give your friends a surprise

[closewithnewintown]

Who: EVERYONE
What: FAMILY MEETING
When: 8/4, right after school closes.
Where: Student council room
Warnings: Eventually, probably.

["If my friends back home were acting like this, I would've already locked them in a room and forced them to figure out their feelings."

the job puts all of her considerable superspy skills to the test. she knows where every normal kid's locker is; it's easy enough to slip the note into each that morning. if it's someone who she knows would be unable to read the note, she tells them its contents, but keeps her own involvement out of it. lies of omission don't count.

the note reads:]

I have very important information about this place. Please come to the student council room after school ends today.

- Nao Sato

[and if the text looks just a bit girlier than you'd think she'd write, hey, you don't know her. she's got layers.

either way, it's a pretty interesting proposition: the student council room door is, for the first time in seemingly ever, wide open. anyone can walk inside - and, hopefully, most everyone should. because it's only when Stephanie thinks that she's got enough of them inside that she actually enters the room, shutting the door behind her.

click.

it locks. she grins, spins the key on her finger, and slips it into her pocket.

"How are you supposed to do that with grownups?"

the exact same way, she's decided.]

We haven't had any meetings since, um. Well. The last one. But, I'm pretty sure nobody has no more murders to report, so it shouldn't be too bad, and we can all just focus on the most important task: Getting along! All of us are on the same team, but most of us barely even know each other; some of us even hate some of the others! [SHE SAYS, LIKE SHE DOESN'T ACTIVELY DESPISE KOKICHI] So, I figured we could spend the evening fixing that problem. Play some games, talk about stuff we've discovered since the last time...

And, maybe, if everybody does a really good job, I'll unlock the door!

[smiles]

Comments

[mermaidcursed]

( it was a trap..........

sighing, nene sits down and just kinda, lets herself deflate. somehow, she feels like this is her fault... ... she remembers when she had started that little game of 'honey, i love you' months ago.

and then komaeda killed someone. and a chunk of the people who'd been there were gone now.

seems like nene's got a lot on her mind. )

[commences]

( sneaks up behind her. )

Boo!

[mermaidcursed]

( did you mean: how to get a 16 year old girl to jump out of her seat for a moment? absolutely startled, nene stares for a moment- maybe you could hear dial up noises, briefly?- before she sighs and settles back down, one hand over her skull brooch. )

Are you bored, Komaeda-san?

[commences]

Believe it or not, this is normally the time I go around doing what I want, but instead we're here.

( which means he's always walking around doing what he wants, there's never a day that he doesn't, but he sure is pleased from startling her just a bit. which comes to his next thought as he sits down beside her, hands in his lap as he leans back. don't mind the blood on his shoulder, it'll pass soon. )

...You must have new findings to offer to the group, that's why we're here, isn't it?

( since stephanie gave information about the tracks. )

[mermaidcursed]

Well, we didn't have a meeting last month... but we were also pretty busy in general. I'd thought maybe there was new information- a-and there is! But I wasn't expecting this, either.

( does she have new findings? well. yes. but like... ... hhhhhhhhhh- she doesn't want to talk about ghosts and the dead with komaeda... )

Do you? --AH. ( HOW DO PEOPLE KEEP GETTING INJURED WHILE SHE'S BUSY DISSOCIATING? ) You're hurt! Hold on, there's gotta be a first aid kit in here somewhere-

( she's gonna start RUMMAGING- )

[commences]

Yep, I have tons of it.

( she asked so he'll answer accordingly, but the willingness to share is a different story. ) For quite awhile n —

( okay, her outburst makes his eyes widen a bit before they return to their casual... ominous expression. he blinks slow, trying to understand what she's doing, and then... )

It's fine, it's just a flesh wound! Ahaha... ( he's going to raise a hand to poke it a few times, causing more blood to surface. ) See?

[mermaidcursed]

( BRUH. )

Stop that, let me help.

( luckily enough, it seems the student council is smart because she does find a roll of bandages and some disinfectant at the very least squirreled away. and it's not perfect, but she can use paper towels to clean it... something tells her she's going to need all of these on hand tonight... )

How does this even keep happening? Honestly... I need to be able to get to it, please.

( take off your jacket for a bit, komaeda. or she's gonna steal it again. )

[commences]

...It was for the good of another person's hope.

( he'll glance over to where rika and amami are, and it is... a familiar view to see him fret over the female. )

I'd do anything to see someone shine...

( he plays nicely, slowly as he begins to unpeel his jacket from his stabbed shoulder. she'll find that it's gone through his shirt, a nice slit from the female's box cutter, but it doesn't burn when messed with... that's why komaeda keeps touching it. )

I'll be fine... I've been through worse, you know?

[mermaidcursed]

That doesn't make it better? ... You only have one life to live. Isn't it important to treat yourself kindly?

( with that soft question, nene quiets down however so she can work. despite appearances, nene manages well with blood- it's real gore and horror that gets her. she wants fake terror, safe fear. but she still watches live action scary movies and can handle it well. it's part of the fun, after all. it's only when she applies the disinfectant that she gives a small 'sorry' for the sting. )

Oh- you were saying something, weren't you...? And then I- Sorry. What was it?

[commences]

...

( one life to live, is that how she sees it? when komaeda thinks about it, his life has never been worth living. he doesn't have those moments where he can live in bliss, enjoy what he has because it all slips through the cracks of his fingers. treating himself kindly is to take care of the ultimates, anything outside of that isn't a life worth living.

he smiles though, almost like he's ashamed he made her waste her breath. )

...Kawaii-san, and you too, Yashiro-san... ( he flinches from the sting as he drops his hands into his lap..) ...are relatively brighter; your hope is.

( that's said softly, almost like he's out of breath, but the regular komaeda way. )

i love how done nene gets with his ass honestly.

[mermaidcursed]

( she gives him a 'are you fucking kidding me' sort of look, which must look terribly pouty and ineffective given her babyface. rika is self-destructing, nene's spent more time in the past month dissociating and being pulled around by hanako-kun than she has in her entire time at this hellish place, but sure komaeda. sure. )

If you say so.

( x to fucking doubt.

still, she's got a cut to wrap up. so she'll push his shirt sleeve out of the way and do just that, careful and slow and not too tight, just like shinobu's been teaching- )

how he doesnt even notice

[commences]

Amazing... Can you not tell your wo— ww...ow...

( the hope meter wasn't like this at one point, but that's because the last time he saw her, she wasn't capable of anything. she kept her distance, and komaeda just didn't fool around with people who weren't worth his time, but he does know that being together makes things more than successful. also, his dementia kicked in, so don't ask him about the fundraiser, it makes him even more sick. now, here he is, having to work off stephanie's "get-along" ruse to ensure something is made out of it.

he flinches slightly as she moves it, he's... sensitive, or well his skin is, already being sickly it doesn't do good for him at all. it's nothing nene has to worry about though since he chuckles right after, but he continues: )

...I didn't expect you to play the healer role, but... thank you.

[mermaidcursed]

( nene gives him an odd look, because. wo...? huh? but otherwise she doesn't really say anything. he wrote her off, she avoided him, and she didn't want his attention- how she keeps getting it, she doesn't know. he wants hope? he can find it somewhere else. she's been doing more than he'll ever see, even with her grief.

naturally, the fates are conspiring against her because she is a shining star of faith, trust and optimism mixed with reckless naivety and barely any impulse control, and that's protagonist material right there, babey. )

It's easy to surpass expectations that aren't there. ( oh, that was surprisingly curt for her- ) ... But. You're welcome. You have to take care of yourself, though... if not for you, then for the people who love you. Because there are people who do.

[commences]

Haha, you could tell, huh? You were pretty timid at the start, afraid of everything... but that's good.

( it's called progress, to see her be one thing, and now she's becoming a little bit of the other — sadly, he can't base everything off this one instance, but as long as her hope does what it's doing then... he can go from there. she doesn't have to know what he knows, and if she never asks, he doesn't have to explain. all he does is watch her tend to his arm in hopes to stop the bleeding, and once he feels like she's done more than enough. )

Enough about me, let's talk about you. ( a quick dodge, like she can avoid physically, he can do the same vocally — although, it's not like he's rejecting her words. there's a moment where he touches his stomach, a little troubled as he thinks about it. ) Make sure you visit me Monday, so I can distribute you your cans...

( he'll be helping senku, but he'll continue... ) Wouldn't want to eat anything the gardener has in his possession.

[mermaidcursed]

You aren't subtle in your opinions of others.

( he really isn't! and why would she want to spend time with people who think of her as nothing? #selfcare. once the bandage is nice and secure, she slides her chair back a bit however, letting him fix himself back up. )

... Oh, right, the food drive. ( yean she thinks she'll talk to senku instead. ) Okay. Did Kazuki-san tell you that?

[commences]

...Now, now. It's good to be honest, isn't it? Lying to carry favor? That's just not me.

( they have to know how he feel so they can choose what to do with that information after, but at least he's willing to talk like a normal person. he waits for her to sit down before he stands up, and proceeds to put back on his clothes like normal — albeit slowly so that he doesn't mess up her hard work. )

Nope, I've never spoken to him. ( ... ) It's all from experience.

( he's been feeling a little off, and maybe that's just him being sick in general, but... ) Ishigami-kun has a specific number of cans for everyone to have... even if you don't come and see me — ( he just KNOWS. )

At least see him.

[mermaidcursed]

You can be so cruel in your honesty... it can chase people away, you know. What if they weren't what you thought, and then because of the way you were, they don't want to give you another chance? ( ... wow, she didn't mean to be so honest about what happened with them. ) And- I just... don't like hurting people in general. Words can do damage too- you know that, don't you?

( or... maybe he doesn't. maybe he can't. )

... He's kind enough. And I trust that he's honest with those who talk to him... but. He's still part of this, you know? A nice jailor is still a jailor.

( of course komadea knows- but then. isn't that a little funny? they first met when komaeda asked her for help with his arm, and she found him senku. now they're still on some level... connected. )

I will.

[compendiem]

[ Minato goes ahead and sits down next to her, sort of in solidarity even though he doesn't understand why. ]

What's wrong...?

[mermaidcursed]

I can't help but think this is my fault on some level...? Stephanie-chan and I had been talking about people working together... And she's right on some level, but I don't think this was the best thing to do.

( case in point. rika stabbed two people, rika included. ... puttin that first aid learning to the test already... )

[compendiem]

You had good intentions. Both of you. People won't find fault in that... probably.

[ Probably... The frustration is understandable, though, and Minato who sits with his knees pulled up to his chest to make himself small doesn't seem like the sort of person who would thrive in a packed, bustling room full of people. He doesn't look uncomfortable, though, and it's because when he talks to Nene she's all he can see and all he needs to focus on. ]

Working together isn't something that can be forced. But fighting isn't bad either. My team... fought a lot. We still did, to the end. But overcoming those problems are what brought us closer, even if more problems sprout up afterwards.

[mermaidcursed]

... I think we do a lot worse than fighting, honestly.

( how many murders have there been? even between each other. )

You can't really call yourself a team, I think, if not everyone wants to be on it. And trying to force the issue could cause damage to that, too.

( it's said softly while her fingers curl around the bottom of her chair by her knees, before she looks over to him. )

What did you guys do? You and your team, I mean.

[compendiem]

[ That's true, at least Minato's team didn't kill each other. Ryoji's not part of the team, he doesn't count. ]

I didn't really want to be on it when I first joined... There were times when people didn't want to work with one another either. In the end... we all had the same goal, I guess. So we were able to put differences aside. We came together as a team because we had to... but we weren't friends.

[ He sounds regretful of that, but it is how it is. Even family members— especially family, sometimes— don't always get along. It would be nice if everybody here became friends, but it's okay too if they aren't. ]

[mermaidcursed]

You can't always expect a team to be friends- maybe on good terms? Or just mature enough to work past things.

( but maybe it'd help- but she doesn't say that, not when he's clearly mournful. and not when she feels so naive, having thought for so long that none of them would ever hurt each other when they're victims together. after all, that staunch refusal had gotten her through one messy cage... and then komaeda and natsume came forward, and she was basically unresponsive for a full month outside of rare instances and forcing herself to function. (thanks hanako-kun for keeping her from walking into walls 98% of the time--) )

... Have you been doing okay here, though?

[compendiem]

[ He nods a little, but truth be told... he didn't expect his team to be friends, or on good terms, or mature enough to work past things. It's kind of miraculous that they made it as far as they did, and Minato's brand of leadership didn't help. ]

I'm okay.

[ He's always okay. Never scared, never worried, never angry, like he doesn't know how. ]

Not really sure what I'm supposed to do, but... watching people has been interesting.

[ mentally gestures at this fam meeting ]

[mermaidcursed]

I'm not either, to be honest.

( it doesn't help that she just... isn't sure that she's helping. that she's smart enough or kind enough or brave enough to help the others, help her friends- at home she calls for help, and she feels like an ultra glorified damsel.

it's kind of a miracle, she thinks, that she survived this long. the claw marks on her arms and legs sting a little. )

I think... even between searching for answers, it's important to just find things that make it all worth while though. Something to smile about. So... what kind of things do you like?