Was this how things were going to be like? Going by the reactions of the infinites around Braden, it looked like it wasn’t their first time watching somebody they called a friend die in a brutal way. It was a silly thing to hope that nobody would die again; everybody would be out for themselves. But a nagging thought never left Braden’s mind, even as he lowered his tired body into bed an hour after watching people he hadn’t known get killed for this silly game.

Would he be willing to kill, or would he let himself be killed?

---

Waking up to Monokuma’s morning announcement surprised the ventriloquist. He had no idea when he had fallen asleep after tossing and turning for what felt like hours, but despite that he felt fresh and ready to start anew. A quick shower and a check in the mirror later, Braden was out and following his nose towards the delicious smell emitting from the dining hall. It seemed like he was beaten by a few others, some new faces, some even newer (was that really somebody eating on the floor in the kitchen?!), but the puppet in Braden’s hand was drawn to one figure in the dining hall.

Without taking any breakfast, Braden seated himself on the other side of the booth Alice was sitting on. “Ohh man, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Thought I’d never see anybody I’d recognise ever again!” The puppet cried dramatically.

"Hm?" Alice hummed in curiosity, her mouth stuffed with bacon. The recon had been silently watching some of the newcomers, plus Rika, get their own breakfast as the dining room became more active than when she first arrived. Swallowing the food in her mouth down, she finally spoke up to the puppet. "Well, I would ask if that was obvious due to my eyepatch, but I do know what you mean." She replied, moving her plate to the side. "It's...always odd to see new faces after a trial."

Elias giggled. “Oh luv, that was all your imagination~ I would never make jokes about a lady’s personal matter~” The puppet would have given the recon a wink, but, it’s a puppet. Braden looked around the dining hall, watching it fill as more infinites began piling up inside to get their hands on some of the delicious smelling breakfast cooking in the kitchen while the puppet continued to watch Alice. “So is this what happened last time? You got to see the conclusion of another trial?” Elias cocked his head to the side curiously.

"No, we only arrived back at the resort once the first blackened had been executed." Alice explained, resting her head on her hand. "I'm not sure why we were shown a different game's trial though, but at least this time was quicker."

“Do you think our game is being broadcasted to others like theirs was?”

The recon nodded in response. "With there being more than one game, it's a high possibility that they're being broadcasted to one another, even ours."

Braden returned his attention to Alice, his free hand moving to rest against his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder what the purpose for all this is. This is waaaay too elaborate for just despair. Why make it into a show?"

"I'm not sure, hell, no one is." Alice answered. "The mastermind's motive isn't exactly crystal clear, so we just gotta hope for the best, right?"

"Hope... how far will that get us?" He thought out loud. "I mean, Marianne had hope, right? So did the last victim. Yet they're dead. Erin had hope that he'd trick us all and escape if he commited a murder, yet he is also dead. Hope hasn't exactly helped us a lot."

Braden's thoughts left the recon silent. He was right, hope wasn't helping them. But it couldn't be just that, right? Once Alice found the right words to respond with, her expression seemed to darken slightly. "It's cause they trusted the wrong people." She said, her head hanging low. "If you trust others too easily, you're bound to get hurt, one way or another. It's why I try to close myself off from people, why I don't get so attached. Cause it won't be hard to accept the pain of death, even here..."

When Alice realized what she was saying, she scratched her head in embarrassment. "It's funny, out of everyone here, there’s only a few of us that make the most sense, but hell if I know." The recon said, laughing nervously.

"Buuuuuut~ You seem pretty bestie with the doctor chick. Is there some history or...?" The puppet's voice grew higher in pitch, a teasing inflection making it seem like the puppet was teasing Alice. It would've even wiggled it's eyebrows if it could. "And you seem to be pretty chilly with me too soo~ Are we besties too?"

"Mercy's an old friend of mine, from back in the military." The recon explained to Elias. "I usually saw her working with the other medics in the field, but other than that she usually hung out with me like I was her younger sister, but I never knew why." Alice held her head in thought, before looking back at the puppet. "Oh, and I don't mind us being "Besties", but do you really consider me as one?"

The puppet hummed loudly. "Weeeell~ Are you plannin' on killing us or getting yourself axed anytime soon?" Elias moved closer. "No? We good."

"But of course not! I'd never kill someone innocent, not here." Alice answered the puppet. "And if I die now, I'd be abandoning you guys."

Braden gave Alice a brief smile before looking away again. "Ohhh~ Not here? So you admit that you've killed an innocent before~?"

"More like the saying, a life for a life."

The puppet sunk into itself. "Awwwww. Woulda been so cool if you were secretly some serial killer or something." Elias sighed heavily, but then perked back up. "But it just means you're not gonna Barty Crouch junior my ass soooo I'm not gonna complain~" Elias giggled, the puppet's hands moving up to cover his mouth like a shy school girl.

"Fine. We gonna honour the bestie code and not kill each other, 'kay?"

"Sounds good." The recon agreed, a smile on her face.

"Deal~" Elias giggled again as Braden stood up, clearly intending to leave. "Let's go meet Parker. Think it's a good time to introduce her to everybody, no?" The puppet's hands gestured Alice up, waiting for her to join him.

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot to see her after yesterday!" Alice said, quickly standing up herself. "Let's go!"

Lucy brought a arm up in a pitiful defense in her surprise, staring towards the strange black and white bear that popped up out of the floor in front of them! "Walking talking stuffed animal... I think someone stuffed the elevator full of drugs. However I think this is a very lame trip.." Her words were blunt and clear how she felt about the whole situation and the bear in front of her who started to explain about why they were here and what was happening at this moment.

Taking a hold of the E-handbook she looked over it as the bear explained about everything, the killing game, the fact they were trapped everything... It was sinking in slowly as she stared on down to the E-handbook as she gripped it tightly, her heart barely keeping up with the blood needed to keep her mind from shutting down from shock. This was all much worst than all the thoughts she had up to this point, the kidnapping for her talent was expected but for her to be here, for her to be placed in a life or dead game?!

Her mind was suddenly shaken awake by the appearance of Jezebel which her cold eyes drifted down, regaining some life as someone with more cheer talked to her. Giving a reaffirming cough she once more regained her self and returned to normal. "H-Frahahah! Well of course! It is normal for people to want to serve me. I shall remember to call on your services when I need them." Peering back down to the E-handbook and brought up the map before looking to the two beside her, the man did not look like the type that would tolerate her attitude and besides if she had a room she was off to find it! If nothing else held her back she would have walked off to check the place and hopefully find where the rooms were, or at the very least some food.

Noel had found herself a cosy place in the dining hall, gratefully relishing the food Bliss and Ellie had cooked up. The events of yesterday still weighed heavily on her mind as she quietly organised the notes and pictures she had taken. Her notes held remarkable detail regarding the entire case and trial. She had also rigorously noted the death of Quill Kennedy. As a reporter, the death of a celebrity was of particular importance to her. This was news the people would want, and she was to deliver. Such was her way, and so was she going to continue.

Now she just had to gather some more information on the new people as well. It was strange, she couldn’t recall ever being in such a crowded killing game before. She wasn’t sure if that was going to be a good or a bad thing, but she felt trouble brewing.

Ice had walked straight from the Pod room over to the dining hall, fully intending to grab a bite to eat and then head back to his room after having seen something like that. His face would move from a cold expression to suddenly going red and him sighing. The Blood Donor had been meaning to go and actually talk to people in the dining hall, since the setting seemed to be the place people gathered in the mornings, but after an event like that, Ice might have been already socially tuckered out.

Ice went in search of food and gave a nod to Bliss as a way of thanking her. Ice wasn’t a bad cook himself, but since the breakfast was offered to everyone, he might as well accept it. After grabbing some grub, Ice headed for a more isolated spot of the dining hall when he noticed a set of bloody bandages in a nearby trash can. Had Rika been here earlier? ...He could see why she must have stripped off her bandages, but did she need more? The man had plenty extra in his room after all. Ice set his food down at a table and sat before touching the loose bandages around his head, he tried to tighten them again to no avail. Where was Mercy anyway? Ice looked over to see Alice leaving with one of the newer Infinites, she usually spended time around Mercy, right?

The new presence in the dining hall had not gone unnoticed to the reporter. As she stowed away her notes and pictures in a way that actually told a story, she eyed the other infinite as he found himself a spot alone. Her eyes glimmered, seeing her chance to strike. If there was anything she knew of Ice, it’s that his nickname fit his personality rather well. Such a solitary person was definitely going to be a tough nut to crack. However, it was definitely in her job description to melt through that tough exterior.

She waited exactly one minute before quietly scooting over to his table. She tactically picked the spot straight across him: unavoidable to his eye, but not close and friendly. Yet she was still unsure whether or not the male would feel as if his personal space was being invaded. Well, that was simply the risk of the pursuit for endless information! ”Hola, Isaiah!“ She said cheerfully. ”Very hectic day yesterday, wasn’t it? Are you feeling better?” She inquired. One might not believe it, but it was actually asked out of genuine concern than her usual nosiness.

Ice had been quite enjoying his eggs and bacon when the Reporter sat down across from him. The Blood Donor had never really had much impression of her except that she was a part of a world he never experienced... and would never want to. Celebrities could be trash, people were always downright horrible, and what was so entertaining about a scandal. While Ice had chosen to be more active with the other Infinites, this was definitely not the girl he would have chosen. Plus... She had brought up something he was not going to dwell on.

His jaw worked and he stared at the table for a second, "The eggs are crackin’, maybe you should go try some.” At the end of his sentence, he looked up at her. While Ice’s face seemed neutral, his eyes were secretly challenging her. How much intimidation would it take to brush the Infinite Reporter off?

”Oh, I’ve already had my fill,” Noel replied with a chuckle. She definitely didn’t seem intimidated, though it was impossible to tell if she was unfazed or simply oblivious. Her wide smile didn’t really indicate either. ”But its nice to see you’re doing well, truly.” She said, seeing that Ice was obviously dodging her question. She figured she’d perhaps return to the subject later. It was a shame, she was rather interested in his thoughts on the events. Alas, you couldn’t always get what you want...immediately.

”Quite a crowded game, huh?” She attempted for some small talk. ”Haven’t seen one this busy in all my time here. It’s quite worrisome. I have no clue what that bear is planning with this many people in one game. Maybe it has something to do with that Parker thing?” She wondered aloud. ”What was the deal with this Parker, anyway?”

His interaction with Parker had been fairly simple, well after he had found out there another one of those insidious carnage sisters existed. She confessed that someone had thrown the wallet into the vault, and she seemed to give the wallet over rather easily. “She helps us in order to go free, yet that wine drum Davis doesn’t like her. The question is simple, is she a necessary evil for conquest? And if so, why did he create her in the first place?” As Ice said this, he stabbed at his eggs, one piece after another, before pointing his fork at her, “Well? Have you done any investigating on the matter, Ms. Noel Hawthorne, Infinite Reporter? Or are you to tell me that some mobsters are more important?”

”In due time, breakfast was more important than checking out some robot.” She told Ice. She wasn’t sure how she should’ve investigated this when it all had happened just yesterday. She definitely didn’t want to do it yesterday after all the hecticness that was the trial yesterday, she took the rest of that day to rest. ”And yes, I believe the people in here to be plenty important. And that includes some mobsters, Mr, Isaiah Matthews. I quite felt my heart bleed for your story, you know? ” She said, pointing right back at him.

Ice’s jaw worked again, he had dug his own grave bringing yesterday’s trial up again. “Oh yeah? So you believed my sappy shtick? I guess I should feel relieved,” he finished off his eggs and took a sip of his coffee, before making a sour face and putting it back down. Out of his pocket came a few packets of sugar too many to go into his cup of Joe. “Who do you think must be itching to off someone then? You never know who might be lurking after... the last blackened.” His knuckles turned white as he held the coffee cup up again. Honestly all this talk made him tired after the emotional strain of the last 24 hours, and Rika hadn’t helped. Oh... His face went red again.

Noel wasn’t sure whether to laugh or not at Ice as he tried to talk his way out of this. ”If that was just a simple sob story, you wouldn’t have-... oh forget it.” She didn’t feel the need to remind him of how he almost got himself killed back there. Though she didn’t doubt he knew what she was going to refer to. ”It’s just that it kind of reminds me of my own family, my five siblings… none of them survived the tragedy.” She looked down for a bit, before attempting to return herself to a more cheerful state. ”But surely the infinite thug is not interested in someone else’s sob story. Now as to who to watch out for...“ She paused, smirking. ”Let me give you some advice, as someone who has survived for longer than you did. Don’t suspect anyone In particular. Just stay vigilant. The people you suspect won’t kill you, it will be someone you don’t”

With the words of her siblings, Ice’s eyes softened and he put down his coffee, holding it with both hands as if he were a bit chilly. It wasn’t like him not to pry, but he really needed time to process his reopened festering internal wound rather than cut himself open with someone else’s story. “Good strategy, though there really isn’t a good way to be able to trust anyone here.”

Again, he reached for his pocket and pulled out a lemon sweet. He had already done it once today and was quite embarrassed to remember being so daring as to pat Krista’s head earlier. He played with the candy in his fingers for a while before unwrapping it and plopping it into his mouth. He pulled out two other candies and offered it to the Reporter. “Lemon or butterscotch?”

Noel’s eyes lit up. ”Butterscotch, please.” She replied and gratefully took the candy. She then quietly slid it into her mouth, letting silence rule for a little while. ”Whether anyone is trustworthy or not though… I guess it doesn’t really matter. Ultimately, I want the stories.” She grinned. ”With so much life being wasted, the least I can do is make sure they are remembered once I get out, right? And nobody will be remembered as more than a name or number without a story.” She sighed, staring at him for a bit. ”Do you think I’m strange, Ice?”

Ice pocketed the lemon sweet quietly and played around with the wrapper while the only sound in the room came from Bliss’s cooking. As Noel talked about memoirs and the like, Ice couldn’t help but remember the woman that the Reporter hadn’t gotten to meet. The woman who could control that high strung hairball and could bring the group together with her Chivalry, and how she had showed all of them that they could fight back. Shona had been the one to do what couldn’t be done by Ice or Calvin, someone who actually had a fighting chance, and took it knowing the consequences.

“Not as strange as the other Infinites I’ve encountered. Being known for being wicked at what we do has downsides and upsides. It’s easy to fall into the cycle of becoming obsessed with our ‘talent’ and not having a smidge of personality outside of that. I think... You’re just human. There’s so much humanity in your gaze that I haven’t seen in others.” He thought back to the men he had worked with in the past, how even the good ones thought that there needed to be sacrifices for the group as a whole. “People don’t care much for the person themselves when they read news, they care about the action, the suffering. But the story wraps around the individual, not the other way around, right?” He scratched at his head, making a bandage even looser only for it to fall onto his shoulder, “That doesn’t make much sense, does it?”

She smiled back at the blood donor. She blushed at his first statement about her gaze, but decided to leave it for what it was.”No, that’s exactly how I think about it.” She replied. ”I’ve been places. I’ve seen tragedies, wars and terror, but also festivities. But there is no substance to any of it besides numbers and events without a story.” She paused for a bit. ”You don’t get people to care about a number. But the tale of a survivor, or a story about the deceased… that is how news can get people moving. I believe that is the way I improve the world; by getting people to care!” She shone with happiness; happy that Ice understood her vision. ”So… that’s why… I hope one day your story might help too… Nobody else should have to go through something like that, right? She said, the happiness turning to uncertainty. She wasn’t exactly sure how the mobster was going to respond to that statement, even though she believed him to be a good person at heart.

Ice couldn’t look at her, not with all that hope and ambition, not with all that emotion that he lacked. Something so essential for someone in this place, the light in the darkness, but it was pitch black for him. “Will that even work? Not everyone... Has the empathy to care. I...” His hands slipped under the table where he gripped onto his legs. “No one, no one did anything for my siblings while I was unconscious. They turned a blind eye because those measly bludgers didn’t think it was their problem, their responsibility. Because of that...” He stared down at his cup, with the now lukewarm brown liquid inside, “I was the spur that put my sweet younger brothers and sisters down that road. How can my story turn people’s hearts now if it didn’t then?” His face was devoid of anything resembling hope.

Noel smiled somewhat uncomfortably. ”I’m not claiming it will solve all and every problem out of there. But the more people are reached, the better the chances, right?” She shuffled a little in her chair. ”Strength can come in numbers, or perhaps a story can hit home with someone who happens to be in the position to help. And sometimes… people only really see the need for their actions once they know the consequences of inaction...” Those last words were hard for her to say. ”And maybe, just maybe, justice can be brought to whatever remains of the bastards that did that to them. Your siblings deserve that much. Unfortunately, that’s all I can do...” She said, downtrodden. No, she was not a miracle worker. If only she was...

Ice’s body went slack, his head against his chest as he took a silent breath, “What remains?” A sound slipped out of his throat, a small laugh without humor. It was a dry sound that creeped under Noel’s skin. “You think... There would be anything left of that godforsaken gaggle?” His head shifted up to look the Reporter in the eye. His expression a mixture of pain and satisfaction. “First I started picking off the lower gang members one by one, to make sure they were telling me the truth. It was shintock to think I would believe something so cruel and mortifying with only one account.”

rain falling down as blood spilled into the alleyway, someone screaming as they saw Ice lying there in a pool of blood that wasn't his.

Bile rose in his throat again, but he kept it down, “My ‘partners’ kept getting angry that I kept going out to get blitzed only to come back with a body count because I wouldn’t let sleeping dogs lie. Finally I doggered them enough to start an all-out war. I didn’t have any clothes to wear after that because I ran out of bleach.” He rested his head on his right hand. A sneering smile on his lips, “So I made sure every last one of them paid for what they did, I’d have gotten the last one too if he’d- He hadn’t ended it himself.” His jaw worked again, all the consuming energy that surrounded him snuffing out like a light, “So where do I stand on your ‘caring’ list now?”

Surprisingly, a smile appeared on Noel's lips. She seemed strangely satisfied rather than appalled. ”Then I guess yours is a story of successful vengeance. A story that might strike fear into the hearts of anyone who might try to repeat the mistakes of your victims.” She chuckled softly. ”I don't blame you for not putting faith in other people's empathy. But fear is a pretty successful deterrent, am I right? I mean, Erin pretty much took the coward's way out as well.” Noel's eyes now showed a different light, one of fascination accompanied by an eerie kind of glee. ”Yes! I knew I was right in asking you! A fantastic success story. Thank you so much!”

A weird look passed over Ice’s face before he let out a long sigh, “Just my luck to get a reaction so whack...” His eyes softened again for a moment as he nodded a goodbye to her. Balancing his coffee mug on his plate so he could carry it in his right hand, he left her with, “You’re a buck wild Ruella, I’ll give you that,” before heading back to the kitchen.

Noel had no idea what that was supposed to mean. But she grinned gleefully at Ice before making her way out of the dining hall.

Danis made just one step ahead, stopping immediately after.
Was that... fear? Was the new Danis, the legend, the greatest spy... scared? No, he wasn't. He couldn't.
Danis took a very long and deep breath.
He showed his most confident smug, and looked at everyone in the room with that smile on his face. He walks towards Faith, and each step was painful, but necessary.
He stopped just right in front of her, staring at somewhere in her eyes and his smile disappeared. He was trying to look intimidating.
"Hey, beauty." Danis winks. "Could you please tell what happened here, before I arrived, babe?"
He then points at himself. "I am the espionage star, Danis Orlov. Infinite Spy.
It is nice to see me, isn't it?
Now, another question. Did you resolve any murder before I arrived here?"

---

_BGM

An hour had passed, and Max was still effortlesly training in the dojo. He would've usually stopped already; but today, he just needed to punch until he either wouldn't be able to lift his arms at all, or there was simply nothing left to punch. Because when he physically strained his body, his mind didn't get enough energy to think about what had transpired.

It was at that moment that he felt the touch of a hand on his shoulder and he protectively turned around while flinching. it was a very cold hand in contrast to his heated body after working out for so long. To his surprise, the new woman who appeared on the monitors stood before him, and it took him a few good second to realise that he was posing in his battle stance. After awkwardly regaining his normal posture, he gave the woman a smile to let her know that he heard her.

"i'm sorry you saw me like that, I was too focused on my training, I didn't hear you enter." He raised his left arm behind his head to scratch it; now that the adrenaline had worn off, he got a good look at Emily. It seemed like today was just full of surprises, as Max quickly noticed while trying to keep his eyes locked on Emily's head. Normally her clothes would be very casual, but for her they left little to the imagination. hoping that she didn't notice his surprised look, Max walked over to the corner to grab his shirt and put it on while saying:

"Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be sure to grab a plate when my stomach starts asking for it." After tightening his tie, he walked towards the dojo door and kept it open for Emily to walk through.

"You were announced on the monitors along with 2 other new people, so I already know that you're the Infinite Caretaker, but to be honest, that seems like such a vague talent. So I was wondering. What is it exactly, that you do?"

The moment Max asked what exactly does she do she held back a chuckle, she thought that her title alone would be enough to give people an idea of what she did." You could say I'm like Miss Buckly, but I take care of people who are either sick or injured and want to get back on their feet. I help the blind, disabled, and sometimes the elderly in any way I can, such making them happier, encouraging them that they can overcome their ailment or ailments. So like I said before, I'm like Miss Bliss, but with sick and injured people." She explained it to him.

"Oh, um, if you don't mind me asking what is your name sir?" she asked him.

As she stepped back out of the room, the caretaker tripped over her own two feet and the mature woman then fell face first into the floor putting herself compromising position with her bottom sticking up in the air, and her sweater riding up to show some of her back. the caretaker's head was spinning from the small tumble she had, for someone smaller it would've been different, but someone of her... Size, it was a little more painful for her

“Ahh, I see; that does make sense.” He said before being surprised by Emily’s question. “There wasn’t an introduction video in the elevator you arrived in? My apologies, I assumed that everybody received those introductions. In any case, I am Max Visser, Infinite Police Offi-“ But before Max could finish his introduction; Emily came tumbling down right in front of him. He tried to grab Emily’s shoulder as fast as he could but before he could reach her, she was already kissing the ground. And if Max wasn’t too busy with checking if she was okay and getting her up, her unique pose would have most certainly colored Max’s cheeks red.

“Ho there! Are you okay miss? That looked like it hurt.” He said as he positioned himself in front of her and reached out his hand for her to grab hold of. “Isn’t it a bit soon to fall head over heels for me?” Max’s obvious attempt at a joke, however poor it may be.

Ellie began pulling herself off the floor without Max's help and gave his joke a kind chuckle, she brushed herself off before checking her back pockets for her journal, once she felt the book she felt a little relieved." I'll be okay." She told him while fixing her bright blue hair, she then realized she needed to go tell the others about breakfast and turned away from Max." Well, I gotta tell the others that there's breakfast in the dining hall." She told the police officer over her shoulder.

As Emily left max hanging and got up without help, Max noticed how she reached into her back pockets before feeling relieved. Both a sense of curiosity and caution got the better of him; while it could be harmless, Emily could be hiding something dangerous or incriminating.

“I can keep you company if you’d like? And if it’s not too much to ask, I noticed you checking your pockets, something important in there?”

The mature woman stopped mid step once Max asked if he could join her, she waved her hand."Oh I'm just going around to tell the others about breakfast, you don't really need to join me. Plus I bet a big guy such as yourself worked up a hunger doing all that training." When he asked what it was that she was checking her pockets for, Ellie showed her journal to him. It was a small leather bound tome.

"It's just my little diary, I try to keep it on me at all times just in case I want to write something. Nothing really important to someone like yourself Mr.Visser."

When Ellie presented her diary, a concealed sigh escaped Max. Maybe it was because of yesterday, but he was feeling a bit paranoid, even so much that he distrusted an innocent woman. That he would do so at all agitated him, although he didn't visibly change at all.

"Aah I see, I understand the need to record your thoughts, if only to check your sanity in this crazy place." he said as he let go of the door when Ellie passed through.
"But you're right, after that workout, I could use some of Bliss' cooking. Let me know if you need anything, I'm always happy to oblige."

Putting her journal back into her pocket, she turned back around and went back to what she was doing, going around and telling everyone about breakfast.

After having enjoyed his breakfast and having had that rather long conversation with Noel, Ice washed off his dishes and thanked Bliss for her amazing cooking with a nod. He left the dining hall before he could be caught by another Infinite, thinking that cooling his head off might be a good idea. His face still heated up every now and again over his new found trauma, and he tried to think of anything else... Well, almost anything else. While Ice started down the hall, he felt something graze his neck and he jumped, reaching to touch the weapon hidden in his waistband. After a moment of silence, he reached up and felt that it was another loosened bandage that had fallen onto his shoulder again. Sighing, Ice thought over his options. He could go back up to the POD room and go ask that witch for forgiveness and plead for help, or he could find wherever Mercy had run off too. With the latter option seeming much more approachable, Ice set out in search of Mercy.

The problem was, of course, Ice had no clue where she was. The one time he had asked her for a favor, he had found the Plague Doctor in her room. Now he was having a much harder time with her door being completely unresponsive. As he continued searching around the second floor, he passed by the dining hall again and peeked in, just to make sure he hadn't missed her going in. At a loss, he continued traveling the halls, hoping that at some point today he might get an afternoon nap for his headache... but more preferably a morning one.

After her situation with Max, Ellie placed her journal in a different place than her back pocket feeling as if it was in an exposed place, she held the small leather bound tome in her hands as she walked wondering where she could place it, various thoughts of where she could put it filled her head but none of them seemed like good ideas to her, most of them felt like they would be more suspicious than anything, the mature woman sighed before hugging the book close to her chest and getting an idea, she knew the perfect place to put it, but she couldn't do it right in the middle of the hallway, she looked down to her feet before bumping her breast into someone.

Ice exhaled a curse as something came in contact with the makeshift sling Ice had made from his hospital gown. When his eyes met a woman with blue hair that he had never seen before. He knew that there were new Infinites coming in, but this one seemed to have... more assets then he had ever seen before. His gaze couldn't help but glance down at what had bumped into his poor hand. "Knockers... Uh- Hi?" While the Donor may have been a thug at one point, he did not engage with the red light district part of that world. The most he had ever thought about his kind of thing resolved around having a wife at some point, so he felt like a deer in headlights. He glanced back up at her face, "I'm Isaiah, but everyone calls me Ice." He tried to keep his face neutral, but it was super red and he couldn't help but glance down again.

When Ellie's eyes met with the person she so rudely bumped into, she noticed that he was focused directly on her chest and instead of overreacting, she blushed and held her diary behind her back, she looked at the boy as he struggled with his words, calling her some slang word before shaping up and greeting her. Ellie waved to him repeating."Hi" to him, she put her diary her back pocket before realizing the boy was just staring at her not saying a word, she coughed right before he told her his name and nickname."Oh, I'm Emily, but most people call me Ellie for short." She got a bit closer to Ice."I'm sorry for bumping into you, you aren't hurt are you?" She asked pointing out his bandages."I take care of the disabled and the people who recovering from bad injuries."

Ice rubbed his head, upsetting and loosening his bandages even more, this was no way for a man to act. Gathering strength, he met her eyes and did his best not to let them wonder, "I'm fine-" the bandages finally gave up their last effort to stay on and fell around his shoulders. "I was uh, just going to see a quack about these, I can't do much with this blasted hand of mine." Ice wasn't the kind of person to ask for help even if he needed it, that had been true for most of his life. What with his siblings always relying on him, he had to be steadfast and strong, even if his body itself wasn't. "I know someone who could use your services though, she's a blind Infinite here called Aleecia Marvic."

Ellie shot Ice a look when he said he was fine then spoke about his hand and calling someone a name."Now Isaiah!" She glared at him."There is no need for name calling, especially when the person you're insulting isn't even here to defend themselves, what would your mother think of you doing such a thing?" She asked crossing her arms then sighing." I'll look over the rude insult to who ever you are insulting, but you should think before you go off spouting insults."

She then took a closer look at Ice leaning forwards looking at his bandages." Now I won't say my first aid skills are as good as the Infinite Doctor, but I can help you, now stay still." Ellie unwrapped some of the bandages slowly, then she began slowly wrapping Ice up the best she could. The moment she finished he was better off, but she did make a couple mistakes when she re-wrapped him up." Now Isaiah when you have something like this happen you should speak up about it instead of holding back and not telling anyone about it, what would you have done if this person you were going to go see was too busy for you or something happened to them?" She asked." You should be more vocal and not be afraid to ask for help."

At the sound of his birth name, Ice stiffened. It was true that he usually spoke his mind without a filter, but it was to keep people at a distance and he was all for that. When she spoke of his supposed 'mother' a humorless small smile slipped over his face, if only for a half second. He felt a wave of embarrassment come over him when the woman started fixing his bandages. He didn't think much when Mercy fixed them considering she was always wearing that almost creepy mask of hers. And the nurses at Axis Mundi... weren't so... voluptuous. Either way, Ice stayed silent through the entire ordeal. It kinda weirded him out that she kept calling him by his birth name, but nonetheless, he wasn't going to correct her on it. "Things usually resolve themselves either way." He reached to scratch the back of his neck again, but decided against it after Ellie had just fixed his bandages. He reached for a candy out of his pocket and plopped it into his mouth. Boy, was he getting a lot of sugar today.

When Ice put on a smile she gave him a warm smile back, when he told her that things usually fix themselves, Ellie's face twisted into a pout." Now Isaiah! Don't you go acting like some kind of tough guy, when you need help you will go and ask for it from whoever you can ask it from, we don't need someone dying because they thought their physical injury would just go away over night now." She told him in a stern voice." You boys nowadays all think you're invincible. Listen Ice, I don't want anyone to die here, or any more people dying here, Mason and Quill were enough for me, please just think about asking for help from anyone when you need it most." She softened her voice.

Ice slouched a little, barely noticeable to the untrained eye. Getting scolded like this was not normal for the Blood Donor, "Look Mumsy, I know you may think this is helping me, but I really can take care of myself..." As she brought up Mason and Quill, Ice stiffened again, his expression hard set. He had heard about their deaths even if he may have been catatonic during the video, "There's no way I'll let anyone else die." He straightened up and his fists clenched, "Now is there something-"

"Right, sorry to bother you, cya later!"



Before Ice could excuse himself, Mercy appeared from the zen garden, supprisingly by herself. "Oh, hello Ms. Emily! Ice!" The plague doctor spotted and walked up to the blood donor and caretaker, paying mind to move her mask aside.

"Miss Mercy, if you could..." Ice moved his left arm up, which was in a make shift sling and felt pain shoot up his nerves, it wasn't smart to move even the arm at the moment. "Could you give me a hand? I'm not sure if it's healing correctly..." The man felt flustered to say the least. Not only did he just get scolded by some voluptuous ruella, now he had to do the one thing he hated the most... ask for help. Being helpless was godawful, to say the least.

"Oh dear, why didn't I see that before?!" The plague doctor cupped a hand to her mouth, seeing the blood donor's arm in it's condition. Mercy gently grabed Ice's hand to check if it can still move. "Can you make a fist? Can you feel anything?" She asked, aware the second question was a bit stupid.

Ice sighed, "I've splinted some of the fingers that can't move well, though I think some of the swelling may come from being around the severely injured ones. I think there may be a few fractures but definitely one of the fingers is broken." He reached to unwrap the hand and it was not a pretty sight. Everything around his knuckles was swelling or bruised, lines of imprints that looked like a wrapped around chain were pushed into his skin. "I had the chain wrapped around my knuckles, and then fell on it..." He flinched a little as a bandage snagged on something. "Is there anything that can be done?" The makeshift sling fell to the ground, having nothing to stay attached to.

"You should keep your arm stablized, above your heart. For the swelling, ironically, you should put it on ice. Lastly, take it easy, I dont want you to get hurt any worse than this, alright?" Mercy explained, a look of concern on her face.

As the infinite doctor began looking at Ice's injuries, Ellie stared at the injury as well trying to see if she could pick up on something while she worked on Ice's hand, she wondered if it was worse than it looked and felt bad for the boy." Now Ice how come you didn't go to the doctor sooner?" She asked him.

Ice looked sheepish again, "I was busy..." He flinched again before trying to reach for the sling on the ground. "So... Do we have any actual medical equipment I could use? Like a sling or some kind of cast?" He really just wanted to take some pain killers and be done with it all. While he did want his injuries to heal, it was all such an annoying time consumer.

"I think we can get a sling from the ER." Mercy answered, grabbing the makeshift sling, and gave it to Ice. "Here you go, like I said, take it easy."

"That sounds like a good idea doctor. Ice, your physical health should come first, and Doctor how come you didn't come to his help sooner? Your group should be looking out for each other a little closer, especially when you have someone like Ice who's constantly hurt." She went off on the both of them.

"I'm not-" Ice was about to make another outburst when before stopping himself and sighing. There was no use, she was going to scold the two of them no matter what. It wasn't like Ice was looking to get himself injured it just... happened. With another annoyed sigh Ice straightened up.

"Thanks doc. And... have a good day Miss Ellie. I'll go check the ER out." Really Ice couldn't take much more of this woman, he really had never had someone try and tell him what to do like this, and he wasn't going to let anyone now, especially since he was already 29 years old. With another nod to the two women, he headed off to the first floor.

"Remember! Take it easy!" Mercy told Ice, before turning to Ellie. "By the way...." She held her chin, before pointing to the caretaker's "mountains".

"Plastic or natural?"

When the doctor just pointed to her and asked about plastic or natural, it didn't hit Ellie on what she was talking about." Um, excuse me?" one her brows cocked up." I don't understand."Then she understood what she was asking and she looked at Mercy a little more seriously."They have been natural since I was a teenager." she crossed her arms.

"Eh, never mind. Cya!" Before she could make Ellie mad, Mercy quickly left, acting like she didnt hear.

As Mercy ran off, Ellie called out to her."Wait! There's breakfast in the dining hall!" She called out to the doctor hoping she heard.

Bliss was taken back by how assertive Emily was. She hadn't expected to be ordered around by someone who just showed up. It was refreshing to see, if a bit annoying. Bliss had hoped to learn more about Emily, but she was quick to task herself with bringing everyone to the dining area. It wasn't like she really needed help cooking bacon, but it would have been a good opportunity to talk a little bit.

Fortunately, Daimyon arrived to offer his help. Even though the poet had also mostly wanted to get to know the new Infinite, he believed that gentlemen did not go back on offers they had just made. He had, as he had confessed mere minutes ago, little to show for himself in terms of cooking skill—still! Stepping out of his comfort zone might be exactly what he needed after his self-exile, he told himself.

“Oh, that would be wonderful!“ Bliss started to hover around the kitchen. She was giving everything she walked past a prod with her finger. “I think we have enough pancakes for the moment, but I have the batter all prepared if we need more. We're also good on scrambled eggs, there's plenty sitting in that food warmer.“

“The kitchen is your domain indeed, madam,” Daimyon remarked, taking a few steps inside this thoroughly-equipped kingdom of delicious potential.

Bliss lifted a finger to her cheek. “We just need to cook up some more bacon. Bacon makes everything better!“ she looked out the window of the kitchen to see who had arrived. A few people were already eating. She could see Noel and Ice talking at one end of the table. But Thomas seemed like he was all by himself. A child, by themselves? This was unacceptable! “Daimyon!“ Bliss turned to face the poet. “We have a situation! Keep cooking!“

“Right away, chef!” As Bliss hurried out of the kitchen, Daimyon reached for a white apron that was hanging around with a childlike grin on his face and tied it around himself. There were no mirrors, but he was absolutely sure he looked fabulous. It got him swiftly into the cooking spirit as well as he took stock to figure out what to do. Bacon, he had to make bacon. The raw strips had already been prepared, though unfortunately the nanny left no instructions on how to proceed with them. He had a feeling that bacon was one of the simpler things one could cook, so if he wanted to prove himself, this was the place to start. But how?

After some deliberation, Daimyon realised that poets and chefs actually had much in common. Though their mediums of choice differed, they both created art, and art could only be truly great if one put their heart and soul into it. So that was exactly what he was going to do. He gravitated towards the large stove—his quill for today's masterpiece. He felt the temptation to simply put the whole batch into the oven and be done with it, but he reminded himself that it was not the artist's way. He grabbed a skillet—a small one, for even the greatest geniuses started humbly. He laid down the bacon strips into it, arranging them delicately like words in a flowery sentence. Then he placed the skillet on the burner, his attention wandering to the knobs that controlled the heat. He started turning up the main one very slowly, like a painter painting a detailed landscape. All along he kept his eyes on the bacon as it began to cook. The strong smell was a sensation up there with the sweetest pleasures of life, the crunching sound and the crispy texture of the meat together made for a heavenly image.

Ah, art!

Bliss couldn't really run with the way her clothes fit around her legs, but she walked very quickly over to the breakfast table and sat across from the boy. They were not so far away that Daimyon couldn't hear the conversation. “Good morning!“ She said with a warm smile. “ I'm Bliss Buckly, but you can call me Bliss or Ms Buckly. Whichever you prefer.“ She placed her hands on top of the table. “You're Thomas right?“ She extended her gloved hand across the table to shake his.



Talents are a fickle thing, and they never seem to tell the whole story. There’s always a person behind the talent, someone who may not always be what they seem. Behind some infinite’s were feats worthy of epics — or epics worthy of their feats in Daimyon’s case — but even then that doesn’t paint the whole picture. Infinites are a conglomeration of interesting aspects and personalities and quirks that lay the canvas for their infinite talents.

For one such as Thomas however, his talent seemed very indicative of who he was as a person. Reserved, quiet, logical; a scientist through and through. More so than that though, Thomas was a bystander. He was just a footnote in a story, a side character in the grand story of a greater killing game. He watched, thought, and repeated until he couldn’t anymore. Fitting, for someone with such an inconsequential talent.

And then there was his senior, Bliss Buckly. Covered in Victorian garments, warm and smiling, someone who’s talkative and personable. If Thomas was just a side character, Bliss Buckly could be the protagonist. For the second time in less than twenty four hours, Thomas found himself opposite someone who was nearly entirely a contrast to him.

Thomas himself however was entirely unaware of this development. At the moment Bliss approached him he was in the middle of a losing battle with his orange and it’s peel. He was so absorbed in this battle that he entirely missed Bliss’s shuffle across the dining hall and it took her greeting to catch his attention.

He froze for a moment and his eyes darted to Bliss. Thomas’s characteristic physiognomy didn’t change, but he surely must’ve of felt a little sheepish at the moment. He had briefly saw Bliss’s card in the handbook, and knew that she was the Infinite Nanny; that was the entirety of his knowledge though. Furthermore, he had trouble telling anything about her by looking at her, the dress obstructed much of her physical features. Thomas was flustered by his oblivion in regards to Bliss.

Once Bliss finished speaking, Thomas reacted by slowly raising his hand up to meet hers. “I’m Tho-” he stopped himself. She knew he was Thomas! She just said his name. Why was he telling her that? “That’s right. Nice to meet you.” he mumbled, grasping her hand meekly.

Bliss's eyes immediately darted for the orange. “Oh, you like oranges too?” The nanny adjusted her seat so that she was sitting on the same side of the table as Thomas. “The spot where the stem meets the orange is usually very thick. If you can dig your fingers into that, you can peel the skin back with the stem easily.” Bliss watched Thomas, presumably to see if he was going to take her advice. “Biomechanic, that's an impressive talent. I can barely pronounce it!” She leaned on the table with her elbow. “What made you choose to pursue something like that?”

As the nanny queried the biomechanic, the poet-turned-culinary artist was making magic happen in the kitchen. And just like most magic, his work was a series of narrowly-avoided disasters. He had a lot of fun with the heat knobs, so much that he spotted the spots of charred black appearing on the wonderful brown texture of the bacon bits almost too late. In a panicked scouring of the kitchen, he found a pair of tongs with which he could save most of that delicious potential. Once he had deemed both sides worthy of presentation and—hopefully—consumption, he turned off the stove, grabbed the skillet and headed out to the break room.

...or he would have, had he not stopped himself at the kitchen entrance. Looking at the greasy, sizzling bacon, he could feel something was missing. He turned back, his determination unshaken: there were still some finishing touches need applying.

“Oh.” Thomas said, a little less quiet. There were many reasons he became the infinite he was, but there was a single objective meaning to his talent. As he thought about this, he idly started to fumble with the orange in his hand. He kept trying to drive his thumb past the peel, and for a moment it looked like he was making progress on peeling the orange.

“A few years ago, when I was just a boy-” Thomas paused for a moment, mulling over his next words. “Have you ever heard of someone with my name? Besides myself, I mean.”.

“I can't say that I have.” She lifted a finger to her chin and tapped as she thought. “Hmm...” She wasn't smiling anymore. It felt like she was actually trying to search her memory for something. Then her eyebrows raised under her hat. “Is that your father, or grandfather?”

“Father.” Thomas said slowly, now back to his typical lack of volume. His eyes were now settled on Bliss’s face. He felt a little bit at ease around her, surely a consequence of her talent.

“He wasn't a celebrity, but he carried a small degree of fame with him as a runner. A lot of infinites I've met have even known him personally, although he wasn't one himself.” Thomas remarked. His thumb was nearly through the orange peel “When I was younger, he'd bring me to his training facility and I would watch the athletes. When he didn't concern himself with me, I would draw pictures of them. Eventually, pictures became diagrams. Then diagrams became theories, and those theories became experiments. One experiment was all it took to have the initiative knock on my door.”

Bliss's eyes lit up. “That's actually very impressive!” She turned her seat so that she was facing Thomas and no longer leaning on the table. Then the Nanny folded her hands and placed them on her lap. “And what did this experiment entail? It must have had good results or been on a fairly large scale to get the initiative's attention.”

Turning back, Daimyon realised quickly enough that he had foregone a crucial step: actually taking the bacon out of the skillet. Worried that any further hesitation would ruin the whole thing, he hastily tore off a sheet of paper towel and laid the strips on it. And there it was: the epitome of creation! The smell invited him for a taste right away and he would have happily obliged, only to get rudely rebuffed by the heat when he tried to pick one up. “Art is pain...” he hissed, shaking his hurt hand. He decided to let it cool some before going anywhere near it again.

Thomas’s eyes narrowed for a second, and then widened. Why was he telling Bliss all of this? He had just met her. Foolish. That's what he was. Hadn't he learned to keep his mouth shut yet? His only advantage in this game was his talent. The scope of which he couldn't reveal to anyone who didn't already know. Not yet, at least. Sure it was only a search on the internet away on the outside, but here information here was an asset that could be used against you at any moment. And also, part of him didn’t want to tell her.

Thomas’s thumb slid off the orange, sliding to the side of the yet to be peeled citrus. The round fruit slipped out of his hand and rolled into the table. Instead of grabbing it though, Thomas placed his two hands together and crossed his fingers, as if he were about to crack his knuckles.

”I won a competition actually, it must've impressed them.” He said, his eyes returning to their typical shape. He settled his hands, and reached for the orange slowly. Something seemed to have changed though. ”It's a pleasure to speak about myself, but you haven't said a thing about yourself yet. I'd hate to talk your ear off, so, Infinite Nanny, please tell me about yourself.”

Before Bliss could have answered, though, Daimyon emerged, wearing his apron and a proud smile, holding a plate. He ambled up to the table the two Infinites were sitting at and presented the fruits—or rather, meats—of his labour. “And here it is! I must admit this is my first foray into this genre, but let not that discount the love that went into these pieces of heaven!” he said to the nanny, letting out a relieved sigh. Only with that and the food finally off his mind did he notice that there was someone sitting opposite to the woman: a young man. “Oh! Good morning! You must be...” He raised a finger to his temple, racking his brain. He had done his homework this morning diligently and read up on every new Infinite from yesterday, yet the identity of this particular blue-haired boy escaped him. Or wait! “...Thomas!” A momentary pause and bated breath: hoping he did not screw up horribly.

The nanny nodded at Daimyon. “Yes he is! And he was just telling me about what made him pursue his talent.” She looked back at the boy. “I don't mind sharing the story of my talent with you. I just thought it would be rude to start talking about myself. But now that you asked...” The smile ran from her face. “I wish the story of how I discovered my talent was as innocent as yours. But it wasn't admiration for anyone that made me interested in children. It was actually hate, if you can believe it.” She started to smile, but it looked forced. “At the orphanage, I never really liked how the adults would treat us. I'm not talking about the adoptive parents, but everyone involved with managing the orphanage turned me off. Nobody acted like they wanted to be around us. We were always treated like a hindrance. It wasn't until I grew older that I understood how difficult it was to keep an orphanage running.” Bliss sighed, but continued. Daimyon listened intently and sat down at the table himself. “So as I grew into a teenager, I became the bridge between the children and the adults. I could understand what the adults were trying to do, and relay it to the children in a way they would understand.” Her smile broadened, it looked more natural now. “I probably could have been adopted a few times, but I always tried to send someone else out in my place. But when Infinity initiative showed up, there was no way around it.” She shook her head. “I still visit the orphanage, I've done a lot of donation drives for children. As it turns out, I can help them better by watching other people's children.” Bliss sat up a little straighter and turned to Daimyon. “You must have an interesting story if you can write poetry like that.”

“Yours is an inspiring story, Bliss.” The poet leaned back in his chair, a wistful smile on his face. “The world is full of inspiration like this—my talent is the ability to harness it and turn it into a form of art. Mind you, it's not something unique. The world's writers, singers, painters, sculptors...every artist does the same thing as I do, only through different mediums. I was given a particular way with words and...that is all. I am honoured to be an Infinite, but even among us there are those who can really change the world, and be the heroes the people need. Me, I...I'll be happy to tell their tales when it comes that.” His tone by the end was almost glum, which he noticed and quickly perked back up. “Anyway! This bacon will end up cold if we do not grace our bellies with it soon enough!”

The poet. While a spider could spin webs of silk, the poet could spin words into stories. The spider is often feared, even though they created such things of beauty. Thomas couldn’t help but wonder what was behind this Infinite Poet who crafted such beautiful stories. Perhaps he was a man like Thomas, whose talent spoke volumes when volumes was all there was. Perhaps he was someone like Bliss, whose story could inspire. Perhaps a person like Davis, who spins his own web of lies and despair throughout these killing games. Thomas couldn’t be certain about anything yet, rarely could he be about anything in this new world of chaos.

His right hand landed on the orange, and he rolled it towards himself with his palm. The orange tumbled, wobbling on the dent where his thumb had tried to pry it open, and then settled right in front of Thomas. His eyes followed the orange while Bliss and Daimyon spoke, but he was listening intently to both of them. For a second he felt a pang of guilt, but only for a second.

Following Daimyon’s cue, he noticed the bacon that he brought to the table. Thomas furrowed his brow, and twisted his head slightly away from it. He looked to the orange, and then to the bacon on the table. He didn’t want to eat anything heavy for breakfast initially, but both his orange and his hunger seemed to have bested him. Still, something looked to be troubling Thomas. He brought his gaze up to the infinite poet, but it was his voice that finally betrayed his uncertainty. ”What are they made of?” Thomas inquired, his voice suddenly filled with skepticism.

The young man's question caught Daimyon somewhat off-guard. He took a second to process it, see if there was some deeper meaning behind it, but he could find none. “...all bacon is made of pork, isn't it?” He turned to Bliss, suddenly unsure of himself. “Admittedly, I just cooked it, but our chef may know where the ingredients are from…”

“Oh, um.” Bliss looked around sheepishly. “I mean, it's not like I acquired the meat at a supermarket. I just took it out of the fridge and started cooking it. But I'm sure it's pork.” She picked up a slice of bacon and took a bite. “It certainly tastes like the meat I've come to know and love. Daimyon, you did an excellent job!”

The trio enjoyed the food Daimyon brought out without speaking. Conversation was good, but every once in a while it was nice to just spend time together doing something as simple as eating. Even if Thomas couldn't observe how his companions moved, he could most certainly watch their eating habits. It wasn't until everyone had a few slices before someone else showed up at the table.

”Ugh!” Geina shook her head. ”Whatever, I just came here to drop off some shit.” The carnage sister placed an E-handbook on the table in front of Daimyon. ”So we kind of lifted some stuff out of Marianne's room.” She then placed some crinkled notes on top of the device. ”There's more shit in there, but you can look at that yourself with the E-handbook.” The robot folded her arms and walked away without saying anything else.

“Marianne's...room?” Daimyon looked back at the Carnage Sister who graced him with no answer. “There must be some misunderstanding, then, for I'm not her!”

“Oh, when the first case was over, Mary got Mondatta's handbook. They must know you spent a lot of time with Marianne.” Bliss leaned across the table. “It's probably not my place to ask, but what does it say?”

“Is that so?” In all honesty, the poet forgot about there being precedent for this sort of thing. He did spend time with Marianne, more than with any other Infinite these last few days, but they were all minute meetings with little substance... His curiosity quickly getting the better of him, he finished the piece of bacon he was holding, wiped his hand with a paper towel and carefully picked up one of the papers ahead of him. His eyes scanned the lines with commendable speed, finding general observations about the hospital, the killing game and the Infinites, some more specific than the others.

Then...one sentence caught his attention. It concerned him, and it made his heart skip a beat.

“What? It can't be...” he muttered, eyes growing wide with terror. He rushed ahead a few more lines but quickly stopped, slamming the paper back onto the pile. He did not believe what he was reading. “My apologies, I...I have to go.” Leaving Bliss' question unanswered, he stood up, almost pushing the chair out from under himself, gathered everything the robot gave him in his arms and hurried out of the break room.

Bliss watched the poet run off. “Is everything alright?” Bliss called, but Daimyon was already out the door. “Oh, there’s actually some people I need to check on. If anyone asks, there’s still plenty of breakfast out back.” the nanny excused herself from the table and left the dining room.

The elevator ground to a halt, though no small ringing sound accompanied its sudden stop. Its occupant took a second to compose herself, scanning the metal capsule she found herself stood in, waiting for the doors to slide open and reveal whatever Killing Game she had been dropped into. Why it was necessary for her to be moved to a different game, she wasn't sure, but her intuition told her that anything the Warlock Davis had planned, disaster was sure to follow.

She felt her fingers move on instinct, tapping against her thigh in a rhythm for the briefest of seconds while she waited - a nervous tick. Against the dimly lit cage a sharp static echoed, and its cold walls illuminated in the colours of her favourite psychotic mascot; her face similarly lighting with a smirk in response. She reached into her uniform, a black and white maids outfit reminiscent of Japan, and from it removed a large book, bound by leather, and beset with strangely intricate writing and symbols.

As the bear began to talk, she also drew from her vest a single, light purple felt tip pen, and flipped the pages open. With every name she heard she noted down what made them special in the world, and what Monokuma had to say about them. Each time the pen screeched against the thick sheets of paper her smile that creased her lips grew just a tiny bit more, the gears in her head ticking away in a world of their own.

“Faith Lambert is a matchmaker. And I don't mean she makes the burning type. She matches people based on their personality. Like if two people said that Faith was an annoying virgin that had no business trying to get people together... she would match them.”

At that, Faith's smile darkened.
"Hey! How dare you, Monokuma?! I'll have you know my powers are much more powerful than simply matching people!" as she yelled at the screen, the doors to the elevator slid open, revealing her stood, pen pointed at the mascots face, clutching her book tightly, "My mother is Ylemetris, Goddess of Love! I don't just match people, my power is love itself!"

As soon as she finished her rant, she gave a small pout, before turning and skipping out of the elevator, placing both pen and book back into her vest.
"Helooooooooo patieeeee...nts?" she called out, stepping into a corridor with three other people, "Y'know, I imagined there being a lot more people here. I'm disappointed with this turnout."

Faith took a second to look around the conglomeration of people, but in the next moment, as the elevator doors finished sliding shut, she found herself tightly pressed up against the cold metal. Two hands lay flat, blocking her escapes, and before her stood a countenance that made her smile.

Before Jez could say anymore, a high pitched sound emanated from her prey. Faith jumped at her, wrapping her arms around her neck in a massive hug as she hung from her.
"EeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEE! JEZEBEL!" she squealed, spinning the two around in a circle as they hugged, "Goooooooooooooood, its been so long! I missed you so much! The people in that game were such a drag, and four people got killed while you were gone!" she danced backwards slightly, smile beaming, "So how've ya been? Met any nice boys yet~?"

”Like of course! Total Baldwins as far as the eye can see!” Jezebel's arms had closed around Faith when she got pounced on. Once they were done spinning, she let go of Faith and stepped backwards. ”So like, I guess you're the only one huh?”

"Hmm? Well, yeah, of course!" Faith exclaimed, placing both hands on her hips, standing up straight, and pushing out both her head and chest, "I'm the only one you need! And the hero you deserve~! Everyone else was so boring, I could barely get them into relationships! There better be as many cuties as you say there are, cus I've got some serious work to catch up on~! My mother would be disappointed if I couldn't even get a single person matched!" at that, she quickly darted forward, so that the two girls faces were only a short distance away, "Who's your favourite~?"

”Wha?” Jezebel pulled her head back and gave the matchmaker a sideways glance. Her smile was still present. ”Well, like, I haven't been here that long.” Her eyes rolled around in her head, possibly searching for thoughts. ”But, if I had one one favourite in here, right now. Like, it would...” She wrapped her arms around Faith and pulled her into a bear hug. ”Totally be you!” Her grin only grew as she squeezed Faith as hard as she could.

Faith's only response was the sink into the hug, squeezing back as hard as she could as to not lose the hugging war. Never would she allow herself to love a hugging war; it would demean her as a vector of Love! Though, finding herself overpowered by Jezebel's positioning, she resorted to grabbing her foe around the waist.
"That's not fair, I'm not a boy!" she cried, pouting, "Unless you're admitting to being into me, my little clown~? I guess even a Trickster such as yourself cant escape the all consuming, carnal desires of my Tome of Lust~!" she exclaimed, giggling to herself as she fought.

Jezebel lightened her hug and let her hands rest on Faith's shoulders.”It's never platonic with you is it?” Jezebel shrugged before folding her arms. Her grin had weakened into a smile. ”You're not going to match me up with anyone. There are plenty of people around here that would probably like to be guided into a romance.”

That was when Danis appeared.

"Hey, beauty." Danis winked. "Could you please tell what happened here, before I arrived, babe?"
He then pointed at himself. "I am the espionage star, Danis Orlov. Infinite Spy. It is nice to see me, isn't it?"

”Oh look, he's totally your first customer!” Jezebel started to slip away. ”I'll see you later Faith, glad you're tre okay! ”

"Of course, where's the fun in shy cuddles when you can go all the way, huh~?" she giggled, before turning around to see Danis approaching them, "What do you mean, I can't match you~?" before Jez could begin to put any distance between the two, she grabbed the girls hand and pulled her in between herself and the spy, "Sorry, sweety, but..." she planted a kiss on Jez's cheek and laid her head on her shoulder, "...the stars just aren't in your favour today~"

Jezebel was only momentarily stunned by the kiss, but quickly resumed her mile wide grin. ”Whoops! I'm totally taken too it appears!”

Bacon; the cured slices of meat from various animals. If Thomas’s memory served him right, there was approximately fifty calories in a single slice. He had eaten only two, so that meant that he had consumed a total of one hundred calories so far today. Unsustainable, even for one of his size. When everyone left their table, Thomas remained for a few minutes and struggled with his orange for a little longer. After what seemed like hours — but was actually only a few minutes — he finally broke the peel open to reveal the sweet citrus inside… that had been mutilated by his hand’s barrage. Thomas sighed and continued peeling the orange, covering his hands with the juices in the process. The orange was malformed all over and especially where his thumb initially tried to drive through the peel.

Finally, once the orange was peeled, Thomas ate it. The orange was about eighty calories according to his memory, which would place his total today at around two hundred calories eaten. Enough for Thomas to spend some time exploring the new area he’s been introduced to.

He got up from his seat, grabbing his handbook, and noticed a notebook over by the kitchen. It must’ve been used by waiters and waitresses to take orders back when the hospital was fully functioning. He glanced around to see if anyone was watching — not that they’d care at all — and grabbed it before heading out the door and through another. One look around was all it took to know where he was, Thomas was at the Beach Resort.

---

Felix left the Zen garden with a relieved sigh. Although it was initially a rather awkward conversation, after warming up a bit, mercy and him had a pleasant conversation that somehow ended on pandas. But the zen garden’s soft soil made Felix nostalgic, he recalled running on his bare feet along the beach with nothing but the melody of the waves crashing against the shore. Lucky for him, there was a beach right across from the Zen garden. And with a few quick steps, he was greeted by the indoor beach, and impressed by the authentic mood it gave off.

He was already removing his shoes before remembering what happened a few minutes ago, so before embarrassing himself again he checked his surroundings, and it was good thing that he did; while he already knew Mercy, this new kid would surely get a completely wrong view of Felix. So after clearing his throat, he started with:

“Hey kiddo! Came here for a quick dive too?”

Thomas’s solitude was short lived, ended by the appearance of the man from before. The one with striking eyes, Infinite Free runner. Felix’s behavior seemed rather aloof; initially Thomas thought that he didn’t want to concern himself with Thomas.

When Felix first entered the beach room, Thomas, like the wallflower he was, just watched. Admittedly, Thomas would have preferred he remained unnoticed, he didn’t leave the dining hall to spend more time with other infinites. However, Felix was a special case: someone with a physical talent could catch Thomas’s interest far easier than most.

“Oh… well...” Thomas slowly let the words trickle out of his mouth. Swimming was so far from what Thomas wanted to do that it was the opposite of what Thomas wanted to do right now. He did have a vague idea that the door he took would lead here, and he had hoped to spend some solitary time organizing his thoughts in his new notebook; Definitely not going in the water though. On top of that, Thomas did not like Felix calling him kiddo. Wasn’t he only two years older than Thomas? For now he’d have to let it slide.

“No.” Thomas finally said abruptly, shifting his gaze to Felix.

“Well I hope you don’t mind me working out a bit here. I always love to run along the beach, and occasionally cool off in the water.” he said with a cheery smile while removing his socks and sweater.

Thomas recalled this morning, when he first saw Felix. He learned a lot just by watching; but this was an opportunity to learn more. In fact, this was a prime situation for Thomas to learn about someone. He couldn’t help but feel a little excited; it’s been a while since he’s watched someone athletic in action. Rather than turning to his notebook to organize his thoughts, Thomas took a seat in the sand and continued to look at Felix while he undressed.

After removing his shirt and rolling up his pants, he gave Thomas a quick glance before starting to run along the beach from one end to the other and back. Even though this was just an average pace for him, Felix was running at at least 12 miles per hour. On his way back he slowed down a bit to be able to commune with Thomas.

“Thomas right? Have you met the others yet?” A slight pant slipped his lungs as he spoke, perhaps he lost a bit of aptitude while recovering from his injury, but he’d swear that 12 mph wasn’t as taxing before being trapped. “I’d like to believe we’re quite a jolly bunch.”

Thomas had expected something great from the Infinite Freerunner, but this was something else entirely. The last time he’d seen someone run like that with this much ease, the only time in fact, was with him. Thomas murmured something under his breath, afterwards snapping to attention once Felix spoke.

He had in fact met some of the others, at least two he had even made small talk with, but Felix’s inquiry quickly brought a whole new unexplored issue to the front of Thomas’s mind. It was something he may or may not have prefered to think about; but he would’ve had to hear about it eventually.

“That’s right. You’re felix.” he said, rather resolutely. His gaze narrowed and he looked away from the blonde haired man, to the beach that lay in front of him. “I have met some people, I’ve seen some people too but... ” Thomas’s gaze shifted back to Felix. Even in Thomas’s lack of countenance, one would’ve been able to tell through his eyes that something sinister was on his mind. “The ones I haven’t seen. They’re dead, aren’t they?”

When Thomas asked Felix the question, he didn’t stop to look at Thomas, he kept running, but his smile had disappeared.

“They are. Murdered and executed in cold blood, just like Quill and Mason. You know those two were actually part of this group once?” He ‘accidentally ran through the water, and the splashes perfectly hid the tears on Felix’s face. “I don’t understand how they could betray each other like that. I hate them. I hate them all.” He spoke those last words as stopped his momentum in front of Thomas.

“How do you do it? How do you deal with these things?”

Thomas waited for Felix to finish talking and stood up, his eyes on his fellow infinite the entire time. His eyes still held their shape, but they had lost their intensity from before. He raised his two hands together, firmly clasping them in front of him. The smell of citrus was still on them where he tore into the orange.

“It’s terrifying, isn’t it. How someone could sink to such depravity, such animosity, all through the demand some perverted puppet.” Thomas answered clearly, although something seemed off about his tone. Additionally, his answer was somewhat convoluted, seemingly dodging the question Felix just asked.

Thomas turned away from Felix, letting his hands fall once again to his side. “Your Gastrocnemius looks to have wasted. You must have hurt your leg to get into Axis Mundi.” he remarked, stepping away from Felix and towards the door. “Meeting you — the Infinite Free Runner — was nice. If you come find me later, I might be able to assist in your rehabilitation.” Thomas added as he opened the door, leaving Felix to his own devices. There was still much to do today for Thomas, and no time at all to dawdle.

---

Following her good meal, Noel decided now was the time for some refreshing exercise. And luckily for her the dojo was just on the other side of the hallway. Still in a good mood from her encounter with Ice, she hummed her way across the short distance. As she opened the sliding door into the japanese-themed training grounds,she was greeted with a most unexpected sight.

After his encounter with Emily, Max started moving towards the dining room, hoping to get a good meal after his workout. Yet while walking the hallways, he noticed that his hip felt rather light. When he looked down to see what was up, a sigh echoed through the empty hallway; max had forgotten his pistol holster in the dojo. It wasn't that he particularly needed it, but leaving it in the dojo would just be rude. luckily, he didn't get very far before realising that he need to go back, so within a few long steps, he was back where he started, in the dojo. When he turned around however, Noel was standing in the doorway.

"Owh, greetings Hawthorne, were you looking for me?"

"Greetings, Fisherman." Noel teased, knowing what his last name meant through her many foreign experiences. "Oh, I am always looking for people. You know, those who are willing to share their deepest, most intimate secrets with me? Alas, I do not think you the type." She winked cheekily. "No, I'm here to resume training. I never got to finish yesterday. I can't let myself get sloppy, now can I? Or even worse: lazy." She chuckled as she closed the door behind her and walked over to the locker she had claimed for herself.

Max gave an oblivious look as Noel played with his last name, since he didn't speak Dutch, the pun went straight over his head. but that look quickly returned to his usual expression, with the addition of a slight chuckle as noel continued to tease Max. and finally, his look flowed into a pleasantly surprised one. he never expected that Noel's reason for coming here was to train, however obvious that might've been. Maybe it was because of her playful attitude, or maybe because he was lacking any kind of training partner, but he found himself drawn towards Noel.

"You know, I am happy to see that at least you take care of your body in case you ever need it in this god-forsaken place. And uh, I am still looking for a training partner, if you'd like." He said as he untied his tie and left it in a corner.
"Owh, and sharing secrets goes both ways."

Noel rose a brow to the cop. "And what makes you think I haven't needed it?" She questioned him. "I have been here for much longer than most of you." She reminded him. Honestly, she had stopped counting the days by this point. Regardless, even though she had met many pleasant people in this place, happy memories were few and far in between. She had to agree, this place was hell.

She opened her locker, pulling out a gi similar to the one she had worn to the trial yesterday. However, this one definitely did not have the smell of sweat accumulated after hours of intense labour. Yes, as strange as it seemed she definitely preferred clean sportswear. "And what makes you think you're fit to be my training partner?" She teased the cop, knowing fully well he possessed substantial martial prowess. She put a finger to her chin and smiled. "Is that what you ask to every girl that walks in here? To engage in intense physical exercise? And to ask for a lady's secrets on top of that. How extraordinarily bold! You're certainly very... forward." It was blatantly written on her face that she was having way too much fun with this.

"Didn't mean to offend miss, I'm just happy that i'm not the only one training." he responded. "But I'll have you know that I didn't acquire my title by devouring donuts and checking camera footage behind a desk all day. And I don't ask anyone, I'm asking you." Despite the common thoughts, even Max could relax and mingle now and then, providing that the situation allowed. And right now, he needed distraction, he needed training, and Noel could provide both.

"I'm assuming you want to put your gi on, so I'll give you minute." He said as he walked towards the exit. "I'll be waiting outside so you can call me whenever you're ready."

"No offense taken." Noel responded, before silently but obviously questioning the cop's next statement with her expression. But it was quite obvious she was just teasing the cop. "Yes, that's one secret I'm not sharing." She said while making shooing motions to the cop.

One minute later Noel called Max back in. The girl didn't exactly look imposing in her outfit. She wasn't a huge bundle of muscle as some famous martial artists of the past, nor was she tall and imposing. The female almost looked more as if she was playing dress-up than a serious martial artist. "So tell me, Maxie Fisherman. How did you deserve your title, besides eating donuts and watching security cameras that is."

Taking a few steps inwards after Noel summonded him, Max was imidiately struck by the phenomenon known as journalism. While their interaction up to this point had been mostly shits and giggles, he knew that Noel's talent would surface sooner rather then later. Whenever the press bombarded him with question during investigations and the like, Max would usually ignore them and continue his job, but since Noel was his training partner today, he might as well make it worthwile for her.

"Believe it or not, I'm not actually some kind of superhero cop who has contained a thousand criminals, and stopped homicides, genocides, and terrorist attacks all on my own. you see, us cops, we work together. Alone we might stop a thief, but united, we can stop an entire gang, you feel invincible." he removed his jacket and threw it next to his tie in the corner before continuing. "While my partner was unfit for physical duty, he was a master of intel, and through his instructions, I was able to contain a thousand criminals, prevent homicides, genocides, and terrorist attacks, but never on my own. Honestly, he deserves my title much more than me."

"Thats interesting and all, but you're kind of avoiding my question, aren't you?" Noel smirked as she started her warm-up exercises. Simple stretches, mostly.
"So why, of all the cops who work together and feel so invincible when they do their crime stopping... why did little big Maxie get the title? I mean, I've helped your corps with investigations before. Why didn't I get it?" She smirked. "C'mon, sweetheart. I know you can do better than that. Don't take me for your third-grade papparazzi or you'll lose in me in more ways than just a training bout." As she stretched her arms to touch her toe, she turned her head to the cop and stuck out her tongue mischievously.

"Alright then, you want to know how I enforce justice. I'm bold, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, I don't step back, and I don't hesitate." As he said that, he took on a battle stance in front of her. "But maybe it's easier to show you."

"See, it's not that hard to get to the point." She teased.
"Strange though, I swore you said this would be an exchange, yet I'm the only one doing the questioning... not that I mind, mind you." She said as she got into a fighting stance of her own. Hers was clearly defensive, anticipating his move. "So consider this your chance. Ask away."

"Don't mind if I do." He said as he engaged with a simple high kick with barely any force behind it to test her skill. "So where'd you learn mixed martial arts? It's not an ability commonly associated with journalism."

"The army." She answered plainly as she ducked under his kick and delivered a solid kick to his stationary leg, immediately trying to upset his balance.
"Don't mistake me for some measly tabloid writer, Max. I have seen and reported on disasters no police crew could handle on their own. I've been on the front of today's greatest wars. It pays off to be prepared." She said fiercely. Then she returned his verbal offensive with her own question."So what drove you to policedom? Child's ambition? Parents killed by the maffia?" As for combat, the reporter stayed on the defensive, almost provoking another attack of her training partner.

Max didn't expect Noel to swipe his leg from under him, but he was still able to turn the tumble into a dodge roll. With a smile he got up, knowing that he didn't have to hold back agains't her.

"I grew up in a neighbourhood filled with violence, but not violence by some gang or wasted thug. The police were corrupt. looking a cop in the eyes was enough to get you arrested, I couldn't stand it. By joining them, I was able to put a stop to the abuse, and a start to my career. " Noticing Noel's stance, Max decided to oblige and moved in with a double palm strike with his right arm, and while Noel was distracted with dodging those, he used his left arm to elbow strike her. "But I must say, I'm impressed, it must take considerable dedication to be on the front lines while simultaniously recording everything you see. So what was it that drove you?"

"Some story, not as exciting as the cliché maybe, but an interesting truth." She responded as she dodged the palm thrust with a sidestep. Preoccupied, she was a little too late to dodge the elbow strike. She managed to block it with her arm, but she'd feel that next morning. However, that move left the cop straight open as she grabbed hold of the arm he had just struck with, and attempted to put him into a nasty armlock.
"I lost... many things in the tragedy. In england, entire villages were wiped out. And now not even records of their existence remain...I'm the only living memory of my family." She said solemnly. "Someone needs to observe these tragedies. I am not strong enough to stop them, but I can at least let those who can live on in history." She quickly changed the topic with a question. "So, how did one sole cop stop the corruption likely seeped into the upper echelons of his organisation? That's not the feat of some everyday blue hat."

As Noel grabbed Max and put him in an armlock, Max did nothing to resist. But after the arms were locked, Max was somehow able to lift Noel up in the air, and he was intent on throwing her over his shoulder.

"Reality is rarely as exciting as the cliché. But it was indeed not easy to remove the corruption single handedly. To have a chance, I had to become what I despised in order to even get close to them. It still bothers me, but I was determined to see it through. Once I raised through the ranks, I started recruiting honest and fair members, and together with them, we eventually overthrew the corruption. The upper echelons are not clean yet, but every year, we get closer to it. You know, we could use someone like you, I bet you'd be amazing at snuffing out the rats hidden amongst us." a sense of determination oozed from Max as he spoke those words.

It was strange, this lock was supposed to keep his arm from moving completely. Had Max managed to alter it somehow? Unfortunately, the female was definitely light enough for the cop to lift. However, she was also much more flexible. With a swift movement her back curled, and her legs went upward. Within a second, Max would find it difficult to breathe as the reporter had her legs around his throat. "I'd be much obliged to help. A strong police force is good for all of us. But right now you're just telling me your succes stories. Certainly you must've failed somewhere as well." She'd await his response, once he was able to breathe again.

Max did not expect Noel to use his move against him. For someone asking about everyone else's secrets, she was sure full of surprises. this was quite a pickly he was in, if he wanted to get out of the strangle, he'd need to actually harm Noel, but hurting your training partner, a lady on top of that, would just be rude. So he instead gave up and surrendered, giving a slight cough after noel eventually released him.

"You're just full of questions aren't you?" Max jokingly stated. "If you come back tomorrow, you might find out."

Noel could only pout in response to that, even though the surrender made her a little happy.
"You tease!" She responded on a tone that was clearly annoyed. Patience was not Noel's strong suit. "Is this how the infinite cop keeps the girls coming back? I thought someone with your good looks didn't need to resort to tricks like that." She teased. "But alright, have it your way." She said dissapontedly.

"Now, now, If I give you everything now, there'd be nothing left for me to keep you, and I'd like to keep training with you." He was grabbing his shirt when he smelled his armpits. "Oef, and I need a shower anyway. I'll see you tomorrow then, same time, same place."

The reporter responded with a curt smile and a nod. "Till then."

Calvin woke up with a start. It took him a moment -- like it seemed to every day – to fully accept and understand that what had happened the day before was not some sick dream. He rubbed the back of his head and winced. Mercy had done what she could to ease the pain, and he had been told to rest. Shaking his head (and regretting the dull ache it brought), he stood up.

---

The forge roared under Calvin’s careful watch. There was a look of calm and careful consideration that so rarely came across his face away from the blazing flame. Even as Monokuma’s announcements blared, Calvin continued to hammer away, a small crease forming across his forehead.

So many new participants were about to become a part of Killgood’s game, and Calvin questioned from whence they all came. He had seen Rika, Thomas and Ellie after they joined last night, but he had not spoken much with any of them. Seeing Rika again had brought a familiar chill down his spine that he had not been sad to see go. Still. He was glad to see she was alright. Merely being alive seemed like something worth celebrating these days.

But there were more coming in. New faces and-

“Aleecia?” A frown crossed his face and the hammering stopped. She had been supposed to get out. Away from this. He was about to go, when a figure slowly entered the room.

”Hi Calvie-poo!” Alexandria was dressed like a nurse, and didn't appear to have her weapon on her. ”Now that superbad-evil-mean-nasty-spiteful-hate filled-Erin Steele is gone, we can talk about the fuuuutuuuuure!” She giggled before charging up to Calvin. ”Well? Are you really going to tell me our time together wasn't special?”

Calvin suppressed a groan at Alexandria’s bold entrance. She was never one for subtlety. While he had had some time to take in all that had happened, he wasn’t quite ready for this. “This is a joke, right?” He said, though he knew it wasn’t true. “I don’t know what you want from me, Alexandria. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a bit of a power dynamic here!” His hand hung in the air for a moment.

”The only power dynamic here is loooooove!” Alexandria shivered in place. ”As soon as you’re cured of hope, we’re going to move out into the suburbs and start a family. I’ll even change my last name to Ibbott!” She continued to walk towards Calvin. ”Come on Calvie-poo, maybe you don’t see any of that happening, but do you really feel I’m all evil? Is there really no ending where we ride into the sunset together on my horse?”

Cured of hope? If that was Alexandria’s goal, she was doing a good job. “I don’t know what you are. You’re killing us, Alexandria.” Almost involuntarily, he took a step back. There was a dull ache in his chest as he looked at the robot’s innocent eyes. There was no malice, but that only made it worse.

The robot stared at Calvin for several seconds in silence. ”Oh.” She took a step backwards. ”I get it now.” Alexandria didn't sound like her usual cute self. ”You're afraid of me. That's why you'll never tell me the truth. But it doesn't matter what I do at this point. You'll never be able to love me.” The robot hung her head. Her bangs covered her face. ”Am I right? Can you not forgive me? Love is over?” She started to make crying noises.

Calvin didn’t break his gaze. He had an opportunity, and as uncomfortable as he was, he knew he needed to make good on it. “I’m not - I.” All he had to do was say she could be forgiven. Alexandria had been an important ally, and one that he might need to survive all of this. But. “You killed her.” His voice choked up a little bit. He tried to say more, but little came. He could forgive her. But forgetting all the she had done, what she had been party to? He looked at Alexandria.

Her crying stopped instantly. ”What?” She lifted her head up. ”I killed her? Is that what you said?” She sounded normal again. ”That's pretty mean Calvie poo, blaming me for Shona's actions. If everyone did what they were suppose to do, no one would have gotten booped!” Her head slowly bobbed left and right. ”But I'd have found a way to boop her anyway. She was getting to close to you.” She giggled. ”I didn't pick you just so that you could run off with any hussie who takes interest in you. But that’s love, isn’t it? It's a flame that needs to be nurtured in order to grow. Part of nurturing that flame is forgiving you. But the other part is booping every girl you take interest in.” Her eyes started to glow red. ”I'm going to pay super extra attention to you from now on. I'll watch your every move, every interaction, and make sure no one can surpass me in your heart.”

Calvin’s face drained of all colour. Almost unconsciously, his hand move towards the hammer hanging off of his apron, but it stopped immediately. He didn’t stand a chance. “Fucking...” There was a hint of desperation in Calvin’s voice as his throat hitched. He glanced to his work, noticing that it still had work to be done. Refusing to say anything more, he made his way for the exit, his mouth a tight line across his face.

”But I’ll never hurt you Calvin, you can trust me on that.” The doll backed up into a wall and disappeared behind a veil of smoke.

Calvin stepped out of the crematorium, his face pale as ash. As he moved through Axis Mundi, he tried to still his mind, though little came of it. It wasn’t until he found himself in front of the POD room that his feet - and thoughts - came to a halt. He gingerly pushed the door open, taking a deep breath as he did so.

Even though he knew Aleecia would be in the room, there was still something surprising about seeing her there, surrounded by Nariko and Rika. For half a moment, he felt as he had when the game had started. Back then, he had had no idea what was to come. He felt his shoulder clench up as he looked at the two infinites. “I’m... glad you guys are alright.” He took a step towards them, before stopping himself. “I mean, are you alright? What’s it been like?” He turned to Rika, but his eyes passed over Aleecia with more than a glimmer of concern.



Aleecia had been rather enjoying herself after waking up. She hadn’t left the room and re-entered the killing game yet, or at least, that’s the way she thought of it. Her time with the robot and Firebug had been quite enjoyable, even if Ice had apparently had a bad time. As the door opened, Aleecia brought her head up, her eyes still closed and listened to try to figure out who the new arrival was. She hadn’t been able to properly categorize the different footsteps of the Infinites here, so her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to place them.

When she heard the voice, she smiled, “Oh! Hi Calvin, how are you? It’s been awhile, I do hope that you are doing better after... That night. Oh, me? I’m well!” Her smile grew brighter, “Better than ever before, actually.” She walked closer to where Calvin was standing, she reached out a hand to grasp his.

Calvin breathed a sigh of relief at Aleecia’s smile and reassuring words. He nodded, then realized the futility of the gesture. “I wish I could say the same. I’m. I’m getting there.” Something about seeing these two infinites again made Calvin wilt a little. He had though, hoped that something might change. But here they were. In the same building with the same infinites, and they seemed to have learned nothing. He was glad Aleecia couldn’t see his face, though he was intensely aware of Rika and Nariko’s presence. As she approached, she offered a hand. Calvin removed a gauntlet and took it, squeezing slightly. “You were supposed to get out of here.”

“That may be true, but now that I am here, I’ll be able to support you all, right? So I’ll just leave it up to fate, because I don’t want to believe that anyone here has it in them to kill.” She brought her head down, mulling over different experiences and scenarios in her head, “And... A-And if I do die... I’ll know that I’ve at least touched someone’s life, right?” A small tear slipped down her cheek as she thought of the people who had died for them, and the people who had felt the desperation to escape. Mondatta had been kind and caring, and Shona had been an entire world above her. If she could just make a difference, that was what she wanted. Something better than standing at the sidelines, something better than just doing what she’s told and awarding people with ulterior motives.



After Aleecia spoke about how if she were to die she’d still touch someone here and her memory would live on with them, Rika let out a soft bletch away from her blind friend. The smell of Bliss’ bacon emerged from her mouth and filled the air near her, once she wiped her mouth with her hand she pressed the play button on her recorder.”Excuse me!” The very moment that Aleecia had a tear slide down her face, Rika went to hug her in a tight hug wiping away her tear as she squeezed her tight.

Nariko, dressed again, also wandered up to Aleecia and hugged her for no particular reason. ”Without love, dying is the only thing that can give souls like ours meaning.”

“Robot!” Rika’s tape played.” Machine, cold uncaring.” It continued. As the robot joined the hug, Rika turned to the machine disliking how she joined the hug and speaking about love, she stared at the machine with her good eye glaring at her, she felt the robot woman’s cold steel press against her skin, the new hug felt uncomfortable with the third wheel added into it and if Nariko didn’t have one of her arms around Rika too, she’d let go.

Calvin stayed a few steps away. He wanted to join them, hold them close and assure them things would be alright. But he couldn’t. Something about the way Aleecia spoke put him on edge. “But they can. And they have, Aleecia.” He looked at the group intently. “Living through this is the only thing that matters here. We can take care of each other, but nothing is worth your life. Or any of ours.” He was sick of martyrs. If he was responsible for any more, he wasn’t sure what he would do.

“ Take care of.” Rika’s recorder spoke up.” Rika will.” She played it again.” Rika will take care of, Friend.”

As the two girls surrounded her, Aleecia’s eyes peeked open, before she smiled again. She nudged her head against Nariko’s and patted Rika’s arm with her other hand. As Calvin spoke up, her eyebrows furrowed again. Really, Aleecia had never done much in her life meaningful, which is the reason she was so ready to be a martyr. The girl bit her lip, trying to keep more tears from falling, trying to focus on both the reality of this killing game and the girls’ embrace at the same time. “Okay,” She smiled at the sound of Rika’s recorder, “And I’ll take care of you, Friend.”

”If your heart is filled with love, it will yearn for nothing..” Nariko’s eyes closed with a click. ”But my body will always be cold and hollow.”

With the robot’s words, Aleecia let go of Calvin’s hand to wrap her arm around the robot’s waist and give it a squeeze. But before the girl could say anything else, a loud howl of outrage echoed throughout the room, seemingly coming from the poor Dice Master’s stomach. “So... Anyone hungry?”

After her meeting with the infinite doctor and Ice, Ellie began using the handbook to find out who else was trapped in here with her. The Caretaker swiped through the e-handbook memorizing the faces and names of everyone here with her, as she swiped through the names, she slowly forgot her previous task she set out on and began wandering around the hospital. She found herself heading up to the second floor just looking around, Ellie looked through one of the windows to the pharmacy noticing shelves of medication, if she were to ever see Ice in pain again she knew where to get him painkillers to ease his pain; after seen all she needed to see from the pharmacy, she moved onto another room and unfortunately she found the morgue.

The second her hand touched the door, Ellie knew she didn't want to go into the room, she let go of the handle and went over to the cosmetic surgery room. Everything inside of the room looked foreign to the Caretaker, the tools and drugs looked stranged and were named strange long words she never heard before, next door was another room called the implant workshop. Like the last room, all of the machines were used to make weird molds of silicone with other substances, as she stared at the machinery she wondered what kind of implants were created using plastic, but as she continued to think about it, the former memory of what Ellie was doing came to the front of her mind.

The Caretaker noticed that nobody was on the floor she was on and decided that she should look elsewhere, she went over to the Resort, as he searched for the others, she did her best to her mission in the front of her head. She poked her head into the mono-shop before going over to the study and being bumped into by someone, it was Alice and behind her was Braden."Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized to the one-eyed girl." I just wanted to tell you about the breakfast down in the dining hall." Once she looked past the two she noticed that they weren't the only ones that were in the study, there were others.

Cyrus opened the door to the study. It looked empty, but he knew better. He grabbed a chair from one of the study's desks and slid it over to the ajar vault, right in front of the narrow opening.Cyrus seated himself comfortably next to the vault. He knocked on the vault door twice, and it didn't take long to get a response. His knocks were echoed by a metalic hand. Cyrus peered through the small opening, straight at the sister of carnage. "Well, Hello there, you must be Alice Parker, correct? I'm Cyrus Brandon, the infinite politician." Cyrus put up a façade of politeness, but he was less than amused to see another one of these things in the game. And to make things worse, this one just had to be a little weirder than the rest. Alice Parker, one hell of an enigma. Cyrus couldn't fathom why this thing existed, but he was going to find out one way or another.

”Hello Cyrus.” The single red eye of the carnage sister seemed to blink into existence, or at least opened up. There was enough light coming through that the politician could make out some of the robot's head. Her construction looked a lot more rugged than the other carnage sisters. Also, because Cyrus was a bit more knowledgeable about the tragedy, he could tell she wasn't modeled after Junko. Her curtained black hair was more like Junko's sister Mukuro. ”You survived the trial, I'm happy.” She placed a hand on the edge of the door. ”Who was the blackened, if I may ask?”

The blackened?" Cyrus repeated. "The blackened was Erin Steele... you knew him as Shaun Ellen." Cyrus explained. "The wallet you found was also his. It was... very incriminating. I guess we, as a group, do owe you thanks for giving it to us."

”Ohhhhh” The eye looked at the floor. ”That is a shame. I had wanted to talk to him more. But I suppose it can't be helped, he died for a good cause.”

He observed the new carnage sister, and was intrigued by the observation that she seemed to be modeled after Junko's twin sister. He could only wonder why. However, he wasn't here to ponder that right now. Instead, he didn't hesitate to go immediatetely to questioning. "So, Miss Parker. If I am not mistaken. I was told that this vault opens more every time a blackened is executed? That's... a very odd condition for release. Why did Davis lock you up like that?" Before Parker got a chance to answer, he added something to his question. "And, well, what do you intend to do if you actually get out?

”I do not know why the door functions like that, only that it does.” she laughed like a wraith. ”As for what I'm going to do once the door opens, do you even have to ask? I'm going to end the infinite killing game.”

Cyrus wanted to respond to that. How? Why? But before he could do any of that, he was distracted by the sound of the study's door suddenly opening behind him.



There was a groan coming from the doorway. “Ewww, this place is so creepy. Totally something you’d like, bestie~” The ventriloquist peered from the doorway of the library and towards the politician. “Hnnnnng, the hottie is here too~ My day just got infinitely better~” Elias giggled without a care in the world while Braden approached the vault, somewhat hesitantly.

Next to Braden, an audible facepalm can be heard from Alice, as she turned to Elias with her usual unamused look. "Ya think?" The recon sarcastically asked the puppet, before turning to Cyrus. "Suprised to see you here, Mr. Brandon. Curiosity got the best of you?"

"Caution." Cyrus responded. "Unlike some fools, who just accept the existence of every aberration and move on with their business. I'd actually like to know what we're dealing with." His response was fierce, but he had little regard for how the infinite recon had handled Alice Parker's existence. How could someone with her credentials forego a proper threat assessment? This he would never understand. Perhaps someone in the infinity initiative had been sleeping when they scouted her. He greeted the ventriloquist with a silent gesture, not entirely sure how to respond to him and his puppets. At the very least he was putting up a good performance."So, you were saying..." He turned back to the carnage sister. "When this door opens, how exactly will you end this killing game?"

”I'm actually not sure.” The robot seemed to stand up. It's single glowing eye was high above everyone's head. ”I suppose I'm going to destroy everything. That might mean killing every patient, it might mean destroying all my sisters...”The robot pressed it's head against the opening. ”But once I step outside this vault, everything will end. The infinite killing game will start to end.”

Letting Elias gawk at the politician with heart eyes, Braden used Erica to question the newest carnage sister. “Wait, you gonna kill us as well? So we either die to another patient, or by a tin can? God this game is stupid, and whoever created you is stupid too!” The puppet harrumphed, her arms crossing against her chest before falling limp once more.

“Why can’t you just rip open this door anyway? Don’t you useless scraps of metal have that super strength bullshit to rip open the door?” Erica later asked.

"Too heavy perhaps, but that's not important." Alice answered, walking closer to the vault. "I'm giving you a chance, even if Cyrus thinks I shouldn't. So if you end up trying to kill the other patients here, so help me, I'll send you to the hell the lady you were named after went to." The recon explained to Parker, gritting her teeth.

The robot tipped it's head. ”There seems to be a misunderstanding.” Parker whispered before looking at Masson. ”I'm simply stating that I will do everything in my power to shut down what's going on here. I would kill Davis himself if that is what is required. All I know is that the game is over once I am free. That is my role to play.” The robot laughed again. ”But I'm glad you want to survive. Unfortunately I can't feel fear, nor do I feel you are a particularly large threat.” Parker's eye moved onto Braden. ”I'm not sure why you're pretending to be that tiny doll, but I have my own set of rules that prevent me from breaking out of here. Five inches isn't what I need to fit through the door, it's what I need before I am allowed to destroy it. Robots are slaves to the rules, Humans are merely compelled to obey them.” She retreated back into the darkness for a few seconds and then reemerged. The robot pushed a narrow box through the opening, just a little narrower than the two inches provided. ”Thank you for visiting me. This box contains some beta tapes. I saved it for Shaun because he seemed interested in the history of this place. But since he's gone, you can have it.” Parker pulled herself away from the crack and disappeared into the darkness.

Alice sighed as she took the box from Parker and turned to the other two. "I want to trust her, but I also want to keep my word of watching out for others..." The recon then laughed sadly. "Why do I make promises I can't keep? I'm such an idiot."

Erica harumphed again. "There is NO way I'm trusting THAT thing. Carnage sisters are fake, you should never trust fakes."

Cyrus shook his head. His expression less than amused. "I see absolutely no imperative to trust her. As she said, she has no clue how she is going to 'end' this killing game. She is driven by directives unknown to her. You're not trusting her, you're trusting whatever malicious person created her." Cyrus was happy at least Braden - or his puppet - seemed to agree with him. That said, Cyrus couldn't help but stick up his nose at Masson's last statement. "Spoken like my colleagues." He said. "And the reason none of them have my title." He then turned his gaze to the box. "So what are we doing with those? We have no player for them."

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe we could save these for later?"

Whether or not the recon noticed, Elias seemed to pick up some animosity coming from the politician. It was still hot, but definitely not preferable in this scenario. Were they really trying to show the carnage sister weakness when they were supposed to prove that there was nothing wrong? Braden looked towards the vault with distrust. No matter what Alice said, there was nothing inside him telling him to believe the carnage sister. As far as he was aware: her creator was the reason he was stuck in this place to begin with, and he was not interested in giving his trust away as easily as the violinist liked to.

"I just wanted to tell you about the breakfast down in the dining hall." It was Ellie's call for breakfast that seemed to break the tension. Elias giggled nervously before his head turned between Cyrus and Alice.

"Alright~ Time to feed my wifey~!" The puppet finally turned to Cyrus before beckoning him over towards the door, silently asking for the politician to follow after him before disappearing through the doors.

Cyrus entered the dining hall with Braden in tow. He hadn’t had the opportunity to talk with the infinite ventriloquist before, but Cyrus could now only describe him as… odd. He could understand someone having a love for his craft, but did he have to use those puppets all the time? Also, why was the male puppet fixated on calling him his wife? Cyrus didn’t dislike the guy, but he doubted he could maintain conversation with this infinite for long without going mad. As Braden took a seat, Cyrus excused himself to get food for them both, making his way towards the nearby kitchen.

But Cyrus would encounter someone on the way to their destination. Bliss was briskly walking after the poet when Cyrus entered the room just after Daimyon left. She stopped in her tracks. “O-oh, Hello Cyrus. I don't think you've eaten yet have you?” She looked at his stomach, as if to examine how full it was. “There's still plenty of food out back, just sit down and I'll be right back!” She pulled out a chair to an empty table and walked off. It was not hard to imagine she would return swiftly with something to eat.

Cyrus smiled and nodded curtly. ”Good morning, Bliss.” He responded. He could smell the food coming from the back, and it immediately significantly improved his mood. The encounter with Parker had put quite a dent in it. ”I haven’t, indeed.” Cyrus was going to say that it was fine, that he’d get the food. He couldn’t let her do all the work, now could he? However, the nanny moved around a little too quickly for Cyrus to get his response in. He resigned himself to getting served, and quietly sat down at the table.

It didn't take bliss long to return with a plate of hot food. The eggs were still steaming, and the smell of bacon was inviting to almost anyone. The pancakes were also all very uniform in size, and could have come right out of a TV commercial. It was probably a little too much food for the politician. “I ate earlier, I hope you don't mind if I sit here.” Bliss pulled out a seat for herself and sat across from Cyrus. She didn't attempt to start a conversation. The nanny propped her head up on her arm and tapped the table with her fingers.

”Go right ahead.” Cyrus answered politely. The food looked absolutely wonderful. It reminded him a lot of the food his mother used to make, when he still lived at home. However, Cyrus could not help but feel there was an ulterior motive at work here. He took a few cautious bites from the bacon and pancakes, leaving the eggs to cool a little. Finally, he decided to initiate some conversation. ”How are you feeling? Yesterday must’ve been hard on you.” He asked with concern. He did remember that Bliss had cared for the ‘innocent and vulnerable’ Shaun. He wondered if she just wanted someone to talk to right now.

She turned to look at Cyrus. “W-well, yesterday was hard on everyone.” Bliss sat up straight and fret her brow. “But it it could have been a little bit easier if it wasn't for you!” Bliss didn't give Cyrus time to respond. He barely had time to change his facial expression. “We talked about your temper, and you did it again!” Cyrus could feel the scorn radiating off of the elegantly dressed woman. “How Jezebel treated Krista wasn't nice, but that's no excuse for you to act like a big jerk!”

Cyrus almost choked on his pancakes as Bliss started her lecture. ”Well, we’re not talking about something that just… changed overnight, you know?” Cyrus was somewhat sorry for Jezebel, though her behaviour was definitely reprehensible as well. He shifted on his chair uncomfortably, not exactly sure what to say. ”I mean, do I deeply regret my actions… you know...” He muttered. Today definitely was not his day.

Bliss folded her arms and looked away from Cyrus. “We don't have Mondatta anymore.” Bliss's eyes drifted away from the politician. “I wanted to yell at her too, but we can't work together if we let our emotions get the best of us.” Bliss closed her eyes. “Even Krista wasn't as polite as she could have been. We were all arguing with our emotions at that point.” She sighed before cracking her eyes open and looking at Cyrus. “You're the infinite politician. People look up to you. If you're going to take your position seriously you have to work on your temper.”

Cyrus knew that Bliss was correct, he never disputed that. ”I have been using the zen garden lately. I think it works… just not instantly.” He pointed out. ”I swear, I am working on it. But you can’t expect this to just up and vanish in less than a week’s time, can you?” He sighed. ”This… it’s new to me too, you know? At least at this severity...” It was no excuse, but it was the truth. Cyrus could only explain it as the stress of the killing game piling up on what already existed beforehand. ”I just need time...”

Bliss listened to everything Cyrus said before resting her hands on the edge of the table. “Well, I'm not sure it's a good idea to be by yourself in this place.” She was leaning forward in her chair. “Would you mind if I started going with you? I think it's something I could benefit from as well.”

Cyrus looked up at her. ”That sounds like a lovely idea.” The politician said. ”But are you sure? I reckon you have more things you want to do than just stick around me.” He wondered out loud. He could definitely see the upside. It was safer for them both to have someone accompanying them. And as they were discussing this a public space, it’d be unlikely they would turn on each other later. That was the benefit she was talking about, right?

Bliss shook her head “No, I've wanted to use the zen garden a few times myself, but I can't focus when I'm by myself. I won't be there all the time, but let me know when you're going and I'd like to come with you.” She stood up. “I didn't really want to yell at you after getting your breakfast out.” the nanny placed a hand on the side of her face. “I hope it still tastes good.”

Cyrus smiled. ”Can’t let something like that sour the mood. I’m not holding it against you, I completely understand where you’re coming from. And it still tasted delicious.” He answered. But he couldn’t help wonder. ”What do you need the zen garden for? Are you sure you’re feeling well?”

The nanny rubbed her shoulder. “I just, don't think it's safe for people to be alone with their thoughts is all.” Bliss took a few steps away from the table. “Speaking of, I haven't seen Caora or Mary. I'm going to go check up on them.” The nanny walked away from the table. “Come find me later when you plan on going, alright?”

Cyrus nodded approvingly, then continued eating his breakfast until the last bite.

Daimyon clutched Marianne's notes and e-handbook tight as he rushed through the hallway wordlessly. His mind was going a mile a minute and his heart was racing it as he quickly checked his own identification at the door of his room, slamming it shut once he was inside. He tested the door to make sure it was closed, then breathed a sigh of momentary relief. With slower, lumbering steps he walked up to his table, shoved away the diary and placed down the new documents. As he sat down and took the same piece of paper into his hands for a second time, he could only hope he had grossly misread it...

---

---

Daimyon reached the end of the page. He scoured over it again, then flipped through the rest of the notes, hungry for knowledge and desperate to find out more. The feeling was akin to an excellent novel ending on a cliffhanger—except the protagonist was him and instead of healthy excitement, reading the lines and filling in the blanks with his imagination awoke dread in him. He had more questions than when he had started reading, and he soon realised he would not find what he was looking for between the numerous plant descriptions and general observations of events that he himself had experienced.

Shoving the pile of notes away, his attention fell on the e-handbook that sat below them. He turned it on, and sure enough, Marianne Eniola Roche flashed on the screen. It belonged to her, and Daimyon knew it could be used to enter her room. He also recalled the Carnage Sister's words: that there was more to find in there. An unmistakable gut feeling struck him in that same moment and his resolve shook. Who knew what could await him at a place where no one had been since the tragedy? Still, his hands were tied. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it would not kill Daimyon Londe. He would become stronger by it, he swore.

He had to visit Marianne's room.

Bliss decided to see how Mary and Caora were doing. Mary was devastated after the last murderer, and this one was going to be especially hard on her, being that she had feelings for Shaun. Caora probably needed some comforting too. He had also been rather close to Shaun, as the two spent a lot of time together. It was difficult to pick which needed her help more. In truth, she wanted to help both of them. She was going to help both of them. So it was just a matter of picking who she felt would be easier to help. It was a tough choice but...

“Caora?“ Bliss knocked on the infinite trap's door. “Can I come in?“

Caora was in the corner of the room, clutching his doll while rocking back and forth.
He yelped in fear when he heard the knock, and shivered.
”Why...What’s the point?” He meekly answered.
”Shaun is dead...There’s no hope...”

Bliss did a fair bit of crying last night, but she felt the need to dry her eyes on her arm. “Caora...“ The death of a friend was a hard topic to breech with anyone. This was especially true when dealing with someone with Caora's unique quirks. But Bliss had been in the boy's position herself. The worst thing you could do was stay quiet. Anything was better than silence. “Shaun is dead, and it's very sad..“ Bliss leaned against the frame of the door. “But there's always hope, and I'm still here if you need anything.“ She waited for a response.

After about a minute of time, the door slowly opened, and Caora stood at the other side; his eyes were puffed from crying, his lower lip trembling. He held the doll tight to his chest.
”Miss Bliss...Can I have a hug?” The boy asked, with the kind of sad expression that could cause anyone to pity him.

There was no hesitation. The nanny leaned in to give the boy a gentle hug. She was overcome with a sense of relief. It felt good to be able to break through to Caora, but Bliss felt like she was wearing a mask the entire morning. She almost let it down in front of Cyrus, but there were too many people around. No one should see her this week.. But Bliss knew she didn’t have to keep pretending in front of Caora. The nanny wasn't sure who needed this hug more. With a sniff, she pulled away from the boy. “So Caora, are you hungry? I cooked breakfast for everyone.“

Caora calmed down after Bliss’ heartwarming hold, and managed a weak smile.
”Thank you, Miss Bliss.” He blinked upon hearing the question, and averted his eyes. ”Umm...Well...” His stomach grumbled, and he blushed.
”I...I would like that.”

The nanny let out a chuckle. “Alright, let's go.” She kept a hand on Caora's shoulder and walked him towards the dining area. If he got along better with Mary, The nanny would have considered inviting him along to cheer up the streamer. However, that did not seem like the wisest thing to do. Caora might have been cooperating, but that did not mean he wasn't still grieving, or that he would remain that way. But Mary was not outside of Bliss's thoughts. Once Caora was seated, Bliss zipped over to the kitchen and quickly returned with Caora's food. “I'll be right back, I just have to check up on someone.” Bliss gave the trap a warm smile before heading back downstairs.
”Okay. Goodbye, Miss Bliss!” The Infinite Trap waved his dainty little arm as she left.

---

Bliss had good luck coaxing Mary out of her room last time, but she doubted Mary would leave her room so easily this time. “Mary?” Bliss knocked on the door. “Are you alright? I made breakfast for everyone.”



There were faint sounds coming from the room, barely discernible, and then Mary opened the door. She had not put makeup on, and was wearing a long-sleeved sweater she found in one of the new rooms opened before Marianne’s murder. With her hair also undone to her trademark pigtails, she looked like a completely different person. She stared at the Infinite Nanny with a furious look.
”Does it look like I’m alright, Bliss? DOES IT FUCKING LOOK LIKE THAT!?”

Being screamed at was not exactly what Bliss was used to hearing when she told people there was food ready.“Gheh!” The nanny was not in an emotionally stable state herself. She could feel her heart racing inside her chest. She was never especially confident when dealing with older people, especially ones this upset. There was little her experience as a nanny could do to help get her through this situation. “Mary, we were all hurt by what happened last night.” Bliss's voice was shaking. “But I just wanted you to know that I'm still here if you need anything.”

Mary looked like she was about to explode. Her fists clenched so hard her long nails dug into her palms and drew blood, and she bit her lip with a gnaw. And then, she began sobbing.
”Nnnnghh! I can’t believe this!” She took Bliss’ hand, and lowered her head.
”I’m sorry I yelled at you like that, Bliss! I’m just...Everything I’ve worked towards...My popularity, my fans...I wanted to deny it, but I needed the attention. And at first, I thought nothing would change, that I’d still be with people I know.” She looked up.
”But now, with Shaun dead, and poor Cookie having shut himself in his room...I realized I’m no Infinite. I can’t do anything while good people like Mondatta or Marianne get murdered. I’m nothing. And it hurts.”

Bliss sighed. She wasn't sure what she would have done if the streamer had continued yelling at her. While the nanny felt like she had started to break through, she couldn't feel happy about it. Bliss was too tired. “Oh Mary....” Her voice was wispier. Not because Bliss was trying to be gentle, but because she was really that tired. She pushed her hat off of her head and weakly wrapped her arm around Mary's shoulders. She still held onto Mary's hand as long as she permitted. “None of us were able to protect those that died.” Bliss patted Mary's back. “But you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. While Caora might not rely on you as much as you like, there are those of us that do. I know I wouldn't have been able to vote for Erin if you weren't there with me.” Bliss leaned away from Mary so that she could look at her face. “I’m definitely your biggest fan in here.”

Mary drew in a long breath, and sniffled. ”Really? You’re not just lying to me to make myself feel better? I know I’ve done that every day to myself...” She shivered as she felt Bliss’ touch, but she didn’t shy from it. ”...Thank you, Bliss. I’ve never met a person as amazing as you. You actually remind me of my mom, from way back. In a good way, I mean!” She added, her eyes having lightened up and her lips curled into an awkward smile. She removed herself from the half-hug, and flipped her long hair back.
”I can’t just stay here and wallow in self-pity! What kind of star shines from the backstage? I gotta be out there, making people smile!” She also winked.
”Besides, a girl’s gotta keep a healthy diet to stay slim and beautiful~”

Once again, Mary seemed to be back to her bubbly self. Bliss could never turn herself around that fast, but being likened to a mother was extremely rewarding. This was why Bliss considered Mary to be such an uplifting person to be around. It was hard to stay glum after hearing a compliment like that. The nanny grinned and walked beside Mary as they approached the stairs. “Of course. Caora is actually waiting on me, so if you sat across from him I could serve both of your breakfast. Just try to keep your hands to yourself, and I'm sure he'll stay.”

Mary became flustered when Caora was mentioned. ”Eeeh? Cookie? I-I don’t know if I’m ready to see him yet! I look like a mess, and, and-Oh geez!” She began shivering, her eyes flickering between Bliss and her hands. ”I need to apologize, that I know, but will he accept it? What should I say to him? Please Bliss, help me out!” She pleaded with a pout.

“You don't need my help.” Bliss placed a reassuring hand on Mary's shoulder. “You just need to relax and speak from the heart.” Bliss was actually really excited to put Mary and Caora together. She didn't want to force it, but it was a great way to get their mind off of things. And their antics were just adorable to watch. After a short walk, they arrived at the diner. “Hi Caora!” Bliss waved to the boy before walking to the kitchen with Mary. “Just stay calm, he'll forgive you as long as you mean it.” Bliss knew Mary was nervous, probably every bit as much as she was when she approached them a few minutes ago. The nanny sat down beside Caora while letting Mary sit down across from him. The idea was to make Caora feel safe while being in a place where she could give Mary signals without Caora noticing.

Caora was nibbling on a sandwich like a chipmunk when Bliss and Mary sat down at the table, and squeaked in surprise at seeing the latter. ”Boobie monster!” He screamed, and tried to stand up, but was caught by Bliss’ hand firmly resting on his knee.
She winked, and Mary nodded. ”Hey, Coo-Caora,” the Infinite Streamer began, and kept her hands clenched on her lap as she kept her head down, not daring to look at him directly.

”I...I’m sorry. I haven’t considered your feelings at all, and made you feel awful. I should have realized my boobs could be so deadly! I was stupid for not understanding their power!” She hugged her waist, causing her chest to lift; they pushed tightly against her sweater. ”Can you forgive me?”
Caora blinked with a trembling lip, nervous about the attention the monster showed to him. He wanted to run away, but couldn’t. Instead, he hugged Bliss, and nuzzled his face against her body. ”Save me, Bliss!”

Bliss had forgotten exactly how strange these two were together. In hindsight, she should have probably inquired exactly how Mary was going to word her apology. But there was little that could be done now. Bliss slowly reached her arm out for Caora. “Mary isn't going to hurt you.” Bliss spoke as gently as she could. She looked at Mary and tugged at her shirt around her breasts, hoping that the streamer would understand her shirt was too tight. “She's just very excited to be your friend! I'm just better at controlling myself. You're so adorable she can't stay still. Isn't that right Mary?” Bliss made an awkward smile. Hopefully Mary wouldn't say more than what was necessary.

Mary’s mouth opened in surprise, but she then nodded, and once again looked at Caora.
”Caora, I...I liked Shaun, you know. A lot more than was healthy, actually. But with him now gone, I want to keep him in my memory, and so I’ll stop playing around.”
She reached out with her hands towards Caora.
I want to be your friend. So, I promise I won’t chase you, or hurt you again. Is that...Ok?”

Caora continued holding onto Bliss tightly, like a scared child. He pouted as he looked up at the Infinite Nanny, and glanced in Mary’s direction. ”Shaun...” He mumbled, deep in his thoughts. ”If Shaun liked you...” He turned his head, and for a long time simply looked at the Infinite Streamer’s hand. He puffed his cheeks, and sighed. He took his stuffed doll, and pushed the doll’s stubby hand against her palm.
”You have to promise Fang to be a good friend, ok? If you’re good friends with Fang, then I will be your friend too. Pinky promise?”

Mary gently grasped the doll’s arm with her pinky, and tears began streaking down her cheeks from sheer, unfiltered joy.. ”Pinky promise.”

---

---

After having an uplifting conversation with Krista, Felix was headed towards the elevators on the first floor. His intention was to greet the newcomers and find out if they were going to be an addition to the crew; or a detriment. And so, with a slight hop in his step, he marched towards the elevators, only stopping once he spotted his first victim.

"Hey hey hey! Welcome aboard, you're lucy aren't you?"

Lucy held the pad close to her face, a scowl printed across it as she attempted to get her mind together on everything. "A killing game..." She muttered to herself, her slow steps carrying her away until she suddenly took halt at the voice she heard. Peering up to see Felix she flipped the pad up into the air before grabbing it again and putting it away with ease. Taking a prideful stance she nodded, her gloved hand coming up to brush away her hair from her face.

"Lucy Fairglaive, the Infinite Prodigy. As you have clearly heard! And you would be? The greeting service?"

Felix's eyes widened at Lucy's introduction, clearly taken aback by the bold and audacious tone she held. Not in a bad way though, he was just used to the more timid personalities that surrounded him up until now.

"Greeting service, hmm?" Felix tilted his head to the left, getting lost in thoughts for a fraction of a second before returning his attention to Lucy. "I suppose I did come here to greet you, guess that makes me part of the greeting service." He beamed at her before faking the posture of a butler. "Felix Garfield is my name, and I can show you around if that also fits the greeting service's description."

Lucy let out a laugh as she heard him play along, a smile crossing her lips the first time since she had awoken here. "Heh, it is good someone knows their place in this world. makes things easier to say the least." Of course she was greatful for this, finding her way around with only the map would have been bothersome for a number of reasons.

"So, where too first I wonder." She said in a tone as if someone was attempting to pick out a trick for a well trained pet to preform "How about where i will be eating, sleeping and bathing. Those are the key points. We can move onto anywhere i may read after that." She nodded to herself before waving her hand as if to await Felix to follow her words.

"Hey now! you're not taking advantage of my hospitality are you?" Felix jokingly stated, hoping that he wasn't the only one joking around. "But lucky for you, everything you want to see is on a straight path." He started walking towards the first floor resort before reaching out his hand to Lucy, signaling her to follow. "Right this way mi'lady."

"Of course I am." Lucy stated in a tone that siggested she may have been taking advantige of his hospitality but really it was a much more freindly tone than one may expect. "Good, so they are not too far apart..." Looking around as they walked she did glance back towards the others before speaking to Felix once more. "About this game... What has it been like until now. What are the others like?" Peering back ahead she awaited an answer from him.

"Hmmm, if I had to describe us in a single word it'd be...chaotic. We're all very different, and that can create some interesting scenarios; but what'd you expect, putting all these different infinites in a single confined space. Owh but don't worry, but we're all a really nice bunch!" After finishing his words, the two had already reached the stairs leading to the second floor.

"If you want to find a place to read in peace, the study is a decent enough place...if you don't mind a killer death robot staring at you through a semi-locked door." Felix said while pointing towards the study. "They call her Alice Parker, but I haven't had the guts to see her myself, ahaha." a slightly awkward laugh echoed through the halls as they walked up the stairs.

"But...I suppose you need to know-" Felix suddenly stopped on the middle of the stairs, his upbeat and cheery attitude nowhere to be found. "This killing game has already taken several lives."

Lucy found it rather hard to believe the fact that they were all a 'nice bunch' as he puts it, it would be strange to put so many nice people in one place for a 'game' like this after all. "Sure... So then they are all Infinities? Interesting. What about you? What is your talent? You never stated." She said that like it was very strange to her, though she was someone who took a lot of pride in what she was and who she could be. So someone hiding what made them stand out from the world was just strange in her opinion.

"Killer robot?"

Now that was something she had to see after this tour was over, since she was very sure that it would not kill her on sight.. maybe. "I see. So dose she come out or just stay there? I could use a servant robot at my side. Also why semi locked?" With a huff she put on a brave face before she was told the fact the killing game had claimed lives already. Stopping where he did she looked down and then sighed "I see. So the game started already. Sorry if it took any of your friends." A moment past before her pride once more returned, her brightness breaking through the down moment "Come along then! You promised to be my butler and show me around correct?" Now she had changed it...

"My talent? I'm the infinite free runner, it's pretty straight forward and not that special, so people usually find out without me needing to tell them." After hearing Lucy claim to want a killer robot sidekick, Felix couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hold that thought till you meet her, but she's stuck in a vault anyway. Apparently, the door opens an inch everytime someone gets executed after a trial. And since that happened 2 times already, the door is now semilocked." Those words were left hanging in the air, and Lucy's consolation only weighed Felix down more. But she thankfully also snapped him out of it.

"Aah, you're right. I've got no time to be grooming! I have a duty to fulfill!" he said as he jumped several steps at once, showcasing his freerunning skills. "Up on this floor is where most of us eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. We've got a really talented cook to feed us everyday too!"

Lucy listened intently about the robot and the skill that he had, of course the robot caught her attention more, was there some sort of time limit for the amount of deaths? "I see... So it may be free one way or another, that is unless people can stop killing one another right?" She muttered that mainly to herself before peering back to where he was going now, brightened up by her personality.

"Humph, as expected you really do know your place~! Come along then, let us hurry along and find where i want to know."

Following close behind, though she only walked up the steps, she made sure to note where they all ate and soon herself as well. "That must be some meal if it is from a Infinite. What about bedrooms? Are they at least comfy or.. Are they hospital room style?" Ah she did not miss hospital beds, one of the most uncomfortable things she ever had to deal with to say the least. "Also are the boys and girls separated? I mean i am irresistible so I would not trust a boy close to my room." She chuckled and straightened her left glove as they walked.

"hehe, sorry to crush your expectations, but you're gonna be sleeping in a hospital room with nothing but useless junk filling the corners...next to a boy's room." he tried to sound as comforting as possible, hoping that she'd take it with grace. "Besides, calling yourself irresistable makes you pretty resistable." he said while teasingly sticking out his tongue.

"it's not all bad though! you get your own bathroom and shower, so you won't have to share." he said as he started walking towards Lucy's room.

Looking defeated by the news for a moment she let out a deep sigh before straightening back up to keep foloowing. "Haaa, i already miss my hotel rooms and the like!" The fact that she would be spending time in such a place was a horrible thought, but she could only hope that the room would be much better than expected. Still she did not hold out hope that her luck was that good...

"Ha! You may say that much I know for a fact I am a lovely creature!" Her pride was undented by his comment, in fact it looked to be shining even more! Though in reality she made sure to note not to use such words in the future... "So, where is this bedroom that i am sure to hate..."

After taking a few steps forward and checking a few doors, he was standing in front of a door with picture reminiscent of Lucy plastered on the door.

"I think this is your stop Lucy. To open it you need your E-handbook, and only yours can be used to open it, so don't lose it okey?" He gave Lucy a warm smile before moving to the side, allowing Lucy to unlock the door.

Lucy had a rather blank look on her fact as they got to her door, the face on it made it clear it was her room but it also was a rather gawdy adition.. Not her fact just the theme of the door! "Ah, well I guess i could have found this on my own but thank you. You really do make a good butler." She nodded as if that was a high compliment from her, which it was.

Taking out her handbook she held it to the door and watched it unlock for her, nodding to this and the security it provided. However looking at Felix she had a gleam in her eye. "What are you talking about? I am not finished asking you questions just yet. for now this is your stop as well. Go on, in you get" She said, attempting to push him in, wanting to know more about this place. Her curiosity was a powerful thing to say the least!

"Wow there missy! calm down." he was already being pushed inside the room. "Don't you have to invite me in first! Where's the common decency." he gave another chuckle as he took some initiative to start moving for himself. "But...if you're so desperate, I can't say no to that, not as the best butler around."

Shortly after Jezebel and Faith's mock display of affection, the flirty spy's smile started to fade. He took a step back, adjusted his jacket, and started to walk in the opposite direction, occasionally looking over his shoulder at the two.

The girls burst into laughter as soon as he was gone.

“Well, I guess we totally aren't hooking up with that guy.” Jezebel slipped out of Faith's hold. “I'll see you later!” the clown headed up stairs without saying another word.

---

"Migrane? Nope. Flu? Nope. Blood thinner? I already have that."

Mercy could be heard looking around in the pharmacy, trying to find some pills she didn't seem to have already in her bag. "Ugh! Don't tell me they don't have a prescription for-"

“LONELINESS!” Jezebel said while popping up behind Mercy.

"AAAAH-!!" The startled plague doctor quickly turned around to see that Jez overheard her. "Du Hurensohn! Couldn't you knock first?!" Mercy asked the trickster, calming herself down with deep breaths.

“Number uno, you totally don't knock on an open door.” Jezebel was counting her fingers. “Number dos, I was actually looking for Lucy, but like, I heard your voice. And number tres, you're so brave for walking around here by yourself. Good thing I'm not like that other trickster huh?” The clown gave Mercy a big grin and placed her hands together innocently.

"You could knock on the wall though." Mercy said, putting the blood thinner she was holding back on it's shelf. "But yeah of course, I've already been around here a few times before. And honestly? you're alot better than Mr. Steele Wool, haha." She joked.

Jezebel chuckled a bit before lowering her hands onto her hips.“Well, you know what I'm saying.” Jezebel tipped her head. “Everyone really liked Shaun. But I guess you and I came into this killing game at about the same time.” She frowned a bit. “ Like that must be why you're not broken up over it.” After stairing off in thought for a bit, she turned back towards Mercy. “This is going to sound so weird, but like, is there anyone you're particularly fond of down here?”

"As in?" Mercy asked back, tilting her head in confusion.

“Like, people you're friendly with? People you trust?” Jezebel shrugged her shoulders with a smile. “Your friends?” 

"Oh. Well, some of the others seem nice, but with our current problem, the only one I actually trust is Edgeface. I mean, we've known each other before we got stuck here, so of course I'd mostly hang out with her." Mercy answered, before walking up to the door. "Yet I'm definitely sure Isaiah can be trusted, after the madness that was the last trial."

“Edge...face?” It took Jezebel a moment to realize who Mercy was referring to. “Oh, ha, Alice!” The clown bounced backwards. “How did you two first meet? Like I wasn't aware you guys were pals. That's cool.”

"I sometimes got called in where Alice's reconnaissance team was stationed around. When they were waiting to be called in, I slowly started to talk with her more and more, and before I knew it, we became friends." Mercy explained, adjusting her hat. "She's kinda like a little sister to me."

”That makes sense.” Jezebel's grin widened a bit. “Anyway, one of my friends just came to this killing game.” She turned on her heel. “So I'm just letting you know, if you're not into romance and junk, you'd better steer clear. Because she's totally going to pair you up with someone. And by the sound of it, it's going to be Ice.”

"Oh dear..." Mercy mumbled, her hand over her head. "Alice's gonna be pissed if your friend tries to set HER up with someone. She hasn't been interested in romance for a looong while. Me? I'm atleast cool with it."

Jezebel looked over her shoulder at Mercy. ”Pretty sure no one is going to enjoy it, but it was just a heads up.” Jezebel spun around again to face the doctor. “Of course, if you're interested in protecting Alice... I may have some ideas.” 

"Whatdya have in mind?" The plague doctor hesitantly asked.

Jezebel folded her hands behind her back. “Oh, nothing that serious I assure you.” Jezebel gave the doctor another huge grin. “But I don't really know exactly what at this time. This just happened a few minutes ago, and I'm totally thinking of things now. But if I have an ally in all of this, that would be tre good.” Jezebel's eyes went to half mast. “Like You don't want Alice to get upset, right?”

"Yeah, I dont want her to get to the 'Throwing Punches' level of anger."

Jezebel closed her eyes in aproval “Then I'll get back to you after I've had some time to think of something.” The clown walked backwards out of the pharmacy. “We'll meet up again later, if not at noon, then at night. Faithshouldn't catch a word of this.” And with a devious giggle, the trickster disappeared from sight.

"...Right, see you then."