The zone of the arts @zonezart - Tumblr Blog

ouughhh the way i need to know more about this corpa/dr au,,, i see misuto/hinoe in the big 2025 i cry over misuto/hinoe in the big 2025

OMG YESSSS Im so glad it's piqued your interest!! I can and probably will talk EXTENSIVELY abt it so bear with me or strap in LMAO

Basic Premise of the AU is that it's a Canon Divergent but attempting to maintain Compliance of both CoPa and Danganronpa--I love a good creative challenge and world building to find a way to balance a world out and so far it's been a really fun side project!

The timeline in this would essentially go with CoPa being first, BoS remains largely the same as added context for the timelooping aspect, and then Blood Drive--or rather my own BD stand-in/rewrite. I respect BD for what it tried but I personally have a lot of gripes with the insane switchup of stakes and almost genre overall? But I like a challenge as I've said so I want to take the parts I see the most potential in and really flesh them out and give them a chance to shine.

Gonna break this into some sections and sub sections for the sake of sanity LMAO 🫶💖

The Blood Drive Stuff

Character Basics

Quick rundown of tweaks for each of the characters ive made to help better align some timeline stuff + fleshing aspects of them out!

Satoshi

Age: 15 (CoPa, BoS, BD), 16-25 (Danganronpa Series)

HH Impact: Altered Personality + Intensity--Impatient, Impulsive, Blunt

Notabilities: Baseball Player (kicked off of team post-CoPa due to apathy), Timeloop Instigator and remembers it best (this is a surprise tool that will help us later ! 💖)

Yuka

Age: 8 (CoPa, BoS, BD), 17 (Post-DR2)

HH Impact: Newly Enhanced Spiritual Sensitivity--Can see, hear, and commune with spirits (needs extreme honing and training)

Notabilities: Elementary Schooler in HH--unique experience that kept her safer than the others at times in regards to the other spirits and Yoshikazu hesitating, Hinoe and Ayumi primarily help her hone her abilities with Aiko taking over her training after the events of BD and into DR, Very close to Naomi and Yoshiki post-BD in the absence of Satoshi, Ayumi, and Hinoe

Ayumi

Age: 16 (CoPa)

HH Impact: Obsession with Redemption + Guilt, Extremely Heightened Spiritual Perception and Susceptibility

Notabilities: Interested in all things occult thanks to her sister and Misuto who have been constants in her life for years now---looks up to them both is different ways

Yoshiki

Age: 17 (CoPa), 27 (Post-DR2)

HH Impact: Matyrdom Syndrome + Shield Mindset + Over-Attachment/Reliance Issues, Ironically comes out the opposite of going in and is spurred to make something much more of his life in the honor of the others, Surviving friends become top priority--his apartment has an Open-Door Policy now; anyone can show up at any time and he will he there for them

Notabilities: Deeply into creative hobbies such as creating Kandi bracelets and gifting them to each of his friends---his arms are always covered in them, wanting to become a tattoo artist and in the process of learning with his own equipment, offers the idea of everyone getting matching tattoos of their paper scrap shapes as a sort of memorium and way to remind them all, no matter where they are, that there's always someone they can come home to---he applies the ink himself to each of them

Naomi

Age: 16 (CoPa), 26 (Post-DR2)

HH Impact: Obsession with proving their friends were real + eventual branding of Yuki's insignia on her eye (granting the ability to see through the Replacement's eyes if she concentrates) (limited ability: gone post-BD), Steels her overall daringness + Becomes much more of a risk-taker and works well in tandem with Satoshi bc of this

Notabilities: Still interested in nursing, but gains a new interest in Missing Persons cases and Cold Cases in general, stemming from wanting to link the various nametags, notes, and letters they salvaged from HH to their families--also inspired by the losses of their friends and Seiko. This extends to finding out what happened to Satoshi in the midst of the Tragedy--she becomes quite good at investigative work and, admittedly, breaking into places she doesn't belong

Aiko

Age: 17 (CoPa), 27 (Post-DR2)

HH Impact: Heightened Spiritual Sensitivity + Abilities to read people's Auras for longer and with more limited contact, Inferiority Complex---She has large shoes to fill in a group to which she isn't sure she belongs with

Notabilities: Suspicious of Kuon, her "sister", from the get-go no thanks to her ability to read Auras, Takes on the responsibilities of Hinoe, Misuto, and Ayumi in their absence in spite of the sheer amount of responsibility and work that brings, Continues to train Yuka's abilities in their stead as well

Magari

Age: 18 (CoPa), 28 (Post-DR2)

HH Impact: Newfound belief in ghosts 💀 + Extreme Humbling of her Ego

Notabilities: Ultimate Mercenary of HPA's Class #75, post-BD she sticks with the HH gang after sharing such an experience with them and lowkey not really having any other friends, becomes a protective figure for them as well as helps establish higher connections thanks to her Ultimate status

Hinoe

Age: 26 (CoPa)

Notabilities: Spiritual Communer, Investigator, and Exorcist (For Hire!), Very Alt and indulges in all of Ayumi's questions, very upbeat and chipper personality despite her profession and lifestyle and very passionate humanitarian---both for the alive and dead, Will readily put herself in harm's way to protect her clients and loved ones, intelligent and self-reliant, the first person Ayumi finally confides to about her and the other's experience in HH and readily starts her own investigations on the phenomena Ayumi and the others describe

Misuto

Age: 25 (CoPa)

Notabilities: Has a lot of spiritual potential that Hinoe is helping him train and tap into, very nonchalant but with a sharp eye---extremely clever, Hinoe's boyfriend and established part of the Shinozaki household, Hinoe inspires him to reach his full potential and takes more risks and challenges in his life thanks to her, Loyal to his loved ones---which he doesn't have many of, a familiar face for the rest of the gang as he's p much always just Around

(Putting in a Readmore bc i know im about to yap for a WHILE here 💖)

Hinoe + Misuto

Hinoe and Misuto SCREAM wasted potential to me. I think Blood Drive was very bloated and struggled to find a consistent direction with so many antagonistic characters that struggled to smoothly all click together, and Misuto's ending was so... 😭I only recently found out that he and Hinoe had even been a thing and I followed the game not long after it first launch so unfortunately I think that speaks for the execution of a lot of the ideas presented in that game.

That said, that gives me good insight into where I personally want to attempt to take his character. I'm taking away his role as an antagonist and the cult subplot for both him and Magari (trust and run with me) and I know that's a big change considering his actions facilitated a lot of the endgame shit in BD, but hear me out I have ideas here. I also think that there is a compelling and unexplored area of interest in his relationship and dynamic with Hinoe who was also greatly underutilized except to be a one-trait deus-ex machina rather than her own character and properly Ayumi's Older Sister. They're both getting much more prominent roles as a duo--Misuto is still her protege but also a business partner and Hinoe is a resident spiritual expert that works especially on cases where communing with the dead or exorcisms are needed.

Hinoe and Misuto in the timespan between the events of the first game and BD would be the main gang's probably most reliable and consistent support net--the only ones who may just believe them and could help them when things get dicey. Hinoe is a mentor figure for Ayumi and the shared apartment becomes a safe space. While Misuto doesnt have the same extent of spiritual experience and prowess as Hinoe or Ayumi, he's a guy with connections and a talent for getting information out of people. On a more lighthearted and funnier note, to me he has that energy of like That Unemployed Friend on a Tuesday LMFAO he's always just Doing Something. He still has his dry sense of humor OFC and hands out consolation gum to people <3 But this time around, he's a legitimate protagonist to Hinoe and Ayumi---the three make up an odd little unit but are generally close.

Magari + Hope's Peak

So without the cult, where does that leave Magari? As crazy as she is to have appeared in BD the way she did, I can't help but be a little endeared by her crazy ass an eccentricities, but I still think a murderous magical girl appearing out of absolutely NOWHERE doesn't quite fit the vibe the first game set up. Thankfully, this AU enables actually quite the perfect solution! She's an Ultimate at Hope's Peak Academy---all the eccentricities, half of the migraine!

She's part of Hope's Peak Academy's Class 75A as the Ultimate Mercenary--She'll do any job as long as she gets paid and while she enjoys a good fight she also doesnt mind getting deep into investigative work and is extremely strong-willed and no-nonsense. Put her in charge and she WILL get the job done--full stop, no notes.

Magari's involvement in the main gang would come when eventually Hope's Peak, being the nosey mfs they are, catch word of all the weird deaths happening in the Tenjin region--these being the ones caused by doing the charm after the first game. These deaths would be ones being actively looked into by the local authorities as well as Hinoe and Misuto under the table since the circumstances are getting odd enough and turning up no solutions. Magari is an intimidating outsider coming in and essentially taking complete control of the investigation with her own team no thanks to Hope's Peak governmental connections.

Outside of articles, rumors, or things seen online, Magari is the main gang's first encounter with an Ultimate or anything directly relating to Hope's Peak and she is an intimidating no nonsense antagonist that ends up catching Hinoe and Misuto in her sights and parts of the gang by extension.

Divergent BD Plot Details (WIP)

A quick run through of my ideas for what im putting these guys through in BD's stead is in order 🫶

Firstly, The Sachi plot is gone and I'm bringing Yuki to the forefront (as she deserves with how the first game ends). Yuki is the new head of the school, but she's no carbon copy of Sachiko by any means. Yuki, while the strongest spirit there in Sachiko and Yoshie's absence, isn't nearly as strong as them. The girl is struggling to maintain HH's integrity in a sense. She hasn't been able to hijack the original Sachiko Charm--she isn't able to drag people in with it, but it does give her a brief little foot in the door to hurt the participants which is where the real world deaths from the charm are coming in---she kills the participants and manages to pull their spirits inward but is unable to bring live people in like how we saw in the first game. These little instances give her little recharges. I think she'd rely on the energy of all the spirits combined to support everything she's doing, which takes much more careful thought and consideration on her part.

Yuki as an antagonist is much more of a chess player so to speak--she's much more methodical in what she does because she doesn't have the same practically unlimited energy that Sachiko had. There are a few places she especially puts her energy for the meantime as she searches for a more reliable way to get people in and strengthen herself and HH's walls once more. These are:

Supporting HH (passive and ongoing)

Striking down Charm Participants (somewhat more demanding)

Influencing People in the real world and Watching the Survivors (EXTREMELY demanding, but high risk and high reward for her)

The last point is probably one of my favorite new little additions and while I'm still working out the kinks, I think it has some fun potential. I think Yuki as she loses herself to malice would linger on the fact that the gang are essentially like. The Five Who Got Away.

Utilizing Kuon + The Replacements

I hate Kuon. For SO many reasons, I don't know what the hell the writers problems were but that's not what we're here to complain about (TOO much), but there was always one part of her that intrigued me and I saw as a HUGE missed opportunity.

When first watching BD and coming to the part where it showed that she was very decrepit and almost hardly living + the fact that she replaced Ms. Yui pretty much entirely, I thought that she might've been someone--or something--conjured up by the school. THAT is what I want to focus on--Kuon being an extension of Yuki frankensteined together and effectively being puppeteered by her. Yuki can see through the eyes of her as a means of keeping tabs on the main gang to make sure they don't interfere as they are clearly a very serious threat to HH's status quo and Yuki's search for strength.

In addition to her, there are three others who would fill the spaces of Seiko, Morishige, and Mayu in the minds of the others. I want to embrace the specific brand of horror that comes with them seemingly knowing everything about the gang, but the gang having known people prior to them and feeling like they're being gaslit by everyone around them. And I want that unnerving dissonance to shift to a sense of malice as these four get more aggressive over time and it gets harder to find themselves away from one set of prying eyes--Kuon's effectively the ringleader of this nosy little group.

Over time as things ramp up and the gang starts making more moves it would become more clear that this group of people are Not Quite Right and they act more like what the school thinks people like them would act like rather than feeling natural--I'm explaining it poorly I think but I really want to embrace the Uncanny Valley with them. Additionally as Yuki gets more strained I think they would break down and act out more and could shift from psychological horror to body horror as they move very jerkily and jagged and have more raging freakouts--unable to maintain stability as Yuki has to start shifting her focus. And this is a small detail but I think a poignant one that would make for a very stressful encounter--I think they would be able to mimic the voices of those whom they've replaced.

Ultimately, Kuon and the puppet's goals are to egg people on into doing the charm (for the teens), keep prying eyes away (Kuon), and to keep tabs on the Kisaragi 5 (all)--this puts Kuon often in direct conflict with Magari, Hinoe, and Misuto who are all trying to investigate the odd deaths--especially once one happens within class 2-9.

Aiko would remain Kuon's younger sister in this, though she herself would probably use the term loosely. I think that she would still be able to see auras so long as she has touch with a person, and I think she would recognize her "sister's" aura as something not from their world--possibly something she'd learned or gotten glimpses of from Naho's insight into HH and its history. I think she would recognize this aura in the main gang as survivors and, on top of her own personal pursuits, it would give her yet another push and reason to get involved with the others.

So How Does it Pan Out?

This is where I'm still working on a lot 😵‍💫 BUT i have a few ideas floating around im just working on connecting into a proper series of events and plot. Key Points:

Aiko's bargaining chip for getting involved is that she may have a way back into HH (still working on how to potentially rework the Everafter stones or potentially reworking that other charm introduced with like the river floats iirc)

The gang is hit or miss on going back, Ayumi while wanting to correct things isn't quite going full necromancy but has absolutely embraced the idea that, whatever it takes to get the memory of the others back, she'd die for

The push comes with the fact that more people are dying and Yuki is struggling to maintain HH--energy doesn't just disappear, so if Yuki is unable to pull things together (and it seems like she isn't) then everything within HH has to go somewhere, and that place is out.

They can either sit on their laurels and let things unfold as they will, having already done their time, or they can go back in and try to mitigate the worst outcome by breaking up and releasing the remaining parts of HH before they bleed into their community and kill more people while scattered to the winds

With the veil between HH and the real world weakened, they have the potential to straight up excise the spirits and cogs in HH out to to their proper resting places without having to appeal to them---this would effectively strip Yuki of more and more of her power. It would also make traversing HH much more precarious for them in the meantime, but it would make Yuki much more approachable + would leave nothing behind for the school to mold into another leader once she's gone. They're ripping the place up from the foundations

If you've seen Coraline, the vibes Im thinking are similar to how the Other World shrinks and shrivels as she progresses with each ghost child's eye--that kinda breakdown

Casting out SO many spirits though is a LOT of work, and not something Ayumi has the capabilities to do alone--enter Misuto and Hinoe. The three of them would work together to drive everyone out permanently

Seiko would help as a guide + they would get some more proper conclusions with the others as their spirits regain themselves the further broken down the school's hold on them becomes

Magari shifts from an antagonist to an ally within HH and helps protect everyone in the midst of the chaos---having an Ultimate pays off

The new group of people who enter this version of HH would include Ayumi, Yoshiki, Satoshi, Naomi, Aiko, Magari, Hinoe, and Misuto--though Magari wasn't exactly expecting it unlike literally everyone else LMFAO 😭 She would interfere suspecting Misuto and Hinoe as setting up the crime scenes as a potential means to gain business for themselves by getting the publicity of "ghost killings" and being a spirit communing and excising business and "experts" (she's a HUGE skeptic throughout the process until landing in HH with them). She would be a bit of a fish out of water but, being an Ultimate and quite flexible in terms of her experience, she'd be a massive help in traversing the school and would readily challenge tougher obstacles they had no real means of confronting before such like Kizami, Kuon, etc. She's a fighter and knows how to adapt, even if she texts Headmaster Kirigiri later needing a FUCK ton more money for the shit she goes through LMFAO

This part hurts my heart, but it's something that I think aligns with the first game as well as Ayumi's arc in the original BD and just in general. And it's the fact that Ayumi, Hinoe, and Misuto are not going to make it out of HH--I don't have exact details panned out except for the fact that it happens and that Ayumi probably faces Yuki alone while Misuto and Hinoe act as both distractions and supporters so she can get up close and personal. I think the others would be sent back home somehow--they'd get proper goodbyes but the sense of finality would be palpable with Satoshi being given the lead in getting everyone out before the final confrontation. He knows the layout of the school better than anybody at that point and, as a fellow and proven leader, it's something Ayumi has full trust and faith in.

Please note though, this is NOT the last time Ayumi is seen, in fact I think there's a lot of potential for her moving forward in the timeline as a spirit with her own sheer prowess. But I do think it's tragically poetic and fitting for Ayumi to finally take the reigns of a situation she feels responsible and to go down FULLY on HER terms and protecting not just her current friends, but her home. She is taking her fate by the horns and going out a hero, effectively. This is one half of an important paradigm for me.

After this release, EVERYTHING is cleared---memories are restored, people are quite ready to believe the gang's stories, the the renewed Five Survivors of Satoshi, Yoshiki, Naomi, Aiko, and Magari become hometown heroes of sorts. They're all quietly interviewed by some more official sources to have the odd experience on record (still working this part out but this would definitely be something Hope's Peak I think would be effectively looking over the shoulder at as we know their LOVE for science and the untapped potential of the general Unknown).

Once complete, the kids (excluding Magari) would all be offered a deal that's effectively a type of Witness Protection--a chance to change things up and get some space from it all after everything they've been through if they decide they need the space. Four of them vehemently deny the offer, opting to support each other and stay together. One of them, however, jumps at the opportunity.

The Danganronpa Transition

Satoshi Mochida -> Hajime Hinata -> Izuru Kamukura

MY CATALYST FOR THIS ENTIRE AU WHICH SPANNED FROM A GAG WHILE PLAYING DR2 BLIND WITH MY FRIENDS LETS GOOOOO 👏👏👏 THIS GUY IS THE CENTERPIECE OF IT ALL FOR ME I FEAR !!! The thread through EVERYTHING

Let's talk about this guy who, in the base franchise, has so little going for him that it's become a gag </3 But that means its free real estate for ME ! 💖

I have a lot of qualms with how he's handled as a protagonist, especially in BD where he just barely exists as a person, so I'm injecting him with SOOO much turmoil to help balance things out. The source--That damn timeloop.

Satoshi has the best memory of the loop, and a vivid memory at that. By the time of BD he could draw maps of each layer of each space with his eyes closed--he KNOWS that building and he knows it well. Again and again, he went through it. This experience changes him at his core---From a patient and sweet coward to a short-tempered and calculating teen who will see something through come hell or high water. There would be a newfound distance between him and the others, not that he loves them any less but just that it's a bit more complicated. He watched them die and betray each other in some of those loops, and sure they didn't end up being the final outcome nor were they entirely themselves, but that's not something that could just be so easily brushed off. I don't think he'd be able to look the others in the eyes without being reminded of it all. This is of course on top of the collective general trauma of the whole ordeal.

I think he would also feel a heavy sense of responsibility, much like Ayumi, due to being the one who helped trigger the loop and the only one fully aware of it as it happened--and thus the one who somehow had to find a way to get them out of it, no matter how many tries it took. I think he would come out of it with serious inferiority issues despite having succeeded because he manages to twist it around in his head. He shoulve done more. He shouldve gotten more out. He should've gotten Ayumi out.

I think in the interim between CoPa and BD, he and Yoshiki would swap places in a sense. Satoshi spins out with apathy and frustration and begins to struggling in school and his family life, being generally dismissive and irritable whereas Yoshiki I think would, odd as it is, come out of it with a reinvigoration for the life he has. I think he'd put the pedal to the metal and lock in, wanting to make the most of the time he realizes he's been granted now, if not for himself then in honor of the others they lost. Satoshi ends up the opposite.

After everything that unravels in BD, when offered the chance to escape and not be surrounded by the constant reminders of just Everything, he of course jumps at the opportunity. It's an escape and space for him to actually just breathe and regain some sense of himself and who he wants to be apart from what he's become locally known for. So he gets the works--new home, new school, new name, and a host family who'll just generally oversee his welfare and experience. It's a completely fresh start.

And from there, Hajime's DR plot pretty generally unravels the same! Just with a little extra oomph in places. He would improve in his general condition and apathy and have some life breathed back into him, but those insecurities that took root would unfortunately linger and morph over time and focus in on Hope's Peak Academy and having an Ultimate Talent.

He broaches the idea to his host family of transferring into Hope's Peak's Reserve Course in the hopes of maybe getting picked out of that crowd one day or at least just to be closer to his now idealized school. The hosts, knowing what he's been through already, are willing to do whatever will make him happy and successful---and Hope's Peak Academy practically breeds it. Of course they let him go.

I think in his mind he would think that the others are hoping that when he finally comes back home that he'll be the Satoshi they remember---the kind and sweet and gentle pacifist from before everything. But he can't be that again, for all intents and purposes, that Satoshi did die in Heavenly Host. So now he feels the need to make up for it, to bring back more in some other way as if he has to make up for his perceived failings. And I think that's where the idealism of having an Ultimate Talent and the strength and awe and capability that comes with it would manifest---and he'd become obsessed. It would shift into this mangled idea that if he just has this one thing, everything will be alright again. Like the ultimate fix.

So when Hope's Peak approaches him with the Kamukura Project, it's practically godsent to him. There it is. The fix. And all he has to do is get a few little signatures. And then everything will be Perfect.

Hope's Peak Academy is by no means stupid. They have their hands in everything and, again, governmental ties. I have no doubt that they would know exactly who Hajime is. He's already shown an exceptional tolerance and willpower, and the procedures for the Kamukura project are very strenuous. I'm sure they would happily take anybody who signed their name, but Hajime shows promise not for being particularly talented or smart, but for his endurance and stubborn nature. Effectively, he won't die on the operating table easily.

And so they go through with it. His Host Family signs the papers from afar as he lives on Hope Peak's Campus and just do it in the hopes of it helping him.

Hajime Hinata goes in, and Izuru Kamukura comes out.

From there, everything spirals out of control just like in the mainline story of DR. Hope's Peak creates their perfect little Artificial Hope that they eventually get too scared of and hide in their basement away from everyone, Junko Enoshima begins making her moves, they get into contact, and things blow up from there. Izuru is by no means tricked or brainwashed into doing the things he did with Junko and for helping enable and lead the Tragedy for the 7 years he did, he did it out of curiosity and for the rare adrenaline rushes he got out the experiences, desperate to just feel something. He knows nothing of Hajime's past nor does he care to know much about it, he has his own life and mission.

By the time the events of DR2 and DR3's anime have come and gone and his memories are restored and his personalities combine and a balance is struck, Hajime is 25 years old and ten years have passed since he's so much as spoken to anyone from his original home. And after everything he and the other Despairs have done? I think he'd struggle with whether to reach out and come clean or not---He either keeps it all to himself and lets them all think that Satoshi, their sweet friend, died somewhere unknowingly but ultimately still himself, or he comes clean and releases that final weight from his shoulders and provides them the answers they're looking for, but at the cost of carrying the newfound weight of everything he happily enabled and participated in. He helped ruin EVERYTHING bruh 😭I think he would struggle between deciding which option is more selfish and more a burden. Post-DR2, in spite of everything, he's in the best frame of mind he's been in a LONG time---he knows who he is and what he's about and what he's going to do next, and that's help fix things in whatever way he can with the Future Foundation while caring for and looking after his friends on Jabberwock Island.

Protagonist Mirrors + Ayumi in General

This is a bit more misc but! A big appeal for this all for me personally is exploring the idea that like. Not all of them made it out of the CoPa experience ultimately okay. I'm glad that the characters are all able to get relatively happy endings, but I think there's just something to be said about watching a fall from grace that's really compelling---ESPECIALLY when it's one of the two main protagonists, and the one that's traditionally hyped up as like. The Pinnacle Guy. I think, thematically and poetically, it's very satisfying.

Ayumi and Satoshi are both protagonists and peers in that right, and after the events of the first game they would see that in each other and I think have a new respect for one another because of it. When shit needs done, they both lock in and they work together well on making something happen, which is why BD is able to be pulled off. Both pull their weight and can pick themselves up to just keep pushing forward even when breaking down themselves.

Losing them both is a massive blow to the remaining group, but it strengthens the resolves of Yoshiki and Naomi who both have to learn how to not only lead, but live without two people whom they both heavily relied on and would have sacrificed everything for. I think their potential friendship and bond here is especially untapped potential.

Additionally going back to this, there's something just classically fun about the dichotomy of one protag dying a hero, while the other lives but becomes, not to get punny, an ultimate villain. It's angsty, it's fun, and it presents a whole slew of unique situations and dynamics that otherwise wouldn't get much of a chance to shine, and that's why it's so fun to explore!

Generally, there's also just a lot of things for Satoshi that align VERY well with Hajime and Izuru. Izuru's design in and of itself invokes the Sachiko a LOT---the stringy long, black hair, the merciless attitudes, the fascination with despair, and the general red and black palette they're both associated with. It's a completely accidental parallel, but one that's SO just. Perfect. Additionally, Satoshi's chapter 3 victim memoirs ending literally has him being "overcome by despair and practically lobotomized" LIKE 😭 It's not at all intentional, but it's actually funny how many things are lined right up for me. Hajime's behavior at the start of DR2 is what got my friends and I to start joking about this all in the first place---if bro had a nickel for every time he and his classmates got whisked away to an isolated location where they slowly died one by one, he'd have two nickels---which isnt much! But it's weird that it's happened twice!!!

Im getting off track a little so wrapping back around to Ayumi and her general state of things during the DR portion and onwards. Ayumi's spirit would have been as powerful as Sachiko's had she not put all of her strength into finally releasing the last bits of HH and Yuki. She's a little weaker now, but not spectacularly. She'd probably just be closer to Yuki's level now which is still quite influential (especially since she's not trying to hold a school together).

She would linger around her friends as a guardian type, and regularly communicate through Aiko and Yuka as Yuka further hones her newly gained abilities over the years. She would be forever able to sense the others due to their shared experience in HH and spiritual ties with the Sachiko Charm truly binding them despite everything that happened. She would be able to sense Satoshi/Hajime, but upon learning from the others what choice he's made, she would give him the space he needs. That said however, she would be able to feel when things Changed. When something was Wrong.

At that point, I think she would start checking in, trying to keep herself as hidden as she could until she figured out just how sensitive he was to spiritual energy. But she would be greeted with Izuru instead, who wouldn't recognize her at all. I don't think she'd interact with him much past initial encounters, but she'd linger around him, confused, concerned and unsure of just who exactly she was looking at. I don't think she'd connect the dots for a long while, thinking that her link with Satoshi got mixed up or that this is something different---a warning in general. She's unsure, and as long as she's unsure she's going to keep it somewhat on the dl as not to worry the others. The others would probably wonder for a long time where she's gone, but she'd come back in time.

When things get dicey though, Ayumi is able to be the K5 gang's extra set of eyes in places they can't be and gain insight in less traditional ways to share with them. For the sake of their safety, she would keep them as far away from encountering Izuru as possible. I still have to think on the reasoning for it, but I think ultimately Ayumi would want Izuru/Hajime to tell the others himself what happened and what choices he made. Both because of the sheer accountability factor and also just because that's his story to tell, not hers. I think her respect for him as a peer and gratefulness for all his help those years prior could impact this decision of hers--it's not her place to meddle like that these days.

The Others + The Future Foundation

With the Tragedy occurring, the others don't exactly get to live out normal lives for very long 💀But of all the people getting thrown into the chaotic fray, the most modern iteration of the Kisaragi 5--Yoshiki, Naomi, Yuka, Aiko, and Magari--are pretty well off in dealing with it. They've been through worse, after all. As much as it sucks, I think they would handle the pressure well and be leaders for their family and friends that they watch out for, but most notably I think their group would tighten immensely during this time, becoming quite close knit.

Magari with her former HPA connections would be able to get them an in with the Future Foundation, in which Yoshiki and Naomi would readily offer themselves up for work for in return for the safety of their makeshift family units. Yoshiki would be muscle similar to Magari and Naomi a combat medic with a side specialty of being quite the investigator. They would be brought in likely under Togami at first but would likely shift hands between him, Kyoko, and Makoto as time goes on and DR2 unravels. Once the top three of the DR1 crew get clued into everything that happened with the Kamukura project and actually talking with Hajime, they'd quickly realize the people they have employed and their connections to him. But, as they're keeping their aid to the Former Despairs under wraps and Hajime's information especially confidential, no information would be shared.

Until Naomi starts snooping.

She's gotten quite sharp over the years and I think Naomi would be the one to notice something Odd going on---not with Hajime or his connection to them, no, but rather I think she would realize that the FF is harboring the Despairs and confront Makoto about it, wanting an explanation from his mouth. Makoto would feel the pressure but I think as much as Byakuya and Kyoko would be nervous about cluing them in, especially since a leak could be very dangerous for them, Makoto would see potential in this situation.

This group, of all groups, knows what it's like to see kids twisted out of their former selves and doing things they never would've, had they been in their right minds. Had they not encountered just One person or done One Little Thing. Sure, the Despairs were teens, but everyone understands the impact Junko could have on people---she had a silver tongue like a cult leader and the armed backup to move things in her favor by force. She was cunning, beautiful, and knew how to get what she wanted. I think Makoto would take a risk and plead with their sense of sympathy by calling back to the way Heavenly Host twisted people. To emphasize what ultimate despair could do to a person and twist them---they saw it. They felt it. They know what it was like. And the Former Despairs are trying. They could help them.

And his Hail Mary WORKS 🙏 They agree to keep quiet but now kinda want in on those inner workings---if there's anything more they can do they'll do it. And, well, they're curious. They want to look these people in the eyes and figure out what the hell happened. They want to look Izuru in the eyes and understand what the hell happened with him. It's a lot at once, but Makoto realizes that they could potentially be solid liaisons for the Despairs. It would better protect them while allowing the same--if not more--work to be done since they wouldnt have to worry about any of them being recognized. At the moment, Hajime and the Ultimate Imposter have p much been the only ones able to really safely traverse outside of the island. And they're both great ofc! But more manpower is always a bonus.

This, however, all happens without Hajime's knowledge. And thats ummmmmm a little bit funsies. Makoto im sure went up to him going "heyyyy bestieeeee <3 hiiiii so ummmm funny thing happenedddd" and tells him everything and get hit with one of the loudest "YOU WHAT"s of the decade 💖💖💖

I think while one half would be absolutely through the roof at the chance to see them, a much LOUDER part of himself is still like. Shielding Mode, and since he hasn't figured just what he wants to do yet in regards to himself, having their presence thrust upon him on so suddenly would be EXTREMELY irritating to say the least. But he can't exactly veto it so strongly without a good reason.

So begins a very awkward dance for Hajime. I think the K5 group would slot in well with the others though! I still have a lot of dynamics I want to explore amongst them all but I think that the rest of the DR2 crew would treat them well just bc like if they're cool with Hajime they're cool with them. Hajime himself is fluctuating stress levels like a metronome but what else is new LMFAO

I think the two most dicey dynamics that would come from this set up would be his relationships with Naomi and Yuka. Yoshiki would probably be pissed to high hell and scold the fuck out of him to say the least, but he would also hear him out. Satoshi was his best friend and someone he looked after for eons--despite everything i think his relief in seeing him alive and getting things together would outweigh whatever grief comes with everything.

Naomi on the flip side is. NANOMETERS away from an absolutely ATOMIC level crashout. AND I WOULD BE TOO OH MY GODDDD DUDE. She is going to grab Hajime by the damn ahoge and launch him into SPACE bro 😭😭😭 I think, as hard as she tries to remain objective---especially as someone with a medical background---she wouldn't be able to and would take it EXTREMELY personally. She'd be outraged. She would be already entering the situation extremely skeptical of Hajime in particular---the others she can extend more grace to as they were obviously more Followers in a sense. But Hajime, or rather Izuru, was not. He was a ringleader, and even though the DR2 gang is in a much better place and cleansed of their Despair statuses, there's still old habits that die hard and it's very clear that Hajime is still respected as a defacto leader. Everyone looks to him. And while he's kind and respectful and welcoming of them, he still carries himself with those qualities just inherently. She wouldn't like him very much on principal, but she tries. But Hajime, and I love him for it, can be a blunt ASSHOLE at times 💀 I think they would butt heads, which doesn't exactly set them up for success with a big reveal like that. There would be progress in between as I think Naomi becomes more open-midned the longer they're all just Around the DR2 crew in general and get to see how they all work together and really see the amount of care Hajime has for his peers---because that's what they are to him, his peers and his friends. Family at this point. She respects that, and they make a little headway before things go sideways again. But once everything's on the table, I think that's where things would be able to shine best. Two beers, a starry night, and just laying on the ground and talking and talking and talking for hours on end would go a very long way for these two. There's a lot to say and a lot to cover, but in that aftermath when both are too tired to go on the offense or defense, they'd make strides.

Yuka would be complicated. She was a kid when he left and is just barely becoming an adult when he comes back. I think he'd be stunned to see her growth, but relieved to know she's been in such good hands with Naomi and Yoshiki---there's no one he'd trust more to support her in his stead. I think though that because he was gone for so long during such a crucial period of growth and change for Yuka that there'd be a mix of resentment and apathy. Resentment that he abandoned them, but apathy because they've gone on without him. They've been fine without him. She's been fine without him. I'm still picking her apart, so perhaps the apathy shatters once faced with reality, but I think that she'd naturally gravitate towards Hajime in general just bc of his attitude and simply being himself! He's very confident in himself and gets along well with everyone there even if he's pretty no-nonsense. I think having had the experience she did within HH where she saw more glimpses of humanity in the spirits and such there, she'd be much more open to the Despairs and more readily intrigued to hear about the nuance of it all. She'd probably help convince Yoshiki and Naomi to give the idea a chance in the first place. I think, ultimately, Yuka is just very tired of her life being so full of chaos and she just wants to move on---something that sounds funnily familiar to Hajime.

Concluding Thoughts

not to make this like a damn essay but this post is so long now idk how to end it without it feeling awkwardly cut off 🧍hi im zone and ive thought WAY too much about ALL these guys for a niche ass AU a small handful of people know of LMFAOOOO

But I hope that all at least piques some kinda interest!! I know it's definitely really different from its source materials at points---especially with Blood Drive---but like I said at the start, I like a good worldbuilding challenge and this little AU REALLY brings that out!

If you ever have anymore questions of me regarding it id LOVE to answer, this post alone is like a mile long and yet I feel like I could just keep going for eons LMAO 😭🫶💖

If you read all the way through, Thank you!!! And I hope you have a lovely day!

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