yogen | OK overture

( it shouldn't be suggestive at all, is amami's problem with it, and his expression clearly remains troubled. his brows are furrowed, and his lips turned in the beginnings of a frown, but he's not going to argue the fact. she seems confident in her words, and in arata, so there's little that amami can do to interfere with the situation; even making his feelings on the matter known is probably overstepping a little bit. nonetheless... the topic doesn't linger there any longer, so any further objections are quickly cut off by, well. yeah.

he's not actually expecting her to step forward — which he should have, honestly. can't disagree with her on this one, really. but when his body is pulled forward, there's a short, sharp intake of breath between clenched teeth. a quick recovery follows, but when it comes to unexpected movement, yeah... not the best right now, as his head manages to come back down to the situation. his hand squeezes rika's in a gesture intended to be reassuring, and he tries to cut in before komaeda can dig himself a deeper grave than he already has. )

You should really apologize, Komaeda-kun.

( like he didn't jump to conclusions too — but at least amami's weren't phrased like... that. apologize for the misunderstanding, if nothing else.

his expression looks pretty serious when he meets komaeda's eyes, too — it's clear he's not joking around. amami literally can't help you if rika decides she boutta go off for real. force is reserved for rokkun at this time — you're gonna have to save yourself. )

( it's true, komaeda's not one for gossip, so rokkun has nothing to worry about in that regard, since it's not even gossip if it's shared with who was involved, and they admit it as the truth. he's pretty satisfied as he sits there minding his business as rika tries to stop amami from doing anything to their associate. he's not too worried about either side, but purely interested in what will come from their hope as they are two different people — komaeda leans towards ultimates without hesitation, but it's hope that captures his entire attention so it's enough for him to lean either direction of who has the best quantity.

his eyes lift to look towards the female as she calls him out, putting words into his mouth he didn't exactly say, but it's not like that wasn't what he said. he blinks, smiling sheepishly as he leans back in his chair, and hands in his lap as he watches her. he can't really do anything if that's the notion she wants to go to, but he does follow orders the moment amami requests them of him. )

I'm so sorry you feel that way, Kawaii-san.

( is that apologetic enough? because truthfully he's not even sorry, he's only saying it because he's been asked, but amami never said he had to be genuine about it. komaeda glances down to the floor where there's a small plate with naughty wilbur's remains wrapped inside, and a few slices of cheese around it. )

It's a shame this sort of talk had to happen during Naughty Wilbur's funeral... he wouldn't want us to act like this.

( he was there eating pizza crust one minute, and now he's gone to another realm... the rat realm where they eat cheese for free. there's a deep sigh as komaeda looks back up to rika's angered face, and he already knows she's probably going to be pissed as fuck regardless. it's whatever, he thinks, as he claps his hands together with a beaming smile, looking between the two as he nods. )

Back to business, shall we?

That's... that's not a fucking apology!

( "sorry if you feel that way," "sorry that you got offended," "sorry you're so sensitive." she doesn't care for his bullshit attempt to placate amami, or whatever the hell this half-assed, so-called apology was. there's a lot she can let go; they're certainly not in a place where she can afford to be picky about her allies, and compared to some people, komaeda's still relatively harmless, but —

it's hard to let this one go. it's a kneejerk reaction; she remembers the men's sneering faces, she remembers her friends' off-hand comments, she remembers her mother's drunk, accepting smile, the insults just barely registering in her drunken mind. they register to rika, though — they always do, when her mother brings another scumbag of a man home, when she promises it's the last one. her free fist clenches tightly, only rooted in her spot because she knows this isn't the time for this, but —

she can hear the way amami's breath hitches, when she drags him forward. she's not sure why, but maybe it's because of the sudden movement — so she lets go of his hand, turning back to komaeda, eyes narrowed. )

I'm not... I'm not doing anything else until you apologize. If you don't, both of you can fuck right off.

( sorry amami, maybe if you were a little firmer...

so much for sharing rock stories. )

( wow, komaeda, you really fucked that one up for both of them now didn't you? yes, he's about to completely ignore your ass. yes, he's doing it on purpose. damage control for you is clearly not the correct choice out here.

with how rika reacts, amami can't really blame her. it takes a moment for him to actually let her hand go, and he doesn't particularly want to for a handful of reasons, but it doesn't look like she's actually taking further steps towards komaeda, so he reluctantly does. and when those next words come out, he feels pretty awful about having held it at all. rika isn't looking at him, so she probably can't see the way his expression shifts, but it feels like a punch to the gut, and it takes a moment for him to even it back out into something more neutrally apologetic before he speaks up. )

I'm sorry, I... really overstepped there, huh?

( he gets it now, that it was a misunderstanding caused by some poor wording, but even if it wasn't... amami really doesn't have the right to stick his nose into rika's business like that, does he? it's not that he would have judged her if she had, but that sense of overbearing concern is clearly unwelcome, and that should have been clear enough just from the length of time they've known each other for. bringing one hand up to scratch at the back of his neck, he'll glance to the side for a moment as he gathers his words. his other is pocketed, clenched into a fist as he gives a resigned sigh. )

I probably can't make it up to you, but I'll try to think of a way.

( not necessarily to regain her favour, but more to show he's sincere. anyway, he's already halfway to the door, and on god he sure does want out of here right about now. )

( he knows nothing of her past, or what trauma that plagues her, but what he does know is that her mouth runs. she can be a tad abrasive, and very forward when she wants to be, and he knows by now that she's capable of biting back. it's when she doesn't exactly do so that komaeda realizes something, and he keeps a smile on his face all the while. he said something specific that hit a sore spot, but it wasn't on purpose, it's just that komaeda can run his mouth without a care in the world because what comes with the bad, offers him some good, and vice versa. his actions reflect both the ultimates, and komaeda looks towards amami first, before his eyes fall upon the female who's bothered by the entirety of this.

he's not being difficult, but he proceeds to walk towards rika to meet her about halfway, and he stares down at her as if waiting for something to happen. she wants him to apologize as a proper person because he hurt her feelings, and he wonders why she can't just ignore him, and carry on. those sort of words must chip away at her entire being, and in a way, those thoughtless comments are specific stepping stones that she could walk over without being weighed down by them. they must be heavy.

komaeda slowly drops down to one knee before her, his gaze downcast along with his head as a hand is placed against his chest. it's a gesture he's used to, perfect form and everything considering his past, and how he played this role rather well. the last thing he wants is his words to reflect poorly on another ultimate, but he didn't think amami would be part of the insanity komaeda offered. )

Don't punish him for the things I do, Kawaii-san.

( he starts, that carefree smile of his gone from his face as he takes responsibility for both him and amami, sighs... why does he have to be the adult here. )

Though, if you're mad at him... ( because why would she waste any sort of feelings on komaeda of all people, but really, he knows he's the main focus of any negativity so he doesn't see the need to say "us." ) you can take your anger out on me.

( he pauses, recalling the request from earlier. )

Forgive me, I don't think of you as a slut at all.

( she knows she's lashing out; always, always, choosing emotion over logic time and time again, with no one but herself to blame. it's so easy to get swept up in negativity; it's so easy to let it consume and gnaw at your heart, but —

rarely, if ever, it's met with a genuine reaction. most of the time, people fight her back, like she's got no right to be upset, like she's got no right to worry, like she's got no right to feel the way she does. when she tried to convince the girls to stop fighting — when momoe insulted her mother — time and time again, she's been met with resistance rather than compliance, and...

it makes her pause, eyes wide in surprise, as amami apologizes for god knows what (worrying about her? is that really something to say sorry for?) and komaeda... well, she watches him get down on one knee, and almost scoffs, a little amused. it's probably as earnest as he can get, no trace of mockery in his voice — maybe it's stupid, but she wants to believe him. and, most importantly, he's right: she shouldn't take her anger out on amami, when he hasn't done anything wrong, except maybe for crossing some boundaries — which, let's be real, she's never had any particular respect for, herself. )

I'm not taking anything out on you, freak. And, um... wait, Ran-tan. ( she wants to apologize. she wants to apologize. she wants to apologize... !

...... but, as expected, it's really hard. being vulnerable, showing that you care — she takes a breath, motioning for komaeda to get up, and shakes her head. )

I... I'm not mad. There's nothing to make up for. ( she assures the both of them, stumbling through her words. ) You wanted to know about the stone, right... ? Well, Rocchi's been looking for rocks since middle school, so I bet he could help you out. And... he's convinced he's known Koma-kyun since childhood, so maybe taking him along would be good...

( i can't fucking believe mise was right )

( yeah, at first, amami is pretty sure komaeda is just out here digging them a deeper grave, to be honest. it's kind of a relief, really, when rika actually speaks up — her voice sounds tired, sure, but a better kind of tired. like she's gotten about as much as she can expect from him, or maybe a little more, and just can't believe how extra he's being about this. (amami almost can't, himself, but guess he's learning a little more about komaeda every day at this rate.)

but, even when she turns to amami to offer up that reassurance, he still looks like he doesn't quite know what to do with himself. he offers a tentative smile, still apologetic; can't let her effort go to waste, you know? but with how fast it all happened, maybe he might still be suffering from some residual emotional whiplash. )

Thanks — I appreciate it, but... are you sure Komaeda-kun is the best person for this...?

( he's not going to outright say it, but komaeda did kind of turn this whole conversation into a downward spiral just now. maybe amami is fine with paying full price upfront. )

( she didn't take her anger out on him? well, it's a damn shame, but maybe that means she's not upset with amami after all — he's an ultimate, so she has no reason to be. at her request to stand up, he doesn't do as told as he finds himself sitting down rather politely on the floor. if he was to add extra reassurance to amami, that's out of his hand, for who is he to come near an ultimate? sighs, it's just unlike him. yet, he watches the way untalented flock to talent, and that's the way things should be. )

Do you want me gone that bad, Amami-kun?

( he doesn't have to say it, but komaeda can speak for him instead about how he feelings, and it's easy to tell when someone wants him gone. it's pretty natural. he crosses his legs, setting both his hands in the middle as they press against the ground like a child as he leans forward. )

Taking your anger out on me also works...

( though, komaeda is well aware he can't do anything to him right now, but his eyes follow to rika who can, instead, put him through an ass whooping. )

But... It's this sort of hope cultivated from two types of people that makes me curious for the future... ( but soon after, he finds himself falling silent once rika begins to speak up about the rocks that amami is looking for. he doesn't want a repeat of last time though to the point of sabotaging him again, so he lifts his prosthetic to begin stacking cheese atop of wilbur's dead body. )

Well, Koma-kyun is —

( and she looks at what he's doing, still on the ground, now...

... apparently stacking cheese on the body of a dead rat wrapped in a plastic bag. )

...

( why... does komaeda... make life... so fucking hard... )

What the hell are you doing?! Stop that — ( yes, she's going to try kicking him in the hand to keep him from disrespecting wilbur any further. )

Ow...

( which is said five minutes after he's been kicked, it's a delayed, but annoying reaction as he pulls his hand away. dropping them back into the middle of his lap, he looks up at rika to see what expression she's wearing now — is she frustrated, still sad, what did komaeda do to deserve this?

he looks towards amami, ready to speak, until the rat bag begins to... crinkle, crackle... like something inside is moving. komaeda turns his head to look at the bag, blink once, then twice, before looking back towards the other ultimate. )

Rokkun and I go way back, apparently... Though, like I said, he may take kindly to you.

( he laughs as the bag crackles again, )

You've helped him before!

Edited 2021-06-13 03:29 (UTC)

( it's not that amami wants him gone necessarily, but... i mean, just look at him? stacking cheese on a dead rat like that... freak.

actually, when rika notices that, it's enough that he can't help the laugh that escapes him. it's sudden, but soft, and the smile lingers on his features even after.

listen, that couldn't have been any funnier if it was planned, okay? )

Me?

( and when komaeda points that out, he points at himself, caught off guard and even glancing to rika momentarily. he... doesn't remember helping that one before — lends a hand to the native students once in a while, sure, but he's gone out of his way to make a note of arata, so — )

Are you sure? I think I'd remember if I did...

( they're both freaks, is what rika wants to assure amami about. they fit together like mismatched gloves, in her opinion, because they just feed each other's insanity, but whatever — this isn't the time to get into that. she's not sure what's this about amami helping rokkun before, either, but if that's really the case, then... maybe he can get that stone easier than expected.

at any rate: )

Well, if he knows of you, that simplifies things. ( she shrugs, about to drop the subject, when...

the bag crinkles. now, she'd ignore it, thinking it was a mere hallucination, probably due to the headache komaeda is giving her, but... no. it does it again. )

... what the hell did you put in the bag, Koma-kyun?

I'm sure. ( ... ) I remember.

( he was actually surprised about it, and komaeda can vividly see the scene again in his head. he even managed to take hinata's, but those were simpler days, simpler times. they're gone now, but he doubts that rokkun would forget whose pda's that he takes, because he wouldn't want to double up... would he? )

Just tell him your name, and that should be enough...

( he's a bit unsure as he says that, and then his eyes shift to rika to look down at the bag. he's just as confused as she's confused. ) Wilbur, he's the only one who can fit in the bag...

( he pauses, coming to his own twisted conclusion. )

Think he can't breathe?

( just his name, huh? he guesses that's fine, but more it's hard to respond to that when— )

Don't tell me you put something alive in there...?

( he looks at the bag and, honestly, yeah. this is the thread where amami realizes something is deeply wrong with this man. bro, he thought this was supposed to be a funeral, get it OUT? )

( once again, she's totally distracted from the subject of rocks by something komaeda does. staying on topic with this guy around is just impossible, huh?

it's what she thought, too, but when amami actually voices the question, she gasps, kicking komaeda again. just for the hell of it. )

Did you put Wilbur alive in there?! G... get him out!!

( why is he being kicked again! ow, ow, ow!

how can he get him out when she's doing that? he's too busy letting it happen to actually do anything, so while he's the center of attention — )

Amami-kun! Will you do the honors?

( what is wrong with you? what is wrong with you? what is wrong with you?

amami doesn't know what the honours are, but he guesses there's really only one thing they can be in this context. closing the distance between himself and the other two, he'll wince visibly as he crouches down, another sharp inhale through clenched teeth, and he'll kinda... you said the bag was plastic, right? he'll tear open the side — but the kind of tear where he's really just pulling each side apart, so that his fingers don't end up in the bag touching dead zombie rat.

actually, on that note, he faces the opening of the bag away from rika as he does so. )

( there...

amami sees it... the guts of a flattered and choked rat contorted by dito's gentle fingers! he was a pretty fat rat before his organs and guts came shooting out of his ass, but that's not what's special about naughty wilbur. it's the fact that there's something moving around in the guts, trapped between it and the dead rat body...

something special that the ultimate ??? will see after a few seconds of the creature kicking. a blessing, caught between life and death...

will you save it? )

( she's too busy trying to kick komaeda to death to really pay attention to the way amami opens the bag, facing it away from her.

she does turn her head towards him when she hears it rustle, though, narrowing her eyes. )

... what's in there? Did this idiot put Wilbur in a plastic bag alive?!

( incredible. he's the ultimate midwife now. honest to god he does not look all that happy about this — there's a moment of surprise, replaced quickly by a grimace as he realizes that there's really no way he can get out of this situation without touching nasty rat guts. because apparently, rika was attached. and he still feels pretty guilty. so here he is, reaching into the bag without hesitation to untangle the little something special that's caught inside. )

Hold on...

( but even if he can pull it out, he's not, like, the ultimate vet? pretty sure he can cross that one off, because he's got no clue what to do next. hopefully just that would have been enough... anyway, with it in the palm of one hand, he's going to use the other to... close the visual on wilbur's guts and glance back to the other two. )

There are sinks in the art room, right?

( aside from washing his own hands for 10 years, they might want to rinse off naughty (name pending) jr. too )

( komaeda's on alert when amami speaks, and even he doesn't know what's going on aside from getting beat up, a funeral, and learning about some rocks. which, he's actually enjoying getting his shit kicked because if he can persevere, his hope is pretty bulky. thanks, kawaii-san! with every kick, he's leaning up properly as he looks towards amami with a tired expression, and a hitch of his breath once the tip of her shoe comes in contact with his side.

he doesn't know if rika is paying attention to an ultimate's question, but komaeda sure is, and sure will — )

Ah(t)... It's our safest best — ah(t)... with Ball Monokuma rolling around...

( he's going to get up from the floor, a little dizzy, but he's managing. )

We have to hurry if Amami-kun believes Naughty Wilbur can be saved!

( oh jesus fucking christ.

she stops kicking komaeda immediately, rushing over to the door to hurry amami out. )

Let's go then!! We can't just let it die!!

OK overture

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject