they say the future's out to get you

((danganronpadespairmadness rp blog run by @auzpicious!))

[shslcartographxr]

hey are you dead

Ezra blinked at the sudden address out of nowhere, nearly dropping all the papers in his grasp. “H-Huh? No...? I don’t think so?”

[danganronpadespairmadness]

You decide to defy logical order after the main office, and continue down the hallway to another door. It leads to another, smaller hallway that you must go through one at a time. It goes on much longer than I care to make a map for, and leads to another metal door. It opens to a new, strange room.

The room has no windows or other doors. There’s broken planks of wood, dented sheets of metal, and deteriorating insulation foam strewn everywhere. The far wall has a pile of that sort of crap against the wall, along with a few stone for good measure. No light goes through it, and a quick test decides that even as a unit you cannot move any of it.

That was not the most interesting thing about the room, however.

Variations of monokuma were shut off and lined up against the left wall. Most looked relatively unlike the one you know- they were a different animal, or had weird additions, or were half finished. One was even entirely white, and another entirely black. The lights on them are off, so you are relatively sure they won’t spring to life. In the back right corner is one more monokuma, wires sticking out of it. Instead of a red eye, it has a white dot, but otherwise looks the closest to the familiar bear you know and love. It has an exposed button on it. [If pushed, this unlocks the AUDIO FILE posted last week]

Against the last wall is a workbench with various rusted tools littered across it, along with various robotic looking parts.

INVESTIGATION: MONOKUMA ROOM

[shslcartographxr]

Ezra’s attention was immediately drawn to the workbench-or, rather, the rust on it. It looked absolutely abandoned…but who had used these tools? And when? The machinery in this room looked pretty new, if unfinished. And they were all Monokumas…had whoever trapped them done this? If so, were they close to actually finding them?

He briefly detached from Hyun, tapping her arm gently and pointing to where he was going. He didn’t want to be an anchor on her and keep her from exploring, but he was also determined not to let her out of his line of sight. Or any of them, for that matter. They needed to stay together, to stay safe.

He gingerly shifted through the tools on the bench, examining the parts and seeing if he could identify them. This is…weird. 

@danganronpadespairmadness

[danganronpadespairmadness]

The tools appear to not be particularly old despite their rust- just like they were subject to severe mistreatment. The same can be said for everything in the room: it’s not old at all, maybe a year or two at most, but still seems to have been ravaged by something. Another thing that catches your eye is a dirty monokuma eye. Once you wipe it, you can see the glass is tinted red and has even rings on top. On the back is something your monokuma does not have- A neat heart is engraved into it. The line of it is shallow, and there are no other oddities on the spare eye. TRUTH BULLETS: NEW TRUTH BULLET! RUSTED TOOLS- The tools on the workbench appear to be rusty but not old. NEW TRUTH BULLET! GLASS EYE- A spare monokuma eye engraved with a heart was found on the workbench in the monokuma room. @shslcartographxr

[shslcartographxr]

“Huh,” Ezra stared at the glass eye for a moment, wondering who would take the time to add such a cutesy little detail, before slipping it into his pocket for later. He could show it to Hyun in a second, after she was done messing with the bears in the corner.

He drifted away from the rusted tools and towards the pile of debri, leaning down to try to dig through it as much as he could. Maybe there was something useful hidden in here?

His search was halted at the static suddenly coming from Hyun’s direction, and he whipped around, terrified something had gone wrong. But it was just one of the inactive Monokumas, playing audio that was…confusing. And terrifying. Ezra had the distinctive feeling they were never meant to find this, but they were always supposed to hear it.

His first thought was that maybe it was fake, but he dismissed that as soon as it entered his brain. This was undoubtedly them….their class. Together. Happy. Ezra couldn’t reconcile some of the relaxed voices on there with the people he knew they belonged to, let alone his own. He found himself standing next to Hyun, although he didn’t remember moving. He only realized he was shaking when she reached over to grab his hand as they all stood in silence and listened.

He knew this was a revelation, that they all had seemingly worked together to create Monokuma for…some reason, but he didn’t want to think about that just yet. It wasn’t the trial, there were no points to be made. There certainly wasn’t time to grieve for people he would never know, but he couldn’t bring himself to move until the audio had played out in its entirety. None of them could.

Take care of them, Monokuma.

“He. Didn’t do the best. Job of that, did. He?” Ezra mumbled without thinking, and then jumped at the sound of his own voice not on recording. Embarrassed, he recovered by reaching down to brush dust off of the dilapidated Monokuma. That voice…he didn’t recognize them. Could it be the girl who’s death they were currently investigating? And what did she have to do with this project?

What did any of them have to do with it?

@danganronpadespairmadness

[danganronpadespairmadness]

You decide to defy logical order after the main office, and continue down the hallway to another door. It leads to another, smaller hallway that you must go through one at a time. It goes on much longer than I care to make a map for, and leads to another metal door. It opens to a new, strange room.

The room has no windows or other doors. There’s broken planks of wood, dented sheets of metal, and deteriorating insulation foam strewn everywhere. The far wall has a pile of that sort of crap against the wall, along with a few stone for good measure. No light goes through it, and a quick test decides that even as a unit you cannot move any of it.

That was not the most interesting thing about the room, however.

Variations of monokuma were shut off and lined up against the left wall. Most looked relatively unlike the one you know- they were a different animal, or had weird additions, or were half finished. One was even entirely white, and another entirely black. The lights on them are off, so you are relatively sure they won’t spring to life. In the back right corner is one more monokuma, wires sticking out of it. Instead of a red eye, it has a white dot, but otherwise looks the closest to the familiar bear you know and love. It has an exposed button on it. [If pushed, this unlocks the AUDIO FILE posted last week]

Against the last wall is a workbench with various rusted tools littered across it, along with various robotic looking parts.

INVESTIGATION: MONOKUMA ROOM

[shslcartographxr]

Ezra’s attention was immediately drawn to the workbench-or, rather, the rust on it. It looked absolutely abandoned...but who had used these tools? And when? The machinery in this room looked pretty new, if unfinished. And they were all Monokumas...had whoever trapped them done this? If so, were they close to actually finding them?

He briefly detached from Hyun, tapping her arm gently and pointing to where he was going. He didn’t want to be an anchor on her and keep her from exploring, but he was also determined not to let her out of his line of sight. Or any of them, for that matter. They needed to stay together, to stay safe.

He gingerly shifted through the tools on the bench, examining the parts and seeing if he could identify them. This is...weird. 

@danganronpadespairmadness

[danganronpadespairmadness]

As a squad, you continue to the end of the hall and go left to a door with a metal sign that says “Main Office”. The door is unlocked.

INVESTIGATION: MAIN OFFICE (papers on floor room)

[shslcartographxr]

Hyun’s attention was drawn to something on the desk, and as she didn’t let go of his hand, Ezra was unwittingly dragged over there as well. Not that he minded. His brain was elsewhere, still trying to piece together the fact that they were investigating the murder of someone they had never seen before. Unless they had? There was always the possibility she had been erased with their other memories, but then…why?

He shook himself from his thoughts, reminding himself that they were currently trying to figure out why and he should probably help. He looked down at the picture frame on the desk in front of him and picked it up, examining the frame and the photo inside. Was this a sentimental picture, or something else?

@danganronpadespairmadness

[shslcartographxr]

WHO TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF

Hyun had been sitting in the fountain area during dinner. She didn’t like looking at the fountains. But she really didn’t care about what she liked or disliked. For instance: eating. She usually liked eating. But she didn’t really remember the last times she had eaten.

Ezra didn’t remember the last time she had eaten, either, and since he had practically glued himself to her side the past few days, that probably wasn’t a good sign. It wasn’t like he was exactly the paragon of health, either, but Hyun seemed like she was wasting away. And even if…even if Ezra didn’t know what to do to help her with whatever was going on inside her head, he could still  be there, and he could make sure she didn’t fade away. If that was all he was good for, that was enough.

“Uh. I’m back.”

Hyun was snapped out of staring at the water by a familiar voice. She turned with a fake smile to Ezra, dropping it when it only seemed to make him more worried. He knew her well enough by now to tell when she was trying to seem happy for his sake, and he didn’t want her to. Shakily, he handed her a carton of milk and a red bean bun he had swiped from the kitchen, taking a seat next to her. He knew she didn’t want to eat, but she had to, and he knew she would if he was there watching her. He didn’t like pressuring her, but if it was the only way to get her to take care of herself, even a little…Well.

They ended up splitting the milk.

The two of them had just begun to relax, and Hyun was absentmindedly fiddling with one of the new additions to her outfit. A star necklace rested right over her heart, along with a Hope’s Peak belt buckle that had been turned into a pin. It was pinned on Orochi’s jacket. She absentmindedly thought Shujin would probably like that. She had kept her promise, moving his plush cat into her room. It was soft. Watched over her, she felt like. She wondered if the people who died thought she was decent. Probably not. She didn’t blame them.

Ezra watched her warily, wondering if her various keepsakes were more helpful or harmful to her. He definitely knew which one they were to him. He quickly glanced away, down at his feet, trying not to think about the last time he’d talked to…any of them.

He wondered if Hyun was thinking the same thing.

He leaned over and nudged her shoulder gently, to remind her he was still there, and that he wasn’t going anywhere. She didn’t respond, but that was okay. They didn’t need to talk, right now. This wouldn’t be their last time together. He would make sure of that.

Hyun was startled out of her thoughts when the lights snapped off, a strangled noise escaping her throat, a similar one echoing from the boy beside her. She on impulse reached for Ezra’s hand, and he was already there, practically clinging to her arm. They stood up together, carefully, trying to let their eyes adjust to the dark. But without any windows, the darkness was absolutely suffocating. Hyun squinted, whispering to Ezra. “Hang on. Feel the wall, ok?” He nodded, and then remembered she couldn’t see it, and squeezed her hand back in response.

They eventually made it to the school store, her hands roaming the shelves until she found a collection of flashlights. Ezra had stuffed his pockets with extra packs of batteries, just in case, because who knew what the fuck was going on? Hyun clicked her flashlight on - a light turquoise one. Pretty. - And passed an orange one to Ezra, who fumbled with it for a moment before eventually getting it to work. She finally left the store with him, able to look around much easier with the light, although it was still much creepier than usual. And since the hotel was always creepy, that was saying something.

At Akemi’s shout, a cold feeling flooded through her. Ezra, almost involuntarily, mumbled a panicked “No.” There weren’t many good things a shout like that could mean.

They had to find the others.

It wasn’t a murder, though, and it wasn’t anything particularly bad. Probably. The reveal of the room didn’t surprise Hyun as much as she thought it would have. Maybe she just wasn’t feeling as much as she had. Huh.

Ezra peered at it suspiciously, an internal battle of nerves making his stomach already regret the milk from earlier. What was past this door? Anything new was a chance, but if there was nothing useful in there…or even worse, a trap…Ezra wasn’t sure he, or anyone else, could take it to have their hopes crushed again.

He glanced at the others quickly gathering around Akemi, and, without letting go of Hyun’s hand, gestured towards the gaping mouth of the door with his flashlight and quietly asked “What. Should we do?”

@shsl-crocker @ultimateglassblower @danganronpadespairmadness

[danganronpadespairmadness]

You meddling kids!

Monokuma couldn’t stay distracted forever. He waddled back after about fifty minutes, alerting the people inside by shouting “Now, what the fuck is this? My door! My beautiful door!”. You turn towards his voice to see him standing in the remnants of the doorway. “You better have a GREAT explanation for going through my office, or you won’t live to see tomorrow!’

@shslcartographxr

[shslcartographxr]

Ezra froze like a deer in headlights, which was a fitting metaphor because he, too, was probably about to die. 

“Um,” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth, which wasn’t an answer at all, but it served to stall time while he thought of one. “I...was...tryingtokillAkemi?” What.

It sounded fake even to his own ears, but now it was out there and he had to roll with it. He anxiously glanced at Akemi, mentally willing her to play along, and hoping she wouldn’t be too put out that she was his pretend murder-victim. “But! I felt bad and. Told her about the bomb.” Orochi would probably be ashamed of his acting skills, but Ezra was just hoping Monokuma was too pissed to pay close attention to his tone. “It, uh. Still went off, though.” He gestured to the remains of the door. “Obviously.”

He went silent for a moment before realizing Monokuma was still waiting for an explanation for their snooping, and he merely shrugged. “It was. Open? There...weren’t any rules saying not. To go in.” Which was true, mostly. He just hoped it was true enough for Monokuma. 

@danganronpadespairmadness

[shsl-crocker]

im dead INSIDE

Hyun wasn’t feeling much. It was okay, though. Feeling had only hurt her. Or hurt others. So it was ok.

She wasn’t too sure where she was. Somewhere that had nothing to do with a murder, probably. Maybe the dining room. She couldn’t go into the kitchen anymore. She could, actually, technically. It was clean. But she didn’t want to. She didn’t wanna think about it. Was that immature? Probably. She wasn’t too sure. She wasn’t too sure.

How long had it been since she last ate? She had been keeping an eye on everyone else, leaving small snacks outside their door if she had noticed them not eating - she was almost certain they didn’t know it was her, because they had actually been eaten. Who would eat something they knew came from her? - but she hadn’t eaten. She wasn’t too sure how long it had even been since. It. Maybe a day. Maybe a week. She wasn’t too sure.

She knew this wasn’t good for her. It’s not like she didn’t know what was going on, her brain had already adjusted. She knew what happened. She was fine with it. She was fine with it. She was fine with it. So it didn’t matter. If all she had done was hurt herself and everyone else, why should she not do this? She deserved it. The others probably wouldn’t care. Ezra might be sad if she accidentally starved, but he would recover. He’d be better off without her weighing him down. Ezra…. my engel. Her mom called her that for the longest time. She probably wouldn’t make any kid deal with her, even if she got out of here, so why not pass it on to a friend? Angel. It fit him. She had names for everyone in Korean, but none in Afrikaans. A first. This hotel seemed to have a curse of “firsts”. First murder. First love. First heartbreak. How lovely.

She let out a bitter chuckle. Where was she now? She wasn’t too sure. @shslcartographxr @un-luckster @cryptographer @ultimateglassblower

[shslcartographxr]

“Hyun? Hyun!” 

It didn’t take Ezra too long to find her, mostly because she was walking right back into the dining room, barely noticing him or Akemi or the atmosphere, which had changed significantly ever since Akemi found out about his plan and gave it direction. It actually felt like something was happening now, something they had control over, for once. It was terrifying. And exhilarating. 

He tried to hide his excitement as he approached Hyun, but he didn’t need to, because his energy quickly dwindled at seeing her state. He knew she...hadn’t been doing too well, since the last trial, but she looked far too weak and sickly. Was she even eating? He had been so busy with this...he had checked on her, but she had always assured him she was doing fine and redirected the conversation to his well-being. Now, he realized why, and he felt guilt pool in his stomach. They didn’t have time for this, but he still gently put a hand on her shoulder and asked, “Are you. Okay?” He realized that was a stupid question, and instead shyly slid his arm over her shoulder, pulling her into a half-hug. 

“We...gotta. Talk about this,” He gestured to her whole self, “After. But. I need your help. We all do.” For a moment, he hesitated-this whole plan was dangerous, but what he was asking Hyun to do...he didn’t want to. But he trusted her to get it done, and get it done well. But if anything happened to her...well. He wouldn’t let it. He couldn’t. 

He quickly explained the plan and then described what she needed to do, haltingly, even though he knew time was of the essence. “Just. Distract Monokuma on the roof, as far from this floor as possible, that’s. All. But. If it’s-if you feel unsafe-” He made sure to look her in the eye, so she knew how serious he was about this. “Please, don’t hesitate to. Get away from him. We’ll. Be okay,” And they would. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully. 

“Be careful,” He mumbled, and then shifted to pull her into a full hug, just for a moment. He was scared what would happen if he let go, but he did, anyways. Hyun could do it. She could do anything, really. But for right now, they all needed to do this, and if they had any hope of escaping, they had to pull it off. 

@shsl-crocker (for plot reasons taggin @ultimateglassblower & @danganronpadespairmadness )

[shslcartographxr]

things that can’t end well: this, probably

It was a pretty hollow victory, considering everything they’d lost, but somehow the sight of the completed map of the hotel up on Ezra’s wall made him feel a little bit better. Just a little bit more in control. He’d noted the placement of every plant, every bench, every goddamn tiny crack in the ceiling to try and figure out if there was something, somewhere, that they were missing. He’d also noted every place where a murder had occurred-in tiny, red text, just in case it somehow turned out to be relevant. And...he marked off every room that was now empty, its occupant gone. Dead. Never coming back.

He didn’t graffiti the original map he and Katsumi had made together-he had copied it and then tucked it away safely. It was the only drawing Katsumi had given him, and he didn’t want to mark it up with the awful reminders of everything that had happened. So much red marked up his map now...only five rooms remained untouched. Only five of them left, of sixteen students. It was lonely and painful to think about, but Ezra didn’t want to push away the bad things anymore, not right now, anyways. He had to remember. He had to make sure that the last five of them didn’t become an even smaller group.

There was only one place left unlabeled on his map, and that’s what he was going to focus on right now. The room behind the check-in counter was covered in little question marks, and the door circled in bright blue pen. Akemi had attacked it more than once, and it still wasn’t going down-but it was weakened, wasn’t it? Whatever was behind that door might be their only chance at preventing any more tragedy...and Ezra refused to stay here. He had spent enough time locked up in a dusty, paranoia-filled room before coming to Hope’s Peak, and besides, there were people out there waiting for them. Right? There had to be.

But….then where were they?

Okay, so, maybe he was still avoiding thinking about that. Back to business. He has taken several books from the library and had them spread haphazardly around his room, scattered notes on the pages (he didn’t have time to worry about possible fines) and crudely drawn concepts for his idea everywhere. His room here was finally starting to look like his room at home-a complete catastrophe.

This was possibly the stupidest idea Ezra had ever had, and that was saying a lot, considering he made stupid decisions every day of his life. This was also the most risky idea he had ever had, and while most of him was listing all the possible ways this could go horribly wrong, a tinier, stronger part of him insisted this was the next logical step if they ever wanted to get out of here alive.

Grabbing one of the books, (unfortunately, the same one on chemicals that Rinko had used to...do what she did) Ezra left his room and headed towards the dining hall to get something to eat, trying to read and walk at the same time...which, wasn’t exactly going the best. He wondered if this was how Ryu felt all the time-this frantic need to figure things out-and he didn’t know how the cryptographer did it. His head felt ready to burst.

Much like the bomb he was planning on trying to build.

A small one, but one that could possibly finally break down the door behind that stupid counter, and at the very least solve one mystery that had been hanging over all of their heads since they got here. Unless someone had a better idea, which, someone probably did, but no one had done anything up until now, so he might as well fuck everything up. He had been thinking about everything, especially about the events of the past few days, and...if Rinko could build a bomb, why couldn’t he? It looked simple enough. Hopefully. But he didn’t want to light anything on fire, or hurt anybody. He just...wanted to obliterate a door. So he needed to research and get it right.

He was exhausted, but sleep wasn’t necessary. Food was, though. He entered the dining hall, barely avoiding walking straight into a table as he was reading, and finally set down his book. He blinked at the harsh fluorescent lights like he was coming back into reality for the first time, which he kind of was, and rubbed at his eyes. Well, Good morning, Dikku Hotel.

@shsl-crocker @un-luckster @ultimateglassblower @cryptographer

[shsl-illustrator]

hotel mode: i’m only dead on the inside now

Boredom. 

That was the only thing racing through their mind. The hotel was beautiful sure but, being there for so long slowly took the appeal away. They supposed that it could be worse, they all could be dying. Small grumbles left their mouth as they scuffled their pencil on a pad of paper, that was slowly filling up with random doodles. 

Their back rested upon the arm of one of the seemingly endless couches in the hotel. Their legs were pulled up to their stomach propping the paper on their legs. The brown of their jacket blended in to the couch and if it wasn’t for the grey scarf and hair they might’ve looked like one with the couch. 

Katsumi glared at the paper slowly emerging into their work.

[shslcartographxr]

It had taken a moment for Ezra to recognize the small shape on the couch as a person, and in that moment he had a miniature heart attack wondering why the couch was suddenly breathing and alive. 

But, thank god, it wasn’t. And even better, it was Katsumi, who was someone Ezra was very glad to see breathing. Not that there would be any reason they wouldn’t be, but still. Relief flooded through his bones, followed by the same calm he always felt when Katsumi was around. 

“Hi,” He mumbled, giving a weak little wave even though he was only about five feet from the illustrator. “What’s. Up?” Cautiously, he took a seat next to the other student, moving slowly as not to jostle their drawing pad. He didn’t bother asking Katsumi what they were drawing. If they wanted to show him, they would, and Ezra was sure it’d be amazing as always. But right now, their face read frustration, and he didn’t want to wreck their mojo. Or distract them, if they didn’t want to be distracted. But Ezra didn’t want to be alone, and he was pretty sure they didn’t, either, so this comfortable quiet was fine. 

@shsl-illustrator

[botanist-akira]

hotel mode: time to lay on the ground in the middle of nowhere

Akira never knew how to use their time wisely. What they were currently doing is proof of that.

Can you even say ‘doing’? All they were doing is lying on the middle of the floor - their long-ass hair down, and splayed out around them - by the fountain on the first floor. They weren’t thinking much. They were barely aware of their breathing or heartbeat, even though it was so quiet. They were half asleep - awake, but not quite fully conscious. They’ve barely slept at all since they’ve arrived at Dikku Hotel (which, by the way, is something they always laugh at. Dick Hotel.), though they never slept much no matter where they were.

A few basic thoughts ran through their mind. Did I water my plants yet? Did I even eat this morning? Did I leave one of my pillows on the floor? None of which they knew the answer to. Or, at least they wouldn’t until they returned to their room or got hungry before noon. “What time is it, anyway?” They mumbled, barely audible.

[shslcartographxr]

“It’s only 10:30.” 

Ezra had wondered how long it would take the botanist to notice him-he’d even coughed, at first, to get their attention-but when they remained inert, he just sat down on the fountain edge to wait. He didn’t want to bother them, but he did want to talk to Akira...and he admittedly was worried, for a second, that they might be in a coma or something. That wasn’t something that happened randomly, though, was it? Could it? Probably not. He hoped.

Besides, it was strange to see the other student so calm. Usually Akira was bopping about, taking care of the plants, talking to others, and occasionally staging their own impromptu fake cooking show in the kitchen, which was as entertaining as it was concerning (the fire was tiny, Akira had insisted, but Hyun had politely disagreed). It was rare to see them this at peace, and Ezra didn’t want to disturb that. 

So he waited. He was good at waiting. And then he wasn’t, because he immediately answered Akira’s muttered question without even stopping to think of how startling that might be, to hear a voice out of nowhere when you thought you were alone.  

Nice going, Ezra. 

“Uh,” He quickly, and loudly added. “I just got here,” A lie. “Well-I got here. Recently.” A little closer to the truth. “I wasn’t trying. To be creepy, I just. Didn’t want to-” Probably making it worse. 

“...Sorry,” He finally apologized, hoping they wouldn’t be too weirded out. It wasn’t like he had been staring, or anything-just waiting. It felt like forever since they actually talked, even though it probably hadn’t. “Um. What. Are you doing on the floor?” It was a pathetic topic change, but a topic change nonetheless. 

@botanist-akira

[shsl-crocker]

nice time 2 dye

It took almost all of Hyun’s willpower to not burrow further into the jacket Orochi gave her, and just blatantly ignore the bear. On the other hand, it took more willpower to not go down to the cafeteria and chug the first thing of water she found. She was tired. Who could blame her. She decided quickly that no, even if you surviving doesn’t matter, you should stay alive so you can at least help the others. Sitting up in her bed she had been spending most of her time in, she fiddled with the red ribbon around her wrist. She had rolled up Orochi’s jacket sleeves to still see the scarf around her elbow, and she was still wearing her normal jacket under. It was lightweight, anyway, she just didn’t want to not wear her grandpa’s pocket. She had considered, if for a moment, giving the jacket to Shujin, but decided against it. Having that constant reminder would probably be more detrimental than anything.

…

That’s awfully hypocritical, huh? She thought. But it doesn’t really matter. My mental state is already real messed up here. She finally stood up, grabbing a pad of paper and one of the glitter pens she got from the school store a few weeks ago - blue one, nice - and went down to the kitchen. As much as she didn’t want to think it, someone was definitely going to kill. She should at least take inventory. She guessed it was lucky she was so used to not eating, it was a common punishment at her home. She quickly jotted down a few notes.

water- can go 3 days with no water. someone went like 8 though i’m pretty sure. maybe boiling it will purify it. food- can go 3 weeks. maybe didn’t poison raw materials, could maybe make bread? expands in stomach and eat less.

She clicked her gel pen to close the nib and stuck it behind her ear. These were probably enough for now. She knew how some others felt, though, so she might have to keep an eye on a few. She walked out of the kitchen into the dining hall, taking check of the buffet bar. @cryptographer @shslcartographxr @un-luckster @ultimateglassblower @headofreservecoursecouncil @gameshowfever

[shslcartographxr]

What the fuck.

That was honestly the only reaction Ezra could feel at the announcement of the newest motive. Really? Really? Couldn’t they get a break for one second?

Apparently not. He should have expected it, but he was still angry. And was it even true? Didn’t Orochi kill and die so that they wouldn’t turn on each other? But here Monokuma was, trying to get them to do just that. Ezra wouldn’t put Monokuma past poisoning their food, but he didn’t believe there was a traitor. Maybe it was stupid, but he didn’t want to believe there was a traitor. There were so few of them left…if they turned on each other now, wouldn’t they all just implode?

As Ezra entered the dining hall he noticed Hyun, true to form, already seeming like she was getting to work. He waved to her and ignored the rumbling of his stomach, trying to remember how long a human could go without food and water. 

“Um. Hey,” He started lamely as he approached her, trying not to look too hard at the various articles of clothing she wore to remember those who had died. It was touching of her, but it was just too painful for him to think about. Although, part of him was comforted by the fact that she’d probably take his hat when-if he died. If he wanted to be of any real use to Hyun, though…if he wanted to try and protect her, which he did, he couldn’t die. And no one else could, either. So they needed to figure out what the fuck to do. 

“What do. You think about…” He trailed off, waving a hand vaguely at the buffet. “Can we. Find a way to avoid. The poison? What type of. Poison even is it?” He wondered if Monokuma would give them a more specific answer, but probably not. He wasn’t exactly the epitome of “helpful.” 

@shsl-crocker

[shsl-crocker]

Hyun turned at the sound of Ezra’s voice, giving him a warm smile. “Well…” She said, flipping through her pad of paper. “You can go about three days without water, although I’m pretty certain someone went eight days, but.” She cut off to send a cold glance at the moniter. “Can’t exactly fact check here. Anyway, you can go about three weeks with no food.” She clicked her pen nervously. “Um. I’ve gone about a week before, I think, but that was when I was young. It’d probably be different for everyone though, depending on how much they ate. I’m not too worried about Akemi or Ryu-” she frowned. “Well, under normal non poisoned circumstances I would be, but their small amounts of eating are almost reassuring as of right now. Once were out, though, I’m keeping an eye on them.” She said it determinedly, although there was a waver of doubt in her voice. The unspoken “if” seemed to hang in the air, but Hyun waved a hand as if dismissing it. “Anyway, I was wondering if boiling it would help. It kills off germs in the water, so maybe?” She foned and tapped her pen again. “And I was wondering if they poisoned raw materials. If I could make non poisonous bread, that would be great, but I don’t think it’d be that easy.” She gave Ezra a sunny looking grin, marking down something on her pad of paper. She had started another list right then and there. She wasn’t ever going to let him see that one, though.

list of people id die for; 1. ezra 2.

She smiled at his questioning glance, making up some excuse about the food. Probably best if no one saw this list. @shslcartographxr

[shslcartographxr]

Ezra returned a small, uneasy reflection of Hyun’s smile, trying to feel the same hope she seemed to be feeling. He didn’t know how she did it, but he believed her. He noticed she had said, ‘Once we’re out,’ not, ‘if we get out,’ and he was quietly thankful for that. They...still had to believe they would get out, right? Or all of their friends’ death would be for nothing. 

His enthusiasm wilted a little at her idea about the water, though. He had actually already thought of that earlier, too, but Shujin had come to be the bearer of bad, albeit helpful, news. And now, looking down at his feet, Ezra realized he had to tell her, too. She wouldn’t be mad at him, would she? Probably not, but he still didn’t like shooting down her ideas. 

“Sorry,” He apologized preemptively. “Shujin. Told me. Earlier, that boiling doesn’t. Remove toxins. Unfortunately,” He risked a glance at her, to make sure she wasn’t too upset by that, and quickly continued. “But! We could. Ask about the raw food. I. Don’t know much about cooking, but that might. Work?” He left out the fact that they would have to ask the worst-bear(robot? puppet? hell creature?)-on-Earth, because that was a given, but he didn’t like thinking about Monokuma more than necessary. It left a bad taste in his mouth. 

He wondered what Hyun thought about the traitor. Was there even a traitor? Ezra still didn’t fully believe it, that it wasn’t just Monokuma trying to turn them on one another yet again. There were so few of them left now...

He didn’t ask, though, because, if he was honest, he was afraid to know what Hyun thought. He knew he should probably form his own opinions, but he trusted Hyun, and if she did think there was a traitor, he would believe her. But he didn’t want to. Not on that. So he just wouldn’t bring it up.

What he did bring up was the pad of paper she was hastily scribbling on, looking like a child that had gotten their hand caught in the cookie jar when she noticed him staring. She said something vague in response, that was most definitely not an answer. “What are you. Writing now?” Maybe she had another idea? But why wouldn’t she tell him? Was it something bad? Now he was worried.

But maybe he had gone too far. She didn’t need to show him everything. He was just being paranoid. He didn’t want to freak her out, not now. “It’s okay! You. Don’t have to tell me,” He assured, in probably the least assuring voice possible. He really was awful at this, wasn’t he? This whole, having friends thing. “Um. Can I. Help you with the. Food?” He could at least be useful, if he wasn’t going to be good company. 

@shsl-crocker

[shslcartographxr]

take a fckn sip babes

Ezra didn’t like surprises very much. He liked knowing what was going to happen, and when, and having time to prepare. He liked having some sort of sense of stability, of normalcy. All of that had disappeared since coming here. Nothing was a given, except for murder, and Ezra didn’t think he could ever grow used to that. Hopefully, he wouldn’t. 

And now, apparently, they were all slowly being poisoned, and although Ezra had a reasonable amount of doubt about Monokuma’s words of a traitor, he didn’t doubt there was something in their food and drink. The latter is what worried him the most-they could ration eating, and probably make it longer than a week, but they wouldn’t make it a day without water. Or, maybe it was longer than that, he couldn’t remember, but it still wasn’t very long. 

So he was making himself useful. Or useful-ish, at least. Maybe. He was in the kitchen, surrounded by pots and pans of various sizes, looking vaguely like he was in some sort of cooking show starring as the most lost contestant in the world. Half of the pots were already filled with water, and he was somewhat frantically filling more, humming a tuneless song to himself, although close observation revealed a bit of method to the madness. Ezra was no top chef, but he knew how to work an oven, at least. 

Boiling water purified it, right? And purified water meant no poison. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully? He was trying it, at least. It gave him something to do. Something to focus on, other than thinking of the fact there were only six other people left alive as of now. And if Monokuma had his way, soon there would be even less.

Ezra wouldn’t let that happen. Or-well, okay, maybe he couldn’t exactly stop it, but he could try. 

@ultimateglassblower @shsl-crocker @un-luckster @headofreservecoursecouncil @cryptographer @gameshowfever

[headofreservecoursecouncil-blog]

@shslcartographxr

Shujin was just wandering, for the moment. He didn’t really have much to do, since he was trying to cut back on eating biscuits. All this had served to do so far was make him realise that he ate a lot of biscuits when murder was going on. And to make him hungry. Really, really hungry. So he’d headed to the kitchen, deciding to find some bread rolls to eat - Even if they were toxic, they’d fill him up for a while, and hopefully then he wouldn’t need to eat for a longer period. It might work. What he hadn’t expected to come across, however, was Ezra sitting on the floor, surrounded by kitchen utensils… Confusing, to say the least.

“Ezra.” He announced his presence in the kitchen quietly, stepping over a few pots to make his way over to the other boy - “…What are you trying to do here, exactly?” Hopping over a few more pots, he managed to make his way to the nearest cupboard and retrieve some bread products - “If you’re trying to purify it, that won’t work. Boiling doesn’t remove chemical toxins. It just kills bacteria.” He put the bread rolls down on the side, glancing down at the other boy with a sigh, before picking up an empty pot - “Though… Maybe if we used evaporation, we could separate some of the water from the poison… But then we’d need to know what sort of poison it is….” Shujin set the pot down on the side, staring at it for a moment, before turning back to his friend with a tired expression - “Who do you think the traitor is..? Or rather, do you think there even is one? I’m not sure about all this.”

[shslcartographxr]

Ezra felt all the energy leave his body, and he unceremoniously plopped down on the floor, visibly drooping over the empty pot he was holding. “It won’t work,” he repeated mournfully, grateful that Shujin had told him before he went too far, but still disappointed. So there really wasn’t anything he could do, was there? Other than kill, but-yeah. Not happening. 

Without looking up, Ezra replied, “I. Don’t know,” to Shujin’s question. He stared into the empty pot as if it would suddenly somehow give him the answers he needed, but nothing was coming to him. “I. I don’t think. Of all of us. That are left...” He paused, not sure how to articulate what he was trying to say, and looked up at Shujin. “None. Of us would. Betray each other.” For once, he sounded relatively sure of something, although his confidence in that statement immediately faded away once he had said it. Was he just being stupid? He had made his mind up not to trust anyone, in the beginning, but that hadn’t worked. But...was he just too stupid to see if anyone was tricking him? How would he know?

He didn’t know. He didn’t want to think about it.

“I don’t. Feel poisoned,” He muttered, glancing back down at the cooking ware he was using as a pseudo-shield. “Have you noticed anything. Weird?” Shujin was more perceptive than him. He would know if something was up. Wouldn’t he?

@headofreservecoursecouncil

[shslcartographxr]

take a fckn sip babes

Ezra didn’t like surprises very much. He liked knowing what was going to happen, and when, and having time to prepare. He liked having some sort of sense of stability, of normalcy. All of that had disappeared since coming here. Nothing was a given, except for murder, and Ezra didn’t think he could ever grow used to that. Hopefully, he wouldn’t. 

And now, apparently, they were all slowly being poisoned, and although Ezra had a reasonable amount of doubt about Monokuma’s words of a traitor, he didn’t doubt there was something in their food and drink. The latter is what worried him the most-they could ration eating, and probably make it longer than a week, but they wouldn’t make it a day without water. Or, maybe it was longer than that, he couldn’t remember, but it still wasn’t very long. 

So he was making himself useful. Or useful-ish, at least. Maybe. He was in the kitchen, surrounded by pots and pans of various sizes, looking vaguely like he was in some sort of cooking show starring as the most lost contestant in the world. Half of the pots were already filled with water, and he was somewhat frantically filling more, humming a tuneless song to himself, although close observation revealed a bit of method to the madness. Ezra was no top chef, but he knew how to work an oven, at least. 

Boiling water purified it, right? And purified water meant no poison. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully? He was trying it, at least. It gave him something to do. Something to focus on, other than thinking of the fact there were only six other people left alive as of now. And if Monokuma had his way, soon there would be even less.

Ezra wouldn’t let that happen. Or-well, okay, maybe he couldn’t exactly stop it, but he could try. 

@ultimateglassblower @shsl-crocker @un-luckster @headofreservecoursecouncil @cryptographer @gameshowfever

[shsl-crocker]

nice time 2 dye

It took almost all of Hyun’s willpower to not burrow further into the jacket Orochi gave her, and just blatantly ignore the bear. On the other hand, it took more willpower to not go down to the cafeteria and chug the first thing of water she found. She was tired. Who could blame her. She decided quickly that no, even if you surviving doesn’t matter, you should stay alive so you can at least help the others. Sitting up in her bed she had been spending most of her time in, she fiddled with the red ribbon around her wrist. She had rolled up Orochi’s jacket sleeves to still see the scarf around her elbow, and she was still wearing her normal jacket under. It was lightweight, anyway, she just didn’t want to not wear her grandpa’s pocket. She had considered, if for a moment, giving the jacket to Shujin, but decided against it. Having that constant reminder would probably be more detrimental than anything.

…

That’s awfully hypocritical, huh? She thought. But it doesn’t really matter. My mental state is already real messed up here. She finally stood up, grabbing a pad of paper and one of the glitter pens she got from the school store a few weeks ago - blue one, nice - and went down to the kitchen. As much as she didn’t want to think it, someone was definitely going to kill. She should at least take inventory. She guessed it was lucky she was so used to not eating, it was a common punishment at her home. She quickly jotted down a few notes.

water- can go 3 days with no water. someone went like 8 though i’m pretty sure. maybe boiling it will purify it. food- can go 3 weeks. maybe didn’t poison raw materials, could maybe make bread? expands in stomach and eat less.

She clicked her gel pen to close the nib and stuck it behind her ear. These were probably enough for now. She knew how some others felt, though, so she might have to keep an eye on a few. She walked out of the kitchen into the dining hall, taking check of the buffet bar. @cryptographer @shslcartographxr @un-luckster @ultimateglassblower @headofreservecoursecouncil @gameshowfever

[shslcartographxr]

What the fuck.

That was honestly the only reaction Ezra could feel at the announcement of the newest motive. Really? Really? Couldn’t they get a break for one second?

Apparently not. He should have expected it, but he was still angry. And was it even true? Didn’t Orochi kill and die so that they wouldn’t turn on each other? But here Monokuma was, trying to get them to do just that. Ezra wouldn’t put Monokuma past poisoning their food, but he didn’t believe there was a traitor. Maybe it was stupid, but he didn’t want to believe there was a traitor. There were so few of them left...if they turned on each other now, wouldn’t they all just implode?

As Ezra entered the dining hall he noticed Hyun, true to form, already seeming like she was getting to work. He waved to her and ignored the rumbling of his stomach, trying to remember how long a human could go without food and water. 

“Um. Hey,” He started lamely as he approached her, trying not to look too hard at the various articles of clothing she wore to remember those who had died. It was touching of her, but it was just too painful for him to think about. Although, part of him was comforted by the fact that she’d probably take his hat when-if he died. If he wanted to be of any real use to Hyun, though...if he wanted to try and protect her, which he did, he couldn’t die. And no one else could, either. So they needed to figure out what the fuck to do. 

“What do. You think about...” He trailed off, waving a hand vaguely at the buffet. “Can we. Find a way to avoid. The poison? What type of. Poison even is it?” He wondered if Monokuma would give them a more specific answer, but probably not. He wasn’t exactly the epitome of “helpful.” 

@shsl-crocker

[headofreservecoursecouncil-blog]

Chapter 5: Start

(tagging everyone still alive!! @shsl-crocker @shslcartographxr @cryptographer @un-luckster @ultimateglassblower @gameshowfever ) (it’s under a cut ‘cause it got really long) Shujin was dealing with the situation reasonably well, considering all aspects. After the trial, he’d stumbled back to his room in a daze, barely able to see with his glasses fogged from tears. Orochi had been playing with him. All along, every smile, every offer of friendship… A performance worthy of an Ultimate Thespian, in every aspect. Even now, he had a grudging speck of respect for the actor - He’d been taken in completely by his act.

Keep reading

[shslcartographxr]

Ezra was absolutely and utterly exhausted. 

Sleep had never come easy for him, but even less so now that he saw a different person dying every time he closed his eyes. A different friend dying, every time. Orochi, now, was gone too…and even if he had killed Hoshiko, it was hard for Ezra to reconcile the actor’s kindness with his cruelty. It felt like another person had done it, but it had unquestionably been Orochi. He just…didn’t understand. 

So he wasn’t going to try to, right now. There were still people living that-well, they didn’t exactly need him, but that he could try to help. And he needed them too; he knew that now. He couldn’t abandon them again. 

Breakfast was always awful, the day after the trial, but this time the atmosphere was particularly suffocating. Part of it seemed to be emanating from Shujin, who looked like he was trying to melt into the ground despite being six feet tall. Needless to say, it wasn’t working. Ezra hadn’t talked to Shujin in a while, and he wasn’t sure if the other still considered him a friend, but the empty space next to Shujin was too painful to just leave that way. 

Ezra grabbed an apple from the breakfast buffet and slowly made his way over to Shujin’s table, nodding hello at the other people entering the dining hall. He knew he was stalling, and he should just suck it up and say something, but what could he even say? Nothing would make this better. 

Before he knew it, he was standing next to the reserve course student, and he choked on whatever greeting he had planned and just jerkily sat down without a word. 

“Um,” He took a bite of his apple, chewing slowly as to give himself more time to figure out what to say. In the end, all that came out was an awkward, quiet, “Hi. How are. You?” Nice going, Ezra. Well, it was something, at least. Even if it was incredibly stupid. 

@headofreservecoursecouncil

[headofreservecoursecouncil-blog]

@shslcartographxr “I’m fine, thank you.” It was an automatic response, and nothing could have been further from the truth, but Shujin managed to keep his neutral expression in place as he glanced up to see Ezra, blinking twice, almost as if he were startled to find the other boy there - “I mean, as fine as any of us could be.” He amended seconds later. He didn’t particularly feel like being accused of not caring about anything all over again. Especially as Ezra was now the only person he could claim any sort of close friendship with - “How are you? You must be a little shaken, being the last person to see Moreau alive.”  “It’s been a while.” He said, eventually managing to smile and look like he wanted to be at the breakfast table having a chat, instead of alone, in bed, buried under as many blankets as he could find - “Look, I’m sorry I was snappy with you, last time we talked… I was just really tired.” Shujin knew he had to make his apologies now - He wasn’t going to leave it until it was too late, again. “I’ve missed you.” It came out honestly, and Shujin realised that he had missed his friend. Quite a lot. It had been weeks. “We’re still friends, right?” A calm tone hid his desperation to have it confirmed - He trusted Ezra. They’d become friends early enough that he knew for a fact that the cartographer hadn’t had time to plan a murder, first - “I mean… I hope we are, at least.”

[shslcartographxr]

Ezra realized Shujin asked it out of genuine concern, but guilt crept up through him at the reminder of Hoshiko. He knew there was probably nothing he could have done, but maybe-maybe, if he had just stopped her from drinking, or did it himself...well, it was too late for that now. It was too late for a lot of things. 

His restless fidgeting stilled for a moment in surprise as he listened to Shujin’s apology. He...didn’t need to apologize, not really. It already seemed so long ago, even though it really hadn’t been. Ezra’s idea had been stupid, and all Shujin did was call it out. Even if it had hurt a little-even though it had made him frustrated, honestly-it was just the other student being logical, right? But Ezra didn’t say anything, because he felt like Shujin had more to say, and he was correct. 

We’re still friends, right? Of all the things Shujin could have said, this made the least sense to Ezra. He hadn’t known if they were friends anymore either, but mostly because he had thought Shujin was disappointed in him. Or...afraid of him. Ezra wouldn’t blame him. It felt like everyone around him was dying, and not just because they were in a killing game. He was weak, he was cursed, and he was an SHSL, all things that Shujin should hate. 

But Shujin, apparently, did not. And Ezra, despite himself, felt a little bit happy, and then immediately guilty for feeling happy when Shujin was obviously suffering. He realized he had stayed silent for a disconcertingly long time, and almost apologized on reflex, but that wasn’t what Shujin needed to hear right now. Instead, he quietly said, “Of course.”

He took another bite of his apple and swallowed, turning to try and smile comfortingly at Shujin, try being the key word. “Why. Wouldn’t we be?”

@headofreservecoursecouncil

[un-luckster]

A new chapter...

Haruki was in his room. Honestly, he wasn’t sure how to feel at this point. 

It had been Morioka?

As much as Haruki had suspected him from the beginning, those sharp thoughts had been more from some sick envy than anything else, he was sure now. Another murder…. and for something like this…

He grimaced and leaned back on the bed, running his hand across his face and through his bangs. The cool metal of his rings chilled his skin, and he almost flinched.

Hoshiko… she was dead now, too, because of Orochi. The girl who’d been so broken over Addy’s death. The girl who’d already lost someone so important, just to have her own life taken from her.

Haruki hadn’t even had the chance to say what he’d wanted to say to her. All because of the fighting…. Fighting he’d been powerless to stop.

Fighting that only she could have made better.

He felt sick, inside and out. His skin was pale now, body somewhat weak and tired. Whether from the constant stress of the situation or something else, Haruki couldn’t be sure. Every so often, he crawled to his chair to move to the bathroom, heaving with strong coughing fits.

It really was hell.

He tipped back the bottle that he’d grabbed from his fridge, downing the contents before setting it back on his nightstand. The sweat that lined his forehead made his hair sticky, but he didn’t feel strong enough to move right this second. He’d gather the energy to wash himself off later.

For now, Haruki simply stared at his hand. Stared at the three rings on his fingers. Two made of soft silver, and the last carved from a cold, black stone, staring at him silently in the lightless room.

He closed his eyes, shutting everything out. Then, gritting his teeth, Haruki pulled the rings off his fingers for the first time in years, setting them on his nightstand.

As soon as I can find the strength… I’ll take them there.

@cryptographer @ultimateglassblower @gameshowfever @shsl-crocker @shslcartographxr @headofreservecoursecouncil

[shslcartographxr]

Maybe it was hypocritical of Ezra to worry about someone else’s health when he was barely taking care of his own, but Haruki really hadn’t looked well after the trial. Or even before then, honestly. He had given it the night, but now it was morning, and Haruki still hadn’t showed up to breakfast. And maybe it was Hyun’s influence, or maybe just his own overwhelming worry, but Ezra found himself filling his arms with food from the breakfast buffet to take to Haruki’s room. 

He caught Hyun’s eye as she entered the breakfast hall and he offered her a shy smile as she immediately rushed over to help him, without question. He really had missed her. Once he explained why he was carrying approximately eight waffles along with other foods, Hyun grabbed even more to add to the “breakfast-in-bed” they were making. Ezra privately wondered if this was too much, but he knew once Hyun started something there was no stopping her, so he just let her do her thing. 

Between the two of them they managed to collect quite a haul, and they carefully, carefully made their way back up to the second floor without dropping and breaking any plates. Balancing precariously on one foot, Ezra used the other to kick at Haruki’s door in lieu of knocking. He tried to do so gently, as to not scare the other boy, but it probably sounded rather alarming anyways. Hyun, as if sensing his anxiety, added a little “It’s just us!” to punctuate their knocking, although there was no way to know if Haruki was actually hearing them. 

@shsl-crocker @un-luckster

[headofreservecoursecouncil-blog]

Chapter 5: Start

(tagging everyone still alive!! @shsl-crocker @shslcartographxr @cryptographer @un-luckster @ultimateglassblower @gameshowfever ) (it’s under a cut ‘cause it got really long) Shujin was dealing with the situation reasonably well, considering all aspects. After the trial, he’d stumbled back to his room in a daze, barely able to see with his glasses fogged from tears. Orochi had been playing with him. All along, every smile, every offer of friendship… A performance worthy of an Ultimate Thespian, in every aspect. Even now, he had a grudging speck of respect for the actor - He’d been taken in completely by his act.

Keep reading

[shslcartographxr]

Ezra was absolutely and utterly exhausted. 

Sleep had never come easy for him, but even less so now that he saw a different person dying every time he closed his eyes. A different friend dying, every time. Orochi, now, was gone too...and even if he had killed Hoshiko, it was hard for Ezra to reconcile the actor’s kindness with his cruelty. It felt like another person had done it, but it had unquestionably been Orochi. He just...didn’t understand. 

So he wasn’t going to try to, right now. There were still people living that-well, they didn’t exactly need him, but that he could try to help. And he needed them too; he knew that now. He couldn’t abandon them again. 

Breakfast was always awful, the day after the trial, but this time the atmosphere was particularly suffocating. Part of it seemed to be emanating from Shujin, who looked like he was trying to melt into the ground despite being six feet tall. Needless to say, it wasn’t working. Ezra hadn’t talked to Shujin in a while, and he wasn’t sure if the other still considered him a friend, but the empty space next to Shujin was too painful to just leave that way. 

Ezra grabbed an apple from the breakfast buffet and slowly made his way over to Shujin’s table, nodding hello at the other people entering the dining hall. He knew he was stalling, and he should just suck it up and say something, but what could he even say? Nothing would make this better. 

Before he knew it, he was standing next to the reserve course student, and he choked on whatever greeting he had planned and just jerkily sat down without a word. 

“Um,” He took a bite of his apple, chewing slowly as to give himself more time to figure out what to say. In the end, all that came out was an awkward, quiet, “Hi. How are. You?” Nice going, Ezra. Well, it was something, at least. Even if it was incredibly stupid. 

@headofreservecoursecouncil