#▸ matsuba : ic ◂

[healbellls]

"Ancient Ghost Specialist--"

"Alright, I guess that's me."

[iruludavare]

"Hey there, demons. It's me, ya boi!"

Buzzfeed unsolved quotes || Accepting

Truly, she is no stranger to haunted places. A child of Floaroma town, who spent so many hours trekking through the nearby forest. One who spent many more fulfilling foolish little dares to venture into the depths of the Old Chateau-- from friends and youth from Eterna City alike. Perhaps it helped, to be able to see apparitions; to hear and heed their warnings; to negotiate and rope them into their silly antics. Nevertheless, ghosts and their paranormal habits are something Serena has long been acquainted with. Each real encounter rushing through her veins and settling in depths of her heard. A reminder that, even if it is not crucial to everyday life now, she, too, possesses the same ability that once guided her ancestors for thousands of years through turmoil and almost certain death.

So, at the offer to 'investigate' somewhere so verifiably not the centre of ghost activity-- with another possessing abilities similar to her own--, Serena simply could not refuse it. Especially when the place in question happens to be that silly Scary House on the edge of the Laverre Nature Trail.

"Oh? Shh-- wait one second,"

Comes her hushing but mere moments after his exclamation. Truly, it has not changed since the last time she stepped foot in the house. It is dim, with curtains drawn on precarious angles and rails bent enough to appear as though they hang from a single wire. The smell pervading the air neither stuffy nor stale, but one of emptiness-- a distinct lack of anything. Even the dust piling upon furniture is a little too meticulously placed; too pristine and uniform in colour. Wood scratched at, but as though with the tips of tools or dragging objects along it. Like a bored student carving into the side of a pencil to find some reprieve from a mind-numbing lecture.

And, most importantly, not a single sighting of anything-- not by her, nor by Matsuba.

"...Oh no, I can't hear the demons responding... This is the biggest upset. I am truly, truly shocked,"

The corners of lips give way to a pout, exaggerated and apparent, even through the veil of darkness enveloping the room. Thank goodness the owner had not insisted on following them in-- goodness knows what sort of tirade he would have descended into at their audacity to anger that which prowls the halls of the home from beyond the grave. With a sigh, Serena turns away from the gym leader on her heel, chin raised and hands once clutched at her chest shifting into fists, placing knuckles on the sides of her hips.

"Demons? Spirits? Show yourselves! If you don't want us to be here, send us a sign! Kick us out!"

Silence.

What a shame. And when she had summoned her bravest, most booming voice, too. A glance throws itself back to him, and for a moment, it is almost a relief to once again play one part in a familiar joke.

"...Matsuba, I think they're scared. Cowards. Weaklings. "

[cursedmystic]

It's not rare for the two to meet occasionally, as both work for the league. Still, Ethan comes often to visit Ecruteak to see the kimono ladies and have a spot of chat with the Gym Leader.

Specially after his Master told him that he should also study more about Johto's history rather than just train his martial arts.

Except he ends up asking to battle Matsuba instead of researching every single time.

"Hey there!" he's good at navigating through the gym after so many years. "How's it going today? Many challengers?"

He hasn't seen Ethan in a little while - or rather, he hasn't spoken to Ethan in a while. He's seen him visiting the Kimono Girls at their theatre, but he's always been too busy to stop and chat much lately.

Battling Ethan was always a blast, and he felt himself crawling back up to a power level he felt comfortable with (even if it made so much trouble for the challengers lately.) The gym arena even still smells of frozen air, the ground slick with patches of ice from his Zoroark's attacks. The enormous fox curled up near the back of the arena, causing a low hanging fog to hang around the floor at Matsuba's feet.

"Hey, Ethan. It's good to see you."

Gengar peeks up from Matsuba's shadow to say hello, giving a bold grin, before the gym leader looks to Ethan.

"Not many today, but two that I managed to beat. One came pretty close with a Houndoom, but not quite."

[chounaifu]

Kiss Roulette @cursedmystic

5. A firm kiss

There was an unhealed part of Proton that despised how much the people of Ecruteak approved of Matsuba.

He suited the spirit of the old city, was far more in tune with the bones that lived beneath the earth, the bones that sprawled out through Johto to form the spine that shaped Mt. Silver. Ecruteak was alive. Ecruteak was dead. It existed on the barrier between the two realms. It was occupied by spirits, so full of ghosts that Proton was uncertain that he was ever alive to begin with.

That was the repo man's outside perspective of Matsuba's relationship with their shared roots.

The bones were just as loud and overwhelming beneath Matsuba's feet, as they had been for Proton. It was this rumbling, chthonic presence that threatened to split the earth open, that made it difficult for Proton to ever feel comfortable in this archaic city.

What was it about this haunted town that prevents Matsuba from leaving more often? Were the spirits themselves assuring that he never went too far?

Whatever it may be, the amount of time that he spent around Matsuba had previously been for auxiliary purpose. Proton was, after all, a phantom lingering on the edge of the larger group for a year now. They've managed to find one another in recent time, though. How frustrating it is that the kindred of the dead urges Proton to return home.

There's nothing here for him. Why should he return? They hated him. They deemed him a monster.

It's a complicated and strange friendship. But Matsuba does not flinch away from the monster's teeth, nor does he banished him outside and forbid him from entering the living space. He is not labeled a threat to the shrines, or is he asked to participate in the old practices of some of Ecruteak's residents. It shocks Proton when he learns that NOT EVERYBODY actually approved of Matsuba's decisions for the city-- the shock eventually evolves into silent admiration.

This place needs to change. I don't want it to starve me anymore.

Proton does not know that he is dead. He does not know why he feels compelled to linger around those who are connected to the deceased. Yet, just like those old ghost stories that he was told as a child, he begins to act like one of the specters, cheekily. And so, he visits Matsuba's home once, twice, three times, a fourth, fifth and sixth time, lingering at the window, and parting with the same words:

"I'll come back tomorrow night."

On the seventh night, Proton leans in from the window, eyeing Matsuba from across the room, lit only by the divination candles that he had set up. He waits to be invited in, and when Proton is given the 'go', he settles in the candle light, surveying the spirit tags and relics that Matsuba had gathered. He isn't sure what he's doing, he doesn't pretend to understand.

"You're nothing like me, but we're the same anyway."

At some point, the spirit kisses the mystic on his lips firmly, with intrigue. An ice cold touch that usually signals the presence of a ghost is replaced with something more infernal. Proton does not know that he's dead, and so maybe, he gives off so much heat and overclocks his system to convince himself that he's alive.

"Thanks for inviting me in."

The candles go out. Proton vanishes.

[world-paradox-tournament]

"Phew! For a moment I thought that we weren't going to find anyone to join us in here! That would've been an absolute TRAGEDY!"

"Fortunately we have, for our first tourney, a bracket of 8 daring competitors who took the plunge into our world! I surely love the spotlight, but now, I must give it up for our current competitors!

"First off, from Jhoto years gone by, we got someone who might need to learn to adapt quickly to our current times battles, we have Matsuba!(@healbellls)" "Next, well, would you look at that? Another man from the past? Though I don't know if they're meant to be there....we have Haruki Hiramitsu from ancient Sinnoh!(@acalculatedfuture)" "Though they're not the only one from Sinnoh, from the present, we have a coordinator this time! Please welcome to the stage, Garreth Landon!(@trickshooting)" "Now we have another group of trainers, our biggest group of representatives all hailing from where my kind usually ends up, Alola! First on the list, we have a wonderful clinician....Lynn Makana!(@alolynn-heart)" "Our second Alolan Representative is a heavy hitter! Being a Kahuna, then an Elite Four member, she's a force to be reckoned with! We have Olivia Halia with her Rock Type Teams!(@akalychee)" "And if that wasn't enough for you, at the top of the hierarchy in Alola, we have the heaviest hitter in Alola in their time! Please welcome the Current Champion of the Alola Region, SELENE SAITOOOOO!(@trainerseyes)" "Though, she isn't the only surprise contender we have in this tournament! Not only do we have a Champion, but also a Former Champion hailing from Galar! Please welcome the formerly unbeatable....Leon Māhoe!!"(@kokorowoutsu) "And finally, our final competitor, helping us cool off from all these shocking submissions, we have someone still standing above your average trainer. After all, the Paldean Gym Leaders aren't nothing to scoff at! Please welcome the Ice Type Specialist, Grusha Valkyrie!(@kokorowoutsu)"

The Blachephalon clearly takes a moment to fake taking a breath, before standing upright again after! "Thank you all for your patience! Our brackets seeds will be decided momentarily, so please watch out for when it drops to see who you'll be competing against~!"

[monterraverde]

Its horribly cold, the ice in the room making her inability to retain heat all the harder, that is until Red suddenly drags her into his huddle around Marowaks flames- Despite being ghostly in nature, they give off a pleasant warmth, and she huddles in close.

Huh, this felt familiar, and Matsuba and Yellow are dragged in as well.

Mt. Silver all over again.

When the pictures snapped, she immediately holds the polaroid out to everyone to see. “Uh- Friendly ghost? Anyone recognize this man?”

[vanillahub]

KNOWING YOUR PARTNER WELL CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE WRITING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER.

( REPOST DO NOT REBLOG !

name: Vani pronouns: Undisclosed preference of communication: DMs whether on Tumblr or Discord name of muse(s):

Star wars: Captain Rex, Plo Koon, Commander Fox, Xox'ek (OC), Captain Fordo, Commander Cody, Boba Fett, Sergeant Hound and many others that are friends only Pokemon: Gym leader Morty, Rival Barry, Gym leader Juan, E4 Drake, Professor Rowan, Trainer Brendan and Matsuba (OC). Castlevania: Richter Belmont Saint Seiya: Taurus Aldebaran, Cancer Deathmask, Scorpio Milo, Virgo Shaka and Gemini Kanon

platforms you’ve used: Skype, Tumblr and Discord best experience: I've met SO many talented and wonderful writers over the years, throughout every single RPC I joined in. I'll be forever thankful for the opportunity, to write with them! rp pet peeves / deal breakers: Any form of vagueposting, period. I'll not stand by it, I don't tolerate it. I couldn't care any way less, about what could have started it all. I don't believe when ppl say "Oh this isn't about anyone I follow uwu", it is still aimed at someone. They are far too anxiety inducing, as such I'll leave. If you can't be a mature person to either try solve things privately, or just block & move on then, I don't want to be associated with you. fluff, angst, or smut: I'm always open for writing any of them TBH, it all depends on the plot and muses. I prefer writing smut on Discord, but I also have my nsfw side blog if anyone is interested in that. plots or memes: Plots, always. Memes are great to break the ice between muns, but if we wish to truly have something going on between our muses. Then plotting to any degree, will be necessary. best time to write: I prefer writing at night, when most of my partners are offline so I can focus in writing! are you like your muse(s): Not at all, I also don't relate to any fictional character.

Stolen, feel free to do it!

[futuresightcd]

@ghoulguise​ replied to your post: He has no idea what’s going...

“F-Faba says ghost t-t-type specialists are scr-r-rublords..!”

┍━━━━━━━━»•»

          ❛ Clearly he’s the scrublord. Otherwise he’d know it takes balls of steel to deal with them most times times. ❜

[heartbxnd-blog]

@thetreeofbeginning has sent: “ What am I to you…? “ - Aaron because WHY NOT

Send me   “ What am I to you…? “   for my muse’s reaction [Accepting]

“Worse than a headache, comparable to a hangover.”

“But extremely attractive as well- someone was clearly lucky.”

“You’re supposed to be nothing more than a nightstand- no different from any lady I’ve slept with, nor any client. Yet I’ve failed to hold myself back.”

“I did not want things to turn into this- I really didn’t... And now? I’m risking your safety at the East and in your land as well.”

“We shouldn’t have become this close to each other Aaron...”

[cassyapper]

If you had gotten the choice, how would you have ended JoJolion?

hmm interesting question anon. everything's gonna be under a read more cause idk how long this will get and also there will be major jojolion spoilers so

so disclaimer before anything else: i dont pretend to have known how to manage jojolion all that better, just that obviously it could have been So Much Better. as such this is not gonna be like a quality rewrite that addresses everything and ties it all up but like. i guess here's my thoughts

i'd start off by making it 50-70 chapters longer. with how long jojolion chapters were (about 50 pages or so each chapter), i think this gives us enough time to work everything out for certain

the tooru fight would be akin to the vanilla ice fight as in it's integral to the climax, just it's not the final fight. jobin doesn't die btw but unfortunately norisuke does. kyo, instead of dying, helps josuke get to the higashikata house. as they're leaving, karera shows up, having been called by kyo, and kyo tells her to watch over holly. karera promises to do her best in remembrance of joefumi's wish for holly to be healthy. from there he, yasuho, and kyo fend off wonder of u. they just barely manage to knock him off into the garage where kaato is watching over jobin. he taunts her like in canon, thinking he's dead, but kaato just laughs at him and says "you've done everything according to plan. you were always so predictable" and does the space trucking thing with tsurugi so he's healed from the curse. josuke yasuho and kyo are uneasy due the implications of kaato's words (did she know tooru was going to do this? did she know jobin was going to kill norisuke?). instead of kaato getting wounded from the last retaliation of wonder of u, josuke, yasuho, and kyo are standing in the way -- but this is when josuke activates his unnatural phenomenon bubbles and saves them

anyway so yasuho uneasily asks what she meant by "according to plan" and kaato explains getting tooru out from hiding was her plan all along so she could use him to save tsurugi from the curse. and she's like "well i guess it's all over now huh. with norisuke dead and the special rokaroka merging tsurugi with a rock man, someone who can live even with the stone, means that now i am head of the household and that our family is free of the curse." jobin stands up and is like "we did what we had to do" and josuke is like "even killing your family? how is that going to save them?" and jobin is like "you wouldn't understand you don't have a family" and he gestures to all of them (kyo, josuke, and yasuho). the rest of the higashikatas are like "YOU PLANNED ON DAD DYING?" and kaato and jobin are like "it was for you! he was going to continue letting you all die just so he wouldn't have to do anything about the curse, he was going to let the business suffer so he couldn't provide for you at all, he refused to take care of you just like he refused to take care of jobin when he was a boy, of mom when she was in prison"

the higashikatas are conflicted. they dont remember norisuke being so negligent and even cruel...but it's not like kaato and jobin are wrong?

but then josuke steps in like "norisuke trusted daiya, he wanted the best for joshu, he protected hato when tamaki damo broke her heart, he tried to help jobin, he tried to help kaato, but they were the ones who betrayed him first. he gave kyo a home he gave me a home tell me would a man who doesn't care about providing add more mouths to feed?" or something like that idk. basically countering jobin and kaato's statements and how he was helping josuke search for the rokaroka because he loved his family and wanted to stop the curse. if jobin and kaato had just TALKED to him instead of going behind his back then the family would've never been torn apart

but it's like it's not like either side is wrong necessarily. but now the rest of the family needs to choose how they want to remember norisuke quietly literally

matsuba goes with jobin and kaato. the rest line up with josuke. and then the final fights begins

josuke hones in on kaato while the rest of the family mostly gets tsurugi out of harm's way while he's healing and yasuho goes after jobin and kyo goes after matsuba

so basically fun with that. yasuho and kyo eventually spare jobin and matsuba because they don't want matsuba's baby to face the consequence of an abnormal life just because of their parents' sins. jobin and matsuba get thoughtful about this.

josuke is hesitant about killing kaato but she's not stopping lol. yasuho and kyo join the fight and it gets even wilder. but i think the final blow is actually caused by jobin. he wants to end the cycle of violence. he can't keep doing this. so kaato dies in her son's arms. josuke thinks about holly and kyo calls karera to ask how she is. karera reassures her she's fine

anyway the higashikatas grieve while yasuho kyo and josuke basically rebuild and clean the house lol. eventually tsurgui wakes up and everyone focuses their energy on making sure he's okay. tsurugi apologies to josuke and josuke's like im the one who tore ur family apart kid you dont need to apologize to me

the higashikatas counter that they did this to themselves and josuke was just the catalyst for it all. and basically from there the epilogue as it was written goes down except yknow. karera is brought up and kyo and jobin arent dead. also there isn't that random ass scene with josefumi's mom, instead it's josuke and kyo waiting outside the hospital as holly comes out for the first time in years (josuke uses the unnatural phenomenon bubbles to heal her basically)

umm anyway. idk. some things are never gonna get resolved like the wall eyes or the flash forward man or anything like that but that's just jojo for you. i think if it was something closer to this i would've been more satisfied. but yeah. anyway. also no fucking randomass flashback about a guardrail that was so unnecessary. anyway good night i haven't proof read this

[healbellls]

That's an unique way of greeting someone.

[kbtbb-soryu]

The Wild Rose [Tomoki x OC] Prologue

It was finally the long-awaited moving day. I was moving into an apartment by myself. My dad helped me get the perfect apartment. The negotiations had gone smoothly and it was time to move in. I decided to walk to the new apartment to learn the new neighbourhood better.

My cousin and I had stopped and checked the map we had.

"Hmm, it looks like it's this way." My cousin, Ayame, pointed ahead of us. The pedestrian light turned green. "Come on!" She rushed across the street. With how excited she was getting, you'd think she was the one starting a new chapter of her life, so to speak.

"Wha-! Ayame!" I called after her. I quickly shoved the map into my bag before running after her. She turned around to wait for me, and her eyes widened.

"Hotaru! Watch out!!"

I looked to the side and saw a white limo heading towards me. I gasped but managed to leap out of the way before it could hit me, right into a puddle of ice-cold water.

"Hotaru! Are you alright?!" Ayame came running up to me, panicked.

"Peachy." I looked at my soaked clothing in utter dismay. Just as I was about to get up from the ground, a gentlemanly man dressed in black stepped out of the limo. A butler? I stared dubiously at him as he reached out his hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm great," I replied sarcastically. I had the right of way. I should not have had to escape death so narrowly. And I wasn't about to take his hand either. I shot him a nasty glare as I got up by myself.

"Your clothing... This is my fault. Allow me to make it up to you."

"What the hell was that? Don't you know how to read a road sign? Jesus Christ, you could have killed me!" I scolded him.

"You're right, I am so sorry." He bowed to me. "I'll get you a change of clothes," the man said gently.

"I don't need it," I snapped.

"Please, I insist. I can't leave a beautiful young girl looking like this. For one thing, my employer would be angry with me."

"Hotaru," Ayame whispered, "Maybe you should accept his offer. He looks like he feels really bad."

"You're too nice," I whispered back before turning back towards the butler. "Fine, whatever."

He smiled as he opened the door of the spacious limo and ushered us inside.

"My apologies. I should have stated earlier. My name is Aoi Shirafuji. I'm a butler to the Ichijo family," the butler introduced himself.

I stilled. "Ichijo?" I repeated.

"Oh, you know Mr Ichijo?" Aoi asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"No, I've just heard a lot about the Ichijo Group," I managed to force out. "The amusement parks the company has built is really quite impressive." I forced a smile. Somehow I felt like I just stepped on a landmine.

We arrived at a large and impressive mansion and Aoi took me to a room with a large full-length mirror and closets full of a wide range of clothing. "This way. Choose whichever you like."

The clothes were both my style and my size. It sent unpleasant shivers down my spine; I felt sick.

"Does a girl our age live here?" Ayame mused. I didn't answer. "Hotaru? Hey, are you okay? You seem a little tense." She furrowed her brow.

"Mm," I choked out. I didn't feel particularly eager to talk about it. "I'm... going to get dressed. Would you mind waiting outside?"

"Uh, yes, sure." Ayame knew me too well. She knew I wasn't being myself.

I took a shaky breath. Then another. Another. I took several deep breaths until I felt slightly calmer. I really didn't want to be here. Feeling like I wouldn't explode, I grabbed the first dress I saw off its hanger, not bothering to even look at it.

There was a knock on the door as I finished getting dressed.

"Yes?" I replied though I hadn't finished fastening the hook of the dress yet. It wasn't Aoi who entered the room.

"I'm Tomoki Matsuba. I'm one of the butlers here. I'm here to pick up the garments that require cleaning," the butler said. Bow-tied, black-suited and bespectacled, he exuded a rigidness befitting of a butler.

"Right. My cousin; did she...?"

"She went ahead to the garden," Tomoki responded.

"Oh." I bit my lip. Now what? I couldn't reach the clip on the back of my dress. I took yet another deep breath." Would you mind helping me fasten the hook on my dress? I can't quite reach it," I said.

"Please turn around." I did as he said and turned my back to him. He swiftly fastened the hook at the back of the dress before speaking again. "I'm going to do your laundry. Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"That would be lovely, thank you," I answered.

"This way." I followed Tomoki to the garden where Ayame was already waiting for me. She was sitting at a table, drinking from an elegant tea set.

"Kyo Aizawa. I'm a butler. Would you like anything else to drink?" Yet another butler introduced himself to me.

"The tea will be just fine, thank you," I replied formally as I sat down. Kyo promptly poured tea into the beautiful cup. "Thank you," I smiled up at Kyo once he was done.

"It's an original black tea blend using roses from this garden," he informed me.

"It smells wonderful."

"I recommend first tasting it black." A delicate pattern covered the teacup.

"This is Queen Rose, is it not?" I inquired, inspecting the cup. It suited the garden, but I was too on edge to enjoy it. Kyo didn't look the least bit surprised that I knew that.

"That's correct. It was produced in the early 18th century at the Raines factory." I nodded as I delicately held the cup and took a sip.

"How do you even know that stuff?" Ayame asked me. My only response was a small smile. Ayame cocked an eyebrow at me, inspecting my lips, and then my eyes. She gently placed the cup in its saucer and leaned over the table. "Hotaru?" she lowered her voice so only I can hear.

I shook my head. "Don't."

Ayame frowned but left it at that.

"It's delicious," I said after having tasted the tea, but the truth was I could barely taste anything. Silence fell upon the garden. Kyo didn't seem to be the talkative type as he watched over us. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another butler approaching, a charming smile on his face. This family certainly had a lot of butlers...

"What's the matter? You look so serious," he commented.

"I always look like this," I replied calmly.

"Itsuka Matsuba at your service. You met Tomoki earlier. Last name's the same," he said cheerfully.

"Brothers, I take it?"

"That's right. Now, how would you two like some freshly baked scones?"

"Scones sound nice, don't you think so, Hotaru?" she asked, a little too cheerfully.

"Thank you," I replied. We were stuck here until my clothes got cleaned so we might as well.

"The strawberry jam is made with organic strawberries from our farm, and the clotted cream from milk from our cows." Was that supposed to impress me? Without responding, I cut open the scone and took a small bite.

"It's very delicious," I said before taking another bite. After eating, I elegantly wiped my mouth with a napkin and glanced at my surroundings. The garden was well taken care of. It was filled with gorgeous flowers and the landscape was really quite breathtaking. "You have a lot of pink flowers and roses here," I noted.

"We're growing them for a celebration," Itsuki replied.

"A celebration?"

"It will be our employer's birthday in a month. And his daughter will be introduced to society on the same day," he explained. It took everything I had not to tremble. Not to react in any negative way. I swallowed.

"Is that so? I'm sure she must be wonderful," I said, keeping the bite I was feeling out of my voice.

"She is. A bit of a diamond in the rough. But that'll make training her all the more worth it." I had to keep myself from barking a laugh, and almost faltered.

"Oh? In my experience, I've found that the rough diamonds are far more valuable than refined ones." I flashed him one of my most dazzling smiles. His eyes widened.

"Oh, how do you figure?" he asked.

"I apologise for not being able to put this more delicately, but in this society, I find these 'refined'," I air quoted the word, "diamonds to be little more than sheep." Itsuki didn't hide his shock at my words, and I smirked ever so slightly. "Of course, I don't blame them. They were raised that way. You know, to follow someone else's orders; someone else's plan for their lives. It's been imprinted on them since the moment they were born and it's all they know. Whereas a diamond in the rough, as you put it, is quite rare in high society, but personally, I find it invigorating. It's like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating world to meet someone who is willing to against the status quo to do what they believe in. You could even say it's like defying gravity, which, in and of itself is already a very impressive feat." I chuckled. "But, what do I know? I'm just a teenager." I didn't fail to notice Ayame's dubious expression directed at me.

Yet another butler walked up to us, holding my freshly cleaned clothes.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," he said. I had to admit, I was taken aback by how attractive he was. But he had a certain vibe that reminded me of my brother, Eisuke, and that usually only spelt bad things. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yuma Akagi, and I'm the Ichijo family's head butler." Yuma bowed to me.

I smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I would like to apologize for the actions of one of our butlers today," Yuma said.

The corner of my mouth twitched. "I appreciate it. I'm just glad no one was hurt," I added. Yuma nodded.

"Meeting like this was, I think, fate. I hope... that you and I will meet again somewhere." I forced a chuckle as I looked away. If we did, I'd choke all of them. Yuma smiled significantly as he took my hand, then he gently kissed the back of it. The gesture was familiar, but it never got any easier to bear. "You were in the midst of moving. I'll have the limousine take you," he said.

"Thank you," I replied. I quietly watched Yuma give instructions to the other butlers.

After changing my clothes, Ayame and I got into the limo together with Yuma.

Ayame gave me another worried look as she was dropped off. "Hey, um, call me. Okay?"

"Sure." I nodded.

"Again, I am very sorry about today," Yuma said. It seemed like his attention was focused solely on me.

"It's alright."

"How did you find the house?"

"It was gorgeous. Absolutely breath-taking," I replied.

Yuma smiled, brimming with elegance and grace, but I could tell he wasn't actually buying a word I said.

We weren't far from the new apartment when the limousine came to a sudden stop.

"Are you alright?" Yuma's arms were around me, steadying me after the abrupt braking. I felt myself stiffen; my blood ran cold. In a panic, I pushed away from him. "Miss?"

"Sorry, I just don't handle physical contact very well." I shifted uncomfortably.

"I... apologize," Yuma said as he moved away from me. I shook my head.

"It's fine. But is there a problem?" I asked, looking away from him and out the window in an attempt to get rid of the tension in the atmosphere.

"It appears the road narrows up ahead. The car can't continue. This is as far as we can take you," Yuma explained.

"Here is fine. Thanks for bringing me this far."

"Before you go, might I ask how you found our service?" Yuma asked. An odd thing for a butler to ask.

"Oh, your service was superb." I got a sudden idea. "You're definitely on Geo's level."

"Geo?" Yuma asked. The corner of my lips tugged upwards. I got him. Hook, line, and sinker.

"My dad's butler," I replied innocently.

"Your... Dad?"

"Oh! I just realised I never introduced myself. Apologies. I'm just so used to people knowing I am. I'm Hotaru Ichinomiya."

"A pleasure, Miss Ichinomiya." Yuma smiled, but it was forced.

"I know this is probably common knowledge, but my dad, Akira, adopted both me and my brother, Eisuke. You see, my biological father abandoned me and my mother a long time ago."

Yuma's façade almost faltered, and I saw that. I was right; he knew!

"Abandoned?" Yuma asked, almost hesitantly.

"Yep. He didn't even show up for my mother's funeral after she died."

Yuma looked away. "I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps there was a reason he couldn't take care of you?"

I leaned back in my seat. "I don't care."

"You... Don't care?" God, how many more times was he going to feel inclined to make me repeat what I said?

"I don't. No excuse he could have would ever be good enough."

"I'm sure he must love you." I could tell Yuma was choosing his words very carefully without divulging too much information.

"You can't love someone you don't know. I've never even met him. Or talked to him. You see, the way I see it, blood doesn't mean anything. Genetic doesn't mean anything. I'll tell you what does mean something though: When I needed a dad, Akira was there. Akira is my dad. And my so-called father was little more than a sperm donor." Yuma almost choked on his words, and I chuckled. "Not the most delicate choice of words, but it's the truth. The thing is, you don't get to be a dad just because you share DNA. He wasn't there when I needed him the most, and he has no right to take up that role now." Yuma was speechless. "But I'm sorry to dump all of that on you like that. That was really silly and unfair of me. Please, forget I said anything." I made a show of giving a nervous laugh.

"Not at all." Yuma knew I was full of it. And I knew he knew that, but he didn't say anything more.

"Well, it's getting dark. I really should be going."

"Of course." He got out of the car before I did and held the door open for me. I bowed politely to him and turned to leave. I was happy to see the moving truck in front of the building when I finally got there.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry I'm so late. I'm Hotaru Ichinomiya."

"We've brought everything inside. Have a great day, Miss." With that, the movers left. I stood still for a moment and frowned. They brought everything inside? I didn't have to guess how they did that. I had a really bad feeling about this. I just hoped to god I was wrong. I inserted my key and unlocked the door.

"Welcome home, Miss Ichinomiya."

I wasn't wrong...

I was unable to hide my disdain as the butlers bowed their heads gracefully. I slammed the door shut behind me. The composure I put so much effort into keeping all day crumbled in an instant. I stared at them, not saying anything.

"We're here to serve you. Starting today." Aoi said. The butlers brought me slippers. I glared at the slippers, then at them, and crossed my arms.

"Well. I wish I could say I'm surprised," I snapped scornfully. I slipped my shoes off, not bothering with the slippers as I walked into the living room and sat down on my sofa. Resting my elbow on the armrest, I pressed my forefinger against my temple and my thumb beneath my chin. "Well go ahead. Give me the whole speech about why you're here."

Itsuki cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "Do you remember when I mentioned our employer's daughter?" he asked.

"Uh-huh."

"That girl..." Itsuki started, only to have his sentence finished by Tomoki.

"... is you." I didn't respond. "But... you already knew that."

"And that surprises you, how? I have the power, money and resources to do just about anything. You really think I'd go through life being oblivious and naïve without looking into who my father is?"

"You're going to be a sophisticated woman by the time of our employer's birthday," Kyo said. Sophisticated. I could socialise quite well in and I knew how to conduct myself, but there were many in high society who would argue that I wasn't quite "sophisticated" or "traditional" enough. Men in high society liked controlling everything, and I had a reputation for going against the tide. But I've never been bothered by that before and I wasn't about to start now.

"Right. Your employer, Kazuma Ichijo. My so-called father."

"Yes." Aoi smiled. I bet women were putty in his hands with that smile. The stupid ones anyway.

I didn't say anything, and the tension in the air grew ever more palpable. I didn't take my eyes off the butlers either.

As the glaring continued, the front door opened and Mr Head Butler walked in.

"Why, hello there, Miss Ichinomiya," Yuma grinned as he unceremoniously locked the door.

"Oh, great. The cavalry's here," I said sarcastically.

"Yuma, she knows," Aoi said.

Yuma grinned. It was a sinister grin; the same one Eisuke got whenever he was plotting something. "I figured as much. Everything you said in the limo... You knew all along who Mr Ichijo is."

"What did she say in the limo?" Itsuki asked, curiously.

I snorted. "Believe me, if I'd known you were Ichijo butlers before I got in that limo, I never would have accepted your half-assed offer. But then again, something tells me whether I accepted it or not, we'd still all be here right now."

"Enough. I cannot allow and Ichijo to utter such vulgar words," Tomoki said with a scowl.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Oh yes? Try and stop me, four-eyes."

His scowl turned into an expression of both shock and offence.

"Well as fun as this has been, everybody out. Before I report you for break in and entering."

"I didn't expect you'd treat us like crooks. Not when you're the one violating your lease." Yuma held out a piece of paper.

I snatched the paper from his hand and skimmed through the contract until my eyes stopped at a particular 'special feature'. "Personal butler?" I read out loud. And right at the bottom was Akira's signature. My dad wasn't stupid. No way would he have signed this without checking every detail and have the family lawyer go over it for emphasis. Which could only mean he knew about this and didn't tell me.

"We had you come to the house to make the idea more palatable," Aoi said.

"Yes, yes. You set me up. I figured that out hours ago." I got up. "I don't believe this," I mumbled as I grabbed my phone and went into my room. I slammed the door shut and furiously dialled my dad's number.

"Yes?" He didn't look at the caller ID before answering.

"Hi, Dad. It's me," I said in a voice so sweet it sounded sickening even to me.

"Hotaru! I was going to call you in the morning. Have you settled in?" he asked.

"Yes, about that... Did the lease for my new apartment perhaps come with a tiny detail you forgot to mention?" I spoke through clenched teeth.

"The lease?" Akira remained silent for a few moments as he thought. "Oh! You must be talking about the butler service. It was a special they had just for your apartment. I figured having a butler would make your life a little easier."

My eyebrow twitched as I closed my eyes in exasperation. "So you did know about it."

"Of course. You think I'd sign something like that without thoroughly checking every word on it?"

"And you didn't think to warn me about it?" I breathed.

Akira paused. "You're upset..."

"Damn right I'm upset! Dad, you've been duped!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Those butlers! I wouldn't be surprised if they disguised themselves as real estate agents. They probably played on your worry as my dad, too."

"Hotaru, you're not making any sense."

"They're Ichijo butlers! They orchestrated this whole thing! The apartment, the lease, the butler service. All of it! All so they could, and I quote, 'turn me into a sophisticated woman' for his birthday party."

I heard Akira breathe hard over the receiver in an attempt to maintain his composure. "I'm calling Yuzuru."

"What's he going to do? They're practically untouchable, and not because they work for Ichijo. They planned everything to the finest detail and slipped through all the right loopholes. Everything on the lease is legal and you knew about the butler service when you signed it, so we can't even sue them for not explaining certain details on the contract. There's nothing we can do."

Akira paused. "You're right. But there's nothing on the lease about you following their rules. No conditions about you taking any kind of lessons from them. I doubt I need to tell you this, but you don't dance to the sound of their pipes. You dance to yours."

I smirked, relaxing a bit. "You know it, Daddy."

"Good. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Love you, too."

I took a deep breath before opening my door. Of course they were still there, and they likely heard every word I said to my dad, too. I took one annoyed look at them and moved to the kitchen.

"All sorted out?" Yuma asked sarcastically as he followed me into the kitchen.

"Why bother asking when you heard my entire conversation," I retorted.

There was a moment of silence before Yuma doubled over with laughter.

"I think this will be very interesting indeed," he said as he looked at me with amusement.

I didn't bother responding as I put the kettle on; nothing good could possibly come from interacting with him. I turned around and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing my arms over my chest.

Yuma's sinister smile returned. I raised my eyebrows in a motion for him to get to the point.

"All you have to do is accept our training on behalf of our dear employer. It's only a month," Itsuki said.

My eyes flitted to him. "No," I said flatly before turning my back to them.

"You had etiquette lessons, but we need to make doubly sure you didn't miss anything. Not to mention kick that flighty nature of yours. Otherwise, you'd just be an embarrassment," Yuma replied with a broad smile.

I barked a laugh. "Wow. That is just hilarious." I turned back to him. "I already told you how I feel about him. And I know you know I meant every word. But just in case you're still processing, allow me to break it down for you. I can barely stomach the thought of breathing the same air as your oh-so-wonderful employer. He can go fuck himself for all I care. And you would be damn lucky if I decided not to embarrass him and his company on purpose, which, by the way, I'm still undecided on." Tomoki opened his mouth to say something. I pointed my finger at him without looking at him. "You say one word about my language, I swear to god I will punch you."

Yuma sighed, exasperated. "How you feel about him doesn't matter. We made a promise to him and we intend to keep it."

I snorted. "Good luck with that." I turned back to the now boiled kettle and prepared some chamomile tea. God knows I needed it.

"Alright, it's time you choose," Yuma said. I could hear the amused smirk in his voice.

"Oh, I get a choice, do I?" I retorted.

"Who would you like to be your butler?" Aoi asked.

                                                                                                           Next Chapter

[cursedmystic]

Ah, another day, another gym challenger thwarted. Zoroark has curled up in the middle of the arena, taking up a huge space that was still slicked with ice that gave off a strange fog. He seemed quite content with the way his strength consistently was growing, ever stronger as Matsuba used him more and more.

[nikki-romero]

The Wild Flower (Tomoki Matsuba x OC) Prologue

It was finally the long-awaited moving day. I was moving into an apartment by myself. My dad helped me get the perfect apartment. The negotiations had gone smoothly and it was time to move in. I decided to walk to the new apartment to learn the new neighbourhood better.

My cousin and I had stopped and checked the map we had.

"Hmm, it looks like it's this way." My cousin, Ayame, pointed ahead of us. The pedestrian light turned green. "Come on!" She rushed across the street. With how excited she was getting, you'd think she was the one starting a new chapter of her life, so to speak.

"Wha-! Ayame!" I called after her. I quickly shoved the map into my bag before running after her. She turned around to wait for me, and her eyes widened.

"Hotaru! Watch out!!"

I looked to the side and saw a white limo heading towards me. I gasped but managed to leap out of the way before it could hit me, right into a puddle of ice-cold water.

"Hotaru! Are you alright?!" Ayame came running up to me, panicked.

"Peachy." I looked at my soaked clothing in utter dismay. Just as I was about to get up from the ground, a gentlemanly man dressed in black stepped out of the limo. A butler? I stared dubiously at him as he reached out his hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm great," I replied sarcastically. I had the right of way. I should not have had to escape death so narrowly. And I wasn't about to take his hand either. I shot him a nasty glare as I got up by myself.

"Your clothing... This is my fault. Allow me to make it up to you."

"What the hell was that? Don't you know how to read a road sign? Jesus Christ, you could have killed me!" I scolded him.

"You're right, I am so sorry." He bowed to me. "I'll get you a change of clothes," the man said gently.

"I don't need it," I snapped.

"Please, I insist. I can't leave a beautiful young girl looking like this. For one thing, my employer would be angry with me."

"Hotaru," Ayame whispered, "Maybe you should accept his offer. He looks like he feels really bad."

"You're too nice," I whispered back before turning back towards the butler. "Fine, whatever."

He smiled as he opened the door of the spacious limo and ushered us inside.

"My apologies. I should have stated earlier. My name is Aoi Shirafuji. I'm a butler to the Ichijo family," the butler introduced himself.

I stilled. "Ichijo?" I repeated.

"Oh, you know Mr Ichijo?" Aoi asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"No, I've just heard a lot about the Ichijo Group," I managed to force out. "The amusement parks the company has built is really quite impressive." I forced a smile. Somehow I felt like I just stepped on a landmine.

We arrived at a large and impressive mansion and Aoi took me to a room with a large full-length mirror and closets full of a wide range of clothing. "This way. Choose whichever you like."

The clothes were both my style and my size. It sent unpleasant shivers down my spine; I felt sick.

"Does a girl our age live here?" Ayame mused. I didn't answer. "Hotaru? Hey, are you okay? You seem a little tense." She furrowed her brow.

"Mm," I choked out. I didn't feel particularly eager to talk about it. "I'm... going to get dressed. Would you mind waiting outside?"

"Uh, yes, sure." Ayame knew me too well. She knew I wasn't being myself.

I took a shaky breath. Then another. Another. I took several deep breaths until I felt slightly calmer. I really didn't want to be here. Feeling like I wouldn't explode, I grabbed the first dress I saw off its hanger, not bothering to even look at it.

There was a knock on the door as I finished getting dressed.

"Yes?" I replied though I hadn't finished fastening the hook of the dress yet. It wasn't Aoi who entered the room.

"I'm Tomoki Matsuba. I'm one of the butlers here. I'm here to pick up the garments that require cleaning," the butler said. Bow-tied, black-suited and bespectacled, he exuded a rigidness befitting of a butler.

"Right. My cousin; did she...?"

"She went ahead to the garden," Tomoki responded.

"Oh." I bit my lip. Now what? I couldn't reach the clip on the back of my dress. I took yet another deep breath." Would you mind helping me fasten the hook on my dress? I can't quite reach it," I said.

"Please turn around." I did as he said and turned my back to him. He swiftly fastened the hook at the back of the dress before speaking again. "I'm going to do your laundry. Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"That would be lovely, thank you," I answered.

"This way." I followed Tomoki to the garden where Ayame was already waiting for me. She was sitting at a table, drinking from an elegant tea set.

"Kyo Aizawa. I'm a butler. Would you like anything else to drink?" Yet another butler introduced himself to me.

"The tea will be just fine, thank you," I replied formally as I sat down. Kyo promptly poured tea into the beautiful cup. "Thank you," I smiled up at Kyo once he was done.

"It's an original black tea blend using roses from this garden," he informed me.

"It smells wonderful."

"I recommend first tasting it black." A delicate pattern covered the teacup.

"This is Queen Rose, is it not?" I inquired, inspecting the cup. It suited the garden, but I was too on edge to enjoy it. Kyo didn't look the least bit surprised that I knew that.

"That's correct. It was produced in the early 18th century at the Raines factory." I nodded as I delicately held the cup and took a sip.

"How do you even know that stuff?" Ayame asked me. My only response was a small smile. Ayame cocked an eyebrow at me, inspecting my lips, and then my eyes. She gently placed the cup in its saucer and leaned over the table. "Hotaru?" she lowered her voice so only I can hear.

I shook my head. "Don't."

Ayame frowned but left it at that.

"It's delicious," I said after having tasted the tea, but the truth was I could barely taste anything. Silence fell upon the garden. Kyo didn't seem to be the talkative type as he watched over us. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another butler approaching, a charming smile on his face. This family certainly had a lot of butlers...

"What's the matter? You look so serious," he commented.

"I always look like this," I replied calmly.

"Itsuka Matsuba at your service. You met Tomoki earlier. Last name's the same," he said cheerfully.

"Brothers, I take it?"

"That's right. Now, how would you two like some freshly baked scones?"

"Scones sound nice, don't you think so, Hotaru?" she asked, a little too cheerfully.

"Thank you," I replied. We were stuck here until my clothes got cleaned so we might as well.

"The strawberry jam is made with organic strawberries from our farm, and the clotted cream from milk from our cows." Was that supposed to impress me? Without responding, I cut open the scone and took a small bite.

"It's very delicious," I said before taking another bite. After eating, I elegantly wiped my mouth with a napkin and glanced at my surroundings. The garden was well taken care of. It was filled with gorgeous flowers and the landscape was really quite breathtaking. "You have a lot of pink flowers and roses here," I noted.

"We're growing them for a celebration," Itsuki replied.

"A celebration?"

"It will be our employer's birthday in a month. And his daughter will be introduced to society on the same day," he explained. It took everything I had not to tremble. Not to react in any negative way. I swallowed.

"Is that so? I'm sure she must be wonderful," I said, keeping the bite I was feeling out of my voice.

"She is. A bit of a diamond in the rough. But that'll make training her all the more worth it." I had to keep myself from barking a laugh, and almost faltered.

"Oh? In my experience, I've found that the rough diamonds are far more valuable than refined ones." I flashed him one of my most dazzling smiles. His eyes widened.

"Oh, how do you figure?" he asked.

"I apologise for not being able to put this more delicately, but in this society, I find these 'refined'," I air quoted the word, "diamonds to be little more than sheep." Itsuki didn't hide his shock at my words, and I smirked ever so slightly. "Of course, I don't blame them. They were raised that way. You know, to follow someone else's orders; someone else's plan for their lives. It's been imprinted on them since the moment they were born and it's all they know. Whereas a diamond in the rough, as you put it, is quite rare in high society, but personally, I find it invigorating. It's like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating world to meet someone who is willing to against the status quo to do what they believe in. You could even say it's like defying gravity, which, in and of itself is already a very impressive feat." I chuckled. "But, what do I know? I'm just a teenager." I didn't fail to notice Ayame's dubious expression directed at me.

Yet another butler walked up to us, holding my freshly cleaned clothes.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," he said. I had to admit, I was taken aback by how attractive he was. But he had a certain vibe that reminded me of my brother, Eisuke, and that usually only spelt bad things. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yuma Akagi, and I'm the Ichijo family's head butler." Yuma bowed to me.

I smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I would like to apologize for the actions of one of our butlers today," Yuma said.

The corner of my mouth twitched. "I appreciate it. I'm just glad no one was hurt," I added. Yuma nodded.

"Meeting like this was, I think, fate. I hope... that you and I will meet again somewhere." I forced a chuckle as I looked away. If we did, I'd choke all of them. Yuma smiled significantly as he took my hand, then he gently kissed the back of it. The gesture was familiar, but it never got any easier to bear. "You were in the midst of moving. I'll have the limousine take you," he said.

"Thank you," I replied. I quietly watched Yuma give instructions to the other butlers.

After changing my clothes, Ayame and I got into the limo together with Yuma.

Ayame gave me another worried look as she was dropped off. "Hey, um, call me. Okay?"

"Sure." I nodded.

"Again, I am very sorry about today," Yuma said. It seemed like his attention was focused solely on me.

"It's alright."

"How did you find the house?"

"It was gorgeous. Absolutely breath-taking," I replied.

Yuma smiled, brimming with elegance and grace, but I could tell he wasn't actually buying a word I said.

We weren't far from the new apartment when the limousine came to a sudden stop.

"Are you alright?" Yuma's arms were around me, steadying me after the abrupt braking. I felt myself stiffen; my blood ran cold. In a panic, I pushed away from him. "Miss?"

"Sorry, I just don't handle physical contact very well." I shifted uncomfortably.

"I... apologize," Yuma said as he moved away from me. I shook my head.

"It's fine. But is there a problem?" I asked, looking away from him and out the window in an attempt to get rid of the tension in the atmosphere.

"It appears the road narrows up ahead. The car can't continue. This is as far as we can take you," Yuma explained.

"Here is fine. Thanks for bringing me this far."

"Before you go, might I ask how you found our service?" Yuma asked. An odd thing for a butler to ask.

"Oh, your service was superb." I got a sudden idea. "You're definitely on Geo's level."

"Geo?" Yuma asked. The corner of my lips tugged upwards. I got him. Hook, line, and sinker.

"My dad's butler," I replied innocently.

"Your... Dad?"

"Oh! I just realised I never introduced myself. Apologies. I'm just so used to people knowing I am. I'm Hotaru Ichinomiya."

"A pleasure, Miss Ichinomiya." Yuma smiled, but it was forced.

"I know this is probably common knowledge, but my dad, Akira, adopted both me and my brother, Eisuke. You see, my biological father abandoned me and my mother a long time ago."

Yuma's façade almost faltered, and I saw that. I was right; he knew!

"Abandoned?" Yuma asked, almost hesitantly.

"Yep. He didn't even show up for my mother's funeral after she died."

Yuma looked away. "I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps there was a reason he couldn't take care of you?"

I leaned back in my seat. "I don't care."

"You... Don't care?" God, how many more times was he going to feel inclined to make me repeat what I said?

"I don't. No excuse he could have would ever be good enough."

"I'm sure he must love you." I could tell Yuma was choosing his words very carefully without divulging too much information.

"You can't love someone you don't know. I've never even met him. Or talked to him. You see, the way I see it, blood doesn't mean anything. Genetic doesn't mean anything. I'll tell you what does mean something though: When I needed a dad, Akira was there. Akira is my dad. And my so-called father was little more than a sperm donor." Yuma almost choked on his words, and I chuckled. "Not the most delicate choice of words, but it's the truth. The thing is, you don't get to be a dad just because you share DNA. He wasn't there when I needed him the most, and he has no right to take up that role now." Yuma was speechless. "But I'm sorry to dump all of that on you like that. That was really silly and unfair of me. Please, forget I said anything." I made a show of giving a nervous laugh.

"Not at all." Yuma knew I was full of it. And I knew he knew that, but he didn't say anything more.

"Well, it's getting dark. I really should be going."

"Of course." He got out of the car before I did and held the door open for me. I bowed politely to him and turned to leave. I was happy to see the moving truck in front of the building when I finally got there.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry I'm so late. I'm Hotaru Ichinomiya."

"We've brought everything inside. Have a great day, Miss." With that, the movers left. I stood still for a moment and frowned. They brought everything inside? I didn't have to guess how they did that. I had a really bad feeling about this. I just hoped to god I was wrong. I inserted my key and unlocked the door.

"Welcome home, Miss Ichinomiya."

I wasn't wrong...

I was unable to hide my disdain as the butlers bowed their heads gracefully. I slammed the door shut behind me. The composure I put so much effort into keeping all day crumbled in an instant. I stared at them, not saying anything.

"We're here to serve you. Starting today." Aoi said. The butlers brought me slippers. I glared at the slippers, then at them, and crossed my arms.

"Well. I wish I could say I'm surprised," I snapped scornfully. I slipped my shoes off, not bothering with the slippers as I walked into the living room and sat down on my sofa. Resting my elbow on the armrest, I pressed my forefinger against my temple and my thumb beneath my chin. "Well go ahead. Give me the whole speech about why you're here."

Itsuki cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "Do you remember when I mentioned our employer's daughter?" he asked.

"Uh-huh."

"That girl..." Itsuki started, only to have his sentence finished by Tomoki.

"... is you." I didn't respond. "But... you already knew that."

"And that surprises you, how? I have the power, money and resources to do just about anything. You really think I'd go through life being oblivious and naïve without looking into who my father is?"

"You're going to be a sophisticated woman by the time of our employer's birthday," Kyo said. Sophisticated. I could socialise quite well in and I knew how to conduct myself, but there were many in high society who would argue that I wasn't quite "sophisticated" or "traditional" enough. Men in high society liked controlling everything, and I had a reputation for going against the tide. But I've never been bothered by that before and I wasn't about to start now.

"Right. Your employer, Kazuma Ichijo. My so-called father."

"Yes." Aoi smiled. I bet women were putty in his hands with that smile. The stupid ones anyway.

I didn't say anything, and the tension in the air grew ever more palpable. I didn't take my eyes off the butlers either.

As the glaring continued, the front door opened and Mr Head Butler walked in.

"Why, hello there, Miss Ichinomiya," Yuma grinned as he unceremoniously locked the door.

"Oh, great. The cavalry's here," I said sarcastically.

"Yuma, she knows," Aoi said.

Yuma grinned. It was a sinister grin; the same one Eisuke got whenever he was plotting something. "I figured as much. Everything you said in the limo... You knew all along who Mr Ichijo is."

"What did she say in the limo?" Itsuki asked, curiously.

I snorted. "Believe me, if I'd known you were Ichijo butlers before I got in that limo, I never would have accepted your half-assed offer. But then again, something tells me whether I accepted it or not, we'd still all be here right now."

"Enough. I cannot allow and Ichijo to utter such vulgar words," Tomoki said with a scowl.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Oh yes? Try and stop me, four-eyes."

His scowl turned into an expression of both shock and offence.

"Well as fun as this has been, everybody out. Before I report you for break in and entering."

"I didn't expect you'd treat us like crooks. Not when you're the one violating your lease." Yuma held out a piece of paper.

I snatched the paper from his hand and skimmed through the contract until my eyes stopped at a particular 'special feature'. "Personal butler?" I read out loud. And right at the bottom was Akira's signature. My dad wasn't stupid. No way would he have signed this without checking every detail and have the family lawyer go over it for emphasis. Which could only mean he knew about this and didn't tell me.

"We had you come to the house to make the idea more palatable," Aoi said.

"Yes, yes. You set me up. I figured that out hours ago." I got up. "I don't believe this," I mumbled as I grabbed my phone and went into my room. I slammed the door shut and furiously dialled my dad's number.

"Yes?" He didn't look at the caller ID before answering.

"Hi, Dad. It's me," I said in a voice so sweet it sounded sickening even to me.

"Hotaru! I was going to call you in the morning. Have you settled in?" he asked.

"Yes, about that... Did the lease for my new apartment perhaps come with a tiny detail you forgot to mention?" I spoke through clenched teeth.

"The lease?" Akira remained silent for a few moments as he thought. "Oh! You must be talking about the butler service. It was a special they had just for your apartment. I figured having a butler would make your life a little easier."

My eyebrow twitched as I closed my eyes in exasperation. "So you did know about it."

"Of course. You think I'd sign something like that without thoroughly checking every word on it?"

"And you didn't think to warn me about it?" I breathed.

Akira paused. "You're upset..."

"Damn right I'm upset! Dad, you've been duped!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Those butlers! I wouldn't be surprised if they disguised themselves as real estate agents. They probably played on your worry as my dad, too."

"Hotaru, you're not making any sense."

"They're Ichijo butlers! They orchestrated this whole thing! The apartment, the lease, the butler service. All of it! All so they could, and I quote, 'turn me into a sophisticated woman' for his birthday party."

I heard Akira breathe hard over the receiver in an attempt to maintain his composure. "I'm calling Yuzuru."

"What's he going to do? They're practically untouchable, and not because they work for Ichijo. They planned everything to the finest detail and slipped through all the right loopholes. Everything on the lease is legal and you knew about the butler service when you signed it, so we can't even sue them for not explaining certain details on the contract. There's nothing we can do."

Akira paused. "You're right. But there's nothing on the lease about you following their rules. No conditions about you taking any kind of lessons from them. I doubt I need to tell you this, but you don't dance to the sound of their pipes. You dance to yours."

I smirked, relaxing a bit. "You know it, Daddy."

"Good. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Love you, too."

I took a deep breath before opening my door. Of course they were still there, and they likely heard every word I said to my dad, too. I took one annoyed look at them and moved to the kitchen.

"All sorted out?" Yuma asked sarcastically as he followed me into the kitchen.

"Why bother asking when you heard my entire conversation," I retorted.

There was a moment of silence before Yuma doubled over with laughter.

"I think this will be very interesting indeed," he said as he looked at me with amusement.

I didn't bother responding as I put the kettle on; nothing good could possibly come from interacting with him. I turned around and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing my arms over my chest.

Yuma's sinister smile returned. I raised my eyebrows in a motion for him to get to the point.

"All you have to do is accept our training on behalf of our dear employer. It's only a month," Itsuki said.

My eyes flitted to him. "No," I said flatly before turning my back to them.

"You had etiquette lessons, but we need to make doubly sure you didn't miss anything. Not to mention kick that flighty nature of yours. Otherwise, you'd just be an embarrassment," Yuma replied with a broad smile.

I barked a laugh. "Wow. That is just hilarious." I turned back to him. "I already told you how I feel about him. And I know you know I meant every word. But just in case you're still processing, allow me to break it down for you. I can barely stomach the thought of breathing the same air as your oh-so-wonderful employer. He can go fuck himself for all I care. And you would be damn lucky if I decided not to embarrass him and his company on purpose, which, by the way, I'm still undecided on." Tomoki opened his mouth to say something. I pointed my finger at him without looking at him. "You say one word about my language, I swear to god I will punch you."

Yuma sighed, exasperated. "How you feel about him doesn't matter. We made a promise to him and we intend to keep it."

I snorted. "Good luck with that." I turned back to the now boiled kettle and prepared some camomile tea. God knows I needed it.

"Alright, it's time you choose," Yuma said. I could hear the amused smirk in his voice.

"Oh, I get a choice, do I?" I retorted.

"Who would you like to be your butler?" Aoi asked.

Next Chapter

[retadoesthings]

Reta’s cosplay history

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Bolded = costume I’ve entered some sort of competition with

If the link doesn’t take you anywhere, there are currently no posts about the costume in question. Sorry!

Year complations: 2009 • 2010 • 2011-2012 • 2013-2014-2015 • 2016 • 2017-2018 • 2019-2020 • 2022-2023 • 2024 TBA

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Costumes newest to oldest

2024

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS: Sedusa

LOVE LIVE: Ayase Eli (Masquerade)

LIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN: Pocket Circuit Fighter Ran

2023

SHOW BY ROCK!!: Jacqueline

YAKUZA 5: Sawamura Haruka (idol) (updated)

SHOW BY ROCK!!: Retoree

PARIPI KOUMEI / YA BOY KONGMING: Tsukimi Eiko

2022

YAKUZA 5: Sawamura Haruka (idol)

CELLS AT WORK: AE3803

2020

BEASTARS: Haru

STAR DRIVER: KAGAYAKI NO TAKUTO: Sakana-chan (remake)

YAKUZA 0: NPC girl

LITTLE WITCH ACADEMIA: Lotte Jansson

WOTAKU NI KOI WA MUZUKASHII (Wotakoi): Momose Narumi

2019

B: THE BEGINNING: Lily Hoshina (work outfit & freetime outfit)

MYSTIC MESSENGER: MC (Jumin’s birthday CG version)

IDOLMASTER CINDERELLA GIRLS: STARLIGHT STAGE: Futaba Anzu (Lazy Fairy)

FREE! DIVE TO THE FUTURE: video game girl

DATE A LIVE: Tokisaki Kurumi

2018

KUROSHITSUJI: Angela Blanc (EP20 outfit, remake)

ALADDIN: Princess Jasmine (the red version)

MYSTIC MESSENGER: MC (Jumin 2nd Bad Ending version)

2017

VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU: Yamano Miyu

NARUTO SHIPPUUDEN: Inuzuka Kiba (remake)

LOVELY COMPLEX: Otani Atsushi

YURI!!! ON ICE: Yuri Plisetsky

ROKKA NO YUUSHA: Nashetania Loei Piena Augustra

FREE! IWATOBI SWIM CLUB: Nitori Aiichirou (Samezuka swim team outfit & Timeless Medley promo outfit)

WATASHI GA MOTETE DOUSUNDA: Serinuma Kae

ETOTAMA: Nyaatan

2016

FREE! ETERNAL SUMMER: Nitori Aiichirou (Future Fish)

FREE! (50% OFF): Hazuki Nagisa “Thugisa” (genderbent)

POKÉMON: ADVANCED GENERATION: May / Haruka

AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN: Shimomura Izumi

ASTAROTTE NO OMOCHA!: Astarotte Ygvar

KALEIDO STAR: Rosetta Passel (the swing scene outfit)

BARAKAMON: Arai Tamako

POKÉMON XY: MEGA EVOLUTION: Mairin / Manon

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS: Buttercup

WOLF’S RAIN: Blue

K-ON!!: Tainaka Ritsu (No, Thank You!)

2015

PRINCESS PRINCESS comic: Princess Sadie

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS: Femme Fatale

BECK: MONGOLIAN CHOP SQUAD: Minami Maho

POKÉMON: ORIGINAL ANIME: Ash Ketchum / Satoshi (beach outfit from EP18, remake)

NO. 6: Shion (remake)

DEATH PARADE: Nona

POKÉMON: BEST WISHES!: Roxie / Homika

2014

POKÉMON: Meowth / Nyasu

K-ON!: Tainaka Ritsu (school uniform; borrowed costume)

KUROSHITSUJI: Angela Blanc (double costume: winged angel & dominatrix)

NERIMA DAIKON BROTHERS: Mako

2013

GORILLAZ: Noodle (casual)

STAR DRIVER: KAGAYAKI NO TAKUTO: Sakana-chan

2012

K-ON!!: Tainaka Ritsu (Romeo & Juliet)

POKÉMON: ORIGINAL ANIME: Morty / Matsuba

CRASH BANDICOOT: Crash Bandicoot (remake)

STAR DRIVER: KAGAYAKI NO TAKUTO: Shinada Benio (Glittering Crux outfit)

NO. 6: Shion

2011

.HACK//SIGN: Macha

RENKIN SAN-KYUU MAGICAL? POKAAN: Liru (remake)

POKÉMON: DIAMOND AND PEARL:  Ash Ketchum / Satoshi (remake)

.HACK//LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT: Ouka (anime)

K-ON!: Tainaka Ritsu (Don’t Say “Lazy” & Listen!!)

MURDER PRINCESS: Falis

2010

RENKIN SAN-KYUU MAGICAL? POKAAN: Liru

OURAN HSHC: Haninozuka Mitsukuni (Haruhi in Wonderland)

POKÉMON: ORIGINAL ANIME: Ash Ketchum / Satoshi (beach outfit from EP18)

POKÉMON: DIAMOND AND PEARL: Ash Ketchum / Satoshi

CRASH BANDICOOT: Crash Bandicoot

WOLF’S RAIN: Toboe

FULL MOON WO SAGASHITE: Meroko Yui

POKÉMON: ORIGINAL ANIME: Ash Ketchum / Satoshi (crossdressing version from EP26)

NARUTO: Inuzuka Kiba (Shippuuden)

2009

NARUTO: Inuzuka Kiba (original)

OURAN HSHC: Haninozuka Mitsukuni (school uniform)

TONARI NO TOTORO: Kusakabe Mei

GORILLAZ: Noodle (DARE)

POKÉMON: ORIGINAL ANIME: Ash Ketchum / Satoshi (original anime)

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[futuresightcd]

♕, ␛, †

Small Headcanons ! | Accepting

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♕ - A CHILDHOOD Headcanon

          Matsuba was a HUGE mama’s boy. Many of the pictures in his home that actually showcase family are typically with her, save the obligatory traditional full family photo. A classic case of hiding behind your mother’s skirts with him. In most public settings, till he was about seven, he always had one hand clutching the extra fabric of her sleeves.

␛- An ANGER Headcanon

          As calm as he may appear on the outside, even in the face of something rather annoying or disrespectful ( cough proTON cough ), Matsuba is relatively quick to anger. It doesn’t take more than two or three offenses for him to go from offended to angry. Think of his composure as a sheet of ice, it can stand weight, a few hits, but once you fall through you’re in subzero temperature water.

† - A RELIGION Headcanon

          Growing up in Ecruteak, there was always heavy emphasis on the three legendary beasts, and of course Ho-oh. For most of Matsuba’s life he just went with the motions. Around the time he started to really connect with his clairvoyancy, however, is when all the questions came about. As of now, while he uses phrases like ‘oh thank ho-oh,’ and ‘arceus have mercy,’ he doesn’t believe much holds almighty sway. Something does, but what that is he doesn’t know.