Beta Read by Lupus Overkill


Shizu's mind races with questions. There's too many of them for her to keep track of, and her fingers simply refuse to cooperate. Paradoxically, she cannot think, and the page of her notepad is as blank as her mind. Eventually, she becomes aware enough of the shouts coming from the Ultimates around her.

"What the hell is that?!" Takumi shrieks from the back of the room.

Hachi sounds more confused than scared. "It's… some kind of bear? A panda maybe?"

"Bears don't talk," scoffs Chouki. "It's obviously a stuffed animal or a robot."

"What's all this talk of games and gamemasters?" Sawako's voice is firm and seems to be louder than the others, although that may be because Shizu is sitting next to her.

Michio chuckles uneasily. "I'd say it's a rejected mascot, but who in the right mind would make something like that? You'd freak kids out!"

Next to her, she hears the telltale clicks of Kaixi's camera, though the man himself is silent.

This… Monokuma thing is evidently fed up with everyone's voices. Rather than shout out over them, the bear adjusts the microphone. Instantly, a harsh ringing echoes throughout the briefing room, and everyone covers their ears or at least flinches.

Satisfied with his handiwork, he starts talking again, though his voice is only slightly less ear grating than the microphone's whine. "Are you brats done making a ruckus now?"

"…No." Soraru's tone is only a little hesitant.

Once more, Monokuma adjusts the microphone. The noise shrieks out again, and everyone covers their eyes as well, though many take the time to glare at Soraru.

"Any more objections?" Monokuma asks smugly. After a short silence, he continues, "Great! Sounds like everyone knows their place. Then, without further ado, let me officially welcome you to the Ultimate Game!"

Almost instinctively, Shizu mutters under her breath, "Ultimate Game?"

Monokuma's having none of that apparently, as he instantly calls her out. "You down in front. Pipe down, or I'll pipe up again!" He crosses his arms and grumbles, "Kids these days… No patience at all. I go through all the trouble of gathering you all up, and you won't even let me explain the rules to my own game…"

She can tell that several others want to voice their concerns, but the threat of having their eardrums abused has made them weary. Thus, they tolerate the bear's complaining for a little while longer.

After a minute, he goes right back into presenter mode. "Well, whatever! I'm not going to let you all get me down!" He clears his throat, or at least pretends to. "For the duration of this game, you'll all be staying in this building. No one gets to leave until there's a winner. So, listen up, 'cause I'm gonna explain the rules!"

Just in case he's not going to repeat them, Shizu decides to write them all down.

"Rule 1: Violence against me, Monokuma, is explicitly forbidden. Don't even think about trying that unless you want to face punishment!"

Next to her, Sawako raises her hand but shouts before she's called upon. "Excuse me! What exactly does violence entail? For example, if you get hurt accidentally, does that still count?"

"Already trying to rough me up? Police brutality!" Monokuma recoils in fear. From the corner of her eye, Shizu notices Sawako flinch. Apparently done with that joke, he reasserts himself, raising a single claw. "I decide what counts as violence! No gaming the system!"

"Rule 2: You may have seen some blocked off areas with my gorgeous face plastered on them." Shizu thinks back to the bars in the hallway and the wall at the bottom of the stairs. "You're not allowed to force your way past any of those areas. Trying to open doors, breaking down walls, slipping through the bars… All off limits! They're blocked for a reason!"

Takumi mumbles under his breath, "Why even build those rooms in the first place?"

Evidently, he wasn't quiet enough, as Monokuma snipes back, "Because some of those rooms need maintenance done. And some need to be closed every now and then for cleaning. I'm a bear, not a pig! I don't wallow around in my own filth like some loser who never leaves his room." Takumi splutters, but the bear continues regardless.

"Rule 3: In this game, nighttime begins at 12 am and ends at 8 am. Announcements will be made at both times. During nighttime, all lights will be dimmed, so stay in your rooms or stumble around in the dark!"

It seems as though no rule can pass by without a comment, and this time, to Shizu's surprise, Tsubame meekly steps up. "Um… Excuse me, but how are we supposed to stay in our rooms if we can't get back inside them? I could not find a key card in my room. Were we supposed to prop the doors open?"

Monokuma brushes her off. "Nah, I'll hand out your keycards later. I don't want you all hiding away just yet." Tsubame nods, taking in that information.

"Rule 4: The punishments doled out will vary in severity. I have the final say in how people get punished, so no complaining if someone gets a lighter sentence than you!"

Nobody has anything to say about that one, so he moves on.

"Rule 5: I am allowed to change the rules at any time. Adding, editing, deleting... It's all on the table!" With that, he takes a bow. "That's everything! Please enjoy your time spent here to the fullest!" He raises a paw in the air, as if he was trying to pump up a crowd.

The crowd remains silent, mostly out of confusion. Pal eventually asks the question that's on everyone's mind. "Pardon me… but… I do not… believe that you have… clarified…. anything."

"Y-yeah," Kaixi chimes in. "I mean, it's nice to know what we can and can't do, but we still don't even know what game we're supposed to be playing."

"Yeah, so far, this game sounds really boring!" Soraru whines.

"What? I never explained how to win?" The shock in Monokuma's voice is obviously fake, but he's probably having fun hamming it up. "Oh dear! How could I have been so careless to leave out the most important part?!"

Morgan sighs and leans back in her chair calmly. "It would appear he neglected to mention it simply so one of us would have to ask. What an annoying display."

"You really want to know what you have to do to win?" There's something sinister in Monokuma's words. It's the same something that Shizu heard in that announcement message, when he gleefully cackled about a game.

"No, please, keep dragging this out." Michio rubs his left temple in irritation.

Kazuha shouts over him with a hint of anxiety. "Yes please!"

"Well, if you really want to win this game and leave…" He drags out each word, clearly enjoying stringing them along. Kaixi scoots closer the edge of his seat, and Shizu feels Sawako stiffen as she straightens her back. Someone's teeth are chattering loudly, but she can't tell whose. Her grip on her pen is so tight that she's afraid it might snap in half, but she can't control her hand.

"You have to kill someone."

The door to the briefing room bursts open.

Everyone turns their heads to see who just entered, though the chilling words still echo in their minds.

Standing in the doorway, slowly making his way in, is an unkempt man. He's got a blue and white striped beanie on his head. It doesn't fully cover his curly, white hair, as the ends are still visible underneath his hat. His red eyes are half-open, and he lets out a yawn. Did he just wake up? His clothes look like pajamas, so that may be the case. At the very least, his light blue shirt and light grey pajama pants seem comfortable, though she's not a big fan of his flip-flops.

His speech is a little unfocused, and he tries to blink the sleep out of his eyes. "…Huh? Shit, am I late or something?" Everyone keeps staring at him. "Did I miss anything important?"

Monokuma just chuckles. "Just the fact that you have to kill someone in order to leave."

"Oh, okay. Thanks man." He nods along. Then, he blinks rapidly and fully opens his eyes. "Wait, what now?"

His shock startles the others out of their own daze. Within seconds, everything is thrown into chaos. Amidst all of the ruckus, Shizu can make out a few voices, even though she's staying quietly rooted in her seat.

That's not the case for the others, however. She can hear a few people hurriedly getting up from their chairs. Sawako's on her feet in a flash. Before Shizu knows it, she's directly in front of Monokuma with her arms stretched out. Is she… trying to defend them? "What are you playing at, bear?!"

There are some footsteps coming from behind her, and, when she turns to look, she sees Takumi very close to the doors, yet standing completely still as he eyes the newcomer. "No way," he says over and over again, as if believing it enough will change reality.

Michio's hands are trembling as they dig into his legs. "K-killing huh?" There's a nervous glint in his eyes, and a bit of sweat rolls down his forehead.

"I… you… killing?!" Samia splutters, like she wants to, has to, say something but can't conjure up the words. It's a stark contrast to Kogi and Fumika behind her. Both have intense expressions on their faces, but, despite Kogi's bandanna around his mouth, it's Fumika who seems the hardest to read.

All of this is a little tough to hear of the screams coming from Kazuha, Hachi, and Kaixi. Shizu can't really blame them. While she isn't one to scream, she's certain it's involuntary, much like how her body refuses to budge an inch.

Throughout all of this, Monokuma has stood silently behind the podium with his ever-present smile. He's not bothering to respond to Sawako's accusation, much less acknowledge her presence. Instead, he casually looks around the room, seemingly enjoying the panic. Then, his gaze meets Shizu's, and she swears that he lingers on her for a few seconds longer than everyone else. That couldn't just be her imagination.

"Are you even paying attention?" Sawako shouts, never once budging from her stance.

"What's the big problem? It's only a little killing. Bludgeoning, stabbing, poisoning, suffocating… Sure, it might sound like a lot, but don't you police officers deal with that stuff all the time?" Monokuma then gestures towards Michio. "Same goes for you coroners. You should be used to this stuff by now!" Said coroner grits his teeth, and his hands twitch faster than previously. The bear laughs again. "Hey, you were all begging me to let you know, so this is all on you!"

Samia yells, "Don't even pretend like you're blameless in this!"

"What's the catch?"

…That certainly gets Shizu's attention. She whirls around to face Chouki, who's glaring dully towards Monokuma.

"W-what do you mean catch?!" Hachi is white as a sheet.

The only unknown party speaks up as well. "Yeah man, I think the killing thing is the catch." His words are too casual for his concerned expression.

Chouki shakes his head bitterly. "Humans kill each other all the time, and the bear clearly knows it. If that's shocking, then you're either lying or need to pay attention for once in your life. Besides, it can't be that easy." He then points towards Sawako. "If killing someone is all it takes, then she could snap someone's neck and be done with it. So, I ask again, what's the catch?"

"Sir, are you suggesting-" Sawako doesn't get to finish, as Monokuma interrupts her.

"Heh, you're not as dumb as you look. Of course killing someone isn't all there is to it. You've also got to get away with it. If everyone else figures out that you've killed someone, then that's it for you." He rests his paws behind his head. "After all, we can't have a run-of-the-mill criminal mingling with the rest of you. Ultimates should be Ultimate killers too!"

He then looks at his wrist, where there is apparently an imaginary watch. With phony shock, he proclaims, "Well, look at the time! I've spent way too long talking. I bet you're all eager to start exploring your new homes! Or maybe you're eager to get a head start on your murder plans? I'll let you all take your time with that. See you all soon!" He jumps back behind the podium and vanishes from view.

The silence is oppressive this time. Monokuma's entire speech left Shizu without any words. She had a million questions still, but her mouth would not open. Her body would not budge. Her eyes could not help but dart around from face to face frantically. Chouki's grim acceptance, Kaixi's panic, Tsubame's sadness, and even Soraru's uncharacteristic pain… It painted an unpleasant picture. As much as it pained her to admit it…

It seemed everyone suspected each other.

How could they not? Their only immediate avenue of escape was plainly spelled out for them. They had to murder someone. As if that wasn't enough, subterfuge was necessary. They must ensure that nobody discovers that they did it. The fact that Chouki explicitly brought it up only added fuel to the fire of suspicion. Who could truly trust anyone after hearing that?

"We have nothing to fear."

…Apparently, Morgan.

She stands from her seat, and her tone makes her appear taller than she actually is. "I know for certain that nobody here wishes to kill anyone. It is not our fate to perish here."

"You can't say that. You don't know what goes on in other people's hearts," Chouki counters instantly.

"Perhaps not," Morgan says, a calming serenity present in her voice. "However, the spirits do. They have told me that nobody here wishes to soil their hands with such a task as… this. Your suspicions are unfounded."

From Shizu's perspective, Morgan's claims have much less basis in reality, but announcing those thoughts would only have a negative impact at this time. She cannot believe she is doing this, but she finally works up the courage to say, "…This game requires our cooperation to work. We only start… "playing"… when someone actually decides to kill a living person in cold blood."

Maybe her talent lends more credence to this idea than Morgan's, since she sees a few people begin to relax. Kazuha, in particular, cheers up. "That's right! There's no way I would ever kill anyone! And I believe all of you, too!"

"Yeah," Kaixi agrees. "There's just no way that any of you would lower yourselves to those standards. It's not like Monokuma can just force us into killing."

"That's… yeah." Fumika stands up awkwardly. She likely had something she wanted to say but either thought better of it or didn't fully flesh it out in her head. Even now, she's grasping her arm nervously, but there's confidence burning behind her eyes.

"This is kinda cheesy, huh? Everyone banding together to survive... Sounds like a scene right out of a shonen manga." Shizu nearly forgot that Soraru was there. Xe had been so quiet ever since the topic of killing came up. Finally, though, xe has regained xer playfulness. "So… What's next? I'm getting bored sitting in this stuffy room!"

Pal offers an interesting proposal. "We… should explore... our surroundings."

"But I already checked out all of places that could be fun, but they were all boring!" Soraru complains. "I don't wanna walk around with everyone to see it all again!"

"We don't need to look around together. Everyone moves at their own pace," Tsubame offers quietly, though she doesn't meet anyone's eyes.

However, Samia raises a fair point. "That's nice, but I don't think it's a great idea to split up the group for the day. I mean, do you really think this is a good last note to leave everyone on? It might be a pain, but I'd personally like to meet up at least once more. Going off on our own makes that a little hard."

Michio raises his voice. "How about this then? Let's all explore the building by ourselves. Once you're satisfied with your search, you go to the dining room on this floor and wait for everyone else. If someone's taking a long time to get back, I'll personally go get them." He gives a thumbs up and waits for the response.

Nobody can find too many issues with that plan, so it's settled. Shizu watches them all exit quickly, while she stays behind to finish jotting down some of her thoughts. When she finishes and looks up from her notepad, she's a little surprised to see Tsubame still in the room with her.

"…Are you waiting for something?" she asks.

Tsubame nods. "I was a little worried about you. You've been quiet for a while. I know it's not my place to judge, but you were seemed more talkative when I first met you. I wanted to make sure everything was alright… Um… As alright as things can be, I mean." She tugs on her braid awkwardly at that last sentence.

Taking a deep breath, Shizu says, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. There is simply a lot of information that needed to take in."

"Tell me about it."

Apparently, the mystery man is also still in the room. Again, Shizu curses her lack of perception. Has being in prison degraded her senses that quickly?

"No seriously, tell me about it. I'm still very confused," he repeats.

Shizu blinks. "…Pardon my rudeness, but who exactly are you?"

"…Oh right, I guess you wouldn't recognize me, huh? I can get behind that," he chuckles. "Joshua Miller, coming at you live."

"It is very nice to meet you, Joshua. I am Tsubame Watari, and I'm the Ultimate Kamishibiya." She gives a little bow.

In return, he gives her a befuddled look. "I'm sorry, what now? I'm kind of an ignorant American, so you're probably gonna have to run that by me again."

"Kamishibai is the art of storytelling via paper plays," Shizu explains, though she probably should have let Tsubame do the talking. She is the expert after all… Well, now that she's talking, she might as well keep going. "In extremely simple terms, think of it like a picture book being told through a fancy slideshow."

"Huh…" Joshua scratches his head. "Never heard of it. Sounds interesting though."

"It is," Tsubame confirms with a smile. "Though I may have some bias on the matter."

He laughs. "Nah, it's cool. You do you."

Shizu coughs. "Sorry to interrupt, but I should also introduce myself. I'm Shizu Saneyoshi." She pauses for a moment before deciding to say, "Ultimate Strategist. I couldn't help but notice you didn't mention your talent. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell us?"

Joshua tugs on his beanie. "Oh right, that old thing. Yeah, I was the Ultimate Video Blogger."

"Was?" she inquires.

"It's a long story." He pauses then corrects himself. "Well, okay, it's not actually a long story, but I don't really want to talk about it, and people tend not to want to listen to long stories. Ain't that right, Tsubame?"

She fidgets about in place at being suddenly addressed. "W-well… there is an art to being succinct. But, if you tell the story well enough, you can keep any audience entertained."

"Never thought of it that way before…"He trails off, only for his eyes to widen. He curses, "Aw shit, I completely forgot! I was supposed to say my pronouns and ask for yours. Damn it!"

Shizu shakes her head. "It's no trouble. Both of us are female. I've been meaning to ask you as well."

"Yeah but still, if there's one thing I've learned from always being online, it's that you can never really know people without asking." He sighs in frustration before shaking his head and moving on. "Anyways, I'm male, and I use he/him/his. Sorry that took a little while."

That reminds her… "Actually, speaking of taking a while, is there a reason you showed up so late?"

Joshua scratches the back of his neck. "Well… I was kinda sleeping, y'know? I've found that it's hard to go to things when you're not awake."

Tilting her head curiously, Tsubame prods further. "You slept through that alarm? It woke me up very quickly. Was your monitor not working?"

Yes, that is strange. Even stranger is the fact that Monokuma started the meeting without him. Could that bear have simply been impatient, or was there another reason? Whatever the case, Shizu isn't keen on sharing those thoughts just yet.

With a lazy grin, Joshua replies to Tsubame, "I've always been a deep sleeper. I'm the kind of person that needs to set, like, ten alarms to get up in the morning. Once I'm out, that's pretty much it."

"It's the opposite for me. I wake up every day at the exact same time, even if I don't have anything planned at that time," Shizu offers.

Not wanting to be left out, Tsubame also says quietly, "I usually only need one alarm, but it does depend on how tired I was the night before…"

She didn't mean to get sidetracked with conversations about sleep schedules. In fact, she'd much rather get a good luck at the rest of the building. Therefore, she decides to change the subject. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Joshua. Sorry to cut this conversation short, but there's some things I would like to check out before our next meeting."

"Yeah, I should probably start checking this place out too," Joshua agrees.

Tsubame looks back and forth between them. "Would either of you like some company?"

Shizu declines, however. "I prefer to explore on my own. It helps me concentrate." She takes out her pen and spins it around her fingers.

Similarly, Joshua shakes his head and yawns. "I'd just slow you down. Still waking up, y'know?"

Shizu doesn't stick around for Tsubame to object. Thus, as she moves past Joshua and out of the door, she gives a wave goodbye with the hand holding her pen.


Joshua Miller

- Male, probably a little younger than me

- Ultimate Video Blogger (shares large portions of his life with others online, perhaps daily?)

- Either very tired at this time or is able to keep his cool even in times like these

- Seems lazy

- Showed up late to the meeting, claims to have overslept, yet Monokuma did nothing (perhaps expected this outcome?)


Shizu hasn't run into anyone on her walk to the elevator, though the noises coming from the dining room, some people are either searching there or have already given up. There's nobody in the elevator lobby either, which suits her just fine. Figuring she should start from the top, she makes for the fourth floor.

It's a nonstop trip. The elevator is actually fairly noisy, now that she thinks about it. It may be possible to hear people traveling if they're close enough to the walls. She should test that out later, if she remembers. For now, as the elevator dings, she steps out.

Glancing around, nothing appears to be different. The bars on her left are still there, but she now understands what the picture on them means. Even from this far away, she can make out Monokuma's features.

Before she investigates the dorms again, she checks out the stairwell. She begins walking upwards, only to come across a similar wall to the one blocking the path to the first floor. Just as she suspected… Still, it's good to confirm these things. They truly are limited to just these three floors. Satisfied, she goes back down.

When she reaches the hallway containing all of the rooms, she finds Fumika trying to look through the bars at the other end. Hearing Shizu's approaching footsteps, she looks over her shoulder and greets her. "Hello Shizu. What are you doing up here? I thought that was your room. Wouldn't you have seen all of this already?"

She looks to where Fumika is pointing. "It is. However, I wanted to see if any areas got unblocked. That doesn't appear to be the case, though."

"I didn't think that was a possibility." Fumika scratches her chin as she thinks. "That kind of makes me want to check out the third floor again. However, that there are no changes here probably means it's the same there."

"The third floor? Did you wake up there?" Shizu asks.

"That's correct. There's a fair bit more that is open than on this floor." She returns to peering through the barred off section. "As far as I can see, we can't do much here. There is only more hallway from this angle. For all we know, there could be no more rooms."

Shizu raises an eyebrow at that. "That sounds like an incredible waste of space."

"It is only slim possibility," Fumika concedes. "But it would not be any stranger than separating everyone by floor."

She's hit upon a puzzle that Shizu hasn't been able to figure out. Spatially, it makes much more sense to put all of the rooms in the same place. While this seems to somewhat be the case, as she suspects all of the rooms to be in the same place on each floor, it's still bizarre. "Perhaps this building was used for some other purpose before whoever captured us commandeered it," she guesses.

"In that case, what purpose did this building originally serve?" Fumika responds. "This may be caused by not having access to the whole building, but I have no idea why anyone would construct something such as this. The long empty halls are an especially puzzling design choice."

"Could this have been a very old building that's been refurbished? I am not familiar with the design ethos of the past." It's a subtle prod to see if Fumika has any more ideas.

However, she does not even bother facing Shizu to deny those claims. "While I am not an expert on architecture, I don't recall any ancient Japanese buildings quite like this, if that is what you were referring to."

"…if we even are still in Japan," Shizu mutters.

"…Right," Fumika agrees.

With their conversation screeching to a complete halt, Shizu figures that she's done all she can on this floor. "I'm going to head off," she announces. "Be careful around those bars, Fumika. Remember the rules."

"No worries. I'm not attempting to break them down, so there shouldn't be a problem." That doesn't exactly inspire confidence in her, but the historian seems confident enough that she'll be safe. Either that or she is looking for any excuse to be alone again.

Shizu takes one last look at all of the pixel-plates on the doors and heads back to the elevator. Once again, she runs into nobody else, and the hum of the elevator is her only companion. The third floor's elevator lobby has no bars on either side. Thus, she makes her way to the right first, towards the dorms.

Upon her arrival, she's met with a similar looking hall, with another set of five doors lining either side of the metal walls. There are also bars on the other side of the hall, meaning this floor isn't entirely free to explore. What is most apparent, however, is the sight of Takumi furiously pounding on a door and rattling the handle while Morgan watches on, clearly amused.

"Did you forget that the doors to our personal rooms are locked?"

Takumi jolts away from the sound of her voice. Morgan giggles at the sight. After he regains some of his composure, he glares at her, though it's hard to tell from under his bag. "Of course I didn't. But Monokuma never gave us those keycards, even though he said he would."

"I do not believe he ever told us when he would give them away," Morgan points out. She doesn't even bat an eyelash when Takumi fixes his attention on her.

"Well… whatever! Maybe if I make enough of a scene, he'll get fed up and give me mine early!"

"…Is that really your plan?" Shizu questions.

He's not backing down. "Look, he already made an exception for that one guy who showed up late. And it's not like I'm breaking any rules by doing this."

"Maybe not as of now. However, recall the final rule," Morgan intones. "Should Monokuma feel like it, he may add more rules. The spirits have warned me not to take him lightly. You would do best to follow in suit."

Those words cause him to stop his struggling. She's probably imaging things, but it almost looks like his bag paled, as if it were his actual face. "Y-you don't think he'd really be that petty, r-right?"

"So petty as to be annoyed by loud noises and potential property damage? Hmmm, I wonder…" After saying those words, Morgan trails off mysteriously, placing her hand over her mouth.

For a few moments, Takumi hangs frozen in place awkwardly, both of his arms glued to the handle. Then, his movements become even more frantic. He even places one of his legs on the door to give himself more leverage. "Gaaaaah, whatever! I just want to get out of here already! I never signed up for this!"

His desperation is almost inspiring, though she's seriously starting to worry for his safety. Monokuma hasn't popped up yet, so he's safe for now. That handle looks fairly sturdy, but one can never be too careful about these things.

Morgan walks over and places a hand on Shizu's shoulder. She, perhaps in an attempt to assuage her concerns, says, "No harm will come to him. As long as I am watching over him, I assure you that things will turn out for the best. I have ways of knowing."

She fails to hide the skepticism in her face as she watches Takumi flail about, so she simply says what's on her mind. "…Thank you, but I have trouble believing that."

"Trouble believing in me, or trouble believing in the higher powers that told me?" Morgan removes her hand slowly, yet her mysterious smile stays fixed.

She decides to sidestep the question. "I more so have issues believing that Takumi can be controlled. I admit that I don't know him that well, but he seems incredibly driven."

"D-don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Takumi shouts from his position.

Morgan ignores him. "If things get out of hand, I have my ways of restoring balance. I have also finished my own investigation, so I would be happy to keep an eye on him for you. You still have much to explore."

Shizu narrows her eyes. "...How would you know what I have and haven't explored?"

Morgan smirks. "Have you forgotten my talent so quickly?" She shakes her head, and her hair sways in motion. "Now, you may leave. If Takumi manages to succeed in his attempts, I will prevent him from ignoring the meeting."

Thanking her, Shizu takes a look around at the pixel-plates before she heads back. From the look of them, it appears that the people staying on this floor are Fumika, Hachi, Takumi, Soraru, and Kogi. She's going to need to check the second floor rooms, because there's something bothering her about the arrangements.

For now, she makes her way back to the elevator lobby and proceeds further down the opposite path. As with the rest of the hallways, it is devoid of any substance. Sterile is the closest word she can think of. It's actually a little to tell which floor she's on, since there aren't any markings to orient her.

She eventually comes to an opening to her right. It is similar to how the briefing room and dining hall were both positioned in the second floor hallway. Above the door is a picture of… a chair? Is this a sitting room? Eager to find out, she walks inside.

Lounge would have been a better guess. There's a huge dark red couch towards the middle of the room. On either side of it, there are similarly colored armchairs. They're all spaced around a fuzzy rug and are directly in front of a brick fireplace. Although it goes up to the ceiling, she doesn't see any evidence of anything to burn, meaning that it's most likely an electric fireplace. At the very back of the room, resting on a table, there is a very large fish tank. She doesn't recognize any of the species, but she does recognize some people that might.

Chouki is gazing intensely at the fish tank. His eye level is just right to where he doesn't need to strain himself or find something to stand on. Pal is also standing next to him, though he has to hunch over. As if that wasn't enough, Kaixi is sitting in one of the chairs, though he's angled it to face the other two.

Kaixi is the first to notice her. Perhaps before he himself is even aware, he's taken her picture again. The sound of his camera clicking alerts Chouki and Pal to her presence as well.

"Hey Shizu!" Kaixi tips his hat.

Pal greets her as well. "It is… good… to see you once more."

Chouki merely nods before turning his attention back to the fish.

"I see you've all made yourselves comfortable here," Shizu says.

"Yup! These chairs are pretty dang comfy." Kaixi rubs the arm of his chair gently and shuffles deeper into the fabric. "That couch is really nice, but I'm finding the chairs more to my liking. Just a little tip." He gives an overdramatic wink.

Clearing his throat, Pal speaks up. "It may be a… small comfort… However, I am… glad to see… such a wide variety of fish."

"It'd be nice if they weren't stuck in a tank," mutters Chouki.

"That is… true," Pal agrees. "But… if they were free… they would not be… comforting us now. We should take our… victories where we can get them."

Deciding to offer his own support, Kaixi adds, "The fish are pretty. I feel like I could waste a lot of time watching them swim around. We could probably pull one of these chairs over for a better look, if you get tired of standing."

Chouki is silent for a while. He may be thinking over their words, but it's impossible to tell if he was even listening. He's clearly been thinking about something, because, when he finally speaks up, he says something kind of bizarre. "They're stuck in this aquarium, and we're stuck in this building. Guess we're no freer than these fish." Chouki clenches his fist. "They shouldn't be suffering here with us. They're completely blameless!"

It takes a minute for everyone to process this comment, but Kaixi recovers first. "H-hey, I get where you're coming from, but we're all blameless too."

That… is debatable. Shizu tucks her hands into her blazer's pockets and glances at the wooden floor.

Chouki ignores her silence and presses forwards. "Not as blameless as the fish. Besides, someone is going to have to clean their tank and feed them daily. But I don't see any supplies for that here."

Pal hazards a guess. "Monokuma… may take care of… those matters."

"And you really trust someone like him to do that?" Chouki states flatly.

Shizu finds her footing again. "We don't know much about him, but we do know that he's set up rules and a schedule for each day. It is not impossible that taking care of the fish is part of that schedule."

He sighs. "Please forgive me if I don't trust the bear to look after the fish well."

"I-I agree." Kaixi stumbles over his words because of his quick interjection. "We shouldn't let that bear anywhere near those poor fish."

Only Pal has a problem with that outlook. "However… we do not have… the means to care for these fish… ourselves. Should we interfere… with our captor… it may do more harm… than good. Like Acrisius trying to avoid his fate… only to run headfirst into it."

"O-of course, that makes sense too," Kaixi quickly agrees.

"Acrisius…" Shizu wracks her brain. "I apologize, but I cannot remember who that was. Greek mythology is not my strong suit."

Pal makes a face when she mentions mythology, but it's gone quickly. "Acrisius was the father of Persius, who slew the Medusa. He learned that his grandson was destined to slay him, so he attempted to cheat fate by sending him far away. Only, in the end, he was killed in a sporting accident."

Chouki scoffs. "Even back then, people made legends out of betrayal."

Pal taps his foot. "I suppose… that is one way of… interpreting that story," he admits.

Wherever she goes, things can't stop getting awkward. At this point, she's tempted to place the blame on herself. The three of them seemed to be getting along before she stepped inside. It may be prudent to excuse herself if that is the case.

"…I believe I've examined this room long enough. I do not want to keep everyone waiting, so I will take my leave now." She gives a short bow.

"Take care of yourself." While Chouki continues to state at the fish, he does give a two fingered wave goodbye.

"We will… meet again soon." With those words, Pal too returns to his gazing.

Kaixi begins to stand up with a little smile. "Hey, do you want some company? There's no need to run off on your own."

She declines his offer immediately. "No thank you. I have a lot to think about, and I would most likely ignore you if you tagged along. No offense."

"None taken. Have fun." He gets comfortable in his chair once again. However, he looks longingly back and forth between Shizu and the pair of ocean nerds.

She breathes a sigh of relief when she gets a good distance away. She's going to need to get better at socializing as soon as possible. Considering the circumstances she's found herself in, she doesn't have many other options. That's planning for later, however.

The next room she finds also juts off from the main hallway, just like all of the others. However, the path in front of her is barred off, just like it is near the dorms. Beyond there, there is something that Monokuma must not want them to access.

Seeing as that investigation will go nowhere, she turns towards the final room on this floor. The symbol above this door is an open box. Making her way into the room, she confirms that her suspicions were correct and that this is a storage room. Shelves as far as the eye can see. Well, more accurately, shelves to the very back of the room, but the room is very large. The ceiling appears to be a bit higher to accommodate them as well. Each shelf is stacked with boxes, some of which are overflowing with materials. They also have labels, which is nice for clerical purposes. Still, some of those shelves are high, especially for some of the shorter people here. Luckily enough, there are some step ladders lined up on the right wall.

One of those ladders is actually being used by Kazuha right now. She's a bit too caught up in checking the labels to notice Shizu, so she starts making her footsteps a bit louder so Kazuha doesn't get spooked. It works, since she looks over her shoulder, smiles, and starts descending.

"Shizu! Check out all of this stuff!" Her cheery voice is louder than the sound of her climbing down and landing on the floor.

Shizu nods. "It's a little hard not to. Any general indication of what's being stored?"

"All of the stuff I've looked at is building material, at least according to the labels. You know, wooden planks, nails, wire, glue… that kind of stuff." Kazuha counts off with her fingers as she lists her findings. "Oh, I also found a shelf full of tools! It was kinda weird to see a box filled with nothing but hammers, then one with only saws, and so on. But we can totally spruce this place up if we want!"

It takes a lot of effort for her mind to not go to dark places. It's worth it to preserve Kazuha's enthusiasm. "…That is true, but we may need blueprints or a solid plan if we hope to make anything out of materials alone. I don't recall their being an architect or a designer among our number."

A voice calls out to her from behind one of the shelves that is farther away. "It is not all bad. Some of the objects in this area are furniture. I'm certain they come with building instructions." Tsubame peeks her head out to the side after speaking. Shizu honestly didn't expect to run into her so soon.

Kazuha bounces on her feet. "Oooh! We can customize our rooms with that! That's so awesome!"

"It would be better if they were already put together," Shizu points out.

Kazuha shakes her head at this and hits her playfully on the arm. "Don't be such a downer, Shizu. Let's check out what we've got!" She grabs Shizu's arm and starts walking, but her grip isn't that tight. However, Shizu decides to follow her anyway. No need to cause an argument over something so petty.

Watching their approach, Tsubame downplays her own finds. "It isn't much. Most of the furniture here consists of chairs, desks, or bookshelves. I did not look into most of the boxes either, so they may not be that pleasing to look at or comfortable to sit on, in the case of chairs."

"Hey, it's fine. We can work with what we've got." Kazuha's smile fades slightly when she reads the labels on some of the closer boxes. "I uh… admittedly don't recognize any of these specific chair names, but even having options is great. Right?" Shizu squints as she too tries to read the labels. What on Earth is a "Koarp"? Are all these names Swedish or something? At least it mentions that it's an armchair, but a picture might be helpful.

"It does not end with furniture." Shizu inhales sharply when Sawako steps into view. "From my investigation, it appears that all sorts of odds and ends are stored here. For instance, I have found a shelf dedicated to posters we might put up. Another housed carpets. This may be more to your liking."

"Nice find, Sawako!" Kazuha cheers.

"Please think nothing of it. Any of you could have noticed if we switched investigation areas," Sawako says, though she sounds a little bashful at the praise.

It may be Shizu's imagination, but Tsubame seems slightly more uneasy than before, as her voice is quieter than before. "There is so much stored here. It is almost overwhelming."

"True," Shizu agrees. "It may be a byproduct of our indefinite stay here. Whatever the case, we will always have something new to build or play around with, if we so desire."

"I totally desire. I wanna see what else is here. Think they have anything in animal print?" Having said her piece, Kazuha runs off towards the section that Sawako came from.

"K-Kazuha, we should stick to our delegated sections!" Sawako calls out, to no avail. There's no response, and she sighs.

Tsubame nervously looks between the two remaining people and clears her throat. "Are you going to join us here, Shizu?"

She shakes her head. "I think you already know my answer."

"Yes, but it is polite to ask, just in case." Tsubame bows. "I will return to my search. Good luck with the rest of your exploration. Please be careful." She walks to another shelf and disappears around the other side. That was… abrupt.

Sawako takes inventory. "I suppose this leaves me with Kazuha's section. Did you happen to see where you left off?"

…Oh, she's being addressed. In that case… "No. …Sorry."

"That is quite alright. I will ask Kazuha then." Sawako turns to leave, but she snaps her fingers and rotates back. "I apologize for the sudden question, but would it be possible to meet up with me here later? Alone? There is something I wish to discuss with you."

Well that isn't worrying. As much as Shizu would like to decline, she has no good excuse. "Do you have a time in mind?" she asks.

"Tomorrow afternoon. I have some thoughts I must pin down, but I should be ready by then. Does this work for you?" Her answer is immediate. Whatever this is, she must have been thinking about it for a while.

"Yes, that works," Shizu confirms.

Sawako nods her head, her ponytail swaying in the process. "Thank you for your cooperation. I understand it may not be easy to trust others, so I promise not to let you down." She salutes then marches off towards Kazuha. Shizu practically rushes outside and back to the elevator, scribbling in her notepad all the way.

So far, the third floor has been the most open. They may not have much room to work with, but that small factor could be a blessing in disguise. Less room means less places to keep track of… and less potential danger zones.

When she finally stops on the second floor, she makes her way towards what she assumes to be the dorm rooms. A quick, silent walk proves her assumption to be true. It looks exactly the same as the dorm hallway on the other floors, save for the fact that it has six doors instead of five. The remaining Ultimates, being Kaixi, Morgan, Pal, Chouki, Samia, and Joshua, must be staying here. She confirms this by checking the pixel-plates one last time, just in case. The other difference is that there are no bars in sight, meaning she can continue walking forwards.

She does not meet anyone at first, though she does pass by a door with a washing machine label overhead. She would enter it, but, surprisingly, this particular door is marked with by a Monokuma head. What possible reason could there be for locking away what appears to be a laundry room? Everything else has pointed to them staying here for a long time, and she knows that her room only had about a week's worth of clean clothes in it.

…There's no way that dirty clothes would be used as a motive, right?

Shaking away that stray thought, she keeps walking. Suddenly, she hears shouting coming from ahead, and she picks up the pace. She nearly runs past the next opening but skids to a halt once she notices her error. Just like before, there is a door stamped with a Monokuma head, signaling that they cannot enter. Above this door, there is a medical cross. This must be the infirmary that Samia mentioned. Speaking of Samia, she is one of the people shouting. The other, to her surprise, is Kogi. It's too late to turn back. With a deep exhale, Shizu walks between them.

"Care to explain exactly what's going on?" She looks mostly towards Samia when saying this.

Samia scoffs and gestures to Kogi. "Ask him. He's the one who started-"

"You almost broke the rules." That was the first full sentence that Kogi has said. His voice is shockingly deep with an edge to it.

"I did not," Samia argues. "The rule states that we cannot force our way into places with Monokuma plastered on them, and I wasn't doing any forcing. I only tested the handle to see if the door was still locked. I never actually pushed inwards."

Kogi glares at her. "You think Monokuma cares about that distinction?"

"If he didn't, why would he set up the rules?" Samia glares right back.

"Perhaps he is trying to argue that Monokuma would not be able to tell the difference." Shizu attempts to placate her.

Her comment apparently has fallen on deaf ears. "He'd better be able to, or else he risks being unable to enforce his rules at all."

"He's not going to nullify them if he messes up," Kogi snipes.

Samia throws her hands up in the air. "It's the principle of the matter! We need to figure out how far we can push these bounds. Otherwise, he'll control us without actually needing to put down any rules. I'm not about to lay back and let that happen!"

He pinches his forehead. "What a pain… Don't come running to anyone if you get punished."

"You're supposed to be the Ultimate Protestor!" Samia exclaims. "Don't tell me you're keen on sitting back in a situation like this."

He actually breaks eye contact when she says that. He mutters under his breath. "…Maybe not, but I don't want to find out what Monokuma's punishments are. I'm not about to die here." He storms past Shizu and vanishes around the corner.

"Can you believe that guy? Honestly…" Shaking her head, Samia toys with the end of her headscarf.

"He may have been worried about you," Shizu says with a tinge of uncertainty.

"That's nice, but his concerns aren't going to get us out of here any faster. We have to fight back, even if we can only do that in small ways. His attitude won't help with that."

"No, it won't…" she trails off, trying to find a way to change the topic. "I'm guessing you desperately want to get into the infirmary, assuming this is one."

"Yes, I need to see what we've got. Like I mentioned earlier, if Monokuma released a disease into this building, we could all get infected before we realized what was happening. And, if something along those lines never happens, we still need medicine for our daily lives. Is everyone supposed to deal with headaches and sore throats? But it doesn't matter too much. As I'm sure you've guessed, it's locked up tight."

"What will you do now, in that case?" Shizu asks.

"Head to the dining hall," Samia answers. "It's the only place I haven't looked yet."

"I'm going that way too. If you're ready to get going, we can walk together," Shizu offers.

She thinks about it for a minute. "Well… okay. We'd see each other regardless, and I'm not eager for that awkward meeting."

Therefore, the two of them make their way to the meeting location. They go past the briefing room, confirming that the floor is structured in a loop. It also means that there are no other rooms on the second floor, just as Shizu thought.

"I've been meaning to bring this up at some point, but it is a touchy subject." Samia's voice startles her from her thoughts.

Shizu has an idea of what this is about but confirms her support. "Go for it."

"I was wondering about how you came to be here," she states. "The last thing that I remember was being hunched over at my desk and reading a paper. I think I dozed off before I finished, because I can't recall anything later, except for waking up in my room here."

"…It is the same for me. I was taken while I was asleep. That's all I can remember." Being unconscious is similar enough to being asleep for this not to be completely false.

Samia groans. "I was worried you'd say something like that. You seem like the type to notice small details, but, if you've got nothing, we might be in trouble."

"I have heard other stories, so don't despair just yet." At this statement, they've reached the dining room.

Inside, they find Michio sitting at the head of the long table, with Hachi and Joshua in seats on either side of him.

"Hey you two! Done checking things out?" Michio greets them, one arm slung over the back of his chair casually.

Samia shakes her head. "Almost. I still have to look at the back room."

"Might want to take a rain check on that one," he warns her. "Soraru's claimed the kitchen, and it's kind of a mess."

"Why? I thought none of the machines were working." Didn't xe complain about that nonstop?

Hachi explains whilst eating. She must have gotten into the pantry again. "They're working now. Maybe Monokuma turned the power back on. It's making Soraru super happy, at least, so that's good!"

"If it gets me free food, it's fine by me," Joshua says before noticing Samia. "Hey, I don't think we've met yet. Joshua Miller, Ultimate Video Blogger, he/him/his pronouns."

Samia responds. "Oh, I'm Samia Bahouri. I'm the Ultimate Epidemiologist, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. You were the person who barged in late, correct?"

He snaps and points at her with a finger gun. "Yup, that's me. Sleeping in is kind of my brand."

"That's a brand I can totally get behind," Michio laughs and leans over for a hi-five. Joshua completely misses his hand.

Samia huffs in frustration. "If I'm not allowed to go into the kitchen, could someone tell me what's in there?"

Hachi answers, "It's just a standard kitchen. Oh, but there's also a pantry that's filled with snacks. And a walk-in freezer with a bunch of shelves and a whole container filled with ice cream buckets!"

A walk-in freezer? "Is that what's behind that metal door?"

"Yup yup!" Hachi nods. "It's super chilly but my bee stuff kept me nice and warm!"

"Really? Looks kinda thin from this angle." Joshua leans over to take a better look.

She scoots her chair away from him. "No! It's super warm and toasty and that's that."

Raising up his hands and leaning between them, Michio says, "Hey, I'll believe it. Hachi definitely knows her stuff best. Plus, it's really cute."

"Aw, thank you." She blushes.

Shizu is getting tired of standing, and, when Samia takes a seat at the table, Shizu follows suit. "Might I ask what you have planned for this meeting, Michio?"

He gives her a thumbs up. "Sure thing. First things first, I wanted to hear about what everyone found. Different people might pick up on different things."

Joshua gives a lazy shrug and leans back in his chair. "I was too lazy to check things out, so that's all I'm here for."

"I don't think Soraru's done looking around either, so you're not totally alone," Michio states. "But the next thing I wanted was to hear about how everyone got captured."

Hachi chokes on her graham cracker, and Joshua leans a little too far back, flails about for a bit, but manages to keep his balance.

Michio looks at them sympathetically. "Sorry guys, but we can't keep ignoring it." He takes a deep breath and finishes up. "The last thing we should do is set up some kind of routine. That way, we can make sure everyone's alright. Does that sound good?"

"Fine by me," Shizu agrees.

Samia nods her head in assent. Joshua gives a shaky thumbs up. Hachi seems a bit conflicted, mostly likely about that second part, but gives in and agrees.

It doesn't take long for everyone else to show up. First up, Pal walks in, guiding an eager Kaixi and an irritated Chouki. Despite his attitude, he does sit at the table, right next to Pal. Not long after this, Kogi makes his way inside. For a moment, it looks like he's going to set at a corner table, but he changes his mind and joins the rest of them. Another short minute passes, and then Takumi gets pushed into the dining room by Kazuha and Sawako. He glares at them but takes his seat regardless. That display is followed by Morgan and Tsubame, who make much less of a fuss. Somewhere in all of that mess, Fumika had already taken her seat without Shizu noticing. Once Michio sees everyone else, he calls into the kitchen for Soraru to join them. Xe comes out reluctantly, under the condition that xe can leave once the timer xe set starts beeping. The meeting can finally begin.

Michio stands up, clears his throat, and, after everyone has quieted down, gets things going. "Okay, okay! Thanks everyone for coming together. I trust that you've all had a good look around, right?" There are several noises of affirmations and nods, so he continues. "Good. This is a long shot, but did anyone find anything that might help us escape?"

This time, there is only silence. Eventually, Sawako announces, "We found a great deal of tools in the storage room, so, in theory, we could use those to break out."

"What are we going to do, saw through the walls? How do you expect us to get through solid metal?" Chouki scoffs.

Kaixi snaps his fingers. "Oh! What if we use the tools to break through some of the bars? They seem thin enough."

"Um… What about the rules?" Kazuha runs toys with the front of her baseball cap. "I want everyone to escape but not if it means that someone gets hurt."

"If we knew where the exit was, we could focus our efforts on that area and flee before Monokuma has time to punish us," Fumika says, only to immediately bring up the problem. "However, we don't have any way of knowing that. I attempted to see what was beyond the bars but to no avail. I could see nothing but more hallways."

"The storage room's a bust, big deal. What about everywhere else?" Soraru slams xer hands on the table for emphasis.

Chouki shakes his head. "The lounge is a dead end too."

"We… considered using the… fireplace… as an escape route. This was… impossible… because the fireplace… was electric," Pal concludes sadly.

Not wanting to be left out, Kaixi comments, "Y-yeah, the connection to the ceiling is only for aesthetic purposes. It's completely solid."

"What about everywhere else?" Joshua asks.

"That's it," Fumika states bluntly.

He does a double take. "Really?"

Shizu adjusts her glasses. "Unfortunately, those are the only two areas, other than this room and the briefing room, that are available to us."

"What about in the kitchen?" Samia ponders, but Soraru cuts her down instantly.

"Nuh uh!" xe declares. "I've been in there all day, so I'd know if there was a secret passage hidden there. And before you ask, I checked the freezer and the pantry too!" Xe sticks out xer tongue.

"Y-you couldn't have searched the freezer that well…" Takumi mutters. "It has to be freezing cold in there, and you probably ran back out after a few seconds."

"Huh?" Soraru draws out the syllable. "Did you say something really mean or was that just your bag crumpling around your face?"

Takumi clenches his hands into fists, but Michio clears his throat again hastily. "Okay then, sounds like there isn't any easy escape. I honestly expect that to be the case, but you never know." He pauses in case anyone has any last minute interjection, but he's met with silence. Thus, he continues. "Next item on the table… There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going for it. What does everyone remember about being taken here?"

The silence from before becomes ice cold in an instant. Nobody wants to meet anyone else's eyes. Michio tries again. "It's something we've all tried to ignore, I know, but do you guys really think that's going to help? I know I'm still freaked out about before assaulted by a bunch of masked guys late at night, so I get it. I really do. But how else can we figure out what happened?"

Suddenly, something in the kitchen starts beeping. "Oh, would you look at that? My cake's done! Too bad, I guess I can't talk about randomly waking up here, so sorry. Gotta make Big Brother happy and get the cake before it burns. Oh well. Have fun!" Nobody has any time to process Soraru's word avalanche before xe's zipped off into the kitchen.

Pal is the brave soul who chooses to answer Michio's question. "I understand… but what can you hope… to gain from our stories? I was… whisked away… while I slumbered. There is… nothing more I can tell you."

"Y-yeah, w-what're you trying to do, making remember something like that?! You think I want to remember some guy breaking into my house in the middle of the night?" Takumi shouts.

"You were actually awake?" Hachi asks, her eyes wide. "I-I only remember waking up in my room! I thought they grabbed me when I was sleeping."

"It's the same for me," Kaixi adds. "One minute, sleeptown. The next, here I am."

Takumi grabs his bag with both hands. "That's completely unfair! I had a guy physically restrain me and use drugs to make me unconscious. Why did I have to be so unlucky?"

"Truthfully, the same occurred for me. It took several people to pin me down, but I was also attacked and subdued," Sawako claims.

It takes a while for everyone to sort out their stories, but they generally fall into two camps. Most people, such as Tsubame, Morgan, and Pal, were abducted in their sleep. A select few, namely Michio, Sawako, and Takumi, saw their attackers but were unable to successfully fight back. There is little rhyme or reason to the attacks, and nobody can quite remember the day that they were taken. So, getting a timeline of the events leading up to this game is currently impossible.

Though that idea led nowhere, Michio is slightly more confident in his final topic. "The last thing I wanted to talk about was setting up a meeting time. It's just a way for us all to get together every day."

At this moment, Soraru comes back outside, holding a large chocolate cake, decorated with white icing and a picture of a red rose on top, in one hand. In the other, xe holds a stack of plates. It's almost impressive to watch xem carry both with ease. "Here we are! I'd have made it fancier, but you all sounded super impatient, so I rushed it! Dig in."

"Thank you, little lady." Michio winks at xem.

Soraru keeps xer smile but xer expression is flat. "Nope, try again."

He looks confused. "Huh?"

"Wrong gender, try again," xe repeats, placing the cake in the middle of the table.

"Oh shit, really? My bad… uh…" he frantically searches his brain.

Shizu takes pity on him. "Agender. Xe/xem pronouns," she supplies.

"Ugh, yeah, I'm sorry Soraru," Michio apologizes profusely.

Xe distributes the plates and says in a singsong voice, "Just don't let it happen again. Big Brother wouldn't like that at all."

While this exchange goes on, a few people look uneasily at the cake, like it's a snake that might snap at them at any minute. Perhaps they're worried it's poisoned. Joshua, however, has no such reservations, and immediately starts chowing down on a large slice. The fact that he hasn't keeled over and that Soraru also grabs one is enough to convince the others to dig in as well.

Morgan returns them to the original topic, proposed by Michio. "Would it not be best to meet together around 8 a.m. for breakfast? I know that most of us desire to eat and will naturally be present in the dining hall for that reason."

"That's way too early," Joshua complains, though his words are muffled by cake chewing.

"I too… take some time… to get myself ready… each morning. Could a later time… work better?" Pal questions.

Shizu takes charge. "However, we should still try to meet for breakfast. The start of the day is the best time to meet, as any conflicts of the previous day will have had time to cool down. Will 8:30 still be too early? An extra thirty minutes may not sound like much, but it can work wonders. It also comes after the morning announcement, which should wake everyone up."

Pal approves of her suggestion. "That time… is acceptable for me."

"I've got no issues," Fumika states, and several others agree.

"If I have to…" Takumi mutters.

"I normally get up way later, but, if everyone else wants it, I can't so no. Especially not after you've tried to accommodate me," Joshua concedes.

"It is settled then. We will all have breakfast together at 8:30 each day. That wraps up everything I wanted to talk about." Michio then opens up the discussion to the others. "Is there anything you all want to bring up before we break?"

Takumi speaks up before someone else can. "We still can't get into our rooms. Where are we supposed to sleep?!"

Tsubame begins, "Worse comes to worst, there are beds in the storage room. If we need to build-"

"Try climbing on your door some more. I got a real kick out of that!"

The dining room is filled with screams and the sounds of people choking on cake as Monokuma appears out of thin air.

"Where the hell-?" Fumika leaps out of her chair and stands on the defensive.

"Whoa, whoa, what's with the negative reception?" Monokuma laughs. "I thought you guys wanted your room keys." He extends a paw. In its grasp, there are a bunch of card keys.

Takumi darts towards him, but Monokuma shifts to hold them behind his back. "Hold your horses! Lemme explain your rooms first!" He waits for Takumi to back up before he explains, "Each card has one of your names on it, and it works with your specific room. They won't work on any others, so don't lose them. Otherwise, you'll lose access completely! And one more thing. I've made sure that your rooms are nice and soundproof. That way, you don't distracted by any goings-on in the hallways. If you really need to get someone's attention, try the doorbell. I've turned the power back on, so you've got no excuses anymore. That's all. Enjoy!"

He fans out their keys again. Takumi grabs his first and is out the door before anyone else can get theirs. People crowd around the bear, making it a hassle for Shizu to get close. Luckily for her, Kazuha apparently found hers and reaches over to give it to its owner. Shizu gives a wordless thank you to her, and, after getting a wide smile in return, makes her way outside.

She doesn't wait for anyone else before boarding the elevator. At this time in the day, getting back to her room sounds like a dream come true.

At long last, she's back in front of her door. When she swipes her card, there's a clicking sound, and she pushes her door open. A few moments later, it locks again. Before she closes it completely, she tests the doorbell. It appears to sound both outside her room and inside, meaning that Monokuma was true to his word.

Shizu flops down on her bed, relishing the feeling of sinking into the mattress. The day was horrible, no sugar coating it. Being trapped in such a lifeless building, forced to kill or be killed, and being stuck with some of these people… It's a wonder that she's still functioning.

At least she has this room to comfort her for the foreseeable future. Her eyes start to close, and she snuggles into the soft sheets. Then, she forces herself awake.

…She should probably take a shower before dozing off.


Shizu's Notes

Rules

- Violence against Monokuma is explicitly forbidden.

- We are not allowed to force our way past any areas marked with Monokuma's face.

- Nighttime begins at 12 am and ends at 8 am. Announcements will be made at both times.

- Punishments vary in severity.

- Monokuma may change the rules at any time.

- In order to win the game, we must kill someone without anyone else figuring out that we are the culprit

4th Floor

- Rooms: Shizu, Tsubame, Michio, Kazuha, Sawako

- All other areas barred off

3rd Floor

- Rooms: Hachi, Fumika, Takumi, Soraru, Kogi

- Lounge, for relaxation, includes electric fireplace and fish tank

- Storage Room, many boxes with building supplies, furniture parts, and other odds and ends

- All other areas barred off

2nd Floor

- Rooms: Morgan, Kaixi, Chouki, Pal, Samia, Joshua

- Dining Room, just has tables and chairs for eating together

- Kitchen, includes devices for cooking, cupboards, and a fridge

- Pantry, connected to kitchen, stores most of the food (haven't investigated yet, but don't anticipate having much to look at)

- Freezer, connected to kitchen, stores food that must be kept frozen (haven't investigated yet, but don't anticipate having much to look at)

- Briefing Room, includes raised platform and chairs for audience, good for announcements or possible performances

- Laundry Room, currently blocked

- Infirmary, currently blocked

Monokuma

- Robotic, cartoon-ish bear

- Claims to be the game master of the Ultimate Game

- Most likely made by the one behind our capture

- Advanced AI and sleek design imply our captors have money to spare

- Likely watching us all via hidden cameras, can appear at will, likely from multiple locations (perhaps able to block some off?)

- Playful and harsh attitude, do not underestimate

Ultimate Game

- What is the purpose of having us kill each other? Symbolic?

- Don't want us dead necessarily, as we would have been killed rather than captured

- Most claim to be capture in sleep (could be lying), others claim to have been attacked (less common claim, perhaps holds more credence)

- Nobody claims to want to play along, hard to trust

- Lack of trust is currently main motivation to play along

- Need to keep an eye on others

- Need to be able to trust them


Prologue: Game Start

End

16 Ultimates Remain


A/N: This chapter took a very long time to get out, and I'm sorry if part of it feels rushed. It's also my longest chapter to date, so don't expect chapters this long pretty much ever. Hopefully, it was worth the wait, and maybe it answered a few questions you might have had. Honestly, I'm just glad that I got it out the door at all.

So, I kind of purposely didn't include every character in the last two chapters just to see if anyone would notice if one was missing. Just a little social experiment and totally not me forgetting about my own character. I think only two people caught it. In any case, now that we have our full cast, there is a poll on my profile about which characters you want to know more about. If you have the time, please vote in that poll! It might just get some characters a bit more screentime, so vote for your favorites! Or don't. I have no power over you or your choices.

Next time, we should get into the game proper, so stay tuned for that. It might take a bit to come out, though. Whatever the case, I hope you have a fantastic day!