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Hello, I'm Kirifuji Nozomi! It's great to meet you! she/her [ask/rp blog] Dating @superior-curry-lover

[misty-wish]

Hello! Kirifuji Nozomi here! I'm joining some of the other's and documenting my journey in the SDU with this blog! I hope this will prove to be a great learning opportunity!

------

"Mod Lane made a blog for another girl" shut up I rule girl land.

This is another Dark Timeline blog. Find out more about the Dark Timeline here! (Note to self, write the fucking summary of the Dark Timeline.) I don't know exactly whats gonna come up with Nozomi, but as things do I will add triggers/content warnings below:

A NOTE ON KARUA: Dont ask me about karua why would you ask me about Karua Nozomi doesn't know who that is. You can ask me about Takumi, I do ship them, but consider the fact this Nozomi only knows a really fucked up Takumi and is actively dating Kurara. I'm down to play, but you might not get the answers you want.

[misamxsa]

YURI BEAM

[thl-ask-rp]

Time for a Halloween event!

This is a non-canon event, separate from any timeline or story events going on. It's just for fun! A really lighthearted event with no consequences!

What do we mean when we say "Cast and Crew party"?

We've used a theater metaphor here for meta stuff before. The idea that the muses/characters are "putting on a play" and that anons are an "audience" watching and interacting. This is kind of an extension of that.

For this event, most of what we've seen is a play where the muses are actors playing themselves. Now, we're seeing a behind the scenes event! See what everyone's "really" like when they're not "on stage"!

(If you don't get it, that's fine, its mostly just something silly for a few of us muns. We're happy if you just sit back and enjoy our shenanigans, and really happy if you send in questions!)

Who exactly is participating?

Any blog in the group that reblogs this post can be considered "participating" and will engage however they see fit. (If any blogs outside of the group wanna interact our muns tend to be pretty open to that, but I'd recommend sending a quick hello and stuff first!) Oh, and anons, especially our regular anons, are welcomed! Questions and the like always make things easier for us!

Is this just a normal halloween party? You're not planning anything?

Hehehehehe.....

-mod lane

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked for a moment, then gave Nozomi a small smile. "I am fine," he replied softly, "How are you today?"

Relationships were important. Interacting with people was important. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about interactions!

From the basic knowledge he was given, Nozomi was soft hearted and kind. "Takumi" would not have to worry about any potential danger. However, judging by her expression and her question, he had a feeling she would catch on quickly that he was not the same Takumi she knew. That thought was unfortunate. However, that only left the potential for another person to teach him more about being Takumi!

[misty-wish]

"I'm okay." Nozomi said with a polite smile. It was a bit of a lie, but there was no need to worry Takumi with the truth. Not that she could tell him anyway. He was one of the people she was most closely watching over.

"What are you doing right now, Sumino-kun? If you have some free time would you like to go get something to eat in the cafeteria?"

[utsuhebi]

He, as a Retsnom, was always hungry. He could eat anything, even plants and animals considered highly poisonous. But, he had never had the chance to eat the food that Takumi would eat. "Takumi" got excited at the prospect.

"Yes," he smiled joyfully, "Food is good. I would like to eat."

He followed behind Nozomi to the cafeteria. "Takumi" immediately marveled at the large aquarium on the right wall and the strange machines making food behind a conveyor belt. He then smelled the aroma of fruits, vegetables, and grains and darted to the kitchen. So many things he could try. He wanted to know how every single thing tasted.

The first thing he tried were the fruits. He bit into an apple, eating even the core. Then, he found a banana, biting into it like a stick. The outside was rough and bland, but the inside was mushy and sweet. Then the orange. It was like the banana, but juicier.

He then found a shiny, silver, metal fork. Without thinking, he bit into it and started eating the fork. It definitely wasn't as sweet as the fruits. He preferred the fruits over the fork.

[misty-wish]

Nozomi retrieved a bowl of rice and a protein drink for herself from the ration-o-matic and sat down at the table. She was expecting Takumi to join her, but he started wandering around the room, studying everything as if he'd never seen it before. As if he'd never seen...anything before.

Then he began eating. Her jaw dropped watching him eat food whole. Finally, by the time he got to the fork, her brain caught up and she grabbed his arm. "Sumino-kun, stop! What's wrong with you?"

[utsuhebi]

He was in the midst of biting down on the fork again when Nozomi grabbed his arm. He stared at her with a confused expression, the fork sticking out of his mouth.

"I do not understand," he replied genuinely, "I am eating. Is that not what we came here to do?" He then smiled at her and said, "This food is much more enjoyable than the rocks and debris I was able to find outside. The tastes and textures are wonderful. What else is there?"

He could smell other items in the room that he hadn't tried yet. Organic, metals, liquids, he wanted to try it all. He also wanted to watch the fish swim around in the wall, but food was more important in his mind at the moment.

[misty-wish]

"Sumino-kun..." Was this pica? No, pica didn't work like this. What was happening then?

"Why don't we go to the bio lab and get you checked out?" She suggested, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room. "I think maybe you're missing something from your diet, and we should know what."

She made sure to take the fork out of his mouth and leave it behind.

[utsuhebi]

"To the bio lab?" "Takumi" tilted his head, "Is Yugamu there today? He told me I was his assistant now and that he was going to teach me many things." The clone was practically glowing with excitement at the idea of learning new things with Yugamu. Maybe he should ask Yugamu about all the foods in the cafeteria.

"Takumi" didn't resist as Nozomi pulled him out of the cafeteria and into the hallway. He continued to chatter as they walked. "He seemed quite excited to learn about my body, too," he continued to explain, completely oblivious to how his words sounded out of context, "He said it would be a relationship. I am very happy to have a relationship with Yugamu."

[misty-wish]

She stopped and turned to look back at him. "I thought you were dating Aotsuki-kun. Didn't you two..."

She didn't want to remember that night. She was far enough away to be spared of most of it, but it was still such a public spectacle she knew much more than she wanted to.

"Does Aotsuki-kun know about your relationship with Yugamu-kun?" She demanded. She couldn't believe that Takumi would betray Eito like that. Maybe Kurara was right about him... But also, how dare Yugamu be involved with it! He may be a pervert, but he never seemed the type to play the other man. If this were all true, she would have to have a talk with him too...

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked at Nozomi, barely understanding what she was so unhappy about. "A relationship with Eito?" He asked, confused, "I have not spoken to him yet. I have only talked to you, Yugamu, and Takumi so far."

He couldn't quite understand why he would need to speak to Eito about having a relationship with Yugamu. Was it a bad thing to have such a thing with the other boy? He simply could not comprehend the problem.

"Should I speak to Eito about this, then?" He then asked, tilting his head for confirmation.

[misty-wish]

"You...haven't spoken to him?" That was absolutely impossible. This went beyond just cheating, there was something incredibly wrong here! It finally occured to her to connect this back to the strange eating behavior. Not that that put her any closer to figuring put what what was happening, besides the idea that Takumi was having some sort of mental break.

He said he'd 'spoken to Takumi'. Was he in a fugue state? Or...a personality split? ...Would either of those lead to eating forks? She didn't know enough about this, and she doubted Yugamu did either, but Takumi (?) said he'd spoken to him, and that's where she had been going anyway, so....

She went back to dragging him. "Nevermind, let's just go see Yugamu-kun."

[distorted-vestige]

Yugamu had just arrived back at the lab after grabbing some books from the library. He still wasn't sure what kind of creature he was working with- and nothing he could find mentioned anything about a 'retsnom' though there were plenty texts he couldn't read- so he'd just looked for mimics and shapeshifters and doppelgangers. Keeping in mind that this being had been made by Darumi he'd not only looked for research books, but also a certain style of manga and light novels. There could be something interesting there...

He hadn't gotten a chance to set to work yet when the door to the bio lab crashed open. He thought he'd locked that.... Well, at least the visitors weren't unwelcomed.

"Oh, hello, Doll-chan, you're back." He smiled. "And with Nozomi-chan. I'm so proud you made a friend already."

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" smiled happily upon seeing Yugamu in the lab. "Hello, Yugamu," he greeted, giving him a small wave. Yugamu's claim of being proud of him sent a wave of joy through "Takumi's" chest, causing his smile to grow even bigger.

"Yes," he stated, "We went to eat food together in the cafeteria. There were a ton of fish swimming around in the wall. It looked very pretty! I got to eat actual food today, as well. It was very good, until I reached the fork. Metal does not taste as good as the sweet, juicy food I ate before that."

He wondered what kinds of foods Takumi liked. Did he like the sweet foods as much as "Takumi" did? What other kinds of foods were there? He wanted to try them all! The idea of eating more and more caused "Takumi" to start drooling as his thoughts spiraled off into space.

[misty-wish]

"Metal is not known for its taste." Yugamu agreed, but it got him thinking. Did Doll-chan have the same tastes as a human through he could clearly eat more things? How would he handle something spicy or bitter?

"Yugamu-kun," Nozomi interrupted his thoughts. She moved closer to him, glancing warily at the other boy in the room. "Sumino-kun said he'd spoken to you recently so I thought you might know what's, um, going on with him?"

"Oh?" He lowered his voice as he spoke with her. "That's not Sumino-kun."

"What? Do you mean..."

"That's a monster from another dimension."

Nozomi glared at him. How could he be joking like that! This was serious! Something was very wrong with Takumi, and Yugamu was playing it off like a joke!

Unless...this was a joke? Were they working together to mess with her? Make her worry about some nonsense crazy behavior and then turn around and make fun of her for worrying? Were they that cruel? She didn't want to think so, but Yugamu was hard to judge sometimes, and she didn't really know Takumi at all...

While she was lost in her thoughts, Yugamu casually crossed the room to "Takumi". He smiled at him again. "Doll-chan, I never got to ask, could I see some of your powers? It might help clear things up with Nozomi-chan, too."

[utsuhebi]

"The outside of the foods were also rough and bland, but it was the insides that tasted amazing," he continued to explain his findings, blissfully unaware of Nozomi's turmoil. "I quite liked the orange ball. The juice that exploded in my mouth upon biting down on it made me extremely excited. It was as if I could drink it!"

"Takumi" smiled as Yugamu approached him. "What would you like me to do?" He asked eagerly, completely putting aside his food story. There were many things he could do to help Yugamu, and he was more than happy to do just about anything. Although, he wouldn't be too thrilled about changing his entire form; he wanted to stay as Takumi. If he needed to simply change the shape of his arm or leg, he would be more than happy to oblige.

[distorted-vestige]

"I was hoping to see your ability to heal most of all." Yugamu admitted. "I won't hurt you without your permission, but if I could give you a small cut...."

He wanted to do more. He wanted to do so much more. If Doll-chan really could heal, he wanted to push it. Tear him apart and see how much damage he could sustain. And maybe he would lash out, fight back instinctively, make Yugamu regret messing with a monster. Make him learn his place in this world, he was just a small, weak human, he could be broken so easily-

He fought to hold that in. Not yet. For now, a small cut is all he would ask, and if Doll-chan said no, he would back off.

"We have Nozomi-chan here too, so if anything goes wrong, she can help."

Nozomi was about to point out that she didn't have her gun or armor, but held back. She...was also curious about what exactly Yugamu was planning. They.... wouldn't go as far as to harm Takumi just to freak her out, would they? The two were definitely strange....and extreme...maybe they would... She got prepared to run for her armor in case.

[utsuhebi]

Yugamu wanted to harm him... "Takumi" was uneasy about the idea at first. He was explicitly instructed to protect Takumi from harm, and he himself was Takumi. But... but this was for a learning experience. Yugamu wanted to learn, just like him. And Yugamu knew nothing of his regenerative abilities. He wanted to give "Takumi" a small cut, nothing life threatening.

But... his instructions... Could he... really defy them...?

...

...

This.

This wasn't defying.

This was for learning.

Yugamu did not have any ill intentions.

He would be healed up immediately.

"Yes," he replied, sounding a little more robotic than usual, "I am okay with this."

A pause. A shake of his head. "Yes," he tried again, sounding more casual, "I am okay with this."

[distorted-vestige]

"Wonderful!" Yugamu smiled.

He beckoned Nozomi closer. He pulled out one of his knives and gently took the red haired boy's hand. His heart raced as he cut slowly across his palm. He wouldn't cut deep enough to do any serious damage on the off chance Doll-chan was wrong about his powers, but blood still flowed across their joined hands. Yugamu noted that it was exactly as red and warm as human blood. It smelled the same too; he wondered how it would taste.

Then things began to change. Among the red, purple began to appear. Faint violet tendrils spread out from each side of the slash, quickly crossing to the other and sealing it back up. The purple faded to a more flesh-like color, the smoothed itself out until the skin was perfect and unmarred again. If it weren't for the blood, there'd be no trace of the wound Yugamu made.

"Amazing!" Yugamu pulled Doll-chan's hand to him and looked at him with his eyes sparkling. Now that he'd seen it, he wanted to do it again! He wanted to do it more! Oh, there were so many exciting things they could do with a power like that- He realized he was drooling, oh, that was embarrassing.

Nozomi, on the other hand, was having a much different reaction. She'd taken a few steps back and steadied herself against the lab table.

"You're...really not human. What are you? What are you going to do to us?"

[utsuhebi]

Seeing Yugamu get all excited made "Takumi" smile. He was glad he was making the other happy. And the cut barely hurt, too! He could handle that again and again, as many times as Yugamu would want. Anything for learning!

When Nozomi asked her question, "Takumi" glanced over at her. "I am a Retsnom," he explained, "That is what Darumi told me. She said I had to watch Takumi and Eito and keep them from fighting again. She was very upset when they fought last time."

She sounded scared. Why was she scared? He wasn't dangerous; he definitely wasn't there to harm them. Did... did the idea of something unknown scare her? Why would it scare her? He decided to just ask.

"Do I scare you?" He asked, tilting his head, "Why? Does the idea of learning something new scare you? I wish to understand."

[misty-wish]

"Learning isn't the problem it's..." She held her hands close to her as she thought of how to explain. Somehow, even though she was nervous, she didn't want to offend him. She honestly felt bad about what she had already said, although he didn't seem upset. Still, he was Yugamu's friend, and he seemed nice enough- at least, he hadn't done anything wrong, besides acting strange- so she should try to be polite.

She bowed in apology and continued. "I'm sorry, I've just never met anyone who wasn't human before. Except of course the invaders, but you've seen what they're trying to do to us. I suppose it was my assumption that- I'm sorry, I don't want to call you a 'monster' or 'creature'. Other species?- would all be dangerous."

She paused as she said that. It wasn't an untrue statement, but when had she started assuming that? It hadn't always been like that. When she was a little girl, she remembered dreaming about life outside the complex, exploring the stars, and making friends with all sorts of alien creatures. Maybe even meeting an alien princess one day. When had her dreams of hope and exploration turned to fear and distrust?

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked as he listened to Nozomi's explanation. Having never met another creature that wasn't human, then to meet the ones they call "invaders", which lead to the assumption that all other creatures are "bad". Was there a word for this? He tried digging around in his head, but there wasn't much he could go off of.

The word he was looking for was "stereotyping". He didn't know that, of course. Perhaps he should go look at some books later and learn more about words. Having more words in his head would help him talk to others more and make more friends.

"I will only harm those who bring harm upon me first," he explained simply, "I will protect myself from harm. Dying sounds... painful. And not fun. I would not be able to learn if I was dead. And I... do not believe I can revive the same way you all can."

[misty-wish]

"Dying doesn't sound fun. I can't revive either, but I've seen the others do it too many times. It's my job to heal them, to protect them so they don't have to die." There was conviction in her voice as she explained. She was proud of what she was doing, in that regard at least.

"Dying is extremely painful, most of the time." Yugamu felt the need to speak up, as both the one with the most experience and a strong opinion on the matter. "Still, that doesn't mean it can't be fun. I wouldn't say doing it on the battlefield is my preferred time or place, its so open and exposed, I'd much rather be somewhere intimate with someone I care deeply about. Then we could really take our time, make sure we both enjoyed the whole process, feel each other deeply, inside and out-"

"Yugamu-kun!" Nozomi snapped at him. He apparently hadn't even noticed that he was still holding "Takumi's" hand, and while he was rambling, brought it up to his mouth, almost licking it. Or maybe he had noticed, maybe he was trying to get away with it, either way the action and his words were enough to leave her wearing the embarrassed blush that he very much should be wearing.

"The point is, I'm glad to have you on our side, and joining us as a friend." Nozomi smiled at the red haired boy, and just to show she was serious, took his other hand between hers and shook it.

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked for a moment, then gave Nozomi a small smile. "I am fine," he replied softly, "How are you today?"

Relationships were important. Interacting with people was important. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about interactions!

From the basic knowledge he was given, Nozomi was soft hearted and kind. "Takumi" would not have to worry about any potential danger. However, judging by her expression and her question, he had a feeling she would catch on quickly that he was not the same Takumi she knew. That thought was unfortunate. However, that only left the potential for another person to teach him more about being Takumi!

[misty-wish]

"I'm okay." Nozomi said with a polite smile. It was a bit of a lie, but there was no need to worry Takumi with the truth. Not that she could tell him anyway. He was one of the people she was most closely watching over.

"What are you doing right now, Sumino-kun? If you have some free time would you like to go get something to eat in the cafeteria?"

[utsuhebi]

He, as a Retsnom, was always hungry. He could eat anything, even plants and animals considered highly poisonous. But, he had never had the chance to eat the food that Takumi would eat. "Takumi" got excited at the prospect.

"Yes," he smiled joyfully, "Food is good. I would like to eat."

He followed behind Nozomi to the cafeteria. "Takumi" immediately marveled at the large aquarium on the right wall and the strange machines making food behind a conveyor belt. He then smelled the aroma of fruits, vegetables, and grains and darted to the kitchen. So many things he could try. He wanted to know how every single thing tasted.

The first thing he tried were the fruits. He bit into an apple, eating even the core. Then, he found a banana, biting into it like a stick. The outside was rough and bland, but the inside was mushy and sweet. Then the orange. It was like the banana, but juicier.

He then found a shiny, silver, metal fork. Without thinking, he bit into it and started eating the fork. It definitely wasn't as sweet as the fruits. He preferred the fruits over the fork.

[misty-wish]

Nozomi retrieved a bowl of rice and a protein drink for herself from the ration-o-matic and sat down at the table. She was expecting Takumi to join her, but he started wandering around the room, studying everything as if he'd never seen it before. As if he'd never seen...anything before.

Then he began eating. Her jaw dropped watching him eat food whole. Finally, by the time he got to the fork, her brain caught up and she grabbed his arm. "Sumino-kun, stop! What's wrong with you?"

[utsuhebi]

He was in the midst of biting down on the fork again when Nozomi grabbed his arm. He stared at her with a confused expression, the fork sticking out of his mouth.

"I do not understand," he replied genuinely, "I am eating. Is that not what we came here to do?" He then smiled at her and said, "This food is much more enjoyable than the rocks and debris I was able to find outside. The tastes and textures are wonderful. What else is there?"

He could smell other items in the room that he hadn't tried yet. Organic, metals, liquids, he wanted to try it all. He also wanted to watch the fish swim around in the wall, but food was more important in his mind at the moment.

[misty-wish]

"Sumino-kun..." Was this pica? No, pica didn't work like this. What was happening then?

"Why don't we go to the bio lab and get you checked out?" She suggested, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room. "I think maybe you're missing something from your diet, and we should know what."

She made sure to take the fork out of his mouth and leave it behind.

[utsuhebi]

"To the bio lab?" "Takumi" tilted his head, "Is Yugamu there today? He told me I was his assistant now and that he was going to teach me many things." The clone was practically glowing with excitement at the idea of learning new things with Yugamu. Maybe he should ask Yugamu about all the foods in the cafeteria.

"Takumi" didn't resist as Nozomi pulled him out of the cafeteria and into the hallway. He continued to chatter as they walked. "He seemed quite excited to learn about my body, too," he continued to explain, completely oblivious to how his words sounded out of context, "He said it would be a relationship. I am very happy to have a relationship with Yugamu."

[misty-wish]

She stopped and turned to look back at him. "I thought you were dating Aotsuki-kun. Didn't you two..."

She didn't want to remember that night. She was far enough away to be spared of most of it, but it was still such a public spectacle she knew much more than she wanted to.

"Does Aotsuki-kun know about your relationship with Yugamu-kun?" She demanded. She couldn't believe that Takumi would betray Eito like that. Maybe Kurara was right about him... But also, how dare Yugamu be involved with it! He may be a pervert, but he never seemed the type to play the other man. If this were all true, she would have to have a talk with him too...

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked at Nozomi, barely understanding what she was so unhappy about. "A relationship with Eito?" He asked, confused, "I have not spoken to him yet. I have only talked to you, Yugamu, and Takumi so far."

He couldn't quite understand why he would need to speak to Eito about having a relationship with Yugamu. Was it a bad thing to have such a thing with the other boy? He simply could not comprehend the problem.

"Should I speak to Eito about this, then?" He then asked, tilting his head for confirmation.

[misty-wish]

"You...haven't spoken to him?" That was absolutely impossible. This went beyond just cheating, there was something incredibly wrong here! It finally occured to her to connect this back to the strange eating behavior. Not that that put her any closer to figuring put what what was happening, besides the idea that Takumi was having some sort of mental break.

He said he'd 'spoken to Takumi'. Was he in a fugue state? Or...a personality split? ...Would either of those lead to eating forks? She didn't know enough about this, and she doubted Yugamu did either, but Takumi (?) said he'd spoken to him, and that's where she had been going anyway, so....

She went back to dragging him. "Nevermind, let's just go see Yugamu-kun."

[distorted-vestige]

Yugamu had just arrived back at the lab after grabbing some books from the library. He still wasn't sure what kind of creature he was working with- and nothing he could find mentioned anything about a 'retsnom' though there were plenty texts he couldn't read- so he'd just looked for mimics and shapeshifters and doppelgangers. Keeping in mind that this being had been made by Darumi he'd not only looked for research books, but also a certain style of manga and light novels. There could be something interesting there...

He hadn't gotten a chance to set to work yet when the door to the bio lab crashed open. He thought he'd locked that.... Well, at least the visitors weren't unwelcomed.

"Oh, hello, Doll-chan, you're back." He smiled. "And with Nozomi-chan. I'm so proud you made a friend already."

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" smiled happily upon seeing Yugamu in the lab. "Hello, Yugamu," he greeted, giving him a small wave. Yugamu's claim of being proud of him sent a wave of joy through "Takumi's" chest, causing his smile to grow even bigger.

"Yes," he stated, "We went to eat food together in the cafeteria. There were a ton of fish swimming around in the wall. It looked very pretty! I got to eat actual food today, as well. It was very good, until I reached the fork. Metal does not taste as good as the sweet, juicy food I ate before that."

He wondered what kinds of foods Takumi liked. Did he like the sweet foods as much as "Takumi" did? What other kinds of foods were there? He wanted to try them all! The idea of eating more and more caused "Takumi" to start drooling as his thoughts spiraled off into space.

[misty-wish]

"Metal is not known for its taste." Yugamu agreed, but it got him thinking. Did Doll-chan have the same tastes as a human through he could clearly eat more things? How would he handle something spicy or bitter?

"Yugamu-kun," Nozomi interrupted his thoughts. She moved closer to him, glancing warily at the other boy in the room. "Sumino-kun said he'd spoken to you recently so I thought you might know what's, um, going on with him?"

"Oh?" He lowered his voice as he spoke with her. "That's not Sumino-kun."

"What? Do you mean..."

"That's a monster from another dimension."

Nozomi glared at him. How could he be joking like that! This was serious! Something was very wrong with Takumi, and Yugamu was playing it off like a joke!

Unless...this was a joke? Were they working together to mess with her? Make her worry about some nonsense crazy behavior and then turn around and make fun of her for worrying? Were they that cruel? She didn't want to think so, but Yugamu was hard to judge sometimes, and she didn't really know Takumi at all...

While she was lost in her thoughts, Yugamu casually crossed the room to "Takumi". He smiled at him again. "Doll-chan, I never got to ask, could I see some of your powers? It might help clear things up with Nozomi-chan, too."

[utsuhebi]

"The outside of the foods were also rough and bland, but it was the insides that tasted amazing," he continued to explain his findings, blissfully unaware of Nozomi's turmoil. "I quite liked the orange ball. The juice that exploded in my mouth upon biting down on it made me extremely excited. It was as if I could drink it!"

"Takumi" smiled as Yugamu approached him. "What would you like me to do?" He asked eagerly, completely putting aside his food story. There were many things he could do to help Yugamu, and he was more than happy to do just about anything. Although, he wouldn't be too thrilled about changing his entire form; he wanted to stay as Takumi. If he needed to simply change the shape of his arm or leg, he would be more than happy to oblige.

[distorted-vestige]

"I was hoping to see your ability to heal most of all." Yugamu admitted. "I won't hurt you without your permission, but if I could give you a small cut...."

He wanted to do more. He wanted to do so much more. If Doll-chan really could heal, he wanted to push it. Tear him apart and see how much damage he could sustain. And maybe he would lash out, fight back instinctively, make Yugamu regret messing with a monster. Make him learn his place in this world, he was just a small, weak human, he could be broken so easily-

He fought to hold that in. Not yet. For now, a small cut is all he would ask, and if Doll-chan said no, he would back off.

"We have Nozomi-chan here too, so if anything goes wrong, she can help."

Nozomi was about to point out that she didn't have her gun or armor, but held back. She...was also curious about what exactly Yugamu was planning. They.... wouldn't go as far as to harm Takumi just to freak her out, would they? The two were definitely strange....and extreme...maybe they would... She got prepared to run for her armor in case.

[utsuhebi]

Yugamu wanted to harm him... "Takumi" was uneasy about the idea at first. He was explicitly instructed to protect Takumi from harm, and he himself was Takumi. But... but this was for a learning experience. Yugamu wanted to learn, just like him. And Yugamu knew nothing of his regenerative abilities. He wanted to give "Takumi" a small cut, nothing life threatening.

But... his instructions... Could he... really defy them...?

...

...

This.

This wasn't defying.

This was for learning.

Yugamu did not have any ill intentions.

He would be healed up immediately.

"Yes," he replied, sounding a little more robotic than usual, "I am okay with this."

A pause. A shake of his head. "Yes," he tried again, sounding more casual, "I am okay with this."

[distorted-vestige]

"Wonderful!" Yugamu smiled.

He beckoned Nozomi closer. He pulled out one of his knives and gently took the red haired boy's hand. His heart raced as he cut slowly across his palm. He wouldn't cut deep enough to do any serious damage on the off chance Doll-chan was wrong about his powers, but blood still flowed across their joined hands. Yugamu noted that it was exactly as red and warm as human blood. It smelled the same too; he wondered how it would taste.

Then things began to change. Among the red, purple began to appear. Faint violet tendrils spread out from each side of the slash, quickly crossing to the other and sealing it back up. The purple faded to a more flesh-like color, the smoothed itself out until the skin was perfect and unmarred again. If it weren't for the blood, there'd be no trace of the wound Yugamu made.

"Amazing!" Yugamu pulled Doll-chan's hand to him and looked at him with his eyes sparkling. Now that he'd seen it, he wanted to do it again! He wanted to do it more! Oh, there were so many exciting things they could do with a power like that- He realized he was drooling, oh, that was embarrassing.

Nozomi, on the other hand, was having a much different reaction. She'd taken a few steps back and steadied herself against the lab table.

"You're...really not human. What are you? What are you going to do to us?"

[utsuhebi]

Seeing Yugamu get all excited made "Takumi" smile. He was glad he was making the other happy. And the cut barely hurt, too! He could handle that again and again, as many times as Yugamu would want. Anything for learning!

When Nozomi asked her question, "Takumi" glanced over at her. "I am a Retsnom," he explained, "That is what Darumi told me. She said I had to watch Takumi and Eito and keep them from fighting again. She was very upset when they fought last time."

She sounded scared. Why was she scared? He wasn't dangerous; he definitely wasn't there to harm them. Did... did the idea of something unknown scare her? Why would it scare her? He decided to just ask.

"Do I scare you?" He asked, tilting his head, "Why? Does the idea of learning something new scare you? I wish to understand."

[misty-wish]

"Learning isn't the problem it's..." She held her hands close to her as she thought of how to explain. Somehow, even though she was nervous, she didn't want to offend him. She honestly felt bad about what she had already said, although he didn't seem upset. Still, he was Yugamu's friend, and he seemed nice enough- at least, he hadn't done anything wrong, besides acting strange- so she should try to be polite.

She bowed in apology and continued. "I'm sorry, I've just never met anyone who wasn't human before. Except of course the invaders, but you've seen what they're trying to do to us. I suppose it was my assumption that- I'm sorry, I don't want to call you a 'monster' or 'creature'. Other species?- would all be dangerous."

She paused as she said that. It wasn't an untrue statement, but when had she started assuming that? It hadn't always been like that. When she was a little girl, she remembered dreaming about life outside the complex, exploring the stars, and making friends with all sorts of alien creatures. Maybe even meeting an alien princess one day. When had her dreams of hope and exploration turned to fear and distrust?

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked for a moment, then gave Nozomi a small smile. "I am fine," he replied softly, "How are you today?"

Relationships were important. Interacting with people was important. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about interactions!

From the basic knowledge he was given, Nozomi was soft hearted and kind. "Takumi" would not have to worry about any potential danger. However, judging by her expression and her question, he had a feeling she would catch on quickly that he was not the same Takumi she knew. That thought was unfortunate. However, that only left the potential for another person to teach him more about being Takumi!

[misty-wish]

"I'm okay." Nozomi said with a polite smile. It was a bit of a lie, but there was no need to worry Takumi with the truth. Not that she could tell him anyway. He was one of the people she was most closely watching over.

"What are you doing right now, Sumino-kun? If you have some free time would you like to go get something to eat in the cafeteria?"

[utsuhebi]

He, as a Retsnom, was always hungry. He could eat anything, even plants and animals considered highly poisonous. But, he had never had the chance to eat the food that Takumi would eat. "Takumi" got excited at the prospect.

"Yes," he smiled joyfully, "Food is good. I would like to eat."

He followed behind Nozomi to the cafeteria. "Takumi" immediately marveled at the large aquarium on the right wall and the strange machines making food behind a conveyor belt. He then smelled the aroma of fruits, vegetables, and grains and darted to the kitchen. So many things he could try. He wanted to know how every single thing tasted.

The first thing he tried were the fruits. He bit into an apple, eating even the core. Then, he found a banana, biting into it like a stick. The outside was rough and bland, but the inside was mushy and sweet. Then the orange. It was like the banana, but juicier.

He then found a shiny, silver, metal fork. Without thinking, he bit into it and started eating the fork. It definitely wasn't as sweet as the fruits. He preferred the fruits over the fork.

[misty-wish]

Nozomi retrieved a bowl of rice and a protein drink for herself from the ration-o-matic and sat down at the table. She was expecting Takumi to join her, but he started wandering around the room, studying everything as if he'd never seen it before. As if he'd never seen...anything before.

Then he began eating. Her jaw dropped watching him eat food whole. Finally, by the time he got to the fork, her brain caught up and she grabbed his arm. "Sumino-kun, stop! What's wrong with you?"

[utsuhebi]

He was in the midst of biting down on the fork again when Nozomi grabbed his arm. He stared at her with a confused expression, the fork sticking out of his mouth.

"I do not understand," he replied genuinely, "I am eating. Is that not what we came here to do?" He then smiled at her and said, "This food is much more enjoyable than the rocks and debris I was able to find outside. The tastes and textures are wonderful. What else is there?"

He could smell other items in the room that he hadn't tried yet. Organic, metals, liquids, he wanted to try it all. He also wanted to watch the fish swim around in the wall, but food was more important in his mind at the moment.

[misty-wish]

"Sumino-kun..." Was this pica? No, pica didn't work like this. What was happening then?

"Why don't we go to the bio lab and get you checked out?" She suggested, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room. "I think maybe you're missing something from your diet, and we should know what."

She made sure to take the fork out of his mouth and leave it behind.

[utsuhebi]

"To the bio lab?" "Takumi" tilted his head, "Is Yugamu there today? He told me I was his assistant now and that he was going to teach me many things." The clone was practically glowing with excitement at the idea of learning new things with Yugamu. Maybe he should ask Yugamu about all the foods in the cafeteria.

"Takumi" didn't resist as Nozomi pulled him out of the cafeteria and into the hallway. He continued to chatter as they walked. "He seemed quite excited to learn about my body, too," he continued to explain, completely oblivious to how his words sounded out of context, "He said it would be a relationship. I am very happy to have a relationship with Yugamu."

[misty-wish]

She stopped and turned to look back at him. "I thought you were dating Aotsuki-kun. Didn't you two..."

She didn't want to remember that night. She was far enough away to be spared of most of it, but it was still such a public spectacle she knew much more than she wanted to.

"Does Aotsuki-kun know about your relationship with Yugamu-kun?" She demanded. She couldn't believe that Takumi would betray Eito like that. Maybe Kurara was right about him... But also, how dare Yugamu be involved with it! He may be a pervert, but he never seemed the type to play the other man. If this were all true, she would have to have a talk with him too...

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked at Nozomi, barely understanding what she was so unhappy about. "A relationship with Eito?" He asked, confused, "I have not spoken to him yet. I have only talked to you, Yugamu, and Takumi so far."

He couldn't quite understand why he would need to speak to Eito about having a relationship with Yugamu. Was it a bad thing to have such a thing with the other boy? He simply could not comprehend the problem.

"Should I speak to Eito about this, then?" He then asked, tilting his head for confirmation.

[misty-wish]

"You...haven't spoken to him?" That was absolutely impossible. This went beyond just cheating, there was something incredibly wrong here! It finally occured to her to connect this back to the strange eating behavior. Not that that put her any closer to figuring put what what was happening, besides the idea that Takumi was having some sort of mental break.

He said he'd 'spoken to Takumi'. Was he in a fugue state? Or...a personality split? ...Would either of those lead to eating forks? She didn't know enough about this, and she doubted Yugamu did either, but Takumi (?) said he'd spoken to him, and that's where she had been going anyway, so....

She went back to dragging him. "Nevermind, let's just go see Yugamu-kun."

[distorted-vestige]

Yugamu had just arrived back at the lab after grabbing some books from the library. He still wasn't sure what kind of creature he was working with- and nothing he could find mentioned anything about a 'retsnom' though there were plenty texts he couldn't read- so he'd just looked for mimics and shapeshifters and doppelgangers. Keeping in mind that this being had been made by Darumi he'd not only looked for research books, but also a certain style of manga and light novels. There could be something interesting there...

He hadn't gotten a chance to set to work yet when the door to the bio lab crashed open. He thought he'd locked that.... Well, at least the visitors weren't unwelcomed.

"Oh, hello, Doll-chan, you're back." He smiled. "And with Nozomi-chan. I'm so proud you made a friend already."

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" smiled happily upon seeing Yugamu in the lab. "Hello, Yugamu," he greeted, giving him a small wave. Yugamu's claim of being proud of him sent a wave of joy through "Takumi's" chest, causing his smile to grow even bigger.

"Yes," he stated, "We went to eat food together in the cafeteria. There were a ton of fish swimming around in the wall. It looked very pretty! I got to eat actual food today, as well. It was very good, until I reached the fork. Metal does not taste as good as the sweet, juicy food I ate before that."

He wondered what kinds of foods Takumi liked. Did he like the sweet foods as much as "Takumi" did? What other kinds of foods were there? He wanted to try them all! The idea of eating more and more caused "Takumi" to start drooling as his thoughts spiraled off into space.

[misty-wish]

"Metal is not known for its taste." Yugamu agreed, but it got him thinking. Did Doll-chan have the same tastes as a human through he could clearly eat more things? How would he handle something spicy or bitter?

"Yugamu-kun," Nozomi interrupted his thoughts. She moved closer to him, glancing warily at the other boy in the room. "Sumino-kun said he'd spoken to you recently so I thought you might know what's, um, going on with him?"

"Oh?" He lowered his voice as he spoke with her. "That's not Sumino-kun."

"What? Do you mean..."

"That's a monster from another dimension."

Nozomi glared at him. How could he be joking like that! This was serious! Something was very wrong with Takumi, and Yugamu was playing it off like a joke!

Unless...this was a joke? Were they working together to mess with her? Make her worry about some nonsense crazy behavior and then turn around and make fun of her for worrying? Were they that cruel? She didn't want to think so, but Yugamu was hard to judge sometimes, and she didn't really know Takumi at all...

While she was lost in her thoughts, Yugamu casually crossed the room to "Takumi". He smiled at him again. "Doll-chan, I never got to ask, could I see some of your powers? It might help clear things up with Nozomi-chan, too."

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked for a moment, then gave Nozomi a small smile. "I am fine," he replied softly, "How are you today?"

Relationships were important. Interacting with people was important. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about interactions!

From the basic knowledge he was given, Nozomi was soft hearted and kind. "Takumi" would not have to worry about any potential danger. However, judging by her expression and her question, he had a feeling she would catch on quickly that he was not the same Takumi she knew. That thought was unfortunate. However, that only left the potential for another person to teach him more about being Takumi!

[misty-wish]

"I'm okay." Nozomi said with a polite smile. It was a bit of a lie, but there was no need to worry Takumi with the truth. Not that she could tell him anyway. He was one of the people she was most closely watching over.

"What are you doing right now, Sumino-kun? If you have some free time would you like to go get something to eat in the cafeteria?"

[utsuhebi]

He, as a Retsnom, was always hungry. He could eat anything, even plants and animals considered highly poisonous. But, he had never had the chance to eat the food that Takumi would eat. "Takumi" got excited at the prospect.

"Yes," he smiled joyfully, "Food is good. I would like to eat."

He followed behind Nozomi to the cafeteria. "Takumi" immediately marveled at the large aquarium on the right wall and the strange machines making food behind a conveyor belt. He then smelled the aroma of fruits, vegetables, and grains and darted to the kitchen. So many things he could try. He wanted to know how every single thing tasted.

The first thing he tried were the fruits. He bit into an apple, eating even the core. Then, he found a banana, biting into it like a stick. The outside was rough and bland, but the inside was mushy and sweet. Then the orange. It was like the banana, but juicier.

He then found a shiny, silver, metal fork. Without thinking, he bit into it and started eating the fork. It definitely wasn't as sweet as the fruits. He preferred the fruits over the fork.

[misty-wish]

Nozomi retrieved a bowl of rice and a protein drink for herself from the ration-o-matic and sat down at the table. She was expecting Takumi to join her, but he started wandering around the room, studying everything as if he'd never seen it before. As if he'd never seen...anything before.

Then he began eating. Her jaw dropped watching him eat food whole. Finally, by the time he got to the fork, her brain caught up and she grabbed his arm. "Sumino-kun, stop! What's wrong with you?"

[utsuhebi]

He was in the midst of biting down on the fork again when Nozomi grabbed his arm. He stared at her with a confused expression, the fork sticking out of his mouth.

"I do not understand," he replied genuinely, "I am eating. Is that not what we came here to do?" He then smiled at her and said, "This food is much more enjoyable than the rocks and debris I was able to find outside. The tastes and textures are wonderful. What else is there?"

He could smell other items in the room that he hadn't tried yet. Organic, metals, liquids, he wanted to try it all. He also wanted to watch the fish swim around in the wall, but food was more important in his mind at the moment.

[misty-wish]

"Sumino-kun..." Was this pica? No, pica didn't work like this. What was happening then?

"Why don't we go to the bio lab and get you checked out?" She suggested, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room. "I think maybe you're missing something from your diet, and we should know what."

She made sure to take the fork out of his mouth and leave it behind.

[utsuhebi]

"To the bio lab?" "Takumi" tilted his head, "Is Yugamu there today? He told me I was his assistant now and that he was going to teach me many things." The clone was practically glowing with excitement at the idea of learning new things with Yugamu. Maybe he should ask Yugamu about all the foods in the cafeteria.

"Takumi" didn't resist as Nozomi pulled him out of the cafeteria and into the hallway. He continued to chatter as they walked. "He seemed quite excited to learn about my body, too," he continued to explain, completely oblivious to how his words sounded out of context, "He said it would be a relationship. I am very happy to have a relationship with Yugamu."

[misty-wish]

She stopped and turned to look back at him. "I thought you were dating Aotsuki-kun. Didn't you two..."

She didn't want to remember that night. She was far enough away to be spared of most of it, but it was still such a public spectacle she knew much more than she wanted to.

"Does Aotsuki-kun know about your relationship with Yugamu-kun?" She demanded. She couldn't believe that Takumi would betray Eito like that. Maybe Kurara was right about him... But also, how dare Yugamu be involved with it! He may be a pervert, but he never seemed the type to play the other man. If this were all true, she would have to have a talk with him too...

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked at Nozomi, barely understanding what she was so unhappy about. "A relationship with Eito?" He asked, confused, "I have not spoken to him yet. I have only talked to you, Yugamu, and Takumi so far."

He couldn't quite understand why he would need to speak to Eito about having a relationship with Yugamu. Was it a bad thing to have such a thing with the other boy? He simply could not comprehend the problem.

"Should I speak to Eito about this, then?" He then asked, tilting his head for confirmation.

[misty-wish]

"You...haven't spoken to him?" That was absolutely impossible. This went beyond just cheating, there was something incredibly wrong here! It finally occured to her to connect this back to the strange eating behavior. Not that that put her any closer to figuring put what what was happening, besides the idea that Takumi was having some sort of mental break.

He said he'd 'spoken to Takumi'. Was he in a fugue state? Or...a personality split? ...Would either of those lead to eating forks? She didn't know enough about this, and she doubted Yugamu did either, but Takumi (?) said he'd spoken to him, and that's where she had been going anyway, so....

She went back to dragging him. "Nevermind, let's just go see Yugamu-kun."

[confessionsdiaz]

*through gritted teeth* the world is GOOD. people are kind. Humans are NOT inherently selfish. you will make it through this year. recovery is possible. people you don't know yet will love you. You are going to do things you can't even imagine right now. You are going to read a rlly good book. You are going to eat some rlly good food. You are going to experience joy again. Things can get better. Situations can change. You can choose to be kinder. The world can change for the better.

[misty-wish]

As the sun had just gone down and the sky was fading from yellow-orange to dusky blue, Nozomi heard a knock at her door. On the steps waiting for her was her lovely girlfriend, expression unusually blank.

- @superior-curry-lover

"Kurara? What's wrong?" Nozomi frowned. She reached forward, placing her arm gently on Kurara's.

She wasn't sure how to react exactly. The neutral expression made her worry more than even an angry one would.

"Do you want to come in? I have tea and snacks..."

It was getting late, but she imagined that would still be fine. Or maybe they should talk outside, under the sky? Either could be nice, she imagined.

[superior-curry-lover]

Kurara lets out a short breath when Nozomi holds her. Although, her expression doesn't change. It's eerie, seeing her typically-so-expressionate mask looking like...well, like a mask, for once.

"Let's take a walk instead, if you're up for it. The air in the school tonight feels way too oppressive."

Despite only knowing each other for a matter of weeks, Kurara couldn't help the way she wanted to crawl into Nozomi's arms every time something went wrong. She should be ashamed, and normally she was, but right now, with the way her stomach was twisting in knots, the only thing she was feeling was a dread that needed to be sated.

[misty-wish]

"Of course."

She took Kurara's hand and closed her door behind her. Together they quietly made their way out to the courtyard, between the school and the wall of flame. It was a nice night, the air was cool and peaceful. Weather like this was something the satellite tried to recreate, but could never quite succeed at.

She leaned in closer to Kurara, hoping to reassure her with her presence. She didn't want to push too hard, but she wanted to know what was going on. "Hey. Is everything okay? Do you want to talk about anything?"

[superior-curry-lover]

A sigh. A weak one, at that. Kurara squeezes Nozomi's hand as the two walk. The longer she waited to respond, the harder it got. Every second of silence between them made Kurara feel more and more like her worries were nothing more than crazed delusions, and that if she bothered Nozomi with them she'd either be laughed at or cause an unnecessary problem.

"I-It's, uh..." She looked away. Even with the mask as a protective barrier, she found it hard to look her in the eye. "...I-It's just...something feels...weird. I don't know what it is, but something hasn't felt right for a while. A-And my instincts are never wrong! My intuition is honed by years of political and business negotiations!"

[misty-wish]

Nozomi's heart stopped. Did Kurara know?

"Something feels weird about what?" She pretended like she had no idea what her girlfriend was talking about. She hated lying to her, to all of the team members. She hated spying on them. But if she didn't, her secret would be out, and Sirei would send her home, or worse. It wasn't like she was really a member of the team.

"Did something happen?"

[superior-curry-lover]

Kurara, above all else, just felt relived Nozomi was taking her seriously. Coming forward about this had been stressful, to say the least, so having someone listen to her was a huge weight off of her back.

"Nothing specific, but...Sumino seems off at times. I feel like he isn't telling us everything."

She dropped her gaze, stiffening. "I hate being kept in the dark. I hate secrets. It's driving me crazy that he or Aotsuki or whoever might be keeping something important from us. Have you noticed anything like that?"

[misty-wish]

This wasn't about her.

Her first response was relief, then overwhelming guilt. She was still keeping secrets. Kurara still felt bad. And she'd likely feel worse when she found out the truth.

But it wasn't time for that now. Right now, she had to help Kurara with the problem at hand, no matter how hypocritical it made her.

"I...have noticed that. Sumino-kun acts strange sometimes. So does Aotsuki-kun, I think. I don't want to accuse them of anything, or anyone else for that matter, but...sometimes it seems like their entire group knows something...." She rubbed her arm awkwardly. "I want to trust them, I think they're good people, but..."

There was more she could add. The fact she'd seen Aotsuki sneaking out alone. Times she was sure she'd heard Takumi talking to himself. Her worry that Hiruko knew something as well. But she didn't want to start rumors. She didn't want the teams trust in each other to fade. She felt like she was walking on a tightrope.

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked for a moment, then gave Nozomi a small smile. "I am fine," he replied softly, "How are you today?"

Relationships were important. Interacting with people was important. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about interactions!

From the basic knowledge he was given, Nozomi was soft hearted and kind. "Takumi" would not have to worry about any potential danger. However, judging by her expression and her question, he had a feeling she would catch on quickly that he was not the same Takumi she knew. That thought was unfortunate. However, that only left the potential for another person to teach him more about being Takumi!

[misty-wish]

"I'm okay." Nozomi said with a polite smile. It was a bit of a lie, but there was no need to worry Takumi with the truth. Not that she could tell him anyway. He was one of the people she was most closely watching over.

"What are you doing right now, Sumino-kun? If you have some free time would you like to go get something to eat in the cafeteria?"

[utsuhebi]

He, as a Retsnom, was always hungry. He could eat anything, even plants and animals considered highly poisonous. But, he had never had the chance to eat the food that Takumi would eat. "Takumi" got excited at the prospect.

"Yes," he smiled joyfully, "Food is good. I would like to eat."

He followed behind Nozomi to the cafeteria. "Takumi" immediately marveled at the large aquarium on the right wall and the strange machines making food behind a conveyor belt. He then smelled the aroma of fruits, vegetables, and grains and darted to the kitchen. So many things he could try. He wanted to know how every single thing tasted.

The first thing he tried were the fruits. He bit into an apple, eating even the core. Then, he found a banana, biting into it like a stick. The outside was rough and bland, but the inside was mushy and sweet. Then the orange. It was like the banana, but juicier.

He then found a shiny, silver, metal fork. Without thinking, he bit into it and started eating the fork. It definitely wasn't as sweet as the fruits. He preferred the fruits over the fork.

[misty-wish]

Nozomi retrieved a bowl of rice and a protein drink for herself from the ration-o-matic and sat down at the table. She was expecting Takumi to join her, but he started wandering around the room, studying everything as if he'd never seen it before. As if he'd never seen...anything before.

Then he began eating. Her jaw dropped watching him eat food whole. Finally, by the time he got to the fork, her brain caught up and she grabbed his arm. "Sumino-kun, stop! What's wrong with you?"

[utsuhebi]

He was in the midst of biting down on the fork again when Nozomi grabbed his arm. He stared at her with a confused expression, the fork sticking out of his mouth.

"I do not understand," he replied genuinely, "I am eating. Is that not what we came here to do?" He then smiled at her and said, "This food is much more enjoyable than the rocks and debris I was able to find outside. The tastes and textures are wonderful. What else is there?"

He could smell other items in the room that he hadn't tried yet. Organic, metals, liquids, he wanted to try it all. He also wanted to watch the fish swim around in the wall, but food was more important in his mind at the moment.

[misty-wish]

"Sumino-kun..." Was this pica? No, pica didn't work like this. What was happening then?

"Why don't we go to the bio lab and get you checked out?" She suggested, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room. "I think maybe you're missing something from your diet, and we should know what."

She made sure to take the fork out of his mouth and leave it behind.

[utsuhebi]

"To the bio lab?" "Takumi" tilted his head, "Is Yugamu there today? He told me I was his assistant now and that he was going to teach me many things." The clone was practically glowing with excitement at the idea of learning new things with Yugamu. Maybe he should ask Yugamu about all the foods in the cafeteria.

"Takumi" didn't resist as Nozomi pulled him out of the cafeteria and into the hallway. He continued to chatter as they walked. "He seemed quite excited to learn about my body, too," he continued to explain, completely oblivious to how his words sounded out of context, "He said it would be a relationship. I am very happy to have a relationship with Yugamu."

[misty-wish]

She stopped and turned to look back at him. "I thought you were dating Aotsuki-kun. Didn't you two..."

She didn't want to remember that night. She was far enough away to be spared of most of it, but it was still such a public spectacle she knew much more than she wanted to.

"Does Aotsuki-kun know about your relationship with Yugamu-kun?" She demanded. She couldn't believe that Takumi would betray Eito like that. Maybe Kurara was right about him... But also, how dare Yugamu be involved with it! He may be a pervert, but he never seemed the type to play the other man. If this were all true, she would have to have a talk with him too...

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked for a moment, then gave Nozomi a small smile. "I am fine," he replied softly, "How are you today?"

Relationships were important. Interacting with people was important. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about interactions!

From the basic knowledge he was given, Nozomi was soft hearted and kind. "Takumi" would not have to worry about any potential danger. However, judging by her expression and her question, he had a feeling she would catch on quickly that he was not the same Takumi she knew. That thought was unfortunate. However, that only left the potential for another person to teach him more about being Takumi!

[misty-wish]

"I'm okay." Nozomi said with a polite smile. It was a bit of a lie, but there was no need to worry Takumi with the truth. Not that she could tell him anyway. He was one of the people she was most closely watching over.

"What are you doing right now, Sumino-kun? If you have some free time would you like to go get something to eat in the cafeteria?"

[utsuhebi]

He, as a Retsnom, was always hungry. He could eat anything, even plants and animals considered highly poisonous. But, he had never had the chance to eat the food that Takumi would eat. "Takumi" got excited at the prospect.

"Yes," he smiled joyfully, "Food is good. I would like to eat."

He followed behind Nozomi to the cafeteria. "Takumi" immediately marveled at the large aquarium on the right wall and the strange machines making food behind a conveyor belt. He then smelled the aroma of fruits, vegetables, and grains and darted to the kitchen. So many things he could try. He wanted to know how every single thing tasted.

The first thing he tried were the fruits. He bit into an apple, eating even the core. Then, he found a banana, biting into it like a stick. The outside was rough and bland, but the inside was mushy and sweet. Then the orange. It was like the banana, but juicier.

He then found a shiny, silver, metal fork. Without thinking, he bit into it and started eating the fork. It definitely wasn't as sweet as the fruits. He preferred the fruits over the fork.

[misty-wish]

Nozomi retrieved a bowl of rice and a protein drink for herself from the ration-o-matic and sat down at the table. She was expecting Takumi to join her, but he started wandering around the room, studying everything as if he'd never seen it before. As if he'd never seen...anything before.

Then he began eating. Her jaw dropped watching him eat food whole. Finally, by the time he got to the fork, her brain caught up and she grabbed his arm. "Sumino-kun, stop! What's wrong with you?"

[utsuhebi]

He was in the midst of biting down on the fork again when Nozomi grabbed his arm. He stared at her with a confused expression, the fork sticking out of his mouth.

"I do not understand," he replied genuinely, "I am eating. Is that not what we came here to do?" He then smiled at her and said, "This food is much more enjoyable than the rocks and debris I was able to find outside. The tastes and textures are wonderful. What else is there?"

He could smell other items in the room that he hadn't tried yet. Organic, metals, liquids, he wanted to try it all. He also wanted to watch the fish swim around in the wall, but food was more important in his mind at the moment.

[misty-wish]

"Sumino-kun..." Was this pica? No, pica didn't work like this. What was happening then?

"Why don't we go to the bio lab and get you checked out?" She suggested, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room. "I think maybe you're missing something from your diet, and we should know what."

She made sure to take the fork out of his mouth and leave it behind.

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked for a moment, then gave Nozomi a small smile. "I am fine," he replied softly, "How are you today?"

Relationships were important. Interacting with people was important. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about interactions!

From the basic knowledge he was given, Nozomi was soft hearted and kind. "Takumi" would not have to worry about any potential danger. However, judging by her expression and her question, he had a feeling she would catch on quickly that he was not the same Takumi she knew. That thought was unfortunate. However, that only left the potential for another person to teach him more about being Takumi!

[misty-wish]

"I'm okay." Nozomi said with a polite smile. It was a bit of a lie, but there was no need to worry Takumi with the truth. Not that she could tell him anyway. He was one of the people she was most closely watching over.

"What are you doing right now, Sumino-kun? If you have some free time would you like to go get something to eat in the cafeteria?"

[utsuhebi]

He, as a Retsnom, was always hungry. He could eat anything, even plants and animals considered highly poisonous. But, he had never had the chance to eat the food that Takumi would eat. "Takumi" got excited at the prospect.

"Yes," he smiled joyfully, "Food is good. I would like to eat."

He followed behind Nozomi to the cafeteria. "Takumi" immediately marveled at the large aquarium on the right wall and the strange machines making food behind a conveyor belt. He then smelled the aroma of fruits, vegetables, and grains and darted to the kitchen. So many things he could try. He wanted to know how every single thing tasted.

The first thing he tried were the fruits. He bit into an apple, eating even the core. Then, he found a banana, biting into it like a stick. The outside was rough and bland, but the inside was mushy and sweet. Then the orange. It was like the banana, but juicier.

He then found a shiny, silver, metal fork. Without thinking, he bit into it and started eating the fork. It definitely wasn't as sweet as the fruits. He preferred the fruits over the fork.

[misty-wish]

Nozomi retrieved a bowl of rice and a protein drink for herself from the ration-o-matic and sat down at the table. She was expecting Takumi to join her, but he started wandering around the room, studying everything as if he'd never seen it before. As if he'd never seen...anything before.

Then he began eating. Her jaw dropped watching him eat food whole. Finally, by the time he got to the fork, her brain caught up and she grabbed his arm. "Sumino-kun, stop! What's wrong with you?"

[misty-wish]

As the sun had just gone down and the sky was fading from yellow-orange to dusky blue, Nozomi heard a knock at her door. On the steps waiting for her was her lovely girlfriend, expression unusually blank.

- @superior-curry-lover

"Kurara? What's wrong?" Nozomi frowned. She reached forward, placing her arm gently on Kurara's.

She wasn't sure how to react exactly. The neutral expression made her worry more than even an angry one would.

"Do you want to come in? I have tea and snacks..."

It was getting late, but she imagined that would still be fine. Or maybe they should talk outside, under the sky? Either could be nice, she imagined.

[superior-curry-lover]

Kurara lets out a short breath when Nozomi holds her. Although, her expression doesn't change. It's eerie, seeing her typically-so-expressionate mask looking like...well, like a mask, for once.

"Let's take a walk instead, if you're up for it. The air in the school tonight feels way too oppressive."

Despite only knowing each other for a matter of weeks, Kurara couldn't help the way she wanted to crawl into Nozomi's arms every time something went wrong. She should be ashamed, and normally she was, but right now, with the way her stomach was twisting in knots, the only thing she was feeling was a dread that needed to be sated.

[misty-wish]

"Of course."

She took Kurara's hand and closed her door behind her. Together they quietly made their way out to the courtyard, between the school and the wall of flame. It was a nice night, the air was cool and peaceful. Weather like this was something the satellite tried to recreate, but could never quite succeed at.

She leaned in closer to Kurara, hoping to reassure her with her presence. She didn't want to push too hard, but she wanted to know what was going on. "Hey. Is everything okay? Do you want to talk about anything?"

[superior-curry-lover]

A sigh. A weak one, at that. Kurara squeezes Nozomi's hand as the two walk. The longer she waited to respond, the harder it got. Every second of silence between them made Kurara feel more and more like her worries were nothing more than crazed delusions, and that if she bothered Nozomi with them she'd either be laughed at or cause an unnecessary problem.

"I-It's, uh..." She looked away. Even with the mask as a protective barrier, she found it hard to look her in the eye. "...I-It's just...something feels...weird. I don't know what it is, but something hasn't felt right for a while. A-And my instincts are never wrong! My intuition is honed by years of political and business negotiations!"

[misty-wish]

Nozomi's heart stopped. Did Kurara know?

"Something feels weird about what?" She pretended like she had no idea what her girlfriend was talking about. She hated lying to her, to all of the team members. She hated spying on them. But if she didn't, her secret would be out, and Sirei would send her home, or worse. It wasn't like she was really a member of the team.

"Did something happen?"

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[utsuhebi]

"Takumi" blinked for a moment, then gave Nozomi a small smile. "I am fine," he replied softly, "How are you today?"

Relationships were important. Interacting with people was important. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about interactions!

From the basic knowledge he was given, Nozomi was soft hearted and kind. "Takumi" would not have to worry about any potential danger. However, judging by her expression and her question, he had a feeling she would catch on quickly that he was not the same Takumi she knew. That thought was unfortunate. However, that only left the potential for another person to teach him more about being Takumi!

[misty-wish]

"I'm okay." Nozomi said with a polite smile. It was a bit of a lie, but there was no need to worry Takumi with the truth. Not that she could tell him anyway. He was one of the people she was most closely watching over.

"What are you doing right now, Sumino-kun? If you have some free time would you like to go get something to eat in the cafeteria?"

[misty-wish]

As the sun had just gone down and the sky was fading from yellow-orange to dusky blue, Nozomi heard a knock at her door. On the steps waiting for her was her lovely girlfriend, expression unusually blank.

- @superior-curry-lover

"Kurara? What's wrong?" Nozomi frowned. She reached forward, placing her arm gently on Kurara's.

She wasn't sure how to react exactly. The neutral expression made her worry more than even an angry one would.

"Do you want to come in? I have tea and snacks..."

It was getting late, but she imagined that would still be fine. Or maybe they should talk outside, under the sky? Either could be nice, she imagined.

[superior-curry-lover]

Kurara lets out a short breath when Nozomi holds her. Although, her expression doesn't change. It's eerie, seeing her typically-so-expressionate mask looking like...well, like a mask, for once.

"Let's take a walk instead, if you're up for it. The air in the school tonight feels way too oppressive."

Despite only knowing each other for a matter of weeks, Kurara couldn't help the way she wanted to crawl into Nozomi's arms every time something went wrong. She should be ashamed, and normally she was, but right now, with the way her stomach was twisting in knots, the only thing she was feeling was a dread that needed to be sated.

[misty-wish]

"Of course."

She took Kurara's hand and closed her door behind her. Together they quietly made their way out to the courtyard, between the school and the wall of flame. It was a nice night, the air was cool and peaceful. Weather like this was something the satellite tried to recreate, but could never quite succeed at.

She leaned in closer to Kurara, hoping to reassure her with her presence. She didn't want to push too hard, but she wanted to know what was going on. "Hey. Is everything okay? Do you want to talk about anything?"

[misty-wish]

Having just finished doing his ritual of watching over Takumi and Eito for the umpteenth time, "Takumi" made his way down one of the hallways in the school.

As he turned the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone knocking into someone.

"Ah...! I am sorry," he quickly apologized, managing to keep himself upright.

@utsuhebi

Nozomi made her way through the halls of the school, clearly not paying enough attention to the world around her. She felt like something was going on that she didn't know about, that people were keeping secrets from her. She supposed she couldn't be too upset. She was keeping secrets from them too.

Thats why she managed to run into another person. Looking up, it was Takumi.

"Oh, Sumino-kun! It's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

As she looked at him longer, something felt...off. Was he okay? She worried about him often, but he seemed even stranger than normal today. Of course, he always had days he was stranger than others...it managed to unsettle her, in a way.

Today though he didn't seem...agitated. Maybe it would be alright to say something. "Are you feeling alright, Sumino-kun?"

[misty-wish]

As the sun had just gone down and the sky was fading from yellow-orange to dusky blue, Nozomi heard a knock at her door. On the steps waiting for her was her lovely girlfriend, expression unusually blank.

- @superior-curry-lover

"Kurara? What's wrong?" Nozomi frowned. She reached forward, placing her arm gently on Kurara's.

She wasn't sure how to react exactly. The neutral expression made her worry more than even an angry one would.

"Do you want to come in? I have tea and snacks..."

It was getting late, but she imagined that would still be fine. Or maybe they should talk outside, under the sky? Either could be nice, she imagined.