#(and also Makoto will always see himself as just an ordinary person and tends to be pretty self-deprecating)

[kotaerukoto]

>Just a man, not a hero >Just a boy who had to sing this song >He cares very much >The world will never take his heart or break him >He will carry on

[caffernnn]

Haru’s hopelessness - an extensive rambling.

Watchers of Free! Eternal Summer - y’all remember this moment, right? 

Throughout S2, as some of the boys now have to seriously think about their lives and paths after high school, Haru struggles to think past what he’s always known: swimming for his friends/himself, eating mackerel, and being free. Things arguably take a darker turn once Haru cannot run from the question anymore and breaks, lashing out at Rin and saying he doesn’t have a dream or a future. 

There are so many things that can be unpacked from this quote alone, and my thoughts on the matter will probably be sporadic, but here are a few key things I’d like to try diving into in this post:

My interpretation of Haru’s, Makoto’s, and Rin’s characters’ mindsets

What Haru is likely trying to say

How Makoto and Rin interpret his words (based on their mindsets and experiences)

I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on it all as well, so please feel free to add on :)

DISCLAIMER: This post will reference material outside of S2 itself to explain my insight/interpretation of the characters (S1 episodes, High Speed novel), but I won’t be putting full links to all of those materials in this post. If you’d like a specific link to anything I’m referencing, let me know and I can try to dig one up.

When first hearing Haru say that he doesn’t have a dream or a future, it is shocking and concerning, especially to his friends. However, as broken as lost as Haru is in this moment, the weight of his words and what he’s verbally trying to convey is most likely different than what his friends hear. I feel as if a big reason for this comes down to the different ways the characters perceive time and approach general goal-setting. 

Here is a video that can give a frame of reference for what I mean by “time perception,” but I’ll still try to explain my thinking ---> https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJsdVUhu/

Rin and Haru butt heads on many occasions throughout the series due to having opposing characteristics and approaches to life. The big difference that comes into play during S2 is how they both approach goal-setting and time. As soon as we’re introduced to Rin, it becomes apparent that he is someone who is a visionary that has always set his sights on the future. From boldly proclaiming his Olympic goals in elementary school to encouraging their team to put their relay trophy into a time capsule, Rin establishes himself early on as a dreamer that puts his all into his long-term goals. Being someone who thinks about things in this manner isn’t inherently good or bad, but it does lend a hand to many of the issues we see Rin go through in S1 (having tunnel vision on his goal that isolates him from his friends, being prone to catastrophize when confronted with road blocks along the way [like when he breaks down after losing to Haru in middle school], etc.). However, all of that dreaming puts him at an advantage now when preparing to move forward into post-high-school life. He has a frame of reference for most of his next steps (winning races, talking to scouts), and now he just has to make it a reality.

Haru, in essence, lives his life in the moment. If he wants to swim, he’ll try to swim; if he wants mackerel, he’ll try to make mackerel. He lets the people around him (usually Makoto) worry about the possible consequences for his actions (swimming too early in spring might get him sick, swimming in a fish tank might get him kicked out of XYZ place, cooking mackerel after a long bath might make him late for school, etc.). The way he thinks about all of his “tomorrows” beyond acting freely on impulse is through having a consistent routine or norm to cling onto. When swimming, he’ll swim freestyle. When given a choice, he’ll default to eating mackerel. He’ll find a way to get in a swim or a bath most days because water is safe. He’ll walk with Makoto to and from school, sticking to the side of the path closest to the ocean and anticipating sharing the same split popsicle. This is about as much thought as he lends to the future, usually: he’ll keep doing the things that make him happy and comfortable, whatever that’ll mean to him in the moment. In opposition of Rin, this frame of mind based in immediacy and short-term goals helps him in S1 (teaching Rin to appreciate the moment, connecting with his friends, not getting lost in the overly analytical or competitive side of swimming), but it makes the challenges that come with his looming graduation in S2 much harder to cope with. 

The reason that it’s important to understand how both Haru and Rin frame their perceptions of time is because it plays right into what Haru is saying during their argument. He is frustrated with Rin because Rin doesn’t understand the way Haru thinks/lives moment-to-moment (he yells as much in this fight) and he is tired of hearing people for years try and push him into long-term thinking about his future when he doesn’t naturally approach life that way. Think back to one of the first things Haru said in S1: 

“When you're ten, they call you a prodigy. When you're fifteen, they call you a genius. Once you hit twenty, you're just an ordinary person. About three years until I'm ordinary. Man... I can't wait to be ordinary.”

Because of Haru’s swimming abilities, people have looked at him as a prodigy and have had their own visions about his potential or his future ever since he was young. Even if it seems like flattery, Haru feels boxed in by all of this. Being considered a prodigy comes with expectations that put him on a pedestal he never asked to be placed on -- if he’s going to swim, he’s expected to swim well; if he swims well, he’s expected to capitalize on his abilities in a competitive manner or expand his horizons to other forms of swimming; if he’s going to live his life tied to the water, people view him as a swimmer before they view him as anything/anyone else. Haru has been frustrated with all of this since he was younger (as expressed in S1), but it gets even worse as people close in on Haru from all sides with advice and sentiments that compound in Haru’s head as belonging to the echo chamber he hates so much. 

So... what does this all mean in relevance to Haru saying he doesn’t have a dream or a future? Here’s my line of thinking: all of the internalized frustration Haru has with long-term thinkers (from his perspective) speaking over him and not taking time to understand his in-the-moment intuition-led mindset comes out in this line. What Haru is trying to say is that he doesn’t have a detailed long-term plan because he isn’t a romantic visionary like Rin. He wants to stick with his relatively free lifestyle (y’know, the one where he can do what he wants, but still ultimately sticks to a routine) because he sees no point in forcing himself to put effort into big changes if 1) he’s satisfied and 2) the system isn’t broken.*

*we learn later, especially through Haru and Makoto’s later fight, that these two points are up for debate, but this is what Haru has convinced himself to believe at the time of this specific confrontation.

However, with the way Haru vocalizes this frustration, it is vague enough that Rin and the others hear something much different. It’s written right on their faces. Like I mentioned earlier, being a long-term thinker prone to catastrophizing, Rin interprets (and possibly misconstrues) Haru’s words to mean that he doesn’t think he has the potential or abilities to strive for something. Rin feels Haru’s words like a punch to the gut because he relates Haru’s hopelessness to the times he has felt lost and hopeless, like when defeat after defeat led to him breaking down after his middle school race with Haru. It’s shocking and it stings for Rin to hear, because as much as he’s learned to believe in himself and his own future, he’s also held onto those dreams and hope for his friends. I’ll admit, his dedication and borderline obsession with swimming lends to him mostly vocalizing the dreams he has for his friends that are related to swimming (Makoto and Haru getting scouted, Sousuke returning to swimming), but the love is still there. 

The idea of long-term vs short-term thinkers I’ve presented isn’t completely dichotomous or black-and-white, even though Haru and Rin tend to fall on the far opposite sides of the proposed spectrum. So, where does someone like Makoto fall? 

Makoto is an interesting case. From how I’ve come to understand his character, I would say he also looks to the future, albeit in less idealistic or extreme ways than Rin. Makoto’s forward line of thinking presents itself through both his people-pleasing tendencies and his caring disposition. When Makoto interacts with people, he is often observant and calculating, trying to figure out how he can navigate a conversation in the most complimentary or polite manner. This ability and tendency to understand/empathize with others ties into a lot of the roles he takes on: team captain, big brother, part-time position as a swim coach, full-time position as Haru’s impulse control... he is inclined to think about the future and all of the possible consequences for his actions. This also ties into some of the other things we know Makoto’s character for, such as being a scaredy-cat (aka, someone who overthinks consequences in fear of the unknown) and a ray of sunshine (aka, someone who wants to see the best in people and holds onto optimism/hope for the people he loves, even if it sometimes means not saving enough for himself and his own abilities). 

Despite being more of a forward-thinker, Makoto has definitely been influenced by his close relationship with Haru. Makoto has spent most of his life observing and learning how to read Haru, and it has been shown time and time again that Makoto is one of the people (if not, the person) that understands Haru best. He understands that Haru values the freedom of choice and harbors a desire for unconditional appreciation. He understands that Haru puts stock in consistency/reliability and needs time and space to process or reflect when life deviates from that carefully-crafted norm. Makoto’s actions towards Haru over the years all reflect him trying to be respectful of these observations. Even when he can tell something is bothering Haru, Makoto tries to let Haru work it out on his own first, not prodding him for information but letting his presence/support be known all the same. I digress, being best friends, their lives and routines are tightly woven together. Because of this, Makoto spends a lot of time also living in-the-moment with Haru -- he is a large proponent in Haru’s “free” lifestyle. 

Since Makoto has a foot in both Haru and Rin’s respective worlds, how does he interpret Haru’s declaration that he doesn’t have a dream or a future? Surely, since he understands Haru and his position so well and has always been respectful of his mindset/wishes, he gets what Haru is trying to say... right? 

Unfortunately for Haru (or fortunately, depending on who you ask), Makoto is immediately concerned by those words in a way similar to Rin. Like I mentioned earlier, Makoto holds deep optimism and hope in his chest for all of the people he cares about. Even though he never forced lofty expectations onto Haru to swim or be anything other than himself, he still holds so much care and hope for his best friend. For Makoto to hear that Haru might not have that faith in himself or the belief that he is worth a bright future, it breaks his heart. Similar to Rin, he is probably thinking back to his own moments of hopelessness, and I can’t help but think back to the lost and scared Makoto fighting with himself during the middle school days. When entering middle school, Makoto struggles with his identity, trying to figure out just how dependent he is on Haru’s friendship. One of his darkest moments in my mind comes from Chapter 8 of the High Speed! 2 novel, when Makoto is beating himself up especially hard after being frozen by his fear of the ocean yet again. Haru finds Makoto alone on a secluded part of the shore, where he says this:

“Will I be alright even if Haru isn’t here? …..I wanted to make sure of that.”

Raising his eyebrows, he shows a lonely smile. Makoto was fighting all along. He was suffering, all along. In a place where Haruka’s thoughts couldn’t possibly reach... 

“Would Haru be alright even if I weren’t here?”

If Makoto’s internal struggles throughout their middle school days reveal anything, it is that Makoto has experienced a hopelessness that he wouldn’t ever wish on his friends. To think that Haru might now be at war with himself in a way that makes him question his own place in the world, his future... it is the ultimate catalyst for Makoto to step in and try to talk to Haru. Sadly, we all remember how that confrontation went...

ENTER: THE FIREWORKS FIGHT (S2E11)

(Since this post is already super long, I might go more into my thoughts on how this all plays into the misunderstandings about the fireworks fight in a separate post. We’ve talked about the fight at length on multiple occasions and you can definitely find my thoughts on the matter if you look under the “#fireworks angst night” or “#meta” tags on my profile.)

If you’ve made it this far into the post, thanks for sticking with me. I’d love to hear about how you interpreted Haru’s words or how you think the others took in his breakdown. 

[potatotrash0]

I’ll literally never ever stop thinking about Celeste and Kokichi...they’re just. So interesting and I’m a sucker for complex characters that make me think and allow me the space to speculate and theorize the crap outta them....my little analysis? will stay under the cut because this got way longer than I originally planned.

I just find it so fascinating how Kokichi doesn’t bother with niceties like a lot of the other characters do. He frequently points out things that the other characters either don’t notice or don’t acknowledge, like the fact that Monokuma wants them to work together in order to break them apart and create rifts in the group. Similarly in THH, Celeste brings up several uncomfortable topics, one of the most notable ones for me being the idea of adaptability and survivability being closely interlocked, that those who can’t adapt are bound to wind up dead.

Their statements are cold and unnerving to think about, but I also can’t help thinking about how they’re...not actually wrong? Both ideas are unpleasant for everyone else in the group, but at least how I see it, going about things normally and trusting people you don’t even know isn’t smart, regardless of how optimistic you want to be.

Something I also want to note is that a fundamental part of both their characters is that they’re liars, but how they lie and the reasons why they lie in the first place are just so vastly different from each other.

Kokichi is someone who’s tendency for lying seems to stem from 1.) a lack of trust and 2.) a fear of vulnerability. He exaggerates and fakes his reactions to things frequently and says afterwards that all of it was a lie, but also mentions odd things like “just hit the reset button on your feelings,” which suggests he doesn’t really give himself much time to process how he truly feels. There’s also the fact that he writes, “油断ならない?” under Saihara’s picture on the whiteboard in his room. I believe, and I say this tentatively since I don’t know Japanese and I’m working off translators and kanji websites, that phrase roughly translates to “yudan naranai.” “Yudan” seems to mean “carelessness, recklessness.” “Naranai” seems to mean “do not become.” I’m guessing that Kokichi is making a note to be cautious around Saihara, or to not get careless around him, though why exactly Kokichi feels the need to make that sort of note, I’m not sure. From the English translation of “trustworthy,” I assumed that he trusted Saihara, but I’m wondering now if it would be more accurate to say that he simply acknowledges the detective as a notable figure in the trials or something along those lines. I think he was already formulating his plan with Kaito at this point, so perhaps he was noting that Saihara might’ve been able to find out about it if he wasn’t careful with his words, though I haven’t actually finished V3 so I’m not sure if my assumption lines up with canon. (I’m noticing now that @/oumakokichi said that yudan naranai as a phrase means “tricky,” not “be careful.” I don’t know if it’s like. A Japanese turn of phrase that I just don’t know about or if I translated it wrong skjfkdjf)

Kokichi’s lies are also very...wild. Like his rather chaotic and loud personality, he tends to lie like second nature. I believe in Salmon Mode, if you agree with the idea of Kokichi stopping his lies, he says that it’s arrogant to expect someone to change such a vital part of themselves just for the sake of other people’s approval. The best descriptor I can come up with for his brand of lying is that...it’s like a minefield with both real and fake mines. It’s hard to differentiate what’s what, and while you can take a guess, there’s always a chance that your assumption will backfire and blow up in your face unless you pay extremely close attention.

Celeste, on the other hand, seems to lie more out of insecurity than a lack of trust. She hates the idea of being ordinary, calling her real name a loser’s name, and is shown to be willing to go to extremes to achieve the lavish life she desires. Even beyond the whole murder plan, gambling in Japan is illegal, so she’s breaking the law as well as resorting to risking her own life in gambling matches in order to get the money she needs for her castle. She’s also a lot more particular in how she lies. She seems to have an elaborate backstory all planned out, from her being descended from French and German ancestors to her likely fake gambling matches inspired by various gambling manga. She sticks to it well, firmly restating details like her name being Celestia Ludenberg, even when it’s clear that some people don’t buy it. Juxtaposed to Kokichi’s minefields, Celeste’s lies strike me as more like a carefully woven web of half-truths. Not quite lies, but definitely not the whole story either.

I also find it interesting how their motivations and actions in their respective killing games differ. Kokichi is shown to actively despise the work of Team Danganronpa, calling them sick for enjoying toying with people’s lives. In the Japanese version, I believe he says something along the lines of, “A game where people lose their lives...how could that ever be fun?” He also mentions to Saihara that a game can be won by simply not playing. He flat out says, “Regardless of your reasons, the moment you felt the urge to kill, you had already lost. You agreed to be part of this killing game when you allowed murder to fill your heart.” He’s not really subtle about his hatred of the killing game, and even the whole “I love this game!!!” spiel in Chapter 4 is a rather pathetic lie. At least, it seems obvious to me, seeing as up until that point, some of his most serious moments have included him explicitly talking about not playing by Monokuma’s rules. I think Saihara himself notes that Kokichi seemed to have upped the whole evil persona. Though, being an observer, I guess I could be biased.

Celeste, however, said herself that she wanted nothing more than to get out as soon as Monokuma showed up. Just outright states it, that her whole “adaptability is survivability” mentality was a facade she put up in order to hide the fact that she was always considering killing someone in exchange for freedom. It’s a direct contrast to Kokichi’s insistence that they shouldn’t give into Monokuma’s trap, as well as his strong disdain for murder.

And since I’ve gone over their differences all this time, I wanna go over a few notable similarities real quick?

I notice that they both have a theme of hiding and suppressing their emotions. Kokichi’s more subtle about it, his most explicit line being that “hit reset on your feelings” line. Celeste states it outright, saying that she takes pride in being able to fool her own emotions, that “the conscious deceives the unconcious.” However, neither of them have full control over what emotions they show, as Kokichi is shown a few times to lose control and try to play it off as a lie afterwards, and Celeste loses her temper with Hifumi and during the trial. When it came time for her to be executed, even Makoto was able to see through her smile despite her efforts to appear composed.

Another thing is that they both seem to be rather commanding characters. Celeste is one of the first to take initiative, immediately establishing the no-wandering-at-nighttime rule, as well as bringing up the adapt to survive idea. She repeatedly reminds everyone to adhere to the rule, appearing ticked off when people don’t and even saying that Chihiro had their death coming to them for meeting someone at night. One of Kokichi’s first moves is to befriend Gonta, and he doesn’t have any issue ordering the guy around, not unlike how Celeste orders around Hifumi. Gonta obviously doesn’t really seem to find Kokichi physically attractive, but the boss/goon dynamic is similar. This is likely more of a “you’re easy to pick on so I’m gonna keep doing it” sort of deal than him being commanding, but I will bring up that Kokichi does seem to find Miu’s more wimpish side amusing, enough that he doesn’t seem to get bored of insulting her through the game.

This is...probably all stuff that me and plenty of other people have gone over before but I just. Man I just think they’re so neat........I love them.....they make me happy to think about....

[cherubchoirs]

Have you ever heard of Leverage (TV series)? It is about a five-person team: a thief, a grifter, a hacker, and a retrieval specialist, led by former insurance investigator, who use their skills to fight corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on ordinary citizens. I like to think that Akira would do something similar when he grows older. If you don’t mind me asking, what types of jobs do you see the members of the Phantom Thieves having as they grow up?

i’ve heard of the show but i haven’t seen it myself, although i 100% agree that is totally akira!!! i think akira, at first, holds a lot of odd jobs because he likes meeting new people, seeing different places, and having all kinds of experiences...and it keeps his schedule flexible so that he can work as a burglar. he only steals from those who deserve it, doing meticulous combing of their backgrounds and digging all the dirt on them - he retrieves valuables for himself and often grabs blackmail material too in order to make them change their ways. however, akira works as the daring, hands-on type, becoming a modern day arsene that thrills the public with his daring heists and brings people to justice for crimes that wouldn’t otherwise be brought to light. he does this for years but...he scales a lot of high-rise buildings, a dangerous gamble that finally doesn’t go his way one night, and the fall he takes leaves him with a bad back and using a cane after lots of physical therapy to recover. he moves forward after that to go into activism, using a degree in law to work as an advocate for prisoner’s rights in japan...but definitely still continuing to work as a thief that now orchestrates heists in a similar way to what you mentioned where he stays behind the scenes. SO...i’ve thought plenty about akira obviously sdkfsjfd but as for the others!! 

- ryuji is a physical therapist - i never thought ryuji actually came off as dumb tbh, he just seems unfocused and like he’s given into labels. like i noticed that ryuji can be incredibly insightful and asked some really good questions...and i just want him to achieve so much more as an adult than he ever thought he could. he works especially well with kids, connecting to them easily and having the kind of upbeat, high energy they need to feel happy even after a serious injury. and i imagine ryuji is like. super buff. dude’s ripped. and the kids can see that he has an injury too but it didn’t stop him working out, playing sports, or having a good life even if there are certain things he can’t do (i hc ryuji lives with chronic pain and running is eventually too hard on his leg) he’s honestly a great doctor in general who makes people feel at ease even if he can be overly excitable, it’s just part of his charm lol 

- ann does become a model like she wanted, but i imagine she gets a business degree to learn how to eventually run her own modeling company. she wants a place where the models feel safe, where they aren’t used or abused in any way, and all claims of harassment are taken DAMN seriously and ann will ruin any photographer/company/manager that tries to take advantage of a model. additionally, she really wants to expand the kind of models that can find work in japan - ann herself knows what it’s like to be singled out for being different, but she also knows she doesn’t face half of what many minorities do. she wants them all to be see as beautiful and fashionable, she wants all people to be able to open a magazine and see someone like them held up as the image of beauty. 

- yusuke can’t be anything but a fine artist lmao his work includes a TON of travel, finding inspiration in all corners of the globe as well as making tons upon tons of international friends wherever he goes. he stays with them more often than not, barely even having a permanent residence, and none of the thieves are surprised when they get a text from him backpacking in australia or exploring a city in peru. it makes his work super eclectic, a beautiful blend of styles and compositions that he’s seen around the world (madarame WISHES he actually had the range!!), although his favorite will always be traditional japanese painting since that’s what his mother loved. 

- makoto initially goes into the police force wanting to be a commissioner...but even she is shocked to learn how disgustingly corrupt the force is. she knows what akira faced and the trumped up charges that would have been brought to the phantom thieves, but actually getting into on the other side was something else entirely. so she decides to work for internal affairs to climb the ladder to the top as quickly as possible. yes, she wants justice in the streets, but that will never be accomplished is the police are simply allowed to do as they please, so she decides she must take them to task first. it’s still working in a corrupt system, but she is MERCILESS, never caring how many people attempt to brick her out - she knows every loophole and makes various connections to get her where she needs to be to bring crooked officers before a court of law. 

- futaba continues to live with sojiro for a long time, but she easily develops her own software and makes good money from it. i sort of got the idea that futaba could definitely make a living like this from p5d honestly, where she says she made the top app in the app store but just did so anonymously (or something like that!!) so she didn’t get paid. i think she would just develop software and games and things like that on her own because traditional work just doesn’t suit the way she thinks and operates, and she’s happy to work all on her own. she also definitely, definitely helps akira with his heists and stealing info on assholes that deserve to be taken down while doing her own hacking on the side. 

- haru continues to oversee the company, but i think she scales it back quite a bit in order to be sure they maintain good quality and good policies. like ann’s business, all of her employees feel safe and comfortable to report any grievances and it’s known as one of the best places to work as haru keeps a close eye on things. she does get the cafe she wanted, although she wishes she could be there in person more. she works closely with the manager and all the employees know her though, making an appearance at least a couple times a week to relax and get that one on one interaction with her workers and customers. it has a beautiful little garden too that anyone can help tend, plus haru makes sure any unused food goes to help those in need (and those in need can always come to the cafe for a meal, just like her grandfather wanted).

- goro goes into law, where he works as a lawyer in family court. i always really liked the idea of him being a lawyer since i think his relationship with sae was an important one, but it’s definitely just a passion for him too because he’s tenacious in getting the outcome that’s in the best interest of children in any given case. he knows how little the legal system tends to care about kids in these disputes, and it’s even worse when they are orphans or in foster care, so he wants to be the one person on their side even if he has to fight against the whole system for them. and he. really definitely does fight that system tooth and nail, known for being brutal in court and exceedingly thorough in the evidence he compiles. no one took him seriously at first because oh he’s just that wannabe kid detective, but they all learned VERY fast how dangerous an opponent he really is. surprisingly, though, everyone sees the total 180 he does talking to kids, his voice soft and warm but full of confidence, and he’s done amazingly well helping out social workers that otherwise can’t find an advocate

[n00dl3gal]

Despair is How I Say I Love You (Danganronpa)

I'm still fairly new to the DR fandom, but I always wondered just how broken Junko's psyche really was. These are my ideas for how she'd react to the Killing Game unfolding, and her relationship with the rest of the 78th Class.

I was inspired partially by @lukastarkiller​‘s series "glory and gore go hand in hand (that's why we're making headlines)." It's a fascinating look at the 77th Class's despair, I highly recommend it. 

Thanks to @mustardpig​ for proofreading.

Read on AO3 here.

Junko Enoshima could count on one hand the number of times she had cried in her life- genuinely, actually cried, not the crocodile tears she used to manipulate people or for the camera during photo shoots.

The first was when she was mere hours old and she had realized how utterly boring the world was. So predictable and meaningless. It was her first real taste of despair- the despair of living, of knowing how life would unfold.

She cried for the second time when she was cornered by a bulky man, whispering what he could do to a pretty girl like her. She managed to scramble away, but her heart beat faster than she thought was possible. Junko was scared for the first time, and the despair of fear was something she relished. It felt real, it was something new and unprecedented and so, so good.

Junko cried for the third time when her dear sister Mukuro ran off to join a band of mercenaries. She wept not out of concern for Mukuro- she knew her older sister would be fine, she figured that out immediately, given her prowess in combat and agility- but rather out of jealousy. She wanted to feel the despair of the battlefield, to be surrounded by death and suffering; maybe even enjoy the ultimate, bitter despair of death- God, wouldn’t that just be wonderful? But instead she was stuck doing modeling jobs, forcing a smile and a personality.

The last time Junko Enoshima cried was when she began the second killing game and knew her classmates would die.

. . .

Headmaster Jin screamed all the louder when Junko turned off the voice modulator for Monokuma. “Hope has peaked,” she drawled, “and despair comes crashing down.” Not her best line, to be sure, but it did the trick. The headmaster struggled against the ropes, pleading with her by name, wondering if this was a mistake-

And then the doors to the rocket closed. And he went flying.

When he crashed back to earth, Junko chuckled and gathered his bones. She wondered if Kyoko would admire the effort she went to to get such a despairing present.

. . .

Things were going mostly according to plan, boringly enough. The memory removal process had gone perfectly and none of the students suspected they knew one another. Sakura was willing to be the mole and feed Monokuma- and by extension, Junko- information on the group. The only flaw was Mukuro’s performance. She slipped out-of-character more than once and deviated from the script. Something might have to be done about her.

Junko turned to the controls for the trap door in the gymnasium and began to reprogram it.

. . .

The first one to go was the Ultimate Pop Sensation, Sayaka Maizono.

It’s not surprising, really. The girl was an idiot for thinking she could kill Leon, a professional athlete. Granted, it was mostly an accident- Leon didn’t mean to stab her in the gut. But murder is still murder, and must be punished.

She readied the courtroom and prepared a batting cage.

(Makoto’s screams when he discovers her, though- Junko has plans for him. Such despair-inducing plans.)

. . .

For once, Mukuro was following the script. Throw a fit and step on Monokuma. It’s most unfortunate that Junko had decided to change the plot.

She felt the sharpest pang of despair to date, and buried beneath it, a speck of regret. She’s killed her beloved sister, her dear, ugly, pathetic Mukuro Ikusaba. The other half of the Ultimate Despair (well, unless you count Izuru and the 77th class, but she cares little for their activities). It’s heartbreaking and Junko was nearly overcome with despair.

And then she saw Mukuro’s face, her shocked expression, her eyes wide, the gasp of realization still painted on her lips as she dies. Knowing that she felt the same level of despair Junko was at death is overwhelming. Unbearable.

It was all she could do to keep Monokuma running properly.

. . .

It’s almost pitiful, the way Leon pleaded for his life. Begging for forgiveness, pounding on unmoving doors. In fact, most people would have considered it pitiful.

But Junko wasn’t most people.

She maneuvered Monokuma into hitting the gavel, beginning the execution. A chain flew out of a side door to grasp Leon’s neck. He was already screaming in terror, and he hadn’t even been chained to the post and hit by a single baseball yet.

Pathetic, Junko thought.

Predictably, everyone- save Leon- was forced into stunned silence, as bruises and blood appear over Leon’s body. Junko hadn’t accounted for him to hold out so long, but by the time all 1,000 balls have been shot, his corpse was limp against the chains.

And the despair. Oh, the despair on her former classmates’ faces. She could bathe in it, swim in it, drown in it. It’s but a taste of what is to come, and she knew that this would be entirely worth it.

. . .

She had deduced that Chihiro would be an easy target, especially since the students were once again clueless to his real gender. Junko also had realized Mondo would likely end up a culprit- between his size and temper, eventually something would push him over the horizon. Mondo hadn’t even doctored the crime scene to save himself; no, it was to honor the secret Chihiro had trusted him with. What good were secrets to a corpse?

But for all her planning and analysis, she hadn’t been expecting Byakuya of all people to tend to Chihiro’s body. Except… this was no process for burial or even mourning. He was acting far too suspiciously for that. The way he was assembling the scene… it resembled something one of her other classmates might create.

It was a setup. Oh, how interesting.

. . .

Kiyotaka, the idiot, had voted for himself. Was that the moron’s “hope?” Believing in a confessed killer, trusting his “friend’s” innocence over factual evidence? God, he was a fool.

But he was falling, sinking deeper into despair. It was plainly obvious, and Junko relished in it. The rest of the class had teared up some over Mondo’s past as well (save Byakuya and Jill, of course- oh, Jill was now a factor. That could be fun ), but once the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader was strapped to the motorcycle…

Ah, delicious despair. She applauded her idea to allude to Little Black Sambo, it really gave the death an added layer of irony. With any luck, the other students would pick up on her subtle commentary. If not, what did it matter? Another student was dead, another well of despair had sprung.

(She watched Makoto very carefully. It was still too early, but she would outsmart him.)

. . .

Of course Junko knew about Alter Ego. She may have not kept any broadcasting cameras in the baths, but she was still fully aware of everything going on inside of the school. Still, it wouldn’t be a problem. Just an additional challenge to overcome, something to alleviate the boredom.

And on the subject of boring, the deaths kept being predictable. Kiyotaka may have stood a chance, had he not become so close to Mondo. Admittedly, Hifumi being the killer was a bit surprising, but whatever. She had custom executions for everyone, even if most wouldn’t see any use.

Would it be fair to call Hifumi the blackened, though? True, it was him that dealt the fatal blow, but it was under Celeste’s orders. Ah, the Ultimate Gambler. Worthy of her title, Junko admitted. She, at least, was playing the game as intended, offing and framing her opponents. Junko wouldn’t say she had “high hopes” for her- why would she, when it involved hope- but perhaps “high expectations” would be appropriate.

But then, Celeste killed Hifumi herself. And Hifumi, ever the dramatic, had seemingly damned Yasuhiro even more than the ridiculous Robo-Justice suit. Ah, would they make the right decision? Most likely. They still had Kyoko on their side. Not even wiping her talent from memory could remove the ability itself.

She prepared the stage for Taeko Yasuhiro. Even with all her skills as a gambler- and a liar- it is nothing in the face of Ultimate Luck.

. . .

“Perhaps we’ll meet again, in another life.” It figured that Taeko would attempt to go out with dignity. A sore loser did not match her elegant persona.

But it was still just a persona, and that was something Junko would not indulge her in. Burning at the stake was a fitting death for Celestia Ludenberg, true, but for plain, boring, ordinary Taeko Yasuhiro? It simply wouldn’t do.

There would be no despair in it.

And thus, a fire truck rammed into her flaming body, ending the witch hunt prematurely. Would her classmates- would the world - appreciate the irony? It was doubtful. They had yet to pick up on any of her commentary with the executions. How disappointing.

At least should could despair in her efforts going to waste, just as they despaired in the most despicable murder yet. Celeste really was a monster, planning her murders like that.

Another life, though. The words rung around in Junko’s head. Only seven students remained- it was due time she considered her plan failing and her own, personal despair. She must get in contact with Izuru and Monaca, and quickly.

. . .

Technically, Sakura had fulfilled her duty as the mole by killing a student. Junko had only herself to blame for not making it more clear it should’ve been someone other than Sakura herself.

And the students upon discovering her- they all so desperately wanted to blame themselves. Even when they knew she was a traitor, a person willing to kill for her already destroyed dojo, they refused to believe it was a suicide. How could they be so blind? It was despairingly obvious, between the locked doors and her manner of death.

Still, she might as well have some fun with the whole charade. A fake suicide note would do wonders to make the trial more of a puzzle. She really was growing bored with the whole game. Maybe if she still had Mukuro to talk to… but it wasn’t as if Mukuro ever said anything interesting , even while alive.

. . .

When the trial began, Junko snuck out of the control room and into the baths. She had to retrieve the special guest.

It didn’t take long, fortunately, as the students seemed intent on calling on Monokuma for clarification at every possible point. How despairingly annoying. They were really so daft, so naive , to think that they had forced Sakura to suicide? They might as well have, Junko was beginning to seriously consider it. No, better to wait. She’d miss out on the despair, otherwise.

And this execution was particularly heartbreaking, or so she imagined. Seeing a link to a tragically killed friend, their supposed lifeline to the outside world… ah, the horror and grief on their faces would have to subside her for now.

She focused on two students in particular, however- Kyoko and Makoto. As bored of the plan as she was, they were making it interesting. Unpredictable . And with the students vowing to stop the killing game, Junko would have to use their unpredictability to her advantage.

Mukuro might actually be able to serve her a purpose, now. How fitting.

. . .

She had intended to kill Kyoko. But Makoto and his stupid hope, his disgusting trust in others robbed her of her most interesting toy. Junko wanted nothing more than to throw a temper tantrum like a spoiled child, to end the game right there and massacre them all.

But she maintained her composure and sent Makoto on his way.

The irony of the execution would be mostly lost, sadly. Junko supposed it could be taken as “crushing the student’s hope,” but she had an execution for Makoto planned. And now the world would never get to see it. Well, no use crying over it. She had lasers and stages and 8-bit Monokumas that were left unused, what was one barrel and a few swords?

The desk inched closer and closer to the pulverizer. Junko wondered idly if this would be Makoto’s only sex-ed lesson.

And then- it stopped. The shaking, the pounding stopped. And on the screen that was meant to display Monokuma was-

“How in the hell did that survive?” Junko screamed. “I destroyed your computer! I wiped you from the mainframe! How are you-”

Makoto fell, fell deep into the pile of trash, and Junko was left shaking with rage. It didn’t last long, however; she simply smoothed her skirt and grinned. Makoto would still die, rotting with the garbage. And even if he escaped- as if, even with Ultimate Luck, he’d still succumb to thirst and hunger- well.

Junko Enoshima would have her despair, one way or the other.

. . .

So this is how it ends.

They chose hope. Junko Enoshima had filled the remaining students of Hope’s Peak Academy with absolute, undeniable despair, and they still managed to choose hope. All because of Makoto Naegi.

“Why that’s just…” she growled, curling her fists… before letting her hands fly to her face, body quivering. “Simply the best!”

This was the despair she had been craving! The despair of failure, of defeat, of death! She was finally going to die! Oh, she had dreamed of this moment, and to finally have it realized was more despair-inducing than anything she had ever felt in her life! She would join Mukuro and Yasuke in the bitter afterlife, if there was such a thing, she would finally know-

But then they interrupted her monologue, her gushing of despair and how delightful it all was, to blather on about hope and peace and friendship and rebuilding the world and it caused her more despair, the wrong kind of despair, Junko had to do something-

“Fine, let me just say one last thing... If you guys wanna get all hung up on the word ‘hope,’ that’s no skin off my nose… but just be warned…” she said, deliberately keeping her face blank. “From this point on, one despair after another will stand in your way. No matter where you run, no matter where you hide… maybe you’ll find some hope, but there is a very fine line dividing that hope from bitter despair.” She laughed, drool sliding down her chin, sweat dripping from her bangs. “Knowing that, you still plan to cling to your hope?”

Makoto spoke then, but Junko didn’t hear it. “Shut up, shut up! That was a rhetorical question!” she screeched. “I’m almost done though, so, whatever… Because it’s almost punishment time, isn’t it?”

The remaining students stared at her, gasping, suggesting that- that she live- that she not succumb to despair- to give hope a chance- “DON’T GET IN MY WAY!” She dashed to Monokuma’s throne, flipping the lid over the button.

“Puhuhu… puhuhuhu! So this is how the despair of death feels… ahh, it’s so wonderful!” It really was, nothing had made her feel so good, not the act of killing her boyfriend, or her sister, or watching the entire world fall at the knees because of her- “Even a tenth of this despair, even a hundredth…” Junko’s body shook, knowing the agony she was about to suffer. She rambled, wishing for the whole world to feel the same despair as her, to die and live full of despair, despair was everything, despair was all that mattered, despair was Junko Enoshima-

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got. It’s… PUNISHMENT TIME! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

And as her laughter echoed across the courtroom, she slammed her fist on the button.

All of the punishments, the batting cage, the burning castle, the rocket ship- all of them. She would go through them all, taste the same despair as her victims. Even if they didn’t individually kill her- she had lowered the lethality quite a bit, she wanted to despair through them all, she would succumb. She would perish .

Junko Enoshima would die.

It wasn’t the baseballs that did her in, nor the motorcycle. She yawned and meditated through the flames. The excavator was little more than a back massage . The rocket ship left some bruises, leaving only the crushing machine to do her in.

How fitting. What was meant to take out her greatest adversaries would instead be her demise. The irony was despairing. Despair, despair, despair, she was going to die, Junko would die, THIS WAS THE ULTIMATE DESPAIR- The conveyor belt froze beneath the block. Junko, still clutching Monokuma to her chest, looked up. She was supposed to be dead. Why wasn’t she dead why wasn’t she-

[peerless-soshi]

A sweetener

Title: A sweetener  Fandom: Danganronpa/Super Danganronpa 2 Setting: Post-Future Arc Relationship: Kazuichi Souda & Ibuki Mioda Genre: Silly friendship, silly humor Word count: 5047 Links: AO3, FFN Summary:   Kazuichi Souda pretends to be in a good humor but it doesn’t stop Ibuki Mioda from adding sugar to his bitterness. A/N: Written for TereziMakara as a part of GenEx 2017. Inspired partly by their suggestions and partly by Ibuki's Free Time Events, but mostly by one of the Chapter 1 Hidden Events. Have fun!

Kazuichi Souda, in spite of what some people tended to think, liked to set clear goals and always knew what he was aiming for. Perhaps that’s why he has found his greatest passion in disassembling and putting together all different electronic devices. He had never learned it; combining dozens of seemingly unmatched screws, springs and other mysterious, somewhat rusty elements hiding inside of metal skeletons into a complete and harmonious whole was natural and reminded him that life was also shaped like a scheme, so that any bigger problem could be solved by looking at it from the right angle and the right perspective. Souda had remembered about it when his father had thrown in the corner yet another empty beer bottle and cursed his son as well as all those who appeared in his sight. He had clung to this thought, trying to be deaf to teasing of his fashionable classmates or when he had pulled out his notebooks from a stinking public toilet and watched the notes running down his hands together with ink and wet paper, turning into a mush. He had repeated it in his mind like a private litany whenever an empty wallet had reminded him that in the near future it wasn't going to be magically filled with money.

Every detail is a part of a brilliant body. One screw affects the entire machine. Just see things as a whole, not as parts, and everything becomes logical.

Coming back home through the winding streets of a working-class neighborhood, sultry from the summer sun and smelling like diesel oil, Kazuichi Souda had been analyzing how first all cogs and gears appeared to be useless bits of junk. Everything changed after a closer look, matching together right elements and connecting cables, when separate parts started to work and created unity complex in its simplicity. Souda considered his life to be the same - he needed to imagine dreams like one of familiar engines and understand functions of each wire, then combine everything together. That was simple, and Souda knew how to build his own life.

But not everything turned out to be as easy as hair dyeing or sharpening teeth. Now the young mechanic yawned and rubbed his overtired eyes, feeling somnolence mixed with unusual resignation. On a large table decorated with an asymmetrical mosaic of oil and grease stains, where he liked to work, Souda had gathered tools and equipment suitable for repairing, improving, renovating or simply dismantling. All objects were now carelessly strewn around his workspace, left without any logic. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. One in the morning. He should go to sleep. However, the promise of resting was followed by a feeling which Souda tried to avoid all night long, with better or worse results: what if he wanted to connect the wrong wires?

He cursed softly under his breath and pushed the screwdrivers aside.

So far the list of objects which have fallen victims to his growing frustration was quite long and wide, but that couldn't stop him from expanding it. During a three-hours session of working in the garage adjacent to his new home Souda has managed to take to pieces a dead camera, an alarm clock, a VHS player (originally, he had planned to beef it up a little and turn into a Blu-Ray reader, but the idea got boring in the middle of his job), as well as an electric cooker and a remote control, so old that Souda couldn't tell what was its first purpose. And today nothing helped. Fragments of various devices piled up on his right and left side in shaky stacks, bringing even greater chaos upon the workspace, and Souda's thoughts weren’t more organized.

He yawned again, this time longer, and almost all his sharp teeth were illuminated by the bare bulb hanging over the table, which served as the only source of lighting in the garage. He joined both hands on his neck and leaned back. The chair crackled dangerously under his weight.

When back in school Kazuichi Souda had looked at Sonia Nevermind for the first time, above all he had seen her delicate and warm smile that seemed to posses the magical ability of encouraging anyone who needed it. The princess of the Novoselic kingdom had always walked in the hallway with her head held high and from that height looked at the future - a person coming to the classroom first just to greet each one individually and whisper a good word at the beginning of the day, never avoiding anybody, invariably looking others in the eyes. Her naive faith in a good fortune was so unwavering that in spite of the royal aura, telling an ordinary mortal to throw themselves on their knees, Sonia has never made her friends feel worse. Even Souda became someone. In retrospect, he knew that it was stupid, but as a boy who was more accustomed to criticism than to motivating he had immediately drawn attention to Sonia's forbearance and before he noticed, Souda craved for her recognition more than he could have expected. It didn't take long and every careless "we can do" sounded more like good wishes addressed just to him, and even a simple "let's try" could make Souda rise higher, above his own, still rather modest, dreams.

The high school was simple. For a kid every desire is at their fingertips, so Souda was running around Sonia like a puppy with a curved tail, trying hard to show off with a music box of his own design and get a miserable slice of the princess's favors. The Jabberwock Island helped Souda to deceive himself, too. Out of the former Ultimate Despair only five students survived, a pathetic outcome that stuck down in Souda's throat and made him cry at night like a baby. All the survivors were waiting for their comrades to wake up from the coma caused by the virtual simulation, what resulted in a bond much stronger than in times of sharing a school table or worrying that a person sitting next to you can kill the other day. Souda even let himself think that he and Sonia grew closer. He also decided that when (never if) the others would finally open their eyes, he would behave like a real man and talk to Sonia sincerely. However, life awaiting them after the age of despair didn't conducive to Souda's ambitious plans. Hiding from the patrols searching for Enoshima Junko's supporters, making the ruined tourist resort possible for living and dealing with memories of the demons which once they had been left no room for romance. Later, Souda was repeating. Soon. A bit more. One day for sure.

Believing that another grain of sand in the hourglass of passing time was enough to put things together and make Sonia return those feelings which Souda has been holding since the first day of school became a comfortable habit Souda cultivated, so he could put the truth aside. Because somewhere in his heart he knew, even if he didn't understand yet.

Later Makoto Naegi used the complicated net of his acquaintance and with some help from the Future Foundation, authority of the Togami family and taking advantage of his surname, after the murderous reality-show recognized all over the world, he prepared them a place to return. The Hope Peak's Academy.

'Nobody will look near me, right?' Naegi said, showing them a somewhat embarrassed smile, then added, 'Of course, you have to watch out and try not to stand out, but I think everything should be all right.'

The darkest place is under the candlestick, Souda thought with admiration. Naegi was far more thoughtful than it could be judged after his inconspicuous appearance.

The moment of leaving the Jabberwock Island and returning to the bustling streets of Japan was foundation upon which Souda would have build a whole new life, yet he didn't expect that step to bring so many changes and force him to abandon the illusion of the royal romance. The princess returned with her classmates to the Hope Peak's Academy, but unlike them she didn't bother with choosing her own apartment. Instead, she left together with Tanaka and moved to the house of his choice, which resembled the caricature mix of a Doctor Frankenstein's gothic court furnished by third-class horror filmmakers and a farmhouse. It eventually confirmed the rumors of Sonia and Tanaka having evening strolls along the beach together with their hamsters.

Kazuichi Souda wasn’t about to mourn and promised that he would survive the loss with a steel heart. With pride. Manly. This, however, didn’t exclude self-pity in the comforting privacy of his cluttered garage.

The familiar, metallic weight of a screwdriver lying in his hand was usually reassuring, and focusing on complex meanders hiding inside of electrical devices kept him away from reality. Repairing some exceptionally annoying and stubborn mechanisms could even inspire him to see life decisions in a better light. He missed tinkering so much in the simulation! But now, when everything was fine, he could have this method of soothing nerves in a place that started to hurt after three hours of still sitting on the stool.

'Damn,' he hissed quietly because no creative riposte came to his mind. He pulled the hat over his ears, trying to cover his eyes as well.

Damn it!

At 1 am. - after three hours of working, two coffees and one beer - hitting his head against the wall looked like the best possible idea. The screws, scattered everywhere, hopped up as Souda's forehead experienced a close meeting with the table surface. He sighed. Since he was in such a stupid position, he might as well rest his eyes. He was too tired.

***

Souda was dreaming about a rock band of four mechanics who played Avril Lavigne's songs on drills and pneumatic hammers. Being still wrapped in sleep’s sweet embrace, he thought that such musical experiments were quite interesting and if the untypical band would ever release a CD, he could come over for an autograph. Then Souda felt the harsh touch of the table on his cheek and the choking smell left by the metal saw, but the rumble didn't stop. No, it wasn't a dream, Souda realized, leaping up quickly. He needed another moment to know that his imaginary musicians weren't playing a cover of Grilfriend, but rather someone was knocking on the garage door with enormous enthusiasm.

'Kazuichi-chan? Kaaa-zuuu-ichi-chan!!!'

'I'm going, I'm going!' Souda answered, walking in the opposite direction. No... he was in the garage, not at home. Another door.

He had to be very sleepy if he didn't immediately recognize the ringing voice that managed to pierce through the fairly soundproof garage walls.

Souda grabbed the pilot and before the automatic door reached the top, he saw a silhouette that couldn't be mistaken with anyone even among the darkness of the night. Ibuki the working woman Mioda looked just like in the high school, what meant combining elements of the dress code with her own flashy style. Today she was wearing a woman's dress suit and a white blouse, enriched by the boots with spikes and striped knee socks. The chain necklace was swaying on her neck and the earrings ringed in her ears. At least the shoes color matched the skirt, Souda thought. Ibuki was still combing her hair in a "lightning struck the cornfield" way, though now she gave up the lacquered horns in favor of a three-colored braid.

'Kazuichi-chan,' Ibuki drawled, glancing at him from under the black lashes, 'Ibuki called you and called, the door bell almost burned, and you didn't answer. You bailed on me?'

Souda was glad that Ibuki has abandoned her earlier habit of breaking the lock whenever the other person didn't open at once, but the new method of pressing the doorbell until the nearest neighbor didn't call the police wasn't much better for her friends. The mechanic blinked, trying to shed last signs of sleep settling on his eyelids.

'I've dozed in the garage, all right? I didn't hear you...'

'Cool! You know, Kazuichi-chan, it's like a secret base or something. A lab, with super-mega-long-range weapons!'

'Stop being so loud, neighbors are sleeping!'

And as if a special switch responsible for making connections clicked, Souda thought about something that should be obvious from the beginning. He looked at Ibuki, then at the dark streets with a single blinking lamp and the sky, covered with the stars much less visible than from the Jabberwock beach.

'Mioda,' he began slowly, 'what time is it?'

Ibuki didn't reply immediately. Instead, she put her index fingers to the temples and closed her eyes with a meditative expression.

'When Ibuki left the house, it was 2.15 am. Ibuki is sure because the night rock broadcast just ended. Ibuki ran really fast, but stopped in the park and on the playground...'

'You're crazy! It's the middle of the night!'

'That's it!' Ibuki prattled, "It's late and twinkle-twinkle-little-star, all services go to sleep! Ibuki played the guitar when something cracked and BUM!" Ibuki waved her hands so Souda stepped back to avoid a possible blow.

'Whaaat?'

'Amplifiers don’t work.'

She moved and pointed to something. Souda had to strain his eyes to see what the girl was trying to show him in the murky shade of the bulb. It was only now that he noticed a brown bag lying next to her leg. Looking at its impressive size, it could hide a medium animal and a supply of its food.

The reason why Ibuki Mioda woke him up around three o'clock at night became clear.

'It's not an excuse!' Souda shouted in response, probably being as loud as the girl standing in front of him, 'You've brought the speakers!? Couldn't you wait till the morning!?'

'The amplifiers,’ Ibuki corrected him, ‘besides, night playing is the coolest! Try with me and Hajime-chan. It’s so quiet, calm, Ibuki hears every beat!'

‘Hinata plays with you... No, never mind! Do you have to play at night?'

Ibuki nodded cheerfully and not waiting for an invitation, pushed Souda off and pulled the bag behind.

Souda's neighbors would probably hate him tonight, but at least this sacrifice could provide Ibuki's new neighbors one night of peace.

'Wait. Come to my home,' Souda said, taking a toolbox.

***

Souda worked in the garage so often that his workspace resembled a house much more than the place where he theoretically lived. However, even a mechanic who much rather wore a working suit than a shirt didn't greet a guest in a cluttered cubicle, so dirty that one could write on dust. Souda had changed the garage into the scenery after the detonation of a nuclear bomb, he would have to clean up anyway. Inviting Ibuki to his proper home seemed to be just right.

'Thank you!' Ibuki shouted and before Souda reacted, embraced him. Souda almost stumbled.

'Okay, okay,' he said, fixing his goggles, 'It's not a big deal.'

Checking the old amplifiers was truly nothing for Kazuichi Souda, but Ibuki was too delighted that he helped her to refuse now. He was soft.

Ibuki insisted on testing the electric guitar amplifiers by plugging them to the CD player and turning the music on. Taking into account the impact power of the said amplifiers, it was a very bad idea. Souda tried to talk some sense into Ibuki but the girl was chattering like a hurdy-gurdy and before Souda blinked, with sweat on his forehead he was watching Ibuki connecting the cords. When she pressed the START button, he took a deep breath. One, two... nothing happened. Souda opened his eyes. To his unspeakable relief, the amplifiers proved to be really broken and the speakers played only honey silence.

'Listen to me, Mioda. Find something to do and I'll try to fix them as soon as possible.'

'Roger!' Ibuki replied, saluting.

The girl turned around on her heel and left the room. Seeing her back disappearing in the corridor, Souda felt a light twitch. It was unexpected yet there was excitement slowly growing inside of him. Taking apart things he found in his house and whose internal scheme he could sketch from memory wasn't a big challenge for the Ultimate Mechanic. Now, with enthusiastic Ibuki looking at him working as carefully as if she managed to sneaked into the magic show and making cheerful sighs, Souda was motivated to prove that he hadn't won the title on vacation.

‘Yush, here we go!’

It reminded him of times when he had been helping the old man with his shop and repaired bicycles entrusted to him by the local poor kids. Someone needed his talent, someone counted on him.

Souda smiled. Getting up early wasn't so bad.

***

A very simple statement could fully describe Ibuki Mioda: she was like a spinning top and something as simple as staying in one place for too long turned out to be a great feat for her.

When she came back to the room, first Ibuki crossed the legs on the floor and every now and then distracted Souda, asking a bunch of questions sometimes related to his repairs, sometimes not. All the time she was tapping on the floor panels and fidgeting. Around four o'clock the girl moved to the couch and now was kicking the air while lying on her back, muttering something silently or humming like a bored child waiting for a doctor's appointment. Souda tried to ignore it, but the impenetrable singing didn't help in working with small elements.

'Mioda, you're annoying,' he hissed.

'I'm hungry. It's breaking my stomach!'

'The kitchen is over there, if you're starving then get up and make something for us both,' he answered, and without looking away from the cables pointed to the door.

Ibuki stopped; she froze in a candle-like position, then abruptly straightened up. Souda shuddered, almost dropping the wrench he just picked up.

'What?'

She looked at him with eyes wide open, and the light of the desk lamp which Souda had put beside on the ground to see the insides of the amplifiers better reflected in her black pupils. Involuntarily, he gulped louder than intended. It was just an innocent joke, now Souda was worried. Did it offend her?

'Really?'

'Eeee...' Souda just blurted, 'That kitchen is out there? Yes? Yes!'

'YOOOO-HUUU!'

A dog from a nearby garden started to bark to the sound of a high-pitched scream, sang through the diaphragm.

Ibuki slipped on the floorboard through the labyrinth of screwdrivers and screws, leaving behind a bright streak.

'Watch out!'

'Ibuki loves to cook!!! It's totally the best...' Ibuki shouted and added in a conspiratorial whisper, 'wait till you try my cookies! Even their design is mine.'

She winked at him with a smile.

'Seriously?'

Souda wanted to hide his surprise but nonetheless raised his eyebrows; the tattooed musician with colorful hair didn't look like a person passionate about cooking. On the other hand, she often sat in the canteen, eating cookies and drinking tea. He just assumed she was taking cookies from the supermarket or swindled them from Hanamura. Now he learned she could bake herself…

Well, she also sewed her clothes and made her hair. Maybe baking wasn’t that surprising.

***

Letting Ibuki to temporarily become the ruler of the kitchen country was a far better idea than Souda expected. Even ordinary amplifiers required minimum concentration and that was difficult with Ibuki playing alongside. Now complete silence covered the house like a featherbed. Souda couldn't believe that a phenomenon as abstract as quiet Ibuki was indeed possible, and yet the girl only tapped with plates, creaked with the kitchen cabinets or clanged with cutlery. The loudest sound coming from behind the closed door was buzzing of the mixer.

'Kazuichi-chan, if Ibuki sets the oven, will it explode?'

'You can use it, don’t you worry. I haven’t tweaked it yet. Yet.'

'Okkiii~'

He snorted and put down the pliers. Listening to Ibuki bustling gaily made Souda realize how much he missed it. On the Jabberwock Island each member had their own cottage and gaining a brief moment of privacy was rather simple, but the sixteen students still shared their daily lives. Together they had been eating and drinking, planning and building, comforting each other and playing together when their whole world was limited to the abandoned island. Opening the window had been enough to come across a friend. Now the ordinary life separated them, and loneliness weighed a lot more than Souda was ready to admit. Singing Ibuki filled the empty corners of his home with new air.

Kazuichi Souda discovered also something new, even though earlier he had been living with Ibuki Mioda for months - their musician had a beautiful voice. Considering the talent which allowed her to enter the Hope Peak's Academy, his observation was fairy stupid and once again Souda played a top fool, but so far he wasn't even sure how Ibuki really sang like.

Really was a key word here; their singer was known form rather odd musical taste and arrangements of songs resembling sounds of an angry road roller, so listening to her performances required strength and exceptionally healthy ears. Now, without a microphone, amplifiers, her electric guitar and strange lyrics, Ibuki sounded quite different.

She probably chose a song from when she had played in a girls band, or maybe even older. In contrast to what she liked the most, now Ibuki's singing had a soft and pleasant rhythm of a fluttering butterfly. It was similar to melodies played by music boxes or lullabies Souda remembered from his childhood - Ibuki was jumping between the lower and upper tones with grace of a dancer, wrapping the song in sleepy softness, and at one point carried a note so high and so clear that Souda whistled with admiration. For the first time he truly appreciated being able to listen to her.

He stood up and headed to the kitchen. On the threshold Souda hesitated; maybe Ibuki didn't know the door was thin and he could hear her? Would she feel ashamed?

Whatever. It was his home. Besides, it was hard to believe that from all the things, singing could intimidate Ibuki.

Souda was stepping into the room with an optimistic attitude that wandered off in a moment. His heart stopped as he needed few seconds to analyze the image which appeared before his eyes and compare it with the memory of the kitchen he held in his mind. The difference was overwhelming. Ibuki Mioda changed everything around her into a real battlefield; the whole piles of dirty dishes, looking rather like leftovers after a big wedding than a meal for two, piled up in the sink and on the table. The raw dough was splattered all over his once clean walls and was still dripping from the mixer, getting the cabinets dirty and creating a small puddle on the floor. Ibuki left the ingredients - opened milk, flour, eggshells - scattered on every free piece of space. Throughout the mess was standing the culprit, removing something from the oven. She took off her jacket and tied it around her waist like an apron.

'What's going on here?' Souda blurted, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING, MIODA?!'

'Oh, Kazuichi-chan! Just in time.' Ibuki clapped her hands, almost dropping the hot oven plate on her feet. She didn't seem to be particularly affected by Souda's anger.

'Wait, wait. What did you do to my kitchen?'

Ibuki shrugged.

'Come on, it's gonna be cleaned up!'

'It?'

'We're gonna...'

'Why WE?'

Souda didn't receive the answer because Ibuki jumped up to him in three steps, stood on her toes and put the plate filled with cookies just under his nose. They smelled nice, like sweets and cinnamon, but Souda pushed the plate aside. He tried to catch Ibuki’s gaze.

'Do you understand how long it’s gonna take before we tidy it all?'

'Kazuichi-chan is a bore-to-the-core.' Ibuki pouted and tilted her head lightly. 'At least try the Ibu-cake. Ibuki always wanted to bake it.'

'Listen to me, girl! What's so special about those cookies, anyway?'

He shouldn't ask. If he has already sharpened his teeth, at least he could use them in a practical way and learn how to bite his tongue at the right moment. As soon as the words left Souda's mouth, he understood what Ibuki was referring to. The cookies themselves seemed to be simple pastries, the important detail was their... specific shape. A very specific shape.

'Mioda, it can't be...'

Souda didn't keep in the kitchen any baking accessories, so Ibuki had to form the cookies herself or used a simple glass, yet she managed to create almost perfectly round shape. Each plump bun was connected with another, creating a pair. In the middle Ibuki painted frosted circles, and inside each placed one pink decorative candy. Everything was stacked on the plate like a pyramid.

He opened his mouth wider.

'Ibuki always dreamed about baking cookies in the shape of her boobs!'

Souda felt a nasty, wide, neon pink blush from his cheeks reaching for the neck.

'I won't eat it!' he exclaimed, stepping back.

'Let's see ~'

Souda and Ibuki must have looked like characters from a bad sitcom broadcast on an old comedy channel; he was running, awkwardly balancing between the bowls left here and there and avoiding the sharp table edges, while Ibuki was at his heels, holding one of the cookies in her hand. Hinata once mentioned that jogging with Mioda felt like pulling the lungs out of the chest, but back then Souda had been stupid and hadn't believed. Now he was forced to agree with Hinata. For a moment Souda managed to keep a distance, then Ibuki caught his hand and before he knew, put a small piece of the cookie in his mouth.

'It's good, right?'

'No! Yes! I mean... now I feel stupid!' Souda screamed, as red as hair of a tanned model from the hair dye package.

Ibuki tried to feed him with another one, however Souda dodged and found himself on the table. Suddenly, the ground shook. He lost his balance and although he reached out dramatically, Souda landed on the floor. Ibuki, who was almost able to stop, stumbled and fell on him, screaming. He also screamed, though rather because of Mioda knocking him with her knee. The bowl standing on the table, still dirty with flour, fell on her, then hit Souda in the head.

'Aaah...' Souda groaned, 'See? Are you OK?'

The thought that next appeared in his mind was fast but also very simple and clear: oh fuck.

Ibuki moved up and rubbed her stomach, wincing. Souda was about to say that he should be the one to complain, but fell silent and blinked with surprise. In the eyes of the girl who just now was full of fresh energy flashed tears. He wanted to believe that it was an optical illusion, but his hopes were short-lived like a soap-bubble. Tears are tears, no matter how you look at them.

'Listen, I'm sorry...'

During the moment of tension Souda was coming up with all possible excuses. Then Ibuki burst out laughing. She laughed and laughed, wiping tears from her cheeks and barely catching air, and the singing sounds of her giggle filled the kitchen, then moved on, getting to the living room, echoing in his bedroom, resounding in the garden. The walls trembled, swollen from her gaiety, and the air vibrated, trying to keep up with the notes of laughter. It was contagious. Watching her, Souda couldn't help himself and smiled, then snorted, and laughed; they were both lying on their backs, rolling and barely breathing.

Calming down a little, Ibuki lifted on her elbows and looked at him.

'See, Kazuichi-chan? You finally smiled.'

'What?' Souda answered with a question.

'Since Sonia-chan moved to Gundham-chan, Kazuichi-chan was acting off like a zombie!' Ibuki knelt and put the tongue out to illustrate her words. 'Now you're finally laughing! Ibuki is happy!'

And she was, Souda noticed this sincerity. Ibuki’s eyes sparkled as if they were on fire, lips stretched in a smile even brighter than before.

There were many things that waited to be said, so Souda hid under his hat again. Could it be the real reason? Ibuki Mioda was a strange girl – eccentric and loud, holding the heart in her hand yet still hiding it, easy to read and incomprehensible. She showed herself but saw only others and more than ever Souda knew that she lived for anyone but her own feelings.

Coming to his house like a torpedo in the middle of the night, admiring his work, singing, even baking those silly cookies! All for that, all for him?

'You know, Kazuichi-chan…' Ibuki sighed. Just a moment ago gleeful, now showed unexpected seriousness. 'Ibuki doesn't like difficult things, but... when Ibuki left the band, she felt a little lonely.'

Souda was so used to Ibuki being with them that sometimes he could forget how she was kicked out from her first band. It made him a little ashamed.

She looked up. 'Playing alone... is sad. And boring. But Ibuki has found you, guys, and knows that even while planning the solo career, Ibuki doesn't play alone. We will be with you, Kazuichi-chan. It's empty at first but you're never alone. Even if no one is around now, there is always someone, somewhere. This is what Ibuki believes in. So don’t give up. There is too much to achieve.'

'I...' Souda started and the words hung in the air. He planned to say something big but the right sentences were too far away from him.

Then he realized something. It was a small thing, almost invisible, but… Since Ibuki came to him, Souda wasn't thinking about Sonia. Till now he was troubling himself with assumptions, and imaginations, and possibilities. Three hours have passed and for the first time he was doing his job without reflecting on what the princess could be thinking.

Thank you, he wanted to say.

'I forgot to say, but you sing nicely, Mioda,' he said.

Ibuki smiled.

'Kazuichi-chan wants a karaoke competition?'

'Why not?'

Neighbors would hate him anyway. He might as well enjoy himself.

[blaze-on-fire-blog]

Plan For DanganAdventures

 Sup! Blaze Here! and Welcome to To Official Tumblr Page (Once i Reblog this on said Blog) for DanganAdventures. Before Prologue We Gotta Introduce Some Stuff

Note: The Cast is Only Gonna Be From DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair 

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Story: After The Events of Goodbye Despair (But Every Student is Alive again), The Ultimate's Met Up at a New School, Journey Summit Academy, Luckily For Them there is No Murder Game or MonoKuma, But the Headmaster is Known as the “Ultimate Storyteller”, Who For Some Reason Choose Certain Students out of the Cast to Go On a Adventure....Why? Who Knows.....

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Characters (There’s a Lot of Them) 

Trigger Happy Havoc:

Makoto Naegi: The Ultamite Hope, He Thinks of Himself as a Pretty Ordinary Person, So Much He Feels Insecure about Is Own Unusual Optimism

Kyoko Kirigiri: The Ultimate Detective, A Stoic and Mysterious Girl Who Tends to Hide Her Feelings and Has a Calm Demeanor 

Sayaka Maizono: The Ultimate Pop Star, Bubbly and Friendly Yet Only Shows Feelings to True Friends

Sakura Ogami: The Ultimate Martial Artist, Looks like a Dude but is Actually a Girl, Is Caring and Willing to Take Sacrifice 

Mondo Owada: The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, Fearsome Temper and Is Quite Rude to The Other Students

Kiyotaka Ishimaru: The Ultimate Moral Compass, Passionate but Lacks a Social Life and Loves to Study

Byakua Togami: The Ultimate Affulent Progeny, Smug and Kind of a A-hole and He’s Rich 

Yasuhiro Hagakure (Or Just Hiro For Short): The Ultimate Clairvoyant, Very Gullible and Is Terrified of Ghosts 

Aoi Asahina: The Ultimate Swimmer, She is Energetic and Bubbly and Loves Donuts 

Leon Kuwata: The Ultimate Baseball Star, Very Fiery Yet Passionate and Somehow He Likes Music 

Celestia Ludenburg (Or Just Celes For Short): The Ultimate Gambler,Has a Calm yet Pretty Cold Personality and Is Pretty Cunning

Hifumi Yamada: The Ultimate Fanfic Creator: He Is Geeky and Quite Obbsesive Especially To Female Students 

Chirio Fujisaki: The Ultimate Programmer: Looks like a Girl but is Actually a Guy,He Is Pretty Shy and Timid always Thinking we was Weak

Goodbye Despair:

Hajime Hinata: The Ultimate ???, Just Like Makoto he Thinks he’s Normal,He’s a Little Sarcastic as Well

Sonia Nevermind: The Ultimate Princess, Kind and Gentle as Well as a Little Elegant 

Ibuki Mioda: The Ultimate Musician, Hyperactive and Can Easily Show her Emotions 

Mikan Tsumiki: The Ultimate Nurse, She’s Pretty Shy and Always Nervous, She Always wanted People to Appreciate Her

Mahiru Koizumi: The Ultimate Photographer, She’s Optimistic yet Pretty Sensible and Isn’t Afraid to Speak her Mind

Teruteru Hanamura: The Ultimate Chef/Cook, The Pervert....”The Trys To Hard to Get Lucky” Guy

Fuyhikio Kuzuryuu (hikio For Short): The Ultimate Yakuza, He’s Pretty Hot Tempered, Might Have a Crush On Peko

Peko Pekoyama: The Ultimate Swords-woman,She’s Mysterious and is a Body Guard to Fuyhikio 

Gundam Tanaka: The Ultimate Breeder, He acts Like a Villain but Has A Love for Animals, Possibly has a Crush on Sonia 

Hiyoko Saionji: The Ultimate Traditional Dancer, She’s A Bully and Also a Huge Whiner 

Nagito Komaeda: The Ultimate Lucky Student, He’s Acts Polite and All but He’s a Little....Cray Cray.....

Nekomaru Nidai: The Ultimate Team Manager, Manly as Hell! and He Is Quite the Fighter as Well

Akane Owari: The Ultimate Gymnast, Pretty tomboyish and Similar to Aoi 

Chiaki Ninami: The Ultimate Gamer, She’s Calm and Quiet.......And is A Bit of a Sleepy Head

Kazuichi Souda (Or Just Soda for Short): The Ultimate Mechanic, He’s Basically like a Bro Character and May have a Crush on Sonia 

and Last but Not Least

The Ultimate Story Teller: Not Much is Known about this Character except that they are a Ultimate and is The Headmaster of Journey Summit Academy 

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Things you Need to Know:

.Adventures are Divided into Arc’s That Have Parts if It Has a Sequel(s) then it will be a Act

.After a Adventure is Completed The Students Who Were Chosen For the Adventures have a Memento From their Adventure 

.This Will Double as a Ask Blog for the Characters

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Adventure/Arcs Planned so Far:

Equestria Girls (All 4 Movies)

Smile Precure Movie

Fresh Precure Move

Some Disney Movies???? (Haven’t Planned Fully on that One) (Im a Disney Nerd) 

and Some more will Be Out Soon......

See ya In The Prologue!