Hello everyone! This is my first SYOC, and I'm very hyped for it! I hope you enjoy what I have planned. (there's also an important A.N at the end, so stick around until then!)
Manipulation. Sick, twisted manipulation.
Setsuo couldn't believe himself. He insisted he would change it all, and he hated himself for not doing it. It was an attempt, a fateful attempt for sure, but nonetheless an attempt. It had opened the buoyant world of hope for him, an opening for a new future and change for endless eternity.
Although he was occasionally dragged down by the forces of despair, he always continued on. Almost stubbornly so, actually. It was a little funny to him, how everyone wanted him to stay the way he was, but he so stubbornly refused.
It was funny, wasn't it?
The Ultimate Ethical Hacker. Nothing more or nothing less; at least's that's what he told himself. He was elated for once.. it was... amazing. He had a purpose. Finally.
It was all great, all amazing...
Until...
x
x
x
He opened his eyes.
Setsuo opened his dark amber eyes, but immediately felt the need to close them again. A pinkish-purple hue dominated his surroundings, blinding him from seeing everything surrounding him. Still, he felt conspicuous in this somber cage of a room, especially as his eyes adjusted to the uncanny light that sheened above him.
He sat in the room completely obsolete for a few moments, unsure what to think of his current situation.
Where am I? What the hell's going on? he thought.
He desperately tried to think back to his last memory, but it was too hard to recall. It seemed strange to him, especially considering he must've been brought here for a reason. Right?
Why wouldn't he remember why he was here?
But, just as those words were muttered, Setsuo's thoughts were interrupted with a wave of remembrance; imagery spewing in and out of his head. Images of despair in fact; an apocalyptic and maliciously brutal scene. He mused on the horrific locale, a thousand little bears carrying him away into the havoc. Tokyo; in absolute ruins...
What?
That can't be.. he pondered. What's happening?!
It took a moment for him to snap out of it, realizing the reality of the situation. Maybe that had been some sick dream, but this sure wasn't. Although he had already confirmed this fact in his mind, he still thought it was necessary to touch himself and feel around the desk he was in, just to assert where he was. Feeling the ever-real surface of the desk in front of him, he frowned.
Huh.. guess this is real
As much as he wanted to speculate about what his forbidding memories had to do with all of this, all he could be concerned with now was where he was and why he had been brought here. So, very hesitantly so, Setsuo rose from the chair he had been placed in, attempting to stand up. He was expecting to be met with a sensation of dreadful agony and pain, but instead, all he could feel was a slight limp in his right leg.
Not feeling too injured, he decided to take a second to look at his surroundings in full. All he could observe when he woke up was the bright luminescence of the room and the desk he had been slumped over on. But looking around now, he noted of many desks, all scattered around the room in an unorganized pattern. Almost shockingly so, the whiteboard in front of him was directly scribbled on with black marker, coupled with a hot pink engravement that was buried into the wall...
Observing the engravement a little closer, his eyes fluttered a bit when he made a sudden connection in his head.
...
I-is that blood?
His pupils dilated as he stumbled back, shocked at the sight of something so grotesque. There were a few moments of painful silence, the ringing in his ears being the only mediator of any sound in the room.
"W-what the hell is that?" he muttered to himself in a timid voice, laced with disgust and painful fear. "Is this some sort of joke?" The letters he read spelled out the word 'despair,' which was a fairly confusing choice of word, to say the least.
Trying to ignore it, he focused his attention on another section of the blackboard. In a faint black imprint, Setsuo could make out the words 'Welcome to your first semester! Have fun... while it lasts.'
That message at least brought him some ease, albeit being a little eerie. If this was his new institution, he wondered, why would that blood-written message be in there in the first place to greet him? Vandalism maybe?
But there was no time to speculate now; he just had to figure out to get out of here.
Reaching into his pocket, almost instinctively so, he realized that he could simply dial a contact in his phone to get help. But instead, to his dismay, he was greeted with a wider, more sturdy type of electronic. Pulling it out, he noticed it most definitely wasn't a phone, at least not his type of phone. Pressing down on what seemed like a power button, he was greeted with a cerulean blue background that quickly faded into black text.
MonoPad of Ultimate: SETSUO ASAHARA
Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy, an institution for the next generation of success and innovation!
The logo of Hope's peak flashed before his eyes, before inverting and displaying more information.
STUDENT INFO:
NAME: Setsuo Asahara
ULTIMATE TALENT: Ethical Hacker
AGE: 17
GENDER: Male
BIRTHDATE: June 25th
BLOOD TYPE: O-
Setsuo Asahara
Ultimate Ethical Hacker
What the hell?
He fumbled with the machinery, especially considering it was his first time working with it. Being the Ultimate Hacker and all, one would suspect he would work it with ease, but to his dismay, it was unlike anything he'd seen before. After a few moments of toying around with the MonoPad, he came to the realization he should just focus on the information given right in front of him.
Looking at it, he quickly noted something of importance. The 'MonoPad,' which he had now owned, was for none other than Hope's Peak Academy, the most prestigious school in the nation. In fact, this confirmed his definitive suspicion of him being here, but it didn't clear up why was he brought into a room like this in the first place. And as a matter of fact, why would they leave the presumed 'vandalism' untouched?
Continuing to read the information ominously, he tried to focus on any detail that could let him in on what was going on.
But unfortunately, the information was just as surface level as it looked. The MonoPad was correct, which wasn't too surprising as he had to give all of his personal details to Hope's Peak in light of accepting their invitation. Still, it felt a little forbidding seeing all of his private information on the screen, especially his blood-type, which he had no recollection of giving. Hell, he didn't even know his blood-type.
He noticed a large, metallic door on the other side of the room, and he realized there wouldn't be much use in just standing in place and perplexing on his circumstances. So, He made his way over to the exit, but the moment he lifted his hand on the doorknob, a small, thin letter slipped under the doorframe, synchronized with the movement of his hand.
He stared down at it in disbelief, his retinas expanding in fear and trepidation.
"W-What is that?" he muttered, still frozen in a state of confusion.
After a few moments of staring at it, he decided he should just observe the decorative letter. He noted it was colored in a light blue hue, with small and cursive lettering on top of it. Gently picking it up, he brought it to his face and read it to himself.
{Welcome Setsuo!
We know you must be very panicked right now, but please do not fret. You have awoken earlier than many of the others, but you are alas not the first. That is nothing to concern over, but there will most likely be a handful of other students roaming the halls.
Now, as one of the first ones awake, do not hesitate to go to the lobby and meet up with your fellow classmates. I'm sure they'd appreciate the company, especially with all the tension in the air. Your circumstances will be explained shortly.
Have fun while it lasts!
- Your Headmaster}
Other students? Woken up? My headmaster? It was all too much to take in at once.
He shoved the letter in his pocket and frowned. He had no idea what was going on.
For Setsuo, all he could do at this point but sigh. It was a sigh of disbelief and relief, almost. He knew that everything would be explained shortly and he shouldn't fear, but it was difficult not to. All of these circumstances were painfully off, and this whole situation felt promisingly baleful.
With nothing else to lose, though, he decided to make his way out the room and into the corridor, where the last 'normal' moments of his life would take place in.
He placed his hand on the handle and sighed.
One, two, three... he thought.
One, two... three.
x
And with that, he unlatched the door, slowly making his way into the hallway.
Setsuo had no idea what was about to happen to him.
He was completely clueless.
A/N: Hype hype *hype.* Time for a new SYOC!
Welcome everyone to Danganronpa: The World Beneath Us! (the title will make sense very soon.) Anyways, I've been planning to work on a killing game SYOC for a while now, but I lacked the capabilities, writing style, and support to do it. I have a huge variety of twists and elements that I've planned for this story, so don't miss out!
I've must admit that I've gotten plenty of support from the OOTW and TMWU communities (by OtherSenpai and Ocean Astro respectively.), so don't fret to check out their stories too as they've motivated me to get this story started. Anyways, onto the rules!
As this is a SYOC, all are welcome to submit characters into this story. However, there are a few rules and guidelines I want submitters to follow.
1. Submissions will only be accepted via private message, or PM.
2. The total amount of OC's you can submit is three. I hope I do not have to extend that, but it may be necessary if I don't receive enough submissions. Also, be aware that I will most likely only accept one (potentially two) of your OC's, and it's highly unlikely all three would be accepted.
3. Please, please, and I cannot stress this enough, DON'T resubmit OC's if they are still active in another story. Ex., I don't want two active Nagito's in two active stories. Rejected or OC's from canceled SYOC's are okay, however. Just make sure they follow the format of the form.
4. They are in Hope's Peak and there is a 'tragedy,' but please don't have your character's backstory rely too heavily on that, as this essentially takes place in an AU. So, no mention of canon characters like Makoto/Hajime/Shuichi, etc.
5. Submit each character in separate messages, but if the form for one of your OC's exceeds one page of text, send it in the same thread. Adding onto that, when you submit, please title the form {TWBU OC: Insert Name and Talent} It gets too confusing for me if sent otherwise, and can become unorganized.
6. And as per all SYOC's, do not submit 'Mary-sue's' or 'Gary-Stu's,' or essentially don't submit flawless characters. They are boring and difficult to work with and add no real touch to the story.
7. Finally, the deadline for submissions for TWBU is July 31st! That's fairly flexible, however, but I will try and keep it as stable as possible. I'll update this and clearly explain the new deadline if one were to show up.
Also, as much as I love supportive comments, I really do not want this story to fall flat, so also try to leave some constructive criticism as well! It would be really helpful so my writing can improve for future updates. Thanks!
Anything with a * is just recommended or only applicable in some circumstances, so don't feel pressured to make up a part of your character you didn't have planned.
BASIC INFO:
Name: (first and last)
*Aliases/Nicknames:
Gender: (Male, female, or NB, however, I will need guidance on writing non-binary folks.)
Age: (14-18 is what I'm aiming for)
Sexuality: (I'm fine with anything!)
Preferred Pronouns: (I'm fine with anything, too, just PM me about it if you're unsure.)
Nationality/Ethnicity: (Please note that they must know Japanese. So, if you are willing to, you may make an international character but there must be a way that incorporates. That's why I preferably like Japanese characters, but if you want to take that gamble and make a foreign student, go for it. Just know that has to be there somewhere.)
Talent:
Birthday:
Height:
Weight:
Blood Type:
APPEARANCE
Physical Appearance: (Feel free to go wild within the realm of possibility, however, just make sure it isn't too detailed. I love long appearances, but remember other sections like personality and background are far more important.)
Clothing: (What does your character wear? Make it appropriate enough, and feel free to have fun. Again, just make sure it's within possibility)
Notable Details:
Accessories:
PERSONALITY
Outward Personality: (How does your character act to others? What first impression would you get from them? This should be detailed, as it's one of the most defining parts of the application.
Inward Personality: (How they truly act. Are they hiding something? Do they have a sinister side only people close to them know? Again, make this very detailed as well.)
*Disorders or Mental Illnesses:
Voice: (How does your OC sound. Do they stutter a lot? Do they have a distinct tone or sound to it?)
Quotes: (A few quotes you believe/want your character to say. This can include catchphrases, FTE's, or meaningful talks.)
*Dreams: (Anything they wish to accomplish?)
*Habits: (Any tendencies or quirks they have?)
Likes: (At least three)
Dislikes: (At least three)
Strengths: (At least three)
Weaknesses: (At least three)
People they would like: (Any personality type they tend to gravitate to or become interested in?)
People they would dislike: (Anyone they'd repel from or have a premeditated bias to?)
Romance? *If so, who?: (Are you open to it? If so, is there anyone they'd feel a stronger connection to or would like better?)
BACKGROUND
Backstory: (How was your character brought up? Is there any significance to it? How did they discover their Ultimate Talent? This should be very detailed, like the personality above.)
Family: (Although the only thing you really need to note of is their role and name, how they act towards your OC and any additional info is appreciated.)
*Friends: (Any close friends they have?)
*Foes: (Any person who your character is bitter towards? What is their past like with them? What led to them becoming 'enemies'?)
Secrets:
Symbol?: (to represent their talent. Go wild with this! Just make sure it relates in some way.)
Status: (Are they famous? Or are they almost unknown amongst the general public? Are they loathed, loved, neutral, etc..?)
KILLING GAME INFO:
Reaction to Killing Game:
Reaction to Body Discovery: (Innocent/Guilty)
Role in Investigation: (Innocent/Guilty)
Role in Trial: (Innocent/Guilty)
Reaction If Accused: (Innocent/Guilty)
*Execution Ideas: (Optional, but still fun to work with)
Motives: (Why would your character commit murder? Are there any particular motives or reasonings that could set them off?)
*Free Time Events:
*Potential Character Arc:
Justification for Victim:
Justification for Blackened:
Justification for Survivor:
*Justification for Other Role: (Mastermind, Traitor, etc.., please specify which role you're justifying.)
*Any particular preference?: (remember, this is not final in any way, it's just so I can confirm what you feel is best for your character. It is my story at the end of the day, and if, for example, you put survivor here but they end up being a victim, please don't be upset.)
*Other: (Anything I missed? Any additional information I should know about your character? Anything extra you want to say, this is your place to do it.)
SUBMITTED GENDERS
Male: 8
Female: 6
Non-Binary: 0
SUBMITTED TALENTS
x1 Ethical Hacker
x1 Game Designer
x1 Herbologist
x1 Gladiator
x1 Formula-One Racer
x1 Painter
x1 Interrogator
x1 Figure Skater
x1 Toymaker
x1 Info Broker
x1 Astrologist
x1 Triathlete
x1 Paparazzi
x1 Fashion Editorial Model