Private A Friendly Face

Konpeitō was leaned back in his chair, letting the group have their discussion about strange foods on the island. Bringing up that he was one of the strange foods wasn't going to help, and frankly, Konpeitō was a little unnerved by it himself still. Money was money, but his choice of occupation was weird for his species. Or what he once was.

His ears flickered at the sound of footsteps. They would have been ignored if they didn't stop right in front of the closed door separating the meeting room from the hall. Others with strong hearing slowly stopped talking to watch Konpeitō head towards it, all the while waving his hand to insist the conversation continue.

After unlocking the door and moving into the hallway, he finally met the eyes of the visitor. His bright smile faltered as he saw the man's face. "Wha...t...?" Whoever this guy was, he wasn't his old friend. Now that he wasn't focusing purely on his face, there were many, many glaring differences. His body type, his skin, the crystals growing all over him.

He slowly closed the door behind him and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "That was rude of me. Up close, you looked like someone I once knew. Anyway, hello! Was there something you needed from this room, or did you come to join us?"

Great. Now things were weird. That response wasn't going to be ignored. They both thought of someone when they looked at once another.

Professional or not, Konpeitō was stubborn. When he wanted to know something, he would know it. He didn't think he deserved to get everything he wanted, but he always worked hard for his goals.

And he had a goal now.

"This is! The meeting hasn't gone on for too long, so you can still join in. I'm Konpeitō Hatsu. Kon is also an acceptable nickname." The edges of his smile were predatory as he bowed. Konpeitō was familiar to this man. But from where? If this was who Konpeitō was reminded of, then Kon Hatsu would have been the more familiar name.

His heart was racing. Everything told him the possibility was ridiculously low, but strange things always happened on this island.

The pause before Ishi bowed back caused him some worry. He knew bowing could be seen as weird—Ganymede made that apparent—but he wanted to try being more polite when representing TWIS.

"No, there's no payment or forms to fill. It's an opt-in, opt-out sort of thing. All we ask is that you're respectful to everyone in the room. It's not uncommon for a discussion to turn personal and heavy. If you feel uncomfortable, there's nothing wrong with leaving and coming back later. I can tell you when the conversation's over."

"You're approved!" he replied with much enthusiasm. March was only starting and yet he was already being reminded of TWIS's potential. There was no time for breaks for Konpeitō. He was always working and had to keep in mind that sooner or later he would have to invest serious money to keep this organization going.

When the two entered the room, everyone faced the newcomer. Ishi was allowed to introduce himself as Konpeitō closed and locked the door behind them. Afterward, the discussion continued. Konpeitō didn't speak much so the counselors could give out any needed professional advice. Most of the talking was done by the members.

Magical healthcare was the topic for the short time left of the discussion. Some people complained that, sure, healthcare was great here, but it sucked that people had to pay to immediately recover from injuries or be revived. When there were rich people all over the island and some people with powers to give them an unlimited supply of money, magical healthcare could have been available to everyone. As someone who didn't particularly like the idea of having to give up his money for strangers, he wasn't going to touch that discussion.

When people began trickling out because of responsibilities and, eventually, the time running out, Konpeitō let out a tired sigh. Topics like that were always tense.

"That's great to hear!" Konpeitō leaned back in his chair so it was balancing on its hind legs. "Too bad we didn't have a lighter discussion for today. Would have been much easier to take in. But!" he clasped his hands with a clap, "this is all important information anyway. I don't know how many people think about healthcare when they first come to the island. I think most people skim over it until they feel unsafe."

Leaning forward so his chair would stand correctly, he put his arms on the table. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask!"