[mostly open!] collecting friendship fragments: balance edition

[gotyourbach]

Who: Kaede Akamatsu (gotyourbach), Kokichi Oma (slieght), Maki Harukawa (erlebnisse), Shuichi Saihara (diffidentive), and YOU!

Where: assorted locations!

When: Within a few days of newbie arrival

What: a Dangan class trial meeting, and Kaede introducing her old friends to her new friends! Please let her introduce her friends

Content Warning: DRV3 spoilers likely in thread A below, others will be marked as needed!


A. Closed to Kokichi, Maki, and Shuichi

[Hardly anyone can be surprised that of all the places on the Moon she could have asked them to meet, it would be the Academy's music room. It's the place she feels the safest, after all! There's even a handwritten note on the door: CLOSED FOR A PRIVATE SESSION ♡♡♡

Kaede sits at the piano bench, because of couse she does, while she waits for the others to arrive. She pulled some chairs down from the stack for everybody to use when they get here, and she brought some safe-for-consumption snacks from Bender's café, just in case. Like the perpetually warm and soft chocolate-chip cookies! Everyone likes those.

After that, she just has to ward off the urge to play piano. It's like, right there. But she'll have time to play piano later! It's fine!]

B. Friendship Fragments - Shuichi (joint prompt with diffidentive)

[Kaede is walking with Shuichi toward the Artificer's office, chatting animatedly about -- something. Music, magic, regaling him with tales about her adventures in the Bureau, always with the most positive spin on it. But when she spots one of her friends, she grabs Shuichi's hand without warning and tugs him toward the new person.]

Hey, hey! Have you met Saihara-kun yet?

C. Friendship Fragments - Kokichi (joint prompt with slieght)

[It's nice that the Whomping Willow isn't so whomping anymore. Kaede remembers when it was literally attacking people on Maru. But it seems friendly enough now! She and a shorter boy are sitting under it, Kaede with some homework that she... hasn't started. She seems to be pouting at Kokichi for something he said until she spots someone she knows, then she's waving frantically, trying to gesture for them to come closer.]

Hey, over here! I have to introduce you to someone!

D. Friendship Fragments - Maki (joint prompt with erlebnisse

[Or, maybe, you've come to get yourself some dinner. Kaede's set up shop at a table with a rather severe-looking girl, and seems to be instructing her on Bender's rather... esoteric methods of making food. There's a dish of melting green tea ice cream in front of her that she seems to have forgetten in her animated explanation, and a few other assorted goodies that Kaede's just gotten in case Maki wants them.

She brightens when she spots a familiar face, though, waving for their attention. Maki tenses up as Kaede calls out, startled and uncomfortable. Her glare is intense, eyeing whoever approaches like she's sizing them up and judging them already.]

Hey, have you gotten to meet Harukawa-san yet? Do you have any recommendations for stuff she can order?

E. Wildcard! OTA [Wanna meet the kids somewhere else? Did we discuss another prompt on plurk? Feel free to use this log as a catch-all for that kind of thing!]

Comments

[diffidentive]

.....

[He really...hasn't known Kaede for very long, has he? Objectively, he always knew this was the case but... "inside he's really strong and cares a lot!" really drives that point home. The killing game made time pass oddly, and so he felt like he'd known Kaede for much longer than a few days. But...she really doesn't know him that well at all, does she?]

[Because he's neither of those things. He's definitely not strong in any sense of the word and while he does care, he's not sure he'd say he cares "a lot". He's not like Gonta or Tenko or Kaito...those people who care so passionately about anything or everything.]

Ah, I suppose that's true. A mouse would be good for something like that. Though...I'm not sure that it really matters. A Chemist can't summon a familiar, after all.

[gotyourbach]

Hmmmm...

[She's still pretty sure her initial assessment is right? She could go on about all the reasons why she thinks he's strong and caring and much cooler than a mouse. But arguing with Erika is really an ordeal and Shuichi himself is agreeing, so...]

Yeah, bards and paladins can't, either. Oh, but it's fun to think about, right? What if you start studying one of those paths after you're done learning to be a chemist? I'm sure you'll get there in no time!

[bu773rfly]

Concentrate on your strengths first...

[She half-mumbles that, sidelong commentary not really meant to be picked up on.

Kaede: still passively exerting conversational dominance, even on the moon. The natural order of things is maintained.]

[diffidentive]

Mmm...maybe. But I'm not really thinking about that yet. Like Mishima-san said...I'd rather focus on the path I already have before worrying about what comes next...

[Not that...he'd call being a chemist a strength per se, but it's a similar enough concept. Even if Erika didn't mean for it to be heard.]

[gotyourbach]

Oh... I guess that's true.

[Kaede takes the admonishment in stride. And also shoves her arms-full-of-books in Shuichi's direction.]

Hey, why am I carrying all these? You should carry some too, Saihara-kun!

[She... she is the one who took them in the first place... this is no one's fault but her own...]

Oh, right, Mishima-san... do you think you could talk to Miller-san again and see if he'll let you improve the bracers? You know, like adding cute filters and stuff for picture-taking.

[bu773rfly]

Has the director been giving him a longer leash to work with? Hmm.

["Cute filters"....right, Kaede, that's the first priority. Thats definitely what makes Erika's eyes go a little wide at the news, and get that thinking-not-listening look in them.]

Whether it's access, or...yeah. I could do that. Where is he?

[diffidentive]

E-eh?

[Being the doormat that he is, Shuichi doesn't point out that Kaede was the one who took the books in the first place, but just takes the entire armful with a small "oof".]

[This may as well happen.]

[gotyourbach]

Thanks!

[She lets him take the whole pile, then takes the top half back to carry herself. They can split it to both help Erika carry her things!

And then she looks back to Erika, raising both eyebrows.]

Well, the Director did put him in charge, so I guess he's allowed to do more things now. He's probably in her office?

[She'd point toward the ceiling if her arms weren't still full of books.]

We could drop these off at your room for you if you want to go see him! I'm sure nobody will move them if I just put them in front of the door. Oh, or if Aragaki-kun is home, I'll make sure he takes them.

[Shinji is just as much of a doormat as Shuichi when it comes down to it, at least in her experience. Just a bigger, scarier-looking one.]