Another morning announcement, another day in this school... Some students seem to be getting rather close while others remain distant from, well, pretty much everyone.

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Ray awoke, tied back his hair and walked out of his room. Stevie was just walking out of her dorm, putting on her glasses.

"Hey, Stevie. Did you sleep well?" Ray asked gently.

"Mhm, what about you?" Stevie tilted her head.

"Restless, but fine." He replied.

"Want to make breakfast with me?"

"Sure." Ray shrugged.

"Yes!" Stevie smiled, starting to walk.

Ray followed closely behind her. Stevie skipped into the kitchen and began searching through the cupboards.

"Any preference, Ray?" Stevie asked.

"Not really." Ray chuckled,"I'm a simple man with simple needs."

"Hm." Stevie began to think, not wanting to always just make pancakes.

"We could make people waffles if they're tired of pancakes." He suggested.

"We're making waffles." Stevie nodded.

"Alright." Ray walked over to her.

Terishi smiled as they began to make breakfast together.

"Do you ever wonder what Monokuma gets out of this?" Ray questioned.

"Sometimes." Stevie shrugged.

"Does he enjoy this?" He raised a brow.

"Probably." Stevie sighed.

"Ah well. It actually just occurred to me that I haven't eaten food for like two days." Ray practically had a lightbulb over his head.

Stevie froze and slowly lowered the things she was holding,"You... What?"

Ray froze in place,"I mean, I ate a lot yesterday! Hmm, yes!"

"Sit your ass down." She pointed.

Ray groaned as he sat down.

"Good." Stevie sighed,"I'll finish this and then you're eating it."

"I'm not eating anything, but I'll pretend to eat if it makes you happy." Ray shrugged.

"You have to eat at least something." Stevie told him.

"Humans can go for weeks without food. Plus, I'm built above average so I give myself a month." Ray boasted jokingly.

"Ray." Stevie gave him a look.

"Stevie?" Ray asked, giving her an 'innocent' grin.

"If you don't eat, I'm not going to eat." She crossed her arms.

"You- shit. Well played, ma chère." Ray hissed, grabbing an apple.

"I'm smarter than I look." She hummed,. setting the waffles on plates.

"You must be the smartest person in the world!" Ray winked.

Stevie stood for a moment, thinking about his comment. When it hit her, she sat down with her arms crossed. Ray chuckled, grabbing an assortment of fruits.

"I'm smart." She mumbled.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, ma chère." Ray hummed.

"I'll prove it."

"What's one plus one!" Ray asked, talking as if he was speaking to a child.

Stevie glared at him,"It's two."

"Oh my god, you're so smart, Stevie!" Ray laughed.

"I'm gonna-"

"Do nothing because I have an... Announcement." Monokuma popped up before realizing it was just them,"Seriously?!"

"Who?" Ray asked.

"Where is everyone else a-" Monokuma looked around.

"Asked." Ray finished.

"Of everyone, it had to be my two least favorite students." Monokuma muttered.

"Suck it, asshole." Ray rolled his eyes,"Give us the news while we're here."

"The third floor is now open for business." He stated.

"Ok, I'll make sure to kill up there." Ray joked.

"Please do." Monokuma nodded.

"Anything for you, boss man." Ray chuckled.

"Nobody's killing anyone." Stevie pointed.

"You said that a couple days ago and you're four classmates down." Monokuma reminded her.

"Leave her alone, MonoBear. She's innocent and only I can mess with her." Ray told him.

"So, it's true that boys pick on the girls they like?" Ray asked.

"Naw, I'm just a bitch to everyone." He laughed.

"He is." Stevie nodded.

"I just had a thought." Ray spoke,"When I diss Monokuma, isn't that animal abuse? Damn, the Ultimate Mantis Conservationist wouldn't be happy about this."

"I don't think she'd mind." Stevie shook her head.

"Ah, alright." He nodded.

"Go gather up your friends and explore once you're dates over." Monokuma then disappeared.

"I- damn. He's more of a bitch than me." Ray sighed.

"You've got that right." Stevie nodded as Daiko dragged in Akira.

"Normally it's vice versa. The hell happened to her?" Ray asked.

"She won't tell me." Daiko sighed.

"Akira, you good? You need a therapist who also needs therapy?" Ray offered.

"It was an accident." She mumbled.

"What was?" He asked again, then remembering the trial,"Your secret... Did you burn your own family?"

Akira looked away from them all.

"Ah... It's okay, Akira. Y'know, what I've done is probably a lot worse than what you've done. Don't feel bad, because it was an accurate. They've probably forgiven you, wherever they are." Ray assured her.

Akira looked down, grabbing Stevie's hand.

"He's right, everything's alright now." Stevie nodded.

"We made breakfast, if that'll cheer you up." Ray shrugged.

Akira rubbed her eyes and nodded as Daiko brought over a plate for each of them. Ray let out a sigh of relief.

"There. All better, for now." Daiko sighed as well.

"Alright. I'll go get Jay and Teri, you get the lovebirds, please." Ray said to Stevie, hopping away.

"On it." Stevie nodded and left as well.

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Jay was still fast asleep in their dorm with the door. Chaos was going on around them but they didn't stir.

As per usual, Terishi came and knocked on their door,"Oh, Jay."

"No." Jay grumbled, wanting to get more sleep.

"Yes~" Terishi nodded.

"But why?" Jay asked.

"Food time." Terishi pointed.

"Fine." Jay groaned and opened the door to reveal the chaos that was quite normal at this point.

As usual, they had feathers in their hair and their eyebrows were raised to make an unimpressed expression.

"Thank you." Terishi hummed.

"Jay! Teri! Breakfast is ready!" Ray called.

"Coming!" Terishi called back to him before turning to Jay,"You heard the man."

Jay rolled their eyes as they both walked to the dining hall.

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Kirari woke up, got out of bed and walked over to Ash.

"Good morning." She spoke gently.

Ash woke up and looked up at Kirari sweetly.

"Good morning." She almost purred.

Kirari's face suddenly went red.

"Come on." Ash said as she got out of bed,"Let's go get some breakfast."

"Y-yeah." Kirari nodded, still flustered,"Wait! I gotta change first."

Kirari stepped inside the bathroom.

"Me too." Ash went in as well.

Kirari's face, which had just returned to it's normal colouring, flamed red again. Ash blushed too.

"Am I being too much for me?" She wondered,"I wouldn't want to scare away my very first girlfriend!"

"You go first, I guess." Kirari shut her eyes and covered them with her hands.

"Ash? Kira? You in here?" Stevie poked her head in, seeing the door open but not seeing any people.

"Yeah? Is breakfast ready or something?" Kirari asked, eyes still closed.

"Mhm." She nodded.

"We'll be there in like, five minutes." Kirari told her.

"Alrighty." Stevie then left the room.

When Ash was done, she stepped out of the bathroom.

"You can open your eyes now!" Ash told her sweetly.

She was wearing a floral blouse and jeans.

Kirari blinked,"Wow! You look really pretty!"

Kirari then went into the bathroom.

"Thank you." Ash nodded, watching Kirari leave.

She then closed her eyes, turning away. Kirari dressed quickly, putting in a mint green sweatshirt and light grey leggings.

"Done!"

"Oh, you look fantastic!" Ash exclaimed, glancing at Kirari; soon snapping herself out of her daze,"Let's go to the dining hall."

"Let's go!"

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Sancia sat in the library, completely upside down and hanging from the back of a chair. She was engrossed in a book and even her nervousness couldn't pull her out of it. She had remembered how she once wished she had been in the world of her book rather than reality. Her world now though seemed terrifyingly story-like and it was not fun. It was only a small scuffle of movement that she caught out of the corner of her eye that snapped her from her daze. An animal.

"Get back here!" Scott chased after said animal.

"Wait- Scott!" Sancia leapt to her feet, calling in a low voice and chuckling quietly,"If you want an animal to come to you, chasing it is not the way you should do it."

"I'm tryin' tae capture it, it's ma daily quest." Scott told her, having regained most of his confidence.

Sancia grinned, her petrified shadow slowly creeping away,"Want me to help?"

"If you insist." He shrugged.

Sancia stared at the puppy who was sat ahead. It's tongue was lolling out but it's eyes were scarily dilated. She crouched down, slowly turning so her side was facing the dog. She averted eye contact but from the corner of her vision, she noticed the dog flare it's whiskers a little. She pondered the problem for a minute, shoving her hands in her pockets but grimacing as they brushed against something cold. Some of the bacon strips she had found in the kitchen. She stayed silent, throwing the piece of meat towards the animal. It's tail wagged as it sniffed the morsel before gulping it down. Sancia offered more food to the puppy and it eventually grew confident enough to eat from her outstretched palms.

"I really shoulda thought a that." Scott nodded.

Sancia smiled, stroking the dog gently. Her face fell slightly as it backed away. Though she tempted it back with some more food.

"Why did you want to catch him so much?" She asked, looking up at Scott for the first time.

"Well, that bear came tae my room earlier and he had it wae 'em." Scott shrugged,"It ran aff and I wanted tae make sure hudnae done anyhing wae it."

"Monokuma cake to your room!" Sancia stared at Scott wearily, she didn't think he would try and murder her,"Did he say anything important?"

She attempted again to stroke the dog's ears and she was pleased when it didn't fully retreat.

"Well, I wasnae really payin' attention so I hope not." Scott shook his head,"Anyway, wanna come tae the dinin' hall wae me?"

"Sure.." Sancia nodded slowly.

A wave of nervousness washed over Sancia at the thought of interacting with more than one person at a time but it was quickly replaced by a surge of affection for the dog that was currently sniffing her fingers in search of more treats.

"I'm great at this friendship thing." Scott smiled, walking towards the door.

Sancia chuckled at his comment. She had almost forgotten how nice being a friend was and Scott brought back a bunch of memories of Dion. She stood, following Scott out of the door and she was pleasantly surprised when the puppy made an attempt to follow after them.

"If ma memory serves me right, it's just along here." Scott lead her to the dining hall.

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"Here we are." Terishi entered with Jay.

"Now... Where are the lovebirds?" Ray wondered.

"They'll be here soon." Stevie skipped back in.

"Good, good, we'll tell them when they arrive." Ray nodded.

"Missed me, mates?" Scott looked around.

Sancia entered the dining hall a few paces after Scott, the dog still trailing behind. She managed a half-hearted grin towards the other students. Scott sat down at the table after grabbing a couple waffles. Sancia sat down as well, letting out a yelp of shock when the puppy jumped up onto the seat next to her. He was strangely tame, though he was showing small signs of anxiety. She looked up at Stevie and Ray as she put a waffle on her plate.

"These look really good." She smiled, trying to hide the quiver in her voice.

"Thanks!" Stevie took a sip of her water.

Sancia smiled again, taking a miniscule bite of her food. She cut off another small piece, quickly offering it to the dog before quickly realizing she had no idea if she was allowed to start eating or not.

"You can eat, y'know." Scott mouthed to her.

Sancia was eternally grateful but she wasn't really sure how to show it without embarrassing herself.

She ended up mouthing back, with a ridiculously red face,"Thanks."

Sancia then tucked in, feeding the occasional morsel to the dog beside her.

"Makin' moves, Scott?" Daiko winked, half joking.

"Naw, we're just friends." He pointed.

Sancia tsked, not sure if she was supposed to be amused or humiliated. She instead settled with nodding.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"I mean, if you don't-" Daiko began.

"Keep talkin' and yer face'll no look the same agane." Scott turned to him.

Sancia chuckled,"You guys are being idiotic."

She grinned before immediately falling silent. She had made a mistake. Anyone could kill her at any moment. Or Scott. Or Daiko. Or anyone else. Had she angered anyone? It was only the friendly scuffle of the puppy's paws on the seat which snapped her from her spiraling paranoia.

"You're no fun, Scotty." Daiko rolled his eyes.

Sancia snorted a little, watching as the dog snatched up the remaining waffle from her plate and retreating under the tablecloth.

"Hold up, where did you guys get a dog?" Daiko blinked, causing Sancia to stiffen and glance at Scott.

"He... Monokuma gave him-" She cut herself off, blinking at Daiko.

"Weird bear brought him, don't know where he came fae." Scott finished.

"I see." Daiko nodded,"Seems legit."

Sancia nodded, ripping off another piece of waffle and dropping it under the table,"What do we... Do with him?"

"I mean, Jay has a bunch of animals so I'm sure you can keep him." Terishi added in.

Sancia's eyes lit up and she glanced at the puppy again but her expression soon turned to one of worry.

"What if he's like... A motive?" Sancia's nervousness crept into her mind as she looked down,"What if he's trying to manipulate us?"

"I don't think so." Daiko shook his head,"Motive day is tomorrow."

"That's true." Sancia smiled, tilting her head slightly,"Then why do you think he's here?"

"Dunno." Daiko shrugged.

"Hm." Sancia mumbled, waving another piece of waffle in front of her and chuckling as speckled jaws snapped it up,"What should his name be?"

"Hm." Scott began to think.

Sancia was completely unsure so she just watched the dog silently as he scampered about underneath the table. He was a reasonably large dog, though it was easy to tell he was still a puppy. He seemed to be some sort of crossbreed, somewhat like a border collie. He had a speckled muzzle and deep brown eyes. Sancia had always wanted a dog. If only she had found him under different circumstances.

"Sheep." Scott pointed.

"Seriously?" Daiko raised a brow.

"Well then, now that everyone is here aside from Kirari and Ash, we can tell you what Monokuma told us. Basically, the third floor is open. Yay..." Ray yawned.

"Great, exploration time." Jeff spoke up, revealing himself.

"You make it sound like we found something completely new rather than a random blocked off staircase." Ray rolled his eyes.

"Well, we haven't been there before, have we?" Jeff shrugged.

"Fair enough. Anyway, you gonna eat?" Ray asked.

"I had toast." He shrugged again.

"Alright. Stevie, are you sure they're coming? I think they are too infatuated with each other to notice the time fly by." Ray turned to her.

"They told me they would be." She sighed.

"It's fine, we can just explore without them and when they ask what's happening we tell 'em." Ray concluded.

"What are we waiting for?" Scott stood up.

"The rest of them to finish eating." Ray sighed.

"Hurry up." Scott pointed,"I arrived last and I'm finished."

"You're what we call a fast eater." Ray stated.

"Kinda have tae be when you live wae ma family."

"Ah..." He nodded.

"Scott, are you o-" Stevie began.

"Of course!" He then walked off.

Sancia stood quickly and watched him leave.

"Thanks for breakfast." She tried to smile before following after Scott, Sheep in tow.

"Don't get lost." Daiko called after them.

"We'll try not to." Sancia grinned and Sheep let out a yip of agreement.

The door then swung shut.