YOU HAVE 7 DAYS

Hey guys Mod Chimera here. Mod Dani and I have come to an agreement and so we regretfully announce that TDBWY will be shutting down. We are both sad that we did not get to finish this group’s story, but we hope you all had fun despite the ups and downs. We hope you all understand and accept our deepest apologizes.

(More information about the situation below…)

Oki Hamasaki, SHSL Surfer, has been voted guilty.

VOTE TALLY:

“Well, looks like we’ve got a much less divided group this time, huh? Or do we have a more divided group?” Mr. Mono laughed darkly. “We all know what happens next, right?”

[tw self deprecation/self hate]

Nikki jumped a bit at the yelling. At her monologue... Normally, the Nikki we all know and love would agree with her but guess what? They didn’t give a shit anymore. They were so done. Any effort for them to be empathetic is far too draining. Nikki didn’t give a shit anymore if they were liked even a bit or straight in someone’s blacklist. Haha, it’s not like it would matter anyway, they were too temperamental for everyone’s good... Better be gone someday... Soon maybe....

What use do they have here now... Aside from beating people up because of their poor temper or yelling... The astrologer was disgusted with themself and how they behaved... Yeah they did not like how people who replied to them acted but, they hated themself so much more... Why were they still acting like that... No matter how hard they tried, they were just destined to fuck up... Actually... They might just be concerned by fewer people... Léonide isn’t one of them... Nikki doesn’t care... Though, their voice was directed at the rebel idol.

“Sorry. I’ll shut up.”

That was all they said to Forte, not even looking at Léonide at all.

Akira calmed down after the anger in the room subsided. He started to wipe his face of the tears and stand back up, moving back towards his podium.

Arabella gave a small bitter laugh at Leonide's words towards herself. She shouldn't reply at all, but just one last reply would be okay. She wouldn't talk to them again after that unless needed.

"With all due respect Leonide, with how the first trial went I've learnt from my mistakes." She closed her eyes, she was already so tired again. Too much interactions with the living. The dead were always more... well she liked them more regardless. She wanted to tell them that if she was taking into account when she'd tried to talk to them how much it back fried for her in the first place but her throat felt too tight.

Oki was silent, letting everyone speak, or get their anger out. he didn't mind... he supposed it would be best let them get it out no??

".. I suppose i deserve it..??? yeah? i did kill... no??"oki looked.. blank. 

They calmed down, what a relief; a tired but gentle smile graced her lips before it gave in to a scowl as her eyes darted over to Arabella for her input. As much as she hated to admit it, the investigator was right, the trial needed priority right now.

"It certainly seems to be that way. I don't need anything else to convince me, but... Oki, I'm sorry... I really am."

Ah, so they were wrong about Nikki after all, what a shame they really thought they were a kind person. They were so tired of people, they were tired of living, and they were tired--

The smirk was wiped off their face when Forte yelled at both Nikki and them, wide eyed they didn’t think Forte would be so forgiving. Potential, Léonide wondered about that and they gave a sad smile and looked down. They didn’t think they would get kindness that was for sure, suddenly they felt sick to their stomach as everything came back to them, all the shit they said. They laughed at themselves for it.

Everyone must have hated them now.

The brunet looked back to the rebel idol before thanking her in a small voice before looking down again. They didn’t deserve forgiveness for their horrible outburst, but Léonide knew that they couldn’t trust Nikki anymore. What a shame.

Almost as shameful as Arabella thinking she’s better than them, or anyone else in this room.

Thanks to Forte they snapped out of their crazy mood, though they were now sick with themselves, they were not going to let what Arabella said fly. “I did know her actually we talked for a long while before she had to go to her fate, but what would you know about that since you never speak to anyone.” They said with grimace.

Arabella had been more tired then she had thought. You could only do so much before you ran out of steam after all. She had heard everything everyone had said but, she hadn't been able to get her body to answer anything. She had just vacantly looked at the center of the room.

She hadn't been able to tell them anything she found. So Oki had been the killer. The sound of Leonide's agitated voice irritated her. She was too tried from trying to deal with so many people earlier. When they had yelled about Vivienne being their friend she silently laughed in her head. Had they even talked before the day of her murder?

It wasn't until things escalated, Forte and Leonide arguing, that she stirred at all. She shifted from the spot where she stood slightly and gave a blank stare at Leonide. What was their problem? When Nikki had punched them she gave a childish giggle. Much like one a younger child would if they had gotten their sibling in trouble.

"eh ha ha, eh heh ha... I'm sorry that was just very satisfying to see..." A smile ghosted her lips, she obviously wanted to smile but that would be inappropriate.  It left when Leonide started going off again. You'd think they were on trial with them acting up all the time like that. It really got on her nerves.

"... Is this a trial or a kindergarden? Listen to all of you, always shouting and acting out." Her voice was hoarse, she really needed a drink. "No Forte, Leonide is right they are rather pathetic but not for the reasons they think it. With their outbursts you'd think they were on trial. Let me repeat my words from before Leonide, you say she was your friend but did you even know her? Did you even talk to her except before she had died? I doubt it." She was getting rather agitated herself. "<Blithering on about friendship..>." She whispered.

She rubbed her neck, it was stiff. "Never mind that though, this is a trial and it needs to be finished properly. There was a knife missing from Vivienne's room and her bed was a mess. Likely she was planning on trying to kill. After all only one knife was missing in room four as well. Everything else was confirmed by Oki himself."

Akira seemed satisfied that Forte calmed down with his help, turning back to his podium shortly after to turn his attention back on the trial.

Though he didn't want to stay like that long, Léonide's outburst and Nikki's reaction- he felt his heart speed up, tears pricking his eyes in fright. He backed up from his podium, tightly clinging to the plush in his hands.

"What do I know...?"

Forte placed a hand over her heart as she closed her eyes and once more relived her recurring nightmare. Those feelings where a part of herself died with her unnie, the mortifying realization that someone she held so near and dear, and that sucker punch when she found out she was tool rather than a friend?

Yeah, what do I know? Watching someone I thought of as a sister die every time I close my eyes. I'm just a fucking dumbass who trusted someone I thought of as a friend and got stabbed in the back when I found out I signed my life away--"

Aaand BAM! Leonide was down for the count by who else? The Korean hung her head in defeat and somberly shook it...

"I'm surprised you're not dead."

"I'm so pathetic I don't have the guts to take my own life.

Everything felt intense, and not just because of what was happening in the courtroom. Oh no, it felt more like something welling up within her: concern and anger. Perhaps with hints of frustration? Who knows? All she knew...

Was to speak out.

"DON'T YOU EVER FUCKING DARE SAY SHIT LIKE THAT!"

She roared like a beast as she slammed down her hands on the podium. Those blue eyes were practically shining with unheard passion; something ignited in her soul and at this point she had no control over her own words:

"The death of a life--any life--is a loss everyone will feel, whether they know it or not. It doesn't matter if it was natural or not, we still feel it. Never... Never wish death upon someone, because you never know how the people around that person will feel!"

A pointed glare towards the astrologer clearly hinted at who those words were meant for. However the Rebel Idol never wavered as she turned her attention to Leonide, and though the energy did not disappear, she addressed him with a certain firmness.

Nikki glared at Léonide.

“I am very aware of what I did in the last trials, and I had no intentions to start a fight with this right now. Only now, you seemed to give more problems, asshole.”

They went silent.

“I wish we were friends. I really am.”

As soon as they walked back to their podium they heard Léonide’s laugh and then their monologue again and honestly? Nikki was unsettled.

“… Holy shit. You need to be knocked out. I’m not doing this part of the job though. Go the fuck to sleep.”

All they heard was footsteps before blacking out, they could still hear though, and man did that hurt. It was Nikki’s voice, they didn’t expect that from them. It was only a matter of time, Nikki was a loose cannon.

They were on the ground while Nikki talked down to them, Léonide pushed themselves up onto their elbow and rubbed their chin with their free hand. It was a solid punch.

“You’re one to talk about shutting up Hera-san, since you started most of the verbal and physical fights in the previous trials. Did you forget that?” They sounded detached as they spat out some blood after talking, they looked up at Nikki who had turned their back on them, and they were smiling.

“Thought we were closer than that, but I guess you and Oki were closer…” they trailed off looking away for a second once Nikki turned their back to them. Slowly they stood back up, they were still disoriented from the punch, and they laughed. They laughed because Nikki was right.

“Yeah, I am. I’m fucking pathetic!’ They yelled while laughing like a manic, they had a strange look in their eyes when they spoke with a huge grin on their face, “I’m weak and was more than happy to be killed if it means freedom from this living nightmare, hell I’m surprised I haven’t killed myself!” they said with a shrug, “But it’s as you said, I’m pathetic, I’m so pathetic I don’t have the guts to take my own life. Things would have been better if that car didn’t go right though me, and killed me instead. Isn’t that right Hamasaki-kun?!” they threw a glance at Oki with their last words before looking back at Nikki.

“You can beat me all you want, actually it be an honor to be beaten to death by your hands.” They said happily, death didn’t seem so bad anymore, not when they were like this. “I wonder where I’d go if I died, would I go to heaven or hell. Maybe I’m already dead and this punishment for our sins? Nobody knows~” they said with eerie cheer. They were gone, was it because of lack of sleep, or something else?