Hi hi, Crimson here!
Welcome to the story, where we've finally fixed translation problems!
Yay!
Now, if you don't mind me, I'm going to start this before the universe feels a need to contradict me!
ONWARDS!
Her life started the moment she arrived at the orphanage.
She had spent the car ride over in relative silence, unable to do much more than look out the window and watch the trees zip by. It wasn't as if the couple that had picked her up wasn't nice, if anything they were the exact opposite.
It was more so the fact that they seemed to frantically whisper to each other, every now and then casting her a look in the rear view mirror.
They're planning to kill you. You should beat them to it and get them first.
That was the last thought she really had before the door was opened for her, "Come on now, let's go inside."
The woman had a friendly smile on her face, but she couldn't help but notice that it didn't really reach her eyes. Regardless, she took the hand offered by the lady, attempting a thankful smile as she was lead into the old looking building.
The other one, the man, held the door open for herself and the lady, shutting it behind them before running off down the hall. "Now, we're just gonna sit here and wait for Robert, okay? He's going to get someone that can help you."
She's talking down to you. We can't let that stand.
She couldn't help but feel as if time had sped up around her. She blinked and found herself in an office, seated between the man and the lady that took her here, some older looking lady sitting across from them.
She blinked again, and she was standing back outside of the building, a wrinkled hand placed on her shoulder as she watched the car pull out of the driveway and leave. She didn't like how those worn fingers had curled around her shoulder, nails digging into her old, dirty shirt.
"Time to get you acclimated, brat."
Another blink, another setting. She barely noticed her finger playing with the sleeve of her shirt, tugging and pulling with slight astonishment to the lack of fraying.
"It's a bit big, but it'll have to do." The old lady muttered from her side of the room, going through her desk before pulling out a pin and a notebook, "Finally, I knew I had an unused one in the back somewhere."
She watched as the lady grabbed the collar of her shirt, pinning something metal to it, "From now on, you'll be 4242."
And now, here she was. She'd been escorted to a room full of bunk beds, with nothing but a pillow and a ripped blanket to her name. She couldn't help but tug at her pin, reading the numbers upside down. 4242, what was that? What did it mean? That lady made it sound like that was her name now. But that wasn't a name, it was just a bunch of numbers.
She was thrown from her thoughts when the door was kicked open, face blank as she watched a bunch of girls walk in, "Hey, check it out, the old hag found a new one!"
She couldn't help but jump back a bit, suddenly rushed by these new girls.
HURT THEM.
"Wow, she's a bit scrawny looking, ain't she?" One of them murmured, face scrunching up as a finger poked her ribs.
"She certainly don't look like a fighter, that's for sure."
"Aww, it's kinda cute how she stares off and doesn't react."
"Hell, are we sure this kid's still alive and breathing?"
"Maybe that old hag mistook this doll for an actual kid!"
"Alright, what's with all the commotion over here?"
Like that, the sea of girls parted, creating an open path for an older looking girl. The moment they locked eyes, she didn't like her. Something about how her eyes looked too snakelike, or maybe it was the sickening mix of bright yellow and green her eyes were. Maybe it was the way that her brown hair looked like it had been chopped up quickly and messily.
Regardless, she didn't like her.
"Well, aren't you a cute one?" The new girl murmured, grabbing hold of her chin before forcing her head to tilt to the side, "A little on the frail-lookin side, but we can fix that."
"Honestly, don't bother with this one, Froggie." One of the other girls muttered dismissively, "I mean, look at her, she don't look like she'll survive the winter."
"I don't remember asking for your opinion, shitstain." Froggie murmured, eyes having yet to leave her face.
She's challenging you. Kill her.
"Honestly, she looks like she could be of more use than that other girl, 2130." Froggie grinned, finally letting go of her chin in order to sit down beside her, "What do you say, new kid?"
"I don't understand."
Another girl hollered, "Damn, didn't think she could speak!"
"Shut your goddamn fucking piehole before I do it for you, Ducky!" Froggie shouted, before turning back to her with a grin, "Sorry, don't mind them, kid. In fact, they were all about to leave. Ain't that right, girls?"
She didn't think that a room of girls that eager to see the new meat could clear out so quickly, but somehow, they had managed.
"Now that we're alone, lemme properly introduce myself. I earned the nickname Froggie, number… God, I can't call it off of the top of my head at the moment." Froggie rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "But, that don't matter too much. What does matter, right now, is you. Or, more importantly, what you choose to be your first step."
She watched as Froggie got up, rolling her shoulder blades as she spoke, "Lots of other groups here, but I'd say that my crew is the strongest around. And, being how you're new, I doubt that you'd like to be on your own."
"So, here's what I'm offering. You're gonna be a part of my little family I've got going. Granted, you're not gonna be anywhere near the top, but that's the kind of thing that comes with time. While you're with me, I'm gonna teach you how this whole place works, and how to control it. Trust me, kid, at my side, there won't be anyone able to-"
"No."
That got Froggie to stop real quick. A huff of some kind left her mouth, and then a chortle of some sort, "Sorry, kid, I don't think I quite got that. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you just cut me off to decline my generous-"
"That's what I did, yes."
It took a lot of effort not to laugh at Froggie's expression, her eyebrows scrunching up before a forced laugh left her throat, "Damn, you're a bit of a straight shooter, aren't you?"
4242 didn't get to respond. At least, not before a sharp slap hit her cheek.
"Maybe you don't quite understand." Froggie grinned, reeling her hand back once more, "I'm offering you a lifeline here, kid. Shit here is dark, and it'll only get darker. So, unless you've got a good reason to decline me right here and now-"
"I don't like you."
4242 cringed ever so slightly, expecting to be hit once more, only to be met with a snort, "No fucking way, are you actually kidding me right now!?"
"I'm here trying to - you know what, explaining to a child will only waste my time." Froggie tugged at her sleeves, rolling her neck before getting up in her face, "I just want this to be made entirely clear, alright?"
"I don't like people disrespecting me, especially when I'm trying to offer them a lifeline. So, for the rest of your stay here, I won't forget this. You're gonna spend every last second here paying for what you did today. You hear my, brat?"
She's too close. Break her nose.
"You talk too much."
To that Froggie laughed, shaking her head as she walked out of the room, "Fuck you too, kid."
For what it was worth, Froggie kept to her promise.
The first three months had been anything but pleasant. From finding the occasional slug in her lunch to being tripped in the hall, her stay had been… less than optimal.
To their credit, finding her pillow filled with dirt and bugs had been a pretty surprising change of pace, but other than that, their tactics were beginning to grow predictable. In the morning, she'd have to wake up early to use the bathroom before anyone else was awake to dump water on her. At breakfast she had to be mindful of her food before eating, since the girls working the food line were about as trustworthy as Froggie herself. She normally spent her free time alone, preferably somewhere small and easily escape able. Lunch and dinner were treated the same as breakfast, taking a shower was done during dinner so no one would bother her, and then she'd inspect her bed before going to sleep.
Honestly, it wasn't too different to her life before all of this.
The streets were less forgiving than these girls, they were a cake walk compared to the relentless backstabbing she came from.
None of them would make it more than a day, tops.
She was shaken from her thoughts when the food bell rang, following the almost zombie-like shuffle of girls out of the rooms and into the cafe.
The benches were made out of poorly sandpapered wood, if the splinters in her thin pants were anything to go off of. Regardless, after grabbing her food, she took a seat as far away from all the other girls as possible.
She didn't even bother with what looked to be liquified potatoes, instantly suspicious the moment that girl gave her a look before plopping it onto her plate.
For all you know, she could have poisoned that.
She eyed the green mush, glaring at if as if it had personally offended her before poking at it with her plastic fork. She was sure that, at one point, the sludge on her plate had resembled broccoli. Granted, it looked like something more akin to poisoned slime. She doubted that the "old hag" did much when it came to checking on food prep, and with how often food poisoning seemed to hit, it really didn't look too far fetched to assume it wasn't as ambiguous as it seemed.
With that thought, it seems relatively easy to kill someone here. I doubt anyone would notice a girl or three missing.
She poked at her food, too numb at the moment to do much more than that.
What would happen if we took out Froggie? No, that would be too easy; besides, that would only create a power vacuum of sorts. Someone else would fill in and we'd be back to square one.
She barely noticed the way that she had been stabbing into her food, mindlessly poking at it as if it would help it look more edible.
She didn't notice, however, the small group next to her, trading thoughts and words in hushed whispers.
But it wouldn't be too nice if you were stuck like this for the duration of your time here, huh? Who knows when you'll be able to leave? Even if you did, who knows how long it'll be until you end up back here?
She was a little rattled from her thoughts when she heard someone stand up suddenly, only to wave it off. Someone probably wanted more food, or something.
You should have killed that couple when you had the chance.
"Hey, fucker!"
She barely had enough time to move before her plate was thrown to the side, the offending hand moving to grab her by her shirt collar. She couldn't help but stare at this girl's mismatched eyes, one being a dark blue while the other was a bright green.
How odd.
"You gonna say something, or are you gonna just gonna stare!?" This girl seemed louder than Froggie, just a bit more abrasive. Regardless, she wasn't too scary, "Fucking say something, you tiny piece of-"
"Calm it down, kid." A familiar voice said. She didn't need to turn around to know that Froggie was standing there, most likely with a smug grin on her face, "Don't be too loud and shit up front. You gotta build up to that kind of thing, give her a reason to fear you."
"Like you're one to talk."
That got Froggie to stop, a look of stupor on her face before she threw her head back, "Hey, 2130, you're kinda frothing over there."
"You can't honestly be okay with how this bitch is talking to you!" 2130 shouted, all but grabbing her by her hair before pulling her head up, "You best say you're sorry, you're lucky as all fuck that Froggie hasn't knocked your head in-"
"God, settle it down, 2130. Just hold her up for me." With that, her head was whipping around, held up to face Froggie, "See, this is why I liked you at first, runt. You got that look in your eyes that I like."
Froggie leaned in a bit closer, breath as foul as her personality, "You look like you could kill someone in cold blood without batting an eye."
"You wanna find out?"
That got a laugh out and Froggie and an irritated hiss from 2130, "Damn, you girls seeing this?"
"She ain't too polite, is she?"
"Bet we can break her in ten minutes!"
"My money's on five!"
"Alright, settle it down!" Froggie shouted, turning around to address the slowly growing crowd, "Come on now, girls. We can be a bit more civil than this. Now, you all know that I'm a fair person."
A fair amount of snickers came from that one.
"I'm not just gonna go ahead and snap necks because of a few mistaken first steps. Let's not forget all of you who put up a fight when you first arrived, god knows I could have bashed in at least half of your heads."
She does a lot of talking, and not a lot of acting.
She eyed the girl holding her, similar to a dog waiting for their master to pet them. She watched Froggie drone on and on about forgiveness and second chances and whatnot.
Let's change that.
That was the last thought to register in her head before her leg flew up and out. She nailed Froggie right in the back, apparently using more force than she needed, if the way Froggie went flying was anything to go by. She couldn't even try to hide the small yet smug smile on her face as Froggie's face smashed into the bench, her hands useless to stop her fall.
"Jesus fuck, you bitch!" Was all the warning she got before she was thrown down. She had barely processed the fact that she wasn't being held up before a kick collided with her side, "You don't get to act like tough shit just because you're new, you hear me!?"
She grabbed 2130's leg before she could kick her again, using her momentum to pull the taller girl to the ground before rolling over to straddle her, "Quit hitting me!" She couldn't help but be a bit surprised by how adamant and loud her own voice sounded, but by the time she did, 2130 had grabbed her by the hair.
With her hair in both of 2130's hands, the girl all but threw her head up right as she pulled her hands down, forehead smashed into her face, "Fucking take that!" 2130 shouted, pushing her off.
4242 wheezed as 2130 dug her heel into her stomach, "Not so tough now, huh!?" 2130 shouted, her voice just one of the many chanting. She reached out towards what looked like someone's foot, only to have them kick her back in.
The rather dim lights felt glaring as she was forcefully rolled over, 2130 grabbing her by the collar before lifting her off of the ground, "Don't you DARE try to crawl your way out of this!"
Unable to think of anything better, 4242 flailed about, breathes coming out more akin to wheezes with the tight grip 2130 had on her.
Pull your legs up to wrap around her arm.
Her vision was beginning to blur slightly, the loud chants and jeers of the girls around them slowly slipping in volume the longer she was held there.
Twist your body to the left while pulling away from her torso.
Her head was pounding, nails digging into 2130's arm as if it would do something to help her.
She'll either let go of you, or her arm.
Before she could comprehend her thoughts, she was dropped to the ground. She could feel the wood creak under the weight of heavy footfalls as all the girls seemed to run about.
"Shit, it's the hag!"
"Scatter!"
"2130, hurry it up!"
"No, I'm not done!" As if on cue, a rough hand grabbed her own, trying to pull her up by her fingers, "She was giving you shit, Froggie! I'm not gonna let that slide!"
Before Froggie could protest, 4242 did the first thing that came to mind. She pulled 2130 straight down, barely processing her open mouth before biting down on 2130's forearm.
She heard a screech and a curse before she was dropped back onto the floor. She registered one set of footsteps running out of the room, seconds before a much slower pair seemingly shambled into the room, "What in the world is going on in here!?"
"Ms. Chrow! It w-wasn't me, I swear, I was just defending myself-"
"A likely story. Here's a bit of advice, don't claim innocence when you're holding the murder weapon!"
With her vision still blurry, she could barely process the thud of someone landing on the floor next to her, much less the initial slap and shout, "Now, who's the victim of your bullshit this time, 2130?"
The moment something grabbed her, 4242's mind went into overdrive. She didn't think before she grabbed the wrist, biting down with as much force as possible into the wrinkly skin.
She heard the shriek seconds before the impact, and only then did it hit her that she had bit the wrong person.
"Ah, my arm! You fucking whiffet, what's wrong with you!?"
Yep, that's definitely the wrong person to bite.
That's a thought, but hear me out. Maybe, just maybe, you didn't bite hard enough.
That was the last coherent thought she was able to formulate before something stomped down on her back of her head, world going black.
She wasn't sure if she had only blinked or completely knocked out, all she was sure of was that this wasn't the same floor as it had been before.
She rubbed her eyes, slowly pushing herself up in order to inspect this new, cold room. The only light in the room came from the high window, the sheets billowing about as a rather harsh wind blew into the room. Other than that, there was no other movement in the room, nor was there anything else in here, now that she thought about it.
Before she could ask, the sound of light footsteps could be heard from the other side of the door, as well as a soft conversation being carried out.
"So, what happened to that new kid?"
"Oh, the one that Froggie's attack dog tackled? What do you think?"
She fought the urge to jump when the door was hit from the other side, a chorus of gleeful chuckles following the action, "How's it hanging in there, green girl?"
She decided against giving them a verbal answer, instead choosing to hit the door right back. She all but rammed her shoulder into the door, satisfied with the pained grunt that came from the other side, "Oww, shit, my ear!"
"Serves you right." There was no possible way for her to sound more pretentious, and honestly, she was a bit proud of herself on that front.
"Wow, no wonder the old hag put her in the timeout room," A voice muttered, "I mean, apparently, the crazy lunatic in their bit her, or some shit!"
"Let's hope the old lady's mouth doesn't go and get all frothy." She girl shouted, nearly screaming that last part into the door, much to 4242's absolute disgust.
Right before more words could be traded, someone coughed. Er, no, it sounded more like someone was trying to vomit up air, if the hacking and wheezing was anything to go off of.
"Oh shit, she lives!"
"Run for it!"
The two dashed off, leaving her alone with herself and whoever was now behind the door. If the light wheeze in her voice was anything to go off of, there was only really one guess as to who it was.
"Maybe you don't understand because you're new," 4242 nearly winced at how hoarse the old lady sounded, "But, normally, when you're put in a room like this, it's to make sure you don't go around and talk to anyone."
She couldn't help but back away from the door, fists raised as if the old lady was going to open the door and beat her half to death. She knew better than to underestimate old hags.
"Hope you get use to your new room, brat. You're going to be spending a lot of time in here, by yourself." The old lady crooned, slamming a bony hand against the door before walking away.
With nothing else to do, she curled up against the wall, holding her knees to her chest. The silence of the room was deafening, screaming in her ears.
You should kill the old lady.
God she hated this. She was tempted to take her chances out the window, only to decide against it. Even if the jump didn't kill her, and if she could make it out the window, then what?
No, actually, on second thought, that would be bad. That could end horribly.
Best case scenario, she ended up back here. She'd maybe have an hour or so before the fuzz was sent after her. Granted, the law enforcers weren't exactly first-rate in this town, but with the rampant murder and whatnot, she couldn't give them crap for giving up a bit.
Besides, there's no reason to go straight for the old lady. Makes more sense to start off small, like that Froggie chick.
She rubbed at her arms, trying to force the goosebumps back down into her skin. She stared at the window covers for a second longer than she had wanted to, contemplating if she could tear them down and use them as blankets of some sort.
Yeah, she needs to go.
The chill that ran down her spine wasn't unwanted, rather, it was sudden and almost unexpected. Granted, she didn't really know the origin on
But first…
There was that girl, the one from earlier. The one that had stood up to fight for Froggie, er, insisted on beating the shit out of her. What was her number again…
2130.
There it was. 2130. That kid had been, just, wow. She really didn't know how else to describe that one. She could practically smell the dedication and blind loyalty on that girl from a mile away.
Honestly, girls like 2130 irked her the most.
That's the kind of person who can't become their own because they're too busy trying to kiss up to whoever they think owns them at the moment. She's Froggie without the sliver of charisma, and for some reason, a lesser Froggie is more infuriating.
So, with that thought, her mind was able to come together to formulate a somewhat concrete agreement.
Killing Froggie will be fun and all, but this 2130 girl would be a good test run.
必要とするものにもかかわらず、何もあなたの制御にある。
人生は大丈夫だと私たちを教えるためにここにあります.
あなたの人生がゴミであっても.
- 孔子
...バイバイ