[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.]
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. ]
[ 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... ]
[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.]
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... ]
![[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
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sorry for the late, first week of school is always fun.
my turn to apologise! manic week at work combined with my brain melting in a random heatwave
It's all good!!
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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:
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please forgive my slowness ;; manic week plus brain dead in random heatwave
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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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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.]
:>
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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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