smashacademy | More ugly news reports + one patronizing [video] message courtesy of Seth Richardson

More ugly news reports + one patronizing [video] message courtesy of Seth Richardson

A casual Monday outing turned tragic when two men were brutally gunned down in front of Malo's Gun and Ammunition mart. The victims; Kaplan Stridehr and Marple Dethrris were found dead with a single Aperture-Brand Resolution Pellet to the head. A third victim, Hendorff Ditherrs, was found at the scene asphyxiated to death. All three of the victims regularly donated community service hours to the FLUDD orphanage and were cherished by their grieving families.

The murder suspects, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Vivan Johnson, and Rick Johnson, all attend Smash Academy and have been interrogated at least once by the FDCPD. Rick has been hospitalized for the time being with life-threatening injuries, though his condition is stable. He will be questioned when he regains consciousness. It's unclear if his injuries were inflicted in self-defense, or by the other two Smash Academy students in the middle of the attack.

The Smash Academy students claim they were the ones who acted in self defense, but FDCPD has not reached a clear verdict yet to a very messy and terrible situation.

"It's not completely clear this was in self defense." says the police chief. "If you're not looking to kill, you don't put a bullet in someone's head."

Several eye witnesses to the attack also claim the smaller student, Vivian, was the one who open fired and murdered the victims, unprovoked. All three are on juvenile preemptive probation until further investigations are finished. It should be worth noting, again, these were non-human students of Smash Academy, a fighting school that accepts many different kinds of unnatural, humanoid creatures. They could still be considered dangerous despite the probation. Aperture Science is also being questioned for product deficiency, but has not returned any of our calls.

[Lakitu, an unnatural, humanoid turtle man, shuffles the papers on his desk and prepares for the next, possibly vaguely related news story.]

An abandoned church on the east side of the city was mysteriously engulfed in flames last night. Fire accelerants were noted in the area, suggesting that this was no accident. It's uncertain if this incident is related to the gun attack, but non-human terrorists are suspected given the target. If you have any important clues or tips to report, please call the FDCPD immediately.

It's truly terrible this historic building has been reduced to tinder and ashes. Residents are outraged and are calling for Martial law. Mayor Tabuu is taking this into consideration with rising rates of violence and crime, but states he is not likely to come to a decision or see any action result for a least a month, especially given the complicated nature of FDC. Martial law would necessitate the need for an outsourced, contracted military, and the Mayor wants to ensure he has the best for the job.

[video]

[Seth appears on video, close up and fiddling with the camera before settling in his seat, a grim expression on his face.]

In case you weren't aware about a certain fiasco that happened between Mary and Vianca a while ago, a new development has recently come to my attention, and I for one am ashamed. Shame on you!

Honestly, she's just a child and didn't know any better. That's no reason for anyone to go antagonize and bully her! I want to think better of our student body.

You're all so quick to turn a blind eye when that murderous swordsman returned to campus. You hardly bat an eyelash at knowing there's at least three new and different murder suspects residing right here! Have any of you even seen the news lately? They're right here, living amongst you all--murderers as your very neighbors. But the moment a naive little girl does something she didn't even know was wrong you ostracize her unfairly. I don't want to name names but you know who you are.

Everyone's double standards here are truly unsettling. You should all think on your sins.

[Ahem. He clears his throat and adjusts his collar, as if to clear out all that ~undignified emotional outpouring~]

Anyway, I apologize if any of that came across as harsh or blunt, and Mary's poor name shouldn't be dragged through the mud any longer. Mary has all my condolences, I wish her the best and above all that this doesn't happen again. That was a while ago anyway--old news. She should know better by now.

I'll see to it personally.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[WHO SAID HE WAS DISREGARDING IT?! Hearing this plausible explanation, Mondo exhales sharply and narrows his eyes, just to flash his indignation like he hadn't done that enough already. After holding it for a moment, he loosens his grip and lets the hall monitor go free.]

We need to talk. Now. I won't take no for an answer.

...I know.

[He backs away a little, both to allow Mondo back into the room and to safely readjust his collar and tie (which he is wearing much more loosely since almost being choked with it just the day before).]

What would you like to know? Surely you've already heard it from the news...

[He loses himself to another burst of frustration, stomping his way into the room and throwing his arm to the side vehemently.]

The news doesn't explain shit!! It was full of a bunch of maybes and speculations! They gave a damage report, all right, but it fails to tell me your side of the story! You were there. What actually happened?

[He's so sick of repeating this story, but if anyone deserves to hear it, it's definitely his best friend. So one last time, from the top... For all the good it'll do now.]

What happened was that we were approached by a group in the city and a fight broke out. Everything happened so quickly after the first strike, but it ended with... those shots being fired.

[That's where he prefers to end the story, but if it's Mondo, he can be more open about it. It's not like he'd be allowed to stop there, anyway. There's some really intense frowning at the carpet going on. He's gonna burn a hole through it if he keeps it up.]

If Vivian had not been there, I may be dead now. However, if I had kept all of us from going out into the city in the first place, nobody would be...!

[His expression quickly changes to one of plain defeat. ~~sadkickedpuppysprite.gif~~ The carpet is safe. For now.]

What if this incident casts the entire school in a bad light...? If this affects the other students and their safety in the city...

[So that's how he was gonna think? That this was all his fault and just because he ran into trouble he didn't want in the first place, the whole school would get a bad rep? Well, the second part might be true, but he despised hearing Ishimaru blame himself. It sounded an awful lot like how he blamed himself for Fujisaki's death even though the connection between him and that circumstance was so slim it couldn't even be said to exist.]

You're too damn quick to take responsibility when it's not your fault. So what if you went out into this crazy city? There's gonna be times where some of us have to go out there. You're saying the way we should all avoid our problems is to hide ourselves away inside this school? Fuck that.

[Ring anywhere close to home?]

I know you didn't want any part in this. But sometimes, shit just happens. If you want my opinion, I'm glad those bastards were put out before they could put you out instead. They were asking for it.

The well-being of the students is my responsibility!

[Not as part of a job description, not for monetary gain, but because that's always been the task he's willingly taken on.]

I'm not saying we should imprison ourselves in here... but there is a difference between taking a necessary risk and endangering yourself and others with reckless abandon! You of all people should understand!

[What he's thinking of in saying that is the fact that, as illegal as his own methods are, being a gang leader is still being a leader and so Mondo should understand what it's like to need to look out for those under his wing. Other incidents that might also hit a little close to home don't even cross Ishimaru's mind.]

Edited 2013-04-29 14:47 (UTC)

[You of... all... oh. Jabbed in a particularly sore spot of his heart, Mondo's teeth bare and he tries to exert control but his fury beats out, and he corners him against the wall he's closest to and slams a fist into him

...just barely skirting it past his face and colliding with the wall instead.]

Me, of all people... You'd go that far just to prove a point?!

[It's way too soon to have another fist flying at his face. He flinches away as it hits the wall ~~and busts right through it, good work~~, and a look not unlike fear flickers through his eyes.

He banishes that feeling as quickly as it came; after all, for all Mondo's aggressive intimidation, he can trust him. But that doubt was there, even for a split second, and he hates himself for it.]

I thought... you would be able to relate to that feeling! That's all...

[Not that Ishimaru's been any good at relating to anyone. He straightens up again, the uncertainty on his face replaced by his usual frown.]

Anyway, now you know what happened. That's all there is to it.

[The fist he launched at him a second ago splays out into a flat palm against the wall and slides down to meet his shoulder. He's still tense with the anger that erupted uncontrollably, and annoyed with how thin his skin was about that, but he can at least be placated knowing that his remark about recklessness was just one of Ishimaru's characteristics, to say things thoughtlessly without meaning any offense. He probably didn't mean it in the targeted way he was quick to reach a conclusion about.]

I'd say protecting yourselves against a threat like that is a necessary risk in itself. So stop feeling bad about it. Things could have been much worse.

[He's too tired to keep arguing about all the things he should have done to prevent that threat from looming over them in the first place. The fact is he didn't do them and no amount of whining and self-pity is going to change it.]

You're right... Besides, there's nothing to be done about what has already passed. I can only learn from it and prepare from whatever comes in the future!

[And he's... so worried about what might happen now.]

That's more like it. [With the hand rested on his shoulder he gives him a couple firm pats and retreats it to his side.]

...So what comes next? They gonna send you to court?

[There's a part of him that's a little disappointed to lose the comforting touch, but he's not really sure how to express that... so he doesn't.]

I don't know. The justice system here is not what I'm familiar with.

[But the justice system he is most familiar with WAS AWFUL.]

They said they would investigate the matter more thoroughly before reaching a decision. For now we are not to handle any weapons or to leave the city. [Not like he has anywhere to go.] I am also to make a report every few days until this is over.

...Whatever happens, I hope it doesn't come at a time that interferes with final exams... [W O W]

[Don't you think you have more pressing things to worry about than final exams? He wanted to say that, but it made sense he'd be concerned about exams, since he seemed to be fixated on studying relentlessly for them these days. God, the more he looks at him, the more tired and worn ragged he seems.]

Even if it did, wouldn't the school be a little more lenient in your case? They'd let you take exams at some other time if it came to that, right? Can't be helped if the law forces you out at an inconvenient time.

I'm not going to allow any exceptions to be made for me, no matter what the reason is!!

[There's got to be a line between stubborn and plain stupid, somewhere. He's definitely on the wrong side of it.]

No, I'm going to prove that even with this, I can focus on my responsibilities...! That's an important skill!

[Growing exasperated, he brings his fingers to his forehead for a brief moment, then grabs Kiyotaka by both shoulders as if to steady him back into a more sensible frame of mind.]

Hey, calm down a little! I'm not sayin' you need to ignore your responsibilities! Shit, get a grip! You're freakin' out way too much over this, don'tcha think?

I am--!

[Not calm at all. He takes a sharp breath and lowers his gaze.]

...I am... ashamed that I have allowed myself to let my feelings get the better of me!

[The privacy of his own room isn't a safe space at all as long as he has a roommate. It works out, though. Now he has no excuse not train himself to present himself as professional and respectable at all times, no matter what.

With that in mind, he checks his posture again and makes sure to hold his head high. Although right now he's simultaneously too exhausted and high strung to think he can keep it up for long.]

Even so... Rescheduling would make it seem as though I'm just asking for more time to prepare. Unless I could take them earlier... So I should study even harder in preparation for that possibility!

[He reaches up to put his hands on Mondo's upper arms and gives them a fond pat.]

Thank you. You've helped me figure out how I can make this work after all...! That is one less thing to worry about! I'm so relieved...

[no kiyo-tan no]

[O...kay, he didn't actually say anything reassuring to make him perk up, but whatever makes him chill out, he'll take it. He seems a lot more cheerful now, that's for sure. What a weird thing to get excited about. If it were up to him, he'd like to extend the exam date right off the calendar, not bring it closer. Not like he ever studied or even cared for them...]

Yeah. Good to hear. [He seems a bit unsure of himself for the reasons mentioned before. Also, they are totally grabbing onto each other's arms shamelessly. And for longer than what should be considered normal for anyone other than lovers.]

But you shouldn't've been worried in the first place, right? Every time I look at you, you're either studying or patrolling the halls. All I'm saying is, you study more than enough as it is. Hard work's important and stuff, but don't you think there's a point where enough is enough? It's all you do.

[Uh excuse you, there's nothing weird about the way they're keeping contact longer than necessary. The way Ishimaru slowly trails his hands down until they rest by Mondo's elbows, the way he holds his gaze, the way his normally loud voice takes on the (relatively) soft tone reserved for these private moments. It is completely unquestionably heterosexual, thank you very much.]

Enough? Effort isn't just something you can take a look at and say that you have reached some quota and can stop, you know! ...Besides, this is my... This is our second chance at living.

[Now that's weird to think about. He inhales deeply before continuing, still not letting go.]

Don't you think that we should work especially hard to make sure we can reach our goals this time?

Edited 2013-05-08 05:07 (UTC)

[Those were some pretty heavy words that leaned against his drive for living, which was all outta whack since February. No, even before then, when they were crammed in Hope's Peak, it was like that- this frustration that kicked up worse and worse the longer he stayed away from his the life he left behind, taken from him so abruptly. That frustration rose and fell these days- sometimes it was gnawing at his brain cells; others he felt calm but empty. He'd been coping pretty okay all things considered, but then again, he was used to things being there one moment and gone the next.

He'd considered the option of not living, and had been tempted to feel that dying would have been infinitely better than going on like this. But feeling the sun on his back and the life in his blood made him remember that he was alive. And that was incredible.

But what to do with this life he'd been spared next? He had ideas he'd grasped at for the future, when he'd have to grow out of his teenage bike gang phase and walk the world as an adult looking for a way to make ends meet. The idea of fixing things appealed to him, a sort of atonement for the reckless destruction he left behind in his wake. But as comforting as having some idea of what to do with himself later in life was, he just wasn't ready to move in that direction yet, nor did he want to- it felt as unnatural to him as taking two steps up the staircase at a time. He wanted his gang back. His family. He wanted the two years of time spent being young back, the years he would never have wanted to trade for anything. It was hard to accept those days as... gone. And he wasn't even twenty yet.

So maybe that's why, when Kiyotaka brought up goals, his face grew a shade sadder.]

...I guess. But I dunno if there's a 'this time' in store for mine.

What do you mean by that?

[Didn't he mention carpentry during their first night together? That seems like a skill that has universal usefulness, so it's not like being here makes it nothing more than a pipe dream. Much like Kiyotaka's own ambitions of encouraging others to improve themselves and thus the world - even Final Destination City is in clear need of change, as the former day's events proved.

Although being stuck in this strange city without a clear geographical point... more than anything, his loyalty lay with the nation he was born and raised in, the one that so bitterly lost its faith in his Grandfather when he failed at leading it. Kiyotaka wanted to bring change to Japan and to make his family's name something to be proud of again.

He can't go back to any of it. Especially not if the country is in the sorry state Naegi described when he arrived.

Mondo's stuck without the things and people he held dear too, isn't he? Besides mentioning carpentry in the sauna, he did speak so fondly of his gang. Not to mention the lengths he went to to try to prevent it from falling apart, as horrible as some of them were. That was his family.

Thinking about it just drives the point home that the two of them are from entirely different worlds, and Kiyotaka may never fully understand his brother. He can't hope to improve what he doesn't understand.

He can still try...]

No matter what, there is always something to work towards. Even here. Don't give up before you've found it!

I never said I was giving up completely. [He's not looking at Kiyotaka anymore- it's the baseboards that earn his passive attention.] I meant... my goal of keeping the gang running in my brother's stead. That's not something I can do anymore.

...They are truly that important to you, aren't they? But you know you couldn't have stayed with them forever.

I know that! [Snappy because they had this conversation before and he didn't want to be reminded of that, especially not at a time like this. He gripped onto his upper arms tighter.] But, it's different when those days are snatched right out from under your feet like this. It's jarring as fuck. I don't feel ready to leave them yet... I wanna go back!

...'Cept I can't. [His head slumps over, knuckles losing their forceful grip.] Even if I went back... Something tells me that if I was willing to throw away something as important to me as the Crazy Diamonds in favor of locking myself up inside that damn hellhouse of a school... I had to have had a good reason. Something's not right with that picture. It's all messed up. Get what I'm sayin'?

[There's a faint tremble in his arms that can be felt through their shared contact.]

...Yes. I think I understand what you're getting at.

[It's something he's put his fair share of thought into, try as he might to distract himself with all the extra studying he's been doing. As important as school is to him, he doesn't think he'd completely barricade himself and everyone else inside of one unless things were really bad.]

It's terrible to even suggest, but...

[At this point, he has to accept the very real possibility. By the feel of the tremors in Mondo's arms, he's not the only one thinking it. He drops his gaze, ashamed to officially voice his own doubts.]

For all of us to have made that decision... could it be that what was important to us outside the school was already...

[...lost? He can't help but think of those DVDs, something else he hasn't been able to banish from his mind since February. His repeated attempts to phone home ending only in the loud unpleasant ring of a call failed.

And suddenly there are tears in his eyes, because as much as the possibility had plagued his mind, there was always that hope that things would be okay. But actually talking about it makes that a lot harder to hold on to.]

Shit...! [He let his neck snap down and bob back up as he swore, then let go of Kiyotaka's arms to let them hang by his side tensely.]

Kind of a bad thing to be talking about right now, on top of your current problems...

[These thoughts ate at him every day, nibble by nibble, but he wouldn't let them take a bite before he swatted them away in fear of their grave reality. Now that he confronted it verbally and had them confirmed by someone else who understood his experiences, they chomped.

...But he shouldn't be thinking of himself. Kiyotaka was under enough stress as it was, and he didn't need to make him feel worse.]

More ugly news reports + one patronizing [video] message courtesy of Seth Richardson

[video]

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action tag more like inaction tag

baby i want your tldr

any time sweet cheeks

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Meanwhile, in the equally gay alpha timeline:

We've entered the event horizon of gay bromanship

didn't canon already do that

i hate when you're right

Re: i hate when you're right