#insanitystudents

[matchmaker-ren]

canis canem edit // open

Ren sat in the mess hall, doing one of his favorite activities: people watching. Or, perhaps, he wasn't all that fond of it. It was mostly just something he was used to doing. When he thought about, a lot of things he did were things he only did because they'd been made a habit, through the suggestion of someone else (mainly his mother). He dressed nicely and presentably because she wanted him too, and eventually it had become ingrained into his psyche. He watched people for the sake of his talent, a talent which he had never been entirely fond of, and yet he honed it regardless.

People watching was simple, and revealed a lot about his fellow students. Watching their body language when they interacted with others, watching their body language when they were alone. Seeing what they did when they thought others couldn't see, and what they did when they were sure others were watching. Ren could analyze and dissect their movements, and relay what it said about their personality, for the sake of seeing which two people could put up with each other best. That was what it all came down to, wasn't it? As if he hadn't been jaded before, after a talk with a certain snake charmer, it had become worse. Not to mention, if he hadn't had that stupid talent in the first place, he'd never had gotten into this living hell passing off as a school.

Dead bodies flashed through his mind. Too many. All killed in varying horrific ways. Even the tamest death (Suzu's, in his opinion) was made terrible by the fact it had been carried out a friend. No, worse than that was how she'd been used a shield by a coward. This school was only bringing out the worst in people, which was contrary to its original purpose- to foster students overflowing with hope and promise.

The matchmaker, as he watched some odd assortment of students pass in and out of the mess hall throughout the hour- talking and eating- couldn't keep from wondering who would die next, or might kill him. Pessimism was a dark mold growing on his brain, worsening with each new day in the school. He tried to ward it off, but sometimes he felt so helpless. Thinking about everything, he felt his mind drifting. He was drinking a cup of green tea, still steaming, which he held up close to his lips without taking a sip. Outwardly, he seemed focused, but his mind was actually lost, caught up in too many thoughts. If someone were to approach, he wouldn't even notice.

[votecampbell2016-blog]

The volleyball match 

[magicalboykouta]

“Hello!” Kouta set his food aside for a moment after noticing someone approach his table. It was the boy he met under those strange circumstances yesterday. He nodded in confirmation, happily surprised that Kenneth had already learned his name.

“It’s…nice to meet you, Campbell-san!” Kouta smiled in awe and happily shook the new student’s hand. It was exciting to meet new people in the first place, even with everything going on—or maybe even especially so, but Kenneth seemed so professional and cool, he couldn’t help but be amazed by the turn of events. Would he really help them get out?

[votecampbell2016-blog]

Kenneth smiled warmly. Time to reel it in.

He made a show of glancing around the mess hall, then scooted in closer towards Kouta. With a serious look, he dropped his voice down to a whisper.

"I came by to ask you a favor, Kouta. Y'see, you're the only one who knows who I really am." He leaned back in his chair, and let those words sink in to full affect.

"You were right, Kouta. I am a SHSL Secret Agent."

After a dramatic pause, he gave Kouta the most determined look he could muster. "And I am going to get you all out of here!" he vowed, with mock conviction.

Then, slumping back in his chair, Kenneth decided to dial it down a notch. He didn't want to over-do it. He put on a troubled face and sighed heavily as he said "Ah, but it seems you're the only one whose figured me out so far. Very observant of you, might I say."

"But, I'm afraid we have to keep it that way." he added, apologetically. "I explain why in just a moment, but first things first-"

He edged closer to the other boy from across the table.

"You haven't told anyone yet, have you?"

[matchmaker-ren]

vae victis | open |

Billy's last words resounded in Ren's head. He had a point. The game was far from over because they had apprehended him. First blood had been drawn, and it would only get more tense. The thespian had showed that, yes, one of their friends was willing to murder another one of their friends, leaving people to second-guess one another. If Billy could do it, who else could? Would it perhaps be better to kill, before you're killed? The matchmaker wasn't so sure he was even capable of such of thing, but Billy had probably thought the same. Most of his classmates, in fact, were probably in that mindset. He wasn't sure whose death was worse. Yukan? His face mutilated, and then finished by his very own axe, held in the hands of a friend. Billy? His violent death was a show, an exhibition, concocted for them all to see. The murder of Yukan Mori was done in a fit of desperation. The murder of Billy Shates was a gleeful performance put on by Insanity. Ren felt like the robotic cat had been dying for that moment to come, when lives would finally be taken. That was the entire point of the game, wasn't it?

Consumed by these morbid thoughts, the matchmaker hardly left his room. There didn't seem to be any end in sight. They were just going to remain trapped in the school until they all died. No one was on their way to rescue them. He wondered if anyone even cared that they were all kidnapped. It was tiresome, thinking like that. Besides that, the hollowness of his stomach gnawed at him, his body requesting some form of sustenance. When the burning refused to subside, he finally pulled himself out of room and traveled down the halls to the kitchen. It was early, before most people were awake, making the school seem even more eerie. At least it gave him free use of the kitchen utensils and food. He set to work almost immediately, stockpiling pans and ingredients, mixing, cutting, cooking. Ren had several reasons, besides his hunger, to cook. It helped take his mind off things. Knives cut through fruit. Bacon sizzled on the pan. Pancakes turned golden brown. It took precision, a steady hand and clean mind, so his thoughts only involved the cooking food. Besides that, he thought it would be nice to cook for everyone. He wasn't a Super High School Level Chef, but he was decent. Perhaps a nice meal would help to boost morale, and he knew they all needed that. This was something Mori-san would approve of, he thought. What brought people together more than food? He cooked for a long while, hardly noticing the passing of time until it came to the hour most people were up by. The entire mess hall was filled with the scent of breakfast. He wasn't sure he'd managed to make enough for everyone (that was an awful lot of students to cook for), but he'd managed to fill up the better part of a table with food. A large bowl of mixed fruit salad. Several stacks of pancakes. Sausage and bacon. A plate piled high with scrambled eggs. Ren had arranged it all on a nice tablecloth he had found, giving it an elegant touch. Content with the display, and noticing people were arriving, he gave himself a break. Wiping some sweat from his forehead, he leaned against a chair for support and hoped it would all turn out alright.

[votecampbell2016-blog]

Spoils System (Kouta)

Kenneth trudged back to his jail cell dorm room, ready to just collapse into bed. It had been a very long day. 

He kneaded his temples, locked his door and let loose a long-suffering sigh that'd been building in him since early this morning. He still had no real idea what was going on (his classmates were admittedly not very helpful.) All he had to go on were only vague, jumbled references to cats and axes and stage lights. And, more importantly, he was no closer to getting out of this madhouse.

Well, that was gonna change. One (hellsih) day was enough to tell him that he needed to get a game plan going. And scheming planning was something Kenneth was pretty good at, if he did say so himself.

And he did. With a particular one in mind, actually.

Smirking bitterly to himself, he walked though each of today's encounters  and started to think himself up a new campaign.

All he had to do was turn on that good ol' fashioned Campbell charm of his and let everything else fall into play.

Oh, and not get murdered.(Hopefully, he could at least manage that.)

But, first things first, he needed someone on the inside. Preferably, someone gullible. Someone innocent.Someone stupid.

And he thought knew just the one.

He closed his eyes and settled best he could into this unfamiliar bed. First thing tomorrow, he was off to have little conference with a certain Mr. Kouta.

[votecampbell2016-blog]

First Impressions (OPEN)

Consciousness flooded back into Kenneth like a tidal wave. 

He was groggy, confused.... and his head was absolutely throbbing. Slowly but surely, he regained his senses.

He was laid out on a bed, fully clothed. In his school uniform, no less. Strange. Stranger still was the fact he didn't even recognize the room. Had he passed out? It wouldn't have been the first time, but he didn't remember any party...

Another wave of pain beat against his brain and sent him jolting upright. If he wanted to sort any of this out (or kill this goddamn headache) he had to start investigating.

The room was well decorated, but... sterile. Like a hotel suite. The bathroom even had those complimentary soaps. Was he at another competition? There was no way, the debate team's semi-finals weren't for another- Wait.

It was coming back to him. 

The transfer. The move. It hit him like a brick. This... this was the Regal Academy. It had to be. He left St. Vincent's for the exchange program nearly a week ago (or, at least he thought he did.) He remembered the conferences and the paper work and the interview. Everything.

But it still didn't explain how the Hell how he got there.

Confused, angry, and with a splitting migraine he marched out the dorm and made a point to demand the first person he met what exactly was going on.

Luckily, they just so happened to be right outside his door.

[matchmaker-ren]

caveat emptor (open)

Ren could never say he had woken up on the floor of a mall before. Especially not after having been gassed by a crazy stuffed cat who was holding an entire class of students hostage. The situation had been crazy- practically impossible!- from the beginning, but he felt like this "field trip" ramped up the ridiculousness a few levels. How exactly did they even all get there? Did a robot cat really pile a bunch of unconscious students into a bus and drive them to the mall? How did no one see that? Why wasn't she stopped by the police or something? Really, why hadn't some authority realized something was weird and set out to rescue them yet?

The matchmaker groaned and held his head in his hands. All he'd managed to do was work himself into a headache. He climbed to his feet, a hand still pressed to his skull, and glanced around. It seemed to be a relatively normal mall...besides the fact there seemed to be no one there besides for his classmates, some who were still a tangle of sleeping bodies on the floor, while others were in various stages of waking up.

"Right. Well. Might as well do something since I'm here," he mumbled to himself, stepping over a few legs, as he made his way to the large map in the center. Once there, he adjusted some of his clothes which had become askew. Always look your best, came his mother's chiding voice in his head, even now. With his bow tie and blazer perfect and straight, he began his inspection of the mall's layout.

"Where to go, where to go...." He became absorbed in inspecting the lines and blocks, a thumb and forefinger held thoughtfully to his chin.