meMorY dRive erAseD

SHSL ??? Yamanami Nagisa Status: Alive

[shsl-networker]

Mind your own business | Nagisa

"No…"

This was a dream - a nightmare, surely. Just some horrible little dream right? He’d wake up soon and it would be gone. But he blinked and it was still there - minutes passed and it was still there.

Staring him dead in the face was the one thing he’d spent most of his life avoiding, forgetting.

"N-No, no, no, no, NO!" He muttered to himself frantically.

He’d been in the cafeteria. Found himself a quiet little table where he could eat in peace (the usual hectic bonding lunchtime dynamic in the real world nowhere to be found in this circus). At the announcement however he left - immediately. He couldn’t be caught by anybody, not when he was like this - so frantic and nervy… But more importantly - so mad. The things he might say in this state… No, he just couldn’t be caught, that’s all. Easy - he’d just find somewhere to hide while he composed himself…

But he was so caught up in his own thoughts that he neglected to hear the footsteps approaching, and after rounding a hallway - he unfortunately came face to face with someone and stopped dead. 

"…WHAT-!?" He snapped at the person, hardly even paying attention to who it was. 

"Your timing - let me be frank, IS SHIT. Get out of the way!!” His tone was clipped as he hand-waved them to move aside. If Manga was previously a snake in a grass, then this was definitely the cobra rearing up and spitting venom.

[shslenigma]

Well... Nagisa wasn't sure what he'd been expecting here, of course Manga was in a mood. The networker had zoomed off before anyone could really catch him after the announcement and although part of him thought it was a bad idea... well, Nagisa had tracked him down. He could justify it as he'd rather not see Manga kill anyone in a big fit or something. Was the networker even capable of that? Well... maybe. Better safe than sorry - easier to think everyone a potential threat than end up suffering for it later.

The mysterious (or perhaps now that'd be the 'lying') boy finds Manga in the cafeteria and he makes a slow approach, like a hunter sneaking up on a predator.

"Uwaa, always so angry..." he mutters. Nagisa's, honestly kind of cheery and jovial nature was probably only going to make this worse but what kind of a person would he be if he didn't at least try to talk to him about this?

"You know it's not like Tanaka is a bad name. Takehiko too... salt of the earth names really show how hard you've worked. And honestly shouldn't you be prouder of humble roots since you've come so far?" he tilts his head and then flashes Manga a peace sign. "So don't stress out over it, Tanaka-chin! I feel like you're your own worst enemy here."

This would surely end well.

[shslenigma]

Il Mago's Fabrication | Kimiko

[shsl-forgeries-deactivated20150]

“Aww…”

Kimiko couldn’t say that she wasn’t disappointed. Still no straight answers? But… that meant his talent must be, like, really super-duper-secret! That was so cool! It was a little weird to find out that Nagisa didn’t really not actually not know who he really was, or wasn’t, or… something like that?

“It’s too bad about your finger,” she said, “but… I mean, you can’t change the past. But it’s also okay to think about it, because sometimes you can learn things, like – oh, like maybe how some things aren’t worth fighting over, I guess?”

She leaned back in the chair, thinking about Nagisa’s question. She had a feeling that she could probably get mad at him if she wanted to, but what would be the point? It wouldn’t change that he had hidden something about himself, and it would probably make it a lot harder to stay friends, so…

“Well… not really! I trust you, and I’m definitely not afraid of you! I think I’m just a little confused about why you did it, but if you can’t tell me, then – wait, you said you’d tell me when the cards told you to, right? You should ask them now! Or even just do my fortune thingy! I kind of want to see how those things work, anyway.”

She smiled at him, practically bouncing in her seat. So maybe people’s secrets were getting revealed by a dragon trying to incentivize murder, but maybe Nagisa would show her his cool card thing, and nothing bad would happen for a little while longer.

[shslenigma]

Nagisa heaves a huge and overdramatic sigh. "It's a big shame, Kimiko-chin! If it wasn't mangled like this I'd be able to play something. I am quite the musician you know! But well," he shrugs. "some things aren't meant to be, I guess. Destiny is pretty hard to overturn. Not that it can't be done." he gives her a little wink as if sharing a very deep and interesting secret with her before flashing her a truly sincere smile. It was good to know he wasn't being judged too badly for this. It was hard to know with people.

"I'm glad you do. Friends aren't easy to find you know. The last person I wanted to call a friend was Red-chin and well..." that trails off into awkward laughter which later just leads into a sigh. "That wasn't very funny. I'm sorry. I should really learn to watch how I speak. I'm not very good at showing my grief and the like, I suppose." he always told himself to work on that but saying something and doing something... well, they were two very different things. "I won't betray that trust. So it's okay to rely on me a little if you need it too. That is what friends do, I think, isn't it?"

He puts a finger to his chin, wanting to at least give Kimiko something and then he scrunches his eyebrows together in thought. Nagisa's eyes light up and he smashes one hand into the other as a sort of 'I've got it gesture' turning back to her with a childlike glee. "I can't tell you my secret just yet. Hang on a little longer and I can try. But think about it like this... do you know about comic books? The western ones. Think about it like a superhero. Knowing Clark Kent and Superman are one in the same would be a dangerous thing for the enemies to know, don't you think? I guess it's kind of like that."

He then glances down at his deck and shuffles it. "Ask the cards, hmm? Well, that's not a bad idea. Do you want to help? I'll fan the cards out. You pick three. And I'll tell you what they're saying. How about it, Kimiko-chin? Maybe you'll learn something about yourself."

[shslenigma]

Il Mago's Fabrication | Mori

[morisquared-blog1]

There were two parts to what they’d seen today: what had been revealed to them, and the potential of what would be revealed over the coming days. Judging by most people’s reactions, they were focusing on the latter, which was entirely fair enough, given that most people probably had more to hide than the model, probably.

But… Mori’s curious. She’d always been curious, in ways that had come back to bite him, even before the invitation to Hope’s Peak, and this whole mess. Almost tiptoeing forward, Mori slowly but surely approached the mysterious boy, but before she can even say one word, Nagisa speaks up and Mori honestly flinches back slightly before regaining his composure. 

"O-oh…! Mori is sorry for sneaking up on Yamanami-chan, but Mori just wanted to make sure Yamanami-chan is okay! …a-and stuff."

Mori smiles as he rubs the back of her head and laughs, though she seems a bit… wary? Though, he’s not sure what she has to be wary of. It’s Nagisa, he’s been nothing but kind to her thus far. Plus, his secret was already out, so… things are fine. He takes a seat next to the non-amnesiac, twiddling her thumbs for a moment before speaking again.

"Mori’s not… mad at Yamanami-chan or anything…! Just… curious, Mori guesses? M-Mori doesn’t expect Yamanami-chan t-to tell Mori, either, but… Mori just wants to know ‘why’, if that’s okay?"

[shslenigma]

Sneaking up on, huh? Was she? Honestly even Nagisa couldn't tell, maybe he had been. People's motivations and the way they went about things... those things weren't always clear to him after all. Never been much of a people person he supposed. Observation was one thing but knowing what any of that observing meant was another thing entirely.

"Ask if I'm okay? Isn't that a curious notion, Mori-chin? It's not like I witnessed a funeral or even suffered an injury like you did. But I suppose that's in your character isn't it? Such immeasurable kindness. I would warn you how dangerous and cruel kindness can be sometimes..."

"But that's neither here nor there. I appreciate the sentiment. I'm fine, Mori-chin, of course." he waves his hands about.

He can't help but watch Mori as his expressions change and she engages in a variety of different gestures. It's interesting, watching people.

"Why you say... well, why can mean a great many things, don't you think? Why hide your talent, I assume is the question you're asking but you could be asking why are you so chipper? Or why aren't you worried someone will get you for this? Why the indifference?" he steeples his fingers together and then tilts his head at him.

"But I digress." Nagisa clears his throat. "The 'why' in this case is rather simple. Because it's easier. It's easier to move around and get in people's good books. Easier to be trusted. Maybe that sounds callous but not everyone has your heart, Mori-chin. A murderer that pleads you to look into a matter is not likely to be listened to... even a detective would be seen as perhaps, cold and dangerous... not that I can confirm having such talents but you get my point. There's also the matter of the danger I'd put in if I told people anything. What I can do... well, let's just say I imagine I'll be very helpful - and it helps to have an ace in your hand, right?" he laughs but then looks up to the ceiling speaking in a slightly more hushed voice. "But Mori-chin you have to remember that I'm not your enemy here."

[shslenigma]

Il Mago's Fabrication | Jin&Nagisa

[shslshamisenrockarchive]

Jin slid into the chair across from Nagisa. He’d never really paid much attention to the kid. He was irritating, sure, but everyone was irritating, and Yamawhatever wasn’t so blatantly irksome that it forced Jin to deign wasting attention on him.

Until now, anyway.

"So what, you’re a Super High School Liar?" he said flatly, leaning his elbows forward onto the table, staring Nagisa down. He held the gaze for a moment in silence, and then exhaled audibly and leaned back into the chair.

"Whatever," he said, "You know, it’s cool, who cares. Lying’s a part of life here, isn’t it? I don’t give a damn." There was another pause, but this one was different, a hesitating pause, like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to put it together.

But apparently, he found the right words after a moment. “What’s the deal with your cards?” he asked, “You’re always winging them around, aren’t you?”

[shslenigma]

He'd never really been on good terms with Jin Suzumiyatake nor had he been on bad terms - they were just kinda on. Terms. But the guy could be prickly, from what he'd seen in trials and the like so who knows how he'd approach this? Internally Nagisa just shrugged, he'd just deal with the questions and snark as they came.

"Super High School Level Liar? You have a sense of humour, Suzumiyatake-chin! If I were such a thing I think I'd pick a cooler name, don't you?" he'd meant it as a joke but Nagisa somehow got the impression Jin wasn't the joking type. Unless jokes were at the expense of someone else, anyway.

The musician didn't seem to care much about the reveal in all honesty which was... well, it wasn't too much of a relief as it's not like they'd really been acquaintances prior to this. But the less trouble was the better, of course, so in some sense he was grateful for the casual way in which Jin spoke. He spoke of lies so casually. No doubt Jin had these lies of his own if he talked about them in such a fashion. It was true though, no one could deny that - everybody lied. "It is, indeed." he agreed in a casual tone.

"Eh? My deal? I'm not sure what you mean... are you trying to say you're curious about what the cards say?" that would be unexpected. But not bad... he was always willing to talk about tarot.

[shslenigma]

Il Mago's Fabrication | Kimiko

[shsl-forgeries-deactivated20150]

If it had been anyone else – well, maybe not Rinta. Or Morihiko. Or – okay, the point was Kimiko might have been much more suspicious if the video had been of someone she didn’t like in the first place. But this was Nagisa! He probably had a good reason for it, or something.

She sat down in the seat next to him, a smile to match his own on her face.

“Hi, Nagisa!” She put her elbow on the table and rested her head in her hand, facing him. Sure, she was a little disappointed that he apparently hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her about his mysterious past, but she was pretty sure they were still friends. Besides, she loved hearing a good secret!

“Come on, spill! What’s your talent? What happened to your finger? I promise I won’t tell anyone else if you don’t want me to!”

[shslenigma]

Rather than seeming mad like he'd perhaps hypothesized Nagisa couldn't help but notice that as Kimiko approached she seemed... rather chipper? Or rather, no more upset than usual. Honestly he was quite happy to be surprised in this right. When she sits by him, he bobs his head so as to say hello and then responds to her cheery greeting in kind with one of his own.

"Hello, Kimiko-chin. Always delighted to see a friendly face." he bobs his head.

And then came the questions. Though they were spoken of in such a bubbly way he couldn't actually be mad. Not that he would be anyway, what was the harm in questions? Especially questions you expected.

"... "

"... I'm sorry, Kimiko-chin, I can't tell you my talent. There's a good reason for it, I promise. I'm not keeping it a secret to be mean. It'll complicate things. Just know that whatever happens and whatever you hear... I'm on your side! Okay? As long as you know that, everything will be alright, I promise. And I'll tell you later, I'm sure of it. When the cards tells me it's the right time." he nods at that. The other question, however, was thankfully easier to deal with. He raises the hand in question and shows it off and then, in a similar way to as in the video, he attempts to bend the offending finger. It barely moves.

"You see it? That's the cause of an accident. I don't mind it now. It was caused by a little stupid fight, so childish when I think about it now. But it's sad, isn't it? Something so important can be taken away but such a small thing. In hindsight, you know, there are a lot of things to be changed."

He then tilts his head, seemingly in thought for a second, staring vaguely into space before turning back to her. "May I ask a question in turn? I'm curious, aren't you afraid of me, Kimiko-chin? Or disappointed that I lied? Not that I am grateful or even asking you to distrust me, it's a pretty good thing. I'm just curious, I guess."

[shslenigma]

The Whisperer in Darkness [Kyoki]

[delvingintotheblackabyss-blog]

Kyoki almost chuckled. Well, okay, she came close to a state of amusement that might have possibly caused her to almost chuckle. She was a respected literary figure after all, dignified and gloomy. Laughing was not part of repertoire. Instead, she raised her other eyebrow, very slightly, not as much as the other, to show that, while still bemused, she was also very slightly amused by Nagisa. At least, she hoped it would show that. She prided herself on her expressive eyebrows. 

"I certainly hope that life does not imitate art in that fashion also, Yamanami-san. This may perhaps not be the greatest commendation ever put into speech, but I very much prefer you as you currently are; which is to say, alive, and not a pile of foetid offal. You are mysterious in a way that is interesting rather than trite, and altogether rather pleasant company." Although Kyoki’s tone is that of someone telling what they think is a very clever joke, she sounds genuinely sincere. 

She watches him begin to climb down with some interest, and when she speaks, her voice is laden with sarcasm. “Now, I hope that the sheer shock of the revelation does not cause you to fall to the ground in surprise, but I have had better days than those during which I have been prohibited from any sleep. I would say that at least nightmares do not trouble me, but my nightmares do not need sleep to be experienced.” As she says this, her face took on an odd characteristic, as if she were glad that she was still hounded by nightmares. 

She’s pondering what he means about the cards; she resolved to herself that tarot cards would play a strong role in her next novel, they were certainly the kind of interesting and mysterious thing which would fit right in, when he commences his little speech, and her calmness seems to crack a little, her voice slightly shaky when she replies. 

"I do not know how to respond to your thanks. I have no wish to forget any of the dead. Death is something that is difficult to simply put aside." Kyoki says this in a matter-of-fact tone, as if this is something she knows well through experience. "But Red-san was my first friend. I do not know what sort of person I would be if I did not mourn him…" 

Her composure seems to fall apart more and more as she continues, her voice seeming on the edge of tears. “He was my friend, and I wish someone else would have died in his place, that Fukui would have chosen someone other than him, anyone other than him, and I thought that seeing her die would make things better but it didn’t and -” She closed her eyes, breathing deeply for a few seconds before continuing with newfound calm solemnity. “I miss him.”

[shslenigma]

He didn't quite pick up on her emotions but she seemed to be in a good enough cheer for him so he continued grinning as he was wont to do anyway.

"Uwaah, I'm grateful for that, Fujimori-sensei! Indeed, can you imagine me as offal, tinted pink and black from this," he tugs on some strands of his hair before laughing. It's somewhat incredible how easily he talks about or even brushes off the gore aspect of it. He's either fearless or it just doesn't bother him. Or maybe he's just good at putting up a fake smile. It's impossible to say. "Then we're both hopeful, I guess. Authors and creative types often don't last long in these horror sorts of scenarios, too. So the feeling is mutual, I also hope that real life does not mirror such fiction. It'd be a real shame."

"Ahaha! No, that's quite right, of course you'd be having a tough time of it! But it hardly shows, for what it's worth." Nagisa adds in a cheeky wink for her there.

Then she begins to speak about Red and the atmosphere itself, it just... it changes.

He nods, an understanding look on his face before pulling out his faithful cards and spinning them around in his hands. "Do you know the common meaning of the Death card, Fujimori-sensei?" he shows it off to her and then stares at it himself. "La Morte isn't an evil card. It isn't even a card to be feared. The thirteenth card... it represents great change. You see? It's transition. And if you were to reverse it..." he mimics such a gesture by turning the card upside down, eyes never leaving it. "That would imply a resistance to such change... an inability to move on." he puts the cards back into a deck formation and puts them away, turning back to Kyoki with a smile of a somewhat gentle quality. "So you're quite right you know. Forgetting the dead isn't something I'd recommend. The dead are only truly dead if we forget about them. Otherwise? Well, I imagine they're on a journey we couldn't possibly understand." he places a hand on Kyoki's head all of a sudden and gives her short hair a little ruffle. Probably not something you should do to a horror author but he'd never been one to stop himself. "You're a good person, sensei! Of course you'd mourn your friend. I wanted to be his friend too but..." his smile turns a little sad. "I just wish I'd talked to him more."

When her tone changes he blinks, a little surprised by the emotion from the author. But that's not fair. She's a person, a teenager, even. She's just like all of them are. Instead of ruffling her hair he knocks his head against her's, a feat easily managed by his height.

"Revenge is never the answer. Sometimes you need to get it to realise that, though. It's... not your fault, Fujimori-sensei. What you're feeling, it's totally natural. And I miss him too. I couldn't presume to miss him as much as you do but..." he draws back and takes a step back for good measure, too.

"I think Red-chin would be really happy to know he was so cared about. You know, it's hard to see it this way but I am... glad, somewhat, Red-chin is dead. Because, he doesn't have to suffer on this island anymore. But really, don't feel like you need to bottle it up, okay? I know you're a writer and stuff but... that doesn't mean you don't have a right to grief, too."

[shslenigma]

Il Mago's Fabrication | Open

"Ah."

Well what else can you say? This is, how you say, a dilly of a pickle. Of course, it's not a big deal, not really. He's kept it a secret, sure, but it's been for a good reason. So he lied about the amnesia, that shouldn't be too big a deal, right?

There was no point in attempting to leave this place even though he found the room rather drab. No doubt someone would have a question for him and unfortunately, he always had a rather real fear that things would turn physical. One always had to be on their guard for physical violence. He'd already been punched by Red even if that had mostly been reflex. Nagisa would rather not repeat that experience and yet, he still fully expected to at some point or another.

"I don't need the cards to tell me you want to have a word with me." he says out of the blue when he hears footsteps near his seat on the table. He tosses his head back, grinning, seemingly as chipper and unbothered as ever.

"Well I don't suppose I mind. I should have expected this, I guess."

[shslenigma]

The Whisperer in Darkness [Kyoki]

[delvingintotheblackabyss-blog]

Kyoki had not expected to meet anyone else out this late. After all, with the exception of the unfortunate members of team seven, everybody had much better things to during the nighttime than wander the island aimlessly, namely sleeping and hoping that the horrors beyond the veil did not take hold of them while they lay prone and vulnerable in their slumber (or, in Kyoki’s case, fantasizing about that very same thing taking place.)

With Kiku sleeping soundly in her bed, Kyoki had not had the heart to wake her with the click-clacking of a typewriter as she slept when the novelist felt herself gripped by the urge to put thoughts to paper, so sweet and serene had her sleeping friend seemed to her. That, and her desire to perform actions definitely not intended to be done with company, sleeping or no, had prompted her to silently take her leave with a whispered promise (heard by nobody but herself, but it was the spirit that mattered) to be back before her friend awakened.

And so, Kyoki had found herself walking alone through the night with a portable typewriter in one hand and both her sketchbooks in her pockets. She had to admit she found the experience rather thrilling, with the enthralling idea that, around every corner and lurking in every shadow, might be someone with foul intentions, somebody who would seek to choke her to death or mutilate her with a machete or tie her up and slit her throat. With such thoughts running through her head as she neared the abandoned building, she was very much prepared to use them as inspiration , either to write or to perform the other, less dignified business he had had in mind, when she found herself interrupted by an unexpected greeting.

Looking up at Nagisa, on the roof of all places, she raised a quizzical eyebrow, turning and looking up to face him. “Yamanami-san. Given your character type, I suppose one should very well expect you to be turning up in strange places at strange times. In one of my novels, at least, the mysterious character with the trustworthy smile turns up in all sorts of strange places with no explanation, until he is found one last time, a pile of gory viscera, one of his eyeballs crushed until i has popped, his bones jutting at strange angles from the lump of flesh hat must have once been his body.” 

She frowned slightly. “But I forget my manners. Good night, or perhaps morning, although what meaning time truly has in a place such as this where it seems that we cannot keep track of our own selves in absence of outside context, much less something as insignificant the time, I do not know. I hope I find you in good health and spirits?” 

[shslenigma]

He wasn't quite sure whether or not that was a backhanded insult or not but he laughed nonetheless. Besides, that did seem to fit him well enough so what was there to protest about?

"Fujimori-sensei is as eloquent as ever! It sounds like you're almost writing on the spot. Somehow I feel privledged." "I hope that's not true though in real life too though, it'd be pretty inconvenient to get around with my eyes crushed and out of place." the tone is the usual tone of utter casualness you get when you talk to Nagisa. Whether he's gotten used to the way Kyoki speaks (in her graphic detail and all) or whether he simply doesn't mind it is anyone's guess. Most likely the latter. Doesn't seem like anything irks him.

"Always." he wiggles his open hands to her in an almost innocent fashion. "Idiots don't catch colds after all." that makes him chuckle again. Nothing like a bit of self-deprecating humour.

Nagisa decides he's spent long enough lounging around all mysterious-like so he makes an effort to move himself and hops off the higher surface. And a silver for the dismount! Well, probably not but the landing was a pretty good one in any case. "I'm more curious about how you're faring though if I'm being honest." he tilts his head.

"I mean, sensei is probably no stranger to long nights given the writing but under all this stress it can't be easy. Still, if you wanna chat or anything I haven't got much to do. The cards were telling me I needed to go out there more anyway." he's pretty vague about the meaning of the cards but it's honestly hard to tell if anyone would have any interest in such a thing anyway. Or would understand it.

There's a pause as he's thinking and although is voice and face remain unchanged there's a more serious air about him all of a sudden.

"This might be unusual to say but... I never thanked you. It's a strange thing but you cared a lot for Red-chin. You and Fujiwara-chin both. I liked him too. It's just, when Fumio-chin died we couldn't mourn him much but with Red-chin we can and I'm just grateful he won't be forgotten. Of course, Fukui-chin also won't be forgotten but..." he shakes his head. "I just respect that you care. That's commendable. In times like these we need to stick together more than ever, no? I think it's a good thing to think of others - healthy. I was just glad. So thank you for that."

[shslsanic]

Revolution Never Sleeps // Nagisa

[shslsanic]

Perhaps if he were a little more awake, he would  be more vehement in denying his confusion on the matter. Kousuke Nojima, unknowledgable about something?? That would imply that he had some sort of weakness or shortcoming!! Well, as it was now, he didn’t seem to really care. Instead, he furrowed his brows as he stared at Nagisa’s face, studying it far more than what should  be conversationally appropriate.

"…It is not common, no. In fact, it is quite uncommon. The fact that you even know about it at all is weird.” He spoke with little determination to his insult, losing most of the effect as he straightened out his hair bun, crossing his eyes to stare up at his head as he did so.  ”..I see, though. So according to your… hobby, card, thing, that is why I am here? Ha. I have nothing to introspect about, so you’re wrong.” 

He didn’t have much to introspect over, after all. It wasn’t like he was planning a resistance effort with Katsumi, or running around in fear of falling asleep and being murdered for it, or anything. He was super chill this week. At least, he felt that way right now.

"…Sleepy. No. I am very alert, and awake." He said while yawning and continuing to mess with his hair bun. "I do not fall ill to such simple things. Really, this is nothing to me, and you should be ashamed of thinking otherwise. Simply staying awake for a few nights is no trouble for someone of my……. immense….. diligence."  

Unaware to the spark in Nagisa’s eyes, Kousuke’s own began to slowly droop as if he were taking a very long blink. He let go of his hair bun, and after a few seconds, opened them once more to stare firmly at Nagisa, like he never left. 

[shslenigma]

His words were actually kind of harsh. Nagisa just figured that's how Kousuke spoke generally but it was possible he was genuinely nonplussed over the cards and really did think them bizarre. Either way he was fine with it, really. If he let the opinions of others hurt him he'd be a complete mess anyway. "It's no more uncommon than my hairstyle!" he laughs it off. "Or even my surname. Try searching Yamanami up in a phone book." he seems honestly as playful as ever. "Weird is fun anyway. I think I'll take that as a compliment, Nojima-chin. For what it's worth I also think you're pretty weird." he places one hand on Kousuke's shoulder and speaks in a sincere way as if really complimenting him. It was hard to say if he was being serious or not.

Then another look appears on his face, a smile, of course, it's always a smile, but a somewhat sad one. "Mm, that's a shame, Nojima-chin, you don't see it, huh." he tilts his head and leaves it that vague with little to no context, apparently.

"Eh?" he blinks. And then laughs. "I think that's pretty impossible Nojima-chin. You might be tough but... look at it this way: if you stretch a piece of gum even if the gum is very stringy it'll snap at one point." Nagisa nods. As long as he believes he's making perfect sense he is. As Kousuke seems to teeter a bit into the land of sleepiness Nagisa points a finger at him and speaks in a very serious fashion.

"Ah. Caught you sleeping." a pause. "Are you sure you're alright? You don't have to keep up that macho act if you don't want to, you know. It may be an endearing character trait but that may end up ruining you."

[shslsanic]

Revolution Never Sleeps // Nagisa

[shslsanic]

The sound of Nagisa’s voice, however soothing it might inherently be, caused whatever daze Kousuke took from his short fall to fade away. Waking up just a bit as he sat up completely, he stared up at the now grounded boy and picked a leaf or two off of himself with a grimace. 

”..It was not a threat. Don’t concern yourself.” He would roll his eyes here but didn’t actually want to start any arguments with the guy. He instead maintained an even glance at him with a tired blink. He hated feeling so bogged down after only being up so long, but any disturbance to his schedule was enough to throw him off really. This was far from acceptable.

"…Oh. You’re talking about your, uh. Hobby. Right." He nearly forgot about that little card gimmick the boy had, and he wrinked his nose a bit at the thought.  He hardly believed in that kind of thing, but he held back any judgmental words. Or, tried to at least. "..Right. No, I do not often come here, and no it was not to see you. Apologies. I was simply trying to change up my ru- walk to try and wake myself up.”

He paused for a moment before squinting the slightest bit at the other, finally shoving himself up to his feet once he was clear of leaves. He straightened his jacket then let his hand rest across his chest, palm against his arm, as he spoke again with an air of uncertainty.

"…Why is that my card? Or- about  me, or whatever. What does that mean. Hermit."

[shslenigma]

He seems to tilt his head and in a weird way it's almost feline-like in the way he does so. "I'm not concerned." he replies, his voice very casual indeed.

Hobby, he said. How could he make it so awkward? Maybe Kousuke himself was the type who didn't actually have a hobby. When he wasn't running or tearing down capitalist beliefs maybe he just didn't actually do anything at all. "Sure, I guess you could call it that." Nagisa folds his arms. He can't help but laugh at Kousuke's demeanor, even if he is really tired. "I was kidding, Nojima-chin. How would you even know to find me here, after all? You're too serious." a silly smile curves onto his face.

"Eh? It's not your card." he shakes his head and a thoughtful look appears on his face. And then? A chuckle. Of course it's a chuckle. God knows what goes on in his mind that makes him so mirthful. "Is it possible Nojima-chin isn't too knowledgeable about tarot? I suppose that isn't surprising. It's not re-a-lly a common thing, is it?" Nagisa's fingers begin to twirl amongst the pinky black strands and again, he seems thoughtful before returning to Kousuke with a smile. "It's the ninth card. L'Eremita. It implies introspection. The hermit, as you might imagine... is often by him, her or themself. They're an observer. They see. When you get the Hermit you need to look inside for answers. And to look hard. If it's reversed you've gone too far in your introspection or you haven't done enough." he then blinks and then smiles.

"There you have it! Your lesson of the day! Call me Yamanami-sensei and come back tomorrow." Nagisa straightens his posture and then laughs. "I'm just kidding. But if you're curious I can definitely tell you more." Nagisa claps his hands together in a startling fashion. Actually it'd be a lie to suggest he didn't want to surprise Kousuke. In a way he was being helpful anyway. "You're not here for that though. Now, you're all sleepy, right? Maybe I could help you stay up. I'm not a stranger to long sleepless nights, you know." there's a knowing sort of spark in his eyes but he's as cryptic as ever.

[shslenigma]

The Whisperer in Darkness [Kyoki]

The world seems different under the blanket of nightfall. Perhaps it's more serene or perhaps it's scarier, maybe a mixture of both. Whatever it is, it's something Nagisa quite likes. A lot. That's nothing new, though, he likes a lot of things some things even of a suspect or odd nature. He stares up at the sky, as if hoping to find something. Maybe a shooting star? That would be nice. Shooting stars were never as amazing in real life as they were in fiction, though. Not unless everything was just so. You had to consider everything, from the clouds to the distance to even perhaps having equipment. Chinatsu surely would've known more about that. How strange he'd think about her now. He should've talked to her. Maybe it wouldn't have changed the world but if they'd spoken he'd at least know something about her. Everyone died, after all. It didn't matter if a death was painful or a life short, it always happened, whether you expected it or not. Which meant a lot of the time all you had were memories. Well. He guessed he just he had more memories of her. A team mate and probably a good person. It's sad how things end sometimes. It's still strange not having Red around.

On top of the roof of the mysterious building he's content to just survey the area, like a little gargoyle statue if gargoyle statues were pink. It is when he's doing this little watch of his that he sees someone walking by and blinks. Someone out this late?

Oh sure, he could understand being out late himself, that was him, that was Nagisa - he'd never really been conventional and he liked the night time. There'd never been anything for him to be afraid of in the dark either, really. So who else had little fear for the dark? Or perhaps, who else had something to do that couldn't wait until the morning.

He squints into the gloom and then makes a knowing sort of 'aha' sound, nodding without realising it. His eyes have somehow always been pretty good so he can recognise it when he sees the horror author pass by. Nagisa frowns, briefly debating whether or not he should bother before just shrugging off his doubts and waving to her.

"Fujimori-sensei! Hello!"

Yes, perhaps it's a little strange to be greeted by the mysterious amnesiac boy who'd climbed on the roof of an equally mysterious building but that's just the sort of thing that happened sometimes.

[shslsanic]

Revolution Never Sleeps // Nagisa

[shslsanic]

Hyagh is a perfectly good sound to make when one sees a very mouse-shaped leaf and falls off of a small step-ladder because of it. Don’t judge. A few dazed seconds after Nagisa made his presence clear, Kousuke determined just who exactly was talking to him. After all, he hardly spent any time with the kawaii enigma outside of group activities. He didn’t really care to change that, but Kousuke’s antisocial lifestyle could win another battle, another day. Today, he was going to talk to him whether he liked it or not.

From his spot on the ground, he leaned his head back in the grass to stare behind him at the elevated boy. With the way he was situated,  he really didn’t have to crane his neck much at all. Just look up at the sky and there it is, Nagisa’s shining, smiling face, there to guide him. For a second of sleepy haziness he just stared at him.

"………."

Was he even going to say anything, h—

"…Yamanami.  You know you must never tell anyone that this happened. Otherwise, I may have to kill you."

Is he joking? He sounded sort of like he was joking but his face was so ………

[shslenigma]

Nagisa just observes Kousuke as if he's a curious specimen, his rosy eyes alight with curiosity. There was something that seemed off about him this time around. He supposed that was no real surprise - he'd been up for a while at this point, hadn't he? That must've been rough. He'd pushed himself through nights like that himself but he supposed it was different for others. No one was built exactly the same way after all, mentally nor physically.

"Uwaaah, how serious." came his reply, seemingly not at all fazed by these words. No matter what Kousuke said it always turned out completely serious. It made Nagisa what would happen if he really attempted a joke. Or at the very least verbalized a completely obvious lie like "my name is Seline and I am a rabbit".

"So testy, Nojima-chin. It's a good thing I'm so hard-hearted so I don't mind the death threats. The second one I've gotten during my stay here actually, I'm beginning to feel a little flattered." he laughs it off. Nagisa stretches his arms up, as if doing a morning exercise or yoga before pulling himself off the structure and landing, as per usual, with no trouble. You'd think he had feline genes.

"I'm surprised to see you prowling around here though. Not really your scene." Nagisa looks around at all the pieces and for a second there's a childlike wonder in his eyes before he returns his attention to Kousuke, placing his hands behind his back. "Do you like parks much, Nojima-chin? Or is it possible you came to see me?" he laughs. "Don't take it so seriously. It's alright. I know why you came here. The cards told me, you know. I drew the Hermit reversed, earlier... seems like you need to spend more time on your introspection."

[shslsanic]

Revolution Never Sleeps // Nagisa

The best way to keep awake is to keep moving, Kousuke had decided some time at about 7am this morning. Sure, he didn’t have the energy to do his full running routine, especially with his arm in the state it still was, but he wasn’t about to sit around doing nothing like a lazy piece of shit. He was jogging at about half speed, loosely around the second island rather than the full circuit, in order to keep his blood going and his muscles rumbling. The fire of keeping himself flawless, or as close to flawless as he could get, was what kept him awake and aware.

…Ish. Was this his usual route? He slowed to a halt at the park, realizing that as many times as he my have passed the childish place, he had never really gone inside. He stared a bit hazily at the thing,  as if one.. two.. ten thoughts went bustling through his head before he actually processed one of them. He wasn’t the type to start playing alone in a playground on a sleepy whim. Not at all. But… no one was around.

He just wanted to know what was in there. That’s all. It was his responsibility as Katsumi’s right-hand ally to explore the islands as thoroughly as possible to keep constant surveillance, right? What if this place was the perfect new convening spot? 

Muttering excuses aloud to himself as he climbed up onto the small excuse for a jungle gym, he was taking this very seriously as he hoisted himself right up to the entrance of the tunnel and-

"Hyagh—!!" 

Startled, he fell right back off the ladder into the grass with a gentle fwoomf.   Was it a person that scared him? A small bug? Who knows, but some MYSTERIOUS figure certainly saw it one way or another. 

[shslenigma]

Hyagh was a pretty amazing sound and not one the mysterious figure would've expected to hear. Actually he expected to be alone. Not because he wanted to be or even disliked the company more that he just didn't expect anyone to be traveling around here. When there was a new area about most people seemed to go around there. Not that he could blame them, he often did himself, curiosity was like that after all. If you didn't sate it you'd just end up feeling listless. But well, he was like the wind, going wherever. And he quite liked this area so hanging around here was always a fun little thing.

He'd been minding his own business, just sitting cross-legged on top of the monkey bars (having been playing with them mindlessly earlier) when Kousuke zooms in. Huh, he wouldn't have pictured the runner in a place like this.

Nagisa tilts his head all the way into an open palm as he watches. He's tempted to call out but he's going way too fast to stop him at this point. What's he up to though...?

Well something's shocked him, hence the hyagh sound effect. Which brought them to the present. Nagisa couldn't help but laugh at that, his head now in both hands.

"Hahaha! You need to be careful, Nojima-chin. This world is full of surprises after all."

[shslenigma]

[shslenigma]

Enigma in the Riddle Room [Ameya]

[hidingfromthingsfornow]

"Traditions are traditions for a reason, she thinks. And there’s power in threes. But she honestly likes the way things are. Breaking established storytelling rules makes it more exciting and revolutionary, but when it’s your life…you want to know what’s coming for you, right? Even her…if we’re all gonna die slowly, she would rather be the Final Girl than chapter-3 character development for somebody else. It’s just not her choice. And some helpful people have to hang around, right? You can’t have a story made up entirely of antagonists, entirely irredeemable dickheads. The Genjis and Kiriyamas and Iagos and Gamzees of the world."

Rolling her eyes, she removes her foot from the poor music box and stoops down to pick it up. “She disagrees! She can believe and disbelieve or flicker all at the same time if she wants to. That’s what she just said! She thought she was being clear. Who knows what rules this universe operates on. Even if it’s not magic it’s just more dramatic. It depends on the great author in the sky, really. Or the multiple authors collaborating on everything we know, perhaps. She squints suspiciously at the music box before deciding she’s gonna take it with her, lest something terrible happen to it if it’s left here. Or maybe it’d make a good gift. Or maybe it’d be easier than asking Scrooge-kun to tell her a bedtime story. For the record…The Narrator trusts no one. Or she trusts everyone.” Maybe that was meant to sound dramatic, but it’s hard to tell when she looks like she’s about to set the music box on Nagisa’s head. That look correlates to a very specific expression.

"Yeah, crying. Not blubbering but the kind of serious stoic tears that everyone wished they possessed when shit hit the fan. Even she is so jealous. Meaning varies by interpretation, don’t worry your fuzzy head about it. …As for kid’s songs, a lot of them are actually terrifying and awful but that’s just something you’ve got to learn to live with. It’s not something you have to cry about. Crying makes her kind of uncomfortable and she does not understand it. That’s her reasoning for thinking Cotton-candy-kun is being ridiculous as hell. But everyone has to have a little ridiculous in them, she guesses. Even if she does not like it. Those kind of characters grate on her, mysteriously. The delicate flowers."

Still holding the music box, not even out, just holding it, she purses her lips at it as if it’s a baby bird that just fell out of its nest, and she’s deciding whether or not she wants to climb all the way up to it to put the stupid baby back, while being forced to acknowledge the tender and fragile nature of life in general. It’s a very serious baby bird crisis. “She was asserting dominance over nothing! She and the music box are on equal levels here. Ish. Both devices, really. She just happens to be a device that can step on things. And she has a mysterious affinity for other peoples’ memory triggers. She could probably keep a collection or something. The thing about people that are mysterious is that anything that leads to a partial clearing out of all the mysterious things only serve to make a person more mysterious. Maybe she’s using the word wrong, but until there’s that last flashback that fits everything together, the single beam of light in a large dark room only serves to show how much more darkness there is. For the record, she has no backstory at all, and is bothered by nothing. Most certainly not books or music. If the mastermind did happen to know everything about her, they’d be sorely disappointed. Spiders is probably the apex. Does that mean he’s gonna get out of here anytime soon? The room, not the…game.” 

[shslenigma]

"Sure. There's the 'rule of three' after all. Three is a very important number. When you think about it, there are even three syllables in your name. A-me-ya. It just works, threes that is." "I suppose you do want to know, sure, but just because you want to know doesn't mean you will. Narrator-chin is Narrator-chin for sure and you sure know a lot but reality is really different from observation. Of course we all want to get as far as we can and live. But the survivors are a combination of antagonists and helpful types and who knows which of us will make it until it happens."

It both was and wasn't - she both believed and did not. Ah well, he supposed that we to be expected. "And you thought I was being all dismissive and coy!" his tone is gentle but the words seem teasing. "All the same it's for the best. Blind belief and bitter refusal... neither one is healthy. The universe is what the universe is and as long as you're open to life's possibilities then there's nothing to worry about." his eyes widen at that and he ponks one first into his open hand in an understanding fashion. "Ah! Taking it with you. That's actually pretty smart. Who knows, that could be a big clue later on. It's good thinking to keep it safe. And ahaha... how dramatic! But, well... trust is funny like that. I trust everyone generally but I can't really get my head into really trusting people deeply. That sounds pretty normal but it's a pretty intense feeling. It makes me feel cruel. It's weird."

Nagisa slaps his hands over his cheeks, not to wipe up any tear residue but rather to warm them up. "Eh, I'm not always so elegant. I guess artsy feelings have artsy tears. It's more of a folk song than a kid's song but point taken. Really though some of those songs..." he seems to shiver but it's done so theatrically it's an obvious fake. "I don't understand it either, though. Tears make me uncomfortable - when others do it, anyway, so I'm sorry for the trouble." he gently bobs his head, the pink and black strands swaying. "But I also... think it's okay to cry if you feel like it." he nods. "I'm surprised anything grates on you though, Matsura-chin! I figured you were just a neutral presence. It's weird, but it's good to know you have preferences."

As per usual she's fascinating to watch as her expression changes upon examining the box. "I guess both people and objects can be devices... but it's not like this device has done anything interesting yet. Apart from show me up as someone who dislikes certain folk songs." Nagisa runs a hand through his hair. "So the more you find out the more confusing it is? Hmm... there's something to be said for that. But a sharp eye can pick out all the details and link them all together. This probably isn't the case for me though. There probably is that one grand thing that'll make me remember everything. And when I do everyone will surely know." a kind of strangely serious determined look appears on his face before fading away within seconds. "Yeah, most likely. Staying in one place for too long really messes with my mind. Makes me feel like I'm being boxed in somehow." "Besides, I don't want to overwhelm you with foreshadowing and character development too early, Narrator-chin! You may not get bored but if it all comes out too quickly that's no fun."

He trots over to the window and looks out, and just takes in the fresh air for a second before tilting his head back at her. "Besides, maybe you can find something special I couldn't. But thanks for coming and investigating with me. Pointless or not it was fun. If you need me, I'll be around! Don't worry, I have a good intuition. Somehow I can tell when I should be somewhere."

"Prenez soin de vous, Matsura-chin!" he gives her a two-finger salute and then heads out.

You may or may not feel like you got to know Yamanami Nagisa better.

[albicantknight]

I literally originally only drew this to show that he has black nails

shsl mystery nerd aka someone who talks way too much and laughs at everything

EDIT: Whoops he has his belt now laughs

[shslenigma]

Enigma in the Riddle Room [Ameya]

[hidingfromthingsfornow]

"She is not a death seeker or anything. Just prepared. The people who think it could never happen to them—well, they’re the ones that don’t expect getting knifed in the back or shoved down the stairs or ending up in some convoluted trap disaster for sweeping excess characters under the rug. …Aaaaand normally she’d say the mysteries always end in survival because no one wants to cut off that plot point early. Maybe Umami-kun and Fancy-chan for taking up the authoritative mantle. Possibly even Murasaki-chan, who’s eventually going to learn to speak her mind all the time or something ridiculous like that, rather than fading away to total silence before suffering a psychotic break—wellll, she’s got a few ideas, but you all could just as likely be late-game deaths."

Ameya started wiggling the little piece of hand-glass, maybe not even trying to do anything with it and certainly not trying to take it out, but biting down noticeably on her lip anyway. Maybe she was trying to give herself a cool scar. “Would it be inappropriate to say at this juncture that she may or may not think Tarot is ｂｅｅ  ｅｓｓｕ? Maybe she does and maybe she doesn’t, it’s hard to tell. Sometimes the plot and the world really does support that kind of stuff and sometimes it doesn’t. She’s gonna leave it to you anyway. Along with deciding who’s gonna get out and who’s not.” With a little pained sound she finally extracts the glass bit and tosses it over her shoulder. Gross. She’s not gonna be putting her hands anywhere.

"Some do. Ish. It depends on how much of a character they consider themselves to be, or how old-fashioned the story is. Fairy-tale narrators get the worst end of the stick, she thinks, sucking on the heel of her hand in between sentences. …And…hmmm, yeah, that must be her rationalization as well, otherwise she wouldn’t be here. Filling timeslots which have to be spent on some acknowledgement of this cool propwork. In the middle of his own speech he knocks down possibly the most symbolic secret past-unlocking item possible, and is entirely derailed, and…now starts crying, because that’s what mysterious people do when confronted with music boxes. Apparently there’s some nostalgia trigger inherent in the tinkly plinky-plonk sounds. Ah, come on, Mystery-kun, you’re better than this.”

She got back to her feet, conspicuously brushed off her dress in case another shard had embedded itself in her ass or something, and picked her way across the room with a few careful Hopscotch leaps. By the time she was next to him staring down at the thing her expression had twisted into obvious annoyance. Without examining it closely or picking it up, she delicately lifted one foot and flipped the lid back closed, keeping her foot planted on top without putting her weight on it.

"Speaking of contrived indeed. She hopes he’s not peeved or interrupted in the midst of some plot trinket spirit journey, she could already tell she was never gonna get more talking out of him with that on. Plus that sound gets really annoying after a while."

[shslenigma]

"Doomed by their own self-belief huh... well that much is true enough. Even I'm not confident I'd be able to survive all this. When I think about it I actually make a pretty good target." the words are slightly worrying despite there being nothing in his tone to suggest it. "If I died before I remembered what I could do though... it would definitely break tradition. Maybe if that happens the rest of the game can change, too. That's not a bad thought." he considers her choices. "Hm... those people aren't so bad, I think. Well, guesses are just guesses so all we can do is wonder. Sakata-chin is very harsh but I think she's pretty helpful, oddly enough! Thankfully we still have a lot of helpful people around."

He stares for a moment and then just laughs. "Well there's no reason to hesitate if that's what you've been thinking. You act like I've never heard that before. That's nothing new. Most people think of it like that, Narrator-chin. Either you do or you don't. There are some people who just like to believe in anything. As for me... well I can't help but notice patterns in life and these cards explain them the best from what I've seen. Besides, if have even an inkling of the future you can prepare for it. Mood-wise if nothing else. That's no small thing." he watches as the glass shard skitters away. "Ouch... maybe someone you trust can take you to the infirmary sometime. And maybe I should sweep this place later. Not that I imagine many people will be hanging around here."

"Ah? Oh... what's going on here? Crying? How weird, I don't even know why..." He rubs his face with the back of one hand and then just shakes his head, his expression hardly changing. "But better than this? Am I being insulted? That's harsh, Matsura-chin. And I'll have to surprise you there - you're wrong. I think so anyway." he actually seems pretty happy to say that. "Part of it is nostalgia, true, but, it's not really. It's just that it touched me really. This song is one my teacher used to play, you know? But the reason it upsets me is because I remember what the song's meaning is. This is a western song called Scarborough Fair - my teacher was very into these sorts of classics!" a pause. "For the record, I was never good at playing them though. But she loved this song. But when I read the score and the lyrics I couldn't understand why she liked it. Because you know, if you take it word by word then it's a hopeless song - no matter how much effort is put in the tasks suggested in the lyrics can't be completed. And in a way that also leaves the song unfinished." he talks about it with such fervor. "That's my theory anyway. Truthfully I don't even know why I did it. I guess I'm kinda screwy in the head like that."

"Anyway. There you go. Contrived indeed but there's your answer. And more backstory for you too, no?" Nagisa stares at the box then tilts his head. "We should put that back when you're done asserting dominance over it." he chuckles again, vaguely waving at her stance. "I'm bad with people anyway so I guess I'm just more sensitive to that kinda stuff. No real surprise. Don't be too disappointed. I was also just surprised to hear the song, it's been a while. A real kick to the head and memories and all that." he pauses before tilting his head and in some sense it almost looks like he's waiting for something. "Backstory for the day! I become less and less mysterious every day. Perhaps. Anyway you should tell me more about yourself too! Hopefully there aren't any books or musicboxes here that would bother you, though. Who knows with this place. The prior games always had the masterminds knowing everything so it's probably the same here."