a guy appear. PLEASE be careful!!!!!!!AHHH!!!! / sumiko &. jouji

As usual, the graveyard is quiet, and so is Jouji. There's a chill in the air, a sort of biting cold, every now and then a gust of wind like ghosts passing through - but that doesn't dissuade them from working, and it won't dissuade grievers from grieving. They don't really believe in ghosts, it all seems far more complex than what people are willing to say aloud.

They have no real say in how somebody makes a living, though. Much to their chagrin.

As of right now, they're dusting off headstones - which doubles as keeping an eye out for anybody who might have someone they need help finding.. Maybe too many people die in Ukishima, with too many graves and twice as many burials, but Jouji still never seems to have any issue getting people to where they need to be.

So, naturally, when they come to find a pink-haired stranger wandering about, they sigh, finish up some menial task, then approach. Jouji only lifts their head when they're within speaking distance, though, clearing their throat.

"Are you lost?" The question is plain and simple, said plainly, and offered simply.

a guy appear. PLEASE be careful!!!!!!!AHHH!!!! / sumiko &. jouji C1053c30

omg wooow cute littledivider for my ADMIN NOTEEEE omggg...feel free to change this in yr reply 2 your liking :-]!!!!!! i can also edit if needed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The pink-haired stranger looks up, a momentary, muted look of surprise on their face as they let out a little, “hm?”
They seem to realize rather quickly, however, what it was that Jouji asked, and their expression turns to a soft smile. They seem to be looking both through Jouji, and Into them as they say, “oh, no, no. I’m just… browsing? Hm, no, that sounds strange… I’m just looking around. Pondering the souls who lived and died, whose tragedies might have motivated their loved ones to achieve great things. It’s such a blessing to serve one’s purpose, isn’t it?” The stranger looks back down at a nearby gravestone, then looks back up. “Forgive me, I’ve gotten distracted. My name is Hidoimoto Sumiko. What sort of person are you?”

Browsing? That is a weird way to put it. They keep a straight face, struggling to brush away the feeling of having somebody's eyes drilled into them, listening intently. Despite their intense gaze, the stranger has successfully earnt Jouji's interest.

They hum in acknowledgement as they speak, providing nothing themself. They do consider interjecting, though. Something about how death really only motivates people to run around looking for things they won't find, but...their mouth stays firmly shut. None of anybody else's business what they think about it all. They just work here.

They follow their gaze and keep it there, thumb running over the inside of their gloved hand.

The name is stored swiftly in their memory, in the same way shopkeepers hastily take whatever coin they hand over. They'll check again for a 'Hidoimoto' among the headstones later, they decide.. Speaking of names - they look back at her suddenly, as if surprised by something.

There's a pause before they speak, running through what'd been said in their mind a few more times. "I'm sorry, I.. Was-...that what you meant to ask?" No 'what's your name'? Nothing normal? Maybe they were here to gawk at a murderer, to come and verify the rumours for themself. Jouji can't blame them. It's not the first time somebody's done it, and it's certainly not the worst thing they could do.. But why not just ask something more straight forward, then?

Really, the end goal is the same. Questioning how they're getting there is just a sign that they're hopelessly wishing for a different outcome. Their shoulders slump. Nothing has been said to incriminate them and they've already completely given up. Typical Jouji behaviour.

Sumiko has gotten very good at reading people over the years. It's what you do, when you're an actor and director. You read the tiny details and the miniscule expressions and you figure out what people are feeling based on them.

However... Jouji's shoulder slump isn't the most subtle expression of emotion that Sumiko has ever seen.

"It was indeed what I meant to ask," she says, "and it's what I always ask. Moral alignment is the most important thing for me to know, in the interest of keeping the balance of a scene. It's rare that I'm met with anything other than a declaration of goodness, however. You're very interesting."

That smile still hasn't faded this whole time. It's soft, and gentle, and as far as Jouji can tell, [i]seems[i] genuine. It's a very odd look for someone in a graveyard, though.

They blink, staring at Sumiko in silence once more. Baffling, is how they'd describe this interaction. There's no doubt in their mind that she's here for some sort of reason, and it's likely not a very good one. Anybody who willingly talks to them never has a good reason for doing so. Other than Mizuki, of course... Save for when she'd invite them to picnics with Eiji.. Not that she would know how awful that is.

...regardless, they find the question hard to parse. "Very interesting..?" They repeat, bringing themself back to the present moment and out of their head. If they're so intriguing, they'd hate to know what Sumiko thinks of herself... The sentiment is quickly buried. Never touched again. Left to rot in some crevice of their mind forever. Awful.

Their thumb is back to rubbing away. What was the point of asking for a 'moral alignment' if people only ever lied about it? It's like asking if an angelic with black feathers and a broken halo had sinned. Redundant.

They sigh. "I'm... not sure how to answer your question.. I'm sorry. It's really not up to me." This is the case with all angelics. though. They're sure many of them can say, with confidence, they are good; with white wings and pretty halos and smiling faces. Many more of them can say that they are bad; wings changed like frostbitten fingers..

They hold their hands together in front of them, avoiding Sumiko's gaze behind thick lenses. They try to stop themself from sounding too dejected as they go to speak again. "...I'm sorry that I can't answer your question." And, really, they're not sure who can.