#dr TAPP AU

[spontaneousglitterbees]

[AU Masterpost]

Little late this year, but joining the festivities: Ides of March is an awkward day to be SHSL supreme leader probably.

I am 95% certain its canon maki pulls on her hair as a nervous tick and we should draw it more. Also, don't worry about the parallels to Kokichi taking one for the team to keep blame off Maki for something again or the spread of Uncomprehending why someone would do something nice for you to their own detriment (but this time in lighthearted context) its a gag comic its fine

[hexbimbo]

DBD Random Hc #1

*Got a little carried away the post-fog ~lore~. I have so many ideas I’m probably gonna have to do separate AU post for all scenarios.*

General

Everyone hungers and thirsts normally in the fog. Survivors try to salvage/ forage what they can. A river deep into the woods provides water for both sides, though requires sterilization.

Survivors are slowly transforming their shitty campground into a small village. Older survivors live in shared, rinky-dink cabins and newer survivors stay in hand-me down tents until materials can be sourced to build them a home.

Killers reside in their personal grounds and freely roam the forest. Common knowledge, they are not permitted to enter the Survivors encampment. Should a survivor exit the camp, they’re free game.

More levelheaded killers set up trade deals with the survivors. Med kits/ toolboxes/ and maps can be traded for food/ safe passage to the river/ materials. Of course, survivors can always just take the items when they get sent to a map but most prefer not to piss off the killers.

Survivors are forbidden, by their own rule, from traveling outside the camp (excluding the trades and water trips in which they must always go in groups of 4.) Can they really inforce this rule? Nope. But they’ll scold the fuck outta you if you get caught.

If negations ever happened between the factions, Dwight and Trapper would be the representatives.

Killers aren’t sociable like the survivors. A few might be cordial here and there but mainly avoid each other. Reasons include: violence against each other, different morals or ethics regarding how killing is done, disdain, or a general adversity to people. Example: Albert, Herman, Sally would tolerate each other based on similar ethics but would never, ever be buddy-buddy.

If the Survivors escape the Fog, their lives would magically be better. All their trauma, hardships, and rejections never happened. (Similar to Scooby Doo MI/ IT). Unsure if they’d all be sent back to the time/place they were taken, possibly all sent to a generalized time.

In that case, Gabe/Vittorio would be fucked.

In addition, I’m unsure if Survivor’s would retain memories of their time spent in the fog. If they didn’t remember, they’d continue their life like they didn’t suffer for eternity. They’d probably even pass each other on the street and not bat an eye! If they did remember, how ever, they’d be dumbfounded by their “perfect life” and desperately try to shed light on what they went through. I also imagine that they’d search for each other to reunite, to acknowledge to each other the trauma they went through.

Same goes for killers but they would be sent back to their original time and place they were taken. Unlike the survivors however, they wouldn’t retain memories of the fog. They’d magically become better people over night. This would be due to the Entity no longer spreading evil in the world. ( “The evil is gone!” - Dr Loomis.)

Survivors

Most of the survivors don’t have kids ( excluding Felix, Ash and maybe Tapp). The Entity did this with the intention of lower the chances of people looking for them. In the case of Felix however ( who is noted to be close to the Entity) it would cause him the most emotion (Hope to see the kid again, and despair he can’t see his child grow up.) which the Entity then feeds off of.

On that note, the rest maybe are undecided or simply didn’t have the opportunity to have kids yet. The only decided childfree I head-canon are: Jeff, Yun-Jin, Ace, Bill, Élodie, and Jake.

Dwight is definitely the guy to break up a fight with : “Staph guys!!!! This isn’t who we are 🥺🥺🥺.”

Felix and Élodies reunion: “🤨…🤯 …😬”

Lady survivors still have periods. Started their own “Red Club” for period support and materials (homemade pads, pain meds, slipping each other a little extra food).

Jane likes to host a mock-talk show to cope with the Relm. What’s starts with a simply “How are you doing today?” can become “How did that affect your childhood?” In addition, she’ll sometimes hosts “segments” for survivors to demonstrate their talents in an effort to cheer them up.

Meg and Gabriel get the zoomies. Meg will inch towards the fire, slowly but surely. When caught, she’ll take off for the tree line. Rinse and repeat.

Nea is very cat-like in her mannerism. ( Pretty much a given.) Curls up when she sleeps, blinks slowly, stretches a lot.

Mikaela makes and sells hygiene products with ingredients sourced from Claudette. You’ll never know how much you’ve missed a bath until you’ve gone eternity without one.

Bill’s a hard ass with male survivors but tends to be a bit more lenient with the girls. Will chastise the them when they play too roughly or don’t show the proper manners in a lady’s presence. It’s just how he was brought up.

Killers

Charlotte is a hoarder. Can’t part with anything. Yes, she needs that used tissue. Yes she needs that rotten head of lettuce.

Legion recognized Jeff immediately. “ Guys! You’ll never believe it- this fat fuck is Jeff! How you been man???”

Anna sometimes can’t bring herself to hurt female survivors if they bare a child like appearance. For example, she’ll hesitate with Feng/ Sable/ Cheryl in a colorful, soft outfits but will otherwise descimate Feng/Sable/ Cheryl if wearing more mature clothes.

Herman is so overstimulated, no sensory input stresses him out. He can’t NOT be sitting or thinking.

Blight gets withdrawals if gone without the serum for too long. (A given.) However, during these withdrawals his thoughts get a little clearer and can hear the whispers of the Entity, the screams and demands for more blood. The serum makes it nice and quiet again.

Philip and Sally have meetings near the river. They never talk or touch, nor remember how they first started doing this. Being together feels like before the Fog.

Adris holds mass for the Entity in her temple. Does anyone show up? Not really, though she convinced the more devout killers to leave offerings on the temple steps.

Trapper knows his “power” is outdated and doesn’t really care. He’s doesn’t have the blood lust that other killers have and certainly isn’t imaging other people when he kills. When someone steps on a trap: Cool. When they escape: Also cool.

Unknown will have whole conversations with itself. These conversations are crudely put together and if listening closely, what it says doesn’t quite make sense.

“ Beautiful day…for it.”

“ Pain…my eyes are in…pain.”

“Do you…like candy?”

[pinkfoxsodas]

So I brought up the Rogue Adam au, but want about a an undercover spy or agent Adam au? Adam had been undercover the whole time on the Jigsaw case and he has a tracking device planted on him so they could find his location. I could see Jigsaw being arrested and Lawrence being taken to the hospital. Or Jigsaw manages to escape again, but his identity as John Kramer is exposed early on. Law enforcement seems to be involved and detectives on the Jigsaw case became suspects. So Adam is assigned as a shady photographer to be employed by Tapp (maybe Tapp can be involved since he was no longer a detective) and begins to trail Lawrence as a possible suspect. But Adam already having intel that one of the detectives was involved somehow, however it wouldn’t hurt to check to see if the Dr. Gordon could be the mastermind. (Plus Adam thinks he’s cute)

Amanda would eventually be a suspect because Adam would be suspicious that one of the Jigsaw survivors suddenly moved into his shithole apartment complex. Plus he could people and he could tell she was hiding something.

Really tired when I typed this, but I thought it would be cool what if scenario.

[andreaskorn]

X

Social Media: Das fast "Aus" nach 3 Tagen Nutzung

Der erste Eindruck von "X" war noch etwas erfreulich (16.3.24). Dann habe ich eine Serie mit K.I. Bildern (aus Microsoft Designer) hochgeladen, sowie Bildbeispiele meines Artstation Account. Nicht zuletzt auch aus meinem freikünstlerischen Bereich Arbeiten aus meinem WordPress Kanal "Bildwelten 62" (Traditional Media) hochgeladen und verlinkt.

Heute erhalte ich eine "Notification", dass mein Account eingeschränkt wurde. Irgendwelche Verstöße wurden angezeigt. Ich habe Kunst- und Kulturbeiträge gepostet und keine Manipulation im Sinn.

Bitte sehr? Bis auf die K.I. Bilder sind alle Arbeiten aus meinem Atelier stammend. Ich habe dann zuerst alle K.I. Posts und dann auch alle anderen Post (Bild + Link) gelöscht. Das "Warnfenster" bleibt immer noch bestehen. Auch gibt es keine Kontaktmöglichkeit mit der Redaktion oder Administration von "X".

Wie geht es weiter? Hier tappe ich im Dunklen.

Fazit

Daumen runter. Wenn in den nächsten Tagen die Einschränkung nicht aufgehoben wird, muß ich den Dienst (Ex-Twitter) von Elon Musk wohl in die Tonne werfen (del x).

Offenbar können die nicht unterscheiden zwischen den "Guten" und den "Schlechten". Da will ich dann nicht mehr mitmachen.

Dr. Andreas Korn, 19.3.2024

+ + +

[lokaleblickecom]

Noch präziser und schonender: Roboterassistierte Chirurgie

Noch präziser und schonender: Roboterassistierte Chirurgie Da Vinci Roboter in den GFO Kliniken Niederrhein Ab November 2022 können die Patienten der GFO Kliniken Niederrhein aus Dinslaken und Moers am Standort St. Josef in Moers mit dem Da Vinci Roboter operiert werden. Er ist damit der erste und einzige Da Vinci Roboter im Kreis Wesel. Viele Vorteile für Patienten und eine insgesamt schnellere Genesung Robotik ist auch in der Medizin zunehmend zu einem wichtigen Helfer bei komplexen, minimalinvasiven Eingriffen geworden und kommt insbesondere bei urologischen, gynäkologischen und allgemein bzw. viszeralchirurgischen Indikationen zum Einsatz. Das roboterassistierte Operationssystem „Da Vinci“ der Firma Intuitive gehört zu den modernsten Operationssystemen in Europa und bietet viele Vorteile für die Patienten: kleinere Schnitte, verkürzte Operationszeiten, weniger Blutungen, geringere Infektionsraten, weniger Komplikationen sowie weniger postoperative Schmerzen. Doch nicht alle Patienten kommen für eine OP mit dem roboterassistierten Operationssystem in Frage, daher werden auch in Zukunft beide Operationstechniken (roboterassistiert und offen) angeboten und unter Berücksichtigung der persönlichen Krankengeschichte individuell geprüft, welche Art von Eingriff am besten geeignet ist. „Da Vinci“ Operationen sind Teamarbeit Das Da Vinci X-Operationssystem besteht aus einer Arztkonsole, einem Patientenwagen mit vier interaktiven Armen und einem Videowagen. Der Da Vinci führt natürlich keine Operationen und Bewegungen selbständig aus, sondern übersetzt die Handbewegungen des Operateurs an der Konsole in präzise Bewegungen der Instrumente und setzt diese zitterfrei und in Echtzeit um. Die Operationen sind Teamarbeit und erfolgen durch ein aufeinander eingespieltes und speziell geschultes Team. Spezialist für roboterassistierte Chirurgie in den eigenen Reihen Mit Dr. med. Georgios Stamatelos, Chefarzt der Klinik für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe im St. Vinzenz Hospital in Dinslaken, verfügen die GFO Kliniken Niederrhein in den eigenen Reihen bereits über einen der besten und erfahrensten Robotik Chirurgen in Europa. Dr. med. Georgios Stamatelos ist ausgezeichnet als „Da Vinci Distinguished Surgeon“. Investition in die Zukunft „Wir freuen uns, dass wir zum Wohle unserer Patienten die roboterassistierte Chirurgie mit dem Da Vinci System nun auch im Kreis Wesel anbieten können. Unser Ziel ist es, dass möglichst vielen Patienten die Vorteile der Robotik zugutekommen. Der Da Vinci wird in der Urologie, der Gynäkologie sowie der Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie zum Einsatz kommen. Es ist ein Stückweit eine Investition in die Zukunft“, so Ralf H. Nennhaus, Sprecher der Regionaldirektion der GFO Kliniken Niederrhein. Bildzeile: v.l.n.r.  Thomas Weyers (Pflegedirektor), Dr. Klaus Peitgen (Chefarzt Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie, Dinslaken), Hans-Peter Tappe (Regionaldirektor), Dr. Marc Alexander Renter (Chefarzt Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie, Moers), Dr. Geogios Stamatelos (Chefarzt Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, Dinslaken), Dr. Jens Pagels (Chefarzt Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, Moers), Dr. Michael Reimann (Chefarzt der Urologie & Kinderurologie, Moers), Ralf H. Nennhaus (Regionaldirektor), Myriam Olschewski (Kaufmännische Direktorin, Moers) Read the full article

[challengevictorien]

Edmund est heureux d’annoncer au Dr. Tapps la naissance de son neveu, mais cela lui a rappelé ses propres enfants morts.

[takenews-blog1]

Right here’s Everybody Donald Trump Insulted on Twitter in 2017 (Pictures)

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/right-heres-everybody-donald-trump-insulted-on-twitter-in-2017-pictures/

Right here’s Everybody Donald Trump Insulted on Twitter in 2017 (Pictures)

From fellow politicians to Oscar winners and musicians, President Donald Trump casts a large internet in his web insultery.

Rahm Emanuel  On Jan. 2, Trump tweeted, “Chicago homicide price is report setting – four,331 taking pictures victims with 762 murders in 2016. If Mayor cannot do it he should ask for Federal assist!”The swipe at Emanuel allowed Trump to take a shot each at an elected Democratic Mayor, and his predecessor (for whom Rahm served as Chief of Workers.)

Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer  On Might 9, Trump tweeted, “Cryin’ Chuck Schumer acknowledged just lately, “I shouldn’t have confidence in him (James Comey) any longer.” Then acts so indignant. #draintheswamp” The Senate Minority chief has develop into a frequent critic of — and thus a frequent goal for — Trump

Arnold Schwarzenegger  On Feb. three, Trump tweeted, “Sure, Arnold Schwarzenegger did a very unhealthy job as Governor of California and even worse on the Apprentice…however at the least he tried laborious!The terminator has had some powerful phrases for Trump and so the president hit again the place it hurts — Schwarzenegger’s scores for “The Apprentice” (which he briefly hosted).

Meryl Streep  On Jan. 9, Trump tweeted, “Meryl Streep, probably the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, does not know me however attacked final evening on the Golden Globes. Streep had some alternative phrases for Trump throughout her speech on the Golden Globes and the president seen.

Rep. John Lewis  On Jan. 14, Trump tweeted, “Congressman John Lewis ought to spend extra time on fixing and serving to his district, which is in horrible form and falling aside…” The Congressman vowed to boycott Trump’s inauguration, infuriating the newly elected president.

Chelsea Manning  On Jan. 26, Trump tweeted, “Ungrateful TRAITOR Chelsea Manning, who ought to by no means have been launched from jail, is now calling President Obama a weak chief. Horrible!” Trump, it appears, was not a fan of President Obama’s choice to commute Manning’s sentence.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal  On Feb. 9, Trump tweeted, “Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who by no means fought in Vietnam when he stated for years he had (main lie), now misrepresents what Decide Gorsuch informed him?” Blumenthal is a close to fixed presence on MSNBC criticizing Trump — so this counterpunch was just about inevitable.

Mark Cuban On Feb. 12, Trump tweeted, “I do know Mark Cuban effectively. He backed me big-time however I wasn’t keen on taking all of his calls. He is not good sufficient to run for president!”Cuban, a fellow billionaire and Hillary Clinton ally has made some extent of getting beneath Trump’s pores and skin all through 2017.

DNC Chairman Thomas Perez On Feb. 25, Trump tweeted, “Congratulations to Thomas Perez, who has simply been named Chairman of the DNC. I couldn’t be happier for him, or for the Republican Celebration! Nothing private right here, only a little bit of trolling

Barack Obama  On March four, Trump tweeted: “How low has President Obama gone to tapp my telephones throughout the very sacred election course of. That is Nixon/Watergate. Unhealthy (or sick) man!” Trump went simpler on his predecessor general in 2017 — however he did not’ fully overlook about him.

NBC Information Reporter David Kay Johnston  On March 15, Trump tweeted, “Does anyone actually consider reporter, who no one ever heard of, “went to his mailbox” and located my tax returns? @NBCNews FAKE NEWS!” Johnston — who obtained a uncommon subtweet from Trump — appeared on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow to debate a portion of the president’s 2005 tax return.

Snoop Dogg  On March 15, Trump tweeted, “Are you able to think about what the outcry could be if @SnoopDogg, failing profession and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!” The President apparently did not look after a music video Snoop made through which the rapper seemingly shoots a faux Donald Trump.

Freedom Caucus Representatives  On March 30, Trump tweeted, “If @RepMarkMeadows, @Jim_Jordan and @Raul_Labrador would get on board we might have each nice healthcare and large tax cuts & reform.” As negotiations over the GOP effort to repeal Obamacare dragged on, Trump usually educated his ire on the recalcitrant Republican Freedom Caucus.

Chuck Todd  On April 1, Trump tweeted, “When will Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd and @NBCNews begin speaking in regards to the Obama SURVEILLANCE SCANDAL and cease with the Pretend Trump/Russia story?” Todd informed TheWrap he has no thought why Trump calls him Sleepy Eyes and says the president does not keep in mind both.

Jon Ossoff  On April 18, Trump tweeted, “Democrat Jon Ossoff could be a catastrophe in Congress. VERY weak on crime and unlawful immigration, unhealthy for jobs and needs greater taxes. Say NO.” Trump campaigned laborious for Ossoff’s rival in Georgia’s particular congressional election, Republican Karen Handel (she received).

James Comey  On Might 10, Trump tweeted, “James Comey might be changed by somebody who will do a much better job, bringing again the spirit and status of the FBI.” Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in Might and has been indignant at him ever since.

Kathy Griffin  On Might 31, Trump tweeted, “Kathy Griffin must be ashamed of herself. My youngsters, particularly my 11 12 months outdated son, Barron, are having a tough time with this. Sick!” Griffin took huge incoming hearth after a photograph of her holding a mannequin of Donald Trump’s severed head went viral for all of the improper causes.

“Crooked” Hillary Clinton  Trump has mocked Hillary loads of occasions, however just lately on November 18, Trump tweeted, “Crooked Hillary Clinton is the worst (and largest) loser of all time. She simply can’t cease, which is so good for the Republican Celebration. Hillary, get on along with your life and provides it one other strive in three years!”Not a lot rationalization wanted right here. Trump bested “Crooked” Hillary in 2016 and appears intent on reminding us with no end in sight and ever.

Sadiq Khan  On June 5, Trump tweeted, “Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who needed to assume quick on his “no motive to be alarmed” assertion. MSM is working laborious to promote it!” When terrorism strikes London, the town’s Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, usually finds himself in Trump’s crosshairs.

Loretta Lynch  On June 13, Trump tweeted, “A.G. Lynch made legislation enforcement choices for political functions…gave Hillary Clinton a free cross and safety. Completely unlawful!”Lynch took a widely-criticized social assembly with Invoice Clinton at an airport throughout the 2016 marketing campaign and Trump has been complaining about it ever since.

Joe Scarborough and Mika “Bleeding Face” Brzezinski  On June 29, Trump tweeted, “I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (do not watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Loopy Mika, together with Psycho Joe, got here o Mar-a-Lago three nights in a row round New Yr’s Eve, and insisted on becoming a member of me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I stated no!”Extensively thought of one among Trump’s nastiest burns, the president was doubtless incensed by one thing the pair stated on “Morning Joe.”

Jeff Classes  On July 25, Trump tweeted,”Lawyer Basic Jeff Classes has taken a VERY weak place on Hillary Clinton crimes (the place are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!” Trump went via a tough patch along with his Lawyer Basic and has lengthy been cranky about Session’s choice to recuse himself from the Russia probe.

Andrew McCabe  On July 25, Trump tweeted, “Drawback is that the performing head of the FBI & the individual accountable for the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, obtained $700,000 from H for spouse!”Donations made to Hillary Clinton by the spouse of the FBI’s then performing chief did not sit effectively with Trump.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski  On July 26, Trump tweeted. “Senator @lisamurkowski of the Nice State of Alaska actually let the Republicans, and our nation, down yesterday. Too unhealthy!” Murkowski helped kill Trump’s dream to repeal Obamacare and the president needed to let her know the way upset he was. However don’t fret — she voted in favor of the tax lower invoice just some months later.

Sen. Mitch McConnell  On August 24, Trump tweeted, “The one downside I’ve with Mitch McConnell is that, after listening to Repeal & Exchange for 7 years, he failed! That ought to NEVER have occurred!”

Ken Frazier  On August 14, Trump tweeted “Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council,he could have extra time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!”

Sen. Lindsey Graham  On August 17, Trump tweeted:”Publicity searching for Lindsey Graham falsely acknowledged that I stated there’s ethical equivalency between the KKK, neo-Nazis & white supremacists. and other people like Ms. Heyer. Such a disgusting lie. He simply cannot overlook his election trouncing. The individuals of South Carolina will keep in mind!”Graham has often calmly criticized Trump and the president does not admire it

Sen. Jeff Flake  On August 17, Trump tweeted:”Nice to see that Dr. Kelli Ward is operating in opposition to Flake Jeff Flake, who’s WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate. He is poisonous!” Flake has develop into the president hardest GOP critic within the Senate and Trump has not shied from giving it proper again. Guess who voted for Trump’s tax invoice a couple of months later.

James Clapper  On August 24, Trump tweeted:”James Clapper, who famously obtained caught mendacity to Congress, is now an authority on Donald Trump. Will he present you his lovely letter to me?” Clapper has develop into a daily on MSNBC bashing Trump — which the president has seen

Sen. Bob Corker  On August 25, Trump tweeted: “Unusual assertion by Bob Corker contemplating that he’s consistently asking me whether or not or not he ought to run once more in ’18. Tennessee not pleased!” Trump and Corker have traded more and more nasty barbs on Twitter in latest months

Sen. Bernie Sanders  On September 14, Trump tweeted: “Bernie Sanders is pushing laborious for a single payer healthcare plan – a curse on the U.S. & its individuals.” Trump did not need anybody to overlook he emotions about Sanders or his ideas about single payer well being care.

Sen. Rand Paul  On September 20, Trump tweeted: “Rand Paul is a good friend of mine however he’s such a unfavourable power relating to fixing healthcare. Graham-Cassidy Invoice is GREAT! Ends Ocare!” Paul — thought near Trump — had been a recalcitrant power within the GOP quest to repeal Obamacare.

Sen. John McCain  On September 23, Trump tweeted: “John McCain by no means had any intention of voting for this Invoice, which his Governor loves. He campaigned on Repeal & Exchange. Let Arizona down!” McCain’s thumbs down vote killed Obamacare repeal and Trump has been cranky about it ever since. McCain later voted for the tax lower invoice, so perhaps it is all good between them now.

Carmen Yulin Cruz  On September 30, Trump tweeted: “The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only some days in the past, has now been informed by the Democrats that you just should be nasty to Trump. Such poor management skill by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who usually are not in a position to get their staff to assist. They need all the pieces to be performed for them when it must be a group effort. 10,000 Federal staff now on Island doing a unbelievable job” Cruz criticized Trump’s dealing with of hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the president shot proper again

Jemele Hill  On October 10, Trump tweeted: “With Jemele Hill on the mike, it’s no surprise ESPN scores have “tanked,” in actual fact, tanked so badly it’s the discuss of the business” The ESPN host referred to as Trump a “white supremacist” and issues went downhill from there.

Rep. Frederica Wilson  On October 19, Trump tweeted: “The Pretend Information goes loopy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson(D), who was SECRETLY on a really private name, and gave a complete lie on content material!” Wilson stated she was within the automobile when Trump disrespected the spouse of a fallen U.S. solider. Trump furiously denied it.

Tom Steyer  On October 27, Trump tweeted: “Wacky & completely unhinged Tom Steyer, who has been combating me and my Make America Nice Once more agenda from starting, by no means wins elections!” Steyer purchased an add calling for Trump’s impeachment and ran it throughout “Fox & Pals” — sufficient stated.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren  On November three, Trump tweeted: “Pocahontas simply acknowledged that the Democrats, lead by the legendary Crooked Hillary Clinton, rigged the Primaries! Lets go FBI & Justice Dept.” Trump not often misses an opportunity to name out Warren along with his favourite nickname for her. The explanations have been quite a few.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl  On November three, Trump tweeted: “The choice on Sergeant Bergdahl is an entire and whole shame to our Nation and to our Navy.” Trump was by no means a fan of Bergdahl, who fell into Taliban fingers beneath questionable circumstances. This tweet was protesting the choice to spare him jail time.

Ralph Northam  On November 7, Trump tweeted: “Ralph Northam will permit crime to be rampant in Virginia. He’s weak on crime, weak on our GREAT VETS, Anti-Second Modification.” As in Georgia with Jon Ossoff, Trump went laborious in opposition to the democratic candidate in Virginia’s gubernatorial race. This time he failed and Northam was victorious.

Ed Gillespie  On November 7, Trump tweeted: “Ed Gillespie labored laborious however didn’t embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t overlook, Republicans received four out of four Home seats, and with the financial system doing report numbers, we’ll proceed to win, even greater than earlier than!” Although Trump campaigned laborious for Ed Gillespie in Virginia, when he misplaced the governor’s race to Ralph Northam, Trump threw him beneath the bus.

Kim Jong Un  On November 11, Trump tweeted: “Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me “outdated,” after I would NEVER name him “brief and fats?” Oh effectively, I strive so laborious to be his good friend – and perhaps sometime that can occur!” Trump has ramped up the rhetoric with North Korea’s chief as each nations inch nearer to battle.

Sen. Al Franken  On November 16, Trump tweeted: “The Al Frankenstien [sic] image is de facto unhealthy, speaks a thousand phrases. The place do his fingers go in footage 2, three, four, 5 & 6 whereas she sleeps?” Regardless of his personal historical past of alleged sexual assault, Trump could not assist make enjoyable of Sen. Franken’s troubles with the identical concern.

LaVar Ball  On November 19, Trump tweeted: “Now that the three basketball gamers are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the daddy of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting isn’t any huge deal. I ought to have left them in jail!” Trump claimed credit score for getting Ball’s son out of a Chinese language jail, however then blasted him for being insufficiently grateful.

Phil Griffin  On November 29, Trump tweeted: “So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Pretend Information practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And can they terminate low scores Joe Scarborough based mostly on the “unsolved thriller” that came about in Florida years in the past? Examine!” Trump needed extra blood after NBC ousted Matt Lauer over sexual misconduct and educated his hearth on community chief Phil Griffin.

British Prime Minister Theresa Might  On November 29, Trump tweeted: “PM Theresa @theresamay, don’t give attention to me, give attention to the damaging Radical Islamic Terrorism that’s happening inside the UK. We’re doing simply superb!” Might blasted Trump’s choice to retweet a far-right British group and Trump informed her to thoughts her personal enterprise.

Brian Ross  On December 2, Trump tweeted: “Congratulations to @ABC Information for suspending Brian Ross for his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia, Russia, Russia Witch Hunt. Extra Networks and “papers” ought to do the identical with their Pretend Information!” Trump gave Ross the enterprise for reporting inaccurate information about Michael Flynn.

Doug Jones  On December eight, Trump tweeted: “LAST factor the Make America Nice Once more Agenda wants is a Liberal Democrat in Senate the place we now have so little margin for victory already. The Pelosi/Schumer Puppet Jones would vote in opposition to us 100% of the time. He’s unhealthy on Crime, Life, Border, Vets, Weapons & Navy. VOTE ROY MOORE!” Trump threw all his chips in for Roy Moore in Alabama, regardless of Moore being accused of sexual misconduct with minors. It did not work, and “puppet Jones” was triumphant.

Dave Weigel  On December 9, Trump tweeted: “@DaveWeigel @WashingtonPost put out a phony photograph of an empty area hours earlier than I arrived @ the venue, w/ 1000’s of individuals outdoors, on their method in. Actual pictures now proven as I spoke. Packed home, many individuals unable to get in. Demand apology & retraction from FAKE NEWS WaPo” The President was aggravated over a deceptive Tweet from Weigel which the reporter deleted and apologized for

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand  On December 12, Trump tweeted: “Light-weight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a complete flunky for Chuck Schumer and somebody who would come to my workplace “begging” for marketing campaign contributions not so way back (and would do something for them), is now within the ring combating in opposition to Trump. Very disloyal to Invoice & Crooked-USED!” Gillibrand referred to as on Trump to resign over sexual misconduct allegations eliciting a predictable response

Andrew McCabe  On December 23, Trump tweeted: “How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the person in cost, together with leakin’ James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (together with her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for spouse’s marketing campaign by Clinton Puppets throughout investigation?”

Roy Moore On December 23, Trump tweeted: “Keep in mind, the Republicans are 5-Zero in Congressional races this 12 months. In Senate, I stated Roy M would lose in Alabama and supported Massive Luther Unusual – and Roy misplaced. Virginia candidate was not a ‘Trumper,’ and he misplaced. Good Republican candidates will win BIG!” Whereas Trump did help Luther Unusual within the Republican main, he later endorsed Moore — and campaigned actively for him in December’s particular election.

Anna Wintour  On December 28, Trump tweeted: “Self-importance Honest, which seems like it’s on its final legs, is bending over backwards in apologizing for the minor hit they took at Crooked H. Anna Wintour, who was all set to be Amb to Courtroom of St James’s & an enormous fundraiser for CH, is beside herself in grief & begging for forgiveness!”

[spontaneousglitterbees]

I waited for you... and you never showed up.

[TAPP AU Masterpost]

After all, what fun is a game you're forced to play?

There was always at least one kid leaning way too far back at their desk in high school, did you guys have that too?

Had this nightmare sequence stuck in my head for Quite Some Time Now, and I'm so glad to finally show you! I did have 'Snowy' on the Undertale soundtrack looping, because I love that ambiance that you get in like, the garden section of a hardware store after midnight; where you logically know this sprawling place has to be finite but you can't see its limits. The overhead lights were placed there by someone, whether they're long gone or, maybe, they can see you right now. Everything is unnaturally bright in this approximation of a familiar scene, it's too manicured, too clean, are the same few trees repeating? There's snow, but no clouds. Rustling leaves without wind. There's no outright threat but your skin crawls nonetheless with sheer anticipation.

Eerie.

There's also a few little things sprinkled in, like the press having a masking-tape label like a boxed specimen, or Miu as a pinned and labelled butterfly in the frame under it. "K. Ouma tergiversator" and "M. Iruma sterterous " sound kind of like scientific names, I guess. I was going to make a bunch of green butterflies, but kind of changed what they meant in my mind (it's up for interpretation) partway-through. I think I like it better this way.

That fuzzy text isn't vital it's a little back-and0forth between Shuichi and Kaito respectively: "Should we call someone?" and "Give him a minute, man, this isn't even the first time."

Also, the String of Fate is pink, not red, because their blood is pink. In the simulation, at least. Let's not find out if it still applies!

So this doesn't answer your question in its totality, but maybe there's a little more insight into that first half? "It's Complicated", but most of it on one-side. So much happened during TAPP that I'm not positive Shuichi actually remembers saying all that to Kokichi, and Kichi has not stopped thinking about it ever since. He wants to trust Shuichi, really, but... doesn't. Man will pursue the truth no matter who it hurts, and even if he won Kokichi doesn't quite forgive him for solving his 'unsolvable' murder. He gave up everything to orchestrate it, after all, the thought that he and Kaito both died and the game continued....

So still on a surname basis, but wanting to nickname him a little more than standard anyway. Half-and-half, almost. Trustworthy with a question mark.

[spontaneousglitterbees]

wonder who they're talking to... 🤔

[AU Masterpost]

[spontaneousglitterbees]

hey TAPP is still on this next one has just been a lot of Teaching Myself to Paint and Focus on Drawing the Parts I'm Not Used To in order to even try to get across the idea as I envisioned it

this is Not one of those panels

[spontaneousglitterbees]

I've been meaning to ask, is Kokichi's black ring meant to be an ace ring? I only ask because it's black and on the finger one would typically wear an ace ring.

This is probably funnier if Kaito doesn't know about Alter Ego yet

TL;DR: yes!! Very happy you noticed~

[spontaneousglitterbees]

happy pride to whatever these two have going on specifically

[spontaneousglitterbees]

[TAPP AU Masterpost]

Errant pieces of code on an old hard-drive are kinda the closest thing an AI entity has to baby pictures, right? How embarrassing...

Finally I get around to explaining some of K1B0's deal in this AU!

Alter Ego had some influence in digital space and showed K1B0 some of their (and by extension Chihiro's) favorite things about quasi/living, which in more literal terms sped up the development of his AI into something trained to have greater complexity and pattern recognition on a level closer to AE's own. They were delighted to finally have a friend in their same state of existence, someone they could relate to on a fundamental level the same way their human friends can relate to one another, a true companion in cyberspace.

Then, of course, Team Danganronpa started scraping for "the Ultimate Programmer's AI" to put in their killing simulation to fill out the roster and act as their eyes and ears into the program. They certainly did grab An AI, and one that needed heavy "repairs" in the transferring process. Plus some... creative liberties, about his powers and backstory (but he was always going to look like a nerd).

That still doesn't explain how K1B0 became Kiibo, though. Somehow, through the chaos, Kiibo developed what can only really be called a Soul; the imprint of which is still on one of the drives from the TAPP disaster. He might not be exactly the same, but it's the best chance they've got to bring their friend back among the living.

He does belong among the living now, doesn't he? What with all the friends he's made and experiences he's had, he's a full-fledged Human now, right?

And Human means you belong in the physical world. Most of the gang would agree.

One among them, however, just misses how things used to be....

[spontaneousglitterbees]

to be clear both of them are too nuanced to be kens but consider: it was funny (and thats as much justification as kokichi needs to do most things)

[spontaneousglitterbees]

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The paper has it spelled out like sunrise over a lake; she can’t help but look at it until she has to make herself look away. Her first ‘client’, the fellow student she’s meant to be shadowing for the week, the person she is tasked with protecting if she wants to pass this class after transferring in partway through the semester is none other than–

“Ooh, bad luck.”

(Part of the TAPP AU, also on Ao3)

Ouma’s voice squeaks out from beside her upper arm so suddenly she flinches.

“Oh please, Harukawa, don’t tell me I caught you off guard. That’s like, your entire thing, now!” he sounds so jovial, without a care in the world, but his chest heaves as though he also just shuddered down to the core.

“You did this.” She states it without room for uncertainty.

“Why the hell would I do that?” he flicks his hand toward the sheet of printer paper pinned to the corkboard, the one that has condemned them for the next one-hundred-sixty-eight hours. It’s up there for the whole school to see. “It’s not even my MO to hack this school’s ancient copy machine, or whatever, I’m out for a good time. Besides, I’d like to live, thanks much.”

Maki is entirely unimpressed. “It is precisely your MO to stomp on my nerves in every way you can,” she enunciates with each step forward.

His grip tightens around the handle of his cane, still smiling. His knuckles threaten to rip themselves to shreds.

“Actually,” a voice chimes in, stern but not unkind. “It makes perfect sense, does it not? You are both in Class 79, which ought to alleviate some of the initial awkwardness.”

Silver hair catching the artificial overhead light, teaching assistant and upperclassman Peko Pekoyama overshadows the pair from behind. “Besides, as the Ultimate…” her eyes narrow, incredulous. “... Supreme Leader, Ouma is going to need a security detail someday.”

Maki glares up at her for all of a split second before dutifully lowering her gaze. It's less that the Ultimate Swordsman is intimidating than that she's so... coldly supportive. The kind of person whose praise is lined with mist and whose fury is a downpour. It'd be a shame to disappoint her, especially over Kokichi, of all people.

"Oh, but Peko-peko-chan, don't you know? Maki and I have been sworn enemies since we were kids! You'd really let that mean ol' teacher pair me up with my nemesis?! That's so cruel!" Kokichi leans in on his cane for leverage, arms crossed in front of him as he acts out the phrase in big, encompassing gestures. That's a lie. But...

Unfortunately for both of them, it only seems to reassure Peko that the path forward is clear. "It'll be a fine challenge for the both of you, then. You’ll be able to focus on two objectives at once: gaining experience staying alert, and equal experience working with difficult clients.”

Kokichi scoffs in the background, of course, but it's hardly worth arguing. He tries to get in your head and stay there, after all. If anything, being ‘difficult’ is a point of pride for him. His eye still seems to twitch a little at the admission. It’s probably just the dry autumn air.

Maki, inventing new curses in her head and keeping them there, nods sagely. "Of course, Ms. Pekoyama. I won't let you down."

She looks over to her current mark.

It's going to be a long week.

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

The week starts off innocuous enough. The worst of it comes at the beginning of each day as Kokichi pulls his books out of his locker. Literature, World History, ... Calculus II? Each slams into the floor with a resounding thud, one after another.  Some of them won't even see use until near the end of the school day, but he insists she carry them now. Spiteful little shit.

Many of their general education classes are shared to begin with, fortunately, meaning the two of them simply have to walk between classes together for a while. It isn’t quite embarrassing as much as it is frustrating for Maki. Does he even really need a cane, or is it just a ploy to get the teacher’s sympathy? They saunter down the hallway in either case, uncaring of the actual time they arrive. Five minutes late, ten minutes, even; neither incurs a penalty, a bit of an affront to her own persistent punctuality. ‘This school is his’ indeed.

No. The real trouble starts brewing during their free periods.

"The autumn leaves are home to a variety of bug species," lectures Gonta, sitting cross-legged in the courtyard. Kokichi sits beside him, dredging through a pile of leaves; pick up, flip, sort, over and over. Maki remains stock-still and focused on defense. Peko could be hiding around any given corner, assisting a teacher lying in wait for an ambush just to make a point about vigilance. 

But it’s a bit hard to stay on edge when things are so… unremarkable. So normal. 

"As an example, early-emerging populations of Actias luna in North America lay eggs on the undersides of leaves to keep larvae and pupas safe during winter until the adults appear in March." Despite Gonta’s better efforts choosing a more palatable bug for discussion, neither Kokichi nor Maki seems to be paying actual attention. 

"Which has to be why the leaf piles make such a good crunch when you jump in'em, riiiiight?" Kokichi teases, crushing the pile of leaves he's sorted beneath the base of his palm. He throws his back into the motion with a sadistic smile. It breaks into the same mischievous laugh as usual soon after, nishishi~! 

Gonta, however, seems unalarmed; perhaps he sees the un-smashed pile, the ones with even just the potential to have 'stuff on'em'. Instead, he smiles. "That might be the beetles, they love hiding in leaves."

"Ewwww!" Kokichi wipes his hand on his pants, despite the distinct lack of bug entrails on them. "Great! Gonta, you can't just ruin fall like that! Now I'm gonna be thinking about nasty beetles when I just wanted to have some fun..." he makes a point to frown, but seeing no real reaction the expression disappears as quickly as it came. 

"I not– I'm not ruining fall, it's too hot out to be real fall. It's messing with the bugs’ hibernation cycles...."

Maki finds she's won a fourth consecutive mental game of tic-tac-toe with herself before she finally sighs. Would it be out of line to suggest going inside? Perhaps a more enclosed space will help her readjust to the objective. 

Before she can suggest such a thing, Kokichi beats her to it.

“Yeah, it’s waaaay too hot out for September, I’m beat. Harukawa-chan, can we go back inside now?” he doesn’t bother to pout, eyes going from half-lidded to three-quarters wide seeing the barely-contained irritation on Maki’s face. 

“Gladly.” She stands without hesitation, turning to Gonta. “Thank you for having us.”

“Of course, is only polite thing to do,” smiles Gonta. Kokichi is a touch intrigued.

“What are you thanking him for, I bet you weren’t even listening! You haven’t taken that scowl off your face all day.” He leans a bit to his left, accentuating the roll of his eyes.

“I knew that you wouldn’t.” Maki says simply, opening the cold glass door.

Kokichi is shocked, appalled he’d tell you, with a loud gasp! Then he shrugs a little. “Eh. I wasn’t bored, anyway.”

Gonta waves, cheerful as ever, as the door swings shut.

The foot of his cane practically skids across the terrazzo tile as Kokichi takes off down the hall.

“What’s got you in such a hurry?” Maki asks before she can think better of it; Ouma is still faster than she’d given him credit for.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Ultimate Assassin.” The reply comes quick and sharp, bitterness rising in his voice that hasn’t seen the light of day since well before the game ended.

Before she can ask ‘why now?’ or some such thing, as though there’s any logic behind what Ouma does in the first place, he’s looking at her expectantly from his perch just at the threshold of the main library doorway.

“Dunno about you, but I, for one, have homework. I’m looking for a book, silly, don’t you guys use those?” he shakes his head lightly, keeping the door open by leaning on it and waiting for her to go through. It takes a moment of the two staring at one another to determine who is going to relent; Maki walks a step inside as Kokichi beelines for the reading chairs.

Ah, the reading chairs. Only marginally more acceptable than the stiff, borderline crunchy upholstery of most of the furniture on campus. At least there’s no punishment for sitting on these. Surrounded by deep forest green carpets and a dim, subdued atmosphere one risks sinking into should they stay still for too long, the library is quiet. Starkly quiet. The sound of breathing itself seems to echo, not at all damped by the depth of archways and sub-sections of books and books upon books.

Kokichi looks idly up at the rafters, looking for something he must not find.

“What’s wrong?” Maki reluctantly asks, curiosity overpowering her better sense.

“It’s hot in here,” Ouma replies, his voice… uncharacteristically soft. It’s impossible to tell what emotion comes attached, if there is one at all.

“The air conditioning has been broken in this building all day, I hear.”

There is an awkward silence between them, an absolute vacuum of small-talk.

He takes a deep breath, only to look back over at Maki. “Welp. This place is huge, so. Might as well get crackin’, book’s not gonna find itself!” He smiles a little too wide for his face as he launches upright, looking over his shoulder and taking off into the canopy of books. “Be back in a bit!”

“Alright,” says Maki, striding over to meet him. “Where are we going first?”

Kokichi shakes his head. He’s sorely mistaken if he thinks it’ll be that easy to get rid of you. “Hmm, iunno. I’ll know it when I see it,” he chirps as he changes directions, taking a few dizzying turns before coming to a brief pause.

What is his problem? What does he get out of making this difficult for the both of you? Surely boredom can’t overtake the selfish want to do less work… yet, sure enough, he’s speed-walking away again.

Maki doesn’t need to look up to explain the sudden chill down her spine.

“Kiyo-chan! Fancy meetin’ you here,” Ouma laughs, stepping to the shelf opposite Korekiyo as Maki walks up to the two of them.

“Not exactly, Ouma, you know quite well I’ve been tasked with the maintenance of some of the anthropology department’s rarer books,” Kiyo shakes his head, adjusting his mask. “... No, I won’t be taking you to them. I was actually looking for a project on Minoan mythos in relation to pre-Hellenic…” he cuts himself off. 

Really, Maki thinks to herself, it’s hard to believe this awkward kid could have been the monster he once was. That’s the thing about monsters, though, isn’t it? In real life they don’t have horns or tails like the minotaur…. 

“Say. What are you visiting the library for? Your field is not precisely predicated on a large literary basis, is it?” 

“Kiyo-chaaaaan! No fair! Are you telling me I don’t look like I read? ‘Cuz I can read plenty, as long as it’s not BORING me to death!!” Kokichi leans on his cane, slightly swaying. “I like libraries. They’re like obstacle courses, and half the time nobody is even in them to get in the way!” he smiles. “But that’s a lie.”

“He’s looking for a book,” Maki chimes in, startling both Korekiyo and Kokichi back a few steps. 

“Oh, is that all? What kind of book are you looking for, Ouma? Certainly I could be of assistance.” Kiyo nods, possibly(?) smiling, and at the very least visibly trying to maintain a less standoffish posture.

“That won’t be–”

“Binary star formation,” the two phrases come in at the same time. Kokichi continues, “and the history of their discovery.” 

Kiyo stares at Kokichi for a moment, in (confusion? Disbelief? It’s difficult to tell, with so much of his face obscured and those piercing eyes ready to strike at any time…) before nodding. “Of course. I believe I recall where that one is, it was returned quite recently.”

Ouma stares idly into the distance for a split-second, an automaton re-calibrating on the fly. “Right. Duh, but I need it now, so.” 

Sure enough, Korekiyo is only away for a matter of minutes before returning with a single large tome. The book seems more focused on general astronomical phenomena, but must have a chapter or two dedicated to binary stars. Should have picked something more obscure, Maki huffs at the thought, if you really just wanted to cause trouble. Let me guess, that isn’t–

“That’s exactly it!” says Kokichi, who excitedly starts flipping through the pages. Korekiyo looks like he wants to scold him, be more careful, but restrains himself from doing so. Nonetheless, the two share a look; Kokichi suddenly feels like maybe he should slow down, lest unsavory things happen to his nerves. 

Just a feeling.

Things look, for once, to be going well again. Ouma is reading (or, at least, glaring at a page), freeing up Maki’s attention to better scope out the area.

… At least, until “Kiyo-chan? The text is so small, I can barely read a thing!”

Don’t get involved, don’t worry about it, Maki, you have a mission!

“Then why don’t you take it back to one of the reading areas? It’s certain to be brighter there.”  Korekiyo shrugs, back to looking at the shelf ahead.

“Can’t you read it to me, Kiyo-chan? Pleeeease, you have such a nice reading voice!”

Korekiyo stops, for a moment, glaring at Kokichi. “And that’s a lie, certainly.”

“What! You’re calling me a liar! Kiyo-chan, that’s so, s-so,,” the tears start to well up, if only slightly. Is he losing his touch with the waterworks? “Accurate, yeah, but not this time! If I didn’t tell the truth some of the time, it’d make the lies too obvious! And that’s no fun at all.”

“... Ah,” says Kiyo, uncertain of how to take a compliment.

“So?”

“Oh yes, right. Hmm. It can’t be that large of a diversion, surely…”

Such is how Korekiyo winds up over by the reading chairs, telling a dubiously-interested Kokichi about disk and turbulent fragmentations. “Where the instability and arbitrary motion cause a core to split off into multiple masses of gas and dust that collapse into independent protostars,” so the reading goes, “that are close enough to one another they become entangled in mutual orbit.” 

Maki can hardly say she’s particularly invested, even if it would be nice to have a better idea of what Kaito’s blathering on about half the time now that classes are in full swing. Still, something in her can’t help but hang on to this itch of unease, as though at any moment something will go wrong. She’s supposed to be watching Kokichi, but finds herself looking more at Kiyo than the surroundings. There is no danger there, anymore, though you’d have been more likely to get hurt than Ouma. But this feeling you can’t… no. That you refuse to name, this resentment, it takes residence in your bones and won’t let go. Is it because he’s been programmed as having been a killer? Aren’t you the very same? And when it really mattered, didn’t both of you decide to k–

The slightest sound makes Maki jump into action, fists at the ready to block an incoming blow, only. Huh. It seems it was just the weight of the book closing.

Kokichi sits up a little straighter, speaking a little louder (before, begrudgingly, quieting down, because this is a library). “Thank you, Kiyo-chan~ That would’ve been soooo boring to get through alone, you know? Nishishi, I’ll still be expecting your application for DICE one of these days! Best not disappoint,” he leans back in the chair, only to swing up to standing.

Korekiyo simply rolls his eyes, but there’s something undoubtedly fond in the gesture. If there weren’t, the fact would make itself known near-immediately; instead, Kiyo simply picks up the book to put it back on the shelf. “Is that all you needed, then?” 

Kokichi exaggerates a sigh. “Not by a longshot, but I think I left the rest in Miu’s lab,” he rolls his head back, momentarily looking at the spot where Maki has planted herself, arms crossed. “So I gotta run. Laters!”

As Kokichi is picking his cane back up (and staring at the foot for a moment, making sure he’s placed it on the correct side for now. Working on making the ruse more realistic, perhaps, Maki posits, though she dares not say such a thing aloud), Maki nods in acknowledgement of Kiyo. 

After an awkward pause, Kiyo nods back. “Miss Harukawa.”  

But the pair are off again, out of the library and en-route to Miu’s lab.

The silence between the two of them is thick. Neither is perturbed by the light traffic traveling in either direction down the hall, staying steps apart but not quite identifiable as a ‘group’. Much remains unsaid between the two. Neither dares disrupt the precarious balance maintaining a stoic facade, and the awkward silence stays.

At least, while only in the company of one another.

“Hey!” Kokichi yells, swinging open the door to Miu’s lab with reckless abandon, startling a very focused Chihiro and Kazuichi sitting at the far end of a long table. “Where’s that boisterous blonde–”

“That is the best most bodacious boisterous blonde bitch to you, ‘ya shitstain.” Miu looks up from her workbench, approaching the opposite side of the long table with a haughty laugh. 

“Mm, nope. Too wordy. Might mistake you for a nerd,” he teases, pointing up and down at a Miu dressed in her lab coat and covered from goggles to toe in smears of motor oil.

“Oh please, haven’t you figured out yet that I’m beauty and a brain?”

“And a nerd, yeah, I got that.”

The pair bicker like old friends, though it’s only recently they’ve had a chance to talk over their time in the killing game. Perhaps it’s easier for them to act like it never happened; it’d be hypocritical of Maki to judge.

Although…

“So you’ll concede she’s beautiful?” Maki tugs on her hair, wrapping it around her finger with a smirk. One sentence sparks a good five minutes of playful arguing, nuh-uh yuh-uh, and mild shoulder-punching. In terms of the assignment, it’s permissible, but on thin ice.

The perimeter seems clear in here, anyway, only the five of them. Chihiro and Kazuichi seem too engrossed in whatever project they’re working on to bat an eye at the two’s banter, and there’s no good angle for an ambush. Besides, it’d be irresponsible to initiate a confrontation with so many metal scraps and machines around. Still, she has to remain on alert.

… Though she can’t help but listen when she hears Miu launch into a small tirade: “What I’m always working on, dumbass, and a couple things besides. Picture this: you’re me, and you’re ‘getting a regular checkup’ because you’re ‘recovering from a traumatic experience’ and all that junk. And I’m sitting there, wasting valuable workable time between classes, just for them to call me up to do, like, the same three tests they always do? And I think to myself, man, wouldn’t it be genius if you could just step into a booth, or a pod, or something like that when you get there, and it does all of that preliminary stuff on you at once so you can just be done with it already? And this was like, two? Days ago? So you know I have a prototype.”

Kokichi looks nonplussed, to say the least.

“Haven’t you been working on anything less… totally mundane, than that? Maybe like a shrink ray, or a portal device or a body-swapper, or something exciting?”

“Well, you know I’m building an android, but we all know how you feel about that.”

“I do not need the list of features you’re giving that thing. Nobody, needs the list of features you’re giving that thing.”

“W-W, h-hey! I’m not gonna be weird about it,” Miu pouts, voice getting soft for a moment. “That’s like, totally crossing a line…” only to pick back up. “Nah, I’m not gonna load in any kinky shit until I can ask him about it!”

“Is that finally an answer to the question I’ve been asking for like three months now? We’re going with ‘robots only have dicks upon request?’”

Maybe it’s better to stop listening, actually. Not that Maki is given the choice.

“Point is, I still need a test subject! Why not you, while you’re right here? Every experiment we’ve run so far has been demonstrably fine, quit your worry-warting already ‘ya buzzkill.” Miu scoffs, rolling out a wardrobe-sized booth on a dolly.

“But Iruma-channnn,”  Kokichi whines. His eye twitches, scanning the new device up and down, only more resolute that “there’s no way I’m gonna go in there unless it’s got AC!”

“That can be arranged,” says Miu, writing at the bottom of a spare paper. “Now, get over here so we can get this show on the road!” 

“Nnnnn can’t make me.”

“Come on.”

“Nah.”

“It’ll be fine!”

“For you, maybe.”

“You know what? Fine. Hey Maki!” Miu calls, waving to where Maki is stationed around the corner. “C’mon, this’ll only take, like, two minutes, you in?”

Great. You’ve been Acknowledged.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Maki starts to stammer, but Kokichi has suddenly lit up.

“Ooh! Do it, do it Maki!”

“I really don’t think I should distract from–”

Suddenly, both Miu and Kokichi are peering over the table, all but pounding their fists against the wood as they chant “Do it, do it!”

If anything, their exuberance makes her want to give in less, but the coast is clear, for now… Chihiro gives Maki a withering look. Doesn’t seem like they’ll run out of steam any time soon. 

“... Fine.”

Kokichi and Miu turn to one another and high-five, cheering in unison. 

“Great,” Miu breezes by, opening an entrance to the box. “Come on in.”

Maki is immediately enveloped in what at first looks like a photo booth but, upon examination, has too many blinking lights and moving parts to be one. In lieu of a screen, a plexiglass barrier shows off the dim reflections of the moving mechanics, leaving the subject to back up into position. A thermometer pops out of the front panel at the same time as a blood pressure cuff restrains her left arm, a bar descending to the top of her head to record her height. Every metric is recorded on a tiny screen on the outside of the chamber.

Experiment: success. The device certainly does its job. Whether it’s been done well is questionable, but it certainly has been done.

Meanwhile, Kokichi has been lounging in quite possibly the single Good Chair in the entirety of Hope’s Peak, talking to Miu about something indistinct. By the time Maki walks out of the machine a matter of minutes has passed.

It feels like it’s been hours. 

And Maki is not happy.

“Ouma? I need to talk to you.”

“Can’t it wait? I sorta–”

“Now. Ouma.”

Kokichi keeps his head down, but follows Maki’s footsteps.

“We’re leaving. Goodbye, Miu. Hope you got your data.” Maki states, perfectly deadpan. She turns, practically dragging Ouma by the wrist.

“Harukawa, I’m sorry i–”

“That’s a lie,” Maki helpfully completes the thought, marching out into the hallway. “You’ve been lying all day, making up any excuse you can to be as distracting as possible just waiting for me to screw up. But it isn’t going to work. We are going, to your room, and you will stay there, and it will be quiet. Do you understand?”

Kokichi stops walking. He does not pull away from her hand any further than the natural distance that comes as he stops, glaring up at her with an oddly-canted eye. 

“You think you can ground me, Child-Caregiver? All I want is to hang out with my friends, and get to do it at a decent goddamn hour, and that’s SO bad? Aww, am I inconveniencing you? What would you rather be out doing. Huh? Would you rather be hunting me down for sport–”

Maki snaps out of her shock, shaking her head. “UGH! Not everything is always about YOU, you know!” She storms a few steps ahead.

“Well excuse me if you aren’t exactly open about your hobbies,” Kokichi scoffs, jogging up a few more stumbling steps to meet her. “If you insist on making our little forced-bonding-time absolutely miserable, I guess, be my fucking guest.”

“It’s not about fun, it’s about salvaging the entirety of this semester! Out of all of us, you should understand that!”

“Oh, so there is an ‘us’! I thought it a mere myth on the breeze, oh please, Harukawa, regale me with tales of how our miserable myriad of troubled teens that calls itself a class constitutes any kind of Unit,” he coughs on the end, running out of breath. A bit of spit drips from the corner of his mouth, hastily wiped away by a hand before he makes a big swinging gesture with his cane. 

This, it turns out, is a mistake.

First, his cane clatters to the floor. In and of itself, this isn’t surprising; at least it didn’t go through a window or otherwise launch across the hall, instead dropping down at Kokichi’s side.

Then Kokichi falls down with it.

He nearly faceplants, the only buffer coming in the form of outstretched arms in front of him that immediately buckle. 

Maki stifles half of a laugh. That’s what your overly-theatrical-ass gets when you try to act larger than life itself. She holds out a hand to help him back up. Frustrated as she may be, she isn’t cruel.

… But he doesn’t take it.

In fact, Kokichi doesn’t seem to be moving much at all.

Thinking fast, she immediately turns him onto his side in a recovery position. Still breathing– heavily, at that, as it’s taking up the majority of his focus just to do that much. It’s a full minute before he starts trying to talk. 

“Mmaki’alls sumiki,” is about all he can say, saliva rolling down his face, eyes glassy. One eye moves slower than the other as he tries to look up at her in that disturbingly blank way of his.

He says it again.

She doesn’t know what to do.

In for four, hold for four, out for four.

You can’t react this way to a little surprise. Cool heads prevail, Maki, you know this.

She feels a hand on her shoulder.

“Maki? Thank goodness I was following you. Listen, both of you, I’ve called my classmate Mikan. She is a nurse. What I need you to do, Maki, is help me pick him up. Ouma, just keep breathing…” Peko Pekoyama commands, picking up the cane to carry with her bag as she prepares to pick up Kokichi.

There’s an upset indignant note from him, an ‘uh, no shit,’ that pierces through the existential terror. That’s a good sign. That means not every scrap of consciousness needs to be dedicated just to staying alive. “I ‘ust, ‘eed’an ninit,” he tries to speak again, getting steadily more exasperated with himself. Even so, he does not cry.

No matter how he may want to, he does not cry.

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

Kokichi Ouma finds himself in a hospital room yet again. Maki Harukawa, however, finally finds herself at liberty to have him out of sight as she leans against the closed door.

Now you can panic.

“Maki?” Peko asks, tilting Maki’s chin up to meet her gaze.

Nevermind.

“You did the right thing, initially. Okay? You put him in a position where he could breathe, which is probably the most important thing you could have done.”

Maki stammers, tugging on her hair with an iron grip. “I did not do the right thing, initially. That’s the problem,” she admits, shaking her head. It’s difficult to stifle the ghost of tears blocking out her vision.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Peko asks, guiding Maki over to sit in a pair of chairs beside one of the many windows on this floor. 

No matter how hard she tries to stop them, once they start the words won’t stop flowing. “I mean that it’s my fault he’s like this!”

“... Maki, I saw it, it was an accide–”

“In the game, I shot him. Twice. With laced bolts, he. He just took Kaito, and was planning, s-something, and we were all so scared and I thought he was going to kill him so I covered them in strike-nine, and I shot him. Twice! And I went for a third…”

Peko is taken aback for a moment. Class 79 tends not to talk about their experiences in the simulation, so to hear things like shot and kill only confirm every terrible rumor she’s heard about the entire debacle. She blinks, once, then twice.

“Maki, I. I had no idea.”

Maki pulls on her hair, looping it around her whole hand and it still isn’t enough. “I know, I know, I’m an assassin, Ms. Pekoyama, and he’s the only mark I’ve ever actually killed myself.”

Peko is loath to let the silence spread between the two of them, yet she isn’t sure of what to say. Still, she says anyway: “I am. So sorry, that happened between you two. I assure you, I did not have an understanding of this. History, before I suggested you be paired together.”

“A-and now, now it’s my fault he collapsed, because whatever is wrong with him started because I poisoned him, because I’m a heartless, murder machine a-and,,” Maki hiccups, a hand over her face. She hasn’t even gotten this far into the story with her therapist, yet she sees enough of herself in Peko to entrust her with this secret.

“... I know what it is like to live with regret.” Peko offers. “It is never easy to choose one life over another. I don’t think that it should be, either. You should never have had to make that choice, but you did, and you made it as well as anyone could. You wanted to defend your friends, Maki, and you did. You cannot agonize about how things might have been after the fact if you want to move forward.”

Maki just stares at her hands, and cannot scrub away the illusion they are bright, bold magenta.

“... Maki?”

But Maki is far down the hall, watching Kaito close the door to that damn hospital room, because he’s betrayed me, again. 

“... I hated him.” She takes a deep breath, and lets the words swish around in her mouth for a moment before spitting them back out: “I hated him. I wanted him to suffer. He was irritating, and a threat, and I didn’t– I don’t understand him, and I wanted him to get away from me and everyone I care about.” Deep breath in. “So I shot him, with a crossbow, and I laced the bolts with the slowest-acting poison I could find, so he wouldn’t know peace the same way the rest of us hadn’t.”

“Ah,” says Peko, surprised but without any tone of judgment. After all, it is Peko’s turn to think, wouldn’t that be hypocritical? “Multiple things can be true at once, you know. Just because some part of you wanted vengeance does not overwrite your intentions to defend. I’ve only ever known you to want to protect the innocent, Maki, and even if you haven’t always been that person, that is the kind of person you are becoming. Every last one of you was in significant distress at that time, and that includes you. You shouldn’t let self-hatred cloud your perception.”

Maki nods ever-so-slightly. 

“What you did was. Excessive, yes, and you should not have done it. But it is in the past now, Maki. The fact that you feel remorse for it proves you aren’t ‘heartless’. You made a poor decision, with a high price. All that can be done for it now is to atone in ways you can. Sometimes, remembrance is all you can offer. But you,” Peko points at the flower on Maki’s uniform, “have a unique gift in all of this. Ouma is still alive now. In this life, you can still make amends.”

Maki sniffs, then holds her breath. In for three, hold for five, hold for four, hold forever… the tears just won’t slow. “It was cruel. I, was cruel, I don’t. I don’t want to be that way, not even to him. I-I want to. Amends, I want to,”

Peko smiles. She takes both of Maki’s hands into her own. “Then you will. You’ve already started, after all.”

The more Maki thinks of it, this whole shadowing experience has shown off facets of Ouma’s personality she hadn’t seen before. He does not like bugs, but still tolerates them out of care for his friendship with Gonta. He could have been cruel and smashed all the leaves, but he picked out any that even may have had eggs on them. Kokichi could have been legitimately cruel, yet he wasn’t. Kiyo, quiet as he is these days, is willing to accept him because Kokichi has accepted him in return. Even Miu, after she tried to bash in his skull with a hammer, has come around to not just tolerating his presence, but coming to enjoy it. Enough to make a machine for the medical wing since he, her friend, is in and out of the hospital so often… so he’s claimed.

Maki can only reconcile now that at least some, possibly all of those claims of chronic pain and complications are very real. Part of her knew this all along, but didn’t want to believe it; it’s easier, after all, to lie to yourself. Hadn’t Kokichi said something to that effect, so long ago?

Despite how irritating he is, despite his best attempts to get under her skin, despite being Kokichi Ouma, he’s… admittedly, a decent friend when it counts. And, perhaps, someday they can be friends as well.

“I still. It. It’s so stupid,” she shakes her head. “I-I better not…”

“But you want to say it, right?” Peko nods.

“I still feel. Jealous? Kaito can do what he wants, of course, but ever since the simulation it’s felt like our trio with Shuichi is… different. Like he’s choosing Kokichi over us.” Over me, she does not say. Peko can see it in her watery eyes.

“That, I’ve certainly understood,” Peko laughs. “Sometimes the person you admire can be… short-sighted, maybe. But your admiration is your own, you know. You have to own it, and, if they don’t ultimately feel the same way…” She looks off into the distance. Imagining someone, no doubt.

“... Right. Right, thank you Ms. Pekoyama.”

“Just Peko is fine, Maki.”

“Thank you, Peko.”

“Of course.”

“... But maybe they do feel the same way. You. Never know until you ask, right?”

Peko snaps back to attention. “I… suppose.” 

“It’s just a matter of gathering the inner strength to ask, whether you like the answer or not. … I think you should,” Maki shrugs, drying her tears. “And maybe I should too.”

“Perhaps,” says Peko, unshaken as ever, until… she smiles, conspiratorially. “I will if you will.”

“Alright,” laughs Maki. “Deal. But I have someone I have to address first.”

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

Meanwhile, Kaito slowly closes the door to the hospital room. The cool air hits him almost immediately upon entering; the air conditioning must be turned up significantly higher than in the rest of the building. It’s a different room, this time; the slightly different decor is disorienting for a moment, while he allows it to be. There’s something far more important than misplaced flowers and chairs and abstract paintings at its center, though.

“Kokichi?”

There’s a disgruntled sigh from the hospital bed, and an equally disgruntled Kokichi hooked up to not-even-a-fourth-of the equipment he was last time, to Kaito’s knowledge, he actually had to stay here.

“‘eah. Yeah, ‘s me.” He even sounds tired, still slurring words together a touch at this point.

Kaito takes his left hand, the dominant side. The uninjured one.

Kokichi can barely curl his fingers around Kaito’s, for now.

“Like the worst case’a TMJ you ever had,” he tries to smile, but finds the effort fruitless to try. Out of everyone, Kaito won’t mind if you don’t pretend for him. He already knows what you are. “‘Cept it’s everywhere. Mostly.” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t be talking so much–”

“Tsumiki-chan said, as long as I focus on breathing, I can do what I want. Mostly wanna not-do-things, though. Boring. What’d you do today?”

“You’re asking me?” Kaito laughs, but humors the thought. “Class, mostly. Went out to train with Shuichi, he’s actually coming along pretty well. Still has trouble keeping up with me in the real world, though, lung capacity and all. Been missing Maki, though. She’s really trying her hardest for this class, you know, she’s even talking to that Peko girl right now.”

Kokichi looks away, both eyes now in-sync as he tries to look to the tile floor. “Yeah. She’s still Harukawa, alright.”

Probably not a great time to talk about it, it dawns on Kaito just a little too late.

“What even happened, man, can I ask that? Figure I may as well instead’a dancing around it,” Kaito says, just to banish the thought. To get it out of the way.

Kokichi laughs a little under his breath. It hurts, but there’s a degree to which he can’t help it. “Ask’er yourself.”

Kaito is confused for all of a moment before looking around the–

“Ah! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you! I-I just thought I could answer any q-questions, so Ouma doesn’t have to-o…” Mikan Tsumiki, Ultimate Nervous Wreck, holds her clipboard to her chest.

Kaito is beside himself, unsure of how to get her to calm back down. Kokichi’s hand squeezes his a little tighter. Give her a moment.

“R-Right, sorry, you were wondering about his condition, right? Ouma’s, I mean. T-There’s good news! And. Bad news, which we’ve already talked about before you arrived, or. I did most of the talking because he’s having a hard time at the moment, but you knew that– Bad news we’ve already talked about, and good news.” Mikan looks up at Kaito expectantly, straining a smile. 

“... Do you want me to pick one? Because I’m sure whatever the bad news is won’t look so bad compared to the good,” Kaito nods, resolute.

“Oh yeah, s-s. Sorry. Yeah. SO the good news is this is just a flare-up, probably caused by a mix of stress and the heat outside. He’s been doing a lot better in this building since we have a backup generator for our climate control,” she continues. “But the bad news is that if he doesn’t take care of his condition, he could end up in a full-blown crisis, mister,” a darkness casts over her eyes “and if you do you won’t be able to breathe on your own, then it’s back on a ventilator for up to weeks at a time, and I know how much you hate that.” She picks her head up. “But, hopefully it won’t come to that!”

… It’s a lot to take in at once.

“What. Exactly, is his condition? How could he deteriorate so suddenly?” Kaito asks despite Kokichi’s half-hearted protest.

“It wasn’t sudden. I’ve been feeling it all day… it just got too bad to deal with. That’s all.” Mikan looks over to Kokichi before he relents and nods. “Someone else should know.”

“It seems to be an autoimmune disorder caused by the program. Not one that we’ve seen before, but one that’s kind of unique because of how it happened. The device ‘taught’ his immune system to attack danger that wasn’t physically there, so it started attacking what was there instead. It seems to include some of the signals sent between muscle groups to get them to move, leading to muscle weakness that varies in severity. This would be a moderate exacerbation, I think, so it really could be much worse!”

Mikan is still working on her bedside manner. Kokichi huffs a little, amused, while Kaito is still processing.

“Is. Is it ever going to stop?”

“I think you know the answer to that,” Mikan sighs, a little shake of her head. The same thing Kaito had been told about his lungs. “It’s impossible for us to know, but don’t count on it.”

“So… So what can we do? There has to be some kind of training we can do to make it a little less severe, right?” The impossible is always possible, is it not?

“Well. Physical therapy might help as part of the treatment, but it’s most important he’s taking his meds regularly and getting enough sleep,” she says. “But it’s pretty near impossible to enforce.”

Kaito looks over at Kokichi for a moment, then back to Mikan. 

“Maybe, on his own. What if he had a roommate? Then we’d share responsibility.”

“You’re kidding me,” Ouma says, doing his best to sit up a little. It’s more effort than it’s worth, but that does not stop him from trying.

“It’s that, or have you check in even more regularly than you already do. Even if I have to fish you out of the dorms,” Mikan shakes her head, tsk-tsk-tsk. “It’s not a bad idea. I’ll take it up with Administration. Unless you’d rather have an aide following you around…?”

“NO. ‘m good. It’s good. Could be way worse…”

“And I’ll see if I can get you an air conditioner in your room? It is very literally medically necessary.”

“Yessss,” Ouma seems happy enough, and settles down. It’s distinctly possible he’s too tired to put up much more protest, and takes the opportunity to start to nod off.

Kaito smiles fondly, and shakes his head.

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

Several hours later, Kokichi wakes up to the creaking of his door. He tenses, finding that he can, even if it’d be too much to disengage himself from ensnaring wires and monitors. He doesn’t bother. A moment later, it’s clear enough who it is.

“... Hello, Ouma.”

“Harukawa.”

Kokichi stares upward, idly counting holes in the ceiling tile.

The silence is deafening.

“I’m sorry,” Maki starts, a meandering sentence unto itself that unravels slowly from her tongue. 

Too slowly, for Kokichi. “Yeah, alright. For what?”

“Take your pick.” The courage she’s built up is thrown to the wind as she strives to just say it,  or at least say something.

“Sure. Forgiven. Whatever. Now, what’s it you want?”

“... That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one.”

“Ooh, she catches on! Maki Harukawa, how do you do it,” he laughs. It’s a strangled sound. 

“Cut it out, Kokichi, I’m sorry. I’m sorry about what happened today. I’m sorry about pushing you too far–”

“You didn’t push me too far.” he says, but it sounds… hollow. Sincere, insincere, it doesn’t seem to matter; there’s no substance to it, but it’s also packed with double-triple meanings and spite.

“I’m sorry anyway,” Maki says. 

This appears to appease him, if just for a minute.

“I’m sorry about pushing you around, and for blaming you for my own inability to properly focus.” she sighs. “… In my defense, you don’t make it easy, but. That’s not the point. The point is, I should not have done that. I got angry, and when I get angry sometimes I act rashly. So I’m sorry.”

There’s something bigger to that statement, of course. Something he cannot help but respond to with a brutal truth:

“I don’t know if I can forgive you. I want to stop being scared of you, but it’s not. Suddenly okay again.” He turns his head, half-muttering. “I’m not sure I’ll ever really be ‘okay’ again….”

The silence returns.

“... That’s. That’s okay. I mean, if you don’t. You don’t, have to. Respect is earned, and so… so is forgiveness, I think. I hope I can earn that in your eyes.”

“... Alright,” says Kokichi. “Fair enough.”

“See you around,” Maki shrugs, halfway to closing the door.

“And Maki?”

“Yeah?” she pauses.

“Thanks.”