Chapter 9: Ringleader: Act One
11:26 A.M Day Two
Amusement Park District
Kurokuma's Flapjacks
"I'm afraid my appetite is currently at zero percent. All I can think of is that execution." The Mathematician shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself.
The Ultimate Love Guru offered a strained smile as she stared at her own untouched plate. "Yeah I know what you mean. I just kept expecting to open my eyes and realize this was all some sick joke or something. First all of those horrible deaths yesterday, and now both Otto and Patrick. I just don't understand how anyone could enjoy this." She said as she reached up to wipe a tear from her eyes.
Laris took a measured breath, before finding her voice. "Some people are just evil, just like some people are good. When the world neared the verge of collapsing, you could really see people for their true colors. However no matter how bleak it might seem, I still believe we can find a way out of this twisted game. We just have to rely on one another, rather than letting this place tear us apart."
"Laris is absolutely right!" Shiho said as she pumped her hands into the air. "Besides if we throw in the towel now, then everyone's death will have been in vain! We just have to keep running in the right direction, and eventually, we'll come out on top!"
The Ultimate Knight had to fight to stifle a laugh as she reached out, and gingerly pressed a napkin against the blind girl's cheek. "Well said Shiho, but I'm afraid no one will take you seriously with egg on your face."
The buxom runner offered a sheepish expression. "Heh well, I guess it's a good thing I've got such awesome friends like you guys!"
Madison's eyes widened slightly. "B-But we hardly even know one another. You really consider us your friends?" she asked as her voice quivered slightly.
"Of course I do. It may have been a short time, but we've all been through a lot already. I don't care if you can't recognize my face, because you know what? I'm in the same boat too!" Shiho said with a bright smile.
Churi felt her lips twitching into a smile. "Shiho you just have a way of brightening a room. I'm totally going help you play matchmaker, is there anyone you have your ey...I mean that you like? Maybe like our dashing Laris?" she asked with a suggestive wink.
The Ultimate Knight visibly stiffened. "I-I really don't feel comfortable with this conversation. Perhaps I should leave you girls to gossip?" She suggested as she laced her hands together.
Madison rested a hand on her chin. "I think the probability of Churi allowing you to leave is extremely low."
"Hah you actually remembered my name!" The Love Guru exclaimed gleefully. "And you're absolutely right. Come on Shiho, you can tell us. Who's your type?"
The Runner kicked her legs under the table a couple of times, before shaking her head. "I don't really know. I've never really thought about it much ya know? Patrick seemed really nice, but he's gone now." She said her voice took on a softer edge.
Almost immediately the atmosphere once more took on a more melancholy edge.
"Shiho. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up. I was just trying to break the tension." Churi said with a pained expression.
"What are you apologizing for? You didn't know. Besides I'm not really sure what I felt anyways. I lived a pretty sheltered life ya know? So I haven't had a lot of time to think about things like romance." Shiho offered.
The Ultimate Knight extend a hand, before gingerly patting the girl's back. "It's alright Shiho. There will be plenty to think about all sorts of things, once we're out of this mess. I'm not sure a romance is a good idea in this situation anyway."
"Well, the couple who hook up first usually bite it in the movies." The Mathematician pointed out as she cleaned the frames of her glasses with a small cloth.
Churi offered a horrified expression. "B-But that's just in movies Maddie! You have to live everyday to it's fullest. Come on why don't you tell me your type mm? Or should I guess?"
Madison shook her head. "I suspect the chances of you finding anyone interested in me are less than zero, and that's impossible."
"Is that a challenge?" The Guru asked with a wide grin.
"Nope, it's just me stating the facts. Thank you for inviting me to join you all, but I think I'm going to return to my room." She said as she slipped her glasses back onto her face, before standing up.
The Ultimate Love Guru blinked a couple of times. "Wait you're not going to check out the new place that's supposed to open up?" She asked as she followed after the much shorter girl.
"Nope. It doesn't interest me. It's probably just another trap anyways." The Mathematician
said as she approached the exit.
"Well at least don't go back on your own!" Churi chided before waving her hand at Laris and Shiho. "I'll see you guys later. Be safe out there!" she called out, before following the other girl out into the street.
A few seconds of silence prevailed before Laris cleared her throat. "Shiho? I just wanted to say thank you for not telling anyone, about me being a girl. The only other person who knows is Chloe, but I'm just not ready to advertise that."
"Aww, you don't have to thank me. It's your secret to tell, not mine!" The Runner said as she offered the blonde a warm smile. "Now what should we do today mm?"
The Knight awkwardly shuffled her armored legs under the table. "Well, I suspect everyone is going to be busy in the new district. Would you like to check out a few of the rides in the Amusement Park District?"
Shiho offered a fierce grin. "You betcha! But what about your armor? Isn't that going to be a major hassle."
"...Well I think I could probably get away with removing it for a few hours." The Knight responded. "Like I said, I think most everyone will either be relaxing at the hotel or checking out the new area. So if you're not busy we cou-" The blonde was cut off as the other girl stood up promptly, before clapping her armored shoulder.
"Hah, it's a date! Or um not a date? Let's just call it an outing between friends!" The Runner said as she planted her hands along her hips.
A warm smile spread across the Knight's face. "I like the sound of that."
12:01 P.M Day Two
Carnival District
Entrance
"Look it's opening!" Annabelle exclaimed excitedly as stood in between both Haruto and Tiana.
One of the closed gates that segregated the various districts began to slowly open, revealing a new area of Kuma Kuma Land. Almost immediately the trio was met with the sound of loud carnival music.
The Ultimate Dominatrix made a disgruntled face. "Well, that's not disturbing in the slightest. I just hope there aren't any clowns." She breathed as her lips pulled into a tight line.
"I think we should probably more worried about bears instead." The Parental Figure mused as he gestured in the distance.
The Cobblestone path continued into the Carnival District. There were dozens of stalls and small tents filled with games you might expect at a local fair.
In addition, there were several larger structures including a Fun House, A massive Zoo, and massive big top tent you'd expect to find at a Circus.
There in front of the large tent rested a red colored bear that was seated on a unicycle. Having seen the trio approaching the entrance, it began to pedal away from the tent and towards them.
"Great yet another one of these rejects. I wonder just how many there are?" Tiana mused before feeling one of her hands being tugged on.
The Forensic Investigator offered a gleeful expression. "Come on let's go meet him! This looks like fun!" She exclaimed as she tugged at each of their hands, before guiding them through the entrance.
The Dominatrix stumbled a moment, as she tried to keep with the younger girl's enthusiasm. "Anna are you sure you don't want to wait for the others before we explore this place?"
"Judging by her reaction, I'd have to say no Miss Blake. Let's just let her enjoy herself." Haruto chuckled before trading a knowing smile with Tiana.
"Right. After this morning, I'm just glad to see her smiling still." The Dominatrix agreed quietly as they were both guided towards the approaching bear.
It seemed the young girl was either ignoring them or completely lost to her reverie as a grin spread across her cherubic face.
The bear before them was about the same size as the other two. However he was crimson tinted, and wore a large black top hat with a gold band around the base. He also wore a red,black, and gold jacket with a black bow tie. However he wore no pants or shoes. He had two beady black eyes and seemed full of energy.
A grin spread across the bear's face as he suddenly sprang off his unicycle before cracking a whip through the air. "WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME! To the most stupendous, insane part of Kuma Kuma Land! I am your host and the rightful leader of the Kuma Gang, The Ringleader Yushikuma!" The bear exclaimed energetically as it landed on the ground, before taking a bow.
Annabelle immediately began clapping her hands in excitement. "Whoa, so you're the one in charge of everything?"
The bear stiffened a moment a moment before adjusting his top hat. "Ahem you better believe I'm in charge! This is my Carnival District, and we're going to have a freaking blast!" He yelled in excitement before a dark gleam filled his beady eyes. "Of course there are some rules of course. No adults are allowed in my district, if I catch anyone breaking this rule I'll feed them to my lion!" he said as he cracked his whip towards a sign that simply read "The only good adult, is a dead adult"
Haruto visibly stiffened. "And by your logic what constitutes someone being an adult? Would it be mental maturity or age?"
"That is a good question. On my list of things I'd like to do, being fed to a lion isn't one of them." Tiana mused as her brow knitted together.
"Tch don't go making this all complicated! Though I loathe anyone close to adulthood, so long as your not 18 you'll be allowed no questions asked!" Yushikuma huffed as he tapped his foot on the ground. "Otherwise after a single warning, the penalty is death."
"Aww but isn't that kind of mean? What if everyone wants to check this place out? It just seems kind of unfair." Annabelle said as she stuck her lower lip out.
The Ringleader shrugged dismissively. "Well, life is unfair. If I had my way we'd throttle all adults on the spot. You three are safe though, so enjoy your stay. I have to keep a close watch to make sure no dirty stinkin adults sneak in here." He chortled as he cracked his whip through the air, before trudging towards the entrance of the district.
"So what do you make of that one?" Haruto asked with a slightly perturbed expression.
Tiana sighed as she stared over her shoulder. "Well he's certainly no charmer, but I'd still take him over Kurokuma any day of the week."
A chuckle escaped the boy's lips. "You're not wrong about that. Though I think Shirokuma still wins by a landslide, what do you think Annab-" The boy trailed off as he noticed the precious child was now out of sight. "Annabelle? I swear we only took our eyes off of her for a moment." He said as he began gazing around frantically.
"Well don't just stand there Haruto. We have to find her. We don't know how dangerous this place could be." The Dominatrix said as she reached out and seized his hand, before pulling him forward.
The boy shivered slightly from the physical contact, before a look of determination settled on his face. "You're right. Though she couldn't have gotten too far."
1:34 P.M Day Two
Carnival District
Zoo
Behind the Big Top Tent was an expansive Zoo that was filled with hundreds of different types of exotic animals.
The entire area was nearly two miles in total. Many of the animals were held behind large reinforced cages or large open pens with plenty of native flora included.
Many signs warned against feeding or trying to touch any of the animals.
"Can you believe that horrible little bear wouldn't let Soo join us?" Utano asked as he shook his head in disbelief. "I mean age is nothing more than a number anyways right? It pales in comparison to what truly defines a person."
Lachlan sighed as he pried his gaze away from a cage filled with Zebra, before eying the Poet. "You do remember that Sigmund was also with us right? It was just Soo Yeong that was turned away."
A flush appeared on Utano's face. "N-No, of course, you're right. It's just that I really wanted an excuse to spend more time with Soo. I feel calmer when he's around, and after this morning I feel so anxious."
The Journalist fell silent a moment as he rubbed at his neck. "When did you realize that you were gay? Was it something you knew for a while or was it something you had to come to terms with?"
The Ultimate Poet shifted uncomfortably as he stared at a herd of elephants in an adjacent pen, before clearing his throat. "It was something I knew for a long time. I had to keep it to myself for a long time, as my father would have never understood."
"What is he a religious zealot or something?" Lachlan asked as he quirked a single brow.
"No, he's just a very cruel person. He would have just used it as one more excused to hit me." The boy admitted as he rubbed at one of his arms that was covered by his sleeve.
The Investigative Journalist's expression softened slightly. "Fuck em. He's not here, so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. We've got more important things to worry about that shitty parents ya know?"
The Poet offered a strained smile. "Yeah, I guess that's true. Thanks for that Lachlan. Can I ask you something though?"
"Go for it. Just don't count on me giving you a straight answer." The taller boy responded in a curt manner.
"I was just curious why you were asking in the first place? You don't normally seem interested in other people's affairs, well unless it's relevant to something." The orange haired boy pointed out.
Lachlan chuckled dryly. "Looking for a headline, are we? I'm afraid I'm gonna have to disappoint you. Let's forget this conversation happened, besides I'm starving." he said as he straightened up before pressing a hand against his stomach.
Utano blinked. "Y-you're hungry? How can you even have an appetite after this morning?"
"Hey I've seen some pretty fucked up things in my day, maybe not quite this level but enough to make me slightly numb." The Journalist admitted with a shrug. "Now come on. I think I saw a stand back towards the entrance that had curry. Nothing like a little fire in your belly to give you some energy." The boy mused with a faint chuckle.
The Poet stuck his tongue out. "Uh even if I was hungry...spicy food? I think I'll have to pass. Just the smell is enough to make me cringe."
"You don't like spicy food?! Well that's bollocks. Just grab a damn pretzel or something. I don't want you moaning about being hungry later. We've still got a lot of ground left to cover." Lachlan said as he shoved his hands into his pockets before walking past the varying animal exhibits.
"Hey Lachlan, W-wait for me!" The petite poet exclaimed as he jogged after the other boy.
2:47 P.M Day Two
Carnival District
Fortune Teller's Tent
Kaizoku's brow furrowed together as he stared at the smaller purple tent that had a crystal ball on the front of it. "After what we went through this morning, having a little guidance might not be a bad thing. Though I guess I could get that from you without going in there right Lass?" He chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder to see Seikatsu with a very smug expression.
"Hey asshole. I ain't got time to listen your emo self-pitying bullshit so listen up! I need some sexual release to get all this stress outta my system. We can even pop some drinks and cigarettes if you need that shit. But I need a fucking release, so it's your lucky day pirate boy! You feeling up to fucking the shit out of each other?" She grinned lecherously as she playfully shoved the boy back into the tent.
The Sailor fell onto his back onto the ground in front of a table, before his eyes widened in shock. "What in the seven seas has possessed you? Seikats-" The boy was cut off as the girl crashed her mouth against his, before straddling his lap as her fingernails traced his chest.
"Fuck I'm going to grind all over these tight abs of yours. Hope you don't mind, but I need to let my devil side out to play right now." She grinned mischievously as she began to unbuckle the boy's belt.
"What in the blazes? I'm not sure if I should upset at ye or excited, but we hardly know each other." The Sailor managed in an uneven voice as he seemed at a loss as to how to respond.
The raven-haired girl smirked deviously. "Well don't you worry, when I'm done with you we'll both know each other very well."
"I-I-" The boy's response was cut off by a mechanical voice.
"Come one, Come all! To Yasuhiro Hagakure's fortune reading show! Hehe witness my power over the mystic arts, and be amazed by my insights!"
There sitting behind a roundtable with a covered sheet was a humanoid looking animatronic, with wild dreadlocks that appeared to be metallic. It wore a black overcoat and it where its eyes should be, were red and green Christmas lights. On the table in front of it was a crystal ball that was whole, but was heavily cracked. It almost appeared as if it had been glued back together.
"Now that's not creepy at all," Kaizoku muttered before he registered a squeal above him.
Seikatsu suddenly bolted to her feet as her demeanor had shifted. "Oh, I'm so terribly sorry. Please forgive me for accosting you Kaizoku!" The girl sputtered as she bowed her head several times in quick succession.
The Sailor rubbed at his jaw, before slowly rising to his feet. "Heh don't trouble yourself with apologies Lass. I certainly took no mind of the situation." he mused before he eyed the strange entity before them. "What do you suppose this thing is though?"
"Come one, Come all! To Yasuhiro Hagakure's fortune reading show! Hehe witness my power over the mystic arts, and be amazed by my insights!" The mechanical construct repeated again as it's eyes flickered.
"Wait a second. Yasuhiro Hagakure?! Oh my gosh. He was the Ultimate Fortune Teller! He died in the first killing game." The Tarotologist said as her brow furrowed. "Even though he wasn't always well regarded, he was still sort of a legend in the mystical community."
Kaizoku scratched at his cheek. "Huh but that still doesn't explain what this thing is doing here. It looks pretty creepy if you ask me."
The Ultimate Tarotologist smiled faintly. "Well believe it or not these things were mass produced when Yasuhiro first made a name for himself. They were sold to sideshow attractions and carnivals. Of course, they didn't realize his predictions were only right about thirty percent of the time. When that became more well known, these things started to collect dust."
"Come one, Come all! To Yasuhiro Hagakure's fortune reading show! Hehe witness my power over the mystic arts, and be amazed by my insights!"
"Alright well, I think I've had enough of this creepy thing. If I wanted my fortune told, I'll just rely on you Seikatsu." Kaizoku chuckled as he turned towards the entrance of the tent.
The girl offered an embarrassed expression. "W-Well after what the Devil tried to do to you, I'd be more than happy to do a reading. As my way of saying sorry." She said as she followed after the boy.
Neither of the pair noticed the eyes still watching their every move...
3:12 P.M Day Two
Resort District
First Floor
Hotel (Storage Room)
"Huzzah check it out! Isn't this a great find Kana?!" Naruhiko exclaimed with a fierce grin as he pushed the storage room door open, before gesturing inside. "Just cus I can't enter that freaking new area, doesn't mean I can't find a way to have a good time."
The Composer hesitantly peered inside, before her eyes widened.
There inside the small storage room were several guitars, a Mic Stand, and even a keyboard.
All of the instruments were shoved into one corner of the room, while various cleaning supplies such as mops and brooks made up much of the rest of the room.
"T-This is pretty incredible. I could have sworn we checked this room already yesterday, but I don't remember seeing those instruments." The girl remarked as she timidly laced her hands.
Naruhiko nodded his head before shoving his hands into his jacket. "Yeah, no way this stuff was here yesterday. A lot of this crap has dust on it, but all of those instruments are freaking clean as a whistle."
The dark haired girl raised a finger to her lip. "But who would have done that? and for what purpose?"
"Bahaha who cares?! I mean now that we have some instruments, we can seriously have a jam session!" The boy chuckled as he walked over before grabbing the mic stand. "And you can show me what Ugisu is capable of!"
"Do I have to? I-I just feel like I'm better in the background. Besides with what happened to Patrick and Otto, I just don't feel right having fun right now." The girl said as he lowered her chin.
The Punk Musician shook his head. "Naw you've got it all wrong! This is the perfect time rock out. Music is all about pouring what you're feeling into the moment and shit, so let's find a place to set up this stuff and pour our souls out!" The boy said as he offered her a wild grin.
Kanade rubbed her hands together. "You promise you won't laugh if I fail horribly?" She asked in a meek tone.
"Hell no! I don't care how you sound, I just want you to come out and pour yourself into the performance!" The boy grinned as he gave her a thumbs up. "You do that and nothing else will matter."
"O-Okay I'll try my best, and it can be a tribute towards Patrick and Otto." The Composer said in a demure manner.
Naruhiko chuckled. "Hell yeah that's the spirit. Now let's get this junk moved and we'll start thrashing in no time!"
3:43 P.M Day Two
Resort District
First Floor
Hotel (Lobby)
"To say this is not how I anticipated the day going would be an understatement." The Ultimate Plastic Surgeon sighed as he crossed his legs, before starring at the playing cards in his hand. "How are you fairing now Sigmund? You seemed quite rattled during the trial this morning."
The Paralympic Athlete shook his head as he stared at his cards, before eying the boy in front of him. "We were involved in a murder trial and bore witness to what equated to an execution. I think I'd have plenty of reason to be off-kilter," he responded.
The fair-skinned surgeon shook his head. "Forgive me, of course, anyone would be. What I mean is you mentioned having sisters, and empathizing. If I had any personal family, I suppose I could probably relate more."
"Well I see no point in denying it. I received a fairly similar motive to Patrick. However by comparison I would be sent pieces of my sisters for every day that a murder wasn't committed. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered taking action." The boy shut his eyes a moment. "I feel horrible to say this, but deep down I was praying someone else would act so I wouldn't have to. I guess that makes me sound like a monster doesn't it?"
"Not at all. Whether beautiful or ugly, we're only human. I don't think anyone here truly blames Patrick for taking action. It was an especially cruel motive." The dark haired teen mused as he reached out, before drawing a single card.
The one-armed teen eyed the other boy closely a moment. "You're quite composed considering I just admitted to planning a murder."
"Intent without action is only so important." Soo Yeong responded, before gazing up at the other boy. "Besides I doubt you were the only one considering such a decision. I'd even mulled over the notion myself."
"Heh you're quite a character, but I suppose you're right. I wonder what our peers have found in that new district. I'm used to people trying to bar me from activities due to my challenges, however, this is something else entirely." The Athlete mused as he set a card down, before picking up another.
The Surgeon lightly traced his tongue along his upper lip. "Well, I wouldn't take personal offense to it. If anything it might be a blessing in disguise."
Sigmund quirked a brow in response. "How so?"
"Well if a murder ever occurs in the Carnival District, it would serve to give you,Churi, Naruhiko, and myself a credible alibi. It's not anything to be celebrated, but it is a silver lining." The Surgeon pointed out before offering a playful smile. "It would be the first time were being excluded would be a boon wouldn't you say?"
"Huh, I see your point. I'll have to remember to stay on your good side doctor." The amputee chuckled.
Soo Yeong offered a smile in response. "Believe me you have little to concern yourself with. While I may have felt temptation, I still followed a creed as a medical professional. However that does raise a question that's been bubbling at the top of my mind. I can't help but notice that you don't use prosthetic limbs and have a great deal of scarring. Is there a particular reason for that? If it's a financial issue, I believe I may be able to assist you with finding an excellent deal. We could even help with the scarring."
The Paralympic Athlete's demeanor stiffened. "I'm afraid while kind of you to offer, it's a luxury I don't need. I apologize but I be blunt, to me plastic surgery is typically meant for those who are too vain to face things head on. I use my limitations to push the rest of my body to it's peak. I have accepted responsibility of my sisters following my parent's death, so their education is more important than my vanity."
The Surgeon bristled a moment before planting his hands on the table as he spoke in a calm, but clearly irritated manner. "Plastic surgery is not only for the egocentric and the narcissistic. Plastic surgery can change lives for the better. A young woman might feel suicidal right now because her crooked nose and acne make men run away from her. A brave firefighter might suffer in extreme pain after being getting severe burns on his arm and legs. A previously obese man might hate looking at himself in the mirror because of the skin excess that plagues his body. All of these can be treated by plastic surgery. How does it make it different from braces or a laser treatment for the eyes?"
"I'm sorry Soo Yeong. I may have been out of line." Sigmund admitted as his lips pulled into a fine line. "I take looking after Cathy and Chloe very seriously. I crossed a line, and for that I'm sorry."
The tall and handsome boy in front of him shook his head. "No, you're quite fine. I shouldn't have thrust my money or beliefs on you without knowing your situation," he admitted as he leaned back in his chair.
A brief silence prevailed over the pair a moment.
"Well, this became awkward didn't it?" Sigmund asked before chuckling softly. "I do appreciate the gesture though. However, if you really want to help, I do have another proposition for you."
"Oh? Now you have me curious." The Plastic Surgeon smiled faintly, before raising a single brow. "What did you have in mind?"
The Athlete leaned forward slightly. "Well considering you are the only other Vegan here, I thought you might help me work on dinner arrangements for the two of us."
Soo Yeong nodded his head in response. "Oh, I believe we can arrange that quite easily without bothering any of our meat-eating peers."
"Great. Since we can't investigate the new area, we can still make good use of our time." Sigmund mused with a slight smile.
18 Survivors Remain
*AN* There we are! Another chapter completed and with it the first part of our excursion into the Carnival District! I want to thank you all for your feedback and responses!
Also please check out DeviantArt and give some love to all the fantastic artists that have been bringing this cast and all of this AU to life. Seriously you all are so freaking talented!
Review Section:
PettyPunk
I like the way you worded that. That people can be right for the wrong reasons, or vice versa. I think it's important that all the characters feel flawed in some way, because a perfect character is a boring character in my opinion haha.
StoryProducer214
Why thank you! I'm so glad to have broken that trope! ;)
Zoozibble
Well I really liked the idea of connecting the stories, even if at times it was in a very small manner. After all I do want these stories to feel like they're in the same world.
Raz The Giant
It's funny that overthinking things can sometimes make you overlook something that is fairly obvious. I wouldn't say that was the case in this trial though. I mean you really did need more than one clue to put it all together.
DanganMachin
I-CE what you did there. Har Har Har! Lol
Natsukumo1000
Uh I guess? Lol
Blazerxz
That's always one of the juggling acts when planning any of my games. I have to take the submission and decide what category that character falls in. It's something I usually decide very early on, and it rarely changes except in extreme circumstances.
The Kobold Necromancer
To be fair there were quite a lot of pieces to this first case. Besides we can't all be the little cinnamon roll that is Annabelle.
Trust Me I'm Me
Well, to be fair you can't always decide who the culprit is in some of the games either. Mainly because it's evidence that is presented mid case that changes the context of the trial. Besides even if I had, you were still going down the rabbit hole assuming it was Sigmund haha.
Hail2U
Dare I ask how long it took you to compile all of that information? And how do you do it? Just go sentence by sentence tallying facts? I'm just sort of curious.
bellatrixshine
Agreed. I really wanted this blackened to be more sympathetic. Mainly because his motivations would be so relatable to other people.
Fee5H
I'm sure you'll nail it next time haha!
doomqwer
Can you believe it's been almost a year since I posted New Hope? That's crazy for me.
Solrac XD
I agree it is unfair and that is true to Dangaronpa. It did seem like a way of tying the canon of this AU closer together as well with a tragedy on both fronts.
BouncingFish
What I love about Maddie is the same thing I love about Shiho! Having characters with challenges like that give me so many narrative possibilities. I mean if Maddie didn't have that condition she could have just started the trial from the beginning by saying she saw Patrick. Then it would have fallen into place quite quickly.
pokemansuperallstar
Yeah like I said with BouncingFish it's fun writing for characters that have those challenges. Because you can do things that wouldn't be possible otherwise.
TheBlueCzar
Dude, you're on fire! Thank you so much for all of your contributions on Deviantart! It's great to see these characters getting so much love!