Shower

...Yeah, I'm still on duty, but I can probably sneak in a quick shower-- I still feel gross after being slobbered on. Besides; it's not like the yokai hunting division needs me on constant alert-- in a quiet prefecture like Mizuowari, some days go by without any encounters at all. Those days are the worst, honestly-- I'm left alone with my thoughts, with nothing to do. Maybe I'll get into reading, or something.

Am I being irresponsible? ...Yeah. But, I know myself too well. I put on a straight face, dot my i's and cross my t's, but I get grossed out easily. It's going to be distracting me all day if I don't get it sorted out right now. So, up the stairs of my apartment I go.

Before I enter the apartment properly, I peek in, making sure she isn't here. She'd never let me hear the end of it if she caught me back here, even if she's far more of a slacker than I am. But, thankfully it seems like she's not here.

"You lookin' for someone, nii-chan?"

I jump, startled by the sudden presence of a certain long-white-haired ghoul. Despite her cold, quiet tone-- no, because of that demeanor, she always manages to catch me off-guard.

"God... d-dammit, stop doing that to me Akiyo."

She feigns a pout. "How unfair. You get to call me by my given name, yet you always raise a fuss when I call you Yu-"

I quickly interject. "Fine, fine, fine, fine. Stop doing that to me, DAWN."

She smiles lightly. "There we go, was that so hard?" I hate when she calls me by that name so much.

"What are you doing here... exactly? Aren't you on duty?" I ask, knowing exactly how she's going to answer.

"Aren't you?" There we go. "Besides, we both know how quiet shifts are in Mizuwari. I can relax and watch some TV in the meantime."

"Yeah. Well, I'm just getting a quick shower-- the sooner I can get that done, the sooner I can get back to actually doing my job."

"Hurtful, DUSK nii-chan." She gives an overdramatic slump. "I'm still doing my job-- just at my own pace."

"...The longer you sit here distracting me, the more I'm risking not being ready for a call."

"Fine, fiiiine. I'll get out of your hair." She grins devilishly, entering the apartment and reclining onto the sofa.

I enter as well, though I rush for the bathroom-- I do try to be quick with starting the shower, at least. ...Even if I often catch myself staying there for longer than I realistically need to.

God, having to slip out of everything is such a pain, though. This damn combat vest is asphyxiating; like, I know it's for our protection and all, but it makes things so stuffy in the summertime. At least, with it being January, I don't have to worry about it as much, but it's still annoying having to take everything off at the end of the day.

...I know, first-world problems for the murderer, I get it.

I sigh, letting the warm water soak my skin-- pulling my poorly-kempt black hair over my face and against my shoulders as I give myself time to reflect.

Am I happy where I am right now? With my job, with my life? ...I don't know. I don't think it really matters, now does it? As long as I do my work, protect innocent people from the recent epidemic of yokai, then that's what matters. But... sometimes, in moments like this, I find myself wondering if this is all there is in life. If I'm wasting my time barely doing anything to actually make the world a better place.

If I'm actually even making the world a better place.

I lather myself with soap, sighing with the realization this isn't doing much of anything for me. Read the room, DUSK. Stay in your lane; just find something to keep yourself distracted from the daily grind. Maybe I should just... find a museum to go to. Those are always fun. Or a park. Wasn't there like a flower park nearby or something? I should go there on my day off.

"Nii-chan." DAWN bursts into the room, despite the fact that she knows I'm showering. "You've got a call."

"F-fucking hell, DAWN... at least knock!!" I'm not even going to question her barging in-- I'd rather her do it than leave me to neglect my job. I'd just prefer to exercise more courtesy when doing so.

"I'll cover for you, just get ready."

I sigh, chuckling a bit. "Thanks, nee-chan." I throw some quick shampoo on, turn off the shower and get dressed as half as I can ass it. "What's the situation? Where's the yokai?"

"Nowhere-- I made it up." She chuckles as I glare at her. "Kidding. There's some kinda pumpkin monster terrorizing a supermarket. The one they built over the farm we used to pick strawberries at when we were kids?"

"Right-- thanks." I'd say that's a weird set of circumstances, but I've become numb to the whole yokai thing by now. "I'll be off."

I rush down, getting to my car as soon as possible. I'm probably running late per expectations, so I can't afford to take my time.

Sounds like another onryō, if I had to guess. Vengeful spirits and all that. Those are the more troublesome ones, in my opinion. They either want to talk things out, or really, really want to fucking kill you-- no middle ground. Weird that a pumpkin spirit is tormenting people in the middle of winter, though.

Beats slobbering umbrellas, in any case. Sighing, I start up my car, tapping the side of my ear once more.

"DUSK here. On my way to the pumpkin yokai."