Disclaimer: This chapter contains implied references of sensitive or distressing topics including gore, vomiting, and disturbing imagery. Please be advised that if any of these topics cause you distress that you do not read any further than the disclaimer. Again, thank you for reading this disclaimer.
Welcome back everyone, this is quite fresh off of the back of the first section of the prologue but I am happy to have received so many interesting characters in the applications. I can tell that you guys have put thought into making them so I know as more come in you're all going to make it harder and harder for me to choose who will be joining the main cast! Before I start with the next part of the prologue I have a few small reminders and tips I want to put here for anyone who is interested in creating an OC for the story. The final deadline as said previously will be in early August however I am aiming for the next batch of acceptances to be finalised in roughly a months time where I will be introducing the next set of characters in a similar way to today, so please do not fret if you are not accepted in this bunch or the June acceptances, it does not mean I dislike your character at all! I am just making sure to select characters I like who bounce well off of each other.
With the characters I have had so far, I also have a small update on the types of characters I am interested in for applications to help build a well rounded cast full of different personalities. It's no fun having a bunch of the same people with different skins after all!
Males:
- Surly or grumpy character, someone who is a bit uptight at first but on the inside is quite wise and soft
- 'Bro' type character, a lads lad who is all about having fun, making friends and enjoying life to the fullest regardless of consequence
- Jock type character, a guy who is either very competitive or perhaps a jock who is full of themselves
Females:
- Princess or 'snooty' character, a bit of a 'daddy's girl' who is very much about appearance or wealth - thinks lowly of other people
- 'Big sister/uchi' style character, a little mischievous and playful but is very much protective and caring of the group
- Bundle of energy type of character, always on the move - perhaps uses their own slang or little phrases that are wacky
Either Gender:
- Comic relief character that can be similar to Hiro, Kazuichi or Kaito in style or you can go on a different route as long as they aren't offensive
- Pious or proper character, maybe something like an Ultimate who is in the peerage of a country - doesn't truly understand how to interact with other people their age
A version of the form that you will be able to copy and paste can be found on my profile page. Once you have completed your form please send it via DMs and tag the form as being for Danganronpa LCA or Danganronpa Lights, Camera, Action. It makes it a lot easier for me to look through the forms when I can clearly see them labeled.
Enough talking from me though, have a fun read every one and I will see you in the Author's Notes for some extra little bits of info and some thank you messages.
'Of all the money that e'er I had
I spent it in good company
And all the harm I've ever done
Alas it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit
To mem'ry now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be to you all'
In a moment of silence, they say that when everything is real, everything that is meaningful will find its way back to you. All things that you lost will find their way back and all the demons that you would evade in the past would come flooding back to you before you even had a chance to let words of farewell leave your mouth. Somedays I found such words to be their own fallacy, tales to try and encourage people into talking, to talk about their own worries without for a moment considering their own. It would be so easy after all, never had I figured that in all that had happened, that I would wash up here… that I would be in silence and that I would be the one having to encourage myself, that I would have to battle the demons, that all I had lost would come back to me in this epochal space that I would temporarily call home.
Swisssssh… Swisssssssh...Swisssssssh…
My eyes fluttered open to feel the sensation of grains brushing against my face, they rubbed against my pores with the friction of sandpaper - my base reaction to clutch my cheek to feel it only to receive a pang of pain as my hand applied pressure to the raw skin coming off of it. I thought I would cry a tear but the only salt came from the sound of the waves lapping up against my feet. Glancing at my hand again, the granules of sand had stuck to cuticles across my fingers and curled into the caverns of thin keratin shelter. Browns, yellows, and oranges - some were small, some collected in little clumps while others blended against my skin and took a deeper inspection to be noticed. I flicked a couple of the grains off one of my hands, they flew off but quickly fell and sunk into the rest of the beach that lay bare before me. No longer was I in a place I knew, this was nothing but rawness.
Crunching under my feet, the sand shifting in time with the echoes of my groaning, heaving myself to stand was a task, my eyes blurred and blinkered only to see the sands in front of me - they spanned for miles it seemed. No shells littered the beach, or rock pools filled with the clattering of crab claws. Just sand in front of me, the barren grey face of the clifftops to my left and the scent of the ocean blue on the horizon to my right. Even now, the sound of the waves were deafened beneath the crunching of the sand against my feet as I wobbled to make my first step. First you lift the foot, secondly… the hardest part, where you have to move the foot forward to be able to progress, the third part is a reprieve though as you lower the foot back onto the sound to feel the grains tickle your feet. Then the cycle begins afresh, however this time… it gets easier.
I close my eyes, take in the scent of the saltwater, then run. Crunch, crunch, crunch! My breaths flow like the breeze that takes me by my arms and raises me. At first I focus on the breaths but soon it all stops as the moment takes over. My legs run further and further, their strides crossing large gaps as they bridge the gap between normal and extraordinary. I keep pushing forwards until I can no longer and the legs collapse to the floor once more - my face hits the sand and the sand spills into my mouth, a stream of granules flush through the holes in my ear, crawling and rolling through the channel as my vain attempts to spit out the taste in my mouth lodges more of the stuff into it. I try to move my face, but all I can do is close my eyes. Close my eyes and let the moment take over once more.
Swisssssssh… Swisssssssh… Swisssssh….
Chills racked my body in time, tides of foamy blue saltwater wrapping his claws around my right arm and leg as he bore itself upon me, clambering over the surface of the sand, smothering and devouring, pushing himself forward as each contraction drew the rimy liquid closer and closer. The chills got worse, worse again as the claws latched onto my body - shaking and trembling in the sand. I could not withstand the pain yet I kept my eyes clamped shut and forgot what was around me. Pressing itself, he crushed me under his weight and dragged whatever crossed its path underneath. Anna Karenina would have had a greater chance of suppressing the locomotive than I in this moment of agonising tranquility. The seconds ticked by, seconds turned to minutes as gradually he pushed and buried me into the slurry that corrupted my lungs and plunged me deeper into the abyss. I wanted to open my eyes. I wanted to spit out the sand. I wanted to just scream until no words could come out. I drifted into darkness, consumed by the darkness until nothing remained but the chills that racked my body.
"Gah!"
With a shudder, my eyes wrenched open to a flood of sickly blue light that caused me to wince, my hands struggled to block the ghostly glow as I scrambled to pull myself upright from the puddle of chilled sweat that I had been laid down in. Beneath me, I stared at the ground to give me a moment of solace from the sudden shift in light to see white tiles, slick with a liquid which reeked of salt. A small shudder took over me as I pressed my hands to my forehead and squeezed at my temples to wring out the thick haze that buzzed out in the forefront of my mind like a pesky fly. I couldn't help but groan once more as the scent of salt and the oppressive blue light washed me. I blinked a couple of times then took to looking at the tiles again, there were tiles on the floor. White tiles were definitely what were being used to cover the floor yet there was something about the white tiles which were confusing to me. I had not seen them before, as I scratched my memory for some kind of answer I was interrupted by a new odour cutting through the salt and assaulting my scenes mercilessly.
Taking the time to push myself upright against the wall (also made up of the same clean white tiles) I craned my neck to follow the source of the smell. As I searched for the cause of the scent, small plumes of mist escaped my mouth as I drew out each ragged breath, it was only then that the chill that had enveloped me before became ever so present again resulting in me clutching my body and curling up in an attempt to bring myself some comfort from my body heat. Shaking and shivering, eventually my eyes came across the culprit of the smell that had invaded the room. A metallic table was pressed up against the wall, the pallid glow providing a blue tablecloth where a mound of butchered meat rest - from my view I strained myself forward slightly to try and get the details but to me, it was just a mound of pink flesh, hacked and chopped into various shapes and sizes but for whatever reason, I could not comprehend. Was this some kind of butcher's freezer? Why would I be here? This made no sense at all, I thought I was on a bus? Then I drank tea on a beach? Then I was in a freezer?
"... What…?" my voice was slurred, trying to understand as my brain whirred around in overtime. All I could do for now was try and heave my body upright against the wall. Squinting a little, my back found itself pressed up against the tiles, slickening it slightly from the sweat that had been absorbed by my clothing, heaving broke any silence as abrasive breaths forced their way from my mouth at every attempt that was made to get myself to my feet. They were shaking viciously from the cold but call it sheer determination or perhaps the panic of the situation but I couldn't help but bring myself to my feet in a final cry of painful victory.
Catharsis should be my saviour, let it all out, girl. One step. Two steps. I edged by the table with the meat thrown across it, there it lay in a heap of frozen bloody flesh. Three steps. Five steps. Ten steps. There were more tables just the same as the one prior, more piles of flesh, dried blood stains scratched against the floor - from the ceiling larger hunks of meat dangled, impaled across rancid hooks that were mounted to the ceiling and then hung down to impale the flesh beneath. Eleven through to twenty steps and I felt blood in my cheeks, I felt hunger in my heart. My hands pressed against the swinging lumps of flesh only if for a moment before the purge of disgust overcame me and with a stagger I nearly fell to the ground completely. With a few deep breaths, I felt my whole body convulsing in fevers of cold and hot - the room blurred as I felt my throat contract until a torrent of green splattered out of my mouth and onto the white tiles beneath - violent shivers coated my body as beads of sweat dripped from my brow, another breath to try and compose myself was interrupted as my throat contracted again and a secondary stream exited its tributary and made its course to the floor beneath. I resisted the urge to cry, I wanted to let the tears go but I needed to conserve my energy as I pulled my frail form up and grimaced as I pushed through the maze of bloody flesh, using the olecranons to tap them away and provide myself a route as I tried to search for some kind of door.
Twenty more steps and my face was pressed up against the frosted silver surface of the door to this freezer I had found myself in, my trembling fingers hooked their way around the handle that was to my right, gently teasing their way across the metal and pulling it down with all the strength I could still muster. With a weak tug I yanked the handle down and tried to thrust the door back to open up my cell to whatever was outside. My mind was screaming, my heart punching against my ribcage in an attempt to burst forth. Click. Thud thud. The door barely budged in place as it jammed itself against the small crystals of rime that had coalesced around the frame of the door., I tried once more, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth so much that a canine slipped slightly and dug into my bottom lip. Again though, the same click and the same insistent thud was my only reward. My hand left the handle and joined its companion as they curled themselves into small balls, nails digging into the palms and pressing down deeply as to nearly draw blood.
"... H-Help me!"
I banged on the door once more, any last energy I had been poured into this pursuit as I gave in to letting my teeth piercing the surface of my lips and draw small trickles of blood that pooled in the recesses of the chapped skin.
"... Help! Help! Help me!"
Gradually, I found whatever willpower I had to be manifested into these fists as the pace quickened. Thud. Thud thud. Bang bang bang. Bang thud bang crash bang thud crash! The pain all blurred into a thick layer of prickly heat as the purple fists pounded against the metal door in front of me. The noise reverberating across the freezer in sharp clanging echoes. I just kept pounding the surface, again and again. Oblivious to whatever was around me as I let all reason escape me in an unholy scream for help.
"Help! Help me-"
Closing my eyes, it took but a few moments to realise that the surface I was hitting no longer felt like the firm steel of the door, it was still hard but it radiated warmth and seemed to have some curvature to it, gentle but defined. My eyes tried to force themselves to see ahead but all the noise blurred as I felt a wave of fatigue wash over me - a ball of blue, more vibrant than the glow of the freezer speckled my vision, it spoke in a panicked tone calling words of 'Who are you!' and 'What happened to you'. Before I could answer though, I felt myself go and plunged into the inky black pitch once more.
The darkness was all-consuming, yet even as my body floated through this state of limbo a peace lingered in the shadows. A voice telling me that everything was going to be alright, that everything would get better in the end. While I listened to the light, I turned my heel to face the darkness and challenge it head-on.
Streaks of a gentle cream coloured tickled my face as with a short groan I strained them open to find my vision directed straight up to a lightbulb veiled in a bamboo shade, a few times I blinked as I stared up at the light source in confusion. Trying to process it was a task which to my chagrin took too long as when my eyes snapped to try and look for anything else that might give me clues as to what the hell was going on, my periphery was clouded with afterimages of cyan and pink circles of light, throwing me off-kilter. A yawn managed to escape my mouth, it felt dry and wretched but that was the least of my worries now right? I mean… where was I? What the hell was happening to me? Was this all some continuous dream, had I developed some kind of psychosis and I was losing my mind? I needed to get out of this mess and try and find some normality in all the chaos that was sending me into a state of distress.
The coldness was an odd form of relaxation as my clammy palms pressed down on what felt like thick leather upholstery, in my state I could only assume it was some kind of sofa or chair that I had been lain down on because when I instinctively flailed my hands forward in search of a blanket to cover myself with I was met only with empty space. Not to find myself defeated however, taking every bit of effort I had in my feeble arms I uttered an unholy grunt as my body shot up erect against the back of the seat I had been laid in and my vision became speckled in a brief spell of vertigo. The room was all a blend of creams, browns, and yellows - yet even in my state, there was that same blue ball from before which bobbed up and down like a buoy in the sea - except this time it stopped for a moment then began to enlarge at a rapid speed towards me, ready to score a strike against the pin of a person I was.
"Thank goodness you're awake, here let me grab some water for you quickly," the blue ball spoke, concern laced its tone yet I felt a comfort and reassurance from its speech, it sounded familiar and masculine, yet nothing rugged or harsh, "I won't lie, you had Kaori worried but I am glad to see you're conscious again, don't move okay? You're not doing too well and we don't want you getting hurt."
The blue ball momentarily vanished from my sight. I wanted to move from my empty space in this calm room, my forehead felt hot after all and the surroundings while they were slightly clearer still, had me confused as to where I was at the moment. Scratching my memory gave me nothing too, all I could remember were brief snips, like photographs of moments that happened in the past. I remember being on a bus. Yes, there was a bus and we were on a school trip somewhere. We were on a school trip to some film company to take a tour of their studios for a project. Then when we got in, there was some tea? It tasted nice, although for the life of me I could not put a name to the flavour, it must have been chamomile though, with how drained I was right now. The last image that I could picture before everything turned on its head was the sight of a man sprawled on the floor in front of me - unconscious, fingers pink from scald burns after dropping the cup of tea due to fatigue. The name though… it was… Ikoma right? Ikoma-sensei! Of course!
"Ikoma-sensei…" my voice was but that of a mouse trying to squeak in a den full of lions, "Ikoma-sensei!"
Silence.
"Ikoma-sensei! Ikoma-sensei! Where are you! Are you here, please help me! Ikoma-sensei come back!" my voice carried itself louder than I was expected, small thuds accompanied his name as my fists curled into small balls and beat down on the leather chair I was sat in - the shuffling of footsteps approached, from what direction I could not tell but it must be Ikoma-sensei! He was coming, with him around as our teacher perhaps everything would be able to return to normal and the situation that I was in could be resolved.
"H-Hey, hey relax, calm down and drink this and eat this tablet, I found it, it's an ibuprofen tablet, it should help you with whatever is making you feel as crappy as you are now," the sound came from the blue ball, except on its return I could distinguish the blue ball was not a blue ball but the blurred outline of a face, healthy tanned skin with a mop of blue hair, that was definitely not Ikoma-sensei and without knowing I must have edged away from his voice as he raised his hands and protested, "Whoa, relax, trust me I won't hurt you! I found you banging and screaming in that freezer and I just wanted to make sure you can get better and be on top form. Kaori is trying to put on a smile but I think she is feeling anxious, there's a lot to talk about but I need you to calm down and trust me okay? Please."
"Trust you…?" my voice was quiet, reflecting on what he said I just gave a short nod, I was scared myself and in this situation, I'd rather take the chance and move forward, "I can do that… okay."
He didn't speak but the sigh of relief was enough of an indicator to show that he was glad that I was now cooperating with him, I felt a small capsule being placed in my hand as his palm covered my own - I was expecting them to feel soft yet there was a firmness to them like they had seen some kind of work, "Come on, do you need any help with the water or can you manage?"
I could manage, with a struggle, but I could manage to allow the figure to slot the glass of water into my other hand as I quaffed it down with a large swig of the water, even after the capsule was far down in the first gulp, I chugged the glass of water down, throat expanding and dilating in a thirst to consume all that was in the glass. It was bliss like that I had never known before, the kind of bliss that comes from the beauty of simplicity. It was baseless and savage of me to be so rude in front of this man but if I could care about what he thought of me at this moment I would not have been as human as I felt right then. Closing my eyes, taking a few more breaths of my own, everything just drew to quiet again, yet this time it felt natural, I felt prepared for the emptiness and it was a comfort more than it was fear. I'd open my eyes in a moment but for the few fleeting seconds that remained before the man would ask me if I was feeling any better after drinking the glass of water, I'd take the time to compose myself and try and not make a fool of myself in front of this saviour who rescued me from out of that horrific freezer and taken the time to do his best to try and put me somewhere safe and wait for me to come around again. The least I could do was thank him.
"Thank you, really…" my eyes opened, my vision was by no means perfect but in my more composed state I was able to fully capture the image of the boy who was in front of me, he had knelt to try and keep eye level with me. I didn't know why but not having to strain my neck to look him in the eye was a bonus - it was still a bit sore, "I don't know what I can do or say to repay you for what you have done to help but I hope my gratitude is enough for now. I guess… that's it."
"You don't need to thank me, you were in trouble and you needed the help, I'm sure if it was the other way around you would have done the same for me," he replied, his smile was soft.
The boy who was kneeled in front of me was in simplistic terms, the very definition of good looking. Perhaps to the point where he could appear as one of those models on an artsy fashion magazine. Taking the time to look at him closely, even underneath his clothes of a tight white t-shirt (decorated with a blue wave pattern) and black cargo trousers there was clear evidence of his athletic form, muscles pressed against the fabric and stated how this boy was healthy and in fit form. Occasionally as he spoke, he would take a couple of threads off of the light blue scarf he wore around his neck and pick at them as he paid close attention to me, I don't think he was conscious of the fact that he was doing that or the fact that the straps on his white trainers had come undone.
Either way, you would probably think that with such an athletic physique that it would have been distracting. I guess I couldn't lie and say he wasn't attractive but his face radiated youthful energy that could bring the dead back to life. His face was framed with a sharp, defined jawline - it made him strong and perfectly matched his determined purple eyes and black brows that gave him an ever-present sense of maturity which I would not have expected from a teenager. Had it not been obvious from the fact that he was smaller in stature and had not fully broadened in the last years of adolescence I probably would have mistaken him for an adult though. The blue mop I had seen earlier was what I had expected it to be, light blue hair that was fairly short but tousled in a way which said 'I love the classic bedhead vibe'. If he hadn't been so hospitable to me I might have even mistaken him as slightly intimidating from the confidence in how he carried himself.
"I don't know if I would have had the body strength to be able to carry you from wherever that freezer was to here, that must have been a chore - I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to cause you the hassle," I looked to him with a pensive expression, he would probably deny the need for it but I lowered my head slightly in a bow of respect.
"It wasn't too far," I followed his eyes to a wooden pair of double doors - it seemed that the room we were in was similar to a reception area for some kind of office or studio, the leather chair I was sat on was one of a few dotted around small coffee tables adorned with various green plants which gave life to a room which was mostly muted in a wash of whites and browns. Some bookcases were pressed against the wall, stacked with different magazines and books that had been crammed in so tightly that I could pick out where some had contorted from the pressure. A reception desk was left bare, only a black and white stapler, and a cute little rubber in the shape of a dog sat next to the detached monitor of what must have been a computer that was nearly as old as me.
"Hey, did you hear what I said? You zoned out for a moment," I blinked, feeling the presence of a hand being waved in front of my face. Instinctively, my eyes followed the hand to the purple eyes which starred at me as though they already knew the answer to the question its owner had asked, "It wasn't too far, just through that door there is a corridor - a lot of the rooms seemed to be jammed or locked but there was a large cafeteria with a kitchen attached close to his room, the freezer was just in the back of the kitchen. Honestly, you might call it luck that I heard the banging as the appliances in that room are hella noisy. Now that you are feeling a bit better though, we'd best get ourselves acquainted right? How are we going to become friends and get to solving the matter of what is going on here if we don't know those key details."
That's a good point! My eyes widened at the realisation that all this time our dialogue had been under the pretense of strangers, being in whatever strange place they were right now - whatever had happened between seeing Ikoma-sensei and turning up in that freezer… Even if this guy and whoever this Kaori figured turned out to be the worst of the worst, I had no right to try and act as though I could handle this on my own. I couldn't, I was afraid. No, I wasn't afraid, I was pretty much holding back my terror at the thought of not knowing what had caused the events up to this point. Before I could get myself more worked up in the network of thoughts, my introduction began.
"Right, of course, I'll keep this short if you don't mind, it's not that I don't want to talk in specifics, it's just, I'd rather get myself in the right mindset… I think you can agree we need to try and figure out why this happened first," the boy gave a nod of acknowledgment but said nothing as he waited for me to continue speaking, "Well, I came from a place called Hope's Peak Academy, my name is Nezire Katsura… actually, forget my memory I apologise. I think I recognise your face, it's vague but I remember seeing someone who looked just like you in the school store one time when I was buying a notebook to write a report on mental health, I'm the Ultimate Social Worker. It's nice to meet you."
"You'd be right, Kaori is also from Hope's Peak Academy… funnily enough, we both also had our last memories before we woke up here on a school trip with the academy but we should talk about that as a group later, I think it would be more productive doing it that way," the boy offered his hand out to shake my own, my hands were small and not nearly as firm and confident in the grip as he mostly did the shaking, "My name is Takumi Hamasaki, I'm officially called the Ultimate Diver however I do diving as a sport, not deep-sea diving, not to say deep-sea diving doesn't sound cool but… platforms and springforms were always my bread and butter."
REGISTERING NEW STUDENT….
TAKUMI HAMASAKI
ULTIMATE DIVER
"Takumi huh… you are pretty famous right? You might not want to be shaking my hand too much, I wouldn't want any fangirls to get jealous and try and mob me or beg me to get your attention for them," trying to present that as a joke was harder than anticipated it seems as Takumi responded with an awkward smile, not sure what to feel about what I had just said to him.
"You could say so I guess?" he shrugged at me, eyes side glancing the door he had looked at earlier, "I think part of being an athlete is accepting the fact you will get fame if you are good, still as long as you don't let it consume you and make sure the sport always maintains itself as your main focus it isn't as bad as it seems. I mean, have you seen those buffets that they have at sporting award ceremonies? I have never seen a crab so huge! It has big pincers just like this."
Takumi moved back a bit and puffed out his chest a little as he demonstrated the snipping action of a crab whilst muttering an oddly suave commentary of, "Snip snip… snippety snip snip snip…" to emphasise his performance. I tried to keep a straight face, without laughing for his own sake, but after the tenth snip I couldn't help but splutter a short laugh at the boy's antics. He seemed to be a genuine guy from what I could tell and that was something which could be hard to go by when Ultimates were considered.
"Takumi? Is that meant to be an impression of a crab? I did not know that you were talented at animal charades as well," a cheerful voice cut Takumi's performance although unlike that of Takumi's, it was distinctively feminine, "I'm impressed Takumi."
Takumi and I seemed to look towards the voice at the same time to see the person responsible for the cheerful voice, a girl around about my height had just entered through the double doors that Takumi had been looking at periodically, closing them behind her with a gentle touch. From her appearance, she seemed to look just as cheerful as she sounded but what stood out to me the most was her smile. Her smile seemed so gentle and warm that it could melt the ice out of Scrooge's heart if she wanted to, along with her pale face and light blue eyes she captured the beauty of a winter's day without the bitter chill or the howling gales. Her hair was short in a wavy bob that ended just at her chin and like her eyes, it shimmered with an iridescent akin to a morning frost. Her figure was modest, like a small hourglass and she seemed to carry herself with a disposition that seemed motherly yet dignified.
Perhaps where Takumi's wardrobe focused on blue as its main colour, this girl had chosen red as the foundation for her complete look. The first thing that struck me was the light red turtleneck cardigan with short puffed sleeves that the girl wore, with the long-sleeved white shirt underneath. I couldn't help but imagine how warm and comforting that combo must be, the only problem I have though is finding the time to be able to focus on what I wear due to the stress of all my schoolwork. The cardigan itself was zipped open up to her navel, for what reason I had no idea, and had two large pockets on the front. She also wore a block red mini skirt whose bottom has a white outline which made it look like a ribbon had been perfectly appliquéd to the fabric alongside the embroidered snowman on the side of the skirt. I strained a little to see her tights looked like candy canes that were stuffed into black shoes - Mary Janes I thought but with the straining I couldn't quite tell. At the very least, she shared the red ribbon trait, a small one used to tie some hair on the right side of her head.
"Hello…? Are you…?" I looked to Takumi to get confirmation, it'd be much better than embarrassing myself in front of this girl.
"Kaori, yeah it is. Don't fret, she's a good egg," he gave me a look of reassurance to comfort me. Afterward, rubbing a little bit of sleep from his own eyes his attention turned to Kaori who had now walked over and stood to the side of the leather chair, offering me a small smile before putting her focus into listening to Takumi, the diver continues to address her, "Hey Kaori, look as you can see she's awake. Just so you know, she's an Ultimate like us and her name is Nezire… Katsumi? Katsumi right?"
"Close enough, Katsura but I've heard a lot worse names from my clients," I laughed half-heartedly.
"Right, Nezire Katsura! So, she was telling me about she was the Ultimate Social Worker back at the academy, she even recognised me after a bit of thought. I was wondering if you'd be able to spend some time keeping her company Kaori. With everything that is going on right now… you know, I don't want you to feel like you need to push yourself too far," Takumi expressed his concern with a small crease in his brow.
"I'm much better than I was before, I never thanked you for that though - waking up in that cafeteria alone was not something I was expecting, the last thing I saw was… Hayashi-kun. He was looking in the distance before collapsing," Kaori clasped her hands in front of her in a motion of prayer, closing her eyes momentarily before opening them and letting the same smile as before return to her face.
"You didn't see Hayashi-kun on your search? I don't remember many people myself bar… that opera singer who was always eating salad in the cafeteria while she sang, she was on the floor next to me when I collapsed."
"I'm sorry, I've had no luck myself - there was a door I found and I thought I heard light snoring in it but when I tried to open it and bang on the door… it was made part of some weird wood that really hurt to knock on. Not to mention, pushing it was like that freezer door for Nezire here I imagine. Jammed shut," Kaori gave a small bow of apology to Takumi for what she must have deemed a failure on her behalf.
"There's no need to apologise, I'll go take a look for you, maybe I can see if there is a joint that can be loosened to help push it open. If there is someone in there we need to help them get out or else they could be in serious trouble," Takumi stood up, for the first time he spoke in a way which seemed much more serious in how it came across, pursed lips and all, "Kaori, do you mind keeping Nezire company in the meantime, who knows what hell she has been through… right now all we can do is talk to keep our minds occupied from dark thoughts."
Kaori didn't respond verbally, however, her pulling up one of the other leather chairs to position it next to where I was slumped translated into an affirmative, she whispered a small prayer of good luck for the diver before he signaled his departure from the room with a brisk wave and exited through the double doors Kaori had entered through before.
"..." I looked to the other girl in silence, in most other circumstances I would have eagerly started talking but my head was not in the right frame of mind to pull out topics of small talk like a rabbit out of a magician's hat.
"Ah, where are my manners, you must be wanting a proper introduction right? Here I was thinking that you were just shy," she beamed with a larger smile than before, chuckling a little at herself before placing her palms on her lap and continuing to speak with a vigour that I could only hope to leech off of her if I were anything worse than a savage, "As Takumi mentioned, my name is Kaori, but my full name is Kaori Miyazaki. Miyazaki,like the director guy, Hayao Miyazaki! Except as much as it would be fun to admit that I was related to such a talented man I am sadly not…"
She grimaced ever so slightly at the mention of talent as though she was resisting the urge to frown, her smile returning once more as her monologue proceeded, "My talent isn't one that you might expect, it's not what you might call a common or conventional Ultimate, but I think that the amount it matters to me means much more than the words of those people who think it's a 'waste of time'. I'm the Ultimate Christmas Caroler, I don't know if you went to the 'Night of the Holy' but that was the pinnacle so far of everything. I hope if you didn't get to be there that I can one day share that experience with you too and all the other students who I am going to become great friends with."
REGISTERING NEW STUDENT...
KAORI MIYAZAKI
ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS CAROLER
"It's nice hearing someone so positive, I appreciate it Kaori. With all that has been going on, people like you are important in helping keep people motivated. I just wish… I could do more than just sit here and listen to you and Takumi being as kind as you are and expecting nothing in return. I would have frozen to death if Takumi hadn't rescued me and yet he didn't even bat an eyelid or expect any kind of compensation for it… don't you feel like that is wrong? Surely he is not that modest is he?" while I questioned Kaori on Takumi's motives, I found that the question was mostly directed towards myself - so far with everything that had happened, the strange passing out, the horrors of that freezer and then being rescued by Takumi… it seemed strange for these bizarre events to happen consecutively and for the diver to act so calmly in the face of what was potential madness. If I didn't feel indebted to these people I would have had every mind to just go back to sleep and hope this was all a dream once more.
"I can't say for certain but I think Takumi is just as afraid as anyone would be waking up somewhere unknown," Kaori's eyes then sparkled a little as she leaned forward in her chair, "Takumi is just trying to stay strong for the rest of us so that we don't have to be afraid, like how a carol and bring people peace and harmony, Takumi is being… our metaphorical carol right now when we might find ourselves struggling. It's much easier to smile when you have a reason to smile."
The way she spoke with such innocence sent a slight shiver shooting down my spine, I couldn't help but stop biting my lip in concern before I noticed with Kaori's pondering of, "Are you feeling okay Nezire? Don't worry okay, we're here for you… I know we don't know each other too well but we need to face this together okay?"
"Doesn't what you say concern you in the slightest?" I looked up to her, my face held nothing more than an expression of thoughtful neutrality as I spoke, "I want to be positive, don't get me wrong Kaori. I just have to be realistic, if you talk about Takumi like that then he will implode in time. I've seen what happens when people hold the worries of others too long and it isn't pretty at all."
Kaori stared at me momentarily, fragments of her reasoning had vacuolated, sloshing around as they tried to connect the dots, "He'll implode…?" her voice wanted to quaver but instead, she just closed her eyes and pressed her palms together in a motion of meditation, "I believe in Takumi, if we want to get through this we need to all be positive and not think of thoughts like that - he'll only implode if we shut him out so as long as we work towards being friends we'll be able to figure out where we are together and then figure out how we can resolve the problem. I'm not saying any of this will be easy but I do think it is possible."
"Just promise me to do all you can to help him alright, or anyone for that matter…" a pang of guilt filled me, this girl was perhaps a little too innocent and holding a promise against her for the mental wellbeing of another person who was arguably mentally and physically superior was not the nicest route to take but it had to be done. I told myself it was a necessary evil, "... nobody is immune to pain."
"Of course I promise," Kaori chuckled a little then curled her arm a little bit in a strange pose, holding her bicep she jokingly added, "I may not look it but while I may not be strong in a fight, I'm still a force to be reckoned with!"
Kaori's positivity was something I could agree with as a force to be reckoned with, even seeing the faces of those I'd managed to help in the past I could not have imagined seeing someone brimming with so much hope and vigour when I expected people to feel as conflicted and lost in their emotions as I did right now, I didn't want to admit it but as she continues to beam with that blissful smile, my stomach sank into pits of brimstone, seeing her so positive had me questioning whether she was naive, whether I was weak or whether in the end were both too screwed girls relying on feeding ourselves with words to get ourselves to a positive start. It also didn't help that seeing those candy cane tights staring me straight in the face had my stomach growling more than a pitbull snarling through an iron gate. Thinking about it, looking around the room once it came to my attention that we had no way to determine how much time had elapsed between each of the instances. Was it an hour? A day? A week…? Surely people would be looking for us if it had been that long, perhaps Kaori was right and I was just getting paranoid.
Clip. Clop. Clip. Clop. My contemplation was interrupted by the sound of two sets of footsteps, one gave a sturdy thud against the ground whilst the other pair had a more defined and slight click to them. They appeared to be getting closer to the room, coming from down the corridor which Takumi had left through before. Takumi was one I recognised from the conversation which gradually became audible between him and the other person who he was conversing with:
"Are you sure that it was a good idea to let Daichi walk off? I can't help but regret not being more firm in asking him to stay with the group," Takumi sounded irked by the actions of whoever 'Daichi' was.
"Daichi is capable of looking after himself, sure he has his bad days but so does everyone. Not everyone is as naturally chilled out as you are, don't act like you don't know what I am saying is true either Takumi dearie, I know you all too well remember," another female voice replied in retaliation to Takumi's comment, this one had a more pronounced formality to it, however, whilst they were speaking in Japanese their accent gave off the impression of a foreigner who was capable of speaking fluent Japanese but not quite getting rid of their natural accent.
"I was not saying that I don't see how this is an issue about me - I just want to do whatever is in my power to make things right and Daichi leaving like that was not right," Takumi kept an air of calm even when his words sounded a little less friendly than before.
"I'm just saying, you can try and be a leader and help people out but sometimes people need time to themselves, to compose their thoughts and all. How on earth do you expect people to smile if you dictate to them what to do and put them under a leash like they are a dog," the girl countered, she spoke in a more clipped and passionate tone.
"Are you comparing me to a dictator? Just because I wanted to try and keep Daichi safe, I appreciate the fact that you care for his feelings, but trust me when I say I know how to deal with stressful situations and leaving him on his own, in the kitchen of all places was not a sensible idea. You can't convince me otherwise Emily, so maybe we would be better off agreeing to disagree."
"No I…" 'Emily' resigned her authoritative approach to the conversation, opting for a mellower way of speech, "I… just know how hard stress can be too and people deal with it in different ways. I didn't mean to upset or offend you, you know that right? Can I be honest with you Takumi? I'm genuinely really, really frightened right now at the prospect of being alone and my parents not being able to contact me due to the dead signal but for me I cope by smiling and trying to rationalise the positives I can make out of what is a negative situation. After all, I could be completely alone instead of only… semi-alone. If it makes any difference to you I am glad you were there to help us get out of that storage cupboard. It was not nice… I can only stand the smell of hot dog water for so long before I want to gag."
"Funny… I was wondering what that smell was on you just now…" I could not see him but I could imagine Takumi smirking at the joking comment and from the smack that followed I also imagined that was the slap on the arm he got as a consequence for his statement partnered with a harumph of indignation.
Kaori and I exchanged glances with each other, while it seemed all too obvious to me, the quizzical and confused expression on the other girls face left me feeling ever the more sorry for her naivety. I'd just have to hope that for her own sake that Takumi didn't try and say something witty to her and cause her to embarrass herself in front of him. She seemed like a sweet soul to me and while it would teach her a valuable life lesson on the reality of how people may not always be black and white, I felt too cruel to force a spectrum of colours into her face. Kaori seemed competent enough to discover for herself.
"Kaori! Nezire! I found two people!" Takumi shouted, they were just about to enter so it was beyond me why he did but perhaps he wanted to get the Christmas caroler enthused again as she beamed from ear to ear at the news of success. I'd have a word with him about his fricative conversation later potentially, he seemed to be confident beyond his level of wisdom from first impressions.
"Yay! Who are they Takumi?" Kaori feigned ignorance to spare the diver the embarrassment of catching onto the fact that we had heard their entire tiff.
"Emily and Daichi, Daichi left for the kitchen though as when we told him about it he seemed to have a real desire to get something to eat, I tried to warn him not to go wandering off in this place but he seemed fully set on food, probably coffee too knowing him," Takumi entered through the double doors first, closely followed by another petite individual.
The girl in question, Emily, displayed all the elements of grace without the need to rub it in anyone's face. The way she carried herself with perfect posture and deftness of movement as she entered the room spoke in volumes about how she was a refined and sophisticated young lady. Her skin unlike that of the rest of us in the room was not only extremely pale but had the smooth texture that made her appear like she was a porcelain doll that could crack from the slightest touch. Her eyes struck me as oddly off-putting for the slightest of moments as they were almost unnaturally vibrant in the hue of ocean blue, against the paleness of her skin they were strikingly beautiful. Straight chestnut brown hair draped down her back, straightened for the most part however towards the bottom the strands of hair flared out into a bouquet of loose waves. I couldn't help but stare at her for probably a little too long for the sake of etiquette but the way she appeared matched that of a lady from Western or Northern Europe, not Japan of all places. It was odd not knowing about these Ultimates as much as they knew about each other, I must have focused on my social worker responsibilities more than I had thought to only recognise Takumi based on a face but know nothing more than that.
Emily's elegance was contained within a package of timelessness: I could appreciate her taste for floral patterns too as she wore a white dress decorated with a pattern of dusty pink roses, the skirt seemed to be made of a light flowing material that gently swished as she moved - as though a permanent breeze was surrounding her as she approached. Moreover, she accompanied this dress with a light pink coat that she had taken off and was holding over her shoulder, it looked moderately thick so I could only imagine she had felt too hot in it. On her feet Emily opted for a simple pair of red heels, the heels being short but still making the classic clicking sound they were known for as they walked along the surface of the floor.
"Hello, I hope you are all doing okay, I know that everything is a mess right now but-" Emily stopped her welcome as her eyes rested on me and widened in a state of surprise, before I could even anticipate it she had jogged to the side of my chair, almost tripping over her heels from the sudden acceleration as she frowned at my condition, "Oh my! Are you alright sweetie? Did Takumi not get you anything to help you out?"
"Don't worry, I gave Nezire some ibuprofen I found in the kitchen along with a glass of water, she should feel as fit as a fiddle before no time," Takumi shook his head but before he could add another word to bolster his actions he found himself interrupted by Emily again.
"You didn't try and get the poor dear any food? You're lucky you're cute Takumi or else I'd give you another smack on your arm mister!" she scolded, it was in no means malicious though as her eyes glimmered a little as she reproached the diver who simply rolled his eyes in response to her small outburst.
"I won't deny the fact that I'm hungry, my stomach has been hankering for something…" I mumbled glancing down to my stomach, putting a small hand to the area where my stomach would be to feel the faint vibrations of hunger as it growled and groaned.
Emily gave Takumi a small smirk then chuckled a little bit before teasing, "Classic boy move right?"
Kaori chuckled a little to herself at the joke, however I could help but snigger a little at the jab, Takumi seemed to take it on the chin for now but the way he looked at Emily when she wasn't looking was one I could only describe as the makings of a plot to cause mischief. Either that or he had a twitchy nose and was resisting the urge to ram his finger up a nostril to scratch at the itch.
"Where were we… oh yes! Nezire correct? I think I may have seen you around once before but I do not know much about you. I apologise, you know how it is. Busy, busy, busy - such is the life of us Ultimate Students yes? My name is Emily Bright, I was recruited by the academy as the Ultimate Opera Singer - hopefully once we can find the teachers and return to the academy I can give you an example of one of the songs I perform."
REGISTERING NEW STUDENT…
EMILY BRIGHT
ULTIMATE OPERA SINGER
I took the time to think before I spoke as I needed to present it in a way that was polite yet firm. "That sounds nice Emily but… I think for now we should focus on drawing our ideas together and trying to figure out what is going on. You said that a guy called Daichi was here but if there are four of us around what's not to say there are other people from that bus who are around, I think it's in our best interest to try and gather as many people as we can, as the saying goes 'strength in numbers."
"Of course, I'm sure you already have some ideas to help out Nezire. Still, I would try to get to know people and learn more about the lives of those who are not in the spotlight you see? A social worker has different life experiences and it would be so 'sweeeeet' to get that knowledge," she put her hand out, palm facing me as she made her declaration, eyes sparkling with the same enthusiasm that Kaori showed before, "You can take the spotlight Nezire, it would suit you!"
"I… I appreciate the comment but I doubt that Emily," I rubbed the back of my head, trying to hide my expression which hinted at my sheer bemusement that the opera singer would have come to that conclusion upon seeing a somewhat sickly and groggy girl, "I'm more of the type who does better putting the attention onto others than onto myself, you can have the spotlight though. It'd be much better that way."
"O-Oh… yes dear, of course dear," Emily's cheeks flushed slightly, for whatever reason I could not discern, turning on her heels quickly to head over to the bookshelf to pick through the crushed contents.
A moment of silence ensued, with Emily occupying herself with the collection of texts I had expected Takumi to immediately spring into some speech after the conversation that Kaori and I had but it was, in fact, the innocent girl herself who spoke, looking to the diver whose eyes had followed Emily as a father would watch over their child - his eyes were dog-drawn yet fiercely protective, this was what I was worried about if he only ever sought to take charge of the situation without leaning on others too.
"Nezire brought up a good point, there was that locked door at the end of that corridor right Takumi? We only have this room, the storage area, the cafeteria and kitchen, and a few more locked rooms. So if there are any more people around… we would need to be able to get through that locked door, which sounds hard to me," Kaori addressed the silence with serenity.
"The locked door, right… we didn't get to find out how to open it because of the whole freezer incident. The kitchen was the one place I never got to look in but I don't think Daichi would be in the mood to help me find it right now, the guy has a one-track mind sometimes I swear," Takumi nodded.
Kaori frowned a little at Takumi's small dig at whoever Daichi was, she didn't seem to be impressed with the way Takumi was addressing this person even if I could tell he was only saying it because he was trying to operate right now in a pragmatic manner.
"Hey don't look at me like that, he's not a bad guy. I'm not saying that I just think he's not taking this nearly as seriously as he should. You can still be calm and composed and still maintain focus on a task. I just think that if he got his priorities straightened out…" Takami scowled, not giving Kaori the chance to speak as she pursed her lips moments after a small word of 'but' had popped out.
"Not this again... " Emily moaned from the bookcase, her hair flicking behind her as she met Takumi's eyes with her own, still holding an open magazine in one hand, "Takumi, please stop this, it's not cool. Why are you acting like this right now? I thought you were a nice guy, don't make me feel as though it's all some kind of lie, none of us would like that trust me. Sometimes it's important to consider how your words come out because even if you intend on it seeming positive it can just make you sound like an asshole like you are now."
"A-Asshole!?" Takumi's eyes widened, I was expecting him to get angry or to give back a biting comment but I was surprised to see him let out a deep sigh and nod, "I guess I have been a bit of an asshole, I'm sorry."
"You're forgiven sweetie," Emily smiled in response, clapping the magazine shut and clicking her heels a little as she returned it to the shelf where it came from, "I think maybe Nezire should go and talk to Mister Daichi, maybe a fresh conversation will help bring him around to being more cooperative with the group? She is a social worker as well, I know you think of yourself as very caring Takumi but Miss Nezire here has you trumped, it's her speciality remember?"
Takumi was about to retort with what I assumed was a rejection of the idea, considering my state I was in the worst condition out of the four of us here but I had already figured whilst Emily was speaking that I would go myself to speak to Daichi. Not to force him back to the group of people but because if he was alone and scared… maybe he just needed someone to vent to. I'd experienced many a time children or teenagers who used isolation as a way to compose their thoughts and it made sense that in a situation where they had been locked in a storage cupboard that they would need that time to rationalise and come to terms with everything that was transpiring around them. I didn't think it was nearly as bad as how Takumi had presented it to be, just hyperbole to try and put the point across with extra effect. I also didn't trust any of these other people to be able to do the job correctly, Takumi was too brash, Kaori was too innocent and the way Emily acted made me feel like she wanted me to go despite her being in better condition.
With a groan, not of pain but fatigue, I managed to push myself to my feet. At first my legs wanted to wobble like jelly, a few short breaths to compose my mind and take control of my body once more helped though as I felt a hand clasp onto my arm to the right-hand side of me. Following the arm lead me directly into the purple eyes of Takumi who seemed concerned, I imagine he half expected me to fall flat on my face and hit myself on Kaori's chair. If he had laughed at that then I would have given Emily full permission to slap him silly.
"Nezire, for goodness sake don't do something like that, what if you had fallen over? Sit back down," Takumi applied a bit of pressure to my arm, fussing over my course of actions but I shook it off - I acknowledged what he was doing was out of concern but the way he treated me like I was not capable of trying to push through some inconveniences was slowly starting to grate on my nerves. Not enough to be visible but enough for me to be conscious of the irritation within the back of my mind.
"Takumi, I will be fine. I think you should focus on trying to get back into Emily's good books. She may say you're forgiven but I wouldn't count your chickens before they hatch. I don't think she's the type to scream it in your face but she's not too happy with you, call it my intuition talking," I informed Takumi, taking his hand and firmly grasping it for a moment as he stared at me in reflection of what I had said, whilst he pursed his lips and observed Emily who had returned to reading another magazine to pass her time I removed his hand from my arm and carefully began to make my way to the door. Each footstep was odd, despite walking on simple wooden floorboards, at points my feet felt as though they were skimming clouds only to fall through into a viscous quagmire. I stopped for another moment and looked back, Takumi had gone over to Emily who spoke whilst glancing at images of different pop groups from what I could gather from where I was standing. Kaori smiled at me as she noticed and whispered to me a message of 'good luck' alongside a curt yet warm wave of the hand. Gritting my teeth I returned my attention to the wooden double doors in front of me, gradually easing them open to not fall through the opening.
The corridor itself had a simplicity to it similar to the reception area that I had come from. The floor maintained wooden panelling however it seemed to be a darker shade, small scuff marks indicating that it had been worn down a little with time. Each wall was decorated in a simple plain cream wallpaper however dotted along I took note that unlike the reception room there were decorations that had been placed on the walls except they were not what I would have expected - they were odd, to say the least. On both sides, there were many pictures and posters, all in frames, except wherever there should have been people or what I guessed were words based on one of the pictures having a revealed 'O' at the end were covered in a thick permanent marker, smothered multiple times in thick aggressive layers to hide any trace of what could have been underneath. Biting my lips I continued my stagger forwards, the skirting on the walls helped keep my mind off the disorientation as I counted each time a new leaf that had been carved into the skirting at equidistant intervals.
It only took about fifteen, or sixteen, or possibly fourteen leaves until the skirting gave way to another pair of double doors, these were already partially open, a slit of artificial light clawing out of the cap to streak the wooden floorboards with a distorted amber glow. This made getting in easier at least… Imagine if it would have been a pull door, that would have probably given Takumi good reason to laugh at my expense seeing me flat on my face in this corridor. I nudged the door open to not make too much noise and slipped myself into this new room - one which felt notably larger than the reception room which I had awoken in earlier.
For a cafeteria, its layout and structure were confusing to say the least. Where I had expected long benches like tables with seats that you would see back at the academy or even just different food outlets to take back to wherever you were doing your work - they appeared to be makeshift tables made out of recycled materials. Where I had expected to see a clean metallic table, a large barrel stood, marked with scratchings of different names and… other images I tried to put out of my mind once I spotted them. Instead of chairs, beanbags were haphazardly tossed around each of the barrels, the patchwork visible as they formed from a variety of different coloured materials being sewn up to make use of leftover materials. Even the lightbulb above my head seemed to be one of those environmentally friendly variations from the weird shape of the bulb. In the corner of the room, a rust coloured jukebox slept away in comfortable solitude next to the matted remains of a dartboard hung up on the wall - the numbers for the scores frayed to the point where it was impossible to make a two from a five and a three from an eight. Yet with all of this, my eyes couldn't help but fix on what I thought should have been windows - as against the cream walls of the cafeteria, at specific locations, large dense metal sheets had been bolted up against the window to prevent any natural light source from entering the room. Even as I staggered towards the door for the kitchen, my eyes remained fixated on the panels. Why were there panels on the window? Did somebody who lived or worked here have a sun allergy that they had to prevent by blocking out the UV rays from the sun? Every time I got a new question in my head it just confirmed to me how beyond my capacity to reason everything was… I couldn't stop looking at the panel and the reality of everything sunk in, perhaps Takumi wasn't the only one who was in over their head after all?
The kitchen proper was closer to what I would describe as an industrial kitchen, there were long steel workspaces that were so reflective that they could probably be multipurpose as mirrors too, various overhead cupboards ran along the walls above the counters, a couple open to reveal an array of jars - filled to the brim with different beans and tea leaves. Another cupboard that had been opened had some extra jars, filled with a lot of staples such as different flours and sugars. Seeing them open, I had forgotten the fact I had come to find this Daichi figure momentarily as I made my way over and strained a little to reach up and close the cupboard. With a short groan and a shock of vertigo to my head my fingertips brushed with enough pressure to send the door swinging gently shut. Alas, this left me sprawled as I partially collapsed into the counter below, taking a few seconds to reorientate myself to the sound of harsh scolding.
"Heeeeey! Don't do that miss!" the voice sounded quite loud but had a twang to it which made it slightly deeper than I had expected considering the drawn-out whine at the beginning. I turned my head groggily to be met with the scowl of a tall male standing there with his arms folded tightly across his chest.
Unlike Takumi, this guy seemed to have gotten a strong set of genetics when it came to the height department as he must have been a few solid inches over six feet tall with how I had to strain my neck to look up to his face. He seemed to be broad in most areas, with large arms and feet and a chest that while not muscular was in no means fatty and showed signs of being unhealthy. Looking down at his feet, it amazed me that he would have been able to find any kind of footwear in Japan considering the size of them. They looked as though they would be almost double the size of mine from the angle I was observing them from. His eyes almost looked black with how dark they were, the dark brown being closer to the extremely dark chocolate you could find in specialist stores. The guy's face was sharp in how it was defined yet this was emphasised in the fact that what I could see was a large mess of dark purple hair was tied up into a messy bun and pushed out of his face momentarily to avoid getting strands of it in his face.
His outfit was quite simplistic too, except not so much elegantly and fashionably like how Emily wore hers. In as polite a terms as I can put it… he looked like an underpaid university student who was getting by on a diet of instant noodles and self-depreciation. The blue polo shirt he wore was a bit creased, part of the collar had stuck up slightly whilst the other was pressed firmly down. Over this, a purple apron was tied around the man's waist, a logo of a coffee mug with the handle designed to look like a snake on the top right of the apron. The apron appeared to already have a few stains as I saw some dark brown marks that appeared relatively wet along with some white granules. To complete his ramshackle look, he wore a pair of brown shorts, and tatty black trainers, some white ankle socks poking their heads out to get some fresh air.
"Hey! You can hear me! Don't go doing stuff like that!" he repeated with the same scowl, leaving me confused as I just pointed at the cupboard as if to say 'do what'?
"Yeah! That! Don't do that! Now who are you…? That grouch didn't send you here did he? He's so boring, at least Emily offered to find stuff to do in the storage room for me whilst she went off with him but he just wanted to rope me along even though I was hungry. Who does that? It's mean of him to go around telling me what to do like… yeah! Tell me who you are, you look suspicious too," 'the guy pointed at me, not realising that whilst he was doing that he was holding a teaspoon that was dripping droplets of a brown liquid onto the floor, either tea or coffee considering there was a steaming mug resting on the counter next to him.
"Ah… heh… right," I managed to get myself stood up properly again, being all squished against the counter was not what I had envisioned to happen when I met who I thought must have been Daichi, "Sorry, I think I recognise you maybe? You're Daichi Hayashi right? Or at least I think that is what you are called if my memory serves correctly. My name is Nezire Katsura, I study as the Ultimate Social Worker at Hope's Peak Academy."
"Daichi..?" the boy tilted his head momentarily, eyes wandering off to the side of my head for a moment before returning to face me again, "Uh-huh! Yeah, Daichi! Nice to meet you Miss Nezire! I hope you're as nice as Miss Emily, she was kind of trying to help me find something to do as it was pretty boring being sat in that dark room for so long. She wanted to tell me these ghost stories that she said were meant to be popular for kids but I had to ask her to stop because they were freaking me out. Like I don't wanna know… about... weird deer antler creatures that eat people."
"Weird… deer antler creature that eats people…? Never mind that, Daichi what do you do? Maybe that can help you move your mind away from whatever that story was about," I wanted to move the conversation along as from the way that Daichi was paling slightly I could only assume that he was trying to compute these creatures in his imagination.
"Oh yeah! That's cool, I can do that Miss Nezire, fo sho'!" Daichi picked up the mug that he'd rested on the counter and thrust it forward with way too much force than that mug could handle as some of its contents sloshed out onto the tiled floor below, "Look at this coffee, this is the sign of the Ultimate Barista at work. Don't you forget it either Miss Nezire!"
REGISTERING NEW STUDENT...
DAICHI HAYASHI
ULTIMATE BARISTA
"A barista…? Did you work at the coffee bar at the academy then? Huh… I thought I would have seen you there, although I guess I don't pay too much attention to the staff there because my mind is always racing over my work," I mused to myself, it felt odd that I didn't recognise him somehow - why was it slipping my mind so much?
"You should totes try some of this coffee! Come on, look, and see how good this is. I just made it right now and you're gonna love it!" Daichi walked over to me, nearly slipping on the coffee he had spilled before only just managing to catch himself on the counter and avoid splashing the hot beverage over me, "Eh… hehe….sorrrry."
"No problem…?" I hesitantly took the mug from his hand and peered into it, the coffee was less of what I imagined it to be - rather than a rich dark brown it looked almost like the colour of milk chocolate, it was even glistening slightly as the bitter aroma was placed with some strange scent that smelt like whipped cream.
"Come ooooon, taste it! It's so good," Daichi encouraged me with a smile as he waggled his spoon sword at my face with the expectation that it would do something to hasten me. It didn't. Not one bit.
Grimacing would be an understatement as I took a small sip of the coffee within the mug, as it entered my mouth - I was punched into a taste overload that felt as though someone had forced my jaw open and entered a bag of granulated sugar into it. The sickening taste of the sugar-laden coffee, made it feel like overly sweet cream more than anything related to coffee, I hadn't had the chance to speak to Daichi as I thought he would have expected me to drink the rest so without looking to see his reaction I continued to force the concoction down my throat, my tongue screeching in protest from the overwhelming sweetness of the coffee.
"It's… good…you should tell me how you came to learn...the blend," I winced at myself as I lied to Daichi about the disgusting taste of the coffee he had presented me, I didn't realise that true coffee drinkers put so much sugar in their brew. Was I doing something wrong this whole time?
For a few moments, I heard no response, thinking he was trying to think of a way to answer I thought nothing of it but when I turned to face the barista once more his eyes seemed to pierce through me as though I was a ghost - I tried to wave my hand in front of him and with a few blinks he mumbled something inaudible and stared down at the coffee mug that was resting on the counter, he staggered ever so slightly then bit his lip, looking to the dregs of coffee then pushing the mug as far away from us as he could up against the wall.
"Thank you Daichi, it… was good," I tried again, the lying didn't feel good but I didn't want to hurt the guys feeling after what was still a kind gesture.
"Huh? You mean that was good? You kidding?" Daichi raised an eyebrow looking at the mug himself with confusion then back to me.
"Yes, it was a bit sweet but it was still nice, I can see why you are called the Ultimate Barista," he looked at me as though I was a ghost, however, his face was creased with a kind of confusion that you would expect as if I was insane in his eyes. I didn't want to push the topic further but I had to get the answer to the question I wanted to know… It would prove useful for Takumi maybe if he knew about the motive Daichi had for giving me this coffee.
"What?" Daichi just raised his eyebrow again, moving to pass me at this point, clearly making his way towards the kitchen door that led out to the cafeteria.
"Wait! Daichi! You shouldn't be going alone, Takumi might still be mad at you and I wouldn't want you to get into an argument with him!" I called after him, watching as he gave me a bored expression from the doorway, not even bothering to turn his head around completely.
"What the fuck are you on about…?" he shook his head then muttered something to himself before leaving my field of vision.
Blinking at the door frame lasted about a minute or so after Daichi's departure. He really must not have got the message that Takumi was not wanting him to leave the group, maybe there was some validity to the comment Emily was making after all… either way, now that he was gone, someone had to mop up the mess he'd made on the floor or else we'd find a person dead with a based in the head from the slipping hazard. Murmuring to myself, like a robot in a programme, I shifted through the cupboards, kitchen roll or a mop would do. No, all I found was an egg timer and a cookbook for 'Aphrodisiac Recipes'. Who the hell would buy a cookbook like that in the first place?
Eventually… I found myself at the last place I had yet to look, peering at the shimmering metal surface of the freezer door. Each jet of cold air was enough to make my teeth clench all the tighter as I thought to the piles of meat that were laid out on the tables, of the giant hunks that had been dangling from side to side from their hooked gallows. I didn't want to go in there… why would there be a mop in there? Maybe to mop up blood from the meat…? No surely not. I stood there staring at the door, who knows how long it was before I opened the door with a reluctant shove - the sooner I went in the sooner I could get out after all. Luckily, the door had loosened up enough for me to get inside without too much issue thanks to the actions of Takumi earlier.
The stench punched me in the face, rotten food, the sour odour of bile that wafted through the air in a thick miasma. Gagging I pinched my nose to try and suppress the smell but all it did was make me let out a sharp exhale which drew the taste of the air back into my mouth once more. Disgusted by it, I was tempted to simply leave at the moment. Yet I didn't. I didn't because something caught my eye.
It was only faint, under most circumstances I probably would have missed it but the sickly glow of the blue light reflected off the metal surface of something in front of me. I peered forward, deep inside one of the hunks of meat that was dangling, there had been an incision made in the sinew, not wide but large enough to let the light reflect the item inside. No way… no way was I doing this. Not happening. Oh goodness I'm doing it.
My fingers touched the icy cold flesh of the slab of meat, fingers straining a little to draw themselves together to be able to fit inside the cut. I pushed them further into the hunk of flesh, feeling the layers of muscle push and contract as my fingers made contact with them, enveloping them in a thin layer of slime-like blood. Closing my eyes and looking away my hand went deeper and deeper into the mound of protein, to the point where I felt myself suppressing the urge to let tears fall out of my eyes as I strained to reach the end of the cavernous hunk of meat, face now pressed against the hunk in desperation for this all to be over with.
Ting! A hit! The pinky finger made contact with an icy firm object, it had the shape of a ring so with a bit of maneuvering I hooked it using the pinky and grimaced whilst I tried to tear the item out of its tomb of flesh. I wanted to hurl so badly but with heavy inhalations and exhalations I tried teasing the item out, it was no use. So with a mighty roar of frustration I yanked my hand out hoping the item would dislodge itself from the sudden force.
Be it pure luck, as I opened my eyes and kept myself turned away from the dangling slab of meat, my eyes were met with a hand drenched in a coagulated slime that was translucent and dotted with streaks of crimson, yet floating on the surface of the slime, a small key sat peacefully, untouched and undisturbed as it was whilst it was resting inside its flesh prison. A key… inside meat. I tried to push the thought to the side of my mind, as much as that was weird and I would try and work out why the hell it was there in the first place I needed to focus on what use this key would be. There weren't any cupboards in the kitchen that I could remember off the top of my head…
"Whoa!" A recognisable voice, confident yet calm interrupted my thoughts.
I looked up to the source of the noise.
"What on earth is going on? There's…" Takumi stood there, his eyes trained on my hand, not to the key however as the blood in the slime like gunk had diluted it into a viscous red slop that dripped off my hand and arm and slapped onto the floor of the freezer, "Nezire! Hey stay with me!"
My eyes looked to Takumi, for a moment but before I could respond I hit the floor, the ring of the metal and the cry of the diver drowning out my thoughts as my eyes just stared at him in horror. Horror at what had happened… but more so, horror about what was yet to come.
Cactuar's A/Ns:
What a wild ride that was! I hope you all enjoyed the first set of character introductions and a little bit more exploration into Nezire. This chapter was fun to write but I won't lie when I got a little stumped at points but in the end I managed to pull through so I guess that is all that counts. I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions and theories either through the review system or on Discord as it is you guys, the amazing readers who help encourage and inspire people like me to keep writing even when times are difficult.
A thank you now for the creators of the first four characters to officially be part of Danganronpa: Lights, Camera, Action:
- Takumi Hamasaki (by CandiedStars)
- Kaori Miyazaki (by CandleFire45)
- Emily Bright (by meme12rose)
- Daichi Hayashi (by Chandagrigus)
Your characters were really fun to write so I hope to do them justice as the story progresses onwards.
Onto something else quickly! A few stories that I would like to shout out, if you get the chance to look at them please do as all of these fellow Danganerds stories as they deserve the recognition for their talents:
Danganronpa: The Hopeful Lies We Tell by Prince PokePersona: This reboot by Sona is really cool and is currently accepting OCs up until the reveal of the final wave of students at the end of June! I know how passionate Sona is and I'm excited to see what he comes up with.
From Whom The Rabbits Mourn by SanityRequiem: How could I not mention this talented writer who has collected all us Dangan SYOC stories together under one united umbrella? Not to mention she is a talented writer too!
Danganronpa: Fresh Meat by mandipokemon: Not only have they finished a whole story but they're onto their second one! Go show some support as they really know how to plan an awesome killing game!
Danganronpa: Etch It Into My Heart by RioA: If my collaborative partner Sona represents ambition in the community then RioA represents mastery in the community. She is the titan of the SYOC for a reason as she is already onto her fourth SYOC and is writing engrossing stories that get better and better each time.
Dead Zeppelin by Orlando Butler: Orlando may not have written as much as some others but as the saying goes, 'quality over quantity' and the quality of his writing and character interactions is great!
Sona's A/Ns:
Hello there everyone, your friendly neighborhood Prince PokePersona over here. I hope you all liked this chapter as much as I did when reading it. I can say that to the four who sent their characters here, you have made some really interesting and unique characters and I look forward to seeing what Cac here has in store for them.
Good luck to everyone else submitting their OC, I wish you all the luck in the world and not to sound like a shameless shill, be sure to check out my stories too, if you'd like. That's all I have to say really, hope you all are well and have a safe, happy and healthy day, peace.
Alright! That is all for now, I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day and look forward to the next part of the prologue in Danganronpa: Lights, Camera, Action! Thank you all and see you later! Bye!