Cinderella Boy

"If it ain't broke, try not to break it." Status: Alive Affiliated with: Roulette Rampage Rewind

[shslcinderellaboy]

Course 2 ❄ Iced Tea Intentions <Open>

So that’s what happened if you got caught, huh...

It was ugly. Nasty business, all of it, but it taught him a lesson or two and knowledge was pretty valuable. It didn’t matter how you survived, really. Just that you did. Besides, people easily forgot about people who kicked the bucket, nice or not. What mattered was your own strength. Tatsuya Mikami had picked a bad place to stand that day... and Nagisa Honami had made a stupid move. With those thoughts in mind, he made his mind up to continue forging his own path in the hopes of finding a way out of here. Now that two people had died, would the others really risk their own death to get out of here? Maybe. Maybe not. Desperate people could do some dark things and hey, some people here seemed fine with gory violence in general. Still, if they didn’t comply... Monokuma probably wouldn’t just wait for them to act. Probably find some way to up the stakes. Rather than wait for the inevitable, better to try and find something constructive in this new playpen.

Morning light faded to darkness as Kaneto inspected new locations with discerning eyes. Some of the new locations may have been colourful but god damn it if it wasn’t the same old crap. Disappointing. Though some places seemed to be off-limits ‘till late. It’d just about turned 7PM when Kaneto arrived at the bar, the fancy blue lights luring him closer. This whole area seemed homely somehow. The sparkling lights of the city reminded him of less fortunate days, penniless days...

Well. Perhaps it could be argued these were the less fortunate days.

Tch. What crappy luck that yo-yos back to crap. He suffers for half his life, finally gets it good and what, life drops the other shoe, just like that? Why? Seemed distinctly unfair but hey, seemed like he’d have to get used to being the underdog in life.

The bar itself was kind of a welcome change. Spacious, with the cooling blue atmosphere bathing the area in tranquility. Part of him wants to say killing someone in here would be quite the task but that part of him gets shut down. A determined killer can kill right in front of someone’s eyes. Ain’t no jazzy music gonna stop anyone. Well, for now it’s peaceful. For now, it’s fine. And for now, that’s enough for him, as he vaults over the counter to inspect the drinks.

[shslkyudoka]

Investigation 01 ↣ Tension | Open

[shslcinderellaboy]

shslkyudoka:

A heavy sigh escaped the rosy lips of the kyudoka as the sound of Kaneto Shirousagi’s voice hummed in her ear with the affectionate, if not somewhat undesired nickname he had brought upon himself to grant her. Personal pleasantries aside, Misaki pivoted on her heal in a single, swift motion, the momentum of her turn tossing her long hair behind her like a whip. Whatever his motivations for intruding on her solitary investigation was not her concern, though if cautiousness was his gambit, then she could certainly empathize with his reasoning. No one person should be left to tamper or observe evidence given the possibility one of the many amongst them was the culprit behind Tatsuya’s early departure from this world.

“Shirousagi-san, I am surprised to see your enthusiasm towards a proper investigation. Here I was assuming you not to be the justice-minded type.”

Justice may have had nothing to do with the reason why Kaneto called back towards her, but it was much more of a romantic notion to think that it might have been. Misaki walked down the steps of the escalator back towards Kaneto, each step leaving a heavy clang of echoing metal in the air.

“From my own findings, it doesn’t seem to be anything worth nothing that is outside the obvious. I would like to examine Mikami-kun’s body more thoroughly, though I do not know if that will offer any additional answers. Tampering too much with a corpse can effectively destroy more evidence than it would discover it.”

“Just from his body alone, it seems quite obvious that Mikami-kun took an unsavory tumble to his death. I hoped to find more evidence here that might incriminate a culprit more, but it seems unlikely the more I search. Perhaps you have an idea to where we might be more fruitful in our endeavors?”

She was more open to it then he thought she’d be but that was a good thing, honestly. Who knows how much time they had here? It’d be a real pain to waste it in a petty argument. Though he’d rather focus on the mission at hand, he can’t help but scoff, or perhaps laugh, at her comment. Was the idea of it so alien to him he couldn’t help himself? Even he wasn’t sure. It was an instinct. Maybe that talk of justice was the catalyst... Misaki did seem the type to believe in that. To believe in higher powers and concepts that danced around the tips of human fingers. Such a ball and chain, that type of thinking. If you let yourself believe in karma or luck, in justice and evil, you’d begin making excuses for yourself. For everybody.

He rustles a snack out of his pocket and places it in his mouth not unlike a cigarette. Maybe the addiction was something similar.

“Eh, justice is cheap. Lil bunny did a good of mumblin’ it but I heard it nice n’ clear. ‘If the killer walks free, one of you die’. Only way to make sure it ain't me is to find the bastard that did it.”

And like that, any sincere or romantic misinterpretations one could’ve had are dispersed. He came to terms with his shortcomings a long time ago. And yeah, maybe that did make him a bad person. But Tatsuya Mikami was a stranger. Strangers passed him on the street everyday. If he heard one died in a car wreck the next day, why should that ruin his day? Would it ruin someone else’s if that were him instead? No way. At the end of the day, for all the huff and puff, people only cared about themselves and their own business. He was just more upfront about it, that was all.

Not that society appreciated the upfront approach.

Not in his experience, anyway.

“Only had a peek but couldn’t help but notice the lack of the usual shit you’d expect of a murder. Blood, weapons, the works. Nah, it’s all lookin’ pretty physical. Like you said. Bad tumble. Splat.”

Well, that being said he felt it wasn’t nearly enough to go on. Obviously. If it were, Misaki wouldn’t be unsure either. Standing around wasn’t going to do anything though. For Kaneto, he wanted to be assured of his own safety. For Misaki, who knows, probably something something justice. Whatever the reason, they both had a motive to get stuff done. After stewing and flipping it over in his brain, he finishes the pocky stick and waves a guiding hand around the city area.

“Alright, way I see it is we gotta look outside of the scene. I mean think about it, Tamagoyaki down there fell off the wall and cracked his head.”

He didn’t fall off a wall but hey, the Humpty Dumpy allusion just came naturally there.

“So that doesn’t leave much evidence, right? Well, my thinkin’ is that whoever did the pushing split. Maybe they knew what they were doin’, maybe not. Either way, they probably left this place soon as possible. Stop N’ Shop’s closest so maybe they ran off there. Or maybe they went a stop further n’ trekked to the park n’ cafe area. I sincerely doubt anyone’d be dumb enough to go to the hotel everyone’s at after a murder so that’s probably out.”

Rather than a suggestion, he’s more just analyzing out loud. That’s perhaps a bad habit of his but it’s better to make these things clear.

“We check out the local areas, see if anything looks weird, got knocked over, whatever. Even if it seems tiny could be something big. That’s my hot take on it, anyway.”

Kaneto ends this thought with a shrug, his chin conveniently drifting into his cupped hand.

[shslkyudoka]

Investigation 01 ↣ Tension | Open

[shslcinderellaboy]

shslkyudoka:

She thought it was strange, the moment she slid her window open and gazed out onto the empty city streets. The haze had dispersed; The countless, monotonous days of inhaling thick sludge-filled pollution had eerily fallen behind her, and Misaki felt the ebb of uncertainty and skepticism fill her chest with each inhale of clear air. The solution to the polluted air was only one of two, the later she had nearly convinced herself was impossible. Despite her fruitless attempts to satiate her conscious reasoning, Misaki knew why the air was so clean. They all knew. 

The loudspeakers only echoed with confirmation.

Her heals carried her swiftly down the hotel stairs, the warm sunlight blinding her as sh stepped out onto the city sidewalk. Though faint, Misaki could hear the distant sound of commotion rattling between the empty alleys and buildings lining the street. As her feet carried her hurriedly towards the source of the panic, the subway station, the air suddenly began to fill with screams of terror and disgust from below, mixed with the echo of Monobear’s laughter. In high alert, Misaki swiftly made her way towards the entrance of the subway, her kimono sleeves billowing gracefully with each step. At the top of the escalators, Misaki could see only what her unadjusted eyes would allow her.

It was only when she reached the bottom of the escalators did the reality suddenly set in. Tatsuya Mikami lay lifeless on the ground.

“……………….”

Of all the people… To think that Tatsuya Mikami would be the one she saw laying dead on the ground before her. For just a moment, time seemed relative to only herself, but there was no time for shock. Misaki felt her muscle tense at the realization that now walking amongst them, there was a killer. 

“Mikami, you fool…” she said quietly to herself. 

How cruel…. Misaki collected herself and walked towards Tatsuya’s body, kneeling beside him and sitting quietly on her heels. It seemed like she was not the first to observe the body. The way his lifeless eyes stared blankly back at her did not disgust or frighten her, but pained her. What an undignified way to die. Reaching a hand forward, Misaki placed her palm on his eyes and gently brought his eyelids down, closing his dead gaze. It was the only respects she would allow herself to give him, at least for now.

Scanning over the body, Misaki grimaced at the way his neck lay bent abruptly at an angle, the bruising apparent in the dim lighting of the subway station. Reaching forward with both hands, Misaki brought her fingers down to feel the bones in his neck, attempting to feel where the vertebrae may have snapped. The icy sensation of his deceased flesh made Misaki tense up; such a sensation would never feel natural to her. 

Standing again, Misaki began to retrace her steps up the escalators, her eyes careful to catch any minuscule details, particularly paying attention to each individual step and the hand railing. 

It wouldn’t be one’s fault if you thought of the skier as stupid. Indeed, he had a tendency to speak without thinking and a habit of headbutting problems down to size. Despite all this, however, he truly wasn’t an idiot. The new clean feeling in his throat informed him of what happened. The details connected and completed themselves as he walked and when he finally arrived at the scene, everything was as confirmed as it could be. This had really happened, huh.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t quite find it himself to feel too much sorrow for the late Tatsuya. Really, he should view it as a good thing even if he doesn’t quite have it in him to revel in someone’s death. Still with Tatsuya gone, that makes him one of the strongest guys here... though Blackfin and Kazuma would still pose a problem. But that’s thinking ahead. Right now the problem is the body. A class trial, huh... no idea what to expect there. Still, time’s-a-wasting and he needs to do what he can here. Thankfully someone pretty useful’s here. It doesn’t seem the time nor the place to call someone ‘useful’ but he’s always been a practical sort. What good does it do you to cry about Tatsuya when he’s still dead? Tears are useless. Self-pity’s a practice that only encourages you to give up.

Well. He’s no quitter.

Kaneto watches with impartial eyes as Misaki extends respect to the body. That makes sense, huh... she is that sort of person. It’s not his style, but he can respect her form of respect. But she’s soon back onto her feet and off investigating and whoa-- damn she gets around for someone in such a tight-ass kimono.

“Yo, wait up, Sakuramochi. I don’t think anybody should be investigatin’ alone. What if you tamper with something? I’m tagging along. Besides, we can find more together. Any problems?”

Hey, the way he sees it he has every right to be suspicious of everybody here. It’s not like they’re friends. Besides, it’d definitely be useful to have somebody else to dig stuff up with and discuss theories.

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Killer Croquette <Open>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shsl-dreaminterpreter:

As Kaneto spoke, she peeked her eyes through the spaces between her fingers. Her feet, awkwardly placed close together, were all she could see aside from the floor of the store. Gosh, she really was an idiot…This shouldn’t have made her cry, she thought. Anyone else would just brush this off or want to prove their adversary wrong, but Yuuna felt as though she couldn’t do much to help the situation. She was powerless and shameful for being so hurt by his mere opinion in the first place. 

Yuuna lifted her head, and dropped her hands to wrap one arm around herself, the other still clenching to her pudding. Her eyes continued their focus on the floor as she was scolded. Right when she looked up, however, a finger met her gaze, making the dream interpreter’s eyes cross ever so slightly for a second. Her heart jumped in its cavity at this sudden interaction.

“You may be right in that sense. Crying isn’t going to help anything. Sometimes it feels better to let it out though…Sometimes it takes a moment of weakness in order for someone to spring back better than before. You don’t expect me, or anyone for that matter, to be so happy-go-lucky all the time, do you, Shirousagi-kun?”

She broke the seal of her pudding cup, scooping her first bite with the spoon provided in the container. She paused as she let the rim of the spoon sit in the treat, as she met eyes with Kaneto’s.

“I’m not asking for you to, ‘play nice.’ I’m asking for you to be considerate of others’ feelings, especially considering the situation we’ve all been thrown into. Now isn’t the best time to be making enemies.”

It was when she stopped speaking that she took a bite of the pudding, sucking on the spoon a little longer than she should. 

What did this girl want from him, anyway? They were strangers. Sure, you could become friends with a stranger, acquaintances, hell, if you got lucky, you could even become best friends with one. But to offer charity and pity to a complete nobody... that was alien.

The way she stares at him seems almost accusatory, no, it’s not almost. It’s not that. It’s a frown of someone who doesn’t understand. No wonder, of course she just doesn’t understand, who would? He’s selfish. The king of stinginess. He doesn’t expect her to get that, hell, he’s been through too many people calling him out on it, hating him for it to care about it now. Maybe Yuuna’s right, he’s just making enemies. But he didn’t get this far being soft on people. You drop your guard once, it’s all over.

At least if he makes enemies he knows what to expect of people. The worst. And he could fight his way through it; if it came to that.

“I can’t be. If I’m considerate, take care of you, who’ll care about me? Not you. Not anybody. Even if someone says they will, how can you guarantee it? Askin’ some nobody to make such a sacrifice... that’s ridiculous.”

He puts an unimpressed hand on his waist and just stares for a second before shaking his head, sighing. Kaneto had never been great with people who cry, girls who cry especially. It wasn’t like they made him uncomfortable more that... the more he spoke, the 

“Listen. I’m not gonna wring your neck ‘cause I saw you act all mushy n’ shit. I don’t really care. I guess it’s kinda lucky it was me who I saw it n’ not someone else. You may not like the shit I say but at least I ain’t a liar.”

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Rock Candy Rubble <Tsukasa>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shsl-acrylics:

“O-of course I would…th-that’s not a threat, is it–oh.”

The instinctual anxiety at the idea of being attacked quickly lowered when Tsukasa saw the satisfied-looking smile on Kaneto’s face. Apparently being stubborn about his fate despite the possibility it would be inevitable was a good thing in the skier’s eyes. Tsukasa just thought it was basic human instinct. Most people didn’t like dying, and he was a person too. That seemed obvious.

Continuing to follow behind, Tsukasa couldn’t help but let out another small sigh at Kaneto’s words about him whining about his luck. Just outright say you thought I’d be a complete coward, why don’t you… 

“I mean, e-even if I do complain, that w-won’t change my situation at all….I m-might as well spend my energy doing something w-worthwhile…”

He’d learned that much from past experiences, and it applied here too. No matter how much he cried, his miserable situation still existed, so better to focus on living through it rather than how terrible it was. 

Due to being not as athletic and having smaller legs, Tsukasa trailed a bit behind the skier, his eyes darting around in caution. Once they reach the escalator, Tsukasa takes a look up to the surface. Maybe the view will give him an idea on where to look next.

Despite Kaneto, in his eyes, complimenting the guy, he still seems a bit... annoyed, perhaps? Maybe it’s the words he used. Maybe he didn’t actually compliment him at all. Kaneto wasn’t good at that, the whole squint your eyes, analyze the words and derive a hidden meaning from this body language word mystic tone you used. It was all pointless. You say what you mean and you mean what you say.

Perhaps that explained why people always mentioned how horrible he was when he opened his mouth. Huh.

“Agreed. That’s why I’m complimentin’ you, y’know. I have respect for that. Or no, rather n’ that, I guess... I have disrespect for anyone who’d think anythin’ otherwise.”

That was the best way of saying it. Tsukasa’s energy, as it were, wasn’t... really anything to compliment. That was just how it should be. The idea you’d give up so easily was ridiculous. And deplorable, honestly.

Being outside aided his mood tremendously. While he was irked with Tsukasa per se, he was annoyed by the whole situation and the lack of strong results. Of course, that didn’t mean he’d give up or even take a break. It just meant irritating things were irritating. And as such, it helped to take some peace in the small things you enjoyed. The air purifiers... maybe they’d get shut off, but until then, he’d enjoy as much air as he wanted. No stuffed animal could stop him from doing that.

Well, one supposes it could but... it might be stupid to try.

”Well I ain’t got a single clue what a damn air purifier looks like or if it’s even worth findin’ but I’m gonna turn this fuckin’ town inside out until I see somethin’ helpful. I’m not about to believe there’s nothin’ good in this whole area.”

And if an air purifier can be found, like he’s hoping, a lot of stuff can get properly confirmed. How they work, if they can be switched off, if they can be switched back on... all kinds of things. If one can’t be found, isn’t it possible this whole thing’s a stupid hoax?

Either way, something will crop up if he looks hard enough. That’s his belief and nothing’s going to shake it.

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Rock Candy Rubble <Tsukasa>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shsl-acrylics:

Tsukasa didn’t do much besides quietly listen to Kaneto’s speech on realism. Ok, he had him there, a talking bear harassing them was about as far from realistic as something could get. Neither did Tsukasa know that the purifier couldn’t be turned back on, so the possibility was still there. Even so, he was never the type to get his hopes up too high, since it left him less chance to be disappointed. 

But asking about what his chances are upfront? Kaneto was really placing him under a microscope today.

“W-well, that’s…I mean, l-looking at everything, I d-don’t exactly have the best chances, but th-that doesn’t mean I’m just going to l-let myself die…”

That was really all he could say about his prospects. Whether he ignored it or not, there was a good number of people in the city that would be able to kill him easily. Despite that, he didn’t want to be anyone’s victim anymore. He had more dignity than that.

As the skier started to leave, Tsukasa frowned at the rubble one last time, before deciding to make his own way out of here. He didn’t know whether he’d be sticking with Kaneto through this endeavor of investigation or not, but he did know that there wasn’t much left to look for here. His time would be better spent looking elsewhere.

He gives Tsukasa a long and meaningful stare after asking the question, gauging his answer. A meaningless weak ‘I’ll probably die’ won’t do. If that’s Tsukasa’s answer, then Kaneto’s out. No ifs, ands or buts. But his answer, while not as confident as Kaneto’s own answer would be, wasn’t exactly a disagreeable one. ‘That doesn’t mean I’m just going to let myself die’, is it...

“So. If I came at you right now, you’d fight back, huh...”

That doesn’t seem like it’s directed at Tsukasa but his stare does not waver. He tilts his head, keeping the silence before finally giving Tsukasa a rare impressed sort of smile.

“Is that so? Good.”

And that’s all he gets. That’s quite the compliment coming from the skier but the word is so plainly said, without further embellishment or compliment, that it almost sounds downright cold or matter-of-fact.

Whatever it is or however it sounds, it’s approval in some sense.

“As long as you’re not just givin’ up I’m happy to work with you. Different opinions, different people, that’s a no-brainer, we’re not always gonna see eye-to-eye. But so long as you don’t just wring your hands n’ mewl about your bad luck I’d say you’ve got the right idea. Right enough, anyway.”

Kaneto continues this rambling thought as he walks through the subway, looking behind corners almost a bit too cautiously. Still, he could never be too wary, that’s what he figured. Finally he found those escalators and this time, rather than stride ahead of the painter, he opted to wait for the less active fellow, his elbow leaning on the wall.

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Killer Croquette <Open>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shslcinderellaboy:

shsl-dreaminterpreter:

No offense? No offense?

The words, “you’re kind of an idiot” rang in her ears like the cry of cicadas in the summer heat. A perfect public image was something the dream interpreter knew she could never achieve, unlike most people. For some reason, she could never grasp how other girls her age were so well-liked by her peers. Yuuna Mikami felt distanced and isolated, phenomena that weren’t exactly knew to her. Making friends wasn’t easy, yes, but to be humiliated like this so early in the game…Yuuna felt like she took a punch to the gut. She’d felt a striking pain in her stomach and a sense of weightlessness in her head upon impact, and shortly after, this pain dulled, but the feeling that something was there still lingered. 

Crossing her arms, Yuuna’s gaze met the floor of the store. She was being scolded as if she was a child…That wasn’t entirely wrong, but hearing this seemingly inevitable reality check from a complete stranger didn’t do much to help her pride.

“I’m not an idiot…” was all the defense she could muster. 

She continued to listen to the skiier’s harsh advice. In a sense, he was right. Yuuna needed to keep her guard up. Someone could jump around the corner looking to kill her at any moment, and Kaneto could just leave her to die. In fact, she was certain that’s what he would do. They weren’t friends. She knew nothing about him, and he knew nothing about her. Of course he’d take his own live as a priority over some weird girl’s that he just met that day.  There wasn’t much else she felt she needed to say about the subject besides giving her classmate a nod.

“Th-thanks for looking out for me, Shirousagi-kun…I’m sorry I messed up. I’m not the greatest survival partner, so I understand if you want to find someone else to team up with…”

She made a sniffle, and as soon as her palms met her eyes, she started crying right there in the middle of the lonely Stop n Shop.

He shrugs, almost callous in how plain-faced he is about it.

“An idiot who doesn’t think they’re an idiot’s probably just an even bigger idiot.”

God damn it to hell. He hated people who cried. They always had such god timing with it, making you look like the bad guy. A stab of guilt did hit but he didn’t let that bother him. Bad guy or not, he was who he was. And he wasn’t going to soften the edges or apologize for that. If Yuuna didn’t like it, she could hang out with someone else. There were plenty better and gentler people out there here.

She seemed honestly shell-shocked to hear what he considered common sense. Had no one seriously commented about the whole la-la land airhead routine? If so, that was their bad, lying to this girl’s face. He was different. It wasn’t even like he was doing it for her benefit. It was just a simple truthful statement. Why should he feel bad for that?

“When did I say I was teaming up with you? Or that I was gonna find someone else? Listen, I say what I mean and nothing else. If that bothers you, then that’s it. I don’t mince words and I won’t play nice. That won’t change.“

His words are spoken firmly, a sort of mixture of exasperation and frustration on his face, all at once. He wasn’t a gentle person. Hell, he wouldn’t even call himself a kind person. Selfish, greedy, stubborn, aggressive, hell, you could make a laundry list of terrible traits. But he wore them and he wore them well; he wasn’t going to pretend he was anything else and the sooner people realized that, the better for everyone.

“Crying’s not gonna help you, y’know. It’s not like in those storybooks. No prince is gonna see you sobbin’ and come for you on his white steed or nothin’. In this world all you got is yourself. The sooner you get that the better.”

He jabs a finger in her direction.

“If you get that then eat your goddamn pudding properly and get your energy back. Like this you’re useless to everyone, right?”

Perhaps in its own way, that’s him trying to be supportive.

[shslant-blog]

Enmity ◑ Open

[shslcinderellaboy]

shslcinderellaboy:

shslant:

“Gyonigiri is fine, if you want. I’ll respond to almost anything.” With his classmate’s hand around his own, Gyo’s smile warmed. While it seemed as though strategic thinking didn’t come naturally to Kaneto, the guy was giving it his best—few things in life were worth more praise than that. Gyo made sure his half of the handshake was appropriately firm before returning his hand to his lap.

“Oftentimes we have to sift through the bad ideas to get to the good ones,” he assured his classmate, then froze. He gave his head a quick shake. “I shouldn’t say that. It wasn’t a bad idea at all—there are just better ones.”

The young myrmecologist peered over at his new friend. His eyes flitted between each of Kaneto’s. If this situation was as serious as they had been led to believe, there were difficult decisions to be made here. Some of the light went from his face, and he lowered his voice.

“If we do commit ourselves to gathering data,” he said, “we may find ourselves with a body on our hands. I’m not sure we can get a firm grasp on this game any other way.”

Whoa, this guy had both mentioned the name thing and hadn’t minded it. That was new. People tended to either skim over it or give him that sort of ‘did you really call me that’ look. If they didn’t outright tell him that was stupid, not their name and to cut it out.

“I’ll try to call you what name ya want, don’t get me wrong, but my memory’s shitty with names. I can memorize a menu in seconds though.”

Which meant ‘Gyonigiri’ was probably here to stay. Why was that exactly? Maybe he really was that selfish a person. He’d never given it a real thought. Gyo’s handshake was stronger than expected and in some weird way he appreciated that.

“I don’t really mind if it’s no good. You can be as harsh as you want. I’m kinda used to plowing through things on my own so this whole grand tactics n’ working together shit is new to me. Still, I’m gonna do my damndest.”

It sounds almost like a reassurance, have patience with me because I’m trying, but really Kaneto is as literal as ever. He’s not good at it but he might need to be so he’ll try and fix that. A simple problem deserves a simple solution and yeah, there’ll be some trial and error in between. Big deal. He’s probably broken a hundred bones getting this far. This’d at least probably be less brutal to his body.

What Gyo says after that takes on an almost low and ominous tone. The way he’s talking makes it seem like... if not killing then letting someone be killed. That’s dark. Not unbelievably so though, in some fashion. Kaneto’s had his own worries about someone dropping, succumbing, but it’s more he just hoped he’d find a solution before that.

“You really think someone’s gonna die before we find a way out, huh? I’m sure as hell tryin’ to get out of here but the sad thing that’s too real a possibility to just handwave. Still, the bear seems like a sketchy fuck, I wonder how much of what it says is even true, y’know?”

As long as he doesn’t die it doesn’t matter too much but he’d still rather it not happen. Unless Kazuma Misao’s the one who ends up getting found in a ditch. He could live with that.

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Rock Candy Rubble <Tsukasa>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shsl-acrylics:

“Th-that’s the idea, at least…it’d p-probably make sense for them to be underground if it needs to s-spread all over…maybe that’s what’s past the rocks? But it’s m-more likely there’s more than one…”

Honestly, he didn’t know nearly enough on mass purifying systems to make these kinds of guesses. He was just an artist, so he could only make educated guesses when it came to machinery. Then again, would any of them know about air purifiers? If he wasn’t so bad with people, that may be a good question to ask.

Seeing Kaneto’s harsh stare, however, Tsukasa shrank a little. This guy was as harsh as ever, it seemed.

“I’m not t-trying to give up, I’m just being r-realistic…unless s-someone knows how to operate that kind of thing, we’ll be going in b-blind…it d-doesn’t mean I won’t look for it though. I m-mean, there’s still a ch-chance it’ll work…and if it doesn’t, w-we die with some dignity. So…we don’t know either way, r-right?”

Really, Tsukasa thought he had a slightly brighter outlook than most pessimists, considering that he was open to the idea of things actually working out. Even if he didn’t think there was the greatest chance they’d survive, doing nothing would just get boring and depressing quick, so it was a decent enough idea to try and get out. Failure was a step above not trying, after all. Not trying meant nothing happened.

“R-right, but, other things…someone m-might have left something behind when they set it up here…or maybe a c-clue to our location?”

He squinted, trying to figure out any ideas. Nothing else was really coming to mind right now, honestly. Maybe the tunnel was a fruitless endeavor for now after all.

Being realistic was often used as a stand-in for pessimists, he found. They loved to go on and on about how realistic it was. Perhaps they were right. Perhaps their way of thinking was realistic. Which made his, abnormal, unrealistic. But what did that matter? Perhaps being so unrealistic is what allows him to dismiss the options he doesn’t like, to forge one’s own path.

“And how do you know someone doesn’t? Or can’t learn? Realism’s worth shit if we’re being accosted by a bear. I mean, how realistic is that one? Y’know, I got a question for you. What do you think of you chances? Do you think you’re going to die here or what?”

If he’s so realistic he’ll probably say he doesn’t have much of a chance. And in all honesty, in his mind, that was the most depressing answer of them all. The truth of it didn’t matter; believing you were vulnerable made you more vulnerable. Doing the opposite and indulging in a huge god complex was hardly the smartest play either but it was better than practically putting the gun to your head before anything’s even started.

“... For me, I don’t want to die, so I’m gonna try not to. Simple as.”

Kicking some stray rubble off the platform he watches with annoyed eyes as it loses more of its dusty coating as it tumbles away, shrinking with each clack against the floor. A pointless endeavor when you look back on it, but he knew more than he did before. That was at least something. His eyes then go to the exit as he ponders ditching this place altogether.

“There may not be much here. Not sure ‘bout you but I’ve got more places to hit.”

In some brusque way, this could be called a possible invitation. It helped having Tsukasa around in some vein even if he felt a distinct lack of fighting spirit from the kid. He had a smarter head and it helped to have someone, anyone to bounce ideas off of.

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Killer Croquette <Open>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shslnetidol:

Good… they were good. Good. That was the best reaction she could have hoped for, and now she could just grab her food in silence and leave. No problem. Feeling a little more confident, she started to turn towards her sweets of choice when–

“Eep!”

She let out a squeak as the donuts collided softly with her face and then landed on the floor beside her. It wasn’t painful at all, simply surprising, but after a second or two the hot embarrassment set in. Was she supposed to believe that was an accident?! He didn’t even say ‘catch!’ or ‘watch out for your face!’ or anything like that! Just lobbed them at her like a softball! So much for being ‘good’.

Despite the look on her face, she was still hoping to keep some composure. “N-no… I’m fine.” With a sniff she crouched and retrieved the donuts (which were not at all damaged from their fall thank goodness) and stood again, although her eyes didn’t leave the floor. “Thank you.” Jerk!

This mousy girl spoke with such a quiet voice, it was hard to catch her words every now and again. Her head drooped down after the package splatted against her face so it became even trickier to hear her. What was it she said-- thank you? Fuck you? It could’ve been either but he was guessing it was the former.

She sniffed and from what he could barely see of her face it seemed a bit flushed. What did that mean... either she had a cold or she was crying, right? Wait, who would cry over being hit with doughnuts? That seemed more than strange, even for a weakling. But maybe something happened that he wasn’t aware of. Like she twisted her ankle or something... she seemed super skittish so it made sense if she kept that sort of thing to herself. It was nagging him though so without warning, he grabbed her arm.

“Wait.”

It was a sort of gesture to make sure she stayed in place since he was half-worried she’d just scuttle away with the doughnuts. Okay. She’s not going anywhere. Now what?

Just ask her if she screwed up her leg or something. Sure, he’s not for giving free charity or pity to people but if she got herself injured that’d make her a target and he doesn’t want that on his conscience.

“What happened? Didja twist your leg or somethin’? Looks like somethin’ happened. I won’t know if you don’t tell me so don’t be coy; just spit it out if something’s up.”

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Rock Candy Rubble <Tsukasa>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shsl-acrylics:

“Yeah, s-something like that…b-but I don’t think anyone here is a superhero, s-so…w-we might not fare as well…”

Tsukasa’s mind went back to the image of getting hit by a train for a moment. With how strong they were, his body might barely be recognizable, depending on the speed and impact. He’d have to see about sketching it out when he got another chance to draw. 

For now though, he was staring at the wall, not able to find any discernible weak spots in sight. Maybe it was simply impossible to move, since he couldn’t see any, as Kaneto had put it, "Artemis’s Heel”. …Wait, he’s pretty sure that’s not the right phrase. 

“Um…Sukiyaki? B-but um, p-purifiers…they’re usually kind of b-big, and they’re p-plugged into something…I d-don’t know if different brands look different, though…”

While he was confused about what Kaneto just called, he was starting to wonder how an entire city was having the air purified. Where would they be stored in order to do that? Were they spread across the city, maybe? Or was it one big device? 

“S-still, what would finding the p-purifiers do? I d-don’t know if we’ll be able to turn them back on or anything…”

No one here is a superhero, huh... probably true, but, what a disappointment, to say it so bluntly. Well, he supposes that’s something to have as a goal in the future, anyway.

“No clue! I figured you’d know more than me. But if they’re so big, we should be able to find one at least.”

Plugged into something though... what did that mean...? You plug in computers, right? Were these air purifies the same sort of thing? In that case there was some big building or power tower thingy that connected them, right? ... Okay, sure, he had common sense but when it came to anything that required a tad more book smarts he was lost. A major character failure, perhaps. Or perhaps just more evidence he’d focused on other things in his childhood.

His eyes turn almost hostile as he turns his attention back to Tsukasa.

“So you’re giving up? ‘We don’t know’ ain’t an excuse. Listen kid, if you go around sayin’ ‘I don’t know if I can do this, I don’t know if I can do that’ it really is impossible. Me, I’m not gonna sweat it. If I don’t like how it is, I’ll change it. That kind of pessimistic shit will kill you.”

Still, if Tsukasa wants to throw himself away like that, so be it. He has no patience to be someone’s life coach. The situation is different, dangerous, but the important things haven't changed. Life was hard and if you were weak it would destroy you. So he wouldn’t be weak; he would be selfish if need be and he would get out of here.

There was a family out there to protect still.

“... ‘Nyway... if there’s no purifier down here that’s one thing... but that doesn’t mean nothing else is. If there’s all this rubble here, it’s possible someone got sloppy somehow.“

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Daifuku Daze <Misaki>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shslcinderellaboy:

shslcinderellaboy:

shslkyudoka:

Misaki nodded her head as she listened to what Kaneto shared with her. What he said was similar to her own feelings, minus some personal differences. She tapped her chin once more, thinking quietly to herself as she absorbed what he said. Misaki had always been a self-reliant person, most of her life, as her own personal ambitions and desires never quite aligned with the desires others had of her. It was only appropriate that the kyudoka was a self-driven and highly motivated individual who did things on her own terms. Yet, that did not put her above using the desires of others to further her own ambitions, if aligned correctly. If it would benefit her in the end, then it was worth her trouble. If it somehow benefited others in the process was simply collateral.

She tapped her chin again, thinking to herself pensively as she began to speak again in response to Kaneto’s thoughts.

“It is hard to say whether or not everyone shares similar feelings towards this Monobear creature, Shirousagi-san. I know of at least two students who you could even say enjoy the circumstances we are in - although, whether or not they believe the threats to be real is debatable.”

Minako Fukumori and Kazuma Misao were the students in question that Misaki instinctively thought of. Kazuma was a young man who seemed to take amusement at the misfortune of others, while Minako was morbidly enamored with death and decay. 

The kyudoka lowered her hands, her gaze still serious and contemplative.

“The dynamic of grouping together is a double-edge sword; On one hand, there is security and safety amongst a group of trustworthy allies, yet on the other, the devastation that betrayal would have would be exponential, and it is significantly easier to turn against someone who would not suspect you.

Trust is much easier to destroy than it is to create, Shirousagi-san.”

Her words were heavy, as if filled with experience of some kind, and they dragged against her teeth with a sour taste that Misaki seemed almost disgusted by, as shown by the hardening of her gaze.

“I believe that if we are to make any sort of semblance of trust amongst the students, we ourselves have to gamble on the chance that someone will not betray us and incite this game of killing like Monobear desires. Is that a risk you are willing to take, Shirousagi Kaneto-san?”

When she says that, he internally groans. And then groans out loud. He knows at least two people like that, too. Minako’s got a taste for the macabre and Kazuma’s got a taste for pissing people off. If the two of them meet up and discuss these particular hobbies it’ll be a nightmare, honestly. Maybe the world will luck out and Minako won’t like him either.

“If you’re talkin’ ‘bout the two I think you are, then I’ve had the pleasure. Neither of them mentioned ‘dirtying their own hands’, as it were, but that sure as shit doesn’t mean I trust ‘em.”

That hardly said much though; rather it implied there was somebody he did trust here and there wasn’t, really. There were people he thought had the right idea, sure, but that was hardly trust. In his eyes, you’d have to be a damn fool to trust somebody this early on. Forget the killing game aspect, that was just true of life in general.

“I think those two things aren’t really connected. People can work together without liking each other, trusting each other.

... Yeah. Don’t I know it.”

Kaneto just sighs, folding his arms. That question for him was difficult. The answer should be obvious but it wasn’t coming to him and in all honesty, he wasn’t sure he could present her with such a brazen lie. He was a man of solutions and yeah, he did like getting along with others for the most part but that didn’t mean he would suddenly prioritize them above him. He had a family to protect and things to get done. Nobody would prioritize him over them so why on earth should he do the same? Why would anyone?

He’d somewhat been banking on the idea of working together without trusting each other but the more Misaki talked of it the less possible it seemed. So would he have to find this solution on his own? ... Maybe.

“... I don’t mind taking that risk. You gotta at least try. And I’m pretty confident in my chances here.

But I can’t ignore the possibility either. Can’t answer the way I should, you know? Humans should be all kind n’ good and help thy neighbour and shit but if you asked me whether or not I think someone’s gonna kill the answer’s hell yeah, I feel someone’s gonna snap. That’s why I’m trying to find a solution before the inevitable. People are weak, selfish n’ doughy. They’re not gonna suddenly think of the greater good now. I just figured if I was quick enough, if we were n’ put our minds to being professional, we could game the system before someone broke.”

Perhaps Misaki would think less of him for a perhaps selfish or pessimistic answer but he had no intention of changing for her or anyone else.

[shslappdeveloper-blog]

{002=“Shelter”}

[shslcinderellaboy]

shslappdeveloper:

He really made a lot of sense. She had acted like a child! Her cheeks began turning pink upon this realization, fully embarrassed by her actions. It wasn’t like she had experience with this sort of thing!

“You…you’re right. We need to stick together! Um, but I’m not sure how the others would feel about that, some of them s-seemed pretty standoff-ish. Do you think it will work out…?”

She knew he didn’t have all of the answers, but she needed some reassurance. There was no telling what was going to happen, maybe someone was already dead! 

“They actually like…huh….”

Oh sweet baby Jesus.

She was, in her mind, one of the least likable people here. And even if she wasn’t the least likable, people were bound to not like her for political reasons, right? She began to feel sweat bead up on her temples.

“Aaaaaah, this is all so sudden, how can you be so calm…? Every time I calm down, I remember the situation and start to be scared again…”

Despite being so rich and prolific, Kayo struck him as a very honest person. That was both commendable and something that’d probably hurt her in the long run. Honest perhaps not in the sense of always telling it like it was like how he did but more just, the person you saw was probably the person she really was.

“Won’t know unless we try.”

One can almost hear the shrugging nature of his words. Perhaps it really does sound dismissive but it sounds true and it is true in his eyes. Reaching out to people isn’t too big of a risk in his eyes and it has the potential to be a great boon.

There was a concerned look on her face once more. He half-wondered if Kayo lived her whole life like this; worried about this and that, fearful of her own shadow. That just seemed awful tiring and as was his nature, he found it hard to be the sympathetic voice in this equation.

“Well, what good does it do me to cry ‘bout it? I’m in this situation now so I might as well do what I can to get out of it. Mewlin’ ‘bout how bad my luck is doesn’t help anybody. Use every second of every day the best you can. That’s just common sense. Besides...”

“I got no intention of dying here. Do you? If not, then stand up n’ do somethin’ about it.”

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Killer Croquette <Open>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shsl-dreaminterpreter:

Okay… Kaneto claimed he didn’t start this whole thing. He must be telling the truth. He didn’t seem like the type to gather a bunch of people in a weird, enclosed city and make them all kill each other. He was only a skier, after all! Yuuna’s shoulders relaxed knowing she was safe. She held the pudding cup in one hand and took the lid off with the other. It wasn’t a bad time for a snack, was it? 

“I’m glad I can trust you then, Shirousagi-kun. It’s comforting to know that you weren’t the one who started all of this. I guess I’m a lot safer with you then I thought!”

Except not really. There was that one possibility that she mentioned that would make her absolutely petrified.

“I really hope the power doesn’t go out though…I’m…kind of scared of the dark.” She said this a little too casually, it seemed.

After his reply, for whatever reason, Yuuna seemed a lot perkier. She’d taken him up on his earlier suggestion of a pudding pot and seemed more like the girl he’d met prior. It should be fine like this. Only those words of hers are concerning; was it seriously that easy for this girl? Perhaps it seemed kind of counter-intuitive. He did want people to trust him, after all, it was easier if they all trusted each other and got along here, even if he didn’t like the personalities of some of these kids. So why does this bother him? It’s her... sheer airheadedness perhaps. Like if you leave this girl alone she’s going to get herself in a huge situation.

Well, perhaps if he were better at holding his tongue he could’ve kept this particular thought to himself.

“Hey, no offense, but you’re kind of an idiot, aren’t you?”

It was hard to say ‘no offense’ with such an offensive statement.

“Trustin’ someone you just met’s just-- somethin’ out of a manga or somethin’ ain’t it? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I really didn’t set this shit up and I’m all for getting the hell outta here but that doesn’t mean you should just blindly follow someone, I mean, you’re just gonna get used like that.”

Hm, so what if they did lose power, then? It’d make it easier for people to hurt each other, for sure. In general it seemed like bad news. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that... maybe if it was a possibility trying to find other light sources would be prudent.

“There’s nothing that scary ‘bout the dark. The worst stuff’s all in your head anyway, right?”

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Daifuku Daze <Misaki>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shslcinderellaboy:

shslkyudoka:

Misaki felt the corners of her lips curl into a delicate smile. The level of confidence in himself was more than realized, and Misaki could feel it from it. His tenacity and determination was refreshing, as she had expected him to question himself and his goals like so many before him had when posed with her prying questions. It was proof enough that, even if failure was an option, Kaneto Shirousagi would ensure it was not.

She nodded her head once in response to him.

“I cannot deny, Shirousagi-san, that your level of determination is quite respectable. Truly, I only question you because it is something to expect, but you’ve proven that even in the face of adversity, you are determined. It is quite admirable.”

Praises from Misaki were not common, but usually were out of a reflection of herself that she saw in her company. Not allowing the doubts of others to cloud your goals was something she could agree with, and for her at least, despite her dimly realistic perspective on matters, that was reason enough for her to agree with Kaneto’s plans. Even his sentiment of being able to rely on yourself in the end was one she knew far too well. 

Her face then returned to a more serious expression after a moment, as she began to think more critically on the words Kaneto had proposed. As she thought out loud to Kaneto, it seemed like Misaki’s mindset shifted into another being altogether.

“Now, for the matter at hand…

Bringing together a group of sixteen will be a challenging task. The common goal of survival is natural reason for human beings to cooperate with one another, but considering the circumstances, it will be more difficult to bring together everyone easily. You’ve said it yourself, that the only one you can really rely on is yourself, so our first task will have to be usurping that concept altogether, at least temporarily, to prove that we have more of a chance to succeed as a group rather than as individuals.

Perhaps it would be best to demonstrate that camaraderie by example, or emphasize the risk of failure when alone. There are many ways to approach this type plan, but the wire we walk is thin and it is important that we do not put ourselves in a position to be taken advantage of.”

She looked towards Kaneto, after speaking somewhat rhetorically for so long.

“Your thoughts?”

Whoa. Somehow he felt like he’d seen something really rare.

For a second his mind derails there. For him, the way he was made sense; it was natural. The idea that someone wouldn’t have confidence in themselves, wouldn’t fight for what they wanted was baffling. Who could lead a satisfying life being swayed by every negative thing in their way? How dull. And honestly, what a waste of time. No one was going to magically give you confidence in yourself. Still, being called admirable wasn’t common so that much he could appreciate.

“I appreciate the kind words n’ all but for me, that much is natural. You either fight for what you want or you crumble. I can’t stand the idea of giving up before I’ve even tried.”

It’s accurate to say, in fact, he considers this determination of his one of his biggest assets. While he wasn’t sure why she felt the need to test him he hoped now that this was out of the way they’d be able to get down to business, here. Perhaps Misaki was of a similar mind - that people who give up on themselves aren’t worth one’s time. If that was the case, he respected that, but rather than hyper-analyzing her motives he’d much rather find a solution to this current problem.

And as such, he listens to her words intently, his head resting in his hand. The way she spoke now was different. She always seemed on the serious side but this was more... directed - focused. Like a woman on a mission.

“... I was right to talk to you ‘bout this, huh.”

He nods, mostly confirming his own words before giving his thoughts. Hell, he would’ve given those even if Misaki hadn’t left the invitation.

“You’re right, though. It’s a pain ‘cause too much of anything’s a no-go. If you seem strong maybe you inspire leadership but maybe you also look like a threat. You show a little weakness, maybe you’re not as scary but that makes you perfect prey.”

It’s a troublesome situation and honestly, it’s not one he’s all too familiar with. Perhaps a drawback of having such an adventurous fiery personality, Kaneto’s never felt the need to rely on other people. Counting on others was a chore - you could never predict who would or wouldn’t fuck up and if they did, it hurt you in the end, too. So the solution for the man of common sense was to just cut them out of the equation entirely. It’d worked some but in a place like this that was a death-wish.

“I always thought of it as an enemy of our enemy is a friend. Like, if everyone dislikes the bear, makes sense to go against him or something; like it just makes sense to stick together but... maybe that ain’t so right. Maybe if people get into groups with people they feel comfortable with it won’t be so bad. I mean, in general, ain’t it harder to hurt people in a group?

I’m fine playin’ nice with people but I’m not sure I can get ‘em to trust me. Honestly, I’ve done much everythin’ on my own so I’m kind of a stranger in this land.”

He’s half-replying and half-thinking aloud at this point. There’s no reason to suddenly be shy about his lack of cooperation. Being frank about these things was the smart move.

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Rock Candy Rubble <Tsukasa>

[shslcinderellaboy]

shsl-acrylics:

Nodding slightly, Tsukasa continues to observe the area surrounding the wall of rocks as if it’s a piece of artwork he needs to discern every last detail of. Though honestly, it was more akin of observing the cracks in a brick wall than any sort of art piece.

“Hmm, j-just say what I see? Well…r-rocks, but that’s obvious…m-most of them are big rocks though, I c-can’t even see any openings. Is the w-wall around it damaged?”

He tilts his head a little to get a better look at it. He figures looking at the surrounding wall edges might at least give an indication of how the blockage got there. The wall would be damaged if it had been collapsed with something like dynamite. However, if it’s not, he isn’t sure how someone would roll a bunch of rocks up to a wall. Maybe a bulldozer? Could you fit a bulldozer underground?

“M-more stations is probably l-likely…if we’re a-able to, we can just f-follow the tracks until there’s an opening m-maybe? Hopefully there’s n-no trains in service…”

Having to worry about getting flattened by a train along with a possible apocalypse was just too much stress, if you asked Tsukasa. It’d be gory and tragic if they put all the effort into getting out of here only to get cut off by some train. That sort of end would just make everything pointless. 

“Yeah, I’m…n-not a rock expert, sorry…I d-don’t know if it’s going to be th-that simple even if we do b-break it down, but…b-better than nothing?”

It’s not the worst idea he’s ever heard, at least. Besides, getting some people to break some rocks might be a good diversion from other things going on. It’d vent out some frustration, if nothing else.

He was beginning to feel like he was seeing little cracks and holes everywhere but they were just in his head. It was weird what hyper-focusing could do to your perspective.

“If there was a train in service, could ya imagine it? Be like one of those old action comics or somethin’.”

He laughs over that perceived excitement before getting back to business. However cool the image is in his head it’s probably not much of a realistic one. Not that he’d know how much space there is a tunnel compared to a train coming at you; no, that seemed like, how to put it, rather specific information. Kaneto turns his attention back to the rubble but the rock inspection’s not giving him much to work with. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that it’s been utterly fruitless so far.

“... Sweet fuck all. If there is some weak point I’m not seeing it. Some sorta damn invisible Artemis’s heel.”

Those words didn’t sound right so he’d probably gotten that wrong but what did it matter? There were more pressing things to worry about. Maybe the debris isn’t the way to go. There could be something else of note in the station. And as such, he hops back onto the platform and turns his attention to Tsukasa.

“Hey Sukiyaki, I’m curious, what’re your thoughts on the purifiers? Do you know what one might look like n’ whatnot?”

The guy seems more of artist than a logical mind but either way he probably had more general knowledge than Kaneto here. Maybe if he knew what he was looking for he’d know more about where to find them and what to do with them.

[shslant-blog]

Enmity ◑ Open

[shslant-blog]

Cut off the head of a pack? He frowned. Was there even a pack to decapitate in the first place? Gyo leaned forward, chin balanced between his hands.

His classmate hadn’t sounded too pleased with himself, and for good reason—the ideas he proposed weren’t necessarily outlandish, but they weren’t realistic either. He exhaled. Having given Kaneto all of three seconds to think, his judgement was hardly fair.

“Although there’s no way to know, for the sake of speculation let’s assume we’re fighting a group. Standing between us and them is Monobear the Great and Mighty. He’ll be the first to act when we step out of line. He’s their vanguard, and probably their strongest asset.” There was a light crease above his nose. “You saw him punch Monomi, right? Attacking him would be a waste of resources.”

Gyo kicked his feet and peered down at the tracks. To think that no trains were coming through was surreal. He had been sitting here for minutes now, and still he hadn’t managed to shake the sense of peril.

“Before we can even form a plan,” he went on, “we have to determine where this game is weakest. Maybe it’s Monomi, maybe it’s the district, maybe it’s one of us, but it’s too early to know.” He turned to Kaneto. “I guess it wasn’t fair of me to put you on the spot. I haven’t made it much further than you have.” He blinked and sat up.

“Oh! By the way—” He stuck out a hand to shake. “Gyo Shingen. Nice to meet you.” His laugh was small, quiet. “All too easy to forget formalities in circumstances like these.”

[shslcinderellaboy]

The second Gyo speaks, it feels like something in the air changes somehow. There’s a knowing quality to his words. Unlike Kaneto, who’d worked on assumptions and gut instinct, Gyo seemed to speak from a place of knowledge, a tactical high-ground you could say. It wasn’t something he could do, not in such an orderly fashion, no, but he could surely appreciate it. Especially at a time like this. Perhaps a kid like this would be very useful during times like these.

Kaneto finds himself nodding to the smaller boy’s words, his cheek resting in his hand. It’s not just that he’s listening, he’s trying to formulate ideas of his own.

“Huh-- you’re really smart, kid. The way you say it makes total sense, yeah. I had a feelin’ goin’ for the bear head-on was a bad idea. I mean, he just kinda appeared outta nowhere n’ took control. Somethin’ ‘bout all that just felt... off.”

After saying that much, he goes back to thinking mode, resting his chin on his knuckles now. What he says, again, resonates, makes sense. Going at it blind is stupid. Even for a guy who acts on emotion mostly, he can admit that much.

“So then... what it comes down to is gathering data, right? I mean, that’s what this is about. I’m not sure if it’s what you mean but I do agree, like... the more he find out, the more we know what we have to play with. You can’t play a game without rules and you can’t escape a prison if you don’t know the routine. Feels like the smart move is to figure out what’s really goin’ on. With the bear, the rabbit, the city... everything.”

He snaps back to reality at the gesture. Kaneto hadn’t actually realized how far off he was in his thoughts and planning until Gyo changed the subject.

Names... huh. Yeah, they really hadn’t exchanged those yet, had they? It’s weird that it slipped his mind. Well, perhaps not that weird. Even on a good day Kaneto could skip right past the introduction stage. He takes Gyo’s hand and gives it a good shake.

“Gyonigiri? Uh-- I mean to say Gyo. ‘Kay. I got it. Kaneto Shirousagi. Feel free to skip the formalities.”

He waves a dismissive hand.