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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Apr 15, 2023 22:37:42 GMT
Darren was silent as he muses over Nico's question.
"Huh... Weird, I don't remember talking to you about your past..." The outlaw shrugs. "Maybe you were talking to the old me? The old Darren that I used to be, before being exposed to all the crime and shit my Pa did."
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Post by Joker on Apr 15, 2023 23:02:36 GMT
"Is that how it's going to be?" Nico sighs. "Are you pretending not to know or are you pulling a split personality card on top of everything else?"
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Apr 15, 2023 23:17:25 GMT
"It doesn't matter anymore... We're no longer friends because of what I did." Darren looks away. "As I said, I'm a dead man walking."
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Post by Joker on Apr 15, 2023 23:57:39 GMT
"Well, I guess that makes this a bit easier." Nico frowns, as he takes a few steps back from his podium.
"Tân!" He shouts, as a heat ray projects from his right hand and hits Darren's hat which is still resting on the podium. A fire starts where the ray hit the hat, and it slowly begins to spread.
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Post by JaytheBluPirate on Apr 16, 2023 0:39:35 GMT
Darren stares at his hat, looking on in defeat.
"I remember when Pa put that hat on my head when I was a boy. It was his originally, but he gave it to me when I made the promise to him." Darren closes his eyes as he reflects on that memory.
[#spoiler= Darren's Childhood Memory]A older man leans against the fence, while sitting on the fence was a boy of either 7 or 8 years old. The man and the boy were viewing the vast opening where a number of tents were set up and small campfires were set up. Members of the gang were going around with their daily activities. The man turns to looks at the young boy.
"Darren, what do you see from here?" The man asked the boy.
"The Alder Gang's campground, right? Pa, you worked hard to put together this gang." Young Darren answered as he swings his legs.
"That's right, my boy." Harold smiles as he rubs his son's head, ruffling his hair. "The gang is essentially our family, you see."
"Really? I didn't really think of it that way, Pa." Darren replied.
The father laughs. "True. They helped me raise you since your mother left us. It was hard being a single parent, but I managed to get by every day with the gang's help."
"Say, Pa?" The boy asked, looking very determined.
"Yes, Darren?" Harold cross his arms, wondering what is it that his son wants to say.
"When I get big, I'll run a gang as big as our gang!" He held his hands out to indicts how big he imagined his gang would be.
"You're very determined to be like your father, eh?" He stands up from the fence and then turns to face his son.
"Mhmm!" The boy replied as he shifts in his seating.
"One day, the Alder Gang will be yours to rule over." He held his arms wide open. "Can you promise that you'll make your father proud?"
"I promise, Pa!" Darren said with glee.
Harold laughs as he takes off his black cowboy hat before putting it on Darren's head. Due to the size of the hat, it fits loosely on the boy's head.
"But, Pa, that was your favorite hat!" Darren protested as he jumps down from the fence. He adjusted the hat so that his eyes were visible.
"Don't worry, son, I'll get a new one soon." The father reassured his son. "Now shall we go see what's cookin'?"
"Yeah!" The boy, excited by the thought of eating a hearty meal, grabs one of his father's hands.
Together, the father and son would goes down to the campground to have a meal together with the rest of the gang.[/spoiler]
Tears were pouring out of Darren's eyes. "Pa... I miss you."
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Post by Panda on Apr 16, 2023 0:41:41 GMT
"Well, time's up! Time to collect my reward!" Monokuma announced, standing up from his throne. [Theme: www.youtube.com/watch?v=emEg0zGS7KY]"I have so many plans for you! You've got a good mind for plots, and you can program stuff too- um, what's that sound?" A car's engine could be heard from outside the trial room. It was getting closer. "Oh. Oh no..." "What? What is it?" Darren snapped, wanting to get it over with. "It's-" Monokuma began, before being cut off as one of the walls burst open, a garishly pink muscle car having rammed through it. It coasted through the air for a bit, before slamming down and careening through into the centre of the room, where it skidded sideways to a halt. "I hwope you didn't forgwet about owr deal!" A sickeningly girlish voice rang out from the car. It belonged to a two-toned, diaper-wearing rabbit. "If you fwind any cyuties, I call dwibs!" Her eyes drifted over to Darren, and lit up at the sight of him. "A cwowboy?? I wuv cwowboys! C'mere!" She revved up and then drove right at Darren. He dived out of the way in horror, but she reached out and grabbed him as he did, chucking him into the seat next to her. "Aww, but he was-" Monokuma began, before having a used diaper thrown at his face. "Qwiet you!" the strange rabbit shrieked, before taking one last look around the room. Her gaze lingered on Faye. "Nice stywl! Kweep it real, babe!" She winked, then slammed the car into reverse, smashing a second hole in the wall as she drove off into another dimension. There was a very stunned silence for a few seconds. Then Monokuma sighed in defeat. "Well... I guess that's that. Wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Whatever, I'm done here. See you around..." He slowly trudged towards one of the holes in the wall, following the rabbit back to the Game Realm on foot. Entirely unperturbed by these events, Zofra then spoke up. "One... last thing... as, usual. A moment... with... the departed." They gestured, and two glowing figures appeared in the centre of the trial room.
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Post by Doctor Nanjo M.D. on Apr 16, 2023 6:12:12 GMT
A girl in a red and blue sweater appears. Big brown eyes look at the others with a quiet misery. She looks very plain compared to her enhanced self.
She glances from Nico to Caitlin. Korrigan to Hawk. Yves and Felix. She turns and glances very sheepishly at Ige.
Her lip trembles and tears drop from her big eyes. She furrows her brow and clearly runs her brain at miles a minute just trying to think of what to say to everyone. Regret from all the hearts she broke, people she disappointed, and the person she killed.
She swings at the waist, throwing her head down, curls whipping around her head, “I’m sorry!!”
“I’m sorry! I love you guys! It was just that Ige was there! I didn’t want to hurt him or anyone in particular!” She breathes heavy as she bows a second time, even more obsequious than the first.
A few more seconds pass and her hair begins to lengthen and parts of it become blond. She glances at the others this time with a determination. And beautiful purple eyes.
“But I had to.”
She sighs and the hair goes back to being shorter and brown. Her facial features become plainer again.
“Geez, it really helps to have that courage to say something, hehe…” she bites her lip nervously as she silently cries. “Sometimes it’s good to be someone else…”
“Anyway, you guys deserve a full explanation, but there’s not much for me to say. I just feel so trapped here. For eighteen years of my life, I lived trying to make mom and dad happy. I worked my butt off and did everything right. I had no friends, no social life, and my schoolwork kept me from having hobbies. Life was dark but I always knew that if I made it through high school and college that I could get my job and be free from them. Free from people watching me all the time. Free to date who I want and do what I want and have whatever friends I need. But all that preparation and work was for nothing. And I felt such a deep and dark and complete feeling of self-hatred and fear that I had wasted everything. It ruined me. And I needed so much to escape.”
“I’m sorry again, but I had to do it. I didn’t want to hurt Ige or anyone, but… if I wanted to live for the first time in my life, I had to do something.”
She sighs, wiping her eyes, looking defeated.
“Anyway, I love you all. Even if I ruined everything and caused pretty much everything to go wrong, I still love you guys. I’ll never forget you.”
“At least I got what I deserved!” She smiles, a sick and pitiful smirk.
“Love you Nico! Thanks for helping me. If it wasn’t for you I would have snapped a lot sooner!”
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Post by pancakes on Apr 16, 2023 8:16:11 GMT
An orange hue surrounded Ige, his image flickering wildly, in and out, like static. But everyone could still make out the assistant's eyes -- sad, angry, and defeated. His fists were balled, not just with fury, but almost with denial. As if he wasn't ready for it all to end.
"S-Shut up, already..." the image emanated. "J-Just...just shut up, already! Just stop!"
Ige's image stopped flickering.
"I just...want it all to end...I'm tired of it all! Throwing around the word love like that...causing three lives to end in one fell swoop...that's so cheap...I shouldn't have fallen for it...friendship, companionship...it all means nothing, right?"
Ige raised his head. He was visibly crying, his eyes bloodshot. "It wasn't fair! I wasn't supposed to be here..! I'm supposed to be out there, finally making a name for myself! Actually living a life! I toiled and struggled from one shitty opportunity to the next, and for what?! What was I chasing after..? I didn't even have the chance to find out...one shitty, unlucky circumstance after another, and now..."
His image began to flicker once again as if he were the one attempting to will himself away. He lowered his head. "I-I don't have anything to say, anymore. Not to this group, not to anyone...i-if God can spare me one less moment of cruelty...just let me go, already..."
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Post by Neotelenta on Apr 16, 2023 12:42:57 GMT
Korrigan, in his grand silence and observation, can be barely heard as he exhales sporadically, as if crying. His frame shudders. Despite this, however, no tears were showing up.
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Post by wintercoat on Apr 16, 2023 14:15:50 GMT
“Ige… poor bastard didn’t deserve any of this…” Caitlin whispered to herself. She just wanted to go back to the school at that point.
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Post by Kachu on Apr 16, 2023 14:34:17 GMT
Mikoto hangs their head in silence. "Why is all of this happening to us?"
"Why are we forced to go through this game...?"
They don't expect anyone to answer them.
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Post by Joker on Apr 16, 2023 14:43:23 GMT
“Xhuli…” Nico mumbled, as the waterworks started once again.
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Post by Panda on Apr 16, 2023 18:51:34 GMT
"Guess we're done here. Get yer asses back in that elevator!" Aardok shouted, before disappearing in a bright flash of light as usual.
The players had no reason to stick around in the trial room, so all headed back up to the school. No doubt tomorrow they'd be whisked away to another Realm again, but for now they could make use of the facilities here. It was nice to have their bedrooms back, at least.
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Post by satan on Apr 16, 2023 19:48:24 GMT
As was his wont, Hawk trailed behind the group rather than lead it at first, then shook his head and steeled himself.
"Come on. Let's get something soothing. Mr. Nadeau, I trust you know how to make a soup. I'll make some tea."
He pulled the group along, sometimes chiding, sometimes supportive, but, for once, giving the impression that he was everywhere. Of course, he couldn't be; after all, their Sin level wasn't high enough for that. But perhaps some would find a little comfort in his presence, as they made their way toward an awkward cafeteria scene.
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Post by Akkordian on Apr 16, 2023 20:17:09 GMT
“…I should probably go to the infirmary…” Yves mumbles, prodding at the small wound on her neck, still holding hands with Faye if the other girl hadn’t let go at this point.
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Post by dootdoot on Apr 16, 2023 21:19:24 GMT
Faye just nodded at what Yves said, not only still holding her hand but doing so with both of hers. She hadn't said a word since seeing the ghosts of the two victims, only sticking close to Yves as her eyes flitted around the room to the rest of the players.
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Post by satan on Apr 16, 2023 21:19:51 GMT
"As long as a group goes with you, I'm fine with it," Hawk said soothingly, stretching up to pat the girl on the head. "You've had a long and trying day. Get some rest."
It'll probably be the last good rest any of us will have, but best keep that to myself.
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Post by wintercoat on Apr 16, 2023 22:12:39 GMT
After remaining silent for a while, Caitlin finally produced some kind of noise when she’d begun to laugh—to cackle—like a hyena, as if someone had just told the funniest joke in the history of telling jokes. But, shortly thereafter, her laughter devolved into uncontrollable sobbing and she’d fallen to the floor. Through the tears, a smile still stuck to her face like it had been glued on.
“We’re never leaving… ha… we’re never going home again…” she muttered from the floor, stuck in the fetal position.
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Post by Collin1002 on Apr 16, 2023 22:14:26 GMT
"Y-Yes, sir," Felix replied to Hawk, snapping out of his shell-shock for a moment. "I'll, um, I'll get to work right away."
And that he did, heading into the kitchen to make two soups -- chicken noodle, along with broccoli and cheese for a vegetarian option so Faye wouldn't be left out. He likewise got to work making some fresh bread to go along with everything.
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Post by Kachu on Apr 16, 2023 22:48:49 GMT
"Everyone..." Mikoto mumbles sadly, watching all of their friends emotions let loose. "Don't lose hope, guys..!"
"This isn't the end. I won't let us give up here. I won't..."
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Post by Joker on Apr 16, 2023 23:06:29 GMT
Exhausted by the events of the day and losing two of the people closest to him, Nico sits down at the table closest to him. He puts his hood up and buries his face in his hands.
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Post by satan on Apr 17, 2023 0:01:33 GMT
Hawk tapped Nico on the shoulder, setting a mug of steaming tea in front of the boy.
"Drink. It's chamomile. It'll soothe you if you wish. And come. Eat something. Even if it's just a little bit, it'll help you regain your strength."
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Post by Joker on Apr 17, 2023 1:53:57 GMT
"I really don't have an appetite right now..." Nico mumbles, without looking up at Hawk.
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Post by satan on Apr 17, 2023 2:43:12 GMT
"Even more reason to try. I'll accept just drinking some tea and some broth, just so that I know you've had something. Does that sound fair to you?"
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Post by Joker on Apr 17, 2023 3:30:42 GMT
"...Fine." Nico sighs, picking his head back up. "I'll have the tea, if it'll make you feel better."
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Post by satan on Apr 17, 2023 3:40:31 GMT
"It will. Thank you." Hawk stood, taking count of the group at large. Seeing as nobody had taken care of Caitlin yet, he sighed sharply, heading her way.
"Ms. Càrthaigh. There are better places to break down than the floor. Come now. Let's get you to a seat."
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Post by wintercoat on Apr 17, 2023 4:39:43 GMT
“Just leave me here… it’s easier that way,” she mumbled. “My mind’s at war with itself, and all I can do is laugh. I can’t pretend no more. I just can’t do it.”
Reluctantly, she eventually rose to her feet. “I’m gonna die in here, aren’t I? I’m never gonna find my sister, and I’m gonna die in here just like Ige and the rest of ‘em. Why couldn’t any of those yellow-bellies taken me down instead? Why are any of us forced ta suffer through this shite? Why couldn’t everything jus’ be normal?”
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Post by satan on Apr 17, 2023 4:58:21 GMT
"Normal?" Hawk tried to hold back a laugh, but it still bled through. "What part of being labeled an 'Ultimate' is normal? Our very titles are abnormal, and thus the stresses and expectations put onto us in relation to those abilities are abnormal. Nothing about us was 'normal' in the first place; we are all a collection of abnormalities masquerading as what we think 'normal' is.
"Now, you may call me an enjoyer of rainbow-tinted views on the world, but in my personal and wholly unprofessional opinion, the moment that you stop fighting is the moment you have most." Hawk gently put a hand on Caitlin's shoulder. "And I know how desperately you want to find your sister again. Hold onto that reason, and it will get you through this. As will some tea and soup to center yourself and calm your mind."
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Post by Kachu on Apr 17, 2023 5:57:02 GMT
"All we can do is keep going. Keep trying!" Mikoto exclaims. "If we throw this all away now, what does that make us? What would everyone who's died along the way think..?"
"Everyone who has put their trust and hope and faith into us! Everyone who this damned game has taken away from us! Surely they don't want us to succumb to the same things they did?" Mikoto puts a hand up to their chest. "Please... Everyone. My beloved friends. We're going to find a way out of this. I promise you all."
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Post by wintercoat on Apr 17, 2023 14:42:33 GMT
“If yer all crazy enough to believe what yer sayin’… then maybe I’m crazy too…”
Caitlin smiled, genuinely, though it was small. “It gives me jus’ a bit of hope to be with you. But I’m not sure how much more I’ve got in me. How much more can we all take? Is there even a finish line?”
She sat herself down at a table and helped herself to some soup.
“…good fuckin’ soup…” she mumbled in between spoonfuls of broth.
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