Must be dreaming, or...

[forgetbeam]

Characters: Ishimaru and YOOOOU
Setting: A couple of places.
Format: Interpretive Dance. I mean, whichever one you want.
Summary: Another dazed and confused new arrival...
Warnings: Slight concussions and probably gross sobbing at least once.

The first thing he was aware of was a pounding headache.

The second was that he couldn't move... or had he just forgotten how? Whatever the problem was, it didn't last very long, and the young man finally brought a hand to his face with a quiet groan. He could hear the sound of paper crinkling as it pressed against his forehead, but it took him a few moments to realize he was holding it.

A note...? It was important somehow, he just knew it! If only the words would stop blurring as he tried to read them... There. Your world has been destroyed. I saved you. Let's all be happy here.

That... wasn't the note he was expecting, was it? No, there was something else more important. Something he'd forgotten. Of course, the note he did have was much more alarming. The world had been destroyed? When? How? What did that even mean? If he was here, there was no way the world was destroyed. That's all there was to it.

(His head was killing him...)

It wasn't until after he got out of bed that he realized that he had no idea where 'here' was. This room was nothing like his dorm at Hope's Peak Academy. Had he passed out and been brought somewhere else? He couldn't recall. All he knew was that he had to find a computer. One very specific laptop. It was... special somehow? A clue? He'd remember when he found it.

For now he stumbled around the dorm, dizzy but determined to get his bearings on his new surroundings.

---



The wisest thing would be to rest and relax until the headache was gone. Unfortunately, concussion or no, Ishimaru was kind of stubborn when he put his mind to something. He had located the trunk at the foot of his bed and dressed himself in one of the uniforms he found inside, feeling much more comfortable now that there was at least some familiarity around him.

He clutched both notes tightly in his hand as he roamed the halls, hoping that somehow... someone would reveal that this was all a prank. Or that he was dreaming. Or, at the very least, that he could find the special thing he was looking for and remember why it felt so urgent in the first place.

---



At some point, Ishimaru realized how hungry he was. Like he hadn't eaten in days. He'd been able to locate the cafeteria, and as bland and unappealing as the porridge he'd been given was, he was more than happy to fill his belly with anything. At least the hunger meant he was still alive and that this was all real, right?

The headache should have been enough proof in the first place. It almost made him too nauseous to eat, except his hunger won out in the end.

Comments

Interpretive dance - Ps you smell - Also Hallway I guess

[get_bent]

Oh look there was Mon--oh wait nope. That was definitely not Mondo's hair. The person in question was holding a chair on his back, as if this was the most perfectly normal thing and gave him a small nod, before noticing the papers.

"New here, huh."

dances on your stupid face

[forgetbeam]

Well, that just confirmed that this wasn't Hope's Peak. If there was no way out of there, nobody new should have been able to get in, either.

Ishimaru furrowed his brow, making a strained sound as he tried to find his voice again.

"...Can you tell me where I am, exactly?"

[get_bent]

"The Tower. You read the letters, right? We're all stuck here, least for now. Been here for months myself. There's monsters at night and the people who own the place like to do experiments on everyone."

Out of the bear-filled frying pan, right into the despair-fueled fire. Congratulations.

uhhh cafeteria!

[heartfeltfancy]

[Madoka will never not pass a sick-looking person and keep walking. So hey, Ishimaru gets a tiny pink girl with a black cat circling her feet.]

...ah, are you alright? Are you not feeling well?

[forgetbeam]

[He sets his spoon down before replying, as that's just the polite thing to do.]

I... It's only a case of disorientation!

[He's pretty sure, anyway.]

[heartfeltfancy]

[she looks a bit unsure, and takes a seat at the next table.]

Are you sure? If you're ill, I can take you to the hospital room, they have nausea medication and things.

Cafeteria

[worldrestored]

So there was a strangely-tattooed guy that passed by the tables of the cafeteria, giving Ishimaru a small nod as he walked into the kitchen area.

....carrying the carcase of a dead deer behind him.

[forgetbeam]

...What.

What.

At least it was an animal carcass and not human, but what.

He was too hungover dizzy for this.

[worldrestored]

Speaking of things that aren't human...

There's a fairy hovering close to you, thinking.

Also interpretive dance. Dance the dance of anikiyoudais with me

[mustlovedogs]

[Coming from his own room two doors down, Mondo stops dead in the middle of the hall when he spots that all too familiar uniform.

It's just the same as when Chihiro appeared - he can't decide if he's glad to see him or worried for his safety. And even more so, what sort of opinion Ishimaru must have of him by now. Was he entitled to call him brother after letting him down and doing something so terrible? Maybe it would be better to just turn the other way and hope he doesn't notice. But then, Ishimaru's bound to run into others from Hope's Peak regardless, so of course he would find out. It would only be delaying the inevitable. He spends a few moments just standing there, debating what to do.]

The manliest and saddest dance of all.

[forgetbeam]

[Of course, in the time Mondo wastes deciding what his next move should be, Ishimaru spots that trademark pompadour out of the corner of his eye. He can swear his heart stops for a split second - he's seeing ghosts now, isn't he?

He wants to deny it, to blame it on the headache or assume it's just a lookalike. Because he knows that's what's more likely, and if he believes in that from the start then he won't be disappointed. But part of him still hopes, and in seconds his feet are moving of their own accord. As soon as he's close enough he reaches out to grab Mondo's shoulder, eyes wide.

For the second time in his life... he's absolutely speechless.]

this manly passion can't be tamed...

[mustlovedogs]

[He stares down at Ishimaru, immediately tensing up. Of course he would be spotted, but...he didn't consider that at all. Way to go, stupid.

After a while of clenching his jaw, he finally speaks up, trying to act casual.]

...Ou. Ishimaru. What's up?

Hallways! Also welcome to the Tower! :D

[yougotthatwrong]

[Another one from Hope's Peak academy, that was Naegi's thought upon the sight of Ishimaru in the corridors, which, by this point is familiar enough to him. Nevertheless he's going to just approach him with a small smile on his face. Sure this tower is just as bad as the Academy, but at the very least Monobear's not here...

...

Even if the Admin's even worse than that thing.]

Ishimaru-san? Are you lost?

NAEGI...

[forgetbeam]

[Man, we have GOT to stop getting trapped in horrible places.]

Ah--?! Naegi-kun! You're trapped here as well? At least there's comfort in seeing friendly faces around!

[He's got enough energy back by now to raise his voice once more, but... that's not helping the headache at all.]

...I am still unfamiliar with the layout of this place. I find myself going in circles...

[yougotthatwrong]

Y-yeah, I've been here for a while, actually...

[He has a feeling that something else is bothering Ishimaru aside from his lack of knowledge.

Like the case with the other two recent arrivals from his world, he decided to put it aside for the moment.]

I can help you with that, d'you have any idea on where you want to go?

Hallway~!

[cutestprogrammer]

[This is Chihiro in the dorm hallways. This is Chihiro carrying a laptop though it's a completely new one that a friend he made in the tower made for him. Then he spots a familiar figure in the distance. It's...! He hurries over and waves.]

Ishimaru-kun!

[forgetbeam]

Fu...Fujisaki-kun! So you really are alive!

[Chihiro... and a laptop... That combination means something. Was that was he was looking for before he was brought here? That can't be right. Chihiro was dead.

Was. Ishimaru's glad he isn't anymore.]

does the horizontal tango count as interpretative dance-- i mean hallway

[tsunball]

[ Hey, Ishimaru, it seems you have to put your hall monitor skills to use no matter where you are, since even as you're walking here in the hallways, there's apparently someone half passed out (okay, no, they're just sleeping) leaning against the wall, snoring pretty loudly and obnoxiously. The guy might look pretty familiar too, even if he isn't as baseball-battered as last time..

... Yup. He's also clutching a baseball bat since apparently that's enough of a defense against monsters when you're sleeping in the middle of the hallway. Obviously. ]

/eyebrow waggle

[forgetbeam]

[SLEEPING IN THE HALLS...!! He has a vague idea that there are dangers in the halls, but he's been lucky enough not to run into anything. Yet. Danger or no, it's just plain improper to be lazing around publicly like that. Time to show this guy what's what.

Ishimaru stomps right up to him and... pauses. He knows those piercings and unruly hairstyle. Yet another back from the dead. What wonderful news!

But he's still sleeping in the hallways. Ishimaru leans closer and claps his hands together right next to Leon's ear.]

Wake up!!

CAFETERIAAAAA

[evokingfool]

It's around this time that Minato finally get to try the pumpkin soda from the cafeteria. It's not bad, pumpkin taste...but fizzy.

As he walked to a table with his tray of food, Minato paused when he see Ishimaru. That guy...didn't he see him before in Mondo's dream?

Once he's close enough, Minato can see the familiar porridge. Ah, new arrival...

"Are you okay?"

[forgetbeam]

"You aren't the first to ask that today. Do I really look so unwell?"

How... humiliating. He was supposed to look 100% at all times! What kind of example was he setting if people could tell he felt so terrible?!

He self-consciously straightened his posture. Just in case it was anything less than perfect today.

CAFETERIA

[drawingdead]

[What a disappointing cup of tea...Celes hadn't been expecting much, but it really is crappy, to her standards.

She gets up to leave, just letting the cup sit there, when she notices a familiar face. That sure is the guy she told Yamada to kill, alright...

...So obviously, the best thing to do is go say hello. Yes.]

Ishimaru-kun...so you've been brought here as well.

[forgetbeam]

[He is. Sooo close to finishing that oatmeal. But it's so bland and kind of hard to down a lot at once, so he's thankful for the distraction. Especially from a familiar face!

Oh, he has no idea... And probably never will.]

Aah, Celes-kun! It's strange that we have all been brought from one inescapable situation to another, isn't it?

Cafeteria

[ogrewhelming]

[Another old classmate. As eccentric as he'd gotten by the end, she's still relieved to see him in one piece. She sits down across from him as if nothing were out of the ordinary.]

Good morning, Ishimaru. How are you faring?

[forgetbeam]

[Sakura's presence alone is just as intimidating as ever... But aside from that, he's still pretty pleased to keep seeing all these familiar faces.]

Good morning, Oogami-kun! I believe I'm doing much better since I first woke up here. [His head still hurts, but at least he's eaten and stopped being completely lost...]

How long have you been here?