Nope's Peak [Day 2 Date] Kaito Momota

[pecker]

[Well, after a great deal of (somewhat put-on) fretting, Niwatori was able to pull herself together for this date and make it to the cafeteria at the time they agreed on. Compared to yesterday she looks way more normal, wearing actual clothes - a mid-thigh length purple dress that doesn't even have feathers on it, and a necklace. Surveying the room, the tables are so long that it feels a little strange to just have the two of them there, and the cafeteria has been used a lot today. Niwa's just gonna straighten some of this up a bit while she waits, but at least it meant there was already some food waiting for them.

In truth, going on a date with "The Luminary of the Stars" doesn't make her as nervous as she acts. He seemed carefree and careless, someone who wouldn't see a betrayal coming from a mile away. If she had been here to kill someone, she'd have thought being matched with him was perfect. But she isn't, which makes her a hundred times less certain about how to deal with him as a person. Either way, she's at least confident she can handle him. He seemed to like her, anyway... she just needs to keep up the momentum, and things will be fine.

Although right now, she's not entirely certain a guy like that would even show up on time.]

Comments

[liftoft]

[ Despite all potential misgivings she may have been having, Kaito does show up more or less on time, pushing the door to the cafeteria open with a flourish. He hasn't dressed up much, but he has at least made some kind of effort - his dress shirt is buttoned properly and he's put real shoes on, which is a huge improvement over the slippers and rolled up dress pants he usually wears. His coat remains stubbornly open and stubbornly off one shoulder, however - if he can't show off the glittery starred lining of his coat, then what is even the point of wearing clothes??

He grins at her - and the remaining food - hand lifted in greeting ]

Yo! Did you put this together? Damn, I feel like I need to step it up here!

[pecker]

[The time has not yet come to forsake clothes!! And she's pleasantly surprised that he's taking this at least somewhat seriously.]

Ahaha. I wish I did, but Shirou-san's basically been supplying the cafeteria all day from the look of things. All I did was tidy up a bit, oh, and save us these. You wouldn't want to miss it. Um, that is, I take it you like sweets?

....B-Because if not I actually did make a few onigiri to have around too. You can take your pick.

[Niwatori's sliding those out from hiding like she second guessed offering them with the rest of the spread here.]

[liftoft]

Oh?

[ he leans closer to peer at the onigiri ]

Actually, yeah, I'd prefer that. Can I ask why you thought I'd like sweets? I train way too much to be able to eat a lot of sweet stuff, y'know? It's hard work, being an astronaut.

[pecker]

[...All in all, more serious than she expected. She doesn't let it deter her though, smiling through it.]

That's true but... um, how to put this? You seem like... you have your own pace. So astronaut or not, I figured if you didn't hate them from before then you wouldn't hate them now...

But, really that's fine, I'll just eat the sweet stuff and you can have what I made!

[At least the onigiri don't look half bad.]

[liftoft]

[ he gets a lot of people that way ]

Ha, well, you're not wrong about that, and I don't hate them! But even if they were my favorite, since we're on a date I'd prefer to eat what you made! I mean, that just makes sense, y'know? You went to the trouble, and it's special...

You said you represent your clan in a tournament, right? Is cooking part of that?

[pecker]

Special, huh? I've never really been on a date before, so I didn't know.

[She just thought it made sense since they're in a cafeteria.]

Oh, umm... not really. I mean you need to eat to keep your energy up, but I said I was a warrior. And the Juuni Taisen's a real, all-out war between the twelve. You know, like a Battle Royale...

I-I just... put it like a competition cause I didn't want to freak you out... we only had five minutes after all.

[liftoft]

A war? What--why?! What's the point of doing that...? Someone like you shouldn't have to do something like that!

[ at least he doesn't seem 'freaked out' so much as just... discontent ]

[pecker]

[A small giggle escapes.]

See? I knew you'd react like that... you're a nice guy after all.

[Taking a bite of a peach mochi as she mulls that over.]

I know I don't seem like it, but I've been training for this really hard as well. I'm only in the Niwa clan because they saw my potential. I didn't have anywhere to go, anyways... So someone like me is actually the best one for it. I have a game plan and nothing to lose.

[liftoft]

Nah, I didn't mean you didn't look like you weren't training or prepared for it. But y'know--if you have that much drive and nothing to lose, you could do anything. It's a waste for you to be fighting a war! That dream's way too small for someone like you!

[pecker]

[For a minute, she just blinks. Doing something else doesn't seem like an option to her, but she's never really thought about it before.... what are dreams really worth in a world like this? But they're 'dating' right now, so she'll humor him.]

... S-Sure, I'll keep that in mind, but I don't think it's possible to get out of once it's already started.

[She takes another nibble of the mochi. He's only bugging her a little, but it's not really him.]

There's this woman... Sharyu the monkey. Who is trying to do a ceasefire... but that's just a fantasy.

[Her heart feels a bit heavy when she says it, though. Seriously, what's wrong with her? She should change the subject. Anything.]

By the way, when you said you want to spread the goodness of humanity to space? What was that about?

[liftoft]

What do you mean? It's exactly what it sounds like! Here, it's like this--the universe is huge, right? Huge and dangerous and cruel, but beautiful and full of infinite possibility, too! And when you turn around and look at the earth from out there... you feel really small and insignificant, but also really important!

Y'know... everyone who's ever done anything did it right here! From the most important, most famous, most influential ruler or smartest scientist down to the least important, most-ignored person. Every single one of them lived and died on the same small planet, so... who says what's impossible? Who says something's a fantasy? Why shouldn't you dream as big as you can, why shouldn't you reach out and grab your destiny? Why can't you be just as big as anyone else who's ever lived?

And it's that kind of thing that I want to bring into space - humanity can do anything! Humanity should do anything, and the universe is the stage it should play out on!

[pecker]

[By the time he's done talking, her chin is resting on her hand, and she's just kind of staring at his face. Yeah, of course he'd say she's wrong about Sharyu, but... how was she supposed to survive like that? Trying to be big would only make her feel smaller as she is now, more weak.]

You talk like someone that's never met an evil person in their life, never had any obstacles in their way... but, a world like that doesn't exist even for normal civilians. I don't know how you'd ignore that, so you must be confident...

I don't have confidence. If I get my wish, that's... that's what I'm going to wish for. I thought I'd just keep being a fighter, now that I could be proud of it. I never thought it would be a waste, though.

[She'd ask herself why she'd tell him that, but the fact is she's never realized doing something else was an option before. He's the first one to even say she could. She really should have just kept him talking about himself from the beginning - even that's hard to deal with, though, when he's like... that.]

... Here's what I don't get. You said everything happens on Earth. Then, why do you have to go to space for your message? Is there anyone out there for you? Or do you just think people will listen to you if you've walked on Mars?

[liftoft]

Of course I've met evil people and had obstacles, what are you saying? I get it--not everyone can live like I do. The universe is too big for them! If you're scared, then don't look out at the sky, 'cause it'll swallow you up.

But for me... I want to live a life without limits, and that's why I need to go to space! Then I'll come back, and tell other people! I'm not going to be the only one! It's our destiny to go as far as we can.

I want that for you, too, y'know? Don't let your life stay small, don't just wish to get what you want. You don't have to wish for confidence! You can get it right now, with your own hands, and it'll mean so much more to you if you do!

[pecker]

Hey, careful~ I look at the sky way more often than you think, you know?

[Well, it's the birds in the sky who see it and then she sees through them. He doesn't know that, so she will nitpick this metaphor, because she kills by pecking. If the sky swallows her up... it will be because she told its inhabitants to. They deserve it.

Anyway, she finds it hard to believe that he suddenly cares about someone he met yesterday. But listen to him. He probably thinks he can teach a chicken to fly. If she keeps arguing with him, this will last forever.]

...Wow, Kaito-san. I feel more confident already.

[liftoft]

Heh, well, if that's true then I'm happy, but you don't have to agree with me just because, either! That's kinda what I mean, y'know--you exist, you take up space in the world, so lemme know it! Tell me I'm wrong, if you think so--tell me what your truth is! You exist as much as I do!

[ he takes one of the onigiri though, to eat, watching her expectantly ]

[pecker]

[Seriously...? Her fake smile falls off, as she takes another snack with a slight laugh.]

Are you actually having fun like this?

[liftoft]

Sure I am. I don't wanna sound like I'm arguing with you--I care 'cause I think you're pretty cool!

[pecker]

No, I didn't think you were arguing, exactly, but...

[She trails off, sighing slightly.]

Making something meaningful... I don't really believe things have that much meaning, or even if they have to. Even confident people still mess up, and timid me still has a lot of victories. I only thought of a wish because if I won, I'd get one. I only fight because I'm following orders. If we were going to use another sky metaphor, you could say that I follow the wind. A-And that's what a bird is supposed to do...

[She pauses to take a particularly big bite of the snack she just grabbed.]

... I don't think anyone's ever called me 'cool' though. That's a new one.

[Cute, maybe. And to be fair, she doesn't hang out with a lot of her peers who would use that casual of a term.]

[liftoft]

Huh... "supposed to do". Sure, but what about what you want to do? You probably haven't thought about that much, right? Maybe you should! Like I said--it could be anything!

You might even decide that fighting is what you want, but as long as you're doing it for you, then it doesn't matter what it is.

[pecker]

[He's got her there, she really hasn't. But there was always a reason for that, wasn't there?]

W-What I want most right now is... just to keep on living... things that will make me get softer aren't going to help with that.

[She pauses. That's not a hundred percent true...]

Well, if everyone else is dead by the time I get back, I might have some kind of chance. That's probably not what you want to hear though!

[liftoft]

Softer? You think having a goal and a dream makes you soft? That's totally backwards! When you know what your destiny is, then you can make it through anything, y'know? Everything you go through--that's just what comes before!

[pecker]

Ah... really...

[She's doubtful, but she doesn't really have an argument for that one. She just... simply wouldn't know.]

W-Well, anyway, do you like the snacks, Kaito-san? This wasn't really how I planned the date to go, but you could at least let me know if they're good or not.