Elias Shirohana

Elias Shirohana is a participant on Sink or Swim's 22nd season, and apart of the killing game featured in Danganronpa: Sink or Swim. His title is the Ultimate Lyricist. The reason as to why Elias joined the game has been stated to be for the prize money, although this may not be the truth. What he plans to do with the money is unknown.

Prior to Sink or Swim
Elias Shirohana (born June 29th, 20XX),[1] better known professionally as Point Six, is an internationally recognized American songwriter, poet, and holder of the Ultimate Lyricist title[2]. He rose in prominence due to his long-term collaborations with the musical duo COWL, having written most of their songs.[3] Elias was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 20XX as one of their youngest inductees.

While he’s best known for writing the lyrics for COWL’s pop hits “Tokyo Ragtime,” “Playground King,” and “All Night,”[a]  he has also collaborated with artists in a wide variety of other genre and helped produce soundtracks for box office movies.

According to an interview he did with his partner Royce, Elias was born in Miami, Florida, on June 29th as an only child.[5] He was raised by his father and was a childhood friend of future pop-stars Royce Coburn and Samson Rowell.[4]

When he was eight, Elias had to get a laryngectomy to remove a cancerous neck tumor, taking away his ability to speak. He began writing his thoughts in the forms of poetry and lyrics with his friends as a means of self-expression.[6] This eventually led to his career in the music industry as COWL’s lyricist.

Introductions in the Theater
Chosen by Octavius as the second to introduce himself, Elias is surprised, but manages to compose himself quickly. Using his notebook, Elias writes down a short introduction, stating his birthplace and his accomplishments before urging Octavius to move on with the rest of the inductions. He gives on the initial impression of a standoffish person who wasn't joining the game for fun.

False Alarm
Elias was hiding in his stateroom when Octavius came on the announcement telling them all to go to the bow. Keeping a relatively stable composure considering the circumstances, Elias was able to get to the bow of the ship early. He put himself at the farthest reaches of the group in an attempt to distance himself from most of the commotion. When Octavius told them the truth- that it was just an act to lead them to the theater for a safety demonstration- Elias showed mild irritation, pinching the bridge of his nose. After learning about the bounties, Elias became twice as cautious as he was before.

First Motive
When the first motive was revealed, Elias's immediate reaction was to storm out of the theater. While his symptoms of the home-sea-ckness were slow to appear, once they came, Elias refused to leave his stateroom.

Name
His first name 'Elias' is of Greek and Hebrew origin meaning 'the lord is my god.' His surname 'Shirohana' (白花) is a direct translation from 'white flower' in Japanese.

Physical Appearance
Elias is a slim young man with a somewhat short stature for his age. He has heavy-lidded, downwards sloping, wide eyes with reddened skin underneath due to his frequent rubbing to stay awake. His eyes are dark chocolate color with flecks of bright gold. He has a round jawline framed by a mop of wavy black curls that darken at the roots. He's paler than most due to both genetics and his aversion to the outdoors, with moles dotting his the skin on his hands and face.

Elias’s taste in clothes is mostly comfortable, if a little disheveled. (And plain, as stated by Anastasiya.) He wears a tan vest with a brown collar, and underneath that, a white long-sleeve dress shirt that pokes out past the bottom of the vest. Over his vest is a baggy dark brown coat (multiple sizes too big) with two pockets. It reaches his mid-thigh. To keep his coat from slipping off his shoulders, he pins it to his vest. He also wears baggy black jeans that go past his ankles, alongside black loafers with gold buckles.

Hanging around his neck is a black necktie, although Elias never wears it the way he’s supposed to. Covering his stoma is a white piece of adhesive cloth.

The most notable feature of Elias is the two moles that dot the left corner of his mouth, one being slightly larger than the other. Oftentimes, Elias can be seen with a red notebook that he uses to communicate with the other participants.

Personality
It's easy for someone to look at Elias and write him off as someone with a mild temper, but he's quite the opposite. He's easily irritated and scarcely initiates interaction out of well-placed interest. Despite his behavior, Elias's father didn't raise no boor. He makes sure to thank others for their good deeds and gives credit where it is due...even if his methods of appreciation seem callous. He is not particularly amicable or open with people on his side, or anyone else for that matter, but will act less unfriendly and sometimes even kind to those who manage to earn his respect. (Really, all you have to do to win it is to stay mindful of his boundaries. Having a brain cell or two would be helpful as well.)

In public, Elias doesn't seem to be social by any means, often sticking himself to the furthermost corners away from the crowd in a room. If a stranger he has no interest in comes up to him and tries to start up a conversation, he'll be sure to glare at them until they get the message. (And if they continue to pester him, he'll do whatever he can to extract himself from the interaction.)

In desperate situations, Elias will prioritize his safety above others. He won't involve himself in something that could cause him potential harm- he knows recovery would be out of the question if he does- unless there is something worth gaining. Even if that is the case, he'll try to have someone else do most of the work. He’s materialistic, cautious, but pragmatic- quick to back out when things get dangerous. He's always questioning the motivations of others and hiding his own thoughts. Elias isn’t the most optimistic of people, and tries to see things in a sensible light, even if it turns out to be a cynical view of the situation. He’ll openly mock or oppose the idealistic, and is unafraid of bursting any bubble of naivety he sees. Underhanded tricks, in his eyes, is something that is impossible to try and avoid. Something he's learned from his past.

Talent
Elias Shirohana is known as the ultimate lyricist, and made history as one of the youngest to ever be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Having been invested in poetry and music in his school years, he began writing as a mean of self-expression. Many of his songs have appeared and remain on the top of global hit-lists.

Max Rosewood
Because Max knows how to use sign language, Elias is able to communicate more freely with him. While Max is not yet considered a friend to Elias, Elias finds his company "more tolerable than the other participants." He thinks of Max as a respectable and composed person, but finds the other's desire to not harm anyone in the killing game to be a foolish pipe dream. In his journal, he writes  'I wonder if he (Max) really is as normal as he tries to appear.' showing that, despite their relationship, Elias still holds a level of caution around Max.

Marcia Madeira
Before the first murder, Elias found Marcia's standings on the show to be similar to his own, both holding their own hatred against the audience and producers. However, after Akane's body was discovered, Elias didn't take well to Marcia's warning. Leaving shortly after her, he was frustrated that the conversation between them was turned onto him, and that he was so quickly intimidated.

Trivia

 * In the groupchat, Elias goes by his stage name and types strictly in lowercase.
 * Elias was the first participant to send a message in the groupchat.
 * His last name is a distant reference to the edelweiss flower, one of his favorite flowers.
 * Elias is half Japanese and half American.
 * The horoscope Elias falls under is Cancer.
 * During his surgery, Elias's tongue had to be removed.
 * He's mentioned writing fourteen poems in a interaction with Naoko Hoshino.