❀ 2nd Konpeito ❀ [Video]

[konpeitoqueen]

[When the video switches on, she's holding a book- on Pokémon, and sitting in the corner of the Dangan House. There's a paper in her hands, and if you squint, you can make out frantic scrawling in Japanese all over the other side of it, written with a heavy hand- there's imprints on the paper.

Her Mawile is sleeping on the beanbag next to her, and a Petilil carries more books to her obediently. When Saionji takes them, said Petilil goes to bother Ayani instead.] You know... I've been thinking, and... it's so stupidly pitiful.

[A pause. She doesn't elaborate.] ...And what's a legendary Pokémon?

Comments

[lullabytes]

A funny electric sheep...? Ah, a mareep? A flaffy? An ampharos?

[konpeitoqueen]

Mareep. It likes babysitting my Pokémon for some reason.

[Hmph.] Is the previous owner dead or something?

[lullabytes]

From what I've been able to learn, sometimes when people go home their Pokémon go to other people here...so it probably had an original trainer who went home?

[konpeitoqueen]

Went home?

You can... go home? I've heard of comas, but people actually disappearing...?

[SHE SOUNDS SCARED AND FOR GOOD REASON.

KINDA. DOESN'T WANT TO BE PERMANENTLY DEAD.]

[lullabytes]

[ NANAMI CAN RELATE... ]

...Yes. But...some people have also been here for years. If there's a way to stay here permanently...I'd like to find it.

[konpeitoqueen]

[Guuuuh.]

...I guess. It's a really kiddy, stupid world! But it's better than before. Anything is better than before, though, so that's not much of a compliment.

[Sighs.] ...Plus, Pokémon make good servants.

[lullabytes]

...I agree. Although, I think..."something" is always better than "nothing".

[konpeitoqueen]

[...]

Big Sis Nanami.

What happened after the third trial? You guys caught the pig bitch, right?

[lullabytes]

...We caught the culprit. After that, there were two more trials.

[ Or, wait. ]

Three, counting the final one. But no one died that time.

[konpeitoqueen]

[Well, the way Nanami easily tells her about the next trials without giving her a look or something is proof enough that basically everyone already can tell what time she's from. Fuck. Oh well, the way she was acting, she'd seriously question their intellect if they couldn't.]

No one died? How's that possible? Did everyone already die before?

[lullabytes]

[ It's sort of easy to tell...if you pay attention. ]

No...the people still alive at that time found a way out.

[konpeitoqueen]

[...WAIT HOLD ON REWIND WHAT NOW]

There's a way out?! How- and who survived?!

[SHE'S JUST GONNA. STARE AT YOU RIGHT NOW AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME]

[lullabytes]

[ Nngh. Well, she can't talk Future Foundation shop talk, but...Saionji deserves to know a little bit. ]

A sort of forced game over. The details...might be best left to Hinata-kun...

[ ...Given they got out after her trial, that would be... ]

Hinata-kun, Kuzuryuu-kun, Souda-kun, Sonia-san, and Owari-san.

[konpeitoqueen]

[OH.

OH SO THEY ALL LIVED TO THE END AND DIDN'T FUCKING TELL HER? FUCK THEM-

-how the hell did souda live to the end-

-OKAY MOVING ON.] Why didn't they tell me?! Don't use your video game analogies here, dumb bitch, it wasn't a game!

[Saionji I hate to break it to you, but]

SUDDENLY FILTERED VIDEO.

[lullabytes]

[ Maybe she should go find Saionji in person...? ]

...It was a game. We were...inside a virtual world.

[ Hinata-kun should be the one breaking this to her Nanami isn't the one who should do this.

At least Saionji didn't ask about Nanami's death. ]

...So the forced game over...is what they actually did.

filters are a thing saionji still fails to do

[konpeitoqueen]

[...What.

What?

What.]

...So... what am I? A video game character? Why were we in the virtual world?

And- wait. [A beat.] ...If we were in a virtual world, doesn't that mean we're still alive in the real world?!

to action

[lullabytes]

[ Okay hold on. They're in the same house, it shouldn't take more than a minute to find her... ]

Saionji-san? I think...in person this might be easier.

[ ...Also she has no clue about the status of the dead in the real world, personally. She'll find a seat near wherever she found Saionji at. ]

You're...a real person. All of us were put into that game. You were hooked up to it, in a sort of pod...I don't know what dying in the game did to you on the outside.

action

[konpeitoqueen]

[...Welp. She doesn't really get the concept of virtual realities fucking with your head permanently, because all she knows of them is bad drama shows set in futuristic settings.]

...People from any time can come to this world, right...? So I'll probably go home and wake up one day, then. In that case, going home doesn't sound so bad.

Why'd we get put in the game, though? That sounds like a bad sci-fi story! Was it all for some advanced dystopian psychology test?

[lullabytes]

...Maybe. I don't know if...waking up will happen. It could be that dying in the game made it so you can't. But at least there's a chance.

[ She...doesn't know. She at least knows her own fate, though.

Although this is getting towards things she's not sure she can talk about. ]

...Probably it was for what Monomi said, way back at the start. To...become friends. I can't say why that would be important, but it must have been...

[konpeitoqueen]

[Oh, shit.]

So, we're not physically dead, but because we didn't pass the game or something, we're brain dead?! That's not fair! No, no, I'm so fed up with this!

[She's... trying not to cry again, really. But...]

[lullabytes]

[ Nanami will...reach out to touch Saionji's shoulder. ]

I don't know. I think...maybe eventually someone from far enough to know will come here...? But until then...I'm glad at least that you're all right here.

[konpeitoqueen]

...Does Big Bro Hinata know? [She's going to call him up and scream at him if he does. Later. Ho ho.]

But this world... it's not permanent, right? So not being alright in one place and being alright here is just... running away from the problem. What if this place fails me? What then?

...It's a brief respite. But I can't feel too happy about it.

[lullabytes]

...He and Kuzuryuu-kun may know the most...

[ She doesn't count herself, because there are parts she...may not know? May...be... ]

...Maybe. I'm glad that I got to see you all again, at least. So...please don't worry. If there's a way to fix things there from here...we'll figure it out for you.

[konpeitoqueen]

[Alright then.

She kind of just... sighs, and forces herself to stop crying. This whole set-up is cruel- if anything, why not just let her die, and let it be?] ...Fine, then. I just... [Ugh.] I don't want to wait for everyone to come over!

I... [...want to see Big Sis Koizumi but that's pathetic and I won't say that] ...just wanted to go to Hope's Peak. And take lead of the clan, punish everyone who ever wronged me... is that too much to ask for?

[lullabytes]

[ ...Saionji what's with the middle one in there...but Nanami pats her shoulder, a little unsure of herself. ]

I don't think so. Your dreams are still important things...and I think that regardless of the time that passed without memories, you'll someday be able to accomplish them. Even here, you can accomplish a lot. As long as I'm here, I'll try to help you with those...