???

"That was... kind of excessive."

"I did what you wanted! I stuck to the plan this time, why are you STILL chewing me out?"

"We didn't agree on that bonus question stuff. Trust me, I'm grateful that you didn't go completely off the rails, but yeesh. The shock collar was new, too. How did you even get those? When did you bring them in?"

"I prepared in advance for a lot of stuff you guys didn't specify, just in case."

"You mean, you were already intending to fuck around before we even got here?! I can't even believe we're family."

"Love you, too! Oh! By the way, I'm working on something I think you'll really like!"

"I don't think you know the kind of stuff I appreciate."

"You'll be really glad. Trust me. Bye now!"

"Signing out," I dismiss wearily.

Sometimes, I wonder if he really has become my captor. But this is my duty. It's... too late to go back. For the sake of WDR and everything we've had to suffer.

...

Tozen

I don't know what to do anymore. And I know that it's really all my fault for getting myself into this situation, but, well... everything's out in the open now, at least with those two. It's terribly awkward between all three of us. Azumi and I can still talk to each other a bit, but I feel bad for making her wait so long for me to... well... process everything, change my perceptions on things, as well as sort out my own feelings for her. Meanwhile, though Ren doesn't act outwardly hostile to either of us, he gives quick, brief answers to anything we ask him and just generally avoids a lot of conversation. I tried my best to talk with him the day everything came out. It seemed to help us deal with a lot of the anger. But he still doesn't really get why we had to hide it from him. So we all kind of talk to Yuu the most at mealtimes, and though he's admitted to having some vague understanding of what's going on, his little avoidant glances and nervous laughs make it clear that he's uncomfortable.

I... I wish Haruto was still around. He was always good at reading a room and brightening everyone's moods.

"Tozeeeeeeen!" someone calls out to me. I swivel my head to look at them quickly. It's Fujiko. Smiling like a little saint.

"Oh no. More cooking escapades?"

"...Please?"

I sigh. "What are we cooking this time?"

"Thank you! You're so patient and kind and wonderful!" she squeals. Somewhere deep down, I know that she's playing it up so I'll cooperate, but it's still really kind of her and I can't help but cover my face to hide my flattered smile. "But, um, grilled cheese?"

I consider it. There's oil involved, so a grease fire is technically possible. And it IS susceptible to burning. And she started a second grease fire since we survived the angel hair pasta trial. But... I'll be hovering over the whole process. It should be fine. "Okay, you little fire hazard, we can give it a shot," I tease.

"You're, like, such a sweetheart. A button. An absolute gem of a human being!"

"Okay, now you're doing this on purpose." She giggles and flits into the kitchen like a mischievous little pixie. "How about a grilled swiss and apple sandwich?"

"You make everything so FANCY, Tozen!" she beams.

I chuckle. "Grab a Granny Smith apple for me, please, and some olive oil."

"On it!" While she does that, I fetch whole wheat bread and some swiss cheese.

"So, use this egg wash brush to coat the two slices in bread with olive oil-- just one side per slice. I'll peel, core, and slice up this apple; we'll only really need half of it." She obeys, and, when we're both done, we get ready. "Put the first slice oil-side-down on the skillet... I usually put the heat at about 6." She does so. "Now put the apple slices on. And the cheese. And the last slice oil-side-up. Fuji-- Fujiko, that means facing toward us."

"Oopsie! Fixed it!"

"So we'll wait until it gets golden-brown on this side. We can check with the spatula. And when it's the right color, we'll flip it."

For a while, there's silence between us. "Okay, what the heck is even happening? It feels like everywhere I go, you could cut the tension with a knife!"

"I... can't talk about it. It's private, and I don't want to hurt people even more than I already have."

"Oh gosh. This isn't gonna be like a second schism blowing up in our faces, right?"

"No. We're dealing with it diplomatically. We'd never, ever pull anything like that again. Joanie and Bisque died because of petty drama. It's not one side versus the other, it's us versus the drama. And honestly, it's a lot about me having to work on problems that I was too stubborn to deal with for too long."

"Like what?"

I think about what to tell her for a long time. In the process of thinking, we flip over the sandwich and lower the heat to about two— remnants of the hot oil from the other side means it cooks way faster. "Fujiko... would you be upset if I made a chore chart? I know... that I work too hard when I get anxious. I'm working on it. But I don't wanna do it if it'd make you guys upset."

"Tozen, you know that the Monoinu clean, right? You can stop whenever you want and none of us would bat an eye! And if you mean our laundry, we're all used to doing our own. I may be a princess, but I'm not expecting you to wait on me hand and foot!" As if to prove herself, she manages to safely slide the finished sandwich onto the plate. She even remembers to turn off the burner and move the pan this time!

"I know, but it feels like the Monoinu can only do so much. There are four floors and a basement. I just wanna help."

"Gosh! You're always helping literally everyone like all the time! I almost feel bad. Like, I use up a lot of time for self-care and stuff... and yeah, definitely related to my body, but also to my heart! And maybe I spend too much time on myself? Maybe I need to help around more."

"N-No! Fujiko, it's good that you do that! You deserve it! You don't have to push yourself to make us happy, you already do that enough just by being yourself! Just by being cheerful, you spread that joy to the rest of us. And I don't mean to say that you have to be happy all the time, either. We'll still like you even if you're not okay, and we'll take care of you. But, like, my point is that you're enough!"

Her eyes narrow with something akin to smugness as she cuts the sandwich in half and takes a bite. It takes me a second to process why she's making that face at me, and then it clicks. "D-Did you just turn that around on me?!"

"This is, like, soooooo yummy! Thanks for helping me not burn down the building!"

"Fujiko, are we not going to address what just happened?! That was so clever!"

She just giggles. "I'm gonna eat this and then go do my laundry."

I nearly blurt out, "No need, I'll handle it," out of habit, but I recognize that she's testing me, so I hold my tongue.

She strokes the top of my head. "You're already plenty great, okay?"

"I... appreciate that you guys challenge me so much."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

???

"But... why tell me?"

"The one who was allowed to keep their memories... their resolve is wavering, I can already tell. I felt it was essential to help you see it our way. Your inner strength and resilience make you the ideal person to carry out the mission if things start to go south. Besides... maybe having someone else who understands will make them get their ass back in gear. They complain about loneliness all the time. I can give you the Flashback Light, if you want."

"How do I know the memories in there are real?"

"Oh, I have plenty of physical proof, too. But that starts with me telling you what WDR stands for. And I can't do that without knowing where your loyalties lie. Can I count on you?"

"...Fine."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gou

I crush the can in my palms, squishing the hell out of it and trying to make it as flat as a pancake, giggling to myself softly.

"Gou... is that a can of beer that you've just finished?"

"Azumi! Drink with me! Take a load off and have a good time with me!" I request cheerfully.

"I must decline your offer. I arrived here to experiment with the karaoke machine! But perhaps it would be better if I tend to you instead."

"I don't need to be tended to. I'm fine. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Gou. I am aware that you are not drunk-- there is never enough at any given time to allow for that. However, I get the impression that you are hardly drinking for entertainment purposes. You are all alone with no music on, and that hardly seems like it would be amusing. Come! We can do something more fun! You enjoy sports, do you not? Shall we play some baseball? We can take turns pitching to each other!"

"Ah! Now that sounds like fun! Let's go!" I hop up from my barstool and rush up toward the second floor, to our outdoor sporting area. I switch from my normal helmet to one of the baseball helmets, and Azumi wears one as well, taking her hair out of its usual topknot in the process. We both look fly as hell in our baseball uniforms, and I hit my bat on the ground, releasing a puff of dirt to swirl in the air. I cough a bit, and it makes Azumi laugh. "It's not baseball if the pristine uniforms aren't covered in dirt by the end. Y'know what I mean?"

She laughs. "True! In that regard..." She somersaults and winds up back on her feet in one fluid motion, now covered in brownish splotches She puts her mitt on and then pitches. It's a little high, but I manage to give it a right ol' whack. It goes a decent distance. But I can do way better than that.

"Gimme another," I ask, cracking my knuckles.

"Your wish is my command!" She sends another my way. We go on and on for a while, and then we switch places. She isn't very good at hitting, but she seems at least to be in good spirits. There's this sort of nostalgic haze to everything. It reminds me of one of my youngest cousins. We'd play ball with him a lot when he was a toddler, with those little plastic bats and balls, and he'd swing so hard that it was too much for his wobbly little body, and he'd topple over. He was so cute.

"Hey, Azumi, you were raised in your circus, right?"

"Indeed!"

"And I assume that means there are other children there, right?"

"Of course. The little ones are somewhat akin to my siblings, or perhaps even my children."

"Tell me a story about them."

"As you like. Erm... what to say? There are so many stories, but which to choose? Oh! There was one time when the six-year-olds all found a way to get into the cotton candy haul. All of their little fingers were startlingly sticky, but they were all smiles from ear-to-ear! Pint-sized troublemakers, the lot of them, but adorable nonetheless. Though... they were significantly less pleased with themselves when it came time to exercise and they had to sit out due to the 'unforeseen' aches in their tummies." She snickers a bit. "That is not to say that they are ill-mannered, but they are children. Mischief is expected, and even occasionally encouraged."

"Really? Were you ever mischievous?"

"Yes!"

"No... you? I've known you for a while now, and I've never seen you get into a lick of trouble."

She looks around a bit, as though trying to make sure nobody's watching us. "I feel that you in particular would like this story. When I was eight, I nearly drove a clown car out of the tent. My word... everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs. I was bitter and angry because one of my troupe leaders decided to bench me for a particular performance. I don't know what I thought stealing the car would accomplish, but it only resulted in me getting benched for a substantially longer amount of time. It was fun, though. Think fast!"

She pitches, and I slam my bat into it. The ball flies so far that it plinks haplessly on the dome and falls to the ground. "Hey!!! There's the power I was missing! Nice pitch!"

She curtsies. "Your hit was far more impressive, though."

"Thanks." I go to fetch the ball and rush my way back. We play for a bit longer.

"Imagine a world in which that hit shattered the dome, and we could simply... walk out. Sure, we're a story up, but having a few broken bones in exchange for finally being secure that we will stay alive... I would take that in a heartbeat. What would you do, if you got out?"

"Hire a PI. I know the sensible thing would be to just try and live freely and learn things about never taking life for granted and stuff like that. But I want answers! I want finality. I would hate... more than anything in the world I would hate for the person or people who scarred and killed us to get away with this. I want to know why. We didn't do anything to deserve it, so why?! I want the world to know what they did to us. What they did to the victims!" I rant, clenching my fists.

Her body language tenses and shrinks a bit. "I see. I don't know what I was even thinking, daydreaming like that. We might not ever escape at all, no matter how hard Fujiko tries to deny that. You know, maybe I would like a drink. I could use one."

"No."

"What? So you can cope with alcohol and I cannot?"

"Exactly. But we can karaoke, like you wanted in the first place!"

She sighs dramatically. "As you wish."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wakumi

I fell wave after wave o' Monoinu, n' then, satisfied with me progress, I crack me knuckles n' roll me neck. "Aye. Protoinu, crank yer difficulty level up ta eight."

"We exist to serve," the monotone voice rings out. It ain't e'en remotely as human-soundin' as the final draft o' the Monoinu, but it ain't not skin off me back. Don't matter how human-like they are, they're jumbles o' code that I couldn't possibly begin ta understand.

They give me a slight bit o' a better fight. One e'en manages ta nearly pin me ta the wall n' skewer me, but I'm too quick fer 'em. I guess I oughta sharpen me skills, though, as well as me blade. Once I'm done givin' 'em all a scrappin', I toss down me cutlass n' snatch up a water bottle, squeezin' some onta meself n' then downin' a couple o' large gulps.

"Aha!" I hear someone call.

"What d'ye want, ye bilge-suckin' galley slave?" I ask 'fore lookin'. I take one last swig n' then open me eyes, n' I can't help but nearly choke on me water. "Blimey! What n' the blazes are ye doin'?!"

"I demand a duel!" Chimon cries out, carryin' a sword made outta cardboard n' a paper hat.

"I-- where did ye GET that?! Didn't I make that fer the costume party all those months ago?!"

"No, it's not the same one. I made my own! I figure, you do a great job pretending to be a pirate, I wanna learn!"

"Pretendin'? What d'ye mean by that? N' choose yer words real carefully, or they might be yer last."

'E gives me an innocent grin. "Pirates aren't real, right? Or rather, they used to be, but they're not around anymore?"

I scowl. "I'm a bona fide pirate. It doesn't get much more real. Got a ship n' everythin'. Got a crew. We raid places, steal shit."

"Wow, you're really committed to this act!"

"ACT?! Wee laddie, ye ain't got a clue what ye're talkin' 'bout! I ain't gonna pull some, 'Oh, I was the Ultimate Actress all along!' shite or anythin' like that!"

"Prove it!" 'e beams.

"I don't have ta take this bullshit!"

"Ohhhh, I get it. You can't prove it. Don't worry, I'll keep your secret!" 'Is smile takes on a bit o' a sarcastic edge.

"Laddie, I dunno if ye have the slightest idea the bear ye're pokin'. So I'll give ye a chance ta take it back."

"What are you gonna do...? Chuck me into the pool?" 'E sticks 'is tongue out at me tauntin'ly.

"SHUT UP, YE LI'L HELLSPAWN O' A PICAROON!" I yell. 'E breaks out full force inta a devilish grin as 'e breaks out inta a run. I follow shortly thereafter, but 'e's disappeared. "ARGH, is this just some goddamn ploy ta get me ta play hide n' seek with ye?!" I pace the hallways aggressively, scannin' the area with me eyes. Okay. The easiest place fer him ta get ta is the playground, cause it's right next ta the trainin' grounds. I throw the door open n' start conquerin' the equipment, usin' it ta scan the area. I see nothin', so I check under the equipment. Nothin'. I turn around n' start marchin' out. But as the door creaks shut, I just barely hear a hint o' crinklin' paper, so I throw it back open and check nearby. "What in the... ye fit in those cubbies?!"

He cackles and squeezes out o' a cubbyhole. "Good job! When one sense failed you, you used another! You stopped stomping around long enough to actually hear shit. And those are good ears! I'm sure they serve you well on the open waters!"

"So, ye honestly believe I'm a pirate?"

"Oh, I believed it all along! I just wanted to pull on your leg a bit." I sweep 'is legs out front under 'im, makin 'im fall onta the soft foam. "Ha... I deserved that. But I haven't played hide and seek in a while."

"Riddle me this, laddie. What happened ta ye?"

"What do you mean?"

"At the start o' this thing, I took ye fer a whiny, collicky infant. But now, when I get a good look at ye, ye seem more like an obnoxious li'l troll."

"That's a really complicated answer, but I guess what I can say is that this is definitely more authentic than the stuff at the start!"

"Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why are ye takin' yer guard down? Ye know that the more people who die, the more desensitized we get ta it. N' if we get used ta the death, we're more likely ta kill, n' ye're more likely ta die."

"I... get it. But like, I've been faking for so long. It's exhausting. I'm tired of it. Frankly, I'm surprised you're talking to me. How's your multiplication going, by the way?"

"Pfft. I got ta the point where I knew the times tables up ta twelve but then I got sick o' it n' ripped out a lot o' pages o' that workbook. So the numbers are startin' ta leave me skull. Ye want cured ham?"

"Huh?"

"I cured some ham a while back. It'll surely taste good. Ye're gettin' a wee bit taller, so I bet ye've got an appetite on ye."

"Uh, okay, sure." We head down ta the dinin' hall, n' I give 'im some slices o' ham. After that, we "duel" with our cardboard swords, maybe gettin' a bit too rowdy fer our own good n' makin' an absolute warzone outta the kitchen. By the time we're done, me muscles feel less tense, but the place is a mess. "Oh, wow. I did not expect everything to get so... destructive. You're a bad influence," 'e smirks.

"That shoulda been apparent by now, ye scallywag."

Tozen walks into the kitchen and blinks, stunned inta silence. "I'm sorry!" Chimon apologizes preemptively, "I was being a pirate. Doing that really gets you carried away. No wonder you're such an asshole, Wakumi."

"Ohhhhhhhh, ye li'l bitch, ye're so lucky ye look like a kid or I'd keelhaul ye."

"You know what?" Tozen says. "You're forgiven for the mess, but... I don't think I'm gonna be the one to clean it." 'E declares it with the utmost seriousness, hangin' the jib n' all, but after makin' that declaration, a smile spreads 'cross 'is face.

I feel like I'm bein' bonded with, n' it's real gross.