( closed-ish. ) so i run, and i keep on running

[contrarily]

Who: rika & various
what: june things.
When: throughout the month!
Where: various locations.
Warnings: n/a



a catch-all post for june! i'll be throwing custom starters
and stuff here throughout the month. feel free to throw me stuff, too,
if you're interested! i can be reached on discord, via pm or on ikzel

Comments

6/4, @hajun

[contrarily]

( what is she doing? probably not what she's supposed to be doing, given the temporary custody of the flour baby, despite her protests. she's not... a good mom, ok — and the sack, even if it's inanimate, makes her feel weird. motherhood is a strange subject, and she doesn't have a good relationship with it, so this assignment just pisses her off. so much, in fact, that she feels like just stabbing through the sacks anytime she sees them. also to piss other people off and sabotage them, because what's life if not competition?

well, she's pretty pacified right now, though, sitting in the home ec room where she's very focused on... putting makeup on the sack chiaki so gracefully drew a face on. it even has a mustache! )

Hmm... more or less glitter? What do you think?! ( she turns to hajun, tilting her body to the side to show her creation to the other.

his sack is next. )

[rhymed]

[ Since retrieving his phantometal Hajun has been particularly disconnected; waking up to something from home, sliding on his finger with a comfortable ease. Though it reminds him of all the time spent with Allen and Anne, causing his heart to ache, there's a warmth to it that has been missing since he's "awakened" in this world.

That said, he ain't giving much of a shit about this flour sack whenever Nene needs a break. For now he just opts to keep it out of Rika's immediate reach -- he's got it hidden somewhere around here. ]

... [ He lifts his head, looking away from his ring, and sees... the sack. ] Hm... do Japanese girls typically go for such gaudy colors?

[contrarily]

Hey, pink and purple is not that gaudy!

( she huffs, offended, fixing the sack's lipstick, currently providing a contrast to the mustache above its' lips. )

I'd say it's better than not standing out among all these boring, white sacks, don't you think? ( she turns to him with a smile, presenting her creation, which looks like an abomination and we all know it.

she knows it, too, but listen. it's just supposed to be funny! )

Let me put some on your sack, too!

[rhymed]

I know someone who can at least make it look presentable. [ Anne was a master of makeup -- and so were the artists that he's worked with before, despite Hajun rarely having to use more than just matte eyeshadows. ]

At the end of the day it's an assignment -- but who knows, maybe it'll morph into a monster or something. Then yours will be prettied up and easy to spot.

[ And he'll be sure to kill it first. ]

I don't think Nene would like that very much, so I'll decline on her behalf.

[contrarily]

... wow, you're so whipped. Laaaaame.

( "nene wouldn't like that" pfft. loser.

she puts on the finishing touches on her flour, including the small, glue-on gems you can bedazzle stuff with, and puts her hands on her hips, satisfied. )

You'll be the cutest monster around ~ And then stupid Hajun will eat his words ~

6/7 - ish idk, @izumi

[contrarily]

( she really has no excuse for agreeing to this, aside from being a little beggar who has been thrown a bone (or in this case, a lot of hair care products.) but, listen... she firmly believes that eventually, chiaki will understand izumi's just... not for her... even if it means locking them in a classroom together and letting him do the talking himself.

... .... yeah, no, she doesn't believe that's ever gonna happen, since apparently chiaki's been after him for years now, but oh well — one afternoon isn't gonna kill him. maybe.

so there she is, approaching him around lunchtime with a wave and a perfectly cheerful expression, like the little lying liar that she is. )

Senpai! Do you wanna eat lunch together? We can have something healthy today!!

[obsessiveness]

[ izumi blinks at the sudden invitation. he doesn't mind if it's rika, for one, but as he pointed out last time, he's inherently distrustful of anyone. so he meets her cheerfulness with a rather blank expression. ]

...Are you feeling okay? You're not usually the type to eat healthy shit, unless you've finally seen the light.

[ rika sus... just a little. ]

[contrarily]

( rika sus but she doesn't have time for him to be doubting her rn )

Ugh, I just thought I have to cut the snacks a little... 'cause I definitely gained some weight. I meaaan... ( and she's just gonna start walking, expecting him to follow. this is an interesting subject so of course he should. ) I wouldn't mind if the weight went more into my thighs, to make them softer, but I think it's my sides!!! And likeeee —

( checks if he's following first — )

— I'm sure Rocchi would have an easy time picking me up either way... ~ But I also don't wanna get fat and ugly, so.

[obsessiveness]

[ of course he'd trail after her like a moth to a flame, his fussy instincts starting to kick in with every word. ]

Seriously? God, this is what I keep telling you! Not only do you need to eat healthier, sounds like you're gonna need put in a little more exercise! It's fine, I have a regimen just for that, and if you're interested in ballet I could give you some tips - but not for free, obviously.

[ also is she and rokkun going out? he'd press for deets, but eh. not in the mood for het nonsense rn. ]

[contrarily]

( hook, line and sinker, you could say. she sees him follow and smiles, triumphant, nodding along with his words. )

Hmmm... ~ Ballet sounds fun. I've only done idol stuff when it comes to dancing, though, so you'll have to guide me lots, Senpai. ♡ ( and she's such a good kouhai! of course he'd want to, right?! ) Oh! What would you like in exchange?

( well TOO BAD cause some het nonsense is about to happen to him soon )

6/8-ish, @ishimaru

[contrarily]

( now that the operation dorm is in full-swing, she figures it's about time to bother ishimaru re: the ideas they've had for gathering funds. well... the ideas she's had, mostly, with very few pitches, because their options are extremely limited, considering they can't leave the school, but still —

she ambushes him in front of the student council room one day, barreling into his back and throwing her arm around his neck. surprise!!! ​)

Owl-brows!!! ( yells into his ear )

[moraloutrage]

Ah-!

[Ishimaru panics initially when he feels someone grabbing onto him from behind! He shifts his weight, preparing an attempt to flip the person in question - only to halt as he hears that voice. Very clearly. Right in his ear.]

K-Kawai-kun?!

[contrarily]

( wow... can't believe ishimaru would do this to a little, defenseless girl... awful... )

Yup!! ( laughing, she jumps off of him and catches up to stand by his side instead, grinning. ) You're looking... still terrible, but a little less so!

( it's good to start with a compliment!! )

[moraloutrage]

[He has truly become a monster!!

Feeling relieved that it's just her (but still with some apprehension because it is her-) he meets her with a weak smile.]

...Thank you. I suppose that is complimentary! And I... feel slightly less terrible, so it is also accurate of you to say that!

How are you on this... day? [It feels like it would be a lie to refer to it as a fine day.]

[contrarily]

( he's probably the only person who'd take that as a compliment, honestly, but that's fine. )

Hehe, are you getting comfortable in the student council? You do seem like you fit right in there... ~ All these responsible students... couldn't be me!

( imagine giving a shit about school... insane. )

I gueeeeeess I'm fine, but I definitely could be better!! ... if only we had a proper place to sleep, huh?

6/19, nurse's office

[futurebullets]

[While Hinata talked with the nurse, he'll have seen Rika raise her hand in a wave from one of the beds. (did Cain pilot Rika waving? did Ori? it is a mystery.jpg) He might be full of negative feeling at the moment, but they're still club mates and it looks like she got beat up pretty bad, so he'll go on check on her after his conversation is through.]

Hey, Kawai... Are you doing alright?

[contrarily]

( she has a vague idea of what's being said; mostly, she's in and out of consciousness, thanks to the pain medicine. at least her right side is still fine, though — so waving to hinata when she actually sees him pass by is not a problem, even if moving hurts. )

Yup, it's just a scratch! Don't worry, Hinahina! ( a scratch, she says...

but, still, it's good to see people are free to move around and investigate without the fear of god ball monokuma rolling them over at its' leisure. ) ... how's everything going out there? ( are you guys progressing DID SHE HELP )

[futurebullets]

It looks like a lot more than a scratch...

[Yeah, it's. Kind of hard to believe her when she's laid up in bed like this.

Hinata may still be pretty out of it, but he'll always have the energy to fret, and that becomes quickly evident by the way the corners of his mouth pull downward with worry.]

I haven't been able to find out much yet, though... I can't get outside like some of the others, so I came here to get the best look I could. I found out a little from the nurse- [he nods in her direction] -but not enough evidence to really start putting things together yet.

[contrarily]

It's 'coz of that damn bear! Koma-kyun should've gotten a leash for it!!

( as far as she's concerned, the item was from komaeda's world, since... he recognized it. ball monokuma, or something like that...

anyway: )

Oh... yeah, I can't go out, either, so it's tough. ( can't even examine the bodies... ) But when I went to investigate on the third floor, I got ambushed. Hmm... wonder if that had anything to do with this...

[futurebullets]

[He flinches, hard, when Rika says her nickname for Komaeda. Tries to keep his face as neutral as he can manage. He'll focus on the investigation; that, and if Rika is okay, are the things that matter here. Not his own holdups.]

Bear? [Hinata's voice hikes up a little bit with his surprise.] I don't know what... he's, supposed to do with it, but... Did a bear somehow get loose in the school?

[Feels like we're about to have a lot more than three bodies if there's a bear loose, Hinata doesn't say, because that feels a little macabre even for him.]

Checking the other floors since we're stuck here seems like it would've been a good idea, but... [Hinata shakes his head.] I'm glad it didn't hurt you any worse than this. Did it really seem like it had something to do with what happened...?

6/26, @amami, self-harm tw

[contrarily]

( weekends are the quiet days — they're days the non-transfer students and faculty isn't around, and so they're left to their own devices, and she's left to her own thoughts, poisonous. at the very least, during the days, years of practice help her keep her composure, though she avoids human contact either way — it's during the nights that she breaks down, quiet and in her own space, the school keeping her cries hidden beneath a veil.

it's probably pretty obvious she's not in a great state, honestly. normally extroverted, nowadays, she acts more like a shut-in, giving people non-commital non-answers and refusing to engage in longer conversations. it's just... hard, when her mind isn't all there, stuck on izumi's and chiaki's death, on akira's injury, on rokkun's absence, on the fact that she can't even trust her fellow transfer students, because they might be murderers responsible for her current misery, too. it hurts to care — she knows this, and she's been burned by this, and yet she let this happen again, stupidly believing that maybe this time, she wouldn't get punished by it.

the reality of this place is nowhere as pleasant, though.

back home, this kind of negativity would spill over through the blood running from her cuts. it's... stupid, and a way to escape her own feelings, but letting that out has always been strangely cathartic — when she felt like her heart might just overflow, she'd take some burden off of it with physical pain, instead. it wouldn't numb her entirely, but it'd help her get through a day after day after day, and eventually, she'd grow just distant enough from her own suffering that living would become a little easier. here... she digs her fingers into the bruises on her arm, on her side, into the broken ribs, and the pain is there, sure, but it's not enough.

the visual of blood running away with all of her worries seems almost necessary for this to work in the first place.

so during the night, when she's sure everyone's asleep, she sits by the piano, with the box cutter in hand, staring at it idly. she said she won't do it again — but mannen isn't here to stop her, and neither are any of the girls, and she's tired, she doesn't want to deal with this anymore, the blade presses into skin and it hurts but it's relieving, too, she —

ah. )

... Ran-tan. ( she sees amami a little too late, glancing up from her arm to look at his face. ) I would've gone somewhere else... but walking still hurts. ( sorry for making you look at this. )

cllose s my eyes

[sisters]

( a little too late... a little too late... yeah. when she looks up, his expression is blank, eyes lifting from the blood that runs down her arm, meeting with her own gaze instead as she notices him. there's a pause here; it takes him a moment to really process the scene in front of him, and his mind buffers, trying to catch up with the sight. the thoughts running through his mind are a disjointed blur, all at once crashing down on him with anxiety, with guilt... balancing the worry the wants to express with an understanding that the wrong reaction can make the situation far worse than it already is.

what he finally breaks the silence with is this: )

You could get an infection like that, you know.

( he doubts she's properly sterilizing that thing between uses.

his voice is calm, soft, and he's still not sure if it conveys what he wants to express, but it's the best he can do. it's the same as it was with their misunderstanding about rokkun; there's no judgment, no telling her what to do, no frustration or panic — any of which, he thinks, could just add to the stress that caused it in the first place. it's only concern, honest and, again, maybe a little bit more than he has the right to feel. he can't help that he does, though, and the worry colours his features now through a troubled grimace and brows pushed together even as he moves to come closer. he watches carefully to make sure that it's not an unwelcome approach, coming to a pause before he reaches her if it seems unwanted. his eyes flicker to her arm momentarily, and back to her face. )

It's alright. ( which, it's not, but he is. he will be. as for rika... ) Do you mind if I take a look?

( when all you see is the blood and not the cut... well, he can't help the concern that turns nauseous in his stomach. )

opens ur eyes

[contrarily]

Like I care.

( infections are the last thing on her mind, but... it's so like amami to focus on the practical stuff first it's almost funny. she wipes the blood that trickles down her arm with her thumb absentmindedly, not wanting to deal with the void school right now — the cut is just deep enough to bleed continuously, but not particularly long or large in size, considering amami disturbed her the moment she put the box cutter to her skin.

she's not sure what to feel — is she happy he stopped her? mad? upset? ashamed? guilty? all of these, probably. she wants to scream — tell him not to look, to turn away, to mind his own business, to come closer, to please, please help her, someone — )

... ( unmoving, even as he comes closer, she shakes her head in response. if he wants to take a look, he can. she's not sure why he would, but does it really matter? he's seen everything already, and if he inspects the cut, he will see there's many more scars that already healed, though just barely. they're all still red, still fresh enough to stand out.

it's ugly, and that's why she cuts her upper arms — to make sure it's not that visible when she wears tops with shorter sleeves. )

Look, this is... if you want to turn away and forget you've ever seen it, I honestly won't give a shit. This isn't something anyone should deal with aside from myself.

u have jus...... hit me witth a lot this week

[sisters]

( when he's given the okay, he there's no hesitation before he closes what little distance is left, gently maneuvering her arm so that he can get a good look. like that, she can probably recognize the way that some of the tension leaves his frame as he does; as expected, it's really not so serious after all. he seems relieved by the fact, expression softening as he lets her have her arm back, just in time for her to speak up.

as his gaze lifts to meet with hers, he almost seems at a loss — should have expected that, probably, but really didn't. there's another pause, much shorter than the first, and his voice is calm. )

I don't really think it's something you should have to deal with by yourself, either.

( mirroring her own case as if he's one to speak. it's not quite the kind of time where one can smile. even so, there's something that faintly resembles the beginnings of one playing across the corners of his lips, coloured at the same time by worry, and almost apologetic. an effort at reassurance; he doesn't mind. really.

for now, he takes a moment to think things over. reaches into his pocket after a moment, pulling out the small mirror shard she gave him earlier, unwrapping it from the fabric he keeps over it to soften the edges, and offering that fabric to rika. )

Can you press this against it? It's probably better not to let it bleed so much.

( he doesn't think now is really the time for a void school field trip. )

the ride doesn't stop here...

[contrarily]

It is.

( it always has been, at least. this is personal — this is a part of her she doesn't show just anybody, hidden beneath the layers of outgoing, extroverted personality meant to fool everyone into thinking she doesn't feel hurt. people rarely bother to look past what you choose to show them — it's because they don't care, and, honestly, she doesn't think it's wrong of them not to. why care, when you can simply mind your own business?

this is possibly the first time she's met so many people hellbent on... not doing just that. sure, ai was persistent, but it's not as if she ever went this far. maybe it's because of the circumstances they're stuck in, but... her life was at risk back home, too. )

... ( he wrapped the shard... that's cute, she thinks.

she just keeps hers in the pocket, and if her fingers get cut up, well, that's on her.

but she takes the piece of cloth, anyway, not feeling a void trip either, and presses it to the cut, letting the cloth soak in the blood. she watches it stain, a little dazed, and then looks back up to him. )

All I do is cause you trouble lately, huh... ?