#“shiho where is your RAGE.” | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

allthingskakashi · 4 years

Text

• Possess • || 3k

[ Shikamaru x Reader] || NSFW

Tags : Angst, eventual fluff, smut

Warnings : unprotected sex

A/n : well... This is a first, let's see how this goes

“Y/n?”, you hear Shikamaru’s voice ringing along the hallway as the door clicks open.

You remain seated on the couch, making no effort to move. Your eyes are glued to the book in your hand, on the same page that you’ve had open for the past half an hour.

“Y-Y/n?” he calls out again, his footsteps echoing on the wooden floor as he walks in, rather gingerly.

“Y/n, listen—”

You flip a page of your book over noisily, cutting him off; refusing to acknowledge his presence.

He stands stiffly beside the couch, at a safe distance from you. You don’t have to look up to know that he must be looking completely clueless right now, undoubtedly with a pained expression on his face. Like he wishes he didn’t have to endure this right now. Or that he’d rather be anywhere but here at this given moment.

“I-uh… brought you these…” he mutters, coming around to stand in front of you. You notice a bouquet of flowers in his hand out of the corner of your eye.

Huh. As if he’d ever. That must have been Ino’s idea.

You feel your jaw clenching and unclenching as you bring the book closer in front of your eyes, blocking your view of Shikamaru completely. You really, really do not want to see him right now.

“Go away”, you mutter.

But even without seeing him, his agitation is palpable as he takes a cautious step towards you, holding the bouquet out.

“Y/n, I—”

Okay, that’s it.

You feel the fury pouring out of your body as you spring up from the couch with a sudden pounce, startling Shikamaru and making him take a few steps backwards. “I SAID GO AWAY!”

He ducks as you hurl the book into the wall behind him, watching it go flying past his ear, and crashing against the wall before falling face down on the ground, pages crumpling on collision with the hard floor.

He stares wide eyed at the book, before turning his face to look back at you, face frozen and mouth twitching, taken aback by this sudden outburst.

“Why don’t you take these to HER?” you bark as you take the bouquet from his hands and thrust it back into his chest, making him stumble backward with the force.

“I-I…” he stammers looking alarmed, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

You almost feel a little bad, but your rage overpowers every sense in your body.

“Yeah? What? That brain of yours is suddenly out of answers now?” you cross your arms in front of you, feeling your insides seethe.

Shikamaru looks open mouthed at you, still stunned. You watch his shoulders droop, with the bouquet held limply in his hands as he takes another careful step forward towards you.

“Listen, you’re misunderstanding m—”

“Am I? Do you take me for a fool? Do you think I didn’t see the way that blonde bimbo was sidling up to you all twirly hair and pouty mouth? I SAW the way she was looking at you, Shikamaru. And you were just sitting there, probably enjoying it.” you yell into the space between you, not allowing him to finish.

“Y/n calm down, let me explain!” he says in an exasperated breath, laying the bouquet down on a table to his side. You can tell by the look on his face that he’s mentally trying to calculate a solution.

Anger boils within you and you feel a dam of tears in the back of your eyes, threatening to burst any time.

“I don’t want to hear anything. I know what I saw. Just get out, leave me alone.” you try your best to suppress the quiver in your voice, turning away from him before he can notice your welled-up eyes.

His hand touches the back of your shoulder as soon as you turn, “Y/n wait—”

“I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!” you scream, swatting his arm away and storming off towards your bedroom ahead.

You hear Shikamaru sigh behind you, “I’m sorry, you leave me no choice.”

You turn around quickly at these words, attempting to stop him before he does what you know he’s about to do, “Shika don’t you fucking da-“

“Shadow possession justu!”

“GODAMMIT!”

There’s a quick jolt through your body and all of a sudden, your limbs aren’t yours anymore. You feel a strange force tugging at your limbs, controlling them. You try moving your arms but you already know you can’t.

You see Shikamaru standing a few feet away from you, his fingers formed into ‘the rat’, the hand sign for his clan’s famous jutsu. A long black line connects his feet to yours.

Stupid fucking Nara clan and their stupid fucking jutsu.

You’re heaving now, worn out from screaming earlier; your arms hang by your sides imitating Shikamaru’s. You glare at him as you see him coming towards you, your body moving in his direction on its own, like a machine.

His eyes look at you, sincere and concerned but his face appears relatively more relaxed, having found a way to prevent any more unexpected outbursts from your side.

You walk towards each other until you’re face to face, his mouth only inches away from yours. You look up at him, your lips drawn into a narrow line as his caramel eyes bore into yours. He swerves ninety degrees to his side, as your body mirrors the move and you feel your back slamming into the cool glass of the sliding door, which was previously on your side.

You can feel his hot breath on your face at this distance, and the proximity starts to turn the charge in your veins from the anger into something else.

You’re caught off guard by this change of emotions, and your mouth twitches in spite of yourself, desperate to feel the touch of his lips against yours.

He lowers his head, his lips only lightly brushing yours. You gulp as you feel a warm wet sensation pooling down there.

“I’m still mad at—” you begin saying, mostly to distract yourself from the growing desire you feel inside, but Shikamaru cuts you off, putting a finger to your lip. You feel your own index finger go up to his mouth, touching the soft skin of his lips as he whispers firmly, “You’ve said a lot, and I’ve listened. Now I’ll explain, and you’ll listen.”

He moves his finger away from your mouth, as yours moves away from his too, your hand falling to the side once again. You kind of wish it hadn’t.

He leans in, before speaking in a clear firm voice. “Shiho is just a co-worker whom I’ve been assigned by the Hokage to work with on decrypting a few codes. I have no interest in it, it’s a real drag but I’m just following orders. There’s nothing more to it than that.”

“I saw h—” you interrupt, and he puts a finger on your mouth once again, keeping it there this time. You finger goes up too and you feel the brush of his lips moving against your finger as he speaks.

“You think you saw something when you walked into the Cryptology office but it was nothing, I swear to you. Shiho found out a way to decode a message and she only came to ask for my opinion on it.”

You feel the anger bubble up again as you speak, “She likes you though. I’ve seen it.”

“Who cares whom she likes? I have no interest in her.” Shikamaru replies, his tone convincing, it pacifies you a little.

“Are you sure about that?” you ask, but only to push him to the edge now.

You watch the look in his eyes change as he leans further in.

“Do you not believe me?” he breathes, his hands hovering around to the neckline of your jacket.

You feel your own fingers touching the zip of his flak jacket as you tug it down slowly, unzipping his jacket as your own comes undone too. He slides it off your shoulder as both jackets fall to the ground.

“I—“, you start but your words get caught in your throat as you feel his fingers touch the hem of your undershirt next.

The tips of your fingers brush against his stomach as you lift his shirt over his head, throwing it away to the floor where it falls on top of your own shirt.

You feel goose bumps run through your almost bare body as you gaze over the toned muscles of Shikamaru’s naked torso.

Oh lord.

You’re pretty sure you’re dripping down there by now, Shikamaru’s fixated gaze on you only making it worse. You watch him make another hand sign before he pulls your face close by your neck.

“Do you?” he repeats in a whisper, peering down at you.

You pull his face closer in imitation as two shadow hands creep up your body, making their way up your legs and stomach before hovering beneath your breasts.

The Shadow Strangle Jutsu.

Your heart pounds in your chest, as you open your mouth to answer.

“Ye—” but before you have a chance to finish, Shikamaru pulls you into a kiss, pressing his mouth on yours as your body ripples with desire.

The shadow hands creep under your bra, firming their grip around your breasts, giving them a soft press. If you hadn’t known, you would’ve thought they were just hands.

You let out a gasp, wishing you had control over your body. Your hands tingle in desperation at the thought of touching Shikamaru.

Your tongues dance around in swirls in each other’s mouth, exploring every crevice. He gives your lips a soft bite with his, before pulling back, heaving; out of breath from the kiss and also from maintaining his jutsu for so long.

You feel the grip of the shadow hands loosening under your bra as you begin to regain a bit of movement in your limbs. You glance down to see the shadows slowly retracting under Shikamaru’s feet, and you try moving your hands to find that you’ve recovered full control.

He rests his hand on the wall behind you, breathing heavily with his head hanging low. Droplets of sweat from his forehead fall onto your shoulder.

A new wave of thrill flows through you, having regained full control of your body now. You run your hands along Shikamaru’s chest, his body writhing under your touch. You run them all over him, brushing them along his stomach and back, before placing them on the bulge of his pants and giving it a light squeeze.

He lets out a gasp, something stirring in him at your touch as he grabs your hands in his, pinning them against the wall. His mouth finds yours again, leaving deep kisses that send a shiver through your body.

You moan into his mouth as he lets go of your hands, and pull him closer by his waist, running your hands along his back before clutching them around his neck, pulling his body closer and closer to you.

His hands unhook your bra at the back, throwing it away before he places his palms over your breasts, giving them a squeeze, soft at first and then pressing hard.

He touches his forehead to yours, pulling back briefly from the kiss.

“You know… you should…really…” he breathes against your mouth between kisses, pushing you further into the door by the pressure of his hands on your chest… “give people…a chance… to explain…. before you…throw books…at them”, he finishes, squeezing harder.

You let out a raspy moan in reply, arching your back and tilting your head to make space for him as he leaves a trail of kisses down your neck all the way to your collar bones.

His hands pull you close by your waist, reaching behind to grab your ass as you reach for the elastic band of his trouser, sneaking your hand inside and forming it into a fist around the base of his cock, before running your hand along his throbbing length.

Shikamaru moans, quickly riding your skirt up and hooking one arm under one of your thighs. He keeps your leg lifted with one arm as he puts two fingers of his other hand in his mouth, drenching them in his saliva.

His fingers drip with his saliva as he pushes your panties to one side, slipping two fingers smoothly inside you. Your wetness soaks his fingers as you feel them move, hitting the perfect spot in the exact motion that drives you crazy, reminding you that he can decode more than just ciphers, with just the same amount of precision.

You tilt your head back, holding onto his shoulder, your nails digging into his back to keep yourself standing.

He takes his fingers out of you, using the same hand to slide his pants down his hips. He lifts the arm holding your leg even higher, spreading it farther apart, and uses his other hand to hold on to the door for balance; as you ignore the pain of a cramp forming in your legs.

Your entire body burns with the thirst of feeling him inside of you, as you feel him tug your panties down, the tip of his cock lapping at your entrance. The overwhelming desire makes your head spin, almost making you dizzy.

You run your hands down from his shoulders to his biceps, clasping hard as you feel him entering you. His underlip quavers as the length of his cock sinks slowly inside you, and he lets out an almost inaudible grunt. Your body trembles as he starts moving inside you, first in slow steady motions and then thrusting hard, into and out of you.

Sweat from both of your bodies drip, mixing into one another’s as your bodies become one, moving in sync to each other’s rhythm.

You feel a deep moan forming at the back of your throat as your insides quiver, but before you can give in to it, Shikamaru turns you around, slipping out and slipping back into you before you have a chance to feel his absence inside you.

You claw against the glass door, as he thrusts into you, holding you close to him with one hand around your neck and the other around your stomach.

He runs his hand up along your neck to your chin, lifting it so your head falls back against his shoulder, as he kisses your earlobe, sounds of his grunts ringing against your ear.

You contract against him, your insides shuddering once more as you feel him quivering inside you. An inescapable moan leaves your lips, reverberating through the room.

“Shika….”, you whisper his name in ragged breaths as your body trembles in rhythm to his, a rumbling groan escaping his mouth as you feel him pulling out of you at the final throb; hot cum shooting all over the back of your thighs, dripping down the length of your legs.

Your heaving breaths fill the room, and you collapse into his arms as he catches you, the two of you slumping down to the ground, entangled in each other’s arms.

Shikamaru sits with his back against the door as you sit beside him, scooped up in his arms, your head resting on his chest, listening to the thud of his heart beneath.

“Shika” you mutter, looking up at him, “I’m sorry…”

He looks down at you kindly, giving your arm a squeeze, and stroking up and down along it, “Forget about it.”

You notice the bouquet of flowers lying ahead on the table and regret pools inside your stomach.

Perhaps I did overreact a little.

“And thank Ino for the flowers.”

He jerks in his place, looking at you wide eyed. “You uh-you knew about that?”

“I’ve known you for a long time, Shika. I know that wasn’t your idea.”

He lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Yeah alright, you got me. She may have suggested that those would help…” he admits sheepishly as you smile into his chest.

“I got you some ribs too at Choji’s suggestion but then he said that the hot ribs may only heat up your temper further and he ended up eating it himself”, he says, shaking his head as the both of you share a laugh over your friend.

Your eyes fall upon the clock as you notice the time, jerking upright at the realisation.

“Fuck, your break must be over by now, right?” you panic, moving away from him to search for your clothes, tossing pieces of his clothing over to him.

“Oh crap” he groans, “Ugh yeah...I guess I have to get going” he says, unwillingness evident in his tone. He catches his undershirt from you and puts it on, slipping it down his head in one swift motion.

You look at him, his dishevelled hair strewn across his face. You reach over instinctively, tucking a few lose strands behind his ear.

The guilt makes a comeback, making itself known through a sharp pang inside you.

Shikamaru gets up lazily, putting his trousers on and proceeding to let his hair down before tying it back into a ponytail.

You’re still sitting on the ground, watching him. You want to say a lot, but you don't know how to.

All you can manage is, "Listen...um…I’m sorry again, I overreacted. I was jealous…” you admit, red tinging your cheeks as you feel embarrassed about the way you acted before.

You watch him put on his jacket and smile down at you, crouching in front of you to take your face in his hand. He leans forward, placing a final kiss on your mouth.

“It's okay, just don't get so mad again... You’re the only one, y/n.”

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curetapwater · 3 years

Text

A Beautiful Transformation? No Way!

Part 1 of Legendary Warrior Sailor Black

Nagisa knew too much about dying for someone still alive.

There she lay, curled up in shuddering fetal, biting back whimpers and growls because she couldn't give the ones that did this to her the satisfaction of knowing she was in pain. But of course she was in pain, what else were you supposed to feel when red was flowing from your pierced abdomen? She coughed and tasted iron. Now blood was coming from two places.

The lightest touch, warm and gentle, brushed her fingers. She mustered what strength she had left and opened her eyes. A girl's face lay mere centimeters from hers on this ground that shook with what Nagisa knew was the world crumbling around them. Wishing she could stop them, she beheld the tears streaming from the deep blue eyes that held Nagisa's world, her universe, for reasons she couldn't quite recall. Neither girl had the ability to speak, but Nagisa knew that right then what she needed to do was take the girl's hand.

Her hand...

🖤🌙🖤🌙

"NAGISAAAA! YOU'RE GONNA BE LAAATE!"

Misumi Nagisa was yanked back into the waking world so hard she feared whiplash. She blinked and rubbed at the clouds in her eyes until she could make out the time on her alarm clock. Oh. Her brother was right.

She yanked on her uniform button-down, skirt, vest, bow tie, and blazer faster than you can say "tardy," ran her toothbrush through her teeth and her hairbrush through her hair, grabbed the crosse leaning against her desk, and sprinted out her bedroom door.

"I'm heading out!" she announced without so much as a "good morning" to her family.

"Don't you at least want some toast?" her mother asked, spreading butter on a fresh slice.

But Nagisa was already on her way out of the apartment. "No time for toast!" she shouted back. Then she was back inside. "Oh, who am I kidding, there's always time for toast!"

🌙🖤🌙🖤

Trying not to choke on toast while running turned out to be a lot harder than television had led Nagisa to believe. Swallowing down the last bite with a hard gulp, she lamented morning coming so early.

She doubted this disaster would have even happened had she not been up all night scared she'd have the dream again. The one where she dies.

Shudders made her almost drop her crosse. That and the fact that she was still running. How could something that wasn't even real do this to her? It was invading real life! She'd considered telling her parents but figured they would just tell her what she already knew: that she wasn't really dying and that the world wasn't ending and that the girl with her wasn't dying either because she wasn't real. If she was, then Nagisa would be able to remember something about how she looked. Other than her eyes. And the way her hand felt...

Nagisa shook her head. If she went on like that it'd give the girls at Verone Academy all the more reason to stuff her locker full of letters she didn't want-

5 kilograms of something Nagisa couldn't see knocked her head clear of thoughts and into the pavement. She growled, staggering back up. "What was tha-"

A group of boys, maybe eight or nine years old, pushed past her and nearly threw off the balance she'd just regained. They were chasing a cream-colored cat that scampered all about, jumping on and off every surface it could to avoid the little menaces. It would seem the cat had chosen her as one of his landing spots.

Seeing the poor thing so helpless, in such terror, stabbed through Nagisa's stomach with a justice-induced rage.

"HEY!" she hollered, brandishing her crosse like a weapon. The boys turned, shocked at the power of her voice. "Pick on someone your own size!" They blinked at her. Then she raised her crosse in a jerk just threatening enough to make them scramble off.

The cat revved up to dart away, but stopped short and turned to stare at her.

"You okay, little guy?" Nagisa asked, stooping down to scratch his head. There was a bandage on his forehead. "Here, let me get that for you."

And she did, peeling the adhesive back to reveal the strangest marking she had ever seen, some sort of weird heart-shaped thing. She thought it might be a bald spot, but it was blue. Blue? Did cats come in blue? She'd never owned one-

Ah crap, now she was double late! The cat was fine, but she wasn't gonna be if she didn't book it to the train station!

🖤🌙🖤🌙

If it weren't for the vice principle telling her off about tardiness and irresponsibility and selfishness maybe Nagisa could have made it for at least the end of the first class period. But nope, instead by the time she made it to her classroom, the second class was well underway and Ms. Yoshimi was handing out grades for a test Nagisa had forgotten about the moment she'd turned it in.

"Ah, Ms. Misumi," she said. "Since you've decided to join us today maybe you can explain this." She handed her a paper face-down. Never a good sign. Walking to her desk, Nagisa clutched the side that held her red-ink fate flat against her stomach so no one, including herself, could see what it said. She waited until eyes were off her and snuck a peek.

She got a thirty percent.

"No way!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself. All eyes were back on her. This day just kept getting better and better.

🌙🖤🌙🖤

"English is a weird language anyway," Rina consoled on the way to the train station.

Shiho nodded emphatically. "Yeah yeah yeah. If it's gonna, like, have that many rules then they shouldn't change all the time."

Well that was easy for them to say. At least they passed the test. Nagisa passed her crosse between her hands before resting it on her shoulder. Lacrosse had gotten her mind off of things for a bit. It helped that it was something she was actually good at. The muscles in her legs ached in protest of their continued use after practice, but they burned good because she knew she was getting stronger.

"Hey! I know what'll cheer you up, Nagisa!" Shiho said.

"What?"

"I hear that one jewelry store in the mall is having a huge huge huge sale!"

"I doubt there's anything in there we could afford, even if it's on sale," Rina reasoned.

"No, but, I hear they're cutting prices by, like, ninety percent!"

"Really? I need to see that for myself!"

Somehow Nagisa doubted even with those huge price cuts that she could afford anything. Not so much because the jewelry was expensive, but because she'd squandered her allowance on chocolate desserts and takoyaki (not at the same time). Not to mention she doubted she'd be getting another payment for the next ten years after her parents saw the newest low in her academic career. And she was pretty sure she was in the hole to begin with...

So, Nagisa hopped on the train to home and left Shiho and Rina to their detour.

She kept her eyes on her loafers. All she wanted to do in that moment was shuffle over to the nearest window so she could stare out of it with quiet sullenness instead of having to look anyone in the eye. But she managed to do just that when she forgot you're supposed to look forward when you shuffle and she ended up shuffling right into a boy's solid back.

"Ah!" She leapt back in surprise, and he did the same. Her surprise soon melted to deep, deep embarrassment when she looked up to find the cutest boy she'd ever laid her eyes on.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his gorgeous floppy hair flopping gorgeously.

"I- I- I'm so sorry!" Nagisa replied with a bow.

"It's no problem," he said. "It was an honest mistake. You're Misumi, right?"

The tight cocoons forming in her heart burst into butterflies. "You know my name?"

"I told him," said the girl Nagisa just noticed had been standing with this boy the whole time. Nagisa recognized her as Yukishiro Honoka from her class, a very pretty girl with delicate pale skin and a head of shiny, neat hair that housed the brain that got the highest score on the test Nagisa had failed. And she knew him. Oh no.

"I apologize if it seemed like I had been talking behind your back," Yukishiro said, which planted in Nagisa's head the idea that she had been talking behind her back. "I was just concerned because you looked so distraught, and I was telling Fuji-P-"

"Ahhh... I told you not to call me that in public!" the boy said, cheeks flushing.

Great. They had pet names, too.

"I hope you're not still upset about that test," Yukishiro told her.

The butterflies in Nagisa's heart were replaced by a wasp sting of horror. "HOW DID YOU KNOW I GOT A THIRTY PERCENT ON THE ENGLISH TEST?!"

Conversations stopped all around her. Passengers, including far too many in Verone uniforms, briefly gaped at the girl dumb enough to announce something like that to a packed train car. Then they turned back in a way that was supposed to be discreet but everyone knew really wasn't.

Yukishiro's polite smile cracked to reveal a foundation of shock and second-hand embarrassment. "I- I- um, wasn't aware of the exact score, but... I just heard you exclaim 'no way' when you saw it and assumed you weren't happy..." She cleared her throat a bit, a cute little sound that somehow made Nagisa feel like even more of a bumbling fool. She had to get out of there.

"Well, it was nice meeting you!" she forced through her teeth before pushing through the packed train car to find a spot as far from all human beings as possible.

🖤🌙🖤🌙

At home, Nagisa was greeted not by her family but by a note:

Nagisa

Ryouta and I are out buying groceries. Leftovers in the fridge. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

Love, Mom.

Her father wouldn't be home for several hours. So she had the apartment to herself to... what should she do? Cry? Sulk? Scream into her pillow? That last one sounded good. And then maybe if she was feeling a little more devious than usual, she'd change that 30 to an 80 with a couple strokes of a...

No, that was too low. She just wouldn't bring it up until it was brought up to her. Now there's a plan.

She went to her bedroom, threw her bag and crosse on a chair then threw herself onto her mountain of plush toys. She really hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night, and she decided not to remind herself why in case she scared herself into another all-nighter. That day, especially that exchange on the train, was way scarier than anything her brain could concoct, even if in her dreams she had tasted death...

Because she...

What was she thinking about, again..?

🌙🖤🌙🖤

Nagisa didn't even have time to dream before she was awakened by four little paws driving into her stomach.

Her assailant turned out to be the cat.

"Bald spot cat?" she exclaimed.

"It's not a bald spot-mepo!" the cat said.

Wait.

Nagisa screamed. The cat got the message and launched himself off and onto the floor, giving her the second painful jab to the stomach she'd experienced within a single minute. She scrambled off her bed and grabbed her crosse as if it would protect her from the creature.

"What?! WHAT?! A talking cat?! No way... There's just no way!" she whimpered, more to herself than to him.

"Just put down the stick and listen to me-mepo!"

Nagisa lifted the crosse above her head. "G-Get away! I won't hesitate!"

"Mepooo!" the cat screamed and ran to her balcony that she realized she'd forgotten to close the door to. That would explain how he got in. "Don't hurt me-mepo! What are you doing-mepo! This isn't how legendary warriors should-"

"What's with all the 'mepo mepo' stuff? Say 'mepo' one more time!"

The cat clamped his mouth shut, clearly fighting the urge. "MEPOOO!" he shouted, darting back into the room and between her legs. Oh, no no no, that was closer than Nagisa ever needed to be to a weird talking cat. Who knew if he was even a cat at all?

Nagisa screamed and bolted back to her bed. This had to be a dream. If she just closed her eyes she'd wake back up in the real world where cats didn't-

"Listen to me-mepo!"

She opened her eyes to find him standing at the foot of her bed. She sat up, hugging a stuffed panda close in a feeble attempt to make herself feel better. Saner. "What do you want? What... are you?"

"My name is Mepple-mepo."

"Mepple-mepo?" Nagisa repeated.

"No-mepo. Mepple-mepo."

Nagisa blinked, then nodded her understanding. Maybe he'd go away if she just complied.

"I'm here because I've finally found you, the Legendary Warrior-mepo!"

"Legendary Warrior?" Nagisa said. She'd hardly say a girl in a wrinkled school uniform armed with nothing but a crosse would be something anyone would call a warrior. "I think you've got the wrong-"

"I didn't think you looked anything like what I was looking for-mepo. Until you saved me-mepo! If you didn't take off that bandage I wouldn't be able to talk-mepo!"

"And then where would we be?" Nagisa said dryly.

"Listen-mepo! A strange presence is in the air and it's threatening the city-mepo! I've watched you all day and I'm sure you're the warrior destined to find the Legendary Prism Crystal and the Princess of Light-mepo!"

"The what and the who?" This was getting way too complex. As if a cat being able to talk didn't make things complex enough.

Mepple rolled his eyes, which Nagisa was pretty sure cats weren't supposed to be able to do. "The sacred treasure and the princess of the Garden of Light-mepo!"

"Oh, well, that clears it up," Nagisa said, chuckling in an attempt to depressurize. It didn't work.

Mepple groaned, hopped off the bed, and padded over to the balcony. He pointed up at the sky with a round little paw. "There-mepo!"

Nagisa looked up into the twilight and saw oranges fading to blues but no supposed Garden of Light. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"That-mepo! The big white circle with the rabbit on the side-mepo!"

"... You mean the moon?"

"We called it the Garden of Light-mepo," Mepple said, going back inside. Nagisa followed and closed the balcony door before the neighbors started thinking she was crazy. Maybe she was.

"So... you're an alien?"

"I guess, but that's not important-mepo!"

"I beg to differ-"

"Just take this-mepo!" And with that, Mepple suddenly did a high-reaching somersault, leaving behind a trail of sparkling dust that materialized into a white and pink brooch that fell into Nagisa's hands. It was heavy, and it was cute. But it also came out of nowhere!

Nagisa cast the thing onto her bed, freaked beyond belief. "What is happening?!"

Mepple picked up the brooch between his sharp little teeth. Whatever muffled words came out of his mouth, they couldn't have been all that pleasant. But then he dropped it himself, ears perked up. "I sense an evil presence-mepo!"

Nagisa backed away. "A what?"

"Turn on the TV-mepo!"

Nagisa ran into the family room and did as she was told. On the screen flickered live footage of the mall, with policemen trying to break in.

"It seems there is some sort of barrier inside preventing entry into the complex," the news anchor said. "The state of the patrons inside is currently unknown."

The bottom of Nagisa's stomach dropped out. "That's where Shiho and Rina went! Do you think they're still in there?"

"I don't know-mepo! But I know this looks like a job for you-mepo!"

"Me? What am I supposed to do?"

"Put on the brooch and shout, 'Black Prism Power, Make Up'-mepo!"

Nagisa assumed the "mepo" was meant to be left out. "What good'll that do?"

"Just do it-mepo!"

And so, feeling like the kind of fool that announces to a packed train car that she got a thirty percent on a test, Nagisa attached the brooch to her bow tie and shouted, "Black Prism Power, Make Up!"

Her hand shot up without her permission. An instant later, the world around her exploded in blinding rainbow-colored light. She wanted to scream, wriggle, call for help as she was lifted into a void of pure color, but instead her body moved in sweeping, elegant movements in a choreography that she'd never learned. A yelp wished to break through her enforced silence when all clothing except the brooch vanished. Great ribbons of light erupted from the brooch, wrapping around her body in the shape of a leotard, gloves, boots, and a miniskirt. A big bow tied itself just above her backside, earrings clipped themselves into her ears, a choker found its way around her neck. Then a strange, almost searing sensation prickled in the center of her forehead, until a hard metal circlet materialized in place. Finally, her feet touched ground, though still all she saw was nebulous color. Her body struck several battle-ready poses she had no say in striking. But she really started freaking out when her voice started making choices of its own.

"I am the emissary of light that fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Black! And now, in the name of the Garden of Light..." Her arm snapped forward, pointing a warning finger to no one in particular. "...return to the darkness from which you came!"

She blinked -- Oh, joy, she could blink her own eyelids! -- and the world faded back to her living room.

"...Say what?"

Mepple looked upon her with eyes that saw some champion of justice, as opposed to the middle-schooler in a shrunken black and pink sailor fuku that Nagisa saw when she caught her reflection in a mirror. "Amazing-mepo..." he said. "The Legendary Warrior has awakened right in front of me-mepo!"

"Awakened?"

"Now Sailor Black can finally fulfill her destiny and help restore the Garden of Light to its former glory-mepo!"

"I'm going to what?" Nagisa wanted to press further, suddenly feeling less hugged and more caged by the costume's tight fabric. But the sirens blaring from the television set reminded her there were more pressing matters at hand. "How am I supposed to help Rina and Shiho and everyone like this?" she asked, holding the black skirt's hem between her fingers.

"You are Sailor Black-mepo! You have legendary powers-"

"If you call me 'legendary' one more time..." Nagisa started, simmering on the outside but reeling from how fast this was happening on the inside.

"Never mind that-mepo. Let's go-mepo!" And with that, Mepple ran back to Nagisa's bedroom.

"That's not the way out," Nagisa said, following him. She found him with his front paws on the glass door to her balcony. "Maybe you always land on your feet, but I don't-"

"Do you want to save your friends or not-mepo!"

"I do, I do!"

"Then trust me-mepo!"

Nagisa sighed. She guessed she couldn't exit through the apartment complex's lobby dressed like this. She didn't feel particularly powerful, but if a cat could talk to her and she could change her clothes just by saying a phrase, then maybe she could trust this little guy.

She placed a gloved hand on the handle and slid the door aside in a shuddering motion. "Okay... Okay..." she heaved as she stepped onto the balcony. She'd never before given much thought to how high up the apartment really was. How she'd taken for granted the fact that she knew what the tops of neighboring buildings looked like. She'd never considered having to stand on them!

Part of her wanted to back away, to declare this whole mess some stress-induced fever dream that would all go away once she came back to her senses. But then she thought of her friends' horrified faces, their screams for help, who knows who keeping them in that dark mall to do who knows what.

Next thing she knew, her foot launched herself off the railing and into the newly dark night. The jump sent her farther up than she'd ever thought possible. She bypassed several buildings until her feet touched the roof of some office building. The sole of her boot touched concrete for but a moment before she took to the air yet again.

She wanted to scream but at the same time a euphoria was building inside her. "My body!" she exclaimed to Mepple, who rode her shoulder. "It's so light! And my muscles are so strong!"

"That's the power of the Sailor Guardians-mepo!" he said.

"Guardians? You mean there are others?"

"We'll talk about it later-mepo."

🖤🌙🖤🌙

Perched from her hiding place on yet another roof, Nagisa gathered that the police were trying to break into the mall from every entrance. Some even tried to break the windows, but some unseen force seemed to be keeping the doors shut and rendering the glass unbreakable.

"What kind of glass did they use on that thing?" Nagisa mused.

"These are dark forces at work-mepo. I can sense them-mepo," Mepple said.

"So only someone else with powers can stop whatever's going on here?"

"Yes-mepo."

Nagisa stretched her legs, hardly believing they had been able to make such impossible feats to get up there. "And I guess that person is me?"

"Yes-mepo."

"And what if someone recognizes me?"

"No one will-mepo. You're Sailor Black now-mepo."

"Oh, so people won't recognize me just because I'm in a new outfit?! You know, I'm the only person I know around here who has orange hair-"

Mepple leapt from her shoulder, plunging stories below.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" she hollered, following him anyway because she didn't know where else to go. With the place surrounded on all sides and no credentials to get past the cops, Nagisa resolved on the way down to land on the mall's roof. Unintentionally in the best way, she misaimed and ended up crashing through a skylight.

Descending into darkness in a glittering explosion of broken glass, Nagisa -- er -- Sailor Black felt a distinct stab of terror upon realizing she had no idea what she was getting herself into. Or maybe that was just her stomach dropping. She brought her hands in front of her, hoping to soften the fall, but when her hands hit floor she realized she had enough control to cartwheel onto her feet. No time to be impressed, she decided. She needed to find out what the heck was going on. She needed to know Shiho and Rina were alright.

The only light was from the moon, shining through the skylight. Other than the deserted rest area in which she stood, darkness stretched around her on all sides, truly endless. Had Mepple not landed on her head a few seconds later, she may have been paralyzed.

"Would you stop that?" she said, rubbing her head.

Mepple was already on the move. "The dark power! It's this way-mepo!"

Sailor Black sighed and followed. Kiosks, mannequins, garbage cans, so many figures that seemed innocuous in the light now made her heart twinge with dread. Her mind concocted horrible images of the figures she couldn't make out. Then she found one she did.

A body in a Verone uniform, laying crumpled on the floor.

Sailor Black screamed. Mepple sped over to investigate. "She's alive-mepo."

She clapped a hand to her mouth, her scream still echoing through the spacious mall. She hoped that hadn't attracted any unwelcome company.

Mepple stuck his head in a paper bag still in the girl's unconscious clutch. "What's this-mepo? A necklace-mepo?"

"A necklace?" Sailor Black said. That logo on the bag... now that she looked more closely... That was the store Shiho and Rina had been headed! And she knew exactly where it was, even if this place was spookier than usual. "Follow me, Mepple!"

🌙🖤🌙🖤

The sight she was met with a the jewelry store was a horrible one indeed. So, so many bodies littered the floor. Older women lay sprawled alongside schoolgirls no older than Sailor Black. And all their bodies glittered with brand new jewelry.

"What do you think is going on here-mepo?" Mepple asked, sniffing at a ring cast to the floor.

"I don't know, but..." The sinking feeling in Sailor Black's stomach was getting worse by the second. Tip-toeing over girls and women, she scanned around for... Shiho and Rina! They lay together in a heap by a display for friendship bracelets.

"Shiho! Rina!" Sailor Black cried, running for them.

"Shh," Mepple hushed. "Who knows who could be-"

"Who's there?" came a harsh voice. A well-manicured woman stepped out from a back room, paying no mind to the comatose patrons around her. She looked like some sort of store manager. And Sailor Black didn't like her at all.

She looked up from her spot kneeling next to her friends. Each wore one of the friendship bracelets, and it looked like they'd been picking out a third one. "What have you done to them?"

"Why should I care to tell you?" the woman scoffed, heels clacking on the floor closer and closer to her.

Sailor Black picked up the third friendship bracelet, hand shaking. Her eyelids started to droop and her heartrate slowed until she dropped the accessory. "It's the jewelry, isn't it? You're using this jewelry to... to... make everyone fall asleep? Or.. or sick? Or-"

The woman slammed her into the wall with an unnaturally long arm. She held Sailor Black by her neck, her cackling face deteriorating into that of a yellow-eyed monster as she strangled her.

"Mep-" Sailor Black wheezed. "Mepple! Mepple, help!"

Mepple charged for the monster's feet but she kicked him aside.

Sailor Black clawed uselessly at the monster's impossibly strong grip. The air was slowly being crushed out of her lungs. At this rate, she'd-

"Ow!" the monster cried, dropping her. Sailor Black hacked. Stuck in the floor before her was a blue rose. Just as confused as the monster, she looked up.

In the entrance to the store stood a girl in a white top hat, billowing white cape, and a similarly colored blazer and poofy skirt. Her hair shone raven black against the stark white of her costume, and a pale blue mask disguised her face.

"I am Tuxedo White," the girl declared, an identical blue rose playing between her gloved fingers. She snapped a pointed finger in the monster's direction. "Evil servant of the dark power, you will be punished!"

"Not another one," the monster grumbled. She raised her gnarled hands high and bellowed, "Awaken, my slaves, who have given energy to our great ruler!" The patrons on the floor began to twitch, and then to rise from the floor.

Tuxedo White gasped. "Sailor Black, behind you!" she cried.

"AHHH!!!" Sailor Black dove out of the way of an assault from a possessed Shiho just in time, only to almost stumble into a headlock from Rina. "Not you guys, too! Snap out of it, please!" she cried, running around the store.

"You can't stop them by running," Tuxedo White yelled, using a cane to fend off a possessed older woman.

"Do you expect me to attack these people!?" Sailor Black replied. Tuxedo White said something back but Sailor Black didn't hear it because at that point Shiho and Rina had tackled her to the ground. Now, she might have been an athlete, but so were her friends and oh boy did they put up a fight that she wasn't willing to dish back. "AHHHH!!! GET OFF OF ME! GET OFF OF ME!" It was enough to get her to start tearing up. As her vision blurred, the friendship bracelets on her friends' wrists glimmered back at her as the monster's cackling echoed through the store...

They'd had a third bracelet with them...

Had it been for her? Her friends had known how rough a day she'd had and they had tried to cheer her up. And this was the thanks they got? Possessed by this horrible... whatever this lady was? It was enough to make her blood broil.

She threw Shiho and Rina off of her (she'd check on them later) and stood straight up. "You..." she seethed at the monster. "How DARE you take advantage of the friendships of young girls!" She bound towards the monster. Her fist connected with the monster's jaw. "You are an enemy to girls and women everywhere!" Another punch sent the monster careening into a wall. "What you've done is unforgivable!"

"Sailor Black-mepo!" Mepple shouted. "Throw your tiara at her and shout 'Black Tiara Action'-mepo!"

Sailor Black was too angry to ask why. She ripped the tiara from her forehead and instinctively knew what to do. She twirled the tiara around her, felt it crackle and glow with black electricity. Then she threw it like a flying disk, shouting "Black Tiara Action!"

The tiara hit the monster with a crack of thunder, ripping through her body. The monster let out a final screech as she turned to shimmering moondust. Her tiara boomeranged back into her hands, leaving her speechless.

"Did I... do that? No way..."

"You've done well, Sailor Black," Tuxedo White said, bowing.

Sailor Black scratched the back of her head. "I should say the same to you. Thanks for helping me out back there."

Tuxedo White gave a little smile. "Of course. Well, until next time... Farewell!" And she left with a swish of her cape.

🖤🌙🖤🌙

"And when we woke up, the place was a mess!" Rina said.

"Yeah, it's true! You're, like, so so so lucky you weren't there!" Shiho added.

"But I could've sworn I'd seen someone fight the store manager. She saved us, I think!"

"Wow. Really?" Nagisa droned, forehead plastered to her desk. Between getting chewed out for the failed test, getting double chewed out for not doing her homework, and having almost died secretly saving a mall from a monster attack the night before, she was past the point of actually absorbing anything her friends were saying.

"Yeah, it's crazy! She's like a superhero or something! I think she said her name was... um..."

"Sailor Black?" Nagisa mumbled.

"That's it!" Shiho said.

Nagisa moved her head to the side. "Cool."

"Anyway, that's why we couldn't get those friendship bracelets," Rina explained. "But it's okay, because Shiho stayed up last night making these!" She and Shiho held up three little silver charms, each shaped like a bunny sitting on a crescent moon. Shiho handed the one painted with pink accents to Nagisa.

"Here you go!" Shiho said. "I figured something made by me would be more meaningful anyway, y'know? We were... hoping we could cheer you up!"

Nagisa smiled at the gift and held it to her chest. "It did," she said, smiling through her tired eyes. "Thanks, you guys. Really."

#pretty cure fanfic #pretty cure #futari wa pretty cure #sailor moon crossover #sailor moon au #sailor black

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defiant-firefly · 3 years

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Dunno if I mentioned this buuuuttt

Fic idea where the Persona characters get introduced to a bunch of obscure/bizzare DS games. My Labby brainrot made this mostly about her but it I'll try vary it

Not really bizarre/obscure but Aigis bluescreening as her nintendog doesn't understand her despite her taking great care in make sure she gave the command in the exact same way every time.

More obscure, someone walks in to Labrys just screaming at a specific pitch playing Pony Friends cause she realised just screeching worked better than verbally encouraging her pony to run faster. Also maybe makes her pic up a camera and give photography a go who knows?

Oh the horse game theme, Yusuke gets Bella Sara and goes around repeating all the quotes from all the magic horse cards he gets in game and talking about how the aesthetic of the card themes perfectly match the horse depicted on it. He gets a random item card and he's insulted. He gets to have all six horses to ride incredibly fast too.

Ryuji and Ann both get Purpals and neither will let the other one get a perfect score on the hardest singing cat minigame I forgot the name of before they do.

Ann probably also has Fashion Dogs and she and Shiho have compared their dog's outfits before a lot and Ann always wins but is miraculously bad at winning competitions, which Shiho aces every time.

Futaba has Scooby-Doo Unmasked. No idea why. Probably the vibes. Probably gets Makoto to play and loves watching her rage when she guesses the culprit wrong or something

Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs is Haru's and she gets way too into it. All you do is trace pictures and the accuracy of the trace becomes your dino's power in a fight and she's like "YEAH!! YOU GET HIM!! BEAT HIM UP!!! TEAR HIM TO SHREDS!!! MAKE THAT PHONE BOX WISH IT WAS NEVER BORN!!!" and her dinosaur has the cutest name like 'Daisy' or 'Sunny' or something. Makoto is afraid.

That's all I got for now but I'll be back with this most likely

#persona 5 royal #persona 4 arena #labrys #aigis #ann takamaki #ryuji sakomoto #haru okumura #makoto niijima #futaba sakura #yusuke kitagawa #shiho suzui #DS games idea #hahaaaaa #love those old games #they're not retro or anything but they're neat okay #long post

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auncyen · 4 years

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So this is kind of inspired by i can take you to the place of delight by futuresoon, a Maruki/Akira horror story that is horror because it is Maruki/Akira.

The writing is very good and I am on tenterhooks about whether it’ll end okay or end in a nightmare so I have kind of been wanting to write Ren’s friends learning he’s in a relationship like that and being protective of him. (Although whether he accepts that protection is...well it’s not promising.)

“You two have fun!” Morgana told Ren and Ann outside the diner, his tail twitching curiously. “Ren--relax and show Lady Ann a good time, will you? You’ve been twitchy all day.”

Ann glanced at Ren as he sighed. He had been really tense sitting behind her in class, but she had a pretty good idea why. She tried to give him a reassuring smile and gestured for him to follow her into the diner, where a waitress showed them to a booth. She placed an order for Frui-Tea, which Ren copied.

“So what’s this about?” Ren asked after the waitress walked away. His tone was brusque, and he immediately caught it, wincing. “Sorry. Morgana’s right, I’ve been--off. I guess this Palace is finally getting to me.”

It was a good excuse; Ann wouldn’t be surprised if the Palace was part of her friend’s stress. Especially considering...what awaited him when they finished. “Haha, yeah, this one’s been tough, hasn’t it?” she said cheerfully, playing along for the moment. “I’ll tell you in a sec, but first, can you turn your phone off?”

They’d told Futaba that spying on other people’s phones was invasive. Futaba had told them she’d be negligent not keeping tabs on them when they seemed to be taking on a government conspiracy. ...The same conspiracy that had killed Futaba’s mother. They’d reached a compromise that they’d turn off their phones whenever they really needed privacy, and Futaba was not to ask any questions about the blackout or do any hacking to get around it. So far that seemed to be working. And it needed to keep working for this, because Ann would be livid if Futaba tried to circumvent the agreement on this particular conversation.

Ren looked more concerned now, taking his phone out so that she could see he was powering it down. He placed it on the table. “Is everything ok, Ann?”

She took out her own phone so he could see she was turning it off too, laid it next to his phone, and then pushed both phones next to the wall of the booth. ...And then laid her sweatshirt over both devices, though she wasn’t 100% sure that would muffle the sound enough if they somehow turned back on. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Futaba! ...Except it kind of was, exactly, that she didn’t trust Futaba not to hack things she’d been told not to hack. She trusted Futaba with her life in the Metaverse. Phones were a completely different story. “I think I should be asking you that,” she told Ren.

He looked at her with confusion, and she bit her lip, not sure how to start this topic. Then he let out a soft breath of surprise. “You saw me in the nurse’s office this morning,” he said, sinking back into his seat and folding his arms. Still on guard. “Your hoodie was up, so I didn’t recognize you from behind.”

“I was still chilly when I got back in the building,” Ann mumbled, and tugged on a blonde pigtail awkwardly. Dammit, she’d known this conversation was going to be tough. For both of them. “But yes, I saw you and Maruki,” she said firmly, to shut down any doubt about what she’d seen. “And--I’m sorry.”

Ren blinked in surprise. “Uh.” He chuckled, the laughter itself a bit confused. “Ann, I know you weren’t trying to spy or anything, or you wouldn’t have opened the door and then ran like that. I’m just glad it was you and not another girl. I was expecting the rumor mill to explode by lunch time. Followed by Maruki getting fired and me getting expelled.”

The way he said that almost made it sound Maruki getting fired would be a bad thing. Ann had only run because walking in on Ren making out with someone was not something she’d been planning to do. The second she’d calmed down from the surprise enough to register the someone shoving his tongue down Ren’s throat was their counselor, the man who was supposed to be helping students recover after another faculty member had turned himself in for sexually harassing minors, was the instant her rage had skyrocketed. She’d wanted a literal firing. “No, I’m sorry I didn’t notice you were in trouble,” she said. “I think--I think I get why you didn’t tell us--there’s a lot going on, right? But Ren, we can make time to help you.”

The way Ren was looking at her so uncertainly made her insides twist. It wasn’t too different from how Shiho had looked sometimes. It made Ann feel like she had a mild bufu spell arcing through her body, a chilling frisson at the back of her head that dripped down into cold dread in her gut. He might have kept quiet for other reasons too. He didn’t like asking for help much. Did--did he feel ashamed because of the position Maruki had him in? Because of what their counselor had done to him?

God, she wanted to set the man on fire. “Look, I don’t mean--I’m not planning to tell anyone else about this.” She had, nearly. She’d had her phone out to text Makoto about the whole thing before she stopped and considered Ren’s privacy. Then she’d used her phone for something else. “But when you turn your phone back on, you can check the metanav...or maybe you already know? Maruki’s a hit.” Ren’s gray eyes widened in surprise, and Ann nodded, feeling more confident. He just hadn’t known there was a way they could help him out of the situation. “Even if you don’t want to tell the others about...what’s going on, let’s just tell them we heard rumors he was doing this sort of thing! There’s no way anyone would stand for it, so you don’t have to be hurt by a scumbag like him!”

“Takuto’s...distorted...?” Ren murmured, and that was weird, hearing him using Maruki’s personal name. He slowly shook his head. “Ann...are you sure it’s the right person on the Nav? Or...no, actually, I can believe he might be distorted...but you’ve got the wrong idea.”

That feeling of ice in her stomach was back. “Uh,” Ann choked out. “I think I got a pretty clear look at the situation this morning. I’m sure it’s him on the Metanav. Though...I haven’t figured out where the distortion’s located, yet.” She’d tried every location she could think of on school grounds. No dice. All those were in Sae’s Palace. “But still, I’m sure. We can help you, Ren. Let’s steal his heart.”

“I already did that,” Ren said with a wry smile. “Ann, seriously. It’s okay. I didn’t tell you guys about Maruki because I knew everyone would get upset about it after what happened with Kamoshida. And sure enough...” His lips twitched in that nervous half-smile again before he looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. Finally, he looked her in the eyes again. “Thank you for worrying about me, Ann. You’re a really good friend. And...it is concerning that he’s distorted. But I think I have an idea what his fixation is, and it’s nothing like Kamoshida’s. I’ll try to help him work through it. He didn’t pressure me into the relationship. I’m okay, Ann.”

Ann stared at him. “You think...it’s okay...that he’s distorted? And having relationships with students?”

“Not so loud,” Ren said, looking around. He leaned forward. “You know distortions aren’t always malicious. And he isn’t having relationships with students. Just with me. Yes, I know it’s hard to believe, but everything is fine.”

Ann took a deep breath.

Panther added a few more agidynes to the total pain she’d wreak on that man’s shadow when she found it.

#persona 5 #ren amamiya #ann takamaki #p5r spoilers

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huxianposts · 3 years

Note

Akechi, Akira, and Velvet Room for the P5 ask game?

[hello hello, i apologize for the wait, but thank you for your ask!!

Akechi: Character you had the biggest change of heart about?

funnily enough, it’s probably Mika from Ann’s confidant. First time playing through (on a speedrun to see plot), and I hated how she was sabotaging Ann. it felt so mean, esp after half the stuff Ann was going through after Kamoshida and in trying to become strong for Shiho’s sake. every time Mika appeared on screen i went, “i have had enough of you” Now though.... I genuinely think Mika is funny lmaoo she’s a mean girl?? and doesn’t apologize for it? she has goals and isn’t afraid to cry crocodile tears to tear down the opposition. the fact that I also realized Ann has a type for mean girls-- that really cinched it for me, esp when she admits to admiring Mika, and I was like OH I UNDERSTAND NOW.

Akira: If you had a Palace, what would it be?

hmmmmm maybe a library? not really creative i know lol but libraries are really my comfort spaces? it was the only place that i felt was home where i could take solace in my loneliness. my parents worked all the time, but the shop was next to the library, and i’d venture there into all these different worlds through books, where i could learn english at my own pace and vibe in peace. the palace would be a labyrinth though, easy to get lost in if you didn’t know specific books and tropes to open the right path, endless staircases that led to more shelves and hiding nooks for safe rooms. the shadows would probably take the form of magpies wanting to steal from the party and giant book eating rats that wants to find a home but feels threatened instead. underneath your feet are dead leaves and crickets, so you have to tread extra soft, just to maintain peace. the smell of rain is prevalent in the air and gets stronger the more you alert the security, like it’ll threaten to destroy the library once it storms.

Velvet Room: Unpopular opinion?

i typically follow pretty chill p5 blogs so i’m lucky to not see whatever the stuff my mutuals would mention to me, but i think the one opinion i did unfortunately see that induced rage was posts/ppl thinking Mishima ain’t shit and that he’s irredeemable or whatever, and i’m just. the absolute REACH these posts get about my boy, and I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND. if you can excuse the shitty behaviors and lines from the Phantom Thieves bc ‘trauma/teenagerisms’, then why doesn’t Mishima get the same respect? he’s traumatized af from Kamoshida? is recovering from both abuse and being an instrument to an adult that threatened his school career AND physical well-being? sure Mishima is awkward but like, look me in the eye and tell me that you weren’t just as awkward and ‘problematic’ at age 15-16, like c’mon man.

[P5 ASK MEME]

#thank you for the ask!#asks #bloom--later

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antihinata · 4 years

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Hinata’s not the Heroine of Naruto.

Hey She said it herself :D

Being a romantic interest doesn’t make one useful, nor does holding somebody’s hand or touching their face. ROMANTIC MOMENTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH USEFULNESS NOR DO THEY DEFINE SOMEBODY’S VALUE IN THE STORY.

The fact is: In the war, Hinata could barely pull off 64-palms(one single attack) and felt like she was reaching her limit at that alone, had to be saved by both Naruto and Neji(at the expense of Neji’s life), she tripped on rocks while Naruto was dying(and being kept alive by Sakura luckily), before begging for her dead cousin to save Naruto cuz she knew she couldn’t do anything, even HAD TO BE REMINDED TO USE HER BYAKUGAN BY KIBA. And then on top of that... She even got pulled into the Infinite Tsukuyomi, stuck in a genjutsu, while Team 7 was off defeating Kaguya and saving the world.

Oh, in The Last, people bring up Toneri, but Hinata didn’t actually do anything. On top of not being able to get spiderwebs out of her own hair, and not being able to drink water on her own, having to be saved OVER AND OVER AND OVER again in one single movie, the one moment she could prove her usefulness. She says she can’t destroy the tenseigan (despite earlier in the movie it being said that she could) aaaaaand. She briefly combines chakra with Naruto, but IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CONNECTION GETS BROKE AND HINATA GETS THROWN INTO A LITERAL CAGE TO WAIT FOR NARUTO TO SAVE HER AND THE WORLD. IT’S NARUTO WHO PRETTY MUCH DOES ALL THE WORK ON HIS OWN IN BIJUU MODE.

And in the pain battle? Hinata doesn’t really do much herself. She steps in, gets swiped aside, and stabbed(the anime dragged it on for like ten minutes, but in the manga it wasn’t even a battle, it lasted a few seconds at best.) And considering that this is the person who’d killed Naruto’s master(Jiraiya), and wrecked his entire home, killed Kakashi and pushed Tsunade to her breaking point, Hinata getting stabbed is the final straw. His rage flies him into the nine tails state and Kurama and Minato saves him. Once again, confessions don’t define usefulness. Especially when you leave your injured bodyguard. Somebody said she weakened Pain all by herself, which is BS Filler Studio Pierrot pushed on viewers. Nextly, somebody also pointed out that Naruto almost went full on Nine Tails mode for Hinata. But the thing is... Naruto had been releasing more tails each time he let Kurama take over.

Fight with Haku

Jiraiya vs Naruto

Gaara dies - Three Tail

The matter of Sasuke and Orochimaru on Tenchi Bridge - 4 Tail (the only reason Sakura got hurt was because she actually tried to confront him in that state. Naruto felt horrible when he realized he could have killed her and used that as motive to try to control the tailed beast)

so on and so fourth until it got too weak to hold back anymore. It was Minato who saved him from releasing it completely and potentially killing Hinata and everybody in the area. (Fortunately his nine tails mode was only focused on defeating Pain or he probably would have went after somebody else)

And before you sit and talk about Sakura “only calling out for Naruto”(because y’all don’t know how to stay on topic and NOT point fingers for your life) Lemme remind you of what Sakura was doing in the Pain Invasion Arc(copied and pasted from somewhere else).

Helping Shiho and Shikamaru with Jiraiya’s Message

Taking Out An Animal Path

Protecting and Healing the little girl Tami which almost got killed by the Animal Path

Following orders from Iruka

Healing people at the hospital and exhausting herself

Looking over Tsunade who was extremely weakened.

Giving orders to Katsuyu

Thinking ahead of the need to get in touch with Yamato.

Making sure citizens were evacuated

Telling people to not fool around and prioritizing the safety of the citizens and what was left of the village over her feelings.

Healing Hinata

Thinking logically about what to do as the best medic the village had left at the moment.

Not charging in blindly, knowing she would ultimately get killed.

(Hell, even Hinata’s bodyguard knew she would useless)

CAN YOU NAME ONE MOMENT WHERE HINATA PUTS HER LIFE ON THE LINE FOR SOMEBODY ASIDE FROM NARUTO? FIVE MOMENTS SHE SHOWS KINDNESS TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF NARUTO? Nope, because she’s Naruto-centric. She was created for no other perpose than to admire Naruto. She has a few moments (like Bringing tea to Neji and her Father, offering ointment to Kiba, crying over Neji’s death a couple times, the scene with Himawari in the manga, and standing beside Neji briefly in one scene, I guess helping Ino a bit. But not really anything beyond that. When the village is a matter, Naruto is usually the most relevant thing that comes to mind. You never hear her talking about her talking about protecting her team or village, it’s always about protecting Naruto in the end. Then again the brief moment where she supports Kiba in his goal to become Hokage and Shino shuts him down.... that was kind of funny I guess. But you don’t get many moments like that. The most Hinata does is provide aid with far distance sight and that’s about it. She’s not really cut out for fighting, nor does she succeed at it, ever(didn’t even defeat the juubling on screen!).

Maybe it’s better she became a house wife... She was a failure in comparison to her younger sister Hanabi, who would have been a much better Princess imo.

#anti hinata #anti hinata hyuuga #naruto

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theexistentiallyqueer · 4 years

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title: a shrike to your sharp and glorious thorn chapters: 27/? rating: T pairings: Akira Kurusu/Goro Akechi (side pairings: Ann Takamaki/Shiho Suzui, Makoto Niijima/Haru Okumura)

link

He’d watched Akira all through Sae’s palace, watched with too-much interest the way he’d trick-flip a knife into the air and catch it in its downfall between his fingers with careless grace, Loki laughing all the while where only he could hear. In an interrogation room deep below the ground, Loki’s laughter flipped easily into rage.

He’s hated himself for too long of a while.

Goro doesn’t know at what point curiosity became affection, fascination became something softer, an almost painfully tender yearning. He doesn’t know at what moment, the exact day and time down to the second, that he fell in love. That seems like a thing you should be able to catalogue, like having your throat cut, just that fast. They call it falling for a reason: the sharp drop, the crash at the end, the whisper-promise of breaking.

He fell, and that’s the peculiar part--sometimes when you fall there’s someone there to catch you at the bottom in spite of it all.

#persona #persona 5 #shuake #akeshu #goro akechi #shrikeblogging #hey lads i promise you this is the tenderest thing i have ever written #and if you love it please just give it a gentle reblog #this tenderness..............................it sits in my soul

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vitalpen · 4 years

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An alternative to the Change of Heart in Persona 5

So a while back I made a post about a criticism I had for Persona 5, a game that I absolutely love but do not believe is above criticism.

Now I’m playing Royal and falling back in love with everything (especially the sheer amount of work they put into setting up Makoto’s character, it’s so fucking great). But I want to talk about the change of heart for a second. Because I think as a core mechanic for the narrative, it has some issues. And as the entitled, presumptuous human that I am, I think I can create a better alternative.

Spoilers under the cut

At the start, stealing of hearts sounds great, it’s a nice motif to go off of the public opinion angle and the idea of hearts as the location of the dungeons. But as the story goes on, there are points where it gets to feeling kinda like a magic wand. It’s like "oh they confessed everything, it's all okay now" in some situations where it certainly is not okay (lookin at you, disturbing sidequest in Futaba's social link that I really hope they fixed or got rid of).

Along side that, it also brings up an issue in the boss encounters, most evident with the first one.

SPOILERS: Kamoshida is the best villain in the game. No one else hits the tier of scum that he does. He is the only one that you genuinely want to die by the end. I just beat him again in P5R, and they found new ways to make it even worse. I think a lot of this is owed to the fact that there isn’t any new revelations about his depravity which could risk feeling tacked on. You pretty much get it all right from the get go. Alongside this, you’re dealing with him directly the entire time he’s a problem, he’s at your school and has a direct hatred towards you specifically. You are also at your most powerless and vulnerable at this point. All of this adds up to a villain that I, as a teacher, would personally volunteer to throw the switch on the electric chair for.

So I cannot quite describe my frustration when I see him have a tearful moment of regaining his conscience and peacefully fading away. The emotional blueballs when he confesses, crying and remorseful is unholy. Now I know that I speak from personal opinion, but I don’t think the tearful confessions work as the emotional payoff. Why? Well there’s two reasons mainly.

When I saw Kamoshida on the stage, confessing to the whole school, I couldn’t help but feel that the wrong character was doing it. The mind control (don’t @ me) that’s at play doesn’t just take agency away from the character, it changes him into a different character entirely. I didn’t want to see weepy, self-pitying Kamoshida deal with consequences, I wanted high-horse, hypocritical, smug Kamoshida.

You may notice that nobody else actually spoke up when Ann bitched him out. Despite the number of abuse victims that were in that room, no one else talks.

The Change of Heart takes away the original root problem but does nothing to address the ripples that the problem made. Outside of Ann, Ryuji, and Shiho, the Kamoshida thing is basically treated like it never existed, no other students are ever checked up on. They all just get better instantly. Mishima’s and bandage instantly fucking vanish and he didn’t have the worst of it. Some of those volleyball members were wearing casts, that doesn’t heal in a single day.

I talked about P5 having an issue with following up on things in that other post, and this absolutely falls into that category. They have the Councilor now, which is an awesome thing to include, but much like how Ryuji treats the school’s intentions on the whole thing, it feels like Atlus putting a band-aid on a bullet wound because they had to.

All of this speaks to a lack of agency, both in the villain and in the victims (outside of your party at least). So how would I fix it? Instead of a Change of Heart, I would have preferred a Removal of Authority. When you take the treasure, you drastically reduce that person’s influence over others.

Let’s go back to Kamoshida. Taking away his influence would give everyone a moment of clarity to what they’re doing, realizing exactly how royally (ha) fucked up the situation is. Then students start to speak up in droves. The entire former track team, the volleyball team, even former students that had since graduated. It gets so big that Kamoshida can’t contain it. He tries to rage against it as much as he can, but finally, he can’t anymore. At that point, the moment of clarity is forced upon him, his delusions disappear, and THEN he can have that Change of Heart and break down crying.

I think this does a couple good things.

1) It puts agency into the hands of the victims. It empowers everyone else who was hurt, not just the main characters

2) It allows for a more believable outcome to a lot of stuff in that game without just saying “they’re all better now” (once again looking at you disturbing sidequest in Futaba’s social link).

3)It turns the game’s message from just a simple “rebel, fight the man” to “you have the power to change the world, together” which is something I think we all need to see right now

4) It provides an awesome alternate reality where elected officials are held accountable for their actions.

Alternatively

Just show us the person as they’re having the change of heart. Don’t give us a before and after, let us actually see them being forced to realize what they’ve been doing.

#persona #persona 5 #persona 5 royal #p5r #p5 #random thoughts

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aria-chicken-flugget · 5 years

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Things Can Only Get Better - Guren X Reader / Mika X Reader

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences (ao3)

Category: F/M (some eventual M/M)

Fandom: 終わりのセラフ | Owari no Seraph | Seraph of the End

Summary: It starts in 1983, you transfer schools for your Junior year of high school but no one knows why. Yuu’s been getting into trouble a lot without you and Mika, his two best friends growing up in the orphanage – you find out that Yuu spends a lot of time with Guren, a senior and notorious troublemaker who you don’t trust is a good influence on Yuu at all! What happens when you get to know Guren and his friends? What’s he hiding? Why is Mika not there? Find out in this 80s inspired extravaganza of highschool Romances, music and more!

*Title of the work inspired from Howard Jones’s hit of 1985*

Haven’t read the first chapter and want to? -

Link to the first chapter here on tumblr.

Link to further chapters on ao3 here.

Notes:

(F/S) = Favourite subject – (R/S) = Random Subject

I hope you enjoy this chapter my lovelies! It’s not beta read so please excuse mistakes.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Two: Shout at The Devil

“What’s this? Don’t tell me someone actually wants to date you, Amane?”

You both broke your embrace to see the bored face of a tall, punky pink haired guy with glasses, holding the hand of a young girl with similar features. You wondered where you’d seen this guy before. They stood before your seated position upon the steps to the arcade on what appeared to be an intimate moment romantically, you rolled your eyes at his assumption. The little girl was smiling and dressed in a sweet, white ruffled dress with a matching bow holding lose, rose locks. He however was not smiling. He had studs in his ears as well as studs on a leather wrist band, clad in a casual black bomber jacket and khaki coloured jeans. Yuu stiffened with a glare,

“What are you doing here, Kimizuki?”

Shiho rolled his eyes,

“And they say I’m blind. I’m taking Mirai to the Arcade, dumbass. What’s it look like?”

Your lips tightened not only at his attitude but at the way he spoke in front of the little girl. Luckily, she wasn’t paying attention though, she was dragging her foot across the concrete in an attempt to entertain herself.

“It looks like you’ve been grounded, why else would you bring your sister here.”

Yuu smirked darkly and you frowned. Again, it didn’t look like Yuu but that Ichinose. It was then you’d realized where you’d seen the punky guy, he was that skater who almost knocked straight into you on your first day of joining Shinjuku high school. You were seconds from asserting as such, but Kimizuki had rolled his eyes and stated,

“I don’t have time for this.”

Before waltzing up the steps, guiding little Mirai. Yuu twisted around with a bark,

“Don’t start anything then, Jackass.”

Kimizuki half turned briefly as they reached the doors to the arcade,

“You know if I didn’t have Mirai, your ass would be grass right now.”

“Only losers rhyme in their threats, waistoid.”

Yuu scowled and Kimizuki balled his spare hand into a fist in a moment of rage before jabbing it to Yuu,

“We’ll see who the loser is when I kick your ass at school, Amane.”

Before stalking off through the doors of the arcade, not before offering Yuu a death glare. Yuu rolled his eyes as he turned his body back around away from the arcade. Your lips thinned, yep, this is definitely going to be a challenge, you thought to yourself.

***

You both walked along the sidewalk and reached the records store,

“This is where I work.”

Yuu beamed and you smiled in return, you both loved music. So did Mika. Better yet, Yuu actually had a job now. He held the door for you as you stepped into the store with mild awe. Rows of records lined like bookcases with band posters decorating the stone walls. You loved the edgy feel to the quaint store that was deluged in amber and red hues, it held the punk rock vibe of a basement venue. Dio’s metal track ‘Stand up and shout’ was playing in the background.

“This is great!”

You beamed and he scoffed a laugh, pointing at your attire of another soft cardigan and neat skirt and you rolled your eyes, giving him a shove as you both laughed.

“You’re late, brat.”

A husky voice boomed over the faint metal track in the back ground. Yuu’s smile dropped,

“Am not! I was on time!”

He shot back. Your eyes reflexively rolled as you saw who it was that spoke, as he emerged from behind the back of the store. None other than Guren Ichinose. He was donning a black leather jacket with studs and his raven locks were slicked back, save for a few runaways.

“You were two minutes late.”

Yuu frowned in thought and you found yourself rolling your eyes again as he furthered,

“Now I’m two minutes late for my cigarette break.”

“You can’t smoke in here?”

You asked without thinking, curiosity taking over and he allowed a sly smirk at your doe eyes,

“’Boss doesn’t like it.”

Huh. Weird, but fair enough. In that moment you recognized the jacket Guren was wearing. It’s the one Yuu had worn the other day at school. Guren raised his brows casually,

“Got a problem, Peach?”

Your furrowed brows knit together further as he stuck a cigarette between his lips. Clearly you’d looked displeased enough for him to catch onto your thought process. Apparently, you were unable to form a cohesive sentence as you staggered,

“That jacket –“

Pointing between the two boys, before scowling,

“Wait – Peach? -”

“Where d’ya think the idiot got the jacket from?”

Guren interrupted with a scoffed laugh, managing to sound cohesive with a cigarette between his lips. Your jaw dropped in that moment as he’d made his way outside, starting to light his cigarette as he swept passed. Your wide eyes trailed his wake before you huffed with the closing of the store’s front door. Yuu allowed a smile,

“He’s not so bad, once you get to know him.”

“He seems like a pain in the ass.”

You countered as you met Yuu’s gaze, he chuckled,

“Remind you of anyone?”

You quirked a brow,

“I hope you mean yourself.”

You remarked, making you both chuckle. But when you thought about it, you wondered how well Yuu could possibly know Ichinose. Not to mention how naive Yuu’s always been. You somehow just knew that there was this mysterious, dark aura around Ichinose, telling you that he had much to hide. And warning you to run away, even though it’s trying to lure you in.

***

Whilst you were there you were somehow roped into buying Yuu’s new favorite album.

“It’s the best rock music of ’83, I swear it.”

He lilted, fluttering his long lashes as he swayed you into buying ‘Shout at the Devil’ by Mötley Crüe. You liked rock but did you like it as much as Yuu? Unlikely. You laughed,

“What if I don’t like it?”

“You will!”

“But what if I don’t?”

You both laughed harder. You realized the song in the background of the store was now ‘Whip it’ by DEVO, a new wave synth-pop song from a couple of years or so before and you hopped up and down a moment,

“I love this song! This is more me, Yuu.”

You claimed playfully and he shook his head before insisting with a raised brow and a wave of the Mötley Crüe record,

“Ok, I’ll let you listen to my tape of it before, but I’m reserving this record for you.”

You laughed a cackle,

“You’re so stupid, Yuu.”

As you started to cave, he wore a victorious grin,

“You won’t regret it, I promise.”

“I better not.”

He laughed again before you noticed the time, gathering yourself to leave,

“It’s getting late, I better head. I’ll listen to it another time - see you at school?”

“Sure, cool. See ya.”

He waved with his smile that you were anxious you wouldn’t see. You were curious as to why the store was kept open so late, considering stores usually close by around 7pm latest. You saw Guren leaning against the building as you exited and offered a cursory glance as you walked by, only to be stopped by his words,

“You’re walking home?”

He asked, incredulous as he flicked a cigarette stub away. He thought the bike attached to the lamp post in front of the store was yours. You turned on your heel to face him with a mild, sarcastic scoff,

“Uh… yea?”

He allowed a stupid smile as he raised his brows, peeling himself from the brick wall of the store.

“Alone, at this time? You can’t live nearby.”

He stated confidently, hands in his pockets, and you retorted,

“How do you know where I live, did you stalk me or something?”

You wondered if you went too far, but he just laughed at your attitude. As he flicked his chin to you,

“One look at your clothes and I know you don’t.”

Your cheeks tinged rose at your cardigan and skirt combo and you held your arms a moment. Of course he was right, you didn’t live in Nagoya, you were just outside. He rolled his eyes but sighed, rubbing the back of his neck a moment before offering,

“Look, do you want a ride?”

Your eyes shot up to meet his and you were even more amazed at how his charming, violet eyes were sincere.

“I can get the little welp to watch the shop, I doubt he’d want you walking all that way.”

Your eyes shifted as the dusting of blush covered your cheeks again, causing Guren to tilt his head back with a small laugh,

“You didn’t tell him you were walking, did you?”

“No.”

You drew out petulantly. His smirk was starting to really irritate you now.

“D’you want the ride or not?”

He asked, his patience supposedly thinning and you huffed as you saw the darkening sky beside you, the street dimming with it with the fewer cars. You bit your lip, prompting him,

“Oh come on. No funny business, I swear.”

He spoke with a natural authoritative tone before he laughed, his hands up in a mock surrender. You fought the urge to smirk at his stupidity, giving him a skeptical once over before claiming,

“Fine. I’ll take the ride.”

***

“I thought you were offering me a ride?!”

You snapped, clenching your fists as you faced his stupid fucking smirk.

“I am. Here.”

He said innocently as he gestured to the push bike to his left. You fought the urge to square up to him as you two stood out back. He’d come back with a push bike?

“What are you, twelve?”

You spat only for him to break out into a boyish grin. You rolled your eyes,

“I thought you were driving?!”

You asked, astounded at his nonchalance. He shrugged,

“I never said I was driving.”

“What?!”

“I don’t drive.”

“WHAT?!”

He’d turned on his heel to stalk off,

“'Later!”

He called over his shoulder as he wandered off in the opposite direction to the store.

“So, you got Yuu to watch the shop just so you could slack?!”

You hollered to his back, eyes sending daggers.

“Yup.”

He called without looking back. You growled.

“What about your bike? How are you gonna get home now?”

You asked tersely but he only laughed as he carried on walking, making you even angrier.

“Ichinose? Ichinose! HEY IDIOT!… Dammit.”

You called irritably, only to be ignored until he left, causing you to grumble.

“Jackass.”

You muttered darkly as you mounted the stupid bike to get home.

“’No funny business’ my ass.”

You scoffed as you began to pedal.

***

You rode the bike back to school in order to give it back to the idiot Ichinose but quickly realized you didn’t know how to find him. He was a senior so he wasn’t in your classes, unless I find him somehow at lunch? I could ask Yuu? Ugh, I really don’t like the idea of Yuu being around that guy, he’s so shady. You grumbled to yourself, chaining the bike to the bike stands outside the school in a huff, just hoping you’d bump into him to tell him you have his bike. Although, knowing your luck, you knew you’d see him again.

***

“You’ll be transferring to the senior class for (F/S), and for (R/S) as well, due to your abilities simply excelling expectation, Miss (L/N).”

Mr. F. Bathory beamed in his weirdly over-excited manor, silver hair slicked behind him in a ponytail, hands intertwined in front of his chest, a lazy smirk that sent uncomfortable shivers down your spine. Looks like I could see Guren sooner than I hoped, you thought with a disappointed sigh. Mr. Bathory took you to your new (R/S) class and low and behold, Idiot Ichinose was actually there even in a class. He had an infamous reputation to skip nowadays supposedly. However, when you entered the classroom you’d cringed for an entirely different reason - It was chaos. The teacher wasn’t there for whatever reason, and there were tables on their sides, papers strewn along with random books and pencils littering the floor. Some guy with seaweed coloured hair in a red letterman jacket was being held back as he laughed a guttural chuckle, Ichinose being held back by Goshi and an ash blonde you didn’t know but recognized as their friend.

“Now, now, what’s this ruckus for? Hmm?”

Mr. Bathory asked from the door frame with a voice of honey coated ice-shards. They all dropped their hold on the two, Ichinose broke free with an abrupt jutt of his shoulders, whilst the other seemed in pretty bad shape… you could hardly make out his features they were so swollen and blood congealed. Guren’s ear was bleeding but the other guy had an eye already swelling shut. Despite this, he was smiling malevolently. It was almost creepy. Maybe he’s some kind of freak masochist, you scrunched your nose. In any case, it was abundantly clear that he’d wanted a rise out of Guren. And he got one. The ash blonde stepped forward and dipped his head,

“I apologize for the mess, Mr. Bathory. We will clean it immediately.”

You couldn’t help but raise a brow at how polite he is, being affiliated with Ichinose and Goshi.

“Whilst I appreciate your efforts, Shinya, that’s not what I asked.”

That same voice was back, threatening and he offered a small smile that didn’t touch his blazing eyes. When all were reluctant to answer, Ferid warned,

“My patience is wearing thin.”

“The psycho attacked me.”

The pummelled masochist stated with that same eerie smile.

“What?!”

Guren bellowed, almost lunging for him again if it weren’t for Goshi blocking him. You cringed, why is he still winding Guren up? Better yet, what could he have possibly said to get Ichinose so angry? Ferid started tutting,

“Uh-uh, stop that. I’ll offer one last chance for you to explain yourselves for making such a scene before your teacher’s arrival – in fact, I’m surprised no one reported their absence, as they should have arrived by now. And you all know the drill.”

A unanimous sigh filled the room before Goshi stepped forward and admitted,

“It got out of hand when these two started trash talking, stuff like family and…”

Goshi winced with a side glance before meeting Ferid’s piercing gaze.

“And Mahiru.”

Ferid’s brows raised and he shifted his gaze for a split second before recomposing,

“I see.”

A heavy silence fell as you observed those in the room, most either solemn or exhausted. Or they were that guy who fought Ichinose. Either way, it was clear that whoever Mahiru was, it was a sore topic for all of them. The thought made a wave of compassion wash over you and you dared not ask why. Ferid measured the silence for an excruciating moment before announcing.

“I want this cleaned up. Now. You –“

He pointed at one of the guys holding back the masochist in the letterman.

“Take Hiiragi to the infirmary.”

He ordered and it was done. They brushed passed, this Hiiragi slumped over the shoulders of his escort, blood narrowly missed spluttering over you as they clambered passed and you fought your gag reflex.

“Ichinose. My office.”

Guren was still out of breath and his lavender eyes had still somehow darkened when meeting Ferid’s gaze. Mr. Bathory offered one last glance at the room before adding,

“I look forward to seeing you all this Saturday, in detention.”

A collective groan emanated from them all, which their sudden winces that followed indicated they instantly regretted the outburst. Mr. Bathory slowly turned to the class with a cocked brow,

“For that, add another Saturday. All of you.”

“What?! –“

“No way! –“

“I have plans! –“

A chorus of complaints ensued before his gaze darkened,

“Want there to be a third Saturday?”

With that threateningly silky voice. You’d realized you’d been biting your lip, having felt a small pang of sympathy for the class, after all they weren’t all involved in the fight. You tried,

“Sir? With all due respect, not everyone was involved. I think that’s why they’re upset.”

He seemed to consider your attempt at diplomacy for a second, only to smile cunningly whilst bending to your height to level with your gaze,

“Well you can ponder on that when you join them this Saturday.”

Your jaw dropped - WHAT?! I got a Saturday detention for that?! You’ve never had a Saturday detention in your life. He smiled at your racing thoughts before rising to watch the class and caught the glares of many before stating to you,

“Welcome to the senior class, Miss (L/N).”

Before he swept out of the dilapidated class. You found yourself watching Ichinose as he swept up his denim sleeveless jacket before glancing at you and leaving the rest of you to clean up his and Hiiragi’s mess.

“AFTER that classroom is clean, Ichinose.”

You heard Mr. Bathory’s command from in the halls and recoiled as it was shortly followed by a hissed string of cusses from Ichinose upon his agitated return.

“I never thought you’d actually listen.”

Shinya teased Ichinose which flabbergasted you, he was clearly not in the mood for banter. Guren gave him a murderous glance but otherwise ignored him. Goshi laughed,

“It’s only ‘cause it’s Ferid fucking Bathory. That dude is evil with punishments I’m telling you, we got off easy as.”

After a dumb moment of watching Ichinose picking up a desk to place it, you shook yourself out of it to help them.

Notes:

*Chapter Title inspired by Mötley Crüe’s 1983 hit and album of the same name*

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #fanfiction #guren x reader #mika x reader #80s #80s AU #highschool #Comedy #Mystery #angst #fluff #romance #slow burn #chapter 2 #ao3 #80s music references

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individuationfic · 5 years

Text

Hoping I’ve Got It All Right Chapter 2: Don’t You Know What You’re Starting?

AO3

Sakura Sojiro is prepared for a lot of things, but he’s not prepared for the boys who walks into his café.

The kid is quiet. Polite. He calls him “Sakura-san” and doesn’t complain about sleeping in the attic. The only question he has is if he could plant flowers in the window if he can find a planter box for it. He is, in no way, shape, or form, the delinquent Sojiro was expecting.

Sojiro doesn’t know how to handle this kind of honesty, so he calls the kid a pain in the ass, tells him not to do anything reckless, and heads home, where even if Futaba comes with issues, they make sense.

[Akira]: Got here safe. Sakura-san gave me a big room.

[Jun]: Good! I shipped some dried flowers with your clothes. Make sure to hang them up.

[Akira]: Okay, Papa.

[Tatsuya]: You’re going to the school tomorrow, right?”

[Akira]: Yeah.

[Tatsuya]: Let us know how that goes.

[Akira]: I will.

[Akira]: I’ll probably head to bed early. I’m tired.

[Jun]: Good night, sweetie!

[Tatsuya]: Good night.

[Akira]: Night. Love you.

[Jun]: 💖💖💖

Papa sent some dried lavender, so Akira hangs it by what he decides is the head of his bed. Well, “bed” is probably generous. It’s a thin mattress on a bunch of crates. He glances at the couch he just wiped down and decides the “bed” is his best bet for any kind of restful sleep.

He’s glad he convinced Dad and Papa not to come. They would never let him stay here, and this is their last hope. Akira can deal with living in an attic for a year if it means everything will go back to normal after.

He re-deletes the weird red app from his phone, goes to sleep, and dreams of a blue prison, of twin wardens, and of a man with a long nose and a deep voice.

[Akira]: I met my homeroom teacher. Her name is Kawakami-sensei.

[Akira]: She seems tired.

[Jun]: She had to come in on her day off. Of course she’s tired.

[Tatsuya]: Give her my cell number next time you see her. I want to introduce myself.

[Akira]: Ok, Dad.

[Jun]: Did you ride the train today?

[Akira]: No, Sakura-san drove me. I’ll have to take the train tomorrow.

[Jun]: Well, be careful, and leave a little early so you have extra time in case you get lost.

[Akira]: I know, Papa, I will.

The punk kid reminds Akira of Uncle Eikichi, so he feels comfortable following him to school. Which would have been fine, but the school is a castle and they’re in a dungeon and all Akira wanted was a normal day.

He feels sick—like, physically ill—when the man his schoolmate called “Kamoshida” starts beating him. It’s the same feeling Akira had before he pushed the man who sued him, encouraging him to act.

So he does.

Even when he’s pinned to the wall, he struggles. He feels a bit like a feral ccat, wriggling and hissing and clawing at the suits of armor to get free. His back is already aching; it will probably be covered in bruises come morning from how hard he’s being slammed against the brick behind him.

But he keeps fighting, because he’ll die before he lets an innocent person get hurt if he can stop it.

And then comes a voice, both new and familiar, and his head feels like it’s going to break in half because the insides are too big for his skull. Call upon my name, says the voice, and release thy rage! so Akira says, “Arsène.”

The sound of his voice alerts Kamoshida, who stops in his brutal beating of the other boy to face Akira. The blond boy is panting, covered in scratches and bruises and looking half dead already. Something flares in the back of Akira’s mind. Something primal. This boy whose name he doesn’t even know is his. He knows this like he knows the sky is blue and Aunt Maya can’t clean. It’s a fact, undeniable and true. It’s not sexual or romantic, but the boy is his, and he refuses to let Kamoshida touch him again.

“I will stop you,” he tells Kamoshida, and he almost doesn’t recognize his own voice. It’s low, guttural. Barely human. He’s gratified to see some of the color drain from Kamoshida’s face, and, emboldened, continues speaking. “You have no right to touch him.”

Kamoshida laughs, though it’s a bit shaky. “No right? I’m the king of this castle! I can do whatever I please!” He jerks his head, and one of the guards slams his shield into Akira’s face, knocking his glasses to the cell floor.

“If this is how you want to play it,” Akira says in that animalistic voice, “so be it.”

And there’s a mask on his face, and he needs to get it off get it off getitoff, so he rips it off, and he’s surrounded by blue flames that don’t burn.

“Do you honestly expect me to believe that?”

“You can believe or disbelieve whatever you want. I’m just telling you what happened, Prosecutor-san.”

The cat-monster he and the other boy rescue is familiar to Akira. He can’t really place why, just like how he knows the boy is his somehow, but this isn’t the first time he’s met Morgana. He tells himself it’s because of Arsène and Zorro and pretends that’s it until he has more time to think about it.

Going to school after… everything is surreal. He tells Kawakami-sensei he got lost on the subway and while he knows she doesn’t believe it, he also knows she has no proof that he’s lying. He gives her his dad’s cell number and sits behind the girl who got in Kamoshida’s car this morning and does his best to ignore his classmates’ pointed whispers.

The boy is Sakamoto Ryuji, Akira learns on Shujin’s roof. When Akira looks at him, he sees the white flowers of the copaiba tree, or maybe the African violet. Something that symbolizes his honesty and vitality.

He doesn't know why he has this power. He doesn’t know why the school turned into a castle and then back into a school. But he knows he wants answers and has the ability to get them, so he agrees to help Ryuji.

(Plus, he’s not about to leave Kamoshida alone with Ryuji again. Ryuji is his, and he’s going to protect what’s his.)

Sojiro is angry with Akira when he comes back to the café.

Maybe angry isn’t the right word. Sakura-san doesn’t really care enough about him to be angry. Irritated is more like it, Akira thinks. He gets another lecture on staying out of trouble because “I’m in the restaurant business, you know.” Akira does his best to placate Sakura-san and escapes up to the attic. He’s going to need his rest if he and Ryuji are going to make any progress tomorrow.

[Akira]: I think I made a friend today.

[Jun]: That’s great, honey! What’s their name?

[Akira]: His name is Ryuji. I got lost in the subway and he helped me find the school.

[Akira]: He reminds me of Uncle Eikichi.

[Tatsuya]: Just what we need. Another Michel.

[Jun]: Eikichi is a lovely person and if Akira has made a friend like him, he’s a lucky young man.

[Akira]: I think so, too.

It takes Akira and Ryuji an embarrassingly long while to connect the weird app on their phones to the whole school-castle thing. When they finally do, Akira is back in the strange outfit, mask and all, from yesterday and Ryuji is left in just his school uniform.

Morgana, despite his (and Akira is sure Morgana is a “he,” no matter what his name is) feigned indifference, helps Akira and Ryuji break back into the castle. And maybe it’s just Morgana’s phantom thief talk, but sneaking around like this really is exciting.

Not that Dad can ever know, Akira thinks as he strikes down another group of what Morgana calls “Shadows.” If he knew what a rush I get out of this, he’d keel over.

And that’s another thing. The fighting. Akira isn’t usually a confrontational person, assault charge notwithstanding. In elementary school, he was the kid who ran and got teachers, not the one getting into fights. But this place has a strange effect on him. It makes him animalistic in a way that should scare him.

It doesn’t. It makes him feel powerful.

Until he falls.

He and Morgana are lucky Kamoshida underestimated Ryuji. If he’d been pinned down like them, they would be dead.

As it is, Akira’s encouragement helps Ryuji awaken to Captain Kidd and they manage to wipe the floor with Kamoshida’s goons.

(Whatever primal thing in the back of Akira’s mind is, it’s pleased by Ryuji’s power. Akira’s just happy Ryuji can defend himself now.)

Ryuji is still worried about the volleyball team members they saw Kamoshida torturing. Sure, they’re not real, but everything in this world is a distortion of the real world, so they both know some kind of abuse is happening. And then there was the fake Takamaki and… ugh. Any teacher who thinks of an underaged student like that is the lowest of the low.

Morgana says they have to steal Kamoshida’s heart.

Akira has a lot to think about.

He’s waiting for the train at the Aoyama station, staring at his phone for a lack of anything better to do, when something rugs at the edge of his mind. He’s not used to hearing Arsène talking in his head just yet, so he jumps at the sound (feeling? thought?) of his low voice. Turn around.

What? Why?

Trust me. Turn around.

He’s not sure what could possibly interest Arsène so much, but Arsène is also a semi-physical manifestation of his inner self, so Akira shrugs and does as he’s told.

And freezes.

A few feet away stands a girl he never though he would see again. Sure, her hair is longer now, her face more angular, her body more lithe, but Akira would know her anywhere.

He sees the moment she catches sight of him. Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open in shock. For a few seconds, she is frozen, but then she rockets forward, and Akira barely has time to lift his arms before she slams into his chest. It aches a little to realize he’s more than a head taller than her now.

She’s shaking in his arms. Quietly, almost too quiet for him to hear, she says, “Akira.”

He squeezes her, impossibly gentle. “Shiho.”

#individuation #ao3fic #cover #persona series #persona 5 #persona 2

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curetapwater · 3 years

Text

Hey uhhhhhh I could’ve said something sooner but I’ve started a fic that’s basically a retelling of Sailor Moon but with Pretty Cure characters. Here’s the first bit if you’re interested.

CW: brief blood at the very beginning

Nagisa knew too much about dying for someone still alive.

Her hand...

🖤🌙🖤🌙

"NAGISAAAA! YOU'RE GONNA BE LAAATE!"

"I'm heading out!" she announced without so much as a "good morning" to her family.

"Don't you at least want some toast?" her mother asked, spreading butter on a fresh slice.

But Nagisa was already on her way out of the apartment. "No time for toast!" she shouted back. Then she was back inside. "Oh, who am I kidding, there's always time for toast!"

🖤🌙🖤🌙

She doubted this disaster would have even happened had she not been up all night scared she'd have the dream again. The one where she dies.

Nagisa shook her head. If she went on like that it'd give the girls at Verone Academy all the more reason to stuff her locker full of letters she didn't want-

5 kilograms of something Nagisa couldn't see knocked her head clear of thoughts and into the pavement. She growled, staggering back up. "What was tha-"

Seeing the poor thing so helpless, in such terror, stabbed through Nagisa's stomach with a justice-induced rage.

The cat revved up to dart away, but stopped short and turned to stare at her.

"You okay, little guy?" Nagisa asked, stooping down to scratch his head. There was a bandage on his forehead. "Here, let me get that for you."

Ah crap, now she was double late! The cat was fine, but she wasn't gonna be if she didn't book it to the train station!

🖤🌙🖤🌙

She got a thirty percent.

"No way!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself. All eyes were back on her. This day just kept getting better and better.

🖤🌙🖤🌙

"English is a weird language anyway," Rina consoled on the way to the train station.

Shiho nodded emphatically. "Yeah yeah yeah. If it's gonna, like, have that many rules then they shouldn't change all the time."

"Hey! I know what'll cheer you up, Nagisa!" Shiho said.

"What?"

"I hear that one jewelry store in the mall is having a huge huge huge sale!"

"I doubt there's anything in there we could afford, even if it's on sale," Rina reasoned.

"No, but, I hear they're cutting prices by, like, ninety percent!"

"Really? I need to see that for myself!"

So, Nagisa hopped on the train to home and left Shiho and Rina to their detour.

"Ah!" She leapt back in surprise, and he did the same. Her surprise soon melted to deep, deep embarrassment when she looked up to find the cutest boy she'd ever laid her eyes on.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his gorgeous floppy hair flopping gorgeously.

"I- I- I'm so sorry!" Nagisa replied with a bow.

"It's no problem," he said. "It was an honest mistake. You're Misumi, right?"

The tight cocoons forming in her heart burst into butterflies. "You know my name?"

"Ahhh... I told you not to call me that in public!" the boy said, cheeks flushing.

Great. They had pet names, too.

"I hope you're not still upset about that test," Yukishiro told her.

The butterflies in Nagisa's heart were replaced by a wasp sting of horror. "HOW DID YOU KNOW I GOT A THIRTY PERCENT ON THE ENGLISH TEST?!"

"Well, it was nice meeting you!" she forced through her teeth before pushing through the packed train car to find a spot as far from all human beings as possible.

🖤🌙🖤🌙

At home, Nagisa was greeted not by her family but by a note:

Nagisa

Ryouta and I are out buying groceries. Leftovers in the fridge. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

Love, Mom.

No, that was too low. She just wouldn't bring it up until it was brought up to her. Now there's a plan.

Because she...

What was she thinking about, again..?

🖤🌙🖤🌙

Nagisa didn't even have time to dream before she was awakened by four little paws driving into her stomach.

Her assailant turned out to be the cat.

"Bald spot cat?" she exclaimed.

"It's not a bald spot-mepo!" the cat said.

Wait.

"What?! WHAT?! A talking cat?! No way... There's just no way!" she whimpered, more to herself than to him.

"Just put down the stick and listen to me-mepo!"

Nagisa lifted the crosse above her head. "G-Get away! I won't hesitate!"

"What's with all the 'mepo mepo' stuff? Say 'mepo' one more time!"

Nagisa screamed and bolted back to her bed. This had to be a dream. If she just closed her eyes she'd wake back up in the real world where cats didn't-

"Listen to me-mepo!"

She opened her eyes to find him standing at the foot of her bed. She sat up, hugging a stuffed panda close in a feeble attempt to make herself feel better. Saner. "What do you want? What... are you?"

"My name is Mepple-mepo."

"Mepple-mepo?" Nagisa repeated.

"No-mepo. Mepple-mepo."

Nagisa blinked, then nodded her understanding. Maybe he'd go away if she just complied.

"I'm here because I've finally found you, the Legendary Warrior-mepo!"

"Legendary Warrior?" Nagisa said. She'd hardly say a girl in a wrinkled school uniform armed with nothing but a crosse would be something anyone would call a warrior. "I think you've got the wrong-"

"I didn't think you looked anything like what I was looking for-mepo. Until you saved me-mepo! If you didn't take off that bandage I wouldn't be able to talk-mepo!"

"And then where would we be?" Nagisa said dryly.

"The what and the who?" This was getting way too complex. As if a cat being able to talk didn't make things complex enough.

Mepple rolled his eyes, which Nagisa was pretty sure cats weren't supposed to be able to do. "The sacred treasure and the princess of the Garden of Light-mepo!"

"Oh, well, that clears it up," Nagisa said, chuckling in an attempt to depressurize. It didn't work.

Mepple groaned, hopped off the bed, and padded over to the balcony. He pointed up at the sky with a round little paw. "There-mepo!"

Nagisa looked up into the twilight and saw oranges fading to blues but no supposed Garden of Light. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"That-mepo! The big white circle with the rabbit on the side-mepo!"

"... You mean the moon?"

"We called it the Garden of Light-mepo," Mepple said, going back inside. Nagisa followed and closed the balcony door before the neighbors started thinking she was crazy. Maybe she was.

"So... you're an alien?"

"I guess, but that's not important-mepo!"

"I beg to differ-"

Nagisa cast the thing onto her bed, freaked beyond belief. "What is happening?!"

Nagisa backed away. "A what?"

"Turn on the TV-mepo!"

Nagisa ran into the family room and did as she was told. On the screen flickered live footage of the mall, with policemen trying to break in.

"It seems there is some sort of barrier inside preventing entry into the complex," the news anchor said. "The state of the patrons inside is currently unknown."

The bottom of Nagisa's stomach dropped out. "That's where Shiho and Rina went! Do you think they're still in there?"

"I don't know-mepo! But I know this looks like a job for you-mepo!"

"Me? What am I supposed to do?"

"Put on the brooch and shout, 'Black Prism Power, Make Up'-mepo!"

Nagisa assumed the "mepo" was meant to be left out. "What good'll that do?"

"Just do it-mepo!"

She blinked -- Oh, joy, she could blink her own eyelids! -- and the world faded back to her living room.

"...Say what?"

"Awakened?"

"Now Sailor Black can finally fulfill her destiny and help restore the Garden of Light to its former glory-mepo!"

"You are Sailor Black-mepo! You have legendary powers-"

"If you call me 'legendary' one more time..." Nagisa started, simmering on the outside but reeling from how fast this was happening on the inside.

"Never mind that-mepo. Let's go-mepo!" And with that, Mepple ran back to Nagisa's bedroom.

"That's not the way out," Nagisa said, following him. She found him with his front paws on the glass door to her balcony. "Maybe you always land on your feet, but I don't-"

"Do you want to save your friends or not-mepo!"

"I do, I do!"

"Then trust me-mepo!"

She wanted to scream but at the same time a euphoria was building inside her. "My body!" she exclaimed to Mepple, who rode her shoulder. "It's so light! And my muscles are so strong!"

"That's the power of the Sailor Guardians-mepo!" he said.

"Guardians? You mean there are others?"

"We'll talk about it later-mepo."

#pretty cure #pretty cure fanfic #sailor moon #sailor moon fanfiction #fanfic #precure #futari wa pretty cure #futari wa precure #anime fanfic #my writing #nagisa misumi #cure black #sailor black

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cant-icle · 5 years

Note

12, 14, 15, 23, 25 :3c

aw heck my dude i’m sorry i left this on read for a week : (

12: favorite character to write about this year

gotta be my best boy kurusu akira lmfao he’s just so good and fun to write??? did you know you can make protags do anything you want??? lov it

14: a fic you didn’t expect to write

i will give you three!

a) helping hand, the weird “akira is uncut and ryuji’s into that” post-jail handjob fic i wrote in my bathtub

b) double edged, the fucking knifekink fic i saw on the kinkmeme and that immediately possessed my brain until i wrote it all down in 3 hours???

c) conflagration, my flashfic and good friend, that i wrote because i was presented a challenge and refused to back down

15:something you learned this year

WRITING WITH AN AUDIENCE IS SIMULTANEOUSLY AMAZING AND TERFIFYING

23: fics you wanted to write but didn’t

the hair-trigger shukita one, the idiots in inaba “shiho gets a persona and akira is disgustingly maladaptive” one, ng+catkira, the childhood friends chatfic, the “akira is inaba’s guardian spirit” au, the one where akira’s blinded in a train accident before the beginning of the school year, the ghost au, the summer camp au, the fantasy fairy tale retelling, take your fucking pick

25: a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read

sighs and goes a ways back through my ao3 history

some of these are not going to be persona but

yesterday upon the stair by pitviperofdoom, bnha, deku sees dead people and it makes everything real real different

still waters by futuresoon, p4, basically the genesis and the inspiration for my rage daughter fic

only a matter of time and its sequel time marches forward by toomanyunfinishedfics/chiri my amazing friend, p5, fucking wrecking akira through a hundred years of time lops and then fixing it over like a billion words of just good good good good writing

i read a lot of things this year and so i pulled these in no particular order with no particular ranking but i love all of them

#filed under:#ask meme #fic rec #Anonymous

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leonalmalsy · 6 years

Text

Gift of the Magi - A Ryuann fic

Third year student Ann Takamaki couldn't believe what she was reading. Even after a third careful read through, the words almost seem to taunt her.

Shujin Academy Fundraiser

Shujin is raising money to fund our extracurricular activities. Join us May 5th. There will be games and food.

Don't miss our auction, where students can win a date with our third year beauties.

Ann's perfectly manicured nails ripped apart the flyer in a rage.

"How can they do this?" The twin tailed woman huffed. "I never agreed to this." With a stomp of her feet, she resolved to see the principal.

The new principal was a tall and lanky man, unlike their former principal. He had a look of a man struggling to tread water, which wasn’t far off the mark. After the disgrace of Kamoshida and the sudden death of the previous principal Kobayakaba, the new guy was simply overwhelmed by the negative press that Shujin had been receiving. There have been rumors that people have seen him duck into his office any time a police car whizzed by. Clearly, he wasn’t the best person for the job. How could such a man come up with this idea?

Ann knocked on the door of the prinicipal’s office. A meek “Come in” was the response.

“Sir, I’m sorry to bother you.” Ann said in her softest voice, even though she was a torrent of rage on the inside.

“Not at all. My doors are always open to the students of Shujin.” The principal’s words didn’t convince her that he really meant what he said.

“I just read the flyer for the fundraiser.” The blonde acknowledged.

“I am glad that you brought that up.” The principal took out a handkerchief and wiped his brow with it. In Ann’s eyes, it made him look smaller than he actually was. “This school’s reputation has been going downhill since last year. Kamoshida-sensei’s perversions tainted the Volleyball team. Then there is the matter of both Suzui-san’s attempted suicide and my predecessor’s sudden suicide. And there have been rumors that the so-called Phantom Thieves were actually students in this school. The benefactors who helped pay for tuition are threatening to withhold their money. Without them, we may have to seek out alternate sources of income.”

Ann’s rage softened. Being part of the Phantom Thieves last year was the best year of her life. But it did come with some baggage. She remembered having to endure Kamoshida’s perverted advances and Shiho’s attempted suicide. And even though they had nothing to do with it, Principal Kobayakawa was killed in their name. So was Haru’s dad. Shujin had been engrossed in scandal ever since.

“I know I am asking a lot of the third year students but without funding, Shujin may have to close many of its extracurricular activities." He continued, unaware of the guilt bubbling up in Ann. "If we cut them, less money will come from benefactors. It will lead to a downward spiral."

Ann bit her bottom lip. The guilt trip combined with the pathetic sounding voice of the principal created a potent combination that wore on her resolve not to participate in the fundraiser.

"Takamaki-san, I understand your reservation about being auctioned off. But think of the money that you could bring to the school? Would you deprive your fellow students of the funds they need in order to thrive?”

The guilt came in waves now. Ann’s face made a powerful grimace. She knew where this was going. This feeling was just like the time she had to pretend to pose nude for Yusuke’s painting.

“Okay. Fine.” She spat acidly. The new principal didn't bother to read her mood. Instead, he thanked her profusely for agreeing to the auction.

After leaving the office, Ann was more pissed than when she went in. She couldn't get out of this situation because of her guilt. Terrible thoughts swirled in her head. Who was going to win her? Were they going to expect something from her? Would this make the rumors about her and Kamoshida worse?

"I need to find another way out." She thought out loud. "If only I was a Phantom Thief again."

That's when it hit her. There was another way out. She could only hope that he didn't leave for the day.

As it happened, he was behind the school, running. Ryuji Sakamoto, middle school friend, ex-track star, dyed blond, and phantom thief. The two of them had spent an amazing year with an amazing group of people. At times, it all felt like a dream.

Unfortunately, the Phantom Thieves didn't meet up as frequently as they used to. Makoto was accepted by a prestigious college and spent much of her time studying. Haru was working to improve Okumura Food's image. Ren and Morgana moved back to Ren's hometown. Yusuke is still going to Kosei but he'll go days without contacting them and then show up later, hungry. Futaba was going to a different high school than Shujin in order to open herself up to people other than the Phantom Thieves. This left her with Ryuji.

After the Phantom Thieves, Ryuji continued training his body, especially his legs. Although he would never regain his former speed thanks to Kamoshida and he would never rejoin the track team, the bleached blond reasoned that it was still no excuse to break routine. Of late, he made a habit of roping Mishima into his workout. And as he finished his set, there was the blue haired youth, wheezing towards the finish line.

"Sakamoto. I can't anymore." Mishima wheezed out every word as he collapsed on the grass.

"That was a good run, Mishima." Ryuji smiled as he chugged a liter of ice cold water while tossing another to the guy on the floor.

"Good? It was torture." The blue haired youth coughed as he guzzled down the water like he hadn't had it in forever. "And you do this for fun?"

"Com'n." Ryuji laughed. "If you're serious about getting into shape, then you can't do this half-assed."

"You're one to talk, Ryuji." Ann retorted, announcing her presence.

Ryuji grimaced. "Did you come all this way to mock us?" His voice was quite blase. He was used to her comments by now and was too tired to come up with one of his own. Oh...wait. "You know, you could stand to lose a couple of kilograms yourself. Otherwise, that brown haired model is going to take the number one spot."

Watching her flustered face made it all worth it. He cracked up laughing.

"That is never going to happen. Mika-san is going to have to settle for second place." She seethed. "To think I wanted to come to you with my problem."

The dyes blond youth stopped laughing. "Sorry. I'm good. Tell me."

Ann pursed her lips. "Fine. But let's go somewhere else."

"Fine with me." Ryuji shrugged his shoulders. He looked at Mishima's prostrate form. "You gonna be good, Mishima?"

"Chest on fire. Death close." He wheezed out every word.

Ryuji motioned with his head for Ann to follow him. They walked a bit so that they were behind the school.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Have you read the flyers about a fundraiser?" Ann asked.

"What about it?" Ryuji had seen them posting something about a fundraiser. But that didn't really catch his interest. So he paid it no mind.

"Did you read the part about third year girls being auctioned off?" She couldn't keep the rage out of her voice.

"F'real?" He exclaimed. "Why?"

"The principal said that because of the Phantom Thieves, benefactors are not investing in the school." Ann explained. "So the third year girls are going to be auctioned off to date their highest bidder."

A perverted grin started to creep across his face. "Is that how it's going to be?" Ryuji could just imagine it. A date with one of the third year girls. He could almost imagine it. She would have a hot body and call him Sakamoto-sama or Sakamoto-senpai.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Ryuji." The blonde demanded, stamping on his foot. "This is serious. I'm gonna be on that auction."

"If you don't want to be in the auction, just tell the principal." The dyed blond youth stretched his limbs, only stopping when he heard that satisfying pop. "I heard he's a real pushover."

"That's the thing. He guilt-tripped me into doing it by using our year as Phantom Thieves against me." Ann couldn't keep the frustration out of her voice. "He said that it's thanks to them that benefactors haven't been giving money. The school could go broke."

Ryuji saw the look of desperation on her face. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to buy me."

I need you to buy me. That's what she said that day. Ryuji had agreed, mostly because she was his friend. How could he abandon her in her time of need? But he couldn't help but feel weird. Why come to him? He wasn't loaded and he didn't have a high paying job like Ren did. He made enough money to help ease his mom's burden and to have extra on the side. She must have been really desperate.

The auction was taking place in the gym while the rest of the fundraiser was being hosted in the auditorium. In truth, Ryuji wanted to see everything the fundraiser had to offer but he didn't know when Ann's turn was going to be so he had no choice but to stay in the gym.

"Hope I have enough." He grumbled after taking a seat.

Nine girls came and went before Ann came on stage. Unlike the other girls who dolled themselves up, Ann was in her school uniform. She crossed her arms and gave off an aura of "leave me alone".

"Next up is Ann Takamaki," the MC announced in a flourish. “A part-time model whose naturally blonde hair lights up any room.”

Ann blushed. Hearing the announcer describe her like that threw her off-guard.

“How about a twirl, Ann-chan?” The announcer cooed.

Ann set her glare at the MC. He must have caught it because he immediately looked away. “Well, what are my starting bids for Ann?”

500 yen, someone yelled out.

600

700

900

1200

Ann was stunned. The offers steadily rose, easily clearing 2,000 yen. From there, the increments increased by 500. She was barely registering the numbers, instead, trying to find Ryuji in the crowd.

4500

5000

5200

Her eyes scanned the room, looking for bleached blond hair. How difficult could it be to find him? A horrid thought crossed her mind. What if he abandoned her? She clenched her fist. She would make him pay if he did.

“7000 yen-” the announcer cried “-going once”

“8000 yen.”

Ann’s head whipped around sharply to where the voice originated. Sure enough, it was Ryuji, standing on his chair and yelling out his bid.

“Sakamoto’s bidding on Takamaki?” Perhaps that was meant as a whisper but Ann heard it loud and clear.

“Why should a punk like him date a pretty girl like Takamaki?” Another yelled.

“8250″

“8500″ Ryuji yelled in response.

Ann’s eyes widened. The bidding was much higher than she expected. At first, she was worried that Ryuji wouldn’t help her at all. Now she was worried that Ryuji wouldn’t have enough to win. Something akin to a gut punch made her stomach flip. She got the feeling that if Ryuji didn’t win, he would feel massively guilty, like he would be letting her down. Her eyes began to water. She wanted to tell Ryuji that it was okay, that he didn’t need to waste his money on her. But the words didn’t come,

8600

8700

8800

Back and forth they went in increments of one hundred until

“9500″ Ryuji yelled.

“Going once, going twice,”

“10,000″ the student who Ryuji was in a bidding war with announced triumphantly.

“10,000?” The announcer gasped incredulously. “10,000 going once”

Ann couldn’t bear to look Ryuji in the eye. She didn’t want to see his dismayed face.

“Going twice.”

“12,800.” Ryuji bellowed, holding the money in his hand.

An audible gasp emptied the air in the auditorium.

“12,800. Going once, going twice, sold to the blond guy still standing on his seat.”

Ann nearly burst into tears. It took all her strength to stay on her feet. Ryuji had come through for her.

Ann and Ryuji walked to the train station after the fundraiser was over. Neither said anything. Ann couldn’t express into words just how grateful she was. Ryuji had gone above and beyond to help her out.

“Thanks, Ryuji.” Her voice had cracked a bit due to her gratitude.

“Huh,” Ryuji snapped his attention to his friend. “Oh, it was nothing.”

“It was not nothing,” Ann told him, stamping her foot to get his attention. “I know I kinda sprung that on you last minute but you pulled through for me. So thanks.”

“Come on,” Ryuji scratched the back of his head. His cheeks started to stain pink. “You’re my friend. We’ve been through so much together. Of course, I’d help you if I can.”

That made Ann smile. It was just like Ryuji to make everything so simple. But that’s one of the things she liked about him.

“I have an idea,” The twin tailed girl spoke. “How about you and me hang out this Sunday? I’ll take you to my favorite crepes place.”

Ryuji stretched out his limbs. “Sure. I’ve got no plans that day.”

“Then it’s settled.” Ann pumped her fist in excitement. “You’re gonna love this place. I swear, you’ll be a sweets junkie at first bite.”

Sunday came. Ryuji walked down Central Street, looking for his friend. Thanks to her unique looks, he didn’t have to look hard. She was standing in front of the movie theaters.

Ryuji waved at the blonde. “Sorry. Were you waiting long?”

Ann shook her head. “I just got here myself. Now let’s go. These crepes are going to rock your world.”

Ryuji faked a grimace as Ann dragged him towards their destination. Inwardly, he smiled. It was great that things haven’t changed that much since their days as Phantom Thieves.

Ann didn’t lie when she said the sweets in this place were out of this world. Even though he wasn’t a sweets person, the crepes were made to perfection. Each bite was a cacophony of flavors that complemented each other. Ryuji could see why Ann loved these things. He was in flavor town. Ann herself had polished off eight of them before they were done.

“Crepes are love. Crepes are life.” Ann sighed as they left.

Ryuji scratched the back of his head. “How can you eat so much sugary sweets and not gain so much weight?”

“Maybe my metabolism is just that great,” the blonde laughed.

A wicked grin crossed the ex-runner’s face. “Or maybe it just goes to your breasts.”

“WHAT?” She screeched.

“I can see it now,” Ryuji leered playfully. “Every crepe adds one centimeter to your bust size.”

Ann took a swipe at him. However, Ryuji had anticipated this and dodged her attack.

“Get back here and take your punishment.” Ann yelled, shaking fist and chasing after her friend.

Ryuji just laughed and ran away from her, watching as she chased him.

Ann and Ryuji spent the day hanging out in Shibuya, enjoying some of the sights and sounds of the city. Ryuji introduced Ann to the joys of the arcade and Ann took Ryuji to the underground mall to window shop. Near the end of the day, their travels led them to a sneaker store. Ryuji had stopped to stare.

“I didn’t know you were that into sneakers,” Ann said.

“You can’t be a good runner if you don’t have good sneakers,” Ryuji explained. “Arch support and cushioning are important for speed.”

Ann didn’t know that. She could understand shoes for fashion and for comfort. But a shoe for speed, that was something else entirely. It was quite eye-opening to step through the looking glass and see Ryuji’s world.

“Ahh, Ryuji-chan” a woman’s voice called to him. “You’ve come.”

A middle-aged woman stepped out of the store and greeted him. She was somewhat plain, a dusting of gray hair and wrinkles here and there. But her overall cheerful demeanor made her shine bright.

“Obaa-san,” Ryuji greeted in a friendly manner. “I didn’t know you were working today.”

The store owner noticed that Ryuji wasn’t alone. “Oh, hello. Are you Ryuji-chan’s girlfriend?”

Both teenagers blushed at the implication. “N-n-no. We’re just friends,” Ryuji insisted.

The store owner gave them a wan smile. It was almost like she didn’t believe them. However, she let that go for the moment. It wouldn’t do to give her favorite customer the third degree.

“So what brings you in, Ryuji-chan? Are you here to buy the sneakers you’ve put on reserve?” She motioned to sneakers that were out on the display window.

Ann couldn’t stop her eyes from following to where the sneakers were. She read the tag. It was Assassin brand sneakers, a simple pair of white sneakers with red laces and black soles. Apparently they were sneakers popular with runners. Even knowing little about sneakers, she knew that these Assassin sneakers were very good. Then she read the price tag. It was 12,800 yen. The number struck her as familiar but she couldn’t place why it was.

“About that,” Ryuji started. “I don’t have the money this week. Can you hold it in reserve for another week while I scrap together the money?” He ended his request by clasping his hands together in an imploring manner.

The store manager looked at him in sadness. “I’m sorry, Ryuji-chan,” she apologized. “But you know our policy. We can only reserve sneakers for four weeks, no more, even for you. I’m really sorry.”

Ryuji hung his head in defeat. “I understand.”

As the bleached blond walked towards the back to look at other sneakers, a realization came to Ann. She knew now why the price tag was so familiar. It was the same amount of money Ryuji used to win her lot in the auction. It hit her all at once. Ryuji had been saving up enough money to buy a pair of rare sneakers he wanted. And along comes Ann Takamaki, without any consideration of Ryuji’s feelings, and demands that he use his hard-earned money on her. A sickening feeling bubbled in her stomach as it dawned on her. She had used Ryuji in the same way that she herself didn’t liked to be used. And she felt guilty because of it.

“Miss, are you okay,” the shopkeeper asked.

Ann snapped out of her self-loathing party to pay attention to her surroundings. “Sorry. I was out of it.” Her light-blue eyes turned towards Ryuji. He was examining another pair of sneakers, feeling the weight and texture of it.

“I’ve known Ryuji-chan ever since he started doing track,” the shopkeeper told her. “He is brash and impulsive and not so quick on the uptake.” Ann couldn’t help but smile at the words. “But despite all of that, he has a good heart. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah, he does,” Ann agreed. The shopkeeper had no idea. Ryuji helped her with Kamoshida, had defended countless times a Phantom Thief. Hell, he nearly died saving them in Shido’s Palace. And now, he spent the money he would have had to buy the sneakers he wanted but instead, he spent it to spare her from being bought by someone else to do gods know what by gods know who.

The two watched Ryuji compare sneakers.

“So, tell me the truth. Are you Ryuji-chan’s girlfriend?”

Ann flushed magnificently. The contrast between her red face, blonde hair, and blue eyes was something to behold. “No,” she squeaked, unable to control the volume of her voice. “We’re just good friends.”

The shopkeeper made a sound, indicating that she wasn’t sure that was the case but she didn’t say anything else beyond that. Thankfully, Ryuji sauntered up to them, preventing things from becoming more awkward.

“Welp, I’m finished. Ann, you ready to go?” He asked.

Ann’s guilt started to double back on her. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

“Thanks for stopping by, Ryuji-chan,” the shopkeeper waved goodbye as the two teens left her store. “Say hello to your mother for me. Please come again.”

The train ride back was quite silent, unbearably so. Ann was in a pool of self-pity for using Ryuji without any consideration. As for Ryuji, he was trying to figure out what was going on with Ann. Finally, they had come to their stop. Ann and Ryuji hopped off the train and headed into the street. This intersection was where they had to go their separate ways.

“Well,” Ryuji turned towards the direction of his apartment, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ann. Today was really fun.”

As Ryuji walked away, Ann couldn’t help but shout at him to wait. Ryuji turned around to see his friend’s face filled with determination, like she wanted to tell him something important.

“Huh? What’s wrong?” Ryuji asked.

“I’m sorry,” Ann cried out.

The bleached blond furrowed his eyebrows. “For what?”

“I didn’t know you were saving your money for something else.” Ann’s guilt came back as a tidal wave. “I bothered you with my problem, never thinking that you had your own thing going on.”

“Ann...”

“I used you. And now, you can’t afford to buy the sneakers you wanted, simply because I made you spend your money on me.” Tears had come unbidden and started to stream down her face. Ann bowed her head so that Ryuji didn’t see her crying. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her cry.

“Ann, listen to me.” Before Ann realized it, Ryuji had closed the distance between the two of them. “You didn’t make me spend my money. I spent it to help you.”

“But...”

“Ann,” he said in a voice that would brook no other rebuttals. “You asked for my help. I helped you. You’re my friend and that’s more important to me than any sneaker that has ever or will ever come out.”

Ann was stunned by his frank admission. He helped her simply because they were friends. It remind her of the shopkeeper’s words. He has a good heart. Truer words were never spoken. The fact that he would lose out on something he wanted just to help her solidify the fact that underneath his headstrong attitude was an amazing person. Sure, she may deride his somewhat perverted nature and may mock his intelligence once in a while, the fact remains that Ann was very lucky to have Ryuji Sakamoto as a friend.

“Ryuji.” Ann whispered. “Thanks. For everything.”

Ryuji grinned. “No problem.”

As Ryuji was about turn away to go home, Ann called out to him once more. “Can you do me one more favor?”

“Hmm, what’s up?”

A dusting of pink tinged her cheeks. “Can you close your eyes for a minute?”

“Huh? Why?” Ryuji didn’t understand why Ann was requesting this.

“Please?” Her voice came out more earnest than she expected.

Ann’s request threw him off. So he did as she asked and closed his eyes.

Years later, if you had asked Ann what compelled her to do what she was about to do now, she wouldn’t be able to give you a clear answer. But her body moved on its own. Lo and behold, Ann’s lips pressed against the corner of Ryuji’s lips. That’s not what she meant to do. It was suppose to be a kiss on the cheek. How did that happen? Did she close her eyes just before the kiss? But she couldn’t take it back now.

As for Ryuji, once he felt the pressure from Ann’s lips, his eyes shot open. Ann was kissing him. ANN. TAKAMAKI. WAS. KISSING. HIM. On the list of things that could happen to him, this was not one of them. And before he could react, she pulled away.

“See you tomorrow,” Ann quickly shot out before she sprinted away.

“Ann, wait.” Ryuji sprinted after her. There was no way that he could let her go away without giving him a chance to speak. Thankfully, he was still much faster than his fellow Phantom Thief so he caught up with her instantly and grabbed her arm.

Ann didn’t turn around but neither did she struggle to break free. “You don’t have to say anything,” she said in an even tone that betrayed nothing. “I just wanted to thank you. That was the best way how.”

“Ann, listen, I.” The kiss flustered Ryuji to the point that he didn’t know what to say. That was a first for him.

Ann wanted to see the look on Ryuji’s face but she was too embarrassed. But she was sure it was rather silly.

“Next week,” the bleached blond started. “If you’re free, you wanna hang out? You know, just you and me.”

Was she hearing right? “Are you asking me out on a date?” Ann still didn’t look at him. She wasn’t sure she could handle it right now.

“It doesn’t have to be a date,” he offered, letting go of her hand and waving his own in a frantic manner. “It could just be two friends hanging out.”

Ann waited a beat. “I’m going to see Shiho next week.”

“Oh.” Ryuji was deflated. He turned to walk away, not wanting to make things more awkward than it was.

“But, I’ll be free the week after that,” she offered. “We can go then.”

Ryuji turned around and saw that Ann was finally looking at him. She was smiling. That made him smile.

“Alright then,” Ryuji grinned. “See you at school tomorrow.”

“Yeah”

It was strange. Who would have thought that a school fundraiser could lead to something like this? Neither Ann nor Ryuji expected that this event could bring them closer. And yet, it did. And soon after, the two of them started dating. Who would have guessed? Perhaps it’s not surprising that two former Phantom Thieves still in the same school would deepen their relationship. But it was a welcomed surprise.

More than half a year had passed and their relationship was only getting stronger. Christmas came and the Phantom Thieves got together, spending their holiday at Leblanc. It was a small but wonderful celebration.

A small plastic tree was set up on top of one of the booths. The gang had left their presents for each other under it. Ryuji saw a rectangular box with his name on it. Getting greedy, he grabbed and shook its contents.

“Oooh, I wonder what Santa-san left me,” he chuckled.

“You still believe in Santa? Lame,” Futaba cackled.

“You’re just not into the holiday spirit.” The bleached blond accentuated that statement by sticking out his tongue. “I’m gonna open it.”

With little preamble, Ryuji tore into the present. It was a sneaker box. When he opened it, his mouth stood agape. There it was, the Assassin sneakers that he had wanted from months ago. Only one person knew about that.

“Ann?” He didn’t trust himself to speak. “How did you...”

Ann gave her boyfriend a saucy wink. “You forget that I’m a part-time model. After that day, I got in contact with people to get that pair.” She told him of just how difficult it was to get it. “The hardest part was getting a pair in your size. But the shopkeeper helped me with that.”

Ryuji immediately hugged Ann tightly. “You’re the best girlfriend a guy could ask for.” He kissed her temple to punctuate that.

Ann fake-struggled to get out of his embrace. “Let go. You’re embarrassing me.”

Ryuji just laughed and hugged her tighter.

#persona 5 #p5 #persona 5 fanfiction #Ryuji Sakamoto #ann takamaki #ryuann #skull and panther

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