Kissu

Dangan Ronpa: Mistrust Mall

Koshiro Hoshizaki

The voice that responded to Koshiro's plea was female, and undeniably angry, which only unnerved Koshiro even more. "W-Wait! 'Perverted sicko'? Me? You're the one who trapped me in here!" He yelled back defiantly, his voice jumping higher in tone as he accidentally knocked into something hard and metal in the darkness. Where on earth was he? And who was this scary sounding girl? There was no way he kidnapped her...did he? If only he could remember!

He blinked as he heard her swear and say something about losing her memories. Wait...so she's the same as me? But then again...it might be a trap! I'd better not listen to her.

He tried to feel his way through the inky darkness, hoping to find a lightswitch or something to that effect so that he could better understand the situation. Eventually, his hand closed around something soft and bony, his lips parting to let out a little gasp of surprise. Was that...?

Just at that moment, the lights flickered on, causing Koshiro to squeeze his eyes shut from the pain of the sudden harsh light. He squinted through the brightness, finally recognising the fleshy object in his hand to actually be the girl's wrist. Furthermore, the girl herself looked positively terrifying; an eyepatch was slung over her right eye, her blonde hair was styled into two symmetrical pigtails, and the expression on her face was enough to make Koshiro's blood run cold. Dear lord...this was his kidnapper? All Koshiro could do was gape at her in pure disbelief.

The True Self - Persona

Takaru said
When in doubt, walk into people. Works every time.

Thank god it's not Leiko and pray to god it's not Sachiko. I swear, if she walks into either of them pure hell will break loose. XD

Final Fantasy VIII: Tempus Veneficarum [7/10 Slots]

Posted.~ I've had Mei respond to Syrus, and Asa's had a standalone post like I mentioned earlier. She's finished for the day now, so hopefully we''l get some interactions done by Sunday so we can move on.

I have another post planned for Asa for the next day, but after that she'll be retiring from the story for a bit. Don't worry though, it won't be forever.~ ;)

Final Fantasy VIII: Tempus Veneficarum [7/10 Slots]

Mei Song

"Oh, thank you!" Mei looked exuberent at Syrus's offer, her search for assistance finally reaching its end as she promptly followed the flame-haired male's lead. "Right behind you, sir!" She performed a mock salute and a smile that could melt butter before she allowed him to guide them onwards into the Garden.

---

Honestly, the complex was hardly what Mei expected of the military academy at all. She had heard of the unique structure before; each section of the Garden was separated in rings, with adjoining corridors that led to the centre of the building like spokes of a wheel. The ground was also bridged over a large expanse of clear blue water that stemmed from majestic-looking aquatic statues that decorated the vicinity. Mei strongly suspected that the designer for the Garden's structure had been largely influenced by the coastal environment of Balamb Town.

Mei came to a sudden halt as she came across a large directory detailing what each section of the Garden actually was, and how to get there. "Ooh, this looks interesting. Can you-?" It took a moment for Mei to halt her questions as she realized that the redhead was missing from her sight. "Oh no...not again...", she moaned aloud, her eyes quickly scanning over the dozen heads of students that emerged around her. Fortunately, she caught a signature flash of red that told her that the boy was somewhere near the elevator at the centre of the Garden, and Mei was quick to take pursuit.

"Phew." Mei wiped beads of sweat from her forehead in a slightly exaggerated pose as she stepped beside the boy in the elevator, waiting for the doors to slide shut and lift them upwards. A finger twirled the tendrils of her hair idly as she dared to shoot the male a curious glance out of the corner of her eye. His expression was somber and serious, as if he was thinking about many things at once, and judging by his stiff, tense body posture, it was clear that those things were causing him a lot of inner turmoil. So, Mei bit her tongue. She would keep quiet and let him work things out. For now.

The elevator clanged to a stop, and the door slid open to reveal a hallway. Nothing unexpected here, Mei mused, silently following the boy's footsteps as he led her to one of the office doors and rapped his knuckles on the door. After this moment, Mei just couldn't find it in herself to remain quiet anymore. "You know, I don't even know your name!" She sounded slightly appalled with herself as she forced the boy to meet her gaze head on by stepping into his field of vision. "I've been forcing you to cart me around, and I don't even know the first thing about my rescuer." She offered him a bright, playful smile. "Hopefully, you will give me that at the very least."

---

Asa Fiore

Checking into the Galbadia Hotel ranked as one of Ace's first priorities upon arriving at Deling City.

Stepping up to the reception desk, skin mottled with blood, sweat and dirt, Ace took a quiet note of amusement in the way the receptionist gaped at her appearance. "Rough day at the office," Ace offered in way of explanation, running a hand through her messy tousled hair casually as she glanced over at the clock. It was pretty late, but she could manage a few drinks before calling it a night. "I have a reservation in advance. Ace Fiore?"

"Huh? Oh...oh!" The receptionist looked through her logbook furtively, spotting her name with an audible squeak as she bowed humbly. "My apologies, sir! Here's your room key." She rummaged for something under her desk before presenting her with a worn-looking silver key. "Please...uh, have a nice stay!"

She's new, Ace inwardly remarked with a tilt of her head as she pocketed the room key for safe-keeping. Ace never really stayed in one place long enough to take notice of trivial matters like the turnover of employees and such. In fact, there was a reason why she always specifically asked for a different room whenever she was based in Deling. Familiarity was...dangerous.

"I'm heading downstairs. Have a good night," Ace gave her a dismissive nod before heading straight for the bar downstairs, her intentions of getting inebriated all too dire at this point.

---

The bar itself was fairly crowded with Galbadian soldiers, as was to be expected after a long hard mission. Some of them were already slouched over the tables, rows of bottles standing testament to their wills as drool trickled from their slacked mouths. Others were a little too energetic, their eyes watching lecherously at the poor waitresses that tried not to stumble over a fallen stool or wayward limb. For such a refined looking establishment, the army didn't half make it look sleazy.

Ace was perched on a stool away from the debacle, nursing her own bottle green beverage in her hands. She took a long swig of her favoured beer, sighing as the cool frothy liquid slid down her throat. Normally, she was one for moderation when it came to alcohol. Drinking too much could cause her to lose her inhibitions, which was risky for someone like her, who couldn't risk even one slip in her act. However, after the day she'd endured, Asa ventured to let herself go, just for one night.

She wanted to drown in her sorrows, and she reckoned she was at least entitled to that.

"L-Lieutenant..." A familiar-sounding slur reached her ears, and she turned her head slightly to watch in annoyance as one of her surviving soldiers approached her. Oh, great. She really wasn't in the mood for a living reminder of her failures. "I didn't figure you'd be down here with us..."

"Yeah, well. I fancied a drink," Ace's response was flat, taking another sip of her beer as she looked away disdainfully. "You should get back to those other goons."

"But I wanted to talk to you, sir," the soldier hiccuped defiantly, swaying slightly on the spot as he grabbed a spare stool for support. "On that tower, sir. You were really amazing..."

"Not in the mood, soldier," Ace's words were cutting, her hazel eyes lighting up slightly in anger. "I came here to drink, not to banter with some lout..."

"But you really were, Lieutenant sir!" The soldier yelled back defiantly, which gave Ace the sneaking suspicion that the drunkard hadn't listened to a word she said. "Like when that punk-ass kid got you into a chokehold and you just grappled out of it like a pro! And man, the moves you were making when you fought that reaper guy..."

"..." Asa let out a tired groan. She had already relived the events on that damned tower enough times on the gunship without this idiot to remind her of them. "Screw this, I'm finishing my drink in my room...", she scowled, reaching the end of her tether as she got up with her bottle in her hand.

"What? Aw sir, don't be like that, I-" The soldier cut off suddenly, his face turning an interesting shade of green as his eyes glazed over. "Ugh...I'm gonna..."

On this particular occasion, Ace was more than a little thankful that she had sharp reflexes. She took a quick step back just as the soldier started to heave and spew all over the floor, her nose wrinkling in disgust. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of the waitresses watching on in pure horror at the mess she would have to clean up later.

Oh, the joys of the Galbadian Army...

She excused herself promptly and slipped away back upstairs and away from the emerging chaos that inevitably followed.

---

Eventually, Asa managed to retire to her hotel room, the silence both welcoming and suffocating to her senses as she closed the door with a soft click. Finally, she was completely alone with her own thoughts, with no soldier or SeeD to disturb her.

She set aside her bag and kicked off her boots, flexing her toes on the soft, royal blue carpet. So much happened today.

She padded over to the window, bottle in hand, her eyes casting over the busy nightlife that buzzed around the city. Today, she had failed her objective, and lost the lives of the men in her care. Today, a whole city had been completely decimated on a whim, and all because the Galbadians didn't like to lose.

The lives that had been lost. The stories that would never be told. Out there, Ace would shrug them off, keep up the cool and distant act and just say 'That's the nature of war'. That's the mantra she would live by. But here, in the sanctuary of these four walls, Asa would drink in their honour.

"This is on you, Fett..." Her lips tugged into a wistful smile before drinking the remaining dregs of her beer, and allowing her exhausted body to hit the mattress..

Swiftly, she fell asleep to the soft hum of traffic and the comforting smell of clean linen.

The True Self - Persona

Lock up your clubs, everyone. Rui's on the move.

The True Self - Persona

Rui's taking over all the clubs. O_O No club is safe!

The True Self - Persona

Cuco said
TELL ME OR MISAKI WILL HAVE AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT.

Cuco said
Leiko and Sachiko are going to be in everything together, aren't they? XD

Nah, not for a while at least. I'm teasing the possibility about Leiko joining the Idols Club, but it won't happen. She just might help out when they're stuck in the far future though. Like a guest idol or something. XD

As for my reasons...hrrmmm. I like ChiakiXNoboru because they seem to compliment each other well. They both have issues, but they don't pry into each other's problems. They're perfectly happy just getting to know each other and to indulge in each other's interests, and you get the feeling that they'd be really therapeutic for each other. And that's just cute.

SachikoXNoboru is interesting for me because they're kind of the opposite. They don't understand each other at all and they're on completely different wavelengths. So much misread information, so much failure to comprehend the other's true nature. And yet, there's the feeling of wanting to connect with each other anyway, despite the odds. They're the more dramatic of the two, and more likely to fall apart, but they have the possibility of being more passionate because of all the repressed feelings.

...Geez, it's sad when I'm actually analysing this stuff. Obviously, it's early in the Rp, and I would never encourage things to move to real shipping until at least a month or two in. But that's my explanation.

Bottom line, Noboru/Misaki will win anyway.

The True Self - Persona

Cuco said
Pray tell? :3

Kissu said
Actually, screw that, I forgot about Misaki. Abandoning ship(s)!

Now you will never know, since my ships are dead in the water as quickly as they set sail :P

The True Self - Persona

Leiko Hamada: Class 2-1

The rest of afternoon classes went by in a blur. Fortunately, the material was mostly light and introductory, leaving Leiko the incentive to daydream a little less often than usual as she listened to the subjects that would be presented for the following year. Most of them sounded rather drab, but she was a hard worker when it counted, so she would be able to get by relatively well in her studies.

"So glad that's over," the girl next to Leiko sighed as the school bell finally tolled for the end of lessons, stretching her arms idly as the surrounding students followed her lead like a Mexican wave. "I can't believe they're already bringing up midterms though. We only just got back from break!"

"Tell me about it. They're like, way harsh." A dark haired girl on the other side of Leiko shuddered in agreement. "Literally the only thing I'm good at is PE, so I'm really not looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll be able to scrape by though. Hey, Hama-chan?"

"Mmm?" Leiko looked away from her notes, clearly disinterested in whatever conversation they were having around her. "Sorry Saya-san, I wasn't paying attention."

"Uhh...that's OK," the girl known as Saya let out an awkward laugh before continuing. "I was just wondering if you were going to check out any clubs with us? Yes, we know that you're the club president for Drama already," she added hastily before Leiko could open her mouth to retort. "But it might actually be neat to join something else too. You know, for flavour."

"Oh?" Leiko quirked a vaguely intrigued eyebrow. "What do you have in mind? Because after my experiences last year, I'm not particularly keen on scouting for anything new." The Student Council had certainly been an interesting endeavour, Leiko recalled with a wry smile. Due to her parents' pushing and prodding into making her do something more 'worthwhile' with her time, the decision to attempt Student Council had been decided for her first year at Warakuma High. Suffice to say, she loathed every aspect of it, from the paperwork to the slightly overbearing President.

Leiko had quit the council within the month and joined Drama within the next. Needless to say, it was one of the best decisions she had made thus far.

"Welllll, I was thinking about something a little more to your tastes..." Saya grinned surreptiously as she reached for something in her bag. "You know, for fun..."

"Oh?" Leiko was trying her best to keep her voice sounding detached, but even she felt a spark of curiosity ignite within her as she eyed the girl's satchel. "Pray tell..."

"Ta-da!" The girl sang in a sudden burst of bubbling excitement as she handed out an amateurish flyer for Leiko to observe with a rare bewildered expression. "It's a new club called the Idols Club! You know that first year idol? Chiaki Nettu? She's the one running it! It's gonna be like...a masterclass on how to be an idol or something."

"..." Leiko was stunned into silence for a moment, her eyes glancing from the crude flyer to her friend in utter disbelief. "What?" was all she could manage, her voice slightly hoarse at Saya's proposal. "What...are you suggesting?"

"Oh come on! It'd be fun!" Leiko's friend whined, seeming somewhat pleased that she had caught the other girl off guard. "I mean, it's only dancing and singing on a stage. It's really not all that different to Drama at all!"

"Of course it's different!" Leiko gasped in outrage, causing several of the students nearby to stop and watch Leiko's reaction in a mix of trepidation and curiosity. "What actors do and what idols do are completely different."

Actors play their parts with their heart and soul, Leiko monologued inwardly, her tongue too tied with disbelief to actually voice her words aloud. Acting means something. Idols are just manufactured, chosen because they're sweet and pretty and nothing else. All smiles, no substance.

"Fine. So they're not exactly the same," Saya agreed with a brief shrug of defeat, although the glint in her eyes told her otherwise. "More the reason to join, hmm? You need to loosen up, Hama-chan. You won't look this young and pretty forever!"

Saya was one of Leiko's louder and more outspoken friends, and a girl that had somehow landed in her class from middle school all the way to their second year at WHS in present day. So, she knew Leiko better than anyone, which somehow gave her the unspoken right to tease her mercilessly.

Honestly, Leiko felt she was getting too soft. But even she couldn't deny that Saya was one of her closer friends, for what it was worth.

"I think we're done here," Leiko remarked sternly, determined not to indulge her friend any further as she slung her schoolbag back over her shoulder. "I'm going home."

"What? No, stay Hama-chan," Saya shot Leiko her best pout. "Just think of all the pretty things we could wear. Frilly dresses, bikini fashion...oh, maybe you could borrow some maid costumes at your home and dress up like-"

"Finish that sentence. I dare you," Leiko's expression was deadly, her face rapidly flushing to the colour of her hair. "Because so help me, Saya..."

"Uhh...never mind then!" The other girl paled sheepishly. Even someone as daring as Saya knew when she was pushing Leiko's limits. And an explosion in Class 2-1 wasn't far off at this point. "You're still sticking around to check out the clubs though, right?"

"...I really think I'll pass," Leiko's answer was trite. "I have to prepare for the auditions tomorrow anyway."

"Thirty minutes." Saya placed her hands on her hips with an expression that was difficult to argue with. "Give me that, and I'll leave you alone. Promise."

Leiko scowled back, but her resistance was wearing down more by the minute. "...Fine," she finally caved in with a disgruntled sigh. "I'll be holding you to that promise though."

She really was too soft sometimes.

The True Self - Persona

Cuco said will everyone who's friends with someone else inevitably be shipped with them? XD

It's Persona. It's inevitable.

To be fair though, I have my reasons. It's not just blind shipping.

Actually, screw that, I forgot about Misaki. Abandoning ship(s)!