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]

...well, I wanted to be one. N-not so much anymore...

[ardent]

...Ah.

[And for a brief moment Ishimaru is on the verge of asking him why, only barely managing to catch himself at the last second in order to actually think about it; he doesn't quite understand the nuances behind why that particular goal might change, even after taking a moment to try to figure it out, but he can kind of tell that any questions he immediately thinks to ask likely fall under the category of "things we don't ask people."

It's improvement, he supposes, that he understands that there are things we don't ask people; at the same time, it tends to leave him feeling mildly lost sometimes when that's all he can think to say. Come on, Ishimaru. You can do this.]

W-Well, it seems that makes both of us trying to work out what should be done now, then! It'll take time, but I'm sure it'll be fine!

[struck_out]

Huh? I thought you said you wanted to bring us all together here. Isn't that a goal for you already?

[Again, he doesn't really want to see Maizono, but if she could be saved then, well...he'd actually like that.]

It's a goal that's very you, Ishimaru. I'm sure you'll be able to achieve it, you're too stubborn to let go of what you believe in even if it seems crazy.

[ardent]

Well, yes, of course! But that's not going to last forever, you know, not with ten out of fourteen of us already h-

[...heyyyyyyyyyyyyy.]

And it is not crazy!

[struck_out]

Ishimaru, just try and write out your goal and say it out loud. Does "Figuring out how to bring my friends to a different world" sound normal to you? Or does it sound nuts? It's a good kinda crazy, because you'd get to save everyone...but it's still crazy.

Maybe you should try and be a Pokemon trainer. Relive your childhood dreams and catch'em all or some shit like that.

...you did play Pokemon right? Or watch the anime?

[ardent]

No, of course not!

[...is that weird, from the sound of it that might be weird]

I-I mean, I heard of it, of course - it was popular among my classmates to the point of being a distraction when we were younger!

[struck_out]

...

[Facepalm.]

Ishimaru, you need a god damn intervention.

[ardent]

What? I don't need anything of the sort!

[...A+ comeback there Ishimaru good job]

[struck_out]

You just said you spent months trying to figure out how ordinary conversation is supposed to work! How is that not a sign that you need some help?

[ardent]

Well, I...I'm working on it!!

[OH MY GOD KUWATA YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LET THIS DIE ARE YOU]

[struck_out]

You worked on it for a few months, and you'd probably have to work on it even more if I hadn't stepped in and told you how to not sound like an answering machine!

[PAYBACK FOR THOSE EARLY MORNING CALLS ISHIMARU KNOW HIS PAIN]

God Ishimaru I thought you were weird before, but this really is a whole new level. Good thing you've got good friends though; maybe you could ask Naegi to teach you these things.

[ardent]

[That actually gets him to flinch a bit; this is getting into territory he...really isn't comfortable going near, for various reasons.]

Are you done trying to insult me?! Why should I care what you think, anyway?!

[struck_out]

The hell? C-calm down man, I'm not trying to insult you! It's your freakin' birthday for fuck's sake! What kinda guy do you think I am Ishimaru?

[ardent]

[you

wait

how are you even

...are you real

okay look just...let him assume that you just kind of run your mouth without thinking as that will likely preserve his sanity a little better]

...Right. Right, of course.

I might talk to Naegi-kun about all of that, though, as you said; I imagine there's no harm in asking, at any rate.

[struck_out]

[There's something that happened here that strikes Leon as uneasy, and it shows on his face. He can't place it, but...he feels like he's done something wrong. Crossed an invincible line somewhere, and really said something he shouldn't have to Ishimaru.

For once he's a bit at a lost on what to say, so he puts his hands in his pockets and looks away.]

Y-yeah...

[ardent]

[He hesitates for a moment at that, tipping his head a bit as he thinks, though he does smile a bit eventually. He...still doesn't do happy very well, expression-wise, but an attempt is being made, all right.]

I really am grateful for the advice, Kuwata-kun; it's good.

[struck_out]

[A smile tugs at Leon's own lips, but it seems a bit more forced than usual. He just can't get rid of that feeling of uneasiness. He can't place a name to it but it's there, lurking in his heart and jeering at his conscience.

Ishimaru had clearly backtracked on his statement, but for some reason it still bothered Leon. And the more he tried to pinpoint it down, the more it slipped out of his grasp.

It just irritated him.

So perhaps, it's time to end this conversation. Pushing his chair back, he stands up and flashes a smile more akin to his usual, but yet again it doesn't come easily to him. He's always worn his heart on his sleeve, always said and expressed his honest thoughts and feelings, so when it comes to hiding them he's pretty much the worst at it.]

Yeah well, good luck Ishimaru! I'm sure Naegi can help you, he's good with helping people.

Enjoy your party! It's kinda a pity that it's not your 21st because then we could get some strippers, but we'll save that for next year huh? See ya!

[With a wave he walks off.]