Those who said hope was the first step on the road to despair could not be more correct. Without a sense of belief that things would get better, that all the imbalance would be righted and all the wrongs expunged from this world, there would be no feeling of loss, betrayal, disappointment and anger that followed when such thing never came true.
And indeed, they never did.
When Junko Enoshima launched her campaign to eradicate world's civilisation from existence, the state of the society could not have been sorrier. The economy was in free fall and discrimination and terrorism were more prominent than ever. Like a camel already overloaded, it only took a butterfly to land on the cargo to break the beast of burden's back. In this case, the butterfly that finally killed the camel was a video.
The video started with two persons, a boy and a girl in their late teen, in each other's embrace like a couple of lovers from a fairy tale. The boy wore a black suit and sported a ridiculously long black hair that looked as if an octopus was attached to the back of his head. The girl was dressed in brown jacket and skirt and her hair the colour light pink. She was dead. If her pale, lifeless complexion was not enough as an indicator, the copious amount of blood oozing from the various wounds that ravaged her pretty body gave away the fact.
The two of them together was like a devil in hell welcoming a fallen angel, one he had desired for so long, only to realise it was too late and the angel had chosen eternal death instead of damnation.
The music started. Classical. Romantic. And the dance began.
The boy's motions were impeccable. His body moved with such fluidity and precision that would have put to shame even the Tsar and Queen of old Russia. The dead girl was little more than a puppet on strings, and yet, under the meticulous control of the boy, displayed an uncanny level of liveliness as though her spirit still dwelled in her mortal core. Every move, every twist and spins, ever step to and fro, were executed to the point of perfection where one might doubt if this were even real and no CGI were involved in the making.
As the dance went on, the girl's body grew frailer as her life fluid flowed out until she seemed to have lost all weight and no more heavy than a pillow. The music grew louder and faster. A crescendo descended, and the two dancers' pace increased accordingly. Blood spilt in ample volume, painting crimson circles on the floor, tainting the boy's shirt. The colour tone of the video as a whole also changed, from red to green to yellow to grey to blue to red to purple until there was no point discerning any pattern.
Then, abruptly, the music stopped. The girl, with not a single droplet of blood in her body, was laid to the ground gently by the boy. Two streams of tears flowed from his red eyes, but it was impossible to tell he was saddened by the girl's death, for his expression was as stiff as a board. The boy placed a kiss on the dead girl's lips, and the video ended.
The video was first broadcast in the Red Square of Moscow. Immediately, the area lived up to its name as many of the audience, in a fit of unexplained rage, tore at not only those that remained sane but also each other with hands and teeth and whatever weapon they could find. Some committed suicide on the spot, giggling madly as they ripped at their throat with their own naked fingers. There was no reasoning, no motivation, no humanity for any of their actions - the did them for the sake of it. This event cumulated into the cruellest bloodbath the country had suffered since the end of the Second World War.
After Moscow, the video went viral. London, Tokyo, Berlin, New York, Beijing. Every time it was shown, the result was similar: total and utter chaos. Everybody killing everybody out of despair. Soon enough, society collapsed and Junko Enoshima's plan came to fruition.
Yet, even she discounted the fact there could be others as evil as she was, and how such villainy would be used against her. When the video finally reached Stryker's Island Prison where the lowest and most dangerous of what the human race could offer were held, a plan was set in motion by one of its inmates.
A plan for revenge.
Hello there, Danganronpa fans. I have been a fan of the franchise for a while now, but this is my first time writing a story in this website. I really like the franchise for its cheesiness in presentation with ridiculous character designs without making the sad and terrifying moments losing their weight. The whole thing about hope versus despair is also pretty interesting, which is also the theme I have chose for this story.
My reasoning for writing this one is similar to why I wrote a human x Eldar romantic story for Warhammer 40k: there are many fanfics out there using the same concept, but they are not well-executed enough and the writers mostly abandon the story halfway. I know for a fact that there are many Danganronpa SYOC stories active, unlike Warhammer 40k romance which is pretty much dead aside from 2 stories, so that is good news. Nevertheless, I am here with the promise to make something that I hope will see the end. If you do not trust me yet, I have written quite a few stories for this website, so you can have a go at some of them to have an idea of what I have to offer you with this one.
Alright then, without further delay, let's get to it.
_Important notes_
The base topic is hope versus despair, as I have stated. It is not because I find this more compelling than truth versus lie, but the hilarious philosophies that I can think up out of it.
The story and characters will be as cheesy as ever, similar to the games and anime. However, there will be a level of realism in it and the tone will be somewhat darker, as you can see in the prologue. Don't worry because I can assure you there will be a lot of laughs along the way as well.
All characters have equal chances of being the victim, murderer, survivor, mastermind, traitor or survivor, regardless of what background or personality you gave me. When entering this, be ready to see your OC getting killed in one way or another. I am sorry, there is no bypassing this.
The story contains strong language and violence. Beware.
Pay attention to what is required. Distinguish between "briefly state" and "elaborate". Redundant or inadequate information will both result in your character appearing in the story strikingly different from what you imagine. Submitting a very detailed character DOES NOT mean you stand a better chance of getting admitted.
Formatting is very similar to Danganronpa: Imprisoned in Despair's Walls by Daichi Yamazaki. If you are reading this, then give yourself a pat on the shoulder, because you did a great job. There will be free time segments and the trials will be in script format.
_General rules_
Rule 1: No Mary Sue or Gary Stu. Only my character is allowed to be one, just kidding.
Rule 2: All submissions must be through PMs. Submission through reviews will not be accepted.
Rule 3: The basis is first come first served for the first 8 characters, as I wish to get the despair train running as quickly as possible. However, bear in mind that only characters that I can work with will be taken in, so do not rush. If I accept your character, you will be given a confirmation message. As soon as I have enough characters to introduce in the next chapter, I will start writing it.
Rule 4: Be nice to each other. I have had people arguing with each other and me over my story. Fantards will NOT be tolerated. If there is a disagreement, let us solve it in a civilised manner. I am willing to rewrite parts of the chapter after its release if the issues presented are correct and material. Since this is an SYOC story, readers should be allowed to influence to a certain extent how the story goes. Use this right appropriately.
Rule 5: Each person can submit up to 2 characters. There will be 16 slots available for 8 male and 8 females. Since one of the male characters is taken by me, there are 7 left. When submitting 2 characters, make sure they are unrelated, as only one will be chosen immediately at max and the other left for further consideration. Twins sharing the same talent will count as ONE slot.
Rule 6: If your character is not accepted into the final roster, DO NOT lose hope. While not part of the main cast, they might STILL show up in the story as side characters, Future Foundation members, the Mastermind or other sinister forces.
_Submission guideline_
Basic:
Full name: Given name comes before family name.
Age: Between 18 and 22.
Nationality: Japanese is preferred, as that is where the school is at, but Hope's Peak Academy is famous worldwide, so people from anywhere is fine. Nations not on the current map (such as Sonia's home country) is also allowed, as long as they are small enough.
Gender: Male or female.
Sexuality: Straight, gay or not interested at all.
Talent: Some requirements are as follows:
One talent per character only.
Talent should not be too general such as Ultimate Musician (what kind or music or instrument?) or Ultimate Athlete (which sport?).
Unusual and over-the-top talents are accepted, provided there is a good explanation. Will not accept talents that have not been established to be possible in the Danganronpa universe (such as Ultimate Alien), cannon talents (except V3), superhero power (I am looking at you, Ultimate Shitter Nekomaru), or anything that can be politically or religiously sensitive.
Appearance:
Hair style/colour: Briefly state.
Eye colour: Briefly state.
Skin colour: Briefly state.
Overall bodybuild: Elaborate.
Everyday clothing: Elaborate. You can come up with something really weird or really awesome. Preferably goes along with the talent.
Sleepwear: Briefly state.
Others: Optional. Tattoos, accessories, birthmarks, scars, etc…
Personal information:
Background: Elaborate. Your character can have a backstory that is tragic, or maybe funny, or uneventful. This is fully up to you. However, focus on how they discover/adopt their talents, how they have been using it so far and what do they want to do after graduation.
Personality: Elaborate. This, however, is only what your character starts with. Over the course of the story, there will be development, which leads to characters evolving out of this.
Likes: At least 5.
Dislikes: At least 5.
What kind of people do they like: Briefly state. If your character is absolutely unable to like anyone else, mention why.
What kind of people do they dislike: Briefly state.
What makes your character fall into despair: Briefly state. This is important. Without spoiling the plot, none of the characters would be here without this.
Important people: Who are the most precious people in your character's life? What is the relationship between them and the character? Briefly state. If your character has no one, provide an explanation as well.
Insecurity, fear, health and mental issue, weakness: Something that makes your character potentially vulnerable in a situation. This can be from being afraid of a cockroach to not wanting their darkest secret revealed. Elaborate on this.
Killing game
Reaction to the announcement of the killing game: Briefly state.
Reaction to body announcement (assuming they are innocent): Briefly state.
Reaction to execution of others: Briefly state.
Reaction to execution of self: Briefly state.
Motive: Briefly state. This will only apply to the first 3 or 4 cases, as the latter trials will have elements tied to the overall scheme behind the killing game.
Method of killing: Briefly state.
Execution: Briefly state.
Investigation role: Briefly state.
Trial role: Briefly state.
_Misc information_
Sample quotes: The more, the better. Should include greeting, upon accusing someone and upon defending oneself if your character takes an active part in the trial. Give me a talent-related catchphrase for when they counter an argument or consent with it, and when they present a piece of information.
Others: Anything else you want to add?
Characters roster:
Males:
1. Amelda Mason - SHSL Accountant (BIBOTOT)
2. Yume - SHSL Baker (MarieBeepBoop)
3. Kazuki Ishikawa - SHSL Flutist (CrayonPencil)
4. Fitzgerald Scott - SHSL Private Investigator (The Great Fantaman)
5. Tatsuya Toshishai - SHSL Delivery Boy (Yssvr)
6. Akihiko Kazuhiko - SHSL Librarian (mandipokemon)
7. Inu Kagyuu - SHSL Chemist (Bowman01)
8. Hokuto Yamazaki - SHSL Miner (poffinblock)
Females:
1. Rin Yamamono - SHSL Police Officer (Notadeadguy)
2. Hijiri Kaneshiro - SHSL Geisha (SqualinaTralala)
3. Inori Hayashi - SHSL Patient (Harukawa Ayame)
4. El Viento - SHSL Luchador (dashunterman)
5. Akai 'Kai' Omakase - SHSL Ballerina (Clockwork Puppet)
6. Ashley Wiltarrow - SHSL Prankster (Wiltarrow)
7. Elizabeth "Eliza" Piket - SHSL Tinker (PowerPlayer)
8. Minaoki Yuza - SHSL Herbalist (TowerFrost)
UPDATE: 4 girls and 4 boys will be chosen immediately, as in if you send me an OC and I consent, then they will be featured in the story. The remaining will be like other SYOC stories out there and determined from the lot. I hope to have as many people taking part in this as possible. Some changes to the rule are in place.
A lot of you keep sending me characters with tragic backgrounds. No need to have so much dark theme in here. I am still looking for someone who has a hilarious story behind them.
As of right now, the roster is closed. Thank you for your submission. I hope I can deliver the story you all want to read.
Cheers.