First Vote (OTA!)

[gatetohell]

who: Joe and you maybe??
what: Catch-all for Oct/Nov? We'll see! But for now, his arrival!
when: End of October (for now)
where: 2nd Floor Right Wing Bathroom, Nurse’s Office, Track Field, Star Room #5, Common Room Bathroom
warnings: Prompts are tagged! List updating as need be: YTTD Spoilers, Blood (the blood paintings specifically), Emetophobia (actual puking), death discussion


(( Please read over his permissions & cw's/opt-out before replying! Unless you let me know to avoid spoilers they're probably gonna come up! ))

Arrival

2nd Floor Right Wing Bathroom (OTA)

(( CW’s: minor YTTD Spoilers ))

[ Joe Tazuna’s eyes snap open suddenly as if waking from a bad dream. Sweat drips down his face as he takes in ragged breaths. His eyes dart around, trying to take in where he is. Which is… the bathroom? When did he get here exactly? He can’t remember no matter how hard he tries.

Pain shoots up from his fists when he realizes he’s holding them so tightly, and he loosens them to hold his pounding head. He feels terrible like a fever is setting in. Why did he even come into school if he felt so sick? What’s… wrong with him?

Joe looks toward the mirror in front of him, and his eyes go wide when he sees something in it he shouldn’t have. It’s him and his two best friends, Ryko and Sara, at their favorite cafe together. But something seems off… and he realizes it’s the uniforms. They’re wearing a bright teal instead of the one he has on now. He tries to disregard that for the moment, more closely focused on the three of them. How Sara playfully punches Joe’s arm. The way Ryoko laughs. How Joe holds up his phone and motions for them to join him for a picture.

As the three pose together, there’s a flash that fills the whole mirror. And then it’s just Joe in the mirror, staring at himself. He reaches out, laying his hand over the mirror.

And while he doesn’t know why… he starts to cry. ]

Nurse’s Office (OTA / TDM rollover)

(( CW’s: possible YTTD Spoilers ))

[ Joe ends up at the nurse with a migraine not too long after waking up in the bathroom, trying to rest in a cot for awhile. It seems no matter how much he tries, though, he just can’t settle. His head hurts too much, and he feels like he’s swimming through fog whenever he tries to think hard on something.

There’s something wrong… very wrong. But everything seems to be working against him to actually sort it out.

Joe gets up with a sigh and walks over to the sink just a few steps from the bed. He turns on the cold tap, and although he knows he’s going to regret it a lot later, he sticks his head under it. The product starts to wash out the mess that is his hair right away, but it feels too good to stop now. He’ll fix it later…

Even when someone approaches him, he doesn’t look up. But they don’t go unnoticed. ]

Just… give me a minute...

Track Field (OTA / TDM rollover)

(( CW’s: possible YTTD Spoilers ))

[ The school day finishes, and Joe manages to get himself cleaned up and his hair fixed. He tries to find another place to be by himself. He ends up by the track field, taking in the fresh air to help clear his head. It helps with the lingering headache, but it doesn’t do much for the lingering fog.

Joe’s not sure when it happened exactly, but a white cat seems to take interest in him. It approaches him with little worries and makes itself at home in his lap. It gets a laugh out of him, and he gladly pets it’s back while looking toward the sky.

As some time passes, he starts speaking without realizing it. ]

… I had a bad dream, I think. I can’t remember it, though. But I think… something really bad happened to me in it. Even if it was a dream, I can’t shake it. Heh… Maybe I’m just too dumb to remember.

[ The white cat continues to purr quietly in his lap, offering no other response. He just lets out a soft laugh in response and closes his eyes for a moment.

Even just like this, though, he feels unsettled. ]

Star Room #5 (Closed to roommates or visitors)

[ As it gets closer to nightfall, Joe gathers his things from his locker and starts heading toward the dorms as he’s been directed. It’s been a very disorienting day, but he feels a little better having familiar things in his hands and on his body again. He’s already put his usual accessories back on and tucked the dog keychain in his jacket’s pocket once more.

He stands outside his new room nervously, antsy on his feet as he tries to work up his courage. He takes in a breath before knocking and then pokes his head in while opening the door. ]

Yo… anyone home?

[ Doesn’t seem like it at a glance, but if there’s one thing he does notice is that this room is well decorated. There are a lot of cute things hanging around, and he likes how the beds are made up. He’s never had roommates before, but this bodes well, he thinks! ]

Huh… this room is pretty cute actually!

Common Room Bathroom (OTA)

(( CW’s: YTTD Spoilers that could turn into big spoilers, Blood (the blood paintings specifically), Emetophobia (actual puking) ))

[ Close to bedtime, Joe wanders back to the dorm’s common room in an effort to explore a little more. He wants to know where the people he knows are staying, but also where he’s going to be living. Throughout the day, his memories have slowly been coming back, and he knows for sure this is not his school or his home. But he’s trying not to freak out too much over it. He wants to be strong for his friends.

But as he observes around the common room, he notices something disturbing. All the walls’ art seem to be covered for some reason, and his eyes land on one that stands out from the rest. A red dot is forming very, very slowly on the cloth that’s over it, and his heart starts to race when he realizes it.

Every ounce of his body tells him not, but Joe’s curiosity gets the better of him as always. He reaches out and slowly pulls off the cloth. The sight of a bleeding painting sends bile up into his throat suddenly, and Joe clasps his hands over his mouth while he takes off running.

He bursts into one of the nearby bathrooms, not paying attention to which gender is listed on the door, and while a loud slam of the stall door, he collapses onto the bathroom floor over a toilet. Joe vomits until his stomach is empty, coughing loudly and sniffling when he finishes. Hot tears run down his face, and he reaches out to flush the toilet with a loud sigh. He doesn’t think he’s going to puke again, but it doesn’t make him feel any less unsettled. And he isn’t sure if the paintings were too much or if it was his migraine or… something else…

Something else… yeah… that was not a normal reaction, was it? Especially not when he can feel strange phantom pains over his body. The back of his neck, his leg, straight through his chest….

When he hears someone else enter the bathroom, he glances toward the stall door and realizes he hadn’t locked it. So he calls out miserably as a warning. ]

O-Occupied…

Wildcard

(( If these prompts aren’t working for you, feel free to make your own! Plot with me at sekoshi!! ))

Comments

Closed to Ranger (cw: YTTD spoilers, death discussions)

[gatetohell]

(( Contiuned from here! ))

[ Joe hears what Ranger is saying, but it's not processing properly. And not even because of his pounding head. No... it's... because that's just totally unbelievable right? A sick joke.

He glares at the doll from the corners of his eyes. ]

Don't... even joke about that, man! Th-that's not funny! Not even a little!

[ Because if they're in purgatory... that would mean... he can't even stand the thought of it. ]

[rearranger]

[ It's not a joke. Ranger shrugs, lifting his hand with the palm flat as though asking what Joe wants him to do about that. Then again, humans weren't really meant to remember their own deaths. He still remembers how the Mishima AI had glitched out on them - that had been a real pain. ]

Huuuuh? Of course it's not funny! That'd be a pretty stupid joke, don'tchya think?

[ He rocks back on his heels a little more. ]

Nope, I'm completely serious! If you don't like it, tough! Nothing's gonna change.

[ It's callous, and much of that is his own lack of care. But there really was no point in sugarcoating it. Sinking into denial now would only cause more problems later. ]

[gatetohell]

[ This guy really isn't lying, is he? He's not even trying to make fun of Joe, he realizes. For some reason, he just seems very carefree about it. Like he isn't also in this same shitty situation. Well... people cope differently he guesses.

Joe takes in a slow breath through his nose and then out his mouth a few times to calm himself down. Freaking out isn't going to help. It'll only make it worse. ]

...You said your name is Rio Ranger, right? Can I call you Ranger then?

[ Start again. Do it better this time. ]

What can you tell me about this place then, Ranger?

Closed to Shin (CW: YTTD spoilers, blood)

[gatetohell]

(( Continued from here! ))

[ That gets a laugh out a Joe as he tries very hard not to take it personally. After what they went through in the death game, he doesn't blame Shin that much for being wary. ]

Mostly's as good as you're gonna get while the nurse is out, Sou!

[ Despite his joking, though, Joe's pretty gentle as he dabs the wet cloth on Shin's forehead. He's definitely not an expert, and he feels strongly that the nurse should have a look at it too. But at a glance, it doesn't seem too serious. ]

Man one time, while I was playing dodgeball with my dumbass friends, this dude got nailed super hard in the head! And he started bleeding like crazy! We totally thought he was dying! I carried him all the way to the nearby police booth!

[ He leans back, grinning despite how bad his head hearts. It's a good memory to look back on actually. ]

Anyway, turns out heads just bleed a lot. He didn't even need stitches, hehe!

[notsosou]

[Shin holds still as the blood is cleaned and Joe chats. Listening to someone talk about something completely trivial... well, it'd be kind of nice if there wasn't that looming context lurking underneath the entire conversation.]

Where is she, I wonder...

[Maybe she got called out to somewhere else in the school... maybe an attempt at one of those behind the scenes murders that change the names on the roster occasionally. But that's getting into speculation.]

Ahaha, all the way? You're pretty strong, huh.

[Jealousy's an old friend to Shin. But it's also it's own kind of 'go on' conversational nudge.]

Although... wouldn't it have made more sense to call an ambulance?

[If they legit thought he was dying and all. They're free in Japan!]

[gatetohell]

[ Joe's cheeks turn pink when Shin says that, and his smile falters for a moment, remembering something embarrassing. ]

N-Nah man, it was only like a block away and I just gave him a piggyback ride! He gave me a lot of hell after for not doing that. But I was panicked, and it was the first thing that came to mind! Get him first aid at least.

[ He does manage to let out a laugh at that. ]

Ahaha I'm faster than an ambulance anyway! And it didn't end up being serious so... it's fine.

Closed to Sara (YTTD Spoilers, Death discussion)

[gatetohell]

(( Continued from here! ))

[ Joe's smile fades the second hers does. Something's really wrong with Sara; he can tell. But if his memory's messed up, maybe hers is as well? He's unsure.

But at her question, he jumps a bit as he snaps back out of it. ]

What I remember? Um...

[ He pauses, taking a serious moment to think about it. ]

I remember... going on my date with Ryoko. Then I went back to school so I could walk you home. We ran into your stalker and then ran all the way to your house. Then... w-we...

[ His head begins to pound again, sweat running down his face. His hand moves up to grip it, but he pushes through it by continuing to speak. Continuing to remember. ]

Someone... broke into your house, a-and we... we were kidnapped and taken to a weird place. The collars... the traps...

[ His breath comes out heavy, a new painful memory slipping in. ]

M...Mishima... was killed...

[samuraiwomen]

D-date with Ryoko??

[ Its such a simple, instantaneous reaction, totally at odds with the lie she's trying to weave. But Sara can't help it, her stiff body language falling away into scandalized shock for a moment. Learning your best friend since middle school has a boyfriend, did she approve of this? Were flashy guys Ryoko's type? N-not that Ryoko can't date anyone she wants but...but...they were on a date?

She has to cough into her palm, waving a hand for Joe to continue. Right, she'd been afraid of the stalker that night. Joe had gone with her...how kind. Sara didn't know she had a friend she could confide in like that. ]

Yes...I remember that too. [ He seems distressed, and Sara steps forward, her hand come down onto his shoulder in a familiar gesture she's not sure how to process. ] Er...don't force yourself ok. We were in a death game...but you were with me during the first floor, right? We handled it...?

[gatetohell]

C-Come on don't act so surprised!

[ Joe sighs, scratching his reddening cheeks. She had been surprised then too, huh? But it was easy to laugh off back there. Here... it's a little different. It's not so easy to make jokes about things that embarrass him. He just feels pretty vulnerable right now.

But he glances down at her hand on his shoulder then up at her face. Sara is as kind as ever. So... why does it hurt? ]

You... don't remember, huh?

[ He glances away, rubbing the back of neck. ]

I don't... remember everything either. I think I'm missing something important. But... no matter how hard I try to remember, I can't. I dunno why, Sara.

common room bathroom

[commences]

( passing through that hall is an every day thing for komaeda as he leaves in and out from the dorm, but before he can this time, he hears the hurried footsteps of someone dashing off. it isn't down the hall to leave from the living quarters, no, when he takes a few steps back, he catches the tail-end of someone dashing down the opposite side of the hall and to the bathroom. he stands there, staring as he glances around to try and find what it is that made them... leave.

he doesn't see anything, even as he glances up at the eerier paintings that's trapped in the same motions as before — they all look grotesque, but he's never too much cared for what they look like. obviously he's seen worse, so he crosses that out as a reason of why the person must have left — perhaps they really had to use the bathroom, perhaps someone has to tell them there's no tissue paper in those bathrooms.

they've already been used for arts and crafts...

so that's what brings komaeda over, trotting down the hall as he finds himself inside of the bathroom of where that mysterious stranger had went — maybe mysterious isn't the word, komaeda has saw them before, but he's never got a name to their face. at the sound of their voice, he hums in thought on how to proceed, in a way he doesn't respond to them nor does it stop him from leaning forward so that he can peek under the stall doors to see which one the other has so call "occupied". )

Oh, is it? ( he leans back up straight, walking to the stall where the other happens to be, his footsteps echoing inside as he stops right in front of the male's hiding spot. ) If we're in a race and there's five people, and I was in second place and you passed me; what place are you?

Re: common room bathroom

[gatetohell]

[ He tries hard not focus on the other person in the bathroom. His head, body, and stomach hurt too much to be concerned about appearances and other wise. He wasn't expecting such a soft voice in response, glancing in the direction of the sound of it. But what throws him off more is the question that comes from that soft voice.

What the hell is this guy talking about? Joe groans out loud, dragging his hand down his face while trying to come up with an answer to such a weird question. ]

...L-Last...? I'm pretty sure I'm last place...

[ He feels like he's in last place, anyway. A loser. He feels like a loser. ]

[commences]

( last? that's... not the answer, it really isn't. he lifts up his prosthetic hand, pushing against the door of the stall to let the other know that he's coming closer. he's sure he told the person that he was in second place, but there's no way he can be last if he passes komaeda, so... with the answer being wrong, he's going to push the door open to the stall.

his voice remains low and soft, looking at the person as soon as he makes his way in — shutting the door behind him so that they're both trapped inside. )

Aha... you're wrong, painfully so, are you okay?

( he sounds concerned, frowning slightly as he tries to look at the empty toilet paper holder by their side, and he tries not to look in the toilet. it does smell off in here, but a certain one he can — )

You look like you've seen a ghost...

second floor bathrooms; let me know if this is okay!

[dereban]

[The second floor was honestly a place that Inaba frequented for many reasons - first it being her classroom and second was that the workshop with all the electronic crap was also here, so when she's on her way there and hears something, there's a part of her that says that she shouldn't get involved--

And then there's curiosity.

You know, the kind of curiosity that screams that it's a bad idea, but is also the nagging voice in the back of her head (speaking in an oddly familiar voice, to boot) that says something else.

And maybe she shouldn't for another, well, completely different reason - it's the guy's bathroom, after all - Inaba doesn't exactly have the same qualms or hesitation when it comes to approaching the bathroom. One of the only pros of having been in a guy's body before, she supposes...]

Ooooi, are you doing alright in there? Do I have to grab a cute little nurse over~?

[While there's a playful lilt to her voice, there's definitely concern there.]

no this is great tysm!!

[gatetohell]

[ Joe jumps suddenly when he hears her voice, looking in the direction of it. He blinks slowly at first then lets out a cough before quickly turning on the tap. He flips both handles, hot and cold running together down the drain. ]

Ahaha, y-yeah I'm fine! Just... stubbed my toe really hard!

[ It's a very shitty lie. Even his laugh isn't believable. Especially since he sniffles after. Joe puts his hands under the tap and splashes his face a few times. Stop crying, stop it- ]

N-No worries, seriously! Have a good one!

[dereban]

"Have a good one", my ass...

[She murmurs that under her breath and in spite of herself, in spite of how stupid it probably is, how there's absolutely no sense, no rhyme or reason to do it. Logic basically screams at her, tells her that it's absolutely none of her business.

But she's already made the first step into meddling by saying something at all.

Inaba sighs, pinching at the bridge of her nose; because she can hear it in his voice, the sounds. She doesn't even have to know him or see him to know that his lie is the furthest from the truth... even if her analyst brain wasn't at work around the clock, she'd be able to tell, with the way he stammers, the pause in his words.]

For crying out loud-- I'm coming in, and don't worry, I'm keeping my eyes up. I have a handkerchief.

[She's not kidding, either. There's no hesitation as she actually walks on in, just boldly making her way in. Sorry, Joe, you cannot escape the Inaba Inquisition™️.]

pov: Kiyotaka Ishimaru finds you crying in a bathroom

[moraloutrage]

[Ishimaru thought he would just be making a quick pit stop to the bathroom, but his attention is quickly seized when he enters and finds another boy crying. He immediately looks concerned.]

Ah... What is wrong? Has something happened? Who hurt you?!

[He takes some quick glances around, as if expecting to spot some obvious cause for the boy's sorrow, but he finds none. He does blink as he looks towards him, however, because he's sure he's seen him before. They... share the same homeroom, don't they...]

pov: me thriving

[gatetohell]

[ Joe jumps when he hears such a lord voice, turning quickly toward Ishimaru. He stands there dumbstruck for a moment until suddenly he quickly wipes off his face and puts his hands on his hips like nothing had just happened. Nothing at all. ]

H-Huh!? O-Oh no way, man! Y-You got it all wrong!

[ The gears are clearly turning in his head. It's written all over Joe's face. ]

I... I saw a mouse! It spooked me! That's all!

[ A very clear lie. But making an ass out of himself feels better than having someone worry over him. ]

Star 5 because I promised noah would be weird

[silentabyss]

[Noah actually doesn't... technically live in this room, okay, but. BUT! He and Nene have been glued to each other for a little over a month now, which means sometimes Noah is just inexplicably (kind of explicably actually) here, lazing around the room.

He pokes his head out of a blanket nest of Nene's creation when he hears the door open, thinking it might be Jason coming back...

whomst.]

U-uh... h-hi.

[Noah is, unfortunately, horribly shy.]

...who are you? I'm Noah.

[gatetohell]

[ Joe perks up when he gets a response, looking toward the shy guy in the blanket pile. ]

Oh! Hey man, name's Joe! Joe Tazuna!

[ Man, did no one tell him he was moving in? Great now that's on him, huh? ]

I'm uh moving in today actually. H-Hope you don't mind! I don't look like it, but I'm really good at cleaning! So I promise I won't be a bum or nothin', Noah!

track field

[dokkans]

If it's amnesia, would you want a bonk on the head? That'll get your memory back!

[ Happening onto the field, she can't help but overhear him talking to the lil' white cat and kneels down once she's made herself known. Looks like most of her focus is on the purring cat. ]

Hi there, kitty!

[gatetohell]

[ At the suggest, Joe immediately goes to cover his head. If it gets wacked on more time, it may just fall off he, thinks! ]

Gah! No thank you!

[ Thankfully the strange girl seems more interested in the cat sitting in his lap. ]

You know her, huh? She... lives here, right?

star room #5

[mermaidcursed]

( one of the curtains- the bottom bunk bed- is half open. and at that point, nene pokes her head out, blinking. she doesn't think she's seen this guy before- and she'd like to think she'd remember his hair. but if he's visiting... maybe he needs something? so nene slips out of the bed fully, smoothing out her red jacket. )

Hello. I'm Nene Yashiro- did you need something?

[gatetohell]

EUGH-!?

[ Joe jumps when Nene pokes her head out of the curtain, and his face immediately turns red. Nobody mentioned a girl was staying here! Is someone maybe pranking him? ]

I-I'm sorry! I thought... this was my new room, b-but probably just a mistake ahaha!

[ He tries to laugh it off as he backs toward the door again. But when he takes a look on the door... yup, that's Star #5. ]

U-Uh... they must have meant the other Star #5 clearly!

track field!!!

[futurebullets]

[Hinata doesn't come out to the track often, but every once in a while he needs some air, too. Today, on the day Joe's quiet words hang in the air, happens near enough to him that he overhears it.

Sadness flickers across his face, but greater than that is sympathy.]

This place messes with your head, your memories. Even I... [He trails off, the shakes his head.] Anyway, there's no reason to call yourself dumb over that.

[There's a beat, which Hinata takes to think, and then he gestures at where Joe's sitting.]

Mind if I join you? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, though.

Re: track field!!!

[gatetohell]

[ Joe glances up in surprise when he hear Hinata speak. It's rare that he's so deep in thought he doesn't the notice people around him... mostly because Joe tries not to think very hard. But it's hard not to in this situation. It'd be foolish not to even.

But he lets out a sigh in response and then pats the spot next to him. ]

Help yourself! The company is welcome!

[ Especially for someone who seems to know the place. Hinata's pain doesn't go unnoticed though, but he doesn't want to force that out of a stranger. So instead, he introduces himself! ]

Name's Joe Tazuna. You?