adsum | npc contact.1

[ Rokkun is outside playing "soccer" and frowning at his allergies flaring up ]

He's not the type of person to have friends. -—don't tell him I said that. Actually, never mind me, either! I'm not the shining one!

[ Don't look at him, don't look at his demon spaghetti herbs, don't... mind anything that he's doing here, please, Komaeda's dementia please do your thing and forget about it. ]

( let him pick up one of those demon spaghetti herbs, shaking it around to think of what reasons he'd need these. they're all very specific, you know? that's until he speaks... sighs. )

...You're saying he uses everyone around him, aren't you?

( he asks, walking up to akira ominously, staring right into his cute eyes... ori, i can't bully or be a complete freak at him, i'm crying... he's doing his best.

and then komaeda stops, pointing at the jar he has in hand. ) Your hope is pretty frail, but that might be the backbone you lack! ( now, ) Anyway, do you need help with this?

Not with those exact words...

[ But it's what he means. A boy who keeps to himself, who struggles to connect and doesn't know how to give, only take.

Then there's Akira, who doesn't know what to do with the things he's offered and takes on impulse— he thinks he was just insulted? Did Komaeda just say "anyways"...

He stares down at the jar for a moment, silent, and then begins to carefully stack them inside his school bag in between folds of his uniform jacket to keep them from clinking against one another. ]

I'm alright, though, thanks. I think this is all I'm supposed to get... it should last us a bit, too.

( as much as komaeda wants to see the other's view on rokkun, he might as well let the conversation pass for awhile. he did say something he didn't want rokkun to know, and that's in komaeda's hands now... pray for him. in the end, komaeda's not the best at relationships either so being called rokkun's friend... he doesn't know how to respond. )

It should last, but I really don't mind being of assistance.

( he can try to carry, and maybe drop a few, but he does keep holding the blood napkin tightly in his hand. )

Are you going to do something amazing with it all? ( he sounds excited if this is something akira's interested in. can't let the fact that this might be his hope slide. )

Oh... thanks.

[ NO, REALLY, STOP why is he helping when he can't even grip jars with one metal hand and one tissue hand, please, Akira tries to take them off his hands and by that I mean he doesn't feel like it's polite to get in Komaeda's way when he's so earnestly trying to help, and instead waits for Komaeda to drop the jars before he picks them up off the ground. ]

It's not really anything amazing... More like... it's getting rid of amazing things. Burning sage act as a natural repellant, did you know? For things like insects, and bacteria.

( i'm sniffling, the jars just drop out the bag as komaeda carries them, and akira can stand behind and grab them as he goes. see, this is (you voice) teamwork! and stop, that was his luck at work! leave him alone! when bad things happen, good stuff procs... this is the circle of life! )

What are you trying to get rid of? ( don't tell me the prankster pikmin are living their last breath today... what the fuck... i'm crying. )

Rokkun? I never thought of using sage, I thought just lighting someone afire would do the trick, you know?

( i promise you... just one insane thought... just... one. )

[ cries at teamwork, my weakness

anyways the pikmins' fates depends on whether Komaeda bleeds all over their banishing sage, or whether the sage even ever leaves the room because Akira drops everything in his hands at that insanity ]

Setting him on fire doesn't work!

[ ... ]

I mean- That's not what I'm trying to do. Sage won't do anything to him.

( we learned from the best!!! also, i don't like komaeda's whether the pikmin live or die, no... did you see the rock pikmin? why would we kill the chubby impmin off... i'm so sad.

excuse me? )

...

( ... )

If you tried before, my condolences, he's a pretty powerful character then...

( what does that mean? anyway, he's going to turn around to pick up one of the jars. sighs, how clumsy are you akira? )

Then who is it for, if not him?

[ He is very powerful and Akira bites at his bottom lip to keep from saying anything else about that guy, watching Komaeda pick up the jar for a moment before seeming to snap out of it and crouching down to help too. None of the jars have broken when Akira dropped them, but he sort of handhovers nervously when Komaeda reaches for one or another, as if expecting the glass to shatter the moment he places a finger on them. ]

It's not... [ no, he can't say that ] I'm collecting this for some of my kohai who believe Ouma-san is possessed.

( there's a brief moment where komaeda's eyes widen, and then they drop back to regular size as he stares at akira in shock. ouma-san!? this is the first time he's heard this, and while the idea of it sounds actually hilarious, komaeda starts thinking about all the things he's seen the other do so far. how he managed to bring back the deceased, how he's been starving himself (but mooching off others for his survival), that's pretty possessed-people things that he's doing. )

Ah... I get it! You're enabling the cultists?

( or are you part of the cultists? whatever the answer is, komaeda raises a hand to wave as if dismissing the idea. which means his hand is away from the glass, and akira can pick it up instead without it shattering. )

Ouma-kun's a pretty big deal, he can't be defeated if you don't have the necessary tools...

[ He blinks in surprise. Do cultists call themselves cultists? ...he doesn't answer, instead biting at his lower lip in contemplation of what it would take to exorcise Kokichi. ]

... We'll figure something out. They're working with an expert, after all, and failed attempts are good for learning.

[ like how Rokkun isn't flammable ]

Do you think your meddling will help his hope grow brighter.

( alright, fertilizer, komaeda has a job for you. )

His is pretty strong, and I doubt anything you can do will really get rid of him.

( even if that expert knows some things about the demon realm, and is literally letting these students summon evil. but who is komaeda to deny the chance to see one's hope grow. ) It's bad to mess with an Ultimate, rather, you should ask for him to be on your side, but I doubt... ( an ultimate would join ants like them... smh. )

No, I don't really want to get involved with him...

[ Like he really doesn't want to get involved with Komaeda, cleaning up his jars and tightening his bag and holding it close to his chest. ]

Are you two friends?

As trash beneath his feet... literal scum... ( he sighs deeply, discouraged as it leaves from his mouth as if he's really hurt — he's not, he's just doing this for attention. )

I'm just a stepping stone compared to an insect like you.

( that frown he had is replaced with a smile, and he waves it off with one hand. ) That's why I want to help your endeavors!

[ To be fair, he can't tell which is better to be a rock or a bug. Rokkun likes rocks? He eats bugs. ]

Is he... being mean to you...?

[ Are you being BULLIED Komaeda?? ]

( this is why they're all friends... it's starting to make sense.

is he asking if ouma is bullying??? komaeda??? oh i'm sick. )

...? He's treating me the way he believes I should be treated...

( which komaeda also believes he should be treated this way. )

A worthless human like me can't expect kindness from him...

[ All this sounds like something a bullying victim would say??? please ]

That says more about him than about you, you know... People aren't... there's no measure of worth for a person. They just are, and...

[ Words are hardly his strong suit. This isn't a conversation he can navigate. He swallows and looks like he'd rather be anywhere else talking to anybody else, but, ]

Komaeda-san, are you okay?

( is akira the vp's lost son? starting to make connections here.

akira's concerns are a hard pill for komaeda to swallow, he almost seems uncomfortable about it as he glances off to the side. the only people who have worth is those with hope, and even komaeda doesn't have that so he knows his place. his entire person is for others to use, to strengthen their hope, and he'll do it any way possible, so the problem presented here isn't visible to him. that's how it is, and how it will always be, so he manages to look towards akira once more like he's finally decided — )

I'm perfectly normal... It's fine if Ouma-kun treats me like waste...

( he's serious about this as he laughs sheepishly, raising up his hands so he can diffuse the situation between him and akira. ) ...he did say I was a presumptuous worm who only lives to serve him... so I have that happy memory.

( hm. does this make ouma look worse :) )

[ WHY ARE NICE PEOPLE THE OUTLIER something is wrong

Something is especially wrong with Kokichi and he must be exorcised right away, Akira can't— actually he can imagine those words coming out of Kokichi's mouth, said in a bright happy voice and wide smile on his face, in that way that sounds almost like a joke but you can't quite tell. Schrödinger's joke, and only he gets to decide based off your reaction. ]

I...

[ honestly he has no idea what to say about all of that, despite the urge to argue and take Komaeda by the shoulders and talk some sense into him, if only he had the eloquence and impact. ]

Are you okay, though?

[ Thinking you're normal and feeling okay are different things. ]

( chiaki just asked someone for their heart, i don't think nice, sane people exist. i'm waiting for akira to turncoat actually. )

...That's how life is for me.

( "are you okay?" he thought answering that he was normal would be more than enough, but that doesn't seem to be right. his life is nothing but him being beneath his beloved ultimates, but if akira wants to read that as komaeda has a horrible life with ouma, and is getting bullied? then so be it. his hand tightens against the napkins, and they burn along the cuts which causes him to flinch just a little bit from the pain. )

My hand hurts, but that was my fault... I really am unlucky.

( is that also victim behavior? avoiding the question? well, we all know komaeda doesn't stay on topics properly, so it almost seems like he's hiding something. )

[ Akira stuffs souls into things, but he can be nice while doing so.

Anyways, he sighs and loosens his grip on his bag before glancing over at Komaeda's hand— glancing quickly away like the sight of blood makes him sick, contemplates helping to bandage his hand up but he doesn't own anything to do so that isn't napkins in the kitchen. ]

Life isn't static. ...You should go see the nurse. She'll be able to help you.

( is ouma going to wake up with his soul stuffed into a gorinto, i'm worried for him. )

Ahahaha! You're right, that's for people like Ouma-kun who have a life... a useless being like me doesn't... he'd agree.

( the tone he keeps is pretty light, not too worried about about the consequences of saying that? ah, if something does happen to ouma, he should be able to take care of himself as an ultimate. though, it's not like komaeda's lying, he is a useless being with no life since he's nothing compared to the ultimates around him. sighs, ever say something so honest and get your fellow classmate into trouble? )

...That expression you made, it's pretty sickening to look at someone like me... I understand. ( but he ignores the help, his eyes locked onto akira's own, and they're gentle. there's not any hint of crazy or malice in them, but pure, genuine curiosity. )

Is it so bad I want to come with you?

You're... you're putting words in my mouth... I'm not saying that at all.

[ He looks at Akira but Akira looks away, finding a pure, genuinely curious Komaeda just as unnerving as honor student Kokichi. Lord. He can feel a shiver creep up the back of his spine. Forget Kokichi, maybe they should be exorcising Komaeda first. ]

You can't come. You should... stay away from me.

I only guessed from the way you looked at me...

( he pauses, finally picking up the information he's learned from their interaction which he isn't sure he processed correctly, but it might be useful. he waits to see if akira will turn back to face him, but if he doesn't then komaeda leans towards, canting his head to the side as he tries to find the other's face. he's pretty shy, isn't he? well, it's unfortunate that komaeda's the type to get into someone's personal space. )

... ( what is his last name, komaeda will not be caught on a first name basis with a man! ) Are you okay?

( he falls silent, thinking... )

I'm not scared of you, if that's what you're worried about.

What?

[ He skitters back when Komaeda tries to get into his personal space, but makes the mistake of looking up when asked if he's okay, with something that's almost gratitude in his expression at somebody taking the time to ask, before he remembers who he's dealing with and maybe Komaeda is only flipping Akira's previous question onto himself.

There's that automatic retort of "but you should be" that is very elementary school and he does not say it. ]

That's not it. It's not fear you should hold for me. More like... indifference.

npc contact.1

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