Faussin Inusum's Story

Finally. Romano immediately backed away from the hug. Squealing, Clair wriggled downwards and escaped by crawling between Oni's legs. She made a beeline for the table, collapsing into a chair with a long sigh. Madoka remained in the hug without her, seemingly enjoying everyone's company.

"That's interesting," Clair murmured. "Usually DID manifests far more...well, dissociatively. I asked because your particular case seems to be an anomaly, but given the common professional opinion that DID may be a cultural phenomenon rather than a true biological mental disorder I suppose it wouldn't be entirely out of the picture to somehow have an identity more aware of things. Still, it raises a few important questions--such as the question of whether or not two separate and distinct personalities can truly exist within the same body of an individual with full awareness, and considering the rapid switches you two seem to be capable of it would also be worth asking how your brain determines when to 'switch over', so to say, as multitasking in such a way would seem to contradict with a few findings..."

Clair trailed off, realizing the amount of people staring at her.

She plastered on a ditsy grin. "But then again, I'm just a makeup artist--it's not like I know anything about pathology, haha."

"Psychology," Madoka corrected on instinct. "A-and it seems like you know an awful lot..."

Clair shrugged. "Not really--I have a bit of insight on my own problems, of course, but that's about it. On that note, Fauss, wanna go for a walk?"

Her comment surprised Romano slightly--Faussin didn't seem to have any connection at all to the previous topic, but perhaps Clair had heard him say something earlier somehow.

Romano focused on Faqir and Mercy, scanning for any obvious lingering damage. They both appeared fine, but it was hard to be certain.

"I threw up for an hour straight last night, I feel drunk, I have a terrible headache, and everything is spinning right now," Faqir announced cheerfully. "But my face is sexy as h*ll. Right, Graham?"

At least he had stopped targeting poor Mercy. On that note, Romano suddenly became very worried for her mental state. He had no personal insight to offer beyond conflict mediation, but perhaps there was something he could do to keep her mood light.

If nothing else, Faqir seemed to be cradling her more gently than Romano expected. "Oh yeah, about dying. Yo, everyone. There's no way in h*ll I'm gonna kill anyone, so how about we all just agree to not kill me back and that'll be perfect. Mercy asked, y'know. I can't deny a request from her, on account of she would probably chop my d*ck off."

"I-I won't kill you," Madoka offered.

"If I were to kill, it would be a demon, not one of you filthy mortal scum!" Oni scoffed.

"I don't think it's physically possible for anyone to hate me more than they do right now, but I'm not willing to find out," Clair admitted, rubbing her arm.

Romano bowed. "I may, depending on my personal tastes at the moment."

Understanding his sarcasm could be taken seriously, Romano smiled good-naturedly at Faqir, offering a wink. Faqir laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind, buddy."

---

Faussin blinked. "A walk? Why would... I mean, okay, I guess?"

Clair wasn't going to try and manipulate him like she did the others, was she? Why was she relating him to the topic in the first place? Was he that obvious?

He moved to scratch his arms again, then stopped himself, hands suddenly finding themselves with nothing to do. Ha--maybe she'd noticed how self-destructive he got when he was nervous. Huffing, he took out his deck, beginning to toss cards back and forth between both hands.

"So sexy, man," Graham said to Faqir, offering a bro-five and a wink. "I'd bang you anyday."

Mercy snorted.

In response to Clair's spiel about Lottie and Amelia's condition, Lottie just shrugged. "Who knows. All I know is that's how it works for me. Also, I won't kill you, Faqir. I would never kill a fellow pun-lover."

"I would not kill you," Vivara offered.

Finnian flashed him a thumbs up. "I don't plan on killing anyone anytime soon, so no worries here."

Somehow, Faussin found himself afraid to speak up.

Clair smiled, gesturing for Faussin to join her outside. She paused, then glanced around the room.

"This isn't something we have to do alone," she said, addressing everyone equally. "It's just...I would like to fix up my arms a bit, and I thought Fauss might like some fresh air since he seemed a bit uncomfortable during that hug too. Anyone is welcome to come along. I-I know I'm not...not exactly trustworthy after what happened. I-I'm so sorry."

"Clair," Madoka began, softly, "it's okay. I trust you."

Clair let out a small sigh, forcing a smile. "Thanks, good luck charm. B-but seriously, I swear, I-I just wanted...it's a quick trip to the nurse's office and if we're not there and something goes wrong, I...I'm willing to accept responsibility for that."

"Good enough for me," Faqir decided, obliging Graham's offered bro-five. "I'll be here, chilling with my ideal threesome."

"I don't think I'll ever understand you," Madoka admitted.

"I'd be more worried if you did."

Romano looked around the room, debating going along with Clair and Faussin if they did leave the room. It wasn't because he didn't trust her, honestly--or that he didn't trust Faussin--it was rather that he didn't trust the two of them together. Clair already made him uneasy, but Faussin's lack of a response to the "don't kill me" offer made Romano a bit apprehensive.

Thinking of the things that could be hidden in the nurse's office was worrying, to say the least. It was likely he would follow the two if no one else spoke up, considering Faussin ended up leaving at all.

---

She definitely noticed. Or at least kind of noticed, Faussin thought, watching Clair. He was, admittedly, wary of walking alone with her--he just couldn't stop thinking about the things that could go wrong, the things that she could end up saying. Biting his lip, though, he realized there was nothing she could do that he wouldn't tell the others.

Besides, maybe it was nothing. Faussin was prone to overreacting--or at least, that's what his sister liked to say. Of course, that was an entirely different matter. Though if that wasn't enough, his brother told him that he tended to dwell on the negatives more than the positives, but he had gotten better at it. Faussin doubted the others were going to let Clair and another male student go off on walk alone, anyways.

Sighing, he stood, slipping his cards into his pocket.

Vivara watched as he walked toward the door. "That's funny. I hadn't actually expected Faussin to agree."

He laughed nervously. How was he going to walk off with Clair and make it look like he wasn't about to plan a murder? That being said, he was not going off to plan a death. Murder was the absolute last thing that he wanted to commit, no doubt, but even he knew this looked suspicious.

He stood by the doorway, as if waiting for someone else to join them. He didn't want to walk with her alone.

It seemed they were going after all--Romano stepped forwards, clearing his throat.

"If all is well with you, I would like to accompany the two of you to the nurse's office. As I mentioned earlier, I have basic nursing knowledge which may be beneficial to you."

It wasn't the real reason, but there was no need to worry the two by telling them the truth. Romano didn't exactly expect anything to happen, but a three-person group was better in terms of having an alibi anyway--you just never knew.

Clair dipped her head. "That's fair. I-I didn't really expect to be let out alone with someone, haha."

It was likely she knew even if Romano hadn't said anything. He bowed, moving to follow Clair out into the hallway. Clair paused by Faussin, whispering something to him briefly. Romano stiffened.

"And what is this that you must whisper?"

Clair hesitated. "I have no trouble with him telling you, but...it's a bit of a personal matter. I've been plenty open with you but when it comes to others, I...don't have the right to say."

Romano paused. It clearly had something to do with the way she had related Faussin to the discussion earlier, but it was still suspicious. He nodded, turning towards the hallway towards the nurse's office. If anything happened, he would just have to be ready.

He had to make Madoka's words during the last trial true--it had to be the last one.

---

“I recognize my brand of discomfort when I see it. I just thought maybe we could go patch up together?"

Faussin pulled his sleeves down further, completely aware of the fact that they were already the furthest they could go. Admittedly, of all people to catch onto his craziness, Clair was probably the one he preferred. She was the same way, or so she said, which meant she understood. She wasn't going to look at him the way everyone else in his life did.

Of course, this could've been part of another master plan of hers to kill someone, but he sure hoped not. He really genuinely believed that she didn't want to do what she did to Braeden and Eriko, but then again, killing was always easier the second time--or so people said.

Romano's reaction to Clair's discretion was completely reasonable. If anything, it was rather tame compared to how some of the other students would have reacted. Faussin found himself moving to scratch again and stopped, fingers freezing. He resolved to put them in his pockets instead.

He didn't like hiding things from everyone. It made him dishonest--it made him feel disconnected from the others. But at the same time, he'd never felt closer to a group of people. He didn't want to let go of what he had. He wanted to be like everyone else for once, to be looked at the same as everyone else, to just be another normal student.

Sighing, he followed the two into the nurse's office, closing the door behind him. With almost every arm movement he made, his jacket would rub against his scratches. It sucked.

"Um..." Faussin looked away. "Romano, it's nothing big. Promise. It's just that... well, I don't mind telling you, but I'd really appreciate it if you tried not to tell anyone else."

As Clair entered the nurse's office, she paused, nervous. Slowly, she unzipped her jacket, pulled it off her shoulders, and draped it over the bed. Romano watched her, switching his gaze between her and Faussin.

He truly wanted to trust them, but you could just never be too careful. Even though Faussin's response added credence to his theory that it had something to do with Clair's own issues, Clair had manipulated others before.

Romano's eyes pinpointed a bottle on the shelf as Clair approached it. "So long as we are careful, I do not feel the overwhelming need to know all of your secrets. However, I hope you do not mind that I stay with you. Miss Clair, I believe that brown bottle is disinfectant."

"That's fine with me. I-I would be more comfortable if you could turn around, though, I-I really prefer people not to stare at me. Also, what's a brown?"

Romano nodded, turning to face the door. "I recommend a clean cloth and disinfectant to clean the wounds with bandages to protect the open scars from infection. Do let me know if you require any assistance."

Clair's voice sounded oddly relaxed. "Thank you, Romano, I appreciate it. U-um, Fauss, I have no idea what brown looks like and my eyesight is horrible, w-would you mind finding that disinfectant and I'll get the bandages and cloth?"

Every once in a while, Romano peeked over his shoulder to watch Clair. She went straight for a roll of bandages and a white cloth as she had promised, searching for a mirror to better see her own wounds. Romano gazed at Faussin for a second before facing the door again. He kept his ears peeled for any unusual sounds--there were likely sharp weapons in this room, after all. Behind him, Clair mumbled something; just what she said he couldn't tell, but a peek over his shoulder showed she was only staring at herself in the mirror, clearly extremely uncomfortable.

A three-fold testimony would be difficult to combat; at least Romano was sure he could tell the others if anything went wrong and vouch for the two if things went right.

---

"I don't mind," Faussin said to Romano, not sure whether or not to be thankful that he wasn't prying. Fingers twitching nervously, he began scanning the shelves for the brown bottle Clair needed. He picked it out rather easily, this not being the first time he needed a disinfectant, and placed it on a stand nearby Clair. "And Clair, the disinfectant is over here when you need it."

He paused, thinking. There was a piece of him that wanted to pretend he was completely fine and come back later to treat his arms, but what would that accomplish? It would defeat the point of coming with Clair, force him to find a different and more discreet time to come to the nurse's office, and not to mention, if Romano or anyone else saw him coming after he and Clair's visit today it'd be awfully suspicious.

Screw it. They're gonna start noticing things eventually, so there's no point in hiding it.

Taking a deep breath, he began to ease his jacket off, trying his best not to catch the cloth on his scratches. He winced--his blood was making the sleeve stick to his arm. Carefully, he worked around it, then finally slid the coat off to reveal several rather brutal-looking scratches covering both of his arms. There were scratches of various sizes, some more severe than others, all of which were self-inflicted. Blood trickled down his arms and to his wrists.

He was used to the sight by now, but it always seemed to take others off-guard.

I need to wash this again, he thought, looking over his jacket critically. Predictably, the insides of the sleeves were stained by the blood. He couldn't count how many times he'd washed the piece of clothing already, wary that another murder would occur and someone would point out the bloodstains on his things.

Romano heard Clair shuffling around. "Thank you, Fauss. Um, let's see, where's a sink...I might want to wash these off a bit..."

A pause, then Romano heard a soft "ah..." and the sound of running water. As discreetly as he could manage, Romano snuck another look at the two.

His eyes pinpointed the wounds on Faussin's arms almost immediately. The theory he had been quietly developing immediately came to the forefront of his mind--Clair had noticed.

Of course. She asked him to come because she guessed he needed to.

It made more sense now that Faussing had specifically asked Romano not to tell anyone else. Clair may have made herself bare her scars to the group, but Faussin had thus far been lucky enough not to have to worry about it. It made sense for him to want to keep things that way--though Romano had never known any of the pain associated with self-harm, he could guess at the emotional impact it would have on yourself and others.

Romano faced the door once more, folding his hands in front of him. His posture felt more relaxed; now that he felt certain of the reasoning behind the odd behaviors Clair and Faussin had displayed, he didn't feel as strong of a need to check in on them as often--unless, of course, he heard a loud crash or any screaming.

Clair whispered something behind him. Romano glanced at her one more time, noticing her running the cloth under the faucet. Resolving himself to a role as more of a guardian than a supervisor, Romano stretched, busying himself by wiping dust off of the door with a handkerchief.

---

Faussin tied his jacket around his waist, silently debating when to throw it into the wash. It'd probably have to be more towards nighttime, considering this was the only jacket he had and the only shirts he had were short sleeved. If he walked around with his arms exposed, everyone would see his bandages, which would lead to questions, crowding, and other things that he didn't want to deal with.

Maybe after everyone went to sleep? That way there'd be less a chance of running into anyone in the hallways.

Suddenly, Clair leaned over and whispered something to him. "Do you want me to help you wash your arms?"

He blinked, not sure what to think. Most people didn't offer.

Faussin found himself nodding despite his worries about Clair. Something he liked about meeting people who understood was that they didn't stare at you, or tense up whenever you tried to talk to them. They didn't look at you like you were a completely different person.

It was hard not to cling to the moments where you could be both open about things and still feel normal.

Geez, Fauss thought, taking a deep breath. Clair seems so nice. It's easier to see why Madoka and Faqir trusted her enough to be manipulated into killing someone.

He had to promise himself that he wouldn't be blind to that kind of stuff. Faussin really did believe Clair was a good person, but he also acknowledged what she'd done before, and that there was a chance she could try something like that again. Whatever happened, he swore that he wasn't going to be her pawn.

For the first time, Romano realized he could faintly see a reflection of the office behind him in the window. He watched Clair offer Faussin a smile, then gently reach out to dab up the blood on his arms with her cloth. A small smile tugged at Romano's lips.

He couldn't say he trusted Clair fully, if he were honest with himself. He was at least convinced that if she did lose her mind again, she would end up in here more frequently, but considering what Monokuma was capable of there was no telling how long this peace would last.

The fact hit Romano for the first time. He placed a hand against the glass of the window, touching the reflection of his classmates. Monokuma was far more ruthless and clever than they gave him credit for--if the bear wanted someone dead, they would be dead.

It had been two days since the last kill.

Suddenly hit with an overwhelming sense of dread, Romano turned again to look at the two more closely. Clair's eyes were mostly on Faussin's face as she dabbed gently at his arms, striking up a conversation with a casual, "Those flowers you gave me were beautiful. How did you learn magic?"

So far there was nothing that indicated she or Faussin would snap. In fact, there was nothing indicating any of them would snap.

But there wasn't last time either--Monokuma had created something out of nothing.

Is he working right as we speak? Is that bear tempting another friend into murder while we are safe in here? Is there a way I can stop it?

Mercy was right--they weren't safe here. Eriko's murder was nothing but an example of the cruelty and hopelessness of their situation. If they wanted a chance to escape, they needed to find a way out of the hotel immediately.

Desperate for some kind of lead, Romano asked, "Have either of you explored the computer room much? I am curious as to whether or not there are any clues for our escape."

Clair frowned. "This is the first time I've been out of my room since the trial. There's a computer room?"

Ah, right. Of course Clair wouldn't know. Perhaps Faussin might.

---

Admittedly, Faussin hadn't really taken an interest in the third floor. Considering there weren't any students he was particularly close with, he found himself in his room or in the arcade more than anything else, trying to make the hours pass by doing things that would distract him. Like the second floor, nothing on the third floor really appealed to him.

"I haven't really been in there much, but Finnian probably has," Faussin replied, watching as Clair helped with his arm. He was trying his best not to flinch, but touching the cuts was always painful. "If anyone here knows computers, it's him. He seems to know a lot about...well, everything."

He briefly wondered why Romano would be asking about the computer lab. It was true they were all anxious to get out of there, and for good reason, but things seemed fine at the moment. Maybe they could stay that way.

Naive as always. You're going to die here, bud, and I think we both know how.

Faussin visibly tensed. They talked at the worst of times.

Clair might've been able to understand the scratches, but they were only half of it.

Romano sighed, trying to reason through some other place that may have clues. "I assume no one has found any clues anywhere else."

Clair shook her head, biting her lip. "I've found a pretty effective way to ruin my own life, but nothing on how to escape. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I don't even actually want to escape. Can't we all just get along in here?"

Romano flinched. "And risk that bear triggering you to kill once more? I am afraid not."

He expected the comment to sting--Clair's instant wince was not a surprise--but she recovered quickly, finishing up dabbing the blood from Faussin's arm before going to retrieve the disinfectant and bandages. For the first time, she seemed to notice Romano gazing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh..." Clair hesitated. "I-I--"

"If you are worried about me sharing this with anyone, I will not," Romano interrupted. "As a man who values his own privacy, I know how to respect that of others. That said, I am a tad uneasy with not keeping an eye on you at least sometimes."

Clair nodded slowly. "...S-sorry, Fauss. I-I didn't mean to...I mean, you probably could have--I didn't know if it might be easier to have someone help with the bandages, but..."

"I hate to be this way," Romano continued, "but it is imperative that we think of some way to escape this hotel. Are there any ideas either of you have thought of?"

Clair shook her head, retrieving a second cloth to begin gently applying disinfectant to Faussin's arm. "By now it should be obvious that I'm going to be no help in that department."

---

Trying to leave, huh? The voice of his dead brother asked, its familiarity never not unnerving. Better hurry. Everyone here is like a ticking time bomb. How long till they explode? Who will it be? I'm putting my money on the butler. You ever watch any murder mysteries? It's always the butler.

Faussin took a deep breath, trying to focus on what Clair and Romano were saying. When he realized Romano had seen his arms, he felt relatively fine, considering when he took his jacket off he was accepting the risk of that happening.

He's onto you now. Tick tock, bro. Maybe you'll be the next to explode.

"It's fine," Faussin replied, trying to sound assuring. "I don't--I don't mind Romano knowing. Um. E-escape. That's what we're talking about. Okay. I've actually thought about this before, but... we've already looked through everything we have access to, right? There are no more things available to us unless another trial opens up the next floor, which would mean...well, I-I think we can all agree that we don't want another trial."

He paused, unsure about the next part.

"So... so we're kind of out of options. But there's someone doing all this, right? For a reason?" Faussin asked. "I-I know it probably won't do us any good, but we don't have a single thing so far, and waiting around doing nothing isn't going to get us anywhere. Why don't we ask Monokuma?"

Ask Monokuma?

It wasn't the worst idea--Faussin was, in fact, right about the fact that they had about exhausted all other options--but it certainly wasn't the most desirable. Who knew if the bear would feed them false information on purpose, or punish them for asking, or--and this was the possibility Romano dreaded the most--confirm the notion that the only way out of the school was through more trials?

"He seems to have trouble controlling his mouth," Clair admitted. "Faqir and I had an idea about how bad the trails would be before the first one started just because we asked him."

Romano perked up, raising an eyebrow at her. "You have spoken to him before?"

Clair winced. "I mean, that's not exactly a secret anymore."

"I mean outside of the parameters of the last trial. You spoke to him without him bribing you?"

Clair nodded, moving to get her roll of bandages to wrap Faussin's arm. "Ask Faqir--he can vouch for me. We were investigating Vona's room before the first trial and he showed up to protest being called a 'teddy'. We questioned him a bit on the trials and he accidentally let it slip that something terrible would happen. That to say, it may not be the worst idea to see if we can get him talking."

Romano nodded slowly, examining the two. Clair had already snapped once, and Faussin...if he was here from similar wounds as Clair, that insinuated he wasn't the most mentally stable student either. Letting either of them talk to Monokuma at all would likely be a bad idea--it would have to be one of the students more in control of themselves. Hearing that Faqir had managed to speak with the despicable bear without problems was promising, but he hadn't been in top shape as of late. Mercy may have been able to handle it before the last trial, but she was far too mentally exhausted to resist any attacks by the bear now.

There were a few options. Romano frowned. "If it is all the same to you, I would like to speak to Monokuma myself with Miss Vivara and Master Finnian. While I hate to have to say this, I fear what would happen to the two of you--along with many of our other students--should Monokuma say something that triggered a foul memory."

Clair pursed her lips. "Hate on me all you want, but Fauss hasn't shown any signs of buckling under that bear yet."

"Yet."

Clair flinched, biting her lip.

Romano's eyes flickered from Faussin to the wall, debating whether or not to look him in the eye as he spoke. "All of us had complete confidence in your mental stability, Miss Clair, but Monokuma seems to know exactly what must be said to cause us to break, and as much as I hate to have to bring this up..." Romano paused, looking with a strange mix of pity and regret at Faussin. "These wounds do hint at a certain level of instability. While I do not have any inkling of suspicion that Master Faussin will act out to attack any of us, it is best to stay safe and keep any who are at risk away from being manipulated by Monokuma. I do hope you understand my concerns."

---

Faussin sighed, hating how right Romano was. Faussin was probably one of the least equipped people there to have a conversation with Monokuma, much less avoid manipulation. He had no doubt Monokuma knew Faussin's secrets, most of which Fauss hoped never came to light.

That being said, he wouldn't kill to preserve them, but the outing of his secrets certainly wouldn't help his reputation with the others.

"You're not wrong," Faussin admitted, looking down at his arms. "I agree with Romano, honestly. And even if I was completely fine, I wouldn't want to talk to that bully bear anyways. He's mean. It's better the more mentally stable people talk to him."

He paused, shifting.

Assuming they are sane, the voice chimed.

"I trust them," Faussin mumbled, keeping his voice low.

Eriko trusted Clair before she was hit over the head with a barstool, right? it countered. You can't trust anyone here. Better kill them before they kill you.

"Shut up," Faussin hissed, resisting the urge to start scratching again. Instead, he looked to the side, eye twitching. He paused, suddenly more aware of Clair and Romano's presence. "Oh. S-sorry. I tend to talk to myself when I'm trying to sort something out in my head."

Well if that doesn't scream 'I'm insane', I don't know what does.

Faussin closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. He could yell at the voice in his head later--for now, he had to try his best to focus.

Romano let out a soft sigh, admittedly glad Faussin hadn't taken it too hard--not that he could tell, at least. He truly did care about the group, but that meant taking the necessary precautions to protect them even if it risked offending someone. He had learned a long time ago to maintain a certain detachedness with others.

Clair patted Faussin's shoulder briefly before beginning to wrap the bandages around his arm. "Let me know if this is too tight, okay? Or too loose. Y-you're probably used to doing this yourself but I know it's a little difficult to do with one arm. Romano, when do you plan to talk to him?"

It was a valid question; admittedly, Romano wasn't certain of the answer. A piece of him wanted to try and call the bear into the room at that moment and get it over with, but the more logical piece said to put it off until there were more people around and those "more people" weren't two mentally unstable self-harmers.

If nothing else, the scars insinuated they'd be more likely to take out frustrations on themselves than others. It wasn't much of a comfort--especially now that Romano had a chance to fully observe his two companions and realized just how bad it really was--but in times of low hope, sometimes clinging to a silver lining meant thinking a bit cruelly.

"Romano?"

Romano shook his head, realizing he had zoned out. "My apologies. Certainly not now, but if at all possible I prefer not to wait long."

"I-I'm sorry," Clair blurted. "For...lots of things--for everything--I-I'm sorry about everything I did, y-you must hate me, b-but beyond that I'm sorry I'm taking so long. I-I would hurry but it's good to be sure you're thorough...I've had infections before and they really suck."

Hearing her continue to pile on apologies somehow made watching the situation unfold even worse. Romano turned back to the door. "It is not a problem, Miss Clair. Though I must confess I have not fully recovered, I have resolved not to dwell on the past. So long as we prevent another incident moving forwards, my opinion of you remains neutral."

Clair sounded oddly relieved. "Neutral is better than nothing. I-I'm not hurting you, am I, Fauss?"

Nothing. Was it possible for someone to have no opinion of Clair at all? Romano supposed any attention was better than none--at least he was talking to her. Some of the other students still seemed so shaken they'd hardly said a word to her.

I cannot let this happen again. Too much was at stake--Romano resolved not to let another student fall into despair.

---

"You're fine," Faussin assured Clair. Admittedly, she was wrapping them a bit too tightly, but he was too awkward to say anything about it. That being said, though, it wasn't that big of a deal. If they really started to bother him, he could rewrap them later. "Th-thanks for helping me, by the way. Usually, I just come in here and do it myself, but to be honest, it's kind of hard to find a time to do it alone. I have to rush a lot of the time or wait all day until there's an opportunity. You can imagine how painful it is to walk around all day with your arms like this, trying to look like it doesn't hurt as your jacket is rubbing against your skin and blood is running down your arms nonstop. H-haha."

And that wasn't all. He had to be extra careful so that no one spotted him sneaking into the nurse's office at whatever ludicrous time he decided was best. It wasn't hard to mix up wandering off to patch up self-inflicted wounds with wandering off to go prepare for a murder, after all. But at least if that did happen, Romano and Clair could vouch for him. He still had to wash his jacket, after all, and after washing it so many times already it was starting to wear down. He feared how much time the piece of clothing had left before it decided to fall apart.

What was he going to do when that happened? It wasn't like he had any spares, and it'd be kind of weird if he walked up to one of the other students and asked for theirs. Not only would they probably say no, but they'd ask what happened to his.

Faussin had a feeling that this wasn't going to last for much longer. He hated that he was going to stick with hiding his secret until the end, however. He didn't want people to look at him the same way they looked at Clair.

Even now, Romano was calling out his mental instability, and that was only after seeing the way he tore up his arms. Compared to everything else, those were nothing. That being said, Romano was probably one of the most--if not the most--neutral ones of the bunch. Imagine what the others would say if they found out how messed up he was. Imagine how they'd react when they found out he...

Faussin took a deep breath, attempting to get ahold of himself.

It was completely possible Monokuma would tell them, if not inevitable. He would just have to brace himself for when it happened.

Faussin was tempted to tell the two more. Not everything, of course--but more. There was something comforting in the thought of someone else knowing--people he could be himself in front of. Though he was more wary of telling Romano than he was Clair, he wasn't very confident in telling her, either. Again, she had manipulated the others. If he gave her something to work with, who knew what was going to happen? He supposed that was part of the safety in telling both of them.

Better he told them than Monokuma, right?

"I should..."

Just as soon as he began to speak, he second-guessed himself. They couldn't know. He had to cling to what he had for just a little longer, even if it was a terrible choice. What would they say? What would they do? He didn't want to know. He just wanted to be normal for a little longer. Was that too much to ask?

"Nevermind," he breathed, his heart pounding in his chest. "Y-yeah, nevermind. Sorry about that."

Romano turned back to face the two, watching their faces for any hint of unusual thoughts. It wasn’t that he blamed Faussin for his secrecy and hesitation--in fact, he would perhaps be more worried if he was as open as Clair, considering hers had only come after being exposed as a killer and drilled for her silence in the conference room--but it was still something to be aware of.

Clair smiled, and for the first time that day Romano realized it was real. "It’s no problem at all, Fauss. The pain is bad enough, but it’s worse having to suffer it alone. I’m just glad you’re letting me anywhere near you after what I did, h-haha."

She paused. In the silence, Romano watched her bite her lip hard enough to make it bleed--he noticed for the first time the myriad scars all over her mouth from where she had torn open her own lip.

"I...can never make this up to you, can I?" she asked quietly. "I’ll never fully recover from this, will I? You’ll never look at me the same again. I...I can’t blame you, I don’t blame you, I-I did something unforgivable and I can never take it back no matter how much I want to, I just...I-I just wish...I wish I had taken the fall for Brae after all. I-I should have just killed her myself, I...I never should have killed her at all! I don’t know what I was thinking, I was just...I was just so terrified of all of you knowing who I really am, terrified of him finding me and...and if he did, I would have way more scars than this…"

Romano considered speaking up on Faussin’s behalf--Clair’s spiel had worked her into wrapping his arm more tightly. Before he could, however, she paused, seemed to notice she had begun constricting Faussin's arm, and slowly unwound the bandages to try again.

"I just don't know what to do anymore," Clair whispered, her eyes watering. "How...how can I even begin to fix this? Am I doomed to always be the one who walks into a room and everyone goes silent? Will you ever look at me the same way again? This...this kind of 'okayness' is temporary, isn't it? By tomorrow, you'll all have forgotten the good and be left with the bad. I've broken myself all over again and now I can't even hide in Clair anymore..."

Hide in Clair?

"And what does that mean, pray tell?" Romano didn't know why her comment had stood out to him so much, but if confronting her could prevent another disaster, it was worth latching on to.

Clair chuckled dryly. "It means I have a secret I can't let anyone know. It means...it means I'm trapped outside of myself with nowhere left to go to feel okay again. It means these scars of mine won't be going away any time soon."

"That is not what I asked you." This couldn't be allowed to continue--if Clair's secret persisted, so would her fierce desire to hide it. "Who are you, Miss Clair?"

Clair's teeth clenched. She finished wrapping Faussin's arm and went to retrieve her cloth to clean the other, ignoring Romano.

He had crossed the ground to grab her shoulder before he even realized what he was doing. Clair jumped at his hand.

"Miss Clair." The low tone of Romano's voice surprised even him. "Who are you?"

"If I was willing to tell you that, no one would have died." Clair wrenched her shoulder away from Romano, moving to Faussin's other side. From where Romano stood, the cars on both Faussin and Clair were more pronounced than ever. He struggled not to stare.

Clair's speech was right--they could never look at her the same way.

Romano took a deep breath, vowing to try again.

"Who are you?"

She changed in a flash--Clair's fist slammed onto the counter, her eyes lit with a strange fire.

"Stop asking!" she demanded. "Do you think I'm going to go ahead and ruin everything I worked for after what I did?! If I was just going to confess everything, I wouldn't have let them die! The whole reason they died was for this secret to stay safe, and d*mmit, I'm not losing that now!"

Romano's eyes flickered to Faussin's face--arguing while surrounding him like this would not be good for the poor boy, he could tell that much. Calmly, Romano moved from Faussin's side and returned to the door.

"Miss Clair, please understand. What you said is very true--it will take time to rebuild what you have broken between us." Was confirming her beliefs really the best path to take? Romano wasn't sure, but he had already set his mind on trying it anyway. "If you continue hiding things from us, that suspicion shall only continue to grow. I am certain Miss Eriko would have preferred for you to be honest with us--if not then, perhaps now. In honor of her admirable dedication to solving puzzles, I shall ask you one more time in hopes you shall give me an acceptable answer..."

Romano took a deep breath, watching Clair tremble by the sink. "Who are you?"

She was silent for a time. Hesitantly, glancing at Faussin as if for approval, she began to reach out to tend to his remaining arm.

"...I am someone who has made a living off of hiding behind a mask, who has woven a web of lies so thick it is now impossible to untangle, and who has committed the most vile crime imaginable to protect an identity I killed a long time ago." Her voice took on an odd pitch--Romano recognized it from the trial. As expected, she cleared her throat before continuing. "I don't know who I am. Is that good enough for you?"

If nothing else, it had given a hint--whoever Clair really was, whatever her true identity, it had been missing for many years.

There was no point in pushing her further. With all the tools in this room, there was a very high chance continuing to grill her would lead to getting both himself and Faussin killed.

Romano bowed, watching Clair warily. When she saw he was no longer asking questions, Clair relaxed slightly, though he noticed her body had begun shaking.

How many more students would snap like she had? It was a question that weighed heavy on Romano's mind.

More strongly, it was followed by, Could Faussin be one of them?

---

Faussin sat silently, feeling the aftermath of the tension.

Romano was not wrong for questioning Clair. If she killed once, she could kill again--but after going to such lengths to keep whatever secret she had, it was clear she would cling to it even more fiercely now. Otherwise, Eriko and Braeden's deaths would have been for nothing.

Faussin paused. He was trying to fight the sinking feeling in his chest, but he felt himself starting to give in.

As bad of an idea it probably was, he wanted to help Clair. He knew the feeling she'd just described so well. If only he could muster the courage to say something, to reach out or give some kind of hint that he understood and wasn't going to judge her like the others did. But what would he say? What if he said the wrong thing? Or what if he was just interpreting everything incorrectly in the first place?

Then again, what if it helped? He wanted to help. It was true that she had Madoka, but he could only be there to an extent. There were things that only crazy people would understand about other crazy people.

'You're still the same to me,' Faussin would've said. 'I just know more about you now, is all. In a good way.'

Maybe when Romano wasn't there--when it was just Clair and Madoka, he'd go up to them and say something. He could be as vague as he felt the need to be, so long as he got his message across. Being alone was terrifying, losing your friends was heart-breaking, and having nowhere to run to was even worse. If he could just offer her his hand, maybe it'd help some.

'You don't have to be alone.'