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Post by notdomino on Jan 7, 2024 9:11:49 GMT
Ivan had been mulling over this for a while now. Maybe it was an understatement. In Nocturne's class the young hero felt as though he were channeling his father too much, judging people harshly and dictating his own opinion as if it were fact. He couldn't survive a school life like this. Something like friends... something he actually wanted for himself, would be non-existent if he kept it up this way. The blonde paced back and forth in front of Hokori's door. This was the first of many. Next on his list was Tanzo...Faliwah... even Flynn. While he was used to berated at home, he knew words could be like venom for others...
"I..." He practiced as he paced. "Look, I'm..." He'd knock on the door to force himself into action. He'd pace all day if he let himself. He inhaled sharply, and steeled himself. Most people would put on a smile, Ivan's expression wasssss. Let's leave that for Hokori to decide.
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 7, 2024 14:07:29 GMT
"Yo, come in! It's open, make yerself at home, don't be a stranger, forreal!"
If Ivan took the invitation, he would find himself in a very cluttered, very full room. Instruments lined the walls, band posters in the spaces between them. There were CDs, Vinyls, cassette tapes across every surface, and the bed was a vivid, clashing collection of colours and patterns.
Hokori sat up from his position of lying on his bed, tucking his legs under him. The last person he expected had walked through the door. He frowned, then grinned.
"Hey, what's up, dog? Come in, hey, lemme make you some room."
Hokori hopped up, taking a pile of clothes from a chair and chucking it into a corner, before jumping back onto the bed, watching Ivan with curious interest.
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Post by notdomino on Jan 8, 2024 6:21:03 GMT
He flinched at Hokori's response. Come in??? Was it that easy? No way... right?b "Um... if you'll have me." Ivan stepped into Hokori's room but it felt like he was whisked away into somewhere else. It looked more like an old music store than a room, Hokori's world. His eyes rolled over many different artists and genres. Unconsciously he'd point at some of the things he could recognize. When the boy gave him some space to sit, Ivan snapped back into reality. It didn't dawn on Ivan that maybe Hokori was someone who didn't take things to seriously. Perhaps he wasn't mad at Ivan at all... He could only wonder until he brought it up. So he did.
"I, ugh... just don't feel to good about how I treated everyone. Just thought I should at least say sorry, ya know?" He'd start. "Nocturne's class is philosophy and I see now he was only picking topics that would get us riled up and excited. I think I got too caught in thinking I was right... That's all. It was supposed to be a conversation, but a lot of us turned certain subjects into a full debate. S-sorry about that...." He gave a slight bow from the seat allowed to him.
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 10, 2024 12:50:14 GMT
Hokori lay back on his bed, arms behind his head, the very antithesis of Ivan's straight-backed and tense posture. He listened, obvious and attentive, until Ivan bowed and apologised. There was a moment of silence while Hokori chewed over the words, then he sat up with a grin.
"Aah. Yer so formal! Of course it's chill, dude. We were chattin' our minds, and that's somethin' that will always lead to heat. Despite my outward attitude, I got some fire in me, yo! A lot of topics that get me burnin'."
He scooched towards the edge of his bed, legs dangling over the side, arms still resting behind his head.
"Don't worry yerself, mate. You an' I, we're cool! I was thinkin' how nice it would be to get ta know yer, and then here you are. Groovy, real groovy!"
Hokori grinned, then rose to his feet.
"Hey, ya like music? Lots of good British tuneage that you guys did. I think in a world without heroes, music would be the thing to bring everything together!"
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Post by notdomino on Jan 11, 2024 6:20:32 GMT
Ivan gulped as Hokori prepared his response. It... oh wow. The kid was so easy going. His brain fizzled as he struggled to figure out what he was fretting about. Was every apology on his apology tour going to be so easy. The response was so jarring, Ivan didn't even register all that the boy had said. In fact, he very literally only caught on to the last portion. "Music?" Well he did have an extensive collection. It was impressive in it's own right. Most music media had gone digital ages ago. Could it mean!?!?! Ivan spun toward the CDs. Surely a music fanatic like him would have the music he listened to in the mansion. The other part of Hokori's sentence finally registering, "I don't listen to much new music. Mostly old stuff, American stuff, too. I originally wanted to move to America, but family thought it'd be nicer if they put me on a leash here... and close to Emily, who's been my best mate since a kid." It... he wasn't going to outright tell Hokori he had close to no friends. He could quite literally count on his fingers everyone he was close with. Why would anyone admit being in such a sorry state? ANYWAY, "Anyway... there it is. This guy's music is ancient!" It was Tony Bennet. He walked over to the cd player and glared at it long and hard. Just... put it in right? He'd do just that, although he struggled a bit before figuring it out. More apparently, he had the music taste of an old fuddy duddy... which was actually pretty understandable since a large allotment of his time was with his elderly butler when not training.
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 13, 2024 15:48:58 GMT
The choice made Hokori grin from ear to ear. Ivan had some taste! Aside from Youta and Faliwah, most of the other students just seem to listen to new and popular music. To hear a golden oldie was refreshing. Hokori watched Ivan loosen up, a side of him that he didn't realise the other boy had. Hokori knew little about British culture, but he wondered if it could be as intense as Japan. Had Ivan been made to train hard his whole life?
"Hell yeah, dude! This is my jam, right here! I dig American stuff, 'specially a lot of the older stuff."
He tucked his legs underneath him, fingers tapping on his knee along with the rhythm.
"I've always wanted to go to America. Hit up a real blue's bar an' just vibe out. When I'm a Pro-Hero, I'll get time, I hope. I wanna travel a lot, hit up some of the top music spots. Yer ever visit Abbey Road? I wanna stand where the Beatles did, all those years ago!"
Hokori smiled to himself, wistfully.
"Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong generation. Definitely the wrong place. I shoulda been American, or British, for real."
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Post by notdomino on Jan 17, 2024 5:00:19 GMT
He was glad they could bond over music. Honestly, that and food were the easiest things one could bond with someone over. The brit hummed along to the tunes as he tuned into Hokori's words. He couldn't relate much to being born in the wrong generation. "I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be." He said. It was interesting that there outlooks were so different. To him, the beatles' cross walk was just that, a cross walk. He loved the older music, but he found no comfort in being far from the action. He never thought of traveling too much, it was just something that happened from time to time when the family all got together. A hero was the only thing, he'd ever thought about and yet everyone his age seemed to be so focused on other things. In a way, he envied that, but he could never surrender himself to... well. What exactly? Living?
He rubbed his chinned, and stared at he cd. Did all this hard work and training mean he wasn't living? He felt like he was... "You pick the next song." He ruffled his own hair, as if wiggling his fingers into his scalp would rid him of these overly deep thoughts.
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 18, 2024 15:02:22 GMT
"Ah, easy, easy!"
Hokori pushed another CD in, flicking through the tracks and finding-
"Yeah! This is my jam, yo. Bit of a change of pace, but that's just life!"
Hokori leaned back, watching Ivan with keen eyes. He was so confident, stoic and intense, but there was something else underlying all of that. What drove him? What spurred him onwards? Hokori didn't have a plan for the future. He was making his own path as he went. Had Ivan already made his path? Or had someone else?
"So where does this all take ya, in the end, if yer just where you wanna be? Becomin' a Hero, obviously, but what's yer goal beyond that? I know we're treadin' back into territory that had you apologisin' again, but you genuinely interest me, dude. I ain't ever met anyone with a drive like yours, forreal!"
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Post by notdomino on Jan 19, 2024 3:55:06 GMT
Now, here was an curious choice. Wasn't this in an old movie or something? He closed his eyes, and swayed along, head bobbing to the beat. Not a bad pick at all. His eyes dodged Hokori's though they found their way back to the kid. The end? What more was there to it? His eyebrows furrowed at the question, mainly because he didn't have an answer. He never even fathomed a life outside of this. "Do I need a goal beyond being a hero? If I can help people, I'm happy." He said flatly, thought his expression quickly grew remorseful afterward. He stated it as if having other interests was a bad thing. It clearly wasn't his intention, but he was already living his dream. Anything knocking off his current path would be considered a distraction...
He pushed himself a bit further, regardless of how it came out. "Do you see being a hero as something so small, it can't be someone's dream. They HAVE to be something after? I'll be satisfied when evil is snuffed out. Whether now, or when I'm an old fart shitting out dust and tapioca. " He snarled, not at Hokori in particular. It was just his passion as a hero. His family's teachings were etched into his very being, but in this case it wasn't a bad thing. He believed in justice to his very core, and would fight on that side no matter what or how long it would take. He blinked. FUCK, he did it again. "Sorry..."
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 20, 2024 21:55:52 GMT
Ivan might feel shame, but Hokori was grinning. He flipped himself up as the song ended, putting the CD back in and spinning around to face the other boy.
"Hey man, it's cool! I just wanted to see what yer true intentions were. You wear yourself pretty plainly on yer sleeve, and I truly admire that, man. Ain't nothing wrong with that. You've got a true determination to be a Hero for the sake of others. That's rad, dude, totally rad."
He shrugged as he gestured vaguely to the outside world in general.
"Yer the kind of old-school Hero that ain't in fashion much, and I dig it. Me, I struggle to find focus. I wanna be a Hero to save people like my mum, an' to make people feel safe beyond that, but... I got music, and Jack, an' a lot of other stuff that fills my brain. Knowin' there's someone like you who really has that singular drive... it makes me respect you, dog."
Hokori nodded sagely, flopping back to the bed.
"Though yer seem to get so defensive. Did people tell ya that you ain't got the right convictions or goals before? 'Cause it ain't the case. Yer a true-blooded hero-in-makin', and I can see ya doin' amazin' work as soon as ya graduate! I wish I had half the focus that you do, Ivan. Anyway, it's yer turn fer the next tune!"
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Post by notdomino on Jan 23, 2024 7:18:09 GMT
Speaking of Beatles, he'd put them on. He stirred. "Relationships are so pointless." He said with a huff. It's not that hadn't tried. He just ended up hating most people over time. Perhaps he was one of the "aromantics," a person with no drive for romance. Maybe he just hadn't come across the right girl. Whatever. "Well, all I've got to compare myself to is my whole family, and even Emily's. They're practically royalty over there." The boy didn't want to get in the gruesome details despite it being far more than being just a legacy kid. Just the term legacy kid had a stress of its own. The nice part about japan and their hero culture was that they focused on their own heroes. Relationships... Heroics... even friendships.... "I'll figure it out though." He wasn't pessimistic, just realistic of what he was in the now. He'd recently joined SPR, so he felt like he was on the right track. Something sprinkled into his mind, soon swelling into a full thought. "You give too many compliments... rather you should project that energy onto your goals instead of sounding so unsure of yourself. You can't find focus, cause you're too nose deep in everyone else's crap." It was... advice? He was trying to be nice, as harsh as it sounded. |
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 23, 2024 12:48:00 GMT
Hokori mused on this as the song came on. Was that what he did? He was hella empathetic, and seemed to care about everyone else's business... perhaps Ivan had a point. Not about relationships, of course. Hokori wouldn't give up Jack for the world, but... he looked back at Ivan, giving him a wry sort of smile.
"Yeah, maybe you've on point, man. The most progress I made was when I was focused on myself. I mean, it was so I could beat Jack in a sparring match, but whatevs, ya dig? It was still time I spent with me, just me."
He swung his legs out, laughing out loud suddenly.
"But ya gotta let people in sometimes, too! Hell, relationships might be a chore, but ya need some outside perspective too. Heroes work together a lot of time in their careers. If ya wanna enjoy bein' a Hero, then don't'cha think ya gotta open up a bit more, dawg? Like, right now. Ya didn't have to come apologise, right? But there's no escapin' my friendship now!"
Hokori grinned, tapping Ivan on the shoulder with his fist.
"But for real... don't go introvert all the time. Try findin' a few friends that ya really vibe with. Those'll be the relationships ya wanna hold onto fer life, for real. 'Cause it'll make yer mind stronger, by makin' ya heart weaker, if ya get my drift? A bit of vulnerability ain't a bad thing, yo!"
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Post by notdomino on Jan 25, 2024 8:08:20 GMT
Ivan listened and he listened well. It seemed this pipsqueak had more wisdom than what he was letting off on their first encounter in class. As good as it sounded, it pissed him off a bit, but then again, most things pissed him off. In fact, it was going against some of the core principals instilled in him from his family. "I'd rather die than make myself weak. I exist to be a pillar of justice, nothing more nothing less." These weren't his words of course. They were practically programed to come out whenever he was challenged. He folded his arms and glared at Hokori. "You said it yourself... the moment you focused on you, you became a lot stronger." He tilted his head as he looked to Hokori. "Bonds are good to have, but holding them too close to your chest will do nothing but get you killed."
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Post by Beriadan on Jan 28, 2024 10:35:07 GMT
"True! But if I didn't have bonds, I wouldn't have thought to get stronger! It's a social dilemma, man. My advise? Do what makes ya happy!"
Hokori grinned as he chose the next music. This was actually a vinyl, and he pushed a pile of assorted musical stuff from the top of an old-fashioned player.
"Sometimes I wonder what I'd do if it were a situation between Jack and my life, an' the answer is always the same. That boy'd get me killed, that's forreal. But I don't mind, y'know? I'd rather be the kinda Hero that lays down his life for his friends, than the kind that can't make that choice, 'cause he ain't got any."
Hokori shrugged as he placed the vinyl on the player.
"Not that I'm sayin' ya don't have friends, don't take it the wrong way. After all, a man of your music taste? We're, like, besties now!"
He grinned at Ivan again, jumping back onto the bed, watching the Brit with a cool, level gaze.
"Vulnerability ain't necessarily weakness. It just means you're human, ya dig? I ain't wanting to lose sight of my humanity. But if keeping a distance makes ya happier, more secure... then fuck it, ya know? I ain't here to tell ya what to do! I'm just spittin' my own feelin's at ya, buddy. That's what friends do!"
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Post by notdomino on Feb 2, 2024 20:19:21 GMT
Ivan's gaze slowly grew into a glare as Hokori spoke. As much as he said it wasn't him telling Ivan what to do, it sure felt like it. Maybe Ivan was just always overly defensive... No... right? He never found much fault in his rigid behavior, but it was mainly because it took him a while to process his rights and wrongs... -At least on a personal level. When it came to heroics rights and wrongs were more black and white. He wasn't a fan of the nuances that came with these relationships. He tried to review his friend count once more. Yoichi was easier to talk to. They had some similarities they could relate over. Ouju was an acquaintance, and Youta was extremely chill and fun. Wakaba... was also an acquaintance and Tommy was a Rival of sorts. He'd known Emily since foreve- "Mhmm..." He had a whopping SIX friends. He had all the friends. HOW DARE HE? Hokori was quick to adjust his statement. Besties? He'd never had one before... What exactly did it entail? Was he supposed to treat him like he treated Emily? Emily was a childhood friend, he treated her like a cousin. Regardless, his face wouldn't show it but he'd cherish the sentiment. "Good to know..." Honestly this conversation was way more than he bargained for, and possibly more than he could handle right now. "I'm going to go train in a few. Wanna come or do you wanna sit on your ass all day?" |
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