give your friends a surprise

[closewithnewintown]

Who: EVERYONE
What: FAMILY MEETING
When: 8/4, right after school closes.
Where: Student council room
Warnings: Eventually, probably.

["If my friends back home were acting like this, I would've already locked them in a room and forced them to figure out their feelings."

the job puts all of her considerable superspy skills to the test. she knows where every normal kid's locker is; it's easy enough to slip the note into each that morning. if it's someone who she knows would be unable to read the note, she tells them its contents, but keeps her own involvement out of it. lies of omission don't count.

the note reads:]

I have very important information about this place. Please come to the student council room after school ends today.

- Nao Sato

[and if the text looks just a bit girlier than you'd think she'd write, hey, you don't know her. she's got layers.

either way, it's a pretty interesting proposition: the student council room door is, for the first time in seemingly ever, wide open. anyone can walk inside - and, hopefully, most everyone should. because it's only when Stephanie thinks that she's got enough of them inside that she actually enters the room, shutting the door behind her.

click.

it locks. she grins, spins the key on her finger, and slips it into her pocket.

"How are you supposed to do that with grownups?"

the exact same way, she's decided.]

We haven't had any meetings since, um. Well. The last one. But, I'm pretty sure nobody has no more murders to report, so it shouldn't be too bad, and we can all just focus on the most important task: Getting along! All of us are on the same team, but most of us barely even know each other; some of us even hate some of the others! [SHE SAYS, LIKE SHE DOESN'T ACTIVELY DESPISE KOKICHI] So, I figured we could spend the evening fixing that problem. Play some games, talk about stuff we've discovered since the last time...

And, maybe, if everybody does a really good job, I'll unlock the door!

[smiles]

Comments

[decrypter]

[Helena nods, since this is easy to do. but seriously, politics? who thinks about that in terms of an icebreaker? even with how odd her friends were, she can't say any of them would have risen to it.]

My name is Helena Adams, and my favorite animal is the rabbit.

[trying to go for something less obvious than something about books...that was inevitable to learn, the longer someone knew her.]

Does that count as interesting enough?

[moraloutrage]

[Ishimaru immediately a snaps a hand into a salute.]

Pleased to make your acquaintance, Helena-kun!! I find your preference for rabbits to be quite interesting indeed! They are a fascinating and proud animal, a worthy subject of study, and they hold an important place in folklore. Thank you for bringing that to the table!

[decrypter]

[she can't see the salute, but she can sense his enthusiasm flowing through his words. really, she'd not thought of rabbits as proud before - all the ones she had met had been nervous but docile creatures. maybe there is a prideful streak she didn't notice.]

You're quite welcome, Mr. Kiyotaka. I would say it's now your turn, but you've already said so much - I wouldn't wish to pressure you.

[moraloutrage]

No, that's quite alright! It's only fair that I also oblige by the rules of a game that I had a hand in proposing! Alright, Helena-kun... Here it goes!

[He clears his throat and stands rigidly as he introduces himself.]

My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru!! And I - I have practiced making rice balls into different shapes! The star shape is the hardest! [It's the first thing he can think of that isn't directly about studying...]

[decrypter]

That...

[isn't what she expected at all.]

That's quite unique! I didn't know rice balls could come in a shape other than a triangle.

[at least, the ones in the vending machines only come out as a triangle.]

[moraloutrage]

[He responds to that with a hearty laugh.]

Is that so! You must be unfamiliar with rice balls, in that case. The triangle is just a default shape. It can be shaped into a number of other forms. It is quite splendid! It reminds of the unlimited potential that all people have, when they tap into the power of hard work! You know, I would gladly show you different rice ball shapes sometime!

[decrypter]

As long as we can eat them afterwards, I'd be happy to join you.

[what was the point of making them if one couldn't eat the results? he has peculiar analogies, she thinks, but it's clear from his voice he believes in all that he's saying - it makes them a little easier to understand.]

[moraloutrage]

Of course! It would be wasteful not to eat them in the end, even if they are works of art.

I will be glad to demonstrate for you anytime! Just... ah, not now... as we are still confined to this room for the time being...

[decrypter]

When we have time and the resources, then. I don't mind waiting.

[and since she will still hold Stephanie accountable for their situation, she can give Ishimaru a sincere smile.]

[moraloutrage]

[But he wants to be held accountable! Judge him!!]

Very well! I am sure that such a time will come soon enough! In the meantime, what else should we discuss? Other interests?

[decrypter]

Hmm...

[she falls into a thoughtful contemplation for a moment, before something occurs to her.]

I do have a question for you, since you seem to have been here for a length of time. Are these meetings always quite so chaotic?

[moraloutrage]

[He sweatdrops in response.]

Ah... I am embarrassed to admit that they often tend to be somewhat disorderly. [But he has to speak up in this meeting's defense.] This is the first one in which we have been locked into a room, however! Also, no fights have broken out! I would also call that an improvement!

[closewithnewintown]

[cheerfully from across the room]

Every stabbing was self-inflicted this time!

[moraloutrage]

We... we still have room for further improvement, to be sure...!

[closewithnewintown]

It's fine; I'll just pat everyone down before the next one! [because otherwise stabbings are inevitable.]

[moraloutrage]

Ah... a pat-down is a splendid idea to ensure the safety of these meetings! ...But, I should carry it out! You have already done so much, Stephanie-kun!

[closewithnewintown]

No, no, see, they'll hide them. My hands are smaller.

[holds up tiny child hands]

[moraloutrage]

[He leans over and squints as if appraising the baby hands.]

They are quite small. I do recognize that and their advantages. ...But I am still confident that my own hands, relatively large as they may be, can suffice in finding concealed weapons!

[closewithnewintown]

[pause] You know that Rika is the most likely culprit, right. Are you really gonna be okay having to search a girl?

[because she's only known him a few months and would confidently answer that with "absolutely not."]

[moraloutrage]

I- I will do anything I can for the sake of justice and our safety!

[But there's a beat, as the sweat accumulates on his forehead, before he finally voices his doubt.]

But... ah... Would that really be appropriate...?

[closewithnewintown]

[flawless victory]

Dunno! Would it?

[decrypter]

At least physically, you mean?

[there are certainly more than a few argumentative types...]

[moraloutrage]

I suppose so. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a spirited debate, so long as it does not become physical!

[decrypter]

Perhaps...the next time one of these meetings is called, if we prepared a topic ahead of time, we could have more official debates.

[it's a genuine suggestion, but it's also testing the waters. who knows, someone might get up to argue something absurd.]

[moraloutrage]

Interesting! I do not mind preparing any debate topics in the slightest. Of course, the purpose of these meetings usually tends to involve current events of the school and progress towards solving its mysteries, so those tend to generate topics naturally. But I can always bring some subjects to the table for times when there is less to discuss!