randori | 7/16: Souji

[ Look, it's taking everything he has to not just princess carry Souji everywhere, he just wants to help

But he'll hold out for staircase two, bounding up ahead of Souji- two steps at a time- and waiting for him at the top of each landing, eyes upward all the time. ]

Hey, Souji, have you written letters to the other side?

[Souji is easy to princess carry at least!! He weighs like 110 pounds, good work Souji.]

I have. Yasusada-kun wrote to me first, though.

[His sword... is very dedicated...

Also, once they get like halfway up the third staircase, Souji will wordlessly hold a hand out. TWO STAIRCASES AND HE'S KINDA WINDED, tragic.]

[ Yams is the best sword.

The thought puts a smile on Natsuo's face, but it's a complicated one— he's happy to hear it, given that there's contact at all, but there's also sadness, obvious given the circumstances it has to be in. He takes Souji's hand and gives it a squeeze, holding on tight the rest of the way. ]

The only one who wrote to me was Saldalphon. I never really got to talk to him before... all of that... but he had all these encouraging words to say to me. "Do my best," and all of that.

[Souji would also agree with that, tied only with his other sword.]

Are you glad that he wrote to you at all? What do you think about what he had to say?

[Soft, but curious. He'll also have to take a little rest once they get up to the tower, but he doesn't seem in any worse a mood for the journey.]

I'm glad he wrote. [ He genuinely is, a warm glow in his chest that brings a faint smile to his lips, although that's coupled with the twisting of his guts because, again, circumstances. ]

He said to not give up, and to believe in Ion, in everybody that I've gotten to be friends with... It's the same thing people have been telling me, and I never know what to try harder at, but after this morning, it's the objectives, right? That's where I can matter: I'll do my objectives, so my group doesn't have to.

[Well, at least it's a letter that made Natsuo happy, even with the bitterness of the circumstances weighing those happy things down.

He sure is doing his best even now, though. Souji smiles, clears his throat so he can speak more crisply.]

That's what we've been told, yes. Seven for each... But take care while you work. As I'm sure you're aware of by now, some of the objectives can be very unkind.

Yeah, I've heard some really bad ones.

[ Which he should have known about once Sharpay's objective became clear, but he'd clung onto hope anyways. At least he'd learned not to press people when they refused to tell him what they're required to do, likely to spare him the worry. ]

I'll be careful. All of mine have been good, though. I think the most dangerous was cooking for people, if I accidentally give them a stomach ache?

[Being among one of the people who used to have a really bad one, HE SURE GETS IT...

Though at the mention of Natsuo's dangerous cooking extravaganza, Souji laughs just a little. Then, curiously:]

Did you manage to cook for all seven of the people you had to cook for?

I did! [ He looks super super proud of it too, because he got to learn all sorts of things about people, and also about himself (aka he sucks at "freestyle" cooking and should stick to recipes, for everybody's sakes) ]

Dazai said his favorite was miso soup, so I tried hard to learn how to make that. That's what I made for us today. I hope... maybe that letter is real, and we can see each other again, and share a meal with everybody again.

[WHAT A SHOCKER... THAT SOUJI DEFINITELY DIDN'T SEE COMING...]

Ah, is it? [Give him a second as he carefully unscrews his thermos lid, just the faintest tremor to his hands. Miso soup is always welcome, even if he hasn't felt hungry in quite some time.

As for the letters:]

Mm, I'd like to believe that it is. [Otherwise he'll fckin crumble.] So we'll have to work hard to keep our faction numbers even and complete our objectives, right?

[ It is! And it should be good, or as good as packaged just-add-water miso soup can be. ]

That's right. Keeping our numbers even... I don't even know where to start with that one. [ Killing people? Killing specific people?? He's going to step away from that part of the requirements. There shouldn't be a rush for that, considering how much time the other part might require. ]

But objectives are something we can do. I'd like to do as many as I can, if they're easy things like cooking, so I was wondering if you can help me with another of mine?

[Considering his last memory of Natsuo's cooking was cement soup, this is perfect.]

That one will be the more difficult of the two, certainly.

[The Blotters had better be careful from here on out, as far as he's concerned... And people better not get too trigger-happy?? Another Big Fear, but it's not like he can do much about it.

As far as objectives go, though, he'll nod without much pause.]

Of course. What is it?

[ It was well intentioned cement soup! It was potato something.

Hopefully after the Mess that he and Yams pulled during the one trial, everybody will think twice about just gunning down everybody all at once save for three of each group. The problem is knowing who belongs in each group, and it's because of this that Natsuo hesitates. ]

...I need to learn five people's titles. It's really scary to say what you are 'cause of the groups, but I thought I'd go to my friends first and ask. I won't share it, and I definitely don't want people to hurt my friends, so that's...

[ mm. that's hard. his nerve is breaking. ]

I guess it's a lot to ask anyways? But if I can find more Villains, I want to tell them it's okay if their tasks are too hard, 'cause I've been doing a lot so they don't have to worry.

["Potato something" is right...

In any case, literally every tiny piece of self-preservation he has is telling him this is a BAD IDEA. He loves Natsuo dearly but he's not exactly the stealthiest...

...But the Villains are going to need all the help they can get, at this rate, in terms of numbers and of objective completion. And he'd rather trust people than not - especially the ones he's fond of. So after a brief, considering pause:]

I wish that I could help you find more Villains, but I only know of one, and that's not mine to share. I can pass your message along, though. [As for himself:] I'm a Hero - the Goose Girl.

[ He knows how hard it is, so it's a lot of appreciation he has for Souji, that he trusts Natsuo as much as he does, even after almost eating cement soup. ]

That'd be a great help if you could! Really, really, thank you for telling me. The Goose Girl, though... I don't think I've ever heard of that story.

[ picture: me, Googling Goose Girl, and of course it's horrifying ]

[He is a very trusting soul by nature... somehow, despite being a historically famous murderer. It's fine.]

Mm, it's the least I can do. I'll be sure to let them know. [As for the story... HM. Yeah, that was his actual reaction too since he knew nothing of like any fairy tale upon arrival and his own was one of the first he'd read up on. Thanks, he hates it!!]

Ah, well... It ends happily for the princess, but someone else gets dragged naked through town inside a barrel full of spikes until they die.

[Bad.]

[ Um. Yeah, he doesn't like this. Goldilocks causes wanton destruction, gets a meal and takes a nap and then escapes at the end of most stories, and then there's... Goose Girl... ]

I'm kinda afraid to ask what they did to deserve that.

Well... She lied about not being a maid and stole away the prince, forcing the true princess to work as a farmhand taking care of geese. Ah - and she decapitated the princess' favorite horse and mounted its head on a wall.

[Fairy tales are a wild time, is what he's learned here.]

[ Fairy tales need to Stop. ]

That's... uh. [ hm ] Aren't fairy tales supposed to be for kids anyways? To teach them lessons and stuff, not give them nightmares!

[ Moral of the story: don't touch people's horses. ]

I heard someone say that once but I didn't really understand, since most of the fairy tales I've read here have been like that...

[So many gruesome things happen?! People cutting off pieces of their own feet or dancing to death in red hot shoes or having their eyes pecked out by vengeful birds... It's a lot. He's tired and he's never touching anyone's horse again.]

No more reading fairy tales! From now on, the only thing we read are cook books! Happy thoughts only!!

[ Fairy tales are now perma-banned; instead of the owlery, he should've suggested they go to the library so he can torch half the books in there. ]

[Excuse him as he cough-laughs into his thermos.]

--There are plenty of other books there outside of fairy tales and cook books, you know. Palmistry, astrology, history...

[ Natsuo would slap him on the back, but he would probably break Souji's spine ]

There are books about people's hands? That sounds kinda boring too, unless it's like what Eichi does with fingernails.

[Honestly that is Likely, thanks for not snapping his flimsy body in two.]

It's not quite like that. [Fortunately he knows exactly what Natsuo is talking about, since that's how Eichi caught his ass out on his tuberculosis, GOD.] But you can read the lines on someone's palm to look into their future. Things like whether or not they'll have a successful marriage or if they'll come into money soon.

[ Who needs doctors anymore when Eichi can diagnose everything based on fingernails? Natsuo was really impressed when he first learned of that skill, but looking at people's palms and seeing their financial future and love lives is more in the realm of magic than reasonable guesses based off how many hangnails a person has.

He's always distrusted magic, but in times like these, he's a little more willing to give it a try. ]

I want to try it! Let's try it! I can go and get the books and we can read them here!

[ if he can find them ]

[SO EAGER TO LEARN THE WAYS OF THE PALM. Souji looks pretty amused by the fact that he's so gung-ho and just nods a little.]

I also remember a bit from when I read them earlier. [Back when he was dying of a cold and tb at the same time.] I could see if I can read yours, if you'd like?

[ He sits his ass down again right away, holding both hands out, face up and side by side so that they're an open, upside down book for Souji to try to read. ]

I want to know! Read mine!

[ Soft girly hands... although his knuckles are rough and some of them scabbed over. ]

[SOFT GIRLY HANDS... HM.

Souji will take them gently into his own though, after setting his thermos off to the side. His hands are pretty cold and kind of bony, but it's fine, he's fine.]

Alright, let's see... What do you want me to look at first? Love life? Career?

[ hm ]

Nah, I don't care about that sorta stuff! Look for happiness! If I'll have lots of friends! When I'll be able to see them all again, stuff like that!

[ He can count the number of friends he has back home on one hand, but surely there's more in his future!! assuming there's a future and he isn't stuck in castle hell forever. ]

[HE'S GONNA BE STUCK IN CASTLE HELL FOREVER.

There's also no good way of saying "there aren't friendship and happiness lines you fool", so he'll just. Wing things. Make his own interpretations. It's fine!! That's what interpretation is about, right??]

Alright then, let's see your right hand first... [He'll just use the love line. Love and friendship are basically the same thing, right?? Anyway, tracing over the front part of the line first.] It starts off a little weak, and there are a few breaks here... Some fights, maybe? A change in relationship?

[ Natsuo stares at his hand as Souji runs a finger over the lines, trying hard not to pull away when it tickles. Cold hands, Souji.

Fights and changing relationships aren't promising things, but Natsuo's face lights up anyways. ]

Awesome! That's the easiest way to make friends- fight someone and when you win, you become comrades!

[ beat 'em up and force people into friendship, that's the way of the world ]

[He's got the cold hands of a dying man WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM HIM NATSUO!!]

Is that how you make friends?

[It explains a lot, honestly. ANYWAY, he'll continue tracing a path over the line--]

This part here makes it seem like you're going to have a close circle of friends at some point. Ah, and there aren't so many breaks later on, so maybe that's a sign that your friendships will get stronger?

That's how you make friends! [ A general 'you,' not limited to just his own experiences.

But he settles down to listen as the explanation continues, mind going to his friends back home before they do his friends here. Both of them... were really rocky friendships, rife with arguments and betrayal, but they all got closer to each other in the end— it's more probably that it's the strongest ones that win out, and that's how a close circle comes to be. ]

Heh... It sounds like a "past" line more than a "future" one. I hope I can make more friends like that- ones that'll stick with me no matter what, that'll trust me no matter what.

[Meanwhile Souji just assumes it only applies to Natsuo because let's be real, it only applies to Natsuo.]

Ah, maybe I read the line backwards, then? Or maybe that really is what's in store for you.

[Even if palmistry is just hocus pocus, he does hope for only the best concerning Natsuo and whatever waits for him.]

[ haha I wonder what awaits Natsuo ]

Hehe~ Maybe it's front and back! Can you read your own palm? I want to know about all your friends too! I only got to talk to Yasusada a little bit, after all.

[ Good news is that they'll have time for it later, now ]

[EXTREMELY DEEP FROWN!!!!!!!]

I could just tell you about my friends if you wanted to know about them, you know?

[No magic palmistry involved.]

Yeah! Tell me about all your best friends!

[ It'll be more reliable than palmistry, too, hearing it in Souji's own words who he likes, what he likes about them, some of Natsuo's favorite things to hear about. ]

[Natsuo is too CUTE and Souji is definitely more than happy to talk about his friends...]

Let's see... From my home, there's Tetsu-kun! I think you'd get along with him very well. He's stands up to about here on me- [Gesturing to somewhere near his shoulders.] -but when I first met him, he was so small and cute! He's still cute, actually - and incredibly determined. If there's anyone who can figure out how to get things done through willpower alone, it would be him.

[He's like an angrier, even louder Natsuo...]

Harada-san, Nagakura-san and Toudou-kun are people you would probably get along with well, too. They're all so loud and full of energy that they can bring a whole building to life just by being there. Whenever they're all away on missions together, everything is far too quiet. Saitou-san is serious, but he's the type to make jokes with a straight face, you know? Once you understand that, his company is very enjoyable. And Hijikata-san... [...] Well, I've already talked about him so much that I'm sure he's getting goosebumps in on the Other Side.

[ He's glad that Souji surrounds himself by so many wonderful people— loud, energetic, full of life, those are Natsuo's favorite sorts of people too, the kind that make life exciting and worth living. ]

They all sound like a lot of fun... You guys are all a team, right? Did you all live together? Did you have a secret clubhouse? Saizo lived with you guys too?

[An entire building full of loud, energetic people... Natsuo would truly fit right in.]

We are, yes. We belong to the Shinsengumi and we're currently staying at Nishihonganji. [So like a big ol' temple and not a secret clubhouse but CLOSE ENOUGH. Anyway, more importantly:] Saizo does stay with us! He runs around outside a lot, but he spends plenty of time in my room, too.

7/16: Souji

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