Talent is contradictory. We have an abundance of it, yet are far too often blind to it. It Is within reaching distance, and yet there are many whom despite their best efforts cannot grasp it.
The chosen few who do get a hold of it also suffered. For they had the know-how to create a better world, and yet were not given the tools for which to carry this out. These Ultimates were at the forefront of Izuru Kamakura's mind in the dying days of the second world war, even more so than the tragedies that would be wrought upon that country. And so, while the country recovered, he proposed and received a grant for an academy dedicated to making sure that the Ultimates could become productive members of society.
This, in a nutshell, was the idea behind the construction of Hope's Peak Academy. Japan intended the academy to be THE premier school for gifted people. It didn't matter the talent, big or small, vital or frivolous, if you were the best of the best, and of high school age, you were in luck. It prospered for years under the guiding hands of, originally, Izuru Kamakura, then Kazuo Tengan and since 2002, Jin Kirigiri.
Since it's inception, the success rate of the students who have attended there has been phenomenal. Among those nurtured in this bosom of interest are several high ranking scientists, entertainers, writers, campaigners, artists and even a prime minister of some reknown.
But only for Japan. And thus, the rest of the world was left to angrily wait outside, looking in, with only the occasional foreign exchange student giving them any piece of the very lucrative and very worthwhile work that the Acadmey did.
Until, that is, the year nineteen sixty-seven.
On that year, Prime Minister Harold Wilson of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Eisaku SatÅ of Japan came to an agreement, with the backing of then Vice-Headmaster Tengan, to construct a school that operated similarly to Hope's Peak in Britain. Obviously, though the criteria of what the school should expect from it's pupils would remain much the same, the process would be very much Anglicanised for the purposes of the UK. It was agreed that, in order to avoid potential arguments amongst England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland about whom would host this academy and other such nitpicky questions, that new ground must be broken.
Considered a folly by many, the newly named 'Prosperity' Academy was not expected to make it's due date, and was instead suggested to be a pipe dream, a promise that Wilson could not have delivered upon, especially in light of the rumours regarding someone spying upon him.
It was, then, quite surprising to all when Prosperity was opened on schedule, in nineteen sixty-eight, as the first sixteen students took their place in the annuals of history. The school opened upon an artificially created Island, a result of the US, UK and Japan contributing to create something of a technological marvel. The deal had been intended to open the door to a US school of a similar nature, but that sadly was not to be, as all further attempts to create such a school were disrupted by in-company squabbling.
And since then, Prosperity has...well, prospered.
It cannot be understated as to the effects on British culture that this Academy has provided. In terms of politics, over sixty percent of those in political roles at the Academy have ascended to a cabinet of some sort. In entertainment, musicians, actors, dancers, special effects designers and many, many others have taken the world by storm, creating iconic work/performance after iconic work/performance. In literature, some have argued that the next Dickens or Orwell have emerged from this crucible, and in terms of sciences, the United Kingdom is starting to become a ground-breaking super power once more. Hope's Peak, currently entering the eighties with it's classes, is still miles and away the most recognizable of these schools, but little by little, Prosperity is beginning to surmount that pinnacle.
The staff are mostly former pupils, these 'Ultimates' who were given so much and now wish to give back. So, if you are considering joining up, think on this. You must be prepared for a lot of hard work ahead. It will be trying. But the rewards you will reap will be quite substantive.
...
The letter had come out of the blue. They had applied, of course they had, but that had mostly been due to urging on their sister's part.
"Go for it! I went to Prosperity, and look at me! And look at you." She had said in THAT kind of way. "And then look at me! See what a world of good it's done for me! And besides, it'll get you out from under my feet!"
They owned the house. She did not. This rankled a little bit with them, but at the same time there was no denying that the idea of applying to such a prestigious position was not a bad one necessarily.
The article was penned by someone who merely signed it as 'LITTLE WONDER'. It was an article in a newspaper of some renown, arguing for the continued existence of Prosperity. It was quite convincing too. Though if it was what they thought it was, namely, a plant from the Academy itself, there was probably a good reason for that.
Casually, they flipped onto another tab, and examined the staff members. They paid little attention to the pictures, though the hair on some people did cause them to raise an eyebrow. That has to be dyed, right? No one had hair THAT colour naturally.
Ultimate Baker. Ultimate Surgeon. Ultimate Thespian. Ultimate Scholar. Ultimate Chemist. Ultimate Footballer.
What a cast.
They looked at this article, biting their lip. Then they looked at the letter once more, holding it with trembling hands that couldn't quite hide the nervous excitement. Finally, with a burst of effort, they stood up and made their way to the telephone.
Perhaps...maybe it would be good to move out of her shadow, for a change.
In retrospect, perhaps it had been wiser if they had just decided to not bother. But they didn't. They dialled the number that was mentioned in the letter, waited for a voice, and when it came, spoke:
"Hello, I'm Pat Elton? I received a letter from you. Regarding the job, is there someone I can talk to? It sounds like a very...fulfilling experience"
Pat Elton: Ultimate Backup: Supply Teacher
Welcome, ladies, gentlemen and those who wish to identify as otherwise, to Dangan Ronpa United Kingdom: Prosperity.
You might be wondering, well, this is an odd first chapter, isn't it? It's very short, fairly exposition heavy, and doesn't really introduce you to many of the characters. That is true, but as I hope to name this when I upload a second chapter, this is more set-dressing than anything else. This is not a SYOC, but I've always appreciated that the first chapter most will read in that type of fanfiction gives a fair account of how things are going to proceed. Consider this a test-run more than anything. I have, at present, nearly completed the entire prologue. But I figured I might as well test the waters for the most part, see what people think of the setting for my story.
A few points I feel I should cover.
-This is an AU. As you will have noticed by the mention of Hope's Peak having surpassed 77-B and 78, the game's events have not come to pass, and this is set in a timeline where Hope's Peak, for better or for ill, has continued much as it would have done were it not for the tragedy. The world is just as it normally was.
-The main character, as you can see here, is non-binary. My apologies if I have screwed up in any respect in this representation, but if I have, I will get better with it. We'll obviously find out a bit more about them in the next chapter.
-The participants in this killing game will number twenty in total. I understand that is a lot, but I feel that I have a fairly decent cast of characters and, for the most part, I have allocated dialogue fairly decently. There will also be ways to break the cast down, but we'll get to that when we get to the introductions.
-Said cast will be comprised of teaching staff. I want to make the story a little different from the norm, and as such, a wider age range means a wider variety of character types. Plus, I can make it themed, so all the subjects I imagine would be in a British Ultimate School will have a representative here. The introduction above will be the norm for introductions. Name: Talent: Position at Prosperity.
-This setting is British, primarily because I am not going to try and do a Japanese-set story, due to my lack of knowledge and fear of screwing things up on that front. I am British, and therefore I feel marginally more confident in my ability to handle this. I will try and make any references clearer in my author's notes, though hopefully I will not need to explain that much.
-A quick note, more a side-thing than anything, this fanfiction will potentially include relationships, some of which will not be straight. Bringing this up now to get that out there, if that isn't your thing, you are not going to enjoy this story.
And that is about it. I hope that you think this is, at the very least, interesting. And hopefully I will put the first large part of the prologue up as soon as I can. Stay gold!