June 12th, The Woods, Near midnight

[independent_dollmaker]

[Once again, it comes to this. Not that anyone present would be thinking of it this way.

On a dark night, deep in the woods behind Izumizaki, eight friends sit in a circle around a crackling fire. Holding hands, they look into the fire, its dancing shadows playing tricks on the imagination beyond the circle. Maria's established the rules, all that's left is to kick things off.]

So... on the count of three, then?

Comments

[flatview]

[ Nui studies her for a second, as if debating denying her. ]

Just don't keep me waiting.

[ She begins her tread out of the forest without another word, but at a slow enough pace Chiyoko could catch up. ]

[fortunatetoaster]

Nah, I won't.

[ and catch up she does - the cold and the late hour are making her drag a little, but as promised, she doesn't keep Nui waiting. ]

... so what d'ya think of this ritual crap?

[flatview]

I wouldn't say 'crap'--Shigetsuna-sama will get mad if she hears that.

[ Although her voice is somewhat stiff, as though she doesn't entirely want to be having this conversation. ]

[fortunatetoaster]

Ah-- ahah, good point... maybe 'crap' ain't really the word for it, but I ain't polite enough ta come up with somethin' else at this time of night.

[ she's eyeing Nui warily as she walks with her. ]

You okay, Harime?

[flatview]

Peachy, peachy, peachy. [ No, if anything, she sounds more facetious than normal. ]

Is that all you wanted to ask? I don't think you just wanted to take a stroll with me, Chiyoko-chan.

[fortunatetoaster]

[ she mulls over her reply for a moment before she decides that there isn't any real point to lying -- so instead, she shrugs and pulls a bit of a face. ]

... I just... felt like I was better off stickin' with you for the rest of the evenin'. Weird as it sounds. Maybe somethin' in my gut?

[flatview]

Doesn't seem like you to rely on gut instincts. ♥

But this has been a weird couple of weeks, right?

[ only...what does she mean by 'couple of weeks'? ]

[fortunatetoaster]

... weeks...

[ she parrots the word back, sounding... not surprised or puzzled, but just a little suspicious. ]

Just what's happened the last few weeks to make you say it's been weird, huh?

[flatview]

[ Her giggling has a somewhat sinister undertone. ]

Oh, you know. It seems I've lost my scissors. You haven't seen them anywhere, have you?

[ BGM: Guitar Riff Scarechord ]

[fortunatetoaster]

[ ... fuck. ]

Uh... n--nah. I mean, I guess you coulda misplaced 'em in the clubroom or somethin', but...

[ she trails off for a second, before speaking up again, hesitantly, testing the waters. ]

... why not ask Hiroshi-kun? Or Osaka.

[flatview]

No, no, no, that won't do! They don't like needlework. I'll just borrow Alice's.

[ For some reason, the tension drains out of her posture, and she's back to sashaying carelessly as she makes her way across the forest ground. ]

[fortunatetoaster]

[ ... hm.

on the one hand; this sounds pretty legit. on the other hand; how does she ask this without sounding like a fucking weirdo. ]

... well I guess if we both keep an eye out for... your scissors... we stand a better chance, yeah?

[ a better chance of what, exactly, chiyoko? ]

[flatview]

Of finding them? Hmmm, it's kinda dangerous to go looking for pointy objects when you don't know where they are, right?

[fortunatetoaster]

Yeah, you got a point. But it helps more when you got an idea of what you're lookin' for, yeah?

So like... we just gotta keep an eye out for anythin' that... looks pointy or scissor-y.

1/2

[flatview]

[ She makes an exaggerated 'hmm' noise, and it takes her a few moments to come to an answer, but she appears to be...satisfied. ]

Well, okay. We just have to make sure to find them in time. ♥

2/2

[flatview]

[ She gets as far into Chiyoko's personal space as she'll physically allow, because...this needs creepy in-your-face whispering, apparently. ]

Because it would be awfully frustrating to have to buy new scissors. Auntie says I can get preeetty scary when I'm frustrated. You know, I think a vein nearly popped in my forehead the last time! It's amazing you can't see the stress wrinkles on my face!

[fortunatetoaster]

[ WELP don't mind chiyoko if she leans back as far as her spine will allow without popping in half ]

Hah... haha... y--yeah, I r-- ... can imagine...

[ you're pretty fucking scary even when you're not angry to be honest nui ]

... We'll find them before somethin' happens though, okay? I promise.

[flatview]

Right, then it's settled!

[ Nui hops right back into place, folding her parasol primly behind her. ]

[fortunatetoaster]

[ p h e w ]

... s--so, if I find 'em, I'll get hold of you. And you get hold me me too, yeah? If you find... your scissors...

[ a pause. ]

... wait, do you even have my cell number...?

[flatview]

Heh heh heh.....if you want to put it that way, sure.

Well, yeah? I've got everyone's.

[fortunatetoaster]

Ah, okay good... I never use the thing so I don't even know who's got what anymore...

[ also she can barely use the thing so ]

... so, we on the same page, for sure? About... scissors...

[flatview]

We're playing a special keepaway game from Osaka and Hiroshi-kun, of course.