#Now he has to figure out how to get Junko killed

[bluuscreen]

this is a mix of me figuring out how i wanna draw everyone + just needing a reference because i’m bad at drawing faces consistently sometimes lol

i’m gonna do everyone from sdr2 at some point as well, and probably v3 when i finish playing it :3

bonus version with gender/sexuality headcanons + some extra notes under the cut :p

so i have junko down as straight/cishet because i genuinely didn’t know what to do with her and she’s like kinda canonically homophobic [/hj?] but then my friend said e sees her as a bisexual who thinks being gay is a choice because she chooses to pursue men and i’ve decided that’s what the straight flag there means now

honestly zero solid gender headcanons for chihiro. something girl adjacent for sure but mostly i think she’s just vibing and doesn’t care what people call her as long as they aren’t asses about it [also uses she/he/they]

fun little design note regarding toko, i choose the pupil/iris shape based on Vibes but she’s the only one with a mix of circle/square. if i’d drawn syo, she’d have the opposite [square iris, circular pupils]

i like to think leon doesn’t actually have the right nose bridge shape for those piercings between his eyes but he did have rhinestones and super glue and the ability to make very poor decisions

kiyotaka’s earring is in the gay ear 👍 i think. i googled it and i’m pretty sure it’s the left one. pre-despair mondo jokingly dared him to get a piercing or they wouldn’t be bros anymore and kiyotaka took it seriously even after mondo said he was joking. during the killing game taka just has no fucking clue why he has an earring and thinks monokuma must have put it there

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

A Slice of Life

[A Financial Office, Minato City, 12:39pm]

Advisor: Alright, that should be about everything...

*Two figures sit in the office of a financial advisor agency; a space cluttered with stacks of paper and a few framed certificates on the wall. A worn desk separated her from the Financial Advisor himself, a man in his late fifties. His glasses perched on the tip of his nose as he reviews the paperwork spread out before him.

Financial Advisor: So, Mrs. Tendo, it looks like you’re in a pretty good spot. You’ve been contributing steadily to your pension for years, and between that and your savings, you should have a comfortable cushion...Um...

*SNOOOOREE...*

Advisor: Um...Mrs...Tendo?

*SNOOOOOREE...*

Advisor: Mrs. Tendo!

*POP!*

Bah...!?

*The middle-aged woman sitting opposite him lazes back in her seat, having somehow entered a deep sleep at some point through the conversation. The Advisors probing wakes her up, and she rubs her eyes.

Ah...sorry...I've been losing sleep these last few nights...

Advisor: That's a shame...Were you perhaps worried about our meeting today?

Not really...It's just part of life, and I'm getting old...

Advisor: Would you...like me to repeat what I said?

No. I still heard you. You said that between my contributions and my savings, I should have a comfortable cushion...Right?

Advisor: Um...yes...but how did you-?

Comfortable. That's the word everyone uses...the goal they all assume we should strive for. But I wonder what comfort really means?

Is it just about having enough money to get by? Or is it something more, like finding a way to fill the empty hours?

Advisor: Um...Mrs. Tendo?

Ah, never mind...Like I said, I'm getting old. I'm rambling like a moron.

In any case, that's good to hear. I’ve always been a saver. My husband used to joke that I’d hide pennies under the mattress if I could.

Advisor: Well, that’s paid off. You’ve got enough to start thinking about your next chapter, whether that’s traveling or just enjoying some hobbies without worrying too much.

Hm...

You know...I’ve been thinking a lot about what comes next...I mean, I'm happy for retirement and all, but...I feel like I've not got much else to do these days.

Advisor: Pardon for the personal questions, ma'am, but...do you have any family? Maybe you could spend time with them?

Nope. I used to live with my husband and my daughter...I lost both of them during the Tragedy.

Advisor: I see...My apologies, ma'am.

Psh...Don't worry about it, it's not like YOU killed 'em...

Advisor: Well, I suppose it was rather cathartic for you then when the perpetrator for the Tragedy was brought to justice.

...Why would that be?

Advisor: Huh? W-Well...

You heard about what happened up in Hiroshima not too long ago, right? That factory explosion?

Advisor: Yes, I did.

Well, rumor has it that that explosion was part of a bigger conspiracy, which is why the Future Foundation actively involved themselves in suppressing tensions. And many are saying that Junko Enoshima is back, thanks to some leaked info from inside.

Advisor: Um...

Not to mention the fact that Izuru Kamukura and Mukuro Ikusaba, and everyone else who helped Enoshima, are still out there...It's hard to be totally at peace with all these rumors...

I mean, I don't know whether to believe 'em or not, but...it doesn't do my heart any good.

Advisor: I see what you mean. But unfortunately, I'm not the right person to help dispel your beliefs or worries. You'll need a different kind of consultant for that.

Right...

My original point was...after all these years of routine, it’s hard to imagine starting fresh, you know? I’ve always been the one holding things together, keeping the house running, looking after everyone else.

Now that it’s just me, it’s…different.

Advisor: I get it. It’s a big change, and it’s not just about money. But think of it this way. You’ve built something solid here, a foundation. Now, you get to decide what you want to build on top of it. No rush, no pressure.

I suppose that’s true. Maybe I’ll give that book club a try. At the very least, it’s something different.

Advisor: I think that’s a great start, Mrs. Thompson. And remember, you’ve got options. Financially and otherwise. You’ve earned it.

——————————————————————

...

*The Saturday morning sun filtered through the canopy of trees lining the town square, casting dappled light on the stalls of the local farmer’s market. The air is thick with the scent of fresh bread, ripe apples, and earthy herbs. Hanami navigated her way through the familiar aisles, her woven basket tucked snugly under her arm.

Hey, Fushimi. You in?

Fushimi the Baker: Ah! Well, if it isn’t my best customer! I set this one aside for you, Hanami. Fresh out of the oven this morning!

*Fushimi gives Hanami a loaf of her favorite sourdough.

Heh...You know me too well. That's a bit dangerous, huh?

Fushimi: Oh come on, what kind of man do you take me for? Besides, it's not like I'm the only one who recognizes you in this part of town. So, what’s new with you? Still walking those same early morning routes?

You know me...I like to stick to what I know. Though…I did get invited to a book club the other day. Still thinking it over.

Fushimi: Now that’s something new. You should go for it! Can’t live on bread alone, right?

...But I like bread.

Fushimi: Hah! Yeah, well, me too! In case me making a profession out if it didn't make that obvious!

——————————————————————

*SNOOOORE...*

???: You really should stop doing that.

Ah!?

[hajihiko]

little survivor remnant talkies down below

I like how Sonia came out. She really leans into the Ruler aspect of herself, wearing a complicated (and painful) crown and wearing her hair elaborately, regal and uncomfortable clothes, etc. What is a monarchy but the belief that some people are born higher than others, and isn't that bordering on idolatry and religion? She presents herself as a benevolent, kind, almost holy figure who knows best and who should be obeyed, not just out of fear, but blind belief.

FLIPSIDE: she wears much more minimalist clothing and hair, refuses to think of herself as above anyone and demands to take part in manual work just like anyone else might. She's part strategist, part heavy artillery, and uses her naturally royal nature to elevate others.

Fuyuhiko might not feel too different, but anyone who knew him would be able to tell. All the fiery anger and emotion is gone, and he's just kind of mellowly apathetic, killing people not out of fury but just as a chore. Rarely remotes anything beyond vague amusement or annoyance, kills his own people on a whim, and orders Peko around like a dog. Rumour has it whatever spark he had left died alongside Junko and both eyes are equally (literally, metaphorically) dead.

FLIPSIDE: While less chaotic than most of his friends, hes undeniably passionate and intense in almost everything he does and has become one of the best caretakers of the group. He's mostly a strategist/support player and while he *IS* ruthless towards enemies, he's lso become adept at finding the path with least casualties for both sides.

Kazuichi is a messy, run-down mess of a man who hasnt showered in a week and creates deadly machines in like, a frenzied and obsessed manner. He can turn every harmless thing into something destructive, but often lacks the confidence to do anything but plan it. Completely dependent on other people ordering him around (seems to take comfort in it maybe). All his piercings were done and decided by someone else. Hes convinced hes a complete woe-is-me genius. Real hyena vibes.

FLIPSIDE: makes a point to improve the world with his machines and is 100% dedicated to that goal, no matter what anyone says. Yeah sometimes it goes a bit far and he needs to be reminded to take care of himself, but he's made a decision to be more brave and decisive and trusts people to let him know when he's off-base.

Akane is sorta complicated to me because her biggest lore point was probably pretty late in her despair era. Before Junko's death, she went around fighting whoever and whenever and would compete with Nekomaru to see who could down more people in a certain amount of time. Post-Junko death, she stops eating, stops exercising, and pretty much wastes away. Nekomaru's chains that were meant to make her stronger now weigh her down and remind her how she's never actually going to be strong enough.

FLIPSIDE: once she gets her body mass back, she has had enough time to figure herself out and realize that true strength isnt just sick abs. But that's okay, because she had a strength of mind and soul all along, too. She no longer feels the need to prove her strength (still loves fighting tho!) but leans into her own agility and speed, comfortably depending on heavier hitters do be the damage dealers for her. Still carefree, but this time it's not just ignoring the problems but having come to terms with them.

[kiwibongos]

warning for ab/se & toxic relationships. and sdr2 spoilers duh

im thinking abt the remnants of despair. cause i hate how it just seemed to be like, "theyre suddenly brainwashed and then they turn evilll and they kill because they dont feel anything" like, i hate that. it feels so underdeveloped. it cant just be despair, it has to be deeper than that, i think it'd take personal angles and link with a lot of their own trauma, leaving them really vulnerable and deranged. so heres my own interpretation and headcanons for some of them

contains mikan, nagito, fuyuhiko, peko, akane, kazuichi, and brief analysis of the rest. keep in mind i havent seen the animes yet lol so this is a basic layer of it, but i just rly wanted to let this out cus i dont see it talked about. storing my brainrot here for later moments.

first of all i feel like the brainwashing would be a very slow process bc junko would definitely just manipulate everyone in her way to get what she wants. and by the time the world was plagued basically, all the remnants clearly had really unhealthy feelings related to junko specifically. they all love her, hate her, or praise her, but its all in very different ways that would be bc of their own personal backstories

we all know how mikan and nagito feel. mikan was constantly hurt by other people before junko herself, itd make sense for her to develop a very unhealthy attachment to her. mikan was extremely vulnerable and controllable, she would do anything for anyone and especially junko, just so no one is mad at her, hence why it got so twisted to the point where she wanted to keep a part of her inside forever. she wanted to be loved so badly, she would take whatever form of it she could. thats why it was so easy for junko to get her under her boot. now nagito has an odd love-hate relationship with junko imo (his mind is so messed up man) even if he praises hope in such a grossly obsessed way, the mf still TOOK her arm. i know he did it because he hated her so much and i guess to take power back, but i feel like because nagito had never really been loved, he wanted to try and feel what it could've been like out of some kind of confused desperation and fondness for her in a way, because his mind has no idea what those feelings truly are or what they mean, as hatred and love often get mixed up in his head and form this horrible amalgamation with whoever he meets, which is clear towards the survivors in the nwp anyway

fuyuhiko put junko's own eye into his own socket, and i feel like his relationship with her while in despair would be familial and extremely unhealthy. he is definitely one of the most fucked up to me. id say by my own headcanons though its heavily implied in his fte dialogues, is his parents are very ab/usive right from the start. fuyuhiko is messed up to all hell, he was constantly struck and under pressure but he had to be strong and perfect because he was the head of his clan, hence like his insane tolerance for pain. he had to make his clan, or more importantly his parents proud, or else he was a failure forever. so he clung onto that and did his best trying to be good enough for basically anyone. and even before despair he was in a really bad stubborn, mean, depressive state, leaving him far more vulnerable and more open to violent, impulsive actions as long as junko was smart enough to get him under her finger. fuyuhiko never knew what true love felt like (platonic or not), and when junko took advantage of all of that and he slowly fell into despair, shit hit the fan. he lost morality and he had come so attached to her to the point where junko was like a mother figure to him. he wanted her to notice him and be proud basically, it was moreso the idea of someone-- anyone-- being proud of him, but junko was his main focus of that by now, given his state. to him she was like the mother he never had, who seemed to be on the same terms with everything he had believed, someone who approved of him, so he wanted to make her proud, even if it was hurting him. fuyuhiko would keep digging himself a hole of desperation and self destruction, seeking more and more pain to test his endurance because it's what she wanted, and that became what he wanted, too, because pain is all he's used to. and because of that, makotos guess was right; he wanted to see her despair. it'd make sense he'd want to take a part of her, to see horrors she had witnessed so he could understand it, so she could be proud of him and part of him forever. he felt like if he did that, he would finally succeed, he'd achieve perfection, and he did. he'd done everything junko wanted him to do, while quenching his own thirst for violence itself, all via his own delusions. that was love to him and it felt real

as for peko she was definitely also treated the same in the kuzuryu family but more dehumanized obviously, so i think she'd feel a similar way; always needing to be good enough, but more specifically protecting the ones she cares about at all costs even if it results in bloodshed. i think she'd be a lot colder, forcing to suppress her feelings since she just has to follow fuyuhiko wherever he goes, and she was pretty much as insane as him as well so anything slid. i know peko doesnt want to be a tool, but she'd definitely succumb to the fact that she has to be one when they're under despair at the same time, and if she was going to be his tool, she has to be like a robot and just do what follows, because she didn't see herself as a person, her chance of being her own human was ripped away

as for akane, she grew up very poor, and didn't live a good life at all either (w/ definitely bad parents) but she always tried her very best taking care of her siblings in the past, despite everything. i think there was a lot of twisted familial love with junko whom she started to see as a sister despite being unrelated, just because of being a caretaker all her life, its just kind of instinct to protect anyone, but that just got mixed up as she fell into despair, and she would only protect junko, while chaotically killing anyone else in her way. she'd fight for her endlessly, she was one of the strongest, at least for a while, im thinkin she found her body and wanted to preserve it as much as possible by the end of everything, she still wanted to take care of her and do everything for her even if she had been too late. and with that, and barely any food in an apocalyptic world, the inevitable happens. akane would fall into a very hurtful spiral of self hate, that her starving was a sacrifice to junko so she could prioritize her first instead of herself, while also it being like a punishment to herself for her own failures and how she was failing to preserve junko

kazuichi always hated himself. he was bullied often, didn’t have a lot of friends going into high school, and he was very desperate for attention, especially from women. he’d be very notably attached to junko which would eventually evolve into romantic feelings, similar to mikan. he craved attention and validation so much, it left him very vulnerable, and kazuichi often grows attached to people who show him a sliver of kindness anyway, so junko would likely personally manipulate him and praise him, and they’d grow close, and he’d develop a very strong attachment towards her that derails into love and lust. and once he was influenced by her under despair, he would do anything for her. so, he’d get his hands on a lot of weapons, and go on mindless killing sprees, causing havoc 24/7 just to please her and keep her memory alive through despair. and deep in his mind, he probably truly thought that junko was his soulmate, that they were destined to be together, and he was fulfilling missions just for her, and in the end, they could be together

extra stuff i guess? as anyone would expect, sonia just became a corrupted leader and took advantage of her power under despair. her kingdom would try to keep her above it, but she’d fall into it somehow anyway, and probably had already been plagued by corrupt/unjust views by junko before, so she’d lead her people to worship junko the same way she does, and anyone who stood against it would be punished severely. mahiru falls into morbid curiosity because of junko and gets worse, given what she does with her camera, also both mikan and gundham would try to stitch junko up a little, and try to keep her from falling apart as long as possible. mikan is more likely to do that for her own twisted romantic purposes, but if gundham gets a hold of her before or after mikan, he would take her blood for himself, and most likely start a cult to worship her, all for like weird satanic purposes involving rituals and stuff. he’d also encourage his members or the other remnants to indulge in certain activities for the sake of praising her. gundham would probably even believe she was some demon from the underworld who granted him powers and chose him to carry on her legacy

also teruteru was just a little hungry. boys gotta eat

[theamityelf]

Wait, but also, in the AU where Izuru kidnaps memory-erased Makoto, we still eventually get Kyoko finding the files on all the other students. So it's like, "Mukuro Ikusaba, the 16th student, hiding somewhere in the school. Also, there's this guy named Makoto? I don't know, he was the Ultimate Lucky Student. I don't know what that means or entails. He feels significant, too, but I don't know where he comes into play."

Except of course, she probably doesn't confide this in anyone. But there is a point in the game where she knows there's another student in their class but not what the deal is with him.

The way I'm imagining the scenario, Junko was fully caught off guard by Izuru taking Makoto, and she restructured a lot of things to accommodate that. Either she goes through with the killing game right away, which will be the case in this post, or she delays it to track down Makoto. Maybe sends the 77th class after him; that is a cool scenario to pursue.

But for now, the scenario where she just starts the killing game without him. She left Makoto's room with his nameplate and everything, so now there's a question of, "Who's this fifteenth guy clearly represented as one of us who we've never met or seen?" Then they get to the courtroom and there are sixteen podiums, and that's like...Okay, noted.

Junko doesn't kill Mukuro, because in her mind she's going to confront Izuru later because she can't let this one classmate get away unscathed, and if she wants to confront Izuru then she'll need Mukuro.

Mukuro also knows that Izuru has Makoto. She's still pretending to be Junko. She's deeply worried about Makoto the whole time.

This feels so mean, but I am going to say Chihiro survives because the idea of training with Mondo is not suggested. The reason I'm saying this is to make it so we no longer have to worry about how the group will get through the final trial without Makoto to encourage them; they have Alter Ego and they have Chihiro, so their solutions are more in the spy thriller genre than the intended hope/despair stuff. The world isn't given hope, the killing game is pretty much a bust for both sides.

When enough cards are on the table that Kyoko can talk about Makoto openly, Monokuma reacts with extreme irritation, like "Don't even say that name in front of me! I'm still pissed off that he was taken out of play so early! To put a guy like him in a killing game- that would really pull the heartstrings! But I guess you wouldn't know, since you've never met him before. Puhuhuhu~" Very different to how he reacts when Mukuro is brought up.

Maybe at some point someone asks, "Could Makoto Naegi be the masked figure who attacked you?"

And Kyoko just goes, "No. Look at his file again; Makoto Naegi is five foot three."

All of this to say: Eventually some of these kids get out of the school, get their memories back, and find out that someone took Makoto. Maybe Junko even leverages this; maybe she induces them to recover their memories so they suddenly care about Makoto and then makes it a race to see who can find him first.

Izuru's secluded place is well secured against intruders, and his entire focus has been on "guiding" Makoto to love only him. He's not paying enough attention to the broader world to know that there's a hunt on for his luckster. That Enoshima's disciples and what remains of the 78th class are searching for him, the full weights of their talents devoted to the search.

One day the power suddenly cuts off, and Izuru sits up in bed at once. Makoto's just like, "What? It's just a power outage, right?"

And Izuru goes, "We aren't connected to the local power grid; we have a private generator. And it should not have failed." He gets up to leave the room. "Wait here."

[rarepairronpa]

Challenge: Try to come up with a top 5 ships list for each of these characters. In the case of ones where you don't even have 5 you personally like well enough, try to make it the ones you dislike the least.

DR1:

Makoto

Kyoko

Byakuya

Sakura

Chihiro

Mukuro

Junko

SDR2:

Hajime

Nagito

Chiaki

Mikan

Imposter

Mahiru

Sonia

V3:

Shuichi

Kaede

Kokichi

Kaito

Maki

Korekiyo

Tsumugi

Ohhh, this is such a fun challenge! I'm going to try and do top 5 in general, and then also top 5 rarepairs for the ships.

Got a bit long, so it'll be under the cut.

DR1:

Makoto Naegi:

1. Naegiri

This is really, really difficult for me because I'm a big believer of Kyouko/Makoto/Sayaka/Mukuro. Ranking any of this OT4 as individual ships is suuuuper hard. But I figured poly ships were probably cheating. This one isn't a rarepair, but I just adore their story of refinding love with others. They are literal end game!

2. Naezono

Probably because I love Sayaka Maizono so much that this just bareeeely beats out Mukuro. She might be my favorite of the female cast in the first game. Boy oh boy do I eat up her relationship with Makoto. Naezono real!!

3. Naekusaba

DR: IF has the best look into this relationship. I also rather like how she protects him in DR0! It's such a tragedy in canon, since DR: IF shows how close Makoto was to saving her.

4. Naemiki

Listen. I know Mikan and Makoto don't interact in main canon (well, very briefly in DR3 only for her to be pushed into the ocean). BUT. Makoto would be such a genuinely good presence in her life. And I love the idea of contrasting her relationship with Junko to her relationship with Makoto. Just, chefs kiss.

5. Naejunko

OHHH TO BE NARRATIVE FOILS WITH EACH OTHER... I love the fact that Makoto very clearly didn't want Junko to die, perhaps one of the only people in DR to not want that, and yet became known for killing her. She haunts him. Blood staining his hands he never wanted to spill. They are opposites, without her he is irrelevant. And he misses being irrelevant. She has transformed him into something grand when he had always been something simple. He is mundane and yet she has made him Ultimate. Ultimate Hope, to her Ultimate Despair, and now that's all they'll ever be. Even if, once upon a time, they were friends.

Alternative 5. Komaegi

As a replacement for the Naegiri non rarepair, in a rarepair line up, this would be number 5. I love komaegi.... what if I worshiped you and you saved me and you looked at me and saw something worthy and I looked at you and saw a god. But unlike with Junko, you didn't want to be a God. Junko shaped both of us and I mold you in her image, I project what she wanted onto you, because you to me are just as holy as her, just her opposite. You are an idea to me, a symbol, and all you want is to help me even though I do not deserve it. You look at me and think I deserve it. I go crazy for that shit.

Kyouko:

1. Kirizono

Surprise, it's not Naegiri! I feel like there. There just so much I like about kirizono. Sayaka being such a positive person in her life, and Kyouko, unlike Makoto, sees that a lot of her disposition is facade. It's like a mix of Celegiri and Naegiri in a way that compels me. And also. Why should they fight over Makoto when they could smooch?

2. Ikugiri

OHHH I ADORE THEM IN DR: IF. SUCH A GREAT PAIRING... they're both sort of reserved so I do think that someone bridging the gap would be what initially gets them talking. But the respect Mukuro has for Kyouko is crystal clear in DR:IF, and the way she in turn believes Mukuro and considers what she says is everything to me...

3. Naegiri

Again, end game. I also think Makoto is just... such a good partner for Kyouko. He reminds her of Yui in the best ways imo, and restores her faith in humanity some.

4. Chigiri

Chihiro canonly admiring Kyouko and repeatedly saying so in optional DR1 dialogue... Kyouko bringing Chihiro with her in DR:IF.... more people should consider these two!

5. Enogiri

Gonna be so for real, it was @aparticularbandit that made me love these two. I have so many enogiri thoughts. The whole game is basically an intellectual back and forth between the two, with Kyouko investigating to find the mastermind. If Makoto is the philosophical downfall of Junko, Kyouko is the practical one.

Alternative 5. Kirimaru

Since, again, Naegiri is not a rarepair, here's what I'd put as number 5 for a rarepair list. (My first thought was Celegiri, but that's. Also. Also not a rarepair.) I'm gonna go with a dark horse and say Komaru/Kyouko. All the benefits of Naegiri but Infinitely Funnier. Imagine you have a relationship developing with your long term friend, only for your sister to bust in and STEAL YOUR GIRL. I think Komaru should kiss So Many Girls, that girl is so unbelievably WLW.

Special shout out to Komagiri (Nagito/Kyouko) which I am also looking at with wide eyes. I've only written them platonically but their relationship has a lot of potential in general. I also adore Hinagiri (as in. Aoi Asahina, not Hajime Hinata), and honestly would definitely put it at my number 6/7. The hardest part of this is limiting my rarepairs to only 5.

Byakuya Togami:

1. Togiri

Listen. I believe in Naegirigami. But I have never been That enthused with naegami. I feel like Naegami is infinitely. INFINITELY improved with Kyouko in the picture. And the main feeling behind that? Byakuya and Kyouko chilling. Hanging out. Starting as loving the same person and then actually developing themselves. Enthralling.

2. Nanagami

The main reason I like this is 100% because of my Chiaki ship work. Figuring out their interactions was sooo facinating and I got. Attached. Chiaki is willing to put up with a lot of stuff and remain empathetic. She would extend sympathy to Byakuya while also not being a dormat; pushing back when he said something objectionable. Which. I understand is the appeal of Naegami too. But. I think the nuances of it are a bit different. Idk. I just think it's neat.

3. Mitagami

I... I know these two never interact. And there's no big narrative parallels to justify them. But. I don't know. I've always like them. Just... imagining them slowly bonding at Future Foundation. A really sweet office romance. Only for it to all be blown up with the revelation of Byakuya betraying FF to help the Remnants and Ryota himself sort of being a Remnant (especially in a no brainwashing verse). Like. Idk man. Can't justify this one I just think the idea is cute.

4. Naegami

I. Very much don't like a lot of fan characterization for this one, but I can't articulate why. I think I like the idea of them more than any actual content I've seen of them.

5. Twogami

I am enthralled with how much grace and admiration and empathy the Imposter had for Byakuya... and how that went sour. To go from how they talks about him during their FTEs to destroying his life... also. The thought of gender fluid Byakuya and agender Imposter bonding over that is so cute...

Alternative 5. Tozono

I... feel like this one could be interesting? I've kinda run out of ships I genuinely ship and are more grasping at straws. But Sayaka being a super peppy and smiley person to contrast Byakuya is kinda cute, right? I almost went with Kaede for this exact reason but uh. I feel like she wouldn't be able to Stand him, actually. Plus, Sayaka's smiley-ness being a facade might actually ironically endear Byakuya, since he finds genuineness to be stupid and initally off putting. Yeah, half of what makes Naegami and Nanagami is him realizing that genuine kindness is a Good Thing, Actually, but sometimes you want something different. He would trust Sayaka ironically more because of his understanding of it being a facade, that they both recognize. Plus, they both had to deal with public image. I also like the idea of Sayaka dressing him in cute dresses and doing his make up. I think it could be cute!

Sakura Ogami:

1. Sayagami

I LEGITIMATELY ADORE SAYAKA AND SAKURA AS A COUPLE. I always have but it was made so much more prominent after reading this fic about them. Ohhh my god Sayaka taking her dress shopping... I literally cried.

2. Sakuraoi

Yeah, I had to put this on the list. They're Basically Canon, babies first Yuri, and that makes them iconic.

3. Chogami

Chihiro training with Sakura is such a good idea... plus I don't remember who said it but I love the idea of them tackling messy gender feelings. With Sakura at first not understanding because she always Clung to her assigned sex as Proof She Was A Girl, in a world that made her feel bad for being muscular. And then Chihiro comes around and SHATTERS that- being whatever flavor of trans you prefer (trans girl, trans boy, gender fluid, agender- any of them work). I feel like they could both really enrich each others worlds.

4. Sakuriyoko

This one's more vague. I just like the idea of, like... Hiyoko and Sakura bonding over their talents being tied to traditions. Plus. Same appeal with Sayaka where I feel like Hiyoko would put her in cute outfits- just very different types of cute outfits, more traditional in nature (kimonos and the like).

5. Sakuramiki

I am grasping at straws for this. Sakura training Mikan is a cute image, right? She'd treat her well and respect her and maybe help her stand up for herself. And Mikan can tenderly dress her wounds, win win!

Alternative 5. Sakukoma

This... I tend to write platonically? I tend to see Sakura as a lesbian so I don't have many romantic ships with guys. But. Nagito and her could be SUCH an iconic duo. Again, I tend to think of them platonically, but still. I think what made me fall in love with a possible Sakura and Nagito dynamic was my class civil war series, specifically this chapter of unseen pixels. In that vein, Gundham and Sakura are pretty cool foils to each other too in canon.

Chihiro Fujisaki:

1. Fujisaba

I love them in DR: IF and I also love how Chihiro stays with her body in DR1...

2. Chigiri

Same reasons as before lol. I am endlessly charmed by them. Chihiro seems to really admire her in DR1 optional dialogue which is so cute.

3. Chimiki

Chihiro and Mikan... my silly rarepair... I feel like they'd bond over being bullied and they'd both learn to be more assertive by standing up for each other. Would be especially good for Chihiro, as protecting Mikan would make them feel strong... and make Mikan feel safe. I do think Chihiro would stand up for her, too, which is something she desperately needs. They may stutter and flinch in fear when doing it, but they'll do it, which is more than a lot of people can say!

4. Enosaki

I LOVE ENOSAKI.... so many good angles to take on it. It's chihiros legacy (alter ego) that caused her downfall... she killed them and they caused her death from beyond the grave... and of course this great post from @theamityelf about Chihiro making simulators for Junko to kill people in with no consequences... this shit rules.

5. Celeshiro

I RAN OUT OF SPACES FOR SAYAKA/CHIHIRO TOO.... aughhh. But yeah. I like the idea of Celestia having a soft spot for Chihiro... she did express concern with them being out and about in chapter 2. I have So Many chihiro rarepairs. Which is crazy because I feel like I don't talk about Chihiro that much. But believe me. I am Full Of Rarepairs.

Mukuro Ikusaba:

1. Naekusaba

They are just So. AUGHHH good in Danganronpa IF. I adore them, truly.

2. Kirisaba

I really like them in DR: IF as I mentioned. But also. The idea of Mukuro being quietly afraid of Kyouko figuring her out during school life... That Compells Me.

3. Fujisaba

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU FUJISABA.... I also think Fujisaba's appeal is somewhat the same appeal as Naekusaba. Falling in love with a pure and innocent smile... holding that smile between my blood stained hands... aaaughh I go crazy.

4. Ikuzono

This one is just barely a rarepair. Seems to be the go to Mukuro femslash ship. Which is a bit ironic as they have the least canon content of the Sayaka/Kyouko/Mukuro trio. But I do love Ikuzono. I've read some amazing works for them. The stand out one being this one, which is really good and any ikuzono fan should read!

5. Celeskuro

I like it because I had a friend who was really into it, and I've always just felt really happy seeing it around because of that association. It's also interesting, right, as I feel they're somewhat opposites in disposition, but both are lying/putting on false faces to cope. I wonder if Mukuro's control issues (in the sense that she gives up control, not enforces it) would intermingle with Celestia's control issues. There's a potential for a story there.

Junko Enoshima:

1. Junkan

It is absolutely diabolical to make me pick only 5 Junko ships when I love them all so much... but number one has GOTTA BE junkan. They fascinate me so much. I'm enthralled with all the different ways you could take them. How their issues intermingle. They are horrible together. Toxic Yuri for the win.

2. Enonami

I ADORE enonami. They are Also toxic Yuri. Junko canonly kills people she likes. She also crazy murdered Chiaki. You see what I'm putting down? I also like the idea of Chiaki being the first person to, like, ideologically best her. The idea of a non brainwashing verse where Junko tries to manipulate Chiaki into despair and FAILS... so shes a sore loser about it and spitefully kills her like she tried to do to Makoto. Chiaki is a threat to her, to her ideology, to her identity, and so she must kill her. And in that way- in being such a threat to Junko she had to kill her- chiaki struck an ideological win. The first person to ever best Junko... even if it also ended in Chiaki's own death.

3. Matsushima

READ DANGANRONPA ZERO READ DANGANRONPA ZERO READ DANGANRONPA ZERO READ—

4. Junkozuru / Hajunko

HA. IM CHEATING BY COUNTING THIS AS ONE. But, ahem. I have already talked about Hajunko, so I'll leave this brief. I think post canon Hajime could have fixed her.

5. Kazujunko

Debated very heavily whether I wanted to put junkonia, twoshima, or kazujunko. As I've already talked about junkonia too, and I also mentioned twoshima in my playlist masterpost, I'll talk about Kazujunko. Girl boss vs cringe male wife simp. I looove it. I think he'd just be so unabashedly in love with her. He's crazy in love as we can see from his relationship with Sonia, but unlike Sonia Junko would whole heartedly encourage this! Enabling his worst most obsessive behavior! She is a idol for him to worship and she ADORES it!

SDR2:

Hajime Hinata:

1. Hinamiki

I ADORE HAJIME AND MIKAN. They're so good together, for real. How he handles her in their FTEs and Island Mode is exactly what she needs in that moment. She threatens to break his legs and he PROPOSES TO HER. they are so crazy (positive) they match each others freak but in a really healthy and productive way, I'm obsessed.

2. Hinatsumi

THE RELATABLITY... THE TRAGEDY.... THE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT ALL... obsessed with that talk they have before she dies where she cries. Plus. The image of average Joe Hajime Hinata being a mafia wife is just... perfect.

3. Hajunko

As I have said, I already talked about this one in depth.

4. Hinanami

Actually like Kamunami a lot more than Hinanami, but the Tragedy and complicated dynamics of Kamunami are founded on this ship, so I gotta include it.

5. Komahina

I like Komahina!! I'm very particular about it, however. And it's not my top ship for the two of them. But. I do like it.

Alternative 4. Matsuhina

I don't... really ship this, but I am interested in it. People be writing some really compelling things for these two. Who. Never canonly interact, lol.

Alternative 5. Sonjime

They basically get engaged in their FTEs. What do you want from me? But for real, I really did like their last FTEs. I'm kinda not invested in them being romantic vs platonic, but their FTEs were very fun. I almost put Kazuhina on here for how funny I find them, but I think I like Sonia and Hajime just a bit more. Though actually.... funniest possible ending. Sonia and Kazuichi both dating Hajime. Sonia still hates Kazuichi and Kazuichi is very emphatically Not Dating Her, they're just both dating the same guy. Hilarious.

Nagito Komaeda:

1. Komanami

Ohhh that's gonna be controversial. I am just enthralled with Nagito seeing her as the class hope, and literally falling into despair when she dies. Like. That's a love language in and of itself for Nagito. Her being his first friend... them playing games together in that one manga anthology.... I love them SO SO SO MUCH.

2. Komamiki

This was my first big Danganronpa ship. I was SO passionate. And I still adore them. They will always have a place in my heart.... they are so concerning!

3. Komahina

Almost put this under the next one but I think I would be burned at the steak for hersay if I did that. The Classics(tm)

4. Junkomaeda

He hates her. He absolutely loathes her. But in a way that makes you squint suspiciously. Love to hate you, hate to love you type deal. This is a kind of ship where you don't actually want them to end up together (like most Junko ships, but this one Especially). But you can't deny its some weird hate-worship situationship. In the worst way. That. Enthalls me.

5. Mitakoma

Inexplicable Ryota Ship Number 2. This one at least makes some sense, since they are both somewhat obsessed with "bringing hope" albeit in very different ways. I also really liked this comic about them. (By @haunted-xander )

Alternative 5. Komaede

This. Might sound crazy. But I'm actually really fond of Nagito and Kaede. I feel like they're somewhat similar in the sense that they're willing to go to extremes for "the greater good". Kaede was fully ready to kill the mastermind, Nagito was fully ready to kill the Remnants. And even themselves weren't exempt from their judgments; Kaede declined the first blood perk and got herself executed after violating her moral code and killing an innocent, and Nagito killed himself after realizing he was a Remnant. I truly believe Kaede to be a subversion of both Chiaki and Makoto, and her actual moral compass underneath her peppiness to actually be one of ridged black and white thinking, similar to Nagito. I also think she'd just be good for him.

Chiaki Nanami:

1. Komanami

I just think they're neat, okay? I just think they are really really cool and neat.

2. Kamunami

OHHHH THE IDENITY ISSUES AND TRAGEDY OF THIS SHIP... I'm of the big belief that Izuru's love for Chiaki isn't. Healthy. Isn't the healthiest kind. Like, I imagine, he sort of clings very unhealthy to the feelings she evokes in him. Because he can't remember feeling that much about anything or anyone else. So she kind of becomes his rock. His anchor to emotions. To caring about things. Which... I think could manifest in not so healthy ways. Like. Putting a Junko AI in a simulation with a Chiaki AI for a rematch to see who wins. You know, normal boyfriend things. On Chiaki's side, there's a lot of feelings of like... not being able to fully accept that the version of Hajime she knew is dead and gone. You can't rescue him or wake him up from Izuru, it's just Izuru now. He's effectively dead and replaced. Ohhh the messy relationship dynamics that could come of that. Mourning you when you're still alive. Do not stand at my grave and weep. No one is in it.

3. Nanamiki

I love you!!! Nanamiki!!! My favorite femslash ship maybe ever. I've talked at length about them before, so I'll just leave that post here. Technically not my own post, but an ask I sent into @danggirlronpa .

4. Enonami

I mentioned a lot of why I like Enonami in the Junko section, but I also would be remiss to not talk about the sheer potential despair!Chiaki has. This ship and despair!Chiaki go hand in hand like bread and butter. It's all just a lot of fun.

5. Natsunami

NARRATIVE FOILS..... MY BELOVED.... this is a super rarepair but I'm actually really fond of it. Love the contrast, too. This super sweet bubblegum pink fluffy girl and her very intimidating growling mafia wife. Who WILL fuck you up if you mess with her girlfriend. I could actually keep going for a while about Chiaki ships. I love so many of them, they're all just great. Twonami, Naenami, Kazunami, Ikunami.... I could keep going. I made a whole ship collection to prove she goes well with Literally Everyone. I could go on and on.

Mikan Tsumiki:

Twomiki

I LOVE THEM. SO MUCH. IN DANGANRONPA 3. literally a highlight of the whole show for me. I cannot describe to you the joy I get when they are on screen. This is my number 1 Mikan ship and it's 100% because of the anime. For how well Imposter handles and defuses her. Gaaah I love them.

Mitamiki

THEY.... I know brainwashed!Mikan and him have that really uncomfortable scene but before that.... before that... they were so cute. She was nursing him back to health.... connecting with him.... plus they both have a history of bullying/abuse that I feel like they could relate to each other on. Ryota is just abrasive enough to get really bitter and mad at anyone who bullies Mikan. That Guy Holds Grudges. Mikan wants to be forgiven for being alive and Ryota wants to prove he doesn't need to be. I'm so ill

3. Hinamiki

He just. He just handles her in the exact way she needs. He's also the exact kind of crazy Mikan needs- a stable, mundane kind of insane who meets her where she's at and forgives her worse qualities with grace. If Mikan told me she was thinking of breaking my legs I would run so so so so far away. And he proposes instead. And he was right to do so. Once Mikan is assured he won't abandon her, his faith in her is rewarded with her apologizing and admitting she didn't actually want to do that. He is good for her. He is SOOOO Good For Her. He is to her what Junko should have been, if she wasn't the worst person in the world. He encourages her good parts where Junko encouraged her bad parts and affords her grace and doesn't understand her perfectly but tries so so hard to, and never, ever gave up on her or dismissed her as too messed up or annoying. Oh my god. I love them so much I'll CRY right here typing this. I am Tearing Up as I speak.

Nanamiki

You know I love nanamiki Forever. So many ways you could take them and all of them in some way supported by canon!

Komamiki

At one point this would have been both my top Nagito and top Mikan ship. But Alas. Times change. I still adore them, though. I'll always have a soft spot for them. I could Also keep going for a long long time on this one... haven't even mentioned natsumiki or satomiki or mikaede or mikane who I all ADORE.... I have so many Mikan ships, for Real.

Imposter:

1. Twomiki

I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HOW I ADORE THEM. BUT HAVE I MENTIONED I ADORE THEM?

2. Twoshima

Two "imposters".... two pretenders.... they are always only what someone else wants... packaging themselves to best fit their image of who they should be... identity issues to the max.... but Junko, beautiful pretender she was, Saw Them. Gave them a name (a nickname?) and idenity only she could see. And yet... and Yet. They never saw her the same... she never let them.... ohhhaghhgh I go crazy.

3. Mitworai

I think this is the most common Imposter ship nowadays. For Good Reason. They were real fun in the anime! I maintain that the Imposter (with maybe some help from Mikan) should have been the one to talk Ryota down. Hajime I love you but You Don't Know This Clown Like They Do. Stfu

4. Twonami

THIS. SPECIFICALLY GOES HARD WITH AI CHIAKI.... AI chiaki is also an imposter impersonating someone.... human Chiaki.... identity issues galore. I'm also fond of human Chiaki and them, since I think Imposter impersonating Chiaki post her death would go Unbelievably Hard, but also.... AI Chiaki and them just enthrall me.

5. Twokoma

I don't... really ship this one? But I am interested in their relationship. I tend to view it more platonically, but it's undeniable that Imposter was pivotal to Nagito's earlier arc. In optional dialogue it's even hinted that the whole reason Nagito acts in chapter 1 is because Imposter inspired him to. They were just so inspiring he too was taken in by it and wanted to Do Something about their situation. It's just that. What he wanted to do wasn't actually helpful. Lol. I also like that the Imposter definitely knew Nagito was reaching for the knife and presumably trying to kill someone... and still died for him. That's sweet. They're a sweet person.

Mahiru Koizumi:

1. Mahto

SATO AND MAHIRU IS MY NUMBER ONE MAHIRU SHIP. theyyyy..... girlfriends forever. Crazy to me that they're not outrageously popular and are, in fact, a rarepair.

2. Mahiyoko

Yeah, this is a classic for a reason. Can't go wrong with soapies. Used to be pretty passionate about it, too.

3. Enozumi

MAHIRU SHOULD HAVE AN EVIL GF. FOR. REASONS. Mahiru (to me) is so WLW that I think part of how Junko would get her would be to appeal to that WLW nature. Her messy crushes that end in disaster. Her relationships with girls willing and able to kill, one to protect and one to destroy. Junko would stir up all those confusing feelings about Sato and focus them on her. And also. What's more romantic than a model and her photographer?

4. Koimiki

I have grown a lot fonder of these two since writing my Koimiki story. They are so messy at times but I think they could eventually make it work. I would say I passively ship it now, at the very least, yeah.

5. Mahibuki

These two go hardest in an ot3 with Hiyoko. I Want That For Them. So badly....

Alternative 5. Komazumi

I tend to think of Mahiru as a lesbian, but in the event that she's bi with just a heavy preference for girls, I actually really like this idea. Maybe it's because I have a friend who's really fond of it, but I've fond myself also growing fond. Always thought they had amazing friendship potential too. So, while I still tend to headcanon Mahiru as a lesbian, I do still have an inherited fondness for these two.

Sonia Nevermind:

1. Junkonia

I've already talked at length about these two, as I said. But this is 100% my number one Sonia ship. Oh my god I'm so invested in these two, for real. Enthralled with them, you could even say.

2. Nevermiki

I LOVE THESE TWO. Sonia and Mikan would have the best horror movie dates as they both love them. They both also share a desire to get married fast as Hajime basically has to propose to both of them, so they're compatible in that way too. Seriously, I really love these two.

3. Soniabuki

Ibuki serenading Sonia at concerts... with death metal... cutteee. Ibuki is so honest and real and Sonia has had her whole life in the public eye in a way that made her act perfected. I think she could really appreciate how authentic Ibuki is.

4. Soniaki

Sonia and Chiaki are one of the more popular rarepairs out there, but I still rather like them. They were cute in the anime. You know the scene. Plus how impassioned Sonia was at denying Chiaki was the traitor really shows how much she cared... like Akane was Mikan's defender that whole trial, Sonia was Chiaki's...

5. Kiyonia

This one. Is totally 100% because of their dynamic I wrote in class civil war. People in my comments Also said they started shipping them because of it. I am a menace. I didn't even mean to convince people of this rarepair! It just sort of... happened!! But him viewing the elites of society as people just as capable of falling pairs really well with Sonia wanting very hard to be viewed as a person before a princess. Also I'm sorry to Gundham who is Sonia's canon love interest but somehow isn't on this list. He'd be next if there was a number 6, if it's any consolation. ACTUALLY WAIT. I FORGOT ABOUT SONIAHIYOKO. UHHH. I'm not gonna edit this because I said A Lot but. I do think Sonia and Hiyoko would actually be above Sonia and Ibuki on this ranking. I cannot BELIEVE I forgot my girls. What an absolute crime and travesty.

V3:

Shuichi Saihara:

1. Saimaki

Yeah, this also might be controversial. I'm putting at this at the top because I a) adore them and b) have TWO ot3s with Maki and Shuichi in them - the training trio and the surviving trio. I adore them. They are sooo important to me.

2. Saimatsu

Kaede is bisexual and that is fully because of Shuichi and Rantaro in canon. Otherwise she'd be into girls all the time any time. She has such a heavy preference for girls and works well with literally all of them, and yet here she is, dating Shuichi. A miracle among miracles.

3. Saimota

I BELIEVE IN THEM. THEY ARE BASICALLY CANON. TO ME. DO YOU HEAR WHAT SHUICHI THINKS ABOUT HIM IN THEIR FINAL FTE. DO YOU. CAN ANYONE HEAR ME

4. Saimeno

Apart of my surviving trio ot3, my beloved.... I adore them so much. I tend to think of their relationship as a qpp one, vs romantic - with both Himiko and Shuichi "properly" dating only Maki - but I do care about these two so. So much. SO much!!!

5. Saiouma

These used to be my number 1... oh how the mighty fall. I think I just got burnt out with fandom content from these two, so now they're a lot lower than they used to be. Almost put Saimami here but. I do think I like Saiouma a bit better.

Alternative 5. Saigiri

I feel like Shuichi and Kyouko could have such a good mentor mentee relationship. I think that would be good for Kyouko, to learn how to teach someone like Shuichi. She knows intellectually that emotions drive actions and she doesn't dismiss them, no, but she's also not the greatest at dealing with them- whether that means comforting someone or dealing with her own emotions. Shuichi would sort of force her to confront that, given all his issues with being a detective. She would need to navigate his insecurities in a way I think will make "dealing with emotions" click in her head more. Plus, Shuichi makes her confront her own buried feeling on being a detective (the ones we see in the Kirigiri novels). Self recognition through the other and stuff. I think this ship could fuck.

Alternative 6. Saikiibo

I think their love hotel is cute... plus their FTEs are pretty funny, aha.

Alternative 7. Saigonta

How gently Shuichi handled Gonta in chapter 4.... how sweet they always were together.... I don't know if I'd say I really romantically ship this, but I do adore their little friendship together 🥺

Kaede Akamatsu:

1. Oumaede

Listen. Listen. I know most people headcanon Kokichi as gay, but... this ship. This ship is SO GOOD. I adore their FTEs and their parallels in the narrative. Purple liars go brrr. This is the ship that makes me go, "okay, Kokichi can be bisexual specifically for Kaede Akamatsu."

2. Tenkaede

I LOVE TENKAEDE.... all their interactions are so unbelievably wlw. Tbh the v3 girls/kaede in general... I tend to like. Not on this list but Himiko and Kaede and Angie and Kaede are also some of my favorite Kaede ships everrrr.

3. Amamatsu

This was my first v3 ship! I have a. Soft spot for them. I love that nail polish event. They ended so tragically... sometimes I ot3 this one with either Kokichi or Tsumugi. It's fun.

4. Kaemugi

KAEMUGI.... MY BEAUTIFUL GIRLS.... I was one of the first people on ao3 to write something for these girlies. Literally my first Kaemugi work is also the 6th Kaemugi work written on ao3. I saw these twos FTEs and never looked back, even though they ended up being very messed up with the Tsumugi mastermind and frame job reveal. They're so interesting...

5. Mikaede

MIKAN AND KAEDE.... my rarepair that I dearly love.... they'd literally be so good for each other. I tend to think that Kaede was lightly bullied ("piano freak") and that's why she was so desperate to hold onto her new friends. Because they were like her and didn't exclude her and actually listened about her interests. (Kaede Akamatsu is autistic to me. To Me.) So while she doesn't get the more extreme bullying, she can definitely understand how it hurts and would do her very best to comfort and support Mikan. She's also not shy about speaking up if she thinks someone is bullying someone. She's outwardly very kind and caring which would be unabashedly good for Mikan.

Kokichi Ouma:

1. Oumaede

I love these two, truly. Kaede and his relationship was so much more friendly that Shuichi and his - Kaede seemed to view him as a mischievous prankster and Shuichi seemed to view him as a puzzle that got more and more threatening to him the more he failed at solving it. Which. Can be a fun dynamic too, honestly. But. Kaede being willing to listen to him- specifically thinking of the death road of despair here- to consider his perspective without getting caught in "he's manipulating me" as much... that's good stuff to me. When he's upset, genuinely upset, she listens. Instead of dismissing his feelings as fabrications.

2. Oumota

Purple liars go brrr part 2. They are definitely antagonistic during the game, but there also is a lot more consideration of Kokichi on Kaito's side than I think others view him. And them working together for that final plan... chefs kiss. I eat that trial up.

3. Oumugi

This one... is also going to be controversial. I think what I like about this one is the same thing I like about Enogiri. Kokichi is trying to sus out Tsumugi and the whole game is a back and forth of them pushing and pulling. Also some of the Oumaede appeal with both of them being liars- albeit in a very different way. Kokichi is a sheep in wolves clothing and Tsumugi is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Actually, there's some of the same appeal I feel towards Enonami too- where Kokichi beat her in some ways (helped kicked off the end of the killing game), but also. Died. Like a pyrrhic victory. I also love how petty Tsumugi is towards Kokichi like, all the time. I don't know. I like them.

4. Harouma

This one. Is also going to be very controversial. Imo, Maki and Kokichi have similar tendencies to dismiss each other as "murderer" and "liar". They both tend to fall into black and white thinking. In the event that they gain understanding of each other, I think their lives could be really enriched where they both realize they're too quick to judge. This is definitely a Character Development ship- one that would require and facilitate character development. But that's what I like about it, I think.

5. Saiouma

Hi Saiouma. Nice of you to finally show up, lol. This is a classic for a reason. At one point it'd be my number one, too. Again. I think I just got burnt out on it.

Alternative 5. Naeouma

I like this because you think Kokichi is the anarchist boyfriend. But. It's actually Makoto. Plus, Makoto would extend SO MUCH sympathy and understanding and belief in Kokichi, even at his worst, to which Kokichi would be like h. Hey. What the fuck is wrong with you. I'm actually acting SO evil right now and yet. And Yet. Unstoppable force (Kokichi's mastermind plan) meet immovable object (Makoto's belief in people). (Almost put Hinaouma next, but. Now that I've written them be father and son, basically, I feel a little weird about the ship now, lol. Still a good ship, but has definitely gone down in rankings because of that. It's not the ships fault. It's my own for getting so attached to them being a father son duo.)

Alternative 6. Oumeno

Listen. I know it was Kaito who called her cute, because it was Kaito in the existal. But. Maybe Kokichi wrote that in, you don't know. Plus, their aesthetics go together so well! They're both tricksters! One with her "magic" and one with his "lies"! The showmanship of this ship! The theater, the art! Their aesthetics match!!

Kaito Momota:

1. Kaimaki

Yeah yeah, I know, I'm basic, but their arc is one I EAT UP. I actually sometimes view this as somewhat one sided - Maki confessed to Kaito, but have you noticed that Kaito... didn't respond to it? Just told her she'd find someone else iirc. Which I have two interpretations of: a) he didn't want her to linger on their what if, felt it would be cruel if he reciprocated or b) infinitely funnier, he's not into her because he's gay. Or even aro. Like wow this is awkward... I literally do not feel the same but saying that would crush her... time to say something vaguely reassuring and brush over it. I know that's probably not what canon intended. But. That interpretation does Amuse Me. In a dark kind of way. But. When I seek out content for the ship, I do tend to go for the reciprocal interpretation. They are just too cute that way. I especially like it when Shuichi is Also there. Training trio foreverrr

2. Saimota

LISTEN. LISTEN. it's just so important to me that everyone knows Shuichi Saihara basically has a canon crush on Kaito. He adores him. Training trio foreverrrrrrr

3. Oumota

In Kaito's love hotel he basically wants a rival. Kokichi in canon is his rival. You see what I'm putting down

4. Gokumota

How much he defends Gonta is really heart breaking.... this might be my number one Gonta ship. They are so sweet

5. Momomiki

They could be cute? I've read a few cute ones about them.

Alternative 5. Magic Stars

(This is Himiko and Kaito.) He DID call her cute. You know, pretending to be Kokichi and all, but if that wasn't a line Kokichi wrote, then uh. That just came from Kaito. Plus, their themings pretty similar. Could be another aesthetic ship.

Alternative 6. Kaimami

I don't know. I think Kaito and Rantaro could vibe.

Alternative 7. Cyberspace

(This is Kiibo and Kaito.) I like the vibes of it mostly. I don't know, they seem neat. I almost put Kaito/Kaede on this because I DO believe it is possible Kaito had a crush on her but. Honestly. I think it was wholly one sided based on how she thinks of him. Like. I believe in Kaito having the crush. But I don't have faith Kaede would reciprocate.

Maki Harukawa:

1. Harumeno

HARUMENO MY BELOVED.... after losing their first loves they deserve to have a sappy romance with each other.... My red girls.... my beloved....

2. Saimaki

I do think in general the Shuichi and Maki friendship is underrated. They're a very good duo. I love when they investigate together.

3. Kaemaki

I have so many Kaemaki thoughts... we know from Kaito that Kaede is just Maki's type... but also. Kaede and her were so antagonistic in that first chapter. I'm going to do a hot take. Pre-development Maki and Kaede in a scenario where she lived? They would be a protagonist/antagonist duo. Maki is 100% being set up to be Kaede's antagonist, just look at their actual interactions. And Kaede, while similar to Kaito in many ways, is also drastically different in others. For one. She is not forgiving. She is not a forgiving person. She tries to kill the mastermind and when she kills someone innocent instead? Basically gets herself killed to atone. She would take one look at Maki being an assassin and go. No flipping way. She'd expose her in an instant just like Kokichi. THIS IS AN ANTAG/ PROTAG SHIP AND IM TIRED OF PRETENDING OTHERWISE.

4. Kaimaki

I just love Maki's arc in relation to Kaito... so badly lol.

5. Yonakawa

I love these two opposite demeanor. And I also just think they look really cute together. Atheist vs Devotee. Angie being like "Angie forgives you Maki because God forgives you Maki, as long as you atone!" They are So Fun. I love them. Angie in canon is very hard on Maki post assassin reveal but I do feel like depending on how things go they could have buried the hatchet so to say. I like them a lot.

Alternative 5. Miumaki

Miu was afraid of Maki but was also one of the ones giving her the least shit. Plus Maki was rude to Miu but not anymore than her rudeness to everyone. I think Maki's clear and honest was of stating what's on her mind would do Miu some good. And Miu could help teach Maki not to judge books by their covers. Plus. They could both bond over Hating Kokichi.

Alternative 6. Tenmaki

I actually still do have a few more Maki ships, which I didn't expect. But uh. Yeah. Tenko and Maki could be really cute! Plus. Tenko went to Maki to deal with Angie. Which I think shows a level of respect between them. Plus. Buff gfs working out together. What more could you want

Korekiyo Shinnguji:

1. Kaekiyo

I tend to think Korekiyo as some flavor of aromantic- like, grey aro, maybe?- but I am. Very invested in the Kaede and Kiyo relationship. Their FTEs are good. And. Concerning in implications. But still good.

2. Amaguji

They could both talk about their fucked up relationships with their sisters!!! Korekiyo would hate that he lost so many sisters and Rantaro would hate everything about Korekiyo's relationship with his sister. And they'd make it work anyway.

3. Shinouma

I liked when he threatened to tear out his nerves. Lol.

4. Shinsai

They also had really good FTEs, this time without the threat of Korekiyo killing him for his sister. Which. I guess is a plus, lol.

5. Tsuguuji

Their summer camp interaction was sooo funny. Mikan out crazied Kiyo. Kiyo was set to kill her for sister only to be like... uh. Nevermind. She's clearly insane. He killed Angie, who was a cult leader, for his sister but Mikan Tsumiki's weird "I have power over my patients" thing made him go ACTUALLY NO. NEVERMIND. YOURE A WHOLE FREAK. I adore that

Alternative 5. Gontaguuji

I feel like this could be cute? Maybe Korekiyo talking about how people precieved the "gentleman" across history.

Tsumugi Shirogane:

1. Kaemugi

KAEMUGI MY BELOVED... so interesting to consider from Tsumugi's POV....

2. Amamugi

I like the headcanon that these two were in the last killing game (52nd one) together. Plus. I just adore how petty Tsumugi seems towards him. He's literally just some guy and she goes bark bark growl growl I hate you you normie go do a backflip and die.

3. Shironaga

OHHH I GO CRAZY FOR ANGIE AND TSUMUGI.... she joined her cult to blend in but also... what if it was to stay close to her because she knew she was about to die... she created an angel and then killed it... Angie talks about God not knowing she's right next to her in plain glasses... plus. They are both artists. They could bond over that.

Oumugi

Talked about this already in the Kokichi section. But yeah. They are opposites and yet the same... yin and yang... two liars, one trusted and guilty and one misstrusted and innocent... augh.

Saimugi

I wish I could fit Himiko also on this. But alas. Totally fell in love with this ship because of this fanfic. I'm specifically obsessed with the dynamic in that fanfic. Tsumugi befriending Shuichi instead of Kaito... disaster.

And woof, finally finished! Some of these I was grasping at straws but others I could have kept going and going about. There's so many great ships it was hard to rank them! But yeah, right now these are my thoughts. They are, like always, subject to change but this is what I'm feeling right now.

[wishamongtheflowers]

Sound

Kido ran her eyes on every record of several victims for the upteenth time.

"Stray dogs!? You're telling me stray dogs are killing people!"

"I'm sorry that I can't exactly identify the bite marks or the teeth. For all I know it could be a person with unique teeth."

The sheriff could only sigh. Just his luck.

"First it's everyone who is incompetent to where I have to rely on a teenager, now this!" He could only shake his his.

"I'll keep working on all this. It's still the gray faze."

He groaned wondering out of his office, "I'm going to go get a drink."

Kido just looked at all the images and reports she chose to bring.

"Excuse me, Ms. Mukai, " Kido turned around to find a man in the doorway, "can I barrow you for just a minute."

The man's badge made it obvious to her. Future Foundation employee.

"It much be important given your badge. Don't see your rank around here much."

"Yeah we usually handle in foundation matters. I hope you don't mind."

A pull. Not any other pull dragged her. Divine Luck's own desire. It wants whatever offer he has.

"If it gets me away from work for a bit I'll obliged."

"Let's discuss this in a private area."

"Of course."

Kido held some papers as she walked out of the building. This isn't luck but chance. It's her luck which wants success. She's honest with herself. She wanted to have abundance.

"He said it's cause of the Ultimate Hope disappearance cause of Junko. From the way he was talking, I've been selected given my work. This better be worth it. It'll be the last piece of the puzzle for me."

"It will be worth it. You've been blessed with luck and a second chance in this world."

She noticed her mind seeped out of reality. She kept calm, unconcerned by what was going on.

"I wouldn't call being undead as a second chance. The divine luck isn't separate from me. It's also me, just like you."

"It is true your luck and I are you but," Kido felt some warmth sliding under her clothes, "you're a horseman. Ever sense you'd been my pet, you always fought. Even now I can tell you've gotten stronger."

"Could you please stop."

"Aw, I guess you don't want to be petted." The warmth left, thankfully.

"I'm wondering why you want to talk. You haven't appeared in some time."

"You know why. Soon he'll remember you as the Siren who taught him how to swim and the angel who set humanity free. You'll finally be rejoined with one of the original blessing."

"That..."

"Your wishes aren't his. He'll open his eyes just like you, for a second time. He'll know you as his. Don't deny it. I can tell you're morality isn't black or white anymore. Your undead but you still wish his love to return."

"Your right. I just want him to be happy. We thought this was the only way. We're both wrong. We'll have to make it right."

"Good pet. Now grow stronger than even I hope for."

It was all in her head. It wasn't a surprise as anyone would gain a mental illness if they gone through what she had. Being undead of course was an obvious cause of her warped mind. With her awareness of her illness she found a comfort in her delusional state. To have someone just there even if they're just an illusion ment a lot.

Kido didn't see a figure around so she can assume her delusional state has lessed to normalcy. A click echoed through her sanctuary's still veins. The last part came by chance over the mouths of stillness.

"Proxy should be here in an hour or so. I'll get started setting some things up." Kido's footsteps ran ahead of her.

A part of her knew something would happen either way. All she can do is wish for the best outcome.

---------------------[Tags]-----------------------

@after-neo-world and anyone else cause idk

:3

[kkatastrophic]

Danganronpa Chapter 5 - V3 Daily Life:

SPOILERS AHEAD DON'T READ UNLESS YOU'VE PLAYED ALL OF CHAPTER 5!!!

ALSO, SPOILERS FOR THE MASTERMIND, BECAUSE I FIGURED IT OUT!!!

Cute Kaimaki to begin, because they're such cuties.

Aight, the people who haven't played should be gone by now!

--- The Start:

DANGANRONPA V3!!! DROP A MAKI HIMIKO FRIENDSHIP ARC THIS CHAPTER AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I love them both sm, and Tsumugi is great too, and Kaito, and KOKCIHI IS SO FUCKING MESSED UP I LOVE IT RAHHH!!!)

I'm listening to Linger aughhhh

BAHAHAHAH KEEBO ROLLING OUT OF THE HYDRAULIC PRESS IS SO FUNNY, IMAGINE THAT WITHOUT CONTEXT BAHAHAH-

"rush in peace Keebo"

HELP THE HIDDEN MONOKUMA IS BREAKDANCING

Also: Kokichi where tf are you? U gon die soon if you don't come bacl bbg.

--- THEORIES!!!

Maki FTE: "A daughter of a Yakuza leader. She was a child mistress with no ties to the gang. Her father loved her very much... which is why she was seen as dangerous. The yakuza's elites decided to have her removed, in case rival groups used her."

...

Natsumi Kuzuryu...?

--- MAKI AND KAITOOO!

MAKI TEACHING KAITO THE CROSSBOW, AUGH MY HEART OHH THEY'RE SO CUTE.

(Kaito's gonna die soon, he's planning a murder.)

ALSO, WHERE IS BB KOKICHI, HUH?!

Shuichi: While watching those two... I thought of a similar scene. Kaito struggling while Maki gave him instructions...

FUCK! KAITO YOU'RE GONNA DIE. KAITO DON'TTTTT

How lovely :3

"D-Dammit... why now? Why me? I haven't... even... gone to s-space yet..." say that shit again and I'm BAWLING, KAITO. BAWLING. BAWLING!!!!!

OMG ONE MORE FTE AND I FINISH ALL OF TSUMUGIS! YAY OMG I LOVE HER SM IM SO HAPPY AND EXCITED OMG OMG OMG OM GAHHHHH AUGHHHHH I LOVE HERRRRRRR!

--- Kaito Momota is NOT the luminary of the stars:

GUYS I JUST REALISED KAITO KEEPS MAKING SIMPSONS REFERENCES HELP

Kaito always says "WHY YOU-" or "Why you little-" or "Why, you better-" and stops halfway through. He's a goddam simpsons reference. Kaito Momota Ultimate Accidental Simpsons Reference.

Me when goddamronpa.

I CLEARED THE STUPID TUNNEL GAME IN 3 TRIES OMG HIMIKO SAVED ME, I ATE IT UP, AUGHHH I HATED THAT BUT I DID IT SO FAST OMG YAY

--- Gofer Project is a goofy ass name:

Bro the Gofer project chooses 16 students as the saviours of humanity... and they choose a mf who doesn't remember his talent, a ROBOT, a magician, a COSPLAYER and a bug guy...

Erm okay guys.

Why the hell is Kokichi controlling the exisals, I don't believe he's the mastermind what the hell.

Kaito punching people:

Shuichi, Kokichi, he just punches people.

Also Maki's voice line... goddam "STOP IT!!!" like goddam girl.

GUYS. KOKICHI JUST SAID "YUPPERS".

I say that quite often help-

"THIS SCHOOL IS MINE, I AM THE KING!" jesus okay chill out there blud.

--- Poor Shuichi...:

"There's no reason...to keep living."

"There's no reason to live."

"I don't care. If I...just kill my-"

Maki saving Shuichi rn.

Oh my fucking God, Junko is in the flashback light, if she's somehow the bloody mastermind again I'm gonna cry.

THE KILLING GAME OF THE 78TH CLASS??? *crying, screaming, KIYOTAKA IS ON THE SCREEN IN DRV3 GUYS!!!!* <- That image brings so much nostalgia omg.

Erm where is the SDR2 cast? They only get an honourable mention as "ReMnAnTs". What.

Bruh Makoto started the gofer project? AUGHHH MAKOTO FUCK OFFFFFFF ISTFG BRO-

"We just happened to be immune to the virus" <- Bro thinks he's special or smth.

IF I HAVE TO HEAR JUNKO ENOSHIMA ONE MORE TIME I SWEAR TO GOD BRO-

No guys, there's NO saving Kaito, he's sick. He's gonna die. He probably has the mysterious asteroid virus thing.

--- Guys I know who the REAL Mastermind is... fuck:

Kokichi isn't the stupid MM he's lying again.

Tsumugi: "Yeah. That's the sort of thing the remnants of despair or Kira would do."

Tsumugi Shirogane. It's you, isn't it.

Maki triggering the electro-bomb:

Keebo in the corner:

--- VICTIM ALREADY?!

Wait who the fuck is under the press?! WHO'S UNDER IT?! WHO IS IT AUGHHH

[dangakkisland]

Veiled Hope (Beta: H.O.P.E) Concept art below

‹long post be warned (If you don't feel well to touch on subjects like death, corpses even if with not much detail I recomend watching after yourself and maybe pass this post for another time!)

For starters Veiled Hope was supposed to be called "H.O.P.E" or "E.S.P.E.R.A.N.Ç.A" As in the portuguese script I wrote for it, the "Veiled" part came from another work called "Veiled Shadows" which fused with H.O.P.E; One more reason for the name was because it was fully focused on Izuru after the Hope cultivation program jumping the entire part of the DESPAIR arc

Izuru's uniform is the same as Hajime's right now the only difference was the symbols being green spades rather than light-red diamonds (Notes from the images above: Always keep the card theme between Nagito, Hajime, and Chiaki, possibly could work with Makoto/Mitarai in the end but not when they don't know both his identity yet)‹ this is not followed anymore

[He was still Ryota Mitarai/Ryota Nanami instead of Mitarai Nanami, the change was because it just sounded way better and it flowed like a feather.]

Yasuke alive and well even after Junko took his life for unknown reasons I put as "Later but related to Hope's peak academy and the Future Foundation"⟩ if I followed I would probably blame the Ultimate Pharmacist and her magic medicine or the same thing that Kyoko used to jump back from the dead.

He also has lobotomy marks, I put his state as "Depression, Delusion, Dependent all with extra steps"

His design would be only Yasuke in a Black and white suit probably something relating to Monokuma as a callout for Junko somewhat in the design, the only note in specific is make the sole of his shoes reflect the weird red eye on Monokuma/ half of the Hope's peak symbol under the sole of his shoes.

Mahiru! Her redesign as the Ultimate despair, all smiles. All the Ultimate despairs received redesigns but the starter ones were way more brutal like Mahiru's (She used to have way more teeth than she is supposed to, that was to reflect the smile dillema and fuse it with despair) and Servant's (After Another Episode he had to amputate one of his legs due an infection and the injury was way more gorey than it should {Removed})

There was one flashback scene of Izuru dancing with a students half alive half dead corpse {Removed}

Izuru's cave like hideout painted pink {Removed}

Izuru disguised as Junko for Makoto {Removed in this certain situation}

Kyoko and Izuru serious talk in private, Izuru disguised as Hajime {Removed but depends on certain situations}

Kyoko animated failed execution {Removed}

Ultimate despairs break Makoto's security system in the most silly way possible (Metal pipe) {Maybe just because its funny}

Shirokuma was supposed to be a big role, I didn't elaborate much myself only letting a note about how it wandered in vents EVERYWHERE in red marker

Makoto sick with despair after seeing the first chapter of Super Dangaronpa 2, He couldn't get a hold of reality as the security system was locked (Flooded by the Junko AI). Byakuya taking his duty of watching the Killing game instead when Kyoko tried to figure out how the Virus got there filling everyone involved in their Seniors with serious distrust.

I was thinking on making this longer bit actually this is everything giving no spoilers for the story at all, mostly just removed content and some character designs with unused descriptions. I'll probably do it again when I finish completely, I can't tell how long it will take probably years 1-2 however it could be probably so worth it and I'll fight as long as I can

[haunted-xander]

Chiaki had been living with Izuru and Nagito for a couple months by the time she got a message alerting her that Kyosuke, Juzo and Chisa would be checking up on her. The other check-ups were always carried out by lower ranking members, so she found this suspicious. She had been careful to tell Izuru and Nagito in advance when people would be coming so they could conceal themselves, and Makoto and Kyoko stayed true to their promise to be quiet about it.

If they're not here for Kamukura-kun and Komaeda-kun, then what could it be? I hope it's nothing bad... ...Oh, but, this might be my chance to tell Munakata-kun about Yukizome-san. I... just hope he'll believe me. And... I'm worried about how Yukizome-san will react to me outing her... Nagito hasn't been home recently, claiming he had some work to do elsewhere, and she already told Izuru to hide, so she couldn't discuss what to do with him.

Finally, the dreaded knock on her door came. She tried to act casual as she went to open the door. "...Ah, hello, Munakata-kun, Sakakura-kun and... Yukizome-san. You're here already. ...Come in." She cordially opened the door and beckoned them all inside. "Nanami-san! It's so good to see you again! You've been so busy I've barely been able to talk to you! We really need to catch up a bit!"

"Don't get too excited now, Yukizome. We're not here to chat. We've got something more important to talk about."

"Are you saying that getting to talk with my former student isn't important? I'm hurt, Sakakura-kun! How dare you! Kyosukeeeeee, Sakakura-kun is being mean to me agaaaaaain."

"Sakakura-kun, don't be so insensitive."

"...Hmph. Whatever. Let's just get started already." Juzo glanced back at Chisa, looking at her somewhat suspiciously. ...Maybe Sakakura-kun figured it out. Or, he has an idea at least. He wasn't this hostile with her the last time I saw them. "...I apologise for their bickering. Now, you must be wondering why we came to check on you instead of the ones usual responsible for this task. Well... we have a bit of a secret mission for you."

"...A secret mission? Secret how?"

"...The Future Foundation recently got an anonymous tip about a certain group of captives being held in Towa City. These captives are people that were close to the participants of the Killing School Life, and were originally used by Junko Enoshima as a motive. Now that the Game is over, we can safely retrieve them. ...At least, that's the assumption that our leader seems to have. However, we think it may be a trap set up by one of the Remnants of Despair. It's simply too convenient. Chisa reccommended we send you as back-up to ensure the rescue mission progesses smoothly." Kyosuke spared no unnecessary chatter and got straight to the point.

Juzo looked ready to say something when Chisa swiftly cut him off. "If you go on this mission, you might run into one of the Remnants! I know you must be so worried about everyone, they were all your former classmates after all. I can't help but worry too..." Liar. You don't want to help me. Sending me on this mission is probably a trap. ...But I can't just let it be either. What to do...

"...I see. I'll need to think about. There's a chance that getting someone secretly sent is a trap, too." Kyosuke looked confused by her answer, not picking up on what she's implying. "...What do you mean? I'm sure the Remnants are expecting us to launch a simple rescue mission. No matter how calculating you are, there is a limit to what one can predict." In the back, she noticed that Chisa's smile grew colder, and Juzo tensed up. ...It seems Sakakura-kun and Yukizome-san caught it. Convincing Sakakura-kun doesn't seem like it'll be hard, but Munakata-kun...

"...Munakata-kun. What... would you think if I said there might be a Remnant hiding within the Future Foundations ranks? And... what if I told you they were very close to you?" She couldn't just say it outright. Honestly, even if she was well aware of Chisa's current condition, she didn't want to admit it. Saying it was just... too much. But she had to. "...What are you implying? Are you saying there's been a Remnant among us this entire time? One so cunning as to hid themselves completely from us?"

"...That is what I'm saying. And... I know who it is, too. ...But... you're not gonna like it. I'm sorry for not telling you all before. I haven't had the opportunity to tell anyone yet, so I was getting a little desperate. It's... only a matter of time until they make their move."

"Then who is it? Get out with it already. If there's a Remnant among us, we need to deal with them immediately." Juzo impatiently demanded she answered. ...Sakakura-kun probably already figured out who I'm talking about. "...It's Yukizome-san."

A heavy silence filled the room. Kyosuke looked at her as if she'd grown two heads. Behind him, Chisa's smile fell and she gave Chiaki a cold glare. Murderous intent was shown clearly in her eyes, making a cold shudder run up Chiaki's spine. "...What. You're saying that... Chisa's been a Remnant of Despair... this entire time? There's no way... that I can believe that. Chisa is the kindest and most caring person I know, there's no way in hell she's been working for that... that vile woman! There is no way!"

"I know it's hard to believe but-"

"No! It's not true, it can't be true! You must be mistaken! It's not Chisa, it's-"

"She's right, Munakata."

"...Sakakura-kun...? What are you talking about...? You don't seriously...?" Juzo looked uncomfortable, feeling guilty for not speaking up sooner. "...I noticed a long time ago that Yukizome was behaving... oddly. I couldn't really put a finger on it, so I figured I was imagining it and I said nothing. Recently, thought, she started acting even weirder. Ever since Enoshima died, she began running off and doing stuff behind the Future Foundations back, being awfully secretive about it too. ...I didn't really know how to bring it up so I never mentioned it."

Kyosuke stared at him in silence, not knowing how to respond. After a few tense moments, he hesistantly spoke up, "...Sakakura-kun... You..."

...........

"...Chisa, tell me... it's not true... is it? You're not a Remnant... right? ...Say something. Please." Chisa hadn't spoken a word since Chiaki starting talking about the insider Remnant. When Kyosuke aimed his questioning at her, she gave a too-innocent smile. Chiaki began to worry she was going to try and lie herself out of it.

"Aw, you got me! That's right, I'm a Remnant of Despair. I can't believe I managed to fool you for so long!" Her saccharine smile turned cold. "You really are an idiot, Kyosuke. You were so blinded by love that you didn't notice a thing! Really, I gave you so many hints and you never caught any of them! Or... maybe you willingly ignored them. How stupid, how... despairing."

"C-Chisa...? Do you really mean...? You're..." His face showed nothing but pure shock and despair. He could barely get any words out. "Aha! And there it is! That's what I've been looking for all this time!" Chisa clapsed her hands together and smiled gleefully, despair swirling in her eyes. "That wonderful look of despair... Oh, how I've waiting so long to see you with it!"

"Fuck it, I've had enough of this shit-" Juzo ran and tackled Chisa from behind, pinning her to the ground. "Munakata! Snap out of it! We can't have you falling to despair too!" The words seemed to get through to him, as Kyosuke flinched back and shook his head. "...Your right. I... don't want to believe it, but... she admitted it. There's no way I can deny it now. ...I... need to contact Tengan-kun about this. Please excuse me" With the little dignity he had left, Kyosuke took out his phone and left the room.

Now it was only Chiaki, Juzo, and the restrained Chisa in the room. The air was thick with tension, to the point Chiaki found it hard to breathe. "...I'm... so sorry. I didn't want to do this. I-I'm so s-so sorry, for everything." She couldn't hold her tears in anymore, the gravity of what just happened, and what would later happen to her old teacher, weighing heavy on her mind. "I-it's all *sob* my f-fault that th-things end-*sob*-ended up l-like this. *sob* If O-only I'd just *sob* Took K-Komaeda-kun and r-ran then *sob* s-she wouldn't h-have had to come s-save us *sob* a-and then she-"

"God, stop your annoying crying already. What's done is done, you can't do anything about it now so who the hell cares. ...At least you told us before it was too late." Juzo cut into her guilt-fueled ranting, tired of all the sniffeling. "...Just. Go to your damn room and take a nap or something. I'll handle Yukizome here, and Munakata will handle the... other stuff. ...You did good, kid. Get some rest"

Not expecting him to try to comfort him, she gave a slight nod and got up to take that reccommended nap. Behind her back, she faintly heard him say, "...You're much braver than I am. If only I had that courage back then..."

She closed her bedroom door behind her, falling onto her bed and immediately falling asleep.

[danggirlronpa]

Hey mind telling me what the story behind Kiyo’s sister is? I’m kind of clueless and only heard one story of the whole thing😅

This got decently long, so I've put it under a cut. I'll add it to the FAQ tomorrow as well, since it's come up a few times!

I will also request that this post not be reblogged to hate blogs or blogs specifically dedicated to "bad" or "disliked" content. As someone who has been harassed as a result of content being circulated in those circles, it makes me very panicked and anxious to see my work on similar blogs. If you do so, I will need to block you for my own mental stability.

In V3 chapter three, Korekiyo admits to mass murder and takes on the guise of his sister to do so. As a result of being nearly beaten to death at one point, Korekiyo created a tulpa of his dead sister (who we'll call by her popular fan name, Miyadera, from here on). He believed Miyadera wanted him to murder 100 girls, and claimed that they were once lovers.

In general, fans seem to take Korekiyo's claims at face value. Which is...weird, considering how obviously the whole thing is a "mentally ill delusional sexually deviant serial killer" trope played completely straight. And that his worldview includes things like "I should kill people so my dead sister has friends." But let's set that aside, and say that, for the sake of explaining the popular fandom viewpoint, Korekiyo is a reliable narrator.

So in chapter 3, when he is on the brink of being cornered, Korekiyo begins to switch between his own identity and the identity of his sister's tulpa. These are the only potential looks we have into Miyadera's personality. To give you the gist, here are all of the quotes while Korekiyo takes on his sister's guise that are listed on the Wiki.

(Please note that the "Apologize" is directed at another student who challenges Korekiyo.)

I'm going to be honest. I have reread this a LOT trying to figure out what everyone else is apparently seeing here that I am not. At worst, this reads to me as a slightly stern etiquette teacher. But the popular fandom perception is that this dialogue implies that Miyadera was manipulating and abusing Korekiyo. I could not honestly tell you WHY people believe this, but they do.

And people ran with that. They ran with that so hard. Every sin Korekiyo commits is pinned down as being Miyadera's fault, and Korekiyo is absolved of his crimes as a result of being an abuse victim. It's similar to the effect you often see in the way people discuss Junko and Mukuro, except that Mukuro does not invoke nearly as much sympathy on a larger level, even though Junko's mockery and subsequent murder of her sister are explicit canon.

Now, to be clear: I don't buy into this. I think this is an extremely generous reading of Korekiyo's character, and that it removed his agency and the horror of his crimes to make him more sympathetic (particularly for shipping purposes - if you glance through the Miyadera tag, you see a LOT of Korekiyo/Rantaro fics with Miyadera as the evil abuser Rantaro must rescue Korekiyo from). I also think that people give too much credit to the canonicity of Miyadera's "possession" when it isn't clear, even in the universe of the game itself, whether Miyadera is actually a tulpa or if it's an identity that resulted from Korekiyo's trauma, like Syo/Jack.

But on its own, I don't care about it THAT much. People have headcanons I disagree with all the time. I don't really like a lot of people's thoughts about Nagito's backstory, either, but I don't think about it very often, and I certainly don't care enough to get mad about it. The problem is...

People are very, VERY violent about Miyadera.

I'm going to ask you to reread the quotes from Miyadera as a reminder of literally everything we know about her personality. And then I'll ask you to read this post.

This...is, in fact, despite all odds, the predominate opinion on Miyadera. If you go into her character tags, there are an endless number of posts like these, daydreaming about doing violence on her person, murdering her, torturing her, etc.

As a Grandparent (25, the age of spinsterhood), this sets off some alarm bells. This is how people used to treat female characters who got in the way of their favorite ships, like Kairi from Kingdom Hearts. Now, that is popularly understood to have been a result of misogyny. It is horrifying to see that it has survived.

Fantasizing about committing excessive violence against a woman...is misogyny. Making up crimes a woman did not canonically commit as an excuse to justify fantasizing about violence against her is misogyny. It is one thing to dislike a character based on headcanons. It is a totally separate matter to participate in and encourage this level of vitrol solely to make a male character more sympathetic.

To clarify: I do not think that misogyny is the sole reason for this interpretation. By nature, Danganronpa appeals to teenagers, who tend to fall into this type of fandom-wide trap more easily. But it is, in fact, more concerning to normalize this sort of thought process among teens and young people. And so I am very defensive of Miyadera's actual character as a result.

[starlightshadowsworld]

Danganronpa 3: Future arc episode 3.

Back to... This.

I regret everything.

.... It was fake....

She's alive!

I dunno whether to be more mad or relieved.

So she's alive but still hurt?

... Nope it's a toy knife and ketchup.

Fuck you guys I got scared.

... Wait whys everyone scared?

GOZU!

NOOOO!!!

My boi!

The fucking emotional whiplash and I've just started this.

Oh they strung him up and oh... Oh fuck.

Of course it's one of the people who was sweet and I liked.

And it makes sense why him of all people.

But still!

Everyone going through it I mean a fake body, and than a real body.

Were they trying to kill Gozu and Asahina? But they can only kill one so that... happened?

Why the red herring?

Makoto hun it's not you're fault.

Kyoko instantly sus of the director. As she should be.

Asahina being the one who's pumped up and ready to go.

But Makoto not so much, it's like they switched moods.

Thank you Monomi for the exposition dump.

Okay so this was designed to be an overseas branch of Hope's Peak.

That later became what it is now.

Also we can just call it the Incident or the tragedy, we don't need to say the full name everytime.

It's a mouthful.

Wait so this means Makoto had ketchup on his hand how did he not notice?

... No yeah that situation was traumatic as fuck it makes sense it took a while.

"No one diess on my watch."

Oh Makoto...its just the beginning.

And yeah he figured out Miaya's forbidden action.

She can't go right.

Which is so random compared to "no running" and "witnessing violence" but fair.

Makoto easing her nerves by sharing his forbidden action with her.

It's dangerous but that's how you build trust in others.

People may think Makoto's preachy but he means everything he says.

And Asahina joining in only adds to that

"Be hit with a punch or a kick"... she's come close.

Way to close.

I love seeing Asahina confident, ready for whatever comes. It's so her and it's nice to see that again.

Hmm... Someone's here...

"I'll lead them off."

"With what, power walking?"

See that's how insults work guys.

Asahina be safe!

And Miaya's going with her.

Which is great but now Makoto is alone.

Makoto who is on everyone's hit list.

... Oh boy..

Seiko is... Pissed.

Yasuhiro is still on roof outside, oh man. He has no idea what's going on inside.

Shame, he could've gotten help but those missles(?) won't let him go.

Kyoko might be older and more polite, but she's still Kyoko.

I like seeing her way, Makoto is in a group that easily shares his weaknesses.

But Kyoko is with those who are guarded, and thus she is also guarded.

Makes sense.

I can't trust you if you don't trust me.

Makoto announcing Gozu's death as "bad news" just makes me laugh.

And finally he gets to explain himself.

Makoto meeting Izuru just a wild concept.

The manufactured hope and the one born of hope.

You know when you think of how Makoto was in a killing game.

Saw how own classmates kill each other.

But still saw goodness, still saw hope in them.

Would later reflect on the memories that were stolen from them that they had shared.

It makes a lot of sense in retrospect why he can see the Remnants as people rather than monsters.

Because he's seen what despair does to a person.

What it can drive them to.

He couldn't save his friends, but maybe he could save them.

In a way I feel like he did it because he wanted to help, because he saw good, saw hope in them.

But maybe also to atone in some way?

They all suffered under the hands of Junko Enoshima.

He had the means to help them he hadn't had before.

It makes sense why did the things he did.

Whether people agree is a whole other story but I'm glad he got to tell it.

Maybe sharing your weakness with people trying to kill you is a bad idea.

But if he wants people to have faith in him, to trust him.

It's a danger you have to take. And one he's willing to do so.

He knows how these things work afterall.

Kyoko's smile after he does so though. Because she knows him, she's knows he would do what's right.

She's not suprised at all.

"Lamest speech I've ever heard in my life."

No asked for your option Juzo!

Also fuck off Munakata.

Makoto knows true despair.

He went to class with them.

Badum tss

He's fallen to the bottom. Both figuratively and literally and bought himself back up to the top.

You're the one who's superficial.

You're the one who says they fight for hope, despite already succumbing and dooming yourself and others into despair.

Juzo not being mad at being left behind but instead saying "go for it big guy."

Idk if its just me but that sure sounded flirty.

... Is Seiko okay?

Soo Ruruka and Seiko seem like they have history.

Okay Seiko's on... Something.

I'm sus of the director but yeah that's Makoto alright.

He believes in what he says, doesn't mean he doesn't know how crazy it sounds.

... Fucking hell someone just threw a chair at Kyoko.

She's fine though.

Looks pissed but she's okay.

Ugh Juzo.

And Munakata's got to Makoto.

Fuck.

Makoto I love you and I get your vibe but there's a time for words and a time to goo.

I don't think you can talk down a murderous Munakata with a sword.

Even you're not that good.

I know it was a killing game but saying Makoto only won because it was a game.

Is fucked.

Also Makoto was supposed to lose that "game", do you not remember the 5th trial?

If Alter Ego wasn't in the system, Makoto would've died in his execution.

How is that not real enough for you?

Also saying that Makoto only won than cos the rules were vague and here they are cut and dry.

But also saying your words and attitude mean nothing because the real world has no rules.

Pick a lane man.

Also yes the real world does have rules.

"You don't know the hell we've put ourselves through to keep people alive."

Not specifically in your case but... He knows the feeling.

Very much so.

It's kinda his whole thing.

You guys need therapy not a sword and a chair.

Of course Makoto believes in his words, to him they aren't hollow. And they've gotten him this far.

Munakata for all your posturing, don't realise you're in the exact same game that you ridicule Makoto for.

Your a hypocrite.

"Exactly. If anyone can do it is you. Which is why I can't allow you to escape.

Your hollow words may spurr people forward, heaven knows to what."

... Boy you got issues.

Ah yes I will kill to destroy despair.

... Where have I heard that before.

Fucking hell.

Okay I will say "how unfortunate, too bad this wasn't a class room trial" is a cool line.

But also fuck you.

[cru5h-cascades]

DOLL WOMAN AU: THE ENDING

Welp guess it's time for another Doll Woman AU post! Since I kinda wrote about the rest of the story in the other posts, here's how the AU's story ends...

Instead of Taro actively seeking out Emiko like Junko did in the main game, Taro is instead kidnapped by Emiko and this AU's Junko is there to witness the kidnapping. So after tracking down Emiko (and hearing a bunch of shouting) Junko finds herself at the Doll Cabin™, Emiko's hideout.

"I finally got you this time, big brother. And this time I'm not going to let you get away. I'm finishing what I started and this time nobody is here to save you because I made sure of that oh so long ago... Now hold still you bastard!"

It's here where Junko finds Emiko shot in the leg (but still alive though) and Taro out of breath, with a larger cut over his mini Glasgow smile.

This is when the truth about the crime being investigated in the AU is revealed. Taro reveals that he put the doll in Ayaka's hands after discovering her body and that Ayaka actually killed herself. He had no idea that the doll was actually from Emiko and that he regrets messing with the crime scene to begin with.

Since Emiko is still alive by the end of the AU's story, she's taken to a mental asylum because of her issues. But the story doesn't simply end there and Junko finds out about Emiko's backstory via bonus chapter with a side of slice of life anime. Nope! We get to see what's up with Emiko in a timeskip!

The timeskip happens several months after the events of the kidnapping incident. Emiko had the stitches on her face removed and now she just has a Glascow smile scar. She's also a bit more calmer but still has the same sass she had prior to being sent to the mental asylum. This is where we get an abridged version of Emiko's backstory from her perspective...

"Okay, I'm gonna make this short. You see, my big brother Minoru and I had a shitty childhood. Dad went out for cigarettes and never came back so we were left with our shitty mother who couldn't care less about us. So, big bro and I had to have each other's backs, you know? He took care of me and I tried to keep both of us entertained with these stupid dolls I made. I even made mini versions of us. Buuut one day he got the genius idea to just leave me with that BITCH... I was the one to find his body, you know. And because mommy dearest didn't go to the funeral, I decided to deliver some sweet justice. I got stabby... and then I ended up in juvie. Back then I wasn't mad at him for just leaving, at least not completely. Anyways, after getting out of juvie I got a job as a seamstress and tried to turn my life around. I met this guy, his name's not important, but I thought he was neat, but one day we had a fight and I realized something: he was so much like my brother that he just had to be him... and I hated it. So, you know, I made things right. I knew he was long gone so I made sure of that. But of course I figured I'd get locked up again and so I just ran away. That night I even gave myself those stitch marks on my face I loved all so very much. But even after I killed that guy I just kept seeing big bro everywhere, so I kept trying to make things right. Do I regret killing those boys? Nah. I don't. I'm just making things right. There's no way he'd still be around, so seeing him walking around like nothing happened was just so wrong to me. There you have it. You wanted the truth and now you got it, copper. Whatcha gonna do? Send me to jail now? Well you can't 'cause I'm already here. Now get the hell out of here. I'm pretty sure they want me to do more stupid shit anyways...

After getting the abridged version of the story, Junko talks to one of the doctors working at the facility and gets the actual story, which I've already written about in the first post related to this AU.

[sprinklenoodles]

So, once again gonna have a little series. This time I'll be talking about my own fics! Mostly cuz I realized that while I do ramble about them, I haven't really explained the plot and whatever. So, that's what I'm gonna do now!

The Heir Of Despair

Starting with this one first since it'll be updated soon!

As the title of the fic might suggest, this is a Mastermind!Byakuya AU. Though, he isn't the only mastermind, Junko still is too.

Basically, they work together. In this universe Byakuya was just a bit more like Junko- he was bored and a business genius, which made everything easy- and that led the two of them working together. How that exactly happened will be explained in little intermission chapters that ill be posted after every in-game chapter is done. So, after the Prologue, Chapter One, etc.

These chapters are fairly short compared to the other chapters, so some things might just be kinda... skimmed over. I'm always open to going into more detail about something here on my Tumblr though!

But as for the main plot itself, it follows Byakuya through the course of this killing game. He still has his memories ofc and is a spy. He even talks with Junko during the killing game. And unlike somebody else who is just like that, Junko does sorta like him- in a platonic sense. She basically lets him do whatever in the killing game as long as everything goes as planned.

For Byakuya, that means manipulating some people, especially Chihiro. He wants to see how far he can go- if he can get Chihiro to murder somebody. But Chihiro will be far from his only target...

But due to all of this, the killing game is different. The motives are... changed, even more cruel than before. And that leads to different people being murdered and different murderers. Unfortunately for somebody, one thing is still destined to happen...

And while in the killing game, Byakuya acts like he is a good person, a leader even. He helps in the class trial when needed- he doesn't know who the murderer is, but since he is smarter than in canon, it doesn't take long for him to solve. But when he knows, he will be vague about that so that you guys, the readers, will still have time to figure things out.

Other than that, the fic does just read like any other killing game AU! It's only that the protagonist is a mastermind... and not a good person. But who knows, that might change... or maybe it won't... I guess you'll have to read it and stick around to find out...

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Pitch for a reimagining of Danganronpa (think “Silent Hill - Shattered Memories”):

REIMAGINED PLOT

In an alternate present, the world is ruled by the fascist regime known as Monokuma. Similar to the world of “1984”, all aspects of life are controlled and under 24/7 observation, namely the entertainment industry. And one of the most popular television programs aired by the state-run networks is “Danganronpa”.

“Danganronpa” is a Terrace House/Big Brother/The Mole type TV show that stars people who have been accused of rebelling against the regime. The premise of the show is simple; 16 people are forced to live with each other and the only way out is to get away with killing one of their housemates. The longer they stay on the show, the more they have to deal with the Monokuma regime’s humiliating treatment, such as exposing their darkest secrets on television and threatening to kill their loved ones. The TV show exists to discourage rebellion, as well as desensitize the public to extreme acts of violence.

(In general, the show is a commentary on trashy TV since it’s not just the killing that drives the “ratings”. You have the sexualization of the main cast, the personal drama, the intense game show aspect, and so on)

Our main protagonist is Kyoko Kirigiri, a Tokyo detective who was trying to solve the murder of her father. Just before she could crack the case, she’s kidnapped and forced to be a contestant in the newest season of “Danganronpa”, which is set in Japan (like “Survivor”, each season of “Danganronpa” takes place in a different country).

OTHER PLOT DETAILS

1) Kyoko is the main protagonist so that the investigation aspect of the game could feel more natural and less convoluted. Instead of Kyoko asking Makoto to say what she had already figured out, it’s Kyoko just announcing her discoveries (you know, like a normal person would).

2) As a major change from the original game, Makoto Naegi is the hidden main antagonist. He’s introduced as an innocent victim who has no idea why he was chosen, only for it to be revealed that he’s an actor working for the Monokuma regime. The real reason why he’s in the game is to “spice” the game up and move the “plot” along.

3) The new survivors: Kyoko, Sakura, Mukuro, Mondo, Leon, Hifumi

4) It is mentioned throughout the game that there is a resistance group known as the Future Foundation that is hell bent on taking the Monokuma regime down. They make their first appearance at the end when they invade the “Danganronpa” set in order to rescue the survivors.

5) Unlike the original, the cast is aged up (around theirs 20s and 30s) to reflect how the contestants are chosen by their rebellion against the state. It wouldn’t make sense if the ONLY people rebelling against the state are high schoolers.

6) The ultimate talents are changed so that they reflect the contestant’s “role/background” in the show to help the audience remember who they are. For example, Mondo is no longer the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, he is now just “The Biker”. Kyoko is “The Detective”, Leon is “The Baseball Player”, and so on.

7) Kyoko’s father, Jin, was a leading member of the Future Foundation, hence why she was forced into “Danganronpa” by the Monokuma regime.

8) Another major character change is that Junko and Mukuro are now just regular contestants, especially since Makoto is the new main villain.

9) The victims/killers (separated by chapters):

* Yasuhiro Hagakure killed Byakuya Togami after learning that the Monokuma regime kidnapped his little brother

* Aoi Asahina killed Toko Fukawa when Toko discovered Asahina’s secret. Her secret was that she got rid of her swimming competition by getting them arrested by the Monokuma regime through falsely accusing them of sedition.

* Chihiro Fujisaki and Sayaka Maizono form a plan to escape the TV show together, with the hope to split the fortune that the Monokuma regime offered as the 3rd week’s motivation. However, Junko Enoshima discovered their plans and tried to inform the group. This led to a fight which ended with Sayaka’s accidental death. Knowing that a class trial was inevitable, Junko then proceeded to kill Chihiro to cover her tracks.

* Mondo Owada forms a plan to kill Celestia Ludenberg after it’s revealed that she was the Monokuma regime’s mole. Sensing that Mondo wouldn’t be able to win a class trial, Kiyotaka killed Celestia to spare him. Although Kiyotaka does defend himself during the class trial, he also admits that he would’ve surrendered if the group couldn’t figure out he was the killer.

* Makoto Naegi is mysteriously found dead. Somehow, Kyoko Kirigiri is declared guilty of his murder, although it’s later revealed that Makoto faked his death in order to get off the show since the season was coming to an end.

* Chapter 6 doesn’t have a victim or a killer. Instead, it’s centered on Kyoko and the others putting their plan of escaping the show into action. Makoto does make his return, but he ends up getting killed when the Future Foundation arrives and rescues the survivors.

[theamityelf]

So I saw your danganronpa hunger games au and I’m thinking how would makoto and Mukuro alliance start as well as how makoto saves her also I personally would like makoto to have killed at least two people also maybe everyone reaction to makoto and mukuro and would they be advertised as lovers or would junko step in and steal makoto for herself for ruining her game

That's a great question. Thank you for asking.

(Here's the Masterlist to all my Danganronpa Crossover AU's.)

(There's no graceful place for me to mention this in the post itself, but just for continuity with my previous posts, Junko is still a Caesar Flickerman figure in this AU and still Mukuro's sister, which they're both aware of. This could make the interviews interesting, but this post isn't going to go into it; we're focusing on the Makoto-Mukuro plot.)

So, Mukuro and Makoto are victors in the same year.

She's from 2, he's from...I'm going to say 8. The textiles district. (Not one of the wealthier or favored ones.) Him being associated with sewing is cool, since it can be treated as a symbolic reflection of how he's uniting the Districts. (Also, District 8 is very industrial and doesn't have much nature, so he gets to be awestruck by nature when he does see it.)

They meet in the Training Center.

She isolates herself from the other Careers, because she's read the situation well enough to know that they will kill her first once it comes time for the alliance to break. She can protect herself, so she just decides to do that. She keeps to herself in the Training Center, but Makoto is kind to her in a way she isn't used to.

She trains in the survival tasks, like starting a fire and filtering water (since she doesn't need weapon training), and often he's the only one there when she does. He passes her the training materials like he doesn't know they're enemies.

"I'm not going to be your ally," she says preemptively. Even if she wanted allies, he is clearly the only one who would benefit in that arrangement. What can this shrimp protect her from? What sponsors will he attract? He's not even all that good at filtering water.

"Oh, that's fine," he replies. "I'd...honestly rather not think about that stuff right now anyway. We can just look at it like we're classmates, right? We're learning together. It's like school, for now. That's...how I'm trying to think about it, anyway. Maybe that's kind of..."

"Does pretending you're in a different situation help you sleep at night?"

"I don't think I'm pretending. I don't forget what's going to happen. I just...try to remember that everyone here would rather not be."

"That's naive. They'll cheer when they kill you."

"If they could decide between being here and being at home, I think this room would be empty."

"What difference does that make?"

"I don't know. For me, it just...does."

He's nice. He seems like a nice kid. Which is why he'll die. Too nice. Mukuro isn't nice. She's awful enough to survive. She tries to put him out of her mind, but his friendly smile keeps invading her thoughts. Even making her blush.

Her determination to win doesn't know what to do with this feeling. The best she can do is hope that he dies painlessly. A slit throat, a quick shot through the eye. Hopefully on the first day, so he won't have time to lose that sunny outlook.

It crosses her mind that it might be her responsibility to kill him. If she doesn't kill him at the Cornucopia, he could die in any number of horrible, painful ways. (Try to drink from an acid river and burn from the inside out. Infected wound. Hunger. Thirst.) It would be a waste of time, for her; killing him would leave her vulnerable to attack from one of the actual threats. But she feels like it might be worth it. Giving him a kind death might help her to live with herself, once everything is over. She can imagine they're still friends, that her mercy has repaid his smiles...

She would have gone through with it. In the arena, as soon as the Games start, she gets her hands on a set of throwing knives and a spear. She sees him at the other side of the clearing. He's gotten his hands on a water canteen. He looks like a frightened little rabbit.

Her throat feels tight all of a sudden.

But she throws her knife.

It would have killed him instantly, but suddenly someone grapples with him for his canteen, and the blade misses him. He's able to get away, and Mukuro has to focus on the real threats, now.

She feels a weird mix of shame and relief.

It's days later next time she sees him. (Each night, she's surprised not to see his face in the sky, announcing his death. He must have found a great hiding place.)

She's been keeping to herself, killing whoever crosses her path, staying alive. She plans to avoid the Careers until they've started turning on each other, unless she can find a way to catch them unawares.

(I just deleted a couple of paragraphs because I had introduced a plot element and then wasn't sure whether it made things Too Emotionally Complicated, so maybe it'll come back later, but for now I'm just going to keep going with the vague statement that other stuff happens between the previous paragraph and the next.)

Eventually, Mukuro does run afoul of the other Careers. She gets injured but escapes with her life. She seeks refuge in a cave, and by the time she notices that someone else's stuff is already there, she's sitting down and can't get back up without aggravating her injuries and possibly passing out.

Makoto returns to the cave (because it was his stuff left there, because it's been his spot for a while now). He has weapons, and Mukuro is almost unconscious at that point, but he doesn't kill her. He just sits on the opposite side of the cave. He's eating his food when Mukuro loses consciousness. When she wakes up, he's left some food near her and he's sleeping, himself.

She doesn't eat the food. Either it's poison or it's a debt she doesn't need. Instead, she rifles through his bag and finds bandages and medicine. Which means either that this guy actually has sponsors somehow, or he got the supplies off a corpse. Has he killed?

Mukuro tries to imagine it, while she bandages up her injuries. Strangely, the thought of him dirtying his hands doesn't taint her image of him. The tribute who smiled at her, who pretended they were classmates, who dared to sleep four feet away from her in the middle of the Games as if he had any reason to believe his mercy would be returned in kind...

She wants to know if he's killed. Who. How many. Under what circumstances. Did it upset him? Did he celebrate?

Curiosity is so, so much more dangerous than fondness. Fondness can be channeled into killing, if the right justification is found. Curiosity?

Makoto's eyes open, and he startles back, bumping his head against the wall of the cave, at the sight of Mukuro sitting right next to him, watching him sleep.

(This isn't one of my yandere posts, I promise.)

"Sorry," she says, blushing. "I...thought you might have stopped breathing." The lie sounds not the slightest bit convincing, but fortunately he seems to be distracted from the fact that she was watching him sleep...by the fact that she stole medicine and bandages from his bag.

He doesn't look angry about it. When his gaze lands on her treated injuries, he merely says, "You look a lot better than before."

"Thank you," she says, like he's actually complimenting her looks and not just politely observing that she stole his supplies.

"I'm glad you made it this long. I was...checking the sky for you."

She blushes bright red. "You were? I mean, I...I was surprised you hadn't been killed yet."

And she's back to thinking that maybe the kindest thing she can do for him is kill him quickly, but instead the conversation keeps going, and eventually she has him eat the food he left for her, meaning she discovers it wasn't poisoned.

And that's basically the start of the alliance.

Unlike in The Hunger Games, their mentors are not going to try to play the star-crossed lovers card at all; inter-District solidarity is way too taboo. The shipping happens despite the mentors trying to treat their connection as purely pragmatic.

And honestly, Junko might be a major force in pushing the romance, because like I said, she is so bored with the Hunger Games.