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I'm Feeling Lucky
Searching for: Posts from Dorky.|
Dorky OFFLINE   Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Fri, 03/03/2023 06:07 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POV… Miyako. Lucian tried to suppress the bitterness that clouded his mind. It could… possibly… be partially her fault that Kaoru was dead. He shook his head. No… what did it matter? Even if it was her fault, Lucian couldn't hold onto that grudge. He was going to save everyone here, somehow. Even Miyako. And honestly… as he saw her clinging to Shi, like that… Two things stirred within his mind. One, he couldn't help but feel bad for Miyako. He wasn't exactly sure why but… he felt bad. Two, he… Lucian found himself glancing at Kubo, before his eyes flitted away, his heart thumping. Could that be… them, if he just told him how he felt? If he just threw his arms around Kubo, and gave in, if he just told him how he felt… No, there was… no way Kubo felt the same. Was there? Sure, he was… flustered earlier when Lucian accidentally… implied they were doing something like that together, but… "Regardless of the... literary correlations you can see here, our relationship is... Purely platonic. Like Lucian said." Lucian swore he felt his heart stop, as he recalled those words. Of course… why… Why could he hope for any different? But… Was there a chance, even a sliver of a chance, that Kubo hesitated there a moment, because he… Slowly, he reached inside his suit pocket for the- Lucian took his hand out and shook his head. He… he could think about that later. "Eh, what can I... say? Impressed with my... handiwork? Heh, I'm... flattered." …handiwork? Mei, that was… that was murder. That was the taking of the life of another human being. He couldn't put into words just how jaw-droppingly insensitive that sounded, but he didn't bother to. His lips didn't move. Mei… really seemed to be weakening. And there was something so awful to him, that just hours earlier… He, Akari, and Idris, had taken her to the Nurse's Office to save her life, by patching up her injuries with ointment and bandages and stitches… And now, all that hope… all that love, all that care… that had gone into keeping her alive, was in vain. Lucian looked at the lever, tears threatening to start up in his eyes. He suppressed them. Why? Why? Who was the sick person behind all this? Were they all doomed to die, one by one? No. Of course not. I'll… get us all out of here somehow. No matter what it takes. Mei would be the last person to die here. It'd be okay… Lucian turned at the sound of Kubo's voice. "She's telling the truth. It has to be that way. Setsuna didn't push Futatabi off- and he couldn't have. I only wish I'd figured it out, it was so-" "...Ding ding ding, you want a... gold star or somethin'... Kubo?" He grimaced. Something made him so uncomfortable, about Mei making fun of Kubo. …but… she made fun of everybody. Did Lucian feel like… he had some kind of right to Kubo? "...it's okay, Kubo, I don't think it was that easy to see. It was a tough case… right?" He looked over at him. "...and… you got really close. And I'm proud of you for that." He felt awkward as he said the words, and he couldn't help but smile as he did so. But his smile faded at the sound of Setsuna's voice, pulling him back to reality. "Why?" "Mei, why couldn't you let me be the killer?" "...Setsuna…" Lucian felt his chest lurching at the painful sound of his voice. He felt once again like this was his fault. If he had jumped, only he would be dead. Not Futatabi, not Mei… and Setsuna wouldn't be feeling like this. "..." "Because I..." You care, don't you? You really care… Lucian thought. "...What, is it so wrong of me to... not think of myself for a... bit? Didn't... want you dead... Simple as... that, really..." "...there's nothing wrong with that," Lucian murmured. "...it just, feels strange for you, at least in regards to your previous behavior…" "I think. Mei Akamatsu is giving her life up for mine." "...Setsuna… your life is worth as much as everyone else's is. You didn't have to kill to sacrifice yourself…" Lucian breathed in and out harshly. He felt so bad for everyone here… no one won. Everyone lost. But it was okay… Because he'd find a way to make sure everyone would be okay. Then everyone can be happy. "...Damn right I did, and you... better not waste it. Hear me?" Lucian somehow, couldn't help but smile a little bit at that comment. "...Mei… I'm sure he won't. Thank you… for what you did for him. Although… killing Futatabi wasn't right, I… it was kind of you to sacrifice yourself…" He couldn't believe she was just going to be gone. "...are you… are you… coming to the tree," Lucian murmured to himself. "...Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free…" Mei was coming to the tree now. …she was coming to the tree. Far too soon. Darcy Harper's POVPffft. Flirted with him, and Setsuna had walked off. It was almost pathetic, really. …But he had remembered, too, how that boy had been willing to get himself executed so that everyone else would live. Back in the first trial. And now, he had been trying to risk the same thing. Darcy wasn't sure how to feel. He didn't like how he could relate. Killing… in the name of love. Still killing. It reminded him of something he'd rather forget. Erica… I'm so sorry. Seeing Miyako and Shi together… Part of it brought up a curious envy in Darcy, to see them so happy. And another part of it… well, he was glad Miyako was with someone else. But he felt bad for Setsuna, he really did. He felt bad for Mei, although part of him felt like he shouldn't. He didn't know what the hell to do with these feelings. …feelings… Sawyer… Seeing them like this… it hurt like hell. They'd be okay, though. They usually were. No, they always were! Right?... Sawyer Laurens's POVSo much noise. What was going on? Apparently someone someone killed someone someone. Killed… What did that mean again? Everything was in blurry, fragmented pieces. It was as though Sawyer had tripped over the giant jigsaw puzzle of their mind, and the pieces had spilled everywhere. There were all these pieces… floating around, and they couldn't quite figure out how they fit together. Or… used to fit together. Some of the pieces were broken. Furthermore, the air was misty. Sawyer could barely see a thing. Frantically, they tried to put the pieces together. But why frantically? Why were these pieces… important? Their mind floated to Akari and Darcy, the two people they had just been introduced to. But… there was something familiar about both of them. "...Yeah... You did..." "I did?" Sawyer blinked. "Wow, that's so interesting! You sure it wasn't someone who looked like me? Maybe I did. Huh…" Darcy sighed and shook his head. "Yes… you did, Sawy-" Something seemed to occur to Darcy. "Yes, you did, SOY BEAN. You called him Karster! We were discussing maybe having a party?" Sawyer tilted their head. Soy Bean? "Who or… what is Soy Bean? Are you calling me that?" Party. What party? Discussing? Sawyer's head spun. "Soy Bean. I feel like… someone called me that at some point… though, I can't quite recall…" Mom was in the kitchen. Mom…? Kitchen? What? …she had a… She had a… thing. What thing? The thing. What was it? It was sharp. And there was these things… That… That what? Sawyer headed towards their (mom???) But… She disappeared. Fog. Foggy. So foggy. What was it? What was the thing? What is a thing? It's all so bizarre. I don't know who or what "Mom" is, but it's comforting. …I… miss… Mom… "Anyway, it's wonderful to meet you guys! Though, I'm… kinda confused. What are we doing here? Why are we wearing these… things?" "These are suits, Sawyer. You know, like… Among Us?" Sawyer blinked. "...was that… a game… with venting and… imposters?" Darcy sighed with relief. "Well, yes. I… guess you remember a few things, although… it's really odd all the things you don't remember." Darcy frowned thoughtfully. "...and… we've been forced into a school, with other Ultimates. Where we have to kill each other and get through a class trial if we want to get out. Do you remember that?" Sawyer blinked rapidly. "School? Ultimates? Kill? Class trial?" There was… something strangely familiar about Darcy's words. But at the same time, they all seemed to buzz like bugs, in a way Sawyer couldn't quite understand… Darcy looked quite troubled. "Maybe, if I showed you some things… you might remember more? What do you think, Akari?" Sawyer tilted their head. Akari sure was quiet! What was going on with him? [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Tue, 28/02/2023 00:58 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVLucian's eyes widened, and he shook his head, over and over again. No words left his mouth, but his eyes said it all. "...no one is truly hopeless, Mei." "Accept it, trust me, it won't hurt... as much..." Lucian smiled sadly at her. "No. Mei, no. It doesn't matter if I hurt or not. But… is that… what you want? Would it make you feel better if I did?" Would it make you feel better if I lied? Oh, the Ultimate Therapist. A kind word, a pretty lie, to hide the bitter truths beneath. The skeletons, buried deep within the snow. It was so strange, wasn't it? How when blood stained the ground, how when screams polluted the air… The earth rebuilt itself. The rain washed away the blood and tears. Earthy ground and snow moved to cover the dead bodies. Everything merged together, into its coherent whole. And Lucian was like the human embodiment of that idea. Of nature rebuilding itself, as time went on. The people that mattered to you came and went. They all lived for a while, and then they died. Are you, are you… coming to the tree? They strung up a man, They say who murdered three, Strange things did happen here, No stranger would it be, If we met up at midnight, In the hanging tree… Lucian closed his eyes. He could almost hear that song… It was like a bittersweet lullaby. Everyone dies. That was the truth of the matter. The lines blurred. When you saw enough deaths, every death was the same. Another dead body, another ruined family. More hurting, and more grieving, and more tears. In the end, everyone came to the tree, didn't they? "...Yeah. W-what, surprised...?" Lucian gave her a good, hard, long look. He thought deeply about it. "...well… no. Not really. You seem an awful lot like them." He paused. "...like… a killer, I mean…" He fiddled with his hands, empty space where there could have been an object. Are you, are you comin' to the tree, Where dead man called out for his love to flee? Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be If we met at midnight in the hanging tree… He could almost see Kaoru. He could almost hear her. He could almost feel her. …she was there. At the tree. It was too late. … Everyone wound up there, eventually. He would wind up there, eventually. "...we're all ghosts," he murmured, mostly to himself. And it was Mei's turn. Two lovers, tragically separated… You really had to make the most of people while they were here. Hold them as tightly as you could. "...Mei…" Are you, are you comin' to the tree Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free? Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be If we met at midnight in the hanging tree… "...I'm… not going to hesitate anymore, okay? I'm… going to try everything. I'm going to say all the things I could never say, I'm going to do all the things I could never do… and… maybe, everyone else here… can live happily. I'll help everyone, somehow. It'll be okay. We'll all get through this." He still held onto that hope. "...and… maybe… I'll even tell him how I feel." You only lived once, right?... Are you, are you comin' to the tree Wear a necklace of hope, side by side with me? Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be If we met at midnight in the hanging tree "...and maybe, we'll meet again, one day." Lucian, in his mind, thoughtfully tied a noose to the tree. Ever so carefully. …He'd take his spot there one day. But not yet. Not just yet. "I just hope… that you'll be able to walk out of this world with a smile." Lucian watched Mei and Idris embrace, he heard their exchange of words. Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free… "...Idris… I hope you'll be okay. I'll be here for you." But… what words of comfort could he possibly offer him? He saw Darcy's tearful face, and heard the way his voice cracked. And it was in that moment, he realized. … Mei had meant something to Darcy. But… Not in the typical sense. In a way… he saw… someone else. That he was desperately holding onto. And as he saw Idris there… It burned brightly in his mind. You won't die, Idris, okay? …no one else will have to. We'll all figure something out. I promise. Darcy Harper's POVDarcy didn't know how to respond. …he… he didn't… want to go to Hell… Did he? Did it… matter? He laughed. "What would… you bribe him with, exactly?" I'm… already doomed, aren't I? "Guess I'll see you there… if that's the case…" "...You too, Darcy." "...I'm… going to miss you, Wi- Mei. I'm going to miss you." He inhaled sharply. …god… What was with him? Why was… Mei so much… like… It was like watching the same person walk out of your life once again. Except the worst part was, you'd watch them die. She went and got herself killed. Then, his eyes widened. "Of course! I'm- fine, it's just… I don't remember… things. I don't know who I am, or… what I'm supposed to be doing here, or… what this place is. What's… your name? Is… Sawyer my name? You seem to be… calling me that." "...Darcy?" Darcy headed over, a look of extreme shock upon his face. Puzzlement was written all across Sawyer. "Oh, God," Darcy whispered. "Sawyer… do you… do you… remember anything?" They got like this. Sometimes. Darcy remembered that day… Sawyer Laurens's POVThe angel's? face flushed, and he coughed. "Sawyer… now is not the time for Star Wars references. Is… it happening again?" What… was going on? "They get like this… sometimes, Akari. But… never this badly. Sometimes, Sawyer mentally alters their memories to be something that they prefer, or… they completely forget something altogether. Sometimes… they remember it, though. And other times… they never do." He swallowed nervously. "Star Wars references?" Sawyer blinked. "Anakin… was that… something from him?" The person looked relieved. He put his hand to his chest. "Yes! Sawyer, it's… it's me. Darcy. Don't you remember me? You've… known me almost your entire life." Sawyer blinked. "Oh, that's… a nice name. You look like a Darcy. No, but… you… seem familiar." …? What were… all these blurry images? Sawyer thought there was something there, and they reached for it. But they couldn't quite recall. Darcy inhaled sharply, and grabbed Sawyer by the hands. "Sawyer… it's me! I– I…" He breathed in and out harshly. "Why do you seem so stressed? You okay?" Sawyer chirped. "I'm… fine. Do you remember Akari? We were… going to hang out with him." Sawyer tilted their head, but no realization seemed to come across their face. "Has anyone ever called you 'Karster?" "Okay… okay, this is fine. They should remember eventually. But my god… what a time to forget everything…" There was a faint sound of sobbing from him. Why did Darcy seem so distressed? What was wrong? …??? Confusing… so confusing… Voices… people… everywhere? Who were they? What was… going on? [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Mon, 27/02/2023 06:54 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVWhy?... "Uh huh... He sure has..." Lucian couldn't help but feel like Mei's voice was reeking with sarcasm, to the point it would have made him flinch, had he not been used to it. A certain overwhelming tiredness seemed to be taking its toll upon him, like the sort of misery that sometimes comes from getting drenched by the rain. You always felt so cold… Mei didn't like Kubo. Heck, she probably even hated him! 'Didn't like' was being generous… Mei was opening her mouth. As though she was trying to say something… But nothing came out. The look on Mei's face, the smirk, he heard the jibing laugh that came out… His eyes widened. "Oh, but you should, Lucian. Everyone should. No need to try and paint me as a good person, trying to mix a color with pure black doesn't end well anyways." "Mei…," he responded, very quietly, and very gently. His voice was almost cracking, struggling to keep out the fact that he was trying not to burst into sobs. "The fact that you've told us of your guilt… instead of just letting us all die. The fact you took the fall for Setsuna… I think you've proved there's good in you somewhere. And I- I don't believe that! I just don't. No one is completely a bad person. Some of us… are just messy. We all have issues. There are no bad people. Sometimes… people just wind up in situations… where they're… forced to do bad things. No one is–" Lucian had never recalled being told this before. …but he swore, he heard her say it. He heard his mother say it. "Can I tell you something? Have you heard, of that place, where those executions were held, so long ago? They're still held today, but… they're not quite so legal now. I could show you, if you want. Some people say that it's cursed." Lucian was cut off by her next words. "...Don't tell me that. Tell that to everyone else in this room. Tell that to the hundreds who have died by my hand. You have no clue what I deserve, Lucian. ...Quit lying to yourself, Lucian, it's just gonna be a pain in the ass in the future. Don't feel bad about it. I'm fine with it, I've lived every day of my life knowing exactly what I deserve. I've accepted it. I'm fine with it." "...h-hundreds?" he whispered. Suddenly, he paused, with wide eyes. He could see the face of his dad. Fiddling with the gun by his hip. Lucian shivered. He could almost taste the blood on his lips. He could almost feel the dryness of his throat. The struggling to breathe– Lucian shook his head, slowly at first, then much faster. "no… Nononono… NONONONO! It… it doesn't matter. People can change, everyone can change. Everyone has good inside them, Mei, don't you see that? Even you do! The… The fact you're even saying this right now…" Lucian trailed off. He couldn't stop the hiccuping sobs. "...Quit lying to yourself, Lucian, it's just gonna be a pain in the ass in the future. Don't feel bad about it. I'm fine with it, I've lived every day of my life knowing exactly what I deserve. I've accepted it. I'm fine with it." "l-lying… to myself?" he choked out. A saddened look came upon his face. Almost inaudibly… "...no… it's… not me I've been lying to." He inhaled sharply. "And– and I- I can't help it, okay? I can't help but feel bad! You're a person too, Mei, you're human too, Mei! You're-" He was shaking all over. Lucian let the breath out of him. "...you're… fine with it? You're really fine with it? Mei… I'm sorry. I'm… so sorry." "Shut up, Lucian." Lucian flinched, and he closed his mouth. Right. Of course. Be silent, Lucian. Before I cut your tongue out and make you. "You doubted me? I'm offended." He flailed his arms. "N-No! Not at all! Of course not! I–" He went silent. He was supposed to shut up… right? "...Eh, didn't really have that much faith in you idiots anyways... Oh well, guess you can try. I'm not gettin' my hopes up, but..." "Guess I'll be countin' on you." Lucian looked at her, with stars in his eyes, and nodded. He had a hope in his heart, that he could make things better. He could find a way to get everyone out of here. He'd do his very best. He made a pinkie promise with himself, and showed it to Mei. He smiled sadly at her, and held his index, middle, and ringman finger up to the lower half of his face. (Editor's note, Hunger Games reference, "The Three Finger Salute is used by District 12 residents when they have to say thanks or just to show that the person is loved and respected by them. It's a gesture of admiration, gratitude and saying goodbye to someone you love.") "Oh you... better not... Don't be all... sappy on me now... A'ight?" Lucian's eyes shifted around the room. "...alright…" "Don't...Speak for everyone when you... Know that ain't... True, heh..." Lucian didn't know quite what to say to that. He merely looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "...Thanks, I guess..." He smiled sadly at her once again. "You're always welcome, Mei." "Heh… why does it not surprise me? You never listen. That's just not you." Lucian flinched. What was… Darcy talking about? "Heh... Never did, Darcy... Never did..." He looked at Darcy worriedly. Oh god. "...Darcy… stop it…" The other thing he said. …you rejected me. So just take your leave. It seemed like Darcy was remembering something unpleasant. Someone… rejected him, and… Was he associating Mei with that person? Either way, Lucian winced. He didn't want them all to make this any more painful for Mei than it already would be. "Stop… what?" Darcy asked, turning to look at Lucian and blinking rapidly. "Please… please go away. I don't want to play dress up anymore." "...can the bells just toll already? I don't quite recall what they were for." …Go away. Playing dress up. Darcy was tired of playing pretend. And it seemed his mind was articulating it in a sort of nostalgic way, that sort of longing to be a child again. The bells… Bells. Bells tolling. It made you think of recess, of church, perhaps, of marriages and of funerals. Lucian was wondering what those bells could possibly be referring to. Darcy even said he couldn't remember what they were for. It even almost reminded Lucian of a book he might've not even canonically read, but Dorky did. (-cough- -cough- the line is there in the spoiler, read if you dare)  Show
hidden content
One little soldier boy left all
alone… how did the last line go again? Oh, yes. He got married, and
then there were none.
"Tell that to... Monokuma, not me..." Lucian stared at Mei, his eyes wide. A decisive shift occurred in his mind. The words sorrowfully glided from his lips. "...funeral bells," he murmured. Darcy Harper's POVIt was so ironic… So, so ironic… "I…I don't know… what I'm saying. But, hey, Mei? If I do go to Hell… you BETTER BE THERE!" He put his hands on his hips, he tried to be mad, but he just couldn't. He just burst into hysterical laughter. Oh god. He was losing it. Little Miss Perfect was falling off her throne. He was laughing, but he was also crying. He was laughing, but he was also crying. He was laughing, but he was also… "Sawyer… I'm so sorry. Mei, I'm so sorry. Lucian, I–" It was getting hard to breathe inside the helmet. Oh, god, how the tears stung against your cheek. They stung like the lies that slipped from your lips. The sinking pit in your stomach as you sank ships. As you burned bridges. As all your hate and bitterness, all your desperation, concentrated itself into three words– … "Just press the goddamn Respawn button, Mei. Press the goddamn Respawn button." Oh, god. It sounded a lot more like… something Sawyer would say. Didn't it?... There… there was no Respawn button. That was silly. This wasn't a game. This was… This was real, wasn't it? "...please. If- if you can." He could see the alarm on Lucian's face. "Darcy…" He shook his head. "It's… it's fine. Nothing's wrong. I'm okay." He was… okay. Mei… was not going to be okay. "...Cya, Mei." "Good luck." Good luck… with what? He smiled sadly over at Akari. "...Good luck, Mei. With… whatever happens," Darcy sputtered. He wasn't even entirely sure what he meant. Under the old chestnut tree… I sold you, and you sold me… Sawyer Laurens's POVSawyer?... Who was… Sawyer? Whose… name was… Sawyer blinked. The speaker seemed to be addressing them. Sawyer… that's, me, then, right? "Of course!" they chirped. "I'm- fine, it's just… I don't remember… things. I don't know who I am, or… what I'm supposed to be doing here, or… what this place is. What's… your name? Is… Sawyer my name? You seem to be… calling me that." There was a most confused look on their face. They tilted their head. …Sawyer Laurens was blocking out almost every detail of their life. "Who is… "my mom"? Why was I remembering a…" … Who was that? They felt like there was something comforting and familiar about it. They weren't sure what it was. [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Sat, 25/02/2023 07:00 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POV… No. No. No. He barely heard Kubo's theorizing. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe– Mei had done it. She HAD done it. And how? Why? "Kinda disappointed, y'know? Would've been much better if you guys just figured it out, honestly..." Lucian swallowed. Why was she confessing? She could have… gotten away with it. Unless… that wasn't the kind of person she was. Unless, it wasn't her aim. Disappointed, because it was all a game. Or Mei told herself it was all a game. Sometimes, people did that. People told themselves whatever they needed to believe to keep going. People did whatever it took to keep going. And as Lucian heard Sawyer's delirious confusion, as he thought of Idris and his self-destructive habits, as he thought of Darcy's hopeless prayers for God, as he looked at Miyako, clinging to Shi, as though she were a lifeline… And of himself, who saw so much hope and so much potential and so much light in all these people, even in Mei… as she was confessing to this murder. … "Kaoru," the name slowly formed and left Lucian's lips, the tears he hadn't realized he had falling off the edge of his face. She had clung. She had clung to HIM, she had clung to her faith, and maybe she had had that same hope. That things could be better. … Setsuna, Setsuna had hoped that he could sacrifice himself, and save everyone here. Everyone had hopes. Everyone had those hopes in their hearts that they clung to. Because without those… what the hell did you have? "But oh well, guess you dumbasses needed to be hand-fed the answer like the babies you are..." Lucian stiffened. As someone who was so immature in nature, she was one to talk about calling people babies. Still… he couldn't dwell on a single thought of anger in that moment. Not a puff of it. After all… she was confessing. She was saving them all from their mistake. The question was… why? "Yeah, I did it, surprised? Thought Kubo of all people would see what I did, but I guess not." . . . Lucian found himself gazing over at Kubo, and then his eyes flickering away. "...to be honest, I… thought so too. He has been good so far at guiding us to the truth." And I have a sort of unnatural faith in you… and in all of us. Why…? Why have I been so… … Have I been blind? Or… Lucian saw Idris, the hurt in his eyes. In his words. The croaking, the cracking, the sobbing… A certain sadness overcame him. He was immediately reminded of him with Kaoru… "Lucian… I don't hate you. I just think you're a fool." … "...come back," he whispered, pinching lightly at his arms. "...please, come back." "...sorry, Idris." … "...I know, Idris, I know... I- I'm sorry... I-... I didn't know... I don't know why I-..." "...It's funny... I- I could've just... Let Setsuna do it... He would've been cast to the dogs instead, but..." "...F**k I-... I'm sorry..." A realization occured to Lucian. Had… Mei intended… to protect Setsuna? …oh god. "I- I'm a hypocrite, I know, but... It's for the better, isn't it...? I... I got attached, and... I couldn't let that happen, I'm sorry... " "...Y-You don't deserve this... I-... I'm so sorry..." … "You guys are better off without me, you all know that, right? Don't make the same mistake I did, don't feel bad for me, I got what I deserved in the end. It was aaaaallll gonna come back to bite me at some point, I accepted that a long time ago." Lucian shook his head. "...no. NO. Absolutely not," he choked out, his voice cracking. "...we won't be. We… won't…" He inhaled sharply. "No matter what you did… you didn't deserve this. You didn't. You really didn't… b…" He was about to say "because", but the word didn't quite leave his mouth. Because… what? Because no one deserves this? Yeah, right… like Mei needed to hear that. The sort of implication that that had was that Mei WAS that horrible of a person. "...you don't deserve this. You really don't." "If there's an afterlife or something, heck, if hell exists, save me a spot there, alright? Just hope the execution isn't too bloody. Or extremely, if that's something you're into." Lucian, under any other circumstance, would have been almost amused by Idris Kallikrates's words. But if there was an afterlife… Lucian didn't want Mei to go there. How could he explain it? He couldn't. He just cared for her. That was all there was to it… Such were the mysteries of the human heart. You couldn't explain it, maybe it was a presence you grew used to. Like a familiar, comforting melody. Like a particular star, shining brightly. Mei may have been Mei, but maybe that was it. She was her. And he couldn't help but care for her. (Anyway, Dorky was too lazy to quote the rest of Mei and Idris's conversation.) Lucian watched the heartfelt exchange between Mei and Idris, feeling an ache in his own heart as though he were in their situation himself. He did not know the nature of their relationship, whether they were close friends, or perhaps lovers, but in the moment, it really didn't matter. They held each other in high regard, with deep love and incredible care. He couldn't help but wonder what they had said and exchanged. …and he couldn't help but wonder, if… that had been him and… Lucian blushed. Oh, god, he didn't want to right now. And the very thought… was unthinkable. And it petrified him to his very core. He would not want to be either of them. Not the one holding the bloody knife, nor the one having to live with the death of the one closest to them. And he knew, in his heart, that it was an impossibility to hope that he would ever, ever be that close to Kubo Atsushi. …and frankly? He really almost didn't care right now. Mei… Mei was going to die… He almost didn't hear what she had to say next. But he would never forget those words, or the look on her face. It would haunt him until the day he died. "Hey, dumbass. Shut up and quit your blabbering, you wouldn't be a "hero" if you jumped, you'd just be another useless dead body. Stop being such a wimp, alright?" "I-" His first instinct was to sputter out an indignant response. This instinct was immediately smothered, however, as it always was, because Lucian Arbred… Lucian Arbred… did not matter. In the long run, the Ultimate Therapist was just a life. Not even a life. Not of any significance or real importance. But Mei… Mei was right. "...you wouldn't be a "hero" if you jumped, you'd just be another useless dead body. Stop being such a wimp, alright?" The words echoed in his head. But he… "...but I…" He was already… "...I'm already…" Just a useless dead body… "Just a–" The last three words didn't form. A hero… Lucian didn't want recognition. He didn't desire to be loved and adored and noticed by many. Quite the opposite, actually. He just wanted to help people, and then scratch himself out of the picture. Because he loved to see people happy. And, because, Lucian Arbred did not matter. Lucian Arbred was a dead man. Lucian Arbred was a ghost. "you'd just be another useless dead body." "...no, no… you're right…" … What was he thinking? Lucian was of more use alive. Alive, and breathing. If he was dead… "Stop being such a wimp, alright?" He had been able to help others because he was alive. Because he had eyes to see them, ears to hear them, a shoulder to offer to cry on. A body that could help him to speak the words that moved them. A mind to figure out those words, and those actions… that would help them. He was a therapist. Not a dead body. And if he had jumped… what guarantee was there, that everyone would make it out? He had to make the most of his life. For everyone. I am Lucian Arbred, the Ultimate Therapist. Though I have accepted that I am dead… in a way… I am alive. And I know what I'm going to do now. "...okay. You're right. …thank you, Mei. For helping me realize the truth." I'm going to find a way to save everyone. Or… at least, as many people as I can. No matter what it takes. "That goes for you too." What did she mean by…? "You guys better not do anything dumb, but I guess that's not saying much when that's the only thing that's been happening, huh?" … Was she referring to everyone? What was… she talking about? The murders? "...Sorry. Sawyer I-" …Sorry… for what? Lucian looked at Sawyer, and all at once he understood. …They were becoming hopelessly lost in their delusions, weren't they? "Kubo? I might hate your guts, but everyone else here seems... Fine with you. Don't let em down, alright?" … Well… that seemed more in line with the Mei Lucian knew. Right. Seems… "fine" with him. Lucian's heart fluttered, and he couldn't help but laugh quietly. …god… feelings were so weird… "Hope things go well. Gonna miss you, Miyako~" Lucian's heart sank, as he looked over at Shi and Miyako clinging to one another. Was that going to last? Would… they be okay? Would Shi keep her promise? She doesn't have to. I'll figure something out… "Thanks Akora." Lucian wondered what Mei had thanked her for… either he knows and Dorky is a forgetful idiot (as usual), or he doesn't. "...How did you-" "S'pose I should return the favor. Thanks for fixing me up back there, even if you did a s**tty job. Chin up, Akari. Stop being such a baby, you're not as bad as you think you are." He couldn't help but wonder what was going on with that exchange between Mei and Akari. What had Mei handed him? He thought momentarily, of when he had handed Kaoru the book… Kaoru… I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you now, okay? Horatia, Futatabi, Mei. "...it's okay. No one will die. Never again," he told himself. Partially, he felt like he was saying it to everyone else too. "...no one… will make the same mistake, Mei. It'll be okay." "Oh whatever, I've never been good at this BS. Well..." "See you guys at graduation. I'll be missin' you." Tears stirred in Lucian's eyes. He walked over, and gave her a playful punch in the arm. (Editor's note: It wasn't a punch, however, as he was scared of affecting her injuries, despite the execution that would soon occur. He merely curled his fingers into a fist, and then tapped Mei on her arm with it. I'm not exactly sure if it's appropriate, or in-character, but I feel like Lucian would do this to say goodbye, as he had hit Mei before and she had accepted his apology for it. So… in short, I guess this is a signature friendly way of saying goodbye that is kinda tied to the two of them in a way?) "I'll… be missing you, too, Mei. We all will. I think…" He couldn't resist the urge to hug her. … They hadn't… exactly been friends. Really. Or enemies, either. But Mei definitely meant SOMETHING to Lucian, and… He didn't want to let her go. "...hey… I hope they're… not too hard on you. In the Execution Room. I'm sorry. But– Mei? I promise… I'll try my best to follow your advice. And maybe… we can all figure out a way out of this game. So nothing like this has to happen again." He inhaled sharply, and slowly let go of her and backed away. "...Well, Monokuma? Guess that's your cue. I would apologize for keepin' you waiting with all this sappy BS, but nah, a bastard like you don't deserve it." "At least in return you could give me a good execution, a'ight? Better not be boring, I'm countin' on you~" … Lucian grimaced, as he too awaited Monokuma's answer. What was it going to be?... Darcy Harper's POVWas this… really real? "Mei?... Mei, I-" The words wouldn't come out. Everything seemed blurry now. What could Darcy even say? He wasn't… even all that surprised. And yet… he was upset. Don't get yourself killed, he had told her. "Heh… why does it not surprise me? You never listen. That's just not you." She didn't deserve it, Lucian said. Darcy turned. It all seemed to go by so fast… Mei's confession. Idris's hugging her and sobbing. Their intimate exchange of words, that brought tears to their eyes. Will and Erica. Idris was Mei's Erica. Except… it wasn't Darcy's fault. But now they were going to be apart. Forever. Because someone ruined their life. Someone who made this damned courtr- game. She deserved it. Darcy knew she deserved it. So why did this feel… so horrible? Like something that no one should put upon anyone?... "That goes for you too." … Right. Quit being such a wimp. You're supposed to be perfect, Darcy. He was so sick of hearing that. Why wouldn't Will go the hell away? … "YOU REJECTED ME FIRST. SO GO TAKE YOUR GODDAMN LEAVE!" … Darcy panted, clapping his hands to his mouth. Oh, god, the piano was playing. WHY DID SHE HAVE TO– Stop. Not the goddamn piano. WHY WAS SHE SO GOOD AT IT? WHY WAS SHE SO GOOD AT EVERYTHING?! WHY COULDN'T HE– Darcy wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Stop it. Stop it. STOP. IT. Why did… she always have everything? Darcy wanted to vomit. And as he looked over at Could he really say he would miss "Please… please go away. I don't want to play dress up anymore." … "It's never enough. It's never enough." … "...can the bells just toll already? I don't quite recall what they were for." Were they for the funeral, of a wedding I prevented? Sawyer Laurens's POV...sorry? Sorry for what? Who was… What was… Noise. Why was there so much noise? What did it all mean? Mei. Mei. Mei. That seemed a repeated noise. It was all meaningful. It was all meaningless. A cacophony Of endless Sounds. Sawyer turned. Crying. Why was there crying? Why wouldn't it stop? They blinked. It was all so strange. Why did the stars cry? What did they have to cry about? "...I miss her. I miss my mom," Sawyer found themself saying. They did not quite know why. What happens when a star dies?... [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Thu, 23/02/2023 19:52 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVSetsuna pushed her. Setsuna didn't push her. It blurred, it all blurred... But Mei seemed so serious, and Kubo... So insistent. He didn't want to argue with the person he loved. He heard Mei, Mei of all people... Tell Setsuna she forgave him. "I believe you, Setsuna," he choked out. "...but in the end, it doesn't matter if he's lying or not. We're probably all going to die here anyway." With shaking hands, Lucian couldn't bring himself to vote for Setsuna Jun. He knew he had to. But... ... There was only one person that he could possibly vote for. Himself. "...regardless of the truth of the matter, it's not Setsuna's fault. It's mine. Because if I had jumped... Futatabi would still be alive. Setsuna could still survive. All it would have costed was my PATHETIC, WORTHLESS LIFE!" Lucian almost craved the gun at this point. "IT'S NOT HIS FAULT! IT'S MINE!" he shouted angrily, fighting to keep the tears out of his voice. "I'M THE MONSTER HERE! BECAUSE I COULDN'T SAVE- A SINGLE- GODDAMN..." He huffed, gasping for breath. "...person." Lucian didn't care about the definitive truth anymore. He just didn't want anyone else to die. ... But just as Lucian was about to vote for himself, he heard Mei's words. He... He saw her... Vote for herself. "...M-Mei? What are you... Implying? Did... Were... You the killer?" he whispered, in complete and utter shock. "How?! Why?" Darcy Harper's POVHe grimaced as he... As he-- Wait. "Mei?! What are you... Saying? What are you voting for... Yourself... For?" His eyes widened. "Wh-wh..." Did... Did she... No, she... Couldn't have, could she? Sawyer Laurens's POV... But it seemed like the truth, was there. At the back of their mind. In those little crevices you couldn't quite reach. There was something there, but you reached and... Nothing? Why did the rainbows have no end to them? Sawyer blinked. There was... A thing. A thing near them. A thingy, with funny photos. What was... Up with that? ... What was... Going on? ...Setsuna was not the witch. What was the witch? What did the witch do? Mei was the witch? Who was... Mei? Why is it so hard for me to remember... Anything? "Will somebody please tell me what's going on?" Sawyer asked, with a confused tilt of their head. "Who... Are you people? What am I doing here? I feel like I know you all, but..." But... But what? Who? What... WHAT WAS GOING ON?!! [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Thu, 23/02/2023 18:49 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVEnough tears, enough people begging, pleading for their lives. But the bullet released, and the gun let out it's merciless, bone-chilling BANG. Lucian would always drop a gun. He'd never let anyone get killed. He didn't want anyone to hurt. And he saw someone hurting here... Someone pleading for his life. Kubo explained how Setsuna had framed Mei. ... It was a horrible thing to do. In that moment, however, Lucian couldn't care less. He didn't want another person to die. What could he possibly say to save this doomed man? Lucian was once again reminded of the embrace of his sister. The way that Kathy shook, the way she sputtered out, "I-I-I'm scared... Lucian... Please... Don't go... Don't leave me alone..." And how he had thrown his arms around her, and promised, "...I won't." Setsuna was going to die. It was going to be horrific, painful. Undeserved. And there was nothing Lucian could do about that in this cruel, cruel game. This cruel, twisted, sadistic game they were all trapped in. That played upon everyone's hearts like a toy. Like a musical instrument. Even Mei's... Mei, who seemed to be shocked into silence. Maybe it was her injuries. Maybe it was that. Lucian wasn't sure... But he knew, there was only one way, that he could comfort Setsuna. And it might not have even been enough. Lucian was the Ultimate Therapist. He was Charon, he was the farer of people. And then, of spirits, to the afterlife. To help them to let go of their grudges, of their negative feelings. To help them to move past their fears. To save them from themselves... And in some cases, someone was already doomed. But you just comforted them anyway, with all the love and feeling in your heart. You told them everything they needed to hear, to make the journey a little less painful. And that was what Lucian Arbred did. "...it's okay, Setsuna. It's okay," he whispered to him, patting him gently on the back. "...I forgive you. We... All forgive you. And we'll never forget you. I'm so sorry... Just... Know this. You won't die in vain. We'll all do our best to overcome every challenge that we face, for you. Okay...? You won't die in vain. I forgive you. ...I forgive you, even if no one else does. I forgive you." Darcy Harper's POVWas God seeking to punish them all? Was He not really here? Or maybe, a voice inside Darcy's mind whispered, God is seeking to punish me. For what I did. ...please, God. Don't drag these other people into this, even if they aren't practicers of your preaching. Of your holy teachings... Tears stirred in Darcy's eyes, as he uttered a hopeless prayer, for God to stop this. For God to please save them all. If Darcy had done anything right in his life, he pleaded, not for his own life, but for everyone here. "I DON'T CARE IF I GO TO HELL! JUST NOT ANYONE HERE! DON'T LET THEM SUFFER!" he shouted. His hands flew to his mouth, as he accidentally uttered the words aloud. He turned to Monokuma, his eyes empty. "...yes. I- suppose we're ready to vote." Sawyer Laurens's POVWhat fun, wasn't this? It was so much fun. So, so, so much fun! Because what else could it be? Well, it was... Certainly not... That was so strange. Why was there a gap there? What was it that they were thinking of? Sawyer Laurens looked around the room, and it took them a moment to even remember all these strange and peculiar faces. Shadows crept up in their vision, and blackened blood splattered beneath their... ...blackened blood? What was blood? No, it was ink. Of course it was ink. Squids were fun. What else could it be? Space. The final frontier. ... No, everything... Everything was a blur. Who were these people? What were... They all doing here? ...a... Killing Game. Dream. Right. Like Hunger Games, or Battle Royale. That was it. That was what this was, wasn't it? There was something blurry beneath the... Sand... Sandpaper. Glass. What? Why weren't the puppets dancing? Dancing... Puppets. Funny. Where had they seen... Oh. The mannequin!! Jumping rope... ... Right, that was... Setsuna, over there. Was that his name? Sawyer wasn't sure if they could remember correctly anymore. There was this blurry... Presence. No, voice. ...a bear. A robotic bear. Vote? Vote for what?... The president? No. The execution. Salem witch trials, huh? "Sure! I guess we should vote. Who... Couldn't float?" Setsuna? He was getting all the attention. Was he the witch? Harry Potter... Sawyer missed Harry Potter. [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Wed, 22/02/2023 20:16 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVSetsuna… the awkward boy in the glasses, who was so willing to have himself voted rather than have someone else meaninglessly die. Who had unexpectedly struck the first blow, and stabbed two people. Saying that he didn't want anyone else to die. "Luke, you know what I wanna be when I grow up?" "What, Kathryn?" "I want to be a doctor! I'm gonna save so many people, Luke! And then… no one else will have to…" A sad look came over her face. And as Lucian looked in admiration up at his older sister… he couldn't help but think about… how much he wanted to be like that. He wanted to be someone who could help and comfort people. Who could save them, even at the cost of his own life. But… the life of a therapist was far more peaceful than some occupations dealing with that. Lucian's whole life, he had been trapped in an environment of chaos, uncertainty, and torment. He wanted to help other people out of their own hells. But he wanted to be in… a safer, more stable place to do that. Where you invited people to sit down for a chat and a cup of tea. Where no one asked you what your story was. Because Lucian didn't want to tell them the answer. He didn't want them to know the whole story of what his family was like. The truth of why they moved around so often. The truth of why he suffered so much in his lifetime, and the truth of why all his loved ones, lived every day, risking their lives. And as Lucian saw Setsuna there… he couldn't help but think of himself. "...Miyako. Stop it." He slowly walked over to Setsuna, and then suddenly threw his arms around him with tears in his eyes. "...it's not your fault, Setsuna. It's mine! I'm so sorry. If… if you had told me, maybe I could have jumped off the bridge… it could have been me, you all could have gotten away from here…" His eyes fluttered closed, his knees shaking. "...then everything could have been alright. You… didn't have to do this. It should have been me. I'm so sorry, that I couldn't protect you." Darcy Harper's POVBut something struck him, as he stood there, petrified into silence. His mouth opening and closing, but letting out nothing but dwindling air. Setsuna had killed in the name of love. And what Darcy didn't like… Was that it was something… He could relate to. Sawyer Laurens's POV[Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Tue, 21/02/2023 18:53 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POV... "Hey... Miyako. Are you okay?" ... He inhaled sharply, blinking rapidly. Attempting to comprehend what Setsuna was saying. "...Setsuna... Did you really stab them both? You didn't mean to? What do you mean?" A sickening feeling took over Lucian. Setsuna... Why? He could feel the beginnings of tears in his eyes. "...another person I couldn't help. Another person I couldn't save," he choked to himself. "...if I had just jumped, this never would have happened. Setsuna, I'm so sorry." He wanted to think Setsuna was wrong. That Kubo would never do such a thing. ...was... Setsuna really the killer? ...did he really... Lucian hung his head. He felt like he was going to vomit. So dizzy. The whole room was spinning. Was it because they were all so high up, all so high up in space? It felt like the breath had left him. He just wanted to hug Setsuna. "...this was all my fault. If I was dead, nothing like this would have happened..." They would have recognized his suicide. And then, they all could have headed back. Why?... Sawyer Laurens's POVWhen Sawyer looked at Setsuna... ...Setsuna. Who was that? Who was there? Was that... Setsuna? Sawyer blinked. For a curious moment, a very curious moment... "Stabbed them. Stabbed two people. Two people. Why'd Salsasuna go and do a thingy like that? That makes me really sad. Why would you do things that make people sad? An accident? What happened? Did you care about them?" There was a distant look in Sawyer's eyes. Like they were thinking about something else. They watched Lucian weeping, insisting it was his fault. ...why'd Lucister think it was his fault? A bloody knife... "What'd you go and spill all that sauce for anyway?..." Darcy Harper's POVLucian shook his head. "...it's my fault..." he kept choking out, tears rolling down his cheeks. "But Setsuna... Why? Why did you... Stab them?" Darcy didn't feel anger. He only felt... Pity. Pity for this teenage boy breaking down in front of them all. Nothing but pity... And he felt it for Miyako, too, somehow. Looking at her, like that... ... What was Sawyer saying? What did... They mean? [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Fri, 17/02/2023 21:15 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVLucian flinched at what Miyako said. "sorry...," he replied, despite the fact he wasn't really an avid reader of mystery novels. Truth be told, he only knew some things about Sherlock Holmes because... ... Kathy always loved those stories. God, he didn't want to even think of her right now. But... The look on Kubo's face. The words he said next. Chilled Lucian to the bone. "...S-Setsuna." Lucian drew in a sharp breath. "...is... That true? Why?" Why would someone stab Mei? Well... Unless extremely provoked. To be frank. He found himself staring at the boy. Setsuna, who had seemed so remarkably socially awkward, not exactly... Kind. Fragile. But he seemed... Not like the type to stab people. But of course... Anyone could do it if they had the right reason. People were often more than they appeared to be, after all... Darcy Harper's POVDarcy trailed off. His voice wobbled. He could almost feel the tears stirring. No, that could have just as easily been him. But... Darcy... Wasn't like that. You lied. No, he- You lied. . . . Darcy was just standing there, in trembling shock, unable to utter another word. Sawyer Laurens's POVMei was... Mei was... Fine. There was nothing going on with- ... Sawyer suddenly got a good look at her. No, she was... ... She was... I thought I heard voices. I don't remember how I got there. It wasn't long after... Well, that day. I don't know why everyone around me was so insistent that it happened. Because it didn't happen. "Sawyer Laurens, right? You alright, kid?" "Of course! I'm doing awesome! Why wouldn't I be?" It almost looked as though there was some kind of hint of sadness upon their face, before it promptly vanished. "You ever wonder if a mongoose has ever piloted an airplane?" "...look, you don't have to pretend everything's fine. Are you alright... After what happened?" "...after... What happened?" Sawyer tilted their head. "What do you mean?" People coming and going. Shaking their heads and asking strange questions. Why were they even brought into this place? They thought they heard... A conversation nearby. What was going on? "How can anyone go through something like that... And not even remember?" "Well. Everyone deals with trauma differently, I'm afraid. I think they're just repressing it. But... Are you really surprised?" "Do you mean...?" "Considering their condition..." Sawyer didn't know what the people were talking about. Everything was great, it had never been better. So why had they been brought... Here? ... Something... About the state of Mei's body... ...how strange. Very strange. "Whoaaa. Setsuna, didja really do that? Why? Was it an accident? Or-- or maybe an epic sword fight?!" Sawyer exclaimed. Lucian cast Sawyer a worried glance, before looking away. Sawyer didn't hear him say, "...I don't think it was an accident." [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Fri, 17/02/2023 07:33 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POV"Huh?" He felt himself growing pale. He gritted his teeth. There was something about the tilt of her head, the tone of her voice!! That voice!!-- "The man keeping us all alive... Are y'all really that dumb? C'mon man, carry your weight for once, will ya? Stop letting this annoying ass b***h do all the work for you, it's unfair! Y'all are smarter than that, aren't you? You guys can be big boys and girls and do some of the work yourselves, right? C'moooonnnnn, just try it!" ... Lucian's face reddened. Had he... Thought of Kubo as some sort of savior or something? When really... He was human, like everyone else here. He was... He was just... Human... ... Maybe... Not even human. Is he like me? Maybe, if he was- Lucian narrowed his eyes, his glare seething at Mei. "I... I..." He inhaled sharply and gripped at the table, trying so hard to keep from lunging at her. "WE'RE ALL TRYING OUR BEST! And he is NOT an annoying ass b**ch or whatever foul words you insist on calling him! He's... He's... Wonderful, really. And he's really smart. He's... Not annoying at all." There was a sort of wistful peace that his voice suddenly drifted into. "...he's like the snow. Beautiful, but cold. With so much more beyond the surface..." He blinked out of his thoughts. OH. RIGHT. KUBO WAS RIGHT IN HERE! His face reddened further. "s-sorry! I just... He's... Not that. Is all. And... I'm trying. We're all trying. I'm sorry." "Hehe, seeeeee? Not that hard! Good job Darcy!" "Yeah Setsuna, what was that all about, huh? Heard from my good friend Darcy over here that you said somethin' a liiiiiiiiittle funky! So, what was it, huh? What happened, huh? Is there something you wanna tell us, huh?" "H-hey! Let's not put too much pressure on him, okay? It's... Probably important we know what's going on, Setsuna. So... Could you... Please tell us?" He flinched. Mei... Really just went and go as she pleased, didn't she? Darcy Harper's POV"good friend." No. Nononono. NO! He... He wouldn't... See her in Hell. He wouldn't. He bit at his lips, trying not to gasp out loud for air. "Yeah... Lucian's right. No pressure, Setsuna. It's just this could be important." ... Friends. How could he ever be friends with... Her? ... It would be like accepting that he had done something wrong. He... Hadn't done anything wrong. It was just-- You lied. ... You lied to her. ... Why did you go and do a thing like that, Darcy? Good people don't do things like that. The piano's keys broke under Erica's hands, and melted into inky, black and white.... Blood. The piano melted into more black blood. The hurt, the dismay, the betrayal in her face-- Darcy prayed that the tears wouldn't travel any further. "...thank you," Darcy replied to Mei, trying to keep the shaking out of his voice. Lucian frowned thoughtfully at Saeko's question. "...well. I wasn't." "I... Was with her, at one point," Darcy replied. "Oh, Mei Mei? Ehhhhh, I barely saw 'er!" Sawyer exclaimed, rocking from side to side. Sawyer Laurens's POV[Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Fri, 17/02/2023 06:30 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POV"I think we can use that later, after we've established something more important. We know that she fell to her death, from the bridge room. That may be important for alibis later- but for now, perhaps we should debate with the initial method of murder." "...the initial method of murder," Lucian murmured. It was internal bleeding, right? It really brought into question why the other injuries upon her body had occurred. Of course, they could be simple evidence of a struggle… or maybe the killer was trying to confuse them all about what was going on? "She was stabbed. The killer stabbed her and pushed her off, didn't they?" Yes. The killer had most likely stabbed her and pushed her off. "...but… why? To reduce her strength so she couldn't fight back as well? Was it something they were forced to use when she fought back, possibly?" Lucian wondered. "Yeah, so she was stabbed. What does that prove? Did anyone not have access to the weapons?" Lucian eyed Setsuna curiously. The boy seemed… strangely nervous. Did he know something? "That's a good-" "Actually! I locked the weapons room for all female students because sexism and I wanted people to have the chance to stab Mei, the child thief!" "It worked great! She ended up sooooo stabbed~" A disturbed look came upon Lucian's face. Okay, that was not good for Monokuma to say, even as a joke. …was he… possibly offering a clue as to the identity of the culprit? Or trying to lead them off the track? It was hard to tell with him. Mei's stabbing… that whole matter didn't sit well with Lucian. Why? Had she known something? Could she have witnessed something? Had the killer been her attacker, or someone else? Had it been intended for her to be killed… or merely incapacitated? "That's a lie, and if it weren't, I'd have something else to sue you for in this murder game. I checked the room out with Shi. There's a nice array of knives, but they're fairly high up. Doesn't mean much though, because there're some stools in the closet." Knives… Lucian shuddered. He didn't… he didn't want to think of knives. Knives, oh, knives. They could protect you. They could save your life. But ever so often… they wound up hurting others. …he had to focus. "...Miyako. If that's the case, then if our culprit isn't exactly tall, could it be probable we could figure out if a stool had been used somehow?" He shook his head. "...no. Maybe the killer would have accounted for that. They could even pretend to have used a stool to frame someone shorter… never mind. It wasn't a good idea." He sighed and shook his head. "Focusing on the stabbing doesn't take away from her cause of death- but it can help us work backwards and put together a mental picture of how the case went down. Basically, while you lot were off dallying with Mei and soothing her hurt feelings, I was examining the body, and I found that the wounds were very interesting." Lucian stiffened. "...that… makes sense. Yes." "Basically, while you lot were off dallying with Mei and soothing her hurt feelings…" A stern look came upon Lucian's face, and a cold tone to his voice. "...right," he muttered sarcastically. "...and stopping someone from literally dying." Ah… god. Why had he felt… offended? As though Kubo had been saying that what they had been doing wasn't important? He flinched. "S-Sorry… I shouldn't have said that. What did you find about the wounds?" "I think... the killer was trying to frame a woman, in some sense. It had to be someone familiar with violent crime, and there's only one person here that I think fits that frame." … …Someone… familiar with violent crime. Lucian's knees nearly buckled beneath him. He responded very quietly, in a voice that didn't sound quite like his own. "What… gives you the idea they were trying to frame a woman? Something about the wounds?... And why… s-someone familiar with violent crime? Who do… you think it is, Kubo?" "So? Heh... Spill the beans, Kubo. I know you're an edgy asshole of a "detective"," but suspense won't help us, now will it? Besides... With that amount of edge, you could've probably... Y'know, killed someone without a knife! Hehe..." . . . "...Mei. Stop it, please. There's no reason to insult him. Especially not insulting the man trying to help keep us all alive." His eyes narrowed to slits. "He– he didn't do this. He wouldn't… do a… thing like that. He wouldn't…" Lucian's cracking voice trailed off. Did… he know Kubo wouldn't do a thing like that? Or was he… merely blinded by love for him…? Lucian swallowed. God, maybe it was the decreasing oxygen… but the air didn't taste so great. Darcy Harper's POV"Setsuna… what did you mean when you said… something about it happening in ESPECIALLY that room? You seemed freaked out. Do- you know something?" He gazed at him, awaiting some kind of answer… … God, he wished he could be more help here. It seemed like everyone else knew what they were doing. Well… maybe he and Akari were just as clueless as each other… he wasn't sure. …but he felt… so useless. Like he might as well not be here. Like in a day or two, he'd just wind up the body being discussed, and then tossed away. Forgotten. Forever. Sawyer Laurens's POVThey wondered, in that moment, if they should try and help. Well, it wasn't like it mattered if they did or not, did it? This wasn't… … Why was there so much of it, everywhere? It was such a mess. That day that… That day that… Sawyer couldn't quite recall. But the smiling faces… why did they vanish? Where did they go? Why did everyone leave the party? [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Thu, 16/02/2023 19:05 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POV"Regardless of the... literary correlations you can see here, our relationship is... Purely platonic. Like Lucian said." A sad smile came upon Lucian's face. Of course it was. He had known Kubo saw it that way. Never would he feel Kubo's kiss on his lips, nor his arm around him. Nor his hand in his. Nor his "I love yous" and sweet little whispers in his ears.. They would never stare into one another's eyes and... Focus, Lucian. "Okay, so basically, there was only one path to reach the right side of the school. For some reason, the killer taped down the button- as if trying to say that they went to the other side of the building." His eyes narrowed. "But that was intentional. They fused the door afterwards, because they headed directly to the left side of the building afterwards- an area I suspect they only would've come out of when they heard the murder announcement." Lucian frowned. "...that... Does feel off. But how do we determine who could have headed there? Is there any distingishable trait about someone who has been there?" He inhaled sharply. Kubo was right. Their relationship was nothing but platonic. He... He could never hope for more. Lucian pulled out his notepad, and nearly crumpled up the start of the poem he'd written. God. He couldn't think about love. He couldn't BE in love. It was so unprofessional... And at a time like this... Why... Why did he have to go and fall for Kubo Atsushi? Who could never think of him more than a friend, an ally, his therapist? Why?... Darcy Harper's POV"That might help us determine our killer..." Sawyer Laurens's POV[Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Wed, 15/02/2023 22:12 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVLucian was perplexed. What was Sawyer talking about? "...maybe the state of the bridge. You know, the conditions under which it's able to open. And... How a killer could have used it to their advantage? By opening the bridge at the right time, they could make someone fall to their death." "You two!" Sawyer beamed. Lucian raised his eyebrows. Darcy groaned. "Oh, please no..." "Kubo's like, a detective, and you're like his partner who works with him! And you're a therapist, like a doctor! A doctor of the mind! Haha! Oh my gosh, you're just like... SHERLOCK HOLMES AND DOCTOR WATSON!" Sawyer let out a fanatical squeal. Lucian's eyes widened and his face flushed. Oh. My god. Someone kill me now. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson. Their relationship was... Of course, well, friendly in nature. But some speculated possible feelings on either side, especially when Sherlock got jealous of Watson's having a wife and spending less time with him. ... Except it's like I'm the one doting after him... When he's interested in nothing of the sort. "U-Um... Yeah. It's like that! T-Two friends working on the investigation! Haha!" Dear. God. Lucian was sweating so hard right now. WHY THE HELL DID SAWYER HAVE TO GO AND SAY THAT I'm NOT his Watson. I'll never be his Watson. Sawyer... Why? Darcy Harper's POVDear God. He had KNOWN Sawyer would go and say that. Hadn't Lucian been humiliated ENOUGH for one day? "Yeah... It's okay. Let's just... Figure this out." [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Wed, 15/02/2023 21:25 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVWas better he did. He wasn't supposed to be noticed anyway. And... Being noticed... That'd be scary. Lucian's eyes widened. "...was it... The room with the bridge?" The one... He didn't jump from?... [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Wed, 15/02/2023 21:18 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVHe was stunned. What a preposterous thing to say. What did... What did he even mean? "Kubo, I... Of course I'm dead. I've accepted that already." He blinked. "I'm nothing more than a ghost. I've been dead from a very young age." But... Seeing the hurt look in his face. Hearing the crack of his voice... Lucian's fingers curled into fists. "Mei... Please be quiet," he said very gently, as though he were a mother consoling her child. "...unless you want to help. It's not going to do any good for you to just try to hurt everyone. Really, it'll do the opposite, frankly." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "...but, that's just how you are, isn't it? I shouldn't try to change that. I shouldn't try to change you, even if I don't like or understand it. You're Mei, and that's how you are. That's how you cope with things." He sighed. Some people... Just were like that. And you had to accept it. ... Lucian learned to accept whatever happened to him in life. Like the snow falling on top of you, once you had frozen to death, from being outside too long. It was almost peaceful, really. He was peace in its essence. Nothing but a ghost. But... Kubo said something... That changed everything. "Lucian, you aren't dead. You can't die- I won't let you." His eyes widened, stirring with the beginnings of tears. Ugh... God, he wasn't supposed to cry. "Kubo, I-" He couldn't even speak. For a moment there. "...Kubo..." He laughed quietly, his face rapidly warming. He headed over to Kubo, and took his hands, giving him a smile. "...I'm... Not worth that... But... I won't let you die, either, okay? I promise. You... Matter a lot to me. I-- I mean, everyone does, of course! But I..." Oh god. Oh... God. To develop a bias for one person. Lucian couldn't let that happen. "...thank you. U-Um... We should really solve this case. Shouldn't we?" Ah god. Emotions, not EMOTIONS! Other people's were important. Not his. Darcy Harper's POVHe took in all that he had said. He was right. They should all be solving the case, not fighting. Dammit. That was what he'd been hoping to do. But no, INSTEAD HE HAD TO HAVE A STUPID MENTAL BREAKDOWN- He sighed, glancing over at Mei. "I pity her, really," he murmured, not quietly enough. "She just does whatever it takes to feel something." He winced, shaking the thought away. He walked over to Akari. "Hey... Are you okay? You don't seem to be taking all of this well..." Sawyer Laurens's POVThey blinked. "Wait. Weren't we... Solving a mystery or something? About Fantatabicorncob or whatever her name was? What's- what's going on?" [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Wed, 15/02/2023 20:35 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVA trading of insults. Mockery. Attempting to aggravate each other. Blood on one's hands. Murder. Getting the job done. ...Akari, Darcy, breaking down. Sawyer murmuring the same thing, over and over again. "Blood. Blood, blood everywhere. All over the floor." Kubo. Mei. Arguing. ... "STOP IT! ALL OF YOU!" Lucian slammed his hands down on the table, tears bubbling in his eyes. "SERIOUSLY. SHUT. THE F**K. UP. BEFORE I SILENCE YOU ALL MYSELF! WE'RE ALL SUFFERING HERE, DID FUTATABI DIE JUST SO THAT WE COULD ALL SCREAM AT EACH OTHER AND THROW DEATH THREATS AROUND? NO! WE'RE ALL HERE TO SOLVE HER GODDAMN MURDER SO THAT NO ONE HAS TO DIE, EVER AGAIN! E-except... For one person. SO LET'S ALL JUST SHUT UP. SHUT UP ABOUT THIS. AND JUST FIND OUT WHO KILLED HER!" He inhaled sharply. "...the only reason we're all here right now, threatening to tear each other's throats out, which will solve nothing. Bringing up our past sins, which will solve NOTHING. Is because someone... Someone lashed out and killed her in the first place. So let's avenge her. In the name of justice, in the name of all of those who died. Who can't speak up for themselves anymore. ...I MAY BE ALREADY DEAD MYSELF, BUT I'LL BE DAMNED IF I DON'T SPEAK UP FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T. SO LET'S ALL JUST GET ALONG AND SAVE EACH OTHER, SO NO ONE ELSE HAS TO SUFFER LIKE- LIKE ALL THOSE OTHERS DID!" Lucian panted. He even looked shaken by what he'd just said. "...s-so... Can we all work together? Please?" he said in a much quieter, much gentler voice, which felt strange after that. [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Tue, 14/02/2023 22:37 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POV"...wait. There's something else that's bothering me." He frowned, thinking hard. "The question is... Why? Why was Futatabi vulnerable to being murdered? What was she doing at the time? Why did she not get into a dorm like most of us? Was there something she could have been doing at the time? Did the killer lure her out, somehow, and tricked her? No... Nono..." He huffed in frustration, shaking his head. "...It's just, that really is one of my questions. How could the murder have happened? How did Futatabi put herself in a vulnerable position to be killed?" Darcy Harper's POVBut there was something else he heard someone else say. "H-hey! Do we think that the person who attacked poor Mei killed Futatatatbi? Because if so, our killer is definitely violent! Like, who attacks someone like that?" Darcy froze. He slowly turned his head, his eyes widened and his mouth hung open in a sort of untoothy grimace. "M-Maybe..." Darcy gripped at his own arm, shuffling it into the crook of his other one because Dorky loves drawing that pose for some reason. "Maybe. They... Could have had a motive for silencing her. Might have even intended to kill her too." Darcy was perspirating intensely. Oh god, not the mallet. He didn't want to think about the mallet. About the judge. About the words he spoke. Not courtrooms. ANYTHING but courtrooms. "Attacking innocent people....gosh. Horrifying!" "Y-Yeah... It... Really-" He saw Saeko's smile. A goddamn smile. They were SMILING. About the thought of- Darcy skidded backward, and fell onto his back. He frantically scooted away. "NO! NONONO! N-NO! I wouldn't do that! No one should do that! ONLY THE GUIL-" He gripped at the sides of his head. Tears bubbled in his eyes, and he gnawed at the insides of his cheek until they started to bleed. Someone, find me a gun. Let me blow my brains out right now. "GET ME OUT OF HERE! THIS- THIS PLACE, I- I DON'T BELONG HERE I DON'T-" He just broke down sobbing. (My poor boy was just losing it at this point.) "Blood," Sawyer murmured. "Blood, everywhere. All over the place. What a mess. ...what. a. Mess." [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Tue, 14/02/2023 20:18 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVHe nodded in Miyako's direction. "...yeah. That might make sense." He found himself feeling particularly worried for Kubo. He was... Acting so strange. They all were losing it though, weren't they? Why is he... Scaring me? Darcy Harper's POVLucian paled. "...the... Bridge?" There was something in his face. A sort of guilt, a sort of... Regret. A sort of wishing he had done something differently. "Yes... Maybe she tried to escape across it. From the killer." Lucian sighed. "...I- barely saw the crime scene. So I won't be much help, I'm afraid..." Darcy frowned. "Kubo... Why did you suspect you'd find something in the locker?" Sawyer Laurens's POV...blood. So, so much blood... ... [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Mon, 13/02/2023 23:59 (1 Year ago) |
Darcy Harper's POV"OKAY, EVERYONE, SHUT UP! Akari is right. We all need to focus on the case." He shook his head at Mei. "And can you NOT tease someone about his potential sex life? That's none of our business! If he said he didn't sleep with Kubo, I believe him." Lucian's face flushed. "D...Darcy-" He crossed his arms. "And you shouldn't offer to let Kubo make you his personal punching bag! What's that going to solve? Just encouraging the violence? Honestly..." He put two fingers up to his helmet, rubbing them up against the surface. "We have a case to solve here. And fighting won't solve anything. It won't bring Futatabi back... It won't... Stop the killer from being punished. Or... All of us from being punished. If we fail." Lucian lowered his head. "Y-You're right, Darcy. I'm sorry." Darcy patted Lucian on the shoulder with a sigh. "Yes... So can we just get back to what we were doing? So no one dies? Please?" Lucian Arbred's POV"He's right... So... Kubo. Mei. Can we please listen to him and Akari and get back to the trial?" He remembered Kubo frantically mentioning the cause of death. Had he... Intended to distract himself from the comment? He... Doesn't like me, does he? No, of course not. He was just embarrassed. Sawyer Laurens's POVThey had been watching this whole thing in great perplexment. It seemed they hadn't consciously realized what happened. [Read more] |
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Dorky OFFLINE Forum Posts: 47 |
Posted: Mon, 13/02/2023 22:24 (1 Year ago) |
Lucian Arbred's POVPlaying happy melodies under the glowing moon Reaching into the disarray, it's the only way To complete the promise that we all made We said together let's leave this place And I know that we can't truly embrace Such an idealistic lie so I'll Diffuse this blackened killing harmony" Lucian glared at Mei. "...it's not cowardice. No one is dying. No one is getting hurt. I... Except for one person. Because of what happened to Futatabi..." No one was going to... Mei's next words turned Lucian Arbred's blood to ice. "Aaaaaaanyways... Bet we should listen to these... dirty little wh-" He'd known what she was going to say. Dirty little... Whores. ...whores... He couldn't hear Akari. He couldn't hear Idris. The world ticked to a stop. At that word. ... In life, you never had choices. You were always forced into things you didn't want to do. No matter how much you begged, and pleaded... You wound up bleeding on the ground with knives and bullets in your guts, trying not to cry... You were just grateful that was all they did. It's funny... Many people had considered Lucian to be ugly at school. He considered himself to be ugly, too. ...well. Maybe it wasn't because he was beautiful. It was just another method of torture. He felt like he was going to throw up. A sickening dizziness overtook him. He reached for Kubo's hands, possibly in the hopes of stopping him from whatever he might do to Mei. He stared at him with pleading eyes. "Kubo... I... I..." He couldn't keep himself from crying anymore. "I'm so, so sorry... I hadn't meant to imply we did anything of that nature together. After all..." His next words sounded weak and pitiful. "I'm... Your therapist. And... Your friend. Just... Your friend. You mean a lot to me, and... I care a lot about you. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I-It's... Not Mei you should be hitting. It's me. So just... Pound me into the ground if you want. I deserve it. I- I won't... Stop you." [Read more] |