Chaos;Child ~Children's Collapse~ 5

Chaos Child 5
(update 9/7/2019 to add a page)

p1: ===========================================
[sfx]: slap

You’ve made a complete mess! Explain yourself!

But Mommy, I just—

p2: ===========================================
[sfx]: Slam

[sfx]: Bang
I’m sorry!
I’m sorry!

I’m sorry…

p3: ===========================================
Chapter 5: Home Sweet Home

p4: ===========================================
Ugh…

…Leave me alone already, you damn dream.

…Looking over all those brats’ docs must’ve triggered it.

p5: ===========================================
[sfx]: Swing

<<all the insert text below signs in this chapter is the text of the sign, in Japanese>>

{Miss Kunosato.}

p6: ===========================================
{You’re 20 minutes late. }

{ …Mio’s fine.
/ So you really do all eat here together. }

{ It provides regular training in social skills,
so that they’ll always be ready to enter general society. }

{ We dorm here at the facility
/ and live together with them for the same purpose. }

{ Here, we’re all family. }

p7: ===========================================
{…Family, huh? }

{You gotta be kidding. }

{Hey! Beth! }

{…The director told me to watch over you as you learn the work.
/ Did you read the children’s documents? }
[sfx]: Clatter / sigh

p8: ===========================================
{ What do you expect me to understand given just a summary with no fMRI* imaging? When’s the experiment?
…As a newcomer, there’s things you have to do before you can even begin to talk about experiments. }
*A method of visualizing changes in blood flow in the brain, which relates to brain activity, using an MRI

{ And where is our grand director? What, she’s the only one not stuck eating here? }

{ Alan won’t eat his food unless he’s sitting in a certain place. }
{ The director’s with him. }

…

p9: ===========================================
…What even is this?

[sfx]: Bam!

{ As a beginner, you’ll start by watching over and observing the children. }

{ Wasn’t that your specialty? }

p10: ===========================================
<<see above>>

[sfx]: pass
{ What are you doing? }

{ Are you completely unfamiliar with child-raising techniques?! }
/ {We’re intentionally creating a parallel play environment. }

{ That wasn’t what I meant!
/ Why bother wasting time with this when you aren’t even scanning their brainwa—

[sfx]: Thunk

p11: ===========================================
{ Injections and experiments that require machinery are conducted at most once per week.
/ Any more would be too much on the children. }
~~~~~!

You can’t be serious.
[sfx]: Throb (with pain)

{ Each of these children has some form of mental handicap or another.
James, I’m starving.
They’re the sort that those uneducated in these matters would label eccentric or disobedient and look down on. }

{ Our most important task is to raise and save these children. Research is secondary.
That’s our director’s approach, and it’s why I’m proud to work here. }

p12: ===========================================
{ I’m going to check on the other children. You’re in charge here.
Hey! }

But what the heck do I do now?

[sfx]: Thud

I read his file…
[sfx]: jogging

Minor parietal lobe abnormality, right?
When writing, he doesn’t grip the marker with his ring or pinky fingers. His hand must be malformed.

p13: ===========================================
[sfx]: jogging

Poor perception of extremities. Naturally, body image is weak as well.
/ He keeps falling.
[sfx]: Smack

[sfx]: Roll

What else?
Let’s experiment.

{ Hey. }
?

p14: ===========================================
{ Let’s say I’m about to leave this room.
[sfx]: drag
{ And, while I’m gone, someone moves this ball from here… }

{ to here.
/ Then I come back to find my ball.
Which box would I search? }

…

[sfx]: jogging

p15: ===========================================
{ So you don’t even understand the question?
/ Or do you just not trust the new adult?
[sfx]: sigh

[sfx]: smack

[sfx]: drip

[sfx]: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

p16: ===========================================
[sfx]: WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

{ Hey, anybody…? }

[sfx]: Gaaaaaaahhhhhh!

[sfx]: step
{ Hey… }

p17: ===========================================
[sfx]: bang

[sfx]: AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

{ …On your feet. }

p18: ===========================================
{ Stop crying and stand up on your own. }

p19: ===========================================
[sfx]: Smack
Wow!
[sfx]: Twitch

[sfx]: yelp / eeek / bounce
Screw this.

p20: ===========================================
{ Hey. }

{…What?}

So she can talk…
{ There’s something I wanna ask you. You remember me? }

{ You’re the new woman. Mio Kunosato.
/ From Japan. }

{ We met at the party hall.
/ I’ve still got your teeth marks in my skin.
…What do you want? }

p21: ===========================================
What was that music?
[sfx]: startled

[sfx]: slide

{…The what?
/ How would I know? }

{ Don’t play dumb with me. When I heard it— }
[sfx]: EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK

p22: ===========================================
{ What happened? I heard a scream. }

{A panic attack?! }

{What did you do?!
Let’s have you rest in your room. }

p23: ===========================================
[sfx]: smirk

An act?
You little brat…!

{ Hey! What are you doing?! }

p24: ===========================================
{ Why’d you come out here while Al was crying?! }

{ Leave a brat alone long enough, and they’ll stop crying on their own.
/ His is a minor parietal lobe abnormality. How does playing daycare give us any information on that? }

{ …Albert. }

{Huh?}

{HE HAS A NAME: ALBERT!
I TOLD YOU, WE’RE ALL FAMILY HERE! }

p25: ===========================================
Hmph.
[sfx]: step

{ Mio,
/ the director showed me your history.
/ I get it. You want to prove you’re better than Miss Makise. }

[sfx]: stop
{ Huh? }

{ But don’t treat these children as tools to get ahead.
/ The Institute exists for them! }

[sfx]: beckon

p26: ===========================================
{ I thought you were a bit cleverer than that. But no, you can’t soothe a single child? }

{…I can’t stand brats.
/ Besides, I didn’t come here to babysit. }

{ Everything begins with us earning the children’s trust.
/ When you can’t even do that, you have no right to experiment on them. }

{…Meaning? }

p27: ===========================================
{You tried to test Albert on the Sally-Anne Test.
/ We do have cameras and microphones in the rooms where the children play. }

Sally-Anne Test.

Sally and Anne each have a box. Sally puts a ball in hers, then leaves the room.

Next, Anne moves that ball into her own box.

When Sally returns to the room, which box will she search?
*Children who can’t think from Sally’s perspective would answer “Anne’s.”

[sfx]: Tch.
{…Mio.}

p28: ===========================================
{Did your parents never hug you? }

[sfx]: slap

{ …Huh? }

p29: ===========================================
{You abandoned Albert while he was crying. }

{ Care or abuse tends to recur prominently in successive generations.
/ When you were little, how did your parents treat you when you cried? }

{…I don’t remember anything that far back. }

{…}

p29.5 ===========================================
Elizabeth. Age 9. Temporal lobe abnormality.

Suffers hyperacusis, along with other disorders.

Her parents, farmers, died of acute alcohol poisoning.
Sending her to the Institute.

...When we first found her, she was highly malnourished.
Rural, alcoholic farmers... Typical story. Suffered from neglect.

{Did your parents never hug you? }

...Why am I even...
[sfx]: Creak

p30: ===========================================
[sfx]: Rustle

{You like it up there?}

{…You again? Leave me alone!}

{Suit yourself. Not my problem if you fall and hurt yourself.
/ Just make sure you don’t fall headfirst. I need my data. }

[sfx]: blink
{…You’re not going to tell me to come down because it’s dangerous? }

{Would you listen if I did? }
[sfx]: sigh

p31: ===========================================
{…I’m sick of this boring place.}

{Have you seen the other kids? Most of them can’t even talk properly.
/ Us, family? You’ve got to be kidding! }

{ … }

{What sort of family doesn’t know a [em]thing[/em] about me?}

{ You’re such a brat. }

{Now you?
Now you’re gonna say the same things as Louis too?! }

p32: ===========================================
{Ever looked up the definition of “family” in a dictionary?}

{…What’s a “definition”? }

{ Basically, there’ll be some drivel about a group of people who are related by blood, or a group who lives together.
/ Japanese dictionary, Mariam-Webster, doesn’t matter. You won’t find a thing in there about mutual affection.
/ And forget love or intimacy. Won’t be a word about those. }

{…}

{As someone who’s been [em]where you’re at[/em], lemme give you some advice. }

p33: ===========================================
{ No one’s ever said family’s gotta be nice to each other.
/ When you got a bunch of people living together, wherever they are, sure they’re family.
/ But don’t expect that word to carry any more meaning than that. }

{You’re weird. You’re not making any sense. }

{Then forget about that and tell me about the music.
/ That’s what I’m here to learn about. }

{…
Claire said not to tell anyone. }

{Beth!
Where are you?!}

p34: ===========================================
{I’ve never been in here before!}
[sfx]: excited

[sfx]: swing
{ Wait! There’s nothing in here! }
{ How about you shut up before they find you? }

{Girl, are you always slipping out of your room before curfew? }
{They’re always trying to put me in bed way too early. }

{Hey,
/ you’ve looked up “family” in a dictionary, haven’t you? }
{Yeah.}

{Why?
/ Most people wouldn’t do that.}
{…If you say so.}

{…?}

p35: ===========================================
{…Ahhhh.}

{Hey…?}

{No, no…}
[sfx]: slip

Because of that?!
[sfx]: Roar

p36: ===========================================
[sfx]: trip

[sfx]: Ahh, ahh

[sfx]: hug

{Calm down.}

p37: ===========================================
Most people wouldn’t, eh?
[background]: Family (noun)

[sfx]: brush

You’re not wrong.

{…Mommy.}

p38: ===========================================
[sfx]: breathe

[sfx]: snatch

[sfx]: snap

p39: ==========================================
The sound of a clock.
[sfx]: Tick tock

Entitled “Antique Clock.”
And the picture… I saw it in the data. It’s her family’s home.

{…Damn brat.}
[sfx]: close

p40: ===========================================
{ We found you trying to sneak back into your own room this morning.
Where were you until then? }
[sfx]: shouting

{ I dunno. }

p41: ===========================================
{ What? }
{…Nothing.}

{Hey!}

[sfx]: Slam!

{ Who gets to be around for experiments and injections? }

{?
/ The director, and the one in charge of that child. }

p42: ===========================================
{What do I do to get to be in charge of Beth? }

{ …Did you forget what I told you yesterday?
/ They’re not here for your convenience. As a newcomer, you need to--
What. Do. I. Do? }

[sfx]: Sigh

{ Everything begins with you earning the children’s trust.
Didn’t the director tell you that? }

p43: ===========================================
{ Well, above all,
Beth’s a little rascal. Nobody but the director can get her to listen to them. }

{ How so? }

{We tell her to stop climbing the trees, but she puts in her earphones and ignores us.
She’s a handful and a half. }

{ First, you’d need to do something about that. }

{…}

p44: ===========================================
[sfx]: tick tock

[sfx]: Ah!
[sfx]: swing

{…Mio?}

{ You’re sick of this boring place, right?
/ I’m breaking you out. }

{…Huh?}