asksleepsavant - Tumblr blog

[asksleepsavant]

you got any plans for this summer?

"Nothing particularly out of the ordinary, I suppose. I still have clients to care for, so I am staying around Hope's Peak to continue to help them. I'm also working on some research projects and taking a few classes to work on expanding my knowledge base and whatnot."

[asksleepsavant]

So, someone has a crush I see ;)

"A crush? Who do you think has a crush? I'm not certain I've encountered anyone recently who would meet that criteria."

[asksleepsavant]

Interesting. Miyako giggles sweetly, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "Of course! I would gladly help you with that." Kizana seemed to have a very connected web of people that she was involved with. After all, it wasn't as if student council was just a popularity contest, though people often assumed it was. It was a matter of having people on your side, and the more people you have on your side the easier it is to pull more people to your side. Will her talent and her endless networking, she must have a lot of people to juggle. Her charisma certainly worked well for her, and as aware as Miyako was of it, it worked well on her. "I wasn't aware Chieko was out of the country, though it doesn't surprise me that she isn't here over the summer of course. My office is in the building, so I still come in no matter what, rain or shine. It's actually just down the hall if you ever need to stop by. Usually my schedule is fairly occupied, but I take walk-ins for a few hours each day if you need help with anything. There's certainly no one better equipped to help with your sleep than me, but I am more than willing to help in other situations as well."

Promo

“Hello everyone. I’m Kizana Shinoru, and I’m the Ultimate Class Representative. Some of you may recognize me from Chieko’s blog, ultimate-waifu-bait. I may have started off there, but it’s time for me to get my own blog now. I’ll still make appearances there though, if I’m needed. For those of you who don’t know me, like I said, I’m the Ultimate Class Representative. I’m currently the rep for the 79th class of Hope’s Peak Academy, a Student Council member, on the school’s soccer team, and I’m running for Student Council President. I would really appreciate it if you voted for me, by the way. I’d be happy to do you a favor in return. I’d also appreciate it if I could have a promo. I could use some help getting the word out about my campaign.” 

                                                          Tags 

@ultimate-waifu-bait, @loudgothbf, @hopeforthefuture, @askultimateluckytrash, @depths-of-hope-and-despair, @ask-miu-iruma, @askmikan-tsumiki,  @ask-ultgamer-girl, @nevermind-speaks, @asksleepsavant, @coldcase-reserve, @ask-just-izuru, @the-endless-boredom, @ch14k1-ai, @ask-tsumikimikan, @sweetpea-sugar, @asktheultimaterobot, @the-real-kokichi-ouma, @the-ultimate-therapist, @sinless-slaughter, @ultimate-skier​

[asksleepsavant]

No, you! You're the pretty girl!

"Me? Oh, that's very sweet!" she beams. "I'm quite happy to hear that others might find me attractive, it's important to me that I present myself well to everyone and that my clients find me as easy as possible to connect with and feel comfortable around."

[asksleepsavant]

They call me miss steal yo girl tell ur man to watch out

She giggles, finding the playfulness amusing. "Oh, I'm not looking for a relationship, I'm usually fairly busy with other things, though I wouldn't mind a few more friends than I have now, of course! And Kizana certainly seems like the type of person I would get along with well. She's very intelligent and clearly good at understanding people, after all. If she isn't too busy I'm sure we could have some very interesting conversations."

[asksleepsavant]

YESSSSS PRETTY GIRL PRETTY GIRL PRETTY GIRL

"Kizana?" she hums sweetly, cocking her head. "Yes, she's certainly attractive. I suppose that's part of her appeal, after all. She has to be popular in order to be favored among the student body, and she makes quite the impression. It's a very honed skill of hers-- very impressive, yeah? And she certainly looks the part. It looks like she takes very good care of herself, too, and her hair looked really soft. Maybe that's why she plays with it so much? It doesn't seem to be a nervous tic, but perhaps..." She trails off, seeming to get lost in thought analyzing the causes of her hair-playing, before coming back to reality. "Either way, yes, she is very pretty."

[asksleepsavant]

Miyako gives an easy smile, excited to meet another classmate, especially one she'd noticed from afar before. Kizana was well known, of course-- she was one of the higher scoring students at Hope's Peak in many regards, and she was always campaigning for the student council, a spot that no one doubted she would get. It had always intrigued Miyako how hard she was willing to work for something that seemed so obviously hers, especially given her talent, but perhaps that was why it was her talent in the first place. There were a lot of things that interested her about Kizana, actually, especially the way she always managed to have time to offer favors. Again, perhaps that was why she always seemed like the obvious choice, but there was something to that that intrigued her. Her heart skips with interest. "Oh, hello! It's so nice to meet you, I've heard about you, certainly, you make a wonderful name for yourself," she giggles sweetly. "Thought I suppose that's part of your talent, yeah?" She shoots out a hand for a handshake, seeming very quickly to get friendly with someone she's never even spoken to before. "My name is Miyako Sasaki, the Ultimate Sleep Therapist. I'd be more than happy to help with your campaign behind the scenes, though I think it would be irresponsible of me to outright endorse a candidate when I have clients at the school who may be swayed by my opinion because of our therapeutic relationship. If there is anything I can help with in regards to your campaign otherwise, though, feel free to ask me." She pauses only briefly, barely taking in a breath before continuing, though her mind simultaneously cycled through countless questions and curiosities that sparked up just by speaking to her. There was one question that interested her, though, especially after her previous experiences with Chieko. Brightly, she pipes up. "Is Chieko a part of your campaign as well?" Knowing her, however vaguely, she knew that Chieko was somewhat selfish, highly ambitious, and picky when it came to everything, including her collection of friends. If the two were acquainted and Chieko was helping, it was likely not out of the kindness of her heart or a sense of obligation in support of someone she cared about winning, but because Kizana, who so keenly specialized in favors that she offered one in her first introduction, was likely doing something for her in return. Not that she was too concerned on what favor she might be doing, of course-- she had very little reason to be concerned by that-- but it might be an insight to was sorts of things Kizana is willing to do, because Chieko, Ultimate Collector that she is, drives a hard bargain.

Promo

“Hello everyone. I’m Kizana Shinoru, and I’m the Ultimate Class Representative. Some of you may recognize me from Chieko’s blog, ultimate-waifu-bait. I may have started off there, but it’s time for me to get my own blog now. I’ll still make appearances there though, if I’m needed. For those of you who don’t know me, like I said, I’m the Ultimate Class Representative. I’m currently the rep for the 79th class of Hope’s Peak Academy, a Student Council member, on the school’s soccer team, and I’m running for Student Council President. I would really appreciate it if you voted for me, by the way. I’d be happy to do you a favor in return. I’d also appreciate it if I could have a promo. I could use some help getting the word out about my campaign.” 

                                                          Tags 

@ultimate-waifu-bait, @loudgothbf, @hopeforthefuture, @askultimateluckytrash, @depths-of-hope-and-despair, @ask-miu-iruma, @askmikan-tsumiki,  @ask-ultgamer-girl, @nevermind-speaks, @asksleepsavant, @coldcase-reserve, @ask-just-izuru, @the-endless-boredom, @ch14k1-ai, @ask-tsumikimikan, @sweetpea-sugar, @asktheultimaterobot, @the-real-kokichi-ouma, @the-ultimate-therapist, @sinless-slaughter, @ultimate-skier​

[asksleepsavant]

Where did you go?

“It’s a little town in the countryside. I’ve been following leads, making calls, and... well this certainly seemed like the best lead for me to follow. Or, rather, the only lead with anywhere to lead,” she giggles. “I shouldn’t be here for much too long.”

[asksleepsavant]

The train car was packed with humidity and silent commuters, standing room so limited that she considered herself lucky to have made the cut. Even with her taller stature, she'd been working hard for a long time to make sure she was slim. Constantly, constantly working.

Part of her forgot that her headphones had been in, droning on with the words of one of her colleagues, for the length of her journey, a few hours. Still, oddly for her, she could recall none of it. Instead, she could only recall the racing thoughts, the distracting wandering of her mind, the tiny observations and tics she picked up from the people around her. Even as people slowly exited, the train thrumming along on the track, it still felt oppressively suffocating. Her clothes clung to her skin, hair wrapped around her neck and shoulders, briefcase seeming to grow endlessly heavy in her hands, fingers so cramped she wasn't sure she'd be able to ever set it down again-- it would simply have to remain locked in her grip until she died, like cement shoes. When her stop finally rolled into view outside the whizzing windows of the train car, though, she thought it might simply slip out of her hand instead from how quickly it clammed up.

She didn't get nervous. Countless speeches, presentations, papers, panels, review sessions, Q&A's, sessions, classes, and so on had ensured that. Rarely was she alone-- always, always it seemed, she was talking to someone, to such a degree that the silent train ride had made her feel as if she'd forgotten how to speak. Her tongue seemed to swell in her mouth, sitting awkwardly behind her teeth, a racehorse chomping at the bit.

The door slide open only barely in time to not allow her to collide with them in her hurry. She disappears like an apparition up the stairs, stealing away to the platform. Looking around, though, she realizes that she doesn't know what she's looking for. An off-kilter sort of vulnerability grows inside her like a Joshua tree, pushing her own stomach up toward her throat threateningly. Had she ever done something this stupid, this impulsive? Chasing down a train seconds before it left a platform and jetting off to the countryside without notice to anyone except the clients she would be reimbursing for her cancellation? Dread started to twist its way up inside of her too. She was alone, and afraid, and she didn't know what she was looking for.

"Miss Sasaki?" A timid voice comes from behind her, followed by a tap on the shoulder. She whirls around in an instant and finds herself face to face with a pale, dark haired stranger no taller than her. His hair is wiry and short, only brushing the tops of his ears, eyes a bright, sun-burnt earth sort of brown. His smile reveals teeth that looked as if they'd once been confined to the corral of braces, but had been set loose a moment too soon. In some ways, he looked much older than her-- well groomed, proper, wise-- while in other ways, she would not be remiss in declaring him to be her age or younger.

She smiles softly, letting out a sigh that blends smoothly into a laugh. "Yes, that's me. You must be the person I spoke to over the phone, yeah?"

"Yes," he says stiffly, giving a small bow. "I'm excited to meet you. I'm supposed to give you this, actually--" He adds, setting his backpack on a bench and unzipping the side pocket, digging for a moment before he pulls out a box, holding it out for her. She accepts the box with a smile, pulling the silky end of the red ribbon until it unfurls in her hand, and lifting the lid off. "It's a gift from the organization. Essentially, it's your visitor's pass, but, well--" Her eyes are met with a shimmering silver pin with a raised, black emblem on it. "--the organization has never been one for a lack of style," he chuckles. "Plus, that's much more permanent than a paper pass, and we want you to feel like you can always come back." Staring at the pin, at the emblem, she's able to recognize it from the information she'd found on the organization before. Somehow, though, it seemed more familiar than that. Where, though? The fact that she couldn't place it bothered her, but... well, her memory had been somewhat faulty on the trip. Maybe it was exhaustion from the travel, and she would connect it soon enough.

She plucks it out of the box with a polite smile, cradling it gently in her hand. "It's lovely."

"Oh, here--" he mutters, grabbing it from her hand and undoing the back, then quickly threading it through the fabric of her shirt so naturally you'd think he'd've done it a million times over. "Now you're all ready to go! Do you have any bags?"

Miyako blinks a few times, then smiles. "Oh, no, no," she laughs. "I have everything I need."

His eyes dart down to the briefcase. There's no way she'd brought any changes of clothes, right? It wouldn't fit. Still, he doesn't question it. "Well," he shrugs, "if you need anything while you're here, we're fully stocked on anything you could need. And since you're a guest, don't worry about the prices of anything. Come on," he adds, gesturing toward the exit, turning and beginning to lead the way. "They'll all be waiting for you. We have a big night planned."

Odd. Something was odd. But she was too nervous, or too excited, to care.

[asksleepsavant]

So your sister went missing two years ago?

“No, it was a bit longer than that. It was when I was 14, pretty soon after I got scouted by Hope’s Peak. So about three, nearly four, years ago now. I haven’t spoken to her since then, I never really knew what happened, and she didn’t tell anyone she was intending on leaving, so for a while we thought she was kidnapped. But the police never found anything on her, there was no evidence of foul play, and she was just registered as a missing person, likely a runaway. Which... well, that seems to be the most likely option now, yeah?” Her words don’t lift or flit as much as usual-- they’re flat, sad, distant. “Still, they should’ve been tracking any sign of her, like passports and financials, so I don’t understand how she could’ve run away without any help, but nobody has admitted to helping her, and there isn’t really any evidence that anyone had. The fact that she was alive two years ago is a good sign, but I don’t know how else to look for her. Maybe... if I could track the others in the photo somehow, but it’s not so simple, I’m afraid.”

[asksleepsavant]

Her bleary eyes had almost missed it-- after all, it'd been years, and she wasn't even sure she could recognize her after this long. But she was always one to take after her mother, and what had changed from her vague memories as a child now just looked familiar in a different way. 4,862 pictures later, she'd found her sister.

The date of the picture was 24/08/19. Two years ago. But it'd been longer than that since she'd last heard from her, so... so two years ago, she was alive. She was fine. Her sister was fine. So that checked off two of her most concerning ideas.

She stares up into the air in front of her, eyes following some unseen line, first along a divide between living and dead. Living. She's alive. Or at least she was at some point after she disappeared. So she waves her finger in the air, marking items off an invisible list.

Murder

Human trafficking

Suicide

Accidental death

That was a reassurance. So what was left. What was left... the living side.

Runaway

Kidnapping

A list like that seemed so much more simple than it actually was. Two options hid hundreds more just beneath their surface. The longer she stares into that empty space, the more lines she sees jut out from those two circles. From Runaway comes Secret relationship, and from that shoots off (Eloped?, Married abroad?, Track marriage lisences? New identity? Housing records?)-- the possibilities continue growing. She glances to another offshoot of the web, from Runaway to Hidden by a friend (Which friend? Why'd they never say anything? Where is she now? How did no one else know?), Travel abroad (Track financial activity? How did her passport not get flagged? Why didn't she take her money?), College (Track loans? Track financial activity? Track school transcripts? Check college applications and acceptances?)-- Even in the infinite three dimensional space, there wasn't enough room for the possibilities to bubble up around each other without colliding, overlapping, jumbling together and losing focus. She closes her eyes and shakes her head.

Kidnapping-- Brainwashed, Stockholm Syndrome... That offshoot was surprisingly empty. A few more bubbles popped up and quickly disappeared. And an even worse feeling arose as she stared at those two options. Brainwashing and Stockhold Syndrome. There were no solutions. No clear questions to ask, no clear motives to follow, no trails. She hadn't vanished. She was alive, and... and in publically accessable pictures as recently as two years ago. So why did no one say anything? Why did no one know?

That picture was her only lead, and she could barely do anything with it. No metadata with GPS coordinates, the original source had been deleted-- there were no brands or landmarks, no other recognizable faces, no names, nothing. Just her sister and a group of strangers, posing for a picture in a bright, grassy area. A park? A farm? A stadium?

Down the rabbit hole. Maybe these strangers didn't need to be strangers. But how... how could she find people that didn't have names? That didn't exist?

[asksleepsavant]

The sleep therapist cannot sleep.

“Oh, I sleep fine,” she says with a bright, easy smile. “Even the expert occasionally makes a mistake here and there. I slept an additional hour to compensate for the amount that I lost, and am going to go to bed an hour early tonight to deal with the excess tiredness. I lost a bit more sleep than that, but my body will adjust, I’m sure of it. I just got a bit too wrapped up in something, that’s all. It’s minor.”

[asksleepsavant]

Miyako hadn’t meant to lose track of time-- of course she hadn’t. She never did. She never stayed up too late or slept in too long. It’d become so second nature that she didn’t need to look at a clock to know when she needed to sleep. Her body had calculated that time down to the second.

So when she looked up at the clock and saw that it was past midnight, her eyes widened in horror. “Oh... That’s... unfortunate,” she mutters to herself, lip twitching nervously. I should sleep. I will be fresher tomorrow to work on this if I sleep now and try to minimize the damage. But as she glances back over at her computer screen, at the hours of work she’d compiled and thousands of sources she’d combed, there’s another hint of hesitation. I’m so close. There’s just... something... something missing. Something wrong. If I sleep now I might lose it. She never had before, of course, but she couldn’t risk it, could she?

She shook her head, let out a sigh, and stood up from her desk, closing the computer and pushing in her chair, setting everything up as she intended to find it the next morning, and dragging her feet through her nightly routine.

Never had her mind raced like that as she lie in bed-- not since she was a kid. Then again, a lot of old things were coming up recently, for better or worse.

[asksleepsavant]

The holidays had taken a toll on Miyako-- they were never easy for her patients, which always made things that much more difficult for her. And though she’d never admit it, there were other things keeping her mind busy during the holidays: her younger sister, who’d taken what she classified as a “surprise trip” to a friend’s house for Christmas and New Year; her father, who came home to find that her sister had run away, leaving the house deserted for a week, which he reported to the police; and her own... problems. Problems that begat problems. And fights. They begat many fights. But it was a relief to not be able to stay home for long, to be able to return to work and focus on others’ problems again. That was usually how it went. And while Miyako had been told many professionals to seek therapists of their own, none seemed to work out for her-- they didn’t know enough, the didn’t say the right things, they didn’t notice things the way she did, and they could never keep up with her ramblings and conversations. If she talked it out long enough she’d solve the problem herself. So she didn’t need a therapist. Except she never took the time to talk her problems out to herself, seeing as she was simply too busy with others’ problems. Surely they’d work themselves out on their own if she helped enough people, if she fixed them all, if... if she was just... the best, then they’d go away on their own. Most things had a habit of going away anyway. Good and bad.

At least she didn’t have the time to think about her sister much. Maybe she’s show up, too, if she fixed enough problems. If she fixed her father and her younger sister, and herself, she’d come home.

Then again, she wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. Nothing ever seemed fixed for long.

[asksleepsavant]

Well, there's this guy named Hibiki who's addicted to sex and drugs and tried to OD and just got out of rehab. There's a girl named Chieko who wants to kill every girl who talks to her boyfriend, and a girl named Ribon who's going absolutely nuts right now. Hajime Hinata had untreated DID and you already know how fucked up Nagito is. (Don't think the first one went through. there was an error screen)

“Hm, those do seem like some cases that would benefit from treatment, yes. If you’d like to pass on my name to them, I’d be glad to see if they fit into my schedule and if I’d be a good match for them clinically speaking, and if not I can hopefully help them establish some good intermediary skills and direct them toward someone who might be better suited for their cases. Though I think I would be able to at least offer some suitable help in each case. I’ve spoken to Shiryo before, though it’s been a great while, I believe. I have contributed to research in areas of drug addiction and hypersexuality, but I believe many of his problems arise from a mixture of impulsivity and insecurity surrounding his value to the world and others. As for Ikeda, I think I spoke with her when I first returned as well. Though she didn’t particularly seem the type to harbor such violent fantasies, I’d be foolish to believe that looks couldn’t mask something like that. If they’re intrusive thoughts, they may be tied to OCD or some sort of anxiety disorder... any number of disorders, actually, but I at least know techniques for addressing them, even without a specific diagnosis. If they’re fantasies, though, it may be something to do with a sense of possessiveness and a drive for attention and love. I don’t think I’ve spoken to Ribon, and I’m not certain what ‘absolutely nuts’ means in this context, but I can certainly take a closer look at her case if she wishes to visit me. Hinata... I don’t think I’ve spoken to him recently, but DID can certainly be a tricky disorder to diagnose and navigate. Most cases go untreated for long periods of time and is difficult to address, so hearing of untreated DID isn’t necessarily a rarity. Perhaps addressing the trauma and working through it while helping him adapt to his particular alter or alters would be beneficial. And yes, I’m aware of Nagito’s case,” she says with a small smile. “He’s been through a great deal in his life, and he blames himself for nearly all of it. Unsurprisingly, he has extremely low self esteem because of this, and he’s used some fairly... fanatical coping mechanisms to attempt to deal with his distress. Still, I can’t say I haven’t seen him make progress in certain areas, and while he will certainly be a difficult, long-term case, I do prioritize him quite highly.”

[asksleepsavant]

Are you taking on new patients, Miyako?

“Yes, I am. I have some research spots I can allocate to client meetings, especially high priority cases and whatnot. Is there someone in particular who you think I need to be in contact with?”

[asksleepsavant]

How have you been doing lately?

“Oh, I’ve been doing well, thank you!” she says with a bright smile. “I’ve been keeping busy with clients, and a few other research oriented things I’m working on, so all-together I’ve been somewhat limited on free time.”