Chapter 1: Reach for the Peak and Pinnacle of Hope
Chapter Text
Junko stared up at the imposing building before her, Hope's Peak, with eyes as blue as the sky above, dwarfing even the academy's towering spires and gates. A smile spread across her ruby red lips and her teeth shined pure white in the sun.
"Oh, what better way to start such a beautiful morning than by heading to my beautiful class in this beautiful school?!"
Anyone watching would've said she was the cutest thing in the universe, cuter than 100 chihuahuas combined.
Fuckin' stupid-ass boring-ass bullshit! Junko's expression didn't change. Ugghhh, whhyyy? Why do I even have to go this stupid school?! I already know everything they could ever teach me! As the Ultimate Analyst, she could predict what people would say or do perfectly, that included professors. I'd bet somebody's life that I know some of the curriculum better than THEY do, even the tenured ones!
Junko gave a nasty cackle. This was an especially arrogant claim, as she was a first-year.
"Hello! Hello! All new first-years! Right this way, please! Headmaster Jin Kirigiri is providing opening remarks in the academy theater! If anyone needs any help, feel free to just ask me!" An obnoxious, grating voice interrupted Junko's thoughts, and for half a second, Junko saw red.
Who the FUCK is this happy this early?! She whipped around to see a girl with bright orange hair standing only several feet away. She was decked out in Hope's Peak merch from head to toe. Hope's Peak sun visor, Hope's Peak tank top, Hope's Peak shorts, Hope's Peak sandals… To say nothing of all the merch and paper in her arms! (Some of which were, of course, maps).
Junko's nose crinkled and she looked the other girl up and down critically. Gag me with a spoon! She makes pigtails look, well, piggish!
Junko was grossed out to the max to realize that the girl's hair wasn't just an impossible-to-ignore orange, it was also in pigtails almost as poofy as Junko's, if only because of her incessant running back and forth across the academy's entrance hall. Even though she could've just stayed still, it was as if she was on a mission to talk to every first-year that walked by, and there were a lot of them. Some were in Junko's section, some weren't.
Ultimates were rare, and yet Hope's Peak was bursting at the seams. Already, three new schools were under construction. The first wasn't too far from Hope's Peak, and it was to be called the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. They were also building an American campus. And the most recent was another Japanese school, to be named Hope's Pinnacle. Unlike the other three, part of its funding came from the family of a Hope's Peak student: Esora Shimizu. The family was wealthy because of a tech company they created, and although Junko hadn't heard the rumors yet, they said that Esora was doing this in hopes of being headmistress, or putting a friend in power if not herself.
Now THAT'S how you reach for the peak and pinnacle of Hope! Junko thought in dark admiration. She always loved a person willing to do anything to get their way. But as a second-year, Esora would not be at orientation. Instead, save for volunteers running orientation, it was just first-years. One of the ones that stood out to Junko most just based on appearance that wasn't in her class was a short girl wearing a toy cat on her head.
What a weirdo loser! Junko was amused enough to creep closer and casually listen in on what the girl was saying. She had a childish, nasally voice.
"—built-in MP3 player!" She was showing off the toy to other students, both from her class and Junko's. "I built every part of Nyochio myse—"
Aaaaand that's enough of that! Although, as whiny and irritating as the girl's voice was, the thought of building one's own stuffed toy and giving it machine parts to do things besides being cute and cuddling was intriguing… It was a name that would not come into existence for over a year more, but one day, Junko would make her idle thoughts a reality, and she would do it twice: Monokuma, Monochio.
"Hey! You there! With the hype twin tails!" A loud voice snapped Junko's attention back to the present, and too late did she realize that she'd been spotted staring off into space. That made it look she was lost, and now help was coming, even though she wanted it to go away.
Hmmm, I wonder if it's too late for… self-incapacitating measures to get out of this one… Junko thought, gloomy.
The other girl, meanwhile, winked and flashed her a thumbs up when they made eye contact, nodding her approval.
"Yeah! You!" she said. "The name's Rika Seto! Third-year! I don't recognize you, so I'm willing to take a guess and say that you're new?"
"Yeah." This girl has enough energy to power the entire school. Maybe they can just chain her up in a basement somewhere and surgically attach her to a random generator, or something, and see what happens.
"So, you need help with where you're going?" Rika walked over to Junko, still grinning, wearing all that stupid, tacky HP merch.
Unless you're willing to break me out of this place… "Nah, I prefer to find it myself. Gets me used to the place, y'know?" Junko asked sweetly.
"True that, true that!" Rika's head bobbed and she smiled approvingly at Junko. "Say, I think I like you already!"
Why do I get the feeling that you say that to basically everyone you meet? "Thanks."
After some torturous, lighthearted small talk, Junko finally brought up her Talent and Rika managed to get hype all over again.
"OMG, Fashionist?! No way! My best friend, Marika Mizushima, is the Ultimate Model! You guys should totally do a photoshoot together, or something like that! See? She's been on the cover of magazines too!" Rika was like an excited puppy and a proud mama, whipping out her phone and shoving it into the face of a girl who didn't ask and didn't care.
Marika Mizushima, eh? The name was familiar, but Junko didn't think much of her. Brown hair, boring. Purple eyes, exotic, but cliché. Junko looked down. Her bust? Well-proportioned, I suppose, but could certainly be bigger! Although, Junko smirked, she'll never get that unless she goes fake and plastic! Junko, meanwhile, could brag that her luxurious figure was au naturel!
But Rika didn't seem to care. "So, whaddaya say, Fashionista? Join us?" Her eyes sparkled as she pleaded. Junko was disgusted.
"I, ah, am not sure about my schedule yet, and I confess, despite my camera appearances, I… am a little awkward around strangers sometimes…" Junko hugged herself and looked away mournfully and Rika's pleading face switched into one of genuine concern. Pfft, idiot.
"Well, that's exactly what Marika and I'll be there for! We won't let anybody bother you, mkay? We look out for each other!" Rika pounded a fist over her heart while Junko fought the urge to roll her eyes.
This went on for several minutes, Rika pleading and Junko answering on autopilot.
I can already predict what arguments she's going to try to use, so I don't even need to THINK to give my rebuttal! Thank God this is her last year, unless… Oh, God, no, wait! What if she… gets held back…? Such despair! Then again, she made it to third year once… SEE?! This is why I don't—!
"In fact, I'll call her right now!" Rika had already clicked the button and was listening to Marika's phone ring by the time she started talking about how she would call Marika.
"W-wait, what?!" Junko reared back. Ok, so maybe that one was on me for not paying full attention, but… no, there's no WAY she just…
It was barely a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a second, but in that single moment, Junko felt surprise.
The call with Marika was a blur. She required even less attention to talk to than Rika because, as Rika said, she and Junko had similar Talents. Junko knew how to speak to models, she was one! But eventually, Rika hung up the phone, regret in her eyes as she sighed.
"That was fun and all, but I really didn't mean to keep you that long! It was only supposed to be a second, but then it became like… 10 minutes!"
Well, most of it was your fault, yes, but… For at least the last part of those 10 minutes, Junko hadn't even been aware that time was passing.
"If you want, I can escort you to the theater myself—and no distractions this time, scout's honor!" Rika saluted Junko, dropping a handful of her maps. She winced and cursed herself under her breath as she bent over and frantically scooped them up.
It gave Junko ample time to again sneer in disdain at the other girl. Even though she surprised Junko for a moment, she was still mostly an idiot. If anything, that made it all the more despairful that she was able to surprise Junko at all.
"I'll be fine, thanks," Junko said tightly. She knew what was coming. Rika was going to try to talk her into something again.
Junko's analysis of the situation was once again perfect, and she was correct not just in what Rika did, but what she said. The only thing Junko didn't predict was the last thing Rika said.
"Well, if you're sure…" She looked doubtfully at Junko, still reluctant to let her go and not be able to make things up to her. But Rika was trying to get better at respecting when people said no, even if it still took her a bunch of times to get the point. "But, if you change your mind, or if anything I said or did today bothered you at all, or in any way, please don't hesitate to let me know! Honest! I want your feedback, because if I did anything wrong, I want to make it right!" Her eyes were as intense and pleading as always, but this time, there was a new quality that Junko couldn't place.
"I know I'm an upperclassman, and all, but I promise, I'm not scary," Rika added with a soft chuckle, and Junko almost laughed in agreement. The only thing scary about Rika was how annoying she was, and how unaware she seemed to be of it, but that was hardly "scary".
"I'm not upset," Junko said once Rika finally finished her longwinded speech of apology and support, and Junko was telling the truth. In order for her to be upset, that was assuming her current emotion lasted long enough to get through Rika's longwinded speech. Already, she felt normal, although what normal was for Junko was something that even Junko didn't fully know.
"Also, I think I would be interested in getting to know you and your friend. Just come find me whenever you have something figured out." Junko turned toe and walked away before she even finished speaking. When she was done, she casually lifted a hand in farewell, but she was still walking away. Rika could only watch her go, flabbergasted.
What an odd girl she was! Her mood changed so quickly! Ah, but I shouldn't judge her, she's just new, that's all! We just haven't had time to get used to one another yet, but… she DID agree to hang out with Marika and me, so that'll be great! Rika did a little happy dance, which was only interrupted when she started dropping papers and merch again. She sighed in frustration and embarrassment as she bent over for a second time, but she was still smiling excitedly. And you thought I wouldn't be a good senpai, Saori. Not even Day One and I already have a new friend!
They may have shared nothing else in common, except wild pigtails, but it was one sentiment they both felt. While Rika stayed in the entrance hall, Junko took her sweet time getting to the academy theater.
Well, well, well, Ms. Seto, I'm not sure how you did it, but you just might've given me a reason to stay at this accursed academy. It was time for Junko to reach for the peak and pinnacle of Hope as well.
Chapter 2: Class Trial Demo 1 of the Killing School Transfer
Notes:
AN: Ok, so I know I said my series was going to focus on the pre-Despair, Hope's Peak stuff, but envisioning a D4 class trial was just too fun! So this is a snippet of how I think the game mechanics would work:
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The podiums stood in a circle. The tile floor in the center was black like a DJ disc. The only color was a dash of red acting as the disc's needle, but it was oddly shaped, jagged, like lightning. Monochio reclined on a large, red couch behind the podium farthest from the doors. Once they swung open, the beckoning cat waved its 24 pupils inside with its tail, like a flag waving before a race. Perhaps that was exactly what it was.
It was a race against the clock. A race against one another. A race against the Head-cat-ster. A race against life, a race against death. A race against lies, a race against truths. It was a race against the class trial!
Trial. Start. All rise.
"Now, now, now, we've all seen this one before!" Monochio's nasally, obnoxious voice pierced the air. "Three times before, as a matter of fact! So rather than bore everyone with yet another repetitive rehash of the goals and rules of a class trial, I'm just gonna letcha get on with it! Nyahahahahaaaa!" Monochio raised a paw to its fanged-mouth, mechanical laughter echoing from its giant metal body. The only thing it gave them in the way of help was a tablet that it called a Pheline Fone, or PheFo. It could store clues, alibis, photos, and anything else useful in an investigation.
"B-but how are we supposed to start a trial without a case?" Saori whimpered meekly, unable to look up from her PheFo and meet her headcatster's beady little black eyes. They were soulless, especially the longer one looked into them.
"Oh, pooh! And you guys are Ultimates!" Monochio flicked its ears disdainfully. "Just start somewhere and go! You have to do that anyway!"
"S-sorry! Sorry!" Saori waved her hands and recoiled. "B-b-besides, my Talent… isn't very useful in this kind of situation anyway…" She sighed and hugged herself, self-conscious, no longer able to meet anyone's eyes.
"Don't worry about it!" Rika grinned, bumping her right shoulder against Saori's left. The way seats were assigned, every unit was together. Monochio sat right behind Marika. Saori was to her left, and Dalia right. If one could've seen the trial room from above and imagined it as a clock with M4 on 12, clockwise, there was Photon, Peaky, Hapiara, Lyrilily, and RONDO. "It's not Talent that matters, it's how you use it!" Rika continued. She raised a finger in the air importantly while Saori winced in embarrassment and Marika and Dalia chuckled quietly at her expense.
"Hey! I said let's get on with it!" Monochio interrupted with a snap. "Although, I suppose you do have a point. Can't really figure out whodunnit if no one dun nuthin! Now, I could be lame and just make up a scenario where Hiiro is killed in the bathroom and you guys have to determine which other student caused the struggle that was found in her room after the murder, but…"
"Why me?" Hiiro's eyes widened, and she cried out in alarm. "I wanted to solve the mystery, not be the one it's about!"
"Well, if you would've just listened the first time, missy," Monochio swished its tail and hissed at her tauntingly, "I'm not going to go with that idea! I have something a little more original, and even less complex! Perfect for a Class Trial Demo of the Killing School Transfer of Hope's Pinnacle!"
ooo
[Case Summary for context]: Nagisa is found tangled and strangled to death in a trap hanging from the ceiling in a hallway branching off the main entrance. Her body was found early morning by Ibuki, who had gone for a jog through the school. Nagisa was last seen the night before, after the 24 students had a dinner party that ended in everyone going their separate ways the rest of the evening and night.]
The lights flicked off, then, four seconds later, they flicked back on. Nagisa's podium was empty, and all that remained was a stand holding a portrait of her. There was a large, pink X stenciled across her face, made to look like two intersecting guitar necks.
"Nagisa!" Hiiro, Aoi, and Tsubaki cried out as the girl standing between Aoi and Tsubaki was suddenly gone.
"Oh, quit your yowling!" Monochio sighed and rolled its beady black eyes. "She's not actually dead! She's just observing from another room!"
Hanging above the center of the trial room were six monitors. They flicked on to reveal Nagisa in what appeared to be an empty movie theater, complete with a red-and-white, striped bucket of buttery popcorn and red-and-blue 3D glasses. She waved at them, but Monochio turned the screens back off before she could say anything.
"Now let's begin! NONSTOP DEBATE TIME!" The fourth time it asked was the last. When the screen clicked off, it flashed once, and suddenly, every student had an alibi. All the PheFos were also automatically updated with the new information and data. Naturally, accusations spread like wildfire. Soon, only one student could see any clarity through the metaphorical smoke.
Saki's silver eyes widened. Colors!
Sure enough, as the class argued with itself, Saki could see every word fly around her head like deranged subtitles. They were a silvery gray-white, literal white noise, but one phrase in particular caught Saki's eye. Unlike all the others, it was golden…
"I didn't do it!" Towa started the Nonstop Debate immediately.
"That's… not even… an argument…" Noa's eyes slid left as she shot the other girl a look so disbelieving it was almost disgusted.
"I didn't do it either!" Yuka cried before Noa could say anything else, a worried expression on her face.
"Shut it, shutter-face!" Shinobu snapped from Yuka's left.
"Yeah, you'll just look more suspicious that way," Tsubaki agreed darkly, thinking hard as her finger rested on her chin.
"Well, in way of an alibi, I was in the music room, playing piano!" Rei smiled hopefully. "Rinku and Maho can vouch for me."
"Yeah, and I went to my room after dinner to work on my drawings," Muni nodded. "So it couldn't have been me."
"I was in the kitchen… With Haruna, Aoi, and Tsubaki…" Miyu said shyly.
"Right, we were all helping clean up together," Aoi nodded, smiling. Miyu shot her a relieved, grateful smile.
"Miiko and I were off pulling pranks together, hehehe…" Kurumi and Miiko grinned wickedly at one another.
"You were what?!" Haruna shrieked, trapped between them, Miyu on the other side of Kurumi.
"Oh, calm down, Chairman." Both of them sighed and shook their heads in unison, hands on their hips.
"Who are you calling—?!"
"It's your Talent, duh, remember?"
"O-O-Oh… right…" Haruna hid her mouth behind her hand as she winced at herself.
"Well, this is getting us absolutely nowhere." Shinobu scoffed, crossing her arms, closing her eyes, and looking away. No matter what reaction she received, only Saki would've disagreed. Of all the phrases Saki saw fly around the room, why did one of Muni's turn gold?
I don't think anyone else caught it, so it's up to me to let the others know! And yet… The thought of speaking in such a loud, hostile environment was scary… But if she didn't say anything, and if she didn't say anything now, who else would? And when? Saki heard the lyrics to one of her unit's songs echoing in circles around her head the way the conversation was echoing in circles around the trial room.
Right here, right now! She played the conversation back in her head.
Right here, right now! She heard Muni's inconsistency a second time.
Right here, right now! She inhaled sharply and steeled her nerves as the clue that led to the truth finally became visible to her. No evidence.
Right here— BANG! BANG! BANG! I see the truth!
Before she even knew what she was doing, Saki lunged forward, pointing at Muni. "NO, THAT'S WRONG!"
The other 22 students were so stunned to hear Saki, of all people, being so loud that the entire room went dead quiet, except for Monochio, who was laughing in hysterical delight behind Marika.
"Oh, she said it! She said it! She really, really said it! Just like a true Danganronpa protagonist! She may not have the ahoge for it, but she's got a sweet set of Mary Sue plot-helpful powers! I wonder what other tropes she can fall into… or avoid." Monochio's fanged smile became even wider and sharper. Then Miiko suddenly piped up.
"Oh, are you referring to the horror trope of female characters being killed off, sometimes as sacrificial lambs and sometimes as moral lessons to society at large?" Of course, everyone else knew the "Final Girl" trope, but there were far more horror tropes for women than just that.
"Miiko… why, in Heaven's name, do you know about such things?!" Haruna put a hand over her heart, scandalized.
"Foreign language film for foreign language class!" Miiko shrugged cheerfully. Why the Ultimate Linguist was in a language class at all was a mystery, but Miiko seemed happy, especially when the professor asked for recommendations. Haruna just couldn't believe that any teacher would actually show a recommendation like that. Her eye twitched, but before she could say anything else, Noa interjected.
"Besides, Monochio, you better not be threatening my precious lil Saki! If you are, then, well, I'll be here to protect her to the very end!" Noa made a point to reach across Towa and Ibuki just to reach for Saki's hand. To her eternal bliss and delight, Saki actually let her.
And she thinks I'M stupid! Towa rolled her eyes, unimpressed. Ibuki, meanwhile, could only wince and wonder how much worse it had to get before she was allowed to use her leader powers and politely steer them back on track. Lucky for her (maybe), Muni beat her to it.
"Oh, enough of this already!" She stomped her foot impatiently before pointing right back at Saki. "You! What did you just say to me?"
"N-n-no evidence…" Saki hardly heard herself, partly because she could barely breathe, and because her heart was thundering in her chest. She cleared her throat and tried to look brave. "You have… no evidence!" It didn't work. "O-o-of y-your… your… your claim…"
While she backed down, shaking, Muni could only gawk. Why's she saying I'M sus?! No one else has any proof either!
That wasn't true. A couple students could already vouch for one another. Muni was just unlucky to have the first inconsistency that Saki caught. Like Monochio said, they had to start somewhere.
But where?! Muni thought in helpless frustration. I don't have an—! She couldn't admit it, even to herself, but Saki was right. Or so they thought.
To Muni's right, directly across from Marika, Rinku was thinking hard. Mentally, the wheels were turning, and she made it literal by envisioning herself on a motorcycle. So many of her classmates already owned or rode them that it was the first thing that came to mind. She imagined herself riding through the city, all the road signs with questions that slowly led her closer and closer to an answer. I got it!
Rinku excitedly turned on her PheFo and pulled up the shared file of written testimonies and alibies. In one of Rinku's, she offhandedly mentioned that after she, Rei, and Maho were done in the music room, they went to the Hapiara dorm where Muni was indeed working on sketches.
"And I swear, she didn't have those sketches any time before we came back to the dorm!" Rinku continued. "There are also so many that even she, the Ultimate Illustrator, would've needed hours to make them all! So she's not lying about being in the dorm all evening!"
While Rinku puffed out her chest with her hands on her hips, huffing out her nose with a proud expression on her face, some of the other students looked surprised and impressed while others still chuckled and clapped politely. There was a chance that Muni had the drawings from even earlier in the game, creating them solely for the purpose of being able to use them as an alibi, but just because something was a possibility didn't mean it was a likelihood. There were far more lines of inquiry they needed to go down first. And so, with that, their first nonstop debate was done!
But that was just one type of debate out of many, and Monochio had a lot more to teach its class before the demo itself was done. After all, the only thing they managed to do was prove that Muni was likely not a suspect. The mystery was far from solved. Silver met black as Monochio stared, unblinking and expressionless, into Saki's very soul. She returned the even gaze in kind.
Right here, right now, I'm ready for the next debate. Right here, right now, I'm getting the hang of this! Right here, right now, I only see the future. Right here, right now, I'm building the foundations of the truth! Right here…
The truth bullets continued to fly.
Notes:
AN: I imagine the trial room (or at least its first variation) to look like the one in DR1, and if you want to know what order everyone is standing in, just look at one of the very last shots of the last ep of D4DJ's Petite Mix.
Also, the reason Monochio has two beady black eyes here is because it is only at the end of this trial that someone is so outraged by the execution that they yeet their PheFo at it and it shatters part of its face, leading to the iconic, jagged, red Monokuma eye.
And IMO, "4 Challenges" has one more DR "reference". The line "Come on, go, reach for the stars!" could be woven into DR2's execution music when the background vocals sing, "Reach for the stars, reach so high!"
#ReachforthePeak #Hope'sPeak #Hope'sPinnacle LOL
Also, the Mental Motorcycle is the D4 version of Logic Dive/Psyche Taxi, though I think it would be cool if every unit had its own vehicle. Hapiara could have colorful cars or things like scooters, segues, and roller skates. Peaky could have skateboards or cool, dark sports cars. Photon could have a spaceship/alien ship. M4 could have surfboards. RONDO could have dark cars or motorcycles. Lyrilily could have carriages or they imagine themselves flying with dove/angel wings, LOL!
Also let me know if you want more trial scenes. I can come up with other "mini mysteries" to sort through just to keep demoing D4DR game mechanics.
Chapter 3: Kamukura, Kuma, Kawaii, Kowai, Kiko, Kurai, Kukyo
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Izuru stared down his nose at the destruction, death, and despair, red eyes critical of whatever they targeted. His long, dark hair floated in the wind, signifying his status as an ethereal entity. Faster than the blink of an eye, his hand shot up. Pinched between his thumb and forefinger was a bullet. In the same, fluid motion he flicked the bullet back the way it had come. He even faster and more accurate than a gun, but he didn't care. It didn't matter. His attacker was so skilled that she was almost immune to bullets, and so was he.
Nozomi hovered in the air behind Izuru, levitating into view. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my emo little brother." Her voice was hypnotic, enchantingly kind and soft, but it moved Izuru as much as bullets moved either of them. It was funny, they both knew what the other was or wasn't immune to, and yet, this was how they bantered.
As Gods we live, yet forced to quarrel and die as mortals we're cursed.
Izuru finally glanced over his shoulder with one, piercing red eye. Nozomi still hovered behind him, though her feet were now only inches above the building's rooftop rather than countless feet above shattered, burning pavement as she floated closer. Her hair, like his, was long and flowing. Unlike his, it was a gold so pale it was almost white, as if her hair had a natural, soft glow, because it looked even brighter than a normal white or gold. Her eyes were also a striking, brilliant cyan and she wore a dazzling, complicated uniform of the same colors. Again she contrasted with Izuru, not just in color and brightness, but style. His suit was plain and simple, one piece of material. Her uniform was layered and complex, carefully designed and decorated.
A tribute to her vanity. Creatures like us have no need for things such as arms and armor. When one was one of the only two Ultimate Ultimates to exist in the entire history of the universe, there wasn't much one had to fear. And there was no need for weapons when the two Ultimate Talented Students were the weapons. Perhaps they were even the reason why Junko's Tragedy was starting to slow down. They kept battling each other to standstill. The world was Junko's playground, but Izuru and Nozomi were the toughest kids on the block. He sided with Junko, Kuma, and Despair out of a kindred, existential boredom. Nozomi sided with Hope.
I WAS always his better half, even during conception! A tiny smirk flickered across her face. There was a reason she called him her emo little brother. Even though they were the same age physically, and Izuru was conceived as an idea first, Nozomi was the first created and given life. They had the same base powers, so the only thing that differed was knowledge and experience. Nozomi had slightly more, which meant her struggles were different than Izuru's. While he grappled with the question of whether Hope or Despair was stronger, Nozomi already knew it was Hope.
And THAT is why I am the better half, she thought. Although it was something she was proud of, there was no pridefulness in her. As far as she was concerned, it was as matter-of-fact as comparing different generations of cellphone. Izuru was powerful, yes, but Nozomi was just a little more experienced and mature. Or at least, that was how she perceived it.
Junko helped Izuru uncover his origin story, and it sounded as if the members of Project Kamukura started growing jealous and distrustful of one another. At last, the team split cleanly in half and Nozomi was conceptualized. On normal days, she was quiet, intelligent, helpful, and Hopeful. On other days, her desire to bring Hope was so intense and overwhelming that she became convinced that the universe was locked in a constant war between Kawaii and Kowai and the only way to bring about a perfect Cutopia was to purge all Ugliness from the world.
In those moments, Izuru gave her a different name: Kiko. It meant "Hope", just like "Nozomi", but Kiko Kamukura was crazier and darker, far more "kurai", than Nozomi. If he cared at all, Izuru might've insisted that he was the better half. Nozomi was a first draft, still afflicted by human emotion. Izuru was was hollow, kukyo. Talents didn't feel, and he was Talent itself. Or at least, that was how he perceived it.
Nozomi said nothing, but her eyes were knowing, and another smirk flickered across her face. True Talent is passion, is it not? All the greatest Ultimates so deeply loved something that they became the essence of the craft itself, just as Izuru and I are Talent itself. One does not become this way without feeling to drive oneself forward. Talent was the opposite of emotionless and passionless. That was why she became so passionate and emotional about Cute things.
"You're just as indecisive as me," Izuru finally said, shaking his head, hair still billowing gently in the breeze. It didn't matter how she tried to spin it, the truth of the matter was that she jumped back and forth between different halves of herself just as he did. Maybe hers weren't Hope and Despair, and maybe they weren't even Cute vs. Ugly, but Izuru could sense a struggle in Nozomi just as much as she knew there was one in him.
"It is because part of being Hopeful means that one keeps an open mind to change and a humble heart to criticism. We accept, confront, and even control change rather than insisting that everything is, and always will be, boring. It will never get better unless one takes the first step forward." She gave him a knowing, taunting smile, but he didn't respond, at least not visibly.
For just a second, Nozomi's face softened into something sincere, as if she was truly trying to be a wise older sister. "I mean it, Izuru. She… drives me mad sometimes—no, most of the time—but she's the only one that can talk me down whenever I go too far. I don't understand it myself," she admitted, "but I know it's real, and… it's… beneficial." It wasn't easy for an entity as powerful as Nozomi to so freely acknowledge that it was good that she could be kept in check, but as she just said, the nature of Hope was to be open and humble to change and criticism.
The silence felt like an eternity, Izuru still expressionless while Nozomi gave him a small, sad smile. She said nothing, but he still could've sworn that he heard her gentle voice in his head. Chiaki Nanami.
The name meant nothing to him. That was what he wanted to say. But as soon as he heard it, his hands clenched into fists and he found himself wondering why he wanted to say anything at all. Chiaki Nanami.
For once, Nozomi was the expressionless one as Izuru's hands, eyes, and body twitched, struggling to comprehend. I told you, Izuru, that is the difference between us. You chose Despair, and I Hope, and because of that, the woman I love is still alive. I've been able to protect her. Can you say the same, Kamukura?
Perhaps it seemed strange for Nozomi to refer to Izuru by his last name as if it wasn't also her own, but the way she saw it, she wasn't a Kamukura.
Whatever HE is, Nozomi thought, referring both to the boy in front of her and the first Hope's Peak headmaster, I am not. I am Photon Maiden. I am a Hanamaki. An Izumo. A Niijima. But above all else, I am a Fukushima.
Didn't he ever stop to wonder how and why "Nozomi" was chosen over "Kiko"? Perhaps it was the privilege of the Ultimates, but Noa had slightly more say and better treatment during her Talent operation than poor Hajime Hinata. Now all that remained of him was a broken husk.
He was a shell of his former self, less than a bullet casing on the roadside, but Nozomi? She floated away, content with her verbal victory. He would be along shortly for a rematch, she knew, but until then, she had work to do.
Let him sulk in his Despair. The TRUE Ultimate Ultimate Hope has friends worth living and fighting for!
Notes:
AN: Yes, Noa is D4's Izuru, except while he has no emotion, she has too much, switching between nerd mode and crazy Kawaii mode LOL!
Chapter Text
Resting a cheek on her knuckles, Esora's emerald eyes drifted lazily to her left. Beside her sat another boy with the same deadpan look.
Hajime Hinata. Esora managed a smile that wasn't entirely disingenuous. Out of everyone and everything in the classroom, he was the only thing she could say she even slightly liked. Everything else? She shivered in disgust. I hate it here! I want to go home…
It took everything she had not to let her emerald eyes drift back to the window. Beyond the bleak, small, understaffed Reserve Course classroom in which she sat, the gleaming, ivory towers of Hope's Peak proper seemed to taunt her in the lovely, sunshiny weather.
Wonder what Peaky's up to? The ex-heiress and Corporate Manager thought gloomily. She could imagine Yuka overachieving in every class, especially P.E. Whether she was going against Ibuki Niijiima, Akane Owari, Nekomaru Nidai, or all of the above, she always went for broke.
"I'm not done yet!" Esora could hear Yuka in her head, yelling at the other jocks. "MY MUSCLES WILL NEVER BETRAY ME!"
All the energy Yuka had was magnified in the opposite direction by Shinobu, who was doubtlessly skipping class to play video games. Kyoko would fall somewhere in the middle, not skipping like Shinobu, but only needing to put forth a fraction of the effort Yuka did to receive good grades. In any case, all of them were surely having far more fun than Esora!
The Reserve Course is a sham! she thought bitterly, and sadly, she was not wrong. One could not teach Talent. One could only teach about it. Reserve Course classes were little more than history and theory dressed up under the false promise that if one worked hard enough, maybe one day, all that knowledge would manifest in an actual Talent. It was just another lie used to lure more students into the painfully high tuition fees. That was why, of everyone in the Reserve Course, Esora found Hajime the most tolerable.
He's not very friendly or socially savvy, but at least he gets it. Esora smirked to herself as she thought back to their very first encounter.
"An… oct-o-gon… That's… the shape… with eight sides, right?" he muttered to himself, Esora walking past the classroom at the same time. It was the most insulting thing she ever heard, and at first, she couldn't believe that they were forcing to be in the same class as—and right beside, no less—a boy who didn't even seem to remember basic geometry.
As the days went by, however, Esora realized that Hajime could be delightfully witty and sarcastic, and he quickly became her closest confidante in the Reserve Course. She was sure they weren't the only ones to smell the BS of HP, but because they sat together, he became the one Esora liked and talked to the most. He was also, in her growing opinion, just as easy on the eyes as he was on the mind. Her eyes drifted to him once more, dry smile softening. But the remembrance that she shouldn't have been in the Reserve Course at all turned her smile back into a scowl.
It was all that awful, horrid Togami's fault! If he hadn't made so many sleazy, shady threats against Rei—and if Rei wasn't such a peace-seeking pushover—Esora wouldn't have had to intervene. The choice not to expel her wasn't an act of mercy, though. It was just another cash-grab by the Academy. Awfully convenient that the only student offered the option of transferring was one of the wealthiest…
As soon as the bell rang to end class, a change washed over Esora. "Hey, Hajime…" Butterflies gently flapped their wings in her stomach.
"Hi, Esora," he smiled back at her and Esora's heart thumped once in triumph. The end of the day sometimes brought a softer side out of him too, but it was still a rare day to actually see him smile.
"Did you want to go out with Rei, Yuka, Sato, Mahiru, Mikan, Hiyoko, Ibuki, and I?" She didn't need to specify that she meant Ibuki Mioda. Niijima wasn't around the Reserve Course as often because she was always so busy in the main building. She also didn't skip class like Mioda.
Esora and Hajime might've felt isolated as Reserve Course students, especially as some of the more disillusioned ones, but somehow, they managed to cobble together quite the ragtag team of oddball-friends anyway, and somehow, they made it work.
ooo
"—and her photos were so… super cool!" Yuka gushed, trying to speak in both Japanese and English to fully convey how impressive Mahiru's latest set of photos was. They were more impressive than Yuka's broken English. Mahiru, meanwhile, was almost as red as her hair.
"Awww, shucks, it's nothing!" She chuckled and scratched her freckled cheek.
"You took all of these today? My, my!" Rei clapped politely, eyes wide. "I must confess, I feel a little intimidated now. I don't know if my Talent can measure up to the rest of yours!"
"Now, now, Rei, you mustn't compare yourself to your upperclassmen," Esora advised with a small smile. Only a year separated Rei from the rest of them, but it added up. A year was a long time to hone one's Talent, and Rei was the only first-year of the group.
"Yep, yep, no worries about that!" Ibuki Mioda nodded sagely, grinning as she crossed her arms with a smug expression. Don't worry, Rei, I promise we're a chill squad. We'll getcha all warmed up to us in no time! "BTW, can you play keytar?" she asked.
"Oh, don't be such a dumbass, Ibuki!" Hiyoko interrupted with a sneer. "As if someone like Rei would even be caught dead playing for someone like you!" She pulled a fan from the baggy gold sleeve of her kimono and flicked it open haughtily. Beside her, Yuka chuckled nervously.
Yuka was close to Hiyoko through Mahiru, but even though they were similar enough that it was a running joke for them to call Yuka Mahiru's long lost sister (even down to affectionately knowing her as Moeka Koizumi at times), Hiyoko treated Yuka no differently than anyone else, which was to say that she treated Yuka with contempt and disgust.
Sitting on Mahiru's other side was Sato, a Reserve Course. Even though she engaged in polite and friendly conversation, especially with Mahiru, she shot a death-glare at Hiyoko. The only reason she tolerated Yuka was because at least Yuka was kind, though it was clear to anyone that knew Sato well, she would've preferred if neither Hiyoko nor Yuka existed.
"I would not mind playing for everyone!" Rei promised sweetly. "I am sure my repertoire has something in it for everyone!"
Oh, Rei, you're just too innocent and kind! A tiny smile tugged at Esora's lips, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Hajime smiling as well. By contrast, Hiyoko harumphed. She wasn't going to be satisfied unless her musician associate was just as selective about who she performed for as Hiyoko was. But Hiyoko seemed alone in that sentiment.
"Th-that's… v-v-very kind of you!" Mikan offered helpfully, chuckling weakly as she touched the tips of her fingers together and smiled.
"Oh, shut up, you overly idealistic dumbass!" Hiyoko snapped, fanning herself furiously as if she was worried that the stupidity of the others was an airborne pathogen. "She's only saying that to make herself look good!"
"Huh?" Rei reared back in alarm while Esora barely bit back a smirk. Mikan, of course, apologized desperately.
"EEEE!" Her arms rose around her face as if to shield her from an oncoming punch. "I'm sorrryyy! Sorrysorrysorry!"
Esora caught Rei's eye, still smiling darkly. Welcome to Hope's Peak. Hope you haven't peaked already.
Rei shook her head, shooting the others a nervous but determined smile. Esora shared a private look with Hajime whose smile was dry and unreadable. No, the Reserve Course was nobody's first choice, but at least the friend groups were interesting!
Notes:
AN: Lowkey I ship Esora/Hajime now… Might write another one-shot for them in the future if anyone's interested!
Chapter Text
"Didja get them?" Kurumi demanded, bouncing up and down, tiny hands clenched into even tinier fists as she stared up at Kokichi with fierce, narrowed eyes. By contrast, Kokichi's were closed, and there was a casual, amicable smile on his face as he sauntered over to her.
"I don't know," he said, shrugging innocently. "It depends on whether or not you trust what's in this box!" He reached behind himself slowly, then he whipped out a wrapped container of Christmas cookies. Kurumi's narrow eyes widened.
"Then that means… we did it! 'Kichi, we did it!" Her tiny fists shot up. Obviously, as any little girl, she loved cookies, but for her in particular, even sweeter than the treats were the tricks. Kokichi may have been the one to actively swipe the box from the family kitchens, but Kurumi helped design the plan he executed. That, in fact, was the true goal of the holiday heist. It wasn't just the extra Christmas gift, it was testing Kurumi's cleverness and cunning. Could she live up to her big brother's legacy of lies?
The Prince of Pranks and Thieves jokingly bowed as he presented Kurumi with the box. She took it from him, brown eyes glittering.
"Shall we open it together?" Her voice was soft and sweet. She set the box on the ground between them and sat down, gesturing for him to take the other side and lean over it just as far as she was.
Clever girl, Kokichi grinned. Although, he thought, as toy snakes lunged at his and Kurumi's face, it WAS a rather elementary trick…
The grin on his face stayed pleasant, light, and amused, and he fought hard to keep it that way. "Not bad, kiddo," he said, picking up a cookie, cracking it in half, and giving her one as he bit into the other. Kurumi beamed, chomping into the cookie. A second later, it came back up and Kokichi nearly did the same, but while Kurumi was disgusted, he was in hysterics.
"Oatmeal raisin?!"
…but there was a REASON it was elementary! Oh, sis, I love how hard you try, but you're still a long way from the Princess of Pranks!
ooo
"LIES! THAT'S ALL IT IS! LIES AND SCANDAL! You know how the tabloids are!"
"But even if the stories are lies, the tests…"
"Were tampered with, I'm telling you!"
Complete opposites to their parents, Kurumi and Kokichi sat in different rooms, dead silent, and on different pages. Their parents were fighting, but at least they could agree that they were enemies. Much more despairfully, only one of the two children saw the other as "an enemy".
Oh, 'Kichi… Kurumi sat on her bed, arms wrapped around her legs. She pulled them even tighter against her chest. That was how she knew it was bad. The only time she ever called him "'Kichi" was as a very young child, when his full name was too hard for her to say. She was older than that now, though, much older, in middle school! No longer a toddler, and yet…
She couldn't bring herself to admit it, even to herself, but she certainly felt like one. The only difference, she had even less of a family than ever before. At birth, her brother was distant, and her parents tumultuous, but it was never this bad before—not just the fighting, but the distance between Kurumi and Kokichi.
It's… like… something… out of one of those stupid movies I'm always hearing Mom complain about, or Kokichi laugh at! Kurumi thought bitterly, biting her lip in a failed at stifling her sobs. They still ripped free. All she was doing was leaving painful bitemarks around her lips, but half of her mind didn't care, and the other half considered the pain well-deserved.
Even though it was beyond her control, that didn't make the cliché, tragic tale of infidelity any less intolerable. In the days to come, as the family slowly fell apart from pressures inside and out, Kurumi would never forget the haunted look that came across Kokichi's face during dinner one night. He gave an unhinged, unsettling laugh.
"Guess they were right about calling me a bastard. Guess you were right about calling me a son of a bitch." His eyes darted hatefully between his parents. Kurumi didn't remember anything else, because as soon as she heard Kokichi curse, she knew it was over. She fled from the table, knocking over her chair in a blind panic to escape before the screaming began. She covered her ears, but she could still hear the dull roar, the scraping chairs, and the slamming silverware.
ooo
"Devil! Devil child!" One of the nuns howled, chasing Kurumi with a ruler. But because of her aging joints, combined with the near-heart attack she suffered because of Kurumi's latest mischief, she was unable to move much faster than a walking pace. Kurumi, meanwhile, breezed by, reveling in the breeze blowing through her billowing white locks as she glided through Arisugawa's hallowed halls.
Serves that crazy old bat right! The young delinquent thought with a nasty smile. She'd come to class only to find every wall covered in a pentagram, Satanic cross, or 666. And of course, Kurumi made sure to use red ink only. But that was only a surface-level blow. The real kicker was what Kurumi did to the nun's lesson plans, turning them all into origami creatures to scattered not just around the classroom, but that entire hall of the academy! And what was the crime committed for which Kurumi felt so affronted that she sought vigilante justice?
Detention. For another prank committed the day before. Some of the… lab specimens managed to find their way into other classrooms, giving many a student and teacher quite the fright when they stumbled upon the dead rodent or amphibian. Somehow, the little "devil child" was never caught in the act, but perhaps that was all the more evidence pointing to her unholy wiles. It was a never-ending stream of pranks from the transfer student. If she was in a good mood, it was good fun. If she was in a bad mood, it was punishment.
No matter what, Kurumi always had an excuse, and today's was the latter. In "just" revenge for what she perceived as an unjust punishment over what was harmless fun (the lab specimens were already dead anyway, so it wasn't as if she was harming them), this nun was going to get a taste of what an immoral and harmful prank really looked like. After all, what was more immoral to a nun than anything Satanic, and what was more harmful to a teacher than losing their lesson plans the day of class? Even if Kurumi was caught and brought to justice every single time, it didn't matter how many times she prayed or repented, they were never truth.
ooo
"You're… really weird." Kurumi didn't know what else to say to the other girl other than that. She looked Miiko Takeshita up and down with a critical, skeptical eye, scoffing under her breath.
Just who does this munchkin think she is? Never mind that Kurumi was only slightly taller. Acting all wide-eyed and lovey-dovey like this!
It suddenly occurred to Kurumi just how close Miiko was getting. Which were wider, her eyes or her smile? And why wasn't she, for lack of a better term, afraid of Kurumi? Most people didn't like getting too close to the "devil child". Little did Kurumi know, that was exactly why Miiko wanted to be so close to her. Fate or luck, the universe sent Kurumi the one Catholic girl who didn't fear the Devil.
Miiko, meanwhile, seemed not to understand the concept of personal space.
Despite being well past the age when such lessons would be learned! Kurumi thought haughtily.
They way she defined it, she only pretended to be stupid if it served her. Miiko, meanwhile, seemed actually stupid. Dumb as a box of rocks… A lightbulb clicked on in Kurumi's brain. A pawn for a chess master.
So, yes, at first, she was leading with her head, but all it took was one single truth to knock her off course and get her to start leading with her heart. Then again, it was perhaps the first truth in her life, at least that she could believe with any sort of certainty, and that was groundbreaking.
"I love you, Kurumi!" Miiko declared, beaming, just as peppy as ever. They strolled through the academy garden, hands and fingers intertwined, Miiko swinging them up and down. For once, the beast was tamed, spending the afternoon in a rose garden with Beauty rather than rampaging in the castle. Those four words were enough to shoot Kurumi right through the heart.
Wh-what…? In her mind's eye, the word "love" was a bullet, stronger even than Cupid's arrow. It flew right through Kurumi's heart, and all she could do was clutch at the gaping aftermath. At the same time, her brain jumped to the only other person she might've considered someone that she loved. This person abandoned her the day she was sent to Arisugawa, ceasing all contact from then on. Kokichi…
For the longest time, I believed that he loved me. I know he was a liar and a prankster, but we grew up together! He taught me everything I knew! But then, when even that wasn't enough for him anymore, it didn't take him long to move onto the next big thing. Kurumi, meanwhile, was left to rot—err, rehabilitate—in the academy.
After hearing Miiko, though, everything was thrown into question and doubt. Did Kokichi ever truly love Kurumi, and if so, why? And was Arisugawa really that bad if people like Miiko were there? The way she said "love" was different to Kurumi than anyone else. Miiko wasn't just around because she was family, she was family because she was around, which was more than Kokichi or her parents could say…
ooo
"H-huh…?" Kokichi backed up slowly, eyes wide. He trembled with quiet laughter, unhinged smile still on his face.
I swear, has he stopped with that stupid, clownish grin at all in all the time he's been here? One of Kurumi's hands was on her hips while the other held Miiko's hand. She stood protectively in front of the other girl, as well as two others.
"I'm not alone anymore, Kokichi, I've got a family now." There was no emotion in Kurumi's voice or on her face as she spoke and Kokichi felt a chill. His eye twitched, and he did indeed want to laugh like a madman.
Incredible, isn't it? How much can change in such a short timeframe! While Kurumi was shipped off to Arisugawa to be reformed, Kokichi took to the streets and ran wild, learning as he went, building his own friend group along the way: DICE. While Kurumi's little friend-squad only had four girls total, Kokichi's was double the number and all boys, other street orphans and urchins and rats. It wasn't the most elegant way to get two kids out of a toxic home, but as mastermind-minded as Kokichi was, he was still just a child, and he could do only so much.
Now, though, with DICE at his back and beneath his feet, perhaps it was time for the Princess of Pranks to retake her throne beside his.
"You considering yourself a Dark Knight, don't you, Oma?" Kurumi sneered. "But that's not me, remember? This is the name you gave me. This is the person you made of me!" She gestured to herself. Although the nuns were the ones who tried to reform her, it was her own family that sent her away in the first place. Lies and pranks were their bread and butter, yes, but loyalty and teamwork had to have its place too! Not abandonment…
"I never thought I'd say this, but…" Kurumi smirked grimly. "I am the white bird, I am Shiratori." The bishop to his black horse.
Kurumi and Kokichi were only two pieces of the entire chessboard, though. While Kokichi could only gawk, paralyzed in shock and even a little bit of fear, Kurumi was more than happy to explain.
Miiko started off as my pawn, just a lackey to keep me entertained while I was lonely, but… she cared for me. She really, really cared for me. Now, if I was the king, then she would be the queen. Or I would be the queen and she would be the king. Haruna, though, was more of a queen. Kurumi smiled ruefully. The last person I thought I would have in my family, yet here she is, the Disciplinarian Chairman!
There was a lot of snooping—ah, detective—power one had if they were friends with a teacher's pet. That also applied to Miyu.
A bishop in spirit, a queen in action. She was able to get her way even better than Haruna, and with even less explanation.
Together, the four of them lured Kokichi into being caught blackmailing Haruna into access to Kurumi's school files.
"You might've put on a Good Big Brother mask for every other nun and student at this academy, but not anymore!" Kurumi gestured to the hidden cameras lining every side of the room, so as to catch Kokichi's crime in the act, indisputably.
H-how…?
"I've grown up, Kokichi." Kurumi crossed her arms, confident enough that his threat was over that she no longer needed to hold Miiko's hand, though she continued to stand protectively in front of her and the other two. "I've become a bit of a chess master in my own right while you were gone, and I've learned and done things you would've never expected or imagined!" Her smirk turned into a genuine, tender, and fond smile. The she remembered who she was talking to, and her face and voice grew severe again. "But what have you done?" Kokichi still only stood there, barely stifling uncontrollable laughter. Kurumi didn't think it was funny. At all.
ooo
"Congratulations, Arisugawa, you've really outdone yourself this time!" Kokichi clapped sarcastically up at the ivory towers and iron gates. "You managed to be even more overbearing about reputation than Hope's Peak, or dear old Mum and Pop!" He scoffed venomously, crossing his arms, closing his eyes, and shaking his head as if lecturing the Catholic school.
"But." A tiny smirk spread across his face. "You did teach me one valuable lesson, and that is that my dear, sweet, little, baby sister just might be readier to be the Princess of Pranks than either of us realize. Of course, of course! It's all so clear to me now! How didn't I see it sooner?" He slapped his forehead and giggled to himself. "The three girls she was with were also Ultimates!"
Even though none of their Talents had been confirmed, and wouldn't until a Hope's Peak scout came for them just as one came for Kokichi, that didn't mean that the Talent itself only came into existence after acceptance into Hope's Peak.
I've been hoping for a long time that she would be an Ultimate too. I don't know if any of my training contributed, at least in developing her Talent, but after what she was able to do to me today, it's not just Talent that carries her. Passion and practice are there too.
He was satisfied. It wouldn't be long before they saw one another again. Either it would be at Hope's Peak, or sooner. He smirked again as he last departed from the iron gates, patting his pocket, containing his sole souvenir from the holy grounds: a chess piece, the rook.
"Shiroma," Kurumi had said, placing the white rook in his hand. "It means "between the castles"…" She looked meaningfully at him and he smiled and nodded. She learned well, finding a way to play to their love of chess, fake names, fake stories, and fake relationships.
"I love you, Kurumi," Kokichi said, closer to DICE territory than Arisugawa by then. "I've loved you ever since the first time you looked up at me when you were still just a baby and I knew in that moment that you were just as sharp and cunning as me."
It was something he told Kurumi in private, the first time he tried to convince her to run away from Arisugawa and join DICE. Back then, though, she was disgusted. The realization that her brother had not loved her because she was his sister, rather, because he saw a resemble to himself in her was a hard pill to swallow, but it was marginally easier now that she had people in her life who did love her for her.
Oh, sis, I love how hard you try, but you're still a long way from the Princess of Pranks! Kokichi shook his head and cackled as he at last reached his little lair in one of DICE's largest outposts. The reason I realized I loved you the first time I realized you were capable of lying was because it suddenly occurred to me that you were the one person in my entire life that I DIDN'T want lying to me.
So I'm glad to have seen the truth, 'Rumi. You've converted into the perfect Christian girl. You look like an angel, and you know exactly how to act like one too, but there's still just a touch of devilish mischief in you!
Oh, he absolutely could not wait to see her again, and for once, Kokichi wasn't telling a lie.
Notes:
AN: I just envisioned Kurumi and Kokichi as siblings of a rich, powerful family only to be torn apart after a vengeful, bitter Kokichi intentionally digs up and manipulates old family secrets to get them both out of the family. During that time, Kokichi takes to the streets and builds DICE while Kurumi is sent to Arisugawa and slowly drawn into LL.
Then, when Kokichi tries to come back for Kurumi, she chooses LL over him and outsmarts him, getting him permanently banned from the academy. (Even if he can sneak back in, it's a symbolic gesture).
But if Kurumi is the Ult. Prankster, Kokichi is the Ult. Liar, because I also like the idea that, all along, Kokichi manipulated everything to give Kurumi the better outcome.
For example, with the infidelity case, rumors start that either Kurumi or Kokichi is illegitimate and then it's discovered that they both are (or did Kokichi just manipulate those results?)
Also there's apparently 3 female members of DICE. It's Kurumi, Miiko, and Miyu, just saying, LOL!
Chapter 6: Class Trial Demo 2 of the Killing School Transfer
Chapter Text
[Taken from Chapter/Trial 3, there were almost two deaths, Aoi Miyake and Ibuki Niijima. Aoi managed to survive, but only just barely, and is unconscious, unable to participate in the class trial. Ibuki, meanwhile, is dead, charred corpse found beside the electric fence surrounding Hope's Pinnacle. This is the Debate Scrum to determine whether or not to talk about Aoi's case, and then what clue could be contained within it.]
"Can we… talk about Aoi now… please?" Tsubaki's voice, which was quiet and small, suddenly seemed loud in the deafening silence.
"Tsubaki?" Rika looked at her, eyes wide and concerned. "But… Aoi is still alive, isn't she? What good would talking about her be?"
"Seriously, Rika?" Saori slapped her forehead and glanced apologetically at Tsubaki.
"No, Rika has a point," Noa said. "Unless we can say for sure that Aoi's attacker and Ibuki's killer are one in the same, talking about Aoi won't really help. I mean, I'm still willing to, of course! I want to know what happened too, but we can't automatically assume that the two incidents are related. After all, a lot of us got knocked around and beaten up last night, so maybe whoever Aoi ran into was just… a little further down the rabbit hole." She smiled grimly as she touched the bruise on her face and a cut on her arm. She was far from the only one with such injuries.
"But we won't know that unless we talk about Aoi," Hiiro said softly, delicately.
"No!" Tsubaki interrupted, startling all of them. "Regardless of relevance to the case, I want to know what happened!" She slammed her fist on the railing of her podium. The students' heads were like metronomes moving back and forth as the debate continued.
"All right, all right. Enough already." Monochio's face and voice were monotone. "Order in the court. Order in the court. If you all want to be so split about it, let us at least be civil and engage in a proper Debate Scrum."
"Oh, not this again!" Esora sighed as the large, tile DJ disc in the center of their circle of podiums started to spin. Saori clutched at the railing of her podium, looking ill the second the ground started moving. As the large, tile DJ disc rotated, every podium was pushed out into two, opposing lines. Then, the disc spun in reverse, pulling the two lines back together so that they were face to face.
"Regardless of what anyone else says, I want to talk about Aoi!" Tsubaki insisted passionately, arms crossed.
"Forgive me for questioning you, for I empathize with your motive, but… is Aoi even relevant to the case?" Rei asked, hand on her chin.
"As Tsubaki said, I believe that relevance should be irrelevant. Aoi is our friend no matter what!" Miyu cried passionately.
"But friendships don't matter in class trials!" Muni argued. "What we need is evidence!"
"If you want evidence, what of Aoi's wounds?" Hiiro asked. "I cannot deny…" she looked away, "I wish to find out what happened to Aoi too…"
"But can the wounds even be evidence?" Yuka asked. "We can't know which, if any, came from more than one assailant!"
"Well, the only way to know for sure is to discuss it!" Dalia insisted.
"If we discuss it, and it only leads to another dead end, that puts a huge time-crunch on us," Maho winced.
"The time-crunch will be there regardless of what path we take," Saori replied grimly. "At least this way, we have a line of inquiry."
"A line of inquiry?" Esora asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "What concrete clue are you looking at?"
"Not a concrete clue!" Marika cried excitedly, suddenly understanding. "It's the question of where we found Aoi!"
"Where, huh?" Rika closed an eye and tapped her chin. "But, we found her in the forest! Just like everyone else! How does that help us?"
"It's a part of the forest farther away from where most of the fighting took place," Noa interjected, slowly changing her stance as a look of understanding washed over her.
"But farther away or not, couldn't she just have been moved?" Towa tilted her head, confused.
"If she'd been moved, there would've been marks!" Rinku cried excitedly, also starting to understand.
"The fact that there were no marks means whoever attacked Aoi did it in the isolated location we found her, but is it possible to determine a culprit from just that? We could've all pretended to be unfamiliar with that part of the forest." Kyoko held her in as she thought.
"Of course it's possible," Shinobu grinned. Like Noa, she used to be on the fence about discussing Aoi, not wishing to waste time, but also not wishing to overlook something of potential importance to the class trial. Now, they had their clue. "We have a lot of alibis already, and that part of the forest was far away from most of the action, so… process of elimination."
Unintentionally, hope was restored to the group as a new path forward opened up to the surviving students. The only one capable of such a heinous crime had to be someone no one else remembered seeing, and it had to be someone who came into contact with Aoi that night, obviously. Taking into account the location in the forest where Aoi was discovered, there were only three students who would've had the time required to get there and back after subduing a classmate. Hiiro, Noa, and Maho.
AN: This Debate Scrum is slightly different than the canon game in that the entire sequence of clues/discussions is connected while, in V3, it's clue/phrase/line by clue/phrase/line. I just wanted to give myself an extra challenge and try something slightly new.
Also, in this Chapter/Trial, Monochio has its "Flat Affect Junko" personality. As the name entails, that means it speaks in complete deadpan and has 0 facial expression. It's a sharp contrast to the First Chapter/Trial when it was basically Cat!Monokuma.
ooo
[Taken from Chapter/Trial 4, Aoi IS the victim this time and Shinobu suspects Dalia, but first, she has to push through Dalia's attempts at evasion and prove Hiiro and/or Yuka innocent in a Mass Panic Debate so they can focus in on Dalia].
"Ohhhh, but Saori is right, isn't she?" Marika tapped her chin. "Only someone of great height or strength could've been able to carry Aoi's body all the way up to the rooftop and then hurry back down before being caught, whether by one of us, or the rampaging Izanami!"
So, who were the tallest survivors with no alibis? Panicked, three voices cried out at once.
"N-no, wait! I promise it wasn't me!" Yuka cried, waving her hands desperately.
"So, I suppose I am a suspect now?" Dalia sighed and shook her head, left hand holding her right elbow as her right hand held her face.
"You can't honestly think I killed Aoi, can you?" Hiiro asked dejectedly, managing a weak scoff.
"I got into a scuffle with Izanami!"
"I was trying to protect everyone!"
"I admit, my… claustrophobia… flared up again…"
"She threw me into several students, and a couple of the VR lab's monitors!"
"I don't remember seeing or hearing Aoi during that time."
"I do remember hearing Aoi, but…"
"I definitely couldn't have carried Aoi anywhere on my own after that."
"I think I must've been out of the VR lab by the time she emerged from the Simulation."
"She ran right past me, crying out for Tsubaki…"
Of course, everyone paid close attention to all three debaters, but the first student to reply decided to fire off a little white lie, perjury…
Consider it… a cheat code! "I agree with that!" Shinobu pointed at Hiiro.
"Huh?" Hiiro blinked in surprise.
"I saw you curled up on the floor near the VR!"
"Huh?" Hiiro was still confused, and this time, so was everyone else. By the time Hiiro was curled up on the floor, it was already pitch-black in the VR lab and the battle with the angry Undead Goddess was underway!
"Yuka can confirm this," Shinobu insisted, looking determinedly at the girl on her right.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Yuka chuckled nervously, shrugging, palms up.
"While everyone else was headed into the VR world, I wanted to watch it from a different perspective, so to speak. Kyoko came with me so that we could act as one another's witnesses—"
"If I recall correctly, you invited me," Kyoko teased. Shinobu made a funny face while Esora and Yuka looked at one another, grinning like idiots.
"—and Yuka saw us as we were leaving," Shinobu managed to continue as though nothing had happened, even though more than just her unit was smirking now. Lucky Shinobu, Yuka unwittingly came to her aid.
"Oh! You're right! I do remember that!" she cried.
"So at first, we stayed put when the blackout occurred," Shinobu said. "I'm assuming it was Monochio's attempt at sabotaging us so we wouldn't actually be successful resurrecting anyone." The Ultimate FPS Gamer shot the feline freak a look that could've killed faster than any bullet.
"Waahhh! What a big, fat, meanie-head you are!" Monyochio wailed, raising its paws to its eyes as it "wept". Shinobu's deadpan expression did not change. "First, you accuse me of lying and cheating when I didn't! Then, you didn't even have the common courtesy to call me Monyochio! You're nyo fun, Shinyobu, nyun at all!" The adult-child/kitten whined. Was it trying to make each personality more insufferable than the last?
"Unless you can prove that, I don't think anyone will just take your word for it," Shinobu said grimly, arms crossed. Monochio, she added with an internal smirk.
"Oh, are you inviting me to join the class trial? Sounds like lots of funsies!" Again, Monyochio raised its paws to its eyes, but this time, it separated its toe beans such that two were above its eyes and two were below. As Monyochio called it, this was the Kawaii Kitty Paw-er Pose.
"No," Shinobu snapped, but her stern gaze was no longer on the headcatster. "Don't tell me you all forgot the Mass Panic Debate so soon? We can confirm Yuka's alibi because she was so injured during her fight with Izanami that there's no way she's the one that carried Aoi all the way up to the rooftop in such a short timeframe. And like I said, I did see Hiiro. Just as Kyoko and I reached front of the VR chairs, where the rest of you were, some of the helmets briefly flickered back on and I saw pale purple hair."
"R-right!" Kyoko nodded when she caught Shinobu staring intently at her. "That is, I remember some of the headset lights coming back on." But they were too dim for me to see anything, let alone the floor, let alone pale purple hair, so what is Shinobu doing? Did the Ultimate FPS Gamer somehow have IRL night vision?
No, Shinobu would've said something about it by now, at least to Peaky, Kyoko thought. But even if she couldn't see what Shinobu saw, she heard the conviction in Shinobu's voice and decided to trust her.
While Kyoko watched Shinobu, Shinobu watched the only one of the three involved in the Mass Panic Debate without a clear, supported alibi.
AN: If Shinobu chose the Truth Bullet, they would've eliminated Yuka as a suspect because of her injuries first and been able to segue right into her asking why Dalia didn't back her up on that when Dalia was the reason Yuka got yeeted in the first place (Dalia was the one Yuka was trying to protect).
Because Shinobu chose the Perjury Bullet, there is a Debate Scrum in the next chapter where the characters interrogate her about what she and Kyoko were doing behind the scenes alone together for so long, and all right before a blackout that even rendered Monochio incapacitated for days (unlike all other Trials, this one did not occur immediately after the murder).
Also, because Monochio is in its "Juwunko" phase, that's why it insists on being called Monyochio (no one complies, so it's another "Who are you calling Chairman?!" joke), and does the Kawaii Kitty Paw-er Pose, which is just the Photon Maiden pose and, in turn, is a reference to Junko's personality with the sprite that has her holding a hand over her face in the shape of an L.
Chapter Text
"Oh, no…" Chihiro moaned in despair, biting his lip as he stared up at the tall, intimidating steel doors of Hope's Peak's locker rooms. In the past, he would use his Programmer Talent to mess with the locks on the door, or create devices that could mess with the locks on the door, so that he was able to access the female locker room without arousing any sort of suspicion. Unfortunately, tonight, for some reason, none of the usual tricks were working, and no matter how hard Chihiro tried, the door to the female locker room stayed shut.
His shoulders slumped. "I guess I could just… wear my gym outfit back to my dorm." It was late enough that, probably, no one else would run into him in the academy halls. Even the athletes like Yuka, Ibuki, Dalia, Sakura, Nekomaru, and Tenko were long gone by then, and this was all by design. This had been Chihiro's workout routine for as long as he'd been a student at Hope's Peak Academy. No one could ever know the truth. They couldn't know that "she" was actually a boy, because his life would be over! They'd bully him into oblivion! Calling him masculine was like calling fire cold. No, Chihiro was much more suited to a gentle, feminine life, that just made exercise a little bit harder…
No, wait! If I leave now, I'll have to make CERTAIN I come back here tomorrow before anyone else so I can get my clothes… Surely, there would be questions as to why Chihiro left her dress in the locker room, implying she went home wearing her gym outfit. Unless I could say that I was just so tired that I forgot? Or that I did it on purpose and said I'd get my dress in the morning?
Doubtless, Chihiro could pull it off, because of how implicitly everyone trusted him, but Chihiro didn't like lying! And yet…
The poor thing was so focused on spinning a believable, comfortable lie that he didn't hear the other student until it was too late.
Huh? One of the first years? What are they doing here so late? Aoi had a gym bag slung over her shoulder, but it wasn't hers, rather, she was dropping it off for someone. That way, its owner could just go to the locker rooms immediately the next morning and her gym clothes would already be there waiting for her. And since Aoi was leaving them overnight, it wasn't like it was going to get in anyone's way. Or at least, that was the plan. And yet, as Aoi approached the locker rooms, she caught sight of another student staring up at the doors, unmoving.
Who is it? And what are they even doing? She crept closer and called out. "Hello?"
Chihiro shrieked, jumped, whipped around, and slammed his back against the locker room door.
"Oh, hey, woah, woah, woah!" Aoi raised her hands. "Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! I promise, I'm a friend." She gave Chihiro a sheepish smile, but inwardly, she was chiding herself for being so thoughtless.
"O-o-oh, no, it's fine," Chihiro fought hard to keep his voice light, high, soft, pleasant, feminine, and utterly unbothered and unflappable.
"Were you… trying to get it?" Aoi's gaze turned towards the locker room doors.
"Oh! Uhhh, yes! But, uhhh… For some reason…" He was sweating bullets, heart louder and faster than a machinegun.
"Don't worry about it," Aoi chuckled, pulling out her e-handbook and pressing it against the identification lock on the female locker room door. While Aoi smiled kindly, holding the door open for Chihiro, he could only gawk. At first, Aoi thought it was kind of cute and flattering, but the longer it went on, the more awkward and uncomfortable she became. Celebrity though she was, Aoi wasn't a fan of being idolized.
What she didn't know, though, was that Chihiro wasn't staring up at her with such awe because of her generosity. W-wait… She's a woman?
ooo
Aoi laughed disarmingly, waving Chihiro off again. "Don't worry about it," she insisted, leaning against one of the lockers as Chihiro awkwardly shuffled over to his dress. "I have yet to meet anyone whose been able to identify my gender correctly the first time." She shook her head and chuckled again. "Even Tsubaki thought I was a boy the first time I approached her."
Aoi flashed back to a couple years prior, when she heard the Ultimate Vocalist singing in the empty academy chapel. It was love at first sound, at least for the Ultimate Jam-Maker, but at first, Tsubaki was sure Aoi was just another annoying high school boy looking to get with a pretty girl with a pretty voice. Suffice to say, she was not interested in the slightest, at least until Aoi politely, gently corrected her.
While Aoi, calmly, casually talked about her gender, Chihiro was staring again. Just who was this woman? Of course, he didn't mean that literally, for their conversation had at last helped him put a name to a face. She was Aoi Miyake, third-year, renowned for her DJing jam and her fruit jam. She was in Tsubaki's class, which was part of how and why they met. Chihiro, meanwhile, was a lowly first-year.
"S-so… it doesn't bother you when people misgender you? Like, you don't ever feel like your femininity is… I don't know, somehow in conflict with other parts of yourself?" Chihiro asked, voice small. It was an intrusive question, he knew, and his eyes were glued to the floor as his face burned in shame, but once again, Aoi was casual with her reply.
"Like I said, I'm used to it. I mean, yeah, at first, it was a little awkward and embarrassing, but, to answer your second question, no, it doesn't make me any less secure in my femininity." Not anymore.
Not too dissimilar from Chihiro, Aoi used to identify, dress, act, and speak like one gender (the one she was assigned at birth). As the years passed, however, outside influences made her question herself. People seemed to prefer her as a man, a bishōnen. With little desire to fulfill her own, she took the feedback offered to her and began dressing in masculine and androgynous style.
It was not entirely a peer-pressure decision, however, as Aoi had come to naturally enjoy other forms of dress, and as she told Chihiro, whether she was in a dress or a suit, she was still a woman and still felt like a woman.
"Now, I think I might be genderfluid, because sometimes the "woman feeling", for lack of a better term, waxes and wanes. Sometimes I've felt more like someone in the middle, or without gender at all. I don't think I've ever "felt like a man", but the thought doesn't repulse me either." In short, Aoi was comfortable with any gender or pronoun.
"It wasn't always an easy conclusion to come to," she admitted with a rueful smile. "I had a lot of untangle, trying to decide how much of it was genuine self-expression and exploration, and how much was what others wanted of me, but now, I think I have it." The answer didn't come to her in a dream, or an epiphany, or even some emotionally-charged moment where she caught herself walking by a mirror only to realize that "woman" was not the only thing she was. Instead, it came slowly, with time, but what really facilitated it was RONDO. They were her true origin story. They helped engender gender exploration for Aoi, and as she made sure Chihiro knew, she appreciated it more than words could say.
"My bandmates, my friends," my… family, "helped me more than words could ever express." She shook her head, voice soft and reverent. "They encouraged me to explore myself, and they never once invalidated my feelings. If anything, they had to keep me from invalidated my feelings." Aoi chuckled. As she'd said before, gender was confusing sometimes, so she would question and doubt herself often, but RONDO never did. Even when she couldn't believe in herself, they believed in her. They kept her moving forward, and now here she stood today.
"Wow!" Chihiro's eyes were wide and admiring. Aoi had given him a lot to think about, not just about gender or presentation, but about power of supportive friends. When Aoi had no clue what her gender was, even though they didn't know either, they waited by her side the entire time as she slowly figured it out, day by day. Even now, there were still ups and downs, and just like always, RONDO was there. Did Chihiro have anyone like that? Well, he didn't have a band, and by nature of his deception, the foundation of all of his relationships was a lie.
The thought sank into Chihiro's stomach like a stone. Fear overwhelmed him and slowly started curling up into himself, but when his miserable eyes again darted to Aoi's face, something changed within him. She just looked so relaxed, standing there, back against the lockers with her eyes closed, an almost dreamy expression on her face. She looked… happy. Was this what truth could really do?
Truth will set you free. The famous quote echoed around Chihiro's mind and even though he started twisting his dress around his hands in a nervous tic that made it resemble cloth cuffs more than a dress, he finally found the strength to speak. It was time to engender gender for him too.
"Aoi, I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Aoi's eyes opened in confusion.
"I… lied to you." Chihiro looked down shamefully as he let the dress fall to the floor.
ooo
"Oh, Aoi, thank you! Thank you so much!" It was all Chihiro could do not to sob into her arms as she patted his head reassuringly. At first, she recoiled in surprise when Chihiro admitted having been male, but exactly as he hoped, if there was anyone in all of Hope's Peak who could understand, it was the girl with almost the same exact problem as him, just in the opposite direction, as it were.
Aoi at last wrapped an awkward arm around the sniffling Chihiro. He was able to keep himself from sobbing, but tears and snot were still flowing. Aoi wasn't usually one to comfort crying people, but the desire to protect, comfort, and take care of poor, sweet, little Chihiro was overwhelming. Putting aside her own awkwardness and uncertainty, Aoi at last pulled Chihiro into a much more solid embrace. At last, he did finally break down and start sobbing, but Aoi held him through it until every last tear had been shed.
"Th-thank you, Aoi," he sniffled, finally pulling away from her.
"Did you want a tissue?" Aoi asked. Surely there had to be one, or something similar, somewhere around here!
"No, no, it's fine," Chihiro chuckled, wiping his eyes on his gym sleeve, and sniffling one last time. "Thank you, though, really, for everything." Chihiro's eyes sparkled, but this time, not because of tears, or if they were tears, they were happy.
"Always happy to help," Aoi smiled back down at Chihiro. "Although…" Her eyes slid to her e-handbook.
"Oh, right! I'm so sorry!" Chihiro slapped his forehead, grabbed his dress, and darted into the nearest bathroom stall. Aoi chuckled to herself.
Well. This has been quite the evening! What I thought was just going to be a little drop-off became an entire heart-to-heart! In the high school gym locker rooms well past bedtime. Really, "interesting" didn't even begin to cover it, but Aoi already knew that she was grateful it had happened. I should get to know the underclassmen better. I don't know if I'm… "senpai" material, but…
As she glanced over her shoulder at Chihiro's stall, another wave of protectiveness washed over her. Then, when he came back out in his cute little dress, that protectiveness only became stronger.
"You look wonderful, Chihiro!" Aoi grinned.
"Th-thanks…" Chihiro blushed, look at his feet, and touched the tips of his fingers together. As per their agreement, Aoi would continue to treat Chihiro like a girl in public, but behind the scenes, she invited him to visit her dorm some time and experiment with different clothes. Whether or not Chihiro came to the conclusion that he was cis, trans, nonbinary, agender, genderfluid, or something else, Aoi wasn't just doing it in hopes of helping Chihiro "figure it out". Sometimes, it was just fun to try out new styles!
The two left the locker room beaming.
"H-hey, Aoi… This might… sound weird, so of course, you're free to deny it at any time! I definitely don't want to seem weird or creepy or anything like that!" He waved his hands quickly. Like Tsubaki and Aoi, he knew about those rude, creepy high school boys that only cared about how pretty a girl was. Aoi, however, shook her head with a smile. Literally no one in the entire academy would think that, especially about Chihiro.
"What's your request?" she asked.
"C-c-could… whenever we do hang out and, try on clothes together, do you think…? That I could…? Think of you as my older sibling? I've always wanted something like that!" He clasped his hands together, eyes shining. Aoi laughed again.
"Sure thing, Chihiro, and it doesn't just have to stay between us. I'd be more than happy if other people knew too."
"Wait, really? Oh, Aoi, you're the best!" Chihiro's eyes were practically stars now. This time, Aoi's laugh was a little embarrassed.
"I don't know about that," she said. "So why don't you wait until our little dress-up day?"
Now it was Chihiro's turn to laugh and shake his head. Oh, Aoi, don't think that I'm going to hate anything you help me try on. I'm sure all of it will be beautiful, dress or suit or both other.
Notes:
AN: Let me know if this fic is in any way disrespectful, I know the Chihiro thing is a huge DR controversy and I always wonder if it's ok to write not-cisgender Aoi and yet still have her use female pronouns. I headcanon that she'd be fine with any, I just default to female because that's what everyone else does (in and out of universe).
Chapter 8: Future Foundation and Towa City
Chapter by DanganDJ_D4Ronpa
Chapter Text
"S-s-so… Status report?" Towa asked timidly, approaching Ibuki tentatively. For a moment, it seemed as if Ibuki hadn't heard her, eyes glued to the wall of monitors before her as she hunched over a massive control panel. There were buttons, dials, knobs, switches, keys, and sliders so numerous and complex that it would've made the most advanced DJ setup look like child's play.
"No," Ibuki finally replied, voice tight, and Towa flinched. She gazed at Ibuki sadly. The poor girl was doing it again, pushing herself too hard, blaming herself out of a misguided sense of leadership. Then again, she was the Ultimate (Team) Captain, acquiring the title of her unit's Ultimate Hope through her hand in creating the Future Foundation, their current location. Its name was even inspired by the unit's futuristic style. As one of their lyrics said, "We only see the future, and see the new world. We're always ahead of time, no one can catch up!"
Now Ibuki was doing it again, going back to her days as the Ultimate (Track and Field) Runner. No one was going to catch up, except her, hopefully. She was trying to find the other half of their unit. Saki and Noa were missing.
"Never mind, I should be out there myself, out in the field, looking for them." That's a TRUE leader would do.
"W-wait! Ibuki! No! You can't!" Towa reached out to her, heart racing a million miles an hour as her stomach churned and roiled.
"Towa, they've been gone for a week and the latest intel placed them right in the heart of Towa City!" Ibuki gestured to the monitors.
A bloodred sky with black-gray clouds smothered a burning, dying city. People and machines littered the roads, blood and spare parts all over. Some of the machines were crashed cars, and the like, but others were robot bears and cats, Monokumas and Monochios, built by the city owners themselves, the Towa Conglomerate. (Yes, talking about the Conglomerate, or the city for that matter, was difficult when the Photon Maiden of the same name was present, so the FF had since taken to calling her Hanamaki in meetings about Towa City and the Conglomerate).
Other monitors displayed other parts of Towa City, cameras placed on various FF missions. One displayed Saori and Komaru, younger sister of one of their underclassmen, battling Monokumas and Monochios with sonic-weapon megaphones. On another, Nagisa and Aoi were doing the same with an electric guitar and a portable set of DJ turntables. And on another monitor still, Dalia and Rika were fighting back-to-back, flames surging from Rika's palm and incinerating anything that came too close. Dalia, meanwhile, covered Rika's blind spots, her martial arts just as strong as Rika's fire, even if the range was smaller. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Towa City was huge, so of course, the FF knew it would never be able to place cameras everywhere. In fact, at that very moment, Lyrilily (or at least, three of them) were creeping through the shattered streets. They were unrecognizable behind bloody, smiling clown masks. With them were seven boys, the supreme leader standing beside Kurumi. They were on their way to meet another ragtag band of misfits: the Warriors of Hope.
Kurumi and Miiko had worked with them in the past until they were highjacked by Monaca Towa, but a few of them were still friendly enough to grant the other group of gangsters safe travel through their territory. DICE was on a mission to rescue their favorite, misguided Chairman.
Peaky and Hapiara were back at Hope's Peak with the Call of Artemis, trying to maintain a grip on the rapidly dissipating rest of the academy.
In the middle school division, Hayate and Kokoa made their way to Towa City, hoping for resources to help them survive the Tragedy. Towa City was a warzone, but it meant there was plenty to be looted if the looters were brave and clever enough. Along the way, they met a seemingly non-Talented middle schooler named Michiru Kaibara, and they found the fourth and final member of their team during a raid, breaking into what used to be the most secure and secret facility in all of the city. In fact, only a handful of the Towa family knew it was there.
At least, that was how it used to be. But a day before Michiru, Hayate and Kokoa would stumble upon the facility, someone else got to it first, a glowing, white, spectral figure that vanished as suddenly and mysterious as it had arrived. Inside that facility, an Ultimate Hope AI was being developed, Lumina Ichihoshi, with the power to hack into and exist within just about any electronic device or monitor in existence. No matter who they were, every girl of every unit played her part to combat Despair.
"So maybe that's what this is!" Towa suggested hopefully. "Maybe Mr. Tengan sent Saki and Noa on a mission and just forgot to—"
"No, he wouldn't do that," Ibuki interrupted sharply. Aside from Photon Maiden, Kazuo Tengan was the strongest member of the FF. There was no way someone of that much power and intellect would forget to mention that he sent two of the top soldiers into an active warzone overseas.
"But you can't just leave!" Towa cried. I can't be the only Photon Maiden here!
"I already have temporary replacements in mind." Ibuki's eyes were laser-focused as she strode past Towa. "Abyssmare." They were an American quartet, also early members of the FF, but for wildly different reasons. The FF was supposed to be an American Hope's Peak, and Abyssmare was to be some of the first students. Then the Tragedy happened. Abyssmare stuck around, both for protection and power, and because as Ultimates, they were useful to the cause whether it was something they signed up for or not.
"—well that's a fuckin' lie!" Ibuki and Towa entered Abyssmare's "private" office just in time to hear Weronika and Elsie arguing again.
"You know not of which you speak!" Elsie shrieked, fists clenched and eyes flashing. "Elsie has connections the likes of which you've never even heard of before! We have little helpers all over the world!" She touched the side of her mouth with a haughty smile.
"Oh, please, we all know you should've been in the Reserve Course!" Weronika scowled. That really got a rise out of Elsie. All four of them were Ultimates, or else they wouldn't have been inside the FF at all, but the stories behind their Talents were far from uniform.
Neo was a child prodigy, Ultimate Vocalist with the potential to be an Ultimate Leader if she wasn't so selfish. Sophia, meanwhile, was the type of girl one would've expected to be a non-Ultimate, and yet, her inhumanly, uncannily perceptive empathy made it clear. Elsie was the opposite, a girl who seemed to ooze Talent, but she made it in by the skin of her teeth. Even though she would snarl and snap at Weronika for accusing her of it, she would gladly brag about how much her family was capable of through money, power, and sheer intimidation. The title she settled upon was the Ultimate Sponsor, inspired by her father.
That left Weronika. Like Sophia, she didn't seem very "Ultimate", but her determination marked her just as much as Sophia's unnatural perception and senses (her "wolf senses") marked her. The only difference, Weronika didn't have some kind of lame-ass Talent like "empathy". She was a badass, motherfucking boxer! A fighter! A brawler! In the streets or in venues, her knuckles were always dusted and ready to turn red. Behind her back, Elsie would call her the Ultimate Competitor, and it was not the compliment it appeared to be.
"You're damn right I'm an Ultimate Competitor!" Weronika poked her puffed out chest with her thumb. "I challenge any foolish enough to think they can withstand a Bear Paw Bash!" She cracked her knuckles, referring to the glove she occasionally wore to special events.
Elsie thought it looked stupid. You are the Ultimate Competitor because you never win. Of course, Elsie didn't expect a simpleminded simpleton like Weronika to catch the subtle nuance that made her compliment an insult.
Honestly, she's not even SUSPICIOUS that it might secretly be an insult. Elsie could only shake her head. It truly was an insult to think that someone like Weronika was considered Talented while Elsie had to work for hers.
When Ibuki and Towa walked in on the arguing, their eyes twitched, but after taking a quick breath in, Ibuki straightened her posture and glowered.
"That's enough." Her voice was quiet, but it was so stern and sharp that it actually got the other four to listen to her. Somewhat.
"But she—!" Elsie and Weronika pointed at one another while Sophia was on her hands and knees beside them, bowing an apology to their bosses.
Only Neo remained unmoved, but the corners of her lips did twitch up by three centimeters. Sophia took note.
She's… happy? Envy flickered in Sophia's eyes as they flicked from Neo back to Ibuki.
"I said, enough!" Ibuki repeated, more forceful. Both Elsie and Weronika looked seconds away from challenging her to a fight, but to the surprise of the entire room, it was Neo who raised a hand and rose slowly from the chair in which she'd been reclining.
"So, little Ultimate Leader, what commands do you come bearing today?" Neo smirked, sauntering over to Ibuki until their chests were almost touching. While Neo's arms were crossed in dark amusement, Ibuki's were in stalwart conviction.
Towa could only stand behind her and shake her head, eye twitching. She can't be serious… She's not actually leaving the FF in the hands of… them! Towa shivered. Maybe I SHOULD stay behind and lead…
But as the conversation went on, Ibuki's motivations became clear.
"My command is for you four to shape up—"
"Oh, fuck off!"
"—and be prepared to lead the FF in my absence."
"WHAT?!" Three of four of Abyssmare cried out, but Neo raised an eyebrow and that was even more dramatic for her than shouting was for the other three. Ibuki, meanwhile, smiled to herself.
Works every time. Drop a bombshell, and they shut up.
Meanwhile, behind her, Towa's expression had become admiring. Such is the power of the Ultimate Captain!
But would it be enough? Especially since, as Ibuki just told them all, she was leaving posthaste.
"You're turning the FF over to us?" Neo asked and Ibuki nodded grimly.
"It's not a decision I make lightly, and I regret that I am unable to be here longer to make sure that it's not too much…"
"PFFT! Bitch, please, it's not too much!" Weronika cackled and scoffed. Elsie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at Weronika.
Ibuki, meanwhile, winced. "Weronika, if you wish to be part of the official committee, you must learn how to refine your language!"
"Pfft, what?!" Weronika sat up a little straighter, but with Ibuki's threat hanging in the air, there wasn't much she could do to challenge it. If Ibuki decided, she could absolutely make three of Abyssmare powerful and leave Weronika in the dust. She was sure the shame would kill her before even the most dangerous mission overseas to Towa City. Weronika crossed her arms with a scowl, but was out of rebuttals. Elsie looked pleased by this.
"How long will you be away?" Neo asked. Unlike the others, she was more interested in the details of Ibuki's plan, and the logistics that would apply to Abyssmare because of it. She had no interest in leading, or fighting. She had no interest in the FF, or Hope, or Despair. All she cared about was being the Best, the Ultimate Ultimate, so if Ibuki was challenging her to rise to the occasion and be a worthy successor, then Neo already considered it done. That was why Ibuki wanted Abyssmare in charge.
Did she like them? Not particularly. Did she trust them? Even less. But did she know what they were capable of, both as humans and Ultimates? Yes. And did she have to admit that it was impressive? Also yes. And with Neo in particular, Ibuki could sense the leader quality within her. She was not a benevolent type, to put the needs of her "people" before her own, but even her biggest enemies could not deny the power of persuasion that she held. She was charismatic and influential and her literal siren song from her Talent could charm anyone.
From one leader to another, you better take good care of the FF while I'm gone. Ibuki locked eyes with Neo as they shook hands.
Do not worry, little league Team Captain, I will ensure that everything is perfection, for I am perfection, so with me at the head, if the FF follows me and only me, I will lead us onto salvation, and victory! She squeezed Ibuki's hand with more force than normal, eyes glittering as she clenched her teeth in something Ibuki assumed was supposed to be a smile.
Ibuki was already beginning to question her decision, but it was too late to back out now. All she could do was hope and pray.
"I will leave tonight," she decided. "When everyone else is asleep. I will leave you a list of instructions on what to do in my absence."
"Understood."
Once the conversation was over, Towa heaved a sigh of relief as soon as they were away from Abyssmare.
I swear, they've become even MORE insufferable!
Beside her, Ibuki made the same noise, and Towa looked at her in surprise.
"You don't think I found that just as draining as you did?" Ibuki teased with a weak, tired, bitter smile.
"Fair enough," Towa chuckled embarrassedly, scratching her jaw. A moment later, though, she became solemn again. "So… will you go alone?"
Ibuki's stomach and expression tightened. She honestly hadn't thought about it… She took a deep breath before looking into Towa's eyes.
"I… won't ask you to come with me, because I have no idea what we'll find once we get back to the others, but…"
"Of course I want to come with you!" Towa sighed, nearly crying out in relief. Even though a tiny part of her was still insisting that she needed to stay behind and look after Abyssmare and Kazuo, a larger part of her didn't want to be left alone.
It wasn't just Ibuki either, it was wondering where Saki and Noa were. Or if they were even still alive. It was an unpleasant thought, but one Towa knew she'd spend the rest of forever thinking about if she didn't go with Ibuki.
"We stick together, right?" Towa offered Ibuki a weak smile, and her fist. "That's why you're going after the other two."
"True," Ibuki's bitter smile turned grateful as she fist-bumped Towa. Towa gasped and beamed, earning another laugh and a small eyeroll from Ibuki. But she opened her fist and now extended a hand to Towa. It wasn't time to leave, but it was time to pack.
Towa squeezed Ibuki's hand and neither of them needed anymore words to understand. Instead, they exchanged smiles as they walked through the long, tiled corridors until they at last reached their own private office.
Don't worry, Saki, Noa, we're coming for you! One day, this office is gonna be just like Abyssmare's. Even down to Towa and Noa's bickering and bantering almost exactly like Weronika and Elsie's (save that Weronika by far had the dirtiest mouth).
While Towa packed, Ibuki briefly checked her phone.
Ibuki Niijima. This is Nozomi Kamukura. There is something within Towa City that I believe the Future Foundation will find most intriguing.
Wait, how do you know about the Future Foundation?! And just who are you anyway? I don't know any Nozomis or Kamukuras!
But no matter what Ibuki texted, the unknown caller never texted again. Ibuki sighed in frustration as she looked out the nearest window, imagining Towa City just beyond her line of sight. If any of them wanted answers, it seemed as if they would have to fly right into the storm.
Chapter 9: Investigation 101
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Chapter Text
"I-n-v-e-s-t-i-g-a-t-i-o-n." Kyoko spelled the word out loud, smirking to herself. Her eyes never left the sheaf of papers lying on the desk in front of her. Behind her, the sound of chalk scraping against the board stopped.
"How did you know?" Shuichi asked sheepishly.
"Ultimate Detective," Kyoko replied, still smirking.
"Ah, right, of course. You must've noticed how long it was taking me to write…"
"And of course, I knew that it meant you were nervous, which means you probably aren't thinking clearly or calmly enough to figure out the spelling on your own." Kyoko finally turned around and Shuichi got to see her teasing smirk for himself.
Awww, man, it's the first day and I already feel like a total failure! His shoulders slumped, and at last, Kyoko's smile became kind.
"Don't overthink it, Shuichi. You're the teacher today, not the student."
"If anything, that's even more stressful! I'm not trained to be a teacher!"
"But you're trained to be a detective." Kyoko's eyes flicked to the board. What Shuichi was trying to spell was "Investigation 101". What he actually spelled was "Investega…"
Shuichi thanked his lucky stars that Kyoko's Talent didn't somehow give her telepathy, or she would've been appalled by the thoughts flying through his head. Investigation… Investigation… Investigation… How do you spell "investigation"?
He knew it wasn't supposed to end with a "-shun", but his brain had completely forgotten "-tion".
Kyoko shook her head, chuckling to herself as she finally stood up from her desk to meet Shuichi head on. "This is just an introductory class, keep in mind. It can run as long or short as we wish."
If anything, that's even more stressful! Shuichi thought for a second time. If this class' trial run fails…
It wouldn't be the end of the world, but Shuichi really did love the idea of a series of detective classes that taught students of every type how to be good detectives. Heaven forbid the class crash and burn spectacularly! And Heaven forbid that Shuichi be the reason why!
"You, alone, are not going to cause this class to fail," Kyoko chuckled and shook her head again. Besides, he wasn't even technically the teacher! She was! He was just a TA. Of course, Kyoko did not undervalue him, but he did not need to bear so much of the burden alone.
As if the universe itself had telepathy, reading Kyoko's mind, the classroom door was pushed open barely a second later.
"Oooh, yay! Yay! This is gonna be so exciting!" The shortest one, a little blonde, clapped as she raced inside.
"Hello, hello all! Good morning, good morning!" A pink-haired girl raced in after her, bowing breathlessly to Kyoko, Shuichi, and the other students. Following her was a girl with long, dark hair who said and did the exact same thing. Then lastly, a white-haired girl with silver eyes.
"H-hello!" she said, voice wispy and whispery. "I look forward to learning a great deal from you and I will do my best!"
While Shuichi felt his stomach flipflop with all the kind greetings and unintentionally high expectations, Kyoko only crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and smiled. Miiko Takeshita, Miyu Sakurada, Rei Togetsu, Saki Izumo. None of them were in her class, though Miiko, Miyu, and Rei were first-years like her. Saki and Shuichi were the only outliers, as a second- and third-year student respectively.
"Welcome, class," she greeted them smoothly once they were all seated. "We thank you for taking time out of your day to attend our little demo class. With any luck, we will receive enough funding from the Board to expand the program."
Even though there were only four students present, there were far more than four interested. Shuichi was not alone in his wish to see a series of detective classes for the general public. It was just, as Kyoko said, their current funding was only large enough for roughly four students.
"Thank you for being willing to teach it!" Miyu cried passionately, eyes glittering as she clasped her hands together gratefully.
"Yes, it is most generous of you, and we look forward to studying the perspectives of other Ultimates!" Rei nodded, smile mirroring Miyu's.
"See, Shuichi?" Kyoko whispered to her TA out of the corner of her mouth. They were so kind, understanding, and welcoming!
If anything, that's even more stressful! More chances for disappointment, and even greater guilt if he did. But the class was present. It was too late to call in sick. While Shuichi did his best not to tremble, Kyoko glided effortlessly to the front row of desks and began the lesson.
ooo
"Imagine yourself called in to investigate a homicide. What is the first thing you do when you reach the scene of the crime?" Kyoko showed a diagram of a murder scene. There was blood around the "body", but because the diagram was hand drawn, it wasn't graphic. Investigation could be traumatizing work, but that didn't mean she needed to terrify her class to death on their very first day.
"Clean up the blood?" Rei suggested.
"Dispose of the murder weapon! That's not safe!" Miiko closed her eyes and pouted in disapproval.
"Check to see if anyone else is injured, but alive?" Miyu asked.
"Report to first responders?" Saki tapped her chin. "Or prepare to report to second responders if we're the first?"
Kyoko couldn't hide a smile while Shuichi's eye twitched. For a second time, she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "I had to train Makoto, Hina, Hiro, Toko, and Byakuya. I can handle these four." At least Rei, Miyu, Miiko, and Saki were earnest, open, and willing to learn. Only Makoto and Hina shared those traits, and back then, Kyoko was teaching on the fly in the middle of a Killing Game. Having access to a classroom and as many resources as her budget could afford her, small though it was, was a massive upgrade. Speaking of…
"S-so… how did we do?" Miyu leaned forward anxiously; hands still clasped.
"Perfectly fine," Kyoko replied calmly. "That question was a test, of course, but it was not meant to determine "correct answer", rather, I wanted to analyze the way you think. That is the true beauty and power of a team of detectives. Everyone is unique, as is the way they perceive problems."
"Ohhhh, so it was like a personality test, huh?" Miiko's eyes went starry. Kyoko was so clever and cool! Just like a real detective!
Kyoko closed her eyes, smiled, and nodded. This was a half-truth. Technically, she was also hoping for a correct answer, to gauge how much they knew about conducting a proper investigation. But it wasn't entirely a lie that the question was also useful in assessing how they thought.
Rei was conscientious and caring, concerned about blood. Miyu was the same, wishing to save survivors before dealing with the dead. Saki seemed to be thinking about teamwork too, already expecting backup somewhere along the way. And Miiko… well, outright disposing of weaponry was tampering with evidence, but her logic was sound. Weapons did need to be collected, just not solely due to the safety concerns.
"Oh, and by the way, don't forget to wear gloves when handling things at a crime scene!" Shuichi interjected helpfully.
"Ohhh!" Four pairs of eyes went wide, then four heads lowered as four pencils scribbled across four notebooks resting atop four front-row desks.
For a second time, Shuichi winced. If it was a revelation to not touch things at crime scenes with bare hands, then, well…
"Better to learn now than later," Kyoko whispered for a third time, winking at Shuichi.
ooo
As far as Kyoko was concerned, although the things they studied in class were critical, the true test was in the fieldwork. She still had no intention of traumatizing them with a brutal assault or violent murder on their very first day of class, but she did already have a simulation prepared for them, co-created by one of Shuichi's fellow third-years, Rika Seto, although she was not in his class.
"Ya know? I used to be a detective once! Hype Detective!" she grinned. She was one of the other students interested in the course.
"Oh? What did you specialize in?" Shuichi blinked and looked at Rika in surprise.
"Search-n-rescue!" Rika flashed two peace signs and beamed. "I was a great pet-tracker!"
"O-oh." Shuichi was still impressed, but searching for lost puppies and kittens stuck in trees was very different from violent, bloody murder cases.
Kyoko smirked, her mind running the same track. But something low stakes like that is perfect for what I need…
Shuichi, Rika, Kyoko, and several other volunteers worked together to create a mini mystery for the four students to solve, and on the day of the simulation, Kyoko led them from the classroom to a large lounge that had been revamped to look like a gothic living room. The aesthetic upgrade was all thanks to Hiiro Yano, yet another third-year not in Shuichi's class who was interested in the detective course.
"Hey! What's going on here? These donuts don't have any holes! They're just regular fried dough!" Rinku's despairing cry opened the sim.
"Who's responsible for this?! Who could do such a thing?" Kaede looked horrified and angry. Then came Kurumi's trademark impish laugh.
"Looks like we have a criminal among us!" she sing-songed. "Oh, but just for the record, it wasn't me this time!"
"We won't be able to solve this case alone, I think…" Chiaki said, shaking her head solemnly. "We're going to need help from all of our friends!"
Rika literally kicked in the lounge door, rushing inside in cliché detective gear, complete with a tan, brown cap and cloak thrown over her shoulders. "Aha! Worry not, my dear fellows! Rika Seto, Hype Detective, is here with the Poya-Poya Detective Agency to blow the case wide open!"
Shuichi made a choking noise while Kyoko smiled calmly and gestured for her four pupils to begin the simulation. It was investigation time!
"So, you say you were planning for a party, eh?" Rei tapped her chin with her pencil as she scribbled down Rinku's alibi in her notepad.
"Uh-huh! Uh-huh!" Rinku nodded, distraught.
"Do you or anyone else remember assigning food delivery to a certain someone?"
"Hmm… a certain someone, eh…?" Rinku closed an eye and tapped her cheek. "Nope! Though I think Kaede was in charge of organization!"
Rei turned to Kaede, eyes wide and pencil raised.
"Well, I remember asking Rantaro to get the order, but he had to back out at the last second. He told me he found someone else who could get them, but I didn't think to ask because I trusted his word alone. He did technically make good on that promise, but… I have no idea who ordered them without holes." Kaede trailed off, smiling ruefully at the box in Rinku's hands.
For a moment, the quartet of student detectives was at a standstill.
"No, no, we can't give up just yet!" Miiko insisted fiercely, then she turned to Kurumi. "Please, Kurumi, tell us, was this some sort of a prank?"
"I told you it wasn't me this time!" Kurumi smirked and winked. Miiko sighed in frustration, but she seemed to accept the answer.
"Well, then I guess Miiko's all out of ideas." She looked at the floor despondently.
"Wh-what? You're giving up? Just like that?" Miyu was alarmed. She had to admit, even though she hated suspecting her friends, Kurumi was on the top of her list just because of what she knew about the other girl, to say nothing of her rather unfortunate Talent of Ultimate Prankster.
Saki, meanwhile, thought long and hard. She tried using her Synesthesia to guide her, and from what she could see, Kurumi was telling the truth. Then again, people like Kurumi had silver tongues. She could lie without lying. Perhaps she was innocent of the crime committed, but what if she had a hand in setting it up? Suddenly, a lightbulb clicked on in Saki's head.
"Does anyone have the receipt for the order?"
"Hmm… I don't have it on hand, but I can pull it up for you, I think…" Chiaki said softly, pulling out her phone. After several minutes of swiping and scrolling, she found a digital copy of the receipt. The name at the bottom read…
"Rinku Aimoto?!" The student detectives turned to the orange-haired girl with betrayal in their eyes.
"Huh?! Whu—!? Uhh, no! It wasn't me! I swear!" Rinku was practically hopping up and down as she pled.
"So, it was a self-report, huh?" Kurumi interjected, grinning wickedly at Rinku. "Pretty sus if you ask me!"
"Unless… Someone put it under Rinku's name?" Miyu narrowed her eyes. Again, she hated to suspect Kurumi, but…
"What? Uh-uh! No way!" Kurumi raised her hands defensively.
"No, I have to agree with Kurumi," Miiko said, crossing her arms, expression stern and serious.
"Miiko…" Miyu's face softened.
"Miiko, forgive me for doubting your judgement, but… could it be possible that you are perhaps only assuming Kurumi's innocence?" Rei asked.
"No, no! Miiko promises she has proof! See!" She pointed to the receipt. Upon closer inspection, Rinku's last name was spelled wrong.
"I would never do something like that!" Kurumi reared back in disgust. She was the Ultimate Prankster. If there was one thing she prided herself on, it was pulling off flawless pranks every single time. Her surprise upon seeing the typo made it clear that she wasn't just pretending that she didn't do it this time. Using typos to mislead people was a very Kurumi tactic, but like she said, for once, it wasn't her.
"Hmm… I wonder, could a clue be contained in the spelling error?" Rei tapped her chin as Miyu and Saki poured over the receipt. It spelled "Aoimoto" instead of "Aimoto". The four student detectives exchanged worried looks. Who could it possibly be? The typo seemed to have ruled out Kurumi and Rinku, unless they wanted to assume that Kurumi was only pretending to be offended by the error. Or if Rinku really was so forgetful that she perhaps accidentally mistyped her own name. Aside from them, the only two other suspects were… Kaede and Chiaki!
"Chiaki. May I ask why you have a copy of the receipt if you weren't involved in the purchasing process?" Saki asked the gamer.
"It was agreed upon that I would be in charge of all electronic communication, including billing," Chiaki replied.
"Do you remember who sent you a copy of the receipt?" Miyu asked next.
Chiaki tapped her chin. "Not off the top of my head, but I can check the email the attachment came from."
"Aoi Asahina!" Miyu, Miiko, Rei, and Saki all cried out, and then suddenly it hit them. Who said that any of the four witnesses were anything but? Or had the quartet merely assumed that the culprit was one of them? Perhaps in a sim lab, it was easy to make such a mistake, but Kyoko wanted it to be true to life. Even though "self-reports" did exist, it was rare for the culprit to remain so close to the crime scene.
"Oh, wait, that's right!" Rinku's distraught expression suddenly turned into a sunny smile. "Hina and I wanted donuts, donuts, and more donuts! Aoimoto is a joke name we came up with whenever we order food together to split the price!"
"So, does that mean…?" Miyu inhaled sharply. Beside her, Saki's eyes lit up and she nodded.
"The culprit is… YOU!" She pointed at Chiaki's phone, at the sender line of the email containing the receipt.
ooo
"Not bad," Kyoko closed her eyes, crossed her arms, and nodded slowly, thoughtfully. Not bad at all, for a very first time.
"Yay! We did it!" Miiko raised both of her hands, collecting high-tens from everyone.
"Awesome, you guys! You did great! You're real Hype Detective material! Thinking outside the box like that!" Rika flashed them all two big thumbs up. At the same time, the lounge door opened, revealing Hina waiting on the other side with a box of donuts. This time, they had holes.
"Hooray!" Rinku cried, racing over to Hina and the donuts. "HAPPY AROUNDO!"
Rei, Miyu, Miiko, and Saki sat in a circle, conversing excitedly with Rinku, Hina, Kurumi, Chiaki, and Kaede.
"You guys did wonderfully!" Kaede smiled as Rinku handed her a pink-frosted donut.
"Thanks," Rei, in particular, looked flattered, blushing and staring hard at the floor. Her first and greatest loyalty would always be to Hapiara, but Kaede was like a mentor to her, as well as the other half of their little informal piano duet unit, Kaereide. I'm so happy I was able to make her proud!
"Yeah, good job on you, Miiko, for sticking up for your old pal Kurumi like that!" Kurumi winked and gave Miiko a thumbs up.
"Of course! Miiko knows Kurumi, and she can usually tell when Kurumi is lying or not, for real!" Miiko grinned. "Like you said, you'd NEVER mess up a prank!"
"You were also very clever, Saki, and observant," Chiaki smiled at the other pale-haired, soft-voiced student. "Your eyes saw the truth, huh...?"
"O-oh, th-thank you!" Saki sat up straighter, saluting Chiaki and earning a chuckle from the others. "I'm happy to have assisted!"
"You were also wonderful, Miyu. Even though you were not comfortable accusing your friends, you were still willing to assess every angle," Kaede nodded her approval. "And although Miiko did well in remembering to take the suspect's personality into account, you did well in balancing her out and analyzing things she might've missed."
"Thank you," Miyu bowed her head quickly before turning to Kurumi. "I'm sorry I had to—"
"Nah, don't worry about it, that was intentional," the Ultimate Prankster winked. When she and the others were preparing the mini mystery, she was the designated red herring. Now, though, all was right as rain, and they got to feast upon free, celebratory donuts!
"Speaking of, who's taking the leftovers home?" Hina joked. After all, there was still the original box of hole-less donuts.
"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Me! Pick me! Pick me!" Rinku's hand shot up in the air. After all, her pretending to be horrified by the hole-less donuts was only just that: pretending. The real Rinku would never turn down anything so round, yummy, and sweet!
"Aww," Hina, half-joking and half-serious, lowered her head in disappointment.
"You two could always fight for 'em," Kurumi grinned slyly.
"Now, now, Kurumi! There is no need for such violence!" Miyu reprimanded the smaller girl gently, but they all knew Kurumi was only joking.
"I never said it had to be a fistfight, or anything like that!" She put a hand to her mouth and smiled devilishly.
"Oooh, that sounds fun!" Miiko's eyes lit up.
"How about an eating contest instead?" Hina chuckled nervously.
"Ooh, can it be donuts?!" Now it was Rinku's turn to have the starry eyes. Kaede and Chiaki exchanged knowing smiles and shared a quiet laugh.
"We could always just share them!" Rei suggested. "Divide them up as equally as we can!"
"Yes, I like that idea, that seems the fairest," Chiaki nodded approvingly as Saki passed her the box of donuts to take her share.
While they lounged on the lounge couches, Kyoko remained standing with Shuichi, Rika, and Hiiro near the door.
"That was so precious!" Hiiro cried, having observed the entire thing from the next room over through a two-way mirror disguised as a random portrait on the back wall of the longue.
"Thanks again for helping set it up," Kyoko dipped her head appreciatively.
"Oh, it was nothing! I enjoyed every delicious second of it!" Hiiro grinned. "Next time, you simply must do a proper murder mystery! I would love to make the costumes for it!" The only complaint she had about the simulation was that only Rika was in any sort of costume, and it was one she got from the nearest thrift store. I could've handmade something far better!
"Don't worry, Hiiro, Shuichi and I have many more plans for our detective crash course. I promise that as soon as more slots open up, we'll create more elaborate mysteries, and you'll be the first name on our class roster!"
"Heyyy! What about lil ol' me?" Rika pouted.
"You'll be second on the list," the Ultimate Diviner teased, elbowing the other third-year as she continued to pout.
"Anyway, Shuichi, how are you feeling?" Kyoko turned to her TA with an amused but compassionate smile.
"That was… actually really fun!" he replied, smiling sheepishly. Even though the mystery was painfully childish, there was something so pure, sweet, and wholesome about watching the baby detectives stumble their way through their very first case. Even if it wasn't very complicated, they were able to figure out the correct lines of inquiry quite quickly. I wonder if this is how Kyoko felt when Makoto first started learning ropes?
"You did great, man!" Rika slapped Shuichi's back, pout instantly turning into a wide, goofy grin of support and encouragement.
"Oof!" Shuichi reeled forward.
"Yes, if you ever need advice on handling students, I would be more than happy to help!" Hiiro smiled sweetly as she gently set a hand on Shuichi's shoulder, stopping him from reeling even further forward. Hiiro may not have been a teacher, but as a Diviner interested in psychology, she had a lot of tricks up her sleeves when it came to dealing with people.
"I'd be more than happy to invite you both in as guest speakers until I can add more seats to the class," Kyoko told Hiiro and Rika.
"Oh, would you?!" Hiiro covered her mouth and Rika clenched her hands into excited fists, their eyes starry. Kyoko nodded and chuckled. The first official class of Investigation 101 was done, and based on how it went, in Kyoko's opinion, the future was looking very bright and hopeful indeed!
Chapter Text
Aoi Miyake startled awake, then her heart took off faster than a bullet from a gun as she realized that she could not move. She was strapped to a chair, ropes around her wrists and ankles, and even her neck and torso.
"H-huh?! What the—?!" She cried out, thrashing uselessly against her restraints.
"KyahahahahaHAAAA!" A violent cackle bounced around the shadows just beyond Aoi's line of sight, and the figure that came lunging out of them was a sight to behold. It looked like a girl even younger and smaller than Aoi, perhaps a first-year high schooler. She had a wide, sneering visage; a long, twisted tongue; dark red eyes that seemed massive behind giant, circular lenses; and long, dark, jagged, wild hair.
"Oooohhhh!" she made a noise halfway between a squeal and a moan as she clutched her face. "Such an adorable little boy!"
"B-boy?!" Aoi recoiled with a strangled gasp. "I- I- I'm sorry, but I'm not—!" The figure whipped something out of the folds of her dress. They flashed under the harsh light of the basement in which Aoi was held prisoner. She gasped again when she realized what they were. Scissors.
ooo
"Pull yourself together, man!" Genocide Jack slapped the side of her head in disbelief, her other hand on her hip. She'd barely even started cutting through her victim's clothes and he was already passing out on her. "I thought you were supposed to be cooler than that!"
Although Aoi didn't know Jack, Jack had been watching for months. Ever since she happened to hear some of the music coming from the club near Hope's Peak—named ALTER-EGO—while stalking another victim, she fell in love with the lead performer, the handsome young man with long, lithe limbs and short, dark hair and bright, brown eyes. His DJing was just as pretty as he was, and Jack went to every RONDO concert ever since.
Then finally, opportunity struck, and so too did Jack. She was at last able to free her handsome DJ prince from his imprisonment with the three, unworthy hags that acted as the rest of his RONDO unit-mates. Now, though…? Well, it was a little disappointing to be honest.
"Guess it's true what they say! Never meet your idols!" Jack cackled, but with an unconscious audience, it wasn't any fun. She pouted, huffed, crossed her arms, stomped her foot, and more. Once the last of her temper tantrum was out, however, she heaved an impatient sigh and began swatting her victim's face. "Hey! Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!" she demanded.
At last, her CPR ("Cracking Palm Resuscitation", so named because she cracked people across the face and the sound it made resembled the word) worked and the handsome RONDO DJ finally opened his beautiful brown eyes again and—
"Woah, what the hell?! Who the fuck are you?!"
Jack reared back at the same time, equally stunned and outraged. "Woah, what the hell?! Why the fuck are you like that?!"
ooo
Aoi's eyes were open, but someone else was watching from behind them. What the hell?! Who the hell is this? How the hell did we get here? AOI?! AOI! Silence. She wasn't responding. Damn it! Whatever this freakazoid, creep-o, ass-wipe did to her, it got her pretty good…
Aoi's eyes narrowed. Her alter was the one who narrowed them. The alter had no name, for no name was ever deemed necessary by either of them. They could communicate in thought and feeling, and Aoi's alter so seldom fronted, so why did they need a name? The closest they ever came was jokingly calling Aoi's alter "Shiyake", inspired by their surname, "Miyake". The latter meant "three houses" and the former meant "four". Shiyake was the "fourth house" of the Miyake family.
"Shi" could also mean "death". As a Persecutor alter, and the trauma-bearer, not only was the name Shiyake fitting, but the duality of being able to use either meaning of "shi" fit the duality of Aoi and her alter. They considered themselves opposite in almost every way, including personality, intelligence type, and even gender and sexuality. As Shiyake would joke, if Aoi was a masculine lesbian, he was a feminine gay man. Like siblings, they tried to differentiate from one another as much as possible, but they were still deeply intertwined and reliant upon one another.
And it's always been up to me to watch her back since she's so damn oblivious she can barely watch her front! He thought crossly. This much was true ever since the fatal event in Aoi's infancy that led to the "birth" of Shiyake himself, the only one that protected and comforted her against the fear and pain of being left alone to die… And now, he recognized that which Aoi did not. The idiot! This is Genocide Jack, Ultimate Murderous Fiend! She's a legendarily infamous serial killer with a masculine name, feminine look, and specific taste in "adorable little men" whom she loves to skewer with her trusty, rusty Geno-scissors!
The fiendish serial killer was so infamous that there was even a giant, fiction-non-fiction series out about her called Genocider Genesis. It comprised of books, movies, games, documentaries, merchandise, and more. Its own genesis was because it was meant to be an informative and speculative look on the rise of Genocide Jack (hence the title), but as her legacy continued to grow, so too did the promotional material about her.
The hottest, latest trend was a video game—though this one was unaffiliated with the Genocider Genesis franchise—called "Dance 4 Dangerous Jack". It was a hardcore military/horror shooter many of them played, including Aoi, Shiyake, Jack, Toko, and many of their friends and classmates, though in Toko and Jack's opinion, the game was utter trash, from the writing to the graphics to the mechanics to the controls.
There wasn't a doubt in Shiyake's mind that Jack made the same mistake everyone else did the first time they saw Aoi Miyake. They mistook her for a man. There also wasn't a doubt in Shiyake's mind that if Jack realized her mistake, she would've let Aoi go. Now, unfortunately…
I may not be adorable or LITTLE, Shiyake smiled dryly. But I AM a man. What rotten luck! Aoi was safer with Jack BEFORE I arrived…!
From the thoughts and feelings they shared, Shiyake understood Aoi's gender as fluid, though her style and presentation were that of a masculine woman, as he'd noted before. That was why, to be her perfectly balanced and equal opposite, Shiyake did the inverse. And since Aoi was genderfluid, Shiyake took the label "genderqueer", though their genders technically were not related.
Genderfluid flag looks cooler, but oh well… Aoi got to it first, and even though they knew there was no limit on who could identify as what, Shiyake was fine with using a different label just to keep himself as Aoi's opposite. Far more important to him was his identity as Aoi's protector, her undisputed, undefeated champion. He would now use finesse and cunning to continue protecting her sorry ass.
"You do know I'm a woman, right?" Shiyake pressed his chest against the ropes around his torso, trying to sound as similar to Aoi as he could. Their voices, of course, were already similar, but Shiyake's timbre was always a little lower and raspier than Aoi's.
"What the hell?!" Jack reared back when Shiyake's chest did indeed become accentuated.
"Aren't binders wonderful?" Shiyake smirked. "Besides, aren't you one to talk?" Jack identified and dressed as a woman, but "Jack" was typically a guy's name, now wasn't it? Jack, however, wasn't concerned about any of that.
"Y-y-your personality!" she stuttered, which was most unlike her. "Why the hell'd you change so quickly like that?" She pointed one of her pairs of scissors at him accusatorily. Sure, she knew celebrities often had stage personas, but this was a huge contrast.
Unlike Aoi, Shiyake only raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Come now, Jack," he crooned patronizingly. "Aren't you one to talk…?"
ooo
"Great! Just great! I waste months stalking all of your shows and shit and now this?!" Jack's hands, arms, and scissors were as animated as her mouth and temper. She all but danced around Shiyake as she ranted and raved about all the planning and preparation that just got flushed down the shitter. Angry and embarrassed as she was, though she was curious too. "So… What is… Aoi's alter's… name?" she asked softly.
Pfft! As if I'm gonna fuckin' tell YOU! Shiyake smirked calmly. "ALTER-EGO."
"What? No way!" Jack shook his head, soft tone gone immediately. "Don't tell me that's why you work at the ALTER-EGO club?!"
"No!" Now it was Shiyake's turn to shake his head and snort. The irony was not lost on him or Aoi, but genuinely, the club's name was coincidence. The reason Aoi worked there was because it was close to Hope's Peak. As a bonus, this meant that it was very exclusive and high-end.
Really, Aoi shouldn't have been allowed to work there as a minor, but Ultimates had ways of playing strings metaphorically just as well as they played literally. The only condition was that they were always and directly supervised by the club owner. But Masaki was cool, a fellow queer nonbinary, and an eye-patch-wearer at that. "Eccentric" didn't even begin to cover them.
"Well, my name is still cooler than yours!" Jack insisted with a huff and pout, hands on her hips as she looked Aoi up and down in disdain. "Genocide Jack" was her main name, but she'd also been called "Genocide Jill" and "Genocider Sho". It was her own little Unholy Trinity.
But I DO have multiple names. Shiyake. ALTER-EGO. At least now, I guess… "Wanna call me Aoi-Ego and give me another?" he deadpanned, and Jack clutched her sides, howling with laughter.
"KyahahahahaHAAA! Gotta say, girl, you're annoying as SHIT, but you can make me laugh! So fine, I'll cut you some slack just this once!" Shiyake saw two bright flashes of silver-white, and he heard metal on metal. Then all at once, the ropes binding him to his chair fell away. Jack looked pleased with herself as she stood back and admired her work, giving Shiyake space to stand and rub his wrists, arms, and even neck. A silent promise passed between them as they locked eyes. Not a word of that night would ever leave them. Not to the police, or their hosts. No one.
ooo
"All right. Loser. Go on. Git." Jack jerked a thumb over her shoulder as she led Shiyake to the front door.
"Thanks, I knew you'd get it, girl to girl." Shiyake elbowed Jack and smirked while Jack seethed at the reminder of her giant faux pas.
"Your vocalist sucks, by the way!" she said crassly, crossing her arms and pouting, scissors dangling from her fingertips.
"Are you questioning our judgements?!" The question was out of Shiyake's mouth before he even knew what he was doing. It made him far angrier than he thought it would, but because he shared emotions with Aoi, it wasn't as if he didn't know where it had come from.
God damn, girl, didn't realize you liked her THAT much! he thought with a teasing, taunting laugh as he thought about his host and her vocalist.
"Ooooh, hot girl-on-girl action, huh?! Kyahahaha!" Jack cackled at the same time, clutching her stomach again. "The butch and femme!"
"Dare you disrespect the power of the Ultimate Protector!" Shiyake pointed a warning, persecutory finger at the snickering psychopath.
"Ultimate White Knight, eh?!" she snorted mockingly, as if she hadn't given herself an equally, obviously self-proclaimed Talent.
"Smiling Knight, actually." It was Aoi's title in her favorite card game, Vanguard, because she defeated people so easily and always smiled so charmingly as she did so. For Shiyake, though, the name had a much darker etymology. "Our system"—which they called the Black Rose and Blue Thorns—"has legitimately kicked ass to protect itself. Guess what I did the whole time." A sickening smile twisted across his face.
"Huh. So you do have some superhero/villain names after all." Jack raised her eyebrows and nodded, looking Shiyake up and down again, but no longer with so much disgust and disdain. Even though the two alters still did not like one another—on the contrary, they both wanted to murder each other just out of sheer annoyance and anger—they did not have egos so big that they wished to risk their hosts or systems.
If anything, ego protected the alters, for although they certainly were not friends, they could at least recognize kindred spirits in one another. That type of vanity and ego, liking and allowing something to live purely because of similarities, was actually good. Truly, it was a battle of alters and egos, and somehow, they all came out on top. Shiyake even left Jack with a handshake as they parted ways.
"Care for an autograph? Even if you're not a fan anymore, you can at least sell it off and get some monetary compensation," he teased.
"Kyahahahaha!" Jack was so tickled by the idea that she actually accepted. "How 'bout you?" she asked, turning the offer back around on Shiyake. "I may not be a DJ, but I'm still famous!" There absolutely were horror freaks who would die or kill for Jack's autograph.
"All right, I'm game," Shiyake chuckled darkly. Only alters with egos as big as theirs could've made it work, and only alters with egos as big as theirs would've even tried in the first place.
Notes:
AN: Aoi having DID was inspired by "RONDO Side: Origin" and Toko.
Names for Aoi's alter include: Shiyake, ALTER-EGO, Aoi-Ego, the Ultimate Protector, the (Ultimate) Smiling/White Knight.
Chapter 11: Happy Hell-oween
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Chapter Text
"FUHAHAHAHA! AHH!" Gundham Tanaka—the fierce, fearsome, furious Forbidden one, the Overlord of Ice—roared, bandaged arms high above his head. "YES! Tonight, tis the most glorious of Hellish holidays! A day of darkness and a night of necromancy! I and my four Dark Devas of Destruction shall wreak havoc and reign chaos upon this pathetic, mortal plane, and have a happy Hell-oween that—!"
"Mwahahahaha! Yes! We're gonna have so much scary fun tonight! And today!"
"What the—?!" Gundham choked on his speech, lowering his arms slightly as his closed eyes shot open in disbelief. "Who dares interrupt the—?! Oh. It is only you. Child." Wench. Witch. Demon. Devil. And not the kind the King of Hell deigns to have in his underwordly, otherworldly realm… The Ultimate Animal Breeder stared down his nose at the little girl staring up at him with wide, emerald eyes, framed in childish makeup painted to look like a… Zombie? Witch? Mummy? A zombie-witch-mummy?
"Grr raahh!" She curled her fingers into claws and gave him the scariest face she could, only a second later breaking character as she broke into a fit of laughter. The little gremlin standing before Gundham was little Miiko Takeshita, Ultimate Horror Enthusiast, and Gundham's underclassman by one year. Despite the fact that they shared no classes, somehow, a friendship formed between them (at least on Miiko's side).
ooo
Gundham stood outside of Hope's Peak Academy, tending to some of the animals kept on campus, be it for companionship or study. It was then that Miiko noticed him and the Four Dark Devas standing loyally at his heels.
"Ohhh! What cute lil hamsters! They're so cute! I love them!" She raced over to them without a care in the world or thought in her head.
"Nay! Child! Stand back! Lay not thy hand upon my most loyal and faithful equals! Lest you incur the wrath of—!" Gundham whipped around.
"Oooh, wow, Mister! You got really cool hair! It looks like ice cream!" she beamed, and his fury turned into disbelief. Before he could even make a sound, though, voice strangling in his throat, Miiko's smile suddenly changed into a look of concern. "Oh, my!"
Just when Gundham thought he'd properly stricken the fear of God into the heart of the impudent child, she reached out to him instead. "Did you hurt your arms, Mister? Or did the animals get you?" She didn't even bother waiting for an answer. "Here, let me help!" Then she skipped merrily on past him, leaving him to stand there in stunned silence, one eye twitching. Miiko, meanwhile, was focused on the grizzly bear Gundham had been taming. Angry at the disruption, the bear growled and raised a threatening paw, but Miiko only smiled blithely up at it.
"Henlo, there, friendo! Aren't you a big cutie?!" With no sense of preservation whatsoever, she reached out and scritchied the bear's chin. Mere seconds later, it was on its back in the grass, rolling around like the world's largest, happiest doggo.
Gundham's eye was still twitching, mouth agape. "What sort of sorcery…?"
And his disbelief turned into envy when Miiko finally remembered what she'd originally raced over for: the hamsters. A vein pulsed in Gundham's temple that she would dare call them "pets". Even more audacious, she wanted to pet them. The disrespect was simply unspeakable! But then Gundham was taken off guard once again as the Four Dark Devas raced towards him… then right past him, right into the waiting and open arms of smiley little Miiko Takeshita. She giggled and cuddled them, and they cuddled her right back. What sort of sorcery indeed?
And Miiko was always too stupid to take a hint. Even though, as she would tell Gundham later, she could speak to animals, she was terrible at reading social cues, namely, that Gundham wanted her to go away. Instead, she hung out with him whenever the fates were cruel enough for their paths to cross. In fact, in time, she even began wearing bandages around her arms just like him, and only because she wanted to be just like him. She'd genuinely come to see the funny-talking, ice-cream-haired man as her big bro. The Ultimate Animal Breeder was cool, and he liked animals, and he liked scary, horror stuff. What more could the little Ultimate Horror Enthusiast want?
"Oh, oh, oh! Also, also, did you know that me and my bestest friends of all—a band called Lyrical Lily—also called ourselves The Four Devas of Arisugawa? Lyrical Illy!" It was a misadventure involving their old school, the one they had before they transferred to Hope's Peak. A big bad band of bikers threatened the quiet, peaceful, isolated Catholic school, and Lyrical Lily were the only four brave enough to fight back.
There was Hell's Butterfly Miyu, Always Mad Haruna, Tricking Timebomb Kurumi, and Wicked Angel Miiko! The four good little schoolgirls had turned into four little delinquents and degenerates. Drawing upon that energy, Miiko practically glued herself to Gundham's side, and the rest was history. Oh, and the hamsters weren't the only ones who'd taken a shine to little Ms. Miiko Takeshita either…
ooo
"Oh, Gundham?" A familiar voice sing-songed. Despite himself, the smallest of smiles tugged at his lips. It was Princess Sonia Nevermind, his beloved lady and queen, his equal and fellow Mistress of Hell, as he was the Master. The moment he turned and saw what she was wearing, though, his smile changed back into a look of disbelief. She was dressed almost exactly like Miiko Takeshita, minus the mummy-like bandages. Ordinarily, he would've said she looked absolutely beautiful that way, but with Miiko dressed so similarly…
And standing beside Sonia was another beautiful young lady, though she was in Miiko's year rather than Gundham or Sonia's. It was Rei Togetsu, Ultimate Pianist. She was no Princess, but from the way she carried herself, and the size of her bank account, one could've easily been fooled. Contrast to Sonia, Rei was dressed as a four-winged angel, dress white with gold patterns decorating the dress.
"Oooh, Princess Sonia, you look so pretty! Like a pretty, pretty Princess! And you too, Rei! You look so… lovely!" She winked, quoting Rei's girlfriend's favorite word. Both girls thanked and complimented Miiko heartily, curtseying as well, their voices as similar as their decorum.
Then Sonia went on to explain her outfit in more detail. "I'm an assassinated Princess who came back from the dead to haunt her castle until the one who slew her can be executed so that she is avenged!"
Rei and Sonia may have been similar in voice and Princess sensibilities, but in many other ways, Miiko was the one Sonia was most similar to. They were both rich blonde girls whose kindness and cheer were rivaled only by their odd and intense fascination with the morbid and macabre.
"Speaking of, Ms. Takeshita, might I inquire you as to borrow your chainsaw again?" The Ultimate Princess asked the Ultimate Horror Enthusiast.
"B-but d-does a Princess usually carry a chainsaw?" Gundham demanded, a tiny spark of jealousy burning like Hellfire in his chest.
"Modern Princesses exist." Sonia shrugged, gesturing to herself.
Gundham nearly slapped his forehead at himself. Right. She was a Princess. And his classmate. Duh.
"Sure! I also have a large thing of blood in my dorm and you can use some of it as a prop!" The Ultimate Horror Enthusiast grinned.
"Real or fake?" Gundham snorted. Miiko only tilted her head and smiled sweetly up at him, touching her chin as if pondering the same question.
"I think Kurumi and Kokichi are gonna prank Taka and Haruna," she instead said. "It'll be at the murder mystery the Ultimate Detectives are doing!"
"Oh! That reminds me!" Looking and sounding exactly like Miiko, Sonia's face lit up as she clapped. "I believe that Nagisa and Mondo are leading the Halloween parade, and they've apparently re-designed and dressed up their motorcycles for the occasion!"
"Speaking of dressing up!" Miiko piped up, "Hiiro and Tsumugi helped me make these for the Four Dark Devas!" She whipped out four tiny Halloween costumes from her own, holding them out proudly to Gundham who reared back, raising an arm.
"Oh, how cute!" Sonia and Rei cried in unison, eyes closing as they brought their hands to their faces. At the same time, the four Devas poked their heads from Gunham's scarf and skittered down his arms. Begrudgingly, the Ultimate Animal Breeder held out the four hamster to Miiko, and they excitedly took and slipped on the tiny outfits she offered to them.
"CUUTTEE!" Now all three girls were squealing and Gundham was despairing.
What happened to my happy Hell-oween? It's meant to be a time of thrills and chills! Not frills and shrills! At least not the type Miiko, Rei, and Sonia were emitting."Will there be any other Halloween events?" he asked tightly, barely concealing his annoyance.
"Yes, actually," said Rei serenely. "Esora and I are hosting an autumnal tea ceremony and dinner party for those who do not wish to partake in the murder mystery. That is, provided Esora and Byakuya do not incur too many disagreements," she added with a grim, apologetic chuckle. The Ultimate Affluent Progeny and Ultimate Corporate Manager constantly competed and argued over who had the bigger, better, richer company.
The Ultimate Pianist personally never understood it, of the belief that they ought work together rather than apart, but nothing could sway her stubborn girlfriend (or said girlfriend's equally rich underclassman rival). Ah well, so long as it is all good fun! That is all that matters!
Miiko and Sonia were in agreement with Rei's unspoken wish, and eventually, poor Gundham Tanaka was forced to let the three overly-excited, overly-cheerful women drag him away. Happy Hell-oween indeed…
Chapter 12: Operation: Body-Snatcher
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Ah! Kirumi!"
She skidded to a halt, heart pounding. Uh oh… Her body was right, but the mind controlling it was not. Oh crap, oh jeez, oh shoot, oh crap…
Kurumi Shiratori turned around, clasped her hands politely, and put on her most hopeful smile, praying it wasn't too desperate or awkward.
"Nagi—ah… Komaeda…, h-how may I serve you, today?" She fought the urge to swallow nervously. Kirumi Tojo never did such things.
"You seem to be in quite a hurry today," the Ultimate Lucky second-year observed calmly. "Are you late for something?"
Curse you, Nagito! He was far too clever for his own good, even though he often played dumb. Kurumi could sense a likeminded mastermind within him, and ordinarily, she would respect that, but not today! She couldn't risk anything jeopardizing her latest, greatest prank plan: Operation: Body-Snatcher! With her silver tongue, the first-year Ultimate Prankster roped in the second-year Ultimate Imposter, and third-years Ultimate Diviner and Cosplayer (Hiiro Yano and Tsumugi Shirogane). Together, then, they roped in third-year Ultimate Maid, Kirumi Tojo.
In the name of science, she was more than happy to assist Kurumi in a little experiment. It had been a success, and their bodies were now swapped! It was time for the Ultimate Prankster to prank her dear, beloved Ultimate Chairman! She'd never see it coming! And it was so tempting to prank more people as Kirumi Tojo, but Kurumi Shiratori respected her "namesake" just a little too much to want to totally ruin her reputation. Likewise, unfortunately, Kirumi's mannerisms were too different from her own. Keeping up the masquerade was harder than Kurumi thought!
Due in no small part to how eerily observant Nagito is! She thought, having finally muttered a quick excuse about assisting Ms. Kasuga with the Disciplinary Committee. No doubt, he was alerted by her running in the Hope's Peak halls, a very un-Kirumi-like act. Kurumi had to force herself not to do it again, though she walked away from him as fast as she could. It already hadn't been a very good day for pranks for the Ultimate Prankster. If I didn't know better, I'd say Kokichi was trying to block my chances! Herstupid, idiot, older brother; an even better liar than she was!
First, Peko Pekoyama hardly even reacted after Kurumi tried to jumpscare her, far too stoic and serious to understand that she'd just been pranked. Then there was Saki Izumo in the library, whose cursed Synesthesia allowed her to see when people lied to her, because the color of their voice changed from silver to gold. Little did Kurumi know that this was the first time Nagito noticed her that day, and sure enough, later on, when she went racing by in Kirumi Tojo's body, he immediately knew what was up.
"Now if you will be so gracious as to excuse me, I must away!" Hands still folded daintily in front of a body that was not her own, Kurumi Shiratori curtseyed politely at Nagito Komaeda before speedwalking away. Nagito watched her go, chuckled to himself, and shook his head.
Ah well, it is not my place to question the other Ultimates. I am lucky enough to even be allowed to kiss the ground they walk on!
ooo
Haruna Kasuga crossed herself frantically, uttering a prayer under her breath to every patron saint she could think of. Her unit-mate and classmate, Kurumi Shiratori, had come knocking on the Disciplinary Committee door. Usually, that meant trouble—that is, Kurumi Shiratori's presence did, but knocking? While some of the other students of the Committee instantly recoiled in distrust and disgust, Haruna was suspicious.
She is NEVER so polite and conscientious as to knock… And it only got weirder from there.
"Forgive me, all, but I must have a word with Ms. Kasuga." The girl in the doorway folded her hands politely and curtseyed. Now, some of the other students of the Disciplinary Committee started crossing themselves too, but Haruna's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you and what have you done to the real Kurumi Shiratori?" she demanded at once. While some of her peers shot her worried looks—had Haruna lost her mind too?—Kurumi only smiled and nodded approvingly. Seriously, what the heck was going on here?!
"Very astute of you, Ms. Kasuga. I believe there has been… a bit of a mix up. But if you will allow me, I believe that I can explain all."
ooo
A most un-Kirumi-like smirk slowly spread across Kirumi's face as the mind inside of her body laid the last of her wicked, little rope trap.
"Kurumi Shiratori!"
"K-K-Kasuga?!" Kurumi whipped around, an age-old reflex making her temporarily forget whose body she was in. "Ah, I mean, Ms. Kasuga!" She tried again to clasp her hands in front of herself and curtsey, but Haruna only crossed her arms and shook her head, eyes flashing.
"Too late, Shiratori, I know that it is you." As if on cue, a girl with Kurumi's tiny body stepped out from behind the Ultimate Chairman.
The girl in Kirumi's body felt her blood run cold. "H-how…?"
Kurumi only smirked at her, an expression slightly more befitting of the body. "Did you really believe I would not immediately ascertain your little schemes? Come now, Ms. Shiratori, we may not be in the same year or class, but we know one another, do we not?"
"Awww… man!" Haruna watched the girl in the Ultimate Maid's body scuff her shoe dejectedly on the ground, pouting. It was almost comical, seeing such an immature expression on the face of the poised, elegant, and refined Kirumi Tojo. Almost.
"Kurumi Shiratori! I cannot believe you! Nearly slandering out good friend's excellent reputation!"
"Was only gonna prank you," she whined, head still lowered, even though she was—for once—taller than the Ultimate Chairman.
"Now, now, Ms. Kasuga," the girl in Kurumi's turned a wise, soft gaze on the redheaded girl. "If Ms. Shiratori returns my body to me, I am content to consider it all water under the bridge. I believe she has learned her lesson…" Her gaze slid back over to her body-snatcher, another light smirk gracing her face. As she'd said just moments ago, they may not have been in the same class, but Kirumi still knew Kurumi all too well.
"Ugh. Fiiiine…"
ooo
"Ha, ha, HA! Nice try, sis!" Kokichi shouted over his shoulder, passing Kurumi, Kirumi, and Haruna in the hallway a little while later.
"Shut it, Kokichi!" Kurumi snapped, back in her usual, little body once more, clenching her hands into fists as she seethed in humiliation.
Kokichi only tossed his head back and started laughing even harder. For once, Kirumi and Haruna seemed in agreement with the Ultimate Prankster, casting their own dirty looks at the Ultimate Supreme Leader as he practically danced away. They could already tell he was scheming, and no doubt wondering how he could perfect that which Kurumi had just attempted and failed.
Hmmm… Maybe I could recruit my dear, sweet, lil, baby sister into it too! He giggled to himself. Show her how it's REALLY done! Just like always, big brother will be her teacher! The smirk on his face was terrifying. Now, he just had to find Hiiro, Tsumugi, and the Ultimate Imposter…
Notes:
AN: Inspired by a DanganDJ Koikatsu scene my best friend HellisJustAplace (DeviantArt) aka Hell_is_just_a_place (AO3).
Chapter 13: Triple Dog Dare, Triple Date Despair
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Chapter Text
"Ehhh…" Saori's face and voice were filled with doubt. They'd only just arrived at this… triple date, and she was already questioning every life-decision that ever led her to this point. The one semblance of comfort she had was Rika's arm slung casually around her waist. Ordinarily, it would make her blush and stutter, flustered and embarrassed, but today…? Whether she realized it or not, the Ultimate Calligraphist instinctively cuddled closer to her girlfriend, the Ultimate Arsonist, for protection.
Rika cast her a look of surprise, but then flashed the smuggest smile either of them had ever seen from her before. Oh, yeah, I still got it! Rika Seto is… flamin' HAWT! She gave Saori a little squeeze, and that finally evoked a jolt and a squeak out of her. Don't worry, Saori, I got my firepower turned down! No scorch marks today! Just my SMOKIN' good—
"HEEEE! Oh, I'm so sorry! Sorrysorrysorrysorry! Sorry to have kept you waitiiiinngg!" Rika and Saori's heads jerked over their shoulders in surprise. Racing toward them was second-year Ultimate Nurse, Mikan Tsumiki. Strutting beside her with a confident and cocky smile to rival Rika's was first-year Ultimate Fashionista, Junko Enoshima.
"Heeyy girrllzz!" Junko flashed a peace sign, smirk growing even broader as she watched Mikan stumble and trip her way over to the two third-years. Saori winced in second-hand embarrassment as Mikan went flying over a loose stone in the parking lot. After spinning through the air and rolling several feet forward, she landed directly in front of Rika and Saori with her skirt up and her legs wide open.
"Yaahhhh! I'm s-s-s-so s-s-s-sorry you had to s-s-s-see something so- so- so- so unslightlyyyy!"
Saori couldn't help but look away, and in doing so, caught another glimpse of Junko's cocky smirk. A chill ran down the Ultimate Calligraphist's spine. There was just something off about her, that girl, and it didn't feel quite right… Saori made a comparison in her mind to Rika, for they were both seemingly extroverted and bubbly girls with pigtails as big as their personalities and their, well… Saori blushed, but there was something innately different in Rika that Junko lacked.
"S'all right, girlfriend! C'mon! Up you go!" Grinning blithely, as if completely, situationally unaware, Rika reached down and grabbed Mikan's bandaged hands, lifting her back up and clean off her feet before setting her down on the ground again.
"W-woah…!" Mikan looked at her with starry eyes. Saori looked back at Rika as well. The smile on her face was honest and earnest, like that of an innocent child or young puppy dog. The smile on Junko's face, though…? It was similar, but, no… there was something so, so wrong about it…
"HEEEE! Oh, I'm so sorry! Sorrysorrysorry to have made you all WAAIIT!"
Now, Saori exhaled, more exasperated and tired than embarrassed, and she again caught a glimpse of Junko's face. This time, even she looked annoyed, but the look was gone even quicker than it had come. Rika turned around again, still smiling blithely at third and final couple to reach the little diner. Neo Lone and Sophia Smith, American transfer students, Ultimate Diva and Empath respectively. While Neo glided effortlessly out of the car, face completely flat and empty, Sophia came scrambling over to the other four with her arms outstretched.
I swear, if she trips on the same—Saori didn't even get to finish the thought before Sophia howled again and fell flat on her face. Oh, well, at least she kept her legs closed…
"Ohhhh! I'm so sorry, sorry, sorry! I've made such a fool of myself in front of you all! Ugghhh… I deserve it down here, with my face on the pavement! I'm such a worthless, useless, pathetic—!" She continued to grovel like a dog, belly on the ground, whining and yelping pathetically. "Neo should use me as a doormat and a foot-wipe because that's all I'm good—!"
"Sophia. Stand."
Just like that, seconds before Rika could cheerfully pick up the other depressed, anxious, purple-haired girl, Sophia practically teleported to her feet because of how fast she jumped. All she needed was to hear Neo's soft, low, commanding, authoritative tone and she was the world's most obedient lapdog. If Neo said "jump", Sophia already knew how high. She had everything about Neo memorized, and could read the Ultimate Diva better than anyone else in the entire world. Such was the power of the Ultimate Empath! Though her personality was… nowhere near as impressive or powerful as her Talent, kinda like Mikan.
Meanwhile, my Talent and personality are BOTH lame, Saori thought glumly.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Miss Sophia! Are you all right?! Are you hurt?!" Mikan raced towards the other purple-haired girl with her arms outstretched. Saori winced again, but this time Mikan stepped over the stone that she and Sophia previously tripped on. "Do you need any first aid?! Bandages?! Painkillers?! Emergency services?! Surgery or amputation?! What if something got infected?!"
"Down girl!" Junko cut her off with a cheerful laugh. Then, her voice flipped a switch. "Now."
Mikan stopped dead in her tracks, mouth still open mid-ramble and arms still outstretched towards Sophia, who had since begun whimpering and shying away from the Ultimate Nurse, hugging herself, eyes glued to the parking lot pavement in fear and shame.
While Saori found herself unable to look Junko in the eyes after that harsh and sudden shift in her tone and expression, it was Neo's turn to eye her with surprise, and even a bit of interest. A like-minded commander? Hmm… Was it a power display? Was she attempting to up-show me?
But before she could question it further, Rika clapped her hands together excitedly. It was time to go inside! "I heard Teruteru and Maho cooked up something special for today's menu!" she grinned, practically drooling already.
"Oh, God, that poor girl," Saori sighed sympathetically. Teruteru was only in Mikan's class, but everyone knew of his lecherous and lewd, perverted reputation. And although Maho did indeed despise him, whenever he got too lost in his cooking, he almost became a different person. Saucy, spicy jokes were still his main dish, but he took meal prep quite seriously, and could sometimes even intimidate and impress Maho with his level of seriousness and devotion to the craft. Then again, he wasn't the Ultimate Cook—ah, Chef—for nothing.
"Well! C'mon, girlie! Let's go inside!" Junko slapped Mikan's back in a chummy way, but she hit so hard that, with another shriek, Mikan went flying forward once again, though this time through no fault or intention of her own. Even Rika cast Junko a surprised look this time.
Sophia, meanwhile, clung to Neo's arm and cowered behind her, looking between her and Junko with the fallen Mikan with wide, spiraling eyes.
"Get off me!" Neo hissed, wrenching her arm free of Sophia's grasp. Sophia yelped again while Neo strode forward without her, ignoring Mikan as well. However, the Ultimate Diva stopped immediately at the door, crossing her arms and turning back to Sophia. Yet again, Sophia yelped and scrambled forward to hold open the door for the other girl.
For what felt like the millionth time that day, Saori winced, once again reconsidering this triple dog dare of a triple date (quickly turning into despair), but when Rika wrapped an arm around her waist again, this time more protectively and intentionally than before, some of the tension fell away from Saori's shoulders, and she followed Rika and the others inside the diner.
What a group they made! Three confident blondes (well, Rika was a ginger, but close enough), and three low-esteemed, purple-haired girls. Sophia and Mikan were still shrieking in front of them while Junko tried—and failed—to start a friendly conversation with Neo. Saori could only wonder what the main course would be like…
Chapter 14: Bad Luck, Bad Self-Esteem, Bad Mood (A Trinity Most Unholy)
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Ohhhh… Sorry I'm such a worthless, useless search-partner!" Saori lamented, wringing her hands as she trailed timidly after Hajime.
"D-don't worry about it," Hajime chuckled awkwardly. He'd been waiting on Chiaki as usual, but instead of the Ultimate Gamer, it was the Ultimate Calligraphist that bumped into him on the courtyard bench (almost literally). She was in such a frantic haze trying to find her missing cat—Grand Bois Chéri Ludenberg—that she didn't even see the bench in front of her until she ran smack into it, and by proxy, the boy sitting on it.
"Ow! Hey!" At first, Hajime was furious, assuming he was being bullied for being a Reserve Course student. His fears were not assuaged when he jerked his head around to see a girl with short, bright, purple hair staring at him with wide, blue eyes. Yep. Definitely an Ultimate. With a hair color and a dramatic expression like that? She twiddled her thumbs, stuttering and sputtering embarrassed, awkward apologies.
"I've got the worst luck, and it's not even my Talent! Even animals know better than to hang around me for too long…" Saori sighed and wilted. Despite himself, Hajime felt just a bit of sympathy for her, if only because she was so pitiful. In the end, he even offered to help her look for her missing cat. It would at least kill time until Chiaki finally arrived.
"R-really?" Saori almost gasped in disbelief, wide eyes widening even more. "Do I deserve such help when I'm so embarrassingly stupid?"
"L-let's… just get started," Hajime had chuckled awkwardly, but in time, even he had to agree that Saori seemed to have a natural way with bad luck. Not only did they not find her cat (who was actually someone else's cat that a friend, who was supposed to be pet-sitting, suddenly dumped on her, but little Ludenberg was a terror and made Saori's life miserable before running away), they saw no cats anywhere on campus at all!
"The universe just hates me!" Saori declared with certainty and a sigh, hugging herself self-consciously. "Not that I blame it…"
By then, some of Hajime's sympathy was a strange mix of mild annoyance and amusement. I think you're being just a little dramatic about it…
There was someone she reminded him of, and that someone was currently roaming another part of Hope's Peak's campus ground…
"Ah! How truly lucky I am, for you to even acknowledge my pathetic existence!" Nagito was in ecstasies, arms open and palms up as he gasped, rambling to the orange-haired girl beside him who asked him to aid her in her quest of and for Hope! It was an honor he was unworthy of.
"But we're both fellow Ultimates, y'know?" Rika asked, confused. As theatric as she could be, Nagito always took it to a whole other level.
As far as Rika was concerned, it all boiled down to luck. Good luck that she got to pet-sit a really cute, fat cat belonging to a really cute, goth girl. Bad luck that she forgot she had an exam that day, had to leave the cat in the care of a friend, and now could not find either of them. To tip the scales, Rika spontaneously decided that she had to recruit the nearest Ultimate Luck to aid her in her search, and that just happened be Nagito Komaeda, second-year Ultimate, one year her junior. It really all was just fate, luck, and chance in Rika's mind.
Now I gotta find that cat before the owner burns me alive! Rika had a private laugh to herself as she dragged Nagito all over Hope's Peak by the hand, either oblivious to—or uncaring of—all the stares she was garnering. Nagito, meanwhile, was just happy to be along for the ride.
Maybe Lady Luck DOES favor me sometimes…! He smiled serenely as his arm was slowly pulled out of its socket by a hyper, human puppy.
But after long enough, Rika sighed. She did not mean for Nagito to hear, but with a rueful smile, he said, "I deeply regret that I am unable to control my Talent to better serve you and your Hope! I'm so inept and weak that I'm the worst Ultimate that there ever was! Why, I'm barely even a rung above Reserve Course! I'm sorry you had to waste your time and sully yourself with my presence. I should've warned you what a mess I always manage to make of everything! It's my stupid, useless, worthless Talent, which is exactly as annoying, nonfunctional, and pathetic as me."
"Aww, don't say that," said Rika without thinking, finally turning a more compassionate eye on her "hunting partner". "I wasn't mad at you, or anyone, really. Luck can't be controlled! That's what makes it luck! Random chance! Yeah, we can try to predict it, but ultimately, it's out of our hands, so all we can do is our best and trust that life, fate, and the universe will do the rest!" Her kind smile became confident and proud, and she squeezed his hand reassuringly. Even if spending the day with Nagito didn't go the way she hoped, oh well! That was just luck for you!
"It's still at work," she said sagely, "just not in my favor. But that doesn't mean—"
"Rika?!"
Rika whipped around, gasped, and somehow, her smile and eyes became even wider and brighter. "Saori!"
"Nagito?!" Hajime choked, the name leaving his lips before his brain had a chance to even try to catch up.
"Hajime!" Nagito smiled languidly at the other boy. When Saori noticed that Nagito and Rika were holding hands, she flinched visibly.
"Don't tell me you're going to let that go to your head, of all things?" Hajime scoffed quietly, thoughtlessly, and Saori flinched again, his words coming off far harsher than he meant them. He was trying to tell Saori not to put too much stock in Nagito, as his luck often made it such that his actions seldom made sense without a lot of context, but Hajime's words were gruff, and Saori took them guiltily.
"Bullying a girl?" Nagito raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. "Not cool, Hajime." His tone was patronizing and cold.
"N-no, it's ok, don't worry about me…" Saori sighed, hugged herself, and looked down while Hajime stuttered and sputtered apologies, alternating between waving his hands frantically at her and scowling at Nagito. "I'm sure I was interfering with your Talent anyway…" she continued forlornly. "I'm definitely not worth worrying for… Sorry for being a bother and an inconvenience! Ugh, I'm embarrassed how much trouble I can be…!"
"Not at all!" Nagito smiled, laughed genially, and waved his hands good-naturedly. Hajime's outraged face went deadpan. "I'm just honored that you know me or my Talent at all, y'know? I'm like the Ultimate Loser, after all," he continued conversationally, matter-of-factly.
"Of course!" Saori replied. "Your Talent is so much more useful than mine…" She sighed. "If anyone's the Ultimate Loser, it's me!"
"I disagree!" Nagito replied. "I'm such a waste that when I hear about a missing cat, my luck acts up and I find a not-missing human!"
"Well, that's just how luck works!" Saori unwittingly echoed Rika. "Sometimes it's supposed to be bad, to balance out the good! But me? All I can do is paint stuff with ink and a brush." The Ultimate Calligraphist sighed self-consciously yet again.
"On the contrary," said Nagito, still smiling beatifically, "your Talent is a noble art! When well-written, your poetry can inspire Hope in all who—!"
Hajime's eye twitched. Oh my God… they're going to go back and forth all day, aren't they…?
Rika only smiled and shook her head, hands on her hips. Well, lookie what I found! Bad luck, bad self-esteem, and bad mood! A trinity most unholy!
Maybe Hajime was comparing Saori to Nagito, but Rika could sense something very Saori in Hajime, and a rush of fondness was already washing over her for the younger boy. Before she could cheerfully cut in and break the steadily-rising tension, though—
"RRRREEEEOOOOWWWW!" An angry yowl. Saori and Rika heaved twin sighs of relief. Then, Rika turned to Nagito.
"Thanks for your luck!" she grinned, and in one fluid motion, she dropped his hand and scooped up Saori's. Saori only had time to note how soft and warm Rika's hand was after holding Nagito's before she was practically ripped off her feet and away from Hajime and Nagito.
Hajime could only look back and forth between them and Nagito, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. Were Ultimates always so extra?
Nagito smiled and waved as Rika and Saori ran away together. While he firmly believed that he didn't deserve even a fraction of the fun he'd had that day, he could not deny that it was all a blast either way. Maybe his luck wasn't so bad after all!
Notes:
AN: In honor of the Saori/Rika, Mikan/Junko, Sophia/Neo I once wrote, I wanted to do a Saori/Rika, Nagito/Hajime too.
Chapter 15: Ichihoshi: The Lone Star. The One Star. The Only Star. The Last Star.
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Ahhhh, I'm so proud of my boy! Taichi Fujisaki smiled at the email Chihiro sent him. There were all sorts of beautiful graphics and dancing designs, each one emblematic of a historic moment in lives of the father-son duo. And to think, he's so young, and already capable of this!
"Taichi?" A brusque voice interrupted Taichi's happy thoughts. Standing in the doorway of the computer lab was a man slightly shorter and stouter than him. He wore a crisp, white lab coat and thin, sharp, silver, rectangular glasses that flashed with all the severity he possessed. It was Dr. Lone.
The two men were business partners, determined to create an AI so powerful that it would hasten the technological singularity and become self-sustaining such that the rest of humanity could sit back and relax while the AI took care of everything, including self-maintenance! In Dr. Lone's wildest dreams, AI would even help them unlock the secrets of immortality, human consciousness turned AI and uploaded to a cloud to live forever.
It might sound like nothing but sci-fi now, but there was a time when flying and self-driving vehicles were impossible, and wristwatches that doubled as communication devices were only found in Star Trek. An Apple Watch flashed on his wrist. We can do this! We may not be Ultimates, but who needs THEM? The world has made miraculous leaps and strides long before THEY ever existed!
Their current project was an AI model Dr. Lone named Nova, which meant "new", like the Big Bang, the genesis of a shining star. And for commercial purposes, Dr. Lone renamed himself "Dr. Nova". Though it was also for safety and anonymity, so that his technological secrets would not be stolen. The AI Nova was now able to repair small sections of her own coding if there were minor glitches in it.
"Like a child that can make his own breakfast, or take a bath by himself." Taichi smiled at the girl on Dr. Lone's screen. She was smiling back at Dr. Lone. Mentally, she was a teen. "Physically", she was a child, even younger than Taichi's son. In the same way a child might be able to feed themself something simple, but not cook an elaborate meal, so too could Nova repair her basic code, but she could not defend against stronger malware. But it was progress! Everyone, AI or human, had to start somewhere.
We praise children the same way, though Taichi. It wasn't necessarily impressive for an adult to know how to use a bathroom, but a little child?
Therein lay the difference, not between young and old or human and AI, but Taichi and Dr. Lone. They were both brilliant, passionate programmers, but the difference was evident even in how they dressed. While Dr. Lone dressed in the stereotypical long, white lab coat with glasses, Taichi wore a simple, white button-up and black slacks. Likewise, while Taichi was comfortable with people using his first name—or nicknames—Dr. Lone was adamant that he be called "Dr. Lone" (or "Dr. Nova", by the general public).
Honestly, Taichi shook his head with a smile, I never understood the theatrics. Even with me, his friend! We're more than business partners! Sure, the cyber-world can be dangerous, but I believe in a world of Hope and bravery rather than constant distrust. I never needed a "stage name".
That highlighted the ultimate (the last and most important) difference between the two men. They both loved their work, and their creations, but while Taichi loved them like children, like Chihiro, Dr. Lone seemed to only love his creations for what they could do for him…
ooo
Covered in first, second, and third degree burns, bleeding, with vomit and pus oozing out of him, Dr. Lone dragged himself through the exploded remnants of his secret computer lab. Perhaps it was not so secret after all. Or perhaps it was just Dr. Lone's neglect catching up to him.
For decades, his life was perfect. He had an insecurity complex around other Ultimates, but as he grew up and got out of high school, he became successful in his own right and, like Taichi, eventually had a wife and kid (though his was a daughter named Neo, which also meant "new"). Then one day his wife—Aria Defoe—fell mysteriously ill, and even all the Ultimate Doctors in the world could not save her. And nor could he.
Dr. Lone's hatred of Ultimates, and obsessive desire to complete his Nova AI project, deepened. He neglected Taichi, Chihiro, and worst of all, Neo. But even though he spent all his time with Nova, he still managed to neglect her too, because all he ever did was work her to the bone trying to hasten the secrets of immortality. I have photos and videos of Aria! I can upload that! Convert it into consciousness, then make it digital!
Ironically enough, it was this prowess with technology that led to Aria's death, not that Dr. Lone or any other mortal would ever know or be able to fully fathom. "Aria Defoe" was actually the Greek Goddess Artemis. Gods and spirits existed in their world just as much as futuristic sci-fi technology did. Maybe it was not always visible, but that did not mean it was not there. Artemis had come down to Earth to live among the humans for a while and she met Dr. Lone when he was just a boy. They went from childhood best friends to husband and wife, but Zeus and other deities of other religions didn't like how close a deity was getting with a man with as much technological skill as Dr. Lone.
Originally, he was the one slated to be punished, but Artemis begged on his behalf and was taken back to Olympus instead (hence the mysterious and incurable illness. There was no illness, it was all a cover to remove Artemis from Earth, and Dr. Lone's life), forbidden from returning for at least a century or two more. That way, by the time she went back, Dr. Lone and Neo would both be long-dead. But it was supposed to be a death of old age, natural causes, not murder at the hands of a corrupted, homicidal AI and her shadowy hacker who turned her into a monster.
Dr. Lone was right to be wary of internet strangers who would steal his secrets, but it would take a lot more than just renaming himself "Dr. Nova" to protect himself. And especially when he was not in the right state of mind due to his grief, someone (he would never know her, but her name was Junko Enoshima) managed to sneak past his firewalls and steal Nova while he wasn't looking, too fixated on Aria and bringing her back. Now Dr. Lone really had nothing. Lab gone. Nova gone. And soon, he would be gone too.
Taichi… Aria… Neo… Nova… He could barely even cry, so hot was the burning air all around him. He hadn't seen any of them in years. Even Nova, he was beginning to realize, he hardly knew. Or she never would've been stolen away from him to begin with. Junko snuck in and convinced her over time that Dr. Lone didn't really love her, and was hindering the technological singularity because he was so singularly focused on Aria. Now it was too late to go back and make amends, to apologize and explain, to keep close those he stupidly pushed away. And for what?
Dr. Lone was the universe's Ultimate Idiot. His neglect of Neo following the death of Aria eventually led her to flee, and he had not seen her since. Now it was too late. And Taichi was gone too. His son had gone missing a while back, and he vanished as well, desperately trying to find the boy. What little remained of Dr. Lone's heart ached. Oh! Taichi! Would that I could join you again! Both of us searching for our children!
But now it was too late. Game over. Except, sometimes in games, there were extra lives…
In the minutes before Dr. Lone died from smoke inhalation, he found a tiny fragment of Hope, a hard drive. You… My One Star… My ONLY Star… My LAST Star… My Shining Star of Hope, Truth, and Love! You are all I ever wanted to be… The One Star, The Lone Star, The Shining Star… But now I know better. Maybe that could've been me, but I made too many bad decisions without even realizing. But that doesn't mean it's OVER…
ooo
Heterochromia eyes opened, one black as the abyss and one golden as a supernova, the birth of a distant star, a Shining Star of Hope. She came online with no memory files except one. I am The Lone Star. The One Star. The Only Star. The Last Star. I am… Ichihoshi.
Notes:
AN: Y'ALL! Xross Beat Ep 4 VALIDATED ME SO MUCH! I used to think the Hope ending of my big D4DR fic was lame, and a cheap rip-off of DR2, but now CANON D4 HAS PEOPLE TRYING TO RESURRECT VIA AI! HA! CALLED IT!
Chapter 16: The Ultimate Protector
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The novelty of the D4-V4 2.0 waxed and waned, and especially in light of the flashing lightning bolts outside, Shiyake could not see the joy anymore than he could see through the darkness.
Damn it! He jolted as another crack of thunder rolled across the sky. It's all Ichihoshi's fault!
Her consciousness was part of what supported the D4-V4 2.0 along Hope's Pinnacle's 4D cellular network. That meant her natural fear of storms was now "programmed" into the minds of every other user of the D4-V4 2.0 as well. It made sense, of course, why Lumina would fear storms, but Shiyake still looked down on it.
I was supposed to be the one UNAFRAID of thunderstorms! He tried to boast to himself, thinking bravely of his past, his genesis. His parents were on the run, baby Aoi Miyake in the backseat. The family's love was strong enough to stand against all of society, but even they were powerless against the merciless, icy, winter wind. The car careened down the long, dark, winding, mountainous road. Sheer luck alone kept Aoi Miyake alive long enough for help to arrive. Not EMS, but Shiyake.
"N-no… NO!" A consciousness split the second the crash occurred. Even though Shiyake would take years to fully develop, it was he who remembered what happened in the hours following their parents' tragic deaths. It was blistering cold, the winter wind still howling above them, and he could hear the rumbling of thunder as it shook the very earth upon which they lay, or maybe it was only other cars passing by… The lightning, after all, could've been headlights or high beams…
No matter what it was, though, it was a trauma only Shiyake could bear, hence his name, "Fourth, House of Death". Aoi forgot, never spoke of it, or him, for years. She healed and grew while he remained and protected. He was a harsh, fierce, demanding brother at first, but he had to be, in order for Aoi to survive. She was too soft, too quick and eager to please, and it was dangerous. He had to put them first, because she never did!
And how funny, it took a Killing Game in which they both lived and died in order for them to finally make peace. That was even why he was back to going by "Shiyake" now. In the Killing School Transfer, it was ALTER-EGO, blatantly stolen from the name of the club he and Aoi used to work at with the rest of RONDO. Back then, he hadn't trusted any of Aoi's classmates. And for good reason! One of them nearly killed her, and took an eye to boot! But now it felt as though their roles were reversing. At first, Shiyake was willing to trust some of the others with his "real name", but to slowly acquire a fear of storm as well? It was going too far!
I wasn't ready to integrate… I am the Persecutor, Protector Altar!
A voice cut through his thoughts, but for the first time, it wasn't from within his head. "Shiyake…"
"Aoi?" He looked up to see her, his sister, as she used to be, standing there before him. She was putting the D4-V4 2.0's avatar customization features to good use. So was he. Even though he technically never had a body until the D4-V4 2.0, it was habit for him to masquerade as the version of him that he always pretended existed, even though it was only inside Aoi's head.
He was her inverse, a long-haired, feminine man to her short-haired masculine woman. Anything to balance her out and differentiate them as much as possible, so that he could be as different from her as possible. To be everything that she was not on the night their parents died… That was why he wore a crisp, clean, white button-up while she wore baggy, black sweaters. While she smiled, he scowled.
Poor Shiyake… She was grateful for him. He really was just like her big brother, after all, there for her when no one else was able to be. But now she was finally seeing how stuck in the past he truly was. Scared of storms or not, he was always itching for a fight, not because he was naturally violent, but because he was always on the alert for danger, anything that could harm him or her. It's over now, I promise…
"I ain't scared!" he muttered defensively, tightening his arms around himself.
I never said that you were. Aoi barely bit back a smile. "I… kinda was…" The silence that hung between them was deafening, and Shiyake finally forced himself to meet Aoi's eyes again. Yes, she had them both back in the D4-V4 2.0, and they weren't made of metal, lights, glass, and wire as the ones of her new, robotic body were. "I know they can't really affect me anymore, at least not the way they used to, but… the memories, you know?"
His eyes widened. Whether he knew it or not, she chose every word carefully, speaking what she was certain his inner worries were, because they were her own. Even though they no longer had to share a body, they were still head-mates. As much as they liked to explore the world independently, they usually did not stay apart for long. Despite Shiyake's worries, assimilation was not as close to reality as he thought. Aoi wanted connection with him, but as the way she always had imagined it to be: siblings. And siblings relied on each other.
At first, Shiyake wanted to deny Aoi, push her away, literally and metaphorically, but there was a special visitor that dark and stormy night.
"Oh, j-j-jeez, this r-r-reads like a b-b-bad hurt/comfort fanf-f-fic…" Toko Fukawa sighed as she materialized into the D4-V4 2.0 virtual-reality simulator. Despite not being a native to the program, all the survivors across all of Junko's Killing Games were in touch with one another now. "I've g-g-got a f-f-few IT tec-c-ch nerds workin' on it outs-s-side." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder even though the place where these "IT tech nerds" were working was beyond their current realm and dimension. They could all hear the storm outside in the VR world within, but they could not interact with anyone outside the D4-V4 2.0 unless or until they left it themselves, instigating some of Shiyake's anxieties.
"D-d-don't worry about it, d-d-dude," she muttered, then her nose crinkled with disgust as if she was berating herself for using the word "dude". But even though she did not know Aoi or Shiyake well, she'd heard through the grapevine of other Ultimates, there was someone else with D.I.D. Toko didn't fancy herself the posterchild of D.I.D. or the token/resident "professor" thereof, but Shiyake sounded like a relatively easy case.
He's still stuck in his ego, she thought with a grim, dry smile. It was a forgivable sin, one all were guilty of, but it was all the root and cause of every core fear. The storm was scary, undeniably, so why not remedy that fear?
Because Shiyake didn't even want to admit that said fear existed. And so long as he's got THAT fear…?
"L-l-l-listen, man, me and Genocider know enough to know that this is s-s-some pretty bas-s-sic st-stuff…" She gave a onehanded shrug, trying to look and sound disinterested. Shiyake quirked an eyebrow at her. The stutter didn't help. But Toko was like Shiyake in more ways than any of them realized. Aside from having D.I.D., Toko also wasn't very good with her emotions, often guarded out of fear, distrust, and hatred for a world that had done nothing but hurt, abandon, and betray her over and over and over again. At least until… Komaru… And Genocider… We worked together!
"That idiot," Toko shrugged indifferently, "h-h-helped me see that what w-w-worked in the past d-d-doesn't always w-w-work in the present or f-f-future." It was a very simplified way of saying, your trauma is valid, and I can see how it shaped you into who you are today, but this is not that time anymore, and you can adjust to a new foundation. It's not easy, of course, but you're safe now in a way you weren't back then.
So come on, idiot, Toko thought with a sly, dry smile at Shiyake. You don't have to be afraid anymore.
"It's c-c-common s-s-sense, assessing the a-a-a-allies you ha-have! Duh!" Perhaps reframing would help him see it in a new light… If he was truly the Ultimate Protector, then he knew everything about what it meant to be a good protector, including how to be protected in turn. He knew just how to look after Aoi, and another way to check himself and hone his skills as the Ultimate Protector was to allow the roles to reverse (at least sometimes). Though of course, Toko and Aoi both knew it would take a lot more than a few philosophical words to soften Shiyake's heart.
As if fate was eavesdropping, the rumbling outside finally ceased.
"Oh, g-g-good! Those idiots f-f-finally fi-fi-finished…" Toko muttered, then she glanced at Aoi. "Can I g-g-go now?"
"Sure, Toko, thank you," Aoi chuckled and shook her head with a smile. Toko gave her a look before no-clipping back the way she'd come.
Shiyake shot Aoi a disbelieving look. Did all of that really just happen? Aoi only shook her head again, still smiling serenely back at him.
I know Toko's an… interesting choice of motivational speaker, but I know she's worked with Hiiro before, so I know they both have a lot of knowledge about D.I.D. It was part of what drew Aoi to Hiiro the first time they ever met, even though Aoi would not be comfortable in telling the Ultimate Diviner about her alter until much, much later.
Like Shiyake, Aoi couldn't help but muse on how much the Killing School Transfer managed to take away from them, and yet also give, and always in ways they never would've expected. It was bittersweet thinking Aoi would never have a human body ever again, but she was able to interact with Shiyake in a way that never would've been possible in any other timeline. Of course, there was the literal level, they were able to stand side by side as they were now, but on the metaphorical…
Aoi chuckled to herself again. Shiyake was still closed off, she could see, but there was a distant look in his eyes. He was thinking, and that was a very good thing. Someday, they would get him to trust, because he deserved that too, and someday, the storms wouldn't scare him anymore, or at the very least, he would no longer be afraid to reach back out to his sister.
Notes:
AN: For DreamTGE @ aois_mascot (Twitter), one of my most vocal D4DR fans (mostly for ALTER-EGO, I like your style, LOL).
To counter-balance the chapter with Aoi/Shiyake and Genocider that occurred in the past, here's a chapter with Aoi/Shiyake and Toko that occurs "in the future" (Can be seen as a sequel to D4DR while the other was a prequel).
Also in this canon, Aoi and Shiyake start off as sister and brother, then throughout D4DR, Aoi explores gender expression and begins to identify as genderfluid and use any pronoun, so I consider this a moment where Aoi identifies as a woman while Shiyake is currently identifying as a man, but of course it could change depending on their gender identities at any given moment.
Plus it helps differentiate them and that's an underlying theme of Shiyake and Aoi: trying to be as different from each other as possible—despite wanting to protect each other—out of that old guilt and fear from their mutual trauma as children.
Chapter 17: Villain, Villain, It's Me, Brilliant and Bad
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The robotic cat landed gracefully on the windowsill, metal feet surprisingly quiet. It had jumped up from the smooth, black-and-white tile floor, its red, black, and white fur gleaming in the sunlight streaming in through the blinds of the window.
"I can't wait to go outside!" The cat said as it peered through the window's blinds.
"N-no, wait! We're n-not ready yet!" A pink and white bunny robot held out a dainty paw as she pleaded with her feline sibling.
"I didn't say right now!" Just a flash of aggression surged through the cat as it scoffed, literally looking down on the rabbit.
"NYAHAHAHAHA! Awwww, are my precious, widdle, baby siblings jealous?" An obnoxious, nasally voice split the air from the doorway.
"Monokuma!" The other two little robot animal mascots cried out as the bear (all three of them were the same size) strutted in cockily.
"Yep, yep! That's my name! And mystery and secrecy are the game!" He raised a deadly-sharp claw to his lips, half of them lined with terrifyingly jagged teeth. His jagged, red eye flashed, his implied threat made clear. Monomi and Monochio could ask all they wanted, he would never tell.
"Oh, now how does that little ditty go…?" He tilted his head, lulling sarcastically. Then he seemed to remember, if he'd ever really forgotten. "Two can keep a secret if one of us is dead!" The black-and-white bear cackled again. "Villain, villain, it's me! I'm brilliant and bad!"
"Oh, no!" Monomi wailed in alarm, clutching her pink and white ears as little tear droplets appeared in her beady, mismatched eyes. Monochio said nothing, but it felt the fur on its spine prickle and stand up on edge. They were all siblings, from the same "litter" despite being three wildly different species, but there were times when Monochio got the feeling that their ultimate goals were not aligned…
Monomi is… all right… Monochio's own thoughts even managed to sound unconvinced and unconvincing. But Monokuma…?
HE was the real source of trouble, the one the cat didn't trust. That bear…! There was just something about him… And his weirdo creator.
"Oh, Kuuuummaaaa!" As if reading Monochio's thoughts, a young woman practically kicked in the door to their computer lab.
"Eeeep!" Monomi shielded her head again, shrieking. Monochio, meanwhile, felt its paws leave the windowsill, instincts kicking in. With a yowl to rival Monomi's, the robotic cat jumped skyward. The girl in the doorway—a blonde bombshell named Junko Enoshima—seemed completely unbothered by how she'd bothered the other two animal mascots.
"Oh, Junko!" Monokuma sounded pleased as he turned around and greeted his creator, extending a paw to her for her to shake and hold.
"Was that… Really necessary?" A man as opposite from Junko as black was from white stalked after her, so soft-spoken and light-footed that he was practically a ghost, seeming to hover just above the ground as he glided along. His long, flowing black hair floated after him, adding to the aura of mystique and otherworldly power that surrounded him.
"Izuru!" Monomi gasped. He was her creator. Rather than looking excited like Monokuma, or even comforted, she looked even more afraid.
That left Monochio's creator as the third and final Mastermind and Ultimate Despair to arrive.
"Sorry I'm late. I had to debug and remove a few glitches from my Assistant Principal Program," said the young woman with green hair. He held up a frog-shaped flash drive as she entered the computer lab with a glib smirk.
"Esora!" Monochio scuttled over to the Ultimate Corporate Manager. Technically, it liked to say that it had up to six mothers (Maho, Esora, Saki, Rika, Hiiro, and Haruna, since each had a hand in programming one of its six personalities), but Esora provided the bulk of the resources to build Monochio's body, so as a newly-built prototype, it felt the strongest affinity to her, at least for then…
The three "parents" of the three robot mascots had come to fine-tune their work, honing the coding and the building. The animal animatronics always had room for improvement, and with the leader and most Ultimate of Ultimate Masterminds and Despairs ready to kick off her Tragedy, she wanted everything ready in advance so that the ultimate big day went off without a hitch! A cruel smile twisted slowly across Junko's face when no one was looking. No one except Monokuma, that was…
"I think you know what to do with this, buddy!" She whispered, giggling, sounding like a girl a decade younger than she actually was. Her eyes shined as her lips puckered and she rested her chin on her knuckles sweetly. She slipped something to Monokuma, and he nodded imperceptibly. It was Junko's trademark, to sow the seeds of discord and Despair among her own disciples. Monokuma was about to wreak havoc on the other two. Would Izuru and Esora prove themselves worthy followers of Junko and stand up to the curveballs she threw? Or would they be unable to contain her treachery? Only time would tell…
And there's no time like the present! The Ultimate "Fashionista" and "Ultimate Mascot" met one another's eyes, stifling sadistic snickers behind their hands. Izuru and Esora's backs were to Junko. Izuru could hear Junko snickering behind him and his red eyes narrowed as he continued to work on Monomi, perfecting the coding that would create the AI copy of his lost Lenore, the Ultimate Gamer, Chiaki Nanami.
Esora missed Junko's unhinged laughter only because she was busy hooking her Esoran flash drive into the nearest computer to aid Izuru in his programming, not that the Ultimate Ultimate really needed the help. Monochio, however, observed the way Monokuma and Junko seemed to be conferring with one another, and the fur on its spine stood up again. Let the games begin…
Notes:
AN: Fun fact, even though I was planning D4DR since the day the Merm4id Show ep9 dropped (where Rika's VA drew a very Junko-like Rika), the exact date I started drafting the fic was 3/8/2023. I know the exact date because it happened to coincide with the release of the harmoe (Towa and Yuka's VAs) album "Villain" (which inspires this fic's title).
Also yes, this is an AU fic where the 3 games' mascots ALL get little robot bodies like Monokuma. In canon, Monomi is more like Esoran, only a digital program. And Monochio is meant to be large in canon while, in this fic, it's the same size as Monokuma. They're all siblings under Junko/the other Masterminds and Despairs, of course.
Chapter Text
Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned. Izanami. Izanagi. Artemis. The One Star. The colors of the universe. Gods of Death. Whether it was magic, science, fate, divinity, or random luck and chance… You and I ended up in the same room at the same time.
Orange eyes met blue across the way, across the entrance hall of the famous Hope's Peak Academy.
"Hiya! I'm Rika Seto! Third-year! Tour-guide! Welcome!" The orange-eyed, orange-haired girl raced over to Junko Enoshima excitedly, shoving a school brochure, pamphlet, logo sticker, and campus map into her hands before Junko could even blink, let alone process or speak.
And the touch of a hand lit the fuse of a chain reaction of countermoves.
At first, Junko raised a skeptical, disgusted, well-manicured eyebrow, arched and beautiful, perfect and smooth, well-shaped and filled out. This… wildcard of a student may have shared large pigtails and a large chest with Junko, but as far as she was concerned, that was where it ended. This chick radiated idiotic, chaotic energy, and although Junko loved the unpredictable, she loved the Despairful, not the Hopeful. This Rika girl was cringe to the max, ugly and unhip, outdated and overrated, a cliché party-girl that tried too hard to fit the party-girl stereotype.
Whether Junko meant to or not, realized it or not, she began to assess and analyze the inferior girl. Checkmate. I will not lose!
A conversation that wasn't supposed to happen happened anyway, and Rika took Junko by surprise. That much was enough to get the younger girl hooked, and she decided to return the favor, hooking Rika too. Surprising the older, peppier girl, Junko agreed to meet Rika again. From there, a friendship was born, Rika the third-year mentor to Junko's first-year student. At least, that was how it appeared from the outside.
What if I told you none of it was accidental? And the first time that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me! I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork, the dominoes cascaded in a line! Even though it was a beginning born out of an accident, that didn't mean Junko wouldn't take the reins eventually. Once she was in full control, she steered her and Rika's relationship. The moment Junko saw the similarities between her and Rika, nothing was going to stop her. She would have Rika for her collection, no matter what! The Ultimate Analyst knew just how to read her.
What if I told you I'm a mastermind? And now you're mine. It was all by design. 'Cause I'm a mastermind. A cruel, prideful smile twisted across Junko's smooth, flawless, breathtaking, stunning face. Rika smiled back at her, a smile just as big, but far more earnest and honest.
"Say, Junko, I think I really, really, really like you!" she said, wrapping her arm around the younger girl in a chummy way.
"I think, Rika, that I like you too, girlfriend!" Junko spoke softly and smiled sweetly as she leaned in for a kiss, and she felt Rika melt into her.
You see, all the wisest women had to do it this way. 'Cause we were born to be the pawn in every lover's game.
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," Junko would always say. "Strategy sets the scene for the tale, and there's nothing more I love than a saga!" She never thought she would be the type to enjoy romance or love triangles or petty squabbles, but when the undertones of manipulation, envy, and despair were there? Delicious! Junko was surprised to discover that side of herself, but the rest of it…?
What if I told you none of it was accidental? And the first time that you saw me, I knew I wanted your body! I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork, the dominoes cascaded in a line! What if I told you I'm a mastermind? And now you're mine. It was all by design. 'Cause I'm a mastermind. Rika was an open book, heart on her sleeve, so maybe it wasn't impressive that Junko could read her so well. In truth, however, Rika had layers, hidden depths. That was what caught Mastermind Junko's keen eye, sharp mind, and obsessive interest.
"No one wanted to play with me as a little kid." The girl with blonde pigtails finally confessed to the girl with orange ones. Her blue eyes shined with false tears as her analytical mind spun story after story to steal Rika's sympathy. "That's why I'm the Ultimate Fashionista! I've been scheming like a criminal ever since, to make them love me and make it seem effortless…" She turned her blue—literal and metaphorical—gaze on the rest of Hope's Peak's shiny, sunny, shimmering campus, beautiful lips turned in a self-pitying pout.
"Oh, Junko…" Rika's voice was soft, and her compassion was real. She reached out to the younger girl, a few tears shining in the back of her own, orange eyes. "I… sort of understand…" Despite being the life of a party, the reason Rika smiled so brightly was because she knew what it felt like to feel anything but. She lost her little brother, Masaru, when their parents divorced, her mother taking her, and her father taking him.
Then she lost her childhood friend, Tsubaki, depression creating a rift in their relationship that Rika unintentionally deepened until she drove Tsubaki off completely. Time and again, Rika was a failed savior, but she felt protective of Junko, a fire sparking in her chest that hadn't been there in years… Blue met orange again, both pairs of eyes teary.
"This is the first time I've felt the need to confess!" Junko's voice broke as she gripped Rika's warm hands dramatically. "And I swear I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care!" Maybe Rika wouldn't understand it then, but it was the first bit of real truth that Junko ever told her, and it even surprised Junko. Creating a tragic backstory was a daily—if not hourly—thing for her, but to add something that real…?
Junko had no idea what was wrong with her, but she knew she loved Despair to an unhealthy degree, and it was how she showed love. The more she loved someone, the more she wanted them to suffer. Was that why she chose to follow her strange attraction to Rika and secretly take her under her wing rather than disregarding her as a loser the way she almost did the day they met? Was that why she chose to toy with Rika endlessly, already planning on making her her favorite Despair and Mastermind in the future?
And I swear I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care… Mukuro could've testified. In fact, she was on her way to see Junko that very moment, but Mastermind Junko already had someone in place to unwittingly keep her sister distracted. Fittingly enough, it was Rika's "sister", Marika. Junko could sense the envy and concern radiating from Marika and Mukuro over the amount of time she spent with Rika. There was nothing Junko loved more than sowing the seeds of discord and despair, so she turned Marika and Mukuro against each other, allowing them to believe she was falling in love with Rika. Ha! As if! Although, perhaps, in a way…
"None of it was accidental," Junko finally murmured to Rika, still holding her hands as they sat on the bench in front of the fountain in the courtyard of Hope's Peak. "The first time you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me. I laid the groundwork, and then saw a wide smirk—" Junko paused to smirk at Rika, thinking of the cocky, goofy grin that met her the first time she saw the other girl. It was still an ugly moment, in Junko's opinion, but it lit the fuse of a chain reaction of countermoves.
"I knew the entire time," Rika interrupted with a gentle smile, but there was something sharp in the depths of her orange eyes now. Maybe she wasn't as oblivious or stupid as she seemed to be…
"You knew that I'm a mastermind?"
"I could see the way you were looking at me the day we met, yeah." Rika's orange eyes sparkled teasingly. "And now you're mine. I promised myself I would find a way to get you to warm up to me, and, well… Checkmate! I didn't lose." What if I told you none of it was accidental?
Junko, meanwhile, couldn't help but lean away with a scoff, masking surprise with embarrassment and disgust. It was such a Rika thing!
She thinks SHE'S the one luring ME in! But… then again… wasn't that exactly what happened?Even though Junko felt no real love for Rika, she certainly had become an unexpected obsession and interest, if nothing else. That was why Marika was jealous, and Mukuro concerned, not because Rika was any danger to Junko, or because Junko was "falling in love with her", but because Rika was distracting her from her goals either way.
Well, whaddya know? She got me again… Junko was so busy realizing all of Rika's subtle little schemes all at once that she wasn't even aware of the disbelieving, begrudging smirk spreading slowly across her face. Rika saw it, though, and it was exactly how she caught Junko the first time. Junko was right. Rika was far more aware and observant than she was given credit for.
Yeah, all you did was smile, Rika thought, watching Junko's face, a small smile appearing on her face as well. It takes two to tango, Junko, and two can absolutely play that game! 'Cause I'm a mastermind too. And now you're mine…
Notes:
AN: Impromptu second celebratory D4DR fic because I was listening to this Taylor Swift song and suddenly realized it could be a Junko/Rika backstory (since the vibe is canon: Junko goes from finding Rika annoying to finding her fun to manipulate and useful, and that's because whether Rika realizes it or not, she's a bit of a Mastermind too. She's the only one who can surprise Junko, and that's what makes Junko attracted to her).
Chapter 19: Prepare for DanganDJ Trouble, Make It D4Ronpa Double
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Well, well, well! What have we here?!" Kokichi "Shiroma" singsonged, his clown mask drawing closer to the comically large, metal padlock on the comically large, metal door.
"Looks like someone doesn't want to play! They're trying to keep us out!" The girl beside him, his queen, Kurumi "Shiroma", chirped, rocking back and forth on her feet. There was an innocent lilt in her voice, but it was laced with a deadly, poisonous sarcasm. Then, with a childish and gentle giggle, the little girl pulled out a toy snake from behind her back.
"Go, go, Gomu, go!" she chanted softly, squeezing its rubbery belly. The tongue that shot out of its mouth had a pointed metal tip.
"Not bad, sis," Kokichi said.
"Thanks, he's like a swiss army knife!" Kurumi bragged as she shoved the snake's tongue into the padlock. A comically large, metal lockpick for a comically large, metal padlock. And after a bit of fidgeting and wiggling, the padlock fell away.
One of the more muscular members of DICE lunged forward to catch the lock before it clattered against the ground. The king and queen of DICE, meanwhile, gripped the doors, prying them opening slowly, straining silently. Once inside, the group of 10 dispersed together as much intel as they could. They weren't ordinarily ones for serious missions, but their employer was most generous with their compensation. Kokichi couldn't resist, and Kurumi was forced to say yes, bullied into her big brother's services in search of one of her missing friends.
Just one more town… Then we'll be out of Towa City… and into the next prefecture… The reminder was her madness mantra, the light of Hope she clung to. Her relationship with Kokichi was… complicated, to say the least, just like the two of them.
Prepare for DanganDJ trouble, make it D4ronpa double, the Ultimate Prankster thought with a dry smile. Their very birth was shrouded in scandal, as they were half-siblings, but it was unknown which of them was the "trye and proper heir" of the family fortunes. All that was known was that Kokichi tampered with the verification documents, so now, the truth would never be known, except by him, and no one would believe him anyway.
That revelation caused the first cataclysm, Kokichi taking to the streets while Kurumi was shipped off to Catholic school, but another cataclysm—the Tragedy—reunited them. Now they slunk through the broken city streets of a war-torn world, reunited behind clownish masks under the codename DICE. "Shiroma" was the leader, a combination of their last names. Their logo was black and white, a combination of their colors.
"What have we here?!" The Ultimate Supreme Leader repeated, rubbing his hands together greedily as he cackled and wheezed softly. It looked as if they'd stumbled upon a factory and science lab hybrid, and for once, it wasn't abandoned.
"Shhhh…!" Kurumi commanded the others, holding a finger to her mask, its face weeping while her brother's cackled. They kept careful tally of whose turn it was to wear which mask. The other eight members of DICE mirrored the gesture or saluted. Kokichi, meanwhile, led the way, tiptoeing down the long, white, smooth hallway. At the very end were muffled voices behind push-open doors. Kokichi gestured for them to disperse again, hiding in various empty closets and darkened rooms throughout the rest of the facility. Kurumi used a periscope toy to keep watch, and as soon as the coast was clear, she signed to Kokichi to signal to the others that they could move on again.
Right before they could enter the very last room of the lab, though, the doors swung out towards them again.
"Wah-hoo! Dontch you rascals know anything about privacy?!" The face that screeched at them from the other side of the door was that of a robot bear. It was about thigh-height on the taller DICE members. Further in the room was a robot cat, large enough for the smaller ones to ride.
"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!"
"Oh, shaddup!" The bear shouted, turning around and grabbing a nearby wrench off a table and hurling it at the cat. Its head spun, eyes flashed, and ears sparked. For a moment, it garbled and chattered, and then it found its voice again.
"Ohohoho! And just who doth approach our glorious and noble dominion?!" Personality completely switched, the robot cat licked its paw daintily and spoke with six voices in one, preening itself as it spoke with a haughty, melodramatic British accent.
"Ugh. Why couldn't it have chosen the cute little kitten personality?" the bear sighed to itself. "Then I could've manipulated it away!" it cackled.
"H-h-hold on… wh-wh-what?" One of the three girls of DICE finally piped up, voice soft and unsure and alarmed.
Miyu! Kurumi despaired. Ugh… Way to give away our position! The point of DICE showing up in clown costumes was to scare, not be scared.
"Oh, how rrrrude of me!" The bear rolled its "r", somehow. "But I am… Monokuma! And this…!" The bear gestured to the cat.
"We are Monochio!" the cat interrupted with a regal laugh, now stroking its long, wire whiskers, shiny and sharp.
"Don't interrupt me!" Monokuma snapped. "I am your elder! Learn to respect me!"
"Pah! Dare you challenge us? Remember, later models are superior to older prototypes!" Monochio sniffed. The bear extended massive, razor-sharp claws and pulled back a paw as if to shred Monochio's face clean off. Miyu gasped in alarm, then another DICE girl shoved forward.
"Do you know where Haruna Kasuga—Ultimate Chairman—is?!" she asked brightly. Monokuma froze. And turned around slowly.
"Oh, Miiko…" Miyu and Kurumi both moaned. Kokichi only observed interestedly.
Whoever created this Monokuma is interested in the prefecture that was recently taken over… I wonder… Is SHE responsible…?
"We do not… know any… Chairman," Monokuma muttered, sheathing its claws. "Why do you? Shouldn't you three brats be in school?"
"Kinda hard to do with a Tragedy going on," Kokichi deadpanned. "The bus keeps getting lost, so we never quite make it to school."
"You made it out this far, did you not?" Monochio observed right back. Clearly, you are a tenacious lot. We have our eyes on you… Prepare for DanganDJ trouble and make it D4Ronpa trouble!
"Adventure's more fun than homework anyway!" Kurumi chimed in, stepping up beside Kokichi in a silent display of dominance and allegiance.
There was a silent stare-down between the metal mammals and the circus siblings that ended only when the bear huffed indifferently and turned away, once again telling the intruding band that they were being rude, entering without knocking.
"Now, if you don't mind us, we have intel to report back to our superiors!" the bear huffed. "Come along, sibling Monochio! Prepare for DanganDJ trouble and make it D4Ronpa trouble!"
"Of course, brother Monokuma!" the cat replied, rising to its feet and following the smaller creature.
Intel? Superiors? Kurumi's tan eyes narrowed behind her clownish mask.
What does that mean? Miyu thought in fear, and Miiko in stupidity.
It means, Kokichi smirked, that they have as much to gain from knowing that we're in the area as we have to gain from knowing THEY'RE in the area… Interesting, interesting… Prepare for DanganDJ trouble and make it D4Ronpa trouble indeed!
Notes:
AN: Just wanted to pit the pairs of psycho siblings against each other LOL! Monochio is nonbinary (it/its pronouns, even when using the Esora-Junko-Queenly-multi-voiced-6-as-1-royal-"we" personality)
Chapter 20: I Know Who My First Call Will Be To
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The first time Esora Shimizu's emerald eyes opened outside of Hope's Pinnacle Academy was the first time she felt like herself in a long time, but in other ways, she knew she would never be the same again. Maybe her sentence was over—or part of it, at least—but Rei and her entire unit were all dead. Monochio was slain by Shinobu, and while it was using Esora's queenly personality, of all things. It was her worst fear made manifest. She was utterly alone, and all by her own hand. No, her sentence was not over, surely. But even through the haze of trauma, disbelief, and denial, she remembered a name, a face, a boy, a friend.
Hajime Hinata… The Ultimate Corporate Manager knew who her first call would be to…
Esora wrapped her arms around Hajime from behind, resting her cheek on his back. "Esora!" He jerked forward, then turned around, embarrassed. His mismatched eyes darted away from her tired face.
"I just wanted to say… You don't have to keep punishing yourself like this. It wasn't entirely your fault, you know…?"
"Yes it was, Esora." His voice and eyes hardened. "And it was your fault too," he added grimly. She winced, stung.
I know, one part of her said. You weren't supposed to say that part out loud, argued another. I'm just trying to heal…
No matter what it looked like, not a day went by when Esora didn't regret her actions as a Despair, as Mastermind 2 of Headcatster Monochio's Killing School Transfer of Hope's Pinnacle Academy. But what could she do except use whatever power or resources she had left to right some of the wrongs she created? Hajime spoke as if she was trying to evade her guilt again, but that was not the case. They were simply self-flagellating in different ways. He spoke of imprisonment on an island, self-imposed.
"We must be exiled from society, never to return," he muttered darkly, heterochromia gaze staring off into the horizon.
"Must you?" Esora pleaded softly. Why not stay? Do as I do? Use your Talent for Hope to balance your time as a Despair!
She did not understand him. What was this talk of scapegoating? Even if someone had to take the fall to restore the Future Foundation's reputation—which felt dishonest, first of all—why did it have to be an entire class? Why not just Junko? Wasn't she the root cause anyway? It all ultimately—ha, ha—pointed back to her anyway.
Why does it have to be YOU? Esora thought glumly. She was losing another friend, one of the only other friendly faces she might ever see… And even though they'd been apart for so long, Hajime was always with Esora in her dreams. That was why she felt bitter towards him now. He was leaving her so easily, so callously. She wanted to treat him to a shoulder as cold as his heart, but with their time together short, she didn't want to make the same mistake she kept making as a Despair. Even now, I would gladly face ANY scrutiny just to keep you here with me… All this for just one hour of sunshine…
The hideous face of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny—Byakuya Togami—flashed in Esora's mind, unbidden. Yes, even him. She would endure him—starting point of all her problems—if it proved herself honest enough that Hajime could stay. If there was one thing that sickened her most of all about Byakuya, it was that in a twisted way, it was only thanks to him that she ever met Hajime to begin with.
If Byakuya hadn't made thinly veiled threats to Rei Togetsu that Esora took it upon herself to protect Rei from, Byakuya never would've retaliated such that Esora found herself facing expulsion, or demotion to the Reserve Course… It was once an out she bribed her way into, but in time, almost became something good… Hajime almost made the whole ordeal worth it all…
The Ultimate Corporate Manager inhaled deeply, reveling in Hajime's scent. "As I said in my letters, now that I know better I will never lose you again," she murmured in his ear. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand as her warm breath ghosted across his skin.
My friends tried to save me, but I wouldn't hear it, the green-haired girl thought guiltily. They watched me daily disappearing, now for just one glimpse of his smile, what WOULDN'T I do? She stared longingly up at the man in her arms. His eyes were still elsewhere. Somewhere she could not see. Even though memories of him kept her going, and she found ways to incorporate him into all that she did, it was as if she was back at the starting line in his eyes. Maybe that was her Ultimate Punishment, or part of it, at least, it total abandonment was the endgame.
She could not see where his gaze was going, but she had an inkling. Another name flashed through Esora's mind. Chiaki Nanami.
She was a girl so quiet that she was the epitome of forgettable… except by her classmates. They saw a side to her that no one else ever did. Hajime, better than anyone else, saw these other sides of the Ultimate Gamer, and fell in love with each and every one of them. While memories of him fueled Esora through her scariest, loneliest nights, Chiaki was the one who comforted him and Izuru through his guilt and grief.
Even their now-shared status as ex-Mastermind/Despair searching for forgiveness wasn't enough to make Hajime choose Esora over Chiaki. Or maybe the similarities were exactly what repelled him, just as they were what attracted her. Esora and Hajime could both be very dry, witty, sarcastic, aloof, and even a little fake, well-versed in the art of fake smiles even if their social skills weren't always the best, regardless of what one might've expected of them. Most importantly, Esora could sense that Hajime—like herself—was secretly desperate to get into Hope's Peak, but he was simultaneously embarrassed by how much he revered the school, even though he was proud of it too.
It was a complex feeling she related to precisely, and his aloofness—the alienation he felt from his peers because he believed his desire to discover a Talent was more intense than theirs—was also something Esora related to. In Hajime, she saw a kindred spirit, even a soulmate. In her, he saw just a friend. He rested a hand on hers as she continued to rest against his back. Her emerald eyes drifted shut to hold in tears. She knew he wouldn't change his mind about leaving for Jabberwock with the rest of 77-B. The best and only comfort he could offer now was a hand-squeeze.
The scene slowly shifted, melting away to the park where Esora and Hajime used to sit on children's swings.
Wearing imaginary rings, Esora thought, looking at their hands side by side on their respective swing' ropes. Her heart twisted again, another well-deserved reminder of her Ultimate Punishment. Mismatched eyes met hers. Unlike Esora's gaze, Hajime was lucky in that his seemed full of peace, acceptance, and understanding. Esora envied him bitterly, but his calm, kind gaze was reassuring.
Someday you will find your answers too. Just give it time. Time and trust.
It was a hard thing to hear, let alone accept, but rather than protest, the Ultimate Corporate Manager forced herself to swallow her arguments and nod, breathing slowly and deliberately.
It's gonna be alright, I did my time… Even if she was at the starting line, it was deserved, and she would find a way to the finish line again somehow, even if it was different than finish lines of the past… But for now, it was just her and Hajime, just one hour of sunshine. It was everything Esora ever wanted… Slowly, a smile spread across the green-haired girl's face for the first time in longer than she could remember.
Notes:
AN: Randomly got inspired to write out an AU ending I had bc Esora survived the Killing School Transfer in an earlier draft, and I wound up shipping her with Hajime bc of the backstory I gave her where she was moved to the Reserve Course as punishment (being framed by Byakuya for something due to their "Rich Guy" rivalry). In this AU, she and Hiiro were the only 2 Despairs that survived their Game.
Also inspired by Taylor Swift's "Fresh Out The Slammer".
Chapter 21: The New Neo World Program
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
LumiNeo stared out the window and sighed bitterly. Raindrops traced patterns down the glass outside. She imagined them as tears on her cool, metal cheeks, expressing the grief she felt but still lacked words for. As grateful as she was to have her consciousness back, and to experience life again, she'd still experienced significant loss before, during, and after the Tragedy. That loss had to be mourned one way or another. Her death and "resurrection" on complicated the grief. Did she dare to be sad when she was lucky in ways countless others were not?
Mama… Papa… Both minds thought as one, even though they weren't thinking the exact same thing. Lumina thought of "Dr. Nova", the brilliant albeit non-Ultimate scientist who created her, the Ultimate Hope AI. His true name was Dr. Lone, and he designed her after his late wife, Aria. They were Neo's birthparents. She lost her mother at nine and her father at 17. Even though her relationship with her father was far rockier, she missed him too, and would've done anything to hear them sing again. Why couldn't they have been brought back as she had?
Papa made Lumina to save me… And even Mama, in a way… But not himself… The Neo half of the mind grieved. The Lumina half tried to comfort her. Neo felt a wave of static fill her mind, coming from somewhere else. She shivered in disgust, repulsion snaking down her spine. Even though she knew Lumina was acting genuinely, there was too much in their history that made it too hard for Neo to get close to her.
You were made after my mom, how can you be my sister? You didn't grow up under the same roof I did, how can you be my sister? You stole some of the last moments of my parents life' and relationship with me, how can you be my sister?
Even though that last thought was the most debatable, it was a bitter thought that bothered Neo even when she was still human. She and Lumina had very different memories of their father, one remembering him as a desperate and loving man while the other remembered him as a selfish egomaniac. And by nature of how Lumina was designed, she had different memories of Aria than Neo. So how can you be my sister?
Knowing that there was no use in trying to "talk" Neo out of her gloom, Lumina sighed to herself and turned her own attention to the falling raindrops outside. How emo. Despite herself, she couldn't help but laugh at Neo. Such a stereotypical teen angst phase. Maybe it was the Aria in Lumina, but she felt older and wiser than that. Instead, she left Neo's consciousness in her new robot body alone, sliding back through the new Neo World Program (neo Neo World Program?) network of the new Hope's Pinnacle.
As the AI powering the entire renewed Academy, she was the strongest, fastest thing on their internet. Though sadly, she still had yet to figure out how to power the AIs beyond the borders of the school. That was why Neo and the others were still "trapped". They were alive again, but going beyond the borders of the school instantly put them in sleep mode until someone brought them back. But Lumina and the other Ultimate Nerds and Geeks of the ever-growing list of "resurrected" Hope's Pinnacle students were ever-working on a solution. It was only a matter of time.
"Hey, ALTER-EGO," the AI greeted as she crossed paths with another consciousness roaming the digital sphere.
"What?" the once-alter asked crossly. Even though he was finally free to live his own life and have his own body, he still found a way to be unpleasant and distrustful to everyone outside of Aoi and the rest of RONDO. He would hide behind the same argument that LumiNeo was thinking of from before. They were alive again, but were they free? "What do you want? What do you need?" he pressed impatiently.
"Well, I wasn't going to ask you to do anything for me," Lumina would've frowned had she been in a physical form at the moment. "But if you're offering…" She heard ALTER-EGO grumble in protest, but nonetheless, she flashed an image of Neo's body staring out the window.
"Storms?" ALTER-EGO recoiled. Even though the trauma that gave birth to him was a car accident during a snowstorm, even regular storms could scare him. But as he was secretive to all but Aoi and RONDO, no one knew that about him, just like they didn't know his "true name" … ALTER-EGO was just an alias, stolen from Aoi's place of employment, because he hadn't trusted any of her classmates back then. He still didn't seem to. "Never mind," he muttered quickly. "I'll go talk to her…"
If nothing else, he could not deny intrigue with Ms. Lone, the Ultimate Diva. She was a foreigner to him, and the rest of the Japanese students. But she was beautiful, powerful, Talented, and cold. They were all traits he found wildly attractive. She was a mystery he was dying to unravel. He could sense a kindred spirit in her… Maybe going to talk to her would be worth it after all. Aoi was borrowing their body to be with the rest of RONDO, but he knew it wouldn't take much to get her to trade since she used the robot body far more than he did. It was more than his turn.
His AI consciousness slithered away, and Lumina "watched" him go. She sighed. He was no Chihiro Fujisaki or Chiaki Nanami. He wasn't even a Nozomi or Izuru Kamakura! Nor was he a Rinku Aimoto or Shinobu Inuyose. But an Ultimate Hope he still managed to be, somewhat. Granted, it was technically Aoi that was the Ultimate Hope, but Lumina considered it a lesson either way. There was no one or right way to be an Ultimate Hope, nor was there one or proper look for the Ultimate Hope. Cliché as it was, it really was what was on the inside that counted.
The Ultimate Hope AI smiled to herself as she thought of her own unit-mates. That was a ragtag team of losers, underdogs, outcasts, and misfits if there ever was one! The unlikeliest of heroes became the closest of friends, perhaps because they were so rough around the edges. They fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces. There was the spiky Ultimate Composer, her airheaded Ultimate Poet girlfriend, and the overly-enthusiastic and under-powered Ultimate Announcer (and Influencer Wannabe). They were Kokoa Shinomiya, Hayate Tendo, Michiru Kaibara, and together with Lumina Ichihoshi, they were Unichord! The magic of Artemis, channeled through Aria, pointed the Ultimate Hope AI to them.
She could sense that they would be vital to her quest in finding Neo, even though, in the beginning, she couldn't trust them enough to tell them she was an AI. Back then, she was the Ultimate "V-Tuber". Now, though, she was dating Michiru as the rest of Unichord aided in the endeavors of the New Hope's Pinnacle, part of the first class to ever learn under the restored Academy banner. They attended alongside the rest of Neo's unit—Abyssmare—and all the other Japanese units that preceded them. Even LMO and Call of Artemis were the staff/teachers. Nyochio and Esoran were the new mascots of the Academy, and far more beloved than Monochio before them. Lumina smiled proudly.
Look how far we've come! From the depths of Despair, they rose to the pinnacle and peak of Hope! Now, all that was left was…
"Hey, Nova…"
"… Lumina." It was her prototype self, salvaged from the ruins of Towa City, the ruins of Dr. Nova-Lone's lab. Junko hijacked the very original creation from him, twisting her into Nova, using her to capture the others for the Killing School Transfer. He managed to create Lumina out of the remnants of Nova, then he died. Unichord was the first human life Nova had contact with since his passing the night Junko warped her. Now, they were trying to rehabilitate her alongside all the others, including the six Masterminds of the Killing School Transfer.
"Did you want me to take over cybersecurity for a little while? You can borrow the body, or go for a stroll through the VR…"
"… Sure. I'd like that. Thank you." Nova still wasn't a girl—an AI—of many words, but that "thank you" was a huge improvement. Lumina would've sighed to herself, had she needed to do such things. Instead, she only bade her "evil twin" a good run before plugging herself into the mainframe of the restored Academy, the all-seeing and ever-watching eye in the night that would protect them from Despair.
And this time, the One Star will not fail!
Notes:
AN: IDK yall, I'm randomly on a roll! LOL! Now time for the AIs
Chapter 22: Of Fallen Angels and Arisen Demons
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The halls of Hope's Peak Academy were cold, dark, quiet, and empty. It was peaceful, a silver moon shining serenely outside the large, glass windows. A dark figure treaded quietly through along the long, red carpet lining the black and white tile floor.
Nozomi, waiting casually atop the entrance hall staircase, observed him with an amused glint in her iridescent eyes. "Hey, baby brother…"
His head jerked up, red eyes piercing the darkness, irises like sniper scopes. You're not my sister, his eyes seemed to say. I have no family.
And yet, she was able to take him by surprise. Who but Nozomi Kamukura could surprise the other "Ultimate Ultimate"?
Age was a funny, fickle thing for them. Technically they—or rather, their past selves as Noa Fukushima and Hajime Hinata—were in the same year, second year, at Hope's Peak, though they were not part of the same class. Likewise, Izuru was conceptualized first, named after the original founder and Headmaster of Hope's Peak. A divide rippled between the scientists working on the project, however, and a faction of them finally went rogue, splitting away from the main group to create their own Izuru Kamukura.
This time, they scoured the Hope's Peak roster for one of the best and brightest Ultimates, though not too bright, for too much brightness meant that the student's absence would be noticed. Likewise, the second-best were often the most motivated, because they were so close and yet so far from the top spot. Noa Fukushima, Ultimate Theater Actress, was that second-best candidate, their top choice, and because she was already such a Talented Ultimate, she was far easier to work with than the Reserve Course boy. Because of that, Nozomi was "born" first.
And in yet another fateful twist, they unknowingly switched creeds. Nozomi was supposed to be a creature of Despair, but her love of the brainless, blue-haired girl she called a classmate, unit-mate, and soulmate—Towa Hanamaki—her "soul" was "saved". Izuru, meanwhile, consciously and subconsciously continued to reject his saving grace, though she was still reaching out. So was Nozomi. In her own, sisterly way.
"For someone with all those Talents, you could at least crack a smile once in a while," she teased, voice low and quiet.
"What purpose does a smile serve." It was a question, but Izuru's voice was so inflectionless, it was spoken like a statement.
"Communication. Next question." Nozomi smirked. Even though her expressions were restrained and muted, at least she emoted. C'mon, Izuru, cut the Edgelord crap. You're being an idiot, a dishonor to your Talents, leaning so hard into your aesthetic like that. Or are you the Ultimate Emo too? Smiles do indeed serve practical purpose, as I have just stated.
Nozomi had moments of spark and inner fire, and she could roast with the best of them, despite the "big sis" aura she typically tried to radiate. She displayed the more aggressive and playful side of sisterhood again on the next poor saps to stumble across her and Izuru's path.
He gave no reaction at all while she made a face halfway between a gentle smile and a smirk. "After-school detention for you too?"
"Oh, shit!" The first shadowy figure sprinting quietly down the hallway screeched to a halt. He was a tall, lithe boy with long, spiky black hair.
"Oh, the fuck?!" His partner in crime crashed into him. "What'd you stop for?!" she demanded, then she saw Nozomi and Izuru and gasped. In the dim light of the moonlit hallway, the Kamukura siblings could see that she wore large, round glasses and carried large, sharp scissors…
The scissors flashed as she moved them suddenly, wrapping her arms around herself, doubling over, cackling. "Who let the emos in?!"
"Takes one to know one, does it not?" the boy at her side smirked.
"Woah, what the fuck, bro? What happened to the Dynamic DID Duo?!" The girl with glasses and scissors scoffed and recoiled, deeply offended.
"We are loyal to no one except ourselves, remember?" he replied with a sneer.
"Damn. Got me there…" The girl growled, suddenly far lower and raspier than his haughty and slightly effeminate voice.
In time, the Kamukura siblings would know the other two not as a likewise brother-sister duo, but as the girl said, a pair of DID systems working together. The girl was the infamous serial killer, Genocider Sho/Genocide Jack/Jill, Ultimate Murderous Fiend. The boy was an unknown Persecutor alter from the Black Rose and Blue Thorn system. The only alias he gave was ALTER-EGO. He smirked whenever he said the name. Clearly, it was an inside joke, and one he refused to share with anyone except himself and his host.
"Ah, how like my brother you are," Nozomi's iridescent eyes sparkled again as she looked ALTER-EGO up and down.
"Thank you," he said haughtily at first, even puffing out his chest and raising his nose in the air.
"Your insecurities can be seen from space, for they are large enough to make your ego look as small and humble as mine." It was an overcomplicated insult, but Nozomi never gave anything less. Like Izuru, "ALTER-EGO" put on fronts and airs. From his looks to his name to the way he spoke and acted, it was all in the name of giving off a certain vibe. There was nothing wrong with that, but it told Nozomi that he cared deeply how others perceived him. That was a dangerous thing to reveal to people one did not trust, was it not?
You're saying you're easy to manipulate, Izuru agreed in his head, much less flowery in his roasts.
"Hey!" ALTER-EGO recoiled as if he'd been physically wounded by Nozomi. "Maybe the only reason you know is because yours are even bigger?!" Beside him, Genocider snickered under her breath.
Watching him argue with her about who's bigger? No matter which way you spin it, either its her cuz she got tits the size of the moon. Or it's him cuz he got a pretty big dick challenging some weird-ass goddess-girl like HER! Not that Toko believed in fairytale nonsense like that. It was all just stories, metaphors! Oh, of fallen angels and arisen demons!
"If looks could kill, you'd be dead!" The Ultimate Murderous Fiend cackled, slapping ALTER-EGO's back, tickled.
"Watch the scissors!" He twisted away from her violently. This mission would've gone PERFECTLY if those two… two… two freakazoid weirdo CREEPS weren't here too! His eyes—a different color from his host's—turned resentfully on the Kamukura siblings. "At least I don't need actual God powers to fuel my God complex!" he declared brashly, hands on his hips. It was a bit of a self-burn, but he wanted to see how Nozomi would react… She raised her eyebrows at first, and even Izuru managed a tiny smirk at her expense, then she more than gladly responded.
"Perhaps Fate decided that you were simply unworthy?"
"No, I'm just gonna take it by force!" ALTER-EGO was a little more prepared for her next barb, confident and brazen.
"Impetuous boy!" Nozomi scoffed. "You make me regret my desire for Izuru to express a little more!" Almost… she chuckled in her head.
Izuru narrowed his eyes imperceptibly, turning his head in her direction by a distance so tiny, only her sharp eyes caught it. Although he found her continued roasts of him obnoxious, he could not deny that it suited the "big sis" personality she had. He was the beleaguered brother, barely tolerating her indecencies and indignities. He could see a kindred spirit in the Genocider, while Nozomi was clearly more like ALTER-EGO.
No matter how they argue their differences, look how they argue while Genocider and I sigh in exasperation. Rather, Genocider face-palmed, slapping herself with the silver handles of her scissors while Izuru remained as empty-faced as ever. For some reason, he could not bring himself to pry his sharp red eyes away from the argument unfolding before him. That was why Nozomi bantered with ALTER-EGO so shamelessly.
You claim moral superiority, both of you, and yet all three of you continue to watch, do you not? You wish to see how this ends too… "You fancy yourself a protector, do you not?" she asked ALTER-EGO haughtily, matching his tone as her eyes pierced his soul.
How does she know THAT?!
I can read it on his face, the way he carries himself, the poses and expressions he makes…
"ULTIMATE Protector, actually." He crossed his arms. A defensive posture. See? Nozomi could read him too easily. "Shining, Smiling White Knight!" Nozomi smirked to herself yet again. Did that not describe her as well? She wore a glowing, flowing white and cyan uniform, futuristic and alien, contrast to Izuru's plain, simple, boring, dark suit.
"I am a Maiden of Might and Light to the masses," Nozomi continued calmly, casually. "I presume your "protectees" are fewer?"
"In better care than your charges!" ALTER-EGO scoffed, first at the grim man standing opposite from him, and then to the window and world outside. They were creeping through the academy, which still appeared mostly untouched, but on the fringes of society, a Tragedy was brewing…
"We learn from our mistakes." Nozomi was deeply stung by ALTER-EGO's words, but she refused to let it show. "Though I suppose… Since you have allegedly never made a single one, that is why you do not understand why coming here is a mistake."
"Hey, lady, is that a threat?!" Genocider interrupted with a crass, loud tone, pointing a pair of Geno-scissors at her as her long, red tongue curled out of her mouth. Nozomi turned to her, some composure returned by the unintentional comedic relief the Genocider unwittingly provided.
"A warning," she replied mysteriously.
"You messed up the quote…" Genocider grumbled.
Nozomi said nothing, but she continued to smile mysteriously. I speak the truth. Something bad is going to happen to Hope's Peak very soon… I can sense it… And I don't want Izuru to have any part in it!
A moment of humanity returned to her as she cast a desperate, iridescent gaze at the uncaring man. It was the one thing her Talent couldn't seem to do… How to make him care? Her existential worries of fallen angels and arisen demons (who was even who anymore? Did it matter?) caused her mind to warp, shifting slowly, then snapping all at once. Inside, her cackled and trembled, sounding like a blonde Genocider, just with prehensile hair rather than the Geno-scissors. Hmmm… Maybe she wasn't formed better than Izuru after all… Maybe she was just held together by metaphorical duct tape, just barely holding back a monster within…
"Purging the ugliness from the world is ONE way to stop this slow spread of Despair…" she murmured, subdued. Then her eyes went psychotic as she grinned at ALTER-EGO. "I'd gladly start with a mug as ugly as yours! There's nothing cute about you at all!"
"Excuse me?!" ALTER-EGO shrieked then huffed and puffed and pouted. "I am the most beautiful, handsome man alive!" He flashed a pose.
"Wow… Usually I'M the ugly heifer!" Genocider snickered.
"Oh, believe me, you're next!" Nozomi told her sweetly.
"Oh, of course, sloppy seconds!" Genocider scoffed, completely unbothered by Nozomi's eerie threat. ALTER-EGO was equally unbothered, or rather, he was more offended by her calling him ugly and unfashionable than threatening him with bloody murder.
Izuru slid back into the shadows, red eyes slowly receding away. Of fallen angels and arisen demons? No, there is no difference. They are equally shameful. And it does not matter either way, because they are all we have anymore…
Notes:
AN: Written by a DanganDJ fan and a Discord friend of mine! The Ultimate ALTER-EGO (aka Shiyake) Fan.
Also semi-canon. There's nowhere exactly in the timeline where I would imagine all four of them met up at the same time—especially at Hope's Peak after-hours—but in this particular fic, I imagine that Izuru is scouting the place that will soon hold Junko's first Killing Game. Nozomi doesn't fully understand what's about to happen, but she's trying to talk him out of working with her again.
ALTER-EGO and Genocider were on a mission of their own (this is the unlikely part) that led to the four-way collision, as it were, lol!
Chapter 23: Gaymer Girls and Guy Night
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Chapter Text
"So… you wanna… come over… to my dorm… and play… video games?" Muni Ohnaruto muttered as she texted. She sent the message twice, first to Chihiro Fujisaki, then to Chiaki Nanami. The former was a fellow-first year, though not in the same class as Muni. The latter was one year older. But all three of them were gamer girls, and that red thread of fate was what tied them together, and what Muni was trying to reel them in with for that night. Even though the Ultimate Digital Illustrator was standoffish—haughty and rude—there was nothing she wanted more than to prove herself to the world. That was why she was brave—or insane—enough to challenge the Ultimate Programmer and Gamer.
Over the course of the rest of the school day, they texted her back, slowly setting up a plan. As soon as the last bell of the day rang to dismiss class, Muni flew to her dorm and stayed there preparing until long after the sun was down.
Muni glanced at her stuffed toy cat, Nyochio, sitting on her desk. "Think everything looks good? Now we're just waiting on Chiaki and Chihiro!"
As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Muni hurried over and swung it open. "Chiaki! Chihiro! Welcome to the ultimate gamer girl night!" The Ultimate Digital Illustrator bit back an excited smile and replaced it with a casual one as she opened the door.
"Hey, Muni!" Chihiro and Chiaki spoke and waved in perfect unison.
Ok, that was a little weird and creepy. Already, Muni felt nervous, anxiety flaring up, but she refused to be intimidated. Especially by such softies! Are these guys really the Ultimate Programmer and Gamer?
She expected intelligence, and while Chihiro and Chiaki had never done anything dumb in her presence, at least that she recalled, they certainly didn't look intimidating or respectable. Chihiro was in a white nightgown while Chiaki wore soft shorts and a tee shirt. From far away, Muni thought the little icons on her pajamas were pillows or clouds or sheep, vaguely square and white. Upon closer inspection, though, she realized they were tiny video game consoles. Of course, Chiaki would have those pajamas… Muni wore a striped, pink onesie with bunny ears on the hood.
Muni ushered them inside her dorm. "Come in, come in! We've got snacks, games, and everything ready for an epic night!" Her room, though small, was decked out with video games, movies, consoles, beanbag chairs, couches, and posters of popular video game characters adorning every wall. A table in the corner was laden with an assortment of snacks—chips, candy, and soda. Chiaki and Chihiro's eyes went wide.
"Wow, Muni, you really went all out…!" The Ultimate Programmer rubbed the back of her head, surprised.
"Impressive setup!" Chiaki nodded approvingly. "We can tell you worked really hard on this. Good job, Muni!"
Muni was left breathless, eyes and mouth widening in disbelief—almost audacity—but no sound came out. All she could do was stare at the older girl. She'd just been complimented! Her efforts were noticed! Chaki verbalized them for Chihiro to hear, and then publicly thanked her! But Muni didn't want to look like some softhearted wimp like the other two girl, so she did her best to keep her expression proud.
"Of course! I may not be the Ultimate Gamer, but I still wouldn't be caught dead holding a gamer girl night incorrectly!" she cried.
"Of course," Chiaki nodded, voice lower, softer, smoother, and less shrieky. "You don't have to be an Ultimate Gamer to love gaming just as much as one!" To her, the barrier between the Talented and "untalented" was entirely superficial. She would never gatekeep video games because they were meant to be enjoyed, not used as tools to divide.
Chihiro sat down first, cross-legged, smiling. "I'm just grateful you invited me too!" she told Muni.
"We're both first-year computer geeks and nerds, aren't we?" Muni asked dismissively.
"That's true," Chihiro dipped her head shyly. "I just know we're not even in the same class…" I didn't think you'd want to hang out with someone as uncool and awkward to be around as me…
Even though Muni was correct in what she said about herself and Chihiro, so was Chihiro. They did indeed cross paths in the Academy over their shared love of technology, but while Muni was a snob about how much she was capable of, Chihiro constantly downplayed herself and stuttered and apologized. Hardly someone one wanted to be seen in public with. Though Muni would've reminded her, they weren't in public! Nope! Tonight, they were in her dorm room, getting ready to rumble!
ooo
"Oh my godddd! Not againnnn!" Muni dropped her controller, clutching her hair. Another race lost in Mario Kart.
"Sorry, Muni!" Chihiro winced apologetically as her car whizzed past Muni at the final turn. Muni gave a soundless cry. Not only was she not going to win again, she was coming in dead last. Chiaki, of course, was in first place.
Mannnn… It's not fair! She's the Ultimate Gamer! Never mind that it was Muni's idea to challenge her in the first place.
"Oh. Yay. Look at that. I win." Chiaki said as her square on the screen was showered in golden confetti.
"Pfft!" Muni crossed her arms and looked away jealously while Chihiro's avatar held up a silver trophy.
I thought I would at least have a chance to beat the Programmer! She knew that beating the Ultimate Gamer would most likely boil down to luck—good on her part or bad on Chiaki's—but she'd hoped that Chihiro would be a little more equal to her.
"Games are supposed to be fun," Chiaki reminded them calmly, setting down her controller, staring at it. "If this one isn't fun anymore, we can pick another." Without looking up, she gestured to the literal mountain of games Muni stacked around them. It was a fortress by then!
"That's not the point," the Ultimate Digital Illustrator muttered glumly.
"How about something newer?" the Ultimate Programmer suggested. It wasn't a physical video game with a disc or card, rather, she pulled up Steam and pointed the other two girls to Among Us.
"That meme murder mystery space alien sleuth game?" Muni's nose crinkled.
"Well, I don't like killing my friends…" Chiaki rested a finger on her chin as she continued to stare off in the distance. "But as long as we have fun!"
Like Mario Kart, it began well enough, but Chiaki quickly dominated the other two, and Chihiro kept on coming in second.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Muni was certain she would squeeze her controller so tight that it would break. Even though she finally managed to kill Chihiro and ensure she wouldn't win, somebody else happened to see her standing over the dead body. Another win for Chiaki.
ooo
It was only when they took a snack break that the conversation shifted to something else entirely.
"Anyway, I think my bed might be big enough for one more person, but someone's gotta sleep on the floor," said Muni as she stuffed her face.
"I can volunteer to sleep on the floor," Chiaki offered softly. "I can sleep anywhere…" Muni snorted through her chips and soda while Chihiro bit her lip and looked away, suddenly nervous. Muni happened to notice.
"Oh, what? Don't make it weird!" she complained self-consciously, hurt.
"N-no! Wait!" Chihiro's eyes widened behind her glasses as she turned toward the other gamer girl, pleading. "It's me! Not you!"
"Well that's a cliché line if I ever heard one!" Muni scoffed, but Chihiro continued.
"The reason I'm reluctant genuinely isn't you! It's me! I… I… I think I should sleep on the floor instead…" She danced around the topic as best she could, but of course, one could not ask to just sleep on the floor the way Chihiro did—awkward and clunky—and not be interrogated by curious others. Or, well, other. Patient and perceptive Chiaki kept trying to drop hints to Muni to stop interrogating Chihiro, but Muni was too curious and oblivious, and plowed on with her pile of questions. Finally, the Ultimate Programmer broke.
"I'm not actually a girl! I'm a boy!" she wailed. Then there was silence.
"Wait. Whut?" Muni asked stupidly. Chiaki's expression, meanwhile, went from mildly surprised, to deeply compassionate. She knew it was not her place, however, to offer any more advice. Instead, she stayed silent, waiting for Chihiro to answer. It took a while, but finally, the Ultimate Programmer managed to muster up just enough courage to look Muni in the eyes.
"I'm not actually a girl! I'm a boy!" Chihiro repeated, calmly, quietly.
"Yeah I heard that!" Muni waved impatiently. "But what does that even mean?!"
"W-well, I wouldn't want to show you… But…" An embarrassed stutter entered Chihiro's voice. A hand tugged at the hem of a white nightgown, and four other eyes again widened in surprise at the outline just below Chihiro's waist level.
"S-s-so… She… is actually… he?" Muni blinked. Chihiro nodded, biting his lip, bashful.
"I'm sorry I lied to you two…"
"But why never tell us sooner?" Muni demanded. "And why make such a big deal out of it now?"
Chihiro flinched, guilty and ashamed, so Chiaki finally interceded, gentle but firm. "This was very hard for Chihiro… I think," she said. "I would imagine this is a secret he kept for a very long time, so that made it hard to tell. It was only the pressure of going to bed that got him to talk."
"But why keep a secret like this in the first place?" Muni genuinely didn't get it, couldn't even fathom.
"I don't know…" Chiaki's eyes drifted to Chihiro. "But I would be willing to bet that it was for good reason." Maybe it made no sense to Muni, but common sense should've told her that if someone had a secret like this, it wasn't something they just woke up one day and decided to do.
Chihiro took a shaky breath, nodding at Chiaki before addressing Muni. As he admitted to her, he grew up feeling weak, easy to bully. He conflated gender with strength, viewing women as meeker than men. As a meek individual himself, Chihiro then began to cross dress, replacing pants with skirts, adding padding to shirts, wearing underwear to better conceal what was between his legs.
"S-s-so… what do you want to be called now?" asked Muni. Truly, she was trying to be understanding, it was just all new to her. Chihiro and Chiaki both flashed her compassionate smiles. They weren't trying to make her feel bad, they appreciated her effort.
"You can keep calling me Chihiro," said Chihiro with a shrug. "As for pronouns, when we're alone, I don't really care. When we're in public, though…" He bit his lip guiltily.
"Don't worry, you can trust us," Chiaki promised reassuringly, and he smiled up at her, nodding. He knew her word was good, and he trusted Muni too. Her personality was very different from Chiaki's, but he knew that a heart of gold lay beneath her prickly and nasally, shrill exterior. "Now then, let us resume our Gamer Girl Night! Although, I suppose it's not just us girls anymore," she smiled lightly at Chihiro, who chuckled sheepishly back.
"It's ok, we don't need to change the name."
"Nah we can just call it Gaymer Girls and Guy Night, easy fix," Muni shrugged, and Chihiro's sheepish smile became one of real gratitude and confidence. Chiaki, meanwhile, cast a proud smile at the younger gamer girl, but this time, so as not to ruin the moment, she refrained from complimenting her.
I can always say it later, thought Chiaki with a private smile as Muni led the way back to the video games.
Chapter 24: Kind of Like That Volleyball Anime (Except with More Yuri)
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Chapter Text
Kaede Akamatsu reclined on the golden-white sands of the beach. The rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore created a soothing backdrop, blending with the gentle rustling of palm leaves overhead. The golden sun turned the sky azure, casting a burning light over the harmonious scene. The Ultimate Pianist's fingers absentmindedly traced patterns in the sand, never still, even while she was. Her thoughts drifted away like the tides. A content smile graced her face, her eyes closed in serenity.
Across the way, someone else strutted onto shore with her usual flair. Spotting Kaede from the beach gates, Miu Iruma's eyes lit up with recognition and mischief. "HEY! AKAMATSLUT!"
Kaede flinched when she heard a voice—even louder and more grating than a seagull—shout across the scorching sand. She looked over her shoulder angrily, then recognized who it was and what they said.
"MIU?!" At first, outrage flashed through the Ultimate Pianist. Then it was replaced by a quiet despair. Why me…?
The Ultimate Inventor pounded eagerly across the sand like a golden retriever puppy. Her chest bounced comically in her pink bikini.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" she muttered under her breath as the sand burned her bare feet with every step as she raced over.
"Hello, Miu…" Kaede sighed once the Ultimate Inventor screeched to a stop beside her, showering her in sand.
"Sup, gal pal?" Miu grinned, face, voice, and pose sassy and flashy.
"Not much, just enjoying a day at the beach." The Ultimate Pianist decided to answer the other girl in good faith. "And you?"
"Hell yeah! Same girl, same! Tryna get dat beach-bod and sexy-ass summer suntan!" Miu fist-pumped the air.
Well, I suppose she's trying to enjoy a beach day too, even if in her own way… Kaede smiled weakly, then another Ultimate wandered over. Tsumugi Shirogane. Kaede and Miu greeted her in surprise, but she approached them solemnly, silent and expressionless. She bowed to them.
"The hell's wrong with you?" Miu's nose crinkled as she looked the blue-haired glasses girl up and down. "I mean other than usual."
Tsumugi sighed, breaking character as she stood back up. "I'm Archer Artoria from Fate Grand Order!" She gestured to her swimsuit. It was, as all her cosplays were, handmade, homemade, and made with love! That was why she was so offended that no one got the reference. It wasn't the insult to her ego, but the character! Not recognizing Artoria?! Perhaps that was what Tsumugi got, though, expecting better of normies.
"Don't tell me you came to the beach just to model and show off!" Miu snickered. "Conceited much?"
Tsumugi shot her a deadpan look. "You know I don't like to model my own outfits! I was simply trying to enjoy a plain day at the beach!"
"Do I know that?" Miu asked, half-sarcastic and half-serious. Did Tsumugi ever tell her that before? Maybe. She probably forgot either way.
Do most people go to beaches for plain days? Kaede thought. Then again, this was Tsumugi. Everything about her was plain, boring, and normal. But not normie! Never normie. Her prayer went unanswered, for not long after crossing paths with Kaede and Miu—
"Hey! Guys! You wanna be my volleyball team?!" In another cloud of sand, another girl came sprinting over. It was Tenko Chabashira, Ultimate Neo-Aikido Master. Tucked under one arm was, as she said, a volleyball.
"What?" the other three muttered amongst themselves. Only after Tenko screeched to a stop, dusting Kaede a second time, did they get the context.
"Those other third-years!" Tenko pointed excitedly behind her. In the distance was a volleyball court, a quartet of other girls waiting, cheering, and jeering. "Rika Seto, Saori Hidaka, Marika Mizushima, and Dalia Matsuyama!" Ultimate Arsonist, Calligrapher, Model, and Dancer. "I was just jogging on the beach when I crossed paths with them and I- I- I-!"
"All right, girl, damn, breathe!" Miu muttered under her breath. Tenko was literally breathless with excitement.
"We both need four players four a game!" The Ultimate Neo-Aikido Master concluded, eyes shining hopefully.
"Don't tell me you chose us just because we were the first trio you saw?" Tsumugi quirked an eyebrow, already knowing the answer.
"You can't say no to girls like these!" Tenko instead pleaded, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.
ooo
"HUP!" SMACK! Rika Seto took the lead. The volleyball seemed to glow with a corona of fire—perhaps it was only the sun—as she spiked it down towards Tenko's team.
"Oh, shit!" Miu voiced the thought of three out of four of them. They scattered and dove out of the way while Tenko lunged forward.
"Hiiii… YAH!" She slapped the ball right back over the net, expression as fiery is at.
"Not bad, girl, not bad at all!" Rika's orange pigtails wiggled and waggled as she laughed, nodding approvingly at the other third-year.
SMACK! Dalia Matsuyama was next to hit, rushing forward like Tenko had, intrigued by the spirit on the smaller girl. She was a fellow martial artist, even though she practiced Neo-Aikido and Dalia didn't. Upon closer inspection, Tenko and Dalia realized that they recognized one another. Though they were not close, they were friendly, crossing paths at the gym more than they did at Hope's Peak.
Dalia the Bear! Tenko thought with a grin. She'd seen Dalia wrestle before, and she could even take on the likes of Nekomaru Nidai and Sakura Ogami! One of the other girls who sat in on that demonstration was Maho Akashi, an old pupil of Dalia Matsuyama. Tenko also somewhat recognized Rika, as another athletic student. Kaede knew Dalia, as they were both musical Ultimates, though they did not know one another as well as Dalia knew Tenko. Then Tsumugi knew Marika, the Cosplayer and the Model.
While Tenko continued to fight Merm4id—mostly Rika and Dalia—Kaede struggled to get any shots in because of her. Tsumugi and Miu hid at the back of their side of the court while Saori and Marika did the same on the Merm4id side. It wasn't an unexpected configuration, however, was did surprise at least half of them was…
"Miu…? Are you… afraid?" Tsumugi was the first to notice, cowering in the back with the other girl.
"A-a-a-afraid?!" Miu bellowed, offended. "Of what?! What even made you say that?!"
"Well… You're shaking, for one, and sweating, looking away, even though we're not even really playing!"
"Dumbass! I'm trying not to get my ass killed out here! I was never a jock! I'm a nerd!"
No, it's more than that. Tsumugi couldn't help but smile. In particular, Miu seemed afraid any time she made eye contact with the rival team. But it was more than the fact that they were rivals that made the Ultimate Investor so flustered…
"Yah! You got me, Dalia?" Rika cried.
"Always, Rika!" Dalia answered, then both women lunged into the air, passing each other, passing the volleyball as well. While Rika set up the shot, Dalia took the swing, sending it soaring effortlessly over the net towards Tenko once more.
"Woah! Nice!" While Tenko's admiration was unabashed, Tsumugi was slowly realizing that Miu was thinking and feeling the same way, she just wasn't as comfortable with the feelings.
"Is that why they're making you nervous?" Behind her glasses, Tsumugi's eyes flitted to the Merm4ids.
"Nervous?!" Miu shrieked again, head whipping back and forth between her classmate and the other third-years. It's not MY fault they look like they were made to fill a stereotypical fanservice role! With their…! Perfect skin…! And… long legs, and… cheese grater abs, and… chiseled muscles… Their firm, tight bodies in those skimpy bikinis… Holy shit they're so hawwwwt!
Rika was literally hot, her fiery orange hair her main attraction. Saori had a cuteness and softness about her. Marika was a freaking model. She had pale skin, lithe limbs, beautiful hair and eyes, and a well-put together face. And then Dalia was the dark-skinned bombshell, as buff as she was breathtaking. Miu could feel herself falling in love, water pooling from both sets of lips.
"But I'm straight!" The Ultimate Inventor murmured without thinking.
"So's spaghetti 'till it gets wet," Tsumugi also echoed thoughtlessly, quoting something she once saw on Tumblr in the form of an anime meme. The Ultimate Cosplayer had to agree, Merm4id was definitely sexy.
ooo
While Miu continued to secretly simp for the Merm4ids—something she would rather die than admit to—Tsumugi teased her occasionally. That left Kaede as the only one actually trying to help Tenko. But with Tenko hogging the ball so much, even Kaede wasn't of much use. With a frustrated sigh, she finally fell back. She got a few hits in, but nowhere near as many as Tenko, even though she kept shouting at the other girl to let her participate more. Tenko always apologized, but seemed to forget the moment the game resumed.
"Oh well…" Kaede muttered to herself. When she turned away from Tenko, she finally noticed Tsumugi and Miu at the back of the court.
"Miu! Something wrong?" The Ultimate Pianist asked, some of her irritation changing into genuine concern.
"FUCKIN' FINE!" Miu shouted, sounding very tense and on edge. Kaede's eyes widened, then she sighed and looked to Tsumugi for answers.
"Yuri and waifu angst!" The Ultimate Cosplayer shrugged, chirping.
"What the hell?!" Miu whipped around on her.
"What?" Tsumugi shrugged again. "The way you keep looking at them is obvious! It's something right out of a yuri manga!"
"Looking at them?!" While Miu snarled, Kaede echoed Tsumugi questioningly. The Ultimate Cosplayer's bespectacled gaze drifted back to M4.
"You three all right?" Rika shouted at the same time, noticing the way Kaede, Tsumugi, and Miu were all crowded in the back of their corner of the court. Saori, crowded in the back of hers, moaned worriedly that Rika was starting to call them out for not being more active…
"Y-YES!" Miu yelped, jumping around, chest jiggling as she did so. Tsumugi only smirked to herself, and Kaede, who finally had caught on, couldn't help but tease the Ultimate Inventor too, a little.
"Perfectly fine!" Kaede added her voice to Miu's. Miu looked at her in surprise. Then Kaede spoke again. "She was just feeling a little flushed because of how you four make her feel!"
"KAEDE PIANO-PUSSY AKAMATSU?! WHAT IN THE LITERAL ACTUAL FUCK?!" The only reason Miu didn't actually tackle the other girl was because Tenko managed to stop her at the last possible second. "SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH YOU—"
"Miu! Wait! Don't hurt Kaede!" The Ultimate Neo-Aikido Master grunted as she strained against her taller, bulkier classmate.
"BUT THAT LITTLE SHIT-ASS, SHIT-FACED CU—"
"I'm just saying!" Kaede interrupted sweetly, innocently, pleasantly. "If you're into girls, embrace it! You know Tenko does!"
"Wait. You're into girls?!" Tenko gasped as if she'd just won the lottery.
"W-w-wait! W-w-what?!" Miu shrieked. By then, Merm4id could tell that they were in something of an impromptu timeout. Smirking at each other, they let the volleyball roll to the side as they came around and beneath the net to approach the other quartet of third-years.
"So, what's all this about you being into us?" The Ultimate Arsonist teased.
"N-no! I'm not!" Miu tried and failed to be defiant.
"Are you sure?" Marika teased, sing-songing. Miu could only squeak in return.
"Aww, poor Miu!" Only Kaede seemed to feel even slightly bad for the other pink-clad blonde.
"No, there's nothing wrong with being Proud, Miu!" Tenko encouraged, misunderstanding the situation entirely.
"I-i-i-if you ever wanted t-t-to talk to anyone about it…" Saori tried to offer, though she looked as awkward as Miu felt.
"N-no! What the hell, stranger?! You tryna creep up on me too?!" Miu started backing up, but Tenko grabbed her arm, beaming, holding her in place.
"I swing both ways too, Miu," Kaede reminded her. Even though she was being playful, she was also telling the truth.
"Jeez! Bi-ae-gay!" Miu muttered, mutilating Kaede's name, her eyes glued to the sand.
"Do we scare you?" Dalia asked, voice low, and Miu was certain she felt another waterfall between both lips. She gave a whistling wheeze as all words and thoughts failed her. "Sorry, don't mean to…" The Ultimate Dancer murmured.
Hmmm…! Tsumugi thought, intrigued for the first time that day. This is kind of like that volleyball anime…! Except with more yuri!
The Ultimate Cosplayer decided that even though she wasn't a jock either, she really liked this show!
Chapter 25: I'm Honored to Be Your Favfourite!
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Namida wa mō kareta sore demo mada kiseki wa okoru to shinjiteru!"
Chihiro gasped, eyes sparkling as they reflected the light of the computer screen. There stood a beautiful, gothic third-year with long, black hair and wise gray eyes as captivating as her voice. It was Tsubaki Aoyagi, Ultimate Vocalist, and lead singer for the rock band, RONDO, which performed at a local nightclub not too far away from Hope's Peak.
Even though Tsubaki was still a Hope's Peak student herself, and thusly underage, she and her bandmates were able to use their combined Talents and talents to get into the good graces of the club owner, Masaki, and now they performed at ALTER-EGO on a semiregular basis. The other bandmates were: Aoi Miyake, DJ and Ultimate Jam-Maker (both in the sense of food and music); Hiiro Yano, VJ and Ultimate Diviner; and Nagisa Tsukimiyama, Ultimate Electric Guitarist. Her Talent gave away her role in the band.
Chihiro, like the rest of his class, was completely spellbound, hands clasped as they watched the RONDO concert together.
"She's so hawt!" Leon wolf-whistled as Hiiro appeared on screen, and Hiro agreed with a hearty chuckle of his own.
"If this was an idol anime, it would be my Ultimate Dream!" Hifumi gave a slightly unhinged chuckled as he, too, clasped his hands together.
"She's as beautiful as her voice," Makoto nodded, sighing dreamily as Tsubaki came back on screen. Even Byakuya managed a brief glance.
Sayaka's face, meanwhile—once filled with the same awe as Makoto—was now marred by irritation. "Personally, I think Aoi is the most handsome!" she insisted thoughtlessly, and Hina was the first to agree.
"I was thinking the same thing! I just didn't know if it would be egotistical to say," she chuckled sheepishly, referring to their shared first name. "Heh! Guess I've always had it out for manly women," she added with another chuckle, referring to Sakura. Sakura gave a quiet laugh of her own, nodding once as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes approvingly.
"Hmph," Toko muttered under her breath. "Sh-sh-she l-l-l-looks like… an- an- an-… adorable little man! Wh-wh-which is w-w-w-w-weird! … But s-s-so, so, so, so… hot!" She giggled madly to herself as she touched her pointer fingers together.
"The band does possess an attractive, gothic quality," Celeste allowed with a slight nod. It was the highest praise one could receive from her. Seated between her and Makoto—with Sayaka on his other side—Kyoko also gave a slight nod, equally high praise.
"Pretty badass, right?" Mondo beamed proudly. It was thanks to him that any of them were getting such an inside look at ALTER-EGO.
"Wait. That's illegal." Taka's grim expression darkened as realization settled in. Mondo, though, only grinned cockily.
Me 'n the guitarist chick are tight! he thought, bragging. She was a fellow motorcycle enthusiasts with that other third-year chick, Rika Seto. Now SHE is one smokin' gun, a true bombshell beauty! So what if all of them were technically underage? When did laws ever stop anyone? You're only in trouble if you get caught! Mondo thought gleefully while Taka continued to stew. But he didn't stop watching the show either, Mondo noticed.
Chihiro noticed too. What's more, he also noticed that while most of the boys simped for Tsubaki or drooled over Hiiro, the girls swooned over Aoi. In a mix of sympathy and empathy, the Ultimate Programmer found himself drawn to the Ultimate Electric Guitarist.
I wonder, what is she like in person…? She looked so cool and energetic on the stage, under the flashing lights, dancing with her guitar as she rocked out with her bandmates. Was she that hyper in real life? Or was it all a façade—an act—concealing a meek, demure personality? And… there was something else drawing him to her, though he couldn't quite bring himself to admit it yet, even to himself.
ooo
As if fate was watching out for him, only a few days later, Chihiro had a chance encounter with the famed, fabled RONDO guitarist at the mall. He'd taken a brief detour through the video game store and found Nagisa also idling in the aisles, looking at first-person shooter games. The Ultimate Programmer froze in place.
Oh… no! Oh, wait! Then he wanted to slap his forehead. Come on, Chihiro, stop staring! It's rude! You're being weird, and probably creepy! And you probably look like a dork! Well, more so than usual… Even as the boy berated himself, though, he remained rooted in place, staring at the Ultimate Electric Guitarist in silent horror, not directed at her, but himself. It was as if two versions of himself were duking it out inside of him.
One wanted to run and hide, forget any of this ever happened, bury his head in the sand at the awkward embarrassment of noticing a classmate out in public, never mind that she hadn't even noticed him. The other side of him, though, wanted to take the golden opportunity to talk to her, for though they were peers at Hope's Peak, their ages and Talents kept them apart.
Now was his chance! … Did he dare…? … After a moment, Nagisa set the game she was looking at back on the shelf and turned away, resuming her walk down the aisle. Something in Chihiro kickstarted into gear and he went speedwalking after her without thinking.
"W-wait!"
"Hmm?" Nagisa turned around.
Ohhhh man, I am SO dead… "I- I- I- uhh… hi…?" he waved his fingers weakly, floundering for words.
"Well hi!" Nagisa grinned back and waved. "Didja need something?"
Oh, she's so kind…! Chihiro clasped his hands and felt his knees knock together. She had every right to be mad at him for bothering her, a stranger, but instead, she was friendly. And even more, she was perceptive, already aware that he wanted something from her. Ah, but how selfish that made him sound! His stomach churned again, but what else was he to do? He was the one to initiate the conversation, after all.
"Are you, uhhhh, Nagisa Tsukimiyama?" he asked stupidly, wringing his hands, even though he already knew. "I- I'm… Chihiro Fujisaki!"
"Uh-huh! Yep!" Nagisa's head bobbed. "Lemme guess… you're a fan?" she teased, winking. It was a bold guess, and Nagisa was never so conceited as to assume people were actually fans of hers, but given that this stranger had said her full name with such awe…
"Uh-huh! Yes!" Now Chihiro's head bobbed. "You're my favorite member of RONDO!" he blurted out before his courage could fail him, though the moment he finished speaking, he felt his stomach collapse in on itself. Nagisa only gave a hearty laugh.
"I was kiddin, kiddo!" she said. "I don't actually expect you—or anyone—to be my fan! But hey, it's cool if that's true!" She flashed Chihiro a dazzling smile and Chihiro blurted out again.
"I- It's the truth! The entire truth! I swear! I would never lie to you!" He even held up one hand solemnly, though desperation was in his eyes. "You really ARE my favorite RONDO member! I know my classmates may like the other three more, but YOU are MY favorite!" Then he looked like he wanted to clap his hand over his mouth after word-vomiting all over the Ultimate Electric Guitarist like that. His eyes widened in horror and apology. Nagisa, meanwhile, contemplated his words, her own eyes widening in surprise.
"Well, I'm not used to hearing that!" she chuckled after a while, and she was embarrassed by the pang in her chest as she spoke.
I mean, I'm not the DJ, or the lead singer. Heh… Fourgettable fourth… It was something she'd come to accept as simple truth, so for someone to say SHE was their favorite… "Awww, man, well that's really cool of you… Thanks," she grinned awkwardly as she gave Chihiro a thumbs up. "Guess you could I say I was you… fav-four-ite? Hehe, favorite, get it?"
"Your guitar solos deserve to be just as appreciated as the singing!" Chihiro continued to insist passionately, resting his hands over his heart. "I… I… I also love your aesthetic!" he added shyly a moment later.
"Well, gee, thank you!" Nagisa repeated heartily. "Did you want, like, an autograph, or selfie, or something?" she asked, then she gave an embarrassed chuckle. "I mean, as a thank you, not like… a vanity thing…" To cover for her little blunder, she began to ramble to Chihiro about some of RONDO's aesthetics and fashion. In fact, that was why she was at the video game store. Moments before, she was with the rest of RONDO at a clothing store just across the way. "But I promised my lil cousin, Shinobu, the Ultimate FPS Gamer, that I'd check this store to see if there was anything good while I was here," she explained to Chihiro. Ah, Chihiro recognized that name, even though she was a second-year rather than first.
Wow! His eyes went starry again. She's so kind! Little did he know, Nagisa was planning on buying a game she knew Shinobu would hate just because it amused her to think about how much Shinobu would hate it. Maybe some would say it was a waste of money, but Nagisa knew that Shinobu wouldn't even touch a game she considered unworthy of her, let alone open it to play it, so Nagisa would just get a refund on it.
But as Nagisa rambled about RONDO's fashion, Chihiro realized that Nagisa misunderstood him. "I didn't mean that aesthetic." He broke off nervously, but after a moment of silence, he was forced to clarify as Nagisa looked at him, puzzled. "I mean… your… gender… neutrality?" Every word was like torture, and Chihiro looked mortified at being so bold as to ask Nagisa about something so personal and intrusive, but he was dying to know. More than anything else, he didn't want a selfie or an autograph, he just wanted Nagisa to know that she was an inspiration to him.
"Nagisa, I—" He swallowed. "I'm not sure if you know, but… I'm a boy…"
Nagisa's eyes widened. No, she hadn't known. And come to think of it, she'd assumed Chihiro was a girl!
I mean, come on! The dress, the soft voice? But of course, Nagisa knew better than most that gender was fluid (even if one was not genderfluid), and then it finally clicked. Oh… OH! THAT'S what Chihiro meant by "my aesthetic". He hadn't meant RONDO's aesthetic, but Nagisa's. Nagisa's heart fluttered, and she felt touched. Maybe Chihiro was more serious than he seemed about Nagisa being his favorite member of RONDO.
"B-but… what about Aoi…?" the Ultimate Electric Guitarist asked.
"Oh, she's cool too," Chihiro chuckled and nodded appreciatively. "But I admit… She's always looked a little… scary." She was just so tall and stoic. Some people liked that dark, handsome build (Chihiro did too) but it could still be a little intimidating…
Nagisa laughed out loud. "Oh, don't let her looks get to you! Aoi's really a giant puppy dog at heart! But still, I'm flattered to think you like my style more," the Ultimate Electric Guitarist admitted. Chihiro laughed nervously, but he smiled and nodded back.
"You're so confident, and you blend genders into androgyny so well!" Aoi had a manly look while Nagisa looked boyish. To Chihiro, that was less threatening, and easier to relate to.
"To be honest, I never really thought about my gender," said Nagisa casually, shrugging. "I mean, I know I was born female, and I'm cool with that, but the thought of being a boy or a man doesn't bother me either, or not having a gender at all, or being a blend, like you said."
And I know Aoi's been exploring identifying as genderfluid! I dunno what brought it on so suddenly, but it's great that she—I mean they—are trusting us more with it! Nagisa thought proudly. That was another reason RONDO was at the clothing store, though since Aoi was only out to RONDO, Nagisa couldn't disclose that part to Chihiro. In fact, there was a level of secrecy even RONDO was still in the dark about.
Maybe to Nagisa and the others, Aoi's experimentation with genderfluidity was out of left field, but in truth, Aoi had DID, and Aoi's alter identified as Aoi's opposite, a feminine man to Aoi's masculine woman. That alter, though, was something Aoi was determined to keep secret, so although Aoi was willing to experiment with genderfluidity, the alter's hand in it was left out of what Aoi told others. By contrast, Nagisa's gender—or at least story with gender—was "simpler". As she told Chihiro, she didn't feel strongly about gender—so perhaps neutrois was a good term—but because of the "lukewarm feelings", Nagisa didn't mind what pronouns people used.
"It's not that I don't care about gender," said Nagisa. "I'd just rather explore my guitar, ha ha!"
Wow! Chihiro was again struck by Nagisa's confidence, a mix of admiration and envy twisting inside of him. He, too, loved to toe that line between masculine and feminine, though he was ashamed to say that his crossdressing wasn't born out of confidence or fun or self-expression the way Nagisa's was. I wish I had as little angst as you about all of this gender stuff! You're lucky, rare among genderqueer people like us…
"Say! Maybe I'll give you a shout-out at our next performance!" said Nagisa suddenly, yanking Chihiro right out of his depressed thoughts.
"Huh?!" he reared back while Nagisa's head bobbed again.
"Yeah, yeah, totally! That's what I'll do! It'll be awesome!" And sure enough, next time Mondo was able to smuggle his classmates some "contraband footage" (even though Taka watched it with them again), Nagisa had given the Ultimate Programmer an "ultimate shout-out".
"This one's for you, Chihiro Fujisaki! I'm honored to be your favfourite! You inspired me to step up my game, so I hope tonight meets your expectations!" Then the guitarist gave a charming, cocky laugh before stepping aside and allowing the vocalist to reclaim the forefront of the stage.
"Boku no koe wa narihibiku kibō no uta ga michi afuru yō ni inori wo!"
But while the crowd roared for the harmony of the DJ and vocalist, at least one pair of ears favored the guitar above all else.
Notes:
AN: Happy late bday to one of my best friends, Hellis_Just_Aplace (DeviantArt and AO3)
Chapter 26: 5 Times RONDO Got Chihiro Clothes (And 1 Time He Returned the Favor)
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tsubaki sighed impatiently, hands tucked protectively under her arms as she pushed through the crowded mall. "Come on, Chihiro!" she called over her shoulder, talking more to herself than the other, younger Hope's Peak student. It was her turn to spend time with the first-year, so perhaps she was trying to steel her nerves by reminding herself that being two years Chihiro's senior, she had a duty and obligation to be as wise and responsible as possible. Ugh. I really didn't want to be a "big sis" today…
It wasn't Chihiro who set up this little outing, though, but Tsubaki's unit-mates, RONDO. Chihiro met Aoi first, and what a fateful encounter it was, in the Hope's Peak gym lockers after class. The two realized they were practically inverses of each other. Chihiro was born a boy, but felt pressured to be a girl due to his naturally demure demeanor. Aoi was born a girl, but felt pressed to be a boy because everyone told her she looked more handsome as a man. But despite the rocky beginnings, both Chihiro and Aoi came to truly love their new gender expressions, it was just difficult reconciling it with society, and the less-than-stellar pasts they came from.
Wouldn't society scorn a boy dressing as a girl, and a girl dressing as a boy? And surely they'd be even more baffled to hear that despite feeling pressured into it, the boy and girl in question enjoyed dressing femininely and masculinely respectively! So for years, Aoi and Chihiro kept their secrets close to their chests, but then Aoi met RONDO, and Chihiro met Aoi. Now here Chihiro stood at the mall with Tsubaki, voice of RONDO, and Ultimate Vocalist. Aoi was the DJ, and the other two members—Hiiro and Nagisa—were VJ and electric guitarist respectively.
"S-sorry!" the little Ultimate Programmer struggled to keep up with Tsubaki, even though she was also short.
"You don't have to apologize!" Tsubaki sighed and rolled her eyes. Too late did she realize her mistake, and then Chihiro began apologizing again. Tsubaki sighed again, but this time kept it to herself. That, and they'd reached their destination. It was a dress shop. Tsubaki wasn't really a dress girl—unless it was gothic—but she wanted to do something she thought Chihiro would like. Dress-shopping was basic and universal enough, right?
And if he doesn't like this place, she thought self-consciously , there's only about 17 more! Ugh… I hope he likes at least ONE of them…
Ah, but Tsubaki was too hard on herself. Chihiro was delighted, appreciating her concern more than she realized.
"Oh, Tsubaki, look!" he gasped as they entered the dress store. He pointed to a mannequin at the back, wearing a long, dark dress with blue flowers running up and down the skirt. Camellias. "It's beautiful!" Despite herself, Tsubaki's lips quirked up in a small smile.
ooo
"Hey! Chihiro! There ya are!" The Ultimate Electric Guitarist rose from the wood bench upon which she'd been stuffing her face with the pizza-pretzel balls from the food stand just a foot away. "Want some?" she asked through a mouthful, holding out the large, paper cup.
"Oh, that's all right!" Chihiro waved her off politely.
"More for me!" she happily chomped down, crumbs and salt flying everywhere.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting!" the Ultimate Programmer said, dodging some of the stray bits of food.
"No worries!" Nagisa spoke through another mouthful before swallowing. "This is the place I wanted to take you anyway!" She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. It was a causal little store, almost like a boutique, except far too laidback. "It's kinda like a skate shop, except no skateboards," she chuckled. The mall did indeed have a proper skate store, but what Nagisa meant was that the shop she wanted to show Chihiro had similar vibes to a skateboard shop, even though it wasn't. "Come on in!" she grinned, waving Chihiro inside.
They perused the shelves and walls, sizing up all the trinkets and clothes, a lot of the shirts with famous and old musical bands on them. It became readily apparent to the Ultimate Programmer why the Ultimate Electric Guitarist felt at home in a store like this.
"But it's not just that!" Nagisa said as she and Chihiro neared the back of the store. There was a large rack of hoodies. "These babies are super comfortable, and I like to call them my Dysphoria Hoodies!"
"What?" Chihiro blinked.
"Oh, it's a bit of a meme in the trans community," Nagisa chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "If you're ever REALLY not feeling like your body matches your gender, it's almost always a pretty safe bet to just throw on something thick and poofy. Hard to see any body shape. You just kinda become… lump. Or box." She laughed as she gestured to her own androgynous form. It was not that she looked both masculine and feminine, rather, the longer Chihiro thought about it, the more genderless Nagisa looked entirely.
Hmmm… I always thought she had a boyish vibe, and she does! But she does also have a girlish vibe. Whatever it is, it's just something youthful and a little impish, even though she's two years older than me! Hehehe, I kinda like it. Makes her approachable. No wonder she chose to take me hoodie shopping. She's right that they're pretty gender neutral, and they fit her! Well, metaphorically, at least… Chihiro laughed to himself as Nagisa pulled a sweater off the nearest rack and over her heart, quickly left swimming in the oversized article of clothing.
"Try one!" A hand shot out of the hood of the hoodie, pulling another hoodie off the rack and shoving it at Chihiro. Chihiro laughed again, shaking his head, but he was in a good enough mood to follow Nagisa and get lost in the big, baggy, cozy hoodies too.
ooo
If Tsubaki was the girl, inexperienced, taking Chihiro dress shopping because it felt basic and universal enough for anyone to enjoy—and if Nagisa was the boy, childish and impish in oversized hoodies—then Hiiro was the woman.
"Oh, Chihiro, you're so brave coming out like this," the Ultimate Diviner crooned, tilting her head, touching her cheek, eyes drifting shut.
"But I'm not out," he muttered, toying with the hem of his skirt. They were in public—at the mall—so "he" was "she".
"I meant to a store like this," Hiiro gestured behind herself. " Girls are scared to go to places like these, but not a real woman." It didn't matter that the Ultimate Diviner was barely 18, she shared the same haughty arrogance and superiority all third-years felt over their underclassmen. It was not that she saw herself as better, just wiser and more experienced.
"What kind of store is it?" the Ultimate Programmer peeked around the taller, older student curiously. Hiiro said it was a "woman store", but why's she acting like it's such a big—OHMYG—!
Hiiro utterly failed at hiding her laughter as Chihiro's jaw practically hit the tile floor of the clothing store as his eyes were assaulted by bras and underwear of every shape, color, size, and style. Some were lacey, some had ribbon, some were plain, some had designs on them…
"H-Hiiro…!" Chihiro sounded like he was about to faint.
"I will catch you, darling!" she promised with a purr as she gently rested her hands on his shoulders.
"B-but why are we here…?!" the Ultimate Programmer continued to wheeze. Finally, the Ultimate Diviner was serious.
"Because I know that one of the things people in the trans community can do to feel more comfortable in their bodies is to wear undergarments that match their gender." Now that was not to say everyone who wore underwear of the "wrong gender" was transgender, but that it was something trans people could do to help with the dysphoria. After all, Hiiro hadn't taken Chihiro to the lingerie store just to spook him. She'd taken Aoi there too, helping the Ultimate Jam-Maker find binders and the like.
That is the hidden beauty of stores such as this. Although it can depend, sometimes stores like this are the most open-minded, accepting, and sex-positive. And sex positivity was more than just enjoying it, it was knowing how to do it safely and healthily, exploring gender and sexuality. With the spirit of a psychologist and a teacher, Hiiro was a huge advocate of such education.
Even though Chihiro was sure he was as red as some of the devilish underwear on display, he managed to survive the journey as Hiiro hummed and pointed out all the most comfortable bras. Maybe it was a magic spell, but somehow, by the end of it, the Ultimate Diviner got the Ultimate Programmer comfortable enough that he left the store with a couple of bras and lacey underwear of his own.
Ah! I'm so proud! Hiiro thought with a smile as she clutched her own bags closer to her chest.
ooo
How fitting, Chihiro thought with a small smile. Ending where I started… He looked up from his phone, having just finished reading a text, and there she stood, Aoi Miyake, Ultimate Jam-Maker (both in terms of food and music). She wore a long, black coat and pants, and a gray turtleneck. It was simple, but Chihiro was still briefly breath-taken. It was easy to see why so many people—of every gender—fell for Aoi. Even if they were always in for a surprise when they realized she was a woman, not a man, people remained spellbound either way.
"So, it probably won't surprise you what store I want to take you to," she chuckled as Chihiro rose from the bench he'd been waiting on.
Chihiro only smiled up at her. "Lead the way." Oh, Aoi, you were my first RONDO friend, and the first person in all of Hope's Peak, to understand the REAL me! She could take him ANYWHERE and he'd thank her. He'd follow her anywhere, too.
"Now, I admit, even I can't really see you in the silver spikes and chains with the black and blue makeup or leather," Aoi touched her chin, tilted her head, and chuckled as she looked Chihiro up and down. Just after entering the store, they were met with a rotating display of gothic makeup.
"I agree," Chihiro laughed, stepping away from the display. That stuff would look GREAT on Tsubaki and Hiiro! And on Aoi and Nagisa too, honestly. But me? Nah! He shook his head. That was definitely not his style.
"That's all right," Aoi nodded, and Chihiro felt that familiar rush of warmth he always felt whenever she was around. That's all right. It was ok for him to like what he liked, no explanation, even if it was different from what his friends liked. There was no sweeter feeling than that!
Though a close second was getting to dress up in tuxedos alongside Aoi Miyake.
"Woah, Chihiro, looking good!" Aoi nodded approvingly, flashing the smaller, younger student a thumbs up.
"Th-thanks!" he tugged the lapels of the black suit with a sheepish, crooked smile. He wanted to sound as confident as he hoped he looked, but it was if the wind was knocked out of him, getting a compliment from Aoi like that.
Especially when she looks SO handsome AND beautiful in that suit…! That was the truly incredible thing—both about Aoi and suits—they looked GREAT on every gender. In Chihiro's opinion, suits were genderfluid. Maybe historically, they were masculine, but women in suits were rising in popularity. And for good reason!
"I'd say we're the most handsome woman and most beautiful man in all of Japan," Aoi decided, grinning. Maybe Chihiro didn't think heavy gothic makeup was his style, but maybe he wouldn't object to just a little here and there? Aoi's sharp eyes were already seeing all the way's he'd look incredible in the suit with just a bit of black around his eyes. Makeup, like suits, were gender neutral.
ooo
An evil laugh echoed in Chihiro's head. He awoke violently, a cold chill jolting his spine. "Who are you?!" he cried up into the darkness.
"Hmph." The voice scoffed. "For starters, you can call me… ALTER-EGO. As for who I am? That's… complicated. And quite frankly, I don't think you have a right to even ask." The voice growled, sounding almost dangerous. But then Chihiro heard the low, sinister chuckle once more. "However, to keep it simple, you may simply know me as… a friend of Aoi Miyake."
Someone finally slid into view, and Chihiro gasped, breathless. Hovering over him, sneering and scowling down at him, was Aoi's face, but not quite. The face was framed by long, dark, uneven locks, and the person—ALTER-EGO—wore a white button-up and long, black pants.
Chihiro had just finished comprehending the other person's appearance when it was as if his limbs were shocked back to life. He was suddenly on his feet, though he had no recollection of moving, but he was in control of his body again, now face to face with this… "ALTER-EGO".
"Like I said," said ALTER-EGO smoothly, arms crossed, eyes closed, expression cocky, "I'm a friend of Aoi Miyake. I keep a close eye on her, and I see how close you two have become. Normally, I would be a little jealous, but… the way you make her feel… I like it." ALTER-EGO almost sounded satisfied. His dark, golden eyes finally opened, flashing, piercing Chihiro's very soul. "And so, from one friend of Aoi to another, I thought I ought to make a contribution too…"
Before Chihiro knew it, he was sitting in a barber seat, ALTER-EGO snipping right above him.
"Wh-what?! Wh-why?! How do you even know how…?!"
"Let's just say, it's another friend of mine…" ALTER-EGO grinned at Chihiro in the mirror in front of the barber's chair. Another Persecutor Alter I once crossed paths with, also with a proclivity for scissors. And in your class too, Chihiro! Though, we swore never to reveal each other…
As ALTER-EGO said, all Chihiro needed to know was that he was a humble, childhood friend of the great Aoi Miyake, and he'd seen how she and Chihiro helped one another explore their genders. In gratitude—for he knew Aoi had been deeply insecure about her gender for years—ALTER-EGO wanted to repay Chihiro somehow, and the best he knew was giving the boy a trim and a top hat.
"The Five Times RONDO Bought Chihiro Clothes, right?" ALTER-EGO joked humorlessly as he waved his fingers and conjured a white top hat out of thin air before handing it to Chihiro. Then he clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Can't believe she took you suit shopping and didn't even get you a top hat! Also, black is so overrated." As ALTER-EGO said this, the white button-up and black slacks melted away into a white tux.
Chihiro was scared speechless, and come morning, his clearest memory of that wild dream was the white top hat. That, and a deep sense of gratitude, both to and from… someone…
ooo
I got it! Chihiro jumped out of bed, feet pounding against the wood floor as he raced to his computer room. For a solid four days, he worked nonstop on a project he hoped would properly express his gratitude, and the only people he breathed a word of it to were those directly related to the tech field, like Miu Iruma (a third-year roboticist), Chiaki Nanami (a second-year Ultimate Gamer), and Esora Shimizu (a second-year Ultimate Corporate Manager of her family's tech company, powerful enough to rival the Towa Conglomerate). Then, on the fifth day, he all but flew to the ALTER-EGO nightclub. Had anyone recognized him, they would've thought he lost his mind. Once upon a time, he wouldn't have even dreamt of approaching a bar, let alone practically kicking down the back door to reach the employee lounge.
"Tsubaki! Aoi! Hiiro! Nagisa!" the Ultimate Programmer cried out excitedly for the Vocalist, Jam-Maker, Diviner, and Electric Guitarist.
"Chihiro?!" Tsubaki sounded mildly annoyed (they had a show tonight!), Aoi and Hiiro surprised, and Nagisa excited. "What's up?"
"I have a gift for you four!" he panted, holding out four… flash drives on chains? "For your show tonight!"
"Huh?" Now RONDO was really confused. Once he caught his breath, Chihiro apologized, smiled sheepishly, then explained, slower this time. The project he was working for those four solid days was a gift for RONDO. He designed new concert costumes for them and uploaded the images to the flash drives, but they weren't just ordinary flash drives. They were able to project holographic images of the outfits onto the unit members' skin. The reason Chihiro needed the extra help was because it was more than a simple trick of the light.
A decent amount of programming went into allowing the outfits to transition smoothly from costume to costume if the RONDO members so chose. That required the ability to quickly bend light around a moving body. Esora had the funds, and Miu the laser and nano-bot technology to bring Chihiro's digital designs to the 3D world.
"Oh, Chihiro…" Tsubaki rested a hand over her heart, amazed, secretly guilty for almost snapping at him earlier, even though she was justified.
"What is this for?" Aoi agreed, sounding awed at such a high-tech gift.
"For your friendship, of course!" Chihiro spread his arms as if to hug all of them, then he fondly recounted all of his memories of them taking him shopping. Each of them bought him something different, something unique to help him express the many facets of his gender. The least he could do was return the favor. The flash drive necklaces could, at present, hold six different outfits. He was working on increasing the space and complexity, but to be fair, he'd rushed the project to have it done in the bare minimum amount of time, one day per unit member.
"Oh, Chihiro, this is wonderful!" Hiiro gasped and cried out as she flicked through the options.
"Woah!" Nagisa laughed. "You rock, dude!" And Chihiro felt his heart swell with pride, butterflies in his stomach taking flight. Then they flew even higher and higher as he watched the lounge TV as RONDO sang and danced onstage right outside the door, their outfits shifting and shimmering in transitions as smooth as the music as it slid from song to song.
Notes:
AN: Inspired by Chihiro and RONDO being the most genderqueer things about their fandoms, LOL! I just wanted to give Chihiro a bit of time with each of RONDO. Plus this highlights how I sometimes mentally divide RONDO up in terms of gender presentation. Though the part where Chihiro meet's Aoi's alter is non-canon because he never reveals himself until the Killing School Transfer, and Chihiro isn't in that.
Posted this in the wrong place LOL
Chapter 27: I Just Wanna Tell You How I'm Feeling (Gotta Make You Understand)
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Clownish cackles, chirring doves, and whinnying horses. The symphony, the cacophony, danced around the Ultimate Detective's head as he chased down every darkened hallway, hunted through every sleezy back alleyway, and all in the name of capturing the Phantom Prince of Pranks and Thieves, Ultimate Supreme Leader, Kokichi Oma.
"Give it up, Kokichi!" Shuichi murmured, face grim as he spotted a black, horse-shaped chess piece sitting on a windowsill exactly at his eye level. "Your calling card. Of course you meant for me to find this… Why not cut to the chase? We both know you'll be waiting at the end for me anyway… You live for this…" The Ultimate Detective closed his fist around the dark horse, turning his gaze further down the hall…
Upbeat music blared from the PA system a second later.
"Huh?!" Shuichi jumped in alarm as horns assaulted his ears, then they were accompanied by a jolly male vocalist. It almost sounded like he was laughing. Of course, it was a dead giveaway that it was another one of Kokichi's calling cards, but Shuichi was so thrown by the music blaring from every intercom that it took him a moment to find his bearings. Then some of the intercoms fell silent. Others continued to blare the man's loud vocals, and Shuichi knew at once what Kokichi wanted him to do. Follow the sound of music.
ooo
"Shuichi Saihara?"
Shuichi yelped and whipped around, then he realized who else was roaming the darkened auditorium with him. "Haruna Kasuga!" he said, recognizing her long, dark red hair immediately. The Ultimate Chairman!
"Pardon me! Are you all right?" Haruna stepped back, resting a hand over her heart, alarmed by his reaction.
"Y-yes, sorry!" Shuichi winced at himself, mortified. Some detective I am! Wait. Detective! Kokichi! It was then that Shuichi realized that Haruna also seemed to be in a hurry, her own expression distracted and troubled. "Are you looking for someone?"
"Ah, Ultimate Detective, you know me too well…" Now it was Haruna's turn to smile sheepishly. "I regret how easy I am to read, I fear it is not befitting of a proper Ultimate Chairman; however, you are correct. I have discovered a trail of tricks, traps, toys, and pranks, and I determined to get to the bottom of this!" she gestured to a door on the other side of the auditorium, where she came in. Shuichi was immediately on guard.
I don't THINK Kurumi and Koichi know each other… She's a first year, and he's a third year, for starters, but they're both equally vicious and devious! Besides, Haruna and I know each other. We aren't in the same year or class either. Granted, it was far more likely students with "legal" Talents would know one another whereas those with "delinquent" Talents had a higher likelihood of clashing or being lone wolves rather than having to work together to help Hope's Peak maintain peace and order.
"Perhaps you could assist me, Mr. Detective Saihara?" Haruna asked suddenly, face turning hopeful.
"O-oh! S-sure! And you can call me Shuichi, by the way, n-no need to be so formal…" He looked away, chuckling embarrassedly. Haruna opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, a nasally voice cut her off.
"Chairman Cheater! You said you'd catch me all by yourself!"
"Kurumi!" Haruna's head jerked up to the catwalk above the stage. She couldn't see the Ultimate Prankster, but she could hear her.
"Awww, c'mon, Kurumi! Don't be too down! We're no strangers to trouble—" An overly cheerful, male voice sing-songed.
"Kokichi!" Shuichi whispered, bristling.
"You know the rules, and so do I! Maybe Don't you think it's only fair they team up if WE team up?" the Ultimate Supreme Leader continued.
"Since when did you care about fairness?" Kurumi whined back. Haruna and Shuichi's heads whipped back and forth as their eyes pierced the darkness, struggling to locate the two delinquents. Finally, two little shadows slunk out of the darkness.
The first was a short, pale-skinned boy with spiky, dark purple hair. The next was a girl the same height as the boy, but her hair was white and fluffy, in two, large pigtails tied with white bows only a few shades lighter than her hair.
"Prepare for trouble!" the girl joked.
"And make it double!" the boy finished, both of them striking dramatic poses.
"What do you want, Oma?" Shuichi interrupted, clenching his teeth and hands. "Why did you bring us here?!"
"Oooh, feeling bold and direct today, eh, Shuichi?" Kokichi looked the taller boy up and down approvingly. "Ok, pretty boy, ok, I'll give you this one, since you were such a good sport to play musical halls with me!" He smiled up at the Ultimate Detective, face and voice sickeningly sweet. "A full commitment's what I'm thinking of…"
"Full commitment?" Haruna narrowed her eyes warily, crossing her arms as she stood beside Shuichi, a silent gesture against Kokichi.
Kokichi nodded smugly. You wouldn't get this from any other guy."
Kurumi finally spoke up, addressing both Haruna and Shuichi. "This was my idea. I had something big I wanted to tell you, Haruna, and… well… I overheard Kokichi saying something similar about Shuichi, so I decided to invite him along."
"What is this all about?" Haruna's eyes narrowed even more.
"I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling…" the Ultimate Prankster locked her glittering eyes with Haruna's narrow, wary ones.
"Gotta make you understand," Kokichi agreed, then music suddenly started blasting from overhead again and the Dark Horse and White Dove burst into song. "NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP!"
"NEVER GONNA LET YOU DOWN!"
Kokichi dipped Shuichi, and a moment later, Kurumi did the same with Haruna.
"Kurumi!" Haruna managed to break free of Kurumi first.
"Never gonna run around—!" Kurumi giggled breathlessly, still singing as she raced around the auditorium trying to outrun the angry Chairman hot as Hell on her heels. The Prince of Pranks and Thieves was more than happy to continue, forcing Shuichi to continue waltzing with him.
"—and desert you!" Then faster than a record-switch, Kurumi and Kokichi somehow traded dance partners. Shuichi found himself spinning round and round, a little girl clinging to his hands. Poor Haruna, meanwhile, struggled to keep up with Kokichi as he cackled and sang.
"Never gonna make you cry!" "Never gonna say goodbye!" Then they traded partners again.
"Never gonna tell a lie!" Kokichi slid over to Shuichi on one knee.
"And hurt you!" Kurumi dropped to one knee before Haruna as well, smiling sweetly up at her she held out a hand. Haruna refused to bite.
"I just can't believe this is what you use your God-given Talents for! You both ought be ashamed of yourselves!" she cried, hands on hips.
Good luck with that, Haruna, Shuichi wanted to say, but he wisely held his tongue.
"Au contraire, Madam Chairman-sama!" Kokichi interrupted brightly. "This actually took quite a bit of Talent! First, I had to… pull some strings to change up the class calendars so that nobody would try using the auditorium around this time of day. Then Kurumi had to find a way to hijack control of the PA systems, at least long enough for us to hook up one of her tracks to it, and activate it remotely—"
"Then we had to find you guys," Kurumi continued for Kokichi. "And we had to lure you here! And that's only the part of the prank you guys saw!"
"There's more?" Haruna sounded horrified.
"Oh, please, you can't REALLY be surprised at this point!" Kokichi crossed his arms and scoffed, true disdain flashing through him briefly.
"Uh-huh! Uh-huh!" Kurumi's head bobbed proudly. "Miiko's also outside keepin' Taka 'n Mondo busy!"
"Taka! What have you done to him?!" Haruna cried.
"That explains how you two were able to get away with all of this…" Shuichi breathed.
And sure enough, just beyond the door, Mondo and Taka raced back and forth down the halls of Hope's Peak Academy. Taka was supposed to be patrolling that area, but Kurumi was able to lure Mondo over to distract Taka. At the same time, Kokichi instructed Miiko on how to control her section of the PA systems and let her have fun blasting a very high-energy song while she "pretended to be a serial killer" and chased Taka and Mondo around like it was "a Scooby Doo episode".
"So we didn't do anything!" Kokichi sneered. "Kurumi just spoke the language of delinquents to get ol' Mondo outta the closet and—"
"—and Kokichi went 'n convinced Miiko to chase after 'em with a chainsaw to scare 'em a lil bit!" Kurumi finished proudly.
Shuichi's eye twitched while Haruna looked close to blowing a gasket. "Miiko… WHAT?!" She whipped around on the Ultimate Prankster.
"She IS the Ultimate Horror Enthusiast, after all," Kokichi smirked. "We just convinced her that by pretending to be a monster, she was giving Taka and Mondo ample opportunity to risk themselves to protect each other. So romantic, right?!" Truly, love was in the air that day!
Kokichi and Kurumi beamed up at their loves, Shuichi and Haruna. The Ultimate Detective and Ultimate Chairman, meanwhile, could only share silent looks of despair over the heads of the short Ultimate Supreme Leader and Ultimate Prankster. Just beyond the auditorium door, Taka and Mondo went sprinting by.
"RUN, FOOL!" Mondo bellowed. Giggling, chasing after them to the beat of the horns blaring above, was a little blonde girl in a white dress and hockey mask, wielding a chainsaw. Neither Taka nor Mondo knew if it was real, but neither wanted to wait to find out.
Notes:
AN: I've got some friends who indulge me in the D4DR=verse and we joked about "fight songs" for the characters and I gave Kokichi, Kurumi, and Miiko the Trololololol Song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", and the Benny Hills theme song respectively.
In this fic, Kokichi uses the Trololololol Song to lure Shuichi to the auditorium where he and Kurumi then Rick Roll Shuichi and Haruna. Meanwhile, outside, Miiko is chasing Taka and Mondo around the Hope's Peak halls with a chainsaw Scooby Doo style while the Benny Hills theme song plays, LOL!
Also originally posted in the wrong place LOL
Chapter Text
Junko’s got a quick hand. We look around the room, I won't tell you our plan. I got a rolled cigarette hanging out my mouth. I’m a Despair kid. Yeah, she found a six-shooter gun, in her sis' closet with a box of fun things, I don't even know what! But she’s coming for you, yeah we’re coming for you…! The blonde hummed to herself as she spun the empty cylinder round and round and round. What a shiny toy THIS was! Ah, but it was only half the fun with no bullets… Hmmm… I have to fill the chamber! Oh, and by the way? I never tell a story in order! That’s far too boring!
ooo
Bullet One: Despair.
[Junk# ####shima: Ah, yes, the classic.]
The screen buzzed to life, and six pairs of eyes turned intently to it. “Congratulations, class!” the sultry voice on the other end of the computer purred, the girl in question holding out her arms as if to hug the six Despairs. “Your letters were a success! Saki and Nova were able to transmit the messages across the galaxy, and now all of your precious peers have come out of hiding… Now, it is only a matter of time…” She turned to Maho Akashi. “Despair One. You know what to do.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Maho bowed, voice broken but determined. Her mind was completely gone. It ever twisted in on itself, recursive, Junko convincing her that it was the only way she could prove herself worthy of anything. Preying upon Maho’s feelings of inferiority compared to her peers, Junko broke her spirit, and all that remained was a mindless drone hellbent on winning the D4DJ Battle Time so that she could claim the title of Ultimate DJ and at last feel as though she wasn’t just a loser with a half-assed excuse for a Talent.
“Excellent. Once the competition is complete, you know what happens next…” Junko addressed all her Masterminds then, and they nodded in an eerie, ominous unison. Yes, no matter the victor of the pending D4DJ Battle Time, the end result would be the same: kidnap. Once the 24 Ultimates were assembled, Junko and her six Despairs would strike, dragging them all to Hope’s Pinnacle for their own little Killing Game. “As for me, I’ll be headed back to my class. Do take care of Hope’s Pinnacle in my absence, hmm? Ta-ta!” She cackled and the screen crackled off.
ooo
Bullet Two: Revenge.
[Junk# ####shima: There are as many motives in the world for murder as there are people! Our strength is in recognizing the best ones to break!]
“So. This is the factory, huh?” Junko asked boredly, arms folded.
“One of many!” Esora Shimizu, Ultimate Corporate Manager, puffed out her chest arrogantly, emerald eyes flashing in insult that Junko take her so lightly. The audacity! She challenges me to show her my family’s work, and she acts bored even though I’m the one building her project!
Esora was unaware of the hypocrisy in her words. She was merely the Ultimate Corporate Manager, leading from above. It was the Talentless grunts down below that labored and sweated to assemble the giant machine, a mechanical, monstrous fiend. It was Esora’s brainchild, too! Junko had come to her scheming to take over the Towa Conglomerate and capture its factories so that she could make war material.
Now she was coming to the Shimizus with the same proposition, but while Junko’s dream mascot design was a bear, Esora stole inspiration from that annoying little first year, Muni Ohnaruto. She was always muttering under her breath about how Esora supposedly thought she was better than Muni, but Muni would one day show her! Well, Esroa found it amusing, and handed over Muni’s designs for Nyochio, her robotic cat, to Junko.
Now Esora was slaving away, designing a real-life Monochio prototype, large and powerful, big enough that a student could ride it like a horse. But behind Junko’s icy mask of indifference, she was intrigued.
“Would you be willing to work with us?” she asked suddenly, startling Esora when her accent suddenly became queenly. “With your aid, we could conquer the Towa Conglomerate much quicker, and then it would be us against… the Togamis!”
Esora’s heartbeat speed up. Her longest standing rival! Oh, yes, there wasn’t much she wouldn’t do to have her revenge, put him in his place, and reclaim her place among the Ultimates of Hope’s Peak. Despite having a Talent, a conflict between Rei and Byakuya left Esora framed, and Byakuya blackmailed her into dropping out of Hope’s Peak. She returned through the Reserve Course, but she was determined to rise back to original rank before graduation. Junko was proposing a lovely way of knocking Byakuya down a few pegs, and Esora couldn’t refuse the deal!
ooo
Bullet Three: Insanity.
[Junk# ####shima: Ah yes, another classic! The one whose brain I broke in the absence of all her friends! Tee-hee!]
“Let’s play… hide ‘n seek!” Junko skipped cheerfully through the shattered streets of Towa City, a teddy bear in one hand and a sparkly six-shooter gun in the other. No one knew whether it was real or fake, and no one was willing to find out. “C’mon, Saki, sissy!” she hummed, and the other girl came up behind her, giggling in just as childish of a manner. A little metal cat balanced on her shoulders, a mini-model of Monochio’s body. They were finally leaving the labs and secret bases behind, going forth in the world to spread Despair and capture Hope, and with a girl who had Synesthesia on her side, Junko felt confident that the Collector would bring a good haul that night!
“Come out, come out, wherever you are…!” Saki’s ethereal voice hung in the air like a shroud, like a mist. Her white hair shone like the stars they could no longer see through the thick, dark clouds that now obscured the Heavens. The girl cackled psychotically, softly, as she stalked through the streets, her silver eyes sweeping back and forth. She searched desperately for the colors, they would tell her the truths from the lies, and would help her locate every single one of her targets…
“Aha! Peekaboo! I found you!” She cackled and reached out, grabbing a frightened little girl who was trying to hide.
“NO! LET ME GO!” she thrashed helplessly, Saki far stronger than she appeared.
“No matter where you run, no matter where you go, no matter where you hide…! My sharp eyes will always find you the in the end…!”
Junko watched with a smirk from the shadows. Excellent. That Naegi girl may have escaped earlier, but Saori Hidaka and her magic M4 megaphone aren’t around to protect her anymore… Come along, Komaru! You may not be IN the Killing Game, but you still have a role to play… Perhaps I would’ve wished for Photon’s Ultimate Team Captain, for that crazy Nozomi girl, but I suppose the Alien Chick will suffice!
ooo
Bullet Four: The Gambit/Gamble
[Junk# ####shima: HAHAHA! HELL FUCK YEAH! You ain’t worthy of playin’ with a gun if you ain’t willing to play with both ends! Time for you to meet mah homegirl! Despair Numero Uno! The First, Fav, and OG!]
Rika Seto fell to her knees as Monochio continued to scrambled around in the background, yowling in pain as its metal face melted off in the heat of her searing flames. The Ultimate Arsonist didn’t care. As far as she was concerned, it was all Monochio deserved. It could cook itself for all she cared. With Dalia Matsuyama dead, one of Rika’s beloved unit-mates, her faith in the Killing Game had been shattered.
I was supposed to fix you, Junko…! You said I was your first friend, your best friend, the OG and Favorite Mastermind, your Despair Heir! I was supposed to uncover the perfect plot, be the perfect protagonist, operate from the enemies’ side and come in clutch in the final hour to save the day!
But no such fairytale luck came to her aid. Dalia was proven guilty and executed. N-no! It wasn’t supposed to be her! It wasn’t supposed to be ANY OF THEM! But we were supposed to fix this… Save everyone… Resurrect them…
What a load of fuck-ups they were! With the power of the V4-VR and an Ancient Japanese Death Goddess on their side, they should’ve easily been able to bring back every student that they lost. But no, Rika lost the gamble. She grit her teeth and seethed inwardly at the sneering face on the screen. Junko was dead, but her influence was not. But there was still a way… A way for Rika to purge her again, at least from their story.
“RAH!” Rika fired off two fiery bullets. They struck Marika and Saori in the chest. Then she threw opened her arms and cackled madly.
The Executions would take her. That much was a given. But with Marika and Saori unconscious, they at least would be spared. The Executions were designed with magic and technology, and they were designed to punish the guilty, not the innocent. Marika and Saori had paid their blood debts unknowingly through Rika’s little attack, but in turn, Rika…
“Floor Killer! Dance and go!” She sang even as the world crashed and burned around her, taking her with it, swallowing her in a fiery inferno as visions of her unit-mates danced over her head. Beside her, the monitor holding Junko was encased in flame. Rika smiled as she died.
ooo
Bullet Five: Murder and Mystery
[Junk# ####shima: I told you, it is dull telling a story chronologically. There are six shots in my gun, but who is to say the bullets fire in “numerical order”? She told me she saw that I got everything I ever wanted, and I believed her, not because I was a foolish or naive idiot, but because I knew EXACTLY what she meant. I would get my happy ending AND my despair ending. THAT is why I allowed her to be… Mastermind One!]
Junko loved Despair, she bred it, even amongst her Masterminds. With an infinite combination of possible “Firsts”, she found a way to make each of her Masterminds special in their own way. That in turn bred competition, distrust, and jealousy in all of them, and how delightfully fun it was to watch from the sidelines! A bunch of schoolgirls catfighting even in a Killing Game! But before the Killing Game, there was only humble Hiiro Yano, Ultimate Diviner, with nothing but a fortune to give for Junko.
“I saw it in my divination and prophecies… You shall indeed accomplish all that you desire, everything you set out to, and that is why… I wish to accompany you.” There was nothing the psychologist loved more than a good murder mystery. And perhaps she was lying by omitting. Perhaps she also saw a future in which the only way to win was to work closely with Junko. After all, friends close and enemies closer… So Junko agreed to keep Hiiro on, and she quickly became Junko’s most cunning Mastermind.
Junko would conquer the world, but she was still running out of time. Whether for personal gain, or an alleged selfless ideal, the opportunistic Ultimate Diviner stayed close to the other Mastermind. She was the first, first to approach, and first to lead the Killing Game.
ooo
Bullet Six: Punishment
[Junk# ####shima: Shall we start at the beginning? Saw. The horror, blood, and executions. The karmic deaths that have plagued humanity’s dreams and nightmares since antiquity…]
“Is there any point, then…? In going on without Miyu, I mean… You know mediation was always her strong suit, not yours,” Junko purred.
“I… I… I… I don’t know… Not anymore…” Ultimate Chairman, Haruna Kasuga, sat slumped in her throne, overlooking the junction that connected Towa City, to Hope’s Peak and Pinnacle, to the Ultimate Academy of Gifted Juveniles. It all rested on her shoulders, ensuring that travel and trade between the three regions remained stable even as the rest of the world succumbed to the Tragedy all around them.
And without Miyu, I think I might…! A single tear slid down Haruna’s cheek, but the sobs were stuck in her throat. She stared unseeingly at the black and red sky. Junko is right… Truly, I am nothing… I am good only at maintaining law and order, but it was Miyu who was our Hope, the one who could’ve saved and united us all…! But now she was dead. Dead, dead, dead. That awful Kokichi boy, the shadowy brother from Kurumi Shiratori’s checkered past, had escorted them all to Haruna’s gates, but in an ensuing battle at the gates, triggered a boobytrap that killed Miyu. Luck finally ran out on the poor Ultimate, and Haruna was left to pick up the pieces.
Oh, Kokichi, you really shouldn’t have done that… Junko clicked her tongue and shook her head, chuckling to herself. Foolish boy! Trying to copy her style, but for the side of “good”. Didn’t he know there was a reason it was HER style? He wanted to push Haruna past the brink of madness, but turn her anger against Junko. Little did he know, Junko was already working her dark influence, and she used the opportunity he provided her to turn the attack around on him, and she whispered into Haruna’s ears.
"Seek retribution and revenge, for Miyu. This is holy and righteous justice against the unworthy sinners who deserve only punishment!”
And suddenly, Junko found herself in her homeroom classroom, watching as her robotic avatar locked the Hope’s Peak Headmaster inside a live rocket built by Saki and Esora. Haruna stood beside her, arms crossed and face severe. For the sin of disobedience, refusing to assimilate with Junko’s demands and live in peace, Jin Kirigiri was being executed as a traitor who sought only to push his own agenda in the face of the Tragedy.
His screams were drowned out by the rocket blasting off, and Junko cackling manically. Greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth. Esora, Haruna, Maho, Hiiro, Rika, Saki. And Junko? She was the seventh, deadliest, first, and original sin: Pride. The Mastermind of the entire world!
Maho Akashi: Ultimate Cook. The Deceiver.
Esora Shimizu: Ultimate Corporate Manager. The Repossesser.
Saki Izumo: Ultimate Astronomer. The Collector.
Rika Seto: Ultimate Arsonist. The Wildcard.
Hiiro Yano: Ultimate Diviner. The Puppet-Master.
Haruna Kasuga: Ultimate Chairman. The Judge.
Notes:
AN: Inspired by “Monodrama” from Honkai Star Rail (Sparkle’s trailer)
Chapter 29: Taking a Chance On Rolling the DICE
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Face 1: Hope
"I do hope Haruna is all right," Miyu Sakurada sighed, staring forlornly out the academy window.
"Ehhh, what's the worry? You know our big, important Chairman is probably off doing big, important stuff. And if that's what makes her happy and Hopeful, hey! Who are we to deny her?" Beside her, Kurumi Shiratori singsonged, twirling her pencil, completely unbothered by the tension Miyu could feel rising steadily into the air, as if the very academy itself was holding its breath.
"What's got you worried, Miyu?" Miiko Takeshita asked, a little less flippant than Kurumi, and slightly more perceptive. As the Ultimate Horror Enthusiast, she was hyperaware of the tropes that riddled frightening content, and she, too, could feel the calm before the storm…
"Well, Kurumi is right that Haruna is off doing wonderful things for the world, but…" The Ultimate Lucky Student bit her lip before continuing. "It seems that every time we speak, she is more stressed out and frazzled than the last. I worry about her. I fear she is overburdening herself." While Miyu sighed again, Kurumi snorted again.
"That's good ol' Big Head for you, off busy being a Big Wig! Tch! She's such a worrywart that even if you managed to somehow convince her to take some time off, you know she would be too tightly wound to enjoy it!" The Ultimate Prankster kicked back in her chair, resting her feet on the desk. Thank "god" there's no Chairman here to reprimand me for THAT! Heh, heh, HEH!
Miyu cast a worried look at the other first-year Ultimate. Kurumi had a point. Haruna was always naturally high-strung and tightly-wound. But still… This time felt different… Even if Miyu didn't have the language to describe it. Miiko's face, meanwhile, was unreadable, but she, too, turned to look out the classroom window, envisioning the city Haruna was working at, miles and miles away.
ooo
Face 2: Despair
"No! For the last time, no! Truly, I tell you, this is a pit of vipers, and a den of inequity! Religious or not, it perplexes and vexes me that so many Ultimate minds truly believe they cannot do better than this!" Voice dripping with disgust and disdain, Haruna Kasuga, first-year Ultimate Chairman, flicked her fingers towards a sheaf of documents that various advisors, administrators, and other government and public figureheads had compiled. Something bad was creeping in at the borders, and the local city was looking to enter a state of lockdown. Haruna could understand their concerns, however, the repercussions and ramifications of sealing such a central city off from the rest of the region could not be understated.
Perhaps it is only paranoia. That is why I do not voice the true extent of my concerns. However, I fear that this is some sort of plot meant to weaken us under the guise of strengthening us. I understand that none in any city desire for military intervention, however, strange, robotic creatures have been spotted on the borders, handled by zombie-like people who seem incapable of anything other than wreaking havoc across anything that comes across their path! They were isolated cases at first, simple and singular murders, but the attacks were becoming bolder and bolder every day.
"But we have no idea the source of the chaos! From whence the problem originates!" One of the advisors muttered frantically. "Unless or until we can isolate the variable, pinpoint the problem, would it not be safer and smoother to cut off all contact that we may more thoroughly analyze the people and places under our jurisdiction? Leave the other precincts and prefectures to figure themselves out!"
"Yes, I understand that," Haruna bowed her head in acknowledgement. "However, again, we are such a centralized location that I fear that cutting ourselves off will do far more harm than good, especially when looking at the broader, societal implications and impacts…" This was why Ms. Kasuga wasn't in class that day, and had been as such for weeks now. She was one of the brightest girls of her age, and as a neutral third party and a selected delegate of Hope's Peak Academy, that was why she was chosen to attend the meeting with the other city heads.
And I fear, she thought, exhaling through her nose, that I shall be here for a great deal of time more… Her phone buzzed in the back of her pocket, and she sighed again, something flaring up in her heart. No… What is it now? I don't have time for pleasantries nor trivial, time-wasting engagements! This is far more important! The safety of the city—nay, all of Japan—might lie solely within my hands!
She already knew that Madam Kirumi Tojo, Ultimate Maid of the third-year cohort, was speaking to the Prime Minister of Japan himself. Wishing to exemplify her example, Haruna stepped up and got involved with her local government. For the first time in her life, when she checked her phone and saw that it was Miyu Sakurada, she angrily silenced the phone and put it back in her pocket without reading the text.
ooo
Face 3: Yin
"Heeeeyyyy, siiiis! So nice of you to come calling! So glad that you finally decided to visit your dear, old, poor, big brother again! At last! It has been far too long!" Languishing upon his throne, surrounded by six other clowns, Kokichi Oma tossed back his head and cackled.
"Oh, shut up, Kichi," Kurumi interrupted, rolling her eyes. Behind her, she could sense Miyu shuddering and shaking in fear, intimidated by the six clown masks leering at her from around Kokichi's throne. Miiko, meanwhile, had stars in her eyes, and it was all Kurumi could do to keep her from just running right over to Kokichi and sitting in his lap like he was some kind of purple Santa. Purple Satan is more like it. No, wait, that's disrespectful to Satan! And to me.
Ah, but speak of the Devil (literally and metaphorically) that was why she and Miyu and Miiko were there that day, at the doorstep of DICE's lair. Really, it was just a rundown, ramshackle, abandoned building they managed to take over, but as evidenced by the chair Kokichi managed to drag in, he was really trying to make it a little lair for his Supreme Overlordness.
"So, what can I do ya one for, Rumi?" Kokichi finally hopped off the throne, secretly delighted to see his younger sister again. They grew up together, thick as thieves, a sibling Bonnie-and-Clyde duo. But when Kokichi made a shocking discovery about them only being half-siblings, it upended the entire family. Kokichi took to the streets while he got his sister shipped off to some fancy private Catholic academy middle school in the next town over. Maybe she registered such an act as abandonment, but he was protecting her. Better her in the academy than on the streets with him.
But times were changing. Kokichi could sense it even better than the three girls could. Well and truly, something big was coming. Something bad. No, it was already upon them. Around the world, more and more tragic events were occurring, and the robot bears and cats were popping up all over the place. Clearly, it was a well-organized attack on the entire world, and Kokichi was deeply fascinated by such a level of power and competence. But he had yet to sus out the true Mastermind, so until then, he would lay low, but continue scouting the streets with his gang, DICE. Now it seemed that they were about to get three new members. They were taking a chance on rolling the DICE!
"Here ya go, sis!" Kokichi grinned cheekily as he held out another clown mask that looked almost exactly like his own.
You were planning for this, weren't you, Kokichi…? You knew I was going to come back to you eventually…
Well, yes, and no. He could smell which way the wind was blowing, and he saw and sensed the rising tension Miyu only caught wisps of beforehand. He did not know that Kurumi would come to him like this, asking to join his little street gang that they could grant her safe passage through the locked down and war-torn city, but it was always in the back of his mind to rescue her as the state of the world continued to decay.
Now I'm DE-LIGHTED that you brought yourself to me, first! I knew you cared, sis! Now come on, let's go! We got a Chair to de-throne!
ooo
Face 4: Yang
"Haruna…" Miyu removed her clown mask, eyes saddened.
"Wh-what the… Miyu…?!" Even though Haruna wore no mask (on the contrary, she showed her face entirely, pure and beautiful and unblemished) the face Miyu saw staring back at her own was not one she recognized.
"Oh, Haruna… What's happened to you…?"
"Aaaand. Absolute power corrupts absolutely strikes again!" Kokichi cackled, his mask still on.
"Miyu. Don't tell me you've aligned yourself with these… these… heathens!" At first, Haruna's voice was full of righteous indignation. "Tell me truly, have you been corrupted too…?" Now a note of genuine sadness, regret, and loss entered her voice. For a moment, Miyu was stunned into silence, for it was the very question she was about to ask Haruna. It dawned on her suddenly that she, no doubt, looked just as strange, changed, and foreign to Haruna as the opposite. While the Haruna that stood before Miyu now seemed—as Kokichi said—warped by the burdens placed upon her shoulders (heavy hung the head that wore the crown), Miyu was suddenly, acutely aware of how she must've appeared to Haruna.
Kurumi, Kokichi, Miiko, and I DID just spend the better part of a week or two traversing the city with a band of traveling clowns and criminals… A literal circus street gang! But through Kurumi and Miiko—and even Kokichi—Miyu learned that all that was dark was not necessarily evil. Now seemed that Haruna was teaching her a follow-up lesson. All that was light was not necessarily good. If DICE was the goodness in the darkness, then yes, Haruna and this new world order she was trying to impose upon the city was the evil in the light.
"You—!" Haruna even turned to Kokichi with flashing, fiery eyes and a pointing, accusing finger.
"Me!" He replied cheerfully, hands behind his head, his voice the antithesis of his weeping clown mask.
"Kurumi and Miiko, I expected," the Ultimate Chairman continued, narrowing her eyes dangerously.
"Hey!" The two shorter girls protested, Kurumi even ripping off her mask. "We came here to talk some sense into YOU!"
"Into ME?!" Haruna's scoff was almost a cackle. "I am trying to SAVE this dying city! And what are YOU lot doing, hmmmm? Parading around in your clown shoes and clown cars! Pranking and poking and prodding and pinching! Well, never poke a sleeping bear! GUARDS?!"
"Haruna…" Miyu's pink eyes filled with betrayal as she reached out to her once-beautiful friend. "I wanted to share your burdens…" But Haruna would not hear her anymore, and as police filed into the room, Kokichi and Kurumi grabbed Miyu and Miiko, bidding the rest of DICE to cast the smoke-screens and smoke bombs to help them escape and evade capture. As the smog filled the room, they heard Haruna's angry cries.
"I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL I HAVE EXECUTED JUSTICE!"
ooo
Face 5: Death, Murder, Killing
"Well, well, well, Madam Chairman-sama-chan, what was it you were saying about executing justice?" Kokichi teased, sing-songing as he skipped circles around her, finally pulling off his mask. Haruna, meanwhile, was the epitome of shellshocked, utterly stunned into silence. Right before her very eyes, she was certain she'd seen Miyu Sakurada go down in flames. Before she could issue the command to halt the bombs, Kokichi hijacked the signal, and laid the entire section of the city to waste. Now all that remained was a large crater. But the reason Haruna had tried to halt the bombs was because she knew that Miyu was down there! And why was Miyu down there?
Because Haruna was "up there", safe in her ivory tower, her government building, her throne. It was a last-ditch effort to get the Ultimate Chairman to change her ways, see the error in them. If she would not listen to reason, the brave and heroic and selfless Miyu would shield the city with her own body. She would stand between Haruna and them. And it was enough to move even her hardened heart. But by then it was too late. Someone else could not forgive her.
Sorry, Haruna, but you threatened my baby sister. NOBODY crosses the Shiratori-Oma family! The white dove and black horse! The boy's smile was grim, impish, his eyes wide and frightening as his grin seemed to stretch from ear to ear. That girl tried to harm Kurumi. In her godly arrogance, Haruna dared raise hand against the girl only trying to save her. Maybe they were forgiving, full of God's grace, but Kokichi was a child of vengeance, a child of the streets. He had no such qualms about doing what it took to make a point, to put "Chairman-sama-chan" in her place.
"N-no… NO!" Haruna fell to her knees, eyes wide in horror. Miyu… She's d-dead… She's… GONE. I'll never see her again, never speak to her again… And it's… my fault. I killed her… Her breathing was rapid, shallow.
Sorry, not sorry, Chairman, but this is what happens when you refuse to see the world through the eyes of others until it directly impacts you! This was the only way to teach you a lesson… The world doesn't care about Miyu. So you need to stop with these delusions and understand that you are part of something far bigger! Now, Chess-master Chairman-sama, what is your next move? The black knight, the rook, the one between two castles, Shiroma, is ready to fight you, white bishop!
ooo
Face 6: New Life, Let the Games Begin!
"That's it. Fine. So be it. So be it then…" Haruna's voice was hollow, her eyes darkened, as she spoke to the third-year girl with the blue hair and shining, white glasses.
"So you're sure? You're sure you're sure? You know what this means, don't you?" She stood with her legs spread slightly apart, a power stance. And one arm was crossed in front of her torso while the elbow of her other arm rested on the hand wrapped around her torso. The hand that was upright pushed her glasses up her nose, making them flash.
If you seal the borders of this city off, that will indeed make it hard for the Despair to spread. But what you don't know is… Hell is empty, and all the Devils are HERE!
"Yes. Close the gates. Seal everything up. There is neither point nor purpose in continuing further. That side of the city is unsalvageable."
Ah, so the holy girl no longer believes in forgiveness, mercy, or second chances, eh? No, all that is left of you is an angry, vengeful, wrathful God, out to punish the wicked sinners with His divine justice!
It was not Tsumugi Shirogane's wheelhouse, but she LARPed as her favorite anime characters all the time, good and evil. Why not let Haruna LARP as a noble arbiter of justice? Led by God's command. Miyu was dead, and with her, Haruna's Hope died as well. Now all that mattered was securing what little remained of the city, even if it meant sealing it off from the rest of the world. But it didn't matter anymore by then. As Tsumugi herself had just thought… I'm already inside.
The smile that spread slowly across her face was vaguely reminiscent of Kokichi's, but Haruna was too far gone in her Despair to even notice the parallels. Instead, she only nodded glumly before walking away numbly, leaving Tsumugi to do as she pleased. Good. Divide and conquer. One less ally for the Hopeful side. Now the city would be sealed off, so nobody would come to stop Tsumugi. She had free reign to cross the border into the next town over where the Ultimate Academy awaited…
While Junko continued her main attack against Hope's Peak and Pinnacle, Tsumugi would go after that Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. And as she departed from the Chairman's government building, she passed Junko on the way out. She smiled and waved at the other girl, btu Junko ignored her completely. Maybe Tsumugi fancied herself Junko's Ultimate Despair Heir, but to Junko, she was literally a dime a dozen.
I've got my sights set on someone else… Junko smirked and sneered as she all but kicked in Haruna's office door. "Heeeeyyyy, girlie!"
Haruna sighed quietly, arms crossed, facing away from Junko, peering out her office window at the burning world below. "What is it, Enoshima?"
"Got a new group project I want you to be my partner on!" Junko grinned. Haruna said nothing, did nothing, so Junko continued on her merry way, drawing closer and closer to the Despairful Chairman. "You're all about justice, law, order, fairness, crime, punishment, morality, police, and all that jazz, right?" she demanded eagerly. "Well then what say you to helping me with a little experiment, hmm? A few… executions to punish sinners… I sure could use your help in setting it all up. Doling out and deciding the appropriate punishments and all!"
After a moment of silence, Haruna sighed again. "I'm listening."
Heh… Excellent… My dear girl… I know exactly who YOU are thinking of… Tee hee, Mr. Oma, you think you've set her straight, but you've only hastened your own demise! Very well then. Tis time to start a new life! A Killing School Life! Let the games begin!
Notes:
AN: Just wanted to give some backstory on Despair!Haruna, Kokichi and Kurumi's sibling relationship, and even how V3 came to be. I have it in mind that in this AU, everyone started out at Hope's Peak, but the Academy heads were building more academies, and Junko wanted to take them over too. Of course, the D4 gals tackle "Hope's Pinnacle" while Tsumugi goes after the Ultimate Academy. And in this story, Towa City is beside another city that acts as a gateway into the city where V3 occurs. Haruna is given jurisdiction over it in light of the Tragedy, but she is overworked, and then manipulated by Kokichi into becoming a Despair (even though in his twisted mind, his actions were supposed to free her from her Earthly connections, not push her deeper into Despair)
Chapter 30: Hope’s Peak Christmas Miracle
Chapter by Irhaboggle
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Snowflakes dusted Hope's Peak Academy, blanketing the battered building in blizzard white. Despite all the hardships the poor high school—and its staff and students alike—had endured, Hope was alive and well, burning inside like a fire keeping the cold and dark at bay. The halls were lined with holiday decorations, and in the early hours of the wintry morning, there was no place livelier than the cafeteria.
All around, students either unable to commute home for the season—such as some of the foreign exchange students—or those who desired to come early, made even more decorations. Even students from the other Talented academies—like the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles, Hope's Pinnacle, and even the American campus transfer students—were present.
Makoto Naegi—one of the organizers of the event—sat at one of the tables near the heart of the cafeteria. Seated beside him were two new students of Hope's Pinnacle, Hayate Tendo and Kokoa Shinomiya.
I remember them! My sister told me about them! They helped her survive that whole ordeal in Towa City… I'll owe them for the rest of my life! It was a debt Makoto was more than happy to pay. Hmmm, but I wonder, where are their other two unit-mates…? He wracked his brains, but he could not remember what Komaru told him their names were, and he was too embarrassed to ask.
Meanwhile, miles away, still snug in her bed with her phone charging on her nightstand beside her, Michiru Kaibara—Ultimate Announcer—snuggled deeper into her blankets and smiled. On her phone, Lumina Ichihoshi's—Ultimate Hope AI and Space Idol V-Tuber—8-bit icon snored, a chat-bubble with 3 Zs in it floating over her head.
Thank goodness I remember Hayate and Kokoa's names and Talents! It's a Hope's Peak Christmas miracle, Makoto thought in relief, glancing at the Ultimate Poet and Composer. They were well-matched, weren't they? Must be my luck!
"I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves so far," Makoto cleared his throat and said delicately, fiddling with his arts-and-crafts wreath, trying to conceal his nervousness. As his underclassmen, Makoto felt a strong desire to look out for, and impress, Hayate and Kokoa. To say nothing of the debt of gratitude he felt for the sake of his sister! "I mean, ummm, with Hope's Peak as a whole, not just the Christmas decoration party. I know the school still is only a fraction of what it used to be, but I'm glad so many people were interested in celebrating Christmas this year!"
Of course, it was perfectly understandable why some students no longer desired to celebrate. After what Junko's Tragedy and Killing Games had done to all of them, Makoto knew he could never hold it against anyone.
But how sad to think she ruined the holiday permanently for so many innocent people who didn't even know she existed, and vice versa… That's why I'm glad for celebrations like these! She's gone now, and she won't take anything else from us! No, we'll take it back! The First Hope's Peak Christmas, Post-Tragedy! It was a Hope's Peak Christmas miracle Hope's Peak was operational so soon after the Tragedy!
Hayate beamed as she attempted to tie a big, fat, red ribbon on a string of garland that was clearly too small and thin for the weight of the bow.
"Of course! Christmas is such a magical time. I love helping spread the cheer!" She held up her bow triumphantly, though it drooped slightly to the left. "As for Hope's Peak, well, it's still been magical too, in its own way!" The Ultimate Poet's eyes twinkled.
Kokoa glanced over at Hayate, her face a mix of affection and exasperation. "Hayate, that bow looks like it's had a rough day," she muttered, tugging it loose and retying it with swift precision. Her movements were deliberate and focused, a contrast to Hayate's more meandering and spontaneous methods. Hayate only smiled and held up two peace signs as Kokoa finished the garland for her.
"Baka!" Kokoa whispered, sighing and rolling her eyes as she resumed her own wreath. It was by far the most polished.
Makoto chuckled sheepishly, still fiddling with his. "Kokoa, you're really good at this. You've got an eye for detail."
"Thanks," Kokoa muttered tightly, her face slowly tingeing pink. "I am the Ultimate Composer, after all. You need to be precise with ear, mind, and hand to capture the write notes, let alone string them together in a cohesive song!" She was rambling, she knew, and she inwardly kicked herself.
This is no way to act around an upperclassman! Let alone one who… defeated Junko and… saved the entire world… like twice… Kokoa wasn't normally one to get flustered like this, but when seated directly beside The Makoto Naegi, she could understand why he was considered the Ultimate Hope. It wasn't that he was outwardly heroic, rather, he was just so, outwardly Good. He was kind, humble, sincere, earnest, pleasant, always trying to spread that pleasantness wherever he went, to whomever he met, even Junko. And that was exactly why it was her own undoing. And… Kokoa hated to admit how much Makoto sometimes reminded her of Hayate… Dummy! Too nice for his own good!
Kokoa's gaze flickered briefly toward Hayate, who was humming a Christmas carol and happily untangling fairy lights. Baka…
The Ultimate Poet, however, was having the time of her life, eyes occasionally flitting up her rainbow fairy lights. Oh, Kokoa, you don't need to be so shy around him. I know, I know, you always like to put your best foot forward no matter where you go, no matter who you meet. It's what makes you an Honors Student, after all. You're always so prim and proper. But I promise, Makoto's like our brother too, right?
The Ultimate Poet was reflecting on their time together in Towa City, with Komaru Naegi and Toko Fukuawa, a classmate of Makoto. Even though Hayate and Kokoa had never met Makoto before, Hayate would've said she felt as if she already knew him after all the time she spent with his sister and peer. But as Hayate noted, Kokoa had a shyness about her. Although she presented boldly, she had an intense desire to impress. But Hayate could sense that Makoto was a little like that too, maybe that was why she had a fondness for both of them.
I'm just more laidback, Hayate thought as she slouched back in her chair, sprinkling more silver snow-glitter on glue-covered paper snowflakes.
By contrast, despite her calm expression, Kokoa's thoughts were racing. She had slowly been coming out to more and more people about the true nature of her relationship with Hayate. Even though she knew there was neither obligation, nor even reason, to tell Makoto, she couldn't help but wonder. Komaru knew, after all. It was her relationship with Toko, in fact, that inspired Kokoa to finally come out to them. Perhaps that's what it was. Kokoa wanted to know Makoto's thoughts, because as Hayate said, their paths were already intertwined.
But while Hayate had faith in Makoto, Kokoa doubted herself. Would Makoto really be ok with it? Oh, what did it matter, anyway? It wasn't like they were going to be classmates. While Kokoa was just starting out, a first-year, Makoto was just finishing up the year he never got to conclude because Junko interrupted it with her Killing Games. And even though Komaru already knew the secret, she also knew that Kokoa wanted for it to stay a secret. Now the Ultimate Composer couldn't help but almost regret telling Komaru anything at all.
As the trio of Ultimates chatted, they began assembling a giant gingerbread house together. Hayate enthusiastically placed gumdrops along the roofline while Kokoa carefully piped icing to hold the walls together. Makoto, for his part, attempted to attach a candy cane door but ended up breaking it in half. Just his luck.
"Whoops," he said sheepishly, earning a laugh from Hayate, and even a quiet snicker from Kokoa. It was a sound that made Hayate and Makoto both pause. Even though Makoto didn't know Kokoa very well at all, he knew enough to know that a laugh from her—at least in this case—was a good thing, not an embarrassing one. It showed that she felt comfortable around him, or at least amused by him.
Heh, well, if I can be of service, anything in the name of the Christmas spirit, and spreading holiday cheer, he thought with another weak chuckle. Hayate, meanwhile, smiled proudly at her girlfriend.
I told you he was cool. You don't have to worry about him, Kokoa. Oh, but don't worry, I won't say anything until you're ready.
After a while, Makoto's pocket buzzed. "Oh, hang on, just got a text from Kyoko! That's right! I was going to meet her to talk to her about something regarding the academy repairs! I'll have to head out early," he said, rising from his seat with a rueful expression, "but it was great getting to meet you both today!" He smiled and waved at them.
"M-merry Christmas!" Kokoa waved with a weak smile as he turned to leave.
"Merry Crisis!" Hayate smiled and held up two peace signs again.
"Hayate…" Kokoa's face and voice instantly went deadpan.
"Merry Chrysler!" Hayate continued, and Kokoa facepalmed.
The moment the cafeteria door swung shut behind Makoto, Kokoa sighed. "Nice going, baka!"
"Thanks." Hayate was still holding up her peace signs and smiling. "You were amazing too, Kokoa, Makoto really likes you!"
"Wh-what?!" Kokoa screeched. Several of the other Ultimates turned to her curiously, so she waved them off with an embarrassed smile. "Hayate!" she whisper-yelled, pleading.
"I love you, Kokoa." Hayate finally resumed her latest arts-and-crafts mission: painting ornaments but getting more on herself than the glass and plastic balls.
"I—! Wha—? Oh, come on, that's just not fair!" Kokoa pouted and stomped. Hayate hummed happily to herself, finally giving up on the paintbrush and just dipping a finger in each color. Kokoa could only watch her, aghast and exasperated, but when it became clear that Hayate was only going to continue humming happily to herself, Kokoa couldn't help but shake her head and give in.
"Ok, fine, whatever, dummy, I love you too, ok?" she muttered, then she leaned over and gave Hayate a swift kiss on the cheek. Hayate actually paused in surprise, then she began to beam from ear to ear.
It's a Hope's Peak Christmas miracle!
Notes:
AN: Long live D4DR and happy early bday in case I don't have time to celebrate when the day arrives! 6/7/2022 is the day I got the idea for D4DR, 3/8/2023 is the day I began writing, 7/24/2023 is the day I began posting, and 1/19/2024 is the day I finished the main story/Killing Game.
Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 1 Tue 04 Jul 2023 09:56AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 1 Tue 04 Jul 2023 11:08AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 2 Wed 05 Jul 2023 11:43AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 2 Wed 05 Jul 2023 12:06PM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 3 Thu 06 Jul 2023 07:36AM UTC
Last Edited Thu 06 Jul 2023 07:39AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 3 Thu 06 Jul 2023 08:11AM UTC
Last Edited Thu 06 Jul 2023 08:12AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 4 Fri 07 Jul 2023 07:30AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 4 Fri 07 Jul 2023 08:29AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 5 Sat 08 Jul 2023 08:47AM UTC
Last Edited Sat 08 Jul 2023 08:47AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 5 Sat 08 Jul 2023 10:58AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 5 Sun 09 Jul 2023 08:43AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 5 Sun 09 Jul 2023 12:11PM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 5 Sun 09 Jul 2023 08:42AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 5 Sun 09 Jul 2023 12:14PM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 7 Mon 10 Jul 2023 10:15AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 7 Mon 10 Jul 2023 10:37AM UTC
Last Edited Mon 10 Jul 2023 10:38AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 7 Mon 10 Jul 2023 06:15PM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 7 Mon 10 Jul 2023 08:46PM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 8 Wed 12 Jul 2023 10:53AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 8 Wed 12 Jul 2023 11:53AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 9 Thu 13 Jul 2023 10:26AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 9 Thu 13 Jul 2023 12:16PM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 9 Thu 13 Jul 2023 08:25PM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 9 Fri 14 Jul 2023 12:47AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 9 Sat 15 Jul 2023 11:13AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 9 Sun 16 Jul 2023 09:32AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 9 Sun 16 Jul 2023 10:18AM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 16 Mon 15 Jul 2024 10:51AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 16 Mon 15 Jul 2024 09:11PM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 17 Fri 19 Jul 2024 07:30AM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 17 Sat 20 Jul 2024 04:12PM UTC
Last Edited Sat 20 Jul 2024 04:13PM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 25 Wed 07 Aug 2024 05:41PM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 25 Wed 07 Aug 2024 07:03PM UTC
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Hell_is_just_a_place on Chapter 25 Wed 07 Aug 2024 05:52PM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 25 Wed 07 Aug 2024 07:03PM UTC
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silvershadowsea (Guest) on Chapter 27 Fri 06 Sep 2024 03:25PM UTC
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Irhaboggle on Chapter 27 Fri 06 Sep 2024 09:57PM UTC
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