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

[commences]

Burning down the door.

( it's an alternative. )

[closewithnewintown]

Not a chance.

[pauses, cocks head to the side.]

If you apologize to her [gestures at Sara] and if you can explain exactly why what you said wasn't very nice, I'll unlock the door for everybody.

[commences]

What did I say that was bad?

( he has bad memory, please refresh it. )

[closewithnewintown]

A lot! But, let's just start with, "You have the eyes of a killer."

[commences]

But she does, why should I lie?

[closewithnewintown]

I'm not asking you to lie. I'm asking you to explain why saying that isn't nice. Even if you think it's true, is it a nice thing to say to another person?

[commences]

Isn't being honest, key? I want my peers to trust me, if I lie, that'll only make them distrust me more.

[closewithnewintown]

It'd only be a lie if telling someone that was actually a very nice thing to do. Since it's not, explaining why it's mean isn't a lie.

[commences]

I'll apologize for the state of her mind being too fragile to handle reality.

[closewithnewintown]

So, you actually want the door to stay locked forever and ever.

[commences]

Will you really unlock the door?

[closewithnewintown]

You know I never lie. [says the girl who lied to get them all in here.]

[commences]

...

( thinking, thinking... )

Make your way towards the door.

[closewithnewintown]

If you say something even meaner, I'm gonna throw my shoe at you. [but, she goes and stands next to the door, arms crossed.]

[commences]

( he gets up off the floor, dusting himself off as he walks to sara — where gun! where gun! clapping his hands together. )

...

( looks back to see if stephanie is watching. )

[closewithnewintown]

[commences]

Chidouin-san... I'm sorry that you felt harmed by being told you have the eyes of a killer. It can also be taken as a compliment, not that it has to be, but the choice is there to make you feel better.

( he thinks he did good, actually. )

...But that's not acceptable, now is it? Hm. Very well, I am sorry.

( ... feels awkward, okay, let him out stephanie! let him out! )

[closewithnewintown]

[... honestly that was a shitty apology even by her impossibly low standards for him, but she just. looks at sara. it's not her apology to accept, after all.]

[samuraiwomen]

What....

[ She feels like she blinked and a million things just happened. This is to much. Isn't a girl who tries to murder a guy supposed to like. Isn't there a fight she's supposed to be having. But instead she just tripped, and then Komeada started saying enough weird things that she really wanted to just hit him with the gun until that worked, but Steph was here now and Sara's moral standerds might be low but they aren't "aggravated assult in front of a eight year old" low. Yet.

The gun is still here, and the temptation to hit Komeada with it or try for another shot really is....]

Stephanine. I...I don't need his apology. [ She's just going to...ignore everything he said! SHe bites her lip. She promised she wouldn't pretend this was for the good of the group, but the temptation to spin to Stephanine how much better off everyone might be without Komeada around...ugh no what is she thinking. Is this really the person she wants to be?]

But I meant what I said... Leave me alone. People like you are gross. I tried to shoot you, can you stop smiling at me?

[commences]

There's no need to be ashamed, having to be the bigger person is hard, but I took the first step... are you unable to meet me halfway?

( like he said, she could use it to make her feel better, but whether he means it or not is... up in the air, anyway, sara's attempt to ignore and run away from it is humorous. she struggles with things like feelings, he can tell, and whose problem is that? not his, considering he continues to watch her despite being told not to smile, and that in itself feels difficult. he's just a naturally happy person, who wouldn't be excited about being shot?

he'll walk towards sara, his steps slow, and his voice low as he passes by her so he can exchange a few words with her. nothing too out of the ordinary, but it's just the obvious, what he can tell from how she acts. )

You still want to shoot me, don't you? It's fine, but you'll disappoint Stephanie... ah, but you're selfish, so you don't care as long as it's in your favor.

( ...

and he walks over to stephanie with sparkles in his eyes!! his voice a little louder: )

We apologized... me and Chidouin-san! I think she's pretty shy, so that's fine.

[samuraiwomen]

I don't want to sink to your level, no.

[ Whatever his level even is. For some crazy reason, this guy makes all of Sara's thoughts about being a better person just vanish. When he approaches she stiffens, gripping the gun.]

I care enough. [ She hunches her shoulders as she tilts her head to look up at him. Stupid Komeada. ] To not do it now. Stay away from me.

Yes we...I'm sorry for disturbing your meeting Stephanine. [ It even sounds like she might mean it! ] But, open the door. I'll see myself out.

[closewithnewintown]

You don't need his apology, yeah, but... Y'know. He does need to learn how to give a real one. [beat] It's a process.

[she sighs, looking at the door for a few seconds with a look that says "I could probably just swallow this key for real" in a very loud voice.

... but, she goes to the door, and unlocks it. she doesn't open it, but she steps back from it.]

[commences]

( watching her unlock the door... she actually did it, which komaeda doesn't know what he was going to expect. he stares at stephanie, sickly, pale eyes following her every move, and then he turns to look towards sara. )

There you go, you can leave like you wanted! That was truly nice of you, Stephanie.

( he claps his hands together, almost like her kindness was towards sara since she's angsty about getting out, but maybe he's feeding into the fire. either way, he'll plop onto the floor next to stephanie like leaving wasn't really his goal, and he props himself up with his arms to lean back a little to stare at the ceiling. )

...

[closewithnewintown]

[. . .]

You let Rika stab you, like, thirty minutes ago! [AT LEAST RUN FOR IT, ASSHOLE]

[samuraiwomen]

Goodbye Komeada.

[ ANGSTY? SPEAK FOR YOURSELF??? She's totally normal and well adjusted? She's leaving this room because she wants to? If Komeada wants to get pistol whipped he can come swing by 1-C later when the child isn't around.

She gives Stephanine a small nod. Door. Thank you. ]

Be careful, Stephanie. [ Murderer + Child. Hm. But like hell is she gonna stick around. She's out the door a few moments later. ]