#new color | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

leaderoffestivals · 6 months

Text

Poltergeist Chapter 7

Madara: Are those kids, like, SCPs or somethiiing?

Scenario Writer: Akira Season: Winter Characters: Mikejima Madara, Sakasaki Natsume, Aoba Tsumugi, Narukami Arashi

Tsumugi: First off, after discussing with the on-site staff, it's been decided that we'll start by helping out with simple tasks around the place, such as tidying the rooms and washing the dishes.

Uh, by the way, it seems a little late to bring this up now, but it looks like the position of leader has fallen naturally to me due to my past experience in this line of work. Is everyone okay with that?

This project was originally designed with you in mind, Mikejima-kun, so if you'd like to take on the leader's role, I can step aside and let you have it.

Madara: Nope, it’s fine. I believe in letting those best suited for the job take the lead. Quite frankly, if I were in charge, I wouldn't have the slightest clue about what to do here!

Arashi: I agree. I can only imagine how that would be like pouring gasoline over the raging fires of an already chaotic situation.

Madara: Ohhh, what's this? Aren't you supposed to be halfway home by now, Arashi-san?

Arashi: Seriously? What kind of Onee-chan would I be if I abandoned Anzu-chan here and escaped by myself?

There's no way I could leave Anzu-chan behind in this dangerous nest of demons, especially not when all the men here don't seem like they'll be of any use at all!

Natsume: AhahA. Your opinion of us is truly scraping rock-bottOM, isn't iT?

Tsumugi: Well, NEWDI has always been completely dependent on Knights for its survival up till now~, so it probably can't be helped if we're seen as somewhat unreliable.

Anyway, let's get back to the topic at hand. There are five of us from ES and thirty children here. How about dividing them up into five groups, with each of us taking charge of one?

It would be a lot more manageable than dealing with all of them at once.

In addition, by focusing on smaller groups, we're more likely able to nurture a closer relationship with the children—

—which would make it easier for us to capture the heartwarming moments needed for the show.

Madara: Indeed. The window available for us to get the footage for the show is reeeally small. The best strategy for us would be to focus on building connections with smaller groups of children in that limited time frame since—

—any plan to win over everyone at once would probably take wayyy more time than we have.

Natsume: That's a strategy one might use in a dating sim or a gal gaME (1), wouldn't you sAY?

Tsumugi: Yes, it is~. By the way, I casually asked the staff here for a summary of the children's profiles, and based on that information, grouped those who seem likely to present lower risks together.

In the worst case scenario, we would be able to use the footage from the cameras following those groups of children for the show, right? What do all of you think?

Madara: I agree. The footage from the auditorium incident earlier definitely can't be used for the programme.

It's only because the kids are, well, children, that the incident could be handwaved as a childish prank, but if they had been adults like us, it would've been considered a malicious act.

Natsume: We would have had a major on-set incident on our haNDS.

Back to the topIC; could you give specifics on how the groups are actually dividED?

Tsumugi: To start, I made a rough first cut by gender.

Some of the children are of an age where they can't go to the bathroom alone, and that could become problematic if they got paired with someone of the opposite gender, despite the fact that all of them are children.

For the girls, I've designated the group which poses the higher risk of danger as the 'Rafflesia (2) Group', while the relatively safer group is called the 'Sunflower Group'.

Madara: Ahaha. It’s almost like you're classing dangerous creatures according to the level of threat they pose!

Tsumugi: Fufu. I'm thinking of assigning Narukami-kun and Anzu-chan to be in charge of these two groups. However…, who will be the one to take up the more dangerous group, though?

Arashi: … … I don't want to do it, but I'll be the one to take charge of the riskier group.

Natsume: HeH~. As one would expect of a gallant Knight; you have to protect a lady from danger at all coSTS, don't yOU?

Arashi: That’s part of the reason, of course, but when you come down to it, Anzu-chan isn't an idol.

We can't let the Producer-san, who's helping us out of goodwill, do anything dangerous that could result in an injury, right?

We, as idols, signed a contract that included a hazardous duty clause, and we were briefed on the risks involved when we agreed to take on this job. However, that's not the case for Anzu-chan.

Tsumugi: Yes. That is indeed where we differ, in this matter.

Arashi: Also, although the 'Rafflesia group' might play vicious pranks which might result in totally unusable footage—

According to the staff working here, the girls are generally much more docile than the boys.

Tsumugi: Yes. And for the boys, who aren't docile at all, I've also grouped them according to the level of danger they pose. From the lowest to the highest risk, we have the 'Rabbit group', the 'Lion group', and the 'Kaijuu (3) group'

Madara: Oh myyy? You've actually resorted to naming some of them after fictional monsters now. Are those kids reeeally so terrible that real-life animals aren't adequate to describe the level of risk they pose?

Tsumugi: That's right. The kids in this 'Kaijuu group' are truly challenging, it seems.

They appear to be problem children in every sense of the word, and the staff have been repeatedly emphasising the numerous precautions one must take when dealing with them.

Madara: Are those kids, like, SCPs (4) or somethiiing?

Tsumugi: I couldn't say… My sensing of the situation is that the staff here are exceptionally apprehensive of the children, which bothers me a little—

Or—rather than saying the staff are fearful of the children, it feels like they're actually treating these difficult children with the utmost caution.

Natsume: WeLL, they’re dealing with childREN, after aLL. In today's world, where any form of corporal punishment can lead to immediate dismissal from one's jOB, I guess they're strictly following the policy of "not inviting trouble if one wishes to avoid iT".

Tsumugi: I guess that must be the case… … Now then, let's decide on the assignation of the boys' groups, shall we?

I can endure any situation as long as it doesn't kill me, so I'll be in charge of the riskiest Kaijuu group, alright?

Madara: Hmmm~… … No, I think you should leave that group to me.

Natsume: OhH? What's with the sudden change of heART? Why are you so motivated all of a suddEN?

Madara: It's not that I'm becoming motivated or anything, but I've been travelling all over the world while letting my idol career slide, and gaining aaall sorts of experiences in the meantime.

As things stand, I'm in great physical shape, and I'm tough too. That's why, when you consider the fact that the kids here hate adults to the point of attacking them, then—

Tsumugi: —You'd probably be a better choice to deal with those dangerous children than I would, right, Mikejima-kun?

Madara: Yep! Even if they were to physically attack me, I should be able to subdue them without causing them harm—

And if they were to set a trap that would kill Tsumugi-san instantly, I believe I should be able to spot it in advance and stay clear of it.

Natsume: Good griEF. Why does this conversation sound like it should be from a party of adventurers planning to tackle a dungeon full of dangerous monstERS, rather than a conversation among nursery school teachERS?

—————-To be continued——————-

Chapter 6 / Chapter 8

Translator’s Notes:

Dating sims are otome games (乙女ゲーム) where there's one female protagonist and multiple male love interests. Gal games (ギャルゲー) are the opposite, where there's one male protagonist and multiple female love interests.

Rafflesia is the world's largest flower, spanning up to 120cm wide. It is a parasitic plant and gives off a smell like rotting flesh. Pretty much a monster flower.

Kaijuu (怪獣) is a Japanese term, referring to giant monsters or creatures, e.g. Godzilla and Mothra which are commonly featured in science fiction and monster movies.

SCP, or Secure, Contain, Protect, is a collaborative creative writing community (Akira is part of it, having written a novel for the fandom.) Subjects of the stories mostly focuses on bizarre humans, monsters, diseases, phenomenon, or artifacts. The SCP Foundation, a fictional organization, detains and researches these entities, assigning them unique case-numbers (which have reached over 7000.)

#ensemble stars #enstars tl #mikejima madara #sakasaki natsume #narukami arashi #aoba tsumugi #mam #new color #poltergeist #Pop culture reference #SCP #SCP fandom #Kaijuus

27 notes · View notes