#and then the only reason she gets pulled out and saved from the depths of her depression is because of nobara

[sashisuse]

on my way to make more suguru and salma parallels.

going insane over it actually. salma witnessing yuji ‘die’ and it has almost the exact same impact on her as riko dying in front of suguru did. 1. extremely powerful enemy kills someone you’ve begun to care deeply about 2. extremely powerful enemy also beats you to a pulp.

[shsl-analyzer-guy]

In-Depth Character Analysis On All The DR Characters Because What, Are You Gonna Try And Stop Me? Who Are You, My Mom? Yeah, I Didn't Think So- Part 5: Junko Enoshima

Oh boy, this is gonna be a big one. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all if this turns out to be the longest analysis in this entire series of ~100 characters. Why did I not save her for last. Why is this part 5. Why do I do this to myself-

Jokes aside, I am so so so excited to make this; Junko has become the face of this franchise for a reason, and the depth of her character and role in the series as a whole is massive. I won't be surprised if this takes over a month to complete. In fact, just for fun, let's track it. I'm starting the analysis on 7/5/24. When will we finish? Nobody knows!

(Final edit Crane here. It has been more than 5 months. Christ.)

This analysis uses only official material for the sake of analyzing the character, primarily sourcing official English localizations. It'll be um, lengthy, to say the least, so if you aren't that interested, just keep scrolling. Also, if there's even one canon installation of Danganronpa that you haven't played/watched/read yet (THH, DR0, SDR2, UDG, DR3, and/or V3) don't read this; the ripple effect of Junko in every corner of the franchise will be discussed and thus, there will be spoilers aplenty.

Also, a disclaimer that though I try to remain as objective as possible with these analyses, it will be at its core, an interpretation. Not everything will match up with how you interpret it, and that's okay! I don't claim to be perfect, and this isn't an infallible source of canon, only my interpretation of the source. Let's get into it!

Foreword

Real quick, before we get too far in: readers of my previous analyses know that I normally try to move in chronological order of release and events in-game to keep the analyses easier to follow. Due to the nature of Junko's characterization and the fact that she's present throughout the entire series, that isn't really possible here, as to talk about any one aspect of her, I may need to pull from multiple installations. I'll be sure to cite where I'm pulling from and provide evidence where necessary, but it definitely won't be perfectly in order by release or timeline. So hopefully it won't be too messy. Also, characters very closely tied to Junko, like Monokuma, Ryoko, Mukuro, etc. will be analyzed separately at a later date, so those sections may end up feeling incomplete as a result. For the sake of releasing this before 2025, I need to cut corners a little bit and focus primarily on how these relationships affect Junko, and not the other way around.

Part 1- Monokuma

In order to understand Junko, you must first have a basic understanding of Monokuma, mascot of the Danganronpa series and self-declared Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. Monokuma introduces himself to the cast as their superior and oversees the killing games, providing motives and passing judgement on the class trials, all while reveling in the Despair of the students. There are multiple iterations of Monokuma, but most of them exist in order to carry out the killing games without issue.

Like Junko, Monokuma remained a staple of the franchise, appearing in every official installment, whether he was being actively piloted by Junko or not. As we see in DR3: Despair Arc, she personally designed him to become the face of her movement of Despair, and thus, he was used to carry out her will at every turn.

1.1- Trigger Happy Havoc

In the first DR game, Monokuma was just a robot piloted by Junko. His mannerisms were a character invented by her to appear as the psychopathic Headmaster, but regardless, her true nature of Despair is directly infused into the character as she acts him out. Through him, she's able to reveal hidden information about each of her classmates and torment them personally, all without them knowing she was once a dear friend to them. As a robot, though, he came with drawbacks- Junko couldn't pilot him and watch the cameras at the same time, and once the charade of his all-seeing Headmaster was seen through by Kyoko, he lost most of his power. Thus, Monokuma's existence was designed to deceive, and could only function through deception. He created the illusion that hope was outside, that escape was solely on his terms, and that the class had no unification- all according to Junko's design.

1.2- Goodbye Despair

When the sequel game arrived, Monokuma was once again a character being played by Junko. Unlike last time, however, the two had blended together, becoming one and the same. This Monokuma was a Despair Virus, created with Chihiro's Alter Ego technology, and implanted into the Neo World Program with the intent of continuing the real Junko's plans for the spread of Despair. This version of Monokuma is extremely similar to the previous in terms of its personality and beliefs, but appears much more powerful within the artificially generated world, now able to apparently power-up, bleed, and transform plushies into duplicates without logical explanation.

Rather than targeting certain themes in an attempt to teach Despair, this Monokuma created directly-targeted motives, attempting to use class 77's personal connections to a whole other level and banking on the fact they were friends, rather than try to cover it up. He also acts as if they're his dear friends and like they're on the same side, directly inverse to his apparent attitude towards class 78. This is intentional, though as to why, we'll get into much later.

1.3- Ultra Despair Girls

Rather than being present as a character, Monokuma exists solely as mascot in this game, as thousands of Monokumas are programmed and piloted to slaughter the majority of adults in Towa City. He exists solely as a tool used by the Warriors of Hope.

In chapter 4 of the game, you get the reveal that all the physical Monokumas that exist were built and sold in Towa Group's factories, and later, that Monaca Towa was directly responsible. This exists to demonstrate how Junko was able to financially and physically afford the amount of power and technology she accrued in her crusade for Despair. More on this later.

1.4- Danganronpa 3- Future Arc

Near the end of the first episode, Monokuma seemingly appears on a monitor in the meeting room of Future Foundation's HQ, announcing his survival and a return of the killing games, starting with the Future Foundation higher-ups. At the beginning of the following episode, an act is put on between this version of the character and "Miaya Gekkogahara", as they fake an argument where Monokuma alters her avatar Usami into Monomi, making it appear as though he's again being piloted by a real person from some remote location.

As the season comes to a close, though, we learn that it was the chairman who set up the killing game, and that Monokuma's appearance, along with the video that would play during every nap, were falsified recordings, aided in part by Monaca Towa pretending to be Miaya. Thus, his likeness was used for a cheap recreation in an attempt to manipulate one person and kill nearly everyone else in charge of the Future Foundation, all set in motion by Junko's own brainwashing videos.

1.5- Killing Harmony

This is the only version of Monokuma that Junko herself doesn't have a hand in recreating, and is the only time he exists solely as a robot personality of his own accord. Created by Team Danganronpa, he's a physical conception of the fictional character Monokuma in-universe, and thus, is a character in his own right. Birthed by a Motherkuma machine for the mastermind's benefit, Monokuma acts once again as Headmaster, but a significant amount of soul is noticably absent from the presentation. This is in part due to the amount of focus on the Monokubs, using their unique characteristics for comic gags with the cast in the way Monokuma used to in the previous games, and his appearance feels like more of a checkbox than an actual return of Monokuma. Simply put, without Junko's influence, Monokuma's character becomes more flat, and starts to fade into the background in a convoluted mess of references and callbacks. All of which is done on purpose- Monokuma is a facet of Junko, and without Junko, Monokuma becomes empty.

Part 2- Character Design

Junko Enoshima is designed as a gyaru, a subgenre of fashion known for its more 'rebellious' style. She's dressed in a modified uniform, with a black jacket with her sleeves rolled up and unbuttoned, allowing her cleavage and bra to show, with a black-and-white tie, a red bow, and a red plaid miniskirt. She also has Monokuma pins holding up her ponytails- one with the white half, and one with the black half. Asymmetricality and the use of exclusively black, white, and red all align her with Monokuma, an asymmetrical black-and-white bear with a red eye. She has styled blonde hair and blue eyes, and has the title of SHSL Gyaru, or Ultimate Fashionista.

2.1- What's A Gyaru?

Gyaru as a fashion style first originated in the 1970s, emerging from Japanese women's nonconformist desire to embrace their own sexuality and rebel against societal standards of the traditional housewife. As time passed and more women latched onto the trend, it became a major point of discussion, initially shaming these women for being too racy or delinquent, before shifting to an increase in streetwear fashion and being recognized as its own genre of fashion, evolving with new subgenres as time continued to pass. It went from a wholly shameful style to an expensive, trendy one as expressly gyaru clothes started to be made and sold in stores. The increase in popularity also led to discussions of placing laws against child prostitution, as younger girls were getting into the expensive fashion and started finding alternative ways to afford this showy clothing.

There are many, many subgenres of gyaru known, but Junko Enoshima is specifically referred to as a kogal or kogyaru, a high-school gyaru. Her school uniform is modified into a showy jacket and miniskirt with big bows, she wears knee-high boots, and her hair is blonde, implied to be dyed based off of the common hair-dying of kogals. In DR 0, we also see her with red hair and eyes as opposed to the blonde and blue, suggesting that red may be her natural hair and eye color. Kogal culture has a lot of stereotypes around it regarding the extracurricular activities of the girls who subscribe to it, but the general idea around it is for the girls that participate in it to break social norms and claim their sexuality for themselves to get what they want, all within a consumerist guise. This type of mentality matches Junko extremely well, as a character bent on breaking the world for her own pleasures by advertising herself as Despair.

Part 3- The Mastermind Reveal (THH)

We don't actually meet Junko Enoshima until the final showdown in THH, though we are well-acquainted with the idea of her before then, as not only do we meet an imposter-Junko in the first chapter, but her magazines are specifically shown to us in the intro of the game, and are scattered throughout the school(laundry room). There are also little hints as to her identity as mastermind sprinkled into the game.

"Whenever I spot a cute girl, I have a tendency to stare. I can't help it- I just gaze with intensity. The other day, I rode my bike to the train station... I was in the bathroom, just looking at myself in the mirror..." -Monokuma Theatre, THH

Despite these hints, the characters don't know who the mastermind is yet, only being able to reason at her motivations for the killing game and why it came to be based off of what clues Monokuma leaves out for them, like how the main track that plays when interacting with Monokuma is called '100 Mile Junk Food Dash'.

"But first, I have a question for you... Who are you? What do you want from us?" "Well, if you really must know... Despair. That's all." -Kyoko Kirigiri & Monokuma, THH

"And for those of us who represent hope to kill each other and sink into Despair... The mastermind wants the world to see that, to try and prove that Despair is better than hope." -Kyoko Kirigiri, THH

We know that whoever this mastermind piloting Monokuma is, they're someone that's engineering this entire killing game expressly to spread Despair. With the knowledge that the killing game is being televised, that Despair isn't just for the students, but is being put on display for the entire world to see. Manufacturing and televising such a sadistic game using public figureheads under governmental protection is a behavior akin to terrorism (Despairism?) and is an act that, by itself, seems nigh impossible for some high-school student to be capable of. Yet, we know it is a high-schooler- Monokuma insists that the only people involved in the killing game are the 16 students of their class.

Through the investigations of chapters 5 and 6, it becomes increasingly more apparent that whoever this SHSL Despair is, Junko has some level of involvement. For example, more observant players will recognize Mukuro's corpse almost immediately as 'Junko's' from chapter 1, as her bright red nails and the same high-heeled, red-laced boots are clearly visible. And while this doesn't immediately incriminate Junko herself, it does at least call into question the identity of the dead SHSL Despair, as the body being Mukuro's isn't ever really contested(save for a 'dumb Hiro' gag insisting it's Kyoko while standing next to Kyoko).

"And don't forget about the Fenrir tattoo. There's absolutely no mistake... Our victim in this case is, without a doubt, Mukuro Ikusaba...!" -Kyoko Kirigiri, THH

Throughout the final investigation, the player's job is to solve 'all the mysteries of the school', AKA their erased memories and the identity of the mastermind. This investigation intentionally doesn't talk about Junko, voiding her involvement to the point that her own face is scrubbed from the evidence. The hints given by Monokuma picture Junko's face covered up in every photo, and the recordings of the students agreeing to live in the school is cut off before it can cycle over to her. It's not her presence that matters, it's the lack of presence, because we haven't actually met her yet, juxtaposed to the repeated mentions of Mukuro, a girl who'd been a part of the group since the very beginning without anyone realizing.

When we do realize this, it comes with the realization that Mukuro's and 'Junko's' body were one and the same, and with Kyoko's old pocketbook revealing that "Despair walks among us, and so we survive... There's a second 'Despair'", we can come to the conclusion that the reason the mastermind was able to pull this off was because there was actually more than one, working in sync, and thus, the reason both bodies were one was because they were the SHSL Despair together.

Part 4- The Despair Sisters: Mutual Abuse (CW: Incest)

Despite the fact Junko was the brains behind the operation, there was never really a time where she was working alone towards Despair. She was actually one of two Ultimate Despair- as she called them, the Despair Sisters. Her twin sister, Mukuro Ikusaba, was Ultimate Despair as well, and assisted her every step of the way.

In her first appearance, we don't actually get to know anything about her, as she spends her time with the class pretending to be Junko. As such, any and all information gathered on Mukuro is given by someone else- official school records state her title and physical attributes, and Junko tells us her role as Ultimate Despair and goes on about her flaws.

"She had what I call the 'three atrocities'- atrociously rank, atrociously filthy, atrociously repulsive. It was atrociously clear just how out of touch she was with the rest of society." -Junko Enoshima, THH

"The older sister, tough and proud, that was Mukuro. The younger sister, smart and cute, that was... Hyaaaahaha! Me! Junko fucking Enoshima! And together, we were the Despair Sisters! AKA, the Ultimate Despair!" -Junko Enoshima, THH

Mukuro reappears as herself in DR 0 and DR3's Despair Arc, as well as the official AU novel DR IF. In these, we get more insight into her feelings, and see her display an overt attraction to her sister at multiple instances.

"Consumed by ecstasy, even Ikusaba-san's breath became ragged. 'Only I am able to understand her. That's why she needs me. She still hasn't realized that but, maybe she's only pretending not to realize. Ufu, that's because she's so shy. Ufufufu.' Seeing this intoxicated Ikusaba-san continue to talk like that repelled me. I knew that she definitely didn't have normal feelings for Junko Enoshima". -"Mukuro Ikusaba" & Ryoko Otonashi, DR 0

This is pretty obviously incestuous in nature. She blushes at her sister's attempts to kill her with an ice pick, has an internal dialogue about how much said attention affects her, and 'goes into ecstasy' talking about her sister's madness. It's intentionally uncomfortable because it's intentionally incestuous*. I've seen arguments for Mukuro's behaviors being out of character and only there for fanservice in the anime, but this behavior being found in DR 0 first pretty clearly contradicts that. I've also seen an argument for Mukuro's behavior being an act meant to make Junko feel Despair and not having any legitimacy. The crux of the argument comes from the assertion in DR IF that Mukuro is able to numb her emotions in battle, so therefore, she could also mimic such an attraction when around her sister. This argument quickly falls apart as well, considering that a) she has both internal and external dialogue directly referencing her attraction where Junko can't actually hear her, and b) going numb in the heat of battle is not at all the same thing as faking sexual desire outright.

*(Mukuro being incestuous is immediately relevant to the way the Despair Sisters interact with each other, and understanding that I'm talking about their relationship under the lens that she is will hopefully prevent questions about why I'm talking about them as I am throughout the analysis, particularly when she pops up in other sections here and there later. Please do not go into the replies or reblogs and explain to me why I'm wrong; you are not going to change my mind. Believe it or not, I don't like Despaircest either, but that doesn't mean Mukuro's behavior in canon is some accident to be shrugged off. These are meant to be OBJECTIVE analyses. I'm going to look at what the games and novels and anime are presenting, whether I actually like all the points or not.)

Junko Enoshima yearns for Despair. Despair is her reason for being, and everything she does, she does with the intent of eventually bringing Despair upon herself. That pain of Despair is the strongest feeling in the world to her. And the way she treats Mukuro directly stems from that desire. Despair stems from grief, and what brings more grief then the people you love most despising you? Mukuro is her twin sister, who stands by her no matter what. Junko even tests this, having her kill an entire class of students to prove her strength and loyalty in manga series Killer Killer(though, admittedly, Killer Killer hasn't been confirmed as canon to my knowledge, it still aligns with what we know for both characters without altering anything about their characterization).

Mukuro is capable- very capable, and definitely has the ability to betray her, or even kill her if she wanted to. So at every turn, she treats Mukuro like garbage, actively trying to kill her with an ice pick when they first reunite and talking down to her at every opportunity. She describes her sister as fat, flat-chested, ugly, stupid, a pervert, any insult she can think of. She critiques her murders, chastising her when she kills the guards in Despair Arc while looking for Izuru for not doing a clean enough kill. But despite all this, Mukuro never strays from Junko's side. She continues to fawn over her, not just taking all the abuse, but displaying an attraction to her Despairing nature, and refuses to leave her side, the exact opposite reaction of what Junko wants to see from her.

"'Yes, she really is ridiculous…to the point of Despair, she's the lowest, worst sister ever but…that's why I can't leave her alone. That's why I have to help her. After all, I'm the only one who can understand her.'" -Mukuro Ikusaba, DR 0

This kind of loyalty isn't Despair-inducing at all; that dedication is exactly what she predicted from her obsession. What Junko actually wanted from her, we get a brief taste of when she speaks in the final trial of THH- "Because naturally, she turned out to be the letdown of the family. Leaving me behind to run off and join some band of mercenaries... Such a disappointment." The Despair of abandonment, of betrayal, was what she wanted. But Mukuro is too loyal for her own good. That's just annoying.

Mukuro is emotionally abusive, or would be if her sister were anyone but Junko, lusting after her own blood sister in a way that's considered taboo and perverse. This lust develops from an obsessive need to stay loyal to her sister, while Junko verbally abuses her right back, talking down to her and keeping her under her heel, mocking her at all available opportunities and treating her in a way that would make anyone else feel like shit. Not so for Mukuro, the person who's been next to her since birth and has stood by her side through all her Despair. They abuse each other, but there's an unspoken bond that allows for their relationship to function regardless, albeit in a twisted way. They're sisters, equally matched, and together, they become two halves of a whole terrorist. Despair is toxic for anybody, and Junko's own affliction leads Mukuro's obsessiveness to chain herself to Junko's side. They're twins who were born together, after all, and who else could even begin to understand Junko's Despair?

4.1- Despaircest & Anime (CW: Still Incest)

We've seen the relationship that Mukuro and Junko have with each other, both as it was alluded to in earlier depictions and how they interact with each other immediately in the anime. And, despite the fact that it wasn't directly shown to us before said anime, there were hints of the intention of a one-sided incest in DR 0, as well as repeated examples of Junko treating her sister poorly on a surface level and how much she actually valued her within THH and DR IF. Going into the anime, this would be the first time we'd actually see Junko and Mukuro interacting directly with each other as themselves. This could have been the time where we get to see just how twisted their relationship actually is, getting to see how, and maybe even why, they began treating each other in this way. We could've gotten more of a glimpse into their backstory, when they separated, and the inherently self-destructive cycle they pull each other into. Here's what we got instead:

Rather than actually explore the real depth of their fucked up relationship, the anime elects to play it up for the sake of fanservice. This is admittedly an ongoing problem in most of DR3, as it throws most of its female characters into very compromising positions and focuses in on their bodies when they're being brutalized in one way or another and not doing the same for the men, but that only makes this lack of tact worse. There's no interest in actually addressing this darker plot point beyond the most basic surface level because to go any deeper would make it more difficult to get your rocks off to it. It's a shame to create such a conceptually fascinating relationship that would've made for a fantastic way to develop Mukuro as a villain more and Junko as a human more, and just use it for cheap servicy gags. I feel like it isn't an unreasonable statement to say that this was lazy. Danganronpa is supposed to be a series that explores dark topics and uses them to create tragedy and develop its characters. In the face of that, this was cheap.

Hell, this very scene says it itself: they're using Despair to create a fucked up pleasure for the viewer! The incest being played up for fanservice instead of acknowledging Mukuro as a character is, from a meta perspective, Despair-inducing. To the writers and to Mukuro, Mukuro doesn't matter outside of Junko. Her suffering is pleasurable to the audience in a way that's outside of social acceptability, in the way she needed to be used for so long just to exist. BUT WE ALREADY KNEW THAT. We didn't need to boil Mukuro down to an extension of Junko; Mukuro already did that to herself. Maybe this is just me complaining because it's not what I wanted to see from this plotline; I'm not ashamed to admit that. I think being able to acknowledge your biases as a consumer is important when critically looking at a piece of media. But I stand by my assertion that the presentation of this point is sloppy and surface-level, and should've been handled with more tact.

Part 5- The Murder of Mukuro Ikusaba

Junko treats her sister like trash, but despite this, we know that she does respect her. In fact, she has to consider Mukuro as an equal, because if she didn't, she wouldn't hold her as equal parts Despair as herself. Yet, when she reveals herself at the end of THH, she affirms that they were equals- both the Despair Sisters, who worked together("We were the Ultimate Despair, ya know?"), and in the same breath, describes her atrocities and mocks her memory as a disappointment. She sees Mukuro as not just a person, but a legitimate danger and a harbringer of Despair that's worth recognizing. Thus, as a sister, it causes her Despair to prevent anyone else from seeing that and paints Mukuro as just another victim of hers("She was nothing more than a bit player, an extra unworthy of lines."). Playing up her betrayal of Mukuro and her supposed disdain for her sister strips her of her agency as Ultimate Despair to their classmates, without letting them see her true self either. She becomes just another faceless victim, and Junko holds the memory of the true Mukuro Ikusaba, merciless killer and all, wholly to herself.

In the au light novel DR IF, Makoto remembers Mukuro, and inadvertently saves her from this fate. This leads the rest of the LN to focus on Mukuro and her relationship with Junko from her perspective as she copes with the reality that her sister betrayed her. It differentiates herself from Despair, and from her POV, we learn how she thought Junko felt vs how she actually did. Junko lives her life hopelessly- she's too smart for her own good, and can predict the moves of society and of the people around her. Mukuro believed she was the only one who fully understood Junko, so she acted perfectly in accordance with her plans, never once rebelling or going against her. She tries to convince herself to crave her sister's Despair so she would feel Despair from that desire, so she can remain close to her. But that wasn't the Despair Junko wanted. All along, what Junko wanted was for Mukuro to betray her because of her love for her. Without Mukuro, her plans would fall apart. She wouldn't be able to break into Hope's Peak as she did, nor would she be able to protect herself when attacked. Mukuro was what allowed her to gather as much power as she did over Hope's Peak, infiltrating and gathering blackmail, kidnapping chairmen, and so on. Mukuro was the brawn to Junko's brain. So the one thing that could destroy her plans, and bring her a Despair greater than any other, would be if her other half abandoned her. In DR IF, she learns this as Junko finally tells her that she loves her to her face. She breaks Mukuro's chains, and sets her free from her Despair to heal without her by rejecting her help, in a roundabout, Junko-esque way. In canon, though, Mukuro doesn't get to have that realization. She doesn't have the emotional intelligence to put those pieces together herself, and tired of waiting, tired of hoping, Junko gives herself an alternate Despair- the Despair of killing her own sister in cold blood.

The identity and death of Mukuro exist to keep the identity of the mastermind shrouded in mystery. Within THH, she's someone who's important from a narrative perspective- not as a person, but as an entity- designed to facilitate the reveal of the real Junko. Her murder is thus a murder of both her literally, and the murder of her personhood, as Mukuro is the one character that never gets to introduce herself. Junko makes it so, and wipes the memories of the class so that Mukuro Ikusaba will no longer exist outside of herself.

We're introduced to Mukuro not as Mukuro, but as Junko, wearing a wig and costume to appear as similar to her well-known sister as possible, and acting out her sister's fashion diva personality as convincingly as possible. It's tropey and typical of a fashionista- she cares about her looks a little too much during a killing game, acts like she's above the killing game and wants out of it, and explains away any imperfections as 'oh you haven't heard of photoshop before?'

There's no reason not to trust her at that point because no one thinks they've met her before. In DR IF, Makoto is able to recognize her through the outfit and charade, but that's only with his memories intact. Those memories have been thoroughly covered up by Junko in reality, and so the Mukuro Ikusaba she knows dies invisibly, betrayed and unrecognized as her classmates and friends mourn her killer instead. Junko gives her sister the worst Despair of all- being truly forgotten. After this, no one would remember who she was ever again, locked away in the mind of the person who'd never show her affection.

Not only that, Junko killing Mukuro and emphasizing how little she cared about that decision served to make the survivors hate her- her old friends now despised even looking at her, and brought her more Despair.

"Which is precisely why I killed her- to meet everyone's expectations." "That... can't be your only reason, can it?" "Well no, of course not. I also did it to avoid becoming bored." -Junko Enoshima & Makoto Naegi, THH

Despite that, being the one to kill Mukuro brings her a Despair like no other, with her describing it as "super super super super super Despair. No, more than that... Super super super super super super super super super super super super super super super Despair... It just feels... so... good..."

Junko did love her sister, and made everyone else she loved believe otherwise so she could feed off the Despair from their hatred.

Part 6- Ultimate Despair and Junko Enoshima

"The Ultimate Despair... A group of people who caused the Tragedy one year ago... Those same people put together this killing game and began broadcasting it around the entire world. The most desperately awful group of people ever... *That* is the mastermind's true identity." -Makoto Naegi, THH

Make no mistake- despite what the surface level of the series would have you believe, Junko Enoshima isn't the Ultimate Despair. There is no the Ultimate Despair because Despair isn't confined to any one person. Rather, Junko Enoshima is afflicted with Ultimate Despair. Despair, by nature, is grief. It's a pain inflicted by the death of hope, whether that be through the loss of a dream, a person, or whatever else. You grieve that loss, and it takes the form of Despair. Ultimate Despair takes that grief and amplifies it, destroying any sense of self and replacing it with the desire for more Despair. This is the type of Despair that Junko Enoshima feels, and thus, uses her own talents to embody it and spread it. It's a bold claim to make, I realize, that she isn't the SHSL Despair she defines herself as, but it's the basis this entire analysis leads to, and as the evidence over the course of the series develops her character more and more, it goes from some theoretical musing to legitimate design, all the way through to the end of V3. Though she immerses herself within Ultimate Despair, she herself is not Despair incarnate like she'd have you believe.

As we see her in THH, Junko is repeatedly hammered in as 'one of two' by the narrative. It's not just Junko that's formed Ultimate Despair; it's also Mukuro, and they're not referred to as 'Ultimate Despair and her sister', they're 'the Despair Sisters'. For all her charisma she displays, she alone isn't responsible for the Tragedy. Everyone is capable of feeling Despair. It's that foothold Despair has within her that creates an 'Ultimate Despair'. And while yes, Junko was definitely the most afflicted with Ultimate Despair, she didn't get as far as she did just by being horny for grief. She has a title, a real one, and it's not SHSL Gyaru. That was her cover, something she could use thanks to her real talent. Her real talent was only ever known by a select few, and to know what that is, you have to dive into the (criminally underrated, may I add) 2-volume novel set, Danganronpa 0.

Part 7- Ryoko Otonashi (DR 0)

(Little disclaimer here: Before I actually talk about the novel, I did want to quickly assert that DR 0 is both a mainline release to the Danganronpa series and 100% canon. Written and released by series creator Kazutaka Kodaka himself in 2011, it was written specifically to fill out Junko's character more. As such, everything contained within them are unquestionably canon to the world and its characters, something critically important to understand when talking about how it pertains to Junko Enoshima. I think just about anyone who's read DR 0 before knows all this already, but for the sake of anyone reading this who hasn't, I wanted to assert that.)

Ryoko Otonashi is the protagonist of DR 0, and is introduced to us as an audience in a 1st-person perspective. While she isn't the only character we follow in this series, she's the only one to speak to the reader straight-up, introducing herself and reacting immediately to the people and events in front of her. This is for good reason, as Ryoko is suffering from some form of amnesia. Not only does she not remember anything about her childhood or her identity, she also forgets things as they're happening. She can't even remember her name, and is only able to recall it by reading the cover of her notebook- 'Ryoko Otonashi's Memory Notebook,' where she's writing down everything in front of her as it happens so she can try to remember later.

Most of the story is told through Ryoko's perspective as she tries to avoid being caught up in some massive conspiracy within the school- all without actually remembering the conspiracy she's avoiding. Junko Enoshima is the one responsible for this, directing her from place to place and slowly forcing her to confront the conspiracy as she starts to figure out who she is and how she fits into it all. She insists over and over again that it has nothing to do with her, that she's innocent and has never met any of these people before and desperately tries to believe it- her memory is gone, therefore she could not be responsible.

But she is responsible, because she's not Ryoko Otonashi. Her real name is Junko Enoshima, and she's the SHSL Analyst, a girl with such a strong logical capacity that given enough information, she can perfectly understand and predict anything. This could be the actions and personality of a person, or it could be upcoming trends in fashion; whatever it may be, Junko is capable of perfectly analyzing and understanding what will happen in any given situation, long before the world does. And that type of intelligence has rotted away her mind.

Simply put, the human brain requires stimulation. Boredom is her opponent, and in a world where she can fully understand and predict anything at any time, Junko has nothing to stimulate her, and almost nothing can bring her any joy, because she fully anticipates it. Everything is normal, predictable, boring- it's left her with a case of intense anhedonia. Therefore, the only way she could find any happiness is in a world where that talent is stripped away from her. As Ryoko Otonashi, a girl with no memory, she can remember nothing and therefore predict nothing. Analysis requires data, and a blank slate offers none. Even her name is in reference to this, as 'Otonashii' translates to English as 'no sound' or 'quiet'. Only without memory can Junko's mind be silent and let her be genuinely happy.

Ryoko Otonashi is essentially a personality created by Junko as a test, not just for the people around her, but also for herself. Throughout the novel, Mukuro and Yasuke interact with her with opposing goals- Mukuro pushes her into the fray of Despair she's created, while Yasuke tries his best to keep her eyes and ears covered. Ryoko is in a unique position between the two- she's starting to remember and understand herself again, but is terrified of what she'll find, and wants to hold onto her peace with Yasuke. The ongoing question of the novel, which only reveals itself on a reread, isn't within Ryoko's identity itself. It asks the question of whether or not Junko could have been saved from Despair. And the answer, sadly, is no. Remembering anything for too long makes her forget her happiness, and she falls back into Despair, killing Ryoko Otonashi, the epitome of her peace, with her own hands.

Mukuro and Yasuke act as opposing forces within the novel, as both feel a loyalty to Junko that makes them act in what they believe to be her benefit, and both fail. Mukuro drags her kicking and screaming back into the depths of Despair to bring back the madness she sees Junko as, while Yasuke wipes her mind of everything that made her Junko to remove what plagued her. For Junko, balance isn't an option, and the people within her orbit fall victim to that same mentality.

7.1- Personality Disorders In Danganronpa

I'm not a psychologist, nor do I have any sort of split personality(DID, OSDD, etc). So my knowledge on the subject isn't that great, and everything said within this section should be taken with a grain of salt. But, to the best that I can tell, Ryoko's existence as an alter is sort of... mixed up. Other characters in the DR series (Toko & Genocider) make it pretty clear that Kodaka doesn't really have a fantastic understanding of people with DID outside of how they're stereotyped in the horror genre. And that background knowledge, combined with the presentation of Ryoko in DR 0, makes me think she was likely intended to be an alter, but as one that Junko had almost absolute control over, as at multiple instances, she was able to knock Ryoko out at will, and fully killed her once she'd outlived her usefulness for the experiment. There are parallels to Jekyll and Hyde in that aspect, though of course Jekyll was aware of also being Hyde- an alternate version of yourself created to rid yourself of everything about yourself that you despise is very reminiscent of Jekyll's motivations, down to the permanent erasure of the "good" side by the very end. It's also worth noting that Jekyll and Hyde weren't intended as an example of DID, but rather, an exploration of how every person is multifaceted with good and bad parts, even if modern day interpretations often read it as another example of the evil DID trope from 1960 and beyond(thanks a lot, Psycho).

There are several interactions between Ryoko and Junko that support them being two personalities within the same body rather than just a case of memory erasure. For example, when Ryoko is nearly killed by one of the SHSL Octuplets, Junko emerges just to make sure she isn’t killed, citing it as a minor nuisance.

“‘Upupu, I wonder if I was a bit too harsh.’ The voice said, it sounded close. ‘... But it can’t be helped. It’d just be embarrassing if you died here. After all, you’re the protagonist in this scene for once!’” -Junko Enoshima, DR 0

When Ryoko wakes up in the underground bunker of the Reserve Course cult forming, she comes across a captured member of the Steering Committee. And because she genuinely doesn't know who he is or where she is, he ends up giving her classified information that Junko needed, and the second he reveals it, she's immediately able to knock Ryoko back out and take over once again, having used the Ryoko personality as a front specifically to gain information.

“'The old school building… Kamukura Izuru’s there.' 'P-Please wait..' I ended the conversation prematurely with an interruption. Quickly, I wrote in ‘Otonashi Ryouko’s Memory Notebook’. .... But then… Huh? I suddenly felt an attack of dizziness, I struggled to stay upright. What’s happening?" -Steering Committee Member & Ryoko Otonashi, DR 0

"'Oy, did you hear me?' I didn’t. The beating in my ears was only growing louder, it completely drowned out all other sound, I couldn’t hear anything anymore. I shouldn’t be able to hear anything anymore, and yet I could hear a single, eerie laugh. '...Upupu.'" -Steering Committee Member & Ryoko Otonashi & Junko Enoshima, DR 0

Ryoko's memory of Yasuke is also contingent on whether or not Junko wants her to recognize him, suggesting that to some degree, her memory issues aren't just forcefully induced, but rather, are a conscious choice on Junko's part for Ryoko, as once Junko's plan is in place, she suddenly can't recognize him and is then forced to kill him in self-defense.

"'Are you…talking to me?' He looked exhausted. A face of someone who lost everything. The face of someone who lost all his thoughts, all his senses, and all his emotions. '…You don’t remember me?'" -Ryoko Otonashi & Yasuke Matsuda, DR 0

It's pretty unclear whether this was an intended conclusion from Ryoko's and Junko's behavior in DR 0, or if these are just remnants of Kodaka not knowing how personality disorders work and simply having Junko be so powerful that she can purposefully create, manipulate, and kill personalities at will, but I think looking at it from a more psychological viewpoint like this certainly puts Junko's actions as a manipulator into more perspective. The intention behind Ryoko suggests that Junko's manipulative abilities extended even into her own psyche, almost to a supernatural degree. Do actual systems in the real world function like this? No, but thanks to Toko/Genocider, we know that the representation of DID isn't gonna be good in this series.

If we wanted to put this into a more realistic lens, we could come to the conclusion that Junko's apparent control over Ryoko and the discrepancies behind her existence is a result of Junko having Munchausen Syndrome. Also called factitious disorder, Munchausen is a subconscious psychological condition in which the patient fakes symptoms of other kinds of conditions, whether mental or physical, without realizing they're mimicking the symptoms. Under this lens, we could say Ryoko was a factitious alter that Junko created after Yasuke wiped her memory, hence why she could have control over her over the course of the novel. This was almost definitely not the intended explanation, but it's the conclusion I came to. So there.

Part 8- Relationships

Due to just how many corners of the franchise Junko's present in, there's no convenient place to dump all the relationship analyses like I normally do. Ergo, I'll be breaking part 8 up, and will talk about the different core relationships Junko forms when they're most relevant.

8.1- Yasuke Matsuda

Yasuke Matsuda is the SHSL Neurologist, and a childhood friend of Junko's introduced in DR 0. Because he's the boy she's in love with, he remains the only tangible thing Ryoko can remember outside of her procedural memory, and is treating her memory loss. He's also the one primarily responsible for wiping her mind and assisting the school in the coverup of the student council massacre that Junko was responsible for, though he takes no pleasure in it.

"The silence continued for a while until Matsuda sighed and muttered, 'You should worry.' His voice was low and depressing. 'What if you’ll always be like this......'" -Yasuke Matsuda, DR 0

Despite his tsundere behaviors towards Ryoko whenever the two are face-to-face, he's very much in love with her, and spends the novel trying to look out for what he believes is in her best interests by methodically attempting to remove the Despair from her mind and covering up the Tragedy she's already set into motion. Throughout the novel, he works in cahoots with the Hope's Peak Academy Steering Committee to find more information about the Incident. He does this specifically to defend Ryoko and keep people from interrogating her further, and to hopefully extricate her from the whole situation permanently.

"'I said shut the fuck up.' Matsuda easily quieted the men by saying that and then he continued in a soft voice. 'People might call her an idiot, but she doesn’t even bother to stick up for herself, thinking she can’t do it. So I don’t think I’d be able to forgive myself if I don’t do it for her.'" -Yasuke Matsuda, DR 0

Though we never see it directly, we realize with the help of Kyoko that he's also the one taking the bodies of the Steering Committee and SHSL Octuplets after Mukuro kills them and disposing of them, in the hopes they won't be discovered and Junko will eventually be absolved of both suspicion and Despair.

“Finally she looked at me. ..... ‘The dead body, the body that was dead. There was a post-death body here before!’ ‘Huh?’ .....  ‘There’s not mistake, I know there was definitely a corpse here before!’” -Ryoko Otonashi & Mukuro Ikusaba, DR 0

“Matsuda-kun’s voice was definitely coming from beneath me. There’s no mistaking he was under the bed. ‘But... what would require so much concentration to be under the bed?’ ‘This situation.’ Somehow, Matsuda-kun’s way of putting it could allure to several different meanings.” -Yasuke Matsuda & Ryoko Otonashi, DR 0

"I stood next to the girl, crouched down and peeked under the bed. At the back I could see a large opening, .... 'It’s not a terribly impressive hidden room… a storage room at best.' '…A storage room?' 'For hiding dead bodies.'” -Ryoko Otonashi & Kyoko Kirigiri, DR 0

But despite his best efforts, Junko's talents of analysis were just too great, and she'd already come up with a plan to send her back into Despair before he ever touched her mind. With the help of Mukuro and the growing underground Reserve Course cult of Despair, Ryoko is forced to face Despair after Despair, and is hunted for her involvement in the student council massacre. Junko confronts him and taunts him for his failure, leaving him to wallow.

"'I get it, you feel sorry for her… even so, you’re troubled. You’re incredibly troubled. That’s what it seems like after what I’ve been hearing…'” -Junko Enoshima, DR 0

“'You know, in this scenario, only you can make the choice, Matsuda-kun. So think carefully, worry about it, and choose the choice you think it best. Hope or despair… the choices are so diverse and yet, surprisingly, intricately connected. Anyway, have a good think about it…'" -Junko Enoshima, DR 0

In one final attempt to see if he can salvage her, he approaches Ryoko outside of his lab, pretending as if he's Izuru Kamukura, and questions her. She doesn't recognize him, and he, too, falls into Despair, finally accepting that despite his feelings, he was a pawn to Junko's game, and tries to kill her, sending Ryoko towards Despair as she realizes who she's speaking to and can't convince him she loves him anymore. Defending herself, she ends up stabbing him, sending herself spiraling as she becomes her lover's killer, and Junko reemerges from her mind, killing her off in front of him and forcing him to die in Despair.

He dies believing Junko never actually loved him. He becomes thoroughly convinced that she was pretending, and that Ryoko was nothing more than a part of the game to send him into Despair. And that perception of Junko combined with her causing his death brings Junko an indescribable Despair. The man she loved died by her hands, hating her existence. Truly, this was Despair!

"'I was right, wasn't I? About you remembering? That's why you can't remember me? You remembered that I wasn’t a particularly important person to you…so that's why you can't remember?' Kamukura then revealed his eyes, their glint was tainted with deadly hatred. '…You're such a bitch.'" -Yasuke Matsuda, DR 0

"'There's no way this would have nothing to do with me…' There was a hint of sadness laid somewhere in that murmuring voice. 'After all…you were the most important person to me of all…' Those were her true feelings. Yasuke Matsuda was an especially important existence for Junko Enoshima." -Junko Enoshima, DR 0

She loved Yasuke intensely. She cared about him moreso than anyone else, save Mukuro. And yet, despite how attached he was to her, Yasuke couldn't realize in his own Despair that there'd be no reason for someone like Junko to bother dragging herself through so much mental torment and manipulation at his expense if she wouldn't get a magnificent Despair out of it. Yes, she causes Despair for others, but she doesn't throw herself directly into the fray unless she gets something out of it. Despite loving her, he never actually understood her. That truth, too, would bring her Despair.

Part 9- How Junko Shaped the Game

Turning back towards THH, Junko's reveal shakes the class. Most of them believed that finding the mastermind and forcing them to show their face would end the game. But that's not the case for Junko Enoshima. She's not through with them yet, and takes the opportunity to rub everything they've lost in their faces.

"Puhuhuhu... Did you really think the story would end once we reached the climax of the case? Wrong! There's still plenty more to go!" -Monokuma, THH

Throughout all of THH, Junko's plan is hinged on Despair, and thus, she takes her class, which had become close friends and confidants over the past two years of their lives, and attacks what would bring them the worst Despairs possible for each. Her talents as SHSL Analyst allowed her to analyze her own classmates and tear at what would've made their 16-to-20 year old selves when they first met snap. And each one of the motives she used was designed specifically for that, something she makes sure to cite when taunting them ("Did you notice that each motive I presented you had a specific theme to it?")

The first motive's theme was 'human connections', and everything surrounding the first chapter reflects this. Sayaka's motive wasn't just about her career. It was about the family she'd found and not letting down the people who loved her. And on a meta perspective, the first chapter was also about relationships, specifically that between Sayaka and Makoto and how that relationship's end motivated Makoto to eventually become SHSL Hope, and to a lesser degree, starting the development of the critical relationship between Hina and Sakura.

The second motive's theme was 'the past', something the 2nd chapter very much reflects. The secrets that Junko uses against the class are extremely personal to each of their histories, and can be used to twist each of them to head towards Despair, whether that be through their own hand or their own poor judgements of the people around them from their lack of memories. Mondo's secret isn't just tragic; Junko purposefully warps it in his letter to affirm his own belief that Daiya's death was murder and not just an accident, and because no one knows its contents, it sends him into a spiral. The same can be said for Chihiro, whose secret implies that their gender presentation is a lie, forcing them into a conformatory decision that leads to tragedy. Her classmates' memories of the past are presented in a warped way to suit Junko's needs. Toko's secret of having DID and a serial killer alter, Genocider Syo, is also revealed and used to develop her more as a character when she's the one most afraid of opening up to the class.

The third motive's theme is 'greed', using the promise of wealth to lure Celeste to murder. Even if you could argue other characters within the class could have fallen victim to the first two motives, this one is undoubtedly meant to target the Yasuhiros on Junko's part, as realistically, no one else in their class has any reason to even consider killing for money by itself, especially not when there's already been two class trials. The Yasuhiros are the only ones who consider themselves to be in any level of financial need. This theme is also meta-reflected by the possessive nature Kiyondo and Hifumi both develop over Alter Ego. Because neither of them can keep themselves away from them, they became easily manipulated, and it became harder for the rest of the class to obtain information and watch out for each other, forming a tunnel vision towards Alter Ego in their minds. This contrasts Celeste and Hiro greatly as well- Celeste is consumed by her own greed, while Hiro doesn't even consider killing for the money, opting instead to try and look out for the class and develop him as a survivor. Hiro's the one that looks out for Taka and calls out Hifumi on his obsession; Hiro's lured into Celeste's trap by promise of a way to save everyone, while Celeste rejects her class in favor of fighting for a selfish dream she didn't even need.

The 4th motive is that of 'betrayal', and this one is where the cracks in Junko's plan finally reveal themselves. Each and every trial before this one ended in tears and Despair, and a sense of hopelessness that wasn't alleviated until they were given new distractions. Sakura's betrayal is meant to mirror Junko's own betrayal of her classmates, and when half the class instantly turns on her, things go exactly as Junko plans. Sakura swears to destroy Junko by any means necessary, and takes her own life in an attempt to take the fun from Junko. With Monokuma's meddling, Hina is instead pushed into attempting a murder-suicide, one she's caught for by Kyoko and Makoto. But once the truth comes out, Sakura and Hina aren't condemned. Those that attacked her end up defending her. Sakura doesn't betray her class; Sakura betrays Junko, and it puts her on the path to failure. Junko even admits to this, though indirectly: "Once I revealed Sakura's betrayal, that led to everything that came afterwards..." Note this is the only time where she doesn't expressly explain to the survivors why her motive was successful, because in this instance, it wasn't. It also fills out Hina as a character and uses her arc of an attempted self-destruction to contrast Junko, as Hina let herself be forgiven by her classmates, something Junko could never let herself do.

Part 10- Self-Destruction (Junko vs Sakura)

Despite the fact that Makoto is the character christened as SHSL Hope at the end of THH, there are a lot more parallels between Junko's self-destructive nature and Sakura's self-sacrifice that often go unnoticed, and these parallels are quintessential to the overarching narrative of THH and why Junko functioned as its villain.

Both Sakura and Junko do the things they do because they love the people around them. Both Sakura and Junko find themselves to fall short of who they'd rather be. Both Sakura and Junko kill themselves. But their goals are fundamentally, diametrically opposed.

Sakura Ogami, as a martial artist, is a woman of honor and principles. She believes in the inherent worth of the people around her because of this, and strives to become the strongest person alive not because it's a desire of her own, but because that's the destination the people who loved her had in mind for her(her father, Kenshiro, etc). And therefore, she's someone who fundamentally wishes to act in the best interests of the people she loves, even when it's at her own detriment.

Junko Enoshima, as a hyperintelligent analyst, is able to predict anything. And because she can predict anything, she can enjoy nothing, because she always knows what will happen before it gets there. Ergo, the only way she can enjoy herself is via the only thing that can make her feel- Despair. Grief and pain still feel like something in a world where she can't be pleasantly surprised by anything. She despises herself for it, and so in order to feel, she decimates anything that brings her joy. Joy is boring; joy is nothing; joy is just part of the default setting because she still sees it coming. And therefore, she's someone who fundamentally acts in the worst interests of those she loves, for the sake of her own detriment.

When Sakura kills herself, and Hina is filled with Despair, Junko wants to revel in the Despair this brings everyone else. Sakura killed herself for people that weren't giving her the time of day, and the one person who gave a crap tried to kill you all! Isn't it so tragic, so Despair-inducing, don't you just want to break down and crumble?! And then they don't. Instead, after hearing the truth of Sakura's actions, the entire rest of the class is uplifted and united by her honor. Even Byakuya is feeling hopeful now! What the actual fuck is happening?! Is this how they'll feel when I die, too? Will my death bring no Despair?

8.2- Class 78-B

We never get to actually see any of her classmates interacting directly with her in their school days, or in any way that was positive. Outside of THH's and SDR2's final trials, we as an audience don't get to see them interact as friends. So we have to draw these conclusions from what little context we were given within her dialogue in these few rare moments in THH and the mentions of her class in DR 0.

"There was a tap inside [Junko's] skull, like someone pressed a switch and slowly her entire brain lit up with a notion. Several faces appeared. Of course, they were faces she knew… they were the faces of her Hope’s Peak Academy classmates." -DR 0

Without any doubt, Junko loved her classmates. They were people she considered in high regard and had unwittingly fallen for their unique charms. While Junko had come to Hope's Peak with the intention of causing Despair, she'd accidentally found people that made her happy. When entering the school, she intended to use the people around her to damage the school of Hope's reputation, but inadvertently became attached: "Once your school life here began, I thought about you constantly. It's only natural that I would... fall in love." This made for a fantastic happy accident for Junko, as finding something beloved made for a much more fantastic Despair for her later.

"Remembering the faces of the people who would bring her such despair, she felt something that was similar to a person in love, and she danced to the rhythm of Despair. 'This is it! This is a fantastic despair!'" -Junko Enoshima, DR 0

We can also reasonably assume Junko was someone her classmates had considered dear to them in turn, as she not only knew how to motivate their past selves into murder, but also their deepest secrets and fears, and was able to attack their relationships when they themselves couldn't even remember them. Could you handwave that level of connection with her SHSL Analyst talent? Actually, no, because as stated previously, analysis requires data. And the only way she could gather enough data to understand them at a depth that let her plan her killing game to perfection was by getting to know them firsthand.

There's also a strange implication within Junko's explanation of how she put the killing game together that I think gets often overlooked. When she prepares to infodump to the remaining survivors, she says this:

"So since I love you guys so much, I'll tell you all about it! All about the idea we came up with as the Ultimate Despair- our plan to bring Despair to all mankind!"

It's an interesting choice of pronoun, to say the least. "We." It implies that the group she's referring to when she speaks is herself and the people she's speaking to at this moment in time. Could she just be switching gears and talking about Mukuro, and later, the RoD, Kamakura, the WoH, etc? Yeah, absolutely. But none of these characters had even been mentioned, whereas she was just speaking on her love for her classmates in the dialogue prior and continues to talk about her classmates after.

In listening to Junko's explanation of how she put the killing game together, it made me come to a pretty disturbing realization. One of the biggest things about Junko is how she's always able to seemingly pull together everything to form this killing game almost entirely by herself. Later installments to the series include some level of explanations- Towa Group becoming a financial and robotic sponsor, a SHSL Mechanic that could've made the executions, etc- but her success within the killing game hinges fully on her knowing how to best bring her classmates to Despair. And she's not just an analyst; Junko is a master manipulator. Throughout her entire explanation of how she created the killing game, she never says she threw them into the killing game against their will. Instead, she very deliberately calls attention to her classmates' choice in the matter, over and over again. They chose to enter the shelter, they chose to lock the doors and cover the windows, they chose to be there with the SHSL Despair, though they didn't know who they were with at the time. Makoto is the one to assert that they did so because they believed in the hope of survivng, and giving the world a fresh start. But it's not just their year's worth of fun school classes missing from their memories. There's also a year of hopelessness within the school erased, too. Combine this with a few well-placed lines from Junko.

"You see, by taking away your memories, I gave you hope."

"You absorbed all that Despair, but then you forgot it all."

"Despair is contagious, you know. It's almost like... a natural phenomenon."

"Once you'd finished building your little shelter, it was time for me and Mukuro to get to work. And thus began the killing game!"

If Junko is making the claim that she was able to give them hope by removing their memories, that meant none of them had any to begin with. She emphasizes how much Despair her classmates absorbed, and even Kyoko herself states that it's impossible for all this to have been put together by just the Despair Sisters. If an additional year of hopelessness waiting around within the school were also erased, and Junko is intentionally avoiding saying she started the killing game herself, is it beyond reason to suggest that at least some of the 78th class had fallen to Despair in that timeframe? Look at the survivors that are left- Byakuya, Toko, Syo, Hina, Hiro. All characters that Do Not Like each other by this point. Most of the meaningful connections between the classmates have been murdered. Their past is scrubbed away. They've basically all betrayed each other at least once by now, and have been pushed to the brink of Despair. If you got a collection of THH characters most likely to fall to Despair, it'd be this group.

Junko even takes a point to emphasize just how Despair-inducing the truth can become, targeting Kyoko directly with this. As Kyoko comes to the realization the Junko purposefully designed the game with the possibility of being caught, she revels in Kyoko's Despair. She taunts her with the fact that their solving the mystery only made things worse. She is purposefully trying to drive the rest of her surviving classmates into SHSL Despair alongside her. She's manipulated the game and her classmates to get what she wants- the people she loves slaughtered, the survivors joining her in Despair, the world reborn by her hands. She quite likely manipulated her classmates into plotting each other's deaths not only inside the game, but in preparation for it as well.

Out of all her classmates, there was only really one you could argue wasn't perfectly analyzed and manipulated. One stood out among the rest as the unknown variable- a concept otherwise foreign to Junko- that was able to act as a wrench in her plans. And this, too, could cause her Despair.

8.3- Makoto Naegi (Hope vs Despair)

Makoto Naegi's SHSL Luck, AKA SHSL Hope, is the one who takes down Junko Enoshima's SHSL Despair. But why and how was this possible, and what does that mean for the relationship that he and Junko had prior to the game? If I wanted to fully delve into their relationship specifically, I'd need to really tear into Makoto's character, and I don't really have the time for that today(again, still hoping to get this out before 2025), so we'll just do the best we can based off the scenes they've had together and what we know about Junko to put the pieces together thematically.

Makoto is an average guy in just about every sense of the word. He likes average things, he looks plain, he's chosen randomly by lottery instead of earning his place in the school, he doesn't have any noticeable traits or beliefs- at least, not at first.

"But you know, if I had any one kind of strong point, so to speak, I'd say I'm a little more gung-ho than other people." -Makoto Naegi, THH prologue

By his own admission, he has a grand total of two character traits- abnormal normalcy, and enthusiasm. He's optimistic, and that's kind of it. By all intents and purposes, he's the SHSL Joe Schmoe, and that should make him another blank canvas on the wall of pawns Junko can knock over whenever she gets a little bored. And yet, SHSL Joe Schmoe is the one directly responsible for Junko's failure, and the one person who, by her own admission, she cannot predict. So why and how exactly is that?

I recall reading a story about a coding competition, where coders were meant to design an AI for a gambling competition. One entry proceeded to make an AI that would go all in every single time it was its turn, and the simplicity of it was so intimidating that it broke every other AI that was in the competition. That mentality is the exact strategy Makoto unintentionally employs. He doesn't have any strong sense of self or moral complexities; he's a dude that exists, and he throws everything he is into everything he does. He's an optimist to the highest possible sense. He leaves his door unlocked even after 4 murder cases and a break-in. He refuses to fathom anything but the best possible outcome, and so he's able to combat Junko's total Despair with pure hope. Makoto's head is so completely simple and empty that it acts as the exact opposite to Junko's highly intelligent, analytical mind. When she tries to force-feed him Despair in the final trial, he hits her with the power of 'nuh-uh,' and it works. It's that emptiness that fascinates Junko, and makes him and his random chance luck unpredictable to her.

Part 11- "Defeating" Despair

When Junko loses, it's not just because she failed to convince the others of Despair, or that Makoto's hope was just naturally the stronger conviction of the two. Rather, Junko's loss can be attributed to her own conscious choice to lose. Even if we're looking solely at THH, this is the case. And the source is found in a single line.

If her conviction to win in this moment was absolute to the point where only one person had to vote for Despair, she just had to include herself in the votes. After all, she is one of the 16 students participating, and by all accounts, she should receive a vote for this trial. But she casually refuses, instead leaving it in the hands of the survivors to make the final call. And that in and of itself is indicative of Junko's desires. When faced with a situation she can easily control, she leaves it to fate to decide, allowing that glimmer of unpredictability to take over and surprise her. She'll always believe in the Despair she's dedicated herself to; it doesn't actually matter who wins here. What matters is that she feels Despair. Either Makoto succeeds in convincing his classmates of hope and kills her, ruining all her plans, or he fails, and she exterminates the one unpredictable person in her life and locks herself out of that rush of adrenaline for the rest of her life. Either ending would fill her with Despair, and in that sense, there is no way for her to lose. She won the killing game, whether the survivors realized it or not, because she succeeded in destroying herself. She built herself a Saw trap, and her loved ones set it off.

Part 12- Execution Analysis

Junko is the only character to walk willingly into her execution, even being the one to hit the red button to start up the punishment rather than having Monokuma do it. You can first attribute this to her no longer being in the control room to pilot Monokuma to do so, which is true, but it's also representative of her desire for self-inflicted Despair. Her eyes are swirling with Despair and she goes on about how good it feels, how everyone should die in such Despair, how this punishment is 'extra special', because it's one she brought on herself. After methodically destroying the most important relationships of her life one by one, she'd now be killed by her friends in a series of recycled contraptions in an 'Ultimate Punishment'.

As she goes through each step of the execution, we see her bearing a wide grin, flying through the machinery that'd killed every one of her executed friends over and over again. She hits every baseball, handles the Cage of Death with ease, calmly survives the firetruck, and bobs her head with the excavator. She doesn't struggle, not once, and this is because in prolonging her Despair, her SHSL Analyst talent is keeping her alive. She's watched every one of these executions, and thus, knows how to survive them all. It's not just a retrospect of every prior execution as a callback for the audience; it means something. With a punishment meant to bring the character's worst ironic death via their most hated parts of themselves, then of course Junko's analytic abilities are keeping her alive through everyone else's Despair.

The execution ends with the return of the After-School Lesson, and this is the one that finally kills her, because it's the only one in which she doesn't know how it ends. Makoto's execution was tampered with by Alter Ego, so there's no way to know if she'll actually die or not. Junko can't know if it still works or not. Junko doesn't know whether she'll live or die, and that's what makes it so exciting. She's driven to the edge of death and left to sit there for a moment too long, long enough for the Despair to be replaced with disappointment- only to kill her right when her Despair abandons her. She stops smiling, looks up at the press, and dies abruptly. In her final moments, she is denied her Despair. Makoto did win, after all.

Part 13- Answering the 'How' (SDR2)

One of the biggest 'what-the-fuck's people tend to have after walking out of their first playthrough or watchthrough of THH is the How of the entire game. The first game is good and all, but it leaves Junko's skills and how she set up and pulled the killing game together pretty vague. This is intentional, as in the first game, she exists as a kind of force of nature, representing Despair as an inherent part of life in the same way Makoto represents hope. But after Spike Chunsoft commissioned a sequel, and Kodaka set to work on DR 0, the question of 'how' had to be answered as the series was expanded upon. This started with the introduction of Yasuke Matsuda's memory erasure technology and the reveal of Junko's SHSL Analyst status in DR 0, but continued to expand well beyond that.

In SDR2, we're introduced to an entirely new cast of characters, all with new and less conventional talents in comparison to the first cast. Whereas THH had plenty of more mentally-oriented talents like programming, writing, and hall monitor to balance out their more eclectic ones, the SDR2 cast is almost entirely physical or social talents like a yakuza, animal breeder, and mechanic. These talents also put them into more social or powerful positions than the 78th class on an overall skill, as you find yourself full of people that could command full armies and people proficient with making weaponry or fighting and potentially killing the people around them. This differentiates the casts, and automatically makes them more threatening in the ways they could attack each other in a killing game. This also makes them Junko's perfect weapons.

8.4- Remnants of Despair

Class 77 is revealed by the end of SDR2 to be the Remnants of Despair, pawns swayed over to SHSL Despair by unknown means. Makoto refers to this conversion as 'brainwashing', though whether this is him literally knowing they were brainwashed or making an inference and later being proven right is unclear. Regardless, the RoD are part of the SHSL Despair movement, and exist to explain a lot of how Junko was able to not only set up the killing game mechanically, but continue to end the world and send it into ongoing war after the initial Incident.

This is something especially apparent with the remaining surviving cast, as they're the most immediately powerful amongst the cast for Junko to use. Sonia and Fuyuhiko are both in direct command of massive amounts of people, with Sonia being the heiress to an entire country and Fuyuhiko being the leader of the largest mafia in Japan. Kazuichi as the SHSL Mechanic explains how and why so many elaborate executions were able to be designed ahead of time for the killing game, and Akane is a wicked fast athlete who's already accustomed to tragedies and will eat anything. On top of all this, there's Hajime, a human experiment worked on by those in league with the values of hope, and that was forcefully imbued with every talent that's ever been documented, including Junko's.

This sums up everything that made the RoD useful, but doesn't explain how any sort of meaningful connection was established between them and Junko. That's because on the overall, there isn't one. With two notable exceptions, the SDR2 class is largely unimportant to Junko emotionally speaking. They're useful, and that's about it. They weren't in the same class; they didn't interact at school or bond in any important way. She just dragged them down with the bare minimum brainwashing video because of their usefulness.

We also know Junko didn't care because of just how differently she speaks to and treats class 77 as opposed to the characters that we know she does love. The series painstakingly makes sure you know that Junko tears up everything she loves- Mukuro, Yasuke, class 78. She gores through them because hurting the ones she loves hurts her right back, and gives her an excellent Despair. But with class 77? Beyond the initial conversion, she doesn't really touch them. She doesn't need to waste her time with people who are virtually strangers. Their pain just is Despair; it's not her Despair. It's good for a laugh, but not much else, so she lets them run rampant on their own.

On an overall scale, Junko didn't give a fuck about these people. They existed solely as tools to her, and she interacted with them as little as possible. Unlike with her classmates, whom she loved, she did the absolute bare minimum required to get them to feel Despair by showing them a video and letting them do their own thing. The RoD were Remnants and not full-fledged SHSL Despair because their Despair was artificial. It was inauthentic, and so they could never ascend to true Despair in the way characters like Mukuro, Junko, or Monaca can.

8.5- Mikan Tsumiki (The Relevance of Junkan)

When we're first introduced to the concept of Junkan, it's portrayed as a one-sided infatuation from Mikan's perspective. She tells her classmates about the one person who forgave her existence and loved her anyway, with the choice of language emphasizing her beloved's need for Despair and asking for forgiveness for hoping suggesting that this beloved is Junko.

"Ahhh, this feeling of freedom where you no longer care about anything! My beloved and I are the only ones within that thin veil, and I'm just looking out through it..." -Mikan Tsumuki, SDR2

Whether intended at the time of SDR2's release or not, this line of dialogue ended up foreshadowing Mikan's heightened importance in comparison with the rest of her class to Junko as an RoD. When everyone else were just tools, remnants formed by brainwashing, Mikan is ultimately differentiated as special, not necessarily craving Despair but happily parroting it for the sake of a twisted love.

"It's like nothing matters! I could just die, that's how little it matters! Who cares about hope or despair! It's love, only love!" -Mikan Tsumiki, SDR2

This 'beloved' being Junko is proved true when AI Junko emerges in the final trial and reveals that class 77 are also the RoD. At this point, though, there's almost no evidence that Junko feels anything back for Mikan besides a vague sense of usefulness shared with the rest of her classmates, as she mimes seeing them as friends because of their actions as Remnants of Despair.

Something that's important to remember, however, is that Junko's need for Despair drives her to destroy everything she loves. We've seen this multiple times, over and over again with Mukuro, Yasuke, and her classmates before now. The reason we know she didn't care about class 77 is because there are no such personal attacks to tear them apart and make them despise her specifically- their pain brings her no Despair. There's no evidence of a personal attachment. Once DR3 comes into focus, though, that changes for one RoD in particular- one Mikan Tsumiki.

DR3 made the decision to bring Chiaki back as a human character, and made her the central figure for class 77's bond. Junko dragging out Chiaki's suffering and forcing her classmates to watch became the titular event that drove the rest of class 77 to Despair. But there was no personal attachment to this act, because she'd only just met Chiaki, and there was no dynamic to speak of between the two of them besides maybe a vague sense of interest based off of their single interaction.

So, if there's no established rivalry or connection to Chiaki, why does Junko single her out and kill her specifically? Easy; Junko doesn't. She sets up the maze, sure, but she is not and never was the one targeting Chiaki specifically. That was Mikan, and the show makes sure the audience sees this more than once.

When Mikan and Junko meet, it's because of a chance interaction. Mikan runs into Mukuro by mistake when going to check on Ryota, and is captured. In this sense, she's literally presented as a gift to Junko. Junko learns she's a nurse, and decides she'll let her hang around while she works on the brainwashing video.

In their next scene together, Junko is having Mikan massage her leg, listening as Mikan presents her classmates and friends to Junko. She's the one who tells Junko of how close her class has become, and how Chiaki is the central figure behind their bond. It's where we get this from Junko:

Though you might not immediately know it, it's swiftly revealed to us that Mikan is now in love with Junko via this and Ryota's mention that something appears 'off' with Mikan. From Ryota's discovery of the prototype video that was used on the Reserve Course students being immediately followed by Mikan's appearance and saying he souldn't have watched the video, it's easy to fall into the assumption that Mikan's fall is purely because of the brainwashing. But that's not necessarily true. Mikan having seen the video prototype is very different from being brainwashed entirely, and considering Junko herself says that the video is insufficient and that she can't brainwash people like Ryota can, there's an inference to be made that while the prototype video may have helped, it didn't rob Mikan of her free will in the way Chiaki's death did for everyone else. Ryota didn't fall into Despair from the video by itself, and neither did Chisa Yukizome. We also know from her FTEs in SDR2 that even before falling to Despair, Mikan was already a little fucked up, as her idea of a good time includes telling you all the ways in which you could die and begging people to treat her like garbage just for a taste of acknowledgement.

We also see what motivated her to nurse not only herself, but others as well- not empathy, but power and control.

"Sick people and injured people... are weaker than me. .... But if I know the proper way to treat them, that means my words are absolute. Which means... They'll need me. They'll depend on me completely." -Mikan Tsumiki, SDR2

Again, all this can be found in her FTEs, in a situation in which she's mentally reverted to the way she was entering the school, before she and Junko were so much as in the same city. By this line of information, it's just as believable that her falling in love with Junko was because Junko and her video actually connected with Mikan, taking Mikan's craving for attention via mistreatment and using it to her advantage. It's also worth noting that the anime makes a point to use 'spiral eyes' to demonstrate when a character has been brainwashed. This is something used with Chisa, with the characters in the Future Arc, and when the RoD are shown Chiaki's murder. But Mikan does not have these spiral eyes in the scene where she nearly assaults Ryota. She's horny, and it's extremely disconcerting, but her eyes are still her own, suggesting that the video didn't take a hold on her the way it did for the Reserve Course students.

Mikan is also one of the most similar characters to Junko in that she craves pain. Not emotional Despair in the way that Junko does, but physical pain, not only from Junko, but from just about anyone. Pain means attention, and that's something she needs more than anything. By this metric, she and Junko are actually quite similar, needing the worst from the people they love, and this makes for a formula that can create an incredibly abusive relationship. Junko can do literally anything to Mikan, and she'll lap it up like a dog. Mikan makes for a perfect punching bag, and suddenly, their relationship is intentionally paralleling the way Junko treats her sister. She kicks her around, calls her a disgusting horny piglet, and Mikan thanks her for it. It becomes a challenge of seeing how far she can push Mikan before she snaps and attacks her back, just like how she tries and fails to do with Mukuro. Simply put, there's no reason for her to treat Mikan in this way if she doesn't care about her as a person, romantic or otherwise.

This connection Junko forms with Mikan also serves to answer that earlier question: why did she bother with a class full of people she's never met? It's because of Mikan. Mikan is the one to present class 77 to her, and with the context that she goes on to set up a murder maze specially for Chiaki, and specifically says that Mikan has 'made a compelling case', that means Mikan was asking her to make them SHSL Despair. And not only does she do so, she does so in a way that forces Mikan to be the one to lead them into the trap. She brings her classmates to the bunker, she separates Chiaki from the group, she's responsible for sending her loved ones to Despair. This isn't a plot that's personal to Junko; it's a plot that's personal to Mikan, and Junko helping drive Mikan's loved ones into Despair saddles Mikan with a Despairing guilt tied to Junko.

Driving class 77 to become RoD is an act of love for Mikan- a twisted, abusive love, but a love nonetheless, and one that's in line with the way she drives her own class to Despair and makes herself the crux. Should her classmates realize what's happened, they'll know that Mikan brought them here. The rest of class 77 are Remnants, but Mikan is a SHSL Despair like Mukuro, valued like Mukuro, and her being the one to regain her memories and turn on all her friends once more, betray them once more, is a remnant of Junko's love.

8.6- Izuru Kamukura

When Junko first approaches Kamukura, she does so with the intention of offing him then and there. He's the artificial SHSL Hope, lab-grown by Hope's Peak Academy, and represents everything their research stands for. To kill him would be to kill their work, and that's what she walks in with the intention of doing.

Naturally, she fails, as Izuru's been imbued with every talent known to man. This wasn't outside to realm of possibility for Junko, though. There were several different ways to kill the SHSL Hope invented by Hope's Peak. Whether or not she killed him literally or metaphorically wasn't the point.

Izuru Kamukura exists as an empty symbol. He's filled with talent and nothing to use it on. Because his existence is an artificial one, he has no passion with which his talents were born, and no drive to use them. If anything, he's not the SHSL Hope, he's the SHSL Talent, but regardless, his creators have labeled him their SHSL Hope so that he can become their puppet-symbol. So to kill the SHSL Hope the trustees have created, all Junko really has to do is get her hands on the puppet first.

The actual convincing of him isn't really what matters to Junko. Similar to the trustees, she also sees Kamukura as a symbol, albeit one to be knocked down instead of bolstering up, so she uses him like a token symbol, too. All she has to do is pique his interest, just enough to get him to follow her, and her job is done. She talks on about her love of Despair, how grief and pain are something that actually makes you feel, and because he's had his emotion removed, that unknown variable is enough to get him to watch, just in case.

Despite his having every known talent, Kamukura is tricked. He's framed by Junko as being responsible for the murders of the student council. And in addition, he sees the power of Despair, as adrenaline from the final survivor pushes him to attack Kamukura even when it should've been physically impossible. When moved by that animalistic need to survive, he manages to cut Kamukura's face even after getting his own sawed in half. Thus the SHSL "Hope" is introduced to the world as creating Despair, and his job is complete.

Junko doesn't really bother with Kamukura after this framing. She lets him hang around, but when he decides to leave, she doesn't make any sort of fuss or try to attack him anymore, because she doesn't really care about him. He was only as important to her as his title was to the school, and once that title was tarnished, any connection between them she pretended to have was dropped. The next time these characters meet, it will no longer be the real Despairing Junko tainting some artificial husk of a person, filled with talent and emptied of heart, but rather, an artificial Despair combatting a survivor's true identity.

Part 14- The Brainwashing

Okay, let's talk about this. Was the brainwashing a good move for the story? Was it actually planned from sdr2? Or was it something half-assed at the last second because Kodaka didn't think that far ahead? Well, imo, it was almost definitely intended from their conception, and is very reflective of Junko's own motivations and goals.

From as early as DR 0, brainwashing tactics are evident within Junko's work. When Ryoko meets the reseve course's underground cult, she finds them watching a single video of mutual killing over and over again, with a fixation on its contents that's unnatural.

"[The cultists] didn‘t even bother to glance at me. Their eyes were still plastered to the monitors in front of them. .... Every monitor was a pitch black, none had a single image projecting on it.

'It‘ll… start again soon… so…' the monobear heads sitting in front of me said in monotone." -DR 0

Brainwashing is again brought up within SDR2, as not only is Hajime expressly a human experiment due to alteration of the brain specifically, but the entire class is referred to by Makoto as 'brainwashed'. At this point in the series, there's no reason for him to actually know this short of Kamukura possibly telling him they were brainwashed, so we can reasonably assume this statement is rooted in Makoto's inability to understand Despair and seeing anyone's craving of it as a mental disease that can be cured(not an unreasonable conclusion to reach, considering the Everything About Junko he was led to witness). Ergo, it's not beyond reason to assume that brainwashing was well within the bounds of possibility for the characters even at that time.

While the idea of brainwashing the class into Despair appears to rob the class of their moral complexities that came from being RoD, the view we as an audience are given by Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya within SDR2 is only ever that the RoD were victims of Despair. The survivors are already established as more reliable narrators than AI Junko thanks to the first game, so there's no reason not to trust that what they say is likely true. In addition, Junko never actually directly states that they did it of their own free will, just that they were on the same side and tries to get them not to listen to Makoto, her already-established opposite.

The idea of class 77 being brainwashed went from theory to canon in DR3, and while the method of their brainwashing is controversial(the line 'cutting through their free will like swiss cheese' from the dub is pretty aggravating), it still lines up with Junko's pre-established goals and motivations. She goes to Hope's Peak to tear down Hope and replace it with Despair, and after being shown a class full of Hope united by their love for the same person, she exploits it and is able to use their love against them to create Despair as an outsider. She's introduced to the class, uses them, and then lets them all go do their own Despairing thing because she doesn't actually care what they do. What matters most is her own Despair, and tearing hope to pieces. So her interaction with class 77 remains minimal, a mere experiment for Despair in the same way Hajime was an experiment for hope, and then keeps going about her business, calling on them presumably only if she needs something like the execution contraptions.

14.1- The Despair Videos & Knowing the Difference

There's not just 1 Despair video. Over the course of the anime, we're introduced to three, and each one has different levels of effect on those who watch it. Knowing the difference between these three videos is quintessential when talking about the brainwashing and how each character to watch a video is affected, as well as understanding different characters' roles in the narrative as they pertain to the videos. So let's establish the differences between these 3 videos and their effectiveness before we move forward.

14.1.1- The Student Council Massacre

The first Despair video, aka "the prototype", aka the Mutual Killing Video, is the one created using the footage of the student council's beta mutual killing game. This is the one made solely by Junko's attempted mimicry of Mitarai's animation talents, taking security footage of the mutual killing and sharing it with the Reserve Course and Mikan as a test run. And while it does have some level of effect on them, inspiring 'the parade' and having a hand in Mikan falling for Junko, it doesn't work nearly well enough to actually rewire their brains for Despair or strip them of their hope in the way that Junko would like. Even in the context of a parade, it's still very much a protest in the hopes of change. There's still the demands of a refund, of being let into the main course. Even when shown the Despair of the truth, there is still hope that things can be changed or fixed. And that's not what Junko wants. The only character that we've seen to watch this video to end with the aforementioned 'spiral eye' telltale of true brainwashing is Chisa, who we know was also being actively lobotomized by Mukuro during a repeated viewing to force it to work. This instruction came from some manual Mukuro was left with, presumably written by either Junko or Ryota.

While this video is what starts the parade, what eventually pushes the parade to violence isn't Junko. It's the inaction of Hope's Peak Academy and refusal to acknowledge their mistakes. Instead of coming clean, they bury everything wrong they've done even further and have their security beat the shit out of anyone that tries to find answers for themselves, doing so in the name of 'protecting them' from information. They keep the wrongdoings of their 'real' students under wraps at the expense of their underlings, fully buying into a talent-based hierarchy they created. Those without special talents are sources of finance- nothing more, nothing less. And when that overwhelming majority questions that, and finds evidence that HPA doesn't care, of course they'll retaliate. The video itself isn't a brainwasher, but when combined with the very real negative effects of the classism which the Reserve Course students find themselves hurt by, it makes its influence that much stronger.

14.1.2- Human Chiaki's Death

The second Despair video is Chiaki's execution, and is a live recording shown to her classmates. As far as we've ever seen, this is the only instance in which this is ever shown. This live recording is enough to send class 77 into Despair properly, spiral eyes and all, but there's an underlying implication that the primary reason for this is because of how important Chiaki specifically was to them. Throughout the season, and especially in this episode, Chiaki is established as the glue that holds the class together. Despite not being an extremely sociable person, she connected to her class with her love of games, and her earnest love of it endeared her to them, and their love of her did vice versa. The footage locked them each into place, unable to look away, and once they were at their lowest, at the very end of the video, Junko swoops in to dub them all Remnants and decides for them that they will now cause Despair for her. And because she says this when the live footage has brought them to their lowest, they each fall into this trap, at least to some extent. Whether or not they truly belive in what they're doing, they do it, because that feeling of Despair is their last connection to Chiaki left.

But, similarly to the prototype, it's still ultimately insufficient. Granted, it's much more effective than the prototype, but it isn't a full mindwipe, either. We know this because when we meet Nagito Komaeda in UDG as the Servant, he's still himself. He still has some level of self-control, able to speak and act as an individual even when following the orders of Monaca or the other WoH. He says himself that he despises Junko more than anyone else in the world, and follows through with Despair with the faith that it'll inspire a newer hope to conquer it. He says something similar in that moment of brainwashing as well.

"Nanami is our hope. Look what she did to her. What Despair... What a horrific sight! This is... This is the Despair we must overcome? Ah, Nanami... You understand, right? At this moment, you are becoming a stepping stone to hope!" -Nagito Komaeda, DR3

You could possibly attribute this to Nagito's luck cycle and history with tragedy just making him have a higher resistance to the brainwashing, and honestly, there's no strong way to contradict that, since Nagito and Mikan are the only ones we ever see in Despair outside of a montage, but narratively, I doubt they'd make a point to show one of the RoD hating Junko if it weren't to make the point that they had agency. Nagito was just the fan favorite, so of course it was gonna be him. You saw the fanservice in UDG.

14.1.3- Mitarai's Animation

The third and true Despair video is the inversed Monokuma Theatre, which is used to mentally hack its viewer and drive them into such a strong state of Despair that they kill themselves right then and there. This is objectively the strongest of the Despair videos, and the most effective, with the only character it doesn't immediately convince to kill themselves being the Future Foundation chairman Kazuo Tengan. This is mostly for plot reasons, but I'll address this specific exception to the rule later on and why this was the case.

The Monokuma Theatre video is mass-emailed to the Reserve Course students after they destroy the shiny new building their parents were tricked into paying for. The video hacks their minds when in an already vulnerable state, and each and every one of them jumps out of the building and kills themselves. Just as quickly as they take some control and uproot the system that hurt them so, they fall victim to the games of another who never cared for them in the first place. The purpose of the video was to create a horde of faceless victims to spurn others into action, and it worked like a charm, spiraling the world into a state of Despair. The RoD used their influence to ensure a smooth transition into this state of worldwide chaos as well, having significantly more social power and reach to spur more and more people into the fray.

The Monokuma Theatre video is also what makes the members of the Future Foundation kill themselves in the Future Arc, hacking their minds and then dropping a knife with which to stab themselves with. It works on every character that watches it- Chisa, Gozu, Seiko, Ruruka, and Makoto. Each of these characters are in various mental states when they watch it, yet all of them fall to it, without exception. It doesn't matter who you are or what you believe in. If there's even one thing you regret in your life, the video can and will work on you. It just does. And by that logic, it's the only real 'brainwashing' video, because it can work on anyone who watches it. The one character who seems to withstand it is the one who builds an entire killing game using said video just to force its creator to action, and doesn't even seem so much as affected by it. Really, it calls into question whether or not he was even affected by it.

14.1.4- The Flashback Light (Bonus Brainwashing!)

The Flashback Lights are used solely in V3, and are invented by the mysterious Team DR to reprogram the memories of their victims to play along in their scripted killing game. We see this work on both Kaede and Shuichi, as well as see the aftereffects it has on the rest of the class.

We learn while investigating that Tsumugi is the one responsible for creating the Flashback Lights, and that she's been the mastermind who knew what was happening the entire time. However, this initially opens up a plot hole in that Tsumugi has also been shown the Flashback Lights multiple times. There are 3 viable explanations for this. The first one is that she just closed her eyes, which is extremely boring and kind of a copout. The second is that she didn't know she was the mastermind until near the end, and Kaede's murder plot failing was a ruse by Team DR for the story, but that makes that entire reveal lose a lot of its impact. The third explanation, therefore, makes the most logical and narrative sense, and actually doubles as a reason why Tengan would be the only one to withstand the Monokuma Theatre in DR3: Tsumugi wears glasses.

Yeah, I know, that sounds silly, but let's actually break it down. In NDRV3, two characters are shown to wear glasses, and only two- Tsumugi Shirogane, and Gonta Gokuhara. Gonta, however, has two unique traits that are relevant here. One, he has 20/0.625 vision(strong enough to see the near microscopic Monokuma cameras), and two, he wants nothing more than to appear as a gentleman. I don't think it's a stretch to say he's wearing empty frames to appear more gentlemanly, especially considering they're paired with a full suit.

Tsumugi is the mastermind, and the one who has the most insight into what's happening in the game. She's the one who knew the difference between her actual self and the character Tsumugi that she played(it's implied in the dating sim that Tsumugi isn't her real name), despite having seen the Flashback Lights with the class several times. So isn't it entirely possible that having glasses to reflect the light of those Flashbacks was what let her pass for being affected as well? And, if that's the case, then it would also explain why Tengan, who wears glasses, would be resistant to the effects of the animated video, as everyone else who we know watched the animated version before their death didn't wear glasses. The faceless Reserve Course students don't have glasses, and neither do any of the five characters in Future Arc to watch it. It's completely ridiculous, and simultaneously totally plausible, for the idea of glasses reflecting off light and lessening the effects of such a video to be the explanation for why the videos or lights exclusively didn't work on these masterminds.

8.7- Ryota Mitarai

Junko's connection to Ryota is objectively the weakest part of her story, and admittedly a major part of why the brainwashing of class-77 falls under such scrutiny. Whereas every other part of Junko's plan is pretty well-established within her characterization, the connections she makes having actual sense to their conception and development, and just general consistency within the narrative, her meeting Ryota is not only a stroke of random luck on her part, but emphasized as one, and this just does not make sense for a character within said narrative to have never once been characterized as having any level of luck or fortune prior. This is especially glaring in a world that has established luck mechanics via characters like Makoto, Nagito, and Celeste. Junko just isn't a character meant to have luck like this, and never has any sort of moments or accomplishments stemming from luck before or after this outright.

When Junko and Ryota meet, it's because they walk past each other going in and out of the infirmary, and Junko, for no visible reason, decides to start talking to him right then and there. She starts squealing and hugging him, jumping up and down, and says this upon Mukuro's asking why: "I don't know, but... this is what I'm telling myself: This is yet another... fateful encounter!"

There's no rationale to this. There just isn't. It's not her SHSL Analyst talent having picked up on him over time, or her recognizing him via someone else, or anything of the sort. It's totally unjustified random chance for the convenience of the plot, and that's what makes this introduction so weak.

Really, the issue of Ryota's involvement falls more in their introduction than his actual function in the anime. Considering his characterization and the connections Ryota had prior to this, it would've made infinitely more sense if Junko had met Mikan first while in the infirmary, and buttered her up enough for Mikan to introduce the two of them. Knowing Mikan, it wouldn't have taken much, and would've made more sense for Ryota to be so willing to share a part of his life's work while still incomplete if he was introduced to Junko by someone he already trusted. Regardless, that's not what happened, but I say this mostly because I want to affirm that with Junko and Ryota's connection, it's the introduction that doesn't make sense, not what follows.

That said, once the awkwardness of how they meet is out of the way, what follows is fairly reasonable. She asks about his talent, purposefully mocks his interests to trick him into showing off, and then takes advantage of what she learns about him, which just so happens to be brainwashing techniques that she'd already be somewhat familiar with thanks to Yasuke.

Once they're acquainted, Junko uses her knowledge of the school and what she's stolen from the kidnapped trustees to set up Ryota underground where she can keep him under control, and so he can't mistakenly squeal about what she's setting up. She uses his passion against him to bastardize it into what she needs and manipulates him into walking into his own cell by doing so. It's not her most genius move of all time, and it's not a difficult one to understand either, but it's one that works.

What matters most to understand, though, is that she doesn't seem to develop any sort of affection for him in the way that she did for Mikan. When he finally uncovers what she's doing, Junko gives him a simple sales pitch, and threatens him indirectly with Mikan's friends.

By now, she knows damn well that he's met a grand total of two of his classmates, one of which just tried to sexually assault him mere moments prior, so this doesn't seem like the most effective tactic she could've used. But Ryota is a sensitive person. A victim of bullying growing up, the whole point of his brainwashing animations was to make people more empathetic subliminally. So to force him to help her, Junko is able to target this empathy by targeting Mikan over Ryota himself. Her abuse of Mikan is painful for Ryota to look at, and he wrongfully puts all the blame for the way Mikan acts solely on Junko because he doesn't know any better. And Junko lets him, because it's convenient for her to manipulate.

"As you have inferred, the mutual killing video you watched is the reason Tsumiki ended up this way. However, in order to reach my objective, this is insufficient. My lack of brainwashing ability is the cause." -Junko Enoshima, DR3

As we know, Junko is an unreliable narrator. She can and has lied to people's faces for the sake of manipulating them, telling half-truths and intentionally warping the truth to shift her victims' perspective in a way that she wants. We never see Mikan's fall, only cutting from her first meeting Junko to her already being in love with her, and as we've established, not only was Mikan already pretty fucked up prior to meeting Junko, but she doesn't exhibit the symptoms of a complete brainwashing at this point. She still has her mental faculties about her. So logically, that means she's doing the same here. Yes, Mikan watched the prototype video, and yes, it was insufficient. Hence why we as an audience can understand with our meta-context that Mikan still has her mental faculties intact. Ryota, on the other hand, doesn't have that benefit, so when Junko says this, the implication is that Junko took the meek, shy, kind version of Mikan that Ryota knew and twisted her into an evil, hypnotized slave of Junko's. It's an intentionally warped perception of the truth that Junko uses to her advantage, to the point where she flat-out says she can't brainwash at this point and brainwashing is still commonly attributed as the sole reason for Mikan's behavior in this scene.

Ryota cares about the few friends he does have, taking Mikan's and the SHSL Imposter's requests to take care of himself by resting and going to the infirmary even when he doesn't want to to ease their worries. So of course, when faced with the idea that he could prevent Mikan's loved ones from getting hurt, even though he doesn't know the vast majority of them, he caves regardless. It doesn't have to affect him. The people around him are important enough for this threat to work anyways. They're not his precious classmates, but they are the Imposter's; they are Mikan's. And Ryota is a very weak man. So he complies.

Later, when he escapes, she hunts him down to thank him for his help, and then allows him to run away, letting him believe that he's the reason why class 77 were the ones to be brainwashed.

"The video I had you help me with. The complete version of that. I'll have your whole class watch it now!"

The 'video' that Junko has them watch is a live recording of Chiaki's death maze. Meanwhile, the Despair video that the Reserve Course goes on to watch after the riots, and that Chisa Yukizome is subjected to, are different videos entirely, forcefully reprogramming them and removing their hope outright. Since Ryota's an animator, we can ascertain he's responsible for the one the Reserve Course watches, with an animated Monokuma. In other words, Junko does not, in fact, have his class watch the video he helped her make. She's lying to him to send him further into Despair.

"Imagine it... Because of you, all your classmates will fall into a deep, deep Despair. They'll become people who think of nothing but plunging this world into Despair, the Super High-School Level Despairs!"

It's a bold-faced lie, and one that Ryota has no knowledge with which to contradict it. Because he's a coward, and because Junko's already messed with his head so much, he runs and hides rather than face what he's done. She even leaves him with parting words of responsibility, twisting what happened with sarcasm so he'll always blame himself for her actions.

Ryota is by no means a perfect victim, but that doesn't change the fact that he is one. He was manipulated, and when he found out he was manipulated, he was threatened, albeit indirectly. But Junko was always planning to send Hope's Peak and the world into Despair. His video made it easier for her, but he is not and never was responsible for her actions. And by making him carry the guilt of her choices, she leaves him in a state of pathetic, guilty Despair akin to a genuine 'thank you' from her.

Part 15- AI Junko

AI Junko(or Kaijunko, as I like to refer to her as) appears as the reincarnation of Junko, created by Chihiro's AI technology and forming a Despair virus to infect the Neo World Program. She doesn't allow the Hope Restoration Program to follow through, instead taking Usami's teacher role and manipulating the world to be a Despair Restoration Program. The motives she uses are extremely personal and targeted, hyperfocusing in on specific members of the class each time to ensure a murder happens the way she needs it to.

Something that's important to remember, though, is that Kaijunko IS NOT Junko. She's an artificial recreation of the real Junko intended to continue programming Despair into the world after she'd inevitably passed. And as such, she isn't a 1:1 replica, and there are key differences between the two in the same way Alter Ego is different from Chihiro and Observer Chiaki is different from the human Chiaki.

The reason Junko fell into SHSL Despair was because her intellect combined with human need for stimuli left her with such a deep depression and boredom that pain and suffering were the only ways to make her feel alive. But as an AI program, Kaijunko isn't burdened by that same need. She's programmed to have the same goal of spreading Despair, but she doesn't have a personal, insatiable need for Despair in the way that Junko did. And this leads her to have a different endgoal for the final trial than what the real Junko might have chosen.

Kaijunko observes and learns from Izuru Kamukura and the RoD, as well as the Towa City residents, in the same way Alter Ego learned from class 78. The brainwashing video forcefully reprogrammed them, yes, but ultimately, they still loved each other as friends and classmates, even if Chiaki wasn't there with them, and it's that dedication to each other that Kaijunko learns about. It's why those connections are the ones tested within the SDR2 killing game; Kaijunko, who actually came into contact with the RoD personally and was toted around by Kamukura, would know what to use to create a killing game that would leave the most desperate group of survivors at the end to follow through on Junko's plans to reconstruct them all into her.

However, because Kaijunko isn't constricted to the same need to destroy herself, she can afford to bend the plan around impulsively in the way Junko herself had in the past, but in a way that'd align with the original Junko's goals to harm others around her without needing to harm herself anymore. Thus, in the final trial, she doesn't push those desperate survivors to want to escape. Instead, she uses her knowledge gathered to make them want to stay in the world Makoto provided to them, where none of them have to face the consequences of the RoD's actions, Kaijunko included.

One of the ongoing themes across the board for SDR2 is how artificial everything about it is. The island is artificial. Chiaki is artificial. Hajime is an artificial hope. The RoD are artificial Despairs. Similarly, Kaijunko is an artificial Junko. She goes through those same motions as the original Junko, but she is not, cannot be Junko. She can only mimic, never be, and so she tries to escape altogether by resetting the game to a state where the RoD live an escapist dream, and she's locked in the game with 'her' classmates forever. But despite this, because she's mimicked Despair, she's become part of it, and Hajime and the others do the one thing Junko can't ever succeed in doing: they choose themselves, and she disappears without a chance of hope, just like Ryoko before her. Hajime and class 77 forge a new future, and Kaijunko dies trapped in the shadows of the past.

8.6.1- Hajime Hinata

If the battle between Makoto and Junko in THH is a battle of ideologies- hope and Despair- then the battle between Hajime and Junko is a battle of wills. This is the battle between self-love and self-hatred, and both Hajime and Junko are faced with their opposite, only to reject it in favor of what they want for themselves most.

Hajime's main character arc is one of self-discovery. When we meet him, he's been stripped of everything that's made him himself, having a gap in his memory that has his identity within it. This is a direct parallel to Ryoko Otonashi's lack of memory, having no identity or memories of the past with which to identify herself. She has only the words others tell her. But in the case of Hajime, it's revealed that the supposed gap is virtually nonexistent. He has no special talent or ability that differentiates him from the rest. He's a blank slate- empty, one might say. And this is quite similar to Ryoko. In a similar way, Izuru and Junko are both burdened by the weight of their talents. In the case of Izuru, he was operated on to remove all emotions and thoughts to be a symbol for Hope's Peak, while Junko's Analyst talent left her burdened with the inability to enjoy anything.

There are also similarities to Izuru and Ryoko, having both had their minds operated on to remove all memories of their true identity and become someone new, while Hajime and Junko both feel a heavy burden of who they are and feel as if that makes it impossible for them to enjoy their lives as they are. This parallel is exactly why Hajime's choice to live, and choosing to live in the face of retreating into the NWP, is so impactful, especially when faced with the shadow of Junko Enoshima.

Junko never chose herself. She never could choose herself, and when given the opportunity to, she rejected it entirely, too addicted to the cycle of self-destruction she'd created for herself. She felt as though Despair was the only answer for her, so she could never stop searching for it, even from beyond the grave. That not just she should feel it, but everyone should. Everyone needed to know the way she felt. And she used anything and anyone at her disposal to make sure the world burned, because she wanted to feel, and what was the point of such a world pretending not to feel Despair anyways?

Hajime chose himself. It wasn't for anyone but himself. When looking in the face of what he'd turned himself into for hope, he was able to come to the conclusion inverse to what Junko did- that he didn't need to change for the sake of anyone else. It didn't matter that he wasn't SHSL like the people he admired, so long as he lived for himself. Meanwhile, when Junko reverted back to herself, it was like dragging herself back into a cage, being burdened by the same kind of talent that Hajime never needed. A talent she never asked for was the source of her undoing, while Hajime's lack thereof almost killed him in the pursuit of one.

The dichotomy of the talented vs the talentless is one that can be felt extremely strongly between dr0, sdr2, and dr3, but especially when in regards to the divide between these two characters, as it again circles back to the damage the hierarchy they find themselves in creates. Junko is a heralded SHSL Analyst and Gyaru, dubbed by Japan as superior and handed the influence that makes it so much easier for her to poke holes in the system until it collapses. Even when all the evidence is placed on her, she's the SHSL Analyst, and can convince HPA to keep quiet for her. They cover up her crimes, and when they can't anymore, she's part of the 'chosen' that receive protection from the government while the Reserve Course and their families are never mentioned again. Hajime has nothing, is considered nothing, is even beaten and told to 'take to the leash and collar already' to keep him complacent. His choice to become Kamukura is weighted by the pressures of the system he's trapped within, holding him not only to his desire to be considered important, but to be equal, not to mention the debt he's placed in just for the right to participate in said hierarchy. Those treated like nothing are downtrodden to accept the system and uphold it, and those with power can do whatever they want and the system will protect them.

In a lot of ways, Hajime and Junko are more similar to each other than any other two characters in the franchise, all the way down to the sacrifice of the ones they closest around them sending them on their final path- Junko with Mukuro, and Hajime with Nagito. And in mirroring this, Nagito eventually returns, while Mukuro never can.

Mukuro and Junko are twins, and work to attain the same goal, but they're still very different people. Junko is absolutely fucked up, and Mukuro follows her out of a twisted need to be by her side, even when it leads to her eventual death. Hajime and Nagito are repeatedly called out as similar, both needing the other to get through the trials and survive and being forced to come to an understanding, but still retaining their individuality and separate beliefs. When Mukuro dies, it's directly because of her loyalty to Junko, even at the cost of herself, and Junko's betraying her resulted in both their deaths. Nagito died because of his loyalty to hope, even at the cost of himself, and Hajime's trust in him was what allowed him to survive and eventually bring Nagito back. Where Mukuro was metaphorically absorbed into Junko and forgotten, Nagito's individuality was what became critical to Hajime.

15.1- Shirokuma & Kurokuma

This part will remain brief. Shirokuma and Kurokuma are the AIs found in an all-white and all-black bear in UDG, each positioned on one side of the Towa City genocide and perpetuating the war by manipulating the Towa siblings.

Shirokuma is the 'good' one, and is positioned with the adult survivors. He's the one responsible for creating the underground safe house, and is Haiji's right-hand. Even when making it appear as though he wants peace first and foremost, he goes on to pilot Big Bang Monokuma and stands with Haiji, playing him and Komaru to escalate things.

Kurokuma is the 'bad' one, and is the one who gave Monaca the plan to create a Successor in the first place. He's a chatterbox that's an advisor to the WoH, presumably left behind by Junko or created by Monaca, and pushes the kids into their murder games by standing with Monaca.

Near the end of the game, Kurokuma reveals that Shirokuma is his little brother, and later in the epilogue, we learn that they were actually not distinct AIs, but rather, the same AI Junko as in SDR2 that was working both sides to destroy Towa City. Them taking the form of siblings mirrors that Junko herself was a twin, and isn't truly complete if she doesn't have her sibling still present.

Part 16- Big Sis Junko (UDG)

Following SDR2, UDG returned a master-manipulator Junko to the scene via the Warriors of Hope. Though AI Junko is present and perpetuating the war through her manipulation of the Towas, Junko herself is all but gone, survived only through the kids' memory of her, and what they have to say is extremely telling to the capability Junko really had to push people further towards her Despair.

Her role as 'Big Sis Junko' came when she prevented them from killing themselves, though how she knew to be there at the right time is unknown. We can assume she'd been keeping eyes on Monaca already and, through her Analyst talent, figured out when the right time to be to show up.

From there, they became the Warriors of Hope, not missed by their parents that hated them or worried for by the world, and Junko was free to mold them however she liked. She did this by teaching them to lash out at the people responsible for their suffering- not just their parents and abusers, but any and all adults. She was a teenage girl who'd taken pity on them, as far as most of them saw, and so they trusted her as the first and only person besides each other to show them kindness. They became ideological, lumping all adults within the same box of 'demon' because they were given no other comparison, and they did it for Junko.

"As far as I remember, the first adult we defeated was a random person we didn't even know. .... From there, we leveled ourselves up by killing Demons. Big Sis Junko was so pleased..." -Nagisa Shingetsu, UDG chapter 4

They came to rely on her as their one true savior, and even those of them who knew they were being manipulated didn't care, if only it meant they weren't the ones being beaten anymore.

"At least, at the time I thought it was a miracle. But later I learned it was inevitable. She came into my life just to take advantage of me." -Monaca Towa, UDG chapter 5

"'You guys... were completely deceived by Junko Enoshima.' 'And what's wrong with that? Did I not tell you that we are her possessions? We would rather her take advantage of us than horrible adults.' 'Sounds like it's too late.' 'Say what you like. Big Sis Junko... gave us hope. That's the truth.'" -Toko Fukawa & Nagisa Shingetsu, UDG chapter 4

And when she died, she was martyred, a victim of the cowards who'd believe in the adults and Hope's Peak. By dying, she completed her manipulation of them, ensuring in her absence, they would only remember the kindness she offered them. Anyone who said otherwise must be a demon.

"No matter how much you hate us, no matter how much we're shunned, we're definitely not wrong. That's the real truth, because Big Sis Junko said so. .... Those adults who took her away from us and said that she was the bad one! They're the filthy ones; they're the ugly ones, the disgusting ones!!!" -Jataro Kemuri, UDG chapter 2

This manipulation and creation of the WoH stemmed from a practical source, as we learn in the game. By Monaca's own admission, Junko only ever cared about getting access to Towa City tech for her Monokumas and for spreading Despair wide-scale. Having highly talented and abused kids to carry out her will when she was gone was just a very welcome bonus; having the youth primed to continue spreading Despair when she was gone would create a legacy, and her ghost would continue to haunt those with hope for at least another generation. Enter Monaca Towa.

8.8- Monaca Towa & the WoH (CW: Mentions of Incest & Pedophilia)

Monaca is differentiated from the rest of the Warriors of Hope almost immediately as being more aware of what the fuck is going on than her friends. She's the L'il Ultimate/SESL Homeroom that loves hearing everyone else talk about their thoughts and feelings, she's the one who invented the Captives game, and she has swastikas in her eyes, because Nazi symbolism was the only way we could convey she's a dictator I guess. As the game goes on, we see that her relationship with Junko is different from the rest of the class- a bit more substantial. She has much more knowledge of Junko's desire for Despair and knows the real reason Junko sought them out in the first place. She uses her friends' idolization of her to trick them into helping her make a new generation Junko to carry her memory. She also has a hidden bedroom full of photos of Junko, and one in particular stands out among the rest.

Junko and Monaca, all by themselves, posing for a photo. None of the other WoH are present for this photo. It's also worth noting that Monaca's in her WoH outfit, even though in every other flashback or cutaway to the past before Junko's death, they were all in their Hope's Peak Elementary uniforms. If it weren't already obvious, these two were spending more time together than with the rest of the WoH. This is primarily because of the explanation we've already been given- Junko needed tech, Monaca was the one that had it. Of course extra work was gonna be put into her, and if she felt special in comparison, she'd become more like Junko.

Both Monaca and Junko are a younger sister, and their older siblings are established as pretty creepy in their own ways. Mukuro is incestuous and lusts after Junko whenever they're together, or even just when thinking about her. Haiji, meanwhile, is a pedophile, mentioning he likes girls younger, "as young as I can get 'em." I don't have to explain why the knowledge he has an extremely younger half-sister he expressly doesn't think counts as family is a bloodcurdling realization given this information. While they seem to have very different levels of connection with their siblings, this is a pretty distinct commonality to give both masterminds, especially when one is meant to immediately succeed the other. Both girls are also considered the "genius" of their families, while their older siblings use more brute strength.

Monaca is a character built upon the mimicry of Junko. We know this because we pay attention to the game, but also because if we look at the concept art and beta forms of the Successor, we can see without question that creating a "New Junko" was always going to be a major part of UDG, as not one, but two unused Successor characters were considered before Monaca eventually became who she is today as the mastermind and true Successor.

Monaca throughout UDG undergoes a similar behavior to Junko in the way that she treats the WoH, but it's in a way the fundamentally misunderstands why Junko acts the way she does. Monaca is a child, and idolizes Junko, but that doesn't mean she actually understands her, even if she got much closer than her friends.

Monaca manipulates and discards the other WoH one by one, making herself the center of their movement and letting them believe they have control over what they're doing. She motivates them with a Paradise that'll never exist, similar to how Junko motivated the reserve course to stand up against Hope's Peak, and they take over Towa City. Whenever a WoH disappears, she decides whether or not they're mourned, but it appears as though she doesn't care and never did. She quickly forgets Masaru's name, barely bothers with Jataro, and later in her backstory monologue, proudly claims that when Junko met them, she was planning to let her only friends all kill themselves as a prank and not jump herself. She takes all the steps possible to Not Care about these people, similar to how Junko seemed not to care about the people she loved.

If Monaca spent enough time around Junko to observe and pick up this pattern, it likely means she also saw how little Junko actually cared for herself and her friends. This would explain why she starts acting as though she doesn't care at all for her only friends in the world and discarding them, wanting to emulate Junko, her idol. It also means she knew Junko didn't care about her, but her talents, and just didn't care because it was Junko. Again, this is a mentality not just held by her within the WoH, but because she was given a peek behind the curtain, she filled in the blanks in her head and let herself continue to be manipulated by Kurokuma, all in the hopes that Junko could return and manipulate her again. She needed a Successor, someone to fill that sisterly void again. And in that desperate desire, she inadvertently set herself up to someday become the SESL Despair.

Nagito's intervention is directly stated as the reason why she ends up abandoning this role as SESL Despair and fucking off to space as SESL Apathy instead, shrugging it off as 'not wanting to end up like he did'. This appears to be a deviation from what was originally intended for her, as not only was this wrapped up in a singular episode of an anime not actually about her, but the teaser images for a UDG 2 in UDG's credits ultimately ended up unused, and V3 totes a teaser of a canceled UDG 2.

Part 17- Junko's Apocalyptic Crash Course

"Right now, Hope’s Peak Academy is set up in a pyramid sort of idea that a third world country would use; it’s only really there to concentrate it’s effort on the 'super high school levels', for their benefit, and then below them are the reserve students from the preparatory school. .... The teachers here don’t really think any of the reserve students really belong here." -Yasuke Matsuda, DR 0

As we've seen repeatedly throughout the previous games and DR 0, Junko's strengths don't come from sheer force of will. She didn't take some perfect world of hope and twist it into a world of Despair by flipping some ideological switch. She's charismatic, but still human. Junko's strength comes from her ability to analyze, her high intelligence, and her charisma combining to create a master manipulator. Using the skills and people at her disposal, she was able to amass a cult following, and inspire the downfall of a society that was already flawed by attacking the weak points that were already present. Ergo, Junko's SHSL Analyst talent led her to not only infiltrate the school, but also to find the flaws within it and the lies it covered up by taking advantage of the Kamukura project wearing the school thin.

She may have been the face of the Despair movement, but she wasn't a singularity. She had a small group of people she trusted with a certain amount of information, and who had skills that would become beneficial to her. Mukuro is the obvious right-hand, as previously discussed, and perhaps the only one she legitimately believed to be an equal, but there was also Yasuke, Izuru, Ryota, Mikan, and Monaca, all of whom she attached herself too and all of whom had an extremely useful talent or title that was immediately beneficial to her cause. These people were able to directly carry out her desired acts of Despair and work alongside her, reporting back to her to ensure things were running smoothly. These were people who were needed directly as they were, and who were most useful when they believed she genuinely took interest in them, whether she actually had or not.

In a world already so flawed, with thinly veiled atrocities already taking place by people who believe in a caste system of talent, earning a downtrodden majority's trust is as simple as taking the blindfold off. Manipulating the people she'd attached herself to let her reveal key information at her leisure and drive the school and its inhabitants to Despair without them noticing or knowing to take action until it was too late to stop it. Something manmade, that turned into a disease and spread across the world, infesting it with the Tragedy and burning the oh-so-predictable world to the ground, all while standing as the eye of the storm- that was the power of the SHSL Despair that Junko worshipped, and she became its spokesperson, sending the world into a spiral.

Part 18- Junko's Legacy (Death of the Human, Birth of the God)

Everyone that loves Junko, misunderstands Junko. This is a fact that we see more than once. Mukuro obsesses, not loves. Yasuke romanticizes a childhood he can never return to. Monaca idolizes her. Mikan overtly sexualizes her. Her classmates know nothing of her self-destructive nature. Junko knew this and Despaired every time. But this fundamental misunderstanding of who Junko is didn't just exist in the game. In real life, Junko Enoshima became an iconic villain, the teenage girl that burned the world, the Ultimate Despair. She was insanely popular, and still is. And the more popular a character gets, the more susceptible they become to misinterpretations, fanon, oversimplification, etc.

In becoming such a well-known figure, Junko Enoshima the person got lost in translation. There was now Junko Enoshima, the mascot, the figurehead. This isn't a phenomenon exclusive to Junko, of course, but as the titular villain of the series until this point, how could the series continue without her? To this very day, people can't agree on who Junko was or who she actually cared about or if she ever even cared for anyone at all. And when NDRV3 was made, it took advantage of this to tell its own story, utilizing Junko Enoshima specifically to demonstrate flanderization of characters within its lore.

Junko Enoshima is not a real person. She's a fictional character. All her motivations, her thoughts and feelings, are fabricated stories and vague implications from the writing of real people. And in V3, that 'real person' is Tsumugi Shirogane, one of many cogs in the machine of Team Danganronpa, who dresses up as Junko and uses her face to become 'Junko Enoshima the 53rd'. Junko has been used and reused over and over and over, to the point where the original vision has been muddied beyond belief. What she was at the beginning, way back in THH, no longer exists. She's now a silly mascot, a familiar face that fans can point at and dress as and draw fanart of, and a face that Team DR can profit off of. Tsumugi's portrayal is laughably inaccurate to the original Junko. It's a costume, nothing more, and the dialogue she gives when 'in-character' is simplistic and insignificant. All its weight comes not from the meaning, but from the reference for reference's sake.

Junko's appearance in V3, like many other moving parts of V3, reference real-world fandom culture. It's appealing to both the in-universe fandom and the real one, bringing back character sprites and voice actors and poking fun at its own ridiculousness because none of it is real, none of it ever was. It was because Junko was fiction that she could do everything she ever did. Her Despair has meaning, but that doesn't mean she felt the feelings we're told she did, because she never existed to feel them. And that's the thing that lets her forever remain an enigma; she is Danganronpa's villain, and to become immortalized in Despair, she deconstructed into nothing but the word Despair, a fate that is in and of itself Despairful.

8.9- Tsumugi Shirogane

Tsumugi Shirogane is the mastermind of V3, and believes wholeheartedly in Junko Enoshima as the true villain of Danganronpa. Tsumugi is built as the fandom insert of DR, being immersed in fandom culture in every conceivable way- winking at the camera, making references to other fandoms, the love and joy of making cosplay- but also the less palatable parts of major fandoms, like her purist views of cosplay, her usage of incest as both a serious plot point and as a gag, and even does blackface when cosplaying as the dark-skinned DR characters of dr1 and 2. She's also the in-universe producer of the season. Therefore, Tsumugi also represents content creators, and how even the creator themselves can lose the plot of the character in their attempts to create what they perceive to be a compelling story.

As Tsumugi is explaining her story and why she tied it back into the Hope's Peak era, she pretty openly admits that a) she sees it as a perfect reproduction and b) a necessary writing choice in order to make it interesting. Both are false, as not only is V3's continuity in a separate world from the Hope's Peak era, but her presentation of Junko and the voice lines aren't displayed the same way Junko had acted in previous installations.

"'So... you're just a freak pretending to be Junko Enoshima, huh!?' 'No, a perfect reproduction! Perfect reproductions are exactly the same as the original.'" -Maki Harukawa & Tsumugi Shirogane, V3

She presents Junko as a singularity, the Ultimate Despair, and brazenly parades her face around as the immortal and ever-present true Despair. She's the 53rd Despair simply because her influence wouldn't allow her to fade away. She's become Despair-incarnate, but in making new games, Team DR has forgotten why Junko caused Despair in the first place. She didn't do it just to do it; she threw the world into Despair because it made her feel human to feel Despair. And yet when Tsumugi explains Junko the 53rd's plans, it's nothing but a big show, and that's exactly what a surface-level Junko looks like to the masses- a high-school girl that ended the world for fun.

Junko's games had meaning. Even when she didn't feel particularly connected to a person, like the RoD, she still brought them into Despair for a purpose. She was an analyst, and did the things she did with intention and with care. Attention to detail and careful manipulation with the face of a charismatic gyaru was her forte. But Tsumugi's so-called "perfect reproduction" is a story full of plot holes and contradictions, all caused by some need to deify Junko. In other words, as they refused to let Danganronpa go, they lost the plot, and Junko's humanity went with it in a desire to continue using her image when writing new stories. In becoming a god of Despair, her origins as a human were forgotten.

Part 19- Despair Into Tomorrow (Why We Care)

Junko Enoshima is an enigma. She is Despair incarnate, a pillar of the Danganronpa world created by her own hands, hellbent on burning herself to the ground. She's a character of poetic irony, unknown to all as anything but Despair. She was born with a perfect mind, and in trying to feel human, feel pain, feel Despair, she became permanently deified by all that she loved and all that she met, whether that was as a savior who killed a cruel world or a demon that detested hope.

At every turn, Junko's actiona are filled with malice, and yet so often that malice is directed at herself. Living in a peaceful world pains her because it leaves her bored. Anhedonia is a cruel mistress, and those who claimed to love her could never once comprehend it, because they couldn't feel the way she felt. The only thing she had that connected her in any human way to others or to herself was grief, and her entire story becomes one of self-sabotage. Despite that, though, she's not the only character burdened by anhedonia, and her self-destructive nature outstretching to the people and world around her is designed as a story of caution.

In each and every installation of Danganronpa, Junko and the other masterminds inspired by her fail because of their key difference in connections. When Makoto appeals to his classmates, they're reminded of their own desires to live and their love for each other- Hina's memory of Sakura, Syo's love of Byakuya, Kyoko's and Byakuya's love of Makoto himself. The same can be said of when Hajime chooses himself, to fight for himself, and is inspired to do so by Chiaki. Every other survivor has someone that inspired them to live for themself- Peko, Nakomaru, Gundham, the people around them. When Komaru is saved by Toko, it's because she took the time to connect with her and with Syo, and that love saved her from destruction. When Munakata gave up hunting Makoto, it was because of his love for Chisa. And when Shuichi declared he wouldn't vote, it was so that Maki and Keebo wouldn't be forced into sacrifice of a system that would hurt them over and over again.

Junko had connections. Junko had people she loved. Junko had another half. But she burned them one by one, until there was nothing left but her, and then she burned that too. She's a villain even to herself, and she knows it. She feels Despair upon Despair and even then can't regret it, because she wouldn't let anything else touch her heart besides it. It's an inherently self-fulfilling prophecy to only feel Despair, because in order for that Despair to exist, she must have felt love first. But she doesn't acknowledge her love and her vulnerabilities because she believes those fall under her 'factory settings'. Comfort is boring; safety is boring, and boredom was her enemy, an enemy second only to herself.

Junko's actions stem from a deeply embedded self-hatred. She was too smart and too comfortable, and so her boredom became everything she was. She believed the lie she told herself, that pain and grief and Despair was the only answer. Don't be like Junko. Don't believe the lies you tell yourself. Even in an unjust world, you can try to make things better without making them worse. Feel your Despair and let it go. It is okay to let it go. You are still human, no matter what image the people around you have, and to be seen, you must first be vulnerable.

Afterword

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST IT'S BEEN OVER 5 MONTHS. I made jokes and gags about 'getting this out before 2025' but I didn't think that would actually end up as my deadline. Holy fuck.

Junko's analysis is by far the beefiest I've done so far, and very well could remain the biggest one in this entire series of analyses (I think Kyoko, Makoto, and mayyybe Chiaki or Hajime might get close, but otherwise? Those are def gonna be the big 5 though) But hey, that's what being the mastermind of the franchise gets you. In retrospect, Junko probably should've been the grand finale, not part 5/17 of this series' part 1, but whatever. I'll save that grand finale for Kyoko instead

This will probably be the most controversial analysis I put out, alongside the eventual Mukuro one. I know people are, uh, divided on their relationship, but I did my best to stay objective and look at it from an unbiased viewpoint for what they offer narratively and its effectiveness. And I hope people are able to see that. Just in case, though, I'm gonna have anons off for a bit until whatever circulation this post gets dies down lol

Honestly, my perception of Junko has changed so much over the course of these past several months. It's not like I didn't like her before, but she's morphed into one of my favorite villains in all of media after this. This girl just cannot fucking die, no matter how much she wants to, and I think there's something so deeply compelling about a villain that wants nothing more than to self-destruct and burn the world with them, especially if you've fallen into a depressive state like the one she's in before

Good news, though! The next analysis set is Hifumi's, which means it won't take nearly as long as this whopper of a tumblr post! I'm actually very eager to deconstruct him, so hopefully we can go back to the summer days where I was able to crank out an analysis after 2 weeks. Please, god, can we go back to the summer days where I cranked out an analysis after 2 weeks

Catch ya later! :P

[nox140497]

Comfort

Prompt: No

Request: No

Summery: After reading the comments on their latest video, Colby feels really down. Seeing this and knowing Sam feels pretty down, too, Kat sends Colby's girlfriend an SOS, knowing she would know what to do.

Parings: Colby Brock Reader

Authors Note: Hi guys. Heres another one for you. You guys seem to like the Sam and Colby content, so here you guys go. Also, please feel free to make requests if you have any.

Also this >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> means timeskip

This<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< means flashback

Masterlist

Prompt List

------------------------------------

It was a normal day for Sam and Colby. They had posted a new video recently and were going through the comments.

The comments on this video, however, were particularly negative for no reason. They also seemed to be mostly targeted at Colby.

Needless to say, both boys were a bit upset and wanted comfort. Sam had Kat up in his room with him, but Colby's girlfriend Y/N was still at work. Seeing the state her own boyfriend was in, she could only imagine what state Colby was in, seeing as they were practically targeting him.

So, making a decision to help her friend, she sent Y/N an SOS text. This was a message that the girls of the trap house had started using when the boys were all still staying in the first traphouse. It was a message that said there was trouble and to get there ASAP. She got a response telling her her friend would be there soon.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Y/N walked into the dimly lit house. It was way too quiet for the people who lived there. Now she understood why she had received the SOS from Kat. She walked up to her boyfriends room, figuring out that's where she would find him. Her heart ached as she saw her boyfriend, Colby, slumped on the ofice chair by his desk. Colby had always been a strong and resilient person, he almost always had that beautiful contagious smile of his on his face, but today, the weight of negative comments on his and Sam's video had taken its toll, dragging him into a whirlpool of doubt and self-criticism. She had seen the comments on the video. She had been absolutely furious when they had attacked the boys who worked so hard to make content for the fans who they loved. She had been beyond furious when she saw the ones targeting her love personally.

She couldn't fathom how these people could be so cruel to a man who gave his everything to give them content that they would enjoy.

Seeing this man, the man she absolutely adored, the man who had unkowingly saved her life, like this, slouching in his chair with his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking ever so slightly, didn't just break her heart, it shattered it into millions of tiny pieces.

Y/N aproached him softly not wanting to startle him too much, she knew he had noticed her when he lifted his head ever so slightly. The look in his beautiful ocean blue eyes broke her heart even more. She gently brushed Colby's messy hair away from his forehead and placed a tender kiss on his temple. "I love you," she whispered softly, her voice permeating the air with soothing affection. Colby's breath hitched as he absorbed her words, the depth of her love washing over him like a healing balm. He leaned into her body and buried his head in her chest. She continued to very gently run her fingers through his hair.

"Those comments don't define you, Colby, and they cerainly don't come from all of your fans. Most of them love you boys and you know that." Y/N spoke, her voice steady yet filled with conviction. "You are talented, creative, and so loved by many—including me. Your worth isn't measured by the opinions of faceless strangers."

Her words resonated, and Colby's tense shoulders began to relax slightly. Y/N knew that while her words were a start, actions would speak louder than anything she could say. She took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers as a symbol of unwavering support.

Y/N gently pulled Colby up off his chair and guided him to lay down on the bed, propping pillows up behind his back for support. Tenderly, she covered him with a soft blanket, creating a cozy haven that shielded away the negativity and doubt that had plagued him all day.

She lay curled up next to him and gently ran her fingers through his hair. Eventually, his breathing started to even out, and soft snores started to come from his slightly parted lips.

She continued to watch over him, marveling in just how much love she had for this man. He was the love of her life, and she knew and had known for a while now that his was her person. This was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

She reached over and grabbed her phone. She texted Kat, asking her how Sam was doing. After hearing that the man she cared for as an older brother would be ok and was also asleep, she bid her sister in all but blood a good night put her phone back on the nightstand and cuddled into Colby's side. Falling asleep content in the knowledge that her boys were going to be ok.

[fancyfeathers]

Hey. Some to disturb you. But I want to request an idea for your Justice League yandere au. How exactly did each yandere meet their respective darling. I mean they didn't just spawn affection out of nowhere. Plus I think it makes a bit of if some of the other Green Lanterns'(except Hal Jordan) had Darlings from other planets and are like aliens. I'll really love to see that.🙂🙏

Finally I have an excuse to write this lmao

Yandere!Justice League AU Masterlist

I’m only writing a handful of these in depth just because there are so many.

Clark meets his darling in two ways, when he first meets her is when he saves her life, she is on her way home from work when a car looses control when the breaks don’t work and it comes right at her and then he is there as Superman, picked up the car literally seconds before it hit her. He just stares at her, for a second, it is like he is looking at a deer in headlights. He sets the car down and talks to the driver and authorities and then when he goes to check up on her- she is gone, ran home.

The next time he meets her is just as Clark, he is doing a coffee run for him and his coworkers at the Planet and two orders get called at the same time and it is like one of those scenes in romance movies when they reach and grab their drinks at the same time and their hands touch each other. Clark is so enamored in that moment and he does not know why that he accidentally knocks over her drink when pulling his hand away. He helped her clean it up and bought her a new one and after that he just conveniently bumped into her all the time. Then one day he finally asks her out and she says no because she is just trying to focus on work and his heart shatters much harder than it should, it feels like a piece of kryptonite is lodged in his chest. But really he should not be surprised she said no, she had only met him five or six times.

Oliver meets his darling in two ways as well, I sort of imagine before his darling was kidnapped that she was a vigilante as well, sort of filling the roll of Huntress in this AU, except in Star City. He meets her first as Green Arrow when she beats him to the punch in stopping a mass hostage situation. By the time he gets there he sees her on the rooftop watching as the police arrive at the scene and she just waves at him before running off and he chases after her, he doesn’t know if she is an ally or enemy. It ends up with her pinned against an alley wall and he finally gets a good look at her…

Oh god, she’s beautiful.

He gets so distracted by her that she manages to to throw him off of her and runs off before he could catch her again.

The next time he meets her is when he is just Oliver Queen, he is sponsoring a new exhibit at an art museum and as he is viewing it the night before it opens he sees a woman setting up a display case of jewelry and she feels familiar, she looks familiar- oh… oh it is her…

He decides to ask her out as Oliver and she has no real reason to refuse, he has a good enough reputation, a gentleman, and he certainly is charming. So he takes her out on a few dates, and soon enough the gossip spreads about Oliver Queen’s girlfriend. It is almost funny to hear excuses when she needs to go on patrol.

He is her partner as Oliver Queen and her rival as Green Arrow.

It’s all fun and games until there is an explosion that destroys a building while she is evacuating people from it and when Oliver hears her scream his heart just stops…

God what was she thinking?!

She’ll die in there!

He’ll run in after her and rescue her from the rubble all while cussing himself out for letting her throw herself into this mess.

When she wakes up she is laying in bed, Oliver’s bed that she knows from the nights she spent with him, her head resting on his lap as his fingers comb through her hair. He’s not letting her go out there and letting herself get killed, he knows how serious this job can be and she is not cut out for it.

Arthur is childhood friends with his darling, he remembers the days when he and her used to play by the lighthouse and they promised to spend the rest of their lives together, but that promise was quickly broken when they were in high school and her family moved across the country for their jobs, he never even got to say goodbye to her. They managed to exchange letters for a while until she just stopped sending them.

It is years later when he sees her again, after he became the ruler of Atlantis that he remembers her again. He uses the contentions the Justice League has to find her again, she is a science teacher at a high school in a small coastal town in Oregon, a population next to nothing but a peaceful life all the same, she lives alone, she had a dog but they died a year ago.

They promised to spend the rest of their lives together.

She never dated anyone.

Lived alone.

She kept their promise despite being separated from him.

Arthur goes to see her again, finding her after she got home from work one day, sitting on the beach behind her house while grading her student’s papers. She nearly screams when she hears someone says her name, clearly not used to having company, and she is about to throw her bag at whoever it is-

“Arthur?”

She just stares at him when she sees him, but soon the shock is replaced with excitement at seeing her old friend. The two sit there and catch up of what happened over the years, despite her wanting to hear more from him than speak about herself Arthur insists on her sharing and-

“Well there is one coworker of mine, he’s a theatre teacher, and we’ve been talking- hey are you alright? Arthur- hey! Let go of my hand!”

He was wrong…

She had forgotten about the promise they made.

But perhaps taking her beneath the surface and making her take her rightful place at his side will set her mind straight.

Barry meets his darling when she moves to Central City as a travel nurse, living there only temporarily while she works. She was grabbing coffee before her first night shift when she was about a block away from the coffee shop and she accidentally rammed herself into a man as they bother were turning a street corner, nearly knocking her over if it wasn’t for the man’s fast reflexes so that he caught her by the waist before she hit the ground.

“Whoa, careful.”

As an apology for rubbing into her, Barry buys her coffee, which gives them a little bit to get to know each other and as he is just listening to her voice he is just piecing together images of their future life together in his head, proposing in the park, maybe during a picnic- oh and then the wedding, maybe a more untraditional dress would look better on her, like the shorter one that would be just above her knees with the tulle under the skirt and princess sleeves. God he hoped their kids looked like her, sure he would not complain about them looking like him, but she is just so-

“Well I gotta go, night shift at the hospital, but it was nice meeting you, Barry.”

He watches her walk away and he is still just star struck by her. He goes to that coffee shop everyday to try to see her again, but it was apparently just that one time, but his luck comes through when there is an incident at the hospital, a bomb threat. He sees her while he is the Flash, she’s evacuating patients and then he sees her run back in to check if there was anyone left inside, luckily there was not, but unluckily the bomb went off, but before she could even be touched by the flames, Barry grabs her and carries her out, supporting the back of her head to prevent whiplash.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you, you’re safe.”

The day after the incident he sees her again, but this time she was packing up her car in front of her apartment building with boxes, he walks over and asks what she’s doing and reality hits him hard when she tells him she’s moving back home, she was a travel nurse, she was always bound to leave her just wasn’t ready to hear it, especially when it came so suddenly after the hospital was destroyed. He asks her to let him take her out tonight, there is something she would see before she goes, and she agrees.

He reveals to her that he is the Flash and saved her life at the hospital, but what he fails to mention is that she won’t be leaving, I mean after he saved her they are practically engaged, right?

It is on a mission that Kyle meets his darling, he is out on another planet when he meets her, not exactly alien but more humanoid, think of the Halovians from Honkai Star Rail. He sees her soon after he has arrived on her planet, hunting down a monster that has been jumping from world to world, destroying them or at least wiping out most of their life. But when he sees her for a second it is just that, it is just a moment, a passerby in the crowd like no one else he has ever seen, but then again he guesses you see knew things everyday in his line of work.

He does not think much of it until he can’t get her out of his head, he tries to draw her from memory but nothing is good enough, something is always missing from his memory of that brief moment. Her hair, her wings, her halo, she just quite literally looks like an angel, like the ones in old paintings in cathedrals and art museums.

He finds her again during another day of his mission, saving her from an attack from the creature he is hunting, he saves her and gets her medical attention. Then after that he musters up the courage to ask her out, like on a date and she agrees, once he saves her world that is. In the end he succeeds and then gets the girl and that date he was promised. It becomes a long distance relationship when he leaves and it is young love between them and then he gets sent back to her world on a mission, but it’s too late…

Practically everything is gone and there are few people who survived, including his darling. Relief is provided where it can be, including Kyle taking his darling home with him, it’s nothing like the dreams young couples have because she is mourning loosing everything she ever had and just seeing her like that makes him feel that to hold her close and keep her safe, and let nothing bad happen to her ever again.

John met his darling after rescuing her from a car crash as a Green Lantern. He waited with her in the hospital until she was released to make sure she was alright and that she returned home safely and it was supposed to end it at that but seeing as his darling has such bad luck, loosing her keys, slipping on her wet bathroom tiles, cutting herself while cooking, maybe he just stay around a little longer… just to make sure she is alright of course.

Bruce met his darling because they are in the same social circle when they were young. I think the darling is the same darling in my other series, Yandere Batfam w/ Wife/Mother!Darling & Daughter/Sister!Darling Masterlist

J'onn met his darling by complete chance when she was picking up a delivery for work, a new shipment of books for the library, and the Justice League was tracking the truck shipping them because the company that was deciding them had also been blackmailed into delivering a shipment of highly illegal drugs. Sadly then the books had to be confiscated because they were evidence but the Justice League did pay for replacements, and speaking with her while discussing the replacements sparked and an obsessions fascination with her.

Wonder Woman saved her darling’s like much of the others, saving her from a falling building, carrying her out like a princess and she does not even notice the look of her being smitten in her eyes, utterly infatuated with the her. She had just met her soulmate and by the gods she will never let her go.

Hal is here

[physalian]

When can you "tell" instead of "show"?

Based on some beta feedback I got, I have thoughts on a narrative style that is very “tell” over “show” and when it might be useful to be a little leaner. This is highly, highly subjective and no matter how much potential a story might have to be entertaining, some readers will get turned off by the lack of “immersion” no matter what you say to them. Doesn’t make the book bad, doesn’t make the reader wrong, you just can’t please everyone.

So I got some feedback on my new novella, Tell Me How Long, about a group of marine biologists with the chance of a lifetime to save a Mer, sick from the epidemic of bleaching coral reefs. Outside of fanfic, where I don’t have to tell you the worldbuilding, it’s all been done by the canon, I don’t write short stories. My usual wordcount is 100k+ words, easy, for sci-fi and fantasy.

TMHL was written like a fanfic, in many ways. I’d pulled the OC characters from my other work and tossed them into this little ficlet because I was suffering some writer’s block and I like mermaids and here we are. It’s 20k words and is bereft of the following:

A main villain character

Romantic subplots

Manufactured drama for a 3rd act “falling out” between characters

Lengthy backstory for all but 2 characters

Lore or magic

The main threat is simply time, the ravages of a disease, and the nihilism of the MC raging against the creep of global warming destroying the reefs she loves so dearly.

It has themes, too, asking the question of whether commodification of the natural world is necessary for preservation, of which all the main humans have different perspectives on.

My merfolk cannot speak, so while they can learn Sign and can understand English, there’s no place for lengthy conversations between mer and humans or opportunities for explanations of backstory.

It is absolutely a very “telling” story, lots of speeding through the MC’s days while dealing with and treating this disease. She does get moments of introspection, this is my only WIP from the past 9 years of my writing career that does not have multiple narrators. It’s all Finley all the time.

But due to the nature of this story and setting, 4/6ths of it is set on and around a single boat anchored in the Great Barrier Reef, there is no justification for extra scenes away from the action.

Nor are these mer trapped by anything except the need for medicine and while they do trust these immediate humans, they’re itching to leave as soon as they can, so there’s no precedent for longer, fluffier moments, when half the characters aren’t invested in establishing a long-lasting friendship with the other half.

I wrote it this way because you’re not here for Finley’s (MC) daily hum-drum of life. You’re here for the mer. Who is she outside of this job? Not important. What’s her family life like? Not important. What’s going on in the rest of the world? Not important. What’s the backstory for the rest of the team? Not important.

So much I could add simply does not matter, is not important, and would only detract from the reason you’re reading it: You want to know if they’ll save the mer, and if, in doing so, they’ll tell the rest of the world that mer still exist.

Does this leave some threadbare characters? Absolutely. The story I wanted to tell was not one of individuals with great depth and symbolism, it’s the collective effort of a generation facing the consequences of inaction by our elders.

And in that way, I think “telling” in terms of not having those slower moments, in not being all that flowery, in not giving the individual humans many solo scenes to really define who they are and what they stand for, works for this specific kind of story.

There can be a time to hold back on the rich character development, I think, when “what they do” matters more to the story than “who they are”.

I do plan to go back and add in some extra detail, but we’re talking 400 words at most across the entire story, a sentence or two here or there for clarity.

But at the end of the day, this is the story I wanted to tell, written in the way I wanted to tell it.

[riofann]

6. tempestuous

Tempestuous: characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion.

Previous Chapter

Friday April 17, 2020 

“The popular bar behind me became engulfed in flames in the early morning of Wednesday April 15th. Firefighters and police officers are conducting an investigation as foul play is suspected. The identity and current status of the two people entrapped in the flames has yet to be released as investigators are seeking answers.” 

You groan and turn your head reaching at what you thought was your bedside lamp to turn off the lights

You hear commotion followed by your mothers voice “OH MY GOD My baby Y/N! Y/N! Go get the nurse Daniel!”

“What’s going on?”

With tender hands she caresses your “Oh honey there was a fire they had to save you” 

“Fire?”

“Hey, you called!” the nurse speaks

“Nurse is here” your mother speaks to you

“Hi Y/N my name is Lisa your nurse can you tell me what day it is?” she asks as she logs into the computer in the room you looked around the room to see your mom and dad standing close by 

“I’m in the hospital” you comment

The nurse nods her head “Yes ma’am can you tell me what day it is?”

“It's not Wednesday is it?” you add

“That’s right it's Friday April 17, 2020 you are at Detroit Medical Center do you remember what happened?” she asks as she gets ready to do her assessment. You groan feeling your head “Oooh! Be careful” she gently removes your hand from your head “you got some bandages up there” she gently removes your hand from your head

You swallow feeling your mouth dry “I walked in with Gracie and i can’t remember the rest” you croak out

“That's okay, don't worry about it, just try to get some rest and hopefully it comes back to you as the days go by, I paged the doctor he will be here shortly. I’m just gonna do a quick assessment and when the doctor comes we will do a more in depth one okay?” You nod “Great!”

You turn to face your parents “Is Gracie okay?”

You see your parents look at each other then back at you “Honey” your dad starts 

Take some deep breaths the nurse coaches as the monitor indicates your heart rate going up 

“Where’s Gracie?” you ask them more directly. Your dad holds a somber expression “No dad No! NO!” 

“Its okay calm down sweety” your mom coaches seeing the panic seep into you

“Where is she?!” You demand answers

Your mom comes to cradle you “No mom where is she? Where is Gracie?”

“Heart rate is spiking need to calm her down” you hear your nurse say

“Y/N I’m the charge nurse Michelle”

"Where’s Gracie?!" you didn't care about what the nurses were saying to you. You only hoped the reason your parents were refusing to tell you what happened to Gracie is because she was in a coma in the ICU somewhere else but what you feared the most

“We’re gonna give you some medicine only help you calm down okay?” the nurses speak to your mother gently pulling her away from you “No where’s Gracie mom dad" you reach for them

"We’ll come get you when she’s calm I promise"

Monday May 4, 2020

You lay in bed thinking about how this came to be your mind flashes back to when you agreed to work with Alejandro. 

Flashback 

“My bosses don’t take no for an answer chiquita and they are tired of waiting” new threats were added to the mix. Threats that you couldn't ignore.  

You sigh “I am putting myself at risk here”

He chuckles “I already told you we will take...” 

You cut him off “Yea yea I know” 

He extends his hand “so it's a deal then?”

You hold your breath and extend your hand “deal” 

You try to figure out where things went wrong. It was smooth for the first few months then all of a sudden the switch flipped and Alejandro was more aggressive and dangerous than Rio. His temper was a force to reckon with. Like jekyll and hide one minute he is okay the next you are constantly looking over your shoulder and spending sleepless nights. It went from simple drop offs to no you need to sit while we finish counting, accusations of shorting the Guerrero family. Payment ready at delivery to you’ll get your cut later. It didn’t take you long to realize you were being heavily monitored and everything you were saying and doing was being captured. And when you inquired you weren’t given a reason but more threats of death and bar being burnt down.

When you heard them speak of Marcus and killing him to bring Rio out of hiding you knew you had to take action and warn Rio at least, if nothing to spare Marcus life. They knew everything, things you knew but didn’t tell them. Things you didn’t even know. Where the stash houses were, where the money was kept, his banker, his lawyer, his shipment schedules, his connections in El Salvador and Mexico. 

 Rio was right, you didn’t know what you were getting into. And his “good luck” rang like a bell summoning an omen in a horror movie. Every time you think about it you shiver knowing all that had transpired after that night. 

 “Someone’s here to see you” your mother speaks, bringing you back to the present time. You look to your bedroom door and see Rio walk in. You have been home for 2 weeks now. 

You turn the other way your back to him, embarrassed “how you holding up mama?” 

You hear the door open before shutting again. You grip the pillow tightly feeling the tears well up in your eyes. 

“Were you at the funeral?” You ask 

He clears his throat “Yea” 

It’s silent. Not comfortable, it's awkward. You close your eyes squeezing them shut praying this was all a nightmare.

“Don’t worry, I told the cops I didn’t know anything” you say

He clears his throat “Wasn’t worried about that.” There’s silence again “Your parents want you to eat something” 

“I’m not hungry” 

He nods looking at your body, you had bandages on your torso and thigh “well then ima go” 

You turn to face him before he fully walks out the room “Why didn’t they kill me?”  He stops in his tracks and turns to face you, closing the door “why did they have to kill her?” as much as you tried to make sense of the situation in the end Gracie died for nothing He sits down, and you stare at him waiting for an answer “Because”

“Because what?” 

He looks at you “if they killed you then it would be a full out war, and they can’t handle that right now” “Is there not a war right now? What’s the difference?” He pauses “this is different”

“So why burn down my bar? Why kill Gracie? She didn’t do anything to them” None of it made sense to you why would they kill her when it was you that was making money for him and them “Send a message to me” 

“To you? I thought you left Detroit?” “I did” 

“I don’t understand” He interrupts you “One day it will make sense. Get some rest yea? I’ll be around” 

Saturday May 30, 2020 

“What are you doing here?” You ask Rio as he walks in 

“Came to see you” “Okay” you say as you resume your position on the couch 

He sits next to you picking up the remote to pause the TV “what you been doing?” “Nothing” “I can see that I texted you” he comments  “I haven’t checked my phone” you lie

“For a week?” You shrug “so what you just gonna sit here and let them win?” You give him a look refraining from saying what you wanted to say, “I thought you were stronger than that” You face the TV “Well you’re wrong and if it's money you want they took it all cleared out my safe” “That's not why I’m here” You sit up to analyze him “So you’re here to berate me?” you stand up from the couch 

He shakes his head “Nah, I came here to check on you”

You stand up from the couch walking into the kitchen feeling yourself get irritated and these days anything gave you a headache “Well you’ve seen me so you can go” you didn’t need him to trigger you

He pauses, following you and stopping by the entry way of the kitchen watching you gulp down medicine “I warned you” You snap your head in his direction to look at him “I gave you an option me or them” You turn to face the sink “I didn’t have a choice Rio” you mumble He snickers “You did mama you just didn’t pick me” “I did not Rio” you stress turning to face him, they had promised to kill your family and burn down the bar leaving you with nothing. “You could have told me I would have taken care of him, taken care of them” he gives you a half smile

You nod slowly looking at him wondering why he seemed delighted by your demise “so this is a long awaited I told you so? Is that it? Is that why you’re here?” He releases a deep sighs “no, I told you I came to check on you”

“Why are you here? I thought you left town?”

He shrugs “I came back”

You scoff “Why? I’m sure you can find other people to wash your money literally anywhere else” He smirks “I wanted to, it’s my city anyway”

“That you handed over to the Guerrero’s.” you argue

He chuckles “nah mama I handed you over. I didn’t hand over my city.”

You nod “So I meant nothing to you all that talk about partnership an....” “You really wanna go there?” he asks

You swallow knowing it was you that betrayed him for once this time

“So you used Alejandro to punish me for not picking you?!” you hypothesize He shrugs 

“Gracie died!”

He nods “I know”

“They burnt her alive”

“I got the details of what happened”

You scoff “You’re un-fucking-believable!”

“Part of the game darling”

“What do you want Rio? Why are you here? Do you want to continue punishing me? Why are you here?”

“I told you I came to see how you were doing mama” “Well now you’ve seen me!” You lift your shirt “My bruise is finally fading away” You pull down your pants, showing your thigh/ass area “The burn is starting to heal up rreeaalll nice per the doctor, challenging walking or sitting or sleeping or standing because it's still painful and sore. I still get intense headaches where they kicked me from time to time. I can barely eat/sleep/or drink anything and every time I close my eyes, I see Gracie laying on the floor as they doused her with gasoline. There now you how I’m doing, you can leave”

“What are you gonna do with the bar?”

You throw spur hands up in frustration “So that’s why you’re here? To see how I can continue to make you money? Wash your fucking monopoly money?”

He pulling his lips in he shakes his head before speaking “not at all darling” “Well too bad for you I plan on doing nothing its burned down, I’m not doing anything to it, I’m gonna sell it”

He sighs  “Rebuild I’ll front you the money”

You shake your head, “No, I’m done with this,” you gesticulate crossing your arms in front of you repeatedly “I’m done with this shit! I’m done with you!” 

“So, you’re letting them win?” You look at him like he has 5 heads “You did, you let them burn down the place that was washing well over a million dollars a month. I didn’t do that you did” He bobs his head from side to side “if you put it like that” 

You feel the rage bubbling inside “get out!”

“Think about it. Gotta run see you around yea?” 

Friday September 25, 2020

“We are here at the re launch of Cure with owner Y/N. This is such a touching redemption arc story that speaks to community and how people come together. The community of Detroit were able to raise funds, the city’s best contractors offered assistance, along with Mayor Nick Serrano all came together to see this relaunch possible. Y/N how does it feel?” the interviewer asks you

“Its really emotional I didn’t think this was possible.” You pause to take a deep breath feeling like you were going to cry  “I can’t thank the community enough for being amazing and supporting myself as well as Gracie's favorite charity throughout this time” “With this relaunch we heard there’s a corner dedicated to Grace your former manager that passed away is that true?”

You nod “Absolutely there’s many places in the bar as well as menu items that are dedicated to Grace and the staff. I want it to be a reminder for anyone that walks in the amazing person she was and the amazing people that work at this bar who bring light and joy into everyone’s lives.”

“This is such a heart touching story. Tell me what Grace’s favorite things were” You smile “Sure Grace loved the Blue cheese sliders that we offer” “Oh yum I heard those were good!”

“How was the relaunch?” you hear from behind you as you walk into your home that night

“Fucking!” you hold your chest “what are you doing here?!” you hadn't seen or heard from him in months “Checking in on you” He smiles at you

You sigh throwing your keys down “How the fuck are you getting in?!”

He shrugs “got my ways” “Again if you want money it's all out and I used all of the bar insurance money to rebuild”

He shakes his head “Not here for the money”

“Why are you here then?”

He smiles at you “Just told you”

You scoff and roll your eyes “bar is open it was good lots of people showed up but not sure if they will come back”

“They will” he reassures

“How do you know that” “Because Cure is the best bar in Detroit”

Authors Note: Please leave your feedback, again please don't steal. Only repost, like, or give credit.

XOXO Rose

Taglist (are you guys getting notified? Can't tell):

@katymae12344, @yinmaggiorebass , @flirtyjen, @wnbweasley, @meadows5, @ffenthusiastt, @rio-reid-whoreee, @belezaya, @meera10, @aunicornmademedoit, @stilestotherescue,

[kat-rose-griffith]

When Polin were fighting about Whistledown and Colin said “why didn’t you just tell me” about the Marina stuff I wish instead of just apologizing she had responded like “would you have even listened?” and gone into a speech like the no one really notices me one she did in the flowers with Eloise like “no one ever listens to me, not really. But here in the pages of Whistledown I have a voice. People don’t just listen, they hear me, they actually want to hear me. Even you. I told you about marina, at least the parts that I could and you listened but you did not hear, you did not care” then he goes “that’s not fair. Being in love with someone else is different than being pregnant with his child. If you had just told me instead of exposing it in your paper…” then she cuts him off with “i knew… exactly what you would’ve done. The gentleman that you are, the hero that you want to be, you would have felt obligated to save her. You would have married her, she would have had someone else’s children, the ton would have counted the months, and our families would have been plunged into scandal anyways. You… you would have been miserable” then a pause and she continues with her more selfish reasoning “I would have lost you. In the bitterness of being trapped in someone else’s life all of your light, the light that I love would have surely disappeared.” She pauses and steps closer then continues “Colin, I have always loved you from the moment that we met, but you are first and foremost one of my dearest friends. I had only known marina for a few months. I am not proud of what I did. It was rash and stupid but you were going to run off with her in the middle of the night and I… I didn’t know what else to do. You, Eloise, the Bridgertons, you are the only notion of family that I have ever known. I could not let you be hurt like that.” Then he goes “because you love me? You didn’t want me to be hurt? That’s your excuse? Is that really what love is to you?” And they’re both crying and she goes “please, Colin. I am so sorry, truly I am.” She reaches out to him and he pulls away. Then he goes “get home, right now. I cannot speak. I cannot even look at you. Pen. Lady Whistledown. Whoever you may be I do not know you” He motions to the carriage drivers to take her home then he storms off.

I think that approaching it like that, where they both stand their ground and there are some callbacks to previous quotes from the show, would have given the situation more depth and complexity than her constantly apologizing at every confrontation

[highfantasy-soul]

Katara: NATLA Edition - Waterbending

In the Netflix show, Katara's main teacher was the world - she observed, she learned the spiritual side of bending from Aang (and a little from Jet), and she learned from opponents she fought (including Pakku)

This is SHOWING Uncle Iroh's lesson to Zuko in Bitter Work (book 2) about learning as much as you can from everywhere even if they aren't directly doing your own style of bending. By learning about everyone's cultures/styles/philosophies of the world, then you have a more rounded view of the world and can incorporate new things into your own bending.

I think an important distinction people are missing when they compare LA and animated Katara is that in the animated series, we see Katara WATERBEND more, but in the live action, we see her PRACTICING waterbending more.

In the animated series, she's already doing very useful things with her waterbending (lifting a fish, throwing water and freezing it, breaking apart an iceberg with her anger, pulling down a bank of snow,  lifting a whole wave of water, pushing and pulling a wave, pulling water from Aang's lungs, pushing the water while she's in it to get to shore faster, lifting water from a river to freeze as a block on a guy's head, lifting and maneuvering water in the air) before she ever even gets a hint of training. She just 'naturally' knows how to do all that through her own trial and error - no advice from Aang about the spirituality of bending, no training from the scroll, and no using moves she's seen other benders do just making it water.

The only times we see animated Katara training is in The Waterbending Scroll episode - which is the entire point of the episode - and in the trio of episodes up in the NWT - again, the whole point of her arc in those episodes. Everything else, she's done on her own and there's no moments of her training during the other episodes, she just waterbends.

In the live action, we see Katara constantly practicing, even when she's just in the background of a scene or traveling from place to place - she's ALWAYS practicing her stances or playing with water to get better.

In the live action, Katara is struggling with ALL of waterbending, not just the technical aspect of it - because bending is a highly spiritual practice where you have to be in the right mindset to do successfully. We see every single step of Katara's waterbending practice journey - from not even being able to lift a globe of water to holding her own against a master.

We get to see the process of bending from start to finish which really fleshes out the magic of the world in an organic way while providing one of our leads with more depth that ties them to the themes of the world and of their own culture and how the oppression of the Fire Nation affects her mental state.

In the animated show, we hear Katara talk about how losing her mother hurt her, yet we really only see the fallout of that trauma, not her inner turmoil over it. We see her taking on a 'motherly' role in the community and with Sokka, we see her anger at the firebenders, we see how she's had to grow up too fast and just wants to be a kid, but the actual death of her mother and its affect on her isn't shown.

I like how the live action specifically shows how Katara's mother's death affects HER - she doesn’t just share the story to connect with others, it's not just the 'reason' she acts the way she does, it's not just something that impacts her relationships with others: if no one else in the world existed for Katara to interact with, Katara would still have a journey to go on surrounding Kya's death.

In the LA, the fact that her mother was killed by a firebender looking for HER - and she tries to save her mother using her waterbending and it doesn't work because she isn't strong enough yet, directly affects Katara herself independent of anyone else. That trauma keeps her from being able to waterbend easily like she does in the animated show and it's one of her main arcs: the arc to learn waterbending isn't just a technical journey for her like it is in the animated show, it's emotional too.

Generational trauma due to horrific violence is shown both in external issues to grapple with as well as internal ones our characters have to face alone.

I really like how the live action broke down Katara's waterbending and we got to see the 'less flashy' aspects of it. She's not constantly doing huge and impactful moves, she's steadily growing in power and confidence one small step at a time. She doesn't do it alone - she has so many teachers who help her along the way with both the physical and mental aspect of bending and to me, her progression in power is much more clear in the live action than it is in the animated show.

[atommadly]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃

𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 ✓ not sure if you're down to explore this since it might be similar to 'sweetheart' but i've been trying to envision how jesse would react when she finds out y/n has a crush on harry. would it be: ㅡ "can't date my dad. my dad is off limits." similar to harry's comment on the sheer concept of cisco dating his daughter or ㅡ "as long as you also make him happy" maybe akin to harry's reaction when jesse said she wanted to stay with wally on earth-1 and y/n explaining that jesse shouldnt worry like "sure i have a crush on your dad but its not like he's into me" "who said i wasn't?" harry exclaims. y/n, jesse, team flash: :0

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 | Harry Wells x Reader

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 | Miscommunication.

Masterlist

Why was everything so complicated?

Was it really too much to ask for a normal life? Just a few years ago, you were a cybersecurity analyst, spending your days trying to stop viruses from infecting the systems of the company you worked for. You lived a simple, straightforward life. It was predictable. It was manageable.

But now? Now, you were working with Flash—yes, the actual Flash—running rogue operations for Star Labs. You were breaking the law every time you helped them, hacking into some of the city's most secure systems, tracking down metahumans, and sometimes even opening portals to different dimensions. Not exactly your idea of a “normal” day at the office.

And to be honest, that was almost manageable, too. There was something exciting about the chaos. Cisco was your partner in crime, and together, you helped Barry with his mission, making sense of the bizarre world of metahumans and fighting the occasional villain of the week. The people at Star Labs, Barry, Cisco, Caitlin—they had become your family. They made the insanity feel almost… normal. Well, as normal as it could be.

But then, everything changed. Zoom came. And with him, Harry.

Harry Wells was another version of the Harrison Wells you’d known before. This one wasn’t a villain in disguise for example. But he was still strict, sarcastic, and cold.

And yet, from the very beginning, you found yourself drawn to him. There was something about the way he carried himself, something almost magnetic in the way he spoke, even if it was often sharp or dismissive. He wasn’t easy to get close to, but for some reason, that made you want to try even harder. You couldn’t quite explain it, but every time he walked into the room, your attention was pulled to him like a compass pointing north.

But things only got more complicated when you learned about his daughter, Jesse. The look in his eyes when he talked about her, the fierce determination, and the depth of his love for her—it was impossible to ignore. He would do anything to protect her, to save her from the horrors of Zoom. And that, in itself, was enough to make your heart ache for him.

Harry had been on Earth-1 for four months, working alongside you and the rest of Team Flash to stop Zoom and save Jesse. Those months were the strangest, most thrilling of your life. And through it all, Harry became more than just a teammate. There was something about the way he began to soften around you, the way he looked at you differently as time went on.

There was a warmth to Harry that you hadn’t seen when he first arrived. It was as if, despite his strict demeanor and his constant focus on the mission, you were the one person who could pull him out of his shell.

You and Harry would exchange glances across the room, your eyes meeting in fleeting moments when the others weren’t looking. It was always subtle, never enough to draw attention, but it was there—the tension that neither of you spoke about. You’d find yourself looking for any excuse to be near him, whether it was to help with a project, to share a quiet conversation, or just to sit next to him during brief moments of downtime. You had no idea what he thought of you, but you could feel the pull. You wondered if maybe he felt the same.

But no matter how strong that connection was, there was always something else that stood in the way. Harry’s mission. Jesse. Zoom. The stakes were too high. You both knew it. And so, the tension between you remained unspoken, unresolved. Every day, you waited, wondering if today would be the day that something would shift, if Harry would finally open up or if you would find the courage to tell him how you felt. But the timing never seemed right. Not when the world was still at risk, not when Jesse’s life was in constant danger.

Eventually, you succeeded in saving Jesse. The relief you felt was overwhelming, and you were genuinely happy for Harry and his daughter. Their reunion was heartwarming, a moment that made the constant fear and exhaustion of the fight worthwhile. The way he looked at her, the fierce protectiveness in his eyes, reminded you once again why you had fallen for him. He loved his daughter more than anything and would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

But the threat of Zoom wasn’t over, not entirely. Even with Jesse free from his grasp, the shadow of danger loomed over them. Harry made the difficult decision to keep Jesse on Earth-1, away from the life she had known, where Zoom’s reach couldn’t touch her. It was a choice made out of love, but it came at a heavy cost.

Jesse struggled with it from the start. Losing her home, her friends, and the life she had built on Earth-2 wasn’t easy. She was uprooted and transplanted into a world that wasn’t hers, surrounded by people she barely knew. You could see the frustration in her eyes, the sadness she tried to hide but couldn’t completely mask. 

Harry was struggling deeply with the situation, and more often than not, he sought comfort in you. You became his anchor, the one person he could confide in when the weight of it all became too much. Whether it was late-night conversations in the lab or quiet moments over coffee, you were there to listen. He shared his worries about Jesse, his fears about failing her, and the guilt that seemed to cling to him no matter how much he sacrificed.

You offered him everything you could—advice when he needed it, reassurance when his self-doubt crept in, and a steady presence when the storm around him felt too strong. You encouraged him to talk to Jesse, to be honest with her about his feelings, and to try to bridge the growing gap between them. He listened, even if he didn’t always know how to act on it. But he appreciated you—more than he ever said aloud.

Sometimes, Jesse would watch you both from a distance. She wasn’t oblivious; she saw the way you and her father interacted, the way your gazes lingered just a moment too long, the subtle shifts in your voices when you spoke to each other. She noticed how you seemed to understand him in a way that few people did, how he softened ever so slightly around you. It wasn’t hard to see the connection building between you, even if neither of you had said anything about it.

But Jesse didn’t know how to feel about it. Her father was everything to her—he was all she had left. After losing her mother, she had seen firsthand the toll it had taken on him. He had closed himself off, retreating into his work, throwing himself into protecting her with a fierceness that often left him isolated. She didn’t think he’d ever let himself love again after that. It wasn’t just about you, specifically. Jesse couldn’t stand the idea of her father being hurt again.

Because inevitably, she thought, it would happen. No matter how close you and Harry seemed, you didn’t belong in their world. Sooner or later, they’d have to return to Earth-2. That was their home, not this strange, temporary life on Earth-1. When that day came, Jesse was convinced you’d break her father’s heart. It wasn’t out of malice—it was just the way things were. You’d stay behind, and Harry would go back to his old life, left with nothing but memories and regret.

Jesse couldn’t let that happen. She loved her father too much to let him risk everything for something that felt doomed from the start. And the more she watched the way his eyes softened when he looked at you, the more determined she became to put an end to it before it could go any further.

One evening, you were working late in the lab, your focus glued to your laptop as you tweaked a new security system for STAR Labs. You were deep in concentration, fingers flying over the keyboard, when you heard a soft voice behind you.

“Hey.”

You startled slightly, lifting your head to see Jesse standing a few steps away, looking hesitant. She wasn’t usually one to hang around the lab this late, so her presence caught you off guard.

“Oh, hi,” you said, blinking at her. “Didn’t hear you come in.”

She stepped closer, her arms crossed over her chest. “What are you working on?”

You gestured to the screen. “Oh, just reprogramming the security systems. I created a new line of code to optimize the motion detectors, and I’m building an app so we can get alerts for any intrusions directly on our phones. It should save us a lot of time.”

Jesse tilted her head slightly, her lips twitching into a faint, almost amused smile. “You sound like my dad.”

You chuckled, a little nervously. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

There was a moment of silence, and you noticed the way Jesse shifted on her feet, her gaze flickering from you to the floor and back again. She was hesitating, which wasn’t like her. Jesse was usually straightforward, rarely one to hold back. Whatever was on her mind, it was something big.

“Speaking of my dad…” she started, her voice soft but steady. Her eyes locked on yours, and you felt a sudden tension settle in the room. “Y/N, I’ve noticed you’re… close to him.”

Your heart skipped a beat, and you froze, your fingers hovering over the keyboard. This was it. The moment you’d been dreading. Was she going to ask you if you liked him? If you had feelings for him? And if she did, what would you even say? You weren’t ready for this conversation, not now, not ever.

Jesse took another step closer, her expression hardening. “Actually, I don’t like it.”

Her words hit you like a punch to the gut, and you stared at her, stunned. You hadn’t expected that. Not the bluntness of it, nor the sudden coldness in her tone.

“Whatever you’re thinking, whatever you feel for him,” she continued, her voice firm now, “stop. Just… stop.”

You swallowed hard, your mind scrambling for a response, but no words came. You just sat there, staring at her, trying to process what she’d said.

She wasn’t finished. “Look, I know my dad can be… intense. And I know he trusts you, which is rare for him. But he’s been through enough. We’ve been through enough. And I can’t let you—” She paused, her voice faltering slightly before she straightened her shoulders and met your gaze head-on. “You can’t date my dad. My dad is off limits.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out, leaving you alone and stunned. The words echoed in your mind, sharp and heavy. You sat frozen for what felt like minutes, trying to process what had just happened. Jesse’s bluntness, her unwavering determination—it all left you reeling.

That night, sleep was impossible. You lay awake, staring at the ceiling, turning her words over and over in your mind. You can’t date my dad. It wasn’t just a demand; it was a line drawn in the sand, one you hadn’t even realized you were approaching.

The truth was, you loved Harry. There was no denying it, not to yourself. What you felt for him was real and overwhelming. It wasn’t some fleeting crush; it was deeper than that, something pure and unshakable. But the fact that Jesse had forbidden you from being with him broke something inside you. It hurt, and that hurt quickly gave way to anger.

What right does she have to tell me who I can and can’t love? you thought bitterly. But as quickly as the anger came, it was replaced by understanding. Jesse wasn’t just being possessive or unreasonable. She had lost her mother, and that kind of loss left scars. Maybe she wasn’t ready for her father to move on, to let someone else into his life. Maybe she was afraid of seeing him hurt again.

And the harsh reality was that she wasn’t entirely wrong. Neither you nor Harry had ever said how you felt to one another. You’d danced around it, lived in the tension of unspoken words, but neither of you had been brave enough to cross that line. What if Jesse was right? What if this thing between you was doomed to fail before it even began? What if starting something only to watch it fall apart would hurt Harry more than either of you could bear?

The thought left you hollow. You cared about Jesse’s well-being, and you respected her enough to take her words seriously, no matter how much they stung. So, you made a decision. As much as it hurt, as much as it tore at your heart, you would put Jesse first. You would give her the time she needed to heal and adjust. For now, that meant keeping your distance from Harry.

It wasn’t easy. The next day, when Harry walked into the lab, his sharp eyes scanning the room before landing on you, your instinct was to smile, to greet him as you always did. But you stopped yourself, offering only a curt nod before diving into your work. It wasn’t much, but even that small restraint felt like a monumental effort. You avoided lingering in conversations, kept your interactions strictly professional, and found excuses to leave the room whenever things grew too comfortable between you.

You could feel his confusion. He wasn’t blind; he noticed the shift in your behavior almost immediately. You could see it in the way his brows furrowed, the way his tone softened when he called your name, as if asking silently, What’s wrong?But you couldn’t bring yourself to explain. What could you say? That his daughter had forbidden you from even thinking about him that way? That you were stepping back, not because you wanted to, but because it was the only thing you could do to keep the fragile balance intact?

So, you buried your feelings, swallowing the ache in your chest every time he looked at you like he wanted to understand, like he needed to understand. 

At first, Jesse was relieved that you had taken her words to heart and respected her wishes. She had expected to feel triumphant, as though she had protected something precious. But as the days turned into weeks, she began to see the ripple effect of her decision—and the weight of its consequences.

She saw it in you first. You weren’t the same. The spark in your eyes, the quick wit and humor that always brightened the lab, was fading. It was subtle at first—your smiles didn’t quite reach your eyes, and your laughter sounded just a little hollow. But soon, even the energy you brought to your work seemed to wane. You still gave your all, but Jesse noticed the difference. It was like you were carrying a weight you couldn’t set down, and every day it dragged you a little lower.

But what truly shook her was how her father was affected. Harry wasn’t one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but Jesse had grown up with him; she could read him like a book. The confusion in his eyes every time you left the room, the hesitance in his steps when he moved toward you, only to stop himself. He looked like a man who was lost, unsure of what he’d done wrong but too afraid to ask.

When you weren’t around, Harry’s behavior only made things clearer. Jesse often overheard him asking Cisco or Caitlin where you were or if you were coming back to the lab soon. His questions were casual on the surface, but his voice carried an unmistakable edge of longing. And every time he got an answer he didn’t want to hear—Oh, Y/N left for the day, or She’s working remotely this week—his face would fall just a little. Jesse could see it, even when he tried to hide it behind his usual gruff demeanor.

It hit her like a punch to the chest: she had done this. By asking you to stay away, she had hurt not just you, but her father too. The connection between you two was undeniable. Her dad didn’t just trust you; he relied on you. He looked at you the way she imagined he must have looked at her mom once, with a softness that she had rarely seen. And now, thanks to her, that light in his eyes was dimming.

The guilt grew heavier with each passing day. Jesse couldn’t help but reflect on who you were—the way you treated her, the way you had supported her father through everything. You weren’t just brilliant at what you did; you were kind, funny, and endlessly patient. You had never once treated Jesse like a burden, even when she was at her most difficult.

And now, despite how much it clearly hurt you, you had respected her wishes. You had stepped back, even though it was breaking your heart. It was clear to her now that you weren’t some fleeting crush or a distraction. You cared about Harry deeply, and from the way he was falling apart, it was obvious that he felt the same about you.

Jesse regretted everything. She had been so caught up in her own fears and insecurities that she hadn’t stopped to consider what her dad needed, what made him happy. And it was painfully clear that you made him happy.

One evening, after watching her father retreat to his workshop for the third time that week, his expression heavier than she’d ever seen it, Jesse made up her mind. She couldn’t stand to see him like this anymore. She had to fix what she had broken.

Late the next morning, Team Flash gathered in the speed lab for a training session. You had been busy working on a new diagnostic program but decided to drop in and see if there was anything you could help with.

Stepping into the lab, you scanned the room, your mind already buzzing with ideas. Before you could ask Cisco or Caitlin what they needed, Jesse entered as well. She spotted you almost immediately and walked toward you with purpose.

“Y/N, can I talk to you?” she asked, her tone hesitant but serious.

Your stomach flipped. Out of instinct, you shot a quick glance at Caitlin and Cisco, the two people you’d confided in about your complicated feelings for Harry. Caitlin gave you a small, reassuring smile, silently encouraging you to go. With a quiet nod, you followed Jesse to a quieter corner of the room, near a cluster of technological equipment Barry used for his speed tests.

Jesse stopped and turned to face you, fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. “Y/N, I… I wanted to talk about my dad.”

Your breath hitched, but you tried to play it cool. “Don’t worry,” you said quickly. “I’ve been keeping my distance, just like you asked.”

Her eyes darted to the floor for a moment before she met your gaze again. “Yeah, um… about that. I wanted to say I’m sorry for asking you to do that.”

You blinked, taken aback. “You’re… sorry?”

Jesse nodded, her expression conflicted. “I was scared. My dad doesn’t open up easily, you know? And when I saw how close you two were, I thought it wasn’t serious. I was worried you might hurt him—whether you meant to or not.” She hesitated, her voice dropping. “He hasn’t been the same since my mom died. It was hard watching him go through that, and I couldn’t bear the thought of him getting hurt like that again.”

Her words hit you like a weight to the chest. You swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. “I understand,” you said softly, feeling a deep empathy for her.

“But now,” Jesse continued, her voice steadying, “I see how much this is hurting him. And it’s hurting you too. I’m sorry, Y/N. I shouldn’t have interfered. If you want to… I don’t know… date my dad, I won’t stop you anymore. As long as you make him happy, that’s all I care about.”

For a moment, you just stared at her, processing everything she had just said. The apology, the admission, the weight of her trust—it was all a lot to take in.

“Thank you, Jesse,” you said finally, your voice wavering with emotion. “That means a lot to me. I… I really do care about your dad. I love him, actually. But…” You hesitated, unsure if you should admit the rest.

“But what?” Jesse prompted, her brows furrowing.

You gave a small, bittersweet smile. “We’ve been circling each other for months, and nothing has ever happened. I don’t think he feels the same way."

Before Jesse could respond, another voice cut through the air, making your heart stop.

“Who said I didn’t?”

You froze. Slowly, you turned toward the source of the voice, and there he was—Harry. He was crouched behind the equipment just a few feet away. He had been working on something, but judging by the look on his face, he’d heard every word of your conversation.

Your cheeks flushed bright red. “Harry?” you whispered, your voice barely audible.

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop,” he said, his voice steady yet laced with a hint of vulnerability. “But I need to correct something.”

Behind you, the chatter in the Speed Lab had come to a halt. Team Flash, ever nosy, had shifted their focus entirely to your conversation, watching the scene unfold with wide-eyed interest.

Harry took another step toward you, his intense gaze locking with yours. “I feel the same way, Y/N,” he admitted, his voice dropping lower. “I’ve felt it for months. I just—” He hesitated, his fingers flexing slightly at his sides. “I’m not good with words when it comes to… feelings. And I didn’t know how to tell you.”

Jesse stood nearby, a knowing smile spreading across her face. “Ooookay,” she said, raising her hands and stepping back with a playful smirk. “I think that’s my cue to leave. You two need some privacy.”

With that, she spun on her heel and walked out, leaving you and Harry alone. The tension in the air was almost tangible, thick with all the words that had finally been spoken and the ones still hanging between you.

You couldn’t take your eyes off him, your heart pounding like a drum. “Is it true?” you asked softly, your voice trembling.

“Yes,” he said firmly, his expression softening as his lips curved into a small smile. “I love you, Y/N.”

The world seemed to freeze at his words. For months, you’d dreamed of hearing them, but now that they were real, they felt even more overwhelming. “You… love me?”

“I do,” he said, stepping closer until there was barely any space left between you. “I’ve loved you for so long, and I’ve been a fool to keep it to myself.”

Before you could say another word, Harry reached out, gently cupping your face with his hands. The touch was tender, his calloused fingers warm against your skin. Then, without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed you.

The kiss was soft and hesitant at first, but it deepened as the weight of all your unspoken feelings melted away. You felt yourself sinking into him, your hands instinctively clutching his arms for balance as the world around you disappeared.

Behind you, the Speed Lab erupted in cheers and whoops of joy. Cisco’s loud exclamation of “Finally!” was followed by Caitlin’s laughter and Barry’s playful claps.

“About time!” Cisco added, his voice brimming with satisfaction.

But none of it mattered. The noises, the world—it all faded into the background. All you could feel was Harry, his arms around you, and the overwhelming sense of happiness that flooded your chest.

[whitedarkmoonflower]

Saved

Part 1 – Sihtric x reader

Authors note: while rewatching the Season 2 of TLK and going wild with exploring my newly acquired skill of taking and editing screenshots I became obsessed with the idea of writing my own version of how Sihtric met Uhtred. Please bear with me as I'm working on learning to concentrate on the essentials and leave out unnecessary details, but I also believe that small details can make the characters more vivid.

Summary: reader is Uhtred’s sister and a skilled healer. She travels with her brother’s men and after the unsuccessful attempt on Uhtred’s life gets curious about the young prisoner, the sole Dane from the group of assailants that is left alive.

Warnings: violence and mention of blood

Word Count: 1,129

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Sihtric found you sitting in your favourite spot near the lake, beneath the shade of the ancient oak tree whose sprawling branches provided protection from the scorching sun. He hesitated for a moment, gathering his courage, before taking a seat beside you. In your presence, he still retained an endearing shyness, as if uncertain of how to navigate the depths of his feelings. Sihtric stole glances in your direction, admiring your strength and beauty. His mind raced with the desire to strike up a conversation, but he couldn't find the right words. Finally, he mustered the courage to speak.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving me," Sihtric said, his expression serious as he turned to you.

"Saving you? What did I save you from?" you asked, puzzled.

"From feeling miserable, unwanted, and like I didn't belong anywhere," Sihtric replied, glancing into your eyes for a moment before lowering his gaze, his fingers fidgeting with the Thor's hammer amulet hanging around his neck. Nervousness radiated from him, mingled with a charming blend of insecurity and shyness that made a smile curl on your lips.

"You had every reason to hate me for attempting to kill your brother, but you never did. Instead you showed me kindness that I never truly deserved," Sihtric continued.

He had changed so much since the day you first met. You could still recall that evening as vividly as if it were yesterday, when Kjartan's men had tried to take Uhtred's life. They might have succeeded if not for Halig, who noticed the suspicious absence of the newly arrived Danes and urged the others to search for them. You had been on the verge of sleep after a long and busy day. Being a healer in a warrior's camp meant there was always an abundance of injuries to tend to, even without a battle. Men would hurt themselves during sword training, get kicked by horses, or foolishly engage in fights over trivial matters. Today, you had to fix a dislocated shoulder all because of an argument about the best whore at the White Goose tavern in Lundene. The shouts and clash of swords roused you from your slumber, causing you to hastily dress and rush out of your tent. Expecting yet another drunken brawl, you sought to find Uhtred and put an end to it. However, by the time you arrived, the fighting was already over. You approached the gathering of men, only to discover five lifeless Danes being dragged away from the lawn behind the stables.

"Uhtred!" you called out, fear lacing your voice as you saw him leaning against a stable pillar, breathing heavily. "Are you hurt?"

"All is fine. Don't worry, little sis. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for our Danish guests, but don't fret, they won't be needing your attention," Uhtred grinned, attempting to lighten the atmosphere as he noticed your concerned expression.

"Let me check on you," you insisted, pulling him closer to the torchlight so you could assess his injuries. At first glance, there were some bruises and a swollen eye, but no apparent serious damage. His movements lacked any signs of pain or hesitation, indicating that he likely didn't have any broken ribs. Still, you were reluctant to let him go, but Uhtred firmly took hold of your hands, kissing your palms, and with a determined voice, called out to the men dealing with the corpses behind you: "Secure the prisoner. I'll need answers from him later."

"I'm fine, sis. Truly, I am. Please don't worry," he reassured you, turning to plant a gentle kiss on your forehead. Apart from Ragnar, Uhtred's Danish brother, the two of you were all that remained of your family, and the bond between you had always been remarkably strong. You loved this proud, stubborn, and courageous young man, and he cared deeply for you.

Reluctantly, you turned your head to catch a glimpse of the young, bruised Dane, his hands awkwardly tied before him as Clapa dragged him away. The Dane was in a pitiful state, with fresh cuts and scrapes covering his arms, a split eyebrow, and a bleeding lip and nose. Anxiety radiated from his tense body. In a fleeting moment, his eyes met yours, and you detected a flicker of despair within them. It struck you how young and handsome he appeared, despite his current circumstances.

Uhtred's men returned to their respective fireplaces, the evening just beginning. You knew all too well that this minor incident wouldn't deter them from their usual activities of drinking, gambling, and arguing about the “best whores”, as they did almost every night. You had no desire to be part of that. Tomorrow, there would be more dislocated shoulders and broken fingers to tend to, and since Uhtred seemed fine you eagerly longed to return to your tent and go back to sleep.

As you made your way past an empty wagon, you noticed Clapa and Halig engaged in what seemed like an argument. Initially, you hesitated to involve yourself, suspecting it was another petty quarrel you didn't want to be dragged into. However, as you attempted to quietly pass by, your eyes caught sight of the silhouette seated by the wagon. It was the young prisoner, the sole Dane who had survived today's assault on Uhtred's life. His gaze, as he was being dragged away from the small battlefield by Clapa, his hands bound and his face smeared with blood, lingered in your memory. An unexplainable feeling stirred within you, prompting a change of heart, and you headed straight for Clapa and Halig.

“What are you two arguing about? Aren't you supposed to be guarding the prisoner?" you asked with frustration evident in your voice.

"We are, lady!" Clapa replied defensively. "Uhtred ordered us to decapitate the corpses, but Halig lacks the courage to do it."

“That's not true, lady!" Halig interjected hastily. "I just needed a drink first. You can't deny a man a drink, especially one who's tasked with severing heads from still-warm bodies. Besides, it's better to do it later when the blood has thickened. And there's no need for two men to guard a securely tied-up prisoner”

"Alright, enough quarrelling, lads. Halig, go and fetch your drink, and Clapa, get yourself an axe or do you plan on using your eating knife? I'll keep an eye on the prisoner," you ordered firmly. As Uhtred's sister and a skilled healer, you were accustomed to giving orders, and his men knew better than to argue with you. Both departed without hesitation, not bothering to question your decision, although it must have seemed peculiar to them that you wished to remain alone with the prisoner. Turning your gaze towards him, you approached cautiously, maintaining a safe distance just in case.

“Are you hurt?" you inquired, observing the Dane who sat beside the wagon, his back resting against the wheel. He raised his head, confusion, and distress evident in his eyes. He didn't respond just shook his head.

“Your lip and nose have been bleeding quite profusely. Wait here, I'll fetch my bag," you said with a chuckle. "How foolish of me, as if he had much choice in the matter," you thought to yourself while making your way to your tent to retrieve your medical supplies. You always kept a bag prepared, stocked with clean rags, salves, potions, and other necessities, ensuring you wouldn't waste time searching when urgently needed.

Returning with your bag and a piece of bread in hand, you offered it to the prisoner, but he made no move to accept. Leaning his head back against the wagon wheel, he closed his eyes. Shrugging your shoulders, you placed the bread back in your bag and instead took out some clean rags and a leather flask filled with water. The Dane opened his eyes, watching your every move. Kneeling before him, you dampened the rags and reached out your hand to cleanse his face. Startled, he instinctively flinched and jerked his head back, accidentally striking it against the wheel, eliciting a groan of pain.

"Hey, stay still. I only want to clean your face," you said, perplexed by his sudden reaction. His whole body tensed as you gently touched his forehead and continued to clean his bruised cheekbones.

"The brow will require stitches," you informed him.

“Why are you doing this?" the Dane spoke, his voice husky but soft. "I am a dead man. Why would you bother stitching my brow if your husband will later torture me for information and then kill me anyway.”

Tilting your head to the side, you continued to wipe away the blood from his face, now focusing on his busted lip and chin.

“I don't have a husband. I have a brother whom you sought to kill tonight," you said, finished with cleaning his face you observed his features intently. "And if there's one thing I know for certain about my brother, it's that he has never tortured anyone, nor will he ever," you couldn't help but think about how handsome this young man was and you felt a pang of sympathy for his unfortunate circumstances. He believed his fate was sealed and had resigned himself to it. His gaze remained fixed on the ground, as if he dared not meet your eyes.

“I didn't want to kill him. I just did not have much choice about it," the Dane's voice remained calm, resolute, and tinged with sincerity. "I only wish Lord Uhtred would grant me the honour of dying as a warrior, sword in hand. And I would willingly share everything I know with him.”

“Not that I fear the pain," he hastily added, "I simply owe no allegiance to Kjartan.”

Unexplainably, you found yourself believing this man. Every word he spoke carried weight, and you suddenly felt deeply sorry for him.

“You are very kind to me, lady," the Dane continued, his voice filled with a sense of shame for being here, for being a part of what had happened. "I don't deserve your attention, but I am immensely grateful for it."

"What's your name?" you found yourself asking, driven by an inexplicable curiosity. It was as if fate had brought this unfortunate young warrior across your path, and a growing resolve began to take shape within you. You did not want to let him to the fate he thought inevitable.

“I am called Sihtric, lady,” the Dane answered with no hesitation. “Would you like to live?" you suddenly asked, as a seemingly absurd idea took hold in your mind.

[stuck-writing-sickos]

Lucid (prologue)

(Yandere reader insert)

[Series Link]

[A/n: can be a standalone series. Mermaid (?) AU for In Poor Taste. I dont... know if I'm gonna include Lukas. But dw, that means there will be rooms for new characters.]

If you want to run away, why not come into his arms?

You didn't know how to stay away from water. Something about its shimmer reeled you in. You particularly loved the ocean - cool and blue like liquid diamond, its depth called for you like an aching lullaby. Your intrigue was barey cocealed, so it came as a surprise for no one that you took diving lessons the moment you moved to your seaside apartment. Sure, it was hard work for your body who took the brunt of your day job as a bankteller, but your pursuit for the deep was restless.

You weren't by any mean a natural, but you were a resilient learner. Silent like a stone, you geared up and followed the elegant movements of your teacher. You were clumsy at first, taken by surprise upon the strength of the water, but once you got the hang of it your heart beat in a melody unheard. The cold water, the coral, the bustling marine life... you were enchanted beyond saving. Abandoning your social life and any prospect of romance, you let yourself be entranced by the ocean's glamor.

Something that your instructor neglected to tell you, though, was the call of the deep. She likely assumed that you were too serious and cautious to do deep dives. After all, you were not one of much words. You didn't even realize that you were swimming downward. You saw blue, and you saw darkness. You felt air bubble floating against your momentum. Yet, a gear in your head still turned to push you forward. You remembered the unprecedented euphoria you felt before the strong arm of your fellow diver, Jung, caught you mid-torso and pulled you backward. In a trance, you were blindsided as air hit your face. Jung's voice sounded far away when he cussed out "fuck, you scared me bad with that one".

You didn't dive for a while after as per his recommendation. The ocean was going nowhere, Jung said, but you might. To distract you, he took you to art galleries and painted with you in your free time. He was a poor painter, but he would do it for your sake. You asked if he wanted you to write prose with him in return, to which he laughed and said there was no need, and that you ought not to peruse his manuscript anyway. Plus, he liked being around you when you painted - he affirmed - your shades of blue were haunting, in a good way. You asked what he meant, but all you got back was "it's good inspiration for my novel".

Jung wasn't vocal about his works. He never let you know his pen name. You tried to respect his privacy, but your curiosity got the better of you. During your time spent away from the ocean you dug for his works. It was only by chance that you managed to get your hand on them. In secret you snooped around his apartment when he invited you over for dinner and found his own signature in a book. His pen name was Haiyang. You supposed that was within reasons - he too loved the sea. Purchasing a physical copy behind his back, you decided to read it to get your mind going. Then, you understood the secrecy: he was still in the closet. His writing, dealing with themes of body horror and doppelganger, betrayed an exasperated effort to overcome self-hatred.

You wanted to let him know that he had your support, but instead you didn't say anything - you breached his trust by reading his novels. Quietly sticking by his side, you tried to find the right time or the right word, but before you could, he had vanished into the sea.

The news spread like wildfire, and with that came the uncovering of his identity. His readers pieced together that the missing person whose body never resurfaced was the author of their beloved books. Online you saw thinkpieces, video essays, and truecrime podcast episodes on the matter. His face splattered across billboards and campaigns for a search. The mystery manifested, flooding the internet for months before a documentary on his disappearance dropped.

Chaos.

Letters from his fans. Invitations to interviews. Emails from news broadcasts. You got them all. Who was Jung? Who was Haiyang? What was he like in real life? The global sensation sent tsunamis of attention your way - you, a friend from his diving classes. People scoured for a glimpse of Jung's shadow in you. They put your face in conspiracy theories as well as juvenile video edits. Their morbid curiosity drove them to flood your town like packs of bloodhounds searching for rabbits. You refused to entertain their psychotic thirst for "the truth behind it all", sealing yourself up in masks and sunglasses whenever you needed to get out. You grew to resent their narcissistic needs to insert themselves into Jung's narrative - complete strangers clawing through his doorway crying as if they knew him, as if they ever spent their Sundays on his motorbike rides down the coast or get piss drunk at the beach while hanging on his shoulder. He never walked them home when it got dark. He never bought them canvases when they would tear up their painting in a fit of painter's rage. You grew colder and harder, turning to hate the world.

Everyone was stupid and selfish.

You grinded your teeth through it alone. Your paintings grew from blue to black and red. You locked them away, unable to look at them once done, unable to throw them away. Stuck, you tried to find solace in the ocean view from your apartment.

That was until your job fired you. You were bad PR, you knew, even when they danced around it. You didn't bother to hear their excuses. That morning, you packed everything on your table into a carton box, your head feeling emptier than ever.

You were supposed to drive home, but instead you found yourself going down the coastline with your window down, salty ocean wind going through your sleeves and collar. You couldn't tell what it was that you felt. You only knew your insides felt hollow enough to manifest an illusion of freedom, yet your corporeal body was heavy and sluggish. Driving all the way up the cliffside where you braked to watch the glimmering blue sea, you found yourself hopping out of the car and walked toward the edge.

The dizzying view downward made your stomach churn. You felt the hypnotic pull of the water even from way above. Your eyes were fixed on the foam that licked at the rocky edges, your heart drumming to fight against the sublime temptation. You thought about how if Jung had been near, he would have told you to stop being silly and driven you to the local grocery store for a strawberry cream pop. Upon that thought, you felt your cheeks wet from tears.

He would have wanted you to live.

You were staring at the rocky beachside transfixed when something hooked your attention. You thought you saw a person at first, half naked , sprawling against the wet rock. Knowing how deep the water went there, you felt your chest twisting into a knot as you stared in horror seeing them lying their motionless. Yet, something was not quite right about the scene. Even in disarray, you couldn't help but took notes of their abnormal size - they were much bigger than the average human. The rocks looked ... small against their form. Squinting to get a clearer picture, you failed to figure out what they were wearing. Something like a frilly white dress with a translucent veil draping over them? A runaway bride? - you wondered to yourself, trying to make sense of what you were seeing but couldn't.

For the life of you, you could not see their legs.

Your head spun. You stood in silence, trying to calculate the fastest route you could take to get to that beach. It was not private property, that you knew, but it was secluded, which guaranteed a long walk from where your car would be. From your estimation, you could reach them in at least one and a half hour, which was better than nothing, you supposed. Adrenaline pumped through youe veins as you rushed back to your car, your feet barely touching the ground. Your car's engine reeved atop concrete as you drove down the coast again, your heart thumping in your chest. You knew you were doing something impulsive and stupid. You knew that it was the self-serving part in you that wanted to be a part of something important and unusual to take your mind off reality. Still, you drove on in silence and felt the winds against your skin.

[oshinohoshi]

Oshi no Ko Chapter 159 Thoughts

This was a fun April Fool's Day chapter and I can't wait for the real one!

When I saw the spoilers about Akane dressed as Ruby I thought it was a joke. I said in my last chapter review that if this was set-up to catch Nino it would be so bad, but this isn't just bad. It's hilarious. We have reached the level of parody

It's fine. I can accept this. So, Akane pulls off a Ruby wig and -

I'm sorry, I can't. I snort laughed while typing this

OK. There's serious shit in this chapter. I'll try to focus

I miss when Akane was a person rather than a plot device

Ichigo finally did something useful. It doesn't make up for his culpability in Ai's death and the way he ran away but I'm still happy for him

So... about Nino/Ryosuke. I'm pretty sure this means that Nino only idolized Ai after Ryosuke did but I still headcanon her having an attraction/obsession for Ai as a teen and suppressing it. Nothing in this chapter says she didn't!

I'm not wholly against them having dated if done well, but I think it has pushed us into soap opera territory and away from a condemnation of misogynistic fandom and the systems propping the whole thing up

Because Ryosuke wasn't an incel. He was a hypocrite. Which could be interesting except that I have no faith that this will be expounded on

I complained about Nino becoming a paper thin villain but this chapter brought back some of her depth

"If Ai was nothing but an ordinary girl, what would that have made us, then?" hammers home her inferiority complex. If Ai wasn't perfect, then Nino was upstaged in her professional and personal life by a normal girl

If Ai actually got her feelings hurt, then the fight between them hurt Ai and Nino is partially to blame for it

(Thank you @penguinkyun for contextualizing this for me).

This panel goes hard.

The Ryosuke suicide panel affected me for two reasons:

Nino told him to die (no idea if we'll learn when she told him that, but anyway) and that's the second time she has expressed that and someone actually did

I will never have sympathy for the POS that is Ryosuke, but I am horrified to see him hanging like that. His last moments must have been torture. Although he doesn't deserve for me to feel bad for him, it still makes me queasy

I know Ruby upstaged Kana in a way that undermines everything about what we were led to believe would happen with Kana, but this panel melted my heart so much that I kind of ignored it (sorry). Sarina gets to have a real life with friends and she achieved her dream of becoming an idol. It tugs at my heartstrings. They just look so happy

What the hell is going on with Hikaru's expression. I can't stop laughing at it

I don't buy Hikaru as the big bad. This is just a fakeout all over again. Probably. I've given up predicting anything

It seriously concerns me how much I relate to Nino below. Dammit, Nino. Stop calling me out

Next week: Crow girl is the big bad. She pushes Aqua and Hikaru into the sea. Ruby dressed as Akane channeling Ai rappels from a helicopter to save them. I declare this peak fiction and take back all of my criticisms of the last couple arcs.

[emeryhiro]

Do you think Carol would have continued to stay with Ezekiel had Henry not died? For me, Carol's married era in the Kingdom is a conundrum - because on the one hand, I love that she got to experience some peace and happiness after being put through the wringer both emotionally and mentally. I love that she was able to save Henry and at least partly come to peace with the fact that she was able to find and save this kid - when she has lost so many in the past (which makes it all the more heartbreaking she has go through all of that again in s10 - I love s10 but it so emotionally hard to watch as a Carol fan). But - in the second half of s9 whenever Carol is shown in the Kingdom, it feels a little wrong - like maybe she doesn't belong. She is smiling so widely and brightly - and it is so great to see her lighthearted - but something somewhere just feels off. Even her appearance - her clothes - they don't feel like her. I can't quite pinpoint it. Or I could be just looking at it through shipper goggles. Lol.

I absolutely adore your narrative breakdowns of these two. I don't have much hope for Caryl in TBOC but I am definitely looking forward to your analysis of the episodes to come.

Hi Anon 😊

Thank you so much for the kind words! They truly mean so much to me 🩵🩵🩵

I already have my thoughts/breakdown of TBOC episode 1 written up, which should be posted as soon as episode 1 is released to everyone. I honestly can't wait for everyone to see it and get everyone's thoughts on it as well.

Now, regarding your question...

This is such a good question, and I really had to think about it for a bit to be able to express my thoughts properly.

The short answer is yes, but ultimately, no. I think Carol would have stayed with Ezekiel if Henry had lived, at least for as long as they were in a good place. I know that seems like a cop-out of an answer, but I'll flesh it out a little bit.

Carol was happy enough with Ezekiel, and she would have probably continued to be with him until their situation changed and they had to go through some form of hardship as they naturally would've at some point or another in an apocalypse. Even if it wasn't for losing Henry, there would have been something else that would have pulled them apart because despite them being happy enough, their relationship lacked the depth to withstand severe adversity. They loved each other, but they weren't IN love, if you know what I mean.

If by some miracle they didn't face any hardship of any kind, then yep they probably would stay together for two main reasons (and trust me, this hurts my Caryl shipper heart to say):

Loyalty/Convenience: As we've seen, Carol is an incredibly loyal person. We don't know Ezekiel as well as we know Carol, but from what I could tell, he seems to be a very loyal person as well.

Trauma/Sacrifice: The only person that Carol would hypothetically leave Ezekiel for would be Daryl. But both Carol and Daryl have experienced way too much trauma to actually come clean about their feelings, not unless something huge happened to push them to do so. Daryl would never ever think he's good enough for Carol, or that he could make her happy compared to how Ezekiel appeared to make her. And Carol would feel the exact same way about Daryl, and she'd also be content with (as you said) the peace and happiness of staying with Ezekiel because she would never think she deserved anything better than that.

Ultimately, the perfect circumstances that would have kept Carol and Ezekiel together are near impossible in the world they live in. Starting a family with Ezekiel and Henry definitely helped Carol heal from some of her past trauma with Ed and Sofia, but ultimately the deeper traumas and wounds that she had yet to face and heal from (as she will in TBOC) would have never healed if she stayed with Ezekiel. They would have eventually been naturally pulled apart because neither is made for the other.

I also think that Carol always sensed/knew that her relationship with Ezekiel had an expiration date, and she had probably prepared for that inevitable end from the start of the relationship, while Ezekiel on the other hand, was less willing to accept that their relationship was at its end when Carol tried to return the ring in S9EP16.

Regarding Caryl...

I honestly don't blame you for not having much hope for Caryl, especially with all the mixed messages being sent around with the current publicity campaign. And I'm not sure if this will mean anything or change anything for you, but I'm personally still confident that canon is where we're heading. And as I've said in my previous posts, especially in the summary section of my last one (here), it makes sense (at least to me) for them to wait until season 3 to finally make Caryl officially canon.

I'm just gonna fangirl here for a second, but I believe (since the first time I saw them 12 years ago) that Carol and Daryl are soulmates, and I don't just mean platonic soulmates, but soulmates in every sense of the word. So, in my mind, based on all the evidence I've seen, one way or another, they will be together in the end. But like I said, that's in my mind. The final outcome for Caryl depends on Norman and Melissa's vision for the characters, which I understand may not align with mine, but I trust that no matter what they end up giving us, it's still gonna be a fantastic story ♡

~~~~

Thank you again for the really interesting question ♡♡♡ I hope my answer made sense and got my thoughts across properly.

I can't explain how excited I am about TBOC and seeing Carol and Daryl in the same frame again. ONLY 19 DAYS TO GO!! 🥰🎉

[kokofromwattpad]

Savior

Plot: A half-blooded siren had been caught by pirates and had been put on auction for the rich and affluent to get a chance to buy. Luckily, a kind-hearted noble saves the poor girl from the auction and takes them into their care. Once she had been healed up, the noble tried to release her back into the water, only for the half-siren to beg her buyer to never let her go.

Cw: Kidnapping, live trafficking, yandere half-siren x reader, yandere oc x reader, light gore.

A/N: YAYAAYA I FINALLY FINSIHED MY THIRD YANDERE

Word count : 3.6k

The ocean was much more violent than usual. The waves and currents swayed much more aggressively than a couple hours ago. The sky above the water-line was dark and shadowy, with raindrops the size of bullets falling from the thick and sad looking cloud.

The pods of ocean dwelling creatures scurried away from the layer of water that separated them from the aggressive current.

However, there was a singular exception.

Hali Mortimer.

Hali was what others called 'half-bred.' She couldn't belong to any pod since she wasn't fully bred like her younger siblings. She was the result of inter-spiecies relationship between a lustful human male and a deceived siren who fell in love with him. When the poor siren found out about his decietfulness, she cried and cried while tearing apart his body in the depths of the ocean. Hali was the embodiment of the poor siren's first love and betrayal.

So for almost her entire life, she had been neglected and forgotten by her mother and step-father in favor of loving and doting on her younger half siblings.

The lovechild was almost identical to her human parent. Same dark skin, same patch of lighter skin under her left eye, same emerald sky blue eyes. It infuriated her mother. The only thing that strayed her from her father was the large blue fish tail and her hair, that seemed to be made of condensed water.

Hali swam nearer and nearer the surface of the ocean. She had just been berated by her mother once again that day for reasons that she can't even remember. Tears were streaming down her face and floating around her, almost as if trying to mock her.

When her head came to the surface of the ocean, she was immediately beat down by the rain, almost trying to push her down back into the water. Hali resisted and quickly began to a small island she had spotted in the perfible of her left eye.

She used all of her upper arm strength to pull her heavy fishtail onto the sand of the small island. She began panting heavily from the ache in her arms from all of the strength she had just used. Hali was able to pull her heavy body away from the water and was now able to lay down on the sopping wet sand while she caught her breath. The end of her fail flicked water inconsistently as she was able to finally be left alone with her thoughts.

After what seemed to be a couple of minutes, a loudly rustling sound made Hali sit up in fright. She whipped her head around, trying to see who was watching her, but before she could get a good look, a thick, meaty hand had wrapped around her mouth, covering up her screams.

"Damn, we caught a pretty one didn't we fellas?" loudly grumbled the man. A few softer more scrawnier sounding voices agreed with the first man.

"Let's get ya to the boss lady before we do somethin' we ain't loud to do..." he continued on. Two other men came and picked Hali up underneath her armpits and her tail. Try as she might, but Hali was trapped.

Someone had come behind her with a sweat-soaked sock and stuffed it into her razor sharp teeth lined mouth.

The men carried her to a flat area of land with blue and white striped tents. There were other gruff looking men running around from tent-to-tent, doing whatever Hali didn't care enough about.

They carried her to larger than average tent. In there stood a middle-aged woman wearing a traveller-esque outfit.

"Boss lady, we found somethin' real good!" announced Garil as he dropped Hali on the hard ground.

The woman turned around to see what the gruff man was talking about. She looks down and locks eyes with the half-siren.

"She is pretty indeed. Good job Garil." Said the female leader. She had strands of sliver sliding through her black hair and deep set circles under eyes. She grabbed the girl's cheeks and pushed it side-to-side, inspecting her. "But she does have that ugly patch under eye. Hopefully she'll still sell well." She mutters softly to supposedly herself, but Hali still caught her words.

Her veins felt as if ice was flowing through it almost instantly. 'Sell'? What the hell do they mean by 'sell'?

"Let her stay under the docks until we reach the harbour. Two meals a day to keep her alive." she ordered before walking off to a different tent on the island.

Garil and the two other men came back and began hauling Hali to a large, pirate looking ship. They then threw her into the large area underneath the ship. They threw her so hard that her fin got stabbed by a stray piece of metal from the rim of a barrel.

As Hali screamed from the spike of pain through her body, blood sprayed out and had already began to pool on the wooden floor.

Shakingly, she tries bring her hands to the wound to try and stop the bleeding. She groans from the pain and achingly throws her head out and screams in pain. Tears begin to brim the edge of her eyes and start to stream down her flushed face. It felt as if she was beginning hyperventilate, as she began to huff and puff. Soon enough, her body slumped to her side and she passed out from the sheer pain.

The trapdoor that lead to the underside of the dock slammed open. Light cleared in harshly, blinding the half-siren. She covered her eyes with her tanned arm as she squinted, trying to see who was approaching her.

It was Garil.

He approached her steadily, with a thick piece of cloth in his hand. When Hali spotted it, she began flailing, but stopped once pain shot though her entire body, making her hiss loudly from the sensation. Garil ignored her and took the opportunity to stick the fabric into her razor lined mouth and hauled her, including the iron lining that was still pierced through her tail, over his shoulder, making her hiss from the pressure placed onto the wound.

She was carried out from under the dock and onto the large harbor. Sailors from who-knows-where were running from place-to-place. Hali would have found it a fascinating sight if she wasn't in the predicament she was currently in. Hali was then thrown into a wooden crate, with no food or water, and was then nailed shut, effectively trapping her in the dark.

At this point, Hali was so weak and tired, she didn't even try to escape. She couldn't even try to heal herself from the serious injury she was experiencing. She knew that if she was to pull the metal lining out, she would effectively die from either blood loss or shock.

After what felt like hours, the lid to her crate was opened, dim light flooded her eyes and a mask face greeted her. "What a beaut'. Too bad she's gonna die soon." The person said to second person in the room.

"Then fix her. We can't auction off damaged goods." Said the second voice.

Soon, two different people picked her up under her armpits and the bent side of her fishtail. Her skin had become paler than before, looking sickly. Large pieces of her skin had begun to flake off her shoulders and upper chest area.

"Bring a large water tank for her." Ordered the second voice, making their croonies run out the room to fulfill their order.

The second voice lifted Hali up on a large medical table and turned too-bright lights. She squeezed her eyes shut to protect the already damaged irises.

"This'll knock you out for a bit sweetie." Said the second voice.

They dabbed a thick piece of cloth with some kind of liquid and then placed the cloth over Hali's mouth and nose. Soon after, the half-siren fell asleep.

When she awoke, Hali found herself in a large tank of water. She whipped her head left and right, trying to quickly assess where she was, but everything was dark, making Hali begin to feel claustrophobic. Suddenly, she remembered her injury and quickly reached out to where it was supposed to be. But when she touched her tail, there was nothing but a thin scar left behind. There was no pain. Hali was understandably terrified as to what was going on. All she could remember was falling asleep with bright lights flooding her eyes and a soft, almost gentle voice coaxing her to accept them. That's all.

Abruptly, a loud voice of a man punched into her webbed ears.

"And for the last item of the night, I present to all, ladies and gentlemen, a half person from the depths of the ocean! A creature who sings melodies on the ocean rocks and lures Sailors to their inevitable doom! A half-siren!" The voice announces.

The darkness is taken away from Hali and stage lights flashed through her water tank making her spin around to see the where the source came from, only to be met with the gasping faces of thousands of oddly dressed humans, all wearing masquerade masks covering the top half of their faces.

An instant scared expression spread onto her face as she whipped her head again, from left to right.

"We shall begin her bid at 10 000 krillins!" Continued the male voice.

Instantly, screams of numbers going higher and higher slammed into Hali's ears. This was an auction. Hali used to atrend small auctions in her home, but all they sould was differently coloured shells and items found in ship wrecks.

Soon enough, a loud voice echoed through the area, screaming, "ONE MILLION!" This made everyone in the audience gasp. They turned their head to the source of the voice. It was an old fat man, who was loosing hair from the top of his head. Hali was irked and made a disgusted face, with earned a couple of giggles from the audience.

Then the auctioner's voice echoes in the now whispering audience, " We have just received a silent bet of 2 billion. Do we have anymore bets?" Immediately, the audience goes completely silent.

"Going once. Going twice. Sold to the 2 billion bet." and with that, a gavel was slammed at Hali was wheeled off the stage and was placed in a brightly lit corner.

After a few minutes, someone with a hare mask walked up to Hali's tank and pulled their mask off to get a better look at her.

"Hello there sweetie. Pleasure to see you again." greeted the person. Wait. It was the same voice as the person who healed her.

Hali sputtered, "You-" and she immediately began coughing aggressively from how unused her voice was.

"Don't worry. I'll be letting you stay with me until you're all better. Then I'm gonna let you go free." they explained.

Hali was absolutely stunned to silence. A soft flutter in her heart began. She was being let free? Really? Is this an actual dream? Holy shit!

Quickly, a wide smile spread on the girl's face from happiness. A soft grin was on her buyer's face from the sight of the happy half-siren.

"We'll be leaving soon, so try to get as much sleep as you can sweetie. It's gonna be while until you'll be able to swim freely." they explain.

Hali took in their words and nodded at their words. As soon as they walked off, Hali floated in the small water tank and closed her eyes to fall asleep as quick as she can.

When Hali finally awoke from her quickened sleep, she found herself in a large, aquarium sized tank of water. She was laying comfortably against the sand covered floor of the tank, obviously trying to replicate the ocean floor.

Hali looked up to see a large fluorescent light shining down on her tank.

"Good morning sweetie. Did you know that you sleep like a rock?" said the voice of her buyer.

Hali quickly swam towards the direction of the voice, only to be met with a nicely dressed human. They were wearing a white poet blouse and black pants and knee high black boots. The human smiled at the approaching half-siren.

"When will I be going home? I really wanna go ho-" the girl stopped when the human placed their hand up. Even Hali, who had spent her entire life in the ocean, knew that it meant to quiet down.

"I will return you home once you have fully healed from your injury." explains the human.

Hali immediately deflates from their words. But the human continues to speak, "But I will be here to continuously apply medicine to your wound. So you'll be able to leave in about two weeks."

Alright, she definitely felt better from their words. The human walked to the side of the tank and climbed up the set of stairs thst was set next to the tank.

"Come here, I'm going to take you to a more open area for you too swim." explains the human as they spread their arms out for Hali to hold on to.

The half-siren swam to the edge of the tank and stuck her head out, looking suspiciously at the human. She then reached her webbed hands out and dug her long nails into the human's shoulders. Apparently they didn't mind as they wrapped their arms around her waist and pulled her out of the tank, making water spill all over the marble flooring.

The human cautiously carried the half-siren down the set of stairs, making sure not to slip and fall. "I'm curious sweetie, what is your real name?" asked the human as they looked up at the half-siren.

She looked suspiciously at the human as the end of her fishtail flicked up in annoyance, similar to a cat's tail.

"You tell me yours first." She retorts

"[Name] [Lastname]."

"Sounds stupid."

"Alright then."

The two were silent for a while as [Name] carried them through the long, winding hallways.

Hali layed her head on the human's shoulder, starting to become a bit tired

She nuzzles her face into the crook of [Name]'s neck and shoulder.

Hali mumbled out, "I'm Hali Mortimer."

"'Scuse me?"

"Hali, it's my name."

"Pretty..." muttered the human, making Hali's face begin to feel hot to the touch. She grumbled something before placing her face back into it's original spot.

Soon enough, the pair came to open aired area, where a large pool of water sat. It had beautiful decorations lining the edges, such as boulders, greenery and rubble.

The human squat down with the half-siren in their arms and then proceeded to let her flop out of their arms and into the fresh water. Hali immediately began to swim laps around the pool, stretching out the muscles and tail she could barely use for the past several days.

The human looked fondly at the half-siren and took off their shoes to lightly splash their feet in the water. Hali noticed and quickly swam over towards [Name]'s legs. She then propped herself up on the human's thighs and rested her head on her crossed arms. The human looked down at her with a gentle smile of their face.

"Why don't you join me?" questions Hali while she dug up some old food that was stuck in between her sharp teeth.

"I don't know how to swim sweetie. Sorry..." they explained.

Hali's face morphed into something that looked like mortification. "How the hell do you not know how to swim? Shouldn't it be, like, a necessary thing to know?!" She yelled out in shock.

[Name] mearly smiled at the half-siren's enthusiasm. "Well, there was no need nor want to. I've been sickly for most of my childhood, so most of my days were spent inside my bedroom all by myself, while my parents would take my younger siblings out to balls and galas galore." They explained with a hint of nostalgia in their voice.

Hali's eyes widened. Holy shit. That sounded kinda similar to what she was going through!

"That sounds kinda similar to me. My mama doesn't really like me because my dad had lied to her about 'truly' loving her."

"But why would she blame that on you?"

"Because I look like him..."

"That's absolute bullshit sweetie. You had no choice on whether or not you wanted to be born from a liar. You're mother is most likely emotionally immature to not realise that she can't pin the blame on a person who is not to blame."

Hali was stunned. No one had ever really had a take on what her situation was. Every one of her relatives would put the blame in her whenever the topic of her mother's ex came up, as if she was to blame for her father being a liar.

Hali nuzzled her face into the human's stomach, and creating extremely loud purrs. The human smiled as they softly pet her wet hair.

Two weeks went by in a sort of haze. Everyday consisted of [Name] applying Hali's medicine on her wound, Hali talking about life under the sea, Hali swimming, [Name] giving Hali different types of human food, and Hali absolutely loving the human food.

[Name] was sitting at the pool without their shoes and socks off, which Hali found odd. They called Hali to come closer to them, and once she did, the human grabbed under Hali's armpits and hoisted her out of the water.

"Where are you taking me [Name]? Aree we going somewhere?" asked Hali as she wrapped her arms around the human's neck.

[Name] nodded with their usual smile.

"Did you forget? It's time for you to go home Hali." the human explained.

Oh.

So that's what this was about? Alright....

Hali muttered, "Oh, okay then..."

The human looked up at her in surprise. "Aren't you excited to be able to go home?"

"Not really..."

"Why not?"

"I dunno."

"..."

The pair where plunged into silence as the two exited the building where they were staying and onto the beach that right outside their doorstep.

[Name] [Lastname] was definitely rich.

The sand clung onto the human's shoes as they got closer and closer to the waterline.

There was a head sticking out of the water, obviously staring down on the pair, which Hali had noticed.

"Who is that?" whispered Hali.

"I'm not sure..."

Abruptly, the head began to scream, making the human drop Hali on the ground to try and cover their ears. Hali scrambled to go to their side and try and comfort them. The head that was in the water was definitely a siren.

Hali looked back at the water to see who was the screaming siren, when her face paled.

It was her mother.

Her mother was screaming at the top of her lungs at Hali, trying to get Hali back in the water.

Suddnely, Hali yelled at the top of her voice, "STOP FUCKING SCREAMING YOU BITCH!"

The screaming stopped immediately. Soon enough, [Name] was back on their feet and carrying Hali back into the water.

"[Namenamenamename], pleasepleaseplease don't leave me with her. I don't want to leave not after what she did to you, please let me stay with you." The half-siren begged, grappling onto the human's neck to try and slow them down.

"I can't keep you with me forever. If you don't want to live with your mother, then just live as a rogue away from her." reasoned [Name].

"No I can't, I can't fucking stand being in the water. Not when you're not with me. Please, fuck, just let me stay with you [Name]."

"I can't sweetie, it's best you stay where you are for your best chance of survival.."

The human was able to place Hali into the water before beginning to walk away from the shore line. Hali began crying, reaching out for the human, trying to grab onto their fleeting image.

"Hali, I know we haven't gotten along this whole time. But trust me when I say thet humans are no good. You shouldn't fall in love with a human Hali." explained Hali's mother with an almost gentle tone. It was almost as if she was trying to sympathise with her. With just mad the half siren even more angry.

Hali ignored her mother's words and used her arms to crawl onto the sand into the direction that the human was taking.

"Hai don't!" screamed her mother, but the half-siren persisted, she kept crawling.

A loud ripping sound echoed throughout the beach, making [Name] turn their head around into the direction of the sound. The sight that met their eyes were astonishing.

Hali's large, blue fishtail had been ripped in two. Long skinny legs emerged from the loose carcas of the now flimsy fishtail. Hali tried standing on her newly acquired legs but fell to her knees from how weak they were.

The human quickly rushed towards Hali's side, holding their arms out for the half-siren to latch on to. Hali dug her sharpened nails into the human's forearm.

"You can't leave me alone [Name]! You can't leave me! Please don't leave me [Name]!" cried Hali as large crocodile tears ran down her dark face.

She began to hiccup and shoved her head into the human's chest, making their shirt stained from her tears.

"You saved me! You can't leave me alone [Name]! You just can't! You're my savior!" she screamed.

[Name] had a concerned look on their face. "Hali.... please...." they pleaded.

Hali let out a loud sob. "No! Stop it! You can't leave me!" Hali wrapped her arms around the human's neck.

As she sobbed her heart out in the human's chest, [Name] looked down at the half-siren with a dazed look on their face.

Looks like there was almost nothing they could do.

Posted on: 20 / 09 / 2024

[catboygirljoker]

Free Pass Ask to talk about In Depth Luxu Analysis in case of no one sending in the right question to go off with

ok! here's my ~1600 word post about That One Scene At The End Of Dark Road. grins smilingly.

You know the one. Right after we see Baldr easily kill most of the cast of the game, right after a boss fight against him, right after we witness firsthand how powerful he is, we see a flashback of him confronting Bragi with the intention of killing him. And Bragi just...casually flicks his keyblade out of his hand. Bragi fully knows what Baldr's actual deal is, knows that Baldr has killed people, and is completely unthreatened by him. For good reason, it would seem!

So, Luxu's a badass, obviously. He made the big villain of the game into a jobber. And I think that's certainly one of the purposes of the scene. Luxu is about to be one of the primary antagonists of the franchise, and this sets him up to be very powerful!

...But I don't think it's the purpose of the scene. That is, I don't think that's the entire story. Because there are a couple questions left by this scene.

What happens at the end, there, when Baldr runs up to him and attacks him? And why doesn't Bragi reappear until long after Baldr is already dead?

I think we can piece together at least part of an answer.

In the earlier montage where Baldr says he killed everyone, we see a brief scene of Baldr slamming Bragi down onto an island in the Underworld. I assumed that this was a visual representation of Baldr lying and claiming he had killed Bragi when he didn't. But Bragi is the only character in this montage who we don't see die on screen. I believe we're meant to understand that this scene actually happened, and that this is what immediately follows the Luxu reveal cutscene.

Which seems contradictory with Bragi being such a badass, right? Was Bragi disarming Baldr a fluke? The thing is, when Baldr attacks Bragi at the end of the cutscene, Bragi is completely off guard and unprepared for the attack. We already know that Luxu can misjudge people/situations, to his own downfall.

Consider in Dream Drop when he seems to fully believe Sora will join the Real Organization XIII, or Days when he's unthreatened by Xion right up until she knocks him out and leaves, or Re:Mind when he finds out Luxord decided not to simply obey orders without question this time. So him being defeated by Baldr doesn't necessarily mean Luxu is weak if Bragi was defeated due to hubris.

(As a side note—I do think that this would be part of the reason the cutscene cuts off when it does. Luxu still needs to be a threatening villain in the upcoming games, so the audience has to have a strong impression of how threatening he is. We get the full cutscene of Luxu being cool and powerful, and only little glimpses of the fate he meets directly afterwards.)

I think what happened is Bragi sauntered off all cocky and smug, not believing Baldr would attack him. Then Baldr attacked him, and Bragi, realizing what a threat Baldr actually was, pulled a trick we've already seen Luxu pull before. (Seemingly so well that Hades himself is fooled.)

Baldr believed he killed Bragi and saw no reason to be like, "yeah, and also Bragi said some weird mysterious stuff I didn't understand, but the point is that he's dead, too."

Now for the question of why Bragi didn't reappear until long after everybody else was dead. If he's such a badass, surely he could have helped stop Baldr and saved lives. Why didn't he?

From here, I can really only speculate. In my view, there are a few options:

Luxu didn't care about his classmates and left them to die as soon as he realized what a threat Baldr was.

This is...possible, but not very interesting to me. It's the option that results in the least emotional complexity. I think it's most interesting to read Bragi in Dark Road as the second-to-last step on Luxu's downward spiral, rather than just another point on a straight line—that his personality as we see him in the current-day games is informed by the trauma of him losing all of his friends to an opponent he could have stopped but didn't.

Also, maybe this isn't very convincing as evidence, but in his appearance in the graveyard, Bragi's attitude isn't smug or mischievous, it's somber, possibly remorseful. If we were meant to understand that he didn't care about his dead classmates, we'd get, like, a smug grin or something.

So the other options assume that he did care about his classmates:

Luxu sincerely cared about his classmates, and wanted to help them, but was injured so badly in his fight with Baldr that he was physically unable to come to their rescue.

Like I said, I think this is more probable and more compelling than if he didn't care at all. And there's potential tragedy in him trying his best and still failing, or having the best intentions and being unable to follow through on them, for sure. However, in general, I'm more interested in characters failing because of the mistakes they make and the flaws they have, rather than failing due to chance or unavoidable circumstance.

Also...we already know Luxu is the kind of person to stand by and allow terrible things to happen without doing anything to stop it. We know he has been specifically instructed to do so. I think it's more interesting and more consistent with his character if he could have saved his classmates and stopped Baldr, but didn't.

This last option, then, is my favorite, and in my own writing would be the interpretation I go with:

Luxu sincerely cared about his classmates and had the power and strength to protect them from Baldr but, through his own decisions or inaction, still let them die.

Luxu's classmates were all children or barely adults, younger than him by perhaps centuries. But he hung out with them. Actively participated in conversation with them, asked them questions, joked around with them. He seemed to like them. They were his friends. And he let them die.

There's variety in the potential specifics. Maybe Bragi fled and hid until everything was over just to save himself. Maybe he grit his teeth and made the conscious decision to do so; maybe he was motivated by pure animal fear for his life. In either case, he still had a role to carry out, after all. A role that, as I mentioned, has already required him to stand by and allow people to die. If he could swallow the keyblade war, he could swallow the events of Dark Road.

Maybe he believed he had an excuse to run away. In his confrontation with Baldr, Bragi says Xehanort is onto Baldr, and seems to believe Xehanort would be able to stop him. This is before Baldr attacks and seemingly defeats Bragi, but maybe even after that, Bragi still really believed in Xehanort, and believed he could let Xehanort do the rest—misjudging Xehanort's ability to stop Baldr before any more death could occur.

If you wanna get really angsty with it, maybe Bragi did try to save his friends. Maybe he rushed to the scene of Baldr's next murder and saw children with keyblades fighting for their lives, heard the clash of metal on metal, and was suddenly immobilized by the voice of his Master telling him to watch. And by the time he was able to overcome this trauma response, it was already too late.

Whatever the specifics would be of why he left his friends to die, I'm aware that this is the option that casts him in the worst light. If he didn't help them because he didn't care about them, then he's just a coldhearted villain and we can't expect much better from him. If he cared about his classmates and tried his best to help them but failed, then he's a sweet goodboy and uncomplicatedly sympathetic. If he, for any reason, decided not to try to save his friends from a powerful entity that has killed and will kill again, then he's pathetic, morally repugnant, a weakling or a fool or a coward or a combination of the three.

But I like when characters are flawed and stories are messy! I like that, even before you get to the events of Dark Road, Luxu is a messy, complicated, but still sympathetic character! Many of my other favorite Kingdom Hearts characters are messy and complicated in ways that I feel get frustratingly flattened by the fandom. I'm Team Messy and Complicated forever. I hope the games keep making Luxu even worse and more sympathetic and more tragic.

anyway thats my post i hope you liked it haha whee! i once again had to keep deleting detours and tangents about like. redemption arc flags, riku/terra/luxu parallels, luxu/MoM and luxu/xehanort parallels. but the were just that, tangents, and quite a lot of them were more headcanony/watsonian/speculative than i usually like to go with my Analysis. in any case thankyou for coming with me on this journey

[yanderes-galore]

yay, I can request funger!! Can you write a yandere concept for D’arce? :D

I'll try, sure! I've done Cahara, time to do another Funger 1 character!

Yandere! D'arce Cataliss Concept

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Fear of loss, Death, Murder, Violence, Grief, Jealousy, Blood, Manipulation, Clingy behavior, Unhealthy behavior, Forced companionship/relationship.

D'arce has been described to be a loyal knight.

Her one true love has been Le'garde, in fact he's the reason she ventured into the dungeons.

She has been depicted as meek and hesitant at times, but her soul type makes her a natural leader capable of bravery.

There's times she looks down on people too, seeing those lesser than her as "commoners" due to her noble background.

D'arce probably met you in the dungeons.

At first she's hesitant to group with someone else.

That is until you end up saving her in the dungeons.

To repay you, she vows to help you on your journey through the dungeons, so long as you help her find Le'garde.

D'arce's more yandere behavior doesn't develop until after you find Le'garde.

You end up arriving too late, seeing the man dead before you.

You don't feel much towards this death, only really doing it for D'arce.

D'arce, however, is devastated.

You catch her trying to hold back tears, the darkness of these dungeons finally setting in.

Without thinking too much you pull D'arce into a tight embrace.

The ever loyal knight pauses for a moment, going rigid in your hold.

Yet with a hiccup, she returns the gesture.

You try not to spend too much time comforting her due to the amount of guards and other creatures shambling about.

You do reassure D'arce you're here for her.

You'll both survive this dungeons, no matter what you come across.

You standing beside the knight is what stirs something within her.

Her team and captain may be dead...

But she feels she can have a new start with you.

D'arce, as a yandere, is protective and devoted.

She is willing to slay anything for you.

She feels she becomes second to you.

D'arce seems like she'd use you, her newest obsession, as a replacement for Le'garde.

She refuses to lose you to these dungeons like she did Le'garde.

You can see her desperation in the way she fights enemies.

Her hits are harder and she cares little for the blood on her armor and face.

When it comes to you she ends up acting like she's your knight.

She's civil and polite with you, even after she decapitated a creature from these depths.

You end up scolding her at times for getting herself hurt on your journey.

She apologizes yet continues what she was doing before.

D'arce attempts to remain civil when you recruit others into your party.

In all honesty she hates them but goes along with what you say because she cares about you... to an obsessive degree.

D'arce does prepare to use violence against any fellow party members if they fall out of line though.

I personally feel the biggest and main part of her obsession is her motives.

She was so attached to Le'garde that seeing him dead broke her.

Which made her latch onto the second closest person, you.

Her obsession is a coping mechanism.

She has a feeling her obsession is bad, especially when she manipulates you...

But she feels she's nothing without you.

If she loses you, what else does she have?

To be fair, despite her jealousy, D'arce is not too much of a possessive yandere.

She has her moments and maybe with low sanity she'll get worse... but she's primarily a devote worship yandere with protective behavior.

She'd give you anything, just ask.

She'll kill for you, care for you, even be hurt for you.

She wants to be a tool you can use.

She's disposable to you, just like she was with Le'garde.

It's all unhealthy... but it's how she was once treated.

She's a mostly well behaved yandere.

An obedient knight willing to sacrifice it all for her obsession.

But when she snaps... when she realizes anything can take you away from her in this place...

She may turn violent against your own party... all to keep you safe and to herself.