hollyheights Mailbox

[calculating]

House: 1478


Application | Activity | HMD


(from here)
➜ A receipt for $2000
➜ A small but empty book with Landlord's Notes inscribed on the front.
➜ Another special regain pass (though this one only gives restricted regains; no non-humanoid parts and etc.)
➜ Depending on your own personal taste, a luxury cologne or perfume set.
➜ A special food pass. This means that all food purchases from the date of retrieval to December 31st will be free of charge. This excludes personally owned restaurants and only includes grocery and food shops that are not player owned.

(from here)
➜ Another regain pass, courtesy of Fukawa

(from here)
➜ Island 1 prize: $1100, a $500 food card

(from here)
➜ Male gift, ending in vowel. AKA More cologne.

(from here)
➜ Police file on the serial killings of Genocider Syo

(from here)
➜ Team Purple prize: invitation, photo, and $500

Comments

[calculating]

[One Togami will believe or actually care about is really the difficult part. Because for now, this answer just makes him roll his eyes.]

You seem to assume that I both don't already know how others perceive me, and that I actually care about something that trivial. Was that really your goal?

WOW WAY TO LOSE YOURSELF, NOTIF

[temperm]

[That answer makes his hackles rise- not just that he already knew, but because he just didn't care. Apathy was one of Gau's greatest annoyances.]

I hoped that this would help make you understand the situation better! [In fact, that's probably more true than saying it was due to the dare.] You of all people should care about your reputation!

[calculating]

[His reputation precedes himself, he knows this. It's not just what other people think of him that goes around, though, but his own accomplishments, everything he's done that causes people to make their opinions of him. People's opinions he couldn't care less about, but his accomplishments? those he cared for, and nothing would change those.]

As usual, you're wrong. Other people's opinions are hardly worth concerning myself with. Not only is it not worth my time to try and change them, they have little relevance to me personally. They can think what they will.

[temperm]

[...Well, on some basic level, Gau can actually see the value in that line of thinking- of course, the most important opinion concerning you was the one you had about yourself. And there were misinformed, wrong opinions that you really shouldn't consider either. Gau had run into both of these scenarios enough to learn their importance the hard way. It causes him to lose a bit of the anger in his expression, actually.

Still, self-reflection was a virtue and being self-centered a grave mistake, and Gau knew Togami did absolutely none of former. This fact keeps the rest of his anger present.]

Togami-san... I don't understand how you can live with alienating yourself from everyone around you! Surely you can't think that every criticism of you is useless! How do you expect to gain anything from being here if you isolate yourself and make everyone hate you?!

[Yes, Gau, lecture Togami on morals... when you just spray-painted his door. good job.]

[calculating]

[Self-reflection? Nope, no real point in that. Perhaps he ought to do that, but the idea of it never crossed his mind. He wouldn't see the point in something like that at all. Really, he knows there's little point in indulging Gau's... well, Gau-ness, but the last thing he says--not about the hatred, because he doesn't give a damn about that--pisses him off to the point where he almost wants to reply, to smack down whatever self-righteous bullshit Gau's about to launch himself even further into.]

How do I expect to gain anything from being here? There isn't anything to gain. I'm not surprised you of all people managed to convince yourself otherwise, but try thinking it over with just the slightest bit of logic. We're here by the whim of some being we don't know, we leave on his whim, and for all intents and purposes, nothing we do here matters once we leave. It has no bearing on us or where we're from. [well, there was no way to know that for sure, but what he assumes is that it doesn't, because if it did, people wouldn't have been stupid enough to kill others and be found out. Not that he wouldn't have found them out anyway, but he's hoping they at least would've made it more interesting.]

So tell me. Just what do you think you can gain from a place like this? A person like myself, that is, not someone like you, pulled here while presumably comatose back home. [Yes, he remembers that. He's not about to forget something he can potentially use like that]

[temperm]

[It, all of it, makes him angry. Not just the comatose comment (factually wrong, but he knows what the intent is behind it), but the fact that he's fallen into the same line of thinking before. What use was being here, when it was worlds away from the one person whom he wanted to live for?

He's not defensive as he begins his tirade, but his teeth are bared nonetheless.]

I refuse to believe that there isn't any worth in the life I'm living here! Because I was [And there's emphasis on that, because he's alive now and he will be when he goes back, come hell or high water] unconscious, every moment I'm alive is precious to me. Even if most of the evidence says that we don't remember this place when we return home, I can't give up on living with purpose while I'm here!

[He's died once here, and should have died many times before that. He knows it's damn well luck why he's up and walking right now.

Speaking of which- He steps forward, probably unconsciously. There's no stopping him now, better run and get some duct tape if you want to shut him up.]

Are you able to accept that life is meaningless here that easily, Togami-san? I have many problems with your mannerisms, but I didn't think you were the kind of person to passively accept what happens to you!

...Fukawa-san told me what was happening in your world. [Togami won't be sad about her being gone, but even Gau has to sound just a bit more subdued as he mentions her name.] As someone who comes from a situation as horrible as that, you should be able to appreciate a peaceful life between the challenges the landlord gives us! I know you're intelligent! Surely you can find some way to find meaning in your situation!

[calculating]

[Every word Gau says just makes Togami more and more done with him. He continues to talk and talk and talk, without even understanding what he was talking about. It was nothing new, of course; he hadn't known Gau to ever keep his mouth shut for more than a few minutes at a time. That didn't make it any less obnoxious, however. As he stepped closer, Togami glared down at him coldly, almost waiting for him to finish, so he can show just how wrong he was, as futile as he knew it might be.]

Yes. It is meaningless. Don't ask questions I've already answered for you, my answer won't change. If you presume I've been simply sitting back and allowing the Landlord to play his games with no response whatsoever, you're more mistaken than you know.

[sure, he couldn't exactly do anything to the Landlord, none of them knew how to yet. But that didn't mean he wasn't investigating more about Holly Heights itself. He'd even worked somewhat cooperatively with Kirigiri of all people to find out just that little bit more about this place.]

Fukawa's life and my own life are completely different. People like you and her might be content with the tedious solitude here, in between the Landlord's games, but I have no reason to be. I doubt you fully grasp the situation we were thrust into back home, but make no mistake: I prefer the challenge of that to here. Picking between the two wouldn't take me more than a second. [Challenge is what he's known his whole life, that's what his life should be. Anything else, like this, was too boring. He doesn't know what to do with it, but he knows he doesn't like it.]

I'll allow you one more chance--consider it my own generosity--to close that gaping mouth of yours, clean up the mess you've made, and get the hell out of my sight.

[temperm]

Then what have you done, Togami-san? If all of this is meaningless, then why do you bother to try to rebel against the landlord, when you yourself said that we're just living on his whim!

[Gau juts his chin out, dark and narrowed green eyes staring right back into his without any hesitation or indication that he was going to back down.]

If you prefer the threat of death to a peaceful life for that reason [For the challenge of it, that is. Gau knows his life is threatened the moment he steps back home, but he'd chose it in a second as well- for the sake of staying by Raikou's side, of course.], Togami-san, then I can never say I will understand your way of thinking! I don't think I'll ever agree with you, even if I can't know all of the details of what happened to you!

[His hands ball at his sides when Togami gives him the ultimatum, and he doesn't budge an inch.]

...And what will you do if I don't?

[ It's less that he doesn't want to leave this situation (there are many other places he'd rather be), but instead a mixture of stubbornness and his moral code that was staunchly against taking the easy, cowardly way out.

He isn't scared of whatever Togami has in store for him, anyway- there's nothing that Togami could do to scare him anymore.]

[calculating]

[The more Gau talks, the more he's convinced Gau just doesn't get it. They're living on the Landlord's whim, yes, but Byakuya Togami isn't one to just sit down and submit to what others want him to do. He'll fight against it and do what he can to advance his own goals--in this case, returning home. Sitting back and doing absolutely nothing but accepting your lives here is the same as giving up, in his mind, and he's never given up in his short life thus far. (that short moment in the trial doesn't count, no one needs to know about that)]

Do I honestly need to explain how merely accepting the Landlord's whims is the same as giving up? I'd expect you to have no qualms about giving up and living happily while playing along with his games, but try and think before you open your mouth to respond.

[What he'll do if Gau doesn't do what he asks? Well, that'll come later.]

But since you asked, I'll share. Consider it my own generosity, so shut up and listen.

The Togami family has a unique way of selecting its heir; it's the key to our success. Instead of having one spouse, the head of the family has numerous children with qualified women from all over the world. The children are then made to compete against one another, and the victor will become the new heir.

In my group, there were fifteen of us in total--male and female--and I, the youngest of the group, came out on top. It was the first time in the illustrious history of the Togami family that the youngest sibling has emerged victorious. I've fought and risked my life since I was born, and I'm destined to continue doing just that--anything else is an embarrassment to the Togami Conglomerate and the rest of my family. Success and victory is expected of me, I can't simply let myself sit back and be toyed with by someone like the landlord because of that.