we can burn brighter; shine bright; carry me home tonight;

[miseris_socios]

Characters: Ken and everyone.
Setting: A few different floors around the tower.
Format: Either works.
Summary: Ken's taking care of a few of his normal, self-imposed 'chores'/daily tasks. That doesn't mean he's going to go undisturbed during them, though!
Warnings: Possible language because Strega, otherwise nothing.


[Floor 1]

[While it isn't something he thinks he's best at, Ken is decent at cooking. Someone might catch him in the morning making eggs, or in the evenings making stew, sometimes throwing in some meat that he's managed to catch on the forest level. ... It's almost always a bit burnt due to killing it with electrical attacks, but it's edible at least.]



[Floor 3]

[Even though he doesn't have to read anything serious, Ken can often be found in the late mornings and early afternoons in the library, reading. Sometimes it's fiction - usually fantastical with a minimum of science involved - but more and more often he can be seen with a paper and pencil and a large and very confusing-looking book. It's less the sort of book that an eleven year old should be reading and more of a book that you squash bugs with if they're giant and huge.]

[Upon further inspection, the book can be revealed as a law book, though if the contents are to be read without Ken snapping the book away the person in question will have to either be very sneaky or approach the book on the frequent occasion that Ken gets up to find a dictionary again. He really should just keep it with him.]



[Floor 30]

[Ken can be found on this floor, too. Yes, the monsters on the level are dangerous, but Ken makes frequent retreats to the stairs. He's not dumb enough to get caught in a giant rush of monsters again hopefully, but he's not taking it easy, either. Sometimes he needs to sit down and rest for a few minutes before trying again, and this is probably a good chance to try to talk to him.]

Comments

Re: Floor 30

[miseris_socios]

Huh?

[He turns, and one of the Miniblins catches him in the back. He turns again and blasts it with a Ziodyne before running for the stairs.]

What is it?

[He's only vaguely familiar with Ryoji, having seen him a little on the network, but that was a long time ago. He knows he's from his world, at least.]

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji winces, trying to reach out and put a hand on Ken's shoulder to steady him, but he stops himself. He doesn't want Ken to get hurt any more, if there's any chance touch will do that... and well, the way Ken's acting toward him is a sign that either he doesn't know him or he really doesn't want to talk to him.]

Ken-kun, do you remember me? Ryoji Mochizuki, one of Minato-kun's friends...

[He could say more but...]

[miseris_socios]

No you're not. Not my Minato, at least.

[He would have known if he'd seen someone like him around.]

We're from different worlds, probably.

[He's gotten used to this - it doesn't matter, anyway.]

[notsogrimreaper]

I'm... not Minato's friend?

[Ryoji doesn't even want to think about a world where Minato doesn't like him... though he supposes he deserves it.]

Is 'your' Minato the one here? Because I think he knows me.

[miseris_socios]

... No. I haven't seen mine for a long time.

[Though not for lack of looking...]

[notsogrimreaper]

O-Oh... I'm really sorry, Ken-kun.

[miseris_socios]

I want him back, but... we can survive without him. It'll be hard, but at least we don't have to steal food or kill people for money here.

[Not that they let him come along on the latter, but still.]

[notsogrimreaper]

... S-Steal? Kill?

[Only now is Ryoji starting to realize how very different this Ken is from the one in his world.]

[miseris_socios]

... Right, you're from a world where that's different. I'm in Strega.

[notsogrimreaper]

[Well, um. Ryoji wasn't expecting that. At all.]

You're with the bad guys?

[miseris_socios]

[... Yeah okay have a spear leveled at you.]

We're not the bad guys. If anything it's you guys who don't even stop to think about why other people are doing what they do. We're just trying to survive and you're taking away the only time of the day where we can actually do stuff that lets us survive. You think we want to live the way we do?

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji takes a step back, already realizing his mistake.]

I-I'm sorry... I didn't really mean it like that. I just want you all to be safe, without having to do that.

I know things can't change that easily... but...

[miseris_socios]

[He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. It's just a particular sticking point with him.]

But what? The others are too sick in a lot of ways to get work. No one will take me seriously because I'm young. There's nothing we can really do - at least not until I get older.

[And by then it might be too late to get them help...]

[notsogrimreaper]

You may think it's impossible, but... my Minato and his friends managed to stop me, even though I was fated to continue on. There's a chance for you all to live a better life, I know it.

[miseris_socios]

I know there is - but people have to stop pretending that they always know best first.

[It's that kind of thinking that led SEES to oppose them - and a lot of what the Kirijo group did in the first place.]

[notsogrimreaper]

You're right... we don't always know. We like to pretend we do. It's just our way of helping.

[miseris_socios]

Now if only other people could realize that too.

[notsogrimreaper]

Maybe someday they will. We just need to hope, I guess.

[miseris_socios]

[Hope alone won't convince someone, though. He knows it. He twirls his spear in his hands, a little awkward in this situation now.]

[notsogrimreaper]

[Yeah, um, this is... awkward. Ryoji doesn't really want to abandon his friend though, even if it's not the one he knows.]

Do you want any help with the monsters? Minato-kun said it's good to have someone watching your back...

[miseris_socios]

... Can you even fight?

[He's not trying to be mean, it's just dangerous for people who can't to hang around here.]

[notsogrimreaper]

I can, actually. Or my other form can.

[Ryoji smiles a bit, embarrassed. He doesn't expect people to see him as someone dangerous, considering how he looked right now.]

[miseris_socios]

... Just don't die, it'll be kind of inconvenient.

[And with that, he stands, heading back into the fray. He summons Dike again to fry the closest enemy.]

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji nods, transforming into Thanatos and hurrying after him, plunging his sword into a monster's chest.]

[miseris_socios]

Eh?!

[Ken whips his head around, suddenly confused at Thanatos appearing. Minato's not nearby, so...]

You... what? But that's Minato's...

[One of them, at least. A Neoshadow jumps on him, trying to claw through his back, and Ken turns his spear around and whacks it, trying to get it off.]