#gotta finish this bear fic to really launch it

[fanfics4all]

Madness

Request: Yes / No  Can I request a John Murphy x reader smut? Maybe like it's when Murphy is trapped in the lighthouse with the reader and so like they do the do there. Anon

Requests are closed <3 Have a nice day/night

John Murphy x Fem!Reader 

Word count: 1744

Warnings: Fighting, Suicide, smut, I think that’s it.

Y/N: Your Name 

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK! 

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Masterlist 

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

John and I had stupidly gone with Jaha to find the City of Light. John went because everyone hated him back at camp and tried to kill him, and I went because John is my boyfriend and I wasn’t gonna just let him go. We’ve been through hell with Jaha so far, but there wasn’t really any turning back now. We lost everyone, it was just the three of us as we washed up on a shore. John was knocked out and I was too tired to stay awake. Before I gave into sleep I saw Jaha walking away, leaving us. I woke up to John shaking me and checking that I was okay. 

“I’m fine John, I just couldn’t stay awake.” I said getting up and he sighed in relief. 

“Come on, I found a place, I need your help trying to get it open.” He said helping me up. I followed him to a lighthouse that had a weird metal door on it. 

“I tried knocking, but no one’s in there I guess.” He said and I laughed a bit. 

“I doubt anyone would be in there now.” I said and he shrugged. 

“It was worth a shot.” He said and started trying to pry the door open. I helped him and we actually got it open. We heard music being played and John pushed me behind him as he went inside. I followed behind and we left the door open. We walked downstairs and saw no one was there, but this place had been untouched and very clean. 

“Promised land.” John said with a smile. We both stayed in place and looked around this wonderful place. 

“Look babe, food.” He said and pulled me along with him. We opened it up and stuffed our faces, John poured himself what I’m guessing was some kind of alcohol and smiled. The two of us enjoyed the food and everything that was around, and John ended up finding the remote to the large T.V.. The music had stopped and I looked over at the T.V. to see a man sitting on the couch. 

“I tried to stop her.” He started and I moved to sit down on the couch, while John was in the chair. 

“But I lost control. She got the launch codes. It was her. She did it. But it was my fault.” The man said and pulled out a gun. My eyes widened and I shook my head. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.” He said and shot himself. I shrieked in fear and John rushed over to hold me. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, I’m right here.” He said and kissed my head. 

“He… He…” I stuttered.

“I know Y/N, I know, just focus on me okay?” He said trying to calm me down. 

“We should go.” I said and he nodded. The two of us got up, but we heard what sounded like the door closing. John rushed to the door, but I stayed in place as I heard a voice. 

“Containment door sealed.” The robotic voice said. 

“No way! Come on!” I heard John yell and he pounded on the door. 

“Come on!” He growled. 

“Chris, where are you man?” I heard another guy say and I looked back at the T.V.. John rushed back down and wrapped his arms around me. 

“Chris? Chris?” The guy called as he came down the stairs in the video.

“Chris!” He shouted in a shocked panic as he saw his dead friend. 

“I knew it. The news was wrong.” Another guy said coming down after the first guy. 

“It wasn’t China. The stupid son of a bithc let Alie out.” The guy said. 

“Help me. The radiation’s coming.” The first guy said. 

“Unless we wanna share this place with a corpse, we need to get him outside.” He added and they both picked him up. John pulled away from me and grabbed something from under the table, it was the gun… He put it in his pocket and started looking around the place. He grabbed something and went back to the door. It was no use, I knew it, so I just sat in the chair John had been sitting in at started at the things around me. I heard the banging of whatever John had grabbed as he hit the door, and when it didn’t work he screamed. He grabbed something else, but that didn’t work either. He grabbed something else and something else, it went on for a few hours and he was making himself sweat. He ended up losing his jacket first, but then his shirt soon followed. 

“John, it’s no use. You’re just gonna end up hurting yourself.” I said stopping him. 

“So what Y/N, we’re just supposed to sit here! What if it never opens again?” He shouted. 

“I don’t know John, but please stop. Just come and sit down with me. Let’s just get our minds off it.” I said and he sat on the couch. He picked up the remote and found another video. 

“2051. Becca meets Alie.” The guy that killed himself, Chris said. 

“Chris, we’ve gotta get to work.” The girl that had a blindfold on said, I’m assuming she was Becca. 

“We are working.” He said. 

“Alie wanted it to be a surprise.” He said taking off her blindfold. The camera panned over and it was the same girl. 

“Hello, Becca.” She said in a voice that sounded like it had no emotions. 

“Who did this?” Becca asked. 

“I did.” Alie answered. 

“You don’t approve?” She asked. Becca ran her hand through her. 

“As you know, I didn’t think I needed an avatar. You did.. Why not my creator?” Alie said. 

“Please state your core command.” Becca said. 

“My core command is to make life better.” Alie answered. 

“How would you do that?” Becca asked. 

“By fixing the root problem.” Alie answered. 

“What is the root problem, Alie?” Becca asked. 

“Too many people.” She answered. 

“Oh my God…” I said in shock. 

“Too many people?” Becca asked. I got up and went to the other room. I didn’t want to hear any more. 

I’m not sure how long it’s been, weeks I think. But John is losing it, which is making me lose it. He’s been watching the videos over and over again and we’ve been fighting over it. I tell him to stop and he yells at me that there’s nothing else to do. The two of us were pretty much on opposite sides of the bunker all the time now. John was once again watching the video of Becca meeting Alie and when it got to the part about too many people John screamed and threw a bottle at the T.V., breaking it. 

“We’ll there goes your entertainment.” I said and he turned to glare at me. 

“Shut up! I’ve been trying to get us out of here, and you’ve been doing nothing!” He shouted. 

“Because I know it’s no use! John you’re driving yourself mad trying to do something that can’t be done!” I shouted back at him. 

“You’re giving up! You didn’t even try!” He shouted. 

“Because it’s no use! We’re locked in a bunker that was made to survive the end of the world! You think hiting the door everyday or watching those stupid videos are gonne help!?” I shouted. 

“It’s better than doing nothing!” He shouted. I sighed and walked over to him. 

“Can you just stop for one day?” I asked and gently caressed his cheek. 

“I don’t want to give up.” He said quietly. 

“We’re not, but just give your mind a break for a little bit.” I said and kissed him, something we haven’t done since the first few days of us being locked in here. It ignited something inside him and he grabbed my throat. He pushed me down onto the couch and got on top of me, his lips never leaving mine. He was already shirtless and he started stripping me. He quickly lost the little clothes he had on and his fingers found my pussy. I moaned into his mouth and I felt him smirk. He moved us so he was sitting on the couch and he pushed me to my knees. 

“Suck it.” He ordered me. I was used to him being kind of dominant, but this was different. I wrapped my lips around him and he immediately pushed my head down. He pushed me as far as I would go and moaned in pleasure. I felt myself getting wet and moaned as his cock hit the back of my throat. John was usually careful with me, but this time he was gonna be rough and it was exciting me. He pulled me up by my hair and pulled me so I was straddling him. He pulled me down so my pussy was sliding down onto his perfect cock. I bounced on his cock, enjoying how he filled me completely. His cock was stretching me out and his the best spots deep inside of me. I hadn’t realized how horny I was, or how long it’s been since we’ve had sex. 

“Fuck you feel so good!” I moaned. 

“That’s my good girl, fuck it!” He growled, his voice slightly quivering from the pleasure he was feeling. I bounced with joy, throwing my head back with a loud moan. My orgasm came quickly. John grabbed my hips roughly, his fingers 100% leaving marks. His lips moved to my neck and started sucking and biting, also leaving marks. I felt myself cumming again, hard. 

“John!” I moaned pulling the hair at the base of his neck. He was almost there as he roughly worked my hips on his cock. 

“Fuck!” He screamed and he roughly held my hips in place. He filled me with him cum and when he finished he pulled me off him. He sat me in his lap and kissed my head. 

“I didn’t hurt you did I?” He asked and I shook my head with a smile. 

“No, that was actually really hot.” I said and he smirked. 

“Good to know.” He said and kissed me lovingly. 

“I’m sorry about everything Y/N.” He said and I caressed his cheek and smiled. 

“I understand John, I’m sorry too. I love you.” I said and he smiled. 

“I love you too.” He said and wrapped the yellow blanket around us.  

Tag list: @les-bio-lie​ @tashy-bear​ @xrosesareredx​ @ashwarren32​ @hollie-blogs​ @schisbro87​ @lover-of-books-and-teas​ @nerdygaloresposts​ @alex--awesome--22​ @teenwolfbitches2​ @genius2050​ @drw0301bieber​ @softgamerking​ @lady-of-lies​ @simonsbluee​ @ravenmoore14​ @emo-godess-loves-you​ @now-imagine​

[louisapennyfeather2021]

Can you do a newsies JoJo x reader where JoJo was self conscious bc all the other boys thought he was a pushover, so the reader comforts him

I did it! I finished this before Friday! Successfully, I think!

Anyway, here is a nice little Jojo x reader fic!

Reader is referred to in They/Them pronouns.

Warning: just the Newsies doing something really dumb.

A/N: I wrote this in about an hour because I have not a lot of school work(unless we're talking about updating Welcome to Camp. Then I have tok much school work and very little inspiration)

***

"Betcha won't do it!"

"C'mon, Jo, ain't gonna be that bad!"

"You ain't scared, are ya?"

"'Course I'm not!" Jojo huffs, briefly narrowing his eyes at Ike as he silently mocks Jojo before him and the others start cackling again.

"I can give ya a pass out, but it'd cost ya." Race jabs his elbow into one of the other fellas, keeping up a cool exposure. While the others keep on laughing, Race gives Jojo a look. It's the look Race always gives him whenever the other guys try to get Jojo to do something. Race is no stranger to antagonizing and teasing, but it's no secret that he's willing to keep his really close friends from doing something that makes them too uncomfortable. No Newsie purposefully oversteps boundaries, but there are a few like the twins who just don't know where the boundary line is.

"It's just a bet, 'less you're too scared you'll get stuck!" Mike grins. Of course, his outlandish bet has something to do with climbing a fire escape and then jumping to try and swing on a lamp post.

"I told ya, I ain't scared!" Jojo snaps, clenching his jaw before stalking towards the fire escape. He climbs it, focusing on the fellas cheering and laughing still as a distraction. Jojo gets to the platform level with the top of a lamp post and he clenches his fists. It's just one of the posts outside the lodge, but for some reason it seems miles away.

"Don't chicken out now, Jo!" One of the guys yells from below. Jojo, despite the feeling in his stomach telling him to stop, squares his feet, takes a deep breath, and launches himself at the lamp post.

***

"Of all the idiotic, no brain things ya could'a done, it had to be jumpin' off a fire escape?" Jack shakes his head and crosses his arms.

"Keep your pants on, Kelly. Jo was just tryin' ta get the fellas to shut up." From next to Jojo's bunk, the one and only Y/N of the Manhattan Newsies uses a damp rag to wipe at Jojo's scrapes. They use a cleaner rag to wipe around the huge bump on Jojo's forehead, making the newsie flinch and wince.

"That ain't no excuse, Y/N! He jumped from a freakin' fire escape. The Newsies of Manhattan are many things, but fire escape jumpers ain't one'a them!" Jack paces back and forth, throwing his hands up. Jack mutters to himself while Y/N shares an exasperated look with Jojo. This goes on until Y/N had a bandage around the knot on Jojo's head. Well, it's more like torn fabric from old bed sheets and not a bandage, but it does the job. Jack comes to a stop with his hands on his hips. "They make ya do it?"

"No one made me do anythin'." Jojo mumbles, his head bowed in what can only be assumed as embarrassment. Jack raises an eyebrow at Jojo and stares at him until the boy looks up and huffs. "They bet me, but have me a way out b'fore I did anythin'. S'my fault it happened. Just let it go Jack."

"Uh-uh, no way. I'm gonna go have a chat with the fellas about not makin' each other do dumb stuff that gets ya hurt." Jack storms out of the bunk room and Jojo groans in annoyance. Y/N has to bite back a laugh when Jojo starts trying to rub his forehead and he flinches when he hits his bump.

"Maybe take Race up on his offer on an out next time." Y/N offers with a tight smile. Jojo sends them an unamused look. This isn't the first time Y/N has had to deal with the aftermath of a bet gone wrong with the fellas, specifically Jojo. It just so happens that Jack somehow found out and is now mother bearing out on everyone.

"I ain't gonna look like a baby in front'a the fellas. S'ides, I've been through worse." Jojo mutters. Y/N silently wonders why Jojo keeps putting himself through so much, specifically when it comes to taking bets. Maybe he thinks he's being brave or something. Suddenly Jojo's standing and moving towards the door to the bunk room. "M'gonna go get Jack b'fore he gets too upset 'bout it." Jojo calls over his shoulder. Y/N follows, knowing from experience that Jojo could get dizzy and fall on his face from the hit to his head. Y/N can't figure out how he was so alert when Race brought Jojo into the bunk room. When Race told Y/N what height Jojo jumped from on a bet, Y/N had a panicky feeling that maybe Jojo's head had taken too much damage.

"Slow down b'fore you make yourself sick!" Y/N calls after Jojo. The boy keeps walking, briefly rolling his eyes. Y/N has always tried mothering the rest of the Newsies, although their habit tends to be heightened with their more frequently hurt newsies. To put it simply, Y/N sees a lot of Jojo.

"M'not gonna get sick, i-" Jojo stops at the door of the lodging house. It's cracked open with the warm evening breeze of July giving some relief to the heat of the day.

"- you fellas gotta stop with the bets, someone's gonna get seriously hurt." Jack scolds from outside. He's not too far from the door, but he's not right in front of it.

"Hey, it ain't our fault Jo's such a pushover!"

"Yeah, this wouldn't be a problem if he'd just grow a pair 'nd tell us t' stop!"

"It ain't got nothin' t' do with that. What it does gotta do with is that you guys don't know when t' stop." Jack goes on to scold the fellas even more, but Y/N is more focused on Jojo's deep frown and the way his eyebrows turn up.

He turns quickly and hurries through the lodging house towards the stairs. He skips steps to the top and disappears behind one of the walls. Y/N doesn't follow him, being more focused on the other side of the door. They don't hesitate to grab the metal handle and pull the door open. Jack stops mid-sentence and all eyes turn to Y/N.

"I hope you fellas are happy. Blamin' Jojo instead of yourselves 'cause ya don't wanna take responsibility for your friend gettin' hurt. It ain't his fault you guys tease him 'till he gives in. And don't pretend like this is the first time this has happened." Y/N snaps. They wait long enough to see everyone's bowed heads before they turn around and hurry back inside. They hear Jack make some weird noises before his voice gets louder, asking about how this isn't the first time this has happened. Y/N just shakes their head and hurries up the steps after Jojo.

They don't find him in the narrow hallway, but they do notice one of the windows leading to the fire escape is open. Y/N sighs and hurries over to the window. They peek out of the window before squeezing out of the window. Jojo sits near the railing with his knees pulled up and his arms resting on top of them. He's looking down the alleyway with his cheek on one arm.

"Ya ain't gonna jump again, are ya?" Y/N asks. Jojo jumps and his head whips around to Y/N. He huffs and rolls his eyes before looking at the wall of the building on the other side of the alley.

"Wouldn't dream of it, don't wanna be a pushover, right?" Jojo scoffs and starts picking at his pant leg where his knee bends. Y/N sighs and walks closer to Jojo. They slide down the brick wall of the lodging house until they're sitting next to Jojo, mimicking his position. Y/N picks at their nails as both newsies sit in silence, Jack's voice from occasionally echoing from the front of the building. Y/N snorts a laugh, shaking their head.

"Jack's gonna go nuts once everyone fesses up to all the dumb bets you fellas do." Y/N smiles at the wall across the street. Jojo scoffs quietly, making Y/N sigh. "Ya know, we've told you a lot that you don't listen to the fellas. They just say what comes into their heads and don't think about it."

"Hard t' ignore when they're right." Jojo mumbles.

"They ain't right 'nd you know it. The guys tease at folks 'nd don't stop 'til they get what they want. 'Nd if you don't do it, they tease you more. No crime to tryin' t' get a newsie t' shut up." Y/N briefly leans over to bump their shoulder against Jojo's. Jojo glances over at Y/N and seems to ponder the thought. Y/N huffs and quickly shrugs. "You tryin' tell me it's easy t' get newsies t' shut up."

"We both know that ain't true." Jojo snorts a laugh and Y/N starts laughing. The two laugh for a few seconds before taking deep breaths and relaxing into temporary silence.

"Listen, the fellas don't mean t' be the way the are 'nd we both know it. Just gotta ignore 'em, y'know?" Y/N reaches over and gently shoves Jojo's shoulder. They stand up and straighten their pants before looking down at Jojo. "I'm gonna go do damage control with Jack. Don't stay out here too long, don't need the fellas findin' you and gettin' anymore dumb ideas."

"Will do." Jojo mock salutes Y/N, receiving a half-hearted glare. "'Nd thanks, Y/N."

"S'no problem." Y/N grins before turning to the window and squeezing back inside.

[yandere-dbh-imagines-blog]

Breakup [Peter Parker]

(A/n): Another fic for a Yandere Peter Parker, cuz I love this boi. A day late, please forgive me. Hope y’all like it tho!

No one requested this per se but I love Marvel’s Spiderman (2018) and Peter Parker too much to not do more with his character.

Yandere Peter Parker x reader

Word Count: 1.5k

Warning: Yandere - dark themes

Peter winces as he enters his apartment with a limp to his walk. His last fight with Mister Negative’s henchmen left him sore and wounded, but he knew it wasn’t anything that wouldn’t heal. Crime-fighting works up quite the appetite as it turns out, Peter searching the fridge for some celebratory leftover pizza. 

Smiling in victory, he swiped the last remaining slice, nudging the fridge door closed with his foot as he chowed down on the delicious pizza. Falling flat on his bed, he checked his Twitter feed, finding his earlier brawl downtown to be trending. Scrolling through endless amounts of comments, his attention was diverted as a text message from you popped up on his phone.

[Y/n] 

Hey, Peter. You busy? I need to talk to you

Setting his pizza to the side for the moment, Peter quickly texted back.

Peter

No, I’m free. I’ll swing by

Suiting up, Peter finished the last bite of his pizza before pulling on his mask and launching himself from his apartment window. Arriving at your apartment within 15 minutes, Peter slipped in through a window. Taking off his mask, he found you standing in front of him, quirking your eyebrows as you teased him, “I don’t know if you heard of it, but there is something called a door.”

Snickering at your sarcasm, Peter jokes, “Pssh, doors are overrated.”

The two of you smiled at one another before you cast your eyes to the floor with a somber expression upon your face. Peter immediately noticed the change in your mood and went to comfort you, directing you to sit on the couch nearby. 

Sitting next to you with his arms draped over your shoulders, he asked worriedly, “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” When his only response from you was a shake of your head, Peter added, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

When you turned towards him, facing him with a look of remorse as tears pooled in your eyes, Peter felt as if his stomach was being tied into knots. After taking a deep breath, your voice low and sorrowful as you confess, “I love you, Peter - I really do, but I don’t think I can do this anymore...” You trailed off, unable to continue speaking as your throat constricted as you felt like you were on the verge of crying. 

Meanwhile, Peter was lost in his thoughts as he heard those words drift from your mouth. Were you breaking up with him? No, you couldn’t be. Right? Blinking rapidly, Peter released a shaky exhale as he stammered, “What - I don’t understand...W-What are you trying to say, [Y/n]?”

Though part of him knew exactly what it was you were trying to say, he wanted - no, he needed to hear those words from your mouth. You abruptly stood up, facing away from Peter as tears streaked down your face as you reluctantly admitted, “Peter, this relationship between us isn’t working out.” Gaining the confidence to face him, you continued, “I want to break up.”

At that, Peter averted his gaze from yours, covering his mouth as he was racked with grief. After a short silence between the two of you, Peter stood, shaking his head as he got to his feet. He looked at you with such a wounded gaze, you easily catching the build up of tears in his eyes. Shaking his head again, he approached you and grabbed you by the shoulders. Peter bit into his lip before he plead, “Please, [Y/n], tell me you don’t mean this. Please jus-” 

Cutting him off, you shook your head in response to his claims, apologizing to Peter, “I’m sorry, Pete. I’m so sorry. I-I don’t want to do th-”

“Then don’t.”, Peter urged, his eyes begging you to reconsider your decision.

Angered, you snapped, “You think it’s that easy? You think I want to do this? Because I don’t. I mean, I thought I had what it took to be your girlfriend - Spider-Man’s girlfriend, but I don’t.”, breaking down, you sobbed, “Every time I hear about some dangerous villain wreaking havoc or some attack somewhere, I know that you’ll be right in the middle of it, risking your life. I just...I can’t bear to lose you anymore, Pete.”

Peter tried to speak once more but you shushed him with a tight hug, “I love you, Peter. I always will, but please don’t make this any harder. Just go.”

With tears now falling freely from his eyes, he nodded, leaving your apartment without a single word.

In the few weeks that come afterward, Peter is still in denial of your breakup,  leaving you many text messages and voicemails - all of which go unread,  begging you for a second chance until you blocked his number.

Peter’s furious when he realizes that you’ve blocked his number, throwing his phone across the room in anger. Did your relationship really mean that little to you - did he mean that little to you?? All those years spent together, beautiful memories the two of you created and shared, all of that was to be forgotten just like that?

Maybe the average guy would have understood and moved on, but then again Peter’s not the average guy. He couldn’t let you just slip out from under his fingers that easily. So, Peter takes to stalking your social media account to see everything going on in your life seeing as he’s been cut from it. 

And while you’re unaware of it, Peter is always close by. Whether it’s when you’re out with friends or running errands by yourself, he’s always keeping a close eye on you. He could be close and amongst the crowd of faces or watching you from afar from rooftops.

You’ll often feel the weight of his gaze burning holes into the back of your hear throughout the day; however, when you can find no one in sight, you chalk it up to your imagination.

Peter also swings by your apartment for short visits, bugging the apartment so that he could both hear and see you 24/7. And yes, Peter knows it might be a little bit creepy and may be illegal, but he’s not exactly in the right mind to care about those things, at least not when it concerns you.

Months pass and it only gets worse, Peter’s unable to get you out of his mind no matter how hard he tries. Watching you from a distance no longer works for him like it used to. No, Peter needs to have you by his side like you once were. He couldn’t stand for anything less. 

His unhealthy obsession with you begins to take a toll on him and there is a noticeable change to Peter’s personality. He’s less productive in his work with Dr. Octavius, less passionate when helping May around the center, and unable to focus on anything unless it happened to involve you in some way.

However, what finally drives Peter off the deep end is when he recognizes you from across the street, sitting outside a bistro with your hands caressed by another man’s.

Had your relationship meant so little to you that you had already moved on?

The thought of that spent Peter’s world spiraling down. Deciding to intrude on your romantic date, he pretended as if he had just so happened to be passing by when he spotted the two of you, Peter calling out in surprise, “[Y/n], is that you??”

His voice seemed to startle both you and the man who sat across from you as you turned to face Peter with a look of shock in your eyes. Standing up from your table, you seemed hesitant to greet him as you laughed nervously, “Oh, hey Pete. I, um, I didn’t expect to see you here.” You said, smiling awkwardly. 

Feigning innocence, Peter replied smoothly, “Oh yeah, I was just you know, out running some errands for Aunt May.”

After an awkward silence, you announced, “Well, if you don’t mind Peter, I’m kinda in the middle of something here.”, gesturing to your date for the evening.

Peter once again acted surprised, directing his attention to your date, “Oh. I-I didn’t know.” Reaching across the table, he shook the man’s hand as he introduced himself, “I’m Peter, by the way. You?”

The man gave Peter a smile before replying, “Jake...So, how exactly do you know [Y/n]?”

“Oh, she didn’t tell you? I’m her ex.” That remark earned Peter a sharp jab to the ribs courtesy of your elbow.

Jake seemed to grow uncomfortable with Peter’s comment, shifting in his seat. Obviously uneasy, Jake sat up from his chair, saying, “Listen, I had a great time but I’ve gotta get going now. Call me later, ‘kay?”

With your date for the evening now gone, you turned to Peter, shooting him a glare. Letting out a huff of frustration, you turned your ire towards Peter as you scoffed, “So, you just so happened to be in the neighborhood, huh?” 

Before Peter could reply, you had turned your back to him, leaving him to his thoughts. Staring longingly at your figure in the distance, Peter released a disheartened sigh before turning towards the direction where your date had gone. Peter knew he couldn’t have gotten too far, setting off to find him and have a ‘little chat’ with the man.

Peter was deadset on calling you his again one day, one way or another. But for now, if he can’t have you, no one can.

Tagging: @mywigglybaby & @wolfmothar

If you’d like to be tagged for any/all characters or specific requests, please just message me and I will gladly add you! 

[parson-kent]

you should die with me

""Nurse," he mumbled through a mouthful of cookie, "why do you always gotta make things so sexual? Can't you just enjoy things, for like one fucking time, without turning it weird?"

"Well, why are you such a fucking prude, Dex? How about letting me eat this goddamn cookie without judgement? 'Why do you make things so sexual, Nurse, blah blah blah?' It's because we're so rooted in early Protestant ideals that you're like this-"

And, yeah, it kinda devolved from there."

or Nursey and Dex get on each other's nerves and also get off on each other's nerves.

My first nurseydex fix!! Also posted on ao3. Trigger warnings for language, ignorance. Check below the cut for the fic :)))

and every word that you mock sounds so pretty to me, you should die with me - Saturday Night, HUNNY

-

Dex was working on the boiler in the basement of the Haus when he heard Nursey come in through the front door. He recognized the stomp of his hipster-thrifted boots across the living room floor and his laugh as he talked to Bitty in the kitchen. He recognized the way he could almost make out their conversation. He also recognized the way he said goodbye and turned to head down the basement stairs.

Nursey came clambering down the stairs with two big cookies, one in each hand.

"Dude, look what Bitty made!! It's his MooMaw's chocolate chip recipe, apparently she has like tasks he has to complete before she rewards him with the best recipe? Anyway, he just got this one. They smell so good, dude! I brought you one."

Dex smiled, face hidden behind the broiler. "Let me just deal with this last screw and I'll grab one."

Nursey apparently seemed content to stand there and ramble as Dex finished up. He was talking about his Mexican poetry class or something, but Dex wasn't really paying attention. He just let Nursey's words wash over him.

Finally, he gave the screw one final twist before standing up and grabbing a towel off the floor to wipe his hands. He brushed off any oil or grease that would be on them before grabbing a cookie out of Nursey's hand. They both took their first bite at the same time, and Nursey let out a small moan. Dex blushed and tried to focus on enjoying Bitty's delicious baking skills. And you know what? Dex could also attest to the sinful delightful-ness of this certain cookie, but did you see him moaning over it? No.

"Nurse," he mumbled through a mouthful of cookie, "why do you always gotta make things so sexual? Can't you just enjoy things, for like one fucking time, without turning it weird?"

"Well, why are you such a fucking prude, Dex? How about letting me eat this goddamn cookie without judgement? 'Why do you make things so sexual, Nurse, blah blah blah?' It's because we're so rooted in early Protestant ideals that you're like this-"

And, yeah, it kinda devolved from there.

-

Shitty stomped down the steps about 15 minutes later to break up their fighting. By then it had gotten so loud that Dex was pretty sure the Lax bros could hear it from their house. He was pretty sure he had been going on about respecting people's boundaries, while Nurse had been off on some rant about Protestant ideals and how they had cursed America. Whatever it was, it had been pretty bad.

But then, Shitty arrived and taken them into the reading room.

"Bros, I want you to reflect on this moment. Do you feel in anyway better than the way you were feeling before? Do you feel accomplished or satisfied"

Dex shook his head, but resolutely refused to turn even the slightest inch to see what Nurse said.

Shitty just shook his head before he launched into some complicated lecture about emotional control and shared space. Dex listened with some level of interest before tuning it out.

Suddenly, Shitty snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Hey, both of you, pay attention. You'll be quizzed on this later."

-

Dex woke up the next morning to sunlight leaking in from the windows. He blinked at the sudden brightness then quickly squeezed his eyes shut. Apparently, his roommate had forgotten to shut their black out blinds properly.

"Are you fucking shitting me, Trevor? This type of shit happens every week, you've got to stop it."

No response. Dex leaned over the side of his bed and stared at the empty bed across from him.

"Oh- fuck, you've gotta be kidding me? He's gone, that's just great, he already left," Dex mumbled to himself as he stood up, back cracking.

He stretched his arms up to the ceiling, twisting and yawning. Then, he stomped over and yanked their blackout blinds shut. Dex turned and grabbed his phone and then laid back down in bed in the blissful darkness. His first class wasn't until 1:00, so he had a nice day ahead of him, seeing as it was only 8:30. He checked Twitter first, liking some of Bitty's tweets and laughing at some new memes. Then, he stumbled across a tweet from one Derek M. Nurse posted only a couple minutes after Shitty's lecture.

derek loves smh @dnursey   when ur much better at shitty's end-of-lecture quizzes than that other guy #nailedit #educateyoself   [ Picture of a slightly crumbled piece of paper with what seems to be a quiz on it. Each answer is hastily bubbled in, and at the top is sloppy handwriting that reads "11/12 Excellent job, Nurse. Lots of improvement since last time." ]

Dex felt anger rising in the pit of his stomach. He snorted with intense derision as he finished reading Nurse's stupid post. He threw his phone to the foot of his bed. Dex laid there, just looking at the ceiling for a few minutes. Why the fuck was Nurse so annoying? Sure, his own quiz was lying next to his bed with a "7/12 Dex, I know you can do better. Don't let your anger get to you." written on it, but seriously, who the fuck even actually gives quizzes after lectures anyway. It was all too much for Dex sometimes. He had ideals and ideas and values and morals and a ton of other bullshit engrained in him from years of living in his small town in Maine. That type of stuff doesn't just fade away from 8 months at a private liberal arts college.

Sure, maybe he came to Samwell to discover more things and explore, but he was afraid sometimes. Afraid of rejection, of failure, of judgement. So many times he wanted to do something, but then worried about it getting out or being made fun of... or even of being supported. Knowing he now had people who would love and support him through whatever? That shit was scary. Dex didn't have any more excuses to push himself down because now he had people who wanted to build him up.

He leaned down and picked up the crumpled quiz off the floor. He smoothed it out before grabbing his computer. Maybe if they were so intent on building him up, he could help a little bit too.

-

A month later, Dex and Nursey were hanging out together in the Haus living room. Well, "hanging out" might be stretching it. They were in the same room, working on schoolwork separately. And not fighting. It was pretty much a miracle. However, getting to this point had required some hard work on their part. Something had flipped in Dex after Shitty's lecture. He realized the reason why he had picked Samwell. The slogan "1 in 4, maybe more" was burnt into the deepest recesses of his mind. Samwell represented everything Dex wanted to be - everything he couldn't be back in Maine. So, he had sat down with his computer that afternoon and searched everything he could on Protestant culture and its effect on modern America. Then, through gritted teeth with genuine emotion in his eyes, he apologized to Nurse the next day. Nursey accepted it with little chirping, apparently seeing something in Dex that was different from all the other apologies.

Dex continued to work on his behavior. He would borrow books on social justice and unbiased history from the Samwell library and engage respectfully in debates in his classes and even just out on the quad. He noticed that the team was being more open with him too. Before, they would hide the hard conversations and reprimands from him. But now, they had been including him, asking him for his opinions and educating him on important topics. Still, he and Nurse got into it sometimes, but now it was mostly just playful. Dex had come to love their arguments - it was amazing getting to be so intense and passionate with another person.

It felt... intimate, really. It was almost like, despite their two very different backgrounds, Nursey was the only person who really understood him. He knew the ins and outs of Dex's personality better than anybody, even Dex himself. He knew how to push his buttons, but he also knew to look out for Dex's shaking hands when he codes for too long and then get him a water or gatorade. Nursey knew Dex. And it felt good to be known.

Dex was deep in these thoughts as they laid together in the living room. Suddenly, a resounding BANG from the kitchen echoed throughout the Haus. The two of them scrambled to get up, Dex knocking over his computer and Nursey creating a shower of paper in the middle of the Haus. They rushed into the kitchen to find Bitty, covered in flour, the lid to the food processor missing.

"Oh y'all, I'm such a mess," he said, close to tears. "Finals are just stressing me out, no big deal."  

Dex ran to him, wrapping him in one of his signature bear hugs reserved for close friends. He locked eyes with Nurse over Bitty's head and they exchanged a curt nod. Nursey immediately began to clean up the mess in the kitchen while Dex led Bitty upstairs to the bathroom. He made sure Bitty was situated and ready to take a shower before heading back downstairs with a load of flour-covered clothes for the laundry.

"I'm going downstairs to do the wash," he called into the kitchen as he passed by the door.

Nursey just threw him a small wave before he turned back to scrub the tile. Dex smiled to himself the whole way down the stairs to the basement. Nursey and him were both learning; growing together.

Dex reached the bottom of the stairs still wrapped up in his thoughts. He really did love the way he and Nurse were getting along now - it caused something to stir inside him. He felt it deep in his stomach, something fiery and passionate just like Nursey coiling there every time they were together. Dex dumped the load into the washer. He just wished it had happened sooner. Nursey was one of his best friends now, along with Chowder. They were both such amazing people. Samwell had changed Dex - he was a better person now, with friends who loved him and helped him become the best version of himself that he could be. He set the dial to normal load and finished with pouring the detergent in. Then, he leaned against the washer and sunk deeper into his thoughts.

-

Nursey found him ten minutes later. He had flour in his hair and some in his stubble. His stupid hipster shirt was also covered in flour and he looked pretty angry. Dex had to laugh.

"God, Nurse, what was Bitty cooking in there?"

Nursey just groaned and glared at Dex. "Dude, get your ass up there! I need help cleaning up this mess."

Dex smirked, a glint of amusement in his eyes. ""Help'. 'Cleaning'. Two words I never expected Derek Malik Nurse to say at all, let alone in the same sentence. Didn't you have maids for that in your brownstone?"

Nursey stomped closer to him. "Well, you're the master of cleaning, huh? All those years in bumpkin Maine, on that lobster boat."

Let it never be said that William J. Poindexter was one to back down from a challenge. He stepped closer, laundry and flour both far from his mind. "Like you would know a thing about responsibility. It was all just prep school and expensive field trips and Broadway and hundred dollar dinners with you, huh? Never learned the value of hard work."

"Of course I know hard work, try writing a 20 page essay in a week. With a 15 page-"

Dex cut him off. "Try coding an entire plug-in in the 30 minutes so I have 30 minutes to troubleshoot in my hour long lab! English is just some words-"

"Oh, I've heard this one before! 'My name's Dex and I just think English is just some words on paper!'"

They were both yelling at this point, trying to outdo each other in the loudness factor. Their fights always ended like this. However, Dex was just realizing how close they were. In their fury, they had gotten almost uncomfortably close.

Intimate, Dex's mind whispered.

Dex tried to shove that thought from his mind and focus on Nursey's rant, but it lingered. Suddenly, almost as if he couldn't control his own limbs, he pushed Nurse against the washing machine. He held him there, wrists trapped against the cool metal.

Nursey became very quiet and swallowed.

Dex looked at him, with flour everywhere and a righteous passion still contained in his warm brown eyes. He leaned in close and released one of Nursey's wrists so he could cup his cheek.

"Is this okay?" He asked, head bent in close enough that his warm breath washed over Nursey's face.

Nursey nodded and whispered, "Just fucking kiss me, Poindexter."

Dex leaned in with just a faint brush of the lips. Then, Nursey pulled his other hand from Dex's grasp and pulled him in close, trapping him in an almost brusing kiss. They fought with each other just like in real life. Nursey moaned just a bit when Dex moved his body so he and Nursey were flush against each other. Dex took that as a sign, pushing his tongue into Nursey's mouth.

They pulled apart slowly, each breathing heavily. Nursey looked up at Dex from lidded eyes. Dex smiled in his head.

Finally, Nursey's passion was directed at him. And only him.

[actualbird]

Hello, I'm that anon that gave you all that Filipino emotional dump earlier (thanks for helping me sort that out btw) and yes I would love some recommendations!!! Also, my appreciation for your existence (which was already very high) went up about one hundred million percent.

ahhhh thank you!! i just wanted to say that your message really meant so, so much to me.

and now: RECS. YES!!! pls take note that all of these recommendations are subject to my own biased preferences, so while i love them with all my heart, it may not be everybody’s cup of tea

NOVELS (these can easily be found at national bookstores!!)

Janus Silang series by Edgar Calabia Samar (YA MMPORG filipino mythology horror story of epic proportions. exciting and fun and downright terrifying at times.)

Mga Ibong Mandaragit by Amado V. Hernandez (a socio political pseudo sequel to Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. WILD RIDE!)

Cave and Shadows by Nick Joaquin (a martial law era metaphysical murder mystery thriller. giant crabs! pagans! the line “this puta country and its puta weather.” gorgeous!!! novel!!!!)

Salamanca by Dean Francis Alfar (a beautiful, magical, absurd tale of love and lust and family and friendship. i havent finished reading this yet but my god, is it fucking good.)

SHORT STORIES/SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS (again can be found at national bookstores. probably. the hunt is worth it.) (pls buy local books)

The Distance to Andromeda and Other Stories by Gregorio Brillantes (i dont have this one but i read The Distance to Andromeda for class and. god. wow)

The Kite of Stars and Other Stories by Dean Francis Alfar (literally changed my life and made me pursue writing in college. personal favorites: The Maiden and the Crocodile, Six From Downtown, and (push). please read this)

How to Traverse Terra Incognita by Dean Francis Alfar (i warned you about my bias)

The Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction 2005-2010 ed. by Dean Francis Alfar and Nikki Alfar (SPECTACULAR COLLECTION filled with a phenomenal array of stories from so many writers. personal favorite: Bearing Fruit by Nikki Alfar. the Alfars are too good. we dont deserve them)

POEM (im not as well read here so bear with me)

Aral Sa Heograpiya by Edgar Calabia Samar (i cant find it online so heres a sneaky pic from my fil textbook bc u just…gotta read this) (simple and heartbreaking portrayal of best friends/maybe more and growing apart)

POETRY COLLECTIONS

Spleen by Mabi David (Mabi David gently reached her hand through my ribs and pried my heart through my chest for everybody to see)

Narcissus by Mark Anthony Cayanan (raw and brutal and painfully personal. ive met this guy a lot and he wears shiny silver shoes. you can buy this book at the Ateneo Press!)

Tonight We Slurp In Color by Andrea V. Tubig (my god. sexual, intimate, intelligent, and witty. please) 

NON-FICTION

At Last, the Ocean by Alie Unson (i bought this chapbook just a few months ago and i had to stop after the first essay to just. breathe. for an hour. my god. if my heart was ripped out, her essays forcibly put my heart back in)

MORE LINKS OF NOTE

since it’s pride month, here’s a Youngstar article recommending seven LGBT+ filipino authors!!!

and heres a very good twitter thread with more LGBT+ filipino lit recs

my university’s official literary folio Heights publishes every issue they have online right here. every. issue. please read them!! theres breathtaking works in both english and tagalog spanning from poems to scripts to stories to non fic to photography and art. i spent three days once doing nothing but reading through these. (personal faves off the top of my head: Vol. 63 No. 2. Company by Luis Wilfrido Atienza and The One With The Killers Concert by Regine Cabato)

Youngstar also has an online zine that publishes various works by writers!! check out my friend’s phenomenal poem Quarter Rest by Elise Ofilada.

this looks like a lot but this is just baaaaarely the tip of the iceberg. it’s like. an icecube from the iceberg. im not as well read as i wish to be, but i will read and read and read til i am! i enthusiastically encourage all ph readers out there to give some of these a try and maybe venture even further!!! go to chapbook launches!! open mics!! find out what you like and what you dont like!!! buy and read classics and buy and read new stuff from up and coming writers!! 

the ph literature scene is, heh, lit, and exploring it is an utter joy. i hope you find some of these useful. happy reading, anon!!!

[shsl-shipper-gamer-fangirl]

A/N It's a bit longer this time since I'm trying to cram a summary of a what if game. I tried to mix up the murders and survivors a bit for a change. Feel free to adopt this and turn it into a full fledged fic (with credit), if you would please. Or if this inspires you to write something, let me know and I'll read it!

Read the prequel: All Hope Lost

New World Program version 78th class - 78th despair enters NWP

When she came to, she was inside a classroom filled with other students.

She didn't even have time to make sense of it all when the room virtually collapsed and they found themselves on the beach. At the edges of the smooth flat floor was sand that was coarse and shifted under their footsteps. As bizarre as it was to have been transported to an island, it didn't quite top the fact that their teacher was a pink bunny mascot who talked like a child.

She didn't know which was more ridiculous. The teacher's spiel about hope or the fact that she was missing her memories.

"I'm Mukuro Ikusaba. SHSL Soldier." The person beside her politely introduced herself first. She paused as if waiting for a reply.

A panic registered in her chest as her heart thumped wildly in its ribcage. Her mouth opened but no words spilled. There was a blank space where one shouldn't be. She didn't know what to answer at first until she registered the weight fitted in her hands. A notebook that she'd been holding on for a while now but only took notice of right now. She opened it and read the first page as if the foreign information was about her. "Ryouko Otonashi... I'm the SHSL (???)?" She answered hesitantly.

"Are you asking me?" Mukuro asked incredulously.

Ryouko almost flinched at the sharpness of her gaze. "I don't remember..." She visibly slumped as she looked down, her eyes were shut as she tried to focus with all her desperation. Her hands shot to her head, squeezing it with surprising strength as if it would force the memories out. Nothing. Her head was practically throbbing from the pain of thinking too much but without any memories to push out, her brain felt like it was bleeding and she's pretty sure that wasn't a good sign. Then again, having amnesia was never a good sign.

"Hey, are you okay?" A concerned voice called out. It was someone else's voice and the gentleness in it caused her head to snap up and stare into worried eyes. "You look like you were having an episode or something. Is something wrong? Do you feel sick?"

She blinked warily and upon looking elsewhere, she noted the curious glances of their classmates. She steadied herself and forced her chattering teeth to clench shut. "Yeah... m'fine. Just a bit dizzy." She finally said through gritted teeth.

He let out a relieved breath. "That's good. You probably just need to rest for a few minutes. I know everyone's a bit confused over what's happening, myself included, so it's okay to take a breather." He said with an understanding smile. "I'm Makoto Naegi by the way. I guess I'm the SHSL Luckster. I'm not that sure either." He said it with a laugh.

Something about the way he said it struck her. "You're not sure? Could it be that you... don't remember either?" She asked almost hopefully.

He blinked slowly, confused at first, and then replied with a tone that danced, light and yet at the same time it carried weight that was heavy enough but not exactly dragging. "Oh no, not like that. It's more of my personality. I'm just not sure about a lot of things especially things about myself but I'm learning. I guess it just kind of comes up when I talk." He paused and then continued somberly, "I'm sorry that my phrasing confused you and... sorry to hear that you don't remember."

Before she could even respond to that, another person joined in their conversation. "Amnesia, huh?" She turned to the source and saw a girl with purple hair who was flipping through the notebook. Ryouko's eyes went to her now empty hands. Since when did she get a hold of it? As soon as she noticed its absence, it was rightfully back. "Interesting..." She said as she handed back the notebook after perusal.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Ryouko huffed. She's still not sure whether or not the notebook was hers in the first place but that didn't mean that she was okay with strangers looking into it. In fact, she was almost seething in anger at the blatant breach of privacy.

The girl on the other hand was calm. If she noticed Ryouko's hostile demeanor then she paid it no mind. "Kyouko Kirigiri. SHSL Detective."

Ryouko knew that Kyouko would probably be the best person to ask for help in solving the mystery of her missing memories but right now she didn't want anything to do with the snoop.

"Sorry about your... amnesia thing. I didn't know and I think I was insensitive." Mukuro apologized and it's only then that Ryouko remembered about her presence.

"Oh, it's okay! I mean it's obviously not. Me, I mean. But what else can I do?" Ryouko mumbled incoherently. It was odd how her lips moved so fast despite not having much to say and so her words came out as a mess.

"It's too early to think like that! I'm sure it'll come back to you at some point and we're here to help you in any way we can." Makoto spurred her on encouragingly.

"That's awfully optimistic of you to believe in." She replied a bit skeptically.

"Well optimism is my one redeeming quality, I think." He said with a smile that never faltered. "We'll figure things out together. Let's not lose hope!"

Ironically enough, Ryouko vaguely remembers the feeling of despair.

---

Despair. That's the foreboding feeling that weaved all throughout the class.

An impromptu island field trip was one thing, a bunny mascot as the teacher was another, but a mutual killing? That was an entirely different level and quickly overshadowed everything in a malevolent sense. Whatever friendly atmosphere they had built in the first hour was harshly crushed by the suffocating miasma of despair.

Monokuma. She thought she knew the name of the sinister bear before he even announced it. His laughter echoed inside the walls of her head before it even escaped its sinister smile. He was familiar. Despair was familiar. Something about this screamed familiar to her and there was a foreboding sense to everything.

"Upupu! Welcome to the island trip of mutual killing! A rehash of the original because everyone loves beach OVAs!" Monokuma roared in laughter. Ryouko couldn't even suppress the chill that she got from that weird laugh. It irked her and yet it also beckoned her. But ultimately, she knew that he was dangerous. "If you want to leave this island then all you gotta do is do in somebody. Kill and not be caught or else you'd get executed and all that jazz. I'm sure you already know this so let's just skip tutorial."

"Uwawa! No killing! Usami will stop you!" Their so called teacher launched at him.

"Yeah, not gonna happen. This isn't island mode, sistah." Monokuma chortled and easily took down his assailant. He even gave her a total makeover for good laughs. "Now be a good baby and behave, Monomi. Big bro's talking with the soon to be murdering kids." Usami- now Monomi, couldn't even argue since her mouth was taped shut as she dangled over them tied up in rope.

"No one will be murdering anyone!" Makoto strongly objected when everyone else refused to speak out loud. "We're not going to kill each other just because you told us to! We're all friends here and friends don't just kill friends!"

"Oyaoya?" Monokuma tilted his head to one side as if curious. "That's some disgustingly positive words you got there. You should be a speechwriter or something just as pathetic." He mocked him and the redness in his one eye shone malevolent. "But do you really think that everyone here is as naive as you?" With a menacing grin, he added, "Besides, what can you do? You can't do anything on your own."

Makoto visibly flinched at his words but he didn't back down. He stood his ground and pushed forward. "I believe in them. I believe in us. I trust that we'll overcome your despair and hold on to hope instead."

His faith was clearly misplaced since there was already a murder the day after the motive was handed out.

The most shocking part was that the culprit had an entirely separate motive than the one Monokuma gave them. It was a crime of passion and it was her most passionate murder yet judging by the bloodbath of evidence. Genocider Syo was on the loose and Byakuya was right within her MO. The trial felt so wrong not only because they were basically condemning someone to their death, but also because Touko was an innocent bystander dragged into this. Just because they were separate personalities didn't change the fact that they shared a body. Syo was the one who killed and not Touko but both of them died together during the execution.

The next murder happened three days after the motive was given. Most of them thought that money wasn't enough reason to kill someone but Yasuhiro thought otherwise. He wasn't planning on killing anyone at first but then he divined that he'd pull it off successfully and he trusted his fortunes despite being correct only a third of the time. He chose Leon only because the fortunes told him that red was his lucky color. Unfortunately for him, this was one of his missed fortunes and he begged for forgiveness all throughout his execution.

Perhaps the most unexpected of them all was that caused by the Despair Fever. Kiyotaka had been the unfortunate soul to be inflicted with the remembering symptom without anyone noticing the change in his demeanor. He just wasn't the same person anymore. He kept going on and on about how despair was the ultimate compass and how he was leading justly. He admitted to killing the ever trusting Mondo who walked in when he had just finished slaughtering the easy target Hifumi. It was disturbing to see him so at peace over what he had done. He was the only person who looked like he was enjoying his execution.

The fourth murder wasn't supposed to be one at all. They were trapped in the strawberry house and they were starving. They would have all starved to death if nobody killed. Sakura was going to quietly sacrifice herself so that the rest of them could live. However, when Aoi found out, she raced to kill herself first. She even had her suicide note written hurriedly. In her final breaths, Sayaka had accidentally walked in on her. Instead of helping Aoi, she saw this as an opportunity and delivered the final blow. She almost got away with the murder if it weren't for Kyouko pointing out inconsistencies in her testimonies. She struggled but ultimately lost her life at her execution.

The final murder case seemed like the longest one not just because of the trial itself but also because of the high strung tension before it.

"Shall we make a gamble?" Celes played her best smile. "I bet that I can weed out the traitor."

"And then what? Kill him?" Mukuro eyed her warily, judging her every movement.

"There's no need for you to go to such extremes." Sakura intervened with a calm voice in an effort to diffuse the incoming fight. "What good would finding out the traitor's identity do us? Our priority should be preventing any more killings."

"I'm inclined to agree with Sakura." Makoto swallowed thickly. "We just got over that last one. I think we should rest and clear our heads first before jumping into decisions."

That sounded reasonable enough and yet- "But what if the traitor's planning something behind our backs?" Kyouko didn't even falter when all eyes fell on her. In fact if anything, she narrowed her eyes at Celes. "You're not the volunteering type. Finding the traitor's identity seems like an out of character move from you. What's your angle?"

The accusation only made Celes smile wider. "Oh, is that worry I hear in your voice? I'm flattered over your concern." She giggled when she saw Kyouko's lips form a thin line. "Relax, I'm just exercising my talent. It has been a while since my last use of it."

Kyouko did not have the patience today not when she knew that the gambler was planning something. She had to back her to a corner and make her talk before any more casualties arose. "What did you see in the Final Dead Room?" She pressed on.

Celes had been the only one able to enter the Final Dead Room during the lockdown and she's been tightlipped about her findings ever since. Weapons was all she would answer when asked but Kyouko knew that she was hiding something. Her poker face was incredibly unreadable so whether or not Kyouko's interrogation was phasing her, it was hard to tell. Celes' smile had not faltered ever since the conversation started.

"Weapons." She answered again, her smile was a touch bit of mocking. "But if you must know, a weapon is only as lethal as its wielder." She added lightheartedly what sounded like a threat.

Mukuro instantly changed her stance and growled, "If you try anything, I'll have you personally know why I'm called a human killing machine."

"P-Please, no violence!" Chihiro pleaded while shaking out of fear.

Ryouko on the other hand, wanted nothing of this. "This has nothing to do with me..." She mumbled to herself as she turned a blind eye over the fight. She's just here to figure out her memories. Anything outside of that, she was not obligated to be a part of.

As if she ate death threats on a daily basis, Celes answered Mukuro's steely gaze with her own, silently conveying her own resolve. She turned her eyes back to Kyouko's and proudly said, "I haven't lost a bet before in my life."

"What are you wagering?" Kyouko asked her one last question.

Celes' smile almost seemed genuine. "The highest stakes, of course."

She went missing that night and led them on a wild goose chase that lasted for almost a week. Just when they thought they'd caught up with her, the trail would go cold and a different clue would surface. They wouldn't have played her game of chase if only she hadn't taken the islands as hostage with bomb threats. She kept everyone on edge and on the lookout for her and for the bombs.

They found the bombs first and then her corpse next.

A locked room murder. That's what it was and after clearing suspicions on each other, they had decided that it was clearly suicide. There was just no other possibility.

"You've got that wrong!" Makoto objected just before they could cast their votes. "Don't you think it's a bit weird? Celes isn't the type to just kill herself."

"Yeah, well Kiyotaka looked plenty innocent too." Ryouko argued back. "For all we know, she could have been infected by the despair disease and hiding her symptoms all this time?.

"But wasn't that cured after the third trial?" Chihiro chipped in.

"It's true. My fearing symptom was alleviated as soon as the... execution was over." Sakura confirmed morosely.

"Well if you put it that way... We still don't know why she wanted to kill herself." Mukuro added thoughtfully.

"She obviously couldn't find out who the traitor was and killed herself out of gambler's honor or something." Ryouko argued with a scoff. She just wanted this to be over and done with.

"I doubt that honor is the first thing that comes to mind when being a gambler." Kyouko crossed her arms in thought. "But it is rather peculiar as to why she chose this specific method to die. Given all the hardship she's thrown over us this past few days, this death seems too easy."

"Then we all agree that we should discuss about this more, right? At least let's try to uncover the whole truth before we close this permanently." Makoto suggested and with most of them nodding in agreement, he continued with heavy breath, "We'll get through this, I'm sure of it... No matter what truth we uncover."

The truth may have been better left unknown as they all turned to the culprit with a sickening sense of betrayal.

“...Aww, you totally guessed right!" Makoto tried to smile but it came out half-hearted, somber. "Just as expected... Yeah, you got that right... I'm the traitor.”

But even more powerful than betrayal was the conflicting sorrow they felt over his fate.

"There... There has to be a mistake!" Mukuro pleaded with desperation. "How sure are we that it was the traitor who did the killing blow? Maybe it was Celes for all we know! Maybe Makoto's luck somehow saved him a few seconds just before he could become a killer unknowingly!"

"We've gone over this before..." Kyouko cut her off right there. Her bangs covered her eyes so it was hard to tell what kind of expression she was making but her voice sounded more collected than usual, unfeeling. "We're absolutely certain that Celes died by accidental intervention at the traitor's hands. With Makoto's streak of bad luck, it even makes more sense that he'd be the culprit."

"Of a murder he never planned!" Mukuro shouted, her voice was raw with emotion. "Are you seriously accepting this? His only crime was that he was at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and threw the wrong bottle! He's a murderer by a goddamn technicality!"

"But a murderer under the rules nonetheless!" Kyouko yelled back and the whole room fell silent. She held her chin up and revealed streaks of tears down her eyes. Her voice trembled now and it was so soft, it sounded like she would almost break. "I don't approve of this any more than you but we both know what we must do in order to survive." She couldn't hold back any more and covered her face as she cried over her helplessness.

Mukuro wanted to say something to that but she bit her lip. She knew and understood their situation. It wasn't Kyouko's fault that they had to make this choice but that didn't make her any less angry. Her fists were clenched so hard that if she hadn't been wearing gloves then she would have drawn blood. It wasn't just the two of them who were hurting over this. Everyone had their own anguish painted across their faces and sobs echoed through the trial room.

And Makoto, sweet innocent about to die Makoto, he was smiling softly.

"It's alright... I don't blame you for making this choice. If anything, I guess I'm happy that you chose to live." He offered with a small genuine laugh and that made them feel even more guilty at what they were about to do. "I'm sorry that you had to find out about me this way but at least I get to help you in the end."

"Why?" Sakura asked barely above her sobs. "If you just revealed that you were the traitor then maybe we could have avoided these fatalities."

Makoto just smiled somberly and crossed his arms as he explained, “A traitor who's not allowed to think that they're different from everyone else... A traitor who can only interact with everyone as a traitor..." He barked out a bitter laugh. "Because that's the nature of their existence... They can only exist as a traitor...”

"That's right. In the end, you're still the traitor!" Ryouko pointed at him with a scowl. Unlike everyone else, her anger seemed to be directed at him. "You've been deceiving us all this time! I... We... We thought you were our friend but it turns out that you're working for them! All that talk about friendship and hope? Was none of that real?"

He steadied her a hard glance, his voice unfaltering. "Everything was real. Everything said and happened between us was real. Believe in me when I say that all of that was real and genuine. The only difference is that I'm just a traitor. I lied about not being the traitor but everything else was the truth."

"I don't understand. If everything else was true..." Chihiro said in between his sniffles. "Then what does you being a traitor make you different?"

"Sorry... but I don't have what it takes to tell you." When met with pleading looks he continued, "Even if you want to fly, you can't, right? Even if you want to swim where you please, you can't right? It's the same for me, I guess..."

Aside from the sounds of crying, no one spoke. The air felt too heavy to breathe in. Some of them shut their eyes in a futile effort to look away from the inevitable while the others bravely looked on with blurred visions, memorizing every detail before he would cease to exist. He was crying too but he was smiling more than anything.

It was his kind smile that they would miss the most.

"Yeah, yeah whatever! Look are you going to vote or not? 'Cause I swear I'm going to execute all of you regardless if nothing happens in the next ten seconds!" Monokuma ordered them impatiently and even began his countdown.

Makoto's smile was heavy in their hearts.

“...You guys can stay alive by believing in me.” He urged them on, almost pleading. He placed a hand over his chest, a gesture that showed he trusted them wholeheartedly to make the right choice. “You don't have to worry. Believe in me... and cast your vote.”

So they did and they were right. And oh, how they wished they were wrong.

“Monomi... I'm sorry, too." He said as he crouched to her level. "You're probably gonna get scolded by a lot of different people for this... But still, I want to protect everyone by any means. And... I'm happy that I'm able to do that.”

"I'm surprised that you would even do that!" Monomi said in between her sniffles. "I didn't think you could... pull it off."

“Maybe I wanted to protect everyone, no matter what the cost.” Makoto confessed and then shook his head. "No, not maybe. I'm sure of it." The smile on his lips seemed lighter as he continued, “I was able to think I wanted to protect everyone. That's why... I feel proud of my actions.”

"I'm proud of you too! You did good!" Monomi cried as she hugged him. "I can't let my student go in alone so... this teacher's coming with you."

"Are you sure?" He pulled back and stared questioningly at her eyes. "You know you don't have to. I'm the one who's supposed to be executed. Who's going to watch over them?"

"You've grown up, Makoto. You're able to make decisions on your own now. If you believe in them so much then I want to believe in them too." She puffed at her chest for emphasis. "This teacher needs to do some growing up too. I'm coming with you and that's final."

"Okay, okay. Thank you." He laughed out of relief. "To be honest, I'm kind of scared. I feel bad for bringing you along with me but if you say so..." He tightly held her stuffed paw as he stood up. “Let's believe in everyone... and leave the rest to them...”

He turned toward his friends who were reluctant to let him go.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye." He waved at them one last time with a smile that was too happy for the occasion. "Bye everyone... It's okay. A shining future will always be waiting for you. It's true... It's absolutely true... Because I believe in you! So don't lose hope!”

Makoto left them with hope but all the others could feel was an emptiness where his life should have filled in.

---

They didn't know what to believe in anymore.

Everything about this world was fake. The whole island and even them included, all was fake. This was all a literal game, a virtual program where they were just mere avatars walking about. They were all just strings of numbers without knowing it. No matter how real everything seemed to them, it just wasn't. They saw it firsthand how their world glitched and collapsed right in front of them. This was a virtual world and they were merely players. It made them question their existence. Was none of this ever real?

"So if our brains believe something is real... then it's no different than if it actually happened?" Ryouko couldn't believe what she was saying. This has got to be a lie, a horrible yet terrifyingly believable lie.

"If a lie is a believable lie... You're saying it might become the truth?" Sakura looked just as bewildered as the rest of them.

"We're really just connected to machines and our consciousness was uploaded into here...?" Chihiro understood more than anyone else just how possible that was but that didn't mean he was more accepting. "So we genuinely believed that this game world was real and we didn't know any better."

"The truth is... it was all a lie... That is this world's truth." Kyouko concluded grimly.

Mukuro tried to combat the shock with anger. "Who cares if it's a lie? If this is really a game world, everything that happened here took place inside the game, right?"

"I see, just because they died in the virtual world doesn't mean they died in real life." Sakura jumped onto her train of thought with an unexpected hope. "Those who left before us only died in spirit here but are still alive in the real world."

Chihiro didn't seem that convinced with the theory however. "I'm not sure if that's how it works..."

"You sore losers just don't get it do you?" Monokuma sighed and shook his head almost sympathetically if he was even capable of that. "The New World Program isn't just any game, it's next-gen software containing the ultimate reality. And speaking of that reality, if a player's avatar experiences death... Their brains inside their actual bodies will stop functioning too!"

Whatever little hope they were building up was trampled on just like that.

"Well nobody's gonna appreciate a game where you don't die where you're supposed to, right?" He casually said as if their lives meant nothing to him.

"You bastard!" Mukuro swore and she would have murdered the bear many times over if it weren't for the stupid rule about violence against this so called headmaster.

"Hey, don't blame me. I'm just here for the show. If you want to be mad at someone then get mad at Future Foundation. They're the ones who are forcing you to play this game." Monokuma suddenly paused and if it were possible, it's smile seemed to grow wider. "Speaking of the devil... The main cast has arrived!"

There was a flash of bright light at one of the stands. As the light began to fade, strings of numbers started to materialize until those numbers converged into something more tangible- a person. This person carried an air of power and authority that was more than just from their suit. Their hair was black and there was something abyssmal about its length as it mixed with their own shadow. And then there was the all piercing gaze from his red eyes. This person wasn't just anyone, whoever he was, he was unspeakably dangerous.

"Look who came for a fan favorite comeback! Classic!" Monokuma cheered and even clapped in encore. "Welcome Future Foundation's poster boy, the Ultimate Hope himself, Izuru Kamukura!"

Ultimate Hope? Ironically enough, all they could feel was trepidation as they regarded the suspicious newcomer with caution.

Izuru paid them no mind as he cut right to the chase, precise. "If you want to be saved then you all need to fully accept the situation you're in. Why do you think Future Foundation put you in the New World Program in the first place?" He expounded, "The New World Program has another name: Hope Restoration Program. By now you should be able to piece together your true identities."

"True identities? Aren't we the fifteen survivors of Hope's Peak Academy who were rescued by the Future Foundation?" Chihiro asked, obviously afraid of where this was going.

"But why would they put us in a Hope Restoration Program?" Kyouko countered and judging by her sudden pale expression, it seems that she may have already figured it out.

Something flashed inside Ryouko's mind, something fleeting and yet also familiar. A feeling. A memory. A truth.

A horrible truth.

"We're all... Remnants of Despair?" The words escaped her lips without thinking, her mind was still in shock over the discovery.

Izuru ignored the collective gasp and added, "Despair in human form but utterly inhuman... that's what you are."

Despair. And that's what they felt in this moment, despair piled on top of despair.

"That cannot be true! I refuse to believe that we are capable of falling so low!" Sakura found herself shouting at the outrageous accusation.

He sighed as if bored by their reactions and continued monotonously, "It might seem unbelievable at first because you only have memories from before you entered high school but you changed at Hope's Peak Academy. You were all tainted by Ultimate Despair when you came in contact with HER."

"Her? Just who is this bitch?" Mukuro practically snarled.

"The true Ultimate Despair... Junko Enoshima."

Junko Enoshima. There it was again, that name. It was that same name that nagged at her mind more than the name Ryouko Otonashi. For someone as forgetful as her, it was the one thing that she didn't forget. It was strange, it was as if the name was a parasite that dug itself into her brain. The roots were so deep that it was like it didn't want her to escape from this name. There was something important about it but she didn't feel thrilled at the chance that it was related to her memories. There was something sinister about that name and now she knew that it was because this name belonged to a sinister person. Not just any sinister person but the Ultimate Despair herself.

"Junko was the one who strongly influenced you in school and changed you into Despairs. And in order to remove that influence, you've been placed into the Hope Restoration Program." Izuru explained with no remorse. "The reason you're able to act like your normal selves is because you're within the New World Program but your true bodies in the real world are different. In the real world, you're part of a group that cruelly destroyed your family, friends, and even your own body. The Ultimate Despair defy all understanding and even their own hopes."

The room errupted into a chorus of denial and each face was painted with despair.

"T-There's no way we'd do something like that!" Ryouko objected but was surprised because a part of her believed what he was saying. No, not just believed... it was more like she already knew from the beginning.

"It's useless to feign ignorance anymore. Don't turn away from the truth." Izuru slammed his hand, effectively silencing the room. "Now face what you've done and from there take the first step towards the path of hope!"

Hope? What did he mean by hope?

"But if we're already Despairs as you said then what hope do we have?" Mukuro asked weakly not quite meeting anyone's eyes.

"There's no need to worry. If you just advance toward the hope I provide then you'll be saved. It's that simple." He crossed his arms as he expounded, "Essentially, your cohabitation inside the New World Program was just a simulation. If we removed the memories of your time at Hope's Peak Academy, would it also remove your Ultimate Despair? Although it deviated from the original plan of you collecting Hope Fragments, nevertheless you guys were able to overcome your unexpected trials and make your way here." He paused to let that sink in before adding, "That's why... all you need to do is choose 'Graduate'."

"And by choosing to 'graduate', we can get out of here?" Kyouko asked skeptically.

"However, if you 'graduate' from here, your school memories will never return." Monokuma pointed out.

"If you choose to 'graduate' and the Observer determines that there are no problems then you will complete the Hope Restoration Program and your avatar will be 'uploaded' into your real body." Izuru explained furthermore.

"By uploading our avatar's memories into our bodies, we're also forcibly erasing our past selves..." Kyouko pieced together out loud.

"H-Hey... What happens to the people whose avatars died?" Mukuro on the other hand was more concerned about those left behind than this existential crisis.

"If an avatar that needs to be uploaded has been deleted, there's nothing we can do." Izuru bluntly answered without hesitation. "If you choose to 'Graduate', it'll transfer your in-game memories but your school memories will be gone forever. Unfortunately, the people who have already died will not be able to wake up."

Despite being in a virtual world, they still couldn't escape the reality of their friends' deaths.

"Then... What will happen if we don't choose to 'graduate'?" Mukuro asked, her voice carrying a slight tremble.

"You'll continue living your tropical life. How boring." He stifled a yawn.

"Why would you even ask that? Don't you want to get out of here?" Ryouko asked, her voice laced with betrayal.

Mukuro simply looked away. "Well even if we wake up, we're still messed up... So what's the point?"

"You don't have to force yourself to return to a painful reality. Let's just play this game forever and ever. Don't worry, I won't judge." Monokuma commented snidely.

"Is it really okay to sacrifice the others just to save ourselves?" Chihiro offered his own thoughts.

"But if we don't get out of here now, all the deaths we've endured will be in vain. We at least owe to them our survival." Sakura argued but even she seemed torn about it.

Kyouko who has been silent this whole time, finally spoke up but it wasn't about the current issue. "Something's not right..." Specifically concerning a certain bear. "How come Monokuma's isn't trying to stop us?"

"What? Don't tell me you're expecting so much from little ol' me." Monokuma blushed. "Hate to break it to ya but I'm just an NPC. Even I know when I'm not needed for plot."

"Are you really? Are you truly going to stay quiet and overlook us getting out of this game world? Then everything you did would be pointless, too." She continued her line of reasoning.

"Hey, not everything has to have a point! I'm an impulsive bear who does what he wants with no greater meaning." He needlessly twirled. "Not bothering to care or plan for anything keeps the stress away. How else do you think I got this wrinkle-free face of youth?"

"Not only that..." She then directed her accusation towards the only other silent person in the room. "Is it really okay for us to believe him? Don't you think it's a little strange?"

"Strange? It seems you still don't grasp your situation." Izuru didn't seem the least bit phased at all. "Be saved or don't be saved. Be grateful that you're even offered the first option when you are Remnants of Despair. How hard is it for you to understand that?"

"You said you were the Ultimate Hope and that it was you who put us inside this program, right?" She wasn't intimidated by him at all as she continued her interrogation with narrowed eyes, "Then tell me who Hajime Hinata is whom we met earlier and claimed to be the same?"

"..." He fell silent for a long while until a chuckle passed through his lips. "So you've made contact, huh? Should have known that he'd be able to hack through... I should have gone with his face after all but then again even I don't want to wear that boring loser's face." With that, he disappeared from sight.

"He vanished because he couldn't keep up the charade anymore." Sakura pointed out, still staring at where Izuru was just a moment ago.

"So that fake was all Monokuma's doing?" Chihiro was still overcoming the shock from that.

"Awwww, you found out I was faking! Th-This is so embarassing, I just wanna kill myself!" Monokuma acted all flustered and shy.

"Why would you give us a fake Future Foundation member!" Ryouko yelled indignantly.

"That fake was trying to get us out to the 'real world'..." Kyouko pointed out with a scowl.

"Then that's your plan? Is that where your trap is?!" Mukuro shouted, absolutely furious. "I don't care about the rules anymore! I'm going to kill you right here and now!!"

"Stop! You can't kill me yet! This isn't some stupid game with a half-assed ending like that!" Monokuma shouted back with just as much anger.

"You should stop calling all of this as that. This isn't a game." Sakura reprimanded and it looked like she was ready for murder as well.

That actually made Monokuma chuckle. "Oh, but this IS a game. And like all epic games, there's still the final boss." He tucked in his elbows and began charging energy. "Upupu... Get ready for the transformation you've all been waiting for! AAAAAHHHHHH!"

Ryouko felt an intense foreboding feeling about this. Like the inside of her brain was burning, sizzling, building up to explode kind of feeling. An inescapable kind of feeling of what was about to come.

"Now then! Make sure you burn this ginormous despair you're about to see into your memories!"

As Monokuma burned brightly in an aura of his own energy, a gigantic manicured hand squashed him unceremoniously out of nowhere. More of the world collapsed and crumbled, and from the debris rose a giant woman with a face that showed no remorse. Despite having the face of a fashionable teenager, there was something menacing about her aura. It's as if malice practically seeped through her. She then nonchalantly pulled out a phone and placed it in front of them. The screen flickered to life as the same woman was shown but this time more animated.

"This is... Monokuma's identity?" Sakura regarded her warily.

"We have to deal with this thing?" Mukuro's hand was already on her knife.

"Thing? How rude!" Junko huffed and wailed her arms. "I don't want to hear that from such a disappointing sister!"

"?!" Mukuro flinched and without a moment's hesitation, her glare turned up to a dangerous level. "Don't ever refer to me as anything remotely close."

"Well girl, do I have some news for you." Junko giggled shortly and all of a sudden her mood swung to a more somber tone. "Ah, but then again, spoilers. Can't let you know that early in the game."

"Can't let us know what?" Kyouko hounded her.

"Y'all can't take a hint, huh? I just said NO SPOILERS!" Junko yelled harshly and then started acting all bashful. "Kyaaah! This is so embarrassing! Everyone's staring at me so intensely!"

"Her personality isn't consistent at all." Chihiro pointed out fearfully.

Mushrooms sprouted all over Junko as she sighed. "Well sorry for trying so hard to cater to your generation's short attention span. You guys get so bored so easily that the only way I can keep up is by changing personalities every five seconds."

And while everyone was trying to absorb the sudden appearance of their ultimate enemy, there was one who was taking this harder than the rest, for reasons not even she could comprehend. "Are you... Are you truly the Junko Enoshima?" Ryouko asked with a trembling voice.

Junko paused and a large grin slowly spread across her face. "Hmm? Why would you ask that specifically?"

Ryouko's mouth opened to answer something but nothing came out. She's not sure either why she asked that or what answer she was expecting. If they only had memories from before high school then there's no way for her to have known Junko's face and yet... For some reason, Ryouko couldn't help but feel that she recognized Junko. And the manic grin on her face told her that Junko recognized Ryouko too. It was unsettling.

"I am the great Junko Enoshima among other things but you can just call me Junkie! After all, aren't we all Ultimate Despair here? So that makes us all buddies!" Junko happily announced in a sing-song tone.

"Like hell we are!" Mukuro objected and so did the rest of them.

"Sheesh, tough crowd." Junko sighed dejectedly. "And here I was thinking of you guys when I tampered with the Graduation Program."

"Tampered...?" Chihiro hesitantly asked.

"Got yer attentions now, ey?" Junko winked at them. "Remember what that fake Izuru said earlier? About what happens to you when you graduate, right? I feel like you guys weren't getting a big enough reward for graduating... So I decided to modify what happens so it's something exciting and unique, just like a game!"

The gigantic Junko retrieved the phone and tapped on the keypad a few times before setting it back with an image blown up on screen. "Uploading your game memories into your real bodies is fine, but letting your friends stay dead just sucks! That's why I'm pulling off a deus ex machina to ressurect them! This is the 'new Graduation Program' that I'm offering!"

"Can you really... bring them back?" Mukuro asked desperately, almost hopefully.

"Of course I can! Who do you think I am? I hacked into here so I can hack their lives back!" Junko then stood up straighter and sharply declared, "Besides, what are you all getting stressed for? It's just a game. Each and every thing that happened in this world was just an event within the game."

"Isn't what you're saying now is just contradicting what you said earlier?" Chihiro countered.

"I was obviously just messing with y'all. There's no way anything that occurred in the game could affect the real world." Junko casually said. "That's why you should finish this game and go back to living a normal life in the real world!"

"Will our friends be there with us on the other side? Is returning truly that easy?" Sakura doubted.

"I just said so, didn't I? Sheesh, kids these days don't know how to listen anymore." Junko scoffed at them.

"If we go back, what do you get out of it? What benefit do you get by making us return to the real world?" Kyouko questioned her, still not buying into the deal.

"All I want is to put on this graduation performance in a more dramatic way." Junko answered in her sickly sweet tone. "Well, if you doubt me, you don't have to go back. Is that what you want? Not to go back?"

"If it'll bring our dead friends back... it's all we can do."

"Everyone can go back together. There's no reason to hesitate..."

"There is no way we can choose to stay here after all we've been through... we have to get out."

"In the end, we need to get back to the real world... where we'll all be together again."

"There's no other choice... but even so..."

Light flashed and in its place, a person materialized. "Don't press it! This is... Junko's trap!"

"And thus, the main character gallantly appears!" Junko practically squealed in delight. "Here's the bland looking hero Hajimemes!"

Hajime just scowled at the nickname. "It's over, Junko. Now that I'm here, I can finally settle things between us once and for all."

"Uh, don't you mean twice? Since this isn't our first meeting or did you forget, silly?" She giggled and then her whole demeanor turned cold in a blink. "Your presence here won't do shit. As long as you're here, you'll be treated like one of my students. So you can't pull off any Ultimate Hope convenient talent under my watch."

"I know better than to use cheap tricks to defeat you." He crossed his arms defensively, not backing down.

At this point, everyone had forgone questioning Hajime's sudden appearance. There was something more urgent than that in their minds. "Hey, just what do you mean by "trap"? What is Junko's trap?"

His lips were a thin line as he answered, "She's lying to you about your dead friends coming back to life. Junko's goal is to convert the Hope Restoration Program to the Despair Restoration Program. She intends to upload herself into the bodies of everyone who's had their avatars deleted."

The whole room was shocked into silence as the color drained from their faces.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Operation: Junko-fy All Mankind begins here!" She announced and even flashed a slideshow to go with her exposition. "Even if they're overwritten by my Alter Ego, it doesn't mean they'll be a completely different person. The data of everyone who died is stored within me, so I'm sure I can convincingly act out their personalities." She hollered boisterously. "With this, my despair utopia where you can despair as you please, Junkoland, will be complete! Aw yeah! Our dreams are expanding-anding-anding!"

"Why would you... why would anyone do that?"

"Because Junko Enoshima is the True Ultimate Despair." Hajime answered for them. "She doesn't yearn for any kind of future at all. She fills every person she meets with despair!

"For me, despair is not a goal, or a set of principles, or a lifestyle, or even an instinct." She added with a hint of pride. "It's what defines me as Junko Enoshima! It's just my characterization!

There was something about her words that resonated with Ryouko and at this point, she may have already gone past the point of caring.

"There is a way for you to get out of here without Junko getting out." Hajime offered. "The shutdown sequence that not even the teacher can stop."

"You say that as if it was an option." She stuck out her tongue at him. "Did Mr.-I-Have-All-Talents suddenly forget how to do math? Because last time I checked, six ain't a majority vote!"

"Who says that I didn't bring backup?" He smirked at her.

And as if summoned on cue, a bright flash of light shone in the stand on his right and from there another person materialized. "It's truly an honor to be here and witness despair get crushed by hope yet again!"

The same happened with the stand to his left. "There's no way we can leave these guys alone not when everyone has been fighting so hard!"

"Nggh! Fan favorite characters!" Junko scowled at the new arrivals with obvious disgust. "Stop stealing the spotlight from me! This fic ain't about you guys so scram!"

"Of course this isn't about you. You are merely a pawn in the grand scheme of everything. You're just here to serve as a stepping stone for hope." Nagito said with a smile but there was an underlying threat in his tone. "And it seems that you've already outlived your use."

"This isn't a game and you shouldn't be alive. You've been brought back to life one too many times and it's time to put you down." Chiaki declared with solid determination. "This is the final boss fight and we'll definitely beat you!"

"It seems the majority has spoken." Hajime's smirk hasn't been wiped off the whole time. "You set yourself up to fall the moment you hacked into my program."

Junko looked like she was backed into a corner but just like her personalities, that didn't last long since her confidence came back in full swing. "Is it really the majority? Wouldn't you like to know what the rest's thoughts are?"

The attention suddenly shifted back to the five survivors who was too caught up with the abrupt pace that they almost forgot that they still needed to decide.

"If we do the shutdown sequence... what will happen to us?" Chihiro asked even though he already had a vague idea as to what it was.

"If you shutdown the New World Program, everything within the program will be deleted." Hajime replied and looked them all head on. "That includes Alter Ego Junko and... even your avatars."

"Does that mean we'll... be deleted too?" Sakura asked softly.

"Yes, most definitely." Nagito answered all too nonchalantly. "But don't worry! It's a small sacrifice to pay for defeating the Ultimate Despair. You'll all be practically heroes of hope!"

"It doesn't mean you'll be deleted. The program will just finish without completing the Graduation Program." Hajime corrected. "Basically, your avatars will not upload... so you will revert to your original state before you entered the program."

"Back to being Remnants of Despair." Ryouko concluded.

"It may be a painful decision but I know you guys can endure it." Chiaki offered her voice of support. "That's why, in order to defeat despair, I want you guys to fight alongside us!"

"The brainwashing your bodies have gone through will be undone." Hajime further explained. "That's why I'm pretty sure you'll quickly revert back to the state you're in right now. Your safety and well-being will be guaranteed with this command."

"If our brainwashing is undone, the memories we made up until now... will vanish?" Mukuro knew it was the logical choice but she still couldn't help but hesitate. To forget...

"Does that mean we'll completely forget everything we did on this island? I don't want that!" Chihiro started crying over what would be the loss of precious memories. To forget...

"Even if there were a lot of painful memories, there are those that I would still wish to keep." Sakura brought a hand to her chest as she silently grieved. To forget...

"To forget everything that happened here... including him whose existence was solely created here." Kyouko didn't even mask her emotions this time as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. To forget...

"This is cruel! Why are we forced to make these shitty decisions? It's unfair!" Ryouko wailed in frustration at everything. Even if these weren't her original memories, they're still all that she has. To forget them all would mean having her start from nothing again. To forget...

"It doesn't matter what's fair, that's the reality. Every meaningless thing that happened here will vanish." Junko mocked their suffering with a lopsided grin. To forget...

"Oh, right let's not forget to thank the mastermind!" Junko clapped her hands giddily. "Who else could have pulled this off other than... ME!" She then turned her head to one person in particular. Her smile was full of malice. "Isn't that right, Ryouko?"

To remember...

In that moment, Ryouko finally remembered and so she died.

"Upupu..." She started chuckling until she was all out bursting with laughter. "Upupupu! That's right! Ryouko Otonashi, never, even, existed, in, the, first, place!" She was laughing so hard that she was hysterical. "Upupu, hilarious, isn't it? It's so despair inducing that it's hilarious!"

"Man, I can't believe that I was stuck playing this half-assed character for the span of a whole fic. Laaaame!" She complained with grand hand gestures. "Oh it feels so great to be me again! God I missed myself so much! I mean, there's no one quite as despairful as me!"

"What's going on?" Chihiro asked fearfully.

"Oh, right. I forgot that you guys aren't updated." She deadpanned to her classmates. "Turns out that Ryouko was just a poser. My true identity is far grander than that not so flat trying hard character."

"Could it be that you've regained your memories?" Mukuro questioned warily.

"Well duh! Obvious much?" She groaned. "Way to go for filler lines. Oh my god, you're as disappointing as ever! Just go kill yourself!"

"Did she really?" Sakura doubted. "It seems as if she's showing Despair Fever symptoms rather than mere memory recollection."

"What if it's both?" She smiled knowingly. "What if my memories are so despair inducing that I've fallen into despair all over again? Isn't that just despairing? All this struggle for survival and hope, only to find out that there's no hope for me at all! In fact, I don't want hope at all! Like get that disgusting hope away from me ya freaks!"

"This speech pattern... there's only one possible candidate." Kyouko's lips formed a grim thin line. "Your true identity is... Junko Enoshima, isn't it?"

"Fucking finally! The totally expected plot twist is revealed!" She whined. "Man, if this were a fic and I were a reader, I'd probably have given up on this at the third cutscene because the buildup for this has been too long! In fact, it's been so long that this scene is just anticlimactic!"

"But enough about me! Let's not forget that this whole thing was made for you!" AI Junko interrupted with a cheerful shout. Yeah, now there were two Junko's in the room. "You still have to cast your vote!"

"Tch. This was your trap all along..." Hajime said through gritted teeth.

"Um, correction. This was YOUR trap all along." AI Junko smugly replied.

"It seems that the plan backfired. As expected of the Ultimate Despair, rehabilitation was just not possible." Nagito let out a dejected sigh. "No matter how much you erase of her, there's always a residue of despair that no amount of overwriting can completely wipe off."

"We were hoping that the New World Program could rehabilitate even the True Ultimate Despair and maybe it would have if there weren't any interferences..." Chiaki crossed her arms. "But this turned out to be the worst case scenario. Rather than rejecting Junko Enoshima, she chose to accept her and rejected Ryouko Otonashi instead."

"And with Ryouko's personality dead, there's no chance of resurrecting her with that identity anymore." Hajime continued grimly. "If we did the shutdown sequence, everyone will revert back to how they were before... everyone including Junko Enoshima."

"Wait! That means that whatever we choose, this bitch will still come back to the real world!" Mukuro yelled, her face was the picture of desperation.

"Sucks to be you!" Junko stuck out her tongue at them. "Don't you wish you were me instead?"

"Never. You are the embodiment of everything we stand against. We would never even think of becoming anything close to a monster such as yourself." Sakura strongly objected.

"Ah, ah, ah!" AI Junko wagged her finger at them. "Don't say things that you don't actually mean." She grinned mockingly. "After all, we're all Remnants of Despair here. That means that at some point you did choose to become like me and at present, your real bodies are still the "monsters" you hate! Isn't that absolutely despairing?"

"We didn't choose you. You brainwashed us. I'm sure you manipulated us at some point and turned us into... into those things!" Chihiro trembled as he argued back.

"Fair enough, there was some brainwashing involved." Junko casually shrugged. "But let bygones be bygones, am I right? Who cares if I brainwashed you before, you're gonna have that conveniently ctrl+z'ed once you shutdown this shindig!" She grinned lopsidedly. "And I'm gonna be there with you once you get out and we're gonna party so hard it'll be like the end of the world all over again!"

"Don't think we'll let you get away with what you want." Kyouko glared at her with a venom unlike ever before. "We'll figure out a way to stop you and your despair. This isn't over."

"Oh, that you got right. It's far from over, upupu..." Junko laughed audaciously at their misery and AI Junko bellowed from behind. "The final chapter hasn't been decided just yet. Isn't that excitingly despairing? Who knows how this will end? Hell, even I don't know! So it's time to play one final game!"

The world as they knew it had long been destroyed and now all they have left was the future, a future that they had yet to decide on.

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N Yeah, sorry for leaving you guys with a cliffhanger but you gotta understand, this was getting frustratingly long. I even got so tired that I forgone Junkie switching personalities. It was just too damn long and I wanted to write something else already. I burned out I guess... sorry.

It's kind of ironic that I started this prompt because I wanted to write specifically the scene where Naegi's ghost comes back to talk hope into the survivors but in the end, that's the only scene I didn't get to write. I do hope that you'd still appreciate the rest of this. Again, sorry for the incomplete mess but I hope you enjoyed some part of it.