[There's a bit of relief that he so readily picked up and went right to the point. She swallows, trying to steel herself.]
Have you... gotten any weird messages lately, over the devices? Any strange texts or scary images?
[Of course she doesn't want anyone else to suffer, but boy it would feel better to know it wasn't just her. Yet it's too soon for an another event, it goes against her knowledge and years of Wonderland.]
[A sad sigh. She supposes hoping it hadn't just been her was pushing it. She's tempted to just say forget it and leave him alone - but she forces herself to keep going.]
... The other night, like, really, in the middle of the night, my device suddenly started making really loud static. When I went to pick it up, the screen was all blood-red, and then there as this weird beating noise... Then there was a text and it said, "you're being watched."
[ He doesn't want to take chances, he needs to be sure she's okay during this short window of him going to her place. Locking the room behind him, he quickly runs down the stairs, towards where Tsumiki is. ...Wait, where is she even? ]
Uh, you're in your room, right? Is it at first floor?
[ Considering the medical clinic's there, he won't be surprised if she rooms nearby. ]
Y-Yes, the first floor, second room. It's right next to the clinic.
[Oh shoot, she'd better change, she's in her pajamas!!! A guy shouldn't see a girl's jammies, right? She hesitates, then gently places the device on the bed before rushing to the closet to get back into her nursing uniform.]
[ Damn, if only he knew he missed a chance to see her in pajamas.
Those kind of thoughts can't even cross his mind right now in the sheer worry he's feeling as he rushes down the stairs. He's no superhuman, though, so by the time he reaches her room in the first floor, she's probably done changing. Not hearing any particular noises on her end through his short trip down, he wonders if that's a good thing or not. Maybe she's just keeping still? He was too focused on rushing down he didn't check, but now that he's here... he needs to do just that. ]
[Phew, all's good, and the room is clean! Luck is on her side! ... For a discussion about a terrifying stalker. She goes to the door, opens it, and steps aside.]
Please, m-make yourself comfortable.
[There are a few medical oddities here and there - a stretcher, a CPR dummy, shelves of medicine and needles, some medical tools lined up neatly on top of a bookshelf - said bookshelf is full of medical journals and textbooks, along with some manga and romance novels, plus two thin journals. A kotatsu sits in one area, with some snacks on top of it. Rolls of gauze hang on the wall, ready to just pick up and go. Her closet is open - if he cares to glance, there's a magical girl cosplay, a cinderella-ish dress, and a wedding gown-ish dress.]
[ He planned to just check up on her in person, that she's alive and safe in her room, and then probably stand guard outside her room just in case, so that if anything goes wrong he can hear, too. So when she ushers him in, he's pretty surprised, though he does follow her in.
It's not his first time coming in a girl's room ー he's been to Liv's ー but he's feeling the nervousness all the same. The situation is different this time, too, it's night and quiet and... he's been inexplicably weird around Tsumiki from time to time. He doesn't get it himself. To distract himself, he'll look around the room, noting the medical appliances and tools, books and manga, the kotatsu, and then...
...yep, he definitely looks at the open closet. Some kind of... costume? And dresses. He recognises one of them from the winter ball, and stares at them a little longer before snapping himself off it. It's probably not good to stare too much. Does she like dresses? She surely will look great in any of those--
No, no! He quickly waves off the thought as he sits himself by the kotatsu. That's not what he's here for! ]
Uh, so... was that the first time you received that kinda text?
[Once he's settled down, she sits across from him, pushing away some of the snacks and drinks.]
Yes, that's why it scared me so much. I've never gotten anything like that before.
[She places the device on the table, showing that... it looks completely normal.]
... There was no name attached to it, and I couldn't even reply to it. Even the font looked kind of weird... But I don't get it, I don't get it at all. Who would want to watch me? And why?
[Is it to make sure she doesn't harm anyone, like that one awful event from ages ago? But why only start saying now? And why would you tell someone you were watching them?]
[ He nods in understanding. That would be freaky. The problem now is it might be hard to pinpoint why and who. They need either one of the two answers to determine the other. He's not the best at thinking, but he's here to try his best for his friend. With a rub of chin, he hums lowly as he stares at her seemingly normal device. ]
After that text disappeared, nothing weird's goin' on with your device, right? No changes at all?
[ The message does bother him. 'You're being watched'? He looks around her room once again, then at her. ]
You think they could've hidden some kinda cameras in your room? I mean, uh... [ He hates bringing this back up, but it might help with a clue. ] ...back home, when we were at the Hope's Peak, we had cameras all over the place. Our rooms, the corridors, the dining room, everywhere.
[ Monokuma... won't be able to follow them here, right? ]
Once the text was gone, everything went back to normal. It was like it never happened.
[And Mikan got no sleep the rest of the night. But Mondo's next question really sets the fear of god in her - oh god, she can never go the bathroom again! And did they see her change clothes just now?! Her entire face burns - Hope's Peak. Monokuma. Her stomach feels like it's turning inside out. She hadn't thought of the island in so long, but with those two words, it all hits her like a truck.]
... He... he said he was watching us on the island too... M-M-Monokuma... That there were cameras everywhere...
[She shakes - the dead bodies of her classmates, those trials, the executions, Wonderland's never had an event from her world before, could it be starting now, oh god, oh please, no no no no-]
Uuu! I don't want anyone to die! I don't care if they watch me, just don't let this be a killing game!
[ Mondo Oowada: An expert in invoking panic for people especially Mikan Tsumiki. ]
Don't worry! It's just a possibility, we don't know that yet! I just thought we should check just in case.
[ Would anyone pull such a prank on her? He doubts it, he's pretty sure people are pretty chill with her. How do they pull it off anyway? Magic? Hacking? Anything's possible with the people here coming from different worlds. Dammit, what else can he think of... ]
[With a quiet whine, she rubs her eyes, trying not to cry.
WHY IS SHE ALWAYS CRYING WHEN YOU'RE AROUND, MONDO, HUH???
After a hiccup, she struggles to calm down.]
I... I try to get along with everyone! I haven't had any arguments lately... I try to help as many newcomers as possible... I tried to be nice and explain what was going on to everyone during the last event...
[She looks down at her hands, sighing. Not once does Monika even pop up in the list of suspects. After all, Monika said she liked her.]
I'm trying not to apologize so much, I'm trying to improve myself, I'm trying to be a better person... what am I doing wrong...? Is it not enough?
[ He's sorry! He's sorry okay!! Ahhh, he's now inching closer at her, internally frantic to find a solution and hoping she doesn't cry. His hands hover in the air, unsure of what to do. ]
That's not what I'm sayin', I mean...
[ Knowing how Tsumiki is, there must be people that will boss her around or even bully her, and she might not even realise it. ]
You're fine, you're doing more than enough! But, you sure there ain't no one that made you... I dunno, feel bad? Uh... upset?
[ If there's anyone at all that makes her feel even just a tiny bit sad, it's a huge clue. ]
I-I'm sure it's nothing, but... Have you met a girl named Monika...?
[A quick inhale to speedily say-]
She's very nice and sweet and helpful and I'm sure she has absolutely nothing to do with this!
[Exhale.]
... But during the last event, she and I were talking, and I mentioned that I'm taking music lessons under a few different people, including a boy named Wirt. She, um, she told me that she and Wirt were a "thing". You know.
[She waves a hand. Dating. Hooking up. Together. IRL Shipping.]
So she told me that people might get the wrong idea if I kept going to him for my music lessons... I-I tried to say we could explain it, and I'd never try anything with Wirt, I like him just as a friend, and he's a nice guy so he'd never try anything either! B-but she kept insisting and pushing it, so... so I said I'd stop going.
... But then she said she really liked me and I was a good friend, so she couldn't have done this!
[For someone who was bullied 99% of her life, apparently she still can't realize that is exactly what happened. And judging from the lack of eye contact, there's another nugget of the story she's reluctant to tell.]
[ Monika? He shakes his head. Never heard of her. There are still many people around here he has yet to know, after all. The way Tsumiki insistently defends her makes it sound all the more fishy to him, so he continues staring at her with a dubious look, a hand propping his cheek.
As always, he listens without interrupting, even if he feels the urge to. While normally he'll interrupt whenever he wants with someone else, with Tsumiki, it feels like she'll stop telling him the truth if he does that. So he's controlling himself. And thankfully, he doesn't really need to this time, because it's pretty straightforward. Girlfriend doesn't want boyfriend to get charmed by a girl [space] friend, so girlfriend asks girl [space] friend not to get too close to boyfriend. Tsumiki's probably feeling a little sad because now she can't learn music from one of her friends ー she's told him about just how much she loves spending time with the friends she's made here. And that's why she thinks it's not her friend's fault. He gets it.
But.
As much as he believes that Tsumiki told him the truth, he also knows that she doesn't usually avoid eye contact this much. It's also something that he himself does when he wants to avoid the truth, so... hmmm. Fishy. ]
... If I tell you... w-will you promise not to tell anyone else? It's... confusing, and kind of complicated, and I don't want to embarrass anyone...
[She begins to fidget, still looking away. She doesn't want to say, but not telling Mondo the whole truth wouldn't be fair. She doesn't want him thinking she ever lied to him or withheld anything, not when he's always direct and honest with her. And she likes Wirt, and she kind of likes Monika, and she doesn't want to hurt either of them.
Besides, Monika didn't do this. She couldn't have. She didn't seem to be any kind of techno-wiz. Why, on day one, she somehow got the screen flipped upside-down! Surely that meant she was bad with technology!]
[ Here Mondo's trying to give the girlfriend some benefit of the doubt, thinking it's just her being neurotic or something over the boyfriend, cuz... well, girls do that right?? Probably. Maybe. He doesn't know.
But now this is a different level of question marks. ]
What's the deal with this Monika chick?! So what, she's just messin' with ya? Or does she like the uh, what was his name again? Wirt? And don't want you gettin' close and chummy with 'im? What the hell?
[ Wait, hold on, who cares about that. Now the thing is, can she be the culprit? If just judging by the way she acts to Tsumiki, there's a huge possibility, but... ]
You said your phone had some static noise and the screen went red before the text come up, right? ...Does she seem good with tech? Or at least, uh, magic?
[ He feels stupid saying it, but there's no denying some people here knows some magic and have superpowers. He's friends with some, after all. ]
[Mikan's hands fly up, flailing!!! Surely it wasn't Monika, of course not, noooo!]
M-Maybe I just misunderstood her! ... Even though she said they were a thing and wanted to do romantic things with him and made me make Valentine's chocolate for him -
[welp.
shit.
did not mean to say that.
She shrinks in on herself at that, mumbling.]
... I, um. I don't. I don't think so. With the tech. She was having trouble with it when she first arrived...
[Maybe with that he'll totally forget she said the chocolate thing.
He's not going to forget she said the chocolate thing, is he.]
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Have you... gotten any weird messages lately, over the devices? Any strange texts or scary images?
[Of course she doesn't want anyone else to suffer, but boy it would feel better to know it wasn't just her. Yet it's too soon for an another event, it goes against her knowledge and years of Wonderland.]
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No, nothing...
[ He holds his breath for a moment. Has she been getting those? Someone harassing her? ]
What didja get?
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[A sad sigh. She supposes hoping it hadn't just been her was pushing it. She's tempted to just say forget it and leave him alone - but she forces herself to keep going.]
... The other night, like, really, in the middle of the night, my device suddenly started making really loud static. When I went to pick it up, the screen was all blood-red, and then there as this weird beating noise... Then there was a text and it said, "you're being watched."
Then it all vanished in less than a minute.
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[ He notices his voice going a little too loud, and tries to level them down again by clearing his throat. ]
We can't take it lightly, I don't think normal people can do that. What the fuck...
[ What he can he do... think, think, think. He peers at the sleeping Komo and gets up then. It's gonna be dangerous for Tsumiki to be alone. ]
Can I come over?
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[He probably just wants to talk face-to-face, she understands. Since he can't do anything to a machine.]
I thought it was an event, but if you didn't get it, then I guess not...
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[ He doesn't want to take chances, he needs to be sure she's okay during this short window of him going to her place. Locking the room behind him, he quickly runs down the stairs, towards where Tsumiki is. ...Wait, where is she even? ]
Uh, you're in your room, right? Is it at first floor?
[ Considering the medical clinic's there, he won't be surprised if she rooms nearby. ]
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[Oh shoot, she'd better change, she's in her pajamas!!! A guy shouldn't see a girl's jammies, right? She hesitates, then gently places the device on the bed before rushing to the closet to get back into her nursing uniform.]
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Those kind of thoughts can't even cross his mind right now in the sheer worry he's feeling as he rushes down the stairs. He's no superhuman, though, so by the time he reaches her room in the first floor, she's probably done changing. Not hearing any particular noises on her end through his short trip down, he wonders if that's a good thing or not. Maybe she's just keeping still? He was too focused on rushing down he didn't check, but now that he's here... he needs to do just that. ]
Tsumiki, you're still there, right?
[ He knocks the door following that. ]
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[Phew, all's good, and the room is clean! Luck is on her side! ... For a discussion about a terrifying stalker. She goes to the door, opens it, and steps aside.]
Please, m-make yourself comfortable.
[There are a few medical oddities here and there - a stretcher, a CPR dummy, shelves of medicine and needles, some medical tools lined up neatly on top of a bookshelf - said bookshelf is full of medical journals and textbooks, along with some manga and romance novels, plus two thin journals. A kotatsu sits in one area, with some snacks on top of it. Rolls of gauze hang on the wall, ready to just pick up and go. Her closet is open - if he cares to glance, there's a magical girl cosplay, a cinderella-ish dress, and a wedding gown-ish dress.]
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[ He planned to just check up on her in person, that she's alive and safe in her room, and then probably stand guard outside her room just in case, so that if anything goes wrong he can hear, too. So when she ushers him in, he's pretty surprised, though he does follow her in.
It's not his first time coming in a girl's room ー he's been to Liv's ー but he's feeling the nervousness all the same. The situation is different this time, too, it's night and quiet and... he's been inexplicably weird around Tsumiki from time to time. He doesn't get it himself. To distract himself, he'll look around the room, noting the medical appliances and tools, books and manga, the kotatsu, and then...
...yep, he definitely looks at the open closet. Some kind of... costume? And dresses. He recognises one of them from the winter ball, and stares at them a little longer before snapping himself off it. It's probably not good to stare too much. Does she like dresses? She surely will look great in any of those--
No, no! He quickly waves off the thought as he sits himself by the kotatsu. That's not what he's here for! ]
Uh, so... was that the first time you received that kinda text?
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Yes, that's why it scared me so much. I've never gotten anything like that before.
[She places the device on the table, showing that... it looks completely normal.]
... There was no name attached to it, and I couldn't even reply to it. Even the font looked kind of weird... But I don't get it, I don't get it at all. Who would want to watch me? And why?
[Is it to make sure she doesn't harm anyone, like that one awful event from ages ago? But why only start saying now? And why would you tell someone you were watching them?]
C-Could it be a prank...?
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After that text disappeared, nothing weird's goin' on with your device, right? No changes at all?
[ The message does bother him. 'You're being watched'? He looks around her room once again, then at her. ]
You think they could've hidden some kinda cameras in your room? I mean, uh... [ He hates bringing this back up, but it might help with a clue. ] ...back home, when we were at the Hope's Peak, we had cameras all over the place. Our rooms, the corridors, the dining room, everywhere.
[ Monokuma... won't be able to follow them here, right? ]
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[And Mikan got no sleep the rest of the night. But Mondo's next question really sets the fear of god in her - oh god, she can never go the bathroom again! And did they see her change clothes just now?! Her entire face burns - Hope's Peak. Monokuma. Her stomach feels like it's turning inside out. She hadn't thought of the island in so long, but with those two words, it all hits her like a truck.]
... He... he said he was watching us on the island too... M-M-Monokuma... That there were cameras everywhere...
[She shakes - the dead bodies of her classmates, those trials, the executions, Wonderland's never had an event from her world before, could it be starting now, oh god, oh please, no no no no-]
Uuu! I don't want anyone to die! I don't care if they watch me, just don't let this be a killing game!
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Don't worry! It's just a possibility, we don't know that yet! I just thought we should check just in case.
[ Would anyone pull such a prank on her? He doubts it, he's pretty sure people are pretty chill with her. How do they pull it off anyway? Magic? Hacking? Anything's possible with the people here coming from different worlds. Dammit, what else can he think of... ]
Is there anyone you don't get along with here?
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WHY IS SHE ALWAYS CRYING WHEN YOU'RE AROUND, MONDO, HUH???
After a hiccup, she struggles to calm down.]
I... I try to get along with everyone! I haven't had any arguments lately... I try to help as many newcomers as possible... I tried to be nice and explain what was going on to everyone during the last event...
[She looks down at her hands, sighing. Not once does Monika even pop up in the list of suspects. After all, Monika said she liked her.]
I'm trying not to apologize so much, I'm trying to improve myself, I'm trying to be a better person... what am I doing wrong...? Is it not enough?
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That's not what I'm sayin', I mean...
[ Knowing how Tsumiki is, there must be people that will boss her around or even bully her, and she might not even realise it. ]
You're fine, you're doing more than enough! But, you sure there ain't no one that made you... I dunno, feel bad? Uh... upset?
[ If there's anyone at all that makes her feel even just a tiny bit sad, it's a huge clue. ]
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[Well, when he puts it THAT way, the true name of the culprit comes to mind, but. no. That's silly. It couldn't be.]
... Well, there was this one thing... B-But I'm sure it was mostly my fault, some kind of weird misunderstanding.
[Damn, Mondo, maybe you're the SHSL Detective after all.]
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Aaaah?
[ For once in a long while, he's actually letting out his more delinquent-like tone at her. He leans forward as his brows fight against each other. ]
I can't let that slide. What happened?
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[A quick inhale to speedily say-]
She's very nice and sweet and helpful and I'm sure she has absolutely nothing to do with this!
[Exhale.]
... But during the last event, she and I were talking, and I mentioned that I'm taking music lessons under a few different people, including a boy named Wirt. She, um, she told me that she and Wirt were a "thing". You know.
[She waves a hand. Dating. Hooking up. Together. IRL Shipping.]
So she told me that people might get the wrong idea if I kept going to him for my music lessons... I-I tried to say we could explain it, and I'd never try anything with Wirt, I like him just as a friend, and he's a nice guy so he'd never try anything either! B-but she kept insisting and pushing it, so... so I said I'd stop going.
... But then she said she really liked me and I was a good friend, so she couldn't have done this!
[For someone who was bullied 99% of her life, apparently she still can't realize that is exactly what happened. And judging from the lack of eye contact, there's another nugget of the story she's reluctant to tell.]
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As always, he listens without interrupting, even if he feels the urge to. While normally he'll interrupt whenever he wants with someone else, with Tsumiki, it feels like she'll stop telling him the truth if he does that. So he's controlling himself. And thankfully, he doesn't really need to this time, because it's pretty straightforward. Girlfriend doesn't want boyfriend to get charmed by a girl [space] friend, so girlfriend asks girl [space] friend not to get too close to boyfriend. Tsumiki's probably feeling a little sad because now she can't learn music from one of her friends ー she's told him about just how much she loves spending time with the friends she's made here. And that's why she thinks it's not her friend's fault. He gets it.
But.
As much as he believes that Tsumiki told him the truth, he also knows that she doesn't usually avoid eye contact this much. It's also something that he himself does when he wants to avoid the truth, so... hmmm. Fishy. ]
Why aren't you lookin' this way?
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[C'mon Mikan.]
...
[C'MON, MIKAN.]
... If I tell you... w-will you promise not to tell anyone else? It's... confusing, and kind of complicated, and I don't want to embarrass anyone...
[She begins to fidget, still looking away. She doesn't want to say, but not telling Mondo the whole truth wouldn't be fair. She doesn't want him thinking she ever lied to him or withheld anything, not when he's always direct and honest with her. And she likes Wirt, and she kind of likes Monika, and she doesn't want to hurt either of them.
Besides, Monika didn't do this. She couldn't have. She didn't seem to be any kind of techno-wiz. Why, on day one, she somehow got the screen flipped upside-down! Surely that meant she was bad with technology!]
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Hey, look this way. Men don't break promises. You got it.
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... After she told me that, I went to see Wirt, so I could explain things, about why I wouldn't see him anymore.
... But he told me that he and Monika weren't dating at all. He didn't know what she was talking about. He was just as surprised as I was.
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[ Here Mondo's trying to give the girlfriend some benefit of the doubt, thinking it's just her being neurotic or something over the boyfriend, cuz... well, girls do that right?? Probably. Maybe. He doesn't know.
But now this is a different level of question marks. ]
What's the deal with this Monika chick?! So what, she's just messin' with ya? Or does she like the uh, what was his name again? Wirt? And don't want you gettin' close and chummy with 'im? What the hell?
[ Wait, hold on, who cares about that. Now the thing is, can she be the culprit? If just judging by the way she acts to Tsumiki, there's a huge possibility, but... ]
You said your phone had some static noise and the screen went red before the text come up, right? ...Does she seem good with tech? Or at least, uh, magic?
[ He feels stupid saying it, but there's no denying some people here knows some magic and have superpowers. He's friends with some, after all. ]
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M-Maybe I just misunderstood her! ... Even though she said they were a thing and wanted to do romantic things with him and made me make Valentine's chocolate for him -
[welp.
shit.
did not mean to say that.
She shrinks in on herself at that, mumbling.]
... I, um. I don't. I don't think so. With the tech. She was having trouble with it when she first arrived...
[Maybe with that he'll totally forget she said the chocolate thing.
He's not going to forget she said the chocolate thing, is he.]
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mild dr1 spoilers
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