Nameless Doll ⚙ Chapter 2

[karoruru]

**Warning: brief talk about death/suicide**

[Scene - Handicrafts Club-room]

Natsume: Good Afternoon ♪

Sorry to bother yOU, Shu nii-san. I wanted to discuss a little about our cosTUMES.

Shu: Non! Unacceptable, my hands have become rusty…!

Natsume: W-wah…

You are unusually vioLENT, Nii-san. It is dangerous to throw things like thAT- no matter what it is, you should treat things with caRE.

You are not the type that looks at destruction as a source of creaTION, or an explosion of art, corrECT?

(But well, I suppose this is still much ‘preferable’ to a depresSED, lifeless, doll-like staTE.)

(Shu nii-san is someone who can transFORM his unique views and unpleasantness he feels into art, after aLL.)

Shu: ...brat. Do you not know to knock before you enter a room- must I teach you manners from the ground up again?

Natsume: If I can be taught something from my nii-sans, I will happily welcome IT.

But I did knOCK. I am perfectly aware of how fussy Shu nii-san is about these thiNGS.

Nii-san probably failed to heAR it because you were busy making a mess in HERE.

Shu: You have some nerve for a brat! Are you implying that the one who was at fault- no, the one with no manners, is myself!?

Natsume: Don’t involve me like thAT….really, what’s wrong, nii-san?

I am aware you have always been easily irritaTED, but continuing to be annoyed at the smallest things will shorten your lifeSPAN.

Shu: I have no intention of living a long life. **warning

Once I feel I have created art I am satisfied with, I am willing to wrap my neck in ropes and hang myself off a tree somewhere, anytime.

No, hanging is not a beautiful method of death...nor can I say the same for being run over, poisoned, or electrocuted…

Of course, going senile with old age appears to be valued- but that process involves becoming hideous- I reject it.

Hmm...perhaps freezing to death is the best option...one can welcome death without losing their beauty.

Ahh, I’ve collected quite a few ideas. I do not yet know what these will be used for, but allow me a few more moments.

Natsume: I am waitING. But don’t keep going on and on about deATH, you’ll only worry the people around yOU…

Dying now is pointLESS. If you have to, I’d prefer you take your last breaths after proudly taking the TOP.

Shu: Hmm...in that case, I have already allowed the chance for myself to die in your supposed ‘ideal’ way, pass.

Because, even now, I am in the middle of my descent from there. **

...alright, I have finished compiling my ideas. What matter have you come here for, brat? You mentioned something regarding costumes, did you not?

Natsume: YES. 『Switch』has been getting busier lateLY, and we’ve been having trouble keeping up with making costuMES- so I was hoping to outsoURCE some assistANCE.

We do not participate in many dreamFES, so don’t have many FUNDS…

So if we could ask for assistance at a loWER price from acquaintANCES, it would be exceLLENT.

But it appears requesting assistANCE from Shu nii-san will be difficULT.

You seem to still be in your sLUMP- actually, it seeMS even worse than usual toDAY.

Shu: It annoys me to admit ‘You are correct!” so directly, but frustratingly, it is as you say.

Ideas not piecing together, fingers not moving as I like...all the costumes I have barely managed to piece together, I cannot accept.

It is truly disappointing- I am only becoming more irritated, and hitting walls as a result.

Natsume: The world will not break even if you make the walls crUMBLE- you will only find pAIN in the hand you hit it wiTH.

Shu: Hmph. I know that- how annoying.

Moving on. You have Aoba with you, do you not? You can simply ask that to make your costumes, no?

Disregarding his personality and looks, his skill is to be commended.

Natsume: Nn...senpai is only a bit slOW.

He won’t be able to keep up if our workload increaSES, and he’d overwork himself and destroy his body if we let him take the wORK.

I’m not worried for him or anythING- I just thought it’d be good to outsource some assistANCE.

But it seems like it’ll be difficult for Shu nii-sAN- nor do you have the tIME, yes?

I guess it can’t be heLPED...it seems like we’ll be busy with the amount of work coming in sOON, so perhaps I’ll try and aSK Koneko-chan.

Shu: Koneko-chan? I suppose that missy is learning from Kiryuu, so asking that man is also certainly an option.

Natsume: That person is from 『Akatsuki』, nO? It would be unpleasant to owe them any favoURS…I don’t understand how Shu nii-san puts up with hIM.

Shu: No...every time we meet, we also seem to exchange nothing but hateful words…

...fufu. Thank you, little brat. I feel better after talking to you.

Natsume: If you feel thankFUL, I’d like you to stop calling me ‘little brat’...always treating me as an amateUR.

Ahh, but...it’s rare for Shu nii-san to give people nicknaMES, so perhaps I should instead be honourED?

Shu: What is the meaning of that...ah, that missy is calling again.

I cannot comprehend whether it is just her own purity or something to that manner, but no matter how strict I am, or what kind of words I throw at her, she continues to approach me like it’s nothing.

Kagehira is the same…perhaps it’s odd coming from me, but I do not understand why they continue to be so attached to me.

Natsume: Ahaha. Unlike myself, who’s only here to round up the numBERS, Nii-san is truly one of the 『Five Oddballs』.

You carry a charisMA that people cannot help but be attracted TO.

Shu: Flattery will get you nowhere. Moreover, neither I, Rei, Wataru or Kanata, think you were merely an ‘extra’ to round the numbers.

Ah, excuse me...hello, missy? What is it this time, are you looking for a scolding again? You certainly have strange tastes!

…hah? What is the meaning of this? You are talking nonsense- even idiots should at least try to use their head when speaking, no?

W-wait, you-! Missy~......?

…non! How irritating, to hang up on me straight after speaking only what she has to say!

Natsume: What’s wrONG, nii-san? What happened with Koneko-chAN?

Shu: Rather than her, it was more about Kagehira….ummm~?

I believe it to be a joke, but...it seems like Kagehira has been kidnapped by some entity.