Super High School Level Therapy

((A Dangan Ronpa roleplay blog for a super high school level therapist My main blog is xxbatteri Skype - shsl-therapist))

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

Nagisa started walking to the next room, not particularly paying any attention to Kouta. The faster she got this investigation over with, the faster she could lock herself in her room, away from all this madness and potential murder.

She barely heard Kouta ask his question, but she was able to answer after catching the tail end of it. “I’ve already looked around the dining room. We’ve obviously both already seen the kitchen. There’s a room over here I haven’t looked at yet, so I was thinking of heading to that one.”

[shsl-therapist]

"Sounds good to me," Kouta said, half mumbling after realizing Nagisa wasn't completely listening to him.  He made sure not to lose sight of her and followed close behind.  He didn't quite catch which room she was referring to exactly, but that didn't matter much to him.  The only room he saw so far was the kitchen, and even then he realized he failed to really look around like he originally intended to.  He internally scolded himself for being so careless as they walked.  He would have to pay more attention to the room this time around.

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

Nagisa nodded slightly in response. He was definitely right about the human mind being terrifying, she’s witnessed that firsthand. Listening to his words, Nagisa felt a shiver run up her spine. This entire situation was putting her on edge. If she let anyone get close, they would just betray her. She’d already told herself that enough times throughout her life, and it applied now as well.

Yet she found herself agreeing to him asking her to help him investigate. “I guess so,” she sighed, “I was meaning to look around some of the other places anyway, but it’s probably best to not be alone.”

[shsl-therapist]

"Ah, wonderful!" Kouta said.  He stepped aside and opened the door, allowing the two of them to leave the kitchen.  After blankly looking around, he turned to Nagisa.

"Is there anywhere in particular that you'd like to see?" He asked.  "I didn't really look around that much, so anywhere is good with me."

He began to wonder what everyone else was doing.  Were they finding anything interesting?  Out of all the students there, they were bound to make a discovery.  He could only hope that no one was plotting anything just yet.  Although it was unlikely, the idea still made Kouta nervous.  Perhaps the more they walked around, it would give him more peace of mind.  That was a lie, of course.  Inside he knew that it would never happen, but he tried his best to ignore that part of him and just handle one thing at a time.

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

"I guess you’re right," She shrugged, then instinctively copied his stance by putting her hands in her pockets.

"Even without the rule about murder and all that morbid stuff, tension would run high in a situation like this, with a bunch of teenagers locked up together in one area. Someone may even snap and kill someone on their own will. You never know." She shrugged again to punctuate the last sentence.

[shsl-therapist]

"The human mind can become a terrifying thing under the right conditions..." Kouta said.  "That's what I'm worried about.  I barely know anyone here, so it's hard to say if anyone would do anything.  And even the nicest person in the world could be driven to kill if you gave them a good enough reason to.  We can only hope it doesn't come to that.  As long as everyone cooperates..." He let out a small laugh under his breath.  "Although that might be more difficult in the long run, anyways."

After a long pause, he shifted his weight and looked back at Nagisa.  "Would you like to check out some other areas?  That might be a little better than just staring at the same old room.  It'd probably be better to explore in pairs, anyways."

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

Nagisa flinched at the contact, but she still turned to face him again. She blinked slowly, actually listening to what he had to say. It was still a little hard to believe he actually cared, since it was still his job, but the reasoning made it a little better. And the absence of the notebook certainly helped.

"It’s fine," She gritted out, even though she wasn’t sure if it was fine or not, "I’m probably overreacting. It’s just the tension of the situation getting to me."

Noticing his hand was still on her shoulder, she shrugged it off. “In all honesty, I should be the one apologizing.”

[shsl-therapist]

Kouta removed his hand and reflexively put his hands into his pockets.

"It's completely understandable," he said.  "I guess we're all a little on edge here.  I just didn't want to leave anyone on a bad note... Being here and all, and with that crazy rule, being upset with one another would be the opposite of what we would want to get out of here.  The last thing we need is to be going against each other.  If someone were to actually die..."

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

"Of course writing’s important to me!" She almost shouted. A bit surprised at her own outburst, she forced herself to speak more evenly. "But why is it important to you? I didn’t ask for you to start taking notes on me or anything. I don’t want to be analyzed by you or anything. That just means your interest isn’t genuine. It’s your job to care, so I’m going to doubt your reasons for being interested."

Nagisa had to stop herself there. That was definitely a bit much, even for her. Now she really had to leave, or she was just going to keep running her mouth.

"You’re in my way," She muttered, eyes cast downward. She pushed forward, elbowing him aside, and left the room.

[shsl-therapist]

Kouta jumped at her outburst.  "I-I'm sorry I made you feel that way," he said, hurt by her words.  Nothing like that ever happened to him before.  It was always his job to make people feel better, not worse.  He tucked his notepad away.

"I'm not... trying to talk to you just because of my job," he said.  "Taking notes is just a force of habit.  It makes me feel better to do it.  I'm sorry."  If anything, he could write what he learned later.  It would give him more peace of mind, even though the information wouldn't be as accurate that way.  "I'm a therapist because I love people," he said.  "I don't do it just because I feel I have to.  I love getting to know people and..." He paused, unsure of what to say.  He felt her elbow jab into her side as she started to leave.

"Please don't go.  I really truly like talking to you.  Nagisa, wait-!"  He grabbed her shoulder gently as she passed.  It was unlike him to make contact like that and typically he would have let her go, but he hated leaving anyone on a bad note like that, especially in such a risky situation like the one they were in.  If he wanted things to go well, then leaving someone angry with him would be a very bad idea.

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

"I usual stick to realistic fiction. Nothing too flashy, but nothing too boring," She shrugged, then paused a moment. Was he actually interested in what she had to say? That couldn’t be. He’s a therapist, it’s his job to listen to people, then analyze them. It’s not like he actually cared about her. He probably just wanted to do some freaky psychoanalysis shit, then he’d leave as soon as he got what he wanted.

"If you’re not familiar with them, why does it matter?" She asked. If he was going to psychoanalyze her, she would prefer it to be from what she says and does, not from what she writes.

[shsl-therapist]

Kouta was taken aback by her question.

"Why wouldn't it matter?" He said. "I'm interested.  Isn't writing important to you?"  He could feel her trying to push him away, but he was genuinely interested in her.  There wasn't a human being on Earth that wasn't interesting, he always thought, and talking to them was always worth his time.

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

Watching him jot down notes, probably about her, made Nagisa’s eyes narrow into a glare. “Well, aren’t you nosy?”

Having someone here that could pry into her head, and possibly understand her more than she understood herself, made her very uneasy. Unless he happened to be one of those therapists that blamed everything on something like ‘having daddy issues’, Nagisa was going to have to watch out for him.

"I’m a graphic novelist," She replied, "Those aren’t comics, by the way. They’re completely different. People often lump them together."

[shsl-therapist]

Kouta wrote her title underneath her name.  "Yeah, I've heard of them," he said.  "I don't read many of them myself, but a few people I've worked with spoke about them.  What sort of graphic novels do you usually make?"

She certainly was a bit uncomfortable with what he was doing, but he knew that if he was patient enough, he could work with anyone.  Despite her words, he made sure to keep a soft, relaxed expression.  The more relaxed he seemed, the easier it is for other people to feel comfortable with opening up more to him.  He was curious to see what she would say if he kept her talking.

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

Nagisa tilted her head a little, even more confused than ever. She hardly understood what he was saying. Why would anyone want to understand people that deeply? It just leads to accusations and hurt feelings. What she did understand, however, was that he was a therapist.

"Ah," she nodded, "Are you going to go back to your room and psychoanalyze me or something? Ask everyone ‘how they feel’?" She felt the words roll off her tongue before she had even registered what she was saying.

A grin made its way across her face. “This must be an interesting situation for you, then Like an experiment, to see how people react in certain circumstances. Very interesting…” Oh God, what was she saying now? Why couldn’t she just be nice for once and not expect the worst of everyone?!

[shsl-therapist]

As his nerves slowly calmed down, he listened closely to what Nagisa had to say.  He raised an eyebrow and jotted a few notes down.  He let out a small laugh.

"I guess what's one way to see it," he said as he wrote.  "I assure you, my work is much more complex than just asking people how they feel."  He kept his usual soft, steady tone of voice.  After a short pause, he continued.  "I was looking forward for the opportunity of meeting you all, but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind.  That reminds me.  What sort of talent are you here for?"

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

Nagisa looked up at him, a bit skeptical. Then a look of confusion came over her face. “Are you saying that you…watch people?” She immediately grimaced afterwards, although that expression was because she was a bit ashamed at just how rude that was, even for her. Oh well, too late to apologize, she had already said it.

[shsl-therapist]

Kouta felt his face start to burn at her words.

"N-no, it's not like that at all!" he said, shaking his head.  "I just pay attention to more of the minor details while a person is talking so that I can eventually build up a bigger picture of who that person really is."  He hoped he was getting across to her, but just like his thoughts, his words came out slightly jumbled.

"I'm a therapist," he said, hoping to clarify.  "I like to analyze people.  It helps me get a better understanding of them.  I thought it would be helpful to understand everyone here, especially in this sort of situation."

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

Nagisa’s eyebrows raised as she watched him take out the notebook. What the hell was he doing?

"Likewise," she replied, although her actions didn’t really suggest that it was a ‘pleasure’. She tilted her head a little, and moved closer, as if to look at the notebook. "What are you doing with that?"

[shsl-therapist]

"Oh- ah..." Kouta was caught off guard by her words.  He was so used to writing things down all the time that it didn't even occur to him that other people might find it strange.  "I-I just do that, I guess.  There are a lot of us here and I thought that it would help to keep track of everyone." He paused, smiling a bit.  "...The mind is an incredible thing.  You'd be surprised at how much you can learn just by observing people."

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

It was when he smiled at her that Nagisa found herself really confused. He seemed to just be being genuinely nice. She blinked slowly at him, almost completely staring at his face.

"I’m not doing anything, it’s fine," she eventually said, "I was actually just leaving." She broke the stare to glance around him at the door. After another moment, she added, "It’s Nagisa Inoue. And your name is?"

[shsl-therapist]

Instinctively, Kouta reached for his notebook and pen, flipped to the next page, and almost mindlessly scribbled down the girl's name.  He had to keep track of everyone here.  Knowing a thing or two about everyone would certainly help him in this odd situation.  As he wrote, he said, "my name is Kouta Akiyama." He looked up at her from his paper as he spoke.  "It's a pleasure to meet you."

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shslfantasynovelist]

Nagisa blinked in response. He had actually apologized…? Well, that was new. Usually people just yelled at her to watch where she was going or something.

"Oh, uh, It’s fine, I’m fine," she stammered, "Just be more careful. You never know what may happen, in a situation like this…."

She continued standing there, although the glare seemed to have lessened in intensity. He was still in her way, but she didn’t want to just barge right past him, or ask him to move, so she just decided to wiat until he moved of his own accord.

[shsl-therapist]

"Ah, I'm glad," Kouta said, flashing her a sweet smile.  "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Not thinking to move aside, he casually rested a hand on the back of his neck.  "To be honest, it's kind of refreshing to be able to talk to someone else.  This whole situation is disturbing, to say at the least." He paused for a moment, dropping his hand to his side again.  "...I'm sorry, but I don't think I ever got your name."

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things [kouta]

[shsl-therapist]

shslgraphicnovelist:

After investigating a little, Nagisa turned to leave. Nothing seemed too interesting here, although those knives probably weren’t very safe to have in a situation like this. Maybe there was a way she could hide them or maybe get some sort of heck-out system going. Or she could try and trust her classmates (psh. as if).

As she went to open the door, it swung open, almost hitting her in the face. “Watch it,” she blurted out, “You could’ve, you know, killed me.” A wry smile found its way onto her face at that and she idly wondered if that would have counted as one of those murders.

Realizing that she couldn’t really leave with someone standing in the doorway, she awkwardly stood in front of him, slightly glaring and hands on her hips.

Realizing what he did as she spoke, his face flushed slightly in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," he said, bowing his head respectively.  "I didn't know anyone else was in here.  Are you alright?"

[shslfantasynovelist]

don't look at me when i'm looking at things

Nagisa paced the dining room, ‘investigating’ every square inch. Really, things didn’t seem too out of the ordinary, despite the obvious fact that they were in a castle.

During her pacing, she mulled over what she was just told by that strange fox…thing….

Murder? Would anyone really stoop to that to get out of here? It didn’t seem too bad here, they had plenty of food and water, a place to sleep…They could survive here. It probably wouldn’t be fun, but it was possible.

Deciding she’d spent enough time in this room, she exited it to see what other areas were around, eventually ending up in the kitchen.

[shsl-therapist]

Kouta's thoughts began to race the second that fox began to talk.  Killing?  It wanted them to kill each other?  Things like that never happened; the idea was insane.  After all, they were just innocent kids, weren't they?  He'd have to make sure that everyone here was stable enough to handle this.  He knew that it wasn't likely, but he also knew that the mind was a complex thing, and that people would do anything to get what they wanted under extreme conditions.

Lost in thought, he came to the kitchen door.  Hoping he could find something inside to ease his mind, he cautiously walked inside.  He was shocked to see another student already in the room.  He let out a surprised "oh" on impulse.  She looked vaguely familiar, and he knew he probably passed her before while in the courtyard.  What was she doing here?  Was she trying to do the same thing he was?  He stepped further inside.  "Hello," he said.

[shsl-therapist]

"You’ve got a beautiful hair color," she more or less whispered, “And if you don’t mind…” of course, if he were against it she’d just forget it.

Kouta softened his expression when he saw her struggling to speak.

"Thank you," he replied, instinctively touching a curl as he spoke.  He clutched his notebook in his other hand, eager to take note of her.  That would have to wait, of course; he wouldn't want the poor girl to think he lost interest if he broke eye contact with her.

"What is it?" he asked.

[shsl-therapist]

"Hiroto Miyafuji." he replied, "It doesn’t seem to me like anybody’s got a clue. My personal theory is that we’re being held here for ransom. Hopefully the police will show up soon. It’s not like nobody’s going to miss some of the most important high school students in the world!" he thought for a moment, realizing that he wasn’t even sure they were all Hope’s Peak students. "You were on your way to Hope’s Peak Academy, right? I assumed the culprit behind this chose Super High School Levels because we were so important."

Akiko noticed one of the people in the crowd had bright pink hair and decided doing a color sketch of him. Almost no one she had ever painted or sketched portraits of had been harmed by how her luck worked, so it was probably safe for her to ask him if he could stand still for a few minutes so she could at least memorize his appareance.

She followed him and then asked him in a quiet voice, “Excuse-me but maybe, once we have the time…”

"I was, actually," Kouta said.  As he spoke, he casually pulled the small notebook that was tucked away in his vest and scribbled down the name of the boy he was speaking to.  If he was stuck here, he figured he should be keeping track of everyone with him.  Glancing around at everyone in the area, he said, "I wonder who could possibly organize all of this.  A situation like this would definitely attract a lot of attention.  Assuming all of us are Hope's Peak students, the public would definitely notice if an entire class suddenly went missing."

Suddenly, he heard a small voice from behind him.  He turned to see a girl holding what looked like a sketch pad.

"What was that?" he asked.

[shsl-therapist]

Hiroto noticed another boy enter the courtyard, and started across the grass to meet him. He had nothing better to do, he might as well make some friends while he was stuck in this unfamiliar place. There was a possibility they would have to work together to escape here, after all.

"Hey," he called, losing some of his anxiety. He decided to bring up the most obvious topic. "Do you have any idea how we got here?"

Deep in concentration, Kouta's head snapped up at the sound of someone else's voice.  Relieved that someone finally broke the silence, he let out a soft sigh.

"I was hoping one of you would know," he said.  He rubbed his temple lightly. "I've never been more confused in my life."  He forced a slight smile and bowed. "My name is Kouta Akiyama, by the way."