[ sure there was a room dedicated to all sorts of video games but sometimes ken enjoys more quiet hobbies and moments to himself. which is to say, here is ken folding some paper cranes (or trying to) in the middle of the day.
and it goes pretty as planned except, well, have a ""flashback"" of a very questionable part in ken's life. ( feel free to watch as much or as little! ) ]
[ zenitsu is also here to fold paper cranes. unfortunately, he's been thwarted every time.
caught by surprise again, the memory he experiences is a combination of creepy, awkward, and empowering. minako is super cute! with that thought in mind, zenitsu cranes his neck to shoot ken a look that's equal parts scandalized and impressed. ]
[ this whole memory sharing business is getting easier but the reactions of the other people around him... ken doesn't know what to make of it, especially when zenitsu replies to him in a way he wasn't expecting him to. if he was expecting anything. ]
[ guts! lots of it! isn't ken only eleven years old? that confidence was unreal. he even bantered with an older guy! (can anyone call that bantering?) ]
[ zenitsu never address what he meant by guts but... he seems like a weird kid, but banter is a way to describe the way that they were interacting. banter is definitely a word. ]
Oh... [ a pause as he fiddles with an edge of the folded paper. ] She was my senpai.
[ after all that in the memory, why's he being so shy now? kids these days. ]
That tower was seriously creepy! Why would she go to a place like that?
[ considering that she was the one who chose to go in, he can't yell at ken for letting a girl wander into danger. besides, ken's a kid himself! how could they argue like that in such a creepy place, even if it was about a girl? zenitsu saw weapons, all right? ]
Oh, that was the Tartarus. [ how...do...explain. ] Um, this gets complicated but basically it's a tower full of monsters that we needed to get to the top of in order to save the world.
[ hopefully zenitsu will not think that is the craziest thing that he has ever heard and even if he does then. you know what? that's very fair of him because it is...not the most easily understood thing that someone should just accept. ]
[ he says it with such a straight face and so easily, at that. zenitsu's heard a lot of wild stories and read about them on the placards, though. what's another? ]
I don't get it . . . But I do know that you kept her safe! That's good. You have to go back and keep protecting her. So you'd better not die here, got that?
[ it doesn't matter how well they know or don't know each other. ken is simply too young for the brutal goings-on of this place (and those of a tower, for that matter). what's more, a cute girl is going to be sad if he perishes here. ]
does. does ken tell him? ken is…going to tell him. mainly that’s part of the coping process, isn’t it? making peace with how someone is no longer with you? so, after a moment’s pause he’ll speak up softly. ]
She’s dead.
[ he’ll give zenitsu a moment to digest that before he continues. ]
But, yeah, I’m not going to die here. She gave up her life to make sure that everyone from my world had a chance of life. [ a beat. ] You better not die either—I’m sure there’s someone waiting for you at home, too. We're all going to have to work hard so that everyone gets to go home.
that's suddenly very sobering. zenitsu's expression goes slack as he tries to piece together a proper response to the grim reveal. in the end, he manages a thoroughly unimpressive yet solemn . . . ]
Yeah.
[ even though it can’t be everyone. so many of them have died already. he exhales, drawing out the breath. ]
I don't wanna die . . . Let’s do what we can, all right? If it’s with you, I wouldn’t mind investigating during trial again.
[ it's okay. ken is patient while zenitsu tries to find a way to respond and he's fine when it's just a single "yeah". sometimes that's all you know what to say!! still he'll ]
I don't think many of us want to die. I know I wouldn't want to. [ unless the people who do but even then... ] But, I'd investigate with you again, too. You were helpful and it's always good to have another set of eyes.
[ hello zenitsu, hopefully you're awake now so that ken can stop being weird and sitting by the bird cage in silence because that's exactly what he's doing. he'll still have ayabe's guitar case with him...he'll drop that off once he gets back to the room, which will be later but—digressing.
oh though, he does have an origami of a small dog in his hands? actually probably a few origami things around him (star, flower, fish)....he brought paper with him to occupy his time for zenitsu to get those good zzz's in. ]
[ it's the most peaceful sleep he's had in a long while. even then, it's a touch fitful, particularly toward the end as he's rousing. a low, rumbling sound reverberates in his throat, only to die out when his eyes snap open. ]
[ that's just sad.... but when he comes to, he'll be greeted by ken smiling at him. he sure has had plenty of time to think about what all went down, that's for sure so he's not here to rattle his cage.
also...waking up in the cage in the first place. ]
[ his memories are slow to return, but he isn't surprised to find himself here. this is the way it should be. what imbues him with wonder is ken's presence. ]
[ the secret is that ken is always low-key furious depending on the subject matter. that aside, ken is not surprised by zenitsu's reaction since. well. ken isn't great with these things. ]
[ yea.....but also batman. still, he's not brushing off how zenitsu isn't wrong about how he did kill someone important to him (screams about being friends in trial and suddenly dies. nice.) or about putting him in danger. ]
I think it's clear by now that it wasn't really you. [ he'll gently slip the origami dog through the bars. ] The house turned you into a monster and made you do those things.
[ unless zenitsu starts telling him otherwise and if so, this narrative is gonna quickly change. ]
You should apologize to Ayabe and Isaac when they come back. [ ken could accept the apology but it's definitely better fitting if the people who have died hear it. ] You know, since we're not going to let this house win. This means that you won't be dying either.
[ he raises an arm and wipes his face on his sleeve. he will, but that doesn't mean ken is undeserving of those same words. it's the people who've been left behind, who are left to hurt. ]
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wk 3; tuesday!
enjoys more quiet hobbies and moments to himself. which is to say, here is ken folding some paper cranes (or trying to) in the middle of the day.
and it goes pretty as planned except, well, have a ""flashback"" of a very questionable part in ken's life. ( feel free to watch as much or as little! ) ]
This again?
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caught by surprise again, the memory he experiences is a combination of creepy, awkward, and empowering. minako is super cute! with that thought in mind, zenitsu cranes his neck to shoot ken a look that's equal parts scandalized and impressed. ]
Hey, you. You sure have guts, you know that?
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[ this whole memory sharing business is getting easier but the reactions of the other people around him... ken doesn't know what to make of it, especially when zenitsu replies to him in a way he wasn't expecting him to. if he was expecting anything. ]
Guts?
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Who was that cute girl, huh?
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Oh... [ a pause as he fiddles with an edge of the folded paper. ] She was my senpai.
[ don't be dodgy about it ken!! ]
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That tower was seriously creepy! Why would she go to a place like that?
[ considering that she was the one who chose to go in, he can't yell at ken for letting a girl wander into danger. besides, ken's a kid himself! how could they argue like that in such a creepy place, even if it was about a girl? zenitsu saw weapons, all right? ]
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Oh, that was the Tartarus. [ how...do...explain. ] Um, this gets complicated but basically it's a tower full of monsters that we needed to get to the top of in order to save the world.
[ hopefully zenitsu will not think that is the craziest thing that he has ever heard and even if he does then. you know what? that's very fair of him because it is...not the most easily understood thing that someone should just accept. ]
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[ he says it with such a straight face and so easily, at that. zenitsu's heard a lot of wild stories and read about them on the placards, though. what's another? ]
I don't get it . . . But I do know that you kept her safe! That's good. You have to go back and keep protecting her. So you'd better not die here, got that?
[ it doesn't matter how well they know or don't know each other. ken is simply too young for the brutal goings-on of this place (and those of a tower, for that matter). what's more, a cute girl is going to be sad if he perishes here. ]
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does. does ken tell him? ken is…going to tell him. mainly that’s part of the coping process, isn’t it? making peace with how someone is no longer with you? so, after a moment’s pause he’ll speak up softly. ]
She’s dead.
[ he’ll give zenitsu a moment to digest that before he continues. ]
But, yeah, I’m not going to die here. She gave up her life to make sure that everyone from my world had a chance of life. [ a beat. ] You better not die either—I’m sure there’s someone waiting for you at home, too. We're all going to have to work hard so that everyone gets to go home.
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that's suddenly very sobering. zenitsu's expression goes slack as he tries to piece together a proper response to the grim reveal. in the end, he manages a thoroughly unimpressive yet solemn . . . ]
Yeah.
[ even though it can’t be everyone. so many of them have died already. he exhales, drawing out the breath. ]
I don't wanna die . . . Let’s do what we can, all right? If it’s with you, I wouldn’t mind investigating during trial again.
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I don't think many of us want to die. I know I wouldn't want to. [ unless the people who do but even then... ] But, I'd investigate with you again, too. You were helpful and it's always good to have another set of eyes.
[ was he really ken. ]
Have you learned anything interesting about here?
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either way, zenitsu shakes his head. ]
Not really. What about you?
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A few things here and there. None of it makes a lot of sense.
[ a small sigh. though he's not entirely disheartened. ]
Some people are making a lot of progress, I think, though.
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wk 5; post trial saturday
oh though, he does have an origami of a small dog in his hands? actually probably a few origami things around him (star, flower, fish)....he brought paper with him to occupy his time for zenitsu to get those good zzz's in. ]
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Ken?
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also...waking up in the cage in the first place. ]
Good evening Zenitsu.
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It's still evening? . . . Why are you still here?
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Well, I was waiting until you woke up to talk to you, of course.
[ of course. ]
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[ it boggles the mind. ken should be furious with him, if not at least wary. ]
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Why wouldn't I be?
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I killed someone important to you. And I put you in danger as I was doing it.
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I think it's clear by now that it wasn't really you. [ he'll gently slip the origami dog through the bars. ] The house turned you into a monster and made you do those things.
[ unless zenitsu starts telling him otherwise and if so, this narrative is gonna quickly change. ]
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I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough to stop it from killing more than one person.
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You should apologize to Ayabe and Isaac when they come back. [ ken could accept the apology but it's definitely better fitting if the people who have died hear it. ] You know, since we're not going to let this house win. This means that you won't be dying either.
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[ he raises an arm and wipes his face on his sleeve. he will, but that doesn't mean ken is undeserving of those same words. it's the people who've been left behind, who are left to hurt. ]
Whatever happens, I'll apologize to them, too.
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