Inanimate Insanity Ronpa 2: Tower of Despair

1. A Desperate Call to the Audience

My name...is Taco.

It's been a while, hasn't it?

About six months after the fall of the main killing game, Nickel and I have struggled adjusting to normal life back out in the world. The memories are hard to leave after all the two of us have been through. But we have each other, and that's enough.

I have decided to devote my time to fixing up the area where Inanimate Insanity used to take place. Weeds have overgrown in the area, and there has been natural decay of all the old buildings around there. I pick up some of the raccoons, and feed them what scraps I have on me. Raccoons are better than people, anyway.

Our new living situation is much better than when I was out on my own, finding any sort of help. With the help of Test Tube and her lovely work, there is now a new lab where we can live and discuss what we can do next. If it wasn't for her, we'd still be out there desperately begging for change. I admire her sense of commitment to our group.

I feel a lot better than I was a couple of months ago. Nickel and I both agree that we feel alright, despite what all has happened. Some nights we go out walking, and we stare just at the water. We reflect, we move on, and we talk to each other.

But I fear that a dreadful feeling is still brewing inside of me. Something terrible is going to happen any day now.

"Something bad will happen," I tell Nickel, who is sitting on the couch.

"Well, aren't you the positive one today."

That's around when the call came. It came to all of us on that fateful morning, as the lull of the morning started to wear off of us. We looked with worry, as the group gathered around to find a consensus on whatever we would do.

"It says that we're getting some type of an award for our TV show, since we were not able to make it to claim it the last time." Test Tube explained. "Because we were all asleep."

"But doesn't the timing of this seem suspicious?" Fan piped up. "It's not being given to us around awards season. It's a little out of season, wouldn't you think?"

"As if!" Lightbulb was back to being her chipper self. "I'd accept an award any time of the year!"

We all looked at her with bemusement. "I'll just stop now."

"If this is either a fake or a ruse," Nickel began to explain, "It would be a good idea to only take a small group out to collect the award." He glared. "But that would mean fighting over who is the most popular contestant. And I know for a fact, the people who would most like to come aren't the most popular."

We then all looked at him like he had murdered our moms. "What?"

"Alright, to make it fair..." Paintbrush rushed over to the kitchen, then came back with some straws. "I'll cut these up into small and large parts. Then, whoever picks the small ones get to go to pick up the award."

And so it began. Everyone shut their eyes, grabbed a straw at random, and either got to stay home or join the quest to pick up the TV award. I grimaced, hoping I would stay home.

However, fate was unkind. I reached in, pulling out a smaller straw.

"...Wanker."

At least I was with Test Tube, YinYang, Fan, Balloon, and my good buddy Nickel.