01. party's over and you don't look so good

[intuitions]

Characters: Sayaka Maizono AND YOU!
Setting: Initially room 2-03, eventually in various spots around the dormitories on all floors.
Format: I'll be doing action brackets, but anything goes.
Summary: Girl wakes up, girl freaks out, girl goes exploring.
Warnings: Warning for Dangan Ronpa spoilers!

[When Sayaka comes to, there's no screaming or crying. There's no panic, no fear, not even anger. What there is, is nothing. An expression of utter emptiness, like the mask that served as her entire personality had been stripped away without mercy or ceremony. She sits up and looks around blankly - this is a room? Yes, a room. And this is not a shower stall but a bed, this is not Hope's Peak but somewhere entirely different.

How?

How can that be?

Was it all a dream?

Sayaka shudders, a hundred ugly images flashing through her mind, and the movement calls attention to a new and strange weight around her neck. Her fingers come up to gently brush against her violet collar; there's a dumb, puzzled noise low in her throat. Then she notices the letters, sitting there so innocently, as if they belonged here more than she ever could. With stiff, mechanical movements, Sayaka opens each one and reads them over and over until the words finally manage to sink in. Her world was destroyed? Everyone and everything, all gone, all wiped out in an instant? Even Naegi-kun and the rest....

Oh, why do you care? a thin, hateful voice pipes up, after what you did, why do you care about him? About any of them?

She winces, lets out a sigh, and shelves the rising guilt in favor of easing herself off the bed. Her expression begins to smooth out, regaining some semblance of normalcy; the blankness fades, and Sayaka just looks tired and confused. Well, first things first: for some reason, she was breathing again. She was warm, and alive, and awake. That was a step, at least, if in what direction Sayaka couldn't hope to guess. She goes to kneel in front of her trunk and opens it with the wariness of one expecting a dozen snakes rather than anything nice.]

....ah? These are- these are my things....why is this here? [Referring to her microphone, which Sayaka sets aside with furrowed brows. She does the same for other objects - clothes, a sewing kit, some toiletries. And so on, until Sayaka pulls out something that makes her utterly shut down for a few minutes: a kitchen knife, the blade smeared red almost to the hilt, the blood old but still oh so bright.

Sayaka's throat works desperately as she stares at the weapon that had ended her life (for what else could it be? that was her blood all over it) before something small and fragile inside her head snaps and she throws the thing away with all her strength.]

Ahhh! Ahhhhh!!

[She scrambles away, aiming to flee the room and run - where? anywhere, as long as it was away from that horrid reminder of her death and greatest shame.

When she eventually calms down, Sayaka can be found peering cautiously into any dormitory room she comes across, obviously looking for someone. By now she's smiling, but the expression is tight and strained.]

Comments

[yougotthatwrong]

[...He was just walking around when she bumped into him, really, it was all he could do to stop himself from going crazy with worrying about all his friends, both who just recently returned from this month's experiments as well as the one back home. Fortunately or unfortunately for Maizono, at this moment Naegi's still a bit too dazed by the collision to really notice her.]

H-hey! You alright?

[intuitions]

[And in turn, Maizono slams into him without realizing who he is; she hits the floor hard, her thoughts broken out of the panicked loop that the bloody knife had triggered. Now, instead of fear, there's just pain.]

Owww.......huh?

[She winces as she sits up, blinking hard - and then her world goes airless for one long, dizzying moment.]

....Naegi-kun?

[The words come in a blank little voice. Those blue eyes are wide with shock, with numb uncomprehension.]

[yougotthatwrong]

[...Ah. That voice was all it took for him to clear his sense, after all, how would he forget? She was his first ally in a school full of strangers, as well as the one who was kind enough to stick by him.

" I’m... really glad you’re here with me, Naegi-kun..."

Was it all a lie, though? A lie fabricated in order for her to graduate from the school? The chance of knowing that for him was lost as the truth surfaced after her unfortunate demise.

He pushed those questions aside, and without even bothering to check himself, he repeated his statement, only with an added name to it.]

M-Maizono-san, are you alright?

[intuitions]

[She continues to just stare at him for a long moment, those bright blue eyes glassy with shock. Perhaps more so than the fact of her death....more than how the dream she had struggled for and lied for and would have done anything, anything to keep intact was now well and truly crushed....perhaps more than any of that, Naegi's question is what hits her the hardest in this moment. It breaks through the awful unreality that covers her like a shroud in a way nothing and no one else can; this is Naegi, the boy with the crane, the one she had betrayed, the person who even now was concerned for her well-being.

Maizono swallows. The masking smile settles uneasily over her face again.]

I'm- I'm fine, Naegi-kun.

[She stands on slim, unsteady legs without assistance, and searches for something to say. There's so much between them - a mountain of questions, a gulf of shame and regret - and she's not brave enough to begin with the heart of it all.]

I guess....this really isn't a dream?

[yougotthatwrong]

[There was a nod and a small smile, those who're used to seeing fake smiles can see that this is actually a genuine one, albeit intermixed with a genuine confusion over what to feel in this situation.

Naegi's happy and at the same time a lot of other emotions were mixed into this light feeling in his chest. Seeing her again in this tower (no you shouldn't be here in this place, this is just as bad as the school-), was this fate? Or...

Was the tower psychic?]

...No, it isn't, Maizono-san.

[rocketboobs]

[ Eventually, she'll come across a girl wearing a really ridiculous outfit skating and spray painting walls every once in awhile.

It's a little ridiculous as she does; the paint seems to be pulled out of nowhere then disappear into nothing.

She's preoccupied with doing tricks and having fun until she notices the other girl and jumps over her head, stopping short to roll in place and face the other direction, then grin. ]

Hi there, did you just wake up here recently too?

woah, sorry this is late! had to focus on castmate things for this jerkbag

[intuitions]

[Maizono is torn between asking the how and why of what the girl's doing, and just moving along, when she's suddenly used as an impromptu obstacle to be leaped over. She instinctively flinches away, expecting to be hit - and it takes her a minute to realize that not only was she not barreled into by a weird chick on wheels, but that she was also asked a question.]

Ah...yes? [She swallows, then pulls her mask more firmly into place. Maizono's expression smooths out, she nods, and tries again.] Yes, I did. Um...how long ago was it for you? [A question asked more to be polite than anything else.]

[mustlovedogs]

[Mondo looks up from digging in his trunk when he hears the door, and is about to yell at the person looking in before first realising it's a girl - he's making an attempt to not yell at girls. Then, how this girl is awfully familiar.]

Hey...you're that girl--

['who tried to kill Kuwata'? 'the idol'? 'who died'? He doesn't really know how he wants to end that sentence. It's not like he knew her well enough to say, 'oh, hey, Maizono, what's up'.]

[intuitions]

[Her eyes widen a little for an instant before her expression smooths out and once again becomes nothing but pleasant, nothing but polite. Maizono eases into the room, looking around in affected curiosity for a moment before returning her gaze to Mondo. She smiles in a harmless way, almost shy.]

Hello, Oowada-kun. I didn't know you were here too....sorry, I don't mean to intrude.

[True to those words, she hangs back by the door, as if poised to leave should Mondo express a desire for her to leave. It's not that she's scared of him....no, for all that the boy was gruff and had a temper, that's not exactly what Maizono felt. This is more of the same cautious reserve she intends to treat everyone else with as she tests the waters. After all....they all knew she died, what she did, what she attempted.

There's a pause. She fills it by tucking a loose strand of hair behind one ear.]

If I can ask, how long have you been here? Ah, I just got here today.

[mustlovedogs]

[Crazy Diamonds flag pinned above his bed, yo (I'm sorry your tag is so good and detailed and this is the poo poo I give you).

He scratches his head, it's pretty awkward, but he's not one to judge what she did and he knows it. Besides, she ended up becoming a victim anyway.]

Whatever. Doesn't matter.

Been, uh, 'bout two months, I guess. Been a while.

[intuitions]

[see if I ever give you paragraphs again nah who am I kidding

The lack of....well, Maizono wasn't quite sure herself what she expected. Not fear, not from someone like Mondo, but....anger? Wariness? Sure, those would be fair enough to be on the receiving end of, but he only seems nonplussed if anything. It helps Maizono to relax a little; she glances at the Crazy Diamonds flag more out of interest than to avoid looking Mondo in the eye.]

Two whole months? That must have been difficult.

[Two months. Two months in a place that might just yet shape up to be even worse than Hope's Peak. The thought's almost enough to make her head swim, to make that fragile lynchpin of her sanity grow dangerously loose again. But she swallows, shakes that feeling off, presses on.]

....have you been doing all right? I can't imagine that this place is very safe.

[mustlovedogs]

[Mondo just doesn't think, this is my story and I'm sticking to it.

Though, he really isn't very concerned. The thought of how badly Leon will take it, and that he will almost certainly come screaming to Mondo about it isn't something he likes, but he has nothing against Maizono herself. He understands that desperate feeling thanks to Monobear's 'motivation' better than anyone else could.]

It's pretty okay during the day. Well, hasn't been any food or power for just about a month. But there's...berries and junk in the forest. [and then there was butter, but we don't speak of that] Not gonna lie to you, it fucking sucks here.

god this turned out so tl;dr don't hate me

[tsunball]

[ For once, things were actually seeming to get a little better. Slowly the power was coming back on, some of the extra monsters disappearing, the food coming back.. sure, this place was a lot easier to bear in that sense, so it are developments Leon is completely in favor of.

This is something he didn't expect to come along with it, though.

He manages to spot the girl while she's peering into some of the dorm rooms while he's walking down the dormitory hallways, and the very moment he catches a glimpse of her his feet stop in the middle of walking. It almost feels like all the breath in his lungs has been punched out of him, as if he's completely frozen in shock. Sure, he had brought up the possibility of this girl arriving to Mondo, but it's not like he actually expected it to happen - no, he always denied the thought to himself, setting it aside as something that would never happen either way. Yet here and now it's happened and the shock makes him completely unsure of what to do. For a moment or two he can't do anything but stand there and stare in complete disbelief. The sight of the girl swinging a knife at him out of nowhere, the sight of her bloodied body killed through his hand--

The only lucky thing about the situation is that a lot of complicated feelings he doesn't want to deal with, doesn't want to think about, sink into the overwhelming sense of having to get away from here somehow, as if she'll disappear as long as he can't see her around.

Almost without thinking he takes a step backwards and then another.. managing to completely walk hard into the wall behind him. ]

Fuck! [ the obscenity comes out before he realises it out of pure instinct at the pain of hitting his head against the wall - so much for trying to sneak away unnoticed. ]

/stabs???

[intuitions]

[If Hope's Peak had taught her anything, it was this: throwing a fit about being trapped will you get you nowhere. Nothing would come of it but a loss of control and a worsening of awful, despairing feelings. Maizono can afford neither of those things right now, not with her mind still teetering toward the brink whenever she thinks too hard about the full gravity of the situation, whenever she takes on too much weight of the reality that was her death and lapse into insanity. So she's been exploring wherever seems safe enough, perhaps hoping to come across any familiar faces.....and if nothing else, this moving around serves as an excellent distraction.

Leon's shout makes her turn, the sound of his voice not yet registering in terms of identity.]

...

[Maizono goes white as a sheet for a moment. Her blue eyes widen, go glassy with shock and even fear. But with a mighty effort, one born more of desperation than anything else, she shakes off the encroaching paralysis of terror. The expression fades - Maizono steels herself and gazes at Leon head on. She has always strived to hide her own weaknesses from the world, but around this person....around this person, she can't allow herself to be anything else but calm and composed.

It's not a kind expression, the way she looks at him, but neither is it openly hostile. There's no room or time nor presence of mind for such sharp emotions like hatred.]

Kuwata-kun.

WOW I'M NOT EVEN IN A SHOWER RUDE

[tsunball]

[ The sound of his name drills harder into his skull than the hit against the wall did just now. She's noticed him, there's no way out now. As much as he just wants her to leave, to go away, to not have to deal with her and everything that comes with it anymore, none of that can happen anymore. As much as it frustrates and - in a way - frightens him, he has to face it. ]

Maizono.. [ He tried to imitate her more calm demeanour, but it's no good when it comes to someone as openly emotional as Leon is. He grunts just a moment after, his expression twisting to a point where it's almost desperate, as if he doesn't know what to do either. ] Ah, retarded..!

[ His foot jerks out, kicking the wall. It doesn't do anything, even if it was meant to try and relieve his own frustration. ]

Why-- .. why did you have to show up here?! [ It's almost like he isn't yelling at her, not at the girl, but more at the situation, the whole idea, everything-- ] Are you back for revenge? A round two? Going to pull that thing out on me again, are you?!

[ It's not even difficult to see that this isn't just anger. More than anything, Leon looks like some sort of wild animal driven into a corner which doesn't know what to do. ]

kinky....

[intuitions]

[She stays right where she is. Maizono knows better than to approach him, to close the distance between them like that - she can sense it on a deep, instinctual level, but more than that, she can see it on Leon's face. Read it in his eyes, the tense and jerky movements of his body. She had always been perceptive....but here, you'd have to be practically blind to miss it.]

It wasn't my choice to wake up here, you know, no more than it was yours.

[Her voice is calm, if cold, every word deliberate and focused in direct contrast to the open emotion and sharp accusations coming from Leon. Loud, angry words that almost make Maizono flinch - almost make her control slip to the point where her slim hands curl into white-knuckled fists. As it is, those hands come up slowly to show Leon the pale, empty palms; Maizono is totally unarmed.]

You seem confused about the situation, Kuwata-kun. I suggest you calm down, hm? [The hands lower again, dangle easily by her sides.] What happened at Hope's Peak....well, I guess I don't need to ask if you remember it. [A shadow crosses her face and her teeth clench; he had killed her, he had ruined everything, he was her murderer and oh, god, how it sickens her to even look at him. Yet look at him Maizono does for a long, long moment until she decides upon her answer to all of those sharp-edged questions.] But even so, I'm not here for revenge....or to fight you again, not unless you come after me first.

[There's nothing to be gained from repeating that mistake in this tower. Nothing at all, because their world was destroyed....her dream was shattered for good and for ever. It wouldn't even make her feel better, trying to kill him a second time - it had been desperation that had pushed her on back at the Academy, desperation and fear and the snapping free of some crucial support within her mind.]

Is that what you want, Kuwata-kun? Do you want revenge? I don't know, I can't read minds.

[That last sentence is said bitterly, almost to a pained extent, and Maizono glances away at last.]

[worldrestored]

[And it just so happened that when she threw away the knife, that someone would be walking by the corridor - still a little disoriented from the entire month of being slowly going more and more feral, but seeing his old friend and the lights restored had managed to calm him down somewhat. He was going back to the flower fields again to think when...

The knife flew by right near his knees. Due to his powers, it bounced off harmlessly and spun on the ground before he picked it up, confused. Hey...did that girl throw it? Naoki raised his hand with a motion for her to stop running - the other hand still clasping the knife.]

woah, sorry this is late! had to focus on castmate things for this jerkbag

[intuitions]

[She doesn't stop running. The boy is strange, he looks like no one and nothing she's ever seen before, but not even his odd appearance can break the hold her panic has on her. There's no room for such a thought like stop in her head, and even if there was, it couldn't hope to be heard over the screaming flood of her raw, primal fear. That knife and the blood smeared all over the blade was the most potent reminder of her death that Maizono could dread to be confronted with - an ugly, pitiful demise in a shower stall as she cowered in the corner.

If he stands in her way, she'll push past him with a panicked shove of her arms and keep going. Until Maizono's feet fail to keep up with her racing thoughts and trip over themselves, that is, sending her crashing down.]

[cutestprogrammer]

[When she opens the door to Chihiro's dorm, she'll find him sitting on the ground playing with his new pet rabbit. He looks up, thinking it's just one of his roommates coming back then he... just stares...]

Mai-Maizono... -san?

[intuitions]

[SUP CUTIE

Maizono blinks, her surprise showing for a moment. So, even Fujisaki-kun.....at this rate, it wouldn't come as too much of a shock to find everyone from the Academy here. She smiles at him, the expression gentle, even patient; as if she knew, could understand the thought that must be running through his mind right now.]

Ah....hello, Fujisaki-kun. May I come in?

[She glances at his rabbit, spares it a fond look that reveals none of her curiosity as to how Chihiro got his hands on such a thing.]

[cutestprogrammer]

... [he nods and smiles a bit] Of course you may, Maizono-san. Did you just arrive?

Oh. [He holds up the bunny.] This is Chuck-kun!

[intuitions]

[She eases into the room, going over to hunch down by Chihiro's side. Her smile goes soft around the edges as she regards the rabbit.]

Chuck-kun, huh? That's a nice name.

[Chihiro's question isn't immediately answered. Maizono is hesitant in that respect, quietly passing over the query for the moment as she reaches out to gently pet the bunny between the ears. Then her throat works - something tightens in her face for a moment - and she takes back her hand. She also stands upright again, as if reestablishing some distance.]

Yes, that's right. I just woke up recently.

[superlvldots]

[Kirigiri reaches the corridor where Sayaka is. She's not in the habit of showing disdain. Not in the way most people do, anyways. Still, despite her lack of surprise at suddenly seeing Sayaka again, she can't help but feel a little conflicted about talking to her. Of course the game was entirely Monobear's idea, but she was the first one to play along. Is it truly safe to talk to her?]

...Hello, Maizono-san.

[Without Naegi around, and with the other girl currently unarmed, she'll just have to assume so. After all, she still subscribes to her belief that Sayaka's actions were entirely a product of circumstance. If the situation is explained, things could turn out a lot less dangerous in the long-run.]

[intuitions]

[She slows to a halt when she comes across Kirigiri, and the mask of pleasantry and propriety - her most trusted companion in ways her idol family could never hope to be - slips a little. Surprise crosses her face, followed by wariness, before both flashes of emotion fade away and leave nothing behind. Maizono nods politely, offers her usual smile to, undoubtedly, one of the more mysterious members of the Hope's Peak group.]

Hello, Kirigiri-san. [There's a pause as Maizono searches for something else to say. Certainly, there was a large pool to choose from - but none of those topics were comfortable or easy ones, and Maizono feels too shaky to make the first move in that respect. Not with Kirigiri of all people, either, even if Maizono was a little less frightened or selfish.] Sorry, am I in your way? I'm just trying to find my way around...

[superlvldots]

[...Surprise, yes, but not as much as she expected. No questioning why she's here, or asking about events that have happened in Hope's Peak. Chances are she found some of the other students already.]

[Kirigiri shakes her head, allowing passage.]

[She won't question her motivations for what she did. Not when the end result of such can be predicted to a certain degree. The fact that they can't leave this tower is bound to have an effect on Maizono, to be sure, but as long as the game doesn't turn into Monobear's...]

Have you talked to others from Hope's Peak yet?