Though! I assume despite your denials, Hajime Hinata! You require something more substantial than the mere words of the world's most terrifying calamity, Gundam Tanaka!
[He sees your hand and he really doesn't want to hand over this hand book to him.]
The mask fades away into particles of weird blue distortion, and that's that. If Gundam says he didn't kill anyone, he might as well believe him. He takes people for their word; it's once you break that to Ryuji that he will never forget that.]
Alright.
[That didn't really fill in the gaps of all the other absolutely fucking batshit stuff that looked like it was going on back wherever Hajime and Gundam had come from. He thinks back to all the talks he had with Hajime, too, about what it would be like to go home.
If that's the home he has to go back to ...]
The only calamity I'm seein' here is how you ain't lettin' him see that book. Might as well just give up the ghost, dude.
[Hajime glances to Ryuji, surprised at how quickly he accepts what Gundam's saying. But... he really shouldn't be, he realizes almost as quickly. Ryuji is just the kind of guy who's so willing to believe in other people that even something like this...
He still wants the evidence to prove it. It's in his hand, he's sure of it, and he doesn't let go of the handbook.]
If... if this has a list of students in it... the people you're saying thought I was their classmate... I want to see it, Tanaka.
[Well... he didn't really come from a world where that was actually a luxury he could afford either. There were a lot of corrupt people whose sins had turned them into monsters that hid under sheep's skin in their own society. Ryuji and his friends, then, only ever worked to alleviate those corruptions.
And also? If this were a murder game, he'd probably wipe the floor with his persona. He loved his inner demon monkey king.
He'll stay quiet as Gundam hands over the book. He's curious to know what's going on, but it's not his story to tell.]
[Would Persona fall under the "excessive violence" clause?? Who knows.
Hajime takes the handbook, hefting it in his hands. He's never seen anything quite like it; sure, it seems like a normal smartphone or tablet, but there's something weird about that little dancing bear. Like a malice deeper than any he's ever felt before.
He shakes his head, tabs over to the Report Card, and-- selects his own pixelated portrait after a deep breath to steel himself. ...Well, he doesn't look dead, though what's with the only things listed on his profile being mochi? Not to mention--]
Super High School Level...
[Super High School Level What though? It's all just question marks, even in Gundam's handbook. Beep, beep, he taps on Gundam's portrait. Nothing surprising there. Then Chiaki's, again with the same kind of trepidation from looking at his own. Again, nothing surprising. It's... nice, seeing her face again, his own expression softening.
The next one he clicks on is Mahiru Koizumi, and he flinches, a whole-body shudder at the greyed-out portrait labeled DEAD. Though he doesn't recognize most of the faces, the more he taps on, the more dead students he sees. He feels faint, like he might throw up. But--]
There's... it's evidence that he's not a killer, isn't it? There's just-- too many people. I...
[He clutches his tie with a hand, looking to Gundam again more pleadingly.]
What happened? Why... this is what you meant about people turning on each other, isn't it?
[Souda keeps suggesting Super High School Level Traitor. This is probably because Souda is an idiot-- and it has nothing to do with his tragic backstory that Gundam doesn't know anything about because he also won't give Gundam any of his goddamn hope shards.]
Be assured you are alive and shall remain that way, Hajime Hinata. You don't have my permission to perish and you will remain safe under my vigilant watch.
That's... that's Koizumi. Satou's friend in the Main Course. And this guy... this has to be her brother. Kuzuryu, the Super High School Level Yakuza.
[This is all good and normal. Apparently their(??) classmate is a yakuza heir, that's fine. Don't worry about it, Ryuji.]
Did... he couldn't have killed her, right? I-I mean... there's the rule. About... about a blackened getting away.
[Vaguely, he's aware that uhhh the door is still open. Let's just-- head inside, kids, Hajime stumbling a little as he makes his way over to sit heavily on the floor. Li rolls off the bed with a chirping meow and promptly buries herself in his lap. She's too big to really fit in his lap these days, but it doesn't stop her from trying.]
How come the police didn't get involved...? I mean, you guys are all talented students. They'd know you were missing.
[Ryuji is chill over here, but when Hajime looks to move so that there's some privacy to their discussion, he has a moment where he looks over at his friend for a cue- like, he knows this is kind of something personal, and he doesn't want to really be there if it makes either of them uncomfortable.
But it's not like the door closes in front of him or anything, so he'll join in, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.]
The police are useless, dude.
[Speaking very much from personal experience here. He was there when Ren came back from interrogation, saw all the bruises and marks all over his face and arms.
The police didn't save the world from anyone. They were absolutely, positively, fucking useless.]
[Gundam doesn't seem to mind if Ryuji stays. If he's going to be loyal to the singularity, he can be privy to what shall come to pass in his future.
Besides. He's right.]
It was the failure of the police to begin with that allowed Monokuma to provide such a successful motivation.
While the memory of this event was never restored to any of us in full, there were enough hints made available for those who deliberately sought them out. They drew their own conclusions as to what had transpired.
Conflict occurred as Monokuma desired and in a heated moment, Koizumi was felled. Not by his own hand, but by one so devoted to him she would sacrifice us all and herself if it meant he could somehow escape.
...He is an barely ursine monstrosity who preys upon their fragility and drives them to unforgivable acts.
Perhaps they are looking for them... but what could they do to reveal our locality to them? There is no way to escape. No way to communicate. They are stranded, clinging desperately to the last vestiges of hope in the face of despair.
[And if they looked for them right now and managed to find Jabberwock Island -- there is no escaping that funhouse.]
[The police are useless, it's true. They didn't investigate Natsumi's murder beyond a cursory glance. But these are people with talent. The police should be trying to find them! How could an entire class just vanish?!]
Your whole class is trapped there...
[And somehow, someone like me got mixed up in this, too. In the future... after the Project.
His fists clench at his thighs, and he just looks down at the fluffy ball of digicat curled up in his lap. A whole class full of talented students, being forced to kill each other. He can't fathom it. He wants to tell Gundam to give up the joke, but there's just no way he'd joke about this.]
Why... didn't you tell me about this before, Tanaka?
[He looks between the two, still not getting the full picture of exactly what was going on, and that's... that's fine, really, he guesses it'll be explained in full, but he does pick up on small ticks between Hajime and Gundam. He might be rather dumb at figuring puzzles and scholastic types of things, but he's definitely decent at picking up on people, and he can tell that Gundam cares deeply about Hajime.
He understands completely the willful amount of energy it takes to protect someone you care about, and he's getting that this isn't a joke. How can he think that? Weirder shit's happened. He walked to school one day with Joker and the next thing he knew, he was in a castle with all sorts of armored guards trying to kill them.]
I think he cares about you, dude.
And like... whatever happened there would've hurt you to know. So he didn't wanna say anything. I mean, look at 'em. He's practically straining at something you just said.
[Hajime looks to Ryuji and shakes his head before shifting his gaze to Gundam. It doesn't make sense, it's crazy to think about, but it's not...
He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head again.]
No, that... that's not what I meant. I meant... how could you keep something like this to yourself? You have to be worried about them, right?
[Gundam can natter on all he wants about being a dark lord and having no friends, etc, etc, but Hajime just can't buy it. He's a weirdo, but he's a weirdo with a kind heart and obvious love for animals. Surely Hajime wasn't his only friend in this weird, messed-up situation?]
I guess what I'm trying to say is... are you okay? Keeping secrets about yourself... isn't easy.
[He manages not to look at Ryuji for that bit. Ryuji is. Bad. at keeping secrets about himself, to say the least. But he's not gonna call him out directly.]
[Gundam can't bring himself to say it as bluntly as Ryuji is able to, but it's hard to hide the tinge of pink that crawls into his cheeks at the accusation.
[Gundam's not one to talk about himself-- not honestly. The veil of obfuscation he hid himself behind was deliberately crafted.]
...
[To be asked if he's worried about someone else? To be asked if he's okay? -- For such a long time such questions would be laughable in their absurdity... Gundam Tanaka was beloved by no earthly beings and no earthly beings were beloved by Gundam Tanaka!
But. For all the difficulties he'd had relating to those on the island... he hadn't wanted them to kill or to die. For all his incompatibilities with humans Hajime had still befriended him. Even more unexpectedly someone like Sonia sought out his company.
When he left they'd all been resigned to their fate. Waiting to die. Giving up.]
...
...
...
[It's hard to find the words that sufficiently obscure such thoughts or such feelings without being insulting to those he left behind.]
[The silence is killing him, even though he knows the cogs are spinning in Gundam's brain. And it's not fair, to either Gundam or Hinata for him to be the one to push this sort of thing out of him. But he's a persona user, he's used to a team that has reached some sense of self-actualization, and even if they're still mostly spotty at it, they've always had someone to ignite each other to try and open up, or at least be strong enough to say what's on their minds regardless of whether or not it hurt them to do it.
And look, Ryuji's still struggling with that himself, in a lot of ways, but it's not healthy to keep all that in. Gundam's not some dark being that's excluded from being a part of the basic tenants of friendship or learning how to cope with stuff like people eventually learn how to do.
He scratches the back of his head.]
Dude, it ain't easy to rip off your own mask, uh, trust me on that one. But... we've only got each other here, right?
'Cause if you're gonna try and go it alone, you're gonna break. There's no way around it. Shit, Hajime was turnin' invisible this month and my I lost an arm. I dunno if I coulda even made it half as long as I did if it weren't for people to kick my as--- butt around.
And I think about all the people back home, too. If they're happy or not, or what happened to them. You gotta keep yourself living in the present. You owe it to yourself. Or, I guess... their memory.
[Man, he kind of does suck at motivational speeches compared to some other people Hajime's met. But there's something about Ryuji's frank honesty that fills Gundam's silence that keeps Hajime from interrupting. His lips firm into a line, and he nods.]
I agree with that.
[It's not the loud, almost accusatory words of consent that Gundam's heart from Hajime during class trials, but a calmer, almost resigned statement. Ryuji's right.]
I... guess what I'm trying to say is that you can rely on us, okay? If you need someone to talk to about... about everything that's happened, you don't have to try to keep it a secret just to protect me.
[Hajime holds out a hand for Gundam, an offer to shake hands and make a deal, if he wants.]
So... let's be honest with each other, and depend on each other. That's what friends do, right?
[Gundam's eyes dart from Ryuji to Hajime, the pressure in his chest tightening. He bristles sharply at the uncomfortable sensation, his shoulders tensing and every hair on his body standing on end.
He'd concealed the truth to protect Hajime, of course! But... Now that he was suddenly forced into such a conversation by these two-- maybe in a way...]
[It's quite remarkable really. Who could have believed that such a sensation could continue to ensnare his heart like this even in the depths of space?
Truly, the beloved foes he left behind were his most formidable opponents...
To think that the great Gundam Tanaka could have such an overwhelming sensation of regret at having been the only one to escape. Feeling twinges of guilt gnawing at his insides whenever he noticed just how terrible replicator food was-- and forcing himself to finish it regardless. Such trifles like a mere lack of sleep or his own body corroding from the inside out-- as if any of this compared to their suffering.
[Ryuji's words are clumsy, yes. However, the intention behind them is clear.
Hajime's words are light by comparison, but in the most trying of situations they've almost always been like that. Soaring above the fighting, the deceit, the confusion-- ah.]
[Gundam eyes Hajime's outstretched hand, hearing the affirmation of their friendship!
He wants to grasp it. If only for that reason alone-- but to do so... would be so unlike him.
Despite the depth of Hajime's potential at this point such a thing-- it's just-- of all the--!! A Singularity and his concubine thinking they could make such a proposition to the Supreme Overlord, Gundam Tanaka, he who would one day rule this world!?
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3/3
...
Though! I assume despite your denials, Hajime Hinata! You require something more substantial than the mere words of the world's most terrifying calamity, Gundam Tanaka!
[He sees your hand and he really doesn't want to hand over this hand book to him.]
no subject
Good enough for him.
The mask fades away into particles of weird blue distortion, and that's that. If Gundam says he didn't kill anyone, he might as well believe him. He takes people for their word; it's once you break that to Ryuji that he will never forget that.]
Alright.
[That didn't really fill in the gaps of all the other absolutely fucking batshit stuff that looked like it was going on back wherever Hajime and Gundam had come from. He thinks back to all the talks he had with Hajime, too, about what it would be like to go home.
If that's the home he has to go back to ...]
The only calamity I'm seein' here is how you ain't lettin' him see that book. Might as well just give up the ghost, dude.
no subject
He still wants the evidence to prove it. It's in his hand, he's sure of it, and he doesn't let go of the handbook.]
If... if this has a list of students in it... the people you're saying thought I was their classmate... I want to see it, Tanaka.
no subject
It must be rather pleasant to live in a world where you are afforded such a luxury among those who surround you.
...Ryuji is most definitely a being who requires continuous protection.]
...very well. I have no murderous sins to lay bare.
[He'll let Hajime have the handbook.]
no subject
And also? If this were a murder game, he'd probably wipe the floor with his persona. He loved his inner demon monkey king.
He'll stay quiet as Gundam hands over the book. He's curious to know what's going on, but it's not his story to tell.]
no subject
Hajime takes the handbook, hefting it in his hands. He's never seen anything quite like it; sure, it seems like a normal smartphone or tablet, but there's something weird about that little dancing bear. Like a malice deeper than any he's ever felt before.
He shakes his head, tabs over to the Report Card, and-- selects his own pixelated portrait after a deep breath to steel himself. ...Well, he doesn't look dead, though what's with the only things listed on his profile being mochi? Not to mention--]
Super High School Level...
[Super High School Level What though? It's all just question marks, even in Gundam's handbook. Beep, beep, he taps on Gundam's portrait. Nothing surprising there. Then Chiaki's, again with the same kind of trepidation from looking at his own. Again, nothing surprising. It's... nice, seeing her face again, his own expression softening.
The next one he clicks on is Mahiru Koizumi, and he flinches, a whole-body shudder at the greyed-out portrait labeled DEAD. Though he doesn't recognize most of the faces, the more he taps on, the more dead students he sees. He feels faint, like he might throw up. But--]
There's... it's evidence that he's not a killer, isn't it? There's just-- too many people. I...
[He clutches his tie with a hand, looking to Gundam again more pleadingly.]
What happened? Why... this is what you meant about people turning on each other, isn't it?
1/2
...
[Souda keeps suggesting Super High School Level Traitor. This is probably because Souda is an idiot-- and it has nothing to do with his tragic backstory that Gundam doesn't know anything about because he also won't give Gundam any of his goddamn hope shards.]
Be assured you are alive and shall remain that way, Hajime Hinata. You don't have my permission to perish and you will remain safe under my vigilant watch.
2/2
...Humans are such foolish creatures.
no subject
[This is all good and normal. Apparently their(??) classmate is a yakuza heir, that's fine. Don't worry about it, Ryuji.]
Did... he couldn't have killed her, right? I-I mean... there's the rule. About... about a blackened getting away.
[Vaguely, he's aware that uhhh the door is still open. Let's just-- head inside, kids, Hajime stumbling a little as he makes his way over to sit heavily on the floor. Li rolls off the bed with a chirping meow and promptly buries herself in his lap. She's too big to really fit in his lap these days, but it doesn't stop her from trying.]
How come the police didn't get involved...? I mean, you guys are all talented students. They'd know you were missing.
no subject
But it's not like the door closes in front of him or anything, so he'll join in, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.]
The police are useless, dude.
[Speaking very much from personal experience here. He was there when Ren came back from interrogation, saw all the bruises and marks all over his face and arms.
The police didn't save the world from anyone. They were absolutely, positively, fucking useless.]
no subject
Besides. He's right.]
It was the failure of the police to begin with that allowed Monokuma to provide such a successful motivation.
While the memory of this event was never restored to any of us in full, there were enough hints made available for those who deliberately sought them out. They drew their own conclusions as to what had transpired.
Conflict occurred as Monokuma desired and in a heated moment, Koizumi was felled. Not by his own hand, but by one so devoted to him she would sacrifice us all and herself if it meant he could somehow escape.
...He is an barely ursine monstrosity who preys upon their fragility and drives them to unforgivable acts.
Perhaps they are looking for them... but what could they do to reveal our locality to them? There is no way to escape. No way to communicate. They are stranded, clinging desperately to the last vestiges of hope in the face of despair.
[And if they looked for them right now and managed to find Jabberwock Island -- there is no escaping that funhouse.]
no subject
Your whole class is trapped there...
[And somehow, someone like me got mixed up in this, too. In the future... after the Project.
His fists clench at his thighs, and he just looks down at the fluffy ball of digicat curled up in his lap. A whole class full of talented students, being forced to kill each other. He can't fathom it. He wants to tell Gundam to give up the joke, but there's just no way he'd joke about this.]
Why... didn't you tell me about this before, Tanaka?
no subject
Gundam clenches his jaw, feeling an overwhelming pressure pushing against him when Hajime speaks.]
I had no desire to bring calamity to your mind!
[Main course or reserve course -- talent or no talent. "We're not classmates."--"Your whole class."
...it's a barrier.]
no subject
He understands completely the willful amount of energy it takes to protect someone you care about, and he's getting that this isn't a joke. How can he think that? Weirder shit's happened. He walked to school one day with Joker and the next thing he knew, he was in a castle with all sorts of armored guards trying to kill them.]
I think he cares about you, dude.
And like... whatever happened there would've hurt you to know. So he didn't wanna say anything. I mean, look at 'em. He's practically straining at something you just said.
no subject
He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head again.]
No, that... that's not what I meant. I meant... how could you keep something like this to yourself? You have to be worried about them, right?
[Gundam can natter on all he wants about being a dark lord and having no friends, etc, etc, but Hajime just can't buy it. He's a weirdo, but he's a weirdo with a kind heart and obvious love for animals. Surely Hajime wasn't his only friend in this weird, messed-up situation?]
I guess what I'm trying to say is... are you okay? Keeping secrets about yourself... isn't easy.
[He manages not to look at Ryuji for that bit. Ryuji is. Bad. at keeping secrets about himself, to say the least. But he's not gonna call him out directly.]
1/2
He doesn't argue either.]
2/2
...
[To be asked if he's worried about someone else? To be asked if he's okay? -- For such a long time such questions would be laughable in their absurdity... Gundam Tanaka was beloved by no earthly beings and no earthly beings were beloved by Gundam Tanaka!
But. For all the difficulties he'd had relating to those on the island... he hadn't wanted them to kill or to die. For all his incompatibilities with humans Hajime had still befriended him. Even more unexpectedly someone like Sonia sought out his company.
When he left they'd all been resigned to their fate. Waiting to die. Giving up.]
...
...
...
[It's hard to find the words that sufficiently obscure such thoughts or such feelings without being insulting to those he left behind.]
no subject
And look, Ryuji's still struggling with that himself, in a lot of ways, but it's not healthy to keep all that in. Gundam's not some dark being that's excluded from being a part of the basic tenants of friendship or learning how to cope with stuff like people eventually learn how to do.
He scratches the back of his head.]
Dude, it ain't easy to rip off your own mask, uh, trust me on that one. But... we've only got each other here, right?
'Cause if you're gonna try and go it alone, you're gonna break. There's no way around it. Shit, Hajime was turnin' invisible this month and my I lost an arm. I dunno if I coulda even made it half as long as I did if it weren't for people to kick my as--- butt around.
And I think about all the people back home, too. If they're happy or not, or what happened to them. You gotta keep yourself living in the present. You owe it to yourself. Or, I guess... their memory.
[Man, he sucks at motivational speeches.]
no subject
I agree with that.
[It's not the loud, almost accusatory words of consent that Gundam's heart from Hajime during class trials, but a calmer, almost resigned statement. Ryuji's right.]
I... guess what I'm trying to say is that you can rely on us, okay? If you need someone to talk to about... about everything that's happened, you don't have to try to keep it a secret just to protect me.
[Hajime holds out a hand for Gundam, an offer to shake hands and make a deal, if he wants.]
So... let's be honest with each other, and depend on each other. That's what friends do, right?
1/3
He'd concealed the truth to protect Hajime, of course! But... Now that he was suddenly forced into such a conversation by these two-- maybe in a way...]
...I-I see.
[He'd lied to protect himself as well.]
2/3
Truly, the beloved foes he left behind were his most formidable opponents...
To think that the great Gundam Tanaka could have such an overwhelming sensation of regret at having been the only one to escape. Feeling twinges of guilt gnawing at his insides whenever he noticed just how terrible replicator food was-- and forcing himself to finish it regardless. Such trifles like a mere lack of sleep or his own body corroding from the inside out-- as if any of this compared to their suffering.
It's weak.
Weak, weak, weak!
It shouldn't even pierce his heart--!!]
3/4
Hajime's words are light by comparison, but in the most trying of situations they've almost always been like that. Soaring above the fighting, the deceit, the confusion-- ah.]
...You wish to form a contract with me?
4/4 like i said the whole time
He wants to grasp it. If only for that reason alone-- but to do so... would be so unlike him.
Despite the depth of Hajime's potential at this point such a thing-- it's just-- of all the--!! A Singularity and his concubine thinking they could make such a proposition to the Supreme Overlord, Gundam Tanaka, he who would one day rule this world!?
Ah... He really would like to grasp it though...]
no subject
In fact, it's??? so dumb that Ryuji just steps behind Gundam and gives him a little nudge forward. Just fucking shake his hand, you doofus.]
God, you guys are horrible at this confidant thing.