Entry tags:

Please let August be better than July I'm begging

✽ Due to 10+ classes raising their ranks last month, ALL characters have access to the courtyard via the door in the locker area and the windows facing the courtyard.
✽ Characters with 1-10 tallies are not able to get any further past the end of the courtyard before they fall unconscious; characters with 10-20 can get halfway to the pool building before the same happens to them; characters with 20+ tallies can reach the pool building but unfortunately, the door is on the other side. There are no windows on the walls, but from the clocktower, characters can see that it has a glass ceiling, though they are unable to see inside.
✽ Outside, there is no breeze, and it occasionally rains ash.
✽ Characters going up to the 4th floor will feel that the door is warm to the touch, and will occasionally open (see: missions)
✽ The student store opens, with the door propped open with a doorstopper. The npc running the store ~~is currently not interested in conversation, but may be available for threading in the future~~ and is available for threading in the toplevel below. Please see the updated bonus activity page for more information.
✽ Posted on the bulletin board and also handed to each club president before break is the notice that proof of club activity is due at the end of break. Please submit these proofs in the toplevel below.
✽ There is another ad on the bulletin board advertising an exchange student program for the month of October. Applications will be taken until the end of August, and there is a 300 merit point fee. Sister cities include Death City, Devildom, Ishigami Village, Lanling, LazyTown, and Maiami City.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( i won't scar npc-kun, listen... they don't deserve the hell rokkun goes through.

komaeda has the log, and whatever other little thing that's in his locker while npc-kun has most of his private possessions. the first notebook is what komaeda was given like everyone else in the school — from his studies, to the notes he took down in his classes, i don't know if the 21 questions is in that or rokkun's notebook... it's just normal stuff. as for the other notebook... that is... a diary... if npc-kun tries to open that specific one, komaeda's going to reach out to close it properly, but allows them to hold onto it.

the only thing left there is the memoirs of the depressed, information that brings komaeda to stare at npc-kun wordlessly as if they shouldn't proceed any further. )

Of course, and we'll make a transaction too. ( sort of, one that komaeda accepts... it has to be fair, now!! honest and fair. then again, how much money has npc-kun got out of him already? )

Don't misunderstand, hope is something you can follow... that's why stepping stones are needed to keep yourself on the right path. It's not a congregation at all.

( not their big words that make them seem smart, rokkun does that too... not the fam resemblance. )

[ This just showed up on my tumblr and I legit stared at the sky

Anyways, npc-kun does try to look through that second notebook, surprised when Komaeda reaches over and flips closed the lid. They stare at him for a moment, but in the end they look away and holds the two notebooks to their chest; they won't try to open it again. ]

It's a congregation if our relationship is both of us being "followers"...

[ ...

They look up at Komaeda. ]

I can't show you my hope until the end of the school year. So I can't take your money now... and by then, I'm not going to need it.

( reading that feels so cursed, it's going on his journal.

npc-kun has pretty good eyes, don't they... for being a salesman and dealing with rocks, so they probably caught a glimpse of this page. yama rolled a d20, and rolled the actual fucking 20 and i was like IS THAT THE ONE PAGE AND SHE SAID YESSS I'm crying. so, npc-kun can see whatever much of that page they want before pressing both the notebooks up against their chest... me and yama also agreed if npc-kun ever gets the chance to look again, she'd start filling in pages for them to have more to see. )

I'm a stepping stone, I'm the lowest of the low... scum to this world, calling myself a "follower" would be too much credit, but I'll be anything for hope... to take part in it... to see it...

( he sighs wistfully, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looks forward. oh, that sounds familiar. at the end of the school year... )

What's at the end for you? You aren't a student, so you don't need to graduate... Will you disappear?

[ crying bc at a glance, the words that stand out are "the more right it feels, and it hurts." and "my heart hurts... I'm happy, too. Because Nanami likes me back." and now npc-kun believes Komaeda has love troubles and they're not equipped to handle that and so this is none of their business ]

...Yeah. I'll be leaving, because my contract ends at the end of the school year.

( i'm......................please speak up npc-kun so komaeda can fix this, i'm going to go insane, he can't live that lie. komaeda's not equipped to have them think like this noooooooooooooooooooooooooo. everyone knows komaeda doesn't know how to love and that's what makes him so desirable. )

If your hope is at the end of the year, what will you do to show it off?

( he sighs, thinking about everything he's done so far, and the people he's around... will he really get to see it? )

Oh, oh... tell me about your contract, maybe we can extend it so you can show me your hope for two whole years.

[ Wait until npc-kun tells Rokkun ]

Hm...

[ ... ]

No spoilers! I'm going to reach my goal by the end of the year for sure, so there's no need to extend the contract!

( they don't even talk HELLO!?!?!? pays them to keep their mouth shut and to read the front of the notebook...

if he finds out, they'll just be this tiktok. )

... ( his voice low as he starts ) Arata-kun... ( now louder as he holds the log to his chest. )

Some students here are excited over graduating, well... the third years, and there are others like you... who aren't a student, but also leaving.

( this school has worn down others, weakened a few wills, cut down their numbers. )

Where will you go after overcoming this place? Some are... afraid of going further, that leaving this place isn't a smart move. They believe that we're actually safe here, and others see this place as it limiting us... as staff, what do you think?

I'm not staff. Not really.

[ They work here? but they aren't faculty, they don't have their own desk in that office, don't interact with any of the teachers. ]

After all of this, though... I think I'll go into woodworking.

You're here to help feed into the hopes of others, yes, I know that... I just would have thought you had some sort of power like the others.

( well they do right, considering they can open the totem room and no one else can... )

Ah? Really... you'll send things to me so I know how far you've progressed, won't you?

( npc-kun's shop isn't that far away from the lockers, so he'll make sure to open the door for them once they're close enough. )

[ They give him a dubious look, thinking administrative power.

Like with the counselor's office door, the door to the store does not open when Komaeda tries the handle.

Shifting the notebooks to one arm, npc-kun reaches for it instead and it opens without any sign of being unlocked, and they walk inside first so they can prop the door open with the doorstop. ]

Where will you be next year? Where do I send things to?

( ...

who was going to rob them... who... why do the arata's have this power? sick and twisted.

...

he doesn't even question it, of course that would happen to him, as he takes a few steps forward once npc-kun moves forward, the ultimate isn't paying attention properly. trying to think of where he'll be, he manages to trip over the doorstop, falling forward, log flying up, and he crashing down to the floor with a loud thump. i thought about making him reach out to grab npc-kun, but they can be spared... maybe. )

[ rock thieves. pistachio thieves

Npc-kun gives a little yelp hearing the thump behind them, turning around so they can catch the log.

It falls through their outstretched hands and bonk Komaeda on the back of the head.

... ]

( sounds like their dad... pistachio leaning...

yeah, that's going to hurt, better yet, it stings in that one spot — ugh look what rokkun did, left komaeda a weapon that could have almost got him killed. )

Ow... ow...

( he's going to lift up his head, glancing at npc-kun's outstretched hands... nooo... )

I'm dying... ( he's not, but being an attention whore? always. )

[ who in the world would not pillage for pistachios ]

Oh...

[ ...well.

Npc-kun crouches down in front of Komaeda and hugs their knees.

... ]

Can you hang on long enough to write the will?

( ? me... you have to crack the shell... too much work... )

...Come closer.

( he whines, wondering if the other will do so. )

I can't hear you...

[ it's worth the effort

But yes they do lean closer, without shuffling forward.

Louder: ]

Can you hang on long enough to write the will?

( oh, that's too loud... don't do that. )

Ah... Well...?

( reaches out to grab them, and pull them onto the floor because they're leaned close enough... i hope.

ONTO THE FLOOR, ONTO THE FLOOR, ONTO THE FLOOR! they lay here now if komaeda manages! )

Hey--!

[ thinking of whether they're in the right position to elbow drop Komaeda on the spine

But they do fall, too slow to throw their hands out and brace themselves because they were hugging their knees, Komaeda please break their fall thank you ]

( he wins, well, in getting npc-kun, and as for breaking their fall... the log had already taken that chance. but you know... they always say that there's second chances, so he can take the other crushing him, and he's going to regret it because it hurts. it's good... that he's a masochist so he's able to twist this like if he's unable to get through this, then he has poor hope, but god his back... his back. )

Ow... ow... Are you always this heavy?

( twink rights revoked, but he's also trying to crawl from under them... his mechanical hand scraping against the floor. free him. )

I'm not heavy. You carried me okay before.

[ But maybe his legs are stronger than his spine. Let's see how much more it can take, because while npc-kun does pick themselves up, it's to sit back down and straddle Komaeda's back like he's going to give them a piggyback ride. ]

You grabbed me and made me fall. Why?

( questions like this doesn't apply to komaeda, because his reason for doing anything is... because he can. he's entitled to messing with those on the lower end of the scale, he's allowed to turn away, and loathe himself towards the higher end. he isn't considerate of the people around him, doing certain things that summons odd responses.

this is one of them, with npc-kun sitting on their back, and from the weight is a soft pop. maybe he needed that to get his bones into place. )

...You didn't expect it? ( ... ) That's what you should ask yourself.

( do dogs have reasons for when they bother someone? maybe attention. )

[ chiropractor npc-kun... they're so talented

Considerate too, because instead of continuing to sit and concentrate their weight on one point on Komaeda's spine, they go ahead and lie down on his back, arms folded like so, cheek pressed against his shoulderblades. ]

I didn't expect it. I thought it was mean. You should apologize to me.

( maybe they can have the double ultimate talent... just this once!

that's too much movement behind him, and he's a little disheartened. normally he's the one laying on top of someone, not willing to move until he gets what he wants. to be on the opposite side is new territory, and he's quiet for the first half as he listens to the other. )

That's a good thing you didn't expect it. Now, you can use this to strengthen your resolve for next time, and decide whether you want to be pulled down with me or not.

( this is like taking hope class, he will not apologize. ) As for being mean... didn't the idea of being acknowledged feel nice? ...I thought you were attention starved.

( komaeda's an attention whore... of course he'd like the feeling of it. )

I'm a shopkeeper. I get attention all day.

[ Then again, it's not attention like this, and they don't feel overly familiar with just anyone to be comfortable enough to use them as a mattress-pillow combo.

... ]

Are you lonely?

Please let August be better than July I'm begging

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

no subject

no subject