First Silver Spoon - Joint Post, Video/Action for New Bark

[shslasshat]

[The boy who appears on the other end of the feed is sitting outside, in New Bark Town, if the gently waving trees and the windmill in the background are anything to go by. He appears deep in thought. In contrast to this, a sharply-grinning face appears over his left shoulder, all teeth and claws and hard, cold, gemstone eyes. Since Sableye aren't native to New Bark Town, that must clearly be his starter.]

Out of one game and into another, then.

[Piercing green eyes meet the camera from behind white-framed glasses.]

I presume I'm far from the first person to come here. ...Perhaps, even, not the first from my world – since this obviously is not the world I come from. I may have catching up to do, but mark my words: Byakuya Togami does not lose. Anyone who stands in my way will fall. So remember my face, and don't waste your t—

[But then, abruptly, the feed goes wild and veers away from his face; hopefully nobody watching gets motion sickness, because if so, they might want to avert their eyes. But given the angle and direction of the camera shift, combined with the brief flash of the boy's astonished expression before it disappears completely from view, it seems that someone has just snatched the Gear right out of his hand.

Which would be an entirely accurate conclusion to draw, really. Suffice to say, the camera is now displaying a rather attractive shot of the tip of someone's boot and a fair expanse of slightly matted grass.]

Don't be so quick to sacrifice your anonymity with needless posturing. There's nothing to be gained from ceding that advantage — particularly not in a place where that name almost certainly means nothing to anyone.

[...Does somebody want to get this man some ice for that burn.]

[The aforementioned boy huffs in the background, his hand appearing on the camera as he tries to take it back like a nerd who's become the victim of a cruel game of keep-away.]

Have you even read the training manual? A place that asserts the goal of becoming "the very best, like no one ever was" is not a bastion of subtlety.

[Then, almost sulkier,]

When did you even get here?

[JUST WHEN HE THOUGHT HE WAS SAFE.

Eventually, though, his superior height and reach everything manage to get control of the Gear back, and amid the shuffle, the second voice speaks again.]

About twenty minutes ago. [A beat.] I've been looking around. Haven't you?

[Even when his gear is back in his own possession, he doesn't bother aiming it at his face. However, he will flash Johto a shot of the lovely, lavender-haired girl who so rudely interrupted his arrogant pontificating.]

I've been reading the materials provided about this place and the creatures who inhabit it. [A smug, punchable beat.] Haven't you?

I wanted to see what my own investigations turned up first. But it'd be useful to see how much of my evidence is corroborated by yours; turn that off and let's compare our findings instead.

[For the first time since the girl appeared, Togami actually pays attention to the gear, and he scowls at it before flicking the camera off as requested.]

Comments

[video]

[ardent]

[Ishimaru has gotten in the habit of leaving the device streaming while he's out training, and today is no exception; he's out dealing with the massive bundle of stat-based "what the hell" that is a newly-hatched Shuckle and trying to work out what the gently caress he's supposed to do with the stupid and...admittedly incredibly sturdy thing when the feed crackles to life.

He glances over at it without paying the video much mind - just verifying that that is, indeed, where the sound just came from before resettling his hands on his hips and turning back to the...wait.

Wait, wait, wait. That is some unbelievably familiar grandstanding - it's been a few months since he's heard it, yes, but it's completely and utterly unmistakable as coming from the heir to...

...to...

...to the thingo. Business. Thingo. Whatever it is the Togami Conglomerate actually does. He's never exactly been clear on that, outside of the knowledge that it's just really, really important and probably shouldn't be crossed. Either way, even if Ishimaru's never been the best with faces and voices and connecting them to people, that is most definitely Togami on the video there - after all, there are some that you just don't forget.

...and then there's Kirigiri, whose voice seems vaguely familiar but Ishimaru cannot place for the life of him until she actually physically shows up on the feed.

The Shuckle can fend for itself for now (really, if Caterpies haven't died out in the wild, he's pretty sure his nigh-indestructable bugturtle will be just fine); Ishimaru is quick to grab the device off of his bag where he'd left it sitting in the grass and start up a video feed of his own in response.]

Togami-kun! Kirigiri-kun! It's excellent to see the both of you here and well!

[...never mind the dose of inherent surreality presented by Ishimaru being, you know. Here and alive. And he most definitely is still alive and...well, still Ishimaru, if the volume is anything to judge by. Good lord, he's going to destroy the microphone on this thing one day.]

[video]

[freshprints]

[And thus arrives the shoutiest member of the local Dead Classmates contingent, which is saying something considering that Oowada-kun and Kuwata-kun is included in that number.

All right, then. Going by what Asahina-san had said, that's all three of the dead kids, which means the only namedropped classmate as yet unaccounted for is...

...Naegi-kun. doki

Still, as dead classmates go — or as classmates in general go, really — there are worse people to have showing up than Ishimaru. At least she can count on the fact that the resident students have been kept to some kind of order in her apparent absence, and he'll probably be at least somewhat useful for getting information. Moreso than, say, Fukawa or Hakagure might've been.

Though it's still hard to unsee the sight of him facedown with a dent in his head, that's for sure. Hard enough that she can't quite stop herself from looking, even though rationally she's pretty sure it won't be there.]

Ishimaru-kun. You've been keeping things under control here, I assume.

[...That should pacify him a little, right. Right.]

[video]

[ardent]

[OH GOOD she's taking this well! c:

...At least, she's taking it well outside of the way she's looking at him; he's never really liked the way Kirigiri tends to look at people. It's always made him sort of uncomfortable, really; he's never been good with social nuances, but he can usually get some idea of what people are like after a while, even if it's on a very basic level. Kirigiri reads as an alarmingly blank slate most of the time, and he's never really sure if it's something she's doing intentionally or if he's doing something wrong.

However, she's currently actually acknowledging his presence and she's kind of stroking his ego, so he just sort of grins anyway.]

Of course! I would be a failure of a hall monitor to do otherwise - everything has been just fine!!

[...sorry did you want the shouting toned down a bit because that's not happening, sis]

[video]

[freshprints]

[Well, at least Ishimaru's eyes aren't on fire and he is walking around in more than a towel, so you know what, she'll live with the shouting. She'll hold the Gear about a foot and a half away from her ear, assuredly, but she'll live with the shouting.]

Are you in Violet City with the others? The music changes by location.

[In the background. So maybe the obnoxious BGM is actually useful for something, after all — and that's a clue she's mildly pleased to file away, because immediately relevant or not, there's nothing like a good clue to make you feel better in a perplexing situation.]

[video]

[ardent]

[...oh god why did you have to mention the music. He's actually gotten good at tuning it out, only now that it's been brought up he's going to be aware of it for about the next week.]

I am, yes! I'm guessing you're in New Bark Town? That's where most of the new arrivals show up, anyway!

[video]

[freshprints]

[Very good, Ishimaru-kun, now next don't think of pink haired fashion girls elephants.

...Except wait.

Hold on, she senses an underlined word in that remark.]

Most of them? In other words, some don't — so where else would you have expected us to arrive?

[video]

[ardent]

Some arrive in Goldenrod City instead - that's not very common, though!

[...]

There's a reason for it, but it's one best discussed in person.

[video]

[freshprints]

[Wait hold on is that—

a mystery]

That means it'll have to wait at least ten days. It can afford that sort of delay?

[video]

[ardent]

[it might be - okay no not really but it's something for you to play with until we can meet up

is that sufficient]

I wouldn't even try to delay it that long if it couldn't! This place is safe, though, from what I've seen; there's no one wanting to cause us direct harm, and while there are troublemakers here and there it hasn't escalated beyond reasonable control!

[video]

[freshprints]

[So considerate, Ishimaru-kun, it almost makes up for all those times you FORGOT SHE EXISTED.]

Then it's a discussion I'll look forward to.

[By which she means DAMMIT SHE WANTS THE DEETS but it's reasonable to assume this network might be monitored so she will concede and approve of his caution. For now.]

I presume Togami-kun will come with me that far, at least.

[video]

[ardent]

[LOOK HE'S SORRY ABOUT THAT FIRST MORNING IF HE MAKES YOU BREAKFAST IN VIOLET WILL IT MAKE UP FOR IT

...that said, this is Kirigiri-kun. Looking forward to having a conversation. And seeming to want to work with someone. And actually being a team player.

...

... ... ...

girl are you sick or something]

Then I look forward to your arrival - it will be good to see both of you in person again!

[...Ah.]

...Speaking of, however...what's the last thing you remember happening, back in the school?

[video]

[freshprints]

Do you really think that's something I ought to say in a discussion we're not conducting in person?

[Do you want to revisit that assessment about Kirigiri-kun being sick or something now. Because you're welcome to.]

[shslasshat]

[It controls every world government and organization through some major shady bullshit is what it does. Togami comes from a proud legacy of shady bullshit and of getting his 14 older half-siblings exiled so he could inherit the family name.

Which you might've learned through free time events if you were the player character bothered to try to get to know your classmates.

Right, so after meeting Fujisaki alive and well, Ishimaru ain't shit. If Togami is ruffled by YET ANOTHER dead classmate, he doesn't show it (in detail large enough to be seen on the small handheld screen).]

Well, we're here, anyway.

And you look... [you know. Alive. Not Ishida. Strangely happy to be trapped in a place that doesn't have a clearly dictated means of escape (however macabre that means may be).]

1/3

[ardent]

[...that involves actually talking to you, though.

That said, yes, he looks very alive and not Ishida, thank you for noticing Togami-kun and most importantly thank you for not finishing that comment, as it was likely headed nowhere good. He's aware of that much, at least, though honestly, he just kind of twitches a bit in response to it, just because he's not sure where it should head from there.]

I...look...?

[No really are you gonna clarify or - ]

[ardent]

...Ah.

[ardent]

[Never mind, we're good.]

None of that has happened to me yet! At the time that I was brought here from, we just received our second motive - I was informed of what happens beyond that point, however, even if I haven't experienced any of it myself!

So tell me - what was the last thing you remember, before you were brought here?

[shslasshat]

[There's nothing wrong with talking to him. Unless you're intimidated by just how condescending he can be.

Which is in fact the same kind of condescending look that he gives the camera as he listens to Ishimaru helpfully providing a canon point.]

The execution of the mastermind, and our departure from Hope's Peak.

The fact that you're from a point prior to your death, and yet you already know what happens...

[He's going to trail off into his own thoughts - out of all of the students, Ishimaru is perhaps the second most likely to be counted upon to do something if he returned to their original timeline with knowledge of how it ends.

The fact that nothing of the sort happened means that either their murder school experience was fixed and there was no way to change it... Or the somehow likelier (again, given what he knows of Ishimaru) prospect that coming back from this place erases your memory of being there.

He frowns. He doesn't like that. He's had enough of his memories being toyed with, thank you.]

[ardent]

[...are you just...opposed to finishing your thoughts here, buddy, or...]

What about it? If you have something to say, you should do so decisively!!

[shslasshat]

[He doesn't particularly think you're worth the effort of keeping in the loop. But since you insist.]

It means that when we leave this place, whatever brought us here tampers with our memories.

Erases our memory of this place entirely, in fact.

...

This mastermind is even more threatening than the previous one.

[ardent]

No. From what I've seen and experienced here - and it's been months - this place is safe; many find it preferable to their own worlds, and there have been those who have reported remaining here for years with no incident! Should we find the way that we're being brought here - the means by which these different worlds are colliding in some sort of common nexus - then there's nothing to keep us from staying here indefinitely! We don't seem to be under any sort of threat here; while your observation regarding our memories has potential to be used for some sort of evil, there's nothing to say that whoever runs this place is legitimately more of an actual threat!

[shslasshat]

[DO YOU WANT TO GET IN A SHOUTY POINTY FINGER MATCH.]

There you go again, letting base sentimentality cloud your judgment. We know nothing of this place outside of hearsay and speculation - and by that, I mean how or why we are brought here. It is precisely this presumed safety that should make us even more wary. We have been abducted by something or some one whose power we can't begin to fathom, and you're content to sit around as we're played with like dolls?

Clearly you haven't heard the whole story, if you don't see how menacing the potential for tampering with memories can be.

[ardent]

[He twitches sharply at that, the motion clearly visible over the device, but fine. Fine. Are we doing this because he thinks we are.]

I'm aware of what's been done to us - all of us here are! But are you really going to argue that this is nothing but 'hearsay and speculation' simply because you, personally, haven't seen it? Since you're bringing our experiences into it already, I'd think you would understand why I don't think any of us are in position to say that testimony has no place in informed decision-making!

[shslasshat]

I am perfectly aware that testimony has its place in decision-making, and that place is tertiary, at least, to observation and hard evidence. What are the facts that we do know? We've been brought here by some unknown and unseen force. Said force has the power to bring the dead back to life, or to take people from seemingly random points in time.

Said force also has the ability to tamper with memories in order to render those who do escape incapable of affecting major change on events in their timeline. We are ostensibly trapped here with no means of either earning or forcing escape, and you don't feel threatened?

[ardent]

[Mnnnngh.]

I prefer no means of earning or forcing escape over the means we've been offered in the past.

[shslasshat]

You prefer to sit complacent and follow orders like a trained dog.

I have no use for someone who rolls over and submits so easily.