#For all the ones before this I thought Ryoma's was the best looking

[lowcosmic]

—— stir and mix .

— 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 : shuichi was your all - time crush since … well , a long time. you , as the ultimate patissier , decided one day to start showing your affection by leaving a gift on his desk.

— 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 : fluff

— 𝙘𝙬 : none

— 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 : requested by 🦕 anon , you know it was long

↳ you and shuichi were mutual in the understanding that you were “ hallway friends , ”which meant that you both thought the other was nice , and that your only interactions were small hellos and waves in — you’ll never guess — the hallway. but , you wished he thought of you as more.

→ you’d liked shuichi. no doubt about it. kokichi knew , kaede knew , rantaro knew — a lot of people knew. except for shuichi. you’d made sure of that by making sure the news didn’t reach people like kaito , who’d blab the moment he found out.

→ of course , you were good at hiding your feelings. neutral expressions , no signs of romantic interest. at least on the inside.

→ you’d seen his face turn pink when waving to you on multiple occasions. you’d seen him hide his face away from you. you’d seen his small , illegally cute smiles. maybe he liked you back , or maybe it was kaede standing next to him. either way , those moments packed a bittersweet punch to your heart.

→ you decided , maybe he’d like it if you made something for him! maybe it’d make him smile , like how he’s like around kaede! it was a thought. a thought that produced a pretty astro cake , a cake that you’d overheard shuichi talk positively about before.

→ then … a flaw came. “ i can’t just walk up to him and hand him this cake like it’s nothing special — that’d be embarrassing !! ” you murmured out loud. and then a river of idea flowed into your mind.

→ you went to school early the next day. the teacher wasn’t there , thankfully , so you set down the beautifully wrapped cake onto his desk. you weren’t the ultimate pastry chef for nothing.

→ you then rushed to the bathroom , sneaking across the halls like some suspenseful scene in an adventure movie , going to hide in one of the stalls. once the bell rung and students started filing in , you got out and blended in with the stream.

→ everyone was crowded around shuichi’s desk , staring in awe at the open box , revealing inside the glorious cake. people like kaito and kaede were practically drooling at the scent and aesthetics of it , and everyone wanted to taste it.

→ shuichi was stunned , but deep down , he had a basic suspicion on who left it here. and letting his conclusion get to his head , a dark blush threatened to take place from his neck to his face.

→ you walked in calmly. “ oh? did someone die or something? ” you definitely learned from the best when it came to lying.

→ but still , you were definitely suspicious. no one was capable of making something like this but you.

→ grinning , kokichi said , “ hey , (y/n) , aren’t you the ultimate patissier or something? you seem most responsible for the little gift on shuichi’s desk. ”

→ you’d mentally slapped yourself. of course that’d be obvious , why couldn’t you just get him flowers or something ( other than the rose and detective hat toppers you’d put on )?

→ “ atua says he wants to appoint you as his personal chef so that you can sacrifice your best works to him! ” angie remarked. kokichi told her to shut up before you could respond.

→ “ someone else asked me to make it for you. ” you quickly responded , coming up with a lie on the spot.

→ “ that’s such a lie. ” kokichi smugly stated. “ we all know that — ” he got cut off by maki slapping her hand over his mouth.

→ “ … i’d like it more if you said you made it for me , not because of someone else’s request … ” shuichi mumbled , only ryoma and maki picking up on what he’d said.

→ “ if you let (y/n) hear what you said , they’d probably confess. ” ryoma said over the clamor between you and kokichi , plus some bystanders.

→ shuichi meekly nodded , looking over at the cake again. he didn’t want to say anything in front of this giant crowd , he wished it could just be you and him …

→ kaede granted that. “ hey , c’mon , let’s give (y/n) and shuichi some space !! ” she called out , taking someone’s hand to follow her out as she led everyone out. before leaving , she winked at shuichi and mouthed , “ good luck! ”.

→ shuichi’s heart practically leaped out of his ribcage as he looked at you and the emptying classroom.

→ finally , as the place was deserted with only you two in its premise , you spoke. “ i guess it was pretty obvious. i could tell you knew. ”

→ “ … it’s really pretty. ”

→ “ … thanks , i'd hoped so. ” you looked at his gaze , never fully on your face and glancing at the dessert every so often.

→ “ but … why? what did i do to deserve this? ” shuichi asked.

→ “ i just … wanted to? well , actually , there’s more than that , but … ” you stumbled over the last part.

→ you took a deep breath , regretting the words pouring out of your mouth like a faucet. “ i like you. a lot. i thought that it’d be a nice way to show my feelings , but i didn’t want to deliver it to you in person and i didn’t want to have someone deliver it for me and — ”

→ he stood up suddenly and took your hands , a sudden burst of confidence overtaking him. “ i … i like you too. ”

→ your eyes brightened as he looked away. “ i just … never had the courage to talk to you properly or even do anything with you … and i was so insecure that you’d like someone more important and better that — ”

→ you pulled him in for a hug before he finished. “ well , that’s something we have in common , huh? ”

epilogue

→ when he took the cake home , he’d saved it till you got to come over so that he’d let you know how amazing you are at your ultimate.

→ date : success !!

please don’t repost , translate , or claim my works as your own.

[zedleaked]

I have a couple of things

One, I love your art style! It's so cute and scrunkly, I hold it in my hands gently,,, /pos

Two, if this is okay to ask, what is your opinion on gokumota? They're my favorite ship, so I'm curious about what you think about it! :o

I THINK THEY ARE LOVELY.... himbo 4 himbo fr....

they are both scientists that are often perceived as dumb by their classmates... methinks they would bond over talking about bugs and space respectively...

from what little I remember from Kaito's free time events I remember the stories he told were a bit off the walls but I think Gonta would love listening to them,,,! Maybe use them as an inspiration too!! -and in turn Kaito listens to Gonta's rambles about becoming a gentleman and encouraging him,, Kaito is like Gonta's hype man in a way...

also when I think they'd do a lot of stargazing and whatever together,, especially cause in-game Gonta tends to point out the stars a lot,, like,,, Kaito tells him about all the constellations and shows them to him,, and the next time they go outside at night together Gonta tries to look for them!!!

plus... Purple and Green... best colour combo of all time.

my brain is flip flopping between viewing them as besties or romantically involved [probably the aromantic in me kicking in] but either way I think they are wonderful...

gives me the same feelings as Cats & Piranhas [Ryoma & Himiko friendship] cause they're both similar [Gonta and Kaito being optimistic scientists who are viewed as idiots sometimes,, and Ryoma and Himiko being both tiny and had important people leave their lives,,, and they probably have undiagnosed depression...] but not really having much significant interactions... sobs...

I have not thought about this ship [or even their friendship] before but looking more into it,,, its actually so cute and silly,, you have opened my eyes,,

[dragondemoness]

Hi it's 🌼 Anon!

I wanted to know if I could request something that's like my sayori request but with Yuri if that's okay?

Basically they,(Mondo, Chihiro, Fuyuhiko, Akane, and Ryoma) notice that s/o is acting strange and by Friday they assumed that they went home without them but on Monday (the weekend was her death setting) they find their body in the classroom and gotta stop whatever happens to them (with time travel 😈)

Also, I'm really sorry if you got this twice, the original said there was an error sending 😭)

I actually got started on that request you sent to me last time, but then my old phone died and I lost it all 😭😭😭

Warnings: Implications of suicide

Mondo, Chihiro, Fuyuhiko, Akane and Ryoma (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Mondo Owada

He always thought you were kinda odd

And a little self-absorbed

But when he got to know you, he saw there was more to you

And soon, you became friends

But eventually, during your time at Hope's Peak, you started acting even stranger

You hadn't been hanging out with him as much, and your eyes appeared hollow and distant

And when you didn't meet up to walk home together on Friday, it was even weirder

But he figured you just left without him, and he would confront you on Monday

But when he arrived, one of your Literature Club mates suddenly rushed out of the classroom, ready to throw up

He got curious and peeked inside, and came upon a horrifying sight

He had no idea what to do

His first thought was that someone murdered you, and he was ready to hunt down the son of a bitch who did that to you

But then Friday replayed, and you started the day off by walking to school together like normal, which confused him

But he saw his chance to figure out what happened that day, and he was ready to jump at it

After school, he went to the Literature Club classroom

He saw you with your back turned, and he saw a glimpse of a knife in your hand

He immediately tackled you to the ground and kicked the knife away, asking what the hell was wrong with you

But whoever was in control of the program realized that you weren't a threat to them, and they finally released the grip they held on you

The light returned to your eyes, and you looked up at him and asked what happened

He was just as confused as you, but he held you close to him tightly, afraid to let you out of his sight again

You seemed alright afterwards, so he was able to ease up soon

That was the worst experience of his life, but he's glad to have you back

Chihiro Fujisaki

You were kinda intimidating to him at first

He could relate to how shy and reserved you seemed, but you didn't mess around when it came to literature

But once he got to know you, you weren't so bad

He actually enjoyed hearing about your poems, besides the really dark ones

But after a while, you seemed to be avoiding him, and you looked like you weren't all the way there

He figured that you hated him, and he got really sad

But after you didn't show up on Friday, he decided to just ask you on Monday

Sadly, he wouldn't get the chance to do so

After seeing your fellow club member run out of the classroom, he went inside to see what was up

And he immediately let out a loud scream

His best friend was dead in front of a desk, and it was horrifying

He could only fall to the ground in tears, wishing he could have done more to protect you

Thankfully he could, as the day rewinded

He was hella confused, but he wasted no time in getting to the bottom of things

He returned to the classroom and saw you with the knife

He was frozen at first, but before you could plunge the knife into your stomach, he rushed over to you and knocked it out of your hand

After that, you were freed from the simulation, and the friend he knew and loved returned to him

He smiled in relief as he jumped on you and hugged you tightly

After that, things seemed to be normal again

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

At first, he sort of just ignored you like he did everyone else

But you were pretty cool to hang out with once he got to know you

He never understood your thing with literature, but you do you

Once you started acting strange, he was on it immediately

He asked you several times what was up, and you never gave him a straight answer

So he started having Peko check in on you when you weren't with him

On Friday, when you didn't meet up to walk home together, he asked Peko to look around the school

She found nothing, so despite his frustration, Fuyuhiko would wait until Monday

But he never saw you once, so he asked Peko to search around again

Peko came back distraught, and she brought him to the club room where your dead body lay

He didn't even know how to react when he saw you there

At first, he just wanted revenge on whoever "killed you"

But before he could start accusing people, the day rewinded

He was hella confused, but then he just wanted to see who offed you

But then he saw the knife in your hand, and he was quick to get it away from you

He appeared pissed and asked what the hell you were thinking, but on the inside, he was relieved

He wasn't sure what happened to you or why you didn't seem to remember anything, but you were alright, so who cares

He's gonna be extra protective of you from now on

Akane Owari

She thought you were weird at first

But somehow, you became friends

She doesn't really get your thing about literature, or half of what you're even telling her, but she's supportive

When you first started acting off, she didn't really notice at first

She was more focused on her other friends, and figured you were just busy

When it started to become clearer that there was something wrong, she once again shrugged it off and figured you were just having an off-day

But on Monday, one of your friends from the Literature Club was clearly disturbed by something, so Akane went to check it out

What she found caused her to go in shock for a couple minutes

She felt awful for brushing off your strange behavior, and in that moment, everything became clear

She hated herself for ignoring you, but thankfully, she would get another chance

She wasn't sure why that happened, but it didn't matter

She approached the club room and wrestled the knife out of your hand

She had never really taken in your appearance until this moment, and then she could tell the difference between your hollow eyes and your regular ones

She vowed to never forget this difference again, and she pulled you close to her in a bone-crushing hug

After that, she is extra protective of you, and she gets way better at figuring out when something's wrong

Ryoma Hoshi

He didn't pay much mind to you at first

To him, you were just another student

But something about you was oddly comfy, and you became friends rather quickly

He doesn't really understand what you're talking about, but you can ramble to him about literature if you want

He picks up that something's wrong very fast

You're his first real friend, and he's made a mental note about the way you act when you seem down and depressed

But this one was different

You didn't seem to be in a specific mood, you were just being weird

He asked about it a few times, but never got a straight answer

On Friday, he was just sort of at a loss, and decided to just ask about it on Monday

After seeing your friend run down the hallway looking sick, he immediately went to investigate

What he saw made his whole world shatter

He sunk to the ground in despair, blaming himself for things he had no control over

But on Monday, he got the chance to start over

Thanks to his small stature, he couldn't really wrestle the knife out of your hand, so he just got your attention and took the knife away when you were distracted

And soon after, his beloved friend was back

He's not sure what happened to you, but he's never letting you out of his sight again

[thesongmachine]

may i have hc's with Maki, Ryoma, Angie and/or Korekiyo with a shsl actor! reader (she/her prns if thats okay) who often doesn't think before they act.

maybe if you want to with an angst route the reader is like Tsumugi's righthand man in the killing game setting.

okay because I have SO MUCH to write for each character I'm gonna do this in parts, I'll also add some angst so be prepared 🤭🤭

TW: Threats

Maki Harukawa x Shsl Actor! Reader

at first I kinda feel like you guys didn't really interact

like you just disnt really talk to eachother in your freetime ig 😭😭

she also found you SLIGHTLY annoying and immature with your words

ofc later on she gets that you don't rlly think before you speak and helps A LOT with remembering

especially when the situation is serious, we don't need you saying some out of pocket shit lmao 💀

BUT as the killing game goes on you just randomly start talking to her

at first it was small, like a 'hey' every morning

and ofc she would return the favor, she wasn't gonna be rude-

and then over time it developed into more

and then before she knows it you two are together

she doesn't know how she managed to pull you

especially with your opposite personalities-

but it's okay cause she loves you <33

as more and more people die she notices how much more tense and weird you've gotten

I mean she just assumes it's the trauma that you all acquired

she doesn't blame you

but she really tries her best to talk to you, even if its hard for her because she's never one to do something like that

but all good things come to an end

It was the final trial. Only a few people were left, and it was getting tense. You guys didn't know who the killer could be... That was until Tsumigi revealed herself to be the mastermind.

Everyone was shocked, mutters could be heard all across the trial room. Except yours. You were just... Silent?

Maki notices this, and she calls your name. Gently. "Y/N... Are you okay?" She says, confused. Why weren't you saying anything. I mean Tsumigi just told you all she was the mastermind!

You don't say a word, you just look down. As time goes by you speak up. "Maki.." You say, tears slightly seen in your eyes. "Im helping her. I'm the mastermind too..." You say, feeling overwhelmed. Choking on your words, tears falling from your face.

Maki doesn't say a word. Nobody does. She just stares, mouth hanging slightly open. "What?" Is all she can stutter out.

You look away from her, feeling slightly ashamed. She grabs onto the podium frame infront of her, yelling in a fir of rage. "You bitch! You lied to me!" She exclaims, staring dead at you.

She had trusted you, but you lied. She had really thought once you two left this nightmare you would have a life together. But in just a matter of seconds those dreams were destroyed.

Now she was just letting words spill. Not caring what she said. "I'm gonna kill you! I hate you- I mean you lied and- I just..." She says, her words falling out.

Afterwards she doesn't say a word, she just glares at you.

Making your stomach sink

Eventually when you were executed alongside Tsumigi she couldnt bare to look at you

but in the end she did, and she felt just like a wave of emotions

she didn't wanna see you die but she couldn't believe you lied

in the future she thinks about you so much

she misses you a lot but still can't believe you lied to her

She is def more careful with the people she trusts if any

[g0nta-g0kuhara]

Hello, I noticed that your part mental health fanzine as well. If wondering who I’m am, I’m the one drawing Teruteru for the zine. Just wanted say your opinion on Teruteru is valid he not for everyone and that’s okay.

As fan of his I enjoyed his design and I having fun writing my own interpretation of him in a fanfic. I just he has a lot miss potential as character mostly he joke character so he not taken seriously by the writer, which is a shame. (He even as his fav I’m aware he not best written character or well handle by the writer, he honestly all over the place.)

Anyway as long as respect fans for favourite characters and don’t bash/harass others for they favs or call bad people for liking them your good in my book. Also if want talk about Ryoma sometimes that also be great only if you like too, also you art is very lovely and your zine piece of Gonta is very sweet.

Ps the reason I’m anonymous is because I know Teruteru a touchy subject and people can little passionate about it. So I do it for my own safety. ^^’

Hi!! Yeah of course I don’t hate anyone who explores his character or likes him. I’ve talked about it before but I genuinely think he had some missed potential with how he was reacting to the killing game through complete denial- a reaction not in any of the other games and it’s a shame a lot of his other aspects are handled so poorly.

I got another ask about this but his design is also pretty cute, it’s a shame that the dr writers think there is a need for a character to be a creep to be “funny” when it literally never is.

I adore ryoma and I’m totally down to talk about him at any time!! Thanks for the compliment :) I thought your piece looked very sweet as well, and your art style is so cute!

[yukiwrites]

Repurpose and Discoveries

Thanks for the support and BOTTOMLESS patience as always, @sundaychamomile! I hope you like it!

Summary: Beruka and Saizo chose to get married after the end of the war, thus beginning another chapter of Beruka's life in Hoshido. Still, she didn't like to be idle, so she wanted to resume her services as retainer, though to another master this time.

Commission info HERE and HERE!

______________________________

One day, after moving to Hoshido to live with her husband, Saizo, Beruka felt compelled to ask something that had been at the back of her mind for a while. 

“Saizo, I have a question.”

“Ask.” Saizo replied dryly as usual, as he fixed his clothes to go into duty.

“If me and Lord Ryoma were in mortal danger at the same time, who would you choose to save?”

It was a question that the wife of a retainer might ask herself and wander in a spiral of negative thoughts throughout the marriage, though it was something all kunoichis and wives of ninjas knew the answer to.

Beruka, however, asked it in a business-like tone as usual, as if she had wanted to know which oil was the best to polish one’s sword.

“Lord Ryoma,” Saizo said a beat later, though he felt a twinge inside his chest. It wasn’t a question he had pondered over before, but his loyalty was too deeply ingrained into him to allow any other answer to come out. “Although I’m sure he would scold me for answering like that.”

“Good. I would save Lady Camilla first, too. Without hesitation.” She nodded matter-of-factly. “Hm,” however, she soon frowned, then took one hand to her chin in thought.

Saizo knew that look.

She was introspective.

Beruka had never been one to be in touch with her emotions, so they would usually catch up to her after a while of something happening, much like now.

“What is it?” he stepped closer to lift her chin to look up at him.

“Maybe with some hesitation,” she said in a soft voice, tilting her head to the side to test out how that felt. “With a lot of hesitation,” she tried again, this time feeling her chest lighten up as if satisfied with her answer.

“Heh,” Saizo chuckled, moving a few strands from her face so he could place a kiss on her cheek. “If you hesitate that much, neither of us would make it.”

“True,” she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Perhaps the hesitation would come later.”

“Would the answer change later as well?” Never losing his smile, Saizo wrapped his tiny wife in a hug, enjoying her warmth.

Beruka took a few moments to think on the answer. She thought of her feelings towards Saizo, then imagined what it would be like to fail to protect him and watch his death.

It was painful.

She did it again, but this time, with Lady Camilla.

It was unbearable. She couldn’t even fathom something terrible happening to her, even though she had left her service to be with Saizo.

Yet, there was an underlying thought that made her wonder if that would continue to be true forever. Would her feelings for Saizo continue to grow with time? If they would…

“Perhaps,” she answered honestly, unaccustomed to being so introspective.

“Hm,” Saizo chuckled on her shoulder, taking in her scent before pulling away. However, Beruka kept her arms firm around his waist. “Is there something else?”

She looked up at him with a small frown between her brow. “I came to Hoshido to be with you, not as a soldier,” she stated, to which he nodded, understanding what she meant.

“Ah, yes. I’m sure Lord Ryoma will call on you for your skills in time.”

“Killing is what I do best, yes, but that can be done in an instant. I do not know how to be idle, Saizo,” she squeezed her grip on his clothes. “According to Lady Camilla, I am a competent retainer, and your queen is lacking one. Take me to Lord Ryoma so that I can ask for the position myself.”

Well, technically, Camilla would say that Beruka was ‘the best, the cutest and the most competent’ retainer in the market, but the nohrian princess was known to coddle those dear to her, so Beruka omitted the unnecessary parts.

Saizo pondered on the request for a moment, his face showing no expression. Then, a smirk sprouted on his lips. “Very well. I cannot speak for my lord, but I will vouch for you as well. Come with me.”

Beruka blinked, her cheeks slightly flushing as she felt a bubbling, not unpleasant feeling rise within her chest. 

Emotions were sprouting inside of her little by little, day by day, and she was able to identify them more clearly each time they surfaced. She didn’t even need to put to words that she was feeling happy for being able to work alongside Saizo, and even more so as he took her to the King’s office hand in hand.

The request wasn’t a difficult one, especially since Ryoma had been worried that Azura was without a proper guard. Sure, the ninjas around the castle greatly served as eyes and hidden blades, but having a designated person beside her at all times would be most helpful.

Ryoma had seen Beruka’s skills during the war, and he knew how vehemently Princess Camilla vouched for her, so, truly, it wasn’t a difficult thing to do.

Of course, he also had to consider Azura’s opinion on the matter, so he told the two of them to return the next day for a concrete answer. But they were told to expect good news, which made the bubbling inside Beruka’s chest turn into a comforting sizzle.

She had never stopped training, even after coming to Hoshido. She was a blade before she was a human— no. No. She wanted to discard such trains of thought now that she was getting more in touch with her emotions. She was conscious enough that thinking of herself as a mere tool wasn’t the way to go, but there was still much ground to cover for her to properly understand the reason why.

For now, she would hone herself, as a human who was as sharp as a blade, to keep on serving until she couldn’t anymore, or until she tired of it.

At night, Saizo returned to their quarters with a bag in tow.

“If you are to become a retainer here, you’ll need to understand the way of the ninja.”

Beruka tilted her head to the side. “Is it mandatory to be a ninja to be a retainer in Hoshido? I can conceal myself just fine.”

“It’s not mandatory, no, but the very foundation of the castle was built with the way of the ninja in mind. Although I recognize your skill, you also must have noticed how you stand out in the corridors, instead of blending in as you usually did in Nohr.”

“It is true. Even though I wore boots, my steps never echoed before. In here, each movement I do makes a creaking noise, though I am learning the pattern.”

Saizo smirked, “I know you are, which is surprising. It takes people years to fully grasp the walking pattern of the castle.”

Every house, castle and mansion in Hoshido was built out of wood, as opposed to the hard stone common to nohrian settlements. That also meant that every house, castle and mansion in Hoshido had a different pattern built-in in their supporting beams and wooden floors. If one stepped on the wrong spot, the wood underneath would creak ever so slightly.

It wasn’t a loud noise in the least, but it was noticeable if one wanted to remain undetected.

Most servants and ninjas learned the patterns at a young age, so their steps would effectively render no sound as they walked. Beruka, as an outsider, hadn’t been given such lessons; so even though she was cautious enough to muffle her steps, the wood still creaked underneath her feet.

But from then on, that would change.

Saizo untied the knot on the bag to reveal a set of kunoichi clothes for Beruka.

She looked from the bag to her husband, then picked up the paper-thin fabric. “I won’t be able to fight in that. Can’t I use my armor as usual?”

“These clothes aren’t for tanking, but for mobility. Ninja strike hard and fast, from the shadows.”

“I can do as much with my armor… It never inconvenienced me in the past. I have managed to work around any clunking sound that may come from it.” She put down the clothes, frowning.

Saizo lifted them back up, “there are spots you will not be able to fit through with all that metal around you.”

“You fit around them just fine with all those muscles,” Beruka put the clothes down again.

“Hrm,” Saizo coughed, embarrassed, then lifted the clothes. “Listen to me.”

“No.”

“Why? You’re being obstinate for no reason.”

“No reason? There is a reason.” Beruka retorted, but when she opened her mouth, no words followed. “Hm,” she frowned.

“What is it?” he sighed, putting down the clothes.

“I do not know. But I don’t want to wear these.” She made a stinky nose to the clothes on the table.

“Think harder. Why?” He pressed, taking the bag and putting it in her hands.

Beruka’s frown deepened. “I…” She looked from them to her husband; his cleavage and skin-tight undershirt. She then remembered Kagero and the other female ninjas she saw strutting about. “It feels like I am taking my clothes off instead of putting something on. I do not like it.”

Saizo coughed once again, covering his face with one hand. “What? They’re just clothes.”

As he had always been around these kinds of garments, he never thought of them as anything else but uniforms. They were light and easy to move in, and although the kunoichi showed more skin than the male ninjas, it was incorporated in their training to use it all in their favor.

Thinking nothing of that, Saizo picked a kunoichi uniform that would fit his small wife and brought it to her, but now that she pointed that out…

The silence stretched and Beruka gripped the bag harder. “Alright, I’ll put them on, or take everything else off, I suppose.”

Before Saizo could reach out to stop her, Beruka went behind the changing screen.

Once she came out, he realized what she was talking about.

That was really a lot of skin she was showing.

The blush was apparent on her white skin, making the situation feel somewhat obscene. “See? I don’t feel comfortable at all.”

It felt as though she was cosplaying as a ninja rather than embracing the way of the ninja, but perhaps that wasn’t the point of it all in the first place. Beruka wasn’t a ninja, although Saizo was still going to teach her all that she needed to know about moving around the castle.

But she needn’t dress like one.

No, he didn’t want her to.

All that skin under the armor was only for Saizo’s eyes, and no one else’s. He approached her with a fire burning inside his chest, sliding his hands through her naked arms.

She flinched in response, her blush growing deeper. “What are you doing?”

“You were right. You should not wear this for duty.” He lowered his head to kiss her cheeks, then trail down his lips to her neck.

She let out a short sigh, tilting her neck to give him more room. “So, I will wear my armor.”

“No,” he licked her skin, pulling her closer. “There are other uniforms you can try on. Later.”

Biting her lower lip, Beruka nodded. “Later.”

The next day, as expected, Azura accepted having Beruka as a retainer, even though they haven’t interacted much before, during or after the war. Regardless, Beruka was known to be loyal and her skills were acknowledged by everyone around, so there was truly no need to refuse.

Thankful to be able to put her blade to use once again, Beruka started as Azura’s retainer right away.  Or perhaps it should be said that she ‘returned’ to the duties of a retainer, but this time for another master in another castle.

Of course, she was wearing her armor for the first few days.

During the nights, Saizo would walk her through the castle’s patterns, though both of them remained unseen as they trained. In the morning, before duty, Saizo took Beruka to Oboro so the seamstress could repurpose a Spear Master outfit to serve as Beruka’s new uniform in Hoshido.

Heavy armor was great for tanking, but she could risk breaking an old support beam if they threaded towards unmaintained parts of the castle during their training.

“So, you’ve finally appeared, huh?” Oboro welcomed the two with a tinge of sarcasm in her voice.

Beruka smiled softly, somehow glad that Oboro was acting normally even after everything that went through between the two of them.

Of course, Oboro was still rough around the edges and probably would never truly forgive or accept Beruka — or most nohrians in general. However, she acted as usual and took the job given to her seriously; one time she even grinned!

Thus, Beruka was glad about such development. Although she had moved to Hoshido to be with Saizo, that didn’t erase her nohrian past, nor the bloody path she had walked on in another life.

Beruka’s mentor killed Oboro’s parents and died by Beruka’s hands at a later date, leaving Oboro with unresolved feelings towards Nohr and the murder of her family.

Still, to think that they would not only fight alongside each other during the war to even work together under the same roof without animosity was nothing short of a miracle. Beruka let Oboro touch her body while taking measurements and Oboro didn’t flinch (though she rolled her eyes) at the amount of hidden weapons Beruka had stashed all around her armor. Progress!

However, the reason why the uniform was taking longer than expected was due to Beruka’s own stubbornness. She wanted to stash just as many weapons while wearing lighter clothing.

Sure, Saizo had many stashed kunais around his body, but it couldn’t compare to the amount of knives, needles and iron threads Beruka had hidden under her armor. She even had a flexible, but brittle, sword inside her belt! It was as unbelievable as it was impressive.

“I’m telling you, I can’t make that many pockets without sacrificing style! You’re gonna look like a clunking bag if I do it the way you want.” Oboro threw her hands up, pointing at the corrections Beruka wrote on top of her sketch.

“Style? Is it fashionable to be susceptible to attacks?” Beruka retorted without hesitation.

Oboro groaned. “Ugh, you don’t get it, do you?! You’re not like Saizo or Kagero that follow Lord Ryoma through the shadows. You’re gonna be beside Lady Azura! You’ll practically be her face wherever she goes! You can’t look shabby.”

“I don’t need to stand out. I need, however, to have a knife right at this spot,” she tapped with her forefinger on her note.

“Grrr!” Oboro felt like pulling her hair out. “Saizo, do something about this! I can’t talk with this wall.” She turned to the silent ninja by the door.

“She’s right, though.” He said simply, making Oboro bang her head and both hands on the table in frustration.

“I should’ve expected this. No, why did I ask SAIZO of all people for help here, who am I kidding,” she groaned, rolling her forehead on the table. Suddenly, she raised her face (and both Saizo and Beruka ignored the big, round red spot on her forehead) as her eyes flared. “Alright, you’re on. I’m gonna make it with so many pockets you’re gonna run out of weapons to stash it in. AND it’s gonna look fabulous, too! Watch me! Watch me!!” She pumped herself up, at some point looking up to heaven or something, ignoring both bystanders.

Saizo and Beruka exchanged glances and smiled, shaking their heads as they left a fired-up Oboro behind.

Since Beruka was already a master in her own right as an assassin, Saizo’s job in teaching her the patterns was an easy one. She was already halfway through mastering the floorboards without any guidance, so once he started telling her where to step, she progressed quickly. Soon, they were sneaking around the ceilings and behind secret doors.

As Beruka was retainer to the Queen herself, there was very little information that should be kept from her. Still, top secret routes only privy to the King and his retainers were kept out of the lessons for obvious reasons, but neither she nor Saizo mentioned them as both of them were aware of such minor details.

He was keeping the old parts of the castle for last while Beruka’s uniform wasn’t yet ready, mostly because the construction during the earlier years of Hoshido had very narrow passageways so they would need to squeeze in there together, which was impractical with her armor.

Beruka did not notice it herself, but she had been smiling more often lately. She seemed content to be able to put herself to use — and not only that, she seemed comfortable between the people there. She bickered with Oboro and talked about her feelings with Saizo; she listened to Azura’s singing and was even asked if her and Saizo’s child would be a playmate of the eventual first prince or princess.

Everything was so different while she still did basically the same things, so it felt somehow magical to Beruka. Saizo didn’t tell her about her smiles, though, for fear that she would try to manage her facial expressions and deprive him of the blooms in her face.

Once the uniform was ready — over Oboro’s dead body, it seemed — Beruka tried it on immediately. It was as light as the kunoichi uniform Saizo had made her wear before, with the added effect of actually serving as clothing and covering her body. There was light armor on the chest and legs, but since it was made of leather, it wouldn’t get in the way of any sneaking she’d eventually do, so, all in all, it was a masterpiece.

Oboro almost cried tears of blood to make it the unreasonable way Beruka wanted it — and was thoroughly vexed to receive only a small smile and a ‘thank you’ nod for all of her troubles, but ended up throwing her hands up in frustration and laughed it off at the end of the day.

‘What did I expect, anyway,’ she had said with a puff, making Beruka giggle for the first time in her life. It was such a novel experience she snapped her neck to Saizo immediately, as if wanting him to witness a new emotion that sprouted out of her.

Saizo smiled under his mask and took his small wife out of the sewing room towards their own so she could change.

Once she did, they exchanged serious nods and went to train right away.

Now, she was much lighter than he was, especially because he had ‘all those muscles’ as she had pointed out before. Well, ‘all those muscles’ did kind of get in the way once they entered the narrower passageways hidden beneath the ceiling.

At one point, Beruka tried to push him in vain. “I can’t breathe like this, you’re occupying too much space.”

Clearing his throat in embarrassment, Saizo turned his head away. “And you wanted to enter with your armor on. Clearly this was the best strategy.”

“I won’t deny that my armor would’ve been in the way here, but so are you,” she huffed, her breath tickling Saizo’s collarbone. “Isn’t this supposed to be a one-man path? Why are we here together?” 

Truth to be told, Beruka was right. It would be enough for Saizo to show her the way and guide her through it by either entering before or after her, but for some reason they ended up crawling in there together, entangling their bodies in a way that they’ve never done before, not even during hot nights.

Saizo had no excuse, so he said nothing.

Frowning, Beruka raised her chin to meet Saizo’s eye. “Hey, look at me. Don’t look away.”

There weren’t many places to look away at, by the way. Saizo just tried to look ‘opposite of Beruka’, though even that was turning out to be impossible as she was so up and personal his whole field of vision was filled with her.

Instead of talking, he tightened the grip he had on her waist, bringing her even closer. Their body heat was already warming up the space around them, making them both sweat and pant.

“...!” Beruka felt Saizo’s tense muscles under her and finally caught on to the reason why he seemed so quiet. Was he embarrassed? Was his body… reacting to hers?

She tried to look down to his pants, but since her head was very much dug into his chest, it seemed like she was rubbing herself against him, making Saizo flinch.

“So that’s what this is about…” she murmured, moving one leg in the middle of both of his.

“D-don’t move like that,” he groaned, unsure of if he should push her away or hug her even closer.

Maybe… just maybe… Maybe Saizo was more into Beruka wearing hoshidan clothing than either of them ever thought.

[nagito-komaeda-is-gnc-af]

Kokichi only gained Gonta's trust just to use him.

Even the Ultimate Kokichi Stan/theorist, oumakokichi on Tumblr, said that Gonta and Ouma's relationship is inherently abusive. WHEN THE ULTIMATE KOKICHI STAN/ANALYST SAYS THAT, AT LEAST TRY TO PAY ATTENTION.

"Gonta is someone who trusts others implicitly, always tries to see the best in people, and is kind, gentle, and compassionate. Throughout earlier chapters, but especially in Chapter 4, Ouma comes down hard on him, insults him, and tells him to "stop moping" or "focusing on what he can't do" and while these things are likely the same kind of act that he put on in order to force Himiko to confront the promise she made to Tenko, it still doesn't change the fact that he says pretty awful things to Gonta in order to achieve these results."

"To try and ship Gonta and Ouma in a romantic fashion or anything similar is just...really not good. Gonta doesn't deserve to be put in any kind of shipping dynamic where he's going to be seen as anything less than equal, and there's really no way to deny that Ouma doesn't see him as an equal, but as a piece to be moved on a gameboard. This is something really important to be remembered with most ships, in my opinion, but with this one in particular I'll just say that it does really make me uncomfortable that people would want to make this kind of treatment into something "cutesy" or "shippy" when it's really not supposed to be, and not portrayed as such by the game." (Lunarin64art: "This sign can't stop me because I can't read".)

"An undeniable part of why he relies on Gonta probably comes down to the fact that yes, he does see him as one of the more easily manipulated members of the group. As one of the only characters whose reaction is to trust even Ouma implicitly, rather than to assume that he's lying, Gonta and his sweet, trusting disposition mean that whenever Ouma does have a plan that needs being done, he always has a pretty accessible, physically strong member of the group to rely on. This is pretty evident with the fact that he knew Gonta looked large and intimidating enough to round up all the members of the group into the entomology lab while Ouma himself was off trying to collect evidence."

In any good Virtual Simulation AU everyone is alive and well except Kokichi, because Miu, Maki or (the best option) Gonta put him off life support before he could wake and that fucker died as he deserved. Everyone was happy he died and absolutely no one mourned him.

You REALLY thought Kokichi would ACTUALLY INFORM Gonta about the Bugvac? When Kokichi NEEDED to keep Gonta's self-esteem as low as possible so that he would be easier to manipulate. Of course he wouldn't show Gonta anything that could make him believe in himself. What a stupid pile of filth you are.

"He never treats Gonta the way he did on chp4 on any other part of the game." 

Okay, how about Kokichi telling Gonta that if he keeps being so gullible it would get him killed while PLANNING to get him killed since Day 1, being a shit to Gonta in their pre-Free Time Events in Chapter 2, manipulating Gonta into kidnapping everyone by telling him that his classmates hate bugs (Which was a part of Kokichi's plan to get rid of Ryoma and Kirumi by letting Kirumi kill Ryoma, so Kokichi basically made Gonta indirectly cause two people's deaths)? Kokichi telling Gonta "nothing good ever happens when you try to help" in Chapter 3? Kokichi constantly calling Gonta an idiot?

" I also find it strange how there are still people who actually think that Ouma didn't care about Gonta. That was legitimately one of his most obvious lies in the entire game. His end talk with Kaito wouldn't make any sense otherwise, nor his interactions with Gonta on TDP and DRS." 

His interactions with Gonta in TDP and DRS don't show that he cares for him in the slightest. Aside from Ouma's graduation event, where he slightly regrets abusing Gonta for three years, there's literally no indication that he, in any way, cares about Gonta. Where's it? When he tells Gonta that he's going to kill someone by playing volleyball (TDP)? When he banters with Junko while Gonta just stands here as a prop - he only came to see Junko, who is his bestie, not to protect Gonta from her or stuff, Gonta was never the main objective here (TDP). Two neutral interactions with Gonta where he just farts around without doing or saying anything that would imply he gives a shit about Gonta? (Summer Camp) And two more interactions with Gonta that feature Gonta mostly serving as a mediator between him and the other characters without Ouma ever once doing anything in return for Gonta? (Summer Camp) His every single interaction with Gonta is abusive. Gonta cares about Kokichi and tries to put actual effort into their "friendship". Kokichi just uses him for his own benefit and doesn't give Gonta anything in return.

ok. and? I'm not replying to your other 6 anons. you're putting way too much energy into nothing. it's almost like Danganronpa isn't canon IN canon. and anything can happen. idc what a Kokichi expert says. just because one person puts on a big boy hat and does amazing work to analyze the character doesn't mean I need to care. like they are right. I've never said it wasn't abusive. i like that blog and they are right on many accounts but im allowed to have my own perspective on the characters and plot. people are allowed to do that. but you, the anon, the one using another person's words to justify, clearly have no nuanced takes and a deep-seeded hate for kokichi. if you think JUNKO has any emotions that Kokichi somehow lacks and that he DESERVES DEATH then anything else you said is null to me. maybe you should listen to the kokichi stan about why they stan them. because you're clearly just using another's words to fuel your hate. danganronpa isn't real. irl or in canon. none of it matters. let people ship what they want.

[eggs-can-draw]

Nanami Anon: I believe I promised I'd dump my Kokichi Characterization Thoughts into your inbox at some point? Well, anyways, buckle up. The thing I'm trying to write is going slowly rn because I'm in a big clump of some of those connector/establishing scenes that are only satisfying once they've paid off so I may as well do this and be about as productive as I was gonna be anyways.

Ok. So. Kokichi and Kiibo wake up the same room, we think. They're certainly in the same one when Kaede and Shuichi find them, and it's very similar to the one that pair woke up in. Neat, this dude's a robot! Still, it's kinda freaky to wake up somewhere you've never been before. Who's responsible for that? We dunno, nobody seems to know, best be on guard. Don't look vulnerable. Nobody else's skill in combat has been established, so Kokichi can't be sure he can defend himself. Oh, everyone's being told that they have to get away with murder if they want to go free? Double down.

Rantaro dies. The game truly begins. If he wasn't stressed before, he is now-- everyone is. Don't look vulnerable. So he keeps up the cheerfully immature facade. Keeps lying. Keeps pointing out that he's lying, not so that people look past it but so that they ignore it when the act breaks.

Kaede dies, because she killed Rantaro. She didn't want him dead, sure, since he wasn't the one who brought them all here, but that's what she got. The person who put the most work into keeping the group pointed in the same direction is dead. Because she killed someone. There's no point in really trusting anyone. Is there?

Everyone's snippy because they're stressed, but some people are still nice enough. Kokichi does wind up bonding with certain people. Him and Kiibo and Miu like snarking at each other, it seems. He and Gonta make a pretty good tag team, honestly-- I've already talked about how, if you act at the right time, you see Gonta fully aware of the motive video viewing aspect of the insect meet and greet, but that's not the only thing. At one point, Gonta mentions he thought he saw a bug for a moment, but couldn't find it after; because of this, Kokichi at some point asks Miu to build the bug-vac. There's clearly a certain amount of mutual respect between all of these parties, if you know where to look for it.

Ryoma dies. What happened before wasn't just a one time thing. Ryoma is dead because someone thought they deserved to leave more than he deserved to live. No pretense of belief it was his fault everyone is there, since he'd offered his life to free someone before. Something intentional, if well intentioned.

Kirumi dies, because she killed Ryoma. Kirumi, who cared for them, all of them, was willing to let them die for her own goals. Willing to kill them all for her own goals. And, sure, perhaps they are noble goals. Who else has noble goals here, that they might find worth killing for?

In Ch3, Miu's lab with the big ass computer opens up and she begins working on a project involving it. This becomes instrumental in what we eventually learn to be her plan to kill Kokichi. We don't know when he finds out about this, but it's probably sometime during Ch3, since most of Ch4 is dedicated to the NWP. Miu is his friend, which is not something he's sure he can say about most everyone else here. Possibly, she is even his best friend. He was helping her put together this place for everyone to be away from the killing game, at least for a little while, and it was all so she could kill him?

He is a liar. He knows this. Everyone around him knows this. There is no one he can tell, who he can trust to believe him, to help him keep himself safe. Is there?

Angie and Tenko die, because there is malice in this place. Why else would Tenko be dead, if not for malice? Angie, one could have claimed, died for freedom. But Tenko? There was no reason for her to die. Angie was already gone. Kokichi picked the lock to find her body himself, was one of the first people to see her dead. And then Tenko dies, too. Killed right in front of him, even if he didn't see.

And then, while he's investigating an empty room (maybe because he thinks something might be there. maybe because he just needs some space to think.) he falls through the floor. He knew this place was shittily made, but-- No, lying under the floorboards with his concussion and looking up at the cause, he can see that this was quite intentional sabotage.

He is a liar. He knows this. Everyone around him knows this. There is no one he can tell, who he can trust to believe him, to verify what could become a crucial piece of the puzzle. But he does have a bleeding head injury. That's got to count for something. Perhaps there's something easier to convince people of, than the fact that he cares. (Perhaps people want to believe more in the idea that he's so opportunistic about messing with them, that he'll use his real ass head injury to play dead just for a reaction.)

Korekiyo dies, because he killed Angie and Tenko. Because of his malice. Kokichi watches him, and knows that one way or another someone will be following him all too soon.

Maybe he realizes Gonta doesn't remember, when they get out of the NWP and he's acting the same as he did before they went in. Or maybe he doesn't. But he does cry, when the voting's done. Even if he walks it back afterwards, even if everyone thinks he's a horrible person for walking it back too far. He does cry. Whether it was real or not. But what reason would he have to pretend? To fake a vulnerability he immediately denied? Kokichi broke that day, I think, the snapped wing of his downward spiral finally shattering against stone with the rest of him. Don't look vulnerable.

"You're alone," someone he respects (likes) (appreciates) (believes in) (loves?) tells him. "You're alone and you always will be."

And with a nightmarish grin on his face, Kokichi leaves everyone else behind, his mind made up. His course of action decided. He is going to die for these people. And he is going to do so as a villain, because there is no other way left.

And then he does.

holy SHIT this got long

Hi please know that this has me. so so so SO emotional. ABSOLUTELY LOSING IT I ADORE THIS. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH IT CLICKS SO NICELY. CHEWING THIS LIKE AN EXCITED DOG WITH A FUCKING CHEW TOY

[talesofedo]

Because he obviously lives in my head rent-free this year, here is a compilation of Okada Izo headcanons I've come up with, mostly while I was supposed to be doing other things (like work).

Just to clarify, these are about the historical Okada Izo, and not based on novel, manga, movie, or TV series canon, although all of those are great interpretations of the historical person in their own way. My headcanons are not historical fact and shouldn't be taken as such, although I suppose there is always a chance some could be accurate.

If you're interested in the actual Okada Izo, I've previously made a "today I learned" post about him, which you can find here.

...

+ As a young child (before the age of 10), Izo was best described as kind and helpful at home, in the neighborhood, and at school (once he started attending), but especially with his little brother, Keikichi, who was 6 years younger. However, nobody would have described him as gentle. Even with the best intentions, little Izo occasionally showed all the gentleness of a wild boar.

+ Even when he was a child, Izo's hair was difficult to manage. It was thick and wavy (though not quite as bad as Ryoma's) and always looked a bit messy, even when properly put together using hair oil or wax. There were many periods in Izo's adult life when he wouldn't (or couldn't) spend money on buying hair oil/wax or having his hair done at the bath house.

+ When Izo was 8 years old, his mother started teaching him how to play Go, which she had learned from her father. Like his mother, Izo excelled at the game because he understood the strategy aspect of the game, but also because he remembered past games and worked hard to avoid repeating mistakes. Unfortunately, because so many of his peers thought of him as stupid, he was rarely given a chance to play. Had Takechi Hanpeita ever challenged him to a game of Go, Izo would have easily beaten him. One person who did ask him to play on occasion was Katsu Kaishu. Izo had about a 50/50 chance of winning against him.

+ When Izo's family moved from Iwamura village to Enokuchi village, he was 10 years old [historical fact] and not looking forward to starting at a new school because he understood that his reading and writing wasn't at the same level as other students'. (My theory about Izo's reading and writing can be found in this previous post.) He was worried about getting bullied and, as a result, came across as shy and standoffish at first.

+ Even though he was bullied for his reading and writing by the teacher and at times by his classmates, the other boys still wanted to be his friends: he was a fast runner (for short distances especially), a great climber, and generally good at any physical activity. Izo was the boy you wanted in your group if you were going to catch fish in the river or play generals and definitely if you were going to get into a "sword" (stick) fight with another group.

+ Izo partially made up for his difficulty with reading and writing by having an excellent memory and being able to recall texts that had been read aloud and stories he'd heard. He had a particularly large repertoire of ghost stories to scare his friends and his little brother. He continued to have a very good memory well into adulthood, including for places, dates, and small details. Unfortunately, this meant that when he did confess to his crimes after torture, and gave evidence about his comrades in the Kinnoto, he was able to provide a lot of detailed information.

+ Izo had a small jagged scar on the right side of his chest, about halfway between his clavicle and his nipple, which he got at age 12 trying to free a friend's kite from a tree. He lost his footing about halfway up and fell, hitting several branches along the way, one of which broke off and stabbed through his skin. Although the wound wasn't very serious (the branch was stopped by a rib), his friends ran off in terror. He made fun of them for this later and they didn't live it down for a long time.

+ Izo was afraid of dogs after a pack of feral dogs attacked him outside of town when he was 14 and returning late in the day. Although he didn't get any serious bites, the dogs tore his hakama and scratched his legs. Luckily, a group of farmers who were passing nearby, were able to chase the dogs away.

+ Izo's favorite food was manju. He did not like any foods that had a strong smell, such as chives [historical fact].

+ The fencing hall was the first place outside his own home where Izo was ever praised by an adult, which caused him to work especially hard to feel worthy of getting praise. He enjoyed being acknowledged for being good at something, particularly because he was never praised at school, only admonished by the teacher for being "stupid".

+ After Takechi Hanpeita opened his own dojo in 1855 [historical fact], Izo spent significantly more time there than anywhere else, including his own home. This was partially due to the fact that Takechi-sensei praised him more than anyone else, but also partially due to the fact that Izo was now teaching younger students who looked up to him. He enjoyed being able to give encouragement to others while also getting it himself for his hard work. He also enjoyed being paid a (very) small amount of money for teaching. Izo had more of a sense of belonging and family here than he had experienced anywhere else before.

+ Even though Takechi's dojo was where Izo felt most at home, he had been aware for some time that Takechi-sensei often referred to him as "that idiot" when he was speaking to other people and that even sensei's wife, Tomie, called him Takechi's "stray puppy." However, because he could not help looking at Takechi-sensei through rose-colored glasses and felt indebted to him, Izo came to think of "idiot" as a term of endearment and never complained.

+ Izo's relationship with Takechi Hanpeita was complicated. According to historical descriptions, Takechi was intelligent, well-educated, well-spoken, charismatic, talented at swordsmanship, cultured, taller than average, and handsome. Izo respected him for all of his skill and knowledge, felt indebted to him for being given a chance to travel and further his swordsmanship, and was incredibly infatuated with Takechi (which he kept to himself).

+ Izo often found it difficult to articulate his thoughts and as a teenager became more quiet and introverted if the subject was anything "complicated", such as political discussion, or required individual thought and introspection. On the other hand, he was outgoing and excitable when talking about swordsmanship, telling stories, or recounting experiences he had (such as seeing an important person in town). Much of the time, the latter was unfortunately mistaken as "bragging" and earned him scoldings from adults and generally negative feedback from his peers.

+ Because he had been accused of "bragging" in the past and because he had spent so many years being called stupid by his teachers, Izo generally tried not drawing attention to himself outside the dojo. He found it embarassing when fellow Kinnoto members made fools of themselves with the entertainers at tea houses and would never willingly join in any dancing or singing in public. He also blushed very easily so there was no way to even hide his embarrassment.

+ Izo never thought of his swordsmanship as being out of the ordinary, but he was better than most, not just because of his continuous hard work but also because of his natural speed and talent. The fact that he only received his Menkyo Chuden (middle license) at Shigakukan was an enormous disappointment to him, especially because the master called his swordsmanship vulgar and without dignity in front of everyone. Even so, he continued to work hard at any of the other dojos where he was allowed to train, thanks to Takechi-sensei helping him have those opportunities.

+ Izo often felt abandoned when Takechi-sensei would leave him behind at one sword school or another to finish his training while he (Takechi) moved on to build his contacts with shishi from across the area in his pursuit of Sonno Joi. Although Izo never complained, and on some level understood being able to continue his studies was doing him a favor, he felt hurt anytime sensei left him behind.

+ When Izo felt nervous or anxious, he often chewed his fingernails.

+ Physical appearance: As an adult, Izo was of average height at 165cm (5'5") and of slightly smaller than average build. He was a little shorter than his teacher Takechi Hanpeita, and quite a bit taller than Katsu Kaishu (who was unusually short). He had a darker skin tone and freckles / spots / sun damage from being outside a lot. He was also described as having crooked teeth [historical fact].

+ The very first person Izo ever killed was Inoue Saichiro, whom he strangled with a tenugui. If he hadn't been with a group of three others from the Kinnoto who were there to help, in addition to having been slightly drunk on the sake their group had during dinner, Izo probably would not have gone through with the murder. As it was, once their group had thrown Inoue's body into the river, Izo threw up and then didn't sleep the following three nights.

+ Izo told himself he would never assassinate anyone again, that this murder was an exception to keep Takechi-sensei safe from being prosecuted, but being so indebted to sensei for all the years of being able to travel and learn swordsmanship, he couldn't say no the next time he was asked. He felt that it would have made him ungrateful and disloyal to someone who'd done so much for him.

+ Izo first started drinking a few days after Inoue's murder because one of his comrades suggested it would help him sleep if he had a few cups of sake before going to bed. However, it didn't take long for him to start drinking regularly. This gave him a reputation for really enjoying women and booze (as much of his drinking was done in the entertainment district) and caused many problems with his comrades because he started borrowing money to cover his bills. If Takechi noticed Izo's drinking, he never brought it up.

+ The only person Izo ever hated was Tanaka Shinbei of Satsuma, a fellow hitokiri who had previously killed Shimada Sakon. Shinbei was introduced to Takechi in August 1862 and became Takechi's sworn brother that same month [historical fact]. Izo was jealous that this random person from Satsuma had immediately made a place for himself by Takechi-sensei's side. When Izo found out that Shinbei had been arrested and subsequently killed himself on 11 July 1863 [historical fact], his only reaction was, "Good."

+ Izo had a fairly long (about 3.5 inches) scar going across his left forearm where he was cut during the assassination of Honma Seiichiro. A group of the Kinnoto had cornered Honma, but as an experienced swordsman their would-be victim put up a desperate fight. In the course of this, Izo was pushed back into a building and the tip of his blade caught on the cross-beam of the overhanging roof, allowing Honma to cut him while he was defenseless. The only reason Izo was not more badly injured was that one of his comrades had managed to stab Honma in the side at almost the same instant he brought down his sword - otherwise, Izo might have lost his arm. He later often wondered whether that might have been for the better.

+ Izo left Kyoto and went to Edo in 1863 because Takechi-sensei had left for Tosa once again. Without sensei in Kyoto, Izo's position among the Kinnoto was on shaky ground and he felt unwelcome: people who had harbored negative feelings about him as a person and about his murders on Takechi's orders were no longer afraid to voice their opinions once Takechi was not there to protect him.

+ Izo's time as Katsu Kaishu's bodyguard may have been the happiest part of his adulthood because Katsu-sensei never treated him any differently than his disciples, never talked down to him, and never called him stupid or an idiot. In fact, sensei went out of his way to explain things and include Izo in conversations. It was the first time someone made an effort to do so without expecting anything in return or being patronizing. Izo stopped drinking almost entirely during his time with Katsu Kaishu.

+ If Izo had to choose between fight or flight, he would have always chosen flight if he was alone and fight if he was with someone else, especially someone he was protecting. If he chose to fight, Izo's adrenaline would be so high that he later could not remember any details, and while he would try to play it off and make light of it, it would take a long time to calm himself after. Because the adrenaline rush made Izo overly excited and giggly, something he couldn't control, the behavior was often mistaken as "enjoying killing."

+ Izo left his position as Katsu Kaishu's bodyguard because of a misunderstanding following one such adrenaline rush: after saving sensei's life when the two of them were attacked late at night, Izo was smiling and Katsu admonished him: "You should not enjoy killing people." Having expected praise for a job well done, and being caught entirely off guard, Izo could only offer: "If I hadn't been there, sensei's head would be rolling in the street." When Katsu-sensei did not respond, Izo's mind was left to fill in the blanks. In the end, he somehow convinced himself that he did not deserve good things to happen to him, and that he needed to leave before he caused bad things to happen to Katsu-sensei. He never knew that Katsu Kaishu regretted not having apologized and prevented him from leaving [historical fact].

+ After Izo left Katsu Kaishu, his life spiraled downhill. Unsure what to do next, he returned to Kyoto where he realized he couldn't actually go to Tosa's residence in the city because he was considered a deserter from his domain.

+ Learning that Takechi-sensei had been arrested in Tosa in September 1863 left him even more despondent. The money he still had (some remaining pay from Katsu Kaishu and some money he had borrowed from Takasugi Shinsaku) did not go all that far for lodging and everyday costs and it wasn't long before Izo found himself on the street, worrying not only about his next meal but also his increasing need for alcohol because he had again started drinking heavily. Eventually, he sold the blade of his long sword, the more valuable of the two, to tide himself over. Even so, there were days he only ate by stealing stale food offerings at shrines or graveyards.

+ Around the end of winter (early February 1864), Izo started living in an abandoned home, a former merchant's residence that had been sealed off by the Kyoto magistracy because the family and their two servants had been killed by thieves. At least here he was able to sleep next to a brazier to stay warm, and selling some of the smaller items left behind in the home gave him a little income to cover food and drink. However, he was caught by the magistrate and charged with burglary after neighbors reported someone suspicious had been going in and out through a loose fence board.

+ Izo's time in the Kyoto jail was absolutely miserable. He wasn't beaten during questioning because he readily admitted to living in the abandoned house and selling items found there, but he spent the entire first week experiencing severe alcohol withdrawal.

+ After two weeks in the jail, due to its current back-log of cases, Izo received his punishment for burglary: 100 strikes and being tattooed as a criminal. After another five days, the period required to let the tattoo heal, he was brought to the edge of town to be banished, where a metsuke from Tosa waited for him to take him into custody and return him to Tosa.

+ Back in Tosa, Izo held out against severe torture for nearly 10 months, refusing to give any information about Takechi and the Kinnoto because he still felt indebted to sensei for all the years of support and giving him ability to travel to further his swordsmanship. However, he readily offered information about his own crimes committed in Kyoto, which he claimed were his own doing and not ordered by anyone else.

+ When Izo found out that Takechi had approached his brother and father asking for their help to poison Izo so he wouldn't give up any information, his world crumbled. For the first time in his life, he had to confront the fact that Takechi, to whom he felt so indebted, had only used him and thought nothing more of him than as disposable tool for his own ends. Heartbroken and angry, Izo gave up any information he had about Takechi and the Kinnoto, and then withdrew into himself waiting for his execution day. He wouldn't even make any effort to eat when he was offered food, or respond if anyone spoke to him, but he would occasionally ask to speak or send a letter to Takechi-sensei [historical fact], some part of him still holding out hope that there was some kind of explanation sensei could give him.

[nohrian-skies]

TMH Eclipse 1

"Please... please, just let me go home..."

The city of Cheve was quite unlike anything Evangelina had ever seen before. The streets, climate, buildings, and even the people themselves were all so different from what she was used to in Hoshido. But all that wonder and confusion was left behind as she stared up at her father, Sumeragi. Before she could understand what happened, they had been surrounded by a crowd of unfamiliar people, with Ryoma and the others nowhere to be seen. At first, she hadn't thought much of it, but now she was finally picking up on the tension. She still wasn't sure what to make of it, though, and so hung tightly to her father's robe.

Shuffling footsteps diverted her attention. The sound of clinking armor rang through the air, and a broad, towering figure emerged from the crowd. Evangelina peered at him curiously, only for Sumeragi to swiftly nudge her behind him.

"Father...?" She looked up in confusion as he drew his blade. "What's...going on?"

"Stay behind me, Eva!"

The strange man halted a few meters away, and all was silent. Evangelina didn't understand the looks everyone was giving each other, but something was clearly... very wrong...

The next thing she heard was a deep, coarse voice.

"...fire at will."

Following the release of dozens of arrows, Sumeragi cried out and dropped to the ground, choking. Evangelina wasn't immediately sure how to react, but a small gasp escaped her. Her father... seemed to be in a lot of pain. These people hurt him, but she couldn't understand why. Aren't they... the ones Hoshido had come to see? Her father had said it was for a peace conference, and her mother had explained it in very simple terms.

Didn't... the king want Nohr and Hoshido to be friends? Evangelina thought. That's what Mother said… that's why I came here with Father… so why…

"I'm disappointed in you, Sumeragi..." King Garon chuckled cooly, evoking a shudder from Evangelina. "That wasn't even my best trap."

Evangelina flinched as the brutish man finished Sumeragi off, with a single powerful blow from his ax. She shed a few tears, then glanced up to make a terrifying realization. King Garon was now looking straight at her. She inhaled as he began walking in her direction.

Wh... what are you... doing... Evangelina backed away, only for the hulking king to hasten his approach. Growing frantic, Evangelina tripped and fell to the ground, but continued crawling backward until she couldn't anymore. St… stay away… don't come anywhere near me…!

Backed up against a wall with no escape, Evangelina was shaking like a leaf. He observed her for a moment before speaking again, his voice and looming figure making her feel very, very small. "Oh, you poor thing..." She stared up at him as he spoke, her violet eyes glazed over in pure terror. "Orphaned at such a... tender young age..."

Without warning, King Garon reached his hand out to her, and Evangelina recoiled in panic. "N…n-no… leave me alone!"

"You are my child now!"

Garon grabbed her arm with one powerful hand and her waist with the other. Evangelina squeaked. "Let me go! Don't… don't touch me!"

He didn't listen, or show any signs that he even heard her. To Evangelina's dismay, the king lifted her off the ground. She screamed in protest and struggled to escape his grasp, but he was too strong.

"H-h-help…somebody please help!" Evangelina cried out desperately, bawling. She gasped as Garon tightened his hold on her, painfully. "Ahh!!"

"Cease your squirming, or there will be consequences!" King Garon warned.

"You're hurting me," the small princess whimpered. "Ryoma...?"

"And shut your mouth."

"R-Ryoma!!"

"Silence, girl!" Garon squeezed her even harder, causing Evangelina to cough and wheeze.

Evangelina then locked eyes with a blond boy standing nearby, who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. "H-help..." Her voice was weak and shaky. When he didn't respond, she pushed further. "Please..."

Evangelina's pleading gaze seemed to pierce his heart, and he gritted his teeth. "I..."

"Xander." At King Garon's harsh tone, Xander winced and diverted his gaze. "Return to the carriage."

"Father?"

"That's an order."

Xander glanced back at Evangelina. He showed a moment of hesitation and had to close his eyes to force himself to look away. "...yes, Father."

As the prince walked away, two Nohrian soldiers helped Garon bind Evangelina's hands with rope. Then he roughly handed her over to one of them. She froze as she stared into her captor's cruel crimson eyes, searching for the slightest bit of compassion or warmth.

There was none.

"Take her." Garon directed. "Don't let her escape."

"Yes, sir."

Evangelina watched her surroundings pass by as the soldier carried her away from her father's lifeless body. Panic rose in her once again. "N-no…stop…I don't…want to–"

She yelped as the soldier squeezed her arm in retaliation. A moment later, he carelessly threw her into a carriage, and promptly shut the door behind her. Left in a state of shock, it took her a moment to realize she wasn't alone.

Directly across from her, Xander watched quietly. For a moment, all they did was stare at each other, not a word shared between them. It wasn't until Evangelina finally broke down that the silence ended. He allowed her the chance to get it all out before leaning forward. She tensed as his cool hands touched hers.

"Easy... easy..."

It wasn't until Evangelina lifted her head that she stopped crying. The look in Xander's meek crimson eyes was so different from Garon's. He loosened the rope on her wrists and pulled away.

"When they come back... act like you're still tied up," Xander instructed.

Evangelina blinked. "But... I'm not..."

"I know. Keep it a secret. Okay?"

"A-Are you..." Evangelina stammered. "Are you going to let me go?"

Xander frowned. "...I can't."

Her heart sank. "Why... why not?"

"My father..." Xander said with a heavy sigh. "I... I can't defy him. I'm sorry."

Disappointed, Evangelina fell silent again. Xander's expression softened. "...are you hurt at all?"

Evangelina sniffed. "N-no... well, not a lot..."

Wordlessly, Xander took her hands into his. Evangelina flinched instinctively, but his touch was surprisingly gentle, and she soon started to relax. He shook his head as he examined her wrists.

"What is it...?" Evangelina asked, her head tilted slightly.

"A little bruising." Xander sighed. "But no serious injuries, at least..."

Xander caught Evangelina staring at him and shied away from her violet gaze. For a moment, he looked as though he was about to speak, but words never came. She hadn't forgotten about what happened, but she did feel a little less... alone, at least. Something about him drew her in. Maybe because he seemed scared, too.

"Um..." Surprised by the sound of her voice, Xander looked back at her. Evangelina gathered all her courage. "Wha... what's your name?"

Caught off guard, it took him a moment to respond. "...Prince Xander."

"I'm... Evangelina." She laughed half-heartedly. "Or... Princess Evangelina. I always... forget that part. It's, um... nice to meet you?"

"You too... princess."

Evangelina smiled shyly, and Xander smiled back. Then, without warning, the door swung open, startling both of them. One glimpse of Garon, and all the effort Xander had put into calming her down came undone. Shaking, she backed into the corner as the king entered the carriage and sat down next to her. Xander’s entire demeanor changed to one of solemn submission. He wanted to comfort Evangelina so badly, but all he could really do was watch her completely fall apart in front of him as the carriage starts moving.

"N...No! Let... let me go!" Evangelina felt the panic rising within her, and when Garon didn't react, her voice broke. "Wait... wait. You... can't take me..."

Garon grumbled. "What did I say about keeping that mouth shut?"

"Sir, please..." Evangelina sobbed. "I... I wanna g-go home..."

"I said, be SILENT!"

Garon raised a hand, and Evangelina ducked her head with a yelp. His blow fell just short of hitting her. Xander froze, hardly daring to breathe.

"Girl." The king stared her down. "You will do. As you are told."

Evangelina whimpered and shrunk further into the corner, her eyes fixated on King Garon. Trembling, she suddenly realized... he could hurt her at any time if she wanted to. And no one would try to stop him.

"Not one more word out of you. Do you understand?"

The three spent the remainder of the trip in uncomfortable silence. Evangelina was paralyzed with fear, and Xander sat helplessly on the opposite side. As badly as he wanted to comfort her, he knew he couldn't. Not in front of his father. Evangelina, on the other hand, was just completely broken. Nothing could change that.

Her life changed forever that day. It would be many years before she understood just how much.

By the time King Garon and his troops reached Krakenburg, Evangelina had completely shut down. She kept her head low, and wouldn't say a word to anyone. Xander didn't know what to say, but even if he did, he wouldn't have the chance. Immediately, she was rushed through the castle, away from Xander and out of sight. Then, she and her captors entered a cold, dusty room. There were no windows and nothing but an old, creaky bed in the corner. It was hardly welcoming, like something out of a nightmare. Hesitantly, Evangelina turned to face her captors. Garon cast her a stern eye, and she shrank under his harsh gaze. Then, the king's raspy voice broke the silence.

"You will be staying here for the foreseeable future." Clearly worn, Evangelina said nothing, so Garon continued. "And don't get any ideas about trying to escape. I have guards everywhere."

King Garon and his two accompanying soldiers left the room, locking the door behind them. Evangelina shuddered; he was gone, but that didn't mean he wouldn't come back. For all she knew, he could be right behind that door. She paused to take in her surroundings and reflect on her situation. She found herself alone, with no one to turn to. Locked away, miles and miles from home. Yesterday, she woke up surrounded by family. Now, that warmth had been ripped away and replaced with isolation, uncertainty, and fear. How could anyone even begin to process this, much less a small child?

With little else to do, Evangelina slowly wandered over to the bed and climbed under the covers. Then, she allowed the tears to flow freely.

[fiction-box]

Hi! Could you write a Rinkah x Female Corrin where Rinkah realizes she's falling in love with Corrin? Maybe they're hanging out in a more relaxed situation, like the hotsprings or at dinner and Rinkah just thinks, "Oh no... I really love her." Pre-relationship pining, love it!

Rinkah is such a captivating character both in her design and her story! It was an absolutely beautiful process to experience the creation of this piece. I had to look into her a little before I began, but I found myself surprised at how well-established she was.

I, too, am a pre-relationship pining enjoyer, my like-minded anon! There's just a buzz that those established-relationship works can't create. Maybe it's the thrill of the chase or even the fulfillment felt from the catch (when the works come that far).

Here, I found myself trying to work with Rinkah's headspace. I wanted to experiment with her reaction to the "what" as well as follow her journey through the "why's". I hope that makes sense.

I also hope that this is to your liking! To you and the others reading this, please feel free to request more from me! My rules are pinned to the top of my blog, so request as much as you'd like after reading those!

The story will be continued under the cut.

Dipping her toes into the water, Rinkah sighed at its warmth. A soak in the bathhouse was just what she needed to close out her day.

Training took up most of her time today, as it always did on the days after she worked her shift selling weapons. It was nothing particularly challenging; she simply ran through drills to improve her stamina and then had a light spar with Hinata.

Nonetheless, soreness still managed to settle into her muscles. It would be unlike her not to give her best efforts, even in training.  As such, she felt her muscles tense up and then relax as she sank into the water. It was refreshing, yet calming. A sensation that she found herself enjoying while lowering herself deeper and deeper. Eventually, the only part above the water was her head.

Rinkah allowed her eyelids to close and her head to rest back against the ledge of the bath. The warrior’s mind cleared itself, and she began to grow drowsy. A short break for her body was in order, but she would not neglect giving her thoughts a rest, as well.

The occasional bubbling of the water formed white noise while she drifted off.

Until she heard the door from one of the changing rooms slide open and then shut.

Footsteps were beginning to approach her position. Lazily, she opened her eyes and turned her head.

She froze at the sight of her leader. Then, she felt her body tense up once more as her voice carried through the bathhouse.

“Oh, Rinkah! I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

At the sound of Corrin’s greeting, Rinkah’s mind came to life and went into overdrive. Hot springs were meant to relax someone’s spirit, but she felt so far from the feeling that she began to question if what she felt but a moment ago was even real.

That brought up the question; why was she so tense? Rinkah had seen the forms of many of the women in the army during her trips to the bathhouse, but seeing Corrin’s made her feel…different. It was suddenly weird in a way that made her want to look elsewhere. Not because the noble was unattractive (far from it, she thought), but for another reason she could not quite grasp.

“Were you hoping to be alone?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Corrin smiled. “I just…I hadn’t seen you all day today, so I suppose I just thought you were out on the mission with Saizo, Mozu, and Ryoma.”

“I did train today, but nothing quite that difficult.”

“Really?” The dragon princess slid along the side of the warm pool of water next to Rinkah. Once she was down in a sitting position, she looked to her, “What did that consist of?”

“Nothing notable enough to discuss,” Rinkah returned, stifling a yawn.

“Oh.”

“And you? I’m certain your day would be much more interesting to hear about.”

“Well, I suppose it was quite a long- wait… You want to listen to me talk about my day?”

Rinkah’s brows furrowed. Would that really be so unlike her? “What? We are friends, yes?”

“Yes! Of course we’re friends! And you’ve come a long way from when we first met; I’m so happy you think of us as such!”

“Don’t push it. Get on with your story, before I find this to be something I regret.”

“If you say so,” she smiled. For the second time, Rinkah counted.

The tale of her activities began when she woke up, of course. Her waking hour was early, the snow-haired woman noted, with her rising at least an hour before the sun ever would.

“Why get up so soon?”

Corrin shrugged. An easy motion. “I suppose it’s just a habit I’ve yet to shake from when I lived in Nohr. I would always go train before the sun rose; sometimes with Gunter and sometimes with Xander. Honestly, I struggle to get out of bed in the mornings, but that doesn’t mean I can fall back asleep easily. So then isn’t it better to get on with the day instead of lying in bed staring at the ceiling?”

Rinkah nodded her assent. She understood the need to be contributing something, whether that be to herself, her tribe, or the rest of the army.

The silver-haired royal then went on to detail her training with Subaki. Apparently, he was an early riser as well.

But Rinkah didn’t care about that so much as what the training consisted of. From what she gathered, all the pegasus rider did was avoid her attacks as she practiced aiming and perfecting her strikes.

Pathetic. Subaki was a priss afraid of messing up a decent hairdo. She could have trained Corrin far better in both her offensive and defensive skills within that time.

…where did that thought come from? She had just trained with Corrin not but two days ago in the afternoon. If anything, shouldn’t she be happy her commander got more training in with others? It was important to be versatile to remain safe. He would help her with her agility and her form; two things that were very much not at the center of Rinkah’s own training routine.

“...had breakfast with Orochi. We talked about my mother…erm…the late Queen Mikoto…the whole time! Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say she talked and I listened to her stories. I learned that mother once swam with her slippers on, and…”

How boring it must have been to listen to Orochi drone over a meal. She always tended to go on about the silliest little details in her stories, anyway. In Rinkah’s mind, stories should be either important, informative, or entertaining.

But she supposed it was important, specifically to the ally soaking across from her. Corrin never truly got to know her mother, after all. If these stories were the closest thing she would get, Rinkah could be happy for her. That was all part of being a friend, like Corrin had shown her.

“...worked with Silas to restock the lottery tent. It didn’t take as long as we thought, so with the leftover time we had, we spent some time together just talking…”

Seriously? There were so many better ways to spend one’s free time than just…talking with someone else. Like training, which she would have been happy to help with if Corrin showed up during the session she did, today. 

Rinkah knew what it was to desire familiar company, though. What she wouldn’t give to be able to choose to talk with one of the other women from the flame tribe. Even if it were only her father, she would happily do so in exchange for even a brief return to normalcy. Besides, she found herself wishing she could chat with the princess more, herself. At a time and place where she wasn’t so tense, of course.

Enough. Really, what was wrong with her head? It’s like every little thing someone else did with Corrin wasn’t good enough. What for? Because Rinkah thought she herself could do better? In truth, Rinkah knew she could never converse with her as naturally as the others did. Lately, the more she tried, the worse she fared.

I’m going to stop this, the princess of the flame tribe told herself. This next time, I’m going to only think positive things about her interaction.

Well, the next thing she brought up was how she went shopping for weapons with Reina. Once they had bought enough yumis and katanas, they went to have Jakob forge them.

Reina was a superior choice. If anyone would know which instruments of war were best to buy, it would be her. Alongside that, she was certain Jakob was a skilled forger. Corrin had earlier disclosed that Jakob has mastered many skills in the hopes of assisting her to the fullest. It would be unbelievable if he had skipped weapon forging on his “checklist of mastery”. Even so, Rinkah was certain she could forge a weapon better than he could in half the tim-

No. That thought needed to leave her mind immediately. No she could not, she reminded herself. She still had so much to learn about the Hoshidans’ culture and weapons. She didn’t even know how to string a yumi, much less how to forge one. Or shurikens, for that matter. There were so many weapons she had never been exposed to before leaving her tribe. If anything, she would have taken days in comparison to the hours Jakob took to make her weapons stronger.

Maybe these thoughts were the result of a day well spent. After working all day to get stronger, it was no wonder she would believe herself superior to others. Well then, if she couldn’t think nice things about Corrin’s friends, she wouldn’t think at all. 

Rinkah allowed herself to return to her relaxed state. Slowly, her friend’s soft tone of voice began to fade in and out of focus. She watched as the princess’s lips formed each syllable of the words she spoke.

They looked so soft, probably because of the steam. She almost wanted to…

…

…wait. What?

The thought came so casually that Rinkah was caught off guard. 

What Rinkah wanted was to kiss her.

Realizing it made her chest feel light, but it wasn’t just about her lips, was it? She grew tense the moment Corrin entered the room, she blushed at her figure, and she wanted to spend her whole day with the woman. Even if she only got to listen to her go on like this when all was said and done, she felt something like adrenaline just from how close they were.

Then this…wasn’t just a surface level feeling? Because Rinkah didn’t just “like” Corrin.

She loved her, and it made her want to hug and punch something at the same time.

“...Rinkah? Is there something on my face?”

Oh. She was still staring at her lips.

“No,” she huffed, giving the Hoshidan royal a smirk, “but it sounds like you had a busy day. You and I should get some rest to be ready for tomorrow.”

She rose out of the water, fighting the cloudiness in her head and the weariness of her body as she navigated towards the ladies’ room to change. From behind her, she could hear Corrin call out after her.

“Before you go back…would you like to spend some time with me tomorrow? I did so much talking, it’s only fair for me to listen to you in return over lunch.”

“Sure. Why don’t you come find me when you’re ready? I’ll be waiting.”

Once she was alone in the changing room, she began to dry off and dress into a fresh change of clothes.

It looked like Rinkah would get the chance to show Corrin just how much better a day spent with her could be.

[jolliestlolli]

Jolly's Monday Blog Update - Dec 19th 2022

Elf on the Shelf scares the shit out of me.

There's probably a hundred other better opening lines I could have thought of for this blog update but that's the one I decided was the best. I'm well aware I missed both blog updates last week, and I'm not gonna even try to spin a good excuse for that. It just is what it is.

Writing wise, I started writing a new short story, and then I got cold feet and decided to return to a project I actually started last year with the intention of trying to finish it before Christmas. Here's an excerpt:

He had to admit, Teruteru’s passion about food was as clear as day, and that was admirable enough on its own even if it didn’t quite make up for the chef’s… other quirks.

Teruteru held the zucchini and cradled it to his face like it was a precious creature, stroking its outer rind. “The best part about this particular store is the price you get for such beautiful, long, juicy–”

Ryoma could practically feel his eyes going cross and his brain briefly numbing for the few seconds it took Teruteru to say whatever gross innuendo that the person currently recounting this story to you does not even want to recite.

In that time, his eyes drifted away from the chef and around at some of the other shoppers in the store. Out of all the people currently around them, the ones that stood out the most were two young women standing not very far away from them. The both of them clearly not Japanese, judging from their clothes they were likely American tourists and not quite used to the culture shock, because when Ryoma first saw them out of the corner of his eye, he realized one of the girls was already staring directly at him.

Enjoyed that? Good, because I have no idea if I'll actually be able to upload this before Christmas lmao. I'm really excited to finish this story because it'll be the first time I reveal some certain details of Ryoma's backstory that I've been thinking carefully about over the last several months. I just hope you all find it acceptable.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm going to be attempting to cook my first ever Beef Wellington soon. Jason Farmer's video about cooking a Wellington using Walmart ingredients really inspired me and I'm feeling confident I can do it with minimal help. A couple years back I made a Christmas Porchetta so I guess I just like to make a tradition out of cooking complicated AF dishes for the holidays. Cause what else says "Christmas" like working your ass off to try to appease a bunch of ungrateful sour pricks that have as much Christmas spirit as Ebenezer Scrooge passing a kidney stone.

Woo, got a little salty there (Not as salty as the Christmas Porchetta I made). What do I wanna talk about now? Hmm

Well one minor thing I wanna mention is that I became mutuals with @graincracket today which I'm really happy about! I don't have nearly enough Ryoma simps to chat with so it's always a good day when I get to become friends with one.

Ghhh... Now I feel like sorta going off on a whole tangent about the Christmas season, but if I'm gonna do that it's not gonna be a today thing. Maybe not even a next week thing. So instead, because I'm really high now as I finish writing this, I'm going to leave you with a sudden revelation that came to me that I must share:

There is no visible difference between using normal quotation marks and using double apostrophes. You cannot tell the difference between '' and ", you fucking look me in the eye and tell me there's a difference. I rest my case.

[gontagokuhara]

2019 vs. 2024 hot takes exactly 0 people asked for (now with opinions on the dr3 characters!)

and because im mentally ill im elaborating below the cut because at least i’m cognizant of how few people share this illness with me ❤️

first of all. some categories were edited (+added). we shall address them all in due time 🫶 but just for posterity before we begin: top of the category is the one that best exemplifies the category title and it moves in descending order; so as gonta is my #1 my GOAT, pedo udg guy is the one i want to kill himself most. understandable? ok 🫶

2019 top 5-tier is slightly unfortunately named but other than that changes in 2024 are somewhat minimal. as is perhaps obvious if you have seen even one (1) danganronpa post from me: gonta is My character hes mine spike chunsoft dont get him like i do. AND i love sdr2. nagito is my very very close second i am so incredibly mentally ill about him Oh if you all could see the hundreds of thousands of words ive written about that fucking guy. also true of hajime. still true of sonia (<3 i love u girlie) and fuyuhiko but to a lesser extent (i have written so much sdr2. its a problem. we persist). they are characters we see a lot of and in that same vein give SO much to build upon in further character exploration. and boy do i do that. holds the five of them In my arms i love you babygirls

S tier excellents again prove i am an sdr2 enjoyer. i think it also showcases how much i REALLY love the v3 characters while absolutely hating the plot they were stuck in. kaede and shuuichi are SOOOO special 2 me u dont understand…….im going to have so many thoughts and be So mad when i replay v3. kokichi is VERY interesting and my thoughts on him are endless (hi evan) and there is soooo much there even if i also have to fundamentally hate him somewhat because of 3-4. also a wide array of sdr2 characters are here of course……on my most recent replay i have come to really appreciate imposter (better sexier byakuya ❤️) and ibuki . and i was kind of surprised how high some of the dr1 characters are (besides chihiro who has consistently been my dr1 #1) but sorry dr3 made me love the makoto/kyouko/aoi trio sooooo bad.

lots of variety in the A tier which are all characters i enjoy, they just arent my Favorite barbie dolls to mash around u know. so many very unique personalities like mahiru, angie, tenko, and ryoma that weren’t explored as well as possible in canon, so its harder for me to personally invest in them. junko is iconic and she gets worse as the games go on but god. dr1 was craaaaaazy so she and mukuro have to be given props for that. im ignoring e-girl junko and v3 entirely <3 also again in watching dr3 while replaying sdr2 i really came to appreciate natsumi and her dynamic with hajime :[ rip girl i miss u. also also i liked koichi way more than expected LOL it must just be cuz hes hot but his death was sick as fuck and i liked his thruline with jin (the weird flirting with kyouko aside……)

B tier! bit of a mixed bag, from characters i like very begrudgingly (byakuya, sorry, i latched onto him as my rich terrible boyfriend when first playing years ago and the fondness kinda stuck 💔) to ones i do genuinely like, but they were not given much to do in canon (ryota) or their arcs fell flat (kirumi). also here are dr3 + udg characters i didnt mind or were just somewhat nice to makoto (also chisa, who is very interesting but i very much disliked how her character ended off) so shout out them (they are all dead) (or orphaned like monaca and kotoko).

C tier is basically my ‘i barely remember’ tier sry……i did not finish udg so i have so very few opinions on most of the characters. chihiro aoi and yasuhiro’s parents are chill tho shout out. not much to say tho

and now we enter the hater zone with D tier……look. some of these are hot takes and some arent. as much as i love sdr2 i just cannot ever make myself like hiyoko and teruteru. theyre kinda fucked from the getgo theyre never treated as especially serious characters but their glaring flaws are so bad i cant bring myself to care when the rest of the cast is SO GOOD. i also do not like kazuichi LMFAO as a sonia ride or die just as i cannot look past teruteru’s sexual harassment NEITHER CAN I LOOK PAST KAZUICHI’S ‼️‼️ yes i think he can be fixed but sonia needs a restraining order + when she was hoping he was the ch4 killer i was cheering. everyone else this category are just mid ass dr1 characters and the dr3 characters i found actively annoying. also monokuma. hes cringe but iconic and doesnt fit anywhere else

not much to be said about F tier. i did not finish udg but i know enough that i need haiji towa to die. i need the asshole who beat up hajime to die. i need the asshole who tried to kill makoto to die. i need that stupid old fuck heading the future foundation to die. the monokubs are fucking annoying. the only like Real characters here are 1) miu because she is written terribly and her cool talent is wasted, treats gonta like shit, isnt funny, is just nasty perv bait and her most meaningful contribution is to be fodder for the 2nd worse written case in the game. and as for NUMBER ONE WORST: tsumugi mostly just symbolizes my hatred for v3’s ending because outside of her role in 3-6 she has very little impact on the story before her reveal. also got my girlies kaede and rantarou killed God i hate the end of thisgame

and finally: oh my poor sweet bastards. why would they do this to you. these characters are either underutilized in a way that is DEVASTATING (izuru 💔) treated like shit as joke characters their potential is totally squandered by dogshit writing (everyone else — sdr2 you could have been so much better WHY!!!!!!). mikan and korekiyo’s motives are dogshit and make the ch3 double murder so much weaker. nekomaru and akane are played as jokes essentially their entire screentime and akane is especially egregious because shes a survivor among characters like FUYUHIKO!!! like SONIA!!! like HAJIME!!!!!!!!! AND YOU SQUANDER HER LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!! kaito suffers from really flip-floppy writing and he sucks a lot of the time Especially pre-localization but ive adopted him a little bit in writing him and i love my construction of him in my brain.

ok thats it. im so mentally ill. give me ur thoughts or do the tierlist urself. now pointy objects lockdown time 👍

[ask-the-shorty-squad]

Himiko please!! I doubt Angie will open the door for me! Your the only one who can!

You can forget it! I'm not helping you! I'm a Student council member! And I refuse to betray Atua!

I'm sorry Himiko. But you leave me no choice!

*Tenko grabs Himikos Arm and uses a Sparring tactic to knock Himiko down.*

*Just act asif they're at Ryomas lab.*

Tenko: HOIIIIYAAAA!!!

Himiko: N-NYEHH?!

Tenko: Will you help us?

Himiko: F-Fine!! Nyehh!!! Just stop!!

Thank's Himiko! Your the best!

I just hope Angie will forgive me...

Who cares about what she think's! Only you can choose your beliefs Himiko! Don't let Angie force this apon you!!

She didn't force me!! She told me about him!! I wanted to believe in him because I'm too weak to believe in myself!!!

AND ONLY ANGIE SEES HOW BADLY I'M SUFFERING BECAUSE OF IT!!!! WHAT KIND OF LEADER ISN'T EVEN CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT MAYBE IT WASN'T FORCE IT WAS BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE HOPE!!!

*Before Tenko could respond Himiko Ran away.*

HIMIKOOOOOO!!!!! IM SORRY!!! PLEASE COME BACK!!!! GYAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Oh my. This is worse than I initially thought. By the looks of it there hasn't been much communication has there?

… She's not wrong though. What the hell kind of a leader am I? Am I... even doing any good at all?

Your trying aren't you? No one is ever great at anything on the first try. Hell back then it took me at least 20 something try's to cleanly cut a piece of human meat without having a to clean an entire room. What I'm getting at is if you wish to succeed, you need to fail. Victory and Defeat are 2 sides of the same coin after all. If my memory recalls, there's a saying just for topics like this.

"The difference between the novice and the master..."

"Is that the master has failed more times than the novice has strived."

Huh... Never thought I'd get a pep talk from someone born of despair. Maybe you are on our side after all. Just in your own special way.

[exaltedgrimleal]

Azura palette swap

[fe-fictions]

Ah also do you remember the story with Saizo where he discovers a scar on Corrin ? Could you re upload or perhaps re write that one ? If you can't it's completely okay !!!

(I actually have an old prompt just like that! I never saved it to Google so I thought I lost it, but,,, here it is!! ;; U ;; )

Jakob never liked the Hoshidans. Even after they joined together, despite the warnings of your brothers and sisters from Nohr, you united with the Hoshidans to fight the greater threat in Valla. Jakob had to keep a wary eye on the strange new siblings, ever wary.

They were trying quite hard to relate to you, after all. They seemed to be trying to get as close as possible to you, so much so that it bothered your butler to no end.

But there was one in particular that had him more suspicious than all the others. The youngest prince, Takumi.

At first he hated him because he treated you so coldly. He hated Takumi more when he warmed up to you, and when he proposed? Jakob was seeing red.

But what he hated more than anything else was how he held your heart in his hand. And the moment tragedy struck, it was crushed.

Jakob watched silently from the corner of the window, your sobs ringing from inside. You were completely beside yourself, mourning the loss of your husband. He wasn’t dead, no...something far worse had become of him.

Takumi was possessed by Anankos.

There was a darkness inside Takumi, one you said you were helping him through. He had become a brighter person after your influence, but it wasn’t enough.

Takumi was caught vulnerable, and now, you were sobbing on the floor, collapsed against the bedside as you cried into your arms.

You blamed yourself, like a truly noble lover would. Jakob couldn’t stand it.

“Milady, I’ve prepared your morning tea.” Jakob announced softly as he entered the room, silent in the door’s opening and closing. “I feel that this may help ease your...burden.”

You stifled your sobs with the back of your hand, your head bowed to mask your tears.

“I-I don’t think tea can help w-with this…” You choked out, turning so that you looked at him from the floor. Your eyes were glassy and expression numb. “I-it was all my fault...t-this guilt, it’s...i-it’s eating me alive.”

“Lady Corrin, I can assure you, this was absolutely not your fault. You never could have guessed-”

“I-I was the one who led the group!! I was the one who brought him close to Anankos! If not for me, Takumi would be…!”

“You did what you thought was best. You could not have known what was going to happen. None of us could’ve guessed Prince Takumi would be weak to Anankos’ words. He didn’t seem the weak type, at least, to most. But you are a capable leader, milady. If anyone can fix this, and save that prince, it’s you.”

“I...I don’t know.” You shook your head, pulling away to properly recover yourself.

“You’ll find a way to rescue him, milady. You shouldn’t grieve over him, yet. The best thing we can do is by settling down and focusing.”

“And I’m guessing your tea will help me do that?” You asked with a weak smile, accepting his hand as he helped you stand.

“But of course, milady. What else is tea good for?” He replied promptly, coaxing you to at least try and drink something.

The prince wasn’t dead, but he was a puppet to Anankos. You wanted nothing more than to rescue him, and there wasn’t much you could do to help.

That was what worried your butler. The options were limited, and the thought that your own life would be at risk was terrifying.

He hoped you weren’t planning to do anything brash.

It was days before you ever received word of Takumi. No one knew where he’d gone or what happened to him, after all. The prince disappeared after his initial transformation, off to do the will of Anankos.

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

Every passing day was another weight on your heart, and you could hardly stand it. You needed to find him. Save him. You had no idea how, but you had to.

Then Ryoma summoned you to the war council tent. It was urgent, Jakob told you, and there was a glimmer in his eye when he ushered you along.

“Corrin,” The prince greeted you when you hurried in, “We found him.”

Your heart leapt in your throat, eyes wide. “Y-you found Takumi?”

“He’s in Nohr. The capital.” Hinoka informed you grimly, but had that determined grin on her lips, nonetheless. “We can break through with Xander’s help and get Takumi back!”

“You really...is that really possible?” You looked to your older brother, whose blond curls bounced as he gave a firm nod.

“It won’t be easy, but there are several corridors that run beneath the castle. Niles can help lead us through, and from there, we’ll be able to get past Garon’s forces and go straight for Prince Takumi. You’ll bring him home.”

You wanted to cry, you were so relieved. You would be able to right your wrongs, and rescue your love.

“Y-you do know h-how to bring him back, right? Y-you can do it, can’t you?” Sakura asked hopefully, her hand held tight in Elise’s, who looked as bright and hopeful as ever.

However, her question renewed your previous doubts. “...Ah. I haven’t quite figured that out.”

“I don’t blame you.” Leo huffed, “The man was possessed by an evil dragon. Who among us knows how to exorcise demons, let alone the influence of our greatest enemy?”

“It’s a fair point, darling. But we’ll figure something out. I’m sure Lilith will have something to help, won’t she?” Camilla reassured you when she saw the crestfallen expression on your face.

You managed a small smile and nodded, sitting down amongst your siblings at the table. “I suppose so… If anything, we should at least make plans to capture him, and hold him here if we haven’t figured out how to rescue him by the time we find him.”

“You think that’s a possibility?” Xander asked, concerned. You pursed your lips, looking down at your hands.

“I know that Nohr’s a good distance from where we are now, and it may be another week or so before we finally get to him. B-but I’ve been trying to find ways to bring him back since we lost him, a-and so far…” You trailed off, and shook your head.

“It’s best to be prepared.” Ryoma echoed your sentiment, “We’ll do our best to have our forces ready to apprehend him if you can’t bring him back before then. We’re on your side, Corrin. Whatever you think we need to do to help, we’ll do it.”

The crowd of precious siblings around you chimed in agreement, bringing those pesky tears back to your eyes. You beamed at all of them, feeling the hope begin to return.

“Everyone...t-thank you. With you helping me, I know we’ll be able to bring him back.”

You knew you would. You may not have had the details worked out, but nothing was going to keep you from bringing him back.

Nothing.

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

The journey to Nohr’s castle was trial and tribulation enough, but when you actually made it up to the throne room, it seemed as if everything had fallen apart.

You and your siblings stared in awe at the ruins before you, your home nothing like it was only months ago.

“Our home…” Leo whispered beside you, his face contorted in silent grief. “This is what’s become of it. It’s a disgrace.”

“T-this is where we used to spend so much time playing, together...our whole lives, just...i-it’s in pieces.” Elise’s voice wobbled as she struggled to accept the scene before her. Xander moved to comfort his youngest sibling, but he didn’t quite make it.

The whiz of an arrow passed between his hand and her shoulder, a warning shot that snapped the group’s attention to the arrow’s bow.

There, amongst throngs of Faceless, stood Takumi. His back arched at an unnatural angle, his eyes alight with an evil glow. His voice was distorted in angry gasps, fingers trembling as he knocked another.

“I’ll kill you...I’ll kill all of you!!” He bellowed, and loosed the arrow.

The group scattered, separating into their respective groups to tackle the Faceless, and their possessed general. You, Jakob and Kaze formed your own little trio, laser-focused on the prince.

“Takumi!!” You shouted, your nerves steeled as you faced what was left of your husband. You looked to your retainers, “Cover my flanks! I’ll take him head on and try to get through to him!”

“Are you sure?!” Jakob called as he already slashed into a Faceless charging your left, to which you nodded.

“I can handle him! Just stay close!” You told them, giving nary another order before you charged towards Takumi.

The pair could only watch as you broke ahead, moving straight for him. They exchanged a glance before continuing their assault, protecting you from the Faceless who wanted to take you on rather than themselves.

You didn’t even notice the monsters looking at you, zeroed in on your husband. The incredible sadness you felt when you saw what he’d become was drowned by your desire to save him.

“Takumi!!” You cried his name again, receiving an arrow in reply. You were quick to swipe out of the way, dodging each shot as he volleyed one after the other. With every miss you inched closer and closer, agitating the prince.

“Get away...get away!! I’ll kill you!” He growled and snapped at you, jerking back a step with every one you took closer. You were moving faster than his marionetted form, able to close the distance faster than he could put distance between you.

“Takumi, it’s me! It’s Corrin!!” You pushed forward, almost within arm’s reach. You could see the fear in his eyes, the rage and guilt and hatred all bundled into one mess of emotions. His hands trembled, his movements strange and unnatural.

You weren’t sure if he was still in there.

“Get away, you traitor!!” He roared, swinging his bow into your side. You blocked with the Yato and parried his weapon away, before you countered with a strike of your own.

Takumi jerked his arms up, stopping your blade. The force you put into each hit was pushing him back. His eyes narrowed; he was being backed into the corner, and he knew it.

“Come on, Taku-- I know you’re in there! I know you can hear me! You’re not gone yet, I...I know it! You have to come back! You have to fight these feelings!!”

“Stop!!” He barked out, and shot out his leg to knock you off your footing. You leapt back, the demon prince taking his chance to shoot another arrow. Your heart twisted with every contortion his body took, clearly out of control of his actions.

You couldn’t give up on him.

“You’re not worthless! You’re not a terrible person, and you’re no less talented than any of our siblings! You’re important, Takumi! I know you’re more than all those things you say about yourself! You’re more than what Anankos is trying to tell you!”

Takumi shuddered at your words, his movements drawing to a halt. It lasted only a split second, but it was there. A flurry of hope washed over you, seeing his hesitation. He was in there.

He heard you.

“Takumi, we all love you! Even the princes from Nohr care about and respect you, just like they would their own family! You mean a lot to this army, and our families! You...you mean everything to me! I love you, you know? I-I know you can hear me! I know you know that much!!”

He growled and shuddered again, his limbs freezing up and his body twisting. His eyes grew wide, teeth clenched tight. He was fighting for you.

Cautiously, you took a step forward, and then another. He seemed too distracted by his internal conflict to notice you were closing in.

“Takumi, come on, now. It’s me, Corrin. Your wife. The woman who loves you. The sister of your brothers and sisters who love you, too. We all care about you, and appreciate you just how you are. You don’t have to feel like you don’t measure up. You do...more than enough.”

Takumi came to a standstill, his eyes trained on the floor as his body stopped its fighting. His eyes stared at nothing, still ablaze with Anankos’ influence.

You pursed your lips, drawing so close you could kiss him. Cautiously, you brought a hand to his cheek, slowly stopping to touch your husband.

Jakob and Kaze watched from the little distance they had afforded you, the Faceless thinning out after their master’s power seemed to be disrupted.

“I don’t like this,” Jakob murmured, eyes cold as he watched. The pair started moving forward slowly, ready to help you should anything happen.

You had faith in Takumi, however. You carefully drew his gaze up to yours, offering him the sweetest smile you could as you looked into his stolen eyes.

“I’m sorry that I let this happen. If I knew how you were feeling, I would have been there for you in an instant. I’m so sorry, my love. Please, come home to me. We’ll make this right, okay? Just the two of us. I promise.”

The red of Takumi’s eyes flickered. Your smile widened, tears glistening in your own.

“Please come home.”

Takumi’s hand slowly rose, hesitant and unbalanced, as if he weren’t sure what to do. He reached up to touch yours, closing his fingers around yours. You breathed a shaky sigh of relief, feeling the familiar warmth of his hand over yours. He was coming back.

“Taku-”

Suddenly his grip became like iron, and he tore yours from his face. The fire returned in an instant, an angry roar ripping from his throat as he flung you away from him. His boot met your stomach and he kicked you away.

It happened in an instant.

Jakob launched forward with a shout, bursting past you to engage the prince who knocked another arrow. Takumi’s body volted and jerked around Jakob’s knives, his eyes stuck on you as you fell.

You didn’t even have a chance to move out of the way. The arrow whistled through the air.

The last thing you remembered was the pain exploding from your side. Everything else became a black blur.

‘Takumi…’

“What have you done?!” Jakob nearly screamed at the prince, knife after knife being thrown into the prince’s path. “I’ll kill you, you-!!”

He didn’t get the chance to finish his threat. Without warning Takumi’s body suddenly collapsed, the Fujin Yumi clattering to the ground. Jakob stared down at him, a kunai in his grip ready to be driven through the prince’s neck.

“Jakob!!” Kaze’s voice drew him back, “Jakob, she needs help!!”

The butler gave Takumi a swift, violent kick to the side, ensuring he was truly down before he tore away. He fell to your side with Kaze, who held you up in his arms. The tainted arrow protruded from your side, armor around it having shattered as it pierced your skin.

“Hold on, milady--” Jakob struggled to take out his stave, “H-hold on, we’ll have you fixed up in no time! Kaze, get the princesses-- get the healers, get- get everyone!”

His frantic order was instantly met, Kaze lowering you to the floor once more so Jakob might tend to you. He exhausted all the magic he had in the stave, trying desperately to stop the bleeding and close the wound as he removed the arrow.

He wasn’t an expert, he wasn’t a specialist in healing, gods- he barely used the stave at all, so confident in his own abilities to protect you.

He should never have left you alone. He shouldn’t have left you to that foolish prince, and now…

“Jakob!” Xander’s voice drew his gaze up, finding the whole herd of Nohrian and Hoshidan royals rushing to his aid. Elise and Sakura broke through first, gasping at the sight of their sister.

“How did this happen?” Ryoma demanded, voice strained as he looked down at your pallid face. You were fading, and fast.

“That prince-- that brute, that evil little demon tried to kill her and h-he might have killed-”

“C-Corrin?”

The group froze at the sound of another voice. All eyes left your body to see Takumi, his body trembling and his eyes clear. His expression was a mixture of horror and shock, which worsened when he saw what became of you.

“Takumi?” Ryoma asked carefully, his hand already on the hilt of his blade. But Takumi’s possession was gone. The prince’s eyes widened, staring at you. At the arrow that laid beside you, the blood that seeped from your wound. He had seen it all.

“No...no, no…!!” Takumi stumbled forward, the Fujin Yumi clattering to the floor. He pushed past all his siblings and crashed down to your side, cupping your head. He struggled to lift you into his arms, ignoring the healers around the two of you. He couldn’t bring himself to look anywhere else.

“Corrin…!” He choked out a sob, “Oh, gods, Corrin-! I...I c-can’t… Forgive me!”

Hinoka gently took her brother’s shoulder and pulled him back, trying to give Sakura and Elise the space to heal you. Takumi couldn’t let you go, his body quaking around yours. Your eyes were barely open, staring up at the blurry figure who cried over you.

“T...Taku…?”

“We need to get him to the healers. They both need to go, or they’ll bleed out. His injuries are severe-- whatever Anankos did to him….”

You wanted to reach out and touch him, to see that it really was your husband. That he was back. But the unforgiving blackness overtook your vision, and everything faded.

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

It was days before you woke up. Feverish dreams had you slipping in and out of consciousness, sometimes looking into the faces of your retainers, other times your siblings. When you finally came to, you realized you were in the healing tent, the dreary light of a rainy morning drawing you from your stupor.

The first thing you felt was the pain prickling beneath bandages. You brought a hand to your middle, and looked around the room. Takumi in a cot left of yours was the first thing you saw.

“Takumi…” You whispered hoarsely, moving to get up. You struggled against your wrappings, determined not to hurt yourself worse than you had to. But you weren’t stopping until you got to him. With Herculean effort you rose, hobbling the short distance from your cot to his.

“Takumi…!” You came to his side, grasping his hand. He looked so peaceful, completely out. He looked normal, and relaxed, and nothing like he did, before.

You pressed a kiss to his fingers, grasping his hand tightly. You didn’t even realize the tears fell from your cheeks until you saw them drip onto his hand, your focus completely on the precious man before you.

Your precious, precious husband.

“I’m so glad….I-I’m so glad that you’re okay.” You murmured, reaching down to stroke his cheek while he slept. You brushed your fingers along his warm skin, contrasting to the cold possession he suffered. “W-when you wake up, I promise, I’m never gonna let you go.”

It wasn’t much longer before he did.

You had barely finished the sentence before he stirred, and you gasped softly as his eyes flickered open. He grunted, sounding pained as he tried to wake up.

“Takumi?” You whispered fiercely, your voice cracking when his eyes fluttered open. He blinked once, then again, trying to gather his bearings. He wasn’t in Nohr, anymore. He wasn’t staring at your broken form. His brow furrowed. You.

“C-Cor...Corrin…”

“I’m here.” Your voice trembled, and his eyes popped open. He looked to his side, finally seeing you. Your skin was pale, face gaunt and littered with scratches and bruises, but it was you. You were looking at him.

“Y-you’re alive-? I-I thought...I thought I-”

“I’m okay.” You gasped out, holding his hand to your chest. “I’m okay, a-and you’re okay, and we’re back together, and...and everything’s just fine…!”

Takumi’s mouth opened like he wanted to say more, but he couldn’t. He shook his head, pushing himself up and engulfed you in his embrace, practically dragging you onto the bed.

“Oh, Corrin…! I-I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry!” He whimpered into your hair, clutching you close. The embrace you hadn’t felt in weeks was so warm and so overpowering, you couldn’t stand it. You melted into his arms, holding him for all you were worth.

Your precious prince was free. You were together again, at last.

“D-don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault. B-but everything’s okay now, right? We’re both safe, and we’re here, and we’ll be just fine.” You promised him, carding your fingers through his hair.

You held each other for a while afterwards, locked in each other’s embrace. You cried and whispered to each other, fervent kisses exchanged as you truly reunited.

You promised never to lose each other, again.