yogen | (closed) the rat died.

( he'll be tally number (checks notes) eight, because natsume got a tally from killing his demon child. he can tell that much by the raised skin, which hurts slightly at touch and natsume scowls at him until he's moved his hand. thank you. )

If you survive my triALS, I'll make you some suntan oil or someTHING. ( tanmaeda... ) I'll prepare some TEA, you'll drink IT, and I'll record what happens as the days go ON. Of COURSE, unless it's particularly toXIC, nothing's going to happen from drinking one cup of TEA... so I'll make you it every day until you start feeling the efFECTS.

After THAT, I'll monitor you closely and record my finDINGS.

( and if komaeda dies then them's the breaks, no hard feelings!!!! )

( now his cute little scowl, komaeda will smile about that. )

How many do you have up your sleeve... well, I don't see the harm... ( the harm, as if he cares while taking a few steps back to find somewhere to sit. once he does, he'll cross his legs like a polite adult, and sit his hands in his lap as he waits. )

Come and visit me every morning, and we can learn all about the gardener's forbidden fruits... herbs... — ( about him, though... ) Do you speak with it often...?

Every so ofTEN. The first time was on the full MOON, but last month I got in contact with him through... other MEANS.

( ???????? he is not telling komaeda you can light some candles and talk to spirits. )

So not as often as I'd like TO, but... well, it's FINE. Our conversations so far have borne FRUIT, so I don't mind it too MUCH.

( haha, bearing fruit. anyway he'll get a tea cup for komaeda and put a teaspoon of the dried flowers in... boil some water for the tea and all that jazz too, while he's at it... )

You don't seem the patient TYPE, so I assume you haven't spoken to Kazuki-san YET.

Did you sell your soul? Or kill somebody else as an offering? Hm... other means...

( stop, how hard is it to figure out that natsume used the oujia board? well, he's not thinking about it, but he's plucking every thought that he can that as up properly with being able to see a spirit. ) Maybe a trip to the reverse world...?

( NOT BORNE FRUIT SHUT UP, i was just thinking that. )

Either way, I haven't... I've heard that he's the reason we can't go outside, so I'm guessing you tried to find a way for the group... ( ... ) But, it's probably wrong of me to place a narration on someone as mysterious as you, Sakasaki-kun.

( natsume considers, briefly, the ramifications of pouring the boiling water on komaeda instead. he watches it as it remains still, waiting for the bubbles to start coming up, and remembers he essentially promised stephanie he'd behave himself, and sadly discards the thought. )

No, I just wanted to talk to him about his PLANTS. Nothing so grand as any of THAT... It was for the gardening club as well as my own curiosiTY. While I'm certainly not opposed to stealing people's FOODS, stealing from spirits is another thing entireLY, so I wanted permission before I started taking things from the courtYARD. ( he's a good... boy... ) I learned he lives in the woods THOUGH, the ones that surround this school like some sort of barriER. EvidentLY, he hasn't seen anyone step foot in them for a long time outside of himSELF.

Did you ask if the woods were off limits?

( it instantly comes to him, something he remembers from... a small trip he took into the void realm. it's nothing spectacular, but a small list that's come together for him to use to his benefit... he guesses. he takes a step away from natsume as he goes to find somewhere to sit, and crosses his legs after while the other works on his brew. )

To students, that is...

( but ah, he learns that natsume's really a good boy... someone who doesn't steal from spirits, but he guesses that's what makes them different. komaeda would do whatever, not caring for the consequences, at least natsume understands something wrong may happen. )

( natsume is unfortunately really a good boy. )

Not in those exact WORDS, but he said it'd be a while before we'd be granted permission to enter THEM, so I assume they're NOT.

They're off-limits until we're allowed...

( even he doesn't understand his little note, but he recalls the woods being on there, so there is that. )

If you're left around him, he'll try to devour you... I've seen the attempt for myself, but Saihara-kun's hope gleamed beautifully, it was such a fantastic display that I was honored to witness it. ( but he'll continue, ) Aside from that, everything after the woods being off-limits has... faded out.

Is that SO? He merely warned me from being outside at night because that's then the gnats are most acTIVE.

( ...how nice that the gardener did not try to eat him when he called for him. shame about shuichi but komaeda, you weren't gonna save him? you were just gonna let him get eaten? bro? )

Faded out on WHAT, exactLY?

...You're kidding, right?

( his voice falls flat, and then soon after, it returns to that more low, soft, breathy voice of his as he laughs after.

komaeda stabbed himself and was inside the school as he watched shuichi outside the school get chased. sighs, it was simply wonderful. )

The wall.

( straightforward as he remembers, information that he has to write down because: ) Half was burnt, so legibility was tedious to discern.

( ugh, komaeda's so.... )

And naturally you're picking and choosing who gets to KNOW... ( instead of just Telling People to help widen the pool of possible perspectives. natsume's not really in the position to judge him though: he also has a similar habit.

still. patiently, like he's speaking with a five year old instead of someone technically like five years his senior: ) And what did the part that was legible SAY? Was it only about the WOODS, or was there MORE?

We have those family meetings, but... why would anyone listen to me?

( everyone already shows how they feel, and if they had it their way, they'd rather he not talk. it's true, he does pick and choose between the people he wants to talk to. then again, it's because he'd rather not trouble anyone, do it himself, and figure out if it was good enough to even let be out in the first place. )

The woods, the library, the halls... different locations between here and the outside world.

( he pauses, looking around as he's searching for something. ) I need a pencil and paper, I have my theories, but I couldn't recite it aloud.

( well—

fine, komaeda IS always sent straight to the crazy corner, so fine. who would listen to him? but, hmm... the art room isn't too far, so he'll leave without saying anything and return with a pencil and someone's forgotten sketchbook. they left it over break so it can't be that important. flipping to a new page, he gives both items to komaeda. )

There you GO.

( ...this is the only day he's indulging komaeda like this, because komaeda's indulging him. )

( he takes both the notebook and the pencil in hand, his lips purse into a straight line as he rummages through his brain to try and remember how it went. as he writes, there's a few areas where he scribbles a rectangles, and then rubs them with his finger as if he's hiding something. it doesn't take too long for him to finish, and the end result comes out like this:

the woods are off limits to all students. there will be no w▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ed for ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓.
when the▓▓▓▓stle blows, line up quickly. those who tarry shal▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓hind.
running in the halls is prohibited.
students may not gather in groups of five or greater.
silence is enforced in the library unti▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓mplete. do not let it hear you.

he flips the notebook upside down, turning it towards natsume so that he can read it. )

I visited the void once... it was behind the school rules, but the paper was burnt... and that was all I had managed to parse.

( ...huh. natsume takes it back from him, reading the lines over and over. he can at least sort of figure out one of them, but that's not the one he's paying any attention to. "the woods are off limits to all students"...

well, there's another one he's paying attention to, too— )

...Forget the WOODS. Interesting that they're off-liMITS, though I can't fathom WHY... ( he taps the fourth one, smudging the granite a little. ) I like watching peoPLE, and I've noticed something—the students only ever travel in small GROUPS, when they're not with a teaCHER. They're never aLONE, and they're never in a group larger than FIVE.

( ........ )

But plenty of people run in the HALLS. ( he glances up, but... hmmm, wait. is that just them? he guesses he's never seen hiro or maya run, not that he can imagine either of them doing that, actually. ) They don't get penaLIZED.

( he's kind of stuck on this. unless— )

The rules will change depending on who's in poWER. ( softly said, and he checks the water—it's boiling because i say it is now, he'll fix up a cup of Courtyard Flower Tea for komaeda to start his ~~week-long poisoning~~ experiment with. ) The little wolf told me something similar to THAT. Those rules you saw were probably old ONES, or... maybe they're this year's—the ones she was actually talking aBOUT, rather than the ones that are actually on disPLAY.

It is interesting... we're unable to get to the woods, but something doesn't want us in, or they're keeping us out. Out of all of them, I managed to read that "when the whistle blows, line up quickly. those who tarry shall be left behind."

( makes one think what whistle? why would they get left behind? there was the moment where saihara was left outside, and was unable to get in unless komaeda stabbed himself, but... he wonders if the other heard a whistle at that time. the only whistling sound he's ever heard was the day he gained his first tally, the sound of a storm outside even though the trees hardly moved, there was barely any wind. )

Little wolf... ah, that's Arisu-san, right? I actually spoke to her about them... she was... curious about the meaning behind them, she actually rushed to the rules in this world.

( he's trying to recount the events, it was awhile ago. ) We took down the board they were posted on, and there was nothing behind... in the process of putting it back, she managed to cut her finger, and I was sent into the void world as soon as she bled. The only thing I could make note of is that her shadow went to the fourth floor, and I was unable to follow... coming back, she stood still in front of the rules board, frustrated with me.

( not fair, komaeda, seeing sides of maya he hasn't... )

...The fourth FLOOR... We're not allowed to go there YET. ( hmmm. ) But she invited me up to the rooftop at the beginning of the year when I wanted to talk to her in priVATE. It could be her shadow went that WAY, though why I can't SAY.

( maybe she just likes the roof, or maybe there's something about the fourth floor... ugh, he wishes they could get in right now. )

Was she mad that you spaced OUT? I assume that's what happens to us when we're in the VOID, considering we don't actually move anywhere physicalLY.

( ... wait until natsume hear he and her shared a bento, looks up. )

We don't understand the shadows properly, are they... afterthoughts of what they truly want to do? Do they have a mind of their own... once, I've heard someone call them ghosts that follow the paths before they died.

( that however sounds... actually useful, to speak with someone up at the rooftop, and he taps his chin in thought wondering if there's something special there. his hands settle against the surface of the table, looking towards natsume as he tries to figure out their little delimma. ) I asked was there anything different about me at the moment and she seemed confused, I admitted that I saw an uglier version of this world, and that her shadow went to a different floor...

( he pauses, thinking back, it's hard when you have dementia on the brain. )

She "thinks" I have the wrong eyes open, and didn't want to keep up her end of the deal to accompany me there.

( he has a picnic date in the future it's fine )

...The wrong eyes oPEN... ( natsume curls his hand around his chin, thinking. ) She probably considered it a waste of TIME. The little wolf's told me that the talk has to be worth the trek up THERE, so she didn't think you were worth IT.

( feels nice knowing he is tho ♡ )

This deserves some further looking inTO. Unfortunately ( a sigh as he gives him the tea ) it's summer BREAK, so that'll have to wait until school starts back UP.

( ...... )

Drink UP.

Oh, you misunderstand my intentions, Sakasaki-kun, I didn't want to talk to her at all.

( don't get on that high horse just yet, komaeda was only interested in what was up there, not a decent conversation between the two. )

I was curious as to what was up there, and taking her without explanation would have been a waste of time... even I understand that.

( but they further proves that something is going wrong up there, and with the drink offered to him, komaeda runs his finger around the rim in thought. )

Arisu-san is quite the side character, isn't she? After all my work, she took the place of my efforts... I like her, so I hope she has more to offer us.

( glug, glug! )

...I was only repeating what she SAID. She'd have even less incentive to go with you if you didn't even have a conversation topic to FLOAT.

( he watches him carefully. he hopes it's immediate. it isn't but he hopes it is. god he would love to see komaeda die in front of him. )

And she's... ( ...a side character, yeah, but it feels wrong to assign her that type of thing. he moves away again to clean up, carefully putting away what he hasn't used. ) Don't like her too MUCH. She hates that type of THING. I think she's allergic to affecTION.

Huh? Ah... scum like me wouldn't be worth it to her, I've done my job.

( taking out someone for the school's hope, thinking he could create a... hopeful future that they'd all be able to follow along easily, hand in hand with maya leading them. she opened a few doors for them, giving them a chance that makes everything even more interesting — does she know that? that people who play are to get draw in the most attention? )

...Hm? You must have tried to give her affection then, ouch... didn't work out too well?

( he sips the drink again, the burn tickling his throat as he stares at natsume like it's basic conversation. )

( .................oh my god he is Not girl talking with komaeda. )

I haven't, but Seki from the year above me tried asking her out ONCE, and... ( ... ) Well, he's in the hospital NOW.

Arisu-kun stabbed him, and that was pretty admirable... Buuuuut, she doesn't seem the type to send out her brother.

( she wants to protect him more than anything, keep him safe from harm, and her being allergic to affection and seki being stabbed doesn't seem like... it connects. )

Besides... that was planned, aha.

( it connects to him, but he's also the type who reacts a little violently to affection depending on the person giving it.

...but, well. )

What do you mean it was "PLANNED"?

(closed) the rat died.

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