#i recently played through v3 with my partner and i found that saihara was a lot more compelling than i remember

[pandoratheprocrasticreator]

I have a lot of opinions on Shuichi Saihara as a protagonist like on one hand I really liked his arc and think he was a genuinely interesting character and on the other hand the twist in chapter 1 kneecapped a lot of what I thought made him a compelling detective character on top of playing into some sexist tropes but like who cares about that.

What I ACTUALLY want to talk about is the AMAZING energy this guy exudes. He has more eyeliner on than any scene kid from the early 2000's. He's as gaunt as a sheet of paper. He looks like a stiff breeze could knock him over. Probably because he canonically didn't eat breakfast before entering the killing game so somehow the murder teddy bear coliseum has actually IMPROVED his living habits.

Nearly every line of Saihara's dialogue in the Japanese dub makes him sound like he's 5 seconds away from bursting into tears. During some intense moments he does this sprite where he's supposed to be adjusting the brim of his hat in a cool way but after he ditches his hat it just looks like he's doing a really emo peace sign. His character arc is about realizing that he doesn't want to kill himself and the way he resolves the conflict at the end of the game is to turn to the audience and say "You guys all suck. We're going to kill ourselves."

In chapter 6, Shirogane literally says that the concept for his character was her going "Hey what if I made a detective who's just, like, the most pathetic. The most cripplingly depressed poor little meow meow in existence?" He isn't even a poor little meow meow at this point he's like. One of those blind orphans that get run over in those propaganda films from the 40's. He's like if Oliver Twist went through puberty.

All the protags yap a lot but all of Saihara's internal monologue in the Free Time Events makes him sound like a fucking Wattpad fic about getting sold to One Direction. He embodies Komaru Naegi's "uwu im just a normal teenage girl" schtick except unlike Komaru, he'd probably dislocate his ankle running from a Ball Monokuma. Babe at least Makoto Naegi is kind of an extrovert?

He's super smart and observant and when he genuinely makes the effort to investigate the school, he uncovers the mastermind's secret lair on like the second day. And the next time he makes the effort he figures out the mastermind's identity and all of her schemes. Every investigation he looks at the evidence and immediately makes 8 logical leaps and somehow figures out the seesaw zipline toilet paper murder of the week.

But between that he, like, alternates between curling up in a ball and sobbing in his room and curling up in a ball and sobbing in front of Momota and Harukawa so like, it takes him a while to get to it. Kirigiri was busting into boys' washrooms and sneaking into secret off-limits dorms and throwing herself down trash chutes. Meanwhile Saihara sees the girls' washroom and is like "Hhhhhhhh I can't go in there that's cooooooooties" and needs The Power Of Friendship to, like, push over rubble or smth.

Like, oh man, he's a great character and he does get marginally more confident but, like, I think this dude runs on nothing but coffee and anxiety. He probably doesn't get more than 3 hours of sleep a night between Momota's midnight hangouts and whatever the hell the love hotels and the Monokuma theatres are all about. Say what you want about his role in the game but he's definitely a unique protagonist because I didn't think someone like him could narrate for a chapter without having a seizure. He looks like he has tuberculosis. MORE than the guy in the game who actually has tuberculosis.

[shsl-fluff]

yo Im back 😔✌️ lmao I loved the way you did my fem baker so request! thanks for that! I know I'm quick to ask again already but you said you were willing to take requests for writing, right? lol could I do the v3 boys this time with a male s/o (or fem if you ain't comfortable with that) who's a reserve course student/is talentless? bonus if s/o is insecure about it like hajime was? 👉🏻👈🏻😳😣💞💞

Gonta Gokuhara

Gonta didn't understand why you seemed a little upset whenever he hung out with his classmates with you.

You were insecure. There were a lot of kind students in his class who were way more talented than you, and even though you trusted Gonta, you were still a little afraid that he would fall for one of the other boys

(Or girls of course. Gonta was pansexual, and all the girls in his class seemed pretty and nice too)

You, Gonta, and a few of his friends (Oma, Saihara, Hoshi, and Shinguji) went out to eat one night together at a little diner 

You were honestly getting anxious as they all talked about things oriented around their talents

Ryoma had gotten back into tennis after his long break, Shuichi had a new case he was working on, which Kokichi seemed to know way too much about, and Korekiyo had just gotten back from a trip. 

As they all chatted about what they were amazing at, you were just silent

What did you really have to talk about that was just as cool as their misadventures?

So you stared at the floor until Gonta suddenly tapped your shoulder. Ryoma had gone out for a smoke break, Shuichi was absorbed in his notes, Korekiyo was in the bathroom, and Kokichi was Lord knows where

"(Y/N)? You look upset… did I do something wrong?" He looked at you with his big puppy dog eyes. 

"You didn't do anything wrong… I just… don't feel like my topics are interesting? You're all ultimates and I'm just… me…"

"You are just you!" Gonta said joyfully "and Gonta just Gonta, and Ryoma is just Ryoma, and Kokichi is just Kokichi and-"

You cut him off. "No, that's not what I mean. I mean… I'm not special. You and your friends have so much status and skill and-"

"But that doesn't matter, Love bug"

It always made you bashful when he called you by that nickname

"Really?"

He nodded and kissed your forehead. 

When the others came back, Gonta brought you into the conversation and got you talking

At first you were nervous, yet your worries melted as you got more involved in the conversation.

You just became one of the guys. Whether or not they were ultimates didn't matter. 

When you all started to leave after eating, you overheard Saihara talking to his friend over the phone

"Yeah, I met Gontas' boyfriend. He really seems like a good fit for him, but I'm not great at romance… Either way, it's clear Gonta loves him."

That made you feel a lot more confident. That an ultimate thought you and Gonta were a good pair

Then again, Gonta was right. It didn't matter if they were ultimates or not. 

Kiibo (K1-B0)

One of his friends, Miu, had been hanging around recently. She was the ultimate inventor, and was working on a big upgrade for Kiibo

You were starting to feel jealous about all the time he spent with her and not you. 

You didn't think he would cheat or anything, it was just lonely without him. 

But Kiibo couldn't tell. He was sort of oblivious to human emotions. It wasn't his fault, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

Miu had set up a makeshift workshop in your room, because "Kiibos charging port was in there anyway"

Schoolwork was piling up, too. You found yourself working until you fell asleep on the couch. 

You were lonely, stressed, and, to be honest, starting to get paranoid that Miu really had stolen your lover's metallic heart.

One day during studying you just cracked. 

You broke down in tears, shaking.

You couldn't help it. You choked out Kiibos name.

"(Y/N?)" You heard him call.

"Wait I'm still working!" Miu called. He got up anyway and went to your side. 

He put a cold hand on your back, accidentally causing a jolt of electricity. 

"Sorry… Miu was working and wasn't fully done but I wanted to make sure you were-"

"I wish I could be like Miu," you said suddenly. 

He went quiet in confusion. 

"Like you or Miu or your classmates… ultimate robot, ultimate inventor, ultimate detective, ultimate magician… ultimate, ultimate, ultimate" you sobbed

"All I'm good at is being painfully average" 

"That's not true!" Kiibo said quickly. "You're very special, to me at least…"

"I feel so lonely"

He went quiet. "Oh…" 

Every time he touched you it shocked you. "Miu needs to fix that… it happened when she was working on the upgrades."

"How much longer?"

"Tomorrow, hopefully… I would hug you but I don't want to shock you…" 

You managed a weak smile. "Thank you"

You heard him walking off, and then silence.

You managed to fall asleep after a while, and when you woke up, you were in bed.

Kiibo was holding you close in his arms, radiating a warm heat. 

"Kiibo?"

"You're up? Morning" Kiibo responded. "Miu finished with her updates… I hope you don't mind, but my side of the bed is a charging port now… So we can sleep in the same bed together" he was going red. 

"Really? You did those updates for me?"

He nodded slowly

You started to cry as he rubbed your back and started to radiate more heat. 

"I love you"

"I love you, too"

Kaito Momota

You would never say it, but you were definitely jealous of the luminary of the stars

Even if only a little bit

You knew about what he had done to become an ultimate, and it made the jealousy increase

It normally was something you could keep under control. It must have taken a lot of talent to fool such a strict system, so he deserved getting in anyway, right?

One day he was ranting about his schoolwork and something in you just broke. 

"Just… Stop… I know that you're an ultimate, Kaito. Please just stop talking about it" you muttered

He went. It was shocking for him to see you so upset all the sudden. 

You started to cry suddenly. "I'm sorry… I'm being so mean" you whimpered. 

"Don't be sorry." He said softly, putting a hand on your back. 

He really cared about you, and didn't realize he had brought you over the edge. 

"Hey, hey. It's getting dark out, how about we stargaze?"

You smiled and nodded. 

Kokichi Ouma

Like with everyone else, Ouma would tease you a lot

Often, he would tease you about being a reserve course student. 

You often would throw back a snarky reply to please him. 

He didn't actually realize it hurt you.

One day after a particularly tiring shift at work, he threw a remark towards you. 

"Hey, hey hey! How was your job?" Kokichi was hanging upside down on the couch. "Why can't you parents just pay for you, like how they paid for Hope's Peak for you?"

Normally, you would ignore it, but today you just couldn't. 

You went uncomfortably quiet, clenching your fists and holding in tears as you marched into your room and closed the door

You flopped on the bed as the tears started to spill. 

The door opened quietly. 

"(Y/N)? The stuff I said about you… that was just a lie, ya know?"

You sobbed and shook your head.

"But you're right… I'm only here because of my stupid parents and their stupid money. That's the only reason I'm in Hopes Peak"

"(Y/N)?" 

You didn't listen as you kept talking.

"I'm just a useless, talentless, reserve course student. I'm never going to get anywhere in life…"

"(Y/N)..."

"I'm just a dumb, privileged teen boy. I'm so stupid I'm so-" 

"(Y/N)!" He pulled you into a tight embrace and kissed you as you cried.

"Hey, hey… you aren't just a nobody, (Y/N)"

"that's just a-"

"It's not a lie" his voice was so genuine.

You believed him this time. 

"You know I love you, right? My boyfriend, my partner in crime, my best friend…"

He cupped your cheek as you nodded shakily. 

"You know, you're my second in command for a reason. Because you're so smart. A lot smarter than a lot of the other ultimates."

You cuddled in silence for a while, until your boyfriend had to go. 

Before leaving, he turned back to you with a stupid smirk

"Talentless reserve course student"

You stuck your tongue out at him

"Airhead ultimate"

Korekiyo Shinguji

A lot of reserve course students were victims of bullying, and you were one of them.

You knocked on your lovers door after school, sniffling. You knew he was home, ultimates could skip classes without much repercussions. 

"Who is it?" You heard your lover ask from the other side of the door. 

You sniffled softly and choked out a response. "Kiyo… it's me, (Y/N)."

He paused for a moment "oh, one moment" he sounded surprised to hear your cries. 

He opened the door and wrapped his arms around you. 

He wasn't big on hugs, so it definitely meant a lot. 

"What's troubling you, my (Y/N)?"

You told him how some of the ultimates were harassing you, before you started sobbing so hard you couldn't speak

"Come here, sit down" he ushered you to the dining table and started to make you macha tea. 

He set it down in front of you, sitting down across from you with a teacup of his own. 

"How about I tell you another story, my love? Would that make you feel better?"

You nodded "I like your voice,…" you said between tears "it's comforting."

Heat rushed to his cheeks at the comment, but started to tell you about different Yokai, and what they reflected in society. 

You listened as you drank your tea

"Kiyo?" You asked shakily as he finished talking about the futakuchi-onna.

"Can we cuddle? I-im sorry I know I'm being clingy but-"

"You aren't, dear. Let's go to my room" 

He took your hand and guided you to his bed.

He wrapped you both up in blankets and pulled you on his lap. 

"Can I-"

"You can play with my hair" he said before you could finish.

You smiled and ran your hands through his hair slowly. It was so soft and silky

It calmed you. 

"You're so beautiful" he whispered in your ear. 

"But… I'm not an ultimate" you mumbled

"And? Why would that make you any less beautiful?"

"I don't know but…"

He pulled down his mask and kissed you softly. 

"You're an amazing boyfriend, (Y/N). Don't fret." 

Rantaro Amami

Rantaro didn't remember his talent, so why would it matter to him if you were a reserve course student?

He knew it made you uncomfortable, so decided to simply not bring it up. 

He would often have to leave for long periods of time, searching for his sisters. 

When he did, he would bring you and his other friends tons of gifts

It felt like they often got similar things each time, linking back to their talents. 

But you got an eclectic amount of gifts.

It felt nice that he thought if things you like that weren't just based on a title

"I found this owl shaped horn, and it reminded me of you" he said as you raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, it's interesting and cool! Isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is" you smiled and blew into it. 

It made an owl like hoot. 

He grinned at you, and you grinned back. 

He suddenly pulled you into a hug

"I missed you, (Y/N)"

"Even though I'm not an ultimate like your friends?"

He frowned and kissed you softly. 

"Of course."

Ryoma Hoshi

Ryoma was honestly jealous of you.

A lot of his problems started because of his ultimate. 

He wished he could have been a normal guy like you, especially back  in middle school...

But he would never tell you that

Not because he didn't trust you, but because he didn't want to remember her. 

One day, you were both sitting on the couch, watching whatever stupid reality show that was on the TV.

You noticed something. All the people had their carriers or a defining part of their life under their name. 

'Doctor, Mother, Soldier'

And then…

'Ex-student from Hope's Peak'

"I wish I could be an ultimate" you mumbled absently. "Once you're admitted to that school, you're set for life, huh? Fame, money, job opportunities…" 

Ryoma suddenly grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. 

"I wish I could stop being an ultimate" he muttered. He wasn't mad, not at all. Just crying to stop himself from crying. 

"I'm sorry, Ryoma" you said softly. You knew when to stop. 

"Can I… tell you about what happened?"

You always knew something happened. You knew your boyfriend was on death row at one point, but that his legal team had fought endlessly for him to be released on parole. 

"Yeah, if it'd make you feel better, Ryoma"

He said everything, the tennis matches, the spell of anger before defeating his final appointment. The fear. Hiding. When she was found.

He broke down in tears. He couldn't help it, it was just too much to go back to. 

You pulled him into a kind embrace and rubbed his back. 

"I love you, (Y/N)" he sobbed softly. "You're a wonderful boyfriend. You're so great" he hiccuped. 

It was rare for him to let his emotions out like this, and it was clear he had so much bundled up. 

You held him close and kept comforting him.

It really meant the world to him. 

Shuichi Saihara

You and Shuichi didn't talk much about him being an ultimate. 

But it was definitely always on your mind

He had to work for hours on end on the most difficult cases due to his title as the Ultimate detective. 

He'd work until he fell asleep at his desk. And then go right back to working.

It made you feel lonely. 

It was like his title mattered more than his boyfriend. 

One day when he was working, you wrapped your arms around him. "Shuichi? Could you please take a day off?" You mumbled softly in his ear.

He went red. "I would,  but I'm-"

"So close to finishing that case, I know… but if you took a break and looked at it from a new perspective, I'm sure you'd get out of this rut"

He hesitated slightly. 

"And I miss spending time with you"

That convinced him. 

You both cuddled on the couch and put on a cheesy movie. 

It was nice for him to take a day with his lover. He really needed that break