week 1

[airlockedmods]

Week 1

[After the reveal of their handsome and well-dressed but stern-looking Overseer on Sunday, the Champions were left to their own devices in investigating the mall to their hearts' content. At around 10 pm every night the lights in all the shops will go down and the sturdy metal grates over the doors of the restaurants will go down. The stores will remain unlocked, though.

On Monday morning, a buzzing alarm chirps at them again from their PIPs at 7 am on the dot. There's also a pop-up message waiting for them: a notice announcing Xander will be holding office hours

Enjoy your week, Champions.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Comments

[desperateprayer]

...Mm.

[ ...She listens. But then... ]

...The girl you describe... Is a monster. Monsters... Wear human faces and skins. They may very well be human. But they are horrible mockeries of humans at he same time. They are cruel and uncaring, and probably not even capable of anything good. Some claim themselves to be righteous while delighting in the pain of those they step on. Some just hurt people because they enjoy it. Some just don't really feel anything at all. That... Is why I say I know my fair share of monsters.

[ The villagers. The mayor especially. Those who hurt her in her confinement. Things like that. ]

...Even the king wasn't a monster. While I don't like him, he... Was someone who had his life decided for him before he was even born. And his marriage was decided the day Riliane was born. He grimly stood by at her execution, and while he allowed it, I hear he wasn't happy about it, either. The princess, too, had her entire life decided for her, raised in comfort and sheltered because of an assassination attempt on her when she was but a small child. ...Her twin brother died in that same attempt. But she was so young, I don't think she remembered it. I don't think she actually knew suffering until her mother passed, as she couldn't remember her father, either. And even then, she was... She was thirteen when she ascended the throne, fourteen during the genocide.

...But that's not a monster. That's someone who doesn't have realistic standards to compare anything to. And that is why I say Xander isn't a monster. He's not unreachable. There's a certain sadness to him, a remorse as well as a resolve. ...Above all, I pity him.

[induality]

[What she describes as monsters-- suits Junko perfectly. Or at least Fukawa thinks it does. Hell, she doesn't know what goes through that girl's head or if she has feelings about it. But the person she saw and who put her and her classmates through hell wasn't someone she could forgive. And honestly she's a little relieved to hear that she wasn't a person Clarith would make excuses for or try to defend. But more than that-- she may as well have been describing Fukawa's parents.]

...I get it. Junko, the remnants of Despair, the Warriors of Hope, the people who raised me, Genocider Sho... you're right. They're different. They're on... another level.

[Of course she lists that part of herself. Because she's that way too. At least part of her is.]

But sadness, remorse... no matter what he's feeling right now-- the fact is that he's willing to see us all die. We're not safe around him and he's going to make our lives terrible, the same way Junko did. M-maybe not for the same reason, but... I could lose someone I really-- [like] s-someone who really doesn't deserve to die because of him. I won't defend myself, but I can't defend him either.

CW: Mentions of past suicidal ideation

[desperateprayer]

So don't. It's always your choice to forgive or not. ...But I'm not going to give up on him, either. Because I've been so isolated and lonely that I considered taking my life when I knew I would have nothing and no one left. And there was a time I would have done anything to no longer be that, to... To bring back someone important to me. And I almost did something horrifying that I would never do because of it.

[ ...Clarith will work on Xander. And even if she can do nothing but alleviate that loneliness for a while... It's something. ]

...I can't in good faith leave someone to that all-consuming loneliness. That's... Just not something I have in me.

[induality]

[She takes a deep breath and after a moment, lets it all out again.]

...fine. I won't tell you to leave it go anymore.

[Much as she's sure it will gnaw at her, she... respects that there's someone who can feel that way.]

But we're going to do everything in our power to shut this game down. My priority is the people that were forced to come here. If he gets in my way then I'm going to do what I have to in order to protect them.

[desperateprayer]

Everyone has different things they can do, so that's fine.

[ In other words, you, too, Fukawa. ]

...Some people keep morale high. Others are good at planning. Things like that. ...I'm only really good at listening.

[induality]

Th-that's not true. If... [Ah.] If there's something you can't do on your own then all I-- all we need to do is help you.

[I-it doesn't have to be her or anything. They're all a team. O-or something like that.]

[desperateprayer]

Ah, I mean talent-wise. I can cook, and I can clean, but I imagine so can most people here. And everything here is so new...

[induality]

...talent...

[Fukawa smiles at the table.]

My talent isn't anything useful. I'm... I'm just a romance novelist. Everything else... I've learned to do b-because others taught me. So... it's fine if you don't get it now. Y-you just have to ask.

[desperateprayer]

...I'm a slow learner, unfortunately. I think Keel only kept me on as a maid because I became like family to him, in a way. But... I'll ask. Thank you, Touko.

[ ...Fukawa if you've been paying attention her calling you that without any modified of "Miss" is a Big Deal. ]

[induality]

[Even that aside, it's... the first anyone's called her by her first name. Which is a Big Thing in Japan. But... it feels nice.]

Th-then... we can learn slowly together.

[desperateprayer]

I'm fine with that.

[ Bond: made. This tread is really gay. ]