A.N. Okay, seriously, this review thing is getting on my last nerve. This better not happen again, it's actually starting to affect my productivity. Anyway, I can see them now. I don't ever intend on posting without being able to respond to reviews, so let's get into them.

Zero: Maybe, he's certainly not going to be happy about this! Ah, yes I should! I'll go back today to each chapter that they speak in French and add the translation at the bottom! Thank you!

D-Kirb: Yes, I wonder what it could mean...? I fucking love Great Gozu! And Jin Kirigiri, who is one of the most criminally underrated characters in the franchise! Fuck Tengan. The other guy headmaster is a reference to Masafumi Takada, who was the composer for Danganronpa. Yeah, I don't really hate Hiro either. I think he's just kinda lame, and I would've preferred seeing Taka or Leon take his place as a survivor. Who knows what I'll do with him? Do it. I know everyone was just itching to know what happened to the Monokuma plushies, so I decided to let Sayaka have them! She's been a good girl so far, she's earned them. But, yeah, she might be a bit disappointed. If she survives, of course...

Ashenulus: Thank. You. Somuch.

HashtagJustMonika: It's lunchtime now, I'm kinda getting hungry myself... DR2 Chapter 4 is really fuckin' good, I can only hope to be as creative as they were! We shall see who kills who and why...

ashDanLand: Haha, yes! Because what Hiro needs in his life is more bullying! Nah, she was just getting annoyed with the button thing. Kinda like a metaphor for people pushing her buttons all the time, ya know? Yes, it was Sayaka collecting the dolls this whole time! Aww, well, I'd still love to hear them whenever you got any! Oho, we shall see!

SuperSonicHeroes: Good luck guys! It is a shame, this is a Great Gozu safespace. He's not getting killed in this story! (Buuuuuut, no gurantee for any future projects I may or may not take on...) Good! That was the intention! I realized she hasn't had too many of those moments yet, I guess Teruteru really is just a better version of Hifumi! Hmm, we shall see. Of the nine remaining: Celeste, Teruteru, Mondo, Kaede, and Kaito were killers, which, by that logic, leaves only four potential murderers in Mahiru, Mukuro, Sayaka, and Hiro. Of course, Sayaka is an attempted murderer, and Mukuro is a soldier/mercenary, so who knows? Or, maybe, I just want to lull you into a false sense of security? There's only one way to find out...

Let's spare no time! Back to Jabberwock Island with you!

*Ding dong bing bong*

"Gooooood morning everyone! Looks like today is gonna be another perfect, tropical day! Now then. Let's show some enthusiasm and make sure to give it our all today!"

I lay still. Perfectly still. If I continued to lay still, I wouldn't use so much of my energy. I just needed to take deep, steady breaths, and focus all of my attention towards the soothing melodies in my head: "Arabesque No. 1", "Clair de Lune", "Moonlight" Sonata 1st movement, but no matter how hard I tried, the tempo would quicken into something more frantic and frightening: I couldn't listen to the more relaxing 1st movement without having it devolve into the quickened Presto agitato of the 3rd, nor could I prevent Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" from creeping up behind Debussy's more peaceful streams. The often soothing Nocturnes of Chopin turned eerie with the added context of the ticking clock of my predicament. Stress upon stress upon stress upon-

*Knockity knock-knock, knock knock!*

Huh?

Is someone else already up and about?

With as little energy necessary, I moved myself off of my mediocre bed and walked slowly towards the door, making myself presentable enough for whoever was-

"Yo! Good morning, Kaya!"

Yasuhiro Hagakure stood beaming at me like the distant sun. There was something about his aura that drew me to him, as though he had acquired some sort of field of gravity that stabilized my core. I can't say I ever expected to feel that way about the clairvoyant, his carefree attitude in the earliest days of this tribulation seemed to be much less reliable than it felt now, and he certainly didn't scream dependable.

"Good morning, Hiro…"

"I wanted to invite you downstairs to Strawberry Tower! I've decided in order to keep morale up, I'm going to lead a daily meditation! This will clear up our chakras and allow us to become more detached from our earthly barriers! Whaddya say?!"

I looked at the boy with a hopeful gaze. He really was taking Nekomaru's words to heart...trying to be a better person...I couldn't just say no to this kind of request...I didn't even really want to say no, it sounded like a great idea!

"Yeah, okay! I'd love to, Hiro, let me just get ready!"

The psychic nodded, "No worries, Kaya, I won't start until everyone gets there! I'll see ya there!" he turned to go before stopping himself and whisking back with an urgent undertone neath his smile, "Oh, I almost forgot, but as a reminder, we're meeting in Strawberry Tower! You can only get in through Strawberry Hall, it won't open for you if you try going through Grape Hall!"

Nodding, I thanked him for the reminder and closed the door. As I clamoured to get ready, I started on my breathing exercises already so as to be in a more properly zen mode for the upcoming meditation. I wanted this to work for me, and I couldn't mess it up on account of pent up frustrations.

When I arrived at Strawberry Tower, I was truly taken aback by the attendance. Even though not everyone was there at first when I entered, it was only a matter of minutes until those last remaining people made their way into the tower. It was impressive: all nine of us had accepted Hiro's offer for meditation, and here we all were, sitting cross-legged in two rows of four, facing Hiro, who sat facing the rest of us. I took a front spot in between Kaito and Sayaka, Mahiru sat directly behind me.

"Good morning everyone, and welcome to our first group mediation. Today we're going to be focusing mostly on developing basic breathing technique, some stuff you can try on your own throughout the day. Once we build this foundation, we'll be able to move onto longer, more sustained exercises that will help us to unlock the deepest recesses of our mind and expand our awareness of the world within, the world surrounding, and the world beyond."

Still oozing positivity, Hiro had elected to take a more subdued and calming tone, understanding that he was prepping for us to relax soon. He probably didn't want to risk exciting us too much with his flighty nature, he almost sounded mature…

"Before we begin, however, I'd like for you to take a moment to make sure you're comfortable where you are. Keep yourself equidistant from the people around you: not too close but not too far either. This is as much a bonding activity as it is meant for personal growth and development, so I want you to make sure you're adequately spaced to form a connection with everyone around you. We're all sharing this space and the energy within this space, so it's important that we can feel that and be able to peaceably transfer that between us."

As he explained himself, we did exactly that, making last minute adjustments to our bodies, settling on a distance comfortable enough from one another, roughly an arms length away. Settling down, we waited for Hiro to begin.

"Now, close your eyes, and take a nice, deep breath in through your nose. We're going to hold that breath, okay? Just for a little bit, though. Now, slowly release it through your mouth. I want you to be able to feel each oxygen atom, push it all the way out until your lungs are totally empty. This will create space, and should allow your nostrils to just suck in the air needed to fill them up. Yeah? Try that, don't breathe in, just let the air fall into your body. Through the nose, hold it, out the mouth. Good, like that. Try going at your own pace now, hold it in and out for as long as you feel comfortable doing. Remember, it's okay if you're taking shallow breaths right now, this is all about getting accustomed to the depth of your lung capacity."

I followed Hiro's instructions as he gave them, taking the reins for myself when he offered them up.

Breathe in through my nose.

Letting my stomach and chest expand.

Hold it in, feel it swirling around me.

Then, slowly, release it through my mouth. Pushing every last particle out of my lungs before starting the cycle again.

Letting the air around me fall into my nose, into my lungs.

Feeling that energy and releasing it. Along with my tensions, insecurities, fears, worries, and anxieties. Just living in the moment, feeling that moment, and releasing it back into the endless cycle of time and space.

I felt like I was floating.

I didn't feel lightheaded at all, in fact, quite the opposite.

I felt grounded.

We continued for at least thirty minutes. In that time, Hiro only spoke for about five minutes, the rest he allowed for the quiet to seep into our senses, heightening our hearing as well as encouraging the others. When the time came for us to slowly wrap up, Hiro eased us through that transition, bringing us out of our dream-like state and back into the world around us. Although the mediation was so effective, it didn't even feel like I was ever disconnected from the world, just tuned into different parts of it.

The clairvoyant stood up, prompting the eight of us to follow, then gave us a low bow, which we returned. His upbeat attitude never wavering once, "Thanks for joinin' me today, guys! Let's do this again tomorrow, okay? Make sure to practice those exercises, we'll be building off of them as we progress!"

"That was very relaxing Hiro, thank you!" Sayaka chirped.

"Honestly, I've been meaning to start meditating...and yoga...and working out more…" Mahiru admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, you wanna work out? I could show you some techniques some time if ya like?" Mondo offered.

The photographer blushed, "Ah...w-what kind of technique…?"

The biker held his hands up defensively, "N-no that's not what I-! Grr, I didn't mean it like that! I just...I can help ya 'round is all, like basic muscle groups an' shit…"

Mahiru chuckled nervously, placing her hands behind her back and tilting her head to the side, "Aha, that would be helpful, thank you, Mondo."

Mondo averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his head, a slight tinge of red brushing his cheeks, "Y-yeah...whatever…"

Kaito marched up to Hiro, clapping his shoulder with a firm hand, "Hey, what you did today really boosted morale, I can feel it! Keep it up, you'll have what it takes to become my newest sidekick!"

The clairvoyant scratched his chin wearily, "Uhm...but, why can't I just be your sidekick now?" he placed a hand on his hip, pointing accusatory, "In fact: why not just promote me to the full-fledged hero already? I'm totally cuttin' it!"

The astronaut looked taken aback, "Wha- Hey! You can't be the hero! I'm the hero!"

"Well, it's my nickname, isn't it?!"

"It ain't even spelled-"

"Kaito, stop it."

Both men turned to face Mukuro Ikusaba, who had walked up in between the two. With her steely gray eyes and her arms crossed over her chest, she looked at the astronaut, whom she'd started addressing by his first name.

"Why are you making such a big deal out of whether or not Hiro can be your sidekick? The answer is obvious, or did you forget?"

Kaito tilted his head, "Obvious? Forget? What the hell are you talkin' about, Mukuro?"

With intense seriousness, she placed a dominant hand on his shoulder, forcing him to face her directly, then declared, "You're already my sidekick."

For the first time in I think ever, I saw the Kaito Momota: Luminary of the Stars not only speechless but actually...blushing?

Hiro must have noticed it too, and with a youthful candor laughed so heartily it wasn't even funny anymore, "Nice goin' there Kaito!"

Kaito scowled slightly and turned away, stammering as he grabbed at his hair, "Ah...uh...q-quit screwin' around, Hiro! That just means you're even less than...uh…"

Before I turned away completely, my eyes scanned over Mukuro's face, not long enough to know for certain, but I could have sworn I saw the slightest flicker of light glimmering in her eyes, and her lips ever so slightly turned upward…

If what I saw was true, that may very well have been the most shocking thing I saw that day.

Now entering the P.O.V of Teruteru Hanamura

I couldn't sit still.

It wasn't my fault, honest it wasn't!

But, what do you expect from the ultimate cook? How can you possibly lock him away from his ingredients?! It's cruel and unusual punishment! And I haven't even done anything yet!

...er...did I say...yet?

Hmm...that's strange...why would I say 'yet'?

Am I...going to do something worthy of punishment…?

I...could never…

...no.

No! Stop that! Stop thinking about things like that! You're being silly, that's just crazy talk! Cuh-razy! Are you really getting delirious already? After, what, half a day? Well, I suppose yesterday was half a day too...I guess that technically means it was a full day since the last time I've eaten, or even touched food…

A full day…

Full…

Ah! Nononononono! C'mon, you're poor, don't act like you;ve never gone hungry…

Well, no shit I haven't, my mom literally owns a diner…

Ohnononono, this is bad...this is really bad!

I...need to distract myself...I need…

*knock knock*

Eh?

Whoever could it be?

As I struggle to vanquish the thoughts of...F-O-O-D...I absentmindedly made my way across my deluxe room and opened the door to find-

"Ah! Mademoiselle Ludenberg...what a...pleasant...surprise…!"

The gothic gambler, looking as primped and clean as ever, stood in front of my door with her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her red eyes were slightly averted and her lips curled slightly downward, any lower and it would have been a frown.

"Isn't it always? And please, Teruteru, call me- What the hell happened to you?"

For a brief moment, her accent dropped entirely, she sounded like a completely different person. Well, actually, she sounded remarkably similar to how she did when...uh...or was that Kaede who sounded like that? ...Ah, anyway, my petit corbeau, who hadn't been paying me serious attention, suddenly wrinkled her nose in pitiful disgust as she looked upon me. I was so exhausted at that point, however, that I didn't even bother to ask about why she sounded like Kaede...it was Kaede, right?

"Hm? Oh, my apologies, mademoiselle, I...uh...ahem...wait, what happened to me?"

Celestia blinked and suddenly her poker face was glued back into place.

"You look ill. Are you well? Have you been napping or fidgeting with your clothes? They are all wrinkled."

I felt my mouth hanging open slightly, what was she talking...oh, right, ah, "Well, perhaps I was...a little bit...ahaha! But that can wait! What did you need me for?"

She looked away and began twirling her hair around her claw, "There is little else to do but take a stroll throughout the Funhouse. I require your assistance to make sure nobody tries to lure me into a trap and take advantage of my weakened state."

...Huh? Is that right? Oh, well, I guess that makes me her bodyguard, huh?

My head moves up and down, although I don't remember asking it to, "But of course! I shall not take advantage of you, mademoiselle...I shall, let not anyone do unto you what you would do unto me...and, uh...wait, where are we going?"

"...Teruteru?"

…

*smack!*

"Huh?!...OWWWW!"

Leaning against my door frame, I reached up to clutch the cheek where Celeste had slapped me. There was a slight cut where her sharp finger guard scratched my skin, but most of the pain was really from the slap itself!

"C-Celeste?! You...hit me!?"

She looked at me with a look of concern shrouded in a veil of indifference, "You had it coming. You were being suspicious. I had to protect myself."

I continued to rub my cheek tenderly. I didn't even care if she was lying through her teeth when she rationalized her domestic violence, it hurt like a buttcheek on a dick!

"Well? Are you coming or not?"

I had half a mind not to go. But, I suppose I needed that slap. I did feel awake now.

"Ah, I suppose I can make time in my busy schedule."

"...You are terrible. Truly you are."

"Huh?! You're going to assault me and then insult me? Is this your idea of flirting? Because, let me tell you, I'm not turned on by this at all! And I'm turned on by everything!" I paused and considered what I was saying, "Huh...actually, I think I am kinda turned on by this…"

But she simply ignored me and proceeded to walk down the hall towards the upstairs garden.

"Hey! W-wait for me!"

I went on a walk with Celeste.

Somehow, we made it all the way back to Celeste's temporary room. She didn't just invite me in, however, she made me open the door for her and ordered me to tidy up a mess I was certain she'd deliberately made for this very purpose. I should have just refused, but I didn't feel the urge to. In fact, I was quite enthused to do it. My chest always fills with pride whenever I accomplish something even as simple as cleaning!

I spent about another hour or so cleaning her room. But, it really wasn't just cleaning. We ended up giving the entire room a complete makeover, and yes, I say we, because believe it or not, she pitched in a little at times, and even gave me room to voice my opinions. And in between all of that, we exchanged several words not relevant to the organization. She boasted to me wild tales of her gambling escapades, how she, too many times to count, she'd be invited to the most exquisite and expensive parties, balls, and other prestigious events and how she'd empty pockets of rich men from Las Vegas to Dubai.

"You must be swimming in cash, corbeau! Do you have an idea what you want to do with it yet?"

The smile faded slightly from her face, and her eyes looked almost apprehensive.

"It's...a bit jejune. Promise you won't laugh?"

This was perhaps the most vulnerable I'd ever seen or heard her before. I realized, in that moment, how much she was opening up to me right now. In fact, this was the most of herself I reckoned she'd ever shown anyone. I wasn't going to throw that away with a little giggle!

"I promise! Cross my heart and hope to...well, uh...you know…"

Celeste analyzed my face, looking for any suspicious tells that would unravel my web of lies. When she didn't find any (since there was no web), she breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. Then, softly sighing, she brought her hand to her heart and gave the faintest of smiles.

"Ever since I was a little girl...I've always wanted to live in a European castle. With a whole staff of handsome men serving me and attending to my every desire. I want to be pampered...like a princess."

She stopped herself from saying anymore. I suspected that she would have spilled over into some emotional backstory to justify what seemed like a superficial dream. But, it made perfect sense. I knew exactly the kind of person she was. I've known her all my life…

I smiled, "There's nothing funny about that. It's the perfect dream for you."

The faintness of her smile transformed into a stronger, more confident one. She leaned softly against the bedpost and began to pick at one of the throw pillows. From across the room, I beheld her for all the elegance and majesty she radiated. But more than anything, I got a glimpse of the real Celestia Ludenberg. The one she hides under all that aristocratic attire.

A normal, lonely girl.

Now entering the P.O.V of Kaede Akamatsu

Without even realizing it, I found myself walking around the first floor of Grape House. Just kind of floating from one corner of the room to the next. At one point, I think I was so mesmerized by the Great Gozu statue, I stood right in front of him and mimicked his posture, going as far as to snort at it like I was some sort of challenger bull. It was actually quite fu-

"Uh, Kaede? What the fuck are you doing?"

...Crap!

Turning around I came face to face with Mondo, looking down at me with a sense of uncertainty in his bright purple eyes. Well, I guess it's too late to play this off, huh?

"Kaede? Who is Kaede? I am the Great Gozuuuuu! Grawr! Moooo! Ahahaha!"

Unable to help myself, my arms fell to my sides and I started to laugh at my own silly antics. Mondo just continued to stare at me like he had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Guh!? What the fu…?"

When the laughter subsided, I wiped a tear from my eye and took several large breaths.

"Ahh, that was fun! I needed that!"

The biker crossed his arms and shook his head, like a disappointed mother, "Geez, you're so fuckin' weird sometimes, y'know?"

I nodded sheepishly, hands behind my back, "Yeah, sorry! But, hey…" I leaned in a little, a sly smirk crawling across my face, "Right then...didn't you kinda sound like Mahiru?"

Mondo brought his hand up to his neck and looked away, blushing a little, "Wha?! Oh, uh...fuck if I know!"

I giggled, "That's it? Usually, you'd get way more mad if I brought up something like that!"

He crossed his arms again, "W-well, usually you wouldn't even bring shit like that up? So, aren't you actin' kinda different too?"

I tilted my head and poked my chin thoughtfully, "Huh? I guess you're kinda right...look at that! We're already getting so used to each other!" I clapped my hands together then added with a kind of sad smile, "You know, I actually feel like we used to hang out more. Is that weird to think?"

The biker, still averting his gaze, shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged, "Well, I ain't got anything goin' on right now. Wanna hang?"

I smiled, "I'd love to, Mondo!"

I spent some time talking and walking with Mondo.

We actually didn't go very far from Great Gozu, and eventually made our way straight back underneath his watchful bullseye. I actually was a little winded, so I ended up taking a seat leaning up against the base of the statue. Mondo decided to join me, our knees just grazing each other.

Out of the blue, I started to hum a melody to myself to fill the void of conversation. I must have been louder than I anticipated because seconds later, Mondo's gruff voice inquired, "What's that?"

Instinctively, I looked around, "Huh? What's what?"

The biker pointed at me, finger nearly poking my shoulder, "Nah, I meant what song is that yer hummin' to yourself?"

I blinked and blushed slightly, "Ah, y-you heard that?"

"Tch, well yeah. You're right fuckin' next to me."

"Ah, I guess you're right!" I closed my eyes again and resumed humming, interrupted shortly after by a quick, painless jab to the side.

"Yo! I'm talkin' to ya! Are you gonna tell me what song that is or what?"

Slightly embarrassed, I fiddled with my vest, "Oh, right sorry! Uhm, have you heard of Ryuichi Sakamoto?"

Mondo frowned and shook his head, "I, uh, don't really listen to music?"

"Aha, right! Well, I was just humming a little bit of Opus from his 1999 album 'BTTB'! It's really pretty, I'll have to play it for you when we get out of here!"

"1999? That's pretty recent…"

I crossed my arms and huffed a little, "What? Did you think all piano music was old!?"

Rubbing his neck, he looked away, "Ah, well, maybe a little…?"

My hair stood up with shock, "Mondo! You know nothing about piano music!"

"Well, yeah, no shit…"

I grabbed his arm and tugged slightly, "Well, I'll just have to play a whole bunch for you then! The piano on the island isn't the best, but we'll be escaping soon anyway, so you can just come over to my house and-"

"..."

"..."

A deep scarlet warmth blazed across my cheeks, matching Mondo's. I didn't realize it until what I said made me acutely aware of how close we were sitting to each other. In my excitement, I'd pulled myself centimeters from Mondo's face, his violet eyes catching onto my plum ones like some sort of inescapable trap. His pompadour was scraping the top of my head, actually poking slightly at my ahoge.

I chuckled awkwardly, slowly letting go of his well-toned forearm, patting it slightly to smooth out the crinkle I'd left in his jacket.

"S-sorry…! That was...I mean, there are pianos all over the place, right?"

"Y-yeah...the school probably has one, right?"

"Oh, almost definitely! I'd...uh, yep, they should have one...haha…"

"Heh."

We both looked away from each other, my hands starting to fidget with the bottom of my vest. This was...probably why I didn't hang out with Mondo often…

"Uh...you don't gotta be...er, you know…"

I turned my head towards the biker, who was looking down at the ground, picking at his own fingers. There were spots on his cheeks where I could still see lingering traces of scarlet.

"I just mean that...since it's so important to ya an' all...you can play for me wherever ya like. No big deal…"

"Yeah. Okay."

"..."

"..."

"It don't gotta be just the two of us either, y'know? If...you're more comfortable...you could just put on like a mini, uh, whatever ya call 'em?"

"A recital?"

"Yeah...for like...yer friends an' shit."

"Of course! I'm sure Mahiru would love to listen…"

The red in his cheeks deepened again, his arm reached for the back of his neck, "Y-yeah...and, uh, Sayaka too, probably...Kaito and them…"

I reached out again, this time careful not to get too close to him by accident. My hand rested just above his wrist. Mondo recoiled only slightly, but kept his arm under my hand and slowly his eyes made their way down to look at it and then up to mine.

"As long as you're happy, Mondo. That's all I care about. I just want you to listen to my music and be happy."

His mouth was opened slightly, and his eyes held onto mine with an almost child-like wonder about them. For a brief moment, I could see into the depths of his soul, and I didn't see the burly man in front of me, but a scrappy, small little boy covered with scrapes and bruises and dirt and tears. A hopeless, harmless, fragile kid who just needed a little more happiness in his life.

Mondo soon closed those windows, and turned away. I half-expected he'd retract his arm too, but he kept it where it was, lingering in the touch of my hand.

"I...I'm sure I will be. I'm sure that...as long as you're playin' I'll love every second of it…" he looked back at me, his violets swirling with the anguish of a boy whose past I might never come to know or understand, but was brimming with the strength of a thousand men, "That's a promise, Kaede."

I nodded, "I believe you, Mondo. I look forward to spending each of those seconds with you."

Leaning back against the Great Gozu, Mondo and I spent about twenty or so minutes in absolute silence, just enjoying the presence of the person next to us. We didn't have to say anything to know that this was a true bond shared between us. No matter the path we'd find ourselves on in the future, it would be a shared journey, one in which we would never leave each other's side for as long as we walked it.

Now entering the P.O.V of Sayaka Maizono

*Ding dong bing bong*

"This is an official announcement! The time is now 10pm, which means it is officially nighttime! The kitchen will be off limits until the morning! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!"

Was it really nighttime?

With no windows into the outside world, it was impossible to answer that question.

I only asked myself that because I wasn't tired.

In fact, I was wide awake. I'd taken a couple naps earlier, since there wasn't much else to do. That kind of tricked my brain into thinking I'd already gone to bed and it was time to start a brand new day.

I'd gone more than a day without something to eat.

I'd gone more than a day without seeing the sun.

I'd gone more than a day without even once stepping outside.

No new clothes to wear, no showers to be had. Just meandering in an aimless sea of LED and tasteless decorations that made my head hurt. You never realize how easy your life is until most of your wants and needs are taken abruptly away from you.

And you're left with a feeling of emptiness you can't really fill with anything.

But was it really a new emptiness? Or was I just realizing it for the first time?

How empty my life truly was.

I had so much, I never felt that I'd taken any of it for granted, but…

What if I had?

I was practically raised by my producers. My pop group are like sisters to me. Nonstop touring and performing, carefully calculated interviews and photo-ops. Capturing each and every waking moment for when we'd finally need some raw footage for the documentary of our rise to stardom. My whole life was planned for me, all of my needs taken care of by a company that didn't mind spending out of pocket to spoil me, they'd make that back tenfold for just one performance.

Life is a performance. Walking along a tightrope, carrying all of your burdens and ambitions. Your mistakes weigh you down, but if you can learn to control them, you can maintain your balance. I've been towing that line for sometime, between human and superhuman. Always having to put on a pretty face because you never know who's going to be watching. Always wear the most fashionable clothes because you wouldn't want to be caught dead looking like a regular person. Always act relatable, but never do anything real, because nobody wants to see who they are, but who they could become. Nobody wants to buy a broken doll.

But, I'm really not a doll.

…

As my mind was wandering, so were my legs. I'd already said goodnight to everyone. I even watched all the girls walk into their rooms. They might have assumed I'd do the same, but I didn't. Eventually, I made my way somewhere, I really don't even know how I got there. I just sort of let my legs take over, they seemed to know where I needed to go.

"The Final Dead Room."

Of course. This is where I needed to be right now. I'm so glad to know that my legs can understand that, even when my brain can't.

The eyes of the door stared soullessly back into mine. Sometimes, I wondered if I was so good at hiding myself, I could even hide my soul. The eyes are the windows, right? All I have to do is drape some beautiful blue curtains over them…

"I...wonder what's beyond that door…"

Just like my legs, my arm knew exactly what to do, and reached forward to grab the handle. Savouring each second of it, I slowly pulled, and even cracked the door open just a little, peering into the dark void creeping out and sucking me into it like a black hole. I knew I couldn't stop. I needed to open it more and more and just let the darkness swallow me forever. If I was empty inside, then I could be empty outside too. I could just float on forever in the emptiness outside of time and space…

"Stop."

…

"Close that door."

...Okay.

I did what the voice asked me to. After all, why shouldn't I? I could trust that voice...right?

Wait...whose voice is it?

"...Who are you…?"

"M...k...o…"

…?

Makoto?

Makoto?!

No...he can't see me like this! It's embarrassing! I...I don't want him to think I'm less than perfect! I can be perfect! He needs me to be perfect! He needs me…

"I'm sorry, Makoto...I'm...not perfect…"

"Maizono? What are you talking about?"

I felt tears streaming down my face, "I'm sorry, Makoto! I really am! I promise we'll hang out more, we'll spend more time together! I'll show you I can be the perfect girl! I'll show you that I really am flawless! And then you'll...like me...maybe even...a little more…"

"Maizono? Wake up, Maizono! Stop talking and just wake up!"

Huh?

Makoto…?

You're not…

"M-Mukuro?"

Mukuro Ikusaba was gripping tightly onto my shoulders, shaking me around a little, her pale eyes bearing into mine, an uncharacteristic amount of concern flowing out of them. I blinked several times and moved my head around. The Final Dead Room was gone, and in its place was Grape Lounge...wait, when did I get here? Did she bring me here?

The soldier nodded, her face softening when she realized I'd come back to reality, "You worried me there for a bit. I saw you stumbling like a dead girl, so I followed you to that room. You were really out of it. Muttering to yourself like you were possessed."

Was she really concerned about me? I didn't think Mukuro cared about anyone here that much. I guess...I never really talked to her before though…

"I'm sorry I scared you like that, Mukuro. Thank you for bringing me back…"

"Of course. You nearly went right into that place. Who knows what would've happened to you there while you were like that."

I shuddered to think. But that was a good question, what did bring me there? The more I thought about it, the more it confused me.

"Not to pry, but," I looked back at the soldier, a moderately stoic veneer covered her face as she inquired softly, "You were saying Naegi's name a lot, and, well, you seemed surprised to see me instead. Just curious, but...why were you thinking about him just now?"

A smile started to tug at my lips. Why had I been thinking about Makoto just now? Well, the truth of that was a lot more simple. "I wasn't thinking about him just now. I...I don't think there's ever been a moment that I'm not thinking about him."

My answer must have puzzled her, "What do you mean? You knew him for such a short amount of time."

I allowed the smile to take over. It was a warm feeling taking over, almost like Makoto was smiling at me right now, "I know. Even though we were in middle school together, we didn't really talk much then either. But...in the short time I knew him, I felt like...I felt like I'd known him much longer. There was something about him, I can't really explain it, but he made my heart happy. He made me feel safe, just by smiling at me. Then, when he was taken away from me, it felt like a part of me died with him. Like, my happiness couldn't sustain itself. Even now, I'm thinking about him. It's like...once he was a part of my life, I couldn't live without him."

Chuckling, I closed my eyes briefly, "It's cheesy, I know...I wonder if it even makes any sense at all!"

One glance at Mukuro told me more about her than any amount of words ever could. For the tiniest flicker of a moment, I saw the curtains lifted from her eyes. It was like her soul was dancing to the music of my speech, like I was singing just to her, and she finally found in me a way to express herself.

Only for an instant. Then, the curtains fell back down and she looked away.

"Yeah...I think I get what you're saying."

As the soldier started to space out, I saw her cheeks coloring slightly. Haha. Does she know how cute that makes her look? I wonder who she's thinking about. It's kind of funny to think that someone could make her feel that way. But, it's sweet too.

We said our goodnights, and I finally decided that I actually was tired. Laying my head down on my pillow, I returned to my dreams. Just like always, when I crossed that threshold, Makoto sat waiting for me on the front porch swing. Smiling.

Welcoming me home.

A.N. "Petit Corbeau" translates to "Little Raven".

I'm dedicating this chapter to MsterCyn1cal for when he finally gets this far! His co-authored story "Blackened Skies" (which you can find on AO3) as well as his comments on earlier chapters has reminded me that Kaede x Mondo is cute, fuck you, it's my story I can do what I damn well please! Ahem, sorry about that. But, anyway, just thought I'd through that scene in there. Our feelings are never so simple, you know? Wish they could be.

Also, yeah, everyone's already going bonkers! I wonder what tomorrow shall bring to their fragile little psyches!

Sorry that this is, like, half the length of the previous chapter. I actually thought it was going to be longer, but then it wasn't. Although, it's interesting to note that the days in the Funhouse are actually quite short. Like, the game glosses over them pretty quickly compared to other chapters, so, I'm not too worried about it. Anyway, I know how many days I want them to spend in here, and I know all of the scenes aI want to include as well, so we might get through this pretty quickly! Also, it's July?! School starts in, like, a month and a half? It's been just a little over three months since I started writing this, and it just means so much to me that you guys are reading this! And we're still getting new readers everyday, I've never been a part of something like this before, so thank you so much! I really hope I can continue to deliver content you enjoy (and I have a lot of plans)! As always, thank you for reading, and an extra thank you for reviewing (and an extra extra thank you to the server if it doesn't fuckin' crash again)! Enjoy the rest of your day and continue to stay safe out there!

-That1guyeveryonehates.