#mgc open

There isn’t sadness in her heart.

Her eyes stare into the ceiling as she lays back on one of the lounge’s many sofas. What kind of room needs this many sofas anyway? The ceiling has no patterns in it. Nothing of interest, nothing of merit. That leaves her alone with her thoughts. Thoughts she figures should be deeper. Or more interesting.

There’s nothing inside my mind.

That thought flicks her eyes shut... and then open again. Is there something that should come to mind? Perhaps people like Yahiro would be talking about how amusing it is. Seeking out new victims, people to harass, perhaps to fluff up one’s ego. Others like miss Suzume would surely be on high alert to make sure it won’t happen again. But it would. It will. That’s just the nature of the game. It’s been constructed well. Then others... surely some of them are sad. One died and another was... murdered. Truthfully, they’d both been murdered. Perhaps some of her peers were regretting it. ‘If we send Eiji Ebina’ to his death we are no better than he’... or something. But it’s all preservation. It’s an easy choice, right?

Reality denied will come back to haunt.

That’s quite natural. In her head it makes sense. But the fact that it makes sense... that it comes together so easily...

It’s a little disappointing.

Towa pulls herself up and brushes the fringe out of her eyes. There’s nothing interesting. No interesting shapes in the ceiling. No smells or colours to buzz a sense to life. Just a muted sense of nothing. That confirms it more than anything. She’s a hollow shell of a person. She’s heard it before as well. Maybe there’s something wrong in her head.

That’s why you’re alone. That’s why they lie to you.

She shakes her head and looks across the room realizing as someone enters. It doesn’t... look like they’ve been there long. Or perhaps, rather, it doesn’t feel that way. Straightening a little she tilts her head at the intruder. There’s no real sense of welcome in her demeanor nor is there any murderous intent for the intrusion. It’s just... a blank slate.

“Oh, you surprised me.”

It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if Nori hadn’t gone in with such blind optimism. That was always the problem, wasn’t it? He had been so certain that no one was going to die, that everyone here was much better than that. But his expectations had failed him, and now Natsuko Ikeda was laying dead on the floor of the kitchen. 

He had never really talked to her much, but she had always seemed like a very kind person who always had something nice to say. Higashiyama wished he had gotten to know her better, but he had expected more time to accomplish that. 

Instead of falling on his ass like he normally did, he was instead filled with a newfound vigor. He would find Natsuko’s killer, and make sure that she had safe passage into the afterlife. 

Hesitantly, Nori opened the Monofile and scanned it. Something in particular caught his eye. He knelt down next to Natsuko’s body, trying not to throw up at the sight of her cadaver, and examined her neck. He turned his neck, giving someone behind him an inquisitive look.

This was... disturbing. It was completely and utterly disturbing, and she didn’t know how to react to Nori’s mentor being killed, and Nari’s friend being killed, but... when it came to...

Mimizu?

Mimizu. They had been friends... but after a while, she’d just forgotten because, well. Mimizu didn’t have a phone, and he just was bad with computers. She never blamed him... it wasn’t his fault!

“M-Mimizu?” She grumbled.

And that was when it happened. The chainsaw sounds made her want to cry, and every sound of pain that he made--

She just couldn’t take it.

“No... no! Please, leave him alone! He’s n-no... Mimizu... Mimizu!! Monobear, please, stop!! It’s not funny anymore!”

Uhh... it...

Huh...

Nnnnnhhhhh.....

Oh God, what in the fucking shit??????

The ground, once solid, now felt like a rocking boat beneath Nori’s feet. The moment that Monokuma had begun to read out the first note, fear had run its cold, clammy fingers over every inch of his body. He knew that voice all too well. Normally, he would have welcomed it, but coming out of the bear’s mouth... 

For a swift instant, the fear was replaced by pride at the words being read, but- then, the gunshot. Judging by the other monologues, it was clear that it wasn’t just a sound effect used to transition from one monologue to another. Humans could survive gunshots, Higashiyama knew that. But he didn’t think that he could - especially if he was in the same state he was the last time Nori had seen him. 

There was a crash. He was about to look around to see where it had come from, but he realized that he was the source of the crash. He had fallen on the ground, and was positively shaking like a leaf in pure terror. 

“He... Shishou... Oh, god.”

Of all the things that could have happened to Natsuko and everypony else, this was clearly something she was not expecting in the slightest. Talking stuffed bears? Since when did those exist? Since, like, never!

Murder. The word rings through her head multiple times after Monobear says it. Murder. Murder. Murder. It’s a joke, isn’t it? The this is the Murder Game Club, after all... the murder only happens in the performances and then after that... well, everyone’s fine and dandy!

But then the secrets pop up on her ID, and suddenly things don’t feel like a joke anymore.

...And why does this bear know that she likes My Little Pony?

“I like My Little Pony, s-so what! The characters are cute and I learn a lot about friendship!”

This dream had colours of brown and red, of black and white, but she hadn’t detected anything off until now. Perhaps it was just the aftermath of awakening, her personal fog hadn’t lifted yet. But in front of her was proof something was off and confirmation her anxious feelings prior were spot on. It wasn’t just a dark feeling in her bones; it was real. The need to escape, the need for pure air... perhaps somehow, somewhere, she’d known something like this all this time.

Uh-oh. Not good. Her hands won’t stop shaking. It’s like those days from before. The ones where her vision’s all messed up. Calm down, Toto. Calm down. You’re only ever had you. You’ll get through this...

Bringing her shivering hands up slightly, she traces her fingers across her palm and begins air-writing something on the surface.

“12-8, 12-8... 12... 8...”

And then you breathe. You just breathe.

Part of her wonders how she’s stood for this long. The announcement from the bear and the writing now carved into the back of her mind is making her feel like she’s standing on nothing. She barely realizes she’s even on her feet until she takes a few unsteady steps back.

In one sharp breath, she realizes she’s in danger. People. People everywhere. Lying people. Dangerous people. Manipulators. Cheats. Thugs. Strong. Cowardly. Intelligent. Pretty. They have some boon no matter what. They can’t be trusted. None of them. If she runs, she looks desperate. No, she’s... still got some control here. Towa releases a breath she didn’t know she had and then makes a careful beeline for the door.

There are things she can do... surely.

Her eyes go to the stairs but she doesn’t have the strength to climb those yet. Instead, she hovers over to the dining room and presses her shoulder against the door, pushing with her feeble strength. Somehow being here, with less humans, less clutter, is already doing wonders for her mood. Towa takes a few steps towards the table, towards the candles upon the table and just sighs. Her hands have finally stopped but her head’s still frozen. It’s too bright. It’s too bright here it’s burning through her skull. Her eyes dart all over the table before she settles on a move. With a clumsy limp hand, she scoops up a candle and drags it with her, with some care, underneath the table.

At least now she won’t have to stand and... yeah... this is better.

Okay, bears were officially at the bottom of Nori’s definitive ranking of animals now. 

His first thought was that his theory about the voice on the announcements was correct, and he had felt a bit of pride for being right. But instead of a teacher, it was... a stuffed bear? Kind of like the thing you’d see as a prize for a shooting game at a festival. And at first, it was really funny! It seemed like some kind of puppet show! 

But then... everything changed. Murder????? Like... real murder? Not fake murder with collapsing swords? He wasn’t so sure he liked the idea of being in a play for the rest of his life, either. Acting was his passion, but he didn’t think he would be able to act in one continuous play until he was old and wrinkly... or dead.

Trembling slightly, Higashiyama opened up his ElectroID and scanned the secrets and goals he had been given. He let out a sigh of relief at his own, but his eyes widened at the sight of the other two secrets he had. What kind of a place was this where people like that-

Wait, could the bear read minds? Nori had no idea, but he couldn’t take the risk of even thinking about it. What if someone here was an esper or something? He’d be toast!

Overwhelmed by so much happening at once, he buckled on his feet and found himself on the ground, grasping at the pant leg - or skirt...leg? - of another club member. Nori looked up at them and immediately let go, awkwardly scooting away from them.

“A-ah, my apologies! I did not mean to startle you, I myself am concerned about these frightening circumstances, you see.”

He glanced to his left, then to his right, and then back up at the person.

As strange as he was feeling about this whole scenario, Nori’s sense of wonder got the better of him. Once he had woken up (after having promptly fallen off of the couch he was on) and listened to everyone else in the mansion air their grievances, he was gripped by the need to go explore this newfound territory. He examined the rooms, felt up the painted-on windows - he even allowed himself a silly twirl beneath the giant chandelier in the entrance hall. It was like that one scene from Beauty and the Beast, but admittedly kind of pathetic.

The voice did gnaw at the back of his mind, though. There was clearly someone else in the mansion, but who? Nori tried to recall if the Murder Game Club had a teacher as a supervisor, like many clubs did, but he came up empty. Not only that, but the voice didn’t sound like a teacher - if he sat through a class with the owner of the voice as a teacher, he didn’t think he would actually learn anything. 

The sound of wooden sandals clacking up the stairwell was amplified by the acoustics of the upstairs lounge as he entered it. He was almost tempted to shout. The acoustics in this mansion seemed top-notch, despite its dated appearance. His focus quickly drifted away from the sound, though, as he laid eyes on the room in the back of the lounge. 

“Is that...”

He rushed towards it quickly and threw the doors open. A wide grin spread across his face.

“Bwaha, why, it is!”

It’s a dressing room! It’s stuffed with so much clothing that Higashiyama could feasibly wear a different outfit in here every single day and never have to re-wear one. He hoped he would get an explanation for why he was there before it would have to come to that, though.

“...Hm, maybe they have hakamas... I suppose that I will have to investigate!”

Nori began to look through the clothes, not noticing that another person had entered the room. He pulled out three hangers at random - on one hung a freshly-pressed tuxedo, one contained a silky kimono, and the last one... had full samurai regalia.