#Ichi:Post

[ichi-peachy]

Game night.

Ichi: "I think you're exaggerating, Alexis."

Alexis: "You don't understand, SHE waited for the turns to be reversed before dropping a +6 on me. She's out to get me."

Ichi turned to look at her little sister, who looked back at her big sister with eyes full of innocence and naivety. Which meant Lily was definitely guilty.

Ichi: "Whatever the case, you three finish up the game. Me and Nezumi are going to make popcorn."

Scooping up the little mouse girl in one arm, Ichi picked them both up and made her way to the kitchen. Rummaging through the cabinets with one hand to find what she was looking for.

Ichi made it a habit to host game nights every Friday. They played two different games, and everybody got a turn on which game was picked. Tonight Alexis picked Uno, and now she was suffering the consequences of her actions.

With a pleasant hum, the popcorn bag was tossed into the microwave. Soon, the sound of popping could be heard as the smell of fresh popcorn filled the room. It was a nice distraction from the bickering between the teenager and child. Enough of a distraction to allow her to drift off into her thoughts.

Nezumi: "What are you thinking about?"

The small girl tilted her head, staring right at the dazed analyst. Focusing back on the android, Ichi placed her free hand on their head. Petting their head and making sure to scratch behind their ears.

Ichi: "Just how lucky I am to have you all."

[ichi-peachy]

"God, it's hot..."

"...is reading all you're going to do? We're at a beach, doesn't it kinda defeat the purpose to just sit down and read the whole day?"

The babysitter glanced over at the novel Ichi held, which she was already halfway through. The analyst was relaxing on a lounging chair, beneath a very big umbrella. Alexis was sitting on a towel right by her friend's leg.

With a smile, Ichi put the book down and moved her sunglasses to rest at the top of her head.

"I don't see the problem, I'm enjoying myself. Besides, this was mostly for the little three to have some fun for the day. Give them a change of scenery. Plus, I get to enjoy some sunlight and the ocean view."

The "little three" were playing in the ocean, splashing water about and diving down only to reappear moments later. It was mostly thanks to Nezumi that Ichi felt comfortable leaving the children to do as they pleased in the ocean. If anything happened to Lily or Imani, Nezumi would be there to save them.

"Your hair looks good like that, you should let it down more."

It was such a sudden compliment that Alexis couldn't help but suddenly turn away, attempting to hide a flustered expression. Ichi was about to raised the book back into view, but Alexis gently put her hand at the top of it to stop her.

"W-wait. I was going to ask... if you wanted to play volleyball."

It didn't seem like either of them were going to get in the water, but they could at least play in the sand with the beachball they had. At the very least, it was something to do between them.

There was a momentary silence between the two while Ichi thought it over. Well, it didn't hurt to play out in the sun for a while. She owed Alexis some time between them as well. So she shut the book closed, and put it down.

"Sure! I'd love to."

[ichi-peachy]

"Happy Birthday..."

"...uh, you sure you don't want to put something else on first?"

Ichi didn't quite see what the problem was. A white tank top and shorts wasn't her first choice for something she'd wear outside, but it was comfortable to wear at home. Really, she didn't feel like going through all the effort of digging around in her wardrobe for a proper outfit. So she shrugged her shoulders.

"I mean, I can if it bothers you, but-"

"No! No! It's fine, you don't gotta. Just... came by to say Happy Birthday. I got something for you."

The boxer held out a plastic bag with white boxes inside. The transparent top allowed the analyst to peer in, where her eyes were greeted with some very well made pastries.

"Oh, t-thank you. You didn't need to, ᴵ ���ʰᵒᵘᵍʰᵗ ʷᵉ ʷᵉʳᵉ ᵒⁿˡʸ ᵃᶜᵠᵘᵃᶦⁿᵗᵃⁿᶜᵉˢ ᵃᵗ ᵇᵉˢᵗ."

It was a surprise, but not an unwelcomed one. Her eyes looked hungrily at the treats inside the bag. Sure Ichi could make them herself, but he certainly saved her the trouble of all the cooking and cleaning.

"Well, if that's it then-"

"Wait! I don't want to eat these alone, y'know? Would you like to come in? Do you prefer coffee or tea?"

[ichi-peachy]

Christmas.

“Are you sure you don’t want to play outside?”

“Positive!”

The first time Harley had been greeted with a child who disliked snow, or who watched the snow so intently without the desire to play in it. Rocket seemed to be having a blast however, rolling around in the white fluff that had fallen onto the balcony. Lily seemed more entranced simply watching it flutter and fall onto the floor. The way it stuck to Rocket’s fur as he played in it.

Ichi had also decided to enjoy the snow, sitting outside and watching Rocket sprint around. It was beautiful, even after exhaling she was greeted with frosty vapor. The sky above was a foggy white, and so were the buildings in the distance. 

Harley herself was stationed in front of a stone fireplace, enjoying the radiating warmth on a comfortable couch. A warm cup of tea in one hand, a book in the other. It was a magnificent spot to be relaxing in, also having Lily within her line of sight. The little guardian had laid down on the carpet, disinterested in her drawings after it began snowing. Both of them were pretty comfortable, warm and cozy inside. Ichi found comfort in the beauty of the outside, being able to look down at so far and only be able to see a foggy white sky. 

The actress hoped her protégé wouldn’t catch a cold, though she also had faith the analytic wouldn’t foolishly stick around outside long enough to get sick. Sure enough, Ichi moved back into the living room after a few minutes, Rocket in tow. The trash panda immediately dove at Lily, who began flailing at the sudden sensation of icy fur. 

“You aren’t cold?”

“Only a little, it was actually quite nice to enjoy being outside for a moment. Lily didn’t want to come outside?”

“No, I had asked her already.”

A bit of a shame to Ichi, but her little sister was never fond of the cold. That was okay, at least they seemed to be having a good time here. Trying to wrangle off the frigid raccoon who craved affection. 

The analytic tossed a glance to the large tree, decorated from top to bottom with various glittering orbs.

Why did this specific decoration always bring back memories? Memories of previous years she spent near this tree surrounded by others. Memories she found comfort in.

“Are you curious about the presents?”

The sound of presents cause Lily to perk up, paying more attention to their conversation rather than the raccoon she held at arm’s length. 

“I thought they were empty.”

“No dear, they aren’t empty. However, it is just about time to open them. Are you curious what’s inside?”

[ichi-peachy]

“Ichi? Come on in.”

Things have moved so quickly that Ichi could hardly keep up. One moment she had just landed in a big city, the next she was in an office with a beautiful woman who had taken interest in her... not romantically of course. One of the many people in the company who looked for people with talent that could be displayed to an audience. Singing, acting, dancing. 

Jay didn’t get much of a say in everything that happened, only able to give his friend a brief warning to be careful. And even though the tall lady brushed aside his concern, Ichi still kept it in mind.

Up until now she had been sitting in a waiting room, entertaining her little sister who absolutely refused to leave her side. The racoon they carried around with them drew some eyes, but otherwise they were largely ignored, as they seemed unwilling to question the lady who was once with them. She wondered what Lily thought of everything, all the tall buildings with only scraps on nature in sight. 

The waiting room itself was really nice. Clean and minimal was to be expected, it was the view of outside that had caught her interest. They had to have been near the top floor, since at this point they were looking down upon other buildings. She could see people scurry around the streets in different directions, almost like ants. Of course seeing so many people also made her slightly anxious. 

Hearing her name made the analytic perk up, finally tired of waiting for so long. Lily was about to get up as well until the analytic kneeled down in front of the child, effectively cutting them off while they were still sitting.

“Wait here for me, okay Lily? I promise it won’t take very long, and you have Rocket, right? Be a good girl and stay put.”

This was the last place Ichi wanted her sister to be running around, and Lily seemed to have gotten the message. She stayed seated as her sister walked over to the woman waiting on the other side of the door, observing until the door closed. 

“Ichi, you’re one of Jay’s classmates who he considers a friend, and in Japan you maintain a title called the Ultimate Analytic, is that correct?”

Why did this feel like an interview?

“Yes, and-”

“You have such lovely skin, perfect even. Do you have a skincare routine?”

“No, but-”

“Are your eyes naturally like that? I’ve never seen anybody with such unique eye color.”

Ichi simply gave a polite nod, figuring she’d get cut off once more. It became a little hard to understand her sometimes, since her language would change from Japanese to English sometimes, or even throwing in English words because she didn’t know the Japanese equivalent.

Mostly either really observant compliments or questions that didn’t matter how she answered them. Then some English words she spoke to herself, though Ichi didn’t know if the woman was talking to herself or Ichi was supposed to be able to understand them.

“Do you have any questions?”

It felt strange to be allowed to talk after this strange session of listening to the woman basically have a one sided conversation. Ichi had a few questions, mostly why she was being asked so many questions and why the lady seemed so interested in her, but she supposed it was probably best to start easy.

“Can I ask how you know Jay?”

“I’m his mother.”

“Oh.”

[ichi-peachy]

Unease.

Ichi’s previous experiences with traveling hadn’t been good ones, which is why she initially refused the entertainer’s offer. She just didn’t want to be away from the comfort of her home, thrusted into an entirely different place with a new culture and way of life. Moreover, she wanted to maintain the stability she craved so desperately that a home provided

Now though? It didn’t feel like she had much of a choice. One of her friends had been attacked, and she had been warned about somebody targeting her sister. If she stayed at home, it only would’ve been a matter of time until disaster struck. No, that simply wasn’t an option anymore.

Suitcase in hand, she pulled it along onto the plane. No, calling this a plane would’ve been wrong. This was a jet. Though Jace, Lily, and Keiko each had relatively different levels of excitement, both Ichi and Jay had some level of dread looking upon it. Funny how they were both in a similar circumstance, and they tried to reassure each other with a smile.

Lily was oblivious to everything, only aware of the fact they were going somewhere else. While they waited to take off, she was showing the tricks she teached her raccoon to Jace, who was amazed by how many the little guy learned. The toxicologist had prepared a couple spare consoles to kill some time later during the travel, “I spy” would be pretty boring once they were above the clouds.

Keiko stuck close to Jay, hoping her presence would be enough to comfort him. The entertainer seemed to be lost in thought when they weren’t talking, so Keiko constantly tried to have something to say to prevent Jay from spiraling. It was a huge relief when he finally fell asleep.

Ichi herself seemed to be constantly thinking too, though Keiko couldn’t figure out about what specifically. The analytic seemed to be in a state of both calm and stress at the same time. Occasionally relaxing before tensing up moments later. 

Their talks were short lived, since the analytic seemed to constantly get distracted. Ichi was given a brief moment to breath, but nothing was guaranteed until they landed. Including their safety. In the meanwhile, she had to think of a way to dispose of the key and/or lock.

Wait a minute.

They were flying over a large body of water.

[ichi-peachy]

Stare.

Lily could stare at Ichi’s eyes for ages.

Either switching her glance from the usual black and yellow eyes or watching in amazement as they changed from green, to orange, to pink. The analytic had grown used to Mochi staring at her from afar, Lily staring at her eyes from her lap wasn’t much different. If anything, it was perfect. The little ultimate was perfectly still, incapable of destruction while mesmerized with her eyes. Their little fingers played with her hair, occasionally shifting their attention to it when it untangled itself from her fingers. At least this way, Ichi could read a book in peace without having to worry about Lily’s whereabouts. 

Being able to move her hair normally (normally to her,) and having her eyes shift color. It felt like a doomsday signal, like everything was going to go wrong soon. But everything was still perfectly fine, peachy even. The ability to process and learn at an inhuman accelerated pace was a welcome return, and she’d taken the liberty of learning a few things in a few hours. 

There was only one more thing that needed fixing right now. Ironically, Ichi was much happier when the person who was supposed to bring her joy was out of her mind. Not that she could push Airi out forever though, sooner or later Ichi would have to confront the dollmaker, along with her feelings. Right now though, she just wanted to enjoy a book in the company of her sister. Airi could wait a little longer.

[ichi-peachy]

Cold Nightmare.

A room so cold she could feel her body freezing over. 

Everything was white and glassy, from the floor to the ceiling. The room was so bright it was almost blinding. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from, as the light seemed to be coming from every possible angle. It was uncomfortable, and made it hard to see anything clearly.

Unsure of what to do, she began walking forward, hugging herself as she looked down at the tiled floor. It was so clean she could almost see a reflection of herself. When she looked back up, she was greeted with an endless corridor. As far as she could tell, there wasn’t an end to it. If there was, it was too bright to see. 

As she walked, she tried to keep her mind occupied. Trying to endure the cold a little longer until she could reach the exit. Thoughts of flowers, thoughts of desserts, thoughts of fire, thoughts of books, thoughts of mindless nothingness.

Even when her body began to go numb, she kept moving. But she was always greeted with the same walls and cold atmosphere. It felt like she was going in circles, even if she was moving in a straight line. 

Eventually, she crumbled. Her skin tingled. It felt like she was fighting to even breathe. For a moment, she laid in the ground, trying to muster any bit of energy left to crawl towards the same shining light as always.

Where am I going?

For a moment, she let herself lay on the ground. Accepting how pointless it was to keep moving. Even if she wanted to keep struggling, her body was already shutting down, desperately trying to preserve her energy to keep her warm enough to stay alive. She felt helpless. What could she do? Nothing probably.

Looking back, the girl was greeted with an endless void. A stark contrast to the shining hallway. It radiated a small semblance of warmth. It was far closer than the light at the end of the tunnel. The exit drew her in the same way the light did, but it provided comfort. 

At first, she could only crawl towards it. But with every effort to move, it grew closer, and the sensation of warmth grew evermore. After a while, she found the strength to pick herself up, dragging herself closer. And the closer she got, the more desperate she grew, eventually running, until she was sprinting towards the void. 

When she stepped into it’s warmth, she was swallowed up. Falling falling and falling. She kept falling, until the sensation of warmth felt like nothing. Eventually, unable to see or feel, she became nothing.

When Ichi awoke, she tried to pull herself up, wanting a moment of peace from the chaos her mind created. When she felt something drag her down, the analytic’s breathing accelerated and she glanced over at the hinderance clinging to her side.

Lily was clinging onto Ichi’s waist, still fast asleep. It was a bit of a surprise to Ichi, who thought they would’ve been in their own bed. Not wanting to wake the sleeping child, the analytic slowly lowered herself back onto the bed. This was new, but she didn’t want to wake the girl. If she did, who knew when they’d manage to fall asleep again? When the little ball of energy finally slept, it was best to leave them that way.

[ichi-peachy]

No Judgment.

Who better to ask for help than the boy who was void of any opinions or emotions? Well, Ichi thought Takuto was the void of such human behaviors. Never a smile on his face or a strong emotional reaction... not that she minded. His calm demeanor was nice, and she enjoyed reading with him in between classes.

As she suspected, Takuto didn’t ask questions. Ichi didn’t even have to beg him for a favor either. All she had to do was ask him to babysit Lily for a while, and the medic was already on his way. Of course, Ichi felt a little bad for forgetting to mention Lily’s hyperactive nature. Details details, she was sure he’d do well. The small child was usually pretty well behaved, and they were grounded for today, so it was unlikely they’d run off like before. All Takuto had to do was make sure Lily didn’t do anything reckless that would get them killed. 

Can I bring a friend?

That seemed to be his only condition. Takuto knew he’d be out of his element, so he at least wanted to bring somebody he was sure could help. Ichi didn’t really mind, nor did she bother asking who it was. The silent medic was a good judge of character, so she trusted him to bring somebody helpful.

Six hours. All she wanted was for somebody to watch Lily for six hours so she could get some more sleep. Surely nothing dangerous would happen in the meanwhile.

[ichi-peachy]

(◕△◕✿)

A shiny key.

It had been abandoned in the attic, apart from the rest of the boxes. It was still relatively clean, having collected only a bit of dust. Lily could’ve swore it wasn’t here before, as she would’ve noticed it’s gold reflection. It had a heart shape at the end of it, along with a loop of string, likely so it could be worn as a necklace.

Picking it up, the little ultimate shoved it in her pocket. Afterwards, they began looking through the boxes, looking for furniture or decorations. Whenever she found a chair or table, she’d haul it out and place it in a corner. A similar process was repeated for decorations, but it was moved to a different corner. 

When they finally unboxed everything she found useful, she pushed the boxes near the entrance of the attic, hoping they wouldn’t fall down. From there, Lily began dragging the furniture around, placing the table near the only window, and placing chairs around it. An old scratched up sofa a little further away, in front of a small tv. Rather than rely on the sunlight pouring through the window for a light source, she strung up fairly lights on the ceiling, held up by tape. It was messy, but it worked.

It was a lot of work, but it wasn’t like she had anything better to do. The tea set had to be washed before she could use it, but that was to be done later. The little guardian only took a break when she was called down for food. She thought Ichi would’ve questioned her over all the noise, but her older sister seemed to be content to leave her to her devises if it meant they could get some sleep.

The plain brown walls bothered her a bit, but it wasn’t like she could do much about it. Maybe if she had some light blue paint... Or maybe she could draw on the walls to liven up the place. It might be hard to see the drawings though...

As they pondered their options, they toyed with the new necklace they found.

[ichi-peachy]

Preparations.

The analytic was in a lovely mood. Valentines day was coming soon, and she wanted to perfect her desert for Airi. This time, she wanted to make the dollmaker a Strawberry Parfait. She learned her lesson last time about trying to make something last-minute, so she wanted to give herself time to figure everything out. Normally, Jay or Keiko would be with her to help, but both of them were off doing their own thing. Jay was trying to get as much work done as possible to be free for Valentines day, while Keiko was busy with a new part-time job she took up. It left her alone at home, but it wasn’t all bad. At least she had Mochi the cat to accompany her. 

It was still a bit of a relief that they were busy anyways. No doubt they’d want to question her about her absence in class. She didn’t want to go back school. At least, not for a while. She was a nervous wreck simply trying to get home, and even now, Ichi didn’t feel entirely safe. Still, she wanted to try to shake off the feeling before Valentines day. After all, she wanted to give all her attention to Airi, not to paranoia.

[ichi-peachy]

Ichi was... safe, right?

The last thing she recalled was falling asleep on Airi, and now here she was, in a bed in a familiar looking place. Truthfully, she was so warm and comfortable she didn’t want to get up. It wasn’t like she had to, right? It was the weekend, so she could just sleep in and forget about any troubles she had. Aside from the pile of homework she had anyways...

Shooting up from her bed, she pressed her hands on her face. With everything that had gone on, she ended up forgetting about the assignments she had do. Still, she really didn’t want to get up. It would be fine if she stayed asleep just a little longer, right? Dropping back onto the fluffy bed, she pulled the covers back on over herself and closed her eyes. No harm in sleeping for a few more minutes.

But as the minutes flew by, soon the hour arrived, passing through almost as quick as the minutes before it. After waking up a second time, she pulled her knees up to her chest and rubbed her eyes. Still under the illusion it was around morning, she forced herself up, combing her fingers through her messy hair with a yawn.

After changing into a clean set of clothing, she sat back down on the bed. Before anything, she wanted to make sure her friends were okay. The earliest to rise was usually Jay, so she decided to text him first.

----------

Ichi: Is everything okay?

Blue-Jay: Yeah, Keiko got wayyy to comfortable tho

(Jay sent an image. It was a picture of Keiko leaning on him, fast asleep. Her cloak was draped over both of them, as if it was trying to serve as a blanket. Jay himself had a smug smile, winking at the camera as he put a finger to his lip.)

----------

With a smile, the analytic rolled her eyes. Still, it was cute. She thought about asking him to bring her the papers laying around upstairs, but then decided against it. She caused far too much trouble recently, and didn’t want to ask anything more of him. She’d pick it up later herself.

----------

Ichi: That’s adorable. There is lots of stuff in the fridge, you should make something.

Blue-Jay: Will do

----------

Sliding it back into her pocket, she let out a sigh of relief. The entertainer seemed to be in a better mood. Finally getting back up, she looked to make her way out of the room. Before picking up her homework, she at least wanted to see Airi. After all, it would be rude to just leave without warning.

[ichi-peachy]

Damp and Dark.

The girl in black couldn’t remember anything past this moment. Her arms were forced above her with some rather coarse rope. The room was dark and damp, as water dripped down the stone walls. Her dark clothes were still damp from the thunderstorm she had endured, which only served to make the cold room just that much colder. Did she piss off the wrong people? If the room was cold and she was still wet, did that mean she was hung there recently? 

Despite her current predicament, she hadn’t begun panicking just yet. Rather than fight against the restraints, she closed her eyes again and tried to gather any information she could. She couldn’t think of anybody she might have possibly wronged. Then again, she couldn’t think of anybody at all. Family, friends, enemies, nobody came to mind. Naturally, she began panicking slightly at the thought. Was anybody even going to come looking for her? What was going to happen to her now? 

Trying to steady her rampant thoughts, she tried to dig a little deeper into her memory. At the very least, she hoped she could recall her name. Maybe it would help her somehow.

“Elizabeth.”

The words that left her mouth almost felt foreign, which worried her a bit. Was that really her name? Or the name of somebody she knew? Alas, the moment she heard footsteps approaching, her eyes snapped open, cutting short her thoughts. 

A girl with light blue hair stood before her, a look of distrust written plain across her face. If she was being honest, Elizabeth didn’t feel threatened in the slightest. The other girl looked frail, frail and small. This did beg the question as to why such a person even kidnapped her though.

“What do you want?”

Neither of their eyes waved, even when they asked the same question. Neither of them answered the others question either, expecting the other to respond first.

[ichi-peachy]

Home.

The medic did an outstanding job helping Ichi recover, and helped prevent any nasty illness. They seemed to know exactly what to do when a body was being frozen over, and all that was left was a cold. Sure, it was a bit of an annoyance to Ichi, but at least now her body wasn’t involuntarily trembling. Before parting, the detective gifted Ichi a few things to keep her safe. Things like security cameras and sensors that could detect any unwanted guests, which Ichi greatly appreciated.

Sae was fine with giving Ichi three days to rest, even if the only thing that ailed her was a small cold. Now Ichi had a ton of time to kill, and she really didn’t feel like sitting in bed resting. After an hour of reading in bed, she eventually got bored and began searching through the previous owner’s belongings.

Seed packets.

That was what stood out to her the most. Her backyard was empty, and it looked rather dull, so maybe it was best to do something with it. That was how she spent the first day, researching what could grow in cold temperatures, and planting the seeds. It was a bit more work than she thought it would be, but in the end everything was organized and planted. So far, she was pretty satisfied with the results, and proclaimed the day as well spent.

The second day was a bit different. Once again, she searched through random drawers looking for something to do. What she came across this time was a cookbook. Something that would have helped make up for Ichi’s abysmal cooking skills. This time, she at least wanted to make something edible for Airi. The last time she tried... she got interrupted. Hopefully this time things would go a bit better.

Despite having to scrap the first few attempts, she finally managed to succeed with the fourth attempt. A good thing too, as she was beginning to run out of sugar. On the bright side, the cookies themselves actually tasted good. Something Ichi chalked up to pure luck. She’d check to see when she could visit Airi later. The rest of the day was spent working on the homework she was missing.

Today she just wanted to sleep through the entire day. Alas, she couldn’t fall asleep once she woke up again, so she simply laid in bed, basking in the sunlight that seeped in through her windows.

It was nice.

[ichi-peachy]

“Happy Birthday Pipsqueak.”

Ichi couldn’t remember how she got here. Hell, she couldn’t even seem to recall anything past a few days. Somehow, she just found herself sitting in an empty café, with the mod giving her a grin on the other side of the table. In between them was a vanilla cake, and there was a cup of milk on Ichi’s side. The mod had a cup of coffee on his, the aroma of it wandering around the coffee shop, setting a mood that complimented the rainy weather outside. The mod’s usual calm look was replaced with one of exhaustion and slight insanity, although it didn’t phase Ichi in the slightest. Jay’s levels of insanity were something she grew used to. As much as her curiosity urged her to ask why he looked so tired, another part of her decided against it. Not like it mattered right now anyways, instead, she had one main question.

“Why am I here?”

The mod didn’t seem too surprised by her question, and his eyes drifted off to look at the windows behind Ichi as he took a sip of coffee. The windows constantly held little droplets of water, the pouring rain always assuring the glass would have a small stream of water flowing at all times. Despite this, it was foggy, making it impossible to see anything outside. 

“I figured you need something of a break, and like I said, it’s your birthday. I figure I outta do something. Technically, this is your first birthday. Congrats, you managed to stay alive for a whole year.”

As his lazy eyes meet Ichi’s focused ones, he gave her a small smile. That last part was a bit of a cruel joke, but Ichi didn’t seem to care. In fact, it looked like the realization just hit her. So many things happened in such a small time frame that the year felt like a century. Stabbing a nearby knife into the cake, she began cutting herself a piece. If her safety was guaranteed here, she would take full advantage of it. Knowing she could relax here was a comforting thought. The mod somewhat expected her to respond, so when she didn’t, he simply continued speaking.

“Anyways, I can’t really think of anything to do. Normally on Monokuma’s blog, I just would’ve executed some people and called it a day. Not literally mind you.”

His leg bounced up and down rapidly, like he was about to jolt from his seat at any second. Despite this, the rest of his body looked completely relaxed. After watching Ichi bite the cake, his leg stopped bouncing and his fingers started tapping against his arm. 

“So I’ll let you ask me a question, and I’ll respond with complete honesty-”

“What’s happening outside the simulation?”

The usually indecisive girl seemed much more composed. She wasn’t looking at the person across her, instead silently admiring the cake. The inside held a thin layer of strawberry. They probably didn’t make it themselves, so she wondered where it came from.  

“Oh, total hell. In certain areas, the air isn’t even breathable. You’d imagine that Two would be behind everything, but nope, she isn’t. Future Foundation is doing everything they can to enforce order, but with the replacements it’s getting all too much for even those guys to handle.”

It was almost like Ichi didn’t care. She just kept eating with away with an unamused look on her face. She can’t say she didn’t expect that things were going horribly, and it wasn’t like she could do anything about it anyways.

That excuse was getting old.

Not that the mod said anything about it. Maybe that thought would bite her later, but for now he just let it be. It was usually much more fun to watch when he didn’t interfere anyways.

“Anyways, while they catch up why don’t we have a bit of fun? You never got to actually be a kid right? How about we change that?”

[ichi-peachy]

Once again, Robin was swarmed.

Robin had left Ichi’s room, leaving to the garden to get some fresh air. Ichi was all patched up, all she needed was some rest. Ayano entered the room, offering to look after her. Ayano’s face had a look of worry, but Robin simply thought she was concerned about Ichi. Either way, she left both the girls to talk for the moment. However the second she left into the garden, children surrounded her. They each tugged and pulled on her arms, wanting to play. Eventually, they all settled on tag.

Oh what the hell, I could use the exercise.

“Alright then, hurry and hide. I’ll count to ten. Let’s regroup in 10 minutes, alright?”

They all ran off, moving to hide into the forest behind the building. Each of the children split up into different groups, moving in different directions. Robin started counting down, then looking up. Ayano and Ichi were looking out the window, watching the children move.

“...Zero.”

Robin walked into forest, keeping an eye out for any movement. She walked for a minute or so, before she spotted a group run. Instantly she raced after them. The children were certainly fast, but Robin was faster. It didn’t take long for her to close the gap and tap each of their shoulders.

“Your out.”

The children sighed in disappointment, walking back to the building.

“One down, three to go.”

She was about to start walking, until she heard movement in the trees. Looking up, several kids could be spotted. Realizing they were caught, they began to climb higher up the tree. This prompted Robin to start climbing as well. The tree could only go as far, and within a few seconds she tapped them all.

“Nice try.”

She laughed a little, watching some of them pout. She helped some of them down, and kept moving.

The next group was on the other side of a creak of water. Robin could have sworn there was a log to get to the other side. It took her a moment to realize the children have moved it to their side. They each seemed to be pretty proud of their spot.

“Very clever...”

Robin moved back a few paces, then ran and jumped at the edge of the creak. Despite how wide it was, she managed to just barely make the leap. She then quickly tapped them all, taking advantage of their shook.

“Gotcha~”

She helped them move the log back to where it previously was, and watched them walk back to the orphanage. And with that, she kept walking.

The last group had hidden in the trees, just like the first group. However they were each spread out, clearly planning to split if she spotted them. So instead of chasing after them, she walked a little more and...tripped.

Almost immediately, all of the kids jumped down to check on her. To which Robin quickly sprang back up, tagging them all. She then turned on her phone.

“And just in time too.”

The timer on it rang, time was up.

--------------------------------------------

Ichi: “She’s...so fast...”

Ayano looked at Ichi, who seemed to have been shocked by the outcome of the game. Ayano however, simply sighed and smiled.

Ayano: “Yeah, she’s the only one who can come close to catching everybody. Everybody else is either too slow, or runs out of time before they can catch everybody.”

Ichi then smiled, watching Robin regroup with the children.