yogen | like a bitter stranger

Who: Everyone
What: Our monthly family meeting.
When: March 5th, 2000.
Where: Yogen dorms common room.
Warnings: Discussions of murder, suicide, child death...more?

[ A message goes up on the forums late Friday evening.

S.chidouin: Group meeting in the dorms Saturday. 12:00. No punching. No stabbing. I'll bring stickers.

If your character would not find a post from Sara worth listening too, Bonnie is wandering around, vaguely noting how important this meeting is, and how very much you should attend. No further details are forthcoming.

The meeting itself is a quiet affair. The fireplace is not lit, there are no snacks. Sara waits in the corner for everyone to arrive and get settled and then she clears her throat to speak. ]

As most of you know... [ It's hard to start, but her voice gets firmer as she goes on. ] We spent the last two months investigating Maya Arisu's murder. That case is solved. A few weeks ago, Bonnie-chan and I found the culprit.

Rantaro Amami killed Maya Arisu, Hiro Arisu, the vice principal and is presumably responsible for the scene with Keigo Arata. He is also dead. I just figured...everyone should know. To many people got hurt the last few months. I'm sorry.

[ She fiddles with her hair. That's all...she really has to say. There's not much more then that as the gist of it. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Still listening, Alice can't help the remark that slips out here. ]

Hold on— When they return, they'll forget everything?!

[ That's like a factory reset button, wiping every single memory, not even leaving any good ones behind. What a mess... They both clearly knew so many people who cared for them in kind.

But if it really was the only way? ]

50-50, I guess...? They might, they might not. They were pretty scared of the second.

[he'll lift his hands, fingers lifting on each as he speaks.]

For the people who remember their last time here, I know of Baachan and Yuki-chan. Rocchan does too... The ones who don't didn't were Kou-chan, Akkichi, Matsu-chan... from the sounds of it, maaaaybe some others here too? But they were before my time, so they'd have to speak up themselves~. So there's no guarantee one way or the other, and as much as I want 'em to remember I'm prepared if they don't.

[... can one really prepare for that? to see someone and then not be seen in returned? subaru drops his hands, tucking them back into his sides as he rests his head aside as he mutters the last:]

That's why I wanted to do something without killing them, stupid.

I see...

[ So Keigo Arata is saved — if returning is guaranteed — but the price to pay went against their wishes. Keeping one's memories seems rather rare. ]

I suppose they'll be free to make new memories, and meet all of their friends again, but...

[ It would be somewhat uncomfortable and strange, wouldn't it? That's probably inevitable. ]

To be honest, I don't really mind making new memories with them or anything like that. I'd do it a thousand times over, 'cause Keigo's important to me -- 'cause it'd be fun every time, even if it's just the same thing over and over and over again.

[like how they had so many of the same sort of outings, watching the stars, just the same activities with minor variations. subaru doesn't mind it, he likes that, he'd do it all over again.]

But they seemed more bothered by it. I sorta get it though, 'cause... memories don't like, make a person or anything -- they'd still be the Keigo anyone'd ever known here, I think -- but they're still important. It's still sad to lose them.

[he doesn't look at natsume while he says this, doesn't look at helena. subaru keeps his eyes to alice, and then to his hands.]

They didn't want to forget everyone they'd met, everything they'd learned. Because even if they could do it all again... it still wouldn't be the like, present them. If that makes sense~?

Yes... Such concerns aren't unreasonable...

[ Perhaps some would call him a hypocrite, but memories are important, sad to lose. Replacing what was lost doesn't necessarily mean that anything recreated will color in the outlines the same way as before, and Keigo Arata must have considered that. Their existing memories, whether good or bad, had shaped their relationships along unique paths.

To tell the truth, Alice abruptly feels as though he's intruding, merely someone on the outskirts of these events. ]

...You're Subaru Akehoshi, correct?

[the question draws his face back up, and after a beat he nods.]

Yeah, one and only. Who's asking?

[ Unlike Subaru Akehoshi, former framed murder suspect, part-time wolf roleplayer and kdrama actor, Alice has only roleplayed the boy before him, and he thinks of precisely that now... He and Komaeda had perfectly good reasons for doing so! Still, it's for the best that no one hears of reenactments for the fish...

Alice nods in kind. ]

Alice Yabusame. Since you've taken the time to answer my questions, I thought that I should introduce myself.

[alice... what a cute name. also, what the hell, i want to know why he roleplayed subaru for fish that sounds hilarious]

Oooh, what a polite guy you are~. Guess my name preceeds me at this point, ahaha.

[ahaha... anyway]

Nice to meet ya, Aliyabu. Though I guess it goes without saying that I wish it was at a better time.

[not that any part of the past few months was A Better Time]

[ Stay tuned for terrible Subaru impressions to come?! For a good cause... maybe. Alice, meanwhile, looks quite taken aback by the new nickname he's acquired. First "Mary Anne"... and now "Aliyabu"?

On the other hand, at least his name isn't being questioned. ]

Er... Indeed, the same to you, Subaru Akehoshi. So we meet properly at last. The circumstances are... well...

[ Alice gestures vaguely. ]

[a lot of the names in his school are girlier names statistically speaking alice is fine]

They could be worse! I've met people over a dead body before, not after a few. We can fix up with a movie and some drinks, if you're up to it.

[ If only Alice had attended idol school instead of ending up in jail... He stares at Subaru for that revelation, stated so casually before extending a normal movie night invitation. More dead bodies?! ]

Certainly... I don't have a busy schedule... as long as there are no corpses! Perhaps I'll have better luck with the vending machines then.

Oh~, yeah, those things... Try kicking them and see if it works. Or I could spot you, I don't mind.

[he's... rich ♪]

[ How generous! It triggers a twinge of guilt, and Alice hesitates — is it possible that he overdid his interpretation of Subaru Akehoshi...? He didn't even use the correct nickname for Rantarou Amami... ]

T-Truly?! You don't fear the threat of receiving unwanted beetles?!

[ If he kicks the vending machines, surely they'll retaliate by giving him nothing but beetles! ]

What~? No way, I'm pretty lucky. Well, usually.

[... maybe... he feels lucky, a lot of the time...]

I got a beetle charm anyway from a friend of mine, so it protects me. You want it?

[ A beetle charm? In other words, a talisman that wards off beetles?! That twinge of guilt won't let up — Subaru Akehoshi would really give a stranger such a precious item...?

Alice shakes his head, waving one hand to decline the offer. ]

If I take your charm, you'll no longer be protected! Besides, it was a gift that your friend gave you...

[ Giving it away would hurt this friend's feelings! ]

Wouldn't it be enough to have you stand near the vending machines, holding it?

like a bitter stranger

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