SHSL Jack of All Trades

Finisan understands! Hitomi agrees, art can reflect all sorts of faces. She wonders if that’s why she likes music so much… But she’s talked too much about herself, so she shuts up. Right now is Finisan’s time to shine! He’s really volunteering to let her see this…! She’s blessed!

This is good…! It’s short, b-but good! I-I um, like how… I like the words. The um, the all lowercase, w-what does it… mean?

She changes her mind, she doesn’t understand art at all. Please explain.

Cain looks away as Hitomi reads his poem, a bit flustered at just up and showing her his poem, especially since it’s not something he’s terribly pleased with. His fret doesn’t show in any other way than avoiding eye contact, though.

He’s glad to hear that she likes it, though! Again, it doesn’t quite show, but, well, the feeling is there. “..Thank.. you,” he bows. “...I.. suppose I’m... somewhat fond of... the diction, as well...” Cain muses, moving to take his notebook back. He drops it, and just decides to leave it on the floor.

“Ah, the... lowercase.” If Cain was going to be honest with himself, he honestly just didn’t feel like writing in the capitals to make the poem grammatically coherent, but... He can come up with something on the spot. Sure. Yeah. 

silencedskills‌:

Cain listened stoically to Travanis’ poem, trying to avoid staring too much as it seemed to be troubling him, at least somewhat, to be stared at. They had wanted to clap after the performance, but not only had he sent a single hand simply flying into nothing during his attempt to applaud, Travanis had rushed right back to his seat following his performance. 

Travanis was clearly at least somewhat nervous, or even insecure, but Cain genuinely enjoyed the poem, and he wanted to make Travanis feel better. The content of the poem itself was an intriguing look at isolation, and it used winter as a fun little metaphor. At least, that’s how Cain was interpreting it. 

Regardless, it was good, and Cain wanted Travanis to know it. He was only one person, but… Maybe it would make Travanis feel better. Cain slowly approached him, waving awkwardly. “…That was… very good,” he said. “…Are you… feeling… okay..?”

Travanis gulped a bit, but tried to calm himself down. Cain didn’t mean any harm. Right? Right totally. “Ah um. Th-Thank you. I don’t really know why I feel so nervous, I was confident in this poem just yesterday.” He admitted, wringing his hands together. “But yet.. I dunno, I guess I was just trying to work through something is all.”

Noticing Travanis’ increasing nervousness, Cain backed up a good few steps, trying to give him more space. “...No... need to... thank me... for simply... sharing my thoughts... honestly.” He shrugged. “...I can see... where your previously... existing confidence... came from. Like I said... it was.. very good.”

!!! Validation! Her lifeblood!

T-Thank you very much!

She bows.

T-Thank goodness…~ I can feel my worries melt away! W-Was um, worried it didn’t sound enough like “me?” But, looks like, um, everybody else, too, wrote some dark stuff this time? I’m glad… L-Looking forward to hearing yours, Finisan!

Even though they’ve been roommates for a while now, Hitomi still doesn’t know how to read them. Only thing she’s sure of is that Cain is a good person.

Cain feels nice having been able to make someone feel happier, but his attempt at a smile appears stilted, forced, and more than a bit awkward. So he stops ‘smiling’ near immediately.

He’ll just express himself out loud. “...I’m.. glad... your worries... are gone.” They reciprocate the bow. 

“There... is no need... to worry about... your art.. seeming like ‘you.’ Art... can reflect the artist... in a myriad.. of different ways.” He nods. “And... yes, that... does seem to be.. the case, regarding... more ‘upsetting’ content.”

They go to grab their notebook as quickly as they can, before returning with it in hand. Cain offers it to her, fumbling to open it up to the page with his most recent poem. “...I... don’t think... mine is too dark.. at least.” Saving reading it aloud for later, he simply displays the physical poem itself. 

Travanis’ leg kept bouncing in his chair as he held his notebook tightly, knuckles becoming paler as he held tightly to it. He had felt so confident about writing that poem no more than a day ago, but suddenly he was freezing up. Would they be able to tell? Even he wasn’t 100% sure if he was able to accept what the poem had helped him realize. Well it wasn’t just the poem.. THANKS BETH.

Regardless, he reluctantly stood when it was his chance and mussed with his hair a bit. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he prepared to read.

“Uh this is my poem, it’s called “Winter” and I hope that you guys like it.”

He gulped a bit, trying not to focus on the staring of his fellow classmates. After a clearing of his throat he began to read.

“The winter around me is colder than the tundra I fear the cold outside I fear the stares of judgement For the feelings in my heart Here I am looking through the window The reality outside scares me I am afraid to accept the motions of my world But I can hope that the world is good Accepting of the inner machinations of my heart And that my feelings will have prevailed against the harshness outside But for now I stay inside While the icy winds whip outside”

Travanis was clearly at least somewhat nervous, or even insecure, but Cain genuinely enjoyed the poem, and he wanted to make Travanis feel better. The content of the poem itself was an intriguing look at isolation, and it used winter as a fun little metaphor. At least, that’s how Cain was interpreting it. 

((TW: Suicide))

Hitomi’s been practicing this! She stands with her back straight and head held up high.

Um! Yes! This is my poem, and the title is… “Dark Reminiscence.”

Oh boy, that’s a promising title full of edge. She clears her throat.

Those two’s love-lorn deuxicide Their valiant hearts were crucified Lives ended Unmended Left unmourned Never reborn Why? Sigh. This scratching scar’s finality Shall we escape reality?

In any case, Cain was quite impressed with Hitomi’s reading, and the poem itself had a pleasing rhyme scheme as well as a surprisingly dark theme. It was difficult to miss how her eyes moved around in search of... praise? Or something similar, at least.

Yua looked up, to see Cain approaching her. She looked down at her empty notebook, before closing it, and choosing to focus on Cain’s shoes instead. They seemed pretty interesting right now.

“A-ah… uh… hello, Finis-sama…”

He was asking her how she was doing? She nodded her head in response. 

“Uh… I’m… I’m okay… Sorry for worrying… worrying you… um, how are you?”

Cain had managed to spot Yua’s empty notebook before she got the chance to close it. And then he noticed Yua staring at his shoes. He moved his eyes to take a look at them, as well, in case there was something wrong with them. 

When he determined that there wasn’t, and that Yua was probably? Most likely? Just super nervous, he crouched down just a bit to get closer to her eye level. Or, where eye level would be if she wasn’t looking down. Beyond that, Cain didn’t push further to get her to lift up her head.

“...Yes, hello,” Cain replied, waving. “...I’m... fine, myself,” he answered, before tilting his head. “...Are you... certain that... you’re okay...? And... please, there’s... no need to apologize. I... came here to... offer you help, if you... needed any.”

Writing poems again? Well, since this was the literature club, that made sense. When signing up for this, the origami artist had expected it to just be… reading books? But, poetry sufficed. She was okay with writing this. The big problem was sharing it… Would they have to do that again? 

If they were sharing it again… Yua had to make sure her poem was acceptable to be read by others. Would they get mad at her if it wasn’t perfect? They might? So, Yua had to make a good one.

Regardless, he was still struck with writer’s block, and he only had one solution to that. People watch! 

As expected, his fellow Literature Club members were all working away at their own poems, a few conversing with one another, but all set on the same end goal all the same. One particular member seemed just a bit more distressed than the others, though. 

As soon as the meeting was over, Zeycan had secluded herself in the Room of Banishment. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her roommates, she was perfectly neutral, but she just really really needed to focus on this poem. She definitely wasn’t a master poetess. Writing had never come easy to  her. She hoped Monika would at least be lenient.

She sat in her room with her journal, paper balls scattered all over the bed. She wasn’t even sure where to start. The possibilities were limitless after all. And that made it worse. If Monika had said “write about a dog” she probably could have done something with that.

He wandered the halls, searching for any sort of inspiration, but, disappointingly enough, found himself with absolutely nothing. He stopped at an arbitrary door, and took out his pencil and paper once more. Maybe forcing it will work?

...No, there was just too much freedom. Cain was used to being given direction from others, so... well, that only exacerbated the difficulty.

Just as Cain managed a title for the poem, however weak it was, he heard a thud. It didn’t sound like it was anything heavy or worth too much concern, but... Better safe than sorry, right?

   Who would do that?

   The Jack of All Trades, that’s who. What a fake talent. What an impossible, unrealistic talent! …just like her’s.

   “…I-It’s…nice to meet you…Cain-chan!” she doesn’t handle foreign names very well, and she’s not quite sure how to nickname him…

She does continue talking, though, so that’s probably a good sign. Cain can usually handle himself pretty well around talkative people, especially since they usually just do all the talking. 

“...Nice to... meet you... as well,” he echoes, gently nodding his head. He had already shared that sentiment, but there was no harm in repeating it. 

Cain tilts his head. Don’t have to what? The most recent thing he had done was adjust himself in an attempt to soothe Box-chan, so he assumes that that is what she is referring to, but, just in case he’s wrong... 

Cain, bless you. Also you’re very cute.

Suzaku flushed a little. People didn’t usually talk about his eye, considering that there were other things to talk about. But it wasn’t as if they would know; he hadn’t introduced himself yet. “I- ah, thank you.”

Perhaps it may have been better if he didn’t need to wear this stupid eyepatch. As things were, however… Well, no point in thinking of what-ifs.

“My name is Suzaku Fujiki. It’s nice to meet you, Mister….?”

Cain tilted his head as he noticed Suzaku flushing. Hm. He was just being honest, really. On top of returning a compliment, obviously. It was a pretty eye.

“...No... problem,” he said, although the response almost sounded rehearsed. It’s not like Cain was lying about that either; it really wasn’t a problem. Cain was just good at making things sound just a little bit more awkward than they needed to be.

Suzaku Fujiki, he mentally repeated. Cain recognised Suzaku as the name of the Vermilion Bird, but otherwise, the name rang no bells. 

“Finis,” Cain answered, finishing Suzaku’s sentence. Apparently, he didn’t feel the need to give Suzaku his first name.

At least, not without good reason.

“…” The blond haired boy had the prettiest eyes, come to think of it. One green, one blue. Was it called heterochromia? He couldn’t remember, really. “… your eyes are really pretty.”

And then Suzaku realises that he said it out loud, and that he hadn’t meant to. Wasn’t supposed to, even. Who says these things within like, five seconds of meeting? 

They knew the answer was a bit iffy, but that really was all they had to say in response. Cain thought perhaps the other boy had something more to say, or ask, but they didn’t push. Cain wasn’t exactly the type to push for anything.

And then their eyes were complimented. Huh.

“...Oh,” was all that was said at first. Seemed people liked commenting on Cain’s eyes. Not that they could blame anyone, heterochromia isn’t exactly common. The fact that the comments were compliments was always unexpected, though.

You’re supposed to thank people when they say nice things about you, right? Cain was pretty confident that that was the case, so they bowed their head, slowly and deliberately, and opened their mouth. “...Thank you.” 

Suzaku felt someone’s eyes on him. How could he not? Glancing around discretely, he attempted to check where it came from- ah, over there. From the teen with the blond hair and a dead expression.

A little unsettling, but nothing he was unused to.

He walked on over, careful not to bump into anyone or anything - or at least, he tried. “Excuse me; I couldn’t help but notice you watching… did you need something?”

When Cain spotted some movement that looked suspiciously like it was coming their way, they set their eyes dead-on on the approaching individual. They were more subtle about it, though, more than when they were just casually glancing around the room just a few moments ago.

Cain’s stare held up until the boy made it to their desk. “...No,” they answered. Shrugging, they looked off ever so slightly to the side, as if keeping watch. Then, they set their eyes back on the guy with a... 

An eye patch? Huh. 

   None of them!

   Why is this student trying to make her suffocate? Why the intense stare? Why? Someone come save her, please, anyone, she’s locked in a room with this staring psychopath!

He can’t exactly place what it is that he’s doing wrong, though, so he simply adjusts his position in kind. Cain straightens his back first, before shifting backwards, giving the box a modicum of more space. 

Box-chan’s discomfort is still a bit troubling to Cain, though, so much so that he decides he’d rather look away. 

   “AH…! N-N-NO! NO THEY AREN’T!! TH-THEY’RE JUST…R-REGULAR..REGULAR EYES…! N-NOTHING SPECIAL…UNDER HERE…A-AT ALL!!”

   He’s still staring way too intensely at her, she’s dying, she can’t do this. She bows quickly, her box somehow managing to stay perfectly in place.

   “UM- …uh…I-I’m Box-chan…! Though…! Uh…-!”

“...I’m... sure... they’re... normal eyes...” He says. It’s difficult to decipher whether or not Cain was saying that in a joking manner, but what’s obvious is that he’s still looking right at her. “...I didn’t... think you were... actually a box head... or something. Still... could be pretty... no?”

When she bows, though, Cain does what he figures is the most polite thing to do. He simply bows in return. 

And when she introduces herself, he replies with, again, what he figures it the most polite thing to say. “...It’s... nice to meet you... Box-chan.” He tips his head in another slight bow. “...I... hope that’s... not your real name.”

   Such an intense stare…it’s piercing through her. Like he could see right through her box and into her soul. It made her shiver a bit, causing her to hug herself.

   “A-Ah…um…y-you have…pretty eyes…!” she offers, failing at changing the conversation. But when such eyes are staring you down, they’re kind of all you can talk about.

   Plus! They were pretty! She’d never seen anything like them!

Cain just kept on staring at the box-individual, doing his best to figure out just what was going on behind the cardboard. There was a lot that was made obvious simply from her mannerisms, but... Well, Cain had a tendency to constantly observe others.

He wasn’t expecting the compliment, though. “Oh,” was all he could manage at first. He mulled over the rest of his response, still looking directly at the box. “...Thank... you.” Cain shifted his eyes away for barely a moment in embarrassment, but nothing else changed about his face to indicate such an emotion.