Forum Thread

Solaro blinked. She hadn't exactly thought about that.

She shrugged.

"I... don't know. Nobody, I guess."

Because you're a monster! People wouldn't want to be near you.

---

📚SAWYER LAURENS'S POV🍭

Sawyer frowned. "Well, I mean... that could be fun too... maybe you could come with Darcy and I! If he's okay with it."

...Darcy... where is he? Ah, it's probably fine. Probably.

---

Shi no Shitshow

"Not to be," she cleared her throat. "that person,"

Because you've never been that person

"but what do we even do?"

"Uhh.... maybe."

Solaro blinked. If there is a Darcy to go with. Then she wanted to slap herself. This soon? No. Everyone but Darcy has been here.

"Why don't you go ask their dor-"

Solaro stopped herself, with a wince.

She was going to say dorm-mate (or something idk) but stopped herself with the realization Akora was in Darcy's dorm.

"Someone. Someone may know."

Idris Kallikrates

"are... you alright? the last time I saw you..."

He scowled. "We don't need to talk about it, alright?"

...

Did someone mention prom?

Prom? PROM?

After a murder?

Oh, these people were delusional, for christ's sake?

Pro-

---

Saeko Katsumi

"PROM!!!!"

Saeko seemed to will themselves into existence.

"Did soooomeeeeonnneeee sayyyy prooooom????" They screeched. "I love prom! It's on my 'Saeko's top five fun things to do that don't involve fire' list!"

"Five points if you guess what no.1 is!"

They looked around.

"Awwwwhhhh :(( yes saeko uses emoticons in speech, why the long faces?" Saeko whined. "Being dead doesn't mean you can't come to prom!! The dead body can be the DJ!!"

Saeko rolled their eyes.

"Okayyy fiiiiineeee, I'm joking, obvs!!" They said...to no one in particular. "I'll totally help with solving the murder!! Or, whatever the bear thingy said. I'm really experienced at this sorta stuff, y'know, I used to listen to true crime podcasts. I'm like basically an expert at this point, I could totes be like Kubo!! :3"

---

Solaro shot a cross glance at Saeko.

Can we please not use my sister as a DJ?

---

---

---

Kubo Atsushi

---

Lucian seemed surprised to see him. Huh... Kubo wondered why. Had something happened while he was gone? Some death threat or other?

Maybe not. Lucian did seem like the kind to worry, even if it was over nothing. His concern is touching though, he sternly reminded himself. Don't hate him for being kind to you. Focus on him, not your damn pride. You're done with that crap.

"Kubo... it's great to see you again. Monokuma brought up the idea of a second body, and I- I was worried that- I was worried... you were gone, too. I just hope... everyone's okay."

"A second body..." Kubo echoed. "Was he expecting one?"

That was strange. As far as he could tell on a headcount, everyone was here. The fact that the bear suspected someone else to be dead... His brow furrowed. Poison, possibly? Someone was already dead from the inside?

His hand found his own stomach and he thought about all he'd ingested in the past 24 hours. Could something he'd eaten be...?

Kubo's stomach rumbled.

Oh right. He hadn't put a single thing in there. Not since Mei bit the dust. Damn. He winced.

"...Akora is dead. Well, you can see that. Monokuma... claimed that Solaro killed her. And that if a second person doesn't show up dead soon, then everyone gets punished. Probably killed... I don't... know much, I was just in the kitchen, preparing some food before getting ready for prom, and... I heard the announcement of the body..."

"I see..." So as far as they knew, no one was dead yet. But that didn't rule out anything crazy like poisonous gas. Prom would be in an isolated room, after all. An enclosed one. "Do you have anything else?"

Lucian looked down, ashamed for a second. Or some other weird emotion, Kubo wasn't sure "...have... you been okay?"

Does he think everyone's going to kill him for expressing concern over me? Kubo's brow furrowed. That was weird... but he supposed the question was harmless enough.

"Yeah. Yeah, I've been okay." He glanced at Idris. "We were just doing some investigating in the labs just now. Didn't find anything, before that damn murder alarm went off. How about you?"

"...what's first?" Idris murmured. Kubo glanced at him. Guy looked uncomfortable as hell. Damn could Kubo relate. Did so many people really need to be crowded into such a small room.

"I suppose we investigate. Examine the body to whatever extent we can... and ensure everyone sticks together so that no evidence can be tampered with." And... "I suppose we'll also have to keep an eye on Solaro, if the bear turns out to be correct. Even if he's lying, her sister's death may prove to make her volatile. We can't risk a suicide, not when everything's as confusing as it is."

Then someone was screaming about prom. Oh great. What a time to bring it up.

Kubo's eyebrow twitched.

"Awwwwhhhh :((, why the long faces? Being dead doesn't mean you can't come to prom!! The dead body can be the DJ!!"

The psychopath rolled their eyes. Kubo stared at them, slightly confused and concerned. He wasn't even sure how he was hearing emoticons. Or how Saeko was sounding them out. Even the meaning of their words was lost on him amidst the terrifying power of almighty roleplayers.

Dear Serendibite... Can I too learn the art of the emoticon? he thought.

Haha no.

"Okayyy fiiiiineeee, I'm joking, obvs! I'll totally help with solving the murder!! Or, whatever the bear thingy said. I'm really experienced at this sorta stuff, y'know, I used to listen to true crime podcasts. I'm like basically an expert at this point, I could totes be like Kubo!! :3"

"Don't bring me into this," Kubo muttered.

---

---

Miyako Hiroto

---

"What do we do?" Miyako wondered aloud. "That is an excellent question, Shi. 5 points to Shiynndor and one gal with no f*cking clue."

She gestured to the chaos around them.

"I guess we can talk about prom...? That's what they're all obsessed with, apparently..."

---

---

Setsuna Jun

---

"Oh, Sutaraitsu!" Setsuna turned to him. "We can go to prom together! You'll look so cute in a suit!" he gushed.

---

❄️lucian arbred's pov🕊️

"A second body... Was he expecting one?"

Lucian glanced around. "I guess that's... What we're trying to figure out."

"I see... Do you have anything else?"

"...no, not... Really. Besides some pasta I made that probably no one is even hungry for... Although..." He tugged thoughtfully at his scarf, tightening it slightly. "I think that I haven't seen... Darcy recently. He might be-- missing." Lucian paused as he said the last word, not wanting to say what he meant by "missing". "or maybe he's just busy... I'm not sure. But he should be here by now... And... Considering what our strangely buff Headmaster said..."

"Yeah. Yeah, I've been okay. We were just doing some investigating in the labs just now. Didn't find anything, before that damn murder alarm went off. How about you?"

"I... Organized the Nurse's Office, and... Made pasta, Akari and I talked... Not really much of note can be said... and Sawyer's been acting even stranger than usual." It was only after Lucian finished talking that he realized Kubo had also been asking him how he'd been. Oh... That... Mattered to him?

Kubo... Wanted to know how he'd been doing. "I...I'm better. Now that you're here..." Great. The dumbest, cheesiest possible response.

"I suppose we investigate. Examine the body to whatever extent we can... and ensure everyone sticks together so that no evidence can be tampered with. I suppose we'll also have to keep an eye on Solaro, if the bear turns out to be correct. Even if he's lying, her sister's death may prove to make her volatile. We can't risk a suicide, not when everything's as confusing as it is."

Lucian nodded worriedly. Solaro looked pretty shaken up. Sawyer had been saying something to her he couldn't make it out, something about prom and about friends and some magical place and not knowing what death is or something. Oh, great. They had completely lost it.

"yeah... And... We might want to ask people what they know?" he suggested. "it's... Doubtful to bring results, but..."

"Awwwwhhhh :((, why the long faces? Being dead doesn't mean you can't come to prom!! The dead body can be the DJ!!"

Lucian merely glanced to the left, his eyes narrowing upward in a worried fashion (if that makes any sense on paper). What kind of twisted mind?... How could they... Say such a thing?

"...stop it, Saeko. Stop it. We should... Hold a funeral, of some sort."

He could feel himself choking on the words as they left his throat. As he remembered the various funerals he had attended throughout his life...

Of his mother. Of his siblings. And of many, many clients that he hadn't been able to save. Some people... You just couldn't save. Death followed you everywhere. It followed everyone everywhere.

"not that... There's time for that. But... The last thing we should do is... Start seeing everyone the way our Headmaster sees all of us."

Okayyy fiiiiineeee, I'm joking, obvs! I'll totally help with solving the murder!! Or, whatever the bear thingy said. I'm really experienced at this sorta stuff, y'know, I used to listen to true crime podcasts. I'm like basically an expert at this point, I could totes be like Kubo!! :3"

"Don't bring me into this."

Lucian sighed and patted Kubo comfortingly on the arm. He probably would have patted him on the shoulder but they basically have a foot worth of height difference, so that's not exactly easy to achieve.

"sorry about them. But... We'll need all the help we can get. And if we work together, maybe we can all figure this mess out. Right?"

He gave Kubo a warm smile.

I just hope that we all can. Is it... Really best... That I...

Prom. Everyone was talking about prom. Lucian did his best to keep the smile upon his face. That was probably going to be a total bust. And, there was... No way that he'd... Actually ask...

...

Yeah right. There was no way he'd want to go with him. And that was okay.

I thought prom seemed like a good idea. But... Now... It just feels like a trap.

📚SAWYER LAURENS'S POV🍭

Sawyer liked the energy of the sudden new presence in the room. But they were confused.

"Dead? What's... Dead? She's asleep, you know! We can't wake her up yet or she'll be grumpyyy!"

...

Prom...

Darcy? Where are you?

Did you leave... Again?

"Oh! Detective work? Coolz, mysteries! Wait... What are we... Investigating?"

That was odd. What mystery was there?

What was... Everyone talking about?

They thought they saw a worried look in Lucian's gaze, but no words betrayed his silence.

---

---

---

Kubo Atsushi

---

Darcy? That was...

His brow furrowed. "Darcy... wasn't he last with those two?" He motioned with his head towards Shi and Miyako, careful to keep the action small and minute. He met Idris eyes. "If Darcy's the only one missing..."

"Better now that you're here."

He choked, jerking his head to the side, checking to make sure Lucian hadn't said what he thought he said- but Lucian just kept staring at him with those soft gentle killer eyes. He couldn't shake the comparison between Kaoru's face back on the bridge, and Lucian's now. Someone weak, vulnerable, frightened.

Child-like. A kid in a world of hurt and pain needing someone to tell them they're okay. Because they're not sure themself.

"Excuse me?" He got out.

Yeah. Okay. Never mind. It was time to make his brain shut up. There was a time and place for everything and now was not it.

"Work together..." he echoed. "Yeah. We can figure things out."

Something itched at the back of his brain. He was missing something... but...

Someone needs to show up dead soon?

Why did that make him feel... so uneasy? The way Lucian phrased it?

His eyes fluttered shut. Later, Kubo, he told himself firmly.

---

Shi no Shitshow

Shi's face shifted suddenly. "Chocolate Boy? Last I checked he was in the dungeons. I super smashed the floor and he jumped down, we were on our way to get rope and pull him out when..."

❄lucian arbred's pov🕊

"Darcy... wasn't he last with those two? If Darcy's the only one missing..."

Lucian's eyes widened. "...you're not implying..." Was Kubo saying that Shi, or Miyako, or both of them were responsible? That Darcy... was dead?

Oh... oh god.

"Excuse me?"

Lucian pulled his scarf up against his face in an attempt to hide how flustered he was. "I'm... well, happy to- see you, Kubo. To have- you here." Oh, that was a great wall. Yes, such a nice wall that was.

"Work together...Yeah. We can figure things out."

He felt his hand instinctively brush against Kubo's, and then he pulled it slightly away. Something about it made him remember Kaoru and the queasiness resettled.

Darcy could be dead, too... when will whoever's doing this be satisfied?

Lucian had finally thought he'd escaped from... death. So, so much death. All around him. Following him everywhere. But there was no escape.

No, we... have to all escape from this place, right? RIGHT?

"Chocolate Boy? Last I checked he was in the dungeons. I super smashed the floor and he jumped down, we were on our way to get rope and pull him out when..."

"...so... he might still be alive. If the fall didn't kill him, and... if someone else didn't..." Lucian trailed off. "We should check down there." He swallowed nervously.

📚SAWYER LAURENS'S POV🍭

Darcy... dead?

The words suddenly linked together in Sawyer's mind. No... that... couldn't be. Dead... that... dying... dying meant...

Nonono. It's okay. Maybe he's just... left the dream.

The dream...

...

"S-Sawyer! Oh! You startled me! I wasn't... expecting to see you here..."

"Why were you standing on the railing, Dace? That doesn't seem like you! Buuuut it looked like fun! Can I join you?"

"No! Nonono. Sawyer, no. That's-- a bad idea. It could be dangerous, you know?"

"Then... why were you doing it?" They frowned. "You didn't answer my question."

"I was... well, I was just- enjoying the view from... a little higher up? C'mon. It's... not important. Can you just drop it?"

"...okay. But if you were doing it, it can't be that dangerous. Couldn't I join you?"

"Agh, no! It was- it was stupid, okay? I admit it! Please don't. I... wouldn't want to see you hurt."

His arms were crossed and he looked stiff as a board. Darcy was staring over the edge, with a mournful, distant sort of look in their eyes. And Sawyer... felt like something was off. Like there was something he wasn't telling them.

"Darcy... is something wrong? It's okay, I'm your best friend, you can tell me!"

"Nothing. I was just... thinking about things."

"Thinking about... what things?"

"..."

They stood there, together, side by side, for what felt like an eternity.

"Erica."

"Huh?"

"Why is... why is she so good, Sawyer? She's... she's too good. Everybody loves her. You love her, I love her, Mom loves her... Will loves her, everyone at school loves her... I bet even Dad loved her. Maybe. Mom always said he probably left her because of me, not her. She's beautiful, she's kind, she's smart, she's talented... she's everything I'm not. I just... wish I could be good too."

Sawyer didn't know what to say at first. They patted Darcy on the shoulder and tried a smile. "Well... I think you're pretty great, Darcy! Really great."

"You... think so?"

"Absolutely! You always have time for me, and no matter how stupid you think my ideas are, you still hear me out! You always remember my references to the things I like, you're always there to remind me when I forget important things, you always share your lunches with me when I forget to bring one (which happens often), and... you're always willing to do anything with me. You're also really honest, and caring, and helpful, and super smart and dedicated! And also--"

Sawyer stopped rambling, as they noticed Darcy had started crying, although he was frantically wiping away the tears to try to hide it.

"Why do... you do this? Why do you keep making me care about you? I... know I shouldn't..."

"D-Darcy?" What... did he mean by that? That he... shouldn't care?

"I... I should go. I'm sorry. Thanks for... hanging out with me."

Sawyer watched as Darcy took one last glance over the edge, and then slowly walked off.

"You're welcome! Maybe we can hang out again tomorrow?" Sawyer shouted after him.

Darcy gave them a sad smile. "...maybe." He didn't sound so sure, as Sawyer just watched him... walk away.

Did... he leave... again?

Why do... I remember you leaving? I don't understand. We... just met... recently, didn't we?

...

But...

What?...

Sawyer turned to look at Shi. "Darcy's... he's... okay, right? It couldn't have been that bad a fall... he wouldn't have... risked something like that. At least, I don't... think so."

How do... I know that? I don't... understand. Why?

Lucian looked away from the distraught Sawyer. "...he's... probably okay. We'll just have to check."

Is that true?

.
..
...

Darcy?

❄lucian arbred's pov🕊

...oh, Sawyer.

Lucian winced. He'd really have to hope for their sake especially that Darcy was okay. "Kubo... how do you know Darcy was last with those two? What happened?"

Maybe Shi or Miyako can tell us.

He still couldn't help but distrust Miyako after the Kaoru fiasco... he knew it was probably irrational, but... it still dwelled there. Just what was going on with her?...

---

---

---

Kubo Atsushi

---

"Yeah," he agreed. "We should."

He glared at Shi. If he's dead, and you're bringing Lucian fo see a corpse... I'll rip out every strand of your pretty hair.

Miyako's face was unreadable. "Do you want us to come with you?" There was an odd glint in her eyes, and he found himself slightly unnerved by how focused she was on him. Her stare never wavered. It only became all the more intense.

"If you want."

"Shi." Miyako turned to her. "Keep an eye on Detector. I've got to protect someone here. Don't let him do anything to Lucian, okay? Or you."

Kubo wasn't sure what to be more offended by. The idea that he might hurt Lucian, or that he'd willingly attack someone after he suggested splitting up.

You'd think they'd have figured it out by now, after Kaoru and that whole thing with alibis. But they were still mascquerading as some great collection of "gifted and talented" high schoolers. Just a bunch of chickens, running around with their heads cut off.

That was... not a nice thought. Even now, it brought back images of Kaoru's execution. Her head, limply dangling over the noose. Almost as if-

Lucian was saying something. He forced himself back to reality.

"....Darcy was with those two? What happened?"

He almost winced. Geez. He could already feel Miyako's glare burning holes in his back. "Just a little disagreement my friend Miyako and I had." He turned and met her gaze. "Right? But we worked it out."

---

❄️lucian arbred's pov🕊️

"Yeah. We should."

Lucian nodded. Of course. If... There was a chance Darcy was still alive, if... He was dying, that is... they should arrive before it's too late.

"Do you want us to come with you?"

Lucian wasn't sure if it mattered but-- no, why did he suspect such a thing? The idea that... Maybe Shi and Miyako had... No, it would be too obvious, wouldn't it? And Monokuma wanted a mystery, so the roleplayers would probably not do something so obvious. Wait... Roleplayers?

"If you want."

"Shi. Keep an eye on Detector. I've got to protect someone here. Don't let him do anything to Lucian, okay? Or you."

(disclaimer: if Lucian wasn't supposed to hear this, disregard this part of the post as non-canon)

"no, it's alright, really! He's not going to do anything."

But Lucian... Wasn't quite so sure. He didn't think... Kubo was super dangerous or anything, but... He had been about to fight with Idris after the second trial if Lucian hadn't intervened. Plus, he was... Probably just under the influence of his concussion, but the fact he... Kissed him out of nowhere like that-

urgh. That never should have happened in the first place, Kubo wasn't even aware of it, I started it... It... Never should have happened. Besides, it's not like I mean anything to him... Right? He just... Thought I was Kaoru, I think... I don't think he would actually hurt me, or that he would actually kill someone, but he has shown himself to be rather volatile. Miyako does raise a good point. But I don't think he would ever hurt me intentionally.

"Just a little disagreement my friend Miyako and I had. Right? But we worked it out."

Miyako. When was she not being a flippant ensuer or solver of chaos? Lucian didn't feel like he could quite figure her out. At times... She felt like someone deeply twisted and immoral, and sometimes... She felt like someone understanding and caring, who you could trust. Maybe she was both. Something of a massive contradiction. Never truly picking sides, never for or against anything.

"It'll be fine... Right? Let's just... Go get Darcy."

If he's even still alive.

He kept wanting to reach for Kubo's hand, if only to feel a bit of reassurance at its presence. But he restrained himself, because it didn't feel like it was appropriate. Plus... The whole thing just made him think about Kaoru... Why wasn't she here? Why wasn't EVERYONE here?

📚SAWYER LAURENS'S POV🍭

"Can I come too?"

"well... alright, Sawyer. If... It's okay with everyone else."

"Can I come? Please?"

I just want to know that my friend is okay. Is he? Why is... No one telling me anything?!

It was just like that place... All over again...

---

Shi no Shitshow

Currently humming the Imperial March.

🍨Sutaraitsu Unemoto's POV🍀

"Oh, Sutaraitsu! We can go to prom together! You'll look so cute in a suit!"

A flustered Sutaraitsu started to look as pink in the face as his fluffy hair. "Um, s-sure! That sounds fun!" He awkwardly fiddled with his hands. Wait, what was that on the... floor?

Then the words came back to him... Akora was...

Dead?

That didn't make sense. The words didn't line up. Why?

Sutaraitsu decided to try not to think about it.

"So... wh-what will you be wearing, Setsuna? Will... we be matching or anything?"

He tried not to look at Akora Menx on the floor. He tried not to hear the conversations. He tried, he tried, he tried. But he could feel himself shaking, even if it was ever so slight.

The smile on his face looked stitched on. Why was... all this... happening?

Just... think about Setsuna in an unspecified outfit. Just think about your super cool boyf- friend?? in that unspecified outfit. Yes. This is fine.

🪓Mika Uyehara's POV🌷

Oh, huh. Akora Menx was dead, and Darcy Harper might be as well?

Yeah, I don't care. I have no idea who those people even are. Plus, I'm fine, so... who cares?

But there was still something that made him uneasy as he looked at Akora's body. He wasn't sure what it was, exactly... maybe... it was...

She looks just like them, back then.

No, no, she didn't. That was... an incredibly bizarre thought.

Wonder what killed her?

He knelt down at Akora's side, frowning thoughtfully at her fatal injuries. Though... there didn't seem to be an investigation going on right now. Maybe it didn't matter.

---

---

---

Setsuna Jun

---

Akora was bloody and very very dead on the ground. "Matching suits! That sounds amazing!" Setsuna flushed, imagining it. The two of them tearing up the dance floor, hand in hand, the ideal couple- the ideal-

The ideal corpse. She was perfect. Bloodied face, bloodied smile and she was so very still. Ideal corpse. She'd get an A+ on the "being dead" test.

"We can- we can do anything. Be anything. None of this will matter, because we're together."

We're together. Sutaraitsu and I are together. Nothing can hurt us, absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing-

Nothing.

---

---

Miyako Hiroto

---

Miyako took watch, standing at the edge of the room, careful to keep an eye on the crime scene in its entirety. Any hidden knives, an exploded gas cannister... well, whatever happened, she'd be here and she could intervene. She could save him before anything happened.

Her nails dug into the flesh of her hand, and the pain was sweet in comparison to everything else.

Why did it have to come to this? Little brother...

Everything was perfect this way, but everything was also awful. She had Shi, and she'd sacrificed him for it. Was that right or wrong? Could she absolve her guilt if he was the person she pretended he was? Or would it always haunt her- the fact that she was a traitor. That she betrayed him.

That she'd betrayed everyone standing here, and that she had been the one to bring about this Killing Game?

Now that- that was absolutely insane. She wasn't sure when she'd started to feel that way, but...

Didn't I cause this? Didn't I tell him...

No. She couldn't think about that. She was supposed to keep her thoughts quiet. Never reveal anything to even yourself. Never let anyone know your guilt, else it come into reality.

But that didn't change the fact that she was a coward. And a murderer.

---

---

Kubo Atsushi

---

"Alright, Lucian," Kubo said softly. Just be quiet. Just ignore the way Lucian's eyes were fixated on his ungloved hand, as though he expected a knife to be produced at any given moment. Do you really think I'll stab you in the back, Lucian? Now, after everything?

It hurt, admittedly. He knew he deserved it. He'd proven time and time again that he wasn't trustworthy, and he'd even told Lucian as much.

But he thought he still had Lucian. That there was at least one person he hadn't driven away yet.

I've been too vulnerable, too stupid. I've let my feelings spill all over the place, and I ruined everything for it. In being a good person, there's a certain level of vulnerability, I guess. Because then they'll know you're a bad person and...

Oh, hooray. Wasn't that a paradox? God, this was all so confusing. Whatever. That could go back into the nope-no-thank-you box where it would stay and never grace the light of day again.

Kubo left with Shi and Lucian. He kept an eye out for Miyako, but she really didn't seem to be following them. He'd thought she wanted to watch them from a distance... but perhaps she really was telling the truth. There was someone else she was keeping an eye on.

That was unnerving.

Was there someone here she hated even more than Kubo? He didn't know that was possible. Every given second she was glaring daggers at him.

Miyako... what are you hiding?

A theory slowly began to build itself in his head. Piecing together moments and whispers and everything that had happened over the past couple of days. There was some mystery here, something bigger than anything he'd ever uncovered.

Is it possible that she's...

---

🍨Sutaraitsu Unemoto's POV🍀

"Matching suits! That sounds amazing!"

Sutaraitsu smiled shyly back at him, his head tilting slightly to the side. His sweet, soft pink eyes fell upon the floor, then back at Setsuna. "Umm... y-you think so?"

His presence was so warm, so comforting. Those deep, shining pools of a cooling brown. That audacious smile. Those long, bouncy curls. He was so dang cute. Sutaraitsu really WAS lucky. He just wanted to drift right into those arms... and never leave them.

"S-Setsuna? You're really amazing, you... know that? I- I think... I love you."

"We can- we can do anything. Be anything. None of this will matter, because we're together."

"U-Umm... yeah. None of it matters. Of course."

Yes, just don't think about it, Sutaraitsu. It's alright.

As he withdrew breath, he could hardly believe this blessed moment was real. He would cherish it forever. He buried his face in Setsuna's shoulder, holding him tightly. Breathing in his scent, listening to his voice... He was beautiful. He was so cool, so kind, and so smart. He was Setsuna.

Where he began, his life began, too.

But what about the end?

He was almost afraid to open his eyes. That he would slip away, that he would become something new. Something new Sutaraitsu would try to forget.

We'll always have each other. He's right... right?

He wanted to believe that.

🪓Mika Uyehara's POV🌷

Mika Uyehara was an observer. He had always been an observer. Watching, waiting, deciding what to do. Always thinking only of his own self-preservation. Always thinking only of what was best for him.

And as he watched everyone around him, he felt something strange and unfamiliar. He felt... lonely, almost. Like he didn't belong here. Wasn't it only natural though? To focus on keeping yourself alive? That was a human instinct.

A heart beated inside his chest, when he would put his hand to it. Yet he would look in the mirror. His eyes were cold and dull. His expression a blank slate. Maybe he wasn't human at all. Maybe... at some point, he had become something other. Something different.

Someone willing to blackmail others. Someone willing to...

...

I HAD to kill them. What else was I supposed to do?

Deep breaths, Mika. In and out, in and out. Walking. Talking. All of them united in some way or other. Why did it... make him question himself? Why did it make him feel so empty?

Friends.

Enemies.

Acquaintances.

Lovers.

Him, merely a stranger. Almost a stranger.

Did he feel discontented about that?

He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure what he even felt.

There was a look on Miyako's face. A look it felt he knew very well. That seemed all too familiar.

She was hiding something. He was sure of it.

...

Solaro had killed Akora for her own self-preservation, hadn't she?

Most curious. And yet another might be dead, as of now...

❄️lucian arbred's pov🕊

"Alright, Lucian."

Was it something about the briefness of his statement? The sound of his tone? The look he thought he saw flash across Kubo's face... if only for a moment?

"Kubo... are you alright?" Lucian made the decisive action, at last. He gently took the Ultimate Detective's hand. "it'll be okay. Whatever we find... we'll figure it out. Together."

He gave him the warmest smile he could muster.

Maybe I don't know if I can trust him. But... we should all believe in each other. If we're going to get out of here.

...right, he just needs to be HELPED, right? To be FIXED?

I-

Like everyone else, right?... Is that it?

He did promise to protect me... and I promised to protect him.

"I know... things are scary right now. But... it'll be okay."

📚SAWYER LAURENS'S POV🍭

Sawyer went along.

...

Because... what else could they do, right?

He's fine. He's fine. He's just... gone away again! Right...?

Again?... what...

...

Why again?

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Setsuna Jun

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Sutaraitsu looked sad, almost. Setsuna wanted to ask him what was wrong. This was a happy moment for them- the moment where they confirmed their status as a couple right in front of the background characters. This was happy, so why was-

He squeezed his eyes shut, counted to 5, then opened them.

"We should celebrate," he decided. "Ice cream! Strawberry, rocky road, cookies and cream- it'll all be there. And popcorn! Everything we could ever want, and then we'll watch a romantic movie, like the Notebook! Or something else, even. Anything you want-" He was babbling now, tears running down his face, but he couldn't stop. "Anything, Sutaraitsu! We'll watch or do everything! It'll just be like a first date, except it won't be awkward or weird because we love each other and we're together... and everything's fine, you see? Everything's fine! I'm-"

He broke off, finally.

"Ice cream... yeah. In the kitchen."

"Puhuhuhu~ I think you Ultimates should evacuate for now. This trauma scene has been fun and all, but we need to do our morning workout." Off in the corner, Buffkuma winked at Karenkuma. "I don't think you kids should be in the room for that?"

Hm. Setsuna wondered what that meant. Why did Buffkuma put so much emphasis on the word "workout"? And why was Miyako fleeing the room like the hounds of hell were at her heels?

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Kubo Atsushi

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He's... comforting me? But... why? Doesn't he remember everything I've done to him? Isn't he afraid I'll drive a knife into his back and-

Warmth. Warmth in his hand. He looked down and realised that Lucian had clasped it in his. Oh. His mouth dried up and for a second he was afraid he'd cry. Lucian... is this really what you want? To hold my hand, when I've hurt you? Even though you know all the blood that I've stained it with? Even though it's dry and chapped and it can't be nice in any way?

But Lucian's hand was. Soft and warm, and gentle, even with the callouses that brushed against his palm. Cautiously, Kubo squeezed it.

"Right," he whispered. "It will be okay."

And this time, he really did cry. Silently, the tears just rolled down his face, even as he continued down the hall, hand in hand with Lucian. The only person in the world who would tell Kubo Atsushi, the Ultimate Detective, the murderer that he would be okay.

The only person who could lie to him and make Kubo really want to believe.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Too much had gone on that Akari nor his writer could be bothered to pay attention to, and therefore, he had just been sitting in his own little edgy circle of the room, watching from afar.

Then those damn bears came up again, mentioning some weird "workout" or whatever. Lovely, guess that was his cue to leave. He was not going to stay around for this and definitely didn't want to be involved with whatever had been going on.

But regardless, whether he wanted it to happen or not, prom was rapidly approaching and he had a strange feeling he couldn't get out of this one. Unfortunately, he could not get some food beforehand, but at this point he didn't think he could hold it down anyways.

He made his leave without a single word, deciding that anywhere was better than the cafeteria at the moment. He didn't exactly want to go back to his room either, it was a bit redundant at this point and well... Yeah, probably not best to go back for now.

So instead he made his way to the secluded, merely forgotten library, probably the quietest part of this horrid school. At least, he hoped so.

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🍨Sutaraitsu Unemoto’s POV🍀

"We should celebrate. Ice cream! Strawberry, rocky road, cookies and cream- it'll all be there. And popcorn! Everything we could ever want, and then we'll watch a romantic movie, like the Notebook! Or something else, even. Anything you want-"

Sutaraitsu slowly raised his head. That sounded… nice. Really nice.

"Anything, Sutaraitsu! We'll watch or do everything! It'll just be like a first date, except it won't be awkward or weird because we love each other and we're together... and everything's fine, you see? Everything's fine! I'm-"

“Y-Yeah! Of course. A-And we can… umm… discuss things. Like… the Area 51 raid?” he tried.

"Ice cream... yeah. In the kitchen."

“It’ll be wonderful….m-maybe we could try some reading, too?”

…

His pale, petite, delicate fingers softly brushed against Setsuna’s face. Why was it damp? Damp with… tears? What could he have to cry about? He was Setsuna. He was everything.

Was he… afraid? No, he was alright. Of course he was alright.

You know that’s not true.

🪓Mika Uyehara’s POV🌷

Huh. The edgy quiet guy was skulking off. Engineer, right? Mika decided to stalk after him from the shadows. Prologue Sawyer flashbacks

I mean, hey, why not? It wasn’t like he was doing anything anyway. And it was interesting. He had just skulked off, not even a parting word. What was he up to?

❄️lucian arbred’s pov🕊

Lucian’s heart stirred into motion, as he felt Kubo squeezing his hand. He wasn’t sure how to interpret it… he had just been trying to comfort Kubo himself, but… it was welcoming. Comforting.

His bare hands were cold against his own, sending a chill through him. It wasn’t an unwelcome one. It felt like the snow. His hands were the snow. They were winter.

Winter, when all the mistakes were buried. Winter, when you could start anew. When you could almost pretend everything was alright. The end of one life, and into another. Metamorphosis.

Having his hand intertwined with his own almost felt… like regaining part of himself. A part of himself he had long forgotten.

I want to trust you.

"Right. It will be okay."

He would walk with him, and everyone else. And they’d get to the bottom of this. It would be okay.

Lucian shuddered at the mention of the “workout”. He wasn’t entirely sure what that was supposed to mean, but he didn’t want to stick around and find out.

He nodded. ”...okay. Let’s go.”

📚SAWYER LAURENS’S POV🍭

”Workout?...” Sawyer tilted their head.

Lucian(?) shook his head at them. ”...you probably don’t want to know. come on.”

“Why not?”

They were only met with silence. Okay. Maybe it WAS that bad?

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