PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH

I'll do my best to the very end. (RP account for Akihiko Sanada from Persona 3; affiliated with Despairing Vacation)

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Encore for a Clown (Chapter Six)

Akihiko found himself in a purely white room…Was room even the right word for it? There was a strange, ethereal sensation to this place.

This…was not where Akihiko went to sleep.

And sitting quietly in the middle of the whiteness, with a soft but sad smile on his face, was…a face Akihiko shouldn’t have been seeing.

Especially not looking so alert and alive, the only indication of his tragic end the softness in his voice, as if his throat was still sore from all that awful stuff he ingested.

"Akihiko. My dearest student. Even if like this....I am glad we got the chance to talk again."

Justin Thyme opened his arms, as if ready to comfort should the other wish....Justin Thyme, the smiling clown.

Akihiko's first reaction to this situation was...confusion. Assuming this was a dream (it had to be, right?) this was an alarmingly vivid one, not to mention that he felt more clear-headed than he usually did in his dreams.

But sitting before him was his deceased teacher, the only thing he could see in this featureless void. "Mr...Thyme? But you're..." Akihiko suddenly found himself choking on his words. "If I can see you, are you back? Or...did I...join you?" Sure, he might be able to think more than a usual dream, but his mind still wasn't exactly at full capacity right now.

Justin's expression was patient as ever, though one could also see a degree of mild bewilderment in his own eyes as well. Was he just as surprised about being able to talk, but is holding it together a little better? "Yes, I know. I shouldn't be able to talk to you again, but somehow...it seems things were kind enough to allow me one last say so to my students. I can't say 'how', I hardly understand it...but...given how featureless this is, it feels like a very vivid dream, I'd say? I suppose this is one way of 'dreaming' away the days, ohoho....ah...now's not the time for my jokes."

He still seemed as prone to bad dad jokes as ever.

"I assume this is a dream controlled by you? ...My apologies that my leaving left such a scar if your mind was that desperate to talk to me again that it dragged dreams into this...I wasn't very good at the end at protecting your smiles, was I?"

He seemed a little guilty, apologetic…

So, this was just a dream, then? A true shame, but...Before Akihiko can even process his words entirely, the emotions they give him are gone, replaced by just an overwhelming sorrow. This was his last he would ever get to talk to him, but it was his own despair that brought Mr. Thyme here. Akihiko had been trying to keep things together, especially as the mastermind themself was the next target, but he couldn't deny that Justin's death had hit him hard.

"That's...I..." Without even realizing it Akihiko suddenly found himself with him arms around the teacher, barely containing his sobs and struggling to keep his voice steady. "I just...I wasn't ready to see you go, not like that...after all you've done for us, that's the reward you get...how did someone like you get wrapped up in this Hell?"

Justin blinked in surprise at feeling the other catch him up in a spontaneous hug of emotion...but embraced back, soft and gentle. It's almost like he was wearing the brown uniform he did when he taught the students again, for the hug felt that warm and supportive despite being merely a dream. "It's alright...you can express as much as you want to, if it helps ease the burden." That said, when the question was asked, he sighed. "I was as clueless as to the true intention of this supposed 'vacation' as anyone else...but I remember going because I wanted to keep an eye on everyone even as they were having a good time. I suppose it ended up being a little too literal, but...you needn't worry about 'reward'. Just knowing I was able to provide some support, however brief it may have been...that is all the reward I could ever ask for, you know. And...even if this is the last time we'll talk. You do know...my support and cheering you all on will follow no matter what, don't you? It's in here, even if not in your memories."

He gave a soft, fatherly smile, as he let go with one arm to point to his own heart.

Akihiko was almost never one for performative emotions like that, and moments after he was done talking he let go of Justin and backed up a little, as if embarrassed by his sudden outburst. It didn’t help that his eyes are slightly red, though, and he was still holding back tears as Justin answers his question. At the end of his response, however, Akihiko managed to chuckle a bit. "You really don't change, do you? Even after...after death, you're still always thinking about others." He fell silent for a moment, still composing himself after his outburst. "Y'know, I've lost a lot of people important to me, but it's not often I get a chance to see them again afterwards...I guess I trusted in you more than I realized, if I was able to draw you here like this."

Justin allowed the other to let go, but his smile was reassuring, warm. As if to say he shan't tell anyone about this if Aki does not wish him to. Yes, it's true he had nobody 'alive' to tell, but still...he chuckled in his usual over-the-top clownish manner at the other managing to laugh too.) "I suppose even Thyme - ah - time itself, cannot change who I am. That is who I will always be, you know? As for seeing again...I trust in you, too. And all the others....I am sure that all of you will find a way out, and stop whomever was behind all this. No matter what, I believe in you all...and trust that you will be able to do it. Perhaps that mutual trust is why I was pulled here so easily, oho ho..."

Mutual trust, huh? Akihiko felt another pang in his chest at that. "...you're right, Mr. Thyme. We will find a way out, for our own sake, and for all of you. This isn't my first time in a fight like this, and I don't plan going down this time, either." If Akihiko was fully conscious, that might have felt like letting a little too much slip out, but he somehow got the feeling that this place they were in wasn't going to last much longer.

Ah....the white around them was beginning to fade to black, and the black parts touching Justin...made those parts look as if no longer there. They....didn't have much longer here.

"I'm sure you and the others will go great - 'break a leg', as they say in the entertainment buisness! Oh, but....we don't have much time left here. When you wake up...you will no doubt forget everything that happened in the dream, but still hold onto 'feelings'...so I have one last thing to say, though you no doubt knew it. I always did love all of my precious students like children...you know? Also....take care of Peacock and Tohru for me, won't you? No doubt Bendy's leaving on her part....and my leaving on his....hit them hard, too."

Panic started welling up in Akihiko as the world began to fade, stealing Justin away once more even as he kept talking. It seemed they were about to part once more..."...I'll do my best, Mr. Thyme. I promise you. I'll watch out for them." Akihiko moved forward to hold Justin one more time, but the ground disappeared under his feet before he can reach him and he fell into darkness, returning to unconsciousness.

Justin gave one final smile of trust and endearment...before the darkness stole him away.

…

When Akihiko next woke up, he had no memory of his dream, but he felt…different, somehow. He had this faint feeling of…trust, almost, like there was something important he had been told, and the knot in his chest had loosened.

Well…whatever this was caused by, he wasn’t going to ignore this feeling. His determination seemed reborn overnight, and there was still a lot of work to be done to get off this island.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Chapter Five: END

Once again, over the course of a single day, Akihiko’s life had gotten flipped completely upside down.

Finding another two people dead--one of them the person on the island he trusted above all others here--was only the beginning of it all.

The discovery of the two bodies was nearly enough by itself to put Akihiko in shock. Only seven people remaining, not to mention that Mr. Thyme was now gone forever...Akihiko’s mind swung between numbness and nearly-overwhelming sadness throughout most of the investigation; at least he’d discovered a piece of decisive evidence (though even that was a double-edged sword...)

Things only got worse at the trial. After a very circular and sometimes frustrating discussion with the ever-shrinking group, they were finally faced with the knowledge that Bendy was the one who’d poisoned the teachers. What’s more, Bendy was the traitor, the one among them who had been working for the mastermind all this time, with two deaths to his name and the blood of many more on his hands. While that revelation only intensified the upheaval inside Aki’s mind, the resident inky demon had a lot more to tell them all.

Not only had Akihiko’s life inside the killing game gotten much worse yet again, but his entire view of the game itself was changed. This twisted murder-go-round on the island was being broadcast as a TV show across the world, complete with its own popularity poll.  And everyone on the island had been here before--as classmates.

It was that last reveal that really took Akihiko back. Those strange images in his mind from the past weeks...they were memories coming back to him. Looks like he’d never get a chance now to tell Clive...though, considering his last acts, maybe that was for the best.

Ever since the last trial, Akihiko had felt troubled, the events of the personality swap compounded by the news of a traitor being among them. But now, Akihiko just felt...empty. Defeated, almost. The person here he trusted the most (perhaps even relied on?) was gone forever, and the culprit was not easy to say goodbye to either. The words “I’m fighting for him as well” came to his mind unbidden, but Akihiko was in no mood to fight. What would Shinji (and the rest of his comrades from SEES) say if they could see him like this? As if they would let him fall down and give up if he could see him like this, but somehow he was about ready to do that.

Somewhere deep inside, Akihiko could still feel the smoldering embers of the fighter he knew himself to be, but it would be some time before they caught fire and brought him back to his usual state. For the time being, all he could do was survive. Even if he couldn’t summon Caeser here, he still had his Evoker as physical proof of his ability to survive. He’d made it through Tartarus; what was a little Hell in comparison to that?

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Chapter Five: START

Akihiko had been...not right lately. Sure, there had been that whole episode where the entire island switched personalities, but from what he could tell he’d gotten off a lot lighter than most.

And a whole lot lighter than two people, whose new traits had cost him their lives. What weighed heaviest on his mind, though, was that one of the dead had received his personality.

Akihiko was well aware that he could sometimes dive into situations that he had no business getting into, but he wouldn’t call himself hot-headed or short-tempered. But when possibly the most well-mannered soul on this vacation swapped traits with him, she lashed out and sparked a struggle that ended with two more people dead. How did that reflect on him, exactly? Was he just some ticking time bomb, waiting to be set off? Was he a brash and irresponsible fool, only kept alive this long by his own strength?

...no, that couldn’t be right. If he was strong, then he could have followed through on his conviction to stop Clive from killing anybody, right? If he was strong, he could have saved both their lives; he’d taken on things a lot scarier than a Skullboy and lived to tell the tale.

Aki sighed, head in his hands as he sat alone in his room. He though he’d moved past this way of thinking since the incident with Shinji, but something about this still cut him deep...At least he was able to remember everything he had been through with Shinji, while something about Clive’s importance to him still eluded him...

Not to mention the issue of the bear’s latest surprise. A traitor among them...the idea only multiplied his unease. Sure, the bear could be lying as he had with the bomb threat, but he couldn’t be too certain of that...was he just trying to rattle them, by planting such a thought in their heads right on the heels of the last tragedy?

...enough of this. Akihiko stood up from his chair and walked out of the room, headed down the staircase. Maybe he should go visit the beach; a little fresh air and seagazing might do him some good...

[shslexperiment]

Pained (chapter 3 motive)

@brotein-not-for-bros

Suki sniffled, holding one arm with her head pressed down. An attempt to get peacock to feel the pain she felt had done nothing. Her foot just ached from trying to trip them, starting to turn brown with a bruise from kicking metal. Soon she would be limping. The noise from the bear sounded dull and far away, even when they shouted. Words inside her head screamed louder, calling for her to try to hurt again. If she could make someone feel how she felt, then they would understand, the voices said. “Nnnn…” Suki muttered in limp agreement. But not right now, she had to nurse her wounds first and think harder before trying again. Everyone here was stronger and smarter then her, as well as lacking apparent pity. Spiting them seemed hopeless.

At once there was a sharp cold sensation on her tongue and then a burning pain coming from her arm. It hurt so badly, just as when Peacock had grabbed her arm but this time it wasn’t stopping. Why was Akihiko  next to her? She didn’t want to be near him. He was causing this, he was making her hurt now. 

Suki started wailing as soon as the cuff was put on. Her whole left arm felt like it was going up in fire. The more she tugged on it the worse it hurt. Tears came next but stopped after only a few drips. Her eyes were already dry from crying earlier. 

The pain wasn’t stopping still. Someone cut off her hand. Voices were screaming at her. “NOOo Noo SHUT Upp!” Suki yelled in fright. “I HATE YOU! DIE.” Still more screaming. “STOP HURTING ME STOP HURTING M E STO P HURTING IT HU RTS STOOOP.” This is cause you wanted to hurt others you did this to “STOP STOP MAKE IT STOP!” Help it hurts so much please “SHuT UP STTOOOPP.” Nothing was her own, save for the pain coursing through her in that moment. Exactly 30 second had passed since the cuff had been placed on her.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

A chill went up Akihiko’s spine as soon as he heard the hotel’s various speakers crackle to life, signalling that their favorite teddy bear wanted another “meeting” with them all. Still, he wasn’t interested in seeing what was in store for anyone who skipped those meetings, so he made his way to the lobby with the rest of them.

And when the handcuffs suddenly snapped around everyone’s wrists, Akihiko was completely caught off-guard. His first reaction was to tug at them and try to slip out, but he got no closer to freeing himself from his sudden bonds.

After Monokuma gave him one last warning and made his exit, Akihiko noticed what the other side of the cuffs were attached to: a certain tentacle-armed girl he hadn’t talked to since their horrid encounter on the beach. Not only that, but she was crying and tugging on the cuffs herself, getting more frantic after a few ineffective tugs and starting to scream. At him? At the damned bear? Akihiko couldn’t tell, but not only was her behavior scaring him, her flailing whipped his arm around as well.

He was simply too dumbfounded to respond for a few moments, but eventually his brain lurched into motion. Grabbing his right wrist with his left hand, he did his best to hold it still in an attempt to stop her flailing. “H-hey, if you stop moving, it’ll stop hurting you,” he told her. There was no telling if his words would actually get to her, but he was very hesitant to try and grab her to calm her down.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Chapter Two: END

And so another trial came to end. Another two students had fallen, another wave of despair and sorrow over the survivors.

It was...different this time, somehow. Though the brutal death of a classmate would always come as a shock to Akihiko, the magician’s dramatic and sickening end made a knot in his gut beyond that. For one of the most energetic and supportive people on the island to die like that...Akihiko wasn’t sure if the fact that their murder was accidental made things any easier.

Gripping the podium until his fingers cramped as he watched the savage spectacle, Akihiko didn’t even notice when the collar opened up and fell off of him, exposing his neck to the air after several days. The mark on the side of his neck where the damn thing kept jabbing him would probably take several days to fade though...

As his sickened classmates filed towards the elevator, Akihiko found himself moving with them, until a sudden thought hit his barely-conscious mind: with how often this room was available to them, surely he couldn’t pass up this opportunity to take a look around? Maybe he could find something useful...

Stumbling his way around the room, Akihiko looked as hard as his drained mind could, but he saw nothing worth noting besides the countless collars littering the floor. Nothing, except for a single unassuming door in the corner. Opening it, Aki suddenly found himself in the large room of Wataru’s execution, now completely empty of Monokumas. Whether because of the emptiness, or because of the death in the air, Akihiko felt a chill in his spine.

Still, he pushed on into the room, feeling disappointed that no sort of doors or secrets revealed themselves. Reaching the end of the room, he stepped onto the stage, taking care to avoid the blood. The most attention-grabbing thing on the stage was Wataru’s remains, still strapped to the table; between the spiked contraption and the blood, he was barely recognizable. Laying seemingly unconscious next to him was Bendy, the unwitting assistant in this horrible act. Akihiko stared at the table for a long minute; if he was more coherent, maybe he could have expressed himself, or said goodbye, but all he did was feed his grief.

Vaguely remembering some sort of punishment for those who slept outside of their rooms, Akihiko bent down next to Bendy and gently shook him. No response...Akihiko grabbed the ink demon under his arms and lifted, placing him across his shoulder before unsteadily getting to his feet, ignoring the slightly wet ink being left on his clothes and gloves. There was nothing left for him down here, it seemed...Akihiko staggered his way out of the execution room and passed through the trial room, stepping into the now-empty elevator; looks like they were the last ones out.

Stepping out on the second floor, the boxer slowly walked to his room, his free hand pressed against the wall for support against his quickly-failing balance. Swiping himself in, he closed the door and locked it before stumbling to the bedroom. He laid Bendy down on his bed (after all that, the least he deserved was some proper rest) and grabbed a pillow from the bed, laying down on the floor of the bedroom. Sure, he didn’t have to sleep on the floor, but the chair in the living room suddenly felt so far...it wasn’t long before sheer fatigue made him fall unconscious, giving him the first sleep he’d had in days.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

@argusagonized

Akihiko stepped into the planetarium, grabbing the doorframe for support as he entered. It was a clear night with the stars shining brightly overhead, but he wasn’t here for stargazing; he’d been using his sleepless time to scour the island for any clues that would help take down the one pulling the strings on this murderous game, but so far he hadn’t found much. The planetarium was the last place to check, maybe he would find something here…

He noticed the presence of another once he stepped inside, but before he could put his guard up recognized the other’s comically large hat. “Hey, Peacock,” he called out. “What…wha brings you here at this hour?” His sleep-deprived brain is trying to make conversation; it’s nearly 11 in the evening, but with that damn collar jabbing him every time he tries to doze, it’s not like sleep was going to happen anytime soon.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

hibikamen:

“Fufufu…” The magician looks thoughtful as he continues to peer inside, in an attempt to figure out what kind it is before they go in. The lobby–he assumes it’s the lobby, anyways–doesn’t give any hints from what he can see where he is. “Perhaps, although I’m not quite sure how many of us would be the type to appreciate the fine arts ✩ !”

It wasn’t intended to be an insult; he simply couldn’t envision all his peers wanting to wander around an art museum. And plus, with that bear in charge, an art museum might hold questionable content that he doesn’t even want to consider.

“Well, the time to find out is now, is it not! Let us begin our journey of exploration… ✩ !”

And there goes Wataru, unceremoniously marching through the museum’s entryway to take a look. It seems the museum is not for art, but for… 

science. Ah. Fitting.

Akihiko watched as Wataru looked through the glass doors before following him in. A rather high-energy person, wasn’t he? The island could use as many people like that as it could get, really.

And here they are, in the first room of the museum. Looks like his guess was off the mark, this is very clearly a scientific place. There’s a couple of benches arranged near the entrance, some posters advertising the various exhibits (”Limited Time! Updating soon!”, says one), and even a reception desk against the wall (not a staff member in sight, naturally). Nothing else particularly unique or out of place that he could see, though.

“Well, I don’t know what I was expecting.” He gestured towards the exhibit to the left of the entrance. “How ‘bout we explore that way, if you’re done with this room?” Some humanoid figures were visible, but it wasn’t immediately obvious what exhibit was in that area; maybe that was the DNA and anatomy exhibit? Looked more interesting than the one to the right, anyway, there was nothing but some tables scattered over there around from what he could see.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

tracksofgod:

Lear’s eyes never stray from the boxer’s, but he’d be blind to miss the mounting tension in the athlete’s muscles as he approached – disregarding weapons being readied was a one-way trip to a body bag, after all. He comes to a casual stop just a little over two arms’ lengths from his target – the boxer’s arm’s lengths, not his own. 

“Ooh, I didn’t think ya had it in ya,” he still doesn’t, really; probably just a lucky guess, after all. Either way, Lear raises both hands to chest level, empty palms facing Akihiko. “Truth be told? I was seein’ [how easy you’d be to kill]. Fortunately for you, you do have some sense of your surroundings at least, so I decided I might as well pass on [what I know] about [what’s goin’ on here]. You interested?”

No matter how nonchalant Lear acted, Akihiko’s guard didn’t budge an inch. People that acted like this tended to believe that they held all the power in whatever situation they were in, and as long as Lear had that gun, Akihiko’s options in proving him wrong were pretty limited.

Ignoring the bait in the first part of his words, Akihiko replied, “What you know about what’s going on here? I still don’t get what you’re up to, but I’m listening.” It wasn’t likely that he’d give anything more than a cryptic clue about his true intentions, but as long as Lear remained an unknown, Akihiko couldn’t feel completely safe on this island.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Chapter One: END

[brotein-not-for-bros]

thymeforpuns:

Silence, silence - nothing but ever echoing silence followed them as they went up the stairs: Justin knew this was partially his fault, much like…all that had happened was his fault, for failing the students and not being able to protect them as a teacher should do - but he had no idea what to say to break the almost suffocating silence.

Mostly, he feared betraying his inner thoughts of guilt to the student: the other was no doubt upset enough as was, he didn’t want to add to it. Though, his shaking hands probably betrayed enough as it was, sadly. A few floors had passed - before the silence was broken, but by the student.

“I was once a student at Hope’s Peak, same as you. Once I finished my learning - I went into learning as much as I could about teaching, using the funds from my live shows into that. I always did intend on giving back to the school which had guided me, you see…”

….yet, in the end, Goro and Noah would never finish their learning. They weren’t able to be guided, and that thought made Justin fall silent in his recollections.

Nice job, Akihiko. You want to strike up some dialogue, maybe help the man take his mind off this day straight from hell, and what’s the first thing you bring up? The very school that has now been lethally corrupted. Try again, champ.

“You mentioned before that you did some shows on TV...comedy stuff, right? What was that like?...I hear show business can be tough.” Nice save, bringing it back around to his area of expertise.

Up and up the stairs, they go...they must be close to the seventh floor by now, even Akihiko’s getting kind of sick of all these steps.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

subtxrra:

He really didn’t know…?

Clive had just assumed by this point that everyone had known about Peacock’s recent discovery. And, being completely honest to himself, he was a little intimidated to talk to her in the first place. Hence why he’d went looking for rumors elsewhere.

“Maybe ‘murder notebook’ is a little harsh. That’s what Peacock was calling it…” The reporter rests a hand on his chin, thinking over just how to put this request. “It’s more of an analysis, so to speak. Apparently Goro had been taking notes on all of us here. Did you really not know…?”

So, the recently-deceased killer had been...taking notes on them? And the long-armed teen had somehow gotten a hold of them and was talking about them? Clearly, Akihiko was more out of the loop here than he’d thought.

“No, can’t say I’d heard anything about this. But...that does sound like Peacock, gotta admit.” Still, there was something a bit disconcerting about a youngster like her (especially one like her) running around with notes from a murderer. “If she’s calling it a ‘murder notebook,’ I take it those notes of his weren’t real friendly?”

[brotein-not-for-bros]

tracksofgod:

Lear’s eyebrows raise when he’s finally addressed, but something about the gesture falls short of anything more than a courtesy. Maybe it’s the way that the feigned ‘surprise’ never interrupts his heavily self-assured body language; maybe it’s the way the hunger never leaves his eyes.

In any case, he rests his shoulder against the wall, watching the boxer steadily. He’d already pinned him as someone weak-hearted at the trial, but for him to have just noticed Lear trailing him… Dry amusement coats his words like chalk dust, grimy and slick and bitter.

“Nothing gets past you, huh, champ? I got a better question– and a, uh, incentive for ya t'geddit right.” With fluid, deliberate steps, he begins closing the distance between them, his thumb brushing the hem of his [left pocket].

“You tell me when or where I started followin’ ya today, and I’ll tell you when and where you can [learn something important] on this island, no strings attached. Could [save your life], could be enough to [end everything] – this whole killing game bullshit and all.”

Akihiko felt nervous as soon as he saw the mysterious man, but he was practically on a hair-trigger when he approached the boxer, left hand hovering by his pocket (no prizes for guessing what he had in there...) Akihiko’s shoulders tensed as his hands curled into fists; hopefully he could close the gap fast enough if the man made a move...

And what was with this proposition he had? Could Akihiko even be sure that he knew anything important, or that he wouldn’t just pull out the gun either way? Still, he might as well play along for now, any chance he had to avoid bringing his fists to a gun fight was something he could use.

“You...you’ve been following me around since this morning, haven’t you? What do you want from me, anyway?” He didn’t have any proof better than a vague feeling, but honestly he couldn’t be sure what this guy was capable of.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Despite living on the same floor, Akihiko rarely saw much of his neighbors. Maybe they just had different daily rhythms, or maybe they just liked being in their room for most of the day.

When he headed back to his room, he was surprised to see Clive leaving his room, and more surprised when Clive spoke to him. They had talked some during their search of the island with Justin, but even then they hadn’t said much to each other.

“Oh, Akihiko, good morning,” the well-dressed reporter said. “Say, would you happen to know anything about this ‘murder notebook’ people have been talking about?”

After automatically replying “good morning” Aki’s mind froze. “Wh...what’s this about a murder notebook?” He hadn’t been present for Peacock’s announcement, and tended to be out of the loop about this sort of thing.

@subtxrra

[brotein-not-for-bros]

All day, Akihiko had felt slightly uncomfortable and on-edge, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. He just felt this presence nearby, but whenever he looked around he couldn’t actually see anything out of place.

When he passed through the hotel lobby to leave the building, he felt someone watching him. Turning around, he saw the person from the trial who’d pulled a gun on him, just staring intently right at Akihiko. No attempts at hiding or looking away, just that steady, almost hungry gaze.

“Hey,” Akihiko spoke, with an edge to his voice, “have you been following me around?!”

@tracksofgod

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Akihiko hadn’t expected to see anyone else in the cafeteria when he went there for an afternoon snack; the place was usually deserted between lunch and dinner. Imagine his surprise when he entered the kitchen and saw the island’s well-hatted tween trying to shove an inhuman amount of Hot Pockets into the microwave.

After a moment of stunned silence, he spoke up. “Hey, do you need some help with that?” There was a good chance that his idea of helping was different than hers, but he got the feeling she was in desperate need of an upgrade to her diet.

@argusagonized

[hibikamen-blog]

It was both odd and relieving, to accompany one of his peers towards the supposed new locations they’d been granted access to. He had never had too many chances to speak with the boxer before, but since they’d both held an interest in the new attractions, it didn’t hurt to seize the opportunity as it came.

They’d followed the path that had been opened, as the greenery around them started to diminish in size until the large building they now stood in front of had come into view. It was fairly obvious what it was at first glance, too; a museum. Why on earth there was a museum like this on an island, he had no clue, but maybe he just wasn’t vested enough in island life to not think of it as strange.

“My, my, it’s quite impressive, isn’t it!” Wataru hums, taking a few steps closer to the entrance so he can peek inside the doors before they actually go in. “To think, this had been here the whole time… ☆ Well, now that we’ve arrived, it would only make sense to enter! I cannot recall the last time I’ve been in such a place, so it will be like an amazing find… ☆”

Putting aside the whole ‘this island is a murder zone’ thing, anyways. At least they could try and enjoy themselves.

@brotein-not-for-bros

[brotein-not-for-bros]

When Akihiko had headed out for the newly-opened area of the island, he wasn’t expecting company, especially not the resident magician. They hadn’t really interacted much before, but the blue-haired man had a large presence, not to mention the attention he’d received at the trial.

Still, Akihiko wasn’t sure what to expect as they made their way further into the forest. A museum was pretty low on his list of things he would have thought the island had, though.

“A museum, huh? Before we go in, though, place your bets on what it is; I’m thinking its an art museum.”

Granted, the new building was quite a ways away from the hotel, but surely someone should have been able to see it from the roof?

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Chapter One: END

[brotein-not-for-bros]

thymeforpuns:

Justin still felt terribly quivery and shaky - so he would have understood if the student bailed out of talking to him, the feeling of guilt hanging heavy over his own shoulders (why couldn’t he protect the students more? He’d failed them: failed Goro and Noah the most, and knowing that shook him just as bad as everything else) - thankfully, it seemed the blood on the teacher’s hands wasn’t so much the student ignored him, for now.

What right did he have to ask any of the students to listen to him, given how much he’d failed them, in a way, here? But no….getting stuck in such thoughts wouldn’t help Goro or Noah. Or help the students. He’d just shove them to the back of his mind, and focus on others like he always did. The student clearly needed some distraction from what had happened. He did, too.

Nodding to the other’s statement, he placed a hand on the other’s shoulder, and gestured for them to follow as he made his way to the kitchens. “There usually is plenty of things there, so, yes, there should be some.” He…he didn’t honestly know what else to talk of yet, but hopefully it would come to him.

Akihiko quietly followed the teacher as they wound their way up their stairs to the kitchen, looking forward more to leaving the ground floor than to the tea itself. He was still a bit shell-shocked, but it felt good to be moving. They passed the first few floors in silence, but Akihiko spoke up, uncomfortable in the nearly-noiseless stairwell. “Hey, if you don’t mind me asking...what were you doing before teaching to Hope’s Peak?” A bit of a lame start for a conversation, but it was the first thing he could think of.

[brotein-not-for-bros]

Chapter One: END

[brotein-not-for-bros]

thymeforpuns:

Justin, due to leaving that handkerchief behind, was one of the last to move to that horrid elevator. Hearing it’s clinking movements and being in a small enclosed space reminded him of what had happened to Goro all over again, so he closed his eyes until it reached it’s destination, not wishing to look at the elevator walls because of this jarring similarity.

Back at the lobby, he stepped out: so many students looked utmostly distressed and upset over this. Not that he blamed them any. He wanted to extend sympathy, but what right did he have to even do that? As much as he wished he didn’t have to vote: he’d had to, in the end, to keep all the other students safe. So there was blood on his hands as well.

If only he could just step back: had realized the possibility of there being no ‘bad thing’ sooner, he could have warned the students in time: but who would have listened or believed? Ah, but…standing here feeling upset wouldn’t solve anything. 

Of the people dazed, he saw…one of those who had helped him look for the ‘bad thing’. One of the students who’d been most reluctant to vote. He looked as tired and dazed as everyone else. Knowing there was blood on his own hands, Justin knew he had no right to try patting his shoulder in sympathy now, but…he approached the student, quietly.

“Akihiko…do you need a cup of tea or anything?” A rare serious, quiet tone from the punmaster. Honestly…he could do with a hot cup of tea to still the fact he was still shaking himself. 

The room wasn’t exactly silent, but Akihiko was still surprised to hear someone speaking to him. It was none other than his friend Justin (or, at least, the closest thing Akihiko had to a friend here; he’d never really bonded with any of the others.) At any other time Akihiko would have brushed off his concerned question, but right now, he was in no mindset to deny it.

“Yeah...yeah, some tea sounds good...there should be some in the kitchen, right?” The color still hadn’t returned to his face, but surely walking up all those stairs would fix that (besides, no way was he stepping back in that elevator any time soon). He needed something to take his mind off things, anyway.