#and himiko alive trust

[rinriinn]

THEM!!!

[honey--mustard]

I still think it's kinda crazy we never get any proof that she's dead.

Like at least for midnight we had her busted up mask but toga gets off screened?

Genuinely crazy.

Especially the coincidences that the cameras ran out of battery so no one even saw her sacrifice.

[ducotte-real]

they’re happy and in love and safe and thriving actually

[sarahjtv]

My Hero Academia Chapter 428 Spoiler Talk: Did Kohei Horikoshi Just Blueball Us???

So, that just happened, huh? Not a bad chapter by any means. It was a solid, slice-of-life-ish chapter that continues to give us our beloved Class 2-A kids some idea of how life is going to be like now that the war is over:

The chapter starts off where we left off 2 weeks ago with the new first-years (the new Class 1-A) fangirling over Shoto and Bakugo. Iida has to step in to stop the chaos while Bakugo and Shoto hide behind him like little kids using their big brother as a shield 😂! It's cool to know that our kids have fans now and seeing them as Senpai to new Kohais is a nice idea to think about. I also like that there's a panel of Shinsou in the class to remind all of us that he's part of the main group now.

There's also a tall 1st-year who is inspired by Deku and wants to be like him after seeing him fight in the war! I love that for him 💚! I don't think Deku's really had any fans outside his classmates before, so it's nice to see how people are looking up to him like how he looked up to All Might.

A little later, we see our Class 2-A working to help clean up the wreckage from the war with Fat Gum, Best Jeanist, and Edgeshot who FUCKING SURVIVED (BRO, HOW???) and is now just a big strand of string with a face and tiny string arms 😂😭! It's a funny visual for now, but Edgeshot says that he'll be better than ever hopefully which makes Bakugo show a wobbly, awkward smile 🧡.

I also love how much Bakugo has changed in general. It has been a slow, general progression, but it's clear that he's softening up and opening up more to the people around him. It's such great character development for him. I love this dude so much 🧡

It's also cool to see the kids work and use their Quirks to help clean up all the rubble. We've seen them do this a little before during the Provisional License Exam, but it's good to see it again because it's a good reminder that there's more to Hero work than just beating the bad guys and saving civilians. I can absolutely see how a lot of their Quirks can help out with clean-up duty, but I can't help but wonder how people like Jiro, Shinsou, and Kaminari use their Quirks though can already think of some ideas. Actually, Kaminari can restore power to towns and cities, but he can't use his Quirk to help pick up rubble.

The civilians and even the new Class 1-A kids come along and are more than willing to help clean up the mess too. The heroes are being trusted more again and then getting help from the people who they thought lost faith in them is a great sign for that bright future everyone hopes for. I also have high hopes for the new UA kids. They're already heroes in their own right by wanting to help during their first few days at the school. I also really like the look of the few new designs we get out of these kids. As expected of our mangaka!

Later that night, we are told that the students at UA aren't forced to stay at the dorms anymore, probably because things have calmed down after the war. This is good to hear because while I know the kids loved life at the dorms, I'm sure they missed their families too. I won't be surprised if some students in general decide to stay home for a while. I'm sure this also gives Horikoshi an excuse not to draw so many characters in one panel because god knows this man has his work cut out for him over the next 2-3 weeks.

The last couple of pages boil down to beautifully drawn panels of Ochako who's still keeping up that fake smile and optimistic façade and Izuku and Tsuyu worrying about her because something is CLEARLY wrong. Ochako does eventually break down remembering Himiko Toga and her fate. This chapter doesn't outright confirm nor deny what happened to Toga, but I'm pretty sure she's dead. I don't think Ochako would be this sad if Toga was alive in any capacity. It sucks because Toga had a change of heart in her final moments and I think she would have been given something of a second chance had she lived. But, maybe not because I don't know how society would really treat her if she was allowed to go out in public again. I would love for Toga to be alive, but I'm betting my gatcha money that she isn't... Still, this is a big loss for Ochako and I feel for her. I still can't help but feel we got blueballed on Toga's fate, though and I'm not sure how to really feel about that.

The final page shows us that Izuku used some embers of One For All to get to Ochako who's on the same hill back during the "We're Weird" conversation they had before the Final War. First off, Izuku bby 🥹💚. Second, this absolutely sets up Izuku and Ochako finally talking to each other since the Final War ended. I assume some kind of love confession is going to happen, but I'm not 100% sure because I don't know if now is a good time for that or not. Ochako definitely needs a shoulder to cry on and Izuku needs to talk to someone about what happened, so we'll have to see where things go from here.

Regardless, we have 2 chapters left and something has to happen before the end. It's going to be bittersweet next week though because we are getting the Cover and a Color Page in WSJ! These will be the last ones we get, so I hope they're special. Knowing Horikoshi, the art and coloring are going to be immaculate and I am going to cry happy tears for the next 2 weeks.

We will also get a 16-chapter tie-in chapter for the new You're Next movie by Yoko Akiyama, the mangaka for the spin-off Team Up Missions manga! I love her art so much! It's very similar to Horikoshi's, but the style and the coloring especially is so soft and cute! It's perfect for a slice-of-life-esque spin-off like TUM and she hasn't disappointed me yet. Plus, I'm 99% sure she did the manga tie-ins for the 2nd and 3rd movies too, so this was expected.

We're finally at the penultimate and final chapters of the series. I still can't believe it's ending. Just 2 weeks to go starting this Sunday.

[dekusleftsock]

Yada yada, kudou looked through Izuku’s memories and saw big gay thoughts, but we already knew they were gay. Of course they were gay. They’ve always been gay.

YOU KNOW WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT? THIS OFA QUIRKLESS THING!

It’s so FASCINATING! And I know I’m late to the party (school, work, life, depression, art block, the list could go on) but all I can think about is the trust that this entire situation holds.

On one hand, Izuku has to trust Kudou and his abilities. Defeating him from the inside out is probably the only way Izuku will win at this point.

And on the other hand, Izuku in his own way, is having to trust shigaraki, something he hasn’t done nor even considered before. He sees that little boy inside of him, but there’s more to that little boy. The man that stands before him, broken and beaten and shattered emotionally by society, is a person too. It truly doesn’t matter that the boy exists; yes it’s a way for Izuku to understand that concept of “heroes and villains are cut from the same cloth”, but it’s also the understanding that even when someone has fucked up their life, still deserves to be treated as a person for doing so. Everyone, EVERYONE, deserves the right to be and feel like a real and alive human being.

To me, it’s in the same vain as Izuku as a little boy. We could go over he details ALL DAY as to how he became the person he is, what could’ve been different, what could’ve happened. But at the end of the day, the only thing that changes the past is how we view it; Katsuki knows this.

There’s a part of me that whenever I see a fanfic where Katsuki meets his old middle school self that he hates him, wants to kick him down, humble him, whatever other verb here:

But that small part of me always thinks that it’s… oddly out of character.

Okay, comparing Katsuki and Izuku, who is more ashamed of their pasts?

If you guessed Izuku (and you agree with me), tell me what exactly inclines you to think that?

Because the difference between them is who accepts themself, and who doesn’t.

Accepting yourself doesn’t just mean, accepting that you were a bad person but you’re better now so it’s okay. No, I think that’s actually more complex than implied.

In my opinion, seeing your past actions as something to forgive is important too. Katsuki meeting his middle school self may seem like an aggressive cat fight in idea, but it practice may turn into high school Katsuki being unaffected by middle school him. He knows why he thought what he did, understands that it was bad, but also understands why that mindset came to be. He can be sorry to Izuku AND sorry to himself.

Izuku I think feels a sense of shame for his middle school self, especially that weakness. He cried more in middle school too; he didn’t try. That’s what he’s most mad about and unable to forgive himself for, he didn’t try.

And to an extent, Izuku has to learn that his perception of his past is what matters most: Shigaraki is the same.

Shigaraki as a little boy could’ve lived better circumstances. He could’ve found a hero and been saved. He could’ve had this or that or made a better decision. And I think a small part of him feels guilty for it. Shigaraki also doesn’t accept his past.

Ofa being taken away, as saddening as it may seem to fans, was always an ending I was hoping for. Of course I could be wrong and by the end of the manga he still has it, and while I’d still be happy with that ending… I just really want Izuku to let himself be a human being. A flawed one, with things he could or could not change, and accepting that fact.

After all, “You’re still human.” Right?

And sorry to bring up the girls again, but part of the key components to saving Himiko were trusting her, and not clinging to a small part of her. She wanted to see and know Himiko as she is, not who she was.

That’s this dudes problem; even if he wants to tear that rug to pieces, there’s certain ideas that hold him back. Think, the idea that your emotions matter less over others, or hating yourself for flaws that nearly every human being has.

Izuku saving Shigaraki has always always always been about saving himself too, and I love that.

Izuku had to trust Katsuki in this battle, trust allmight, trust Ochako, trust people. He had to let them take the wheel, the burden. Maybe he and Shigaraki can lift that burden for themselves too. His mask is broken, he’s become a monster blackwhip thing…

What’s your move Izuku?

[detectivenyx]

A month or so back, someone made a tweet defending Himiko saying she's overhated by fandom and claiming she has autism. Of course, half the replies are people hating Himiko and she didn't deserve to be a survivor. I didn't know Himiko was disliked that much. This post was to ask, what are your feelings on Himiko?

if you asked a danganronpa fan on twitter if they'd like to examine their potential biases against a character and whether they're based on problematic stereotypes of marginalised groups or put themselves in a saw trap, they'd be strapping themselves into the fucking Shotgun Carousel with baffling enthusiasm, and himiko is one of the characters that makes that most apparent.

himiko has the exact same issue as hiyoko before her; she isn't waifu material since she looks like a child, and to danganronpa fans, if a female character who isn't explicitly a child isn't waifuable, there's zero value in them whatsoever. their flaws are exacerbated because they can't be sexualised and girlboss'd or failwife'd (which is not a problem reflected in male characters and them being 'husbandoable'). and this isn't an issue with the characters, but very much fan perception. there's no mistaking it, a lot of the hatred for himiko is just fans' misogyny; traits she gets criticised for having made gundam and kiyotaka fandom darlings. there's a fair amount of ableism in there too. himiko is never explicitly stated to have autism, but while i have the theory every character is at least somewhat autistic, himiko is probably one of the more obvious ones. she very clearly struggles with social interactions and her response to the life-threatening danger is to clam up and try to make herself seem insignificant, and she's a terrible liar - all traits common in autistic individuals, but additionally seen in depression. she reads to me like an autistic person with depression. to a danganronpa fan nothing is worse than an unsexy female character who is heavily implied to be autistic.

i absolutely do not get anyone who says she shouldn't have survived; the girl was berated and subjected to The Horrors every time she took a fucking breath. fuyuhiko might have had the most happen to him physically, but himiko definitely had way more on her plate. there's not a single murder in the game she wasn't accused of doing and she didn't want to bother with defending herself, and through chapter 2 and 3 she was put through the absolute fucking wringer. her magic show she put on to help everyone feel better about the motive was hijacked for the most brutal corpse disposal in danganronpa's history, then to top it off, she was accused of said murder by the person she trusted, with only tenko defending her innocence. she joins angie's student council for whatever security she can get as the smallest and weakest person left in the group, and then that crumbles when angie is found dead - the closest thing angie had to a friend. then, tenko offers to take her place as the medium of the seance, and dies because she did so. and honestly, himiko realising moments too late exactly what tenko meant to her and begging for her to move, to say something, is far more heartbreaking than anything to come out of any of the 5th chapters. and then, she gets accused of being the one to murder the two people she cared the most about. after all the shit she's already been through, of course she clams the fuck up and stops caring. she doesn't think she should've survived, the writing all but spells out that himiko's going through severe survivor's guilt, and she's just given up, if everyone goes down with her, so be it. it does require everyone to look at the case and provide himiko with a reason to go on; ultimately, she's the one who takes that purpose to keep moving forward (the old 'you can lead a horse to water' addage). and yet, STILL, she gets put through the wringer AGAIN in chapter 5 when she learns that it wouldn't have mattered anyway; they're the last people left alive and there's no more humanity. at every turn she's been given reasons to give up, again, and again, and again. and more realistically than someone heroically going 'no! i'll never give up!' she more realistically DOES give up - but giving up can be as difficult as not giving up, even more so. that's what she embodies - someone who very much does want to give up, but doesn't.

it's clear fans don't give a shit about the impact her death would have; when she dies in a fangan she's rarely given a second thought. so if her death would've been meaningless, why are people so upset she survived? that's a question i can't really answer - not when the characters that do die i think had to for the sake of the story. kaito and kokichi would've been terrible survivors because their stories do hinge on them dying; their deaths are their conclusions. but himiko, i think, for her story to have its intended effect - she needed to survive, and very much fought tooth and nail to do so.

i've noticed the video i made 3-4 years ago now did help to kind of rehabilitate her image because hatred was even more common before it but there's still quite a bit of unwarranted himiko hatred. my advice; get off twitter and get on cohost where i am and himiko's autistic swagger is always welcome

[floofysmallbob]

questions I still have after MHA chapter 426 that probably will not get answered but still

Endeavor has admitted he was an abuser, and is trying to retone(by this point, I think his redemption arc is growing on me, he’s actively trying to prove it now), but will he face any legal consequences? (Probably not but still)

How much longer will Touya live?

How is he still even alive?

And if they can preserve someone that dead, I’m sure they can work on procedures to make him less dead

is. Himiko. alive.

Are they still gonna go through with the whole IzuOcha thing? It seems like it’s not really relevant anymore, and honestly, I think it doesn’t need to be wrapped up, it’s a teenage thing, and crushes and stuff persevere through all of high school(and life)

where is Nagant being held? Obviously not Tartarus, but she seems to be (willingly) in some sort of captivity

what will Hawks be doing and can he be trusted as the HPSC president? Obviously I don’t think he’d want to put anyone through the shit he did, but he did(and probably still does) believe murder was the right choice, and I think a less corrupt government would do wonders

will the horrors of the HPSC ever be revealed to the public?

What’s Hitoshi’s hero name?

Will we actually get to meet the new first years?

What’s going on with Spinner? He’s alive, but what’s going to happen now?

considering Endeavor is retiring, Hawks is quirkless, and All Might’s been retired for a while now, will we be getting Best Jeanist as the No.1 Hero, or are the ranks gonna change?

Does this mean that instead of all might or endeavor merch there’s just gonna be a bunch of jeans

Speaking of, who are the new top ten? We’re missing Endeavor, Hawks, Edgeshot, Crust, and Yoroi Musha, and Miruko is now disabled, which while I don’t think she’ll stop hero work, is going to be a bit of a hindrance

Really obscure but I want to see more of Yuyu, especially her hero costume, quirk, and hero name

idk I just like dykes

If MHA is ending anyway can Horikoshi at least give us one (more) confirmed queer ship/character (m*neta doesn’t count)

Is Aizawa going to remain a hero? Will he just be taking the Knuckleduster route and still be a hero without/with a weak quirk

What’s going on with Shirakumo?

Even if MHA is done, will the spin-offs(light novels and such) continue?

How many seasons will MHA have?

What’s going to happen with Bakugou and Jirou now that they’ve both lost appendages vital to their quirk? Will it be a rewind situation like with Mirio?(at least for Jirou, I can’t see Bakugou getting his arm back, it just doesn’t seem like a choice Horikoshi would make, or really any fic writers that aren’t die-hard Bakugou stans)

Will the end of MHA stop my insane fixation?

can I shut up now

[princess-of-the-corner]

Amnesia!Dabi: Actually, how’s 1-A reacting? Like, Shouto not only trusts them, he tends to overshare, they all probably know as soon as he does. How about Kats? Like, yeah they helped kidnap him/her, but then also helped him/her escape. Does Shouto immediately go to the infirmary to try & see Dabi? Like, Enji's still going through an existential crisis, Shouto's kicking the door in "Sup, fucker, you owe me three years of birthday presents!!"

Shoto: *kicks Dabi in the shin*

Dabi: "The FUCK is that for?!"

Shoto: "You ruining my love life! You kidnapped my crush! Do you have any idea how awkward family holidays are going to be now?!"

Okay no but seriously things go a /little/ slow of like.

The UA staff try to keep it quiet that two LoV members showed up on their doorstep to turn themselves in and are now being kept in custody here(UA does have the means to hold villains in custody, though rarely used. And the staff are hesitant to turn the pair over to regular jail given that Himiko is a fucked up kid and Dabi is an amnesiac so neither seems like a genuine danger. They're using the excuse of 'Recovery Girl is their doctor rn' to keep them).

Though ofc things get out a little bit but uh.... this is paralleling CC and lets just say the staff is keeping an eye on Katsuki for mental health reasons right about now so she can't exactly go the fuck off on them. 1-A is still upset about this but they do get a very rushed 'hey kids villains sometimes are just people in fucked situations and them turning themsleves in is a good sign reserve judgement and/or fury for later'.

Now the Dabi=Toya stuff goes a touch slow too. The UA staff is interrogating Dabi about things, and yeah when he mentions the amnesia they want to help. And.... like. Remember: in this au where Toya got to be a Hero, he also went to UA. They had him as a student. They might not have been friends or close to him personally, but they know him enough that they start connecting the dots even if they're a little like 'wait no way he's supposed to be dead'. They decide to bite the bullet and DNA test him and yeah no that's that's a perfect match holy SHIT

They do end up telling Dabi that they found out who he is and try to ask questions about how he escaped death, but he has no memory of that so it's just a big shrug.

After this it's the fun of explaining it to the family. And they start with Enji because that's probably better than explaining it to the kids and also he's.... Enji's just a touch paranoid so he needs to be solidly convinced that this isn't some trick that it's actually Toya, memory or not.

It doesn't take that long to do so tbh. But it is a bit of a hiccup. And then Enji gets to explain it to the rest of the family which goes. About as well as you'd expect. They're happy he's alive but concerned about the obvious fuckery he's been through and the amnesia complicates everything.

But yeah around this time is when Shoto vents about it to the class and they're like 'hey wait so that villain that kidnapped Katsuki was your fucking amnesiac brother???"

And honestly 1-A isn't quite sure how to handle that info but they're mostly just kinda supporting Shoto and how he's handling it which is. Mainly confusion.

[super-paper]

I think what upsets me most is that Twice died cursing his own kindness-- cursing the fact that he empathized with someone, cursing the aspect of himself that allowed him to see the humanity in others. Because that was the part of him that allowed him to trust Hawks so easily. Narratively, Twice was “the heart” of the LOV— the one who was most likely to rally them all for a better cause and bring out their best aspects. And that heart was ultimately gouged out by a hero who Twice easily and readily saw the good in.

The tragedy behind Twice and Hawks also has larger narrative implications re: the dichotomy between heroes and villains being something that’s actively maintained by the heroes-- because Twice is the one who took the first actual step in bridging the divide between heroes and villains by choosing to empathize with Hawks and see him as a person instead of “just a hero”. Ultimately, Hawks wasn’t able to see this as a breakthrough that could have averted the war all together-- and instead, he chose to view Twice almost solely through the lens of what a threat he *could* be. The dichotomy/divide between heroes and villains is something actively maintained by Hawks in this instance, rather than broken down. Even as he offers Jin the opportunity to start over (because there’s a part of him that wants to validate Jin’s belief that “anyone who helps their friend is a good person” so, so badly) he continues to maintain that dichotomy by framing his offer as something being offered by a “hero” to a “villain.” 

“Sure you can start over! I’ll help you! ... If you come quietly! And after you’ve paid for your crimes!! :)” oh Hawks, you were so close. ༼;´༎ຶ ۝ ༎ຶ༽

When Twice begins to weep about how he simply had to trust Hawks, because he felt bad for him, because living life where no one trusts you and you can’t even trust yourself is just too sad, because he had empathy for Hawk’s suffering-- Hawk’s response is to sarcastically thank him. This callous response is ultimately what sets Jin off, and causes all potential for communication between the two to completely shut down.  Hori chooses to linger on the panel of Jin’s reaction to Hawks’ apparent cruelty, which keys us in on the moment Jin shifts from abject despair to blind rage. Yes, Hawks begins to soften and we start seeing cracks in his “devoted, unsentimental hero” façade as the scene drags on-- but by that point, he’d already shut the door on any chance for a peaceful resolution. 

While Jin may have died cursing his kindness, there’s a bit of solace in the fact that the league itself has never punished Twice for being kind-- despite their occasional ribbing on how he “cares about others way too much” or their half-hearted complaints about how him being powered by love/friendship “sounds way too heroic,” they all still go to bat for his feelings and they make a point to strike back at those who abuse his kindness. And in the immediate aftermath of Jin’s death, the league never condemns or mocks him for being too trusting of Hawks— while Hawks, the hero, does mock Jin for “never suspecting a thing.”

Dabi’s very first thoughts are to immediately absolve Jin of any blame for the LOV’s current situation, placing the blame  on "scummy heroes” alone. Himiko’s immediate reaction is to embrace Jin’s clone and thank him for saving her. Spinner’s reaction is to emphasize how they all need to stay together-- not just for Tomura’s sake, but because Jin viewed the league as his home (which also doubles as him wordlessly asking that Toga not make another reckless/suicidal attack against the heroes like she did in the immediate aftermath of Jin’s death— because she has to come back to them alive for Jin’s sake, because the league is only a “home” if they’re all together). 

And of course, that acknowledgement of the league as a “home” when they’re all together makes the complete breakdown of the league all the worse once AFO worms his way back into the story and starts using them to punish Tomura. :’)  

[astteriskk]

An old and random Saiouma oneshot

One Month Ago…

“Saihara, have you read the latest paper?” Shuichi perked up to see his coworker standing in front of him, holding a stack of newspapers. “No, is there something I should see?” He asked. The coworker balanced the stack in one hand and took a paper off of the top with her other. Setting it on his desk, she backed away quickly. “We recently got a call about it. They want us on the case.” She said. Shuichi glanced down at the paper for a moment. The headline read out, “New criminal organization, D.I.C.E, performs heist on high scale bank!” D.I.C.E… A name that Shuichi never wanted to see again. Although he was told that that god-awful killing game was only a simulation and that everyone was alive, he just couldn’t believe it. Some of his friends didn’t even have bodies left. He had witnessed so many deaths that felt so real. So, when he was told that it was all fake? No way. He simply left the building and went off to be alone. And after that, he never saw anyone again. Not even Maki and Himiko. And the last person he wanted to see was Kokichi. Shuichi didn’t care about whatever he did to end the killing game. That boy was the embodiment of a lie. A specimen never to be trusted. A pathetic creature who would never have anyone to trust in. Trust works both ways. To believe in someone, you must believe in them. He gave up on believing in Kokichi a long time ago.  It doesn’t matter if his intentions were pure.

Current Time…

After a month of searching, Kokichi and his goons were finally brought in. And though Shuichi had thought of a million things he could say to Kokichi when he caught him, his throat was drier than the Sahara desert as he stood face to face with his old adversary. “What? Can’t talk? You know, I thought being caught by you would be more interesting.” Kokichi rolled his eyes as he talked, fiddling with the handcuffs that kept his hands stuck to the table. “Shut up,” was all Shuichi could say. “Come on, Shuichi. Aren’t you excited to see me? We haven’t met face-to-face like this in a year!” Kokichi giggled and stood, his hands still on the table. Shuichi walked around the table and glared at him. “What are you gonna do? Kiss me?” The shorter boy joked. But it was then that the two of them truly studied each other. Both of them had changed in different ways. Shuichi became more confident in himself and his work, and Kokichi was influenced by his friends enough to change his style. The group had stopped wearing uniforms but still dressed in the same colors black, white, and purple. Kokichi blushed as Saihara’s gaze flickered over his body. Today he wore black skinny jeans, platform checkered vans (due to getting teased by his gang about his height,) a white t-shirt, a chain necklace, and fishnet gloves. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a few pieces falling in the front.

Shuichi was stuck in a trance as he picked apart the differences between the Kokichi he knew and this one. Their personalities seemed to be the same. Though, he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. But after a bit, he realized Kokichi was staring him down too. Shuichi was a bit embarrassed that he hadn’t dressed up as much as Kokichi did. He only wore black jeans, a black button-up, rings and crap, and sneakers. At least he didn’t look awful. But, for some reason, to Kokichi, the taller boy looked perfect. “Are you going to speak or are we just going to keep eye-f***ing each other?” Shuichi’s eyes widened at Kokichi’s words. He wasn’t… no… Shuichi was simply noticing how much he had changed. Yep. That was it. Shuichi sighed and went back around the table. “Listen, Kokichi. You’re going to be put in prison. And I probably won’t ever see you again. So, is there anything you would like to say to me?” Kokichi smiled and leaned forward over the table. “Sure. I love you, Shuichi. Is that what you were looking for?” He tilted his head with a lopsided grin. Shuichi growled and set his own hands on the table. “Shut up. You and I both know that’s a lie. You don’t love anyone.” As if a pin had pricked Kokichi’s heart, he retracted slightly and stood frozen in place. Did Shuichi truly believe that he was heartless? Sure, he may have lied quite a bit during the killing game but he did it for the greater good. He wasn’t a monster. At least, he didn’t think he was.

“It’s not a lie. Here, I’ll prove it. Uncuff me.” I held out his wrists, well sort of held out since they were cuffed to the table. Shuichi raised an eyebrow, scoffing a moment later. “And why would I do that?” Shuichi asked. Kokichi giggled and grinned. “Because I want to kiss you and it’s easier when I have my hands free.”  Shuichi’s eyes stretched as he frantically looked back over his shoulder to the sheet of glass that separated him and his coworkers. The three that sat behind the screen were just as shocked as he was, one of them covering their eyes in case they did kiss. “No. I’m not giving you what you want, Kokichi. I’m done.” Kokichi faltered, his eyes darkening for a second. The shorter boy sighed and chuckled a bit. “You are smart, Shuichi. But not as smart as you think you are.” Kokichi said no more, simply smiling at his old friend. Shuichi seemed confused but he did not ask questions, simply because Kokichi was exhausting and he wanted to be done with this interrogation. The worst part about this entire situation was that Shuichi felt a small urge to kiss Kokichi. Show him that he wasn’t as much of a coward as he was before. Shuichi leaned across the table, only a couple of inches away from Kokichi’s lips. “Don’t tell me what I am and what I am not. Only I know that.” Shuichi mumbled, internally smiling at the blush that spread across the shorter boy's cheeks. Kokichi shivered and silently prayed that Shuichi would inch just a little bit closer. He was almost there. And when he looked behind the tall boy, his coworkers had left. “No one’s watching us anymore,” Kokichi whispered, his breath ghosting over Shuichi’s lips. And all of a sudden, he heard a click. His handcuffs. Shuichi had undone them. Now, Kokichi could use this chance to escape. That thought had crossed his mind. But he was stuck in the trance that was Saihara’s gaze. Shuichi took hold of Kokichi’s cheek and pulled him closer until their lips connected. Kokichi was starstruck. Their lips moved together like clockwork. Shuichi reached over the table and grasped the shorter boy’s body, pulling him on top of it. Eventually, they pulled apart, panting. “I’m sorry,” Kokichi muttered. Shuichi was confused for a moment and didn’t realize what exactly the purple-haired boy meant until he was rushing out of the room with tears streaming down his face.

[sillybayo]

Begging Herself Guilty, Pleading For Their Return

(Originally posted on AO3 on 9/3/23 for saimatsu week 2023, day 3, reunion. You can also read this on fanfiction.net)

A post canon danganronpa v3 saimatsu Kaede centered fic with a lot of hurt, and only comfort at the end. Vomiting trigger warning. Truly, no matter how hard Kaede tried, she couldn't get a hold of any of her new friends. She wonders if it's for the best, maybe this is her actual punishment.

~~~

It's pumpkin spice season, and the cafe is bustling and livelier than ever. The boss ordered all hands on deck until further notice, so even though she planned on relaxing in her apartment this morning, watching her favorite shoujo and seinen while drinking warm green milk tea mixed with honey, Kaede is off to work!

Rer life felt like a completely new one after being released from the hospital. There, rie have been miraculously revived and treated after rer supposed death. She doesn't know how, but all that matters is that she's here now.

She remembers watching the killing game being put to an end through a television screen. How powerful and brave everyone's words were, and how they managed to survive in the end. She always knew she could put her trust in Shuichi..and rie couldn't be happier that they're alive and well, along with Himiko and Maki. And if she managed to survive her execution, that means everyone else is ok too!

The only issue is, well, she's cut off from everyone. Rie has no way of contacting them, no matter how hard rie try. She could ask around—"Do you know someone named 'Shuichi Saihara?'—only but so many times. But then again, it feels like she doesn't deserve to see everyone again. Oh well, it could be worse. So rie continue to live in her apartment, trying to live the best rie can, whilst rewatching childhood shows.

She considered playing the piano again, but the sounds of the notes caused her ears to ring, the keys made her hands tremble, and when mixed into a melody, rer throat felt salty and thick, and rer insides rose within rer, until it all came out. So working as a part time barista will have to do for now, as she has no other talents nor interests.

"A small caramel frappe for 'Reiko!'" Kaede hollered.

A young teenager came up to the counter and took the drink and receipt from rer hands, then walked off with their friends. She brushed her curly strawberry blonde hair away from her face, wiping off a bit of sweat from her brown skin. Who knew working at such a typically calming place would cause so much strain?

Kaede's been in a who-knows-how-long loop of taking orders, making them, and then calling the customers' name so then it'll be served away. Thankfully, it's less overwhelming due to all of rer coworkers being there. She scanned the warm cafe, so when someone came up to her, she could prepare her train of thought for a new order.

However, someone caught her eye.

It was only for a second, but she saw someone from the backside, with dark sea hair, with short, pretty, tight curls. This revealed the person's neck, which was much darker skinned compared to her brown.

Rer mind immediately thought of one thing. It had to be—

"Shuichi!?"

The person didn't turn around, but rer legs started walking anyways, around the corner, and nearby the door. The walk turned into a sprint, and before she knew it, she patted the person's back. Maybe he just didn't hear her before? Maybe, just maybe..

The person turned around, and his black colored eyes met hers. Of course, it's something right out of a story. "Oh! Sorry, I thought you were someone else," and she speedwalked back to her register, embarrassment and disappointment filling up her heart the whole way there.

The rest of the shift was the longest one she ever had, and rie're not sure if its because of the amount of people who apparently need a pumpkin spice latte today, or because of rer mind being occupied by that upsetting moment.

Kaede admired Shuichi ever since she first met him that unfortunate day. They were timid, sure, but she felt that hope within them. She liked the warmth in their hands, the politeness in their voice, and how they paid attention and listened to every detail that came to their ears. She would've loved getting to know them more, even for just a little longer. But, with a television screen between them, and with a hard belief that they're never going to meet again, the belief that one of them is long gone...that dream drifted further and further away. Truly, no matter how hard Kaede tried, she couldn't get a hold of any of her new friends. She wonders if it's for the best, maybe this is her actual punishment.

Once all of the customers left, she let out a long and heavy sigh. Rie clocked out, turned the sign to 'Closed!', and headed her way back to her apartment.

The evening autumn wind sent chills down rer spine. The whole day has just felt so cold and unlucky. Maybe rie should just stop trying to find everyone altogether. What if they're whole new people now? What if they only bring back ghastly memories, like when rie tried to play the piano? Maybe..if rie hadn't sent down that ball, maybe rie wouldn't have been framed. Maybe rie could've survived, and been by everyone's side the whole time. Oh, how she longed for it. But all because of a reckless decision, all of it is taken away now. Everything is her fault. She put this all on herself, and it's only karma that she's all alone now.

The sky turned dark, and she could see her apartment building in the distance. Kaede shivered as the wind blew, she's starting to regret not taking the bus. Her legs are starting to ache too..at least her home is in sight, it shouldn't take too much longer to get there.

A distant soft voice stood out against the quiet night. Rie paid it no mind at first, anyone and everyone talks at night. This is no different. But the more she walked, the more she heard the voice, as if she were getting closer. It seemed like the person was having a phone call, and she had a better grasp on their voice. Masculine, a bit wobbly and breathy, but struck confidence like lightning when needed.

..It can't be. She should just give up already. Rie looked down on the ground and continued her stroll. She's almost home. All of this will be over soon.

"Kaede?" the voice shouted from a distance. Rie must be hallucinating. The voice from the very beginning had to be fake. Rie have to just forget about it all.

"Kaede?" She told herself to just keep walking.

"Kaede!" Why won't they let her ignore them?!

The longer she paid them no mind, the closer the sound of footsteps became. Hope and excitement bubbled up in a part of her, but another told her to ignore it, that her expectations will only continue to be let down, deeper and deeper. She can't have that joy, she shouldn't.

A warm gloved hand contrasted rer crisp palm.

"Kaede Akamatsu?"

Rie couldn't afford to turn away anymore. Rie faced the unmistakable look of her old friend, though with some differences. Their loose curls were now long dreads pulled back into a low ponytail, and his eyebags seemed to be lighter. Either that, or his new glasses were blocking a proper view of his eyes. Maybe they haven't cleaned them in a while? Their face was a bit longer, which made sense, since the last time she had seen them, they were only nineteen. He was much more well dressed for the occasion, a sweater, a jacket, jeans, and light gloves, in contrast to Kaedes much looser long sleeved shirt, and shorts that only reached her knees.

..It was a lot to take in, for only about a two year difference.

But what do rie even say? Rie just ignored him for the past few minutes, and quite noticeably too. All because she didn't want to get disappointed again. And it turned out to be the exact person she was hoping for.

"I-it's really you! I mean—it wasn't hard to notice. But it's so hard to believe! I thought I'd never see you again! I have so many questions, b-but I don't even know where to begin!"

They went on to explain how much they've missed her, how he hoped that rie were alive somehow, and that even though they've managed to go through so much without her, a part of them still felt missing, as if it was ripped out of him. But Kaede couldn't get herself to say anything back. She wanted to tell him how much she missed him, and how proud she was. The mix of that rejoice and pride, but the guilt of avoiding them, of leaving them behind for so long, stirred up within her, rendering her speechless. So then what does she do?

She clasped Shuichi into her arms, and despite her being taller than them, she nuzzled herself into them as deeply as she could. Rer tears ended up in his dreaded hair, and rie sniffled and sobbed into their forehead. They didn't seem to mind though, as they held her back just as tight. Their warmth flooded rhem with relief, the relief of knowing that rie deserves such kindness, despite rer risky actions, and putting everyone in such disarray, even with good intentions. The embrace itself felt selfish, in a way. As if she were demanding forgiveness. A part of her knew it wasn't though, it'll just take time before it becomes whole. One day, she'll manage to forgive herself too.

[nagito-komaeda-is-gnc-af]

Kokichi only gained Gonta's trust just to use him.

Even the Ultimate Kokichi Stan/theorist, oumakokichi on Tumblr, said that Gonta and Ouma's relationship is inherently abusive. WHEN THE ULTIMATE KOKICHI STAN/ANALYST SAYS THAT, AT LEAST TRY TO PAY ATTENTION.

"Gonta is someone who trusts others implicitly, always tries to see the best in people, and is kind, gentle, and compassionate. Throughout earlier chapters, but especially in Chapter 4, Ouma comes down hard on him, insults him, and tells him to "stop moping" or "focusing on what he can't do" and while these things are likely the same kind of act that he put on in order to force Himiko to confront the promise she made to Tenko, it still doesn't change the fact that he says pretty awful things to Gonta in order to achieve these results."

"To try and ship Gonta and Ouma in a romantic fashion or anything similar is just...really not good. Gonta doesn't deserve to be put in any kind of shipping dynamic where he's going to be seen as anything less than equal, and there's really no way to deny that Ouma doesn't see him as an equal, but as a piece to be moved on a gameboard. This is something really important to be remembered with most ships, in my opinion, but with this one in particular I'll just say that it does really make me uncomfortable that people would want to make this kind of treatment into something "cutesy" or "shippy" when it's really not supposed to be, and not portrayed as such by the game." (Lunarin64art: "This sign can't stop me because I can't read".)

"An undeniable part of why he relies on Gonta probably comes down to the fact that yes, he does see him as one of the more easily manipulated members of the group. As one of the only characters whose reaction is to trust even Ouma implicitly, rather than to assume that he's lying, Gonta and his sweet, trusting disposition mean that whenever Ouma does have a plan that needs being done, he always has a pretty accessible, physically strong member of the group to rely on. This is pretty evident with the fact that he knew Gonta looked large and intimidating enough to round up all the members of the group into the entomology lab while Ouma himself was off trying to collect evidence."

In any good Virtual Simulation AU everyone is alive and well except Kokichi, because Miu, Maki or (the best option) Gonta put him off life support before he could wake and that fucker died as he deserved. Everyone was happy he died and absolutely no one mourned him.

You REALLY thought Kokichi would ACTUALLY INFORM Gonta about the Bugvac? When Kokichi NEEDED to keep Gonta's self-esteem as low as possible so that he would be easier to manipulate. Of course he wouldn't show Gonta anything that could make him believe in himself. What a stupid pile of filth you are.

"He never treats Gonta the way he did on chp4 on any other part of the game." 

Okay, how about Kokichi telling Gonta that if he keeps being so gullible it would get him killed while PLANNING to get him killed since Day 1, being a shit to Gonta in their pre-Free Time Events in Chapter 2, manipulating Gonta into kidnapping everyone by telling him that his classmates hate bugs (Which was a part of Kokichi's plan to get rid of Ryoma and Kirumi by letting Kirumi kill Ryoma, so Kokichi basically made Gonta indirectly cause two people's deaths)? Kokichi telling Gonta "nothing good ever happens when you try to help" in Chapter 3? Kokichi constantly calling Gonta an idiot?

" I also find it strange how there are still people who actually think that Ouma didn't care about Gonta. That was legitimately one of his most obvious lies in the entire game. His end talk with Kaito wouldn't make any sense otherwise, nor his interactions with Gonta on TDP and DRS." 

His interactions with Gonta in TDP and DRS don't show that he cares for him in the slightest. Aside from Ouma's graduation event, where he slightly regrets abusing Gonta for three years, there's literally no indication that he, in any way, cares about Gonta. Where's it? When he tells Gonta that he's going to kill someone by playing volleyball (TDP)? When he banters with Junko while Gonta just stands here as a prop - he only came to see Junko, who is his bestie, not to protect Gonta from her or stuff, Gonta was never the main objective here (TDP). Two neutral interactions with Gonta where he just farts around without doing or saying anything that would imply he gives a shit about Gonta? (Summer Camp) And two more interactions with Gonta that feature Gonta mostly serving as a mediator between him and the other characters without Ouma ever once doing anything in return for Gonta? (Summer Camp) His every single interaction with Gonta is abusive. Gonta cares about Kokichi and tries to put actual effort into their "friendship". Kokichi just uses him for his own benefit and doesn't give Gonta anything in return.

ok. and? I'm not replying to your other 6 anons. you're putting way too much energy into nothing. it's almost like Danganronpa isn't canon IN canon. and anything can happen. idc what a Kokichi expert says. just because one person puts on a big boy hat and does amazing work to analyze the character doesn't mean I need to care. like they are right. I've never said it wasn't abusive. i like that blog and they are right on many accounts but im allowed to have my own perspective on the characters and plot. people are allowed to do that. but you, the anon, the one using another person's words to justify, clearly have no nuanced takes and a deep-seeded hate for kokichi. if you think JUNKO has any emotions that Kokichi somehow lacks and that he DESERVES DEATH then anything else you said is null to me. maybe you should listen to the kokichi stan about why they stan them. because you're clearly just using another's words to fuel your hate. danganronpa isn't real. irl or in canon. none of it matters. let people ship what they want.

[tragedytells-tales]

Artificial Avatar ☆ Sugar Rush

Notes - No MC, Fluff and Comedy, Obey Me AU, Drabble, Ajay is an absolute menace, Feat. Ajay, Mammon, Grim, ( Himiko, and Ryo belong to @absolutepokemontrash )

Summary - What happens when you give a child, who didn't know what breakfast was, a cookie? Nothing good probably. And by probably, that means absolutely.

Warnings - Slight mentions of drowning ( No one actually drowns or is drowning ), Not Proofread

TW - None

[ Prolog ] - [ PT.1 ] - [ PT.2 ] - [ PT.2.5 ] - [ PT.3 ]

Himiko never made a habit of going into peoples rooms without permission, with the only exception being cleaning. But she chose to break the rule just this once, and entered the guest room after the third knock without an answer.

Onyx eyes scanned the room from ceiling, to empty bed, to clean floors. Yet there was not a single half-demon in sight.

Only a lone red panda plush that sat on the nightstand...

It was in that moment that she decidedly not trusted the plush red panda that sat innocently in its spot.

Apparently it had appeared spontaneously in the middle of the night, right on the foot of the guest bed. She knew the toy was something that Ajay cherished, as they had affectionately dubbed him "Mr. PanPan" the moment they saw him, yet he just looked too... alive. And not in the judgmental manner of Mr. Fuku, no. Something far more sinister...

Wrenching her gaze away from the nerve-wracking stare down, she continued in her search for the kid under house arrest.

"Did you need something, Lady Himiko?"

"OH FU- By Diavolo, there you are Ajay..."

The teen tilted their head with a confused frown, as confused as a neutral stare could get, and side-eyed the empty guest room. Whatever they were looking for, apparently they didn't find it as they turned back to Himiko with more neutral confusion than the first look had.

"Is something wrong, your highness?" The teen questioned, robotic arm even drooping in sync with their shoulders.

Himiko sighed and dropped her hand from her chest, cautiously glaring at the still red panda plush on the nightstand. "No, well not no, I came to get you for lunch. You skipped breakfast, which is fine since not everyone eats it, but you need to eat something. It's bad for both your mental and physical health to skip meals."

"Both are already in shambles." The teen mumbled to nobody.

Before the demoness could question the whisper a brief waft of something sweet drifted by. Himiko's attention drifted over to the direction of the kitchen, missing the way Ajays pupils blew wide and their nose twitched. Even the gem necklace that hung on their neck swayed ever so slightly.

Grims head peaked around the corner with a wide grin, "The cookies are done!" He announced before zipping back over to the kitchen faster than either could blink.

"I'm surprised they didn't burn them," Himiko chuckled, fondness edging at her voice, "Come on Ajay."

The half demon followed behind silently, as silent as they could be when they weren’t actively quieting their robotic arm anyway. It was at times like this, walking behind someone they were taller than by a whole head, that Ajay wondered which part of the experiment made them taller than they felt.

Then they rounded the corner into the kitchen and spotted Ryo and Mammon standing over a perfectly made tray of unidentified food, and remembered that they're actually rather short for a demon.

"There you two are!" Ryo looked up and waved while attempting to speak through a cookie, "I was gonna eat all these cookies by myself if you didn't show up soon!"

Mammon looked over and waved next. "I like the whole motif you've got goin' kid. Red panda necklace, red panda plush, really sticking to a brand." He remarked, nodding to Ajays green necklace hung right around their neck.

"Thank you Lord Mammon."

Himiko picked up one of the golden brown cookies and turned it over with a satisfied smile, "Good job on the cookies."

"They ain't even burnt!" Mammon exclaimed as he stood proudly over the tray, chest even puffed out just the slightest bit.

Himiko rolled her eyes and lightly batted Grim away from the tray to take her seat, "Yes yes, amazing job you two. I'm very proud."

"A great enough job to earn a kiss?" Mammon smiled, barely leaning over the table to receive a kiss on the cheek from his wife, which was followed by a loud fake barf from his daughter.

"Ah yes, how rancid, to have two deeply in love parents." The demon remarked, dramatically leaning himself over his daughter before dead dropping all of his weight onto her already struggling form.

"YOU ALMOST MADE ME DROP MY COOKIE!"

"What's that thing you kids say? Oh yeah, skill issue."

"EH?!?!"

Ajay tilted their head at the two demons fighting for their lives before turning to Himiko with the same puzzled expression. "What's a skill issue?" They asked while choosing to stand rather than sit.

Himiko pointed to a chair next to her and watched the child sit before giving them an answer, "To lack in a specific skill, a skill issue."

"Okay... and what's a cookie?"

"A dessert that you're not gonna eat until you at least eat something with nutrition." Himiko nodded, reaching over to the fruit bowl right next to the cookies and grabbing a heart shaped red thing that Ajay once again did not recognize.

"What is that?"

The demoness stopped for a moment and blinked before her expression morphed into one of shock. "Do you... not know what an apple is?" She asked, watching the half demon shrug with their eyes locked onto the fruit in her hand.

"No. No I do not." They answered, blunt and fast.

Dual-colored eyes stayed locked onto the fruit in the well manicured hand and Himiko nearly thought they were attempting to explode it with their mind for a moment. She handed the apple over to Ajay and placed it in their hand, "Here, try it and see if you like it. If not I'll get you a different fruit-"

"Oh it's sweet."

By the time she turned back to the teen, a large chunk had been taken out of the apple. They chewed for a moment, expression twisted into one of both shock and surprise. But they didn't look upset.

"This is... a lot sweeter than I expected." Ajays eyes widened with a red glow in one, swallowing the bite they already had before taking another with a delighted hum while gleefully kicking their feet. Himiko even swore they had a little smile.

Ryo wrenched her way out of her father's noogie and raced over to where Ajay sat devouring the apple. She chuckled at the gleeful teen, even sliding another apple slice into their unsuspecting hand, "I would say I'm surprised, but seeing as you probably lived in a cave, I am not."

Ajay almost stopped to ask why Ryo thought they lived in a cave, only to remember that they currently had a lovely fruit from the gods in their hand and couldn't be bothered with questions.

Mammon smiled as the half demon scarfed down their last bite of apple and he turned to pick up a cookie, tossing it with a flip before handing it in the teens direction. "Here kid, now that you've had your nutrition you should try one of these before Grim stuffs them into his never ending stomach." He remarked, turning to shoot a sly smirk at Grims pout.

A robotic hand took it with only a moment's hesitation. Ajay raised it to their nose and sniffed it for a second, ignoring the questioning stares they got, before biting into it.

All at once, three things happened.

One, their eyes and pupils blew wide.

Two, the cookie in their hand was gone and before anyone could blink they grabbed another, devouring both it and a third in quick succession.

And three, Ajay shot ridged straight and dead still in their seat, so tense that Himiko wondered if Ajay had stopped breathing. Right as Ajays eyes went just the slightest bit wider, Ryo let out a low chuckle and whispered "Oh no." Before taking a few steps back.

Ajay began to rapidly bounce in their seat and flap their free hand so fast Mammon thought it would flop out of its socket, "SUGARRRRRR!!!!"

The teen raced out of their chair and dashed around the living room faster than anyone had even seen them move, only stopping every so often before darting around a corner and zipping right back.

"Oh-" Mammon stepped out of the way seconds before Ajay ripped past him and out into the gardens, "Yeah, kid! Sugar-"

Just as fast as they left, the teen darted back through the sliding glass door, jolting to a stop in the living room. Dual-colored wide eyes locked onto Ryo, and Ryo stared back. Himiko, Mammon, and Grim watched in tense silence for a moment before Ajays shot her a mischievous grin. Ryo smiled with a playful growl and hopped up out of her chair.

"Oi, you wanna SCRAP kid?! let's go!" She cheered, launching herself over the couch and chasing after the half demon who sidestepped and hopped over her before racing off with a laughing Ryo behind them.

Himiko hummed with a tilt of her head as she watched the two teens expertly race around the living room, surprisingly without breaking anything. Ryo even got a face full of couch cushion when Ajay teleported out of the way of an incoming tackle, to which she claimed was cheating. The bracelet on Ajays wrist apparently agreed as it stopped them the next time they tried, which led to them nearly getting body slammed.

"How long do you think they'll last before they crash?"

Mammon watched the two and swallowed his own cookie before responding, "I give it two hours, a sugar rush can't last that long."

A sugar rush can in fact last that long. Long as half of the day.

Ryo tapped out after the second hour of chasing them, claiming that the P.E in NRC had taken enough out of her before Grim took her place. He too suffered the same fate as Ajay was simply too slippery to catch, or so he says.

Mammon also took a go at entertaining the child, at one point even pulling out a red laser pointer that he had the time of his life watching them chase. The scratches on the walls are a simple enough fix.

The Avatar of Misfortune had even decided to toss them into the pool, which in turn got her both dragged in and the interesting discovery that Ajay couldn’t swim but had a ridiculous lung capacity. She found out the latter when Ajay didn’t surface for three minutes straight and scared everyone into thinking they drowned. Mammon ended up retrieving them.

Himiko, in the end of it all, jumped in just as the last bit of energy made its way out of Ajays system. All had gathered in the living room and Himiko decided to entertain them by simply letting them talk themself to exhaustion.

Ajay bounced rapidly from their seat on the floor, robotic arm even buzzing, and turned to Himiko with the most serious look they could muster in their sugar crazed state.

"If DK is the initials for Demon King, does that make Lord Diavolo Donkey Kong?"

Mammon and Grim collectively stopped to think about the question. Occasionally even going to respond or debate before turning the question over in their heads.

Ryo, on the other hand, answered with a swift and enthusiastic, "Yes! You see the vision! Ace is wrong yet again!" Followed by a prideful smile as she leaned back in her seat, sticking her tongue out at Grim.

Himiko didn't bother answering as Ajay nodded to Ryos answer and continued to talk themself in circles about the apparent meaning of life and Diavolo secretly having a child called Diddy Kong. Even if it was clear that they had no clue what they were talking about, not when Donkey Kong apparently threw watermelons.

"And that's way, mathematically speaking, an Avatar could be created off of the sin of choccy milk-" The half demon's rant was cut off by a long, fanged, yawn. They shook their head for a moment as a last ditch effort to drive away the heavy feeling slowly creeping in, and forced their eyes to stay open as they leaned off of the couch.

"Well," Himiko chuckled, nudging Ajay over to one of the spare seats on the couch, "I guess that's enough of that for the day." She watched Ajay grumble something under their breath before the full body collapsed into a tight ball right between Ryo and herself with a big and hearty sigh.

"Aww, I really wanted to learn more about the sin of chocolate milk." Ryo dramatically pouted and scooted away from Ajay to give them more space, only for them to not move a muscle.

Grim poked their cheek, taking the poke from Himiko in return. Even then the sleeping teen stayed dead to the world without even a flick of the eye. "They really are knocked out, huh?"

"I didn' expect them to sleep in front of us that fast." Mammon raised a brow as tiny snores filled the silence despite Ajays body never relaxing. The teen was almost curled into a perfect circle, which was an impressive feat not even Belphegor had accomplished.

Ryo shook her head, "What a sugar crash does to a teen..."

With a shrug and a playful roll of her eyes, Himiko picked up the remote and scrolled for a bit before turning on a movie that got the approval of everyone in the room.

A girl named Meilin Lee began to monolog as Himiko's eyes drifted over to the still sleeping teen curled up next to her. Their hair almost completely covered their face and their hands were squished in between their arms and knees, almost like a cat.

...They really did have a red panda motif.

She had to remind them to pack a bag for Lucifers when they woke up.

And if Mammon snuck Ajay a cookie before they went to bed that night and solidified his place as Ajays favorite person? Then it wasn't anyone's concern.

AN: Ignore the subtle slip in of two very important things that I forgot to write in earlier. Excuse that this is coming out at 2 am, I just love these guys. Only good things for them always, especially Ajay =)

[danganronpa-ship-tourney]

On the Tenko and Angie thing, the thing is Tenko was already very distrusting of Angie even before Himiko and Angie became best friends, in chapter 1 investigation Tenko chooses to keep an eye on Angie cause she doesn't trust her when all Angie is doing at that point is praying for Rantaro. Also keep in mind, Tenko chose to do that instead of partnering up with Himiko, that's how much she distrusts Angie. And again, this is before Tenko has any real specific beef/conflict with Angie.

I understand why characters generally distrust Angie, especially later on when the student council forms, but Angie got a really raw deal from the pov group for essentially just wanting to protect and keep everyone alive.

like I said, I really think it’s more a consequence of inherent racist writing then tenko as a character specifically being racist, from the start Angie is talking about blood sacrifices and the like, it’s perfectly reasonable for someone to be wary of that, the problem is that Angie’s character was written in a kinda shitty way to begin with more then anything else, they’re meant to be character foils but Angie’s writing made it very clumsy and a bit uncomfortable at times

[mythgirlimagines]

В главе 6 Цумуги объясняет, что убийственная игра — это всего лишь симуляция, чтобы повергнуть их в отчаяние. На самом деле погибшие участники живут по ту сторону(in reality), но для того, чтобы остальные выжившие тоже прошли по ту сторону живыми и невредимыми, им нужно победить Цумуги. вероятно.

Цумуги говорит Шуичи, что он никогда не существовал в реальной жизни, как сейчас.

До симуляции он был совершенно другим человеком. Он Такаши Кагехара Абсолютный Исследователь (Не-Отчаяние). Человек напрочь лишенный морали, чувств и человечности. Он эгоист, который ради себя выбросил своих сестер на улицу. Человек, чья сестра повергла мир в отчаяние. Человек, который довел Джунко до отчаяния. Цумуги заключает сделку с выжившими. Цумуги освобождается только в том случае, если Шуичи снова становится Кагехарой.

The survivors will have a choice in which they will have to literally kill Shuichi and give his body back to Kagehara

Now this is an interesting one!

Translation: In chapter 6, Tsumugi explains that the killing game is just a simulation to throw them into despair. In fact, the dead participants live on the other side (in reality), but in order for the rest of the survivors to also pass through the other side alive and unharmed, they need to defeat Tsumugi. Probably.

Tsumugi tells Shuichi that he never existed in real life like he does now. Before the simulation, he was a completely different person. He is Takashi Kagehara the Ultimate Explorer (No-Despair). A man completely devoid of morality, feelings and humanity. He is an egoist who threw his sisters out into the street for his own sake. The man whose sister brought the world to despair. The man who drove Junko to despair. Tsumugi makes a deal with the survivors. Tsumugi is only freed if Shuichi becomes Kagehara again.

It was Tsumugi’s trump card, essentially, telling Shuichi about his previous identity of Takashi Kagehara. An Ultimate Explorer who was nothing like the person Shuichi had become.

Shuichi really didn’t know what to think. On the one hand, why would he trust Tsumugi’s word? But on the other…why did his head hurt when he heard that name, those details?

It was up to Kiibo, Maki, and Himiko. They could defeat Tsumugi by bringing Takashi back, or they could keep Shuichi and simply perish. That was their one and only choice.

And of course none of them wanted to make that decision. Takashi sounded like an awful person, and they didn’t want to give Shuichi up. But would they ever be free of the simulation otherwise?

It was impossible. It was easier to succumb to despair right then and there, despite all of them trying to think of a different way out. Shuichi couldn’t even speak; was he really not who he thought he was?