She remembered the cat, and how it looked at her with pained eyes, just a harmless bystander with no clue what it got involved in, and how the small body was ripped apart by the second bullet.
"I killed a cat who got caught in the crossfire."
Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!
Open, but be aware that some stuff will go down
Moderator: BRAU2 Director
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DerArknight
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DerArknight
- Posts: 682
- Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:47 pm
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
"..."
But the cat hadn't been her true fourth kill.
She remembered running through the forest at night, still drunk on the cocktail of emotions that her first fully commited kill brought her, not even noticing how her handbag got entangled and lost in the thicket as she distanced herself from the lighthouse.
"And I killed Sho Tsukioka."
But the cat hadn't been her true fourth kill.
She remembered running through the forest at night, still drunk on the cocktail of emotions that her first fully commited kill brought her, not even noticing how her handbag got entangled and lost in the thicket as she distanced herself from the lighthouse.
"And I killed Sho Tsukioka."
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DerArknight
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That was it. All her sins were revealed.
Mizuho was still crying, making Noriko wonder if the other girl had even heard her. And neither Kyoichi nor Hirono had aimed a weapon at her so far.
Would these three hold onto their current state of being shocked but seemingly unwilling to act?
Would they throw insults at her, maybe take her weapons and rations, and go?
Maybe tie her up so the Forbidden Zones would do the dirty work?
Would Noriko get even more time to drown in self-loathing and regret?
Mizuho was still crying, making Noriko wonder if the other girl had even heard her. And neither Kyoichi nor Hirono had aimed a weapon at her so far.
Would these three hold onto their current state of being shocked but seemingly unwilling to act?
Would they throw insults at her, maybe take her weapons and rations, and go?
Maybe tie her up so the Forbidden Zones would do the dirty work?
Would Noriko get even more time to drown in self-loathing and regret?
Hirono felt a mix of emotions, and none of them were good. The clinical way that Nakagawa listed off her kills creeped Hirono out. She'd seen people die. Hell, she'd killed them, but she barely reacted when she revealed what she had done to them, even though she had to have known how dangerous it was to do that.
At the same time, it pissed Hirono off. The casual way that Nakagawa talked about her kills, it was like they hadn't meant anything to her. Four of their classmates, fucking dead, and she was the one that pulled the trigger on them. Hirono wanted to give her the asskicking of a lifetime. Maybe then she'd start acting like she actually cared.
She had a moment of pause as Nakagawa revealed her fourth victim. Tsuioka. Nakagawa was the one who shot him. The fucking coward who gunned him down before anyone saw her and ran away. Hirono's anger was boiling, and she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"You fuckin' proud of yourself?" Hirono snapped at Nakagawa. She stomped her foot on the ground as she leaned forward to emphasize her aggression. She was one more shitty response from just rushing the girl at this point. "Do you even care that you killed them? Seriously, do you give-"
At the same time, it pissed Hirono off. The casual way that Nakagawa talked about her kills, it was like they hadn't meant anything to her. Four of their classmates, fucking dead, and she was the one that pulled the trigger on them. Hirono wanted to give her the asskicking of a lifetime. Maybe then she'd start acting like she actually cared.
She had a moment of pause as Nakagawa revealed her fourth victim. Tsuioka. Nakagawa was the one who shot him. The fucking coward who gunned him down before anyone saw her and ran away. Hirono's anger was boiling, and she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"You fuckin' proud of yourself?" Hirono snapped at Nakagawa. She stomped her foot on the ground as she leaned forward to emphasize her aggression. She was one more shitty response from just rushing the girl at this point. "Do you even care that you killed them? Seriously, do you give-"
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almostinhuman
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DerArknight
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The answer was no.
Somehow, Kyoichi had taken Mizuho's gun. Unlike the previous owner, he did not chicken out at the last moment. The bullet, fired almost at point-blank range, entered her torso and left through her back, finding a resting place in the ground. Noriko was thrown against the tree, a sharp inhale of air disrupted by blood filling her lungs and her mouth and her stomach and everything else. She never had thought much about how it would feel, and now she found out why. The wound in her shoulder had been nothing in comparison.
Had this always been her fate? Dying in a field of trees littered with several other corpses? Noriko didn't know. Noriko didn't want to know. She was afraid that if the answer was what she suspected it to be, her actions would have been even more pointless.
And then the pain begun to fade.
The world around her got darker. Colder. Further away.
Her body, barely following and commands, slowly tipped to the left side. Now she saw the blue hannya mask lying a few meters away. Several drops of blood had splattered onto it, creating the impression of a crying demon.
Noriko's last conscious action was to reach out for the mask in a vain endeavor to wipe away the red tears.
Somehow, Kyoichi had taken Mizuho's gun. Unlike the previous owner, he did not chicken out at the last moment. The bullet, fired almost at point-blank range, entered her torso and left through her back, finding a resting place in the ground. Noriko was thrown against the tree, a sharp inhale of air disrupted by blood filling her lungs and her mouth and her stomach and everything else. She never had thought much about how it would feel, and now she found out why. The wound in her shoulder had been nothing in comparison.
Had this always been her fate? Dying in a field of trees littered with several other corpses? Noriko didn't know. Noriko didn't want to know. She was afraid that if the answer was what she suspected it to be, her actions would have been even more pointless.
And then the pain begun to fade.
The world around her got darker. Colder. Further away.
Her body, barely following and commands, slowly tipped to the left side. Now she saw the blue hannya mask lying a few meters away. Several drops of blood had splattered onto it, creating the impression of a crying demon.
Noriko's last conscious action was to reach out for the mask in a vain endeavor to wipe away the red tears.
G15 Noriko Nakagawa - Deceased
12 students remain
12 students remain
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almostinhuman
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As Noriko fell, Kyoichi lowered the gun. He barely remembered raising it, aiming it, firing it, but clearly he'd done all those things. Truthfully, the second Tsukioka's name came out of her mouth, everything seemed to blur. Compassion and grief had faded, Shimizu and Eto and Inada had all but vanished from view. All he'd had left to replace them with was a howling, agonizing hate. He'd never imagined he could loathe someone with such deep, inhuman fury, but Nakagawa had succeeded in bringing that out - and been rewarded with a bullet to the gut.
The full impact of what he'd just done hadn't quite hit him yet. He was still in that stupor, staring blankly at the girl he'd just shot as she bled out on the ground.
The full impact of what he'd just done hadn't quite hit him yet. He was still in that stupor, staring blankly at the girl he'd just shot as she bled out on the ground.
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Catche Jagger
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Mizuho’s world had become dulled, Nakagawa’s words simply washing over her but never truly being allowed entrance. Even Motobuchi’s attempts at comfort felt distant, a door shut between them as Mizuho’s face remained buried, her own hands covering her head. Part of her wished she could thank him or even be selfish enough to seek greater kindness.
But she remained in solitude, shame and fear not allowing her to raise her head until another blast rang out and she hesitantly let her gaze rise to see what Motobuchi had done.
“I-I…” Mizuho stammered awkwardly, barely able to form the proper words at first. Instead, she slowly reached up to gingerly take hold of the boy’s arm. Mizuho swallowed. She felt weak, stupid, a child barely able to walk.
“M-Motobuchi…?” Her voice did not raise above a whisper.
But she remained in solitude, shame and fear not allowing her to raise her head until another blast rang out and she hesitantly let her gaze rise to see what Motobuchi had done.
“I-I…” Mizuho stammered awkwardly, barely able to form the proper words at first. Instead, she slowly reached up to gingerly take hold of the boy’s arm. Mizuho swallowed. She felt weak, stupid, a child barely able to walk.
“M-Motobuchi…?” Her voice did not raise above a whisper.
Hirono jumped at the sound of the gunshot. Every time she heard one this close, it was a bad omen. The first one almost killed Eto, and the second actually killed Tsuioka. However, this one was probably more shocking than the last two, since she had the chance to see both the shooter and the victim. And their identities were the biggest shock of all.
Hirono saw the bullet enter Nakagawa's body. The girl who had seemed to creepily calm, even while confessing her own murders, slumped against a tree before falling altogether. Hirono saw her last movement, reaching out with seeming desperation before going limp. She was pretty sure that image would haunt her for a long time, probably the rest of her life. Compounding that was the sight of Motobuchi with the freshly-fired gun, staring forward with an unreadable expression.
That may have been the part that fucked Hirono up the most. Tiny, dorky Motobuchi, the weepy nerd who was supposed to have been the key to helping them escape the island. Now he was a killer, and there was no way that Hirono could spin the situation to change that. Motobuchi was the only one with a gun, and she had just seen Nakagawa die from the shot. She wasn't sure what was scarier, the fact that someone had just died in front of her again, or the fact that Motobuchi of all people was the killer.
She stared for a few tense seconds following the shooting before managing to mutter a shocked "Holy shit..." Her eyes lingered on Motobuchi, waiting to see his next move.
Hirono saw the bullet enter Nakagawa's body. The girl who had seemed to creepily calm, even while confessing her own murders, slumped against a tree before falling altogether. Hirono saw her last movement, reaching out with seeming desperation before going limp. She was pretty sure that image would haunt her for a long time, probably the rest of her life. Compounding that was the sight of Motobuchi with the freshly-fired gun, staring forward with an unreadable expression.
That may have been the part that fucked Hirono up the most. Tiny, dorky Motobuchi, the weepy nerd who was supposed to have been the key to helping them escape the island. Now he was a killer, and there was no way that Hirono could spin the situation to change that. Motobuchi was the only one with a gun, and she had just seen Nakagawa die from the shot. She wasn't sure what was scarier, the fact that someone had just died in front of her again, or the fact that Motobuchi of all people was the killer.
She stared for a few tense seconds following the shooting before managing to mutter a shocked "Holy shit..." Her eyes lingered on Motobuchi, waiting to see his next move.
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almostinhuman
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Shimizu and Inada were staring at him, shocked. Panic seized his heart and lit up in his eyes. The sheer gravity of what he'd done came down on him all at once; the hatred and rage dissolved away, no match for it now. He was supposed to be getting people out of here, and now there was at least one person dead by his own hand. Someone who, if the rest of them escaped, it was now far too late for, entirely because of him. The island was already so full of death and now he was an undeniable part of it.
"I... I..."
His eyes fell to the ground, his body trembling and twitching.
"Sh-she killed him..."
As if Tsukioka would've ever wanted this done in his name. He'd betrayed the very person he'd done this to avenge.
"I..."
The gun fell from his hand, freeing it to cover his mouth. His breathing grew faster, shallower, more desperate. The urge to cry was intense, but what right did he have to do that anymore? She'd killed people, but he could no longer claim to be any better. Once a weapon was in his hand, it'd been scarily easy for him to kill too.
"Oh... oh fuck..."
He stayed like that for a moment, spiraling and panicking. Then he fell forward onto his hands and vomited into the dirt.
"I... I..."
His eyes fell to the ground, his body trembling and twitching.
"Sh-she killed him..."
As if Tsukioka would've ever wanted this done in his name. He'd betrayed the very person he'd done this to avenge.
"I..."
The gun fell from his hand, freeing it to cover his mouth. His breathing grew faster, shallower, more desperate. The urge to cry was intense, but what right did he have to do that anymore? She'd killed people, but he could no longer claim to be any better. Once a weapon was in his hand, it'd been scarily easy for him to kill too.
"Oh... oh fuck..."
He stayed like that for a moment, spiraling and panicking. Then he fell forward onto his hands and vomited into the dirt.
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almostinhuman
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((Handling Mizuho Inada from this point forward))
Inada was frozen stiff. She sat there, staring at Nakagawa, at Motobuchi, at Vijaya smoking in his hand. She'd never have guessed the frail, weepy boy she'd helped that first night could ever bring himself to do this. The look on his face was eerily calm, with the barest note of contempt for the dying girl. It was terrifying. After taking his arm, she could scarcely move, scared of what would come next.
She hadn't really expected him to pull way from her, panic, and vomit all over the ground. But perhaps she should have. Compared to what he'd done to Nakagawa, it was far more in character.
She was completely uncertain of what to do. She stayed on the ground, looking at the twitching, trembling mess on the ground, waiting for someone else - either Motobuchi or Shimizu - to make the first move.
Inada was frozen stiff. She sat there, staring at Nakagawa, at Motobuchi, at Vijaya smoking in his hand. She'd never have guessed the frail, weepy boy she'd helped that first night could ever bring himself to do this. The look on his face was eerily calm, with the barest note of contempt for the dying girl. It was terrifying. After taking his arm, she could scarcely move, scared of what would come next.
She hadn't really expected him to pull way from her, panic, and vomit all over the ground. But perhaps she should have. Compared to what he'd done to Nakagawa, it was far more in character.
She was completely uncertain of what to do. She stayed on the ground, looking at the twitching, trembling mess on the ground, waiting for someone else - either Motobuchi or Shimizu - to make the first move.
Hirono was still stunned a few moments after the fact, especially as Motobuchi just stood there with the gun. But once he finally reacted, she couldn't help but feel bad for him. The way he was trembling, the way his voice shook when he tried to talk, Hirono could tell that he hadn't changed. Pulling that trigger didn't make him a killer, it just forced him to deal with the fact that he had killed.
She took a step closer, trying to offer him some support in what was surely a tense and frightening moment for him. "Hey Motobuchi, it's all-"
And then he puked. Just full-on threw up on the ground. Hirono froze in her tracks and lost track of what she was saying. She was still sympathetic, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be grossed-out too. She has very cautious as she stepped forward after that, watching where she stepped before she put a hand on Motobuchi's back.
"It's all right."
She took a step closer, trying to offer him some support in what was surely a tense and frightening moment for him. "Hey Motobuchi, it's all-"
And then he puked. Just full-on threw up on the ground. Hirono froze in her tracks and lost track of what she was saying. She was still sympathetic, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be grossed-out too. She has very cautious as she stepped forward after that, watching where she stepped before she put a hand on Motobuchi's back.
"It's all right."
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almostinhuman
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Kyoichi barely reacted to her touch. He could hardly even hear her over the roar of his heartbeat in his ears. His fingers dug into the dirt, rooting him in place. His body was tense and rigid as he stared at the ground, at the contents of his stomach mingled with the grass; looking any place else risked looking at her and being confronted again with what he'd done. Another wave of bile rose, threatening to escape, but he swallowed it back.
"Is... she..."
He stole the briefest glance up at where Nakagawa fell. He immediately dropped his gaze again, wishing he hadn't.
"I... I k-killed her."
The words made his blood freeze. But why should they? It was merely a confirmation of what all of them already knew.
"I'm..." he choked, struggling to breathe. "I'm..."
He fell on his side, narrowly missing the puddle of vomit. His hands covered his face as he curled in on himself, trying to shrink away from the girls, from the orchard, from his victim. A muffled, terrified whine came from his chest.
"N-no..."
"Is... she..."
He stole the briefest glance up at where Nakagawa fell. He immediately dropped his gaze again, wishing he hadn't.
"I... I k-killed her."
The words made his blood freeze. But why should they? It was merely a confirmation of what all of them already knew.
"I'm..." he choked, struggling to breathe. "I'm..."
He fell on his side, narrowly missing the puddle of vomit. His hands covered his face as he curled in on himself, trying to shrink away from the girls, from the orchard, from his victim. A muffled, terrified whine came from his chest.
"N-no..."
((Yuichiro Takiguchi continued from A Cruel Director's Thesis))
Yuichiro had returned to the tangerine grove. He hadn’t really done so consciously; it was more like an animal following instinct back to familiar territory. Familiar due to the stench of death and failure, which he had become so accustomed to.
He was stood at a distance. He could see the three, surrounded by bodies. He stared. He was at a distance, but his eyes weren’t bad. He recognised them for who they were. Shimizu-san was still alive. Inada-san too. They were looking at a body, one he couldn't recognise from the angle he was at. Nakagawa-san (Noriko, not Yuka) was nearby too. It was unfortunate that Shimizu-san and Inada-san still had to suffer. They hadn’t seen him yet. They were preoccupied. Understandable.
He thought about approaching them. Old Failure Yuichiro would’ve. He would’ve tried to join up with them, make sure they were all OK. Try to save them in a stupid way. That would’ve failed. They would’ve inevitably died, and they would’ve suffered for longer in the process.
He squeezed Tadakatsu’s hand, which hung lifelessly in his own, because he wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to approach them. He wanted to go back to just making friends and pretend this wasn’t happening. He wanted to read some new manga and even get teased for it. He didn’t want to be where he was now.
But he wanted to save everyone. This was the only way to save everyone. This was the only way he could save everyone. It was only a few days ago he’d been talking to Shimizu-san in the lighthouse, but that was gone now. That was ancient history.
He thought about approaching them. His foot moved forwards of its own accord, but he stopped it. He remembered how Oki-san had looked, right before he’d been saved. He’d been scared. Dying was scary, even if it meant being saved.
He didn’t want to scare them. He wanted to see them first, tell them how much he appreciated them as his friends, but he couldn’t. It would only be worse if he did. Better it be over with before they realised what was happening.
He carefully put Tadakatsu’s hand back in his bag, laying it with the gentle care of an undertaker. He inhaled one more time, to prepare himself.
He raised Niida-san’s uzi. His finger squeezed the trigger. Peace would soon follow.
Yuichiro had returned to the tangerine grove. He hadn’t really done so consciously; it was more like an animal following instinct back to familiar territory. Familiar due to the stench of death and failure, which he had become so accustomed to.
He was stood at a distance. He could see the three, surrounded by bodies. He stared. He was at a distance, but his eyes weren’t bad. He recognised them for who they were. Shimizu-san was still alive. Inada-san too. They were looking at a body, one he couldn't recognise from the angle he was at. Nakagawa-san (Noriko, not Yuka) was nearby too. It was unfortunate that Shimizu-san and Inada-san still had to suffer. They hadn’t seen him yet. They were preoccupied. Understandable.
He thought about approaching them. Old Failure Yuichiro would’ve. He would’ve tried to join up with them, make sure they were all OK. Try to save them in a stupid way. That would’ve failed. They would’ve inevitably died, and they would’ve suffered for longer in the process.
He squeezed Tadakatsu’s hand, which hung lifelessly in his own, because he wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to approach them. He wanted to go back to just making friends and pretend this wasn’t happening. He wanted to read some new manga and even get teased for it. He didn’t want to be where he was now.
But he wanted to save everyone. This was the only way to save everyone. This was the only way he could save everyone. It was only a few days ago he’d been talking to Shimizu-san in the lighthouse, but that was gone now. That was ancient history.
He thought about approaching them. His foot moved forwards of its own accord, but he stopped it. He remembered how Oki-san had looked, right before he’d been saved. He’d been scared. Dying was scary, even if it meant being saved.
He didn’t want to scare them. He wanted to see them first, tell them how much he appreciated them as his friends, but he couldn’t. It would only be worse if he did. Better it be over with before they realised what was happening.
He carefully put Tadakatsu’s hand back in his bag, laying it with the gentle care of an undertaker. He inhaled one more time, to prepare himself.
He raised Niida-san’s uzi. His finger squeezed the trigger. Peace would soon follow.
Hirono took her hand away from Motubuchi as he shrunk away from her, and she worried if she had made the wrong call. Watching the poor guy try to come to terms with what he did was like a punch to the chest. Hirono's first thought was to try to rationalize it to him, maybe try to make it sound less bad. They knew that Nakagawa had killed a lot of people already, and there wasn't any reason to believe that she wouldn't kill again. She was dangerous, and Motobuchi... hey, maybe he protected them in a way.
She was pretty sure that he wouldn't want to hear that, though. She didn't see any of the confidence or resolve that Motobuchi had picked up from Tsuioka. In an instant, he seemed to have snapped back to being the anxious nerd from class, only now saddled with the incredible guilt of having killed someone.
Hirono wanted to say something, but a familiar, horrible sound made its way to her ears and overtook her mind. Gunshots. Bullets. They found her again. Any ideas about trying to offer comfort or support evaporated immediately, replaced by a desperation to stay alive. Hirono couldn't see where the bullets were coming from, but she dove behind the nearest tree and tried to make herself as small as possible until the gunfire stopped, hoping that this wouldn't end like the last time they were fired upon.
She was pretty sure that he wouldn't want to hear that, though. She didn't see any of the confidence or resolve that Motobuchi had picked up from Tsuioka. In an instant, he seemed to have snapped back to being the anxious nerd from class, only now saddled with the incredible guilt of having killed someone.
Hirono wanted to say something, but a familiar, horrible sound made its way to her ears and overtook her mind. Gunshots. Bullets. They found her again. Any ideas about trying to offer comfort or support evaporated immediately, replaced by a desperation to stay alive. Hirono couldn't see where the bullets were coming from, but she dove behind the nearest tree and tried to make herself as small as possible until the gunfire stopped, hoping that this wouldn't end like the last time they were fired upon.