happy birthday from all of us to you

[diamondo]

Who: All the Dangans + Parker!
Where: Violet City
When: 8/31, evening
Summary: It's Ishimaru's birthday and his classmates are throwing him a surprise party. This can't end badly.
Rating: PG-13 for language. I'll update this if there are any changes!
Log:
Never again. Mondo is never planning a party this big ever again. Of course the original plan didn't take into account the arrival of five classmates, so originally this would have been easy enough to handle. Now, though? He'd practically run himself ragged making sure that everyone was here and everything was ready.

The hotel was kind enough to lend them the Conference Room for the occasion, and it was quite a large room that should easily fit all of the Hope's Peak classmates and Alice. All the food is spread out on a table by the wall (it's entirely vegetarian, since that's what Ishimaru likes) and the tables are situated nearby so that the guests can actually sit and eat. There's plenty of open space in case anyone wants to dance to the music that's been set up (though Mondo doubts Ishimaru will set foot on the dance floor, it's mostly to entertain the other guests). The gifts are all piled in the back corner and there's even a large TV for the guests to watch. All in all, it seems like the perfect place to hold a party.

All that's left is for Fujisaki to bring Ishimaru to the location, so Mondo fires off a quick text to his friend, letting Fujisaki know that everyone's ready and in position. This is gonna be awesome.

Comments

[struck_out]

[Awhile ago, Leon would've been incredibly flattered if any girl approached him at a party. There would be flattering comments, a couple of drinks (alcoholic and non, underage drinking is something he's comfortable with) and maybe an exchange of phone numbers and a future date.

But this is Kirigiri. And even if she is pretty hot for a girl, there's no denying that she's actually pretty cold, always going around by her lonesome and being overall quite emotionless. He can't forget the way she handled the trial. Leon feels himself tensing up when she materializes out of nowhere, but rather than admit that she, in a way, scares him, he attempts to laugh it off and play it cool]

Hey-!? Ki-kirigiri-san! Ha ha, you really got me there!

[freshprints]

[And she just kind of...blinks at that, because whatever response she might've been expecting, that certainly wasn't it. Consequently, she misses the "joke" he's pretending to laugh at, and rather than waste a moment looking puzzled, she decides to just forge on ahead instead.]

It's something you're interested in, isn't it?

[The...music. That was...a thing. Wasn't it?]

[struck_out]

Ha ha, yeah, music. A dream, huh? One day I'll be...

[And that's when he trails off, the smile fading into a tight-lipped one.

Maizono had wanted to kill him for her career. She said so herself. And because of her career, her music career, she had gotten herself killed and dragged Leon down with her.

Leon looks pointedly away from Kirigiri, attempting to keep up his cool facade. But there's no denying the clenched fist his right hand has formed; Leon himself doesn't even seem to be aware.]

Nah. I think I'm over that. It wasn't as cool as I thought it was.

[freshprints]

[...Well. Looks like she struck out on that one. Hurr.

Let's try for Super High School Level Awkward, round two, shall we?]

I'm sure there are plenty of opportunities to pursue new and different interests here. You can find something else.

[struck_out]

Yeah, I've been thinking about it.

[Yes he can do the thinking thing too Kirigiri.]

New chance at life and everything, right? Gotta make the best of it.

[Though for someone granted a second chance at life, he doesn't seem particularly enthusiastic. Maybe because right now, he's so unsure of what to do.]

[freshprints]

[She's quiet again for a long minute, one of those standard Kirigiri pauses where she's clearly thinking about something, but her expression is revealing none of what it is. And then at last: ]

It's good...that we're all here, Kuwata-kun. That you're here, too...it's something I'm glad for.

[struck_out]

Seriously? You're not just sayin' that to make me feel better are you?

[He...never expected to hear those words coming from Kirigiri of all people, probably because he missed all your character development so he is taken quite by surprise.]

[freshprints]

I don't stand to gain anything by lying.

[Of course, Character Development™ still only goes so far...]

[struck_out]

OK...

[SO. UNSURE RIGHT NOW. Kirigiri, your mysterious and enigmatic ways make it so hard for Leon to hit on you to read you.]

No offence, but I, uh, don't really know if I should believe you. I mean...the last time we talked, it didn't end so well, if ya get my meaning.

[freshprints]

[LIFE NEEDS CHALLENGES take your best shot]

The last time we talked I was solving a murder.

[At least she has the decency to frame it in a third-party sense, rather than pointing out that she was getting him declared guilty of murder — and rightfully so, since he totally had.]

Would you feel better about that event if it had been the rest of us who died in your place, Kuwata-kun?

[Surprisingly, that's not even accusatory; it's more that she's honestly curious what he thinks about it.]

[struck_out]

[And here we go again. Leon frowns and stop slouching to look at her seriously. No explosion of emotions here, because at least Kirigiri had the good sense to tell him that she was glad he was here unlike a certain SHSL Class Monitor, but he really, really is starting to hate that title.

'Murderer' is never a cool thing.]

I keep tellin' you, it was self-defence. Maizono fuckin' lunged at me with the knife. I was just tryin' to get her to stop. But it's not like you'd believe me anyway, so why bother explaining further, huh?

[...and that's a question that he's actually been trying to avoid, ever since the entire case started. Whatever cool bravado he had on melts in the face of that question, and he slumps back on the wall, head bent down.]

'Course not! No one deserved to die. Not even Maizono. B-but...I was scared. I didn't wanna die, but at the same time...I didn't want everyone to die too. What was I supposed to do?

[freshprints]

It was self-defense when you broke her wrist. No one has ever argued that.

[It's uncomfortable, in a way, to watch him slump like that. It reminds her of how he looked hanging from the post by his neck in the aftermath of his execution. It's something she finds chilling.]

I meant what I said, Kuwata-kun. It's good that we're all here. What happened at school...what matters more to me is what happens now. From now on.

[struck_out]

Well, thanks. That's something I never thought you'd say to me, Kirigiri-san. You were always kinda cold and you kept to yourself a lot, but I guess you're actually kinda nice when you're not doing the lone wolf thing.

So, umm...what are you gonna do here Kirigiri-san? Are ya gonna try an' find a way back home?

[freshprints]

...

I might. Finding the way isn't the same thing as making use of it, after all. But it'd be a good thing to know.

[struck_out]

Yeah well, if you find it, lemme know. I'm gonna stay the hell away from it! I ain't never goin' back! Though if I'm gonna stay here, I guess I should start figurin' out what I'm gonna do here.

...it's kinda strange. I'm finally free to do whatever I like! I don't have to play baseball, or study at school, or go practice. I call the shots now!

But I dunno what I wanna do.

[freshprints]

If staying here is something that's important to you, the way to ensure that seems to be to maintain a large number of social relationships and participate actively in the "trainer" or "breeder" lifestyles.

Supposedly the people who are sent home more frequently are the ones who don't maintain those two aspects of their lives.

[struck_out]

R-really!? If what you're saying is true, then...then I'm gonna do it! It might sound fucking lame but yeah, I'll be the best damn Pokemon Trainer ever. Then I'll never go back!

[A bold declaration, but that's just who Leon is; loud and proud, honest about his thoughts and feelings.]

Thanks very much Kirigiri-san! I was really stuck on this for awhile, 'cause I needed a new dream, but I've always ever only played baseball, and other than baseball and punk rock I don't really know what else to do. You're really smart, ya know that?

[freshprints]

[Bold and loud, he is; in the face of that sort of personality, it's always Kirigiri's instinct to withdraw and simply let them have the spotlight they crave, which admittedly doesn't always translate well when it comes to interpersonal conversation.]

If that's what contents you, Kuwata-kun.

[Translation: what the gently caress is he even expecting her to say to that.]

[struck_out]

I dunno about content but I don't really have a choice. If I go home I'm...dead. There's no second chance. Hell, I'm not even sure how I got this lucky to end up here. Maybe some of Naegi's luck rubbed off on me.

[freshprints]

Most of us here are in that same situation. And as far as the survivors are concerned, what lies ahead isn't necessarily the most optimistic, either.

[Pause.]

However, whether or not that's something we have a duty to go back to is open to interpretation, I think.

[struck_out]

Why would you go back? Doesn't sound like there's much left for any of us.

[He knows that the world's a wreck, after 'Mankind's Most Despairingly Maleficent and Monstrous Malefaction'.]

[freshprints]

Mm. Maybe it's because...we were always intended to emerge from our safe haven eventually.

In some ways, this is a scenario similar to the one at school, isn't it?

[struck_out]

But ain't this place a whole lot better? The world back home's fucked up, ain't it? So if you gotta choose, why go back?

[freshprints]

That's a question of what it is we really want, isn't it? Your options are more limited because there's nothing for you back home. For those who survived...there are additional considerations. Things we may not enjoy, but that we might have some responsibility to accomplish anyway.

[struck_out]

So you're saying there's something back at that shithole that you have to go back for?

[Definitely not Leon's style.]

I guess it's your choice but what could be some important that you'd go back? I mean, it looks like a matter of time before we're all here, so if you're thinking of rescuing everyone then you just gotta figure it out from this side.