#Saioumotaweek

[detectivesplotslies]

Saioumota Week - Day 5: Flowers & Date

So I haven’t finished my Memories prompt for Day 3 yet but I decided to skip ahead to flowers~! Are you ready for another dose of symbolism? Hydrangeas. Gratitude & Sorrow. Anemones. Anticipation & Forsaken. Snapdragons. Strength & Deception. <3

[saioumota-week-blog]

SAIOUMOTA WEEK 2019

❤ SAIOUMOTA WEEK 2019 ❤ || September 9th-15th ❤

Hello and welcome to Saioumota Week 2019! This is a ship week dedicated to the relationship between Shuichi Saihara, Kokichi Ouma and Kaito Momota! All work that you wish to submit for Saioumota Week should be tagged as #saioumotaweek or #saioumotaweek2019 within the first five tags.

Day 1 (September 9th) soulmates AU & demon/angel AU    Day 2 (September 10th) road trip & long distance Day 3 (September 11th) insecurities & injury Day 4 (September 12th) memories & recovery Day 5 (September 13th) flowers & date Day 6 (September 14th) parents & holidays Day 7 (September 15th) domestic & clothes & intimacy & free day

[art by @tokilos] 

RULES || FAQ 

[golden-redhead]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Momota Kaito/Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, Momota Kaito/Oma Kokichi Characters: Oma Kokichi, Saihara Shuichi, Momota Kaito Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Post-Game(s), Virtual Reality, Intimacy, Saioumota Week 2019, Depression, Implied Sexual Content, Angst, Emotional Hurt, Established Relationship, (they were together before the game and they're now trying to pick up where they left off), tagged as M for safety it's all implied tho Summary:

Kokichi remains pliant beneath their hands. He lets them shift and bend his body however they want, lets them turn him into something he’s not. Something less dead. Less rotten.

[rubberduckyrye]

Saioumota Week Day #3: Nicknames/Sweets/Pets

Kaito Needs Some Sappy Nicknames Too (Nicknames)

After seeing how many nicknames Kokichi has for Shuichi, Kaito gets a little bit envious that he doesn’t have any for himself. Kokichi proceeds to fix this issue.

‘Shuii!’

‘Shumai!’

‘Shu!’

‘Shuchii!’

‘Ichichi!’

How any nicknames could one person even have?

Shuichi was blessed with, apparently, at least a dozen nicknames courtesy of Kokichi, who seemed to have absolutely no problem coming up with a new nickname for their boyfriend every day and earning affectionate kisses from his antics. The kisses were fine--that wasn’t what Kaito was uncomfortable with--if you could really call it discomfort and not envy, at the very least.

Kokichi hadn’t made a single unique nickname for Kaito yet.

They had been dating for who knows how long, and yet Kokichi hadn’t even bothered coming up with something creative to call Kaito. On occasion, he might get a “dear” or “babe” from the little gremlin, but Kaito felt entirely restless. 

As ‘unmanly’ as it was, he really, really wanted a nickname or two for himself.

Bringing up this fact, however, was a different matter entirely. Kaito was not in the mood for Kokichi’s typical teasing and antics, nor was his pride able to handle any sort of belittlement for the vulnerability he was trying to force out. While he loved Kokichi to death, he knew that he had a difficult time determining when his teasing was appropriate verses when it wasn’t.

So when Kaito found Kokichi sitting on the couch playing a video game, Kaito steeled himself and plopped himself onto the free cushion net to him.

The force had slightly bounced Kokichi up, making him yelp a little and misclick a button on his gaming controller, and Kaito snickered as his character fell into a lake below the cliff he had been perched on.

“Kaitoooo!” Kokichi whined. “Do you know how long it too me to get up there?! Ugh! You and your fat ass, jeez.”

Kaito was absolutely unapologetic, snickering at Kokichi’s apparent misfortune. “Yeah, yeah. I’m the worst.”

“You aaaare! Ugh...”

“Well, if it’s gonna take you a while to climb back up anyway...” Kaito started, and apparently the tone in his voice had shifted just enough for Kokichi to glance at him for it. Kaito swallowed down a nervousness that was balled up in his throat, and continued; “I kinda... wanna ask you something.”

“Hmmm?” Kokichi tilted his head, but then immediately turned his attention back to his video game. “Well, this better be good, or else I’mma put yellow hair dye in all of your hair gel.”

“Do not put dye in my hair gel!” 

Hearing Kaito bristle and react made Kokichi grin. “Then out with it, or I’m gonna exact my revenge!”

“Guh, always messing around...”

Kaito found himself restless, however, at the idea of finally spitting it out. Kokichi was patient enough, at the very least understanding that whatever he was about to hear was somewhat of an important issue. Or at least, that’s what Kaito would guess--not that it actually was an important issue, or anything.

“It’s just... well...” In fact, now that he was about to ask, he felt rather silly and weak. Vulnerable. His voice quieted as he finally spat it out; “Why don’t you give me nicknames like you do Shuichi?”

Kokichi, whom had started making his character climb back up the mountain, seemed to be taken aback by the question. The character slipped and fell all the way back down into the water. “Wait, what?”

“Nicknames. You know, like. Shumai, and Shuii, and shit like that.” Oh, it was getting awkward. Kaito could barely stand it. “I was just wondering why you don’t... ah, never mind it. It’s nothing.”

Kokichi raised a brow, staring at Kaito with about as much disbelief as he could muster. The tension made Kaito hold his breath, but soon, Kokichi shrugged. “Welp, okay. If you say so.”

Kokichi turned his attention back to the video game, and they sat there in silence, the air awkward around them.

It wasn’t long before Shuichi was home from work and shopping, greeted warmly by his two boyfriends as he put the food he bought away. And before long, Shuichi was in the living room.

“What are you two up to?” Shuichi mused. “I was half expecting you two to be up to your typical nonsense.”

Without missing a beat, Kokichi spoke with a flat tone; “Oh, that’s ‘cause I’m too busy trying to think of super adorable, cute nicknames for Kaito.”

Kaito nearly choked on the air he breathed, caught by surprise from Kokichi’s blatant call out, but the words he wanted to say died immediately in his throat.

Shuichi, on the other hand, only grew curious. “Oh...?”

“Yeah, he’s jealous I give you so many nicknames, so he wants me to make up some for him too.”

This emboldened Kaito to protest; “I--I didn’t say that!”

Kokichi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but you were toootally obvious about it. Hey, Shuichi! We should both make up nicknames for Kaito!” He then paused the game, beaming a big smile up at Shuichi. “I already thought of a few! Like Momo, Ai, Aito, Momo-Ai...”

“A-Aito?!” Kaito stuttered, cheeks burning with a blush.

“Ooooh, I think he likes that one!” Kokichi giggled. “Aito’s a good one, it suits him well, right?”

Aito. In Japanese, the term “Aito” is derived from the word “Ai,” which meant love. “Aito,” in turn, meant “Cherished one.”

The idea of either one of his boyfriends calling him Aito made Kaito’s blush darken.

“I think Aito is a good one too,” Shuichi held a hand close to his mouth, smiling, as if he was preparing to hide any giggling or snickering that may arise from the topic. “I also think ‘Momo-Ai’ is sweet, too.”

“Yeaaah! I think it can translate to ‘One-hundred love.’ Like, we have one-hundred loves to give our dearest Kaito!”

“Guh...” Kaito could feel his cheeks burning hotter and hotter as the two continued, and he couldn’t resist bringing a hand to his face, in an attempt to hide it.

“Awww, Kaito’s being shy!” Kokichi grinned. “Oh, no wait, Aito is being shy. Our cute, precious Momo-Ai is all embarrassed!”

As Shuichi sat on the other side of Kaito, Kokichi dropped the controller onto the floor and cuddled up next to Kaito’s chest. Kaito grumbled some incoherent protests before wrapping his arms around Kokichi and Shuichi.

“Are they too much?” Shuichi asked. The question was innocent enough, but it made Kaito even more restless.

“Whaaat? No way!” Kokichi pouted. “My nicknames are the cutest nicknames ever! He’s gotta love them!”

“They’re fine,” Kaito managed to force past his lips, grumbling. “Jeez...”

He had to admit, however, Kokichi was right. The nicknames were absolutely adorable... and while he might not admit it out loud anytime soon, he really did love them.

[trcthfvl-a]

@saioumotaweek

Day 3 of 7. Pets, Shared Apartment

      “Hey there, kitty-kitty...” Stooping over, the sunlight glaring at his back... And a tiny mewl to answer him, orange eyes looking up at him. Ah! It’s melting his heart!

     It started weeks ago. Every day on his way to his Uncle’s agency, bright and early, Shuichi passed through a quiet little street. It would have been entirely unremarkable if it weren’t for the lone denizen he often saw--a ginger-and-white tabby, happy to greet the rare stranger. The first weeks, he’d felt the compulsion to wave at them. This had to be their home, right? If it wasn’t from a house, then this street. It was a little scrawny, young, but unafraid even if he nervously couldn’t bring himself to approach.

     It’s the next Monday by the time he could muster the courage to break this tentative trust. He approached, watching as they flitted their tail and moved a little away. No, not that good of friends. “Ah, sorry... I wasn’t going to shoo you away. Do you--do you want to greet me?” His hand outstretched toward them. Whatever it thought of it, it did sit down at least, passively accepting him. It warmed his heart a bit. “Is it alright if I pass through here? I have to twice a day to go to work and back.” Of course the feline wouldn’t care about it, but it seemed natural to talk to it like another person, hoping for the gleam of understanding in its orange eyes. He might’ve spent longer if he didn’t have the day booked--it was a lot of work, being an Ace Pet Detective.

     By the time it’d been late that week, his boyfriends had already learned about it; it was hard to hide anything from them. “Oooh? Shuichi, are you saying you like cats?” That had been the first thing out of Kokichi’s lips, eyes filled with interest and bounding over to him. “What kind is it? A black cat, all spooky and bad luck and-”

     “What? No, no! A ginger cat.” He could swear he saw Kaito exhale a held breath. Was Kokichi teasing him, using this as a--no, of course he was. “I don’t know if he’s someone’s. They’re really thin, so I’m a little worried about them in this summer heat... I brought a little milk with me yesterday for them.”

     “You-” Kokichi faultered, surprise on his face. “You don’t know? Cats are super lactose intolerant when they’re adults. You probably made them sick.” There might have been concern there, but such simple a mistake, and with him being a pet detective no less-!

     It had Shuichi freezing up, the feeling of a dull, aching pain rising up along his bones. A hell of an empathetic response if he ever had one, hands gripping at his shirt. “I must’ve made them--oh no!” He was a pacifist in his own accord, a boy who hated the idea of suffering in others, clinging to the vestiges of his own depression at times--so the realization was distressing. He’d never meant to hurt them.

     “Whoa, hey, you didn’t--take a breath, man. Just don’t bring milk anymore. I mean, once its through its system, it’s alright, right? It’s like when you eat something with too much spice!” Kaito clenched a fist, gesturing at him. “Just bring some water next time!”

     Stars, that sounded so simple. But Shuichi was a boy who always went the extra mile, and so he made a plan--he’d get some fresh fish from the market, and offer it. Surely that would amend things, right?

     And so, to the mirth of his boyfriends, he took some extra change with him the next day and went on his walk. It wasn’t a work day, but he left at the same time as one, hoping they wouldn’t run from him after everything. He really hadn’t meant to poison them...!

     Fresh salmon, fresh tuna... Ah, the tuna was a little cheaper, so maybe that’s better... Yeah, he’ll go with that. One slice was too little, that’d make the clerk annoyed with such a tiny order--so he bought enough for a lunchtime snack for himself and his boyfriends. One slice could be the cat’s.

     Done with the market, he headed back toward his work, crossing the street into the clandestine block. He didn’t see the ginger cat immediately however, despite calling. Was it already too late...? Had he broken what trust he’d built?

     ...The blinds of a house moved. If he’d been wearing his hat, he would’ve missed it entirely, but sure enough, there was small scraping noises accompanying it, luring him close.

     Ah-

     The cat was inside someone’s home!

     So was this the owner? He hadn’t seen anyone come or go, but he never waited too long on the street before, so he didn’t expect to. Would it be rude to...? No! He had to make up for his mistake!

     Gathering his courage, Shuichi stepped to the front door and knocked on the wooden frame. It took a moment, but an old woman answered. “I’m sorry, we’re not interested in any products-”

     “Oh! I’m not a salesman. I work at Saihara’s Agency--er, but that’s not why I’m here.” He had to make a mental note to relax his body. She seemed intrigued, which meant he hadn’t offended her. “I apologize for bothering you--the cat in the window... Is he your’s?”

     “Oh my! Well yes, he is. I picked him up from the shelter not long ago, in fact. You must have seen him--he loves watching people pass through.” Her smile was wide, if not slightly awkward by her loose dentures.

     “Yes, I’d seen him on the way to work. I don’t always walk back home so--a-anyway, I gave him some milk earlier this week and I was told that can make them really sick so--!” He fumbled with his bags, procuring the small single-slice package set aside from the rest. “Please give this to him!”

     His ears must have been burningly red by the time she stopped laughing. It was like this could very well be the funniest thing she’d ever heard, before she wheezed and cleared her throat, taking the slice. “You did no harm, but I’ll give him this as a treat. You’re an incredibly kind and honest man. Not like a lot of boys your age.” Her eyes crinkled with her smile. “I hope you get home soon, though. It’s supposed to rain today, so I’ve kept him in with me--though he doesn’t like it. Might like it more after this.” The package was lifted a fraction, indicating it.

     “A-alright, and thank you! Have a nice day!”

     He parted ways.

     As the days continued, he had to admit... He’d hoped they’d been a stray. The idea of taking an orphaned animal off the street was appealing and it’s not like their apartment was a no-pet-zone, but it seemed like fate had outwitted him. It’d been nice to have the companion in the mornings.

     Late one afternoon, he came home to all but being swept into the kitchen under Kaito’s arm, Kokichi sitting with a box on the table. Large enough for a cake, he could swear, but it didn’t look like it was from a pastry place...

     “Good thing you’re home! Kokichi and I have a surprise for you, since you’re been putting in all these hours at work and never ask for much.” Kaito’s arm slid  lower, hooking around his waist to bring him close--the contact was nice. “Can you guess what it is?”

      “A um... New shoes?”

     “Whaaat? Why would we buy you dumb shoes? You gotta try them on to know if they fit anyway!” Kokichi burst out, snickering. “Try harder!”

     “The package doesn’t look like it’s food, and it’s not a cake box... If it’s not shoes or clothing, I don’t know what else it could be. It doesn’t look heavy or delicate, so it can’t be anything too expensive.”

     “He’s gonna be here all day guessing; just open the damn lid Kokichi.”

     “Fiiine! Laaaaame.” The monochromatic boy stood up and pried off the lid, setting it aside and reaching in with both arms. And then--!

     “Surprise! We got you a kitten!”

     Was it kosher to cry over a gift? Well, he certainly was either way, because this had to be the best gift yet.

[ministarfruit]

late for @saioumotaweek day 3 (pets/sweets)!

[aroseandapen]

{And then he takes me into a side room off of his bedroom--never a good thing to have}

For day one of @saioumotaweek, Pregame / Postgame / Afterlife

Kaito invites Shuichi and Kokichi to his grandparents house (and the place he grew up in). VR AU, the usual, although it doesn’t get more than a passing implication in this.

“Do they even know that you’re dating us?” Kokichi asked as Kaito shut his bedroom door behind them. “Like, that not only are you dating another boy, you’re dating two of them at the same time?”

Kaito scratched the back of his head. His gaze drifted away from both his and Shuichi’s faces. The truth made him feel a little guilty, but he cleared his throat and spoke it all the same.

“Well... nah, I guess not. I haven’t really found a good time to tell them. Or like, how to tell them something like this.”

Read More (AO3)

[royalriii]

Saioumota Week Day 4

Please, do not hesitate to point out any errors in characterization, grammar, spelling or otherwise. I will do my best to fix it immediately.

@saioumotaweek

(Secrets/Blood/Jealousy)

Stupid… his own stupidity led him here. He should've known better that the lead had been a trap.

And now all he could do was wait for the Grim Reaper as warm red liquid seeped into his clothes, and left him with a headache as he looked down at it.

Just breathe, Shuuichi.

He called the emergency number. He'd informed Kokichi and Kaito of his whereabouts through a call.

The knife was still in his stomach blocking the blood as he calmly lay flat on the cement and looked at the stars he and his boyfriends had shared many happy memories with.

It would be all over the news. Saihara Shuuichi, the protagonist and Ultimate Detective of the last ever Danganronpa 53 was dead.

Another victim to the notorious Kibou Kiraa who had also taken the life of Akamatsu Kaede six months prior.

Kaito and Kokichi… he didn't know how they'd handle it. He'd seen them deal with hardships, sure. But losing a loved one as he knew he was to them could not compare to debt or sickness.

But they were strong and they'd make it through, he knew that too.

---

“Hey… you're a Gemini aren't you, Kokichi?” Kaito asked.

"Yup! My starsign fits me to a T! It's perfect for a two- faced liar such as me. Hey… that rhymed, I'm a poet, didn't know it."

Kaito simply ignored that and pointed to the sky. "It's visible tonight. Look here."

"Ehh?! That's it?! The supreme leader of evil, aka me deserves something much more extravagant!"

"Ah, um…" Shuuichi began. "Well… I don't know what extravagant is by your standards but… it's gorgeous. Like you."

“…” He didn't need to look at Kokichi's face to know that he was blushing.

Kaito laughed. "Nice job, Shuu. Now, let's see… over here this constellation is…"

---

It was that time of the year again, Shuuichi's breath was labored but he couldn't forget how Gemini looked. Not after that wonderful night.

It felt like Kokichi was with him in a way. And after the autopsy on his body had been completed…

He and Kaito would at least be pleased to know he didn't go down without a fight. He'd scratched the culprit's face and drew blood. He'd made sure not to disturb the knife's fingerprints.

Along with the evidence he had gathered so far it was only a matter of time before the culprit would be caught and charged for the serial murders of all the Danganronpa protagonists who were simply trying to live out normal lives and recover from that hell.

"Shuu! Shuu! Where are you?!"

…Was someone looking for him?

---

“Hey, could I tell you two something?” Shuuichi asked flopping on to the ground after his final sit up.

“Yeah, sure.” Kaito responded.

“Something to tell me? Well, what is it? Say it right away and maybe I won't send my organization after you."

“I don't... nn… I don't know exactly when it happened. Or how even. But… I think, at some point I fell in love. With both of you.”

“I love you too, Shuuichi. And I hate to admit it but Kokichi as well. Though… it might be hard to pull this off.”

Kokichi's face was an unreadable blank slate. He looked at both of them and met their eyes. “Kaito's right, y'know? If all three of us date it might be reeaallly hard to pull off. People can't mind their own beeswax sometimes. Even if no one's hurting them.”

“I'm aware of that. I just, I just…fell in love, you know? If you don't want to, I'm sorry. I won't-”

“But.” Kokichi cut him off. “If you realllly wanna date the supreme leader of evil then I'm willing to try.” His expression suddenly turned soft. “For my beloved Shuumai and Momo of course.”

“Yeah, I do. And I'm willing to as well." Shuuichi said, relieved that it had gone smoothly.

“So, boyfriends?" Kaito asked.

“Yeah. I'd love that.” Shuuichi affirmed, smiling as he quickly kissed Kaito and Kokichi.

---

"He's here! He's here!" His vision was blurry as he tried to focus on who'd found him.

Warm purple eyes… ridiculously curly hair…

As he tries to speak he chokes on his own blood. "Ko…ki…ch-chi?"

“I'm here. Momo too.” The voice sounds like it's about to cry. He smiles and weakly tries to move something, a hand or whatever. But all he has the strength to do is blink.

“Hey! You! Get him on a stretcher! Now! He has to make it!” A brash voice sounded. He'd know it anywhere. Kaito…

He feels himself being carefully lifted up and placed back down. And then he's higher up, closer to the sky.

Make it? That'd be a dream come true. He badly wanted to live. Get married to Kaito and Kokichi, adopt a baby maybe…

A girl? Kaito would insist on naming her something after space. Like… Miya or Ayahi were pretty names, Shuuichi thought.

Well, that would happen in their next life, Shuuichi decided. He'd find them again and they'd live out the happy endings they all deserved. A family life with Kaede and Maki next door, their kids having a really close cousin relationship.

But for now, in this life, this was enough. He was with the two people who had always made him happy including in his final moments.

He looks up at the sky and easily finds Gemini again. This was enough. He lets himself be lulled by the running of the paramedics and closes his eyes.

He remembers Kaito's loud laugh and the way he was so expressive with hand gestures he may as well have been a foreigner. The way he always encouraged Shuuichi through hard times with such a firey spirit. The spiky purple hair and the tan skin and the ever-lasting smile.

He remembers Kokichi's nishishis. His cleverness and the way he'd always have a goal whenever he did anything. How he always perfectly timed a game, joke, or prank to distract them from frustrations such as a failed exam or being seen as only fiction after all they'd worked for. worked for and replace that frustation with annoyance or most commonly laughter. Creepy faces and adorable smiles.

He 'd find them again, someday. He swore that, and willingly grabbed the Grim Reaper's hand.

[the-walnut-gallery]

Saioumota Week Day 6 - Sleeping

Camping Skills - AO3 

@saioumotaweek

Darkest Dungeon AU - though hopefully it can still be enjoyed if you don’t know the game! 

Momota, Saihara and Ouma pause their expedition to camp, a momentary respite from the horrors surrounding them all.

The flame roared and crackled on the floor in front of them, thankfully the logs they had carried through these ruins had caught alight without much resistance and now kept the room somewhat warm and lit. It was a relief to take a break from carrying the torches around constantly in the hopes of avoiding any ambushes and the horrors of the dark.  

Saihara pulled his cloak around himself tighter, the room was warm from their campfire but the underground chill still made its way through the crumbling walls around them. He kept his beaked mask on his face as he counted the vials around his belt, checking his inventory for the remainder of the quest ahead. He would remove it when he slept, it acted as mostly protection from his own blights that he made and carried as opposed to any plagues that may lie under the manor. He had seen plenty of unmasked people make their way out of the crypts un-ailed, and plenty of people taking all the necessary precautions who still ended up diseased in some way or another.  

He was grateful now that he had prepared extra for this mission, he still had plenty of stunning grenades, filled with gas that could burst into sound and light on impact, and plague grenades, filled with a liquid that produced noxious vapors. Then there was the buffing and healing, more vapors that could embolden fighters and bring out their strengths, and medicines that couldn’t heal for a lot, but could provide some comfort to his allies. The dagger ached in his pocket, it was rarely used in favor of his other abilities that could bring them advantages, but sometimes brute force was the only way and as their situation got more desperate it was more and more likely that it would need to be used.  

He really wasn’t sure if his healing supplies would be enough for the rest of the dungeon. He was never the designated healer, four of them had embarked on this mission but now only three of them sat around the fire. He’d told the other two that they should leave once one fell, but they had insisted that they could still push on. He understood that if they left now it may feel like her death was in vain, but it would be much worse if they all died there. Somehow their sanity remained mostly intact, still allowing them to make decisions with clarity.  

Their fourth ally had been Angie Yonaga, an ever-faithful vestal to her God Atua. She had been quirky and enthusiastic, an always welcome addition to a team to keep spirits and health high. Even those who did not believe could not deny her skill and devotion. That’s why it had been hard on them all as they watched the skeletal arbalest take aim and hit her dead on with its bolt. They’d fought hard to protect her as she laid on the ground at death’s door, but before Saihara had a chance to administer his battlefield medicine she’d bled out. It had not been a fitting end for the cheerful girl, left lying on the broken paved ground in her own blood, but it was the end she had.  

He finally shifted his mask down to his slim neck, content with the numbers of chemicals he had remaining and took note of the activities of the others. Ouma ran cloths and worked tools into his gun expertly, cleaning and maintaining it to keep it at peak performance for what they had left to conquer. He had earlier set up lines of wire and bells around the doors of their safe room to prevent a nighttime ambush while they rested. Perks like that were certainly comforting as lethargy began to overtake them. Gold eyes couldn’t help but note that the smallest of them had barely taken any food from their rations despite them having had enough for a full meal each. Momota had tried to force him to take more but his appetite had been lacking. The plague doctor wondered if it was the stress beginning to get to him. He’d dodged a lot of physical attacks, swords swinging in his direction, but he had been struck by the wine of the bone courtiers and entranced by the gestures of acolytes a few too many times.  

Then there was Momota, clad in heavy armor and bandaging his wounds. His armor offered him protection but eventually the blades made their way to his flesh, cutting and slashing. His helmet had been placed to the side for their camp, unable to sleep with it on. He appeared antsy, as if there was something he wanted to say but didn’t know how to say it. Finally, he stood, the clanking of metal catching the attention of the two other boys.  

“We’re already more than halfway through this dungeon, it's been rough on our way to this point, sure, but we’ll push onwards. Once we finish scouting this area it’ll open up the path for all of us to keep moving on through these ruins and together we’ll eventually defeat the darkest dungeon there is! The secrets of this manor cannot be kept from heroes like us, and sometimes heroes need to lay down their lives for the good of others. Yonaga would not be sad to know that she met her end like this, she would be proud that we’re able to keep going and proud that she was part of something as big as this.” He bowed his head at the end of his zealous speech, sitting back down and placing his sword to his side, regarding the loyal blade fondly.  

Saihara couldn’t help but think about how far Momota had come, he still remembered their first dungeon where they had been accompanied by another vestal and a different highwayman, both had perished on other quests over time. Momota had been trembling at the sight of the skeletons and ghouls and abominations that appeared before them. Since he had been able to control his fear of the unholy enough to even give a speech at a time like this. A smile made its way to Saihara’s face for the first time in a while, the memory clearing his mind and reminding him of how far they had all come. Even Ouma seemed to be feeling a little better after hearing those words, finishing his gun maintenance, casting his alert gaze around the room to ensure there were no other openings that needed trapping.  

Though worry still gnawed at the back of his mind, how could it not? The fire began to flicker at a greater frequency as it started to pitter out, giving way to darkness. A loud yawn escaped the crusader, stretching his muscular arms upwards in exhaustion.  

“We should get some rest, our stocks will hold for the rest of this dungeon,” Momota spoke, checking their shared bag of what they still held in their supplies. Their last remaining shovel sat beside the bag, and they hoped it would be enough to take down any walls they still had left to break.  

“The traps are all set, nothing will get through these doors tonight,” Ouma spoke for the first time since they settled, voice carefree but eyes fixated on the remaining flame. Momota bit his lip, his concern for the sneaky boy boiling in his gut.  

They had both heard how his last quest had gone, though he appeared to have recovered now. They had all been through terrible things, had friends die both in front of them, watched as people broke down and lost their final shreds of sanity, they had all been witness awful things. But Ouma and his previous party had laid eyes on something worse than horrific, something far outside of human comprehension even. Though they did not know the details, the others from that party refusing to talk or think about it further, not wishing to recall those memories, they knew it had been bad.  

Yonaga herself had told them both that while she had been praying in the abbey to Atua she had seen an unusual face enter the holy place. Ouma was not one for religion, usually making his way to the gambling hall after a quest and mocking Momota for his losses, or trying to entice Iruma to play with her best trinkets on the line. He had stumbled into the abbey and responded to Yonaga’s greeting with incoherent ramblings and nonsensical accusations. He would have caused a scene had there been more people. He had laughed incessantly at her whenever she attempted to speak and yelled that he ‘had not killed her, it had only been an accident’ despite their mission having had no fatalities, and told her all about his candle making abilities that, in reality, did not exist. Finally, he left her and locked himself in a penance chamber, the sharp noise of leather hitting flesh ringing out from the heavy door, until he had recovered. His attitude had caused her distress, so she had stayed in the abbey until he emerged, tired but sane.  

“Are you alright?” Saihara gently asked him over the dying the fire.  

“Hunky dory! Why wouldn’t I be?” a familiar grin crept across his face, finally shifting his attention away from the fire, breathing light.  

“We should all be honest with each other, it will be hard to continue as three so we cannot keep secrets right now. It could be deadly.” Saihara kept his gaze hard, knuckles whitening as he clutched the thick material of his black cloak.  

“You don’t need to tell me, I’m the most honest person here!” he sat up straight, insisting it was true to the chuckles of the others.  

The trio shuffled closer together, sleeping far apart from each other would only lead to them each feeling cold and alone, in these times it was more beneficial to know that others were near and to be able to wake them quickly, worst comes to worst. Amongst the silence though, their warrior of light could not let the issue pressing in his mind lie.  

“What did you see?” he quietly asked, turning his attention to Ouma, who blinked back innocently. “On your last quest, what was it you all saw?” A few beats of silence passed between them, before a response finally filled the air.  

“A creature that,” his mouth was dry, the words catching against his teeth and tongue uncertainly, “a man that takes those who perished in these dungeons.”  

“Takes them?” Saihara felt a chill travel down his spine despite his warm attire, would that man be able to take Yonaga too, then?  

“The Collector, it looks like a man with a skeletal head, but underneath the coat,” his voice died out into panicked gasps, Momota opened his mouth to speak, to calm him but he continued on, “he could call forth those who had perished, they would fight for him, a collection of, of heads,” stuttering and breathing heavy he struggled to continue on, “heads that still lived, heads that screamed and souls that fought.” Momota wrapped his strong arms around the small boy’s shaking form, attempting to offer a physical comfort to quell the horrors of the mind.  

“More reason why we must heal this afflicted land,” Saihara mumbled, pulling himself closer into their huddle, ignoring the paranoia building within him. The trauma of experiencing such a thing was clearly great if it could cause someone as strong willed as Ouma to crumble and whimper, and in all likelihood the only reason he was willing to share this with them was the fear that it could return while in their presence. Knowledge was power.  

“Does it only take the heads of the dead?” Momota asked hesitantly, truly knowing the answer already but desperately wanting to be wrong.  

“I think so, but they don’t have to be dead before it finds them,” he whispered darkly. “If anyone were caught by it, then they would end up inside that coat,” he paused, breathing slowing and body returning to his own control. They didn’t need to know what exactly was inside that coat, and Ouma didn’t seem ready to elaborate. They hoped to never know what was inside that coat.  

“Courage, men. We shall prevail,” Momota gave final words of comfort to the two, allowing Ouma to nestle his head against his own unprotected neck, and Saihara’s arm laid heavily across them both, body curled up against Ouma’s.  

“Look at you,” Ouma drawled out playfully, “all ready to knock some skulls!”  

“Let us save this energy for tomorrow,” Saihara sleepily yawned, encouraging both the boys to settle down to rest.  

They would need all the energy and courage they could muster to finish this overwhelming task with their handicapped numbers. At least, no matter what happened as they continued on, they would be together in victory or defeat.  

[detectivesplotslies]

Saioumota Week - Day 3: Insecurities & Injury

I finished tomorrow’s prompt a bit early so I figured I’d put it up. I actually combined the prompts and decided to do a piece on weaknesses that plague all three of them and how they act throughout the game, be it insecurities they started with, illness that progressed, or injuries from revealing an inconvenient truth. Hope you guys like it! @saioumota-week

[saioumota-week-blog]

❤ SAIOUMOTA WEEK 2019 ❤ || September 9th-15th ❤

Hello and welcome to Saioumota Week 2019! This is a ship week dedicated to the relationship between Shuichi Saihara, Kokichi Ouma and Kaito Momota! All work that you wish to submit for Saioumota Week should be tagged as #saioumotaweek or #saioumotaweek2019 within the first five tags.

Day 1 (September 9th) soulmates AU & demon/angel AU   Day 2 (September 10th) road trip & long distance Day 3 (September 11th) insecurities & injury Day 4 (September 12th) memories & recovery Day 5 (September 13th) flowers & date Day 6 (September 14th) parents & holidays Day 7 (September 15th) domestic & clothes & intimacy & free day

[art by @tokilos]

RULES || FAQ

[golden-redhead]

Saioumota Week Day #1 - POSTGAME

Saioumota Week Day #1: pregame / postgame / afterlife

Thank you @asteroidtaker for being my wonderful beta. Also, this goes with a dedication for @aroseandapen! Happy Saioumota Week everyone!

Read on AO3.

Things get easier.

It takes time (almost two years, to be precise), but no matter how frustratingly slow the process is - it’s still progress. It’s still an improvement. It still counts, right? Kokichi is not always sure if it’s the truth, but --- as Kaito often likes to point out --- he always had problems with accepting the truth. He thinks that Kaito is an idiot who lies the most out of all three of them, but he lets him have it because, no matter what, Kaito is also the one who tries the most out of them all. Hell, if it weren’t for Kaito he doesn’t think they would even be here, his constant presence persistent and somewhat grounding. Keeping both him and Shuichi from doing something stupid. It’s almost funny, how the roles have turned.

This day starts like any other day. They wake up, awakened up by the too loud noise of Shuichi’s alarm. He smiles at them both apologetically as he slips out of the bed, leaving a cold, empty space between, the smell of his shampoo still lingering on his pillow. He quickly grabs some clothes from the floor, not even looking at them, and then disappears behind the door of their little bathroom. Only the faint sound of water coming from the bathroom disturbs the silence as Shuichi starts showering. Kaito snuggles closer to Kokichi and buries his face in a mess of plum colored strands. The smaller boy clings to him, relishing in the warmth of Kaito’s skin and soon he’s fast asleep when Shuichi finally emerges from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, wearing a white shirt and a pair of dark jeans. He smiles fondly at his two boyfriends and chuckles quietly when he sees Kaito respond with a smile of his own. Shuichi tiptoes to the bed and plants a gentle kiss on Kaito’s nose.

“Have fun at therapy,” murmurs Kaito and then laughs promptly at the grimace that appears on Shuichi’s face.

“Yeah, sure,” grumbles Shuichi, keeping his voice quiet, careful to not wake up his other boyfriend. “I’d rather stay in bed with the two of you”

Kaito hums in understanding and reaches out his hand to beckon Shuichi closer. When he leans in Kaito captures his mouth with his own and Shuichi lets himself relax into the kiss. He can’t help a small whimper that escapes his lips when the kiss ends, way too quickly for Shuichi’s liking. He wants nothing more than to stay and keep kissing Kaito, but he knows that he’s late already. With a sigh Shuichi lets his eyes linger on Kaito’s mouth for a second longer. Then he looks at his other boyfriend and presses a small, chaste kiss to the crown of Kokichi’s head, the smaller boy’s face completely hidden by Kaito’s broad chest.  

And then he leaves, waving to Kaito and promising to buy groceries on his way home.

Minutes later Kaito is asleep again, arm wrapped protectively around Kokichi’s much smaller form. They sleep for two more hours, waking up every now and then only to return to the warm embrace of sleep after a few minutes. It’s not often that none of them is haunted with morbid nightmares and both of them are in a desperate need of some good night's rest (even if technically it’s daytime already).

It’s almost noon when Kokichi and Kaito finally leave the bed and start their day. Kaito makes them sandwiches smeared with some kind of chocolate cream and they eat them on their small old couch watching cartoons. Kokichi watches as brightly colored animals sing about friendship or something equally stupid with cynical disinterest. Their little apartment is quiet but cozy, walls painted a warm shade of yellow. What the apartment lack, however, is any trace of personal belongings. All of them are done with getting attached to things, especially with how often they have to move, always chased away by the popularity that comes with being three of the most recognizable participants of the 53rd season of Danganronpa. Fans would corner them on their way home or yell at them and a few times they would come home to find their window broken, shards of glass scattered across the floor. After the first time they moved their bed away from the window. Sometimes Kokichi questions loudly if this is how things are always going to be now. Sandwiches with chocolate cream for breakfast, instant ramen for dinner and a new place to live in every three months or so. It’s a question more loaded than it seems to be at first glance and Shuichi and Kaito seem to understand that as they hurry to assure him that it’s just temporary, that sooner or later their popularity will fade and the nightmares will come to an end. But Kaito’s voice sounds a little too strained and Shuichi’s fingers instinctively reach to his forehead as if to hide behind a hat that isn’t there and soon Kokichi stops asking.

He’s just giving Kaito his plate with an uneaten chocolate sandwich when the door opens and Shuichi comes in, a small frown on his face. Kokichi immediately feels a pang of uneasiness low in the pit of his stomach. That expression can’t mean anything good.

Kaito comes to Shuichi and plants a chaste kiss on his cheek.

“Welcome back,” he greets Shuichi warmly and then disappears in the kitchen to add Kokichi’s plate to a slowly growing pile in the sink.

Shuichi takes off his jacket and throws it carelessly on the table next to the couch and then slowly approaches Kokichi who is still sitting on the couch.  

“This came by mail today,” he says to Kokichi and pushes a big stuffed envelope in his direction. His eyes are bright with worry and Kokichi can feel his insides twisting into a nervous knot just at the sight of it. “It has your name on it.”

Kokichi takes a look at the envelope and indeed, there is his name written in neat kanji right next to a familiar logo.

Kaito comes back from the kitchen, his face pulled into a frown as if he can sense that something isn’t quite right. Kokichi pretends that he doesn’t see the way Shuichi and Kaito’s eyes lock in silent worry for a brief moment. It’s been a while since any of them received any letter from Team Danganronpa.

A letter like that is never good news, Usually it’s just some information about another interview that one or all three have to attend, as if they haven’t had dozens of those. They get asked questions --- uncomfortable, prodding questions --- and then they answer, polite professional smiles plastered to their faces, because that’s what producers expect, that’s what their contracts dictate. They put a perfect performance for the audience time after time and nothing ever changes, wounds never get to close properly and heal.

Photoshoots are almost as bad. They can take the whole day and there’s just too many people, stylists and make-up artists not leaving much room to breathe freely. There are hands, too many hands, pulling and prodding and squeezing and it feels like being strapped of identity all over again, perfect replicas of their in-game clothes sticking to the skin uncomfortably.

Sometimes Team Danganronpa sends information about fan conventions, but thankfully they don’t have to visit all of them, only the biggest ones that don’t happen very often. Kokichi hates the conventions the most. It’s always too many people there and quickly he finds that he can’t breath, his throat convulsing painfully as strangers press against him. There are cosplayers, cosplayers everywhere and he can’t help but think of one that he knew personally, a long time ago. He still sees her sometimes, her teal eyes staring at him from their old little TV as she smiles and laughs that “yes, I am preparing the next season” and “I love all of my characters.” But the worst are the masks that cover cosplayers’ faces. Kokichi can’t tell how many times he would stare at his own face on someone else’s features. He can’t tell how many times some kid would come to him and say “I want to be just like you when I grow up” while shaking his hand enthusiastically.

He takes a loud breath.

There’s no point in guessing what it is this time. Only one way to find out.

Shuichi and Kaito sit on both of his sides, Shuichi on his right and Kaito on the left. Their presence is comforting, a silent promise of ‘we’re here, we’re not going anywhere’. Bracing himself for what’s to come Kokichi opens the envelope with a box cutter that Shuichi pushes lightly into his hands. Inside the envelope he finds an officially looking paper and it does nothing to lessen Kokichi’s uneasiness. It doesn’t look like a typical Team Danganronpa letter. This can’t be another interview or photoshoot or anything like that.

With dread filling his heart he lifts the letter to his eyes. He can feel Kaito trying to peek over his shoulder, but Shuichi’s quiet reprimand forces him to avert his eyes and they both let him read on his own.

Kokichi reads the letter.

And then again.

And again and again.

He stares at the letter, re-reading it over and over again, but somehow the words make even less sense than they did the first time.

“According to the contract Ouma Kokichi, the participant of 53rd season of Danganronpa is obliged to follow the conditions…”

“...Team Danganronpa is pleased to inform…”

“...fan favorites come back for a special season of Danganronpa...”

“...the survey to select the participants took place…”

“...Team Danganronpa would like to congratulate…”

“...had been chosen...”

“...one of the participants of the next season…”

“...more information for the participants can be found…”

He can’t breathe.

The letter slips out of his hands, but he doesn’t even notice, his mind a mess of this can’t be true, it must be a lie, please let it be a lie. This can’t be real. There’s no way. It’s simply impossible. There were rumors, of course there were, but he dismissed them at the time, because even Team Danganronpa can’t be this cruel… can it?

Shuichi, good, gentle Shuichi with his hushed voice and gentle smiles seems to sense his turmoil. He gently takes his hand into his and squeezes, but the gesture brings little comfort. Kaito reaches out his hand and snatches the letter that fell on Kokichi’s lap, his brows furrowing in silent worry. Kokichi can see as his eyes skim over the text in inpatient urgency, slowly growing impossibly wide.

Shuichi fidgets on his side of the couch.

“What is it?” His voice is quiet, quivering slightly as he can sense the nervous atmosphere thicken in the air and become almost tangible. “Did something happen?”

A strained sound escapes Kaito’s mouth and Kokichi notes with something like a detached amusement that he’s never seen the other boy this speechless. Kaito’s mouth moves, but no more noise comes out. There’s no anger, that’s what will come later, just disbelief, bare and raw.

“Kokichi?” There’s a panicked note in Shuichi’s voice now, his cheeks suddenly pale and fingers trembling when they reach out to clench around Kokichi’s wrist painfully.

Kokichi takes a deep breath and when he answers his voice sounds hollow.

“I’m going back.”

[rubberduckyrye]

Saioumota Week Day #4: Secrets/Blood/Jealousy

What Makes a Liar (Secrets)

Kokichi Ouma has been skittish and acting strange ever since he awoke from the killing game, but things get worrying when Kaito and Shuichi notice an alarming amount of bruises on his body.

It started when Shuichi and Kaito both noticed that Kokichi was always the last one out of the changing room for gym.

Adapting to life outside of the killing game was challenging, but it seemed to hit everyone differently. For Kokichi, he seemed to retreat inward, easily more frightened and borderline shy in comparison to what Kaito and Shuichi knew in the killing games.

They thought it was just him having difficulty adapting to living a normal high school life.

That all changed, however, when Kaito and Shuichi snuck back into the boys changing room and saw Kokichi’s back covered in bruises.

Kaito immediately wanted to jump out from hiding, and confront Kokichi about the wounds, but Shuichi urged him against it. If one thing was certain about Kokichi, it was how he dug his heels at every given point when secrets came into question. Naturally, Kokichi wouldn’t dare talk about it unless he felt comfortable with it--and a gym locker room was about as least comfortable as you could get for such a conversation.

The school day passed, and Kaito and Shuichi made a beeline for each other before they hunted for Kokichi. 

They found him outside, a heavy book bag on his back and several textbooks in his arms. He looked down the road, as if he was waiting for someone.

Turning to each other and nodding, Shuichi and Kaito quickly made their way over to Kokichi.

“Hey, Kokichi!” Kaito called out, not missing the way Kokichi flinched before he turned to him.

“We’ve been looking for you,” Shuichi forced out a warm smile, but he hadn’t missed it either. “Are you on your way home?”

Kokichi paused, glancing over the two of them for a moment, before turning his attention back to the road. “I’m waiting for my father. He’s coming to pick me up.”

Kaito frowned. “Your dad? I didn’t know you had a dad.”

Koichi winced again, and shot a glare at Kaito. “Well, I had to be made somehow. He’s my father, so.”

The way Kokichi put emphasis on the term “father” sent a soft chill up Shuichi’s spine. It was forced, bitter and venomous, but in a way that sounded like Kokichi was trying to tone it back, trying to tame his own words.

“I think, what Kaito meant was... you never mentioned your, um, father.” 

“Nothing much to mention,” Kokichi spat. “He’s just some CEO of some company that makes and sells all kinds of stuff. Nothing much else to talk about, really.”

Shuichi was about to ask more questions, however, was interrupted by the sound of a car honk. The sound was loud and started both him and Kaito, immediately turning to look and see at the offending vehicle pull up beside them.

When they both glanced over to Kokichi, they saw an uneasy smile.

The man that stepped out of the car was tall, his hair slicked back and his facial hair trimmed in a balbo style. His hair was a dark plum color with the signs of old age turning a few strands grey. He wore a black vest over a white dress shirt, black dress pants, and shoes to match.

When Shuichi caught his eyes, he saw that they were a dark shade of brown, and despite the color itself being warm, he felt an icy chill hit his spine.

“Why, hello there,” the man started. “Kokichi, are these your friends? The ones you have been telling me about?”

Kokichi’s nod was curt and stiff.

“Kaito Momota and Shuichi Saihara, correct?” The man smiled as he extended out his hand. “My name is Kenshin Oshiro. I am Kokichi’s father. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Kaito was the first one to react, hesitantly taking the man’s hand into his own and giving it a quick shake. “Yeah... Nice to meet you, too... but uh, I thought Kokichi’s last name was ‘Ouma.’ Not--”

“Ah, yes. Kokichi prefers his mother’s maiden name over mine, bless her resting soul.” As Shuichi stared at Kenshin’s smile, he realized that the warmed wasn’t reaching the man’s eyes. “I do not mind his preference. His legal name is Kokichi Oshiro, technically, but he’s more than welcome to use his mother’s maiden name.”

Kokichi shifted his weight and cleared his throat, keeping his head bowed and his line of sight away from Kenshin’s.

“Well, I hate to cut a conversation short,” Kenshin started, putting a hand on Kokichi’s shoulder. “But I have to get my boy home. We have a very important dinner party to attend tonight, so he needs to get ready before we set out.”

Shuichi turned his attention to Kokichi, who’s eyes were wide and his smile was strained. Before Shuichi could ask, however, Kokichi forced out a bright smile.

“Yeah! It’s a meeting with some of my father’s coworkers and investors. I’m gonna be his successor, so they want to meet me and see if I’m worthy of inheriting the business.”

“That’s right,” Kenshin laughed, a hollow and empty sound as he patted Kokichi’s head. Kokichi would flinch ever so slightly every time the hand made contact to his head. “But I’m sure as long as Kokichi is on his best behavior, everything will be fine. Now, now, get in the car, Kokichi. We have very little tie before the get together starts.”

Kaito and Shuichi never saw Kokichi move so fast to obey an order, hopping in the car’s back seat and quickly putting on the seat belt. Kenshin made his way over to the drivers side of the car.

“W-wait!” Kaito exclaimed, startling Shuichi in the process.

 Kenshin turned to face them, his smile lessening. “Hm?”

“Well, I know Kokichi’s got a big thing going on later today, but... is it okay if he hangs out with us tomorrow?”

With how unsure Kaito sounded, Shuichi immediately figured out his true motive. It wasn’t just him picking up on the red flags, and if what they assumed was true... “Yeah. We wanted to do a little study group today, but if he’s busy, can he come over my house tomorrow instead?”

Kenshin hummed, as if pondering, before he turned to Kokichi in the car. “Kokichi? Do you want to spend some time with your friends tomorrow?”

Kokichi’s eyes were wide, and his mouth was pressed into a tight line. After a few moments of contemplation, he gave a weak nod.

“Well, then that’s fine.” Kenshin smile grew in size, but never in sincerity. “As long as everything goes well tonight and you promise to be home before dinner time tomorrow, then I do not see an issue with that. Especially if it’s for studying as well. Kokichi is so very bright, isn’t he?” Kenshin gave a hearty laugh. “I admire how studious he is. His grades have skyrocketed to an all new high. What an amazing boy, isn’t he?”

Shuichi and Kaito hesitantly nodded in agreement, both visibly uncomfortable and unsure. Kenshin found his way back into his car, buckling his seat belt before driving away. Shuichi and Kaito didn’t even have enough time to process anything else, but they knew one thing.

Kokichi wasn’t going to keep his secrets for long. They were going to figure everything out tomorrow night.

[trcthfvl-a]

Paper Lanterns

@saioumotaweek

Day 2 of 7. Comfort, Shared Apartment.

     Kokichi had a few talents aside from the obvious repertoire. Some had been a mystery to even himself, unveiled in time and under the nourishment of his partners--though if you asked DICE, they’d have told you he’d always been that way.

     Lies were like thin paper, and harsh truths and even harsher realities could be softened. But the most impressive one, if you’d ever asked Kaito it, would be...

     Losing loved ones was never easy, and never avoidable. All things come to an end, whether in fluid passing or the sudden trajectory of fate, sending others impossibly beyond reach. The violet-eyed boy could attest these things; his parents were not much different from the latter, dead and buried long before he had known to mourn them.

     It didn’t ease the weight in his chest as he heard Kaito take a surprise call one evening. The flustered male turned to one of silence and disbelief, asking a few times if he’d heard right--if, from how Kokichi saw it, he’d just misheard. Wishing this was some lie, by the open stare of his eyes and the vice-grip on the cellphone. Kokichi spared a glance to Shuichi, but both couldn’t bring themselves to speak aside from the nonverbal look of concern and... No, even the college-bound detective looked like he’d reached the same conclusion.

     After all, Kaito had said multiple times that he wanted to see space before his grandparents passed. It’d been a quiet reason for the lofty goal--and admirable at that, given he risked not being home in time to visit them if the inevitable occurred.

     Shuichi was more inclined to give the taller male room, but Kokichi never knew what personal space was anyway--so he came up to him, chest flush to the other’s, eyes looking up to his. He knew he wouldn’t be shooed away for it anyway, but the struggle in Kaito’s gaze gave him an inkling as to what he felt. Regret. He did his best to show the concern on his own, and it melted the pain in Kaito’s.

     Seconds passed, and Kaito motioned at a notepad which Shuichi fetched. An address was put down, and a date, as well as some numbers. He didn’t sound like his heart was in the reciting of them much less giving a half-spoken goodbye to the person on the other line, likely one of the other elderly friends they had.

     If it wasn’t for Shuichi coming up behind Kaito and wrapping his arms around his waist, Kokichi would’ve been sure that the guy would’ve slumped hard enough to send them both to the floor. And as much as he liked pretending he was just as strong as them, he really didn’t think he could keep someone like Kaito upright.

     “Kaito...?” Of course, it was Shuichi who broke the silence first. Hesitant, but forward. “We’re here for you.”

     “I-I know,” Really? Lying, even now? “Just--give me a moment.”

     And they did. It was the most silence of their cohabiting life, but he was blessedly quiet--no joke nor jab, nothing to derail or remove. Kaito needed the time to come to grips with this and he wasn’t going to stand in the way, even though his mind favored the more directive approach.

     “Alright.” It came out like a breath Kaito must’ve been holding. “Alright. They passed away last night.”

     “I’m so sorry to hear that...” Shuichi’s hands finally moved to grab at one of Kaito’s, fleetingly squeezing it. “What did they...?”

     “Don’t know. Looked natural, and they never wanted an autopsy done, so...” True enough, that’d been one of their wishes. “I’m not... What the hell do I do, man?” His voice quivered, and he sucked in a breath. “I promised them I’d send them pictures. Y’know? Of Earth, of dumb space debris, of...” It sounded like his throat closed.

     Enough was enough; they looked like they’d fall over any second. Kokichi grabbed their joined hands and led them to the couch, pushing them to sit down before looking at Shuichi. “Boil some water. Remember that one tea he drinks sometimes? Go start that.” Kaito hadn’t been much of a tea person, but he had found one that worked wonderfully on the worst of days for helping his mood--and he tended to like movement in the room anyway. Put him at ease usually, so it seemed like the best move. Whether Shuichi had the same insight or not, he nodded and excused himself--still in eyesight, but clamoring in the kitchen area.

     “They’ll have their funeral in your hometown, right? Let’s... let’s go there together for it,” Shuichi spoke.

     Kaito fussed. “Huh? I can’t expect you two to take off of college. It’ll really put you behind.”

     “Do you think we care about some dumb grades over this? You should know us better than that.” Kokichi chided him. “We do everything together! So if you’re going to go, I don’t wanna be stuck here with Shuichi all week.”

     “H-hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” Thankfully he didn’t look hurt by that. He seemed to understand the banter. “But Kokichi is right. I want to go.”

     “So turn that ugly expression around!” The shortest boy slid over until he was straddling Kaito’s lap, looking into his face. And maybe give that nose a quick kiss. “We need to figure out what you’re going to take, anyway.”

     He damned well knew he was being sly, so when Kaito quirked a brow, he continued, “To space with you! I mean, it’d be super cool if it could be ashes, but I know they don’t want cremated--so! We’re going to improvise! Because if you can’t bring your experience to them, then you gotta bring them to it! It’s not like they won’t be watching you anyway.”

     He really didn’t have much warning before he had two large arms around him, pulling him in. Ugh, you smell like hair gel. Keep a straight face, Kokichi-

     “What would I do without you two...”

     “...Getting better sleep.”

     “--Okay you know what Shuichi, it’s not my fault Kokichi spooks me every other night!”

     “You screamed like a girl when I grab your foot from under the bed! It’s so hilarious!”

     “No it isn’t!” But hey, he’s laughing anyway. “I love you two so goddamn much.”

     “You’ll love me even more when I have DICE do a super-duper-honorary-party to commemorate your grandparents! Since they’re dead and all, and we’re an evil organization that loves funeral parties. And because they’re your grandparents, they’re mine too!”

     “Kokichi, you’re doing it again-” Shuichi’s exasperated voice called back.

     “No I’m not, I’m--”

     “You’re shutting up now.”

     They could deal with him taking compliments like they’re laced with poison later. Right now, he was happy enough to cuddle up to the crook of Kaito’s neck and pacify him. And... himself, by extension.

[therapist-solarist]

Saioumota Week Day 1: Pre-Game

Hello everyone! Welcome to two weeks of non-stop posting! (If I don’t die halfway into this :’) hhh) Stating off with week one, Saioumota week! A big thanks to @trans-shuichisaihara for being my beta on this one. I hope everyone likes it! @saioumotaweek thanks for the cool prompts! Looking forward to participating in this!

“Ow!” Kokichi hissed and tried to pull his face away from Shuichi’s hold. He held his face a bit firmer in response, tilting his head up.

“Ouma-kun, you know you can’t move while I do this...”

Kokichi looked away from his face. “Sorry... my face still really hurts from last week's beating... on top of today's as well...”

Shuichi sighed softly and loosened his grip. Kokichi turned his eyes back to him as he shuffled out of the dorm’s bedroom and over to the bathroom. He watched the bathroom door quietly as the front door slammed open.

“Saihara! Is Ouma here?” A few seconds later, the bedroom door slammed open as well, and in walked Kaito. He paused, visibly taking in Kokichi’s injuries before an angry expression twisted his face. “Who was it?! Was it fuckin’ Saito and his gang again? I’ll beat their asses to a pulp if it was! I gave them a warning last time, and even gave Kanshiro one hell of a punch for good measure, but they’re still-!”

Ouma flinched at the loud brashness that was Kaito’s voice and actions. It didn’t help when he stomped over to the bed and started to fuss over him a bit too roughly, grasping at his chin with a too tight grip for his bruising skin.

“Mo-Momota, that hurts...” He winced and weakly tried to pull back. Kaito pulled his hand away quickly after that, his anger pacified by Kokichi’s pain.

“Sorry... Just worried ‘bout you is all. You’re gonna get really badly hurt one of these days.” Kaito sighed loudly and collapsed onto the bed next to him, hunching over with his elbows on his knees, pulling his face into his hands. “Would you please let me ‘n’ Sai- Shuichi start walkin’ you to class?”

Ouma shook his head softly and looked away at the Kirigiri poster pinned to the wall across from him. “You know how bad that’d look for all of us if we do. Saito and the rest of them would make it worse in a lot of different ways...”

Shuichi came back into his line of vision holding a bottle of peroxide, a few wipes, a box of bandages, and some medical tape that he set down on Kokichi’s other side. “So what if he does? Can’t be worse than how Jin was treated in season thirty two.”

Ouma flinched at the comparison. He’d watched season thirty two way too many times at this point with Shuichi to not remember how badly he was treated leading up to the fourth trial.

“Shuichi-” Kaito’s voice was low as he said his name. “Not now okay? Let’s get Ou- Kokichi patched up first, then you can tell us about it.”

Shuichi frowned slightly but nodded. “Kokichi, this will hurt a bit... but you already know that, don’t you..?” The last half was mumbled softly as he started to wipe dry blood from the corner of his nose and mouth, the wet wipes scraping out bits of gravel in the cuts on his cheek.

Once he finished, he pulled out the peroxide and poured it onto a small rag, starting to dab at the wounds gently before pulling the bigger bandages out and covering the open, now cleaned, cuts with them. The bruising that went along his chin and nose would have to be covered with some makeup in the morning before classes started.

“Better. Kaito, go get one of the ice packs from the bathroom cabinet.”

Kaito sighed and pushed himself off the bed, leaving the room as Shuichi packed up the rest of the medical supplies on hand and followed after Kaito. That sadly left Kokichi a moment alone to think. And thinking meant bad things.

It meant he couldn't breathe as he saw the punches come flying towards his small frame, covering his head with his arms as the kicks started all over, a few hitting his face. The yells were loud in his head, and the footsteps got closer and closer till a hand was on his shoulder and-

And he was back in Shuichi’s room. Kaito was in front of him, an unusual look of concern he only ever showed the two rolling over his features. “Kokichi. You should rest.”

He nodded sluggishly, the memories burning behind his eyes as he scooted back to let Shuichi and Kaito climb onto the bed as well. Shortly after they were both seated, he found his head in Kaito’s lap as Shuichi started to chatter quietly.

“And so Shojo was a foil to Jin that season! That’s why-” The drone of Shuichi’s voice was putting him to sleep, the ice pack - where had that come from? - pressed to his nose did not help his sleepy state.

As he started to lose focus and the images behind his eyes brightened, he had one last thought:

Maybe, someday, Shuichi would talk about him and Kaito that way. Maybe they could hold hands on the way to class or kiss one another in passing.

Maybe in another life, they could have been happy like that.

[detectivesplotslies]

Saioumota Week - Day 1:  soulmates AU & demon/angel AU  

So this was gonna be a full fledged animation, and still will be eventually, but I drew up a still to post today so that I could kick off saioumota week with style~! :D I just love me guardian angel and assigned demon stories where they try to get their assignment to make decisions they think are better, but poor Shuichi’s ended up with one of each. I could see this being a hijinks heavy relationship. Also shoulder angels are cute! :’D

@saioumota-week (Bonus points to anyone who recognizes the scene I’m animating over who I haven’t shown it to XD)