#drfh open

A kill game... to throw in an extra blind bet... well, it’s not too dissimilar to all this she finds. Just like gambling, you have to know who’s at the table and what all the rules are. It’s easy for people to be confident when they have all the answers; that’s likely the story behind the twin twerp robot revolution. However, over-confidence kills and she’s quite a sharpshooter with the right facts in her hands.

The first step had been to study all the profiles. Now that she had some names perfected and data in her head, she was getting somewhere. This puzzle proved to be of interest too, she found. At the very least it gave her a clearer goal than the simple ‘leave this situation’ one she’d had prior. Or rather, still had, just, more on the backburner. Impatience was a killer and who wanted to die? Not her, that was for sure.

So here she was, on the prowl for company. It didn’t matter who, really, she just needed someone to bounce ideas off. There weren’t many interesting places to check out and not much in the way of hubs of activity. She supposed the dining room was the closest to such an area but... well, it lacked that sort of lounge-y feel, she felt. It didn’t matter, most people were probably hiding away in their rooms, scurrying to makes alliances and plans with back-up plans to match. Predicting human behaviour was something she had some confidence in, after all.

As sad as it sounded, the dining room, she felt, was still her best option for company so that was her destination for now. What a claustrophobic atmosphere, to be stuck with such little space.

To Ebi’s surprise, she wasn’t the first one here. Golden hair, glasses, fancy clothing... and a dazzling pocketwatch. Could it be, could it be? A real-life prince? Pfft. No, it was just that fantasy author. She’d done her research so she knew the basics at least. Hopefully he wasn’t the panicking type; it would be interesting to hear a creative type’s thoughts on the situation.

“Good afternoon~ it’s Orpheus-san, isn’t it? Not bad pronunciation skills, hmm? I made sure to be prepared.”

Blegh, but it still sounded weird, all those big clunky syllables. Uri Ebi was a perfect name, one kanji each, Amami-style, just the way it should be. Well, he clearly wasn’t Japanese so kanji didn’t apply to him.. but she cursed it nonetheless. Maybe O-chan would work.

“... Do you have time for me? Everything’s so gloomy and I’m so bored. I may be a stranger but I figure a little conversation never did anyone any harm! It could even help us. And besides... I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in that reward...“

Cherry awoke with a start, her braids bouncing as her head jerked up from her desk. Her face was flushed, and her eyes watering from the pain pounding rhythmically in her skull. Her heart dropped and her stomach twirled all in a single moment, adding to the feeling of sickness and confusion.

Oh no, I fell asleep in class already? No no no...not here...not now...this is a new start!

Droplets of sweat began rolling down her face as she tried to shake off the haze and remember what was happening. However as her eyes began to focus, her heart only sunk lower into her stomach. Something wasn’t right here. This was unlike any classroom she had ever seen. It looked more like a jail cell than a classroom, she thought.

Just...just a weird dream, right?

She thought to herself, surveying the almost empty classroom. There were a few other people there, who looked either asleep, or as confused as she was. Slowly, a memory came back to her. She remembered....Hope’s Peak! That’s where she was going! But this couldn’t possibly be it, could it? This deserted classroom couldn’t possibly belong to the most prestigious school in Japan.

She desperately wanted to just go back to sleep and wake up in her bed, on the first day she was heading to Hope’s Peak. Sure, that was nervous and anxiety provoking but she’d give the world to be back there right now. She filled her lungs with a gulp of air and channeled all of her willpower to stand up - but her body still stayed frozen to the chair. Now that she took the time to notice it, she was shaking. This all felt terribly, terribly wrong. The harder she tried to recall how this situation began, the harder her head hurt, and the closer she came to the acceptance that this was in no way a dream.

The feelings mix together like a bad cocktail, bubbling uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach. Something feels off. Her stranger danger sense is going crazy and this is before she even really rouses. As her eyes begin to adjust to the awakeness in her body she finds herself dizzier than ever. Some gut feeling had spurred her into an early wake-up but the details weren’t piecing together. Bad night out on the time? Damn it. She hated booze; it tasted like crap and made you unreliable... wait, no, that’s a bit too far for this rewind. She needs something closer... more local in those memory banks... ah, right, Hope’s Peak. The illustrious Hope’s Peak had scouted a con of all people. She’d considered at the time to go ‘new phone, who’s this’ and book it but the opportunity seemed so... glittery. And Ebi did so love things that glittered. Where was that sparkling feeling now, she couldn’t help but wonder as she pushed herself off of the desk she’d been lounging on. Gross.

She was used to waking up early, sure, but that was on her terms. Sometimes waking up an hour or two early to get yourself dolled up was a part of the job. Most of the time she just liked to sleep in. Which is what she should still be doing... had it not been for her instincts she’d probably still be snoozing. Well, that and that atrocious voice.

Ebi fans out a hand to cover the yawn that escapes as she begins to take in her surroundings with a more discerning eye. A classroom. So it seemed, anyway. Maybe it was a magical classroom. She stretches and in these simple gestures, regains some composure. Right, there’s no need to panic. She who clucks like a chicken gets their head cut off like one. This whole sitch is a real brain-twister, sure, but she doesn't have to advertise it. Details will come. She’ll ransack them from any crevice she can. And any person she can exploit.

It’s fine. You’re in control, Uri.

The voice says something about heading to the gym but, ever the contrarian, Ebi opts to ignore it for now to look for something more interesting. Sure, answers might be lying in wait over there which means it’d definitely be beneficial... but there’s also something to be said for taking your time and doing things your own way. Besides, she rather liked the idea of being fashionably late.

Besides, there’s something of interest in this very room. Another person, believe it or not. They seemed to have their wits about them somewhat... or at the very least, they weren’t sleeping like a baby. That meant they were worth talking to. Ebi adjusts her boa before striding over to the stranger, with the confidence and poise of someone who’s actually been awake for hours. The wonders of training your body and appearance, one supposes. She gives them a tap on the shoulder to get their attention before smiling. An extrovert waits for no one.

“Hey babe, you as lost as I am here? It’s a real mess figuring everything out, huh? My head feels like it’s gonna just pop.”

She offers an extended hand, perfectly ready for a handshake.