[ the problem with dreams is that you never quite realize when they start and anything strange about them until after you wake up. despite that everything from the strange location to the even stranger circumstances should tell naegi that this isn't real, he finds himself drenched in fear and this sheer belief that if he doesn't do anything right now, something terrible is going to happen. ]
[ his hands grip tightly onto his witness stand and his eyes dart everywhere, from the monochrome bear sitting high above them to the portraits of the deceased students standing in their own respective stands. his heart is pounding, he finds his throat parched, and everything is turning upside. ]
N-No, you're wrong! Daisuke would never do anything like this!
You can't draw a conclusion simply based on what you think, Makoto Naegi. This is the conclusion that has been drawn from hard, physical evidence and alibis. You're not looking so great either with your lack of one, but since we confirmed that Daisuke was there at the scene of the crime, aren't you relieved to have that burden off your shoulders? Even if you were an accomplice, you'll be getting away with the crime scot-free. What do you think, everyone?
[ The rest of the students seem to agree with varying expressions on their faces. Some of them seem eager to pin Daisuke as the culprit, some of them look warily at Daisuke and Naegi, some of them look like they're on the fence about it and are only going along because it's the majority opinion. There doesn't seem to be a way out of this one.
On the other hand, Daisuke looks like he has run out of tears to cry. He was crying when he found out that Kyouko Kirigiri and Chiyo Matsuoka had been murdered, and had been fervently denying that he was the cause of their deaths. But no tears can persuade anyone when they are fully convinced of an opinion. In a place full of distrust, where lies are rampant, even the most innocent could be the one to stab your back when you least expect it. This is the line of reasoning they go for Daisuke's possible murderous behavior. Daisuke denies it every single time, and the one ally that Daisuke has, Makoto Naegi, has been painted as his accomplice. When Daisuke looks around, the rest of the students feel like they're faceless. Faceless people whose opinions shouldn't matter. Faceless people who want a scapegoat.
There's one with black hair, the student that was speaking earlier. He looks confident and exudes the aura of someone that can be relied upon. He speaks up once more. ]
Let us recap the situation, shall we? We found Kyouko's corpse in her room. As we all know, she was a very guarded person. She would only let her guard down around people she trusted, and only two people fit that criteria here: Makoto and Daisuke. There were no signs of struggle either, so it can be said that she was killed by someone she trusted. When the rest of us found her body, only Daisuke was absent. Furthermore, we found a strand of Daisuke's hair in her closet where he could have been hiding right after the murder along with Daisuke's shoes being caked with blood.
[ a "burden off his shoulders"? "getting away with the crime scot-free"? just... just who do they think he is?! how could he ever feel a sense of relief or satisfaction with how this is going? he feels sick to his stomach and a small part of him wanted to deny everything, to hide and run and pretend that he didn't just lose his friends. that weak and humane part of him wanted nothing to do with any of this but this... this is the truth and he knows better than to look away. despite that he's being accused of being an accomplice, that they would even think that he could do anything to kyouko, he can't just stand down and accept defeat. he has to keep on pushing! he has to prove that this case isn't as open and shut as everyone thinks it is! ]
Hold it!
[ he slams his hands against the stand, hard enough that he feels that stinging burn across his palms. ]
Look, doesn't this seem a little too convenient and coincidental? Right at the moment that we find her body, Daisuke just so happens to be missing and there's all this evidence piled against him. If he really was the murderer, don't you think he'd be more careful about hiding his tracks or at least not make it so obvious? This is way too perfect and easy for us!
You would say that, but none of us here are ever groomed to be murderers. I'm sure people who attempt to do so will be having it as a first experience that they will never be able to forget. No one here is experienced in covering up a murder. No one is a professional.
[ The student seems very composed as he provides his counter argument. ]
Furthermore, all of us with the exception of Daisuke have an alibi for the time of Chiyo Matsuoka's murder. We all confirmed it with each other. This is the biggest nail in the coffin for Daisuke. The murder weapon has been disposed of in the furnace, though we have seen traces of it around on the floor, but the room to the furnace was locked. The only person here that can get through locks is also Daisuke. Do you see where I am getting at, Makoto? Even if this seems to be an easy case, you can't deny that the evidence is here along with the alibis. Alibis are crucial for a reason. Even Daisuke's excuse of "having been knocked out by the actual murderer", or so to speak, holds very little water with everything stacked against him.
[ He looks evenly at Naegi. It is no way taunting, but something like hardened steel of a stare. ]
If you have a counterargument with convincing objective evidence, I would like to hear it. Otherwise, consider this case closed. Even Daisuke himself hasn't been saying anything.
[ It's true. Daisuke has been silent ever since the black-haired student had been providing the recaps of the situation at hand while providing his theory. He feels that there is nothing more to say after he had claimed that the murderer knocked him out and he woke up to Kyouko and Chiyo's corpse. He had done all his shouting that there was no way that he would murder his girlfriend and someone he considers as a very close family member. He would have protected them to the death if he could, not be the instigator to their deaths. It was the loudest he had ever yelled in his life in an attempt to defend his innocence, but they had fallen on deaf ears. This is why he had run out of tears to cry. There's nothing left. Nobody would believe him, other than possibly Naegi. At this point, he looks resigned to face the outcome.
It's hard to trust people when your life is on the line.
Words can be faked.
Emotion and actions can also be faked.
This is why the students hold their faith in objective physical evidence, no matter how unlikely it seems for Daisuke to commit the murders. ]
[ naegi opens his mouth but he can't say anything. he doesn't have any "convincing objective evidence" that they want. he doesn't have any arguments left. he has nothing left. no matter how hard he tries to go over the evidence or testimonies, he can't find anything. there's nothing here that helps daisuke even in the smallest bit and naegi clenches his fists. maybe if kyouko was still around... maybe she would have been able to solve this. maybe she could have caught onto something that they missed... ]
[ naegi looks over to daisuke with a pleading look. ]
D... Daisuke...
[ c'mon... say something... if they don't do anything, they're going to die. this is how these trials work. the actual murderer will get away. ]
[ The silence goes on for a full minute, before Daisuke barely parts his lips to speak, but-- ]
The trial is over!
[ That bear sure looks peppy about all this. Color drains from Daisuke's face, but there was nothing left that could have been done. He thinks that, but losing like this. Being defeated like this, feels way too unfair. There was nothing to be done. Nothing. Nothing...
...
Was there really nothing left?
Monobear looks pretty excited, opening up the polls for everyone to vote.
[ as the polls appear, naegi finds himself at a loss for what to do. he doesn't know who to choose. he doesn't know who the real murderer is. he can't find himself choosing for daisuke and it's only when the timer counts down to the final second, he inputs his vote... ]
[ ... and chooses himself. ]
[ once the votes are in and the time is over, the stands revert to normal and the tv screen shows up. it's time to reveal what the votes are... ]
[ The votes, unsurprisingly, are stilted towards Daisuke. There's the lone vote for Naegi as expected, but for some reason the vote total is off. Monobear gloats about how Daisuke is literally throwing his life away because he didn't vote. What was the point? Daisuke doesn't say anything. What is there to say?
The rigged roulette spins and lands on Daisuke. A cold sweat runs down his face as a contraption grabs the back of Daisuke's collar and drags him into the dark. ]
[ the moment that the roulette stops on daisuke, naegi feels his heart just drop. he's frozen in place and he suddenly finds it hard to breathe. he can't find himself being able to move but the moment that something grabs onto daisuke and start pulling him away, naegi immediately finds himself in motion ]
--Daisuke!!
[ he attempts to reach out, to grab onto daisuke's hand, shirt, or anything at the last moment. ]
[ Daisuke reaches his hand out to Naegi, their hands barely touch, but not quite there. He opens his mouth to scream, but is muted by the darkness that envelops him. Monobear giggles upon the sight as the students watch: half in relief, half in fear.
The room that Daisuke ends up being in resembles an asylum--nothing but white. A white emptiness. However, a crown drops near his feet. It's the first item that he stole in his memories, the Crown of Alice. The crown also exists in his home with Naegi. However, Daisuke doesn't move to touch the fallen crown. As if offended by his decision, more crowns drop into the room, filling the white with gold. Gold upon gold. Crowns continue to fall and fill up the room, joining by bigger pieces of artwork. Paintings fall, along with huge crystals. Giant mirrors also start falling. Daisuke tries to dodge the falling pieces of artwork as he tries to look for a way to escape. Thankfully, he finds an air vent that is way up high and uses his nimble flexibility and parkour skills to get in before the room floods with broken art.
He escapes the room, only to fall into another room with a lone girl. There's ice all around her. ]
How could you...? You left me to die...
[ Fear. Fear is in his eyes. Daisuke recalls when he had to leave Freedert behind while being carried off by Dark. He remembers desperately calling out to her and how badly he wanted to stay behind with her. He remembers screaming her name. He remembers--
It doesn't take long for her to stab Daisuke with a sword as he stands there, frozen in shock. He bleeds from his stomach and cries out in pain when the sword is pulled out. It hurts. He cries. He cries and mutters under his breath: ]
I'm sorry.
[ He breathes in. ]
I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
[ Daisuke falls to his knees, curling up while clutching at his bleeding stomach. The girl, quiet, throws away her sword, and touches the top of Daisuke's head. His red hair instantly turns purple. His identity shifts. He is no longer Daisuke Niwa. In the blink of an eye, the girl turns into a white haired boy who dons a somewhat similar appearance to Daisuke's except he is much more sinister. He reaches out with both hands, holding the other's face.
What is he?
Who is he? ]
Who... am I...?
[ The person that was once Daisuke asks with a strained voice as tears drip down his face. The other boy smiles. ]
You're a murderer, liar, and a thief. But that's okay. I accept you for everything that you are.
[ He smiles. ]
I want your being.
[ He forcefully grabs onto the face that he once gently held. ]
I want your everything.
[ And he tears off the skin of his face, plasters it against his own, blood and all, and starts devouring the body. The screen the viewers are watching from is covered by black feathers but it cannot hide the scream from filtering through the speakers. ]
[ and there's nothing that naegi can do but watch as this execution plays out before him. although he wants to tear his eyes away, to look elsewhere, it's like a car crash. he can't take his eyes off the screens and at the very end of it all, when it finally finishes, he says nothing. he finds himself slumping to the floor and staring at the monitor. he keeps staring until he's sure that the sound of daisuke's screams and the images of black feathers covering the screen will be burned in his mind forever... ]
[ ... and eventually, he snaps awake. ]
[ he jolts awake in his bed with a cold sweat and a silent scream. his hands grip onto his sheets tightly until his knuckles are white and he finds a hard time trying to catch his breath. he erratically looks around his dark room, dazed for a second as he tries to figure out where he is. he's... back in his bedroom? back home? so does that mean everything was nothing but-- a dream? ]
[ he immediately throws the covers off him and slams open his door. he goes straight to daisuke's door and pounds on it ]
[ Despite how much of a nightmare that was, Daisuke hasn't woken up. Even with the end of the dream, he should have woken up, but he hasn't. That's why the other side of the door is painfully quiet when Naegi pounds on the door. The door should be unlocked though, should Naegi choose to barge in.
Daisuke is just sleeping peacefully as if he doesn't have a care in the world.
[ naegi waits a total of three whole second before he tries to jiggle daisuke's doorknob open. when he finds it unlocked, he chooses to enter. ]
[ his better judgment tells him that what he saw and heard was nothing but a dream but he just can't shake off this terrible feeling so as he enters, he bends slightly down beside daisuke's bed and gently shakes his shoulder. please wake up, please wake up ]
[ Daisuke feels the motion of being shaken and senses that there's an underlying urgency behind the action. He blinks blearily as if still half asleep and looks quite unfocused when he opens his eyes halfway. ]
What is it...?
[ He mumbles. It's as if the dream never happened for Daisuke! Or rather, maybe he's gotten used to nightmares that his natural response is to just pretend it never happened. ]
[ that's it? daisuke just slept in the wrong position? naegi feels his shoulders relax though when daisuke flips the question on him, he tenses back up again ]
[ He smiles a little wryly. He doesn't want to worry Naegi any further by saying that he's used to having such nightmares, so he'll just leave that unsaid. ]
[ Daisuke studies Naegi's expression, and wonders what he should say in return. He feels the hold tighten into a fist, but he won't say anything about that either. ]
I just hope that you won't dream about it again. I'll help you take your mind off it later. That's a promise.
[ He smiles and puts his other hand over the balled up ones gently. ]
[ after daisuke puts his other hand on his fist, naegi glances up a bit to see the smile. even though the dream and the execution of leon is still very fresh on his mind, seeing that daisuke is here for him and hearing his reassurances does put him slightly on ease. his shoulders lose their tension and he can muster a small smile in return. ]
Thanks, Daisuke. I really appreciate it.
[ he really can't put it into words just how much he appreciates daisuke's friendship. he thinks that he wouldn't have been as strong as he sometimes is if it weren't for daisuke always steadying him. ]
I'm sorry for waking you up. I'll let you go back to sleep now.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
07/13
[ his hands grip tightly onto his witness stand and his eyes dart everywhere, from the monochrome bear sitting high above them to the portraits of the deceased students standing in their own respective stands. his heart is pounding, he finds his throat parched, and everything is turning upside. ]
N-No, you're wrong! Daisuke would never do anything like this!
[ do "what" exactly? ]
no subject
[ The rest of the students seem to agree with varying expressions on their faces. Some of them seem eager to pin Daisuke as the culprit, some of them look warily at Daisuke and Naegi, some of them look like they're on the fence about it and are only going along because it's the majority opinion. There doesn't seem to be a way out of this one.
On the other hand, Daisuke looks like he has run out of tears to cry. He was crying when he found out that Kyouko Kirigiri and Chiyo Matsuoka had been murdered, and had been fervently denying that he was the cause of their deaths. But no tears can persuade anyone when they are fully convinced of an opinion. In a place full of distrust, where lies are rampant, even the most innocent could be the one to stab your back when you least expect it. This is the line of reasoning they go for Daisuke's possible murderous behavior. Daisuke denies it every single time, and the one ally that Daisuke has, Makoto Naegi, has been painted as his accomplice. When Daisuke looks around, the rest of the students feel like they're faceless. Faceless people whose opinions shouldn't matter. Faceless people who want a scapegoat.
There's one with black hair, the student that was speaking earlier. He looks confident and exudes the aura of someone that can be relied upon. He speaks up once more. ]
Let us recap the situation, shall we? We found Kyouko's corpse in her room. As we all know, she was a very guarded person. She would only let her guard down around people she trusted, and only two people fit that criteria here: Makoto and Daisuke. There were no signs of struggle either, so it can be said that she was killed by someone she trusted. When the rest of us found her body, only Daisuke was absent. Furthermore, we found a strand of Daisuke's hair in her closet where he could have been hiding right after the murder along with Daisuke's shoes being caked with blood.
no subject
Hold it!
[ he slams his hands against the stand, hard enough that he feels that stinging burn across his palms. ]
Look, doesn't this seem a little too convenient and coincidental? Right at the moment that we find her body, Daisuke just so happens to be missing and there's all this evidence piled against him. If he really was the murderer, don't you think he'd be more careful about hiding his tracks or at least not make it so obvious? This is way too perfect and easy for us!
no subject
[ The student seems very composed as he provides his counter argument. ]
Furthermore, all of us with the exception of Daisuke have an alibi for the time of Chiyo Matsuoka's murder. We all confirmed it with each other. This is the biggest nail in the coffin for Daisuke. The murder weapon has been disposed of in the furnace, though we have seen traces of it around on the floor, but the room to the furnace was locked. The only person here that can get through locks is also Daisuke. Do you see where I am getting at, Makoto? Even if this seems to be an easy case, you can't deny that the evidence is here along with the alibis. Alibis are crucial for a reason. Even Daisuke's excuse of "having been knocked out by the actual murderer", or so to speak, holds very little water with everything stacked against him.
[ He looks evenly at Naegi. It is no way taunting, but something like hardened steel of a stare. ]
If you have a counterargument with convincing objective evidence, I would like to hear it. Otherwise, consider this case closed. Even Daisuke himself hasn't been saying anything.
[ It's true. Daisuke has been silent ever since the black-haired student had been providing the recaps of the situation at hand while providing his theory. He feels that there is nothing more to say after he had claimed that the murderer knocked him out and he woke up to Kyouko and Chiyo's corpse. He had done all his shouting that there was no way that he would murder his girlfriend and someone he considers as a very close family member. He would have protected them to the death if he could, not be the instigator to their deaths. It was the loudest he had ever yelled in his life in an attempt to defend his innocence, but they had fallen on deaf ears. This is why he had run out of tears to cry. There's nothing left. Nobody would believe him, other than possibly Naegi. At this point, he looks resigned to face the outcome.
It's hard to trust people when your life is on the line.
Words can be faked.
Emotion and actions can also be faked.
This is why the students hold their faith in objective physical evidence, no matter how unlikely it seems for Daisuke to commit the murders. ]
no subject
[ naegi looks over to daisuke with a pleading look. ]
D... Daisuke...
[ c'mon... say something... if they don't do anything, they're going to die. this is how these trials work. the actual murderer will get away. ]
no subject
The trial is over!
[ That bear sure looks peppy about all this. Color drains from Daisuke's face, but there was nothing left that could have been done. He thinks that, but losing like this. Being defeated like this, feels way too unfair. There was nothing to be done. Nothing. Nothing...
...
Was there really nothing left?
Monobear looks pretty excited, opening up the polls for everyone to vote.
It's time. ]
no subject
[ ... and chooses himself. ]
[ once the votes are in and the time is over, the stands revert to normal and the tv screen shows up. it's time to reveal what the votes are... ]
no subject
The rigged roulette spins and lands on Daisuke. A cold sweat runs down his face as a contraption grabs the back of Daisuke's collar and drags him into the dark. ]
no subject
--Daisuke!!
[ he attempts to reach out, to grab onto daisuke's hand, shirt, or anything at the last moment. ]
no subject
The room that Daisuke ends up being in resembles an asylum--nothing but white. A white emptiness. However, a crown drops near his feet. It's the first item that he stole in his memories, the Crown of Alice. The crown also exists in his home with Naegi. However, Daisuke doesn't move to touch the fallen crown. As if offended by his decision, more crowns drop into the room, filling the white with gold. Gold upon gold. Crowns continue to fall and fill up the room, joining by bigger pieces of artwork. Paintings fall, along with huge crystals. Giant mirrors also start falling. Daisuke tries to dodge the falling pieces of artwork as he tries to look for a way to escape. Thankfully, he finds an air vent that is way up high and uses his nimble flexibility and parkour skills to get in before the room floods with broken art.
He escapes the room, only to fall into another room with a lone girl. There's ice all around her. ]
How could you...? You left me to die...
[ Fear. Fear is in his eyes. Daisuke recalls when he had to leave Freedert behind while being carried off by Dark. He remembers desperately calling out to her and how badly he wanted to stay behind with her. He remembers screaming her name. He remembers--
It doesn't take long for her to stab Daisuke with a sword as he stands there, frozen in shock. He bleeds from his stomach and cries out in pain when the sword is pulled out. It hurts. He cries. He cries and mutters under his breath: ]
I'm sorry.
[ He breathes in. ]
I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
[ Daisuke falls to his knees, curling up while clutching at his bleeding stomach. The girl, quiet, throws away her sword, and touches the top of Daisuke's head. His red hair instantly turns purple. His identity shifts. He is no longer Daisuke Niwa. In the blink of an eye, the girl turns into a white haired boy who dons a somewhat similar appearance to Daisuke's except he is much more sinister. He reaches out with both hands, holding the other's face.
What is he?
Who is he? ]
Who... am I...?
[ The person that was once Daisuke asks with a strained voice as tears drip down his face. The other boy smiles. ]
You're a murderer, liar, and a thief. But that's okay. I accept you for everything that you are.
[ He smiles. ]
I want your being.
[ He forcefully grabs onto the face that he once gently held. ]
I want your everything.
[ And he tears off the skin of his face, plasters it against his own, blood and all, and starts devouring the body. The screen the viewers are watching from is covered by black feathers but it cannot hide the scream from filtering through the speakers. ]
no subject
[ ... and eventually, he snaps awake. ]
[ he jolts awake in his bed with a cold sweat and a silent scream. his hands grip onto his sheets tightly until his knuckles are white and he finds a hard time trying to catch his breath. he erratically looks around his dark room, dazed for a second as he tries to figure out where he is. he's... back in his bedroom? back home? so does that mean everything was nothing but-- a dream? ]
[ he immediately throws the covers off him and slams open his door. he goes straight to daisuke's door and pounds on it ]
--Daisuke! Daisuke, are you awake?!
no subject
Daisuke is just sleeping peacefully as if he doesn't have a care in the world.
As if he's dead. ]
no subject
[ his better judgment tells him that what he saw and heard was nothing but a dream but he just can't shake off this terrible feeling so as he enters, he bends slightly down beside daisuke's bed and gently shakes his shoulder. please wake up, please wake up ]
no subject
What is it...?
[ He mumbles. It's as if the dream never happened for Daisuke! Or rather, maybe he's gotten used to nightmares that his natural response is to just pretend it never happened. ]
no subject
Are-- Are you all right?
no subject
[ His shoulder hurts, but thankfully it isn't his face. He sees the worry in Naegi's face, and can figure out what this is about. ]
... Are you okay?
no subject
Y... Yeah, I'm all right. Just...
[ he pauses ]
Just a bad dream.
no subject
... It's not going to happen. You know that.
no subject
You--
[ he takes a second to fully speak ]
You remember the dream?
no subject
Yeah, I do.
[ He smiles a little wryly. He doesn't want to worry Naegi any further by saying that he's used to having such nightmares, so he'll just leave that unsaid. ]
It's not... going to happen.
no subject
[ he then looks downwards and the hand that daisuke holds tightens up into a fist ]
I-- I just wish it never happened.
[ guess who got a memory of an execution after he woke up from this dream hahaha ]
no subject
I just hope that you won't dream about it again. I'll help you take your mind off it later. That's a promise.
[ He smiles and puts his other hand over the balled up ones gently. ]
I'll always be here for you.
no subject
Thanks, Daisuke. I really appreciate it.
[ he really can't put it into words just how much he appreciates daisuke's friendship. he thinks that he wouldn't have been as strong as he sometimes is if it weren't for daisuke always steadying him. ]
I'm sorry for waking you up. I'll let you go back to sleep now.
no subject
[ He intends to keep his promise to the best of his ability!! ]
Besides, I don't think I can go back to sleep now. I should have gotten up anyway... Gotta loosen my shoulder too.
[ And after a moment of thoughtfulness-- ]
Let's go do something fun today.
no subject
Sure! Do you have something in mind?
[ it's been a while since they really hung out together! this will be fun ]