isn't the same. His demeanor, attitude, color coordinated outfit-none of it's Murasaki. Only the structure of his face is the same. There's no frown plastered in his expression or cat ears poking out of the top of his head from being surprised.

This isn't him, but she knows who it is.

Knows this is a member of his family-remembers from the quiet moments they would spend holing up in the monkey compound. Murasaki recounting tales about his brothers for her because she never stopped pestering and because, maybe, he wanted to talk about them too.

And now there's one in front of her and Murasaki-chan isn't here to see it. To meet him. To look at his face and see that a member of his family finally found him and-

She wants to cry for a completely different reason now. Really wants too, but stifles it by raising an arm up to her face, wiping at her eyes with the folds of her dark poncho. At least the cat seems to have it together-ESP's already wandering up to sniff at man's feet.]

Murasaki-chan's letting me play with ESP. He said I could do that and-he was waiting for you for a long time, but now he's-

[And it's still hard to talk about. That he's gone and she swallows that all the way down.]

But you still found us Asagi-chan. That's-you're a very good boy.

[yakyuuman]

[ Finishing that sentence wasn't necessary, because Jyushimatsu figured it out quickly.

Ichimatsu is gone.

And wherever he is now, he apparently left ESP Kitty behind. Jyushimatsu can't stop the frown creasing his brows, in spite of his still fixed smile. It turns out his search has been a pointless failure from the start, and the crying girl only exacerbates that feeling. Crouching down, he stretches his sleeve-covered arms towards the cat and gently picks him up, nestling him close. ]

Uh-... Wait a second...

[ Now he's registering what she's telling him and there are things that are obviously wrong with it. ]

Why are you calling him Murasaki? And I'm not Asagi-chan? I'm Jyushimatsu! Ichimatsu-niisan's brother... one of five!

[catpiper]

That was his name too-that's why. That's what I always called him and then he would say 'Hello, Ren-Chan.'

[She's carefully watching the scene in front of her. ESP seems content with little Asagi-Chan, not that it's a surprise given who he's related to. They're all cats who grew up together. It makes sense. The little cat is purring away in his brother's arms, while her fluffy cat walks around behind her. That kitty has an attitude, which is why it's staying a safe distance away. It's fine though.]

And you're Asagi-chan because you're the yellow cat. He told me all your names.

[yakyuuman]

[ Holding ESP Kitty close with an arm, Jyushimatsu rubs the little feline head with his floppy sleeve. ]

Oh, um... if you say it like that, it makes sense. Sorry, I kind of... missed the whole deal. [ Because he hadn't been here for the entire time Ichimatsu was. It's kind of fucked how he feels like he missed anything even though he still had his older brothers at home every single day. Makes him think he interacted with impostors the whole time. ]

Ichimatsu-niisan... or, um, Murasaki... is a very kind guy if you get past his Doll Of Darkness persona. I'm glad he was good to you!

[catpiper]

That's how cats are. Even if they hiss and get very mad sometimes, it doesn't change their good heart.

[Because to this day, Ren has a firm and powerful belief he was just a kitty in human form. The ears and tail that would periodically poke out of his body didn't help matters any.]

Being with him and listening to his heart-that made me smile. When I was with him, I was always really happy.

[So she gets it, honestly, and she gently holds up her bare foot to pet the fluffy cat under it with her toes. Egg's a little jealous of all the scritches ESP's getting apparently. Both cats sound like a motorboat revving up.]

But you don't have to say 'sorry' to me. It's okay. He'll find you if you stay on this island.

camp base

[deathfindsaway]

[Look. Kravitz has seen a lot of things on this island. There are beasts that absorb things into horrible goo. He fought many dragons last month. He's even had magic on him to be a mermaid for a bit. You would think that all of these things, coupled with a thousand years of field experience in the weirdest areas in the universe, would prepare him for some kid swinging a hatchet.

You'd be wrong.

Kravitz does not have the recognition of others at camp, so he just sees an absolute hurricane coming and loudly clears his throat from outside swinging range.]

You shouldn't go tossing that around wherever you want! There are people that live here, you know.

[Yeah, because that's gonna just work. Sure.]

[yakyuuman]

[ Hurricane would be the best word to describe Jyushimatsu, and he would even take that as a compliment. His skills are being acknowledged!

It's too bad the person shouting at him does none of these things, instead scolding him for doing something totally innocent in a camp full of people. ]

Ehhh? [ He at least stops, hatchet held up high. ] Tossing? I'm not tossing it! I'm swinging it!

[ Just to demonstrate, he does that again one time, cutting through the air. ] It's because I'm training! Can't let a desert island prevent me from becoming a baseball pro!

[deathfindsaway]

[WRONG SKILLS, WRONG SKILLS,,,,

He's got his hands out in front of him like he's taming a Jyushi-sized velociraptor, but at least the woodchopper motion has ceased for now. Or... mostly ceased. A good first step.]

I-- okay, fine, but swinging anything that sharp is dangerous. There are children and animals around that you could hurt. Not to mention yourself on such an edge.

[Oops, he's mom now. Kravitz begins to approach at a slow, careful pace.]

Now, just give me that, and we can find something else for you to swing right now, hm?

[yakyuuman]

[ It's a good attempt... but one that confuses Jyushimatsu instead, big round eyes blinking as the man approaches him slowly, like he's some kind of dangerous beast.

To be fair, he's not the mildest guy in the pack, but he would never swing a blade at a kid?! Okay, he could throw a kid to the moon if they pissed him off, but it's different! ]

What? But I'm being careful! And I need this for many other things!

[ He defensively holds the hatchet close to his chest, like he's protecting a small animal. ]

I can't give it to you! Don't wanna! [ You're not his mom! ]

[deathfindsaway]

[Is it, Jyushi? Is it?

Kravitz squints a little his direction as he says that, obviously skeptical.]

Swinging a blade without a clear goal is always reckless. If you truly wanted to put this to work, there are plenty of other ways.

[He says, like they're obvious or something, without stopping to list any.]

I can only abide by you keeping it if you put it away in the vicinity of living spaces, mine included.

[yakyuuman]

I had a goal! I was training! Didn't I tell you?

[ Gee, this guy is being annoying! Jyushimatsu frowns so hard his whole face scrunches into... something that isn't very much human-looking.

At the very least he's letting him keep the hatchet? He better! Jyushimatsu isn't letting go of the only useful tool he was given by the RNG gods. ]

Ughhh, fine! [ His voice is all muffled now, because his mouth has also been absorbed by himself. ] If that's gonna make you shut up about it, I'll go somewhere else!

ii!

[lesbeau]

[Lots of people show up on the islands, to the point where Beau does often try to keep tabs, but can't reasonably track the entire population. That said, she's pretty sure she's never seen this weird kid before. Why do these islands attract so many weird kids, damn, it just keeps happening.

Beau blinks at him once, trying to discern what he could possibly mean by "flamethrowing wizards", and not wanting to get hopeful that one of those are her flamethrowing wizard.

She's gonna ask anyway.]

Did they have a long coat? Look like he rubs mud on his face?

[Helpful!]

[yakyuuman]

[ Jyushimatsu tries to... imagine lizards wearing coats, but no matter how cool they look in his head, that's not exactly what he'd seen. Pity. ]

Nope! There were two of them and they spat fire and venom at me! Also, they were totally naked!

[lesbeau]

[Her brain then has to think about naked Caleb for longer than she's ever wanted to- even one second- and Beau makes a face like she ate an entire lemon.]

That's gross! Who the hell is running around naked? Did you see their junk?

[With a crude, if descriptive, gesture to her crotch. Terrible.]

[yakyuuman]

[ How crass. She sounds a bit like Totoko when she's in a bad mood, and his smile becomes more genuine - but still... ]

I was too busy running for my life to look at their private parts! Sorry!

[lesbeau]

Damn. Guess it wouldn't have helped anyway.

[She unfortunately knows Caleb has a dick, and little else, because everything past that included telling him to not go swimming naked. Still, that raises other questions that she so sadly only thought of now.]

Wait, were they people? Animals don't wear clothes anyway.

[yakyuuman]

[ He shakes his head, so hard it becomes a blur. It wouldn't be Jyushimatsu if he wasn't intense about everything he does. ]

Nah, they didn't tell me anything. Not even something like, [ his voice becomes an unnatural growl ] "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN OUR TURF YOU PIECE OF SHIT?" ... Nada, nothing! They just spat stuff at me! Naked lizard people weren't really people I guess!

iii

[hyperlit]

[There's a familiar human moving toward them. And they'd think that they'd know how it is on sight, but...no, they know better than that, now. As much difficulty as they have in telling humans apart, the differences between the brothers, when they knew them, are as stark as day.]

[This one does not look like one they have met before. They remember the others...two others. And the third, who had been here longest.]

[Purple. Gloomy. Likes cats.]

[The Drifter is blue-skinned and cloaked in red, with eyes like chips of obsidian. They also do not speak aloud. Instead, a little hovering figure at their shoulder chimes quietly, projects a transparent, pink screen in the air where a line of text runs across it instead:]

not for some time

[yakyuuman]

[ This stranger he's approached doesn't unsettle him with their unusual appearance, but it's the moment they get the pink screen going and text appears out of nowhere that has him blink rapidly. It gives this entire island even more resemblance of a game setting, instead of a real experience he's living. ]

Oh...

[ But it's also their negative response to his query that has him deflate for the most, shoulders sagging. It hints that Ichimatsu was here, but now he's not anymore. ]

That's so strange...! Because I saw him in a dream shortly before I ended up here! Thought he was still around...

[hyperlit]

you
saw him?

[The shift in their posture and demeanor is immediate; they straighten, their eyes dark and curious. He was gone. They were sure. They were sure of it. They even checked. But then, then someone else shows up (a brother; it must be a brother) and says that he just saw him, so - ]

how long ago
where

[yakyuuman]

[ Whoa, the air changed around him for some reason. The stranger looks very surprised as they unleash questions at him. ]

It happened before I came here, soooo... a few days ago, tops!

[hyperlit]

may be here again

[Perhaps he would have reached out...but perhaps not. He did not always act as they expected him to - he often said and did things that took them, subtly, by surprise. It should not surprise them if he acts strangely now...]

will look

[yakyuuman]

[ Awww. Ichimatsu really did make friends here after all! They seem to care quite a bit about his brother. Jyushimatsu is so proud of him. ]

Thanks a lot, buddy! I'm Jyushimatsu by the way! Ichimatsu-niisan is my big brother!