Forum Thread

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Miyako Hiroto

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Miyako accepted her hand. "Come on!" She started dragging her down the hall. "We have to get there! We have to see who it is!"

Please... oh god...

"Hurry up!" Miyako gave the hand a yank.

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In the cafeteria...

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"Puhuhu~ how delightfully despairful! Mere hours before the prom, the first body is discovered! What a tragedy! How terrible for you all!"

Monokuma strode into the room, laughing and clapping.

"Well done! The killer has truly outdone themself. This murder is practically unsolveable! Clean cut, a nice alibi, and a thousand people to frame! I applaud them, truly! What an excellent performance on their part."

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❄️lucian arbred's pov🕊️

"...Lucian, I-"

Was... Akari going to say something? Did it... Matter what? Someone new was dead. And Lucian didn't even want to go over and see, but...

He just gave Akari a sad smile, and slowly headed in the direction of...

...oh. Akora. Lucian's heart sunk. He had barely known her, and yet... He had, a little bit. He'd respected her. She was skilled, she was gentle, caring, helpful. Not that... Anyone would have deserved this...

And then Sawyer was... Over there with that... Look on their face. That utter... Puzzlement...

📚SAWYER LAURENS'S POV

.
..
...?!

"The hell is going on with you, huh?! The hell is this?! What the-"

Sawyer stared in wide-eyed bewilderment at their assailant. "A-Akari? Wh... Wh..."

I don't... I don't understand... Is he... Angry?

...

What was he asking? What was he asking about? Whoever... Or whatever... That was on the floor?

"What the f**k happened here...?"

(Uh oh no one is covering the cinnamon roll's ears)

"I don't... I don't know... Sleeping? Is it... Sleeping?"

Sawyer wracked their brain. The words weren't coming to them. The thoughts weren't coming to them. Something was... Something was...

...

A blurry, convoluted memory.

They were... Half-asleep, probably...

..

...

"She... Is she a veterinarian, Akari?" they asked quietly.

I don't... I don't understand... What's... Going on? How do I know that?

❄️lucian arbred's pov🕊️

"A-Akari! hey! What are--"

Was... He hearing that wrong? Lucian stopped. He could have sworn he thought he saw, he thought he heard...

Sleeping. Sawyer thought that Akora was sleeping. And for some reason, they thought they recalled her being a vet.

...

Lucian grimaced. He... He had to tell Sawyer, she wasn't sleeping. But did they even remember what dying was?

What was that like? To forget every death that ever happened? To forget everything you might have ever done?

"Puhuhu~ how delightfully despairful! Mere hours before the prom, the first body is discovered! What a tragedy! How terrible for you all!"

Lucian looked down at the floor. He couldn't even find any words for that. He knew that stupid bear didn't think it was a tragedy. And he actually called himself a Headmaster. A Headmaster was supposed to protect the students, ensure their safety. And all he did... Was drive them to kill each other.

I just wanted... I just wanted to help everyone. But I couldn't save Akora. Who else am I going to fail to save? What's the point anymore? What's the point?

"Well done! The killer has truly outdone themself. This murder is practically unsolveable! Clean cut, a nice alibi, and a thousand people to frame! I applaud them, truly! What an excellent performance on their part."

Lucian blinked. "...but... surely there should be..." He wanted to vomit. He just wanted to vomit. Why? WHY? "...some evidence, right? Sh-shouldn't we... Find Kubo, and-- everyone else, and... conduct an investigation?"

Not that he wanted to.

This was just...

So... So cruel.

Lucian didn't want to go to prom anymore. He just wanted to stop anyone else from meeting the same fate Akora did. And Mei! And Futatabi, and Horatia, and Kaoru, and the time before that and the time before that and the time before that and the time before that-

Death follows you everywhere. Death follows you everywhere. Death follows you everywhere. Death follows you everywhere. Death follows you everywhere. Death follows you everywhere. Death follows you everywhere. Death follows you-

📚SAWYER LAURENS'S POV🍭

Murder?... Like a... Mystery? In a... Game?

Flashing lights. Loud noise. Shouting. Shuffling.

Electricity. It won't stop, it won't stop.

Wake up. Wake up!!

Why is it everywhere I don't understand--

"Murder?" Sawyer mumbled. Akora was... Murdered...? Is that... Akora...?

...

A doll. A mannequin. A replica. That was all it was.

.

..

...

Just part of the dream.

"Oh! Okay. Where do we find the evidence? Let's start looking for clues!" they exclaimed.

Lucian... Lucian, yes. Friend...? The friend(?) looked sad. Why was the friend sad?

I don't understand.

Hand pressed against the cover of a warm, bound book.

I don't understand.

So many nonsensical words.

Can I go home now?

🦋Darcy Harper's POV💌

He'll be fine! Probably. :)

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Solaro "Makasu"

Solaro appeared from the doorway, but stopped short of entering the room. Her green eyes widened and she wailed. She opened her mouth again, but little sound came out.

Confusion clouded her head.

Akora... She... Is dead? Why? What did she ever... do?

Solaro felt dizzy.

I must be asleep again. She closed her eyes briefly. This is all a dream.

No, whispered a tiny voice. She is gone.

Solaro opened her eyes again, and took in the scene.

Oh..

Bloodied and bruised, Akora lay there. Solaro's gaze briefly darted to her wrists.

Bile rose in Solaro's throat and she struggled not to vomit or pass out or both.

She felt sick to her stomach.

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Miyako Hiroto

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Miyako froze, holding herself up by a hand on the doorway.

No...

A body was lying on the ground. She staggered towards it. Her hand reached out, fingertips almost brushing the silhouetted form.

Somebody pushed her and she tripped. Her nose connected with the wall. For a second she was stunned as she slowly slid towards the floor and the bloody corpse beneath her-

"No!" she shrieked, throwing herself backwards. From the floor, she stared uncomprehendingly at the...

Girl's body.

She couldn't stop shaking. It wasn't him. It wasn't him.

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Setsuna Jun

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"Ah!" Panicked, Setsuna wrapped his arms around himself. I'm so awkward and gangly and ughh! Why'd I do that? Stupid, stupid Setsuna... "Mi...Miyako, are you okay?"

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❄️lucian arbred's pov🕊️

Miyako was here now... And Setsuna, and Solaro too...

Lucian stared at Akora's lifeless body for a moment, wishing he could dare to believe she was just injured. But the utter stiffness, not even the slightest twitch, not even the softest rise and fall of her breath... She was gone. And he knew it.

Poor Solaro... She had known Akora the most, the longest. This must have been utterly devastating to see. Lucian knew what it was like... When he lost Kathy, it was like... A huge part of him was gone. Just utterly, completely disintegrated.

She looked so peaceful, but he knew it wasn't what she would have wanted. To go so soon, in such a brutal way. They had cleaned her up the best they could, but every time Lucian looked at her, in that coffin, laid down in one of those dresses she would have loved to wear... He could still hear her screaming. He could still see her bloodied head, the shock on her face, he could hear the gunshot...

And he hadn't been there to protect her, to save her. And that beautiful brain, with the faintest of hopes for the future, dreams of becoming a doctor, of being able to help so many people, to learn so much... Obliterated.

He was wearing a tidy black suit, black, like how his world had turned to black, as they said their farewells before she was lowered into the ground. Gone far too soon. His father... Hadn't said a word. He'd just stood there... Silently. Lucian could only guess what he might have been thinking.

And she was gone, just like that. And life just had to go on. No matter what happened, no matter how many people died, you couldn't do anything about it. Life would just go on.

Lucian had to do everything he could... To prevent that from happening again. But some people, you just couldn't save.

"...Solaro, I'm so sorry for your loss."

It was all he could say. Those cliché bouts of words that people would always drawl out, in an attempt to comfort you. She's in a better place now. She's proud of you. This pain won't last forever.

But the words caught on his tongue, and he couldn't say any more of them. This was cruel. This whole situation was cruel. Everyone... Was doomed to lose those that mattered most. Who could do this to someone?

It was just how life worked... Lucian knew that. He could feel this ringing in his ears, a ringing that wouldn't go away.

Sawyer was walking over to Setsuna and Miyako, reaching out a hand to them both. "Hey, friends! Need... Help getting up?" They were tilting their head.

Lucian could hear, but the words were all blurring together. His head throbbed, his heart throbbed. He felt so sick. He felt like... He had been the one who had killed Akora. By not being there to save her, from whoever did this.

My fault, my fault, my fault.

Death... Followed you everywhere. Everywhere you went.

It was just a part of life.

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Setsuna Jun

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“E-Eh? Sawyer? W-What’re you doing he…here?”

Setsuna hadn’t seen them since the trial. And now he was starting to get why he hadn’t exactly gone out of his way. Sawyer stood over him, smiling. Such a cheerful grin… but with their dead, dead eyes….

He shuddered.

Guess who else is dead? Mei! And you, Setsy!

“No! Nono-” He gasped. “Sawyer- I’m good! I don’t need help getting up.” He laughed nervously. “My legs still work, see? I’m fine!” He pushed himself to his feet, even though his legs were wobbly.

Past Sawyer, he could spy the dead body on the ground. Someone dead already… had Mei died for nothing, then? If everyone was going to kill each other anyway?

Maybe. If they kill me.

“What the hell, Setsuna?” Miyako hissed at him from the floor. She was shaking, a snarl rippling on and off her face. “You pushed me into the f*cking corpse. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Oh. That would be… traumatising. “Sorry?” he tried.

“Puhuhuhuhu~ The trial hasn’t even started and you’re already tearing each other apart! I love it!”

Buffkuma laughed as he came into sight… with another bear on his arm.



“NOOOOOOOOO!” Miyako screamed.

“PUHUHUHUHUUHUHU~”

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Solaro blinked slowly. Through the loud, harsh ringing in her ears she heard someone say something.

"...Solaro, I'm so sorry for your loss."

She turned to meet the eyes of Lucian.

Her emerald green gaze was dull and her eyes miniature pools of sadness and... despair.

She mumbled something, but the words were so garbled it was difficult to understand, if at all.

"..s'all good."

Solaro's tongue twisted itself into knots and clenched her teeth.

"...She walks among the stars now."

Solaro whispered, and her gaze flickered up and then down.

She could take comfort in that.

Now she was safe.

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Narrator

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Buffkuma and his wife strolled into the room, permanently burning the sight of Serendibite's excellent editing skills into everyone's eyesockets. "Behold! Murder number three! The tragedy of a double murder, two bodies laid across the other! How delightfully despairful!"

His evil laughter rang throughout the room. With each flex of his abs it grew even louder.

"There's only one body, though..." Setsuna was very careful to avoid eye contact else he be hypnotized by a dude bro's midnight fantasy.

Buffkuma paused. He peered very closely at Akora's body. He frowned, his ripped facial muscles moving beneath his fleshy bear skin.

"Only one? Only one! But this is the chapter 3 murder! How could such a thing happen!"

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iz dat vedduy phazbur, iz dat boff vedduy phazburs

also stop tryin to be edgy akari, you're not that guy

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They looked startled. S**t...

The hell was he thinking? Acting out of nowhere? Out of some sort of denial, or anger? This wasn't the first time he'd seen a body, this wasn't the first time this even happened at the school. He had no hope to begin with, he knew how this game was going to end. He shouldn't be doing this.

Sawyer didn't even do anything.

You shouldn't care about a little blood, Akari. A measly corpse shouldn't mean anything to you. Death knocks at the door once again, it'll always be following in your footsteps. Did you really think things would be different here? Did you really think there was some chance this could end? That little optimist sure is rubbing off on you, hm? Did you really believe that blatant lie that nobody else would get hurt? That you could be a better person? That you could help instead of hurt?

Grow up, Akari.

He backed off. He took a step back, distancing himself from Sawyer as best as he could. He couldn't trust himself. What if that one s***ty move alone did something? What if he was a little more aggressive than he thought?

"S-sorry, I didn't-... I didn't mean to-"

Sleeping. Sawyer thought Akora was sleeping. That bold delusion was something Akari could only wish he had.

"She... Is she a veterinarian, Akari?"

He sat in silence for a bit, looking back at the bloodied corpse. He couldn't look at Sawyer right now. Not right now.

"...Was."

That was all he could say. He couldn't explain it to them, not like it mattered. They were too far gone in the illusion, and he would feel guilty for trying to rip them out of it. It already backfired in the past, he wasn't going to try again. There was a thin line Akari was walking right now, a thin layer of restraint that was already tearing at the seams. That damn bear wasn't helping in the slightest.

"Puhuhu~ how delightfully despairful! Mere hours before the prom, the first body is discovered! What a tragedy! How terrible for you all!"

Anger boiled in him, but he did nothing to act on it. How insufferable. How could that bear get any worse. What an absolute mockery.

But aren't you the same?

You laughed seeing her body.

But I was-

You still laughed.

You relished in the thought. Believed you were finally free.

You only regretted it when she became your very nightmares.

The words repeated in his head, that annoying tone of the robotic bear etched into his memory. The words... The words...

"The first body is discovered"

The first body?

Is there another?

"Well done! The killer has truly outdone themself. This murder is practically unsolveable! Clean cut, a nice alibi, and a thousand people to frame! I applaud them, truly! What an excellent performance on their part."

Oh god.

He couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge the existence of the horrors in front of his eyes. Only the words rang in his head.

"Behold! Murder number three! The tragedy of a double murder, two bodies laid across the other! How delightfully despairful!"

...Two? No way... It was only Akora though, right? The only people not in the cafeteria right now were Darcy, Kubo, Saeko, and Idris, were they... Were they all safe? Was Monokuma just pulling s**t out his ass?

Setsuna seemed to notice it too. Only one body. The hell was the bear talking about? Talking as though a specific schedule had to be followed, the hell?

"Can you shut up already?" He directed towards the bear, a slight growl in his voice but it was masked by the shakiness. He had his fists balled up inside of his coat pockets, and he would've definitely thrown hands if he wasn't so intimidated by such perfect form.

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Narrator

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"Puhuhu- no." Buffkuma stared flatly at Akari. "You see, there should be two bodies. There was SUPPOSED to be. But stupid Solaro failed to kill a second victim."

You could've heard a pin drop.

"S-Solaro's the killer-?" Setsuna stammered. "B-But how? And why? They were sisters!"

---

Solaro bristled in rage.

"W-what do you mean?!"

She bared her teeth.

"You little-"

She snarled.

(sorry rlly short)

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📚SAWYER LAURENS'S POV

Sorry?...

Sorry for... What?

...

The big buff teddies spoke about the proceedings. There had to be two, there must be two.

...

Was this... All...

No, it couldn't be, could it?

"We just have to get them to remember. No matter what it takes. And then... Maybe they can be rehabilitated back into society."

"You're being too naïve, Doctor. Don't you see? There's no hope for them."

"S-Sir! If you just gave me a little more time..."

"It's hopeless. They're the worst case we've seen yet."

Sawyer...

Haven't you forgotten something?

Something... Important? About all of this?

The pieces haven't yet fallen into place.

Was.

She was a vet. What did that mean?

"Did she retire?" they mumbled.

Retire.

Retire.

Retire...?

What did that mean?

"I don't..."

You've forgotten something, Sawyer. Something very important.

The reason why...

How...

What happened...

Do you remember?

You rewind the memories, so they never happened. You rewind. You rewind.

But they still happened.

It's still there.

What happened... Its consequences...

It's still there.

Don't you see? What all of this is?

It's what you created.

...

Shut up... Chapter 3... What? Books? Books? BOOKS?

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"F-Four... I think."

I don't remember... What...

...

Or... Do I? Maybe I just... Don't want to think about it... But...

What was it...

Why did this all happen...?

Loss... Someone close...

Sawyer closed their eyes, and concentrated really hard.

"You poor thing. Don't you know... What really happened?"

"Is she... Sleeping, Akari? She looks so tired."

The person seemed frightened. No, he could help himself up. He was fine.

...

"You... Sure?"

Are you... Scared of me?

Body? What body?...

What did that mean?

❄️lucian arbred's pov🕊️

He sighed. "I... Guess so," Lucian murmured weakly.

He was just... Tired. So very tired of all this. He wished it would just stop.

People dying, dying, dying. He was powerless to stop it.

"...A-Akari... It's okay. We'll figure this out..."

He wished. He wished that was true. He HOPED it was.

...

Another body... Was someone else dead?

This was all so sick and twisted.

When was... The last time he saw Kubo? A sickening lurch took hold of him. Or... Idris, or... Well, Miyako was okay. But... What about Shi, or... Sutaraitsu or Mika or... Darcy or... Saeko, or... Everyone, really? Were they okay?

"...let's just... Get to the bottom of this."

(Oh great sudden post)

Lucian's eyes widened. "S-Solaro?! Why? And... What... Do you mean... Dropped a second victim?!"

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Narrator

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"Puhuhu~ dear Solaro, I'm sure you can guess. After all, weren't those very hands of yours just wrapped around her pretty throat?"

Buffkuma chuckled.

"Really! I'm amazed at what the human mind comes up with to cope with its own moral failings. Ah, but I suppose you'd see a lot of that in a killing game. Nothing particularly special here."

The bears strode past Setsuna. He flinched away, staring at his hands now.

"Setsuna," Miyako started.

"Unfortunately, we gotta follow some rules here. Hence why my gorgeous, lovely wife~" Buffkuma hugged her and Wifekuma giggled, rubbing her nose against his- "--has proposed a solution! If you guys don't feel like following traditions, we'll give you some incentive!"

"Incentive?" Miyako asked. "The hell do you call this?" She gestured around her. "This whole place is enough to drive someone to murder. You've seen that. You know that."

"Well I'm glad you asked! Basically, in 24 hours, we'll be holding the Third Class Trial! If a second murder hasn't happened by that point, well... I suppose you'll all vote Solaro. She'll die, and you'll be left to take the punishment for rule-breakers."

Buffkuma's eyes glowed ominously.

"I assure you... you don't want to find out what that is. It could be a toe, it could be a leg. Who knows." He shrugged, smiling again. "But in any case, you'll have time to enjoy that little prom of yours. I'd never dream of taking away the roleplayer's last chance to pair you guys off before this whole place goes to hell!"

Buffkuma had proven time and time again that he could make that happen. There was no such thing as a reprieve in Hope's Peak Academy. Blood would always spill, so long as the bear was here.

Yes... they truly had no idea what they were in for.

"I assume, then," stupid, naive Miyako said. "That Solaro will be considered the killer, regardless of the second death?"

Buffkuma laughed at her. "Oh no no no! Of course not! I wouldn't give up such a darling murder mystery! That's not entertaining at all!"

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Shi no Shitshow

What the fuck just happened

She'd just entered the room and there was already a dead body, a couple straight out of the wet dreams of a bisexual panda, and the need for more blood or else...

they all die

Solaro's eyes flash defiantly, but she begins shaking. She curls her lip and growls.

"I... DIDNT."

Solaro struggled to maintain herself.

"...what is your problem..."

She muttered, clinging desperately to the last scraps of composure she has left.

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Setsuna Jun

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"I don't care," Setsuna whispered. "I didn't know her. It doesn't matter."

But did he, though? Even now, he could barely sort through his jumbled memory. All those flashes of people and faces and... and...

His brow furrowed.

Who was that?

Somebody... somebody he knew.

Ni...wa...?

"That's insane," Miyako snorted. "You're nuts, bear, if you think we're gonna kill each other over dumb threats like that. Hell, even Detector boy wouldn't do that."

But he didn't think she was being fully honest with herself. There was something in her eyes that was dull and emotionless despite her passionate words. Deep down, she didn't believe a word she was saying... or care.

She doesn't care, he realised. She's glad Akora's dead. Why?

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Third Person POV

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"Puhuhu~ in case anyone's been skimming, I'll be upfront." Buffkuma snuggled into Wifekuma's shoulder. "We want another murder! And whoever's responsible for that one dies. We might even throw in Solaro if we're feeling generous," he added thoughtfully.

"You're effing insane," Miyako spat. "You can't do things like that. It's wrong!"

"And who are you to talk about right and wrong, huh, little Miyako?"

She looked stricken. "What?"

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Shi no Shitshow

"Hey, it's okay." Shi leaned into her girlfriend before looking upwards at this hulking BBH (Big Bear Headmaster).

"We get it, can you go now?"

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Miyako Hiroto

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"It's not, though." Miyako leaned into her girlfriend's shoulder despite her words, her body shaking. "I- I don't know what he's ralking about... or maybe I do... and I..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing her lips would stop trembling.

"Shi, I-"

"Puhuhuhu~ I see you need some alone time! Well then, we'll be off! Have fun kiddos! Bear well!"

With a double salute, the horrendous couple popped out of sight.

---

Solaro glanced around almost wildly.

She looked panicked and worried.

Oh god.

She prepared herself for whatever came next.

Solaro screwed her eyes shut and took a deep breath.

---

Idris Kallikrates

"Look," he said. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry for what I said to you about her. It was stupid and I knew it, even then. God, I just- even if you don't care, I wanted you to know that. Goddamn, I just-"

"...thanks. Honestly, I um- appreciate it? Not much I can say anymore." He shrugged. "Maybe the crap you said was right. I'm never gonna know. I never knew much about her, and it pains me to say it. I wish....I wish I could've-"

He shook his head.

"I'm not gonna get all sappy right now." Idris scowled.

He bit his lip. "Kubo, I know we may not like each other very much right now, and we maybe never will, but I need your help. We have, we have to get out of here, to prevent murders, y'know?

...I promised her. I promised her I'd stay alive. Even though I don't want to, it's something I have to do.

I have to.

We can't continue with this.

We can't-"

"A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED! A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED! EVERYONE PLEASE GATHER IN THE CAFETERIA!"

...

....

............

"...goddamit."



is that a tear?

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