The Hawk's Eyes

"Everyone is alone. Everyone is empty. People no longer have need of others. You can always find a spare for any replacement. Any relationship can be replaced. I had gotten bored of a world like that." Makishima Shougo | 槙島聖護 Psycho Pass RP Blog Affiliated with Toshi City

[makishima-shougo]

Intermission

It was a shabby little get together at best, Makishima playing the wallflower as he observed the gratuitous elite mingle and conspire. The food was entirely foreign, most of it seemingly unpalatable as well, imported from all over the world with various colors and spices adorning tasteless expenses. On top of that, were the gaudy decorations adorning the walls and poorly tuned musicians to the left; More and more hapless trophies to show off wasted wealth, but at least the wine was decent. (Honestly, the humble brewery on Market Street could attain more appraisal but that was just Makishima's jaded sense of opinion.) Swirling the beet red liquid in his paper thin glass, he grew restless, taking a stroll as he weaved throughout the endless line of tables and groupings. Boring, boring, boring. If had known the gathering to be this uneventful, he would have made a haste excuse and utilized his time more wisely. For now, he could only try to remain conscious throughout the dull droning of the multitude of insensible bourgeois.   Though, more to his excitable surprise, seeing as this was mostly a haven for adults, it seems that children had been allowed to attend as well..! Was their host so desperate to fill the roster that he would desperately cater to the likes of juvenile delinquents? Laughable. But Makishima recognized this one--Olivier Gaillard of the Blue Flames, the origin of which he had no interest. But he approached him nevertheless, coming to rest just to his immediate adjacent. 

 "Not one for parties?"

[kuronoshi]

[makishima-shougo]

 "Seems like the Mayor isn't as humble as I thought.." And here he had tried to be so civil with a traditional letter... oh well.

[makishima-shougo]

To Our Beloved Mayor,

It's lovely that I was able to procure something so treasured as your mailing doves. First of all, I moved to this quaint city but a few months ago, and I have to say, it's been quite the experience. The atmosphere here is friendly, and the people very exquisite. I'm pretty sure the air is cleaner than in most places but the perpetual sunset is a nice touch. We can all have our cake and eat it too, no? However, it's come to my attention recently that crime runs rampant, and the streets are not safe. (i.e. the recent bus hijacking incident and kidnapping of small children plastered over the local news.) Of course, I say this with utmost concern for my students; I am but a young college professor, after all. The least I can do is voice my concern for those that choose to endure such an environment day after day. What are your thoughts, Mayor? Do you think there's anything you can do to help them rest easy at night? Or is this simply out of your jurisdiction? It's also come to my attention that the Toshi City Defence Force and the highly hushed organisation of JPs seem to monitor and enforce some laws not solidly written; Where do your morals lie? What kind of city are you hoping to run? I'm dying to know, to be honest.  I wanted to keep this short, but I suppose I've ranted on. Forgive me, Mayor, but I hope we can meet, face-to-face someday. I'd like to discuss these matters and ideologies in person. With my humblest sincerities, Yukimori Shibata P.S. I'm aware that we are not allowed to feed the doves although...  But did you know? Hawks and other larger birds will kindly prey on those much smaller than them for survival. Thus is the way of the food chain, I suppose...

[femvillain]

but i’m a human. i come with knives. with agony.

[makishima-shougo]

The Symphony of Dystopic Prospect

[equesstellula-old-blog]

So the professor had called him down to critique his work. In a way, Alcor was relieved that it was nothing more than a conversation about academics. He wasn’t the best at small talk.

Murmuring a small “thank you” when he was praised, he only listened to Shibata, nodding slightly whenever appropriate and to show that he wasn’t dozing throughout the spiel. It was all rather rhetorical, and the advice was expected of a literature professor.

… “I could even assure you that you’ll find a few ways to loosen your ungraceful speech impediment as well, haha.”

…Oh. Alcor fidgeted ever so slightly at the comment, the most miniscule of movements he could manage; a shift by a few millimeters by his right foot, a slight tightening of the grip on his school bag. Was the professor onto him? Or was he speaking based on observation? A quick scan of the golden eyes told Alcor absolutely nothing, and in the end, he could only nod again.

"Yes, sir."

Had the professor said everything that he had wanted to? Was he allowed to excuse himself now? He gave a quick glance at the empty hall before looking back to Shibata.

"If that is all, then…"

[makishima-shougo]

 "--That is all." Eyeing his student carefully, not that he had been doing anything less otherwise, he'd have to say that his words had left much more of an impact this time; Either that or the other was just recovering from the jarring spotlight he had put him in. Nodding in dismissal, Makishima began his walk back to the podium to collect his things and head home himself.  "Take care, Mr. Al Sahja. I look forward to your next submission."

[makishima-shougo]

The Symphony of Dystopic Prospect

[equesstellula-old-blog]

He listened carefully as the lecture wore on, jotting down the key points of Professor Shibata’s words. From the quizzes he had seen, every piece of information that the professor said was valid, and testable material to boot. Though he was hardly struggling, absorbing the words now would save him a lot of grief later.

The lecture drew to a close and some students zipped off within seconds, but Alcor took his time packing. He had taken quite a few materials out, and didn’t want to risk messing up his notes…

"Hm…?"

He deposited the last of his books in his bag as he headed down the steps to the front of the lecture hall. This was…quite awkward. Alcor had only ever attended at most two years of high school, and still fumbled when talking to figures of higher authority about matters unrelated to academia. The only reason he had gotten into the university in the first place was because of faked transcripts, though he was certainly doing a good job of keeping up with his supposed good grades.

"Yes, Professor Shibata?"

…Though he was curious as to what the esteemed professor would want to talk to him about.

[makishima-shougo]

"At ease. I'm not going to give you another assignment." Aha, that was funny; Such an unexpected delay. If Makishima hadn't known any better, he would assume that he had just grabbed his student's attention too abruptly, catching him off guard, and thus making him stumble over his words. But already, he could tell, ever since this particular class began, that this one had an unfortunate, awkward socialization issue. It really was worth a chuckle, how this certain stereotype just ran straight home; a brilliant and mature mind so ahead of his peers, and yet he couldn't even speak up without breaking a sweat. Perhaps after a bit of casual resuscitation, it would cure him of such an awful affliction. They could try.

 "I wanted to congratulate you on your last submitted assignment." It had been a simple reflection type essay, pulling from the acclaimed Hamlet, and addressing the more serious themes in six pages or more. Whether or not it was because Alcor had simply followed the directions or had some sort of partial intellect towards the hidden splendor of the printed word, he excelled beyond the rest. And that was worthy of Makishima's praise. "It was very well written, Mr. Al Sahja. I have to admit, you seem more adept than the other students, or at least more studious." More likely the latter, and he wasn't expecting any sort of modesty either. There was a sort of disconnect between taking from these novels in order to discover the deeper meaning and actually understanding it and using it for your own devices. Students these days were doing what they could to simply pass their courses, which was understandable, but.. Again, it was ultimately what they got out of it all that would benefit them more in the future. It was obvious that Makishima's wish was to motivate Alcor's potential to its maximum drive rather than simply let him do what he must to get an A. "--But your knowledge is just scraping the surface. I'd recommend you delve deeper into your literature pages and attempt to master the content versus just memorizing the notes. You'll find a better and more philosophical way to approach your daily life and conflicts as a result... I could even assure you that you'll find a few ways to loosen your ungraceful speech impediment as well, haha." And it really was heavy advice to swallow or accept, Makishima saying it all with a smile, even slipping in that bubbling laughter to put Alcor's rising doubts to rest. Though he was so intelligent, he was still very much a child. And like all good children, they all wanted to be carefully directed with a positive message, especially coming from the likes of a respected adult. It was all a matter of Alcor taking this all to heart instead of brushing it aside like any other young man trying to rush through university. (It would also inform Makishima that the younger was not worth his time, however, in such a result that he ignore his valuable suggestion. A waste but... sometimes life was all so disappointing in all the wrong ways.)

[makishima-shougo]

After What's Said And Done

Remote in hand, Makishima was freely replaying the captured footage of the infamous hijacking incident, such privately entitled feed having come from a gracious third-party hired source. It was fabulous, to be honest, a masterpiece of art, this whole-hearted welcoming message to Toshi City having resulted in such a big hit... A coy smile couldn't resist but spread amongst thin lips, going about the finer details again and again as if a child were rewatching their favorite scenes from a movie. The way the pale-haired hero acted with such swift brutality, unflinching and unrelenting as he went so far as to throw a fully grown adult male out of the mobile bus.. Single-handedly besting the rest of the villains and bringing the vehicle to a full stop... The expressed praise and relief of the hostages as they exited their now immobile steel-trap prison, the hero fleeing before he could be seen by the curious gathering crowds...  It was only something you read in action-novels, or saw in current-day blockbusters, but apparently miracles still existed in this world, somewhat... But of course, there were finer things that Makishima was interested in--certain aspects of body language and technique, the person the hero was, undoubtedly, risking his life to save... An achilles' heel, his blind spots, his potential handicaps... Makishima finally lowered his hand, a still screen of those blazing lilac hues pleasing him to no end.

 "Alcor Asteris... what an... intriguing... individual..." But of course, this wasn't the end, no. It was just the beginning. After all, there was clean-up to see through on his end as well. He may have not drawn out the city's coveted Mayor as he had wanted, but it was only to be expected in this initial attempt. It was never that easy, not in story, and not in reality. There was still so much more to do... 

[makishima-shougo]

"How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. "

 "...For those of you who may become concerned..." interrupting the silence, Makishima's tone was just barely above a whisper, still gaining any and all attention over the scratching pens and clicking laptop keys. "--A news broadcast is being held right now from their official webpage; Apparently, a public bus downtown has been hijacked by terrorists and headed down to the Market District as we speak..." Though his expression was feigned to be dire, he felt nothing but mirth in his heart relaying the news; Not necessarily truthful in his reliability (as should any innocent bystander should be) the episode had already been transpiring for the past fifteen minutes, his HD feedback coming from hired sources moving so fluidly across his screen--truly nothing but eye candy from where he stood, as if gracing the scene in person... How grand technology could be when utilized for one's convenience. Nothing that any of these younger folk could appreciate in their spoiled time. 

"Though it is against my usual principals, but if you'd all wish to contact your loved ones and dismiss yourselves I would not mark you a penalty. However, please be truthful in your excuses, seeing how your performance next week on the brevity of Shakespear in an essay no less than 1000 words may weigh heavily on your life as well..." The playful threat was even enough for the most ambitious of the class to give a groan, the joke probably too severe in light of his latter announcement. Though, to be honest, there were only a few individuals (really, a singular one in particular) that Makishima was hoping to act upon the ongoing development most compellingly.... And of course, careful hawk-like eyes did not leave the lecture hall arrangement spread before him, the deepest smirk forming behind lips strewn tightly together in practice.                                                       --So....                          What will you do now, Mr. Alcor Asteris..?

[makishima-shougo]

This World Is Filled With Untruthful Devils

 APRIL FOOLS, YOU MEME

[makishima-shougo]

 What a splendid show.

[makishima-shougo]

The Symphony of Dystopic Prospect

[equesstellula-old-blog]

With a new semester came new classes and new professors; among them was one Professor Yukimori Shibata, an enigmatic teacher who seemed to have appeared overnight. He was certainly one of the more interesting ones, and with a captivating teaching style and a distinctive way of speaking, one that truly brought the words and ideals he read to life. Alcor only needed to take a quick glance around the room to know that all of the students were fixated on their professor.

The sound of his name snapped him back to reality. “…Yes, sir. With the advent of the Internet and other such technologies, acquiring and reading physical copies of books can be seen of as an act of utmost tedium. What use is there, when they can be procured within the comfort and confines of one’s home? But the situation is also ironic; books are as readily obtainable as their electronic counterparts are, yet their perceived value is dropping because of these technologies. Perhaps it can be said that the physical copies are being taken for granted—that if they were more scarce as they are in Farenheit 451, they would be treasured.”

Hopefully that would suffice? From what he had seen of Professor Shibata so far, he could be fairly critical of his students’ answers.

[makishima-shougo]

A little rough around the edges of an answer, but this one's speech patterns were pleasant, if not entirely polite. Throughout the few weeks that had passed already, his marks were good, solid, consistent... And it was entirely possible that Makishima had found a new star pupil among the dull faces of this university crowd.

 "Very good, Mr. Al Shaja." --It would be something to look forward to in pursuit of his higher achievements. As he carried on through the current discussion by elaborating on Alcor's words, their time was running short, but Makishima never dwindled or droned. Every moment of his lectures held significant information--if not towards examinations and assignments, then for the livelihood of these aspiring adults about to be thrown to the wilderness of this cruel society.   "Of course, in speculation to literary publications such as this one, they are just that. Simply deeper allegorical subsets made for the educational curricula. How foolish does it seem to take symbolical context from something so mundane, as say, The Hearth and The Salamander, or even The Mirrors posed by Granger's ambition to build a whole factory? "No one can really know for sure if every symbol and underlying meaning has relevance. Even the author described himself as a preventor of futures, not a predictor of them. He did not believe that book burning was an inevitable part of our future. No, instead he wanted to warn against its development.

"However... to conclude our lesson today, I'll end you with this: In terms to technology in our current time, Bradbury had predicted everything from flat-panel televisions to iPod earbuds and twenty-four-hour banking machines. So what kind of impression does that give you all even after what I previously stated? Are humans... so predictable that even the humble author can foretell our progression? Or in this case, regression? ......That is all." Whether or not his students absorbed anything wasn't of his concern, but it was all fair in love and war as they say. If they truly knew what was good for them, they'd take the time to do their homework... diligently. Now.. "Ah, Mr. Al Sahja, a moment, if you would." Just as the other was packing up like the rest, Makishima beckoned him to the front of the lecture hall, hawk-like gaze unblinking and calm. He wanted to begin dousing the gasoline on these tiny embers.. And what better way as to establishing some familiarity? 

[makishima-shougo]

The Symphony of Dystopic Prospect

                                               --Toshi City. An urban wasteland littered with brick, mortar, and concrete. The population was already somewhere in the several hundreds of thousands, the foundations being nothing short of a democracy (if you could even call it that). The rumors had been as follows: the city bathed in a perpetual sunlight, doves as pure and lovely as white snow baiting on the whim of their mysterious Mayor, of whom no one knew the identity of. Surely, Makishima was already feeling a sort of indigenous kindredship to this sort of setting--making one's settlement in a closed-off space, ruled and monitored by a higher deus? This reeked of similarities of the Sybil System and already he wished to tear it asunder.  He took up the dead alias here, Yukimori Shibata, and only threw around his name when he knew it didn't matter. He had never been detected or seen as a criminal, even with the new establishment of a Neo-Tokyo; his Crime Coefficient was a flawless kosher slate, but because of this, he had known no limits to his actions. He was an outcast from the start. So here he was, camouflaged among the sheep, unbeknownst to them that the starving wolf was manipulating their comfortable minds into the illusion of false-security. It wasn't even in their best interest to anticipate the revelation--the entirety of this charade was to shake them from within the hive-mind; After all, which was more fearsome? An enemy you can foresee in the night, or an enemy that kills whilst sitting down and enjoying a conformed morning like all the rest? Surely it was the latter. But that was presumptuous; Makishima wasn't here to stereotype, after all. Things would play out their course, whether or not they ate out of the palms of his hands.

 "--A variety of other themes in the novel besides censorship have been suggested.." Today's lesson was a personal favorite from his collection--Fahrenheit 451, published in America and covering the "what-if" dystopian motif that many people disregarded as a science fictitious fantasy. Foolery. "Two major themes are resistance to conformity and control of individuals via technology and mass media. Bradbury explores how the government is able to use mass media to influence society and suppress individualism through book burning. The characters Beatty and Faber point out the American population is to blame. Due to their constant desire for a simplistic, positive image, books must be suppressed. Beatty blames the minority groups, who would take offense to published works that displayed them in an unfavorable light. "Faber went further to state that the American population simply stopped reading on their own. He notes that the book burnings themselves became a form of entertainment to the general public." Makishima thus posed the question towards his thoughtful students: Did the inspiration for writing such a dystopic work still apply to society today? Were books seen as something useful and precious? Should they be preserved? Or were they so far-gone with the conveniency of technology and the internet that published works really were nothing but useless burnable relics of the past, sought to be forgotten? "Let's see," Makishima glanced from his personal hardcopy to the roster sheet sitting on the podium, choosing a name of fancy. Right, this one... "A Mr. Alcor Al Sahja. Would you be so kind as to answer my assessment in full?"

[sakuraikazuaki1111-deactivated2]