Wednesday: 9:15AM

Lucy Hope considered herself a professional woman. Or, she thought she was. On her first day she met her boss. She thought her boss would be a kind old man, maybe a little nutty, but she thought he would be an endearing old man.

Instead, she met Dr. Norman Dexter, a charming young man with dancing kind eyes that Lucy couldn't help immediately falling in love. It was a little cliché was it not? A receptionist falling in love with the doctor she works with? She loathed to admit it, but her heart melted at the thought of being with him. He was such a kind man, remembering the words he uttered to her on her first day.

"I desire to help people with their mental health, we must be kind to those who experience a series of unfortunate events."

She giggled to herself, remembering how he referenced one of her favourite authors, Lemony Snicket. Yes, she decided she liked him ever so much! She knew many details about him, such as how he gets excited over kid cartoons, or how his brows furrow when he's focused, his favourite food being apple pie; albeit his grandmother made it for him and she considered herself a little cheeky when she ate some of his grandmother's apple pie. It was awfully kind of him to offer it to her, an embarrassing thought entering her head as she wished to be his grandmother's granddaughter in law. He exercises frequently, going on jogs with his fluffy husky who was called Luna-Poe, she wasn't sure why he named his husky after that, but her heart fluttered all the same. Archery, boxing, rock climbing, hiking.

She would be amidst to say that she thought Dr. Norman Dexter was a perfect man. Kind to children, kind to women, kind to her. She sighed however. Despite being the perfect man, he was emotionally unavailable. Men! Why do they complicate romance so much? Perhaps if she could just break through his wa-

"Hello Miss Lucy Hope."

Lucy held in her scream of surprise, blinking her eyes in astonishment as she looked a little downwards.

Below her was Little Enid Grey.

Lucy cracked a genuine smile, finding it difficult not to be amused by Enid Grey. She was a conventionally pretty girl, 14 years of age if she recalled correctly. Her silky black hair tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon. She was petite, delicate, yet fragile where you couldn't help being overprotective. Her dark skin clear of any imperfections. Her smile, though small, brought happiness to those around her. Her white cardigan covering her white shirt accompanied with a white skirt. White stockings accompanied with black strapped girl school shoes.

Enid Grey was the perfect doll, or rather, she would be. If it wasn't for her dull eyes. No twinkle, no jingle, no dance. Nothing. In that way the small girl had always unnerved her. However, remembering Dr. Norman's words, she made sure never to misjudge young Enid.

"Enid honey? What have I said about disappearing? You know I don't like it when I can't see you!"

Coming in hurriedly from behind Enid Grey was her mother, or rather, step mother. Lindsay Morris she was called; an attractive seductress with snobbish tendencies. Lucy was ninety-nine percent sure that she had gotten plastic surgery at some point. Botox? Breast Implant? Lip filler? She couldn't help thinking she was stiffer than a cardboard box. Ignoring the woman, she turned her attention to someone she liked much more.

"Dr. Norman should be expecting you, you remember where his office is right?"

Enid nodded her head, her demeanour turning shy as she quickly hugged Lindsay goodbye before quietly tiptoeing towards his office. Out of ear range, Lindsay quickly leaned her elbows on the reception desk, addressing Lucy with an authoritative command.

"I was told by medical agencies that Dr. Norman Dexter was a miracle worker. Why have I taken my daughter to six sessions with no progress being made? When is she going to stop being sick in the head?"

Yes. Lucy Hope rather disliked Lindsay Morris. With pursed lips and an air of professionalism that she was used to displaying, she spoke:

"Ma'am, your daughter is not broken, she is hurt. The point of therapy is to help heal her trauma so that she can remain functioning. There is no absolute solution, we can only offer our guidance and treatment for her to cope."

Lindsay swore incoherently under her breath, Lucy's ears particularly twitching when she heard her say something along the lines of 'Damn useless receptionist…'. After momentarily losing her cool, she gained her composure and spoke once more:

"I would like to schedule a meeting with Norman. I am worried about his methodology concerning Enid and I would like to make sure that he is not making her sicker in the head than she already is."

Lucy could feel her nostrils flaring in anger. How dare she? With pursed lips, she quickly turned her attention towards her computer and pulled up Norman's schedule. She despaired at how busy he seemed each day. Synthesising the information, she eventually settled on the earliest period Norman's timetable was free.

"How about this Saturday? 8PM? That is Dr. Norman's earliest available time."

Lindsay scoffed, crossing her arms, she pulled a cigarette from her purse and lit it. Lucy was thoroughly annoyed.

"We have a strict no smoking policy. Put it out."

Lindsay waved her hand dismissively, her heels clicking lazily on the marble floor. While leaving she said:

"Schedule me for that time sweetheart."

And like that, Lindsay Morris left.

Wednesday: 12:30PM

Skimming through new patient profiles was Lucy's favourite time pass when her days felt particularly long. Her job was to analyse any applications that she thought suitable for treatment. Whether she rejected the application or not, she was always fascinated with each person's story. She was not proud of how eager she was to read each application's story, a sickening form of lust to be entertained. She scolded herself, saying that she needed to stop treating each application as a story and instead a form of trauma that needed to be treated.

She never would though.

Heels clicking on the marble floor frantically, Lucy looked up with bright eyes as she saw who had come through the front door. A frazzled looking woman panted breathlessly as she hurriedly walked towards Lucy and practically thrust a cup of coffee into her hands.

This was her friend and co-worker, Jane Hart.

Jane Hart at first glance was an uninteresting, neurotic woman. However, behind that guise was a brilliant intellect that wouldn't seem to stop flowing throughout her brain. She wore the typical businesswoman suit: white dress shirt, black blazer, black pencil skirt and black heels.

"I am never doing you another favour again."

Jane was displeased. Lucy smiled sheepishly, thanking, apologising, and gratefully taking her cup of coffee. Despite her dull appearances, Jane usually found herself in many compromising situations that Lucy was always eager to lend an ear to. What was the story this time?

"Some kid thought it would be funny to steal my purse, so I took off my heel and threw it at him. I hit the bullseye of course. Then I took my purse, yanked him by the ear and demanded he take me to his home so I could explain the situation to his mother. The mother was quite pissed and threatened to sue of course, but the kid was completely embarrassed! Apologised to me and said he would never do it again. Sometimes you have to discipline kids if you want them to learn humility."

Lucy sighed at the story. Somehow only Jane Hart could get away with an undignified story like that. She decided to change the subject.

"How's Mark?"

Mark was Jane's equally eccentric boyfriend. Walking towards her office, Jane shouted:

"He's fine! He got a promotion recently an- ENID! GAH!"

Lucy's head turned immediately, scanning her eyes she witnessed the scene in front of her. Jane hadn't noticed Enid and nearly knocked her over along with dropping her coffee on the poor girl's head. To avoid the worst outcome, Jane nimbly made sure she leaned extra forwards and used her non-holding hand to block any droplets threatening to scold Enid. Of course in return, Jane scolded herself. Dr. Norman had heard the shouts and quickly peeked out of his office, making Lucy's heart skip a beat.

"Ms Hart? Whatever is the matter? Is Enid alright?"

His voice was full of concern and worry. Lucy couldn't help the jealousy bubbling to the pit of her stomach.

"Nothing too serious Dexter, just nearly knocked over poor Enid here, you alright kid?"

Enid herself was rather motionless throughout the incident. She picked herself up and dusted her skirt. She politely said:

"I am very sorry Ms Jane Hart, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was careless. Please forgive me."

Jane waved her off nonchalantly, making her way towards the staff kitchen to treat her burnt hand. Dr. Norman made his way over to Enid and gently grabbed her shoulders.

"Enid dear, I know it was an accident, but you need to make your presence more noticeable. We wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Enid nodded nonverbally, choosing not to say anything. She scanned the reception area, a forced smile crossing her face.

"It looks like mum isn't here yet, can I stay here in the meantime Dr. Norman?"

Dr. Norman smiled kindly, nodding his head.

"Of course you can, Miss Lucy Hope can keep you company, won't you Lucy?"

This time it was Lucy's turn to nod, putting on her friendliest and brightest smile. Enid Grey was an odd girl, but Lucy was always a fanatic to oddity. She rather thought it made her unique and she hoped for the future that despite her hurt Enid would always remain herself. Remembering her conversation with Lindsay, she ushered Dr. Norman to her for a quick private discussion. She recalled her conversation with the woman and informed Dr. Norman to his scheduled meeting with her.

"Thank you Lucy, we need to dispel any of Mrs Morris' worries, I would hate for her to feel that her daughter was unsafe here."

Ignoring the flutter in her heart, she gave him a reassuring smile. After Dr. Norman had returned to his office, she sat idly in her seat as Enid watched her with hollow eyes. That feeling of uneasiness came over her again, but Lucy was very good at disguising her discomfort.

"Miss Lucy Hope, what are you doing?"

Lucy smiled at Enid's question, innocent sounding, so full of wonder. A healthy amount of curiosity was always good for a child's development. She decided to answer, not wanting to discourage the usually shy girl to make small talk.

"I am organizing Dr. Norman's timetable for his appointments. Just like you, he helps many people, but is sometimes a little scatter-brained. My duty is to make sure Dr. Norman is on track and helping as many people as possible."

Enid's face was full of curiosity. She hummed, deciding she didn't want to initiate anymore conversation. Lucy was fine with this as Enid had displayed the effect Dr. Norman was having on her. She was speaking up, allowing herself to have a voice. It took four sessions till Enid had opened up to Dr. Norman, along with herself and Jane. Lucy made sure to praise her for her courage.

Not long after Lindsay Morris showed up. Her recognisable heels clicking on the marble floor as she plastered on, what Lucy thought, to be a fake smile.

"Enid darling! Did you have a good session?"

Enid made a noise of acknowledgement, nodding her head as she quickly ran up to her mother and clasped her hand into hers. Lucy said:

"See you next week Enid!"

Lucy saw Enid wave shyly. Lindsay on the other hand gave her the stink eye, purposefully readjusting her grip on Enid's hand to appear more maternal. Leaving through the front doors, Lucy could only think of one thing: What a nasty woman she was!

Wednesday: 5PM

Lucy's smile ached. Ever since Dr. Norman had asked her out for dinner she could not stop smiling and was wondering what to wear. Should she try to remain modest and professional? Or sexy and daring? Did he like maternal women or sexy women? What would give her the biggest success in winning over Dr. Norman as her lover? She knew she needed some backup, so she called Jane.

"Jane, I need some advice. Dr. Norman invited me out for dinner. What should I wear?"

Lucy was not pleased with her response.

"Wear red. Literally the sexiest colour in the world, can't go wrong with it."

"Jane!"

"Stop whining Lucy! Do you want to stay friend zoned or do you want to try making a move?"

Lucy bit her lip, making a split second decision.

Wednesday: 9PM

Lucy and Dr. Norman sat in silence as they waited patiently for their food. Dr. Norman had been kind enough to pay for everything, and while Lucy appreciated that, she hadn't been complimented on her dress which was beyond frustrating since she had chosen the sexy red dress. Look at her boobs dammit!

"How have you been Lucy?"

Lucy blinked, not entirely processing the question. She asked Dr. Norman to repeat his question. He did so. Nodding her head, Lucy plastered on her smile, which she had used the reddest of lipstick for.

"I've been pleasant. Thank you for asking me out Dr. Norman, it was very kind of you."

"No issue at all. Do you happen to have any delusions?"

That was an odd question.

"Sometimes I see my dead cat, he was called Milque, why do you ask?"

Dr. Norman had a thoughtful look on his face. His brow wrinkled. His thinking face always looked very handsome.

"Enid's story has been on my mind. She says she sees her father everyday and I was curious for your thoughts? Why do you think Enid's delusions are manifesting into her father?"

Another odd question. She attempted to answer this professionally, suspecting a test.

"The most likely diagnosis is that the cause of her trauma is likely linked to her father. It isn't enough for a parent to pass away for her delusions to manifest him. She needs to have seen something that her memory is most likely compressing. Has she happened to open up to you about it?"

Dr. Norman winked, surprising Lucy as she had not been expecting any type of flirtatious gestures.

"Confidential I'm afraid, love."

Lucy's heart fluttered.

"I need a favour."

Lucy's heart suddenly stopped, something unexplainable happening as she pursed her lips. Was Dr. Norman toying with her? Was this his intent? To get her to agree to this favour of his? She was upset, but knew how to mask a smile.

"What sort of favour?"

"I need you to become Dr. Lucy Hope for a few days while I'm gone."

Thursday: 5:30AM

Lucy Hope had sex with Dr. Norman Dexter last night. She was curled up in bed, Dr. Norman spooning her body. She felt content. Of course this was not a relationship. Dr. Norman had made it clear as such, but honestly? Lucy felt content. It may not be a relationship, but if Dr. Norman found her desirable enough to have sex with her? She must be taking the right steps in coercing Dr. Norman into becoming her lover. She felt Dr. Norman from behind her back, grinning as he gave tender kisses to her neck, causing Lucy to shiver slightly.

"I loved your dress last night, very daring. You're still okay with being Dr. Lucy Hope for a few days?"

Lucy hummed, nodding her head.

"Sure, I can play doctor for a few days."

Dr. Norman smiled.

"I can always rely on you Lucy Hope."

Lucy's curiosity overtook her as she turned her head to look at Dr. Norman's rugged face. Where was he going? Were there any problems? Why was he taking drastic measures such as bribing her into becoming Dr. Lucy Hope for a few days? She decided not to pry, knowing this was the most intimate she would probably get with Dr. Norman for a few days.

"What do I need to do? What about your appointment with Lindsay Morris? You know she won't be happy with you."

Dr. Norman replied:

"Try not to fret, I have handpicked new applicants so that none of the usual have to transition. I'm relying on you to make a good first impression. Despite being more qualified, I don't have the charm that you do Dr. Lucy Hope. I need your help in making sure our applicants don't turn away from the help we can give them. They are important."

Lucy nodded automatically, desperate to please.

"Of course."

Just what was Dr. Norman Dexter planning?

Thursday: 2:42AM

Dr. Norman considered himself a kind man. A chivalrous man. A man destined to heal the world. He knew however that it wouldn't be easy. He was making a difference, he knew that, but needed to do more and more and more! What he was doing wasn't enough! He needed to do more! He needed to learn more! After his night with Miss Lucy Hope, he checked to make sure she was asleep before getting out of bed. Sneaking downstairs, he grabbed his house phone. Dialling a number, he pressed the phone against his ear.

The phone picked up.

"Hello? Yes. I'm getting you the applicants, I just need a little more time, you know we have to be careful."

"..."

"Patience is a virtue I'm afraid. You can threaten me as much as you want, I refuse to hurry the process and potentially make a mistake. I cannot afford to make a mistake, am I clear?"

"..."

"Good. Do calm down, our plan will work! I'm certain of it. Okay, sleep well love, goodnight."

The recipient hung up.

Dr. Norman made himself a cup of tea. He petted Luna-Poe, who had awoken and came to sit by him. It brought him great comfort.

"I'm scared too Luna-Poe, our plan will either bring greatness or terror to this world, but it's a risk I am willing to take."

He took a sip of his tea.

"I will change this world for the better if it's the last thing I do."

A/N: That's the prologue! It took a while for me to settle on a writing style, but I'm pleased with how this chapter turned out. To explain this is indeed a SYOC for Danganronpa. However rather than focus on the radioactive-pop style Dangaronpa usually has with it's zany characters, my story will be more akin to the beta of Danganronpa originally named "DISTRUST" focusing on a psychological horror story. The concept will remain the same, such as the murders and class trials, but the overall themes are going to be much darker than the actual games themselves. For this reason this story is going to have a MATURE RATING! I'm emphasising this because there is going to be a lot of content warning the further along the story we get. With that out of the way, here are a few rules that I've gathered from other SYOC's:

1) Talent is not a core theme to this story in particular. Rather it will be "Sanity vs Insanity"

2) Almost every character will need a certain degree of angst to them. The degree of that angst is up to you. No normalcy will be allowed within the game.

3) I will be looking for a mostly English cast as that is what I'm most comfortable with. However I will accept foreigners, I just have a slight preference for English characters.

4) I will only be accepting characters through PM's. Please title it: "Infectious Insanity: (Character name)" as that's the easiest way for me to recognise a submission.

5) I will be accepting 14 characters. If I happen to like a lot of characters I'll extend it, but this story will work better with a smaller cast.

6) The deadline for submissions will be 21/05/2021. If this needs to be extended I will.

7) I'll add more if anything unprecedented happens.

Thank you for everyone who takes an interest in this story! It's very new, but I hope it's... "Infecting".

DISCLAIMER: Any characters who happen to share the same name with anyone in real life is not based off that person and is merely a coincidence!

Basic

Name/Nicknames (Nicknames in brackets please):

Gender:

Pronouns:

Age: 16-80 (Looking for a diverse cast in the path of life):

Occupation:

Height:

Weight:

Sexuality:

Nationality:

Blood Type:

Strengths

Skills:

Talents:

Weaknesses

Disadvantages:

Fears:

Background

History:

Family:

Physical Appearance:

Clothing:

Personality:

Accessories:

Health Mental/Physical Disorders (Arguably most important thing on the form):

Secrets:

Other (Tell me anything I might have forgotten on the form):

Submissions:

Males X3

25-30, Private Investigator

30-35, Primary School Teacher

20-25, Architecture Student

Females X0