#cryptology nerd

[xxshadowcasterxx]

I love the Atbash Cipher.

I would go to War for the Atbash Cipher.

I would Marry the Atbash Cipher, and when the Atbash Cipher is laid to rest in an early grave, I would sit by its grave every day, even as I found new love and moved on with my life, because there will always be room in my heart for the Atbash Cipher.

So if I ever here you talking Shit about the Atbash Cipher again, I am going to take my Cipher and ram it up your ATBASH.

[scariusaquarius]

makin' a list.

CHRISTMAS ADVENT BONANZA 2K24 DAY 10: Wish List, Ken 'Okarun' Takakura

Ken 'Okarun' Takakura Summary: It had been a long time since Takakura had made anything akin to a wishlist. You sit down with him, however, to make one together.

-

A/n: I have NEVER written for Okarun before so this will be the first time I ever write for him. I hope that you guys enjoy!

-

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Humor Rated: Everyone Warning: Fluff, Ken is precious :3, nerding out

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Author: ScariusAquarius

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Ken Takakura hadn't made a wishlist since he was 9. When he had discovered that Santa Claus wasn't actually real, and it was just his parents putting the presents under his tree, Takakura had been devastated. It had made him become slightly jaded by the holiday, and so every year since then, Takakura made it a point to avoid doing anything Christmas-like.

Call him petty, but Takakura was truly betrayed.

That's how he began to become obsessed with the supernatural; researching anything about aliens and UFO's and things that go bump in the night. Coincidently, it was also how he met you.

You were just as obsessed about aliens and UFO's like he was; and when you had sat with him in the library, gushing about his alien book that he was reading; it was the start of something great, at least to him.

It wasn't easy for Ken to make friends, and you were his very first one he'd ever had. To say that Ken Takakura adored you would be an understatement.

Then, he met Momo Ayase, and everything changed. He got his penis and balls stolen, got cursed, got his penis back, then one of his balls back, and it was a whole ordeal that he tried desperately to keep you away from.

But you were always such a caring person, and though Takakura tried to protect you, you still got involved when Takakura suddenly wasn't around as much. Strangely enough, you had taken the news of his newfound power very well.

Nothing had changed despite this new development, but Takakura was thankful for that. In a way, you made him feel normal again. That was why on a Saturday afternoon, the two of you were huddled up in your room; Christmas-themed arts and crafts strewn around the room.

Glitter and marker ink stained your fingers, and Takakura was sitting at the desk, watching you as you made a popsicle-stick version of a gingerbread house. A pen was between his fingers, an empty sheet of paper in front of him; decorated with little reindeer and presents but otherwise blank besides the title you had made for him.

"You haven't made a christmas wishlist since you were 9?"

You didn't look at him, your face morphing into an expression of concentration as you carefully glued the popsicle sticks together; precise with your movements and placements.

"No. Ever since I found out Santa Claus wasn't real, I just never really had a good feeling about Christmas."

You pouted, glancing over at him and making his back tense slightly as you sighed.

"Aw, that's so sad though. You should still do one, you know? Even if Santa Claus isn't real, it'll still be a good way to figure out what you truly want for Christmas."

You did have a good point there, he supposed. Glancing back down at the paper, Ken Takakura was then stuck with a dilemma that he hadn't had to deal with for years.

What was it that he actually wanted for Christmas?

Sparing a glance at you, you had gone back to making your gingerbread house, the room filled with christmas music and the subtle sound of the two of you breathing, and Takakura could feel a blush begin to crawl up his neck as an idea struck him.

Carefully, his pen moved across the paper, and he began to write.

Kenny's Wishlist!

New Binoculars

Cryptology: A to Z

New pair of shoes

A kiss from (Y/n) (L/n)

Takakura swallowed thickly before he carefully, but quickly, but his list into the red envelope you had put onto the desk for him once he was done and sat back in his chair. You glanced up at him, raising a brow.

"Are you already done?"

"Yep."

You made a face at him, rolling your eyes and huffing.

"You better not have just left it blank."

"I didn't, I swear!"

He couldn't keep himself from blushing, clutching the wishlist close, and you shook your head at him, sighing and raising your hands in mock-surrender with a smile.

"Alright, alright, I'm just teasing you is all. Let's go put the envelope into the mailbox."

Takakura nodded, and the two of you stood up, brushing your clothes off, and you grabbed another red envelope from your bag. Takakura looked intrigued, asking as he adjusted his glasses and leaned down a bit.

"Is that your wishlist too?"

You smiled brightly, nodding to him and brushing it clean of any glitter, dust, or debris that had gotten onto it since the time of you making it until now.

"Yep. I got it done right around the beginning of December!"

Takakura hummed, asking you.

"What did you wish for?"

Your smile became soft and gentle, and you looked down at the envelope when the two of you made it to the mailbox.

(Y/n)'s Wishlist!

(first item)

(second item)

(third item)

A kiss from Ken Takakura

...

"Oh, you know...the usual Christmas list stuff."

Takakura didn't exactly know what that meant, but he didn't care. As long as you were happy and kept smiling like that, Takakura could live blissfully ignorant for the rest of his life. Placing his envelope into the mailbox alongside yours, he became shy, adjusting his glasses and voice shaky.

"Hey, would you...maybe...um, want to...get some hot chocolate and watch the new Cryptid show that came out? They're airing the first episode in a little bit."

Your eyes sparkled with excitement, and you nodded, grabbing his hand and making the man damn-near combust as you dragged him inside the house again.

"Yes! Yes! I'm so excited for it, I hear the pilot is gonna be on vampires and the Chupacabra!"

Takakura gasped, momentarily forgetting that your hands were still conjoined by the time you two made it into the kitchen where the hot chocolate Christmas kits were waiting.

"No way, really?! I thought it was supposed to be on werewolves?"

"Nah, werewolves are lame!"

"Hey, that's not true!"

END DAY 10

i didn't know how to end this so forgive me ;askdjf;alsdjf

[pyrondeeznutz]

Brian is a military geek and a fucking nerd for cryptology. Like this mf knows morse code by heart and is the most cryptic fucker ever when it comes to leaving random ass codes around. He seems like one of those guys who’d get bored and make a huge internet goose chase for people to solve codes and whatnot

[octopentv]

Guess whos kind of an cryptology nerd and is going to attempt to decipher this angelic text or whatever???

Thats right im picking up another random project that im gonna work on for 1 day and then give up on!! Wish me luck

[fractangle]

Math nerds bemoan the minefield that is cryptology... do you care about the discrete logarithm problem or are you too busy shilling your latest shitcoin?

There’s certain hobbies and interests that aren’t inherently conservative or regressive but do attract a lot of people who are those things or worse and when you’re a progressive person involved in those hobbies hearing that someone else is interested in your hobby usually has to involve some “But are you normal about it?” conversations before you get too excited

[soupdrinkinglincoln]

Hey everyone, I'm Test or Lincoln. Not new to Tumblr, but new account and last one was desolate due to me forgetting about Tumblr consistently. I make soups of the day (normally, art hand is currently oil burned), I write occasionally, very slowly spriting an Emerald romhack, and I also enjoy cryptozoology, cryptology and other such nerd shit. I hope to be a good tumby this time around.

[autistic-axolotl-art-junkyard]

old nerd guy. Hes a professor, and he loavs cryptology. He has a big google doc dedicated to goatman.

Unsure of how im gonna use him but im piecing things together in my fiction world that i havent writen out yet because im lazy and WRITING IS HARD.

Like just have the words I think be imprinted on a google doc so i dont have to type it out!! Wait dont do that.

[dumbassacademia]

Literally I'm frothing at the mouth trying to hold myself back from solving all the puzzles cause I dont wanna be the first to solve them but I SAW the numbers and immediately went OOH OOH OOH THATS A POLYBIUS CIPHER BECAUSE IT ONLY USES NUMERALS 1-5 but I wont say what it says so theres a little hint ig. But I will be doing what the message tells me to, it sounds like good advice

You literally have the most Chaotic vibes I love it okay  I was just gonna answer this privately but I love the energy of this message and it’s my blog so  I’m posting it You’ve got excellent vibes, my friend 

[twordishdragon]

With newfound information the message is actually

O︎n︎e︎O︎fT︎h︎e︎T︎h︎r︎e︎e︎A︎r︎c︎h︎i︎t︎e︎c︎t︎s︎M︎a︎r︎k︎e︎d︎B︎y︎C︎e︎l︎e︎s︎t︎i︎a︎l︎s︎A︎s︎s︎i︎s︎t︎s︎Y︎o︎u︎

In all honestly, I feel kinda dumb for not figuring this put lol, I tried running it through something else and got nothing and just for whatever reason didn't try Caesar cipher despite it being like, the go-to for cryptology (I am minorly a cryptology nerd, not THAT much of one but I am very interested in it, for example I've played through a decent amount of Notpron with a friend)

Ok rambling aside, I know you've said this before but I don't remember exactly what it was a reference to

💧︎❒︎♓︎💧︎🙰✠︎●︎♓︎✠︎●︎❖︎♓︎♓︎☜︎❖︎♑︎●︎❍︎⌧︎♓︎♑︎⌧︎⬥︎✈︎♏︎❖︎□︎♓︎♒︎☞︎♍︎☝︎♓︎◻︎♓︎⬥︎⌧︎❍︎♏︎◻︎⬥︎☜︎⬥︎⬥︎❍︎⬥︎⌧︎⬥︎👍︎⬧︎⍓︎

♋︎■︎♎︎ ■︎□︎📪︎ ♓︎⧫︎⬧︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ❒︎♋︎■︎♎︎□︎❍︎

S︎r︎i︎S︎jX︎l︎i︎X︎l︎v︎i︎i︎E︎v︎g︎l︎m︎x︎i︎g︎x︎w︎Q︎e︎v︎o︎i︎h︎F︎c︎G︎i︎p︎i︎w︎x︎m︎e︎p︎w︎E︎w︎w︎m︎w︎x︎w︎C︎s︎y︎ a︎n︎d︎ n︎o︎,︎ i︎t︎s︎ n︎o︎t︎ r︎a︎n︎d︎o︎m︎

Am I going insane what does it mean

[space-snorlax]

[de-la-bibliotheque]

"For all the harmless innocence conjured by the word "library", the Friedmans knew the truth: a library, properly maintained, could save the world - or burn it down.

-Jason Fagone, The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies

[new-squidbeak-gaytoon]

making coroika and the skcs canon in my au but not the way you'd think

coroker manga in universe started out as just a comic a group of friends made abt the (sometimes exaggerated) happenings of their daily life. it was a smash hit and eventually they started publishing it in a local comic magazine.

all the stuff abt them being agents or being in the deepsea metro didn't actually happen, instead it was borne from them being bored in history classes and most of them being cryptology nerds.

(tuyen is a big fan, even got a signed copy of one of the first editions of the comic, but none of them know his true identity LOL)

likewise, the squid kids comedy show was written by a group of friends. it's mostly just in-jokes, some of which are sort of incomprehensible to outside readers, but they were popular enough that they went from being newspaper 4komas to published books pretty quickly.

(tuyen's also a fan, but nu likes them better; they're more recent, and got popular when tuyen was growing a bit too old to read that kind of stuff in public )

[blessed-but-distressed]

It's amazing how much time and effort I can sink into a story with precisely zero literary merit.

[roswelldetails]

RNM 2x05 - I'll Stand By You

So just a little note from me, the person behind the season 2 detailing.  I am trying really really hard to keep emotion out of these posts...which is really really hard for me because I'm an inherently emotional person. I'm a glass case of emotion, ready to shatter at any given moment. (#dramatic)  But I want to be true to the intent of this blog and keep my feelings, biases, and, you know, shipping out of this blog.

It was really really hard to do with this episode. Because I straight up ugly cried for like, 45 of the 60 minutes. 😂

So I guess, the point is, I'm proud of myself and sticking to the details here. My regular blog is where I'm doing the emotional flip out thing! 😂

EPISODE SUMMARY:

ACCEPTING REALITY — The discovery of some complications with Max’s (Nathan Dean) pod forces Liz (Jeanine Mason), Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Isobel (Lily Cowles) to confront the possibility that they may not be able to save him. Elsewhere, Maria (Heather Hemmens) and Alex (Tyler Blackburn) make amends. Kimberly McCullough directed the episode written by Alanna Bennett & Jason Gavin (#205). Original airdate 4/13/2020. 

DETAILS:

Max/Isobel/Michael reunite at age 11 according to what Michael tells Alex in 1x10.  So that would make the opening of this episode set in 2002ish.

Michael tells Max and Isobel, "I remember you. I don't know you."

"After nobody adopted me for a year they just stuck me with the name of that trucker who found us."

"I didn't ask you for anything."

This is like the thesis statement of Michael's whole history with Max in the flashbacks.

"Don't pay more than you collect, kid. Passing credit back and forth is a good way to get stuck with somebody forever."

Rosa's art. 

What I can see says: "...what they all told me, but I didn't listen" and "Stand the shelter".

Rosa on her dreams

"I have not had any freaky dreams in weeks. Okay, Max is probably off haunting Isobel now that they're strong enough for their psychic twincest weirdness."

"How long has that been happening?"

"Um, I don't know. It's an old boom box."

"Rosa, have electrical appliances been malfunctioning around you?"

"I really thought it was just a side effect of the handprint."

"If being in the pod introduced a new protein into your system it could have altered your DNA too. You could be developing abilities."

"Liz, look. The handprint is changing.  It's smaller."

"It's fading."

"Tell me this is a good thing."

"I don't think so."

Michael and Liz theorizing on why the pod shorted out:

"The pod's got a charge. It's like a battery powering the preservation process. This one's gone dead."

"Did the generator blow the electromagnetic threshold?"

"I think a surge came from the pod itself. But that pod has lasted almost a century. It shouldn't glitch out."

"Okay, well, then, this one did."

"All right, stop. It doesn't matter why the pod is broken. It just is. So how long does Max have?"

"My theory is that being tethered to Rosa through the mark is what kept Max from going brain-dead, and in turn the stasis process is what kept the mark from fading. So he could be gone by tonight."

"Okay, well, we have three more pods. So let's just put him into another pod."

"No. He's just gonna do it again. I haven't told you everything. I didn't want to scare you. I didn't want to be the one that took the hope away."

"Talk now, Rosa. Right now."

"I was seeing Max in my nightmares months before I told you about it, and he was begging me to stop you. He said that he was in a lot of pain in there."

"That's Noah's pod. Noah told us it was broken. It wasn't keeping him in stasis. He could feel time passing. None of us thought of that."

"We've been doing everything we can to make Max stronger. He pulled his own plug."

Note...as far as we know Isobel was the only one who knew about Noah's pod being broken.  In 1x12 it was before Liz arrived at the house that he told them about the broken pod, so only Max and Isobel heard that part of the story.

Alex on his training. "NSA intelligence cryptology training".

Monitor screen in the secret lab:

Noah's heart is still too weak to transplant. Kyle says it needs at least eight more weeks

"I wrote a paper for a bioethics class on patients in vegetative states who feel pain. Sometimes it's all they feel."

As a non sciencey person, I was wondering if bioethics class was a real thing. Tonight I saw an interview on the news with a UC Berkeley bioethics professor on COVID. So yes, it's a thing.

Alex on Michael that summer post-Rosa's death:

Starting fights with jocks

Broke into the drugstore

Not going to UNM

Hasn't hung out with Max all summer

Got busted for stealing hubcaps (Kyle's hubcaps, we learn later) 

Became a walking bar fight

Was in jail when Alex left to enlist

Michael on Max in 2008:

"It's more than that. And it's less than that. We were friends when we were kids, but now Max reminds me of a bunch of stuff that I'd rather forget. The only thing that we have in common anymore is Isobel."

Max's yearbook had a pencil stuck in the page with Liz and Max's photo in it. (The one we first saw in 1x03).

"Biology Club. Max hated science. He was in that club for four years just to watch your sister chew on the end of her pencil."

Max's mindscape:

First just desert, clouds, and then lightning strikes (destructive energy?)

Liz's antennae -- they disappear from Isobel's hands

Rosa describes it as broken

Crashdown special is Max's favorite "Little Green Man milkshake".

The Crashdown counter is kind of merged with biology lab equipment. 

The juke box is there

The Crashdown booths

Jeep

Neon Crashdown sign

One of those claw drop game machines (from the Crashdown) but it's filled with baked good displays.

The yearbook

Later, everything else is gone except the one Crashdown booth, the Jeep, and the neon sign.

The distorted music they follow to find Max is the Cactus Groove song in the music list...just, messed around with. See @angsty-nerd's post here:

"I'm the hothead. You are the hero. It's always been that way."

"You stole the hubcaps off Kyle Valenti's graduation present. Both his parents are cops. Do you want to end up in jail tonight?". 

👀 Tonight, specifically. 

Michael seemed excited about the job at Foster's Ranch until he found out that Max set it up for him.  Max found out about it from his dad (only like the 2nd or 3rd mention of his dad in the series so far).

"When I got back in town I asked Max why you and your brilliant mind hadn't changed the world yet. He said you didn't care about the world enough to bother changing it. He believed you could."

Max and Isobel in the mindscape:

"You're okay. I could feel something was wrong with you.  Everything felt…"

"Cold. I know."

"You can't be here. It's finally ending.  I can feel it. But I don't know what happens if you're in my head when I die."

"So it's true? You want this?"

"I could feel my connection to the outside world getting stronger, so I snapped. I couldn't take it anymore. I released a surge. You have to let me go, Iz."

"I can't take it anymore."

"Okay."

"I am so sorry."

"I just want to memorize this."

"Okay. Okay.  I need you to tell Liz something."

"You can tell her yourself.  She and Kyle are prepping for surgery.  They're going to use the faulty heart. She just wants to talk to you before you die."

"No. No."

"You won't be suffering. They're just gonna bring you back and then let you go."

"No you have to stop this.  You cannot bring me back under any circumstances."

"Max? What is really going on?"

"I am dangerous.  Whatever Liz is bringing back is not me. It's just some broken shell."

Maria on her mom's computer 

"Her nurse said that for the two weeks before she went missing, when she wasn't trying to escape, she was talking to someone online."

The 21st birthday flashback

Isobel gets Michael to help move Max after getting drunk on tequila.  He passed out in front of the tattoo parlor. It's the same tattoo parlor Michael goes to at the end of the episode.

Max's weird drunken statement.

"The thing is, there has to be there. Okay? There's always three. Until the very end.  I'll show you...What it means is you should be here…'cause it's all broken without three. So we'll figure it out.  You'll find your way back."

👀 Until the very end. Interesting.

On Max becoming a deputy:

"You know he did the whole police academy thing because of you, right? He thinks you're gonna get into the kind of trouble you can't get out of if you don't know someone."

Back in the mindscape:

"I figured it all out. She, there's an energy to suffering, there's an energy to death, and when I heal people, I absorb that energy. So when I resurrected Rosa, I took in ten years of emptiness. So if you resurrect me, you will be bringing back an infection. Don't want… I don't want to come back as a monster. I don't want to hurt anyone that I care about."

"That's what this is about? We've been hurting, Max. We don't work without you."

"You will! You will. You are stronger now than when I died. All of you are. You, Michael, Liz, you will survive this. The three of you. No, you need to stop them, Iz. Now."

"Okay. I love you."

"You too." Isobel disappears.

Max is using pretty similar wording to his drunken rambles in the 21st birthday flashback

We don't see that Max is chained down until this next exchange with Rosa. Isobel didn't see that detail as far as we know.  Didn't hear the chains clanking when they stood and hugged. Only after Isobel left.

"I'm sorry this is happening."

"Isobel is lying. She is buying time.  You know she'll never let me go. But you can feel the darkness too, right? That's why you don't like being in my head. Because you know it's real."

"I didn't want that to be true, but yes."

"I know my sister and I know your sister and they'll never give up. So you have to be the one to stop this surgery, okay? Or I will destroy everything that we love. You have to stop them to save them. Now go.  Please, Rosa. Go."

Isobel explaining to Liz

"When he saved Rosa he absorbed all of that dark energy. He's gonna have to expel it."

"And he's afraid he's gonna kill someone when he does."

"Yeah. So we just need someone stronger than Max to take that hit...if he thinks he needs to protect us he obviously doesn't know how capable we are. Bring him back, Liz. I'll handle the rest."

"I get it now. It's gotta be the three of us."

"He would never pull his plug to end his own suffering. Unless he thought he was saving us from something. And I'm a little sick of his heroic martyr crap."

In case you missed it, Michael did not know that.  At the beginning of the hospital sequence Isobel is telling Liz what she learned in Max's mindscape and says that she hasn't been able to get ahold of Michael.  Michael figured it out on his own. He finally "got it".

The pacemaker:

Isobel with Max at the end… everything is gone except the Jeep. And Bright Eyes playing (the song he and Liz danced to on their first date back in 2008). And then his eyes close and Bright Eyes fades away.

“First thing I remember is the three of us. We woke up terrified and lost. But together. And then all of the sudden I was alone. I got real good at being alone. I had given up on people entirely. And then you found me again. Hell of hero move. You showed up just in time. When you are a kid who nobody loves, kindness is a currency. Friendship doesn’t means jack. Family just lies, and hurts, and leaves. I’ve only ever known love to be temporary. So yeah, I push people away. Every time someone threatens to care about me I test their love until they have to leave. Connection is conditional. Everybody eventually gives up on the guy who refuses to be rescued. But you were the only one who I couldn’t run off. You never believed me when I tried to be something I wasn’t. So this thing in your chest, it might give your heart a pretty solid kick every once in a while. Consider it payback. It’s my hero move, Max. If you wake up, you consider us even, okay? If you wake up, we can be a family.”

Good visual parallels during Michael's speech. Alex and Kyle drinking together during the "and then you found me again". Maria walking up on "the guy who refuses to be rescued"

Max is in the coma for three weeks.  Wakes up at the secret lab (instead of his house, which is where he was previously.  I'm guessing it was a planned wake up because he's no longer plugged into all of the IVs and whatnot.

"I begged you to understand."

"Max, it's gonna be fine."

"No… I told you to let me go. I can feel it inside me."

"It's...it's symmetry, okay? It's just energy for energy.  We can deal with that. Fight it, Max. This isn't you."

"I don't want to hurt you. I need to get out. I need to get away from you, from everyone."

"I can't let you do that."

Max shoves Isobel and runs. When he shoves her there's a slight ringing like the sound they use when the aliens use their powers.  Isobel follows and stops him with her powers.

"I made a promise that if you came back and you weren't Max, and you were actually going to hurt people that I would kill you. I figure, hey, you got to play God. Make life and death decisions all on your own. Well it's my turn now."

MUSIC:

1. Letters To Cleo "Here and Now"

2. Lady Antebellum "Love Don't Live Here"

3. Cactus Groove "Fallin"

4. James Talley "Big Thunder"

8. Ross Copperman "Stars Are On Your Side"

5. Lindsey Ray "Keep You Safe"

6. Tommee Profitt feat. Sam Tinnesz "With you Til The End"

7. Bright Eyes "First Day Of My Life"

The Cactus Groove song is the first song this season that I haven’t been able to find on Spotify… let me know if any of y’all had any luck with it!

[collective-laugh]

Are you still doing matchups perhaps? If so: I'm a 5'1 panromantic girl who plays violin, loves to write, astronomy nerd, and I love cryptology too. I swear worse than a sailor, sarcastic as all hell, and can come off as blunt sometimes but really on the inside I just,,, want some cuddles my dude. I want some Love™. I also really crave adventure (I don't get it that much but I love the thrill of it). Chocolate reigns supreme, summer is the best, purple is 👌, and I love dogs. Tyty!! 💕💕

Hey, so they literally closed just a second ago, and I definitely wouldn’t ship you with Nahara, because they just closed and the two of you would totally be adorable, but I can’t ship you because matchups are closed guys

[myaekingheart]

26. Konoha Matsuri

Just wanna say real quick that this is lowkey my absolute favorite chapter so far and I quickly posted the two previous just so I could post this one on my birthday (May 13th) ^_^

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3

index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

               For as long as anyone could remember, Konohagakure held a festival smack dab in the middle of every May to commemorate its celebrated establishment. It was no secret that Konoha was a monumental fixture in shinobi history, the first dedicated shinobi village. After its creation, more and more areas followed suit until reaching the geographical landscape of today. Children learned about Konoha Matsuri in the Academy, where in history books it was said that Hashirama Senju created the holiday at first to commemorate the Leaf Village’s first successful year, only for it to become an annual tradition, a true display of patriotism and loyalty to one’s own home.

               It was a few days before the festival when Kakashi paced his apartment as he shuffled through his thoughts. He was grateful to have gotten off work for the day of the festival, a truly coveted achievement in the ANBU especially. His only hope was that Rei may have, as well. The inner cogs of his mind churned as he formulated his plan.

               When Rei awoke that morning, she found a bag of pastries on her doorstep and a note from Kakashi. She unfolded and skimmed it, then pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed. Kakashi would be expecting a response, and soon as this was time sensitive. Konoha Matsuri was a huge celebration that warranted preparation. She wasn’t sure what to tell him.

               As a child, she remembered being mesmerized by the all the festivities, as most children are. The colorful lights, symphony of smells, luxurious kimonos, and brilliant fireworks display were enchanting. Now that she was an adult, the novelty had worn off. This was only further enforced by the social climate she was currently trapped in. The aftermath of her mother’s birthday still loomed overhead, everpresent.

               “I think you should go” Naru said with a definitive nod. That was the only way Rei was ever going to firmly make a decision: confide in her best friend. “I know you’re nervous, but this is supposed to be fun! Try to lighten up just for one day. Oh! And besides, this gives us an excuse to do my favorite thing: shopping!”

               Rei groaned and buried her face in her hands. “My drawers are already stuffed enough, I can’t handle anymore clothes.”

               “Rei, you wear the same three outfits every week and the only reason your drawers won’t shut is because you don’t fold a damn thing” Naru replied nonchalantly. “Whether you like it or not, we are going shopping for Konoha Matsuri.” It was hard to argue with her when she was this excited. Besides, if Naru was going then that provided an extra cushion for any negative encounters she might face. Or so she thought. The blonde’s face suddenly lit up and she squealed with delight. “Oh my god I just got the best idea!”

               “Normally your ‘best ideas’ always end up being the worst” Rei replied skeptically.

               “No, no, no, I mean it! This time, it’s gold” Naru insisted. “I’ll invite Sekkachi to go with us tomorrow, and we can all try on kimonos together and have a great time! It’ll be just like the old days!” Naru was full to bursting with excitement, meanwhile her best friend flopped back on her bed and made the most ungodly noise.

               “I liked the old days better when they were just that: old and in the past” she sighed. “Does Sekkachi really have to come? I’ve had my fill of her for the rest of the year. She barged into my apartment the other day, you know.”

               “Oh, she’s not that bad!” Naru said with a dismissing wave of her hand. “Why can’t you just let bygones be bygones? We’re all adults here! We can be civil with each other, right?” The way Naru looked at her then made Rei feel vulnerable and exposed. Naru wasn’t an Uchiha but with that glare, she might as well have been.

               “Okay, fine, Sekkachi can come but I’m not happy about it!” Rei finally agreed. Naru leapt up in the air and squealed as she did a little happy dance. If only making her happy wasn’t such a pain in the ass.

               It wasn’t that Rei disliked Sekkachi. The blue-haired ninja actually had many positive qualities that Rei found admirable. It was just that Sekkachi was also rude, cynical, insane, and a total killjoy. She lacked the scruples of a compassionate person. Rei was certain the only time she had ever seen her former teammate smile—genuinely smile—was whenever she was hanging out with Might Guy of all people. She never understood the dynamics of their friendship, but somehow she supposed it worked if they had remained steadfast and true to one another this long.

               When Rei awoke the next morning, Naru was standing in the lobby by herself. For a moment, Rei felt a surge of relief thinking that perhaps Sekkachi had cancelled on them. She was also always impulsive and flaky, as far as Rei was concerned. As she descended the stairs, however, she caught sight of the ninja in question standing outside with a cigarette between her lips. Typical.

               Naru waltzed them down the street with one girl in each arm and a massive grin on her face. “Isn’t this just the best? All we’re missing is Chikara-sensei and it’ll be just like old times!” she enthused.

               Sekkachi smirked and flicked some ash onto the ground. “So where are you dragging us first?” she asked. The inclusion of first was instrumental here, because when Naru went shopping, it was an exhausting, all-day endeavor that involved at least an hour in every shop’s dressing room. At least this was one thing Rei and Sekkachi could agree on: they hated shopping.

               After a few hours of no success, Naru insisted they get something to eat since, after all, they needed to keep their energy up for the second half of their adventure. They slipped into Yakiniku Q, and Sekkachi was more than grateful for a chance to sit down.

               “So, I know you’re going with Kakashi, but what about you, Naru?” she asked, tending to her meat on the barbeque.

               “I actually have someone, too!” Naru exclaimed. “It’s Konoha Matsuri, after all, so I had no choice but to go big and hire someone!”

               Rei nearly choked on her pork. “I’m sorry, hired?” Naru nodded vigorously, a wide grin on her face. “Who the hell did you…?”

               “You’ll never guess” the blonde replied, full to bursting with laughter. Rei and Sekkachi blinked in unison. Naru then turned to the redhead, resting her chin in her palm, and said, “I guess there was at least one good thing about your mother’s birthday, and that’s that I was able to get set up with one of the boys her friends were trying to pawn off on you.”

               “Oh, no…which one?” Rei asked, dropping her head to the table.

               “Nibui!” Naru exclaimed. She couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. Sekkachi looked at her quizzically.

               “And who is this Nibui guy, exactly?” she asked.

               Rei turned her face toward her former teammate and replied, “Nibui is the nephew of this lady my mom is friends with named Suisen. Apparently he is newly single and great with finances.” Sekkachi nodded knowingly, then turned back to Naru.

               “So you having trouble filing your taxes or something? You were always were an idiot when it came to math” she said. Naru frowned and delicately took another piece of meat into her mouth.

               “I’ll have you know, Nibui is brilliant. So much so that he even works in the cryptology department” she explained. Sekkachi nearly choked on her food.

               “And how much did you pay this nerd for this?” she asked.

               “A hundred bucks an hour” the blonde replied casually. Again, Sekkachi nearly choked.

               “A hundred an hour?!” Rei repeated. “Naru, don’t you think that’s a little…I don’t know, steep?”

               “You really do need help with your finances” Sekkachi said in disbelief.

               Naru waved them off and laughed. “Don’t worry about it, I am perfectly fine with my finances! You wouldn’t believe the kinds of mission the hokage has been sending me on lately.” And that was the last that was said on that.

                It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that Naru had finally found the perfect outfit for the festival. She squealed and burst out of the dressing room showing off the color and fabric of the “perfect” kimono. Rei caught a glimpse of the price tag and winced. She doubted she would find anything within her budget here, nor did she have much luck anywhere else. Sekkachi, however, was perhaps in the worst shape of them all. Not only had she not found anything for herself (though, honestly, she wasn’t even really looking) but she had by now become incredibly fatigued and her face had grown considerably pale.

               “Alright, you found the kimono. Wonderful. Now can I go home?” she sighed, leaning against a rack of clothing.

               “But what about you guys?” Naru asked, looking them up and down. Quite frankly, she didn’t think much of their senses of style. Konoha Matsuri was a celebration and it called for spectacular clothes, which neither of these girls really owned.

               “I will go in a chicken suit if you let me leave right now” Sekkachi begged. “Just please…I need to go home. This has been too much for one day.”

               The blonde paused for a moment, then sighed. “Fine” she said, waving her off. “Go ahead.” Sekkachi looked like she was nearly about to break down in tears, she was so grateful. She rushed off as quickly as she could. Now that it was just the two of them, however, Rei knew there was no way she was going to get out of the remainder of this. Naru wasn’t going to let her go until she found the perfect outfit.

               She flipped through racks and racks of kimonos, offering up ones she thought would look good with her hair color and whatnot, but Rei shook her head to most of them, mainly due to the price tag. After a while, Naru caught on.

               “Rei, is there something bothering you?” she finally asked, extending her arm across the rack so Rei couldn’t continue searching. “Something tells me you don’t even want to do this.”

               A stout woman in the back room poked her head out and announced impatiently that they were closing in ten minutes. The pressure rose.

               “Listen, it’s not that. I’m just really nervous about this, the last thing I have on my mind is clothes, alright?” Rei explained.

               “There’s nothing for you to be nervous about! Like I said, can you just relax for, like, one day in your life?” Naru replied.

               “I relax!” Rei countered. Naru stared her down. “I just don’t know if I even want to go through with this, you know?”

               “Well, you’re going to whether you want to or not now we’ve got a total of eight minutes left to find you something to wear and buy it and we’re going to find you something, got it?” the blonde insisted. She then began frantically searching through the kimonos, pulling whatever she could find, and shoving them into Rei’s arms. She then pushed the redhead into the nearest dressing room, insisting, “Try on every single one and then pick which one you like best! If money is the problem then I’ll buy it for you, don’t worry about it!”

               Rei had to admit, Naru offering to buy her something was insanely generous. Not that she wasn’t a generous enough girl already, but the prices in this store were quite frankly obscene. This had to have been really important to Naru for her to be so determined to spend this much money.

               It took Rei all of five minutes to whip through the three kimonos Naru had pulled for her, though she admittedly did not pay much mind to the proper procedures. She eventually picked a floral turquoise brocade and that was the end of it. She zipped out of the dressing room, dragged Naru to the cash register, and checked out much to the shopkeeper’s dismay. They left with two minutes to spare.

               When the day of the festival arrived, it took all of Rei’s strength not to sit and have a panic attack for fifteen minutes. She took her time getting ready, standing under the shower head and just letting the hot water beat against her back. She even applied minimal makeup just to waste time and keep her mind occupied. She was scared that if she got ready too quickly, and was stuck waiting, she would surely lose her damn mind.

               There was a knock at the door just as she was pinning her kanzashi in place. She sighed and mentally prepared herself for what was about to happen, then opened the door to find Kakashi standing on the other side. She had never seen him quite like this before, dressed so casual and relaxed. He still wore his ninja headband covering his left eye and, of course, his mask, but his kimono and sandals were a welcome surprise.

               “Are you ready to go?” he asked, looking her up and down. She nodded, then took his offered hand. “You look beautiful” he commented as they descended the stairs.

               “Thanks. It’s new” she laughed, extending her arm out to fully display her long sleeve. “Naru forced me to get it.”

               As they stepped out into the streets, they were instantly assaulted with the chaotic splendor of festival life. For a moment, standing there beside Kakashi, the novelty of it all returned to her. The lights were mesmerizing, the food smelled to die for, and a tinge of excitement (or was it panic?) struck her chest at the thought of fireworks. She smiled up at him and he returned the favor.

               It didn’t take long for Naru to track down the happy couple, dragging a deadpan Nibui along behind her. Kakashi eyed the young man suspiciously, asking, “Have we met…?” Nibui shook his head.

               “I know you, but you don’t know me. But then again everyone knows you, Kakashi Hatake” he explained. Rei hated the fact that her first impression of him was that he greatly resembled a mole. His beaty little eyes were unsettling, and that middle part in his hair certainly was not the most flattering. But what else could she expect from a cryptologist? They all gave off an aura of sleep-deprived intellectual maniacs.

               As they passed a game of Ningyo sukui, Kakashi nudged Rei on the shoulder and with a smile and whispered, “You should go play a round. That used to be your favorite, right?”

               Rei’s cheeks went dark red as she laughed nervously. “What? Kakashi, no, that’s a kid’s game” she insisted.

               “Dammit! How many times is it going to take?!” a voice then erupted. Kakashi and Rei, as well as Naru and Nibui, looked over to find a familiar face crouched by the Ningyo sukui tub, a focused expression on his face.

               Kakashi chuckled, then turned to Rei. “Well, Guy doesn’t seem to think so.”

               Sekkachi stood over him, arms crossed, then handed the person manning the game another dollar. “Guy, I’m gonna go broke if you keep this up” she said.

               “Just one more try! I’ll get it this time, I swear” Guy insisted. The blue-haired kunoichi didn’t seem convinced.

               “Glad to see you’re feeling better, Sekkachi” Naru greeted as she approached. Sekkachi rolled her eyes.

               “I’m only here because Guy made me come” she replied. Then her eyes shifted to Nibui standing dutifully behind his date, and she couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. “Is this your man-whore?” she asked.

               “Excuse you!” Naru shouted, slapping Sekkachi with her fan. “Don’t be rude! I know that’s hard for you, but at least try, alright?”

               “And what about you?” Sekkachi asked, then turning to Rei. “And where is your date?”

               Rei blinked, then turned around to find Kakashi had disappeared. A surge of panic coursed through her, her mind jumping to the worst case scenarios. “H-he was just here a second ago!” she replied.

               A look of concern crossed Naru’s face, as well, searching the area for where he may have gone. Then, her concern changed to a sweet delight and she pointed in the direction of the sukui tank. Kakashi was handing over a dollar, then approaching with a small paper paddle and a grin.

               “Kakashi, no!” Rei whispered, hiding her face with her hand. But Kakashi persisted. He handed her the paddle and then guided her to the tank with a smile.

               “You do remember how to play, don’t you?” he asked.

               “Kakashi, this is ridiculous. I’m not doing this” she insisted. “This is a kid’s game, I’m going to get in trouble.”

               “So long as he’s getting money, I don’t think the man running the game really cares” Kakashi replied. “I would go for that rubber duck if I were you” he then added.

               Rei huffed and shook her head. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. She had never felt so hyperaware of her own age before, terrified someone was going to come along and tell her she couldn’t do that. Yet every time she turned around, Kakashi was crouching beside her grinning and silently encouraging her to go on and just do it. Dammit, I hate how convincing he is.

               It took her only a few tries before she was able to scoop the rubber duck out of the water and into her little basket. And when she did, it all came rushing back: that childhood nostalgia, the unadulterated happiness, a simple sense of victory. She laughed and turned back to Kakashi, taking pride in her success. He smiled back at her, overflowing with nothing but love for her.

               “Oh, look! A photo booth!” Naru then exclaimed, gripping Sekkachi’s arm excitedly. She looked around at their little group, then announced, “We all need to go get a picture together, all six of us!”

               “Ugh, is that really necessary?” Sekkachi groaned.

               Naru narrowed her eyes. “Yes. It is” she growled, then in a lighter tone, “I mean, how often are we all together like this? This is a once in a lifetime chance! We have to take it!”

               Before anyone could protest, Naru was dragging the whole clan toward the little shack like a chain of kindergarteners on a field trip. She paid for their picture, then situated everyone in the perfect position. Sekkachi went in the back because she was the tallest, and then Guy went next to her. Kakashi belonged on Sekkachi’s other side, but Rei should be in front of him just enough so that he can put his hand over her shoulder, and Naru would put herself on the other side of her. Nibui, despite Naru’s protesting, opted to stay out of the picture. He didn’t feel particularly included in their little group. After all, he was just a paid date. He didn’t have any emotional or historical connection to any of these people, and he never would. If he was to join in, they would all look back on this night struggling to remember who he was.

               “Alright, fine, you’ve gotten out of it this time but I’m getting another one of just the two of us!” Naru shouted right before the photographer snapped the picture. There was a bright flash of light, and then it was over. He smiled as he watched the final product develop.

               “That sure is a keeper alright” he commented, then turned to the group and asked, “Alright, who gets to take this photo home?”

               As the sky darkened overhead and the festivities began to wind down, the little group made their way to the roof of a nearby building to watch the fireworks. Rei held her little rubber duck in her hands as she cuddled close against Kakashi, resting her head on his shoulder.

               “Don’t fall asleep on me yet” he laughed. “Or else you’ll miss the fireworks.”

               “I know!” Rei replied. “I’m not falling asleep. I’m just happy.” And she truly was. She looked around at their motley little crew and her heart swelled. True, Sekkachi was as unpleasant as ever, Guy was a little too pumped up, and she couldn’t care less about Nibui, but all in all this was the absolute perfect night. She almost felt as if she was going to cry at the thought of how it would all be over soon. The fireworks would flare, they would watch in awe, and then once they were over, the night would end. The street vendors would close up shop. The festival games would be gone by morning. Sleepy children would be carted home on their parents’ backs. And when she awoke the following day, reality would seep back in.

               And speaking of reality, a part of her was truly shocked she had not run into anyone she knew or overheard any snide remarks. Little did she know, Kakashi was determined to give her the best night possible. He had met up with the others previously, insisting that they help him shield Rei from anything that might ruin her night. They put their ninja skills to good use, expertly steering her away from bad situations and distracting her with rubber ducks and photo ops. Every positive memory she would have of this night was the result of her friends fighting to keep away the bad ones. Had she known this, she may have perhaps considered this night even more special.

               Explosions of color and light danced overhead, bursting so close that Rei could feel the vibrations in her chest. She gripped Kakashi’s hand in hers and sighed happily, fighting back tears. She hadn’t realized how badly she needed this until now. And as she sat there atop the roof surrounded by all the people she cared for the most, she realized just how important each and every one of them was to her, regardless of whether they were overbearing or snarky or what have you. Her parents may have rejected and renounced her, but that didn’t mean anything. A family is not determined by blood or by clan affiliation, but by those who care about you the most and in those halcyon moments, Rei realized that she was surrounded by her true family and that was all she could have ever asked for.