2026-06-10: Whether You Know Them or Not
- Log: 2026-06-10 Whether You Know Them or Not
- Cast: Koh Katsuhiro, Yanagi Nagisa
- Where: Paulownia Mall
- OOC Date: June 10, 2026
- IC Date: Thu Nov 22 2012
- Summary: While minding a victim of Apathy Syndrome, Koh encounters the eccentric Yanagi at Paulownia Mall.
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
Evening at Paulonia is busy, a steady trickle of adults and local teenagers that pass under the great dome to engage in acts of commerce. Many a Gekkoukan student whiles away the hours here, and tonight Koh is one of them.
He is, at present, lingering near the fountain that serves as the center of the complex. The young man has eschewed the benches, instead perched on the rim of the fixture. Next to him are two cups, their paper sleeves indicating they came from the cafe nearby.
One of them might belong to the young man he's sitting with. Though 'with' is doing some legwork--the other student sways listlessly, eyes downcast toward the basic of the fountain. It appears, for all intents and purposes, that the other student doesn't know or care that he either has company or is presently alive. Even if Koh does wave a hand in front of his face every now and then.
It's probably not normal--but also not unique on Tatsumi Port Island.
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Normal is so boring, anyway. Normal is something anyone can and does do. Being abnormal is where it's at!
It's probably tough to do just about anything when you're this specific flavor of abnormal, though.
Yanagi Nagisa emerges from Mayoido Antiques, waving cheerily behind her at the saleswoman within. Today's outfit is her favorite casual one: a black tube top under a loose off-white silk overgarment that tucks into black leggings and spills over the waist in a cascade of ruffles. Her shoes are snugly fitting lace-up ankle boots with a sneaker-like sole, and her long, wavy ash-gray hair is not just pinned to the side but tied up in a ponytail by a long string of silver and aquamarine ornaments. Similar jewelry adorns her wrists and ears, and she carries a polished walking cane with a handle that looks oddly trigger-like.
She tup-tups through the mall, passing close to the fountain. As she does, she glances at Koh and the Apathy Syndrome victim just as he's casually waving a hand in front of them while sipping on a drink. She turns towards the two with large, curious lead grey eyes.
"Is that someone you know?" she asks. Based solely on who she's looking at, it's hard to tell if she's addressing Koh or the A.S. victim.
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
Koh, distracted by the other student, is soon distracted again by the arrival of more lively company. One that can speak! Coherently, at least.
He decides to answer,since he's the one who can. "Ah, kind of," The boy replies with a wan smile. "I've seen him around, we're not in the same grade." They wear the same uniform at least, though the level of dishevel is sublty different. In that the other boy's was a work of negligence instead of practiced art.
"I was just keeping an eye on him until the cop got back." Singular cop, which Koh indicates with a tilt of his head over toward the koban on the other side of the mall.
"You've seen it on the news, right? About Apathy Syndrome. Poor guy."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Yanagi can at least see that the two are in the same uniform, so it's hardly a random question, asking if they know each other. Even if they don't have a personal acquaintance, they at least attend the same school. There is a sort of kinship in that, that people often get caught up in. She nods once when Koh says kind of, then follows his head-tilt with her eyes towards the police koban.
"Oh, yes. It's impossible to avoid, especially when you come out here," Yanagi replies. She tup-tups over and takes a seat on the other side of the A.S. victim, then leans down with support of her cane to smile at Koh. She has a side purse she's wearing too, strung around her waist by a chain of silver roses; it's hard to carry things when you have a cane without something like that along.
"He isn't going to go anywhere, you know," she remarks, tone conversational. "Why keep an eye on him at all?"
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
The question is a good one, and worth brief consideration. He didn't really think about it before he made it his problem.
"I figured I should make sure he didn't fall in the fountain, or something." A brief, awkward laugh escapes Koh's lips. "I mean if they don't care, someone should." He makes no objection to Yanagi taking seat on the opposite side.
"...And I was waiting for Escapade to open." Which means he likely intends to BREAK THE LAW. Almost certainly given he asks after: "Have you been in there?"
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
Yanagi watches Koh as he stops and thinks about her question. When he answers, she nods. "Why is that someone you?"
Someone should care. It is a kind sentiment--some might even say noble. So often, though, people don't care. Most of the other mall-dwellers are outright ignoring him, as well as Koh and Yanagi. They have their own lives to attend to, after all, and how long can you really look after someone who simply sits there and does nothing all day?
Yanagi isn't telling Koh not to do it, mind. Just why he decided it was going to be him rather than letting someone else make that choice.
She smiles at his conclusion. "I have, with my friends," she confirms. "It's fun! It gets overwhelming quickly, but there's a nice spot upstairs where you can sit and drink ad relax." It's a pain to get up the stairs, but that's why she goes with her friends.
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
"A friend of mine said there was good music. And a fortune teller." The latter being the main reason for the visit. "I've been unlucky lately."
It takes a bit longer to work through the actual question, and Koh reaches to sip at his cooled cup of coffee to buy the time necessary for such introspection.
Unfortunately the time necessary is probably a several normal lifetimes.
So he settles on: "Well. I guess I'd want someone to do it for me." He nods. It's te thing that makes the most sense. "The best way to avoid Apathy Syndrome is not to be apathetic, right?" The beaming smile indicates this is probably a joke.
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"One of those things is certainly there!" Yanagi chirps, of good music and a fortune teller. At least, despite Koh clearly being a student, she hasn't remarked on it not being a place for students. She simply doesn't care about that part. Instead, she wonders, "Do you think the fortune teller would not just tell your fortune but tell you how to improve it?"
At least Yanagi is willing to wait for the answer while Koh sips on his drink. She looks over at Chagall Cafe with a thoughtful look. She's not that hungry or thirsty right now, but it's a relatively long train ride back to Tokyo. It might be good to get something to-go.
"I see," she replies. She tilts her head at him at his joke; when she takes in his smile, she smiles back. "I don't think it has anything to do with it, but it's a nice thought, bringing the behavior you want directed towards you out into the world. It's better than being cruel because no one can stop you from being that way."
Yanagi has known an unfortunately large number of people like that.
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
"I didn't really think about it, to be honest. I suppose if it's my fortune it's going to happen whether I know it or not. But, I thought it'd be fun." It doesn't bother him that it might be pointless. Much like his current task.
Doing something is always better than doing nothing, after all.
"But, I mean--yeah. That's right." He seems satisfied with her assessment. He's come to that one himself. "Why make things worse."
His drink is finished, and then he takes the other. He doesn't think the dazed student will get to it anytime soon.
"I should probably move him over to the koban," Koh muses. "Shouldn't be too hard."
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
"Hmm... I see." Without an ounce of malice, Yanagi remarks, "You don't think about much, do you?"
Rude, but maybe not unfair, given how that's how he's responded a couple of times now. Still--
"Doing things because they seem like they'd be fun is a worthwhile reason to do something." She smiles a sparkling smile. "Life is short!"
For the two of them, shorter than most. So why make things worse indeed?
"Okay!" With some effort, Yanagi leans forward and rises to her feet with the aid of her cane. She doesn't offer Koh help with moving the A.S. victim; it's probably not hard to guess why. "I'll leave you to it, then. Goodbye!"
And with that, she resumes on her way. An odd woman, but maybe not that odd to someone like Koh.
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
"Aha...nope." Koh, given all the things he has to think about, simply decided it was best to not.
"Goodbye!" His farewell is equally warm, a brief raise of a hand before he's shuffling the zombie-like young man over to hand him off to the police.
There'll be more after this one. But he'll be around to help for a little while longer.