@junpei | video

[coolerjunpei]

[Good day city-zens, it's User Name Junpei here with another paranoid rant about god only knows what. Just kidding, he's laser focused his paranoia these days, so, ahem:]

Hi, uh, I'm Junpei, if you didn't know. [A brief pause, while he internally laments that he will never get his goddamn codename, but okay. He's made peace with it. He holds up two fingers.] Two things.

[He leans forward and his head and shoulders go out of frame for a moment, while the rustling of papers can be heard somewhere beyond the camera. Should he have gathered his materials beforehand? Yes, for sure, but such is life. Enjoy this view of his t-shirt while he swears and drops something back there...

When he leans back into frame he doesn't hold anything up just yet.]

First, since it looks like people are going missing now, do you guys think we should have... I don't know, a system? To keep track of each other? I don't mean something like the buddy system— [Although he doesn't NOT mean the buddy system, always investigate mysterious liminal cities with a friend!!--] —But... something. Besides running around looking for signs every time. We need to figure out where they're going.

[He's convinced they're still in the city but Taken Somewhere, you see. Where, though... mmm. Workshopping that. He sits there looking grim for a beat, then sighs himself out of it and lifts up one of his papers.

It has beautiful birds drawn on it. Some people may recall his canary symbol idea from Setsuna's meeting, ahem...]

Second is... this. Somebody out there's gotta be better at drawing a bird than me. If you see these hung up anywhere... be careful of whatever's around. [Another beat.] And, uh, if anyone wants to contribute to the cause, I'll pay you in beer and gummies? Normal gummies.

[sorry, he has no edibles. also never mind that one can get beer and gummies without joining his danger birds cause. sign up for art club!!!]

Comments

[indwelt]

That's correct. I worked on an anime called Arahato.

[ Which was technically a way to raise funding for the giant mecha they were building in secret, but the average joe doesn't need to know that. ]

It's not particularly well-known outside of my homeworld, but I can show you a few sketches, if you'd like.

[coolerjunpei]

Outside...? So you're one of those guys who's been to space? Huh.

[so they have anime in space... dope.]

But uh, I'll take a look at some sketches, sure. What's it about?

[indwelt]

A few times. It's quite the experience, being in outer space.

[ they got a lotta things out there in space. ]

It was an animated show about the adventures of a gundam called [ you guessed it ] Arahato. It was popular back in the '80s, though you can still run across a few fans these days.

[ dating himself with these timestamps, but whatever. but more importantly, there's a few attachments sent of the same robot, though from different angles. ]

[coolerjunpei]

[He's been to space and he draws gundam anime... This is the coolest old man in the whole city, whoa!! Give Junpei a minute to look at these robots in wonder...]

Did they sell model kits, too? Not that I was any good at those, either... These are really cool.

[Lassoing himself back on topic--] So uh, you'll help with the bird thing?

[indwelt]

[ is he talking to a fellow model kit enthusiast, could it be— ]

There were a few different versions sold, but they weren't nearly as good quality as the ones on the market these days. Are you also interested in building model kits?

[ does he sound kinda excited about this, yeah, a little, don't shame an old man for his nerd hobbies. ]

[coolerjunpei]

[Old man makes anime and gunpla, wow, life goals--]

I uh, had some when I was a kid? They get pretty expensive pretty fast, you know? So it's been a while, but yeah! Now I kind of want to look around for one here...

[do you. do you want to come look for models with him. ahem.]

[indwelt]

[ he may be a boomer but he can pick up on some social cues. ]

If you don't mind the company, I'd be happy to look around with you.

[ please let grandpa come along, he is begging ]

[coolerjunpei]

[Is he about to immediately get up to go look for cool model kits instead of doing the important tasks he's delegated himself here-- absolutely. The network will still be there later.]

Hell yeah, let's go. Have you seen any toy stores? I keep hearing about the mall, but it's not open yet.

[indwelt]

[ this is truly the most exciting thing he'll do all day, possibly even all week. ]

I haven't yet, but there must be one in a city this big. Besides, if they truly want us to keep ourselves busy while we're here, it would be beneficial to provide us with numerous types of entertainment.

[ which apparently includes gunpla ]

[coolerjunpei]

You'd think so, but all the books are blank and there's nothing on TV.

[woe!! anyway.]

You busy right now? I can meet you in front of the laundromat in a few, we can go look around.

[indwelt]

I've got more time than I know what to do with here.

[ which is both a blessing and a curse. so! ]

I'll see you at the laundromat shortly.

-> gunpla action

[coolerjunpei]

Alright, cool. I'll see you soon.

[Hell Yes, it's time to go look for cool toys instead of thinking about his missing friends. Any port in a storm, surely, including tiny plastic pieces and maybe even some tiny tubes of acrylic paint—

Or: Junpei lives above the laundromat, so it's one elevator ride down before he parks himself outside, scouring the Maps app on the phone to try and suss out which one of these generic shops could be a toy store.]

[indwelt]

[ Welt has the disadvantage of coming from further away, so it takes him a little longer to amble his way to the laundromat, though he does give Junpei a small wave when he arrives. ]

Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.

[ He can only move his old man bones so fast... ]

[coolerjunpei]

Oh, hey!

[He gives a little wave back - with his phone, because of the maps. Let's do this, old man.]

I found something that sounds like it could have the right stuff. It's only a couple blocks from here. [He gestures, and turns to head That Way.] So, you make anime and models?

[cool......]

[indwelt]

[ Wow, what a go-getter. ]

Lead the way. [ He'll follow half a step behind, in some sort of weird reverse mother duck and duckling situation. ] And that's right. I didn't actually intend to go into the animation industry but it proved to be surprisingly enjoyable once I was there.

[ And also pretty profitable, to help fund the real mechas he and his team was making. He probably shouldn't talk about something that top secret to a rando though. ]

What got you into models?

[ Aren't the youths of today more into mobile games... ]

[coolerjunpei]

[duckling on his first errand vibes...]

Uh, nothing as interesting as accidentally getting to make my own anime... [okay it's definitely more complicated than "accidentally," he can figure out that much without all the details of The Industry, but dang!!] My mom used to be a real hardass about "educational toys" when I was a kid, so I guess it was inevitable to go from baby's first build-a-toy to the real thing.

[He absolutely didn't have a smartphone until university, but that makes him sound like a dork, soooo...]

[indwelt]

[ Look, he's just happy to be here in the company of someone with the same interests as him. ]

It's not that interesting.

[ When you've died three times and saved the world twice, making an anime truly feels boring in comparison. ]

Besides, you're still young. [ he thinks?? ] There's still plenty of time left for you to have a grand adventure of your own, if that's what you're interested in.

[ Some people just wanna live a nice peaceful life and that's okay too. ]

But it sounds like your moter started you off on the right path.