Fourteenth: The Sixteenth Student (Video, un: fashiondiva)

[corpsewarblade]

[Danganronpa spoilers/sororicide ment.]

[When 'Junko' starts up the call this time- a few hours after the ceremony where a girl named Mukuro Ikusaba was granted knighthood- her expression seemed uncharacteristically serious, almost cold, with hands trembling ever so slightly whilst she propped up her device to record. Her Hellhound familiar Fenrir was waiting at her side, if just for moral support.]

19th September, Year Unknown. 21:00.

As we move out to our final deployment, I want to talk about something.

Um...I'm not a Fashionista. I've never liked fashion. I don't really know how well I was able to fake that, in the end. Undercover ops aren't my strong suit- I'm a former mercenary, and at Hope's Peak Academy, I held the title of 'Ultimate Soldier'.

I've been carrying out the orders of my twin sister, the real Junko Enoshima. I guess the short version is that before I died- before she killed me- I took her place to act as her alibi. But, with the current state of our operations, the...events I've recently come to remember from another world, and my intention to remain in Avalon once it's all over-

I've been thinking a lot, and- um- I guess the instructions I've been holding onto no longer apply. And I don't want it all to end with people not knowing me.

[She hesitated, taking a moment to work the blond wig off her head, brushing down short, black hair with one hand.]

...I don't know if I'm making sense. If I'm not, I'll answer whatever questions you want. But I guess what I want to say is this;

I am a Knight of Camelot. My name is Mukuro Ikusaba, and... I exist.

[And with a slightly awkward, but somehow more natural-seeming smile, she finishes off by adding Blade-anon's signature little knife emoji.]

🔪

Comments

Video | UN: hijikata

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata, of course, had known for a long time already - otherwise he'd have been absolutely blindsided now. Regardless, he can imagine how nerve-wrecking this video was to post for Mukuro, so he calls in for moral support!]

Welcome to the knights' ranks, Mukuro. For what it's worth, you could've kept the fashionista charade up forever, and I'd never have been any wiser.

[He knows nothing about fashion!! That he found out about her was all thanks to Gundham.]

[corpsewarblade]

[For what it was worth- if he'd not known the truth by now, she would have taken him aside to talk before bringing this up publicly- he was basically her brother-figure, after all! She does seem relieved for the moral support, too.]

Thank you...!

Um...I guess neither of us got how that stuff worked, really.

[Fashion's super hard! Well, it was easy for Junko, but it was a bit much for these two meatheads.]

[mayoninofukucho]

[They truly are equally clueless, but if nothing else there aren't many people he'd have allowed to drag him into a Celliwigian boutique for a make-over! He's glad to see her smiling as herself now, finally freed from her fake identity. There was something in her announcement that gave him pause, though...]

You said you regained memories of another world you were on? As in, between your homeworld and Avalon?

[Or maybe it was a case of homeworld => other world => homeworld => Avalon, but details! He remembers something like this happening to Riou, who at first didn't remember his time on Prismatica, but later did.]

You'll probably get a bunch of messages about your video now, but if you want to tell me about all that later, let's meet up! We need to celebrate your knighthood, anyway.

video; un: jean

[rustyhonesty]

[There's a gentle, brotherly smile from Jean.]

I'm very proud of you, Mukuro.

[corpsewarblade]

[That was a fond memory- to think, that whole time neither of them knew what they were talking about at all... At his question, she gave a small nod, untucking the winged-heart pendant she'd got from the Traders at the same time they'd given her Gungnir.]

Yeah. I went there before coming here- it's where I got this. Fenrir said...she thought I was finally ready to remember what happened in that world. I guess this whole time, I wasn't in a place I could take it in.

[It helped give her a final push into striving to become a knight by her own name, but it had been a rollercoaster.]

...I'd like to meet up. Maybe in the morning?

[corpsewarblade]

[And a small, happy smile in turn. It made her feel better, having her brothers jump in right away to support her.]

Thank you...It's- it's a lot.

Um, come to think of it, I guess I should change my username too, huh?

[mayoninofukucho]

[He remembers that pendant (and her upset and confusion after receiving the spear that killed her back home). So her familiar looked out for her in that regard, too... that hellhound always was a caring partner to Mukuro, wasn't she?]

Sounds good. We can go to the cattle market if you'd like to; I have to see if I can find a buyer for Black Star.

[Oh, wait a moment - she'll stay on Avalon..!]

Unless you want him.

[The stallion was incredibly unkeen on becoming a battle mount when Hijikata first bought him for his size and strength, but over time he got used to being taken on quests and other missions across the island.]

Video; un: crimsonflame

[crimsongirl]

[Homura smiles. Despite not really knowing "Junko" too much, she kinda understood the feeling of hiding your identity. She smiles at Mukuro.]

Gotta say, your acting was really good! Outshines my teacher by a landslide.

[Not saying much, but still.]

video/ UN: bladeworks

[unknowntodeath]

So this is what you meant. Well, congratulations on finding your own path, Mukuro.

[corpsewarblade]

[She absently reached over to give Fenrir a scratch behind the ears whilst they talked, giving a small nod to him- at the offer, though, her eyes lit up a bit.]

I- yes- um-...if he's not too mad that I threatened him that first time we met, anyway...I actually learned to ride a bit before, in that other world.

How has he taken to everything? He was quite fussy at first.

[corpsewarblade]

[Huh- she remembers Homura, so she'd come back to the world?]

You think so...? That's- that's something.

[She couldn't imagine how bad her teacher was!]

[corpsewarblade]

It's taken a while but, um... thank you. It's- it's a relief to have the truth out there, at the end.

And, I should say thanks for talking through all this with me before, Emiya.

[crimsongirl]

I mean it can't be easy to keep people fooled for who knows how long. Takes some skills to keep it all on the downlow.

[mayoninofukucho]

You threatened him? Is that why he was suddenly so docile when I came back from paying his old owner?

[This girl..!! Back then he still assumed she was a harmless (if oddly battle-happy) fashionista, so learning about this in hindsight makes him grin.]

Honestly, he never stopped being snobby, but he more or less got used to the job! I barely ever actually rode him into battle, but apparently the couple of times I did he wouldn't stop bragging to the mares in the stable.

[Whether Jean or some other animal mage told him, he did catch wind of it! And speaking of Jean...]

He likes Jean, if nothing else. He always tries to shit-talk and gossip with him.

voice; un: tribepride

[ensuredsurvival]

Congratulations on finally allowing yourself exist, Mukuro.

[corpsewarblade]

I dropped the act and told him not to fuck with you when you had your back turned.

[A small, humourless nod, but his grin made her smile a little as well- maybe she'd gone too far, but she had to make sure!]

...It sounds like it worked out okay with you two, at least.

Let's meet at the stables tomorrow? 8:00.

[corpsewarblade]

[Her face brightened as she recognised the voice on the other end of the call.]

...Thank you. I think it's going to be okay- that I'm letting myself exist.

That I'm real.

[mayoninofukucho]

[That's his badass little pseudo-sister! He nods, still amused at how she scared his horse.]

Alright. Honestly, you can't be worse for him than I've been, so he shouldn't complain too much!

[After all they're both battle-happy, dirty, violent, and everything else a spoiled pedigree stallion hates in an owner! Black Star is probably more prepared for all of that now... and hey, if nothing else Mukuro weighs less than Hijikata!]

Video -> Action?

[corpsewarblade]

I hope so.

[Poor, poor Black Star. It's not an easy life being a spoiled pedigree stallion with a meatheaded owner...

Either way- Mukuro was eager to catch up with Hijikata the next morning, and talk to him about the mess that happened to her in the other world. So...she may have arrived. A little early. Okay, an hour early.

At least she could have a look at the other horses in the meantime?]

...It's been a while, but I wonder if I'd be able to remember how to ride properly again...

👍🏻

[mayoninofukucho]

[If she still had her old animal magic she could talk to the horses a little to figure out what they like in a rider! But alas, Jean will surely translate for her whenever they go on partner missions.

Hijikata arrives right on time with Black Star, and the horse seems to narrow his eyes a little at the sight of her, though he's quick to notice the mares for sale and whinny at them - probably some charming remark (it may be for the better that neither Mukuro nor Hijikata understand).]

Congratulations again, Sir Mukuro.

[He never bothered to check if female knights oughtn't be addressed as 'Dame'... regardless, he holds out a small item to her: a potted cactus. The pot has arms and legs of the same clay as its main body and a cute, simple face drawn on.]

This little guy will keep your home safe from pests while you're out and about. It only moves when you're not looking though, that's what the traders said! Oh, and it only works as long as something grows in it - I planted a cactus since those are easy to take care of.

[Isn't he pragmatic?]