GODLY AUDIENCES - TAKAOMI SHISHIMARU

[divus]

Comments

WEEK 5, TUESDAY

[divus]

[Meanwhile, Takaomi's worst nightmare is coming true because he's probably minding his own business and wandering Inaba when he hears someone calling his name.]

Takaomi-kun! [Beauty is busy waving his arm and has two skewers of meat in his hand? What the hell. There's also a box under his arm and he's not wearing his mask for some reason. Good thing nobody else is around. He's jogging over to him then.] Good afternoon! Have you eaten yet? I've brought lunch.

[bakaomi]

[ this is a lot of things happening all at once.

taka even looks around, as if there might be someone else here with his same exact name, but no. it's just him. ]

What?

[divus]

Lunch. [He holds up said-lunch.] It's been a week, so I believe it's time for us to spend some time together. Remember?

[bakaomi]

... it's been a long week.

[ but he did technically agree. kind of. they were having two different conversations when it happened, but still. ]

[divus]

...I know. [Like. Definitely. Some of his excitement fizzles out, but it's alright.]

All the more reason to take an hour out of your day to relax a bit. [He holds up the box.] Lady Love said the tofu dishes are quite good.

[bakaomi]

[ he looks at the box, then back at beauty. ]

... fine.

[divus]

There are tables this way. We can eat there. [And he'll gesture for Taka to follow as he walks off to settle in front of Aiya's.] The town's quiet. Everyone must be at the inn or elsewhere right now.

[bakaomi]

Pretty convenient.

... do you normally walk around without your mask on?

[divus]

No. But It's a benefit of my specialty.

[Keeping secrets and all.] Besides, if we're having lunch together I can't really eat with my mask.

[bakaomi]

Cunning managed. It was pretty impressive.

[ especially since HE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE TAKEN THE WHOLE THING OFF goddamn you cunning ]

[divus]

Cunning usually finds his own way around the rules, even if they aren't the most conventional. [Since they're seated at the table by now, probably, Beauty's going to work on unpacking the box with some tofu dish and also plating up the meat skewers for them.]

[bakaomi]

He said that he'll take it off for me if I'm alive next week.

[ technically he said maybe, and taka is the one who added that last part, but still ]

[divus]

...really? [That's surprising and it shows.] Interesting. Perhaps this game really has changed more of us than I anticipated.

[bakaomi]

He's not that bad.

[ minus being pro-stabbing. ]

... has the game changed you a lot?

[ taka knows that it made him realize what a romantic emotion is. he is trying to ignore that part. ]

[divus]

[He side-steps the conversation about Cunning because, well, it's polite not to say anything at all. He hands Taka a plate of food though.]

I think it has, yes. I hadn't realized that it would change things the way that they have, but I think to a degree I always knew that it would. I only hope it's in a way to help you all.

[bakaomi]

... I think I'm probably going to walk away from here with something I didn't have before.

[ he's just not quite sure what that something is yet ]

[divus]

In a good way, or in a bad way?

[bakaomi]

.. both? It's the trauma.

[divus]

Someone once said to me that I couldn't let trauma hold me back from giving it my all and taking what I want in life. I wonder if that's the same here.

[bakaomi]

... I don't know.

It's not like you have much time to process anything before you have to move onto the next thing.

[divus]

No, I suppose not. But...perhaps it's better that way, in some cases. If you processed everything, it may discourage you from carrying on. Not just in this game, but in general.

[bakaomi]

... maybe. Well, I did help kill someone.

[ he blinks.

he never actually said it like that before. ]

[divus]

[He seems surprised for about half a second before continuing.]

You did. And yet it was under a set of circumstances that change the indication quite a bit. Ruthlessness versus selflessness. [Somehow he doesn't blame him, necessarily, but he's keeping his tone light and watching Taka's responses.] Do you suppose something like that will continue to carry you?

[bakaomi]

[ he folds his arms on top of the table and sets his head down on top of them. ]

I dunno yet. It's not something I can really talk about.

[divus]

Because it's hard? Or because it's dangerous? Or, perhaps, both.