Blissful Swim

Aoi Asahina! Super High School Level Swimmer! Room H-2 NOT SPOILER FREE!

[kofukunihitaru]

but i've never been in love-! [event/open]

[increasedcompression-blog]

”!!!!”

Feeling the squeeze tightening in his leg Kaiji let out a nervous wail. He knew the other hadn’t probably done that on purpose but the male was too panicky to care. Cheeks reddening furiously he also tried furthering himself but it wasn’t quite working.

“OFF I SAID! OFF!”

For a moment he had time to catch a little breath but then right on another second he felt other’s foot tangling to his. The girls hand grasped his but the moment was way too short to prevent the fall. He didn’t even have time to react when they already crashed the floor, the girl piling on the top of him.

Next thing he noticed without really willing to was the soft bump that was a little difficult to make a mistake about - there was indeed one pair of breasts. Next thing he noticed was a pair of blue eyes just a short distance from him. His immediate reaction was a nervous yell and darting his eyes to side while the girl was apologizing and compl—- 

“W-WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING?!”

Kaiji pulled his hand in order to cover his flustered face so that the only place one could note the redness were his ears. It would take some time for him to be able to lift the hands, let alone face the other. 

“I-I’m fine just…P-PLEASE get up, I….I…”

He kind of wanted to cry. 

[kofukunihitaru]

How? How could this situation possibly get any worse?

Aoi vowed to herself that she wouldn't allow her eyes to fall upon anyone -- and yet, here she was, straddling some stranger who she suddenly found herself absurdly attracted to. She didn't even know how to go about dealing with this! She was too busy sputtering apologies and compliments all at once. That definitely wasn't going to be considered as successful flirting.

The swimmer couldn't even believe that she was worried about flirting successfully at all. 

“W-WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING?!”

"I- I don't KNOW what I'm saying!" she yelled back, her own face as red as his.

Aoi scrambled to her feet, adjusting her jacket and camisole. Her eyes darted to the young man repeatedly, her cheeks blushing harder and harder every time she looked. She found herself wanting to get to know him more. She wanted to know where he came from and what his life was like before Bethlehem Royal. She wanted to be held by him and kissed by him and tou -- 

Oh God.

"U-um-! My name's Asahina Aoi, but you can just call me Aoi -- I'm so sorry we had to meet this way!" she spat, tripping over her words as she tried speaking as fast as she possibly could.

[kofukunihitaru]

but i've never been in love-! [event/open]

[increasedcompression-blog]

Kaiji had been hiding in the room for a while. Just few minutes a go he had managed to avoid surprisingly many of them but was running out of breath now. That’s why he had wandered to this room, hoping it to have less of those attacks and hopefully people while at it. After all should any arrows hit him, nothing good would come out of it. The red one sounded especially bad - he would just end up hurting people or himself while at it. He wouldn’t really be able to take it.  The golden arrow wasn’t much better, though. Too much awkwardness would result and Kaiji just wasn’t experienced with …t-the romance stuff and all. 

In fact just accidentally touching someone was almost equally bad. 

He didn’t time to react when the person was already there, grabbing his leg by accident. If he could he would have taken a few steps back but for his back was already against the wall it was pretty difficult. All he could manage was to move his leg back just a little. 

“I-IT’S OKAY…but uh…can you…can you …”

 ”…CAN you move just a bit a further? I mean…”

There was a girl there. A pretty one too but Kaiji didn’t really stare too long. That would have been awkward when the other was so close. 

“Um, please?”

[kofukunihitaru]

"A-ah!"

At the sound of a man's voice, Aoi became startled and accidentally gripped his leg even harder than before for a moment. Her other hand was still tightly clasped over her eyes, so she couldn't exactly get a good look at who he was. That was perfectly okay with her, though. She knew that once she laid her eyes upon him, she'd be subjected to love.

Her heart was already beating at a noticeably faster pace, though; probably because she was in such close proximity to someone else. She was even gripping his leg for dear life which --

“Um, please?”

!!

"R-right! Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Aoi exclaimed nervously.

She let go of his leg immediately and brought her newly freed hand to cover her eyes, losing her balance in the meantime. Her own foot twisted with his and...

CRASH!

Aoi felt herself toppling over, presumably tangled with this male stranger. Instinctively, she held her hands out to catch herself as to prevent her face from slamming into the floor of the hospital. 

Gasping, she found herself looking into the eyes of a brunet male as she was leaned over him in a rather... compromising position.

"O-oh God, I-I'm so sorry-! Y-you're really cute --!! I mean - I -, um-! D-did I hurt you?!"

[kofukunihitaru]

but i've never been in love-! [event/open]

As soon as the announcement ceased, Aoi's eyes widened. Love or hate? She couldn't say she was familiar with either emotion. She'd never been in love before and she never really, truly hated another person. The fact that either one was going to happen so suddenly made her feel almost paralyzed with fear. Those emotions were... too intense. How could they just --

And then she saw them. Two golden arrows flying toward her.

"N-no!" she gasped, immediately beginning to run from them.

Love?! Why love?! Aoi was way more frightened of love and all the intimacy that came with it. She didn't know why, it was just... a thing.

Glancing back, she saw the arrows flying closer, even faster. The air in her lungs seemed to run out faster than usual, too. The swimmer could usually run for hours without feeling out of breath in the slightest. Maybe it was this dreadful hospital.

It was no use... These arrows were going to grow nearer and follow her everywhere she ran.

Aoi stopped and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She could try to avoid anyone and everyone, right? She didn't have to fall in love. As the arrows struck her back, she clamped her hands over her eyes and hissed in the slight discomfort they caused. She wasn't going to let herself see anyone -- not if she could help it.

The swimmer needed to find her way to a room and lock herself in it. She felt the walls and used them for guidance, a hand still over her eyes. It was going particularly well until Aoi found herself feeling another person -- not the wall.

...

What was her hand even touching? An arm? A leg?

"O-oh! Sorry-! Excuse me!"

[pantaloonkind]

If anything, being dead might actually be a little bit of a relief. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have to worry any longer about Sburb, about the Batterwitch, about everything stressful that was his life up until this point. It was so much, and such a strain, a cross that he had to bare more or less alone- even with his friends there to supposedly help him. It had never been that bad before but… he was still getting his bearings and with only Roxy here, Dirk felt sort of lonely since he hadn’t been able to talk to two of his three best friends.

But his simple statement about being sure that they weren’t dead seemed more than enough to relieve this girl that she was, in fact, not dead. That was good enough for what he was trying to accomplish, he supposed. At least he didn’t need to give her a reassuring pat on the back or something, something which might actually not help at all but to create an awkward situation for all parties involved. He was glad, because frankly Dirk had absolutely no desire to engage in any sort of physical contact with another person since his extremely awkward one-sided hug with Roxy. He could only think in one case in which that would not be true but… this girl certainly wouldn’t be that person.

 “If we’re all alive here, does that mean we’ll all eventually make it out of here alive, too? Maybe we’ll be able to go home!”

The blond boy quirked an eyebrow at her from behind his glasses, which he was sure couldn’t be seen. But still… what a strange thing to say. Dirk had no idea how they got there, but was sure that as soon as whatever use these people had for them was over they would either be released or killed. He didn’t suppose he should say that, as he really had no idea what their use for so many people in the first place was. But he was certain that it had nothing to do with “curing their illness” as they stated.

So instead the boy just gave a soft noise of what was supposed to be agreement. He wasn’t really sure what to do after that, actually. He thought about what a normal person might say… but really, he didn’t care about any of that ridiculous small talk. But then, a thought. Something he could at least find out from her, possibly.

“Is there a compendium of all the patients here, some sort of list that they have on file?”

[kofukunihitaru]

“Is there a compendium of all the patients here, some sort of list that they have on file?”

What a good question. So many possibilities ran through Aoi's head as soon as that inquiry left the blond boy's lips. She was beginning to think like a real detective! Just like Naegi and Kirigiri -- and even Togami, she supposed.

"They have to," she answered, focusing on all her thoughts.

Looking up, her eyes met the boy's really elaborate sunglasses. She thought they were pretty cool, but that was absolutely irrelevant. Their way out of here and finding it was what mattered.

It was time to get serious!

"This is a hospital, so naturally they'd have all their patients on file," Aoi continued. "They might even have a list of people they plan on bringing in as patients, too, considering the variety of people here. I'm sure they don't just grab random citizens off of the street! This has to be planned out!"

The swimmer then folded her arms across her chest, pursing her lips in thought.

"They'd probably be located in that main doctor's office -- the lists, I mean."

If he was thinking what she was thinking, it looked like they'd have to do some investigating.

[saitei-deactivated20121218]

°incubus [intro/open]

[saitei-deactivated20121218]

It was obvious the tactical leader didn’t laud the girl’s words. He just woke up, what did people expect? She did have a point though; if he so desperately wanted to pass, he could have gone around her. Still, it wasn’t like the confrontation could be avoided now. Sync huffed at the girl’s words, shooting her a sharp glare. Who knew people here were so rude.

Definitely, not the idea of ‘deep sleep’ he had in mind. 

“Bethlehem Royal?” he rolled the words off his tongue, hesitating, as if trying to recall something. This was not the name of any building in Auldrant. So he was creating places in his mind too. But a fucking hospital? You had to be Dist to think of places so obscure. 

His brows scrunched together, twisting into a knot on his forehead. He was obviously confused. What doctor? …And then he remembered… An image flashed of the man just before the boy went into slumber. So that was… that was real? 

The boy’s confusion easily transformed into a scowl. “What the fuck?” It didn’t seem that his imagination could contrive things so foreign to him. But how the hell was he alive then? A hand to the boy’s side clenched into a fist. “I didn’t ask to be brought back!“An aggregation of questions ran through the boy’s mind. “This is a joke isn’t it?“ The other hand raised to clench at his face. He fretted at his skin through gloved hands. He chuckled slightly. “This just has to be a joke…”

[kofukunihitaru]

Aoi looked at the young man with much confusion. It was pretty clear that he'd just arrived, but maybe he was asleep? It seemed that he was just coming to realize where he was and what was going on. She didn't know what to say to make him feel more at ease. Her theory, after all, was that they were all dead; even if it had been debunked. She still didn't know what to think.

 “I didn’t ask to be brought back!“

Brought back, huh? It was possible that this guy could have been dead, too, prior to coming here; just like her friends were.

This just has to be a joke…”

Aoi offered a sympathetic smile, giving a shrug.

"That would be nice, huh?" she responded. "I don't even feel sick, so I'm not really sure what these doctors are doing or how they managed to gather so many really different people all in one place."

He looked pretty futuristic to her, so who knew what sort of capabilities these doctors had? If they could bring in people from the future, they could bring in people from the past and different dimensions and planets and...! Wow, what a headache.

"Listen, if you need someone to show you around or something, I'd be glad to!" Aoi added, completely forgetting that this boy was trying to get past her. "God knows I've got nothing else to do here."

[kofukunihitaru]

come for a swim! (open)

Well, it wasn't an olympic sized pool; but that was okay. Aoi would make due. She'd do some laps and float around. She needed this, and she couldn't express how grateful she was that there was actually a swimming pool in this establishment. It seemed like it was too good to be true. What sort of hospital had such a nice swimming pool?

Maybe it was better that she didn't ask questions.

Aoi did a few lunges, stretched her arms, and stretched out her back. She sat down and began stretching her legs, reaching to touch her toes and maneuvered into splits. It always felt so incredible to wake her body up in such a way. She felt like a new woman every single time!

After a crack of the neck, Aoi stood at the edge of the pool's diving board. Her toes curled over the edge and she prepared herself to dive straight in. The smallest splash could be heard as the graceful swimmer entered the water. She felt so at home in the depths of the pool. The sun warmed water was like a comforting blanket to Aoi. 

She popped up for air and positioned herself to spring off the side to begin her laps. 

Fast. Aoi was so fast that anyone looking on could maybe just barely make out her figure as she easily swam the length of the pool -- back and forth, back and forth. 

Just about to spring off a side for another lap, Aoi grabbed -- ! Someone's ankle?!

The swimmer, startled, broke her focus and turned to look up at the person whose personal space she had just invaded.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she apologized, resting her arms on the side of the pool. The sun was inconveniently in her eyes, so she couldn't exactly make out who she was saying sorry to. "I didn't realize you were so close to the pool!"

A small, sheepish laugh escaped her as she lifted herself up to sit on the edge.

[saitei-deactivated20121218]

°incubus [intro/open]

Through half-closed lids, the God General quickly observed his surroundings. Everything was far too white. Too clean. And that smell? It was all too foreign. He was lying down on his back, an unfamiliar figure staring down above him. 

“…where…the fuck am I?” he questioned immediately.

The figure spoke some words in reply, but the boy was too self-absorbed to listen. His tired eyes blinked. ”you’re… infected…” were the last words the boy heard before he finally gave in, and closed his lids. Another dream, he thought. 

A few hours later, the boy awoke. His stomach began twisting in knots, and he suddenly had the urge to relieve himself. A hand ran to clutch at his stomach. He sat upright, dazed by his environment. This wasn’t the fucking core. The afterlife? It was too plain to be Auldrant after all. Well shit. This has never happened before… Was he so dead that he now had the ability to change his surroundings?

But seriously. The pain in his stomach felt sharp compared to the pain he felt in the past. “Oh Yulia…”he muttered, swinging his legs off the hospital bed, placing himself just beside it. Seeing as there was not a single being in the room, the boy headed for the room’s door. He turned the knob and stepped outside into the hospital hallways.

A stranger stood before him, just a few inches away. The God General only showed indifference. 

“As it seems that you are so cordial to block my path, why don’t you tell me where we are.”

[kofukunihitaru]

Aoi was never as observant as her friends back at Hope's Peak. She wasn't really talented when it came to solving the cases like Naegi, Kirigiri, and Togami were. Secretly, she feared that her lack of skill in that area would lead to her death in the academy. She was surprised she made it as far as she did before waking up here.

The treatment at hand was coming to a close soon. Aoi knew this because she didn't feel the paralyzing paranoia she did at the start of it. She began coming to her senses, which was something she was always pretty good at even in times of panic. Even if she lost her cool for a little while, she'd find it again in no time.

Leaning against the wall of a random hallway, the swimmer found herself lost in those thoughts. She was unaware that there was someone trying to get past her until they spoke up.

“As it seems that you are so cordial to block my path, why don’t you tell me where we are.”

Aoi's eyes widened slightly and she whirled around to face a green-haired young man. How weird!

"Sorry! I didn't know I was in anyone's way," she responded. "I guess you could have gone around me, though."

He must have been new here, judging by his inquiry. Aoi was happy to answer any questions. She'd been here for a good week and, unfortunately, found herself getting used to it.

"We're in a hospital called Bethlehem Royal. Didn't the doctor go over that with you? Tell you you're infected and stuff?"

[pantaloonkind]

It didn’t make any sense at all. How the hell could so many people, completely unrelated and from so many different places not even remotely connected all contract the same disease? A disease that they would not even tell you about, nor would they explain the symptoms or side effects of having said disease. They did not ask you if you wanted treatment, they would force it on you. This wasn’t a hospital, it was a prison. Dirk’s hand slid down to his pocket, the memory of seeing the red barcode when he awoke, reading the thin and rather pathetic manual provided by the facility. It was all… something. And not in the good way.

“It probably sounds really silly out loud, but I’ve been thinking that I’m actually dead!”

That certainly was one theory, although Dirk was not quick to believe it in any way. He wasn’t dead. He knew that he wasn’t dead. He had no idea what sort of past this girl had, but clearly they came from two very different places and two very different sets of circumstances. That was probably good for this girl, because she sounded as though she might even be a little bit freaked out at the prospect of being dead and in a strange place with many of her friends. If Dirk could go painlessly and live in a building with his best friends… actually, that wouldn’t be so bad at all.

He still wasn’t really used to this whole… talking to people thing. But there was no time like the present to practice. And by that he mostly figured if he was planning on getting any information out of this girl at all, talking was pretty much the only way to do it. Unfortunately it seemed as though she really didn’t have any information, or at least none of use. Still, that was no reason to continue to allow himself a serious deficiency in person-to-person social skills.

Actually it sort of was… but he was going to get better at this or die trying.

“We’re not dead,” he stated bluntly, his tone a bit cold and extremely serious but overall his voice was still rather soft and extremely controlled thanks to it’s overall lack of use in the last seventeen years. “Or at least, I’m not. I suppose I can’t objectively speak for everyone in the building but, at the very least, I’m sure that I’m still quite alive and kicking like a fuckin’ rockette.” 

He had no plans to go into any detail about it, there were a few very good reasons he had to back himself up in this. That and no one had white glossy eyes that he’d seen thus far. And from what Dirk knew about ghosts, they all had soulless white eyes. Of course he’d only seen like two as to date but… that was probably more than a lot of other people.

[kofukunihitaru]

Aoi shifted her weight a little. It wasn't as if she wanted to be dead, though it was kind of nice bumping into Fujisaki and Oowada. She still had so much left to do, though. She had to compete in the Olympics again! She wanted to see her family again and continue to make them proud.

She wondered where this boy was from and what his life was like outside of the hospital. Was he seeing his friends, too? If so, and if they were alive, well... This place continually confused her. It was one big headache in one cleanly smelling building.

“We’re not dead,”

Aoi's eyes became much more alert when he spoke such a statement. How could he be so sure? It wasn't as if these doctors had explained much. The least they could have done was reassure all of the patience here that they were very much alive.

“Or at least, I’m not. I suppose I can’t objectively speak for everyone in the building but, at the very least, I’m sure that I’m still quite alive and kicking like a fuckin’ rockette.” 

His claim sounded a lot like Oowada's -- someone Aoi knew had been dead before she woke up here. Maybe he was right; and if that were the case, maybe everyone who had died at Hope's Peak was here, alive, as well. That thought didn't make this place seem so terrible, after all.

This whole encounter wound up cheering her up more than she thought it would.

"That's a very good thing," Aoi replied. "If we're all alive here, does that mean we'll all eventually make it out of here alive, too? Maybe we'll be able to go home!"

[skarlagenshierte-blog]

FØRST BEHANDLING 「１」FRYGT FOR VAND 【OPEN】

[skarlagenshierte-blog]

He was saved — or, well, on his way to being saved, he supposed. He wasn’t very skilled at handling all this water, as he continued to throw it up, getting only a few breaths through his nose in every now and then. 

Simon coughed even more, coughed his lung out — though that would have been counterproductive, really, so he just settled on hawking up what felt like a lung. Maybe it was his heart. 

They presumably sat there for several minutes. His muscles were weakening and his eyesight was getting cloudy. Was this what dying felt like? He had always heard that dying was worse than death itself. But would he wake up again in fresh sheets in his bed tomorrow? At this hospital?

He didn’t want to face the consequences of that. 

When what appeared to be a large chunk of something erupted from his mouth, the water stopped — the chunk, lizard-like and with all the properties of water in a container, slithered away — and Simon took in a much needed breath, face having started to change colors. 

His chest heaved, and he heaved, and he stayed like that for quite awhile, taking in as much air as he could like it was so valuable. 

When his breath was mostly caught up, he glanced up at the girl — a cute one, at that — and smiled weakly, wobbly. In fact, he was trembling pretty violently in a combination of fear and cold. 

“T-Tak… I-I mean,” he paused for a breath, “thank you.” Even though he was weary and worn out, his eyes still expressed immense gratitude to the woman. “I’m Simon.” 

[kofukunihitaru]

Aoi continued to gently pat his back, encouraging him to continue vomiting. She almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw how much water he was choking up. The first thing the swimmer would have to do when he was done was get him hydrated.

Even though she knew what to do about the situation, she was completely perplexed when it came to what was causing it. Normally she'd think it would be some kind of virus, which would make sense in a hospital, but this hospital was not like the others. The treatment going on right now had to do with fears, so Aoi immediately put two and two together once that occurred to her again.

He was either afraid of vomiting, drowning, or water in general.

Throughout his fits, Aoi whispered encouraging words to him. She switched back and form from patting his back to rubbing it gently. If need be, she was prepared to give him CPR.

"You're going to be okay. It's okay," she'd mutter. "I've got ya. I'm here to help you."

And then suddenly the man stopped and was just reduced to weak coughing. Aoi felt worry surge through her as she noticed his glassy eyes lose their color, his entire face beginning to turn blue. She wasn't going to let him die -- not on her watch. She couldn't save her friends, she couldn't save Sakura, back at Hope's Peak. Right here and right now she had the chance to rescue him and spare his life. She was going to take advantage of that.

When the man suddenly hacked up some water-like creature, Aoi felt her own stomach turn and she gagged. Instinctively, her hands remained clasped over her mouth tightly. She couldn't show weakness now, not like back there.

As her widened eyes remained fixed on him, the swimmer noticed his breath coming back and the color coming back to his face. He still looked dreadfully pale, but he was alive. Relief spread through Aoi like wildfire and she dropped her hands to her sides.

"Th-thank God," she gasped.

“T-Tak… I-I mean,” he paused for a breath, “thank you.” Even though he was weary and worn out, his eyes still expressed immense gratitude to the woman. “I’m Simon.” 

Aoi smiled widely, even feeling the prickling of tears at the corner of her eyes. She didn't felt like she did very much by then, but at least he wasn't alone in his time of need.

"Don't thank me," she responded. "You did a great job conquering that all on your own, Simon! I'm Asahina Aoi, but you can just call me Aoi. It's really great to meet you."

[choosedogs]

Friends..

Yeah.. Something like that, right? Well, Mondo could never be sure.. Not with the sick situation they’d been put into. Another reason why he was so unsure about their friendship was because.. Well. She was a chick.

Girls are weird and hard to talk to okOK.

Yeah, he remembered it… Accepting his fate as Monobear drove him straight into that cage. And yeah, he was pretty damn sure that he was alive now. Somehow. So this whole situation did seem rather impossible.. 

Maybe this was, as she said, hell.

“Shut the hell up, will you?!”

Mondo shuffled back a pace. How was one supposed to get a girl to quiet down?! He definitely couldn’t hit her. Nope. Never ever would he ever. Too delicate, right? Girls were fragile or something… It wouldn’t be a manly thing to do anyway. 

And Mondo Oowada was an honorable man.

“I’m sayin’ I don’t fucking know! I just woke up here, OK?! Same as you!” 

[kofukunihitaru]

Aoi flinched at the volume of Oowada's voice, her eyes narrowing a bit. God! He really could yell, couldn't he! No wonder Fujisaki cried so much when they were all together. Ahe couldn't really blame him; especially if he had sensitive ears or something.

Seriously, Oowada packed some pipes there.

"Oowada! Take it down a few notches, will ya!? I'm right in front of you, y'know!" Aoi snapped. "This isn't the time to lose our tempers, though! Instead, we should be getting ourselves composed and trying to figure out what in the world is going on here!"

The swimmer let out a sigh, taking her own advice. She didn't want to have a verbal spar with the gang leader. She wanted to know whether she was alive or dead and why she was really here.

Folding her arms across her chest, Aoi glanced to the side; clearly displeased.

"I just know that I don't feel sick at all," she continued, her voice much calmer. "And I saw Fujisaki, too, and you're both... Well... I'm having a really hard time believing I'm alive. Have you seen anyone else, Oowada?"

[skarlagenshierte-blog]

FØRST BEHANDLING 「１」FRYGT FOR VAND 【OPEN】

The water filled his lungs, and he began to sink. His body was heavy, and he was drowning. Water everywhere, no, no — too much water. He breathed in, and more water, somehow, choked him up, and he drowned, drowned, drowned. 

Simon awoke with a start, heart lodged in his throat, chest pounding. He had been leaning against a wall, and he had — somehow, somehow — managed to fall asleep; running around in this hospital was quite tiresome, apparently. 

He was in a cold sweat, and he didn’t like that. His limbs were unmanageable, lethargic, like a stone in water —

He scrunched up his nose in distaste at the thought of water. He shivered, trembled, just at that word. 

Fears are learned. Phobias are learned. There are very, very few things that the human fears without learning to fear it. You are taught them. 

Simon wasn’t always terrified of water, especially coming from a place surrounded by water on nearly all sides. He was around ten when —

He didn’t want to think about it, stomach aching from fear and adrenaline. He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and — to his surprise, Simon coughed, into his hands. 

His hands were wet, even before he collapsed to his knees and choked up the water, entire body convulsing, lithe fingers of his free hand, supporting him, clutched at the dirty tile of the floor. 

The Dane was sopping wet, soaked to the bone. Water puddled around him, even as he continued hawking it up. He was literally choking, eyes burning. 

Hvorfor sker det? Hvad sker der? the words were not audible to anyone but himself as Simon violently tried to get the water to stop coming up, so he could get a lungful of air, shoving his hand against his mouth, nearly falling over completely and giving up. He barely registered the footsteps clacking next to him, as if in a hurry — whether to help him or not, he would have to find out.

[kofukunihitaru]

Night time in this hospital was even scarier than night time at Hope's Peak. There, at least, she knew the people she was bound there with. Sure, someone was out to kill her and her other classmates but it was more comfortable now that she'd been there a while. Here, however, was filled with strangers -- strangers who were now suffering from their greatest fears and phobias. It was horrifying to experience and equally so to watch everyone act in such terrified ways.

It reminded her of her friends before their executions and that sent shivers up Aoi's spine. The terror and anticipation in their faces... It was enough to make her nauseous.

Maybe if she went for a swim she'd calm down. Aoi knew she wasn't afraid of drowning, at least, but she didn't know she was so afraid of being objectified either... until now. Maaaaybe staying away from the pool was the smarter thing to do; at least until this dreadful treatment was over.

On her way back to her assigned room, Aoi noticed something (someone?) out of the corner of her eyes. Taking a small, brave breath, the brunette turned around.

A sharp gasp escaped her. Was that man choking?! Drowning?!

She had to do something, she couldn't let him die!

Running over, Aoi prepared to use all means of first aid that she learned. Being an Olympic swimmer, she knew how to save lives. She knew how to save someone who was drowning. She could help this man.

"Hey, hi!" she greeted, her voice breathy and full of adrenaline. "I-I'm going to help you, okay?!"

In a rush of movements, Aoi helped him sit upright against the wall.

"You're okay, okay? You're going to be okay!" she encouraged, squatting next to him.

She rubbed and patted his back.

"Get it all out! Go ahead, I don't mind! Cough it up!"

[promusdiabolus-deactivated20121]

phantasm [treatment 1]

What a ridiculous treatment.

The thought of mortal beings being able to conjure up such an illusion that will lead to the body becoming stiff with fear was a laughable one. This idea; this whimsical notion will keep him chortling into the next century. Was it even worth being here? He was a creature whom humans have feared for as long as life crawled onto this rotten Earth like vermin, this was hardly going to affect him. Of course, he’d love to watch his young master writhe, tortured and frozen with anxiety once again, but surely the man would have to listen to his complaints and break them out of here, so any enjoyment that could be harvested from this event was surely going to be short lived.

Ah, but the wonderful screams of the other inhabitants were a magnificent symphony that enticed his senses. The agonized pleas that grew louder in time sent euphoria to rip through his body. Sebastian wasn’t like the lowly demons that feasted on the fear of the weak for the sake of eating, however, he saw the appeal of gorging himself after spending a monumental time as the Butler of Phantomhive. His work wasn’t entirely unpleasant, in actuality, he enjoyed his time with Ciel and the idiots that surrounded him, but hunger can be a tough mistress.

That delicious soul….that’s his aim. Once his fingers were finally able to grasp it, he would be free. Saliva flooded his mouth upon thinking about it. This was his ambrosia.

Wait…..what were those red eyes? The demonic irises he knew so well that glared at him from the shadows. Deciding that curiosity would almost certainly kill - or at least damper the spirits - of the cat, the demon promptly turned on his heel only to witness a swarm of vermilion descended from the emptiness with a slow murmuring accompanying it.

  “What…?”

Listening closer, he began to decipher the buzz that surrounded the phenomenon; only to wish afterwards that he didn’t.

“You’ll be my butler forever now. The contract can’t be completed.”

“No. I work too hard, this can’t be right….” he hissed through clenched teeth as both horror and anger ripped through him.

“NO, I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS.”

[kofukunihitaru]

Munching on a delicious donut, mostly to help ease her sudden paranoia, Aoi was wandering down the white halls with no particular goal. Maybe she'd go back to her room and sleep the rest of this treatment away. Her roommates were men, though, which was even more horrifying. Not that she would usually mind, of course. Aoi just couldn't shake the fact that everyone was looking at her in a demeaning and/or sexual manner.

With a sigh, she popped the last of the powdered donut into her mouth and reached into the paper bag she was carrying for another. There was no limit to how many of these sweets Aoi could easily consume. She found that she never got sick of them either.

Twirling the glazed pastry around a finger, Aoi stopped short at the sound of a terrified yell.

“NO, I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS.”

Maybe someone else was suffering due to the current treatment. It wasn't unlikely. On Aoi's venture to the cafeteria she witnessed many people battling their fears and phobias. She felt guilty that she didn't have the strength to aid them.

Now, though, she was fueled! She could do this! She'd ignore the objectifying stares and help.

Hurrying over, Aoi held a donut out to the tall, fancily dressed man.

"Donut?" she offered, smiling slightly. "They always make me feel better when I'm scared or upset!"

Okay, that wasn't a very conventional approach but... it was something! Besides, who didn't appreciate a well baked pastry? An idiot, that's who! Someone like Togami and his ugly glasses! Yeah!

Confidence spread through Aoi and her smile grew a bit as she held the glazed donut to the man.

[kofukunihitaru]

hey lil mama, let me whisper in your ear. [event/open]

If this place couldn’t get any weirder, it just did.

Aoi heard an announcement pertaining to something like fears being brought to life. That must be a horrible treatment for anyone with some sort of phobia. She considered herself really very lucky to not have one of those dreadful things. Sure, things scared her from time to time; but Aoi liked to think that after her time in Hope’s Peak she’d gotten so much braver than she was to begin with.

Walking down the halls of Bethlehem Royal, the brunette’s intention was to go find a gym or a swimming pool (or both). She needed to relax and work out. Considering her sport provided both fitness and relaxation for her, there was never a time when Aoi didn’t enjoy it.

After a few moments of wandering the halls, looking at signs, Aoi began to feel very strange. It felt as if everyone’s eyes were on her, looking at her body, objectifying her, fantasizing about her. She was no stranger to the fact that her figure was admired, but it never got to her. The only exception was if someone approached her and began making sexual advances or speaking to her in such a way. If she could hear it, she wasn’t okay with it. It made her feel nauseous and dizzy. It made her blush way more than a normal person would.

Those feelings were slowly coming over her now. Her heart was racing and suddenly she felt her palms grow sweaty. An uncomfortably dry feeling overtook her throat and mouth, Aoi’s blue eyes darting every which way, at every person who was so obviously staring at her, talking about her body in lascivious ways.

She halted to a stop, her hands now balled into perspiring, quivering fists. Aoi whirled to the first person in her line of vision, her eyes tearing and glaring straight at the man who was clearly staring at her first.

“H-hey! S-stop looking at me!” Aoi yelled, finding that her voice sounded more hysterical than she thought it would. “I-It’s making me feel sick! I kn-know what you’re saying and what you’re thinking and it’s disgusting! Y-you can’t do anything perverted to my body, so g-get those thoughts right out of your head!”

[kofukunihitaru]

where can a girl get a donut? or ten. (open!)

[shokogun-deactivated20130315]

Chihiro did, in fact, remember being killed— at least, mostly. She couldn’t quite remember the blow that had actually done the job, but once she thought about it, the events leading to that point were quite clear. The part she didn’t understand was why. All she’d wanted was to get stronger, to better herself. Especially at a place like Hope’s Peak, was that really so bad?

She tried to shake off those thoughts, at least for the time being— Asahina said everyone missed her. Even if the reason for her absence was death, it warmed her heart to hear she’d been missed. The swimmer was probably exaggerating, since it was hard to imagine someone like Togami shedding any tears over her, but… It was still much more than she would have expected. There weren’t many good things to say about her time at Hope’s Peak, but at least she could say she’d made wonderful friends.

“Eh?! You found Alter Ego?!”

That was, actually, a very good thing-! She’d programmed Alter Ego for that very reason; if something happened to Chihiro herself, then there would still be a way she could help the others. Asahina said he’d been a lifesaver, even! But there was a problem distracting her from the good news: He. Asahina said he. That must have meant… She knew, oh my god, she definitely knew. Any doubt there might have been disappeared when Aoi shoved her away, making her stumble just a bit. (Shoved him back? Which should he ((she?)) use? Even if it was just what he used himself, it got so confusing…)

“Inappropriate?! I didn’t— Um!” Already, he could feel the familiar prickle of tears starting to form in his eyes. He’d always known people would push him away when they found out, in this case literally, but… was she blushing?

“Asahina-san, it wasn’t all that inappropriate-! I… I’m still the same as before, you know! I’m not, um, I wasn’t thinking that way…”

[kofukunihitaru]

Aoi was beyond embarrassed for two reasons. The first one being that she was carelessly holding a boy to her chest like it was no big deal. The second was that Fujisaki had no idea that she knew his secret. Aoi could have smacked herself for being so clumsy with her words. It was too late now, though.

Looking at his face, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed, the brunette noticed how upset Fujisaki looked. If she made him cry, she'd never forgive herself. She'd be just as much a brute as Oowada and Aoi just couldn't have that.

“Asahina-san, it wasn’t all that inappropriate-! I… I’m still the same as before, you know! I’m not, um, I wasn’t thinking that way…”

Fujisaki was right. He wasn't any different. Just because he was actually a boy with boy parts didn't mean he was a different person! He was still the sweet, adorable Fujisaki that Aoi loved! She supposed she just wasn't really prepared to ever see him again, so reacting to his true gender in person never occurred to her.

"I'm so sorry, Fujisaki," Aoi began. "I didn't mean to make a big deal-! It just -- it surprised me, I guess..."

The swimmer shifted her weight a bit. How could she even redeem herself?

"I never thought I'd see you again and I didn't know how I'd react and I get really weird - Ah,  do you want another hug?!"

[phantomflow-blog]

Donuts? This girl reminds him of Murasakibara.

“I’m terribly sorry, but I don’t know where that is. Would you mind showing me the way?”

[kofukunihitaru]

He didn't know where the cafeteria was?! That was, without a doubt, the most important place in this place for Aoi.

"Sure I can!" she exclaimed, jogging down the hallway a bit in front of him. "Right this way!"

[kofukunihitaru]

hey lil mama, let me whisper in your ear. [event/open]

If this place couldn't get any weirder, it just did.

Aoi heard an announcement pertaining to something like fears being brought to life. That must be a horrible treatment for anyone with some sort of phobia. She considered herself really very lucky to not have one of those dreadful things. Sure, things scared her from time to time; but Aoi liked to think that after her time in Hope's Peak she'd gotten so much braver than she was to begin with.

Walking down the halls of Bethlehem Royal, the brunette's intention was to go find a gym or a swimming pool (or both). She needed to relax and work out. Considering her sport provided both fitness and relaxation for her, there was never a time when Aoi didn't enjoy it.

After a few moments of wandering the halls, looking at signs, Aoi began to feel very strange. It felt as if everyone's eyes were on her, looking at her body, objectifying her, fantasizing about her. She was no stranger to the fact that her figure was admired, but it never got to her. The only exception was if someone approached her and began making sexual advances or speaking to her in such a way. If she could hear it, she wasn't okay with it. It made her feel nauseous and dizzy. It made her blush way more than a normal person would.

Those feelings were slowly coming over her now. Her heart was racing and suddenly she felt her palms grow sweaty. An uncomfortably dry feeling overtook her throat and mouth, Aoi's blue eyes darting every which way, at every person who was so obviously staring at her, talking about her body in lascivious ways.

She halted to a stop, her hands now balled into perspiring, quivering fists. Aoi whirled to the first person in her line of vision, her eyes tearing and glaring straight at the man who was clearly staring at her first.

"H-hey! S-stop looking at me!" Aoi yelled, finding that her voice sounded more hysterical than she thought it would. "I-It's making me feel sick! I kn-know what you're saying and what you're thinking and it's disgusting! Y-you can't do anything perverted to my body, so g-get those thoughts right out of your head!"

[kofukunihitaru]

where can a girl get a donut? or ten. (open!)

[shokogun-deactivated20130315]

As surprised as Chihiro was to see a friend, she could at least take it in stride. Asahina, on the other hand, seemed to be absolutely stunned. Maybe she’d arrived even more recently Chihiro had, and their entire situation was weighing down on her. Or maybe she’d been here longer, and this was her first encounter with someone familiar. That would certainly make for a surprise, wouldn’t it?

Neither of those scenarios, though, would explain the swimmer suddenly bursting into tears. Fujisaki’s eyes widened in alarm, her smile falling away into an expression of concern. She, of all people, understood the urge to cry under stress. This hospital thing was definitely enough to reduce any reasonable person to tears, but seeing someone strong like Asahina cry was still upsetting!

“Eh?! Asahina-san, please don’t cry-!” Before she could quite finish her sentence, or maybe reassure her that there were almost certainly donuts nearby, she was pulled into a crushing hug. Her eyes widened again, this time in surprise— there were several things she might have expected Asahina to do, but this was not one of them. She tuned back into reality just in time to hear—

“You’ve been missed so much by everyone!”

Missed? But-

“Even if we’re all dead now, I’m really happy we’re together!”

Chihiro stood very still for a moment. Well… It made sense, didn’t it? It wasn’t as though she’d lost her memory. Somehow, she didn’t feel much surprise, only a little twinge of sadness. She’d known all along that it would be hard for someone as weak as she was to survive in a place like Hope’s Peak. After a few seconds of silence, she wrapped her arms around Asahina in return.

“You missed me? Ehehe. Really?”

[kofukunihitaru]

Did Fujisaki know he was killed? Aoi wondered how death worked. If this wasn't it, maybe it was something totally different. Maybe it was like you were sleeping. This had to be it, though. It had to be. There was no way anyone in the world had the power to bring back the dead. She didn't care how powerful the doctors at Bethlehem Royal were. There was absolutely no way.

It took her a few moments to register just how tightly she was hugging Fujisaki, and just how hysterically she was sobbing. It occurred to her that she was probably frightening him -- and also holding him a bit too close, but that didn't matter right now. Aoi was so relieved to have run into someone familiar in this mysterious place that she even forgot about the donuts she'd been craving moments ago.

“You missed me? Ehehe. Really?”

Squeezing him tighter for a moment, Aoi nodded.

"Yes, really!" she cried, beaming down at him. "Your Alter Ego has been a life saver -- literally! He's just as cute as you are, too! It was like we were actually communicating with you. I have to admit, though, he really scared me at first! I thought he was a ghost!"

...He.

He, he, he.

Chihiro Fujisaki was a boy and here she was holding him so forcefully against her chest (thank God there was no sign of Fukawa to comment on this). How uncomfortable was he? Aoi felt all of the blood in her body rush to her face and she pushed him back from the embrace with a little more oomph than intended.

"U-um-! I'm sorry! I didn't realize how inappropriate that hug might have been-!"

Oh, lord. Getting woozy.