you kids want some drugs?

Ahh… I just woke up on the floor… I guess I haven’t been taking care of myself very well…

norunninginmyhallways

[Alarms go off in Ishimaru’s head, he burst through the door holding a tray of healthy snacks and water.]

DID I JUST HEAR SOMEONE WASN’T TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES?

[Ironically, he has very dark bags under his eyes.]

Wh-What the hell?! Where did you come from? Who are you?!

Ahh... I just woke up on the floor... I guess I haven’t been taking care of myself very well...

#HI

#they're posters right???

...

Did she... Hang these in every hallway..?

[Finally, some quiet time away from everybody. Seiko can finally sit down on a sofa and read her cheesy romance novel in peace. Without disturbances...]

#disturb her.

[She bits her lip anxiously] Are you sure?

Yes. The prototypes of my medicines don’t usually have a very long effect, as I want to know if they actually work... So they last for about 12 hours.

[She wanders down the halls] Seeeiko! @localpharmacist

Huh? Ruruka..?

[She peeks her head out from the kitchen.]

Seiko! Hi! Quick question for you, did you make a drug that can take away people’s talents? Additionally, did you make a drug that can wipe people’s memories?

… Yes. But if you’re accusing me of being Komaru Naegis accomplice… You’d be wrong.

[She sighs and looks at the ground.]

She took them from my lab while I wasn’t paying attention… I never intended for those to get any use here, I just… Make stuff like that in my free time. It’s all I can do… Surely you would understand?

[Ruruka nods] Yeah, I made brainwashing sweets so I get it. Before you get any ideas, the only time I used them was when Juzo was trying to kill me.

Anyways, is there a cure for the one that takes your talent?

Hm? She managed to use it on you..? And since you’re asking for a cure, that means...

It worked! It actually worked! Oh my goodness, I didn’t want to test it out because I didn’t want to rob anyone of their talent, so I never knew if it was effective or not, but I actually did it! Hahaha, this is wonderful news!

... Oh.

[Seiko clears her throat.]

I-I mean... Obviously this isn’t a wonderful situation for you... I... Don’t have a cure for it. But! Before you panic! Since it was only the prototype, it shouldn’t last very long... In fact, it should wear off very soon if you took it last night.

[She wanders down the halls] Seeeiko! @localpharmacist

Huh? Ruruka..?

[She peeks her head out from the kitchen.]

Seiko! Hi! Quick question for you, did you make a drug that can take away people’s talents? Additionally, did you make a drug that can wipe people’s memories?

... Yes. But if you’re accusing me of being Komaru Naegis accomplice... You’d be wrong.

[She sighs and looks at the ground.]

She took them from my lab while I wasn’t paying attention... I never intended for those to get any use here, I just... Make stuff like that in my free time. It’s all I can do... Surely you would understand?

[She wanders down the halls] Seeeiko! @localpharmacist

Huh? Ruruka..?

[She peeks her head out from the kitchen.]

What..? No, no, I’m fine! You’re imagining things, Ikusaba! What is there to be panicked about?

shslmukuroikusaba-deactivated20

[On her wander back to the lab last night, Seiko stumbled upon a library. She was now sat in the kitchen with a cup of black coffee, reading a cheesy romance novel. Last night was awful, and she hadn’t gone to bed, but… Today was shaping up to be quite nice.]

[Mukuro wanders in, pots and pans in hand. She puts them away.] Hey.

shslmukuroikusaba-deactivated20

I-IKUSABA!

[She slams the book shut and tosses it under the table. She can’t let anyone know she reads trash like that! Seiko grasps her cup with both hands and speaks erratically.]

Good morning! How are you? There’s coffee over there!!

… You doing alright there Seiko? [She grabs the coffee and drinks it straight from the pot, chugging the whole thing in one go.]

Yes! I’m doing wonderfully!

[She smiles nervously at Mukuro. Her mask is down, meaning her emotions are plain as day and she’s easy to read. She’s not doing alright there. She’s panicking.]

E-enough about me! How are you..?

shslmukuroikusaba-deactivated20

[On her wander back to the lab last night, Seiko stumbled upon a library. She was now sat in the kitchen with a cup of black coffee, reading a cheesy romance novel. Last night was awful, and she hadn’t gone to bed, but… Today was shaping up to be quite nice.]

[Mukuro wanders in, pots and pans in hand. She puts them away.] Hey.

I-IKUSABA!

[She slams the book shut and tosses it under the table. She can’t let anyone know she reads trash like that! Seiko grasps her cup with both hands and speaks erratically.]

Good morning! How are you? There’s coffee over there!!

[On her wander back to the lab last night, Seiko stumbled upon a library. She was now sat in the kitchen with a cup of black coffee, reading a cheesy romance novel. Last night was awful, and she hadn’t gone to bed, but... Today was shaping up to be quite nice.]

I’m sorry…! I really am! I want.. I want to go back, before my brother died, before I took that n-necklace.. before I let having a talent get to my head..!

[She cries out to herself, punching and clawing her own pillows]

N-now.. nobody will ever trust me again! I wish I never came to this rotten place! I hate this! I hate myself!

[She curls up on herself, palms pressed into her eyes. God, she wishes Seiko never showed up at her door. The reality of being hated.. of what she did – of how irreversible everything was!

The heartache she felt was the true extent of her “despair”]

[Seikos voice is nothing more than a meek whisper now.]

... I don’t hate you...

[She can’t take this. This was a mistake. The helpless shrieks were deafening in the otherwise silent building, Komarus cries and claims hurt her heart. She stood up, fists clenched.]

Why does this make you any worse than other killers in this building..? You’re not the only one to kill somebody... Even Ruruka has committed murder... I don’t... I don’t see why... You of all people... Can’t be trusted...

[Wiping tears from her eyes, Seiko says one last thing to the door before leaving for her lab.]

I’m sorry... Komaru, I... I don’t think I can let you into my lab again. People would think... You’re up to something, and I...

[She sighs.]

I think it’s best if you... Don’t visit me for now. Until this has died down...

[Arms folded, Kimura quickly walks away from Komarus room, footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. She cared so much, but she had to protect herself too. She didn’t want to be an accomplice. She didn’t want Komaru to hurt anyone else. She desperatley wanted her friend back, but... For now, they would have to stay away from each other.]

[There really was no way around this. For a long moment she doesn’t respond, until there’s a very tiny, choked up reply]

Ye-yeah.. that sounds.. right..

… I see.

[Seiko bites her lip under her mask. So this was indirectly her fault… The thing that killed Ruruka came from her, and the motive was her… Although she felt terrible, she couldn’t help but feel slightly touched that someone would go so far as to kill for her. She quickly pushed that feeling aside.]

Komaru… That wasn’t really you… Was it? Someone must have been manipulating you, I… I don’t want to believe that you… Would do something like that.

I don’t know…! [She inhales sharply, breath shuddering]

Whatever happened to me… I have no idea! I really thought this was for the best… I felt so different, but also like myself!

I don’t know why I did all that.. I didn’t ever want to hurt or.. or mu-murder anyone, but now.. I…. I-I..

[She can’t even finish her emotional rant, more wailing sounding from inside her room.]

[Seikos lip quivers as she hears the sobs coming from the room. She sits down, back leaning against the door to Komarus room. What can she do..? What can she say? There is no apologizing murder, but she so desperatley wants to comfort the girl crying behind the door.]

I’m... I don’t know what to say, Komaru...

[Her voice is quiet, hesitant. Why did this have to happen...]

[... Where did it all go wrong?]

[There really was no way around this. For a long moment she doesn’t respond, until there’s a very tiny, choked up reply]

Ye-yeah.. that sounds.. right..

... I see.

[Seiko bites her lip under her mask. So this was indirectly her fault... The thing that killed Ruruka came from her, and the motive was her... Although she felt terrible, she couldn’t help but feel slightly touched that someone would go so far as to kill for her. She quickly pushed that feeling aside.]

Komaru... That wasn’t really you... Was it? Someone must have been manipulating you, I... I don’t want to believe that you... Would do something like that.

[After checking all of the kitchens and finding nothing, she goes back to looking for Komaru. It’s late, and nobody else is up, so she assumes… That Komaru is in her room. She approaches her door and knocks gently.]

@eggmaru … Are you there..? May I come in?

[She pushes herself feebly to sit up in bed, eyes swollen and red. There was no way to hide the way she looked–which was fitting, she thought, to look AND feel like death. She really wasn’t ready to make her apologies. She was still trying to come to terms with her own actions, memories playing over in her head but feeling so detached from her. Facing the people she hurt.. it made her feel anxious and sick.

Still… ]

Y-yeah. Sure.. if you need to..

[She turns the doorknob, but the door doesn’t budge. She tries jiggling and pushing the door, but still it remains in the same spot.]

Um… I think it’s locked…

[What a terrible time not to be able to pick locks. If only she had Sonosukes talent.]

[She groans] izayoi.. probably locked it. [Sniffling, she lays down again] it’s for everyone’s own good.. we probably shouldn’t talk right now. I’m dangerous..

So-sorry…