ACT 2: NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE
Chapter 1: More places, fewer friends
Day 6
Tartarus Keep
Residence Area
8:30
Well, that just happened. Never had there been a day in my life where I came out so broken and exhausted, wishing to shove all the thoughts on recent events down the sewer and pretended I was on a movie set. Even during my horrendous middle school years, which now haunted me as I thought back, I wasn't bothered that much by the bullying I was on the receiving end of. Things had changed since then. Ever since I got into this business, which I got good enough to be branded an Ultimate, overthinking about everything had been my trait.
The effect of the execution on our mentality, the implication for the future of us, the true motive of Monokuma, all of these were begging for fifty pages of analytical papers each. I had neither time nor tool (no computer) to write them, not that they would be of much use if I couldn't communicate them with the others which, given the shock we all went through, was problematic.
So many horrible things had happened. But there was still a glimmer of hope which I clung onto as I viewed my Electronic-ID.
Attention
A rule has been revoked
Rule #10: After a murder has occurred, ALL hostages except those who participate in the Mutual Killing Games (if any of you consider yourself to be) will be released.
Thank you beary much for your compliance up to this!
Monokuma had had what he wanted. It would seem logical that he completed his end of the bargain and focused on creating a new scenario for us to kill each other. I could not deny my gladness at her release, even if my own situation had deteriorated significantly with two classmates dead and one of my hands impaired.
I noticed my stomach was grumbling. I remembered going to bed early last night and skipping dinner. I did not even have lunch or breakfast either yesterday due to the investigation and trial. Once again, I allowed my rationalism to dictate my actions: my body needed food to properly function just as a machine needed oil; no matter how depressed or afraid I was, starving myself would only make it worse, and Inu was evidence of that. I hoped many of my friends shared this sentiment for quite a few of them locked themselves in right after the revelation of the first motivation.
So I got up, looked at myself in the mirror to see how pathetic I was, took a shower, got dressed (same clothes all over again), and got out. First, I needed to have a check on Minako to see if she was still alright. Then, I should be heading to the main hall for some much-needed sustenance.
As I made it to the hallway, I saw Yume pushing his vividly decorated wheelchair out of his room as well, giving me a déjà vu feeling of the first time I met someone in Tartarus Keep. The two of us exchanged an awkward stare at each other before the fellow gave a weak smile and I returned it in kind.
"A magical morning to you, Amelda," he said, waving his magic stick around as if casting some spell. Despite what happened, it seemed his imaginativeness had remained intact. "I didn't see you at dinner yesterday. Are you all right? How's your hand?"
"It's still useless," I replied. "I guess that's what it feels like to get stabbed." I sighed at this point. "Compared to your condition, I call myself lucky. This hand will heal in time. Thanks for your concern."
"Well, you haven't been eating since… the day before yesterday," said Yume. Being the Ultimate Baker, he took eating quite seriously, one of the reasons why he seemed to get on with Eliza whose anti-social behaviors were directed at all except those who filled her plate. "Of course I'm worried. I don't want you to end up like Inu. The poor guy looks like a skeleton covered in skin."
"Inu is unstable for other reasons," I told him, remembering when we first met. Inu was already on edge before Monokuma announced his motivation and before he locked himself in his room. "I suppose that's one more thing we have to deal with."
"If that's the case, then I would love to help," Yume beamed. "You spoke to him before, didn't you? You seem pretty close and trustworthy in his eyes, so you should go and talk to him. I will come with you. Inu has it tough even prior to coming here. But you know what, we are all Ultimates here. Our talent might be the basis for our friendship, but it still needs to be fostered with care."
"Good idea," I concurred.
"So….it had begun, hasn't it?" said Yume after a long pause. "The Mutual Killing Game. Is this the straw that finally breaks the camel's back, the point where there's no return?"
"Yes," I answered him. There was no point sugar-coating this, better to deal with the undeniable fact than to avoid it. "Monokuma may appear a jester but his heart full of malign. We are, at this moment, his subjects. Just as the gladiators of Rome, we are in a situation where our suffering is entertainment for the mass, and killing each other might be the only way to survive."
"Akihiko and Kazuki," Yume stuttered, tears welling in his eyes. "They shouldn't have died. They both deserve better than this injustice. All of this makes no sense. Will you, Amelda? Will you ever kill anyone?"
I paused for a moment. It had never occurred to me before so I had to ponder about it. I had been trying to avoid violence in my entire life, even as I trained my body to the point of fitness I had obtained today, and learned how to use guns at summer camps. I despised criminals and thought they deserved punishment, but neither capital punishment nor Rin's methods did I agree with. Nevertheless, given a good reason, a very desperate situation, a means, and some amount of (bad) luck, I honestly thought I might do it, killing a person. As what happened between myself and Hijiri was out of my control, I could not say for sure. Maybe I would have shaky hands. Maybe something would turn up that rendered my motive to kill null. Maybe God himself would intervene.
Anyway, it was the right of every American man, woman, and child to counter any force that threatened them or their beloved through lethal means if necessary; may none but God judge us for our actions. Only the idealistic heroes like Superman would be so obsessed with upholding their honor through subduing the villains without ever killing them.
That was what the calculating Ultimate Accountant Amelda Mason would answer back.
But the friend Amelda Mason could only say, "No. I would not under any circumstances. Killing is evil no matter where we are coming from." It wasn't a complete lie, but I lacked the courage to make a blunt statement that might be harmful to the already fractured relationship of the group. "Even executions, I only see them as necessary evils, not something I would agree with if anything else could be helped. But…"
"But what?" Yume pressed.
"Kazuki probably thought it as well when he was thrust into the Killing Game," I explained. "He thought his willpower would be strong enough to keep his murderous urge at bay. But when Monokuma revealed our loved ones as captives, he snapped. And so did Hijiri. I cannot say whether anyone else will do the same once the second motivation is brought into the light."
Yume sighed deeply. "So, we're doomed?"
"That is something I cannot answer," I told him.
Gallery
9:00
Yume and I checked on Minako and she was still sleeping soundly. On Yume's insistence, after several unsuccessful attempts to wake her up, we let her carry on: she probably needed such rest anyway to recover from the ordeal yesterday. The girl looked like a baby when she slept.
As we went through the gallery, a sight struck at us with the force of a battering ram. Two of the supposedly empty glass containers had had something inside, as well as a tab attached to each of them. We watched in unspoken horror at the flute, indeed modified into a blowpipe, in one case.
Donation of Kazuki Ishikawa
This flute was masterfully crafted into a deadly weapon during the 23rd Mutual Killing Games. It is a testament to human weakness and that even with such skills and preparations, Kazuki did not get away with it.
And next to it was a notebook with no title.
Donation of Akihiko Kazuhiko
After years of reading and organizing books, Akihiko decided to write one himself. With his untimely demise, we may never know if Akira and Hotaru will finally become a couple after it they were revealed to be half-siblings.
Even in death, Akihiko's lady's manhood continued to disturb me.
"Let's think of the positive side," said Yume.
"How so?" I asked.
"Well, seeing these relics will make us not forget our friends," Yume elaborated. "Our time together may be short, but we had good moments together. That's why we should remember those who passed away."
"I wonder if I die, what would fill my spot in the gallery," I muttered unconsciously.
After that, we marched to the main hall together.
Main Hall
9:00
To satisfy my empty stomach, I had a big breakfast today with large amounts of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and milk. I realized this was the largest morning meal I had ever had, partly because my busy profession allowed me little time for it and partly because I was used to being organized, and skipping eating for a whole day was an unimaginable concept. As for Yume, the fellow was amused by and encouraging my sudden change in diet.
After breakfast, Rin called for a meeting as expected. Despite the tragedy yesterday, most of us were present, unlike the absenteeism and avoidance that reigned among our class between the motivation and the first murder. Perhaps with two friends dead and the situation more serious than ever, people had come to believe that no one could survive through this singularly since that would likely put a Bullseye just as it did Fitzgerald and Inu. That and the fact our friends and relatives have freed thanks to the sacrifice of Kazuki helped to lift the spirit.
The ones not present were Minako, Hijiri, and Inori, the former confirmed not in the botanical garden as well. Inori's condition was worrying, to say the least. She passed out right after the trial. I wondered if the execution was so terrifying that it caused her to faint or the whole thing which included standing in one place for hours while paying careful attention to fourteen other people and presenting her own evidence while required stretched the endurance of her frail body to its limit.
"Yesterday was rough," said Hokuto. "I don't think I will be able to go through that again. Both the trial and the execution. They seem so surreal, yet I have no choice but to accept them as facts."
"Are we all going to die?" asked Inu his body vibrating like a cotton candy maker. "I saw those things in the gallery that weren't there before. Is that what's going to happen to all of us?"
"Some of us," said Fitzgerald. "If we take the bear by his words, there is bound to be at least one survivor unless we fuck it up as badly as the Flash with his timeline."
"No one else is going to die," Rin admonished. "Not if I can help it."
"That is what I look forward to," said El Viento. I wanted to take her seriously - I really did. But she was hanging upside down from the ceiling, hovering above her classmates just as the sword of Damocles did Dionysius. To make the comparison even more literal, if the rope were to break, there would be a crater the size of a bathtub on the floor and that would 100% trigger Overlord Monokuma's wrath. Ashley was the one to blame for this, the Ultimate Pranking Queen claiming she did so to lighten the mood. Whether the mood had improved because of that or not was a matter of debate, but El Viento certainly seemed to enjoy being hung up like that, stating it helped to transfuse more blood into her brain. "Easier said than done, unfortunately."
"In the meantime, we need to pull ourselves together," I proposed. "Although this might be difficult considering three of us who still live aren't here at the moment."
"How is Inori?" Hokuto asked. "El Viento, did you check up on her this morning?"
"I did," said the Ultimate Luchador, still "hanging around". She was the one who carried Inori back to her room yesterday and had the Ultimate patient's handbook just as I had the Ultimate Herbalist's. Though holding another person's valuable accessory like that sat well with neither of us, it was deemed for the best just in case of an emergency. Inori and Minako can still exit their respective rooms with their Electronic-IDs. Rin had confiscated Hijiri's tablet and I doubted the possibility of Ultimate Police Officer being keen on giving it back anytime soon, or, to be fair, the Ultimate Geisha needing it to travel outside. "She was still slumbering when I entered. There was no sense of calm the way she slept and she looked like someone on their death throe. I wanted to help her, to chase away whatever was bothering her and restore her to good health, but alas there was little I could do for medicine wasn't my forte. So I left, feeling shameful."
"You don't need to," Yume told her. "Inori looks frail, but she is brave and strong the way she fought this disease for longer than anyone else. I'm sure she'll eventually recover from this exhaustion following the trial."
"But not from her sickness," said Eliza matter-of-fact.
"Nor the Mutual Killing Game," Fitzgerald added. "Though this misfortune is shared with all of us, so I would save my pity."
"Can you two wet blankets stop being so gloomy all the time?" demanded Ashley. "Just because things went to hell doesn't mean we have to ACT like we're in hell. Sheez, how could anyone ever live with you two?" In the case of Fitzgerald, the answer was easy: he associated with no one.
"B-b-b-but they do have a good point," Tatsuya said.
"And how is Minako?" asked Kai. Thankfully, she appeared healthier than the last time we saw each other and had donned a new pair of dancing shoes. "Amelda, you have her tablet, don't you?"
"She's sleeping as well," I replied, "though better than Inori, at least physically. I didn't wake her up because I felt like it would be a bit…pushy doing so." Due to the presence of mutated and weaponized plants in the botanical garden, we thought it was best to stay away from it for the time being. Minako, being the child of nature that she was, would no doubt be disappointed.
"We'll have to inform them later," declared Rin. "Right now, it's high time that some sense of discipline and order was established." There was a moment of silence as all of us paused to pay attention to the Ultimate Police Officer who strove to fulfill the oath she made to keep us all safe until rescue or escape. "Kazuki and Hijiri didn't commit murder just because of Monokuma's motivation, they did so because we allowed them. We were convinced no one would step out of the line and, in our ignorance, we let ourselves become easy prey. I will admit the lion's share of the blame, for I should have been the one most aware of this."
"Damn right," said Eliza curtly.
"Akihiko might have been the one who bit the dust, but Amelda, Inu, and Fitzgerald could easily have joined him in the grave had the circumstances were slightly altered two nights ago," Hokuto agreed. "It was only because of luck, and Kazuki's own sentiment, that they escaped Death's jaw."
"Luck or fate?" El Viento suggested.
"Or both?" Ashley added. One thing for sure was that neither was responsible for El Viento's current awkward condition, just her own stubbornness.
"Whichever that is, it won't hurt adopting some precautions from now on," I said. Rin was right. I let my guard down and fell for Hijiri's ploy. Perhaps it was time I acted with more skepticism towards everyone and not just Ashley.
"I'm glad we're in the same boat, Amelda," said Rin. "Now, even with two people dead, this place is still rather crowded for fourteen of us, so the chance of committing murder without preparation in the middle of the day is next to impossible. At night, however, it becomes trickier. Humans are not nocturnal animals, as you already know."
"How are you so sure about the concept of day and night?" asked Hokuto. "After all, we have not seen the sky since arriving here. We only assume day and night in this castle because Monokuma sets up the circle that way. It's no different from living too long in an underground mine."
"Good point," said Fitzgerald. "For this to work, we will have to assume Monokuma will not alter this established circle in any way."
"This is getting…. way too confusing for me," said Ashley, scratching her head intensely. "Can you say that again?"
"Be careful," Eliza mocked. "Scratch too hard and you'll peel whatever left of your tiny brain off."
"At least those zombies in the lake won't find you a tasty meal if you do so," El Viento jumped in.
"Said the one with too much blood in her brain," Ashley said accusingly.
"Right," Rin confirmed. "We will use the time on our Electronic-IDs for reference only. God knows what the outside world is like. Be sure to check it often for a decent living pattern and don't end up like Inu or Minako. Since I will not be able to patrol the hallway without making myself a viable target, I'd suggest we all stay in our respective room during Night-Time."
"I think that might work," Tatsuya concurred. "I'm not into traveling in utter darkness anyway."
Fitzgerald nodded. "My investigation will not be hampered by this. I have already collected the evidence I needed from this place."
"Care to share that evidence with the rest of us?" Eliza suggested.
"At this point in time it will create more confusion than understanding," said the Ultimate Private Detective. "I will do so only when I deem fit."
"When we all have died, probably," Eliza snorted.
"But how will you enforce this Night-Time rule?" I asked. "Peer pressure?"
"Not enough." Rin shook her head. "I will have to confiscate your Electronic-IDs during Night-Time."
"Wait, are you serious?" demanded Hokuto. "That's private stuff there. How are we going to move around without them?"
"Simple, we don't," Rin replied. "We will all stay in our room until that period is over. If you are not up to anything shady, why would you want to go out in utter darkness anyway? In the morning, I will slip them through the door slit for you."
"This sounds like a military dictatorship," said Eliza. "Nope, I am not liking it."
"Desperate time calls for desperate measures," said Yume.
"I hate to admit it, but Rin has a point," said El Viento, scratching her chin in an awkward position.
"Wait, so we're actually going to go with this?" Ashley blurted. "I can't believe it. You're all nuts."
"It's the only way for the time being," I admitted.
"If you have all of our tablets, Rin, then how do we know you won't try to take advantage of that?" asked Kai suspiciously. "How do we know you won't try to murder us with that advantage in your hand?"
"Rule number four states that breaking into someone else's room is not allowed," Rin explained. "It doesn't say whether the room owner's Electronic-ID has been taken by the culprit or not. So I presume it would still count as unlawful if I were to enter your room without your permission even if I have the lawful means to open it. This also means I sort of broke the rule yesterday, but since it doesn't mention any punishment involved other than my right to kill revoked, it probably doesn't matter." How could it not matter? Poor Hijiri had been through a lot and Rin still refused to let her get a break. Such was her reputation and rumors had it even experienced wardens in Arkham Asylum would bow in awe in front of the Blue Devil. "All you have to do is not letting me, or anyone for that matter, into your safe haven at night. Is that clear?"
"That sounds plausible," said Tatsuya. "I w-w-w-wonder if there are other loopholes in the rule system we can exploit?"
"Fine," Ashley conceded. "Know that if something goes wrong, then it's all your fault."
"This is rather excessive," Hokuto remarked. "But for the sake of our safety and unity, I shall comply."
"Whatever," Eliza snorted.
"Looks like we'll all have to count on you, Rin," I said. "Let's hope our faith is not misplaced."
"Very well," said Rin. "The implementation starts tonight. During the day, as long as no one does anything stupid, we should be safe. Outside our own private quarters, there are only five rooms and fourteen of us. There's no way someone could commit murder without getting caught red-handed."
"Did someone say five rooms for fourteen bastards?" A wheezy, cheerfully malign voice announced the presence of our liege, Overlord Monokuma.
The response to his arrival, as to be expected, was rowdy.
"Stop doing that, you're giving me a heart attack," Ashley exclaimed.
"Avaunt, foul creature," Eliza shouted.
"Hitting us when we're down?" Rin snarled. "You've got some nerves."
"Just wait until I get my hands on you," El Viento threatened. "I swear you will beg for the sweet release of death when I do."
"What are you doing here, Monokuma?" Hokuto demanded. "We haven't gotten ourselves over with the last murder and execution, and now you're giving us a new motivation so soon?"
Inu seemed to have lost his marble, screaming incoherently. "No…. NO! Not again!" And then he hid under the table. It was not a fine display, but an improvement from lashing out at everybody and retreating to his room.
"Such insubordination. Maybe I should make an example out of one of you," Monokuma wheezed before returning to his high-pitched voice. "Aaaaanyway, I am here to bring good news to you all."
"We already know it," I told him. "The hostages are free. Save your breath and get lost."
"Though that part is true, it is not what I was going to tell you," explained Monokuma. "You see, I just realized having fourteen of my loyal subjects in such a cramped and lacking condition is unbefitting of a great and rich overlord like me."
"So you're letting us go?" asked Kai.
"Nonsense," said Monokuma. "I'm expanding your lebensraum."
"Lebensraum?" I echoed. "Expanding our living space? What are you talking about? Are we getting access to further facilities in this castle?"
"Give the man a gold star because he is correct!" Monokuma extolled. The underlying Nazi joke got on my nerve a bit. "Remember that door at the other end of the residence area? Well, as of right now, it has been unlocked. So feel free to add the new realm beyond to your habitat and enjoy what your generous Overlord has offered."
"That is good news," said Ashley. "This whole scenery was boring me, anyway."
"Since we can no longer access the botanical garden after what happened, this seems like a good deal," Kai agreed.
"I hope there is a gym," said El Viento. "My muscles haven't had any proper workout for the last few days. A medical facility for Inori would be nice as well."
"What is your plan for doing this?" asked Rin. "Why acting so lenient all of a sudden?"
"Why do you ask?" Monokuma replied. "You are all my faithful servants, aren't you? You have done so well spreading despair and entertainment to my audience. They love it. The ratings are going through the roof as we speak. For your performance, consider it your reward."
And with that, he was gone.
"So, we're going to e-e-e-explore the new territory now?" Tatsuya suggested.
"Of course," confirmed Hokuto. "New land means new opportunity, that's what my grandfather always says. Maybe I could find a new way out there."
"Or a new way to kill us all before the bear has the chance," Eliza remarked.
"He's gone now, Inu," I said to the boy shivering underneath the table.
"Oh, I see. Sorry for that," Inu apologized as he took my hand and got pulled out. "I'm a mess."
"Enough talking and waiting and let's go," Kai urged. "I can't wait to see what Monokuma has in store for us."
And so, with more excitement and anticipation than trepidation, we matched together out to whatever new land and opportunities awaiting us.=
….
….
….
I had a feeling we forgot something or someone.
"Hey, get me down from here," El Viento shouted, still hanging upside down from Ashley's prank. "I want to go exploring, too!"
After releasing El Viento from suspension (without creating any crater on the floor), our group went back to the residence area. True to Monokuma's word, the wooden door could not be opened. On the other side was a hallway that mirrored the one we were standing in, albeit shorter and instead of sixteen doors leading to sixteen rooms on both sides, there were only two. At the end of the corridor, we could see another door.
Three additional rooms were now available and according to the nameplate on each door, they were: the bar, the library, and the laundry room. I had no idea what kind of organization was this, but the positions of these rooms could not have been practical or logical. Then again, we were participating in a game show about murder with a medieval castle as its setting, so anything was possible. I could already hear El Viento crying out in frustration and anguish: neither entry on her wish-list was answered.
At this point, the group split. Which room should I enter first?
Bar
Library
Laundry room
Bar
10:00
Given we were in a medieval castle, I was expecting something akin to a mead hall out of this. As it turned out, it really did look like a real bar in the twenty-first century. Similar to any normal bar, it had a wooden countertop in front of a cabinet containing many different types of liquor, some of which I painfully recognized as the main cause of my father's mental downfall following the financial fallout. Because of what happened to my father (he got better now, thankfully), I decided to stay out of alcohol for most of my college years, even choosing to soft drinks with partners and business associates when I had the option to without offending anybody. On the countertop was a series of cups and goblets of different shapes and sizes, as well as mixing machines I had only the slightest idea what they did. Three sets set of four sofas were placed lined up the middle of the room surrounding, each surrounding a square table. On the left side of the room lied a piano and it's right a pool (billiard) table. Like the gallery, the floor here consisted of white tiles with no drug on top, mainly because the beverage stain could be nasty on fabric. All in all, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Entering the room alongside Tatsuya, Kai, Inu, and Ashley, I was greeted with the aroma of alcohol and perfume. Like the trial room, this place also had air-conditioning. Though I was not a drinker, I thought the bar was an excellent spot for relaxation from now on with the botanical garden no longer safe due to the mutated plants.
"Looks like a great place to throw a party, don't you think?" said Ashley.
"One of our friends is dead and you are thinking of throwing a party?" Kai admonished. "That's nonchalant, even for you."
"Don't Japanese hold a ceremony when someone dies like us Westerners?" Ashley countered.
"I am with Ashley on this one," Tatsuya voiced. "Akihiko and Kazuki died without any proper f-f-f-funeral. Perhaps we should do something to send them off. To p-p-pray their spirits will find peace in the afterlife."
"Yeah," I agreed. I did not want to think about death when I was still so young, but truth to be told, I would rather be buried in the town I was born when my time in this world was finally over. For Akihiko and Kazuki, there was no such option, and that made it even more horrifying as their loved ones would never see their bodies to mourn. The thought of dying in this forsaken place suddenly seemed bleaker. As Yume said earlier, it was only right that we who still lived paid homage to the ones who had lost their lives in this despicable game. "Perhaps we should. So that they, up there with God, will know we have not forgotten them."
"Yes, uhm… what he said," Inu stammered, pointing at me.
"If that's the case, then I'm with you," Kai ceded.
"So, anyone wants a drink right now?" asked Ashley as she headed over to the counter. "Breakfast only serves apple juice, milk, and mineral water. This counter and cabinet have, like, every beverage you can imagine."
"I would like some hot chocolate," said Kai.
"Coffee for me," replied Inu.
"Are you sure, Inu?" I asked him out of concern. "No offense, but you look high already."
"It's alright," replied the Ultimate Chemist. "It helps me focus."
"If you say so," I said. "I think I'll have some soft drink."
"I'll have the s-s-same as Amelda," Tatsuya echoed.
"Are you sure you don't want a taste of any of these wines, Amelda?" Ashley cooed. "Boys in my college drink all the time at parties. Many of the girls, too. No need to be shy. Don't tell me you have a kidney problem."
"Not that," I replied. Without any fault in my kidney, I already had enough issues with my body already thanks to the spontaneous bleeding. "I just have a thing against alcohol, that's all."
"I see. Does your religion prohibit it?" asked Kai.
"It's a family matter," I replied.
"Family matter?" asked Tatsuya. "What happened?"
Telling lies was a no-no in my book, but withholding information was still ethical when such information was trivial and not affecting decisions. I was going to refuse to answer, but then I saw Inu. I might have had it rough, but I bounced back and for all of my life, I thought had everything I needed. He, on the other hand, hadn't. Like most Hope's Peak Academy students, his probably weren't the ideal background. Even if it discomforted me, I had to act as the strong guy to encourage him.
So I told them about it. When I was a kid, my family's fortune nearly collapsed after a disastrous investment by my father into a company that had been practicing fraud to maintain a healthy picture when, in truth, it was performing poorly. Devastated and jobless, my father would come home increasingly late and increasingly drunk and he would have many bitter arguments with my mother which drove him further to the edge of sanity. It was so severe that I began to associate the smell of alcohol with the image of my deranged father who couldn't bother looking at his son for even one second.
Then, something happened - the violent demise of my best friend in an act to save my very life because I was a fat and slow fucker - and while it scared me even to this day, it was the mainspring for my father to change for the better. I still remembered the way my parents embraced me like they felt their son before even as I stared blankly to the crashed truck and took in the warmth of the crimson liquid that drenched me from head to toe. After that, things were no longer the same for my family. During my hospitalization from the trauma, my father started going to synagogue again to pray for my recovery, had some therapies (not more than I did), got a new job, and mended family relationships just in time for my sister to be born.
For some reason, after saying all of that, my heart seemed to lighten. So far, I had been able to explore the background of some of my classmates and learned their stories. Now, it was my turn to let it out.
"That was quite tragic what happened to your friend," said Kai. "It's not your fault, Amelda. Nobody can blame a child for being too distracted." Well, they could certainly blame me for being too fat to even move an inch back then. I refrained from telling them I looked like a Russian Matryoshka as a four-year-old boy.
"At least things worked out for your father in the end," said Tatsuya. "I can't imagine having a fractured family. My Grandpa and Grandma always get along, never arguing once. And it's not because they keep their negative feelings to themselves. Living with them for so long, I genuinely understand their love and respect for each other.
"Even when he was unstable, my father still loves and respects his family," I said. "He was just too focused on something else to express them. We all have our priorities and not always are they well ordered. But I guess when he realized how vulnerable his own son was without his care, he kind of snapped out of it."
"I….I wish my family could work out that way," said Inu sadly. "I'm sorry that I sulked all the time. I…. I….didn't know that you also…"
"If you are not comfortable saying, then no need," said Ashley. "Amelda, you don't have to drink it if you don't want to."
I nodded. "Thanks. It's not like I've never drunk before. I just avoid it whenever I can."
And so we each had a drink at the bar without even a droplet of alcohol involved.
Author's note: Here it is, the second act. Like the one before, this will start off slowly, giving time for exploration of new places and interactions between characters including the much-wanted Free-time events before all hell breaks loose once more.
This chapter itself can be considered a Free-time event with Amelda Mason, since he does reveal his background to his friends. Obviously, I don't go into detail because this has been mentioned before. I always find it weird that we know more about the backstory of secondary characters more than the protagonists themselves in the games. For example, the Ultimate Despair probably offed their parents (which is fucked up when you think about Teruteru's motivation to kill Nagito), but what happened to Chiaki and Hajime's parents? Since Chiaki is neither alive nor Despair, she could not have murdered them. And Hajime (Izuru) don't even remember who they are, so it's highly unlikely he killed them himself. Anyway, I want Amelda Mason to be more in line with the unique character-type rather than the blank-sheet MC which represents the player/viewer in a way, despite the game-like segments where he seems to be controlled by an unseen force.
Thank you all my readers for your support so far. Have a Happy New Year.