Gambit - Night Stalker Chapter 10
Feb. 26th, 2025 07:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shivalriesSeason: Winter
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Location: ES Studio
(Several minutes later, in the ES studio Knights base)
Tsukasa: ...I have arrived.
Izumi: Finally! What took you so long?!
Knights and King Slayer's representatives were supposed to get together to discuss tomorrow's performance—
And for some reason, Leo-kun showed up to represent King Slayer, right?
What did he say? Did you sock him in the face for us?
Tsukasa: Well, er, no, it naturally did not devolve to violence.
Arashi: Hehe... Well, I bet you two had a lot to talk about. You haven't seen Leo-kun face-to-face since he defected to King Slayer, huh?
Izumi: Same here. It doesn't seem like he's lost his phone, yet he won't pick up even if I spam him with calls.
Arashi: Yep, he ignores all my attempts at reaching him too—only comes online to drop necessary info and leave. Ritsu-chan's the same.
Really feels like King Slayer's got the jump on us.
Izumi: Why did those two even betray us in the first place?! The hell are they thinking?! I am never, ever going to forgive them for this!
Arashi: Their motivations really are a mystery... Leo-kun aside, I bet Ritsu-chan's cooking up some kind of plan.
He's more strait-laced than you'd think. In fact, I'd say he's the one member of Knights who keeps his relationships very tightly knit, don't you think?
Out of all of us, he was the most opposed to Knights taking in all those new members in spring. He didn't want to change how things were.
And yet, once those newbies entered his circle, he looked after them with surprising warmth. That's just who he is, you know? He cares a lot about those close to him.
That's why I think he hopped to the other side because he has some kind of plan, not because he actually wanted to betray us.
Izumi: Isn't it just another of his whims? In terms of cats and dogs, he's squarely in the cat category. Hard to say if he ever felt loyalty in the first place.
Arashi: If I had to sort you, Izumi-chan, I'd say you'd actually be more of a loyal dog type—like Hachiko, waiting forever for your master to come back. You do look like the cat type, though.
Izumi: Huh? You're mocking me, aren't you?! Aren't you just a big dog in heat yourself?!
Arashi: I-I can't help that I was born big, but I'm not in heat!
Tsukasa: Calm down, everyone... I understand that you are frustrated, but let us cease trading arrows for now.
We shouldn't embarrass ourselves shouting and clamoring in front of a guest.
Arashi: A guest— H-Huh? It's you!
Ryuji: H-Hello.
Arashi: Ryuji-san...
Ryuji: Yes. It-It has been... quite some time... my seniors.
Arashi: Y-You... Ryuji-san... What have you been up to all this time?
I've been so worried about you.
I know that after Knights split up—or I guess, more like Knights cut off its new members and returned to its original lineup, your little brother Ohji-chan returned to his old haunt overseas, but...
Tsukasa: Yes, and Ohji-san is now an active member of King Slayer.
In other words, that new member who showed so much promise now stands as our enemy.
Izumi: Logic says our enemies' allies are also our enemies. Wouldn't that make this Ryuji guy or whatever an enemy? I'm impressed you dared to even show your face around these parts.
Arashi: Hey, Izumi-chan, don't get snappy. You sound like some common thug right now.
Ryuji: I-It makes sense... that you're angry.
We be-betrayed you... when you took care... of us. N-Now, we are... enemies. Of-Of course you... resent us... when we were so un-ungrateful.
I-I really do... feel bad about th-that.
Izumi: ...What's up with this guy? So polite for how intense he looks.
Arashi: Did you not talk with Ryuji-san that much, Izumi-chan? I guess you've mostly been overseas, so you haven't had much quality time with our newbies.
Izumi: Hmph. Nobody was interesting enough to make me wanna pick on them.
Tsukasa: I take that to mean you realized that the atmosphere turns awkward when you are around, and proactively tried to keep your distance.
Thank you for your kindness, Sena-senpai.
Izumi: Heh, of course.
...Wait. Was that a diss?!
Arashi: Hehe. I think it's understandable that you don't know Ryuji-san that well. Ohji-chan might be the social type, but Ryuji-san's always been more reserved.
Ryuji: Yes. I-I-I am very... grateful to you, Narukami-san... for talking to me... th-that one time.
Arashi: I just can't leave kids like you alone... Like in class, there's always one or two kids who have a hard time mingling with the other students and end up isolated.
Plus, I talked with you a bit before you joined Knights, so it all feels more personal.
Knights getting restructured was convenient only for us, and we lost people like you from our circle. I really think it's a shame.
Ryuji: Yes. I-I also... think it was a shame.
But... for us—for my bro-brother Ohji... it was all part... of the plan.
Tsukasa: ? What do you mean?
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 9 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 11 >
---
Location: ES Studio
(Several minutes later, in the ES studio Knights base)
Tsukasa: ...I have arrived.
Izumi: Finally! What took you so long?!
Knights and King Slayer's representatives were supposed to get together to discuss tomorrow's performance—
And for some reason, Leo-kun showed up to represent King Slayer, right?
What did he say? Did you sock him in the face for us?
Tsukasa: Well, er, no, it naturally did not devolve to violence.
Arashi: Hehe... Well, I bet you two had a lot to talk about. You haven't seen Leo-kun face-to-face since he defected to King Slayer, huh?
Izumi: Same here. It doesn't seem like he's lost his phone, yet he won't pick up even if I spam him with calls.
Arashi: Yep, he ignores all my attempts at reaching him too—only comes online to drop necessary info and leave. Ritsu-chan's the same.
Really feels like King Slayer's got the jump on us.
Izumi: Why did those two even betray us in the first place?! The hell are they thinking?! I am never, ever going to forgive them for this!
Arashi: Their motivations really are a mystery... Leo-kun aside, I bet Ritsu-chan's cooking up some kind of plan.
He's more strait-laced than you'd think. In fact, I'd say he's the one member of Knights who keeps his relationships very tightly knit, don't you think?
Out of all of us, he was the most opposed to Knights taking in all those new members in spring. He didn't want to change how things were.
And yet, once those newbies entered his circle, he looked after them with surprising warmth. That's just who he is, you know? He cares a lot about those close to him.
That's why I think he hopped to the other side because he has some kind of plan, not because he actually wanted to betray us.
Izumi: Isn't it just another of his whims? In terms of cats and dogs, he's squarely in the cat category. Hard to say if he ever felt loyalty in the first place.
Arashi: If I had to sort you, Izumi-chan, I'd say you'd actually be more of a loyal dog type—like Hachiko, waiting forever for your master to come back. You do look like the cat type, though.
Izumi: Huh? You're mocking me, aren't you?! Aren't you just a big dog in heat yourself?!
Arashi: I-I can't help that I was born big, but I'm not in heat!
Tsukasa: Calm down, everyone... I understand that you are frustrated, but let us cease trading arrows for now.
We shouldn't embarrass ourselves shouting and clamoring in front of a guest.
Arashi: A guest— H-Huh? It's you!
Ryuji: H-Hello.
Arashi: Ryuji-san...
Ryuji: Yes. It-It has been... quite some time... my seniors.
Arashi: Y-You... Ryuji-san... What have you been up to all this time?
I've been so worried about you.
I know that after Knights split up—or I guess, more like Knights cut off its new members and returned to its original lineup, your little brother Ohji-chan returned to his old haunt overseas, but...
Tsukasa: Yes, and Ohji-san is now an active member of King Slayer.
In other words, that new member who showed so much promise now stands as our enemy.
Izumi: Logic says our enemies' allies are also our enemies. Wouldn't that make this Ryuji guy or whatever an enemy? I'm impressed you dared to even show your face around these parts.
Arashi: Hey, Izumi-chan, don't get snappy. You sound like some common thug right now.
Ryuji: I-It makes sense... that you're angry.
We be-betrayed you... when you took care... of us. N-Now, we are... enemies. Of-Of course you... resent us... when we were so un-ungrateful.
I-I really do... feel bad about th-that.
Izumi: ...What's up with this guy? So polite for how intense he looks.
Arashi: Did you not talk with Ryuji-san that much, Izumi-chan? I guess you've mostly been overseas, so you haven't had much quality time with our newbies.
Izumi: Hmph. Nobody was interesting enough to make me wanna pick on them.
Tsukasa: I take that to mean you realized that the atmosphere turns awkward when you are around, and proactively tried to keep your distance.
Thank you for your kindness, Sena-senpai.
Izumi: Heh, of course.
...Wait. Was that a diss?!
Arashi: Hehe. I think it's understandable that you don't know Ryuji-san that well. Ohji-chan might be the social type, but Ryuji-san's always been more reserved.
Ryuji: Yes. I-I-I am very... grateful to you, Narukami-san... for talking to me... th-that one time.
Arashi: I just can't leave kids like you alone... Like in class, there's always one or two kids who have a hard time mingling with the other students and end up isolated.
Plus, I talked with you a bit before you joined Knights, so it all feels more personal.
Knights getting restructured was convenient only for us, and we lost people like you from our circle. I really think it's a shame.
Ryuji: Yes. I-I also... think it was a shame.
But... for us—for my bro-brother Ohji... it was all part... of the plan.
Tsukasa: ? What do you mean?
---
< Night Stalker Chapter 9 || Masterlist || Night Stalker Chapter 11 >
