yogen | npc contact.3

[ Aw, should've asked about it more! ~~or i should've actually remembered to do it, oops~~

Bonnie sighs yet again, closing her eyes a bit. ]

It makes the school seem creepy. [ Actually. ] Creepier than usual. Like someone's going to jump out and bonk me on the head. Then who knows what'll happen?

[ She knows, but she's definitely putting her all into acting right now! ]

Then you'd better hope you have lightning fast reflexes to get them back.

[ If she was paranoid before, she's even more so now. With so many people gone, it just feels like there's more room for people to jump out of, and Nao angles her back towards the wall just a little more, so that at least one side is protected. ]

You'll... probably be okay. Right...?

Sure will.

[ Not even any hesitance in answering. Really, if she survived the practicum, the worst thing that can happen to her is a certain literal devil turning on her. None of the others were even on her radar. ]

Where I come from, you kinda have to have eyes in the back of your head. Now that someone's getting bolder in their targets, I'll have to double my efforts!

[ Although, curiously... ]

And? What about you?

Uh.

[ The hesitation and nervousness is probably telling enough that Nao isn't quite equipped to retaliate, not before getting stabbed herself— and it would be too late, then, in most cases. ]

I mean... I've got a knife and... hopefully people don't mess with me?

[ ...oh, this poor summer child. ]

Gosh. You know, that little worry can be all it takes for someone to strike. You should have confidence in yourself!

Don't you have a reason to keep yourself safe?

Well, yeah! I don't want to die.

[ That's reason enough, isn't it? Nobody wants to die, everybody wants to keep from dying, and if you gotta close your eyes and swing your knife around to keep an enemy away, that's what you gotta do. ]

That's everybody here, though. Nobody wants to die, and people will do whatever they can to ensure they live, and then you have people taking things too far.

Of course you don't. That's only natural. The only question's, what's gonna happen if someone's will to live's stronger than yours?

[ Ahh, it's getting too heavy. She'd better back up a bit. ]

But you know! You might be okay after all. I don't really see why anyone'd put a target on your back, and you don't look like the type to go looking for trouble.

[ Then, the two options she has are to fight back, or keep away from everybody else, make it so they either won't target her or can't. Neither option is great. ]

I don't, but... You've heard about how I started this school year, haven't you? I died— I got stabbed right here, [ She places her hand on her stomach, just a bit to the side ] and I thought for sure it was a friend, or at least a classmate I'd gotten close to. I tried to do something about it, but...

[ shrugs ]

Oh my! I had no idea, actually.

[ Maybe a half lie? She does vaguely recall Nao being incapacitated a bit, but that was so long ago. Hmm. ]

Are they still around? There's still time, maybe.

[ Well! she's not going to get into it if she doesn't have to. Who wants to talk about getting stabbed and thrown into a display container and being put up for option? Mortifying. This is why whoever did it has to die, never mind the whole soul splitting thing. ]

Maybe? I don't know, 'cause I don't know who did it, but it was one of those shady guys who go around wearing black all the time. One of the senpai. [ ... ] Actually, I was asking around and somebody mentioned a senpai named Akira. But the only Akira-senpai I know looks kind of pathetic; I think the guy just had it out for him.

[ No need to bring up old wounds if it's unnecessary. She recalls feigning ignorance at what she saw, but hadn't put two and two together until this moment. Oh well! ]

Mm, it seems like a lot of incidents like that go unsolved. [ A beat. ] It's been tough enough trying to track down who killed Miss Vice Principal and Miss Council President. Not to mention the President's brother.

[ "No need to bring up old wounds" but fresh ones are okay, apparently, and Nao winces at the reminder. ]

It's so stupid. What was there to gain from killing any of them? They weren't hurting anyone— not that that matters, I guess. [ People keeping dying for the most innocuous reasons. Things as simple as being at the wrong place at the wrong time, except these were premeditated. ]

It's like someone just wanted to see what would happen if they got rid of somebody in charge. Sick bastards.

[ Hmm. It sounded from the amount of squawking that there could be plenty of benefits, whether good or bad for the school. That's subjective anyway. The venom in Nao's voice isn't lost on Bonnie, and she hums. ]

Say, if you were to find the person who caused this mess, what do you think should happen to them? Maybe a strong talking to?

Yeah. With my fist.

[ Clenched around a knife. ]

[ Just the fist, huh. Oh, Nao. She kinda wants to see that for herself. Rather, she wants to help if she actually does want to use that knife. ]

I'll tell you what! My friends and I are still trying to find them. If we do, I'll bring 'em to you so you can slug them one.

[ Maybe both fists, duel wielding blades, if she can get another. ]

Yeah? I'll hold you to that. And... I'm glad you're still trying. There's been deaths where people just ...give up on. Like the victim doesn't even matter.

Of course, of course! It sounds like the Arisus certainly meant a lot to the students here, so it'd be bad if we gave up on them.

[ Which she says so naturally, despite the fact that really, she doesn't care too much. She never really spoke to either of them, nor did she care much about the Vice Principal. Still, if they were important to others, that means it'd only be good to help someone get their vengeance squared away.

It's helpful for later. ]

That's no good, though. It's really disrespectful to just let someone's death be for absolutely nothing, isn't it?

[ Oh. Nao looks surprised to hear that either Arisu twin meant a lot to people, because most people don't bother dealing with a boy who doesn't talk or a girl who has no patience for people. It's a good surprise, but also a confused surprise. ]

Right! Did you have any more suspects in mind besides Shirogane, Akehoshi, and Amami? If we can figure out who did it, there's always confronting suspects and pressing them until they crack.

[ It's called interrogation. A valid tactic. ]

Oh, but that sounds like fun! Good cop, bad cop, yes? I bet I'd be a wonderful good cop, but I can work with what I'm given.

[ Which is, being terrifying long enough to make anyone confess all of their sins. ]

Hmmm. There's also the other student council members. One of them got promoted, didn't they? It might've been an inside job.

I can work with being bad cop.

[ She knows who Bonnie is talking about. Let her punch him, he looks like he would crack easily— although, it's a surprise he didn't after all the grilling he was put through. ]

...It's possible, actually. I heard that at the beginning of the school year, a lot of the third years were vying to be president, since the position is usually given to a third year, not a second.

[ Which Maya was. ]

Oh my, now that's a wrinkle I hadn't thought of. Someone could've been jealous of her, thinking that she wasn't worthy of being president! Gosh, it might be worth it then to track down some of those third years.

[ Which would be fun in its own right, and a good way to consolidate her own suspect list. ]

Gosh, maybe one of them even had a wish they wanted granted. That's something that comes with the position, isn't it?

[ Not that she knows if anyone else besides Arisu and... well, the rest of the transfers knows about it. ]

[ Hm. Things continue to not look good for Miyuki, Amami, and Subaru. ]

I mean... sort of? Maya couldn't talk about it, but from what I gather, it's less of a wish and more of a guideline? or a bet? Something about how the school should be run, and they stake their life on it.

[ It makes her wonder whether the person (people?) who killed Maya knew that at all, if it really was the contract they were after. The only people who vie for student council president are the ones confident enough that they will survive, and/or desperate enough to want something to change. ]

[ RIP the usual suspects...... maybe they should confess and just be done with it! ]

Ooh... an easier way to make rules for everyone to follow! That'd be tempting... oh, but just so you know, I don't have any interest in that kind of thing. Don't worry! My hands are clean here.

[ Unless the guideline is to pay tribute to the student council every so often, that kinda role just doesn't suit her. ]

[ She wasn't suspecting anything until Bonnie says so. The culprit has to be one of Chase's characters ]

...yeah. I don't think I'm cut out for it either. The only rule I'd propose is to stop fucking with people's souls.

[ killing included but also whatever the hell the cultists get up to ]

[ if i'm not sus-ing my own characters assume i've been bodyswapped ]

That's it? [ A pause. ] I mean, I suppose that's right to ask for. I don't know what tampering with a soul would be like, but I bet it's not pretty! What if somebody comes back different?

[ Listen, her soul is pitch black, she has no idea what the hell to even think about stuff like that. ]

npc contact.3

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