#☾✩☽ Verse: Danganronpa---- Post Neo World Program

[phantasmalnightmare]

Continued from thread

Gundham's expression turned downcast, at her words, the endless stacks of paper on her desk taking on another meaning. He could piece her unspoken words together, that her week had been no different than his: throwing herself into her work to drown her sorrows, taking little to no respite along the way. By the hint of the whiskey on her breathe, he could tell that she'd had even more assistance in numbing herself than he had, and the guilt immediately hit him.

He tried to brush it off. Surely, she wasn't as bothered by their fight. He knew she cared for him, but there was no way she felt as deeply for him. It was probably just her day to day life as a remnant of despair keeping her down. They all had enough remorse. He didn't quite believe that their quarreling hadn't made things worse for her though. “I quite know that you mean. Since I've woken up, there is much to do, and no time for idle thoughts. Fear not. The Dark Lord needs no rest. Fuhahaha!” The breeder tried to sound confident, not wanting her to know how hard it had been since he'd woken up. He tried to stay busy non-stop, or the flashbacks would start. He would work till he couldn't anymore, his body wrought with exhaustion, but even then when he lay in bed, sleep wouldn't take him. All he could hear were the screams. He wondered if he should remind her that she was a queen and that this crying was unbecoming, just like in the simulation, but in this case, he wasn't going to be executed. He'd been hard on her because he didn't want to die, and he thought he could ease her sorrow at the end at least. He wanted nothing more than to give her the courage to survive the rest of the game and to live on. This time, he wasn't going anywhere. He was able to give her comfort, and he could continue to do so, because he had no intention of leaving her side. Despite his being a Dark Lord, even he needed a good cry from time to time. He'd been doing so more times than he cared to admit after waking up.

He was so sure that Sonia wouldn't want to hug him, that his body tensed, ready for the rejection likely to come. However, not only did she allow him to wrap his arms around her small frame, but she also put her arms around his shoulders. His face turning crimson, he was thankful that she had her head buried into his chest. Although, as she was so close to his heart, surely she would be able to hear how erratically it was skipping. He thought it might beat straight out of his chest at the rate it was pumping, which only added to his embarrassment.

What kind of miscreant was he? Here his friend was, crying. He shouldn't be feeling so elated that she was hugging him like he'd always dreamed of. The Queen smelled of whiskey, tea, and some kind of lavish shampoo, but the smell was nice. Her skin and hair was softer than he'd imagined it would be. As anxious as he felt, he also felt warm and content, as if he belonged right there. “Hah! I did not trust humans long before the simulation, or even as a remnant. I imagine that is how that woman was so easily able to manipulate me.” Between the constant bullying he received throughout his childhood, as well as his abusive father, it was hard to remember ever trusting in people in the first place, though his Mother at least had been loving. That was part of the reason he'd had a preference for animals. “You are different though. Your aura is virtuous. You are also immune to the poison secreted from my body. Otherwise I could never embrace you in such a way.” He tried to explain why he trusted her above the others, suddenly feeling self conscious. “In time, perhaps I will grow to depend on the others as well.”

He wished they could sit like this for the rest of the day. Despite hating to be idle and living a workaholic lifestyle since awakening, for once he felt calm just sitting still. The screaming was quieter than normal, and he suddenly could feel how exhausted he was. All good things come to an end though, and she finally pulled back a bit, her tears now dried for the moment. The feeling of sadness returned a bit as her warmth left him, although she kept her arms around him still, which was unexpected, but he was secretly grateful. He was the type that usually hated physical contact of any kind, so why was it that her touch soothed him so? Gundham thought he'd regained control of his emotions, until she stated with such sincerity that she would open herself to trusting him more. Especially him.

He was suddenly all too aware of how close her face was to his, her eyes peering into mismatched hues. As hard as he tried to reign in his feelings once more, he was certain that his face had reddened to some degree yet again, much to his chagrin. “Y-yes I would like that.” He managed to stammer out, trying to stay focused on the conversation, instead of letting his gaze wander to her lips. He finally pulled his arms away from her, as much as he didn't want to, but he was finding it hard to focus on anything else. “Yes the movies.” He cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, before frowning. There was no way he could take Sonia on a date looking and smelling like he currently did.

“I… uh… I haven't quite finished at the farm for the day.” It wasn't a lie, and as much as he wished he could just take the day off, the animals needed the care he provided. “If time is a construct here, I shall simply arrive back at your abode when the sun dips into the horizon!” He proclaimed. “The theaters seem like a sound location.” He doubted she wanted him in her cabin for so long anyway, just the two of them. It gave him the time he needed to get ready anyway. He stood and headed for the door way. “I shall return, Queen Sonia.” He then headed out of the door and to the farm.

[phantasmalcalamity-a]

“ words are powerful things. ” (➝Gundham)

The self proclaimed Dark Lord nodded at Makoto's statement. He knew that truth all too well, after he'd been bullied so often at school. As much as he tried to brush the other's cruel words off, they hurt him deep down. It was part of the reason he'd fallen to despair in the end. However, Naegi hadn't given up on him, or any of the others, and for that, he was grateful.

"Indeed they are. However, I find the words you tell me hard to believe still. It is hard to find hope for the future, nor to believe I even deserve such." The breeder looked down. He was trying his best to channel that grandiose personality of his, but it just felt flat ever since he'd woken up from that pod. "Why is it that you even believe that we deserve salvation? I was quite content to ascend my throne in Gehenna. Kehehehe..."