“Alright. I know we did some vague introductions at the H.Q, but if we’re going to be traveling together, I think we should really get to know each other. As captain, I recommend we do a classic icebreaker. Y’know, name, hobby, and whatever else makes you special. What do you say team?”
As you might have inferred from his grandiose demeanor and self-appointed title of "Captain," it was Akuma who made this suggestion. Inside the ship's bedrooms, there were six of them gathered, with the count rising to seven if you included the girl peacefully sleeping in the corner. And I guess eight if we include Finral off resting in his own room.
It may be important to note that they weren’t all sharing a room, instead, they had congregated in the room occupied by Alice, Rin, and Kyoko. The girl’s bedroom to be specific.
“Who ever voted you as Captain?” Tenshi quipped, lounging on Rin’s bed while the others sat on the floor.
“More importantly, who said you could take over my bed?”
“Alright. I will start us off!” The eager knight declared, standing up to capture everyone’s attention. “I am Arthur Kamui Jr. Eldest son of the Pendragon family and bestowed the name of my father. My hobbies are-” He hesitated, memories of sneaking glances at women in the bath instead of honing his sword skills flashing through his mind. His attendants would often scour the entire castle searching for him. Naturally, that was a secret he couldn’t divulge. “I don’t have any hobbies. But if you’re curious was makes me special-” He nearly let slip a confession about his unusual preference for thighs over the more typical male attraction to breasts. That, too, was a secret he had to keep. “I’m your average joe.”
As silence enveloped the room, the others exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions a mix of confusion and the unspoken sentiment of “that told us absolutely nothing”.
However, Tenshi appeared lost in contemplation. After a moment of serious thought, he inquired, “You’re a junior without sharing the same family name? Is that how it works?”
“Those details are irrelevant! Anyway, since you’re already speaking, why don’t you go next?” Arthur urged, eager to shift the focus.
Tenshi straightened up on the bed, surveying the group sprawled on the floor. “The name’s Tenshi Tiryns. If I had to say my hobbies…” he began, tapping his finger against his chin in deep reflection. “…I guess fighting. Or even just sparring.” Even on earth, he was the most dedicated to Iphicles’ training (his and Akuma’s father). There were countless days when he wouldn’t return home until he had mastered a technique their father had demonstrated, a silent challenge that seemed to say, “Here’s something I can do that you can’t”. He continued, “I’d say what makes me special is my ability to win against tuff odds.”
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A shared chuckle escaped Rin and Arthur as they simultaneously quipped, “And yet you can’t win a single card game.”
“You wanna say that to my face?!”
To jog your memory, they’re referring to the game of “bullshit!” they played before departing to sea.
Rin was next to take the spotlight, rising from her seat on the floor and clearing her throat with a determined air.
(84, 56, 85.)
Those were the numbers that immediately raced through Arthur’s mind as he assessed the situation, thinking to himself that it wasn't too shabby at all.
“My full name is Rin Ark. My hobbies consist of…” she began, her voice’s steadiness wavering as she battled the weight of her truth. On Earth, she had been isolated in the icy biome of Antarctica, devoid of any companionship or any real interests. To be blunt, she has no friends, nor has she ever invested in a hobby. The only thing she ever did remotely close was immersing herself in video games for hours on end, but even then, she had no Wi-Fi so all she could play was single-player games. Of course, that information couldn’t leave her lips. “…I have no hobbies…” Her confidence waned, replaced by a shadow of melancholy. “…Oh, and I can heal people… I guess.” she added, her voice trailing off into gloom.
Next up was Alice, who attempted to summon her courage to stand but ultimately opted to remain seated, overwhelmed by the pressure. "This little guy’s name is Karna.” She started, gesturing to the animal perched atop her head as it barked out in a greeting manner. “As for me, m-my name is Alice. Unfortunately, I’ve lost all my memories, so I can’t really say what my hobbies are. I-I’m so sorry."
(81, 58, 87. I could be a little off though, since she chose to sit. Tsk. Damn.)
"You don’t need to apologize." Akuma reassured her, his expression softening in response to her nervousness.
Meanwhile, Shibo, who had been nodding along in confusion, suddenly realized they were introducing themselves. Without a moment's hesitation, he sprang to his feet, his belly jiggling with the movement, and exclaimed, "Mi nomba tis Shibo!"
“…………”
To fill the heavy silence that followed, he gestured toward the girl dozing in the corner. "Yee pak's Kyoko!"
“……………”
"Sorry, we don’t speak alien… But moving on." Akuma interjected, rising with an air of confidence. "I am God! The creator of this vast world. My hobby is saving people, and what makes me special is that…" With a dramatic flourish, he unfurled his wings, spreading his arms wide as he proclaimed, "I am GOD!"
“………………”
The atmosphere in the room was thick with disbelief, but Alice, sensing the tension, broke the stillness with a round of applause, mistakenly believing Akuma was putting on some kind of performance.