Hey! I am SkyFireAngel, here with the new SYOC Castle of Sand. I drew inspiration from C'est La Mort by Ptroxsora, O Fortuna Velut Luna by Hoprocker, and The Blade of Tribulation by gingericus19, all of which are incredible and highly recommended by me. This SYOC is OPEN with an August 7th deadline. The official character form can be found near the top of my profile; currently, I'm a little low on boys.
By the way, I guess this has SDR2 spoilers. So beware of that.
Disclaimer: I have no entitlement to Dangan Ronpa in any way, shape or form. Woe is me.
Credits to the wonderful pinkpencil3498 for being my beta and putting up with me, which is always a struggle.
"Imbecile."
The voice that spoke out, flat with contempt, reverberated through the room. The subject of this verbal abuse, illuminated by harsh spotlight, fell to his knees in fear as he wrung his hands, a clear nervous habit.
"I had had complete certainty in the ability of the 'Despair Twins' to rid the world of foolish hope and bring it to its knees-" he began nervously.
"Just as you have been now?" the first speaker interrupted; her cruel, high laugh soon filled the room, and the hall filled with mocking laughter as the other members joined in.
"The Despair Twins indeed had some brilliance with our emblem design," the director conceded once the laughter had died. As a second light focused on her, a flag with a mechanical, half-white half-black bear rolled down. "Nonetheless, I promoted you as the Super World Level Despair Japan leader as opposed to Junko Enoshima and her guard dog for a reason. Perhaps I was too rash in my decision-?"
"No!" the man interjected hastily, sweat trickling down his haggard face.
"-or perhaps this could work out more smoothly after all?" the director continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "The Hope's Peak Academy mission's execution was highly flawed; nevertheless, the concept itself still shows some signs of brilliance. We have already seen some positive fallout from the release of Hope's Peak footage: tensions have increased significantly between neighboring countries, as each one has become progressively paranoid and suspicious of each other. International traveling in particular has undergone heavy restriction: nonetheless, what this paranoia needs is a spark for it to flare into all-out despair and war.
"Quit groveling," she snapped at the SWL Despair Japan leader, who instantly stopped whimpering and wringing his hands. He focused on his superior, his face grim. "Go back to Japan," the director commanded him. "The Future Foundation is already trying to rehabilitate the former members of SHSL Despair, but you will be serving to reduce their efforts to naught. Furthermore, with your technological prowess, see what you can do for some "behind-the-scenes" work; after all, I'm sure the students and the Future Foundation would love to have yet more despair-inducing experiences with the late Enoshima, even if she were slightly altered to fit our situation. You are dismissed," she concluded, and the man nodded in understanding before leaving the room.
"Next," the director continued after the Despair Japan leader left, "what would bring more despair to the world than to see the brightest members of its generation fall?" Her arms were open to her audience as she invited them to answer her question.
"To watch it happen again as it spread across the world," a low, masculine voice responded from the back of the audience hall.
"Indeed," the director responded affirmatively. "Now, imagine the despair that would come from watching the brightest hopes-" (here she snarled the word) "disappear and be found again, only to be shown murdering each other in cold blood. Who would be to blame?
"Fellow Despair Leaders, corner a wild animal enough, and it will lash out. Likewise, fuel a nation's paranoia enough, and it will turn on any other nation which it believes poses a threat. Look back to history if necessary; the looming threat of Russia's mobilized forces on its Western front led Germany to declare war, and all of Europe soon fell after. Now is the time when seeds of doubt are sown; soon, we will reap our just rewards."
Silence fell as the room remained in awe.
"Meeting dismissed."
Back in her office, the director gazed at the Monokuma flag. The design truly had been brilliant, she conceded; the combination of the black, beady and automatic red still sent a chill through her.
Enoshima's death was quite the pity, the woman reflected. The SHSL Despair teen could have grown up to be the agent of the world's utter destruction, but she had been too self-serving and had forgotten her mission: the world's despair first. Nonetheless, her loss was quite a pity (although not having the remarkably energetic teenager around was a great relief for her sanity).
See, the director didn't let herself get caught up in the despair of knowing that the six remaining students of Hope's Peak clung assuredly to their shards of hope. She hadn't let herself give in to the intoxicating waves of despair that had come from the failure of the Hope's Peak assignment. She simply regrouped and refocused on her mission, as a wise SWL Despair leader would do. This was exactly why she was the one destined to have the best view as the world burned and Junko Enoshima would be lucky if any of her crushed remains could join in on the fun.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud noise of a knock on her door. Already aware of who her visitors were, she said, "Come in."
Once they had seated themselves, the director first turned to one, asking, "The facilities and means are already prepared, I presume?" The tall man whom she addressed nodded with a sinister smile.
"Perfect," the director replied as she handed him a box. He opened the lid, and his smile widened as he observed its contents. A small, childlike "Upupupupu-" played before he closed the box.
"I live to serve Despair," he replied in the low voice he had used to answer the director's earlier question before striding out of the office.
"If everything goes well, your time will come soon," the director said as she turned to face her other visitor.
"I am perfectly content with waiting so long as I will be able to play a hand in the world's destruction," the fair-skinned woman replied easily, her mouth turned upwards in a demure smile.
The director's mouth slipped into a rare, good-natured grin, and she chuckled. "Good luck, cousin; I'm trusting you for this. The Hope's Peak mission was a test run; this is the real deal."
The younger woman's eyes lit up with excitement as she realized just how big a part she would play in bringing the world to despair. "You won't regret it!" she exclaimed with a large grin, holding the director's tan hands in her own.
"I had better not. Now go; I have things that even you can't yet know of," the director laughed, escorting her subordinate to the door. Afterwards, she paced back to her desk, quickly dialing one last number. Her fingers stroked the back of another Monokuma doll as she awaited a response.
"Yes? I forgot to mention one thing," she began. "Do this however you like, but see if you can give the Future Foundation the idea that maybe they should send their little rabbit mole over to investigate the Château de Sable Summer School..."
Welcome to Despair.
...and may the odds be ever in your favor.