Dec 10, 2019
“Dear god.”
“I wasn’t even gone for long, and it seems Ichi is in quiet a pickle...”
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“Dear god.”
“I wasn’t even gone for long, and it seems Ichi is in quiet a pickle...”
Naivety
Jay raised an eyebrow as he watched Ichi get out of the car, briefly thanking the driver before skipping off to see her friends. The entertainer had been leaning against a wall near the entrance gate, and was scrolling through his phone until now. As per usual, he wore dark clothing, a hat, and sunglasses to conceal his appearance. It’d be a shame if he got swarmed by fans after all. Keiko had sat down on the floor next to him, writing in a notebook. When she noticed Ichi, she slipped the notebook into her bag and stood up from her spot... only to immediately be tackled by the analytic with a hug. Luckily, she wasn’t strong enough to knock down the witch.
“I’m sorry you had to help me yesterday.”
With a smile, Keiko hugged Ichi with one arm and pat her head with the other. It really wasn’t a big deal to Keiko, and she was more than happy to help if it meant seeing Ichi safe. Glancing over to Jay, she noticed the way he rubbed his neck. Although he insisted he was fine, Keiko could tell something about his encounter with Megumi hurt him. Not that he would ever admit it though.
“We are just glad you are okay. Now come on, we should get going. I don’t think Miss Sae will be very happy if Jay comes in late again.”
Rolling his eyes with a smile, Jay passed through the gates. Grabbing Ichi’s hand, Keiko followed him with a warm smile.
It didn’t matter how many times Ichi saw the school, it always felt strange. The luscious green grass that surrounded the brick path to the school. The tall imposing trees rustling with the wind. In front of her was the school, a massive tower that made it clear the talentless didn’t belong. The analytic glanced at Keiko, who didn’t seem too bothered by the ominous atmosphere. They seemed as happy as ever, thankful she was walking with her friends on another sunny day.
Glancing to the far-off water fountain, somebody caught Jay’s eye. It wasn’t somebody he recognized, which was strange considering he made it a point to memorize every student in this school. It was lady in black clothing, wearing a butterfly brooch. They wore rather cartoony looking swirly glasses, which almost hid the scars around her cheeks. They stared directly at Jay, like they were observing him.
“Hey... you guys go without me, okay? I got somebody I need to see. It’ll be quick, but I don’t want you guys to be late in case.”
Without another word, Jay split off from his friends, rushing over to the person beside the water fountain. Keiko found his quick departure a little worrying, but let it be. Jay could take care of himself after all. Ichi tried to lean over Keiko’s shoulder to see who Jay was talking to, only to end up bumping into somebody.
“Sorry-!”
When she looked up, she froze in fear. A tall girl with blond hair in twin tails, looking down at her with bright blue eyes. Although her little Monokuma hair pins were missing, Ichi could recognize the girl towering above her as the same person who ran the world into the ground.
Junko Enoshima.
Total Mayhem.
Two hadn’t really taken any interest in Ichi’s simulation. There was no reason to do so. The machine was near fully automatic, so it allowed the monster to work on her own little projects without having to worry about it. Still, she couldn’t help but take interest in a recent event.
Megumi? Didn’t she kill that girl ages ago? What was she doing alive? If she was being completely honest, the thought of the girl roaming around unharmed infuriated her. Although, when she saw the seamstress in shambles, a rush of pleasure coursed through her. How pitiful. They were stuck without Jay and fell apart so quickly, attempting to take out their frustration out on Ichi.
Without having to lift a finger, it seemed Ichi had a target placed on her back by Hachirou and Megumi. Airi still seemed fond of the experiment, but that was fine. After all, these things required a bit of patience.
A lovely thought struck her, a lovely cruel and twisted idea. An offer that couldn’t be turned down. Just to sow a bit more madness. Truthfully, the idea wasn’t entirely hers, but it wasn’t like she would admit it. The question was when? When would she put her plan into action? Ideally when Megumi was alone. Then she’d be able to go about it without interruption.
But would her friends leave her alone when they were in such a sorry state? Probably not. It was fine by her though, it wasn’t like she was in a rush anyways.
Glancing out a nearby window, she tapped her fingernails against a table. The sky was the same shade of blood red as always. Letting out a sigh, she got up. When was Jester going to return? It felt like days have passed, even if the reality was mere hours. Was it really so hard to check up on the new remnants? She didn’t think so. Tedious, maybe, but certainly not hard.
“Might as well begin preparations.”
“Yeesh, you’re a mess...”
Two looked down at Ichi. The experiment was laying down on the floor breathing heavily. Her hair was a mess, and parts of her clothes were torn. Surrounding her was nothing more than scrap metal. It was astounding she managed to kill them all. Two herself had no idea how she managed to do it, but it didn’t matter now. All she needed to do now was get rid of Ichi. As much as she wanted to kill Ichi right then and there, she had to “honor” the deal she made. Well, that deal involved getting rid of Ichi in a different way, so she supposed it didn’t matter.
“Holy fuck.”
The girl behind her looked around, amazed by the torn machines that surrounded the analytic. She was stunned, stunned and amazed. After a moment of thinking, Two picked up the experiment from the ground. Ichi didn’t object, too exhausted to move or even speak.
“Up we go my dear experiment, it’s time for you to sleep.”
Two.
Of course distracting Ichi wasn’t enough. After only a minute or two of running he ran into Two, and she didn’t look very happy about having to deal with this situation herself. Every Monokat unit was currently busy distracting Ichi, leaving none to help him keep Two away. She seemed to be well aware of this, extending a hand out to Jay.
“Come on, we both know the end result won’t change no matter how hard you try. Just come with me peacefully and I won’t tear your limbs apart... again...”
In response, the entertainer pulled out his dagger and extended it.
“Well, I suppose it would’ve been easier to bring your unconscious body anyways...”
Jay didn’t say a word in response. He was screwed and he knew it. There weren’t any units left to help him fight or get away, and he didn’t bother to make any other weapons under the assumption that Two was dead. His heart was racing and there was no way to stop it.
Sensing he wasn’t going to do anything, Two approached him slowly. She had a small smile as she did so, not worried in the slightest over Jay’s blade. What was that tiny thing going to do to her? It was amusing watching Jay slowly panic as she got closer. Once she got close enough, the entertainer shot forward and slashed at her. Two simply jumped back and laughed.
“Maybe I’ll start by cutting off your tongue.”
In response, Jay ran forward in worthless attempt to behead her again. Rather than step back, Two ducked and kicked, slamming her foot into his chest. The entertainer almost doubled over in pain, but was able to stay standing... at least for a second or two. Taking advantage of his stunned state, Two slammed her elbow into the back of his head. That was all it took to knock him out.
“That.... was very disappointing. Ah, I suppose I should go find Ichi now too.”
Midnight stroll.
Ichi couldn’t sleep. This wasn’t anything particularly new, but the reason as to why she was so restless was. Normally her inability to sleep was caused by paranoia, but this time the reason was more closely related to confusion. Why didn’t she feel a bit of remorse or guilt about killing Robin? Why was she so irrationally mad at Airi? Where was Two, and what was she doing? Given her lack of sleep, the questions became more of a tangled haze to her. It was impossible to sort it all out and think clearly.
Eventually, she got tired. Aimlessly walking around without a thought in mind was exhausting. Taking a seat against a rock nearby, she carefully placed the Amai doll in her bag to keep it safe. It was surprisingly well made... maybe she should make her own.
A shadow towered over her, blocking the moonlight the half-moon provided. Ichi didn’t have the energy to pick a fight, so she lazily looked up at the figure above her.
Two smiled down at her, looking rather happy to see the analytic.
“Hello Ichi, how about we make a deal?”
Small Favor.
It was midnight and Ichi still hadn’t returned. It worried Lily a bit. Maybe something happened? She had gotten bored of reading, and had been roaming around the top floor. The thought of playing with Ayano occurred to her. Maybe something like hide-and-seek? Upon entering Robin’s room however, Lily found the girl was fast asleep in bed. After attempting a couple of times to wake her older sister (to no avail,) Lily gave up.
Walking back to her room, Lily’s eyes wandered around the dark hallway. The moonlight gleamed through the windows, providing some light in the dark hallway. With everybody gone, she felt lonely. That is, until she felt somebody hug her from behind.
Two had a smile as she embraced her younger sister. It took Lily a while to notice who it was. In her eyes, Two had changed drastically. The color in her eyes were different, her hair was longer, and she looked far more confident. Shifting in the woman’s arms, Lily turned to hug Two back. After letting go, Lily began signing. Aside from Amai, she hadn’t really ever head a reason to use this skill. She only ever learned the skill to communicate with her sister more effectively. Of course, Two wasn’t mute, she just found it much easier to stay silent at times. Especially before, when speaking out of line was discouraged. Two didn’t bother to learn sign language for Lily though, disinterested and busy with other things. Interrupting Lily midway, she prompted a question.
“Lily, you love your big sis, right?”
A little surprised to hear Two talking she paused, after a moment the child eagerly nodded her head. Two then slipped a knife into the child’s hands.
“Then do me a small favor.”
Robin?
Ichi had dropped off Lily in her old room, providing the girl with a few books in order to help her stay put. Ayano was asleep in Robin’s room, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. Ichi... well Ichi was in the middle of the forest waiting for Robin. It'd be a while before the two would meet up, but Ichi was a little anxious. Robin had asked to talk in private with a serious expression on her face, so Ichi knew it couldn’t have been anything good.
Sitting on a log, she looked down at the floor and began counting the dead leaves. There wasn’t much else she could do to entertain herself, she had forgotten to bring her book. Eventually, she gave up and looked back up. Greeting her with a smile was Robin, who had been watching her count the leaves for a little. Despite this, Ichi hadn’t noticed her looming shadow. With a nervous smile, the experiment waved towards the caretaker. She hadn’t expected her to arrive this early, so it was a bit of a surprise.
“Robin? I thought you still had work to finish.”
Robin brushed a bit of her hair aside, then opened her arms to hug Ichi.
“I finished early, so I rushed over to not keep you waiting.”
Hugging Robin, Ichi let herself relax. She was getting more used to physical affection, and it showed on how little she hesitated to accept things like hugs. Along with her sisters, Robin was one of the few people she hugged without hesitation.
That’s why she was surprised when the caretaker injected something in her arm.
“W-wha-?”
Pushing away from Robin, she only managed to get a glimpse of her smirk as the redhead watched Ichi lose consciousness.