adsum | npc contact.1

[ If this were any other situation -- if this were just banter and no one was dead, and they were all simply friends... he might have been unable to help it and laughed at that. Despite Chiaki's frustration, or perhaps because of it precisely, because it feels like something that makes her... her. It makes Shuichi remember with painful clarity she's a person... another student stuck in this school, no matter the differences between them and her.

And she might be annoyed, but even despite her limited time or how agitated she was at the start, she's still taking the time to tell them all this. She's someone they could have been actual friends with. No... some of them were already, like Rika and even Natsume.

Just a little, his voice seems to crack -- and it's not from the stab wound for once. Those souls "beyond help" that cease to exist... ]

The third years... who don't get to graduate. Are they... the others who don't come back?

[ Like Aiko. :) ]

[

me every time somebody makes smiley faces back at me

Chiaki, granted, can be a difficult person to get along with; a lot of the other students are like that too, fiercely independent with little interest in making friends perhaps as a product of the environment. To survive in this school you need a goal, the unrelenting drive to reach that goal, and the acceptance that not everybody is going to make it. Like when you first enter college and they're all "look to your left, look to your right, one of you will not be here next year" and plant the idea that you must murder a stranger to cull the competition. ]

That depends on the president's contract.
If they're very lucky, third years can repeat.

[ Lucky? Subjectively lucky, maybe. ]

[i'm doing a quick summary because ori deserves rest and so does kazuki, but hello vibe check how's our favourite gardener doing

Clamor will drop by after dark for a few things:
1) He said he'd help with the gardening at the very start of the mission but then Shit Happened and they didn't even let him water the plants and he feels bad :( so he will help with the gardening first, pls forgive, the plants are thirsty...
2) How is Kazuki doing? is that binding holding up okay... he can't check it as thoroughly as Meng Yao could but he at least wants to be sure it's not causing discomfort and that he isn't noticing any worrying symptoms like a lingering hunger for the flesh of students.
3) Has he seen Amami? Like at all? Where is Amami??
4) If he gets a cool rock he might show it to Kazuki, maybe it can help?? please, look at his rock. he can have it if he wants maybe.
5) okay real talk, the people want to know: does kazuki still have all the accessories they gave him.... will he wear them...... not sure what answer would be worse but i assume he kept all that shit regardless we didn't go through all that for nothing]

- Kazuki appreciates having a gardening buddy
- He's feeling okay, but also says that he normally does feel okay but it isn't until either everybody takes a trip to the void school or (previously) when his mask gets removed that he's unable to control himself, and maybe he doesn't want to test either option right now
- haha yeah, where is Amami (: he doesn't know
- how... is a rock supposed to help... if Clamor insists, he'll take it and set it on the base of the tree ig, but otherwise he'll nod and say "nice rock" and let Clamor keep a hold of it
- ...he has them... he says that he knows these are deeply personal objects for people and if they want them back (please take them back) he would return them without question (please). But otherwise he will keep them on his person, maybe not necessarily wear them

- THE TIGER'S EYE HELPED OKAY but since it seems unlikely kazuki will be crushed by a building anytime soon he'll hang onto it :') but thank u for approving of his rock, he spent all his fake school money on them and now he has to eat canned beans for the rest of the month
- ........... Clamor will take back his pendant, with the understanding that if necessary he can remake the binding-boost he put on it to like. help?? hopefully?? but on something more to Kazuki's tastes, perhaps.
everyone else's shit tho, it's on them to reclaim it ig he'll let them know

( "yama what do i do, do i just stare at him" "yeah, if its rokkun just stare at him"

he'll rap his knuckles against the art room door, noting his arrival before pushing it open to peer inside. is he even in here? this is komaeda's guess since he's a cripple, and he can't do much so obviously... he'd be somewhere where he doesn't have to use his legs much. unless he's doing better now, how do recovery like that work, anyway. )

( let's just crawl on top of akira's desk, hope they got some papers on there because komaeda's not going to move. he's just going to be in the way with his legs crossed, looking down at him because... he wants something. whether akira knows that or not, it doesn't matter, because he has a few things to get down to business about!

there's a lot he could start with actually, but he guesses he can start with the obvious. )

Fujioka-kun, did you know a friend of yours is watching over me now...

( the other akira, punchier akira, he's not too bad at all, and komaeda is entertained by him, but this is all akira's fault! too many akiras. ) And it's all because of you...

[ Google says it's going to take months and if chunks of muscle are missing then you can graft from another muscle in your body like the back or inner thighs with some scaffolding help and anyways, that means Rokkun is still a cripple who can't do much, so Komaeda can find him in the art room sitting in front of a canvas and doing his wrist stretches. ]

[ Komaeda sits down on Akira's desk and Akira gets up to walk away, alarm bells going off in his head. He should just walk away. Don't make eye contact, don't acknowledge Komaeda's presence... ]

...What friend?

[ Nanami's gone so he has no friends ]

( how much money does rokkun have, please king, just get those skin graphs already! sadly, komaeda can't even help him because (his money and will are already taken) rokkun is too busy helping himself, sighs... hate idiots like that.

it's a success, kind of an awkward situation to be in, but one that makes him take a step inside and stare without saying a word. he's too busy figuring out what to say next, or should he just offer this little bag in his hand, and hope that it says enough for him. there's so many routes to take, and yet, he thinks back to those memories and wonders if the choices he took were the right ones. how does he do this? how does one engage properly. )

...

( he exhales, walking up behind the other, and if he isn't noticed... he'll smack him against the back with his organic hand. )

Are you ignoring my existence now, I guess... that would be the proper response.

( throwing accusations already? yeah... )

( but he talks to him!?!? akira's mind. )

Kijima-kun, isn't he your twin?

( he's playing around, don't worry, it's just the fact they share the same name. aside from that, komaeda will slide off the desk, following the other. )

You told him something, and now he sticks around me... for a trade, of course. ( ... ) I'd like to thank you for the helping hand, but could I ask for something different?

[ ? That's his college fund, he can't afford life-saving surgery.

There's no way he doesn't notice somebody entering the room, seeing Komaeda out of the corner of his eye when the door opens but he doesn't want to look up immediately and look desperate or anything. It earns him a smack on the head, but that's still preferable than being ignored himself. Probably.

He leans his head back, looking up at Komaeda's upside down face. ]

Your words and your actions say different things.

[ LOOK sometimes you have to correct misconceptions, especially in front of somebody who will go around running his mouth otherwise.

There's a little furrow of the brows, confusion over 87% of what Komaeda is saying, especially when he hadn't meant to help Komaeda at all. He doesn't wish ill on him either, and only recalls answering Other Akira's question about who to be cautious around. ]

...If it's between Kijima-san and you, you should discuss with him.

( this is how he can survive to college? i'm making sense and making pennies!! rokkun will thank me!! )

...Do they? How unfortunate. ( it's fine, he'll repent that smack because he's pulling his hand away with a small flinch, and his fingers curling into his palm; nails digging into the skin to stave off the pain. that's what's unfortunate, that his arm is still sore despite it being a couple of days. )

I must have learned it from you... your words and actions hardly ever add up.

( he's taking a seat in the desk next to him, but he's not scooting it over closer to be overwhelming. he's giving rokkun his space, without him even saying that he needs it, and look at there... has komaeda ever been so considerate? he sets the little bag in his mechanical hand on the desk, not trying to place any focus on it while pale green eyes look towards the floor first, then to his fist as he slowly tries to open it, then closes it after so the red crescent marks in the palm aren't visible. )

Anyways. ( yes, he did. ) How was break, did you enjoy your freedom?

Yes, it is, but what I want to discuss now is something between me and you.

( along with a few others, but it wouldn't be right to have this conversation in the classroom... which komaeda clearly thinks about. with a hand raised to his chin, he taps gently in thought to think of how to handle this, and he guesses he might as well be straightforward. )

And... I wanted to do that in private, will you give me that?

[ The consideration is suspicious, and a little... upsetting, but he'd loathe to admit it, because for as much as he says Komaeda is inconsiderate, Rokkun's words and feelings don't always add up either. He watches Komaeda sit, looks at his hands, at any new little movement, and then looks back at the WIP he has in front of him so it's not like he's staring. Perspective grids in light pencil, in preparation for whatever he's going to fill the space with. ]

I had physical therapy every day, and spent the rest of my time outside. You weren't too bored, were you?

[ Mister If I Spend More Than 5 Minutes In The Sun I Will Die ]

[ You know the anxiety spike you get when you receive a text that's just "We need to talk."? That's what Akira is feeling right now, because private conversations aren't ever good and being alone in a room with Komaeda? Never good. ]

There aren't many places that are private at school... Can I ask what this is about?

It sounds like fun, I'm sure they're proud of how far you came... it won't be too long.

( komaeda knows it from personal experience, sometimes cancer and dementia bites you in the ass, and some days aren't like these days. his eyes follow where rokkun's goes, he stares at the rough draft of grids, not really understanding it aside from blocks? guess it's a architect thing, but his eyes look away from it, watching him instead. )

I wasn't bored at all, you know I enjoy every day of my life with a smile! ( and he grins to prove that, he does keep going of course. ) We had the fundraiser before break, I heard that went... well. ( yep, dementia rights, YEP!!! sadly cain said komaeda had to retain a bit of it, so he's pretty uncomfortable when he mentions the... fundraiser, sends a shiver down his spine. ) Did you know Legion...? They went insane, caused a bit of trouble for a few of us... oh, we found the principal, apparently... then a few people went missing... they came back, afterwards.

( he did too, but he doesn't think he needs to bring that up yet... wait, there's a better way to phrase this. )

We solved a lot of mysteries... remember when you asked us about that?

( oh i hate that what i had to open ps for

anyway, private conversation is always good conversation, especially when he's willing to not try and kill akira, especially because komaeda is always after women apparently. a feminist to the end. )

The janitor's closet will do fine, and... it has to do with *that* day.

( which day is that? figure it out, big boy. )

[ It wasn't fun and there's nobody to be proud of him, but he also hopes it won't be too long. He wants to play """soccer""" again...

So he's surprised to hear just how eventful Komaeda's break was— and then thinks to himself that maybe he shouldn't be surprised, because Komaeda is always out there doing things and spreading hope, while he himself is content to sit and draw and wade in rivers looking for rocks. ]

The fundraiser... yeah...

[ He also sounds pretty uncomfortable, not because of the fundraiser itself but because he'd met up with Rika beforehand and things happened and now she hates his guts.

Well, anyways, never mind, he's going to smile and move along-- ]

Your mystery club's finally gaining traction, though? That's good to hear. What sort of mysteries did you solve?

[ PLEASE there wouldn't even be a "..." Akira just wouldn't respond for four days ]

Uh...

[ There are so many days. Even when he tries to think of significant ones— Komaeda shouldn't know about those, but maybe he does, and then oh no. Okay. Oh no. He's going to wait for Komaeda to expand on what day that is and quietly die inside until he knows which one. ]

The janitor's closet is pretty cramped, so how about we just find an empty classroom? Or we can take a walk in the courtyard... I don't think people care enough to listen in.

( komaeda handshake rokkun
fundraiser fears. )

There were places we couldn't get to, and now they're available to us...

( various locations that he doesn't even know where to start, there's been a lot of hard work split between everyone, but that's not because of just komaeda's hope. there's a few notable people that deserves their praise, their hope too making this all happen.

he glances towards the door of the art room, like he's trying to see if anyone might come, would someone interrupt if he talks about it? there's so much he wants to mention, but if he even allowed to do that? how difficult. )

How long have we known each other?

( a drastic switch, or maybe this is his way of answering his question? )

( can't believe akira doesn't appreciate the warning, last time komaeda ever does that!! )

The courtyard! That would be nice, alright...

( he smiles, excited for the change of pace, considering there's so much out there for them to enjoy. like the bird, and the wisteria tree, and whatever else is out there for normal school kids like them. well, that's a lie, but komaeda doesn't keep his eyes off akira, not for a second. )

Hm... You know what day I'm talking about, so there's no need to play dumb.

( he says this straight out, but he's baiting him actually... it's like that meme where it's like making your gf guess where you're taking them out to eat, and the first place they answer you take them there so they think they were right. this is komaeda, but trying to get information out of akira like he knows something, which he does, but you know... maybe he'll snitch on himself, you never know!!

but he'll make his way towards the main doors with him, giving akira time to think. )

[ All he's hearing is that Komaeda and co have learned the art of lockpicking and are getting into places they shouldn't be. The student council room? They should know better; if Maya catches them, it's all over for them.

That question, though... It's not with those exact words, but he's always hearing some variation of denial of how much time they've spent together, how long they've known each other, that he can't even pretend it's a rhetorical question. ]

A while. Why?

[ There's no thinking going on inside Akira's head, it's more screaming and trying not to think. There are just so many days... It's as if break didn't even happen, if he's shoved right back into considering the days.

Alright. Okay.

Akira glances up at the ceiling for a second, then lowers his gaze to Komaeda's back and follows him to the main doors, glad that Komaeda's words don't beg a response. ]

npc contact.1

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Kazuki, backdated to between the 8th~14th or so

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— september 01, rokkun, me sitting here like how do i date all these threads sighs

— september, akira, this is a struggle

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