#hyouri

< tw for blood, gore, organs >

Wide, pale grey eyes, set into Hyouri Himeno’s tear stained face, jerked his gaze wildly around the courtroom as Monobear trilled out the call for his own death. How were they to take him? In chains and bonds, like the others? He couldn’t fight back like Daichi had -- not now, not ever. Despite the fact that he announced his own readiness, despite the fact that he knew he could no longer stay in this world, fear still permeated each drop of blood in his veins.

However, no chain linked metal cuff emerged from the darkness to pull him into his final moments. Instead, Kana Hijiri merely snapped her long, taloned fingers to open a trapdoor beneath his feet. Barreling down into darkness, the last thing that Hyouri Himeno left in the world of the living was the trailing sound of his scream.

Lights… Camera... ACTION!~

For the first time in quite some time, a monitor did not spring to life at the disappearance of the to-be-executed -- instead, it went dark, with the image of Kana fizzling away into nonexistence. The stage, however, to the right of the podiums was soon bathed in light.

The stage, now alit, was subject to a bright spotlight fixed to who other than… Kana Hijiri. Perfect posture, perfect hair, perfect timing… And perfect real, physical body. She flounced onto the stage in a sequin covered dress, and gave a dazzling smile before she put the mic up to speak.

“Gooooood evening again, Studio Audience~! How nice of you to be switching over to see this once in a lifetime event! You know-- like they say, true love is a once in a lifetime thing! So let’s not wait, shall we?~❤”

“ Without further ado---” She clapped, and the stage became fully illuminated.

[ music ] 

“WELCOME TO THE DATING GAME~~!”

The curtains on the stage parted to reveal a set lined in pale, plush yellow carpeting. It seemed to have been pulled directly out of a time hoop that lead to the set of a 1980’s gameshow -- tacky, goo-drop flowers adored any open space of the backdrop, complete in tacky offset neon colors. In the center of this grisly kitchy display sat none other than the man of the hour, strapped by the wrists and ankles to a mock director’s chair. Even from your distance to the stage, the sweat beading down Hyouri’s face is absolutely visible.

However, what was not so… normal at all, was that aside from the students, there appeared to be another row of audience members. A set of movie-like seats had popped up between the podiums and the stage; every seat contained what seemed to be a pair of doll arms, who clapped and creaked viciously at Kana’s introduction. It was as if they were all forcefully growing up from under the seats - ripping through the upholstery as not to miss this amazing premiere! After all, WHO WOULD WANT TO?

“What’s this, you might be saying~~? Well stupid, because it’d be no fun for me to just crush him between my toes like a bug-- I’m going to give you all a chance to save Hyouri Himeno! The rules of my game are very simple, I’ll ask you questions, and you answer them! Only 5 questions! See, no need to worry about missing your primetime dramas~ <3″

“But-- the catch is, I’ll only let you have two oopsies-- yeah? Simple? Answer three questions right and I won’t let him be killed!~ Do you think you can do something that simple?”

“--So here’s our looovely bachelor himself! ❤” 

Kana makes an exaggerated motion over to Hyouri. All the color is drained from his face, he’s unable to even speak - his mouth just twitches in absence of words. He had expected a painful punishment… not something like this demented scenario.

“Hahaaa, what a doll? Am I right?” Of course, the real dolls, or should we say, doll hands, found this a riot; some slapping together so hard you’d think they’d break themselves.

Kana continues to smile and pose for the audience before she turns to pull out a deck of cards.

“Ahhh so let’s see then, what’s our first question--- maybe something easy~? Ooooohoho! Yamaguchi Suzume-chan! If you want to protect Himeno-kun so badly… Then you should know the answers to these! You’re soooooo close to him, right? What’s his favorite type of music~?“

A monitor behind Kana showed 4 multiple choice answers.

[ A: J-rock | B: Enka C: | Classical | D: Denpa ]

“ ….So then, what is it Suzu-chaaan~?”

“You… don’t have to be close to someone to want to protect them. It’s called being a decent human being.”

“... and maybe if you weren’t such a bully, I could have someday learned what kind of music he likes. Hina-chan too. You took them both from us. This is all your fault.”

There was a drawling moment of silence… Kana only staring at Suzume with the same expression, a cheshire smile. You could have heard a grain of salt hit the floor let alone a pin.

“Ooooo…. oooo….. Too bad about that Suzu-chan---”

“That wasn’t an option! Hyehahaahaaa! “ With that, a buzzer rang, indicating it indeed was not a valid answer or even the correct one.

“Maybe you should have phoned a friend? Ohhho that’s right, you probably don’t have any, yeah!!”

Kana swirled over next to Hyouri before she read the next card, putting her shoulder on the edge of his seat to lean on; while he looked as if he was trying his hardest not to look at her.

“ … I guess you’re gonna have to hope the next person cares more about you huh, Hime-kun? HAHAHAhaaaa!”

With a quick shuffle, Kana was reading the next card in her deck.

“Yoshida Yona-chan! If you like Himeno-kun so much… then, would he prefer a face full of bees, or two broken knees?”

[ A: Bees | B: Knees ]

The spotlight moved yet again to beam upon Yona Yoshida.

"Likin' had nothin' t' do with anythin'! Just SHUT UP!!!"

Yona paused for a moment.

"...I don' want it t' hurt..."

Another long pause…

“Aaaaaahahahaaaaa-- That’s not even a ch---”, Before she could even finish the buzzer rang for a correct answer, and the storm chaser was then bathed in rainbow-colored confetti.

It was like the flip of a switch and Kana dropped her cutesy hostess facade, smile turning to a snarl; meanwhile the arm-dience was going hog clapping for Yona’s victory.

“---What the fuck?... Hhh….I guess you do know him huh. “ She stopped leaning on his chair and stood dead still. It looked like she could rip his head off then and there -- however, the crowd loves an underdog -- how could she end this special event so soon?

Of course she wouldn’t let that happen!

“HAHA~ Well, the show must go on! Congratulations, Yo-chan! Aha-- next next, let’s see…” A moment passed as the girl rifled through her deck of cards, and then released a mighty guffaw. “Murayama Ren-san! You lived riiiiiight near Himeno-kun for all these weeks, but did you ever know him at all?! What’s Hime-kun’s idea of a perfect date?”

[ A: Movies | B: Long walks | C: Fancy Dinner | D: April 24th ]

A fair amount of time passed when the spotlight swapped to Ren. Eventually, however, the wargamer looked towards the stage.

"Eh...? Why are you asking me-- I...I don't know.”

A cackle erupts from the girl as once more, the buzzer indicating a wrong answer sounds out. 

“Ahahaha, you’re not even trying, now! You all must hate Hime-kun sooooooo much, hehe! Foooourth question -- you’d better get it right, should you even want a chance to keep him alive! -- goes out to Tzusuki Shion-san! If you knew Kudo so well, then how compatible were her and Himeno-kun’s starsigns?”

[ A: So-so | B: Not compatible | C: Soul mates | D: Compatible ]

Shion stares silently at Kana for a moment, before folding her arms across her chest and pointedly looking away. “I-I don’t owe you a response to that.”

Again, a buzzer shrieks, followed only by Kana tutting at the thereminist. 

“Ohohoho~ I wonder how Kudo will feel, knowing that you all failed the boy she cared about so much so baaaaaadly! Oh, that’s right, she can’t feel anything at all! I made sure of that.”

“One laaaaaaaast question -- not that it matters, hehe!” Kana’s voice sounds more and more like grating nails against stone as she speaks. “Here, let’s have the last one be easy for you. Fujioka Masuyo-san! It seems like you’re all this scared little boy has left in the world! But did you ever really know him? Did you really ever know the depths of his sin?”

The screen holding the options corrupts for a moment, giving the audience the briefest view of a chaotic scene -- twisted metal, smoke, fire, shards of glass, the mangled frame of a car -- before changing into what would surely be the options for the last question.

“Who does Hime-kun love more than anyone in the whole wide world?”

[ A: KANA | B: KANA | C: KANA | D: KANA ]

"I--I......." Masuyo hiccuped, her mouth agape at everything she had been witnessing. Everything had taken so so long to process, and Masuyo wasn't how to react to the results of the trial, even, let alone the horrible scene in front of her.

(Was this her fault?--For not reaching out. For not getting rid of Kana when she could.)

"He--he… He doesn't deserve this… Himeno-kun deserves love. To be loved -- He --!" Masuyo whined softly before covering her mouth, smothering her small cries.

At that moment, as the final buzzer rang out, Kana’s face twisted and warped into the horrible, fang-bearing smile of the trial before this. “It was a trick question!” Kana’s voice had been further destroyed -- it didn’t even sound like the high pitched whine of a girl as it had previously. It was harsh now, scraping against the sides of the minds of the students, like a wolf demanding to be let in the garden gates. 

“Hime-kun can’t love! That’s a privilege he forfeited, years ago, along with his heart! See?!”

The girl -- the monster -- straightened up from leaning on the back of Hyouri’s chair, and with a wicked grin, thrust her hand through the back, through his back, and out the front of his sweater. Her taloned fingers, coated in the red blood that had kept the ningyoushi alive, clutched tightly nothing other but his until-recently beating heart.

< gore image under the cut, please read the last paragraph above to see what you’re in for! >

[TW: Emotional Distress]

No good deed goes unpunished doesn’t it?

It was for sure that all bad deeds don’t go unpraised.

Amazingly, finally another human within 2 feet of him – actually hugging him – did not trigger any kind of squick or scream… this is how it feels to trust someone – a good person? Yes, trust is a fickle thing. Hyouri had learned quite harshly that you really never could trust anyone but….

Of course he hugged back, and tried not to cry himself.

“ᵀʰᵉ ᶫᵃˢᵗ ᵖᵉʳˢᵒᶰ ᵗᵒ⋅⋅⋅⋅ʰ⁻⋅⋅⋅ʰ⁻ʰᵘᵍ ᵐᵉ ʷᵃˢ ᵐʸ ᵍʳᵃᶰᵈᵐᵃ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ ⋅⋅ ⋅⋅ ᵗʰᵃᶰᵏ ʸᵒᵘ⋅”

There wasn’t really more he could say… but he had to talk, he couldn’t waste his breaths – he had to make the most of it.

“ Y—yamaguchi-san….. you can…take my keycard… and her… “ He wiggled the shoulder that was supporting the Hinatea Doll.

“ Please…. Dd-d-on’t let the–m break her…… “

With that he gently handed her the doll.

“ …. Ah.. …sh..-s–sshit…. what e….. oh— “

Hyouri leaned down and whispered something in Suzume’s ear.

“ You will…. Do it justice. “

Hyouri turned to face the rest of the crowd – before looking towards Ren and digging into his pocket to pull out a tiny action figure; modeled in the likeness of the one he addressed. With that he gently left it on the end of his podium.

“ …..I don’t like plas—tic…but I couldn’t….throw this away for some…season–r-reason…. So you should have it… “

“ And…. ah…. perh—h-haps.. send a letter to…. Ranko Himeno..in–To-tokorozawa.. tell her…. I’m….so sorry …. she will…need a new heir… “

“…Tell her…. I made a….mistake to close her off… I did…need help. ”

The world was a cycle, life was a cycle, death was also a cycle; of course he knew however, he would not be reincarnating. It’d take the 100 year reform system in hell before he could make his pleas again to the gods.

Hyouri took a deep breath… even in the face of death he was a whimpering fool. At least for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel anyone invading his mental space.

Perhaps, then now would be a time of introspection, for his life to flash before his eyes. But that didn’t happen, this wasn’t a sappy movie.

He couldn’t…. remember anything.

All he could think of was the sound of porcelain cracking and splitting on pavement - the way mary-jane’s clicked when they walked away.

What kind of life was worth living on those memories… pain and sadness… Hinatea was gone.

“ Ok… …r–ready… 

There was an overwhelming sense of dread when Masuyo awoke to the god awful noise that buzzed from her  keycard. She also felt an overwhelming desire to throw her phonecard across the room and ignore the call, but that would lead to punishment--and we don’t want that ending for Masuyo, now do we?

So she got up and left room G-4 and followed the obnoxious tune towards the body. What concerned Masuyo immediately, was what room she was heading towards.

  (There was no way.)

  She wouldn’t run--no this must be a mistake of some kind.

  (But can’t you see the blood with your own eyes?)

  A mere trick--must be paint or something else….perhaps blood packets?

  (No one had access to those anymore--face the Truth Masuyo.)

  And thats what she did

“.....”

Hinatea Kudo was dead--murdered in the most violently way possible, nay the most violently way she’s ever seen. Her dear friend looked like something that came from a car accident.

Masuyo stood completely and utterly still, she didn’t let out a cry or scream--as she did in the last trial. Rather she shook for a few moments, just trying to process exactly what must had happened to Hinatea to be so….so distorted. After a moment, her legs did give out and Masuyo fell to her knees, still in complete silence.

(She focused on something else--she couldn’t look at the wounds or--)

Her eyes quickly were drawn to the nasty kanji that was carved into her body, and force once Masuyo didn’t have any difficulty reading and processing them.

“...W-who…..who would….”

(Who here could write something so cruel?)

(Hina was never ugly--no she was anything but--)

Then came the quivering, small little inhales that were Masuyo’s attempt at keeping herself from sobbing.  It worked for the most part, Masuyo wasn’t a sobbing mess but that didn’t prevent tears from cascading down her cheeks or the angry fluttering of her heart overworking itself. No she might have been outwardly together, but lord knows that on the inside she is an absolute mess.

  In between her small cries, she managed to mutter something else--something that held such a weight to it/

“But I…...was supposed to save you.”

(What was that supposed to mean?)

(There was something else she had sensed--something more…..)

(Malicious and otherworldly. A sensation she had felt before, but the lack of sleep had clouded her reading.)

Masuyo then turned her head up to Hyouri, she had forgotten that they left together.

Hyouri himself, looked devoid of any external emotion -- or perhaps that was a misnomer. There was something on his face, if perhaps not a singular emotion than perhaps a mix. Empty hands tensed; his breathing went almost undetectable. The familiarly uncomfortable slack on his shoulders left with it all too.

    . . .

  . . .

    “ A….a..h...a..----- aaaaa---aAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHAAHAAAAAA!! “

Well a reply was certainly unexpected, but it got the wheels moving - among other things. 

“Ah... well -- Hayashi-san, I do not... I cannot say I yet know... I was... “shooting the breeze” as they.... say. I hoped.... to jog...mind-- memories. “

{ ᵂʰᵃᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ʳᵉᵃᶫᶫʸ ᵐᵉᵃᶰ ᵗᵒ ˢᵃʸ ᶦˢ, ʸᵒᵘ'ʳᵉ ᵃ ᵇᵘᵐᵇᶫᶦᶰᵍ ᶦᵈᶦᵒᵗ⋅ ᴿᶦᵍʰᵗ﹖~ }

( No... no I’m not..please....you--!! )

He went quiet for a minute, closing his eyes and holding the left side of his head for a moment - not stopping even as he started to throw out more possibly halfway relevant information, in his mind.

“ A---about the soda machine. It is more likely... for the wound in the leg to have been the killer than the machine. The worst that could happen from half your body being crushed is.... paralization--- pari--paralyzed from the waist down. a...a spinal in--jury..... that is to also assume.... the femoral artery was not shot..... she had time to attempt to es---es---escape before bleeding out. “

" It is... not as if Haino-san was cut in half by the machine.... that would be...increasingly unclean and horrible. "

Hyouri stopped for a minute and realized that without a source, that was quite odd.

Hyouri didn’t care about who surrounded him, he never really did, this moment was not any different. Though he had however, forgotten that there was sensitive information floating all over about everyone. But isn’t that life? 

Energy floats around... it harms... it heals, though less often.

Energy could even latch itself to another viable source.

But perhaps this time, he could help even in a small bit... a friendly deed for a friend. Clearing his throat, Hyouri prepared to talk, raising his hand as if that would give him the floor for a minute or two.

“ I would request an.....addendum to Fujino-san’s statement... “

“ Though it could be another double...red...herring-- if we think about perhaps the mother--.... murderer not understanding the...message left by Haino-san. “

“ If... I was dying....h---hypothetically, it would be very hard to be legible... without context, we surely wood--- would not know. “

“ How...ever, Haino-san could have meant for us to read it... as “Empty”. “