text; un: hinatahajime

[hopefragment]

hi

i'm hajime hinata. from japan, earth. probably the most significant thing about it is a really prominent high school called hope's peak, known worldwide for cultivating talent, so if you've heard of it, that's something we have in common at least.

that's really not why i'm trying out this posting thing, though. i mean, you've all been thinking about it, right? what we're supposed to do now? nobody's in charge here. there aren't any objectives to clear. there aren't even any rules.

do we just... live here? is that supposed to be enough? are we supposed to solve the mystery of what happened on this station before we can go home, like some kind of stupid murder-mystery dinner?

i guess what i'm trying to get at is... yeah, what i said before. what do we do now? i've had enough of weird processed food and pulling open the walls in search of voices to get nothing but wires and stuff i don't understand.

Comments

[hopefragment]

[That's rough, buddy.]

that's seriously messed up! the school got rid of him after that, right?

[...Well. His expression sours, and he stares down at his hand for a moment. Considering how corrupt Hope's Peak security had turned out to be... maybe not. But if he got what was coming to him, that's all that matters.]

anyway, i'm headed to the pool now. i'll meet you there?

[ryuji]

Not really, the school wanted to cover it up, but he wound up going off his hinges and confessing to a bunch of bad stuff he did.

It was the first in a long string of weird public incidents where bad people would suddenly talk about all the horrible things they were doing.

[Heh...]

Anyway, that's the spirit! The pool's gonna be the perfect place to chill out and turn this shithole into a bonafide space resort.

Meet you there dude~

[hopefragment]

[Well, that, and talking about traumatic things like that seems better in person than over text?? That's up to Ryuji, though, because uhhh that's his tragic backstory, not Hajime's.

Anyway he's changing into a jumpsuit that he'd already set aside for the wash pile and texting on his way to the pool.]

omw now

but seriously, that happened? that's... kind of weird. not in a bad way, but i wish that kind of thing would happen where i'm from, you know?

[ryuji]

[Looking down at his communicator, he catches himself smirking. Yeah, back home, he would've eaten that shit up- just hearing that someone wishes the Phantom Thieves were back at their antics. But it's been a while, especially since... well, the heist they said that was supposed to be their last.]

They said it was caused by a vigilante group or something.

[As he makes his was over to the pool in the fitness center. Enough time to spare, even.]

action;

[hopefragment]

[He doesn't get a text back in, because he's thinking about that. A group of vigilantes, huh...? Going after bad people. It sounds like something out of a manga, when it's put that way. There's no way it would work where he's from. Besides, he doesn't know how he feels about people acting without evidence. Seems like a thorny issue.]

Oi, Sakamoto!

[He waves, lips curving into a smile.]

I'd say thanks for inviting me, but I don't know if that's the right word...

[The pool is looking pretty gross now that he's really looking at it up-close.]

[ryuji]

[There were a lot of fucked up things the Phantom Thieves did on hunches and circumstantial evidence, but it's kind of hard to explain that the majority of their suspicions were confirmed by plugging into the subconscious psyches of their victims. Another story for another time, though. Eventually, Ryuji's likely to start giving away details of his involvement in that naturally. Idiot has no tact, sometimes.

And just as the other arrives on the scene, Ryuji was laying out some of the pool nets and trying to figure out how to take on this massive undertaking. It definitely wasn't something that could be done in one session, but maybe they can make a dent. He smiles when he hears Sakamoto!]

Yo, you can call me Ryuji. I don't really care about formalities, but... whatever makes ya comfortable.

[He would say that he didn't care about it out in space, but even back home in Tokyo it wasn't that much of a deal either. What a rebel.]

Inviting you? Nah, this is punishment.

[He gives a thumbs up.

Punishment comes in a lot of different forms, huh.]

[hopefragment]

[Oh my god?? How can you ask him to be so casual so soon. This is barely their second free-time event.]

Huh? Oh, uh...

[He's visibly thrown off-balance by Ryuji's offer to call him by his first name. The only other Japanese person he calls by their first name is Haru, and that's because when a cute girl insists, he can't really refuse. When it's a boy on the other hand...?]

Sure, okay.

[...He still can't refuse. It's kind of nice, being on a first-name basis with someone so soon.

And then he tilts his head, a likely familiar-looking expression of exasperated resignation crossing his face.]

Hang on, what am I being punished for?

[ryuji]

[Because Ryuji doesn't understand free-time events, but he does understand confidant social links and these nerds are about to form one.

Ryuji moves over to grab a pool net and proffers it out for the other take a hold of.]

Every time you say you're untalented, we're gonna find something you're good at. We'll start with pool cleaning.

[Taking matters into his own hands, of course. That's the only way Ryuji knows how to get shit done.]

And besides. It'll be fun to swim around here once it's all taken care of. You'd like that too, right? Maybe you're a star swimmer and don't even know it.

[Get paddlin', kid.]

[hopefragment]

[He's grabbing that net. Let's fish some junk out of the pool!]

...Seriously?

[Is that what this is about? Hajime can't help but frown at him, a little exasperated.]

I already know I'm not talented. Doing stuff like this won't change anything, you know.

[ryuji]

[Don't frown at him, he's weak to those sort of things.

Shoulders slumping, he goes to pick up a net himself.]

Seriously.

[There's so much crap to sift through, though. Holy shit. How did it get this bad? How the fuck does algae grow in space? WHAT MONSTER COULD DO THIS?]

It's all about perspective, anyway. [Thinks about it for a minute- he probably needs to derail from this train of thought.]

And what better perspective is there than sitting around in swim trunks looking like a million bucks and sittin' poolside. Lemme see those abs! [Dumps a bit of the gross into a nearby bucket.]

[hopefragment]

[What "perspective?" Hajime just gives him a bit of a weird look, because perspective has nothing to do with it. The scouts from Hope's Peak are the only people whose opinions matter re: talent. If they never scouted him, it's because he doesn't have any talent.

He's opening his mouth to try to explain this when Ryuji comments on his abs, and he chokes a little in startled exasperation.]

Oi, oi, lets worry about that after the pool is clean.

[THEN they can worry about taking their clothes off.

He's still dragging the net through the water, but he's trying to think if there's any easier way to do that as he hauls it up and-- oh my god, that's disgusting. Horrifically gross. And the smell...]

Do you think there's like... cleaning chemicals we could try to dump in here?

[ryuji]

[Hinata has way, way too many opportunities to ask people to drop those jimmies. Either way, Ryuji notices the other grabbing a particularly vile piece of swamp ass in his net, and grimaces.

Shit, this is absolutely more than he bargained for. Pools are meant to be fun, not this amount of wretched work. And when the smell hits him, he leans his net against the floor and covers his mouth and nose.

Oh god. This was a noble thing to do- taking one for the entire station, but sometimes, offering aid and being a chump is too close in actuality.]

Somebleachwouldbereallygoodrightnow. [Takes in a breath.]

Shit.

[hopefragment]

[Can't they just skip to the part where some nice station roombas have already cleaned the pool so they can have a nice, relaxing pool party.

He gags, dropping the net in the closest bucket. This is the worst punishment ever?? Note to self, be careful using words around Ryuji.]

There has to be some with like, the tools and stuff. Right?

Maybe we can drain some of the water... unless you think that'd be even worse.

[ryuji]

[No, because relaxing never feels nearly as good when there was nothing done to be tired of in the first place. This is an accomplishment! They're going to save the station.

The previous inhabitants of this place must've meant they screwed up by not keeping this place up to code. That was probably what killed them all. Swamp monster aliens that laid their eggs in here.

Okay, he can't do this anymore. He takes a step back from the bucket to stop inhaling the righteous smell of the top layer just piled up in a bucket.]

Gonna assume the drain is down there. Y'know. Beneath that water.

Let's go find some cleaning supplies.