The clock strikes twelve. The gong of the grandfather clock in the foyer tolls out the time in slightly unnecessarily obnoxious loud noises. The ambiance of this old mansion demands respect, care, awe --
Okay, no, wait, why are you even in this stupid dusty house?
No reasons are forthcoming, because everyone knows that people just end up in places like this sometimes. That's just how the narrative device works. The hows and the whys don't matter -- all that matters is that you're all here, so you'd better get cracking and start exploring, because it's not like you can leave yet.
Or ever, maybe.
 Good day, sirs and madams. Might I interest you in a nice glass of blood...y mary?
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PHASE I [ 02 15 ] All you see is white. The crash of thunder hits your ears next, punctuated by the piercing pitch of white noise in the background. After a few blinks, your vision comes back to you. Oh good, glad that you’ve joined us in the land of the living. Unlike the nondescript corpse at your feet – it looks like… a butler? Oh dear. You’ve already killed Murder Suspect Number One in most situations. How terribly ironic.
After all, who could’ve killed him but you? You might not remember, but there is definitely a murder weapon in your hand. It’s probably a knife or a poisoned glass of wine or-
Wait, is that a toaster? A full on toaster? Or maybe it’s a taser. Maybe you bludgeoned this poor guy with an entire encyclopedia. Either way, it looks like your murder weapon is a little unconventional, whether it’s a stranger’s pair of underwear or a hair curler. Are you really supposed to believe you committed a murder with these? (Yes.)
That said in the next second the double doors will be opening up. It’s pretty clear you’re not alone. Think quick!
PHASE II [ 0600 ] Exploring more around the compound, you’ll find plenty of those tall, oil portraits of people hung around the walls. When you start walking, they’re all strangers. However by the time that you feel like you’re wandering around for an hour, two hours, they might start looking a little bit more… familiar? Mom? Is that you?
You don’t have time to think about that, though. You were clearly framed! You don't’ have a motive for killing some random NPC –
“Or do you?” a portrait will ask.
Oh. Holy shit. Well it’d just be rude to leave, right? Whether you stick around for conversation or not, you’ll find that was just the beginning. The portraits are going to start grilling you. Welcome to CERES Central’s Roast of You. What was your motive? Don’t you know you should respect the servants? How would you feel if you were caught like that? Careful turning your back on them though, because if you ignore them for too long, the subjects in the portraits may just reach out and snatch you to join them in their portrait world.
At that point, the only way to get out is to swap places with some other poor, unsuspecting soul wandering around.
PHASE III [ 1045 ] You know what makes me hungry? Murder.
What’s the point of making a mansion this big anyway? Who’s even here? Either way, whether you’re looking for the kitchen to make a fine post-homicide sandwich or just trying to escape, you’ll eventually make it to a stairwell. The most finicky stairwell ever. Is that a trail of bloody footprints leading up the steps? What? No. Stop it, just climb.
Or well – don’t climb too quickly now. The staircases apparently have a mind of their own, swapping from one doorway to another. You definitely haven’t seen this before. It would seem that these stairs might even be interested in keeping you in a circle forever, no concern for whether or not you’re hungry or, god forbid, need to use the restroom.
However the portraits in the stairwell will provide a little tip: “The stairs are gossips, you know. Why don’t you tell us a little something about yourself? Make it good!”
Weirdly enough, sound advice – that is, if you’re interested in shouting out your most embarrassing secrets into the void so a mansion can keep talking shit about you. Oh well. Your alternative is just being a stair golem. There are worse fates.
PHASE IV [ 1430 ] This hall is oddly quiet.
Well, until you hear it – the soft sniffles coming from down the hall, the broken sobs. It sounds like someone’s crying. For one reason or another, your footsteps take you forward – there’s really no point in going back now after all, right? Yet as you continue to walk… walk… walk… the crying becomes louder and louder. More desperate, more despaired. In time, it’s clear that this person is wailing, screaming, “How could this happen?!”
Within the span of a breath, all the lights in the hallway go out, leaving you in pitch black.
It occurs to you then that you hear a second set of steps. When did you stop walking? A cold chill runs down your spine and you find yourself running then, despite the fact that it feels like this pitch black hallway goes on forever. The other footsteps pick up, remind you that you’re not alone. No, certainly not.
Best hope that you find some assistance soon – otherwise it looks like the Butler Association is going to ignite some righteous vigilante justice on your ass.
BONUS [ why o'clock ] You’re in the grand ballroom now, ready to present your case. Armed with a cob pipe (don’t smoke inside, it’s rude), a detective hat, and a single spotlight aimed right at you, you now have to explain how you came to the conclusion about the True Killer that is Obviously Not You. Rather, it’ll just be the character of whoever tags into this prompt – yes, you are suddenly so very sure that they’re the ones who are the ultimate mastermind of this entire game and… you’re just going to have to bullshit the reason why even if you know virtually nothing about them. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, you know?
Sorry about that.
Should you actually provide enough of a compelling case or they take pity on you, having a villainous breakdown for the sake of the plot, you’ll be awarded with a coupon that’ll give you three free scoops at your local ice cream parlor! (Note: you must buy the first two scoops in order to qualify.) Of course, if you’re not able to nail them down as the killer, you are obviously the killer yourself (citation needed).
From there, you’ll be dragged off to face your punishment: for six grueling hours you will be tickled mercilessly.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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HELL YAAAAAAASSSSSSSSS phase IV
And to an extent, he is. But he isn't immune, either. He can't find his way out of this hallway, and even though he has the benefit of knowing it's all VR and it's only a matter of time before he gets kicked out of it and wakes up on his own couch back in his apartment . . .
It's still unpleasant as hell. His hackles are still up, and he's hunched as he stalks down the hallway, shoulders tense as if he could shrug hard enough to cover his ears with them. He can't; he can still hear the voices. Shit.
And then he can hear another voice. It's one he actually recognizes this time, though he didn't expect to hear it again anytime soon. He picks up the pace, following the sound—
Completely heedless, of course, of what Chihiro might think of seeing him here. For all he knows, this is the same Chihiro who was last seen in the Nexus Code, who had already had the experience of coming face to face with Leon in the colony a few months back. So the last thing on Leon's mind is being careful to break the news; instead he just turns the corner in the hallway and tromps right up to him, all concern and shock.]
—Fujisaki?! You're back! Dude . . . you okay?
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Kuwata-sa-... ah- aaaaaa-
[His smile turns into uncertain terror. Kuwata Leon shouldn't be here. Kuwata Leon had been executed and they'd all been the ones to pull the proverbial trigger. How was this possible? A vengeful spirit? Had it all been some theatrical illusion put on by Monokuma?
He doesn't actually finish the other boy's name, he just sort of trails off into a few more squeaks that aren't quite screams.]
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[Shit, man. Doesn't he remember?]
—You don't remember?
[He just asks without thinking, and then his brain helpfully supplies that that's probably going to be taken wrong. What, what is he going to think that means if he doesn't remember being here before? Remember that time I died? Dammit! Stupid . . .
He doesn't know what else to do. If this is reaction is for him, it stings bad—like a knife in the gut, ha ha. Sure. But it's Fujisaki. Leon can't just snap over it like he'd done to some of the others. He might give the guy a heart attack.
Instead he just lifts his hands, grimacing, and trying to turn off the part of his own brain that feels fucked up about this.]
I uh, forget it, I'll explain later! I'll explain later . . . it's fine, don't freak out! Just, don't freak out! You ain't in any danger right now! I swear!
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A-ah no! I mean- I'm so sorry Kuwata-san! O-of course I remember you! I just- ah- I- I don't know what to say, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to upset you!
[His panic in running away from whoever he might have hurt is momentarily forgotten as he tries to gauge how badly he's hurt Leon's feelings. But when he says they're not in any danger, he really wants to believe that, though everything around them is screaming the opposite.]
A-are you sure? I think- I-... I don't know what happened, but- I was in one of those rooms and- and I think there was a body and-
[He can't keep his voice steady and the hiccupping sobs start again.]
W-what if I hurt him Kuwata-san?
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[Man . . .
Leon knows Fujisaki's a guy; he'd found that out from the last time. It hadn't been easy to believe. But in a way, it'd gotten easier when Chihiro wasn't actually in the colony anymore. Removed from the reality of him, it wasn't so hard to internalize it: sure, he was just a scrawny dude who took it a little too far, that's not so crazy. Nothing wrong with that.
But right now, looking at him huddled up on the ground crying in his girl's uniform with the puffy skirt—it's really hard not to see a scared high school girl, even though Leon had thought he'd totally come to terms with it.
So it's hard not to react as if he is one. Seeing a cute girl cry sucks. Chihiro isn't a cute girl after all, but Leon still can't help himself: he crouches down in front of him and reaches over to pat his head comfortingly, the way he'd done so many times to his cousin back home.]
You didn't! It ain't real, okay? It's CERES messing with us. All this is just CERES screwing us around! This whole place is just a VR. I know it sounds crazy, but you gotta believe me! Eventually it'll kick us out and we'll be back in the colony!
[Where it's safe, he doesn't say, because it's not really true.]
no subject
Mm.
[He's fighting to resolve the issue in his mind. Leon, how is he here? How? and then, as sudden as the gentle pat on his head, something seems to click. VR. This isn't real. Things didn't have to make sense. It explained so much! The flash of light, the change in scenery, the surreal atmosphere, Leon- it was all virtual.]
No.
[His voice is tiny and soft and still hitches from time to time, but he shakes his head firmly.]
No, it does make sense K-Kuwata-san. I couldn't- I thought maybe M-monokuma was...
[His grip on the handkerchief between his fingers tightens, but he forces himself to meet Leon's eyes.]
Will you be there too?
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[He's a little taken aback, throat suddenly thick-feeling. Why's Fujisaki asking that? Is it because he's hopeful, or because he's scared? Either way, it strikes him a little to be asked after like that. And he's not quite sure what Chihiro was getting at with the rest—what about Monokuma?—but there's time to explain all that later. What matters now is that this is all CERES bullshit, but . . . ]
I-I mean, I'm real! I'm really here! I know you—I know, okay? I remember what happened to me . . . that part was real. It's a long story, y'know? But I'm still the real deal!
[He grins at him. It's pretty weak, considering the subject, but he's trying to be reassuring.]
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I'm so glad.
[Kuwata had every right to despise them all after that horrible trial. It wasn't fair, none of it had been fair. Did that mean that Maizono too? and Enoshima? Were they alright too?
He patted his face down with the handkerchief one more time before tucking it into his cardigan pocket. Even if it was only virtual, the motions helped calm him. The last several days- maybe they really were just a far-away nightmare. He certainly wanted to hope for that.]
Is it- is it like a mystery game then?
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For a moment, Leon's worried he might even spill a tear himself. He's no good around crying people anyway, and—hearing that touches him on some deep level he's never consciously thought about. Naegi and Kirigiri, for all they accepted and included him, hadn't had the same open reaction when they'd met again here: I'm so glad you're okay. It feels like it's been a long time since he's been met with that, and from someone who—knows. Everything. Someone who has every reason to hate or fear Leon, or at least see him as—
But he doesn't. There's no point thinking about that! He doesn't!
And he's not going to cry about it, either, because how embarrassing would that be in front of Fujisaki? Instead he laughs, and maybe it's a little shaky-sounding, but he can pretend it isn't. He still has a lot of questions, but they can wait.]
Yeah . . . somethin' like that. It's CERES screwing with us, mostly. So you could say it is one, but we're probably not gonna have much luck actually solving whatever the mystery is. It's just to piss us off and get us freaked out. That's what they do!
[He rises to his feet again, and then after a moment, offers Chihiro a hand up.]
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W-what would you suggest then Kuwata-san? I... I think- that is- there's a- a body back in one of the rooms. If we're supposed to solve the mystery of what happened, then...
[He swallows back a bit of nervousness and takes Leon's hand up, bolstering his determination.]
Ah- I mean, we don't have to if you don't think we should!
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[Heh. He doesn't say that accusingly;he just can't help but tease a little at that kind of preemptive apologizing.
He also doesn't call girls "dude," usually, but Chihiro may not remember enough of him to know that either.
Leon lets his hand go after he's safely standing, then reaches over to squeeze his shoulder. See? We're cool. We're up. Good as new.]
Anyway, you never know what they want out of us when they throw us in here, but it might be that. It'd be better than running around down here freaking out at voices, right? So we can try and find our way back! I ain't really good at the whole mystery thing . . . that's Kirigiri and Togami's job.
[He realizes after an awkward moment that that could be a reference to their hands in condemning him. They sure did help with that. Oops. So he clarifies, clearing his throat:]
—They're here too, I meant! Not . . . here-here. They might be here-here? I ain't seen 'em in this level, but that doesn't mean they didn't get thrown in.
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The reassuring squeeze of his shoulder that follows is startling, but not unwelcome. He tries to muster a smile in return, though it's faint and a little thin, brows still knit in worry.]
Mmm. Visual novel style games like that can be difficult. It isn't always easy to follow the writer's thought process and a clue that seems obvious to them might not be to the reader. Just u-um. Something I have noticed.
[He played a fair amount of games, though he was usually more interested in how they directed a player or how well the NPC could interact with the protagonist, how many variables they accounted for, that sort of thing. Visual novels were less interesting because of how linear the story-telling was, but that seemed to be the point in many of them.
If there was any tinge of bitterness in his voice as he mentioned Kirigiri and Togami, Chihiro didn't notice, only agreed quietly with the facts; they and possibly Naegi were probably better at this sort of thing.]
I think- if they are in the game with us, that would be their objective too, wouldn't it? I... I think I remember the way back, but-
[It was dark and virtual or not, there was a body waiting for them. He wasn't exactly looking forward to it.]
I'm very sorry to ask, but would you c-come along as well Kuwata-san?
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[Not even because he's such a giving and kind-hearted person, either:]
. . . I don't know the way back myself, ha ha! —But I was totally gonna anyway. I mean, we've got a lot to talk about, right?
[How much of it is going to be pleasant? How much is going to be heartbreaking? That depends on a lot of things Leon doesn't know yet about Chihiro's situation. It's obvious he doesn't remember Cerealia at all, but what else does he remember? How do you even ask that?
Well, there's the way it was asked to him, when he got here.
He'd hated that. He'd been so fucking mad. But now he gets it; there's no other way. And he needs to get that out of the way first.]
So lead the way! Don't worry, I've got your back. We'll solve the hell out of this and then go home! Ah, I mean, back to the colony. Not home-home . . .
Hey, Fujisaki . . . what's the last thing you remember from home-home, anyway?
[He tries to say it as casually as he can, already regretful for how it might hurt if Chihiro remembers—stuff. Stuff Leon shouldn't technically know about, but has heard.]
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I'm truly grateful for your help Kuwata-san.
[Though when he starts walking and the topic of conversation changes, he finds a new uncertainty growing in the pit of his stomach. A lot to talk about? Really, he doesn't deserve this help. He should be the one apologizing; he'd played a part in the majority vote that had condemned Leon. Even if he was alright, the wound in his heart at his classmate's betrayal had to sting.]
Mmm. I guess that's true.
[Chihiro spoke softly, but nodded and took the lead, taking pains to not glance over his shoulder nervously. Leon was watching his back, it was okay, right?]
Um. I was-
[The gym bag he carried over one shoulder was painfully obvious, but he couldn't just admit to Leon that he'd been on his way to meet Mondo at the men's gym.]
Ogami-san and Asahina-san offered to show me how the weighted machines work. I-in the gym.
[It was a lie, but not that far from the truth. They really had been enthusiastic to hear he wanted to become stronger. He hoped Mondo hadn't grown too upset waiting on him to arrive.]
I was on my way to meet them. That's the last thing I remember. U-um. Why do you ask?
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Shit. Why's it only ever Leon who remembers being dead? How is that fair? . . . Though really, he's not sure which option is worse. For a second he thinks, I'm the worst possible person to tell him all he needs to know, I wasn't even there—then he remembers Togami exists.
Second-worst, then.
Which leaves Kirigiri. Maybe they can do it as a group thing, to support him through this screwed-up time—
Ah, his mind is wandering, and he's losing track of the conversation. He has to jerk himself out of it and remind himself of what Chihiro just asked, whoops.]
—Uh, no reason? Heh . . . I mean . . . okay, maybe a lot of reasons, but it'd be easier for Kirigiri to tell you all that.
[He pauses, but he's not satisfied with that explanation either. Pretty weak. He can at least explain the timeline confusion without going into specifics, though:]
How do I put this . . . obviously I wasn't around for that, y'know? So I'm "earlier" than you . . . but Kirigiri's "later" than you. She remembers stuff that happened after! And Togami's even "later" than she is! When CERES brings us here, they don't really worry about "when" we come from, get it? I know it sounds crazy!
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Well there was a lot more to wonder about on that particular point, but he focused on the here and now. If a person could be picked from different points along the same timeline without affecting the outcome of those that followed, Leon was trying to explain that a pre-existing timeline where Togami was at the latest point and Kuwata was at the earliest had already occurred, so Kirigiri or Togami's memories would be the most accurate.
It was strange to think that a timeline might exist where he had interacted with the others and affected the course of events, yet he had no memory of it. Had he been able to access the school's database with Alter Ego? If so, what had he found? Had it helped the others at all? Were they still at the school? Had anyone else fallen victim to Monokuma's cruel reign?
So many questions. He fell into silent contemplation as he led them down the dark hallway, finally stopping in front of the double-doors he'd emerged from earlier. If that was all true then-
Even if Leon was here now, alive now, it didn't change what had happened to him in the timeline Chihiro knew. How would this end? They couldn't go back and quietly play the parts they'd been given, not with this new knowledge. It would have far-reaching effects on how each timeline played out. The number of hypothetical timelines was limitless.]
I think I understand the concept, but... I have a lot of questions.
[He gave a worried sort of smile.]
Ah! D-don't worry. I can wait and ask Kirigiri-san if it's difficult!
[He glanced nervously at the door, took a deep breath, and pushed.]
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[He does want to try and help. And also definitely he's just as good at doing things as his smart classmates are! (Okay, he knows better than that, but he can't just admit to it to easily!)
Leon walks up to the door as Chihiro pushes it open. Whatever's back here, he's not scared of it, so he might as well go first, since Chihiro's clearly nervous. There's always the possibility it will be scary, and then he'll look like a moron for pushing ahead, but . . . well, it's hard to imagine freaking out more than Fujisaki over something.
So he cranes his neck to peer inside, putting himself between Chihiro and the door.]