badkuya

[badkuya]

qvietude ♔

Makoto has never thought of himself as being a person who is observant. More often than not, many things pass him by, yet this time around it’s different; he doesn’t miss the subtle changes occurring. Were it not for the reason that he showed up so suddenly, he’d have smiled – internally, he is.

“Sorry to show up at your door so sudden. I know you don’t really like to be bothered when it’s nothing serious, but…” He stood there, hazel eyes holding the gaze of blue ones. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.” With that, Makoto steps inside of Byakuya’s hotel room. It shouldn’t feel awkward to be here and yet, it’s impossible for him to feel any different knowing he’s in the other’s personal space. Fiddling with the zipper of his jacket in search of a distraction, he tries not to look around to much.

The letter was back into the envelope and tucked away into the inner pocket of his jacket, over which he placed a hand. For a moment, he stills; the gut-wrenching feeling in his stomach is making him anxious. Hopefully, deciding to come over here wasn’t a bad idea. For now, it’s maybe best to test the waters and start out slowly, rather than go directly to the point and come off as being too harsh.

“Togami-kun, uhm. Are you alright?” His hand lowers, joining the other as they wring together. “You’ve been a little quiet in these past few days and I’ve been worried about you.” For a moment, he looks off to the side in contemplation. “If something’s wrong, you know you can tell me… Right?”

The way the other focused so much on the feelings of himself and others was a drag. Had it been up to Byakuya, then he would have been frank and to the point from the start. The heir to the Togami simply didn’t like circling around things, grabbing at loose ends in effort to eventually, someday, tie them together. He had always been punctual and fixed to his own schedule, dealing with his things at his own pace and time, and as efficiently as possible.

“I am perfectly fine.” He thus answered, adjusting his glasses as spoke. Byakuya carefully shut the door behind Makoto so they could have their privacy. The young man sat down on one of the luxurious chairs and glanced over to Makoto. He then beckoned to the sofa across from him, while a coffee table inbetween them separated them. “Have a seat. You seem distraught.”

After having directed the other, he continued speaking. “You came here for a reason.” It was an obvious fact, but it was one of Byakuya’s usual tactics to show he was fully reading the other (even if, by chance, that wasn’t the case).  He sipped at the coffee he was drinking earlier. “Something happened to you and it concerned you about me. That means you learned about something that didn’t sit well with you.”

“Regardless, I am fine. The things I deal with here are nothing compared to our time stuck in the school or outside of it, and it’s not like this location is particularly threatening to us. This is nothing a Togami cannot deal with it.”

“Therefore,” he set down his cup again and crossed his arms, “rationally speak, there’s no need for me to come to you for help. You are aware, but you came here on your own accord, because there’s something about the prospect of your friends not being alright that unsettles you. Unless you have information of importance to present, it sounds like this is more about you than about me.” Byakuya gave Makoto a look again.

“Well?”

#Makoto 001 #qvietude #rip makoto im sorry #you cant visit byakuya and attempt to talk about feeligns that's not how it works

[badkuya]

stalkersmask ♔

Oof-a! Still the grouch as ever, huh? Obviously, he really was the icy snowman he had to play earlier, huh? Well, if that’s really all he is, then how two-dimensional is his personality? What a bland guy! 

Even so, she supposes, even such a stuck-up ice prince, she can prod at that enough to get a response. Guys like him, they’re too proud to keep quiet, because they think they’re better and have to get the last word in. Or something. Well, surprise! Mila was just like that, too! Let’s try another stab.

“If you’ll never have time to deal with me now, does that mean you’ll have time for me tomorrow when I break into your room and slap you in your sleep?”

Come on, now. After two childish games with Mila, you should know this wasn’t going to stop her, right? It’s the conflict she lives for, after all. If not actual bloodshed or feuds, then at least metaphorical ones. She takes a half-roasted chestnut with the tongs and flicks it in his general direction.

“Don’t be such a fun killin’ sourpuss, Byakyucky! We totally won that one game, right? I figured you’d appreciate coming out on top most of all in there! But, I guess, if you don’t wanna gloat about it, I can stand up top and be the superior one by myself. In which case, ya gotta grovel for me, ya know!”

This person was as childish as Byakuya remembered. He took a step to the side to the dodge the chestnut that was flicked into his direction and continued speaking. Come to think of it, this woman was annoying, but so was Touko and Genocider Syo to him (and he still sort of cared about them, regardless). Byakuya, who had some practice in already with dealing with these types of people, was at the advantage here.

“Get your ears washed out, you filth.” He started lecturing her. “Surely, even someone with a small brain like you must understand that the word ‘never’ is a contraction of ‘not ever’. It is not a particularly hard concept to grasp onto, but I suppose I overestimated your brain capacity in this regard. My sincere apologies for how I failed to recognize how lacking of intellect you really are.”

Byakuya sighed after that. “If you don’t have anything substantial to say, then leave. I do not care about the victory we shared in that game. It was merely a game, after all, and especially befitting of a Togami to win when they participate.”

#Mila 001 #stalkersmask #byakuya comparing mila to touko gsdjgkdsg i M EAN i guess

[badkuya]

specialrobotboy ♔

Kiibo was visually taken aback by Togami’s actions. Thinking that this might be a prank Kiibo had no other choice than to open the envelope. One look at the money inside was enough for Kiibo to see that the money was legitimate and that there was an absurd about of it stacked into this one envelope. 

“This is too much, Togami-kun.” Kiibo sounded slightly panicked as he spoke. This huge sum of money was too big of a responsibility for him. “Getting fixed was apparently fully covered by my health insurance and my everyday living expenses are close to none. What am I to do with all this money?”

Admittedly, Byakuya was a bit aggravated to hear the other reject his money. It was a bizarre tale for him; to be asked what they should do with the money they had just been handed by the great Byakuya Togami. He found it tiresome to deal with it, but calmed down once he considered the other was a robot, and thus not as prone to materialism as any other human being would be. That made sense. It just meant Byakuya had to communicate in a way that the robot deemed to be logical.

“I wouldn’t know.” He honestly answered as he crossed his arms. “I generally find it hard to empathize with the needs of commoners, not to mention robots. We have different types of needs, after all, and I have no knowledge about what may possibly be of worth to you.”

A sigh left his lips, but he continued. “I came here to apologize, because my words tend to be perceived weak in emotional value. That said, the burden I have laid on you seemed simply too much to be outweighed by a mere few words. If you find no value in the money I have offered, then I will find another way to redeem myself.”

Which made him wonder what exactly he could for a robot. By no means was Byakuya going to lower himself, but he did have to offer something that he felt was meaningful. Something that would carry a weight off the robot’s shoulders about any of his current worries. There was no way around it. Like a true experienced businessman, Byakuya decided to dig deeper into uncovering the other’s needs. 

“Just tell me what you find important to settle right now.” He finally said. “If you are concerned about anything, then I will offer my service to help you out. After that, I’ll gladly disappear from your life.”

All All Apologies

#Kiibo 002 #specialrobotboy #well guess you can make him do about anything now keebz #use your granted request to your advantage

[badkuya]

qvietude ♔

@badkuya !

The idea of a tour through Wonderland Woods sounded interesting, not only because Makoto has yet to go there but also because of the thing that was advertised for this particular times of the year: mushrooms. Now, he wasn’t the biggest fan out there when it came to them, but after hearing that the mushrooms have interesting side effect, he was completely enthusiastic to learn more. This may or may not have something to do with a specific type of mushroom, that was said to make the person that consumes it grow 10cm for a solid 24 hours.

Nonetheless, the tour itself turned out to be extremely pleasant. Learning more about Stella City and its surroundings should also be of use at some later point, so this experience was both educational and self-indulgent. Unfortunately, Makoto didn’t get to reach too far with the tour – by that, it means that he didn’t yet get the chance to discover the growth mushrooms he was eager to learn more about; to taste, too. Mid-tour, he was stopped by one of the sheep at the post office who had a letter for him; one that was slightly overdue, from what he got told.

Receiving a letter was strange, considering that there was nobody he really thought would have any reason to write him. Moreover, this didn’t seem like any regular letter, which further piqued his curiosity. Opening up the envelope, he took out the paper and began reading off of it. Confusion strikes immediately, with information not really adding up. No, it wasn’t even the information itself that didn’t make sense, because the content of the letter was clear and straight to the point. However, something felt off and Makoto couldn’t quite figure out what exactly it was.

Backtracking on the events from a few days back, things seem suspicious. He was supposed to meet up with Byakuya, since they’d agreed to have lunch together but the plans were suddenly cancelled out. Now, if there’s one thing that Makoto knows, it’s that Byakuya isn’t the type to cancel out plans unless something very important comes up. With that in mind, a conclusion begins to gain contour but it’s not something he wants to think much about. At least not until he has both sides of the story – well, as much as a letter can be considered one, that is.

With a heavy heart towards the idea of finally getting to grow a little, even if temporarily, Makoto offers his apologies towards his tour guides before explaining that the tour had to come to an abrupt end; it felt as if they knew, even before he stepped up to mention it. Perhaps that’s just part of him being extremely easy to read into.

Guided out of the woods and back into the city, he bids farewell from his guides and then heads towards Gâteau Château as fast as his legs carried him. Granted that he was a mess by the time he arrived at the hotel’s lobby, Makoto tried to make himself a bit more presentable before asking for directions; there was nothing to be done about his unruly hair, however.

Moments later, he’s facing the door leading to Byakuya’s room. Drawing in a deep breath to try and build up courage, Makoto quietly murmurs to himself, “Guess it’s now or never.” And thereafter, delivers a set of knocks to the door.

The times hadn’t been exactly peaceful for Byakuya Togami lately. Ever since he had arrived in Stella City, he found obstacles and struggles to deal with every day. And like a true Togami, he persevered and moved on, strong and proud, carrying the weight of his own world on his young shoulders. It was merely something he got used to. If he had known it didn’t have to be this way, if he understood that socialism could benefit him and the world around him too, then perhaps he would have considered it. Perhaps he would have told Makoto about the things he had faced in recent days.

So it surprised him to find said brunet in front of his door, especially when it looked like he had hurried too. Byakuya blinked a few times as he assessed the situation and finally, with little reluctance, spoke. “Naegi.” He drew out a long breath. “What do I have to thank this visit for?”

He did his best to hide his bewilderment and surprise, simply because a Togami was always several steps ahead of anyone else. To experience not knowing what a person showed up for was a disaster, so he faked himself to be rather playful about the matter, as if he was already perfectly aware of the other’s purpose. It was a coping mechanism.

“You must be cold. If you came for a chat, then come inside. My time is precious, but I’ll spare some of it for you.”

#qvietude #Makoto 003 #im sorry makoto that you had to miss out on the mushrooms

[badkuya]

stalkersmask ♔

@badkuya

If there was something Mila enjoyed, then it was the smoky flavour in toasted foods. When you had to hunt your food and eat scraps in the forest stolen from other predatory creatures, you get to appreciate the flavour that a fire puts into your food. 

So, with a bag of chestnuts, she’s made her way over to the rosters hanging over the bonfires, using the tongs provided to put them on the roster until done.

What she spots as well, however, is a certain individual with glasses and a pissy attitude, walking by like he owns the place. These people were the most fun to mess with, you know, because they think they’re so great, so they try to get back at everything you see- the banter is endless! It’s the best.

So let’s start some!

“Hey, snowman! Did you get tired of sittin’ in your own stink? Or did you miss my radiating beauty?”

Sigh. It was this person again. Byakuya had merely decided to take in the scenery as he walked by, updating himself on the local news and its economic developments, until he ran into this misfortune of a person. 

It had truly been a business outing for him from the very start. As far as Byakuya was aware, he was unable to do business with anyone outside of the city, which he found rather peculiar. Even import seemed to be limited, or frankly non-existent, but he had yet to find any explanation for it. So when he was disturbed by the familiar blonde, he made sure to grunt in response.

“Get out of my sight.” He growled almost instantly. “I do not, and I never will, have any time to deal with you right now.”

It was a very clear cut response, but sometimes one ought to be blunt and straight to the point. The agonizing time they had spent in that game together, snowballs and bread included, was awful enough. If Byakuya was going to live with a reputation of being a snowman, then he wished he had never played along to begin with. It was ridiculous.

#stalkersmask #Mila 001 #it is... time #hell yas

[badkuya]

specialrobotboy ♔

Kiibo quickly looked over Togami and concluded that he indeed didn’t seem to have the megaphone he had been using last time with him. The fact that Togami hadn’t come visit him to “finish the job” came as a small relief to Kiibo, but he couldn’t say he was comfortable being in the presence of someone who had hurt him so greatly. 

“That is correct, yes. What brings you here?” 

Anger… Kiibo didn’t like this emotion. He was still pretty calm all things considered, but now that he had the knowledge this wasn’t Shirogane-san he was dealing with he couldn’t forgive this act of robophobia. Not without good reason, at least. 

Byakuya was rather swift with his movements, having neared Kiibo before he promptly dropped a heavy envelope on the table beside him. It sounded like paper, but more specifically, it seemed to be...?

“I came to reimburse you.” Right, because Byakuya did not know how to apologize like a normal person. Well, it wasn’t a big deal. Just some extra money he earned when he sold his remaining stocks before investing in new ones. The world never stopped turning for Byakuya Togami. “It is a small sum, but please accept it.”

A small sum of... oh. Wow. You could buy a few expensive cars with this money and still have leftover money, probably.

All All Apologies

#Kiibo 002 #specialrobotboy #i dont know how to say sorry normally dont @ me

[badkuya]

specialrobotboy♔

Kiibo was alive. 

Or, well, as alive as a robot could be. He hadn’t thought it possible for someone without the Ultimate Inventor talent to fix him up, but Wewery Rockbaall had been able to repair him and give him a full check up to boot. He should feel better than ever, reborn almost, but instead, he felt like crying. 

This was far from the first time Kiibo had experienced robophobia. By now he had gotten used to the stares and hurtful comments, but never would he have thought someone would dislike him enough to kill him. Kiibo’s dream of being accepted by humans as their equal seemed further away than ever. 

Kiibo had all the time in the world to think about his shortcomings. Wewery Rockbaall had been as kind to provide him with a small, cosy room for himself in the back of Ewesink Emporium. It was expected of him to stay here for four more days so that they could run a bunch of tests on him together. Kiibo felt that he was in good hands– uh, hoofs here, so he would be a good robot and stay put until he was allowed to go home. 

Kiibo had been thinking hard of a new approach to letting humans accept him for who he was when someone suddenly stepped into his room. He had been hopeful one of his friends would come to check up on him, but that dream shattered when he saw who had come to pay him a visit.

“Togami-kun… was it?”

“Rest assured, I come in peace. I am not bearing any arms.” Byakuya voiced almost immediately in response, taking care to shut the door behind him. His eyes soon fell on the mechanical creature in front of him.

Afterwards, he came closer. He continued speaking; “I have been informed you go by the name of K1-B0, otherwise known as Kiibo. Is that knowledge correct?“

With his arms crossed, he stood beside the robot and waited for an answer.

All All Apologies

#Kiibo 002 #specialrobotboy #well well well here we are

[badkuya]

berrybulletin ♔

Barely a loss to the world..? We tend to disagree!

Keep reading

Although this type of backlash was nothing like Byakuya had predicted, it certainly was not the worst case scenario. He studied the letter he had received several times, and a few days later, he finally wrote his reply.

This letter was delivered to the City Council by registered post.

Greetings,

My name is Byakuya Togami.

I have come bearing the unfortunate news that upon receiving your letter, I have decided to notify the appropriate parties of these matters. Worry not, I would like to settle this peacefully in court where our lawyers can discuss this in elaborate detail.

To be clear, I am suing the two Civil Servants, who go by the name of Aries and Stella, with the following:

Inflicted emotional damage

Theft of private property

Abuse of Authority

Money embezzlement

Avoidance of use of the appropriate legal procedures

Fraudulent behaviour

Our legal matter includes, but is not limited to, the list of items mentioned above. My lawyer has been notified and the evidence has been gathered. 

I am aware this particular situation might strike you as inconvenient. As such, I am willing to settle this outside of court for the following:

Complete restoration of my own personal wealth and ownership of the bank

A letter of apology

While this may pain the heart of those who seek justice, I have unfortunately been notified that the damaged existence were alive enough to have been counted as a citizen. Not only has this been a grave human error on my part, it could also be considered defensive self reflex, knowing my history of fighting robotic bears longing to plunge our world into despair. You two seem awfully familiar with my past and must be aware.

Failure to comply to any of the above will result in this entire matter to be brought to the public. My contacts at Ram Radio & Broadcasting have already shown interest in my story.

I thank you for your time and desire response.

Signed, Byakuya Togami

And soon enough, a letter from Coffee Courthouse followed. It stated more or less the same matters Byakuya had already friendly notified you of.

Not to mention, a certain lawyer, by the name of Mia Fewe, was already working hard in the background to bring the truth to the light. Meanwhile, Bitsy Smooches has received a letter that her expected new Cashier has declined the job offer. Nothing you could do against that, you suppose.

#berrybulletin #steci letter #Kiibo 001 #specialrobotboy

[badkuya]

#wealth

[badkuya]

specialrobotboy ♔

Kiibo was in no position to reject Shirogane’s demands. When she told him he still wasn’t making sense he had been about to start explaining things from the very beginning. He, however, hadn’t been allowed that luxury. 

Shirogane’s megaphone sent out another electromagnetic wave which hit him square in the chest. A seemingly endless amount of error messages popped up for Kiibo, obscuring his vision. Before he was able to read any of them he was presented with a blue screen of death.

“……………………”

The husk that was Kiibo’s body fell over and hit the ground with a loud thud. As per protocol his motherboard tried to power-on self-test, but it was to no avail. Almost like a plea for help, his motherboard began beeping. The beeps sounded shrill and desperate but didn’t fall on any ears capable of understanding Kiibo’s last cries. 

Who knew that the destruction of a mechanical creature could be so dramatic? Byakuya carefully watched the robot as it met its fated end, beeping noises ringing into his ears, which, strangely enough, were almost akin to a human’s desperate cries of trying to latch onto life. Was this machine sentient enough to do this all on its own? Or was it just programmed that way to sound that humane? Either way, it was disturbing at the least, and a little admirable at most. It emitted a strange amount of bad vibes.

Unsure of how to deal with the mess he had accidentally created himself, Byakuya took off his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. Inhaling sharply, he gathered his thoughts again, and steered himself in a way he was used to. He shouldn’t think too much of this. This robot wasn’t human, so there was no guilt for him to feel, and this could barely be considered a loss to this world. Robots were far easier to replace or repair than humans were. Taking that into account, this situation was fixable. There was no room for panic.

Having put his glasses back on, Byakuya stood straight as he put away his megaphone hacking gun and made his way back into the hotel. His voice was steady, determined and cold, as he told the hotel staff to clean up the remains outside, and he was quick to slid them some money in exchange for the service. If he let them know that robot might have had been more sentient than it looked right now, then it might disturb them, and that wouldn’t be of benefit to anyone right now. He was better off sparing them that kind of traumatic experience. 

Byakuya let out a sigh as he watched the sheep rush to the location with the necessary tools. A weird feeling sank to the pit of his stomach, but he disregarded it in favour of his own rationality. Afterwards, he returned to his own room and returned to an activity that always calmed him down; reading.

He could only hope that this whole ordeal wouldn’t disturb his future endeavors in this city, but of course, that would just be optimistic. Byakuya always prepared himself for the worst. Any kind of backlash was sure to visit him soon.

It was only a matter of waiting.

#specialrobotboy #Kiibo 002 #thread end #rip robot boy #you were loved #far too young to go

[badkuya]

specialrobotboy ♔

Kiibo didn’t understand. If this was Shirogane then she should know all the things she was asking him. Was this punishment? It had been him who had put an end to her beloved series. 

“My purpose? What do you mean?” Kiibo asked, his voice cracking mid-sentence. “Right now I have none, but before I was supposed to be the audience’s eyes and voice, remember? Your people made me like that.” 

Remembering that was painful by itself. All that time Kiibo had thought he was helping, that he was making a difference… only to be told that whenever he had done something important it hadn’t been his decision to make.

“It’s over, Shirogane-san. You should let it go. I know you loved these fictional characters, but you too were made that way. Or maybe… maybe you weren’t. Still, it doesn’t matter. We can start over here, together.”

Nothing this robot said was making sense, which only aggravated Byakuya the longer he was forced to listen. His hand tuned his megaphone hacking gun to find a setting suited for this situation, but at some point he just seemed to be nervously switching between bullets such as Paralyze and Link instead. He clicked his tongue as he looked towards Kiibo again.

“You have been rattling all these nonsense words thus far, tell me something that can be comprehended by the human mind, will you?” He groaned as he gave up and pulled the trigger once again. This time, he had meant to shoot Link, which turned out to be–

… Break?

“…”

Ah... He supposed that solved his problem too.

#ndrv3 spoilers #kiibo 001 #specialrobotboy #whoops #specialrobotboy is deadrobotboy

[badkuya]

specialrobotboy ♔

Kiibo could never have foreseen what happened next. Shirogane’s megaphone sent out an electromagnetic wave which hit him at full force. The impact of it had him take a step back… before he started dancing a strange dance?! 

“What’s going on?!” Kiibo shouted, waving his hands in the air and shaking his hips to a tune which had started playing from his speakers. “Normally I can only do the robot!”

As if to have heard his plea for help, Kiibo’s anti-malware software popped up and informed him that it was currently trying to halt the hacker’s commands. It was a good thing his software was fighting back, but for as long as he was doing this dance he was still utterly defenseless. He had no other choice then to answer Shirogane’s question. 

“I wasn’t sent by anyone! Your people made me, but I’m acting out of my free will now. Well, not right now, but you’re to blame for that. Stop this,  Shirogane-chan. This is… really embarrassing.”

People had made him? That wasn’t a surprise to Byakuya at all. Why, was he supposed to think that Kiibo had been manufactured by another robot? While that was highly plausible and the case for monokuma, it wasn’t the norm and thus something he thought of by default. Honestly, the longer he kept up this interrogation, the more he felt like was just wasting his own time by gathering information he was already aware of. A sigh left his lips as he spoke again.

“You’re blaming me?” His voice sounded snarky and apathetic, almost offended. With his hacking gun aimed towards Kiibo, he started adjusting its settings. “The name is Byakuya Togami. What is your purpose?”

#specialrobotboy #Kiibo 001 #raising the stakes OOOO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT #I WONDER #ndrv3 spoilers

[badkuya]

qvietude ♔

There it is again – a change, a break from the pattern. While being able to take notice of that, Makoto doesn’t stop to think much about it and simply allows himself to pass through this moment; he takes it for what it is, stand-alone and singular, ignoring how uncharacteristic it might seem of Byakuya to act this way. If this is a way in which he’s proven right about him changing, then there was no point to behave weirdly about it.

Acceptance comes with ease, albeit Makoto does tense up at certain points. The hug being reciprocated is one such part, as well as when Byakuya rests a hand atop his head while resting it against his chest; it feels strange, but not in a bad way either. Suffice to say, Makoto’s cheeks were already tinted red, if not by the words that Byakuya spoke, then because of his gestures.

“I…” There was a lot to think back on, to reflect onto and little to no time for words to be processed entirely. Somehow, this felt like a timed event, in spite of the fact that it was heartfelt. There was a much deeper meaning hiding behind simple words, behind long-winded sentences; it’s no different from the initial situation and what Byakuya told Makoto, perhaps. And if there is a difference, that resides in the fact that this is akin to both an apology and reassurance being given.

“I’ve never doubted you.” A statement made to sound so simple, yet it was the furthest thing from that. “You’ve been kinda difficult to approach at first, but I didn’t let that stop me. I guess, if you want to put it like this… I thought you had your reasons for behaving that way, so I didn’t stop to think too much about it.” A pause. “Maybe that was wrong of me, being so trusting, but I’ve always known that there’s a reason behind why a person acts how they do. Cause and effect, you know?”

“I can’t know what the cause is unless I’m told, so I try not to judge people too harshly until I figure out a little bit about them.” Tears have long-since dried, and a small smile began to play on Makoto’s lips. “I was glad I got to know a bit about you to confirm my theory. At the same time, though… I owe you a lot. I look up to you too, but maybe that’s not surprising.” There’s a small laugh there and a shake of the head given. “So what I’m trying to say with all this is that I’m glad you’re part of my life again. I… want to become better and I want to grow by your side– I want us to grow together. With Kirigiri-san and the others too, if they ever come here!” Was he getting a bit too loud and excited? Perhaps, but that didn’t stop Makoto from being all into Byakuya’s face with this whole talk.

“That being said… I know. No, I– I understand and I want you here too, by my side, for better or worse. So, let’s work together just like we did before, yeah?” That hopeful look returns to Makoto’s eyes and the smile that rested on his lips widened.

A gust of wind blows by, causing Makoto to shiver. Instinctively, he draws closer to Byakuya again, but doesn’t linger close for long after he catches on to what he’s doing. Another laugh leaves his lips, this time a little awkward – he’s embarrassed and perhaps a little shy for acting that way so easily. “Well… I guess it’s getting a little late, so how about we walk back?”

How cruel Makoto could be, giving Byakuya hopes and dreams that were difficult to fulfill. If only they weren’t painfully aware that the chances of meeting the third element of their trio, Kyouko Kirigiri, were slim and possibly non-existent. Byakuya’s brow furrowed when he thought about that. He... didn’t need people. He didn’t need the company of anyone, and yet, yet somewhere in his heart he longed to be reunited with the people Makoto had mentioned ever so previously.

With a sick feeling sinking to his own gut, he let go of the brunet and moved forward. Quick to leave Starlight Garden and to pass Starlight Shrine, on his way to Hummingbird Hotel, he continued walking. Byakuya’s mind was jumbled with feelings now, stirring and making a mess, with which he wasn’t sure what to do. As if someone had turned his auto-pilot on, he took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand; which was to escort Makoto home safe and sound. There was no need to think about anything else.

His head turned towards the other party and once again, he sure hoped Makoto had followed him thus far, because Byakuya hadn’t been paying attention anymore to his own surroundings. He inhaled and then tried to speak whatever words were to make sense in this situation. “Honestly... what are you going to do without me?” Byakuya replied, although he was aware it didn’t suffice as a proper answer.

Makoto was an average commoner, which Byakuya knew how to predict perfectly fine. At least, that’s what he initially had thought before, but something about the other proved him otherwise; confirmed that his attempts had missed the mark, and something about that unpredictability had excited him. The way Makoto’s brain and way of functioning worked was awkward and uncanny, and certainly something Byakuya wasn’t used to dealing with. It was almost... scary, even, but he would never admit that. Not to himself, nor to Makoto or anyone else. With the way he felt about this, Byakuya was left to pretend that nothing about it had bothered him, like sticking a mask to his own face in order to cope and to keep working. Oh, Makoto Naegi...

You gave him feelings. You were the one who did this to him and because of that, you better see it through. You made him care about you, his friends, and many other people. That was such a grave sin, so gigantic and catastrophic, your karma might never recover. Byakuya truly believed the other had dug his own grave with this.

“Very well, I’ll help you out.” His resolution was firm and absolute. There was no delay in what Byakuya intended to do, either, because he soon reached out for Makoto’s arm and pulled him along, on the way to their destination. It didn’t take long for them to reach the hotel and Byakuya continued speaking. “We’ll investigate the mystery of this city together. Hopefully, Kirigiri will join us soon... Two heads are better than one-- not that I think your head is of too much value to this whole case. However, that’s fine, that’s why I am here.”

Byakuya took a deep breath, but once the resolve inside him solidified, he gently pushed at Makoto’s back to force him inside the hotel. While he waited for the automatic doors, which had opened earlier when they had arrived, to close again; he prepared himself to bid Makoto farewell in a way he felt suited for this situation. Like ending a lucid dream he had conjured to satisfy himself.

 “See you around, Makoto Naegi.”

And once those words left his lips, the doors dramatically closed in front of him. It was a sign for Byakuya to depart the scene and thus he did. He would think about this night again, several times, until they met again. That was the curse Makoto had invoked on him, after all.

#qvietude #Makoto 002 #is this thread end #goodbye naegi #it was nice knowing you

[badkuya]

specialrobotboy ♔

One thing Kiibo had found out quickly after arriving here was that Stella City was huge in comparison with the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. While that left him and the other citizens of the city more freedom to explore and fill their spare time however they pleased, the size of the city also came with its troubles for Kiibo. 

The thing which worried Kiibo most was what would become of him if he ran low on batteries and he wouldn’t be able to arrive home on time to recharge before hitting the zero procent battery life. If nobody bothered to charge him he could be considered in a state of eternal “sleep”. 

It had been that scary thought precisely which had made him go out and find out if perhaps he could charge up at a public charging point meant for electric cars if he ever found himself in a tricky situation. He had been having a look at the public charging point of Gâteau Château’s parking lot when out of nowhere someone demanded and explanation from him. 

“I was looking into the possibility of charging at an public charging point in times of dire need. I would rather not recharge in the streets, but it is better than the alternative.” 

Kiibo’s face recognition system ran in the background as he was explaining himself. To his surprise he found a match… One that made absolutely no sense. He was talking to a fictional character, which could only mean–

“Drop the act, Shirogane-san! I know it’s you in that cosplay!”

Nope. That was definitely not the right answer.

Without any shred of hesitation, Byakuya shot the bullet at Kiibo to force him into a robotic dance. As far as he was concerned, “Shirogane” was not a familiar name to him now. It didn’t ring a bell with him and even if it should; then he would love to hear from the mechanical creature why. His time in Stella City finally boiled down to him performing an interrogation.

“Try again.” He crossed his arms. “Who sent you?”

#Kiibo 001 #specialrobotboy #NDRV3 spoilers #rest in pieces I guess keebz is gonna die here

[badkuya]

qvietude ♔ 

There are many things that Makoto doesn’t yet know how to approach. Regardless of how open-minded he is, not everything is tangible – he doesn’t always understand the people that surround him, no matter the effort he puts in doing so. Often times, he tries to convince himself otherwise, but the truth is never far behind. It always comes right back around, surfaces and he gets one such reminder that he doesn’t have others figured out as much, or as well as he’d wish.

Byakuya Togami is one such person, one whom he’s considered to gradually come to grasp, to unravel. Yet to each layer peeled away, to each notion that began to carry some form of contour, there was more awaiting to be uncovered; he couldn’t be contained within a limited spectrum of words. Perhaps that is where Makoto has gone wrong to begin with and, maybe, he shouldn’t try to categorize people based off of finite words, not when they are infinite in characterization.

However, it seems that no matter what Makoto is inclined to think, something is bound to happen and it usually results in him questioning his own judgment. From the moment he had been reunited with Byakuya, that has happened twice already. This is beyond confusing, especially when the pattern is set once more, only to be broken again. It’s Byakuya that builds him up, only to bring Makoto right back down again. Rinse and repeat.

The space between them might be lessened, but a rift remains there. Byakuya’s words, although they now carry gentleness in them, still cause shivers to crawl down his spine. There is more for Makoto to take in as the seconds pass; words of praise, as well as remarks and reminders towards the things that he has to work on. This recurring to and from feels more damaging than constructive and yet, the moment that the words of apology leave Byakuya’s lips, Makoto freezes. His posture shifts, arms drop limp by his sides while shoulders pull back as he straightens up. Eyes are open wide as tears start to roll down his cheeks more consistently, yet words evade him.

Perhaps… No, surely Makoto has been wrong this time around too. Erroneous judgment is all that he seems to be capable of on this evening, but there’s no point to further twist a knife into an already open wound. He’s man enough to admit that he’s misjudged Byakuya’s intentions, that this wasn’t a moment where he got chewed out for the pure sake of a reminder of how different the two of them were – no, are. The other is saying sorry to him and Makoto isn’t even brave enough to face him; he feels the icy pair of blue eyes on his back. When did he become so cowardly? This was very unlike him.

His feet shuffle, hesitance marking his movement as Makoto turned around. Fingers latch themselves at the material of his coat, attempting to curl around it, to dig into it – he’s left empty-handed then, too. Silently, he regards Byakuya, hazel eyes bearing a mix of emotions; fear and confusion are the most prominent that swirl and mix together. “I’m sorry… Y-You’ve only been trying to help and–” I’ve slapped you in the face like this. Tears are blinked away and, before another apology slips past his lips, Makoto blots from the spot. Arms outstretch themselves and against his better judgment, the moment he reaches close enough to Byakuya, his arms lock the other into a tight embrace. Whether this turns out to be a mistake or not, remains to be seen; if it ends up being another bullet he has to take, then so be it.

For the time being, he relishes in the contact between them, in the warmth that their bodies give off – it’s not cold anymore, not as it used to be. “This is very little said, compared to all that you’ve told me, but…” The tip of Makoto’s nose bumps lightly against Byakuya’s clothed chest as his forehead’s brought to rest against it, “Thank you for believing in me. I know there’s a lot that I have to fix about how I look at things, I’m trying to… ground myself to reality more, be more practical. I shouldn’t have pushed any of this onto you either, it… isn’t your mess to deal with.”

His voice is quiet, slightly shaky from the previous moments. The tears have stopped, though his cheeks remain stained wet – they are drying, slowly – and his eyes are a bit red and puffy. That’s the only reason that he’s hesitant to look up, not wanting to risk making matters worse by making guilt surface. This is one thing that Makoto knows must be done, though; facing one’s fears. So he loosens his hold around Byakuya a slight and puts some distance between the two of them while tipping his head backward to look up. There’s a small smile on his lips, but it barely stands for a few seconds before his lips part, letting out a simple but secure statement.“You’ve changed.”

How come Makoto was the one apologizing now? Byakuya narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand, but his thoughts were soon interrupted when the other hugged into him. A light blush spread across Byakuya’s cheeks as he tried to think of what to do, or what to say, but nothing coherent came to mind. In the end, Byakuya wasn’t really a people person, and situations like these only helped proving that point. If only he were an emotional person.

Byakuya decided that, for once, he could make a terrible decision too. His hand shook at first, but once it gained the resolve it needed, he placed it on the back of Makoto’s neck and pulled him back in. His own chest was used as a cushion once again for the other’s face, while Byakuya inhaled and got ready to speak. Uncertain words left his lips.

“I believe in you, because I doubted you at first.” He said, not sure if this was information the other would appreciate, but for once he decided he could speak his mind, while Makoto listened to his heart. Quite literally, so. “Didn’t I tell you this before? That if you were to make it out of the Killing School Life alive, that I would be forced to acknowledge you? I did, so don’t forget something like that.”

And now he sighed, but his voice soon continued. “People always have the tendency to lie... Maybe you don’t as much, but I have been aware of your honest behaviour and am not surprised. Your honesty is rather questionable. Do you still think it’s better to die while you believe in your friends, than to live while you distrust them? Is that what hope means to you?”

He paused, again gathering the words to speak. “What I mean to say is that I have been doubtful of you in the past, but that it led to the trust I have in you now. To doubt, is to learn more about people, and to learn more about them, is to find trust. One cannot listen to a person’s heart by listening to their words alone. Question them, suspect them... take a good look. You have to dig deeper for it. Apathy is your biggest enemy.”

By now, Byakuya wrapped his arms around Makoto and hugged him in turn, just strongly enough to keep him close. His voice was soft. “In a way... I wanted you to doubt me too.” And soon picked up again in terms of volume.

"Don’t foolishly bother yourself with the things you can’t wrap your head around. After all, you’re at my side now. If it’s grounding you need, then I am here to lead the way, and I am here for you.”

He paused. Admittedly, Byakuya was a little embarrassed by his own words and his fast racing heart, but he decided to ride this one out while wearing the poker face he had developed himself.

“I want you to understand that I am in your world again. I want you to know that I intend to stay, until we can build the hope you envisioned, or until you meet your end. Do you get it now? Do you?” A brief moment of silence.

“Tell me, Naegi.” He let go again to brush a tear from the other’s eye, albeit only briefly. “Tell me you understand I want you close again.”

#qvietude #Makoto 002 #hoooooooooooooooooooooh speech

[badkuya]

qvietude ♔

When Byakuya’s hand leaves his own, Makoto’s breath catches in his throat, stopping for a moment. Fingers twitch slightly, hand lingering in place for a few moments more before it’s drawn back by his side. His gaze doesn’t avert from the other, but his expression suffers change – the hopeful look fades away, hurt slowly writing itself onto his features as color drained from him.

The warmth that blue eyes held is gone, being replaced now with the piercing, icy look that he’s grown so accustomed to seeing. They pierce right through him, much as every carefully punctuated word that leaves Byakuya’s lips does. There’s a lot to take in and even more to sit and process, but time isn’t something that he’s offered. This isn’t the first time he’s had to go through such things, considering the Killing Game that he took part in, yet that didn’t make facing the facts any easier. It’s never easy to face the reality of the matter, be it that it’s related to your own friends killing one another or being part of a world that makes no sense.

Still, the way everything is said makes Makoto question whether or not he’s been wrong in thinking that Byakuya was changing. But, was he…? No, this isn’t strictly about Byakuya, there’s more to it behind what’s being said.

Instinct is hard to fight and, right now, it tells Makoto to back off. In spite of the coat that he sports and the scarf that’s wrapped around his neck, he feels cold. Arms wrap themselves around him, hands glide up and down his clothed upper-arms to seek for warmth; but there’s nothing that comes, because there’s nothing for one to fill emptiness with.

“I g-get it…” Makoto thought he’d sound a lot more secure than this, yet the reminder that the two of them will never be on the same level sinks in again; drives a metaphorical knife into his stomach, making this already gut-wrenching experience even worse. “I know I’m not on the same level as you or Kirigiri-san. I’m not as well prepared and resourceful, but–” Teeth dig into the flesh of his bottom lip, keeping it from quivering. Was there even something he could reason with? Was there an argument to refute all that’s been said? He used to have a counter-argument for these things but now, when forced to speak for himself, he was empty-handed.

When was the last time that despair had such a tight grip around him? There have been a handful of things that he has seen, those were events that shook Makoto to the very core of his being, yet even that falls short to what he’s feeling now; he’s collapsing in on himself, spiralling downward. It’s almost ironic, for the person that’s always wishing to protect others to end up being the one needing protection; for him to be tipped off balance so easily. This is just another reminder of how harsh reality is.

“Sorry.” The apology is choked out, but it’s spoken in a hushed tone. Makoto hadn’t realized that tears welled in his eyes, not until the very first rolled down his cheek, causing him to gasp. This was pathetic of him, but maybe it’s only characteristic. Byakuya shouldn’t see him like this, nobody should, so he turns to face away.

There’s a burning desire to run away, to hide and yet, his feet are rooted into place.

He hadn’t actually expected the other to cry from his words, but he wasn’t necessarily surprised either. Makoto had always been very in touch with his emotions. The natures between the two of them showed a stark difference in a time like this; Makoto who was motivated by his emotions, compared to Byakuya who let logic lead his life. There had always been a big potential for conflict between them, but so far, usually everything died down quickly as Makoto retreated every time. He was as timid as Byakuya remembered him to be.

By now, a significant amount of damage had been dealt. Byakuya acknowledged this, but he wasn’t sure how to repair the current circumstances and how to make Makoto feel better. The brunet just had a beast of negative information and language hurled at him, and Byakuya figured he was a bit more sensitive than the average person. It had hurt him. It had genuinely upset him.

Yet Byakuya didn’t know what to say. Not because he lacked any intellect or speaking skills, but because this was a situation he wasn’t accustomed to. He wasn’t a social person and he didn’t know how to deal with others’ emotions, let alone his own. This was the exact type of thing he would never deal with and let others fix instead, but he wasn’t going to avoid it this time. 

“It’s fine if you understand.” He answered, coming closer to face the other again. “You may appear foolish, but time after time, you prove yourself to be worthy of my company. And like your name suggests, you hold a big potential for growth. You bring us closer to the truth.”

He paused, unsure if that was even remotely comforting. Things like these always proved to be difficult, simply because the two of them had always seem to be wired differently. Where Byakuya preferred the cold, objective facts; Makoto always seemed to prefer the things that were soft on the soul. He was a reliable people person, except when his eyes were closed to the truth, and Byakuya was fixing that latter thing right now.

Now, here was the big thing: a Togami usually didn’t apologize for their actions. That wasn’t simply because they lacked etiquette, but merely because they were used to moving through life with such grace and perfection, that they supposedly never did anything that warranted an apology. After all, a man was defined by their actions, and not their words. Excuses were not something he should rely on. Were he ever to rely on such a thing, then that better be for a much bigger goal in mind. Something that completely justified lowering his strong reputation ever so slightly.

“I...” Hesitance filled the gap. “I apologize. I was too frank with you. My flawed judgment led to this emotional disturbance I brought upon you.”

Byakuya grew quiet, and a little pained. He rarely gave a serious apology, nor did he like admitting his own bad decisions. “I brought you the despair which we always despised.” This made him no better than Junko Enoshima, and he didn’t want to be like her. Not when he had already faced the suffering she unleashed on them all, not when she was also the root of Makoto’s pain as well. “There’s no pride in crushing hope without giving it a chance to grow back stronger. So you can’t let this defeat you.”

“Naegi, the hope that sleeps within you... is fearsome because it is the real thing. I won’t allow you to let go of that.”

#qvietude #Makoto 002 #is this supposed to sound motivational

[badkuya]

humanitysbeauty ♔ 

✝ : well, his point was made, now he’ll do what he gets paid to do. which was scan each book, marking down on a small card inside of each one the return date. as he worked, he did his best to ignore the other, but something stood out there. it made him stop for a moment. and another. before he brought his head up and looked at the boy. 

“the library is free though.” 

what a complete Asshat. people like that die miserable, don’t they? korekiyo sure hoped so. continue his ministrations with diligent fingers, he’d let out a sigh as he just kept talking. 

“i do not have the time either. nor do i care enough about you or fighting you to bother.” 

This guy... He was a complete plebeian.

Deciding that Korekiyo was absolutely not worth his own time, Byakuya scoffed once the other had finished his tasks. There was no use in fighting over this or for them to continue their argument. Byakuya had better things to do. He took his books from the counter and made his way to the exit.

“Then it’s settled. Goodbye.”

#humanitysbeauty #Korekiyo 001 #rest in pieces no leg off #maybe next time after you get out of jail