Yay~ I'm glad you liked my previous request~ how about we Get more SFW and NSFW with kaede akamatsu, Celestia ludenburg along with Angie yonaga and Aoi asahina with a male S/O.
SFW / NSFW
Celestia Ludenberg / Aoi Asahina / Kaede Akamatsu / Angie Yonaga with a male S/O Headcanons
the hoeezzz gonna loveee this… (I hope)
also I won’t be writing smut of v3 characters; I’m sorry but therefore there will only be NSFW headcanons for Celeste and Hina in this, hope that’s okay!!
- mod hiyoko
SFW
Celestia Ludenberg
- She’s comfortable around you. And I mean REALLY comfortable. Celeste isn’t afraid to express her feelings around you because she knows you love her deeply no matter what. <3
- If you’re gothic lolita like her, that would be absolutely perfect. You two would decorate the whole entire house with Victorian-inspired decorations.
- If you’re not a gothic lolita, she would ask for permission before decorating the house (please say yes, that would make her so happy)
- Do NOT make this woman mad. You’ll regret it.
- Actually, she will regret it. If Celeste ever yells at you, it was probably an accident and she will apologize later.
- You watch in fear as she screams at Hifumi, however that’s your girl so you gotta cheer her on!!
- Celeste isn’t used to physical touch and it took her a while to get used to it. She was surprised when you hugged her for the first time.
- You two decided to adopt another cat so Grand Bois Chéri could have a friend! However, Celeste wanted to get a black cat. It HAD to be a black cat. It needs to fit her aesthetic.
- She finds it ridiculous when you wear her hair extensions. Ridiculous- but endearing. (You’re probably the only person allowed to touch her extensions.)
- Will she let you win at card games? Maybe.
Aoi Asahina
- She is such a sweetheart!!! She bombs you with lots of affection.
- She wakes you up early sometimes so you two can go on a jog. It’s a little irritating but it’s okay!
- If you don’t like going on jogs early in the morning, that’s totally fine with her! She respects your boundaries and won’t wake you up early again.
- She’s extremely happy that she has someone like you. Hina thought that because of her being athletic meant that she wouldn’t be in a relationship because of how “masculine” she seems. :(
- You like tricking her, she’s so gullible that she will believe absolutely ANYTHING you say. You find her reaction to being deceived hilarious.
- Aoi is really strong, she WILL carry you on her back.
- If you’re going through something, she will comfort you in the best way possible. She’ll motivate you, hug you… basically anything that will help you. Aoi just hates seeing you upset. <3
- Whenever you two get doughnuts, she likes to suggest you different types of doughnuts to try.
- This girl HATES staying up late. If shes up at like 2 a.m, she’ll get mad at herself and quickly go to sleep.
Kaede Akamatsu
- She’s a total babe, she so affectionate and loves cuddling with you. And by the way, she’s really warm too so bonus points. <3
- Kaede likes to write songs for you. It’s one of her ways of showing you affection since she just LOVES YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!
- If this girl had one wish, it would be to teach you piano. She would literally be SO SO happy if you asked her to help. Seeing you collect hobbies just makes her smile. <3
- Speaking of smiles, she literally has the most cutest smile EVER (she’s just so cuteness in general!!!). Whenever you see her smile, you feel warm inside.
- If you’re ever insecure about something, she will drown you in compliments. Kaede loves EVERYTHING about you and will do anything just to make you feel better about yourself.
- She doesn’t really care about PDA; she will show you affection in public (such as kissing, hand holding idfk) and will only stop if you ask her to. But when you two are alone she BOMBS you with affection!!
- Girl just wants to protect you no matter what- even if you can protect yourself. She just wants to keep you safe.
- She LOVES going on picnics, the environment there is perfect for her. Extra points if you make her a flower crown. <3
Angie Yonaga
- She asks if she can use you as a reference for her paintings- but this is actually just an excuse to spend time with you! (thanks to the random person who told me this in 2021, I never forgot about this amazing headcanon.)
- She will hold you in her arms and cuddle you while saying sweet and comforting things, her hugs are amazing too.
- Angie loves scented candles- she places them all around the room when painting. It brings a tranquil aura to the place though, so you don’t really mind.
- The scented candles are also there for cuddling time. She just loves them. A lot. ok anyway,,
- Her love language is physical touch, Angie loves the feeling of your skin. She doesn’t care if it’s soft, rough or anything because she will still be affectionate no matter what. <3
- Her compliments are always so endearing.
- Whenever you’re feeling down, she gives you lots of reasons to enjoy life just to make you feel better!! <3
- Angie has a very soothing voice, she likes to sing you melodic songs when you’re struggling to sleep.
- Like Kaede, she doesn’t really care about PDA. She will give you forehead and hand kisses (omg I love her sm) and will stop if you ask her too. But she BOMBS you with kisses in private.
NSFW
Celestia Ludenberg
- She’s dominant. If you try to dominate her, you’re going to fail immediately.
- Face sitting? Hell yeah.
- BDSM is a yes to her, she loves tying you up and seeing you whimper and squirm.
- Footjobs for sure, the knee-high stockings stay ON though. (She makes you wash them later.)
- Celeste is a sadist for sure, so she likes to step on you. Or she just likes to use her feet a lot…
- She loves it when you use her mouth.
- She’s more of a receiver than a giver, she barely gives you blowjobs. You just eat her out most of the time.
- When Celeste is riding you, I’d say she’s kind of belligerent? Not that aggressive enough to break your cock.
- Another thing she does is that she puts her gunmetal plated ring against your face so you can whimper due to how cold it is.
- She degrades you by calling you stuff such as her “servant”.
- Her aftercare isn’t really the best, but she’s trying at least…? If you’re feeling sore, she’ll give you a massage.
- Surprisingly skilled at using her tongue, so she’s more of a giver than a receiver.
Aoi Asahina
- Shy, but giggly.
- Literally SO loud, she’s out here releasing screams and moans.
- Her hair is down when she’s in the mood, I mean she does look good with her hair down soooo…
- You two probably fucked in the locker rooms.
- Its pretty easy to make her cum- and she also produces a lot too.
- Hina can last for a very long time, she’s got the stamina.
- She likes any position where it involves standing up. But if you don’t like being on your legs, that’s fine with her!
- Shower sex too.
- She likes being fucked against the glass, the way how her breasts push firmly against it… omg.
- Afraid of messing something up, she will constantly ask if she’s doing alright to get your approval.
- I was laughing so fucking hard when I thought of this but she has probably and unfortunately shoved a pool noodle inside of her when thinking about you.
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Neo World: Pacification Program
Hello everyone, Dense here! This story, Neo World: Pacification Program, wasn't a solo effort. @thelewdpokemanik and I have been working, and intend to continue working on this story together. We're writing each chapter as a pair, so forgive us if you sometimes notice some differences between our two styles of writing.
You can also find this story, and stay the most updated on it, on AO3, which can be found here.
The idea for this story was born out of the desire to work on a story together, and after brainstorming we came up with this! We found the idea to be fun and unique, and decided to just throw ourselves at it and enjoy the ride.
As always, comments, kudos and whatever else you desire are never required, but we do love getting the feedback.
Without further ado, Poke and Dense present, Neo World: Pacification Program! We hope that you all enjoy this journey with us. <3
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Chapter One: Problems, Planning, Pacification
“How the hell did this happen?” Mondo screamed, slamming his fist on the arm of his chair, making the metal creak painfully. His voice bounced off the walls of the mechanical operation room housing the Neo World Program computer, which really, was a gross understatement. It was a true marvel of technological advancement, including all the monitors, storage banks, the pods containing the sleeping members of his senior class- and many more things Makoto couldn’t even hope to understand.
The biker was hunched in his seat as if he were prepared to lunge if he didn’t like the answer, though Makoto knew better.
He still grimaced in his seat. “We- aren’t sure? I mean, obviously, one of the Remnants must have brought the virus with them, but…”
“We don’t exactly have the Ultimate Programmer here with us to follow along with the Neo World Program’s code,” Celeste said, ignoring the way Mondo twitched at her words. The biker had never gotten over Chihiro’s death at Toko’s hands, and honestly, there was a very real chance he would never move on. Well, it's not like Makoto had any room to talk, of course.
The only reason he could count the number of deaths he hadn’t gotten over on his hands was because only ten students had died during the Killing Game. Their Killing Game now.
Because there might very well be a second one soon.
“No doubt, that Izuru fellow had ulterior motives in helping us. I said he wasn’t trustworthy from the start, but of course, someone wouldn’t listen to reason…” The gambler said, shooting Makoto a look many would call venomous, but Makoto could see that while frustrated, there was next-to-no anger there.
“We wouldn’t have been able to find and capture all the Remnants without his help, Celeste, you know that. And Chiaki vouched for him, didn’t she?”
Indeed, Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer and former Class Representative of Class 77, had vouched for the mysterious Ultimate. She had also been the one to approach Makoto, asking for his help saving her classmates, though he couldn’t say he understood why she trusted him in particular with this. It could have been that he was the Ultimate Hope, or maybe that he was the unofficial leader of the surviving class of Junko’s game. He didn’t know why she chose him over any of his other classmates. He did however know that the rest of Future Foundation would have categorically refused, if not outright arrested her for even proposing this, where he was eager to help.
Of course, things had escalated since then.
And that was before Monokuma came back, somehow.
Celeste clicked her tongue. “That girl is too much like you, Makoto. She would vouch for her killer as she bled to death.”
Makoto laughed awkwardly at that, though he hardly felt jovial. This was worse than what he’d thought the worst-case scenario would be.
“So, what do we know?” Kyoko’s calm voice sounded through the laptop’s speaker.
The detective was working in concert with Sakura, helping keep the heat off the other survivors as they went MIA with the Remnants- no, with Class 77.
“Well, things were working properly in the beginning. Usami was taking care of the students, and as expected, Izuru was replaced by his former self, Hajime Hinata. Chiaki did warn us that this would happen, so...” Makoto explained half-heartedly, his mind still focused on the issue at hand.
“So the likelihood that it is relevant is minor,” Kyoko nodded along, also focused on the more pressing issue. “What then?”
“Well, Monokuma appeared.” Makoto explained, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach he’d felt at the sight. For a moment, he’d almost thought it a nightmare if not for the way Celeste’s clawed hand had been digging into his shoulder like a talon.
“But wasn’t Usami supposed to be armed to deal with viruses and attacks?” Sakura’s calm voice asked from Kyoko’s monitor. “What came of that?”
“Monokuma overpowered her, somehow. He stole her administrator privileges and, uh, repainted her and is calling her ‘Monomi’. As far as we can tell, her actual AI hasn’t been affected in this process, probably for him to enjoy her suffering.” Makoto explained, only for Celeste to jump in.
“We’ve confirmed that Monokuma was attacked by the rabbit in some fashion, but none of us here can actually decipher what Fujisaki and Gekkogahara’s work does.” Celeste shot Makoto a smirk then. “I suppose all we can do is Hope it’ll be enough.”
The Ultimate Hope groaned. Ever since Celeste had called him that on live television, it had, effectively, become his official title, and the gambler was more than happy to tease him about it at every opportunity. Not to mention teasing him in other ways…
Makoto shook off his blush and cleared his throat. “Yeah. Usami seems to have done something during their fight, but what exactly, we really can’t tell…”
Kyoko hummed for a moment, before continuing. “Monokuma took over the program, but to what extent?”
Makoto grimaced again. “Almost completely. Usami’s been completely depowered, we can’t interfere at all with what’s happening inside- Though, we still have access to the cameras and can import stuff in-”
“You. Will. Not. Enter that simulation, Makoto Naegi. I forbid it,” Celeste said, her voice cold as ice, and Makoto felt his blood run cold. “No doubt that bitch left those untouched expressly to make you jump in like the self-sacrificing idiot you are.”
Yeah… Celeste still hadn’t forgiven him for not throwing Kyoko under the bus during Junko’s staged trial. At least, she hadn’t tried to kill him.
Makoto could still clearly see the scar Celeste had left on Kyoko’s face with her claw on her monitor. The pale line went from the corner of her mouth, and stretched out to just under her cheekbone, pulling slightly whenever Kyoko spoke.
Kyoko didn’t seem to bregrudge Celeste for it however. ‘I have worse scars’ she’d once said, ‘and this one I deserve.’
Celeste’s choice of words had been a lot less…diplomatic. ‘Should’ve taken the lying whore’s tongue with it.’ or, something to that effect…
Makoto chose not to linger on it, honestly. He had lost too many friends to begrudge those that had survived.
“I agree.” Sakura said, followed by Kyoko’s silent nod.
“Guys…” Makoto tried to plead his case, that he wasn’t actually that bad-
“If he tries, I’ll tie him down to his chair,” Mondo promised, making Celeste scoff.
“You won’t touch him, you brute. No, if Makoto does anything stupid, he’ll answer to me.”
The luckster couldn’t quite hide his wince at that. Celeste could kill a man with her words, but never did they cut so deep as when she tried to imprint on Makoto that she was going to find a way to stop him from passing on before the rest of them. It always hurt to know he worried her so much, especially when he could see the tears held back tightly just behind her mask.
And it’s not like Makoto wanted to sacrifice himself or anything. He’d be perfectly happy never putting his life in danger again, thank you very much.
But on the other hand, he was incapable of refusing to offer his help when someone needed it. Not that he wanted to be the kind of person who would, in all honesty.
Anyway.
“Celeste, you said ‘that bitch’ earlier?” Kyoko asked, bringing the conversation back on topic (thankfully for Makoto). “Then, do you think…”
“That this is one of Enoshima’s ploys? Obviously. It’s got her name written all over this.”
“But- she’s dead, right?” Mondo asked, and Makoto nodded definitively.
Though he hadn’t seen her corpse himself, well…
The Remnants had brought enough pieces back to remove any doubt he might’ve had.
“Yes, but I don’t think she was stupid enough to actually stop her planning at her death. No, Enoshima is far too clever for that.” Celeste said, a note of begrudging respect in her voice that Makoto could only agree with.
Junko was many things. Insane, sado-masochistic, cruel, self-destructive-
But most of all, she was intelligent. Incredibly so.
If she wanted to plan something like this, even something that would only come to pass after her death, she definitely could.
“But how, is the question.” Sakura said. “Fearsome as Junko is, she cannot rise from the dead.”
Hopefully.
“No. But she has spent many years in the same class as the Ultimate Programmer as he developed Alter Ego technology, and was familiar with the Ultimate Neurologist.”
Kyoko’s voice almost seemed like it deafened Makoto for a moment as her words shot through him.
“Are you saying- Junko…”
“Made an Alter Ego herself? I don’t know. But I think it is a very real possibility, especially since she has been known to be very adept with technology in the past. It would explain how efficiently she took over the simulation. If Usami wasn’t fighting one AI, but two…”
Mondo’s jaw was tightly set. “Then it was two on one, and Usami couldn’t fight back.”
“She did manage to infect the Monokuma AI with something, so to say she was powerless would be false, but whether or not she was effective…” Sakura let the sentence hang.
She didn’t need to say it for everyone to understand.
“All we can do is wait, regrettably.” Celeste finally said, and Makoto found himself squirming slightly.
Yeah… Nothing anyone could do.
“Well, I suppose we’ll have to see. Makoto, Celeste, please keep us abreast of the situation as it evolves. As of now, it seems like the Killing Game has yet to begin, but that could change at any moment.” Kyoko said, and Makoto wanted to jump up and say there was no chance it would begin at all-
But he knew better, sadly.
“I’ll make sure Yasuhiro is informed about the situation discreetly.” Kyoko added, and Makoto nodded absent-mindedly.
Hiro was still in the heart of Future Foundation, working and acting as if nothing was wrong at all.
He was ideally placed to learn about Future Foundation’s movements, but it also meant that all of his communications were heavily scrutinized- no doubt Kyoko would need to sneak the message to him somehow. It also meant that, under no circumstances could Hiro hint at knowing Jabberwock Island even existed, and especially not send a message here.
After a few perfunctory goodbyes, Mondo stomped back outside the room, no doubt looking to take out his anger on something or other, while Makoto sagged back in the chair he’d been occupying a few hours ago when Monokuma first appeared.
God, what a nightmare…
Makoto looked into the screen in front of him, jumping from camera to camera and observing the 16 students who were now stuck inside the game he’d only just escaped with his life a few months ago.
And there was nothing he could do to help except hope for the best.
…
Unbidden, Makoto’s eyes drifted to the second monitor, the one showing the drives of the Neo World Program.
He’d gone through them wildly when Monokuma first appeared, but he could barely understand what was in it, let alone figure out what had changed.
Though, there was one thing he’d recognized, if only because it was possibly labeled explicitly for him, or whoever was using the program when something went wrong.
“So? What’s your backup plan?” Celeste asked from the seat next to him, making him jump.
“Gah! C-Celeste!? Wh-What are you talking about!?” Makoto tried to deny it, but Celeste only smiled at him.
“You’re hiding something, Makoto, and not very well. Not that you can hide anything from me of course.” Was that a note of smugness in her voice?
But it was true that Celeste could read him like a book. Maybe that was the price to pay for him to be able to see past her mask himself.
Makoto sighed, before navigating the drive back to the simply named folder he’d found earlier today.
‘In Case Of Usami Failure!’
And inside that folder was a single program, and a text document, which Makoto opened, before sliding his chair out of the way for Celeste to read herself.
“Thank you very much~” Celeste said, leaning over Makoto and making him blush as he felt her body pressing into him lightly as she read.
He looked away, though his eyes struggled to find where to land for a moment, before he eventually closed them, not needing to read the file again.
He’d done so again, and again, and again already.
‘Hello! If you’re reading this .txt file, then this must mean something went wrong that Usami failed to fix! Depending on what or why, you might need to take matters into your own hands! If you do, here’s what you need!
In this folder, you will find a .exe program! It is functionally the same thing as the Pacification Program Usami carries with her, except you can direct it yourself, should the need arise. To do so, all you must do is boot up the .exe, and navigate through the island using the 3D render the program offers. Simply select a target, and focus the Pacification Program to whatever intensity may be needed.
This does of course come with risks, so please take care to use this responsibly. The subjects inside of this program are treated as ‘rogue code’ by the Pacification Program, and this can affect the Rehabilitation Program the Neo World Program’s foundation rests on. As it is designed to do in the worst-case scenario, the program will first move to pacify the malicious code to prevent it from further harming the Neo World. From there it will attempt to alter the base coding of the target into something more useful for the system moderator.
The Pacification Program is relatively untested, and it should only be used in the case of an extreme emergency! If at all possible, contact technical support before resorting to this option. Love love <;3’
Makoto only had to wait a moment before Celeste’s eyes turned back toward him, the rubies glinting with intelligence as she took her seat again, her hands folded in her lap primly.
“So?” She asked, and Makoto grimaced.
“I tried using it on Monokuma, but it couldn’t select him as a target. Maybe it’s because he’s not an original part of the program, or maybe it's because Usami did manage to infect him and he can’t be targeted again or something. I tried using the 3D map to search the island, but it’s literally changing as I navigate it, and some parts are completely closed off and inaccessible, like the ruins. As far as I can tell, it isn’t really useful in this situation.”
Celeste’s smile widened a fraction. “If you believed that, you wouldn’t be so bothered by it.”
Makoto smiled shakily. “You know me too well…”
“Fufufu~ Oh, Makoto, you couldn’t be more wrong~” Celeste slightly teased him, but her eyes were still serious.
“Well, I tested the program for a little bit. It all seems focused on calming people down, making them more compliant, less aggressive, etc. I can target everything on the island with it, except for Monokuma, as I said. I think it works just as it's advertised, making sure conflicts don't happen on the island.”
Makoto paused for a moment, staring back at Celeste’s pale face.
“If- the worst came to pass, I was thinking maybe I could use it to stop things from- happening?” Makoto winced at his own words as he tried to tip-toe around actually saying what he was worried about.
“You think you could use this Pacification Program to stop a murder, should it come to that?”
“It shouldn't have to, but- I know better than that. My hope is that if one of them does fall to that temptation, I can stop it before it's too late, save them where I- '' Makoto choked on the words before they finished leaving his mouth.
Where I couldn't save them before.
The words were left unsaid, but both knew what he had been getting at. The loss of their friends still weighed heavy on all of the survivors, and him more so than anyone else.
His guilt cut him deeper than anyone else’s did, his heart almost bleeding out of his chest sometimes, and Celeste no doubt recognized the pain he felt so vividly still. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, always had, and now was no different.
He took a deep breath, and slowly let it out, letting his shoulders fall with it. “Like I said, I hope I won’t have to use it, and not only because I want to believe in them, but also because, well, I’m not a genius. I think I can figure it out, but I’m sure there’s a reason it's supposed to be for emergencies only. On the other hand…”
“If this isn’t an emergency, then what is, hm?” Celeste finished the thought, a clawed finger resting on her chin, her eyes still drilling into Makoto.
For a moment, the pair sat in silence, only disturbed by the simulated ambience coming through the cameras and the sound of machinery all around them.
It was strange how things happened.
When Makoto had first met Celeste, he had only felt deceit and danger coming from her, and had actively feared being left alone with her, lest she somehow manage to talk him out of all of his worldly possession, or worse, into a game of mahjong.
But now, sitting next to her, on the run from what now stood as the government, harboring fugitives on a deserted island and hoping they would survive, he wasn’t sure there was anyone he trusted more.
O-Of course, he trusted all of his friends from Class 78! No doubt about that! Mondo had sworn to protect him more than once, and Sakura had been ready to lay her own life down to save them all. Hiro might act like a doofus, but even now, he worked at the heart of Future Foundation to help them, and though Kyoko might act cold, he knew that she cared for all of them deep down.
Though she might’ve not trusted him as he trusted her in the past, it was the past, truthfully. Kyoko had changed, and seen the error of her ways. Even now, she was trusting them with this project, when all of their lives may very well lie in the balance.
But still, sitting here with Celeste, he felt, at peace, almost.
As if anything was possible.
Even beating Junko for a second time, and stopping a tragedy from repeating itself.
Makoto took another deep breath. “Thanks for volunteering to stay with me here, Celeste.”
The girl’s pale face split into a smile. “Well, if you do feel so grateful, maybe you’d like to pay me back~”
Makoto’s face exploded into a blush as Celeste teased him, again, and he turned away from her to instead focus on the monitor.
Another round of camera checks told Makoto that all of Class 77 was sleeping in bed. Which was normal, of course. The simulated time matched the time on the real island, and it was approaching- wow, two in the morning?
Well, Makoto had been very busy thus far, of course, but still.
He swallowed a yawn and blinked, hard.
“Are you planning to stay here all night?” Celeste asked, only half-surprised.
“Well, night time is dangerous, right? You’re the one who introduced the night time rule, Celeste.” Makoto said, but Celeste only rolled her eyes.
“Of course you are. What, are you planning to stay awake forever?”
Makoto looked away. “Of course not, but…”
But Makoto simply didn’t know when to leave. What if the moment he abandoned his vigil something happened? Should he sleep when the students went to bed? But that would also be when they were at their most vulnerable, wasn't it? Should he sleep during the day then? But that didn't seem right either, wouldn't that be when most of them were out and about?
“You are ridiculous, Makoto. The worst possible outcome is you falling asleep unexpectedly.”
“No, the worst possible outcome is me failing these people and letting the Killing Game start again.” Makoto snapped, only to immediately regret his harsher tone.
For a moment, a more uncomfortable silence reigned in the operating room, and Makoto felt as if he had something stuck in his throat, at least until Celeste stood up, and laid her hand on his shoulder.
“Go to sleep, Makoto. No one will make a move so soon. We can arrange a schedule tomorrow, and make sure one of us is always watching in the future.” Celeste said softly, and Makoto felt his unknowingly tense shoulders sagging.
He wanted to try and justify staying up, but he was cut off by another yawn, making Celeste giggle.
“As usual, your body is incredibly honest~” Celeste said, and Makoto felt a blush rise to his cheeks as her fingers rolled on his shoulder for a moment, before pulling at him lightly. “Come on. Walk me to my room, hm? You’d be a failure of a knight to not escort your lady.”
Makoto couldn’t stop his tired chuckle. “Alright, alright. I’m coming.”
As Makoto stood up, he couldn’t help but agree with his earlier thought.
He really was glad Celeste was here with him.
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They'd won, but it sometimes didn’t feel that way. He bore the pain of ten lives lost, the grief that came from losing them. Though unlike his fellow survivors, he even mourned the final loss of their game. For as much wrong as she did, he had wished, still did in many ways, that he could have saved Junko from her own pit of despair.
Her laugh, even if it sounded hollow, the proclamation that despair made Junko everything she was, all before she sealed her own fate. She'd never given him the chance to argue against it, and sometimes he chose to believe it was that she knew he would have succeeded. Makoto never had that chance, and she put herself through a gauntlet of despair, every execution she ever inflicted on their classmates, all in one bundle for her to face.
Yes, even her death hung heavy upon him, though not the heaviest of their losses, not nearly the heaviest.
When Mukuro took Byakuya's life, it pained him the same way. He'd never managed to break through Byakuya's shell, not as much as he wanted. He'd never really known who Mukuro truly was, but he always saw glimpses of the true girl buried beneath the disguise she wore.
She'd told him once she held out hope that he would stop Junko, though she never said her name, she never had the chance before she was dragged away to her own punishment. He still couldn't understand why she chose Byakuya as her victim, what of his demeanor screamed a traitor even Mukuro didn't know of.
He always blamed himself though, like Mukuro was protecting him from Byakuya's consistently cruel comments. Every time they visited him at night they didn't hesitate to remind him of that.
Makoto would never claim they were alone, they all blamed him, just as much as he did. Kiyotaka, Hifumi, Leon, they visited on occasion, not as much as the others, not that he felt the bitter sting of their loss any less.
He should have noticed the way Hifumi was breaking down, the longer they stayed, the lessening grip on reality. Yet he didn't, he spent less time with Hifumi than any other member of his class, and that was something he could have, no should have changed.
As Hifumi broke down, his reality became incomprehensible, a merge of his stories, his adoration of all things 2D, and utter despair of not having his crutch. He supposed Alter Ego had been the boy's tipping point, nobody there to ground him, he fell into the trap of viewing Alter Ego as a living, breathing person, and refused to let go.
Asahina suggesting they use the AI, sophisticated as it was to break down Monokuma, was the final nail in both of their coffins. She had become a threat to the only thing keeping Hifumi's fragile hold on his own sanity, and it took more than just the pair down with him. Kiyotaka was just an unfortunate accident to make everything worse.
Long after Asahina had lost her life, after Hifumi had bloodied his hands, Kiyotaka found him. If Makoto had known, if he had been there to stop him, he'd still be here. He could have stopped their fight, talked them down, Hifumi would never have fallen, and Kiyotaka wouldn't have faced execution.
The moral compass that man possessed would never have allowed him to let it lie. A simple confrontation to stop Hifumi from doing what he didn't know had already been done. It was far too late, and Hifumi was far too gone.
Makoto may not know exactly how it happened, but he certainly knew the outcome, a single fall down a staircase, the wrong landing on a bannister, and an execution of a man who hadn't intended any harm. Three lives lost because he wasn't there when he needed to be.
Toko was always the one who found humor in that, despite Makoto finding none. She always found the death of a friend funny, well not Toko precisely. Her crippling case of a split personality found twisted enjoyment in it, or Makoto imagined she did. Her hands weren't clean of blood, and she didn't think twice about reminding him that he had stained his own with hers.
If he had just been more understanding, pushed harder for Chihiro to trust him. If he had just truly befriended the scared boy, she never would have had such an easy target. If he had been able to show that their secrets were always safe, Toko would never have sunk into herself further than ever, her other self never would have been let free.
Toko finding out that her perfect prey was right in front of her, no longer in control? It was a spark in the powder keg, and she was never coming back from the explosion that ensued. No, he had failed them, and they paid the ultimate price for it.
Yet still, they never hurt the worst, no they never could. While he had believed he could have done more, he knew that in truth, it was always a pipe dream. Blaming himself for what was mostly out of his control.
They weren't. That was his failure, the trump card of his nightmares. Whenever he saw that fiery red hair, or heard that sickeningly sweet laugh, that was when it hurt the most. Why shouldn't it? It was the first of his many failures, but more than that it was the only one that he knew he could have done more.
Yes, Sayaka Maizono was his biggest regret, his biggest failure, his most painful memory. The videos were such a simple motive, yet they were the most effective. He remembered it clear as day, holding her in his arms as she shed every tear she could, and he didn't even say anything that made it better, not truly.
Yet he didn't pay for that failure, Leon took on that debt.
If Makoto had stayed with Sayaka that night, neither of them would have been hurt, they'd be safe. He knew she was scared and he left her, yet that wasn't what truly sealed their fates.
No, it was still Sayaka's plan. He believed he'd helped her, but he should have known better. He should have known from the way she spoke that she was lying to him. Of course he didn't, he was too blind to the truth, he cared too much, trusted with too much, and left as she had asked.
Their fate was that which haunted him the most. The ring of a doorbell, a plan set in motion, a shower to dread cleansing himself in.
He could never truly know what happened that night. He could deduce, extrapolate, hope, imagine, fear- but never really know.
Still, he’d seen the scene in his nightmares so frequently he could almost believe it was undeniable truth.
Sayaka’s fear, her guilt, her resolve as she played him for a fool, planning to make him take the fall for him.
Was it relief she felt when Makoto agreed to switch rooms? Or maybe resignation?
And when she wrote those words, invited Leon to his room- did she know she was starting the Killing Game? Did she care?
She could’ve stopped there, couldn’t she? Could’ve tore the letter to shreds and flushed it down the toilet in the morning, and no one would’ve known.
Or maybe the moment she began writing, she had already chosen her path.
Maybe it was the moment she met Makoto deep into the night.
Maybe it was the moment the Killing Game rules were announced.
Makoto couldn’t know. He would never be able to know. That was the cruel finality of death.
Still, the thoughts haunted him, and nightmares regarding Sayaka, not to mention all of his other friends plagued him.
But this wasn’t a nightmare.
This was reality.
A cruel trick, a tragedy repeating itself right in front of his eyes.
Makoto stared unseeingly at the monitor as Nagito walked away from the Ultimate Impostor’s cabin, having just slipped a note under his door, an hour before the morning announcement.
His fingers felt numb as he gripped the desk in front of him like a buoy, the only thing stopping him from falling off his chair and drowning in a sea of despair.
“Makoto. Breathe.” Celeste said next to him, her hand digging into the flesh of his arm, and Makoto’s lungs felt like they would explode as he breathed in shakily.
“Wh-What-” Makoto’s voice broke for a moment, and he cleared his throat. “What does the letter say?”
Celeste paused for a moment, hesitating, before navigating the cameras, though her hand never left him, for which he was thankful. He needed the anchor, desperately.
Celeste found the Impostor’s room camera, and paused again.
“Celeste?”
She grit her teeth.
“‘Be careful. The first kill will happen tonight. Someone will definitely kill someone.’”
Makoto could almost smell the faint smell of lavender in the air, and for a moment, he was back on those trial grounds, listening to Kyoko explain Sayaka’s plan.
Celeste’s nails bit into his flesh through his suit.
No. No, he couldn’t allow this to happen.
Numbly, he navigated the drives, and found the Pacification Program folder once more, only to pause when Celeste pulled at him.
His eyes met hers, only to come face-to-face with her full trust, and Makoto couldn’t help but relax, just a little bit.
She didn’t say anything. Only nodded, once, seriously, which Makoto returned, first tiredly, but then resolved.
No, he would stop this Killing Game from starting. He had to.
His free hand left the desk, and instead settled on Celeste’s own hand, feeling her cold fingers under his.
“I can't let this happen.” She hadn't questioned him, but he provided an answer anyway.
“I would never suggest you did, I know better than that. Always the noble knight.” Her soft tone was a warming comfort he needed, even if only a few words.
With a tightened determination settling in his chest, he drew his eyes back to the computer screen. The debate they could have had about this decision was solved before it ever truly began.
He wouldn’t allow Nagito to kickstart the Killing Game. He wouldn’t allow anyone to do so.
And when he opened the Pacification Program, it was with resolve and hope bolstering his heart.
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