::Open RP - Welcome to the Confusion!::

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

So, the talking hat (which was somehow more intimidating than a talking fridge) had placed Satou in Ravenclaw. The trouble was,he had no idea what that meant, and the bizarre little bug-eyed big-eared creatures he'd seen scuttling around unnerved him too much to try and ask.

He had, however, taken Kurama's promise of free room and board to heart, and a bit of wandering had lead him to the Great Hall, which happened to have a modest buffet laid out. Jackpot! Before anyone could tell him he couldn't, he took a plate and began piling on fish and chips (mostly fish).

That was the board part seen to. Now he needed to sort out the room.

Comments

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"I see. And why does the NHK want to create them?"

She hoped it wasn't something the Auditors had come up with. They would have been trying to discourage any interest in fiction, though, surely...

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

"So there will be someone for people to look down on," Satou whispered. "A hikikomori is the lowest of tthe low. A failure, garbage."

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

...of course, isolating enough humans would gradually diminish their population, but the way Satou was describing it, it didn't seem a very effective strategy. Unless this was one part of a larger plan -

- damn. She didn't want to deal with the rest of them again.

"That sounds terrible. How did you find out about this?"

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

"I figured it out on my own," he said proudly. "Late one night, I put all the pieces together."

He didn't mention the drugs he was on at the time.

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

It was also possible that Satou was insane, of course. (Or exceptionally sane, although he wasn't as precise as Jeremy had been.) Either way, Unity liked him.

"Have you told anyone else?" she asked, not quite genre-savvy enough to know how much that question made her sound like a conspirator herself.

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

"No one else understands," he said with an affronted sniff.

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

She lowered her eyes, solemn. "That must be dreadful. Is there any way I can help?"

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

She was still talking to him, listening to him, looking at him. Satou tried to suppress a shiver. "Watch for them," he said in a hoarse tone. "Don't let them trick you."

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"How will I recognise them?" She hesitated slightly. "Do they - dress in grey and name themselves after colours?"

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

Mustering up his nerve, he leaned closer, lowering his voice. "They look just like everybody else. Anyone could be one of them."

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"Ah." In one way that was a relief, but it did make things more complicated. "Then I should... avoid anyone involved with entertainment?"

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

He laughed a little. "Game creators might be all right."

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"They don't belong to the conspiracy?"

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

"Well, I don't," he said, looking down with embarrassment. This was dangerously close to flirting.

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"Oh. I see."

Unity was, unfortunately, about to make the embarrassment worse. It wasn't her fault. There were rules for conversation, and the usual response to learning someone's occupation happened to be one she knew.

"That sounds interesting. What kind of games do you create?"

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

Worse indeed! He flushed a humiliated red.

"Certainly not a hentai game! I'm certainly not some pervert making eroges for other sickos! Ha, ha, why would you think that? Ha, that's ridiculous, really."

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

She blinked. "I wasn't thinking that. I don't even know what hentai means."

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

"Ah, ha ha, why are we talking about it, then? no need to bring it up!"

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"You brought it up," Unity pointed out. "But I will refrain from making the assumption that you are a pervert. Thank you for informing me."

Yes, that was entirely sincere.

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

She sounded so straightforwardly earnest that Satou just had to stare.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"...no." She looked startled. "I'm not."

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

"Really?" he asked, sounding very much unconvinced.

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"Definitely."

[hikikomoriways.livejournal.com]

"I want to believe you," he said a little mournfully.

[oneof-me.livejournal.com]

"It's true. I'm still not especially good at lying. And I like you."