#Momiji's father

[runawaycarouselhorse]

An analysis of Momiji's parents (yes, you read that right, bear with me, this is not absolving them completely, but will perhaps help you understand them better!)

Note: Momiji's one of my favourite Fruits Basket characters and one of my favourite characters in general so please don't think I don't appreciate how incredibly painful, traumatizing, and lonely his childhood experiences are. I am not at all denying that what his parents put him through was traumatizing.

We all know Tohru, her friends, family, and especially the Zodiacs are complex, believable (once you peel back the layers of eccentricities and the influence of their Zodiac animal spirits) people, but it seems many do not expect their parents to be so, too. While it's true most hardly appear on-screen/on-panel and therefore come off as a bit one-note and the story is, after all, mostly from the perspective of children going through adolescence (so we also see pivotal, powerful moments like them finally becoming strong enough to realize these abusive parents and relatives, who once seemed insurmountable and bigger-than-life, are in reality, so small, weak, and have their own struggles... or that terrible moment where Kyo realized his father was speaking to him the same way he always spoke to his mother, always shifting blame and breaking people's spirits with undue blame and finally understood why his mother had done what she did)...

Momiji's mother, curse aside, exhibits very, very clear signs of a real psychological condition, the milder and more famous form known as baby blues (low mood after giving birth, difficulty bonding with and caring for a child, lasting one or two weeks, often treated with support and understanding from family), and its more severe representations, which Momiji's mother exhibited, much-less-understood and far-more-stigamtized, post-partum depression.

I believe there is a strong, but ignorant, form of ableism in bashing Momiji's mother, because she is very, very clearly a case of post-partum depression, leading to a suicide attempt, that never received the help she needed, likely due to either social stigma (remember, the Soma are a very powerful, elite, and secretive clan) or, more likely, due to her and her husband's strong belief in the curse.

People often idealize mothers and motherhood, even pregnancy, leaving many of its serious risks and dangers unspoken about, even though we have long-known women often used to die in childbirth, particularly in the past, before the advances of modern medicine. Still, some risk is inherent to pregnancy, due to the many changes it brings about in the body and the effects of the fluctuating hormones--which can also affect one's sanity and mental state.

Unlike the very temporary baby blues, postpartum depression is much more severe and even dangerous untreated and without understanding and support from the family to care for the child when the mother is unable... failing to bond with the baby, rejecting them, and even thoughts of harming herself or the baby--Momiji's mother had untreated postpartum depression.

Now, the reason I say they likely didn't treat her more because of the belief in the curse and how inevitable it is than the fear of stigma (which is unfortunately common throughout Japanese society and many eastern/Asian societies, like mine, where any form of mental illness is severely stigmatized and people will shun you as a "crazy person," refuse to marry or hire such a person, avoiding them, discriminating against them, etc.--this is likely why all of these kids in Fruits Basket had to overcome their past on their own, with Tohru's help...) is because Momiji's father was clearly not that kind of man to care about what others think, despite the deeply traditional society and old-fashioned clan.

Think about it, Momiji (while still small and childlike, due to the stronger influence of the rabbit spirit, when the curse was still strong and largely unbroken) dressed in frilly, childish, and even girlish Lolita-inspired articles of clothing. Even when he's older, he's quite fashionable, he just no longer dresses cutesy or frilly, but he still wears that bunny backpack and has tons of bunny plushies.

Momiji did seem to understand he couldn't get away with it anymore when he finally looked his age, although it's hard to tell if that's from his father or from society at large (maybe Momiji is a little more sensitive to that than his father or he simply wants to be recognized as the man he's growing up to be, in faint hopes that Tohru would love him back? Momiji was so happy when she called him "handsome"... "but I'm a man too")--given how they gave him flack at school for wearing the female uniform's top, even though he wore boyish shorts underneath and added a sailor hat--the a sailor suit, which yeah, was originally for boys, but that top was tailored for the female school uniform in Tohru's school...

A boy getting to dress like that might happen under a mother's care, but a father? Momiji at this point is raised only by his father, who promised to love him twice as much to make up for the terrible sacrifice he is about to make (erase Momiji from his wife's memories, so she can be rid of her knowledge of the cursed child she bore and never loved...).

I believe he truly did try. Someone had to have bought Momiji all of those cutesy clothes, the bunny bags, the many bunny plushies in his room... I think his father did his best to indulge him, but was still too weak and cowardly to fight against the curse. The curse was seen as something powerful, all-consuming, mysterious, and he likely did not believe getting his wife help otherwise, while keeping this child near her, would do any good. He's still a very weak-willed person for placing such a terrible weight on his very young child's shoulders and I'm less sympathetic to Momiji's father, but I definitely believe he truly did try to love and indulge Momiji more, while still afraid of the curse and so keeping his family away from him. That's why he didn't even want Momiji showing his face around them and, heartbreakingly, told him to quit his violin lessons because Momo was learning from the same teacher within the clan (Soma being as insular a clan as they are, they were likely only learning from one violin teacher who IS part of the clan and lived on the estate, much as the zodiacs only receive treatment from one doctor, Hatori himself...).<-partly conjecture, but based on Hatori being their doctor.

He likely believed it was all the curse's doing and, maybe, in the world of Fruits Basket, it really was all the curse's doing, because as they mentioned, mothers of zodiac spirits were usually either suffocatingly overprotective or completely rejecting their children--but this doesn't erase that Momiji's mother clearly exhibited nearly all of the signs of a true mental illness and was never treated. She really was depressed to the point of trying to take her own life. There's an ableism in fandom--however born of ignorance of the condition or the young age of the readership and viewership making them unable to empathize with an adult character it might be--but it's clearly there.

TL;DR: I think a man, from a very old-fashioned and hierarchal clan in a very conservative country as Japan, who would allow his boy to dress the way Momiji does publicly, indulging all his love of rabbits and childish and cute frilly clothes, would would NOT care about the stigma of having a "crazy" wife either and would get her treatment, so I think it truly is because of the fear of the curse and belief that it's something insurmountable and impossible to overcome that prevented it.

As Momiji grows up, he can speak with his mother, even if only from a distance, without her knowing who he is, and even without knowing, Momo wanted him as her brother... as an adult, Momo knows he's her brother (I haven't read Fruits Basket Another, myself, yet, so I only know that one scene, keep in mind!), so I think, especially as the curse breaks, there's no longer a reason for Momiji to stay away... I don't know if they'd ever tell his mother about all of that (I wonder how immensely guilty she'd feel if she was told after the curse broke, or if she would never be able to bond with him simply because all her memories of him from back then were erased, or if they'd have an easier time bonding without that cloud over them (more like she's adopting him?), or if it'd always be a bit awkward instead, but still pleasant...) <-this last part is all conjecture.

[kankuroplease]

Since all the Uchiha brothers in founders au are taken, may I have Momij? She is so pretty and everything about her is 🫶🏻

She is pretty traumatized by her last relationship/how it ended, but she is a sweet pea 🖤

[applejuicewerewolf]

Just watched M27 (in cinema! That was cool!!) And oh boy, thoughts!

First of all, I was sooo excited to watch this anime movie in an actual cinema, with other people who were also there to watch an anime movie (in an actual real cinema). Idk, I often still feel like liking anime is something embarrassing, even tho it becomes more and more mainstream, so seeing 20 or so people who also openly announced that they liked it was amazing.

Now, to the actual content of the film:

Love Love LOVE Heiji and Kaito's dynamic here. He was so angry that he drove his fucking motorbike through a window!!

The fact that the KaiShin same face thing is something Heiji is surprised by is very weird, considering that he knew that Kaito always disguises as Shinichi in movies (and yes, the movies have their own continuity, see the fireworks-soccer-ball!!)

Additionally, I watched this film in the German dub. In German, Conan and Shinichi have the same VA, and Ksito has a different one. Still, Heiji makes a note of Kaito sounding similar to Conan (their German VAs do NOT sound similar!!!)

(On that note, they replaced the German VA for Kogoro and I am scared to google why :(( )

Also in the German introduction, Conan LITERALLY calls Kaito his "fated rival" ("schicksalhafter Gegenspieler"), which is very gay for the movie that completely reveals them as cousins.

Kaito feeding seagulls. Just that. It was funny. This is what happens when he has to leave his doves at home. He is a disney princess but only for birds.

Loved the scene where Kaito was attacked while on the ground and was shown to be out of his depth. Catch him on the ground and he is a wingless bird.

Additionally loved that scene because Heiji and Conan jumped in to save him. Their dynamic was so good, with Heiji attacking front and center, Kaito trying to shoot the attacker, and Conan coming clutch with his soccer ball. These three are so much fun together, and I love how throughout the movie they hunt Kaito in one scene, and work with him in the next.

They also alway immediately recognize his disguises??? That was hilarious. These three are one the same wavelenght and I'm all for it.

Oh speaking of disguises, I am VERY surprised nobody even mentioned Okita being the third same face triplet. Would've probably taken away from the KaiShin cousins reveal, I guess?

Minor mention: idgaf about Momiji and I never will. Useless character. Why does she even exist at all. Focus on the main characters...

Okay, I cannot keep quiet about it anymore. The entire "Ginzo gets shot" scene was THE BEST THING EVER. Kaito literally reliving the trauma of losing his parental figure again, and being unable to even SHOW IT OR VISIT HIM? Him having to silently watch as Aoko (MY GIRL IS ON THE BIG SCREEN I ALMOST CHEERED) is going through this all alone??? She probably was still in Ekoda. Did she get a phone call and was flown in to Hokkaido? WHERE THE FUCK IS MIDORIKO IN THIS?!?!?! GOD. This scene. I want 500 character studies of this scene on my desk by tomorrow morning.

That being said, with the Toichi reveal at the end, NOT ONLY did Kaito hide his emotions as he visited his mortally injured father figure in the hospital, his actual father was RIGHT THERE??? TOICHIIII YOU RAT BASTARD I WILL KILL YOU!

Why even WAS Toichi there. Legit. Ugh, I wanna do this in chronological order.

Anyways, AOKO SCREENTIME MY BELOVEEEEED

I feel like she was underused tho. Her only contribution was calling Conan Kaito's twin, and that was it. Feel like that's a running theme with DetCo focusing too much on random murder of the day and not its actual characters (something that also HIGHLY annoyed me during the Scarlet Schooltrip >_<)

Speaking of, that plotpoint was also kinda never mentioned again after the half point of the movie?

Coming towards the end of the story, the car chase with like 5 different parties through the city was hilarious. This is the stupid Shounen action I expect from DetCo movies (but not the stupidest Shounen action we'll get!)

As for the actual plot, I don't really care for that in DetCo movies, I'm more interested in the established characters doing fun and wacky shit.

Also so not a fan of the "murderer misunderstands or misreads a situation, making their murders pointless" storylines in DetCo. Tho M19 was probably the worst one in that reguard (girl what!)

Okay, so the Kendo guy. His mother died to a bombstrike, so he wants to blow up a mountain with lots of civillians on it. Because he's anti war. Girl what.

And now to the peak of Stupid Shounen Battles: swordfight atop a flying airplane, one of the combattants wears no shoes.

Absolutely LOVED Kaito catching Heiji midair. He does it with Conan, he did it with Heiji. Hakuba, you're next.

Sure, Iori just randomly DROPPED A FLASHBANG right in front of Heiji and Kazuha. Tho shout out to my girl Kazuha who was quick and smart enough to cover Heiji's ears as she "Get down Mr President"ed him.

At this point, shoutout to Ran. She gives it her all to make this Ship a thing. Loved her "casually but ominously deduce Heiji's true intentions" thing she did. Go be a love detective, honey!

Okay, the after credit scene. VERY NATURAL REVEAL you guys did there. Just casually have Yusaku suddenly say "yes, my wife whom I have been married to for at least 18 years, I have a twin brother i haven't seen in 2 decades." Wow.

HE REGULARLY TEXTS TOICHI??? TOICHI WHO FAKED HIS DEATH. THEY TEXT! THEY! TEXT!

YOUR SON BELIEVES YOU DEAD AND WANTS TO AVENGE YOU YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE

WHY WERE YOU THERE! WHY WERE YOU IN DIGUISE THIS ENTIRE TIME!

I HATE TOICHI EVEN MORE NOW WTF

Conan kill your uncle with a soccer ball please.

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

Tohru Honda: a Subversion of Shoujo’s Nice Girl Trope

Fruits Basket absolutely nails subverting your expectations of character tropes in anime. 

Momiji is introduced as the cute childish boy but boom we are slapped with the fact that he a mother who hated him so much she had her memories wiped of him. Shigure right off the bat looks like the typical perverted uncle of anime when in reality he is one the most manipulative characters in the series. Ayame is the flamboyant, boisterous one whose bravado hides his regret and desire to repent for his past neglect of his younger brother. Which ultimately brings me to the protagonist of Furuba itself, Tohru Honda.

I'll make it no secret that I have a huge soft spot for Fruits Basket as a series. It was the first manga I read, I watched the 2001 series and I was right on the hype train when I saw it was getting a remake that would follow the manga storyline. But I did my best to be as objective as possible in this essay of sorts saying why I believe Tohru is a great example of subverting the "Nice Girl Protagonist" of Shoujo. Tohru is the protagonist of Fruits Basket and when it comes to those who don't like her, it seems she can be hit or miss due to the assumption that she is perfect. 

The general consensus of those who do not like her or find her bland compared to the rest of the cast is that Tohru is a perfect and bland protagonist with no issues of her own. That all she does is wave her healing wand of warm smiles and makes everything better for those around her.

However, that opinion couldn't be more misguided. In reality, Tohru is just as emotionally broken as the Sohmas and they mend her heart just as much as she mends theirs. As such, I hope to show those who find her bland or otherwise boring that there is more substance to Tohru's character than they believe.

At first glance, Tohru does seems like your typical Shoujo protagonist. She's nice, almost to a fault. She would rather talk her way out of a situation instead of throwing hands, she doesn't get mad in situations other typically would, and she has a hard time asking for help. Oh and with a dash of anime originality, she's an orphan. However even as early as episode 1, you can see hints that Tohru is not going to be the usual nice girl protagonist with her desire to work and be as independent as possible. The mangaka does a great job throughout the series showing with hints and broad examples that Tohru is just as complex as the colorful cast around her.

Ironically enough though, when hints of Tohru's trauma are sprinkled throughout the series it is seen as annoying even when the Furuba takes time to give insight into why she does the things she does.

She mentions her mother constantly in anecdotes of whimsical stories or snippets of wisdom her mother imparted her with.

Compared to the death of parents to other anime protagonists, Tohru's situation is a bit more unique. Tohru's father may have died when she was young but the same cannot be said for her mother, Kyoko, who died fairly recently. When the series begins, Kyoko has only been dead for a few months and it is more than apparent as early as episode 1 that Tohru is desperate to keep any semblance of her mother's existence alive. Kyoko died before Tohru's first year of high school even ended and worse, was told in the middle of class. Tohru has had barely any time to heal from this loss and it is evident in how she talks to her mother's photo.

Yes, in Japanese culture, it may be typical to have photos of departed family members, making a shrine for them and leaving offerings from time to time. But Tohru takes this to a completely different level, showcasing how deep her trauma runs.

When she is digging frantically to take out her mother's photo after the landslide destroyed her tent, she cries "She can't breathe in there. She's in pain." And that's just episode one.

Nobody completely over the death of their parent would speak like this, referring to a photo as a living person. She lost her mother and she didn't even get a chance to say goodbye, even feeling guilt to an extent about the situation. Tohru didn't wake up to tell her mother that she would see her later. There is no way that simply getting up to tell her mother goodbye would have changed the outcome of her fate, but Tohru still feels that way. That it didn't matter if she had tests or work or the next day, the one she should have put first was her mother. 

Anyone who has or is currently experiencing the grief of losing a loved one has likely done the same. Wondering if, if the situation was anything other than illness or old age, there was something they could have done. Things they should have said or could have said differently. What more could they have done to help and the feeling is all consuming. Even if it is unprompted, they somehow will manage to insert their lost family or friend into a conversation that didn't include them or may randomly begin talking about them. A lot of the time, these people don't even realize that they're doing it which is shown in season 2 with Tohru when Hiro asks her why she talks about her mother so much.

She is too positive.

Tohru's positivity is one of the most easily seen aspects of her character. Where others might see the glass half-empty, Tohru sees it as half-full. Her positivity is even noted upon by characters within the show, Saki (Hanajima) mentioning that she doesn't believe she could personally smile like that so soon after the death of a loved one.

Tohru doesn't like thinking about her problems. She doesn't like expressing her sadness. She doesn't want to worry those around her when they likely have their own problems to worry about. Saki predicts that this ability Tohru has to act this way is because she would scold herself if she ever showed a hint of sadness. And Saki was right because we see Tohru later on doing exactly that, crying but forcing herself to try and smile and scolding herself for not keeping it together.

Rather than let Yuki comfort her when she is in tears, she smiles and completely changes the topic even though tears are coming down her face.Tohru tells Kyo that she needs a minute to get herself together because breaking down in tears in front of him wasn't what she planned. She was supposed to smile when she saw him again.

Tohru would rather pretend everything is fine even when she is seconds away from falling apart because toxic positivity is something she struggles with.

No one can be that positive all the time, not even Tohru.

Tohru has a hard time asking others for help.

Yes, Tohru is kind-hearted by nature but she genuinely does believe that she could burden those she troubles for help. Considering how her maternal side of the family wanted nothing to do with her and her paternal side of the family talks poorly about her, it isn't difficult to see where that frame of thinking came to be. When her mother died, her paternal side of the family didn't argue over who wanted to take Tohru in, they argued over who should take Tohru in and that is an important distinction. Even more so the fact, they had these arguments in front of her. When it was finally settled that she should live with her grandfather and that was uprooted due to upcoming renovations, it makes sense that she would rather be homeless in a tent than bother her friends who don't have the space to provide for an additional person even if that.

In Tohru's mind, it was shown very clearly by her family that she is a burden. She's an extra mouth to feed and an unwanted mouth at that, as her family never holds back in disparaging Kyoko even if Tohru is present.

As such, when Tohru is in a situation where she has no other choice than to accept their help, she believes she should be extremely grateful. They're taking their time to help her when they easily could have done otherwise, so why should she want more? Why should she complain? If she has any desires, she pushes it down because of that belief because she feels awful and that she shouldn't want for more when people are already going out of their way to help an extra mouth to feed. Because of this mentality cultivated by the bulk of her paternal relatives mistreatment, she will seldom voice her wants.

She never gets angry or upset.

To say Tohru never gets angry or close to physical in her reactions is far from the truth. Tohru gets angry when the issue impacts those that she cares about.

Tohru can tolerate being mistreated but she will always draw the line at the abuse being directed to someone else. When she first meets Akito and she sees Yuki's clear discomfort and fear, she pushes Akito away from him immediately. When she witnesses Momiji being punched by Akito, she immediately steps in and places herself in front of Momiji to physically shield him. When Rin tells her not to meddle with the curse and involve herself, Tohru, without cruelty, shoots back that she will absolutely meddle and involve herself because she refuses to lose the people she cares about to someone who has clearly been abusing them emotionally and physically for years. Tohru's tolerance for mistreatment has a limit, she is just unfortunately not included in that limit. So when we finally see her get angry in a scenario that includes herselfー when Kyo tries to run away because he feels he doesn't deserve her love, it's incredible.

There is so much more to Tohru than meets the eye. Tohu's reaction to Yuki getting a cold isn't just Tohru overreacting for the sake of being a nice girl, it's because her father died from a cold he brushed off and that cold turned into a fatal illness. For Tohru, colds aren't something that can just be brushed away because what if it turns into something worse.

Tohru would rather wear clothes until they practically fall apart than buy new clothes because she knows that she can't just spend her money haphazardly. But when it came to Valentine's Day and wanting to express her gratitude for those who cared about her, she had no problem dropping an entire check to purchase the ingredients to make enough chocolate for everyone.

She disregards herself and the efforts she puts forward. When she feels she has failed in helping Arisa, she specifically says "everyone around me has always helped me and when it is my turn to do the same, I can't." These aren't problems she overcomes herself by simply "smiling through the pain" as some who discredit her argue. Tohru is repeatedly loved and helped by those around her who care for her and opens herself up to receive that love and help over time. She is taught by her grandfather and Sohmas that is okay for her to be selfish and ask for things.

Her friends teach her that she helps them so much and that in reality they feel like they are never there to help her when she needs it.Her friends get upset that the same amount of money she would spend on them, she wouldn't spend on herself.

She is told that the way she villainized Katsuya after his death because doesn't make her dirty or a bad person because she was a child that was scared to lose her mother. That her fear and desperation to make her mother acknowledge her was understandable. That mimicking her father in her attempt to draw her mother's attention probably helped more than she realized.

Tohru is not just a "Nice Shoujo Girl" Protagonist, she is a girl with trauma who would rather focus on the issues someone else has than look to her own.

Like I said before, this isn't me trying to get Tohrus haters to like her. People are entitled to like and dislike whichever characters they please, but it is a complete disservice to Natsuki Takaya's writing to say Tohru is bland and has no struggles of her own. Tohru has many problems and struggles she has to deal with throughout the series and seeing those issues she overcomes being brushed aside as her being perfect and having no problems is a complete oversight. As such, I just simply wanted to peel back Tohru's layers and showcase that just as characters such as Momiji, Shigure and Ayame are more than the tropes they are introduced as, Tohru is as well.

[i wrote this on reddit too]

[romancemedia]

I just found out so many spoilers for the new Detective Conan movie so be warned I am going to spill all that I've learned.

Yusaku and Toichi aka the fathers of Shinichi Kudo and Kaito Kuroba are revealed to be Brothers meaning Shinichi and Kaito are COUSINS!!!! (The reason why they have different last names is because their parents divorced and they each took a last name depending on which parent they went to live with.)

Kaito's father, Toichi Kuroba is confirmed to be alive. (I knew it)

Conan met Aoko Nakamori and she mentioned how he resembled her childhood friend. (Kaito Kid duh)

Ran helps Heiji with finding the perfect spot to confessed to Kazuha that is even better than Big Ben. Ran is reminded of Shinchi's confession in London and it's revealed Big Ben is her favourite place in the whole world and apologizes to Shinichi in her heart, but she is determined to support Heiji.

At the end of the movie, Heiji is finally able to confess his love to Kazuha at long last.... but she didn't hear him all because of Momiji and her damn butler, Iori interfering in their relationship yet again!!! (Glad I didn't get my hopes up)

And that's all I know. If I learn anymore news I'll update this post.

[cinderella-ish]

Momiji Sohma and his beautiful, complex relationship to Kyo (part 1 of 5)

So, if Yuki is my favorite character of the main trio, Momiji would have to be my favorite of the large cast of secondary characters. He may even be my favorite character outright- a hard pick, as there are so many characters to love in Fruits Basket!

When it comes to Yuki and Kyo, their relationship to each other and Yuki's relationship to Haru (which is beautiful and now I want to do a post on them, too) are perhaps the two most obvious dynamics among these four boys. But I think Momiji and Kyo have their own important, deep relationship, with huge significance to the plot and to Kyo's arc in particular.

In many ways, Momiji and Kyo's stories are parallels.

They both lost their mothers at a young age. Kyo watched as his mother stepped in front of a train, and Momiji watched as his mother's memories of him were erased (though it's worth noting Momiji's mother was also suicidal). Both watched their mothers suffer for years because of the curse.

Both had a parent who viewed them as sub-human. Momiji's mother referred to him as a "creature," and Kyo's father called him a "monster."

Both also had fathers who put responsibility for their mothers' mental health issues on them and ultimately abandoned or neglected them. And both had loving surrogate father figures who took them in out of guilt, Kyo in Kazuma and Momiji to a lesser extent in Hatori (it does seem like Momiji's father was somewhat present in his life, though Hatori was much more present for him).

They also both had reputations as a bit of a wild child, Kyo because of his short temper and aggression (and stereotypes about the cat), and Momiji because of his id-driven hedonism and frequent lack of supervision. They're both impulsive to a fault, Momiji in pursuit of maximum fun, and Kyo out of extreme self-hatred and a desire to protect the people he cares about (mostly from himself). They each lean into people's misconceptions about them - Momiji encouraging people to underestimate him due to his small size because it allows him to get away with more, and Kyo willing to let people see him as a monster because he believes that's true (and therefore using physical intimidation as his main strategy for protecting people he cares about).

They're also both quite good at reading others - for Kyo, this is remarked upon several times in canon, and for Momiji, he's often cited by fans as possibly the most emotionally mature character in the series.

And they both are at their best when they act a bit more like each other, Kyo when he lightens up and lets himself have fun, and Momiji when he stands up for himself and the people he cares about.

I would even argue that Kyo is the main driver behind Momiji's character development, and that Momiji is the main catalyst for Kyo to understand and accept his feelings for Tohru.

So, with all that in mind, let's look at Momiji's first appearance with Kyo at the first culture festival.

(An aside: Hiroshi's reactions in this scene will never not be funny to me.)

So, the first time we see Kyo and Momiji together is at the first culture festival, when Momiji is officially introduced to Tohru and thus to the reader (after a brief appearance 1 chapter/3 episodes earlier, where we're not entirely sure who he is). In quick succession, Momiji proceeds to:

jump on Yuki's shoulders and tell him he looks like a girl

get scolded by Hatori for running off on his own

excitedly introduce himself and Hatori as relatives of Yuki and Kyo to the crowd of students, making sure to mention that he's half-German

climb on top of the rice stand, frightening everyone, eating a rice ball he probably didn't pay for

get dragged away by a grouchy Kyo, laughing all the way

It's quite a memorable entrance!

But a closer look at this scene suggests that Momiji was causing a stir for Yuki's sake as much as for his own desire to have fun.

he jumps on Yuki right when Yuki's feeling extremely self-conscious about all the attention he's receiving, immediately after both Tohru and Kyo have made comments about his appearance

he climbs atop the riceball stand right when Yuki looks ready to murder Hatori

One could argue that this is just Momiji being his typical wild-child self, especially since he tells Yuki he looks like a girl right when Yuki's at his most self-conscious about his feminine appearance, but it fits with a pattern we see repeated throughout the series: Momiji is willing to make a spectacle of himself if it helps him achieve his goals, whether they are to have more fun or to protect someone he cares about (all the better if it's both!).

I do wonder about that comment - Fruits Basket can be very subtle, so I think there are multiple ways of interpreting Momiji's comment to Yuki. It's possible he made that comment because he didn't know what Yuki was so upset about, or to remind Yuki that of course people are going to talk about what he's wearing when its unusual for him, or maybe for another reason altogether. But what I think is most telling is that he says it without any judgment - it's simply an observation of fact. That, in and of itself, might be enough to help Yuki feel less self-conscious about the whole thing, whether Momiji intended that or not.

As Momiji is dragged off, Hatori reveals to Yuki that they're here because Momiji brought home the flier Tohru dropped when they met 3 episodes/1 chapter earlier. He also reveals that Akito wanted to come, to Yuki's terror, but was too ill, so Hatori is here in her place.

After Kyo drags Momiji away, we see the first iteration of their play big-brother/little-brother dynamic. Kyo's been trying to scold him this whole time, and Momiji fake cries that Kyo "hit" him, but he immediately beams when he realizes Tohru is right behind them.

Kyo probably gave Momiji a light rap on the head or something while scolding him (we know Kyo's a skilled martial artist who knows better than to fight people without training), and Momiji overreacted because teasing Kyo is fun and that's their "thing." But what's super interesting to me is that the only other person Kyo has scolded up until now or given a knock on the head is the only person we know he cares about and wants to protect: Tohru. So, even though outwardly, Kyo seems angry and annoyed at Momiji, he's treating him the way he treats people he cares about and wants to protect.

Momiji then goes over to Tohru, where he:

tells her he came specifically to see her

FLIRTS WITH HER IN FRONT OF KYO ("Ja! Fate brought us together that day, huh?")

tells her his papa owns the building where she works and he likes to hang out there

and confirms she knows the Zodiac secret before announcing his plans to hug her

Kyo physically prevents Momiji from hugging her and they have this INCREDIBLE exchange.

Kyo: "Hold it, Romeo. Remember where you are." Momiji: "Keeping Tohru all to yourself just because you like her? I bet you hug her every day!" Kyo: *blushes* "As if I'd do that!" *drops Momiji* Momiji: *jumps into Tohru's arms* "Gotcha!"

At this point in the story, I doubt that either Kyo or Momiji feel the deep, romantic love they both feel for Tohru by the end of the series. But if we accept that they both have at least a crush on her by now, they're going about it in completely opposite ways. Momiji openly wants to hug Tohru as often as possible and spend as much time with her as he can, whereas Kyo wants to avoid making Tohru uncomfortable and avoid any semblance of impropriety that could reflect poorly on her.

So, Momiji hugs Tohru and transforms, and Tohru's classmates pull back the curtain and start asking questions about what happened. How do they get out of this situation?

Well, Yuki takes a lesson from Momiji's earlier actions, making a spectacle of himself to protect the family secret (and therefore Tohru).

So, in summary, in Momiji's first appearance:

he shows Yuki it's okay to play up the aspects of yourself that make you different in pursuit of a goal

we clearly see that his crying at Kyo's scolding is an act

he immediately notices and calls out Kyo's feelings for Tohru to trick Kyo into letting him go

he generally just does whatever he wants, including hugging Tohru, in stark contrast to Kyo, whose approach to life seems to be all about denying himself what he wants because he doesn't believe himself worthy (which is the exact opposite of the advice he gives Tohru, that it's okay to be selfish sometimes)

We see that Momiji is much smarter than he lets on, but also that he has a lot of growing to do, and that he and Kyo are opposites in many ways.

I'll leave you with these cute shots from S2 (because they didn't fit with any of the other posts), where we see their big brother/little brother dynamic was already in place in elementary school. (Also, poor Yuki!)

Momiji and Kyo: Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

[simply-trash5]

Found Forever

Had a sweet request from @twilightlover2007 for a Momiji little something and this was so cute. It's a little short but I hope you like it <3

Pairing: Momiji X Reader

CW: none--fluffy fluff fluff

Momiji knew the moment he saw you that he had found his forever. 

That day in the park had started like any other for him, a nice warm day for him to run and clear his mind when he saw the sweet little bunny stuffie fly out of the stroller being pushed by what could only be described as an angel. 

‘It must be fate…’ he thought to himself as he chuckled and plucked the small toy from the concrete. He jogged alongside the stroller pulling an earbud from his ear and tapped you on the shoulder, your sweet face stopping his heart. 

“Excuse me, Miss…I believe this belongs to you…” Momiji said with an accent and smile that melted you on the spot. A blush bloomed across both of your cheeks as your hands brushed ever so slightly at the exchange of the plush toy. “T-thanks…” you stammered feeling like a teenager again. 

At the loss of momentum of the stroller your baby began to stir, making a fuss in her bundle and wanting her presence to be known. Momiji’s eyes lit up pleasantly at the sound of the baby. “What a sweet little face! What is her name?” he cooed looking down at your brunette bundle of joy. You reached into the stroller to grab your fussy infant who seemed to calm at the sight of Momiji almost instantly. “Her name is Mika–she is only a year old…” you smiled and kissed her cheek while Momiji smiled at the two of you fondly.

 You looked over at the tall blonde with a blush and a smirk. “Hey, I never got your name. How do I know you aren’t some creep who follows around young mothers in the park?” Momiji froze and began to stumble over his words. “I..I am so.. No my name is Momiji..” he stared at his feet suddenly feeling like a small child again who was caught sneaking a treat when he had been told ‘no more sweets’. 

You laughed loudly and placed your daughter back into her stroller. Momiji relaxed at the sound of your laughter knowing that it was the most magical sound he had ever heard. “Well, Momiji my name is Y/N if you would like to keep walking with us you can…” you offered with a mischievous lilt to your voice. You began walking without hearing his response, leaving him completely dazed. ‘Wake up Momiji…follow her!’ 

You soon heard his footsteps as he jogged alongside you and fell in step with you. The two of you walked until late in the afternoon talking about your less than amicable split with Mika’s father and him about his tumultuous relationship with his family; honestly it was cathartic talking with someone who was practically a stranger about the most deep parts of yourself…but when he walked with you to your car and helped you pack the stroller you had to admit you didn’t want him to leave.

“Y/N…” Momiji began to speak in a hushed tone, making you regret that the end of your time together had come. You nodded acknowledging him, “Can I see you and Mika again? I know that we just met and that it wasn’t exactly a date bu-”

You placed a featherlight on his cheek. 

“You talk too much. Of course I want to see you again.”

You grabbed his phone and put your number into it telling him ‘text me or else no more cheek kisses.’

Walking away from your car that night he knew, you and Mika were his forever.

[echantedtoon]

To Where The Hand Extends

(This is the promised raffle prize for @iron-embers. If Shinjuro comes out too ooc I apologize it's my first time writing him. Warnings for mentioned drinking and alcoholism concerning Shinjuro and mentioned death concerning Ruka. Hatomi belongs to iron-embers. I had to look.up so many japanese dishes lmao.)

The day was beautiful this morning.

With the sunlight sinking into the room through the window as the ball of light was nearing to setting within a few hours. The birds singing outside. Beautiful fresh smelling air. Beautiful visions of nature right outside of you looked. A bright blue sky. Fluffy white clouds. Yellow sun. Flowers of every color. Green plants everywhere. Trees providing shade as the wind rolled by. A little blue pond in the distance full of fish.

Yes.

An absolute picture perfect scene for what could very much be a good day. Nothing in the world to worry about. Nothing to do. Just peaceful quiet and nature. It's why she left most of the windows and doors leading to the outside open today it could get rather stuffy inside. The gentle noises of dishes being moved about the kitchen area along with the distant sounds of a few pots bubbling away on the furnace. The heavy smells of delicious spices and not quite done yet rice lingered in the air before wafting out the mentioned open windows and doors. Small footsteps ran out from up the side hall and the chef knew without even looking around that a pair of eyes had found their curiosity wondering into the kitchen.

"HUNGRY!," A loud voice declared out.

"You're going to have to be patient now.  Food doesn't make itself."

"What we having?!"

"Miso soup and onigiri."

A small chubby face scrunched up in protest. "Soup again?"

"There's leftover ochazuke from lunch if you don't want what I'm making for dinner," her calm voice replied back despite the smile that still plagued her features. Petite hands reached out to grab a potato while the other held up a sharp cutting knife above the chopping board. "And we're having all the leftovers tomorrow night. We don't waste food around here."

"Can't I have some momiji instead?"

Her eyes turned, head looking over her shoulder. Potato sternly pointed out to seven year old pouting in the doorway. "You're not getting any sweets unless you eat something healthy young man. It'll spoil your appetite and give you a stomachache and it's not healthy."

His response was to pout more buuuut his mad face only made him look like an adorable chubby hamster. "That's an old wives tale! Just like saying the Boogeyman is gonna come out of the closet if I don't sleep."

"My answer is still no. Now go wash up. If you don't eat anything good you won't be getting desert and that's that." 

Softer but heavier sounding footsteps came down the same hallway just as the first fiery haired and eyed boy stomped away as all upset children do and second later a second child stood in the doorway. He was a perfect mirror copy of the first boy only older by about six years at thirteen years old and he was smiling instead of pouting like his baby brother. Kyojuro always seemed to be smiling to be honest and it was no exception for when he curiously watched his brother go before looking back on her.

"What was that all about?"

Her smile never left as she went back to what she was doing before, trying to chop up this potato. "He's upset with me for not giving him dessert on demand." The sounds of chopping filled the air as the knife easily sliced through the potato at last. "Although he does seem a little crankier than he was a little while ago. I wonder why."

"Oh...It was Father actually."

Chop-

The hands paused in their movements. Knife resting between two potato slices as her head turned back to him. Blinking wide eyed before a sigh left through her nose and a frown settled upon her face. Oh. Their father.

"Oh, I see. ..What happened?"

His orange eyes sadly looked at his shuffling feet. "W-Well.. There's a festival in town A-And we wanted to go bu-bu-but...Father said it was a waste of time."

"Oh..Well I'm sure he didn't mean it like that. He's probably just tired and cranky right now."

"No. He always says no. Every year...he doesn't like it when we ask him." Young eyes suddenly lit up in a pleased idea as he looked at her in a gasp and clenched his fists in excitement. "I know! Can you take us instead!?"

She blinked at him but couldn't help but smile at the cute face he made while all hopeful. "You want me to take you? Really?"

"Uh huh! You're really nice and responsible and he thinks you're really pretty so of course he'll say yes!" He ended that surprising sentence by throwing his hands up. "So will you ask him?!"

Her eyes blinked again slightly surprised. "Pretty? I doubt that."

"But you are pretty, Ms. Hatomi! You're about as pretty looking as a sweet potato!"

His sentence made her giggle again as she shook her head. "Well thank you. I'm glad you think so."

"So you'll ask?!"

"Alright. I'll ask him when dinner's ready. For now go wash up with Senjuro-"

A rush to her legs made her look down as two arms wrapped around her waist in a tight hug as Kyojuro hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Ms. Hatomi! You're the nicest person ever!"

Her smile didn't wain as she patted the top of the young boy's head. "Thank you. Now off you go. Food is almost ready."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Soft footsteps echoed throughout the hall. The delicious smells of the food in her hands on the tray. The soup in the bowl sloshing around slightly with each sway from her steps through the late evening. There was still plenty of light outside but it was nearer to sunset now about maybe one or two hours away. Hey that didn't stop her from walking down the hall and stopping in front of the one door in particular. One she's already visited two times today to deliver breakfast and lunch. Carefully balancing the tray into one arm, she reached out her other hand to knock on the door just loud enough to get anyone inside's attention.

"Master Rengoku-san? I brought you dinner. Can I come in?"

If no one answered then that meant he was passed out again in which case she'd just leave the food by the door and come back later, however a loud grunt from inside gave her all the go ahead she needed to use a foot and slide the door just enough to peek in first.

The room was dark inside despite the sun still being out. She saw why when her eyes saw the shutters still closed tightly on the windows and the only source of light being the crack in the doorway and a single candle lit on a table in the far corner.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy!"

Silvery light collided with the dancing gold of the flame in a beautiful glow making shadows dance against the walls and furniture. Reflection beaming off eyes unblinking within the strange alluring mixture of darkness and lights. The motions of writing ceasing in their motions completely and the emotions taking over. The one whom was working stopping to set the feather back onto it's rightful pedestal and sitting there unblinking. The one who had the emotions stirring around from his mind and down to his heart. Those eyes turned slowly, head turning to the doorway behind him as he sat as his table. The area behind him was dark, and almost hard to see but he saw what the eyes were searching for. Her head peeking in through the doorway and staring back to the man sitting on the pillow in the otherwise dark and silent room.

The master of the entire Rengoku estate. Sitting there with paperwork of some kind unfinished in front of him and a tired look to his face as she quietly shuffled in  holding up the food tray in her hands.

"I brought you dinner, Sir." Nevermind she already told him once outside the door. "I figured you might be hungry by now."

Fiery eyes seemed to glow in the dark as they eyed her..and then the tray in her hands before turning back to stare blankly at the unfinished papers. "Bring it in then."

She smiled walking in with the tray gently over to where she had left the last tray taking note of how it was empty now with the dishes from that lunch being left on top. That's good. That meant he was eating today and filling his stomach with something other than the sake that was usually seen around him. He paid no attention to her as she gently slid the old one away from his side and replaced it with the newer one filled with the delicious smelling good. And despite himself, she caught his head tilting slightly towards it. Good. He was showing more interest in eating again. That fact alone made her smile.

"What is it?", he bluntly asked.

"Miso soup and onigiri. I figured it'd be a nice day to have onigiri since a festival is going on in the next town over," she answered just picking up the tray.

"Is that right?"

"Mm hm...You know Kyojuro was just telling me about it today. I was told there's going to be a Kabuki theater there. It sounds like fun."

"Did that boy of mine put you up to this? If you're here to try and get me to change my mind then you can forget it!" A finger harshly jabbed down into the wood of the table. "Those two are staying HERE where they belong and studying until I decide they're improving!"

"No one put me up to anything." Maybe it was the matter of fact way she spoke of the fact she didn't react to his anger at all but he was taken off guard every time she looked at him like that. The silent calm stare that was both full of disapproval and sadness at the same time. "I was only stating that it sounded like fun. After all  everyone has need for a break sometimes."

"And sometimes someone needs discipline to make them learn."

"And sometimes someone can push someone else so hard to do something so much of the time that they burn out."

He flinched. Hard.

"But that is only my opinions on what might happen to someone if that happened, not that it is happening to anyone else I know." Her body bowed at the middle before turning her body. "I'll come back in a few hours to see if you're done eating."

"... Where's this dam festival at anyways?" 

She paused in the middle of stepping away, head turning back to him but he didn't look up from the papers on the table in front of him. 

"Just in the next town over. It's not even an hour away."

".....I want EVERYONE inside before any sunlight disappears. I do not care what any of those boys have to say."

It was curt, blunt, rude, and with a small time limit for fun...But that was a yes. An actual yes without even saying yes.

She nodded. "Of course. We do that every night." She went to leave aga-

"Hatomi."

"Yes?"

"The lunch you made me."

"Was it too much? I can make the portions smaller if you prefer or maybe you didn't like how I made it?"

There was a long moment of silence between the two of them but she couldn't leave until he finished talking to her. He remained silent sitting there still not looking at her.

"..It tasted good. It could use s-..some more salt but it was fine."

She could not see his face otherwise perhaps she might've seen the way a pink hue coated his features and thank goodness for the dark or else she might've seen the glow to his ears. Instead she blinked slightly in surprise... before smiling wider.

"Then I'll be sure to add some more salt next time I make that dish."

[yunamedkostobot]

The reason i do not trust a lot of so-called «complexity lovers»

Akito Sohma stans: I love Akito because of her complexity! She is so sympathetic character!

Also Akito stans: but it would have been way better, if Takaya cut out her beating Kisa and Momiji, pushing Rin out of the window and droving Kana to clinical depression

Jiang Cheng stans: I adore Chengcheng, he is so complex!

Also Jiang Cheng stans: Of course, he was justified to demand of his adoptive brother to give the innocent boy, elders and the persons to whom, you know, is obliged to help! Of course, he did not tarnished Wei Wuxian's reputation more by saying that he declared himself the enemy of the world! Of course, he was right to disrespect his sister's sacrifice the worst way possible! And he was right in killing innocent people during the timeskip and letting the literal maniac go!

Reva Sevander stans: Reva, my baby! 😍😍 You would be a true Jedi of Old Order!🤧🤧 And you did not forgive Anakin(who literally nearly ceased to exist as person, as RoTS novel clearly indicates)! Such a complexity!

Also Reva stans: *ignoring her joining group of fascist enforcers, for which is pretty normal to kill teenagers, who are suspected to be Jedi(as Ezra and Cal situations show), and abduct children from their parents(may be killing said parents), hunting down underground railroad-like organisations, kidnapping 10 years old Leia and attempting to kill Luke*

Severus Snape stans: Of course, he was wonderful man, and so complex! He would definitely be a good father figure to Harry!

Also Snape stans: Of course, he was not an awful teacher to his students and never bullied Neville out of pure spite and said awful things about Hermione when her teeth end up growing fast and causing her a lot of pain! And also, he was forced to join Neo-nazi group at school, pull a hurtful pranks over Muggleborn and call the love of his life a racial slur!

Edelgard von Hresvelg stans: Such a complex character! A true embodiment of Progress! Go, Empress! Edeleth canon!

Also Edelstans: So, we are gonna project Dimitri's good traits on her, make Claude a villain(with the huge OOC) to make her look good, tell ten thousands of lies about Rhea and Nabateans(including genocide apologia) and of course, ingore all of her war crimes and imperialism(with her erasing the culture of far more progressive Leicester and Faerghus)!

Me: So... Are you truly here for complexity?

[yuzusern]

This year’s movie is 7/10.

Should’ve named it Detective Conan: Tracking device tag (I’m corny)

Spoilers ahead in the cut ⬇️ And I mean a crazy amount of spoilers. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Set in Hakodate, Hokkaido prefecture with the theme of the entire movie about swords and the lost treasure no one can find after they hid it.

Half Japanese rich guy (with a crazy band of mercenaries) goes around and tries to steal them for himself after KID steals the two he had in his possession.

There’s just so much lore and deductions in this movie that action scenes are halved compared to recent movies.

And the amount of tracking devices the characters used. Conan, the half Japanese guy, KID, the actual murderer, even Hattori!! I can understand most but Hattori??

Let’s not forget the love story between Heiji and Kazuha. At least it progressed, but figures the ending would end up like a joke as usual and Heiji’s screaming internally.

Momiji was in the movie but she was playing “Where in Hokkaido is Hattori Heiji?” And went all over Hokkaido looking for him (Her role was basically Hokkaido PR for the viewers. She helped with the puzzle solving but the rest of the time, she’s in her helicopter finding Hattori)

Aoko makes an appearance in the movie because her father gets shot protecting a suspect. Ran and Aoko don’t meet but KID’s pretty much keeping watch over them, hoping Nakamori will wake up. KID is blaming himself for not being able to stop the shooting in time. And that scene is burned into my memory because that is one powerful moment to realize KID never wants any harm to come to Nakamori, even if KID himself is getting shot at.

Kudo Yusaku and Yukiko also show up but if you weren’t in the loop about the frenzy that happened on Twitter, to put it short, Yusaku and Kuroba Toichi are twins. Yusaku is the older, Toichi is the younger. Which makes Kaito and Shinichi first cousins.

They’ve touched on this 18 years ago in files 570-573. Toichi told young Shinichi that he’s his younger brother (in reference to Yusaku). But it isn’t exactly direct and a very odd statement to make at the beginning of the case. Yusaku was also the one to name him KID because of Toichi’s handwriting of 1412 looks like KID.

But besides that case, they don’t touch it until the movie (which is also not canon btw, including all movie OVAs and episode tie ins). If Gosho adds it to his manga, then we can consider the fact canon (so 570-573 brother fact is canon for 18 years but people are deciding to scream about it now)

This whole movie revolves around the age old question, “Are Kaito and Shinichi related?”

But the one thing everyone should be screaming about is Kuroba Toichi is alive in the movie. After being confirmed dead and come up at the very end of the movie to text Yusaku, this was a shocker. And wearing an all black version of KID’s outfit.

As for the 2025 trailer, we gonna get Kogoro in a forest. In the middle of a blizzard. Don’t ask 😂 I was just as lost

[imagineanime2022]

Zen

Hatsuharu Sohma X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1069

A/N: First off the song is Zen by Jacob Lee and second I left this kind of open ended because I love him and Rin together but I also love him in general so read this how you like 😘

I hope that sacrifice is worth it Leave my heart inside another person Always knew that I’d find my purpose, living as a servant Taking on the roles they can’t let go

You’d give anything to Haru if he asked for it, you knew that he gave everything for everyone else, that was why you spent every morning you made an extra lunch and brought it with you everyday and why you would spend every lunch looking for him to hand it over with a big smile however today he decided to ask about it.

“Why do you always bring me lunch?” He asked one day as you swapped something with Momiji. “Because you never bring lunch for yourself, you're too busy worrying about everyone else.” You answered honestly. “Do you want me to stop?” “No that’s not what I was saying but surely this causes you trouble.” He frowned. “Not really but even if it did, the sacrifice would be worth it.” You answered with a smile as Momiji watched you both, he didn’t say anything. “Thank you.” He finally said as you graved with the rare sight of a real smile from Haru and it was from then that you promised that you would look after him while he looks after everyone else.

If you knock once or twice I'll invite you to share my design I'll let you visit my thoughts If you stay in your spot And you never try crossing that line If I lend you my hand Would you lend me some time with your mind? I'll write down all that you want 'Cause I learn quite a lot When I live through these lives that aren't mine…

It was a couple of weeks later when you were walking past Haru class that you heard a crash. You glanced in to see that Haru was the one that caused it, he had explained before what happened when he got angry, you reached your hand out towards him “Haru!” You called, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes softening once he saw you. “What?” He asked. “You wanna punch something? I got something you can punch.” You said wiggling your fingers, he grit his teeth for a moment before walking over to you and taking your hand you lead him to the exit of the school and to the boxing ring that your father owned.

Momiji led Yuki, Tohru and Kyo to the classroom that he had left Haru in, they all frowned at the lack commotion, when they all walked in there was no damage and no Haru “we don’t have time for this you stupid rabbit are you lost again!?” Kyo asked, smacking him in the head. “No I’m not lost, this is where he was!” Momiji answered, hand coming up to his head as he flinched away from another hit. “Excuse me, have you seen Haru?” Yuki turned to one of the girls that had been chatting with her friend. “Oh he was here a while ago, he looked really angry about something and (Y/N) came in said there was somewhere that they could go where he could punch something and he left with her.” The girl explained. “(Y/N)? Who’s that?” Kyo asked. “Oh… Um we meant to tell you about her… Well on our first day here, Haru forgot his lunch, so she gave him hers that day, claimed that she already ate, turned out she didn’t really have many friends so she ended up with us a lot of the time.” Momiji explained. “There’s something else.” Yuki said. “Well, she’s like our Tohru, she grabbed me one day when I was about to fall and she found out, we never told anyone Haru didn’t want Akito to know.” Momiji explained. “So do you know where they are?” Kyo asked. “I think so, she mentioned somewhere her dad runs.” Momiji answered.

You stood behind the punching bag and smiled as you leaned your weight against it “punch it like you mean it.” You encouraged him. “Are you sure you can handle it sweetheart?” He asked with a smirk. “Pretty sure I can Dark.” You winked before tapping the bag again “hit it.” Haru drew his hand back and hit the bag as hard as he could. “You got power, don't know how to put it into your fist though.” “What’d you say?” He asked leaning forward so his face was inches from yours, a wide smirk on his lips, you still had a teasing one on yours. “I said that you don’t punch right.” You informed him coming around the punching bag showing him how to curl finger and twist his fists as he landed the punch. Haru knew how to fight, you both knew that, you were just teasing him but the way that it seemed to distract him led you to teaching him things you were sure he already knew. “Alright… Why would you be out here with me? Why are you missing class to help me?” Haru asked between punches as you held the bag for him. “My grandmother always joked that the females or my family were givers, they found someone who needed them and gave them everything that they could, my grandmother found my grandfather a veteran who needed a home, my mother found my father a delinquent who needed someone to believe in him and me… I found the ox spirit who just needed someone to listen.” You explained, you hadn’t even noticed that he stopped punching. “I know a look of heartbreak when I see one, which is why I’m not going to ask you to return the feelings, I’ll be here friend or more, I promise.” Haru wished that he could hug you but instead he pressed his forehead to yours. “T-thank you.” He said softly, his hand pressing to the back of your head to keep you in place as tears streamed down his face.

Tohru was straight crying as she watched the both of you, Yuki smiled softly and Kyo rolled his eyes. Momiji watched you both without a single word, just happy that both his friends were okay “you ready to go back?” You asked, they were all shocked out of their states as Kyo grabbed Tohru and they all ran out of the boxing ring and back to school before either one of you saw them.

Request Here!!

[sugawara--san]

i will never not cry over momiji sohma. completely rejected by his mother who regretted ever giving birth to a creature like him and chose to forget him instead of trying to love him. begged by his father to let her forget and promised by him that he would love him that much more to make up for it. but instead his parents have another child who doesn't even know about him and become the happy family they wanted but without him. his little sister somehow still takes notice of him though but his father is so desperate to keep momiji away to keep his happy little family. he makes him quit his violin lessons just because his sister sees the same teacher, even though she only started the violin because she watches him play and wanted to be like him, to play WITH him. even though his dream is literally to become a professional violin player and to one day play a private concert just for the three of them. he even HIDES the german accent he got from his mother whenever he speaks to them so they aren't suspecting of him. and he loves tohru, who he knows loves kyo. even though he's sad, i think he was still happy to encourage kyo to keep living and to get with her because he cares a lot for him, for both of them. he's always happy go lucky and upbeat and hopeful and strong and so kind despite what he's been through. it devastates me every time i think of him.

[juniordetectiveagency]

Momiji… dear… just no… Heiji is married to Kazuha now. They have a family. Let it go, for your own health.

Momiji: Y‘kno‘, I’m not good at giving up. They once nearly broke up and Heiji was already opening up-

Heiji: Huh?!

Momiji: So I still have hope. Ryouhei has the same kanji in his name as Heiji for a reason, y‘kno‘!

Heiji: Huh?! Why does this sound like I’m his father?!

Kazuha: Heiji?!

Heiji: No, I’m not!! Momiji, ya gotta tell 'er!

Momiji: Huhuhu… sorry.

[masterdetectivexx]

Hello MDX, do you intend to do a review of Movie 27? What are your thoughts on it? And by the way, what do you expect of the August Naniwa case?

I have not watched Movie 27 yet, since it's not available where I live, but if I have a lot to say about this highest-grossing DC film, I'll post something about it.

File 1129-1133 Predictions

As for the upcoming Osaka case, the main thing I'm definitely expecting is for Heiji and/or Kazuha to finally relay their romantic feelings to one another. It's gonna be a 5-chapter long case, so I do expect a serial murder, similar to Crimson School Trip (ShinRan confession/reply case), and of course, we can't have the Osaka duo appear without the Kyoto duo, especially after Momiji recently implied that she shouldn't wait any longer and start acting in File 1018.

I also expect that we get more Muga development/hints about his character and past, especially now, when we're potentially reaching the climax of Momiji's romantic endeavor and where we will only be left with the main plot-relevant side of his to progress (like Iori's Public Security past with Kuroda and his potential big secret identity as the main antagonist of this arc). This could mean that we might also get Kuroda interactions in the upcoming case (whether as a flashback or not), which is always a treat.

Gosho alluded to the appearance of "an important person who has remained mysterious up until now" in the upcoming case, which is very likely to be Kazuha's mother. This will also mean that we will finally have the official appearance of Heizo, Ginshiro & Shizuka (Heiji's parents and Kazuha's father) in Rum arc (who as of yet still hasn't appeared since Bourbon arc), which is clearly overdue.

If Kazuha's mother is finally getting introduced, then we could also get Momiji's parent(s) introduced, which would also bring forth more Ōoka household dynamics reveals, potential Haneda family-relation development and Former prime minister exposition (that could further hint to that he is the mysterious Falcon Elder).

If Gosho wanted to high-gear into the main plot as the following case after this, then it's also possible that Gosho could have Shinichi get involved in the case to aid Heiji, which could potentially tip off any unsuspecting observers (like Iori) of Shinichi's whereabouts and start Rum's Shinichi hunt in the awaited Rum climax soon after this case ends. For now, we only have Heiji, Kazuha, Ran and Conan confirmed as the cast of the upcoming chapter (according to AC). We'll have to wait for more teasers, but couldn't be more excited for what's to come.

[sapphirepastries]

Yuu's Parents

i decided to make profiles for yuu's parents xD while they won't really appear in my fic, they are also mentioned throughout it just like her brothers. plus, i plan for them to make an appearance sometime during the end or maybe for like drabbles xD even if they dont end up appearing, it was fun coming up with teams and little backstories for them

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Yusaku

Pokemon: Empoleon, Leafeon, Vespiquen, Zoroark, Garchomp, Typhlosion

Yuu's father. He owns a cafe called Cafe Momiji in Hearthome City and is the picture of a mysteriously cool cafe owner. He used to be a trainer that competed in multiple leagues and tournaments, so while not quite famous, he's pretty well-known. Yusaku met his wife, Setsuna, while he was traveling around the Johto region for the Silver Conference.

Setsuna

Pokemon: Espeon, Chimecho, Ninetales (Kantonian), Cherrim, Oricorio (Sensu Style), Sawsbuck

Yuu's mother. A former Kimono Girl from Ecruteak City in Johto. She was a very well known Kimono Girl and a strong trainer in her own right, graceful in her dances and deadly in her battles. Setsuna met Yusaku when he helped her rescue her Espeon from a Pokemon thief. She retired as a Kimono Girl when she married Yusaku and moved to the Sinnoh region with him.

[cinderella-ish]

Adulting: What did everyone do after the curse broke?

So, I have a LOT of headcanons as to what the different characters did after the curse broke. We do get several answers in Another, but for the answers we don't get, here's what I think happened!

Tohru: I don't think the specific nature of her job would be terribly important to her, so much as just entering into the workforce. From her outfit in the Prelude epilogue, it seems like she's not doing manual labor (like cleaning, which was what I initially thought she'd be doing, since she had experience). I wonder if she's an employee at a school; her colleague kind of looks like an elementary or middle school teacher to me. I don't think Tohru would be able to teach without further education, and she was very clear that she did not want to pursue further study. I'm not sure if Japan has classified staff/paraprofessionals or an equivalent, but I think she'd be amazing at that job. I also think she probably became a stay-at-home parent as soon as she and Kyo had the means for her to do so.

Kyo: we know he became a karate instructor, and I just bet he's a fabulous teacher. I think him eventually taking over the Sohma dojo would be a full circle moment for both him and the Sohma family.

Saki: I can honestly see a lot of different jobs for her. Some favorites that I've seen in fanfic are art gallery employee, ghost hunter, and food critic. I have her becoming a hairstylist in Bloom Within Us, after attending beauty school through correspondence. Her clients ADORE her and she uses her wave-reading to make sure they're satisfied and tell them anything they really need to hear. It's common for appointments to end with her clients crying and hugging her because she's just healed some childhood wound of theirs. I could also see her becoming a ritual mortician, preparing the departed for their funeral (which would include hair, makeup, etc...) I think she'd be really good at working with grieving families and getting the deceased to look just right.

Arisa: she worked to put herself through junior college after she moved in with Kureno (though they had the money, she insisted on doing it for herself), and became a nurse in elder care. She makes friends with the crankiest old folks and cries like a baby when one of them dies.

Yuki: I shared in my Yuki headcanons post that I see Yuki going into politics and eventually working in international relations. I see him wanting to see the world far outside of the Sohma estate.

Machi: I always pictured her becoming an accountant.

Kakeru: we know he goes to college, and that he wants to help Komaki's family with their business, so I always assumed he'd major in something that would help with that. Maybe business management?

Momiji: we know he went on to take over his father's corporation. In my Momiji headcanons post, I shared that I see him going to university in Germany, and getting his MBA (or the equivalent). I think he'd need to know this before beginning his third year, so I suspect his father sat him down at some point during his second year to bring up the possibility of taking over his business, and told Momiji of his intent to "adopt" him so he could officially be part of their family again without raising his mother's suspicions (in Japan, it's common for CEOs to adopt their successors). I think this is what would've led Momiji to pursue business instead of music. I do think music is probably still a huge part of his life; I suspect he still plays violin casually, and he probably has a season subscription to orchestras in both Tokyo and Berlin (or wherever the German branch of his father's company is).

Kagura: she studied childcare, and I actually think that's a spectacular fit for her. When she's not being a total yandere over Kyo, she's a very nurturing and big-sisterly character.

Rin: so, I think Rin would continue to have major health problems for the rest of her life, and would probably struggle to find work that accommodates her needs and doesn't trigger any of her stress-related symptoms. I think she'd have short stints in a few jobs, like maybe retail, or modeling, or something artistic or design-y, but eventually I could see her just taking commissions for her own artwork when she feels like it. She seems like someone who wants very badly to contribute, and I think it would take a lot for her to accept that her body won't let her work full-time or on someone else's schedule, but Haru (and all her friends) would gently encourage her to take better care of herself, and at some point I think she'd accept that working for someone else just isn't sustainable for her long-term. (Though, pregnancy would also be extremely risky for her, and I'm surprised they had kids, let alone TWINS.)

Haru: I love that he does metalwork and makes most of his own accessories, so I always imagine him continuing that. I could also see him picking up odd jobs (like dog-walking? why does that seem like something he'd do?) from time to time. I think an independent, artisan-type job would suit him best.

Kisa and Hiro: most of the fandom seems to have Kisa becoming a teacher and Hiro becoming a lawyer, and those are absolutely perfect jobs for them.

Ritsu and Mitsuru: I like to imagine that Ritsu goes to work for Ayame, specializing in styling traditional clothing. This is how Ritsu comes back around to wearing whatever tf he wants, which ends up being a mix of "women's" kimonos and more flamboyant menswear (like his idol, Ayame). He and Mitsuru do eventually get married, and Mitsuru's the one who ends up running the onsen, because that girl deserves to relax!!!

Ayame, Mine, Shigure, Akito, Hatori, and Mayu: we mostly know what these characters do as of Another, and I don't have a ton to add except for Mayu (see below).

Megumi: Since we know Megumi becomes a teacher at Kaibara, I also headcanon that Mayu's still a much-loved teacher at Kaibara in Another, and that she and Megumi are work besties who like to mess with Makoto Takei when he's being especially obnoxious. I also headcanon that Mayu eventually introduces him to his future wife, since we know he likes older women.

Kureno: I imagine he'd become someone else's assistant; even better if he can work from home.

Yusuke and Hiroshi: In Bloom Within Us, Yusuke helps his dad run a grocery they own, and Hiroshi becomes a doctor (GP). I think, if I were only going off canon and not the elaborate backstories I created for them, I could imagine Hiroshi being someone who emcees events (almost a la Ryan Seacrest? but on a much smaller scale) and Yusuke I could see working at a University as like, a freshman advisor or residence life director. Basically someone who makes sure everyone's adjusting well to the campus and who people can go to with questions. I could actually see both of them doing this.

Kimi and Nao: side note, I kind of ship these two? But anyway, I can see Nao becoming a very stressed out CEO or (more likely) director of a non-profit, and I can totally see Kimi as someone whose job it is to secure donations for that non-profit, which she absolutely does by flirting with prospective donors. They'd be almost frighteningly effective when working together...

What do you think? Did I miss anyone?

Also, I almost used the scene where Tohru imagines their future together while at Kyoko's grave for the header image, but it made me cry, so...