[All things considered, Ken knew this was probably a bad idea. However, at the same time, he knew that he couldn't refuse his senpai. Not when she was curious about this 'sushi pizza'. That said, he really didn't know how to make this.
Was it simply just rice, fish, and some bread? He didn't know as he gave a long sigh in the longue. Looking at the computer, scrolling information about this was a lot more difficult than he thought.]
[ Is there even such a thing as a thing as a proper methodology for making sushi pizza? Perhaps he's about to find out.
Anyway, here's that familiar voice from behind him - although Mitsuru hasn't gotten close enough to get a proper look at exactly what it is he's looking at on the computer screen yet. ]
You sound a little frustrated. Is there something I can assist you with?
[ Yep, she'd like to think that Ken is studying. Not that she'll ever give anyone the answers to their homework or anything like that. Her idea of help is always more intense tuition from her, until the other person figures out the answers for themselves or loses the will to live. ]
[As he heard a familiar voice, he lowered his head before wondering if he should turn around. Suddenly, it felt like he was trapped.
In the back of his mind, he didn't know what he should say as he feared what his senpai would say if she knew what he was looking up.]
N-No, it's okay! I was just looking something how to make something. I got a little curious about...the food you mentioned a while back.
[Because sooner or later, Mitsuru would ask about it again, right? He might as well try and figure out how to make it before it was too late! Although, from the things he was looking up, it sure looked a lot more complicated than he thought.]
[ A food she mentioned a while back? Right, yes, she remembers. There were two: hamburgers, which she had gotten to try again and found just as perplexing as last time and the other thing... sushi pizza. By process of elimination he must mean the latter - it was certainly the more... mysterious of the two.
Mitsuru smiles, amused. ]
That's very diligent of you. You didn't have to go through such trouble just for me though, I assure you.
That said, I am curious myself - did you find anything about where we might acquire some? [ The thought of making some had crossed her mind but... well, when one grows up with cooks and maids, you're usually less inclined to trust your own skills in the cooking department...
According to some websites, all we need is some rice, fish, some sauce and oil?
[Although, those websites weren't consistent. If anything, they were all variations of the same thing that ranged from using rice paper as the crust to just using flat out pain rice. Not to mention that there were different variations of what kind of fish to use.
With a sigh, he just shook his head.]
But for the most part, a lot of it is us making it without a real recipe. A lot of it different versions of the same thing as there is no uniform way to cook it.
I believe we do have all of those ingredients in the kitchen.
[ Although she can't say exactly what kind of fish... not that that seems to matter given how generally non-specific this seems to be anyway. They can check the fridge and find out. The kitchen isn't exactly a place she spends a lot of time in. ]
Although doing this without a specific, solid recipe seems rather dubious. Are any of these website entries from legitimate chefs? [ No, Mitsuru. Because a legitimate chef probably wouldn't make this. ]
Otherwise we may have to just pick the one with the clearest instructions of the selection.
No, not really, they're made by people who have a pretty creative way of cooking.
[Because really? What kind of chef would make something like this? All he could do was give a small sigh.]
But it seems like we're just going to have to find one with the best instructions. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else we can do.
[And somewhere, Shinjiro is screaming at the idea the both of them are making this.] How about I find a recipe like that and you can get the ingredients?
I see. I'm sure being creative in the kitchen isn't a bad thing though...
[ Except in this instance...
Anyway, she nods. ]
Très bien. I'll go ahead to the kitchen and see what I can find.
[ Which she does, whilst hoping that he can find something resembling an actual recipe. She's actually a little... happy? Strange girl. She doesn't get to try cooking very often, she doesn't have the time nor the skill for it so this is actually quite nice.
There is a small snag that she has spotted - Amada said sauce, at no point did he specify what type of sauce. Just like with the type of fish. That seems like an important piece of information to omit but perhaps it doesn't actually matter? Her search reveals several kinds of sauce: soy, ketchup, a bottle of ready made teriyaki, some kind of jarred tomato-based pasta sauce, something else that looks like it might be mustard...
Still unsure which sauce it could be, Mitsuru gathers all of them together on the worktop.
Everything else is relatively easy to find: there's a bottle of cooking oil by the stove top, there's only one type of fish in the fridge (a few salmon fillets) so that automatically narrows things down and the rice is... well it's in the cupboard where it usually is, except it's now behind a few containers of protein powder that Akihiko had apparently decided to stash in there. Mitsuru makes a mental note to get him to move those later. Honestly, who needs this much protein powder? ]
[Meanwhile, as Ken continued to look up some recipes, there were a lot that he could choose from. And yet, it didn't seem like any of them would meet Mitsuru's expectations. While he knew that they were going have to guess and make the best judgement, he wasn't sure if his teammate would truly enjoy it. After all, she was someone who was used to fancier things and he wanted to meet her expectations.
After a moment or two, he gave a sigh before going with a certain recipe. It seemed easy enough to follow and there wasn't a lot of prep work to do. Leaning back against his seat, it seemed that this was what he'll go for. Giving a small sigh, that's when he took the laptop and made his way to the kitchen.]
Kirijo-san, I...
[When he looked at the various items around the countertop, he couldn't help but blink a little. Suddenly, the confidence that he had turned downward as he thought if this was truly a good idea or not. Tilting his head to the side, he didn't know how to respond as he didn't want to upset her for how earnest she was in her attempts to get them.]
...I'm sorry, I think I should have mentioned soy sauce. Although, we could try to figure out what kind of other uses for it when we make the sushi pizza.
[ Oh Ken is right, this is absolutely a bad idea but they're all set up now and committed to seeing this monstrosity through to the end!
She gives a small smile and waves a hand at his apology. ]
Not at all. I should have guessed that it would be soy sauce, that makes far more sense given the sushi component of the dish. Although, to be honest pizza made me think of tomatoes.
[ Hence the tomato pasta sauce... and the ketchup. The latter of the two she's probably eaten a grand total of once or twice in total by now - she knows it's made from tomatoes at least. ]
Did you have much luck finding a cohesive recipe? We should check and make sure all of the other ingredients match up.
[In the back of his mind, he was still debating if he should back out from this. If his senpai was already getting tomato sauce out for a sushi pizza, he could tell that this was not going to go well. And yet, he couldn't say no to her. Not when she seems so determined to get this done!
With a sigh, he gave her the computer and showed her said recipe.]
I think this was the best I could find. From what I can tell, we need to pick which one we need to make. Do you want to make one of each one from the recipe or do you want to pick just one?
[With that, he gave a pause or two.]
But I think maybe we should pick just one for now as we can understand the basic steps first before we venture into something else.
I think picking one for now seems the most sensible and measured approach.
[ She's proud of him, except you know, she has no idea that it's less about moderation and being sensible and more to do with the fact that he's trying to mitigate this being even more of a disaster than it's already going to be.
Her eyes scan over the various options. ]
Well... we do have salmon, so perhaps the California roll? Unless we can locate more seafood for the chirashi option.
First of all though, we need to find nori sheets. I suggest we check some more of the cabinets.
But, ah... it seems that Akihiko has been over purchasing protein powders again, so please exercise caution when opening any of the cabinet doors.
[ She doesn't want their youngest member being crushed under an avalanche of protein powders okay? She's already set to give Akihiko an earful as it is. ]
Edited 2023-08-29 21:25 (UTC)
sorry for the late, first week of school is always fun.
I think we can handle that, it seems simple enough.
[After all, wasn't a California roll supposed to be some just crab, avocado, and cucumber? All they could do was replace the crab with some salmon. Giving a small hum to himself, it seemed to be the sensible option.
What other ingredients were there for them to choose from? As he looked toward the soy sauce, he was ready to get started. That said...?]
Don't worry, I'll be fine. I think being dumped with protein powder is the least of my worries....
[Scratching in his to the side, he just hoped that they wouldn't die from making this weird sushi pizza....]
my turn to apologise! manic week at work combined with my brain melting in a random heatwave
Still, I would much rather that didn't occur. If it did, I would have to execute Akihiko.
[ It might be just the imagination, but it does seem like the room becomes a few degrees colder when she says this.
Unfortunately a thorough search of the rest of the kitchen doesn't yield exactly what she's looking for. Time for Plan B. Once she decides exactly what that entails. ]
It seems that we do not have nori sheets.
[ She retrieves the laptop again and opens another tab to do an additional search. Apparently finding what she's looking for worryingly quickly, she reads aloud. ]
According to this list, the following food items are suitable replacements for nori sheets:
Rice paper, soy wraps, tofu skin, lettuce or shiso and cured meats.
[ She pauses. ] I believe there is both lettuce and bacon in the refrigerator. Suppose we try both for the replacement base and see which tastes better?
[ Yeah, this just keeps getting better. This is going to turn out flawless. ]
...I believe I did hear one of the other boys state that everything tastes better with bacon in it... [ Probably Iori. Too fatty for Akihiko, although he probably wouldn't turn it down if offered. Either way, she sounds doubtful of this claim. ]
[...Was it really worth having Akihiko executed over how Ken might have gotten hit with a few packages of protein powder? He didn't know but he rather not fight his senpai about it. Not when he heard things at how scary she can be. With a slight cough, he rather not think about it too much.
Moving on...!
Now that there was a lack of nori sheets, he wasn't too sure how to feel about replacing them with something else. Again, he had heard stories of how Fuuka's cooking could be interesting given how she thinks she can replace a few items here and there.
This will totally be fine, right?]
I suppose lettuce would be better? If we already have fish and rice, it would make sense of add in a little bit of vegetable to balance everything out.
[But then again, what did he know about cooking? Looking at the laptop once more to see if there was anything else, it seems that he didn't have much of a choice. However...]
Wouldn't bacon taste a little weird with fish added on it?
[Because salmon on top of bacon wouldn't taste too well, right???]
[ Her brand of justice is swift and absolutely necessary. Although as Amada hasn't actually, as yet, been crushed by protein powders she supposes she can grant a stay of execution for now... ]
I believe there is such a thing as "surf and turf", is there not?
Although I think you're right. I don't think it would usually contain bacon or salmon as the first choice of combination.
[ Lettuce definitely seems like the safer option, although she is still morbidly curious about the bacon for some reason... she'd never really gotten to experiment much in a kitchen before, perhaps this is that emerging?
She glances at the ingredients they've managed to cobble together, her eyes falling on the very much still intact salmon fillets. ]
As your senpai, I should probably be the one handling the knives. [ Yes, let's disregard the fact that she allows him to fight monsters with a spear on the regular. Chopping food items should definitely be left to her. ]
Yes, that is true but I still don't know about adding bacon to salmon. Although, you seem to really want to try it out.
[Because he wasn't so sure about all of this. Especially when Mitsuru seemed to have a lack of what is seen as "common people food". Regardless, he didn't have to think for long as he heard her talking about using sharp tools.
While he knew she could handle herself, it was certainly another when it came to food.]
Uh....yes I can but if you need help, you can always ask me. I know I'm still young but I think I can manage it?
[That and he wasn't too sure how Mitsuru would handle when it comes to chopping said fish.]
I suppose I'm simply curious about the combination.
[ Disgusting. It'll be disgusting. There is nothing else to be curious about.
Anyway. It's pretty safe to assume that Mitsuru Kirijo has never chopped or sliced a whole salmon fillet in her entire life. Still, how difficult can such a task be? After all, she manages to slice up Shadows pretty effectively and those two things are most definitely comparable...
Besides, to ask for help from one of her juniors, the most junior of said juniors... it's unthinkable. Shameful. She will slice this salmon. ]
Amada, I appreciate your thoughtful offer, but I must decline. I must be the one to slice the salmon.
[ Why is this so serious and dramatic? And she's not even sure which kind of knife to use... she opens up the cutlery drawer and her eyes flicker between the two largest knives in there. One is clearly a serrated bread knife and the other is clearly a cleaver of some description. Neither of these are exactly ideal for the job... but yeah, that's Mitsuru bypassing one of the much smaller and more straightforward knives for the cleaver that is going to make an absolute hatchet job of the fish. ]
[See that? A small shiver ran through his spine as he stared at his elder. Was this what Akihiko and the others felt when she said she was going to execute them? Either way, he wasn't going to argue against that. Not when she was so determined to cut up the piece of salmon.
Taking a small step back, he placed his hands up immediately.]
O-Okay then! Just...be careful!
[With that, he was looking around for some of the other sauces to see what else he could add to make it seem tastier. However, that didn't stop him from looking at Mitsuru as if he was waiting to see if something would happen. But he dared not say a word should he face her wrath.]
[ It feels a little odd to have the youngest SEES member by quite some miles telling her to be careful... it's almost as if he thinks she's completely out of her element here or something.
Which she is. Completely.
Turns out it's pretty difficult to cut salmon into delicate slices with a hatchet knife... the sizes are okay, but by the time she's done cutting them the edges look like they've been mangled by some kind of wild beast. Or Koromaru. ]
Hmm... perhaps a smaller, finer blade would have been better for this task...
[ Definitely. Definitely better. But they can go ahead and pretend that this definitely won't be noticeable when these slices are sitting "pretty" and proudly on top of this sushi pizza mess. As for what else Ken can do besides cooking the rice... ]
I don't believe we have all of the ingredients for this "sauce aurore" the recipe mentions. Perhaps you can pick a suitable substitute? I think the actual sauce is tomato based.
[ Well... they have ketchup. And jarred marinara sauce or something similar. ]
[As Ken kept on looking at Mitsuru, he didn't know if he should say something or not. Despite not having much cooking experience, he knew what she wasn't doing it correctly. Again, he kept his mouth shut unless he wanted to face her wrath...]
It is but I'm not really sure if tomato sauce is good against raw salmon?
[But then again, what he did know? Looking around for whatever sauce he could find, the most he came up with was ketchup. Pushing past the various other bottles, it seems as though there wasn't much he could do. Giving a sigh, he took out the ketchup before shaking his head.
This wasn't going to turn out that well, wasn't it? But at least he could say that they made an attempt?]
We could try to mix it with some other sauces too if the tomato base is too much.
[ It certainly sounds... odd. Never mind the entire recipe being bizarre in itself but hey. Apparently that part is being ignored. ]
But surely the recipe wouldn't steer us wrong? [ Yes. Yes it would. Because the whole concept of a sushi pizza is wrong. ]
Your suggestion seems reasonable though. [ She looks along the row of very unhelpful sauces that she had laid out earlier, now that she's done thoroughly butchering- slicing the salmon fillets. ]
Perhaps... extra soy mixed with the ketchup? That might help to counterbalance the strong tomato flavour. [ By assaulting it with another really strong flavour... seems like it won't go wrong at all... ]
I don't think so but there would always be a possibility that it might.
[After all, he's seen enough of Fuuka's cooking adventures to know that anything could happen. Again, he'll keep that to himself as he looked back at the recipe. So far, they were already somewhat deviating away from what the original ingredients were.]
But I guess we could try that? I never really tried it before. But wouldn't the soy sauce over power the tomato flavor instead?
[Or at least, that's what he thinks but again. Who was he to judge??]
[ Mitsuru hasn't quite reached Fuuka levels of problematic when it comes to cooking. Yet. She certainly doesn't think she can get away with just winging this entire thing at least. The idea that a written down recipe from a "professional" could steer them wrong is disconcerting... then again, they've already had to deviate from it due to lack of ingredients. Still, whoever the recipe author was they seem to think that a tomato based sauce and raw salmon go together...
She looks thoughtful for a moment. ]
Suppose we mix it up in a bowl and try it first? We can taste it and adjust as necessary.
[ That's what chefs do, right? Taste everything. ]
[It seems that he didn't have a choice but to mix them together. Looking at the ketchup and the soy sauce, he dumped out a small amount. As he lightly squeezed the tomato sauce and placed it in a dish, he looked at his leader with reservations.
Afterwards, he poured a tiny amount into the paste before mixing it. He still wasn't sure but...]
Maybe this should be enough?
[He said as if he was gesturing her to give it a taste.]
[ Mitsuru retrieves a spoon from one of the cutlery drawers and promptly takes a spoonful from the dish. Chefs taste their food as they go along after all, she knows that well enough having had the majority of her meals prepared by them for most of her life.
Which is probably why she is so utterly clueless about the rest of this process. ]
Let's see.
[ She raises the spoon to her lips to try the mixture...
[Meanwhile, Ken gave a look at the sauce and then back at Mitsuru before taking another look back at the sauce. He didn't need to know that the taste was probably awful and it was something they really shouldn't have to try again. Still, he took the spoon before attempting to taste said questionable sauce.
As he did so, he couldn't help but give a small wince. Unlike Mitsuru, who was more composed, Ken wasn't. Instead, he'll gave a look before taking a small step back.]
....On second though, let's not do that. I think we can probably just use the tomato sauce instead.
[He said before looking at the ketchup and then back at the raw salmon.]
I think it'll be a lot better than what the sauce we have now. [Please don't make him taste it again.]
[ She is so sorry, Amada. She realises that now she should never have made her junior taste such a monstrosity. The wince is all the evidence that she needs. It's awful. ]
I suggest we banish this concoction from the dish and our minds and palates as quickly as possible.
[ And they haven't even gotten to completing the main event yet and she's already reaching for the water. She fetches a glass of it for herself and Amada, handing him a glass first before quickly taking a sip of her own. ]
... The taste really does linger, doesn't it?
[ Or perhaps it's just burnt onto her brain at this point. Such that no amount of water cleansing can wash it away. ]
[Why did he think this was a good idea? Or why did he think to follow through with all of this? He didn't know but as he took a sip from the water, he couldn't help but shiver a little.
While the taste was going down his throat, it just reminded of him how he had to force himself to drink so much milk.]
...Y-Yes, it does but it's nothing I can't handle.
[He said with a wince before looking back at the dish they made and the sauce.]
But I wonder what we can do with all of this leftover stuff. It seems like a waste.
In the lower levels of one of the Kirijo Group's laboratories, a few scientists lead Mitsuru down a hallway. They offer many hurried apologies as they walk. After all, the girl who they're guiding has just lost her father and is in the process of taking control over the company he once ran, yet here they are preparing to push another responsibility onto her. Mitsuru's been given a manila folder full of information on someone with a familiar name—someone who, quite soon, will be hers to manage.
Kaito Nagano. A third year at Gekkoukan, and a longtime Iwatodai resident. Through elementary and middle school he was a hot-blooded but likeable delinquent. The kind of troublemaker who stuck his neck out for other kids and was considered reliable by those who looked past the fact that he was constantly stirring the pot.
That changed by the time he entered high school. The Kaito that Mitsuru is more likely acquainted with is the taciturn and severe Botany Club president who glares at her with some one-sided ire every time they pass each other in the halls. He never goes out of his way to attack her, but his gaze has made it clear that he has some sort of hangup with her. The files she's been asked to flip through while traversing the halls should offer more context.
The Kaito that she and the scientists are approaching is a Persona User—one who had been under Shuji Ikutsuki's "care" for the last three years. Notes on the front page suggest he's just one of Ikutsuki's many experiments; another soldier, another layer of insurance in his plans. Not the first by far, and unfortunately, not the last.
There's much more in his file regarding detailed tests and their results as well as behavioral observations, but one note that was highlighted is the fact that Kaito's family (a brother, parents, and grandfather) have all fallen under Apathy Syndrome and have been cared for by the Kirijo Group since Ikutsuki took him in.
Eventually, the group reaches a door near the end of the hallway, and inside... ]
[ Within a sterile white room that feels more like a cell than a living space, Kaito lays in bed in blue pajamas. His left arm from the elbow down is locked in a cast, and with his right he's reading some kind of book. The only other signs that his room isn't vacant are a rack of uniforms and casual clothes in one corner, his book bag hanging off a post at the end of his bed, and a night stand with a small, slender case propped open on it.
As Mitsuru and the scientists enter, the redhead will likely notice the Evoker sitting polished inside the box. Kaito turns his head towards the scientists as if to greet them, but his lips purse shut the moment he lays eyes on Mitsuru. He slowly kicks his legs off the bed to sit up. ]
The hell is this? Where's Ikutsuki? [ A beat. He squints past the StuCo president. ] ...You're not his cronies. What's going on?
[ The lead scientist among the group clears his throat. ]
"Ikutsuki-san is no longer with us. Starting today, you'll be reassigned to SEES and put under the direct supervision of Miss Kirijo."
[ His voice is a little shaky, as if he's nervous to be speaking directly to the third year. He and the other scientists have had the time to pore over his files, and the trepidation in their eyes hints that they think they're talking to a barely-restrained attack dog rather than a teenager. Kaito bristles at the mention of Mitsuru, and now the whole group's being scrutinized.
After a moment, he slowly asks: ] Then, are the terms and conditions of my indentured servitude changing? Even if I'm going to be working under my enemy, will you still be handling my family's medical expenses?
[ Sharp golds lock to Mitsuru's auburn. His entire body is tense, like he's ready to spring out of his seat and go for her neck—yet his voice remains level as he awaits a reply. ]
[ Mitsuru had taken the manila folder, read it as diligently as expected of her - nobody would expect anything less from her. It doesn't matter that she feels hollow on the inside, appearances must be maintained. The hurried apologies of the scientists around her might as well fall on deaf ears, although she politely acknowledges them all the same. She is the head of the Kirijo Group now, she must conduct herself with proper decorum, although her inner self feels broken.
Kaito Nagano is indeed a name that is familiar to her; a third year like herself, president of Gekkoukan's Botany Club... also someone who has always seemed to have held an abject dislike for her, for no reason that she was able to place. Now though, reading this file, it's becoming all too clear why he's only ever greeted her with an extremely frosty reception at best.
It's no different when Mitsuru enters the boy's room... if one could call said room that. A cell definitely felt more to what it actually is. Every fibre of his being seems to exude one thing when it comes to her: hatred. She's no stranger to being a polarising figure, everything about her; her family's status, her wealth, her influence... let's just say it has never always brought out a positive reaction in people. But this... this is an abject dislike of her in the extreme.
She's careful not to let any kind of disconcerted feelings on this matter show on her face. The scientists seem afraid of him, this boy, another one of that man's experiments... and wasn't it already going to be hard enough to leave that monster's legacy behind? Now, here she is, face to face with yet another remnant of it.
Yes, the others are definitely afraid of him, it's written all over their face, but Mitsuru... no, she isn't afraid of him. Even with the way he looks at her as he addresses them, as if he's barely containing himself from springing upon her. No, all she feels is... remorse, pity even, perhaps? Nagano might have become Ikutsuki's project, but what had become of his family and in turn him... well, the fault of that lies with her family's legacy. There is no escaping that fact, compounded when he uses the term enemy.
One thing is for certain, no matter how much he might hate her, he's not going to be staying here anymore. Her tone is cool as she addresses him, not hostile, just careful not to betray anything that she's feeling right now, in this moment. ]
All of your family's medical expenses will continue to be handled by the Kirijo Group, of that I can assure you.
Additionally, you will no longer be staying here - instead, you'll be accompanying me to the Iwatodai dormitory upon my return. We will make arrangements to have your belongings moved there accordingly.
[ She casts her eyes around the assembled group of scientists, as if daring them to show some kind of objection. They don't. Though some of their expressions might convey mixed feelings on the matter. ]
[ Something shifts in the teen's gaze, well before she speaks. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and scar-riddled fingers curl into his palms, balling them into trembling fists. His self-control is point for point as measured as hers, for he waits until after all is said to spit his retort. ]
I'm not the kicked dog in this room right now, Kirijo. [ He leans ever so slightly towards her while he speaks, but to the already-anxious scientists he may as well have lunged at their throats. As a group, they shuffle back towards the door. Kaito holds himself there, looking like he wants to say more... but the rage seething in his eyes dies down, and he takes a step back. The malice in his voice is gone; in its place, a faint hint of understanding. ]
Save that pity for yourself, for... whatever the hell it is you're grieving for.
[ Make no mistake—the redhead constructed her facade immaculately. There was nothing to read in either her gaze or her level features. Yet this simply confirms more of Ikutsuki's sins. One of the experiments performed on Kaito awakened a preternatural sense of empathy in him, uncannily accurate to the point of being mistaken for mind reading.
Kaito turns and stoops to grab a luggage case from under his bed. He tosses it on the mattress and flips the lid open before glancing over his shoulder. ]
I accept your terms, though I imagine I didn't have much choice in the matter to begin with. It beats being stared at by those cowards like I'm some starving beast.
[ How does he know? If Kaito's file mentions this particular ability of his then it's not a part that Mitsuru had reached yet during the walk here. As such, she's taken aback for a moment and though she's careful to mask it, she finds herself wondering, questioning whether she's really so transparent in her reactions? In her emotions? Surely not, not when she's had years of practice, years to perfect it - the perfect mask.
Still, losing her father... this was never something she could have prepared for. Although she had always feared that it would come to pass sooner than expected. When the others move back, she doesn't move, keeping her gaze on the boy in front of her, whilst speaking over her shoulder to the gathered group of scientists. ]
Leave us please.
"But Miss Kirijo, we really must insist th-"
Please, do as I ask. Do not concern yourselves, I will be perfectly fine.
[ Naturally, they don't want to leave the head of the company alone in this space but they can't exactly disobey her either. That and they're not exactly unaware of her capabilities. The compromise is them leaving, but remaining right outside the room. Something Mitsuru herself is more than aware of. She turns her attention back to Kaito. ]
It is true that I am grieving but I would ask that you speak not of my personal matters. It is of no concern to you.
[ While she might have detected something like sympathy in his voice, her own is cold, formal, clipped. She had always dealt with things by shutting everything and everyone else out, shouldering the burden alone. Why should anything be any different now? The subject is off the table as far as she is concerned, as bent and broken as she may feel behind the perfect facade. ]
That being said, I am glad that you accept my terms. [ And yes, it's true that he doesn't have much choice in that but... ]
Shuji Ikutsuki is dead. [ She speaks his name with no small amount of venom, despite her relatively measured tone overall still. ] You will not be subjected to any further observation or experimentation. You will live at the dorm in the same manner in which the other members of SEES do - as close to an ordinary high school student experience that we can manage, given the circumstances.
[ The discomfort that comes from the feedback of her emotions is just slightly trumped by the satisfaction that swells from watching her (inwardly) squirm. Kaito's empathy is a curse that almost rivals his Persona in severity, causing him constant migraines and forceful emotional overflow just from touching someone. She'll see it all and more eventually, so he's happy to take in this small, petty victory while he can.
But it's a hollow victory, all said and done. The pain that gnaws at her is most certainly from the loss of someone close, and even he isn't so cruel as to feel nothing over it.
Either way, Kaito's pulled out of his thoughts by the girl's icy tone. It's far too familiar. ]
Suit yourself. I don't really care. But for your sake, you'd better have someone you can confide in. A lone tower is doomed to crumble—and become a liability on the battlefield.
[ ...The third year's lips twist downward, thoughtful. He didn't have to add that latter part. 'Stop being so soft.'
If the news of Ikutsuki's passing shocks him, he certainly doesn't show it. In fact, that impassive expression of his hasn't shifted much since calming down and acquiescing to his new assignment. Still, hearing her voice match his furor from earlier...
Rather than continue to stare at Mitsuru and make presumptions, Kaito begins to grab his clothes and begin folding them. ]
Should I be thankful that one of my demons has been erased? That I can live an "ordinary high school student" life? Please. All this means for me is that my collar and leash are being passed from one pair of hands to the next. There's no such thing as ordinary for us, Kirijo. Not while these Personas lurk in our heads, and not while Shadows still exist.
[ While the rhetoric is harsh, his tone remains level. In little time, he has his suitcase packed full with his clothes, books, and Evoker. The only item left signifying his existence in the room is a small, well-trimmed bonsai on a dresser near the door. Kaito zips his suitcase shut and lugs it onto the floor.
Golds find their way back to the heiress. ]
Let's clear the air before I move in. I don't like you. I hate everything your family and company has done to ruin my life and the lives of everyone who's been affected by Apathy Syndrome. But I don't care who's giving me orders at the end of the day, whether it's you or Ikutsuki or that transfer student who's leading SEES. It doesn't matter. I'm gonna be fighting to the crack of someone's whip until the Dark Hour's gone or I'm gone.
That's all I've got left for me, Kirijo—so use me like the weapon I am.
I thank you, for your concern - despite your professed lack of care.
[ Despite everything, his words do manage to strike a cord somewhere deep within her. How many times had her father told her something similar? That she needed to open herself up to others and accept their help... yet somehow she still remains so reluctant to do so. In the days since he had died, had she not been avoiding the others? Avoiding their concerned faces, their expressions of sympathy...
And she's still doing that now. ]
Your feelings are understandable.
[ Her answer is like that of a politician - careful, evidently well-trained in how to react to such a statement of dislike... or how not to react rather. That being said, her response is truthful. It is understandable. How ashamed had she been of the legacy her family had left upon this world after all? That being said, nobody likes to be told how much they are disliked personally, yet with all that she has been through over these few days, with all that she has lost... it's as if she's become numb to it. She had already been struggling with her will to carry on the fight, rising to this... well, it only seems pointless. ]
An apology from me no doubt means little to nothing to you in the face of your and your family's suffering but regardless, I offer it. I've sought only to atone for my family's grievous mistakes up till now.
I have no desire to "use" you as you put it. But if as a weapon is how you wish to proceed, then so be it.
I will return to the dorm just to make the necessary introductions to the rest of SEES, although you will have already seen many of them at school.
I will be scarce for a while - much to your relief I am sure. I have business to attend to. Our leader is more than capable of overseeing you and ensuring that you settle in.
[ Funeral arrangements for her father... adjusting to the idea of taking over a business empire years earlier than she had ever thought she would... contemplating her own role with SEES going forward... that kind of thing... ]
I care in the capacity that I won't let you drag me down.
[ His reply snaps out an instant after her reply leaves her lips. He does sympathize with her, but in his mind it's purely out of coincidence. There's no other basis for it. He knows when someone's running away. Their steps are far too familiar not to recognize.
If he were properly looking to make her atone in a facetious manner, this apology would ring hollow. It still does, forthright as her delivery may be—but the motivation to hound her for a more emphatic response just isn't there. She's too beaten to show her emotions, and he's too burned out to show his.
Beyond that, there's something else. Two words that dig into his conscious. To atone. They twist his stomach into knots, batter at his cold countenance until he can no longer maintain his icy glower.
Kaito swallows back the bile bubbling bubbling in his throat. ]
...I'll accept your apology when this is all over, [ he murmurs; a sharp departure from his severe tone. ] When the Dark Hour is gone, and my loved ones regain the lives you... your family's actions robbed them of.
[ There's no snark for the rest of her words. He's finished antagonizing her for tonight. Kaito takes a seat on his bed and props his arms on his suitcase. ]
I know them all. Ikutsuki made sure I was keen on all of your field capabilities.
[ A beat. Golds turn away in favor of a nonexistent spot on the immaculate wall. ]
Rest assured, the Dark Hour will be gone. I will take responsibility for my family's actions and the lives that have been affected by them.
If you know every member of SEES as you say you do, then you would know I do not drag anyone down. Nor do I run from anything.
[ It's odd really. There is clearly nothing between them that resembles any kind of friendliness, nor does it seem like there ever will be. Yet Mitsuru finds his harsh comments... oddly helpful. There is a part of her that wants to run, she knows that feeling is lingering within her, just below the surface. This boy's comments... well, she'd just have to make doubly sure that she does no such thing.
Her gaze turns to the only object left in the room that appears to be his. The bonsai. ]
We leave shortly. [ It's not a suggestion. ] Do you intend to bring the bonsai with you?
[ Despite the hostilities she's still Mitsuru. Still the elder sister figure of SEES, still checking that he hasn't forgotten something that might be important to him. ]
[ There's no excitement in his tone; even if there was, he imagines she wouldn't take it at face value. Golds follow Mitsuru's gaze to the dresser and the solitary bonsai sat upon its surface.
Without missing a beat, Kaito strides over, flicking his wrist. An orange Zippo worn with dents and scuffs falls into his gloved grasp. The scratch of metal against flint ignites a flame that he sets to the foilage. It spreads in an instant, greedy and ravenous.
The third year pockets his lighter and drags himself and his luggage next to her. ]
And now Ikutsuki's out of both our lives.
[ Quiet steps lead him out of his prison. He doesn't spare the eavesdropping scientists a single breath. ]
[ She watches that bonsai go up in flames, her eyes narrowed -of all the idiotic, stupid things to do- Of course one of the scientists steps right back into the room to hurriedly put it out with an extinguisher. If they hadn't then it would have set off the other safety measures, automatic sprinklers and such. A facility like this should be easily prepared for something as simple as a fire after everything else that had gone wrong in the past.
Mitsuru wastes no time catching up and rounding on him. ]
What on earth are you thinking - doing something so incredibly foolish?
[ Is this idea of making a point? If so, she's not impressed. Her steely-eyed expression says just as much as she attempts to step in front of him, in his tracks. ]
Let me speak plainly to you.
If you are in any way a risk to the dormitory and especially its inhabitants, Nagano, then I will have zero qualms about destroying that lighter and sending you right back to this facility.
Do I make myself clear?
[ Her family's guilt be damned. She's not accepting someone who might be a danger to the rest of SEES if it came to it. The thought of a fire of all things... after what had happened to Akihiko when he was a child... it doesn't bear thinking about. ]
[ Kaito eases to a halt after she strides past and steps in his path. The fire may be put out, a smolder remains in his gaze as his features light up. ]
Speaking plainly now, are we? What should I make of everything else?
[ Golds narrow, but his smile continues to sharpen. ]
You couldn't be clearer if you were invisible, Kirijo. Make no mistake: I'll fight and die for SEES' objectives. If it means we beat the Dark Hour, I'll throw myself in front of every Shadow.
But this place? I could care less what happens. If it burns, it burns—and all the better. It's not SEES. It's Kirijo Group. It's below the dirt to me. I won't let those lines cross.
[ A beat. Kaito lowers his shoulders and relaxes a bit, awaiting whatever reaction his words have struck in her. ]
Anything else you'd like to emphasize?
please forgive my slowness ;; manic week plus brain dead in random heatwave
[ His words do strike a chord with the redhead - how can they not when she had been raised to always put the Kirijo Group and its preservation first? Before anything else in her life; her relationships, her wants, her desires, all of it...
Still, Mitsuru never expected anyone else to understand that. Let alone someone who had been affected by the group the way that this young man has. She takes a calming breath, rarely one to ever lose her temper or overreact. Such a reaction simply wasn't dignified, never let them see you sweat, all of that she had been taught and made her the kind of person she is.
When she speaks again, she does so clearly, calmly, despite any sudden flare of emotions she might have felt on the inside. How many times in the past had she wished that Kirijo Group had never existed after all? Or that she could run away from it? How would she really feel if the entire thing were burned away and turned to ashes? ]
I do not expect you to even remotely care about the Group after what you've endured. But any displays of wanton destruction will not be tolerated by me.
[ She moves to stand to one side again, folding her arms. ]
While you are with SEES you are under the command of our field leader and of myself. Watch yourself.
I do not expect you to like or trust me, or any of us, I just expect you to follow our rules.
That is all I have to say on this matter. Let's make haste and get out of here before you're liable to set fire to something else.
[ Kaito tilts his luggage forward and renews an unhurried shuffle. Look at her try to recompose herself as if the facade hasn't already cracked. He's more than satisfied with this rebuttal. Knowing that the indomitable Ice Queen of Gekkoukan is far from what her reputation implies is good enough for him.
If he finds a reason to stoke that fire again, he'll know just how. Or so he thinks. ]
And the only flammable thing I see nearby is your temper.
[ Teeth flash in a grin devoid of sincerity as he passes her once more. Thrown over his shoulder: ]
[ In going through each of the clubs in turn and addressing each of their respective presidents, the Student Council president had kept things short and concise. It isn't as though she hadn't left room for negotiations for those who had their budget increase requests rejected... they just had simply chosen to immediately back down. Because the truth is Mitsuru Kirijo is intimidating. She's not trying to be, in this situation at least, she just is.
Truthfully, she's disappointed. As president, student well being is a priority, but so is managing club budgets with a sensible and measured approach. She could approve increases with justification. Yet it seems those assembled have been unwilling to really put in a fight for their clubs, to show their commitment.... So when it's the turn of the Botany Club's President, she decides to switch gears.
Kaito Nagano. Nobody here knows the extent of her... relations with her fellow third year, Mitsuru would very like to keep it that way. However, some overruling part of her simply can't resist the urge to engage with him. Her mahogany eyes meet his across the table and while her expression conveys nothing but cold, aloof neutrality, her being itself is conveying something very different to him... ]
This is a proposed budget increase of over 10%, Nagano. How do you justify such a significant jump in expenditure in such a short period?
[ Of course she can't stop herself making these things sound like an actual business meeting between departments...
There's a palpable change in atmosphere in the room at her words to Nagano. None of the other club leaders had been asked to justify their proposals so directly... ]
[ Club president meetings are one of the most boring events of Kaito's month.
At least, that's how Kaito used to feel before joining SEES. Nowadays, with the nightly runs to Tartarus and, uh, other extracurricular activities, the third year has come to appreciate these quiet opportunities to listen to his arch nemesis drone on about budgets in her alluring voice—
Wait, what? What were we talking about???
Oh. Right. Mitsuru's just set her gaze on him, and past the frigid facade of Gekkoukan's icy empress, he sees the spark of something else. Tugging his gloves on tighter, the Botany Club's president stands up, turns his chair around, then plops down to rest his arms and head on the back. ]
If you double check my report, Kirijo, you'll see that the club has gained five more students. That puts us to twenty-nine, which is an approximately twenty-one percent increase in members, and each of those five will need enough supplies to start growing two plants.
[ He waggles a gloved finger, and the student next to him gawps at such a (perceivably) insulting motion towards the redhead. Kaito, however, remains as casual as, uh, something casual. ]
And if you recall, this past summer saw several heat waves that damaged the rooftop planters and their contents. Despite our best efforts to reverse the damage, several of those flowers have died this past month and will need replacing.
Ten percent seems pretty reasonable for this month's needs. That is, unless you want the roof to lose its color through winter?
[ Golds gleam with a challenging shine. The corners of his lips curl in a small smile. If she wants to stir the pot in front of all the other club leaders, he's more than happy to oblige. ]
[ Mitsuru's not even sure why she feels the need to challenge him on something as simple and mundane as his club budget. The school has the funds, she should know that better than anyone here because of her family, regardless of her role as Student Council president. This certainly isn't the older equivalent of a pair of elementary school students pulling each other's hair in the playground because they don't know how to express themselves any other way... certainly not.
When he mentions the increase in club members, she's struck by the staggeringly inappropriate urge to roll her eyes. Although she doesn't, not outwardly anyway because Mitsuru Kirijo would never. Right, the girls. She should have known. Having to allocate a large portion of the school's budget for what is essentially his Fan Club... ]
Of course I don't. I would never seek to deprive the student body of something that increases their well being. That and I know just how hard you and your club members work on those plants and how it's their singular focus...
[ It isn't. They both know it isn't and she's letting him know in no uncertain terms. The plants are just a side project for some of his members, him being the actual focus. Why does that bother her? ]
But perhaps if you are to take such a large percentage of the club budget then you might see fit to invest in some sturdier specimens this time around.
[ Unlikely that he could have avoided it anyway, a palm tree might have wilted in those heat waves but nobody said she was being reasonable here. ]
[Life moves in cycles for most - blurs, blanks and vivid flashes intertwined in a cacophony of experiences that make up someone's existence.
His was blurs and blanks, overwhelming muk in murky waves and apathy that pushed it forward. Moments of reprieve that feel like he's stuck in a madman's dream and crashes of reality that remind him it can't be the case.
So he can't really connect the dots between point a and b, when there's never been a clear place to put down those roots, and figure out when things started to work. Can't peg the moment clarity that became the norm or figure out how in the series of rushed meetings, clipped conversations, fights and shared goals that made things end up-
With Akechi laying on his on the living room floor of their shared unit, face propped up with one arm and the other watching an unsubtitled tutorial in a rapidly spoken language he can't place. The clip is shaky, cloudy, and at a resolution that feels suited for the early 2000s, not whatever year this is.
He's turning this situation into something more manageable though - making a metaphorical mental hitlist. The 'build your own' furniture site that he's assured is closer to black market than retail and the salesperson there who gave him a look before saying he should hire out the installer at the top. Akira makes a surprise appearance because why not. Number three this time though - that's progress.
A finger presses against the rewind button again to try and glean out the bullshit on this darkened screen.
The mess around him is organized. Somewhat. Different panels strewn on the floor in varying sizes, nails and bolts organized neatly on a coffee table behind him, and the inky mess of an instruction booklet that met its fate during a well timed downpour.]
Perhaps it's too much to ask that the internet provide something useful. [Rewind. Brighten. Playback speed 0.5.] It seems it's only good for manipulating the public and getting engagement on food blogs. What a shame.
[Which is a super normal reaction to have when trying to put a bookcase together from a shady market dealer. Very normal. He's doing great.]
[ Mitsuru had let him handle the bookcase purchase - and all potential drama that would come with that apparently. She should have expected the latter but it had seemed like such a straightforward, simple enough task to trust him with that nothing could possibly go wrong.
As it turns out, sometimes her judgement could actually be way off.
She's been pretending not to observe him too closely each time she passes through the living room - on this occasion on her way to the kitchen to make tea. Occasionally she glances towards where he's camped out on the living room floor. How many times has he hit that rewind button now?
Mon dieu.
Enough is enough apparently. ]
You know, I can simply ask Kikuno to purchase an already assembled bookcase for us?
[ Her ever faithful and super organised maid takes care of everything else after all. Herein follows a short pause. ]
... It's still not too late for me to do that.
[ She's sure she can arrange to have the half-assembled mess returned easily enough. Few people say no to a Kirijo after all. ]
[The answer is immediate and he doesn't entertain the suggestion in the slightest. He started this. Began the day with one singular goal in mind and will not end, will not relent, will not sleep until this bookcase is put together. It's a rectangle made of wood slabs and nails. It's not rocket science.]
I used to be a detective. Do you truly have no faith in my ability to figure out how to stick a few slabs of wood together?
[Said as he's splayed around those wooden slabs and a collection of tools that have gone untouched since his decision to violently replay this video. He chooses not to look at the evidence around him.]
Returning or replacing this piece is simply out of the question.
[ Mitsuru sighs, taking a seat on the couch opposite. Thankfully something that had arrived in tact and hadn't needed assembling. ]
Yes, you were quite exceptional at that. [ Said in the tone of voice of someone who might have had a conversation akin to this one with him more than once before... ]
Which makes it perfectly acceptable for you to excel in one area and not so much at DIY tasks...
[ He's not the only one. Honestly, there's a reason she hasn't at any point attempted to assist him with what he's trying to do. She knows where her own strengths lie and that is firmly with more intellectual and theoretical pursuits. Mitsuru had never attempted to assemble a piece of furniture in her life. ]
I just thought we might spend the day doing something more preferable.
[ Yes, she is more than implying that it is going to take him all day to figure this out. ]
[First of all, he isn't even going to comment on the implication of this taking the entire day. It's taken the entire morning - he'll grant her that. Time isn't an offense he can ignore when it's ticking away on the tiny screen in his hands.
He pushes himself up until he's kneeling near the pieces again, lining them up like the shoddy picture quality is showing on his phone. Giving up isn't an option - wasting all day doing this also isn't what he prefers to do. Returning it? He would rather traverse through mementos blindfolded.]
Did you have something in mind? I don't recall us having any plans for today and the weather certainly isn't conducive to any outdoor activities.
[A hand falls under his chin for a moment before eyeing a weird nail that looks like the other weird nails in the blurry video. He snatches it up.]
Although I did hear a new sushi restaurant was opening in Kichijoji today from a bartender at Jazz Jin. He seemed quite excited for it. We should visit sometime.
Well, I thought we might do something spontaneous…
[ Who is this person and what has she done with Mitsuru Kirijo? ]
The new sushi place sounds like an excellent idea to me. We should go today - why miss the grand opening after all?
After that I will make a booking for us at a spa-resort. We can have dinner there and spend the night perhaps.
[ No, she is most certainly not plotting ways in which to get him out of the house for the rest of the day and into the evening if necessary so she can have her army of Kirijo staff come in and take care of furnishing the entire apartment. Let alone the terrible bookcase. Whatever gave you that impression? ]
The precision of her attack is relentless - all his favorite words hitting his mind like a rapidfire bufudyne. The mess in front of him looking more unappealing by the second in lieu of spending his afternoon in a high class resort with gourmet sushi.
This is a dynamic he's unaccustomed to. One that led to some intense fights early on, as he was unwilling to be lead in any scenario. They've moved into a comfortable neutrality in regards to this, and more often than not she's right.
That's the worst part of all.
But not this time.]
No, this matter is far from settled. Do you think I can be so easily swayed? All those things can wait until tomorrow or you're welcome to go on your own. You don't need to stay on my account. I'll be done by the time you return.
She's listening to him, mostly, but it's also clear that she is nowhere near about to let the matter rest. Not if that smile is anything go by. ]
I hear the chef at the resort makes the most wonderful pancakes - some of the best in the city so I'm told. Light, fluffy, utterly sublime...
[ She lets each adjective hang delicately in the air for a moment before continuing. ]
I was going to arrange to have some sent up to our room in the morning.
[ Another charming smile. You know, the kind she probably uses to finish up a meeting when her board members are being particularly troublesome. No more negotiations. ]
Turns out hearing that this might be your last month ever on this mortal plane really does bring its own entirely unique frantic mix of emotions, nearly all of which seem impossible to describe or parse right now. There was fear certainly - Mochizuki had given them all of the information he could, yet the coming of Nyx still remains a terrifying and unknown prospect. How could it not be?
Then there was the determination they all shared, the belief that they could defeat her. That this wouldn't be the end.
But what if it is? Mitsuru had always been a pragmatist, Mochizuki had made the odds of their success plain to all who had been assembled that night. He had said it was impossible for them to win and he meant it. That means that a part of the Kirijo heiress has to accept her own mortality, accept the possibility that there is a very real chance that none of them would be coming back from this.
Everyone had already gone to bed following Arisato's decision but that doesn't mean that the redhead had been able to find any kind of slumber since she had retired to her room. She hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to Akihiko alone since the verdict had been delivered. They had shared so much, it didn't seem right that they didn't talk this over between them privately before they really did try and sleep.
Who knows though? Maybe Akihiko really was as confident as ever and had just gone to sleep without a single iota of doubt in his head. Still, Mitsuru is going to take the chance that he might still be awake and knock very lightly on his door. She doesn't want any of the other boys overhearing after all. She's not entirely sure why but the need for this to be private suddenly seems paramount... ]
(Akihiko would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit concerned about the upcoming battle. It's easy enough to be confident, to say that the entire team were strong and coherent enough to take down whatever got thrown their way. But the pieces on the chessboard changed with Mochizuki and his information, the mentions of Nyx and the overarching chaos it would bring. The options given to them had been dramatic too; die not knowing it was going to happen, or to battle.
Arisato had made the right choice; Akihiko knows he would rather take the chance and, if it happened, go down fighting until his last breath. As for the others, it's difficult to know what they're thinking. Each of them had their own way of coping with things and Akihiko can't claim he's fully coherent with the potential End of Days looming. He even burned rice that evening, distracted by thoughts of battles and strategies to pay much heed to stirring the food.
Akihiko huffs quietly at his ceiling, staring at it as if that part of his room will suddenly unveil all the answers if looked at hard enough. Sleep is eluding him and eventually he rolls over, giving his pillow a firm punch as if the action itself would bring a few hours of rest. Being tired won't help reflex times and Akihiko finds himself staring at the wall instead. Dammit.)
Hm? (The small knock at his door isn't missed and he welcomes the distraction, getting out of bed to crack the door open a few inches. There's no surprise to see Mitsuru standing there and Akihiko steps back, opening the door to allow the redhead to step inside.) Something wrong?
[ Mitsuru can't help but smile wryly at the question he asks as she steps into his room. ] That's a rather loaded question, is it not?
[ Where does she even begin to describe how many things are wrong right now? Akihiko could be dense when it comes to certain things, hardheaded certainly but she's sure in this case that there are no prizes for guessing what is keeping her sleepless tonight.
She doesn't come into his room all that often, they usually keep their mingling to the more communal areas, but never the less the familiar sights in his room are oddly comforting. His many boxing trophies, his protein powder tubs and the ever present workout equipment that she had told him time and time again not to have in his room lest the floor give out- it's all so very him. They had been ever present in each other's lives since junior high now, it's too hard to comprehend that everything they'd known, everything they had been fighting together to achieve up until now might be all for naught.
But she can't let herself think that way. ]
I am sorry for disturbing you so late, Akihiko. I just couldn't sleep... and I figured you might be awake too.
[ She pauses, that usual calm, aloof demeanor of hers fading away a little just for a moment as she looks at him. ]
...Would it perhaps be alright if I stayed for just a little while? Unless of course you were about to fall asleep, in which case I will take my leave now.
[ How does she even begin to admit that she doesn't want to be alone right now? That of all the people she knows he is one of those she trusts the most and right now, after receiving the worst blow since her father had died, she just wants to be in the boxer's company a while... ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Let me know if this is okay!
Was it simply just rice, fish, and some bread? He didn't know as he gave a long sigh in the longue. Looking at the computer, scrolling information about this was a lot more difficult than he thought.]
lmao perfect! poor ken
Anyway, here's that familiar voice from behind him - although Mitsuru hasn't gotten close enough to get a proper look at exactly what it is he's looking at on the computer screen yet. ]
You sound a little frustrated. Is there something I can assist you with?
[ Yep, she'd like to think that Ken is studying. Not that she'll ever give anyone the answers to their homework or anything like that. Her idea of help is always more intense tuition from her, until the other person figures out the answers for themselves
or loses the will to live. ]no subject
In the back of his mind, he didn't know what he should say as he feared what his senpai would say if she knew what he was looking up.]
N-No, it's okay! I was just looking something how to make something. I got a little curious about...the food you mentioned a while back.
[Because sooner or later, Mitsuru would ask about it again, right? He might as well try and figure out how to make it before it was too late! Although, from the things he was looking up, it sure looked a lot more complicated than he thought.]
no subject
Mitsuru smiles, amused. ]
That's very diligent of you. You didn't have to go through such trouble just for me though, I assure you.
That said, I am curious myself - did you find anything about where we might acquire some? [ The thought of making some had crossed her mind but... well, when one grows up with cooks and maids, you're usually less inclined to trust your own skills in the cooking department...
Rightfully so in this case. ]
no subject
[Although, those websites weren't consistent. If anything, they were all variations of the same thing that ranged from using rice paper as the crust to just using flat out pain rice. Not to mention that there were different variations of what kind of fish to use.
With a sigh, he just shook his head.]
But for the most part, a lot of it is us making it without a real recipe. A lot of it different versions of the same thing as there is no uniform way to cook it.
[Which...could spell trouble.]
no subject
[ Although she can't say exactly what kind of fish... not that that seems to matter given how generally non-specific this seems to be anyway. They can check the fridge and find out. The kitchen isn't exactly a place she spends a lot of time in. ]
Although doing this without a specific, solid recipe seems rather dubious. Are any of these website entries from legitimate chefs? [ No, Mitsuru. Because a legitimate chef probably wouldn't make this. ]
Otherwise we may have to just pick the one with the clearest instructions of the selection.
no subject
[Because really? What kind of chef would make something like this? All he could do was give a small sigh.]
But it seems like we're just going to have to find one with the best instructions. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else we can do.
[And somewhere, Shinjiro is screaming at the idea the both of them are making this.] How about I find a recipe like that and you can get the ingredients?
no subject
[ Except in this instance...
Anyway, she nods. ]
Très bien. I'll go ahead to the kitchen and see what I can find.
[ Which she does, whilst hoping that he can find something resembling an actual recipe. She's actually a little... happy?
Strange girl.She doesn't get to try cooking very often, she doesn't have the time nor the skill for it so this is actually quite nice.There is a small snag that she has spotted - Amada said sauce, at no point did he specify what type of sauce. Just like with the type of fish. That seems like an important piece of information to omit but perhaps it doesn't actually matter? Her search reveals several kinds of sauce: soy, ketchup, a bottle of ready made teriyaki, some kind of jarred tomato-based pasta sauce, something else that looks like it might be mustard...
Still unsure which sauce it could be, Mitsuru gathers all of them together on the worktop.
Everything else is relatively easy to find: there's a bottle of cooking oil by the stove top, there's only one type of fish in the fridge (a few salmon fillets) so that automatically narrows things down and the rice is... well it's in the cupboard where it usually is, except it's now behind a few containers of protein powder that Akihiko had apparently decided to stash in there. Mitsuru makes a mental note to get him to move those later. Honestly, who needs this much protein powder? ]
no subject
After a moment or two, he gave a sigh before going with a certain recipe. It seemed easy enough to follow and there wasn't a lot of prep work to do. Leaning back against his seat, it seemed that this was what he'll go for. Giving a small sigh, that's when he took the laptop and made his way to the kitchen.]
Kirijo-san, I...
[When he looked at the various items around the countertop, he couldn't help but blink a little. Suddenly, the confidence that he had turned downward as he thought if this was truly a good idea or not. Tilting his head to the side, he didn't know how to respond as he didn't want to upset her for how earnest she was in her attempts to get them.]
...I'm sorry, I think I should have mentioned soy sauce. Although, we could try to figure out what kind of other uses for it when we make the sushi pizza.
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She gives a small smile and waves a hand at his apology. ]
Not at all. I should have guessed that it would be soy sauce, that makes far more sense given the sushi component of the dish. Although, to be honest pizza made me think of tomatoes.
[ Hence the tomato pasta sauce... and the ketchup. The latter of the two she's probably eaten a grand total of once or twice in total by now - she knows it's made from tomatoes at least. ]
Did you have much luck finding a cohesive recipe? We should check and make sure all of the other ingredients match up.
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With a sigh, he gave her the computer and showed her said recipe.]
I think this was the best I could find. From what I can tell, we need to pick which one we need to make. Do you want to make one of each one from the recipe or do you want to pick just one?
[With that, he gave a pause or two.]
But I think maybe we should pick just one for now as we can understand the basic steps first before we venture into something else.
[And you know. Prevent any screw ups.]
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[ She's proud of him, except you know, she has no idea that it's less about moderation and being sensible and more to do with the fact that he's trying to mitigate this being even more of a disaster than it's already going to be.
Her eyes scan over the various options. ]
Well... we do have salmon, so perhaps the California roll? Unless we can locate more seafood for the chirashi option.
First of all though, we need to find nori sheets. I suggest we check some more of the cabinets.
But, ah... it seems that Akihiko has been over purchasing protein powders again, so please exercise caution when opening any of the cabinet doors.
[ She doesn't want their youngest member being crushed under an avalanche of protein powders okay? She's already set to give Akihiko an earful as it is. ]
sorry for the late, first week of school is always fun.
[After all, wasn't a California roll supposed to be some just crab, avocado, and cucumber? All they could do was replace the crab with some salmon. Giving a small hum to himself, it seemed to be the sensible option.
What other ingredients were there for them to choose from? As he looked toward the soy sauce, he was ready to get started. That said...?]
Don't worry, I'll be fine. I think being dumped with protein powder is the least of my worries....
[Scratching in his to the side, he just hoped that they wouldn't die from making this weird sushi pizza....]
my turn to apologise! manic week at work combined with my brain melting in a random heatwave
[ It might be just the imagination, but it does seem like the room becomes a few degrees colder when she says this.
Unfortunately a thorough search of the rest of the kitchen doesn't yield exactly what she's looking for. Time for Plan B. Once she decides exactly what that entails. ]
It seems that we do not have nori sheets.
[ She retrieves the laptop again and opens another tab to do an additional search. Apparently finding what she's looking for worryingly quickly, she reads aloud. ]
According to this list, the following food items are suitable replacements for nori sheets:
Rice paper, soy wraps, tofu skin, lettuce or shiso and cured meats.
[ She pauses. ] I believe there is both lettuce and bacon in the refrigerator. Suppose we try both for the replacement base and see which tastes better?
[ Yeah, this just keeps getting better. This is going to turn out flawless. ]
...I believe I did hear one of the other boys state that everything tastes better with bacon in it... [ Probably Iori. Too fatty for Akihiko, although he probably wouldn't turn it down if offered. Either way, she sounds doubtful of this claim. ]
It's all good!!
Moving on...!
Now that there was a lack of nori sheets, he wasn't too sure how to feel about replacing them with something else. Again, he had heard stories of how Fuuka's cooking could be interesting given how she thinks she can replace a few items here and there.
This will totally be fine, right?]
I suppose lettuce would be better? If we already have fish and rice, it would make sense of add in a little bit of vegetable to balance everything out.
[But then again, what did he know about cooking? Looking at the laptop once more to see if there was anything else, it seems that he didn't have much of a choice. However...]
Wouldn't bacon taste a little weird with fish added on it?
[Because salmon on top of bacon wouldn't taste too well, right???]
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I believe there is such a thing as "surf and turf", is there not?
Although I think you're right. I don't think it would usually contain bacon or salmon as the first choice of combination.
[ Lettuce definitely seems like the safer option, although she is still morbidly curious about the bacon for some reason... she'd never really gotten to experiment much in a kitchen before, perhaps this is that emerging?
She glances at the ingredients they've managed to cobble together, her eyes falling on the very much still intact salmon fillets. ]
As your senpai, I should probably be the one handling the knives. [ Yes, let's disregard the fact that she allows him to fight monsters with a spear on the regular. Chopping food items should definitely be left to her. ]
Do you think you can manage the rice cooker?
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[Because he wasn't so sure about all of this. Especially when Mitsuru seemed to have a lack of what is seen as "common people food". Regardless, he didn't have to think for long as he heard her talking about using sharp tools.
While he knew she could handle herself, it was certainly another when it came to food.]
Uh....yes I can but if you need help, you can always ask me. I know I'm still young but I think I can manage it?
[That and he wasn't too sure how Mitsuru would handle when it comes to chopping said fish.]
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[ Disgusting. It'll be disgusting. There is nothing else to be curious about.
Anyway. It's pretty safe to assume that Mitsuru Kirijo has never chopped or sliced a whole salmon fillet in her entire life. Still, how difficult can such a task be? After all, she manages to slice up Shadows pretty effectively and those two things are most definitely comparable...
Besides, to ask for help from one of her juniors, the most junior of said juniors... it's unthinkable. Shameful. She will slice this salmon. ]
Amada, I appreciate your thoughtful offer, but I must decline. I must be the one to slice the salmon.
[ Why is this so serious and dramatic? And she's not even sure which kind of knife to use... she opens up the cutlery drawer and her eyes flicker between the two largest knives in there. One is clearly a serrated bread knife and the other is clearly a cleaver of some description. Neither of these are exactly ideal for the job... but yeah, that's Mitsuru bypassing one of the much smaller and more straightforward knives for the cleaver that is going to make an absolute hatchet job of the fish. ]
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Taking a small step back, he placed his hands up immediately.]
O-Okay then! Just...be careful!
[With that, he was looking around for some of the other sauces to see what else he could add to make it seem tastier. However, that didn't stop him from looking at Mitsuru as if he was waiting to see if something would happen. But he dared not say a word should he face her wrath.]
Do...you need anything else?
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[ It feels a little odd to have the youngest SEES member by quite some miles telling her to be careful... it's almost as if he thinks she's completely out of her element here or something.
Which she is. Completely.
Turns out it's pretty difficult to cut salmon into delicate slices with a hatchet knife... the sizes are okay, but by the time she's done cutting them the edges look like they've been mangled by some kind of wild beast. Or Koromaru. ]
Hmm... perhaps a smaller, finer blade would have been better for this task...
[ Definitely. Definitely better. But they can go ahead and pretend that this definitely won't be noticeable when these slices are sitting "pretty" and proudly on top of this sushi pizza mess. As for what else Ken can do besides cooking the rice... ]
I don't believe we have all of the ingredients for this "sauce aurore" the recipe mentions. Perhaps you can pick a suitable substitute? I think the actual sauce is tomato based.
[ Well... they have ketchup. And jarred marinara sauce or something similar. ]
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It is but I'm not really sure if tomato sauce is good against raw salmon?
[But then again, what he did know? Looking around for whatever sauce he could find, the most he came up with was ketchup. Pushing past the various other bottles, it seems as though there wasn't much he could do. Giving a sigh, he took out the ketchup before shaking his head.
This wasn't going to turn out that well, wasn't it? But at least he could say that they made an attempt?]
We could try to mix it with some other sauces too if the tomato base is too much.
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[ It certainly sounds... odd. Never mind the entire recipe being bizarre in itself but hey. Apparently that part is being ignored. ]
But surely the recipe wouldn't steer us wrong? [ Yes. Yes it would. Because the whole concept of a sushi pizza is wrong. ]
Your suggestion seems reasonable though. [ She looks along the row of very unhelpful sauces that she had laid out earlier, now that she's done thoroughly butchering- slicing the salmon fillets. ]
Perhaps... extra soy mixed with the ketchup? That might help to counterbalance the strong tomato flavour. [ By assaulting it with another really strong flavour... seems like it won't go wrong at all... ]
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[After all, he's seen enough of Fuuka's cooking adventures to know that anything could happen. Again, he'll keep that to himself as he looked back at the recipe. So far, they were already somewhat deviating away from what the original ingredients were.]
But I guess we could try that? I never really tried it before. But wouldn't the soy sauce over power the tomato flavor instead?
[Or at least, that's what he thinks but again. Who was he to judge??]
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She looks thoughtful for a moment. ]
Suppose we mix it up in a bowl and try it first? We can taste it and adjust as necessary.
[ That's what chefs do, right? Taste everything. ]
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Afterwards, he poured a tiny amount into the paste before mixing it. He still wasn't sure but...]
Maybe this should be enough?
[He said as if he was gesturing her to give it a taste.]
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Which is probably why she is so utterly clueless about the rest of this process. ]
Let's see.
[ She raises the spoon to her lips to try the mixture...
Then goes very, very quiet for a moment. ]
The taste is... quite... unusual...
[ Why does she look slightly pained? ]
See what you think, Amada.
[ Mitsuru hands him another clean spoon. ]
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As he did so, he couldn't help but give a small wince. Unlike Mitsuru, who was more composed, Ken wasn't. Instead, he'll gave a look before taking a small step back.]
....On second though, let's not do that. I think we can probably just use the tomato sauce instead.
[He said before looking at the ketchup and then back at the raw salmon.]
I think it'll be a lot better than what the sauce we have now. [Please don't make him taste it again.]
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[ She is so sorry, Amada. She realises that now she should never have made her junior taste such a monstrosity. The wince is all the evidence that she needs. It's awful. ]
I suggest we banish this concoction from the dish and our minds and palates as quickly as possible.
[ And they haven't even gotten to completing the main event yet and she's already reaching for the water. She fetches a glass of it for herself and Amada, handing him a glass first before quickly taking a sip of her own. ]
... The taste really does linger, doesn't it?
[ Or perhaps it's just burnt onto her brain at this point. Such that no amount of water cleansing can wash it away. ]
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While the taste was going down his throat, it just reminded of him how he had to force himself to drink so much milk.]
...Y-Yes, it does but it's nothing I can't handle.
[He said with a wince before looking back at the dish they made and the sauce.]
But I wonder what we can do with all of this leftover stuff. It seems like a waste.
third years must suffer
In the lower levels of one of the Kirijo Group's laboratories, a few scientists lead Mitsuru down a hallway. They offer many hurried apologies as they walk. After all, the girl who they're guiding has just lost her father and is in the process of taking control over the company he once ran, yet here they are preparing to push another responsibility onto her. Mitsuru's been given a manila folder full of information on someone with a familiar name—someone who, quite soon, will be hers to manage.
Kaito Nagano. A third year at Gekkoukan, and a longtime Iwatodai resident. Through elementary and middle school he was a hot-blooded but likeable delinquent. The kind of troublemaker who stuck his neck out for other kids and was considered reliable by those who looked past the fact that he was constantly stirring the pot.
That changed by the time he entered high school. The Kaito that Mitsuru is more likely acquainted with is the taciturn and severe Botany Club president who glares at her with some one-sided ire every time they pass each other in the halls. He never goes out of his way to attack her, but his gaze has made it clear that he has some sort of hangup with her. The files she's been asked to flip through while traversing the halls should offer more context.
The Kaito that she and the scientists are approaching is a Persona User—one who had been under Shuji Ikutsuki's "care" for the last three years. Notes on the front page suggest he's just one of Ikutsuki's many experiments; another soldier, another layer of insurance in his plans. Not the first by far, and unfortunately, not the last.
There's much more in his file regarding detailed tests and their results as well as behavioral observations, but one note that was highlighted is the fact that Kaito's family (a brother, parents, and grandfather) have all fallen under Apathy Syndrome and have been cared for by the Kirijo Group since Ikutsuki took him in.
Eventually, the group reaches a door near the end of the hallway, and inside... ]
[ Within a sterile white room that feels more like a cell than a living space, Kaito lays in bed in blue pajamas. His left arm from the elbow down is locked in a cast, and with his right he's reading some kind of book. The only other signs that his room isn't vacant are a rack of uniforms and casual clothes in one corner, his book bag hanging off a post at the end of his bed, and a night stand with a small, slender case propped open on it.
As Mitsuru and the scientists enter, the redhead will likely notice the Evoker sitting polished inside the box. Kaito turns his head towards the scientists as if to greet them, but his lips purse shut the moment he lays eyes on Mitsuru. He slowly kicks his legs off the bed to sit up. ]
The hell is this? Where's Ikutsuki? [ A beat. He squints past the StuCo president. ] ...You're not his cronies. What's going on?
[ The lead scientist among the group clears his throat. ]
[ His voice is a little shaky, as if he's nervous to be speaking directly to the third year. He and the other scientists have had the time to pore over his files, and the trepidation in their eyes hints that they think they're talking to a barely-restrained attack dog rather than a teenager. Kaito bristles at the mention of Mitsuru, and now the whole group's being scrutinized.
After a moment, he slowly asks: ] Then, are the terms and conditions of my indentured servitude changing? Even if I'm going to be working under my enemy, will you still be handling my family's medical expenses?
[ Sharp golds lock to Mitsuru's auburn. His entire body is tense, like he's ready to spring out of his seat and go for her neck—yet his voice remains level as he awaits a reply. ]
indeed they must c:
Kaito Nagano is indeed a name that is familiar to her; a third year like herself, president of Gekkoukan's Botany Club... also someone who has always seemed to have held an abject dislike for her, for no reason that she was able to place. Now though, reading this file, it's becoming all too clear why he's only ever greeted her with an extremely frosty reception at best.
It's no different when Mitsuru enters the boy's room... if one could call said room that. A cell definitely felt more to what it actually is. Every fibre of his being seems to exude one thing when it comes to her: hatred. She's no stranger to being a polarising figure, everything about her; her family's status, her wealth, her influence... let's just say it has never always brought out a positive reaction in people. But this... this is an abject dislike of her in the extreme.
She's careful not to let any kind of disconcerted feelings on this matter show on her face. The scientists seem afraid of him, this boy, another one of that man's experiments... and wasn't it already going to be hard enough to leave that monster's legacy behind? Now, here she is, face to face with yet another remnant of it.
Yes, the others are definitely afraid of him, it's written all over their face, but Mitsuru... no, she isn't afraid of him. Even with the way he looks at her as he addresses them, as if he's barely containing himself from springing upon her. No, all she feels is... remorse, pity even, perhaps? Nagano might have become Ikutsuki's project, but what had become of his family and in turn him... well, the fault of that lies with her family's legacy. There is no escaping that fact, compounded when he uses the term enemy.
One thing is for certain, no matter how much he might hate her, he's not going to be staying here anymore. Her tone is cool as she addresses him, not hostile, just careful not to betray anything that she's feeling right now, in this moment. ]
All of your family's medical expenses will continue to be handled by the Kirijo Group, of that I can assure you.
Additionally, you will no longer be staying here - instead, you'll be accompanying me to the Iwatodai dormitory upon my return. We will make arrangements to have your belongings moved there accordingly.
[ She casts her eyes around the assembled group of scientists, as if daring them to show some kind of objection. They don't. Though some of their expressions might convey mixed feelings on the matter. ]
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I'm not the kicked dog in this room right now, Kirijo. [ He leans ever so slightly towards her while he speaks, but to the already-anxious scientists he may as well have lunged at their throats. As a group, they shuffle back towards the door. Kaito holds himself there, looking like he wants to say more... but the rage seething in his eyes dies down, and he takes a step back. The malice in his voice is gone; in its place, a faint hint of understanding. ]
Save that pity for yourself, for... whatever the hell it is you're grieving for.
[ Make no mistake—the redhead constructed her facade immaculately. There was nothing to read in either her gaze or her level features. Yet this simply confirms more of Ikutsuki's sins. One of the experiments performed on Kaito awakened a preternatural sense of empathy in him, uncannily accurate to the point of being mistaken for mind reading.
Kaito turns and stoops to grab a luggage case from under his bed. He tosses it on the mattress and flips the lid open before glancing over his shoulder. ]
I accept your terms, though I imagine I didn't have much choice in the matter to begin with. It beats being stared at by those cowards like I'm some starving beast.
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Still, losing her father... this was never something she could have prepared for. Although she had always feared that it would come to pass sooner than expected. When the others move back, she doesn't move, keeping her gaze on the boy in front of her, whilst speaking over her shoulder to the gathered group of scientists. ]
Leave us please.
Please, do as I ask. Do not concern yourselves, I will be perfectly fine.
[ Naturally, they don't want to leave the head of the company alone in this space but they can't exactly disobey her either. That and they're not exactly unaware of her capabilities. The compromise is them leaving, but remaining right outside the room. Something Mitsuru herself is more than aware of. She turns her attention back to Kaito. ]
It is true that I am grieving but I would ask that you speak not of my personal matters. It is of no concern to you.
[ While she might have detected something like sympathy in his voice, her own is cold, formal, clipped. She had always dealt with things by shutting everything and everyone else out, shouldering the burden alone. Why should anything be any different now? The subject is off the table as far as she is concerned, as bent and broken as she may feel behind the perfect facade. ]
That being said, I am glad that you accept my terms. [ And yes, it's true that he doesn't have much choice in that but... ]
Shuji Ikutsuki is dead. [ She speaks his name with no small amount of venom, despite her relatively measured tone overall still. ] You will not be subjected to any further observation or experimentation. You will live at the dorm in the same manner in which the other members of SEES do - as close to an ordinary high school student experience that we can manage, given the circumstances.
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But it's a hollow victory, all said and done. The pain that gnaws at her is most certainly from the loss of someone close, and even he isn't so cruel as to feel nothing over it.
Either way, Kaito's pulled out of his thoughts by the girl's icy tone. It's far too familiar. ]
Suit yourself. I don't really care. But for your sake, you'd better have someone you can confide in. A lone tower is doomed to crumble—and become a liability on the battlefield.
[ ...The third year's lips twist downward, thoughtful. He didn't have to add that latter part. 'Stop being so soft.'
If the news of Ikutsuki's passing shocks him, he certainly doesn't show it. In fact, that impassive expression of his hasn't shifted much since calming down and acquiescing to his new assignment. Still, hearing her voice match his furor from earlier...
Rather than continue to stare at Mitsuru and make presumptions, Kaito begins to grab his clothes and begin folding them. ]
Should I be thankful that one of my demons has been erased? That I can live an "ordinary high school student" life? Please. All this means for me is that my collar and leash are being passed from one pair of hands to the next. There's no such thing as ordinary for us, Kirijo. Not while these Personas lurk in our heads, and not while Shadows still exist.
[ While the rhetoric is harsh, his tone remains level. In little time, he has his suitcase packed full with his clothes, books, and Evoker. The only item left signifying his existence in the room is a small, well-trimmed bonsai on a dresser near the door. Kaito zips his suitcase shut and lugs it onto the floor.
Golds find their way back to the heiress. ]
Let's clear the air before I move in. I don't like you. I hate everything your family and company has done to ruin my life and the lives of everyone who's been affected by Apathy Syndrome. But I don't care who's giving me orders at the end of the day, whether it's you or Ikutsuki or that transfer student who's leading SEES. It doesn't matter. I'm gonna be fighting to the crack of someone's whip until the Dark Hour's gone or I'm gone.
That's all I've got left for me, Kirijo—so use me like the weapon I am.
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[ Despite everything, his words do manage to strike a cord somewhere deep within her. How many times had her father told her something similar? That she needed to open herself up to others and accept their help... yet somehow she still remains so reluctant to do so. In the days since he had died, had she not been avoiding the others? Avoiding their concerned faces, their expressions of sympathy...
And she's still doing that now. ]
Your feelings are understandable.
[ Her answer is like that of a politician - careful, evidently well-trained in how to react to such a statement of dislike... or how not to react rather. That being said, her response is truthful. It is understandable. How ashamed had she been of the legacy her family had left upon this world after all? That being said, nobody likes to be told how much they are disliked personally, yet with all that she has been through over these few days, with all that she has lost... it's as if she's become numb to it. She had already been struggling with her will to carry on the fight, rising to this... well, it only seems pointless. ]
An apology from me no doubt means little to nothing to you in the face of your and your family's suffering but regardless, I offer it. I've sought only to atone for my family's grievous mistakes up till now.
I have no desire to "use" you as you put it. But if as a weapon is how you wish to proceed, then so be it.
I will return to the dorm just to make the necessary introductions to the rest of SEES, although you will have already seen many of them at school.
I will be scarce for a while - much to your relief I am sure. I have business to attend to. Our leader is more than capable of overseeing you and ensuring that you settle in.
[ Funeral arrangements for her father... adjusting to the idea of taking over a business empire years earlier than she had ever thought she would... contemplating her own role with SEES going forward... that kind of thing... ]
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[ His reply snaps out an instant after her reply leaves her lips. He does sympathize with her, but in his mind it's purely out of coincidence. There's no other basis for it. He knows when someone's running away. Their steps are far too familiar not to recognize.
If he were properly looking to make her atone in a facetious manner, this apology would ring hollow. It still does, forthright as her delivery may be—but the motivation to hound her for a more emphatic response just isn't there. She's too beaten to show her emotions, and he's too burned out to show his.
Beyond that, there's something else. Two words that dig into his conscious. To atone. They twist his stomach into knots, batter at his cold countenance until he can no longer maintain his icy glower.
Kaito swallows back the bile bubbling bubbling in his throat. ]
...I'll accept your apology when this is all over, [ he murmurs; a sharp departure from his severe tone. ] When the Dark Hour is gone, and my loved ones regain the lives you... your family's actions robbed them of.
[ There's no snark for the rest of her words. He's finished antagonizing her for tonight. Kaito takes a seat on his bed and props his arms on his suitcase. ]
I know them all. Ikutsuki made sure I was keen on all of your field capabilities.
[ A beat. Golds turn away in favor of a nonexistent spot on the immaculate wall. ]
Don't run off for too long.
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If you know every member of SEES as you say you do, then you would know I do not drag anyone down. Nor do I run from anything.
[ It's odd really. There is clearly nothing between them that resembles any kind of friendliness, nor does it seem like there ever will be. Yet Mitsuru finds his harsh comments... oddly helpful. There is a part of her that wants to run, she knows that feeling is lingering within her, just below the surface. This boy's comments... well, she'd just have to make doubly sure that she does no such thing.
Her gaze turns to the only object left in the room that appears to be his. The bonsai. ]
We leave shortly. [ It's not a suggestion. ] Do you intend to bring the bonsai with you?
[ Despite the hostilities she's still Mitsuru. Still the elder sister figure of SEES, still checking that he hasn't forgotten something that might be important to him. ]
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[ There's no excitement in his tone; even if there was, he imagines she wouldn't take it at face value. Golds follow Mitsuru's gaze to the dresser and the solitary bonsai sat upon its surface.
Without missing a beat, Kaito strides over, flicking his wrist. An orange Zippo worn with dents and scuffs falls into his gloved grasp. The scratch of metal against flint ignites a flame that he sets to the foilage. It spreads in an instant, greedy and ravenous.
The third year pockets his lighter and drags himself and his luggage next to her. ]
And now Ikutsuki's out of both our lives.
[ Quiet steps lead him out of his prison. He doesn't spare the eavesdropping scientists a single breath. ]
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Mitsuru wastes no time catching up and rounding on him. ]
What on earth are you thinking - doing something so incredibly foolish?
[ Is this idea of making a point? If so, she's not impressed. Her steely-eyed expression says just as much as she attempts to step in front of him, in his tracks. ]
Let me speak plainly to you.
If you are in any way a risk to the dormitory and especially its inhabitants, Nagano, then I will have zero qualms about destroying that lighter and sending you right back to this facility.
Do I make myself clear?
[ Her family's guilt be damned. She's not accepting someone who might be a danger to the rest of SEES if it came to it. The thought of a fire of all things... after what had happened to Akihiko when he was a child... it doesn't bear thinking about. ]
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Speaking plainly now, are we? What should I make of everything else?
[ Golds narrow, but his smile continues to sharpen. ]
You couldn't be clearer if you were invisible, Kirijo. Make no mistake: I'll fight and die for SEES' objectives. If it means we beat the Dark Hour, I'll throw myself in front of every Shadow.
But this place? I could care less what happens. If it burns, it burns—and all the better. It's not SEES. It's Kirijo Group. It's below the dirt to me. I won't let those lines cross.
[ A beat. Kaito lowers his shoulders and relaxes a bit, awaiting whatever reaction his words have struck in her. ]
Anything else you'd like to emphasize?
please forgive my slowness ;; manic week plus brain dead in random heatwave
Still, Mitsuru never expected anyone else to understand that. Let alone someone who had been affected by the group the way that this young man has. She takes a calming breath, rarely one to ever lose her temper or overreact. Such a reaction simply wasn't dignified, never let them see you sweat, all of that she had been taught and made her the kind of person she is.
When she speaks again, she does so clearly, calmly, despite any sudden flare of emotions she might have felt on the inside. How many times in the past had she wished that Kirijo Group had never existed after all? Or that she could run away from it? How would she really feel if the entire thing were burned away and turned to ashes? ]
I do not expect you to even remotely care about the Group after what you've endured. But any displays of wanton destruction will not be tolerated by me.
[ She moves to stand to one side again, folding her arms. ]
While you are with SEES you are under the command of our field leader and of myself. Watch yourself.
I do not expect you to like or trust me, or any of us, I just expect you to follow our rules.
That is all I have to say on this matter. Let's make haste and get out of here before you're liable to set fire to something else.
[ The sooner they leave this place the better. ]
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[ Kaito tilts his luggage forward and renews an unhurried shuffle. Look at her try to recompose herself as if the facade hasn't already cracked. He's more than satisfied with this rebuttal. Knowing that the indomitable Ice Queen of Gekkoukan is far from what her reputation implies is good enough for him.
If he finds a reason to stoke that fire again, he'll know just how.
Or so he thinks.]And the only flammable thing I see nearby is your temper.
[ Teeth flash in a grin devoid of sincerity as he passes her once more. Thrown over his shoulder: ]
To new beginnings.
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Truthfully, she's disappointed. As president, student well being is a priority, but so is managing club budgets with a sensible and measured approach. She could approve increases with justification. Yet it seems those assembled have been unwilling to really put in a fight for their clubs, to show their commitment.... So when it's the turn of the Botany Club's President, she decides to switch gears.
Kaito Nagano. Nobody here knows the extent of her... relations with her fellow third year, Mitsuru would very like to keep it that way. However, some overruling part of her simply can't resist the urge to engage with him. Her mahogany eyes meet his across the table and while her expression conveys nothing but cold, aloof neutrality, her being itself is conveying something very different to him... ]
This is a proposed budget increase of over 10%, Nagano. How do you justify such a significant jump in expenditure in such a short period?
[ Of course she can't stop herself making these things sound like an actual business meeting between departments...
There's a palpable change in atmosphere in the room at her words to Nagano. None of the other club leaders had been asked to justify their proposals so directly... ]
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At least, that's how Kaito used to feel before joining SEES. Nowadays, with the nightly runs to Tartarus and, uh, other extracurricular activities, the third year has come to appreciate these quiet opportunities to listen to his arch nemesis drone on about budgets in her alluring voice—
Wait, what? What were we talking about???
Oh. Right. Mitsuru's just set her gaze on him, and past the frigid facade of Gekkoukan's icy empress, he sees the spark of something else. Tugging his gloves on tighter, the Botany Club's president stands up, turns his chair around, then plops down to rest his arms and head on the back. ]
If you double check my report, Kirijo, you'll see that the club has gained five more students. That puts us to twenty-nine, which is an approximately twenty-one percent increase in members, and each of those five will need enough supplies to start growing two plants.
[ He waggles a gloved finger, and the student next to him gawps at such a (perceivably) insulting motion towards the redhead. Kaito, however, remains as casual as, uh, something casual. ]
And if you recall, this past summer saw several heat waves that damaged the rooftop planters and their contents. Despite our best efforts to reverse the damage, several of those flowers have died this past month and will need replacing.
Ten percent seems pretty reasonable for this month's needs. That is, unless you want the roof to lose its color through winter?
[ Golds gleam with a challenging shine. The corners of his lips curl in a small smile. If she wants to stir the pot in front of all the other club leaders, he's more than happy to oblige. ]
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When he mentions the increase in club members, she's struck by the staggeringly inappropriate urge to roll her eyes. Although she doesn't, not outwardly anyway because Mitsuru Kirijo would never. Right, the girls. She should have known. Having to allocate a large portion of the school's budget for what is essentially his Fan Club... ]
Of course I don't. I would never seek to deprive the student body of something that increases their well being. That and I know just how hard you and your club members work on those plants and how it's their singular focus...
[ It isn't. They both know it isn't and she's letting him know in no uncertain terms. The plants are just a side project for some of his members, him being the actual focus.
Why does that bother her?]But perhaps if you are to take such a large percentage of the club budget then you might see fit to invest in some sturdier specimens this time around.
[ Unlikely that he could have avoided it anyway, a palm tree might have wilted in those heat waves but nobody said she was being reasonable here. ]
my many condolences
His was blurs and blanks, overwhelming muk in murky waves and apathy that pushed it forward. Moments of reprieve that feel like he's stuck in a madman's dream and crashes of reality that remind him it can't be the case.
So he can't really connect the dots between point a and b, when there's never been a clear place to put down those roots, and figure out when things started to work. Can't peg the moment clarity that became the norm or figure out how in the series of rushed meetings, clipped conversations, fights and shared goals that made things end up-
With Akechi laying on his on the living room floor of their shared unit, face propped up with one arm and the other watching an unsubtitled tutorial in a rapidly spoken language he can't place. The clip is shaky, cloudy, and at a resolution that feels suited for the early 2000s, not whatever year this is.
He's turning this situation into something more manageable though - making a metaphorical mental hitlist. The 'build your own' furniture site that he's assured is closer to black market than retail and the salesperson there who gave him a look before saying he should hire out the installer at the top. Akira makes a surprise appearance because why not. Number three this time though - that's progress.
A finger presses against the rewind button again to try and glean out the bullshit on this darkened screen.
The mess around him is organized. Somewhat. Different panels strewn on the floor in varying sizes, nails and bolts organized neatly on a coffee table behind him, and the inky mess of an instruction booklet that met its fate during a well timed downpour.]
Perhaps it's too much to ask that the internet provide something useful. [Rewind. Brighten. Playback speed 0.5.] It seems it's only good for manipulating the public and getting engagement on food blogs. What a shame.
[Which is a super normal reaction to have when trying to put a bookcase together from a shady market dealer. Very normal. He's doing great.]
:>
As it turns out, sometimes her judgement could actually be way off.
She's been pretending not to observe him too closely each time she passes through the living room - on this occasion on her way to the kitchen to make tea. Occasionally she glances towards where he's camped out on the living room floor. How many times has he hit that rewind button now?
Mon dieu.
Enough is enough apparently. ]
You know, I can simply ask Kikuno to purchase an already assembled bookcase for us?
[ Her ever faithful and super organised maid takes care of everything else after all. Herein follows a short pause. ]
... It's still not too late for me to do that.
[ She's sure she can arrange to have the half-assembled mess returned easily enough. Few people say no to a Kirijo after all. ]
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[The answer is immediate and he doesn't entertain the suggestion in the slightest. He started this. Began the day with one singular goal in mind and will not end, will not relent, will not sleep until this bookcase is put together. It's a rectangle made of wood slabs and nails. It's not rocket science.]
I used to be a detective. Do you truly have no faith in my ability to figure out how to stick a few slabs of wood together?
[Said as he's splayed around those wooden slabs and a collection of tools that have gone untouched since his decision to violently replay this video. He chooses not to look at the evidence around him.]
Returning or replacing this piece is simply out of the question.
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Yes, you were quite exceptional at that. [ Said in the tone of voice of someone who might have had a conversation akin to this one with him more than once before... ]
Which makes it perfectly acceptable for you to excel in one area and not so much at DIY tasks...
[ He's not the only one. Honestly, there's a reason she hasn't at any point attempted to assist him with what he's trying to do. She knows where her own strengths lie and that is firmly with more intellectual and theoretical pursuits. Mitsuru had never attempted to assemble a piece of furniture in her life. ]
I just thought we might spend the day doing something more preferable.
[ Yes, she is more than implying that it is going to take him all day to figure this out. ]
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He pushes himself up until he's kneeling near the pieces again, lining them up like the shoddy picture quality is showing on his phone. Giving up isn't an option - wasting all day doing this also isn't what he prefers to do. Returning it? He would rather traverse through mementos blindfolded.]
Did you have something in mind? I don't recall us having any plans for today and the weather certainly isn't conducive to any outdoor activities.
[A hand falls under his chin for a moment before eyeing a weird nail that looks like the other weird nails in the blurry video. He snatches it up.]
Although I did hear a new sushi restaurant was opening in Kichijoji today from a bartender at Jazz Jin. He seemed quite excited for it. We should visit sometime.
[A beat, and-]
After I complete this.
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[ Who is this person and what has she done with Mitsuru Kirijo? ]
The new sushi place sounds like an excellent idea to me. We should go today - why miss the grand opening after all?
After that I will make a booking for us at a spa-resort. We can have dinner there and spend the night perhaps.
[ No, she is most certainly not plotting ways in which to get him out of the house for the rest of the day and into the evening if necessary so she can have her army of Kirijo staff come in and take care of furnishing the entire apartment. Let alone the terrible bookcase. Whatever gave you that impression? ]
Magnifique. I believe that is settled.
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The precision of her attack is relentless - all his favorite words hitting his mind like a rapidfire bufudyne. The mess in front of him looking more unappealing by the second in lieu of spending his afternoon in a high class resort with gourmet sushi.
This is a dynamic he's unaccustomed to. One that led to some intense fights early on, as he was unwilling to be lead in any scenario. They've moved into a comfortable neutrality in regards to this, and more often than not she's right.
That's the worst part of all.
But not this time.]
No, this matter is far from settled. Do you think I can be so easily swayed? All those things can wait until tomorrow or you're welcome to go on your own. You don't need to stay on my account. I'll be done by the time you return.
[He will not be done.]
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She's listening to him, mostly, but it's also clear that she is nowhere near about to let the matter rest. Not if that smile is anything go by. ]
I hear the chef at the resort makes the most wonderful pancakes - some of the best in the city so I'm told. Light, fluffy, utterly sublime...
[ She lets each adjective hang delicately in the air for a moment before continuing. ]
I was going to arrange to have some sent up to our room in the morning.
[ Another charming smile. You know, the kind she probably uses to finish up a meeting when her board members are being particularly troublesome. No more negotiations. ]
for @marakunda
The Promised Day.
Turns out hearing that this might be your last month ever on this mortal plane really does bring its own entirely unique frantic mix of emotions, nearly all of which seem impossible to describe or parse right now. There was fear certainly - Mochizuki had given them all of the information he could, yet the coming of Nyx still remains a terrifying and unknown prospect. How could it not be?
Then there was the determination they all shared, the belief that they could defeat her. That this wouldn't be the end.
But what if it is? Mitsuru had always been a pragmatist, Mochizuki had made the odds of their success plain to all who had been assembled that night. He had said it was impossible for them to win and he meant it. That means that a part of the Kirijo heiress has to accept her own mortality, accept the possibility that there is a very real chance that none of them would be coming back from this.
Everyone had already gone to bed following Arisato's decision but that doesn't mean that the redhead had been able to find any kind of slumber since she had retired to her room. She hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to Akihiko alone since the verdict had been delivered. They had shared so much, it didn't seem right that they didn't talk this over between them privately before they really did try and sleep.
Who knows though? Maybe Akihiko really was as confident as ever and had just gone to sleep without a single iota of doubt in his head. Still, Mitsuru is going to take the chance that he might still be awake and knock very lightly on his door. She doesn't want any of the other boys overhearing after all. She's not entirely sure why but the need for this to be private suddenly seems paramount... ]
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Arisato had made the right choice; Akihiko knows he would rather take the chance and, if it happened, go down fighting until his last breath. As for the others, it's difficult to know what they're thinking. Each of them had their own way of coping with things and Akihiko can't claim he's fully coherent with the potential End of Days looming. He even burned rice that evening, distracted by thoughts of battles and strategies to pay much heed to stirring the food.
Akihiko huffs quietly at his ceiling, staring at it as if that part of his room will suddenly unveil all the answers if looked at hard enough. Sleep is eluding him and eventually he rolls over, giving his pillow a firm punch as if the action itself would bring a few hours of rest. Being tired won't help reflex times and Akihiko finds himself staring at the wall instead. Dammit.)
Hm? (The small knock at his door isn't missed and he welcomes the distraction, getting out of bed to crack the door open a few inches. There's no surprise to see Mitsuru standing there and Akihiko steps back, opening the door to allow the redhead to step inside.) Something wrong?
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[ Where does she even begin to describe how many things are wrong right now? Akihiko could be dense when it comes to certain things, hardheaded certainly but she's sure in this case that there are no prizes for guessing what is keeping her sleepless tonight.
She doesn't come into his room all that often, they usually keep their mingling to the more communal areas, but never the less the familiar sights in his room are oddly comforting. His many boxing trophies, his protein powder tubs and the ever present workout equipment that she had told him time and time again not to have in his room lest the floor give out- it's all so very him. They had been ever present in each other's lives since junior high now, it's too hard to comprehend that everything they'd known, everything they had been fighting together to achieve up until now might be all for naught.
But she can't let herself think that way. ]
I am sorry for disturbing you so late, Akihiko. I just couldn't sleep... and I figured you might be awake too.
[ She pauses, that usual calm, aloof demeanor of hers fading away a little just for a moment as she looks at him. ]
...Would it perhaps be alright if I stayed for just a little while? Unless of course you were about to fall asleep, in which case I will take my leave now.
[ How does she even begin to admit that she doesn't want to be alone right now? That of all the people she knows he is one of those she trusts the most and right now, after receiving the worst blow since her father had died, she just wants to be in the boxer's company a while... ]