shslnympheas-blog

[shslnympheas-blog]

A Softer M.A.H.O.U. - Post 5 (A Softer Sea edition)

All text is from @asoftersea, a fancomic based on A Softer World! (Read at own risk, as like A Softer World, some content may have sensitive topics or images (insects, death, insect death, the apocalypse, and others))

[Airi death art by Cam]

[Kris death art by Pate]

[Joon-young death art by Leo]

[Mi-ke death art by Leo]

[Mio death art by Cam and Limit]

[Shiba death art by Cam and Pate]

[Sollith death art by Cam and Pate]

[Yukie + Zoya death art by Cam]

-

[Kris, Mi-ke, and Miyu art by me] (birthday art hasn’t been posted)

[Miyu + Takako art by Sieves]

[Mother and Child silhouette from vectorstock]

[Otohiko art by Pate]

[Shinobu Kanamori SHAWN KENTUCKY art by Lag]

[shslnympheas-blog]

A Softer M.A.H.O.U. - Post 4

[Airi death art by Cam]

[Jinzaemon death art by Cy]

[Kris death art by Pate]

[Joon-young death art by Leo]

[Mi-ke death art by Leo]

[Mio death art by Cam and Limit]

[Shiba death art by Cam and Pate]

[Sollith death art by Cam and Pate]

[Takako “death” art by Sieves]

[Yukie + Zoya death art by Cam]

-

[Clove, Miyu, and Reiko art by Keri]

[Haru art by Sieves]

[Joon x Mitsuo art by Leo]

[Michaela art by Pate]

[Takako art by Sieves]

[shslnympheas-blog]

It's almost half a day after the executions before Miyu turns in her hansatsu. All My Friends Are Dead

Mockingbird Kigurumi : A loose-fitting hooded pajama pops out. It’s a bird!

Worn Blanket [NPC Quest] : An old blanket with a discolored plaid pattern. It’s frayed at the edges and covered in cat hair.

[shslnympheas-blog]

The Silver Garden of Snow | Miyu | Execution Reaction

[ CW: Self-deprecation, suffocation, drowning, throat trauma, zombies, dissociation ]

In the Labyrinth, Haru’s uncle had been quick to get rid of Miyu. A glare and a snap of the jaws was all she knew as the dragon’s icy breath solidified her near-instantly. A slow, cold death was another story entirely. It meant lying on the floor of a closet, unable to stop the flow of blood. It meant being tied up in a bag and left to drown. It meant, it meant…

Miyu should have expected Kris’s execution to play out this way – she’d fished him out of the ocean once already, and there wasn’t a chance Otohiko would let him escape a second time. Still, the beatdown by figments of Sollith and Shiba caught her off guard. Still, she found herself stunned by the Inferi that swarmed her (swarmed Kris, Miyu had always hated the disconnect that being in someone else’s body caused, but today had been the worst because—)

Because, first, she found herself unable to breathe yet again. It was a terrifying feeling she really didn’t want to become used to, because it symbolized a loss of control, whether it was watching her escape plans get torn apart by oni, or being unable to free herself (free Mi-ke) from the sinking bag. That, and it hurt, having her insides light up and burn this way.

Second, she found herself focusing a little too long on herself – the other her, papery-thin skin and cloudy white eyes – she’d heard the name Inferius once but didn’t know that this was what such a creature looked like.

And seeing herself this way kicked that disconnect into an entirely different level; Miyu didn’t feel like she was in anyone’s body right now. The surreal feeling was only worsened by the water distorting her (his? their?) vision, and by her imposter speaking in such a cruel voice.

(It wasn’t as if she thought anyone should be grateful for all the damage Kris had caused. But… the words weren’t entirely wrong, either. The world had rejected them both – so why extend a hand of aid to a world that would never forgive them?)

The sting of saltwater on her face and in her lungs was the only thing that kept her mind loosely tethered to a physical body, right up until gunfire rained down and tore her (him, them) apart – suddenly the memory of demons crushing Miyu’s throat overwhelmed her.

She couldn’t process that her consciousness was being dragged from one viewpoint to another, nor could she fully comprehend what she was seeing and hearing – that Kris had bled out in the water in a similar manner to her own death, that Outa was mumbling something in the brief seconds before the next execution, that she had been plunged into a chill not of the ocean but of the snowfields—

It wasn’t until she saw the prisoner in the snowglobe and the reflection on the frosted glass that Miyu understood that two people had been taken.

Only then did she understand that in the class’s confusion and desperation, they had cut out two vital sources of information and stability – and companionship, because even if she hadn’t been close enough to Zoya to call her a sister, the younger Genbu had still looked up to her to some degree, still enjoyed her company enough to send her flowers and call her Mi-nee. And this was how that kindness had been returned.

Even they were disposable in the end. If Otohiko had truly been reborn, after all, then she didn’t need anyone to speak for her anymore. This was the pay given to those she had controlled all these months.

Would this be the pay that her little one would meet, too?

Complex thoughts like that were lost to the static of snow and dissociation. Just as Miyu’s found family had been reunited in the waters, the lifelong family of Zoya and Yukie were reunited in the blizzard. And Miyu understood then that it didn’t matter if someone asked for her hand even after rejecting her:

She was useless in helping anyone. She couldn’t save any of them.

Otohiko was the only one left to greet them when they returned to the trial room, confirming that the castle was now her domain entirely. The smell of blood in the newly-filled basins was overwhelming, permeating every corner of the room, every clan’s line of pensieves. And yet, somehow, the sharp scent of mint still called her attention.

Miyu grabbed the blue jacket draped over whatever pensieve it had landed at, scanning it for signs of blood. All she could see were old rusted stains on the back (from her hands, so many weeks ago), and she found herself holding the jacket close, as if one wrong move could stain it in more bloodshed. As if someone else in this room, anyone else, had just enough of a grudge left to try and destroy this one last reminder of the hitman.

Such a moment didn’t come, and Miyu relaxed only enough to hand Kris’s jacket off to Reiko, once she was willing and able to approach her. Circumstances were a little different now given that the late students had retained solid forms, but she trusted Reiko could keep it safe until they knew what Kris wanted.

(Funny, that she ended up having some trust for Reiko after all this time. Not much trust, but they still had a few common interests.)

With her guard finally lowered, Miyu returned to her own pensieve to retrieve the multitude of items she brought with her. On one side, Joon’s basin spilled over with blood, in an attempt to force her to confront the reality of what she had done. On the other side, Outa had collapsed onto the floor, torn down by the loss of his own found sister and the threat that his boyfriend would be under the dragon’s thrall. Miyu had done this.

“I’m—”

A single hollow word, heavy with worry and remorse. And that was all Miyu could manage, because even with static still fuzzying her thoughts, she knew that there was nothing she could say or do to make this up to him, or to anyone else.

So she didn’t try. Her throat felt too numb for words anyway, and all of the strength she could muster went into the mechanic motions of her arms and legs.

Miyu retrieved her purse, picking at, then tearing away the knots of tulle. She wouldn’t need these anymore. With the last few scraps ripped off the purse handle, she began to pack up her belongings – four blue potions, one gold potion, and a bouquet of white lilies that were now wilted at the edges. Even with the ghostly restrictions lifted, she still felt exhausted just moving around.

But she moved nonetheless, taking meticulous, measured steps towards the Byakko pensieves, towards one pensieve in particular that was overflowing with blood and chrysanthemums.

And Miyu began her silent vigil, her consciousness still disconnected from the gold-cracked automaton that was her body.

[shslnympheas-blog]

Isn’t It Wonderful? | Miyu | Trial End (re: Kris)

In hindsight, Miyu wondered why the obi of the dead students never changed until now. Otohiko had claimed them as her wards and even provided a dormitory for them, so wouldn’t it follow that she’d leave a mark on them for everyone to see? Proof that she was stronger than the four she had defeated, proof that her strength only increased as more people died and became part of Clan Ouryuu.

Though she had never seen these sights outside the center pensieve before, Miyu recognized what a garden of chrysanthemums and a table of treats meant, even before she caught sight of her. Her, who had intercepted Miyu when she tried to enter the golden Labyrinth alone in a fit of reckless martyrdom. Her, who had shared tea with Miyu, both alone and in the company of people like Shiba and Holy and Sollith. Her, who had once looked upon her children so fondly.

Miyu didn’t blame anyone who felt unsettled by the apparent kindness Otohiko showed. She was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, herself. And yet, it seemed they would be granted some small measure of mercy. It wasn’t Mi-ke after all, for one. A weight lifted off Miyu’s chest, and though it wouldn’t cancel out the other emotional pains plaguing her, it meant that perhaps she could trust, even just a little bit.

Mi-ke hadn’t been stringing her along all this time. Mi-ke was just Miwa, a child (moreso than almost everyone else here) who had been caught up in the unforgiving cycle of death, and – and, Christ, they were fifteen, what the hell was Miyu thinking, letting them help out when she and Kris planned out a murder, Miyu really was a corruptive, corroding influence on everyone she ever met—

The ominous mention of kintsugi added pressure back on, especially considering that Miyu embodied those principles quite clearly. Beneath her dress: A golden seam, marking the place she had been split apart so many weeks ago. The implications of Otohiko’s magic becoming more pronounced, whether through her or through the chaperones and permanent ghosts, was unsettling.

She began to sip at some tea, trying to soothe her throat so she could speak, only to realize then that it didn’t feel raw and scratchy anymore. Those who had been in recent fights seemed healed of their visible wounds, too. Miyu still allowed herself to indulge; her mind still convinced her she was hoarse and dehydrated. Perhaps tea wasn’t the best option for the latter, but it would do.

Miyu drank down her first cup quickly (taking note of the bright gold eyes reflecting back at her), and she was starting on her second when Kris approached her and wrapped her in a hug. The last time they had hugged was after their labyrinth together, just after he broke down from the visions of a wonderful future he could never have; Miyu hadn’t expected another chance today before his death, and the embrace caught her off-guard.

She… She had a plan. She was going to wait by his pensieve until he reappeared, drag him all the way down to the dormitory, and only then allow herself to completely fall to pieces. Because she didn’t want anyone else to see her like that. Miyu had slipped up twice, before her own execution and before Mi-ke’s. It wasn’t a mistake she’d make a third time.

Or so she had hoped. Miyu was nothing if not a self-perpetuating cycle of mistakes.

“…Idiot.”

How many times had she insulted him today?

“Of course you better come back. If you break another promise, I’ll track you down wherever you are and kill you myself. I will kill you for this, Shizuka, you said you’d get out of here, you said you… This wasn’t s-supposed to happen, I never wanted this, I wanted…”

What did she want? Someone who could engrave her name into memory because she wasn’t able to do so anymore? Selfish. So disgustingly selfish. The murder trial hadn’t even ended before she pushed that kind of vow onto Holy, all because Kris wouldn’t be able to carry her requests out. Even now, in her absolute nadir, what she was terrified of the most was being forgotten.

But she really did want better than this for the people who had given up everything to save her. And instead, they had followed her, one after another.

Miyu’s healed shoulder grew wet with Kris’s tears; a thin shawl didn’t provide much of a barrier. She knew she needed to say something, do something, do anything to try and comfort him – but her mind and body froze for long seconds as clashing emotions overwhelmed her, and that raw pain hit the back of her throat once more as suddenly the world seemed a lot blurrier and—

With the last bit of deliberate action she had, Miyu pushed her chair back and out from under herself, pulling Kris down to kneel with her as they hid behind the tea table to give them some semblance of privacy. (Because who knew what Takako would have to say about this? But fuck her, she didn’t matter, very few people in this room mattered at this moment.)

And Miyu broke, despite promising herself that she wouldn’t, because what good were promises anymore? She buried her face against Kris’s shoulder, muffling the sound to everyone except him and those in the Genbu line – and wordlessly, incoherently, she sobbed. There was no single thought that finally set her off. Her breathing picked up in pace, and that was all it took for inertia to smash down the last of her restraint.

Miyu didn’t weep only for Kris and his unavoidable fate, or even for her own pathetic existence. This was the cathartic release of emotions she had been repressing for over a week now, the distrust and the frustration and the guilt. Crying without rhyme or reason – wasn’t that just the worst sort of behavior that someone of her social status could be reduced to?

But she didn’t have much of a status anymore. Neither of them had been as charismatic or refined as they liked to tell the world they were. All they had was this: The two of them sobbing, forever trapped in that space were they had long discarded their childhoods and were responsible for their own demise, and yet were so, so far from being adults that could face that end proudly.

She’d be here for a long while, refusing to let him go. She knew she’d see him again soon, but she wanted to delay that moment where the sea took him away, for as long as she could.

[shslnympheas-blog]

Drinking My Breath Dry on the Bottom of the Sea | Miyu | MM Trial (re: Itona votes)

It wasn’t Miyu’s place to tell Mi-ke how to feel about what Kris had done. (Or tell anyone else, for that matter, but that ship had long sailed and burned.) It still felt like lead in her stomach to hear Mi-ke call him out like that. Did even they believe this was intentional?

“He didn’t mean… He and Izumi-san were the only ones s’pposed to…”

But Miyu was well and truly tired of this topic. She could explain better later after she rested (if there was a later), or better yet, let Kris do it himself. Besides, the fact still remained: Regardless of intent, he allowed Shiba to suffer and die. There weren’t any words that could make up for that.

“…alright. If you… need time away, I’ll look after Shizuka.”

And Miyu spent a long time just trying to recover from the long explanation; if Mi-ke was receptive to being held, she’d offer hugs to them  as they made their own defense. Alright, the age thing made a little more sense – Miyu herself had assumed when they first met that Mi-ke was at least seventeen, and it was only the mention of Sakura’s age relative to theirs that made her reconsider.

There still wasn’t much else to shake off the accusations – nothing except redirecting them to other people, like Itona. And something about the uptick in votes for him didn’t settle right. Not in the same way Miyu was distraught at the count again Mi-ke: That was pure sentiment, the fear of having put her trust in the wrong person, the fear that in the end she would be alone all over again.

The unease she felt about going after Itona was because it didn’t make sense to her. She wanted to speak up, but her physical and emotional exhaustion dampened those attempts. If she said something in defense of Itona, what kind of conclusion would the others make…?

The cost of her hesitance was Itona cutting in with his own response, directed right at Mi-ke. She could hear the meaning between the words – this was more of the blunt anger from earlier, now extended to Mi-ke because they had…

…Well, he had been thrown under the bus. It was understandable anger. Too bad Miyu was also agitated about people going in on Mi-ke like this.

“Really, Takenaka? Didn’t you demand Shizuka to give Miwa-chan back to you? And Miwa-chan, do you really…? You’d go after him?”

This… wasn’t right. Miyu didn’t know the full extent of their bond, but she had gleaned enough from how fondly Mi-ke spoke of Itona, and how devastated Itona was over losing them – both of them, because they were – because long before their little murdersquad, Mi-ke had been part of another trio.

“…If it was Takenaka, wouldn’t we be seeing cat shadows and dog shadows? Don’t know him well. Kinda pissed at him right now, actually. But he used t’sleep in Miwa-chan’s room. Him and Shiba-san, and even Sasamoto. They shared a room, they’re close…”

Were close. Because something had just crashed and it was currently not Miyu’s business to extinguish this mess. Of those involved, Itona clearly wouldn’t want anything to do with her, and Shiba would probably follow as soon as they realized who caused their death. They’d never listen to whatever she could say.

“Otohiko herself confirmed the catlike shadows were related to her little one. But she didn’t say anything about – aquatic things. We haven’t confirmed that the aquarium means anything…”

But… she didn’t work any harder to eliminate Itona as a suspect, because she knew that as soon as his name was off the table, it would go right back to Mi-ke. Perhaps even harder now, if it really was them who went in on Itona first. Because now their loyalties would come under fire.

Her attempts to bring up another suspect remained fruitless; she still wasn’t all that certain about Shino, but… she let that subject go. He had clarified the number of spears, and it was clear that if there was anything more to it, Miyu wasn’t going to make a breakthrough anytime soon. It seemed… that all she could do was wait powerlessly.

(She refused to change her vote. They had a literal confession in the murder trial and Miyu still wouldn’t change her vote until Kris indirectly told her to stop. Surely no one was going to expect her to make a vote for Mi-ke now when there was still a chance, when maybe there was a hope that…)

(But Miyu kind of hated letting herself hope, these days. It rarely ended well.)

[shslnympheas-blog]

The Song I Heard Somewhere | Miyu | MM Trial (re: vote callouts)

[ CW: Emetophobia, heart trauma ]

Kris Tenshi, what the hell? Did you actually just throw a knife at a pensieve as an offering to your lovecat? You’re lucky Takako didn’t get any funny ideas about taking the knife for herself.

“…you melodramatic edgelord.”

In a better context she might have found it amusing. Worrying, but amusing. That doubt had taken root in Miyu’s heart, however, and she kept ruminating on past interactions with Mi-ke. Had they really kept their true heart hidden that well? Otohiko warned her that her little one hadn’t told even their closest companions about their true nature. Was Miyu missing something that could exonerate them? Think, think, keep thinking…

“Mnn. The day before the heat wave? They sort of, ah. Threw up. Stress. Was right after we found out Shizuka’s talent.”

She gave a languid nod to Hikaru, Outa, and Tsuku – the three of them could corroborate that Mi-ke wasn’t exactly quiet about their intentions when they suddenly ran away after that fateful Labyrinth.

“I don’t… know if Miwa-chan ate after that. I-I wasn’t with ‘em all day, of course. But we had a long talk in the pantry, and… I don’t recall them picking up anything to eat or drink afterwards. I’m telling you – I know how bad some of us had it. I’m on spiro, I lose water fast. Miwa-chan was worse off than me. They wouldn’t… If they had a choice, they wouldn’t have let themselves get that bad…”

Then again, if someone was that apathetic about their health to begin with, would they have cared enough to save themself from wasting away? Especially when they’d still have to watch people precious to them suffer?

Shiba, who had slipped into the room some time ago (how much did they hear? how much did they know about the circumstances of their death?), mounted a passionate defense for Mi-ke, but that was just it: Passion. They weren’t able to offer up something that could exonerate them, nothing but Mi-ke’s promise that they would not lie any more. Miyu didn’t want to comment on that. She didn’t want to say that someone had made a promise to her to move forward and live, knowing all the while that he was planning to break that vow.

(Shiba knew. They had only spoken to Miyu once since Mi-ke’s death, but they knew what Kris wanted to do to Mitsuo and never told her. For a brief few seconds, that anger she still had over what happened spiked back to the forefront. If she couldn’t trust any of them to inform her of an imminent murder plot, why should she trust that Mi-ke didn’t feign affection towards her just to win her loyalty and use it…?)

Holy and Clove unknowingly disarmed that anger by distracting her, calling to attention a stray vote from Genbu. And they pointed out that, compared to what was building up against Mi-ke, the case against Shino wasn’t nearly as strong.

“…This doesn’t… feel right.”

Why, because she was just upset that Mi-ke could have been the villain she wanted to kill all along? Or because she genuinely felt discomfort with this answer, as if she was standing on the precipice and could hear a voice goading her with “are you sure about that”?

“I don’t… Kanamori took the weapon, right? It was a knife. The spear is still weird, because… usually, when you get an item like that, it’s related to you or your answer somehow. People in the… sports… trivia, thing – they got spades and scalpels because everyone was thinking ‘bout the last trial. Once, after a Labyrinth… someone got a crossbow with words scrawled on. Mocking them for accidentally shooting us. An’ a while ago I used the potion room gacha. Got a bloodied spade. She can testify.”

Miyu dismissively waved a hand at Takako. It was purely accidental that she hit Takako with that shovel, but she did not regret it one bit. In fact, she regretted discarding it completely. She’d be happy to strike Takako with a shovel again, with more purpose. Spades for days.

“I’m just trying to understand: Why a bloody spear, specifically? If it’s really a historical weapon… why? Or if it isn’t, is it only because Shirashi didn’t use the other spear he ha—ah. Wait. Does he have one spear or two? Holy-san and I found a clean spear under his bed during the third investigation.”

This wasn’t a strong accusation, either. But if they were going to scrutinize Mi-ke this closely, Miyu wanted to be sure they gave the same attention to other suspects, too.

“…There’s a Book of Deceased in Mikage’s library. If it helps.”

Memory: Up. It was set in the Genbu founder’s library, with blank books strewn about all over the floor. Hikaru touched one of those books, sending the entire group – him, Miyu, Outa, Tsuku, and Mi-ke – into a dark void where only words were visible:

‘Chapter 1: Seiji Ohara’ ‘Chapter 2: Part 1: Shinobu Tenpō’ ‘Chapter 2: Part 2: Jinzaemon Hasekura’

Each part was further divided into two sections: ‘Life’ and ‘Death’. Miyu quickly took the memory down as the group began debating what to choose.

“We didn’t know how it worked at the time. We choose to investigate Tenpō-san’s section first… and we relived her death through her viewpoint. We didn’t even get to see Ueno.

After that, the Book of Deceased changed. Text descriptions only.”

Another memory, set a short time after the unpleasant surprise of helplessly freezing to death. Even with Tsuku and Mi-ke both in tears from utter frustration, they all re-examined the book, reading the section on Seiji’s death:

‘Seiji Ohara was talking about himself before he was stabbed. He goes down in shock and attempts to stop the flow of blood. However, he was struck in his aorta. He is then shoved into a closet and locked inside. He spends twenty minutes or so scratching at the door and calling for help. He tries to escape, but he bleeds out first.’

“Vague. Extremely vague. But it’s a fraction of a timeline. I didn’t investigate at all at the time, but… Does it help?”

In terms of explaining the spear, or why Miyu went after Shino? Not at all.

“…I still… have a weird feeling about those haikus… A light shining in the darkness and guiding their heart. A rabbit in a winter forest. But…”

But if they did prove something, then whoever wrote them wasn’t going to come forward now. At the moment the only person who had claimed them was Outa, and the way he worded it made Miyu suspect he just wanted to stop her from losing track of the evidence.

And Takako, as much as Miyu loathed admitting it, did have a point: They hadn’t found a hard piece of evidence and were trying to jump one whatever they could find, even if it was coincidental. It was just that Mi-ke had more against them right now, and… and where were they?

“Are we even allowed to convict someone who’s not here?”

Flashing the Cat-Signal in the sky desperately. Come home, cat friend.

[shslnympheas-blog]

Drowning on the Last Train Home | Miyu | MM Trial (re: Shinobu, votes)

[ CW: Self-harm mention ]

“…”

Miyu didn’t respond to Shinobu immediately, in part because she had sworn off the topic. She had expected him to get the last word in, brimming with justified fury. Because Miyu hadn’t addressed many of the other points he made. All she’d done was latch on to the one thing that hit a little too close to her open wounds. And she didn’t expect an apology.

Hopefully he wasn’t expecting one from her, at least right this second. She looked away, just listening to the discussions in the room. It seemed… everyone was running out of steam. They were too exhausted to keep fighting, and they were ready to accept whatever outcome they would face.

Miyu remained silent for a while, only speaking after Reiko put in such a defense for Kris. From the very beginning the two Genbu girls had annoyed each other, never able to fully let go of wrongs both imagined and real. But they had one common link between them. She could respect Reiko for that much, only a little begrudgingly. Her words became a jumpboard to voice her own thoughts – not necessarily about Kris, just about… a lot of things that had been on her mind for the past many weeks.

“I know I should hate him. Because he was still a hitman. Because he’d have taken that contract against my father. I guess that I… I mean. He cut himself up and put everything on the line just to try an’ save me. You don’t forget things like that.”

There was much more than that, more than Miyu wanted to say out loud, more than she could put into words. It was sharing their fears and talking about the ways they threw away their happy childhoods. It was trusting each other with their worst memories so that they could make it to the end of a labyrinth together. Kris looked up to her as an older sister, and Miyu tried to play the role as best as she could, but most of the time, she saw them as equals. And all the good and bad it implied.

But those feelings were too complicated and personal for her to want to tell anyone but one person about. She’d have plenty of time to do so later.

“And. You weren’t wrong. About me being a murderer, I mean. I screwed up. I… don’t regret wanting to live. I still don’t. I can’t. But a lot of wrong things happened that night. I hurt my friends and I’m sorry that I did so. Can’t even tell Agatsuma I was wrong – she won’t answer my letters. Agatsuma shouldn’t have died. Shiba-san shouldn’t have died. Hasekura-san and Miwa-chan shouldn’t have…”

…Right? Because Mi-ke, for all of the viciousness they showed, didn’t deserve their execution. Because Mi-ke wasn’t the mastermind, right?

“…two unrelated things, before we run out of time. Whoever is executed eventually wakes up here in the trial room. Any of you can… stay here and wait for that person. M’doing the same on my end, though. So, please, if someone waits here, just… don’t bother me and Shizuka. As soon as he shows up n’ can stand, we’ll leave.

The other thing is… weird. I messed with some magic items today. Apparently I might have… sort of… created someone? Was supposed to be a joke item apparently. Didn’t work out. I literally don’t have the energy to process this right now so just… don’t be surprised if you see her? I think I’ll give her my Genbu room. I’m not using it anymore.”

She glanced at Reiko, then at Shinobu. The help in moving her belongings to her more permanent dwelling had been appreciated back then. And even with her current anger souring that memory, at least it would make it a lot more convenient for hiding people in her new room.

What wasn’t so convenient was that more and more people seemed to be homing in on Mi-ke, and Miyu still hadn’t thought of something to say to turn everyone away. Holy’s statement was a major blow, especially coming from him: Even if the koi ponds could be excused as traditional decoration, it was a lot harder to argue against the aquariums. She had tried to swim in there herself to explore, but she was pressed for time and hadn’t turned up anything.

Miyu delayed and ignored, explaining only the things she did know.

“White n’ black are the true colors of Byakko n’ Genbu. I guess the school prefers green and purple for decoration. You can still see the traditional colors in some places. The smoke off the labyrinth pensieves, an’ the keys in the center labyrinth. Koi pond could just be symbolizing that.

You all… listen, don’t split the vote so thinly. A-At least vote for someone you genuinely think it might be.”

But even with spiteful votes being buttoned in, she could already see a majority starting to build. And that was when things went wrong. When people started to dogpile on Mitsuo or Outa and no one could stop the inertia, that was when everything went to shit.

Miyu had asked everyone to look at the clues objectively, to bring forth all of their theories as one to cancel out as much bias as possible. Because, truly, she did want to see this all come to an end, so that at least one person might live and carry on a memory of her. And she truly didn’t think she could forgive who did this to her, to everyone.

That didn’t make the atmosphere in the room any easier to breathe in.

[shslnympheas-blog]

Bribe The Officials, Kill All The Judges | Miyu | MM Trial (re: Itona, Shinobu, Sollith, Shino)

[ CW: Suicide ]

“If none of you want an apology, then what do you want him to say!? Actually, nevermind. I don’t want your fucking answer. I give up.

…Kanamori. You say y’know what it’s like to feel like your death is the only way to make everyone’s troubles end. It’d destroy everyone left behind. How I – How they’d blame themselves for not doing enough to help that person.

And yet, knowing all of that – y’still told him he should have killed himself. He’s working on that right now, by the way. In case you didn’t realize this started as a suicide pact. In case you didn’t see The Book of Letters an’ realized he’s been planning to die ever since Miwa-chan died. Thanks.”

And that seemed to be the last remark Miyu would make about the entire trainwreck. There was finality in her voice: She would not retread this topic again, and she wasn’t going to continue engaging anyone who insisted on bringing this up yet again for no reason but to chew out a dead man walking.

It was clear to her there was no reasoning with anyone – just as it’d be clear to them that was there was no reasoning with her. She was only here out of obligation now. The sooner they figured this out, the sooner she’d never have to speak to anyone again.

Miyu was hoping that someone would actually address the urgent matters at hand, and she got her wish as the proverbial monkey’s paw curled up.

But Miyu had asked for this. She trusted Sollith to look at this in a neutral manner, and she had asked Sollith to be ready to fight her on this if Miyu wouldn’t listen to her argument. (What Miyu failed to realize is that Sollith didn’t want her to start a fight over this. Sollith wanted her to just stand back instead of challenging it for the sake of playing devil’s advocate. Maybe it was a very good thing that the letter never made it to Miyu.)

“First, they don’t like their surname, so let’s not.”

That wasn’t relevant at the moment, but she wanted to nip it in the bud before anyone took to calling them Arai. She didn’t know why Mi-ke disliked it, but the reason didn’t matter to her. Chosen names were important to Miyu. It was why she eventually taught herself to use given names for Joon and Morgan.

“Second… I’m missing somethin’ here: What exactly is linking Miwa-chan and Mizuyama? Is it just their nickname? There’s another possible explanation. Mi-ke is the name of a cat coat pattern. Japanese bobtail patterns. Like maneki-neko.”

…Wasn’t this leading right back into the cat focus their evidence had? Nice defense.

“I don’ know much about Mizuyama. But Yamamoto’s a person. I mean, he was a person who kept living after the supposed defeat. Sasamoto’s mentor and killer. Briefly: Sasamoto murdered an exchange student, got in a fight with that person’s sister, an’ fell off the cliff when Yamamoto tried to intervene. N’then Yamamoto turned around and tried to bribe the sister into silence. After that, Yamamoto exiled himself up to the mountains. Was never seen again.

…Side-note, the sister was Quirina Lowell. The red-haired woman. She wanted to avenge Morgan. Dedicated herself to exposing this school’s crimes – covered-up deaths, headmasters who embezzled or cozied up to Mizuyama. But… someone silenced her for good. Akiyama-san has her final reports. If that’s relevant.”

It was a lot to bring up around Outa, so soon after the mistrial and the revelation that Morgan was falling victim to dark arts yet again. She gave him a nod in acknowledgement and tired apology – hopefully people wouldn’t be clawing their way to get those documents

She frowned, considering something as she dug through her basin, trying to recall old memories she hadn’t thought much of. Several seconds later, she pulled up a memory of a monochrome painting from the art gallery. It featured a man in dark robes, his face covered with a veil. A plaque underneath it read: “Mizuyama-no-Kenburou. 1922. Painted by one of his followers and found in his castle after his defeat.”

“Saw this. And many Yamamoto portraits, too. Artists can embellish and misinterpret events. Might still be worth a look, especially paintings contemporary to their time.”

But this was tangential to the main issue: Mi-ke had been accused, and Miyu didn’t have a solid defense. Even if Miyu couldn’t understand the supposed connection between them and Mizuyama, she could understand that no one had mentioned seeing any cat shadows until after their execution. She could understand all the talk about water and fish, and how it might potentially come back to them.

“…Miwa-chan was… in a very bad state, during the third motive. When I tracked them and Shizuka down that day, they were barely conscious. I don’t… think they would have lived another day if not for… y’know. But wouldn’t someone who could ignore a motive choose then to do so…? I don’t know… Did anyone look unusually healthy during the dehydration motive?”

But Miyu, in her cynicism, could perhaps understand why even someone who could have ignored the motive wouldn’t have necessarily done so then. She had already concluded this person must have been profoundly miserable. Maybe they thought that would have been an appropriate ending to wither away with everyone else, their shame nothing more than dust in a desiccated corpse.

She wasn’t sure what else to make of this. Come to think of it, Mi-ke hadn’t told her their age, had they? Miyu indirectly guessed it based on a comment they made, but it would be nice to hear confirmation of an exact number. And her lower estimate was pretty young.

“What does lying about their age accomplish? It’s weird. But I don’ see how that’s relevant. Otohiko uses many terms of endearment, calls people her dears. She existed since before this castle was even a fortress, an’ she can apparently fight a god. We’re all little to her.”

But this wasn’t a defense!!! Miyu wanted something better. She wanted something like what she put up for Kris, where his actions were so extreme they wouldn’t make any sense to her if he had the ability to opt out and kill Mitsuo like he originally wanted to. She wanted a smoking gun to place in Shino’s hands, because he was pretty quick to agree that it had to be Mi-ke. Or she could place the gun in Clove’s hands, or just about anyone else’s. She wanted—

—a lot of things, ones that weren’t necessarily good or healthy. But right now, she wanted a clearer image.

“I still think it’s important. The motive immunity, I mean. Anyone seem unusually unbothered during a motive? Doubt they used it with the flowers – too obvious. Dreams and nightmares would be hard to verify. The others seem more likely.”

She needed an answer. She needed an answer she liked, and not the ones that made her feel once again that she had put her trust in the wrong person.

The room felt too humid to breathe in, and the executions hadn’t even started yet.

[shslnympheas-blog]

Here We Are At TrialWorld Miyu-chan | Miyu | MM Trial (re: Outa, Takako)

The bitterness in Outa’s voice was not lost on Miyu. Truthfully, even after hearing that bit of information, Miyu hadn’t come any closer to wanting to reconcile with Kunie. She just didn’t want to make the situation even worse, in case something really bad would happen if they fell completely under Otohiko’s thrall. Miyu nodded to Outa’s request and just listened to him, until he addressed something she had barely even realized she said. Yeah, she… probably needed to clarify that before everyone read too much into it.

“Hm? Oh, that. I meant… if y’had the choice to hide or leave after unleashing a murderous dragon… but you stayed around anyway… would going home have been that much worse? Perhaps they didn’t know there’d be murder. But if they still had a choice after Ohara-sensei died… why would you stay? I just. I don’t know. I figured someone like that would’ve been miserable with their life even before this.”

That was very broad, considering that half of them were hiding some kind of trauma even before all of this began.

“I’ll rephrase: She said she warned them not to get attached. And then they did anyway. Said that they chose heartache by opening up to others… That they’ve hidden their true role very well. Even from loved ones.”

Another ominous but broad comment.

Takako cut in next, and Miyu took that as a sign to plop her head back on the edge of her basin again and rest while the white noise flooded in. At least it wasn’t her ears that hurt, though that shrill impersonation sure pushed it. She didn’t even try to respond to Takako’s assessment, because Takako Imai was not a person to be reasoned with, and at least this was technically a defense for Mi-ke and Kris. In the absolute loosest definition of “defense”.

Miyu was certainly unimpressed with the fleeting glimpse of what seemed like charts grading everyone on numerous factors such as style and intelligence, though. What the hell. Why was Takako like this. How long had she been working on this. Why did Miyu’s avatar on this chart look like hot trash.

And then Takako ran wild with another half-formed thought of Miyu’s, and it was unfortunate she could not perform a proper headdesk when her head was already down. At least Miyu lifted back up long enough to give a tired glare at her.

“I meant y’defeated yourself. To look like a victim. But, okay. I get it. I’m off-track. Was hoping someone might latch on t’the art gallery. Guess not.”

[shslnympheas-blog]

I Drew a Dream in the Ash on the Bottom of the Sky | Miyu | MM Trial (re: Everybody H)

So. This was… certainly a trial. Miyu had long suspected she wasn’t the only one here desensitized to violence, and the revenge brawl taking place by Seiryuu was very much proving that. This wasn’t just about becoming used to blood and bruises. People were done.

And thus when people who, in her noble opinion, had no idea what they were talking started talking nonetheless, Miyu was so done that she had to step in, too, addressing Shinobu directly. Her voice raised higher in volume than it had previously. Uhh… Was that a good idea?

“That’s just it. We did ask her to clarify, because we saw the record of Izumi-san’s letter and were debating if she really had to… ask that. I was right there in the room with Ueno when we asked. We got an answer and all of us came to the same conclusion. Why d’you think I told Shizuka to shut up when he got on Ueno’s case about it? And did you ever read Izumi-san’s other letter? The one in her room? She didn’t know what would happen if a culprit died before the trial and didn’t want to risk it.

I’m glad you realize I’m not a great person! I realized that a month ago! Now, please…”

And it was back to trying to nurse her sore throat. Miyu drew in a breath, and when she spoke again, her volume was almost too soft to carry throughout the room.

“…don’t want to be awake right now. Let’s just end this.”

Did she mean the trial, or something more? Whatever the case, she continued, her words blending and meandering.

“…I don’t… agree with Eigawa’s point, not completely. Akiyama-san’s skilled with many kinds of creatures. But th’ones I’ve seen in the crossroads have only been feline. The shadows, and also th’meowing when you’re on the stairs. The shadows’re indistinct like blobs, but I don’t think they’re canine or anything. And I don’t… think foxes meow.”

She rested her head onto the edge of her pensieve, wishing she could feel any kind of temperature at all.

“Akiyama-san. Besides motive: Has something odd happened to Morgan? Brought him to the Labyrinth a long time ago. Before… fourth motive? Right, before. We got booted out, and… he seemed dazed. His eyes briefly flashed gold. Think I was the only one who saw it.

Otohiko says he and Sasamoto are vulnerable to dark magic… but that our actions caused it. We’ve… been bad, I guess. To both of them. And if we’d been th’same to any other ghosts, they’d be affected. People who are dead and people who are in despair. Or both. They’re vulnerable.”

Otohiko seemed to enjoy Miyu talking to her so much, even as the former heiress found herself sinking deeper and deeper. Perhaps Miyu should have worried about the implications of that a lot more than she actually did.

“Small comfort: She didn’t deliberately target them. I don’t think it directly relates…? Just… keep an eye on it. What’s… the next animal now? Koi? Koi.”

Miyu tiredly threw up one memory of something she knew most people present hadn’t seen before: An indoor courtyard in a palace. A pond with only four koi in it, swimming in an eternal circle. Blue, red, white, and black.

“Beautiful status symbols. I had a pond at home. This, though, is the Ouryuu Dorm. You have koi there, and in the castle, and in the gardens and th’stadium. Could just be part of living in a traditional castle. You’re… correct. A lot of aquatic features. A lot of people with aquatic interests. Not confident in this on its own. These might just be how the school is.

…Look. Otohiko never expected us to come here. Isn’t truly omniscient. Proved she wasn’t when she thought I bled out. We were just… convenient. People with their own magic never heard her. People who were borrowing her magic could. It’s just that…whoever did this heard her first. They must be profoundly sad, y’know? Because she said it was their choice to stay instead of hide. Their choice to open their heart to others. Still doing all that when you know what you did. You’d have to really be unhappy person… But I still won’t forgive them.”

She swallowed thickly, trying to stop herself from rambling any longer.

“Yeah, okay. Taking a step back. Tea meeting. Me, Izumi-san, Shiba-san, Holy-san, and Otohiko. Asked if the meaningful thing on the third floor was an item, or a whole area. Her vague answer was… depends on the viewpoint. Either or. Still more of an answer than she usually gives us.

Foyer, armory, concert hall. Hall of fame, art gallery. Natural science room, lounge. The natural science room leads off somewhere outside. Looked like it could have been an aerie, maybe…? But we got called to trial before I could get a closer look.

Met up with Otohiko in the dorm’s replica of the – oh, right. Did I say that already? The Ouryuu Dorm has a replica of the third floor. The science room passage leads to a dead-end there, though. Anyway. I met her in the art gallery.

Started talking about Mizuyama-no-Kenburou and Masato Yamamoto, how easy it was for Yamamoto to defeat Mizuyama. Too easy. She implied they were the same person, then advised me to keep it in mind. I don’t… know what she meant. Was that a hint to Imai? Or a hint to everything else? Or was she just wasting my time to mess with me…?”

Seriously. Miyu, stop talking to the dragon, you are probably a feast to the dark arts right now.

“…Also. This.”

And up goes another image, speaking for Miyu when she needed to rest. It was the art gallery, at the wall where haikus could be written by anyone who walked by. Miyu was looking at two recent additions:

‘From the deep darkness A soft light guided the way And lit up my heart’

‘A winter forest Swiftly, quick, a rabbit runs No tracks left behind’

“…Does anyone want to claim writing these? I don’t… know if they’re relevant. Forgot to ask her. Had a lot on my mind.”

It was very clear now that Miyu was pulling out everything she could, in the hopes that maybe something she mumbled out would click, that someone could say hey, I recognize that, that was weird and maybe they could build momentum that way.

She was pulling out everything she had in the hopes that they’d do more than just fight like this and making sure that nothing that Sollith and Kris had planned meant anything. That no one actually cared about what their deaths were supposed to mean and just wanted to call them fools and worse.

Then again, Miyu wasn’t innocent in that regard either and had insulted both of them to their faces. Then again, she was still a murderer herself, to Mio who had never done anything to wrong her. Then again, even now she wondered if she really did want to salvage this situation, or if she just wanted to destroy it all to make sure everything and everyone went down with her.

Maybe in another timeline, it could her been her everyone was searching for.

[shslnympheas-blog]

On the Undersea Train Fading Away | Miyu | MM Trial (re: Kris)

And up went a couple more sudden votes, this time aimed at people that Miyu had singled out. She would have expected someone from Seiryuu to throw in a Kris vote (if not out of sincerity then at least out of spite), but why Clove? And who the hell on Genbu was even going up right now?

“This is absolute nonsense. At least tell us why.”

Yes, Miyu was disgustingly playing favorites. Out of the likely suspects she vastly preferred it being Shino or Clove, because that meant it wasn’t Mi-ke or Kris. But she couldn’t stand for silently throwing a vote in without an explanation. Is… Is this how everyone felt each time Miyu threw in a sudden vote and made no effort to own up to it? God, she realized. She was such an asshole.

“…I believe Zoya-chan. But I don’t think we can keep ignoring these votes. A while back I was sort of. Taunting Otohiko. Terrible idea, but I wanted to gloat about the Labyrinth to her face. She shut me down and said… in a few weeks, all of my peers would be joining me. That was earlier this week, or the week before – before motive, is what I’m saying. We’re running out of time. I know taking gambles rarely pays off. It keeps getting people killed. But everyone might die anyway if we keep delaying this.”

If this wasn’t enough to convince everyone the urgency of their situation, so be it. Miyu didn’t like the idea of whatever punishment Otohiko had planned if they whiffed this vote, too. But for all her uncertainties about herself, her found family, and their entire existence her, she was firm in her belief that she would keep fighting this, at any and all costs.

She let Kris say his piece. Miyu’s policy was to avoid talking about the personal details of the golden labyrinth. (Ouryuu Labyrinth? They had been using the clan names as descriptors all this time, so she wanted to make this one fit the pattern.) If the person who used their key wanted to talk about the ugly trauma, they’d do it of their own free will. She had a few words to add about their experience, but little else.

“Finishing that Labyrinth also counts as progress in one of the regular ones. Got to pick a tapestry. Chose Byakko’s and released a vision. But that was the only time I’ve completed a run. And even then we nearly drowned. It’s… If you’re confident in your luck or you’re specifically trying to get Otohiko’s memories, go for it. If you just want to get the founders’ essences, go to their pensieve instead.”

By now it was clear that her words kept coming out in a quiet mumble, as if she was trying to put as little stress on her overtaxed voice as possible. It wouldn’t do if she lost it entirely. Her Saga dialect was more pronounced now that she wasn’t carefully choosing formal words.

“I can corroborate. Say I’m biased if you want, but it wouldn’t make sense to me if it was Shizuka.

He and Izumi-san both told me they spoke to each other during the first motive, when he was forced to constantly lie. Asked him if he killed Ohara-sensei, and he lied and said that he did. No animal effect, which means he actually didn’t kill him. …Before you think I’m lying about this, Holy-san and Shiba-san were also with us when Izumi-san verified his alibi.”

Miyu interlaced her fingers with each other, tenting her hands. That should have been enough, and Kris likely assumed it was. But there was something she learned during that meeting that she hadn’t had time to relay back to him.

“…Two issues. First is that we’ve been assuming all this time that the mastermind murdered Ohara-sensei. Have we proven that’s actually the case, though? I can’t imagine who else could have done it, though. Otohiko refused to answer when we asked during the tea meeting.

The important thing she did say: The mastermind has the option to ignore a motive’s effects. Implied it can be turned on and off even during the same motive. Said that immunity has been used before but refused to say when.

But… think about it. Shizuka was affected thrice-over by this motive, hallucinations and two lifetimes of pain. Cancelled his plans with Shiba-san because he was struggling too much to act on them. Went back to Izumi-san because he couldn’t handle the illusions anymore. He had every reason to reject what was happening to him – and if he could, Izumi-san and Shiba-san would still be alive.”

There was a brief silence, and she sighed.

“He would’ve still done something stupid, just different. Point is. It’s not him.

I… don’t have a strong defense for anyone else, though. Or a strong accusation. Supposedly, something on the third floor relates to the mastermind in some way. Otohiko was vague about what it could be. Any ideas…?”

The more Miyu mulled over certain observations, the more she leaned towards one suspect. Or suddenly leaned toward another. Or towards a third, as much as it pained her. Or a fourth that wasn’t even on the list but could be tangentially linked if one tilted their head at the evidence and squinted, and this also pained her to consider.

…It was a bad time all around, basically! :^)

“Nnn. I’ve used Past Flashes on Ohara-sensei before… Unfortunately, it’s not controllable what you end up pulling; drew out a childhood memory by accident. Also, we… people who have passed don’t seem to be able to cast spells anymore, not out here. Had to take him into one of the Labyrinths to make it work, and after that mess I don’t know if he’ll ever want to go back… The founders might still be banned from entering the Labyrinths, too.

I also don’t know if the spell can retrieve a memory they’ve completely forgotten on a conscious level, like Ohara-sensei’s memory of his killer. But it’s worth trying, if we can figure it out.”

She looked down at her wand, inspecting it, before slowly running a hand across her obi. Miyu recalled the very beginning of this trip, back when it was simply bewildering and not deadly. The chaperones had put emphasis on how important it was for the class to wear their obi, even if they rejected the full uniform.

“Don’t know how these work or how they were made. We could ask the sisters about it. But Otohiko claims we’re tapping into her magic. Maybe there’s a way to make it work outside Labyrinth. Or I’m just desperate for loopholes. I don’t know.”

Her head tilted forward, more out of exhaustion than anything else. It had been a very long day for everyone, and having to stay even longer to figure this out felt like an uphill run. But Miyu had been given a duty, and even if she wasn’t confident that she had enough information to solve that all-important mystery, she would try to make something that happened today matter.

It still wouldn’t fix anything, though.

[shslnympheas-blog]

At The Edge Of Repeating Times From Long Ago | Miyu | ATTN: All, but especially Byakko + Mi-ke

[ CW: Self-harm implication ] [ tl;dr of her infodump at the end of the post ]

Just because the votes had been finalized (for better or worse) didn’t mean that anyone’s pain had been alleviated. The wounds were still raw, and even for the one case they were able to vote correctly on, there was no closure to be found. At the end of the day, there were empty bedrooms and lost futures, and no amount of justification would fix it.

Miyu still felt indignant when Itona dug in against Kris. Maybe it was because this came immediately after a mistrial that was, no matter how one cut, primarily Miyu’s fault. If she hadn’t pushed too far, if she hadn’t stood back when she saw the momentum build… If she hadn’t done the exact damn mistakes that got Mi-ke killed.

“I’m not going to defend what happened to Shiba-san. But if you’re going to blame only one person for Miwa-chan’s death, it’s me you want. If I had survived the third trial, Miwa-chan would have died in my place. We didn’t know it at the time, obviously, but Otohiko taunted us about it afterwards. And then she took them anyway because I convinced myself that Ueno had killed again. That’s on me. A lot of people paid for our mistakes: Them, and Hasekura-san, and whoever is about to die now.

But it’s me. I’m the one who keeps stirring the pot, expecting something different to happen this time. I’m the one who uses people for information or selfish wishes. I’m the one who dragged people into my own terrible ideas. I’ve already accepted that this is all I’ll ever be.”

(Had she really? For a second, there was a look of anguish on her face. Miyu, for all her cold words, still wanted something better than this. But she constantly fought with herself, telling herself that it was too dangerous to hope. And today had proven just that. Miyu would act out the motions and recite the speeches, but she didn’t know if she could let herself hope for something better.)

(Joon wondered how other ghosts came to terms with their deaths. Miyu’s answer: She hadn’t. Every time she found some sort of closure or purpose to her existence, something happened to set all the progress back. And every time, Miyu found herself returning to the day Hope’s Peak Academy told her about the plea deal, and all she could think about was breaking herself physically and mentally just to feel like maybe she had some control over her own existence.)

(The second passed, and Miyu returned to her bravado. Presumptuous, she was, to act as if she was the one in charge of everyone’s failures. Was that part of her need for control, too?)

“…I have to gather my thoughts, please. Give me a few minutes.”

Those few minutes ended up stretching on a lot longer than they needed to: First, a small side-discussion with Outa, because she needed people to understand that her apologies weren’t just platitudes. She truly did have regrets. And if they really were approaching the end… she needed everyone she had wronged these past months to know that she did feel that remorse. Maybe not for everything. Maybe not for every cruel word. But certainly for a lot of them.

By the time Miyu realized that the confrontation between Reiko and Takako had devolved into a slapfight and then a beatdown, it was once again too late to stop the momentum. Besides, the only objects she had on her that would be tangible to both her and the living were the tulle scraps (too delicate) and the potion bottles (too important). All she could do was stare in horror – exhausted and numb, but still some spark of horror – at the severity of Reiko’s wounds. Sure, Takako had taken a few hard hits too, but at least she had already looked like a mess.

That disgusting feeling of not feeling in control of anything, of wanting to torch the whole world just to feel like she had control, welled up in her chest. Miyu tapped one potion bottle against the other, the clinking noise ringing clear.

“Enough. Enough. I know this is not over. I know someone will die for this. I know that nothing will ever fix that and that nothing will ever feel more cathartic than kicking Imai’s ass. But we do not have time for this.

I’m not asking you to have faith in me. Everyone here who has ever believed in me has been betrayed by me in some way. What I’m asking you to have faith in is the memories of what I’ve witnessed the past few weeks. Half of you know what I’m going to say already. Half need to be caught up.”

Miyu took a few careful moments to clear everything off of her pensieve and onto the floor, leaving behind only the swirl of memories and the cluster of gold chrysanthemums. Standing straight in front of her pensieve, she drew out her wand, trying to call everyone’s attention to her.

Keep reading

[shslnympheas-blog]

Vilify, Don’t Even Try | Miyu | MM Trial (re: Outa, ATTN: Genbu/all)

So.

What did it say that the only two people here who had failed to get away with murder were the two who had extensive history in hiding their felonious activities?

What did it say that Miyu, despite zeroing in on someone she despised and having very chance to bring her to justice, took a last-minute gamble and blew it all up?

“…Akiyama-san, I’m sorry. I was a major force in the misdirection. I had hoped there would be enough time to decide whether it was you or Imai, but the momentum was too much. And I started that momentum off.”

What did it say that she did this to everyone who showed even a bit of goodwill to her?

The facts right now were: Takako Imai was Joon-young Myung’s murderer. Shizuka Matsuoka was going to die. Someone innocent was going to join him in death.

And they were currently starting off the mastermind vote that people had sacrificed themselves to bring forward.

“Before we start, promise me one thing: If I ever, ever make another hasty vote like that again, like I did against Sato and Ueno long ago, slap me in my stupid face and don’t listen to a damn thing I say. I’m serious.”

She traced her hands along the potions seated on the edge of her pensieve. Four blue potions for mana, one golden potion for luck.

What did it say that all this time, through labyrinths and investigations and trials, she had yet to use this potion, as if letting everything burn in the present was worth waiting for ‘the perfect moment’?

“I wanna know something first: Who voted not to have a mastermind trial? I think one of them was a remnant from that… enthusiastic vote at the very beginning, unless that person changed when they got off Eigawa.

But Genbu? You know what my evidence is. You know I’ve narrowed it down to around four people. As well as some tangential persons of interest. And of those four, I can tell you right now, Shizuka would not have done something this completely boneheaded if he was the mastermind.

I haven’t made much more progress than that. But let’s talk. It’s… the least I can do. To make up for this. I know it won’t fix anything but – but the sooner we can end it, the sooner I can – the sooner you can…”

…she grumbled, letting the dark impulse in her mind fade with her words.

What did it say that she understood why someone might want to inflict this kind of pain on the unforgiving world?

(…She had no comment on Mitsuo’s sudden vote.)

[shslnympheas-blog]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot | Miyu | Trial [ATTN: Outa]

Well… that was a bit of a problem, if Zoya couldn’t fully vouch for Outa. Miyu was still inclined to believe him, because his story was plausible and because he was the always pleasant, always smiling clanmate of hers, but…

(Well, weren’t there times that smile faltered and darkened?)

Miyu didn’t seem to be making much progress with the other students, and was listening to the discussion. Mitsuo refused to let Outa go that easily, though, and this forced Miyu to remember something: Motive. Motive in the traditional sense, the topic spoken of in procedural dramas.

“Akiyama-san… had reason to hate Joon. He had endangered Zoya-chan as part of his plan to kill Inoue. He threatened him after the mistrial. And I remember him being very protective of her afterwards, too, even against the rest of us: He spent much of his time during the fashion show with her, and when I went to ask something, he seemed… very wary of me, until I clarified I was there for him and not her.

Besides, the inside of his yukata is filthy. Sleeves, plus everything else like shorts and socks and so on. Maybe it rubbed off after he put it back on…? I was hoping that Zoya-chan could confirm his state before going into the rubble, but if she can’t…”

She stayed silent for a few long seconds, before:

“Who was your shadow, Akiyama-san?”

[shslnympheas-blog]

"Zoya-chan, can you confirm that Akiyama-san's clothes where clean before he entered the rubble?"

“….No, Mi-nee. I can only confirm that Ou-nii looked around in the rubble, but I didn’t see how he looked before that.”

[shslnympheas-blog]

NEMESIS. | Miyu | Trial (re: Takako, mini-update on checks)

Miyu had some experience in maintaining civility even with people she wasn’t on good terms with; it was how she conducted herself with most of Suzaku, for example. Besides, a few extra words had come up as Miyu made her rounds, both with Reiko and with one or two others. They were words of forgiveness or epiphanies, but they would have to be enough.

She had completed her search of Genbu and Byakko by the time Reiko and Takako went at it. She was currently bothering Tsukuyomi when she looked over, interjecting in the conversation.

“I couldn’t see anything blatant from either Byakko or Genbu. Or Sato and… Ueno, I suppose, while I’m here. Akiyama-san was covered in dirt, but claims that this only happened because he was digging through the rubble. Claims Zoya-chan can verify that.”

Note to Miyu: Don’t forget to ask Zoya.

“One person in Byakko refused to do the strenuous activity. Based on other testimony, I think that their various alibis balance it out. I hope that they do. They passed all the tests they did subject themself too, at least.”

Miyu was trying not to explicitly name that person, but given 1) the fact that only three Byakko students were even left (and soon it’d be two); 2) past statements about the health condition the motive had left that person in; and 3) the fact that while Miyu was with Clove, she raised her voice loud enough for the rest of Byakko to hear exactly what was going on, it… wasn’t much of a secret, was it?

“For the record: The reason I’m asking people to do stretches and physical activity is to highlight any wounds we can’t see, whether they’re under clothing or not visible at all. Maybe it’ll even get an injury to open up and bleed.”

…That’s morbid. Thorough, but morbid.

Now, on to Takako. Miyu made her way across the room, back to her pensieve.

“You already got me flowers, remember the festival? Do something unique, make your own weapon. You need more than pretty clothes to impress me, Imai.

…Miyu wasn’t intentionally hate flirting, she was just being too sarcastic to realize what she had gotten herself into.

I’ll add on the possibility that the white threads may have also come from Joon’s shirt, since Imai’s is predominantly red. I’d also like to add that I did find one other possible witness: Haru, founder of Seiryuu. Unfortunately, they were below the cliff, so they were unable to see much. I also did not think to ask them to clarify the timeline, and I don’t think we’re allowed to call them here for more testimony, given how badly their previous attempts to enter the fireplace went. Anyway, they said that…”

Miyu pulled up the soundless memory, trying to recall what was said. In the memory, she watched Haru point upwards to the ruined cliff.

“…that they saw an explosion…”

Haru’s index finger traced a line downwards to the trees.

“…and found Imai and Joon here. You can interpret that to mean they didn’t find them until after the explosion, or that they didn’t fall until the explosion. It’s a mistake that I didn’t think to ask them to clarify: Again, up until the trial, I had assumed the explosion itself was what had sent them off. Had I realized this would be debatable, I would have gone back to ask.”

Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve. But here they were now.

Her update finished, Miyu returned to her work with the remnants of the other clans.