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himiko-yumehellno · 8 months

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Just A Regular Day at Work (Not)

Shuichi Saihara is having a normal day at work when a bunch of clowns suddenly walk into his bookstore. No, literally, they're literally clowns.

Somehow, this is not the weirdest thing Shuichi's ever seen at the bookstore.

Shuichi was organizing new book orders for the shelves when the clown posse walked in.

At first, he just heard the jingle of the bell above the door; another customer stopping by on a rainy afternoon that, fittingly enough, so many regarded as perfect book reading weather. Shuichi tossed a “Good afternoon,” over his shoulder, but didn’t look away from where he was nudging books along the shelf, careful neither to leave too much space between them nor crowd them with the new orders. There was a returned greeting – no, wait, greetings, plural? Must be a group, then. As Shuichi continued shelving, he could hear the tip-tap of multiple people walking around, confirming his suspicions; he glanced over when he heard one walk by him, but they didn’t look like they needed anything, so he turned back to –

Wait. Hold up. What did he just see?

Shuichi did a double take, only now being smacked in the eyes with the clown masks and matching uniforms(?) of the group as they wandered around the store. In the next room over, he heard a, “Look! The floor matches our scarves!” which was met with shushing that ended in giggles; in this room, whispered chatter was beginning to grow, as the collection of clowns pointed out books to each other and discussed their thoughts on them. It wasn’t an incredible number of clowns – or, maybe just clown mask wearing people? – but it was enough for Shuichi to see more than one in each direction he looked, in the crowded rows between books and displays. And look Shuichi did, until the absurdity of what he was seeing caught up with him, and he dropped his head into his hands. So, it was going to be one of those days, huh?

At least they hadn’t knocked anything over or treated the books like playthings, like some other customers Shuichi had seen before. Shuichi returned to shelving books, although he’d check on how the customers were doing every once in a while with a cursory glance. It was, admittedly, a little difficult to focus on putting books away when you had a bunch of clowns in your store, but Shuichi did his best, even if it meant he took twice as long as he normally did due to splitting his attention between the orders in the box beside him and the conversations happening around him, just to make sure none of them were getting any ideas.

(Shuichi didn’t think any of them would, for the record – they were being very respectful, so far. But then again, that’s what he’d thought about the lady that ended up pulling an alligator out of her bag, too.)

Which is why, when two of them wandered by close enough for Shuichi to clearly hear one of them say, “Any idea where the bathroom is?”, he didn’t think before responding.

“Down that hall and to the left,” he said, pointing deeper into the bookstore. “It’s past that large sign with the Shakespeare quote. It has a sign on it – make sure to turn on the light before you close the door, it’s very dark in there.”

The two stared at Shuichi for several seconds before, in the same instant, Shuichi realized he’d just butted into their conversation, and the one who’d asked the question laughed.

“Wow! Thanks, dearie,” she said with a wink, which did not help the blush rapidly growing on Shuichi’s face, and then continued, to the shorter clown she was with, “I’ll be right back, mkay? Don’t get yourself in trouble while I’m gone!” And with a pat to the shorter clown’s cheek as he whined, she strode away in the direction Shuichi had pointed.

Holy shit, did he really just do that? What was he, some kind of creep? Shuichi took a moment to wallow in his own awkwardness before he shook his head. No, no, he was just trying to help. He hadn’t meant to be a creep, or –

“So, do you normally listen in on people’s conversations, mister random bookstore worker?”

Never mind, he was still definitely a creep.

“Sorry!” Shuichi ducked his head, wishing, not for the first time, that this job didn’t have a policy against wearing hats – now would have been the perfect time to disappear behind the brim of one. “I didn’t mean to – I mean, I kind of just – you were right there, and I normally answer customers’ questions anyway, so.” He shrugged, winced, and then gestured at the book still in his hand. In the back of his mind, Shuichi thought, ‘What. Am I doing,’ but he, curse his own mouth and brain, continued speaking. “I know that doesn’t make it any less weird, but if it’s any consolation, I didn’t mean to make things awkward, really, I just spoke before I could think –”

Then he heard the clown’s chuckling, and raised his head to see him waving off all of Shuichi’s word dump.

“Relaaaax, mister random bookstore worker. The look on Misa’s face when you answered her was priceless, so it’s fiiiine! The weirdness and the funniness balance each other out, you see.”

Shuichi blinked a few times before squinting at his mask. “How were you able to see through her mask to know her expression?” Were they more see-through at a closer distance, or…

“Whoops! You got me! I didn’t see Misa’s expression at all, I just thought it was funny.” The clown put his hands behind his head, leaning back and tilting to the side. Despite the casualness of the movement, Shuichi suddenly got the feeling that he was being appraised, and straightened up. “You sure are interesting, mister random bookstore worker.

“But y’know, saying that is kinda long, so what’s your real name?”

“My real name? Ah, it’s Shuichi Saihara.” Shuichi paused, then added, “Is it okay if I ask yours as well?”

Immediately, the clown dropped his casual pose. “No. If I were to tell you that, I’d have to kill you.”

“Oh.” ‘So, this is going to be like the alligator lady.’ After allowing himself a moment to absorb the fact that this was really what he was dealing with today, Shuichi just nodded. “Got it.”

Neither spoke for a minute. The clown continued appraising Shuichi, and Shuichi stared back with all the apathy of a retail worker who had seen it all (which he had). Was the threat to his life concerning? Oh, definitely. There was a small part of Shuichi that was quickening his heartbeat with fear at being in front of someone who could casually make such a threat. But it was drowned out by the much larger part of him that had once stared down a man insisting Shuichi bring the price of a biography down to one hundred yen just because it was of some celebrity he didn’t like. This? This was nothing. This didn’t even require a manager.

When the minute passed and the clown still hadn’t said anything, Shuichi wordlessly turned back to his shelf and continued working.

“… You’re not even gonna question it?”

Shuichi shrugged. “I’m questioning it, but you walked in here with a clown posse. You might as well have the power to kill me for knowing your name.”

The clown snorted, and just like that, any seriousness from him was gone. “And here I was worried you’d gotten boring all of a sudden! I was right, you definitely are interesting, mister random bookstore worker!”

“I told you my name, why are you – nevermind.” Shuichi rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand, pulling out another book as he did so only to do a double-take; he knew that book, and it definitely didn’t belong in this genre section. And upon a closer look in the box…

“Did they… mix fantasy romance and romantic fantasy in this box?” Shuichi muttered. The differences between the two weren’t obvious at first glance, so Shuichi could forgive whoever packed the box if that were the case, but… “Ugh.”

“Hm? Is trouble brewing in story town?” The clown leaned forward with a finger tapping his mask where his cheek would be, and Shuichi let out a laugh that was half a sigh.

“You could say that. It’s not a big deal, but I’ve got to double-check some things now. This –” he tapped the book he was currently holding – “goes on a different shelf, so…”

“So, now you have to check which shelf each book goes on instead of just working in a single area?” the clown finished, and Shuichi nodded. “Oof, sounds annoying. Who likes extra work, am I right?”

‘Did he just say “oof” out loud?’ Shuichi opened his mouth to comment on it, but he was steamrolled by the clown’s attitude doing a one-eighty into a level of perky that Shuichi… probably should have expected from a clown.

“But that’s a lie! I love work! It’s my favorite thing to do in the whole wide world!” The clown threw his hands into the air. “Why, it’s even more fun than fun! Don’t you think so, mister random bookstore worker Shuichi?”

Shuichi just raised his brows in response. This guy… was weird. And seemed to like going back-and-forth with his emotions. But in a way, it was entertaining, which was fitting. Still, to claim that work was “more fun than fun”? That had to be a lie.

… Should Shuichi call his bluff? He’d threatened Shuichi’s life, which would normally be a sign of Do Not Test This Person Ever, but now, it seemed more like it had been a joke rather than anything serious. Just a clown playing pretend; just some guy who was weird, even a little off-putting, but not dangerous. He was just someone who liked messing around.

So, in that case…

“Well, if you find it so fun, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind giving me a hand sorting these?” Shuichi smiled, well aware that mischief was showing in his grin. The clown gasped and put both hands over his heart.

“Oh! What is this? You’ve tricked me, you dastardly book nerd! How can I say no now, when I’ve proclaimed my love for work for all to hear? How could I pass up the chance for more work?!” He swooned, hand against his head, and Shuichi snorted.

“So, was that ‘love for work’ a lie?”

The clown snapped back up. “What? No! Of course not! Don’t you know I hate liars? I never lie!”

“I’m pretty sure you lied just a minute ago.”

“Slander! I have never lied a day in my life!”

Chuckling, Shuichi was struck with the sudden thought that this guy would get along well with his friend Rantaro – ah, but then, they’d probably never meet. And he himself probably never see him again after today, so with a shrug, Shuichi let it go. “Sure, whatever you say.

“So, I take it you’re not going to help? Since I ‘tricked’ you and all.”

Before he’d even finished, the guy was shaking his head. “Of course not! Who do you take me for?”

‘A clown.’

“Buuuuut, there’s no law against me standing here and – what exactly are you going to do with these?” He nudged the box of books with his foot.

“Oh, uh…” Shuichi took a moment to think about it. “I’ll need to look up each book to figure out which genre it goes in, then put them away, so –”

The clown clasped his hands behind his head with a clap, cutting Shuichi off. “Like I was saying, there’s no law against me standing here and looking up these books, now is there? … Then again, even if there was, I’d probably break it just for fun – and, of course, because I need to know what these books are like before I buy them! Just picking one at random to buy would surely lead to disaster! And I don’t have room in the schedule for disasters until I create some next Tuesday.”

“… Right. Of course.” Mentally, Shuichi doubled down on his assessment of this guy being weird. But he wasn’t alligator lady weird and he wasn’t “price tags are just a suggestion” weird, which meant Shuichi felt he had decently solid footing when he said, “Aren’t the book synopses for that, though?”

“Pfft. Everyone knows the synopses are inaccurate. If you really want to know what a book is like, you’ve got to see what other people are saying! And then –” he took out his phone and waved it – “run it by someone else for best results!

“I hope you don’t mind being my rubber ducky, Shuichi, because I’m going to be here for a while!”

‘So, he really does plan to help me, just in a way with plausible deniability,’ Shuichi thought, a trickle of warmth budding in his chest. He’d had his suspicions since he cut him off, but this was – wait. Was that the first time he’d used just Shuichi’s name? Without any job-related titles added onto it?

“Book one: People and their Pets. This sounds like a self-help book, really, are we really sure it’s fiction?”

Ah! Shuichi hurried to pick up the book the clown was referring to, though he snorted at the way he’d gone ahead and started without even waiting for Shuichi to pick a book to start with. It wasn’t even the book in Shuichi’s hand! ‘Plausible deniability indeed,’ he thought, rolling his eyes.

The weird-but-not-bad clown chattered on, and Shuichi sorted the books into piles, and both of them heard the startled yelp of Shuichi’s coworker in the back when she finally walked out of the breakroom to see a bunch of clowns walking about. There was a shared glance of mirth, a joke that finally revealed the name Kokichi Ouma, and before Shuichi knew it, he was finished, the clown posse was walking out the door with their purchases, and there was a slip of paper in Shuichi’s hand that had nothing but a phone number and a little doodle of two diamonds.

Shuichi watched them go before picking up the empty box and bringing it to the back room. Maybe he could introduce Kokichi and Rantaro after all, the next time they stopped by.

(Kaede still looked like she didn’t know what to think of what just happened as he passed by the front counter.

That was alright. She was a new hire, anyway. She’d get used to the weirdness and wildness of customers at their cozy little bookstore soon enough.)

#drv3 #shuichi saihara #kokichi ouma #danganronpa #fic #my writing #d.i.c.e.#I think this is my first time cross-posting one of my fics like this #so I hope this format works well

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the-ouma-mansion · 5 months

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Meet The Ouma Family!

We welcome all you guests who traveled through the forest into our hidden mansion halls, where the children of the deceased Machirin Ouma and Kankou Ouma now reside in. A strange bunch of quadruplets, but one we hope you will enjoy greatly. Ranging from oldest to youngest, they'll all be very pleased to make your acquaintance.

Kouchi Ouma

The oldest of only a few minutes, Kouchi Ouma tends to be rather quiet and reserved. Being raised in a church after the sudden and tragic death of their father Kankou months after the death of their mother has taught Kouchi a lot about patience and kindness. Serving as the Ultimate Preacher, Kouchi makes time for everyone and would do anything to protect the innocent. A family person through and through, their biggest concern and care is always the safety of their family.

When not reading or advising others, one can often find Kouchi gazing at the stars, tracing constellations and telling the stories of how the constellations came to be! They also enjoy other hobbies like sewing, knife collecting, and intellectual debate. While they do their best to seem presentable at all times, being a romantic at heart means they cannot help but let that mask slip a bit when around their crush Gundham, easily swayed into games of dramatics. He also takes a lot of night time walks.

Kouchi may seem quiet and responsible if a bit repressed, he's still got that Ouma humor and mischief in him if you give him a tempting enough opening. With a bit of a temper when pushed past his admittedly quite long patience, Kouchi can be a greater force to be reckoned with then one would have ever guessed, though endlessly loyal and perhaps a bit blind to those he manages grow fond of. With so much turmoil in his heart, is he really as unworthy as he thinks he is? (He/They)

"When it is your job to speak, and to speak with fervor, you must learn to press on even if it feels like choking."

Kokichi Ouma

The one everyone knows the best, a clever leader and quick with his tongue. Kokichi after the death of his parents has taken on the role of leader of the house, as he shelters both his family and the many people he's picked up for his organization. With more going on behind the scenes then anyone could ever know, the Ultimate Supreme Leader refuses to let his family suffer like they used to any longer.

With a love of mayhem and a wide protective streak of their youngest brother Kimochi, Kokichi always does what he thinks is best, unless it would be really really funny. The self proclaimed good twin to their youngest brother, Kokichi's strict moral compass keeps the more questionable habits of his siblings in check. Don't let any of that fool you though, he's an evil leader with eyes on big things capable of making the hard choices and you would be wise to not forget it.

Kokichi might be a prankster with his fingers in far more pies then anyone realizes, but he's a good friend and a beloved leader, though his siblings make sure he never gets too big of an ego. Get on his bad side though, and he'll be the only one protecting you from the more protective sides of his family. With such risks around each corner, is really as much of an unreasonable liar as he seems? (He/Him)

"Guess which idiot managed to get himself sick while on a top secret mission! It’s a tough job being such a generous supreme leader. I had to allocate staff to nursing him back to health, how wasteful!"

Koharu Ouma

Having to be the brightest star in any room despite being the smallest Ouma, Koharu is by far the flashiest and most fashionable of the family. Acting sweet and nice to the other reserve course students Koharu has quickly shot up as one of the most popular kids at school as he twists every detail of himself in public to be more palatable and praise worthy. Though he acts warm and sweet, he projects an air of almost godly presence and confidence. If you get blinded by his light and complicated vocabulary, you'll never see into his fiery core. Though peek behind his curtain at one's own risk, Koharu will not take kindly to challengers for his crown.

While one would assume most of his passion would lie in fashion, math, and makeup, his true interest lies in the animals around him that forms his largest obsession. Having a fascination with them since a young age and finding comfort in their simple easy to please natures, Koharu can often be found taking care of the local strays when he has free time. He's wildly protective of animals and hates those who takes advantage of them, seeing it as pointless cruelty, almost demonic in nature, that he cannot abide.

Koharu may see the world differently and less emotionally then most people, but that doesn't mean hes not the most loyal companion you can find if you manage to get his attention, let alone even a smidgen of trust. Is his heart truly as purely analytical as he makes it seem? (He/They)

"Find what you do effortlessly, then put effort into it!"

Kimochi Ouma

The evil twin to Kokichi's good twin, Kimochi is a bit of an odd one. Quiet and almost always smiling an empty smile when he's not pretending to be Kokichi, Kimochi may seem unassuming but a few incidents hard Kokichi pulling him out of formal schooling for safety reasons. As the body double for Kokichi and main protector of the secret organization, there is no line he won't cross or act he won't do if it's to protect those under his hand from any harm as long as Kokichi doesn't order him to stay out of it. Endlessly obedient to his leader, he doesn't often get to protect his brothers best he likes.

Despite this though, he does hold a kind playful side to those that he likes that don't hurt his family. Quick to judge someone, it's hard to change his mind from the more black and white views he quickly forms on people he meet. Despite this colder nature and constant mimicking of his brother, he's actually the clingiest member of the household, craving physical affection constantly when he can get away with it. With a love language of mimicry, Kimochi may be a bit greedier then most would believe.

Kimochi may seem cold and dangerous to outsiders, those who get close to him seem to get incredibly protective of him. Despite this though Kimochi prefers to settle his own problems alone, and to not worry or slow down those around him even to his own detriment. Can he really be summed up as just the evil side to Kokichi's good side? (He/Him?)

"The fight’s over and nothing hurts too badly. I’m okay."

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Muns: Welcome to the mansion! We hope you all enjoy the family we've created for Kokichi, with secrets and truths lying dormant, there's many things to learn, and many things you may wish you never did. With other characters to find in the area, and questions of what's good and what's not, can you discover everything there is to learn?

Asks are open!

#kokichi ouma #dice #ouma #kimochi ouma #koharu ouma #kouchi ouma #character introduction #character summary #character blurbs #danganronpa v3 #ndrv3 #danganronpa oc #family oc #sibling oc #D.I.C.E.#kokichi

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