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[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olmg8idybPY&list=PLEpYEeOnJZ11-OZlroS0M6x2u3wQWvsVB&index=23]Someone[/url] had possessed Ice to bring him back to his room after the execution. Someone must have had to, for Ice didn’t remember taking the steps to do so. Someone must have brought him to the bathroom and wiped off his face. Washed what he could off the hand that couldn’t move its fingers and bind it against some popsicle sticks he had found lying around in the medicine cabinet. Someone must have used Ice’s hospital gown to make a makeshift sling after he washed off all the blood on his skin. Some of his bandages were [url=https://imgur.com/vMlkGhF]loose again,[/url] then again, nothing much could be done with only one working hand...

Where was he? Where had he come from? [i]Why did it have to be so lonely in a place full of other people?[/i]

This was not the time to get emotional, he was so close to breaking, so close to ripping at his wrists with his fingernails or hanging his neck just to end it all. Now was not the time to get emotional at all, now was the time to forget, to freeze... To be, [i]as cold as Ice.[/i]

Thinking more logically, the first thing to do was to get away from this room and go seek medical attention. It might be good to have everything given a once over again by Mercy, to align his fingers, check his scratches, tidy up his bandages, and check his throat for damage from his retching. 

His stomach growled, even if he could freeze his heart, it still beat. He was still [i]alive.[/i] Calvin had almost-

Food. Food was needed for survival, and his stomach definitely needed some. Checking his sling in the mirror to make sure it wouldn’t fall apart right away, he slipped some candy into his pocket, grabbed for one of the blood angel candies and slipped open the door to his room that still looked like someone had puked up every piece of vampire merch they could find.

If he had opened his door a minute later, he would have had the pleasure to avoid what anybody would call an annoying encounter. [color=6c9b8f]“Cello Mr Matthews!”[/color] Krista called from the other end of the hall, one foot out of the door and her hand stretched out in a wave in his direction. She quickly moved to lock the door to her room and checked the handle before scurrying over towards the blood donor.

She gave him a quick, warm smile. It surprised even Krista that she could deal with being so chipper despite all that had happened, but it was clear she simply did [i]not[/i] want to think about how she felt about everything that happened. In fact… [color=6c9b8f]“How are you feeling? You lost a lot of blood yesterday…”[/color] The violinist tugged lightly on the strap of her violin case, feeling the familiar weight pressing against her back.

Ice’s blank eyes turned up to the sound of his own last name to confront the blonde coming towards him. While he may have wanted to just scurry on by her, he remembered what Davis had done last time he attempted to do so. While it wasn’t like Ice cared for what Davis thought of her, it was the opposite for Krista. Through Aleecia the two of them had talked, at least a little bit, and Krista did seem to be a decent conversationalist. Though her humour...

With her question, Ice’s eyes downcast even more and he felt his stomach knot. [color=orange]“Fine,”[/color] he chewed at the inside of his cheek. Such a clipped answer would definitely fade out any chance of a conversation, and maybe Krista’s friendship along with it. [color=orange]“...Floating caca, look I really am-”[/color] As the younger girl reached him, an epiphany struck him, [color=orange]“...That was a quip, wasn’t it?”[/color]

Clipped answer or no, Krista remained rooted to her spot near Ice, hand still wrapped around the strap of her violin case. [color=6c9b8f]“Sorry, I don’t know when to give it a [i]rest[/i].”[/color] Despite her words, there was still a proud grin on the violinist’s face. She wiped it soon after, with a softer smile. [color=6c9b8f]“But really, I do also want to know how you’re doing. You had a really hard time yesterday.”[/color]

A sigh escaped Ice’s throat, he gave her a sideways glance before staring down the hallway ahead of them. [color=orange]“There’s nothing much to blabber about. Everything...”[/color] He adjusted his makeshift sling, avoiding Krista’s eyes. [color=orange]“Let’s just say that it ended my big revenge plan. I guess I’ll have to find something else to live for...”[/color] Ice cleared his throat, his pale cheeks taking on a reddish hue. He turned around quickly, grabbed onto the Violinist’s hand and slipped a candy in it. [color=orange]“My apologies for yesterday's events... I owe you.”[/color]

After saying that, Ice started heading for the dining hall, forcing his stride to be slower in case Krista wanted to walk with him. A layer of bandage becoming so loose off his head that it slipped down his shoulder and against his back.

Krista was grateful for the slower strides, the heels on her boots clicking on the marble floor being the only sound for a brief moment before her hand reached out to grab Ice’s shoulder with a soft grip. [color=6c9b8f]“Wait!”[/color] She quickly stopped him before the conversation could move on too quickly for the violinist’s liking… or before Ice’s bandages could fall off completely from the blood donor’s movements. Her hand held the bandages up before they could slide off Ice’s body, giving him the chance to adjust it correctly, forgetting briefly that the donor could not do such a good job with only one hand. [color=6c9b8f]“You do have something to live for. Your siblings. I… don’t think you should listen too much to what Erin said… He’s- He [i]was[/i] a trickster… he would’ve done anything to get under your skin…”[/color] Krista’s heart ached at the echo of Erin’s words. She could only imagine how much it would kill Ice to hear that again… She wished to give Ice a hug again, like the day before, but he did not seem to be in a physically good enough state to receive it. [color=6c9b8f]“So… You should try getting out of here, for your siblings! Make sure you survive so you can see them again!”[/color] If she could not hug him, she could try helping him find his hope…!

She then immediately moved her hand away from his shoulder to rub her cheek. [color=6c9b8f]“I-I mean… It’s good to have hope! I… think. Herman is my hope… but I want you and Calvin and everybody to survive too, so you guys see your family again. That is my hope too…!”[/color] She gave an awkward laugh, feeling her face heat up. [color=6c9b8f]“Too cheesy?”[/color]

Unfortunately for Krista’s gesture, without being able to use his left hand, Ice was only able to awkwardly wrap the bandage around to the same degree he had done when the Violinist had first seen him. As Krista talked on, his body stiffened slightly, as it always seemed to whenever he heard about his siblings. The girl seemed to be doing her best to try to cheer him up, and that really touched him. People like her and Calvin were trying to patch up the gaping hole inside of him when he couldn’t even fix the bandages on his physical body, let alone do anything for what’s on the inside. 

Now no one had really seen him make the [url=https://imgur.com/MMCOtBA]expression[/url] Ice made then since before his coma. The reminiscence of his former life along with the help of someone he could call maybe call a friend. Ice’s right hand came up to Krista’s head and patted it, [color=orange]”Not at all. Thanks. If you’re ever in trouble or feel like you’ll lose that hope, come a knockin’.”[/color] He slipped his hand off the smiling blonde’s hair and motioned to continue onward to the Dining Hall before stepping forward again when-

The sound of monokuma’s voice rang throughout the hallway. [color=magenta]“Firstly, back by popular demand is Aleecia Marvic. She's all thawed out in the pod room if you want to say hello.”[/color] 

Ice’s body stiffened again, but for an entirely different reason. [color=orange]“Blasted pigeons... Wasn’t she going to be sent back?!”[/color] His face lost any kind of sweetness as it filled with worry and panic. He gripped onto his tie and turned to Krista, [color=orange]“Will you come with me?”[/color]

The Monokuma announcement had rung across the hallways of Axis Mundi as Krista tried her best to help Ice wrap the bandages with her little skill at first aid. Without Mercy, the least she could do was ensure nothing was falling off. According to the announcement, there were even more new people joining them, and a few familiar faces on top of the new patients. Aleecia was awake, it should mean that she is healthy and fine, right? But that just meant she was returned to the killing game, where her ailment would leave her vulnerable to some of the opportunists in their group… Krista shivered uncomfortably. Even her hope to send the note out to the outside world was crushed, but what mattered more was Aleecia’s safety. She nodded in Ice’s direction finally, [color=6c9b8f]“I want to see if she’s really okay too.”[/color] Krista understood there was something special between Aleecia and Ice- not in [i]that[/i] way but… in a purer wholesome way, and Krista wanted to protect that purity to the best of her ability.

And so she gave Ice another encouraging smile, masking her worries for Aleecia to give Ice another brief moment of hope. [color=6c9b8f]“Come on, let’s go greet her!”[/color]