#fictions

[dumpingscreenshotshere]

I read a comment that managing 2 VN apps is exhausting. Me with 20+ VN apps on my phone...

Dont ask how my phone handles it. I also don't know

[srestaaaaa]

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Eve Merriam - A Husband's Note About Her - Macmillan/Collier - 1976

[satoshi-mochida]

Fictions and Game Freak announce Beast of Reincarnation for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC - Gematsu

Publisher Fictions and developer Game Freak have officially announced Beast of Reincarnation, its new action adventure game code-named Project Bloom. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store in 2026.

Here is an overview of the game, via Fictions:

In post-apocalyptic Japan, a land ruined by corruption and crawling with monstrous beasts, humanity’s last hope may rest with Emma—an outcast cursed as a Blighted One—and Koo, her loyal canine companion. Survive a journey across an ominous, ever-changing world where dangerous forests can erupt in the wasteland. As Emma and Koo push deeper into the unknown, their bond strengthens—and with it, strange powers bloom. Explore what it means to be human in Beast of Reincarnation, an expansive one-person, one-dog action RPG built around demanding, technical combat. What awaits at journey’s end?

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer

[kazooreal]

mm lyr + TL

WHAT A SONG THIS IS.. it was the one that I loved the most at first. LITTLE DID I KNOW UWHEJEHW

my interpretation at the bottom!

mm　斉藤壮馬

mm - saitou souma

mm - Soma Saito

たった数ミリのこと それだけで

tatta suu miri no koto sore dake de

Just a few millimetres, that’s all it takes

一切合切 なにもかも狂って

issai gassai nani mo kamo kurutte

For anything and everything to go crazy

呻き苦しみに耐えている

umeki kurushimi ni taeteiru

Enduring this groaning pain

本当は知ってたんだ ただの惰性だってさ

hontou ha shittetanda tadano dasei datte sa

You knew after all, it’s just inertia

嘘でもいいから 誰か教えてくれ

uso demo ii kara dareka oshiete kure

It’s fine if it’s a lie, someone tell me

なあ なにが正解で

naa nani ga seikai de

Hey, what is right and

なにが間違ってんの

nani ga chigauttenno

What is wrong?

ぼくらの骨や

bokura no hone ya

Our bones and

肉のすべてが

niku no subete ga

All our flesh

もう一度軋んだってもはや

mou ichido kishin datte mo haya

Grating once more, because I no longer know

正しさなんて わかんねえよ

tadashisa nante wakannee yo

What is rightness anyway?

調子はどう?って

choushi ha dou? tte

‘How’s it going?’

尋ねられても

tazuneraretemo

I can ask, but

声にならない懊悩

koe ni naranai ounou

It becomes unspoken anguish

確かにかつて

tashika ni katsute

Certainly,

感じたはずの

kanjita hazu no

What I once felt

心地よさはない

kokochi yosa ha nai

That comfort is gone

どっかずれちまったようだ

dokkazurechimatta you da

Something seems to have shifted

それだけわかっていても

sore dake wakatteite mo

That’s all I know

なす術もないから

nasu sube mo nai kara

I’m at a loss, so

ぼくを丸ごと全部 壊して治してよ

boku wo marugoto zenbu kowashite naoshite yo

Destroy and cure my whole being

痛いとこなんて

itai toko nante

Places it hurts;

無数にあって

muzuu ni atte

They are countless

どこがどうって言えない

doko ga dou tte ienai

I can’t say where or how

たった数ミリで

tatta suu miri de

Just a few millimetres

なにが変わるの

nani ga kawaru no

With what changes

信じられないや

shinjirarenai ya

I can’t believe it

鏡の中で

kagami no naka de

In the mirror [1]

知らない人が

shiranai hito ga

A stranger

眼を開いてぼくを見てる [2]

me wo aite boku wo miteru

Opens their eyes, and sees me

ならばもう 歌うよ

naraba mou uta yo

In that case, let’s sing

不確かなものを

futashika na mono wo

Everything that’s uncertain

未だにぼくは

imada ni boku ha

I still can’t seem to

受け止めきれていない

uketome kireteinai

Accept it, end it,

けれど

keredo

Although

少しだけ両の

sukoshi dake ryou no

A little, both of

口角がほら

koukaku ga hora

The corners of my mouth are, see

上がっているだろ?

agatte iru darou?

Turning upwards, aren’t they?

TL notes:

title: mm, as in millimetre!

[1] perhaps a reference to ‘mirrors’, Souma-san’s song about impostor syndrome.

[2] the kanji 眼 for ‘eye’ has medical connotations (rather than 目, the more common way to say ‘eye’)

THIS SONG.... SO MUCH TO UNPACK...

starting out i was like ‘okay this is one of Souma-san’s weirder love songs’ by the end I was like ‘HUUUH’. Shellshocked

with the word choices, VERB choices, it’s not actually romantic at all. seems like a relationship has gone stale OR the worse route is something really toxic and/or abusive is being described here.. and the protagonist cannot see themselves anymore because they’ve been too messed up by it

though I love exploring fictional characters whose ideas of love are fcked up (distorted) so in the end this was very nice to translate

[coffee-master]

Uhhhhhh I need more Hal Jordan centric fictions without any romantic relationship!!!!

Give me some angst- PLEASE PEOPLE---

I NEED THIS

[ijustkindalikebooks]

“Stories, like people and butterflies and songbirds' eggs and human hearts and dreams, are also fragile things, made up of nothing stronger or more lasting than twenty-six letters and a handful of punctuation marks. Or they are words on the air, composed of sounds and ideas-abstract, invisible, gone once they've been spoken-and what could be more frail than that? But some stories, small, simple ones about setting out on adventures or people doing wonders, tales of miracles and monsters, have outlasted all the people who told them, and some of them have outlasted the lands in which they were created.” ― Neil Gaiman, Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders.

[lys-lilac]

[RMD] Whispers of Yuletide Promises: Kasumi X MC

[A/N]: Hey there it's been a while! This work of me was lying in my folders for so so long, something which I worked upon last Christmas haha. Thanking my lovely @sterkeyra for taking so much of her time not only to proofread, but also suggest corrections to make it much better. So I will share half the credits with her, hehe. (Jenjen I love you!) Anyway, enjoy and let me know your thoughts!

(The characters in this work are fictional and from the title Romance MD: Always on Call by Voltage Inc. No copyrights intended.)

(out of context cute pic cause idk but I love them :p)

It was another day in the Seimei University Hospital as the subtle chill of the air was evident, hinting at the upcoming Christmas season. A sigh leaves MC's lips, as she stretches her body after work, looking at the spark of festivity in the staff's and patients' faces, sipping her coffee. Toshiki notices how she is looking around the Christmas celebration in the hospital, with a cup of coffee in his hand as well. The children, the cards they are making and the people wearing the red hats... He can see the glimmer in her eyes as she is looking all around. So he whispers to her.

"I am glad to see you so happy. Is Christmas your favorite holiday?"

A gentle pat lands on her head, which makes her snap out of her thoughts as she looks up towards the source of these sweet words.

"Ah, Dr. Kasumi, good work."

"Thank you. I am grateful that we both did a good job today. And, it is really nice to see the Christmas celebrations in our hospital. I can't wait to see what the New Year celebrations as well. But I have more important things on my mind right now."

"Yeah? What's that?"

He whispers softly, so only she can hear him.

"I keep thinking about hugging and kissing you. Could I perhaps ask you to give me one kiss before we go home? I'm not sure how long I can control myself otherwise."

"?!"

Her face flushes instantly as she looks at him with wide eyes and mouth hanging open.

"Uh... do you realize where we are?"

He laughs and whispers to her.

"What's on my mind right now is way more important than the fact that we are in front of our colleagues. So, is it too much to ask for a quick kiss? Or am I going to be punished if I do this? I don't really mind the punishment, if I can get to kiss you. And, by the look on your face, it seems you might have similar ideas in mind as well. So just let me go ahead with my plan."

"Since when did you become like this... Just three days ago I heard a certain someone, chewing off Dr. Hosho's ears for flouting public morals…"

"That was in the past. You can't blame me for the way I am behaving today. This is all your influence. You are just way too cute and your beautiful eyes are too distracting. It's driving me wild and making me want to kiss you again and again."

"D-Don't say such things in workplace." She covers his lips with her hands, to which he laughs softly, removes her hands from his lips, and whispers in a playful tone.

"See, there you go again with your sweet and cute shyness. Who knows how much of it would I be able to handle before I just snap?”

"S-Snap? What…"

"It means I might just grab your jaw and sneak a kiss right here and now. But, I won’t  make you uncomfortable at work.

"I understand that, you dummy!"

"Does that mean I can go ahead and kiss you one more time?"

"No. We have so much work, we have to buy a Christmas tree too, so. Bye." His suggestive words had taken a toll on her and she could just run away to hide her loudly beating heart from him. He laughs softly and goes after her.

"You can't really get away from me. I will keep on chasing you until you accept my kisses. I don't care how many things are on our to-do list today, as my top priority is to wrap my arms around you and make you all mine. So come back here, MC."

*A few hours later, she signs off work, and soon enough, she's out of the hospital, and waits for him at the hospital entrance. Shortly after, he takes his leave from the hospital as well. He takes his car out of the parking lot and brings it over to the entrance, where she was waiting for him.

"Get in."

She nods and gets inside, as he shuts the door watching out so that she doesn’t hit her head, and soon starts driving. But in his mind, all that was swirling was a kiss from her. He behaved at the hospital, so he deserved it as a reward. At least that’s what he thought.

"Toshiki."

Hearing her voice, he snaps out of his thoughts and looks at her, as the car comes to a halt at the redlight.

“Mm, I am listening.”

" I have something to discuss with you. Come closer, it's confidential." She gestures with her hand lightly. He laughs softly at her cute gestures and responds. He leans towards her and gets very close to her,  her breath practically tickling his ears. But he is waiting for her to share what she wanted to secretly tell him. She smiles seeing he fell into her trap, as she uses her thumb and index finger to hold his face by his cheeks, and pecks him.

Her sudden peck flusters him, as he gets all red and embarrassed. He feels like hugging her tightly, but at the same time, was too stunned to move at all. It was rare for her to actually initiate affectionate gestures like this

"That's definitely a cruel prank. Just remember that I will take my revenge on you for this tonight."

"Ahem. The light's green." She looks ahead as she pulls away, as if nothing happened. He smiles lightly, and they drive away.

"It's getting a little hard to keep my mind off you right now. Your kiss from earlier is still stuck in my mind, so can I tell you one last thing before we begin shopping for that Christmas tree?"

"What."

"If you keep on acting so shy and cute like this, then you should prepare yourself to live with the consequences of an overly romantic and love sick Toshiki Kasumi. And trust me, you don't want to live with that kind of me. I am definitely going to pester you and annoy you by being all cute, playful, affectionate, flirty, teasing and passionate."

"...!"

She tries her best to not blush and runs to the mall as a method of escape, as he parks the car. He chuckles and follows her.

The mall was decorated beautifully as it was Christmas season. Every inch and corner was worth stopping and gazing for. Whether it was apparel shops, bakery or even festive décor shops, everything was adorned with lights, elucidating a cozy atmosphere, serving as a source of warmth for the winter. As MC looks around, a shop catches her eye, selling Christmas trees and other festive items.

"Hm, this one is cute… it's not that big, and will look good on the table beside the TV. What do you say?"

He stops to take a look at the Christmas tree she is pointing out. He checks its height and tries to envision it in his living room.

"That truly looks like the perfect Christmas tree. Yes, I think we should go ahead and get this."

"Okay, I will purchase it right away." She smiles, and goes in the direction of the cash counter, but stops midway. Her eyes land on something and she runs to examine it. He notices her running now towards something, and follows her.

"Did something catch your eye? I can make a guess that it's probably a decoration item or something related to the festive mood. Did I get that right?"

She smiles hearing his hunch and nods vigorously.

"Correct! There is Christmas themed cutlery?! I am sold."

"I Knew it. There is nothing that can attract your attention more than something cute and Christmas themed. So are we going to add this cutlery set to the cart too? You seem to be obsessed with this."

"I- I will do some deliberations, wait."

His shoulders tremble seeing how she was just waddling here and there, almost sparkling from joy.

"So now you want to do some deliberations? You are just obsessed with everything here."

"Yes! Okay, I am taking this mug, that cutlery set, and this set of plates too..."

"I have a feeling you are just going to end up buying everything here at this point. I'm really curious about how much of your shopping is left. I mean, you have already bought the Christmas tree, Christmas themed decorations and now this as well. This is too much. You are even making plans about the decoration of the dinner table aren't you?"

"To be honest, I am a bit too much into the festive mood this year. Don't mind me." She rubs the back of her head in embarrassment and looks at him. His gaze softens seeing her and he answers.

“I don't mind you. In fact I think this is the cutest thing ever. As long as you are having fun, it's all good. By the way, you are not the only one feeling excited about Christmas this year. You are infecting me as well, heh.”

"Thank you." She feels relieved yet happy to be spending her time with him like that, and gives their intertwined hands a squeeze.

“Let's go home. I fear I might get into a Christmas coma now if I see any other decorations.

He laughs hearing her and answers, as he takes the bags from her hands.

"You mean a Christmas fever right? It seems like your Christmas fever is reaching its limit and it's about to make you ill."

"Hmph. Do you think I am that crazy? You know what... Maybe I should just wrap you up in a gift wrapper and parcel it to Dr. Sen. He will be over the moon for that."

He couldn’t help but chuckle and decides to give a taste of her own medicine a bit. He looks at her with a devilish smile on his face.

"Then I also have another idea. Maybe I should tie you up with a ribbon and place you under the Christmas tree as a gift to myself this year. Let's see which one of us is crazier."

"?!"

She was about to say something when his phone rings, and looking at the caller ID, his expression turns serious. He notices her expression but before she can say anything he holds a finger to his lips telling her to be quiet and he picks up the call.

"Yes, this is me. What’s the emergency?"

As he listens to the caller's voice from the other end, a serious expression settles on his face. She looks at him as she thinks they might be called in due to an emergency, so she switches to her professional self as well.

But soon after, he sighs as he frowns a bit, talking, making her worried. His face seems troubled as he talks on the phone still. She can clearly tell from his expression that whatever the doctor on the other end is saying, it's making Kasumi worry. His eyebrows are knitted together.

"What is it..?" She holds his hand to calm him down.

"...I have to go London now."

She just blinks at him with a blank expression, as she wasn't able to process the news. Why so suddenly?

"What... what do you mean you have to go London now?"

He looks at her and nods with a somber expression on his face. She can see his lips drawn into a tight line, and his gaze away from her.

"I got a call from the hospital asking me to come to London. A high risk patient came in and they need me there urgently. I have to catch a flight right now, and can’t be back until tomorrow."

"..."

Realizing the gravity of the situation, she nods in understanding.

"Don't worry. You will save the patient. I am sure."

*He can see the concern in her eyes and notices that she is also starting to worry for the patient. Seeing her change in expression when she was bubbling with joy just moments ago, makes him sad.

"Thank you. I will see what I can do. But I'm sorry to have just rushed you like this. I thought we would have more time today but it's a sudden emergency situation and I can't afford to let the patient down. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. I understand…”

She thinks about asking to join and assist him in the surgery, but since it was on a short call, and she also had a surgery to perform the next day, she stops herself and smiles.

"Have a safe journey."

He looks at her and notices how she is holding herself back for his and the patients’ sake as well and smiles*

"I really appreciate how thoughtful and caring you are being right now. Please take care of yourself until I come back home. That is my order, understand? You can't miss your surgery just because of some emergency case of mine.”

"Don't worry. I will save the patient too. Leave it to me, and go."

"I trust you. Go ahead and make sure the patient is saved. Don't worry about me. You take care of yourself and the patient, okay?"

"Yup."

He can tell she is slightly upset with him going suddenly and it is making him feel bad. So he wraps his arms around her and whispers softly.

"I will be back as early as possible, don't worry. I will also call you as soon as I reach home so that you know I am back and safe. In the meanwhile, please take care of yourself. You are the only one I have my hopes set on for your patient's care. You will be the only one to see this through now."

Her hold on him tightens a bit, as she hugs him back, and then lets him go. She couldn’t let him get bothered with her emotions when there were serious matters to take care of at present.

"Mm. Let's go home. You have to pack up too."

They return home, and after some time, she sees him off to the airport. When she comes to his apartment, she sees the Christmas decor lying on the table, and sighs. The reason why she was so pumped for Christmas was because she was getting to spend it together with someone for the first time after so many years. But oh well, their job was important. She shakes her head to dispel away the negative thoughts, but can feel her heart ache as she starts to miss him already. The silence around her seems so cold, that she wants to call him just to hear his voice. But she doesn't as she knows how crucial his surgery would be, and he needed to be focused as well. So she forces herself to focus on decorating the tree perfectly.

The moment the lights illuminate the room, she can feel the magical and mystical atmosphere of Christmas surrounding her. She looks up, closes her eyes and prays for him to have a smooth and safe journey to London and hoping that his surgery would go well. Soon, she goes to sleep.

[Next morning]

She starts to wake up from her deep sleep. As she opens her eyes and looks around, the first thing she realizes is the glow of the Christmas lights. All the decorations from yesterday were still there on the tree. She feels happy and relieved to see the decorations in the morning. Her eyes flit towards the clock, making her think if he already had reached or not. So, she keeps her phone there, waiting for his call and goes to get ready for work in the meanwhile. Soon after, she reaches the hospital, and tries to make her busy with work.

As the time keeps flying by, a visible frown starts to appear on her face, seeing there was not a single call or text from him. Every type of thought riles up her mind. What if something terrible had happened? She keeps trying to suppress these thoughts and tries to be positive about everything.

As she knew how closed off he gets when he loses a patient, she can feel her worry increasing now. She keeps trying to suppress these thoughts and tries to be positive about everything. She couldn’t work properly the whole day, let alone noticing the banters of the peanut gallery trying to cheer her up.

[That evening]

As she completes her tasks for the day, she signs off work. She feels the anxiousness rising in her, as she realizes that the day has passed again without a call from him, so she decides to call him. She feels a little hesitant at first, but calls him anyway. Soon, it gets picked up. She can feel the tension lifting off her chest, as she sighs out of relief, hearing a familiar voice from the other end.

"Toshiki…"

The other end of the line was silent for a moment, followed by a soft chuckle.

"I guess I am just as anxious as you were."

"...why are you sounding like this? What happened?"

She knew he was hiding something, so she waits for him to answer. From the way she seemed to have held her breath she seemed worried. He smiles softly, thinking how worried he made her, and answers honestly.

"Nothing much. I guess the surgery is just taking much more time than I expected, due to some unforeseen complications that appeared.”

"You got me scared... Don't worry, everything will be okay. Are you alright?"

He feels relieved when she believes him and is able to calm herself down. He smiles and whispers softly.

"I am just a bit tired and exhausted. I am trying my best to make sure the surgery turns out okay. But I have to admit, I was getting a little worried too. The surgery is taking a lot more time than I thought it would. Hopefully you are right and everything will be alright. And don't worry. I'm not going to let down the patient or myself. I will do what I can to make the surgery go well. You take care as well okay? I will definitely call you as soon as the surgery is over."

"Sure..."

She stops herself from probing him more and ends the call. He also ends the call and sits for a bit, trying to collect his thoughts. He feels happy that he managed to pacify her concern without having to flat out lie to her. But he also knows that he probably just smudged the truth to someone who is very smart and aware of things. He knows he can't fool her for long. But he also thinks this was necessary for her to not worry too much, so that she focuses on her work properly. He takes a deep breath before he goes back to his work.

As he faces the sterile hospital surroundings, a palpable sense of loneliness settles in. The faint jingles of distant carols only amplify the stark contrast between the festive spirit outside and the clinical reality within. Each patient becomes a reminder of the distance from loved ones, as the weight of duty on Christmas Eve hangs on his shoulders. The soft glow of a desk lamp casts long shadows, emphasizing the solitude that accompanies him. He can feel the emptiness inside. The loneliness is not just limited to the empty hallways and rooms of this hospital but has seeped into him as well. He feels a profound sense of emptiness and longing for some company on this festive Christmas Eve. The loneliness was killing his heart.

Meanwhile, MC reaches home as her mind was occupied with only Toshiki. Seeing an empty apartment on a festive season doesn't fail to make her remember how she is used to always stay cooped up in her room with either work or spending time with herself. She grapples with the bittersweet struggle of preparing a festive meal for two, the missing half haunting every joyful decoration. An unopened gift waits beneath the tree, a symbol of shared moments postponed. Her phone buzzes with holiday wishes from family and friends, yet each cheerful message accentuates the void of the absence of him. Amid the laughter and festivities, an unspoken ache lingers, a connection strained by the miles that separate them on this Christmas night.

She gets lost in her thoughts as she sees the festive nightscape. The Christmas lights were the only things that welcomed her home that night. Everything looks perfect, almost too perfect, yet empty as it couldn’t replace the warm and cheerful presence that she is missing beside her, with him being far away in London. As she looks down from the window of his apartment, she feels a sense of longing for her beloved that holy night.

[3 hours later, same night]

Back in London, almost several hours pass as the surgery gets over. It's successful, as he comes out of the operation theatre, and it's already midnight. He couldn't help but be reminded of how he used to work himself to death during the festive seasons so as to not feel lonely. He couldn't help but reminded of his nagging friend Mitsuharu, who made sure he enjoys every day and is not left out.

In the quiet moments, his mind involuntarily drifts back to a time when Christmas was a tapestry of warmth and joy. He recalls the comforting scent of freshly baked cookies, the twinkling lights adorning the family tree, and the contagious laughter echoing through the cozy living room. Each memory becomes a sepia-toned vignette, a stark contrast to the antiseptic hum of the hospital. In those brief reveries, nostalgia dances with the harsh reality of the present, creating a poignant symphony of longing for the holiday magic of yesteryears.

The memory of his mother planting different flowers for him in winter and the snowdrops blooming around their home brings a smile to his lips. He remembers the memories of snow falling and he and his mother enjoying the snow together. He realizes how these good memories of his childhood were something which is missing on Christmas, and how his adulthood was, missing those memories. As he walks out of the hospital, he feels the warmth and the magic of Christmas in his life missing.

[Next morning]

Toshiki's eyes flutter open feeling the sunlight hitting his visage. He feels a little relieved when he realizes the surgery is over and he did not have to lose a patient. He was worried about that. But he realizes how he is missing every small moment in the morning after a Christmas night with her. The empty spot next to him in bed, the small moments of having a Christmas morning coffee with her, the feeling of her hand in his hand as he would wish her a Merry Christmas, the small gestures of love in the morning... All these small things were missing.

"MC…”

His fingertips graze over the spot next to him in bed. As he was deep in his thoughts, he suddenly remembers a conversation he had with his friend Mitsuharu about Christmas. They were talking about the meaning of Christmas and as always, Mitsuharu was not able to understand or appreciate much of what he was saying. He always felt that Mitsuharu could never truly understand the real essence of Christmas.

Soon, he gets ready to board the plane. Kasumi’s thoughts were all about Christmas and about the missing pieces of it inside him. He begins questioning the meaning of Christmas in his mind. He was deeply troubled by the thoughts of so many people suffering, so many missing out on the joy and happiness of Christmas. A time meant for happiness and togetherness is becoming a time of despair and loneliness for so many. How could he possibly feel happy in a world where such a condition was the reality?

[13 hours later, that evening]

As the plane lands in Tokyo, he can now feel the darkness of reality seeping in him as he proceeds towards the airport exit. He is worried that this darkness may affect his meeting with her. But, he keeps his emotions hidden behind a mask of his calm and composed self.

*He reaches his apartment soon, as his hand is now over the door handle. Maybe a hug from his beloved would calm him down? Toshiki muses, as he unlocks the door. The sight of the beautifully illuminated Christmas tree and the living room makes him pause, as he feels a little surprised by the scene. For a second, he feels happy to see how well she has kept the house decorated, only to realize that the person that he wanted to be welcomed by the most was missing.

"MC?"

Maybe she is outside? His thoughts seem to linger on her absence from the scene, as he walks about the living room, looking around at how beautifully everything has been set up. He even checks the kitchen in case she is there, but it was in vain. The feeling of her missing seems to be pervading the whole scene. The Christmas decoration seems to not be able to bring the warmth it used to bring when she was there. The beautiful scene lacks her presence. She should've at least let him know that she would go out, he wonders.

He takes his phone to look for text messages from her, and is surprised to find none. Maybe she went somewhere to do something? Maybe she got called in by the hospital? Or maybe she wanted to surprise him by showing him the decorations? This was becoming more and more disturbing and troubling for him, as the time ticked by.

As he was lost in his thoughts and worries and was about to call Takado to ask about her, a text message arrives for him, making a small ding sound. He looks at it quickly, thinking it could be from her, but to his disappointment, it was from Matsunaga - a patient has requested to meet him at the nearby amusement park, and he has to go as the patient is very important.

Kasumi was surprised at the news of such a patient request. How was he supposed to go and see some patient when she was missing? But maybe, she went to Asuka's or Missy's and forgot to tell him? He settles on this thought, and sends her a quick text, as he steps outside his apartment.

[That night, amusement park]

He reaches the amusement park and is amazed to see the colorful illuminations everywhere. There is so much to see and so many places to explore. It is like the park has turned into a fairy land. He is surprised by how much the park has been transformed. But instead of being lost in the beauty of it, he starts to wonder why the patient has asked him to come here. Maybe the patient wanted him to see this? But whatever the reason is that the patient has called him here, was unable to distract him from thinking about her.

He sees people with their families, friends and loved ones everywhere. Everyone was enjoying the festivity. This sight brings a sense of loneliness inside him. Everyone was enjoying the day with their loved ones around them. And here he was, all alone. No family with him, no close friend by his side, no MC by his side. His isolation seems to be making the festival a bit difficult for him to bear. He was trying to stop his negative thoughts looking at the illuminations, but the feeling of loneliness was only making it more difficult.

"Isn't that pretty?"

He snaps out of his thoughts, as hears a familiar voice, and feels a familiar presence near him. Was he hallucinating? Probably... cause he heard her voice. He slowly turns to find the owner of the voice. His heart skips a beat finding that it was indeed his beloved, his MC, looking so beautiful with her gaze on him, that she could be the most beautiful ornament in that entire festivity. She was all covered up in a fluffy jacket and was wearing a scarf around her neck, as she smiles at him.

"Welcome back, Toshiki."

For once, the dark emperor had no words. His face lights up to her beautiful greeting. He is unable to reply back, as they both look at each other with a feeling of happiness. The moment was like a spell of kindness that they both are casting over each other, making them both drown in a strange euphoria where there were no words to describe the feeling. Nothing felt like moving, But it just felt perfect. He felt an almost unbelievable sense of love and closeness between them.

"MC, you-"

"Ah, that's right. It's late, but belated merry Christmas."

Kasumi smiles as she gives him a small box. He takes the box in his hands, observing it a bit. He feels a little hesitant to open it but after a few seconds, he decides to open it. Soon, he sees something shining brightly with its beautiful brilliance... a promise ring. He is amazed at how well crafted it looked. He looks up at her, with a feeling of gratitude and appreciation in his eyes. She laughs awkwardly seeing him, as she caresses her hair.

"Well, I know that this might seem cringe, as we are not allowed to wear rings at work, but- I just wanted to give you something which reminds you that you always have me by your side."

"..."

"Um... are you angry, as I orchestrated all this, and didn't inform you? You haven't said a word to me."

He only smiles hearing that, shakes his head and holds her hands more tightly. Instead of answering, he wraps his arms around her, capturing her attention with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Gently, he places a warm kiss on the tip of her nose, the laughter in his voice painting the moment with affection.

"Your nose is red and rosy like a reindeer's..."

"Mm?"

She blinks in surprise as she feels a soft sensation on her nose, not knowing exactly what happened. At her startled expression, he couldn't resist any longer. He pulls her close to him and kisses her nose, her cheeks, and her eyes. Her reaction to his moves is making him go all out. Soon, he pulls away, looking at her, and hugs her.

His thoughts begin to wander with a sort of peace. He realizes that it's not selfish to want things for him. He was a human, after all. But who made him human, was her. Instead of overthinking about the people who meet with tragic incidents and don't get to spend their holidays with loved ones, it's far better to focus on working so that they get better soon. And at the same time, it's okay to desire for happiness, for a loved one. It doesn't make him selfish. He begins to realize the importance of enjoying the happy moments of life. It was only when he had met her that he realized that there was no harm in wanting things for him. A love like hers, like a pure ray of sunlight, has a way to make his thoughts brighter and better. Meeting her made him realize that there’s nothing wrong to be wanting things for himself. It showed him that true love wouldn’t make him selfish; and that it would be okay to ask selfish for your beloved. It was okay to desire for happiness with her.

Maybe this was the intention of his friend Mitsuharu too. He didn't want Toshiki to spend Christmas all alone by himself, so he pretended to not like Christmas parties and all, and instead hung out with him by dragging him to his home.

As his thoughts continue to wander through this idea, he realizes that all this time he was overthinking and overanalyzing things. Instead of enjoying his life and letting happiness happen to him, he was worried about thinking too much on things that didn't matter. Now he is realizing that he doesn't have to be so self-critical. Instead of being so cautious and strict towards him, he can let his guard down and let happiness happen; he too can be a little selfish and desire to have a little happiness for himself. Maybe that's the way to enjoy life more and fully.

She looks at him as she finds him delved in thoughts.

"Toshiki? You okay?"

"Yes, I am fine. Don't worry about me. I was just going through some thoughts but now I realized how pointless these thoughts are. It is pointless to overthink about things and always think that things will be bad. Instead, one can sit back and enjoy things sometimes. That is a far better thing to do."

"Is that so? That's good..."

He can feel her uneasiness about him. She is still feeling concerned for him. So, he thinks of something to make her feel better. He has had his realization, he has had his moment of introspection, now is time to bring her back from her uneasiness.

"But, before I let myself chill out and relax, there is something I wanna do."

"Mm?"

He smiles shyly and brings her close. He brings his forehead to her forehead and speaks quietly to her.

"You know, I haven't thanked you for the promise ring that you gave me. But I wanted to thank you. I don't have words to describe its beautiful craftsmanship, but I can tell you that this ring holds a special meaning to me. So, thank you very much. I will be keeping this with me always, and I will always have you by my side."

"Oh... I am happy if you liked it. No need to thank me."

 She smiles and extends her hand to him.

"Let's go home and make up for the Christmas time we missed yesterday."

He smiles and takes her hand, intertwining his fingers in hers. To him, she is the warmth of his heart. All the worries and stress melt away to make way for a sense of peace and love that has taken over him. He feels like he has found the ultimate happiness in his life, as he walks with her hand in hand. The rings shine on their fingers; the beauty around them is just an added bonus, for he does not need anything to look beautiful with her beside him. Her presence alone makes everything beautiful and magical for him.

--------------

[gebo4482]

Beast of Reincarnation

Reveal Trailer

Steam

[hymnsolmn]

NEW DAWNS (LP/DL)

is out now.

Have a listen

[white-sun-ou]

An acquaintance?

Hello reader. You got into my original universe, where I create pictures and write fictions about my characters. I want to try blogging about it in Russian and English, so now we're going to get acquainted!

In the "white sun" universe there are three main characters and a lot of minor ones. It all started when my friends and I decided to play D&D with a modern setting, that's when my main character Issi Ninak appeared. I will write separate posts about each of the characters in more detail later!

Pictured here is Issi when he was a teenager. Welcome to the "white sun"! ***

Знакомство?? Привет, читатель. Ты попал в мою оригинальную вселенную, где я создаю картинки и пишу фанфики о своих персонажах. Я хочу попробовать вести блог об этом на русском и английском, так что сейчас мы будем знакомиться! Во вселенной "белого солнца" три главных персонажа и множество второстепенных. Всё началось с того, что мы с друзьями решили сыграть в D&D с современным сеттингом, тогда и появился мой главный персонаж — Исси Нинак. Подробнее о каждом из персонажей я напишу позже отдельные посты! На картинке Исси, когда был ещё подростком. Добро пожаловать в "белое солнце"!

[isavedyouthewaltz]

We Bene Gesserit sift people to find the humans.

Dune - Frank Herbert

[have-you-read-this-short-fiction]

[kazooreal]

soma saito's lyrics are so ☹️☹️ translating them is like having the honour of tasting the finest wine. better in their original form but i try my best!

if anyone wants any specific songs just msg me lawl i'll gladly share

[naoa-ao3]

Learning to Fly

It all happened so fast that no one was quite sure what had gone wrong. One second they were in the middle of a fight with AIM and the next second they were all blinded by a flash of light.

When the brightness faded there was no trace of AIM and Steve breathed a sigh of relief. "They retreated." He said, lowering his shield and taking a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Next to him Iron Man dropped from the sky. "Do we know what they were after?" He asked, eyes roving the warehouse's interior. They had been notified of a break in in a shipping warehouse along the river. Once they had gotten there, they had found almost a dozen AIM agents attempting to loot the place.

Steve shook his head. "No idea. Who owns this warehouse?"

Iron Man consulted JARVIS. "Hank Pym."

"Someone should tell him his place was broken into."

"I'm sure he already knows." Next to them a box was thrown into the air by Natasha as she extracted herself from underneath a pile of crates.

"What was that flash of light?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

Tony flew to a box and then contacted JARVIS again. "JARVIS, get me Hank Pym on the line." He said. There was a moment and then the doctor's face appeared on the inside of his visor.

"Tony?"

"Dr. Pym, we just stopped some AIM guys from raiding one of your warehouses down on the water. Any idea what they were after?"

The doctor shook his head. "Nothing of value. The only thing I stored there was a canister of alternate dimension Pym Particles Reed Richards gave me."

"Think that's what they wanted?"

"Could be but I don't see why unless. . ." Hank's eyes wondered off. "No one came into any contact with them, did they?"

"I don't think so. . ." Tony looked around. "Hey, where's Hawkeye?"

"Did AIM get him?" Steve asked.

"JARVIS, scan for life signatures. There should be four."

"There are four sir." JARVIS answered while Hank waited patiently on the line. "Mr. Barton is lying underneath the pile of crates to your left."

Steve hurried over to the mess of crates and began pulling them away.

"Hank, where's the canister of Pym Particles?"

"I stored it in a corner. It's mixed in with a bunch of crates and empty canisters. It's got a black band around it."

Natasha began to look for it. "This is broken." She said, holding up a glass canister with jagged crack down it's side and a black band around the middle.

Tony switched his visuals with the doctor to a projector in his arm so Hank could see. "Is that it?"

Hank's face went white. "Not good." He said. "You need to make sure no one came into contact with any of the particles."

"What do they do?"

"Reed brought them back from an alternate universe for me to study. Instead of shrinking things and removing size matter like normal Pym Particles, they remove time. I tested them on lab mice and they reduced the mice you babies. I don't know what they'll do to a human, obviously I never tested them on a person but I suspect that it'll be the same thing."

"Found him. . . Tony?" Steve's voice broke off and Tony whirled around. Captain America had managed to extract Hawkeye from the pile of crates but the Hawkeye they had found was substantially different from the one they had expected. He was smaller and he was shrinking, fast. His features were changing, his cheeks filling out, legs shortening, fingers becoming smaller.

"Don't touch him!" Hank warned. "Don't come into contact with the particles until he stops aging."

"Is there a way to stop the process?" Tony asked sharply.

Hank was flipping through papers on his end, Tony could hear the pages turn. "A volt of electricity might stop it. They're highly volatile particles with short life spans when they're not dormant in containment. Do you have any way of shocking him?"

The boy in front of them had now regressed past the point of adolescence and was working on doing away with puberty.

Without hesitation Natasha bent and delivered a powerful shock to the boy from her Widow Bites. His body jolted and spasmmed but the aging slowed and after a few seconds stopped. Tony breathed a sight of relief as the final particles died. They were now left with a child no more than five or six years old. He lay still, breathing normally, face slightly flushed.

Tony cursed. "Did it work?" Hank asked urgently.

"Yeah. He's stopped."

Steve removed his glove and felt the boy's forehead. "He has a fever." He said.

"That's normal. The mice retained elevated temperatures for twenty four hours afterward. I don't know how long his will last but it should go away. He aged much slower than the mice. I can only calculate that to be because as a human he had more years to lose."

Natasha bent curiously and then drew away. "We should take him back to the tower. Dr. Pym, is this just a physical regression or will he mentally have regressed as well?"

"I don't know. I brought in a behavior specialist with the mice who was fairly certain they regressed mentally as well so I assume it will be the same with a human. . ."

Steve scooped the boy up and Natasha picked up the clothes that had fallen away. "Do you have a way to reverse this?" He asked.

There was the frantic flipping of pages on the other end of the connection. "Not yet but I'll get right on it. I'll contact Reed Richards too and see what he knows. Oh, and you should talk to Doctor Strange too. I don't know how much help he'll be since this isn't magic and all of Hawkeye's years should still exist in the universe inside of these Pym particles but I don't know if I can reach that universe through this one or if I can access it only through the universe Reed obtained them from. . ." They could hear pages turning and computer keys clacking. Hank broke off his rambling. "Point is he's stable and should be safe for now. Just take care of him until I can find a way to fix this."

"Keep us updated." Tony said, breaking contact. With Hank gone he swore. "Damn it. Alright, lets get him back to the tower before he wakes up."

They carried the boy to the jet and it was a smooth ride back. Clint did not wake but Natasha seemed concerned about fever. "It's getting worse." She said, touching the little boy's forehead lightly.

"Hank said it'll go away in a day." Steve said, he looked down at the boy and felt a surge of apprehension. Clint was small and there was a chance he wouldn't know any of them when he awoke. He had been trying to figure out how to tell such a small child why he was with a group of strangers and why he wasn't at home but nothing good had come to mind.

Awkwardly he ran a hand through his hair. "Er, what do you know about him as a kid?"

Natasha straightened up in her seat. They were in the back of the jet together looking over the boy while Tony piloted the plane. "He hasn't talked all that much about his childhood, to be honest. . ." She said carefully. "Mostly he laughs off serious questions."

Steve sighed. "What about Shield? What do they have on him?"

She gave him a long look before deciding that it was against common interest to pretend that she hadn't read all of their files. "His parents died when he was eight. He and his brother Barney were placed in an orphanage where they stayed for six years until both boys ran away and joined the circus."

Steve looked at Clint. "So at the age he is now, his parents are probably still alive."

"Yes."

"All okay?" Tony called over the intercom.

"We're fine. He's still out." Natasha said. She began to rummage through her back pack. "Drop me off at Sears. I'm going to pick him up some clothes." She began to change quickly. Steve averted his eyes.

"Good idea." Tony called. "Take my credit card. No limit. Spend to your heart's content."

She grinned briefly as she pulled a shirt on over her head. "You sure you mean that? 'Cause Sears has a summer sale on a pair of Diamond earrings that would go great with the dress I bought last week."

"I'll amend that. Spend to your hearts content on things that won't put me out of a house."

She laughed ad threw open the hatch door. "Like that could ever happen. We're here. Swing low."

"Sweet Chariot." Tony chimed before she jumped out onto the roof of the store. Steve closed the hatch and looked back at the boy. He hadn't moved. He went and sat down.

"You okay, Cap?"

"Yeah, just a little overwhelmed."

"Hank'll fix it. He a smart man and if he's got Reed Richards working with him then nothing can stop them."

"I hope not. Did you hear what Natasha said about his parents?"

"Yeah. We'll have to be careful what we tell him."

Steve nodded and sighed. This was going to be one heck of an adventure.

This is a 20 chapter story that has been completed! Since I'm not entirely sure of a good way to post multichapter fics to tumblr I've posted a link to the whole story on Archive of Our Own. I hope you enjoyed reading!