Third Vote (OTA)

[gatetohell]

who: Joe and You!!!
what: Joe accidentally gets poisoned, only fun things happen :)
when: 2/4~ (Date’s flexible at this point as needed for investigation/event things)
where: Hallway, Nurse’s office, Bathroom, Dorm Common Room
warnings: YTTD Chp 1 spoilers, accidental drugging, hallucinations related to trauma & guilt (prompts will have more specific tags)

I. Morning

( Hallway / Nurse’s Office | CW’s: minor hallucinations (voices only) | Hallucination Level 0% - 20% )

[ It really starts like a normal day: wake up early for a jog, shower eat breakfast, then head to class to clean before the bell. It’s the routine he’s had even before he came to this Hell School, and he tries to maintain it even now. But he doesn’t realize something additional was accidentally added to his meal today.

One thing Joe isn’t used to is getting sick. He doesn’t think much of it at first, just feeling a little unwell and sweaty. But as the school day goes on, he starts to feel worse and worse within only a few hours of class. To the point where he asks to go to the nurse’s office finally with the help of their kind, new president.

When passing him in the hall, he’ll try to laugh it off, minimizing the situation as much as he can. ]

Everyone has an off day, r-right?

[ Joe will try to sleep it off in the Nurse’s office then for a few hours, but it’s anything but restful. He seems in pain even in sleep, his face drenched in sweat and panting loudly. Whatever he’s dreaming about, his face shows how much he clearly

His eyes snap open suddenly, and Joe gasps out loud as he wakes with a start. They dart around the room, trying to remember where he is, and after a moment, he calms down a little before he runs his hand down his face. Not any better health wise, but at least it was just a dream, right? ]

”Is that what you really think? When are you gonna accept what’s happening?”

[ Joe’s head snaps in the direction he swears he hears a voice room, wide eyed in shock. But… it’s just another transfer student in the nurse’s office for one reason or another. He blinks slowly and tries to find his own voice again. ]

Sorry… did you say somethin’...?

II. Midday

( Bathroom | CW’s: minor YTTD Chp 2 spoilers, Unreality, Blood/Hemophobia, Emetophobia (no puking), Body Horror/Uncanny face in linked image | Hallucination Level 60% )

[ Eventually Joe’s sent back to the dorms from the nurse’s office when it’s clear he needs some serious rest. He’s dragging, and it’s taking a ton of effort to get back to his room. It seems no matter how far he moves, the hallway keeps going and going. And going… and going… and going-

Joe blinks and suddenly the whole hallway is red. It’s swirling, and it’s such a bright red. The walls are closing in around him and it’s so red, so red-

He blinks again, and it’s back to normal. His breath is ragged again, and instead of trying to push himself down the hall again, Joe ducks into the bathroom rathly loudly from slamming the door open.

He thinks he’s going to be sick at first as his stomach churns but manages to stumble over to the sink. He turns on the cold water with shaking hands then splashes his face with it. It seems to snap out of it for a moment, but when he looks up at the mirror, it’s no longer his own reflection. A scream traps in his throat from how dry his mouth goes suddenly. ]

“Hey, Joe. Ya ain’t looking too good.”

[ Joe has to take another moment to find his voice again. ]

I-I know…

“Haven’t you had enough of this already? How long are ya going to keep pushin’?”

People… are depending on me…

“You’re kiddin’ right? Who the hell needs a worthless guy like you? Stop wasting everyone’s time and just stay dead this time, would ya?”

[ His eyes flick down to the running water over his hand. It’s a deep, dark red; no longer water but blood now. It runs over his hands, over the sink, onto the floor up his ankles. It’s so much. It’s everywhere. He’ll drown in it soon he thinks. ]

Aah… aaaah….

III. Evening

( Dorm Common Room | CW’s: Blood/Hemophobia, gore imagery, body horror description, violence, death mention | Hallucination Level 110% )

[ Somehow despite it all, Joe makes it back to his room. He tries very hard to sleep again, hoping when he’ll wake up it’ll be over. But it doesn’t. It gets worse.

The walls are red. The floor is red. The bed he lies in is covered in red. It soaks into his hair, clings to his skin, stains his clothing. And it smells of rust so badly it burns his nose. It’s an unbearable scene to the point where he forces himself back out of bed.

He stumbles out of his room, the blood trailing behind him. He doesn’t make it far however as he trips on his feet and falls over. Joe groans in pain, and it takes his remaining strength to turn himself over. His chest unsteadily rises and falls from his ragged breaths, and suddenly his chest starts to sharply hurt. He can’t stop a cry from escaping him when he touches his chest.

Blood pours from the open wound right over his heart, and he doesn’t know how to stop it. Joe doesn’t think it’s possible anymore. A miserable laugh bubbles out of him, and tears roll down his face. ]

“What’s so funny, Joe?”

[ Joe’s eyes widen in horror as a familiar face hovers over him. Long black hair spills around her smiling face, but it’s only within moments that Ryoko’s pretty face distorts. She’s covered in red from head to toe, and her eyes blacken into deep holes. Even her smile that he loved so much unsettles him now. ]

“Are you having that much fun, Joe? Making the most of your circumstances?” [ She leans in to whisper in his ear. ] “You replaced me so fast. You’re just awful.”

[ Joe chokes back a sob, trying to shake his head in response. ]

Th-that’s not it… it’s not like that-

”LIAR!”

[ Ryoko slams her foot down on Joe’s wound, and he cries out loudly in pain. He reaches to push it away but can’t actually bring himself to do it. Whether from the lack of strength… or maybe he thinks he deserves it. He’s not ever sure of himself anymore. ]

Ryoko… I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...

[ The hallucination laughs in response, shaking her head and digging her foot deeper in. To the point Joe can’t even breathe anymore. ]

“You think what you did is forgivable? Not just replacing me! You really thought you could come crawling back from that game, and it’d just be fine? What you tried to do, I’ll never forgive you for it! You aren’t worthy of being my boyfriend! You aren’t worthy of being Sara’s friend! Do us a favor and drop dead!”

[ Joe wheezes for air but can’t catch his breath. All the red in the room starts to turn black, and he recognizes this feeling. It’s the feeling of dying. It’s cold and painful, and Joe closes his eyes in hopes it’ll end soon. ]

S… orry…

IV. Wildcard

(( If none of these are working for you or you want to do a variation of one, feel free to contact me at sekoshi or on the discord server! ))

Comments

wildcard, before the hallucinations dun dun dun...

[commences]

( komaeda's decided that making breakfast would do good for him, and he doesn't really eat much to begin with. he's lost his taste for most meals, but one can never go wrong with toast, eggs, and sausage as a starter meal.

there's something he wants to try, but apparently he doesn't have the perfect sizing cup for the job. having to measure the amount, he remembers he still has a small bottle that he keeps on him just for these occasions. pulling it out his pocket, he sets it in the cabinet with the rest of the measuring cups to get an idea of size. once he's found the one he wants, he teaches to grab it. there's a mug he takes down as well, setting it on the counter so once he's ready to pour a drink in, it'll be ready.

turning around, he starts to drop thyme, and a small dash of lemon juice into the cup, with a mix of few other things. a small dip with the bread shouldn't be so bad, right? wrong.

he hadn't noticed that the cups were leaned against each other like dominoes, and since they knock into one another... it hits the small bottle that komaeda had been using to measure. whether that's good luck or bad luck, it's undecided as it knocks over, and a small crack comes into the bottle, the substance leaking inside of the mug; it doesn't run on for long, fortunately.

unaware still, komaeda walks to the fridge to a fruits basked where he actually uses oranges by cutting them in half, and grinding the inside into a small bowl. with that done, he's ready to work on something else until he hears a few footsteps. )

Tazuna-kun! Good morning.

( with a smile, komaeda lifts the bowl to turn towards the mug, but his eyes on joe as he pours the liquid inside. )

Hungry?

[gatetohell]

[ Joe's walking in when he sees Komaeda hard at work, already impressed by everything he's doing. When he cooks for himself, it's very simple since he's not very good at it. ]

Hey, good morning! I'm always hungry, haha! [ He walks over to Komaeda, not trying to get in his way but looking to see what he's cooking. ] Do you need any help with this? No way this is all for you!

[ That may or may not be wise as far as cooking goes, but he can at least help with serving or other simple things. Even just washing dishes! ]

[commences]

( always hungry? he must have high metabolism, but it's true, all this food is not for komaeda, it's more of a... he wanted to do something nice before they go to disney soon. it's just a few days away, isn't it? )

Yep, having help would be nice... I didn't really get to do this much back home, so... I thought "why not?"

( as joe looks over the food that's been made, he'll see eggs — scrambled, boiled, and even sunny side up, bacon in various terms of being cooked, and there's one really crunchy black one because my mom likes the one's really burnt. there's all sorts of bread, even a jalapeno one that he has set to the side for someone else.

if he looks by his hand, he'll see a recipe for "nature's cereal", but only the bold and daring would indulge in that.

as komaeda takes a step to the side, there's a few glass cups that tilt from the cabinet he was in and forgot to shut, and a few bottles rain down — crashing onto the floor. shards of glass fly everywhere across the floor, and komaeda flinches during it with a sheepish look on his face. )

Ah... I forgot to close it.

( but the orange juice is safe, and had avoided being knocked over! )

3

[waitingforplayer2]

[ There's screaming in the common room. Nanami doesn't know who's doing it or why, but even as she drops her homework and hurries to see who it is, she can hear the screams getting louder. ]

Tazuna-kun?!

[ He's writhing on the floor, yelling in terror at something above him that isn't there. Something's really wrong.

She's at his side in moments, trying hard to remember what helped her before. ] Hey... Tazuna-kun... c-can you hear me?

[gatetohell]

[ In reality, Joe's lying on his back wheezing for air, and the fever on his face is obvious. But in his mind, he's being crushed by his girlfriend and bleeding out in the process. It's agony... but the sound of Nanami's voice snaps him out of it for a moment. His darkening vision clears when he looks up toward her. ]

Nan- AUGH!

[ Ryoko presses her foot into his wound further when he tries to shift his focus, a heavy reminder she's still here. ]

"What kind of boyfriend looks at another girl? You're so cruel."

R-Ryoko... st-stop!

[waitingforplayer2]

Take my hand.

[ She gently takes his hand, an attempt to anchor him. He's wildly screaming at nothing, above him. He's not in this reality.

She knows painfully well what that's like. ]

It's just you and me. It's just us. We're in the hallway in the dorms at Yogen High. Do you remember?

It's okay. I promise it's going to be okay.

II

[protect]

Tazuna-kun!

[ The voice that comes from behind Joe is sharp and commanding. It's an effort to draw his attention from whatever he might be seeing. The look on his face, he pain in his voice, all of the little frightened reactions. She had peered in out of concern when he took a little too long to come out, and Nanami is grateful for that now. Whatever it is that Joe's seeing, it's not the reality that sits before both of them.

If she can get his attention, she'll continue in a gentler tone, ]

Look at me, okay? I'm right here.

[gatetohell]

[ Joe's head snaps in the direction of Nanami's voice, and he stares at her with wild eyes as he tries to figure out what's going on. The sink is still overflowing, and his horrible reflection is still in the mirror. But he really tries to do what she's telling him.]

Nanami.....

[ His bloody hands smart for a moment, and he can't help himself but look down for a moment. ]

I-It's everywhere... a-ah...

iii

[miirai]

[This is the second time that Rika's heard a scream in the common room and she finds herself scrambling to see who exactly it is and comes in at the exact time when he seems to be screaming at...

Ah.

Well, that's a familiar sight in a way for her, that's for sure.

Rika doesn't bother with any pretenses or anything. She may be small, but that doesn't mean that she can't do something--]

Hey! Are you alright? Answer me!

[Her voice is more mature than usual and much more strict than usual.]

[gatetohell]

[ The tone in Rika's voice catches his attention almost immediately, and he looks toward her in surprise as his vision partially clears. He remembers her; she was someone who helped him after his blood donation. ]

I-I-I-!

[ Joe can't get an answer out. Especially as Ryoko slams her foot down on his chest again, causing him to cry out. ]

"You're not getting out this so easily, Jou Tazuna! Man up to what you've done!"

I'm... sorry!

II.

[shimashima]

[ Why are this school's bathrooms a place to overhear strange conversations? This time, the snatches of whatever has transpired don't seem to involve alarmingly huge beetles, but Alice pauses with the door ajar upon catching the sound of someone's... moaning? There could be a number of explanations for that, and most make him reluctant to step any closer. For example, either the person would find the sudden company embarrassing, or this bathroom is another haunted location!

And yet, though he's considering turning around to use a different bathroom instead — any will do for the purpose of washing his hands before having lunch — he can't bring himself to walk away without making certain that there's nothing truly wrong.

Alice pushes the door open, peering into the bathroom. He listens for the voice.

Its owner is right there, by the sink, and could have been a ghost elsewhere. Here, Alice thinks nothing of calling out to him as he approaches. ]

Ah— Jou Tazuna?!

[ Forced to leave class early, the boy definitely must be quite ill! ]

You may have made it here, but you really don't look well at all...

[gatetohell]

[ So much has happened in these bathrooms it's astonishing.

ANYWAY when Joe hears his name, his attention snaps over toward the voice that says it. His eyes widen in shock when he realizes who's there. It's almost unbelievable... but everything that happening around him in his mind feels so real right now. He can't deny what's in front of him. ]

Gon...bee? [ He blinks again when he realizes that's wrong. ] Alice...?

[ His mouth feels so dry as he tries to find his words. He doesn't know what to say to this man. They didn't know each other long in life, but still...he... ]

"You'd try to kill him, remember?"

I... a-ah...

[ He can't even deny it. He's been dwelling on that guilt for over a month now. But saying it out loud... ]

also II!

[notsosou]

[It's been a long time since he was having to wash his clothes in the bathroom sinks, Shin absolutely does not miss those months at all, but he does still use them. The slam of the door has his shoulders going up to his ears. He was going to leave it as a muffled 'noisy...' into his scarf as he entered, but... is that...?]

Err... Joe?

[To Joe, he's practically wading through the blood as he comes closer, cautious and uncertain, it's invisible to him. But the way Joe is staring at things he cannot see...]

D-don't look at it, okay? Focus on something else...

[It's not advice he himself always takes, even as he gives it to himself; these things aren't that simple, arrest the attention, but...]

Re: also II!

[gatetohell]

[ Joe jumps at the sound of Sou's voice, turning toward him quickly. ]

Sou...?

[ It's not just that Sou's wading in it; he's covered in blood from head to toe. Joe feels sick to his stomach again, and he presses his hand over it to stop himself from being ill. Sou says to look away, but he can't look at him either. ]

"Look at him. Look at who you tried to kill. Who you assaulted last month."

I-I.... [ His eyes squeeze shut, and he tries to wipe the sweat that's running down his face. ] I c-can't do this right now... Sou...

II!

[carpevinum]

[Lucifer's ever-watchful eyes spot Joe sort of... zombie-walking through the hallways and into the bathroom, and it makes him quirk a brow. With everything that's happened recently, it makes him a bit suspicious — not of Joe's intentions, but rather as to if he's injured or not. Like someone got him.

Naturally, he follows Joe several feet behind. When the door slams, he speed walks over to open it, only to hear the entire conversation Joe has with "himself" in the mirror.]

Hey.

[As he says "hey", he knocks on the doorframe like he's announcing himself. Lucifer knows that Joe isn't okay right now, but he asks anyway, more out of politeness than anything because they've never spoken before.]

Are you doing alright?

Re: II!

[gatetohell]

[ Joe jumps at the knock on the door, staring at it wide-eyed. Someone's outside the door; someone he doesn't know. ]

U-Uh...

[ He looks around the bathroom quickly. There's so much blood. How is he supposed to clean it all up? Isn't it already seeping through the crack of the door? No, no it's impossible... there's no way he can do something like this on his own, but he can't explain all this to a stranger either!

He tries his best to put some life back into his voice as Joe desperately tries to pull out as many paper towels as he can to put on the floor.. ]

I'm... fine! J-Just slipped!

I!

[moraloutrage]

[Ishimaru is standing by his bedside. He had been worried for Joe when he brought him to the nurse's office! Sure, Joe's symptoms might not have been severe, but one never knows for sure in this environment where such cruel things happen!

He made sure to stop and visit after class. And he looks on in concern at Joe's reaction, with a confused frown.]

Ah... yes. I was simply asking you how you feel right now, Tazuna-kun.

[gatetohell]

[ Joe blinks rapidly to clear his vision, staring up at Ishimaru in surprise. Right... he's the one who helped him get to the nurse. He didn't expect to see him again here, though. ]

O-Oh, sorry. I'm... [ Joe lets out a shaky breath but tries to smile it off. ] I'll be alright! I'm sorry you had to take time out of your day for this, Ishimaru. I know you're really busy now.

III

[samuraiwomen]

J-joe?

[ Sara turns from the kitchen to stare as Joe stumbles out of the room. At first she just stares, unsure if her old friend is...drunk or just stumbling around after a nightmare, but the way he talks feels like claws rasping over her brain, digging into the chinks of her imperfect memory. Its familiar, not in a way she likes, and she shoves the thought away before rushing forward to grab his hand as he falls. ]

Joe, hey, look at me! Ryoko isn't here, alright? It's just me.

[ Just in the dorm rooms, far from home. But Sara is here, and even if she's not the person Joe remember, that has to count for something right? ]

[gatetohell]

[ When Sara grabs his hand, Joe instinctively grabs it back. His vision starts to clear as he squeezes it, and he tries to look up at her. He opens his mouth to say something but can only let out a pained groan.

Because Ryoko slams her foot down onto his chest again in reaction. ]

"You have some nerve dragging her into this. There's a reason she forgot you, Jou Tazuna!"

[ Joe takes in rapidly breaths through the pain of it, trying to find his voice agin. ]

I'm... s-sorry....

iii

[rearranger]

[ The odd behavior hasn't gone unnoticed. Ranger is sharp enough to recognize what's happening, but he's distracted and busy, and so often not around his own dorm room thanks to his tendency to either be with Komaeda or roaming about the school.

That's why he's not quite surprised to see Joe laying in a heap in the commons room, but nor is he pleased about the entire affair. He sizes him up quickly before crouching down, considering the best option here. The obvious answer is immediate medical treatment, but it's not as though he can just call an ambulance here... Then again, the nurses office seems to have a treatment for everything.

He crouches down for now, far enough away to avoid getting caught by any errant movements, searching for the best way to accomplish that. It's no good if he's going to be panicked and struggling thanks to fever-induced hallucinations. ]

Hey. C'mon kiddo. Just you and me here, but if you stay here you're gonna wind up dying all over again.

[ Ranger has never been good at comforting others, especially at times like this. ]

[gatetohell]

[ Joe's eyes open slightly when he hears a familiar voice, and he does his best to focus on it. His eye dart around until the land on Rio Ranger crouching down next to him. He tries to wheeze out a response, but his brain is so scrambled he can't think straight. ]

R-Ranger?

[ That's right; he is going to die. Ryoko reminds him of that by pressing her foot further into his open wound, making him cry out in pain again. ]

She's... killing me!

"Killing you? Joe, you're already dead. I'm just making sure you stay that way..."

i

[taketori]

Hm?

[ Miyuki's just come in, hoping to have his bandages removed and be cleared by the nurse to actually do a bit more. He's been taking it easy since the middle of last month and his previous run-ins, trying not to let it bother him while still, trying to do as little as possible.

It's not something he likes. Still, he's made it a point to continue helping Joe out when able, and he's a bit surprised to see him laying there. ]

Oh uh, I was just checking to see if the Nurse was around. [ A brief pause. ] Everything alright, Tazuna?

wildcards u feb...11th I think? whenever the trip ends?

[samuraiwomen]

[ They've barely awakened from their trip at all, perhaps the first morning back at school, when the sound of footsteps are the only warning Joe gets before Sara crashes into his back.

She doesn't say anything, just holds Joe so tight her fingers get white knuckled as she presses her face into the back of his jacket. There's something mumbled that might be "sorry". ]

[gatetohell]

[ He's been waiting for her ever since he woke up. Joe woke up first, confused and afraid. He remembers going to sleep in their hotel room... then waking up back at school. But it was a painful awakening, and something clearly went wrong. He just can't remember how or why...

But he's legitimately surprised when Sara appears behind him, a gasp slipping out. So focused on finding her, he didn't look back. ]

S-Sara!

[ It takes a little effort, but he loosens her grip a bit. But only so he can turn around and hold her back. He holds her close to his chest; she can probably feel his heart beating fast. ]

A-Are you okay? No... shit, sorry that's a stupid question. Of course you're not. Aaah I'm sorry...