Little Bird

A Garbage Bag by Any Other Material Is Just as Sweet | Kayla | Chapter 4 Motive | CLOSED for Kotori

Kayla stood outside of Kotori’s door, turning her head every now and then to ensure that she was still alone. With every passing death, the threat of murder worsened. By this point, Kayla was constantly on edge, even if she didn’t fully express it. She was worried, too, not only for herself, but her friends. Yeah. Friends. She’d never expected to have so many people to care for. At first, she thought she’d spend her entire time on this ship alone, but now, she had three friends. One of them being a… p-partner. It was mind boggling, in both a good and a bad way.

For one, having these people with her made her feel more happy. Human. They also helped to give her the strength she needed to carry on under these harsh circumstances. However, it also meant that she had to worry about them constantly. Were they in danger? Did they need help? Who should she check up on? Having those three made it difficult to support each one, especially when considering that Kotori didn’t want to be around Chikako. Understandable, and to be fair, Kayla didn’t want Chikako around Kotori, either. It would’ve been nicer if they could get along, though. Then Kayla, Kotori, Komaka, and Chikako could all spend time together, and look out for each other.

So, there was that worry that maybe something would happen to someone while Kayla wasn’t there. Maybe it was unrealistic to worry about such things all the time, but the stress of the killing game was really getting to her. She wasn’t as strong as she presented herself to be. Thus, Kayla felt concerned when Kotori didn’t answer right away. She was considering leaving to see if Kotori was anywhere else, but just before she was about to leave, the door cracked open.

Seeing Kotori’s face was a relief. She was safe. Good. Kayla stepped into the room, and stopped at its centre. “It’s fine. I’m not hurt.” She turned to face Kotori. Her features were a lot softer than usual now. Her face wasn’t as cold as it used to be. “And, I’m fine. I’m just here as a friend. I wanted to be with you. How are you?”

Kotori’s willingness to say more than a single short sentence was a good sign. Maybe she really was recovering. That would make things much easier for Kayla.

Kotori gave Kayla the once over, examining her clothes, her arms, her face, for anything out of place. Even her hands. Kotori went right ahead and held Kayla’s hands for a moment, running her thumbs over them for any odd patch, anything different than the last time they were held. Kotori was frankly so much more comfortable doing this now. It took her a damn long time, but... maybe something like an actual positive change was happening to her. Kotori bit her lip and let go. Kind of embarrassing in the end. There were other reasons touch was odd, but at least they were less stupidly negative reasons.

‘I wanted to be with you.’

Kotori nearly cried. Not because she felt bad for her or wanted to apologize, not to antagonize her like Chikako did. But because Kayla just flat-out liked being with her. Liked being with a murderer. She did cry, in the end, even if only a little. Depression being as rampant as it was, it was easier to spill a tea cup overfilled than one with only tea leaves remaining.

Thank god... thank god for someone like this to actually be here. Kotori crawled back onto her bed and pulled her chin to her knees. Her back pressed against the wall behind her, the colder temperature trickling goosebumps down her arms. She sniffled, fighting the urge to wipe her nose with her arm.

“... I’m doing ok, I guess. For what things are.”

She was alive. That was something. An achievement in itself. Despite everything, she was still fucking alive. She pressed the straps of her shirt to her eyes to wipe off the tears.

“That’s just how things are.”

A Garbage Bag by Any Other Material Is Just as Sweet | Kayla | Chapter 4 Motive | CLOSED for Kotori

It was yet another day. Normally, a new day was something to look forward to, but with the motive in place, things were different. Especially a motive of this nature. The threat of another murder happening was… no. It wasn’t even a threat at this point. Another murder was bound to happen, and that thought concerned Kayla, who was standing outside Kotori’s room’s door. Kayla needed to be around Kotori to protect her. Not only to protect her, she supposed, but she also just wanted to be there for Kotori. Kotori definitely wasn’t feeling well, and as Kotori’s friend, Kayla knew she should be present for her.

With a sharp inhale, Kayla knocked on the door. “Kotori? It’s me. Kayla. Can I come in?” Really, Kayla didn’t even know if her blue-haired friend was there, but it was worth a shot. Kotori hadn’t been seen anywhere on the way over, so… Yeah. Hopefully Kotori was there.

Kayla rubbed her exposed left shoulder. It’s been about a week since the left sleeve of her top was torn off, so she did have time to adjust to its absence, but sometimes it did still make her feel somewhat uncomfortable. Kotori did offer a change of clothes, didn’t she? Maybe Kayla would finally take her up on that offer. It might help to distracted Kotori from the motive.

Sleep was weird. It was coming and going in a dissociative mess, as she woke up feeling like she was in some sort of movie rather than her own life. Honestly, despite the weird time of day, Kotori had been knocked out cold in her bed. Snnz. It was one of the little comforts she had.

Unfortunately, along with the inconsistency and odd hours of sleep, came a lightness that caused it to be interrupted far more easily. She jumped awake in surprise at the sound, sitting up in her bed with a groggy face. She looked left and right, expecting the source of the sound to be already in the room. But alas, her look failed. She nearly flopped back down and went to sleep when the realization that someone was outside the door.

Far too disoriented to remember who’s voice she heard over the room intercom, she waddled up and cracked the door open, poking her head out. Her eyes were squinted in fatigue, and her usual ahoge was accompanied by a few more in a bed-head manner.

Kotori relaxed when she saw Kayla and stepped aside for her friend to enter.

“Kayla-chan.... Are you ok?”

There was immediate concern, and unwarranted assumption. Still, there was that nagging feeling that no one wanted to spend time with a murderer, even if she knew that wasn’t the case with Kayla or Hachiro.

“You aren’t hurt, are you?”

Slightly more talkative than the day before. Even if she was clearly miserable, Kotori had enough energy to worry and care for her best friend’s safety.

chapter 4 threadule

Day 1

Kayla & Sorrel

OPEN

Day 2

OPEN

Ends

OPEN

Day 3

Chieko & Komaka

EVENT

EVENT - Kayla

POST-MOTIVE

Day 1

OPEN

Takara

OPEN

Day 2

OPEN

Ends

Right now Kotori’s sleep schedule is MEGA fucked, so she’ll only be awake for like two threads a day. Hence the fourth slot open, being like... 11PM-3AM-ish.

#ooc

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

As Kayla was watching Kotori, she noticed the latter’s eyes tear up. As a result, Kayla could feel her heart drop. Now what? What could she do? It was made even worse when Kotori began sobbing. Kayla bit her lip. She glanced over to Sorrel, who made no move to comfort Kotori. Well, if it was up to her, then… she stood up, and walked over to Kotori, extending her open hand. If Kotori didn’t want to accept it, she didn’t have to, but this way, at least Kayla felt as if she was doing something. “It’s okay. We’re safe.”

When Kotori pushed her hair out of the way of her shoulder, Kayla got a better view of the current state of the wound. It had healed somewhat, but it still didn’t look very good. At least it could finally be properly treated. The physical wound, at least. Not so much the mental and emotional scars. Those would require much more extensive care. Kayla would definitely be busy for the next however-long.

Kayla turned to Sorrel, who was then by her side, inspecting the wound. Kayla looked back down at Kotori’s shoulder, critically watching Sorrel’s every move. She knew that he probably meant no harm, but if anything were to go wrong, she’d stop him. These circumstances meant that she had to be cautious, for Kotori’s sake. Especially given the fact that Sorrel was now a known murderer, even if he’d confessed to it. Kayla still felt a level of caution around him that contradicted the respect she had for him.

When the verdict was announced, that stitches would be necessary, Kayla narrowed her eyes. Would Kotori be ready for that? She looked up at Kotori. Hopefully Kotori would be fine. She continued monitoring Kotori’s condition as Sorrel scavenged around for the necessary supplies. Kayla picked up each of the items Sorrel brought over, examining them to make sure they were safe. Thankfully, they were.

“Thanks for this, by the way, Trash,” Kayla said, turned away from him.

Kotori wiped away enough of her tears to see what exactly Kayla was offering to her. Through blurred vision, she couldn’t quite tell what was in the hand, and it wasn’t until she had enough working vision that she realized that Kayla’s hand was entirely empty. Oh... Was... That what she was supposed to take? She hesitated, still bawling, before very slowly and gently reaching out and taking the hand extended to her.

The girl shoved her lollipop into her mouth in attempts to muffle her own sobbing, then squeezed Kayla’s hand in pure tension, fear rattling her nerves as Sorrel approached. She spent no effort in questioning the pills she was handed, in favor of removing her lollipop momentarily, sending them down the hatch, and then resumed focusing on the flavor of the candy, as well as the feeling of Kayla’s hand. If Kotori couldn’t feel Sorrel touching her, nothing would be wrong.

She squinted her eyes shut in preparation for whatever was to come, feeling the lifelines of Kayla’s hand beneath her thumb. Surprisingly soft, considering Kayla’s profession. Kotori’s mother’s hands had always been calloused from her own job, so this was a change of pace in a a way.

Just that. Sweet candy and soft hand. There’d be no pain, nothing related to her shoulder at all.

Cafe de la Paix || Kotori + Ends

shslvoid:

Yeah, that was about what he’d expected. Hesitantly, Ends moved towards the chair across from her. “I uh, I’m not gonna hurt you. A-again. So you like, you don’t have to worry…” He fumbled with his words. She’d never believe that, would she?

He exhaled heavily and rubbed his face with his unbandaged hand. At least the swelling had gone down and the bruising was… well. Healing.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” Ends said after a moment. “I really fucked up, I know, and I… What I mean is… I’m really glad I didn’t kill you. It’s still bad ‘cause I tried in the first place, I get that, but…” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I don’t really know what I’m doing. I just… I wanna try to make it up to you? Maybe? Like, even if you still hate me, or if you want me to just. Never talk to you again or whatever…”

His eyes flickered over to her, trying to get a read on her expression. He very obviously felt awkward trying to do this, but… at least he was trying?

No Kotori certainly did NOT believe that. Lip service. At the very least, Ends DID seem apologetic? Just… hell, he did it once, he was liable to do it again. Under enough stress? seemed likely. Was that going to make Kotori tell him to go away? Nah. Not like she really wanted to waste the energy to speak or anything like that. It was too much to bother. If something happened, something happened.

Glad he didn’t kill her? Haha… Ha

“I… honestly wish you had.”

That would have been better. Maybe Sango wouldn’t have died, maybe Ren wouldn’t have died. Maybe the killer’s hands would’ve stayed clean. Maybe Kotori wouldn’t have been a murderer. Maybe. At the very least, Kotori wouldn’t have been around to see it.

Someone smarter could have taken over Ikuta Co. She clearly wasn’t suited to the position and it was ridiculous that Itsuki and her father continued to try to teach her. Waste of efforts. She had relatively no interest in that anyway.

If she wasn’t a CEO, what would she want to be, though? … Couldn’t just spend money and travel all the time, that was stupid.

“I don’t care what you do.”

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

If Kotori wanted to talk, she’d say something, right? Right. So, Kayla accepted the silence that befell them, and entertained herself with her mind, idly tapping her foot as the minutes passed. What did the future hold for everyone? Was there still room for ‘hope?’ Images of the karaoke night held earlier in the trip flickered. She didn’t particularly enjoy it at the time, and while she made no effort to recall the memory, now that it was there, she felt a strange longing for times like those to return.

…

Who knew how long it was until Sorrel arrived? Certainly not Kayla, who was wrapped up in her own world. Hearing his voice, she turned to the survivalist with a blank stare. “Yes. That’s us, Trash.” Still not dropping the whole ‘trash’ thing, huh?

In response to Sorrel’s question, Kayla glanced over to Kotori, who apparently had the same idea of looking back at her. Kayla’d hoped that maybe Kotori would be able to say something, but she had to admit, that hope was unrealistic. She returned her attention to Sorrel. “… I guess we could use some help. I was waiting for someone to come. Luckily, it was you. I wanted to treat Kotori. Can you help?”

Kayla turned to Kotori. “But only if she’s okay with it.”

Ahhh... Kayla wanted Kotori to decide in the end, huh? ... So much for that. In all honesty, Kotori did NOT want to be touched in the slightest. Sango had died after touching her, Komaka had an attempted murder, Ends was dealing with who knows how many injuries, and Hayato... Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god, it was in the exact moment that Kotori had a creeping suspicion strike her. What if Hayato had... ohhh no, no no no. Kotori began tearing up, which in context probably looked like she meant something else entirely.

Tearing up quickly turned into sobbing, as she let out a quiet whine.

“Hayato....”

Well.... she said SOMETHING. It was an improvement. It took her a moment to suck it up enough to respond to the question at hand, even if she was still crying. Would any of this make a difference? In the end, it was a matter of time before Kotori herself got further punished by touching others.

“... G-go ahead.”

She combed through her hair a bit with her fingers and moved it over her uninjured shoulder (having to use her left arm a little and subsequently wincing). However, her injury was now bare, quite a bit dirtied from her previous encounter with the ground. And fists.

#chapter4 #sorrel #kayla

Jonestown || Kotori + Komaka + Chieko

Watching Chieko run away, Komaka turned to Kotori and scratched her head a bit.

“Hrmm… I should probably be worried about her more,” Komaka said as she looked up at Kotori.

“I think… she’s kinda like you. Or more accurately: you’d be a lot like her under different circumstances,” Komaka sighed as she began to look around the ritual room.

“You an Chieko-chan… you both didn’t get to see much of the darker parts of the world. Or maybe… you did, but not in a way that really left much of an impact I guess. You both had such bright and joyous outlooks and now… now you’re trying to adjust to this whole thing.”

“Maybe that’s why I thought she was the cultist?” Komaka whispered under her breath.

“Kotori-chan… I’m not judging you for anything you said or did. I can’t judge. Even Sorrel-kun or Miki-dan or Fummetsu-san. I can’t judge them for what they did… in their minds, committing murder was something necessary. I can’t… hold anything against anyone. I’m just a person. Judging someone else is the realm of gods and demons.”

“Kotori-chan,” Komaka finally spoke up away from her initial banter and back to her traveler friend. “I wanna know more about you. I’m… curious? Whatever I find I wanna know what’s there… you don’t have to tell me now, if you don’t want. You can talk to me about it later. But I still feel like I’m just getting to know you all of a sudden?”

“And… if you wanna know about me you can ask I guess.”

Komaka walks up to the altar and inspects it, she plucks out the knife and turns it over in her hand with her normal, blank expression.

Kotori didn’t react openly, but a few thoughts rolled around her head. Chieko? Like Kotori? That was ridiculous, to say in the least. Even with Komaka’s reasoning, it just didn’t click. Sure, the two got along really well, and they both had some sense of similar interests. Even if they had similarities, it was just... hard to believe really. People liked Chieko, she was amazing and kind and wonderful. But if the last trial was anything to speak for, Kotori was... not well received.

Fuck if she understood why Komaka though Chieko was a cultist. That seemed like the weirdest possible idea? Chieko was too nice and kinda normal. She knew an actual cultist and he was... a character.

In the end, all Kotori felt like doing in regards to the sentiment was offer a hearty shrug. or a small shrug with a lot of feeling behind it, really. Not a topic she cared to continue.

She paused... What? What was--- oh, right. She was putting things together slowly, but...

“... So those were the last killers?”

It wasn’t like Komaka had said she WASN’T a killer, so nothing to argue there. It was... a surprisingly genuine statement, though. Like... to be truly impartial like that was oddly amazing? Admirable. That was always something Kotori wanted to be, just when she tried... well she got stabbed with a bottle and punched to the brink of death.

“You’re a good person.”

What was there to know, really? Her blood type? Her BMI?

“I, uhm... I guess? ... I’m not really talkative right now, but...”

She silenced herself again.

“I don’t know... I guess you can tell me things if you want to. Whatever you feel like saying.”

#chapter4 #komaka

Jonestown || Kotori + Komaka + Chieko

She lifted a hand to her face before shaking her head. She then looked to Komaka.

“If you think your hunches are usually wrong, then why do you seem to insist on this one? With no reason, other than your own assumptions. Sorrel-chan is right, we all make mistakes, but we need to try make up for them. You’re not Despair. The only thing making you that is your lack of desire to change. You have Chikako-chan. You have Stern-san and I don’t know who else. You have people around you. The person making you this so-called Super High School Level Despair is yourself. I don’t think you’re Despair. You’re just another person. Like myself. These titles don’t make us who we are. Despair is not who you are, nor am I just an Ontological Coach. I’d argue I think I’ve lost the right to that talent with everything going on. There’s just Komaka Shinko in front of me. No title necessary.”

“… change?” Komaka asked.

She blinked as she looked up, away from Chieko for a second.

“… my whole life… I’ve been called useless. Pointless. Society… it needs people who can do things. Not just things well. But competently. I can’t… do anything right,” Komaka looked down at Chieko again.

“It’s not been for lack of trying. I’ve tried many things. Running, math, dancing, cooking, name a talent and I’ve probably tried and failed at it spectacularly. But again… society needs people who can contribute to it. If you can’t, you rely on its charity. You rely on the belief that a few people who have the power to do things will consider you as part of their plans despite you not offering them anything… how else could I possibly think but this…”

She looked to Kotori.

“Kotori-chan… you’re fine. You don’t always pick up on things and you’re impulsive but, you’re fine. Just the way you are. Even before you were fine. You frustrated me but that’s a problem I had.”

She looked to Chieko again.

“Chieko… You’re quick to forgive others but not yourself and that’s fine. You’re fine. Just the way you are.”

“And…”

“I like to think I’m fine… just the way I am. But I don’t know… I only realize my hunches are wrong in retrospect and… you know what they say. To a gambler, every hand is a winning one.”

“This title… it’s the only thing I can really give myself. I can’t change what I’m capable of. I can only change what I know and how I act on that…”

“And I don’t know how I can make things up to you Chieko-chan I’m not certain? Apologies only go so far.”

#chapter4 #komaka #chieko

The topic was shifting a little, thankfully. It was starting to become out of Kotori’s hands, and that was plenty to be thankful for. No more need to drive conversation or answer questions or talk about how her tutor was literally a fucking cultist. Like jesus christ.

“... Tomorrow’s fine.”

She aimed at Chieko. It wasn’t like Kotori had better things to do. No point in arguing that Chieko was right in the first place, either. It wouldn’t change a thing anymore, and all Kotori was doing apparently just made CHIEKO feel worse, and that just... wasn’t ok. Didn’t that make Kotori and even worse person? Just making people sad and killing people left and right and... What in the world was Komaka even talking about.

Kotori’s zoned out for a moment, trying to figure out what the point of any of that was.

“... Just let Chieko-chan go.”

That, to start with for one. Chieko wasn’t the type to hold grudges or hate people anyway. That’s just how Chieko was, really? She got along with everyone and she was a wonderful, shining person. Kotori only wished to be like that. BUT ALAS. She was.... Kotori. Kotori was Kotori.

“I’m not blaming you for anything.”

Kotori walked into the room and glanced around. MAN this place made her uncomfortable, and boy did it look NOTHING like the internet cafe it was supposed to be.

“... You do you.”

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

shslsmokeandmirrors

shsltrashy:

Silence. Oh, tense silence. Kayla had already made an effort to comfort her friend, seemingly to no avail. Without so much as a word from Kotori, things remained somewhat uncomfortable. Thankfully, at least, this was still Kotori. If it was her, then Kayla could manage.

But, if Kotori wasn’t going to say anything, then what should be done? Would it be too much of a bother for both of them to have a one-sided conversation? Or, maybe, would Kotori appreciate Kayla’s efforts? Maybe they could do something in silence when they got to their destination? Play a game? No, Kotori probably wouldn’t feel up to it. Damn. It was easy doing things by yourself. It was relatively easy doing things with another person. It was something else entirely to pretty much do your own thing with company depending on you.

Aaaaaand, the clinic. They arrived. Once they did, Kotori broke off, and sat in a cot. Kayla set her things down on the floor, and began walking around the room, looking for anything that might be of use. Occasionally, she glanced at Kotori, who was clearly off in her own world. What a tough situation. Kayla shook her head as she continued her search.

Bandages, a wet gauze, some disinfectant, and a lollipop. She’d still be down for a lollipop, right? Kayla returned to Kotori, and set the gathered items down by Kotori.

Kayla knew she could perform basic first aid, but… was she missing something? A tool? Or did she have any misconceptions? Fresh, minor cuts were no problem. But she’d never had to deal with a deeper cut that’s been left open for as long as this has. Maybe it’d be best to wait for someone else to come along. Waiting a few minutes couldn’t hurt; Kotori seemed just fine.

“Let’s… wait for a moment,” she suggested. Kayla took the lollipop, and extended it to Kotori. “You can keep it for now.” She gestured to Yumi, still resting on Kotori’s shoulder.

She took her seat, opposite of Kotori, and sat in silence…

Depending on how long it takes them to get down there in the first place, Kotori and Kayla might be waiting a pretty long time before Sorrel shows up. But eventually he does, because when he’d seen the clinic on the updated maps he’d decided it was worth swinging by to assess the available supplies. People on the ship had a pretty big tendency to get injured, after all, he could think of a few right off the top of his head who would likely benefit from access to better medical supplies and… oh hey there’s one of them already in there.

“Kotori-san? Stern-san?” Sorrel pauses in the doorway, uncertain. After his time with Takara he was actually in higher spirits than he felt he really should be, but he quickly sinks back towards guilt and depression the moment he sees the two girls. If things had gone differently, Kotori might not look so upset right now…

“You two ah… need help with something?” Sorrel thankfully catches himself before he asks something dumb like whether or not they’re okay. Obviously the answer to that would be no. Very few people are likely to be okay right now.

Chatter was hardly necessary in a time like this. Sometimes... Just silent company did wonders. Kayla didn’t have to speak a word to be of some level of comfort to Kotori, really. If she wasn’t such a weenie about touch, she’d probably hold hands or something, use skin contact as a form of company. Just... that nagging fear about someone disappearing or getting hurt after skin contact was stuck in her subconcious, so... she’d never really feel ok initiating something. Alas, no contact would have to do.

The... lollipop? There were lollipops? Hell yeah Kotori was down for a lollipop! She took the thing quietly and unwrapped the candy inside, the crinkle of the wrappers being as much of a sound she was going to make.

The silence continued for who knows how long until Sorrel showed up. Saying Kotori was content during the time period was clearly a lie, but she could have been much more upset. Being alone was potentially worse, and now she had no one else staying in her room at night. The eerie silence was going to kill her if someone else didn’t finish the job first.

Kotori lifted her head towards the door as Sorrel arrived, following his movements with blank eyes. She didn’t know what she was supposed to say to him, especially after the trial being what it was. Down to either her or Sorrel in the end. Kotori... legitimately had no idea which out of the two truly did it. After all, if she, herself, had been the final blow, she was hardly in the right state of mind to be aware of doing so.

“Nn.”

Kotori looked back to Kayla instead. Kayla was the one she had offered to provide prolonged contact for bandaging and whatever. In this situation, she’d rather let someone else decide what to do.

#chapter4 #kayla #sorrel

Jonestown || Kotori + Komaka + Chieko

“That’s what you’re implying. Who else would have changed the ship or something other than the Arch Nemesis?”

Chieko spoke with a bit of bitterness, but turned her attention back to Komaka. She didn’t want to deal with that sort of thing now. Instead she walked towards Kotori, more to stand with her and actually bowed to her.

“… Apologising is all I can at this time, other than promise to be better. Sorrel-chan was right. All of this isn’t anyone’s fault other than the Arch Nemesis’s… I was wrong. I really hope you don’t hate me for making a mistake…”

Unlike a certain Hachiro.

“Please don’t… blame yourself… I was wrong… I hope you can forgive me and if not… I’ll try not be around if it upsets you… I don’t want to hurt you… and that’s what I did… I’m sorry.”

She finally straightened, looking at Komaka with uncertainty then back to Kotori, with a rather down, dispirited looked.

“Um… I don’t think I feel well… I think I’m going to go if that’s okay…”

“Chieko-chan…” Komaka begins.

“I’m… sorry. I have hunches about these things and… I know I’m wrong a lot of the time. That’s my whole deal. That’s why I’m the Super Highschool Level Despair. It’s just that… so many things seemed off. Especially with this ship and and this room?”

“If you hate me for assuming something like that about you that’s fine. But the situation is getting more and more dire. What with those riots in Korea and everything-” she pauses, “uhm… you know about those right? Anyway I think it’s important we realize that this… Arch Nemesis could be any of us. We need to figure out who they are soon before more of us start dying.”

Komaka looked back over to Kotori and gently walked over to her.

“Kotori… you’re a victim of this cult though, right? What do you mean… Sato-sensei called you a goddess? And who IS Sato-sensei?”

Wasn’t it too late to just take back the fact that Kotori murdered Sango? Besides... more than just Chieko had said that. There was too much outweighing All of that. Chieko was.... trying. Why were all of these people apologizing to her? What difference would it make, anyway? What was done was done, and really, in this case, Kotori was the one in the wrong.

“... Stand up.”

She addressed the bow first and foremost. Hopefully that got her idea across with as few words as possible. She, herself, was starting to want to go to sleep for the rest of the day. When did she wake up, anyway? 11PM? After falling asleep at like... 2PM yesterday. Haha, fuck. Maybe at least a nap or whatever.

“I wouldn’t want to spend time with a murderer either.... I hope you feel better, Chieko-chan.”

Kotori provided her own, albeit smaller, bow.

Onto Komaka’s questions. What... was this really all that interesting? Well... she supposed cults weren’t COMMON, so maybe? Kotori just kind of wrote her teacher off as weird and left it at that.

“.... Victim? ... No, I don’t... think so? ... Itsuki Sato.... tutor. I was homeschooled, kind of.”

She paused to take a breath, drawing up some memories, some of which were... more recent than others, actually. What to cover, huh? ... Oh, actually.... uh.

“... He convinced me to go to a ritual once. There were a lot of people sitting in the middle of the room, I think? ... I sat outside on a chair. I don’t... remember what happened. Sato-sensei stopped talking about it after then.”

That was the longest paragraph she’d given thus far.

#chapter4 #komaka

Cafe de la Paix || Kotori + Ends

shslvoid:

He exhaled heavily and rubbed his face with his unbandaged hand. At least the swelling had gone down and the bruising was… well. Healing.

His eyes flickered over to her, trying to get a read on her expression. He very obviously felt awkward trying to do this, but… at least he was trying?

No Kotori certainly did NOT believe that. Lip service. At the very least, Ends DID seem apologetic? Just... hell, he did it once, he was liable to do it again. Under enough stress? seemed likely. Was that going to make Kotori tell him to go away? Nah. Not like she really wanted to waste the energy to speak or anything like that. It was too much to bother. If something happened, something happened.

Glad he didn’t kill her? Haha... Ha

“I... honestly wish you had.”

If she wasn’t a CEO, what would she want to be, though? ... Couldn’t just spend money and travel all the time, that was stupid.

“I don’t care what you do.”

#chapter4 #ends

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

Yeah, Kotori definitely wasn’t taking this well. She probably wouldn’t be making the mental recovery Kayla’d hoped for back when Kototi was first attacked by Ends. That attack was bad enough, but it was manageable, for the most part. Then, she was beaten by Sango, and made to stab someone. Finally, she was called a killer by various people, including one of her friends: Chieko. So, for Kotori to feel this way was a given. Unfortunately, with how withdrawn she was now, it was going to be very difficult if not impossible to help her.

Like, her only response was a single-word apology? Nothing more to work with? As far as Kayla knew, touch was out of the question, and conversation wasn’t viable, either, so the only thing she could really provide was her own presence. Maybe sprinkle in some words here and there to combat the awkward silence.

Kayla nodded, turned, and lead the way. “No worries.” After just a single step, however, she stopped. She felt a pull on her shirt, and looked back at Kotori, who was holding on to her. What? Was Kayla Kotori’s guardian now or something? Whatever the implications were, the way Kotori relied on her made her feel… special. Had this happened earlier in their friendship, Kayla would’ve thought otherwise, and likely tell Kotori off. But now, they were relatively close, and Kotori could use the help. So, the foreigner shrugged, and continued walking to exit the trial room and move to the newly available clinic.

There was a tense silence for some time, which gave Kayla more time to think. Given Kotori’s current state, she was weak in every aspect now of physical, mental, and emotional. She was already the target of murder once, and the target of what might as well have been a murder another time. Who was to say that she wouldn’t eventually fall victim to another person? Kayla glanced back at the girl trailing behind her. Kotori’s relationship with Chieko might’ve been strained after that trial. And… ah, everything considered, Kayla really was going to have to become Kotori’s guardian, wasn’t she? The thought made her anxious. Was she really going to be able to do the job right…?

Hey eyes drifted from Kotori’s face to the stuffed rabbit on her shoulder. Right. It was still there. Would it be safe? Just sitting on Kotori’s shoulder meant it could easily fall off. Hopefully Kotori would do or say something if it eventually did.

Kayla returned her attention to the path in front of her. “Everything will be fine. You still have me, and I’ll do all I can to protect you. You’re safe with me.” Empty words, really. She had no idea what the future held in store for them, but she had to say something to help put Kotori at ease.

If she recalled from the map correctly, the control quarters should be… right around the corner. Then, from there, they could access the clinic. “We’re almost there.”

Kotori squeezed Kayla’s shirt hem between her fingers, a habit she usually did with her own clothing. It was just... comforting, she supposed. Kayla was comforting. Her presence, her scent, her words... Kayla and Hachiro were the two people she felt she could fully trust and relax with in that moment. It didn’t take a whole lot for Kotori to agree and go along with what the people she loved wanted of her. It’d be rude to say no, for one, but at the same time, she just... genuinely wanted them to be happy. What they wanted was important.

Even the comfort of being with someone she cared for wasn’t enough to just shake off the sinking feeling in her gut. As far as Kotori could remember, there was only one other time when she felt this bad. That gross, sick, despair. Like someone was holding a knife to your throat at every second of your life, and if you blinked once, your emotions might as well drain away.

Kotori tapped along, her dirtied clothing being less than comfortable on her body. Surely she’d have to clean up a bit after dealing with this. Try to get this blood stain out, shed 4 days with of grime. Especially since she’d hardly done much of anything since Ends attacked her, the grossness kind of built up. Though cleaning her skin wouldn’t wash away her regret.

Kayla’s words of comfort were only a small relief, if anything at all. Her own safety was less of a concern than the spiraling hole of self-hatred she’d plummeted into.

Soon enough, though, they tapped into the clinic, and Kotori obediently took a seat in a cot, her eyes unfocused and somewhere else. She remained quiet, not saying a single word throughout the process.

Jonestown || Kotori + Komaka + Chieko

In all honesty, Chieko just wanted to hide away but Komaka had caught her heading to the new areas to search. Quietly, she followed, only looking up when she saw Kotori…

And she froze. She kind of stepped back. Then Komaka spoke.

“I didn’t do this… I did not trap us on this ship and make us kill each other. And I did not request any such thing.”

If she actually felt okay, there might be some bite but…

“Kotori-chan… I’m sorry.”

Komaka shook her head vigorously.

“Noooo nooooo!!! Chieko-chan. I don’t think you’re the Arch Nemesis. Just maybe a cult leader,” Komaka said as she turned back to Kotori.

“But… then what is this place, Kotori-chan? Isn’t it a bit… uh… what’s the word… horrifying in implication?”

#chapter4 #komaka #chieko

.... So they both chose to associate with her still? After all that? Well, that was their choice, she supposed... Kotori crossed her arms for a moment and squeezed them together, like giving herself a hug. Just a hug for her, and no one else. After that brief moment, her arms dropped again and she turned her head to make eye contact with both Komaka and Chieko once, before glancing back at the room.

“... Don’t apologize.”

Short ans not really sweet, but the less she had to speak and think about communication, the better. She didn’t reall WANT to talk to people for once, but at the same time, she still didn’t want to be alone. It was... complicated. Complicated and depressing, but there she was, living how she could or felt or was this living at all? It didn’t feel like living.

“... supposed to be an internet cafe.”

Kotori gestured to the small room. That was the most confusing thing of all. And frankly, she... was too nervous to just... walk inside after what it had become. Honestly it just felt... uncomfortable. Even moreso than it should have been. The implications of what went down inside this kind of room just made her want to cry.

What was that about a cult leader? Kotori kept her mouth shut for a bit, letting words roll around her tongue. How much of that was really ok to share, actually? ... Ugh. She shuddered, though her eyes remained just as dead and she forced herself to step inside the room.

“... Sato-sensei was... a cultist. But... didn’t have authority to design anything.”

She paused for an uncomfortable amount of time.

“Kept insisting I was a goddess or something.”

Cafe de la Paix || Kotori + Ends

shslvoid:

Ends made his way to the restaurant to fish around for something to eat. Oneiro was acting weird, and she had run off somewhere again. It was making him nervous, but he wasn’t going to complain and try to make her stay onboard the ship with him.

When he reached the door to the restaurant, though, he froze with his eyes locked on Kotori. His mind raced - should he leave? Should he approach her? Should he act like he didn’t see her?

… Why did her hair look like that?

With a quick look around, Ends confirmed that Hachiro was nowhere to be seen. Hesitantly he approached Kotori, but made sure not to stay behind her. He didn’t want to scare her.

“Uh… Hey, Kotori-kun.” He didn’t smile, but he tried really hard not to sound like a threat either. “Can we talk for a sec? If you’d rather, I can just, y’know. I can leave, but…”

... Kotori froze for a few moments, as someone entered the restaurant from the corner of her eye. She made no effort to make eye contact with her assaulter to to acknowledge his presence. The only telltale sign that she had seen him was that momentary tension in her movements.

Many potential outcomes for this interaction ran through her mind, and maybe only like two of them were good. That boundless optimism didn’t do her much good when around someone who had hurt her in the past. Optimism had long since packed it’s bags. What little of it remained... wasn’t strong enough to burst through the obvious depression she’d succumbed.

So she came to a decision. Don’t talk to Ends, and he wouldn’t talk to her. The two of them were just getting sustenance to be able to stick around for a little longer, that struggle to survive. If she didn’t acknowledge him, maybe he’d go away. She took another bite of cereal.

... Or so she thought. Instead he came up to speak with with her? ... Why? What did he have up his sleeve? She continued to ignore his presence, focused far more on her food than Ends. Though... she did raise her head just enough to meet his eyes once, before dropping them again. Silence. That left the decision up to her conversation partner.

“...”

It wasn’t like she could turn him down, if he really wanted to talk to her.

#chapter4 #ends

Waste Management | Kayla | Chapter 4 | CLOSED for Kotori and Sorrel

The trial was over. It was a strange one, really. A confession from the killer right away? And, then, that killer got away with it? Madness. Though, Kayla couldn’t blame the others, either. She herself had voted for Sango. Sango’d hurt Kotori, and in Kayla’s eyes, Sango was much more deserving of execution than Sorrel, even if execution was something she couldn’t endorse. The taking of another person’s life disgusted her. But, if someone had to die, then it might as well be a Sango rather than a Sorrel.

Kayla couldn’t get herself to watch the execution. Instead, she hid her face behind Yumi, waiting for it to be over, occasionally peeking out to see if everyone else was leaving the room. When, eventually, she did find that she could leave, she turned to move, but stopped when she found Kotori still standing in place, crying to herself. Kayla frowned. She’d hoped that Kotori would be able to better handle herself, but… it was understandable that she couldn’t. Kotori’s been through a lot recently.

But, what could be done about this? Kayla certainly didn’t know. She wasn’t good with emotional affairs. She would’ve liked to just leave, and avoid her weakness, but this was Kotori. Kotori was a friend. Kayla’s first friend among the class. And Kotori was fragile. Even if Kayla didn’t know what to do, she at least had to try. With a sharp inhale to steel herself, she slowly moved over to Kotori.

“Kotori… Come on. Let’s go.” Staying in the trial room was definitely not a good idea. That much was obvious. Kayla was just about to turn away from Kotori and leave the room, assuming that Kotori would follow, but upon receiving no response or acknowledgment, her feet remained fixed to the floor. “Kotori? We can… check the new area out. There’s a clinic. I can help you there.”

Still, no response. Well, this was a problem. Kayla raised her hand slightly, wanting to extend it over to Kotori to grab her attention, but stopped herself there, too. Touching Kotori wasn’t going to end well, right? Eeeeeehhhh.

Well, if she couldn’t touch her, then… Kayla set Yumi down on Kotori’s shoulder. Close enough.

“I’ll stay with you here, then. When you’re feeling up to it, we should go to the clinic, okay?”

She didn’t watch the execution, even if she was forced to be present on the viewing deck. She certainly showed up to the viewing area, like she was supposed to, but was a blubbering mess well before she even arrived. It was in that moment, she realized what was happening to Sango.

Kayla was right, Kotori was fragile. VERY fragile. To the point of being an issue, really... and she couldn’t stand watching the execution before it even started. Kotori crouched to the floor, throwing femininity and elegance to the side in her short skirt, but in the moment, she didn’t care. She was just a kid. A little kid with her eyes being opened to a new world of horrors, exposed to something well beyond the adult world. She’d seen adult life and what it held, but this was not anything like it. This was just... cruel.

She covered her ears and squinted her eyes shut, bawling to herself and not responding to any of her surroundings. She didn’t realize when it was over, nor did she even care. The footsteps and departures of the people around her were... that last thing in her mind. Who cared about any of that?

The first time Kayla said something, nothing was heard. The second? Just as oblivious. It wasn’t until Yumi tapped her shoulder that she realized someone was trying to get through to her.

With burred vision, she glanced over to Kayla. For the first time, she didn’t flinch upon contact. Even if it was Yumi, Kotori had no way of telling until she saw the rabbit, as far as she knew, it could have been a human. She just... didn’t care in that moment.

Clinic.... clinic? There was a clinic? Her legs wobbled beneath her as she pushed herself up to a standing position, ready to walk and follow Kayla wherever they needed to go. Right... the clinic. That had opened up finally? She’d forgotten about the facility.

“... Sorry.”

Kotori reached out and took a pinchfull of the hem of Kayla’s shirt, holding on to follow like a lost duckling.