Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Mukuro remembers her first controversy online when she was nineteen. It was day two of streaming. Her sister had suggested she play some ‘shooty’ game because she was in the military and would probably be good at it. Junko is terrible at letting things go, saying her skill was too good not to develop. Coaxing and then straight-up forcing her to live stream on some platform and show off her expertise. 

So she did. The first day she blew up with people not believing, like her sister kept repeating, that she had never touched the game before today. Never touched a video game at all. By day two, she had already gotten called out and not for lies like others had claimed.

She had gotten irritated by being called slurs and hearing insults just because she was a woman in the Call of Duty lobby she was in. She’d been mocking them back and forth the entire stream just like she had yesterday.

Getting called slurs and hearing threats because she has a vagina is not new to her; it hardly affects her actions at this point, especially not online. She said an insult in return because that’s what she does, she hadn’t known it were a slur nor would probably have changed anything for her, honestly. 

She was happy when she called out for it so soon. She definitely had not known people would care that much… considering the commonly known slurs being hurled a her and her streaming that. Others slurs at her, good. Slurs she says, bad.

It was good to know.

Mukuro’s not racist; she hadn’t intended to come across that way. 

She looked up the history of the word, the people it was used against. 

Mukuro had never been to Australia before and took the chance to see the place herself. It’d been on her list of places to check out anyway. She went to Sydney and Melbourne, where a lot of native Australians live, for a few days each and actually met and talked with a few Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders before going to their most ‘feared forest’ the Pilliga, and camping in a really cool, not so legal spot for a few weeks.

Mukuro or Korumo could say she’s learned a lot from that experience. 

After she got called out, traveled to Australia, came back, posted her video of her camping experience with no gear, and returned back to streaming the following day, she was immediately called out again.

It was weird to be met with such mixed reviews. Junko was right about people finding the video interesting, but also the hate online from her prior situation, and the new one was weird. 

Mukuro was live, playing Fortnite instead, having heard from her sister that that community was apparently nicer. It was yet to be proven to Mukuro, but she still didn’t really care.

Learning the building mechanics was kicking her ass, so it was a good challenge. Mid-challenge, she reads a comment after the match she lost scrolling by asking how she was able to avoid park rangers for illegally camping for so long.

Mukuro then went on to explain how she actually almost got caught and was disappointed she couldn’t get the chase on video, and how it was the reason why she changed camp location on day two. 

It led to a lot of people not really realizing her video was completely legal and getting it banned on YouTube.

A week after Mukuro quit social media, her sister had forced her to be on one of her lives. Quitting meant now she was technically unemployed, which means her sister, with whom she was living with at the time, forced her to basically be her slave because she had ‘nothing better to do’ and ‘needed to earn her keep otherwise’. 

Which… Mukuro did need to.

She owed a lot of money at that time.

Junko has never acted like it, not when they were homeless, then homeless again, and then, oh yeah, homeless again. The way she’s spending money means they’ll probably be going for round four at this rate.

Junko’s model job was miraculously timed, but it’s still not a high enough source of income for the two. Primarily Junko. ‘ジュンコ' 'Junko’.

‘むくろ' 
'Mukuro’

‘涼子 '
'Ryoko’

‘みつき '
'Mitsuki’

‘девочка'
'Girl’

‘дитина демона'
'Demon Child’

‘Enfant des rues'
'Street brat’

‘Ratte'
'Rat’

‘Kurokumo’

??? Rolls her eyes thinking about all her different names, identities. 

Twenty-six-year-old Ikusaba Mukuro accepts the new name and identity because she needed one. It’s what's on her passport and ‘birth certificate’ that it’s who she’s been her whole life, so she takes heed to ensure it seems that way.

Who she was before that is anyone’s guess. She and her twin sister can be hard to trace after their reported disappearances in Japan.

Mitsuki mentally died off a long while ago, but on paper, she died in battle in Russia eight years ago at an age much older than she ever reached. Girl is all they ever called her in Russia, which was fine. Honestly, she wasn’t a person after she got trafficked and brought there. She didn’t want a new name given to her by them.

She accepted the title Demon Child from the Ukrainians because it felt fitting; she is a bit of a demon, and she definitely was then. But Mukuro’s not a child anymore, and she’s not really sure she wants to be a demon anymore either.

However, it remains as a title she’s started to begrudgingly accept and leaned into after getting canceled for a third time when she wasn’t even trying to have an online presence. Getting cancelled for having too much money is something she found ridiculous, and when she expressed that on her own social media in advocacy for her sister, it only made the situation worse.

Now, Mukuro should have known supporting anything her sister does would give her side eye, but she definitely could have checked before she just blindly agreed with her.

Junko was caught being an ass to a homeless person, outright spitting on him and kicking him on the leg before telling him to go die. Apparently, the beginning, where he tried to grab her, and she screamed and was startled, was cut.

That’s what Junko told her. All the comments were about rich people not caring about the working class, which Mukuro finds fair and incredibly ironic, considering the debt collection bills that get sent through the door harassing them about late payments and the fact that they’ve legitimately been homeless three times and likely counting.

All the comments about how rich and out of touch Junko is upset her sister, and Mukuro always supports her baby sister. So she posted about broke people staying mad. 

Honestly, the entire situation sounded like a lot of projection from everyone. Her sister for hating on a homeless guy, the comments highlighting the expensive things they didn’t even knew existed that were on her sister.

The whole video coming out and the homeless guy ‘reaching’ for her sister was just him extending his arm out for change, to which her sister eeped and jumped in alarm at him before scowling and berating him.

Not the best look.

Lost her more than a few brand deals.

Junko got depressed and spent more money that they didn’t have. Now having to pay for brands that gave items away for free.

They lost their expensive apartment in the heart of LA. Became homeless four times.

Junko took out another endless loan she apparently is fully eligible for, but Mukuro suspects the legitimacy of, and bought another car and a whole house this time.

…Mukuro learned to stop relying on her sister. 

She did not sign off on the loan, nor the lease for the house. She was not invited into the new home.

Mukuro felt guilty for being unemployed to help her sister pay back all the things she owed. 

…But not as bad as being homeless again.

 It turns out Fortnite competitions are held annually and pay millions.

After three straight months of sneaking in and out of her sister’s place whenever she left for long shoots. After three straight months of not knowing if Junko’s electric would be on or not for her to practice. After three straight months of streaming every chance she got so that she could go against stream snipers and make an income with all the donations people send. After three straight months of not having a camera and the worst mic quality ever.

Mukuro qualified and competed in the annual Fortnite championship. Won third. Second to someone who retired that same year, and first to a semi-content creator named Maki Roll.

At twenty, Mukuro was now beloved by the internet for being an anti-hero. Refusing to stay canceled and garnering lots of fans with her Fortnite skills. Twenty-three-year-old Maki liked her.

They went out for coffee after. They dated for a while.

Mukuro liked her. She’s strong. She’s cutting. Apparently, it’s why she added the roll to the end of her name so people weren’t so intimidated by her.

Maki didn’t invite her to train and live with her in China because she cared when she told her about how she trained and about her living situation. It was nice. She didn’t do it because they were ‘dating’ or more like sleeping with each other, with a more intimate label than it was worth. Nor because of her own initial training standards.

They respected the fact that they both were so… lethal. How they were both probably trained. They didn’t intimidate each other; they sharpened each other.

It’s rare. It was nice.

It only took a few months of being taught by even someone as brutal as Maki before they were both bored and thought she had taken in the lessons. It only took a few months after that, even in such a new, unique country for Mukuro to get bored of the place and everything overall.

Diving headfirst into experiences is what Mukuro thinks she lives for. Being dropped into a new place and not knowing a word of the language, but figuring out how to survive in it, is fun. Seeing how people live and move about their lives is fascinating to her.

So many peoples around the world have been hurt, not only by her home country, Japan, like some people were upset by her presence because of. The hurt shouldn’t be beautiful, but Mukuro finds it so, sickly as it is.

To see how people have been starved for generations and to see how they manage to pick themselves up to go work for whatever reason is so… 

Mukuro couldn’t do it; she finds it fascinating. 

The will to live. To try. To want better. The idea of God.

She’s learned to appreciate the machinery, the desire for power, the consequence of colonialism, the ugliness of society's coping mechanisms, capitalism, communism, the progression, the regression, the old ways, the new… Mukuro likes being able to witness that for herself in all the places she’s lived.

It’s learning how to live in it, finding her place in it, after that she struggles with.

So she fled to Korea, South Korea specifically, obviously. Though North Korea would be a challenge. Mukuro marks on her bucket list to try to explore that place. 

There she met not another content creator, but a friend of her girlfriend’s. Peko Pekoyama.

There, she met another controversy that she was really irritated came out, and especially so quickly. Only a few weeks after posting her first video of her time in Korea.

It blew up a lot more than she expected, something about another big creator giving their country a shot. People were really interested in getting her to go to all of the South Korean stables, even though that’s not primarily why she came.

She came to get better at sword fighting. It’s something Mukuro’s always been interested in doing since seeing it on television, and when Junko asked if she could do something like that. 

Cheating.

It’s very common in Korean society. Scarily normalized, according to Peko Pekoyama, who had just gotten out of a serious relationship with her boyfriend. Apparently, it’d been something she had been asked to do a few times despite citing the severity of hers at the time.

What was scandalous was the fact that they’re both women.

South Korea is very homophobic. 

It’s not a big part of her content being queer; this was actually the first time it was brought up. And it wasn’t.

Privacy in Korea is nonexistent.

Through their window, a picture of the two kissing was sent into the web, which caused a big fuss.

Two strong women were already jarring enough for them, but for them to kiss each other? They were basically kicked out of the country. Apparently, it’s what happened to the person they were all excited and comparing her coming to before as well.

Mukuro finds that very ironic for the country.

Though it was hardly a serious relationship with Maki, she was still kinda pissed and banned them both from staying with her.

Peko was frustrated because now her ex was calling her upset she moved on so quickly, though that was furthest from the truth. 

The entire situation was stupid.

Drinking culture is a big part of Korean society as well, so the two were drunk off their asses after going to a karaoke bar and recording their experience. Peko was shocked to hear how good of a singer she really is, just one of her several talents. 

Peko said something about wondering if she was queer, and Mukuro is chronically horny. Her girlfriend was only a two-hour plane ride away, but still… hormones and alcohol are her weak points.

They didn’t even fuck. Peko is straight.

Disappointing to them both. 

After the situation, it was pretty awkward… Peko didn’t want to leave Korea, where she’d been training, but was harassed enough to have to and couldn’t come back to her home in Japan for fear she would see her ex. Apparently, he’s rather influential.

China with Maki wasn’t an option either, so Peko went and she decided fuck Asia and went to the states. Mukuro agrees with the overhyped speculations she had about Europe; she’s rather sick of that continent as well, but Mukuro’s been avoiding her sister, so going back there with her like a good friend….

She did not do.

Instead, she agreed to Peko’s plan to pull her, Maki, and Mukuro’s money to buy a place in LA because they each visit enough. With the three of them doing so, it wouldn’t be a burden on their wallets every time they went to visit the states with all the hotel fees and such.

Did it completely make sense? Was it wise for Mukuro to sign another weird lease?...

Either way, at twenty-one, it happened. Mukuro somewhat owns a house. Split three ways contractually as well.

They got a five-bedroom, fully completed basement, mansion in Mukuro’s mind, but regular house, depending on the person’s standards. Them being the muscle heads they were meant most of the money they pooled together was for a pool to combat the heat in California, and a really expensive at-home gym in the biggest room of the house, which was supposed to be the living room.

That way, whenever they return for their weeks at a time throughout the year, their workouts won’t be halted. It was beneficial to Mukuro in a couple ways. A place to stay when she visits her sister somewhere besides her sister’s place, and now she doesn't have to feel guilty about blowing up Peko’s life.

Mukuro spent literally every cent she owned buying her share of the house and signing up for this opportunity in Japan to train like the strongest woman in the world; her plan for after this. She wasn’t shocked by Maki’s ease of paying; she just won the Fortnite competition, she says she literally only participates in to afford her lifestyle. However, Peko being able to do so was odd.

She cited that she was being sponsored by her boss to be in Korea for training in the first place. She hardly spent money while they were out, saying she wouldn’t want to use her boss's card to buy something stupid like alcohol, which meant Mukuro paid for it all…

Her suspicions about how she was able to afford such a thing were revealed later when she got back together with her ex, who apparently paid for it all, trying to win her back. Also, apparently, her making out with her was a good thing because it taught her all she wanted was him, so it worked well all around.

Except for the fact that Peko blew a bunch of money buying a place in the States only to immediately move back to Japan… But she said neither she nor her fiancé were upset… so… All’s well ends well.

Mukuro actually didn’t end up in any controversies for a whole year and a half after that! …Because she went off the grid to train in a really remote town in Japan. 

Honestly, Mukuro would consider that to be the best time of her life. No internet access, set schedule every day, being told what to think/eat/do, all under the guise of discipline. 

After a year of training, Mukuro was told she would finally be able to spar with the strongest woman in the world.

She got her ass kicked… a lot.

She recorded every time and posted it whenever she found time on Sundays to head into the nearest town with a place with internet, figuring her sister, who had to be pissed at her, would get a laugh at her being beaten up. 

Six months after that, Mukuro was really close to winning. People around her had their own thoughts agreeing or disagreeing with the sentiment, but Mukuro was sure of the fact that she could. 

It caused a bit of controversy online because of that, drawing questions about what makes the strongest woman. To Mukuro, it’d be beating her in a fight, a fair one like they’d been doing. It drew more controversy when people thought she’d quit because she once again disappeared off the face of the earth for six months.

Spending a year and a half just to win a fight and still losing is humiliating. Trying the same thing without changing anything is stupid.

Someone contacted her in their typical suspicious ways. Telegram.

To make a long story short, it only took six months, but Mukuro returned to Japan after willingly letting herself be kidnapped somewhere near the Congo in Africa.

Willingly returning to military life was weird, even if she wasn’t enlisting but going through the same training. Even if she had already been somewhat used to it because of the training she was just undergoing.

Nothing will ever prepare her for war.

Especially in someplace as terrible as the Congo.

Mukuro was a child soldier herself, but seeing others honestly almost broke her heart.

Mukuro’s done some of the most apprehensive things possible to a lot of people, yet the things she witnessed even during her short stay there nearly broke her.

Getting in and out became her only goal, the only way they would release her from a place she willingly accepted to go. Mukuro honestly can’t understand herself at times. Especially during times like that.

Why go to something like that, go through that? To win a fight?

What was she trying to prove?

In the end, it seems she really did…

She returned back to the internet with a video of her viciously attacking Oogai, Sakura.

She won.

It wasn’t a good look.

Her sister supported her. 

So did Oogami.

Everyone was in agreement that she needed a break. And mental help.

So, once again, in her typical Mukuro pattern, she was banished from the internet as soon as she returned.

Junko came and got her; Oogami didn’t press charges. Legal drama sucks.

Japan sucks.

The US sucks.

Mukuro went back at twenty-three and hasn’t left since.

When she got back, it was very different. Junko’s house was just as empty as before. Mukuro couldn’t bring herself to tell her about her own separate house.

While Mukuro was gone, Junko was getting harassed about paying back her bills.

While Mukuro was there, Junko was getting harassed about paying back her bills, and she didn’t notice.

Junko’s a great liar.

It’s fortunate that being useless isn’t in Mukuro’s DNA. Even though she was told by her sister to stay off the internet and to chill for a while, Mukuro remained.

Not publicly, yet.

But still. Online on Fortnite at all hours of the day. Just about any shooting game.

The control and ease of it makes it boring and addictive. Mukuro’s online account hit the top of the worldwide charts within a few weeks. 

She didn’t tell her sister about her joining the million-dollar competition, which made her feel like shit at first but incredibly grateful later. She won. Fame again, of course.

People have come to expect her randomness, appreciating that about her.

Soon she’s streaming her playing Fortnite again, and it’s nice. Being unfiltered. Saying anything and all of her fans eat it up. Or defend her for her, so she doesn’t even have to engage with the backlash anymore.

As long as her fans like it, what’s the problem? She’s really not saying slurs or almost beating people to death anymore, so what’s the problem?

Her followers grow like her sister’s debts and noise complaints.

Soon, Junko can’t pretend to be fine anymore. When the IRS shows up at Mukuro’s door looking for her ‘on a trip’ sister, Mukuro knows it’s serious.

Even after giving her sister every cent she owns after eventually tracking her down and convincing her that they can’t be homeless doing under-the-table (kill for hire) jobs in Europe for the rest of her life (well, she, while Junko 'keeps watch outside'). She still just barely was able to give her sister enough to convince all the people she owes that she actually will be paying, and they won’t have to take any… drastic measures.

At twenty-four, Mukuro hadn’t anticipated becoming a full-time streamer because it’s really quick cash. That seems really pathetic, getting all excited about donations every day.

At twenty-five, Mukuro hadn’t anticipated being so addicted to the attention and money. In just a year, she and Junko were able to get out of the red.

It’s impressive. It makes Mukuro feels like in five years, they could be trillionaires. 

At twenty-five and a half, after giving up half her savings to save her sister again, Mukuro accepts she’ll probably never actually be rich. One of these days, she’ll have to sell the little part of the house she owns for scraps in hopes of paying off one of Junko’s Klarna’d nails. 

At twenty-six, she’s caught in another controversy, and this time, it’s not even on her own page! It makes it harder for her fans to support her, but also, by this point, everyone is desensitised and apathetic to it. At least in relation to her…

It still is causing a big fuss, but Mukuro suspects it’ll blow over in a week and nothing will come from it like usual.

-

Twenty-six-year-old Sayaka Maizono still remembers the affirming comments about her weight when she lost a lot of it while being too poor to afford takeaways and when she was too busy working to make actual proper meals. She remembers how much more money she had in her budget when she stopped counting as many portion sizes for herself. Her budget was literally sliced in half because Dad stopped eating his usual portions after getting hurt at the same time.

She remembers how much her comments praised her for still looking so petite while pregnant. How envious they were even though she was only a few months along. How much they reveled in seeing her weight gain and whether she could work it off after. There was and continues to be a lot of pressure on that for her. Just for existing as a woman. 

The Internet, and especially her Japanese fanbase were horrible to her when she came back from her first hiatus with more meat on her bones than before. The only time in her life where she was a normal bmi because she wasn’t too poor or stressed out by her fiancé to eat.

Even with the excuse that her father had been diagnosed with cancer, her fiancé died, and her unborn baby… was no longer in the equation didn’t hold them back from digging into her appearance when she returned.

It was the driving factor to make her switch to English-speaking primarily in her videos.

She still remembers her year or so break very vividly, even six years later.

Traveling to the States before she decided she wanted to move there. How happy she was. How good the food was. 

Sue her.

Sayaka gets mildly depressed scrolling online and seeing yet another debate about weight and whether or not people’s body types should be normalized. It’s weird and cringy, and so repetitive. 

A lot of her fans are asking her to talk about it, of course, too. 

That would be one thing within itself had it not been her own peer?/person she sometimes talks to, perpetuating the anorexia trend. For the second time.

The first was when Junko Enoshima mysteriously lost a lot of weight and refused to tell anyone how. Sayaka was relieved when they finally found her coke bags and took away her license after her third DUI. 

The second is probably second and mostly likely counting was her livestreaming herself trying on outfits at the mall with her sister. That in itself is fine, but honestly, Sayaka still can’t give her the benefit of the doubt on her intentions there.

When you look as skinny as she does and as beautiful as a lot of people see her, people are going to want to look and be exactly like her. Showing off blowing tons of money that most people could probably never even make in six months is… a choice within itself. Beyond that, interacting with comments talking about her weight is just dangerous and ridiculous, even if it were just her sister as the ones who actually even mentioned it.

Sayaka sighs before rewatching the viral video circulating terrible talking points. 

She studies it before making her video.

“Hi, my beauties, welcome back to my channel! I hope you’re having a wonderful day, and if not, I hope I can make it a little better. Today, we’re going to be doing more of a Russian doll kind of look. I found the cutest fuzzy hat that I’m going to wear during my next trip to Japan that really sets it off that I’m excited to see put together. It'll definitely keep me warm during some of those cold winters. Now I’ve already done a look like this before, I'll link it in the card at the top, but I’m going to go a little darker and more bold like some of the comments suggested while I talk about another Creator on this platform a bit,” Sayaka, the beauty influencer and world vlogger, starts off her intro. 

She can be seen in her signature pink bedroom, sat center frame with her pink bed behind her. 

“You still with me?” she asks the camera, before continuing after a slight pause, “Okay, then let’s go.”

Sayaka switches frames to her sitting in a very white room with vanities full of makeup behind her. The lighting is better; it’s clear there’s lighting in front and around her face, there are no shadows covering it. This makes sense. Her face that she’s showing off needs to be clear.

As she starts her routine by squirting the bottle she put in front of the screen up onto the back of her hand, she speaks, “So this is going to be kind of a personal video to you guys specifically in a way. I’ve talked to you guys about me growing up with an eating disorder before; I’ll add that to the card, too. I know you guys get frustrated when I don’t link every single reference and product.”

She daps the clear liquid around her face before blending it in with a big pink, glittery makeup brush. “I know the makeup community is all about doing callouts and, you know I try to stay out of that as much as I can. I call out governments, not idiots doing things for views online, which was why I was hesitant to speak up on this like so many others have.”

After fanning her face, Sayaka puts into frame four small-tubed products for the camera, each in a different color. Like a painter, she uses color theory to dot out places on her face that need to be lightened for an even base. 

“So, my take on it will be different. I’m talking to my audience, who are primarily little girls of all ages, but I also have a big tween fanbase. I just want you all to know that weight doesn’t matter.”

She stops to look at the camera, even with the random spurts of pink, yellow, and green all over her face, to say it. It gives the video a serious edge. “What she said was wrong; weight doesn’t matter.”

Sayaka gives it a second before continuing to apply her makeup. The foundation she applies atop the color corrector blends seamlessly with it. Once she’s done with that, she maps out her face with her bronzer and continues, “So who am I talking about and why does it matter. Well, as much as I'd like not to name-drop, it's already out there. However, I'm more so bringing this up to actually talk about the message it’s sending and why it’s so disappointing.”

While she blends the bronzer on, she criticizes, “I was very disheartened to read her comment section on some of her videos, with little girls saying they look up to her and appreciate the advice she gave because of how she 'keeps it real'. Now, this person isn’t even a style influencer or anything, but she still has influence. Her words have power.”

Sayaka pauses a second to focus as she puts her concealer on. This is a different style than her usual one; she has to pay attention to make sure it goes for what she’s trying to replicate. “So, let’s start off with, who am I talking about? If you’re fortunate enough not to have heard of her, I’m talking about the streamer Kurokumo, who also has a YouTube account and posts on here.”

The powder on Sayaka’s face needs a few minutes to set, so she sits up in her chair, facing the camera, and speaks while she waits for it to set. “Kurokumo makes content doing impressive things like seeing how long she can last in the woods, going out and challenging athletes across the globe, and surprisingly being the world champion of Fortnite and Call of Duty.”

The trendsetter shakes her head. “I do not support Kurokumo nor agree with her various actions across the years. I’m not advocating for her to be deplatformed; I think that’s fruitless at this rate. Nor do I think the harassment towards her and her sister is okay. I’m advocating for accountability on all fronts.”

Once she thinks the powder is baked in enough and the excess can be brushed off, she does just that with another big brush. The powder did great, her face looks soft and smooth, like a filter. She really likes the powder and foundation she uses. Makes editing a lot easier.

“I want my fans to know that people are going to say nonsense like that all of the time, but it’s not true. You can’t listen to stuff like that. I’m frustrated that such a big creator said that on her stream, as a joke or not, and I think Twitch should be taking this a lot more seriously.”

A clip of the aforementioned scene is added to the video.

There a girl with thick black hair almost down to her shoulders is seen in center frame with her large black curtains behind her, atypical to the streamer's usual background. It makes sense, considering it was her sister’s Instagram Live, and from reports after, it was found to have been made while they were at one of the model’s shoots. In the corner of the frame is her sister, top model Junko Enoshima, off on the side, doing something off camera.

Kurokumo looks at the screen, reading the comments blurring by before laughing at one in particular and agreeing, “Weight doesn’t matter.”

After she says it, her lips turn up a little as if she’s resisting the urge to smile before looking up at the girl beside her, and it widens as if holding in a laugh, like the giggle that echoes through the room. 

“Well…” Junko starts.

“It actually does,” Kurokumo states, turning back to the camera while she does it and finishing the statement with a small laugh.

“Obviously, it’s irresponsible to condone eating disorders to your fanbase. Especially considering the work Junko does, and reach Kurokumo has,” Sayaka calls out, staring with her left eye and applying white eyeshadow to it. It’s harder to make apparent with her lighter skin.

“They should take more accountability and be the adults they are in acknowledging the influence they have over people, with blasé comments like that. And my treasured viewers, I urge you to hold yourself to healthier standards. Doing the easy thing is saying nothing about it, calling out comments like this denormalises it.”

Her speed slows as she applies eyeliner. “Remember you–- yes, you, are beautiful. We’re all born into different bodies; let’s make sure they last. Anyway, moving on… Inspired by the Russians, I’m excited for this look…”

There’s about ten minutes left of the video. Sayaka’s videos usually average around the twenty minute length. Longer than that means it’s harder to edit, which burns her out from her daily upload schedule.

Mukuro’s response was short and simple.

On the 4th of May, twenty-six hours later, she refers to the video 4 hours into her live stream. All the controversies didn’t even deter her from her daily streaming schedule. The woman is constantly streaming everything she does and then disappearing for months at a time.

She’s sat in her typical streaming room. Black painted walls that made the room look smaller, broad shoulders framed by the black desk chair she's sat on in the middle of the frame. Silver YouTube Plaque on the wall behind her. 

That’s all. No other decoration can be seen. 

“Did you see what Sayaka posted about you… Starlight reviews? Yeah, I saw what she said… Do I care about what she said…” she says in a tone that implies she doesn't at all, and like it's a different case.

Mukuro looks from chat to straight at the camera. “I think she’s full of shit. Ask her if she’d have 10% of her following if she were fat? I’m serious?!” Mukuro exclaims before leaning back in her seat dramatically.

“I’m not gonna sit here and explain myself on a live that wasn’t even my own. The difference in this whole controversy is who is actually plugged into real life or who’s a fucking corporate bot for views, just saying my name for clouts or something. You would think someone like Star Reviews would have better things to do, but no…” 

That’s all she says on the subject.

Sayaka’s response is an Instagram story saying athletes should know running on empty isn’t good, asking her if she’s ever gone on a three-day fast and experienced that, and trying to operate like a human. 

Mukuro makes her response that very same day. She was live on stream when the story was uploaded, and comments flooded her stream asking her thoughts about it.

The entertainer logged onto her Instagram to find the story, read it and laughed.

In her thick Russian accent that leaves her words unintelligible to some of her viewers, she rumbles, “I was fucking homeless four times, I know what the fuck I’m talking about.”

She later goes on to complain thirty minutes later, “This is why I hate the fucking internet, though. I’ve got morons in my chat and liars everywhere. I’m going to go back to the forest or something, I can’t deal with this,” she groans when reading another harassing comment. “Chat, what’s my next location? Should I try Antarctica like everyone’s been saying? That’d be a really great way to get rid of yous.”

Sayaka lacks a reply.

Days later, Mukuro does not go to the forest or Antarctica, and Sayaka continues like normal, being driven down to a party one of the girls she’s in a band she used to be in is hosting.

The parties are always of the exclusive type. Phones taken at the door and all that.

Sayaka expected it, so she doesn’t mind. She steps through the double doors of the large house in a bubbly mood, a little tipsy already. The Uber ride was long and cost a fortune, but it’s cheaper than a DUI. What’s also expensive is this fucking house…

It makes Sayaka wonder how Yukari was able to purchase such a home as she looks up at the miraculous home… She doesn’t question it too much; however, Yukari has got loaded parents. She didn’t join the band for money like she did.

The mansion is packed with people, unsurprisingly. Sayaka is well beloved; she hardly needs her charisma to travel from one social circle to another. Most people know her or of her, and were anticipating her arrival, being a close friend of Yukari and all. 

Not everyone is a fan of her music or successful YouTube channel though; a lot of party guests are infamous in their own rights. Sayaka always hates that in a party; but it can get a little irritating being asked to promote or to talk about analytics at a social event.

It can feel like they’re all walking around comparing dick sizes or something. Being sucked up to is annoying, being talked down to is infuriating. 

There’s also so much talk of money… which… Sayaka finds herself constantly uncomfortable with. Hollywood is a place for people to spend money they don’t have while pretending to have it, which leads to a lot of people going bankrupt.

It’s not something she likes to participate in, nor being haggled about like she doesn’t have her own people she has to give a substantial amount of her cash to -- i.e., her father and someone used to be fiancé.  

Sayaka’s taking a recuperating shot in the kitchen when she hears cheers by the front door because no doubt another famous person has arrived. Sayaka can hear Junko's name being called before she hears her loud voice yell over the party, “I’m here bitches!! Who’s ready to get turnt?”

Sayaka smiles at the words. Junko is a nice person to go to parties with. Her live behavior draws so much attention to her; no one worries about Sayaka herself, because there’s someone doing something worse.

She loves a good distraction.

She also doesn’t mind whenever she’s seen with the woman. It’s a big popularity bump for the both of them, especially when they film a video together.

Speaking of the devil, and she may appear, Junko arrives with her shadow, whom she’s heard so much about in the kitchen doorframe.

Usually, according to others, her shadow used to be silent. 

Sayaka wishes that were the case.

“Oh wow, Star Reviews, so great to see you here…!” The woman dressed in black and white, matching her sister, yells at her from across the room.

Sayaka rolls her eyes, already knowing she’s probably fucking drunk.

“Sayaka!” Junko says in a much sweeter tone.

Junko is a fucking demon. Sayaka doesn’t trust it for a second.

Still, she smiles at the pair, placing her red solo cup onto the counter she was just leaning on down. She tells the person she was in a quiet conversation with to give her a moment, anticipating the twins’ bullshit upon closer proximity.

“Junko!” Sayaka says in a flat, clearly disappointed tone. “Kurokumo.” She looks between the two. “How are you? Still telling kids to starve themselves online, or are you over that and onto trying to sell them into sex work as soon as they're eighteen now, too?”

Junko giggles in a shrilly, unnatural pitch. Uncomfortable for Sayaka. Who knows the model. Speaking up against her felt like betraying a bit of her friendship, but then again, being friends and enemies with the girl are basically the same thing.

“Sayaka!” Junko exclaims in a mock excited tone, Sayaka can clearly place. “I see you’re still keeping up the whole ‘I’m Mother Teresa and hit kids but tell people I don’t schickt’ HA that’s hilarious!” 

The woman who goes by Kurokumo online stands beside Sayaka on the opposite corner of the counter. Sayaka shoots her a look. She’s never talked to this person before besides online, and she doesn’t really want to start now.

“Hi,” the woman says smoothly. Head in her hand, flirtatiously.

“And your name is?” Sayaka all but groans.

It seems both twins are flirty as a bitch and have the confidence to just approach anyone. Sayaka wonders what makes this girl think she would ever let her touch her at all.

“You can call me Kurokumo, your name is Sayaka, right?” She asks, leaning toward her. She’s taller than her by a fair bit. She’s definitely trying to be intimidating, it’s only working because Sayaka gets the sense she actually is dangerous. 

It might be totally unreasonable for Sayaka to suspect this, but she gets the sense that Mukuro’s killed someone(s) before. 

Just the look in her eyes she has while staring at her screams that there’s something in her pretty broken and fucked up.

It’d make sense. She said online the entire controversy that she didn’t like give a fuck. She had an edge to her that seems like she couldn’t care about a single thing.

The girl breaks eye contact to look back at her sister, who now threatens her. “So like, if you hate me so much, does that mean you can’t be seen with me publicly? Would that ruin this good girl branding you’ve got going on? Should I post that video of us kissing… How ironic to be making out with me after talking so much shit about me, huh?”

“I’m just wondering what she ate for the day, really. Talking so much shit online, but it doesn’t look like you’re regularly eating healthy as well. Can I ask that, we’re acquainted now, right?” the girl beside her asks. “You talk shit about me… I ask what the hell you meant.”

Sayaka rolls her eyes at Kurokumo and tilts her head sweetly towards Junko. “We could make another video right now if you really wanted… I came here for a good distraction. I think a video of me making out with a girl would probably piss my homophobic Japanese haters off. Or turn them on… they're really weird like that.” She proposes.

The girl across the room, leaning on the counter nearest the stove, smirks at her. It cements to Sayaka that she never really gave a fuck, as she suspected her not to. “But while we’re on the subject of leaks… I know it’s already out that you do coke, but the press haven’t seen you in the video half naked stuck in Satomi’s closet.”

Junko gasps. “How do you know about that?! Satomi wasn’t even there for that!”

Sayaka giggles. “She has a camera in her closet cuz so much expensive shit is in it. She thought you were trying to steal something at first.” She finishes that with another giggle.

Junko pouts and starts yelling, advocating for herself, “Like I would need to steal anything from that bitch, no way! I can’t believe this, that was months ago?! And she never told me?!”

Before Sayaka can reply, she notices Mukuro move closer to her, coming to her side of the island she was on. The problem with that is Sayaka is at the edge of it already, so it’s basically just her suddenly pressing against her.

“Is there a problem, Kurokumo? Sayaka asks, looking her in the eye and straightening her posture.

“Ew, sis, could you keep it in your pants? We got here a minute ago?”

Sayaka rolls her eyes and moved her shoulder, pushing against her.

Kurokumo only smiles at her. It's a sharp, condescending grin. “So do you really believe what you said and hate me, or do you is it just for the camera because that’s what you’re supposed to say during the hate bandwagon. Do you really believe that?”

Sayaka stares her in the eyes and says, “What are you recording-- and yes.”

Junko giggles and mutters, “That’s what people who are saying this for the camera say~” before moving to walk out of the room. “You both can find me later. I don’t know, I can just sense this awkward sexual tension, and it’s making me uncomfortable.” She says with a hand motion in a judgmental wave at them.

When she leaves the room, Sayaka glares at her. “Can you mind your personal space?” she asks the woman all up on her. “Fuck they don’t have personal space in Russia?”

Mukuro lighly laughs like she told a joke before putting a hand on the table. “How much do you eat, Starlight Reviews?”

Sayaka frowns at being addressed by her YouTube handle, and incorrectly at that. “Don’t fucking ask me that,” she seethes, moving away and repressing a sigh. Feeling a headache coming on.

“I’m really dying to know. Is it just a persona you put on or the real you?” She asks, leaning forward with her hand and staring into her eyes, asking a terribly intimate question.

Sayaka continues to glare at her before feeling a little emotional, thinking about her eating habits and terrible disorders. “You don’t know anything,” she breathes out. “You’re such a piece of shit, you know.” She tells her.

Mukuro tilts her head and looks up like it's something she’s heard before and does not care at all. She puffs her lip out, all mock sad. “I’m depressed you think so. How will I recover?”

“You know your words have a fucking effect, you could be fucking up a little girl right now who looks up to you. So much of your fanbase are girls saying they didn’t know women could be as strong as you are and want to be as cool as you, you know what the fuck you're doing,” she hisses.

Mukuro looks at her and bites her lip. “Ooh, tell me more about how you hate me, Starlight. What else?”

Sayaka walks away, frustrated that she gave her any time of day. Where she walks, the woman follows. 

Sayaka moves from the kitchen to the living room, where Junko and Satomi currently are interesting everyone by dancing in the center of the cleared, spacious room. 

Sayaka recognizes the song playing; it is a pretty one. As she looks for a dance partner, she’s reminded of the shadow that was passed onto her's presence.

Sayaka goes to the center of the room with a few other dancers and moves to the music. Kurokumo follows but stops by the couch, sitting there and just… staring at her.

Trying to make her uncomfortable. Trying to intimidate her.

Sayaka takes another sip of the cup she refilled before she left, which turns into downing the entire thing. 

Fuck this kind of sucks, and Sayaka is done with being intimidated by 'stronger people', by her ex with a fucking knife, by her dad and homelessness, by her fans if she doesn’t post… 

Regardless of what the twins have assumed, she has, in fact, not eaten all that much today, making the alcohol hit much faster. Taking forever to get drunk sucks. 

Sayaka's face warms and she feels a burst of energy as she moves to the music. Forgetting why she was even upset in the first place, once Satomi found her and forced her into the weird grinding she was doing with Junko.

Sayaka gets so hammered that she actually forgot Kurokumo existed until she went to the bathroom, having to pee quicker than she thought from all the drinking. Sayaka went to Satomi’s private restroom in her room, knowing the other three were probably full. 

Even after traveling all that distance, she opens the door and finds the black-haired woman in the bathroom. Getting handsy with another guest. Without the door locked. Like a genius.

Sayaka closes the door immediately, but it opens pretty quickly after, with the girl brushing past her, almost running out. She probably didn't want to be recognized.

Sayaka knocks on the door, but after the second knock, it’s opened again. Out comes Mukuro with a flat expression before staring at her like she tasted a lemon. 

When she comes back outside of the bathroom after taking some time adjusting her makeup, recording an outfit check, looking through her messages. By the time she came out, she kind of forgot Kurokumo existed again, already moving past that awkward situation.

Imagine her shock to step outside the room and to find her staring there against the wall beside it like she’s got a piss kink for listening to her pee or something.

“The fuck is wrong with you?” Sayaka says in her shock.

The tall, creepy woman snickers at her surprise.

“There’s a few empty rooms in this house, I’ve checked the area…” she propositions her for sex.

Sayaka crosses her arms. “Stop talking to me. You think it’s cute, but it’s actually pretty fucking infuriating. I don’t like you. I don’t like what you stand for, now go fuck off,” she snaps.

Kurokumo gives her a stare that screams she’s judging her before rolling her eyes and walking away. Taking the hint like she really didn’t suspect she would. 

The rest of the party goes off without a hitch. Sayaka eats out a girl, Satomi ends up going viral within the same night for getting drunk and kissing some celebrity in a new movie and puking on her new carpet. 

Sayaka had a good enough time. The get ready for me she posted for the party got a lot of views, and her followers liked the look she wore.

Sayaka doesn’t really care about the internet. She doesn’t let the hate get to her. It is what it is, whatever, whatever most of the time.

Her fanbase knows her enough to give her the benefit of the doubt, most of the time. She hopes. But they’re more reliable than that… surely.

Anyway, Sayaka tries to think of this as she scrolls through her recent comment section whilst lying in bed with nothing better to do.

Since calling out KuroKumo for her terrible behavior online, she can’t get her fucking toxic ass fans off of her fucking account.

Of course, she knew this going in. The woman is notorious for having an absolutely vile fanbase. It’s really a surprise considering one half of her socials are of her doing random shit like arm wrestling the strongest man in the world or boxing the strongest person in the world, period. 

But then again, her other half is getting random trick shots on a fucking video game with the worst fandom ever that absolutely feeds off the fact that she’s such a bitch. Cursing at whoever, ‘reading’ whoever, and being ‘totally unapologetic and real’. Sayaka doesn’t have to be an influencer to know the second part is fake.

Part of what’s pissing her off so much about the woman is remembering Kurokumo’s behavior at the party and how she basically harassed her.

Sayaka can acknowledge her logic in her controversial statement, but the way she acted about it in person?? With no cameras around?

She really is a terrible person, and it’s frustrating to be reminded of her existence every day since finding out about her.

As Sayaka edits her recent video, she resents the fact that she even knows that she exists. It’s been a long week since then…

After about another week of harassment, Sayaka decides not to stew about in anger or to entertain more arguments on why they were correct. She thinks to do a competition, something like Gandhi.

She’s mostly frustrated that everything has spiraled into such a big discussion about it. When both sides are seen as viable and fair options, it’s dangerous. Sayaka firmly believes it's an inappropriate topic to be had and is setting a terrible precedent for years normalizing this. So she thinks of something drastic.

She makes a post on her Instagram, floating the idea, she posts: ‘I’m going to do a challenge since everyone wants to starve themselves. I’m going to document how many days I can go without eating and show how much it slows down my productivity and ruins my health. I went to the doctor yesterday, and at the end I’ll show if there’s any differences that can be seen from a simple checkout.’

Three days later, her first video is released. ‘Day One of Starving Myself for No Beneficial Reason’

“Hi, my beauties! Welcome back to my channel, I hope you’re having a good day, and if not, I hope I can make it better,” Sayaka introduces from her chair in her office/editing room. “Today, we’re going to be doing something a little different than usual…

After all the discourse online, I wanted to share some research I found on the act of calorie restriction in hopes of losing weight. I thought I’d share it with you while showing what it could look like if you implemented it in your own lifestyle…”

After she narrates the thesis of the video, the scene changes location. Viewers can see Sayaka inside of her bedroom, her silhouette lying in bed. Her alarm goes off, and she wakes up with a stretch, and the scene changes again, this time to her bathroom.

There’s a quick montage of her getting ready in there before it switches to her in her spacious studio downstairs, with her open-ended living room and kitchen. Sayaka looks towards the kitchen as if thinking about eating something, and she goes in and grabs an apple before leaving the room.

The rest of the video shows her going about her day, going to the gym, getting a coffee after, hanging out with some friends who are usually on her page, coming home, editing, and getting back into bed. 

All throughout each scene, she narrates the impact of the lack of food she’s eating. Before starting her workout, she says, “I really want to lose weight, so of course, I’m hitting the gym! Going to the gym is beneficial for weight loss, the food in you turning into muscle instead of just fat, and working off calories is the goal for most people!"

After a moment, she continues just as casual in tone. "But you know what’s not beneficial from that? Intense workouts," she informs her audience. "If you’re looking for a slimmer build instead of heavy muscle, it’s important to keep in mind that hormone levels are a key component, especially for females. Managing stress levels by sleeping well and avoiding intense workouts is pivotal because the increase of cortisol hormones impacts the way it stores your fat and increases your appetite and body’s likelihood of water retention.”

Before stepping on the scale, she says, “Did you know that the first two weeks, a lot of people see the numbers drop and think they’re losing a lot of weight when it’s only water retention, which can come back very easily? The important thing to lose is muscle fat, which only takes place after two weeks.”

Before eating her tiny salad for dinner, she says, “A lot of women cut off certain food groups as a part of their diet for weight loss. However, did you know that it just messes with your hormone level and metabolism. I touched on how the hormone level is so important for weight loss, but metabolism is most people’s should be goal, so it becomes easier, and it’s your body shaving off those calories for you. Your body needs all of the food groups, and suddenly cutting one off only makes your body crave it more. To lose weight, you only need to cut back about 500 calories from your typical intake… Only 500, any more than that is too much and counterproductive. Would you look at that? That makes it really silly that I’ve only had 400 calories today, period, huh?”

The video felt like an educated piece and stance on the subject.

That same day, Kurokumo made a statement of her own. For hours. 

“Hey, let me ask you a question?” Kurokumo asks a guy walking by on the path by the sand on the beach. 

She decided to go to Long Beach first and conduct street interviews to get ‘real first-hand accounts’. Her cameraman, because she has no friends, is the concrete fence half-wall around the path, which means she has to chase after a few boys on skateboards to get it back a few times.

However, Mukuro doesn’t mind the run. Nor does she mind the argumentative people like the die-hard Sayaka stans who come up to her and yell at her and call her ‘Fasting longer than Star Reviews live 24/7 until she breaks' streaming event disrespectful and all their other thoughts. She actually quite likes that because of the influx of viewers.

She also likes the challenge of the sign beside her, saying she can lift any person, no matter what size, and will try to guess how much they weigh. It’s been making the day fun, even with an empty stomach that keeps nagging her. 

Heavier people are a challenge, skinnier people are boring, girls in bikinis are hot.

Mukuro would like to think she’s being more real, actually being live and proving she’s not eating, unlike Sayaka, who could be chowing down when the cameras are off. 

The guy she stopped smiles and stops in his tracks as he peace signs at the camera. “Yo-o!!! I’ve always wanted to be in one of these. Are you recording or streaming?” 

Kurokumo looks back at the camera propped just behind her towards the man with a wide, sharp smile. “Yeah, we’re live. You look strong, can I ask you a question?”

The tall, muscled man in a wife-beater and swim trunks nods while grinning. “Has your weight ever impacted your life?”

He nods before moving his left shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. “Oh yeah, I’m in a soccer team right now. If I lose weight, I have to go to a different lower team; if I gain some, I’m kicked off entirely.”

Kurokumo nods and makes an I see face towards the man the camera can’t pick up. “Interesting,” she says in a leading tone, like how she does sometimes when people further prove her point. “And another question, do you think I could guess your weight? I’m assuming you know it.”

“I’m 235, I don’t know if you’d be able to do that, I kind of thought it was just for the chicks,” he half laughs. “I can’t afford to be dropped and break my leg either.”

Kurokumo smirks. “You’re not even the heaviest person today.”

The man makes a big deal, like a lot of the others, about how weird it is for a woman to try to carry them and how they haven’t been able to be lifted in years. It always takes them longer to stay still for Mukuro to lift them in a bridal carry. 

Even in front of the camera, whilst in her arms, the guy croaks, “Holy shit, you’ve just given me a new kink.”

The audience loves it. She’s been hitting records on her streaming viewership all day, even more so than her streams when a new Fortnite season drops.

“Has your weight ever impacted your life?” Kurokumo asks the two girls in bikini tops and short shorts, holding each other while standing incredibly close to the camera. 

They look at each other before smiling and giggling. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I think so?”

They answer.

“Can you expand in that?” Mukuro asks, looking between the two camera-shy girls.

She mentally rolls her eyes, already reading the comments that will continue to chide her on being nicer, as her tone could have been taken as pushy, there about such a ‘sensitive topic’ people have been eager to share with her. 

Speaking in a foreign language, especially for so long, like she has been/plans to, is already exhausting. Remembering to add filler, fluffy words, and what phrases to even use to achieve that can be seriously frustrating, which is a moodlet she’s been trying to ignore, but is more exasperated by the lack of energy she’s running on.

Having to speak ‘clearer’ - which she refuses to do - to Americans who have never heard an accent outside of their own is already draining enough.

“Well, it’s like… I don’t really monitor my weight, but outside of high school, it got pretty bad because I wasn’t as active and my haters were definitely happy,” the thicker, and in Kurokumo's opinion, the prettier, of the two explains.

Her friend nods in agreement. “Yeah, I guess as a woman… or I guess anyone being heavier means a lot of people look at you in a weird way. It definitely sucks, even if I never get chubby, I know what will happen if I do… So in a way… Doesn’t it affect us all?”

“I agree with that,” the first girl cosigns.

Kurokumo nods, again with her cheeky ‘I see’ face, only she and the people she’s looking at are aware of. “Wow… What a take.”

She hasn’t asked everyone this, but considering these are conventionally attractive women, she adds a question, “So, because of that. Do you think you being skinnier makes you more attractive?”

The girls hesitate, looking at each other before nodding.

The girl on the right, the more vocal one, expresses, “Yeah, I would say so. I mean, it’s only common sense, right?”

“Common sense,” Mukuro echoes in the same tone she uses whenever someone agrees with her point. Still, she counter argues, “Still, everything is preference. A lot of people disagree. Me… I like a woman with some meat on her bones, I like active women. Women who are too skinny… I worry I will break in the sheets, you can say, yeah? How can you say it’s common sense?”

The thinner girl on the right frowns. “I mean, yeah, some people like that, I guess. I mean, in general, though, people like people fit and in shape, you know. Girls in magazines are usually tall and skinny for a reason, it’s like… You know, the beauty standard.”

“What do you mean by meat on her bones…” the girl on the left inquires, in a tone that implies she’s curious about her type for selfish reasons.

“I think you are both beautiful women, let me see if I can carry you both on my shoulders?” Kurokumo asks with a smile.

She finds out from chat an hour later that it was deemed controversial to ask them a section ‘leading’ question, and the girls were actually upset and tweeted that the way she conducted the three-minute interview led them to say something they ‘didn’t really mean’ or ‘reflect their thoughts’. 

She rolls her eyes on camera and complains about the Americans' lack of free speech, which they preach. How ridiculous.

“Has your weight ever impacted your life?” Kurokumo asks a conventionally attractive woman on Hollywood Boulevard.

“Have you seen this body? I’ve never been fat.”

Immediately, Kurokumo wonders if this girl will be canceled as well for such a bold statement. It seems people are only watching to hunt down every person who agrees to do an interview with her.

“Hm, never been fat. Why?” Kurokumo asks plainly, the simpler the question, the more people speak, she’s found.

She’s also found that just mentioning weight with conventionally attractive women, they immediately jump to skinny versus fat, even when those words haven’t been said.

“Why?! Because that’s not me,” she says before heartily laughing. “I don’t even know you’d assume something like that.”

The woman seems upset. Kurokumo escalates. “Is it a crime to be fat?”

The spiel and rant the woman goes on makes it so that Kurokumo has to mute her microphone for a minute so she doesn’t get her account stricken again.

“Has weight ever impacted your life?” Kurokumo asks the man with his quiet friend, who’s there for moral support behind him. The two men have shopping bags in their hands/crook of their elbows.

“I’ve seen the discourse about this,” the man closer to Kurokumo and the camera says, pulling the microphone outstretched towards him closer to his mouth. “I think the question is set up in a leading way. Sayaka, I think it was, I’ve heard about her fast. She’s clearly not talking about whether it impacts your life. She's saying telling people to starve themselves to lose weight is ridiculous.”

Loving to ragebait Sayaka fans by introducing the concept of a two-sided conversation, Kurokumo points out how she was misinterpreted. “That’s not what I’m asking.”

“I remember your live!! I’ve seen the full clip. People are saying you ‘didn’t mean it that way’ but you definitely were talking about beauty standards when you said how weight matters and laughed about it with your model sister…. You’re being ignorant. Of course, weight matters. Everyone already knows that.”

Mukuro smiles like how employees at Walmart uncanally do at her at the checkout. “I see. Thanks for agreeing with me.”

The man scoffs and drags his presumed partner's hand off screen, skipping the lifting him and guessing part of the interview.

“I’ve got to say I’m totally on your side…” The guy who went out of his way to find her apparently yammers on in front of her and the camera. “I really like what you’re doing. I feel like people are making it more nuanced than it needs to be. I like how in touch with reality you are about the whole subject. The interviews is a really smart way of connecting people’s stories and the general masses' thoughts and drawing attention to how much weight really does impact our society and daily lives. It takes gut to point out a problem because everyone who doesn’t want to see it just makes you the problem instead cuz it’s easier for libs to cope that way.”

When Sayaka hits post on her video, she’s already starting day two of the challenge for herself. Meaning she’s all the way back from her brief workout and shower back at home when she catches a moment to check the web for review. 

The results were… astounding.

Firstly, the viewership. Sayaka expected outreach, but to this magnitude, even the daily million-viewed YouTuber feels a little impressed. Secondly… she hadn’t anticipated Kurokumo’s response at all. The only feeling she can make from it is a mix of disappointment and again, astoundant by the gull of her. To double down this hard and go against the exact point she was trying to make and stir the flames of the argument she was trying to put down is… 

She’s pissed.

Wouldn’t she have preferred for the controversy to die down? As soon as the thought crosses her head, she feels annoyed at herself for thinking it. How could she forget the capitalist society she’s living in? Kurokumo must be getting a good amount of views from all of this as well; of course, she’s riding it to the bank.

To what extent isn’t a question… Sayaka feels a little worried she’s been put in a competition she isn’t sure she wants to win. Part of her wants to win so badly, to watch Kurokumo suffer on live while she starves herself. As messed up as that is. 

Sayaka’s rather used to being malnourished, and this woman is known for her crazy athletic feats; she’s most likely grown up training on a high-calorie diet.

The other part of her knows how to recognize insanity, and she’s picked up several warning flags of that in said woman. Even if it killed her, she’d probably continue the challenge; she might even make it more extreme.

She’s dealing with a real lunatic…

Even knowing this, Sayaka tries to give her an out. A way they can still make a lot of money.

On her story, she posts:

Let’s make a deal: if I can last longer than Kurokumo in the challenge, I have to come on her channel, and we will have to actually discuss it in an interview while I do her hair and makeup.

Around five hours later, still on stream since the woman has decided to stream herself all challenge as proof – peer pressuring her into trying to do the same nonsense – she looks at the post due to her active viewers telling her about it once she got back from the shower.

Her reply is an Instagram story saying: lol ur not gonn beat me but okay

Her give a fuck levels are astounding. Sayaka really hates the prospect of working together with this woman. She didn’t even think to state what she’d want if she won in her haste.

The following morning, Sayaka posts on her story: What do you want in return if you win?

Ten minutes later, while going for a jog instead of her ‘typical run’ Kurokumo pauses her stead to reply back with: I want nothing from u. 

Viewers of the stream, like Sayaka, admittedly was while getting ready this morning, can literally see her type the message, slowly at that, with the newish perverted Meta glasses that are going around. Kurokumo stated a little earlier that stream that they were new to her and that her sister bought it for her yesterday when she started the challenge.

She takes a heavy step forward as if to get back into pace before leaning back and grabbing the phone that was attached to her arm to read her active chat and making another story:

Actually, never say my name on ur channel again 

This time, Sayaka takes the hint, and the two don’t communicate with each other at all after that, just waiting to decide the victor.

However, by day eight, Sayaka’s entire view of the challenge has completely shifted.

With Mukuro joining in on the fast, it brings more attention and pressure to what was supposed to be a personal challenge for Sayaka.  

The twenty-six-year-old feels unbelievably out of control with it now… Spanning into just over a week currently. She hadn’t intended to actually be like Gandhi; she wanted to call it out and move on after a few days about how bad and ineffective it is for her health.

Letting it actually ruin it, and for fucking views or to make a point was not a part of the plan. Kurokumo is a fucking idiot, so that bitch will probably stream every day to the point where she’s slowly dying on camera, and everyone will eat it up. 

Sayaka does not want to do that. The personal challenge, turning into one of pressure and ruining her health without feeling like she can stop, only brings up bad memories. 

“Aren’t you worried about fitting in your wedding dress?” Leon asks her from the seat at the table across from her.

Spread in front of them is a pretty breakfast Sayaka woke up early to prepare while her unemployed future husband. She was feeling rather domestic after sex last night, and appreciative of the orgasm he gave her, and wanted to show her appreciation. 

The sausage in Sayaka’s mouth starts to taste greasy and disgusting suddenly, and her chews slow. Her appetite immediately lost. 

“Why? Do you think I won’t be able to?” she asks after she swallows.

Leon shrugs because his mouth is full from a big bite of pancake he took. “I just mean, because before you were complaining to me about staying in shape or whatever, because everyone is curious about your dress. So like, I don’t want to hear later that I didn’t warn you about still being able to fit in it later or something.”

The man, her man, saw her body last night, which means he’d probably have a good, non-biased perspective on the whole thing. The pressure from her comments about how she’ll look and needs to prepare for her wedding dress and photos on the big day has been on her shoulders since the first time she announced her engagement nearly two years ago. 

“You’re probably right, thanks, babe,” she says before stabbing her eggs, which have less calories.

“No problem, that’s what husbands are for,” Leon pats himself on the back. “Can I have your other sausage then?” he asks before stabbing it and bringing it to his mouth immediately after.

Sayaka sighs, looking at herself in her champagne glass. Her expression grim on such a big day. She can’t help but to feel as if it’s been tainted somehow. Instead of going to the YouTube Content Creator Awards on a full stomach full of energy to take a bunch of photos and meet a bunch of colleagues, she’s hungry and running on fumes, and it’s affecting her performance. 

And really… for what? 

“Are you okay, Maizono-san?” Chihiro quietly asks in Japanese in the seat directly beside her.

He’s a real cutie. The way he nervously asked her to help translate what was going on for him if he gets confused was adorable. She can definitely see why Makoto likes him so much; she wonders where he’s at. It’s about to start soon, and he hates being late even though that’s all he ever is. 

“I’m fine, I’m just wondering about Makoto, I guess,” she lies.

As Sayaka looks around, she spots Kurokumo, and of course, they look at each other at the same time. Her smirk when they locked eyes sends shivers down her spine. She just knows she’s on bullshit.

When she notices the seat she has open for Makoto is available, she nearly curses aloud. The cool champagne glass is on her lips in a moment, with its golden contents down her throat the following second.

Sure enough… a few moments later, Kurokumo and a camera are in her face.

The dim room and many moving bodies to seats and lively conversations of sat people make it so their altercation isn’t all that noticeable. To others around them. Sayaka is sure the expensive camera she’s unsure if the woman who’s holding it actually knows how to use to it’s best capabilities in her face is streaming.

It’s allowed; many people here are also streamers and streaming their experience here. She expected it. Doesn’t make it any less of a headache.

“Hello, Star Reviews Sayaka!” Kurokumo greets awfully cheery.

Fucking cunt.

“I thought you didn’t like me,” Sayaka faux pouts with a whine. “But you sounded so happy to see me just now. Why is that?”

Kurokumo shoots her a condescending smile. “It’s against my nature not to be happy to see a beautiful woman. It’s sad to see, you look a little thin, Sayaka. Perhaps you should eat more…” she actually tells her to her face before turning around slightly and pulling out a backpack that she wore to the fucking red carpet and award show…

It’s pretty clear that her sister dressed her in her actual outfit of a pretty suit because the suit actually looks pretty and has accessories. Sayaka guesses from her desolate streaming room that she’s not the type to know how to style.

Junko’s probably pissed she’s wearing a small drawstring backpack. Kurokumo reaches into her bag after putting her phone down in the middle of the table to record the whole interaction like the money-hungry loser that she is, and pulls out a bag of McDonald's. Who knows, maybe she was sponsored.

She hands the bag over to Sayaka, who doesn’t even look at what’s inside it before putting it on the table and bringing tears to her eyes. 

She looks at the camera with a sad expression before looking back up at Mukuro and full on weeping while choking out, “I-I’m sorry for get-ting emotional it’s just that seeing food again and hearing you tell me I should eat more br-rought back some bad memories for me with all my trauma-”

Kurokumo digs in her pocket and presumably mutes the microphone or something from the way she aggressively grabbed it. Probably trying to avoid her thousandth controversy, knowing her. Lose that McDonald's sponsor from her crying over the food.

Her grey eyes stare at her; she always makes weird, uncomfortable eye contact. Like men who watch the nature channel and hear about eye contact being intimidating in the animal kingdom, and going out and staring at everyone they see. “You know exactly what you’re doing.”

If Sayaka actually had been upset, that’d be such a terrible thing to say. She’s not surprised at all to hear it come from this woman.

Sayaka looks up at her and sweetly asks, “What am I doing?”

Kurokumo smirks at her before turning the chair next to her outwards. “Is this seat open? Okay, good,” she asks and confirms with herself before she goes back on her phone, likely to unmute.

“Actually, ou-our friend Makoto-kun was going to sit there,” Chihiro pipes up from beside her, sounding incredibly nervous.

Now, Kurokumo really does sound like an asshole, coming over and harassing two innocent bystanders. Sayaka knows of Chihiro’s defensive fanbase, mixed with hers; that’s probably not a good look for the woman, though she doubts she’ll actually care until it's too late.

“Oh, I see, then does that mean that this seat is taken as well?” A tall, black-haired woman with a hair-raising edge to her, who spawned out of nowhere, inquires.

Chihiro eeps in surprise, and Sayaka can’t blame him.

“Maki, I didn’t know you were coming,” Kurokumo says in a different tone, familiarly, warmly.

It seems this person came to save her by the bell. 

Sayaka eyes her suspiciously; anyone especially close with Kurokumo just reeks of a red flag to her. Birds of a feather and all that.

“You’re Maki Roll?” Chihiro says in shock. “I grew up watching you! You were my biggest inspiration! Your self-defensive videos were the only way I felt confident enough to even try at home!”

‘Maki Roll’ looks at him, and her face visibly softens before she awkwardly smiles. It looks forced, like it’s not something she does naturally, but has to remind herself to try to do. 

Chihiro beams.

While he does, another person comes to gush over the new person at the table.

“Oh my gosh! We got Maki Roll and Kurokumo at the table?!” Sayaka recognises Makoto from behind her, gushing away at the two controversial content creators.

Sayaka’s assuming. Knowing Kurokumo.

Knowing Makoto…!

Sayaka turns back in the chair to ask why the heck he’s on Kurokumo’s side when she sees him holding his phone horizontally and walking a little closer.

“Do you mind if I get a picture of you two? My sister is going to freak. She’s a big fan!” Makoto tells them as they huddle together in the frame.

Kurkumo smiles so wide her whole bottom half of her face is a sharp grin. Sayaka hates that look. It looks like the win of victory, probably her face after she wins this whole thing.

“Is your sister a big fan? Is she watching now? I’ll tell her hello,” Kurokumo offers rather generously. 

Makoto takes his seat and replies, “I’ll text her and ask, and yeah, she’s a big fan.”

Sayaka is aghast, looking at him with wide eyes before leaning towards him slightly. “What the heck? I thought you said she was my biggest fan?! What’s with that?” 

Makoto looks panicked for a moment, waving his hands in front of his face. “She is!”

Sayaka remains unconvinced, looking at him skeptically. “Well, you didn’t ask me for a picture!”

“I assumed you already posted one!” Makoto freaks before frantically taking his phone out of his pocket to photograph her.

It’s always fun teasing Makoto until he breaks down. “They could have posted a picture, why’d you assume only me?” the sadist asks him in a defensive tone, looking towards the other two new people at the table.

The boy being wound up scratches his head. “You don’t know Komaru, I’m telling you she talks my ear off about every single person she’s even mildly interested in. She’s a huge fan of Maki Roll because… never mind, she wouldn’t like me telling her business. Just know I’m informed… too informed,” he rambles on.

“What does that even mean?” Sayaka asks, wondering if he’s already broken.

“Maki Roll doesn’t have an Instagram, Kurokumo only posts on her stories or a rare post to say wild or random things, and you post all of your looks,” Makoto further explains.

Kurokumo half-nods/shrugs in agreement, and Maki doesn’t comment to correct him.

“If you know everything, then whose side are you on?” Sayaka asks him before following up immediately. Not needing to provide context as to what. “Who’s Korumu’s?? My biggest fan.”

Makoto sweats. “She’s on your side, of course…! She just also really likes Kurokumo right now because of all of that going on between you two.”

Sayaka is peeved her fanbase is learning of Kurokumo from her and starting to like her from the exposure. The exact toxic content she was trying to steer them away from… Gosh…

As if reading her thoughts, Kurokomo leans over in frame and tells her. “Thanks for the views.”

Sayaka feels irate. She smiles just as inorganically as the one Kurokumo is currently flashing. “Thanks for the views, too. It paid for my next trip,” she tells her while batting her eyelashes.

“To Coachella?” Kurokomo asks in return as Sayaka turns her camera completely towards her, whilst she pushes it back in a weird game of tug of war.

“Coachella is already paid for, thank you. I'm going to China. I’m going to climb the Great Wall,” Sayaka tells her importantly.

“Oh, the Great Wall,” Mukuro says rather casually, as if she takes a stroll there every other weekend.

“You’re going to China?" Makoto asks in shock. She’d forgotten she hadn’t told him where her next trip was set. 

Or her fans…

What a way for them to find out. She likes to keep the places she plans on going a surprise, that way there’s less people anticipating her upon arrival.

“I’m from China,” Maki tells her.

Whenever she speaks, because she does so little, it makes everything she says carry weight.

“Oh wow, well.” Sayaka almost stammers. “Can I DM you with questions about it?”

“No.”

“Well, okay, then… That’s fine, sorry for asking,” Sayaka says sweetly, but it still comes out rather awkwardly. Not really knowing how to reply to that. 

Why even mention that then? What was she supposed to say? 

Fuck, Sayaka hates being live.

The culprit of why she’s personally broasted right now laughs entirely too hard. Really getting a tickle by the whole interaction. Sayaka can see the viewers in their respective areas laughing as hard as she is.

The frustrated woman rolls her eyes and moves towards her a bit while she complains. “You know, I wish I could fight you. Like dead ass.” She stares at the camera after a moment for emphasis. “I’m going to fucking train and learn, and I swear to god I’m going to fucking fight you and knock that fucking smirk off your face.”

Maki Roll leans towards her from across the table. “Hell yeah, I would like to see that.” She smirks. “I’ll train you. I can kick Mukuro’s ass.”

“One time while I was biliterately drunk!” ‘Mukuro’ interjects.

Sayaka can’t help but to tilt her head to the side. Was she supposed to say ‘Mukuro’s’ real name like that? Though Mukuro doesn’t sound like a real name anyway…

“We’ll start a series. People have been asking me to train someone anyway. A goal to train for would be great. Can you do it?” the tough woman asks her, intensity in her eyes. It’s incredibly intimidating. 

Sayaka meets her gaze. “Hell yeah, I can do it!”

“Absolutely not, I don’t think it’s possible,” Kurokumo chimes from beside her like white noise.

“I’ll dm you. I film my American videos in our gym in the… the house,” Maki Roll says rather awkwardly, and almost familiarly like she’s supposed to know where she lives or something.

Perhaps it was for Kurokumo. 

Picking up on that, Sayaka stammers. “O-oh right.” Feeling a little weird about going over to Kurokumo’s house to train to beat said woman. It feels a little silly, and like she’ll be taunted every day. 

“Will that be alright with you?” She asks – tests the water – with Kurokumo. 

Kurokumo smirks at her, which is already a good sign before saying, “You can come over any time, love,” which cements the plan as implausible in her head.

“On second thought, do I really have the energy or care to make you my arch nemesis? To beat someone like you, I’d have to really care…” she backpeddles.

Maki Roll sighs in clear annoyance and mumbles under her breath, “At least you didn’t waste my time before changing your mind.”

Sayaka… understands it. If she takes Maki’s perspective and assumes she must have really been wanting a person to volunteer to be trained by her. Even if she took it back within the minute.

The next minute, the host comes out and people shift their attention towards the stage and announcer.

She likes the person hosting; she’s seen a few of his videos.

The rest of the event goes off without a hitch, really. The host makes a few uncomfortable jokes that are awkward to even be in the same room with. Being highlighted for her attention to the current topic circulating people’s timelines was nice, but Kurokumo being equally highlighted darkened her shine.

Her total opposite goal. 

And of course they’re sitting beside each other like friends or arch enemies or something…

Sayaka got an accolade and a new YouTube play button on the spot, got to give a small speech. It was nice.

Shortly after regaining her seat, she basks in her victory, and her stomach grumbles. 

So, she decides.

Fuck this.

Sayaka won the most homely award, and her supposed ‘foe’ known for her never-ending controversies, did not. She doesn’t want to be put on the same level as that woman and shouldn’t be. 

The most caring award she won was basically the least controversial award, and the speaker outright said she was selected because she could be in a room with any single one of them and most people would be comforted/comfortable in her presence.

It's like winning a social butterfly, coolest, and hottest award all at once. Mostly because people who win it usually are all of the above. Or the people that usually win the hottest topic…

“The hottest topic award goes to someone who we just can’t seem to get their names out of our heads… Kurokumo!”

Sayaka rolls her eyes, uncaring of the cameras on her because she’s just beside the winner.

I mean are you kidding?

Why are we rewarding bad behavior?

Sayaka hates her job. 

She has to stop herself from sinking into her seat or rolling her eyes some more during her amazing speech of, “Thanks, I knew the haters would stay mad because they hate to see me win like this. This is great for that. Thanks,” by sipping her third glass of champagne. 

The cheeeeky fucking look Kurokumo has on her face, directly at her, while she regains her seat, makes Sayaka want to retake up Maki’s offer. 

While the announcer calls the next recipient of an award she hasn’t been nominated for, Kurokumo leans towards her and whispers in her ear, “Did you like my speech? You know, the presenter said I actually went up a plaque myself, but they didn’t expect the increase, so they’re sending my golden one later,” she tells her. “Maybe I should thank you personally? By name?”

Sayaka rolls her eyes. “I’d love to get the kudos for being the one who brought you to such new heights with my fanbase,” she hisses back in her ear. Then she sighs, absolutely infuriated. Everything she's done has only done the total opposite effect. “Bitch... If you're going to have my fans, I’m going to be pissed if you continue saying stupid fucking moronic shit like that they need to starve themselves." 

Sayaka genuinely sees her younger fans as almost like her babies. She's devastated to hear this, to hear people like Komaru going to the dark side.

“Oh? And what will I get if I piss you off?~” Kurokumo flirts in her ear, moving the hair behind her ear for extra emphasis.

Sayaka gives her a disgusted look. “If you mistreat my fans, I will bury your career," she leans back closer to her to whisper in her ear.

Kurokumo exhales in a small laugh. “You’ve already tried that, Kukolka.”

Sayaka frowns and squints her eyes at the woman. “What did you call me?”

“Chīsana ningyō,” Kurokumo says in Japanese. She knew she recognized the Russian before. 

Little doll

The fully grown adult woman scoffs and looks off to the side. She wanted to curse and tell her to go fuck herself, or tell her that she’ll bury her period if that doesn’t work, but somehow she can’t help but feel incredibly flattered by the name.

She shouldn’t be so thrown off by a pet name that she’s sure the Russian flashes at anybody.

Though when she thinks about it, Kurokumo just spoke to her in Japanese, and her accent in that seemed pretty natural. She wonders where she’s really from.

Maybe her Russian accent is all a front?

She seems like the lying type. Junko having a hint of a Russian accent in some of her words when she’s drunk or angry is the only reason why she’s willing to let the assumption have any merit.

Done fucking with her, Kurokumo leans back and goes back to pretending to pay attention. Terribly. The woman looks bored out of her mind.

Sighing at various moments, her face looking extremely flat, hilariously so when a terrible joke is made. She doesn’t look like she’s having much fun except for when she’s pissing her off.

Sayaka honestly despises the woman. Beyond what she would like to say, that she doesn't like her lack of personal space or use of pet names.

She hates what she stands for, being compared to her, and frankly, having to hear about her like the 'hot topic' that she is. She hates feeling like she’s been lumped as her opposite or like she’s some hero, and Kurokumo is some anti-hero.

She’s only gotten this famous from her giving her all this attention in the first place.

And so.

Sayaka decides to cut ties.

The McDonald's that Sayaka put under the table makes its loud appearance back on the table. The still in frame Sayaka because Kurokumo refuses to lose a cent in flaunting her around in her content grabs the fries from the bag first, and then the double quarter pounder.

Not her usual meal, though she rarely eats McDonald’s.

She unwraps the burger first, holds it in two hands, smiles at the camera, and takes a huge bite. – During an intermission, so she wasn’t in the middle of someone’s big moment – 

Kurokumo gawks at her before looking almost impressed. She doesn’t think too hard on the expression, going on to explain her reasoning before she was asked.

Once she swallows, she puts the burger down, grabs a fry, and chews on it while saying, “Summer is coming up, and my fasting is ruining my routine for that. You heard me before, I’ve got to be ready to climb the Great Wall of China! I’m not going to kill myself on camera for a bet.”

Makoto and Chihiro clap for her, and Kurokumo joins in, though, entirely too loudly; it draws much more attention than she wanted. But she did that on purpose; she knows she did.

She’s such a jackass.

Sayaka rolls her eyes and takes another bite of the tantalizing burger that’s going to be used to break her fast.

Fuck Kurokumo. Sayaka has plans.

She can’t wait to get back to them.