Fandom Fandomronpa [Closed]

[themagnoliaofutah]

Icee GamblingGoblins HanikamuKitten LuckycoolHawk9

In spite of herself, Louise did smile a little at the mention of music. She had learned to play piano some - when they were in college, Damien and her sometimes fiddled around with one in the music room when they didn't have a mountain of assignments to do - and classical music often calmed her. She'd sometimes even hum to herself in the void, in an attempt to distract herself.

"...I would like that, I think."

 

[GamblingGoblins]

Marie - Ultimate Decapitator
Café
HanikamuKitten themagnoliaofutah Icee LuckycoolHawk9

Well, that explained her confusion at least. It made sense that Cater forgot to mention the details, given how much of a burden he'd been carrying on his mind and heart. It didn't really bother Marie, regardless; no harm had been done, after all. Still, she couldn't help but appreciate his whispered inquiry. She couldn't describe how nice it felt to have someone who displayed such genuine care for her. "I am," she confirmed softly, "I just like being close to you like this. It's safe and warm. Is that... okay?" Naturally, she didn't want to inconvenience him; if he asked, she'd be happy to let go. Fortunately, though, it seemed he didn't even have to; her efforts to assist Louise gave a natural escape.

Speaking of, Marguerite wasn't entirely sure that she was convinced by her fellow postmortem participant's words. She wasn't sure, but... Louise's soul felt similar to her own, though she couldn't place just why. Was she an Ahnenerbe, too? Or could she have been absorbed by one? Both seemed unlikely; she seemed in tact, just distant. And speaking of distant, Marie suddenly realized she'd probably been quiet for too long. "...I see," she offered. She wasn't sure what she could say beyond that, but she still tried. "I understand that feeling." Her 'job' certainly wasn't a typical one, but she nevertheless worried about Ren's wellbeing without her protection.

Once she and Louise had finished setting up the additional chairs, she settled next to Cater once again, though her eyes quickly wandered to Stiles as he approached and slid his tablet onto the tabletop. She blinked with surprise, finding herself a tad confused as the device was passed around the group. "Uh." Um. How was she supposed to say this? She didn't want to interrupt the chat they were having, but nevertheless, she was at a total loss for just what the point of this was. She couldn't make heads or tails of the message Stiles had typed, and she momentarily shifted with discomfort as she contemplated what to do about this. After a long silence, she finally leaned over to Cater, sheepishly tugging on his sleeve and whispering a question. "Hey, um... What'd he give us that for? I can't understand it." Given how much time they'd spent together the last few days, it'd be easy for Cater to piece together that her meaning likely went deeper than failing to comprehend the words. Given that every message she'd received or sent in their time together had been done via text to speech, and with her thick French accent and peasant clothes mixed in as well, it seemed most likely that she was outright illiterate. At least she could sort of get the spoken bits, anyway.

"ADHD?" she repeated, tilting her head just so. "Pills...?" Yeah, never mind; she had no idea what he was talking about. But hey, at least it seemed like Louise was in the same boat. It actually made her feel a little better to know that she wasn't the only one struggling to understand. She finally gained the sense to wipe the remaining tears off her face, her eyes drifting to Claude as he spoke to her and Cater. "Of course. It's like I said before; you have a good heart. It's hard to imagine you having any ill wishes in asking us here." She still couldn't really wrap her head around how anyone could have suspected Claude in the last case, but she supposed there was no use thinking about it now. They were trying to plan for the future, right? "I'm glad you trust us, too," she added with a small smile, utterly sincere. She knew she'd messed up dearly last trial, and overall in her life, so it was reassuring to know that people weren't looking down on her for it.

Oh. Right. She'd forgotten they even had food... but, then, she wasn't really sure she was hungry right now. It didn't really matter if she ate or not, anyway, so she decided to pass. The rest of what her friend had to say piqued her interest, though. Even she could pick up on the connotations of a music venue, and the idea of going to such a place definitely seemed like a good way to relax. "A band?" she repeated. There was the confusion. "Is that akin to an orchestra?" Well, at least she kind of got it. Even with that little hiccup, she couldn't help but perk up a bit at the rest of his words. He liked to sing? She was much the same. A small nod came in answer to his question. "I do. Before meeting Ren, I would spend most of my time singing for Cagliostro," she explained. In fact, before her death, all she had done was sing; literally. She had been mute for most of her life, only for her first and only words to come out in the form of the Guillotine's Refrain. Over and over, her gentle and angelic voice would sing that accursed song like a prayer to the devil, tireless and oblivious and more enchanting than it had any right to be. The memory caused her small smile to falter, the briefest flicker of horror crossing her face at the realization of it all. Of what music was to her. What it symbolized.

Blood. Blood. Blood.

Quickly, she shut down, shrinking into herself and lowering her gaze with a mildly pained expression. Her minor joy at the idea of being able to engage with the familiarity of song quickly turned to gut-wrenching sickness at her own idiocy. "I... I only know one song, though. It isn't a good one." It was just another reminder of the unbearable weight of her sins. It was momentarily hard for her to even find the words to speak again. "But that's okay. I can come and watch." Maybe she would get to listen to the others sing, instead. Surely that would be far better than unleashing her own accursed song on her fellow unfortunate souls.​

 

[Crimson Baron]

Shinoa Hiiragi​

Location: Restaurant

After the trial had concluded, the ultimate reaper returned to the group and they would then head to Cater's bedroom to sleep together. Wait, why Cater's? Shouldn't her own room was also available and with 2 beds to boot? Shinoa thought but didn't open her mouth. Knowing Nana, she would speak up about rational matters like this anyway, so Shinoa said nothing as the group went upstairs until they reached Room J...

"Nana-chan!?"

Finally noticed something was off, Shinoa called the pink-haired girl. Considering what they had been through, it would be normal for anyone to space out. However, Shinoa and Nana got a lot closer as a roommate and she could tell that this degree of detachment from Nana was unusual. Looking into her eyes, Shinoa noticed that lifeless eyes of someone trapped in her own depressed thoughts. It's something usually seen in those just rescued from vampires and Shinoa knew full well that nothing she said would reach Nana at the moment.

And so they ended up sleeping together in a single bed in Cater's bedroom. Too late to protest, Shinoa sighed and slipped into the bed between Nana and Cater+Marie that occupied the space of a single person. Under any other circumstances, they both would fall victim to her nonstop teasing, but she was too distracted by Nana to actually do that. Decided to comfort the ultimate class leader a little, Shinoa moved closer and attempted to hug her like a pillow... only to be stopped by a touch of a hard object from inside the pink uniform pocket. Looking at Nana whose eyes had been closed for a while, Shinoa inserted her hand into that pocket out of curiosity. She soon discovered a deck of cards they played earlier and some other things, namely 2 pens, a flashlight and a small music box. Decorated on all those items were Monokuma or his face, indicating their source being the gift shop. Why would Nana keep these random items with her? Shinoa wondered and soon forgot them in favor of cuddling with the unresponsive girl.

The next morning, they once again moved in group to the restaurant, this time with Cater's roommate joining them. Shinoa had looked up her information since last night but really had no opportunity to talk to her. Apparently, she might got used to having Nana doing that job. Looking at the girl who was still like a walking corpse, Shinoa couldn't help but sighed again. Having listened to Nana's backstory, Shinoa knew she used to dealing with deaths of her friends, yet judging from her current state a twisted game like this could be too much for her. The ultimate reaper didn't really pay attention to Monokuma's serving food for them as she kept casting Nana a worried look.

"Hey you girls mind if Marie and I take a little walk with our food? We’ll meet up again later, Kay?"

"Don't be afraid to use the strange metal box if you need us. Please be safe... we will meet again soon."

Shouldn't they all go together? Shinoa had a thought before immediately abandoned it. She had seen how those two interacted last night and had a vague idea of how things would go when they asked to be alone. Yet again, under any other circumstances she could tease those two especially Cater nonstop, but she cared for Nana too much to pull her usual antics. Waving her hand at the pair leaving the table, Shinoa looked back to Nana and then the other girl. With both Cater gone and Nana being like that, Shinoa suddenly felt a bit awkward. It's not beyond her capability to start a conversation, but unlike those two she would never reach that extraordinary level of social skill. And just when she was thinking about what to say...

"Uh, Jabami Yumeko-san right? I'm sorry I didn't talk to you earlier. What happened yesterday left a huge impact on me and I hope you can forgive me on that. I'm a friend of your roommate. The name is Nana, Hiiragi Nana. Nice to meet you!"

Shinoa immediately looked at Nana who was already recovered. If Yumeko wasn't around she might have gone straight for a hug, but all she did was shooting a piercing glare at the ultimate class leader.

"You made us worried, you know."

After saying that in a low voice that had clear signs of anger and disproval but also a subtle sign of relief, she looked away as if to avoid Nana. While not aware of it, Shinoa herself also had a better expression thanks to Nana's recovery. The next time she see Cater he definitely wouldn't get away from her prank like this. After staring distantly at the direction Cater and Marie left for a while, she turned to Yumeko. Now that Nana had started the talking, introduced herself and had a perfectly valid reason for their lack of conversation last night, there's no reason for Shinoa to not join in.

"And I'm her roommate, Hiiragi Shinoa. Nice to meet you"

She felt like she could say more, but let's just leave that to the professional.

Severia SilverDingo HanikamuKitten GamblingGoblins

 

[Takumi98]

After playing the Piano, Wanda left, moving a steady pace, Wanda arrives in the room. Frowning slightly when she sees Uchiha. Almost on cue, she got the boy's text about "not starting anything". Wanda didn't text back, and Witch ignored Tobi as she passed him by. Looking around the room, Wanda noticed a soundproof booth, a group of records, the computers. Different things caught her eye.

View attachment 970563
"You three have been here how long, and haven't played a single song? Where's the fun in that?" Wanda said, before randomly putting a song on from the multiverse library



As the song played, Wanda strolled over to the soundproof recording room. Grabbing Atsushi, she led him into the booth with force, locking the door behind them. While the two other people in the room could see the two, they couldn't be able to hear them.

"Turn away from the mirror. Tobi might be able to read lips." Wanda said, he bodies already in the right position. The booth was small, but both of them had enough room. Looking at the boy, Wand began to speak. "You and I haven't really talked, as you know. "I also know you don't trust me. Smart boy." A pause, followed by a side. "You shouldn't. You and I? We're similar. We've both done terrible things, but that doesn't define us. I have grown, trying to make amends for my sins. However, I've also have slip-....." Wanda again paused. "I need you to know something. I don't plan on killing someone, however. If I did, Someone should have information on me to use against, Oppo-research, if you would." Wanda looked at the boy, a sorrowful look. "And I trust you more than the father or Tobi. Do you agree?"

@Takumi Gummi Bunnies R U S T​

Putting his tablet away as Wanda dragged him into the recording booth to speak in private, glancing at Tobi and Aru briefly and hoping they didn't possibly argue. He watched Wanda as she spoke yet he remained quiet.

He let her words sink in for a second. He studied her face and body language as he did so.

"Adults like you aren't quite what I'm used to, due to your motherly nature." He answered carefully.

When she admitted that they both did terrible things, his gaze lowered to the ground a moment.

"I can't make amends for what I've done, I wouldn't even know where to start." He replied quietly. When it came to the director's death specifically there were so many possibilities on what could of happened instead of what did take place there.

Pinkie Pie
Capri Zenterfold Takumi98 @Charles Babel + Music Venue

Music Venue

Pinkie Pie listened to Clementine closely as she spoke back to her, nodding in understanding when the girl said she couldn't read sheet music that well. Pinkie couldn't either, in all honesty. While Pinkie Pie could play a majority of the instruments that were even available to play, she didn't pay too much attention to sheet music. This was because... it wasn't fun in her eyes. Learning how to operate an instrument by itself was much more interactive than trying to understand little dots and notes on white paper. She gave a singular thumbs-up to Clementine while the latter looked away from her, rubbing her tired, teary eyes with her free hand. "That's okay. Sheet music hurts my brain, so it's a-okay if you don't read it that well. Trying to read it is like trying to read... trying to read... hard stuff! If you ever do play, though... could I listen?"

Then, as soon as Wanda finished playing the piano, the red-cloaked woman zoomed out of the Music Venue room, seemingly going to somewhere important. Pinkie looked at her crowned friend leaving, deep in wonder for where Wanda was heading off to. There were many areas to go off to, now that this second floor opened up to them. Was she perhaps going back downstairs? Or maybe she was going to her room to change? Pinkie remembered Wanda complaining about how she couldn't change before... at the trial. The trial. Would another happen before their eyes? Pinkie was thinking but was soon jolted out of her uncharacteristic thoughts by Sera's outburst, resulting in her staring at the Ultimate Rouge.

Oh... right. They were arguing. Girls died earlier. Tension was everywhere. Something rumbled somewhere on Pinkie's body, but she wasn't sure if it was from her own shaking now or from her glittery, pink tablet. Her legs were as strong as a pack of jelly right now. It was strange: Pinkie was thinking about all the dark things that happened, but when somebody said something similar to what she was thinking, she reacted badly. She rubbed her arms, feeling the goosebumps that showed up against her skin at the bloody thoughts of Menma and Trixie dying. How strange that physical pain always seemed to transfer to how you were feeling mentally. When seeing something disturbing, some people got nauseous. When people got scared, their faces went white. When people got in shock, they sometimes fainted. Why was that?

...hold on. Why was Pinkie Pie thinking about mental pain and physical pain all of a sudden? How did she completely transfer over to a new topic? Was it just her normal short attention span, or was she just so desperate to not think about anything bad that she changed what she was thinking subconsciously?

In and out. In and out. Pinkie let out a shaky breath, inhaling and exhaling out of her mouth, before seeing the piano deposit something. She immediately focused on what was deposited. The depositing reminded Pinkie of earlier, when the machine deposited all of their tablets after processing their faces. Was this place so high tech that it just deposited anything whenever? Did it only deposit tablets and things close to that? But what the piano deposited looked nothing like a tablet or anything close to it. It looked metal. Pinkie Pie squinted at it, trying to see what it was, but to no avail. Then, suddenly, Clementine asked to see it, Sophie soon giving it to her.

"Do..." Pinkie whispered, clearing her throat to speak loud enough to the Ultimate Survivalist to hear. "Do you know what it is, Clementine? Do you recognize the item?"

Soon after this question, though, Sophie placed a hand on Pinkie's head, minimizing the shivering that was happening throughout her creation. "Okay..." Okay? Was Sophie going to take Pinkie's piano playing request? The Ultimate Party Planner visibly perked up, not having enough time to perk down again as Sophie immediately started playing. The pink-haired girl closed her eyes, expecting to be brought to the island of peace as she was before. She was expecting waves of comfort and calm to rush through her, helping her through whatever she was feeling...

...but for some reason, Pinkie felt sad listening to the song. Waves of comfort did not roll through Pinkie, but instead, waves of emotion. Waves of fear. Waves of Sophie Walten. Pinkie Pie opened her eyes, looking quizzingly at Sophie. Her puzzled expression quickly turned into one full of surprise, though. It looked like Sophie was expressing herself with her playing, expressing the sorrow and pain inside of herself. Pinkie listened closely, trying to take in as many emotions as she could. The best way to know someone was to look at their true emotions, after all. However, as soon as the playing started, it stopped.

Pinkie looked over to the Ultimate Survivor, taking in the blank face of hers before looking back at the piano. Was her friend's playing a representation of what she was feeling right now? It wouldn't be a surprise, from all that happened, but it would still sadden Pinkie Pie if it were true. She paused for a moment, hands above the piano keys as she thought about a song to play in return to Sophie's. As soon as her mind set on one, she started playing a light, happy tune, one opposite of Sophie's. Perhaps the people around her would know what she was playing, or perhaps they wouldn't. To go along with her tune, Pinkie soon started singing along:

"Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday,
Happy Birthday to you.

From good friends and true,
From old friends and new,
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to you."

It most likely wasn't Sophie's birthday or anyone's birthday here right now, but what song is more appropriate to be played by the Ultimate Party Planner? What song is more appropriate to be played by Pinkamena Diane Pie, the Element of Laughter? What song is more appropriate to be played by a pink-haired girly girl, one supposed to be happy, cheerful, and random? Seconds after playing this song, Pinkie got pains inside her chest. This was the song... that she sang with one of her best friends, Fluttershy. Oh, the sweet, shy Fluttershy. How was she? How was Rainbow Dash? Twilight Sparkle? Applejack? Rarity? How was everyone? Were they looking for Pinkie? Were they happy? Were they okay? Were they smiling? Pinkie looked over Sophie again, and the pain only got greater with the familiar, hurtful ba-bump, ba-bump of her chest. For some reason, Pinkie wanted to get out of here, yet at the same time, she didn't. If it was true that they were all from different universes, then if they got out, would Pinkie be able to still talk to Sophie? To talk to Atsushi? To talk to Usagi, talk to Wanda? If they got out... she would most likely never be able to talk to them again. It was far too conflicting for Pinkie to think about that.

What were they supposed to do?

Pinkie Pie patted Sophie's head lightly, hoping it was comforting, before saying to her quietly, "You don't just deserve happy birthdays, Sophie. You deserve happy days. Happy hours. Happy seconds. A happy life." She paused before continuing. "Do you have happiness at your home? Do you have smiles?" If Sophie wanted to, she could truly lie to Pinkie Pie about how she felt in her universe. Pinkie would easily believe it.

Oh, right. Pinkie felt a rumble earlier. Did Atsushi reply to her? Looking at the MESSAGE app now, her eyebrows moved with confusion while reading his text. He did bad things before? He was saying she and their friends were good people, but that he wasn't? He was bringing up Monokuma's clean slate thing? But... wasn't the clean slate only for those who murdered before? Pinkie slightly shivered at the thought. Pinkie didn't think Atsushi would do such a thing. She sent back the message:

"rmmber when yuo loooked at me in suport diruing the trial??? rember when youu grabed my hand in cofmort? remeembr when\ you didnt leav my sidee,even when peple were recacting somuch worse than i was, lik usgai? rebmember jhow you offerd to sendd me and usaggi back to our roomns? remmeber al the timez you caled me and da rest of our freinds gud peple?
- P. Pie"

Spoiler: Message

"Remember when you looked at me in support during the trial? Remember when you grabbed my hand in comfort? Remember when you didn't leave my side, even when people were reacting so much worse than I was, like Usagi? Remember how you offered to send me and Usagi back to our rooms? Remember all the times you called me and the rest of our friends good people?"

She paused before sending another message.

"youre not 1, of my bestest freinds becuz of youre past mistakes, atsuiishi. youree 1 of my bestest friineds becuz youuuure kind. you car for others. youu re smrt and observaint and pateint. so becuz of thiss, i wil ALAWAYS hopepe for wut i said. if yoouu dont beleive any of thsi and kep on saayig tht youre notgood, i will remnid you overandover agian that you AER gud untill youre bombrarded withe myy luv!!!
- P. Pie"

Spoiler: Message

"You're not one of my best friends because of your past mistakes, Atsushi. You're one of my best friends because you're kind. You care for others. You're smart and observant and patient. So, because of this, I will always hope for what I said. If you don't believe any of this and keep on saying that you're not good, I will remind you over and over again that you are good until you're bombarded with my love!"

After sending these two messages of what she thought, Pinkie Pie placed the tablet in her lap, going back to attempting to pat Sophie's head. Her thoughts were filled with worry for Atsushi, though. Why would he think those things he texted her about himself? Why would he lie about himself like that? He was a good person! Why would he think any differently? Her eyes shined with sadness, pat after pat. Was he doubting how much she cared for him? How much she felt highly of him? How much she thought he was a good friend?

Her eyes went over to Usagi right then. The blond-haired girl also was doubting herself, thinking that she was useless. And Sophie... did Sophie have these thoughts as well? Did Wanda? They shouldn't be thinking bad things about themselves, though! Pinkie truly believed they were all good people!

But did they all believe that about themselves?​

His tablet buzzed, but he didn't reach for it immediately. He was aware that, eventually he would see Pinkie later and...admittedly he wanted to see her, to be in her presence, to have her comfort as well as give her comfort. That warmth caused from her earlier message was still present even if it lessened somewhat.

"rmmber when yuo loooked at me in suport diruing the trial??? rember when youu grabed my hand in cofmort? remeembr when\ you didnt leav my sidee,even when peple were recacting somuch worse than i was, lik usgai? rebmember jhow you offerd to sendd me and usaggi back to our roomns? remmeber al the timez you caled me and da rest of our freinds gud peple?
- P. Pie"

To: Pinkie Pie
Yes, I remember all of that. You were panicking and no one else had came to your aid some of those times so I went out of my way to make sure you were OK because no one else did at the time. I meant it when I said you all were good and I'll admit I want to be someone you can rely on

"youre not 1, of my bestest freinds becuz of youre past mistakes, atsuiishi. youree 1 of my bestest friineds becuz youuuure kind. you car for others. youu re smrt and observaint and pateint. so becuz of thiss, i wil ALAWAYS hopepe for wut i said. if yoouu dont beleive any of thsi and kep on saayig tht youre notgood, i will remnid you overandover agian that you AER gud untill youre bombrarded withe myy luv!!!
- P. Pie"

Oh. That warm feeling was back. With it was a sudden growing ache in his chest as his heart thumped against his chest hard. The feeling wasn't panic, and he didn't quite understand it. He stared at the message wide eyed when he realized this was...probably one of the nicest things he's heard from someone other than anyone in the Mafia.

"...Wanda, you said the terrible things we did don't define us, but...how do you try and make amends? When the guilt becomes too much?" He asked the red clad woman, his eyes still on Pinkie's message.

"I've killed so many people, because they were a threat to me and someone I cared about back home. Here, I had figured it wasn't so different, and that if someone was a threat to me I could simply snap their spine in two and make it quick or die trying before Monokuma showed up and changed everything..." he trailed off for a moment, his expression shifting to something darker as his eyes landed on the Witch.

"I don't trust Tobi or Kotomine, for differing reasons, and I doubt that'd change. You...I trust you enough to know that you have Pinkie and the other's best interests at heart, and that...you seem to mean well enough." The White Reaper admitted. Wanda could tell enough about a person through means he didn't quite understand, but she seemed to know enough on him based on this current conversation, and showed no hostility towards him currently. They hadn't talked much, yes, but this was a start at least.

Josh Xeppy R U S T Gummi Bunnies @RadioBroadcastingRoom

 

[HanikamuKitten]

Cater Diamond​

Cafe
GamblingGoblins Icee themagnoliaofutah LuckycoolHawk9 ​

"I am, I just like being close to you like this. It's safe and warm. Is that... okay?" He made every attempt he could to cover his blush spreading across his face, which the others in the room would definitely take note of.

“LOL yeah of course!” He didn’t really know what else to say to something like that, and ended up defaulting to Magicam mode. Still, it was nice to know she was all good.

When everyone leaned in to read Stiles’ message, he was a bit surprised when Marie leaned in to him to whisper something. "Hey, um... What'd he give us that for? I can't understand it."

He was shocked by what she said at first, but after a moment he realized it wasn’t too surprising. While he didn’t have all the details, Marie’s past as he understood it was a rough one. She also used text-to-speech a lot, never typing anything. She really couldn’t read.

“Oh no worries. Basically he’s saying that-“ he realized he probably shouldn’t say it out loud, as that would defeat the purpose. “Well for now just know we’re gonna do some exploring, ‘kay? I’ll find a way to tell you the rest later.”

He was glad to hear Claude appreciated their trust, and they appreciated his right back. It was a big comfort knowing someone as cool as him was an ally in this whole thing.

"I'm glad you trust us, too," he nodded with a little ‘mhm!’

"A band? Is that akin to an orchestra?"

“Hmm something like that! It’s a lot smaller though, usually just 3-5 people. In my band I’m the lead singer and guitarist, Lilia is the bassist, and Kalim is on the drums.” He was glad to be the lead singer. His vocals were his pride and joy. There was a time when they all fought over it, but the others ended up backing out to do other roles instead.

She answered his question easily.

"I do. Before meeting Ren, I would spend most of my time singing for Cagliostro,” She had seemed happy at the thought, until something shifted. He was a bit concerned at what thoughts could be running through her head. Nevertheless, she continued like normal.

“I... I only know one song, though. It isn't a good one. But that's okay. I can come and watch.” Well if she liked music, that was enough for him. Maybe he could even help her learn a new one.

“I’d still like to hear it, even if it’s bad.” He smiled. He doubted it could ever be bad, as he was sure her voice was that of an angel’s.

Claude and Louise replied as well, expressing interest in the music venue.

“…I would like that, I think.”

"I think more exploration can't hurt. I'm thinking of going to the music venue as well. I think just going to somewhere peaceful will be relaxing yet productive.”

“Well it’s settled! To the music venue we go, then! Maybe I’ll play you all a song!” He threw up a peace sign. He quite liked the idea of playing music again, though he missed doing so with his bandmates.

After shoving one final bite of food in his mouth; Cater stood up, pushed in his chair, and pulled Marie to her feet as well. He resisted the urge to grab Marie’s hand, and instead linked elbows with her- hoping to reduce the effect of her touch. Could he have simply, not touched her? Yeah. But he wanted to keep her as close as possible. He looped his arm around hers and pulled her in close, smiling the whole time.

As long as no one had any further things to discuss, he led the group to the music venue.

 

[Icee]

Claude von Riegan​

Ultimate Stratigist​

themagnoliaofutah HanikamuKitten GamblingGoblins

​

Cafe​

Claude glanced toward Marie first, smiling slightly despite his current mental state. He's learned to cover his emptional state up as best he could. Being in a war like he was meant hiding a mental state most of the time. Besides Byleth, he was the main leader of their army and if soldiers realized he was faltering then the entire army's morale would suffer. Still, right now it was increasingly hard to do that. Somehow he couldn't help but think this situation was even worse than the war he faced. At least there, when people had to die, it was for a reason. For defending their own path and values. It was us or them. Claude did try to preserve as much life as as he could during the war but at least no one died in the brutal way that Menma and Trixie were killed. And no one died for any audience's sick entertainment either. Claude couldn't help but think back to that horrid execution quite often, as well as the trial in which so many were the first to point fingers at him. It made it hard for him to focus. But as usual, he didn't dare let himself falter. He thought he was doing a decent job at that, though he didn't seem as relaxed as he was before the murder. He seemed tense, on edge, even shaking slightly if one looked closely.
"It means a lot that you trust me, Marie. You and Cater both. You both have been nice ever since we first met. I don't really see a reason that either of you would be planning anything." The Ultimate Stratigist remarked with a nod.
He thought back to when he first met Cater and how eager he had been to make friends. Claude could relate to that. He loved making friends over at the academy, even thought not all of them had the same goals. He hoped for nothing other than all of his friends being in one alliance. But it didn't work out that way. Just like not everything could work out here. It honestly hurt. Not to mention that here, befriending the wrong people could cost your life. But Claude felt that he had a strong enough intuition that he didn't need to worry about Cater. He genuinely wanted to make and protect friends here. And Marie seemed nice as well. A little shy, possibly having some deeper story no one knew. It reminded him a lot of his clasmate, Marianne. Marianne didn't speak much and she wasn't very confident in herself, always thinking she was going to weigh everyone down. But she was as nice person all the same. She just needed more confidence. Claude felt Marie was the same. And maybe like with Marianne, Marie may feel more confident as this goes on. Provided she survives. In a situation like this, Claude couldn't help but consider the possibility of the most innocent being picked off first. Of what he knew about Trixie, she seemed innocent though possibly had ill intent hidden within bassd on her traits - still, it was a mostly innocent person. But one advantage Marie did have was having friends and never going around unaccompanied. That may help her chances.

"You only know one song? Well, I'm not good at music myself either, to be honest." he spoke up after a bit as if he wasn't just off in thought about his two new friends. "Maybe someone else is in there who knows a bit of music. We can all relax to that, right?"
He barely even realized there had been food up until it had been mentioned. Eh. He already had some earlier. Though he couldn't help but feel a bit rude he hadn't noticed it since Cater and Marie had even kind enough to bring it. He shoved that aside. He hadn't even been in the mood for eating when he did in the first place, which normally wasn't like him and was a cause for alarm. It was a good thing that no one here really knew him and his usual habits.

With that said and Louise also being in agreement to go, he stood up, ready to head to the Music Venue. Hopefully no one had noticed his frequent zoning out during their conversation.

 

[GamblingGoblins]

Marie - Ultimate Decapitator
Café
HanikamuKitten Icee LuckycoolHawk9 themagnoliaofutah
​

"L... o... l...?" Well, at least things seemed back to normal with them. Marie was glad he didn't have a problem with her actions, though, and her smile returned despite her inability to grasp the strange phrase he'd uttered. More than that, she couldn't help but notice the shift in his expression. A small giggle of amusement escaped the innocent girl in response. "Hehe, you're making a strange face right now. It's cute," she commented, her filter evidently as nonexistent as ever.

"...?"

Curiously, her head lolled to the side like a confused puppy. Her bangs fell away from her face for perhaps one of the first times, revealing a pair of uncertain emerald eyes. Why had Cater cut himself off from explaining like that? He'd never kept anything from her before, so it was a tad troubling. But in the end, he had her trust; the unease slipped away, and she righted herself with a nod. "Okay." Exploring definitely wouldn't hurt. Probably. Hopefully.

With that settled, her attention drifted back to the group at large. It was good to see Claude smiling, though she couldn't help but notice that it didn't seem to meet his eyes. Not that she could blame him; she doubted her own smile was that convincing as well. Still, it was unfortunate to see yet another soul so kind in such palpable pain. Once again, she found herself wishing she could put this all to an end and restore the happiness the group had been so cruelly robbed of. If only she were stronger and braver, like Ren was, then maybe...

Her hands settled in her lap, clutching loosely at the fabric of her dress. Bemoaning her powerlessness wouldn't change anything. She tried to stay in the moment, simply smiling back in response to Claude's words. It warmed her heart to hear such things. "You've been very nice, too. I'm glad we could meet, but... I'm very sorry that this is how it came to pass," she offered, her smile slowly fading into a frown at the tail end of her words. She wanted to be positive, wanted to be a pillar everyone could lean on, but... it was all so scary and hard. More than that, would these people even want to rely on her if they knew what she was? They were all so kind, and Cater had managed to accept her despite the heavy weight of her sins, but... would anyone else do the same? She felt like she ought to say something, to give them some disclaimer about the atrocities she'd unknowingly inflicted upon so many innocent lives, but she instead simply shrank up. She didn't know if she could pour her heart out like that again so soon after her first breakdown; the emotions were too new and too strong for her to have the capacity to manage yet.

Her saving grace from these unpleasant thoughts came in the form of Cater's answer. A smaller version of an orchestra, huh? That sounded interesting. She didn't know who these Kalim and Lilia people were, but she could tell from the way Cater spoke that they were people he valued and he enjoyed their work together. It made her happy to know he could take pride in what they had together, and that the memory could be a speck of light for him despite the dark place they were in. "That sounds like a lot of fun. Are Lilia and Kalim your friends?" she asked, genuinely curious. She wanted to know more about everyone. Wanted to grow closer to them all and learn what kind of places they came from. To truly form bonds for the first time in her life... and possibly the last, as well.

For this reason, Cater's kind words elicited nothing but panic. Her eyes went wide, snapping up to stare at him in horror for a mere few seconds before she rapidly shook her head with urgency. "No!" The word slipped out before she could stop it, frantic and bordering afraid. Once she regained some sense, she felt equal parts mortified and embarrassed. Her gaze fell away again, and she felt a sickness too deep to put into words. She hadn't meant to yelp that way. "I-... I'm sorry. But no," she amended, far softer than before. Broken. Cater's sentiments were sweet, but the mere thought of ever giving voice to the refrain of the guillotine again was nearly enough to make her wish to return to the days when she'd been a mere mute.

Despite her momentary terror, Claude's proposition calmed her a bit. "That would be nice. I'd like that a lot," she agreed with a small nod. Internally, though, she wondered if that was really okay. She had only ever performed music, all at Cagliostro's request; never had she gotten to witness someone else doing so. Wasn't that right usually reserved for the higher society, like the queen Cagliostro had put on his opera for? It all seemed so tedious. But if Claude and Cater said it was okay, she was more than interested in having someone else perform something; especially if it meant she herself wouldn't have to voice that wretched tune. Plus, the idea of getting to listen to Cater's music was very appealing to her.

Taking a deep breath and doing her best to regain her bearings, Marie was just about to get up on her own when she felt Cater gently pulling her upright before wrapping his arm around her own. The swift motion startled her more than a little, and she suddenly felt dazed as he drew her in even closer. What was he doing? Her face heated up with a bit of embarrassment at the unexpected closeness, and she briefly struggled to voice her confusion. He had already started pulling her along, though, and she didn't hate being close to him like this, so... Maybe it was okay? She didn't know anymore. Her heart was still aching from the pain the last exchange had unearthed, and she simply couldn't find it in her to push away what had come to be her biggest source of security in this place, even if he'd unknowingly upset her a bit.

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
Zenterfold Xeppy

"Yes… I smile at home," Sophie says, pausing before inhaling and speaking again.

"I have someone back at home… Jenny Letterson. She makes me smile… she helped me through a lot of dark times…"

A glint appeared in Sophie's eye. Sophie's relationship with Jenny was a lot more than a mere friendship, in fact they were romantically involved, yet all Pinkie could probably tell was Jenny was someone close to Sophie.

She paused once again, swallowing before thinking about what words to say next.

"The thing is… a lot of stuff I feel… they can't be whisked away by good words, a party, a happy birthday…" Sophie said, "It can't be whisked away… at all. I just… have to learn to live with it. I do feel happy, but… it never stays,"​

 

[themagnoliaofutah]

Icee HanikamuKitten GamblingGoblins

Louise was near silent on the walk over, listening to the others talk. Once again she was struck by that strange feeling of being an audience.

"You don't get it, do you?" Mark had asked her, pacing in the void. He let out a mocking laugh. "There's no way to win! She didn't stay, but I can sure as hell make you!"

Claude hadn't said anything for a minute, either. She wondered if he had similar things he wanted to forget.

 

[lunar_moth]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　♡ ♡ ♡　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

​

Usagi pulls open the map on her own tablet, peering down at the screen displaying the gift shop’s location. She certainly had no better idea of how to pass the time, and frankly, boosting spirits with homemade metaphorical glitter-bombs sounded exactly up her alley in any other situation. Better, even, if it meant spending more time with Pinkie, and offering her support and friendship in any way she could.



Usagi rises to her feet and brushes off her legs. A little spark of excitement’s found its way back into her mind, and it’s threatening to dislodge the fog that’s settled there. When Usagi casts a smile back at Pinkie and their friends, it’s the closest she’s gotten to meaning it in a while.



“Okay! While Wanda-san’s still away, I’m going to go peek around the gift shop and find supplies so we can make more cards Good idea, Pinkie-chan! This’ll definitely help raise some spirits!” She flaps her hands inelegantly in her excitement.



Usagi’s pivoted on her toes and just about stepped into the hallway before she remembers: “Ah, I should probably let somebody know where I’m going…”



To: Wanda

From: Usagi

hi wanda san! just letting u know i am going to the gift shop by myself. wont take long ! so dont worry! i should be back by the time u are!



There. Safety precautions in place, Usagi marches in the direction of the gift shop, with a new spring in her step.

Music Venue —> Gift Shop​

Once there, Usagi begins to poke around for the aforementioned craft supplies, as well as checking for anything else of interest.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　 Xeppy Josh Zenterfold 　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧​

 

[Zenterfold]

Clementine stared into Pinkie Pie's eyes for a long moment. She made a decision.

"No, I'm not sure what it is," she said. "But it looks familiar, so..."

She was thinking of saying more but a sudden announcement throughout the school interrupted her. It halted all music and conversation immediately.

"Everyone! This is a very important announcement! Soon, you will be getting a message on your tablet... Congratulations! You will all get to enjoy a very special feature film! But, and here's the catch, there's one movie per participant! You will be receiving a schedule in just a few moments... Do not miss the film! Do not be late! If so, you will be punished~!"

Clementine looked down at her tablet as it flashed alive. There was a graphic of a movie ticket on her screen. In her memos, there was now an ordered list, with everyone given times that were fifteen minutes apart each.

Clementine, Shikuro, Trusty, Wanda, Shinobu, Claude, Aru, Usagi, Cater, Kotomine, Nana, Louise, Sophie, Sakurako, Sunset, Shinoa, Marcus, Yumeko, Mono, Sera, Faust, Butters, Pinkie Pie, Hugo, Frank, Atsushi, Stiles, Hamilton, Marie, Tobi

All in all, it would take them right up to 10 PM tonight to get through everyone. Seeing that she was first up, Clementine figured she didn't have much choice in the matter. She excused herself from the others and left the Music Venue.

...

Arriving at the movie theater fifteen minutes later, Clementine scanned her tablet to gain access inside. She moved past the empty lobby to access the large seating area. She waited in one of the aisles as the screen came to life, accompanied with a buzzer noise.

"World famous director Monokuma presents his latest series of stunning masterpieces... a series titled Ultimate Desires! In just a few moments, we will be screening... Clementine's Ultimate Desire."

This all seemed bullshit, Clementine thought to herself, but a part of her wasn't sure if she entirely believed that. She hadn't seen a movie in an actual movie theatre in about a decade now. This whole situation, the electronics, the huge building, the viewing audience, the talking bear, it was all beyond imagining. Clementine would have said any of this was bullshit before.

Without even realizing she was holding her breath, Clementine watched as the movie began. The screen flashed to life, showing static at first that eventually settled into a proper video. It appeared to be a home video recording of some kind. It took only a moment for Clementine to recognize it as her childhood backyard. She would never, ever, forget that backyard, no matter how old she became. A young female voice could be heard.

"You see it? It's right there!"

Fuck. It was her own voice.

"Hold your horses, Clem."

That voice was harder to identify. It had to be her old babysitter.

Clementine watched as the video scanned the backyard, eventually focusing on Clementine standing in front of the ladder to her childhood tree house. She had to be about eight years old.

"Sorry, there's something in the tree house and she wanted me to get a video to show you guys."

Clementine wasn't sure she remembered this exactly, but this had to be sometime soon before everything started. She definitely remembered a raccoon being in her tree house, but had she really made her babysitter take a video of it?

"Look, by the door," the young Clementine said. "It's peeking out."

The video moved upward, catching sight of a raccoon just outside the door to the tree house. Clementine's babysitter was laughing. She then moved the camera down to catch Clementine climbing up the ladder. "Oh, no, no!" her baby sitter said. She held out a phone receiver. "Here, someone on the phone wants to talk to you."

Young Clementine ran to the phone. Watching this, Clementine expected to hear her mom or dad on the phone, but it was not them at all. "Hey, sweetpea."

Fuck. Fuck. It was Lee's voice, wasn't it?

Clementine leaned forward in her chair, watching as her younger self on the screen laughed in joy. The world around her was spinning now. She could barely pay attention to the film. She watched herself to talk to fucking Lee on the phone, not hearing a word of the conversation until--

"Clem, there you are!"

No, no, no, no. Kenny, it was Kenny. What the fuck was she watching? The video turned to find the man standing in Clementine's backyard. He was in a clean dress shirt. Katjaa was there. So was Duck. Christa. Omid.

"Happy birthday, Clem!" Duck yelled.

"Surprise!" Clementine's babysitter said, laughing.

It was a literally impossible scenario. But it looked completely real. Utterly, completely real. All of these people she would never had met if the dead had not started walking, and yet they were here, having a birthday party for her as if everything was normal. When Clementine next appeared on screen, she was her age now, with no missing leg. She was laughing.

There were other guests, more impossibilities. The other boarding school kids were there now. AJ was there, somehow now with his own parents. Lee walked in from the driveway, holding a cell phone and accompanied by Clementine's parents, alive and well.

"STOP IT!" Clementine screamed at the movie. "TURN IT OFF! FUCK YOU!"

Luckily for Clementine, the movie was over. All she was left with was Monokuma's voice.

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power... can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your ultimate desire!"

The theater lights turned on. The message on the screen was telling her to leave so that the next person could come in. Gathering herself, Clementine wiped at her face, hiding her tears as she left the theater.

@Thepotatogod themagnoliaofutah Josh Capri @darkred lunar_moth LuckycoolHawk9 @Funnier President Xeppy Gummi Bunnies Takumi98 Verite @Ari Number Two Severia Icee @Crunch#1621 @Miserable Alchemist Mirai-chan HanikamuKitten SilverDingo @Charles Babel York @OneBigParadox @0ttonomous @Crow#7574 Crimson Baron GamblingGoblins @Kiyoko#0008 Tomoe R U S T​

 

[themagnoliaofutah]

Zenterfold
Louise had made up her mind to, well, give Mark - or whoever was behind the bear - a piece of her mind as soon as she stepped into the theater. She sat down in the front row and waited, intently staring.

"World famous director Monokuma presents his latest series of stunning masterpieces... a series titled Ultimate Desires! In just a few moments, we will be screening... Louise's Ultimate Desire."

This film started with an old-fashioned countdown, circles flashing on screen. Four. Three. Two. One.

The angry words in Louise's mouth dissipated as a smiling face appeared on screen.

Damien's face. The real Damien, not - the colorless thing he had become. The real him, and herself, sitting in the garden at her aunt's house. Outside, under a real sky, with clouds and sun, talking. Her aunt walked into frame, asking how they were doing. Louise said she was doing well, and she wasn't lying. She was outside, and free, and with those she missed most of all. How could she not be happy? Damien took her hand and smiled. "I missed you so much."

Louise felt like she might choke, watching it, her breathing shaky. This wasn't real. It could never be real. And she had seen enough false truths to know that all too well. This was cruel. Did he think this was funny? There was no way people could know this, know her family, her friends, not after so many years.

The screen faded to black.

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power... can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your ultimate desire!"

"Stop it!" She stood, leaning against the chair. The floor swayed under her feet, blurry from the tears in her eyes. "I get it, you want - a damn mystery. You're not getting it. Not from me. I -" She paused, took a small, shuddering breath. Cracks had formed along one side of her face - barely visible fissures, weeping black blood. "Haven't I died enough already? We both know even if I did, it'd never work. And I - I'm not killing for you to get your head out of the sand and be a good person for once. You - snake-"

After a moment, Louise fled, rushing to the bathroom and locking herself inside, trying desperately to clean off her face before anyone noticed.

 

[HanikamuKitten]

Cater Diamond​

Cafe>Hall>Music Venue
GamblingGoblins Icee themagnoliaofutah LuckycoolHawk9 Capri Zenterfold Xeppy ​

"Hehe, you're making a strange face right now. It's cute,"

His entire being stiffened. Every muscle in his body froze, while his heart melted. His body was hot, yet cold all at once. There were few others that could make his body do that with just a single sentence. Not to say it didn’t happen, but it was always someone he was very close with. How had Marie so quickly risen to such a high friend status?

Marie looked perplexed as to why he didn’t read out Stiles’ message. She probably needed a bit of a primer on why it was better that way than talking out loud. He was about to explain further, until he caught another glance of Marie.

“Well…uhh…”

Her hair that normally covered her eye fell away for just a brief moment, but it caused him to completely forget what he was going to say. She simply stared up at him in anticipation.

“Okay.”

Cater gave a quick sigh of relief. As promised, he’d explain later.

"That sounds like a lot of fun. Are Lilia and Kalim your friends?"

“They are! Well, I’ve known Lilia for a bit longer since we’re in the same class. Kalim is a year below us so he’s still newer, but he’s a really cool guy. Actually, they’re both kinda weirdos, but then again so am I, I guess haha! I bet they’d both love to meet you.”

He thought for a moment. Going home? He didn’t know if that was even a possibility for himself, let alone bringing Marie with him. Besides, he wouldn’t want her to abandon the people in her own world. He had been quick to leave home to go to NRC, but he shouldn’t assume everyone felt the same. Still, he couldn’t help but get a bit excited about the idea of introducing Marie to the others back home.

He had genuinely been curious to hear Marie’s song, but she protested fiercely.

"No! I-... I'm sorry. But no,"

She tried to recollect herself but it was too late. It was rare to see her so adamant about something, so he should have dropped it from his mind. Yet still, he wanted to hear the song now more than ever.

“Oh- okay. If you’re sure.”

Anyone would easily tell that he was taken quite aback at her sudden outburst. Even as they eventually walked down the hall to the music venue, it would still be eating away at his mind.

"That would be nice. I'd like that a lot,"

The walk was quiet. Cater led the way with Marie on his arm. He kept his gaze focused on the map on his tablet. Despite pulling Marie in close, there was clearly still a bit of tension from the last interaction. He had hoped that by doing so he could fix things a little, but it was no use.

By the time they got to the music venue, Cater was internally panicking a little. What if he messed things up too bad? He didn’t mean to unearth so bad memories. Maybe he should just apologize. But why was something like “I’m sorry” so hard to say?

The music venue reminded him of Mostro lounge, the cafe in the Octavinelle dorm. The cozy vibe, dim lights and purple stage curtains certainly fit the same mood. He’d always wanted to play at Mostro Lounge, but Azul always declined to let them.

He spotted a few people by the Piano: Sophie, Pinky, and Clem. Dropping his arm from Marie, he decided to walk over and join them, hoping maybe some distance from Marie would be better for the two.

He was just about to introduce his presence when he realized they seemed to already be deep in conversation. He stood about halfway to the piano, glancing around awkwardly. If his eyes met anyone, he would simply give a polite wave. His eyes landed on something very intriguing on the stage… an acoustic guitar. He forgot all about talking to the girls and walked over to it. Saying nothing, he sat on the edge of the stage with it and strummed a few chords. Almost perfectly tuned already, nice.

He plucked a few strings in a simple melody just as a warm up and to take it for a test drive, per se.

He began to play. He played quietly, as if to not to interrupt the conversation. He hoped it would simply act as a background soundtrack, but in an already nearly silent room, it would have been hard not to notice.



As he sang, one could describe his voice as more of a pop sound. It was perfectly suited for the mellow sounds of an acoustic guitar. The song was something his new friend the prefect told him about from their world. In fact, they had showed him a bunch of songs that the band could play.

One could notice that Cater was zoning out as he played and sang. He was in his comfort zone, simply relishing in the moment. On his face was a look of true peace that you couldn’t have found yet.

He strummed the last chord right as the Monokuma announcement began.

"Everyone! This is a very important announcement! Soon, you will be getting a message on your tablet... Congratulations! You will all get to enjoy a very special feature film! But, and here's the catch, there's one movie per participant! You will be receiving a schedule in just a few moments... Do not miss the film! Do not be late! If so, you will be punished~!"

He set the guitar back down on the stage.

“Just when I was starting to chill.” He sighed as he looked at his tablet for the movie order. He tried not to think about the dread of being presented with a motive to kill. “Welp. Peace out, Clem.” He gave a little salute as she walked away.

“At least we have a bit of time before we get our turn.” Picking up the guitar again, he hoped to distract everyone from the gloom that came with Monokuma’s announcements. “Any requests?”

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
Zenterfold Xeppy Josh Takumi98 lunar_moth Mirai-chan themagnoliaofutah York

Sophie's eyes jolted upwards when the announcement came on, and a deep pit of dread formed in her stomach. She was dreading the moment her movie would come on. She shakily exhaled, trying her best to keep her composure but dread encroached on her every thought. Oh god...

Her first thought was Jenny. If the movie was just Jenny getting hurt, or being in danger, then she wouldn't know what to do.

Sophie gripped her shirt, her face pale as moment after moment passed. Clementine returned yet Sophie dared not to ask what her movie was about.

She glanced ahead at the list. The movie currently playing should be Shikuro's. She looked at her allies' times. Wanda was fourth, Usagi was eighth, she herself was thirteenth, Pinkie was twenty-third, and Atsushi was twenty-sixth. She panics at the wait that Pinkie and Atsushi have to go through.

As time passes, Sophie was deathly still, not responding to anybody, and when Louise's movie started she wordlessly got up and left, waiting outside the theater until Louise left.

The lawyer came out of the theater, burst into tears, and it didn't make Sophie feel any better.

Sophie steeled herself and entered the theater, taking a seat as the movie screen flickered to life, the buzzer startling Sophie.

"World famous director Monokuma presents his latest series of stunning masterpieces... a series titled Ultimate Desires! In just a few moments, we will be screening... Sophie's Ultimate Desire."​

---

Static came onto the screen and soon, it showed fancy dress shoes on a sparkling dress. A familiar voice called out "Is it... is it on?" before the camera shifted to a closeup of someone who Sophie knew very well.

"Hi, Sophie dearie~! I know you'll be watching this, and I just wanted you to know that I'm very proud of you, and we'll always be here for you, and-"

Mom?

Another voice spoke, it was Sophie's aunt.

"Rose, the ceremony's starti-"

Static filled the screen again briefly before showing a decorative altar, an old man already standing there holding a book and smiling a wide smile. An old-fashioned song played on a speaker.



As the song played onwards, two figures approached the altar, although both figures are obscured in shadow, as things moved onwards, it became more apparent that the two figures were actually Sophie herself and her dad Jack.

Sophie leaned closer, as Jack patted the on-screen Sophie on the back and walked back to his seat. Sophie could now see that she was wearing a rather snazzy tuxedo, and had a flower attached to her suit.

Two more figures walk down the aisle, an aging man and a woman in a bridal gown. The Sophie in the video was elated, clutching her hands to her face, and undid the veil over her face.



It was Jenny. She looked stunning in the dress, even though, in Sophie's eyes, the tomboyish nature of her outfit suited her better.

The scene cut ahead to the end, the "I do"s, the kiss. Sophie's eyes sparkled. Why would Monokuma, a being created to host a death game, make a movie where Sophie and her girlfriend got married?

Then it hit her. There had to be something more to this.

A feeling of dread crept over her once again as happy scene after happy scene played out. Their dance on the dance floor, Mom, Dad, Edd, and Molly dancing with Sophie, the honeymoon, buying a house, a romantic dinner, an aged Jack and Rose visiting their house, crying as the President of the United States legalized gay marriage.

But it cut out, and Monokuma's voice chimed in.

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power... can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your ultimate desire!"
​

---

Wordlessly, Sophie left the theater, brushing by Sakurako wordlessly as she made her way back to the music venue, sitting on a couch all by herself, staring off into the abyss. She wanted to burst into tears. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see Jenny again.

Yet... here she was, just sitting there like a sitting duck.​

 

[Icee]

Claude von Riegan​

Ultimate Stratigist​

Zenterfold themagnoliaofutah GamblingGoblins HanikamuKitten Capri Xeppy


​

Music Venue​

The walk to the music venue had been rather quiet and Claude had been just about to say something when Monokuma's announcement rang through the area. Right. He had a feeling that they wouldn't be left alone for too long. He kept silent during the announcement. Huh. They had to watch a film? And they'd be in trouble if they didn't come and watch it? Sounded suspicious but he knew better than to think that they really had an option in the matter. When the announcement concluded, he pulled out his device to see how soon he would have to report to watch his film. Clementine, Shikiro, Trusty, Wanda and Shinobu were ahead of him - he was pretty early on in the list. That meant he had about an hour and fifteen minutes before he had to report. He noticed that everyone else in the group was after him so he would be the first having to report. By the time he had looked up, Clementine had already left to go see her film.

"Well, that put a wrench in things." the Ultimate Stratigist remarked, though he didn't seem surprised about it. "Well, we have some time we can relax before we have to start going. All of you guys are after me and there's still an hour and fifteen minutes before I have to go, assuming everyone's videos are finished exactly on time. I think that's enough time to play a few songs."
He wasn't sure if the group would still opt to stay here or head somewhere else to wait until it was their turn. Claude himself was for staying here, however. It was at that moment he looked back at Cater, having heard him play on the acustic guitar. In all truth, Claude wasn't much of the music type of guy. He'd go to choir if Byleth asked him to go but aside from that he wasn't too much into music. He too had decided not to bother Sophie and Pinkie since they seemed to be in their own conversation. Under normal circumstances, he may have considered it but he wasn't feeling up to it, especially since they had been amongst the ones to point fingers at him during the trial. It was obvious they really didn't beleive in him.

"By the way, Cater, you sounded pretty nice on that guitar." he couldn't help but remark to his aquaintance. He couldn't help but have listened to him when he played.

Movie Theatre​

Claude had made sure to be on time to his appointment to see his film. He really wasn't one to care about being on time but at this point he wasn't going to even try testing it with being late. In fact, the person scheduled before him wasn't even fully finished when he arrived at the door. When it was his turn, the Ultimate Stratigist went in and aat down. It felt odd to sit in a movie theatre alone. It sort of made him think back to his school days on the rare times his Teach would get upset and assign a detention. It wasn't often but it did happen. Which was funny considering Byleth was just the same age as her students.

"World famous director Monokuma presents his latest series of stunning masterpieces... a series titled Ultimate Desires! In just a few moments, we will be screening...Claude's Ultimate Desire!!"

Ultimate Desire, huh? What kind of scheme was this? Probably something that Monokuma made to make the killing game escalate, didn't he? But regardless, he had to watch it. And so he did:

​

What Claude saw first were just old war flashbacks. Times of him leading his troops out into battle to fight for the Leciester Alliance. But something was off about this picture. He couldn't see any of their opponents yet. Just the typical scene of him getting soldiers ready for battle. He could see Byleth in some of them as well, aiding in the line ups. Okay. So what did this have to do with anything? Maybe Monokuma was just showing their worst memories to make them go insane enough to murder? That had to be it, right? Well, the joke was on him. As much as he hated the outcome of that war, he had come to terms with it. It was the path he had to take. No one else was willing to waver on their sides back then. He had his own ideas for victory and Byleth had chosen to stuck with him, even after going missing for years on end. It was how things had to be. While lives did have to be lost, it had been needed. It had been needed to usher Fodlan into its new dawn. A new dawn he wanted to get back to helping Byleth support. It was why he needed to get out of here alive. But he was not willing to murder to do that. Everyone here had their own lives to get back to. It would simply be wrong to put his wishes to go home above anyone else's. It was everyone else's equal want to go home that made him so desperate for a way to get everyone out of here. To prevent another body. To prevent another Class Trial and horrible execution. Even if that hope seemed pretty dim, he would not let go of it.

But what came next in the film would absolutely shock Claude to the core.

​

It wasn't just his own army that was fighting. Edelgard and Dimitri were also there with their own armies. All of the students, even those who weren't assignef to his class were also fighting. They all had been united, fighting one common enemy. Those Who Slither In The Dark. The true people behind most of the mayhem that had transpired and that all of the armies had truly been after all this time. Somehow, someway, in this film, Claude, Dimitri and Edelgard came to an understanding and a way to fight in a unified front against their true enemies, which never had fully been the Empire or the Church. Byleth also seemed happy about this as well. None of the students of the academy died either. After defeating their true enemy, everyone agreed to coexist peacefully and rule their own factions without any need for Crests to define one's power. In fact, they had learned how horrible the things were and everyone agreed to no longer use them and to put the Sacred Weapons to rest. For good. Though Claude had gained the aid of both Dimitri and Edelgard's factions and had asked for aid on his own, personal matter as well. Somehow, some way, they had agreed to help and the kingdom Claude truly belonged to had also managed to find peace with his and his friends' aid. It was too good to be true. There was no way that reality like this could exist. Surely something was wrong with it. Surely someone had died. Surely something went horribly wrong. There was just no way a set of people with so different views could ever be unified or come to an understanding.

​

Even he and Byleth had still ended up together. In spite of none of the other class leaders having died, Byleth still chose the same love route. To be with Claude. And what was more, because of their unified fronts, Claude had no need to fully disappear and leave Byleth alone for all that time. He was able to be open and honest when it came to his other mission and the others agreed to help with it. They even insisted to go despite their positions. It was as if this were some sort of perfect future. Everything he wished could have happened in those years did.

Like anything like that was ever possible, right? There was never any way that everyone woukd have agreed. There as never any way that everyone would agree on one goal. Everyone was too stuck in their own values to understand the other. Even he was responsible for that, looking back on it. There was no realistic way for a reality like this to ever exist!!

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power...can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your Ultimate Desire!"

The Ultimate Stratigist was angry. He was sad. He was in shock. He didn't know what to feel. A reality like this should not be possible. And yet, Claude knew that Monokuma and whoever else he was working with had abnormal powers. Somehow Monokuma knew them, their personality, their background... Somehow the archer had a feeling that changing their reality was within his power. But was that truly worth another innocent life? No, scratch that...it would be EVERYONE'S life. Not only would killing be required but then also the lying through a class trial, watching the horror of everyone else guessing wrong and not to mention seeing everyone else get executed for selfish gain would also be required. All to get that oerfect reality. As much as Claude desired for what was played to have been how things played out, was getting there really worth 29 other lives? Not to mention the connections he started to make here as well. Louise, Cater, Marie...they would all have to die in order for him to acheive his desires. How was that fair? How was that any different than the reality he has now, where killing his fellow students had been nessacary to end the war in the first place? To promote ideals he beleived were right against both Edelgard and Dimitri's?

Something horrible dawned on him in that moment:

....Had he just been a selfish murderer in the first place...?

How was killing someone here going to be any different than what he had already done in Fodlan to begin with? He killed to promote his ideals. What he felt was best. Of course, Byleth helped but it had mostly been his doing. His choices. He put his own wants ahead of theirs. He didn't try hard enough to talk it out because part of him never wanted to hear Edelgard or Dimitri's point of view in the first place. There had always been this part of him that wanted to rule over Fodlan himself. To be the hero. And that was the reality he acheived at others' expense. That was the cold hard truth about it, as much as Claude wanted to deny it. And that cold hard truth stung like frostbite.

When the screen informed him to exit so that Aru could come watch a film next, Claude hurried up from his chair. He no longer had a relaxed expression on his face. He practically ran out of the theatre. He wasn't selfish. He wasn't just some heartless killer!! He did what he did because he had to!! That was how it always was?

He couldn't beleive that a part of him was even vaguely considering Monokuma's words. Because if he was a heartless murderer in his reality now, what did it matter about continuing that? He had it in him from the very beginning and he tried to convincw himself and everuone he wasn't. He even led Byleth in the wrong direction. Why did she even stay with him? Maybe she would have had a more fair path with Dimitri or Edelgard. Not his own stupid path of selfishness...

He hurried back to the Music Venue and just...sat down wordlessly on one of the couches. He didn't even realize Sophie was in there. He was just processing too much. Part of him wished someone would play more music to make him forget this but another oart of him felt as if not even music would help him.

 

[Xeppy]

Pinkie Pie
Capri Zenterfold Takumi98 HanikamuKitten + Music Venue

Music Venue --> Movie Theater

Since Pinkie had been focusing on sending Atsushi messages, she only now noticed how he squeezed one in between the two of hers. She finally read it, getting both a happy, trusting feeling while doing so, yet a sad one. It was a strange feeling inside her, to be able to feel sadness and happiness at once, which Pinkie always believed were polar opposites. Seeing Atsushi acknowledge that he knew what he did, that he knew that he went to all their sides and are calling them good, yet still feel bad things about himself made her feel terrible. And... he wanted to be someone she could rely on? How could she tell him she already relied on him? No... relied wasn't the right word. She... she trusted him so much right now that she couldn't place it into words. In the few days she's known him, she could already tell that he was a good person in her eyes. What was it that was said before? That in scary situations, relationships build quicker or something like that? Well, whatever the saying was, it was definitely at work right now. In the short time Pinkie knew her friends here, she trusted them way too much than she normally would.

"Thank you," she whispered to her tablet, as if giving the device all her appreciation for the white-haired boy, before hearing what Sophie had to say.

The Ultimate Party Planner perked up at the mention of her smiling at her home, listening intently at what the cause was of her smiles. "Jenny Letterson." Sophie seemed happy talking about this girl as well. Who was she? How did she make Sophie smile? At the Ultimate Survivor's pause, Pinkie tried to connect the dots slowly. The girl helped Sophie through dark times... Sophie seemed happier just talking about her... she made her smile... now Pinkie understood what Sophie was talking about! Yes, that was the only option! Jenny Letterson was Sophie's best friend at her home! Nodding at her incorrect conclusion, she looked at Sophie in understanding. She would feel those things about her best friends at home as well. Would Pinkie even still stand here, smiling with everyone else, if her best friends weren't by her side at the beginning? Would she be able to see the light without Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and the others? Equestria was even unbalanced without them becoming friends.

After hearing Sophie's first bit, Pinkie intently listened to her next words, yet... was confused. What was she talking about? All the bad things that happened to Pinkie at home... the bad feelings could all be extinguished with the smile of somebody else! With a party! With a Happy Birthday! Even good words could cheer Pinkie back up at her hometown! Pinkie had thought it was like that for everyone, yet it wasn't for Sophie. Why wasn't it? How could good words not fix anything for her? Oh! Was it because of...?

"Oh. Is your home like-"

Oh. Before Pinkie could continue with her quiet voice, Usagi had already researched where the Gift Shop was and agreed with Pinkie's idea. The Ultimate Magic Girl's words were lost inside Pinkie Pie's ears, though, as she soon focused on the smile on her face. The kind smile. The smiles the girl had given before seemed to be forced, but this... seemed easier. This was more like the smiles Pinkie desperately wanted, that Pinkie strived for from others. It was as if the dark night in Pinkie's soul had ended for a moment, letting Pinkie see the Sun again for just a quick second as she stared at Usagi's face. A small smile got stitched onto the pink-haired girl's face, and if two people didn't just die yesterday, she might have cheered up considerably. Still, the smile stayed as Usagi left the room...

...and more people came in.

At the sound of footsteps and the door opening after Usagi left, Pinkie looked eagerly towards the noise. Did Usagi or Wanda come back? Or did Atsushi somehow find them? She didn't know about that boy, but he always seemed to be by her side when she needed him. When she saw it was random strangers who she hadn't been introduced to yet, though, she could only raise her eyebrows and lower the smile on her face as they entered. She started feeling an immense guilt for feeling happy again, seeing who the people in the room were. If this were normal circumstances, Pinkie would have run over to them and introduced herself, but of course, this wasn't normal circumstances. Someone came over to them- a boy named Cater, she believed, who was underneath her in the rankings list- who soon stopped where he was when he saw the gloomy atmosphere that surrounded them all. Still, as Pinkie stared at him, he soon waved politely at her. She waved back, although not as energetic as she usually would, slowly watching him as he picked up an acoustic guitar and soon started playing it.

Pinkie stared at the male, listening quietly to him singing and playing his designated instrument. For some reason... she didn't seem to go to the island of obliviousness. Did she only turn calm when one of her friends played? Hm. She lost all concentration for Cater's playing, however, when feeling someone's eyes on her. She drifted her eyeline to Clementine, who was already searching through Pinkie's eyes for... something. Pinkie stared back, and it was no doubt that the ball-capped girl could see the sadness in her eyes. Who wasn't sad right now, though? Well- except for exceptions. Clementine soon explained what she was feeling with the item Pinkie Pie was asking about, Pinkie nodding at her statements. Was it just deja vu that she was talking about? Or maybe the girl did remember, and she just had to search deeper in her mind to find out what? Pinkie had to do the same multiple times when trying to think of baking recipes, too.

As Clementine paused, as Cater ended his song, as they were all blending into the Music Venue room, that's when Monokuma decided to speak up. Pinkie froze again- which was not a good sign- but her stiffness turned into confusion when Monokuma mentioned... a movie? Like, the ones in theaters? The ones Pinkie Pie would always watch in sleepovers with her friends? Well, when thinking about it, that didn't sound so bad! Did Monokuma have a change of heart with what he was making them deal with, and making them have a little break? Pinkie, yet again, started denying anything bad happening, having her heart fill with hope again. The hope wasn't enough to burn away the despair of people dying, but it was something. And, again, Pinkie didn't use common sense that Monokuma wouldn't let them have anything good, and that their whole trip here was only bad.

At Clementine's and Sophie's looking down at their tablets, Pinkie did the same, seeing the order of which they would watch their movies. She immediately searched for her friends' names, as she did with the rankings earlier, seeing their order. Clementine was first, Wanda soon after, and then Usagi and Sophie a little later... and Pinkie and Atsushi near the end. Pinkie stiffened again at the thought of having to wait so long to have their movie, but felt relaxed at the thought that Atsushi's movie wasn't too far from her own. Maybe they could discuss their little movies with each other! But... they had to wait for movies designated for them for basically hours!? The one thing Pinkie was confused about, though, was that the movie was only for the first person. Why was it only for themselves? Was it meant to be a surprise to the others?

Clementine soon left for her movie, and Cater was asking for requests now. Pinkie opened her mouth, about to answer, before her eyes landed on Sophie, seeing how she was reacting to the announcement and the movie list.

"...Sophie?"

The girl was still. Too still. Pinkie shook her shoulder slightly, saying again softly, "Sophie?" Pinkie got no response, which only added onto her worry in her heart. She replied back to Cater absent-mindedly, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," before shaking Sophie again, trying to get a response from her. No matter what Pinkie did- hold her hand, hug her, poke her- it was all the same. Sophie seemed too lost inside her mind, not responding to anything. The only time Sophie moved was when it was Louise's time, leaving the room, having Pinkie looking worriedly after her. Was her friend okay? It was not only a little while ago that Sophie seemed okay... what had happened? This movement of Sophie was enough for Pinkie to get out of the Music Venue herself.

She waved at Cater, Claude, Marie, and whoever else was in there sadly, picking up Atsushi's card and the rest of her supplies off of the ground before going to where she and her friend group first actually all interacted with each other. She needed to remind herself of her own friends right now.

--

When going to the movie theater for her turn after Butters, Pinkie seemed less stiff than she was before. She had visited the Daycare Center, simply to wait out there for calmness. Well, actually, Pinkie sat outside the Daycare Center, as she simply couldn't go inside a place where a murder was helped, but she still had the memories of all her interactions before. It was strange, looking back on it. How Kotomine and Wanda argued with each other. How Pinkie played with the stuffed animals. How Atsushi looked at her with the utmost confusion.

Sophie wasn't near the movie theater room, leaving the pink-haired girl wondering where she went. Should Pinkie send her a text? Seeing how Sophie didn't react to her earlier, though... she doubted Sophie would respond. Pinkie would see her friend later in their room, though! It would be fine! It would be fine. Taking a breath to remind herself that it was all okay, she took steps inside the movie theater, right on time for her designated spot. She moved to the seating area, looking up at the screen as it soon came to life. Not soon after Pinkie sat down, Monokuma's voice filled the air.

"World famous director Monokuma presents his latest series of stunning masterpieces... a series titled Ultimate Desires! In just a few moments, we will be screening... Pinkie Pie's Ultimate Desire."

Ultimate... Desire? Was this not a movie? Or was this just a TV-Show, and that's why it was a series? All the waiting Pinkie had to go through, though, for an Ultimate Desire? She had a lot of those. She had desires for cupcakes, candy, frosting, sugar. What was this about? Pinkie stared confusingly up at the screen, squinting at it to try to decipher its meaning, but to no avail. Eventually, it did start. It gave off... dreamy colors at first. Pastel colors. Clouds filled the screen, giving off a dream vibe that described a sugary heaven, before they all dispersed. What Pinkie saw beyond the clouds surprised her. This was... this was...!

Right there, next to talking marshmallows and candy cubes, sat Pinkamena Diane Pie, the Element of Laughter, the Ultimate Party Planner. Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack all sat there as well, with big smiles on their faces. They were all eating treats that Pinkie had offered to them over the years, their attention only on the curly, pink-haired girl. They were all sitting on floating cotton candy, speaking to each other to their heart's content.

"And then I was like, ahem!" The Pinkie Pie on the screen made elaborate hand movements, having an evil grin on her face. Unlike now, the Pinkie Pie here seemed... normal. She seemed happy. She seemed like she wanted to make others happy, too. "'NOBODY beats a Pinkie Party!!' And guess what? Guess what?"

"What, Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash, the rainbow-haired girl, Element of Loyalty, gave off a mischievous grin. "Are you going to poison the dude who's threatening your parties?" The prankster girl was talking about the time all the people in their village got food poisoning from Pinkie's supply of cupcakes, and how Pinkie would make the boy who threatened to have a better party than Pinkie Pie have food poisoning as well through hidden cupcakes.

Rarity, a fashionista and the Element of Generosity, put a hand on her chest, looking at the rainbow haired girl in surprise. "Darling, no! Well... except for that one time with her cupcakes... but that's besides the point!"

"I mean... those cupcakes were a little sickening, Rarity." The animal lover, Fluttershy's, quiet voice filled the air. Even the Element of Kindness was against her.

"WHAT!?" Pinkie let off a screech, looking around wildly. "I'M INNOCENT! That ONE time that everyone had food poisoning was Apple Bloom's fault! I PLEAD INNOCENT!!"

"Are yah blamin' mah sistah, Pinkie?" Applejack, the Element of Honesty, crossed her arms in a joking manner, putting her nose up. She tilted her cowboy hat up with her. "Even if she did that, ya'll should still not go blamin' her. She's jus' a lil' baby."

Rainbow Dash snickered and gave off a not so quiet, "Pinkie, cough, Pinkie. Ya admit to being guilty?"

Pinkie gave off silly, physical signs of stress, but they all ended up laughing at the end. Pinkie saw the smiles on their faces, how the little marshmallows and candy cubes were smiling as well. Flying chocolate seeds flew through the sky, leaving little rainbows behind them. As she and her friends laughed, gingerbread women and men came and danced around them. They all seemed so happy... and it seemed... perfect. This truly was Pinkie's ideal situation for her and her friends. She wanted to be somewhere where they could only be happy. Where she could see their smiles. Where she could eat cotton candy and candy to her heart's content.

She then saw them all playing games with each other: theater games, bouncy houses in the sky, flying around on chocolate seeds. Her sister, Maud, even showed up at some point, giving a dull "Hello" to Pinkie and being bear hugged. It was like... it was like all that Pinkie wanted was placed in one single screen, showing all her sweet desires that she wanted for her and the people close to her.

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power... can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your Ultimate Desire!"

--

Pinkie squeezed Atsushi's card, staring up at the screen with bulging eyes after the dreamy images were soon over, leaving her with nothing. What... was this? This... was her Ultimate Desire? Yes... all of this seemed perfect. Pinkie wanted this so much. She could understand why it was an Ultimate Desire now. She wanted to go to that place, to go around playing games all the time with the people closest to her. This, this was like an entire scene taken from her dreams. Before this all started, the cotton candy clouds and the talking candy filled her mind at night. It was no surprise to anyone that this was Pinkie's Ultimate Desire. But...

Kill? Pinkie started shivering under her crown, and no matter how much she hugged Atsushi's card, the amount of warmth that she put in his card didn't seem to transfer back to her body. She... she was supposed to kill someone after seeing this? Were they all supposed to? All the hope that had entered her heart before this had drained with the thoughts that went into her mind. Gosh, what was she supposed to do right now? If only she was Twilight Sparkle. That girl was smart. She would know what to do right now.

In a terrified manner, she trudged out of the movie theater, still holding the white-haired boy's card to her chest. After getting out, she sat down on the floor outside of the theater, closing her eyes. She didn't understand anything. She couldn't process anything. What did everything mean? Why was she here? Why were they all here? Some people had experiences with situations like this... but Pinkie didn't. The Ultimate Party Planner looked down on her shaking hands on her chest before balling them into fists, the tears starting to start in her eyes. For the first time in her life, Pinkie had never felt so... hopeless.
​

"I just… have to learn to live with it. I do feel happy, but… it never stays,"

Was this how Sophie felt? Did she feel... this much pain in her chest, and she just had to live with it? Did she always feel the impending sense of doom, yet always had to put one step in front of another? The happiness Pinkie felt so far... it never stayed. Monokuma always made sure it went away. Something or someone always made sure it went away. Yet... Sophie said she coped with that... with Jenny Letterson. Yes, that's how Pinkie would cope herself. With her friends. If she had her friends, she would be alright.

Why had been Pinkie been sitting here for so long, anyways? She could be going to her room, or going to the Daycare again. Then, in all suddenness, she realized... she had been waiting for Atsushi. She was waiting for him to be done with his movie so she could see him. Since she didn't know where Sophie was, and she saw all her friends but Atsushi today... she needed to see him. For today... all she needed to do was hug him and give him the card. That's all she needed. That's all she needed. After Atsushi's movie, she would still have a little bit of time before 10 PM, since four people would go after him.

She just needed to see him to be okay. To stop the worry.​

 

[Takumi98]

The announcement from Monokuma had been a bit surprising. At first, he had thought another body had been found, but no it was something different. Glancing down at the list, he'd stay in the radio broadcasting room until before Frank would finish his movie.

Pinkie Pie
Capri Zenterfold Takumi98 HanikamuKitten + Music Venue

Music Venue --> Movie Theater

Since Pinkie had been focusing on sending Atsushi messages, she only now noticed how he squeezed one in between the two of hers. She finally read it, getting both a happy, trusting feeling while doing so, yet a sad one. It was a strange feeling inside her, to be able to feel sadness and happiness at once, which Pinkie always believed were polar opposites. Seeing Atsushi acknowledge that he knew what he did, that he knew that he went to all their sides and are calling them good, yet still feel bad things about himself made her feel terrible. And... he wanted to be someone she could rely on? How could she tell him she already relied on him? No... relied wasn't the right word. She... she trusted him so much right now that she couldn't place it into words. In the few days she's known him, she could already tell that he was a good person in her eyes. What was it that was said before? That in scary situations, relationships build quicker or something like that? Well, whatever the saying was, it was definitely at work right now. In the short time Pinkie knew her friends here, she trusted them way too much than she normally would.

"Thank you," she whispered to her tablet, as if giving the device all her appreciation for the white-haired boy, before hearing what Sophie had to say.

The Ultimate Party Planner perked up at the mention of her smiling at her home, listening intently at what the cause was of her smiles. "Jenny Letterson." Sophie seemed happy talking about this girl as well. Who was she? How did she make Sophie smile? At the Ultimate Survivor's pause, Pinkie tried to connect the dots slowly. The girl helped Sophie through dark times... Sophie seemed happier just talking about her... she made her smile... now Pinkie understood what Sophie was talking about! Yes, that was the only option! Jenny Letterson was Sophie's best friend at her home! Nodding at her incorrect conclusion, she looked at Sophie in understanding. She would feel those things about her best friends at home as well. Would Pinkie even still stand here, smiling with everyone else, if her best friends weren't by her side at the beginning? Would she be able to see the light without Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and the others? Equestria was even unbalanced without them becoming friends.

After hearing Sophie's first bit, Pinkie intently listened to her next words, yet... was confused. What was she talking about? All the bad things that happened to Pinkie at home... the bad feelings could all be extinguished with the smile of somebody else! With a party! With a Happy Birthday! Even good words could cheer Pinkie back up at her hometown! Pinkie had thought it was like that for everyone, yet it wasn't for Sophie. Why wasn't it? How could good words not fix anything for her? Oh! Was it because of...?

"Oh. Is your home like-"

Oh. Before Pinkie could continue with her quiet voice, Usagi had already researched where the Gift Shop was and agreed with Pinkie's idea. The Ultimate Magic Girl's words were lost inside Pinkie Pie's ears, though, as she soon focused on the smile on her face. The kind smile. The smiles the girl had given before seemed to be forced, but this... seemed easier. This was more like the smiles Pinkie desperately wanted, that Pinkie strived for from others. It was as if the dark night in Pinkie's soul had ended for a moment, letting Pinkie see the Sun again for just a quick second as she stared at Usagi's face. A small smile got stitched onto the pink-haired girl's face, and if two people didn't just die yesterday, she might have cheered up considerably. Still, the smile stayed as Usagi left the room...

...and more people came in.

At the sound of footsteps and the door opening after Usagi left, Pinkie looked eagerly towards the noise. Did Usagi or Wanda come back? Or did Atsushi somehow find them? She didn't know about that boy, but he always seemed to be by her side when she needed him. When she saw it was random strangers who she hadn't been introduced to yet, though, she could only raise her eyebrows and lower the smile on her face as they entered. She started feeling an immense guilt for feeling happy again, seeing who the people in the room were. If this were normal circumstances, Pinkie would have run over to them and introduced herself, but of course, this wasn't normal circumstances. Someone came over to them- a boy named Cater, she believed, who was underneath her in the rankings list- who soon stopped where he was when he saw the gloomy atmosphere that surrounded them all. Still, as Pinkie stared at him, he soon waved politely at her. She waved back, although not as energetic as she usually would, slowly watching him as he picked up an acoustic guitar and soon started playing it.

Pinkie stared at the male, listening quietly to him singing and playing his designated instrument. For some reason... she didn't seem to go to the island of obliviousness. Did she only turn calm when one of her friends played? Hm. She lost all concentration for Cater's playing, however, when feeling someone's eyes on her. She drifted her eyeline to Clementine, who was already searching through Pinkie's eyes for... something. Pinkie stared back, and it was no doubt that the ball-capped girl could see the sadness in her eyes. Who wasn't sad right now, though? Well- except for exceptions. Clementine soon explained what she was feeling with the item Pinkie Pie was asking about, Pinkie nodding at her statements. Was it just deja vu that she was talking about? Or maybe the girl did remember, and she just had to search deeper in her mind to find out what? Pinkie had to do the same multiple times when trying to think of baking recipes, too.

As Clementine paused, as Cater ended his song, as they were all blending into the Music Venue room, that's when Monokuma decided to speak up. Pinkie froze again- which was not a good sign- but her stiffness turned into confusion when Monokuma mentioned... a movie? Like, the ones in theaters? The ones Pinkie Pie would always watch in sleepovers with her friends? Well, when thinking about it, that didn't sound so bad! Did Monokuma have a change of heart with what he was making them deal with, and making them have a little break? Pinkie, yet again, started denying anything bad happening, having her heart fill with hope again. The hope wasn't enough to burn away the despair of people dying, but it was something. And, again, Pinkie didn't use common sense that Monokuma wouldn't let them have anything good, and that their whole trip here was only bad.

At Clementine's and Sophie's looking down at their tablets, Pinkie did the same, seeing the order of which they would watch their movies. She immediately searched for her friends' names, as she did with the rankings earlier, seeing their order. Clementine was first, Wanda soon after, and then Usagi and Sophie a little later... and Pinkie and Atsushi near the end. Pinkie stiffened again at the thought of having to wait so long to have their movie, but felt relaxed at the thought that Atsushi's movie wasn't too far from her own. Maybe they could discuss their little movies with each other! But... they had to wait for movies designated for them for basically hours!? The one thing Pinkie was confused about, though, was that the movie was only for the first person. Why was it only for themselves? Was it meant to be a surprise to the others?

Clementine soon left for her movie, and Cater was asking for requests now. Pinkie opened her mouth, about to answer, before her eyes landed on Sophie, seeing how she was reacting to the announcement and the movie list.

"...Sophie?"

The girl was still. Too still. Pinkie shook her shoulder slightly, saying again softly, "Sophie?" Pinkie got no response, which only added onto her worry in her heart. She replied back to Cater absent-mindedly, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," before shaking Sophie again, trying to get a response from her. No matter what Pinkie did- hold her hand, hug her, poke her- it was all the same. Sophie seemed too lost inside her mind, not responding to anything. The only time Sophie moved was when it was Louise's time, leaving the room, having Pinkie looking worriedly after her. Was her friend okay? It was not only a little while ago that Sophie seemed okay... what had happened? This movement of Sophie was enough for Pinkie to get out of the Music Venue herself.

She waved at Cater, Claude, Marie, and whoever else was in there sadly, picking up Atsushi's card and the rest of her supplies off of the ground before going to where she and her friend group first actually all interacted with each other. She needed to remind herself of her own friends right now.

--

When going to the movie theater for her turn after Butters, Pinkie seemed less stiff than she was before. She had visited the Daycare Center, simply to wait out there for calmness. Well, actually, Pinkie sat outside the Daycare Center, as she simply couldn't go inside a place where a murder was helped, but she still had the memories of all her interactions before. It was strange, looking back on it. How Kotomine and Wanda argued with each other. How Pinkie played with the stuffed animals. How Atsushi looked at her with the utmost confusion.

Sophie wasn't near the movie theater room, leaving the pink-haired girl wondering where she went. Should Pinkie send her a text? Seeing how Sophie didn't react to her earlier, though... she doubted Sophie would respond. Pinkie would see her friend later in their room, though! It would be fine! It would be fine. Taking a breath to remind herself that it was all okay, she took steps inside the movie theater, right on time for her designated spot. She moved to the seating area, looking up at the screen as it soon came to life. Not soon after Pinkie sat down, Monokuma's voice filled the air.

"World famous director Monokuma presents his latest series of stunning masterpieces... a series titled Ultimate Desires! In just a few moments, we will be screening... Pinkie Pie's Ultimate Desire."

Ultimate... Desire? Was this not a movie? Or was this just a TV-Show, and that's why it was a series? All the waiting Pinkie had to go through, though, for an Ultimate Desire? She had a lot of those. She had desires for cupcakes, candy, frosting, sugar. What was this about? Pinkie stared confusingly up at the screen, squinting at it to try to decipher its meaning, but to no avail. Eventually, it did start. It gave off... dreamy colors at first. Pastel colors. Clouds filled the screen, giving off a dream vibe that described a sugary heaven, before they all dispersed. What Pinkie saw beyond the clouds surprised her. This was... this was...!

Right there, next to talking marshmallows and candy cubes, sat Pinkamena Diane Pie, the Element of Laughter, the Ultimate Party Planner. Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack all sat there as well, with big smiles on their faces. They were all eating treats that Pinkie had offered to them over the years, their attention only on the curly, pink-haired girl. They were all sitting on floating cotton candy, speaking to each other to their heart's content.

"And then I was like, ahem!" The Pinkie Pie on the screen made elaborate hand movements, having an evil grin on her face. Unlike now, the Pinkie Pie here seemed... normal. She seemed happy. She seemed like she wanted to make others happy, too. "'NOBODY beats a Pinkie Party!!' And guess what? Guess what?"

"What, Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash, the rainbow-haired girl, Element of Loyalty, gave off a mischievous grin. "Are you going to poison the dude who's threatening your parties?" The prankster girl was talking about the time all the people in their village got food poisoning from Pinkie's supply of cupcakes, and how Pinkie would make the boy who threatened to have a better party than Pinkie Pie have food poisoning as well through hidden cupcakes.

Rarity, a fashionista and the Element of Generosity, put a hand on her chest, looking at the rainbow haired girl in surprise. "Darling, no! Well... except for that one time with her cupcakes... but that's besides the point!"

"I mean... those cupcakes were a little sickening, Rarity." The animal lover, Fluttershy's, quiet voice filled the air. Even the Element of Kindness was against her.

"WHAT!?" Pinkie let off a screech, looking around wildly. "I'M INNOCENT! That ONE time that everyone had food poisoning was Apple Bloom's fault! I PLEAD INNOCENT!!"

"Are yah blamin' mah sistah, Pinkie?" Applejack, the Element of Honesty, crossed her arms in a joking manner, putting her nose up. She tilted her cowboy hat up with her. "Even if she did that, ya'll should still not go blamin' her. She's jus' a lil' baby."

Rainbow Dash snickered and gave off a not so quiet, "Pinkie, cough, Pinkie. Ya admit to being guilty?"

Pinkie gave off silly, physical signs of stress, but they all ended up laughing at the end. Pinkie saw the smiles on their faces, how the little marshmallows and candy cubes were smiling as well. Flying chocolate seeds flew through the sky, leaving little rainbows behind them. As she and her friends laughed, gingerbread women and men came and danced around them. They all seemed so happy... and it seemed... perfect. This truly was Pinkie's ideal situation for her and her friends. She wanted to be somewhere where they could only be happy. Where she could see their smiles. Where she could eat cotton candy and candy to her heart's content.

She then saw them all playing games with each other: theater games, bouncy houses in the sky, flying around on chocolate seeds. Her sister, Maud, even showed up at some point, giving a dull "Hello" to Pinkie and being bear hugged. It was like... it was like all that Pinkie wanted was placed in one single screen, showing all her sweet desires that she wanted for her and the people close to her.

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power... can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your Ultimate Desire!"

--

Pinkie squeezed Atsushi's card, staring up at the screen with bulging eyes after the dreamy images were soon over, leaving her with nothing. What... was this? This... was her Ultimate Desire? Yes... all of this seemed perfect. Pinkie wanted this so much. She could understand why it was an Ultimate Desire now. She wanted to go to that place, to go around playing games all the time with the people closest to her. This, this was like an entire scene taken from her dreams. Before this all started, the cotton candy clouds and the talking candy filled her mind at night. It was no surprise to anyone that this was Pinkie's Ultimate Desire. But...

Kill? Pinkie started shivering under her crown, and no matter how much she hugged Atsushi's card, the amount of warmth that she put in his card didn't seem to transfer back to her body. She... she was supposed to kill someone after seeing this? Were they all supposed to? All the hope that had entered her heart before this had drained with the thoughts that went into her mind. Gosh, what was she supposed to do right now? If only she was Twilight Sparkle. That girl was smart. She would know what to do right now.

In a terrified manner, she trudged out of the movie theater, still holding the white-haired boy's card to her chest. After getting out, she sat down on the floor outside of the theater, closing her eyes. She didn't understand anything. She couldn't process anything. What did everything mean? Why was she here? Why were they all here? Some people had experiences with situations like this... but Pinkie didn't. The Ultimate Party Planner looked down on her shaking hands on her chest before balling them into fists, the tears starting to start in her eyes. For the first time in her life, Pinkie had never felt so... hopeless.



Was this how Sophie felt? Did she feel... this much pain in her chest, and she just had to live with it? Did she always feel the impending sense of doom, yet always had to put one step in front of another? The happiness Pinkie felt so far... it never stayed. Monokuma always made sure it went away. Something or someone always made sure it went away. Yet... Sophie said she coped with that... with Jenny Letterson. Yes, that's how Pinkie would cope herself. With her friends. If she had her friends, she would be alright.

Why had been Pinkie been sitting here for so long, anyways? She could be going to her room, or going to the Daycare again. Then, in all suddenness, she realized... she had been waiting for Atsushi. She was waiting for him to be done with his movie so she could see him. Since she didn't know where Sophie was, and she saw all her friends but Atsushi today... she needed to see him. For today... all she needed to do was hug him and give him the card. That's all she needed. That's all she needed. After Atsushi's movie, she would still have a little bit of time before 10 PM, since four people would go after him.

She just needed to see him to be okay. To stop the worry.​

He saw Pinkie sitting outside, and slowly crouched next to her, looking her over. Her eyes were closed, but she didn't seem hurt. Was she asleep? Should he wake her if that's the case? Before he could open his mouth and ask if she was okay, it was his turn to watch his own movie. Sparing her one last glance he went to get it over with.

Sitting with a deep breath, he sat closer to the back and waited.

"World famous director Monokuma presents his latest series of stunning masterpieces... a series titled Ultimate Desires! In just a few moments, we will be screening... Atsushi's Ultimate Desire."

Brows furrowing, the white haired boy stared in quiet confusion. Ultimate desire? What would...?

Static filled the screen, followed by a face he was all too familiar with being...far too close to the screen.

"Ah, I think it's working now!" Dazai said proudly, only to chuckle as a gloved hand suddenly shoved his face away

"The hell are you so close for? You think he wants to see your ugly mug when he looks back at this down the road?" Came a huff from none other than Chuuya.

"Oh? Who wouldn't be mesmerized by my handsome face-" Dazai snickered, as someone else took whatever was recording and holding it up so they could be seen, briefly putting a few others into frame who were making sure there weren't any beds in the way. They were a few of the Black Lizards from the Port Mafia, but they weren't in frame for long before someone else was the sole focus on screen.

Atsushi's breath caught in his throat as he met eyes with Kyouka Izumi.

"Dazai-san and Chuuya-san might destroy the room, but Gin-chan will be here soon." She stated matter-of-factly as a crash was heard in the background.

"Oh." Kyouka spoke up, looking off to the side for a moment.

From what Atsuhsi could see, they were in a...wait...


They were at the orphanage? Even in this situation the walls in the room weren't peeling and cracked. They were pristine, and it seemed they had moved the beds to make space.

"Are you two going to destroy the place before he even gets here?" Came the sigh of a man that has haunted Atsushi for years.

Hearing the director's voice caused a chill to creep up his spine, the white haired boy's body beginning to shake as his eyes remained glued on the screen, as the director came into frame as Kyouka turned the camera to face the door. The room had quieted.


The door opened, and walking inside was Gin Akutagawa, followed by Atsushi with...Ryunosuke Akutagawa covering his eyes???

Akutagawa looked...well, he looked agitated, though Atsushi had a feeling he simply looked that way most of the time.

Letting go of movie-Atsushi's eyes, someone released a popper, and the director held his arms wide with a box in hand.

"Atsushi, it's been some time since you've graduated." The director started, and Dazai nodded along.

"The director here found out where you were, and got in contact with me to put this together by May 5th, and since you work so hard, well..." Dazai trailed, scratching at his cheek.

"We wanted to let you know how proud we are." Both men spoke at the same time. Gin had taken the recording device from Kyouka, who had made her way to his side to take his hand with her own with a large smile on her face.

"You've grown into a dependable young man." The director spoke, and even with the slightly off angle Atsushi could see a small smile on his face.

"Happy Birthday, Atsushi-kun." Kyouka spoke in her usually soft tone as the director hugged movie-Atsushi before putting the box into his free hand.

It was a watch, and with it a slip of paper.

It ended there, frozen on smiling faces, but he knew. He knew that what was written on the paper was Happy Birthday, this scenario was a different and seemingly impossible outcome compared to that day, a hopeful wish from a lonely broken boy who never really had a good birthday. His vision began to blur, his chest felt tight and he felt chilled to his bones.

He had always thought of what ifs in regards to the confrontation, sure that if he followed orders and stayed away, or maybe not reacted out of fear and panic, the director would still be alive. Maybe he would of hugged him and told him how proud he was. For once, showing kindness even if for a moment.

Kyouka was safe as well, it seemed. This just seemed like a fantasy, unrealistic given where they had been and who had been present in the room. His own feelings regarding the director had been complicated after his death, and this did not help.

And yet...

And yet...he wanted to spend one birthday without any painful memories attached, to have Kyouka by his side safe and sound and happy like in this video. Even if the director was long gone and still weighed him down with guilt, Kyouka would be there. He missed Dazai and the Mafia, but he missed Kyouka the most.

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power... can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your Ultimate Desire!"

He ignored Stiles as he left the theater, tears slowly trailing tracks down his cheeks the moment he was out in the hall as a chilling numbness settled in. He stopped near Pinkie as he tried to wipe the tears away, but he couldn't stop shaking, his emotions and thoughts growing jumbled as he remembered his and Pinkie's earlier conversation, as well as his and Wanda's, on top of this and he just-

He held her hand as he sat next to her, his other continuing to try and wipe away the tears, because he needed to know that she was real and present and just...there. He needed a moment to let everything process, and the days spent with little proper sleep wasn't helping. He would eventually calm, and the tears would stop, but until then he simply stayed near her until they had to part.

Zenterfold Xeppy @Others @Movie Theater

 

[GamblingGoblins]

Marie - Ultimate Decapitator
Music Venue
HanikamuKitten Icee themagnoliaofutah Capri @Others
​

Completely unaware of how she'd unintentionally embarrassed her friend, Marie calmly listened to Cater's explanation of his bandmates. Who he also apparently shared a class with? "Ah... You all go to school together, huh? Is that where you all met?" she wondered, unable to help herself. "Weirdos... eheh. If you're all weirdos, I must be, too," she concluded, innocently. "I'd definitely like to meet them as well." He seemed so happy talking about these people... It made her wish she could be a part of something like that, too. Her mind conjured up images, her best guesses of what these friends of Cater's might look like, and she envisioned herself being able to meet them. To smile and laugh along with them all, just like she was sure he must have before coming here. It was a nice thought, but she couldn't help but cringe at herself for entertaining it. It was a silly dream. A selfish one, at that. Things would likely be best for Cater, Nana, and her other new friends if they never had to see her again after all of this. That wasn't what she wanted, but nor did she ever wish to be a burden to them.

But still...

Those wishful thoughts gave way to melancholy in the wake of her fervent disapproval of Cater's request. Seeing the shock and disappointment on his face only added salt to the wound, and she winced as her gaze wandered to the floor. She felt disgusted with herself, to an extent she couldn't put into words. And knowing she might've upset Cater or the others only added to these feelings of self-spite. Shortly into their walk to the music venue, she couldn't bear it anymore, awkwardly untangling her arm from Cater's and instead hugging herself for comfort as they strolled on in silence. What if he was mad at her? Maybe she should just have given in and sang the song as he'd asked. Cagliostro had always told her she had the voice of an angel, after all. But the thought alone was unbearable, and she was certain the entirety of the group would forsake her if they heard the vulgar melody. She wished she could get away from all of the painful feelings, but quickly revoked that thought. She wanted to remain as she was. She never wanted to return to being the emotionless shell of a being that the old her had been.

Even when they arrived at the music venue, Marie still seemed lost in her own world. She barely even registered the other presences in the room, or even Cater moving away to retrieve the guitar. All she could perceive in that moment was the soundtrack of her own life; the call of a blade whose thirst was insatiable, beckoning forth the sinners and the saints alike to die at its command. Her hand had once again unknowingly wandered to her scar, ultimately settling on the back of her neck as her head momentarily hung as the byproduct of her own internal conflict. Blood, blood, blood. It wants blood. Shower the guillotine with drink--

A new melody pierced through the deafening hollering in her ears, blotting out the painful memory of townsfolk singing their prayer for her demise.

"I'm standing on the borderline,
What should I bring or leave behind?
From who I was,
For who I'm gonna be?"

This one was something kinder. Softer. A gentle story rather than a violent command. She lifted her gaze, blinking away the thinnest veil of tears she hadn't even realized had formed in her eyes. When had he started singing? His voice was lovely, and his playstyle was equally skillful. It was definitely a much needed distraction from what felt like a slowly building panic attack for the girl. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it certainly beat that horrible tune playing on repeat in her mind. She remained just as quiet as before, staying silent up until the moment that the Heartslabyul student stopped playing and Monokuma's broadcast came through. The latter startled her enough to make her jump, and the contents of the message didn't make her feel better, either. A... movie? What was that all about? And why did they have to go alone? She managed to get the list read aloud from her tablet, and was dismayed to learn she was next to last. Go figure. Worrying about it now wouldn't do her any good, though.

"...Claude's right. Your song was very nice," she gently praised, forcing a shaky smile despite the current fragility of her mental state. "Can you... keep going? Is that an okay request?" Naturally, she didn't know any specific songs to suggest, but she likewise didn't think she could handle silence right now. She'd finally noticed the others in the room, coming and going over time, but it seemed like most of them were wrapped up in their own devices. Even Claude seemed out of it upon returning from his viewing time, and honestly, the thick silence and sense of despair steadily growing in the room concerned her enough that she momentarily forgot her own woes. Her brows furrowed, and she felt at a total loss as she glanced over Claude and Sophie on the couches. "Mm..." She wracked her brain, fumbling for what she might be able to do for the pair of despondent individuals, but... was there anything? All she'd ever been good at was killing and singing. They were her only talents, her only 'redeeming' factors. The only things that could be said to define her existence. But the lullaby to which she'd been born wasn't something anyone sane would wish to hear, and killing was the last thing she ever wanted to do again. It definitely wouldn't help anyone. So... what could she do? What worth did she have in this situation? Part of her thought of imploring Cater to handle it, to play them something upbeat to lift their spirits, but she didn't want to keep having everyone do everything for her. For once, she wanted to contribute something worthwhile.

"..."

Torn, she tried to come up with something new. Anything that might give the group some solace in this wretched time. But she was so new to the world, and the heart beating within her chest hardly felt lived in. It was like a hand-me-down, weathered and torn and difficult to navigate and grow accustomed to. But as Cater pointed out to her, it was there; she just needed to strain to feel it. To listen to what it told her to do. Right now, that thing was...

"Actually," she quietly spoke to Cater once more, "Can you wait a moment on that? My request? I think I want to try something." The uncertainty in her voice was palpable, and she definitely wasn't the splitting image of confidence, but there was an undeniable hint of determination in her eyes nevertheless. She wanted to help Sophie and Claude. And if she failed, well, that was just part of being human, wasn't it? With this in mind, she hesitantly took a seat a bit away from Claude and Sophie, on a couch a bit across from them. She anxiously shifted in place for a moment, briefly doubting her decision. But shortly after, she took a steadying breath and wiped her eyes before closing them, doing her best to simply relax and give in to intuition. Soon enough, a gentle melody began to leave her lips in the form of a pleasant, calming hum.



Despite her claims that the only song she knew was bad, her voice- though no words were present- was stunningly beautiful. She seemed to be making up the melody as she went, doing her best to produce something soothing for her compatriots, but it sounded as though it must have been something simply ingrained in her being from the start. It was like she was a siren, attempting to beckon away their sorrow like sailors to a cliff.

She carried on for a short while, keeping her eyes closed both for her own comfort and also out of fear of how the others would respond, but her tune eventually came to a close. She released a shuddering breath of relief, finally daring to crack her eyes open to nervously regard the present company. "...I do not know if it helps," she began after a lengthy pause, her voice quieter and more uneasy than usual, "but I want to be here for you." She hadn't spoken to Sophie at all before this moment, and she was more than a little nervous about speaking in this way to her, but she hated seeing everyone in this state. Whether she knew them or not, she wanted to help. She was worried about Louise, too, given that she'd yet to return, but she supposed she couldn't really do anything about that just yet. Just focusing on the here and now would have to be enough. "So... please, let me know if I can do anything. Even if it's just being a hand to hold. That's helped me lots when I've been scared." Unfortunately, such things would only have the opposite effect of what she intended. But given that nobody had told her about her curse still being in effect, albeit in a different manner, she hadn't the slightest clue about this fact.

 

[Xeppy]

Pinkie Pie
Takumi98 + those witnessing

Outside of Movie Theater

When Atsushi finally came to his own movie, Pinkie was too lost in her own thoughts to notice. At his kneeling in front of her, she kept her eyes closed, lost in her own little world. The white-haired boy surely couldn't have seen his card, as Pinkie was hiding it within her own arms, as a child would hold their teddy bear. Yet, the notebook and crayons were next to her, sitting lonely by themselves. That was the only indication so far that she had made cards for the eighteen-year-old boy and the rest of their friends. Soon after Atsushi left for his movie, though, the paper against her chest got wrinkled further and further. Pinkie was holding it tighter and tighter, her thoughts getting darker and darker. Hopeless. Hopeless. Hopeless. Could she get out of here safe? Could she only get out of here safely if she killed someone? But... she couldn't do that! If she couldn't do the act, though... did that mean she would die? The only alternative option besides the ones she listed in her head was staying here forever, but the missing of her friends would only increase over time.

What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? WHAT WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO?

Whenever there was dark in Pinkie's thoughts, though, she eventually would see some optimism. She thought earlier, earlier, earlier. Hope, hope, hope.

​

“S-so everyone, I got something to say. So, I had this dream…. And it, well, uh, kind of showed me some stuff that was going down on my world?” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I managed to see my friends sneaking into Odysseus’s old palace like we planned. I’m guessing that this means that things in our, well, worlds are continuing on, and that people we care about are ok. Probably worrying about us a lot…. That’s just my best guess from what I saw though. I can explain it more, if you guys want.”

Yeah... like the eagle-man said earlier! Her friends at home were okay, and they would remain being okay. She just needed to focus on the here and now, on protecting the people she cared about here, and she would be alright. As long as she knew that all of her friends at home were alright, and that they would keep being alright, she was sure that she would be okay. Just smile, and it'll be alright. Just make your friends smile, and it'll be alright. Just make people happy, and it'll be alright. Just keep on going, just keep on being Pinkie Pie, and it'll be alright. She was sure. She was absolutely, truly sure.

...

She only seemed to notice Atsushi's presence when he took her hand, but she didn't flinch at the grabbing. She recognized what his hand felt like by now. Her eyes were opening slowly to meet his sad ones, relaxing at the sight of seeing her friend. He was safe. He was okay. He was fine. But... he wasn't okay. As he sat next to her, he was wiping something away from his eyes, shaking visibly. Water. Shaking. Tears. In all the time Pinkie had known Atsushi, he had always been as strong as he could be. He had never cried or shaken in her eyes, always putting on a strong face as he comforted them all. Never had she seen him this sad. Never had she seen him like this. What had happened in that movie theater? What had changed today?

She dropped Atsushi's card from her hand, letting it float on down to the ground from where she last sat, as she soon went in front of him. Tears started forming in her own eyes, seeing the white-haired boy crying like this, her friend crying like this, but something inside her let her keep on moving with strength. Still holding his hand, she would attempt to stop his other hand from wiping his own tears away by holding it. However, she tried to hold it so lightly that he could simply refuse the acts she was doing and keep on doing his own thing. If he were to allow for her to move his hand away from his waterworks, though, she would move it into her other hand so that both of his hands were in her own. She would then try to wipe away his own tears by herself.

Her touch would have been light, and although she didn't know how he would react, if he accepted the touch, she would have been telling him that he wasn't alone. That it was okay for him to cry right now. Sure, Pinkie loved to see others smile, but... people needed to cry sometimes. She needed to cry sometimes. Like before, when Pinkie was in panic for all that was happening. She was in panic... and Atsushi was by her side, along with her friends. She needed to be by his side and by their sides as much as possible.

She let go of his hands for only a second before trying to envelop him into a soft embrace. Again, if the boy didn't appreciate it, he could easily push her off and go back to what he wanted to do. Still, if he let her hug him, he would hear the soft mutter between her sniffles.

"I-I-It'll be okay, Atsushi." ​

 

[HanikamuKitten]

Cater Diamond​

Music Venue>Theater
GamblingGoblins Capri Icee Xeppy ​

Pinkie seemed, distracted to say the least. In fact, nobody really seemed to be paying much attention to him at all. He had burst in the room and started singing unwarranted, so he supposed that was fair. Plus the monokuma announcement had everyone on edge. And on top of that, he’d never actually gotten to talk to Pinkie and Sophie before. He’d hoped his music could bring a smile to someone’s face at least, but maybe he just wasn’t at that level yet.

“Twinkle twinkle little star.” The girl replied, half assed. Yeah no he’s not playing that one.

And the girl soon left.

Now he was kinda stumped. He didn’t really want to talk to anyone, though if Marie made an effort to come up to him he wouldn’t say no. He simply strummed random notes on the guitar in the meantime.

Claude said something about his song being good, and Cater simply nodded in acknowledgement. He was feeling a little down by the recent events and lacked the energy to really comment on much.

“...Claude's right. Your song was very nice, Can you... keep going? Is that an okay request?"

He perked up immediately. Marie was talking to him normally again and he was getting to play more? Double whammy.

“Yes, yes! Absolutely I-“

“Actually.” She interrupted. “Can you wait a moment on that? My request? I think I want to try something." He sank back down. He wasn’t going to hog the spotlight but, he would be lying if he said he didn’t heavily enjoy it. Now he was being denied that ability.

He watched as Marie walked over to Claude and Sophie on the couches. It was almost his turn to watch his movie and he was getting a little anxious, especially with Claude coming back and looking as dejected as he did. Marie sat down in front of them, and began humming a tune. For a moment he wondered if she was going to sing that song she talked about, but evidently not. He was slightly disappointed but that was soon lost once once he listened closer. While she didn’t sing any words, he could tell she had an incredible voice, just as he’d suspected. Listening to it really calmed him down, like a lullaby. He thoughtlessly strummed along to her improvised song. He barely put any power into the strums. Maybe the others would hear, maybe they wouldn’t, but it didn’t matter. He closed his eyes and followed along.

Her song finished and she gave some comforting words to the two. Normally he would have jumped up and ran over to say the same, but he let Marie have the floor instead. He just felt- tired.

Soon after was Cater’s turn to watch his video. He wouldn’t try to drag Marie along this time, knowing she wouldn’t be allowed in anyway. He would, however extend an invitation to wait outside the theater if she’d like.

“You can wait outside if you want, but I don’t think you can’t come in.”

He walked into the theater and sat down tentatively. He had seen the looks on some of the others faces before him. Then the dreaded video began.

"World famous director Monokuma presents his latest series of stunning masterpieces... a series titled Ultimate Desires! In just a few moments, we will be screening... Cater’s Ultimate Desire."

He couldn’t help but wonder, what was his ultimate desire? He wasn’t quite sure himself, so what would Monokuma think it was?

The video opened with a wide shot of the Heartslabyul dorm, where he lived for the past few years. His home away from home. How he missed the rose bushes, water fountain, and heart shaped arches.



The image faded, and a new one took its place. It was Cater’s own dorm room.



Cater was sitting on his bed with Trey. They seemed to just be talking? Everything seemed normal. How was this his deep desire? He didn’t understand- until they started talking.



“You know me, I’ve never been good at telling my feelings, Trey.”

And he instantly knew where it was going.

“I know, Cater. So that’s why I knew I had to come to you.”

Not-Trey put his hand on not-Cater’s face.

“We’ve been friends for so long. But I think I want to move past that.”

Not-Trey leaned even closer.

“What-? What are you saying?” Not-Cater stumbled over his words.

But real Cater knew. And maybe real Cater would have been happy with this when he first got here. But instead he closed his eyes. He didn’t know what was happening on screen, but he could still hear every word.

“I think I have feelings for you, Cater.”

He tried to block it out.

“Trey…”

He tried to pretend it wasn’t there.

“So? What about you?”

“I have for a while.”

What fake-Cater said wasn’t a lie. He knew that, though he had yet to admit it to himself. But deep down, subconsciously, he knew. What was wrong, was Trey. He doesn’t feel that way. That’s not the real Trey. And so even if he were to escape, that could never be his. Even if -by some magic Monokuma seemed to have- they could make this come true, he wouldn’t want it. Because it wouldn’t be right, and it wouldn’t be real. What was real were the people with him now, whose lives are at stake. He would never sacrifice their lives for something like this. Besides, he wasn’t even sure this was what he wanted anymore. Something changed when he got here. There were other people now. He’ll always love Trey so much, but he was content with where he was now. And there was someone else.

He tentatively opened his eyes as a montage moved on screen. His Magicam blowing up, traveling the world and even pursuing music. Every dream and ambition he ever had come true, with Trey by his side the whole time.

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power... can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your ultimate desire!"

The screen faded to black and the lights came on. He sat still in the chair for a moment, processing. Unknowingly, a few tears had made their way to his chin. He had wanted it so bad. It hurt, though he vowed to himself this would be the last tears he’d cry over him.

He stood and walked out the theater, finding Marie either right outside or wherever else.

 

[Takumi98]

Pinkie Pie
Takumi98 + those witnessing

Outside of Movie Theater

When Atsushi finally came to his own movie, Pinkie was too lost in her own thoughts to notice. At his kneeling in front of her, she kept her eyes closed, lost in her own little world. The white-haired boy surely couldn't have seen his card, as Pinkie was hiding it within her own arms, as a child would hold their teddy bear. Yet, the notebook and crayons were next to her, sitting lonely by themselves. That was the only indication so far that she had made cards for the eighteen-year-old boy and the rest of their friends. Soon after Atsushi left for his movie, though, the paper against her chest got wrinkled further and further. Pinkie was holding it tighter and tighter, her thoughts getting darker and darker. Hopeless. Hopeless. Hopeless. Could she get out of here safe? Could she only get out of here safely if she killed someone? But... she couldn't do that! If she couldn't do the act, though... did that mean she would die? The only alternative option besides the ones she listed in her head was staying here forever, but the missing of her friends would only increase over time.

What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do? WHAT WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO?

Whenever there was dark in Pinkie's thoughts, though, she eventually would see some optimism. She thought earlier, earlier, earlier. Hope, hope, hope.




Yeah... like the eagle-man said earlier! Her friends at home were okay, and they would remain being okay. She just needed to focus on the here and now, on protecting the people she cared about here, and she would be alright. As long as she knew that all of her friends at home were alright, and that they would keep being alright, she was sure that she would be okay. Just smile, and it'll be alright. Just make your friends smile, and it'll be alright. Just make people happy, and it'll be alright. Just keep on going, just keep on being Pinkie Pie, and it'll be alright. She was sure. She was absolutely, truly sure.

...

She only seemed to notice Atsushi's presence when he took her hand, but she didn't flinch at the grabbing. She recognized what his hand felt like by now. Her eyes were opening slowly to meet his sad ones, relaxing at the sight of seeing her friend. He was safe. He was okay. He was fine. But... he wasn't okay. As he sat next to her, he was wiping something away from his eyes, shaking visibly. Water. Shaking. Tears. In all the time Pinkie had known Atsushi, he had always been as strong as he could be. He had never cried or shaken in her eyes, always putting on a strong face as he comforted them all. Never had she seen him this sad. Never had she seen him like this. What had happened in that movie theater? What had changed today?

She dropped Atsushi's card from her hand, letting it float on down to the ground from where she last sat, as she soon went in front of him. Tears started forming in her own eyes, seeing the white-haired boy crying like this, her friend crying like this, but something inside her let her keep on moving with strength. Still holding his hand, she would attempt to stop his other hand from wiping his own tears away by holding it. However, she tried to hold it so lightly that he could simply refuse the acts she was doing and keep on doing his own thing. If he were to allow for her to move his hand away from his waterworks, though, she would move it into her other hand so that both of his hands were in her own. She would then try to wipe away his own tears by herself.

Her touch would have been light, and although she didn't know how he would react, if he accepted the touch, she would have been telling him that he wasn't alone. That it was okay for him to cry right now. Sure, Pinkie loved to see others smile, but... people needed to cry sometimes. She needed to cry sometimes. Like before, when Pinkie was in panic for all that was happening. She was in panic... and Atsushi was by her side, along with her friends. She needed to be by his side and by their sides as much as possible.

She let go of his hands for only a second before trying to envelop him into a soft embrace. Again, if the boy didn't appreciate it, he could easily push her off and go back to what he wanted to do. Still, if he let her hug him, he would hear the soft mutter between her sniffles.

"I-I-It'll be okay, Atsushi." ​

When Pinkie grabbed his other hand he blinked, both in surprise and in an attempt to clear his vision as he sniffled a bit. He quickly realized what she was trying to do when she softly brushed her own hand against his face to wipe away his tears. Leaning into the light touch, his eyes closed for a moment. It was reassuring, and safe, and warm. After a moment, even the shaking subsided. Yet his chest still ached a bit, and he felt tired and worn out. Sleep likely wouldn't come easily for him, unfortunately.

Then she shifted, his hearing picking up on her movements and for a split second, he thought she was pulling away, only for his eyes to open again at the embrace she enveloped him in. He had tensed for a second, but quickly relaxed into it. When had he ever been hugged? He couldn't quite remember.

His arms rose, before he paused in the slightest moment of hesitation before returning the hug. Her reassurance that it'd be okay caused his vision to blur again with tears, but they wouldn't fall this time. His arms grew firm and more sure in the embrace as time went on, letting her comfort him while trying to comfort her in turn, because she was close to crying too.

"You're kind, Pinkie. Thank you." He muttered back. He grew quiet for a second, considering something.

"I can walk you to your room in a bit? Maybe...maybe tomorrow, we can do some exploring, together?" He suggested, still sniffling a bit. As much as he wanted to leave and return to Kyouka's side, that would mean killing Pinkie and Sophie, Usagi, Wanda, and others who really didn't deserve it. That was a risk he didn't want to take, knowing that at the very least becoming Blackened would put them at risk.

Besides, he knew that at least Dazai had some knowledge on Kyouka's whereabouts back home...

He needed to stop thinking about it, or else he'd think about him and the damned Ultimate desire.

His gaze landed on the crumpled piece of paper on the floor and the notebook and crayons, growing curious.

"All that stuff on the floor, what is it for?" He asked, though loosened his grip in case she wanted to pull away from the hug by this point.

Xeppy + anyone else @Outside Movie Theater

 

[Verite]

Kirei Kotomine


​

In the day following the trial, Kotomine hadn't lost very much sleep over the otherwise harrowing result. For him, it was business as usual. With the mystery of Trixie's murder solved, everyone was able to revert back to where they were before, albeit now with the looming dread of knowing that if anyone were to kill again, failure to catch the culprit would in fact lead to their untimely deaths. It seemed that in the end, the partner system was short-lived; it wasn't even as though Kotomine let the girl die due to willful negligence. After all, it was her own choice to venture elsewhere, but all things considered, the priest didn't feel too guilty over absolving himself of this, nor condemning Menma to death.

An eye for an eye may have made the whole world blind, but justice was already blind, after all.

In the morning, he had silently eaten his breakfast, like he would have any other day. One might have found it fitting that, as a priest, Kotomine led a rather ascetic life, which meant that he was not rather picky about food. Indeed, he viewed the act of eating as nothing more than a means to fuel one's own body, unless it was his one and only favorite dish, but it was fuel he would indeed need to remain in relative shape. Magical superhuman he may have been, but he was still a man in his late thirties, and as Kotomine was not one for a deadly sin like pride, he knew that he had passed his prime, and in times like these, it was more important than ever to keep his body and wits about him.

Following breakfast, he had immediately absconded toward the gym wordlessly, being less than interested in comforting the rest of his fellow survivors over the lives of a murderer and a would-be murderer, and though he was indeed a bit curious about the new areas that were open to him and the others, it wasn't something he considered a pressing matter. With that said, anyone passing by the gym over the following period of time would have been treated to the sight of Kotomine practicing his martial arts with a wooden dummy. Not wanting to stain his priest's garb with his labors, he took the liberty of doing away with his robe and even the shirt underneath, leaving the upper half of his body bare. His clothes hid his defined muscles well, made the most apparent for every time his bulging arms swung at the dummy and then some.

It was only when Kotomine had taken notice of Monokuma's grand announcement that he had ceased his exercises, and with a reluctant breath, elected to make his way toward the Movie Theater. The priest was keen enough to know that this was surely another scheme, as tasteful as a practical joke, from the bear and his audience, but all things considered, there was no reason not to play along, not when it seemed these so-called movies were customized and tailor-made for everyone here.

...

Compared to the others, Kotomine was in and out of the theater faster than expected. He exited the theater with his usual, infuriatingly calm and composed demeanor. It seemed that whatever the movie that was shown to him entailed, it was shorter than most of the others. Indeed, as someone who was raised to abstain from desire since birth, Kotomine had been built to be immune to worldly desires and personal wishes, but of course, no one was perfect, and it was that perfect flaw in his personality that allowed Monokuma to show him the one thing he could possibly wish for, if he were able to get his hands on that Holy Grail one more time.

But of course, the one thing Kotomine wished for... Perhaps it was best not to share with the rest.

So, instead, he stood upright silently, waiting for the rest of the list to go through their films, and observe their reactions.

It should prove to be an amusing sight, and as for Kotomine's film, the image that was shown to him continued to occasionally flash in his mind all the while...

Spoiler

---

Others Present: All

 

[Xeppy]

Pinkie Pie
Takumi98 + others

Outside of Movie Theater

When Atsushi physically stiffened for a moment at the hug she gave him, her embrace only got tighter, her face becoming one filled with worry for. Did he not like the hug? Was he going to push her away? Was he going to reject it? Oh. Rejection. Getting over the rejection. It... hadn't always been her strong point. For instance, when this one male from her hometown refused to befriend her, she followed him and did acts of kindness for him until he had to become best friends with her. Yeah. Completely normal. Luckily, that scenario worked out in the end, with Pinkie reuniting him with his past lover and earning the right to become friends with him. However, it only showed that Pinkie refused for others to say no. As well, when Atsushi and Pinkie first really met, wasn't he talking to her about how smiles didn't usually help in scenarios they were at, and she just completely shot back all of her opinions on happiness? Yeah.

Plus, Pinkie wanted to hug Atsushi right now. She had hugged Usagi, Wanda, Sophie... but never had she hugged Atsushi yet. It was strange. Why hadn't she embraced him before if he was so comforting and warm now? If he had the calming presence whenever his touch was against hers? Then, that's when Pinkie realized. She didn't just want Atsushi to stop hugging her right now because she didn't want rejection. She didn't just want Atsushi to stop hugging her because she simply wanted to hug him. She needed to hug him. She needed his comfort. She needed his warmth. She was so cold inside right now. It was a chilliness that she was so unfamiliar with. She felt so sad, so empty that she could burst into tears at any moment. Yet... the hug somehow minimized that right now. Did she just simply hope that the warmth from the hug would stop the ice slowly growing inside her after seeing people die, after failing to make people around her smile as much as she wanted them to? Did she simply just hope that the one hug from Atsushi could fix her right now?

She so desperately wanted the warmth that came from the Magic of Friendship. She wanted the warmth inside her chest that came from seeing others smile. She wanted the bubbly, eager feeling that she used to get every single second of her life. She wanted the warmth that she would always get from her best friends at home. From pranking people on April Fools with Rainbow Dash. From baking apple treats with Applejack with her fruit supply. From having a pet play day with Fluttershy. From going on random adventures with Twilight Sparkle. From bombarding Rarity with design ideas. She wanted the warmth. She missed the warmth. She needed the warmth. And, as if a sudden reminder, a voice popped up in her head.

"After seeing everything you have and knowing our power... can you really think this is impossible? All you have to do is kill and this can all be yours! This can be your new reality. Your Ultimate Desire!"

She missed them so much. It was easier to block out the missing when making new friends, when trusting that her friends at home would save her soon... but she couldn't deny the numbness that she got from being without them. She did so much with them. She got into so many fights with them. She amended those fights with them. Whatever they all did, they did together. Yet, here she was. Placed into this killing game, all by herself. Placed into a new horror, without any of her friends with her. Placed into a place incapable of any smiles, forever in despair.

Why was Pinkie the one who was kidnapped to come here, anyways? Why not Twilight Sparkle, who was the Princess of Friendship and much more important than Pinkie Pie? Why not Rainbow Dash, who is a famous Wonderbolt and would most likely get the audience's attention much more than Pinkie ever could? Why not Rarity, who could capture everyone with her beauty? Why not Fluttershy, who was the kindest person alive, or even Applejack? Why was Pinkie Pie plucked up from somewhere, placed here all by herself with no one, no one by her side?

"You're kind, Pinkie. Thank you."

Except she wasn't alone. Except she had people by her side. Atsushi was by her. Sophie, Wanda, and Usagi were her friends, and had been by her. She wasn't alone. She wouldn't go alone through this, and she wouldn't let them go through this alone. At Atsushi's confirmation that he accepted the hug, she further leaned into him in support. Tears started rolling down her face, although it wasn't because of panic or sadness like before. The tears that rolled down her face were warm, like Atsushi's body now. Her tears were out of pure relief. She didn't know why she was relieved, or why she was crying because of it, but she just... was. Was she relieved about what Atsushi said? Or because he accepted the hug? Or because of what he said? Her brain tried to wrap her mind about why, but everything was so confusing right now.

At Atsushi's offer to walk her to her room, the white-haired boy would be able to feel her body relax. However, to counter this relaxation, a simple word came from her mouth. "No." She shifted her hug, having a second's pause, collecting her thoughts and emotions. "I'll walk you to your room. Oh, wait. We can walk each other to each other's rooms today." Based on the way she was talking, by making absolutely no sense, Pinkie had cheered up a little bit. Perhaps the warmth from the long hug was helping the coldness inside, helping the guilt of being happy after people died.

But, regarding what Pinkie said, clearly, they couldn't walk the other person to their room at once, but when was common sense ever a Pinkie thing?

"Oh. Exploring." Pinkie's mind process went to what Atsushi was saying to her as she tried to forget everything she was thinking about earlier. She wanted to forget everything that was happening. She wanted to forget. And... to be honest, it was easier to try to do that when she was in Atsushi's hug. It was consoling. His warmth was sort of like an escape from everything, like Sophie's piano playing was.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and even though she was trying to clear up her mind of everything, one memory sprang up. It was of someone's actions earlier. What was that person's name again that she was thinking about? Cater? Yeah, Cater. Seeing him at the Music Venue earlier awakened a blurry memory of hers now. He... even though they were all sad earlier at the trial, he still walked over and made Menma smile. Even though he himself was probably saddened about what was about to happen, he befriended Menma. Even though everything bad was happening, he went over and made himself strong. Pinkie had to be like that to make her friends smile, to see people around her smile. She had to be strong and become stronger every step here.

She needed to be like Atsushi here, too, who could comfort others even through the darkest of times. She needed to be like him, where even though he was crying, had the strength to walk over to her. She needed to be like him, where even though he was hurt earlier, still had the strength to come comfort her when she was panicking. She needed to be strong so she could bring smiles to her friends.

"We'll have the bestest time exploring tomorrow. But..." Pinkie was now using her normal vocabulary, which was probably a good sign. "But I get to choose the first area we go to first!" Aaaand there was the lovable, needy side of Pinkie Pie. Slowly but surely, she would become better. Maybe she would even get better faster than others. She was the Element of Laughter, after all. Maybe she would fully become Pinkie again! Well, unless another person died.

At Atsushi's loosening of his grip, she lightly pulled away from him, slightly confident that he was feeling at least a little better than before. He wasn't crying anymore, so that was good. But, even as she pulled away, she attempted to grab his hand again subconsciously as she sat next to him again. It was sort of a routine, now, with how much Atsushi had done it to her.

When Atsushi set his gaze on the crumpled piece of paper, along with the rest of her supplies, she made a face of recognition of being reminded to give him the card again. At his question, she simply now made a face of guilt. "Oh. Those thingies. I'm... I'm sorry. I lied before. I lied more than a professional liar. The hypothetical thingy-migigy I was talking about before... it was actually real." She grabbed the card as she said this, but as she did so, she saw the priest-man in her sight. Hm? Was it his turn? What was he doing? Was he waiting for someone, like Pinkie was earlier with Atsushi? She squinted at him for a moment, but currently, he seemed more focused on the entrance of the movie theater. She turned away from the male, her attention on Atsushi and the card again. "I'm super-duper sorry. I wanted to see how you reacted without ruining the surprise. I wanted to..."

I wanted you to be happy.

Silently, she offered the card to her male friend. She raised it slightly, giving the quiet message that he should take it. If the boy looked closely at her, though, he would be able to see her arm shaking slightly as she held the card. This was because uncharacteristically negative thoughts were running through her head. Atsushi said he would be happy if she gave him a card earlier, but what if he was disappointed by it? It was wrinkled. It had badly drawn hands inside of it. What if he didn't like it? What if he actually wasn't happy with it? What would she do then?

I want you to be happy.​

 

[themagnoliaofutah]

When Louise returned to the main area, she had moved her hair forward as best she could to cover her eyes. Paper towel still pressed firmly to her cheek, she quietly bought herself some food and sat down at one of the picnic tables. As much as she didn't like to admit it, she cried on a regular enough basis to know that she'd be hungry afterwards. She didn't want to take away the paper towel, though. How was she supposed to explain that the movie had stressed her enough for her face to fracture? Or that her blood was black, not red?

 

[Josh]

Before the movie.

​

Listening to the boys' words, a smile ran from Wanda's father. "You just make room for the pain and the shame, Atsushi. "You promise yourself "never again." but realize you might slip." Wanda's eye starred at the young man. "I've done things that make the things you done pale in comparison. " The witch's lips quiver. "I've killed people I loved, the man I loved. I've lost control, unfathomable monsters hijacking my abilities and doing things because I left myself vulnerable." A long pause. "I committed a Genocide on my, who i thought, were my own race of people. Millions of them losing their powers, some ended up dying from that. Why? Because I was weak, and I didn't want to be me anymore. Millions of mutants left to only one-hundred-ninety-eight. They called it M-day"

The witch left details out, on how it connected to the loss of her twins. At the moment it didn't matter. "I've tried to make it up to them, and now, there are millions more. But somedays? Somedays I cry all day. Others, I just lay in my bed and watch tv. Too depressed to get out of bed. However, watching Top chef all day can only do so much." Before the witch could add more, the two had to leave. "We can pick this up later."


..............................................................

As Wanda's movie started. It was a perfect life. However, she had seen this before. why? Because she made this life before.


A perfect sized house, as young Billy and tommy played outside on the lawn. They wrestled around like young boys do. Wanda watch from the kitchen. The birds chirped as the spring air blew outside. It was peace, it was everything she wanted.


.............

Wanda pulled herself out being in tranced, the witch spat angrily. "I've seen this movie before bear. I don't much care for repeats"
...................................................................

Back in the movie, Wanda was cooking. It was joyful. The phone rang. It was her husband. His voice was no-descript. "Oh? You're on way? That's Wonderful dear. Our guests will be her soon!"


Soon, people started showing up. friends from her time in the avengers. As they all gathered, Wanda felt complete. Whole. The movie. there was more, but Wanda pushed it out of her head. The dream was over. In more ways than one.
​

When Pinkie grabbed his other hand he blinked, both in surprise and in an attempt to clear his vision as he sniffled a bit. He quickly realized what she was trying to do when she softly brushed her own hand against his face to wipe away his tears. Leaning into the light touch, his eyes closed for a moment. It was reassuring, and safe, and warm. After a moment, even the shaking subsided. Yet his chest still ached a bit, and he felt tired and worn out. Sleep likely wouldn't come easily for him, unfortunately.

Then she shifted, his hearing picking up on her movements and for a split second, he thought she was pulling away, only for his eyes to open again at the embrace she enveloped him in. He had tensed for a second, but quickly relaxed into it. When had he ever been hugged? He couldn't quite remember.

His arms rose, before he paused in the slightest moment of hesitation before returning the hug. Her reassurance that it'd be okay caused his vision to blur again with tears, but they wouldn't fall this time. His arms grew firm and more sure in the embrace as time went on, letting her comfort him while trying to comfort her in turn, because she was close to crying too.

"You're kind, Pinkie. Thank you." He muttered back. He grew quiet for a second, considering something.

"I can walk you to your room in a bit? Maybe...maybe tomorrow, we can do some exploring, together?" He suggested, still sniffling a bit. As much as he wanted to leave and return to Kyouka's side, that would mean killing Pinkie and Sophie, Usagi, Wanda, and others who really didn't deserve it. That was a risk he didn't want to take, knowing that at the very least becoming Blackened would put them at risk.

Besides, he knew that at least Dazai had some knowledge on Kyouka's whereabouts back home...

He needed to stop thinking about it, or else he'd think about him and the damned Ultimate desire.

His gaze landed on the crumpled piece of paper on the floor and the notebook and crayons, growing curious.

"All that stuff on the floor, what is it for?" He asked, though loosened his grip in case she wanted to pull away from the hug by this point.

Xeppy + anyone else @Outside Movie Theater

"Was that as bad for you two as it was for me?"
Takumi98 lunar_moth Xeppy​