#aice chapter 2

[tofallondeafears]

If you can hear then please listen | Closed for Lotus

After that exploration in the forest going poorly (though they all lived so they can’t complain) Matías headed for the guesthouse first to put some thoughts in order (and clean his sneakers of mud apparently, he realized) but soon enough, he headed to the new area. He’s still in ‘please give me something to do @god’ sort of mood, as his own way to dealing with high levels of stress, and in face of not having a flashlight anymore, he can’t head back to the forest just yet. So, exploring and investigating the new area it is. But just as he enters the ski lift cabin that gives them all access to the new area, he realized...

Is that all of the clothes he gave Lotus back where he put it?

Really.

Why won’t this woman wear some more clothes!? Normally, he’d be the last to complain about something like that, just look at him really, but when he saw that she walked around shoeless through the snow it was a bit Too Much. Matías concern just started to rise and he grabbed all of these things again - hat, coat, socks, shoes with a plus gloves and scarf now - and he went to look after Lotus. Not being particularly inclined to sit still for now, he headed for the hiking trail, fortunately finding the one he was looking for just at the start of it.

“Heeey, Lotus!”

As he attempted to call out her attention, he jogged up to her stopping right in front of her - and I really really hope she’s wearing Some shoes or this is going to be ridiculous -  and he smiled some.

“Hey, can ya do me a favour?”

More like, please do yourself a favour but also lift the worry from my mind and heart, please. Please Lotus he’s going to beg you.

[amnesia-ice-blog1]

I Can’t Make That Promise

Your head swims with thoughts you can’t quite reach, memories, close, but hidden as you rest your weary head. When you’re this tired, you feel so close to the truth. As if, if you just close your eyes and search, you’ll find the missing pieces.

You’ll feel whole.

The light feeling becomes heavy as you feel something enter your mind, a scene. Your memory? Someone else’s? It’s hard to say. The lines seem blurry. The pictures, too.

There’s a cold sensation that turns warm as something is thrown upon your shoulders. Then, a voice...

“You can’t keep comin’ back here, y’know.”

[♫♫♫♫]

The pictures become sharper and more saturated in your mind as you begin to pick out the furniture. Wooden table, wooden chairs... the place looks... familiar. And it should do. It’s likely a place you’ve stopped off at some point. The forest cabin... the one in this very place, nestled in the Chalk Woods.

The man is tall and very clearly a bit older than you... or any of the others. His face becomes clearer too and seems vaguely familiar. His hair is tied into a vague messy ponytail and there are scars on his knuckles. There’s a sort of disheveled quality to him but he’s not entirely a mess. A name dances around your tongue but your mind hasn’t settled on the sound. So close and yet... still, so far.

“You’re gonna get me in trouble... hell, they already think I’m garbage, they’re gonna dock my pay to nothin’ if they know you brats use this place as a secret treehouse.“

There’s a silence that stretches out. You suppose you opted not to reply to that for whatever reason. Despite his complaints, this place feels... comfortable. It’s actually somewhat uncomfortable how safe it feels here. The man seems to sense your ease and sighs deeply.

“... Look. When are you gonna smell the coffee here? You know your time’s running out, right? Kids like you ain’t ever gonna have it ‘normal’. You’re useful to them. That’s all. And me? I’m just like ‘em. Just doin’ my job. Don’t care what happens to you one bit. You’re clingin’ on ‘cause you’re desperate, right? I guess even you get it. You’re never gonna see your family again. Never gonna live like you should. I get that it sucks but I’m not about to tear my heart into shreds over it, y’know? You get attached, you just bring yourself trouble...“

He drifts away to the counter. Speaking of coffee, that smell is filling in the air. The clank of a pot exiting its plastic den makes you tilt your head. The words he’s saying are harsh. Some of them you basically knew... well, no, most of it you already knew. You just... you wanted to fight some of it, perhaps. That was all. Just because it was the truth didn’t mean you had the desire to accept it, perhaps. For all his harsh words though, your ease doesn’t fade. Perhaps it’s because he talks differently from the rest of them. He makes it clear it’s a job; a project. The others? They try to be nice. They try to care. Each time they do, you see how superficial it is. They’ve likely never been kind to a child in their lives. The honesty is refreshing. And for all his bark, he hasn’t ejected you yet. There’s comfort in that too. In the cup you’re holding too, as your fingers cradle around the sides.

“Damn little shits... I smoke up the place, curse a ton and you just keep comin’ back. Why don’t you go play nice with the white coats? I’m sure they give you candy barbells or whatever the hell brats like.“

A puff of smoke is blown out of the ajar window as he places the coffee pot back and regards you with an unimpressed stare. It seems no matter what he says you intend to stay. For as long as you can, anyway.

“... That cup’s all you’re gettin’, yeah? You get to finish it but after that you can piss off back to your own damn room. And you’re lucky I don’t snitch to the higher-ups... or kick your ass for the trouble.“

He shakes his head one last time.

“... I’m definitely not gonna get attached to you, Ihara. If you’re lookin’ for some nice father figure, you’re looking in the wrong places. You hear me? Finish the coffee then leave. If I see you near again, I’ll throw you out myself.”

You look at your hands and you realize... what he says is true. This is a memory of Satoko’s that somehow, all of you can see. Those of you that remember or saw the photograph in the Therapy Centre can recognize this man as the one pictured. But who he is?

And what happened to him?

Your mind feels heavy and it blackens once more... shrouding the rest of the events in mystery...

[amnesia-ice-blog1]

Dressed For Distress

Like Ji-hyun before them, Kaizou Anzai has little choice but to step into the diamond and await their fate. They may have a vague idea of what’s about to happen but nothing can really prepare them for what will. That uncertainty is killing them before anything else does. Should they try to smile? Should they be brave?

Their mind runs through a million thoughts before they’re taken away...

CULPRIT: KAIZOU ANZAI, SHSL FASHION DESIGNER.  [♫♫]

A world appears in front of you... a school folding open in front of you, like origami, until it finally becomes a real location. And within that real location, is Kaizou Anzai, dropped into place, looking more than a little confused. Papers surround their feet, as do a handful of other stationery products, paper clips, pencils and stickers, making the whole location, the dull school cafeteria almost exciting.

However Kaizou isn’t alone for long.

Drops of red and blue come from the ceiling and hit the ground, turning into shapes, people. Students. They approach Kaizou and even without faces, Kaizou can feel their leering grins and awful remarks. Just like before. They point their fingers and they talk nonsense... people who don’t understand. People who live to hurt. They back up and away, into a wall and find that they’re in a predicament. Going anywhere would mean cutting through those... things. Thinking quickly, Kaizou takes a piece of paper and a pencil and sketches something out -- an outfit. The outfit comes to life and wraps itself around them in a sequence akin to a magical girl’s transformation. Decked out in epaulettes, a cape and glittery purple, a confident smile somehow manages its way onto their face and they begin blasting at the red and blue figures with some kind of dark magic. They fall, one by one, bleeding much like a real person but Kaizou doesn’t care; this means freedom.

Maybe they can do what Ji-hyun couldn’t.

Escape.

Can they really live with what they’ve done? ... They don’t know. But it’s too hard to just die. Even if they want to die and answers for their sins, it’s not that easy, not that simple in practice.

They stumble into the corridor, huffing, looking for an escape anywhere, shooting figures when and where they can. But it’s getting harder. Suddenly it’s getting harder to move, harder to breathe. It takes Kaizou a little too long to realize what’s happening. The clothing that had protected them was wrapping itself a little too tightly around them. Their skin was growing blue, purple in places, cutting off feeling. They stumbled forward, desparate to continue on. But they’re weakening fast. The cape sneaks around their legs, around their stomach and around their throat and it tightens fast. Even the gloves tighten and choke them. The material gets so tight it begins to cut through skin and blood pours down their body.

The figures keep approaching, and even with their breath running out, they desparately try to keep them away. Eventually though, the dream dies and there’s no magic to be had from their fingertips. They choke and land on their bruised, swelling knees, desperate for respite. But it never gets looser. It constricts and it takes and it cuts until....

There’s nothing left of Kaizou Anzai to take.

And they fall to the ground, blood dripping from their mouth, unquestionably dead.

The fashionably late Kaizou Anzai.

[amnesia-ice-blog1]

What Was Lost Now Is...

This place, this world they found themselves lost in... was dense and vast and you ended up feeling the emtpiness. Moreso than when you searched for Tsuneko Shiga’s evidence, you felt a numbness as your limbs burned under stress, walking and climbing, searching. Seconds turn into minutes at a grueling pace, both slow and fast. Slow enough to tire you out and fast enough to make you feel as if you didn’t do enough. But when LISE says your time is up... your time is up.

And yet, in all of this, nobody has still seen Shizumaru Kirikubo. Some of you might’ve assumed the worst at this point. Others, perhaps, barely thought of the missing boy at all.

There wasn’t much time to think about it, in all honesty. LISE was calling them; there was little to do but make one’s way to the Secret Facility. However, as people were returning, something... interesting happened.

Ryoka  was walking by themselves to the location likely having split up from their group when they feel a tap on the shoulder. Surprised, she whirls around to see...

"Ah! Sorry. I did not intend to surprise you, if I did... I was gone a while so I thought to inform you what happened.”

A little lost for words, Ryoka can’t quite reply right away but eventually she shakes lose the surprise and replies.

“K-Kirikubo-san! Where have you been? We were all so worried... what happened? Where did you go? No one could find you!”

“? ... You were... concerned? I apologize. I knew I took a while. But I am unharmed, I assure you. The wreckage was great. I thought to be thorough and as I wandered around, I saw there was a small hole in the wall... I thought to expand this, and perhaps see what was beyond. And I did but... well... this is quite peculiar indeed. I saw something on the other side. No, not something. Someone. I did not recognize them... so I thought to call out. The second I did, they bolted at some speed. I gave chase but the area was new and I did not know where I was going and... sadly, I lost them. Rather than check anything else there, I believed it best I return with this information...”

“I see... Kirikubo-san, I suppose heard about... the murder. That must be why you’re here.”

“A... murder? What do you mean? Someone else died? When did... ah... I didn’t get notified at all... how strange... what happened?”

“We found Bellerose-chan and--”

“She’s safe?! Oh... that’s such a relief. I was so worried about her out there alone... good news comes with bad, I suppose...”

“... W...well the thing is... she was the one who...”

“Ah... I... I see. So it ended up like that. And one of us did it...”

“You really didn’t hear about it? Usually our IDs notify us.”

“... No, it did not make a single sound while I was away... I guess it is fortuitous I returned when I did.”

She nods in understanding and the two go to the facility together where everyone else is gathered. There’s no time to explain the situation as LISE is there and waiting for them.

“Good morning. Evening. Afternoon. Night. And... oh? I see you survived. I lost contact with your card. I suppose you went off course. I will prepare an update to make sure this mistake does not happen again. In any case... I see you are all gathered and ready for our next proceeding. Please, come into the facility and walk in an ordered line.”

As you all filtered in, one by one, you couldn’t help but notice the absence of Ji-hyun Hwan all the much more. But there’s nothing to be done about it. She’s gone now. The victim of fear and desparation, lost to them all. Worse yet was the knowledge someone would likely soon join her... someone in this room. But who? And why did they do it?

These thoughts are silently stirred in the brains of many as the elevator hums down.

The corridor is smooth and clean this time, with no bodies or distractions. The kids are all neatly led into a room, a different one this time. It has the same decor as last time, but some cake-like decorations hang pitifully on the ceiling, looking a tad out of place. You all take your seats and realize that it’s time once again.

To put someone to death.

- TRIAL START-

[amnesia-ice-blog1]

An Absence In the Crowd

As many of you head to the clinic upon getting the news on your ID, you realize something a little unusual. Perhaps not too unusual, you suppose people might not come here straight away or that they might just be doing something else. Some people could be slower than others. But regardless, perhaps it seems strange that Shizumaru is nowhere to be seen. You’d expect him to be here rather quickly considering his sense of justice.

But it’s nothing to think about now.

LISE appears, as ominous as ever, glowing over Giselle’s corpse.

“Another one falls. You cannot tell me you are surprised. You are simply giving into your nature. You could say it was designed this way. But truthfully, you were the ones designed like this.“

“Remember. There is a difference between ‘it cannot be helped’ and ‘I can’t help it’. In any case. You know what comes next. You know the rules. The prices. The stakes. Nothing has changed. You gave into your demons and did what you were always going to. It will end the way it should. Still. Good luck, I should say. To everyone. Good morning, evening, afternoon, night...“

LISE flickers away, just like always, leaving you with a body and a sinking feeling in your stomach. The bracelets gently can be removed now but at what cost...

Can you really say it’s worth it?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. The thought haunts some of you nonetheless.

[amnesia-ice-blog1]

Victim 2: Report

Victim: Giselle Bellerose

SHSL: Chocolatier

Time of Death: 11:58 PM

Time of Discovery: 1:10 AM

Body Location: Humble Clinic, Ward

Cause of Death: Exsanguination

[amnesia-ice-blog1]

I Have A Confection To Make... [Chapter 2: BODY DISCOVERY]

It’s a late, late night. Nobody should be up and yet, quite a few people seem to be making the rounds. Maybe it’s hard to sleep. Maybe the pain is keeping people awake. As the night sky gets darker and darker, Chuichi Genda appraoches the clinic, in search of something only a Chuichi Genda could know. He pushes the door open, confident as ever, and watches with triumph as it bounces back a little due to the force of the swing. It’s a normal day for a perfectly normal person.

But... something about all this is distinctly unusual.

Perhaps the same could even be said of Chuichi himself. He notices something on the floor, something glinting and squints. Something sparkling... but more than that, there’s a smell that’s bugging him. A smell that takes him upstairs. He moves with confidence and yet there’s a hint of doubt in his actions. A hint of anxiety.

Everything’s fine, he tells himself, but the smell, this tight atmosphere is telling him otherwise.

He peeks behind every corner, glances into every room until he comes across one door. One door that won’t budge. He tries the door knob again and again, it ricketing and shaking in his hand. Why won’t it open? It opened before just fine! And... and the smell... it was coming from this room.

No matter how hard he tries the door, it just doesn’t budge and panic is beginning to set in.

“The door! The damned... the door! Won’t!”

Footsteps appear from behind Chuichi and two people arrive onto the scene... Matias and Kou. Matias surveys the situation for a second before kicking in the door with some power, the sound of something snapping going mostly unheard at the time.

The scene inside was awful.

Somehow the girl that had been missing, the girl that had disappeared just one day had reappeared... and to reappear like this... it was cruel. Too cruel for someone so kind. But looking at the scene, there was no mistake about it. Just like Tsuneko Shiga before her, Giselle Bellerose was dead. Not lost, nor missing. Found and taken. Taken too soon, perhaps.

[amnesia-ice-blog1]

Hat’s Off To You

It’s a dark, dark night. The lights of the snowmen outside the cafe brighten the area somewhat, but it’s not so strange to think someone could get lost in this blanket of pure black. Though, the stars look nice.

A twinge of pain travels up Satoko Ihara’s body. And continues, despite her being no worse for wear. That could mean only one thing.

Her partner was in danger.

It’s not like... she had a tracker. It’s also not like she kept tabs on him. He was free to do as he wished, as she was. It was a better for both of them to not interact, she likely found. But this... this was dangerous. And something in her felt fierce. Protective. She trekked from the Guesthouse to around a path leading to Chalk Woods. Sounds of a scuffle make her even tenser and her footsteps become quicker. Clumsier, even, as she rushes closer to the woods. Every now and again, her body twinges with some kind of pain.

Finally, it dulls. And she comes onto the scene...

Lewis Coley, breathing hard, looking a bit disheveled and definitely surprised but healthy enough. Near to him is Yukari, who seems to be in shock. She looks like she’s seen some better days herself. There’s no sign of anyone else, no monster, no person, just the two of them, breathing hard.

“What... on earth is going on here?”

Satoko’s sharp eyes go from Lewis to Yukari, her tension somewhat easing. Lewis shakes his head and Yukari seems lost for words. But before the situation can be properly resolved, their IDs ding with a body discovery...