A/N: Hello everyone! This chapter's going to be a whole mixture of things so sorry if it becomes a bit chaotic. However, I hope you all enjoy what's to come in this chapter as I introduce Ayumi further through both her first moments in the story and a brief profile of what she looks like to make the experience for immersive.

GENERAL FORM:

Name: Ayumi Mizushima

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Talent: Ultimate Triathlete

Height: 5ft 5 (165cm)

Weight: 124 lb

Sexuality: Straight

Nationality: Japanese

THEIR PAST LIFE:

History: Ayumi's history will be revealed as the story goes on

Family and Friends: Ayumi has both a mother and a father whom she lives with along with a younger sister.

Both of her parents, throughout her childhood, have always felt the need to push her as much as they academically so that they could live off of her success and be seen as good parents. However, once they released Ayumi wasn't a natural academic they spent large volumes of money trying to find something that Ayumi excelled in until they discovered her talent for the triathlon after she began breaking records for school in swimming and sprinting. While she doesn't dislike her parents, her relationship with them isn't exactly the best. She gets along better with her younger sister who also shares a love of being active. Throughout her childhood, Ayumi has kept to small friend groups who tend to share similar interests.

VISUALS:

Physical Appearance: Ayumi has fairly short black hair which is tied into a small bun like ponytail – with a cute panda hair bobble - although some of the hair falls to the front almost framing it. Her skin tone is a pale peach in contrast to her hair with a sharp focused looking face. Her eyes are fairly narrow with the irises wine red in colour. It's pretty apparent that she has little care for makeup as there are some faded blemishes lining her skin that she doesn't bother to hide. Her body while pretty lean and fit is still average when it comes to proportionality.

Normal Wear: Ayumi wears a maroon coloured nylon track jacket which is only zipped halfway up to show a standard black sports bra underneath. On her right wrist, she wears an advanced watch which has features such as a timer, pedometer and a heartrate monitor built into it. On her legs, she wears black yoga style workout trousers that go to just below her knees. In addition, on her feet, she wears a pair of black trainers with maroon coloured laces.

Special Wear: Ayumi keeps her hair in the same ponytail but actually wears something a bit more appropriate being a sleeveless red patchwork knit dress which has transparent panels around the hem of the skirt. Along with this she wears some black ankle boots.

Swimwear: Ayumi keeps her hair tied now in a much tighter bun keeping it set in place. If training she will also wear an official Japanese swimming team cap. For casual swimming, she will wear a standard red bikini and for training, she wears a white and red streamlined competitive one piece.

Special unique features: She has hypermobility in her hands which she will sometimes use to creep her sister out for a laugh

Physical Health Issues: None

MENTAL PROFILE:

Likes: Pandas, train rides, the night sky, scented candles, exercising

Dislikes: Cake, large cities,purikura, seagulls, reality television

PROLOGUE: A FUTURE BEYOND SALVATION

Beyond the frosted window panes of the bustling train lay the concrete jungle, also known as Tokyo. Skyscrapers and office blocks all commanding their own presence as they compete for dominance over the cityscape. Business monkeys march with their briefcases to the beat of society's drum and all seems normal. I, of course, couldn't stand any of it as I gaze out of the window to look at the city which would become the hub of my high school life. There's just something about the big city which feels… fake I suppose. There's no real heart or soul like there was at home, no community or sense of comradery. When you live in the city you work like a slave then drink like a maniac and the cycle repeats and repeats – assuming you're a man at the very least. If you're a woman then you have to try twice as hard to get the same lifestyle where you survive in the city. It's beyond my comprehension as to why anybody would want to submit themselves to this way of life.

As I sigh for what feels like the millionth time I feel that ever-present chilling palm press down on my shoulder; with some reluctance, I take a glance to see the disapproval of my mother as she makes a gesture to sit down properly. My mother is a complicated individual in all honesty. Some days she would seem in her own element as she hangs out damp washing then pounds the mochi then other days she would be tense and release all her pent up pressure on me. Today was one of those days. She clutched a letter in her hand which at this point has been crumpled up ever so slightly due to the pressure her stress had forced upon it; I reckon she must secretly be nervous about how I will react once we arrive at Hope's Peak Academy seeing as I don't even want to attend. It's just… being an Ultimate is something that I never wanted, I was happy with being an average girl who leads an average life. Having all this fame, glory and adoration thrust upon me - it's kinda uncomfortable.

A few seconds pass by in silence. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four seconds. Then my mother decides to speak, her voice quiet trying to avoid attention from the fellow train passengers who sat to either side of us.

"For goodness sake Ayumi, I didn't raise you to fidget around on public transport," my mother whispered in that harsh reprimanding way that mothers always seem to do perfectly. "However, if you really are distracted how about you do something proactive and read the newspaper?"

Before I even had time to respond - which in reflection probably would have earnt another verbal lashing- a newspaper was forcefully thrust into my lap. I took a moment to try and read my mother's face but she cottoned on to my attempts as she sharply looked down to her phone in a blatant attempt to shut me out. Looking at the newspaper for a moment I feel as though I'm about to sigh then that same chill spreads through me - not repeating that mistake twice.

I figure, why not look at the newspaper Ayumi? Maybe there's some 'interesting' sports article about how Mr. Arrogant the football player got a red card for tripping up Mr. Crybaby in the so-called 'match of the century'. Or maybe it's just another article complaining about the over expenditure of Japan's government on elite sports teams. Flicking through the pages I expected nothing more than the mediocrity of broadsheet boredom although something caught my eye; I mean once you read it I bet you'd agree with me that it's wackier than driving on the right side of the road.

FORGING FUTURES - CREATING CRYO HISTORY:

For a long time, it has been considered normal for us humans to be born, to live and then to die as a natural cycle. However, breakthrough developments at Forging Futures Incorporated show that maybe there is a new way to provide cryogenic solutions to the mass market which are affordable and most of all reliable. In a day and age where we are still unsure of how to cure many types of life-threatening illnesses and diseases, it is said that these developments may be able to save the lives of people today.

Dr Satoshi Iwata made the following statement regarding such proposals: "These new developments mean that we are now able to progress onto the next stage of our research which will involve using live organic material and preserving them for prolonged periods of time to ensure that our state of the art cryogenic pods will be safe for humans to use. The plan, of course, is once we are satisfied that the results live up to our control and safety standards; candidates with severe illnesses and diseases will be selected off a short list with the invitation to join as the first people to take part in this miraculous solution to prolonging life. The reason this is so important is that while they lay dormant due to the fact that the cryopreservation will reduce the brains need to function to a very limited amount - medical professionals can search for the solutions to cure them for their illnesses to ensure that they can keep living in peace and comfort."

As you can tell, this news is an exciting new part of a journey for Japan's healthcare system. Such developments have also lead to speculations such as alleviating other problems that Japan face such as a declining population.

A member of the ruling political party who wishes to remain anonymous for this report stated the following: "Depopulation is an issue that our country has faced in recent years due to a lack of women wanting to have children. The new developments of cryogenics mark a new motivation for the women of Japan to feel safe and secure about having children in the case of either mother and child developing an illness. We hope that this news will have an impact on all age groups and believe that this is news that should be celebrated."

Forging Futures Incorporated have yet to release news on when they expect to begin their cryogenic treatment for Japanese residents although with the success that we have seen so far there is no doubt that the future of Japan is as bright as its rising sun.

Written by Fujita Hitomi

That's right boys and girls… The cryogenic freezing of people. The fact that humans can do so much now is actually pretty frightening. I mean think about it? If we can do that now then imagine all the new technology and weaponry that humans will develop in decades to come. It makes me wonder if humans are going to end up with more power than they can even handle. Still, these are pretty petty things to wo-

"The train will now be arriving at Hope's Peak Station. The doors on the right side will open," the mechanical drone of utter despair states as it cut off my train of thought and thrusts me back into the harsh reality of attending Hope's Peak Academy.

Before I could even react, which is embarrassing for a sportswoman I will admit that much, my mother takes the initiative to grab my arm and drag me up with a bit too much force. She probably expected me to try and cling onto the train seat or something which I can also admit was pretty tempting at the time. With a fair bit of force, I feel myself flying off a bit to a side. For a few seconds, everything is silent, serene. Well until I feel a gross throbbing pain in my forehead as my head collides with the sharp chin of a taller man - yet again another example of how my luck apparently decided to flush itself down the toilet in an act of defiance.

As I prepare myself for the ritual of apologising profusely to this random man I had ever so eloquently head-butted my eyes casually to the nametag pinned to his left pocket of what appeared to be a stained lab coat: SATOSHI IWATA.

"I'm sorry sir," I babble out trying to be the polite girl my mother expects of me as I practically feel her eyes bore into the back of my head as though she's drilling something into me.

"..." The man takes a moment to assess the both of us, once to me then to my mother. Since this interaction is highly awkward and embarrassing for me I think I'll just describe how he looks then skip the entire conversation and act as though I teleported to Hope's Peak Academy despite it being a ten-minute walk away from the station.

Satoshi Iwata, or well Dr. Satoshi Iwata as he would probably want to be called is a tall imposing man. Almost like the monkeys of Tokyo except with a lab coat and a company tie. Black hair perfectly combed and slicked back and a face which was streaked with an ever constant aura of cockiness. The perfect asshole. The intelligent scumbag. To be honest any description with something honorific with the blunt truth after it.

Now back to the more interesting part, well 'interesting' as I seem to be reiterating. I stand in front of Hope's Peak Academy, glancing upwards as it towards over me with an oddly threatening opulence. As if the building was analysing me and determining whether I was even worthy of entering its sacred grounds. Each of the brown bricks marks a day of which I will be alone here, striving towards my goal to be the best I can be. Each of the brown bricks marks a day of which I will be closer to proving to myself that I can be something. Although one thing I never knew was that each of those brown bricks would mean minutes till I died. As let's face it, you don't go to school to die. Do you?

"Ayumi, for goodness sake are you just going to stand there like a godforsaken gormless oaf? You'd better not do anything stupid while you're there! I expect you to be on your best behaviour and I expect you to excel in your studies as remember what I said. Your title as an Ultimate is not some casual hobby that you can use as an excuse to mulch around like dead weight! It holds a responsibility which you MUST keep on top of," the voice of my mother snaps to my side yet it all sounds like a dream away as I just keep staring upwards at the Academy.

If this was the place where I was to spend the next few years then… I guess I'll just have to suck it up and try and make something out of it. I look towards my other who seems eager to burst into a second rant. Despite how she seems I know she loves me in some way, I think deep down she sees me as her daughter. Or at least I'd like to hope she could see me as that and not just an instrument or a tool. Without further delay I find myself holding the suitcase which would hold my next two years. A heavy case, crammed with the pressures of a mother on her daughter. I need to make her proud. I have no choice. As I watch her reciprocating the return route to the station, heals clicking against the concrete pavement I keep thinking to myself over and over again until it's a part of my being. That I have to make my mother proud. I have to make my father proud. I have to be successful and come out as the Ultimate Triathlete who can inspire hope into the hearts of the people. Otherwise, this will all be for nothing.

Wondering into the entrance hall of Hope's Peak Academy that optimism I had felt before plummeted into an unease of which I had never felt before, there was a pregnant silence that would never birth. As I look around the entrance hoping to spy even one person this silence, I feel the embrace as it coils itself around my lungs and began to squeeze at them as though it were a game. Every time my brain wants to call out to ask for help a pit in my stomach emerges. So I just keep looking around on my spot waiting for someone to appear to save me from this isolation. Nothing happens though, well until something happens. As something will always happen in the end.

In the distance, I see a flickering light coming from a room, the colour is a sickly yellow which pools out into the corridor as though it is spreading like a plague. Flash! Flash! Then a few seconds of putrid dullness. Flash! Flicker! Flash! It's almost like one of those horror films where there is the obvious dangerous light I the distance that the hero or heroine goes to and they get captured and dragged away somewhere. Although this is a school, so there's no need to worry obviously. I find myself compelled to move towards this light as the curiosity in the brain overcomes the silence in my lungs. Each step closer brings another thought about what this light could be. Is it my new classroom with my new classmates perhaps? Waiting to surprise me? The light becomes brighter yet the dullness remains somewhat as the vile yellow creeps down my neck and beneath my skin.

I take a moment to compose myself. Inhale and exhale. Four times in the shape of a square. It always works.

As I enter the room, there is nothing there but a screen at the end of the room which repeats this weird pattern of yellow and green swirls. No desks, no windows, no bookcases. Just a single smartboard screen. Staring at the screen my eyes fixate on the swirling shapes of yellow and green as they dance around each other in a motion. They attract and repel, then others rise and fall in a convection current. I watch them for minutes as I feel at ease now, my mind dulls to the point where it matches the yellow. Calmness. My heart calms down. There is nothing to fear here. This place is safe and relaxing. This place is-

THUD! CRASH!

"Upupupupu… That was too easy, what gullible Ultimates I have the pleasure of meeting this year. I guess I'll just have to make sure I give it everything I've got."

This is apparently the destiny of all the Ultimates. All 16 of us came here thinking that this was just our new education yet when we came here we would never have known the events that would follow. In fact, anyone who is reading this now could very well be the first person to know about the trials and tribulations we faced in our war against despair. If that's the case I just ask that you see this story through to the end, even if it's boring, or upsetting or well if you think you want to stop. Just please listen to my story. As I will not be able to repeat it again.

I'm sorry if the intro isn't exactly the best. It's my first time doing anything like this and I'm going to be learning throughout the process so I hope to improve my skills as a writer as the story continues. Next time Ayumi will be going through a little TLC in the form of the classic Danganronpa hellish shock twist and maybe she might get to meet some of her fellow classmates who are also in for the metaphorical ride of their life. Either way, I hope you all enjoyed this extra continuation of the intro and I'll see you all next time! Goodbye o/

Also, to make sure people aren't any overlaps of talents I'm going to post a list of all the talents I have received so far. In addition, as it wasn't said before I'm looking for 7 female and 8 male OCs for this story so if people who have already sent one of one gender want to send in another then that is fine as well. I'm looking forward to seeing more OCs and once I pick 15 that I like I will continue the story of The Depths of Despair.

1x Ultimate Taxidermist

1x Ultimate Lolita Model

1x Ultimate Ice Skater

1x Ultimate Mangaka

1x Ultimate Guitarist

1x Ultimate Tattoo Artist

1x Ultimate Knife Thrower

1x Ultimate Book Nerd/ Bookworm

1x Ultimate Critic

1x Ultimate Accountant

1x Ultimate Pump Deactivator

1x Ultimate Surfer

1x Ultimate Marksman

1x Ultimate Medium