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Private/Closed Cold Steel

"I..." Hoshi looked helplessly at Paeon, wanting, wishing, she had something concrete to offer, to reassure him. At this rate it seemed like all her efforts to help everyone had actually condemned herself and them along with her... Gripping the sides of her podium hard, Hoshi lowered her head and said what she'd hoped wouldn't have to admit.

"Look, I've been trying to get us out. All of us. ...I can't say how, not..." she confessed, her eyes darting to Monokuma and away again. "...not in present company. That's why I've stayed in my room most days, why I never get off my phone. ...It's the only chance we have." Even to herself the words lacked meaning without context to support it, but it was all she could offer without sacrificing everything. "I didn't know who to trust with it, so I've been working alone on... decoding it. I...I can't say anymore. Not here."
 

Paeon Kanetsu

Previously Markus Daymo
Paeon was quiet as he stared at his feet. What choice did he make?

"...Screw it." Paeon stared at Hoshi before smiling. "...I believe you. To be honest, other then Joseph, you're pretty much really my only other friend. And as I said... you don't have a bad bone in your body."

Paeon then turned to the therapist. "Nice evidence, but at this rate, I'm probably going to vote Ralph or myself. I personally want Hoshi still around."

Paeon then turned to the others. "I don't know about you all... but please... don't vote Hoshi. Vote me if you want, but not Hoshi. I'd rather have my friend alive."

Suddenly, Paeon gained a serious expression. "The clocks ticking... does anyone else have any suggestions? Because... I'm voting Ralph. I may be wrong but we need to pick someone."
 
"Aaaand… time's up! Yeesh, that was a mess. Sure took you kids a while. How long have we even been here? Thirty minutes? Hours? Hell, with you guys, it feels like a week. Anyway, it's officially voting time! Time to shut your traps and enter your ballots! Vote for whoever you think did it! Or, y'know, don't. Regardless of who you pick, you've gotta vote for someone. If you choose to be a rebel and abstain, well…" Monokuma cast a steely glare around the room, unsheathing a razor-sharp set of metallic claws. "The consequences… won't be pretty."

His tone swung from angry to cheerful in a whiplash-inducing instant. "I've added an option to your Monopads for you take your pick, just type your name followed the name of who you think to be the guilty classmate! I'll be waiting to tally 'em up, then the show can really get started!"

———
After a few long moments of tense silence, Monokuma pulled out his own Monopad, feigning a cough into his fist to garner the attention of the courtroom. "Ahem-hem! Voting time is officially over! Thankfully, everyone took their pick, so I wont hafta resort to any extra measures. I've tallied the votes and, well, let me say this one came down to the wire! I could read out the ballots myself, but that'd be anticlimactic and long-winded. I think it's better to just show you!"

From behind the bear, yet another screen rose from the floor, positioning itself directly above Monokuma's chair. It flickered between a few unfamiliar scenes before settling on a display similar to the roster in the common room.

Percy Van Pertrigue voted for Ophelia Morales
Ralph Yuno voted for Ophelia Morales
Jason Vellance voted for Paeon Kanetsu
Parker Bell voted for Hoshi Takeda
Paeon Kanetsu voted for Ralph Yuno
Hoshi Takeda voted for Ralph Yuno
Arata Ichirou voted for Arata Ichirou
Joseph Mayne voted for Ralph Yuno
Ryuu Tachibana voted for Ryuu Tachibana

Total Votes
Ralph Yuno: IV
Hoshi Takeda: III
Ophelia Morales: II
Paeon Kanetsu: I
Arata Ichirou: I
Ryuu Tachibana: I

Student #2 - Ralph Yuno has received the most votes. Please remain at your podiums. The trial will conclude shortly.


"Let me say, you guys sure are an interesting bunch. The case's initial prime suspect only got one vote, yet someone who wasn't a suspect at all received four times that amount! Hell, a couple of you guys even wasted your votes on yourselves; you damn masochists."

Monokuma gestured to the screen arbitrarily. It was clear that everyone in the room had at least glanced over the text. "Now, you may be wondering why there's twelve votes and only nine names. Well, I'm a bear of my word. Three of you wanted to keep your votes private, and I followed suit. Your vote has been tallied and added to the total, but your name? Completely off the roster. It's a guessing game who voted for who out of those three students—try not to bloody the wrong nose over it! As for Ralph… well…" the bear paused, spinning the gavel around his wrist menacingly. "I'll give you guys a bit more time to chat amongst yourselves before Yuno's Punishment."
 
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Paeon Kanetsu

Previously Markus Daymo
Paeon stared at the results with mixed emotions. Firstly, he noticed that Ophelia, Jane and Nathan's votes were the ones hidden. But from what he could tell, two voted for Hoshi while one voted for Ralph.

However... the main emotion Paeon felt was guilt. 'I knew this could have happened... but f*ck...' Paeon was the one who started the idea to vote Ralph. While others may not see it the same way, Paeon saw it in form.

'... I killed Ralph... didn't I... ... ... ... I really did... ... ... I'm... a monster...'
 

Shen: King of Digimon

Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Ralph seemed sadned at the results on the screen. However He didn’t seem sad for himself, but for everyone else. He closed his fist and growled at the podium. He flashed his eyes up at everyone in the room.

“You...everyone. You chose the only one ready to
Risk his life to keep you all safe. If I’m struck down today, know that you will have no hope in escaping this place. Know that you have condemned your only lifeline for survival. I had hope that all of you would come to your senses and allow me to break us out. I had it all figured out. If you had left me another hour, I could have broken us out. Damn you all. And you...”

He pointed directly at Paeon.

“YOU! Even during the voting I couldn’t believe you were the killer, and I put my neck on the line for you, and you have the audacity to vote for me after I defended you like that! You deserve to be the one here, the one to die! Betraying those that have protected your right to live!”
 

Fire Mana

Previously Top_Smug_
Parker sighed and awkwardly put a hand on Paeon's shoulder. He wasn't one for sympathy, but Paeon didn't deserve this right now. Not after what he had been through.

"Don't feel bad for him. The bastard had it coming to him... stabbing you, voting for someone despite there being no evidence to suggest it was them, attempting to break the rules knowing it could get any of us severely punished, dragging others into his schemes... It might be for the better that he's gone."

He took his hand off quickly and shoved it into his pocket.

"Whatever you're thinking about yourself right now... stop it. At least the person you voted for will be gone, they can't hold that grudge against you anymore."

Parker glanced over at Hoshi before turning his glasses back to transparent. The one that Jason had said performed the murder... despite the fact that he ended up voting for Paeon. Everybody was getting more suspicous.

Whether she did it or not... she knows I voted for her. I need to find out who I can trust, even the devil knows it ain't myself.
 
She was nervous.
Not that she’d ever admit it, of course, but Ophelia felt sick to her stomach. Maybe it was her lack of food, but she knew that wasn’t why. Because she had a group to go back to. Her father, her dog, people who looked up to her. She couldn’t die just because people were wary of her presence!
Ralph seemed positive it was her, and while that usually wouldn’t bother her, what if he’d been able to convince the others? She shivered in anticipation, waiting anxiously for the board.
Her breath caught in her throat as she scanned the words of the screen, her hands instantly clamming up. The first two names she read had voted for her.

Two votes.
Half of the highest.
She sighed softly, shaking her head to clear her head. She looked over at Ralph, and then to Percy, an unidentifiable look on her face. She listened as Ralph rambled on with a speech, making himself seem like a martyr. She looked to Paeon, who looked traumatized. Wait..

Paeon had one vote.
Jason Vellance voted for Paeon Kanetsu

She turned to Jason, looking wary and slightly distrusting, but it didn’t show past her eyes. He’d directed the attention to Hoshi, evidently working, as it gained her three votes, but.. he hadn’t voted for her himself..
 
Hoshi didn't look up from her pad for the longest time, the yells and accusations barely registering in the wake of the tallied votes. The names and numbers glared up at her as she calculated and recalculated the totals. The names and who voted for who didn't really register with her, not yet. That wasn't what mattered right now. But those four votes did. A mere four votes and the matter was closed, a punishment to be rendered. And one of those votes had been hers. A deciding vote, in fact.

Hoshi's covered her face with her hand, breathing heavily and her skin crawling. If she hadn't gone with Ralph, if she'd been swayed by her brief outcry in her defense, they would have been tied. Tied. And what would that have meant? Would both of them had been subject to punishment then? ... It was better this way, wasn't it?

And he attacked Paeon, might have killed Honoka. He deserved it. NO. No, she didn't know that. The evidence had all been so chaotic. Even now, she wasn't sure she'd made the right call. It had all come down to simple prejudice, hadn't it...?

Letting her trembling hands fall to her chest, her gaze moved over to Paeon who didn't seem to be taking this turn of events any better than she was. But he...he had saved her. His vote... might have been for her had he not believed in her innocence. Leaving her podium with an unsteady gait, she approached where Paron, and oddly Parker, were standing. The eyes that followed her didn't matter, their judgements and suspicions were nothing. He had believed her.

"Paeon, I... Th..." she tried twice to get the words out before she managed it. "Thank you... for believing in me." Reaching out a tentative hand, she moved to hug Paeon unsure if he would even let her, but desperately hoping he would. Parker's proximity, even his identity, didn't seem to register on her.
 

Shen: King of Digimon

Previously Shen: King of the Mist
“You are thanking him for putting me to death!”
Ralph barked at hoshi. “But what would you care? You voted for me too, You wanted me dead in the first place.”

He lashed out, kicking his podium down and breaking the rail. He snarled, taking a arrow into his bow and firing it directly onto the voting board, right where Paeon’s face was projected. He was outraged.

Ralph however looked to Jane and ryuu, who stayed faithful to him to the end. His eyes met theirs and he pointed to them, wording something to them without speaking.

‘I t i s i m p o r t a n t. G o t o m y r o o m. B o t t o m d r a w e r.”

Percy had just hid his head in Shame. He hadnt believed he actualled casted a vote. A god that could have made him a tool for unjust murder! His eyes darted left and right, becoming relaxed and sharp over and over again, as if unsure what to say about the entire scenario.

“I....w—wanna wake up...”
 
Ophi stood from her podium, feeling a need to interject. She’d never been the hero type, but so far, three people already seemed to be having breakdowns.
“Hey!” She barked, crossing over to Ralph. There was a certain fire burning in her eyes, flickering dangerously as she shorter redhead approached him, her steps heavy.

“There’s no point in acting like they voted for no reason, like you’re some sort of godly saint. You’ve been a dick from the start, Ralph, and I’m sick and fucking tired of watching everyone bend to your will just so you don’t throw a little bitchfit like this one.”
She gestured to the crashed podium. The broken rail. The fired arrow.
“Y’know why everyone voted for you? Because you’re dangerous, Ralph Yuno. So Parker and I have killed people.”
It was the first time she’d called him by name. It felt foreign on her tongue.
“I’m not gonna lie about it! I’m the leader of a gang and he’s a professional gambler. No surprise. But we haven’t put anyone here in danger. We’ve threatened, yes, but- and I’m not sure if you noticed this- but neither of us have been firing arrows and making bombs. So throw a tantrum all you want, but you had it coming. Maybe in the fleeting moments of the end of your childishly pathetic life, you’ll finally be able to understand the concept of consequences.”

She took a quick breath. She hadn’t expected to go that far. Or say so much. Or even say anything, for that matter. Stunned with herself, she blinked, feeling a shiver pass through her spine. And with that, she turned around, taking one more shaky breath. She noticed Percy, guilt stricken and horrified. She noticed Paeon and Hoshi, who were both having a hard time comprehending everything. Both of them seemed close to hyperventilating.
She didn’t dare look in the eyes of her Therapist partner.
 

Paeon Kanetsu

Previously Markus Daymo
Paeon was silent. While the others spoke, his mind seemed to shut down. However, that was the innocent part of his mind...
...
... The horrifying part was how his mind was working.

His brain was fighting a constant war. His schizophrenia was in full blast as he missed his time to take medication. His eyes darted to each person as his mind tried to piece together a puzzle but goddamnit was the nurse right. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anything

Suddenly, Paeon slid to the floor as his back was pressed against the podium.

"... I'm a monster..." Paeon held his head as tears streamed down while his eyes were closed shut. "I... I... It should be me... at least then no one would be upset..."

And at that moment, for the first time in many years... Paeon wished that his listened to his father and jumped. He wished that he could disappear...

He wished that he would die...
 

Shen: King of Digimon

Previously Shen: King of the Mist
“Pathetic? Childish? Hmph...looks like you will have a difficult time then in the next few days. The dominos have already been set for this.” Ralph interjected. “Regardless, you can call me any name you want, but I will NOT be punished. I will not bow to anyone’s will, and I most certainly will not die here!”

He should have killed her. If he did, at least he could die for a reason, in taking a dangerous element out with him. But this...leaving a wolf in sheep’s clothing to Roam amongst them? He couldn’t leave it like this!

“You ms gang leader, or ‘miss ultimate detective’ can just drop the act already, I already know it was you that murdered Honoka. Don’t go slandering my name! I tried to defend all of you, even trying to save you while all of you were content to burn and die in the comfort of your own beds! Is this my reward? I would like to see them try to enforce it.
 
Arata had been completely silent for the entirety of the trial. Frankly, he wanted no part of it. People were constantly blaming each other, and condemning each other, in an attempt to bring justice to the deceased. But everytime somebody was accused made his stomach turn, and his heart harden.
The trial seemed to go on forever, as if it was some punishment of perpetual agony. When it finally ended, and voting time came around, Arata had no choice but to vote for himself.

He did not want to be responsible for another death, but at the same time, abstinence would bring about his own.

When he saw the tallied results, however, Arata could do nothing but slam a fist against his podium in rage, and weep. Weep at his powerlessness. Weep at his cowardice.

And most of all, weep for the newly chosen victim.
 
Jason had been completely silent, as, in the only summary he could make, everything went into the deepest, most chaotic pits of Hell.
Was now the best time to attempt to explain? After all the stunts he had pulled, he didn’t doubt pretty much everyone here was questioning him, or just electing not to think about the matter at all. His questioning of Monokuma, his sudden last-minute accusation, the voting... but he still had one last trick up his sleeve, even now.
Letting out a pent up, deep breath to air that felt so so cold (or maybe that was just the chill going through his body), he finally spoke from his podium, raising his voice as he held his notepad up.
“... No need to accuse her, Robin Hood. Cut the bullcrap. She didn’t do it.”
He wasn’t sure if this was what he should have done. He had held back this information on purpose, for the sake of morale... would this only make a bad situation worse? Did Ralph really deserve to die knowing this? Or did the truth matter more...
Yet, despite his mind still debating against itself, he continued anyway.
“When I questioned Monokuma in the common room earlier? I managed to get information from him. This stronghold... is located directly in the center of a Desert. No matter how good that bomb you made was... we’d all most likely perish before we could be rescued anyway.
You think you’re the only one trying to get us out of this?”
Jason dropped his notepad, the item leaving his hands for what seemed to be the first time since they had woken up here, clattering to the floor as he let out an uncontrolled yell, his eyes misted over.
“I’VE BEEN RESISTING EVERY FUCKING WAY I CAN SINCE I GOT HERE!”
He finally came to a sudden silence, pressing his glasses back to the bridge of the nose as he stared down at his podium.
“... Don’t go thinking you died in vain. But... don’t go thinking your gonna die a hero either. But hey... that’s how it is for everyone.”
 

Shen: King of Digimon

Previously Shen: King of the Mist
“We could have easily survived in a desert, packing up all the food we had from the dining hall and made a swift retreat! It would take a few days for malnutrition to set in. We would have been saved! All you did was complain, groan and fight me at every turn. You did nothing but stall against what could help the group. And now, all of you are dead and you don’t even know it.”

Cutting through Jason’s words like a knife through flesh, he Walked off his podium and slammed an arrow into his.

“She didn’t do it you say? Back it up. Prove it spineless boy.”

Turning away from him, Ralph cut himself, drawing blood in his shoulder. He imbedded that arrow into Paeon’s podium. He glared viciously at him.

“And THIS is a reminder of how you doomed us all. Anything that happens to them is on your hands.”
 
“... you seriously think any of the food or water was meant to last, and that the second a bomb went off Monokuma wouldn’t take measures against such a thing? ... I’m trying to be nice here but you’re making it very difficult. And no, no she did not. Had it been her, or you for that matter, it would have been far less messy and far quicker. That, and some of the clues she provided me with her actions during the investigation would be downright idiotic to give away.”
He sighed, staring at the arrow in his podium.
“Although, if this is how you want to go out, then I suppose it’d be selfish to take that away from you.”
Those words were very, very heavily loaded.
 
When Paton fell to his knees, right past her outstretched arm, Hoshi hesitated. Uncertainty clawing at her resolve, she glanced briefly at Parker before sinking down next to him. He seemed to be talking to himself, so low and soft that she had to lean in close to catch his final words. "...It should be me... at least then no one would be upset..."

"...I would be Paeon," she kept her voice low, not to exclude Parker from the conversation but in an attempt to draw Paeon out of this mania he seemed to be slipping into. What this his schizophrenia? She'd had no experience with the condition before meeting him and the very concept had frightened her when she heard. But this... this didn't seem dangerous or malicious, except to himself. The hand that had extended to hug him before found his shoulder now, hopefully with a reassuring pressure. "I've already lost one person I care about in here. I don't wanna lose another-"

Ralph slammed an arrow into Paeon''s podium, making her jump and she looked around. He still seemed to be absorbed with his argument with Jason, which she was secretly thankful for.
 

Fire Mana

Previously Top_Smug_
Parker rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He wanted to help Paeon and Hoshi, but he wasn't good at this stuff and he didn't want to accidentally make them feel worse. Not to mention being around Hoshi was rather awkward right now. He slowly backed away from the two of them before seeing Ralph begin to throw a tantrum.

"Oh for fuck's sake- Ralph! Do ya' really think Mr. Monokuma is stupid? Ya' never would have escaped, give it up! Stop blaming others and acting like a martyr! Yer scum! Absolute fucking scum! Do you know how bad ya' have to be for a gambler from the dark, poor parts of town to call ya' scum? Because let me tell ya', you've gotta be pretty damn vile!"
 
Joseph had remained quiet for most of the investigation and stook to listening to the accusations that were thrown around. The situation got more tense by the second and climaxed when the results came out. The actor didn’t really know how to feel himself. He had just played a part in condemning the archer to an unfortunate fate. However, a part of him was relieved. It was also a good feeling to know that there were others who knew the danger ‘Robin Hood’ posed.

There were also two people who just voted for themselves, refusing to take part in sacrificing someone else. One of them, Arata, was currently weeping. Paeon was also having a breakdown but he expected that. Hoshi was doing her best comfort Paeon, which Joseph would’ve done had he not been concerned. Joseph wouldn’t be surprised if Ralph decided to go out in a blaze of glory and take someone down with him. Though Joseph wasn’t a primary target, he was still on the shortlist of those who voted for Ralph. The actor wasn’t in the clear yet and tried to refrain from speaking to loudly until ‘Robin Hood’ was gone.

“Maybe it would’ve been better if I just voted for myself.” Joseph’s quiet voice was hidden in the commotion as he just looked down, seeming disheartened himself. Arata and Ryuu had avoided having to inhumanly sacrifice someone else by choosing themselves. Perhaps that was the right thing to do to prevent another death. “No. This has to be an act. It has too be.“ The actor murmured softly to himself and shook his head to get rid of the negative mentality by saying what he always did to convince himself everything would be alright.
 
"Everyone, calm down; back to your podiums, everyone! Ahem, I said back to your podiums. Alright, you guys clearly aren't gonna listen to reason—what else is new—I'll cut the crap."

Monokuma slammed his hands down on the podium in front of him, prompting a pair of mechanical tendrils to slither out between the tiles and mimic his motion. A boom sounded in a deafening roar around the trial room.

"Order in the court!"

Despite the fact that they had presumably done their job, the machines remained in their place, standing poised like cobras on the checkerboard floor.

"Now that you guys have had your time to chat and shed half of your water weight in tears, I should probably elaborate upon a… well… important thing I forgot to mention. I've been throwing the word 'Punishment' around willy-nilly, I won't lie. But, I'm not sure it's really been properly defined. Now, normally, any kinda act of homicide would land you with a good amount of time in the brig, but… where's the fun in that? That's too standard, too much time to wait, y'know? Plus, there's the whole legal caveat with you guys being high school age and whatnot. If you've seen anything here so far, I'm not about to settle for mediocrity. Here in the Stronghold, we take the votes for a murderous offender very seriously. I'm sure a couple of ya have figured it out already, but this isn't going to be any sort of ordinary punishment."

Monokuma turned to stare the enraged Ralph dead in the eyes, malicious smile spreading upon his face.

"This, students, is an execution."

The bear let the silence fill the courtroom form a moment before he spoke again, all traces of his formerly chipper nature gone from his voice.

"Now, I feel some of you may be having second thoughts about your choice in perpetrator. Unfortunately for you, the votes have already been tallied. His fate has been decided—by all of you, no less. Needless to say, this banter has lasted plenty long enough. Five minutes and my courtroom has already been decimated. It's about time we get this show on the road."

He whipped out his gavel, an imposing red button rising from the ground. The lights in the trial room dimmed, a spotlight shining directly upon the marksman.

"I've prepared a very special punishment just for this occasion—made entirely with the Ultimate Archer in mind."

His black-furred hand clutched the mallet in a death grip, hovering mere inches above the device.

"Farewell, Ralph Yuno."

Monokuma pounded the gavel into the button at full force, metal pythons coiling around the Archer's neck in an attempt to restrain him.

"I know you'll find this experience to be very… enlightening."
 
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Shen: King of Digimon

Previously Shen: King of the Mist
C0C5D3BE-79E0-4543-B9DE-1293C91436A6.gif

*VIOLENCE WARNING*


Ralph stood in front of his fellow students, a chain link fence rising up from the ground, isolating Ralph from the other students as Monokuma backed away, holding a remote control. Monokuma began to sweat, pressing the button. Out of the floor spring several wires and razor sharp grappling devices made for hooking Ralph up for the execution.

Ralph took several arrows in his bow and fired at the tendrils that came to claim him. Each one was stopped before they could reach him. Sparks and bolts flew as they fell lifeless to the ground and or pinned to the walls.

Monokuma’s face grew red as he tapped the button many times, over and over again. Out of the stands, which were previously shrouded by thick red curtains sprang an army of assassin dressed robots, wearing black hoods with monokuma’s grins. Ralph’s eyes widened as he swung into action, attacking each and every robot with his arrows, stabbing and slashing, through eyes, chests, wires and oil spewed. It was a war

Monokuma kept hitting the button until it short circuited and broke, the bear closing his fists in rage. Ralph slashed and gashed many of them, the robots beginning to drive their razor sharp talons into his arms and legs. Painstakingly, Ralph climbed to life like a rope and held through. His blood began to mix with the oil on the ground as his archer’s Hood was torn clean in two. This went on for several more seconds, his baited breath becoming slings of anger.

Monokuma seemed to be outraged, pulling a giant red button from behind his back with a big skull symbol on it. It jumped on the button with his weight, hitting it down. Out from behind the stands crashed a giant machine with four arms. It wheeled over to Ralph, who was now beginning to turn dark purple in panic. The robot’s hands carried four large broadswords. In a swift movement it dug the swords into Ralph’s hands and feet, making him scream in horror.

He was hoisted up by the swords, acting almost as a crucifix, bringing him off the ground and into the air. A huge arsenal of arrows loaded on the robot as the missile silo like storage of arrows positioned itself right behind Ralph

Give To The Poor

(1:05)

He looked down at the crowd, who gazed at him in horror. He saw those that betrayed him, filling with despair. What good was a guardian that couldn’t protect his own?

Then it started. The arrows from the silo sling into his back, the bombardment sending fountains of blood out of his body and shooting all over the floor. The arrows didn’t stop, each one splitting the last dozen again, and again, and AGAIN!! More arrows! More blood! Over and over! It didn’t stop, even when Ralph appeared nearly dead, they kept firing, each shot more gruesome than the last. The silo was finishing it’s payload, getting to the last few arrows, which were in fact: giant razor sharp spears with Monokuma’s horrid smile on it.

In one last shot, the final spears fired into him, his body all but disintegrating, his blood and tiny pieces of flesh, bones, and muscles littered across the room, splashi g through the chain linked fence and washing over some bystanders of the crowd with blood, Paeon was hit the worst with Ralph’s blood, his hand soaking in the fluid.

The only thing left of Ralph was a lone arrow, that fluttered gently to the ground, before the quiver itself turned red with blood
 

Paeon Kanetsu

Previously Markus Daymo
As Paeon stared at the blood on his hand, his mind shut down.

'...I killed him...It's my fault...'

'My fault...My fault...My fault...My fault...My fault...My fault...My fault...My fault...My fault...I'm a monster...I'm a monster...I'm a monster...
...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'

...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'Monster...'
...'MONSTER!!!'


At that moment, Paeon couldn't take anymore. He fell to the floor as he gripped his head in pain. A bloody Ralph stood alongside his family and other tormentors... the taunts, the jeers, the chants... it was too much for him. Tears poured down as blood from the deceased archer painted the side of his head.
...
...
...
...
...

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

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

...

...
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
 

Shen: King of Digimon

Previously Shen: King of the Mist
Percy’s fingers shook. Blood was everywhere, Ralph’s body was gone, all but disintegrated into blood and bits of flesh, some of which could just be made out as oartsnof intestines. Percy held in his own guts, resisting the urge to puke. This had just gotten a whole lot serious. The thought that Monokuma could do this to anyone of them, regardless if they were good or bad and sentence them to death in that gruesome manner was shellshocking.

Paeon screamed at the top of his lungs, Percy holding his head and ears, trying to clog out the screams of terror and the visuals of the archer’s scattered remains. If Monokuma could do this to a fighter like Ralph...they stood no chance.

Percy collapsed, shaking, his knees that he collapsed on now soaking with blood. Ralph’s blood. Tears came out of his face, as he knew the murderer that was amongst them was also to blame of ralph’s Death...and he couldn’t even do anything about it. He felt so...pitiful
 
Hoshi had trudged back to her own podium at Monokuma's command, unwilling to test the validity of his threats. But she did so with great reluctance, her hand leaving Paeon's shoulder slowly and with a last reassuring squeeze. As Monokuma's final verdict fell and the execution began, she knew her minor attempt at consolation would fall very, very short of its intended mark...

For a time, it seemed that Ralph's prowess in battle might give him enough of an edge to survive, but that optimism was short lived. As wires and walls progressed to mechanical minions and blades, Ralph began to loose more blood than arrows. Whether it was intentional or a result of his increasingly panicked aim, one of his flying arrows passed right through the frayed wires of one of his pursuers and hurtled toward her. Hoshi didn't have the time to dodge, even if she'd had the instincts to tell her to do so. By sheer luck, the arrow head clipped the edge of the podium and careened into the wall behind her instead. Far too late for it to matter, she flung herself down into a crouch, sheltering behind her podium.

Somehow not being able to see the carnage from her vantage point made everything harder to endure; the screams, the sound of ripping clothing and flesh, and the overwhelming, stomach-curdling smell of hot, coppery blood. She was on the verge of hyperventilating, unable to control the tremble in her hands and the vomit that rose in her throat. It seemed to take far too long for the screams to subside. Even in the sickening silence that followed, Hoshi couldn't bring herself to turn and look at the results of Ralph's execution.
 
Throughout the entire thing, the face of Jason Vellance, the Ultimate Therapist, was twisted up, visibly troubled beyond belief despite his very best attempts at remaining calm. However, it was very much impossible to tell what he was thinking, a few stray specks of blood now splattered along the right side of his jacket, but it was worst where the left sleeve started, dribbling down and spreading out, staining the material. Of course, this didn't really matter to him. There was no time to deliberate over blood stains on his clothing after what he- no, they had just seen. Yikes... he definitely had his work cut out for him. Even now, a small thought trickled through his mind... maybe, had he not held back out of fear... Of course, Monokuma had not specified what would occur in the event of a tie. Some sort of twisted tiebreaker? Would both die? Did he even have a plan for that, or would he just make one up on the fly? Either way, it was a leap of faith to have made that decision. And he may have been able to do that for someone else... but put that faith in his own, admittedly rather weak deduction? No. No such possibility. But either way, he would have to make up for his failures somehow. There was no room for mistakes... and without Ralph, somebody would need to-
Yes... he most certainly had a lot of work to do.
 
Ophi couldn’t do much other than stand there. Rooted to the spot, she remained, watching the hellish scene before her with a blank stare. She found herself biting her tongue as four blades sliced through Ralph’s appendages, hoisting his twitching, struggling body in the air like some crude crucification. With each arrow implanting itself in his back, she felt a unique chill going through her own, shooting from the center of her spine and chilling her to the bone straight to her fingertips. With each scream from Ralph she found herself biting her tongue harder, so hard in fact she feared she may bite it off. A few splatters of Ralph’s blood stained her pale cheek, and she winced at the sight of Jason, who was visibly shaking (but obviously trying to hide it). Her hands found themselves to her elbows as a singular, bloodied arrow clattered to the ground.

Paeon was screaming, sobbing. Hoshi was cowering behind her podium. She didn’t bother blocking the sound out or closing her eyes. Walking on feet that seemed surprisingly unstable (while this was maybe her most gruesome murder she’d witnessed, it definitely wouldn’t phase her if the lingering thought of her in Ralph’s position wasn’t in the back of her mind), she slowly walked towards the scene of the vicious murder, kneeling down beside the singular arrow the astray had left behind. Slowly picking it up into her hand, which was consequently stained crimson almost instantaneously, she rolled the arrow between her fingers, her cuticles a deep red, her black fingernails unphased. She slowly bend the arrow, testing its pressure. Her back was still turned to the group...

You’re safer without him.
He was convinced it was you.
His persuasion could’ve gotten you killed.
It’s better this way.
Stay vigilant and stay strong.

...as she snapped the blood-stained arrow in half, letting it drop to the floor, where it bounced once at her feet before rolling towards Monokuma. She turned back to the group, an unreadable expression present on her face. In her eyes flickered fear, anxiety. None of these emotions made it anywhere, as they dwelled only in those deep brown eyes, which seemed overcast in shadows, almost. Only someone focused fully on her face would notice these present.
“It’s over.” She murmured, to nobody in particular. She gulped past a lump in her throat, screwing her eyes shut, and when she opened them, the same hard face she always wore was back, void of really any emotion other than resilience.
 

Crimson Sun

Previously Crims0n
Before Nathan knew it, he had tripped over his own feet, butt planted on the ground, and hands clutched over his mouth, in terror of the scene unfolding before him. Tears streamed down his face as he watched on to see how Ralph's death played out. Sure, Ralph was a bitch majority of the time, but no one deserved to die like that, not even an asshole like him. It only made Nathan wonder, what if he was the accused here. He would scream if he was capable to let any sound out of his mouth right now. A loud choke was all Nathan was able to muster before staying silent, not able to get the image out of his head.

It pained Jane's heart at her former latter's death. She actually found him quite enjoyable, if not for his demanding attitude. The moment Ralph was caught by the machine, the combat turned her back on the scene, not wanting to see how it plays out. Not seeing it didn't help as all she heard were sobs and cries from the sidelines and the agonizing screams of Ralph. It triggered her memories of her previous experiences with war where she could do nothing to help her comrades in war. Though she had no right to compare their death to what Ralph was experiencing now, as this was pure torture, based on what Jane could hear. She crossed her arms and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to block out any triggering memories from Ralph's demise.
 
Monokuma vehemently dropped his gavel into his lap, slumping down over one of arms of his plush throne.

"Phew! What a show! Alright, so it made a bit of a mess, big deal. A little bit of blood never hurt anyone! Well, unless it's your blood on the floor; in that case you've got a different problem, and I can't help you there." He grabbed his gavel with an exuberant flourish, electronic eyes sweeping over the flood of varying mournful expressions presented by the class.

"What's wrong? Did the performance go over too well with you all? I should think so, I've been planning this thing for a while! That being said, I don't think you guys will find the execution to be the best of the festivities, it only goes uphill from here! I should probably give you the details about your choice. Well, if you haven't figured it out already, you guys were dead wrong! The real culprit is still in your midst; a wolf in sheep's clothing, a cuckoo in the nest, the blackened among the white! In fact, the actual murderer didn't receive a single vote! I should've expected that from a bunch of first time detectives—you guys nearly hit the nail on the head a couple of times, but you all fell short of the mark. As for the culprit… remember, one more murder and you're out of here for good! If the rest of you don't want that to happen, well, let me just say I'm not gonna be the one to do anything about it."

He looked back and fourth between the remaining students and the carnage with a steely gaze, but even the most unobservant of eyes could note the bear's blatant exhaustion. His still unsettlingly upbeat speech lacked a certain chipper edge, and his vibrant antics seemed far less frequent. Either Monokuma was genuinely worn out, or something hadn't gone according to plan. Unfortunately, the bear didn't give much time for analysis of his actions, as he continued with his drawn-out speech.

"Ahem, with that little tidbit, the trial's over. I've got some serious clean up to do, both from the execution and from you guys. I mean, I expected this place to get ruined through my own doing, but was shooting an arrow through my monitor really necessary? Don't bother answering that. Yeah, 'o course it was, to you guys. You've got to sew the seeds of chaos all over my facility. Fair enough, but now that your self-appointed ringleader's had a chance to have a few morals stuck to em, I'd like to personally vouch for you guys taking that chaotic energy and aiming it towards one another for a change! Regardless of how you guys choose to bludgeon each other over the heads next, I should give a couple of standard announcements here. Your Monopads have been updated with the schematics for floor two, and you all have been granted access to the second button on the elevator panel to boot. I'm sure there's plenty more sleuthing to do there, so I'd get to it! But first… a couple of you might need to take a shower. And, I don't know, do a load of laundry, maybe. Get some shut-eye. Y'know, just a suggestion! If you choose to go that path, I've left a little… personal gift for you all on the nightstand in your rooms! I won't elaborate, I'll let you all check that out for yourselves. Anyways, I'll see you all when I do next; now get out of my courtroom! Scram! I've got business to attend to."

The elevator leading out of the trial room was completely unmanned, the button labelled with a number 2 (rather oddly, located near the bottom of the panel along with the number one button) emitting a soft yellow glow. One of the buttons near the top was hastily covered with several reflective strips of peeling duct tape—unfortunately, it seemed completely unresponsive to the touch. In fact, the only buttons that seemed wired at all were those labelled "1", "2", and "TRIAL", the latter most of which was most likely only going to be circumstantially available if Monokuma's words were anything to go by.

The elevator shuddered as the doors closed shut, the bright lights and crimson stains of the trial room obscured by a wall of steel. The lights in the elevator dimmed as the device shuddered on to its destination, cold, stagnant air churning inside of the metallic prison.

Inside of each student's room was a single greeting card, "Get well soon" written in a cheesy, neon cursive font on the front. Opening it revealed two signatures, written side by side in an eerie reproduction of the dead's handwriting.

Honoka Kurosawa
Ralph Yuno


A slip of paper was nestled between the two folded over halves of cheaply produced card stock, on it scrawled a grim reminder:

11 STUDENTS REMAINING

End of Chapter One
 
After all that had happened, Jason Vellance had taken it upon himself to be absolutely inactive, and get a good nights sleep after what had happened. Okay, honestly “good” would have been an overstatement. After a while of tossing and turning, by the time the next morning had come about, his conscience had overtook him, the boy getting up out of bed, deciding to leave his jacket behind for today. Yeah... that was gonna take a bit of cleaning. As if he needed a second grim reminder of what had happened, after Monokuma’s “greeting card” which he had resisted the urge to destroy completely. Despite knowing it would probably be pretty cathartic, it was also a completely pointless act of “rebellion” that meant nothing to anyone, even himself. Although, he honestly wouldn’t judge anyone else for doing so. He opened the door of his room, marked Number 5, and exited onto the hallway, notepad and pen in tow as per usual. The boy quietly mumbled words of motivation and encouragement to himself under his breath:
“Righto... time to get to work. This is what you do, it’ll be easy enough.”
The cold, hard, hopeless reality was that this was going to be very different to when he had done anything of the sort, and most likely would either be pointless or without major hiccups. However, he figured nearly everyone else in the Stronghold was starting their day by getting up and lying to themselves. It was rather effective. He quickly made his way down the hallway, entering into the common room, and heading into the newly upgraded elevator. He took a brief moment to stare at the controls, only to realise that he was accomplishing absolutely nothing in trying to get acquainted with the device, and instead just pressed the button labelled “2”. He had thought his plan out, thankfully moreso than his last one, and any new developments down there could make it far more easier. He stepped out of the elevator once it reached floor two, heading down the hallway until
he reached one of the far ends, taking a deep breath (not really knowing what to expect, or if to expect anything at all), and opened the door to the gym closet.
 
The contents of the gym closet were about what one would expect: various balls, an entire tub of tennis rackets in differing states of wear, a few blue foam mats, and a neatly rolled-up net were set upon a shelf at the back wall, the remaining miscellaneous equipment stacked against the left wall or piled procariously (especially in the case of several dumbbells) on the floor. A tiny Monokuma plush was tauntingly set upon the camera and monitor perched in the topmost corner to Jason's left, a deliberate reminder of the harm that would befall any rulebreakers. Sure enough—the flooring here…from what can be seen if it… appeared to be made of the same weapon-strewn tile. Monokuma really intended to stay true to his word, apparently. The room was fairly spacious, at least in comparison to the cramped closets on floor one, yet somehow was so cluttered that there was hardly any room to push through. There appeared to be some sort of door to Jason's right, blocked by several piles of equipment, an empty backpack, and a couple of plastic chairs—leading directly into the room marked [INFO] if the map were anything to rely upon. However, he'd likely have to force his way through to get there.

Or not. Maybe bringing some of the junk back to the gym itself would be helpful in clearing the way. Granted… the location is a bit inconvenient for that. Having to haul stuff all the way down a hallway and through a pair of locker rooms… whoever designed this clearly didn't have efficiency in mind. Or knowledge of how to make a basic floor plan, for that matter.

————
Ryuu's day had barely started, and yet it had already felt like an eternity. After the adrenaline rush brought about by the trial faded away, he was beyond exhausted, but vivid memories of the execution's excessive gore combined with Monokuma's gift left him unable to rest soundly. He caught snatches of sleep between long stretches of panic and disbelief, but not much more than that. This was painfully clear to anyone within the range of sight. Ryuu sat alone at one of the tables in the dining area, staring into space as he mindlessly poured out a can of soda into a mug, oblivious as the bizarre soda-coffee mixture spilled off the sides and splashed out onto his inside-out shirt.

What just happened?
Did that?
Did it really?
What?


Those seemed to be the only broken fragments of thought he could manage as the last drops of cola found their way out of the can, into the overflowing mug, and onto the floor. Ryuu finally noticed the mess as it began to soak into the sleeve of his shirt, barely managing a frown as he stumbled into the newly re-stocked kitchen to grab a roll of paper towels, haphazardly tearing them off and tossing them into the sticky liquid at random. Once most of it was soaked up, he reached to take a sip of… whatever he had created, wincing as he burnt his tongue despite the unnecessary amount of chilled soda that had been poured in.

Finally, he managed a complete thought as he set the mug back onto the table, staring down at the paper towel covered floor.

…Off to a great start.
 
The Therapist’s eyes immediately latched onto the tiny Monokuma plush set up above the monitor, feeling an uncomfortable chill run down his spine as his eyes drifted down to the oh so familiar weaponised floor tile, holding back a slight gulp in his throat as he took his first step into the room.
Despite the tauntingly blocked off room labelled only as ‘Info’, he instead ignored that completely, making his way over to the most boring part of the room, and gathering two foldable chairs from the miscellaneous stacks of equipment against the left wall, immediately and swiftly leaving the closet and heading back up the hallway to the elevator, entering and waiting as it made its way back up to the first floor.
He thought about what would be the best location for his plan, but he figured the Library still worked best. He finally exited the elevator, making his way through the common room (had anybody been watching, they would have seen the rather curious sight of Jason humming a jolly tune as he walked through carrying two Foldable chairs with him) and down the hallway until he reached the Library, where he set up the two foldable chairs, facing each other, one closer to the door, one closer to the wall end.
He then returned to the common room again, standing next to the Monokuma-themed table he had flipped around... well, what seemed like... he couldn’t even tell. After all that had happened even that time seemed like a distant memory. As he scribbled onto his notepad, staring at it as his hands worked on auto-pilot, he mused on an interesting thought that had crossed his mind. He hadn’t really done too much of note, or talked to too many people. Would they only really know him for flipping that table? Quite possibly.
Finished, he tore the piece of paper from the notepad, slapping it down onto the table in full view.
The neatly written note read as so:
Hello, everyone. Understandably, i haven’t really seen anyone up and about lately. I wouldn’t expect so. Thinking about it, I know that my abilities can be of use here. Monokuma wants hopelessness to weigh us down... We cannot allow that. After recent events, I understand that each and every one of us most likely have some grievances to air and things that must be said, so that is what this note is meant to achieve. I’ll be holding one on one drop-in style sessions in the Library. Think of it like... Improvised Therapy. No need to talk about it ahead of time, just show up and if the door’s open come on in. I’ll keep anything that’s said there between us.
Added note: If you’re worried about safety, then i’ve thought about this all. The library is probably the safest location here aside from the rooms, and if anyone dies as a result of this, well, it’ll be very obvious who did it, so it’s clearly not a good idea.
Signed, Jason Vellance, Ultimate Therapist. Or that guy who flipped this same table that one time. Either works.”

After setting it down, he then proceeded to stroll back off to the library, humming all the way, where he took up his position in the chair farthest from the entrance to the room. This was the only way he could really help... so, he was willing to waste time on it if necessary, even if it seemed like a lost cause.
 

Paeon Kanetsu

Previously Markus Daymo
As Paeon awoke, life seemed to come crashing down on him. To be honest... he wasn't ready to face everyone.

He was the one who said to vote Ralph. He was a deciding vote. He... couldn't bring himself to talk.

Paeon's eyes were dead, his body weak and his hair & clothing messed up. He just didn't care. So, he simply grabbed some water, took his pill, and walked out to common room as he noticed a piece of paper.

Hello, everyone. Understandably, I haven’t really seen anyone up and about lately. I wouldn’t expect so. Thinking about it, I know that my abilities can be of use here. Monokuma wants hopelessness to weigh us down... We cannot allow that. After recent events, I understand that each and every one of us most likely has some grievances to air and things that must be said, so that is what this note is meant to achieve. I’ll be holding one on one drop-in style sessions in the Library. Think of it like... Improvised Therapy. No need to talk about it ahead of time, just show up and if the door’s open come on in. I’ll keep anything that’s said there between us.
Added note: If you’re worried about safety, then I’ve thought about this all. The library is probably the safest location here aside from the rooms, and if anyone dies as a result of this, well, it’ll be very obvious who did it, so it’s clearly not a good idea.
Signed, Jason Vellance, Ultimate Therapist. Or that guy who flipped this same table that one time. Either works.”

... Paeon placed the note down as he walked over to the door and knocked quietly. Maybe this could help him.
 
Jason sat on one of the foldable chairs, spaced out to be facing the other foldable chair on the side of the room closest to the door. Hearing the knock, he nearly fell out of his seat, luckily nobody being around to see it. He straightened his posture, sitting up in his seat, coughing as he then raised his voice.
“Come on in.”
He had been wondering who would show up. Although, he definitely knew who wouldn’t.
 
Hoshi was starring at the spot again.

She’d first noticed it in the elevator on their way back down from the trial, the red beads that colored her arm. Wiping smeared it into the pores and plastered it to the skin in an sticky layer of pernicious filth. It wasn’t like the movies. It couldn’t be washed and forgotten, she’d already tried. Alone in her darkened room that night, under the scalding wash of her shower she had tried. She had stayed there long after the torrid waters ran cold and that tarnished patch of skin was raw from incessant scrubbing...and yet still, the glistening droplets of blood that had been there haunted her. They were burned into her memory as surely as the events of the day before, and she felt defiled by it.

Sleep eluded her that night, of course. It was a rare companion on good nights, much less after that... But this time, even her usual comfort of music and linguistics weren’t enough to quell her discontent. She laid there starring dazedly past the walls of her corporeal world throughout the night, well and truly awake. It wasn’t until the morning drew near and the sound of doors closing beyond her own did it occur to her that Monokuma had said something about a second floor. She starred at the proffered diagram in their monopod before finally making up her mind. Hoshi wandered out of her room to explore. She stopped undecidedly outside of Paeon’s door for a moment, hand poised to knock, before thinking better of it and continuing on alone. Paeon had definitely seemed the most traumatized of any one after the trial and if he had managed to find sleep, she didn’t want to deprive him of that.

Funny… it was only when she thought of anyone other than herself that her mind seemed to reason clearly.

Her stroll through the shadowed hall and common room was a muddled one, as memories of Honoka and Ralph’s brief life here came back to her with every glance. She didn’t even notice the note left on the central table. After the brief elevator ride, the doors opened onto a unexplored hall, where no painful memories clung to the walls…not yet anyway. Choosing the door closest to her, Hoshi passed through the restroom and the gym with little more than a perfunctory glance around. She already knew where she was headed, the monopod map still active in her hand as she pushed open the door to the room labeled ‘Pool’.

Hoshi didn’t have swimwear. She hadn’t even considered it in her packing for this ‘school’. So after a thorough look around the pool deck and the lockers beyond, Hoshi slipped into the waiting waters in her set of pajamas instead. The ruffled blue shorts and crop tank clung loose to her hips and chest as she submerged herself up to her chin, hoping to wash away the feeling of filth and dread that clung to her skin.
 

Paeon Kanetsu

Previously Markus Daymo
As Paeon opened the door, he stared at the therapist with dead eyes. He walked over to the chair opposite of Jason and sat down as he stayed quiet.

...Silence... That was Paeon's response. He... didn't know what to say.
 
Jason nodded to him with acknowledgement. Not exactly a surprise at all. Paeon had definitely had... the roughest go of it (out of lack for a better term) of them all so far. And from what Ophelia had told him during the investigation, he had his own set of issues beforehand.
Not knowing exactly how to start, but definitely knowing that he would have to say something, he spoke, breaking the silence, leading with what he felt it was most important for the Film Editor to hear.
“... You shouldn’t remember the things Ralph said. In times like these, it can be tempting to blame yourself... but that’s not the entire truth.”
He put his notepad down on his lap, taking his glasses off with one hand, and cleaning the lenses with a cloth he had pulled out from one of his pockets as he spoke.
“Lying to you would not be helpful, so yes, part of the ‘Fault’ rests on you. But it was a group decision, brought on by the actions of that individual and the circumstances. Now, tell me...”
He finished cleaning them, putting his glasses back on to stare at Paeon head on.
“Nothing I said there changed what you think, did it? You don’t feel any better. Correct?”
 

Paeon Kanetsu

Previously Markus Daymo
Paeon stayed seated as his watched the therapist. He would write in his notepad as his words seemed to pass by Paeon. However, once he heard his final sentence, Paeon gave a weak and robotic nod.

...Paeon stilled blamed himself. How could he not?
 
Jason let out a soft sigh as he relaxed his posture.
“Well, i’m not going to lie to you and say you’ll ever completely get over that feeling, especially by anyone else’s words. But you can’t let it dominate the Today. And right now... all sugarcoating aside, the Today sucks. But... You-know-who wanted us all to survive this more than anyone.”
Jason averted his gaze from Paeon, looking off to a bookshelf to the side as he couldn’t help himself from tacking on his own thoughts to the end of that sentence.
“Even if he didn’t do a good job of it.”
He turned his steely gaze back to Paeon, desperately hoping his point was at least getting to him. “We all need to keep ourselves alive in a situation like this. And that’s mostly a mental game. Without... You-know-who, well, somebody needs to make sure we all don’t tear each other’s throats out in a week out of loneliness and desperation, and that we work together. The very least we can do is try to keep our own mental health on track.”
 

Paeon Kanetsu

Previously Markus Daymo
Paeon stared at the therapist as he continued. However... something in him snapped.

"...mental health on track? Easy for you... You weren't the one who caused a man to die. You aren't the one struggling with hallucinations every damn day. You aren't the one who has to take medication so he doesn't hear the voices of his family who all want him dead... It's practically impossible to keep my mental health on track..."
 
Jason held an uneased expression.
“Yes... although, had I been part of that, it wouldn’t have been a first.”
He scratched his chin, not alluding to what he meant by that, sighing.
“My point is... you can say that Ralph’s death is partially my fault too. Had I worked faster, or better, maybe we would have found the actual culprit? I’m a Therapist. Mental health problems comes with the territory, and i’ll tell you this, considering the situation we are in and the people we’re surrounded by? You’re probably not alone. We’re all ‘talented’ here, and by extension we’re all not ‘normal’ in the slightest.” He sighed again, looking down in silence, realising he had really got sidetracked with his own thoughts here.
“What i’m trying to say is, we’re all stuck in the relatively same boat here. Everybody struggles, some more than others. But I doubt ANY of us will come out of this okay, if we even came in that way. That’s not to say your struggle matters any less, but it does show you can’t let it control you. Because if we all let our own issues run wild as they please, then... who knows what’ll happen?”
 
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