usogi | [ i already regret sasuke and senri ]

I don't always get to go to that kind of thing - I have to work during busy seasons, so I can't always squeeze in the time to hang out with friends even if I get invited.

[and he really does sound sincerely curious?? ninjas are so fascinating]

I like the sound of that a lot... I hope the carnival is like that.

[Oh right. Stage actor? Sasuke's brows furrow. Here Senri is begging for time with friends; meanwhile, Sasuke is completely squandering all the time he could have with his friends period.

He looks away.]

Why don't you go with someone else? Take Takaomi. [He gets it's supposed to be him for the date or whatever, but.] Before... this.

Why are you trying to make me spend even more time with that gloomy guy....

[hE SAYS TO SASUKE WHO IS OBJECTIVELY GLOOMIER THAN SASUKE]

It's okay. I was going to ask you to go with me anyway, but this way we get rewarded for it.

Idiot.

[Don't just say dumb, gay shit like that?? pls]

Take Estelle. Or Kaname. Or Narukami. [A pause.] Take Ray. [This is said with a strange frown?]

Is that the list of people here that you don't super hate? I'm probably still going to go with all of them later, but that doesn't make me not want to go with you.

[ . . . ]

By the way, how come Bakaomi is Takaomi and I'm still Nito? Call me Senri. It's been bothering me.

[YIKES. He very quickly gets in:] N... [Hm. Maybe bad. The falter is weird, but he carries on.

The frown doesn't exactly disappear but his face softens slightly. His lips twist for a moment; hesitation.]

Senri.

[ . . . . hehe.

his expressions definitely warms into something very pleased.]

Thank you, Sasuke-kun.

[they're at the costume hall now because i want to be saved from this]

[Very lowly:] Scaredy-cat. [He has to save face someone.

You act like the costume hall is going to save you from the even more gay shit that's going to happen inside. smh]

[senri sticks his tongue out because of course he does - but he'll let go of sasuke. he shivers automatically when he does if only because it means no more constant heat source, but he'll deal for the sake of fashion. his fingers start brushing across fabric as he wanders]

Let's see, let's see....

It'll probably have to be black, huh? Cheri said the further from your usual aesthetic the better - but I still have to make sure you look good if we're going out after....

[he really is just rolling these two tasks together into a date]

Oh, I should get an outfit too!

[please save me from his verbal stream of consciousness]

[HE'S FREE. Senri actually was kind of cold... Sasuke almost feels bad. Maybe as the week goes on, he'll feel increasingly more shitty while Senri gets increasingly more cold.]

Why does it have to be different than what I normally wear? Wasn't last time different enough?

[He hates this. Just standing there looking at the racks without digging through everything... He hates it. And now Senri wants to fucking prom match.]

Cheri was a fashionista in their life before this one - of course they want to see someone good-looking in nice, sleek clothes. It's a pretty natural desire, but amplified for those who live in the world of aesthetics and chic.

[he says this so confidently it's actually the worst thing? he's picking things out from the racks again, pulling them out and draping them over his arm as he considers his choices]

It makes him really happy when you get to play along with his sense of style. That's your tip if you ever wanna see him without me.

What do you have?

[His voice is way too soft to be for Senri. Sure enough, he's peering up at the crow on top of one of the racks. It has a shiny cufflink in its beak.] Stop that... [But he doesn't make any effort to try to get it away.]

And you still don't think Sincerity isn't telling you the entire truth about the world they want to create? You're just going to believe them?

[Yeah, that one is definitely for Senri.]

Just because Ruin is on an opposing side doesn't mean she's not telling the truth. Do you want a world where no one cares about someone unless they look a certain way?

[Scrutinizing, he turns a hard gaze at Senri. Choose your words wisely, Nito. Sasuke is a Uchiha.]

[this crow is also growing a passion for fashion clearly. let kara-chan do his thing.

that said Senri is going to keep digging through things - ]

Of course not - but I think you're mistaking Sincerity for Indulgence. To be tossed aside just because you don't match some stupid expectation set by people who were born with silver spoons in their mouth... I'm a commoner. How could I want that?

Sincerity is about individual strengths, about everyone deserving the spotlight if given the chance. There's a thoughtfulness for other people, and bringing others up.

[ . . . . ]

Besides, I've been thinking since I talked to Piety about a different way to look at things.

[Senri, stop stanning the shit out of Sincerity. Geez. Sasuke makes a face, but turns his attention back to the rack and the crow, idle, not really looking at anything in particular so much as he's looking through everything at his thoughts.

What was he doing? This isn't any different than Konoha. Than waiting for Naruto in the Valley and getting ready to declare he's willing to start a revolution for the sake of a new, better world.

He can already hear what Naruto is going to say. He can see what Itachi had done--all for the village who stained him. All of them, the villages, fighting one another.]

Why don't they...

[His voice is barely a whisper, and he doesn't finish, his eyes narrowing at the distance.]

Hey, pay attention to me when I'm talking to you.

[shut up senri.

. . . but also he thinks he can see sasuke getting a little too far into his head?? he frowns briefly before going over to him, carrying the clothes as he goes.]

.... I know you're going to say that it's not our responsibility to look after gods, and it's not fair that we have a bunch of things to do to help them get their - lives together. [he tries not to curse,,] ... but Piety thinks that if all the gods learn balance, and to get along with each other, that might lead to the best world of all. One where they each get to do well in their respective domains. Shishimaru thinks that we should be looking for a leader that can actually guide them to that - and I'm trying to help repair some of their internal relationships where I can...

[ . . . ]

It's something to think about, before you jump to killing one. So just... hold off on that, for a little while, please.

[and then he tilts his head]

I'm banning big strategy talk when we're on our date, by the way. I want to eat cotton candy and watch you win me prizes, not think about this.

[senri,,]

[When Senri comes over, he isn't in his head anymore so much as still clinging to his thought process. Irritably:] No. [But he lets Senri finished.

He turns halfway around to face Senri, and even if he's looking broody, he really is frustratingly handsome when he's not being a vengeful piece of stubborn shit. It's annoying when a voice as rich and deep as his is this soft.

Why don't they... just make a world together?

[He had been on the right track, listen, dammit. It doesn't mean he believes it'll work. Hell, he one hundred percent thinks it'll fail honestly, but... Other people are right: this isn't going to be their world.]

But it... wouldn't work. I've seen a world like that. I live in it. No one is willing to work together.

[ . . . senri tilts his head.]

..... it can work. We have three weeks to make it work, if you want to help me. It sounds like they couldn't get along before, so that's why they had to hold this contest. But now that there's other people involved... Piety felt like they were growing, and they were starting to see a way to work together.

I've tried to read out to Ambition and.... I think that's working too. She's listening to me, slowly. If I can get her to try to listen to other gods the same way....

[ . . . ]

I might try to talk to Ruin next week, or Cunning.

But we can't let them vote for Fortune this week - because if a god without followers is convicted at trial, then that god is the one removed from play. I don't... think that'll help with the balanced world we're thinking of.

It isn't going to work, Senri.

[But he sighs, giving up just for now. He is tired of the familiar Naruto optimism trying to bash him back down. His eyes drop to the clothes Senri has in hand, making sure none of them are too wild for his tastes.]

Fine. [He spent... so much time... Trying to get a god out of the line-up. Dammit to hell. Everything is worthless.] And if their own rules say they can't forfeit the game?

Then what?

[cheetah print and hot pink rhinestones

no it's mostly black still, but with some pops of color in red and white. it's a good outfit because senri has an eye for this kind of thing, and it's also still more form fitting than what sasuke usually wears because if senri has to go on a date with the most dramatic person in the temple he's still gonna get something out of it thanks]

I'm working on it.

.... don't use this to give me a heart attack, but Ambition's specialty - like Indulgence's - is getting around the rules. I think she likes me enough that if I can convince her it's a good idea, she might be able to help me figure something out.

The more we know about the gods and their specialties... I think if we can work together, and convince them to work together, we can come up with something.

[but also like senri isn't very smart and he's outsourcing so much of the thinking he's just like. the optimistic idea generator.]

I think you're biting off more than you can chew.

[BOLD WORDS COMING FROM SASUKE.

Reaching out, the takes the handful of clothes away from Senri and retreats not unlike he had done before when forced to dress up for Indulgence.

The luckiest thing about going on a stupid carnival date is he doesn't have to wear an actual formal outfit. He just has to look nice. Everything is fitted well without being restricting and awful. Hysterically clutched in a pair of black skinny jeans and a heather-grey shirt which ends right at his waist. The belt is predictably edgy in design, but doesn't stand out like it's garish.

He finds something he likes on the other side, too: a black denim jacket with red stitched lapels, the arms and the hood made of soft, dark grey cotton material; and shoes which are blazing red and high-top, laces black. He jerks the hood up over his head and steps out from behind the rack.

Senri really is biting off more than he can chew.]

[why the FUCK is he hot.

senri went to change also - but like. fitted jeans and layers are the norm for him? the only thing he cares to be mindful of in his outfit is a black jeans so that he's not a super preppy mess next to sasuke? prep and goth solidarity is a thing but also he wants to not be obvious about their utter opposites on this date, thanks.

when he also wanders back out and faces sasuke he pauses.

monday sure is a good day for reminding senri that he's just. so gay.]

... what are the odds I can convince you to dress like that more often?

[jUST TO IMPROVE EVERYONE'S MOODS, but also senri likes playing with fire so he'll approach and reach up just to brush aside some of sasuke's bangs]

Would you let me fix your hair too?

If you stay aligned to Justice, I'll think about it.

[Senri gets all of several seconds to feel the coarse, dark hair before Sasuke tips his chin up and to the side like a cat being pet backward. The bangs don't even stay, so use to never doing anything but growing in whatever direction they've wanted.

But he at least brings his head back down again, keeping him from being haughty.]

What's wrong with my hair? [Better yet.] Why are you so obsessed with things like this? How you look to others.

[senri does look sheepish for a second - he can't make any promises about Justice just yet, so he doesn't. better than feeding Sasuke another lie.]

It does this... thing... [now that's about sasuke's hair.

though at the question, he just shakes his head.]

I have to be. I'm a stage actor. I'm good at what I do, of course, better than most - but if I'm not blessed like other people with head-turning good looks. If I don't put in effort, I can't keep up. And if I can't keep up, I lose my career. And if I lose my career -

... well, there's no back-up plan, for people like me. I don't have the luxuries that other people do. There's no one and nothing to catch me if I slip.

[senri appears to decide that the hair is a losing battle - or maybe he realizes that he's saying a little bit too much about himself, and he walks back if only to put some space between them physically, heading for the accessories table. at the end of the day, no matter how many connections he makes, he may still be a coward.]

Anyway I just have to care a lot, about everything I do and how people see me.

[Sasuke doesn't care about appearances. For a ninja, the way he dressed and the way he looked was never a part of his repertoire aside from having the telling signs Uchiha eyes.

But even so, it feels like the words are being pulled from his own throat. He was exceptional, but he wasn't a prodigy like his brother. If he didn't put in effort, he couldn't keep up. If he couldn't keep up, he wouldn't be worthy of being a ninja, he wouldn't have been able to get his revenge, he wouldn't be able to fix Konoha. No one is there to catch him...

But there is someone. There always has been. Two someones, but especially one stubborn someone.

His mouth opens as Senri retreats, and his hands habitually slide into the pockets of the jacket almost like he's worn it forever. He's quiet for a long time while Senri looks at the accessories.]

I'll catch you. [His voice is soft, but his face is as intensely focused as usual. He knows this changes nothing about Senri back home, but... if he can show Senri here the things he's today years old realizing Naruto has shown him all along...] I don't want you dragging me down by holding onto my ankles like a scaredy-cat. So.

I'll catch you.

[senri's hands still even as he pokes through the assortment of braclets, pins, odds and ends -

for so long, there was only him. he was alone until he made himself into something that others found worth paying attention to, when he gave them what they wanted. but if you wear a hundred different masks every single day, nothing feels genuine. still, he thought, even if it wasn't real - at least he had something.

but there's never been anyone to pay attention to him after his lies were revealed. no one stays when he says what's really on his mind. if he's not amiable, he's left behind. he's never had anyone who would - ]

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mods please murder sasuke week 3 i'm begging you

[1/2] god i hate this so much please kill us both