![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shivalriesSeason: Autumn
---
[School Building: Back]
(Ten minutes later)
Leo: Hmm… Well then, that’s a tough one.
If you just leave things like this, you might be faced with the worst-case scenario, just like Knights in the past.
Makoto: Really… By the past, you mean…?
Leo: I mean like how tattered Knights was right before I fell apart and bailed.
“Ukki~kun”, if you’re a second year, then you must have some vague idea about last year’s conflict...
If you watched us from afar and saw how we met our end, that is.
Makoto: ……
(Mm. What’s going on…? Maybe I’m just weak to pressure, but I ended up telling Tsukinaga-senpai everything when he pressed me.)
(I mean, it does help since I’d wanted to talk to someone about this messy situation right now.)
(But I can’t relax. I don’t know how I’m supposed to act around Tsukinaga-senpai.)
(I even told him my name was “Ukki~” instead of my real name “Makoto Yuuki”, since it seemed like he doesn’t know who I am.)
(I feel kinda guilty for just unloading my troubles on him without even revealing my identity…)
(But Tsukinaga-senpai keeps on talking, so I can’t find the right timing to say my real name.)
(Trickstar and Knights are working together right now, so I get the sense I’ll get found out soon, though…)
(I’m using my real name for work, too, so he’ll see right away that I’m really “Makoto Yuuki”.)
(I wonder how he’ll react when he finds out? This person, who was always Izumi-san’s companion…?)
Leo: Mm? What’s up, Ukki~kun?
Don’t look so down! It’s okay, we’re still at a point where we can bring things around!
Makoto: Mm. Um, Tsukinaga-senpai, have you already figured out the reason why we’re not working so well together… why we’re in such a sorry state right now?
Leo: Yep. This is all just speculation, but it’s easier to see when looking at it from the outside.
You guys are called Trickstar, right? When you’re named after the jesters who stir things up in an opera, having to take on the role of protagonists must be pretty hard.
Makoto: Uh, huh?
Leo: Names aren’t worth crap, yet everyone’s bound by them.
For Knights, we just randomly came up with our name, but as for you guys… you probably thought really hard about what to name yourselves.
Makoto: Well, actually… it’s more like the name just popped up at some point. Though now that we’ve gotten so used to it, we can’t imagine having any other one.
Leo: Wahaha. So you’re the same as us! I guess that kinda thing just happens. You’ll get used to something you wear all the time, be it an outfit, a name, or a position.
But even so, you guys are doing things that just don’t fit your name.
You’re the jesters that shake up the stage, but now that you’ve revolutionized the world, you have no choice but to act like heroes—
Maybe that’s what you’re thinking?
Makoto: Mm…?
Leo: You see, I was pretty interested when I heard about you guys. I’d never spoken to one of you directly like this, so that’s what I’d come up with based on the rumors I’d heard about you.
You guys are great, you know? You did something no one else could do.
While everyone else just threw up their hands and called it quits, perfectly happy to just go along with the flow, you four alone stood and raised up a flag of rebellion against it instead.
And then you started a revolution. Everyone and everything changed to the point that I was completely confused after coming back from my short break! Man, it was seriously earth-shattering!
So why is it that this time around, such cheerful, amazing kids like you are suddenly acting like adults and doing stuff so boring you could just keel over?
Makoto: Boring…?
Leo: You’re too worried about everything.
Makoto: Uh… is… that so?
Leo: Yup. Sure, you were framed in some weird article and caused Knights trouble…
And maybe it’s because you feel bad about it, but you’ve been falling flat on your faces like some apologetic dogs.
But why are you apologizing so much? Did you even do anything wrong?
Makoto: Um… But, don’t we need to apologize? We’re representing Yumenosaki in the SS! We can’t win if we don’t have everyone’s support!
If we just leave that article be, we’ll end up all alone and it’ll all be over!
Leo: Is that so? Hmm…?
So you’re lowering yourselves, trying to butter people up and just throwing yourselves on the ground everywhere like “please don’t hate us!”? That’s gross, wahaha☆
Makoto: ……
Leo: I know how you feel. It’s scary to be hated, especially at Yumenosaki, where the DreamFes system means everything… You can’t keep winning if the people around you don’t support you, after all.
As for us, we failed in that respect. But still, what’s the point of just watching everybody else’s faces? It’s not like they’re that charming, right?
Or for that matter, are you looking down on us?
What are we to you? Are we just some babies that need to be held and cradled, unable to keep on living unless we get our diapers changed by the Great Trickstar-sama?
Makoto: Of course we’re not looking down on you… but we caused you trouble, so we have to make up for it.
Leo: Huh? Haven’t you already done that? You already announced that the article was made up and apologized for causing the fans worry, right? That’s all you need!
Anything more is just low and pitiful. Maybe you haven’t noticed this, but you guys have a cloud of guilt towards Knights hanging over you.
You’re worried that you caused us trouble and it’s coming out badly. You feel guilty like you did something wrong, and yet you’re unable to complain about it.
But that’s not something Trickstar would do, right? Well, I don’t know anything about you guys, but still! Something feels off and it just grosses me out!
Makoto: It’s gross…?
Leo: Yeah. And it pisses me off. You’re trying to empathize with us, thinking we’re some sorry bunch that got hurt.
You’re looking down on us like we’re some helpless kids, and you’re trying to earn our favor while patting us on the heads like it’s all okay.
Stop pissing around. More than some false, baseless magazine article, your attitude toward us is way more humiliating.
Insulting a knight means you’re gambling with your life, you know. Well, not that we’re real knights, just knights in name.
But there’s a fool out there who takes pride in that name and found value in it, even though it’s so flimsy it could just blow away in the wind.
And I want to try and protect the small pride that dreaming brat has in us.
I know I’m just some blockhead who’s broken inside, but that’s exactly why I want this to be my final duty.
Makoto: …Mm. I think I get the gist of what you’re saying, Tsukinaga-senpai. So to sum it up, you’re saying that right now, we don’t seem very Trickstar-ish, huh.
Leo: Yep! Wow, you’re good! Even though I suck at explanations, you got what I was saying, huh? Good boy, what a smart little kid~♪
Makoto: Wah, don’t pet my head!
Leo: Wahaha. …See? Isn’t it embarrassing to be treated like a little brat?
Makoto: ……
---
< NIGHTMARE Chapter 7 || Masterlist || NIGHTMARE Chapter 9 >
---
[School Building: Back]
(Ten minutes later)
Leo: Hmm… Well then, that’s a tough one.
If you just leave things like this, you might be faced with the worst-case scenario, just like Knights in the past.
Makoto: Really… By the past, you mean…?
Leo: I mean like how tattered Knights was right before I fell apart and bailed.
“Ukki~kun”, if you’re a second year, then you must have some vague idea about last year’s conflict...
If you watched us from afar and saw how we met our end, that is.
Makoto: ……
(Mm. What’s going on…? Maybe I’m just weak to pressure, but I ended up telling Tsukinaga-senpai everything when he pressed me.)
(I mean, it does help since I’d wanted to talk to someone about this messy situation right now.)
(But I can’t relax. I don’t know how I’m supposed to act around Tsukinaga-senpai.)
(I even told him my name was “Ukki~” instead of my real name “Makoto Yuuki”, since it seemed like he doesn’t know who I am.)
(I feel kinda guilty for just unloading my troubles on him without even revealing my identity…)
(But Tsukinaga-senpai keeps on talking, so I can’t find the right timing to say my real name.)
(Trickstar and Knights are working together right now, so I get the sense I’ll get found out soon, though…)
(I’m using my real name for work, too, so he’ll see right away that I’m really “Makoto Yuuki”.)
(I wonder how he’ll react when he finds out? This person, who was always Izumi-san’s companion…?)
Leo: Mm? What’s up, Ukki~kun?
Don’t look so down! It’s okay, we’re still at a point where we can bring things around!
Makoto: Mm. Um, Tsukinaga-senpai, have you already figured out the reason why we’re not working so well together… why we’re in such a sorry state right now?
Leo: Yep. This is all just speculation, but it’s easier to see when looking at it from the outside.
You guys are called Trickstar, right? When you’re named after the jesters who stir things up in an opera, having to take on the role of protagonists must be pretty hard.
Makoto: Uh, huh?
Leo: Names aren’t worth crap, yet everyone’s bound by them.
For Knights, we just randomly came up with our name, but as for you guys… you probably thought really hard about what to name yourselves.
Makoto: Well, actually… it’s more like the name just popped up at some point. Though now that we’ve gotten so used to it, we can’t imagine having any other one.
Leo: Wahaha. So you’re the same as us! I guess that kinda thing just happens. You’ll get used to something you wear all the time, be it an outfit, a name, or a position.
But even so, you guys are doing things that just don’t fit your name.
You’re the jesters that shake up the stage, but now that you’ve revolutionized the world, you have no choice but to act like heroes—
Maybe that’s what you’re thinking?
Makoto: Mm…?
Leo: You see, I was pretty interested when I heard about you guys. I’d never spoken to one of you directly like this, so that’s what I’d come up with based on the rumors I’d heard about you.
You guys are great, you know? You did something no one else could do.
While everyone else just threw up their hands and called it quits, perfectly happy to just go along with the flow, you four alone stood and raised up a flag of rebellion against it instead.
And then you started a revolution. Everyone and everything changed to the point that I was completely confused after coming back from my short break! Man, it was seriously earth-shattering!
So why is it that this time around, such cheerful, amazing kids like you are suddenly acting like adults and doing stuff so boring you could just keel over?
Makoto: Boring…?
Leo: You’re too worried about everything.
Makoto: Uh… is… that so?
Leo: Yup. Sure, you were framed in some weird article and caused Knights trouble…
And maybe it’s because you feel bad about it, but you’ve been falling flat on your faces like some apologetic dogs.
But why are you apologizing so much? Did you even do anything wrong?
Makoto: Um… But, don’t we need to apologize? We’re representing Yumenosaki in the SS! We can’t win if we don’t have everyone’s support!
If we just leave that article be, we’ll end up all alone and it’ll all be over!
Leo: Is that so? Hmm…?
So you’re lowering yourselves, trying to butter people up and just throwing yourselves on the ground everywhere like “please don’t hate us!”? That’s gross, wahaha☆
Makoto: ……
Leo: I know how you feel. It’s scary to be hated, especially at Yumenosaki, where the DreamFes system means everything… You can’t keep winning if the people around you don’t support you, after all.
As for us, we failed in that respect. But still, what’s the point of just watching everybody else’s faces? It’s not like they’re that charming, right?
Or for that matter, are you looking down on us?
What are we to you? Are we just some babies that need to be held and cradled, unable to keep on living unless we get our diapers changed by the Great Trickstar-sama?
Makoto: Of course we’re not looking down on you… but we caused you trouble, so we have to make up for it.
Leo: Huh? Haven’t you already done that? You already announced that the article was made up and apologized for causing the fans worry, right? That’s all you need!
Anything more is just low and pitiful. Maybe you haven’t noticed this, but you guys have a cloud of guilt towards Knights hanging over you.
You’re worried that you caused us trouble and it’s coming out badly. You feel guilty like you did something wrong, and yet you’re unable to complain about it.
But that’s not something Trickstar would do, right? Well, I don’t know anything about you guys, but still! Something feels off and it just grosses me out!
Makoto: It’s gross…?
Leo: Yeah. And it pisses me off. You’re trying to empathize with us, thinking we’re some sorry bunch that got hurt.
You’re looking down on us like we’re some helpless kids, and you’re trying to earn our favor while patting us on the heads like it’s all okay.
Stop pissing around. More than some false, baseless magazine article, your attitude toward us is way more humiliating.
Insulting a knight means you’re gambling with your life, you know. Well, not that we’re real knights, just knights in name.
But there’s a fool out there who takes pride in that name and found value in it, even though it’s so flimsy it could just blow away in the wind.
And I want to try and protect the small pride that dreaming brat has in us.
I know I’m just some blockhead who’s broken inside, but that’s exactly why I want this to be my final duty.
Makoto: …Mm. I think I get the gist of what you’re saying, Tsukinaga-senpai. So to sum it up, you’re saying that right now, we don’t seem very Trickstar-ish, huh.
Leo: Yep! Wow, you’re good! Even though I suck at explanations, you got what I was saying, huh? Good boy, what a smart little kid~♪
Makoto: Wah, don’t pet my head!
Leo: Wahaha. …See? Isn’t it embarrassing to be treated like a little brat?
Makoto: ……
---
< NIGHTMARE Chapter 7 || Masterlist || NIGHTMARE Chapter 9 >
