She's the fire in the sin And I burn breathin' her in [Open]

[discerp]

Who: Mikan & YOU

When: Sep 20/21st

Where: Around both Near and Far Shore, the school, etc.

What: Komaeda's agreed to give Mikan the hand he had attached to him so she could examine it and find a way to re-attach it better. So now Mikan's running around with a severed hand and there's nothing weird about this at all okay?? Warning for spoilers for Super Danganronpa 2 if you're trying to avoid that.



[You know, she used to dream one day of holding the hand of the person she'd loved most in this world. It had been an all-consuming love. A dangerous obsession she couldn't break away from on her own. She'd wanted to hold that hand again, once upon a time. Maybe even a little bit now. Just once. She'd like to think she was okay now, that she'd broken away from those desires and all, but they're so tangled up in who she was, who she still is and will be--

Well.

She didn't think her chance would come again in the form of her beloved's severed hand held in her own.

It's Komaeda's hand, but it's also not. It's Junko's hand too. Was Junko's hand.

So: [A] Mikan won't do anything weird, but she does find herself staring too much while she wanders the Shores. Every so often, when she thinks she's alone, she can sometimes be stumbled upon, pulling the hand out to examine it. Tracing the lines of Junko's hand and the nails and remembering. She wished she could forget, the expression on her face some mix of longing nostalgia and agony.

It's fine. This is fine.]

[B]

[While Komaeda's taken decent care of the hand, Mikan can't help but think it needs a woman's touch. It's a woman's hand, after all! ...There's nothing right about that sentence, but here Mikan is, sneaking into a nail salon.

Normal humans just slide their gazes over her, which is good, because she looks overly suspicious the way she's hunched over a wrapped little bundle in her arms and keeps looking around desperately.

She looks around again and hesitantly unwraps part of the bundle so that the nails of the hand peek out and begins carefully scrutinizing nail polishes, trying to find the perfect shade of red. For some reason it feels very important to get this perfect.]

B-but, do I choose Fire Engine Red, or Underage Red... Th-they look the same. They're the same, aren't they? [She can't tell the difference at all help.]

[C]

[Mostly Mikan can be found wandering around the Far Shore across many different temple grounds on a search for a good place to sit and study; there's a suspiciously wrapped bundle held tightly to her chest with one hand, and a stack of books precariously balanced on the other. It's no surprise that eventually she loses her balance and topples over with a shriek.

For once it's not into some fanservice-y pose, but the books go flying. There's all medical texts about surgery and the like, but there's some weird ones thrown in to about.. reanimation?? Occult books on revival? A copy of Frankenstein!?

The bundle goes flying too and lands on the ground. In it is Junko's severed hand, now perfectly manicured and looking well taken care of if any brave soul decides to peek at the bundle on their way to help Mikan or something.

Even if they don't, Mikan--knowing she's likely trespassing--sits up rubbing her head with a groan] I-I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, I-I was j-just passing through, I promise! Y-you can hit me if you want, or cut my hair, or put your cigarettes out on me, so pl-please forgive me! I'll do anything, so please don't be mad!

I-I've got a good reason, I swear...!

[Wildcard]

[Hit me up at ovals if you wanna plan something, otherwise Mikan can basically be fond anywhere trying to study up on these things. Just...carrying a hand around with her. No big deal.]

Comments

C

[freezetheheavens]

[...He really shouldn't have been reminded of Kurotsuchi upon seeing the disembodied hand and he chooses to pointedly ignore it as he walks over to her, his expression unreadable considering how he found her wandering on his temple grounds.

The small god just looks at her, veiled curiosity behind teal eyes.]

...What are you doing?

[discerp]

[Oh, hey! She recognizes him! She perks up a little, but then cowers again almost immediately at the question.]

I-I... I was just looking for a nice place to study... [her eyes keep darting nervously between him and the hand.]

[freezetheheavens]

You should be careful when you're traveling across temple grounds.

[Noticing her eyes drawn to the hand, he blinks at her slowly.]

I won't ask about the hand, but you should take more careful keeping it bundled up.

[discerp]

I-is it dangerous...? [She imagines some might be, but wouldn't that deter visitors?? ...She supposes that might be the point too, though with teleportation and all it's probably easier to bypass security measures or something.

It's also rude but who's counting.]

Eep! [She scrambles over on hands and knees to retrieve the hand, looking over it anxiously and sighing deeply in relief to find there's no damages] I-I'm sorry! It was the best I could do under the circumstances, s-so...

[freezetheheavens]

Some of the other gods might not be as welcoming to trespassers.

[He cocks his head to the side.]

Do you need something else to bundle it up with? Someone else might ask questions about it.

A

[reformedsinner]

[It's remarkable, the sorts of things one sees on a normal morning walk in the Heavens.

A familiar young woman caressing a severed hand is unusual even by Hakkai's standards, though, and he pauses a few paces away, clearing his throat, at last, to get her attention. The expression on her face isn't, he thinks, the sort of expression anyone wants to have unless they're alone.

What does he say to an expression like that? He is already prying, after all.]

Whose is it?

[discerp]

Eep! [Mikan straightens up with a jump, hugging the hand tightly to her chest. She looks down at it then up at Hakkai and shoves the hand behind her back, eyes wide.] I-I-I... [She stammers a few seconds, grasping at straws for an explanation.

'Whose is it?' He'd asked an Mikan falters, expression going troubled as she pulls the hand out again to look at it.]

I-it's, um... It's Komaeda-san's, but... But before that it was Jun-- Enoshima-san's... [Her expression twists again in something like grief and hatred both before she quickly switches back to looking timidly at Hakkai] I-I wasn't doing anything w-weird, I p-promise! I, um... Komaeda-san g-gave it to me....

[THAT DOESN'T SOUND MUCH BETTER]

[reformedsinner]

... Transplanted?

[And then re-severed? Hakkai leans in, then pauses, straightening back up and glancing at her.

So she knows Komaeda, and she'd known the previous owner of this hand... much better. He wonders how voluntary that 'giving' had been. Her timidity seems intermittent.]

Is there a reason you removed it?

[discerp]

[Mikan nods, looking a bit distracted by her own memories a moment. The way they'd fallen into sheer madness and descend on Enoshima's body... She wants to laugh at the memory. Or cry. Or maybe both. It seemed like it happened lifetimes ago.

She looks up wide-eyed again] I-I didn't steal it! I asked for it! [That also sounds weird so she shakes her head to clear it before trying again]

The one who, um... attached it in the first place b-back in our world was me. But... I didn't do such a good job back then. R-really, it's a little embarrassing... [Baby's first surgery levels.] A-and he hasn't been able to use it very much, s-so, um... So I offered to take it and see if I could f-find a way to attach it better, and give him more use from it!

C

[in_praetego]

[ He's not really sure how she got in here. Maybe the giant iron cathedral called to her? It and the blue fire and the gravestones surely give off the best occult vibe ever. The temple itself though is under construction. Blame the cats from yesterday.

But he's hurrying over as soon as he hears the sound of someone falling over. ]

Can you get up?

[ Yuki does offer her a hand while glancing over at the fallen piles of books with a soft hum of thought. ]

...if you're looking for medical texts, I'm afraid my library's kind of... unavailable at the moment though.

[discerp]

I-I'm s-sorry for trespassing! [She whimpers, looking fearful even as she lets him help her up.]

I was j-just looking for a quiet place to st-study... [And the atmosphere of this place was perfect, honestly. She looks around though, noting how much construction was going on.] What, um... Wh-what happened...?

[in_praetego]

It's fine... given the state of the grounds, I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't aware there was a temple there to begin with.

[ He does offer a smile back, just to show that he doesn't mean any harm. But there's a sigh at the second question. ]

Ayakashi went haywire. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take care of them quick enough to salvage the temple.

[ But he's gathering up the books, sparing a glance at the package on the ground. If he notices what it was, he doesn't say a thing about it. ]

So... what exactly were you studying?

[discerp]

I-I'm sorry... [What is she even apologizing for?? Who knows. She scoops up the package though to hug it close to her chest]

I, um... M-mostly medical things... I-I'm a nurse, a-and things are always changing in the medical field, you know! And, um... Since there's magic and stuff here, I was looking at reanimation things too, a little...

I-is that stupid? That's probably stupid, r-right? I'm sorry!

A

[yasei]

[ So that's...a thing to stumble upon.

Though Obi was in the tree she stopped under, taking a nap, and he didn't really stumble upon the sight. ]

Miss, what are you doing?

[ The utterly bewildered voice comes from the tree. ]

[discerp]

[Mikan screams in alarm and jumps up, hugging the hand close to her.]

Wh-what? Who? [She looks around wildly before she looks up and sees him] Eep! Wh-what do you m-mean? I'm not d-doing anything!

[yasei]

[ Oh, she sure startled easily. ]

Yeah, okay. It's totally normal to walk around and giggle over a hand.

[discerp]

[Honey you've seen nothing yet.]

I-I wasn't giggling! [Was she?? Had she been drooling too? That happened sometimes. She wipes at her mouth just in case.]

I just, um... Um... I-I'm a nurse, s-so... I was examining it!

B

[clothes_make_the_man]

[Forrest doesn't usually wear nail polish himself, but he does do a lot of nail treatments for his friends, so he finds himself here fairly often to restock his supplies. And when he sees Mikan standing there browsing, he approaches with a friendly smile.]

Oh, hello! Mikan, from the other day, right?

[discerp]

Eek! [Mikan's eyes go wide in surprise and she hastily tries to shove the bundle behind her back]

O-oh! Forrest-san... I-I'm sorry, was I bothering you? I-I won't be in the way, I promise!

[clothes_make_the_man]

No, not at all! Actually, it looked like you could use some help picking out the right color.

[It's pretty easy to tell that fashion is his thing just from a look, after all.]

[discerp]

[Mikan's laugh is a bit nervous, but she's pleased he'd want to help]

I really don't want to be a bother... Um, but... There's so any shades of red, a-and, um.. T-to someone so stupid like me, they all look the same... I just want something red-- Really red. Rally, really, really red!

C

[erogappa]

[ Why should he be stuck with one god, anyway? He'd been assigned to Ekko, and he'd picked Sharak sinply because she'd been nice to him when he'd been turned into a kid. There's dozens of gods here for a shinki to choose from!

And so that's what he's been doing, in the hours that he's free from the bar. Some of these temples are beautiful -- some are fucking ridiculous, gaudy or stark or full of cats, but some are really peaceful and pretty. And poultry-free, which is a definite bonus.

This temple might be a little too peaceful, though, he thinks, stepping over the tiny babbling brook into yet another field of tiny white flowers. Beyond there's a gazebo, looking like something out of a wedding catalog, and the row of cypress at the edge of the property. The god -- or goddess -- who lives here is probably the god of romance or something, he thinks, trying not to crush every tiny blossom as he heads back toward the road. The last thing he needs is more romance.

He hears a footstep behind him, and turns just in time to see the girl pitch forward, her stuff going flying. Goddess of klutzes, he mentally snickers. Goddess of comedy pratfalls? ]

You okay?

[ He leans over, picking up the bundle that had landed at (technically on) his foot, smile fading as she begs his forgiveness. Put cigarettes out on her? What? What the hell kind of shit temple is she from?

Frowning, he tucks the oddly shaped package under his severed arm and holds out a hand to her. ]

Nobody's gonna hit you, okay? You come tell me if they try.

[discerp]

I-I'm fine, please don't worry! [She looks between his face and his outstretched hand, like she's utterly bewildered by it and doesn't know what to do.]

I... Um? B-but why would I...? [She mutters, confused, as she trails off. But why would she tell hi? hat as he going to do?? It takes her another second or so before she realizes that not taking his hand is probably the ruder thing here, and she quickly grasps it to pull herself up.

Once up she lets go of his hand with equal speed and clasps her hands together, wringing them anxiously] Um, um-- I'm sorry, did I disturb your walk?

[erogappa]

[ Damn, she's just a nervous little thing, isn't she? Maybe it's the missing arm? With the scars and the scowl, he probably looks like a total thug.

Using the dropped books as an excuse he takes a step back, scooping up one of the books and shaking it briefly to dislodge any loose grass or dirt that might have gotten stuck between the pages. ]

I don't bite, you know. [ --he drawls, deadpan. ] Calm down. You're fine.

[discerp]

[She makes a squeaking noise, quickly swooping in to start helping.]

N-no, it's fine, you don't have to-- ['Calm down,' he says, and she pauses, resting some of the books on her knees as she crouches there.]

I'm sorry, it's not you, n-not really. [Well the fact he exists in general as a person round her is enough to make her anxious] I-I just don't know how to talk to people, and um, r-really people shouldn't have to put up with me... [But she doesn't want to go into a Komaeda-style ramble about being trash and all, so she falls silent.

Mikan eyes him curiously, hesitates a moment, before meekly asking:] Can I ask-- Um, y-your arm...?