yamaboshi | 《 open roleplay post 》

Wait, did you say Hajime? As in, tall, lanky guy with an ahoge?

[ She'll even make a gesture with her hair. ]

Because if it's him, then I completely understand. The idea of 'complicated relationships'. [ And no, not getting into Verens yet until her question is answered. ]

[Komaeda stares at the map. He traces the dig site in the mountains with a finger. The walls flicker around them, thick black chains rattling between the shelves like some ghastly windchimes.] Yes. That's him. Probably not the same version, but.

[He shuts up. There's the sound of the ocean waves in the distance but he ignores it.] Your questions?

Not the same— [ Oh. Suddenly it clicks in her head and she finds herself chewing on her lower lip. ]

Right. Parallel world theory. But, yeah. I got him to stew his anger for. . . it was week six overall, it's week twelve overall now... Six weeks.

[ That's a pretty long time for someone to be angry at her and she's upset about it. ]

If I'm in this world, would I be aligned to an Arehtei as well?

It's possible. But, well. I'm not sure. You're not displaying the emotions physically like anyone new here does.

[Which is odd. Now that he thinks about it. Why would a file from Hope's Peak be in the Verens library. Only he, Hinata, Sonia, Junko, and Kirigiri would privy to that knowledge.

He pushes away from the work table and walks down the aisle until a title catches his eye. He stops, his fingers running over the words. As he looks around more and more books stand out. 'Ultimate Soldier', 'Priestess of Hope', 'Wild boy' so many titles to the point the idea where they are starts to build in the back of his head.]

Do any of the book titles look familiar to you? ['Knight of purpose'. 'Boy savior'. 'Angel's fall'. 'Ultimate Despair. He leans against the heavy oak shelf and puts a hand to his face. Shit. Shit. If he's right.]

Maybe it's because of the talisman...

[ It protects her from anything psychological affecting her. Or rather, that's Leviathan's job. If she was even here. Who the hell knows. She keeps looking through the books, noticing some symbols. ]

No, these don't look familiar to me.

[He drops his hand from his face and pushes away from the shelf. If he's right then....

Komaeda turns to face Inaba as he draws one arm up and makes a fist. 5...4...3..2-

Chains rattle loudly in the dark as a tall white haired man is abruptly leaning against the shelf behind him. The chain around his neck jangles as he laughs in a dry rattling way. "Well it took you long eno-"

He whips about and slugs Servant right in the face. It's a good solid hit and the walls of reality fall away around them. They're standing on beach with elegant looking palms waving in the pleasant breeze and he rubs at his knuckles.] We're inside a dream. For now it's mine, all those books were people I've met.

I feel by now I should stop being rude. I'm Komaeda Nagito. Maybe we'll have a decent turn of things and you won't see anything disturbing.

[...]

[ Well then. Although it seems to be a dream, in the distance of the beach, there's a hotel; one that may not be familiar to Komaeda himself, but is definitely familiar to Inaba. And while there's clear skies?

It's also... snowing.

Huh. Rubbing her temples, Inaba frowns somewhat, sighing as she glances away, discomfort settling in her expression. ]

Looks like it's not just going to be your dream now, Komaeda. So I should probably warn you about the disturbing things that you might see if we go in there. [ Just jabs a thumb at the hotel that's suddenly appeared. ]

[He really thought he'd know better by now. Dreams are just nightmares, full of the horrors waiting in his memories. Whenever he goes to sleep the doors bang open and the wind of despair begins to howl.

Komaeda studies the hotel. It's old and battered looking, like those abandoned buildings he used to look at in photos. Yet for as dilapidated as it appears to be, it isn't beyond serviceable. He glances behind him. The second island's hospital sits in the distance guarded by the massive roots of the tree of memory. If he squints he can see the dark cloud walls of Peromei's maze of despair.

How wonderful.]

Either way we go, we can't escape seeing something. So before we start wading into blood and death, exactly where did you meet Hinata?

Blood and death sounds about right.

[ On her part, at least. She's pretty certain she's going to run into bodies one way or another. But when he asks about Hinata, she pauses, frowning as her gaze drops. ]

I... met Hajime in another world, where there were thirty six of us forced to play a sick game where people had to kill each other.

[Ah. that explains it.] I see. So you met him in a mutual killing game.

[His eyes return to the hotel. Hinata would be pissed to find himself in the middle of yet another mutual killing game. He can just picture his expression at being told he hadn't escaped at all.]

Thirty six? That's quite the number. For us it was just sixteen students of the 77th class. ...you mentioned demons.

Did you mean you literally met them? [He tugs at the leather cord around his neck and considers which way to go. Morbidly, he's a little curious how a killing game of 36 could even work. Even now some of his darker impulses still remain.]

[ All she can do, really, is nod quietly. ]

He was in another one. [ No, she'd already guessed that from his reactions. But she didn't think that she was actually right. fiddling a bit with the talisman she wears around her own neck, she nods. ]

I met one in person. Leviathan. She was the patron for envy. In the game I participated in, everyone was designated one of the seven sins or virtues. Originally, I was in wrath.

Was the switch of theirs or your choosing? [As curious as the hotel makes him he motions for her to follow him as he turns and heads for the coliseum he can now see not too far away. She'd looked down when he asked her where she'd met Hinata.

That hadn't gone unnoticed.] Sosyne is anger and calm. Aidia is envy and appreciation. I'm aligned to Peromei, hope and despair. What does the talisman do?

My own. [ She doesn't say why, however; it's only for a few moments before she looks up again, slightly uncomfortable. ]

It doesn't really do anything much. It just keeps me as a part of the ritual. I can't take it off, since it'd make me sick if I do. Envy and appreciation, huh. . . I'd bet if Hajime was aligned, he'd probably be to Aida. Since that was the sin he was attached to.

While that is hardly surprising for him he has a much more fitting alignment. Piphron, Trust and Distrust. ... Much more fitting than we ever realized, I guess. [He doesn't say why. It's better not to get into that conflict with anyone but Hinata. Or Nanami. Even then he'd avoid talking to her about it. The ground beneath their feet bleeds in cobblestones.]

Our crystals fill as we feel and live but, they're our way to operate systems in the city. And to communicate telepathically. That's not as scary as it sounds! And well, they're also protection against a dying world that's desperate to survive.

... Trust and distrust, huh.

[ It's clear that Inaba seems to understand why. But guilt washes over her features, hurt when she says that. ]

No, that suits him... That suits Hinata well. It's probably what I would have gotten, too. But a dying world? Can you tell me more?

The world has its own consciousness. I suspect based on evidence that it's like a comatose patient. Still alive but the more we purify the Arehtei, and restore bits of the world...signs of life occur. But that doesn't change right now without a crystal it will drain anyone of their emotions completely to stay alive a little longer. It's like a person. People will do anything to stay alive.

[As they near the coliseum there are voices on the wind. He can't tell who they are or what they're saying. Probably for the best he assumes as he looks to Inaba.] What did you do?

I see. That makes sense.

[...] And what do you mean?

[...] Each time we talk about Hinata, you get quieter and look at the ground. Considering we're talking about mutual killing games. It's not hard to reach that conclusion.

Not that you have to tell me, of course.

Huh? [ It's true that she does get quiet and has a bad habit that she can't exactly hide, and she finds herself tugging on her arm with a guilty look on her face. ]

It's just... I hurt Hinata really badly. I screwed up so hard. . . got them involved in things that they shouldn't have been involved in, because of what I did.

[ She laughs, a little hollowly, a little apologetically. ]

He might not ever forgive me.

[He stops and looks at with a quiet studying gaze. Just like he'd thought she seems like she needs this. The old him would have taken advantage of how much this girl needs to talk to someone. Anyone. But that's not who he is these days. Komaeda gestures to the world around them as rain begins to fall.] He might not. Hinata is,

[The voices turn angry and he takes his time looking over where Verens blends with the islands. They're nearly to their destination.] He doesn't handle betrayal well. But whether he does or not, that actually doesn't matter as much as you might think it will.

[Komaeda steps through the archway and a soft feminine voice whispers, "I don't think it's selfish or bad of you to want to continue to live." Beyond the doorway groups of people cluster together. One at the center of each group holds their hands up. Komaeda steps around them, moving towards the priestess sitting quietly by herself.] Do you know why you're moving forward? Or even who you are? I'll be honest.

[His feet kick up dust as he comes to a halt and turns to face her. His shadow is that servant from before, and cold despair washes back like the ocean tide to mix with the soft wash of hope as pale gold light curves around him.] When you don't know these things, or even you're just alone. It's so easy to fall. I did for a long time. I won't be arrogant and claim that I was worse than you. To you what you've done is the worst.

What do you want to do? Maybe you should start there.

Betrayal... [ Her voice slips into something that's clearly wistful, lips curling into a solemn smile. It's sad, melancholic. Fingers wrap around her talisman, gripping it tightly. ]

I never wanted to kill him, or his friends. But I was a part of a secret group that was trying to save everyone, and I couldn't say anything. I wanted to, so badly. To say something. I almost did, and... I messed up big time.

[ Inaba's grip tightens, almost as if she's trying to break the talisman itself. ]

After a conversation I had with him and his friend, he was threatened by the mastermind. They kidnapped all of his classmates and told him that if he didn't try getting information about what we were doing, they'd kill them. It might as well have been my betrayal. My own fault.

[ ... ] I've given him no reason to forgive me.

[ For all his salt. ] As for what I want to do? I don't know. I'm not going to ever see him again, most likely.

[ He doesn't want to. She can tell. It hurts so much, but she can tell that much. He... was just pretending, this whole time when he said that he'd try to be friends with her and that much hurts even more. ]

Edited 2016-04-29 16:01 (UTC)

It's also possible you might forget all of this when you go back. But even if you won't ever see him again that doesn't mean you can't do something.

[The world goes dark all around them. Only faint illumination at their feet let's her see how he freezes with a resigned look on his face when heels click on the stone floor. His hands curl into fists as the sound gets close and chains rattle. He doesn't need to look back. The sight is always the same. Row upon row of cells, fifteen in all but only his is ever occupied.

A spotlight snaps on but the woman standing in it is still in shadow. Except for her fingernails with their blood red nail polish. The copper tang of blood is overwhelming suddenly, as if it had been masked all this time and he reels, before he seizes Inaba's arm and says,] Run, your sanity depends on it!

[He pulls her away from the sight of the cells and of Servant, sitting silently as the woman leans in and rakes her blood red nails over his face. The blood runs down his own face. Shit. Shit! Komaeda runs, not as fast as he could. But enough to get them both away. Or so he hopes.]

Wha— [ She gapes slightly completely in shock. ]

L-Let's go to the hotel basement, then! At least there, we can protect ourselves!

[ Although it's not going to be pretty. Not in the slightest bit. Of course, if they do end up going there, they'll have to be going down several flights of stairs; besides, the basement itself is freezing, abnormally so, and unfortunately, Inaba isn't dressed for the weather this time around.

If they do go to the basement, they'll notice a symbol painted on the ground, a table with various items on top, including her laptop, a couch, a chalkboard filled with STATS, STATS, STATS and a tarp, covered with corpses.

But they're not alone, seeing as there's another woman in here, looking rather irritated as she glares at Inaba, but not saying anything yet. ]

Edited 2016-04-29 16:41 (UTC)

[They're not going fast enough. He can hear music with a haunting quality that he'd picked just for-

Komaeda says an apology and stops long enough to scoop Inaba up as he draws on the energy always in the air around him. Something hits the floor behind him and the skin of his back is alive with pain. But things like that are easy to ignore. He doesn't glance back.

You need to stop running from yourself. Hinata's voice intones but that is a trap. she'd used him far too many times for him to trust it. Not here. He runs and the walls feel like they're flying by. All too soon a pair of double doors are ahead, looking suspiciously like the doors to Hope's Peak.

Silver had told him not to gamble with his life against his luck. Well, entirely different if he's aiming on it saving someone else, isn't it? Trusting that he turns and lets his momentum slam his shoulder into the doors. And he stumbles into an unfamiliar and very cold hotel.

Komaeda sets Inaba down as he leans against the wall to get his breath back. Blinking blood out of his eyes, he reaches behind him to feel the ragged gashes in his back.] As vicious as she always is, how wonderful. Which way to the basement? And don't mind this, I've been a lot worse off before. ...at least don't worry until we're in the basement.

[And that's the last thing he says for some time. As they travel down the staircases he projects warmth into the air around them. It's a dream but he always feels like he only has control of himself in those. Even then, not quite what he'd like to have. At the last step he sways leans against the railing. Well. Dizziness from blood loss. Super.]

...what the hell did you keep the bodies around for? That seems a little ghastly, but maybe that's just me.

[ When she's picked up, Inaba can't help but yelp slightly; surprised entirely because nobody has ever done such a thing. Cheeks turn crimson in embarrassment before she points it out for him. It's not hard to get to the basement. Not from here, at least.

There are stairs that are familiar to her, way too many.

But when she sees the woman, she tenses up, freezing in place. ]

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Cw: physical abuse

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1/3 probably