catch-all: majima.

[tootsiepop]

itp: i know nothing about yakuza.

Comments

w3, saturday.

[tootsiepop]

[NEAR, FAR... WHEREVER MAJIMA IS...... He's eventually going to cross paths with the resident CyberLife roomba. Connor will stop in the middle of whatever he's doing to just. Glance at him.]

... Hello.

[He's depresscito.]

[haw]

[ majima's probably hanging out and smoking on the top bleachers near the football field like a goddamn delinquent. he probably dropped out of high school when he was like 16, let him have this much.

he isn't aware of connor's presence until he speaks, at which point, he looks down and leans forward, resting his arms across his legs. ]

Hell of a trial today, huh.

[tootsiepop]

[Connor squints at the cigarette, but doesn't say anything.

... For now.]

I would say. This... was not the way I hoped things would go.

[haw]

[ a drag and exhale, which at this point is more of an automatic process than something he actively thinks about doing. ]

When is it ever? We keep hopin' no one actually murders anybody else... but ever week, like goddamn clockwork.

[tootsiepop]

Murder isn't a compulsory feature of this competition. But it seems several participants have all but forgotten about that. It's... less than ideal.

w5, sunday

[haw]

[ haha hey what's good connor. have a cool and collected majima rollin' on up to him, a lit cigarette in his mouth as usual. ]

Oi. Connor-han.

[tootsiepop]

[...]

Hello. [. . . . . .] Can I help you?

[haw]

[ he takes the cigarette out of his mouth, letting his hand drop to his side, the smoke from the cig floating skyward lazily. ]

I got a quick question for ya. Why'd ya go full aggro on me yesterday?

[tootsiepop]

I explained my reasoning during the trial.

[haw]

Not all of it.

Did ya actually have a reason to think my god was up for votin', or were ya just bluffin' to try an' force a confession outta me?

[tootsiepop]

Of course I was bluffing.

[He thought??? That was obvious???]

But if my initial suspicions had been correct, then it wouldn't have mattered.

[haw]

I dunno—dependin' on who ya talk to, word can fly fast around here, even if ya think whoever ya talked to wouldn't blab.

[ CUZ LIKE... MAYBE SO, BUT ALSO, IDIOTS EVERYWHERE, ]

Well, swing an' a miss on that one.

[tootsiepop]

... Don't worry. If you've confided in the participants I'm thinking of, your secrets should be safe.

[Or something.]

Was that all you needed?

[haw]

I'd really like to think so, yeah, but we apparently got at least a couple of good liars still kickin'.

[ ... but he's not that loose-lipped. he sighs through his nose, a little less tense than he'd appeared upon arrival. his guard isn't completely down, of course, but... it's something. connor's reassurance plays a big part in putting him slightly at ease. ]

I guess, yeah. [ pause ] I appreciate ya bein' honest with me.

[tootsiepop]

You're welcome.

[Though it lacks the usual pep behind it.]

I'm always happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

w6, tuesday oops im belatedly throwing this here too

[haw]

[ before the beatdown came a negotiation.

after the sun has set on tuesday, connor receives a visitor at his post guarding guy. this time, majima does not seem to hold any ill will or hostility toward him; in fact, he's... considerably cool and casual. hm. ]

We gotta stop runnin' into each other like this, Connor-han.

[ a straight-faced joke like that probably won't do much to lighten the mood, but he doesn't really care. ]

[tootsiepop]

[A joke that completely misses its intended target, to be precise. Connor's face is no less impassive after after Majima's greeting.]

I'm not sure I know what you mean.

[haw]

[ ... he sighs. ]

Forget I said anythin'. A joke stops bein' funny when ya gotta explain it. [ he dismisses the thought with a wave of his hand. ] I'll be straightforward with ya. Pretty sure we all agree that Guy's a piece of shit who didn't deserve to be spared this week, an' I'm lookin' to let out some pent up aggression that's built up lately the best way I know how.

Ya understand what I'm gettin' at now?

[tootsiepop]

[A beat.]

... I see. [Hm.] Though I can't find a strong enough reason to reject your proposition, I'm not sure if it would be mutually beneficial... Do you understand what I mean?

[Throwing that right back at him.]

[haw]

Name yer terms. I'm a more agreeable guy than ya might think.

[tootsiepop]

Is your current ability one that could help us during trials?

[haw]

Hard no on that one, unfortunately.

[tootsiepop]

[... Hrm. Hit and miss with that one, it seems. He thinks about it for a second, before settling on:]

You'll owe me a favor, in that case. I could use your strength in the future if you're willing to lend it.

[haw]

Is that really all ya think I'm good for? [ he's joking, but he... quickly remembers that connor doesn't always get jokes... so he follows up with, ] I'm kiddin', by the way. But yeah, sure, that's somethin' I can agree to, as long as ya don't ask me to kill anyone. That fine with ya?

[tootsiepop]

[Nuance is hard, let him live. The attempt at a joke gets him to raise an eyebrow, but little else.]

I wouldn't ask you to sully your hands, so be at ease. I find those terms perfectly agreeable.

[haw]

Hah. Then ya got yerself a deal, Connor-han. I appreciate it.

[ cracks his knuckles ]

Anythin' ya want me to keep in mind while I'm in there?

[tootsiepop]

[A beat.]

Avoid his face, neck and ribs. I want him to stay conscious, and I don't want to risk any injuries that could cause complications later on.

[Unsaid: I want him to feel it. :')]

w7, friday FINALLY

[haw]

[ it's the final friday and no one is dead and majima is here to shitpost ]

Ya already tired of yer costume change? Variety is the spice of life, Connor-han.

[tootsiepop]

[MAJIMA... It's a good thing no one died today, because otherwise he'd be 100% more done with the topic than he already is.]

It wasn't a costume change.

[It was a mISTAKE.]

[haw]

. . .

Am I allowed to ask what the hell happened to the two of ya?

[tootsiepop]

[...]

You are.

[haw]

[ beat ]

So... what the hell happened to the two of ya?

[tootsiepop]

We found Ambition's room.

[... and?????]

[haw]

[ PLEASE ]

Can ya just. Tell me the whole story. No dramatic pauses.

[tootsiepop]

[oh my god.

connor looks so weary, but. okay. sure.]

We discovered the code that would allow us to enter the penthouse in the East Wing. There, we went through her personal belongings and took a small box with us. The contents of this small box forced the "costume change" on me, albeit only temporarily.