springstreams

[springstreams]

4cutremix‌:

Okay Zeed….you are being threaten by a dangerous yet still rather cute girl. You have the martial arts skill of soft tofu and you just got a knife pointed toward you….what do you do?

“Okay i know i surprise you a little but do you have to pull a knife on me? You do this to every stranger who bump into you by accident?”

When safest bet just to play it casual. Zeed experience with conning people tell him nervousness or being WAYYY to friendly to this stranger do nothing but arouse suspicious from her. Best to play it cool as Zeed observe her a little….

Something about her remind him of a old friend.

“If i throw away my wooden sword can we at least slow down and talk a little? It’s a wooden knifes but in the right hands it can still kick my skinny ass. I’m not looking to get my ass kicked today.”

    “.. Whatever.” Maybe it was an accident and perhaps whipping out the knife wasn’t the best idea. She had confidence in her strength and skills as an assassin, but she couldn’t predict the true power of whoever she was facing. It was best not to make foolish actions she could regret later.

    “Fine. Sorry. I won’t throw this away, though.” With that, she retracted the knife and brought it back closer to her person. “It was instinct. I’m not foolish enough to wander around these streets empty handed. You never know what you might come across. That’s the reason you have that wooden sword too, right?” She wasn’t looking for a fight, but protection was a fine word to use.

    Still, she could see how it came off as a sudden action..

[springstreams]

pureryudo‌:

“Harukawa-san…” Where did that suddenly come from? It really surprised Kaede, that this still was on Makis mind… Was she feeling guilty? There was absolutely no need to! She knew after all, that she did make mistakes back then. Really, she still feels horrible for starting the first murder attempt as well. Even if she wasn’t Rantaros true killer, as it seems for now, she still gave the true murderer the opportunity to get things rolling. 

“I… I guess I do want to believe in people. It can be a stupid decisions, but… I don’t regret it! I don’t regret trusting you either! We’re friends now after all, right? I’m happy we got to meet and hang out again.” Even though there was no need for Maki to apologize to her, it still made her somewhat happy. “You know, I think it’s a good thing we have a different way of thinking! You can stop me from doing something stupid, and I think I can help you with thinking a little more positive, too!”

There was still something bothering her about the others sudden approach though: “But when you’re saying that… does that mean you don’t think of the others as your friends?” It probably would be understandable, since Maki did see how her classmates did plot to get rid of each other and a lot of them even got murdered, as she heard… It was so horrible to imagine though…

    Back then, Maki’s words felt justified. In a way, to her, they still do. She’s been in Spirale for quite some time now, but she rarely found people she felt she could trust enough to open up with. To most, she was just another person. To some, she was the Ultimate Child Caregiver. To a select few, she was Maki Harukawa. True talent and all. After talking with Kaede for quite some time now, she realized she wasn’t a bad person. Maki never thought she was bad per-say, but more-so, their ideals clashed.

    “Friends.. Right.” It felt weird saying that. Not many people ever called her that. But.. It felt nice. Was she a little flustered over the comment? Maybe, but she wouldn’t admit that. “That’s true. I don’t think of the others from our class as friends. Momota and Saihara are okay I guess. Kiibo, too. But aside from them..-- A lot happened during the killing game. I was seen as suspicious, too. I don’t blame them. It’s fine. The point is.. For the most part, I kept my distance.”

[springstreams]

shinuso‌:

Sou wasn’t really sure what odds did bring him here, but visiting a school like that sure did bring back some memories. Of course, it’s been already a while since he himself visited one. And instead of drowning in some memories that would make him regret things even more, he decided to look around if there would be any computers to use and… maybe hack into. Just to know more about this place. 

Unfortunately, he walked into some girl, but she didn’t really look like she was working here. Was that concern, or was she just trying to be mean? Ah well, whatever it was, he could entertain her with some small talk. Maybe she did know this place better than he did too.

“Ahaha, do I look like that kind of troubling guy to you? Don’t worry, I don’t intend to mess anything up in here. What about you though? You’re going to high school or something?”

    He held an air of mystery to him-- Akin to someone else she knew. It was highly unlikely he had any relations to the other person she was thinking of, though. Still, he was smart enough to realize that she was of high school age. Nodding her head at his words, she crossed her arms and glared in his direction.

    “..” She didn’t make a remark about his comment on his demeanor. Her own stance alone showed her thoughts on the situation. Maki wasn’t very good with small-talk, either. “I am a high schooler. Why do you care?” Perhaps a bit blunt, albeit a straightforward question.

    “I’m guessing you’re older than that. Are you a student here? Not that it matters to me. If you are, I’d hope you’re studying. It would be ignorant to waste someone’s time if you’re not learning anything.”

[springstreams]

❝ I am with you because you let me be with you. ❞

Crooked Kingdom Ask Meme

    “Do you want me to chase you away?” She knew Kaede’s words were true, though. When they first met, Maki didn’t trust her. More-so, she wasn’t fond of the pianist’s way of thinking. She understood the optimism in those moments, but Maki was more of a realist compared to her. She closed people off because she didn’t want to let anyone in. She didn’t see a need to invite others into her life. Things would just get complicated. Additionally, she had seen no need to blindly trust Kaede. Now, things were different.

    Kaede.. She really was friendly. Too friendly for Maki, at times. Still, she could see the blonde had good intentions. Slowly but surely, they had warmed up to become friends. “I won’t force you to sit next to me. Go off without me, if you want.”

[springstreams]

❝ I suppose you’ve got your future all figured out? ❞

Crooked Kingdom Ask Meme

    “No. I don’t.” She wouldn’t say she thought she did, but prior to both Spirale and the academy, she thought her future seemed cemented. As an assassin, she was to do her work and kill. Once she wasn’t of use anymore, she would likely have been disposed of. Maki had already seen that happen– It was part of the reason she pushed her own thoughts aside. She couldn’t let herself think about those things or her work would never get done.

    “I can’t read the future. Not that I’d want to, anyways. Even if I thought I had a plan, I doubt it would go that smoothly.”

[springstreams]

❝ You don’t win by running one game. ❞

Crooked Kingdom Ask Meme

    “I know that.” Her line of work had never been something she saw as a game. It was work, and that alone. Not something she enjoyed, not something she tried to beat anyone else in. No. With the killing game she and the others had become trapped it, the whole premise was made to be like a game. Maki didn’t care about becoming a victor. Rather, it was the simple act of ending it.

    “You win by practicing, right? It depends what you’re trying to win, exactly. Back then, there was no room for those kind of things. Sometimes, you can’t think. You just have to act.”

[springstreams]

❝ How about I push you in the canal and we see if you know how to swim? ❞

Crooked Kingdom Ask Meme

    “Why would you want to do that? Sounds like a waste of time.” Maki huffed a little at the question, but she did know that swimming was something important. It was an action she had learned to do long ago– She didn’t get to swim very often, but she did know how to stay afloat. Granted, getting pushed into a canal was hardly some sort of leisure swim.. “I can swim. You wouldn’t see anything interesting. I would notice if someone tried pushing me, in the first place.”

[springstreams]

                         * . ✧ CROOKED KINGDOM ✧ . *

                                                - STARTERS -

❝ I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you. ❞ ❝ We never stop fighting. ❞ ❝ You don’t ask for forgiveness. You earn it. ❞ ❝ When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway. ❞ ❝ Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return. ❞ ❝ Let’s not say things we don’t mean, my love. ❞ ❝ And that was what destroyed you in the end: the longing for something you could never have. ❞ ❝ Meeting you was a disaster. ❞ ❝ You are a tidal wave. You’re a stampede. You are overwhelming. ❞ ❝ How many times have you told me you’re a monster? So be a monster. ❞ ❝ I don’t hold a grudge. I cradle it. I coddle it. ❞ ❝ You don’t look like a monster. ❞ ❝ Suffering is like anything else. Live with it long enough, you learn to like the taste. ❞ ❝ I have been made to protect you. Even in death, I will find a way. ❞ ❝ You’re weak because you’re afraid of people seeing your weakness. You’re letting shame decide who you are. ❞ ❝ You probably bartered your way out of the womb. ❞ ❝ You can only sharpen a blade so far. In the end, it comes down to the quality of the metal. ❞ ❝ They don’t know who we are. Not really. ❞ ❝ Let’s go show them they picked the wrong damn fight. ❞ ❝ Sometimes, the only way to get justice is to take it for yourself. ❞ ❝ But if you couldn’t open a door, you just had to make a new one. ❞ ❝ I’ve been nothing but kind to you. ❞ ❝ How about I push you in the canal and we see if you know how to swim? ❞ ❝ Before you finish that sentence, I want you to think about what a promise from me costs and what you’re willing to pay for it. ❞ ❝ No matter the height of the mountain, the climbing is the same. ❞ ❝ We can endure all kinds of pain. It’s shame that eats men whole. ❞ ❝ I think you’d flirt with a date palm if it would pay you any attention. ❞ ❝ When fear arrives, something is about to happen. ❞ ❝ I just don’t get it. I’ve spent my whole life hiding the things I can’t do. Why run from the amazing things you can do? ❞ ❝ How many rules have you broken since you met me? How many laws? ❞ ❝ You don’t win by running one game. ❞ ❝ You take the action where you find it. ❞ ❝ We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. ❞ ❝ What you want and what the world needs are not always in accord. ❞ ❝ I suppose you’ve got your future all figured out? ❞ ❝ I am with you because you let me be with you. ❞

[springstreams]

035. What is the most important rule your character lives by? // 059. List several phrases your character is fond of uttering. Where did they pick them up?

Development Questions-- Not Accepting

35:

I think one of the most important rules she lives by is to not so easily trust other people. In DRV3, that’s one of the first things the player notices about her. Part of the reason she says that is because she didn’t think she was trustworthy herself, but another aspect is that she didn’t know anyone’s true intentions. Maki is a more closed-off person and it takes a while for her to open up to someone. It takes a lot to earn her trust-- She won’t hand it out very easily.

59:

Her most known catchphrase is her signature “Do you want to die?” It’s something I think she just picked up because she’s an assassin and she could actually kill someone if she wanted. Maki can say this either with a serious, angry intent or a more playful tsundere side. She also says “shut up” and “idiot” fairly often, but those also tend to be used more in a non-serious tone. She’s always used more blunt words because she pushed away her emotions.

[springstreams]

008 and 034 :)

Development Questions-- Not Accepting!

008. What is their favorite fairy tale?

I’ve already seen people come up with the idea of Little Red Riding Hood Maki, but listen, it’s a good idea. The concept of walking through the woods holds an eerie feel to it, kind of like what Maki does when she has to do her work. There’s dangers in the forest and the story also shows that you shouldn’t always believe everything you see.

034. What’s their view of lying?

How ironic that Kokichi asks this haha. She did lie herself at the beginning of the killing game. But, she lied about her talent with the purpose of preventing unnecessary chaos. She didn’t do it to spice anything up or intentionally keep herself in the shadows. She doesn’t necessary hate it when people lie once in a blue moon because she understands it, but there’s a degree to which she can tolerate it. If someone is known to lie a lot, Maki wouldn’t be fond of that. In some cases, it’s better to just say the truth.

[springstreams]

100 Random Character Development Questions

001. When is their birthday? 002. Do they do anything to celebrate their birthday? 003. Does your character like coffee better, or tea? 004. Do they prefer being alone or with others? 005. Are they in good health? 006. What sense do they most rely on? 007. Is your character an optimist or a pessimist? 008. What is their favorite fairy tale? 009. Do they believe in happy endings? 010. Do they believe in love at first sight? 011. How would your character court the person of their dreams? 012. What makes your character embarrassed? 013. Have they ever been bullied or teased? 014. Detail one secret shame your character feels. 015. Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? 016. What is their choice of weapon? 017. When does your character think that violence is justified or deserved? 018. Your character wakes up to find that war has been declared. What do they do? 019. If they could have a superpower, what would they choose? 020. What are their hobbies? 021. How do they display affection? 022. What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? 023. What do they consider beautiful in others physically? 024. What do they consider ugly in others physically? 025. What do they consider beautiful in others personality-wise? 026. What do they consider ugly in others personality-wise? 027. What is their idea of perfect happiness? 028. What makes them laugh out loud? 029. What sort of sense of humor does your character have? 030. Do they believe in the afterlife? 031. Are they superstitious about anything? 032. Does your character believe in ghosts? 033. Do they keep their promises? 034. What’s their view of lying? 035. What is the most important rule your character lives by? 036. How honorable is your character? 037. If your character saw someone drop a large sum of money and knew that they could probably take it without anyone noticing, what would they do? 038. What bad habits do they have? 039. What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? 040. What is their obsession? 041. Are they comfortable with technology? 042. What is their greatest achievement? 043. What will they stand up for? 044. What disgusts them? 045. Does your character have any chronic medical conditions? 046. How do they handle getting sick? 047. What was the last medical problem your character had? 048. Do they have any allergies? 049. How does your character feel about growing old? 050. How does your character feel about their own mortality? 051. If they knew they would die tomorrow, what would they do today? 052. What is your character’s worst flaw? 053. What is your character’s greatest strength? 054. Does your character want power or authority of any kind? 055. Is your character an introvert or an extrovert? 056. Has your character ever struck someone in anger? 057. Has your character ever killed anyone? 058. What is your character’s idea of a perfect day? 059. List several phrases your character is fond of uttering. Where did they pick them up? 060. What is your character’s attitude toward education and learning? 061. Does your character prefer adventure or safety and security? 062. What sort of legacy does your character wish to leave behind? 063. How well does your character handle difficult people? 064. In what ways does your character annoy others? 065. Is your character better at leading or following? Which do they prefer? 066. Does your character prefer city life or being out in nature? 067. Does your character believe in fate or destiny? 068. How strong is your character’s sense of responsibility? What kinds of things trigger it? 069. What about your character is heroic? 070. What about your character is cowardly? 071. How kind is your character? 072. In a Dungeons & Dragons game, which class would your character be? (wizard, fighter, bard, priest, ranger, etc.) 073. In a novel, what plot role would your character fill? (hero, anti-hero, sidekick, villain, etc.) 074. What is your character’s favorite game? 075. Is your character ticklish? 076. How do they express anger? 077. How often do they cry? Over what? 078. How emotionally stable is your character? 079. How easy is it for them to read the emotions of others? 080. How easy is it for others to read your character’s emotions? 081. Is your character religious? 082. What are your character’s sleeping preferences? 083. What is the first thing they say and/or do when they wake up? 084. Describe your character in one word. 085. Describe your character in three words. 086. How would your character describe themself in one word? 087. How would your character describe themself in three words? 088. Is your character quiet or loud? 089. How vocally expressive is your character? 090. How bodily expressive is your character? 091. What type of music does your character like? 092. What emotion does your character evoke in others? 093. What is your character’s goal in life? 094. Name three things most would not expect your character to be able to know. 095. Name three things most would not expect your character to be able to do. 096. How do they move and carry themselves? What energy do they project? 097. How well do they adapt to change? 098. Does your character like animals? 099. Do they talk to inanimate objects? 100. Does your character dream? If so, what do they dream about?

[springstreams]

@4cutremix​

    Compared to other people here, Maki’s weaponry wasn’t very extensive at the moment. She was able to acquire a real knife unlike the wooden one she was initially given, but she didn’t have a wide array of weapons at her disposal like she once used to. It was both a good and bad thing-- There were plenty of people in Spirale she didn’t trust and she knew how to keep up her guard. In that sense, she could tell whether or not someone would pose to be an enemy or have strength of their own. This situation posed no different for that aspect.

    Maki always carried around her knife-- As an assassin, she felt she needed it on her. Thus, when the stranger came into her sight, she whipped it out and pointed it in their direction: “Don’t come any closer.” Perhaps it was a cold greeting. Still, she sensed power. She didn’t feel threatened per-say, but she wasn’t the type to so easily believe in others.

[springstreams]

@detectivesbonds​

    There were plenty of rumors that circulated around the red light district-- Bells, fog, strange encounters.. She’d heard it all. The fog was undeniable, though. Maki wasn’t particularly afraid of it. She wasn’t concerned enough to investigate the mysteries as much as others might be, but perhaps she did hold some simple curiosity. Given it was late at night, she didn’t expect to find anyone else in the vicinity. She trusted herself enough to be able to recognize when danger was nearby-- It was a trait she felt she had developed over the years.

    Still, her background was enough to be able to help her hear even the faintest of footsteps. As the sound came closer, she turned towards it with both caution and a hint of wonder. “I can see you,” were her first cold words. Pointing in their direction, she lowered her arm and raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here? Not that I care, but this isn’t a safe area. At least, so I’ve heard. The fog alone is enough to raise warning flags. People can easily hide in it.”

[springstreams]

   @pureryudo​

    Maki never considered herself the type to go out and socialize. In fact, she rather thought that her demeanor held the opposite effect. It tended to chase people away when they heard her blunt way of speaking. Still, Kaede was never like this. Ever since they began talking more in Spirale, Maki had come to learn more about the pianist. Even if she thought some of her actions in the killing game were foolish, the blonde didn’t have bad intentions. She never really did acknowledge this to the girl, did she? Thus, when the two met up at the boardwalk, she figured she could at least address it.

    “Akamatsu,” she started. Her words are short as ever. “Remember.. Back then. I thought your way of thinking would get us killed. You trusted too easily. You still do.” At least, that was something that would be hard for Maki to shake. “But.. I get it. I guess. If you think of everyone as friends, it’s hard to imagine them killing. That’s why I was against it. I still am. Maybe I was too harsh, though.”

[springstreams]

"Heeey, miss grumpypants!~ How are ya doin'? I would have brought you cake, but I'm sure you would have found a way to somehow threaten me with it, y'know? Anyways, my presence surely is present enough, riiight? Happy birthday!~"

    “Idiot. I wouldn’t want a cake from you– I’m not stupid. If you really want to give me a present, you can go somewhere else.”

[springstreams]

@shinuso​

    Maki didn’t have any intentions on enrolling in the university. It wasn’t because she thought she was unfit for academics-- Rather, she didn’t see the benefit of pursuing it at the moment. She was an assassin. She didn’t want to be, but it was the nature of her reality. Even if she had been in Spirale for quite some time now, she could never erase the hardships of her past. Her actions ran through her head frequently, but it wasn’t like she’d vocalize this. However, her feet did end up taking her to the front of Spirale University. Why? Perhaps mere curiosity, or maybe. No. That was a thought for another day.

    Stepping inside, she was greeted by fairly empty hallways. It wasn’t overly surprising given there didn’t seem to be class on that day, though. Still, she wasn’t the only one looking around the school. Maki wasn’t the type to strike conversations, but the silence between the two in empty hallways felt rather skeptical: “I don’t really care why you’re here, but don’t leave a mess. I doubt you’d get away with it.”

[springstreams]

I’m dropping a majority of my threads due to my incompetence lol, but! If you want to keep any, let me know! I’d like to start fresh aside from that. Like this for a starter! Capping at 4 but castmates exempt.~