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April and Doug had simply wanted to act out one of their favorite visual novels, but they were unsure as to the setting. That was a dream they’ve had since high school in the sleepy town of Monsterburg, Oregon. But then graduation happened, and the two temporarily parted ways, keeping in touch, all the while.
And during college, the slime monster met Zoe, an up-and-coming web comic artist from New Jersey in the starting drafts of her fanfic based off of her high school experiences. One day, his idea slips into a conversation, and after an intense conversation about the murderous game, his new friend was on board! She knew a thing or two about subjecting others to despair, after all, even if she was unfamiliar with the title.
But a campaign wasn’t complete with only three members, no no. They needed, at least, three more for the protag-antag-support structure, so Zoe decided to call a friend from her high school and offered him plane tickets to California and to room with her. And that is how Doug met Liam… and Omen, who Liam had just taken in as part of the new Villain Redemption Arc program. Liam had a small idea of the game Doug was talking about, so he was willing to do some research. Omen, the former overlord—Doug at the time just thought they made up that title to sound cooler—had zero idea of this game, but they did enjoy the idea of suffering, so they were onboard.
Meanwhile, April was starting her streaming channel when she also met someone: a mimic named Nico, who loved cosplay. Like with Doug and Zoe, the idea of roleplaying one of her favorite video games she just so happened to stream slipped out. Nico eagerly volunteered to join, not because they were also a fan, but because they loved getting into character. And then Nico introduced April to Liam and… the group was complete.
There was one problem: April knew this franchise inside and out, but she had zero idea as to how to run something like a tabletop RPG campaign. Luckily, Liam offered his assistance to be the campaign’s Dungeon Master… but April still wanted to take the reins so she can truly embody Junko Onhishima. The compromise: have April and Liam Co-DM, to which they begrudgingly agreed. And so, after months of planning online and multiple character brainstorming sessions, everyone was ready to go.
… What an interesting three months this has been. Nico had created a Banshee Ultimate Samurai who had fallen in love with a Merfolk Cowgirl, only for her to tragically die in Chapter Three’s infamous double murder, starting their path to becoming an Ochimusha. Zoe had created a human Ultimate Magical Girl who was tangentially related to one of the canon characters of the original game, and had a bit of a tragic backstory. Omen’s character was a lich Ultimate Mortician—They were miffed when Liam told them they couldn’t just play an Overlord and relive their glory days. Liam would later suggest other TTRPG’s that could give Omen that background—and nearly threw the game because their character wanted to protect the Necromancer NPC April was playing because she committed Chapter Four’s murder.
But the biggest surprise came from Doug’s Werewolf Ultimate Guitarist: a guy who grew up in a rather mundane environment, or so he’d have everyone believe. He and April—through her Ultimate Clown NPC—would more or less reenact their years-long friendship through their PCs. Not even he expected the ultimate twist of the campaign… which will not be spoiled now during the exposition. Be patient, damnit!
We now reach the final session: our four players, and the three NPCs—Monica, the Ultimate Clown, Harriet, the Ultimate Detective, and Alexandre, the Ultimate Grandmaster, as they meet with Monokuma (sorry, couldn’t come up with anything better for an alternate name. Why mess with perfection?) in the trial room. The lead up to this moment?! Monica and Alexandre pulled a Manbat’s Gambit and tricked the host into thinking Monica was murdered, when actually, she managed to save herself, and later Alexandre during his execution. And now, after having uncovered the secrets of the campgrounds—Liam insisted—they were ready to take down the bear once and for all!
We now fade to in medias res, during the final trial.
“And what makes you think the Mastermind is even here? Or even alive?” April asked, putting on a nasally voice for the bear. At this point, Liam had fully stepped back as Dungeon Master, only supplying the voice of the Gargoyle NPC he played. “You found sixteen student files, right? And none of them outright said that any of them were the Mastermind.”
“I roll to stab the bear.”
“Omen, we’ve been over this: you can’t just kill Monokuma! Remember what happened to Summer the Daredevil?” April asked, still in that nasally voice.
“Ahh, shame she had to die and I couldn’t get my Necromancer girlfriend to revive her…” Omen muttered.
“You mean Barbara could’ve been revived this whole time?!”
“Azalea, Xander, focus!” Zoe shouted. “Still… I can’t believe Harriet was a spy the entire time…”
“You have to believe that it’s not me!” April begged, her voice suddenly going deeper, like a bifauxnen. “I was sent here to investigate this school and this camp; I wouldn’t have any motive to set something like this up! If anything, blame Mr. Fakes his Murder here!”
“Oh, exactly why I set up a fake murder with Monica as the victim in the first place: because I’m the Mastermind and wanted to trick myself.” Even in character, Liam’s tone was rife with sarcasm.
“I mean,” April began, slipping into her stream/clown voice that was most natural to her. “When you asked me to fake my death, I wasn’t entire sure at first, but when you told me it was to try taking down the Mastermind, I was all for it; especially if I didn’t really have to die!”
“Yeah, that does make sense: the dummy clown being the Mastermind this entire time…” Omen, as Azalea, muttered.
“Excuse me?!” April began to pretend to hyperventilate, but… Doug knew that expression all too well: late night study sessions, or minutes before she’d have to perform with her family, or before she’d go on stream… He knew that Carl had to say something!
“Can everyone please stop fighting?!” Doug shouted, causing everyone else to fall silent. “You don’t have to go on blaming each other. I… I…” His voice was trembling now. Either he was a really good actor or he really didn’t want to say this next line. “… I confess.”
Silence befell the room. Everyone just stared at the slime monster looking down at his lap, solemnly.
“… It’s true. The Mastermind is still alive. They are still at this school. They offered to go in as a mole for what they were raised to believe in. They offered to let themselves get their memories eaten just like everyone else… and he became a person he liked being. You don’t need to look any further. I am the Mastermind.”
“So… everything… from us being stuck here for six months?” April asked as Harriet. “My boyfriend sacrificing himself for me—?”
“Was my fault.”
“Charity’s mom being murdered before the school even opened?” April asked as Monica.
“Blame me.”
“You… how?” Zoe asked, shivering in anticipation. “And why did you keep this from us?!”
“Are… are you asking in character or out of character?” Doug asked.
“I don’t know, both?!” Zoe laughed nervously.
“Out of character first, April sat me down after the Chapter Five Daily Life and told me everything. Thanks, Liam…!” Doug answered, glare going to Liam.
“You set it up yourself with the nightmares. I only acted. Thematically, it’d make sense for you to find out then,” Liam explained.
“Didn’t give me enough time to establish motivations, but…” Doug chuckled, before slipping back into character. “I didn’t know… My mind was eaten like yours were. I didn’t know that my parents raised me in a cult. Or that I would be dooming all of you. Or that I was always supposed to die… If I knew from the beginning, I would’ve told you everything, I swear. But seeing Monica die… it made me remember everything. Those weren’t nightmares that kept me up at night… It was all real.” Oh crap, Doug was starting to cry gummy tears. “I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to forgive me for who I was…!” he sobbed.
“Hmm… do I elect to believe this sob story?” Omen asked, out of character. But… these past three months had endeared them to him. Not only was Carl a ray of sunshine for the cast, Doug was too, outside of sessions. It hurt to see him cry like this. Nico was also feeling conflicted. On the one hand, Doug’s character was responsible for their character’s waifu’s demise. On the other hand… that character was in a cult. It wouldn’t be fair to blame that one member for being indoctrinated. On the third hand, sequel potential. On the fourth hand… They grew to love Doug as a friend too.
And then April managed to slip into her Monokuma voice again, holding the bear close to her face. “So, now I think it’s time for you all to vote. If you all vote for Cruelty to be punished, then Carl here gets to live and escape with everyone. But if even one of you votes for Mercy to be punished… he dies. Oh, and to make things even more dramatic, give him your votes.” Oh, and the twisting of the knife!
All took their phones out; at this point, everyone had everyone’s number, and all proceeded to give a one-word text.
“… Can I flip a coin?” Nico asked.
“No!” April and Liam answered.
“This is a decision you’re gonna have to live with. Don’t leave it to chance.”
“It’s alright if you vote for me to die… I deserve it anyway.” Okay, it’s getting really hard to tell if Doug’s acting or not. Is he that good? Or was this Doug’s natural vulnerable side? Finally, after a tense silence, it was broken with a hug and Nico sobbing.
“Carl is living, I don’t care anymore!”
“Wait… so I live?!” Doug asked, eyes perking up.
“He lives?!” Zoe gasped, joining the group hug.
“… Everyone deserves a second chance, right?” Omen asked, gaze going to Liam, the friend they knew the longest in this group of theirs, even if that friendship was less than a year old. Liam’s probably thinking that maybe they’ll actually give this Redemption Arc Program a chance.
“Well… that disappointing. Boo!” April, as Monokuma booed, making the stuffed bear attempt a thumbs down. “That’s it. I’m out.” And with that, she tossed the bear aside, joining the group hug.
“Really? A group hug to go with the happy ending? How predictable…” Liam groaned, before being pulled into said hug by Zoe.
“Oh hush, you,” she scolded, giggling. Even Omen tentatively joined in, hugging with their one good arm.
“I’m… sorry, everyone…” Doug, as Carl, apologized. “I’m sorry for keeping this from you,” Doug, as himself, apologized.
“Don’t worry; it was just part of the game,” Omen answered. “But at the very least, next time you’re in such a position, can you invite me along?”
“Omen, no,” Liam scolded.
“Yeah, I don’t even think that’s my decision to make…” Doug chuckled nervously.
“Okay… enough hugging. Time to play out the epilogue!” April squealed, sitting back in her chair. “Now then, as the winter snow falls, and you all prepare to leave camp behind, the bus having brought you here suddenly reappears outside of the dome, you all look around Camp. Any places you’d like to say goodbye to?”
“I’m having Xander visit the place where Barbara met her end trying to betray that bird boy,” Nico decided. “He knows what he’s doing next, but… he wants to tell her that he’ll keep on living for the woman he gunslinged his heart.”
“Gunslinged isn’t a word!” Liam laughed.
“It is now. The power of love makes everything into words!” Nico announced, before suddenly shifting into a more serious persona for Xander. “Barbara, I swear to you, and everyone else who died here, I will hunt down and slay every single person who was responsible… except for Carl. A-And anyone else who may repent. They shall be spared from my blade.”
“Wow, edgy much?” Zoe snickered.
“That’s what I’m going for!” Nico laughed.
“Azalea is going to steal as many books from the library that she can. She has decided she is…” And this part was very hard for Omen to say. “She is tired of death and destruction… and wants a better life for herself…” they mumbled.
“Really, Omen?” Liam chuckled.
“This has been my plan since Ace died. Full disclosure,” Omen, as Azalea confessed. “Don’t take it as me being sentimental though, Gargoyle .”
“I-I have a name, you know!” Liam, as Alexandre, groaned.
“And yet I did not care to learn it until we thought you died. But since you’re still alive, I’ve elected to forget your name again,” Omen snickered as Azalea, causing Liam to groan some more, out of character.
“Bunny is going to apologize to Harriet… and ask if she can go home with her…” Zoe decided.
“Wait… really?” April asked as Harriet. “I… can’t exactly go back to the Detective Agency now…”
“That’s okay. We’ll find a place together,” Zoe, as Bunny, giggled.
“And what about Carl?” April asked.
“He’s in his Cabin, just looking at what’s left of everyone else who he shared the space with…” Doug muttered.
“Honk Honk!” April, well, honked as Monica. “Come on, Carls! The bus is about to leave!”
“I’m… I’m going to be okay, right?” Doug asked, as Carl. “He opens the door, letting Monica in… Where am I going to go? Who am I going to be?”
“Well, my family’s pretty open to having a werewolf join our troupe!” April, as Monica, answered, smiling that genuine smile that Doug has known for years. And Doug smiled back.
“I… I think I’d like that, very much.”
“And so,” April began to narrate… should I worry for my job? “As you all prepare to move on with the rest of your lives, you board the bus, taking you to the airport to bring everyone home, and the feed that has been following you obsessively… cuts. Whatever is next for everyone remains off camera. Away from the prying eyes of the audience, the producers, those creatures of despair. It only belongs to you.” And with a round of applause from everyone—players and DMs alike—the campaign was, officially, done!
“So… when’s season two?”
“ZOE!”
“What? I had fun with this. We should totally do something like this again sometime!” Zoe laughed.
“Hey… isn’t there a convention coming up this weekend on the East Coast?” Doug asked. “I mean, I’ve never really been to, but…”
“Hmm… I guess you two can fly with us home to experience New York Spooky Con,” Liam pondered, hint of a genuine smile on his face.”
“Ugh…” Omen groaned, rolling their eyes. “The place is flooded with automobiles, wreaking havoc on mere pedestrians… Would I be permitted to purchase one so that I may contribute to that havoc?”
“Omen, I don’t think you should be allowed to drive,” Liam doubted.
“Oh no, I mean I would like to be chauffeured. Villains like myself shouldn’t transport themselves,” Omen gloated.
“Am… am I really the only one with a car and a license?” Zoe asked. “Besides, cars are the worst mode of transportation in New York. Literally anything is better, so I typically keep my car here in California while I travel.”
“Oh I have one too! I… might be able to maneuver it in the big city,” April confirmed. “But yeah, going to New York does sound fun!”
“I mean… spending time with all of you would be amazing!” Doug cheered. “So… I say we go! Provided we can still get tickets to the con…”
“And you guys don’t even need to worry about hotels. You can stay with Liam!” Zoe volunteered.
“I’m already housing Omen in my studio apartment,” Liam reminded.
“It’s a loft. You can squeeze in four more,” Zoe argued.
“Why can’t you take any of them in?”
“Because my current place of residence is here in California for college. I don’t have a place in New Jersey at the moment.”
“Well, then… ask any of our other friends, just not me.”
“Ooh, like that cute zombie who picked you up from Improv one day?” Nico asked, teasingly, causing Liam to blush.
“Shut up…”
“Oh, you guys will LOVE them! And hey, feel free to introduce us to your Cali friend group too, if you want!” Zoe smiled. And the group just kept talking, just kept planning for the weekend ahead…
… The first weekend of the rest of their lives as a tight-knit group of nerdy friends.