#the naegiri is strongest with this

[nerd-cat-rambles]

30 day ronpa

I did this on tiktok but lost motivation so I'm doing this all at once.

Favourite character: Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Least favourite character: Hifumi Yamada (NOT JUST BECAUSE HE KILLED TAKA PLEASE DONT COME AT ME-)

Best girl: Sonia Nevermind, Sayaka Maizono.

Best Boy (other than Taka): Mondo Owada, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Gundham Tanaka.

Favourite Protag: Hajime Hinata

Favourite Antagonist: Nagito Komaeda

OTP (One-True-Pairing/top ship): Ishimondo

BrOTP (platonically in love): Hinanami (hajimexchiaki) or makosaya (makotoxsayaka)

NOTP (I did these the wrong way around sorry lol): Despaircest (mukuroxjunko), anybody x junko, anybody x hifumi tbh.

Favourite straight ship: Sondam (soniaxgundham) or naegiri (makotoxkyoko) fuyupeko is 3rd lol.

Favourite gay ship (other than ishimondo): Komahina (hajimexnagito)

Favourite Yuri ship: sakuraoi (sakuraxaoi), soapies (mahiruxhiyoko)

Favourite Game: SDR2 (Danganronpa 2 goodbye despair)

Favourite THH charac.: Kiyotaka ishimaru, Mondo Owada, Aoi Asahina.

Favourite SDR2 character: Sonia Nevermind, fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Gundham Tanaka, Akane Owari, Mikan Tsumiki (I LOVE SDR2 SM I COULDNT CHOOSE SORRY-)

Fave V3 Character: Gonta Gokuhara, Kaito Momota, Ryoma Hoshi (haven't played v3)

Charac I'd burn in a hole: Celeste for her trash motive, Hifumi probs, maybe Miu, I don't despise any character tbh. WAIT, MAHIRU. ID BURN MAHIRU-

Talent I'd want: Chiaki Nanami (ult. Gamer), Angie Yonaga (ult. Artist) Sayaka Maizono (Ultimate Pop Sensation/Idol Star.)

Favourite execution: Mondo Owada (Cage of death) (NOT THE STORY BEHIND IT, BUT OMG BRUTAL) or Peko Pekoyama (The Ultimats swordswoman.)

Favourite soundtrack: All-Star-Apologies, (SDR2 VER.) Trapped By The Ocean Scent (I think this is a track but it might just be a chapter name sorry idk.)

A character I would revive: Ishimaru deserved to live. I thought his morals would get him through tbh-

Saddest Death: I can't decide, but Chihiro, Mondo, Taka, Peko, Gundham, Nekomaru.

Favourite Minor characters: CHUCK OWADA- (Mondos Dog)

Character I wish was real: Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Sayaka Maizono. (I'd study with Taka and stream Maizonos music.)

Weakest Character: Hiyoko saionji, Mahiru Koizumi.

Most boring character: Sato. She's not in the main games but wtf. Mahiru Koizumi, Sato, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Kirumi too.

Character with most development: FUYUHIKO KUZURYU OMG-

fashionable character: idc what y'all say id steal Leons fit in a heartbeat. (Leon Kuwata)

strongest character: Nekomaru Nidai, Sakura Ogami, Kenshiro (Sakuras opponent).

Character I'm similar to: Kiyotaka Ishimaru..... i Am biased but wtv :3

[creepercraftguy]

NAEGIRI WEEK Day 6 - First Encounter.

Makoto retells the story of his first encounter with his baby daughter.

@naegiriweek

Full Story below the cut. You can also find the story on my WattPad - https://www.wattpad.com/1292635961-naegiri-week-2022-creepercraftguy-day-6-first

"Nama-mugi nama-gome nama-tamago...Nama-mugi nama-gome nama-tamago...Nama-mugi nama-gome nama-tamago..."

"You need to stop..."

It was early in the morning, and Komaru Naegi sat alongside her partner, Toko Fukawa, in the waiting room of a hospital maternity ward. It was very sudden when she got the call at 3am in the morning from her brother Makoto, letting her know that his wife, Kyoko, had been taken into the hospital.

Kyoko had gone into labor and been pregnant with Makoto's child for a long while now. Though she wasn't the one bearing any children, Komaru was panicked and nervous, and didn't know what to make of herself. This, unfortunately, left Toko to be the only one to try and console her, since Makoto was with his wife in the ward.

"Look, I get that you're nervous, but you SERIOUSLY need to relax," Toko grumbled, "everything's going to be fine."

"And how do you know that!?" Komaru exclaimed, "what if something bad happens to Kyoko!? Or what if something bad happens to the baby!"

"Look, I'M supposed to be the pessimist in this relationship! Stop making me be the responsible one," Toko snapped, "Kyoko is a strong woman. One of the strongest I've known in fact. She's going to be fine. And as for the baby, if it's anything as strong as her mother, it will get through fine too. The nurses and Kyoko herself are not gonna let any harm come to it."

"You...you're right..." Komaru kept sweating bullets, "it's just that the longer this takes, the more nervous I become...! And there's so many ways this could go wrong, it's not hard to keep playing on your mind repeatedly."

"If I'm being honest, I'm also preparing myself for the worse-case scenario," Toko confessed, "but that's just what you've gotta do in this sort of situation. Prepare for the best...Hope for the worst."

"You really are acting weird today," Komaru chuckled, "it's not like you to make such inspiring speeches."

"Your brother's not here to do it, so it falls to me," Toko wrapped her arm around Komaru and pulled her close, "and as much as I hate to admit it, I don't like seeing you like this."

Komaru was calmed by Toko's actions and words, but for all but a few seconds. All of a sudden, her brother Makoto burst out into the waiting room, his eyes wide and his face flustered and panicked. Upon seeing his sister, he calmed a bit, but Komaru launched to her feet, forcefully yanking Toko up with her.

"IBABGBIABUGBUBAGHB-!?" Komaru rambled, unable to form words due to her axiety.

"I think she meant to ask, "what's going on, what happened?"" Toko translated. She retained her composure, but her face was also full of anticipation.

Makoto didn't say a word to them. Instead, he slowly trudged off to the side. They girl's eyes followed him, both incredibly nervous thanks to the way he was acting.

They watched...until Makoto stopped in front of the mini-gift store. He walked inside, and picked up a balloon, turning back to his family.

The balloon had the words "IT'S A GIRL!" written on them.

A few minutes later, Makoto, Toko and Komaru were all taken into the ward. The first thing all of them saw when they stepped in was an exhausted-looking Kyoko. She was wearing a dressing gown, and had even removed her trademark purple gloves that covered up the burns on her hands. However, she didn't seem to mind very much. She looked up briefly as everyone came in, but her attention was on the little bundle of joy in her hands.

"Sorry I rushed off like that," Makoto approached the bed, holding back tears, "I just knew that if I kept Komaru waiting any longer, she might explode."

"She looks like she's exploding already..." Kyoko laughed quietly. Makoto turned around to see that indeed, Komaru looked like she was trying incredibly hard to hold back snot and tears of joy. Toko rubbed her back.

"I'll take care of this big baby," Toko smiled a very rare, warm and affectionate smile to the couple, "you take care of your little one."

Toko and Komaru left the room, giving the couple the space they needed. Makoto knelt down next to the bed and stared at his newborn child, tears of joy leaking from his eyes.

"So? Did you decide on a name for her?" he asked.

"I was thinking...Kuroba. Like you suggested before." Kyoko told him, brushing Kuroba's hair "had it been a boy, I might have named them after my father, but you said Kuroba was your mother's maiden name..."

"It's a lovely name," he laughed. He reached out a single finger towards the child. Kuroba reached over with a weak and tiny hand and grabbed it. The feeling of euphoria filled Makoto's soul, and he had to force himself to hold back from balling his eyes out.

"I'm so happy she was born healthy..." Kyoko also looked to be on the verge of tears as she gazed down at the child in her arms.

"Yeah...healthy and beautiful, just like her mother..." Makoto kept a gentle grip on Kuroba's hand, as if he was afraid if he'd let go, she'd disappear, "though I wonder...What do you think she'll grow up to be? A detective, like her mother? Or something else?"

"I'll tell you what she'll be," Kyoko whispered, "whatever it is she wants to be...

But as her parents, it's our job to make sure that her dreams come true..."

"Do you have to tell this story every time?" in the present day, a 10 year old Kuroba Naegi sat at the dinner table with parents, aunt and a few family friends as her father told her the story of her birth, "you don't even consider that it might embarrass me?"

"I'm your father Kuroba," Makoto chuckled, "embarrassing you is part of the job."

"Well, if that's the case, then you might as well get your money for free," Kuroba snarked, "you embarrass me just by being my father."

"Kuroba!" Kyoko, who sat on the other side of the table snapped at her, "don't say such horrible things about your father!"

"Calm down Mom, I'm only joking," Kuroba sighed, "I wouldn't be that legitimately mean to my own dad."

"I should hope not young lady," Kyoko frowned, "just be careful that you don't influence your little brother in any way."

As she said this, Kyoko fed some carrots to Kuroba's 3-year old younger brother, Jin.

"I just remember being a huge mess that day, and it wasn't even my kid that was being born" Komaru giggled.

"That makes sense, you always dote on me Aunt Komaru."

"Yeah, I'd say a little too much sometimes," Makoto frowned, "what are you gonna do if she or her brother grow up to be spoiled?"

"That's not MY problem," Komaru raised her nose to the sky, "an aunt SHOULD dote on her niece. It's not like I see her as often as you two do."

"Well, it's still not going to be our fault if that happens," Makoto sighed, "by the way, didn't you say Toko would be coming round? What time did she say she would be showing up?"

"Uuuuh...Can't remember." Komaru admitted.

"You can't!?"

"I-I mean, I was talking to her for a while, but that was mostly about other stuff! Oh, but I remember it was around 4-4:30-ish!"

"Komaru...could you learn to be a bit more organized?"

"Don't tell me who needs to get organized! Your desk is every bit as wacky as it was back when we were kids!"

"You only know that because you always used to steal the stuff that was on it! When am I gonna get my favorite pen back that you snatched?"

"That was a long time ago!"

"I still have the receipts!"

"Hoo boy..." Kuroba sighed, "they're at it again. I really hope that we don't grow up to be like that."

Kuroba affectionately pinched little Jin's nose, which made him giggle.

"Even if you do, I have faith that you'll work it out in the end, just as your father and aunt do," Kyoko smiled, "you're family after all. And right from the moment they meet, family always sticks together."

[tokosyomaru]

›–✁-| sho / it+its nblw / 19

Welcome to my Danganronpa blog... 2!! Sparse reblogs as I haven't had a fixation on this series since like, early 2022. My main is @gemharvest and that is where I will like/ follow/ etc. from. Will probably reply from this blog since u can choose that now but if you get replies from my main that's still me !!

I probably wont tag anything super common within the series (minor gore (blood/ minor wounds), death, weapons, etc.) so be mindful of that when going through my blog. Anything a bit heavy like more graphic gore, child abuse, and etc. will get cw tags, though. Mutuals are free to request I tag something specific (if you only follow this blog but I follow back from main ur still a mutual 👍).

[carrd] + [art blog] + [youtube] |-✃-✁–‹

Fun DGRP interest trivia for those who wanna know:

Ultra Despair Girls is my favorite of the games, though that is definitely a subjective take and bc of some of the shit that goes on in there, I completely understand those who may dislike the game.

Trigger Happy Havoc (DR1) is probably my favorite of the main 3 games. The cast just clicks with me more and also it features my girlsssss Toko and Syo.

Still don't personally understand a lot of the hype around SDR2 I'M SORRY it just doesn't click with me as much. It's still super fun I'm just an outlier in it not being my favorite.

World's strongest Tokosyomaru soldier though I'm kinda on break rn with the fixation not being as hard. Fukawa system defender though I also fucking hate how they were written so I am defending them from the devs as well.

Favorite characters include Komaru Naegi, Toko and Syo Fukawa (those feel like "duh"s to me LOL), Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Chihiro Fujisaki, Kazuichi Soda. Aaand I really liked Maki/ Tenko from nDRV3 but I'm going to be real it's been so long since I've thought about that since the ending of the game made me feel super sour so I'm going to have to get back to y'all on that one.

I also really enjoy seeing Naegiri, Sakuraoi, and Tenmiko stuff. Not super into much aside from my affinity for Tokosyomaru, though I appreciate p much any ship in this series as long as it's not the Fukawas and Byakuya (I'm a lot more chill abt that nowadays though it makes me super uncomf still, sorry).

Despite my interest in this series being pretty dormant, feel free to send me asks abt it!! I'd love to chat a bit even if it's not the current active interest. :)

I also love being given drawing prompts as long as when u send something in, you're aware I might sit on it a while before doing it & that I'm not actually obligated to do any requests and that they're more for me to doodle out if I get a good idea/ am really into the prompt.

[fragments-of-despair]

So thanks to justonegamr uploading a really good let's play, I got to watch the entire first chapter/prologue of Master Detective Archives: Rain Code. And I have some....thoughts. Nothing bad, really, just....some concerns.

I'll keep any spoilers under the cut and will tag this as "Master Detective Archives Spoilers", "Rain Code Spoilers" and "MDA:RC Spoilers", in case anyone wants to filter out tags.

With that one last warning, onto my thoughts.

To start: Positives!

Music: Once again, Masafumi Takeda is a Master Composer, and the soundtrack is one of the strongest he's put out so far. I enjoyed listening to the music and felt it did great at establishing the tone and I feel like it'll be the most memorable part of the game for many.

Art and Character Design: As with the music, the character designs by Rui Komatsuzaki is spot on as always and every single character looks fantastic. And the designs translated pretty well into 3D. For anyone who had worries given how UDG's models look in 3D, rest assured, everyone looks great in the Unreal Engine. On top of that, the setting is very vibrant and interesting, despite it all being mostly in one location for a good amount of the opening chapter. The Mystery Labyrinth is very colorful and creative and it was fun seeing Yuma explore. Shimadoriru did excellent work and I'm excited to see more of his art in the setting of Kanai Ward.

Player Character/Protagonist: I WOULD DIE FOR YUMA KOKOHEAD. I adore this little guy and I find him to be quite entertaining. If Wato Hojo from Process of Elimination is what would happen if you fused Hajime and Shuichi, then Yuma Kokohead is what you'd get if you mixed Makoto and Shuichi (or if you want to imagine a Naegiri child, that is also an apt description of Yuma so far). He seems to have an ability to let him feel when someone is using their Forensic Forte, almost like some kind of magical physical empathy.

I want nothing but good things for him. Protect Yuma Kokohead.

The First Mystery: Without going into too much detail, the way the culprit of this first case managed to pull off the murders was rather clever. I have family that has been working railways for decades now, and we've been train fanatics for years, so the car switch trick was definitely clever. Not the first time this trick has been used in mysteries. In fact, I'd say it's a classic in train-centric murder mysteries. But Rain Code's example was really good in that not only was it clever for the murderer, but also was good to help establish more about our big bad and give hints to the difficulty of the enemies to follow. Overall, a solid mystery.

Now for the negatives. Or rather......concerns......Okay, a mix of both really.

Last chance to turn away before MAJOR SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Gameplay and User Interface: From what I've seen this game is not going to be friendly for those who have vision issues. There were points where I was finding it difficult to read and that affected my ability to enjoy the investigative portions. And I'm watching on a small flatscreen TV I use as a computer monitor. Playing this on small screens is going to be hard for some, which I don't think was really taken into account during development. Aesthetically it looks fantastic, but unless you got really good vision or some super strong glasses, you'll probably have as hard a time as I did. (this will be especially hard in the Pirate Pop Up minigame that seems to be replacing Hangman's Gambit. We truly cannot avoid that game being hell, can we?).

Also, there were parts where, as I was watching, it looked like there might be issues regarding whether or not the controls will read properly. It looked like justonegamr should have managed to dodge some things but in the end, the game read that they didn't. I imagine a lot of it has to do with the font and the size of the hit box. Just know that if this was an issue for you in UDG, it might be a minor problem in Rain Code as well.

Also, there were points during the game that I thought that the concept of the Mystery Labyrinth was....for lack of better words, it felt very gratuitous at points. I think the story is trying to set up something with them, so I'll hold my full thoughts off until then, but with what we're presented with so far, it's pretty much coming off as "What if we took the trials of Danganronpa and made it a Persona 5 dungeon", and it isn't really working for me.

Oh yeah, Climax Reasoning is back. Forgot to mention that. It's....fine? I guess? I think it leans too far in the aesthetics and had trouble reading most of the questions and hints personally. It's kind of hard to top the Climax Reasoning from Goodbye Despair and V3......

The Rest of the Cast and Overall Story: Oh boy. This one is going to be a doozy.

I just want to say, before we go on, that what I am about to say is my personal thoughts and if you do not agree, no hard feelings. It's just my own personal silly little opinion and you're free to disregard it.

With that being said, I am severely disappointed in how Five of the Master Detectives that were advertised were treated.

I hope no one here were fans of Pucci, Zange, Melami, Zilch, or Aphex based on their designs, Character Profiles, and Forensic Fortes. Because they're all dead.

That's right. FIVE of our detectives are dead right now. What had happened was, Amataratsu Corp. hired a hitman to kill the detectives. And that hitman was Zilch. Or rather, someone disguised as Zilch. Or maybe it was Zilch. See, the explanation we're given is that there was a Master Detective named Zilch, but that he was killed before the others and his identity was stolen, while his body is stored on the train somewhere. The Imposter Zilch then drugged everyone, killed Pucci, Melami, Zenge, and Aphex by burning them to death, and then used Aphex's body to help fake his own death, before hiding in the control room in a blind spot and framing Yuma for the crime. The train car swap was done using a split track and a tunnel as well as leaving a car behind at one station (it was supposed to be five cars long but was four for the trip to pull off the trick), and having another prepared at the end point. The real Zilch is supposed to be on the car that was left behind on at the station.

But according to Shinigami, completing the Mystery Labyrinth and letting her reap the culprit's soul there kills the culprit. And the culprit looked like too much Zilch to make me believe it wasn't. Shouldn't it have looked more like the actual character? Or perhaps be similar to the Grey Man we see in the Climax Reasoning if they wanted to keep it more vague?

Also, throughout the prologue up until their deaths, it really felt like they were building up these detectives to be interesting acquaintances to Yuma, and I was looking forward to seeing how they'd all work together and grow. Aphex actually ended up being my favorite of the five because what little interactions we got were that impactful to me. So you can imagine my surprise to find all these detectives not only dead, but that Zilch (my second favorite) wasn't even the real Zilch. I wasn't shocked like I was when playing Danganronpa or going through Process of Elimination and finding these characters dead. I was left feeling hollow, frustrated, but mostly, I was disappointed. The hype around these characters and their talents was enough to get me hooked, and what little we got made me want more. But now we're not going to get anything. It's like being given a taste sample at Cold Stone only to be told that the ice cream you were offered was just taken off the menu by corporate and they're not allowed to serve it to you anymore. This is going to make a lot of people put down the game I think if they were hoping to investigate with any of those five and experience their Fortes in more interesting and dynamic cases, and I wouldn't blame them. If they bring them back somehow, it'll have to be pretty damn convincing because as things are now, they can't without making it feel like an asspull.

And as for Shinigami.......

I'm so sorry everyone, but I just cannot get behind her right now. She's a lot like if you fused Junko, Genocide Jack, and Ibuki in terms of personality, for lack of better ways to describe her. It was those three I was thinking of whenever she spoke or was on screen. But there's a reason characters like Ibuki, Jack, and Junko work, and a lot of that is moderation and balance. They're used moderately, balanced with the rest of the cast or with the character they're primarily spending time with. But since for most of the chapter she's your primary partner, that moderation isn't there. And there were so, so, SO many times I just wanted to hit her. I'm sure she's going to have a lot of fans, and there were parts about her that I enjoyed (usually when her behavior was more toned down and when she was not using Yuma's pain as humor), I know a lot of her actions are due to the mystery of the contract she made with Yuma and that will be revealed in time, but there were times where I wanted Yuma to just tell her to stop. And her talk about death and despair...... Yeah, as a Danganronpa fan, that's setting off a LOT of alarm bells. (I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this did turn out to secretly be a Danganronpa game given how she's being written so far).

If her overall character becomes more balanced or goes through well written growth, then my opinion will probably change, but as is, she's on the bottom of my list of characters I'm enjoying from this game.

Also, Yakou Furio is..... there. So yeah.

FINAL THOUGHTS (so far):

Between the characters we lost and the ones we still have and the rules of the Mystery Labyrinth, I'm really concerned about how the overall story is going to go. The game has a lot to do to earn back my trust after what happened to the first five detectives we met, and the writing is definitely going to need to pick up in ways that'll hook on the players who might consider putting this down after Chapter 0. The UI could have been better implemented and more accessable, and the future Labyrinths will need to really do something to justify their need to be included in the narrative going forward.

But the character designs, art, music, and Yuma alone make this game worth at least watching playthroughs of. And I do want to see Yuma's continued growth with the remaining detectives.

If you're a die-hard Danganronpa fan who just wants to have every part of Danganronpa Team's works in your collection, this game is worth a place there, I think. The Soundtrack especially is worth the price of the base game imo.

But if you're debating if you'll enjoy this game overall, I'd suggest waiting a couple of weeks for a more solid consensus before investing $60-$100.

As for Kakera's thoughts? Overall, I'm not mad. Just confused and disappointed.

[danganronpa-21]

Naegiri Week Day 1: Ill

Here we are, Naegiri Week Day 1: Ill. I hope everyone’s ready for a little Post-Hope’s Peak escape fic, in which Makoto is fighting off a case of scurvy, and so Kyoko decides to make the journey to a Future Foundation Safe Haven in hopes of finding food to save him. For this one, I’d definitely issue a warning of some heavier topics of violence and in-depth descriptions of gross stuff, as there’s dealing with illness and dead bodies and all that. 

It’s also way longer than I originally intended to make it. Oops. My other prompts will... probably be shorter, I think. This one was just an idea I got really enthused about! So, I hope you enjoy it!

Also, little tip to the rest of my fellow writers/digital artists participating in Naegiri Week: remember to rest your eyes! I gave myself a migraine yesterday from too many days of bright screens in a row. Be gentle with yourselves! You’ve all done wonderful things so far, and best of luck with the rest of your prompts!

____________

Four days ago, Makoto collapsed. 

Kyoko hadn’t seen it happen at first. Her lavender eyes were far too focused on the path that lay ahead of them. She hadn’t even thought to look back when she heard his body hitting the pavement. Every moment she knew she had to be alert for danger; she had no time to waste on listening for tiny sounds like that. She’d expected it to be nothing. She had to focus on leading the charge. Though throes of illness and hunger threatened to overtake her, she knew she had to press on. She encouraged the same in the others, too, but completely fell apart when Makoto’s quiet gasps brought her attention to him.

Hearing Byakuya shout, she spun around without thinking. Her eyes fell immediately upon the pitiful boy. He was the strongest boy she’d ever known, yet when she laid eyes on him, he was sobbing on the road like a pathetic child. His teeth grinding together in pain. His eyes squeezed shut. Desperately trying to keep himself together.

“What happened?!” Byakuya stepped closer to Makoto, eyes narrowed. He crouched down to his level. “Get up off the ground. Now’s not the time to get all weepy-eyed!” 

Makoto didn’t answer. He didn’t dare lift his face from the asphalt; his brows furrowed in emotion. Sadness, Kyoko wondered? Or maybe he was in pain. Some invisible pain, that the rest of them couldn’t see. She supposed he’d been complaining of sore legs as of late, but that was normal. Everyone had sore legs. Running and hiding during the apocalypse did that to you. They’d been walking in search of help for days; of course their legs felt like they were going to fall off. Even Aoi, who’s leg wound had adopted an infection, refused to complain. For the most part, Makoto had kept quiet, too. 

Yet there he lay, his face so close to the dirty street, crying like a little boy. Something more had to be wrong. He never was much of a crier; she doubted the soreness of his own legs would be enough to send him crashing to the ground.

“We don’t have time for this!” Byakuya huffed, prying at the smaller boy’s body. He grabbed hold of his arm and tugged. Within an instant Makoto screeched out pain, desperately trying to yank his arm out of Byakuya’s grasp.

He continued to sob. “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!”

Byakuya failed to respond to his pleas. He kept tugging like a toddler; one who didn’t know that it hurt the puppy when he pulled its tail. Makoto continued to howl and sob. “Would you be quiet?! You’ll attract cannibals or something! Now isn’t the time for this!”

Kyoko barked out an order without thinking. “Togami, leave him alone.” She walked towards the two of them, each step careful until she crouched down next to Byakuya. “Something is clearly wrong beyond whatever you think it is.”

“He’s fine,” Byakuya protested, “He’s not in any sort of real pain.”

Wrong, Kyoko thought. One look into Makoto’s watery green eyes, and one could see that it wasn’t anything normal. Sure, he’d had the same complaints as the others — fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and loss of appetite… but no one else had been experiencing pain quite like this. If something had become enough to make him cry, she knew they should take it seriously.

“Naegi-kun, what’s the matter?”

His face had painted itself with shame, likely at his tears. He spoke with shaky breaths, almost daring to avoid meeting her eyes.  “Everything… my shoulders, and my forearms… my knees… god, everything hurts so bad… It’s like all my joints are killing me.”

She placed a gentle hand on his head, hoping to be supportive. She had never been all that good at the whole comforting thing, but she still intended to try. 

“I tried to hold up, for awhile, I really did…” He sniffled, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. “But I… I’m sorry, I… I tried so hard to… to… hold up, but I just… This really… really… fucking hurts...” 

The curse caught them by surprise. If Byakuya had needed any more proof that he was in legitimate pain, that word was it. His scowl, however still strong, seemed to soften a bit after he heard the word. His grip on Makoto’s arm lost its firmness as well.

“Shhhhhh…” She patted his head softly, “You’re okay. I know it hurts.” 

He sniffled again, seeming grateful for her comfort. In a way, it brought her solace, knowing that she gave him some peace of mind. Her presence seemed to stabilize his breaths a little. “I’ll… I’ll get up in a few minutes, I s-swear I’ll keep going I just… this really hurts…” 

Wrong again, she thought. Everyone seemed to have a knack for being wrong here. There was no way in hell Makoto would be  walking on his own again. He collapsed; it was a telltale sign that his joints had all given up for the day. He should have known that.

“Nonsense, Naegi-kun.” She shook her head, “Hagakure-kun will carry you.”

His brow creased in worry, and he shot a nervous glance towards Yasuhiro. Ah, she thought, he’s worried about what will be done with Aoi.

“B-But what about Asahina-san? Her leg’s so much worse than mine. She needs someone to lean on.” He stuck his arms out to try and push himself to his feet, only to go tumbling back down against the road. Kyoko prayed he hadn’t scraped his chin. “I-I can get up, if you’ll just give me a…” 

He once again went crashing to the ground, letting out a rather pathetic sob. 

“I c-c-can do it, I-I swear…”

Kyoko shook her head. “Asahina-san can lean on me instead. I just want you to get of here in one piece.”

____________

Patient Name: Naegi Makoto, Ex-member of Class 78-A of Hope’s Peak Academy

Reported Symptoms: Fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fever, and painful joints and muscles.

Diagnosis: Early stage scurvy. Keep an eye out for pinpoint bleeding around hair follicles and skin as time goes on. Immediate consumption of fruit and vegetables will be necessary. 

Kyoko could do little more than sigh as she slammed her notebook shut, her pen unceremoniously tossed to the side. Thinking about all of this stressed her out too much, yet there was little else that dwelled in her mind. Most days she would be thinking about the next opportunity to move, to get food or water, but now… now all of her thoughts were of Makoto, and what she could do to ease his pain. 

If she chose to be honest with herself, there wasn’t much she could do to soothe him. She wasn’t a nurse, nor a nurturing person. She knew little of caring for people with bubbling stomachs and crushing fevers, and she certainly did not know a thing about helping someone with aching joints. Her care methods were standard: feed them, wash them, give them something to drink, make sure they were comfortable. That was all she could do to make his suffering easier. Nothing short of searching for an antidote could ease his sorrows, and she knew there was almost no way she would be able to get by doing that. Not with the others around, at least. They’d throw a fit once they discovered her absence. Not to mention that they might try to track her down; an act that could only further the sense of disaster. If she wanted to do this, she’d have to do it on her own. She’d just… have to find some way to slip out during the night. Maybe leave a note warning them not to come after her, or they will face her wrath when she returns. Yeah, that was a good statement… she knew at least Aoi and Yasuhiro would buy into that one. 

Setting her notebook aside, she sighed. Inky blackness would soon consume the ruby red sky, and she’d get a chance to relax. Well, as much as one could amongst a pile of ailing teenagers. Nights were revered among their group for their solace from pain, but getting to sleep was always the real struggle. Between Yasuhiro’s pneumonia-induced hacking, Toko’s hourly bathroom trips, Aoi’s whimpering, Makoto’s sweat-soaked fever dreams, and the whale calls made by Byakuya’s empty stomach… Sleeping was a challenge. Even if she could manage to block out the sounds of her sick and hungry friends, their environment was hardly comfortable enough to sleep in anyways. Most nights they bounced from place to place, and most of those places were not built for comfort. Some nights they were lucky and got to share a motel room or two; most of the time though, they found themselves curled up on the floors of former retail stores and restaurants. This time around, they found themselves in an abandoned library… another place that, surprisingly, had few places to sleep. 

Of course, that didn’t stop some of her friends. When she looked up from her notebook, almost all of her friends had drifted off already. Toko had nuzzled her face into Byakuya’s shoulder and fallen asleep there, and he’d let her. She assumed he must have been too exhausted himself to push her off. Aoi curled herself up in a corner, trying desperately to maintain warmth against the cold breeze. As for Yasuhiro, well, he’d been dead asleep for hours. Once he could stop coughing, his favourite hobby became sleeping. He was always the most well-rested of the group, unlike Kyoko. And much unlike Makoto lately. 

No surprise there that Makoto was still wide awake.

“How are you feeling?” The words were reflex. She’d asked him the very same question so many times; really any time she’d realized that he was staring off into space again. 

He gave the same answer each and every time, wincing as he shifted. “I’m fine.”

She never believed it. Habitually, he held his tongue for the sake of the others. That was why he’d gone on for so long before collapsing. He sucked it up until he couldn’t anymore. 

“I know that’s not true.”

He let out a small grunt, pulling one of his legs closer to his chest. He exhaled sharply through his nose, slowly turning to look at her. “Of course it’s not true.”

She tried to look sympathetic, but she didn’t know what that looked like facially. Lowered brows in concern, maybe? Jeez, she would have to reprimand her grandfather for making her struggle to express herself. That is, assuming she might ever see him again. “What’s bothering you today?”

His eyes squeezed shut tightly. There was a jarring lack of hesitation in his words, as he turned to her and said, “Kirigiri-san. I’m going to die, aren’t I?”

The question struck fear into her heart like lightning. His words vibrated through her eardrums for only a few seconds, but already she felt ready to shout at him. He was supposed to be the optimist, damn it! How could he scare her with this talk of dying? No way. No, no, no. No way.

“No, you are not.” 

Her voice came out firmer than she intended, like a parent telling their child that their word was final. She imagined her face must have followed suit, an uncontrollable scowl carving its way into her lips. If her predictions were correct, this was also probably one of those times that her eyes had become scarily intense. 

“Really? You think there’s something we can do?”

The lack of hope in his tone almost made Kyoko want to slap some sense into him. But hitting your friends is a mean thing to do, and hitting the boy you kind of sort of think you might have a crush on is… well, it’s a lot worse. 

Nodding was a better choice in this scenario. “Yes, I do.”

To her surprise, Makoto let out a soft chuckle. As his eyes fluttered open, she could start to see the inklings of sadness that hid behind them. Like he had already begun to accept that he faced the beginning of the end. 

“It’s okay,” He said softly, “You don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better.”

“I’m not lying.” Her hands curled into fists. Where had all of his positivity gone? Had this condition replaced it with nothing more than swallowing melancholy? Once upon a time it would have been unthinkable for Makoto to even speak like this, but suddenly now she was taunted by the idea that it could become the norm.  “I fully intend to make sure you do not die.”

“Kirigiri-” He started, but she didn’t let him finish. She cut him off not even a word’s worth in to the sentence; furious at the way he spoke. 

“It’s not up for discussion, Makoto! Whether you think you will or not, I intend to make it so that you survive.”

She gulped. Neither of them had expected her to snap like that. Usually she could be calm and reserved, even in the face of adversity. But something about the suggestion of Makoto’s death hit her differently. Like a knife being jabbed into a wound she didn’t know she had. Without her consent, her eyes had become glassy, and she realized that she felt the push of tears in her throat. Stupid, she thought. It had been so long since she’d last felt the need to cry. It was so easy to choke it down. 

The words hung a long pause in the air between the two of them; both of them afraid to break it for what felt like hours. Kyoko could do nothing but swallow repeatedly and blink rapidly, hoping desperately that he didn’t notice that she wanted to cry. Thankfully, he didn’t, opting instead to pick at the dirt under his fingernails. He lacked the proper works to say… just as she did. 

The act that ended up the vow of silence between them was a soft sigh from Makoto’s end of things. He bit into his lip, shutting his eyes tightly. The face he made when he was reluctantly about to go along with one of her wild schemes to save the day. 

“What do you propose we do?”

_______________________

If a spring breeze even existed anymore, it carried only a bizarre chill and the stench of death.

In the air it carried came the taste of distant smoke; the charred bodies of the dead and the burning brought through the air to these wandering children. Amongst the smell of death and the taste of airy smoke, lived nothing more than darkness and dim patches of light. The only sound being the distant screams of the tortured as they begged for mercy, and the gentle footsteps of the allied moving in synch. Pray for them, these wandering children. They are lost in a world determined to eliminate them. 

A horror novel could not have painted a superior picture to the one that unfolded before Kyoko. All around her threatened destruction and desolation, should she take one wrong step. Just as if she were a character in a book, Kyoko would have to think through every detail of her present situation carefully. There could be no room for error, especially not when she had brought along such fragile cargo.

The decision to bring Makoto with her was a bad one. Sure, she knew there was little she could have done to stop him from joining her, but that didn’t keep her from regretting it. The poor thing stumbled about with all of the grace of a baby deer still learning how to use its legs, and had the endurance of one, too. He could only move in quick spurts, only fast enough to make a little bit of headway before needing to rest. They were nowhere near being close enough to their destination as they should have been thanks to that. 

She didn’t have it in her heart to blame the poor boy, though. He did his best to not be a liability. He was skilled at ignoring his upset stomach and its repeated false alarms for vomiting, and was sweating out his fever like a pro. There were few people she had ever seen manage illness this well, and it impressed her, knowing that he could. She might have even felt proud of him, if she didn’t feel so overwhelmingly awful about having to drag him out into the dirty, disgusting world. 

“H-How much longer until… until we’re… t-there…?” He panted so quietly that it might as well have been a whisper. She could see beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, desperately trying to cool him off. They weren’t managing so well, she noted, for his face flushed rouge. Maybe he would be due for another break soon, she decided. He didn’t look so good. 

She tried not to look too pitying as she glanced back at him. She’d quickly learned that pity only made him feel worse. “Just a little while longer,” She purred in the sweetest voice she could muster, hoping to sound comforting, “We can take a break soon, if you like.”

He shook his head vigorously until pain overtook it. Another product of his fever. “I think I can manage for a little longer.” He promised; she knew it had to be empty. Too much sweat had stained the collar of his t-shirt for him to be okay to keep moving. He would need a break. And water. 

“I disagree.” She took his hand in her own. “Here, let’s duck behind this building. We can stop here for a bit.”

The boy opened his mouth to protest, but Kyoko’s movements were enough to shut him up. At that point, his focus drew towards his aching joints, and how to keep himself from crying out at the movement. Luckily, resting at the library for a few days had given them a new lease on life, and he could move just a tad easier than he could have before. He wasn’t collapsing, nor wailing from indescribable pain. At the very least, that made both of them feel a little bit better about the whole thing. 

Still, even his increased comfort didn’t mean that he didn’t have to focus on keeping his complaints at bay. Every bend of his knee or curve of his forearm warranted a low grunt of pain; one that he silenced in order to keep himself and Kyoko safe. Night was the most dangerous time for them to be travelling, and they both knew how every little sound drew the attention of the nightcrawlers. 

So he kept himself silenced, right up until they reached the building Kyoko proposed they hide behind. Then, with all of the grace of someone who had been nearly drowned, he let his desperate gasps spill out of him. Kyoko stood guard next to him; she seemed adamant that she be able to monitor his breathing. There hadn’t been a break that had gone by that she hadn’t listened to his shallow breaths, waiting for them to progressively become deeper. 

“Do you want some water?” 

Her voice came as a gentle coo, like the way a mother would speak to her ailing child. She didn’t bother to listen to his response; she reached into her bag to grab hold of the bottle anyway. They both knew he’d be taking a drink no matter what he said. 

She handed the bottle to him carefully, taking note of the water level. Enough for him to have a mouthful, but not for her. That was fine. If where they were going was as perfect as it was rumoured to be, she would have no problem getting more. Perhaps she could even snag some bottles to take back with her, to hydrate the others. God knows how long it had been since they had some real, fresh water. 

Makoto accepted the bottle gratefully. His hands shook as he unscrewed the lid, but Kyoko tried not to notice. It was probably just hunger tremors, she thought to herself. She knew she had them too. She couldn’t help but fantasize about putting an end to those soon, too, just as she did with the water. All she could think about, apart from getting there alive, was providing what she knew everyone needed. 

What Makoto needed most of all. Of course she thought of the others, but Makoto’s need was potentially the most pressing. Realistically, Toko would survive as long as she stayed hydrated, and the same went for Aoi so long as she washed the wound. Given that he was neither a small child or elderly, she fully expected Yasuhiro to make a full recovery. And once again, assuming that Byakuya would eat and drink, he’d be fine too. Makoto was really the only one of her friends who could die on the spot from something dramatic like a heart attack. So getting the right kind of food into him sat at the top of her priority list. 

“Do you want some, Kirigiri-san?”

Leave it to Makoto to snap her back into her thoughts by offering her water. There had barely been enough in there for him to have a mouthful, yet he’d still halved it to make sure she could drink. Stupidly selfless Makoto; she wanted to scold him for that. She knew that he knew that he needed the water more, and the idiot had still halved it. She shook her head frustratedly. 

“Are you sure?” He prodded, raising an eyebrow at her. He waved the water bottle at her temptingly, but she raised a hand in refusal. He knew better than to keep bothering after that, so he let it go and took one last swig for himself.

“Just drink it,” She sighed, “If I’m to believe the rumours about where we’re going, then I should be able to get more.”

The luckster blinked it surprise, and pulled the water bottle back close to his body. The expression of excitement on his face over having more water was cute enough to make her laugh, albeit rather lightly. The fact that he now seemed almost territorial over his water only made it harder to avoid giggling more loudly. 

“You think this place will have water and fresh produce?” His eyes were wide, glimmering with the hope she worried he had lost to his illness. She could have cried at the sight of faith finally returning to his gaze. It had only been four days since he fell apart, but already she was grateful to have it back. It had been too long. Just seeing that brought a smile to her face.

“It’s supposed to. Apparently, there is an anti-apocalypse group spreading resources to survivors. I believe they call themselves Future Foundation, or something cheesy like that.”

It became his turn to smile. “It’s nice to know that there’s still some people out there trying to do good.” 

She nodded in agreement, unable to fight herself on looking pleased. Really, she was with him on that. Knowing that someone else was out there, fighting for the future… it brought her great happiness. She could only hope that she would live long enough to put it to good use. 

Makoto screwed the lid back onto the water bottle and handed it back to her. She took it gratefully, proceeding to offer him her hand. He became a little more stable when he had the help. A sigh of relief expelled itself from her mouth when he accepted her hand, and pulled him up from the spot where he sunk originally. Now that he was so close to her face again, the drops of sweat and the flushing of his face became even more apparent. She chose not to weigh her options about what to do; she simply pried her glove off her hand and placed it on his forehead to feel his temperature. Warmer, she noted, but not as bad as it could get. If guessing was involved, he probably hadn’t hit one-hundred degrees yet. In the seventies or eighties, should she be tasked with giving an exact number. 

Still, this wasn’t something Makoto could possibly know. Concern for his own well-being gleamed in his tired eyes, and only showed further in the way his brows lowered over them. Perhaps it was over what she could report, or maybe the fact that she stood so close, but his lip took some abuse as well. It had become like the victims of the Tragedy: cannibalized. He was biting the skin off it again and again in agonizing anticipation. Like he thought Kyoko could just decree that he had two minutes left to live. 

She sighed. “Well, you certainly have not got any better,” She withdrew her hand from his forehead and slipped it back into its glove, “But you also haven’t gotten any worse. Which, I would say, is a rather good thing.”

Like a wave crashing to the shore, all of the concern in Makoto’s expression washed away. As a small smile snuck across his face, she heard him laugh. “Yeah,” He paused, turning his head to look at the path that lay ahead, “Should we be going again, then?”

“If you’re ready.”

From that point forward, they would take a few more breaks. Understandable, considering that Makoto hadn’t done such a good job holding out for long periods of time. So far they had managed to narrowly dodge the nightcrawlers, ducking through alleyways and silencing themselves every time they heard the familiar footsteps of the hungry. When they came near, neither of them dared to make a sound. They only waited; they barely found the strength to breathe. Only once the loud, stomping feet trailed off, did the two teenagers continue on, feeling a little more like they were going to throw up the dinner that wasn’t in their stomachs. But it was fine, for they were almost there. 

That’s what Kyoko told herself, anyway. It distracted her from the fact that they seemed to be stopping more and more often because of them. It seemed as if her finger would fly to her lips every two minutes. She’d be desperately silencing the whispers, footsteps, and breaths she dared to take — otherwise, she couldn’t guarantee their survival. Then, once the shouting of the cannibals had passed, they’d keep stumbling along. In the back of her mind, though, the thoughts of them would linger. How hungry did they have to be to eat other human beings? And how certain could she be of this Future Foundation safe haven if the nightcrawlers still rallied for flesh? 

She gulped at the thought. For a second, she considered asking Makoto, but dismissed the idea just as fast. The poor thing already fought off nausea as he walked; striking up a conversation about some good ol’ cannibalism wouldn’t help that case. She had a memory of him vomiting the first time he’d seen one of the bodies they’d eaten. How could human beings ever stoop so low? Could they really stoop so low?

Kyoko shuddered at the life she’d lead if she were more desperate. Though hunger ached in her belly and sent dizziness spiraling through her head, she couldn’t fathom killing and eating another person. And she knew Makoto and the others couldn’t either. And while this did put them on the moral high ground, it also put them into the position of victim. If they weren’t careful, they could be next. 

It was better not to think about it. The consumption of others, the chance that the promise of food and water was empty, and her stomach’s endless growling. It was better to focus on her partner. What he felt, what he thought, what he needed in the moment. It was strange; in spite of not being a nurturing person, she sort of took to caring for him. It took her mind off of the other things she decided to avoid thinking about. Interesting. She couldn’t keep herself from wondering if maybe, just maybe, he worried about her in the same way. 

“How much further now?” He whispered over her shoulder; his voice wrought with exhaustion. Though she told him to stop many times, he had taken to refusing the closer they got. She could hear his breathlessness as they stumbled through the night, but it was never enough to slow him. 

Their eyes didn’t meet as she guided him forward; she simply mumbled her response to him. “Soon,” She told him, “We’ll be there.” 

He let out a low hum, pulling himself back from her side ever so slightly. There was weight on his feet when he walked; she could hear it, but he said nothing. He simply kept pushing along, one foot in front of the other, beads of sweat still dripping down his forehead mercilessly. 

At least with them having not heard the footsteps of the nightcrawlers recently, Kyoko could take the opportunity to chat. “How’s your stomach?”

As if to answer her, a loud grumble sounded from presumably, within his stomach. She hid her smile behind her hand, and he blushed.

“A little rumbly, but… okay, I guess.” 

She nodded thoughtfully. “I am sorry to hear that… but we will fix it soon. I promise you that.”

He laughed softly. “I’m not worried,” He placed a hand on her shoulder, “I know I’ll be fine, so long as you’re with me.” 

One might have thought Kyoko would answer, but the words caught in her throat. Her mind raced so quickly that she could barely think of a thing to say. Stupid Makoto, she thought to herself, stupid Makoto and his cute face and his sweet sentences. This boy will make a joke out of me one day, I swear. Only the flustering of her face could show how that made her feel, her gaze darting away from him. He probably wouldn’t look at her deeply, yet she didn’t want him to see how much those words meant. It would only make the blow worse if the rumours turned out to be wrong. 

Her lips sealed themselves after that. The two of them still kept a close eye on each other, but there was almost nothing else that needed to be said. The closest they got was Makoto slipping his hand into hers; it felt as if it was his way of begging to be close. Taking one look at the war-torn, exhausted boy who trudged beside her, she couldn’t help but accept it. An old friend’s words echoed in her mind.

Have you ever held hands with a boy? 

It was hard to know whether she wanted to scowl or laugh. She had held his hands before; it wasn’t the first time. But at the very least, this time felt a little different. Perhaps it was because as they took each careful step towards the unknown, it felt like it was the two of them against the world. 

They made good progress after their last conversation, for there were no more interruptions. Creepy, Kyoko thought, that enemies could just seem to disappear as they drew closer. A little too suspicious, if you asked her. Not that she should really be asked; she was a detective after all. As far as she was concerned, anything could be suspicious. Still, she attempted to shrug it off… for Makoto’s sake. The last thing he needed while in his condition was the paranoid ramblings of a girl without evidence.

Besides, his presence became a good distraction from her paranoia. All she had to worry about was pushing him forward, towards the proclaimed Future Foundation safe haven building. The structure had finally spread itself out in front of them; the whole thing appearing suspiciously normal amongst the chaos. If the expectation for Kyoko was honesty, she would have confessed that she presumed that everything would look… rougher. Maybe some scorch marks along the bricks from fires long since put out, or perhaps some blood stains turned brown from age. Certainly, if these Future Foundation people were bright at all, they should consider that their weirdly clean-looking building stood out like a sore thumb. Just an old warehouse building, complete with dusted red brick and white moldings around the doors and windows. Not even the window glass shattered or shared any cracks with the outside world. The window was simply tinted with natural colour, and dust that had been kicked up from storms. In the old world, this could have been any old abandoned warehouse. Only now, it was the hiding spot of secret resources.

The appearance of it was so obvious that Makoto’s face lit up upon sight. Just seeing his expression was like watching a human Christmas tree. His exhausted eyes lit up with glee, and he clung tightly to her arm. Delight dripped through his voice as he spoke to her, and he gestured towards the building with a bouncy, shaking hand. “Is that it, Kyoko?” He asked, “Is that the building?”

She nodded, fighting off the grin that threatened to make its appearance. “Yes,” Closing one of her eyes, she pointed forward, “That’s the one.”

Those olive green eyes of his sparkled back at her, and he pressed his face into her arm. A sigh sounded as he nuzzled her, and for a minute, she might’ve imagined them some place else. But the old warehouse was no sunset-lit beach, nor star-clad night. It was just an old warehouse, full of little more than promise. Promise was promise, though. If it meant his survival, Kyoko might consider it the most beautiful thing of all. 

With that idea resting in her mind, she pressed him to move forward. One step after the other, the same rhythm as always. Every once in awhile she stopped to flick her head around corners; a necessary evil to ensure that no nightcrawlers could spring a trap on them. Makoto followed along behind her carefully; a willful puppy trailing after his caretaker. As they drew closer and closer to the clearing that housed the warehouse, Kyoko knew making a break for it was necessary. When she glanced at her walking partner, it took her all of three seconds to know he saw it too. 

She took a deep breath, and squeezed his hand tightly. Counting back from ten in her head, she braced herself. One, two, three. Even with her gloves on, she could feel the sweat on Makoto’s pams. Four, five, six. The warehouse beckoned them in an inaudible voice. Seven, eight, nine. Stacks of fresh produce and water. They had to be in there. 

Ten. 

Kyoko stole a breath and ran. 

The world went by her in a rush; the sounds of their thundering footsteps as they ran consuming everything else around her. Amongst the chaos of their feet, the only other thing she could hear was the shallow panting of Makoto, who was clearly overexerting himself to arrive safely. She’d be sure to praise him for his perseverance later; most likely after she rewarded him with some well-deserved water and food. For now, though, she zeroed in on the front door. It stood there waiting; a wooden beacon in the distance. It drew closer and closer as their feet hit the pavement, the smell of death and the taste of the smoky air drowned out by what lay behind it.

Almost there. The thought echoed in her mind as she grabbed hold of the door’s handle. Behind her, Makoto attempted to skid to a stop, clearly just as lost as she was in the motions of the run. In the distance she heard the voices of the hungry, and she prayed that the famine of her and her friends hadn’t put them in the nightcrawlers’ sights. She yanked the door back with fervour, shoving Makoto inside before promptly slamming the door behind her. 

She slumped against the door the moment she arrived, and her lungs screamed for air. The world seemed to sway under her feet as she stared down at them, trying desperately to steady herself. She had exerted the energy she lacked when she ran, and she knew her partner must have too. The mere idea of moving only made her head spiral further, but she knew she had to check on him. She ignored her brain’s desperation for the world to slow. Instead, she turned her head towards Makoto.

Just one look at him, and her heart dropped into her stomach. 

He was… horrified. His hands had flown to his mouth to cover it, for otherwise it’d be hanging agape. His sleepy eyes were now wide with shock, and his brows so harshly furrowed together that she’d have thought he witnessed the product of a nightmare come to life. She could even see tremors start to consume his body once again.

“Naegi-kun?” She squeaked, her voice small and insignificant against the echoing terror of the warehouse. “What’s wrong?”

The boy refused her gaze. He only extended a hand, and trembling, he pointed forward. 

His horror struck her just the same when her eyes fell upon it. 

Bodies littered the building. Bodies of Future Foundation members, bodies of the despairs, the nightcrawlers, and the desperate. Everywhere was the sight of bodies, bloody and beaten beyond recognition. Shelves knocked over; the contents spilling over into pools of blood, excrement, and urine. Those that didn’t fall from the shelves onto the fluid-soaked floor had been otherwise tampered with. Some had been ripped open and left to spoil, so that no one might have what lay inside them. Others were completely destroyed, or used for horrible things Kyoko couldn’t bring herself to process. Her head spun even faster, and she was half-sure she’d have toppled over, if it weren’t for Makoto who grabbed her arm. 

Thank god for his willingness to support her weight.

“I…” She sputtered, shutting her eyes. A harsh, sudden headache pounded at her temples, and when she tried to breathe,  the air scorched her throat. “I don’t understand.” 

Her feet swayed beneath her even further, threatening to bring her down. It was only Makoto who kept her steady; his voice hushed as he whispered in her ear. 

“Stay with me, Kirigiri-san.” He begged. Through the booming of her heart in her ears, the shaking of his voice made itself audible. “Everything is fine.”

She tried to swallow, but it felt like a rock lodged itself in her throat. Her senses threatened her with tears, but she willed herself not to cry. Crying doesn’t solve anything. Her grandfather’s words. Words she wished to resist. “No,” She murmured, “Everything is not fine.” 

“I know,” he whispered back, “It’s horrible, I know.”

She nodded. “This place was supposed to… help people. I… I cannot understand why anyone would… would…” 

The detective’s voice trailed off. Her whimpers were the only thing ringing through the silence of the old warehouse. This only seemed to torture her further; Makoto couldn’t help but remark on how she trembled in his arms. The act was so uncharacteristic of her. It sent a jolt of worry to his core. 

“Naegi-kun, what are we going to do?” She turned her head to look at him; the first time Makoto had actually seen the fear in her violet eyes. “The water… Aoi, and Byakuya, and the others… and you! You needed this place! You needed it so badly, and I was certain… I was certain that I…”

He pulled her face towards his chest, shushing as gently as he could. He found himself stroking her hair without thinking to do so; he supposed he thought the action would be soothing. Fortunately for him, she failed to oppose it. Rather, she actually buried her face deeper into his chest to hide. 

“It’s okay, Kirigiri-san.” 

“B-But, I…” 

The girl’s hands curled into fists, and he could feel the clench of her jaw. Was she about to cry, or was she about to punch him? The lack of answer made him uneasy. Kyoko looked like the kind of girl who could punch hard, should she want to punch you.

“... I was supposed to help you. We were supposed to get out of this together. I… I don’t understand why I cannot help you. I don’t understand what I’ve done poorly.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s nothing you could have done, and no way you could have known. We just… need to go somewhere else now.” 

She pressed her face further into his chest, and suddenly, he could feel it. The tiny, wet spots of her tears on his shirt. She wouldn’t show it, but he could feel it. For her sake, he decided not to mention it. Chances are she was already embarrassed enough to be crying, given her stoicism. He decided perhaps it was best if he just let the waterworks slide this time around. 

“No.” She answered with a shaking breath. Though he could hear her sniffling, she dismissed any semblance of a sob. “No, I’m not leaving here until we find something to help you.” 

“Kirigiri-san-”

“No!” She growled with all of the stubbornness of a toddler. It might have even been punctuated with a stomp of her foot. “No, I am not leaving her until we fix things!” 

“Kyoko, we can’t…”

Suddenly, she shoved him away, staring at him with a frown. The tears were still glistening on her face, yet she scorned them. It dawned on him now that he probably led her to want to punch him, shortly after she started to cry. Two for two, he supposed. 

“It’s final, Makoto.” A firm, resolute voice took place of the shaky girl’s. She swiped at her eyes, and strengthened the painted-on scowl she wore. “I intend to help you. Whether you try to help yourself or not.” 

The words struck him dumb. He tried to reach his hand out to her, to say something that would be of value, but the detective was having none of it. Within seconds, she had whipped away from him, strutting down the rows of shelves like it was nothing. A chill shot down his spine at the sight of it. How could she be so firm in her resolve, he wondered. Even he, who had been widely praised by others for being so hopeful, was breaking down at each and every site where things fell apart. He had long since given up on himself, yet Kyoko dismissed all ideas of ever letting go. Somewhere within himself, Makoto knew he had to find that same resolve to keep going. To search for anything with her, so that they may both survive. 

Because she said she wanted them to leave this situation together.

“Kyoko, wait.” He called out to her, stumbling forward as she walked. “I’ll help you.”

Within an instant, the discontentment melted off the girl’s face, and she turned to glance back at him. She sniffled once more, folding her arms across his chest. There were no words shared between them, but Kyoko flicked her head forward. With her, that was as good a signal as any to follow. So he did, stepping over any ominous looking puddles he found along the way. If there was any hope to be found for him, it would be with her. 

“I’m thinking we should head towards the back of the building,” He suggested, taking hold of her hand again, “Some of the stuff back there might be spared. They could even have a produce fridge. You know, like where they mist the vegetables at the grocery store.”

Kyoko did little more than nod, walking towards the back of the store like she didn’t have a care in the world. With the way her chest was so proudly puffed up, you wouldn’t have expected her to have been crying a minute before. He figured it was safe to assume that was why she was doing it — she always held distaste for crying in front of others. It was sort of understandable, he reasoned. But he didn’t mind comforting her, if she needed to cry. Heaven knew that by then, she’d comforted him enough times. 

The two made their way to the back of the building in relative silence, save for the sound of their footsteps on the tiled floor of the warehouse. As they walked, both of them thought it best to avoid making contact with the corpses as they walked. Seeing the beaten faces, some of them frozen in screams of agony or despair, it made the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on end. Could they meet the same fate, if they weren’t careful? Could it just as easily have been them? Would whoever did this come back? 

They both shook those nightmarish fantasies from their heads; both too afraid to know the answers to those questions. Instead, they put their focus onto the produce shelf, and what they might find on it. 

“For you, there are a few things that we could use.” Kyoko told him, her voice hushed. Whether she spoke so quietly because she feared the return of the killers or showing how emotional she’d been, he didn’t know. “Acerola cherries, for example, make an excellent source. Kiwis, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli, kale, and oranges are also acceptable sources.”

Makoto tried to keep those in mind as they travelled through the warehouse. The further back they went, the more he scanned for them. On occasion they would think they’d hit the jackpot, finding a lone strawberry or rogue kiwi on the floor. However, once they picked it up, they would discover the flaws. The most common was mold, but other regrettable occurrences did include a kiwi that had several bites taken out of it already; and a bell pepper coated in blood on one side. At that point, there was no other choice but to toss it aside and keep looking. Thinking optimistically, at least that provided them with just a smidge of hope. It did help significantly, seeing how the ideal fruits and vegetables did manage to trail to the back. Kyoko took that as a good sign. 

Well, as good as a sign it could be, in an abandoned warehouse full of death. Sure, the stench of it all failed to recede as they ventured further, and the air still burned her throat, and Makoto was still sweating like a pig because of his fever… But in some weird way, she still held out hope that everything would be okay. Some way, somehow, it would be okay. It had to be. 

And it seemed like it might, as they came up on the end of the island they had been walking through. 

“Oh my god,” Makoto exclaimed, pointing forward. “Kirigiri-san, look!”

Her focus darted around, trying to figure out what he was referring to. Had a nightcrawler made its way in? Was there a resource they could benefit from? She scoured the shelves and the floors, taking in as much information as she could, until finally… she saw it. A round ball of fiery orange, sitting plainly on the ground. Away from any corpses, with skin untorn and full of natural colour. 

A healthy, safe orange. 

She’s certain that the two of them must have lunged for it; they attacked the fruit like children eager to open a Christmas present. Within mere seconds, Kyoko had ripped the glove off her hand and created an incision in the skin with her nails, tearing it off the fruit with a strange sort of glee. 

Makoto sat across from her on his knees; eyeing the fruit like it were a piece of gold. She supposed she couldn’t blame him, for she basically held the remedy to all of his struggle. If she were in his shoes, she felt certain she would have acted the same way too. In her hands, she held the key to fixing everything — no more fever, no more upset stomach, no more fatigue, no more aching joints. She wouldn’t have to hear him cry so horribly ever again, ever see him such deep pain. She supposed she yearned just as hard for the relief of it as he. So when she finally managed to tear the skin off, she shoved the fruit into his hands. 

“Go on, Naegi-kun.” She urged, “Eat it.”

For a second, he did nothing but stare at it. Surely he wasn’t having second thoughts about wanting to live or something, was he? Kyoko might have smacked him right then and there if he was, no matter how mean she knew it was to do… but, fortunately, that didn’t appear to be the case. Instead, when he came to his senses a little more, he tore the fruit in half and placed the other piece in Kyoko’s hands. 

Her stomach growled in delight at the sight. “What are you doing?” 

No, no, no, no. This was not her fruit. She couldn’t eat this. Not when he needed the nutrients more. Nearly as soon as it was in her hands, she rushed to return it to him — but Makoto dismissed it. Before she could even get within a few inches of him, he pushed her hand back to her. 

“Please.” A slight smile crossed his face as he pushed her hand back. “I know you’re hungry, too.”

She bore down on her lip absent-mindedly. How did he expect her to accept this? “Naegi-kun, I can’t…”

“Yes, you can.” His grin brightened, and his hand secured itself around her own. “You’ve tried so hard to keep up my hope. Let’s try to keep up yours, too.”

Don’t accept it, she shouted at herself. He needs this more than you do. You know that. 

She did know that. She did know that, yet when she looked at him, there was little she could do to resist his begging. That soft smile, those affectionate green eyes, damn you, Makoto Naegi. She fixed her eyes on him carefully, and raised the orange to her mouth.

“That’s it,” He said, raising his piece to his own, “On the count of three, alright?”

She nodded, eyeing the fruit in front of her. God, she hadn’t realized how much she missed oranges until this very moment. The scent of the citrusy fruit almost made her feel like she might start to drool.

“One… two… three.”

Bite.

A rush of flavour flooded her mouth, staining her tongue with its sweetness. She groaned in delight, having long since forgotten how wonderful oranges were. Across from her, she could gather Makoto was having the same experience… although the juices from the fruit were dripping down his lips and chin. She chuckled slightly, liking the mildly embarrassed expression on his face.

“This is… really good.” He remarked, wiping his chin with the back of his wrist. 

She giggled at the act. “It truly is…”

“Mmm… Kirigiri-san?”

Taking another quick bite of her orange, she glanced back over at him expectantly.

“Yes?”

He licked his orange-juice coated lips, and flashed her another smile. A real one, with teeth and that signature cheerfulness she had grown to miss amongst his illness. Her chest warmed at the sight, and increased its warmth when he finally spoke. 

“Thank you.”

[ookaythensoo]

i finished playing twd so of COURSE i had to do a dr zombie apocalypse au because my favourite things must be combined> feat. the smug cat meme, strongest lesbian, the one everyone will die for, refuses to not be classy even in the apocalypse and ‘going softer’

i do ship tomaru and naegami and naegiri so just make those assumptions

[hopeymchope]

Why do you ship Naegiri? I personally find it a friendship, not a romantic ship.

In truth, it’s easy for me to fall for a canonically pushed ship if the emotions hit me right. This one… it hit me perfectly as we watched it all slowly develop.

Danganronpa likes to make sure all of its ships are have at least a little plausible deniability for fans to play with - there’s literally only ONE 100% canon ship in the whole series to date (Ruruka/Izayoi). But I feel Naegiri is about as close as you can get to being canon without 100% making it happen. In fact, I’d even argue the feelings are confirmed by now in both directions - it’s only the follow-through that isn’t.

Over the course of DR1, a rough first impression grows to become an uneasy alliance and then a friendship… which hits two major rough patches along the way, but which they always come back stronger from afterwards. When the story is over, the bond is undeniably a close one. The implication of something else is present, but it’s open to some interpretation.

But we’re already getting hints of that sweet, sweet “slow-burn Friends-to-Lovers” trope I love. So naturally, I’m already starting to get interested.

One of the final panels of the official manga adaption.

If you do all of Kirigiri’s Free Time Events in DR1, the feelings are far more obvious/blatant coming from Kyoko’s direction in her last couple of FTEs.

More than a veiled reference to her already considering him a potential husband, this FTE is also important when we come back in Danganronpa 3.

When we check back in Danganronpa 3, I think it’s also where we lose the pretense of them being entirely platonic.

The opening of Future Arc makes it clear that the connection between these two is going to be important, as we see them reaching for each other and ultimately see their eyes mirror one another during the final edits. Yet for most of the story, you could easily argue that they’re close friends.

Then, in episode 9, Kirigiri, gives her speech to Mitarai:

“He’s the strongest human being I’ve ever known. He’s optimistic, he always puts his friends first…. and he never gives up. I admire the man, and I believe in him… with all of my heart.”

Okay, so she admires him. That’s nice, but it’s not definitive, right?

But then, of course, he loses faith in himself. He starts to think Munakata is right about him. And… she takes her gloves off.

She looks him in the eye sand tells him how much his words and inspiration have meant to her. She holds his hand in her bare hand. And given what we know about the value of even taking her gloves off AT ALL around ANYONE, that action - followed by that physical contact?  That is huge.

I went through all of the FTEs in the first two games. I knew well what this meant, and my heart fucking melted right here. I was ALL IN by now.

And of course, this episode ends with all of us, including Naegi, learning that she made the opposite decision of what she did in Chapter 5 of DR1. She’s faced once again with saving herself or saving Naegi, and given the chance to do it over, she sacrifices her own life for his without telling anyone that it’s coming. When she knows she’s about to die, the only indication is that she goes to Makoto and tells him to never give up on hope, and that “I will always be by your side.” 

God damn.

But what about Makoto? How does he feel about her?

Well, as he promptly says following her “death”…

And his devastation at losing her just wrecks me. It’s a level of grief we never see for any other character he knows in the series. I even love (in a gut-punch kinda way) how he tries to be strong for Hina and Ryota for a bit… only to leave, take a couple steps down the hall and lose it. It’s perfect.

Then, when he talks to Munakata? The way he talks about how any price would’ve been worth the fact that he got to know her. I mean… JEEBUS.

And of course, this same conversation includes the final nail that drove the point home:

He doesn’t deny it, obviously. And it’s telling how the depth of his care for Kirigiri was obvious even to Munakata.

My heart just melted and broke for them. Of course I wish we saw the exact moment when they reunited, but… that final coda on the “Hope Arc” basically healed my soul.

So um, that’s the long pitch for Naegiri. :) Sorry. Obviously, you never see them kiss or anything, but god, they obviously mean so very much to each other, and the steps they each take to show that? I think it crosses well into “Yeah, you can’t ignore that.”

And that’s all without getting into supplemental official materials like the Anthology comics about the ship or the cover of the DR3 Staff Book…

What can I say? They got me in every possible way. It’s my OTP.

[rubixkun]

Brutally honest Naegiri

Time for Brutally Honest Naegiri let’s go.

It baffles me to no end that there are people out there that HATE this ship. I understand people not being into it for whatever reason, but just loathe Naegiri to the point where, I dunno, they barge into everyone’s inboxes and say how they’re wrong for shipping Naegiri, or to the non-shippers, their opinion on why Naegiri is so awful, which, spoiler alert, it’s an amazing ship.

I think what’s great is in the beginning of Danganronpa, the two barely interact, because Kyoko doesn’t want to be close with anyone. She doesn’t want friends, and she doesn’t want to trust anyone. She’s been burned (literally) before by trusting someone. With 14 “strangers” she’s been forced to live with, her defensive walls are up. They’re even higher when the killing game begins.

But she has a kind heart, otherwise she wouldn’t have gone to Makoto after the first trial and said that Sayaka wrote Leon’s name to protect Makoto. 

Then you see as the game progresses how much Makoto yearns for Kyoko to trust him, and to open up. He wants everybody to be friends in hopes the killing stops and that the mystery will be solved. Against Kyoko’s better judgement, she trusts Makoto. This doesn’t happen until Chapter 4. 

Then Chapter 5, we have Kyoko, who only thought about defending herself, throws Makoto to the wolves, only to REGRET it. She could have let him die in the garbage, but she went to save him. Just think of how guilty she would have felt if Makoto actually died. 

Also remember how Kyoko is the one that gives him his SHSL Hope title? 

Then we have the fact that they work together in the Future Foundation for years. Their friendship and trust builds stronger and stronger and you can’t argue with me that Makoto at the very least develops feelings for Kyoko. 

Then the fact that in DR3, Kyoko literally does everything in her power to save Makoto’s life. Think of how this parallels herself in DR1. Kyoko was solving the mystery behind the FF killing game, she knew that if Makoto died, she could live and solve the mystery. But she didn’t. She willingly chose her own live to save Makoto. But that wasn’t enough of course, I mean she looked at death in the eye and said “Not today” and took the Cure W. She also left her notes for Makoto and Aoi to see. That’s a HUGE amount of trust that Kyoko has if she’ll let people look at her notes.

And do I even need to explain the fact that Kyoko holds Makoto’s hand with her glove off? We know she only takes her gloves off for family. Makoto was so distraught about the killing game, that Kyoko reassured him that everything would be okay by reminding him just how much she cares for him. She could have kept her glove on and held his hand, but no. The glove is off. 

Naegiri is all about how the trust between two people can blossom into something more, and amazing. These two have been through so much and the result is them trusting and loving one another. I think these two have the strongest love in the series (don’t count me on V3 I only know chapter 1). Their love is something admirable. 

If I had to say something negative, it’s that I wanted to see Makoto hug Kyoko during Side: Hope.

So that is why I love Naegiri so much.