C a n d y

N-never mind. That's not important.

As you would probably expect, I was the problem - there isn't really any reason to drag it out any further than that.

I kind of have a vague recollection of that person though, sure.

Want to test how good my memory is...? Prepare to be underwhelmed! Heh.

i was just wondering if u could explain or give examples of stuff he does that makes u concerned

Oh, I'm not sure if-- Ok, I guess 'concerned' would be the correct way to describe it.

I probably shouldn't go into too many specific details for Ouma-kun's sake... We all knew I would be a lousy servant, but I still should probably make efforts not to be completely worthless, right..?

The main one is how he... W-well...

I guess I can say this, since I've spoiled it once already - Ouma-kun has health issues, but he ignores them.

I don't like it...

I realize how I feel doesn't matter, but it's how I feel anyway.

He pushes himself too much, and it's like he believes if he ignores his health--

Ah... I don't know that he actually believes this, of course...

I'm not sure if he just doesn't care about himself? Or if he believes not paying attention to those matters would--

Whatcha gossipin' about, Koma-chan? What's the scary voice for?

Hi, master. I was just talking about how you deliberately neglect your health.

HEY! That's one of those times when you're supposed to lie, Nagito! Not just tell somebody you were yakkin' about 'em!

Whoops. Heh.

Aaaanyway, don't let this guy lie to ya, pizza roll! I don't have health problems - I'm healthy as a horse! One of those cantankerous bastard-horses that'll trample ya if you look at 'em sideways!

...

Nagito's just projecting! He's the Ultimate Sick Guy around here!

Master... Remember how you're not allowed to have caffeine? Or go on rollercoasters?

Sure I can! I just don't feel like it! That stuff's for losers! I don't care about it!

Oumu-kun.

Not liking coffee or amusement parks doesn't mean squat!

Ouma-kun has extremely low blood iron and a weak heart! He ignores his health, feels bad most of the time, but pretends he's fine!

If I wasn't so tired out from how crappy your mattress is, I'd totally give ya what-for, Nagito!

...

Heh, my mattress is pretty terrible, isn't it? My bad luck again, I guess.

Nagito's mattress suuuuucks - one time it gave me a super ugly bruise on my--

Th-there's girls present, Ouma-kun!

Hee! My bad!

I... Guess I forgot what we were talking about before...

Oh well... I guess you can't really expect too much from somebody like me. Heh.

@candycatacombs gifted Keech that hoodie and I had to draw him in it ⊙ u ⊙

I don't normally like sweets, but black sugar is the exception - it's one of the things Ouma-kun and I completely agree on.

It's a little unusual, since... Well, I don't normally like candy.

Also, Ouma-kun doesn't like coffee at all, but it has a definite coffee hit about it - it might depend on the brand... Anyway, he also loves black sugar, probably as much as I do--

Koma-chan, quit tellin' all our secrets!

Are you concerned this one will lead to our downfall, master? The fact we can agree on a snack item, and it's a highly unlikely one?

Yup! Ya never know, riiight?

Unfortunately, I don't remember the brand... I've had some since then that weren't as good, which is why I mentioned it might vary by brand - the later ones didn't have such a distinct coffee flavour about them.

Just in case you were thinkin' it might be easy to win him over? He doesn't like coffee candy.

It's true, haha... I'm not sure how many of them actually contain actual coffee, and they're too... Sugary.

This coming from a guy who admits his favourite candy is literal sugar.

It doesn't make sense to me, either. Heh.

Where'd ya find that black sugar abomination, Nagito~?

...

Convenience store... Heh. Near where I used to live--

Huh? That messed up apartment complex with that Doll Ghoul upstairs? House of horrors, Unsolved Mystery thing? That place?

Yes. It was in a convenience store near there, and I can vaguely remember the packaging - I'd remember it well enough if I saw it again, I think.

...

Bummer! Looks like that's the end of that then, huh? It just doesn't exist anymore, I guess!

I haven't been back there - there's a chance they might still carry it--?

Sucks so bad, it just doesn't exist now...

Oh well, no use dwellin' on it!

Either you don't like the fact I've just shared a weakness of yours, or you're concerned about me going back to that area.

...

I don't care if my DICElings know what kinda candy to give us, Koma-chan! I don't want you going back to that apartment bloc from hell!

Wait, you're serious..? You're actually concerned... About me?

...

...

Marvelous! Thank you, Oumu-kun! Nobody's ever cared enough about me to restrict my movements in an effort to protect me before!

Anything for you, Koma-chan! This definitely isn't me being neurotic megalomaniac - it's definitely because I care aboutcha!

Excellent! Thanks!

I'll try to be more careful and not drop this one!

The trouble is my hand tremors... My phone was still sort of functional, so it didn't seem very important to replace it...

...

Since this one was a thoughtful gift from you, I'll try to be more careful with it - the one I bought myself didn't matter too much to me, but this one has sentimental value!

Marvelous!

if god made humans in "his" image... who made god? why did "he" look like that? also when was "he" born? where does "he" live?

...

Uh... I haven't really thought about it too much, haha... Give me a minute, ok?

...

(You didn't specify which one you're referring to, but I can definitely guess...)

...

I think the only reasonable conclusion here is that being is an Eldritch horror, don't you think?

Similar to the Great Old Ones, our reality is their dreams - that one just happened to dream up a planet full of fragile beings that resemble itself, and rules them with a sadistic selfishness - commanding total servitude or promising eternal punishment.

When they all wake up, I guess that'll be it - no more servitude, no more punishment!

Or, much more likely, they're all fairytales. Life was just an aberration - luck, basically. This planet happened to possess the correct inventory of things to produce life - including being the ideal distance from its star, to keep from boiling or freezing while the germination process happened over millions of years.

We're lucky, if you think about it - we get to be here at the same time! What are the odds?

I guess I shouldn't speak for you, but I feel very fortunate to have met you!

No offense intended, haha.

I mean--! What do you mean 'saw Nagito again'? I saw him for the first time when we met at that stupid dump of a school!

Pretty sure I wouldn't be able to forget a scarecrow bastard like that one - seems like he would really leave an impression, hmm?

...

Y'know? Nagito didn't disappoint me, but his reputation sure did!

Hearing all the yip-yaps about how deranged and messed up he was? I was expecting somebody completely different!

Scariest thing that guy does is go on his high-energy, optimistic tangents about stuff nobody cares about!

Classic Koma-chan!

...

Don't get me wrong, ok... He cares about it so I care about it, too... But damn, amirite?

He really tricked me with that stuff... I thought he was evilphobic or something!

I thought he'd turned against me because I'm an evil bastard, and I was gonna have to take ownership of him by force - using trickery and deceit. Bummer!

I didn't wanna have to do that, but...

If it came to that, I guess I'd have no choice, hmm?

...

Aaaanyway, I dunno what you've gotten yourself convinced of over there, gummyworm... But it's all false! Soooorry!

I never met Koma-chan before we met at Cope's Geek, and if he didn't agree to be my servant, I was gonna be forced to do some underhanded stuff to get my way.

Like, what are we doin' here~?

...

Now get rid of that picture for me, k? Don't let Nagito see it - we don't wanna give him nightmares or anything, riiiight?

He loves sweets; I don't.

I love cute things; he doesn't care for them.

...

A-anyway... I'm not sure I would consider myself a fan...

A fan of theirs, I mean...

I am a fan of the hope they symbolize, though!

Misguided hope is still hope! An uncut diamond is still a diamond!

A troupe of vigilantes that have their hearts set on a brighter future, even if they won't be around to benefit from it? Wonderful!

Cutting back the weeds thanklessly, all for the promise of a future they won't be able to enjoy for themselves!

F-fantastic!

Risking their safety every time they venture out - it really is a selfless type of hope, isn't it?

Who are they doing this for? What do they gain from all this effort - there is no reward!

Were they loved so completely that they feel this determination to repay that love - even to those who don't appreciate their sacrifice?

What about the night when one of them doesn't come home? Will it have been worth it to the ones that remain?

Were they loved? Or was it a lack of love that manufactured this crusade?

...

My honest interpretation of Sparkling Justice is a bittersweet one. Are you ready?

Bear in mind my interpretation might be skewed, but it's my honest takeaway from everything I've learned about the individuals - what little was released to the public.

Ever since I started looking into the case details, it seemed like it was most likely a suicide mission.

It was never about winning the war against crime - they never expected to. They knew they would lose it someday, and they were determined to take out as many criminals as they could before their time was up.

It's pretty fitting that they wear masks, isn't it? I don't just mean for the sake of hiding their identity - but even the motivation behind it all is obscured by the lie they've constructed.

The few interviews they've allowed seemed highly scripted. It wasn't genuine, it... Lacked something. Something important.

The words were fine, I guess... There wasn't anything wrong with them... But something seemed 'off', somehow.

I've seen genuine Sparkling Justice fans that believe the soliloquizing and buy into the story they've prepared...

But this isn't just about punishing criminals. There's something else they aren't saying.

...

Is it hope to be so willing to sacrifice your life this way? Knowing it won't make a difference after all?

Or does the hope lie at the end - making it out of the circumstances that drove them to these extremes?

It's a bit like sawing your leg off once you've been snared by a bear-trap... I find it really difficult to believe a loving environment created the individuals making up Sparkling Justice.

...

I could always be wrong, haha! It wouldn't be the first time!

There are no neck-biting blood-suckers, but the culprit is definitely Celestia Ludenberg.

Hee.

Basically, she read about that duchess or whatever, who used to bathe in maiden-blood... Y'know the one?

Convinced it would give her eternal youth and vitality, some crap like that... And that terrified her in a way you might not expect.

Y'know she's super into historical accounts, especially French aristocracy, right? She's apparently not restricted to just France, but she's got a fondness in particular for queens, princesses, especially ones that had horrible secrets or met gruesome ends.

I dunno the specifics - that stuff is boring as hell to me, but I do know enough about her to know there's a reason she's behind the rumours.

Since one of her ancient girl-crushes was so convinced maiden-blood was the key to eternal beauty, she set Roomba on research and development duty.

She refused to do the actual blood-bath ritual or whatever - she wanted Roomba to invent something that would give her all the benefits without any of the... Y'know, "lingering rot"-smell.

Roomba can't exactly argue with the Vampire Queen so she's working tirelessly to invent some kind of crap using stolen blood-bags from the hospital.

A blood bubble bath would be a lot easier, but turns out? Celeste has a delicate stomach and can't tolerate the smell.

By the way, the 'terrified her in a way you might not expect' - she suddenly became obsessively paranoid that she was showing signs of aging. She was seeing age-spots and wrinkles where she obviously didn't have any, so Celeste's kicked Roomba outta her bedroom until she can develop something to reverse the imaginary signs of aging Celeste is starting to show.

I almost feel kinda bad for Roomba..?

...

I did say 'almost' just then, right?

(i had this i was sending as an ask but it was getting so long + i wasnt even done yet lol... 🫠🫠🫠 so im selfposting + u can either comment or reblog? either way is fine lex 🧡🧡🧡)

since the comments keep disappearing for no reason + i wanna be able to to find your answer i figured id just send as an ask... im not even sure if i have an actual question or if i just wanted to mention this? idk

(had to dig to find the comment i wanted to address lol 🫠🫠🫠)

(btw i frequently get on here to 99+ notes so even if the comment thing was not happening there is no guarantee i wouldnt miss ur answer by accident.. i sound like im making excuses here lol 🫠🫠)

anyway... i specifically wanted to point out the fact nagito doesnt care about what gets done to him bc "his body is just parts anyway" (+ that fits him perfectly, how he didnt care abt ppl being violent toward him, didnt fight back etc) + his top concern would be not somehow screwing things up for keech? if he said the wrong thing, phrased it some way, misread a situation as being something it wasnt... not sure how to phrase any of this myself lol

anyway that stuff all makes total sense + i am not complaining abt it lol... i wanted to mention the fact kokichi is smitten w him + has been ever since they were in the hospital together, so while nagito does not care abt himself/considers his body to "just be parts" kokichi is overly concerned... if this makes sense?

how it wasnt even that long after they met when keech started fussing over his appearance + nagito was flattered since nobody cared that much abt him before?

(suddenly thinking abt that morgue journal post the first time keech combed nagitos hair + he claimed he didnt care what was done to him but he was tensed up like he was waiting for his hair to get pulled... i have a point i swear lmfao)

just we talk a lot abt contrasts/opposites in here? + i wanted to mention how perfect it is that nagito just does not care abt his body/what gets done to him since "just parts anyway" while kokichi is super weird abt him in particular + always has been... the holdover from the hospital stay, keech having these weird soft feelings for nagitos health issues, being overly patient abt all of it (kind of signaling a lot of his behavior now is an elaborate set of lies?)

i dont knowwww i just wanted to point out how perfect the contrast is, nagito expects + even welcomes violence since hes "just parts that doesnt matter"/keech being overly gentle toward him bc he specifically is the one that mattered since the hospital stay? RAHHHHH this shipppppp 💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚

It goes both ways with them, by the way... Keech's feelings are... Confusing to behold XD!! Because he lies so much (or wants you to believe he's constantly lying, so any sincerity that gets out will immediately be looked at with skepticism).

But yeah, he's made a point since early on to be careful since Nagito was like an abused animal and he had something to prove, basically... Or that was how it seemed, before the recent hospital stay patch update XD!!

Now you know that Keech's peculiar feelings toward Nagito have a root - they were in the same hospital before, and it isn't just "he's being weirdly gentle toward this guy everybody else hates, for no discernible reason".

Anyway, as I was saying... Nagito cares more about Keech than Keech cares about himself. It's framed up as "he's taking his servant responsibilities seriously" and I guess he sort of is? Since he finally has a purpose, he's got some security here (instead of being as convinced he's a load of useless nothingness that won't matter when he's tossed aside eventually).

So he's doing a lot of picking XD!! Picking at Keech, keeping him from eating the stuff he's not supposed to have (or even disallowing him things he's allowed? But they're bad for him, so he's not allowed to have that crap, either), letting him do whatever rat-bastard things he wants with very little or no pushback? Instead of letting Keech get stuck on his self-destructive "it's better if you're by yourself - you can't trust anyone, anyway; they'll all get in the way and turn against you eventually" (a similar thing to what Nagito deals with, but obviously a different breed of the same animal).

They both enable each other, basically. They're co-dependent as fuck in the morgue XD!! They're complementary halves of the same injury; if they got separated, they would both exsanguinate before too long.

Keech's refusal to allow Nagito to have any personal space is easy to read as disrespecting him, but he actually just can't stand being away from him, to the point where he'll sit on his lap (despite how bony and uncomfortable his thighs are) just to make sure he's less likely to get up and leave.

Nagito doesn't even want to have any personal space, because he's gotten plenty of time to himself and he didn't enjoy it at all. Plenty of time to sit alone with his thoughts and torture himself - he would rather the space be filled with anything else, but it isn't a call he ever gets to make. You can't force people to care about you if they don't, you can't make them want you around - not even if you're trying to be useful and become more than "just you", if that makes sense. Be as useful as you want - you're still you at the end of it all.

(I don't really want to have it get overlooked... Not saying you have? But I just want to point out the fact a lot of Keech's behaviour is because he's got control issues. It's not "cute little guy that needs to be cuddled and protected" - that was just an excuse to get away with his controlling tendencies before. He hates being controlled himself, and he hates earnest push-back because he can't stand not having control over everything and everyone. That's a huge part of my interpretation for his V3 behaviour, how forceful he ended up getting, was to attempt to force the mastermind to their knees for attempting to control him. A lot of his behaviour was petulant to disguise his actual motivation - forcibly taking control when someone was attempting to control him.)

Oh, you! You can't get my goat - I finally remembered to take my meds!

...

I think I remembered, anyway...

...

Uh-oh! Now I'm not sure - it might have been this morning; it might have been a year ago!

It's probably fine.

...

Aaaanyway, that's not possible - I'm with him all the time. I send him off on errands sometimes, but I've followed him around enough to know that he doesn't sneak away to meet with some dirty, rotten, murderous bastard - he's totally clean.

He definitely doesn't sneak off after dark, for sure - he's locked in with me! Talk about 'hell in a cell', amirite? HA!

Me and Koma-chan! Locked up! All night! Best friends! Nobody murdering anybody!

I don't sleep well so if he got up and left, I'd be the first one to know about it!

Anybody could be Sparkling Just-Ass - except that guy!

...

Now, how much does my testimony mean to ya, coffin drop? Am I a trustworthy alibi or not?

Maybe Sparkling Justice is me and Koma-chan? Hmm? Ya think?

Am I lyin' to ya? Or is he?

Who knows? Who cares?

How cruel, forcing Koma-chan to eat candy when you know he doesn't like sweets! You're hardcore, huh?

It's not that different from something you--

Nope. Totally different!

It really wasn't, though--?

It. Was. Different. Nagito.

Ouma-kun begged me for days to chew his favourite gum for him, since he's not allowed. I thought he was picking on me at first - the fact he was asking me to do that for him, I mean.

The thing he was asking for was--

Haha...

...

He was so excited when I finally relented and chewed it for him, he could barely wait for me to take the gum out before--

See? Totally different! Exactly like I was sayin'!

What? How is that different?

You had me chew something you aren't allowed to have because of your braces, then--

Well? Say it. Hee.

I tried to warn him, haha... That the 'juiciness' of the gum is spit, I mean... The thing he was telling me to do... Uh...

Aww, bummer! You're right - it's totally the same thing!

...

We should do it anyway! Nagito's asthmatic breath right on my face is so cute!

Are you picking on me again..? Because it seemed like you were the last time, but--

No way! I'd never pick on you!

Ah, I understand.

Nice joke, master! You got me!

Really? Ya fell for it?

Do me a favour and chew one of these gummies for me, Koma-chan. Y'know, to make up for believing my insidious, bastardly lie. Hee.

[ mod note: I'm not sure if Cherry was deliberately making a reference to this thing I wrote a while ago? But they were talking about this event, at least XD!! ]

I don't want to rule it out completely, since we don't know anything about the victim--

Ohhhh, right - I forgot to tell ya, Koma-chan. My cards said the victim was a total asshole.

What? When did this happen?

It was pretty recent, but... Y'know... I didn't think you'd care that much--

There's an excellent chance this was a Sparkling Justice hit, in that case! Ouma-kun's cards haven't been wrong yet!

Guess so... Plus the card I picked for the killer lines up, if that matters at all to ya.

Marvelous! Tell me everything!

Oh, I can barely even remember! Something about the victim being crooked but outnumbered; the killer having a 'change of position'... At first I took that as they might have reformed and don't kill anymore..?

Buuuut it could easily be a serial killer tag-team exhibition.

You're sure the victim's card suggested they were outnumbered..?

Sure thing! Also, seemed like the card was sayin' they were involved in business, trade, competition... Wonder what that means?

Any ideas, Koma-chan? Any theories at all about why Sparkling Justice would wanna exact revenge against somebody involved in that boring crap..?

I don't think Sparkling Justice has such petty motives, Ouma-kun. What are you suggesting?

Nothin'! Nothin' at all! I'm just bringing up the fact this murder seems a little different from the others, doesn't it?

Why would Sparkling Justice need to hide a body so thoroughly? Liiike, since when do they even bother covering up their crimes?

Seems to me like this one was a lot more personal, that's all... They weren't tryin' to clean up the streets - they were just takin' out the trash and making sure nobody found out about it this time.

Are you suggesting Sparkling Justice wasn't motivated by hope?

No way! It just kinda seems to me like the killer was tryin' desperately to hide their victim... And it sounds like the victim might have been a business man - or business lady, I dunno their life.

Now... Who do we know that would super care about business crap, eliminating competition, winning a negotiation at all costs... Hmm...

It isn't Togami-kun, master.

Damn that guy! Can't he stop being boring for 5 seconds and just be a stupid serial killer!

Who would he work with..? Sparkling Justice is a cooperative team of two or more individuals - can you imagine Togami-kun working with anybody, for any reason? Unless it was absolutely necessary, I mean.

That's true - nobody can stand bein' around him, and the main Sparkling Justice ghoul has at least one friend.

Besides, you mentioned the victim's card suggested they were evil in some way - that this killing wasn't just a business deal gone wrong.

So what? Business people can be bastards, Koma-chan. They're allowed.

Yes, but why would Sparkling Justice have an issue with them unless they were committing some type of major offense?

(The fact the victim's body was rendered impossible to locate is a mystery, though.)

...

Please stop bullying me, Koma-chan! I thought we were friends!

Huh?! I'm not--! We are--!

Gotcha! I got Koma-chan to admit we're friends! Hee!

Heh. Well done, master.

[ mod note: we're all on the same page that Nagito was his game's detective, right? Since there wasn't an Ultimate Detective in his class, he filled that role? Basically, I feel like Keech would get in his way if he was in detective-mode XD!! Trying to bend or twist the investigation toward whichever person he feels like implicating, then weaseling out of it if his attempt doesn't work ]

A servant that just does stuff without screwing everything up would be so boring!

Neehee!

Sure, things would actually get done around here, but... The sooner you finish, the sooner you have nothing to do? Boring!

...

The thing with Kuzuryu--

...

Ok, that would have been really satisfying if Koma-chan actually cooperated--

Hee.

Sorry, what was the question again..?

Oh, right; if Nagito ever gets on my nerves when he's getting in the way.

Nope!

You have to wonder... How can a vigilante criminal keep getting away with their deeds? They can't even determine an approximate age group, height, or build for this individual.

The only way somebody would be able to keep those details private is if they avoided ever being seen, or if they were an expert at disguising themselves...

Heyyyy, do ya think the Sparkling Justice kook might be Smoogs?

Actually, I've been following the details of the case and I have a theory of my own... It might be totally wrong--

Spill! Whatcha got, Koma-chan? Let's hear it!

It's just a theory...

We're burnin' daylight here, Nagito! Sparkling Justice goes after criminals, right? Doesn't that mean I'm in trouble? I need to know who to look out for! Protect me!

Well... As you know, there's very little information available... Rather than the person being an expert at disguises, I believe there might be more than one person posing as Sparkling Justice.

...

Just the fact they can't even estimate an age range, gender, height... Anything about the individual? These things lead me to believe there's more than one person behind it.

After all, they wouldn't be able to easily disguise their height..? They might be able to wear shoes with elevated soles or heels in order to gain a slight boost, but would it really make that much of a difference..?

...

This suggests to me that Sparkling Justice is a team of two or more people, who have a large disparity between their physical builds.

It's entirely possible they might be an assortment of unaffiliated copycats... But I believe it's more likely they're working together.

Alright. Got any theories about who this tag-team of serial killers might be, Koma-chan?

I might, but I'm not really interested in interfering. Sorry, master.

You promised you were gonna protect me, and Sparkling Just-Ass goes after criminals! You have to tell me who it is!

Sorry, Oumu-kun. I don't think you're in any danger.

Why the hell not? I'm an evil bastard!

Wait, is this your subtle way of admitting you're a part of Sparkling Justice, Koma-chan? You know Sparkling Justice is more than one person because you're one of them?

Definitely not - if I was involved, they would have been caught by now, for sure.

What then? Why would you wanna protect a group of dirty murderers?

Take a guess!

Murderers don't have hope, Nagito!

Sure they do! They actually might have the most hope, in this case!

Their victims are all criminals, and the fact they allow themselves to be seen enough to make it impossible to pin down a physical estimation of the assailant - they have strong hope!

Hope for ridding the future of criminals, hope for striking again without getting apprehended!

Murderers. Do not. Have hope. Nagito.

Sorry, Ouma-kun. I have to disagree with you here - this isn't senseless violence. Every victim of Sparkling Justice has been a criminal. Their motivation is hope - hope for a future without violent criminals terrorizing the streets.

Fiiiine... I'll play along - let's pretend a group of two or more bloodthirsty murderers represent hope... Their ideal version of the future is one where all violent criminals have been expunged. Yeah?

Yes.

Doesn't that mean they should kill themselves, by their own logic? Aren't they also adding to the number of violent criminals terrorizing the civilians?

I don't think they value their lives at all, master.

I don't have all of the information, of course... But that wasn't something I was picking up on while I was studying the case details.

They have hope for ridding the planet of violent criminals, including themselves... They have a uniquely selfless hope.