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Eriko Zamora

"We're a peculiar bunch, aren't we?"

0 · 1,021 views · located in Youth Center/Hotel Place

a character in “Banana Split--with a side of DEATH”, as played by OstrichBurgers

Description

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Eriko Zamora Iko Ultimate Puzzle Solver Female Asexual Kaori Miyazono

Likes:
Puzzles, questions, cherry pie, all kinds of music, answers, and challenges

Dislikes:
Boredom, junk food, not knowing something, giving up

Quirks:
Asks too many questions, no sense of personal space,
seemingly obsessed with puzzles






#FFABAB#1194B6
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Obsessive Sociable Analytical Peculiar Curious

Eriko is a friendly young girl who tends to rub people the wrong way. She asks far too many questions to be deemed appropriate, has no sense of personal space,
and seems to say the worst of things at the worst of times. Perhaps worst of all, she knows these things bother people but has decided she doesn't care. Eriko cares more about solving puzzles than she does sparing feelings. In fact, puzzles are perhaps all she cares about. She is obsessed with them. You'll never see her unoccupied--often she carries around all sorts of puzzles, solving them all simultaneously and then moving on to the next one in her pocket. Furthermore, she keeps every puzzle she's ever solved. It's said she has thousands upon thousands of solved crosswords, rubix cubes, word searches, 1000 piece puzzles and more locked inside a storage vault somewhere just because she can't bring herself to part with them.

And make no mistake, Eriko is nothing short of a puzzling genius.

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"You were quite easy to solve."

Eriko was born to a well-off family that bought her all the puzzles in the world. She honed her puzzling skills from a very young age and grew from there, only getting better and ignoring more social cues as time went on. Nothing very eventful has happened in her life, or if it has, she was too busy solving puzzles to notice.
When Hope's Peak academy invited her to join them, she was more than ecstatic to meet other students and start bombarding them with personal questions.

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So begins...

Eriko Zamora's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon Character Portrait: Faussin Inusum
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Graham narrowed his eyes at Braeden and proceeded to pelt him with various kinds of food that he had stashed on his person. "Guess I'll just need to keep throwing until I hit, then."

"Why are we throwing food?" Faussin asked, stepping in tentatively. Graham turned and threw a bagel at him instead, but Faussin caught it. He stared at it for a moment. "Is this safe to eat? I forget to get food from the cafeteria and I'm really hungry."

"I would play it safe," Mercy said.

Faussin nodded, carefully setting the bagel onto the table. "That's probably the best option, huh?"

Eriko watched Faussin curiously as he took a seat next to Madoka. He caught her gaze after a moment. He looked around, as if making sure she wasn't looking at anyone else, then looked back at Eriko. He coughed. "Y-yes?"

"You're the Ultimate Illusionist," Eriko started, tapping her chin, "and yet we've never seen you do a magic trick. You should put on a performance for us."

He blinked, suddenly sitting up straighter. "Oh. Oh! You don't mean now, do you?"

She shook her head, a smile spreading across her features. "No, not now. You should prepare first so you can really wow us. Maybe you could put on a show in the dance club? Or somewhere else of your choosing, considering you're the magician?"

"Yeah," Faussin started excitedly. "Yeah! I don't know how long it'll be until I have something ready, but I'll try to work quickly. Give me a few days, maybe. Or a week. Probably more than a week, I need to find things to use and I really don't know yet, it depends on what I decide to do."

Eriko clapped her hands. "Wonderful! I can't wait!"

Graham stopped throwing things at Braeden, seeming genuinely interested. "Woah, wait. The Ultimate Illusionist is going to put on a magic show? Awesome!"

"Finnian expressed his excitement for the show, but in French," Eriko said. "Vivara said she's ready to be impressed as well."

Mercy scoffed. "Why don't they just say it in English?"

"Because they're snobs," Graham replied.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Faqir Nawabi Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon
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"That sounds like so much fun! I love magic shows."

Clair cocked her head. "We haven't all been able to show off our talents a whole lot yet, have we? Like, I haven't seen Oni perform a single exorcism."

Braeden, who had somehow managed to dodge, catch, or deflect every piece of breakfast food, shrugged at her. "I dunno, you always look hot. Can prolly attribute that to your makeup."

"Are you saying I only look good because I have makeup on?"

"Babe, with a body like that you'd look good with a paper bag over your head."

Feeling oddly defensive, Madoka said, "C-Clair is beautiful whether she has makeup or not and it has nothing to do with her body."

Clair looked genuinely touched by this. She placed a hand on Madoka's arm, smiling softly. "Mado, that's one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said about me! Thank you, good luck charm."

Madoka blushed. "W-well, y-you're always sticking up for me, s-so I just--I figure it's about time I--I-I mean, it's not...um..."

"Yo!" Faqir entered the room, carrying a sack that jingled with every step. "Great, is this everyone? I've been working all night for two nights straight on these and I've had to work double-time to make sure Graham doesn't steal them. I put a lot of hard work into this, man, so I'm asking for a little respect: please try not to take them."

Glad for the subject change, Madoka looked up. "W-what is it?"

Faqir held a finger to his lips. "Is everyone here? Are we missing someone?"

"Ysabel," Clair spoke up. "But I think she's the last one."

"Well, then you'll get your presents when she arrives."

Oni perked up. "Presents, you say?! YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN BUY THE GREAT DEMON QUEEN'S FAVOR WITH GIFTS?! ...Because you totally can if they're good enough, BUT STILL!"

"Patience!" Faqir insisted, his eyes sparkling. Madoka grinned.

He looks so happy. He must really be excited to share these with us.

"Wait a second," Faqir began suddenly, glaring at Graham, "are those the gems from my quartz collection? I KNEW I was missing some!"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Faqir Nawabi Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon
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"You look excited, don't you?" Mercy asked, watching Faqir with a smile. It was nice to see someone in such high spirits.

Graham held his hands up to his crown protectively. "First of all, they're mine now, thank you. And I can't make any promises about whatever you have in that bag. I know that sounds insincere, but just listen for a sec. For me, thievery is an irresistible compulsion. I've tried to fight it for years, but it's never worked--heck, my life could be on the line and I still wouldn't give up my stuff. After so many years of self-loathing and fighting and misery from trying to stop stealing, I decided that I'd just embrace it instead. So I say this: I'll try my very hardest to not steal whatever that is, but considering what's happened in the past, I don't know that I can stop myself."

Vivara muttered something in what sounded like German.

"I heard that, Viv," Graham said, glaring at her.

She shrugged.

Amelia and Ysabel walked in, exchanging pleasantries. They both waved to everyone.

"Everyone's here," Eriko realized, "which means we get our gifts, doesn't it?"

"These better be good," Mercy said, jokingly.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Faqir Nawabi Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon
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Madoka sat up straighter as Faqir emptied the contents of his sack onto the table and began arranging the colorful little bags contained within. He cocked his head. "W-what are those?"

Faqir beamed, lifting a dark blue baggy. "Jewelry!"

"Ah..." Admittedly, Madoka sometimes found himself forgetting Faqir was the Ultimate Jeweler--sometimes he seemed more like the Ultimate Class Clown.

Faqir hummed, examining the pouch he'd picked up. "Things have been crazy since the last trial, right? So I thought, 'I should make everyone something.' Gemstones can be so powerful, and some of the meanings work really well for what we all have going on. So to start, I added diopside, jasper, and onyx to everyone's--those cleanse trauma, aid in relaxation and consolation, and protect the wearer from hostility, respectively. Sounds perfect for all of us, right?"

Clair smiled warmly. "Faqir, that's so thoughtful of you."

In a voice reminiscent of a television salesman, Faqir continued. "But wait, there's more! Each piece also comes with an added stone I picked personally for each of you. Sorry if I got the colors a little off, I tried to pick a setting based on what I can guess about all of you. I could make a new piece if anyone wanted. Well--I could try, at least, I lost a lot of my stuff but the tools in the tool kit were kinda helpful and I guess Monokuma let me keep a good amount of my sh*t. So anyway, Mado! Here, buddy, this is yours."

Faqir passed over the dark blue bag. Madoka stood, reaching across the table to take it. "W-what is it?"

"Apatite," Faqir declared triumphantly. "Open it."

Obliging, Madoka untied the ribbon holding the bag closed and drew a small silver bracelet out from within. He examined it, tilting his head. None of the stones were ones he recognized--except perhaps onyx, if it was the black one he thought he knew--but all four stones appeared carefully arranged.

"It aids stuttering," Faqir announced. "Should be useful for you."

Madoka wilted. "Gee, thanks."

"See? It's working already!" Faqir paused. "Don't worry--it also has grief healing properties. I figured you could use that after...well, we all could, but anyway. Supposed to help with communication. You have good ideas, so maybe now you can learn to share them better."

Madoka smiled, unhooking the clasp of the bracelet and attempting to fit it onto his wrist. "Th-that's...actually pretty sweet of you. Thank you."

Faqir laughed. "Shucks. Oh, right--this one is for Amelia." He lifted another dark blue bag and passed it to Amelia. Madoka peered at it--the shape inside appeared to be a necklace. "That's jade. It's popular with gardeners since it brings a more bountiful harvest, and is known to alleviate fear and anxiety too. Since you're the Ultimate Botanist and all I figured it could be useful."

Clair reached for a bright green bag. "Ooh, I want mine next! Gimme!"

"Alright, Graham, patience," Faqir said, passing over the green bag. Clair quickly opened it and dumped a pair of silver earrings into her hand. "Emerald. Supposed to improve eyesight. Maybe you'll finally know what 'red' is."

Clair beamed. "Aw, Faqir..."

"It's also supposed to lift depression and relieve insomnia. Also it gives the wearer psychic powers. Spooky!"

"You mean I can finally call things like you do? Neat!"

Humming, Faqir lifted another green bag and passed it to Graham. "Speaking of Graham, here. It's gold. Nice and shiny for ya. Went with a necklace since there's more chain to work with and I can fit a bit more onto it. The gemstone is citrine, which attracts material abundance and aids with holding on to wealth. ...It also balances impatience and restlessness but that was mostly for my sake. Maybe it'll help somehow."

Oni grappled for a purple bag. Faqir ceded it to her. She tore it open and instantly slipped four rings onto her fingers. "YOU HAVE SATISFIED THE GREAT DEMON QUEEN! THIS IS SUFFICIENTLY SPARKLY!"

"Fluorite. Improves intuition and concentration and encourages balanced thinking. I figured you could use it."

"HER EMPRESS HAS PERFECT INTUITION! ...But the concentration is helpful, I guess."

Next, Faqir located another blue bag and passed it to Finnian. "This here's hematite. It improves logical thinking and creativity and dispels negative energy. I know you're already a genius, but hey, always room for more. And, uh, lemme see here..." He passed a dark red pouch to Vivara. "Speaking of geniuses. It's blue topaz, a favored stone among scholars for it's contributions to higher thinking. It also dispels negative energy like Finn's and improves communication. So you can maybe talk to us more."

Braeden was handed a brown bag. Muttering, he opened it.

"Used stainless steel in your chain. Figured you could hook it to your belt loops or something. Anyways, that's topaz--not blue topaz, mind you, yellow--and it calms bad tempers."

Braeden scowled. "Wow, thanks."

Faqir chuckled, nudging him playfully. "I'm not done yet, man, I wouldn't leave you high and dry like that! It also improves mental clarity and increases confidence."

Braeden observed the chain with renewed interest. "Confidence, eh?"

"Yep! Oh yeah, and this is for Fauss." Faqir began to hum, passing Faussin an orange bag. "Moonstone. Like the emerald, it's supposed to grant psychic abilities. Useful for the Ultimate Illusionist. It also provides clear thinking and inspiration."

Madoka asked Clair for help getting his bracelet on. She obliged, oddly cheerful.

Faqir handed a red bag to Mercy. "This here's garnet. It increases vitality and stimulates the senses, in addition to aiding with passionate devotion. Like to me, maybe, for being cool enough to give you a present."

Only five bags remained now. Madoka paused to count--there were three students left in the room, excluding Faqir himself. He cocked his head, but decided he would ask when Faqir had finished.

A pink bag was passed down to Eriko. "Tiger's Eye--converts anxiety and fear into practical logic and action. Also provides balance and strength during difficult times and relieves doubt. You've seemed on-edge since the last trial, so...figured maybe it would do something. Uh, who's next, who's next...oh, Romano!"

Romano suddenly looked alert. Faqir handed him a green bag. "There was no need to make me anything of worth, Master Faqir."

Faqir shrugged. "You're part of the team! Wouldn't feel right leaving anyone out. Anyways, that's amethyst. It helps lower obsessive-compulsive tendencies--which, yes, I have definitely noticed you have--aids in discovering wisdom, and brings calmness and clarity."

Romano briefly looked surprised, then relaxed. He opened the pouch to find a bracelet, which he tucked into his suit pocket for safekeeping.

Faqir faked wiping sweat off his brow and handed a magenta bag to Ysabel. "You're last, little lady. Since you don't know your Ultimate, I thought I'd get you agate. It's supposed to awaken talents and attract strengths."

Madoka found himself touched on her behalf--it was obvious Faqir had put a lot of effort into thinking up a personal stone for each member of the group. His opinion of the Ultimate Jeweler shifted slightly towards the positive--maybe Faqir really wasn't that bad after all.

Still, the two bags still sitting on the table had him confused. If no one else asked, he definitely would.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Faqir Nawabi Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon
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Mercy grinned, taking the red bag from Faqir and peering inside. Carefully, she reached into the bag and took the garnet into her hand, fingers running over the side of it. She stared at it, oddly touched. "This is beautiful."

Next to her, Eriko clapped excitedly, the girl's smile contagious. Taking the Tiger's Eye into her hands, she traced the pattern with her thumb and then held it from a distance, squinting. Stuffing the jewel into her chest, she rose from her seat and stopped in front of Faqir. After a moment of what looked like she bracing herself, she gave him a hug.

Vivara chuckled, watching her. "When I first met you, I didn't peg you as the kind of person who liked physical contact."

"I don't, usually," Eriko admitted, "but it's one of the biggest ways to show appreciation and I currently have a lot of it. I couldn't agree with Faqir more--with everything that's been going on lately, this is what we needed. Thank you!"

Ysabel smiled warmly, taking the magenta bag into her hands. "Thank you, Faqir."

Amelia looked at her necklace, chuckling. Her smile seemed oddly genuine. "I have a dress back home that this would've looked great with. Gosh, I have so many dresses back home that I miss. Frills and lace will always be the best."

"Moonstone," Faussin echoed, seeming thoughtful. "Sounds magical."

Vivara brought the blue topaz to her chest, her expression oddly wistful. "Papa had blue topaz. He kept it with him everywhere he went, and whenever I asked him why he would say it was magical. Thank you for bringing me a piece of him, Faqir."

Graham cackled, slipping his new necklace on over his head. "If this works, then heck, I'll be forever grateful. Sorry for stealing your stuff all the time. Thanks, man."

Eriko's eyes seemed to catch something sitting on the table. Her expression shifting slightly, she placed her hands on the table, staring at them. "That's... those aren't what I think they are, are they?"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Faqir Nawabi Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon
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So someone had noticed. Biting his lip, Madoka stood again. "Did you...are those..."

"Oh, right..." Faqir's expression was oddly nostalgic. "Well...I know they're not here anymore, but...Bonnie and Vona were still part of the group, right? I thought, maybe we can just hang something on the handles of their doors."

Clair's eyes softened. "Faqir..."

Faqir lifted the pink bag first, untying it and drawing out a gold chain. "See, this is rose quartz. It heals emotional wounds, restores harmony after conflict, and promotes appreciation of the arts. I figured, maybe we could use that to remember Bonnie. I had some extra laying around anyway."

Oni sniffled, fiddling with her fluorite.

"And..." Faqir hesitated, his cheerful expression suddenly somber. "...I mean...she was terrible, but...Xhevona was still one of us, right? A student. So..."

Madoka watched Faqir draw a silver chain out of the remaining red bag. Biting his lip, he moved closer to Clair, laying a hand on hers.

Faqir stared at the green gemstone hanging from the center of the chain. "...This is peridot. It alleviates depression, fear, anger, and anxiety, increases openness, and helps one understand relationships. I couldn't help but think...maybe if I had given this to Vona earlier, she wouldn't have..."

Faqir couldn't continue. Sensing his uneasiness, Madoka drummed his fingers on the table.

"I think they would have loved those," he said.

Faqir smiled, but by now Madoka could see when it was faked. "I dunno, Dr. X probably would have thrown it out. But Bonnie--I wonder what kind of use she could have found for it? Maybe she could have used it to decorate a mask or add to a cool costume."

Clair stood, patting Madoka's shoulder. "We could hang them on their pictures in the trial room. That way we could see what they might have looked like wearing them."

"That sounds like a terrible idea, Monokuma would probably trash them," Faqir replied. "...But I think I'd like to, just to see what it looks like."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Faqir Nawabi Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon
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Mercy smiled sadly, crossing her legs. "Even if they are no longer with us, we still have our memories of them, after all. We should do our best to honor them."

Eriko nodded in silent agreement.

Vivara seemed thoughtful. She crossed her arms, smirking somewhat. "I have a place to put them. It'll take a few days to prepare, but it should be worth the wait."

"What do you have in mind?" Finnian asked, fidgeting with his new jewelry.

"It's a secret," Vivara declared. "Be patient. You'll get to see it when it's ready."

Eriko smirked. "Thank you, Viv. I bet whatever you have planned is going to be lovely."

Mercy glanced at Vivara, admittedly curious. It was a known fact that the Ultimate Librarian was a woman of many talents (if she hadn't made that apparent already with her knowledge of several languages, medicine, and literature) so it was difficult to guess what she had planned. Whatever it was, however, Mercy had no doubt it was going to be wonderful.

Even if she didn't show it much, Vivara cared. Mercy could tell.

"I know I already said this," Eriko said, pulling the Ultimate Jeweler into another hug, "but thank you, Faqir."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Faqir Nawabi Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon
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Madoka felt an odd sense of relaxation wash over him at the sight of everyone acting just like normal.

They were students, weren't they? Not killers, not scared victims, but students. Every once in a while it was nice to remind themselves of that.

Faqir chuckled, patting Eriko's back. "Hey, it's no trouble. I like my job and I like you guys. It's like the best of both worlds."

Madoka suddenly felt guilty for viewing Faqir as more of a rude stranger than a friend. He shuffled his feet. "I...f-feel like I don't say this enough, but, um...thanks for trying, Faqir."

It wasn't the most encouraging thing he could have said, but Faqir seemed pleased by it.

"You know me, I love making you guys laugh. And also watching you freak out when I bring up your super obvious crush on Clair."

Madoka spluttered.

"Kidding! ...Except I'm not kidding, I'm not even remotely kidding. Anyway, you guys really don't have to thank me. It's the least I can do."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Eriko Zamora
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Mercy smiled, watching as everyone talked amongst each other, admiring their gifts, teasing people, and generally acting like a class of normal students. Relaxing, she leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. She didn't know how long this peace was going to last.

But here's hoping it'll never stop.




A day had passed since Faqir had given them all her jewelry and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. After Vivara officially dismissed their morning meeting for that day, everyone began to scuttle off to wherever they felt like going, and Mercy was no different. Sighing contentedly, she headed for the door and in the direction of the fitness center. She was in the mood to punch something.

"Mercy! Wait up," Eriko called from behind her, enthusiasm seeming oddly forced.

Mercy glanced over her shoulder, stopping. "I'm waiting. What's up?"

She jogged over to Mercy's side, wearing a strange smile. She saluted. "Nothing much. I was just wondering if I could go with you to the fitness center today, is all."

Mercy raised an eyebrow. "I never thought you were the type to be active, but sure. I don't mind. Do you have anything in mind there that you want to do, or...?"

Eriko shrugged, walking alongside Mercy as they approached the fitness room. "Well, I'm not sure yet, to be honest. Why don't I watch what you do and try doing that? Perhaps you could teach me. You seem to like being active quite a lot, after all."

"I do," Mercy said, swinging the door open. "But the stuff I do may be a bit too advanced. I could try teaching you something more simple?"

Eriko walked in ahead of her, opening all of the locker doors and checking several other places in the room. Mercy watched her, quite weirded out at this point. It was perhaps more disturbing that all of the places Eriko was checking, a human body could fit. Was the girl checking for a corpse or someone hiding in the shadows? Mercy was almost afraid to ask.

Looking to see that no one else was in the hallway and then shutting the door behind her, Mercy turned to Eriko. "Is everything alright?"

"What are you talking about?" Eriko asked, poking her head behind a weights machine. "I'm being completely normal, thank you very much. And the more I look around the surer I am that we're alone, so I'll explain in a moment, but..."

She checked behind one last machine, then let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. Standing up straight, she turned to the Ultimate Hunter and took something out of her dress pocket, extending it to Mercy. It was her handbook. "Take this, please. In the event that my suspicions are confirmed and something happens, I would like you to look through my room. Don't let anyone else in, and make sure that you read every single thing I have left you inside."

"Eriko, please explain what's going on," Mercy said.

"Take this first," Eriko demanded. "And please hurry. It is very important that no one else knows you have this."

Hesitating, Mercy took the handbook. She looked at it for all of a second, then quickly shoved it into her pocket, glancing over her shoulder briefly. "Alright, I took it. Now explain, and fast. You're freaking me out."

Eriko knotted her hands together, nervously. "As you have most likely figured out, I did not come with you to work out. I solve puzzles, not gain muscle. And lately I've--well, I don't... I-I'm scared, Mercy. I'm really scared, and I-I'm not going to tell you why, so don't ask, but I just really want to have someone I trust with me right now."

Mercy stared at Eriko for a moment, the content feeling she'd walked out of the morning meeting with having almost instantly disappeared. "You want me to stay with you, but you can't tell me why."

Eriko bit her lip, as if choosing her words carefully. "Yes. Truth be told, i-it's probably just all in my head, but there's no harm in caution. If you're worried something might happen to you, I can leave and that's okay. That's perfectly fine. I'm just worried. I-I worry a lot, haha."

"Eriko, is someone after you?" Mercy asked lowly, her tone of voice surprising even her.

She bit into her lip with more force. "I said no questions, Mercy. Please."

"Erik--"

"No questions. Knowing things is dangerous," Eriko muttered, oddly serious.

Mercy took a deep breath, realizing there was most likely little to nothing she could pry out of the girl. Adjusting her jacket, she muttered, "fine. I'm going to imagine the most extreme situation there could be, then, meaning I'm not letting you leave my side. Got it?"

Eriko nodded her head, seeming immensely grateful. "Yes."

Mercy exhaled, cooly. "Good."

So much for a peace that lasts forever.

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Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Eriko Zamora
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Mercy threw a roundhouse kick at the punching bag, half of her attention on her hits and the other half on the door. Eriko sat on the side, watching curiously. She glanced back at the entrance every now and then, clearly paranoid, but the more time passed, the more at ease she seemed. It was the opposite for Mercy, however.

Truth be told, Mercy had never been the most sentimental type. This didn't surprise many, considering she was the Ultimate Hunter, and for the longest time it never bothered her. Over the years, however, she found herself feeling more and more empty. Even when she learned of Bonnie's death--she'd felt almost nothing. Pity, perhaps. She'd taken the handbook from the girl's cold corpse without a problem.

But Eriko had been so shaken up. Eriko, who had seemed almost emotionless when they first met, was trembling--tearing up, even, her composure having vanished in an instant. Admittedly, it had taken Mercy off guard. The reason she'd paired herself with Eriko when investigating Bonnie's room was because she assumed the girl would be both efficient and calm. Being with someone who was a nervous wreck would only make them slower, and considering the circumstances, they didn't have time for slow.

Well, crap, Mercy had thought when she saw Eriko start to wipe away her tears. Guess this was a bad choice.

Of course, Mercy offered some words of comfort to the girl. Reacting to a death in such a way was only natural. If anything, it was more natural than anything Mercy could ever be. For the longest time, she'd envied people who felt what Eriko felt in that moment.

Amazingly, those words of comfort were enough to inspire Eriko to kick herself into high gear. She went through Bonnie's room quickly and efficiently, wiping her tears to the side as she did. It was her passion for puzzles and want to avenge Bonnie that allowed the girl to persevere.

And she kept her composure through the entire trial--and then finally, when it was all over, she let herself break down into strangled sobs. It was as if she'd been holding it in the entire time. And then, taking Mercy off-guard yet again, Eriko went to her of all people for comfort. Her--the pessimistic, unfeeling, cold-as-stone Ultimate Hunter. The same person who, 2 years ago, would've walked past a dead body on the street and just checked her watch because she was late for a meet-up.

Honestly, Mercy didn't know what Eriko saw in her. But the girl was attached to her, and quite frankly, Mercy didn't mind her company. She was delightful and refreshing, and there was something about her that set her away from all of the other people there. It was hard to be anything but happy in the girl's presence, her smile being simply too contagious.

So knowing that Eriko was in danger only served to put Mercy on edge. Eriko came to Mercy because she trusted her, and she now felt a responsibility not to let the girl down.

Inhaling and exhaling, she continued to go at the punching bag. It was therapeutic.

"You slowed down for a bit there," Eriko observed, tilting her head slightly. "Something's on your mind. You seem sentimental."

Mercy waved her off. "It was nothing. We all get like that sometimes."

"I'm sure," Eriko replied, though her smug smile said she knew better.

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Mercy stepped back from the punching bag for a moment, wiping the sweat from her face. Usually, she could steer her mind away from a subject, but that didn't seem to be the case today. Shaking out her legs, she grabbed her water bottle and gulped some down.

She finished with a deep breath, then turned to Eriko, hands on her hips. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you, Zamora. Why do you trust me?"

Eriko thought for a moment. "Why do I trust you? Well, it's sort of hard to explain. I can see in your eyes that you're an honest and strong person, and I'm drawn to it, I suppose."

Mercy actually laughed out loud. "Honest and strong, huh?"

"You don't believe those words?" Eriko asked.

"I think you're sugarcoating, to say the least," Mercy replied, grinning out of disbelief. "I hate to tell you, but 'honest and strong' is far from the truth. Try 'uncaring' on for size, take off your rose-colored lenses, and look again."

Eriko laughed. "I know I can be more idealistic than most, but I think I know a person when I see them. As the Ultimate Puzzle Solver, analyzing is something I've been doing for my entire life. You don't believe it, but you are an honorable woman. I am proud to know you and consider you my acquaintance."

She paused, watching Mercy's subtle reaction. "You don't like the word 'acquaintance.' Very well. Personally, I like the word 'friend' much better, but I didn't want to label our relationship as such without consulting you."

"Friend," Mercy confirmed, the word feeling weird in her mouth. Mercy Crocker didn't have friends.

Eriko smiled her contagious smile. "Friend! Wonderful. Well then, allow me to correct what I said before: I am proud to know you and call you my friend. You're strong, you're honest, and you're sincere when it counts. I wish to be like you one day."

"No," Mercy said, almost immediately, "you don't. You should appreciate who you are more."

Eriko chuckled, shaking her head. "You should take your own advice, Miss Crocker."

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Mercy moved to go back to her punching bag, then paused. If someone was really after Eriko, perhaps it would be wiser to conserve her energy. What she'd done so far was more of a warm-up, anyway. Nodding to herself, Mercy walked over to one of the many lockers Eriko had thrown open and whipped a towel around her neck, feeling refreshed.

"It's been too long since I worked out," Mercy muttered. "If only they had a shooting range or something here. That'd be relaxing."

"It'd also give us access to guns," Eriko pointed out.

Mercy grinned a little. "Oh, please. Put a gun in my hand and I'd be in my element. Heck, I'd probably just take all the guns from the range and stash them inside my room."

She giggled. "It does look fitting when I imagine you with a rifle strapped to your back. It's hard to tell what it is about you, but you have the look of a hunter."

"My father's friend used to say the same thing," Mercy replied, her grin only growing. She was about to sit down next to Eriko when someone knocked on the door, causing both of the girls' heads to turn.

Eriko stood immediately. Cracking her knuckles, Mercy brandished her towel like a potential whip and made her way over to the door, grin having vanished. She assumed her usual calm and indifferent look, opened the door and faced Madoka, who stood meekly.

Admittedly, seeing the harmless little Ultimate Lucky Student relieved most of Mercy's tension. Wearing a bit of a sideways smirk, she placed one hand on her hip and the other on the doorframe for support. "You're one of the last people I expected to be here. Not trying to work out, are you?"

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Madoka jumped, hand flying to his bracelet almost on instinct--Faqir's gift had certainly given him a newfound sense of courage, if nothing else.

He took a deep breath. "A-actually, I was looking for..."

He paused, noticing Eriko standing behind Mercy. Well, certainly Clair wouldn't mind the both of them joining the group--although Madoka debated with himself briefly how many extra people he wanted to join their game.

"Clair was looking for Eriko," he announced. "She was thinking maybe we could all play some blackjack together? O-oh, um, Mercy, you could probably come too...m-maybe I could ask her?"

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Mercy looked back at Eriko for confirmation.

Eriko's lightheartedness had almost completely disappeared, replaced by fake friendliness. The girl moved closer to Mercy, waving to Madoka politely. She smiled at him. "Blackjack, huh? Maybe some other time. Mercy is giving me some tips on working out right now, and we've only just gotten started."

Mercy's brow narrowed in subtle concern. Throwing her towel over her shoulder, she shrugged. "Too bad, I guess."

Is Eriko trying to avoid Clair, or does she just not want to go anywhere? Mercy thought, glancing at Eriko out of the corner of her eye. Of all the students there, Clair didn't really seem like a killer, but Eriko's instincts had proved to be incredible. For all the time that they'd been there, almost none of Eriko's predictions hadn't been spot on.

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"A-ah..."

Madoka felt oddly nervous about going back to Clair without even succeeding in performing a tiny favor for her. If he couldn't even manage to bring Eriko back, he was worse than average--he was a failure.

Perhaps it was desperation, perhaps it was cripplingly low self-esteem, perhaps it was just being crazy...but Madoka vowed in that moment that he would not disappoint Clair by returning without more companions.

"I-if it helps, there's someone else there too?" Madoka hated to think about whoever that was pleasing Clair in the casino, but if mentioning them helped at all... "A-and, I mean...well, it's okay, maybe we could all go into the dance club instead? That's exercise, right? ...R-right?"

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Eriko's interest seemed peaked. "There was someone else? Do you know who?"

Mercy crossed her arms, watching Eriko carefully. Things would be so much easier if the girl just told her what was going on, but she seemed intent on keeping her mouth shut. Thinking about it, Mercy couldn't help but wonder if the Ultimate Puzzle Solver had stuck her nose where it didn't belong and was somehow paying the price.

Suddenly more tense than usual, Mercy shifted.

"This is--well, Madoka, could you do me a favor? Could you sneak a peek at whoever was up there?" She paused, her fingers fidgeting. "A-and don't tell anyone I asked. I know that sounds suspicious, but hear me out. There's someone here that I really like and I want to know if it's him. If it is, I'll go play with you and Clair."

Mercy gave Eriko a look, playing along with her act. "Woah, hold on. You like someone?"

Eriko shrugged shyly. "D-don't tell anyone, okay?"

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Mercy watched Madoka go, pursing her lips. After a moment, she opened her mouth to say something, but Eriko shushed her before she could speak. "No questions, remember?"

The Ultimate Hunter frowned. "I remember, I'm just not happy about it. If you can read me so well, then you're already aware of the fact that I like to know things. Things like who to look out for when my--" she paused, the word still feeling somewhat foreign, "friend... when my friend thinks she's in danger."

Eriko crossed her arms. "Please, just trust me when I say I'm not going to tell you. You of all people should know that I don't do things without reason."

Mercy frowned. "I know that, I'm just--I'm worried."

Something akin to a smile tugged at the corners of Eriko's lips. She playfully poked Mercy's shoulder. "It's not like you to admit that, Miss Crocker."

Mercy let out a sigh. "It's really not."

There was a moment of silence. Mercy shifted, putting more of her weight on the doorframe, whilst Eriko rocked back and forth slightly. She seemed lost in thought for a moment.

Mercy placed her hands behind her head, listening out for footsteps. Again, a fight was about the last thing she wanted, but the thought of one felt rather refreshing. If only the other students were more athletically inclined--she would've asked one of them to spar with her already.

Of course, there were a few who could bring a good fight to the table--namely, Braeden--but he was too perverted for her tastes.

"Mercy," Eriko said suddenly. She had that same serious tone from earlier.

Looking over at her, Mercy decided it didn't suit someone like Eriko and silently wished she'd go back to being her normal self. "Yeah?"

The girl smiled warmly. "You should find more friends. I feel like some people could really interest you, but only if you gave them a chance."

Mercy blinked. "That came out of nowhere."

She shrugged. "It just occurred to me and I thought that I should mention it."

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Madoka's pace was hurried as he jogged down the stairs. His teeth clenched, but he couldn't tell if it was because of his strange mixed emotions at Clair and Faqir, or a sense of impending dread about the scenario. Something felt overwhelmingly wrong, but there was really no reason to be afraid--everything would be fine, right?

Right?

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Madoka returned to Eriko and Mercy, crossing his arms. Eriko deserved to know, no matter what Faqir had insisted.

"She's with Faqir," Madoka announced, hating how cold his voice sounded. He tried to mask it with an awkward cough. "W-well, if that would be okay, um...we can all head up together?"

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Mercy raised an eyebrow. Faqir. Faqir and Clair? I guess they could get into trouble if left alone, but I never would've thought it'd have Eriko so rattled...

She crossed her arms, standing up straighter. She saw the way Faqir reacted to Xhevona's death, so it was hard to imagine he had anything sinister in mind. Then again, it could've all been a guise, right? One that Eriko would've probably seen through. Assuming Faqir was related to this at all.

Of course, there was no way for Mercy to know, considering Eriko wasn't going to tell her anything.

She huffed. Being left in the dark was infuriating.

"I-I don't know," Eriko replied to Madoka, acting unsure. "I think I'll just stay here if that's okay."

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Any other time, it most certainly would have been okay.

But for some reason, Madoka dreaded going back up those stairs alone one more time. At least if he had others around, maybe he could gain the courage to say something.

That, and having a wingman wouldn't hurt.

He had a few approaches he could take: cover it up by trying to be sly, ignore it and leave Eriko and Mercy alone and just be a big boy, or tell the truth.

"I-I'll be honest with you two," he began.

Tell the truth it is.

"I'm scared to go back up there by myself, because now I feel like I'm losing Clair and she asked me specifically to go and bring you upstairs for blackjack, and ordinarily there wouldn't be any sort of problem but now I just really want her to like me and she's already upstairs there with Faqir and I probably shouldn't say this but I'm positive they have some kind of sexual relationship and it's really worrying me because I didn't think Clair was that kind of girl, so now I'm worried that he's doing something horrible to her and I really just don't think I should go up there alone because what if she doesn't like me..."

Too much truth, Madoka! Too much truth! WAY too much truth!"

It was too late to take it all back now. Madoka sighed miserably.

"...I-I'm sorry, I'm pathetic, I-I'll just go confront her...alone. Without backup. I-it's okay, I'll be fine. It's not like she'll be mad at me, right? ...R-right?"