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Graham Forester

"This place is full of great stuff! Which is all mine now, I should mention."

0 · 2,581 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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Graham Forester Graham Cracker Ultimate Thief Male Heterosexual Akihito Kanbara

Likes:
Things that are his, animals, ice cream sundaes, sleeping, dancing, getting away with things,
deserts, being outside, warm coats, good food, history, and jazz music

Dislikes:
Bananas, sour candy, being outsmarted, video games, being inside for too long,
fast food

Quirks:
Unable to part with things that are "his," kleptomaniac, hides all of his belongings





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Organized Ingenious Lively Careful Sincere

Graham is a friendly, upbeat guy who can't help but steal your multicolored socks, claim they are his, then proceed to organize them by intricacy and quietly admire their softness. In other words, he's a handful. Though he swears he's sorry when he steals your things, he never gives anything back and will not hesitate to fight you if you try taking them by force. Weirdly enough, though, his apologies seem genuine--it's almost as if he actually can't help stealing. If you get to know him, you'll realize that he is a genuine guy who wants to be nice and reliable but can't help taking all your stuff when he tries.

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"You should see the sapphire necklace I stole years ago. It has a shine like no other!"

Graham was born to a fairly poor family in a small town, his mother having left not long after he was born. From an early age, Graham was prone to stealing--
taking everything that interested him and stashing it all away in his room. Though his father tried his best to stop young Graham, nothing worked. Years passed by and Graham stole more and more the older he grew, eventually hiding away all of his treasures in some secret place he never disclosed to anyone. It's said he's hidden every single thing he's ever stolen inside this mysterious vault, and spent who knows how long organizing it all meticulously. He still uses it, in fact, hiding new things inside every few months or so.

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So begins...

Graham Forester'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: Eriko Zamora
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Vivara shrugged. "As well as can be expected."

"I didn't get much sleep, actually," Mercy admitted, scratching the back of her head. She smiled slightly. "I was up all night reading. I forgot how much I missed books, actually."

Vivara glanced over at Mercy, eyebrow raising. "You read?"

"What?" Mercy asked, smirking somewhat. "You don't think the Ultimate Hunter reads? I'll have you know that when I'm not out shooting, I find solace in a good book."

Harvey--her father's friend--would often read to her when she was little. They would sit in his room, sitting in his rustic green chairs, next to a huge window that overlooked the fields. It was a long time ago, but the memory was still so clear in her head. Her heart ached when she thought about it.

Years later, when Harvey's condition worsened, it was her who ended up reading to him. Whereas she used hunting to feel close with her father, she had books to feel close to Harvey. And now that she would never see him again...

Mercy sighed, closing her eyes. She didn't want to start the day off this way. Rubbing her eyes, she straightened her posture and forced a tired smile. "How did the two of you sleep? Well, I should hope."

"I slept perfectly, thank you," Graham's voice sang from outside the hallway. Just like every morning, he began dragging his chair through the door. "And I'm in a particularly great mood today."

As he came into the room, something atop his head shimmered.

Vivara stared at him. "Is that a tiara?"

"More or less. I thought of it more as a crown, but tiara works too," Graham replied, adjusting it so that it wouldn't fall off. "Do you guys like it?"

Eriko slipped in behind him, smirking. She took a seat next to Mercy. "Stole the jewels from Faqir, I assume?"

"Steal is a harsh word," Graham protested.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon Character Portrait: Romano Pselli
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Madoka chuckled, scooting a bit closer to Clair. Romano hustled into the room behind Eriko and immediately began scanning the room for any cleaning that needed to be done.

"I slept wonderfully," Madoka admitted. "I had this lovely dream about being at the beach. There were these cute dolphins, and the sand was so warm."

"An' there were girls in bikinis, right?" Braeden entered the room, waving to Clair. She waved back. "Speakin' of...hey, sexy, why hide?"

Clair pursed her lips, fiddling with the zipper of her jacket. "It's because of you I keep zipping this up more, you know."

Braeden clicked his tongue at her, settling down and propping his feet on the table. Romano's eye twitched.

Madoka grinned, settling into his chair. Paradise--this was paradise.

Who needs the beach?

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon Character Portrait: Romano Pselli
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Graham threw a pastry at Braeden's head. "Have some respect, man. You're giving the guys a bad name."

Mercy chuckled, grinning somewhat. "Nice, Graham."

He plopped his chair down in his spot and offered her a high five. She obliged.

A few minutes later, Finnian walked into the room, looking down at something he'd written on his wrist. Lost in thought, he accidentally bumped into an empty chair as he was heading toward the table. "Oh! Crud. Crap. Sorry."

Still somewhat distracted, he sat down in the chair and continued to stare at his wrist. After what looked like a brief moment of thought, he glanced over at Vivara and asked her something in French. She replied back--also in French--and they proceeded to have a conversation that almost no one else could understand.

About halfway through their conversation, Graham muttered, "wait, really?"

They both turned to him and he proceeded to say something in French. Before Mercy knew it, all three of them were talking back and forth in French.

Mercy coughed. "Eriko, you know other languages, correct?"

"Correct," Eriko replied.

"What are they talking about?" Mercy muttered.

"Science, at first," Eriko replied. "And hearing Finnian's theories was actually rather fascinating. Once Graham joined the conversation, however, it turned into the two of them wondering how many other languages he knew. Several others, apparently. The Ultimate Thief has been almost all around the world."

"Interesting," Mercy mused.

Vivara turned and spoke something in French to Eriko.

"I figured," Eriko replied, "but may I remind you that French isn't some secret code you can use to stop your parents from knowing what you're saying."

Graham scoffed.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Clair LaBelle Character Portrait: Madoka Himura Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon Character Portrait: Romano Pselli
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Braeden caught the pastry out of the air and proceeded to eat it. "Your aim ain't bad, but more power'll help ya next time. Can't expect to hit a gang leader with a throw like that."

Madoka shifted. "I-I keep forgetting y-you were accepted as the Ultimate Yankee."

Braeden scowled, looking oddly offended. "What's that s'posed to mean?"

Madoka paled. "N-no, it's just--I-I mean, I'm not scared of you so--w-well, I'm scared but not--"

He was grateful when Oni threw open the doors. "Your queen has arrived! SERVE ME!"

Romano, who had adapted himself to the role of Oni's "Demon Butler", promptly scooped up a pastry and offered it to her with a bow. Oni took it daintily and sat at the table, crossing her legs.

"Your help is greatly appreciated, servant! YOU SHALL HAVE A HIGH HONOR IN MY COURT ONCE WE REACH HELL! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I am honored, Miss Oni." Romano's words dripped with sarcasm. Oni didn't seem to notice.

"YOU WILL REFER TO ME AS YOUR QUEEN, SERVANT!"

Madoka giggled, amused. "S-so does anyone here speak any other languages? I-I mean, I speak Japanese, b-but I feel like that goes without saying c-considering it's where I live...and stuff. Or--used to live, I guess."

"It's a beautiful language," Oni said suddenly in Japanese.

Madoka perked up, admittedly happy to hear his native language. "Yes, it is lovely," he responded in the same tongue. Clair seemed oddly attentive, but didn't speak.

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."

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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."

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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."

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The silence was heavy--Madoka wished someone would speak up just so Mercy's sobs seemed less loud.

Someone punched the wall nearby. "D*mmit...! This can't be happening again!"

Faqir... Madoka swallowed, burying his face in his hands. He longed to feel Clair nearby, to know that she was around.

Her hand rested on his back. Grateful, Madoka leaned into her, sniffling.

Slowly, the others began trickling in. Oni ducked out of the room quickly, retreating down the hall. Braeden stared into the casino, expression unreadable. Romano stood hesitantly, looking out over the assembled group.

"It is of upmost importance that we investigate thoroughly, sirs and madams," he said quietly. "Miss Eriko would want us to solve the puzzle left by her death, would she not? If everyone is in agreement, we may begin with this room."

Madoka sniffled. "Th-the bar," he muttered. "I-I want to check the bar."

Romano cocked his head. "Do you have a suspicion, Master Madoka?"

Madoka bit his lip, somehow feeling that it wouldn't do to tell everyone about the screws he had found just yet. "I-I just...I think I saw something when I was there looking for Clair."

Romano nodded, looking around at those assembled. "I shall go with you. Miss Vivara, if it is not much trouble, I leave the investigation of this room in your capable hands."

Madoka sighed, admittedly grateful for Romano's help. Clair helped pull him to his feet.

"I'll go too," she offered. "If there are any clues in the girl's bathroom, I can check."

Madoka clung to her. "P-please let her come."

Clair patted his head, grinning. It failed to calm Madoka--usually he would be asking Clair to come along for her knowledge and composure, but this time, he wanted to watch her reaction to the missing barstool.

Something was wrong. Madoka intended to find out what.

Romano bowed. "Very well. If anyone else has any ideas on where to look, I implore you to set off on your own. With your permission, Miss Vivara, I shall take my leave."

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"I do not mind. As before, I think that we should be quick about this as well as thorough, considering we only have a limited amount of time before the trial begins." Vivara replied, making her way over to Mercy, who still held Eriko's dead body. Her sobs had grown quieter over time, and eventually, had completely faded out. She sat silently now, eyes devoid of emotion.

"I agree," Finnian, who stood closer to the doorway, muttered. "And someone should check Eriko's room, too. There may be things relevant to the trial inside."

"He's right," Vivara said. "I'll check with someone else after I'm done here, considering most of you are probably in too much emotional shock to function properly right now."

Vivara's eyes flickered to Mercy. Slowly, she laid a hand on the girl's shoulder, attempting to catch her gaze.

Mercy did not move her head. When she spoke, her voice came out low and hoarse--it sounded unlike her. "What?"

"With all due respect, I'd like to examine the body," she muttered.

Mercy scowled, more at herself than anyone else. "Right. Of course."

A moment passed. Carefully, Mercy laid Eriko's body back onto the ground, gaze lingering on the girl's still expression. Chances were this was the last time she'd ever see her. Time would move on, the trial would go by, and if they lived past it... her body would disappear.

Thrown wherever Monokuma decided to discard everyone's dead bodies, like garbage. All Mercy would have was the memory of her smile. What was she going to do if it faded? Why did this have to happen? Of all people, why did she have to be the one?

Anyone else, she thought, almost desperately. Take anyone else, just not her... just not...

Quickly, Mercy rubbed her eyes before anyone could see her start to tear up again.

This was the last time she'd ever see her.

The thought repeated in her head, mercilessly. Brushing the hair out of Eriko's face, her hand strayed to Eriko's, both of which were intertwined with each other.

It was almost as if she was holding onto something when she died.

Brow furrowing, Mercy gently pried apart her fingers, the Tiger's Eye Faqir had given her shimmering amongst the casino lights. She choked out a smile, though her head hated it when she moved. There was a large part of her that wanted to stay next to Eriko for as long as she could, taking all of the time they had left to sit by her side, but something nagged at the back of her head.

There was something she needed to be doing right now, but she couldn't remember what. It felt like she was in a fog, and she couldn't tell if it was because of the very likely concussion or the shock of Eriko's death.

"Faqir?" Vivara called suddenly. "The Tiger's Eye. Can you remind us all of what it's supposed to mean?"

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Madoka's hand went to his apatite bracelet almost instinctively. He clutched it in his palm, biting his lip. Beside him, Clair mimicked the motion, though her bite drew blood. She lapped it up, eyes unfocused.

Faqir laughed hoarsely, eyes watering but a grin plastered on his face. "Would you believe me if I said it raised the dead?"

Madoka reached out and brushed a hand against Faqir's back. The small gesture seemed to help the boy relax; he took a deep breath.

"Converts anxiety into practical action. Provides balance and strength during times of trouble. Relieves doubt. Geez...maybe that last part worked a bit too well, huh?"

Romano touched Madoka's arm, drawing his attention. With one last look at Eriko's body, Madoka followed Romano out of the room. He and Clair followed the butler to the bar, leaving the others to continue the investigation on their own.

To Madoka's surprise, the barstools were all accounted for.

When did it get back?

Romano stepped forwards, examining the room. He knelt by the barstool that had once been missing, staring at its base. "Master Madoka, remind me. Earlier, you did say the killer had a barstool, did you not? How did you know that?"

"O-oh, right..." Madoka's fingers played with the screws in his pocket. "U-um...it was missing when I got here earlier..."

Romano nodded. "Yes, that seems to make sense--some of the screws are missing. It appears the culprit attempted to put it back, but lost some of the screws."

Madoka's fingers clutched one of the screws. He glanced sideways at Clair, who stared blankly ahead. Her expression was distant, as if she was looking at something that wasn't real. Her body had stiffened, her whole being almost phasing out of reality.

Madoka snapped his fingers near her ear. She shook her head. "C-Clair, what's wrong?"

Clair shook her head. "...Madoka, I-I'm sorry."

Sorry for what? What is she talking about?

"I-it's okay, really. Are you alright?"

"I just..." Clair sighed. "I can't focus today. I-I can't...I'm sorry. I'm trying, it's just...why was she...why?"

Of course. It's the third body we've seen--normal people don't just adjust to that.

Even so, Madoka felt Clair wasn't telling him everything. Romano stood from behind the counter, where he had apparently worked his way around. He held out a piece of glass.

"It appears the killer may have had a spill," he announced. "Master Madoka, if you would be so kind as to check the men's bathroom for further clues. There is a chance they may have gone inside to clean it up."

Madoka nodded, drawing away from Clair. She grabbed suddenly at his wrist, clutching his sleeve in her hand as her eyes stared at the floor. Madoka patted her hand.

"It's okay," he soothed. "I'll be right back, alright?"

She nodded, still unfocused. Her grip loosened, and Madoka headed to the bathroom, swinging open the door.

The first thing he noticed was that the roll of paper towels was significantly smaller than when he had used it earlier. Whoever had been in here last had used an awful lot of them--perhaps to clean a spill, as Romano had suggested.

Aside from that, the bathroom seemed free of clues. Madoka returned to the main part of the bar, settling at one of the clean barstools. Romano examined the stolen one closely.

"There is a somewhat dark stain," he related. "I imagine the killer was unable to clean all of the blood it soaked up."

Clair's eyes flickered towards it. "Are we sure it's blood? It looks a bit like the drink from that spill."

Romano perked up instantly, glancing at her. "And how, pray tell, do you know what the stain from the spilled drink looks like? It had already been cleaned when we arrived."

"W-what?" Clair shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. "I-I didn't, I was just guessing..."

Madoka realized Romano was right--Clair's wording insinuated she had seen the drink before, but there was no sign of the spill when they had arrived beyond the remnants of a shattered bottle. When would she have seen the spill?

A jolt traveled through Madoka as he realized there was only one way.

Clair...please, don't...you wouldn't...

He had to be wrong. Somehow, they had to be wrong.

Romano didn't look convinced, but he didn't press Clair for more information. As he continued to move around the bar to search for clues, Madoka's eyes searched Clair's face for any hint of emotion.

Not a single one was reflected in her eyes--it was like she was dead.

Swallowing, Madoka tried not to focus on the upcoming trial. Something was going to go terribly wrong.

He just hoped it wouldn't happen to Clair.

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Character Portrait: Faqir Nawabi Character Portrait: Mercy Crocker Character Portrait: Graham Forester Character Portrait: Vivara Vernon Character Portrait: Faussin Inusum Character Portrait: Finnian Harris
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Vivara's hand reached up to touch the blue quartz Faqir had given her. "Balance, strength, and relief of doubt. Eriko died with the Tiger's Eye in her hands, close to her heart. Perhaps she was channeling it so that she could move on peacefully."

Finnian walked over, kneeling next to the body. "If she was holding it when she died, then that probably means she saw it coming, right? What does the Monokuma file say about her death?"

"Let's see," Vivara muttered, flipping the file open. "The Monokuma file says this: the time of death was around 11:09 AM. The body was found on the floor of the casino. The cause of death was a blow to the head made by a blunt instrument, killing the victim instantly. No additional injuries were found."

Mercy rubbed her eyes, watching as Vivara read it aloud for everyone to hear. She didn't remember when they'd gotten it, but assumed she'd just been too wrapped up in her own head to notice. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to stand, but found the dizziness was rather debilitating.

"M-Mercy?" Finnian asked, watching her warily.

"What do you want?" She muttered, hand pressing against the back of her head. The pain wouldn't go away.

Cautiously, he took Mercy's arm from behind her head and stared. It was bloody. "Vivara, I trust you can handle the investigation of this room without some of us?"

Vivara looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, but why?"

"Mercy, Faqir and I are all going to take a fun trip to the nurse's office," Finnian explained, wrapping Mercy's arm around his shoulders so as to help her stand up. "Right, guys?"

"I'm fine," Mercy muttered, pulling away from him. Contrary to her statement, however, she stumbled backward, balance non-existent. Finnian caught her arm, using all of his strength to keep her upright.

"I'm sure you are," he replied sarcastically. "Come on."

She scoffed, but found herself leaning into him for support. He helped over over the door, then glanced over at Faqir, seeming to be thinking. "Graham, can you help me out?"

Graham blinked, then nodded. "Yeah. What do you need?"

"Can you help Faqir if he needs it?" Finnian asked. "Something tells me there's more wrong with him than meets the eye. Not personality-wise, I mean, just--you get it."

Mercy thought, trying to recall what had happened with Faqir before she'd been knocked out. It took a moment to come back to her. "I'm fairly certain I smashed a glass bottle across his face."

Finnian blinked. "You what?"

Her response was delayed. "It was with good reason."

"Yeah," Finnian muttered, leading them toward the door. "I'm going to have to ask you about that after I make sure your head is still intact. Let's try and hurry, okay?"

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Romano finished shifting through the bar and returned to stand with Madoka. "Do you know of any other places that may be worthwhile to look?"

Madoka thought for a moment. Where had Clair come out of when they saw her? Had she just appeared out of nowhere? "...The rec room. I-I want to look in the rec room."

If Clair had any sort of reaction to that location, her face didn't express it. Madoka had to drag her along to the next room as they exited the premises. She followed along as though blind, stumbling behind Madoka.

When they entered, the rec room was perfectly in order. The one thing that caught Madoka's eye was the trash can, where a couple of the paper towels from the bathroom in the bar had been tossed.

He lifted one out, examining it. Small amounts of blood were dotted into it throughout the surface--feeling it may be used as some sort of clue, he tucked it into his pocket.

Romano knelt by the doorway. "I do not see anything out of the ordinary. Have you, Master Madoka?"

Madoka shrugged. "Just these paper towels. They came from the bathroom in the bar."

Romano looked thoughtful. "You are certain of this?"

"I'm positive."

Clair mumbled something under her breath, then headed for the pool table. She touched it briefly, then suddenly withdrew her hand and began fiddling with her earring.

As her hands moved, Madoka noticed an odd stain on the side of her jacket. Romano seemed to notice the same stain--he stepped closer, peering at Clair from a distance so as not to disturb her. Madoka crept closer, examining the stain.

They both realized what it was at the same time. The two men looked at each other, eyes wide (or at least intrigued, in Romano's case). A silent vow was passed between them--they would bring this up at the trial.

Blood stained Clair's jacket.

Clair...what have you done?




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Faqir reached up to touch his face, suddenly aware once more of the blood dripping down his cheeks. He flinched, glancing at Mercy--when she and Finnian were sufficiently out the door, he began to follow.

His head spun, but the dizziness didn't bother him as much as the horror of what had happened. Did he have something to do with this?

He felt he could remember a face if he tried hard enough. Just a flash, but his vision had picked them up--the killer. If only his memories would work.

He stumbled into a wall, sighing. "Yo, Graham. I'm trusting you not to pickpocket me, bro, but I could kinda use the support if you don't mind. I think I lost a good five inches of skull in those two attacks..."

Two? Two. There had been two, hadn't there? Faqir didn't register it until saying it out loud.

For once, he could be quite useful.

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"Sure, bro," Graham said, walking over to Faqir, who after a brief moment of contemplation, he ended up carrying bridal style. "This probably feels awkward, but it's faster, and also there are stairs ahead of us. Stairs are dangerous."

Finnian blinked, seeming suddenly aware that there were in fact stairs ahead of them.

Mercy gave him a look. "I'm trusting you not to drop me, nerd."

"I-I'm not making any promises," Finnian replied immediately. Considering he was a fairly scrawny science nerd and she was someone who made a career out of shooting guns, he was already having a bit of trouble keeping her upright in the first place, but was somehow managing.

Graham quickly caught up with him, seeming relatively unaffected by Faqir's weight. Mercy imagined his experience in hauling piles of gold was contributing to that somehow. "We should hurry. We only have until the trial starts to make sure they're not about to die, right?"

"They should be okay, but yes," Finnian replied, attempting to quicken his pace. Mercy managed to keep up with him, though it was clear her coordination was severely off. "And I hate to drill you guys when you're like this, but it's kind of important. What happened? Or more specifically, how did this happen? Did you guys do this to each other?"

Graham thought. "Well, Faqir. You mentioned two fights, right? Assuming one was with Mercy, what was the other about?"

All the sudden, Mercy felt like she was forgetting something. The feeling confused her at first, but the more she thought about it, the more it began to bother her. She absentmindedly broke one hand away from Finnian to check her pockets. She felt her handbook where it always was, and...

...Eriko's handbook. It was missing.

"Eriko's handbook," she repeated aloud. "Sh-she gave it to me. She--she knew someone was after her, and she was scared, and she gave me her handbook, but it's not here anymore. Where did it go?"

Finnian perked up. "Wait, she knew someone was after her?"

"Yes," Mercy confirmed. "I-I can't remember when, but she came to me. She asked me to stay with her in case anything happened, and then Madoka asked us to...Clair. Clair."

"What about Clair?" Graham asked.

"I don't know," Mercy admitted. "Just something. Clair has something to do with this, and I know it."

Finnian nodded, taking in everything Mercy was saying. "Alright, let's see. According to what you're saying, Eriko knew that she was going to die, or that someone was after her. Out of fear, she asked the Ultimate Hunter to stay with and protect her. On top of that, Eriko gave Mercy her handbook, which is now missing."

He paused, thinking. "Somewhere in there, you ended up getting into a fight with Faqir. We're not clear on what happened there yet--maybe he knocked you out, or... I don't know. Faqir also mentions a second fight, which opens things up to other options, so there's that too."

Graham pursed his lips. "Maybe this is just me, but I find it kinda hard to believe that Faqir of all people had the balls and the smarts to knock out the Ultimate Hunter. Even if he got the jump on her, I don't think he could've won."

"Good point," Finnian muttered. "Then maybe the third party had something to do with it? I don't know."

Graham paused. "If Mercy was protecting Eriko, then they were probably together, right? Do you think it was actually Eriko who threw some punches?"

"No way," Mercy muttered, shaking her head. "She was terrified the entire time."

"Terror is a great motivator," Graham pointed out. "But she is kind of tiny. I don't know that she'd be able to dish out any moves strong enough to really do something."

Finnian shrugged. "With a good enough weapon and enough strength, you could do some decent damage to anyone."

"True," Graham replied.

They'd finally arrived at the nurse's office. As Graham laid Faqir down on one of the cots, Finnian assisted Mercy onto another and almost immediately took to the shelves.

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Faqir yelped at being picked up, but seemed to adjust to it oddly easily. Somewhat mockingly, he draped his arms over Graham's neck. "My hero."

As the conversation turned to their injuries, Faqir shuddered. Two attacks--the first was Mercy, right?

"Excuse you, sir, I will have you know that I have balls of steel, thank you very much. As a matter of fact I did attack Mercy." He allowed a pause for amazed gasps. None came. "...Okay, so she totally turned the tables in the first two seconds and smashed me in the face with a glass bottle. But still! And the second..."

His head was still fuzzy. Faqir was placed onto a cot; he released Graham and stared at the ceiling, trying to recall the details of what had happened.

"I think...no, definitely, Mercy went down first. I had my eyes closed at first, but when I realized she wasn't trying to strangle me anymore I opened them. I barely got a glimpse, I feel like...if I could just recover from injury, somehow I could...I can't remember," Faqir said at last. "A bit of time and I'll get it. Don't worry."

Whoever had killed Eriko couldn't be allowed to get away with it. And if it was Clair...she had a lot of explaining to do.

B*tch.




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Madoka and Romano had just finished scanning every inch of the library just in case when the announcement played over the speakers--"Time's up! Everyone, report to the red door so the trial can begin!"

Madoka glanced at Clair, who had spent most of her time hanging in the back of the rooms. He looked at Romano, who met his eyes with a look that said, "I'm sorry, but she's definitely the one."

Madoka refused to think about it. He headed for the stairs, Romano trailing behind and Clair hurrying to take his arm. The others joined them, and as everyone piled into the elevator for the second time, Madoka couldn't help but feel Oni's comment the first time had been spot-on--this was hell.

The elevator careened to a sharp stop and the doors opened. The group went to take their places--Madoka realized more clearly now that he was standing right next to Clair. She had regained her composure for the time being, but still looked off into the distance with glassy eyes.

Monokuma popped up into his seat, rubbing his paws together. "Good, you all made it! Time for a review of trial rules. Your job is to find and vote on the blackened. If you get it right, that twerp gets punished for their unbearable crime! Get it wrong, and you all go walk the green mile instead! Now, let the trial begin!"

Madoka dreaded everything about this trial. As last time, Romano spoke up first.

"Pardon me for asking, but I was away when we received the Monokuma File and have not had a chance to review it. What was the cause of death?"

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"'A blow to the head made by a blunt instrument,'" Vivara recited, crossing her arms.v "The time of death was around 11:09 AM, and as we all know, she was found on the casino floor, Tiger's Eye in her hands."

A somber expression passing over Finnian's face. "Right. And the way she was holding it, as well as Mercy's testimony, implies that Eriko knew she was going to die. For those who don't know, she... she was holding it to her heart. Let us pray that the Tiger's Eye gave her the strength she needed to pass on peacefully."

Vivara nodded. "Yes, let us pray."

She paused, then took a deep breath. "And let us make sure we find the person responsible for killing such a sweet young girl. Eriko wasn't here for as long as we would've liked, but for every second that she was, she brought joy wherever she went. Her smile was contagious and her passion inspiring."

Mercy held her stand for balance, heart knotting. It should've been me.

"As for finding her killer, we found some promising leads inside of the casino. Namely, these." Vivara held up a bloodstained piece of jewelry, her eyes almost immediately falling upon Clair. Upon looking closer, anyone could see that it was one of two emerald earrings that Faqir had given the Ultimate Makeup Artist. And as if that wasn't enough to point all fingers at Clair, Vivara held up in her other hand a lock of hair that had striking similarities to Clair's hair.

Mercy's eyes shifted to Clair, silently thankful she wasn't placed anywhere near Eriko's stand. Seeing her picture crossed out would only drill in the fact that she was dead, which as much as she hated to admit, Mercy had been trying to avoid from the moment she saw the girl's body.

"Clair," Vivara began, "anything to say about these?"

Clair.

Suddenly, it clicked. Mercy straightened her posture, grip tightening on her stand. "Clair asked Eriko to come to the casino. She specifically asked Madoka to bring Eriko to the casino, and when we got there, she was nowhere to be seen."

"One of the machines was cleared out," Vivara pointed out suddenly. "In the casino. Someone had taken all of the stuff out of one of the machines, making a space big enough for a small person to fit. A place small enough for someone like Clair to fit."

"Explain yourself," Mercy very nearly growled.