(Student)
SHSL Con Artist
(Year 2)
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Post by Hoshi Kisuragi on May 6, 2016 11:28:53 GMT
 I wont be sorry for what I've done. You can trust me.
Nor for what I'll be doing.
One day I wrote her name upon the strand, But came the waves and washèd it away: Again I wrote it with a second hand, But came the tide and made my pains his prey.
The life of a con artist is one filled with love and loss, of the high and lows that the tides of life and time leave behind as they recede from shore. Occasionally they drag back to the cold depths those that were left unclaimed - forsaken bits and pieces, shards of the past omitted from memory.
Vain man (said she) that dost in vain assay A mortal thing so to immortalise; For I myself shall like to this decay, And eke my name be wipèd out likewise.
But there were some things that could never be forgotten. For instance (as cliche as it may be), the name of a dear childhood friend. The times when you laughed together, cried together. The feeling of her hand against yours during a pointless stroll, or when an umbrella meant for one shared between two. Those precious few words last exchanged, her final moments, and the silence thereafter.
Not so (quod I); let baser things devise To die in dust, but you shall live by fame; My verse your virtues rare shall eternise, And in the heavens write your glorious name: A part of her lives on in him, and a part of him lives now for her.
Where, when as Death shall all the world subdue,
Our love shall live, and later life renew.
- Edmund Spenser
He was once known as the SHSL Lip Reader, a curious man who never once took off his black and white mask. This peculiar habit continued even after the academy found him out for who he truly was, leading thus to a final change in title.
Today was the day when the mask was to go. It was the start of the SHSL Con Artist's second year, and wanting to fully adjust to life at HPA, Hoshi had made the announcement earlier this week. Looking at the growing crowd of students in gathered in the cafeteria today.. a part of him was nervous, scared that this chosen path would lead to the downfall of the Con Artist, but he decided to march on ahead regardless of the outcome. He had done his research extensively. He's prepared for this big moment. If Fate were to have his story end here.. well, at least he could say that it's been a hell of a journey.
The tip of his fingers curled around the hard edge of the mask. He calmed his beating heart. Taking a deep breath, he pulled it off, revealing beneath the calm smile of a fully collected man. He bowed, greeting everyone honestly for the very first time."I'm Hoshi Kisuragi, your resident Con Artist. It's a pleasure to finally be able to meet all of you face to face."
Words: 684 | Tags: n/a | Notes: Hoshi's back, baby! hoodie buddies ftw
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(Student)
SHSL Procrastinator
(Year 2)
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Post by Daniel Saotome on May 6, 2016 12:22:50 GMT
 I like to take my sweet time doing things.
After all, it's not like the world ends tomorrow, right? Words: 362 | Tag: @username | Notes: notes here "Interesting developments...", Daniel remembered those words a person spoke, or rather, typed to him when he was playing a particular online game instead of studying.
He was told those words when he told that person he was going to attend Hope's Peak Academy as the SHSL Procrastinator one year ago. After joking about it for a bit, that person actually congratulated Daniel, and said that he would have to watch out for any 'interesting developments'.
Daniel was sure of one thing, though: that person with the username he'd recognize anywhere apparently loved to be mysterious.
The day was not long after Daniel's second year at Hope's Peak began. After getting up from his bed and attempting to go to class, he noticed that he stepped on something unusual and paper-y.
He picked the object up and saw that it seemed to be something like a letter. It read as follows:
"This is important. Please meet me in the Cafeteria of Hope's Peak Academy. I have something to say to all of you. I await your presence.
-signed: maskedintentions5894"
The Procrastinator's eyes widened when he saw that username. That was the person who congratulated him a year ago!
With a spring in his step, he hurried to the Cafeteria of the prestigious school, where already several students are coming in, and there are many more coming by the second. He walked as close as he can to the blonde boy without bothering other people to hear what he had to say.
When he introduced himself as the Con Artist, Daniel was confused, before realization struck him.
"Wait, is this who I think it is? It's been on the news that there was a Con Artist who used to be the Lip Reader... I gotta take a chance and ask him."
Moving a bit closer to the blonde boy in front, Daniel began to speak. "Excuse me, please, but are you perhaps the former SHSL Lip Reader? You know, it was on the news that there was a title change from SHSL Lip Reader to SHSL Con artist."
If he was wrong, then Daniel would have embarrassed himself so badly, he wouldn't believe it.
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(Student)
SHSL Trickster
(Year 2)
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Post by Willow Fey on May 6, 2016 13:39:09 GMT
In the short time Willow had been attending Hope's Peak he had noticed the so called SHSL Lip Reader. The trickster hadn't bought it for a second. Why the hell would a simple Lip Reader need to conceal his face? Especially considering a mask would reduce the field of vision and thus make it harder for one to do their job.
No, Willow was sure this man had talent, but merely of a different kind.
On the internet he had long heard of a young man who rivaled himself in terms of trickery. A con artist of the highest degree. He conducted his research on the topic and apparently one of his usernames was, "Maskedintentions" or something like that, followed by a string of numbers. A worthy username for a con man but Willow, who knew enough about masks himself, knew that sometimes adding a physical element to the metaphor could be appropriate.
All and all it only took him a few short days to put two and two together. This masked man was likely the Con artist he heard so much about. It was a bit of an exhilarating feeling, having this sort of information. Everyone else seemed to buy it, which made sense. He was good at deceit after all, good enough perhaps to fool even Hope's Peak. Having this knowledge could come in handy in a whole host of ways. He could run one hell of a trick on him, or perhaps reveal it at any appropriate time after collecting the relevant online evidence, maybe he could even approach him. The Con artist might be helpful in accomplishing Willow's goals after all.
Then the Con artist announced that he was going to make an announcement. It was possible that he was going to double down on his lies, or potentially to reveal his true identity. The question was, if he was truly confessing was he found out by HPA and forced to? Or was this part of a larger deception? People knowing he was a con artist could lead to all sorts of interesting cons in and of themselves after all.
Then he made his announcement and finally revealed it all. His name Hoshi Kisuragi, his talent Ultimate Con Artist. A voice whispered that this whole situation was too fraught with potential danger to get involved in. Hoshi could very well be or turn into his enemy after all. This could all go horribly wrong and jeopardize his primary objectives.
Still, the Trickster couldn't resist. This was all far too exciting. Whether friend or foe Hoshi was an interesting person. Either way Willow was just fine with it. A man is defined as much by the quality of his enemies as his friends after all.
After a nod of greeting to Daniel, Willow set his gaze on Hoshi. It was sharp and analytical. He was absorbing as much information as he could from the Con Artist. This scan revealed frustratingly little, save that he had a bit of sadness in his eyes. Not uncommon at this school. Not uncommon anywhere really.
After holding this gaze for a few moments, Willow dropped it and a friendly smile appeared on his face.
"Hello, my name is Willow Fey and I am the Ultimate Trickster. Judging by our talents alone I believe we have much in common. Perhaps it would be worthwhile for both of us if we got to know each other?" Willow said. His charming mask was on but loosely. He allowed the con artist to see a bit of the excitement behind his eyes.
He couldn't help but wonder what could possibly happen next. Hope's Peak had not disappointed yet.
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(Student)
SHSL Con Artist
(Year 2)
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Post by Hoshi Kisuragi on May 6, 2016 14:46:41 GMT
I wont be sorry for what I've done. You can trust me.
Nor for what I'll be doing. He couldn't have wanted this to play out in any other way - the first one to approach him was none other than his great buddy, Daniel Saotome. Looking at him here in the flesh brought back memories of when he was first told about the Procrastinator's invitation. Oh man, what a laugh he had that day. To think that he was able to play a part in the SHSL Procrastinator's talent was almost too funny a thought to to bear. Their conversation went something along these lines.---- "okay, Maskedintentions, I'm attending Hope's Peak"
"as what?"
"as the SHSL Procrastinator"
"LOL"
"no, really" "Guess all those times you played games with me instead of studying paid off." -Daniel makes a photo of the invitation letter and shows it to Hoshi-
"I'm glad that I had a part to play in such a great title. I'm happy for ya, buddy." "haha, thank you! you know, I couldn't fake this letter even if I tried"
"maybe if you put it off long enough, you might just be able to."
"lol. anything I should watch out for?"
"If all goes according to plan, maybe we'll be able to see each other in the hallways soon enough. Just keep an eye out for any.. interesting developments over there." "...interesting developments?" " "
---- "Daniel, Daniel!" Hoshi called out, brimming from ear to ear. "Yeah, Hope's Peak found me out. They made me change my title, which was a pity. I liked being a lip reader." Slinging an arm over the Procrastinator's shoulder he brought him in close, whispering "I told ya that something interesting would happen, didn't I?" before flashing a cheeky grin.
His attention was then caught by the sound of a smooth-sounding voice, and Hoshi wondered for a brief moment if this might have been him. Turning over to face the speaker, a silent 'Ahah!' immediately rang out. Before the black-hair even finished his introduction, Hoshi interrupted him. "The fabled Willow Fey. I was wondering if you would show up." Locking eyes with the Trickster, the Con Artist bore his teeth and grinned. It was a look that showed telltale signs of one dangerous undertone, reflecting back at Willow the excitement that they both happened to share. Placing his hands in his hoodie's pockets, Hoshi took a step forward and bent down, looking at the Trickster now with an upward gaze. "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing, about how it would definitely be.. worthwhile. It's nice to meetcha, Mr.Fey"
Words: 417 | Tags: n/a | Notes: N/A
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(Student)
SHSL Procrastinator
(Year 2)
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Post by Daniel Saotome on May 7, 2016 16:42:15 GMT
I like to take my sweet time doing things.
After all, it's not like the world ends tomorrow, right? Daniel happily embraced Hoshi slinging his arm around his shoulder and beamed in his face.
"Ah, yep. It's really a shame, but actually fooling Hope's Peak for a year is a feat in itself, I think.", Daniel said. "I think nobody knew just what you were pulling off."
He paused for a bit, then continued speaking. "I'm curious, though, how did you get found out in the first place? I mean, for someone of your caliber, you should have been able to spend all four years on Hope's Peak as the SHSL Lip Reader, right?"
When Hoshi whispered into his ear, the Procrastinator nodded. "Damn right.", he answered. "Didn't expect this at all."
He then stood idly by as Hoshi and the mysterious Willow Fey, who greeted the Procrastinator in a friendly manner, interacted. Daniel wasn't sure if he should step in if push came to shove, so for now he was content just watching. The brown-haired boy could just feel the tension between the two.
Suddenly, a very strange thought popped into his head.
"If this was a romantic manga of sorts, the two would totally kiss right now... I mean, I wouldn't be against it..."
He then shook his head, trying to get that image from his mind out. He wasn't like that. He just wanted to see what would happen next.
As long as it wasn't trouble, or anything.
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(Student)
SHSL Trickster
(Year 2)
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Post by Willow Fey on May 9, 2016 20:02:42 GMT
Fascinating. Hoshi already proved that he wouldn't be boring with a single look and a few short sentences. Yes, he looked just as keen to play a game as Willow was himself. The only question is what would the nature of this game be? Willow belived he could get an insight into that immediately.
"Fabled huh? I wouldn't go as far as all that. Infamous maybe. But you...yes I would say fabled fits you pretty well. The top of the line con artist that people have been comparing me to for quite some time now. Yes..it's good to meet you face to face Maskedintentions." Willow said, pausing briefly to allow the impact of the line to sink in. "As for why I am here well...I couldn't very well miss something like this. Our fields are too closely associated with one another for me to miss your little coming out party. Besides I am sure there are quite a few of our "followers" so to speak that would be tremendously disappointed if we did not meet." Willow continued.
Willow found his eyes drifting towards the brown haired boy at Hoshi's side. He was pretty enough with a light hearted, friendly demeanor. He also looked like a complete sheep. An easy mark, that would buy anything. Which made Willow wonder what the extent of their relationship was. As well as what Hoshi thought it was versus what Daniel did.
The trickster turned to face Daniel completely, the sparkle in his eyes dimmed and his face a perfect mask of polite benevolence.
"It's good to see another second year student. If I am correct you are questioning the nature of our relationship. Just to make things clear: it is true. Ever since I arrived in Japan, myself and the masked lip reader have been having a sexual affair. I hope I wasn't stepping on your toes in that regard. You two seem quite close." Willow said. It was fairly clear by the look on his face and the way he visibly shook his head what he was imagining. Indeed to many people the tension of two rivals is quite similar to those between romantic and/or sexual partners.
This was a clear cut test. The trickster could glean much from their reactions as to the nature of their relationship and individual characters.
"What's your next move Ultimate Con Artist?" Willow thought.
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(Student)
SHSL Con Artist
(Year 2)
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Post by Hoshi Kisuragi on May 18, 2016 6:03:42 GMT
I wont be sorry for what I've done. You can trust me.
Nor for what I'll be doing.
Oh boy, it's been barely a few minutes and the Ultimate Trickster is already living up to his name. Hoshi feigned joyous laughter, deciding to greet Willow's act with hospitality, all the while hiding the impact of what was just revealed - his internet handle. Did Fey garner some outside help in his search for that tidbit of information, or did he figure it out himself? Perhaps it was something simpler, such as simply hearing it over casual brunch from Daniel?
Grinning, Hoshi responded first to the Procrastinator and his inquiry. "Even Gods slip up every now and then, much more so when they dedicate tasks to lackeys that end up screwing things over." Turning to Willow, Hoshi shook his head and said "Already trying to pull a trick on me? You could have at least pulled one that doesn't hurt my chances with any cute girls around here."
Now facing the crowd (which was admittedly growing smaller), Hoshi took a step back and scanned through them while speaking. "I don't wanna drag this on for too long and cut into your precious free time, but I must say that it's a pleasure to meet all of you." His eyes lingered for a brief second over the familiar sight of one of his lackeys, an utterly mediocre-looking guy who gave him a slight nod of head. Seeing as how his helper was standing close by the Trickster and Procrastinator, that could only mean that the message has been sent. The two of them would find in their pockets a slipped piece of paper, the contents of which contained a typed out address, a date and a time. If all were to go according to plan, some select people's lives at Hope's Peak were about to get that much better.
"And finally," continued Hoshi, "please don't go around spreading any weird rumours. What the Trickster said just now was just a baseless lie."
While he had no doubt in Fey's ability to locate the hidden message, the same couldn't be said for his faith in the Procrastinator. It wasn't that he looked down on Daniel or anything - in fact, his good buddy is someone that he needs to rope in. Because of that, Hoshi decided to send him a pm later that day through the inbox of one of their more-enjoyed FPS. After all, whether Daniel would boot up that game later today was a question that Hoshi could answer with a 100% confidence.
He had his sights set on two other potential recruits for this society he's starting. They were both girls, though one caught his eye due to the purple hoodie she wears, while the other was a combination of the drama leading up to her enrollment into Hope's Peak, the 'air' that she carries herself with, as well as her beautiful white hair. The former should be receiving a note later today, while the latter he'll have to track down himself.
He hoped that all would go according to plan. After all, what's life without a little sprinkle of enrichment? This society could benefit every single one of them, and... and it might serve as a good platform for the realization of one of his dear dreams - to be a part of a tight group of close friends. Words: 552| Tags: n/a | Notes: N/A
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(Student)
SHSL Procrastinator
(Year 2)
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Post by Daniel Saotome on May 23, 2016 12:20:09 GMT
I like to take my sweet time doing things.
After all, it's not like the world ends tomorrow, right? When Willow 'admitted' that he and Hoshi were having a 'sexual affair', Daniel couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, is that so?", Daniel said, continuing the joke. "Don't worry about that. He was too good for me, anyway.", he laughed again.
The Procrastinator then looked at Willow and Hoshi, alternating between them ever so often.
"So...", he began to ask. "What's next? I mean, people are starting to leave now, and there's stuff I still need to buy some groceries... I'm running out of apple juice, for goodness' sake. I guess I gotta visit the SHSL Shopkeeper, then. You know, the blonde one in the black dress? Yeah, her."
The brown-haired boy then slowly began to move out of the cafeteria himself, waving goodbye to his two fellow classmates.
"I guess I'll see you two later, won't I?", he said.
As he moved out, he put his hands in his pockets. He noticed that something that felt like paper was in there, but he figured he could check it out when he got back home.
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(Student)
SHSL Trickster
(Year 2)
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Post by Willow Fey on May 23, 2016 15:06:02 GMT
Willow barely took note of Daniel's leaving. Only giving him a quick "Farewell." Considering Daniel was quite the looker, it was rare for Willow to ignore an oppurtunity to watch the procrastinator's retreating behind. A testament to how much Hoshi had grabbed his attention.
"Gods huh? You don't quite look like a god to me. Maybe if you had more of an ego..." Willow said with a good natured smile.
"As for the pretty girls...I don't think they'll mind. Never hurt my chances any. And I have a real honest to gods' attraction to the male gender. In fact that can be quite the turn on depending upon the girl. I remember this one girl I met when I took my trip to D.C she- ah but I shouldn't bore you with the details. Maybe another time." Willow said, a smile still on his face and a sparkle in his eyes. He was loving this. Playing games like this with Hoshi should never turn dull.
Willow felt the envelope slipped into his pocket. The guy Hoshi hired was good but Willow had spent too much time doing similar things to not see what he was doing. That and the fact that he was more observant than most people really gave the helper no chance in hell to avoid detection. He got a hundred percent confirmation when he saw the lackey nod his head to Hoshi.
The trickster instantly turned to face the crowd.
"Inaccurate yes perhaps but hardly baseless. What's a young man with needs to do when he sees two pretty boys arm in arm like that? He can only dream that perhaps he can whisper sweet words that can draw him into his bed. Alas our Con Artist seems to be a heterosexual and thus doomed to a life spent only laying with one gender! Seeking solace and release only from the opposite sex. Oh what strange, tortured lives you monosexuals must lead!" Willow said in a dramatic, theatrical voice.
Then Willow closed the distance between himself and Hoshi and whispered in his ear, "I got your envelope. Don't worry, I will open it in a private place." Then he gave the Con Artist a kiss on the check and turned to walk away.
The whole exchange looked intimate enough that several individuals in the audience looked quite flushed, including a girl in a purple hoodie. Willow as usual, was glad to entertain.
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(Student)
SHSL Con Artist
(Year 2)
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Post by Hoshi Kisuragi on May 26, 2016 17:02:40 GMT
I wont be sorry for what I've done. You can trust me.
Nor for what I'll be doing.
Raising a hand to wave goodbye, he called out a "Seeya, Dan," before making his own preparations to leave, held back only by a snark comment advising him to be a more boisterous deity. Hoshi chuckled, a crooked smile spreading across his lips. "Don't kid yourself, Willow Fey. You barely know me, even after all of the digging that you've done."
The crassness of the Trickster was somewhat off-putting, though Hoshi understood where it was coming from. He too felt the electrifying sensation of coming face-to-face with what might as very well be an equal rival, but there was just.. something about what the Trickster said that had ticked him off. With a look normally reserved only for tasks that require an indifferent conscience, the Con Artist's smile faded as he spoke.
"There's a reason my talent is what it is."
With that said and done, Hoshi looked away from him and pulled out his phone. "I'm still willing to work with you," he said, not looking up from the screen. After sending a few messages, he slipped the first phone back and pulled out another one. Seeing as how the Trickster was giving a speech about sexuality, Hoshi decided to busy himself with more texting, making use of this time to settle some matters pertaining to an upcoming project.
Once the Trickster was done though, Hoshi moved to pat him on the shoulder, deciding that today was not the day for antagonistic attitudes. "No hard feelings, alright?" was what he wanted to say, but he was quickly interrupted by a light-footed Fey. Again Hoshi was offered proof that this was an equal rival, both through the noticing of the letter as well as the peck on the cheek.
Brushing away that feeling with the back of his hand, Hoshi snorted and grinned, pulling his hood up over. To think that he would have been caught off guard like that... Hah, the Trickster wins this round. Deciding to settle some business in person, as well as to ensure that everything for the group's first meet goes smoothly, he decided to retire from the cafeteria for now. "Seeya round, Fey," Hoshi called out as he passed him by, walking off with mask in hand.
Words: 372| Tags: n/a | Notes: N/A
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(Student)
SHSL Trickster
(Year 2)
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Post by Willow Fey on May 27, 2016 2:25:02 GMT
Well that was the end of that. A definite victory for him then. Hoshi seemed just a little rattled, it was subtle, very subtle. Almost enough that Willow might have brushed it off as just his imagination. But it was there.
"Barely know him huh?" Willow muttered. "Maybe I shall get to know him soon enough."
The trickster gave his audience one last bow and walked away. He would still be willing to work with him huh? Something he did must have rattled him. Honestly Willow hadn't intended the little trick he played on Daniel to upset Hoshi. To him it was just a bit of fun and also a bit of a test. Hoshi hadn't acquitted himself too poorly this round all things considered. Yet he did underestimate him. Willow reckoned he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
Whatever game Hoshi was playing, Willow wanted in. Rivals, enemies, friends? No matter which way it turned out it would be fun. And his first clue would be to read the letter.
But while he was heading back to his dorm it couldn't hurt to think about a few things. Like the Procrastinator. Sadly Hoshi seemed straight, which was a bother really. Adding lover to an already potentially complicated relationship could make things a bit more fun. Still Daniel could be more receptive. The boy had obviously thought something more then platonic was going on between himself and the Con Artist. While his joking comment could be merely a joke it didn't refute anything.
Maybe he would have to talk to Daniel again. See if he was interested. But that would come later. Right now he needed a pop, and the quiet space of his dorm to read the letter in. After all, this was Hoshi's first big move and he didn't want to be too fair behind.
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