Everything in Hotel OJ was just fine... well, as fine as it could be with no more parties, and insufferable cliques. However, Fan must've gotten bored, because he decided to kidnap 16 lucky people, and recreate one of his favorite games- Danganronpa...
The tv went back up into the ceiling, and everything went quiet again. I heard a soft voice from behind me asking something.
"Hey, are you ok?"
Who were they talking to? I turned to look, but got my answer soon enough. The blood curdling scream, followed by horrifying sobs that echoed throughout the room, and Baseball falling onto the floor. Seeing all that pain come out of him, it somehow hurt worse than the personal attack of an execution I'd just witnessed. I could feel the back of my throat start to ache, and tears threatening to slip out of me while almost everyone began to back away from Baseball. They were scared of what he could do, how angry he was to see Nickel for a fleeting moment and just lose sight of him without even getting to say a word. He'd never get the closure he wanted from the horrible attack he'd endured. He was unstable, breaking down... utterly hopeless.
I was the only one who walked toward him, and sat on my knees by his side. His cries were so loud and piercing, it hurt more than that music ever did, but I didn't move away. I reached forward and put my hand on his shoulder, and he shot up to look at me. We stared at each other for a few seconds before I got a tight hug, one that felt surprisingly suffocating, as he hysterically cried into my shoulder. All I could whisper was the same thing, over and over.
"I'm so sorry..."
He choked up, but started trying to explain it all to me. It was largely incoherent, but I heard "he told me to go", "I didn't know what to do", "I just wanted to apologize", and "it's all my fault". My heart only sank further, but my hold on the hug tightened slightly as my body tensed up.
Two more deaths were racked up on my plate, just like that, and even with the knowledge that it was coming, I felt horribly caught off guard. Baseball at least was letting the emotions out, like Microphone did before. I wondered where she was for a moment, but once I'd opened up my eyes again, she stood right in front of us. Baseball struggled to get up once I let him go; though as soon as he found his footing, he hugged Microphone too. She seemed surprised, even alarmed, but they began to cry together soon enough, and I let them be. I knew Knife, but this was far worse for them than it was for me. They just needed time to be miserable together, two people who understood the raw pain of the situation- two victims of circumstances almost entirely out of their control.
I thought back to Bomb, one of the other victims of circumstance, who had been the one to blockade half the people from someone he seemed friendly with. I realized just about everyone else had gone up the elevator, so I silently went after the group.
I got off at the lobby, and saw Bomb standing in front of the pictures of Pickle and Soap, this time, he was alone. I stood next to him, saying a quick "hey."
"Hey." Bomb still looked at the picture of Pickle. "...Oj and I- t-talked for a while last nnnnight." He didn't mention Balloon at all. I figured he didn't want to, so I didn't bother with it either.
"Yeah? Did you guys fully make up?" Bomb giggled as he thought, his hand fidgeting with the ends of his hair.
"I think s-sso. We apologized- h-he finally he-heard out my side of the sssstory... and said he'd been a-affraid to talk to me b-because of PICKLE. Can you believe that?"
"...Uh- maybe? I didn't know him."
"Pickle didn't l-like Oj... but c'mon. W-We could've been so much more if he j-j-j-just had the courage to talk to me. He- He barely knows anything ab-bout me now! But- we're working on it. The feelings..." He stopped for a moment, his face flushing slightly. "I think- they're only g-getting stronger, on my end. Do you th-think he likes me?"
"...I can't say for sure, but the only times he's seemed to care about anything, is when you got involved."
"Yeah, y-yeah. True enough." He pulled out his phone to look at something, but I didn't look to see what it was. "...by the way- I'll be ok. I think- I think I'll f-fffocus on the ones still here while I c-can. Speaking of, Paper said y-y-y-yyy...fuck. Sorry."
"You're fine- keep going."
"Paper sssaid you... were gonna do something?" In an instant, I felt my body light up. We were supposed to color- finally! Something to get all of this out of my head... and I'd forgotten all about it! I waved to Bomb as I rushed out to the complaint desk, where Paper sat. He looked up to me and smiled one of his most bright, genuine smiles yet.
"Lifering! You remembered! I got a bunch of sheets we can work on, C'mere!" I happily obliged, sitting down across from him as he handed me a pack of colored pencils from a drawer.
I couldn't tell you anything interesting happened as we colored together- I couldn't even say we talked all that much. We sat together for a few hours, just taking time to relax and bond over silence. It was by far one of the most relaxing experiences I'd had in this stupid game. If anyone asks, I colored in a picture of a chameleon sitting on a stick. Paper was coloring something, but he tossed it out and drew a picture of me and him hanging out instead. Something we laughed about the immaturity of, before collectively agreeing to hang it up on the fridge.
"And... there!" Paper stuck the magnet on, and the picture stuck. It looked like it had been drawn by a toddler, but neither of us really cared, as we stood and admired it. "I don't think I've made a friend this quickly," Paper sighed, "but I really don't mind it... my last fast friend- Knife- was... not the best to me."
I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving a nod of acknowledgement. "I think I remember pieces of it from the show. A lot of people weren't the best to you back in season one... not even Oj."
"I was so obsessive over him back then." Paper's eyes dulled in color a little bit. "And what for? I just ruined a relationship for a couple months, maybe even a year or two, but Bomb and Oj are great again! And I'm just seen as a freak. I told you all this before, though."
"It's alright- I'm glad you're comfortable enough with me to vent. But- you shouldn't let that stuff hold you back anymore. It's like I said to Knife, there's a lot more to life than reminiscing on what you want to fix. A lot of people realized that when it was too late- I mean- look at Balloon! He never really changed, he just... waited for everyone else to change for his own sake. At least, that's what I think. Maybe other people would disagree."
"Maybe," Paper mumbled. The two of us stood there for a little bit longer, but Paper moved away from me eventually. "I- I should go cover the complaint desk for today, or ask Pepper about planning another funeral tomorrow. Are you gonna be there if we have one?"
"Probably not," I said with a huff. "Well- not with everyone else there."
"...Fair enough. If I stay after the funeral, will you come over and talk to me a bit?"
"Of course!"
Paper got quiet for a second. "I appreciate the honesty; I'll see you sometime, then. I hope you have a...better rest of your day, Lifering."
"Yeah- you too!" We both turned around to leave, and while the coloring and laughter helped, I knew it was a matter of time before Fan killed it all over again. A vicious cycle of happiness, misery, then consolation. Blueberry was alive, but I hadn't seen him since the line up. I was sure I'd talk to him tomorrow, though.
Chapter 2 Status: Complete
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