真禅美

Misaki Watanabe Super High-School Level Kyudoka ❀ Affiliated with ❀ Roulette Rampage Rewind

[shslkyudoka]

02 ↣ Reaching Forward | Yuuna

[shslkyudoka]

shsl-dreaminterpreter:

That trial was an experience like no other. Yuuna Mikami wanted an extravagant high school life. Her situation was, indeed, extravagant, but murder wasn’t exactly weaved into the plot she had planned in her fantasies. This wasn’t what she wanted at all…! The girl tightened her embrace on a polar bear stuffed animal as she lay on her bed. What seemed to be the remainder of her tears stained her pillow. Maybe she could take a nap…

Knock knock.

Or not. That was fine, too. Later, perhaps.

The dream interpreter lugged herself out of bed to answer. Even if she didn’t want to talk to anyone, leaving them at the door without a word would just be rude. Hesitantly, Yuuna opened the door just a crack and peeked out into the hallway to find a very well-dressed girl holding a tray of tea. She couldn’t say no to that kindhearted gesture. Tea was pretty great, after all. And so was willing company.

“Oh…hello, Watanabe-san.”

Yuuna then opened the hotel room door completely, revealing what she was supposed to call, “her room.” It was…messy, to say the least, with stuffed animals and pillows and manga and papers and clothes and pens and what have you nearly covering the floors. The furniture was light wood, and the curtains, bedspread, and fuzzy floor rug were crisp white, a blank canvas.

“You can come in. Let me clear off the kotatsu for that tray.” Her voice still lacked its usual cheerful chirp. 

Misaki resisted the urge to criticize the room as she walked in, her eyes casually trailing from the haphazard displays of belongings strewn about. Stuff animals and girlish belongings lay about in every corner; It was rather childish for a teenager her age to still keep so many stuffed toys, but that was not something for Misaki to determine. She simply bowed her head graciously as Yuuna allowed her entry.

“Thank you; Pardon my intrusion. I do not mean to come by on such short notice, I hope that I am not disturbing you in anyway.”

She found a seat at the kotatsu and placed the tray in front of her, sitting poised and with good posture. She was quiet for a moment, as if unsure where to begin in explaining her sudden visit. It was not like Misaki could say that her lack of emotional restraint was troublesome for the rest of them, or that it made Yuuna look weak and feeble in the face of adversity. It felt far too cruel. Misaki distracted herself from her thoughts by pouring the tea into the cups in front of her, the distinct scent of rich green tea wafting up from the pouring liquid.

Placing one of the cups in front of the nearby seat at the table to Yuuna, Misaki silently invited her to sit down and enjoy the tea. She wasn’t sure if Yuuna would trust her innocent gesture of comradery, so she herself took the cup she poured for herself into her hands and lifted it up to her lips, taking a quiet sip.

After a moment of silence, Misaki managed to speak.

“How are you feeling, Mikami-san?”

[shslkyudoka]

02 ↣ Reaching Forward | Yuuna

@shsl-dreaminterpreter

It was not her place to console anyone here, but Misaki could not help but think of the pitiful face that Yuuna Mikami made throughout the duration of their last encounter. Misaki was not sure whether or not to brand the young woman as a fool for shedding so much of her energy over the death of someone seemingly so insignificant, but perhaps it was because Misaki herself thought so little of her companions as anything more than acquaintances who happened to share the same, unfortunate fate as her. Nevertheless, it did not stop her self-righteous nature to rectify a situation that she felt she had control to handle on her own. 

Two loud, firm knocks were made on the hotel room door that Misaki had found to belong to Yuuna. In her opposite hand, Misaki held a small, round tray where a teapot from her own collection, and an empty pair of matching cups, sat. The silence that followed her billowing knocks was filled by the sound of Misaki’s own, firm voice a moment later.

“Mikami-san. It is Watanabe. Could you spare me a moment of your time?”

Misaki was not here to comfort the young woman out of the goodness of her heart, but more so out of her own self-righteous desire to weed out the weak-willed to ensure they would have some kind of chance at survival here. She did something similar with the painter, so perhaps this woman was no different. The girl waited silently as she stood before the doorway of the dream interpreter. Whether or not Yuuna wished to see anyone, it was not Misaki’s concern.

[shslkyudoka]

02 ↣ Empty Quiver | Open

Heavy. 

It was the only word that came to mind when Misaki stepped out of the Hotel building and into the air outside. There was a thickness to the air, different from when the air filters pumped unclean toxins into the sky. Not even the warmth of the setting sun could stop the weight that fell on Misaki’s shoulders. Whether guilt or shame or apathy, it was uncertain; The archer did her best not to let the emotions that fermented in the pit of her stomach come across her facial features. She would not give those thoughts the satisfaction. One by one, the streetlights that lined the city streets began to flicker on, blanketing the streets in their fluorescent hue to replace the now fading sunlight. 

Before even stepping down the steps of the Hotel, Misaki noticed a street, unfamiliar to her at first on her right that suddenly became open. Was this their reward for obtaining the culprit during their last endeavor? What a cheap reward. With nothing but herself and her own curiosity to satisfy, Misaki made her way down the unassuming street. She past a variety of nondescript buildings, with only one seeming clearly accessible to her - a clinic. It felt mildly ironic that such a building would exist here, considering how the thing called Monokuma that was seemingly keeping them in line, was hellbent on having them kill one another. Ignoring the remaining buildings, Misaki stopped dead in front of a brightly lit and colorful building at the end of the street, her stomach souring greatly at the sight of it.

“This cannot be serious.”

Misaki felt the skin on the back of her neck crawl and scratch at her as irritation began to fill her subconscious. She instinctively reached behind her neck, her nails picking at the skin lightly as she physically relieved the sensation. How irritating. Turning sharply on her heel, Misaki did not anticipate colliding with another student who was heading towards the bustle of the establishment she held so much disdain for. The collision was enough to knock the archer off her feet and backwards onto the sidewalk.

“Are you blind!” she snapped. “Pay more attention to where you walk.”

[shslkyudoka]

Investigation 01 ↣ Tension | Open

[shslkyudoka]

shslcinderellaboy: 

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.

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?”

[shslkyudoka]

Investigation 01 ↣ Tension | Open

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. 

[shslproducing-blog]

Spotlight | Motive 1 - OPEN

[shslkyudoka]

shslproducing:

“Oh, my dear, that’s just not possible for me! I’m as charming as they come. I can easily manipulate the trash to believe whatever I wish… I couldn’t possibly fall from grace.”

He sighed, rolling his eyes at the notion that a god, such as himself, would lose his mass of followers or any of his power. Stupid girl. Someone on such a lower level couldn’t possibly understand. It wasn’t her fault~

“There will always be those that follow me. Whether it is out of fear or love… I will never falter. Even in a dreadful place such as this.”

Kazuma took a bow and winked in her direction. He’s never hated someone enough to like them this way. It was a strange sensation, but he was certainly enjoying it. He couldn’t wait to take crush her.

“You know, it’ll be easier on you if you just do your part and worship me! I promise, things will be far easier for you! Who knows? You may even survive this if you have my blessing~”

“Your sense of self-preservation and arrogance is inspired, Misao-san. I have never met anyone who has your level of delusion. I cannot deny that it has allowed you to maintain your composure here better than perhaps even myself. Truly, that is an accomplishment you can be proud of.”

Such a foolish and feeble-minded boy, Misaki thought to herself as she felt her smirk tuck in at the corners of her mouth. Kazuma Misao was an adversary that she, at first, felt an incredible sense of aggression towards, but the more she spoke with him, and the more she got to see the ugly side of him, the more she was reminded of the type of person he was.

He was not someone to hate. He was someone to pity. 

To think that someone with so much potential would limit himself by thinking himself so much higher than anyone else - that his importance and self-preservation were to be the top concern for everyone around him. It was a shame to see someone think so highly of themselves without anything to support the weight of that pride. A castle built of sand. 

“I pity that twisted sense of optimism you have, Misao-san, so much so I do not even have the heart to displace your self-assured confidence in your prospective followers.”

[nagisahonami-blog]

[Motive 1] Retreat

[shslkyudoka]

nagisahonami:

“My thoughts exactly. Whoever did this must have set it up well in advanced. The kidnapping, this entire city, the talking animatronics… It would’ve taken extensive planning to set up something of this scale.”

Sighing, Nagisa crossed their arms as they spoke. Something like this would have to require more than one person to execute right? A group maybe, but even large terrorist groups don’t have the resources available to set something like this up.

While it was nice to discuss and theorize their predicament with Misaki, Nagisa could never seem to come up with any answers behind the reasoning of all of this. It just didn’t make sense.

“I don’t quite understand the whole reasoning behind this… Usually there’s ransom notes or such involved with hostages right? People usually don’t just let their hostages wander around a city like this, they’d want to keep a close eye on them. But this? This is quite strange…”

That sure is an understatement.

“That is not necessarily true, Honami-san. There are instances where kidnappings and hostage situations are meant to make statements - to show off a sense of power, or be used as some means of intimidation. However, most cases of such things are usually much larger spectacles, but I suppose you can see this situation as a spectacle in itself.”

Misaki sighed for a moment, her arms crossed over her chest as she glanced up towards the brightly blue sky. What kind of statement would the responsible party be trying to make? The kyudoka felt that she might be looking at the situation more critically than she needed to. Sometimes, taking something at face value was, in itself, the correct way of doing things. Misaki looked back to Nagisa, before finally inviting herself to sit down on the bench she had been hovering beside.

Maybe the whole point of this kidnapping was just to get them to kill one another, but for what purpose? What would that achieve?

“It is odd that we have all been brought here with seemingly no reason, but perhaps we are thinking far too critically on the matter. Perhaps the sole reason we have been brought here was to participate in some kind of twisted killing game for the sake of amusement of some horrific criminal. 

Such a level of cruelty is not common, but certainly not implausible.”

Her level of calm when speaking was in itself, somewhat unnerving, but the way that Misaki spoke almost made it seem like such dire situations and such shady endeavors were things she was not completely unfamiliar with. Her pale blue gaze rested on her knees as she spoke in her cool and velveteen voice; Despite telling herself to not think so heavily on the reasons, Misaki couldn’t stop herself from contemplating what end goal their mysterious kidnapper was trying to achieve.

“What benefit would they even have in the death of a group of High School students? Do you think it is supposed to be some kind of leverage against Hope’s Peak Academy.”

[shslkyudoka]

Motive 01 ↣ Thin Air | Open

[shslkyudoka]

shslwrestlingmanager:

shslluchador:

Oh, it was a staredown she wanted, huh? Blackfin’s specialty was wrestling matches, not staring contests, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t stare down with the best of them. Tough… Had to be tough. Couldn’t back down here.

He stared down his nose, straight in her eye. Just letting his face rest on intensity, letting the moment linger. The art of intimidation wasn’t always big talk- sometimes it was a good long silence that did the trick.

“Luchador,” he corrected her matter-of-factly. Not something he usually made a big deal out of (he used the terms fairly interchangeably himself), but he couldn’t say he quite liked her tone. That said, he wasn’t totally stupid, he understood the concern of a hulking masked man walking around. Maybe it was just a firmly-spoken lesson she needed.

“Lemme clear something up. Wearing a mask is a decades old tradition, an honor in my industry. It means I’ve dedicated my life, in and out of the ring to my art. That I have so much pride in my work, it becomes the identity I want people to know. My name, to you, is Blackfin. My face, to you,” he said with a gesture to his mask, “is this. And nothin’ under here is gonna help you or hurt you. Cool?”

….

Woah, got kinda philosophical there, big guy. Point made, probably.

Anyway, if she wasn’t gonna help he figured they should get to work. Blackfin pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned back to his manager. “Bunji, you want me to call your phone and see if it rings? I dunno if it’ll let me but I can try.”

So, maybe, perhaps immediately demanding the whereabouts of his phone from a(n immaculately dressed, admittedly, though she was nothing compared to himself, of course) stranger wasn’t the best impression either. Batting zero for two, it seemed, but at least he wasn’t a baseball player, right? 

Bunji’s eyes narrow, just a little, as she steps forward in order to introduce herself. Oh, is that a powerplay, now? She has just the slightest bit of height on him and it definitely fucks him off; she trying to use that to her advantage? Well, it’s not going to fucking work, considering the giant he has looming above them both. And the giant’s on his side so he (and Blackfin) wins. “Well fuck,” he says in response to her news of no cell phones.

Speaking of the big guy, he’s currently busy boring holes into the girl with his gaze, and Bunji nods to himself, pleased. After Blackfin’s spiel, he bows with a flourish as if to punctuate it. 

“Watanabe-san, you’d do well to listen to him, you know~ Not quite as eloquent as myself, but his words pack quite the punch nonetheless, don’t you think? And–”

He goes to continue with his refound verve, but–

“What? Ah, you can try, I guess? Hell, just because she hasn’t seen it doesn’t mean it isn’t here. Let me just–” After completely focusing on the luchador, he turns away from both of them to wander further into the cafe, looking on counters and on the floor. It has to be here somewhere.

The intense gaze of the, Luchador, did not phase Misaki. In fact, it almost seemed to harden her stare, her fierce blue eyes reflecting a sharp and almost dangerous gaze. Misaki was no stranger to imposing forces, even if those forces manifested themselves in form of the massive student before her. Her body anchored itself in place, glowing with a sense of pride and dignity that was almost blinding. How Misaki managed to be so dignified, and full of herself, all at the same time, was a mystery.

“I do not doubt your passion and dedication to your craft, Blackfin-san. I am simply stating an obvious observation that you may wish to consider. If you do not intend to cause anyone harm, perhaps it may be best not to glare at your classmates as if you have killing intent.”

She only broke eye contact with Blackfin as Bunji spoke beside him, turning her attention to the shorter boy. How lucky these two must be to have woken in this place with each other on their arm. To have someone to immediately trust certainly seemed like a privilege shared exclusively by them. She allowed herself a step backwards to give the two of them the opportunity to move about as they began to wander the cafe in search of Bunji’s phone. 

“I do admit, that your dedication to your sport is most respectable, Blackfin-san. It must be a stroke of good fortune that you both get to endure these trials together. Having someone whom you readily trust at your side is quite the luxury.”

Misaki eyed the two of them as she stood in her place, arms crossed over her chest and posture flawlessly still. She watched them carefully as they began to scan the tables and booths of the cafe for the glittering electronic. After a few moments of silence, Misaki pulled the white tasuki she kept with her from her pocket. Looping the fabric around her arms, she tied it neatly by her breast in a bow and walked with firm steps in Bunji and Blackfin’s directions. 

“You will find nothing by simply looking with your eyes.”

It was strange to see the impeccably dressed young woman kneeling on the floor and searching beneath the booth tables. For what reason she was doing this, it was hard to say. Perhaps she was irritated that they were impeding on her solitude and time to think - or perhaps she genuinely wished to help them. Misaki looked towards Bunji and Blackfin as she knelt on one knee, raising a brow to them.

“Do not simply stand there. Search.”

[shslproducing-blog]

Spotlight | Motive 1 - OPEN

[shslkyudoka]

shslproducing:

Now this was fun again!

“Oopsie. Looks like I’m getting scolded by the Queen of Manners herself! I must have truly misstepped~ Who cares~?”

Kazuma shrugged, overly dramatic as usual… Their conversation was a clever game of chess where both parties played with bloodthirsty intensity. It was a thrilling battle of wits! He couldn’t be happier with an opponent. He needed to be careful not to allow her to get the upper hand. 

As if that could happen.

“Of course I was listening, my dear! I just wanted to hear you say something stupid again. It’s quite fun to hear someone so confident spout such foolishness! I’m sure you’re thinking the same about me…” He laughs. “You’re wrong, of course, but feel free to think as you wish.”

He backed away from her, releasing a bit of the tension between them. My things were certainly heating up. They were so close… How had they not encountered some kind of scene from a romantic comedy at this point? 

Where was the event flag?!

“Let’s not forget, Watanabe… You are the one that approached me and began this~ Perhaps you should be watching your manners instead, hm? You are in the presence of a god after all.”

Misaki felt herself have the opportunity to breath as Kazuma finally took a step away from her. The tension was thick enough to taste, and it was bitter with vinegar and spite. As he insulted her, Misaki took each hit without flinching, the corners of her lips still arched into a coy smirk. Somehow, it almost felt refreshing to have this type of conversation with someone. How long had it been since that person Kazuma resembles did this? Misaki felt a strange sense of relief from the familiarity - perhaps the only familiar thing she’d felt since she arrived her. Her eyebrows raised a bit when she continued to listen to the Producer speak.

A god. He thinks himself to be a god? How pitiful god must be if he were to manifest himself in a boy like this. Misaki had not dealt with someone with such a complex in quite a while, for it was not exactly something often found in her field. She brushed some of the hair away from her eyes as she held her poise before him.

“Had I known I was in the presence of a god, then I would have been far more gracious and conscientious of my manners, Misao-sama.” 

The words came out of her mouth dripping in resentment and mockery, but still floated with a polite and airy fragrance. Misaki would humor Kazuma, as it seemed there was no way to convince him of his own foolishness. Truly, he is a demon. Misaki could only smirk at the thought.

“A god amongst men? It is no wonder you act so powerful and mighty, Misao-san. But, tell me honestly, how powerful is a god when there are no men left to fear him? Will he continue to exist even when he no longer has believers?”

[shslkyudoka]

How does it feel to be the most popular charcter?

“You wish to know my thoughts? Very well. I see no benefit to myself for being the most popular. To be well recognized and respected is certainly rewarding, but popularity is as fleeting as it is hollow. I have no interest in such titles.

Likewise, I believe you may be exaggerating my position as such a person.”

[nagisahonami-blog]

[Motive 1] Retreat

[shslkyudoka]

nagisahonami:

They nodded in agreement. The bear’s whole ‘motive’ just didn’t make too much sense to them. They had to kill to get out of here, yet there were air filters that were going to be turned off which implied the outside air was bad? It just didn’t make any sense.

“Likewise… As far as I know the world is perfectly fine, air included. OF course you’re right, there’s no way to tell if he’s telling the truth for certain, but I feel as if it’s just some kind of bluff to try and scare us. Nothing more.”

Well, that’s what they liked to tell themselves at least.

At Misaki’s sudden question, Nagisa had to pause and think about this one for a minute. Hmm… The last thing they remembered before waking up? While they hadn’t forgotten it, the whole memory was a bit hazy to them to be quite honest.

“Ah, the last thing I remember… It was the first day of school and I was walking through the city crowds and such. We had all wanted to meet up in some park I believe? Although once I got there… Hmmm, I must admit it’s rather hazy after that. I can’t seem to remember much between that and us all waking up here.”

How exactly did they get from the park all the way to this city though? There’s no way they all passed out and got kidnapped in the middle of a park in broad daylight, is there? That just didn’t make sense.

“That is most peculiar.”

Misaki thought for a moment as she listened to Nagisa speak. That was what she had heard from several other students as well. Was this trait, the one of meeting with students before classes, common amongst all or just some of the students here? She paused.

“It seems, Honami-san, based on what I’ve gathered from others, that this memory of meeting together with other Hope’s Peak Academy students is a common trait amongst several students here, including myself.

Even the inability to recall anything past this point seems to be common amongst the others. It poses several, rather jarring questions, in my humble opinion. I can only assume that whoever is responsible for these events did much planning prior.”

It was a feat that Misaki was both disgusted and impressed at; The ability to manipulate a group of sixteen students into a trap like this and potentially even tampering with their minds. If it wasn’t being used against her, Misaki would like to know exactly how such a feat was accomplished. Surely, this was the plot of some greater group and not some mindless terrorist hoping for a ransom for the lives of Hope’s Peak students.

This was more sophisticated than that, and its complexity and thoroughness received an unacknowledged sense of respect from the young woman, something she would never openly acknowledge.

“I still wonder, who could be responsible for something such as this. The resources seem out of reach for even the most sophisticated of terrorists. Would this be apart of some greater scheme? And what would forcing us to harm each other accomplish?

Hostage situations often hang on the balance of the threat of death, not the encouragement of.”

[shsl-socialite-blog]

°Motive 1° || Open

[shslkyudoka]

shsl-socialite:

Misaki’s words of reassurance were backed with good intention, but the lack of sincerity behind them made Mina uneasy. It was only by a slight margin that she was able to tell the kyudoka wasn’t speaking from her heart - her words were as steady and composed as ever, after all - but it made all the difference. At the very least, she was grateful that she had the mind to try and comfort her.

“…I hadn’t had the chance to take a look around the subway before, no. I guess it was just wishful thinking that it would be open for us to leave.”

Mina sighed, her eyes drifting once more over to the rubble that obstructed their path to freedom. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but the more she thought about the possibility of this whole killing game, the realer it felt. Maybe someone really would - ?

She stopped herself before it could spiral into paranoia. Feeling almost guilty for entertaining the thought, she averted her gaze, pulled her boa tighter around her shoulders as though to conceal her doubt.

“Watanabe-san. How do you suppose we get out of this situation?” 

Wishful thinking.

They were all guilty of that, at least a little, come this point. Misaki nodded her head once in agreement to Mina’s first statement. She could not fault the girl for hoping that a solution would be as simple as taking a train-ride home, but the reality made the truth set in all to fast, even for the kyudoka, she had to admit to herself.

“Unfortunately, Mina-san, the answer to that question is a regrettable one.”

Misaki took a moment to watch Mina, noticing her pull the soft boa around her bare shoulders tightly about herself. Fear and anxiety was setting in at an alarming rate with more than one student, it seemed. Misaki, too, was struggling, but not with the concept of murder, but the factors behind it.

“Our circumstances may be less than ideal, but they are not completely lost. A devious plan such as this is complex and sophisticated, but surely it is not fool proof. So as long as we keep away from temptation, a solution is bound to reveal itself.”

Her words were not hollow like they were before, but instead were filled with a sense of ambition and pride. She would not let herself make the mistake she made earlier that morning - this game of life and death, she was ready to tackle head-on, but she would move cautiously, and ensuring that all the other pieces did the same was her first move.

“You seem like a capable woman, Mina-san. Do not let fear or doubt consume you; it is a woman’s pride to be able to overcome the obstacles before her with grace and charm.”

[shslkyudoka]

i ship misaki with everyone but my fave ship is kaneto/misaki which ithink isnt popular but him calling her sakuramochi is so cute and i think its a good match anyway love u misaki!!!

“I beg your pardon? I do not understand why Shirousagi-san referring to me such a childish nickname is reason to believe we have some type of special relationship. Please do not jump to such ridiculous conclusions.”

[shslproducing-blog]

Spotlight | Motive 1 - OPEN

[shslkyudoka]

shslproducing:

“Hmhm… Hmhmhahahaha! You don’t realize how mistaken you are, Miss Watanabe! All the pieces are in my hands, and you haven’t convinced me of anything. It’s adorable how insightful you believe yourself to be! You know nothing, my dear.”

He shrugs his shoulders, still laughing. This girl really thought she was hot shit, didn’t she? He didn’t want to run this game into the ground too early. Better back off… for now.

“Fine, cunning girl. I’ll give you that much. I would hate for this game of ours to become stale too quickly, so you’ll be happy to know I’ve decided to spare you for now! How kind of me… How kind indeed~”

He stepped towards her, closing the gap between them once more, leaned forward, and whispered into her ear softly. Polite young ladies shouldn’t be saying such rude things without properly looking at the man they are disrespecting!

“Sorry~ What was that~? Want to repeat it for me, dear~?”

Say what he would, Misaki could tell that she made an impact on him in some way. He could say all he wanted that he was not convinced, but the fact that he was brushing her off almost entirely was confirmation enough to her that his understanding of her was only as far as his arrogance let him be. 

However, when he approached her, she felt his breath against her ear and it filled her body with a sensation of disgust. She turned around and faced him, the space between them dangerously slim. Her eyes narrowed and her lips turned upwards at their corners into an almost mocking smirk.

“An amateur mistake. Do not make me repeat myself twice, Misao-san.”

It took all her self control not to drive her fist into his gut, but Misaki kept her hands folded in front of her lap, clasped against the fabric of her kimono calmly. How would she have known that she would have to deal with a person like this when she arrived to Hope’s Peak Academy - what are the odds.

She let the smirk on her lips rest there.

“It is impolite not to listen when someone is speaking to you, Misao-san. Do be cautious of your manners - even someone like you has that much, do you not?”

[shslkyudoka]

Motive 01 ↣ Thin Air | Open

[shslkyudoka]

shsl-acrylics:

Tsukasa was surprised to hear that Misaki had the same gap in her memory as he did. It was way too strange to be a coincidence. But what did it mean? What did it have to do with their current situation?

“Th-that’s…really weird. So, d-do you think us having to m-meet at the park was…a t-trap?”

That was the best explanation he could come up with at the moment. Whoever invited them to the park did so as a trap to put them in this killing situation. Wait, but that didn’t explain the sudden apocalypse at all. The world had been completely fine last he remembered.

“S-something…something seems missing. I d-don’t have a good feeling…”

He doubted the gap they had from then to now could be anything good, but something told him it was very, very bad. However, he didn’t focus on that feeling for long due to Misaki’s apology.

“Oh, y-you don’t have to apologize…I don’t mind.”

“That is a possibility we should not ignore but it is not something we can alter at this point in time. What is done is done, we must move forward with what will be rather than dwell on what was.”

Misaki looked towards Tsukasa as the color trained from his face. The sinking feeling that came between the both of them was thick in the air - Something, in fact, was missing and it was hard to discern exactly what it was. How could it have been that they were walking along just a few hours ago in a populated and seemingly regular day, then all of a sudden be transported to this unknown place, being told by a talking stuffed animal that the world was in shambles?

Who would believe such a story? It was hard to, Misaki would admit to herself, but the fact that they were lacking so many vital facts made her feel the speculation of truth creep in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t a good feeling, indeed. Misaki placed a hand on Tsukasa’s shoulder - it was firm and reassuring, but cold. 

Misaki’s hand always seem to feel that way.

“We must remain steadfast, Nakasone-san. So as long as we do what we can to seek the answers to these questions, then we will be able to combat the fear that looms overhead. 

Perhaps that is the best course of action - to see if we can find some kind of means to answer these mysteries presented to us.”

[shslcinderellaboy]

Hurdle 1 ❄ Daifuku Daze <Misaki>

[shslkyudoka]

shslcinderellaboy:

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.

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?”

[shsl-rugby-player-blog]

The sass levels are through the roof.