Open Log || Doki Doki Beginning Club

[peninhand]

Who: Monika and ~~YOU~~
When: Early February, before the event starts
Where: In and outside her house, the library, and the network!
What: Getting started with her new life, but is this reality of another game?
Warnings: N/A


1b. Personal Residence (Awakening - February 01st)
Monika was sitting on the edge of her new bed, holding onto a framed picture she'd taken from the wall. Still in pajama, she looked amazed and befuddled in equal part. Was it reality? The voice she heard screaming for help, the darkness and now this place... She shouldn't be here. She shouldn't be anywhere. Yet here she was... It defied reason and logic. And what about the conditions of her awakening here...? Well, perhaps she'd imagined the voice. Perhaps it was an echo of her own screams for help. But it wasn't what bothered her the most.

"How..."

The framed picture represented her in a wedding gown along with a man whom she'd never seen before. Why, he didn't even look human. But they both looked so happy! So happy in fact, she found herself silently crying while staring at the frame. Where did this picture come from...? Oh, surely there was a rational explanation behind it, but... It was everything she'd dreamed of. It was something that looked so real, and yet she had no memories of having ever lived through it.

Was this picture a kindness or a cruel mockery of her dreams?


1b. Personal Residence (Exploring - February 01st)
Regardless of what the picture was, she had to see what awaited her in the rest of her new home. And why if it wasn't delightful! Well, she wasn't particularly fond of the 60s aesthetic and the themes that went with it, but... Given her predicament mere moments before and what her heart longed for, it was like heaven. It was so wonderful! Too wonderful. How could any of this even be real?

It had to be... A game, right? But she couldn't manipulate any code. She couldn't sense anything. So... This couldn't be a game. Right? Now fully clothed in one of the dresses she'd found, she tentatively stared and poked at the things all around, trying to determinate if any of this is real. Also trying to see if there were other people around.

Of course, she was still holding onto that framed picture, as if that was the most cherished of her possessions.


2. Santa Rosita's Streets (Making Friends - February 02nd - 04th)
A night's sleep later, Monika would be found walking the streets of the city on the lookout for more people like her. By now she'd established two things: most of the people in this place were quite literally NPCs. The question was, were they brainwashed people or literal NPCs in a video game? The former she could do with as it meant this place was real. The later though...

Hence why upon seeing someone sticking out from the Robbie, Monika immediately rushed to them. It wasn't too hard, the Robbies were so stiff. Even if everyone shared similar style of clothes, it was easy to spot someone not being stupidly happy for no reason. And of course, that someone is you.

"Hello!" She paused and took her breath, she'd sprinted upon seeing them after. "Ah... Er, sorry. You— You're not one of them, right?"


3. Wild Card (????)
[ If there's anything else you'd like, feel free! ]

Comments

[peninhand]

Absorbed as she was in her thoughts, she had not even noticed him, not until she heard his voice. But then her eyes widened with surprise and bewilderment. That... Was him, wasn't it? He was the man on the pictures. But that didn't explain who was he? Was he the player...? No, no it couldn't be. He didn't even look fully human.

Still... She immediately shifted the framed picture, keeping its content hidden from him. She wasn't sure just yet, and she didn't want this person to think she was creepily staring at the picture! Even though, she was. And blushing too. So much for hiding her emotions.

"I... Huh... Er, I-I mean, yes..."

She coughed, oh god why wasn't she managing to speak properly? She was being just like one of her friends when they "confessed." That was pathetic, wasn't it?

"Hrm, sorry... Ahaha!" She forced a smile and did her best to hide the mixture of confusing emotions. She was pretty good at it— But unfortunately, now Takame had seen just how overly emotional and illogical she could be when she didn't have the time to put on her mask. "Who-Who are you?"

[hoshikiri]

The fact that she put the picture aside didn't raise any suspicion. He would have done the same given the chance, anything to avoid drawing more suspicion to himself. The way she stuttered made Takame concerned that he's frightened her and he dropped his guarded stance. A young woman newly awoken in a place she didn't understand and approached by the one Auri man in town with hostility. He didn't need much sense to consider the picture that painted.

Not very hero like of him, was it? Not was it very 'fatherly' for the image this realm forced him to portray. Or so he assumed in such a young lady's case. Somewhat sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, his tone shifted to one more gentle.

"I mean you no harm. My name is Takame. I arrived here some few moons ago with no recollection of how. I assume the same can be said of you?"

[peninhand]

She wasn't afraid, she'd seen things back in the game that made her quite resistant to fear. Takame, was it? The way he was reacting to her... He had no idea who she was? He was like her, kidnapped away from his homeplace? That made no sense, what about those pictures? Perhaps he was lying or trying to surprise her?

She nodded silently.

"You... You don't know who I am?"

For all she knew, perhaps he was her kidnapper. Not that she'd mind, she has nothing against scales. But it would be foolish for her to trust him on his word. Not when she couldn't peek into his files, I mean head, and see what's inside.

[hoshikiri]

"I do not." Said with a simple shake of his head, contemplating how best to explain the situation even he didn't fully understand.

"Someone or something pulled a number of others from their homes into this realm and within different homes." A slight tilt of his head, acknowledging the picture she tucked away. "These homes are filled pictures we do not recall. So was the case for myself as well and the other who is staying here. Among others." He has yet to get a head count, but whatever he initially imagined must be bigger now anyway.

"They expect us to abide by the roles assigned to us. The ideal of a family." He has yet to consider just how much information he's dropped so far, but he did stop briefly to give her a chance to take it all in.

[peninhand]

"I... I see."

For but a split second, Monika's entire facade collapsed. It was as if you'd just told a kid Christmas was cancelled this year. To say that this was disappointing would have been a severe understatement. He... Didn't know anything about her. He didn't care for her, let alone love her.

She was nothing to him. What'd she expect really? Just seeing a picture like that and immediately assuming her dreams had come true? That was just silly. She cleared her throat and immediately smiled. A seemingly genuine, gentle smile. Now that was more like how people expected her to be. She had shown too much of her emotions so far. No more.

"That's... Really weird to say the least, ahaha." She paused and looked down. "Why would anyone do this?

[hoshikiri]

Her smile gave him pause. While the drop in her facade was lost to him, as was any sign of disappointment, the situation was not one most would smile about. Perhaps she was like his sister, always looking for the best in a situation and putting up a strong face to that end. It made his lack of progress in finding information about this realm's purpose all the more unfortunate.

"That I do not know." He averted his eyes from her briefly, frustrated with himself. But it didn't take long for him to meet her eyes again. "I hope to find out in time. But so long as I am made to play this role of a 'father' I'll see to it no harm comes to you." The role he assumed will continue with her. Assumed. He paused to give her another moment.

"Might I ask your name, young lady?"

[peninhand]

The role of the father, huh... So she was to be the mother, considering everything she'd seen. That really was like a cruel joke. Like someone was playing with her heart. As if her "life" back home hadn't been painful enough.

"Oh, I'm Monika. J-Just Monika."

She got up and moved around the room, turning her back to him. It was easier this way, she didn't have to force a smile and he couldn't see the tears threatening to burst while she was looking away. She stopped by a picture that was depicting him and her holding... A boy too big to be their child.

"I suppose that would be our, er... Son?"

Looked more like a delinquent to her.

[hoshikiri]

"... Monika." Repeated to remember better, followed by a dip of his head. "A pleasure."

He wouldn't approach her since she turned away. He would allow her whatever space she needed, make himself scarce as necessary as he did with Shinjiro. But her comments on the other pictures put around...

"... Our?" A long pause as the words finally, slowly sunk into his head. "... Ah." Our. This young lady wasn't thrown into this home to be his supposed daughter, was she? No... she was supposed to be his spouse. This girl who looked barely older than Shinjiro, who was younger than his sister even. Was supposed to be his wife. It wasn't unheard of to marry at such an age in his realm but... seven hells, she was like a child by comparison.

Takame knew it was only a matter of time until the force that brought him here assigned him with a fake partner, but. To say he was prepared for the possibility would be a damned lie. For as calm as he's been in his time here, there's a very noticeable hesitation in his tone now.

"I, ah... so... it would seem."

[peninhand]

The prospect of her being his wife seemed to trouble him to say the least. Was she really so detestable that the thought would make him waver so? Whatever hopes she had had upon waking up were all crushed by now. Of course, it wasn't exactly his fault, who would be happy upon being assigned a partner they know nothing about? Not to mention the age gap— Not that she really had an age anyway.

"Ahaha, don't you worry any!" She turned back to face him. "I know it's all fake. Just roles assigned to us by this place, right? So that doesn't mean anything."

It was disappointing but that couldn't be helped. And that didn't mean she wasn't going to play her "role" as was expected from her. Not with him of course, but she would be doing the housekeeping duties and the likes. Perhaps that was a test?

Straws are probably tired from being grasped by now.

"So... You're not exactly human, are you?"

[hoshikiri]

"Ah, apologies. I didn't mean to cause offense." He knew fully well this was all fake, taking him out of his life was impossible. It would always follow him back, but it was still real to the natives.

"You're just... quite young is all." A good ten or eleven years his junior, he'd wager. But he wouldn't go asking her age, that would be... rude? Rude. Her question on whether or not he was human made his tail twitch. Not exactly human. Logically he could deduce that she was just commenting on his appearance, but on a deeper level... he hesitated to confirm.

"Well... I'm an Au Ra, but." A pause, a clearing of his throat and a running of a hand through his hair to be rid of the nervous energy that built up. "Ah... 'tis true that I look different than most residents of this land. But I am still human despite that." ... Right?

[peninhand]

Au Ra.... But still human? Sounded like he came from a setting where "human" is a term designing all humanoid races, and actual humans are named something else for the sake of being cool. Something dumb like "homs" or whatnot. Well that made it all even worse. It could hardly sound like more of a video game even if it tried.

"Yes, yes of course!" She nodded, "Human is more about what's in our heart. A ruthless and remorseless murderer wouldn't really be human to me, even if they look the part."

She marked a pause. What did it mean about her...? She had been somewhat ruthless, right...? But she felt so much pain, was it remorse? No, she couldn't think about that now.

"Well I guess I am younger than you, but I'm technically an adult by my country's laws." Her country... Not that she had one. "Not that it really means anything. There are adults who are more immature than kids. It's all in the head I'd say."

[hoshikiri]

"Yes... you are correct." He paused at the same time. What did that make him, the man who killed in the past and will doubtless kill in the future? Be he a pawn of the empire or the Warrior of Light, he still robbed people of their lives. Of their futures. And rarely did he think about them in the heat of the moment.

But now wasn't the time. Remorse won't change anything. It won't make him a better person.

"Indeed, in my realm as well you would be considered a woman grown. And you seem a mature sort as well... the difference in our age is simply wider than I anticipated." He's pushing 30, for god's sake.

[peninhand]

"Hmm..." The age gap was indeed pretty large. Not that it bothered her particularly, but she could see why he was so troubled. Much to her dismay. "Don't worry, I'm going to move my bed to one of the spare rooms."

Truth to be told, she wasn't all that comfortable sharing her room with someone... Unless they loved her and obviously he didn't. She figured he, too, would be more comfortable not having to sleep in the same room than his "wife."

She was still holding the framed picture close to her. While he couldn't see what picture it was she was holding so possessively, a look around the room would end up revealing the missing picture is the one supposed to show their wedding. Of course, that means nothing... He doesn't love her and she's not going to force it. But even so...

It was the closest thing she had to her dream.

"Actually, could I perhaps bother you to do it...? I'll be moving the smaller stuff, but I fear the bed may be a tad too big for me, ahaha!"