#🎐 ichika speaks 📼

[dissonantaki]

Guys, consider: You do the work, and you do it well. Maybe they'll notice that you're worth having around after all!

“They’re overworking us. I know it. We won’t have enough time time to balance our work life with our family and friends and hobbies and sleep. If we do the work well, it’ll come at the cost of so much else. Not to say I won’t do it, but... it’s infuriating, really.”

[dissonantaki]

Hey, no thats rude. *gives Squishy some honey and sugar*

Ichika shut the door of her office firmly, locking it behind her. "Th-They think they can do whatever they want... treat us like a joke.. I-I won't stand for this! There has to be something we can do about this! We're professionals, this is absolutely—!"

Ichika suddenly stopped, realizing that you were there. She seemed to just be talking to herself. "O-Oh. It's you all again. Here to gloat?" Her eyes flicked down to the honey and sugar, her gaze softening a bit. "Huh. Th-Thanks, actually," she mumbled, taking the two items with a tired expression.

[dissonantaki]

“Thank you for coming in early. It means a lot to us.”

Ichika nodded respectfully. “Of course. We want to set things right.”

The nod was returned. “I assume you know the reason for this meeting.”

Nods from both of them. “Yes, we understand,” Asuka replied, her voice shaking a bit.

“Then I suppose you’ll be happy to hear that, being provided with further information about the case, we’ve been able to make an educated decision on how to proceed from here.”

Silence. ...oh, Ichika thought. We’re supposed to respond. “We’re very glad to hear that. Please, if you are unclear on anything at all, we’d be happy to explain to the best of our ability.”

“There’s no need. We understand the situation.”

Ichika’s eyes widened, and she quickly nodded, bowing her head slightly.

“...In any case, I’ll remind you that we’ve made our decision. You’ll be happy to hear that neither of you are being let go. However, there must be consequences for failing such a huge undertaking like this. Nakamura. We entrusted you to get Akamatsu-san on the creative team with any means necessary. We provided you with the memory technology needed to make it easy for you. However, you deliberately ignored the clear tool for success we gave you. As a result, your project failed. Akamatsu is not here. We would not have lost anything by wiping her memory dating back to the end of Killing Harmony. You let your own feelings get in the way of your job. Miura, you are not exempt from this, either.”

Neither woman was doing well at hiding their anxiety anymore. Ichika’s face had lost its color, and Asuka was visibly shaking.

“You will make up for the damage you’ve caused in addition to completing your usual work. You two, along with the employees that usually complete the steps necessary by themselves, will be assisting with the mastermind of the next killing game. Out of the finalists for being accepted, you will help choose the mastermind, assist with their character and role in the following season, advise them during the killing game, et cetera. Of course, again, you will be only two people in a large group of employees working towards the same thing.”

Ichika felt her eye twitch. This was... humiliating. They were being given busywork? Where their work didn’t even have any meaning, and would be overshadowed by everyone else? On top of their usual workload? They’re trying to make our lives hell as revenge. This can’t be legal... right? We should at least get a raise for a workload like this!

Asuka didn’t seem happy with this, either. I never wanted to work on the killing games...! Being a secretary for a company like this was honestly pushing it, but now—!

“I understand that this sounds harsh. It likely will be. But if you fail this, too, or, dare I say, sabotage it... being fired will be the least of your worries. Understood?”

Any spark of a possible civil discussion to try and reduce their ‘sentence’ was immediately snuffed out at the thinly veiled threat.

Ichika Nakamura and Asuka Miura were cornered, and there was nothing they could do to change that. They had failed.

"U-Understood..."

[ Ichika Nakamura and Asuka Miura will be closed for asks in 3 hours. ]

[dissonantaki]

*gives ichika extremely bitter tea and asuka perfectly sweet tea*

After taking a small sip, Ichika managed to disguise her disgust as clearing her throat, glaring at you before stepping inside. Asuka, on the other hand, mouthed a small 'thank you'.

They sat down at the conference room's table. Ichika drummed her fingers on her leg underneath the table— anxious, but trying her best not to show it. Asuka is doing an awful job of hiding her anxiety, practically wringing her hands.

The door is shut behind them.

[dissonantaki]

Potato potato. (That phrase is a lot more effective spoken than written.)

Y'all involve kids in a game of murder. Why he surprised if you realize your company doesn't have a regard for life? I feel like you should have seen this coming, Squish.

"D-Don't say things like that so generally... before the project with Akamatsu, we never interacted directly with the participants," Ichika whispered. Her and Asuka sat beside each other in chairs lining up what seemed to be a waiting room of sorts. "We didn't involve them in anything."

Asuka wrung her hands anxiously. There were noticeable bags under her eyes— she certainly didn't sleep well last night.

[dissonantaki]

Hey Hey, no tension, relax.

*gives Asuka and Squishy tea*

Have a nice cup of calming jasmine tea to help soothe your worries

Asuka glanced over at it warily, turning to Ichika first as if for some sort of sign.

Ichika, who had already taken the tea, glanced over at Asuka, noticing her gaze. "Oh. They can't give us anything harmful, it's impossible. There's no real reasons not to accept."

She hesitated for another moment, before taking the tea. "Th-Thank you..."

[dissonantaki]

Why shouldn't they want you to die for the company? You make a bunch of teenagers do it.

“We don’t make them do anything. They all signed up willingly. We’ve been over this a million times.”

You can hear Asuka frantically mumbling to herself in the background as she paces back and forth.

[dissonantaki]

aw man, now I feel bad for everything that happened to squishy :(

“Now you feel bad? After all that time of you all tormenting me, this is what makes you feel bad for me?” Ichika huffed.

[dissonantaki]

yall are getting fired

“No, we’re not. We deserve to argue our side in this. I may be proud of my job here, but they should not expect us to give our lives for the company. That’s simply absurd,” Ichika snapped.

“I’ll never be able to get a job like this again...” Asuka mumbled to herself, shaking her head. “N-Nobody at this level’s going to hire me after a black mark on my record like this...”

[dissonantaki]

Bye Asuka :((

“B-Bye!? What... what are you implying...? Are you guys leaving or is something bad going to happen to us tomorrow?!”

“Calm down, Miura-san. I’m sure they mean the former. Worst case scenario, we get fired, as awful as that sounds,” Ichika sighed.

[dissonantaki]

Because your mean and smelly

“I am not. I take precise care to make sure that I keep my professional image, including hygiene and k-keeping up my appearance. Please think next time before you say such r-ridiculous ins—”

Unable to keep herself awake any longer, Ichika’s body suddenly completely relaxed, and as she fell unconscious, her head drooped down to rest on her arms folded on the table. She looked exhausted.

[ Zzz M!A: 15/15- End! ]

[ Ichika Nakamura is currently unavailable for asks. ]

[dissonantaki]

Why should we do what you want?

"I'm sure A-Akamatsu-san is long gone by this point. There's nothing I can do to change that. My requests are fairly easy, I believe—" Ichika couldn't manage to suppress a yawn, opting to cover her mouth instead. Her eyelids started to get heavy again. "So my question is wh-why shouldn't you? There aren't any negative consequences for you or the brat you all care about so much, so why not just tell me or remove the m-magic?"

[ Zzz M!A: 14/15 ]

[dissonantaki]

Squishy, maybe you should take some Sugma to help make you untired?

"Untired isn't a word. And neither is the other thing, I don't believe. Please simply either stop the magic anon, tell me about Miura-san’s awareness of my situation, or leave me be."

[ Zzz M!A: 13/15 ]

[dissonantaki]

DEEZ NUTS BAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

”...”

“...you’re all so i-immature and vulgar that it’s borderline intolerable. I’m so excited for us to part ways.”

[ Zzz M!A: 12/15 ]

[dissonantaki]

hehe, Squishy... do you know about Deez?

“No, I do not. A-Answer my question. Is Miura-san aware of this situation? That I’m here, I mean?”

[ Zzz M!A: 11/15 ]

[dissonantaki]

**holds back giggles** +5 lmao

And with that, her eyelids aren't so heavy anymore, and the pull of sleep isn't affecting her quite as strongly. Huh. Seems like that had the opposite effect that you wanted.

She's still exhausted though, and doesn't offer you a response, but rather, adjusts slightly in her seat. "Do you all know if, ah... if Miura-san is aware of my current situation?" Ichika asked, pausing for a moment, feeling like she was about to yawn.

[ Zzz M!A: 10/15 ]