#Masa Esumi

[a-student-out-of-time]

Happy Halloween ASOOT fans! Thought I’d draw the opening number of the scariest villain the Quantum Crew has faced… Tsumugi Shirogane!

I am never going to look at V3 the same way after that arc. but in a good way because Dianthus Memory really amplified the whole “killing game is a tv show” message that only really got mentioned in the finale trial of V3. 

Anyways I am def adding Dianthus Memory to my top ten list of ASOOT arcs to reread, and I’m excited to see how the Aftermath wraps the remaining plot points up!

Hope this was a good treat for y'all n.n

-Sparks

//Amazing, every time : P

[despair-to-future-arcs]

A little coffee break

[Part 1]

*one explanation later*

I see... so you discover that Ruruka Ando's murder is her mother and she might be connected to the Kuzuruyu Clan?

Ye-Yes, that's what I discover and it was a note that was discover on her grave and I figure I call you about it...

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Okay but you could of called Kyoko about this? Given that she and her boyfriend are working with Class 77-B and all, I feel you should of called them instead of me since I'm busy with the news station...

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O-Oh... ri-right, I su-suppose so, huh? So-Sorry your number was the first one I ca-can think of so I choose you! Fo-Forgive me!

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It's fine... I'll go and inform Kyoko about this when I'm on break, so leave it to me...

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O-Okay, thank you... I'll be staying at my home then going ba-back to work tomorrow and informing the others about this, see you then...

*CLICK!*

*looks at her phone then puts it away* Hm, seems we got a lead regarding the Kuzuruyu Clan...

RECEPTIONIST: I guess that was another reveal from the investigation?

Yeah... it was, seems that a murder that happen in 2009 and the person was trying to call those leading but instead call me so I'm gonna tell them when I get to the coffee shop...

RECEPTIONIST: I see, well I'm sure will let the other reporters deal with reporting on all this so you can go investigate these Miss. Esumi!

Alright, sure thank you - I guess we can let the others handle it, see you tomorrow...

*Masa walks out of the TV station as heading for the parking lot and getting onto her motor cycle which then Masa drives off...*

...

...

...

Alright, now time to check out the place and see what's going on...

*Masa gets off as she turns off the motorcycle which then she walks towards the coffee shop and a suddenly a young boy was playing...*

BOY: Oh hey Miss. Esumi, are you here for my parents coffee and donuts?

Yeah I am, I heard the place was open and I figure I come check it out.

BOY: Oh sweet, my dad is still getting some shipping but my mom is in and she's getting some coffee ready.

Ah nice, I was wondering how she's been let's check it out...

*Masa walks over to the door and opens it*

*DING!*

???: Hm, oh well well. Masa Esumi has arrive, geez you took long, huh? Sorry was my kid bugging you...

Nah, not really - in fact he told me that your husband is still getting shipping.

But I got some intel that you were able to get some coffee, eh? Mind if I have some along with some donuts?

???: Oh dear... sorry about that, the donuts are still being baked but I got the coffee all set, so you want the usual?

Oh hell yeah, give me the good stuff as usually there!

???: Hehe, of course of course - just sit down and I'll get your set ready...

*Masa walks over and sits down which then the barista which she gets a cup set*

???: Here you go, the donuts will take a bit but it's good that you appear, honestly I am happy that we get to re-open the coffee shop after all that nonsense...

Heh, yeah... Sorry about that, but don't worry Amane - I'm sure things are gonna return to normal, I'm sure.

Yeah, i hope so too; seriously I was worried about us not getting any costumers for a month but I'm happy to hear that...

So anyway, enough about that of course, so how's your month been...? Anything going on at work?

[review-anon]

How about top five favorite DTFA characters?

Masa Esumi, Naoyuki Harumaki, Gou Anno, Fumiya Iwasaki and Charlotte Taylor.

I've already explained Masa and Naoyuki so I won't talk about them but I will for the others. Gou Anno is a unexpected counseller character and a good foil to Yoruko, his Bojack Horseman cosplay is hilarious and I like how he commits to road trips like a boss.

Fumiya Iwasaki gets a gold star from me for having to endure Minoru's existence, but aside from that he's a fun character to have. I like how Poi decided to make Tornado, a Boyband that most people don't think about due it being only revelant in one chapter in Trigger Happy Havoc, and make them actual characters.

And finally Charlotte Taylor is even more proof Hope's Peak sucks as she's a cool character that was fucked by Nagito and then fucked by Hope's Peak being racist POS, Hiyoko calling her the forbidden word was a massive "Yeah this is why I don't like you canonically bitch." My only compliant is we haven't seen more of her but with so many OCs in DTFA, I can understand why that's the case.

[a-student-out-of-time]

Fuck

Shirogane! Get back here!

YOU...fffucking....cow....ard....

*Masa stumbles down the hall, then collapses to the ground*

ESUMI!

Move aside, we need to take a look.

H-Her injuries are serious....she probably passed out from blood loss. We need to get her to the hospital!

Tsumiki, you go with them. Whatever she's planning, someone else might get hurt. I'll get Esumi out of here.

As will I. Please, be careful with her.

You both make sure she survives, got it?

We can't do that if we stand around chatting.

C'mon! We gotta catch Shirogane! She's injured, she couldn't have gone far!

[a-student-out-of-time]

Sure uh-

Wait what about masa?

I just need...need to check. Gun's loaded, okay, good.

Anyone comes in, I blow them away! Then...Th-Then I'll-

*Shink!*

Wh....someone there?

...

...

...

*An arm suddenly wraps around Shirogane's neck*

You're goddamn right...

GAGH! Get off me! Why aren't you dead?!

Think you...ngh....can kill me that easy...? Gotta admit...it hurt...

So...why don't I show you how...it feels?

*She picks up the discarded scalpel from before*

Get off! Please! Sh-Show some mercy!

Hi...Hinata might've. But I sure as hell won't.

Eye for an eye, bitch.

_____________________________________________

*SHING*

AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!

[a-student-out-of-time]

Masa you're concerning me right now

Esumi, I-I'm sorry, I didn't-

Hinata, it's alright. We'll be getting outta here soon.

Huh?

You think all I did was touch her creepy shrine? I have a plan in motion.

So, just hang in there, alright? Whatever she does, be ready, but remember we've got help on the way.

Help from people who wanna see you make it out of this alive.

...

(Everyone, be careful...but give her hell.)

[a-student-out-of-time]

And there we fucking go! Excuse me, *proceeds to vomit in the nearest trash can.

Aww, what's that, Hinata? Are you really gonna just throw away your-

SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!!

...

I'm tired of this...I'm tired of everything...I'm tired of being here...but more than anything...

I'm tired of YOU!

I don't think I've ever hated someone as much as I hate you right now. And I don't think I've ever been so ready to kill someone and worry about how I'll feel later.

Well, what's stopping you? How about I take off your restraints and we can finally have it?

C'mon Hinata, put your money where your mouth is.

Do it then!

*Shirogane reaches to take off his restraints*

It was me!

...Excuse me?

It was me. I was the one who touched your bear. You throwing me in the closet loosened them enough so I could escape.

And so you decided to touch Yuudai's bear...?

Sure did. Whatcha gonna do about it?

*Shirogane viciously stabs a scalpel into her arm*

AGGGHH!! SHIT! Dammit...

ESUMI! What are you-

Y-You....can't let her get to you, Hinata...not now...

Cuz she wants you to kill her....don't give her that...not while she's in control...

...

[a-student-out-of-time]

Hajime, Masa, Umeko, just hang on! Help's on the way!

Please...make it stop! I can't take it anymore!

I didn't think this could get much worse...

STOP! JUST...JUST STOP! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING, JUST MAKE IT STOP!

Oh c'mon, is my rapping really that bad?

You rhymed "around" with "around!" Three times!

And you need to learn better constructive criticism!

[a-student-out-of-time]

Welp it was nice knowing you Masa

*Masa drops the bear and hides behind a nearby research desk, just past Hajime*

*Shirogane comes stumbling out of a nearby door, wobbling back and forth*

...

*Without a word, she notices the bear lying on the ground*

*And quietly sets it back in the box*

Allll...better...hehehehe!

*She glares at the still-unconscious Hajime, then pulls a flask out of her labcoat and takes a swig*

Ugh...stupid cheap booze...

*She shuts the door behind her*

Okay...guess she's too drunk to go looking for me...

[a-student-out-of-time]

Why does that make me sad???

Maybe? I haven't heard the name come up until now...

But there's a story with this somehow.

...

...How do you figure into all this, Yuudai-san? Probably not for good reasons.

[a-student-out-of-time]

Don't know. I can't see in the dark.

Isn't that...?

It's not moving...why it's it up in a cabinet?

*Masa quietly crawls toward the familiar shape in the dark...until she gets close enough to see*

...

*In one corner of the lab is a dirty teddy bear displayed in a wooden box*

[a-student-out-of-time]

Considering how Wallpaper-chan only cares about Hajime, she can't spy on the rest of the Crew any longer, and that she has thrown you into a closet to starve to death, now the scales are starting to tilt on our favor, so now is your time to fuck her up.

Exactly. We've got a chance now.

Seems like the lab's dark again...

Where the hell is Hinata?

*She cautiously peaks around the cabinets*

Nobody's around...hmm...

*She covers her mouth, stifling a gasp*

*In one corner, Hajime sits still taped to his chair, slumped over and unconscious. He also has some new cuts and bruises, blood visible on the floor around him*

He's...okay, he's still breathing...

God damn you, Shirogane...

*She crawls toward him, only for a shape in the darkness to catch her attention*

What...is that...?

[a-student-out-of-time]

Oooooh, figured her out, huh?

...

Well? Aren't you supposed to be the showrunner? Don't you have plans for everything? Surely you've thought of everything, haven't you?

Where'd all that bravado go? Unless, something hasn't been going according to plan?

...

...Why is Nakamura still there?

Nakamura?

It would've been so perfect. Wait until that little serial killer kidnaps him or the cops arrest him for keeping him, and he'd be out of the way. No one there to tell them how everything's going.

He could've at least killed himself and saved me the trouble...

And what about you, Hinata? Have you already forgotten he's the one who turned you into Kamukura? Are you a moron?

Why is it so hard for you both to realize that people never change? Not until you make them change?

Maybe because we're not fucking nutjobs?

You're the craziest on here, Hinata. You always have been. But Esumi here is a close second.

What made you think it was a good idea to piss off the one who gives you all your food and water?

*Tsumugi grabs Masa by the hair and drags her chair away*

Ow! Shit!

ESUMI!

Hinata, whatever she does, don't listen to her!

*Tsumugi drags her out of sight down the hall, where there's the sound of a loud door slamming shut. She comes back, looking lifeless*

Stupid fucking teenage girls, never know when to shut their cum-guzzling whore mouths...

You can't win this, Shirogane.

Do you have any idea how much sleep I've sacrificed over this? And now that it's happening, you can't do be the goddamn courtesy to just fall in line?

It doesn't matter. I still have enough plans in place to succeed...

And for every day you both are here, I can make you regret ever mouthing off to me.

[a-student-out-of-time]

Well I tip my hat on that Shirogone, you at least kept your eggs out of one basket. Care to at least tell us why? Surely you must have a reason you didn't split all three in three different spots, or rather, split them in this combination? What does she fear with that gaze, hmm?

There sure are!

And I'll tell you another secret: it doesn't matter who your friends decide to save first. I'm prepared to burn this place down if need be, and all of us with it.

So then, you're prepared to kill yourself too?

I'm immortal, Hinata. Hasn't that been made clear?

Or did you actually believe that shooting me in the face would do anything?

Kill me, don't kill me, it doesn't matter! I can still win this! Even if I lose, it'll cost you something you'll never get back!

...

...Why tell us this now?

Huh?

Hinata and I have been trapped here for days now, and you spent most of that time leaving us in the dark or doing your performances. And after everything with Nanami....

...Oh. I get it now.

What are you on about?

Things aren't exactly going to plan, so you're trying to scare the shit out of us. Is that it?

[a-student-out-of-time]

You know, I’m worried what might have happened to Umeko. We haven’t seen where she is during all of this.

Oh, would you like to see? Turn your attention to the southwest screen!

*Hajime turns*

...Other way.

*He turns the other way*

Huh?!

Oh god...

_________________________________________________________

*Umeko is in a dark room, alone, taped down to a chair with her eyes forced open. Whatever she's looking at is offscreen*

_________________________________________________________

HAYASE-SAN!

Don't bother. I'm the only one who has a connection to her.

And let me be clear, since I did promise you more info: she's nowhere near us. Your physicist is in another castle.

And, well...those of you familiar with my visit to DLTA hospital may remember how that almost turned out. I'd keep that in mind if you intend on escaping.

[a-student-out-of-time]

Hah! You thought you won?! Too fucking bad Shirogane! Like Hajime said you don't know our gamer girl as well as you thought

...

Well? Got nothing else to say?

...This isn't over yet.

I proved I'm more than capable of creating simulacra of people good enough to fool even themselves, after all. I'm still a genius!

Sure, I wish it could've played out like I wanted, but Nanami decided to bond with the fake and her mother instead.

...But hey, if she won't break from that reveal, I can still rip all that away from her. If losing a fake sister hurt that bad, imagine how much it would hurt to lose everyone else.

After all, I'm still privy to what's happening with your team. I can see what they plan next.

Oh, and let's not forget I have you two. As well as our dear little Hayase-san~