Beta Read by Lupus Overkill

Shizu's footsteps echo as her feet leave the shag carpet of her room and land on tile. The dingy, metallic walls cause the sound to reverberate throughout the hallway. She takes a look back at her cozy quarters before sighing and allowing the door to slam shut. As it does so, she hears a small click. Curious, she tries the handle, only for it to jiggle slightly. So, she is locked out.

A little frustrated with this turn of events, she considers the door again. Right in the middle of it is a pixel image of a woman. Judging from the glasses, hair color, and attire… is that supposed to be her? It is fairly basic, even by pixel art standards, but it seems to be there to show that this is her room. She really hopes that this picture wasn't the reason she only has one outfit.

Her gaze moves downwards, below the handle. It looked as though there's a card reader. Presumably, this is how she unlocked the door. She hadn't seen a card in the room, so this may be the mystery voice's way of forcing her to go to the meeting spot. Next, she glances to the side at the small button fixed on the wall. It's probably a doorbell. However, when she presses it, she can't hear the ring from the other side. Hmm…

After taking a few moments to jot down her findings, she fully takes stock of her surroundings. She walks into a rectangular hallway. Sheets of metal line the walls. Thankfully, they're dull so that the light coming from the lamps shining from the ceiling isn't reflecting everywhere. She notices three doors on the opposite side of the hallway, and, when she looks back, she takes note of a door next to hers. On both ends, the walls come together slightly, leading off into the distance. However, the leftmost path is blocked off by steel bars. There is a sign hanging on them, but she can't stomach looking in that direction for too long.

The only path available to her is to the right. However, Shizu isn't prepared to leave just yet. There are fifteen other Ultimates trapped in this building, if the voice was to be believed. Fifteen other people to compete against. Though the nature of the game was still a mystery, it seems prudent to get to know others as soon as possible. Though she would also love to question them about what they know of the situation, that may put them on the defensive immediately. It may even make them unwilling to talk. For now, she should stick to understanding their personalities.

She walks left, towards the door next to hers. The plate on the door holds a similar pixel image, although this one depicts a tall, blond-haired woman in dark clothing. Disappointingly, though not unexpectedly, there is neither a nameplate nor any indication of what her talent might be. Steeling her nerves, Shizu presses what she assumed was the doorbell and waits. Several seconds pass, but there is no response. Perhaps the doorbell isn't working? Shizu waits a few more moments before knocking loudly. Still, nobody comes to the door.

Shizu decides to try her luck with the other doors. Moving across the hall, she comes to the door with a picture of a pink haired woman wearing a baseball cap. Once more she rings the doorbell and, once that fails to produce results, knocks. Just as before, the only sound in the hallway is the echo of her fist against the door. She tries again with the door on the right, where a dapper man with short brown hair is apparently staying. Not even bothering with the doorbell this time, she raps hard on the steel door. She gets nothing but slight pain in her hand for her efforts.

For the sake of completion, she raises her hand to beat on the final door. Before she can strike or even register to pixel portrait of the resident, the door swings open. A pair of hazel eyes stares up at Shizu's fist before their owner takes a step back.

"…Oh, I'm sorry. Can I help you?" The woman's shock had worn off a bit faster than Shizu's, as she leans forwards again and smiles. She still seems slightly nervous, however, as she shuffles around in place and tugs on the bottom of her green cowl-necked jumper.

Shizu only had to look down slightly to meet her gaze, moving past her fringe. She scanned the woman in front of her briefly, noting her dark brown plait hairstyle and her black skort before meeting her eyes again. "Apologies for almost hitting you. I'm Shizu Saneyoshi, Ultimate Strategist." She says it instinctively and almost bites her tongue in frustration. Nevertheless, she immediately presses on. "Am I correct in assuming you heard the announcement too?"

The woman nods in response. "Yes, I did. It's nice to meet you, Shizu, even in these circumstances. I am Tsubame Watari. I am… um, that is, I have been given the title of Ultimate Kamishibaiya." At these words, Tsubame gives a little bow.

"Kamishibaiya?" Shizu racks her brain for a moment. "That's the paper play storytelling, correct? I can't remember all of the details, unfortunately."

Tsubame's smile grows at the recognition. "Yes, that's right! It's a dying art form, so I'm glad you simply are aware of it. You take a set of pictures, stick them in a tiny stage, and display them one by one to tell a story."

The memories are coming back to her now. "That sounds familiar… Thank you for explaining."

"Thank you for indulging me," Tsubame replies with joy. "It's my favorite way to tell stories. There is so much you can do with the medium. It can be a little depressing to see so few people recognize it or even perform it."

"Sounds as though you're bringing it back into style then." Shizu pretends to look to the side casually as she says this, but she sees Tsubame start shuffling again at the mention of this.

"I… suppose that… one could make that argument," Tsubame's voice lowers as she speaks.

Before the silence can go on, Shizu cuts in, "Sorry for rushing you, but I believe we both have a meeting to attend to."

"Oh, you're right." Cheer comes back to Tsubame's voice. She begins to step out of her room, but she stops when Shizu holds out her hand.

"One moment please. Did you happen to find a card key anywhere in your room?" she asks.

"I don't think so," responds Tsubame. "There was not much lying around in my room. Why?"

Shizu tests the doorbell while listening to the kamishibaiya speak. As expected, there's no ringing coming from inside. Once ready, she answers, "These doors lock once they're closed. See that slot there?" She gestures towards it. "My best guess is that we each have specific card keys for our rooms. If you couldn't find yours either, then they'll probably be handed out later."

Tsubame seems satisfied with that answer. "That would be one more reason to hurry to this meeting then." She steps outside, her light-pink converses clacking against the tile. As the door clicks shut behind her, she looks at the rest of the doors. "Should we try meeting the others before we go?"

"Nobody answered when I knocked. Either they're still asleep or they've already headed off." With that, Shizu and Tsubame head off together down the right hallway. Shizu pulls out her notepad but quickly looks back at her companion. "My apologies for not asking this sooner, but would you please tell me your gender?"

She blinks in confusion at the notepad but smiles at the question. "I'm female. Thank you for asking."

Their conversation comes to a halt as Shizu furiously scribbles.

Tsubame Watari

- Female, probably about my age

- Ultimate Kamishibaiya (tells stories with pictures as visual aid)

- Friendly, positive, but perhaps lacks confidence or dislikes fame

- Seems calm, not too outwardly worried about the situation?

It's only a short walk until they come to another opening. Directly across from them is another barred off hallway with the same black and white picture hanging on the bars. However, to their left is what appeared to be a large freight elevator. An opening that leads to a stairwell is on their right.

Shizu and Tsubame look at each other before both deciding to take the elevator. As they get closer, they are able to read the plaque hanging above the elevator call buttons. Apparently, they're on the fourth floor.

When Shizu reaches out to call the elevator, she hears footsteps coming from behind her. She turns her head past Tsubame to see a tall man dressed in a fancy clothes walking towards them. His brown hair styled in a tapered cut, his black dress shirt over his white vest, and even his grey dress pants and black dress shoes… they all give him a very professional look. This is contrasted by his long his red tie, which has been left undone and hanging in front of his shoulders. Once he notices them, his green eyes widen, and he breaks into a run. "Hold that door!" he yells.

"We haven't even pressed the button," Shizu calls back. He must be in great physical shape, as his outfit isn't slowing him down at all.

He slows down as he approaches. "Oh, my bad. I didn't want to miss it." He looks at the two of them for a second before winking. "Especially not with two lovely ladies right here."

Shizu gives him a flat stare while Tsubame starts fidgeting again.

To his credit, he backs off after seeing their reactions and recovers quickly. "But where are my manners? Michio Kokkaku, Ultimate Coroner, at your service. I hope we can all get along."

There's a brief instance where neither of them know what to say. That isn't the talent Shizu expected from someone dressed like that. Eventually, Tsubame takes the initiative, reaching out to shake his hand. "I'm Tsubame Watari the Ultimate Kamishibaiya."

"Shizu Saneyoshi. Ultimate Strategist." Taking out her notepad again, Shizu then asks him, "If you don't mind, what's your gender?"

Michio winks again and taps a finger to his head. "Male, of course. You can't tell by my rugged charm?" He catches onto Shizu's annoyance again and flinches. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. Just trying to lighten to mood a little…"

Once more, Tsubame comforts him. "It's okay. The circumstances are… strange, but all we have to do is play a game, correct? If so, I do not believe there's much to be worried about."

Michio raises an eyebrow at that. "That's… not exactly the impression I got from all of this."

"Do you not like games?" She tilts her head in concern.

His frown deepens. "That's not really the issue here. You all heard the announcement too, right?" After getting confirmation, he continues, "That voice sounded pretty suspicious to me. Not to mention the fact that we all got kidnapped in the first place. Getting jumped by a bunch of dudes in black masks is not my idea of a good time."

"Oh, I suppose that makes sense…" Her voice trails off. "I only woke up here. I was probably taken while I was sleeping…"

"…The same goes for me." Technically, Shizu's not lying. Her grip on her notepad tightens after she tells her half-truth. "Whoever kidnapped everyone may not have considered subtlety important for dealing each of us. Either they're very confident or very desperate. I don't know which is worse."

Michio considers her words while pushing the elevator button. "Well, we'd better stay on their good side as long as possible then. Care to accompany me to the second floor?" He flashes another grin, although it looks more strained than his previous ones.

The trio step into the freight elevator. It's metallic and spacious. It makes sense if there truly are sixteen people trapped here. There may be some occasions where everyone needs to get on, so the extra space may be necessary. Tsubame walks all the way to the back while Shizu and Michio both move towards a touchpad to select a floor. Strangely, the only floors available are the second, third, and fourth. Why is the first floor blocked? Michio selects the second floor while she ponders the strange circumstances they've found themselves in.

Michio Kokkaku

- Male, definitely younger

- Ultimate Coroner (experienced with dead people, probably member of the police force)

- Oozes confidence, tries to make others comfortable

- May also be able to keep his cool? Potentially very reliable

- Dresses professionally, would be more charming if not for instinctive flirting

The elevator suddenly halts on the third floor. Shizu and Michio both step away from the entrance as it opens. It seems someone else is making their way to the second floor as well.

A suspicious young man walks inside. Shizu can barely make anything of him. His face is covered by a dark red bandana, so she can only make out the blue of his eyes. The hood of his grey hoodie is up as well. She thinks his skin tone looks a little olive, and maybe his hair looks long and red, but that's about it. He's got his hands tucked into the pockets of his black pants, so she can't even tell if he's wearing gloves or not. Is that a chain wrapped around his right arm? Who is this person?

He doesn't say a word as the doors close behind him. He simply marches to the back of the elevator and leans against the wall a good distance away from Tsubame.

It's Michio who decides to break the silence. "Hey man, glad to have you on board. Name's Michio Kokkaku, Ultimate Coroner. My friends here are Tsubame Watari and Shizu Saneyoshi. Kamishibaiya and Strategist respectively." He gestures grandly at the two of them before returning to the topic at hand. "Want to introduce yourself?"

For a good while, the only sound is that of the elevator traveling downwards. The mystery man doesn't seem keen on answering. Just as Michio begins turning away, he speaks up. "…Kogi Bodo."

"Nice name. It suits you well." Unperturbed by Kogi's stiffness, Michio presses forward. "I'm sure your talent is just as good."

Kogi closes his eyes and sighs. This time, his silence lasts until the elevator stops again. He speaks up as the doors open, as if to hide what he says. However, they all clearly hear him mutter "…Ultimate Protester."

Shizu inhales sharply and averts her eyes. She overhears Michio clear his throat awkwardly. "Well… That's nice?" Seems even his positivity has its limits.

Kogi quickly makes to leave before she remembers to ask him. Still staring at the floor, she shouts, "Gender?"

It was almost a coherent question. "Male," he answers. That was certainly faster than anything else he'd said, but he was most likely trying to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible.

Michio tucks his hands into the pockets of his trench coat and whistles. "That was a thing." He stares after Kogi before exiting the elevator as well, though not before having one last quip. "Don't know what he was trying to do. We're all going to the same place, so we're gonna see him again in, like, thirty seconds."

Kogi Bodo

- Male

- Ultimate Protester

The elevator hall in the second floor looks identical to the one on the fourth floor. This time, however, neither side is closed off. Without hesitation, Shizu goes towards the left. Michio raises an eyebrow but follows regardless, with Tsubame taking the rear.

"Any particular reason we're going this way?" he asks.

Without bothering to glance at him, she responds, "The rooms on the fourth floor were on the right, so there's a good chance that there are more in that location on this floor. We've been heavily railroaded thus far. That this way is open at all probably means the briefing room is this way."

Michio shoves his hands in the pockets of his trench coat. "Guess that makes sense. You're pretty fond of over thinking things, huh?" He lets out a chuckle and then turns to Tsubame. "You doing alright back there? We can slow down if you'd like."

Her footsteps are a little quiet from Shizu's perspective. "No, it's fine. I'm comfortable, but thank you."

During their conversation, the hallway forks to the right. A quick look down that way reveals a large set of wooden doors with a picture of a fork and knife mounted on the wall. That's most likely a dining room or a kitchen. The three of them silently agree to move onwards instead.

The next fork looks more promising, or, at least, it sounds more promising. Loud voices echo off the metal walls, originating from another set of doors. This time, there appears to be a picture of a podium overhead.

The moment they push their way into the briefing room, Shizu hears a series of slight clicking sounds, like a shutter closing rapidly. Searching around for the source of the noise, she also took in her surroundings. A wooden platform with a podium smack dab in the middle of it is positioned at the far end of the room, standing slightly above everything else. It looks more like a stage than anything else. In front of this, there are several grey folding chairs scattered about randomly. While she doesn't take the time to count them all, it would probably be a safe bet to assume there were sixteen of them.

Of course, the room wasn't empty either. Her eyes dart immediately to the center of the room, where two people sit, a white backpack leaning against one of the chairs by their feet. The first of the pair is a pale-skinned, curvaceous woman. There's something slightly mysterious and alluring about her. Her curly black hair goes down past her shoulders and matches her sparkly halter-top dress well. Speaking of that dress, it's pretty low cut, most likely to show off her generous cleavage. Is it helpful for her talent or does she just enjoy clothing like that? Shizu's never been one for fashion, so she finally looks up towards her face but finds her purple eyes locked on the person next to her. She can't quite read her expression.

A blue-eyed man is sitting in the chair directly right of her, camera in hand. He's wearing a dark blue trench coat and white-collared shirt underneath. He is also wearing a pair of black dress pants, and, for a brief moment, Shizu wonders if he and Michio shopped at the same stores. She dismisses that thought as she takes note of his black ascot cap that did a poor job of hiding his messy, auburn hair that was swept to the left.

Upon noticing Shizu sizing him up, his smile widens, and he gives a little wave with his free hand. The woman next to him turns to face Shizu and the others too, a soft smile gracing her face.

Despite the short time she's known these people, she's come to expect Michio to take charge in social situations and is not surprised to see him step forwards with his hand outstretched. She follows behind, though she catches Tsubame taking a seat in the back. "Hey there. You taking our picture there?" Michio gestures towards the camera.

He tips his hat in response. "Oh yes. I hope you don't mind. I did my best to get your good side. Err… Well, every side of you is good, so it should be fine."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," chuckles Michio. "Michio Kokkaku, Ultimate Coroner at your service. We've also got Shizu right here and…" He looks around for Tsubame before spotting her a good deal away and continuing, "Tsubame over there. Strategist and Kamishibaiya. I'd love to get your names. Especially yours." He throws a wink to the woman at his last statement.

The man holding the camera starts to speak but apparently thinks better of it and looks towards the woman as well. She giggles mysteriously and says, "It appears fate has allowed me to introduce myself first." She stands up, while Shizu bites back a comment about her companion being to the one to let her go first. "I am Morgan Feysonn. I've been blessed with mystic power, and, for this reason, I am known as the Ultimate Fortune Teller."

A fortune teller? That's a lot to unpack from such a simple statement. Shizu chooses to go with, "Interesting."

Morgan's smile never wavers when she addresses Shizu. "I see you are a budding skeptic. I cannot blame you, for thousands upon thousands of other frauds have tainted the name of fortune telling. However, I assure you I am genuine in my claims. Perhaps you too will soon be able to bear witness to what the cards have in store."

"I didn't mean to cast doubt on your talent with my comment," Shizu quickly clarifies.

There's a look in Morgan's eyes that she can't quite place, but the fortune teller moves on. "Let's put that matter aside then. I believe Kaixi is yet to introduce himself."

Kaixi, as he is apparently called, straightens up at the sound of his name. "O-oh yes. My name is Kaixi Cheng. I'm the Ultimate Sports Photographer. It's very nice to meet you."

Kaixi's takes pictures of athletes then… It would explain the camera. "You took our picture right as we walked in. That's some pretty fast reaction time."

He blushes at her comment and kicks his feet. "It's nothing too impressive. My camera does most of the work for me."

"How so?" Michio eyes the device, looking for the trick.

"It's a high grade camera, so it can take shots really quickly. All I have to do is point and get about fourteen shots every second. Then, I can just choose the best shots…" Kaixi moves his hand to pull on something but stops when he realizes it isn't there. He looks at the white backpack on the floor and blushes deeper.

"You'd still need to move your camera in time to catch the shot," Shizu counters.

Morgan chimes in from the side. "And your hand must be guided to find the best angle in the first place."

Not one to be left out, Michio assists too. "You've also gotta choose the best pictures out of the hundreds you've taken. No one wants an unflattering shot after all."

All of the praise and attention seems to have boosted Kaixi's mood. "Thanks everyone. I doubt any photos of you all would be unflattering."

"Perhaps you were helped by another force, subconsciously." As Morgan speaks, she waves her hands around. The silver rings on all of her fingers sparkle, giving an air of mysticism to her words.

Shizu rolls her eyes at her tone. "Could you please explain?"

"It's simple really." A nerve may have been touched. "A young man by the name of Kogi Bodo stormed into this room not long before the rest of you. He seemed agitated. We all attempted to converse with him, but he refused to speak, save his name. It is possible Kaixi felt something at his presence and became more aware of others entering."

Kaixi taps his chin. "I think Kazuha's still trying to talk to him." He points to the left-hand corner of the briefing room, where a short woman with long pink hair had indeed cornered Kogi. She's not exactly quiet either. Shizu internally scolds herself for getting distracted before finishing her survey of the room.

There's something about her that looks familiar to Shizu. Is she one of the girls on the fourth floor? Determined, she clicks her tongue in thought before returning to the comfort of her notepad. It's almost habitual at this point, but she asks regardless, "Would you mind giving me your genders?" Her eyes don't leave Kogi or the pink haired girl.

"I am female," comes Morgan's elegant response.

Kaixi answers without hesitation either, "I'm male." He falters after Shizu nods and begins walking away. "H-hey, where are you going?"

"I still haven't met everyone here yet." Focusing on the people in front of her, replying to Kaixi, and writing her thoughts is a bit much, but she can manage.

"I don't know if crowding Kogi any more is going to do much good," Kaixi mumbles under his breath.

However, Michio claps him on the back. "Probably, yeah, but I don't know if trying to tell Shizu what to do is a good idea either. I've only known her for five minutes, and she's been nothing but business."

Morgan soothes Kaixi's worries as well. "I am sure we will have time to speak with her more at a later time."

Morgan Feysonn

- Female, unsure of age (maybe younger than me?)

- Ultimate Fortune Teller (almost certainly fake, but both observant and good at using Barnum effect)

- Surrounds self and words in mystery, unsure if act or not

- Confident in "predictions" or own intelligence

Kaixi Cheng

- Male, barely an adult

- Ultimate Sports Photographer (quick reaction times and great equipment for perfect shots)

- Friendly and positive, maybe a little too flattering

- Either unsure of self or views others as better? Could just be more flattery

If she's being honest with herself, she'd rather stay with the others, but she hasn't spoken to Kazuha yet. It's best to meet people as soon as possible, lest her thoughts start slipping or she loses her nerve. It almost flees when she glances at the protester.

Kogi is leaning in the corner with his eyes closed, making him look even shorter than he already is. His hands are still shoved into his pockets. However, he doesn't look stressed out. Come to think of it, he doesn't look annoyed either. It's possible he's meditating.

It would explain why he isn't reacting to the girl "trapping" him there. "Trapping" is not exactly the right word, since she's standing up straight and isn't pinning him there, but it feels appropriate. While they look about the same height, he's currently slouching, so she is most likely slightly shorter. Her pink hair is straight and goes down most of her back, and it's topped off by a blue baseball cap. From this angle, the only clothing Shizu can make out is her blue and black checkered, sleeveless dress shirt and her black shorts. To get their attention, she clears her throat.

Kogi doesn't even open his eyes, let alone visibly react. In stark contrast, Kazuha spins around, looks up at Shizu, and smiles. "Hey there! Sorry about not noticing you sooner. I got a little busy over here." She's bouncing on her toes as she speaks. "I'm Kazuha Kimura, Ultimate Zoologist. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Well, she's certainly energetic. Shizu coughs again before answering, "Likewise. Shizu Saneyoshi. Might I ask for your gender?"

Kazuha gives a thumbs up. "Sure thing Shizu! I'm female. I'm guessing you're the same?"

"You would be correct." Shizu writes that information down in her notepad, then starts spinning away. "It was nice meeting you."

"Huh? Whoa, wait up!" Kazuha isn't done with her yet. She briefly considers that changing her position would let Kogi escape but decides it's worth it. She steps in front of Shizu with a concerned expression painted on her face. "That's it? You haven't even told me your talent yet. First Kogi, now you… I'm starting to think I'm not really friend material."

"No, that's… that isn't the problem." Great going, Shizu. She tightens her grip on her pen. "If you must know, I am the Ultimate Strategist. It merely slipped my mind. I'm also slightly worried about what's going on, so my mind's not all here right now." With each lie, that grip gets fiercer. It's a wonder her pen hasn't snapped yet.

Kazuha's stopped biting her cheek at least. "Oh, that's no problem! This whole situation is super messed up, and we've all got our own ways of coping. I'm hoping that we'll all pull through together, though. We've all been put in the same circumstances, right?"

"That's definitely one way to look at it," Shizu agrees.

This causes Kazuha to start bouncing again. "I know not everyone wants to be around people right now, but I think a good first impression will do a lot of good in the long run. That's why I'm trying to get Kogi to open up." She looks around to see if anyone is listening before leaning in and whispering, "I'm sure he's nice, but I think everyone else is getting nervous because of his presence. He's got this cool, mysterious vibe to him, and that's not doing him a lot of good favors in a place like this, y'know?" She leans back, her grin already back in full force.

Choosing to focus all of her attention on the zoologist, Shizu says, "You'll be fighting an uphill battle on that one, I'm afraid. That announcement video that we all got did a fairly good job at unnerving all of us. We may all be victims, but we haven't been given an incentive to unite yet."

"That's why I'm trying to be that incentive. I just have to get to know everyone well enough to help them out. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Some people just happen to have tougher ones to figure out." Truly, there is no crushing her spirit. "Then again, maybe Kaixi and Morgan were so friendly that I got my hopes up a little too much." Even as she speaks, her tone has a hint of humor in it.

"That is a possibility. We must consider the fact that there are only seven of us in the room right now. There is a chance that those among us who are more introverted have not even left their rooms yet. We could have a skewed data set. That being said, I found that Michio and Tsubame are also easy to talk with. Kogi may be an outlier." Her analysis comes naturally as she jots down her impressions of Kazuha.

"Wait, there are more people here? How'd I miss them come in?" Kazuha backtracks further, "Wait, how did I miss you come in?"

"I failed to notice you as well, so let's chalk it up to conversation." She points out her previous companions. "Michio is the man speaking with the others, and Tsubame's the one sitting back there." Michio was indeed continuing to be right in the middle of the conversation. On the other hand, Tsubame is watching them intensely. While she is clearly enjoying listening in, there isn't anything in her posture or expression to indicate that she wants to join in.

"They look like they're having fun, so that's great! Once I've gotten a little something from Kogi, I'll go meet them." Her cheer is nearly infectious.

Shizu has a few concerns about this. "What makes you so certain he's going to talk?"

"I promised to let him be if he asked, but he hasn't said anything at all. That could be a good sign." Her positivity is clear in her tone, though it wavers when she continues, "I don't want to pester him too much. At the same time, I'd like to get to know him a tiny bit… I haven't even gotten his talent."

"…He's the Ultimate Protester." Despite the pause, the words are out of her mouth before she can stop them.

Kazuha's blue eyes widen. "H-huh?"

Kogi slowly opens his eyes.

The briefing room door opens, and the telltale clicks of Kaixi's camera fill the room.

Kazuha Kimura

- Female, probably on the younger side

- Ultimate Zoologist (incredible knowledge of animals, no particular area of studies? Possible jack of all trades, so to speak)

- Impossibly upbeat, radiant beacon of positivity

- Hard not to feel cheerful around her, but could be an elaborate ruse to make others comfortable

At first, Shizu looks over the head of the man who had entered. It's only when she glances down that she catches his short, wavy, aqua hair that she can focus on him. He's very tan, nearly orange as a matter of fact. His eyes are a striking turquoise color, he's got a pearl necklace, and, for some bizarre reason, he's got pink floaties around his arm. Still, what really catches her attention are all of his tattoos. She can't see through his mustard-yellow shirt or aqua cargo pants, but it seems like his entire body is covered in them. If she had to guess, they appear to be over the circulatory system, since they look very similar to veins. Even his feet, which she can see because of his sandals, have them.

He makes for the back of the room opposite where Tsubame is sitting. If he was hoping for some peace and quiet, he chose unfortunately. He barely has a chance to sit down before Kazuha is standing next to him. …At least Kogi has some breathing room.

"Hi there, I'm Kazuha Kimura, the Ultimate Zoologist. It's nice to meet you!" She extends her hand in friendship.

Though his mouth is initially a pout, his eyes light up when he hears her title. One internal deliberation later, and he meets her in a handshake. "I'm Chouki Awadachi. I mostly specialize in the conservation of marine life, but that's enough to warrant being the Ultimate Marine Biologist."

Kazuha squees. "No way! I love marine animals! They're all so good! I'd ask you to pick a favorite, but that'd be rude. It'd be like picking out a favorite child!"

"I don't think anyone would be able to take out a single species and say that it's the best. That isn't how nature works." Chouki's tone is soft yet to the point. Shizu thinks there's some excitement in there, but it's difficult to tell.

"Since you're specializing in ocean animals, you probably know way more about them than I do," Kazuha cheers. "Do you have any super interesting animal facts on you right now?"

There's some hesitation on Chouki's part. "What are you planning on doing with whatever I tell you?"

"Huh? I guess I'm going to use it to learn more about the world? Is there something else I'm missing?" She scratches the back of her neck as she asks.

He narrows his eyes. "Most of the damage that I've seen comes from people interfering. If I tell you something, you could use it to mess with the life that's already there."

"No no no! I would never!" Kazuha shouts in a panic. "I love all animals! I swear on my life that I'd never even think about hurting them!"

"That's nice, but I can't trust good intentions. What if you make a mistake? What if you have the wrong idea entirely?" Chouki counters.

She swallows nervously and bites the inside of her cheek. "I… I guess that's fair. I just thought… I am an Ultimate, after all… Do you really think that I'd get scouted if I would make a big mistake involving animals?"

"It's only a title. I need to see some proof before I put any marine life in danger." With that, he appears finished with the conversation. Kazuha sighs sadly.

Shizu finally decides to speak up. "You aren't a very trusting person."

Rolling his eyes, Chouki responds, "You're supposed to earn trust first, whoever you are."

"It was only an observation, not a judgment," she says evenly. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Shizu Saneyoshi."

He nods, and that appears to be the end of that. Kazuha looks back at him with something like determination burning in her eyes. "I'll make sure to win your trust. You'll see that I treat every animal with love and respect, and you'll have no choice but to be my friend." She says the last bit with mock accusation.

"OK then."

"You really weren't kidding when you said you'd try to unite us…" Shizu posits.

Beaming, Kazuha nods. "Nope! Even if some people take a while to warm up, it'll definitely be possible! I'm up for the challenge!"

To their surprise, they hear Chouki scoff. When they look at him questioningly, he says, "If you want a challenge, then try talking to the person wearing a bag on their head."

…What.

Seeing their befuddled stares, he reluctantly continues. "I saw them peeking out of the stairwell when I was walking over here. They noticed me and ducked back into hiding, so I didn't get a good look. But they definitely were wearing a brown paper bag over their head."

"That's…" She tries to find the correct word but settles on, "Odd. I think I'll investigate."

"Have fun with that." She can tell by his tone that he's rolling his eyes again.

"I'd go with you, but I still have to meet everyone else in here. Good luck, though!" Kazuha waves goodbye, eyeing Michio. That reminds her…

Her notepad is back in her hands in a flash. "I almost forgot. May I ask your gender?" she asks Chouki.

"Male," he answers dully.

She nods in thanks and steps towards the door. Before she can exit, however, she hears someone call out to her.

It's Tsubame, who she had thought was paying rapt attention to whatever Morgan was going on about. "Um… I hope I'm not being rude, but are you going somewhere? Shouldn't we wait for the others to come for us? We might miss each other if we're going back and forth."

"It's a special circumstance," Shizu explains. "From what I've gathered, someone's being shy and refusing to leave their hiding spot. We could be here a while if no one picks them up."

"In that case, I wish you luck." Tsubame swivels her head back to the conversation she was eavesdropping on, now with a bonus Kazuha in the mix.

There were already a slew of strong personalities for Shizu to keep track of. Whoever this mystery bag person is, it's likely that this trend won't die down any time soon. She pinches her forehead with the hand holding her pen, hopes that it doesn't leave a mark, and walks out of the briefing room.

Chouki Awadachi

- Male, unsure of age

- Ultimate Marine Biologist (knows all about marine life, but claims to focus on keeping it safe from humanity)

- Quiet, soft-spoken, hides a sarcastic(?)/dismissive side (may be way he speaks, not intentional)

- Not a people person, distrusting of others perhaps due to things he's seen while studying marine life

- Most likely cares more for animals than he does for people

Shizu's Notes

Character Profiles/Impressions

- See previous entries, I am not writing that all again

- More important to get to know people before assaulting them with questions about capture, wait for them to bring it up for now

Physical Location

- Multi-story building, unable to tell how many floors it has

- Living quarters separated by floor, with probably about five/six per floor

- 4th floor: Shizu, Tsubame, Michio, Kazuha, ?

- 3rd floor: Kogi, ?

- 2nd floor: Chouki(?) (if he noticed someone in the stairwell, he probably was walking past it, implying he was coming from the room hallway), ?

- Seems to be a loop structure on each floor, with the elevator at the center of the building

- Didn't see any windows but could have missed them while talking

- Unable to access 1st floor. Likely that the exit is there, and captor doesn't want us escaping

- Several areas on other floors also unavailable. Either lead to escape, not part of the game area, or are unfinished

Capture Circumstances

- Did not question most people

- Seem unwilling to talk about the actual situation, so very little information available

- Probably don't want to accept what's happening, denial still strong?

- Michio apparently physically assaulted

- Tsubame taken quietly while sleeping

- Disparity in methods, may hint to desperation to get Ultimates as quickly as possible

A/N: That's a wrap for the first half of the introductions. I actually had this done a while back, but I wanted to get feedback with some busy people IRL. Whatever the case, I'm sorry this took so long to get out. On the plus side, I've started working on the second half already, so, with any luck, that will come sooner. Either that, or I'll get distracted by school before I can finish, and you'll all have to wait even longer. :V

Whatever the case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you have any concerns about how your character is portrayed, please don't be shy about contacting me. I hope you all have a fantastic day.