#nagito komaeda18

[densesindealer]

Neo World: Pacification Project, Chapter Two

Hello again! @thelewdpokemanik and I are back, more than pleased, to bring you another part of our story! We've really been having fun writing this and I hope we can keep our updates pretty evenly spaced.

As always you can still find this story on AO3 here.

So without further ado, we hope you all enjoy!

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Chapter Two: Devoted to Hope

This entire situation felt almost unreal, though bizarre as it was, it still wasn’t unbelievable for someone like him, unlike for his classmates. His life had been anything but ordinary. He could keep his calm in these kinds of situations. His classmates, on the other hand, yelled and fought, proclaiming their disbelief one moment and their despair the next. Afraid, angry, resigned…hopeless. All of it disgusted him, in truth. That damnable two-toned bear, his plan to have them all kill each other- It was repulsive. It wasn’t fostering hope, only a twisted malediction, Monokuma’s mad craving of despair.

Even though the black and white bear had managed to defeat their supposed protector, their field trip advisor, he still backed away after their encounter, letting the students stew in his words about their new lives. Though Nagito noted that the bear seemed to be backing down oddly, as though something about his encounter with Usami caused him to retreat even in supposed victory.

The yelling of his fellow classmates grew tiring, and he tuned most of them out. Their hopelessness made his skin crawl, but he supposed he understood. He didn’t quite ignore all of them though. Byakuya was the stand out, the exception. He took the time to space out his thoughts before he spoke, and when he did, his words carried weight.

It was a rousing speech if he was being honest, one above what Nagito expected when looking upon the faces of his classmates.

The affluent progeny preached of trust first and foremost, coming together because not doing so would be giving Monokuma exactly what he wanted. The bear sought to make them uneasy, distrusting, prime candidates to fall into the trap of committing a murder.

He wanted them to despair.

What truly stood out to him about Byakuya’s speech was what his mind usually focused itself on. The underlying sentiment of something greater, something to be cherished. 

Hope.

It made him giddy to even think about. However small the flame may burn within the others, someone else besides himself knew the wonders hope could bring them. At the very least, he knew when it was needed, though if you asked Nagito, he would always say it was a necessity. 

The rest of his speech barely landed on his ears, not that it truly needed to, just one small word, one small theme and his brain was running with it. Of course this was what was needed. Hope. It’s what this must have been made for, this killing game, this design for despair.

It was all made for one purpose, to bring out hope from the depths of despair.

He needed to thank Byakuya at some point, if not for him his thoughts would be amiss. He wouldn’t know how he could bring his classmates hope. Now? Well, now it was as simple as it could possibly be, just waiting for a golden opportunity. Oh yes, this would all be perfect. They’d all know of Hope and they’d understand his love for that glorious feeling.

Even if they needed to overcome immense despair to get there.

He was so lost in his own thoughts, he barely noticed when the others began to break away. The lucky student didn’t contribute to their conversations about the possibility of one of them being responsible for this. It didn’t matter who did it, they would deserve his thanks too, for an opportunity to show so many people, his betters in all ways that mattered, the joys of his beloved hope. That would be better than anything he could have ever dreamed of.

The chance to show those who were so much more deserving of their talents, of their ultimate titles what true hope felt like? The thought made him giddy. He couldn’t help himself, even if he’d wanted to. A small chuckle escaped his lips.

“Uh… You doing okay there?” Hajime stood in front of him, a wide-eyed look on his plain face.

Ah, the boy was nervous around him. He must have made for quite the sight.

“I’m fine, it’s just a lot to take in.” It wasn’t truly a lie. It was a lot to take in, this chance he had. One he intended to make the most of.

“Yeah, to think this would happen… It’s just… It doesn’t make any sense.” Hajime seemed more at ease speaking to him, strange for the quick suspicion from not even a minute before.

Nagito didn’t really care. Of all the students here, Hajime was the one he favored the least. He didn’t know his own talent, and Nagito would have doubted he had one if not for his admission into Hope’s Peak Academy. Still he supposed he was an Ultimate, so perhaps it was too harsh an assessment when compared to himself.

Hajime may not have remembered his talent, but whatever it was, it surely couldn’t have made the boy as useless as his own.

“Do… Do you think someone might really consider murder?” His concern was still evident, seeking comfort from the same person who’d been his crutch since they’d first arrived here.

“Of course not! You need to have faith in your classmates, Hajime!” Nagito answered quickly, the words rolling off his tongue with ease. 

That was a particularly cruel lie, he supposed, but it was in that cruelty that he would hopefully find the strength to grow, and prove he was worthy of his title of Ultimate. 

The boy wouldn’t understand if Nagito told him the truth anyway. There was no doubt someone was planning a murder. Hajime just so happened to be talking to them. The when, why and who still remained a mystery, even to him, but he knew it would come to him in time. After all, luck was on his side, as it always had been.

With Hajime reasonably cowed, his questions ceased, and thankfully he left to find the others. Ah, Nagito was alone now, well properly alone anyways. The Ultimates must have all spread out while he had been preoccupied.

That was good. It gave him time to think, to plan, to look around. He did need a foundation for a murder if he wanted any chance of showing them the treasure that was hope.

He wandered around the first island, the only one they had access to. The others were guarded by those threatening machines Monokuma called monobeasts. His options were rather limited by that, but it wasn’t necessarily a problem. He would simply have to use this adversity to help him come up with an even more despondent murder. 

The lucky student was careful to avoid any prolonged interactions with many of the other students. They had better people to spend their time on than wasting it on him. That didn’t mean he didn’t keep an eye on them, however. It was important to learn enough about them to foster their hope as much as he could whilst he was around.

Not to mention he needed a target, someone that provided less than everyone else. The runt of the litter that would help the others grow stronger.

The Rocketpunch Market was filled to the brim with mostly useless items, a disappointment to be sure, but not a problem nonetheless.  He needed tact, a mystery to his crime, the items in the supermarket would be more fit for a hands-on approach. How could they overcome their despair if the answer was right in front of them? There wouldn’t be a journey, no obstacles to overcome. That was where hope flourished, in the face of overwhelming odds. When no avenues seemed to lead to an answer, when the night seemed the darkest, only then would hope shine through!

He wondered idly if Monokuma already knew what he was planning, if he was watching him, thinking he’d already fallen into despair. 

If he was, he’d sorely misunderstood the lucky student’s intent.

The next few locations he visited were somehow even less useful than the supermarket. The airport was empty of anything other than planes missing their engines, the ranch devoid of anything other than Gundham and the animals he had apparently taken a quick liking to. 

At least the beach had something that caught his attention. Shaped like a coconut tree in its concept, but it was far from it. It was called the MonoMono Machine, clearly a machine full of prize capsules, with a slot for coins. It intrigued him, especially given his talent, but lacking anything to use with the machine it was merely something of interest to note.

“Well that’s not beary fair!” Monokuma cried out, jumping out from wherever it had been hiding, and already Nagito wished for this interaction to end.

“What do you want?” He could never sound this irritated with an Ultimate, but this monster focused on despair- It was everything Nagito hated in one bear-shaped package.

“Oh, only what any other bear would want. Violent deaths, supreme chaos, the loving embrace of sweet, sweet despair~” The bear’s voice was as sickeningly sweet as his first appearance only a few hours ago, but something seemed strange. A slight twitching of his ears, a dimming of his mechanical eye as he spoke that seemed almost involuntary. Was he malfunctioning?

“Though right now, I’m here to help! Be grateful for your teacher’s kindness, you brat!” Even with an offer of supposed aid, his voice still made Nagito’s insides twist in disgust.

Before he could even utter a word, Monokuma thrust out one of his paws, a handful of copper coins resting upon it.

“These, my dearest- well, not quite- lucky student, are Monocoins!”

“For the prize machine, then?” Nagito barely wished to speak more than he had to, at least not with this two-toned monstrosity.

“Not just any prize machine! It's the MonoMono Machine!” Monokuma insisted, making Nagito grimace, before carefully reaching out, and plucking the coins out of the bear’s hand.

Without a second thought, he wiped his hands on his pants, to cleanse them of any of the filth that may have tarnished them from Monokuma’s despair-laden paws.

Nagito held up a coin to his eye, turning it so it could catch the bright light of the moon, revealing the engraved visage of the despairful bear upon it. Truly hopeless. “So…”

“Soooooo, it’s the most amazing machine anyone could ever dream of! All you need to do is put in a few Monocoins, and anything you could ever hope for may be waiting for you in one of those pods!”

Nagito blinked despite himself. “Anything?”

“Yep, correctamundo! You hit the nail on the head! Anything at all!”

“Even-”

“Yes, even a way off this island, a one-way ticket to your own freedom!” Monokuma answered eagerly, completely missing what Nagito was actually about to ask, though from the eager glint in his mechanical eye…

Maybe the Mono-Mono Machine could actually give him something to help him plan a murder, and Monokuma understood more than he let on.

It didn’t matter, in truth. No matter what Monokuma thought, wanted, or planned. 

Hope would win out in the end. Nagito was certain of it.

“I see.” He finally settled on, making Monokuma stomp his foot childishly.

“‘I see’? That’s it!? I give you a beary generous donation, a chance of escape and the only response I get is an ‘I see?’ You ungrateful little-”

Whatever tirade Monokuma decided to go on afterward fell on deaf ears, being tuned out in favor of not having to listen to him drone on. Instead, the lucky student shifted his attention to the MonoMono Machine. Even though he loathed accepting help from such a despair-fueled creature, Nagito deposited the few coins Monokuma had given him in the slot and spun the handle.

The machine lit up, and began playing obnoxiously loud music. It was far too much if you asked him. The lights were too bright, too garish and the music was almost as grating as Monokuma’s voice, which was fitting given it was named after him. A, thankfully, short few seconds passed before the slot at the bottom of the tree opened and out came a capsule. Then a second came soon after, he must have been luc- a third followed suit, and perhaps it only took a single coin to-

“Wowie! That’s super duper ultra mega rare right there! That’s the big jackpot, three prize pods for the price of one is the biggest prize you can get!” Monokuma was almost standing on top of him, his words reverberating in his ear. It was his luck then. Though, if it meant Monokuma getting so up-close and personal, perhaps it was bad luck rather than good.

Not that he should have been surprised. While he liked to think hope defined him well, his luck was a constant presence in his life too.

Once more ignoring the bear, much to its chagrin, he popped open a capsule, which made a surprisingly satisfying sound. Probably not enough to justify sitting through that light show again, but still-

Oh? “A can of glowing paint?” Nagito said out loud, pleasantly surprised. This was surprisingly practical. His earlier thought came back to him as he read the information on the metallic can. A ray of hope shining through the night, hm?

Well, if the first capsule was a success, he might as well check the other two. Two more pleasant pops, and two more capsules were opened, which contained a notebook and a pen respectively. Again, surprisingly practical. He flipped the notebook open, testing out the pen on the inside for a moment, and watched as it wrote neatly a few words, before pausing.

Nagito looked around him for a moment, dreading having to speak with it, but he needed at least some form of an answer to his question.

“How exactly, would one get more coins for this?” Monokuma gave him a devilish grin in response. Hm, odd to be able to use that word to describe the smile of a plushie-like bear.

“Upupupu, piqued your interest, did I? Well, it’s quite simple really, just bear with me here! They’re all over this place, I hid ‘em all over when all of you were busy with Monomi’s trashy romance plot!” A simple question, answered in such a drawn out manner… He was beginning to hate Monokuma for more than just his love of despair.

He hummed for a moment, contemplating his next choices, before deciding this was enough time with the monochrome animatronic. He looked over his shoulder, back toward Hotel Mirai, debating his options.

Well, he hadn’t gotten this far by ignoring his luck, had he? Maybe he could come back to the machine if need be. He just needed to find some of those coins laying about to use it again. Even if that meant dealing with the migraine-inducing lightshow and that god-awful racket that was supposed to pass as music. 

For now, however, Nagito began making his way back to the Hotel, some basis of a plan forming in his mind, but it was still a work in progress. At least for now, he could grab something quick to fuel himself, and work out the other details as he ate in the safety of his room.

But, before he could reach his cottage, after passing a rather excitable Teruteru in the kitchen and Chiaki focused intensely on whatever game she was playing in the hotel lobby, his eye caught on something. A rather innocuous building. It wasn’t being used, and he remembered Monomi warding Hajime and himself away because it was in a state of disrepair. Maybe… Another piece of the puzzle was slowly coming together in his mind.

If he’d been warned away, it was likely everyone else had been as well. If he was lucky, nobody would think to walk into the old hotel building, and he’d be entirely free from prying eyes. If push came to shove, he would simply be able to say he was exploring the building because Monomi had made it seem so suspicious. 

Glancing around as quickly as he could while staying discreet, he cracked open the door of the building and slipped inside, certain nobody was around to see him. Well, Monomi certainly had been correct about the building being dirty. The ground was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the ceilings were littered in cobwebs. Why have the building here in the first place if they would just let it wither away like this?

He let out a breath, noticing how even the air felt heavy to take in, but as he continued to trek onward and explore, a gracious smile crossed his face. He was thankful Monomi had seen fit to ward anyone who thought of entering this building away. It made his plan nearly perfect.

A location where nobody would have had the time to learn the layout? The warning itself was a decent safeguard now that everybody was on edge thanks to Monokuma’s announcement of this killing game. Of course, he had luck on his side. Maybe a few more trips to the MonoMono Machine once he’d managed to scrounge up what coins he could find and he would be all set to achieve his goal.

Though it may have been a bit too early for that.

Nagito knew he could always lure someone here to act as his stepping stone towards a larger goal and strike away from everyone else, but that would hardly do. He needed something bigger, something better. In the darkness of the old hotel, inspiration struck. What he needed was a party, or at the very least, the perception of one. 

He already knew who would be trusted enough to be able to gather his classmates for him, and he’d already shown he sought to protect everyone else. Byakuya couldn’t be his target, but he would certainly be a great deal of help in bringing one to him. It was finally connecting, what needed to be done, and in the silence of the rundown halls, he let himself laugh. The path forward seemed so clear! This was exactly what he had to do.

Not for himself, but for his classmates, for their hope. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Walking away from Byakuya’s bungalow in the early hours of the morning, before anyone was liable to wake up, Nagito felt his plan was rather exceptional. The letter had been a nice touch, his luck from that garish machine paying off. Truthfully, his plan relied on quite a large amount of luck, though relying on that had never been a weak point of his. 

There wasn’t much else he could do at the moment. The first dominoes were in place, and the rest couldn’t come until much later. Thus, he settled on the most logical option, creating a backup plan, just in case he had miscalculated in his initial approach. While the letter should work well enough to cause Byakuya to gather the rest of their class, there was no real guarantee anybody would care to listen. That would bring a whole host of problems to his initial plan if it occurred, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

He pat his pockets idly, just to make sure he hadn’t managed to misplace them. Monocoins. He’d found quite a large amount of them over the course of the night, so many that he doubted anybody else cared to look for them. Not that it mattered, it was actually quite fortunate that nobody would want to use the machine. It gave him better odds to find something that could prove useful.

Nagito opted to move silently, or at least as quietly as one could with an exorbitant amount of change bouncing around in their pockets. He didn’t particularly fear waking anyone, but should anyone else be up and about, he certainly wouldn’t want to gain their attention. He strolled down to the beach, and, having failed to run into anyone, it was likely they were all still fast asleep. Like this, he didn’t have to worry about the sounds of the MonoMono Machine attracting any attention.

He fished around in his pockets for a few moments, trying to take a few coins in hand, enough to spin the machine a few times. Had it always looked like this? It seemed, well, different, for lack of a better word. He reasoned that it was the work of the early morning light making it appear taller than before. It was unlikely that Monokuma would bother with changing the height of the machine when it didn’t serve any functional purpose, other than perhaps making whoever used it feel small and insignificant.

Well, now that he thought about it, that did seem to be a very Monokuma-esque thing to do.

Regardless of his thoughts on the matter, the machine seemed just as harmless as it had been the previous day. He could say he was hoping he would get lucky with his capsules, but when had he ever been anything but lucky? A few coins went into the slot, and he braced himself for what was undoubtedly the worst-

What?

Did…did it always sound like this? Those lights weren’t the same either, right? Was it Monokuma’s lingering presence that had made them so unbearable the last time he had used it?

He had no reasonable explanation for what was happening, Monokuma wouldn’t have changed all of this just because one person was put off by it. That didn’t even fit the despair-hungry bear’s entire motivation. That only left him begging the question of why, how it had changed, it was…almost pleasant now.

The lights, instead of being a garish mix of black, white and red, were now a significantly milder tone. Shades of pink were littered about in the lights, with the occasional contrast of a baby blue light to break up its monotony. He wouldn’t say it was the most gorgeous appearance the MonoMono Machine could have, but it was certainly an improvement from what it had been.

The music itself was surprisingly toned down as well, not nearly as loud, and certainly not as mind-numbing. Softer than expected, yet somehow it complimented the lights well enough that he couldn’t say he minded. At least his trip here wouldn’t be excruciating. This wasn’t a change the lucky student had expected, but it was certainly not unwelcome.

He was so focused on the changes to the machine he hardly noticed when his prize capsule fell from the slot, only catching on when the music stopped and the lights went out. 

It wasn’t that important to wonder why it changed, he had a larger goal here.

Nagito swiftly reached out, grasping the capsule in his hands. He already felt his luck paying off and it wasn’t even opened yet. A single pop, was that different too? No, it sounded just as pleasant as it had before, so at least that hadn’t changed. 

Though perhaps he shouldn’t have thought he was going to be lucky on his first attempt; this reward screamed useless, at least for the purpose of his goals. Out of the capsule, his hands grasped a singular earring, missing its other half. This couldn’t even be used well as a gift to a classmate.

He supposed it was fair that he would receive something he couldn’t make use of on his first spin of the day; he did, after all, earn three rewards that all proved to have a purpose in one go the previous day. Well, it wasn’t a problem, he had more than enough Monocoins to spare.

Another few coins went in the slot, another twist of the machine’s handle. Anticipation filled him, surely it would be better this time. As he waited, he couldn’t stop himself from observing the changes once more. They were actually pretty nice, if nothing else. The lights, the more he studied them, were soothing and the music was extremely calming. This was more akin to what he felt Monomi would have put on the islands rather than Monokuma.

He tried not to dwell on either, but the dulcet tones it provided were admittedly catchy and hard to ignore. They were a pleasant sound you’d have a hard time finding on the island.

Oh. 

The machine’s reward had come out again and he hadn’t been paying attention. Why did he care so much if one of the animatronics had changed the machine’s appearance? It’s not like it was going to disrupt his chance to help his plan along.

He didn’t hesitate to reach out once more, and with another pop, still the most pleasant part of this process if you asked him, he had his reward in hand.

Another earring. How…invigorating.

It matched the first, so at least he had a proper pair now, and, he supposed of all possibilities, a pair of earrings someone else may like as a gift wasn’t the worst outcome. Perhaps it wasn’t bad luck, though he doubted he’d have the time to ever find who would wish to receive them. They weren’t simple, per se, they would hang down past the ears, and the insignia on them held no real meaning to him, but he supposed the hearts on them might be to someone else’s taste.

If anything, he was almost certain Ibuki would at least try them out. He knew she had enough piercings to at least test them out before tossing them. Sonia may take them too, if only because she would feel bad turning down a gift, likely not wanting to insult what was a new custom she didn’t understand. For now though, he stowed them away, feeling them land heavily in his empty pocket.

More coins, a third spin, his eyes following those lights, and that soft music drifting into his mind. He almost wished the music was a bit louder, he wanted to hear more of it. No complaints about the lights, they were perfectly bright and absolutely eye-catching.

They weren’t truly a problem as they were, chasing out any lingering thoughts about the earrings, and letting him focus on what was truly important.

Yes!

His capsule popped out, and he found himself more excited than he had for the previous two. Surely this one would be good, and even if it wasn’t, the way those prize pods popped was a delightful enough sound that it served as a reward of its own.

The lucky student deftly reached out for the pod, and didn’t pause for even a moment before he opened it. The pop of it made his brain tingle for just a moment, a smile gracing his face despite himself, and he eagerly looked toward his reward. 

It wasn’t immediately obvious to him what this was. An unassuming, closed disc-like shape. Taking notice of the small clasp, he pressed whatever he had received open. What greeted him was the sight of a white haired boy, who’s gray eyes peered hazily back at him.

Ah, a compact mirror.

Nagito stared at his own reflection for a few moments longer, watching himself blink once, and then twice, before shaking his head and closing it. Well, it wasn’t completely useless like the, the- earrings, but he wasn’t exactly certain how he could use a compact mirror either, except for what he’d just done. Still, he carefully put the mirror away in a pocket of his coat, and turned his attention back toward the machine.

This one was going to be the one, he could feel it. This one was where his luck would start to turn around. Another handful of coins in the slot, a quick turn of the handle, and-

That delightful music immediately flooded his ears and drowned out the sounds of the waves crashing onto the shore of the beach. The machine once more lit up and drew in his attention, the soft shades of pink and the baby blue lights rotating around peacefully. They certainly did wonders to focus Nagito’s mind.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

His reward came out, and he couldn’t help the animated excitement that flooded his body. There wasn’t a motion wasted between the capsule coming out of the machine and his hands shooting out to collect it. The ever present pop of the prize pod made him let out a wistful sigh, it was definitely the most pleasurable part of this. He carefully dumped the contents of the capsule into his waiting hands.

At first he struggled to wrap his mind around what this was even supposed to be, yet it spoke to him more than either of the earrings did. He turned it over in his grip, noting the small metal chain dangling from one of its ends, and the buckle that allowed you to adjust it. It was almost like a small…um…belt? Yeah! Like a belt.

Ohhhh, it was a collar! How didn’t he notice right away!

He wanted to say it was useless…but…even if it was just a bit feminine, it did look really appealing, and he wanted to use at least one of his rewards. He’d earned them after all, so why shouldn’t he?

Carefully unbuckling his gift, he slipped it around his neck, making sure not to make it too tight and allowing it to rest comfortably on his skin. He opened up the mirror he’d received earlier to look himself over, and beamed. The deep black of the collar contrasted with his pale skin and white hair wonderfully. Though, he paused for a moment in his admiration of his new accessory. His adam's apple seemed almost imperceptible, was it even still there? No, that wouldn’t make sense, the collar must have just done a good job of hiding it.

He was overthinking it, probably just a trip of his perception, especially given he’d never worn a…no…hadn’t he always been…? Idly, he scratched at his chest, a frown pulling at his features as he tried to think about it, before shaking his worries away. Whatever, it didn’t really matter. The gorgeous collar was on and his concerns were quieted, leaving him free to focus on what really mattered.

Fifth time had to be the charm. That was the umm… the saying, right? It probably shouldn’t have been difficult to remember, but he found that it was a strain to think about. Well, he shouldn’t be focusing on something pointless like that anyway. Not when this wonderful machine was right in front of him!

He barely even thought about the act of slotting the coins, that wasn’t what he needed to focus on. It was what came after that always struck him more, that always grabbed his attention.

Oh…yes…that was it…

The music drifted to his ears, and he felt his entire body slump in relaxation. Those pesky thoughts from before faded away, and he felt more at ease than ever before. No worries, just the velvety tones of the machine, where all of his attention ought to-

No! That couldn’t be right! He couldn’t just focus on that, what the hell was he thinking!? There was no way he could just listen to those sounds as if it was all that mattered!

Not when those utterly astounding lights were there to accompany them! It would be unthinkable to give all his attention to the music when those pinks and blues were right there to remind him of their presence. They were begging to be looked at, and he couldn’t ignore their plea. 

He wouldn’t even say he wanted to, why would he when they made such a…um…such a…

The words felt like they wouldn’t form through the thick cloud in his mind. He could barely remember what he’d even been getting at. Well if he’d forgotten, it probably wasn’t important. Not like the music, the lights, the-

Pop

He hadn’t even noticed he’d grab the prize capsule, but how could he even dream of ignoring that delicious sound. That fuzzy feeling that lit up in his brain, navigating the fog, all to reward him for opening it up, just for listening.

The items inside fell into his hands with a lively giggle, this wasn’t a bad reward at all. It was confusing at first, trying to focus on what he’d received, but it only took a few moments to realize what it was. 

It’s…it’s um…one of those…make-up sets?

He’d seen girls use them before, but he wasn’t quite sure if that was what they were called. It was just a small bag of varied cosmetics, most of which he could confidently say weren’t familiar to him.

Delicately rummaging around in the bag, he tried to think of what use it could serve him. Worrying his lip in contemplation, he pulled out a tube of lipstick. It had very pretty deep jade coloring to it, and he had to admit that it was eye-catching. It wasn’t something he would use himself, but…

His mind drifted off for a moment, failing to actually come up with a conclusion to that line of thought, and his eyes briefly left the item in his hands to look back at the machine that had so generously donated this to him. It was a gift, wasn’t it? He couldn’t just give it away. 

More than that, it was a reward he had earned. He couldn’t just throw away something he had worked so hard to gain. Not when it was the MonoMono Machine that had given it to him.

The warring thoughts quelled, Nagito knew what was needed. He twisted the bottom of the tube, cautious not to damage it with clumsy movements, lest he destroy his hard-earned gift. His nails clicked gently against the plastic as he did, making him blink for a moment. When was the last time he trimmed them? Well, they didn’t actually look so out of place, instead complimenting his delicate fingers. He had more important things to worry about anyway. He pressed the tube to his lips, ready to at least try it for himself and-

Heavenly.

It was the only word that he could think of that could even remotely begin to describe the sensation. The tube had only touched his lips for a moment but his body was immediately awash in abject delight. It felt extraordinary, mind-numbingly blissful, and he barely even recognized the fact he somehow knew how to put it on.

That was such a silly notion, it made it sound like he’d just learned the skill. How would he not know how to apply his makeup if he wore it every day?

He couldn’t help the giddy shaking of his fingers as he moved them back into the bag, eager to try the rest of his gifts. Simple black mascara that was no less appealing, deep jade eyeliner to match his lipstick which he applied in thick, curled wings that made his eyes pop.

Pop.

Wasn’t that such a delightful word to think of? It was almost enough to distract him from the last item in his cosmetics bag. A bottle of black nail polish, a change from the more facially targeted items from before. Not that he really cared about that, it was still an important part of his look.

With hands as dainty as his, he always needed a way to make them stand out. He was thankful that this was in his bag, part of his reward, because he really couldn’t remember what he had done with his other bottles. Or at least, that was probably the reason he hadn’t worn any this morning, right? He scratched at his chest for a moment before he applied the nail polish, no sense in ruining his work because he had an itch before his nails had dried. 

With delicate strokes, he slowly painted his nails, and felt immediate relief in the wow factor he always longed for. The deep coloring of the black polish stood out just as he wanted when contrasting his pale skin. He blew on each of his nails for a moment, just to hopefully help his nails set, he certainly didn’t want their shine or beauty to fade.

His chest was getting irritated again, he really hated this shirt. The material always felt loose and everytime it brushed against his rather large chest he felt the urge to scratch at himself. Wait…was that…did that seem right? Were his…were his…his, like, uh… What were those again? 

Nagito stared down at himself for a moment longer before shaking his head. Either way, his stupid shirt didn’t fit, and he hated it.

His coat wasn’t much better. The faded green wasn’t exactly a welcome color, and the material felt ratty and aged. Maybe he’d see if he could borrow something from another student. That could come later though, he had bigger concerns.

He’d spent so much time relishing in his reward that he had taken his attention away from the machine. That just wouldn’t do, not at all. Taking just a few moments to check over his nails to make sure they were properly dry, he reached a hand into his pocket to fish out more coins for the machines.

The lights came back, and he blinked dumbly up at them, they seemed almost…bri…bri…brighter now? They were just so pretty that it was hard to even think of what he had wanted to say. The only thing missing was the-

The music returned and an unrepentant squeal left his lips in his excitement to let it flood into his mind. It was…was…um…like louder now? God it was so hard to think of words when those pretty lights kept distracting him and that delicious music made his head go blissfully numb.

He couldn’t help but let a blissful moan escape his lips at the wonderful treatment from the music and lights. It made him feel feminine, and that made him giggle vapidly. Feminine was such a cute word, it made him feel all warm and fuzzy.

Hehe Yay!

This was her…his? Yeah…um…his right? Whatever, it was the best part! The caps…capsa…capsu…the little thingie that made that-

Uhhh…

The moan ended his train of thought as the pod made that wonderful pop that left his knees buckling. The experience was just so pleasurable that he couldn’t help himself from enjoying it. The pops always managed to seep into his brain, even through the blissful haze the music and lights always left for him, just to make sure he knew he was being rewarded. 

My reward!

See! She…no…um…he knew the pops were the best part! They always brought him rewards, even if it was hard to remember that under the delight of the machine’s other features. Her…his…fingers reached out and grabbed the gift, a large pod for her, a bigger reward for him to enjoy! 

God he could barely even see what he received, his unruly hair was getting in his eyes. While she’d never…he’d never minded that it cascaded down to the small of his back, even if it was an untamed mess of waves and curls, the fact it was in his face was so aggravating! He tried his best to part his hair as neatly as he could with most of it to one side. This was so much better! Now she could see properly and everybody could see his pretty makeup.

This must have been the most lucky gift yet! He’d just been complaining about how he needed to get some new clothes and the machine was rewarding her more than ever! Their colors were absolutely gorgeous, and they matched his makeup so well!

Carefully unfolding them, she sucked in a giddy breath and squealed! This hoodie was utterly perfect, it wasn’t as long as his old one and it was the same color as his lipstick! It would make his collar pop, she just knew it! What really caught his attention was the design on the right side of it. It was a gorgeous maroon vine that stood out against the green of the rest of the hoodie. 

The vine started on the sleeve, where her bicep would be when he put it on, and looped over the shoulder down towards the center where the zipper line was. He just wanted to put it on right away but he couldn’t! Not when he hadn’t even checked his other gift yet! 

At first it seemed so simple, just a normal white shirt, but oh, how wrong he was for thinking that. Turning it around a soft gasp slid past her lips, how could she have called this simple? It matched his sweater down to the design, the vine coming from its right side to land over its left side. His eyes couldn’t help but trace the vine, watching every curl and loop until it came to a stop forming a delightfully elegant heart.

His breath hitched as she finally saw the words, in stylized calligraphy, lodged inside of the heart. 

‘Good Girl’

The words bounced around in his mind. His mind? Why did that feel so wrong…he…wasn’t he a…? Was he? The notion felt so wrong, so heavy. Holding on to the thought was a strain. It didn’t make sense and it left him feeling dizzy. Why would the shirt have something like this written on it?

‘Good Girl’

Her eyes had drifted back down to the writing in a daze. Why would the shirt have something like this written on it? The answer felt so obvious now. Just like the fuzzy-feeling pops, it was to remind her of the important things.

Not the silly notion of being a boy, those kinds of thoughts made her dizzy. The words were just helping her remember that she didn’t need to be thinking such stupid things. Reminding her of what mattered, the truth, what she was and always had been.

‘Good Girl’

The words were in front of her eyes again and she giggled vapidly. That was right, a good girl, that’s what she was. That was what she was meant to be, not some stupid boy, just a perfectly good girl. The realization made her giddy and her body tingle, her legs shaking at the thought. 

If thinking of what she was, felt this good, how would it feel if she said it? If she announced to the world that she finally realized that she was meant to be a good girl? She had to try it, just once for her own curiosity.

“Good girl.”

The words rolled off her tongue, leaving a heady taste behind them as they did, and her eyes fluttered, a jolt in her lower belly shooting up into her brain and making her gasp.

“I’m- I’m a good girl.” She repeated, and the words were like a thunderbolt, shooting through her. Her legs shook for a moment, weakened for a brief beat of ecstasy that Nagito wished would last so much longer.

Thankfully, she knew exactly how to make it so.

“I’m a good girl~” She repeated again, and whined high in her throat as she did, her eyes screwing shut as her brain lit up like a christmas tree, before dimming further than before. Her heart was beating like mad in her chest, as if trying to break out of its cage through her ribs, and her hand came to rest on it for a moment, only to find a hardened nipple beneath her fingers.

Instinctually, she pinched it, and gasped. Another jolt of pleasure shocked her brain, but she wasn’t satisfied with just this.

“I’m a good girl!” She cried, her hand groping her heaving tit, and her legs collapsed underneath her, though she barely noticed. No, her mind was already chasing the next hit.

“I’m a good girl! I’m a good girl~” She moaned, her free hand pulling at the hem of her pants, almost ripping the button off as she did. She needed to feel even more pleasure. She needed to jack-

Her fingers found her moistened slit, and she moaned as they easily dipped inside. Her earlier thought melted away in pleasure.

“I’m a good girl!” She cried, again and again on the beach, mauling one of her tits and fingering herself desperately, but it was as if there was a ceiling to her pleasure, a cap she just couldn’t breach through no matter how loudly she cried, or how wet she got.

So unfair! Unjust! Nagito was being a good girl, she deserved to cum! She whined, her back arching as she lifted her shirt to grab at her tit directly, only to freeze as her eyes landed on the chain resting there.

The chain leading up to her collar.

Shakily, Nagito grabbed hold of it, the metal feeling cold, and oh-so-strong between her weak fingers. She pulled at it lightly, and her brain melted as she felt her collar being tugged.

Her pleasure-drunk brain tried to make sense of it all. The collar, the makeup, the shirt-

Nagito’s masturbation redoubled in effort as she panted, her eyes staring out into nothing, or perhaps something only she could see.

None of it was for her.

No, those weren’t gifts for her.

She moaned aloud as she pulled at her chain again, letting herself crash into the sand without resistance.

No, those were all for someone else.

Someone to use her.

Someone to own her.

She was a gift for them.

She couldn’t just be a good girl on her own. No, she was someone’s good girl~

Nagito’s eyes rolled for a moment as her fingers flicked at her clit.

“I-I’m a good girl for my master!” She cried in ecstasy, the revelation so profound it wasn’t even washed away by the tidal wave of pleasure that lay waste to everything else in her mind as she came, almost violently.

Her back arched as she loudly announced her pleasure, her loyalty to her master, her discovery of her true place in life-

When she came down from the high of her pleasure, panting and out of breath, she took a moment to try and collect her thoughts, fleeting as they were. Her thighs were soaked in her own juices, and her pants were practically useless now, not that she minded the loss all that much.

With a gasp she lurched forward. She’d nearly forgotten about her gift from her master! She’d be so lost in her own world of pleasure that she’d forgotten to put on the outfit he’d prepared for her. 

Nagito hurriedly collected the clothes she had so thoughtlessly dropped in her pursuit of pleasure and rushed to replace the disgusting garments she was wearing. She only took a moment to wistfully sigh at the symbol on her shirt before draping over herself. It fit perfectly, as expected, clinging to the curves of her chest, leaving enough cleavage in view to let her master know she was always available. It cut off at her midriff, leaving a tantalizing portion of her pale skin visible, just to entice him further. She could almost feel her master’s words through the ink, branding her bare skin. It felt incredible~

The hoodie slipped on with ease, and was as comfortable as she could have dreamed it would be. Of course it was, her master wouldn’t have given it to her otherwise. It hung just to the hem of her pants, which would work well if she ever wished to put herself on display, it wouldn’t cover her from view.

Though thinking back to her pants, she realized they didn’t fit with the rest of her outfit at all, and she was almost thankful they were ruined. Now at least, she’d have the chance to find something prettier to dress herself in, something that would compliment her outfit and make sure her master knew she was a good slutty girl for him~

Maybe the Rocketpunch Market would have some, or something she could borrow from one of the other girls? She didn’t know where she was going to find-

Oh…she was so stupid! The answer was right in front of her.

She let out an airheaded giggle as her eyes traced the machine that started all of this. How had she ever forgotten it, her master must have put it here just for her to use it. No wonder nobody else ever collected any of those coins, they were obviously for her.

Knowing her master had never steered her wrong, she collected the last of her coins from her discarded pants’ pocket, enough for one last spin of the machine, and trusted her luck. No…her silly talent didn’t matter, she trusted her master to reward her. Good girls got the best rewards, and she’d been getting them all.

The machine lit up, its familiar colors a welcome sight, and the rhythmic music returned. She couldn’t help but hum along to its catchy tune as she tapped her fingers against her bare thighs, patiently waiting for her master’s choice. After a few moments, the slot opened and out came the last capsule she could afford.

She carefully opened the capsule and-

Pop!

She moaned whorishly at the sound, her brain going fuzzy, and she felt the urge to show herself off. Her master was asking…no, demanding she do so with the sound. She resisted the urge despite herself, her master wasn’t here right now, it was just reminding her of her place, what she would need to do in the future.

Nagito shook away the pleasurable feeling, even though she wished she could live in its bliss for the rest of her life. She carefully took out the items from the capsule, and sighed happily. Her master didn’t let her down, she knew he wouldn’t.

Her hands grasped at the items carefully, she couldn’t damage a reward from her master, a good girl treated his gifts with respect and love. A pair of lacy jade panties were the first thing she took note of, matching her sweater and her makeup. Not that it mattered much when it came to her sweater; she’d only want to be seen in them when the hoodie, not to mention the rest of her clothes were off, and preferably for her master’s pleasure.

A simple pair of black thigh highs were next, followed by a short black skirt that looked like it would barely go past the pair of panties she had received. Finally a pair of black mary janes to replace her shoes. This was the perfect way to complete her look and she relished in the rewards.

She took a moment to peek around her surroundings to make sure nobody was around to see her. She quickly took off her shoes, stripped off her bottoms and those garish boxers she had been wearing, dropping them in a pile before sliding on the panties and her new skirt as quickly as she could without damaging them.

Once more she checked around her and let out a sigh of relief when it was evident nobody was nearby. She didn’t want to go around letting anybody see her like that, no that was a sight for her master’s eyes only. Finally she slid her new thigh highs up her legs, savoring the way they felt as she did, and then slid on her shoes.

Nagito paused then, taking a moment to appreciate the feel of her new clothes on her body. She finally felt complete, felt that everything was just as it should be. She knew her place, and she finally reflected that for everyone else to see. More importantly, for her master to appreciate. She reflected who she was deep in her soul, the perfect appearance for a good girl like her.

The thought still made her sigh in pleasure, and she felt a familiar urge building up the more she repeated the words. Now though, she was free to seek that feeling whenever, and wherever she wanted, until her master came for her.

With that thought happily lodged in the forefront of her mind, she scooped up her previous clothing, if only to prevent the rule about littering from making a fuss, and collected her empty capsules with them. Humming a familiar melody to herself, she made her way back to her room, sparing the machine that her master had made for her one last glance.

Everything was as it should have been.

No more thoughts about…whatever it was she had been doing yesterday.

No more worries, no more stress, no more planning.

Well, maybe a little planning…after all those capsules gave her a really good idea when she thought about their sound, and they could be a reward in their own way.

She stepped into her room and let out a happy sigh. Good girls deserved rewards, and she had a lot of time to thoroughly reward herself.

Pop! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was with her fingers buried deep in her core that the doorbell to her cottage rang. She let out an aggravated groan. She’d been so close and someone just had to come and ruin it! Huffing to herself and wiping off her fingers, she stood up, just in time for the doorbell to ring again.

She heard it the first time, and now it was even more annoying. Swinging open the door she was greeted by the sight of Hajime at her doorstep, his finger primed to press the bell again.

He didn’t say anything, just stared at her, and she realized she must have looked quite the sight. Her clothes were ruffled and her hair was more wild than usual, her skin had an unusual shine to it, coated in sweat. How long had she been lost in the throes of her own pleasure? Did she miss the morning announcement? 

“S…sorry I didn’t mean to wake you.” Really? He finally mustered up the courage to speak and he thought she’d been asleep?

“What did you need?” She tried her best to keep any venom from her tongue and his interruption, not like he could have known what she was doing before he’d arrived.

He went silent again, and his eyes carefully raked over her form. Her face quickly twisted up in disgust as she traced his eyes to her bust.

“Hey! Someone like you doesn’t have the right to check me out!” The disdain must have been evident in her words because his eyes quickly shot back to hers.

“Sorry…Byakuya wanted all of us to get together, guess he needed to say something.” He wisely chose to address his original reason for coming instead of trying to defend his misstep.

“Sure, I’ll be there in a bit, let me just fix up my makeup.” The lucky student didn’t give the boy a chance to respond before she shut the door on him, preventing his roaming eyes from seeing any more of her.

She needed a moment to calm herself once she had closed the entrance to her cottage. Who the hell did he think he was, staring at her like that! She didn’t look like this for him to appreciate, this was all for her master. Someone like Hajime would never understand that he paled in comparison. 

Nagito stopped her train of thought before it could go any further, and took a deep breath. It seemed her earlier act would have to wait until later to be resumed, so she made her way towards her room’s dresser, fetching her cosmetic bag. She drew her compact mirror from her pocket and began to touch up her makeup. She needed to look her best.

She knew her master was watching, somewhere, at least she had hope that he could see her, even now.

When she was certain her appearance was the best she could possibly make it, she once more opened the door to her cottage and stepped out to make her way towards Hotel Mirai. 

The lucky student hoped Byakuya’s message would be quick. This was all such a hassle, but she doubted there was any avoiding it. Though she did wonder what he wanted with all of them, she had better, more pleasurable things to be doing. She would just have to go and see, and then she could get back to doing something worthwhile. 

Dreaming of her master, and being a good girl for him. That was her purpose, after all.