Chapter 1-1: Outcast Symphony
(I'm using this chapter to vent out my frustrations about current events so welp. Look out for that I suppose. Committee Saga is a dark vent fic series tho so this really shouldn't surprise anyone)
(And also child abuse trigger warning hooray just beware of Italics anywhere in this fic apparently)
(Also free time events start next chapter so sorry about that and this long ass author's note at the beginning. I should just get going with the chapter already.)
(Beta Read by: Lupus Overkill, Allen Ux Ultor, and akp1203)
"There is no such thing as hope. Or despair. You don't have to worry about any of that with me...Einosuke."
"...Really?"
"The only thing that matters is the nothingness that is the true state of all of our corrupted hearts."
Hanane begins to study me, her eyes searching for most likely anything off. Although her seriousness is admirable, something is off, and I suddenly get an ill feeling about her. Maybe some resentment or even hostility?
"You shouldn't be talking to me with these half-baked theories about people that no longer exist. This is a game where only one of us can survive. Don't forget that." Hanane continues to glare at me. Her words give me much-needed information, however, since she does still remember the introduction of the game. That son of a bitch probably found a way to actually improve the effectiveness of the lights. But this apparent anger is odd, since Hanane is the type of person that does not seem like she would feel this way without an important reason. Maybe the Committee added or corrupted memories so people would be more likely to kill each other? However, that does not make sense either, since the Committee would have no reason to do any of this, yet, if they were not involved, then somebody extremely powerful had to steal their technology, and that kind of power in the wrong hands would make the world even more shit than it already is.
"This information is real." Can I truly trust myself though? True, I do not need to worry about the Blackout Lights, but the Committee or True Despairs could have created new technology, especially with my ties to the higher-ups being less than they used to be thanks to Kotori's death and Einosuke starting to lose interest in me and moving onto some of his other projects. My mother is excited about them, so Komaru and some of the others warn me to not go anywhere near the manor even in emergencies. That could be the reason why they were much more blinding than before as well. Checking my eyes, I notice that my contacts are still in, so there is no problem in that department. Most likely somebody wanted to remove evidence of their failure so early in the Killing Game.
"You think too much," Hanane warns me. Even though our conversation has only been a couple of minutes, Hanane turns and starts to walk away. But I want to continue the conversation since that piece of advice is something that could help with my survival. I have been zoning out way too often, perhaps due to the odd decorations of this place. Making theories will not do anything right now because there is no way to gather evidence as of yet.
Analyzing Hanane's body language, I notice that she is a lot tenser than the introduction of the killing game, which is odd. I thought Hanane was taking things relatively well yet her posture reminds me too much of Sae. Last time I saw Sae...it is best not to let the regrets of the past influence actions since it is highly likely I am projecting onto Hanane due to their similar facial and body structures. Though I cannot stop thinking...
Kotori won't...won't hurt us...right? She's always so...kind and caring...to Kazuhiko...
...Something is...wrong?
I do not know why I have a sudden urge to reach out to Hanane, a complete stranger. Maybe my mind needs rest after all of the events that have transpired today. Usually, my thoughts are not so clouded with so many useless details, so perhaps some sleep will help my mind to be more at ease. During times like these, I would prefer to be by myself, probably writing some music, though this is no time to indulge in simple past times. Anything that can give you joy can be easily turned against you.
...But I need to...reach out...
Without realizing it, I grab onto Hanane's hand, which actually takes her by surprise, evidenced by her strangely loud gasp. Harshly, Hanane twists her arm out of my weak grip.
"Don't touch me!" Much like the young adult, basically still a teenager, she really is, Hanane scowls at me, looking like she could practically start growling any moment. With a determined gleam in her eyes, Hanane returns to what she was doing before, tramping out of my sight with her footsteps becoming heavier as time rolls by.
Well, that went poorly.
Though that did give me information on Hanane pointing that she may not be the best person to rely on. She must be more emotional than I originally thought or something I did really upset her. Whatever. That is not such a big deal right now. Dwelling on an unimportant person such as Hanane will only decrease my chances of survival. With her apparent lone wolf attitude and no skills seen as of yet outside of creative arts, Hanane is much less useful than I originally thought. Good thing that conversation was short otherwise I would have to figure out a better course of action to fully utilize my day. With all of us being knocked out, I cannot be certain how much time we have left in the day, especially with the lack of clear day and night cycles and clocks as of yet.
Not wanting to continue with Hanane, I decide to go in the opposite direction. With how many times I have already risked being lost in this maze, it would be wise to get a map and have somebody good with directions with Ayumu investigate further. Ayumu would be a valuable pawn, not to mention an easier target, so it will be wise to keep him around (and possibly somebody who is easy to frame, since he does not seem to be standing up for himself too well against Mei). Especially considering Ayumu must have a cool head considering he has to deal with customers during the night and probably has been through a lot of burglaries. The last thing I need right now is somebody acting like a child causing everything to go to shit. Teenagers need to realize that this world does not give a shit about you, and keeping your innocence until your teenage years is a rare blessing, so cherish it while the world puts you through Hell.
Accidentally getting lost in my thoughts again, I am taken once more into the land of the damned by running into somebody. I look down to realize it is one of the people I want to see the least: Aito Watanabe. He is still with Emilynn and Etsuko, who are both a little further away. Even though this trio is quite...weird, they should still learn about the game. Not because I want them to live, but because of them lacking information might get us in trouble already knowing too much about their strange behavior.
"Shiro, my lovely piece of shit!" I already regret going this direction. Having awkwardness with Hanane will be so much simpler than ever interacting with Aito again. Though I may be stuck in this conversation and may have to do future ones since Aito could have valuable information.
"I do not have time for this conversation-"
"If we find time for this crazy person, you can too." Etsuko smiles as she pulls out an audio recorder. The lucky student, who is currently playing one of her many games (something she is way too addicted to and could cause way too many problems), pauses her game for a moment just to roll her eyes at the redhead...wait, no, Etsuko has white hair.
"We're all crazy, Etsuko. We live in a society," Emilynn replies. Etsuko laughs in response. The psychologist runs towards me and then shoves a microphone in my face, causing me to take a step back.
"I would show you the fun of one of my pranks but we've something important to do! Can't beat a Killing Game without the help of all of my useless friends!" ...There is definitely something going on with Aito.
"Shiro, you look like you've seen a ghost! Could you teach me your feelings about this matter?" Etsuko asks. She is not phased at all with the mention of her possible death. These three not only are weird but know way too much to not be considered threats. Because of their odd behavior, they act more as wild cards than chess pieces, which means they are extremely dangerous in this game. Although they may not get a lot of outside support, they as a trio could make it far, though one of these days they will have to turn on each other.
"How much do you know about the Killing Game?"
"Enough," Emilynn states bluntly. She puts down the game and joins the rest of us. "We're going to be the badass supporting cast who actually does all the work, protagonist, so you don't need to worry. More than one person will survive this time."
"Happy to see Mononeko here again! I'm going to be so happy to torture her again! No naps until you accept all my love!" Aito's smile grows as he pulls out an already bloodied knife. Etsuko, Emilynn, and I take a step away from him as he starts swinging with no regard for his surroundings.
"LMAO, she'll never," Emilynn says somehow with a completely straight face and monotone voice. "You'll have better luck convincing the Master to tell us what bullshit she's planning. None of us can really access her social link though. Press F to pay respects to all of the Future Foundation's plans for us. RIP." This sounds important but I cannot understand a single thing Emilynn is saying. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to my siblings who had gained access to the internet to better learn about all of the strange vocabularies from before the Tragedy.
"Make sure I'm there! Analyzing all of the True Despairs is simply so exciting-"
"Don't." Emilynn knocks Etsuko on the head. I never thought I would live to see the day that Emilynn would become the voice of reason. Somehow she is making sure that Etsuko and Aito do not accidentally...or purposefully...kill us all with their impulsive behavior. Though maybe she should stop Aito from swinging that knife around. If he hits anybody, there could be a high chance of infection, and we still do not know all of the medical supplies we have. Asuka is already injured so we do not want somebody else to join her.
"Stab, stab, stab, make her all pretty~"
"Ignore these two. They forgot to max their skill points in logic-"
"Hey! I'm plenty smart! You know that~" Etsuko pulls Emilynn into a hug, putting herself in a very awkward position to make sure that the microphone is still pointed towards me. Emilynn does not seem to mind, even smirking at the gesture.
"Alright Mr. Harem Leader, is there any other info we need to know?" The psychologist winks at me but I have no idea why she has given me that name. Having a harem is simply asking for trouble, especially because the Committee has banned all forms of polyamorous relationships. But this could be a good time to fish for information, maybe they would know more about the new player in this game. There has to be something more going on with Saitou Kurokoma but I cannot create theories with this little evidence.
"Do you know about Saitou Kurokoma?" I would ask about the other Saitou but these three were not there for the light. Although there is a chance they were affected later, I do not think that is necessary information at the moment.
"Saitou Kurokoma? Can't say I've heard that name before-"
Without warning, Aito throws his knife towards Emilynn. Emilynn does not need to move since somehow a box falls from one of the shelves and perfectly blocks the incoming attack. I do not going to question the logic of that. Trying to figure out how lucky students work will only lead to a headache since luck does not truly exist. It is all a lot of really strange coincidences. Seeing the possible damage, Etsuko jumps off of her friend and backs away.
"This always happens when Aito gets involved. It gets quite boring after the first time actually," Etsuko informs me. With this behavior, I find it hard to figure out why anybody would willingly hire Aito. Perhaps his parents have connections? Or maybe this boy is smarter than I give him credit for. This outlandish persona could easily hide a cunning mind.
"Aito, you can't just go around throwing knives at people," Emilynn sighs sounding more like a tired mother than somebody who just had their life threatened. Etsuko does not look phased at all, keeping her attention entirely on me.
"You can't tell me what to do, mom!" Aito quickly takes off one of his shoes and attempts to throw it at Emilynn once again. This time, however, a chainsaw of all things fell from the shelves. Looking around, I see all the dangerous weapons almost falling off and move towards the middle a little more. Perhaps it will be good to have other people secure all of these potentially lethal items. Walking around here feels like I am just waiting for a trap to go off and kill me. There has to be a way to end this conversation and go to safety faster.
...Maybe we should all be more concerned with the chainsaw but that is not the weirdest thing I have seen today. After figuring out how Asuka is doing, the truth about Saitou the duelist, and the rules of this game, I am going to sleep. If they do not provide safe bedrooms, there must be somewhere that I can seek refuge. This would be a good place if it was properly mapped and everything was protected.
"I'm not your anime mom. I'm not gonna die."
"I'm going to go rebel! Teenage angst phase! I'm going to dye my hair white and get red contacts!"
"You're not going to Kaneki Ken yourself!"
"Watch me! Nothingness, here I come!" Aito immediately sprints the way Hanane was going. If he somehow makes it where she is, I can only imagine the chaos. Emilynn sighs and slowly walks after him, taking out her phone once again. She is completely unphased when another chainsaw fell from the shelves and almost hit her.
"Just you and me, lover boy~" Etsuko taps on my shoulder and I take many steps away from her. Her smile only grows bigger. "Don't be shy. The two of us are great friends after all!"
"Leave me alone."
"Hahaha, you'll remember soon enough. I'll make sure of it." Not reading the mood of the room at all, Etsuko hurries over to me, evading my personal space. She almost pushes the microphone into my mouth but I shut it before she could. This behavior reminds me too much of Kotori but is the exact opposite at the same time, leaving me completely confused. It is clear why the Committee wanted Etsuko to be in Kotori's spot, even when the psychologist was just a child, but I still have no idea why she refused. The job seems to be her definition of paradise.
"There is nothing to remember," I say while shoving the small microphone away. But that does nothing to kill Etsuko's spirit since she shoves it right back. At this point, this teenager is nothing more than a child.
"Remember our promise? You're my partner in crime silly. Well, along with Ratscal, but he's being shy right now!" Etsuko then put away the microphone, turned off the audio recorder, and returned them to one of her pockets. It feels refreshing to finally have some of my own space back, even though Etsuko is still too close for comfort. She maintains eye contact with me, not breaking it for a single second. For a surprising second, there is a silence between us.
With the calm, I finally have time to breathe, to fully analyze this entire situation. There has to be some sort of clue to what the true plans are since there is no way these three know all this information without being more involved than originally thought. But I do not want to make assumptions since this weird trio can actually now provide me with the best of allies. With the lack of logic going through their brains, it could be easy to manipulate them, especially since their obsessions are so clear and exploitable. Aito can be won over with empty words of love, Emilynn with some simple video games that can probably be found through this endless maze, and Etsuko with the promises of learning more about the human mind. It is quite laughable how easy to read the most chaotic members of the group can be. With all of their experience, I would have thought they would be better at hiding for now. Especially since Aito has connections to that woman who looks strangely a lot like Ayano.
"I should be on my way. Can't have them finding all the secrets without me!" Etsuko bolts after her two friends, being a much faster runner than I would have originally assumed. But, with Etsuko out of the way, I can continue navigating these halls of shelves. If I am lucky, I will be able to find an exit easily, since whoever took us here had to have a way in and out that would be easy for them. Or maybe I am assuming that they are on the lazy side without any real evidence.
Searching through this endless maze, I realize one important thing: I may have a bad sense of direction. Perhaps it will be best to figure out strategies to avoid this situation in the future since right now I am very much stuck. In the city, navigation is much different, but I never had the chance to work a job in one of the Committee's many warehouses. Getting a job there would be seen as a disgrace for the Amari name so I will never get to truly live that experience. Although the Amari name has caused me and so many others much grief, I must also look at the advantages, such as Einosuke making sure that none of his too many children will ever go hungry with the money he makes exploiting others. To become as rich and successful Einosuke is in this world run by the Committee, you must crush the dreams of many others underneath your red-stained boots while feeling nothing other than pure ecstasy. Otherwise, the despair will overcome all of your senses and leave you as nothing more than an empty shell to make sure the greedy pigs will continue stuffing their faces in front of the starving masses begging and killing each other for a single piece of rice found in their vomit caused by overindulgence.
I know better than to fight the system. Somebody in my position can do nothing but survive-
"Yawnnnn...You need help." The downward spiral my thoughts were going down is interrupted by Mononeko appearing out of nowhere, resting on one of my shoulders. She snuggles up against my neck. It takes everything in me to not flinch even though her fur is strangely soft and comforting, much like many of the stuffed animals my siblings were allowed to have back in their early childhood.
"Mononeko, why are you here?"
"To help you...can't have one of my students die in here," the cat explains with her eyes barely managing to stay open. This must be part of the programming since there is no way that a robot would actually need sleep. Knowing the Despairs, they probably gave her this personality trait to better relate to some of the teenagers. "Then I'll help the other students...already causing so much trouble...too bad I don't have any more vacation time..."
"Other students? But I already graduated? Why am I here as well?"
"Because the Master wills it," Mononeko admits with surprisingly no amount of fight. Why would the Despairs replace Monokuma with an apparent blabbermouth? And why would the Master reveal this information to somebody with potential loose lips? The Master could be interested because of the Amari legacy but I highly doubt somebody like the Master would be that easy to predict.
"Would you give me more information?" This is too risky but Mononeko seems to be laxer than Monokuma so far. Or maybe her surface-level softness makes it easier for others to put their guard down around her. After all, Mononeko is still forcing us to kill each other, and, depending on the truth of the other Saitou, dragged another innocent person into this.
"No," she states bluntly. "...I'm too old for this. Turn left." Having no other option, I decide to follow the orders of Mononeko. Though trying to get more answers out of her right now is unwise. Though I cannot clearly see her face at this angle, I can tell by the claws threatening to dig into my skin that there is no chance for interrogation.
Everything looks the same even when I turn left, but that is to be expected. Even with my unexpected partner, it will take a while to get out of here. But everything is a maze, so, although I should probably be on guard, it is strangely relaxing, the monotony of chaos becoming normal yet atypical. It is an average day of strolling through the garden labyrinth filled to the brim of dastardly roses pretending to be a source of love and comfort.
"Take the next right...and then go forward..." Mononeko closes her eyes and I feel tempted to wake her up but do not want to stir the hornet's nest. She has a subtle simper, threatening to cast away her true colors in exchange for my life.
With Mononeko here, however, and not watching my every move potentially, a childish part of myself takes over, with my logic screaming that something else must be done. After all, Mononeko is a cat, and I absolutely hate cats, but she is the only one I can remotely get close to without going into a massive sneezing fit. If Pon-chan ever gets close to me, I am going to find a way to secretly stick Mononeko on her (I do not care if that would upset Sachiko or Osamu, just as long as they do not find out I did it I should be fine). Though, as a child, I would always want to pet a cat, and I knew about Komaru, Misoka, and Eri's oddly friendly stray cats that they would sneak to Saki...I should not think of such things...I wonder how Saki is doing now considering her current situation, maybe Jurou finally figured out how to do something...
This is not a logical train of thought. Such ideas are forbidden. They only cause pain. Do not think of such things. Do not think of such things. Do not think of such things. Do not think of such things.
A little girl with a flower in her hair glitches into existence, stopping me right in my tracks, her smile being the purest but still having ill content. Her laughter is sweet as sugar but rotten to the core. "Why?"
M̷̢̳͈̬͈̲̮̮̞̞̑̅y̸̡̧̢̗̯̣͝ ̸̛̛̛̙̟̺̺̩̮̞̝̲̯̞͒͆̿͊̿̍͒͆͆̂́̑͂̑̀̕͘͜͜ͅl̷̨̨̫͚͈̘͈̰͈̭̝̱̎̀͆ͅị̵͍͐̃̐̑͆̄̊̄̒̾̽̐̎̅̈́̿̕̕ṱ̵̢̥̹͉̟̺̲̮̭͂͌̑͝t̴͍̠̦͛̋̀̈́̍̀̉̚l̴̨̪̜̺͓̲̦͕̠͖̣̠̰͍͘ë̵̢̮̬͎̖̮͇̹͔̗̖̣̜̹̖̩̟͓́̔̿̎͌͒͑͋̄̆͜ ̴̡̨̮̦̺̭͍͉̫͋̈f̴͇̋̀̂̽̂͐͆̊̈́̂͑̽̓̿͛́̊̊̊͝ḽ̷̨̲̳̞̪̦͉͋͆̋ŏ̴̼̳̝̰̽̈́͆̒̋͌͆͘ẇ̸̳̞̙̋̄͊̈́̅́̓̋͗͋̊͆́̂̚̕͝è̶̙̥̮͉̘̭̯̼̮̯͚̈́͛͐̐͗̏͒̐̉̒̽̓̑̕̚̕͝͠͝r̶̝̗̯̲̹̗͍̦̭̫̻̺͓̘͎͉͕̥̹̊̎̑̇̂̍̍̀̈
"Amari?...Shiro?"
The flower is similar to a shining green light, so far away but within my grasp, separated by an ocean created by my own desire, and there is nothing that could be done to save us from being drowned in a pool of our own hubris. Only in the lonely depths of outer space can she finally hear the mockingbirds sing their songs of pure poison. Promising freedom but reaching out towards them only has them push you back into the deep end of the pool, lungs filling up with your own rice-filled vomit as they continue singing their little mocking song. Asking you who truly killed the mockingbird.
"This takes too much effort but oh well..." Mononeko leaves for a moment to fiddle with the shelves but I do not focus on her, having my entire attention on the girl now playing around with her pretty little red dress.
"Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?" She continues her questions, her face slowly contorting to unending rage. "Why!? Why!? Why!? Why!? Why!?"
"You owe me for waking me up from my naptime you troublesome student." Suddenly, I notice that there are now a bunch of ice cubes placed on my hands, which I only find have been reaching out towards the still visible girl. The girl's face softens as she tilts her head, her eyes zoning in on the cat. "Hold them otherwise you're getting detention...this is too much effort. What are the next steps...?" This is certainly weird but I should not question anything so I start squeezing on the ice cubes. They are certainly cold which makes me hope that they up the temperature in here. It surprises me that I am only now realizing how cold it truly is now with some goosebumps even appearing on my skin.
"Why?" Not again. This happens too much but not enough. Maybe I should continue this, perhaps it is the only way to find happiness. To finally succumb to the overwhelming waves.
...No, that is absurd. I have to continue fighting until my very last breath. No matter what I have to survive. I have to continue living in this world where I can never wear an innocent smile ever again.
"Uh...um...what are five things you see?" Mononeko asks, her voice sounding oddly similar to that of a child. This is an odd question but nothing I have not experienced before. Kazuhiko used to ask similar questions all the time but I have yet to figure out why. He really only started to question me on such topics after Ayano had her sudden personality and height change.
The girl, however, now completely overwhelms my vision, everything else blurry compared to her radiance. No matter what the green light will never leave, blinding all foolish enough to see it with its dangerous yet serene beauty. Threatening to escort me through a valley of ashes, I have no choice but to obey the immense powers of the virtuous eyes. Forever a doll for those in power, we in the lower ranks of society are forced to dance for their entertainment without stopping once in our lives. Whenever our bodies give out, the inflated egos harass us with now meaningless words such as lazy and entitled before shooting us in the head and replacing us with a nicer, younger, and more submissive model. We all reach for the light only for all our hopes and dreams to be smothered by cheap cigar ashes.
"Shiro Amari!" Mononeko returns by throwing some more ice cubes at my face. That is not very nice. "...Never make me do that again or else you're getting detention...which can only be done during my ninth naptime...what a bummer."
She is not very convincing of anything but then again it can all be part of a facade. The whole world is a stage, after all, and we are all players fighting to the death to be the main actor who gets all of the spotlight while the corpses of the costars burn in the background.
"Name five things you see," Mononeko demands in a soft but stern tone. The girl stares at me, still begging me to give her all of my attention.
"There are the shelves," I point out. I observe that Mononeko nods her head. "Plus, all of the items on the shelves, that include many hazardous materials that should be properly secured otherwise there will be an accident and that would be a boring case for you. After all, this game is probably for entertainment, and the audience would find it boring if one of the main characters with an interesting side arc and dynamic with other characters is killed without reason because a random shot put ball managed to bring an end to them-"
"Five things!" Mononeko gets...flustered? What is that supposed to mean? She is holding her paws up to her face as if she is trying to hide. "I mean...continue on otherwise I'll get bored...and tired...and sleepy..." I cannot tell whether or not Mononeko is the worse or best actor I have ever meet. She should either be getting lessons to Natsuki or Kitsu or tutoring them.
"I do not need to do such trivial matters now. Continue giving me directions."
"It's good for you...oh well, less work for me. Wait...where are we...?"
"..."
"..."
"..." Oh no. Even the little girl is judging her now.
"...Let's see...can't believe I got to do this..." Mononeko begins searching around. I attempt to get inside her mind but I only notice Mononeko staring intently at a box of legos. "Take a left."
Although Mononeko is the exact opposite of reliable, there is no other choice. Out of all of the hands searching through the dust of the valley of dreams, I would have never guessed that the hand of a robotic cat forcing me to kill would be by far the softest. At least the little girl accepts Mononeko now, with her skipping behind me and continuing with us through our boring journey through the maze.
Finally leaving the abyss after hours of being lost, the first emotion I experience is relief. Maybe I should never come in here without Ayumu ever again. Mononeko automatically falls asleep on my shoulder, making me question what time it is. Has it already been a day? Because, despite my lack of sleep and all of my walking, I am not tired. Only my legs are begging me to finally sit down. Though the little girl is still hopping around without a single problem. It is like she is playing a game with hopscotch with only herself, or finding entertainment by avoiding all the cracks on the floor and being stupid enough to think stepping on a single one will break her mother's back.
"Zzzzzz...wait the others...zzzzzz..." Who thought it would be a good idea to give a robot a snore function? All it causes is a great annoyance.
Breaking the calm, Pon-chan suddenly comes from one of the vents, with neither Sachiko nor Osamu being anywhere to be found. Pon-chan probably escaped because they are either both sleeping or not paying attention to her. Whatever that cat wants to do I want her nowhere near me. Even being this close to her is already stuffing my nose up.
"Meowwwwwwwww..." As if she is mocking me, she probably is knowing how cats are, Pon-chan starts to stroll over, taking way too calculated steps. If this cat somehow turned to be the one behind this entire game, nobody would be surprised. Anybody with a brain would know that cats are not to be trusted. They only bring pain.
She is way too close. There has to be a way to stop her. I would try to use Mononeko but she is currently fast asleep and not responding anyway with how much my body is shaking. With every passing second, it takes more willpower to make sure I do not sneeze. Everybody knows after the first sneeze it is impossible to silence the brutal army of them afterward. The girl could possibly help but I do not know what a child can possibly do to stop such a deadly force. For once, I regret not taking one of the many classes my siblings offered me about cat care. After sorting through all of my chaotic thoughts, only one option made sense to me. No matter how embarrassing it is, some actions have to be done to help reach a greater goal.
I hissed.
At first, Pon-chan is confused, maybe not understanding the sounds coming out of my mouth. My first hiss is pathetic but I am not an evil cat who had years to practice all of their devious deeds. Perhaps my hiss should sound more like one of a snake. But Pon-chan would eventually realize that I am not a predator so it is best to assert dominance over the troublesome feline. So I did what any sane person would do and pissed again.
"Hissssssssss." Pon-chan starts to stand her ground with her fixing her posture in an attempt to appear more threatening. The only threat without her army of other cats is the allergies she, unfortunately, causes but luckily those are not fatal. In the corner, I can see the little girl laughing, probably having the most fun she has in years pitying such an unnatural display. I have not seen her smile like that for too long.
"Hiss!"
"Hiss!"
"Hisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!"
"Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!"
"Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!"
"Hisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!"
"HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"
With the last hiss, Pon-chan finally bolts out of the room in the vent she came from. Although the method was certainly unorthodox, it actually got better results than I expected. The little girl pouts now that her latest source of entertainment is gone, but seconds later fixes up her mood by playing with the loose fabric of her dress.
"Blackmail saved." Catching the both of us off guard, Emilynn is at the entrance of the maze with a phone in her hands. Of course, I should have suspected such an ending in a public space. "Would be viral if I had internet. That sucks. RIP meme, never got a chance to live."
"Nevermind that...where are Aito and Etsuko?" I ask her, trying to change the subject. She has a smirk on her face before closing her phone and putting it back in one of her pockets.
"In the labyrinth trying to save their annoying little brother from too attractive David Bowie." I am not even going to pretend I know what that means. Emilynn begins to step in my direction. Her smirk becomes more playful yet venomous the closer she gets. "That package is killer. I would simp over him any day."
"How did you get here?"
"Luck." So Emilynn's apparent luckiness has uses outside of her too-close encounters with death? Or maybe Emilynn is lying. It can all be a coincidence or something more sinister at play. If luck somehow turns out to exist like Hope's Peak theorizes, it will be best to remain on Emilynn's good side, even with her very questionable choices for her company. To convince yourself that you are not insane in this world, you have to surround yourself with people far worse than you.
"How does your luck work?"
"Sorry, you haven't unlocked my character path. It's a secret!" Emilynn does her best to wink but all it looks like is her closing her eyes awkwardly. "But I got another cutscene to get to! Gotta get Mononeko for this story path."
"Huh...Oh Emilynn...wait, Emilynn!" Mononeko immediately shoots up in speeds that I did not know were possible for her. "You aren't supposed to be here...they really have to raise my paycheck now..." Emilynn yanks Mononeko from my shoulders and starts holding her like a child holds their poor captive pet. Without saying goodbye, she rushes back into the complicated puzzle of badly coordinated shelves.
The girl and I exchange looks. We then decide to continue our investigation. Without the presence of Mononeko, it will be easier for me to investigate the room Saitou was murdered in. There has been some amount of time so it is possible that they moved the body but there can still be evidence that can be left behind. With no way to tell the time it is impossible to determine if it has been seconds, hours, day, or even years since the introduction of the games. This is no time to theorize about such matters, however, since evidence still needs to be gathered.
Into the nonexistent dawn, we continue on.
Stepping into the corridor, I realize that everything is the same and nobody is currently in the hallways. I hurry over to the door leading to the room that Saitou was murdered in but hear some odd noises before I get the chance to open it. It sounds like there is a lot of...pounding? And some weird sounds that I have not heard before.
"I'm going to murder you for daring to tarnish my greatness in such an underhanded way!" A voice shouts that I immediately recognize as Tahlia's. She has a very distinct voice with her assumed Canadian accent (but I am not an expert in such matters). "...Aux grands maux les grands remèdes!" So Tahlia knows French? Not that surprising considering where she came from. Canada is well known to teach everybody French and, according to the Committee, it is out of spite because of many languages other than English dying. Yet there are more important matters, like Tahlia having such threatening language. I might not want to get involved but I still need to figure out what truly happened to Saitou partly to make sure such a fate does not befall me.
Opening the door I am met with a shocking sight.
The whole room has been changed. Even looking at the corner Saitou was murdered in, I do not see any evidence that he even existed. Instead, I see that Tahlia, Mei, and Suzunami are playing some sort of game while Seina investigates the room (though she is too casual for her searching to be anything too serious, she is most likely trying to find something relating to the game). Also in the room is Ayumu, sitting in one of the many chairs watching the three people being way too immense for what looks like to be a simple game I can probably beat them in while sleeping. I may not know much about video games but my strategic mind could make it so that I can find tactics to ensure my victory relatively quickly.
More onto the room itself, it would be described by one of my brothers with a term like 'man cave.' Not completely certain about that however since I was never allowed to interact with my brothers that much or go into 'boy's only' rooms although I have been certain for most of my life what my gender is. In the left corner near the door, there is a black bar with two stools, with behind the bar having a massive TV currently displaying Monokuma discussing the lack of fish in his diet. There are also drinks that are clearly alcoholic that I must make sure the teenagers do not get since combining alcohol with somebody going through puberty is always a horrible idea. It also has the worse hangovers. The middle of the room has a bunch of bean bag chairs and three black leather seats that are currently taken by the three supposed friends attempting to kill each other with their cars only for a fictional first place. With the determined looks on their faces, I can tell that people have probably died before for this outdated game which is depressing. On the wall opposite the door, there is a massive screen that almost covers the entire of it. With how dark it is in this room, which is not healthy for anybody's eyes, I can only barely tell that the walls are painted dark red (because the wall space not covered by TVs has a lot of Monokuma pictures) and white carpet. To complete the room, there is a black shelf that almost reaches the ceiling filled to the brim with classic games and movies. All of these are from before the Tragedy happened.
"Jaku niku kyō shoku!" Mei proclaims as she puts her controller down, stands up, and puts one fist in the air. Suzunami and Tahlia slump down in defeat, with Tahlia aiming her controller at the screen before Seina cancels what she is doing and stops Tahlia from destroying the property. Ayumu meanwhile seems like he is about to fall asleep. That is when Mei looks back to where I am and I already know I will be regretting my decisions. "Shiro! We can finally have an adventure together! Oh, I'm so excited, I already made so many cool new friends!" Not caring much about safety, and not acting like a normal person, Mei turns around from where she is standing, jumps over the back of the big chairs, and charges at me before trapping me in a hug. The little girl in the red dress pouts, clearly not thrilled with any of the gamer's actions.
It shames me to admit that I have only just now noticed that Mei's outfit has changed. Her wedding dress was beautiful so that is quite a shame, but it is good that she does not have to deal with the pain of white dresses at the moment. Mei is still quite simple but somehow that makes her stick out even more. For her shirt, Mei wears a light blue crop top that has short sleeves and is a turtleneck. She has a dark blue pleated skirt that goes halfway down her thighs. Underneath the skirt, Mei wears white shorts that only peak out a little bit and almost match her skin color. To add some more color, Mei wears light pastel pink knee socks and white tennis shoes. Lastly, Mei has a clip in her hair on the side of her face, with the clip looking straight out of what I think is considered retro video games. Onto the clip itself, it looks like a spaceship but sometimes it can be hard to tell. All I know is that it is strangely familiar.
Wait a minute, did Mei walk all over that chair with her shoes on? Somebody has to teach that girl manners! Luckily I cannot see any noticeable damage to the chair but one should be careful not to leave dirt everywhere. Not only that but Mei's shoes are untied! Have this girl's parents not bothered to teach her anything? That kind of carelessness could get the entire family killed!
"...Hey Shiro!" Suzunami calls to me. Xe acts more reasonable and gets out of the chair normally. "Want to hear a joke?" I am given no time to respond. No matter what I will have to suffer because of the meme existence of puns. "How do you organize a space party...You planet!" I want to die. The little girl in the red dress is so unimpressed with the pun that she leaves the room.
"I'm sorry but you get to deal with them, Shiro." Waking up Ayumu leaves the room before any of the girls or Suzunami could stop him. I guess he actually does have control over these kinds of situations, but why would he not stop himself from getting dragged by this group in the first place? Guess I have to learn more about him, later on, to truly understand what is going on in that mind. And how he is able to so easily not get lost. If he gets attached to me, there is a chance that I will be able to use him to explore the maze without having to go in myself. Maybe he can find that again.
Without Ayumu, things actually settle down a little. Suzunami, Tahlia, and Mei start to talk with themselves and I notice Seina is by herself again. Maybe this is the best time to gather information. Most likely Seina will be affected the same as Hanane, but she was injured unlike the artist so the result may vary.
"Seina, do you remember Saitou Katatake?"
"From the information given to us wizards," Seina waves around her stick, "I don't know the name! It would be a pleasure to duel him, however!" She points her wand towards me next. Examining her neck closer, I can still see the marks that Ryoichi...or Ryusuke left. "Perhaps you will want to embark on one of my many quests! I have a mission for all the mortals that dare to wish the secrets of sorcery!"
"Seina...do you really not remember?" Catching me off guard, Mei joins our conversation. Tahlia and Suzunami are discussing some sort of invention to help them with memes and I will not pay attention to that conversation for my own sanity. "He saved you from that Ryoichi meanie..." Mei stares intensely at her neck. "You got scars! Oh no, don't end up like my sister!"
"Worry not my great companion, I will do no such thing! But I don't remember..." Seina stops herself and looks at her neck by running up to the bar and using its surface reflection. "...What...?" Before the conversation can continue, Seina's eyes begin to twitch and then she blinks. "Nothing to worry about young traveler! That's a childhood injury! Now I look like a badass mage!"
"..." Mei stays silent, looking over Seina with a weirdly analytical eye. Tahlia is still having her conversation with Suzunami but is looking at us with a close eye. "That's cool! I got a scar of my...you know what, that's too much information-"
"Tell us~" Tahlia then ditches Suzunami, who looks somewhat dejected.
"No, it's private!" Mei begins to blush as she begins to badly hide herself. "Seina, help me!"
"Attention squad, we must show Shiro what we're made of! You know what to do!"
"You can't tell me what to do!" Tahlia shouts back. "I'm smarter than all of you-"
"But its for...the meme! Plus you lost the game so this is payback. To be a player must mean you accept the consequences of your loss!" Seina smiles and I already fear for my life. That is when Seina, Mei, Suzunami, and Tahlia, in that exact order, join up together in the center of the room. I am grateful that I have not moved from my spot very close to the door. The power of memes is truly terrifying, no wonder the Committee has been trying to limit their use.
"M!" Seina forms a m.
"E!" Mei cheers as she does her best to look like an e. She does not do a very good job but many people would give her points for trying. I would not.
"M!" Suzunami then makes another m.
"E!" Doing a much better job than Mei, Tahlia finishes the sequence. And I want to die even more now.
"Meme squad!" The four of them announce together. All of their smiles are mocking me.
"Did somebody say meme!?" As if this moment could not get any worse, I could only feel complete dread as I heard that voice. This is going to be torture. Maybe I should have stayed in the maze and searched for clues there instead. I would rather experience that pain than deal with whatever this is any longer.
"Yes!" They all respond as if they are a hive mind. As a collective, they are far worse than many other groups in history. If they ever learned about their true power, the world would never be the same. Memes would take over the world and there will be a new type of despair for those like me. Those forever stuck choking on their own uselessness, attempting to get their words out, but never being able to as the sheep of the meme continue to dance to the rhythm of the war drums. That would be a world without meaning, only that of chaos, and seeing what jokes will stay popular for even a second with the boredom of the hive mind.
"SomeBODY!" The door gets kicked open and I regret my decisions even more. Being so close to the door, I get slammed to the wall because of the sheer force and power behind it. "Once told me!"
"The world is gonna roll me!" They continue the song as the clear culprit, Emilynn, joins them by creating a pathetic excuse of a s with her body. While they entertain themselves with such stupidity, I try to recover from the situation. Getting away from the door, I realize that they are having too much fun to notice me, and that lack of awareness will get them all killed. At least I know all the people who are for sure not a threat.
Before I leave the room, I listen in to the conversation once more. Who knows? This group of people could have some important information and let it slip without thinking through all of the consequences. Maybe the reason Ayumu stomachs being with all of them is because of the safety in numbers and them also being easier targets. They have to be stupid to become friends with somebody after only knowing them for about an hour and then being forced to kill each other. This behavior may be escapism for them to not accept the reality of the situation but they have to live in the true present soon enough.
"We live and die by the meme!" Emilynn exclaims, having way more emotion than all of the other times I have seen her. "Kaneshiro doing Kaneshiro bitches! Suck my dick!"
That confirms that this conversation is useless. I do not say goodbye to any of the 'meme squad' before leaving and closing the door behind me. I do not want any rational person to be stuck with that kind of group. That would only add more to the hive mind.
Escaping the chaos that is dubbed the meme squad, I find myself in the hallway once again. It will be useful to have a map of some kind since I have actually not done a lot of exploring yet. But now that I am certain the clues surrounding Saitou's death have all been erased, I must have some other objective. Perhaps I should try to find where Asuka is. Not only would Asuka be a valuable tool, but her injury could either make her an easy target or have more information on where the medical supplies are stored. Just in case one of the students decide to attack me, I should be ready to defend myself but also be ready to patch up potential wounds. I am by no means weak but going against one of the athletes would put me in too great of a physical disadvantage. Getting close to one of the athletes could also turn them into a bodyguard who would have their guard down when it is the perfect time to strike. Though I might have to choose a different athlete to manipulate since Asuka may be stubborn but she is very clearly not one to be easily manipulated. I need to learn more information about Renkou and Kaimaru to know their true usefulness.
"Shiro, are you alright?" Somebody asks me. Getting out of my mind, I realize that it is Himura. That smile is way too forced to be trusted. Considering I have certain...feelings about him, that means there must be something more going on. Last time I had these feelings it was a bad omen. I am not one to usually believe in such ridiculous concepts like bad omens but just this one time it is the only conclusion that makes sense. Love only exists to create more humans (but that can be arguably done more effectively without love) and to manipulate others.
"Yes. How are you feeling, Himura?"
"It sucks having to kill each other but I'm sure everything is fine! The Committee will find us eventually. We just got to sit down and relax until help is here!" Himura awkwardly laughs. "That thinking can't save Saitou though." I wanted to point out what Himura said but it will be best to keep that information to myself. If my suspicions about Himura are true, it will be best to not give him any information. Best to have him talk freely around me more so I can have more evidence to use against Himura. If I somehow get Emilynn's phone, then I could record the conversations secretly, and it will be useful to have some blackmail. Also to remove that video of me. I have an image to maintain and that would destroy it. Emilynn would destroy my reputation without mercy.
"Can the Committee be trusted, however?" I question Himura. I may not want to directly confront him but it will be a good idea to ask questions to slowly gain more information. It is rare to hear somebody, especially an Ultimate, to be so positive in their views about the Committee. The best view of the Committee in my Hope's Peak class could be best described as neutral. There are a lot of supporters of the Committee but those who do not work for the Committee itself stay outside of cities in places not destroyed by the Tragedy, not to mention most of them are white, heterosexual, rich, cisgender men from America. Considering the Committee is so prideful of their original country that their full name is the American Word Restoration Committee that should not come to a shock to anybody. Perhaps one of Himura's parents are from America? No, that does not make sense, since Himura looks completely Japanese and there is no way the Committee would allow a foreigner not from Europe inside their borders.
"Yeah! They created this free world we live in," Himura's smile falters for a moment. He grips onto his violin case a little harder. "But enough politics! People have been getting sick of politics! Like have you heard about all of those riots about police brutality in Finland and there's apparently a plague going through other parts of Asia. There's a rumor that the Committee started it to finally get rid of Thailand-"
"Pon-chan!" Osamu exclaims, finally ending this miserable conversation. I successfully resist my urge to smirk. Emilynn may have blackmail but my tactics worked to finally get that cat away from me.
"Please come back Pon-chan..." Sachiko follows after Osamu, looking left and right for her troublesome cat. Before they can notice us, Sachiko and Osamu enter the storage room. Only if they were just a bit faster they would have stopped the unneeded confrontation of Pon-chan and me. Sachiko should keep better track of her cat but cats are escape artists, which only adds to how dangerous they are.
That is when I truly decide to look at Himura. Not for his beauty but for the truth. It is hard to do such a thing when you do not know a person, yet something inside me that I thought I lost a long time ago unites whenever I see his face. His face should be youthful and bright, not knowing the true cruelties of the world, like how everybody should be but never gets a chance to because of the corruption and greed of the people ruling over us. Looking into his eyes I know Himura has seen too much of the world. There is no light. A candle should burn brightly but it cannot do so when all the wax melts into a pathetic pool of dread.
"...Excuse me! I should help them!" Himura wants out of this conversation just as much as I do and runs out of there. The good thing is that the three of them will hopefully be stuck in that maze for a long while looking for a cat that is not there and would not bother me. There are way too many complicated emotions with all of them and I do not want to experience them right now...though maybe I should have asked Himura if he knows where Asuka is. It is too late now, however, so I just have to find another person.
Continuing my investigation into Asuka, I walk over to the door opposite to the storage room. When I try to open it, I observe that it is locked. That is strange. I was certain that this was opened earlier. Not wanting to search either the gym or the supposed dorm rooms (I am not completely certain but that is what makes the most sense), I decide to enter the other room. Luckily this door is unlocked.
Entering the door, something is wrong. There is no way something like this is in this spaceship. This is something out of my child's wildest dreams but I cannot give myself into such temptations now. It reminds me too much of a place one of the other women used to like to visit when Einosuke would allow the two of us some time out together. That woman always liked taking all of the different children out as if that would improve our situation anymore. But what bothers me the most is that this does not fit the theme at all!
What does a rainforest-themed restaurant have anything to do with space or school!? I would like to speak whoever was stupid enough to make this strange creative decision.
There must be two levels to this dining area so that confirms that there is a second level. The second level can be seen since there is a square-shaped opening. On the first floor, since the second floor cannot be seen from this level because of the admittedly rather flimsy wooden barrier, the first object I notice is the massive weeping willow tree in the middle of the room that goes all the way up to the second level. Both the right and left sides are filled with small wooden tables and chairs that match their aesthetic, with there being four chairs per table and three tables on each side. The tables are the standard restaurant ones and they all have napkins, salt and pepper in containers designed to be like various different animals, and a menu that has a smiling Mononeko or Monokuma on the black cover. Surrounding the tables there are various items to help the theming. In the direction of the gym, there is another door, so perhaps that is another way into the gym? The other side of the room has a wooden staircase. It will be important to check later. Most noticeable is the ceiling filled to the brim with fake branches covered with plastic leaves and pink flowers that I only know as Phlox drummondii. The flooring is tile with the background being black and there being designs of different kinds of leaves. This is only part of the room, however, since much of it is blocked from my sight because of the massive tree. Another important detail to notice is that the room is much more humid than the rest of the ship and the heat is making me tempted to roll up my sleeves.
Hearing the sound of rushing water, I explore the back area of the restaurant. This area is a bar that has a rushing waterfall at the back. The stray droplets that find their way towards me are refreshing thanks to the aforementioned heat. To have it not drip on the floor, there is a fountain lining that area of the wall that has several fish swimming around. Onto the bar itself, it is shaped oddly enough like a mushroom. It is circular in shape and orange in color with there being about ten weirdly zebra-themed stools surrounding it.
Overall, this is too weird to have any other conclusion than this was made to confuse us. Part of me feels attacked by this decision but I know that I am too unimportant in the grand scheme of whatever their plan is to invest an absurd amount of money to tease about memories only the Amari family should know about. Despite my best efforts, I find myself wandering into the bittersweet land of memories, unable to resist the forceful draw to youth. My childhood wraps her arms around me, whispering white lies and smothering me with her hypocritical acts of compassion.
"C'mon...Shiro! Yeah, Shiro! You're the one who wanted to go out dressed like that!" Shouko smiled. Before I could respond, she threw an apple harshly at me, causing me to fall onto the ground but I refused to let myself cry. "Oh shit! I'm sorry! Guess I don't know my own strength! You're not like the teenage boys yet! But you're almost there!"
"...Don't remind me..." I mumbled. At this point all I wanted to do was music but Shouko refused to let me alone. Fixing up my t-shirt and shorts, I then picked up the apple and threw it into the garbage. Einosuke allowed us to go out on the promise that we would do the grocery shopping for the day instead of Eri who caught a cold from Fumiko of all people.
Shouko was a fairly normal person. Pale skin, black hair (she dyed it pink, however), and blue eyes. Her pink hair was long and her bangs side swept, and the bags underneath her eyes lacking any sparkle tells the story for anybody that has a brain. Einosuke always loved those features so no wonder Shouko found herself stuck in the mess known as the Amari family. Her style was simple as well, probably because she was not allowed to have many clothes or much money (and the money she just got she spent stupidly on me). She wore a white mid-sleeved shirt and a blue plaid scarf that was way too big for her and did not match the summer weather at all. For her pants, Shouko wears lavender jeans. And, of course, there was that goddamn bracelet. The only thing that Shouko kept from her old life was her run-down blue sneakers that are threatening to fall apart any second.
"I know it sucks but you gotta face the day with a smile on your face! Hey, I may only be seventeen but I know a lot about the world!" Shouko did a fist bump and I only glared at her. That was her mistake: being too goddamn cheerful in this fucked up world. She reminds me of Seina which means I should not get close to that woman no matter what plans I could do with her. "You're going to Hope's Peak next year, right? Well, that's what...he said and he can't be trusted and I should stop talking and let's have some fun!"
"Wait, what about Hope's Peak-" My question got interrupted by Shouko grabbing onto my wrist and dragging me into one of her favorite restaurants. I had gone there before but with another one of the women that Einosuke kept around. There was barely anybody in there since it was in the middle of a weekday. We were seated fairly quickly near the back of the restaurant.
"So Shiro! Anything else you want to do? We can bullshit our way out with like traffic or something if it takes too much time!" Shouko is way too loud and, if anybody else was anywhere near us, they would tell her to quiet down. But it was not my place to question her question making about such matters.
"Not really. All I want to do is music..."
"Do you know how to sing?"
"What?"
"Do you know how to sing, Shiro?"
"Uh, no?" I answered. With my specialty being in instruments, I found no purpose dedicating any of my time to singing. That would only waste the little time I have left before my adulthood. Plus my mother liked to sing. The less time thinking about her the better. Sometimes she would still visit me in the Amari estate and every time was an experience I never wanted to go through again but knew I had to.
"If you ever want to~" Shouko had a grin as she threw the book violently right beside me. Looking down I realized that it was a Dummy's Guide to Not Singing Like Absolute Dog Shit. That was certainly...a title. Emilynn would surely get a kick out of that. Maybe I could find it in a library and exchange it so she can get rid of that blackmail. "Chase your dreams while you still can, kid!"
"...You're only five years older than me," I pouted.
"Still a kid...Excuse me...Goddammit..." Grabbing onto her chest, Shouko excused herself from the table. And I was given time by myself. Not having anything else to do, I decided to pick up the book and started to read through it. Once I heard footsteps coming in my direction, I quickly closed the book and did nothing but stare into space and think.
"I thought I raised you better than that. You are going to break this poor man's old heart." Everything seemed to freeze. I did not need to look to know that Einosuke was the one that sat on the other side of me now. "What are those clothes? Those are absolutely dreadful but I guess I should not expect much from a half breed such as yourself." Stay quiet. There was no point fighting back. Saying anything would be illogical. "If you were to act out in such a way ever again, maybe I should take away your beloved piano-"
"Please don't." What an idiot. Children are so idiotic and know nothing about the world. All that naivete will only destroy you. The happy ending of Alice of Wonderland is nothing but a lie. Alice does not admit that she is up for execution, with her killer aiming a too massive ax at her neck. There is no defeating the Queen of Hearts. Only the Mad Hatter could ever dare stand up against her but he is too busy overlooking the killing of an innocent child with tea and glee. Right before the blade hits the neck, where Alice envisions going back to her home, the Mad Hatter laughs, breaking her out of her fantasy. All Alice desires to do is scream but finds that her mouth has been sewn shut with her own delusions of grandeur. The last thing Alice ever hears is that pitiful laugh of utter despair.
"Good girl. Now, where is that dreadful woman? She is more trouble than she is worth." For a second I allowed myself to hope that she would not come back. That was a second too long.
"Hey, Shiro..." Shouko was waving to me but stopped right in her tracks as she saw Einosuke there with his smile matching the one she used to have. She refused to move from her spot.
"Shouko, you should know better than to try to defy me like this once again. We are going to have a nice chat. Do not worry, I already have Eri picking up little Shiro here. She will be in good hands-"
"Shiro is a man," Shouko stated in tears. "He's your little boy! Treat him like one, you goddamn asshole!" Shaking like a lost, wet cat, Shouko glared daggers at Einosuke, but he did not flinch. "I'm tired of fucking hiding and being scared of your bullshit! Kill me ,you dick! I don't care anymore! I'm so goddamn sick and tired of this life as your fucking slave! This isn't what you promised!"
"It would be a waste to kill you. Trust me, my dear Shouko, what I am about to do to you will make you wish you are dead for every second of your miserable life. Now, remember Shiro, if you want to go anywhere, behaving like this woman is not going to be the way." Without any other words, Einosuke left the table and grabbed onto Shouko's wrist. She struggled as he pulled her through the back door. Afterward, the waitress that was watching the whole interaction came up to me and asked for my order.
I never saw Shouko Amari ever again.
"...Shiro-san?" Blinking back into reality, I observe that Sora and Chika and now with me, the girl being the one who is currently questioning me. Thinking about it, Chika will be a good person to team up with, since she knows a lot about space and has a good head on her shoulders. The downside is Sora, however, since I do not think that he will be great for the strategy in the long run. Maybe Sora can die and, although Chika would obviously be depressed, she could be easier to manipulate with empty words of sympathy. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Uh...can somebody else do this? The pollen is making me..." Fumbling through his backpack, I see that Sora takes out an inhaler and places it in one of his pockets instead. He also pulls out what looks to be a piece of candy and starts chewing on it.
"Sora, I know you are uncomfortable but we were given a job. This should only take a second, okay?" Chika looks at her brother and he gives her a timid nod.
"You do not need to worry for I am fine," I respond to Chika. At first, she is taken off guard by my sudden response but quickly relaxes. The cosmologist once again focuses on her brother who looks like he is ready to bolt any minute.
"That is good! Let us return then," Sora replies. "Oh, um, I do not want to be rude or anything. Do you want a gummy?" Eating such candy will only lead to an early death. Although both of the twins have healthy appearances, they can easily be deceiving and could be hiding medical issues. Plus, sweet food is too addicting. Once you eat one piece it is never enough. The food is designed in such a way and the human brain cannot defeat the strong pull to consume more and more. No company nowadays can be trusted with anything. All they care about is money as they trample over the hope and dreams of those who they are supposed to be helping. After all, I should know that all too well myself, since Einosuke got all of his wealth and power first from running a candy factory of all things. This only proves more that I should not attempt to get close to Sora.
"No thank you but I appreciate the offer," I answer him.
"We should go then. Come on, Sora. You should come with us, Shiro." Not having anything else to do other than sleep or find Asuka (and even then I do not know if the white hall is officially the dorm section of the ship yet and there are no clues to Asuka's whereabouts yet), I decide to follow the two of them. They go up the stairs so the pollen must not reach the upper levels as much. When the three of us arrive on the second floor, I realize that there are eight other people there. The people are Ichiko, Mizore, Keiji, Choumi, Leonie, Rokuro, Yuu, and Yuki.
Much like the first floor, there is a forest theme. Instead of having branches cover the ceiling, it is medal poorly painted to look like wood and they should have kept look at their budget so they could have done a better job. But most of the ceiling is covered by the top of the tree so perhaps whoever worked on this just became lazy and half-assed their job. Matching the ceiling but much better painted, the floor tries to come off as wooden as well. It may have been a better job than the ceiling but it is still not convincing. Anyways, much like downstairs, the tables are divided by the side of the room into groups of three. They literally look exactly the same. What is interesting in this room, however, is that there is a karaoke machine with a television behind it on the side of the room the bar is for the first floor. On the opposite side of the room, there is yet another television that is much bigger and is playing a stock video of standard rainforest locations.
Ichiko is sitting at one of the tables by herself with her papers all spread out as she writes passionately into her notebook. Mizore keeps trying to look over the historian's shoulder but she keeps blocking her from view. Keiji and Choumi have a table to themselves as well. The dog walker is playing with his dog, who I will be bringing with me if my plans to succeed in this game come true, while Choumi engages in a conversation with him. Yuki is at the karaoke station with her brother and Rokuro, who are trying to turn it on while the singer plays around with the microphone being absolutely no help at all. Leonie is also by herself, in the far opposite part of the room as Kobi, and reading The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King.
Chika and Sora make their way to one of the tables and start their own conversation. Now that I am up here, maybe I should try getting some information. Ichiko may not be overly trusting with her information but her notebooks will be a great resource to have.
"Can't believe this is my job now...I want to go back to being a caretaker..." Catching everybody off guard, including myself, Mononeko drops from the ceiling and lands on the microphone. Yuki is offended that the mascot is taking the spotlight but Mononeko does not pay any attention to her as the cat tries to get comfortable on the still off microphone.
"What are you doing here? Can you see that nobody likes you or believes in your bullshit games?" Choumi tells Mononeko. Mononeko is completely unphased by the courier's insults.
"We don't have time for that. I need my nap. And later I need to give you your like...student handbooks I think they're called?...Yawnnnn...that's a stupid name. But, yeah, you need to learn the rules. Yada, yadda..."
"Then why are you here?" I continue Choumi's questioning. It is strange that the people behind this are letting us freely walk around without knowing the rules considering what happened with the first Saitou. But, then again, I would believe teenagers would be in more of a panic about the current situation, but they seem somewhat calm. They may be eccentric but somehow they are not letting the panic of death get to them which I am only now realizing is a bit weird, along with people not being too surprised that we are in space.
"Oh...that's simple. All of you here are decided to have an advantage in the game for being a bunch of good girls and boys."
Wait, what?
"Come on, let's play!" A little boy reached out his hand, warm and inviting but reeking of death. His smile is nothing but plastic promises.
"I don't want to, Fool..." Another little boy hid his face, not being able to face the overwhelming light. But the light still persists, for it does not care about the comfort of others.
"Don't worry, Einosuke! It'll be fine!" Without hesitation this time, the boy grabbed onto the other's hand and allowed himself to be swallowed up in the light.
This chapter took a long time to make oh my god. I blame it on me having new ideas for scenes in between the storage room and the restaurant/dining hall. So congrats there is another part of the first chapter because I couldn't help myself with the meme squad. Once again, I'm still getting used to these characters, so, if I get something wrong about them, just tell me so I know for future reference.
Sorry, this took forever but I'm actually making a lot of progress in the audiobook. And my life is once again what I would call a living Hell. But what else is new? Also, this chapter is so goddamn long because I just couldn't help myself.
If you want to discuss matters privately with me, you should be PMing me because I'm really busy right now so we could possibly clear up misunderstandings. Or contact me on Discord.
QOTC: Would you have fun on this ship if it wasn't going to explode in six months? Because I would. I would be hanging out with the meme squad. No regrets.
Reviews~
AnonChan1- This chapter is another one in Intro Hell but shush I like the five-part intros so its part of the first chapter now. Luckily for everybody involved, there isn't a trial. Monokuma, no, give Yoshi her Ultimate talent back! Aito is Aito and he is weird and I love him. Somebody realized the reference so have fun with that info. ;) Shiro isn't going to die this early I already did a protagonist death in the first chapter. All the other chapters Shiro might be screwed. The weirdo trio (which is Emilynn, Etsuko and Aito btw) is filled with secrets and memes. Emilynn and Etsuko may be suffering but they still got memes. Praise Ratscal. Shiro looks over to Akita and Ayano and is like 'it was very logical for Einosuke to not give me an a name.' Shiro needs therapy but everybody here needs or will need therapy. Don't give me ideas, Anon, you know I'll do that to the pets. Don't tempt me.
Here we have Shiro's cynicism going even further so have fun with that. Shiro would get so confused if he actually learned the truth of Sakura and Gundham's actions, somebody help him because I'm not doing it. Einosuke is an asshole and should burn in the darkest depths of Hell because look what he did to poor Shiro. Monokuma was too much of a dick in FoD so now people get a breather with Mononeko whose a mood. Shiro is a little shit and I love him. Asuka did not sign up for this shit. MoDE!Monokuma looked at FoD!Monokuma and went 'oh no you aren't going to fuck up another story.' Mononeko may be a serial killer forcing children to kill each other but she is still a damn mood. Oh yes, what is happening with Ryusuke and Saitou will be explored more next chapter because I WAS TOO BUSY WITH MEMES OF ALL THINGS! Congrats y'all get another chapter where all the cinnamon rolls are still alive but that means y'all gonna suffer more when one of them brutally dies. Also, a good little breather since I like throwing a bunch of plot at people like Shouko liked throwing apples at preteens. Oh yes, freak out as much as you want. Here are angst and memes now.
Mononeko will have BEANS and one of the cat lovers will notice that because Shiro is too busy being a little shit. Here's more feelingssssssss. I should just walk around with a warning label on my forehead that I will torture cinnamon rolls because I can never stop myself. The Storage Room just has a section filled with doors and that will be true Hell. I'M GOING TO WINK MORE. ;) ;) ;) Akita is going to get Akita'd once again because of the audiobook and now Akita has died like six times. Stop dying, Akita. Here's more evidence that Einosuke is a fucking asshole and Yasu's father even goes 'wtf dude.' Abusive parents killing game sounds amazing and they all die and the world is a greater place. Oh yes. KOTORI IS GONNA GET KAZUHIKO'D AGAIN IN THE AUDIOBOOK PRAISE THE LORD! The emu jokes will never die especially if the meme squad finds out about them. Yes. THE MEME SQUAD IS AMAZING AND I LOVE ALL OF THEM (Emilynn being their honorary member because of course)! KOBI KOBI KOBI! Shiro is going to adopt all the DiOS cast and still be like 'I don't care about them.' You can trust Etsuko she even has white hair now! REQ YESSSSSS!
TheRoseShadow21-Thanks so much I worked very hard on it. :D Its because it's true the Committee doesn't give a shit about any of their workers. I'll find a way to be a little shit myself in these stories in any way I can. Thanks again!
RisingoftheShieldHeroine-Thanks for the support! :D
a fan- I'll continue to make y'all suffer more. ;) Shiro is best husbando.