ardent | 011. [Video/Action for Goldenrod City]

011. [Video/Action for Goldenrod City]

[Well, it's been a while since Ishimaru's actually been around via video; he's had a rough go of it over the last few weeks and it shows - he looks incredibly tired and he still doesn't seem to have been eating very much, and he's still looking a little dead behind the eyes compared to the usual intensity.

But for the most part he looks reasonably put-together, and he's outside, and even if it's more than a bit overcast and admittedly cold as balls he doesn't seem to mind the cold; this may have something to do with the fact that he appears to have ditched the school uniform for today in favor of a rather thick black coat, and he's got a different scarf on than the usual red one he wears - this one isn't quite as long, but it's patterned after Ho-Oh's plumage. Something he got for Christmas, really; it's about time he wore it out somewhere. And he's...certainly somewhere; it looks like one of those parks near the Center.

His gaze flicks awkwardly to the side before he speaks; it takes him a moment to find words, but when he does he tries to keep them coming, and keep them steady, and dear god it's been a while since he's been this shouty at the network in general but it's clear that whatever he's been doing, it certainly hasn't been figuring out what an acceptable level of volume is.]

There...there have been a lot of people who have come up missing lately, I think, and there have been a lot of new arrivals as well! For those who are missing someone - friends of those sent home - I...I understand that it's often difficult to move past it, and that it's a lot to take in at once! For some of us, it's better that they're sent home because maybe they have important things to do or other people to take care of; for some it...it isn't, and that can make losing people hard, when you know that whatever they're going through is going to be bad for them...

[He trails off a bit; his eyes scan upward for a moment while he tries to gather his thoughts, though he seems to shake it off soon enough.]

But...please don't worry. If you want to discuss it, even if I don't know you, we can - you don't even have to give me your name or anything, if you don't want to! It can be over text if you'd like...

[...deep breaths, Ishimaru, you are fine.]

And for those who have just arrived - well, that's also a lot to take in at once, but for different reasons! I've been here for about ten months now, and I'm still getting used to how things are done. It's a learning process, but you'll get through it!

My name is Ishimaru Kiyotaka; I'm the Super High School Level Hall Monitor, from Hope's Peak Academy's 78th annual class. If that didn't mean anything to you, that's fine, but I think there are a lot of new arrivals for whom that does mean something - if I haven't spoken to you yet, please get in contact with me so I can do so.

[...Right. Right, um. Um. Um.

Almost done here. Almost.]

...Otherwise, everyone just try to keep your heads up and your gazes trained toward the horizon! I hope that today is a good and productive day for all of you, and if not, that tomorrow will be better - we all just have to remain strong, and not lose hope.

[End feed.

Ishimaru can still be found outside for a while after that's over, however; he still seems more than a bit aimless and like he's not entirely sure what he's even doing out there, and he seems to be zoning out quite a bit when he's not directly engaged in conversation or otherwise doing anything. But hey, "outside staring off into space" has to be at least vaguely better than "in the basement and staring off into space", right?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Naegi isn't sure what's worse, the blankness of Ishimaru's words, or his hatred toward so many things. He wants to open his mouth and say something, give him some comforting words and tell him he shouldn't hate himself but he can't think of anything good and he doesn't think there's anything good he can say to that anyway.

So he simply stays quiet, listening to him without interrupting. I never would have thought Ishimaru-kun felt like this, he thinks to himself.

His fingers hover over the pieces as he thinks over his next move. It's a little difficult to focus on the game after listening to Ishimaru but eventually he shifts his rook from A8 to D8. ]

Um, you hated all of us when we first woke up? I don't understand.

[Pawn; E3-F4.]

I was under the impression that you were all geniuses.

[As though that explains everything.]

...Eh? I don't get it. Aren't you one too?

[ Yep, he went there. Pawn; E6-E5. ]

[Ishimaru twitches sharply at that, though he's quick to return his attention to the board; it gives him something to focus on, though he's glaring more than anything at this point.

Pawn; F4-G5, capturing the Queen.]

No. Of course not; why would you think that?

[ Naegi mentally curses for getting his queen captured so easily. Knight; C6-D4, capturing the pawn. ]

Because you were always at the top of your class at that school you went to.

[Naegi, were it anyone but you he would be going off right about how; as it stands, he just sort of takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself, even if his voice is incredibly tight when he responds.]

That was due to hard work and dedication to my studies, not any sort of genius or natural talent.

[Bishop; C1-E3.]

I would do my best in school itself, and then I would return straight home to study. If I finished early, I would study to pass the time.

My natural aptitude isn't any higher than yours.

[ Knight; G8-E7. ]

Um, okay... I see. [ He still thinks Ishimaru's a genius, but saying that doesn't seem like a good idea. ]

Why the hate toward geniuses?

To be a genius...it's a blessing, I'm sure, to those who are granted it. But they know nothing of hard work and dedication - they try to change the world without having experienced anything in it, believing it to be their right to do so simply because of what they've been given, not because of what they've earned.

[Pawn; C2-C3.]

Without knowing the value of hard work and sacrifice, any progress you might make can't truly be considered progress - it's going to come down eventually. And when it does, and your natural aptitude isn't enough to save you...there's no one weaker than a genius at that moment.

I don't think all geniuses are like that. Some probably are, but not everyone.

[ Kuwata comes to mind here, as Naegi recalls thinking about how god gave genius to the wrong person. ]

The way you're putting it makes it almost seem... personal, somehow. Where did the antagonism come from? I-if you don't mind me asking.

[ Knight; D4-B5. ]

[Pawn; F2-F4.]

With views like mine, it's only natural that I would have a rivalry with anyone who can be considered a genius in some way. But back home there was one person...one particular genius that I respected before everyone else and hated above all others.

He was the one who shaped my goals, and he was the one person I absolutely had to surpass.

[ Pawn; E5-F4, capturing the pawn. ]

Who did you have to surpass, Ishimaru-kun?

[Bishop; E3-D4.]

...My grandfather.

...Why?

[ Knight; B5-D4, capturing the bishop. ]

Do you recognize the name 'Ishimaru Toranosuke'? He held many titles, over his career - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Cabinet Secretary...

[He hesitates for a moment before moving one of his pieces on the board.

Pawn; C3-D4, capturing the knight.]

...Prime Minister of Japan.

I think I've heard the name before... your grandfather was the Prime Minister? I had no idea.

[ King; E8-F7. ]

He was, yes.

And he did this without sponsors, despite a lack of higher education; he was highly successful in business as well. In both business and politics, he received promotion after promotion at speeds that most would find impossible. Life came so easily to him; success came so easily to him...this was all when I was still very small, of course, but...

[He shrugs a bit. Queen; D1-B3 - check.]

It was as though he could do anything.

[ Pawn; D7-D5. ]

What happened? Did he...lose all that?

[Ishimaru just nods at that, the sound escaping him sharp and affirming.]

He was naive, unfamiliar with how the world works for most people; that lack of understanding led him to cause a scandal that proved utterly disastrous.

[Rook; A1-E1.]

It was enough to ensure that he lost his position, and his business collapsed just as quickly; his downfall was as swift as his ascension. The debts that were brought down on my family were absolutely crippling; we're well below middle class, and at the time I entered Hope's Peak we were still greatly troubled by them.

Oh...I'm sorry to hear that, Ishimaru-kun.

[ Pawn; C7-C6. ]

Is that why you always work so hard?

[He smiles a bit at that, though the expression is brief and seems more tired than anything.]

Helping my parents is important to me, of course, but my family has always had the spirit to succeed among us; even knowing what you and I do about the outside world now...I feel sure that they're all right, and if they were killed in whatever incident claimed the world, then I'm sure they did whatever they could for themselves and others, because that's just their way.

...It's terrible, isn't it? That I'm not worried about them, I mean. But I find that I'm not.

[Rook; E1-E7, capturing the knight. Check.]

What happened with my grandfather taught me that things need to change. We live in a society that rewards genius above all else, while teaching them nothing of the value of hard work and sacrifice. It's a disservice to everyone - both the geniuses who benefit only to be cast down the second they come across a problem they can't solve, and the ordinary people whose ability to affect the world is stifled because they aren't given a fair chance or a playing field that's anywhere near even. The odds are always against the ordinary. You felt it as well when you entered Hope's Peak, didn't you? Surrounded by people that were at the top of their field - did you feel troubled by that at all?

Of course I did. I felt like a sheep who had just strayed into a den of lions, to be honest. I'm about as average as you can get in every possible way, and I kept getting reminded about that fact after I met everyone.

[ King; F7-E7, capturing the rook. ]

I don't have any special skills and I didn't get into Hope's Peak because I worked for it, either. The acceptance letter made it clear I only got in because of simple luck.

But can you say we're really any better than you, in the end?

[Bishop; B7-C6, capturing the pawn.]

There isn't any shame in being ordinary; I'm perfectly ordinary myself. But I excelled, and was accepted into a school primarily full of geniuses, because I adhere to the solidarity of hard work.

[He toys with the pawn he's captured between his fingers, thinking; he seems to realize what he's doing after a moment and sets it down on the table beside the board.]

And I think that's the blessing that comes with being ordinary. You may not have any special skills now, Naegi-kun, but that doesn't mean you're subpar. It means you can excel in any skill you want, if you're willing to work for it. If anything, you have more potential than any of us, so please don't feel bad for being average - that means you can do literally anything you put your mind to.

And that's the sort of world I want for everyone, I think. One where we aren't afraid to challenge ourselves; where we learn how to succeed, rather than just how to proceed because everything is handed to us. Where we can all be the best we can be. It's that sort of spirit that's going to change the world - not through any sort of genius, but through the efforts of ordinary people. Extraordinary effort from those considered ordinary...

That's why I work so hard, Naegi-kun. A good amount of it is for others, to prove to them that hard work and sacrifice really is a way to succeed, that it's enough to change the world...but it's for myself, too. It's definitely for myself.

Edited 2014-02-09 06:35 (UTC)

[ ...okay, he didn't see that speech coming, good lord. ]

I've always been perfectly average and my friends and family often reminded me of that. And it's hard not to feel plain and unremarkable, especially when standing next to a bunch of talented Super High School Levels. It's not easy to overcome that feeling. Still...I try not to compare myself with others because doing that doesn't help or change anything.

[ Rook; D8-D6. ]

I'm not really sure what I want out of my life. I'm still searching for a good answer to that one. But I know one thing for sure -- when I find it, I don't want it handed to me. I want to work for it and do it on my own terms. I feel like it would be a lot more satisfying that way... and as long as I get to live a satisfying life, I can be happy.

I think your goal is an admirable one, Ishimaru-kun. You really understand the power of hard work and...I think I'd like the world to be more like that.

[Bishop, C6-D5.]

...It means a lot to me to hear you say that, Naegi-kun - especially when I find you to be such an admirable person yourself.

You're very remarkable, you know. At least, I think you are.

...Thank you, Ishimaru-kun.

[ Rook; D6-D5, capturing the bishop. ]

You know, you're very remarkable yourself. I admire that conviction of yours.

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