Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Come on baby, drive my car."

ofmanydevices (ofmanydevices) wrote in disappear_plot,
@ 2009-09-03 22:47:00

Kiriko may be missing...
Who: Investigation Team (We're assuming everyone who is there would already be there)
What: Discussion about Kiriko
Where: Room 22-c
When: The End of the Day
Why: Cause something is up.

Thomas waited for most of the group to arrive. He shifted uncomfortably, he didn't mind providing information to guide the group, but without Ikeda there to lead them he felt like the spotlight had shifted to him, and it wasn't a feeling he liked.

He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

"So... for anyone who missed it, Ikedas attention grab, and act in the gym class is very much at odds with who she is. Given previous patterns... it seems like she's been taken to Paradise."

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

lotus_beyond
2009-09-04 04:44 am UTC (link)

"I... don't know that, but that's not really important." An arranged marriage--Renju could see why Kiriko might be upset, no matter what her specific attitudes towards boys might be. Admittedly, if it had been her, she'd have just dealt with it, but she realized that most people weren't like that, and it certainly seemed to her so far that Kiriko was among them.

"And that still doesn't answer the first point. She can't be in Paradise if she's here, can she?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

thrown_to_winds
2009-09-04 05:26 am UTC (link)

"An arranged marriage, huh..." Toshimi repeated with an unusually serious air. The idea made her stomach churn. Through no decision of her own, a random chance based merely upon the family she was born into, Kiriko's entire future was being decided for her. Then, had any of Kiriko's decisions even mattered in the first place, and if so, what could she have done to prevent it? If it was just the way things were, who was to say that everyone in the world wouldn't be subject to some similar arbitrary control? And if that were the case...

Toshimi took the clip out of her hair and clicked it open and closed at a furious pace. This was no business of hers. Her concerns were baseball and grades and video games. Why should she care about Kiriko's love life, anyway? As long as people weren't being killed, Toshimi didn't need to concern herself with anyone else's happiness. It was all just a game of dice, anyway. The hairclip made a satisfying noise as she opened and closed it over and over. "How unlucky," Toshimi said with a smile on her face.

"Anyway, Sonozaki-san, from what we've observed, when a person is taken into Paradise another version of that person appears, and the other version can sometimes walk around in the real world," she said scientifically. "Is that about how everybody else would describe it?" Details and facts, no matter how distressing, were always a good thing to distract her from darker thoughts. "From the way Ikeda-san was acting earlier today, it does seem like a possibility that the person we saw was the other Ikeda-san...and I suppose we should give all possibilities the consideration they deserve. That being said..." She certainly hoped that there was a non-supernatural explanation for it--it would make things much easier. "Everything today was kind of strange...so strange Ikeda-san wouldn't be so out-of-place. The chance that we saw the 'other' Ikeda-san today is not 100%." She smiled politely, calculating. While the chance did exist for nothing to be happening, the chance that Kiriko would survive if she had been taken to Paradise was, as far as she could tell, zero. "I just wish we had some way of knowing for certain."

Compared to nearly everything else Toshimi talked about, it was quite a dark subject. But jabbering on and on about Paradise was vastly preferable to thinking about ~~fate~~ arranged marriages.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

2dbeauty
2009-09-04 03:07 pm UTC (link)

Though he had quietly taken a seat near the window and avoided talking in the discussion so far, Toru now chimed in.

"A-an arranged marriage? People still do that, in this day and age?" It came as a shock to the thoroughly modern Toru, whose world was hardly one of arranged marriages or other such formal affairs. "Well, I'm no expert, but I've never seen a girl want or enjoy one of those. Um... well, in anime." He shifted awkwardly in his seat, aware of the attention this statement might bring.

"But, i-if everyone thinks that she's disappeared on us, we should investigate her further. As long as this weird-acting Kiriko is around, shouldn't we try and talk to her? We might get clues about this whole thing."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

anthesphoria
2009-09-04 03:37 pm UTC (link)

She had listened, nodding with agreement as Toshimi spoke--she'd summed it up really well, in Kozue's opinion. There was a chance that this was the Other Kiriko, but it wasn't 100% by any means. (It made her wonder: what would be 100% proof? If this strange-acting Kiriko suddenly grew tentacles? Demanded that people play ridiculous games and take off their pants? That, at the moment, was the definition of a Shadow to Kozue, after all.)

But when Toru spoke, Kozue frowned a little, and felt she had to add her two cents (again). Of course people still did it, here and now. "It's a time-honored tradition," she pointed out, primly, "and it seems like anime is kind of wrong there. I know plenty of who people still engage in them, and are really happy." She stopped just short of adding, like I will be.

"But you're right, if we talk to her, maybe she can straighten the whole misunderstanding out. Or maybe we'll discover something is really wrong, and she is the Other Kiriko, instead of the real one."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ofmanydevices
2009-09-04 03:49 pm UTC (link)

Tom had almost been trying not to answer questions, to stay on the fringe. After all most of the information on Paradise could be offered up by the group now,, they didn't need him right?

But on the subject of talking to Kiriko's shadow-self, he at least had something to offer that no one else did.

"I already spoke to... whatever the woman is in the gym class. I tried various methods of discussion, including antagonizing, and measured her reactions against previous observations of Ikeda's behavior.

Ikeda's personality is often described as cold, or harsh, the woman in the gym class was... almost bubbly, friendly... glib. Even when being dismissive. When I spoke to her she didn't act as differently as I had expected, but before she needed to be pushed to take leadership of this group. Refusing until put into a position where everyone here agreed that she should.

The woman in the gym class what not only happy to claim responsibility for her gambling operation but suggested other ways in which she intended to take charge. And in the past when angered she was dismissive, her behavior in the gym suggested a person who was hostile to the point of violence.

None of this confirms that Ikeda is in Paradise mind you, but it's certainly enough of a red flag that it should be investigated to confirm whether or not she's there."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

zealousemperor
2009-09-04 10:04 pm UTC (link)

Wait, wait, wait wait wait wait wait wait.
WHAT?
"OH HELL NO!" Kanaye announced angrily, slamming his hands on the desk. "An arraigned marriage? I have no idea who you're talking about, Kochan, but the chances of someone enjoying an arraigned marriage is pretty slim. And even if they liked it!" he started, crossing his arms. "It still requires no work on either party's part!"

All thoughts of shadows and paradise in his mind, Kanaye launched into a rant about the evils of arraigned marriage. "Neither the woman nor the man have any choice in anything, at least in they few I've seen. They can't choose based on looks, money, or personality, the three traits to a successful relationship! We shall go to Paradise, get the real Kiriko back, and then argue with her parents! I shall give them large sums of money if I have to!" he announced, posing. "This shall not stand!"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	anthesphoria 2009-09-05 04:29 am UTC (link)
	Kozue blinked; opened her mouth and then closed it again several times through Kanaye's short, impassioned rant; seemed like she very much wanted to respond somehow, to something, but, in the end, gave up and merely turned a rather pointed look over to Keiichi. Kochan indeed. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

giantfruitbyday
2009-09-05 07:52 pm UTC (link)

"There's no doubt that we're bringing Ikeda-san back if she's there." Maeko said calmly from her seat. She didn't understand what Toru and Kanaye were objecting to. If you were asked to do something then you did it dutifully, that was how it worked. If that something happened to be marriage then that was unfortunate but unavoidable. "But this is really none of our business. I doubt Ikeda-san would want you fighting her battles for her and I doubt it would help her at all if you did."

The hypocrisy of her of all people preaching the value of letting people fight their own battles was lost on her entirely.

"The middle schooler...Emi-san?" Maeko said, unable to recall Emi's family name to refer to her properly. "She can sense things in Paradise, right? Could she use that power to find out if Ikeda-san's there and to find her if she is?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

2dbeauty
2009-09-05 10:20 pm UTC (link)

Toru heard Maeko's suggestion and lit up. "That's it!" Upon realizing that he'd jumped forward a little in his seat, he shyly backed down. "I-I bet that Emi-san would be able to sense people in there. B-but, um... would she have to be in Paradise to do it? Or could she sense her from out here? A-and since she's close with Ikeda-san, she'd totally be familiar with her... energy, or ki, or whatever it is that she senses!"

This excited Toru more than it should have. After all, the type of problem they faced right now was exactly the type of problem he got into drawn-out arguments and discussions about over the internet.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ofmanydevices
2009-09-06 02:15 am UTC (link)

Tom didn't look at the group when he spoke initially.

"If Ikeda doesn't want to be in an arranged marriage then it's wrong to force her to do so. Though she seems like the type to not want our help in solving that problem either way."

He put his hands in his pockets and looked at them.

"Though... even if we can confirm that she's in Paradise, We know that the place the victims are kept in is shaped by their own mental state.
It might be a good idea to try and figure out as much about Ikeda before we go in. We can try to lessen the amount of surprises that world throws at us."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

kidsthesedays
2009-09-06 06:26 am UTC (link)

Yuuto listened, and declined to comment about the arranged marriage. It was...traditional, not that it was exactly the good kind of tradition, but. Even if he didn't know Kiriko well, he already got the feeling that she wouldn't want them to bother about something they likely couldn't change. It...well, wasn't any of their business, to be honest.

"I have to agree with Sagaki," he said. "In the case that the girl can't sense Ikeda out, at least we can use whatever information we get to help us confirm is she's really in Paradise. And if it does work, then we have an idea what we're going to have to face."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

TMV wanted Kou dragged in.

giantfruitbyday
2009-09-09 11:56 pm UTC (link)

Maeko nodded, playing around with her phone absently. She'd said her part and it didn't seem like there was much more to discuss that didn't involve poking noses into Kiriko's life.

Going through old messages she came to Kou's rather harshly worded instruction to meet. She frowned, he hadn't even said anything yet. She was about to ask him is what he'd been wanting to mention had been brought up until a quick headcount confirmed he wasn't actually there.

"The hell, Oubai...?" She mumbled under her breath, quickly sending a 'get over here.' message. If it was important enough to him that he needed to be so rude then the least he could do was show up.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: TMV wanted Kou dragged in.

thrown_to_winds
2009-09-10 03:31 am UTC (link)

"That's right, Hayashi-san," Toshimi nodded cheerily. "That seems like it might work." She might have thought of it herself, but Toshimi didn't know the middle school student or her abilities very well. There was usually a fairly strong out-of-sight-out-of-mind principle in effect with Toshimi that had recently been even greater than usual. "Did anybody remember to contact her about this meeting?" she asked. "Actually, has the middle school even let out yet?"

"So..." Toshimi considered asking just what they intended to do to find out more about Kiriko, but thought better of it. If this was going to lead to some kind of raid or investigation, she didn't want to know about it just yet. Kiriko seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't take too kindly to that, after all. "What does everyone know for a fact about Ikeda-san?" she asked, hoping it would be enough to keep people from getting any strange ideas. "Other than, uh, recent developments, that is."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: TMV wanted Kou dragged in.

ofmanydevices
2009-09-10 07:46 pm UTC (link)

Tom stopped for a moment and thought up everything he had observed about Kiriko Ikeda.

"Well observations show that she's got problems with men. The arranged marriage indicates that. Though it could also be her father, or an uncle or a brother, I haven't had time to investigate her family fully.

It almost seems like she has some kind of attraction to Shirai, or something of the sort."

He pointed toward Reizo as he spoke then crossed his arms.

"Though if she always had an arranged marriage, and she knew about it, she likely would have acted differently.

Though her background does point to a deeply traditional family, which is why she tries to maintain such cold exterior. Her persona is a trickster myth, which, combined with her sense of humor, suggests that in truth she's probably a rather clever and devious person."

Tom took a moment to glance toward Kozue.

"She didn't want to be in charge of this team. It's likely that she's afraid of being in charge, believing that it's more responsibility then actual decision making."

He scratched his head.

"I'm afraid that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I might have more if I had my files with me."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: TMV wanted Kou dragged in.

zealousemperor
2009-09-10 10:39 pm UTC (link)

Kanaye burst out laughing. All thoughts of everything before or after cleared from his mind, the instant he heard that Kiriko apparently had a crush on Reizo, he just started laughing and just couldn't stop, falling on the floor.
Gasping for breath, he looked up at Tom. "S-Sagaki...what the hell are you on and where can I get some?" he asked, honestly. "Seriously, someone would actually be attracted to Reizo? No way, especially not someone like Kiriko."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: TMV wanted Kou dragged in.

giantfruitbyday
2009-09-10 11:04 pm UTC (link)

"...really?"

It was very rare that Maeko considered Kanaye's reaction to the most appropriate one in any given situation. In this case it really was.

"...even if that is true I doubt it's particularly relevent." She said, looking to the door impatiently every few seconds. "This is all abstract, nothing that hints at what we're potentially up against. Unless you can think of something more worthwhile than who you think Ikeda-san's crushes are I think it's somewhat tasteless to sit here gossiping while her life could be in danger."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

daioujou
2009-09-11 06:24 am UTC (link)

Kouchisei had been indisposed with the faculty, to put it truthfully. In the beginning he'd never thought he'd need to talk to somebody, but it was helping and he wanted to continue talking - in private - till he felt he didn't need their help no more. He felt better than he did a month or two ago. Perhaps it was because of... that business?

But when talking to other people, it didn't leave him time for other matters. He opened the door and caught the end of the conversation.

"Girls go for the wrong type. I don't understand, myself. But it's her business." His tone was more forceful now. "If she is in danger should't we be doing something about it?"

It was a more productive way of announcing himself than saying 'hello'.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

some_other_dog
2009-09-12 02:55 am UTC (link)

Reizo had been sitting off to the corner by his lonesome for most of the meeting, long legs propped up in the nearest empty chair and rocking to and fro in his own chair, the back sometimes thumping against the wall when he couldn’t keep his balance. His knife flashed as he carefully worked through a pile of oranges he had sitting on his lap.

He didn’t seem to be paying much attention. He knew the basics: Kiriko was scared of her arranged marriage-- hah!--, had run off or something, and now some weird version of her was running around in sequined clothes trying to take bets on gym class.

So why bother when the nitty gritty didn’t come until later? Conjecture and theory working and worrying all seemed like a major waste of time. They’d go in, kick her ass, and drag her back out as always. Maybe he’d even get to punch her like he had Kou. Which, really, brought up another interesting idea: if he broke shadow Kiriko’s arm, or face, in the outside world, what would happen in there?

He was snapped out of his half-assed rumination by Sagaki. His head jerked up, an eyebrow cocked, and he leveled Tom with a withering glare that took his eyes off his knife long enough to send it gliding through the orange and across his finger. He let out a low hiss, dropped his eyes, and had his finger in his mouth by the time Kanaye started laughing.

“Ikeda-bitch ain’t got a thing for me,” he half-snorted, standing up and setting the last fruit on the table, “I’ve just known her longer than most of you.” He wiped his hands first on his pants, flicked his knife closed, and simultaneously stuffed it into a pocket with one hand and pulled his cigarette and lighter out with the other.

He lit up, turned around, cocked his leg and drove it squarely into Kanaye’s ribs.

“Even if she does, she wouldn’t be the first out of this pathetic group,” he said, eyes flicking to Toru, holding, and then scanning back over the room, “and that ain’t worth talking about.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

omgboyskissing
2009-09-12 05:00 am UTC (link)

Yoshimi giggled a little. She'd been content to just listen for the last few minutes, but Kiriko and - tee-hee - Reizo? Those two were so obviously not the one true pairing for Class 1B. Much like Kanaye, she had no idea what crazy new substance it was that Sagaki-senpai was smoking, but she sure was interested in trying some. After all, how else could he miss the tender romance that was starting to bloom between Shirai-kun and Oubai-senpai?

A hotheaded delinquent with a troubled past meets a straitlaced upperclassman in need of someone to melt his ice cold façade... the tension! The conflict! The contrasting fire and ice metaphors! KA-WAIIII!

That, however, was an issue for another day. In the meantime, she was busy racking her brain for anything about Kiriko that could be even remotely useful to the group. They shared a homeroom, but with Yoshimi's lackluster attendance rate and her tendency to spend the whole day with her head in the clouds, she hadn't noticed anything that wasn't common knowledge. Kiriko was smart. Kiriko had a lot of hair barrettes. Kiriko was the class representative (and therefore not the kind of person to tell your exciting stories of lechery and debauchery around, unless you had balls of steel). Nothing special, nothing exclusive, nothing that was going to get them anywhere.

"I agree with Oubai-senpai," she chirped, once it seemed like nobody else was in imminent danger of getting kicked in the chest. "We're going in circles right now." As fascinated as she was by shipping wars, even the real life variety, they could go on forever without anyone reaching a conclusion.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

2dbeauty
2009-09-15 12:14 am UTC (link)

Though busy being surprised by Reizo's behavior towards Kanaye and puzzled over the group's assumptions about Kiriko's feelings, Toru still caught the glance from Reizo and was horrified. He still thought that? He just attempted to look away, face flushed from what he assumed was annoyance.

"T-they're right. There's no need to talk about who Kiriko likes or who has a crush o-on Shirai-san." He said this louder than usual, trying a little bit to project his voice to the group. "The only way to get anywhere is to investigate, right? W-we should go find Kiriko. M-maybe do some investigation... th-that's how you guys found me, right?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

pinksunbeam
2009-09-17 12:22 am UTC (link)

Misaki had been sitting off in the corner and being quiet for once. She had become pale at the mention of a arranged marriage. The thought of it filled her with dread, namely because she was sure that that would be something her mother might do to her later in life. Broker a deal with another professor, push up the ranks at the university. The idea of Kiriko having to go through with such a thing made her sick.

She wanted to say what a disgusting idea it was, how terrible to force Kiriko into marriage someone she didn't know, she might not even like this person, they could be incompatable. But she couldn't, she'd been trying to be more calm, and a bit more serious, though she wanted to make the others happy, and she knew if she opened her mouth some how Reizo would say something that would upset her and there was no Kiriko there to stop her from probably getting her face punched in.

The pink haired one glanced up at Toru who made a very valid point. Clearing her throat she spoke quickly.

"Toru-kun is right. We did find him that way, we have to start looking and figuring things out. We're assuming that there's a high probablity that she's in Paradise. But we have to gather as much as we can before we go jumping into there." Pushing some of her hair back she looked at the others and stood up.

"Would it be okay to suggest that we split up into groups. One group can talk to her parents and friends to see what they know about this. The other group can see about this fiancee or whatever he is, maybe he might know something. Also if there are guys that like her and found out, I wouldn't put it past some scummy creep to try to kidnap her. Odder things have happened."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

giantfruitbyday
2009-09-17 02:20 am UTC (link)

Maeko nodded to herself when Kou came through the door, satisfied that he was at least being forced to show up.

She remained silent through Reizo's peice, though she twitched visibly and moved her chair forward a little to make sure that she was closer to him than Misaki was when he stood.

"You should get back up, senpai. I doubt the floor is particularly comfortable." She said finally, trying to determine if he was hurt without bringing too much attention back to Reizo. She turned her attention back to Misaki, concerned that she seemed she distressed.

"I thought that kind of stuff only happenned in tv shows..." She began, pushing buttons on her phone as she spoke. "But if you think it's a potential problem then I suppose that means we should be careful who finds out about the arrangement."

She tilted her phone so that Misaki could see thescreen and the message she'd composed. Don't worry, ok? We'll get her back for sure.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -