Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sonia was sitting on the side of her bed, her hair falling around her face while she looked down at the floor, and her hands were gripping the edge of the mattress, the sheets clumped up inside of her palms. Only a few hours ago, the trial for Gundham’s murder of Nekomaru had ended. Since coming back to her cabin from the Funhouse for the first time in days, she hadn’t left it again, or moved around much, or even turned on the lights. She was still reeling from the trial. She kept replaying every part of it in her head, from the moment that her classmates first accused Gundham of being the blackened, through everything that led to them proving his guilt, ending with his final moments before the execution. 

After spending so much time feeling vulnerable since starting this school trip, the one companion she had was now gone. She felt lonelier than ever. The despair is truly equal to the hope, she thought. She laid down on her bed and closed her eyes, curling her arms and legs up into a circular position. She started sobbing, and felt tears roll down her face and collect into a wet spot on her pillow next to her cheek. She only cried for a moment before she pulled out her eHandbook.

None of the students had talked about it out loud with each other, but there was an app on their eHandbooks that had surprised her when they first got their devices. It was a tamagotchi style game where you would raise a baby rabbit Monomi until it turned into some other kind of animal. Although she wasn’t really that invested in it, she had kept up with checking in on it since she had gotten her eHandbook. She gave it presents, cleaned up after it, and watched it grow in its virtual bedroom. In times like these, it served as a good distraction, and she would reach for it when feeling stressed to get herself thinking about something else. Unfortunately, it was not a complex game, and she would quickly run out of things to do with her pet, and had to face her emotions again without feeling like she had had much of a break. 

She thought that if she had a real pet with her, it would be something that was more tangible that could console her in these kinds of moments, like the makongos and skongs she enjoyed helping take care of back in her palace in her home country. Thinking about this also made her wonder what had happened to Gundham’s hamsters. They seemed to have gotten lost in the commotion of the trial, and she just realized she wasn’t sure if they had been able to make it somewhere safe. She started to cry again. 

She heard the doorbell ring. Her heart skipped a beat and she was quickly taken out of her thoughts as she looked towards the door. Not knowing who it could be at this time of night after an event like a trial, she wiped off her tears and walked towards the door. She put on her princess persona, manually changing the look on her face and mentally prepping her voice. When she opened the door, she didn’t see anyone.

“Hello? Is someone there?” 

She called out into the empty space, projecting her voice and hearing it carry across the water. She cautiously put her hands to her chest while looking around in the darkness. She sighed and looked down. “Perhaps this is one of those prank bing bong bitches I have seen in the sitcoms…” 

As she looked down, she saw who had rung the doorbell. At her feet stood four hamsters looking back up at her. She gasped as she understood what she was looking at.

“The Four Dark Devas of Destruction! You are all alright!” 

A symphony of squeaks came up from the Devas as they greeted her back. 

“San-D! Jum-P! Maga-Z! Cham-P! Would you like to come inside?” 

They were already running through the open door frame before she had finished talking. She watched them go in and scurry up into her bed by climbing up the side, quickly making themselves comfortable in the ruffles of her sheets, cuddling up into one big pile. She gave a small laugh as she thought out loud under her breath. 

“You must have used your combined skills to find a way to ring my doorbell. I’ve seen you press buttons before. But to come out here on your own and figure it out all by yourselves…Gundham really has taught you well.” 

She walked back in and shut the door, turning on the lights. She smiled at the four of them as she walked towards the bed. It seemed like they were already starting to fall asleep, looking relieved to have been able to make it there. She thought that the way they looked curled up into her bed sheets was the same way they used to look when they would travel in Gundham’s scarf. 

She gently sat on the edge of the bed and looked at them while they laid there, happy that they were together again. She started to think about how long they had been on their own. 

“My word, you must have been running to come over here for hours if you just got here. And who knows when the last time you ate was? Do you have any means by which you can eat?” They didn’t react, but she got an idea. “Perhaps, do I need to go to Gundham’s cabin and see if he has any food still there?” 

They all gave her a nod of approval from their pile.

“Ok, please be patient and I will be just one moment.” 

She stepped outside and gently closed the door behind her, starting the walk from her cabin to Gundham’s on the other side of the set of cabins. She hadn’t gone to his place many times before he was gone, but the path had quickly become familiar and gave her a warm feeling to walk. It felt weird having to walk it again so soon, but she knew that she had to for the Devas.

Once she got there, she walked up to the door and was worried that it might be locked, but thought she would try it anyway since she was already there. She turned the knob and the clunk of the lock told her that she was right.

“Listen kid, I feel bad for ya.” 

She had heard a voice from behind her. She turned around and let out a high pitched scream as she saw Monokuma standing in front of her. She could barely see his small outline in the darkness, and his red eye gave a soft glow.

“Normally once someone gets the kibosh, so does the access to their room. But going out of your way to feed those poor rodents…what kind of bear would I be if I wasn’t looking out for my own furry kind?” 

“Monokuma…you did give me such an awful fright.”

“Just this once, I’m gonna open the door for ya. Just make sure they don’t try to stage a  bloody coup d'état and usurp my role as the cute mascot, got it? There’s already too much anime with hamsters getting into wacky activities.” He raised his arms up into the air towards the door as he started to shout. “Va-va-valuse!”

Sonia turned around and watched the door open behind her, creaking as it opened just enough to barely see inside the cabin. She turned back to look at Monokuma, but he was already gone. She muttered to herself. “I do appreciate you helping me, but you could have acted far more like a gentleman as you did it…”

She turned around and walked into Gundham’s cabin, opening the door all the way. As she stepped through the frame, she was instantly reminded of him, being hit with his scent first, then looking around the room, and seeing that it looked untouched since the last time she had been there. His tapestries still hung on the walls, and the hamsters’ cage still sat in the middle, taking up most of the room. She felt like she was remembering everything about him at once, and it caused her to stop walking for a moment. Taking a deep breath in to let it pass and settle her nerves, she walked in, and started to look for the Deva’s food.

She started by looking on top of the tables, and the bed, hoping that what she was looking for would be easy to find. She didn’t want to have to start looking through his dresser or closet and find anything more than what she needed. It didn’t take too long though until she found something that seemed out of place. 

On the couch in the back of his room there was a small rectangular box. It was an odd place to store something like that, and she didn’t think she had seen it before, but it felt so prominently placed she felt that it had to be what she was looking for. She walked over to it and took off the lid, and found a large stockpile of hamster food inside of it. She breathed a sigh of relief. 

Given the strange location of the box, she wondered if perhaps Gundham had placed it there on purpose, so that in case something did happen to him, someone, or maybe Sonia specifically, would be able to easily find it. After remembering something that he had told her when he was still alive, she was sure that it was placed there for her. The memory was like a reminder that she was on the right path and brought her some comfort. She thought more about what he had said, thinking back to what they were doing when he said it, remembering the first time she had come over to Gundham’s cabin and met the Devas properly. She sat on the couch, putting the box in her lap while closing her eyes, and all of the memories of that day came back to her.

Chapter Text

After the breakfast meeting with the others, Sonia was walking to the exit of the hotel restaurant when she saw that Gundham was still sitting down. His hamsters were out on top of the table in front of him. He was slightly leaning forward in his chair while he fed them from a pile of seeds. She had heard him talk about the Devas often, and would occasionally see them peek out over his scarf or run along his shoulder while he talked and moved around, but this was the first time that she actually got to get a good look at them out in the open. She thought that this was also the first time she had ever seen Gundham look so calm. Wanting to take this opportunity to learn more about her classmates and their talents, she walked over to all five of them with a sparkle in her eye. 

“Gundham! It is amazing that your hamsters are so well-behaved during the breakfast engagements!,” she said. 

He quickly turned his head to look at her, looking surprised that she was still there. He talked to her with a quiet, slow paced voice that was deep in his vocal range.

“As I have said before…these are not hamsters. They are four mythical beings capable of far more than you or I.” He looked back over at them. “They require sustenance for their power just like anything else.” 

“What is it that you are feeding them? I understand the importance of being fed well. In my home country, I made sure that all of my people got a healthy diet consisting of Greek yogurt and legumes.” 

He chuckled and smiled. “It seems you are a righteous ruler…just as I had suspected.” She felt her heart skip a beat when he said that, which caught her by surprise. He pulled some more food out of his jacket pocket and placed it in a pile on the table. “In their current form, pellets and seeds ensure that their power levels will rise. When they capture an above average number of souls for me…I may also give them fruit, as a reward for their good deed.” 

“I see. It seems that they are well taken care of for their active lives.” Sonia smiled. “You, too, are a righteous owner, I think.” 

His eyes looked at Sonia before darting back to the hamsters. “Th…thank you.” Sonia thought she could also see his cheeks start to turn red. 

“Gundham, may I watch as you finish feeding them? Oh, pardon me…may I watch as the Devas finish powering up?” 

He gave a strong laugh as his voice started to get louder, and he was gesturing more with his hands as he talked. “If you think you can handle the awesome display of the Devas that are in front of you, then be our guest, at the risk of your own life!”

The hamsters all fervently squeaked in agreement with him as they ate. They sat at the table for a couple more minutes, and Sonia put her elbows on the table and her head in her hands while intently observing. They didn’t say anything else to each other, but Sonia was very invested in watching the Devas eat and learning each of their individual personalities: San-D ate quickly but in small amounts, Jum-P was reserved and ate methodically, Maga-Z would fall asleep then quickly wake back up to eat more, and Cham-P ate as much as the rest of them  combined. She got a warm feeling in her stomach the more she watched him take care of them.

She thought that the way he interacted with his hamsters was the same way that she aimed to interact with her people, always gentle and attentive. Even though he was only feeding them right then, it was clear that in general he was making sure their needs were always met. It was rare for her to find other people that she felt like also expressed her ideals like this, even when talking with people in similar positions as her. It made her want to see how the two of them would work together as a team. She had originally gone over to him just to learn more about the Devas, but now she was wanting to focus on getting to talk to just Gundham more.

Once all the hamsters had slowed down their eating to a stop, they went back to Gundham by running up his arm and into his scarf.

“I hope this is not rude to say, but I think it is very cute how they are so willing to be carried around by you,” she said. 

He covered part of his face with his scarf and looked away from her. “You may take whatever you wish from your observations of the Devas.” He stood up. “Now, if you will excuse us, mistress Sonia, we must go train for a forthcoming battle with the god of war.” He turned to walk out of the restaurant. Sonia stood up and started to talk. 

“Gundham, if it is not too much of an inconvenience…may I accompany you back to your cabin? I would love to learn more about the lifestyles of the Devas. I have been enjoying this so far, but I am still so uninformed…” The words she said were coming out of her through pure instinct.

He cackled while walking away. “If you desire it, then let it be. Come, let us fight!” 

Sonia clapped her hands together and smiled, catching up to Gundham as he walked away. They walked side by side back to Gundham’s cabin, and while they did, Sonia got the urge to hold his hand, but thought that it was too soon to do something like that.

Once they got to his cabin, he released the Devas from his scarf as soon as he shut the door. They all ran into their extra-extra-large hamster cage that took up most of the space in Gundham’s room. To Sonia it seemed like they all knew exactly where to go as they assumed their places in different parts of the cage and interacted with various pieces of exercise equipment in each of their spots.

“The Devas only continue to impress me more and more with all of their skills. You truly are the ultimate breeder, Gundham,” she said. 

“Watch closely and you might be able to learn how to wield a fraction of their power.”

They spent some time observing the Devas in their new location. Gundham explained to Sonia how he took care of them, dressing up his descriptions with his usual odd language and gesturing wildly as he talked. As he spoke, she asked him questions, and with every answer she felt herself get more overwhelmed with information, but he seemed so happy at being able to explain his work to someone else that she didn’t want to stop him. She caught him when he paused at one point to ask him a different kind of question.

“Gundham, if I may ask, have any of our other classmates had the opportunity to be given this demonstration? Your work is very interesting, and I think it would be beneficial to them to be exposed to it.”

Gundham gave an indignant hmph . “Those fools wouldn’t know true power if it engulfed them in a fiery flame.” He crossed his arms. “So…no. You are the first person to enter this sanctum.” He slowly looked away from her. “But I…I prefer the solitude.” His voice had become much more quiet and tentative.

She gave him a soft smile and tilted her head. “I see…I understand.” She looked at him for a moment. “Despite that, I am happy that I have been able to come over today. I have been enjoying my time here.”

His head stayed still but his eyes moved back to look at her as he spoke. “That’s…good.” 

He started to go on about his work again, but Sonia got lost in her thoughts thinking about Gundham. Up to this point, it was clear to her that he had trouble making closer connections with his classmates because they could not understand him, and despite that, she did not see him do anything different to make himself understandable. It seemed to her then that this was all deliberate. His situation reminded her of her own, since she similarly had problems making connections beyond a casual friendship, and found it difficult to converse with their other classmates, though her speech quirks were instead rooted in the fact that her classmate’s first language was her second language. As they talked in his cabin, she felt that they were able to find a harmony in their weird speech, and even if they both could not perfectly express what they were trying to say with their words, she always understood what he was trying to say, and she felt like she was being understood as well.

He continued to talk about his caretaking methods, and she listened intently as he did, following him around the room, enjoying when she got to lean in close to him as he was pointing something out to her, or when they got to sit next to each other so that he could show her something more closely. Once she felt like Gundham was getting to the end of what he was saying, Sonia wanted to interact with the hamsters more directly. 

“Gundham…if it is alright with both you and the Devas…may I pet them?” 

Gundham laughed. “I admire your bravery in attempting to make such close contact with such dangerous beasts. Come to me, my Devas!” 

They all dashed out of their cage, funneling into the tube that led to the ground and running over to Sonia and Gundham, lining up at their feet. Sonia got on her knees and bent over to pet each one of them individually, praising each of them for their hard work as she did so. Gundham watched silently as a smile came on his face. 

“They seem to have become comfortable with you, mistress Sonia. I am impressed…they have not been kind to most anyone except myself, for I was the one able to tame them.” He thought for a moment while Sonia stood back up. “Perhaps…you have a power level that is closer to my own.”

She tilted her head. “I am not sure that I have been able to keep track of my own power level, but I am happy that they seem to think of it positively.”

“I must see it for myself,” he said. “The only way to test it is to attempt physical contact with me.” 

They stared at each other for a moment without moving. 

“Oh…then, I will try.” 

She slowly reached out her arm towards him, unsure of what part of him she should touch. He didn’t move his body in any way, so it wasn’t obvious to her where she should go. As she got closer, she was reminded of the feeling of wanting to hold his hand, and was happy that she was about to get a sense of what that was like, even if this was a stranger way to go about it. At the last possible moment she settled on his arm. She wrapped her hand around his upper arm, and gently gripped him. 

She felt her heart skip a beat as she made contact, and took a deep breath. She got a little lightheaded as her heart started to beat faster, and the sensation of touching him started to propagate from her hand to her arm to throughout her whole body, as if the bond she had been feeling building with him started coursing between the two of them like electricity in a circuit. He still hadn’t moved or changed his gaze. She looked back up to make eye contact with him, and they stared at each other for a moment before she gave a nervous laugh and started to talk.

“I am not sure what kind of result we were looking for, but…it seems the attempt was successful, Gundham.” 

He slowly nodded, and started to talk in his slow voice. “Yes…you are correct. You would have immediately been banished to the underworld if your level was any lower.” He chuckled. “Very impressive.”

She smiled, and felt herself blush. “I’m glad.” 

They held that position, maintaining eye contact while she held onto his arm, both standing completely still.

“Gundham, your arm feels…nice.”

She felt him take a deep breath. “Your touch…is serene. I see why…my Devas act favorably towards you.” He sighed. “The results of this are good to know, as I have worried about the event of my untimely exit from this world at the hand of a more powerful deity…in that case, they will desire a new master to serve.” 

The hamsters supported what he was saying with several squeaks while Sonia brought her arm back and put her hands together.
“I would be honored to help the Devas in any way that was necessary.” 

They spent some more time together as it got dark, wrapping up their conversation about the Devas and starting to talk more about their school trip in general until the nighttime announcement played. Sonia noticed that the lighting had changed drastically since she had come into his cabin, and realized that the sun had almost finished setting.

“It would be wise for me to return to my own cabin soon…a princess is in great need of the beauty sleep.” 

Gundham smiled and crossed his arms. “I must say…it has been thrilling to share the power of the Devas with someone who comprehends the magnitude of their power. Before it was not something I thought would be possible with a mere mortal.” As he continued to talk, she thought she saw his face change, like he was choosing his next words carefully. “Come back anytime you want to be impressed by them…again…” 

Sonia smiled. “I am sure that my return visit will be sooner rather than later.” 

She walked to the door and Gundham followed. He opened the door for her as they were saying their goodbyes. She walked back to her cabin, quickly had something to eat, and got ready to go to sleep. Once she was done and in her bed, her thoughts immediately went back to Gundham and the hamsters. She couldn’t wait to go back and spend time with all of them again. Maybe next time, she thought while laughing to herself, they could check her power level again, but instead check it with their hands. She drifted off into sleep, still feeling the sensations of the Devas' fur on her hands, and Gundham’s arm in her grip.

Chapter Text

Sonia opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She looked around Gundham’s cabin as she thought more about him. In the days following her first visit to his cabin, they spent more and more time together, and did other things than just talk about the Devas. They talked about their lives before they came on this school trip, went to different places on the island, doing different activities together, sometimes running into other students, even planning what they each wanted to do once they got off the island, all while making fun of Kazuichi. All of this time was complemented with increasingly more intimate physical touch between the two of them. 

When they eventually went to the Funhouse, their nurturing talents were able to truly come out for each other. They had more to worry about there with the immediate threat of starvation, so they were constantly checking in on each other, discussing their hunger, and generally keeping an eye on each other. Almost immediately before the most recent murder took place, she had realized how much she wanted him to stay in her life, and losing him at the trial was a shock to her system, like someone suddenly took a blanket off of her in a cold room. It made her sad that the caring nature that made her like him so much is also what took him away from her.

As she stood up from the couch, she took one last look around his room, taking in all of its details and memories it had to give her one more time. She maneuvered around the giant hamster cage as she walked out. She walked back to her cabin, carrying the hamster food, feeling the night sea breeze on her skin as she listened to the sound of the waves crash against the pillars of the boardwalk, just barely able to see where she needed to go in the moonlight. She made it back to her cabin and opened the door.

When she walked in, she saw that all of the Devas had left her bed and scattered themselves around the room: San-D had turned on the TV and was watching it, Jum-P was at her white vanity and was trying to put eyeliner on himself, Maga-Z was swinging from the bottom of her chandelier, and Cham-P was trying to eat the leg of one her chairs. She gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes darting between the four of them. 

“The Four Dark Devas of Destruction! This is not the proper way to act when you are invited into someone's home! Come over here now, god damn it !” 

All of them looked at her for a moment with a guilty look on their faces, then ran over to line up and sit right in front of her, hanging their heads low. 

“Now, that’s much better. I was able to find food for you all. Please sit here quietly while I prepare your dinner.” They stayed where they were while she walked over and turned off the TV. She then went to her end table that was next to her vanity, and sat the box of food down on the table. Also sitting there was her tea set. It was a porcelain white set with blue floral designs and accents around the edges. On the platter sitting underneath all of it the word NEVERMIND was printed. She picked up pieces of the set as she started to talk. “I am not familiar with what tableware you are accustomed to dining with, but…I do hope that these tea cups will be sufficient.” 

She grabbed her tea kettle and started to make tea for herself using the hotplate in her room. As the water got hot, she opened the box she brought back, and scooped the food out of it using a spoon, portioning it into four of her tea cups. Once the water was heated, she poured it into a fifth cup with a tea bag, and then brought all five of the cups over to the Devas on the platter. 

“It has truly been awhile since I have been a part of a tea party such as this. Despite my rusted skills, I do hope you will be satisfied with my ability to entertain.” She gave a weak laugh while smiling.

Squatting down to get close to them, she gave each of them their own cup, and each of them responded with an appreciative squeak-squeak as she set it in front of them. Once they each had been served, she walked over to her bench and sat down, setting the platter down next to her, and picking up her tea cup off of it. 

“Devas, let us now eat!”

As the Devas started to eat their food, she let out a quick exasperated sigh before taking her first sip of her tea, thinking about how much she admired Gundham for being able to take care of them so well like this for so long. As they ate, she looked at them with a soft smile while drinking her tea, like a mom watching her kids play at the park. As the Devas were finishing their meals, she started to talk to them. 

“You all look so regal as you eat. You will fit right in at my palace in my home country.” She thought for a moment. “I am elated that all of us have been able to be safely reunited and that I will be able to take care of you. But, I am sad that Gundham is not here with us…I would have preferred to have been a caretaker of you all alongside him.” 

The Devas looked at her then hung their heads low, like they were giving a moment of silence. She set her tea cup back on the platter, then crawled off her bench to sit on the floor with them, cross-legged. 

“You may all grieve, but do not fret, for it is the duty of a princess to ensure that her people are always moving towards something better, even in the most disappointing of times. I have faith that we still have a bright future ahead of us, together.” 

They looked back up at her as she petted them individually to reassure them. Once she was done she cupped her hands together on her chest like she was nervous. 

“Though…there has been one matter on my mind. If we are to stay together and you accompany me back to my home country, a title such as “The Four Dark Devas of Destruction” will surely cause panic among my people. I can already hear the sound of my father fainting in the foyer! They will think I’ve gone mad and become unfit to be queen during my time here.” 

The Devas looked at her without moving, curious to see where she was going with what she was saying.

“I do hope I am not overstepping my boundaries with this…but I think a new name to refer to you all by would be befitting at a time like this. Given your natural predisposition to a royal lifestyle, may I suggest that I can call you…”The Four Demure Devas of Demeanor?” I know it is not as…how do I say, manly …but I hope you do like it.” 

The Devas looked back and forth at each other, getting some kind of consensus between them, while Sonia watched them anxiously. They all looked over at her and a chorus of squeaks ensued in affirmation, and Sonia got a real, big smile on her face. 

“Ah, just wonderful!” 

After celebrating with the newly named Devas for a moment, she cleaned up from their dinner before taking a shower and changing into her nightwear. She wore a sky blue button-up pajama shirt with a white border and a pattern of small cartoon drawings of white poodles, and a matching pair of pants. She took the bow out of her hair and undid her braid, letting her hair fall down around her shoulders and back. Then she picked up all of the Devas and washed them as well, taking them to her sink and running them under the faucet with soap, scrubbing their fur with her fingers, and wrapping them each with a small hand towel to dry them off. With everything put away and everyone clean, she turned off the lights and turned on the AC, returning to her bed with the hamsters in tow. She got under her blanket and rested her head on the pillow, and the Devas cuddled her, finding places to curl up around her shoulders and head. 

“Goodnight, San-D. Goodnight, Jum-P. Goodnight, Maga-Z. Goodnight, Cham-P. I look forward to what we will accomplish as princess Sonia Nevermind and the Four Demure Devas of Destruction!” She laughed to herself. “Goodness, I of course mean…the Four Demure Devas of Demeanor.” 

The Devas fell asleep quickly, and she could feel their bodies move as they took their tiny breaths. As she started to fall asleep with them, listening to the drone of the AC, her thoughts went back to Gundham. Before he was gone, he told the others to not give up on life. She took that to heart when she was listening to him talk, but with the addition of the Devas in her life again, she really had something to attach to his words. The Devas must have also followed his words, she thought, as they had put in the effort to come all the way to her. For a moment she wondered if the Devas were wanting to take care of her more than they needed to be taken care of by her. In any case, she was happy to have something to take care of now, and that it was something that was a connection to Gundham, and something that would let her do what had brought the two of them so close together when he was still there.

Right before she fell asleep, she realized she forgot to check her pet in her eHandbook. Quickly pulling it out but trying to not wake up the Devas, she opened the tamagotchi app. Once it loaded, it took her a moment to process what she was seeing. She thought out loud in a whisper. 

“It’s dead…” 

She looked at the screen in silence for another moment, watching the spirit of the baby Monomi bounce between the borders of the eHandbook screen. Then she laughed to herself. “That is quite alright.” She thought Gundham would berate her for letting that happen to her pet, then wondered if he had also played the game at all before his passing. He no doubt would have been great at it, she thought. 

After putting her eHandbook away, she closed her eyes again and snuggled back into her sheets, drifting off into sleep while feeling the warm fuzz of the Deva’s fur all around her.