#Thanks for coming to my impromptu japanese lesson

[shih-coulda-had-it]

Headcanon gran was mute in his younger days like the only people who hear him talk was people close to him nana etc. But still a man of few words like hearing him talk was if hell froze over (after nana died he had to start teaching so communication was a must) defiantly know sign language.

I like this headcanon! It fits well with what's been given to us, which is Sorahiko being relatively silent until Nana's dead. Extra notes: From multiple Google searches, JSL is mainly taught to the deaf, and even in the community, there are divisions amongst vocabulary. Japanese Sign Language (JSL) has three forms, and uses fingerspelling and mouthing as supplemental context tools.

This ficlet is in Toshinori's POV because I couldn't quite lock down on when I wanted this version of Nana and Sorahiko to have met.

//

It’s Toshinori’s first time meeting Shimura’s partner, and he is not ready.

He had thought he’d been ready for anything, that first afternoon he chased Seventh Wonder down the path along the canal: a gentle pat on the shoulder before discouragement, derisive laughter, or worse. But against all the odds, Toshinori’s earnest (and frantic) pitch found a willing listener.

Seventh Wonder introduced herself as Shimura Nana three months ago. She advised him on workout routines, and on weekends, she went through grappling maneuvers and recounted stories about life as a pro-hero.

Toshinori hadn’t dared to let himself think Shimura was treating him as anything but a charity case. But last month, Shimura’s stories had acquired a different, almost conspiratorial tone. She also began instilling in Toshinori a rudimentary knowledge of Japanese Sign Language.

(This latter development is blithely reasoned away as dexterity training. As for the former...)

Last Sunday, Shimura revealed herself to be in possession of a transferable stockpile Quirk.

It remains a miracle to Toshinori that Shimura trusts him not only with the knowledge, but also the actual future of holding One for All. Of potentially fulfilling his dreams to lift Japan out of its paranoid, panic-ridden state. Sure, the drawbacks are scary (All for One? Blowing off his limbs?) but Shimura assures him that she has plans.

One of these plans is her partner, Gran Torino.

Toshinori knows practically nothing about the man. Shimura doesn’t gossip, and no matter how Toshinori scoured the Internet, he couldn’t even find a picture. The most he has is what’s on the Nippon Hero Association’s online registry.

Gran Torino. Quirk: Jet. Active for three years as opposed to Seventh Wonder’s nine.

He reflexively slows his pace to the meadow where Shimura trains him, eyes widening at the stranger standing beside Shimura. Tall, imposing, clad in a brown leather jacket and denim jeans and Western cowboy boots. His hair is silver. He is gesturing at Shimura and mouthing in time with his decisive hand movements, but try as Toshinori might, he cannot hear a sound.

Shimura signs back, smoother, until Torino (it’s got to be Gran Torino) disgruntledly brushes his sternum and sets his fists waist-high for a second. A concession. For what problem?

She glances around Torino and spies Toshinori, who is stock-still because he might have been the cause of an argument between Shimura and her partner. She smiles; Torino grimaces with a tight-lipped frown. “Yagi-shonen! Come over here, don’t be shy!”

“Shimura-san,” Toshinori greets, rushing to close the distance. “Sorry if I’m late!”

“Ah, no,” says Shimura. “It’s more like we’re early.”

To Gran Torino, Toshinori executes a quick bow and comes up with his hands fumbling through an introduction. “Good morning,” he says, clumsily spinning and crooking his fingers. He’s learned this. He’s learned this. “My name is Yagi Toshinori. It’s nice to meet you.”

Torino blinks down at him. His expression is unreadable.

Toshinori gulps. “Did I do it wrong…?”

As Shimura hums a noncommittal sound (which is universal for, ‘Well, it could’ve been better,’ which Toshinori is certainly not about to disagree with), Torino critiques Toshinori’s attempt in a single soul-evaporating word.

“Hasty.”

“Sorahiko,” Shimura chides in a fond tone, and she knocks her shoulder into his, friendly and affectionate. Torino exhales through his nose; he shoves back before straightening his spine. The difference between Torino and Toshinori’s height extends.

“Gran Torino,” the man introduces himself in a low, clipped voice. He fingerspells this, and his actual name, until Toshinori crabs onto the impromptu lesson and commits the signs to memory. Once he’s met Torino’s standards, Torino says, “Hn,” before falling silent.

Shimura seamlessly picks up the thread of conversation. “Have you had breakfast yet, Yagi-shonen?”

“Ahahaha,” says Toshinori. “I had a slice of toast?”

“Hm. Well, it’s your lucky day. We haven’t had breakfast yet either! Here, here, take this,” and Shimura hoists a picnic basket into Toshinori’s arms, “and Sorahiko, you’ve got the duffel.”

Unimpressed, Torino signs, “And you?”

“I,” says Shimura, offloading a meter-long duffel bag into his arms and unzipping it briefly, just to pull out a rolled-up blanket, “am picking out a breakfast spot.”

Torino snorts.

The breakfast spot ends up being under a tree; the blanket absorbs the dew leftover on the grass immediately, but Toshinori would be willing to suffer the dampness every day if it meant being gifted a bento for breakfast. The ovular box is filled to the brim. Rice, egg, pickled vegetables, grilled salmon…!

“Shimura-san,” says Toshinori, awed, “did you make all this?”

“Nope! I wasn’t even allowed to touch the pan.” Shimura passes over an additional thermos. Uncapping it allows miso-scented steam to waft away.

“Torino-san, thank you for the meal!”

“Hn,” Torino grunts.

The first few bites are pure, uninterrupted bliss. A good breakfast, however, comes at a price. Toshinori is only halfway through the pickled vegetables when Shimura announces, “Sorahiko is here to help you prep for the entrance exam into U.A., Yagi-shonen.”

“What?”

“They’re increasing the difficulty of the exams,” she informs him. “The physical component in particular.”

“I thought it was just an obstacle course,” says Toshinori, a tad bewildered.

“Ha! That information is outdated by, uh, Sorahiko, when did Recovery Girl complain…”

Torino flashes three fingers, and doesn’t seem to need to add any other signifier, because Shimura gets the answer right on the first try.

“Right, right, three days. So three days ago, Recovery Girl called us up to complain about how her colleagues are reacting to the escalating pro-hero turnover rate. Lots of, ‘we need to demonstrate the reality early if we’re going to winnow out the spineless applicants,’ y’know?”

“Oh,” says Toshinori faintly.

“So,” Shimura continues,”you should expect to walk away from the entrance exam with some bruises. Lots of bandages too. Unless!”

“Unless?”

“I’m right, and having the Gran Torino here providing, ah, supplementary combat training will put you ahead of the legacy students!”

“That’s not… illegal?” It’s one thing to mask grappling maneuvers as play-wrestling in an abandoned meadow, and even then, Shimura was quick to tug them both back onto their feet. It’s a whole other thing to train Toshinori, whose records will show him distinctly unconnected, to beat out his peers.

“It’s a little bit illegal,” she confesses. “But so is giving you One for All, and we can’t exactly do anything about that.”

“I don’t have to go through the heroics program,” Toshinori says, even though he really, really wants to. “You could save One for All until I graduate high school, and then I won’t be a minor.”

Shimura smiles at him like a promise. “If I say you’re getting One for All before U.A., then you’re getting this Quirk and getting into your dream school, Yagi-shonen. You will, of course, be earning it. And then everything is unquestionable!”

Gran Torino clears his throat. Shimura looks over, and her brow furrows in concentration. Toshinori catches a few words by lipreading.

“Questionable relationship,” he signs.

“Ah. Yeah, that’s still true. Can I get away with ‘Shimura-sensei’ without a credential?”

“Flimsy.”

Toshinori has a sudden idea. “Ah, Shimura-san… what if I called you Shimura-shishou?” Hm. That sounds wrong. This is the pro-hero who’s practically giving Toshinori a second chance at life; she is deliberately fixing fate, intending to give a Quirkless kid a Quirk of unimaginable potential. Seventh Wonder, Shimura Nana - she deserves the greatest respect. “Oshishou?”

Her eyes widen. So do Gran Torino’s.

“Ah,” says Shimura, stunned.

“The Nippon Hero Association was talking about apprenticeships,” he reminds her.

Torino signs to Shimura, “How old is he?”

“Fourteen.”

“Less than a year to fifteen,” Toshinori adds. He may or may not have looked up apprenticeship laws. So long as the administration doesn’t pry, then he could just be a scrappy student with civilian origins. And then once U.A. would get into the swing of things, Toshinori would be old enough to potentially be apprenticed.

Not that they would ever sign paperwork. Shimura has been adamant about keeping Toshinori safe, and being safe means his civilian life needs to be squeaky-clean.

“I’m definitely not certified to be a master of this profession,” says Shimura. “Are you comfortable with this, Yagi-shonen?”

“Yes,” says Toshinori. He says it firmly, implacably, trying to invoke the same tone that once persuaded Seventh Wonder to stay on the ground and hear out a Quirkless kid’s dream. “Without a doubt, oshishou.”

She huffs and looks down at her half-eaten breakfast; her ears are turning pink. Silently, Torino reaches over and touches her wrist. Toshinori hurriedly returns to his own meal, feeling like he’s intruding on some moment.

And softly:

“Alright, Yagi-shonen. Alright.”

[idolish7rabbitchats]

Rokuya Nagi: Wonderful Octave Rabbit Chat Part 2

Tsumugi: Everyone, thank you for gathering when you’re busy. I thought I would ask for requests for Nagi-san’s “RADIO STATION ‘Twelve Hits!’”!

T: To manage the chat and check the contents, us managers will also participate this time. Please take care of us.

6: I was looking forward to everyone’s requests so I couldn’t sleep last night.

3: Didn’t you fall asleep while watching the news yesterday? Lol

6: :-))))

5: But, Nagi-kun looking forward to it was true.

4: He talked a lot about the requests.

7: Really? He didn’t talk that much with me tho…

1: That’s not true. It’s just that Nanase-san didn’t notice.

3: He emphasized it a lot tho!

7: Eeeeeh?!

2: Maybe he ignored it cuz he couldn’t notice. Not like asking us straightforwardly, it was more like including the word “request” when he spoke.

7: Ah! That reminds me, I thought it was kind of weird when he repeatedly asked me the coffee sizes at the shop...

7: “Riku, there are three sizes, S, M, and L,” he said. [T/N: What Nagi said: “Riku, esu to emu to eru, mitsu saizu ga arimasu yo.”]

8: What’s that?

9: “Request~” isn’t it? [T/N: In Japanese, “request” is “rikuesuto” so Nagi had said, “Riku, esu to” hence, the secret “Request” in there.]

10: It’s true! It said “request” huh! Amazing!

Okazaki: Is that a pun?

Anesagi: No way… He said a pun…?

100: Nagi is playful~( *´艸｀)

1000: That’s a cute gag that Momo would say.

6: It’s not a gag but I’m relieved that Riku understood it.

6: I appealed as much as I could think of but he didn’t notice at all... Defeating Riku was like playing in critical mode.

4: Rikkun is the last boss huh. 

100: No matter how strong the magic, it won’t work if the enemy’s attribute doesn’t match huh~.

7: Sorry, Nagi! I’ll be ready so you can say puns anytime…!

6: Let’s play fair. I’ll develop my skill too. :-)

T: I’m also happy that Nagi was looking forward to it that much. To hype up more, I want to collect requests from everyone!

T: So then, this time I will ask from the youngest. Tamaki-san please!

4: Oooh.

4: Do a radio without using “OH!”

100: Eh! Is that okay? Isn’t going“OH!” like breathing for Nagi?!

10: Speaking without using dialect is hard to get used to huh...

1: “OH!” is a dialect…?

6: There’s no problem. Speaking in any way is my speciality.

1000: That reminds me, you were speaking Japanese at the press conference before huh.

9: He’s speaking Japanese now too. 

4: Nagicchi was suuuuuuuper cool that time right!

4: I like the energetic radios with Rikkun too but I want to see that one more tiiime.

5: It’s the radio so you would hear him, not see him, but we will be happy to know various Nagi-kuns huh.

4: So-chan you’re so nit-picky!

6: Tamaki, thank you for the wonderful request.

6: I also wanted to introduce my many charms to everyone. I’ll show you that I will catch the listener’s hearts with a different me.

T: Seems like it would be a special episode with a different Nagi-san!

T: Next is Iori-san please. 

1: From me it’s “Please let us hear stories about Northmeir.”

1: It’s a country with not many Japanese tourists, so there are probably a lot of people who want to know about it.

1: More than that, I’m really interested in what culture and nature built Rokuya Nagi as a person.

6: A wonderful request. If it’s about my beloved home country, I could talk forever.

6: Even when the moon and stars fall asleep, I won’t have run out of talking points.

1: Rokuya-san’s expression is sometimes romantic; it makes me realize you grew up overseas.

2: Certainly. It’s too embarrassing for Japanese people to say.

8: Is that so?

2: Yaotome could say any embarrassing words (lol)

8: Why is that? Nikaido too, wouldn’t it be better so say what you’re thinking without embarrassment?

6: It’s exactly as Yaotome-shi said. Even though there are a lot of shy people in Japan, Yamato should become honest too.

6: I’ll give you lessons so you can express yourself straight without embarrassment!

2: Nononono. Enough talking about me. 

2: How about we talk about Nagi-kun. 

1: Isn’t it fine? How about taking his lesson, Nikaido-san?

2: Ichi, you don’t have to say that.

6: With Iori too right?

1: I’m fine. 

1: Because my selling point as an idol is being cool.

10000: I think it’s good tho. Don’t the fans want to see Iori-kun saying romantic lines?

7: A romantic Iori! I wanna see that!

2: Me too. (lol)

3: Me too!!!

1: Manager, please move on to the next request.

T: Y-Yes! Then, Riku-san please!

7: But we weren’t done talking… We’ll talk about the lessons more later okay!

7: My request to Nagi is “An i7 drawing song”!

7: I’ll make a drawing song about the members so I want Nagi to draw while singing it.

6: Riku will compose a song? A wonderful challenge!

7: It’s not like composing! I was thinking that I’ll just come up with the lyrics, so you can make an impromptu melody…!

6: I see, an impromptu melody. That’s a bit hard huh. 

6: But I could probably draw well while singing something that goes with the melody to Kokona’s opening song…?

6:|ω・`) peek

T: I’ll check if we can get permission!

6: I’m happy to have a wonderful manager :-)))))))

7: Manager, thanks!

1000: If you’re going to draw, it would probably be nice to be able to see it somewhere.

100: There’s no images cuz it’s the radio huuuh.

5: How about uploading it to the show’s homepage?

6: NICE IDEA. If people are going to see it, it motivates me.

6: My drawing skills will burst.

Okazaki: “See more on our website” huh!

Anesagi: Young people won’t understand that reference right...

T: Riku-san, thank you for the fun request!  Next, how about asking Kujou-san?

9: From me it’s “I want to hear what you wish would be better about living in Japan.”

9: When we were on a shoot before, I asked “Teach me the places you like in Japan” right? So I wanted to try hearing the opposite. 

6: The time we went overseas for a magazine interview project huh. How nostalgic.

6: But, that’s a difficult question huh… I want summer heat to be better but that’s on a universe scale.

9: You’ve lived in another country so I think you can notice something.

10: Nagi-kun, if there’s something, please say so without holding back! I could change it a little bit.

8: You can change Japan? (lol)

10: I’ll work hard to be the first step!

6: I feel Japan is a wonderful country with beautiful culture and history, and all the women are lovely.

6: Also, both Japan and Northmeir are my country. I have nothing but happiness for the country I love and admire, where I can be with my treasured friends.

3: We also have nothing but happiness that Nagi came to Japan..!

7: That’s right, Nagi!!

6: To be able to meet everyone, Japan is the country I love more and more.

4: Nagicchiiiiiiiiiiii

5: Nagi-kun..!

1: Rokuya-san is necessary to us too.

2: Even though we don’t even need to say that (lol)

Anesagi: IDOLiSH7 is a nice group huh...

T: Yes! I can’t see my screen through my tears...

9: Um, excuse me.

9: Should I change my question?

6: That’s not necessary. Thanks to Kujou-shi’s question, I was able to verify everyone’s love. Definitely, please let me accept this request.

9: Huh...

T: S-Sorry! I’ll get back to collecting requests…!

T: Next is Nagi-san’s request for himself please.

6: My turn huh! I decided on the request when the radio project started. 

6: It’s “Challenge with Rakugo”! [T/N: Rakugo = Japanese classical storytelling]

4: Rakugo is that scary steam bun one? [T/N: He’s referring to one of the stories.]

6: “Manjyuu Kowai” is a Rakugo, but it’s not the only Rakugo. [T/N: “Manjyuu Kowai” literally translates to “scary steam bun.” It’s one of the stories.]

5: That reminds me, you were watching a TV show about Rakugo at night before this huh.

1: The time when he didn’t pass us the remote for a while huh...

6: Like anime and Rakugo, Japanese culture is full of wonderful Japanese charm!

6: I also wanted to wear a kimono and say “Teyandei”! [T/N: The old Japanese word for “damn it”]

6: I wanna pile cushions up high!

6: HEY, MITSUKI! Please bring the cushions! 

3: You’re mixing things up, Nagi! lol

2: Even though it’s close.

6: There’s just one problem. 

6: Making the soba slurping sound is a very difficult thing. 

10000: It’s characteristic for Rakugo to make sounds of eating or drinking something huh.

8: If you don’t understand how to slurp shall I teach you?

8: Definitely should eat soba while slurping. I want you to eat in the best way.

7: Yaotome-san, you like soba huh!

8: Well yeah.

8: Normally

8: I mean, I like it normally. 

10: Every Japanese person likes it huh!

9: Soba aside, it seems like radio and Rakugo would go together well, so I think it’s a good request. 

Anesagi: The conversation has piled up huh! Takanashi-san, how about going to the next one?

T: Right! Then, can we go from Sougo-san next?

5: Yes. My request is “I want Nagi-kun to talk about the things he likes as much as he wants.” 

5: I like the Nagi-kun when he’s talking about what he likes in a lively manner.

5: Maybe because I'm the same as Nagi-kun, I could be absorbed in what I like. I can feel Nagi-kun’s feelings of love so it makes me feel like I’m having fun too.

6: It’s a nice Sougo-ish request!

T: Nagi-san’s talks are always filled with love huh!

T: If Nagi-san would talk, what kind of subject would it be?

*T: Really, probably your talks about Kokona-chan!

6: I can’t talk enough in just the request corner. Not without the entire radio show being a Kokona corner.

6: It’s really hard to decide but I'll think of something.

5: Thanks, Nagi-kun. I hope my request will be chosen.

2: Ahh, sorry. Stop for a bit.

2: Tama flipped instant soba into kitchen sink.

T: Did he get burnt?!

5: He’s not hurt. Just, Tamaki-kun is really depressed...

3: Because Nagi was saying he wants to practice slurping soba, so Tamaki was making it for Nagi while also making his own.

4: Nagicchi, I’m really sorry...

4: [Turned-Away Kinako Stamp]

4: [Turned-Away Kinako Stamp]

4: [Turned-Away Kinako Stamp]

6: Tamaki...

6: You don’t have to apologize. I was touched by Tamaki’s kindness. Tamaki’s mistake is my mistake.

6: Let’s clean the sink soba together.

6: And, let’s pour hot water into new soba together.

4: [Crying Kinako Stamp]

100: You’re going to pour together? Into one instant soba? Won’t you flip it again?!

1000: Teaming up huh. Shall we do it too, Momo?

100: I see…?! If it that then we won’t lose. （っ`・ω･´)っ)))

T: So then, how about we have a lunch break? T: After time has passed, I’ll talk to you again.

V2:

T: If Nagi-san would talk, what kind of subject would it be?

T: I want you to talk about IDOLiSH7!

6: That IDOLiSH7 is the best idol group, I’ll spread it all over the world.

6: It’s really hard to decide but I'll think of something.

V3:

T: If Nagi-san would talk, what kind of subject would it be?

T: Like, what are you into it lately…?

6: I’m always into Tsumugi ;-)

6: It’s really hard to decide but I'll think of something.

[some-rfa-imagines]

my r [saeran]

based off of the song 'my r' | fem!reader | soulmate au but i'll tell you which at the end (don't skip there!) | v sad ending my bad | also unedited but that's nothing new lmao

also, i know the act of  taking off your shoes before committing suicide has Japanese origin but for the sake of the oneshot just pretend pls. this is a slightly different storyline than the main game as well ^^;

this is from my wattpad so it’s format is a little different than it usually is here ^^;

TW: Suicide/implied suicide, abuse, swearing, general sadness & angst.

Please be VERY careful and if you're feeling depressed PLEASE talk to someone. NEVER take your own life, I promise it's not worth it.

Saeran pushed open the door to the rooftop. He had had enough, his energy was completely drained and honestly? He really saw no point to the world. Monochrome. Monochrome was his life, his resolve, his will to keep on living. His soulmate could do better. God, soulmates. The thought made him feel cold, lonely, empty. Saeran was still young, 23 was a perfectly acceptable age to not have a soulmate. In fact, the elderly home that he volunteered at occasionally had many people still without a soulmate.

But Saeran didn't really care. About the words on his wrist nor about the existence of a soulmate of his own. The abuse from his mother until she passed, maybe, ten years ago, had slowly squeezed every drop of empathy from him, sucking him dry. He was 13 when she finally died. From there, he was placed into foster care - without his brother. But nobody wanted a husk of a child. At 15 he finally ran away and got a temporary job as a florists assistant. After that, he simply existed.

Now here he was, at 23, standing above the city with a note clutched firmly in his hand. Sighing, he wandered over to a bench, sitting down to remove his shoes. That's when he saw a purse, left beside him on the seat. Eyes widening, Saeran jolted, frantically looking around the edge of the skyrise. Across the rooftop, stood a girl with two, loose, (h/c) braids. She was in a loose, black top and high-waisted shorts. Behind her rested two black shoes, socks tucked neatly inside. Her back was turned to him and she looked up at the night sky, stars barely visible against the light of the city.

Saeran froze. He didn't know what to do. He watched as she stepped up onto the ledge. In a fit of panic, he stood, pacing quickly across the cement roof.

"Hey! Don't do it, please!"

Woah, wait a minute, what the fuck did I just say? He was now behind her, heaving slightly from moving so suddenly, eyes wide. I don't even care - I don't have the right to care. Saeran clenched his hands into tight fists by his side. He was pissed now. This was such a missed opportunity. Damn.

You turned around - slowly so you didn't fall - before seeing the accuser of the shouting. Before you stood a man, roughly your age, with silvery-white hair. The tips were a light pink and the roots had begun to grow out into a soft vermillion. He wore a black jacket, red singlet and had a striking tattoo on his right arm. But what captivated you most were his eyes - one a luminescent gold, the colour of honey and the other a bright teal that seemed to literally glow. Your breath caught in your throat. Swept up in the soft amber glow of the city, this stranger looked simply stunning.

Little did you know, he was equally captivated by you.

"Please, just come down from there. I promise, whatever is pushing you to this is so much more fucking insignificant than you might think."

"...Okay..." A whisper fell from your lips. Hey, Saeran considered, it's a start.

Slowly, you stepped down from the ledge, pulling yourself over the glass railing. Moving quietly as to not startle you, the stranger picked up your shoes and held out a hand to you. Tentatively, you took it and he guided you further onto the rooftop. You reached the bench where you had abandoned your purse. There, you began to talk. 'You've probably heard it all before,' you said. You told him about your cheating boyfriend, about how - on your three-year anniversary mind you, - he admitted to seeing other people behind your back. You were absolutely devastated. 'I really thought he might be the one, but then he told me he was done.'

Saeran grit his teeth. You've got to be kidding me.

"Oh, for god's sake, please!" He shouted, standing to face you in frustration. You jumped slightly, startled by his unexpected reaction. "Are you serious?!"

"W-What...?"

"I just can't believe that for some stupid reason - for some fucking asshole - you got here before me!" His outburst came as a painful shock to the system. "Are you upset, just because you couldn't get what you wanted? You've got to be joking- at least you've never been robbed of anything! Of your future, of your friends!"

You blinked in surprise before your vision hazed. You felt the soft, familiar trickle of tears as you forced out a broken laugh. Burying your face in your hands, you nodded, chest heaving in disbelief as you came to your senses. The stranger was silent now and you looked up, crookedly smiling at him. "Yeah. God, you're so right. What the hell am I doing...?" All the tension drained from your body and you gazed up at the sky, exhausted. "I'm feeling better now, thank you."

Saeran was quiet for a moment. How do you respond to that? He had never been good at socialising with others. "You don't need to thank me." He murmured, turning to face the sky as well.

You laughed from beside him and he paused, listening. After a moment, he decided he liked the sound of your laughter more than your crying.

"I will anyway. Thank you for listening, and for talking me down."

He let a small smile touch his lips. "Yeah, no problem."

Alright, today. Today is the day.

Several months after his last attempt, Saeran wandered up onto the rooftop of his apartment complex once more. It was late afternoon and he wanted to get this over with before he could be interrupted again. Stretching lazily, he rested a hand against the wall to support himself, unlacing his shoes and kicking off his socks. He dug around in his jacket pocket, picking out a letter from between his keys and phone. Holding onto it tightly so it wouldn't fly away in the breeze, Saeran tucked his phone and keys into his shoes.

Glancing up, he froze. What the fuck is she doing back here? Again, just like last time, the girl with (h/c) hair stood on the edge, just beyond the glass panes. She rested tranquilly against the railing, quietly lost thought. This time, she wore a knitted cream jumper and a black skirt. Her hair glowed amber in the afternoon light, the breeze picking it up and toying with it. Saeran watched warily as she mindlessly drew patterns on the glass edge. It was then Saeran realised how delicately she held herself. It was though she thought of herself as glass.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He shouted, voice carrying across the breeze.

You started at the sudden interruption in your stream of thought. Wait a moment, I recognise that voice... Turning, you faced the same stranger who stopped you last time, his hair lit up gold in the honey, afternoon glow. Barefoot, he walked toward you as you twisted to rest your body weight on the thin railing. You heard cars behind you - the evening rush. "Hey, stranger. What a coincidence."

"Come on, dipstick. You'll slip, get back over here." He held out a hand to you and a soft chuckle slipped through your lips. You unfurled your arms, taking his hand and climbing nimbly back over the railing.

Saeran internally sighed in relief, glad she stepped down so easily. If she hadn't... well, he wouldn't know what to do. God, he thought, I'm such a hypocrite.

"Why do you even care what happens to me?" Her soft-spoken words shook him out of his stupor. "Everyone else ignores me, everyone else steals. It's not like we exactly fit together either."

Saeran glanced down at the girl by his side. She looked out over the cityscape, resting against the railing once more, and he could see her (e/c) eyes looked a little duller than last time. Sighing tiredly, he looked over the skyrises as well. "You must be joking." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her glance at him. He continued, "another day, another stupid reason to get here before me."

He looked over at her, catching her quiet eyes. "Even if your friends seem to hate you, you still have your family and they still love you. Even if everyone backstabs you, you still have dinner on the table when you go home. Right?" Saeran held her gaze, watching her reaction closely.

You gasped softly, caught in the man's tired eyes. They were even more beautiful up close. What the hell am I doing... Why haven't I learnt my lesson yet? I'm such an idiot. You smiled lightly. "Yeah. I'm hungry."

Stepping away from the railing, you picked up your shoes and walked barefoot back to the door. Beaming, you faced the stranger. "Come get some food with me - my treat. For saving me again."

Saeran blinked before chuckling to himself. It's going to have to wait. As long as he could guarantee the girl standing in front of him would be okay tonight, he could survive a few more weeks. It was okay, even if no one did the same for him. Even if he had to hide his own pain every time he took on hers.

-

Half a year later, he tries again. Exactly like the first time, Saeran sees (Y/N). Sitting on the edge. She wore a soft yellow cardigan and her hair was loosely braided.

"(Y/N)...?" He surprised himself by speaking. He didn't think his voice could be so soft. It's become a habit and before he knows it, his shoes are off and he's running towards her. Saeran's hands shake as he jumps over the railing, slowing to a stop behind her. (Y/N) was uncharacteristically quiet.

After their impromptu dinner 6 months ago, they exchanged phone numbers and kept in contact. (Y/N) had moved back in with her parents while she got back on her feet and they hadn't been able to meet for some time. Some time passed and she suddenly stopped answering her phone. Saeran would never admit it, but he was incredibly worried about her and constantly hoped she was okay.

Walking to her side, he took a seat next to her. Noting her shoes were already off, he watched her carefully. Her eyes were completely dull, lifeless, familiar. He knew those eyes. He knew those eyes very well. He knew those eyes because those eyes were the exact same that stared at him in the mirror every morning. Those eyes that smiles never quite reached, that laughter didn't crease and that didn't light up in anticipation. Oh, god, what have they done to you?

Silently, she reached out, grasping his hand tightly. Her eyes never left the horizon as the wind picked up, ruffling her hair and lifting her cardigan. Bandages...

"I just want to stop the scars that grow every time that I go home. That's why I came up here instead." That's what the girl in the cardigan said.

...Woah, wait a minute, what did I just say? I couldn't care less either way. But in the moment, I just screamed something that I did not believe.

"Hey, don't do it, please."

Panic. Saeran's fight or flight response triggered and a wave of dread overcame him. AAAA What to do! I can't stop her this time, oh this is new. For once I think I've bitten off more than I can chew. He clasped her hand tightly to his chest. The wind bit at his eyes as icy tears began to spill. (Y/N) froze. Then her eyes turned sad, so very sad and she shoved herself further back onto the ledge before tugging him into her embrace. Please just go away, so I can't see... Your pitiful expression is just too much for me.

A broken laugh fell from your lips as you held Saeran as tight as you could muster. "I guess today is just not my day." You pursed your lips, looking out over the sunset. "I guess today is just not my day."

There's no one on the rooftop today. I guess it's time. Saeran surveyed the empty roof. Yep. No one. He sighed, kicking off his shoes and socks. He fumbled in his pocket for the fourth time, pulling out letter number four. Rewritten, permanently. Just me, myself and I. He exhaled lightly, dropping his phone and keys into his shoes as well as a second letter, just in case.

"There's no one who can interfere. No one to get in my way." He mumbled, cracking his neck. Taking off his jacket, he dropped it on the railing before running a hand through his red locks. "I'm going to do it. And I'll be free." He mounted the railing, dropping swiftly down onto the other side. "I'll be okay, (Y/N)."

You sprinted towards the rooftop door. You knew something was wrong - why didn't I check on him earlier? Yanking it open, your bare feet stung against the concrete as you raced towards the man on the edge of the building. Idiot, idiot, idiot! You screamed before you could even consider stopping yourself.

"SAERAN! DON'T DO IT! PLEASE!"

A doctor in the ward was the first to notice. Your last words to him cried loud enough for bystanders to finally notice the commotion on the rooftop. Your last words, carved into his wrists as his were into yours.

soulmate AU where the first and last words you say to your soulmate are written on their wrists, but the first only appear after you've said the last. weellll i just made myself sad

[darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts]

A Different Time pt4

Warning: Scientific Nerdy Ninja, strong language

MasterList

---

Chapter 4 – More than rice

My voice escaped me before I clamped my hand over my own mouth, such a rookie error honestly. The room was a pretty empty space, in any other building it would be a spare room or storage. Here however there was heavy metal links on the walls and rope. Lots and lots of rope. At the end of each link there was at least one body. From the looks of them, females ranging in ages from early teens to mid-twenties.

The gagged faces looking at me, were all pleading and terrified. Where the hands were bound the skin was broken and bleeding, their ankles had suffered the same treatment. I feel sick. It’s not like I’ve never seen a movie where this happens or even read a manga with it, but something about first hand experience of it has my stomach in knots.

Whatever I had thought might be the reason to leave the window open to this room this certainly was not top of my list of reasons. I did a quick head count, there seemed to be at least ten girls in here. I can’t even cut them free with the guards around, they will just be rounded up in a matter of minutes and tied back up again. I need a plan ...

– Rattle, Click –

The shutter for the window moved and a delicate hand appeared followed by the rest of the female time traveller. She stood there blinking for a few seconds, taking in the room before approaching me.

“What the actual…” She managed to keep her voice lower than mine when I first saw the room but her face showing both shock and anger.

“My sentiments exactly.” My grip on the lamp got a little tighter as I battled with my own mind to avoid being sick.

“Damn I knew the guy was a jerk and sleezy, but what is with this?” Her eyes roamed over the room as mine had done before coming back to mine. The deep caramel brown colour of her eyes looked nearly black in the dim light. Beautiful. What? No, FOCUS!

“Well in this era it is documented that slave trade was prolific. Toyotomi Hideyoshi banned it later on. The new Portuguese traders that have been coming here from overseas used to buy or trade for Japanese to use in the slave trade. That isn’t to say it was supported by the more elite members of society, in fact they frowned upon it and…” Trying to recover from my wandering thoughts I reverted back to what I knew. What I could understand. I knew History of this time I was thankful for having such enthusiastic history buffs for parents.

“Mmm… I apricate the bitesize history lesson but I don’t think now is the time. What do you think will happen to the girls?” She was right of course although it was a relevant insight into the situation my impromptu lecture was badly timed.

“Slave trade typically I suppose what you are thinking as worst case scenario for them is likely to be correct.” I managed to keep my voice as calm and level as my face. Although I didn’t feel that way. I was looking at the eyes of women who were to be dragged away to suffer. I hated the idea of war, fighting, anyone suffering. Being in this time had provided me with the ability to not only protect myself but others too and I will be forever grateful for that. But something like this on this scale was not something I could handle alone and the feeling of being inadequate and helpless swirled inside me.

“Traded for use in the pleasure districts?” She had lowered he voice into barely a whisper. I don’t know if it was because she thought the women in the room might be more upset with that idea or if she was just talking aloud to herself trying to process it all. But there was no stopping my mouth from continuing with my previous lecture.

“More than likely either private or public but overseas so they will be looking at removing them from here to take them to transport soon.” Oh, in the name of… Sasuke shut up. My fellow time traveller looked into my face after I finished speaking.

Her eyes were searching me and I felt a little pin prick of pain over my skin as I realised there was a hurt and questioning look in those beautiful eyes that I might have been the cause of. I didn’t want to hurt you. Facts and information are what I deal with it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with I know and I am also aware that I do not always have the best people skills in the world but I do have empathy.

“You don’t seem very shocked by this.” She probed.

“On the contrary I believe I am so deep in shock that my body is in fact moving on an automatic instinct and I will more than likely eventually be violently and physically sick later.” My monotone reply seemed to have her think of something as I saw her eyes waver slightly.

“Well we should probably leave and get help before that happens then.” She attempted a smile and although it was broken with all the emotions she was undoubtably feeling right now I still was struck by its beauty.

“Agreed.”

– Mmm, Mmm –

One of the girls in the furthest corner that wasn’t completely in the light of the lamp was moving rapidly trying to get our attention. I held on to the lamp and moved closer while the woman who had been at my side until now suddenly lunged towards the girl.

“Ren?... Oh God, Ren it is you hold on.” She slipped her tanto blade out of her Kimono and held it against the fabric gag, cutting it free so that the girl could talk freely.

“[Name] I thought I recognized your voice but I … am I dreaming?” The captive girl’s voice was weak.

“No, you aren’t dreaming Ren, I’m right here …  it’s really me honestly. What the Hell happened to you? Why are you even here? You were back at the village last I heard.” The rapid-fire questioning from [Name] put a smile on Ren’s face. Clearly these two were good friends. All I could do was hold a light to illuminate this rather uncomfortable reunion.

“I came here looking for you. Dad sent me he said there was some people asking for you and he wanted you to be safe so he sent me to find you and pass on the message.” Ren attempted to adjust her body into a more comfortable one but after pulling a pained expression and wincing she slumped back into the wall.

“You came alone? For Heaven’s sake Ren do you know how dangerous that is?” [Name] sounded like a chastising big sister or even a mother.

“I didn’t come alone, Aito was with me but…” Ren burst out crying and in between sobs she told us how Aito had been killed defending her. [Name] held her friend in her arms until she had calmed down again stifling the cries in her shoulder so as to not attract unwanted attention from the noise.

The story of how they were ambushed on the road to town by bandits and taken to the Daimyo. The fact that Aito had tried to distract them to allow her to make a run for it and failed. The Daimyo saying, he had “no use for men only the woman would fetch a high enough price for my desires.” It made my blood boil and my knuckles holding the lamp were turning white. Why must it hurt so much to feel so helpless?

“Look Ren I’m not sure how yet but I’m going to get you out of here ok? I’ll get you all out.”

I was captivated by [Name]’s defiant words and attitude. The spark in her eyes was something I normally only saw in Lord Kenshin when he was talking about battle. Regardless of situation I knew we had to get these girls out and free and to do that we needed a plan and help. I thought back to my studies. What had I learnt? Knowledge becomes a powerful weapon in battle, sometimes the most powerful. You can save someone’s life if you have learnt to study and apply background support. But battle tactics… they were the key to bring it all together. Used right you could produce a reliable victory with minimal damage and sacrifice. Lucky for me I know a brilliant tactician… two of them really.

“Who’s he? Is he your boyfriend?” Ren’s innocent question resulted in me freezing in place. I was thankful for the lack of anything other than a dim light because I was fairly sure I might be suffering from idiopathic craniofacial erythema that might rival Yukimura.

“What? Don’t be silly, what would a great guy like that want with a castaway like me?” [Name] chuckled at the girl but I noticed she didn’t look in my direction.

“My Name is Sasuke Sarutobi I’m a friend.” I nodded my head in a very informal bow. [Name]’s words made my mind spin I had no idea how to process that kind of information on top of working on a battle strategy and possible hostage negations. But she said I was a great guy… oh come on Sasuke get a grip!

“No way… are you being serious I mean your name is…” [Name]’s eyes snapped up to mine a very charming inquisitive look on her face.

“My parents had a love of history and didn’t pass on the opportunity when it came to my name.” I shrugged. It had been something I was used to and also sometimes the start of some episodes in my life where I was teased for it. My name after all was effectively a fictitious ninja’s name.  

“I bet that was fun growing up with.”

“Well you could say that my speed and agility are a result of years avoiding stereotypical situations of being a nerd.”

The previous look on her face turned to amusement as she giggled at my explanation. Her friend sat in silence clearly confused. Now that was a look I was familiar with the expression Ren had reminded me of Yukimura.

I put the lamp down on the floor for a second and went up to check for loose ceiling tiles. If I could guarantee a second concealed route then it would add to an element of surprise. I managed to slide one up a little and hooked my fingers inside hanging there in mid-air until I found a ground spike from my tunic and placed it up there as a marker.

“Sasuke… What are you doing up there?”

“Umm, Ninja stuff.” I let go and dropped back to the ground.

“Ok Peter Parker we’ll talk about it later.” We both shared a smile. She was possibly the most interesting woman I had met before and not only was she a time traveller but she got my references. Hardly anyone even in modern-times got my references.

“Peter who? I thought he was called Sasuke.” Ren tilted her head in confusion.

“He is sorry it was a joke. Besides all that I’m sorry but I’ll have to leave you for a bit while I make some arrangements and I promise I’ll be back for you.” [Name] pulled her friend into a hug.

“I know I trust you. You saved me before remember?” Ren said as she gave a broken smile.

“Of course I do, I couldn’t forget that. But I’m going to have to tie a new gag on you before I go otherwise they’ll get suspicious. I won’t make it as tight though ok?”

As tightly as she dared [Name] attached the cut fabric back around Ren’s head and mouth before standing.

“We’d better go.” I snuffed the lamp placing it back where I found it by the door. Suddenly going back to darkness from the light meant that it took a fraction of time to readjust our eyes but we didn’t have time to hang around and wait we had to move.

Patrols were on the move again and by the time we got back to the compound wall the sky was starting to lighten again. I gave [Name] a boost at the compound wall before swinging off a tree to pull myself up. Together we hopped down into the buildings of the town and in what felt like a surreal moment out of a ninja film we were free running around the rooftops on our way back to the Inn and my room.

---

By the time the sun had risen we had already been in my room and had a pile of papers with scribbled and scratched out ideas scrawled on them. She had been watching the compound for longer than I had and was a fountain of knowledge. Between us we had a good idea of number of guards, patrol routes, how often members of staff left to go into town and the general daily running of the manor. Naturally all the information we could get was a bonus but it didn’t solve the main problem. We didn’t have the man power or ability to get the girls out and take down the Daimyo.

– Knock, Knock –

“Hey Sasuke you there?”

“Yes, Yukimura come in.”

The shoji door to my room slide open and Yukimura came in. after closing it he noticed [Name] sitting near the window to with a cup of tea in her hand and raised his eye brows before looking at me with a grin on his face. It’s not what you are thinking, whatever it is.

“I didn’t realise you had company last night.”

“He didn’t or not like you are implying anyway. I take it he is your friend?” [Name] was quick to set things straight and move on to business. We had spoken at length about who we could get to help us and the obvious choice was to ask Yukimura to take a message to Lord Kenshin to inform him that the situation was much worse than mere over taxation.

It took some time to explain last nights events to Yukimura who became more and more agitated the more he heard about it.

“Well I’ll try to get there and back again as fast as I can. If I change horses I won’t have to stop and I can ride through the night.” Yukimura took the message I had written for Lord Kenshin and slid it into his Kimono as he mounted his horse.

“Do… or do not. There is no try Yukimura.” I smiled at my friend who was straightening up his reins.

“You did not seriously just quote Yoda.” [Name] was stifling a laugh from her position leaning on the wall of the Inn near us.

“Yoda? Who is that?”

“The force is strong with this one.” Her comment made me break out in a broad grin. It was unbelievably enjoyable to use modern day references and quotes and not be the only one that got them. I was again hit with a wave of warmth for her in my chest. Perhaps I do really like her.

“It doesn’t matter. Safe travels Yukimura.”

“Yeah stay safe too Sasuke.” Yukimura leant down towards me and then whispered in my ear. “She’s kinda cute. Don’t be a dummy.” With a light pat on my shoulder he kicked his horse into motion.

“Well, shall we get something to eat?” Her voice from behind me suddenly made me feel really nervous. Dammit Yukimura why did you have to say that?

---

[skywardsoul]

Dianakko Week! (Day 5)

my fifth piece for @dianakko-week Day 5- Spellbound/Enchanted 

So I went kind of loose with today's theme. Rather than have Diana Enchanted or Spellbound in the love at first sight kind of way, I thought it would be funny to have be the target of a much more literal enchantment. You can say she's "Spellbound" because Akko can't seem to undo it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

AO3 link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12114093/chapters/27584529

FF.Net link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12655858/5/Dianakko-Week

Akko was used to messing up. She was used to the groans that would come from her friends and teammates, the rolling eyes of her teachers, and the small flicker of disappointment she felt within. That being said, after having saved the world, Akko had worked hard to lessen her screw ups. She focused harder in her classes and even accepted Diana’s offer to help her study afterwards. With each day she was getting farther and farther away from the clumsy witch she had built a reputation for...which only made the times she did still screw up sting even more.

It had all started one day after her visit to Professor Ursula’s (or, was she supposed to call her Professor Du Nord now?). Akko had taken time out of her days to see her favorite teacher not only because she enjoyed her company, but because the redheaded witch was helping to tutor her prodigy in the ways of illusion magic. Akko had practically hounded her old idol to teacher the spells she had used in her performance days, and it wasn’t long before Chariot agreed.

Surprisingly, much like she had with metamorphosis, Akko displayed a knack for the showy brand of magic. It wasn’t long before the Japanese witch in training was able to conjure her very own magical fireworks. Eager to learn more, Akko thought it time she asked the secret to Chariot’s mastery of her own transformations.

“Well Akko, the transformation spell I use isn’t very different than the one you use,” Chariot explained.

“But…?” Akko pushed, just knowing that there was more to it than her mentor was letting on.

Chariot let out a sigh. Somehow she just knew this was going to come back to bite her on the butt.

“But it’s a much more powerful and difficult variant. I’m afraid it’s a tad bit too advanced for your current level,” the professor said with an air of authority.

Akko recognized the tone instantly. While she may be her favorite student, Akko would be the first to tell anyone that Chariot wasn’t afraid to express her authority as a teacher over her when she needed to. There was sometimes were no, simply meant no. Regardless, Akko decided she would try and push her luck anyway. The idea of her transforming into her own centaur form, galloping through the air, was simply too strong of a temptation.

“Pretty please, Ursula Sensei?” Akko asked, still referring to her mentor by her old fake name. “I promise I’ll be super careful practicing it!”

She gave her mentor the best puppy dog face she could muster. Unfortunately for Akko, Chariot’s will was too strong, and despite a slight moment of hesitance, stayed firm on her earlier ruling.

“I’m sorry Akko, but not today,” the red haired witch said, giving her student a sympathetic smile.

Akko slumped her shoulders in response. She had expected this outcome, but still felt bummed anyway. Still, she had a fun time with today’s lesson, and figured she shouldn’t let it end on bad note. Standing up with a smile on her face, Akko addressed her teacher.

“Ah oh well, I’ll get there someday. Thanks again for today, Ursula Sensei! I’m getting better and better, I just know it!” At this declaration, Akko pumped her fist in the air.

Chariot giggled softly at her prodigy’s antics, before returning her bright smile.

“That you are Akko. Who knows? Maybe you won’t need my help anymore,” Chariot said. She was proud of Akko. Only but a few months ago Akko hadn’t even been able to cast a correct spell. Now, she was well on her way to becoming the next great Shiny Chariot.

“Don’t say that Ursula Sensei! I’ll always need help from my favorite teacher!” and with that Akko moved to wrap her startled mentor in a quick hug, before turning for the door.

“Bye Ursula Sensei! I’ll see yah on Friday!” She called over her shoulder as she dashed out the door.

Unknown to her teacher however, a plan was brewing in Akko’s mind. While she was sure that Professor Ursula meant well, she couldn’t help but think that she was underestimating her. Akko just knew that if she had taught her the advanced transformation spell, she could have galloped out of her office rather than walked. Thankfully, Akko knew of a way to go about learning the spell herself. Ever since Diana had started helping her study, the blonde heiress had gotten her access into the advanced section of the library. Many of the Luna Nova teachers, Professor Finnelan especially, had been somewhat opposed to the idea, but Diana had spoke up for her, saying that she had just as much right to the higher learning as anyone else in the school. Akko smiled at the memory, Diana standing next her so proudly, and Finnelan’s shocked face when the other teachers all eventually agreed.

The last time the two of them had been studying, Diana had taken her into the advance section of the library. While Akko had tried to focus on the material Diana was going over, her eyes couldn’t help but wander, when the spine of a book caught her attention. “Becoming a Stronger You: The Secret of Transformation Magic.” If there was anywhere she could learn Ursula’s forbidden transformation spell, it was from that book. She had to admit, she felt a little bad about using the access Diana fought so hard to get her for such a selfish reason, but figured the British girl would understand once she saw awesome the result would be.

Akko felt herself blush as she imagined Diana staring at her in absolute awe. There was no way she was going back now. Giggling happily to herself, Luna Nova’s resident troublemaker made her way to the library.

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

It was after Dinner when Akko was finally able to slip away from her friends, and try out the new spell. Once the others had all begun to head back to their rooms, Akko had made a rushed excuse about having to meet Diana to study before taking off down the hall. The room she had chosen for her impromptu spell practice was one she was no stranger to. More than once, Diana and her had used the empty classroom for their study sessions. The room had once been used for the no longer existing class of Magic Mineralogy, and had remained vacant, ever since.

Making sure no one was watching her, Akko opened the door of classroom, and slipped inside. Just as she had predicted, the room lay completely devoid of persons. Unlike the other classrooms of the school, the old Mineralogy room had a large stretch of open space, and various tables for students to sit at situated near the back. Grinning widely to herself, Akko stepped into the open area, and pulled out her wand. This was going to be so cool. Eagerly, she took the concealed spell book she had taken from library out from under her vest where she had hidden it. Flipping to the page she had bookmarked earlier, Akko excitedly began to read over it.

“Metamorphie Magnificum,” Akko read aloud with a whisper. She felt her excitement rise. Even the name sounded cool!

Taking a deep breath, Akko tried to reign in her excitement, a turned back to the page a determined look on her face.

While she had genuinely intended to read the whole thing, the book was very long winded in its explanation. Akko understood the need to go over what the spell did, but did it really have to talk about its origins? Quite frankly, as long as it could help perform amazing transformations, Akko could care less about which witch created it, or who stole ideas from who. Couldn’t the book just get to the wand motions yet? That’s all she really needed to know to cast it. Deciding that she should just skim the rest of it, Akko came to the technique section of the spell. She could feel her earlier excitement return as she carefully studied the listed hand motions, and stance.

Taking a deep breath, Akko set the book down, and assumed the needed stance. This was it! She was gonna achieve a transformation that would blow everyone’s socks off! Akko scrunched her face in thought as she pondered her possibilities.But what should she turn into? The centaur she had envisioned earlier certainly was a tantalizing prospect... but it would probably be a good idea to start smaller. Maybe only change one or two body parts. Maybe she should give herself some wings! Or-

Akko’s face lit up as an idea struck her. A mermaid form! Yeah, a mermaid that could swim through the air like it was water. Of course it was probably best to just stick to the tail for now. Akko giggled excitedly to herself at the thought. Resuming her earlier stance, Akko started to envision her goal in her head. She thought long and hard, seeing her legs change, and be replaced with a long, elegant, coral pink mermaid tail. She had this. She was ready. Taking in another deep breath, Akko waved her wand, and bellowed with all her might.

“Metamorphie Magnificum!”

Unfortunately for Akko, at the very second of her casting, the door to the classroom opened, and in walked Diana.

“Oh Akko, there you are. I was going to-,”

The effect was instant. That single moment, that slight distraction, was all it took for Akko’s mind to shift focus. Of course the second her mind shifted focus to Diana, so did the target of her spell. A brilliant flash of green light filled the room, temporarily blinding Akko. As the she slowly regained her vision, she heard Diana give a yelp of surprise, followed by a loud thud.

Turning around quickly, Akko looked to her friend, hoping she wasn’t hurt. Diana lay flat on her back, almost as if someone had knocked her legs out from under her. Of course in reality it was more like someone had taken said legs away from her, as they had vanished completely, replaced by a long, pink, mermaid tail. Akko gasped at the sight, covering her mouth in surprise. Diana groaned as she slowly sat up, rubbing the back of her head. Akko waited with baited breath as the other girl slowly looked downward, coming to a realization of what had happened.

Rather than the angry outburst she had been expecting, Diana let out a tired sigh.

“Akko,” she began slowly. “Why did you see it fit to give me a fish tail?”

Akko laughed nervously, secretly returning the spellbook to its hiding place.

“Well, uh...technically it’s a mermaid tail Diana,” she said with another nervous chuckle.

Diana stared at her, unamused.

“Alright then,” the heiress said, slightly annoyed. “Why did you see it fit to give me a mermaid tail?”

Akko swallowed nervously as she tried to think of an explanation and fast. She couldn’t let Diana know about the spell.

“Well you see, I was just practicing some of my transformation magic,” Akko said, hoping Diana wouldn’t catch on to what she was hiding. “The tail was uh, supposed to be for me. I just lost focus when you walked into the room.”

Diana frowned slightly at this.

“My apologies Akko. I didn’t mean to interrupt your practice,” Diana said sincerely.

Akko waved her hands in front of her, shaking her head quickly.

“I-it’s okay Diana! You don’t have to apologize, really! I’m the one that gave you a tail after all.”

Akko breathed an internal sigh of relief as Diana let out a small laugh.

“Yes I suppose you are right,” the British girl said.

“Diana seems to be taking this whole thing really well!” Akko thought to herself. “Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing after-”

“If you don’t mind, however, I’d like my legs back please.”

Akko’s mind froze mid thought as Diana’s request rang through it. Her earlier feelings of panic and nervousness returned full force as she gripped her wand.

“A-are you sure? Cause you make a really pretty mermaid,” Akko said. While she had said it to divert Diana’s attention, she wasn’t lying. Diana really did look like a perfect fairytale mermaid.

Diana blushed at Akko’s compliment, turning her head and crossing her arms. Letting out a quick cough, she tried to regain her composure.

“While that is very kind of you to say, yes I am quite sure I’d like my legs back,” Diana said, turning back to face Akko. She quirked a brow in confusion as Akko started to sweat bullets.

“Akko, is everything-”

“Everything is A-okay! Yup it’s all 100%!” the Japanese girl said suddenly, cutting Diana off. “One pair of Cavendish legs coming right up!”

As she shakily raised her wand, Akko’s mind swirled in a panic. The book hadn’t mentioned anything about reversing the spell! At least not that she could think of. She prayed to whatever powers may be that she could undo the transformation with her normal spell.

“Metamorphie Faciesse!” Akko called as she waved her wand in the familiar motion.

There was a flash of green, and then...nothing, as Diana still sat on the floor, mermaid tail and all. Akko felt panic grip her. Maybe she just had to try harder.

And try harder she did, as Akko repeated the motion and shouted louder than before, “Metamorphie Faciesse!”

Again, nothing happened. It was two more tries of this before Diana finally spoke up, having noticed something was amiss.

“Akko...Is there something wrong? Something you would like to tell me?” Diana asked carefully.

Akko felt herself pale as she realized she was going to have to tell Diana the truth. The blonde girl was going to be so disappointed in her. Akko frowned deeply as she pictured the scolding she was going to receive. Part of the reason she had wanted to do this was to impress the other girl, and she had ended up doing the opposite.

“I, uh..can’t undo the spell..” Akko said quietly, disappointment heavy in her voice.

Diana merely blinked back at her, confused.

“Surely you’re joking,” she said in disbelief. “I’ve seen you turn into an elephant. Surely you can change a simple fishtail.”

“Well...if I used my normal transformation spell, than yeah I could,” Akko said, now looking at the floor. “But I may or may not have used an advanced spell Ursula Sensei told me about…”

Diana let out another tired sigh.

“Well then we best go see professor-”

“NO!” Akko cut her off with a yell.

Diana jumped back in surprise at the sudden outburst.

“We can’t Diana! If there’s one thing we can’t do it’s go see Ursula Sensei!”

Akko had been so worried about what Diana was going to think of her that she hadn’t even stopped to think about how her favorite teacher would react. She was going to be so angry with her. The red haired witch had specifically told her she wasn’t ready for the spell, and Akko had gone behind her back to test it anyway. Turns out Ursula was right. She was far from ready.

“Akko,” Diana started softly. “Why not? What’s wrong?”

Akko didn’t even realize she had started crying until she heard Diana’s tone soften.

“...Ursula Sensei told me I wasn’t ready to try it,” she said with a sniffle. “She’s going to hate me when I tell her what happened…”

Diana gave her friend a soft smile.

“Akko, Professor Urs-Professor Du Nord would never hate you. You know how much she cares about her students, how much she cares about you.”

Akko’s only response was another sad sniffle.

“Sure she may be disappointed with you, but she would never hate you,” Diana said.

“What about you Diana?” Akko said, catching her off guard. “Do you hate me?”

Diana slowly shook her head. “Of course not Akko. I could never hate you either…”

Akko felt her mood pick up slightly at this, her heart giving a flutter. Diana was right, Ursula Sensei may be her teacher, but she was also her friend. Even if she might give her a punishment, Akko was sure the red haired woman would do everything she could to help her.

“You’re right Diana! Let’s go see Ursula Sensei!” Akko declared loudly, making her way to door.

“Um, Akko? How exactly do you expect me to get there?”

Akko froze in her tracks at this. It was a good question. Diana had already displayed earlier that she was in no way capable of supporting herself on those flimsy fins. The best option, Akko realized, was simply to bring Ursula here. She was about to suggest just that when another idea popped into her head. Akko felt her face slowly heat up at the thought.

“I could always uh...carry you there…” Akko said, a blush lighting up her face.

“C-carry me!?” Diana said with an embarrassed squeak.

Akko felt herself blush harder at her friend’s flustered response. Despite their current situation, Akko couldn’t help but feel giddy at the prospect. Just the thought, her carrying Diana down the hall, bridal style, the beautiful girl’s arms wrapped around her neck as she cradled her in her own. It sent Akko’s heart soaring.

After a long pause, Akko realized with disappointment that Diana was opposed to the idea, or at least she thought she was. Clearing her throat, Diana finally spoke.

“That’s...not such a bad idea,” she said, a blush coloring her face as well. “Just make sure that we aren’t seen. I’m sure I speak for both of us when I say that we don’t want anyone asking questions about this.” she gestured to her tail.

Akko nodded in agreement. Walking to where the heiress lay, Akko knelt down.

“Ready?” the brunette girl asked.

“Ready,” came Diana’s determined response.

In one quick motion, Akko scooped Diana off of the floor, and began her trek back to the Astral Tower.

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

While she had mostly forgotten about it on the way there, thanks to carrying a certain beautiful impromptu mermaid, Akko felt her apprehension at having to explain her mistake to her mentor return full force as she entered the Astral Tower. Still, she needed her help. Diana needed her help. It wasn’t long after Akko had knocked that the door to Chariot’s room swung open.

Chariot stood in the doorway, dressed now in her red tracksuit. The French witch gave her two students one glance before letting out a sigh. She supposed she should have guessed something like this would have happened. Stepping aside, Chariot motioned for the two girls to come in. Akko walked through the Door, Diana in her arms, and Chariot closed it behind them.

There was a long pause. Akko was the first to try and break it.

“Ursula Sensei, I can explain.”

Chariot merely shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I don’t need you too Akko. I think it’s pretty obvious what happened,” she said, looking her prodigy in the eye.

Akko’s face split into a large frown, tears already starting to well up in her eyes. The last thing Chariot wanted to do was kick her when she was down, but her student needed to hear this.

“Akko I had specifically told you that you weren’t ready for this spell.”

“I know,” the brunette admitted sadly. “But I just thought that-that if I proved you’d wrong, you’d be impressed with me. You both would…”

Diana blushed slightly at this admission. Chariot put a hand on Akko’s shoulder, giving her a small smile.

“You’ve already impressed me so much Akko. You don’t have to try potentially dangerous spells to.”

Akko face slowly changed to that of a smile. She nodded her head in understanding.

“Now then,” Chariot said raising her wand. “How about I give Diana her legs back?”

“Oh!” Akko exclaimed, having forgotten briefly that she was still carrying the other girl. Following Chariot’s instruction, Akko set her down on the professor’s bed, and stepped back.

Pointing her wand purposefully, Chariot waved her wand, silently casting the powerful transformation spell. A green swirl launched from her wand, wrapping around Diana’s tail. When it had vanished, Diana’s legs had returned, skirt and all. The young Cavendish breathed a sigh of relief, and Akko let out an excited cheer. Running forward, she wrapped the blonde girl into a big hug.

“Yay Diana! You’re back to normal!!” she said happily. “I was worried that I made you a mermaid forever!”

Diana blushed as Akko swung her around excitedly. Clearing her throat, she spoke up.

“Yes, I am quite happy too. Do you mind um...setting me down, however?” She asked bashfully.

Akko realized just what she had been doing, and slowly put the other girl back on her feet, scratching the back of her head while laughing nervously.

“Well, now that is settled, It’s probably a good idea for you girls to head back to your dorms. Akko, we can talk about your punishment tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it between us,” Chariot said, as she opened the door.

A small part of Akko had hoped she would have been able to get off with just a warning, but she knew that a punishment of some kind was only fair. Afterall, Ursula Sensei was be incredibly lenient by not telling the headmistress of her transgression.

“Thank you, Ursula Sensei,” Akko said, bowing to her teacher.

Diana smiled before following suit. “Yes, thank you very much Professor.”

Chariot gave a bashfully laugh waving off their thanks.

“Oh it was nothing. Just doing my job as your teacher.”

Bidding their teacher goodnight, Akko and Diana made there way to their rooms. The sun had already set, casting Luna Nova’s halls in the final glow of twilight. Turning to face the girl next to her, Akko rubbed her arm bashfully.

“Hey Diana, thanks for taking this whole thing so well. And sorry about turning you into a mermaid…,” she said quietly.

Diana smiled at her, taking the other girl’s hands into her own.

“It’s quite alright Akko. The whole thing was… kind of nice,” the heiress finished with a blush.

Akko’s face lit up a similar red as she thought back to how nice Diana felt in her arms. She gave the other girl a bright smile.

“I wasn’t lying earlier when I said you made a pretty mermaid you know,” Akko said. “You looked like you had just come out of a fairytale book!”

Diana’s whole face lit up red at the compliment. She didn’t really have much time to react to it however before Akko pulled her into a hug.

“Goodnight Diana,” the Japanese girl said with a whisper. To her delight, she felt the other girl hug her back.

“Goodnight Akko.”

[squeemcsquee]

Photos from panels @ Anime Central 2017. Because I am finally getting around to this.

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2017

1) Tessen-Jutsu: Martial Art of the Fan. I didn’t actually attend this one, as it would have meant taking off my costume pieces. Plus, they had already started. But I peeked in and I hope it returns next year.

2) The Rich Cultural History of Dogs in Anime: Stopped in on this one for a few minutes. It was super casually run and seemed to be somewhat impromptu as to what characters the panelists discussed.

3) Introducing Japanese Mahjong to America: This is where I finally ended up Friday morning for my first panel of the day. It was interesting, even if I was a bit confused after having missed the first 30 minutes.

4) This Is A Game?! Encountering Strange Games: This one was worth every minute. I hadn’t heard of most of the games and the ones featured were hilarious. Thanks to this panel, I ended up looking up QWOP later and trying it out. At home. Because I was too shy to try it at the panel.

5) Sports Bras Over Athletic Cups: I really hope this one comes back. I appreciated that it started first with a debate over what constitutes a sport. A lot of older titles were featured and I wish I had utilized Guidebook’s notes feature during this panel to remember them. But I didn’t 😞

6) The Bad Anime Panel: The line for this one was nuts, and I got separated from my husband ( @lechevaliermalfet ) for the seating. But I can see why it’s so popular: the hosts had a good sense of the crowd, and the shows they featured were a mix of obscure or semi-infamous.

7) VIZ Media Industry Panel - No photo from this one. I like the industry panels, even though they aren’t my main priority at ACen. It’s nice to get a look at what’s coming out.

8) In Good Spirit: Japan’s Finest Liquors: This was another panel I wish I had taken notes in. I am not a huge drinker but learning about what is available in Japan and the differences in their alcohol industry vs ours was cool. And some of the drinks sounded worth trying to track down, if only to try once.

9) Funimation Peep Show (18+): Any panel that gives you tissues in case pf nosebleeds is going to be fun. After 2 years of attending the peep show panel, I can say it is worth doing at least once if you have a gutter brain and/or like the anime equivalent of softcore porn and can laugh at yourself. The energy level and feel of the room come from an equal combination of the host and the live twitter fees. The photo of the tissue packet is all I could take to represent this panel due to its featured content.

All of Anime Central 2017 coverage

Day 1: Friday

Day 2: Saturday

Day 3: Sunday

Trying For Autographs - Thoughts

Supernatural Photo Shoot

Budget Lessons Learned

@dialmformara @shbumi @redisfascinated @ohthewhomanity @el-draco-bizarro @someoldmemory

[mitsu-bicchi-blog]

Update! Dead or Alive XTreme ALT Volleyball

So, my bad for not updating this in like… ever… but! I usually haven’t had much to say, unless it would randomly come to me… in which case I would usually write it on Twitter. Also, tumblr is so loud and obvious. I need it to settle down the format and pictures like 70% and just look like a normal site that most of my coworkers can’t read and I’ll be set.

So what’s going on here. Not much. It’s Friday and I have to work tomorrow, which I am not happy about. It, however, does not require me to make any lesson plans like the last time I had to teach, so I’m slightly ok with it. Tomorrow our school is having some school-wide event/presentation all day, so I should be able to just sit back and relax. In return, we get the day off on Monday, so it’s not quite working six days (even though it totally is).

But good things! So this week I got to play volleyball again which I haven’t played for a long time. And I got to do it with some of my students. And thank god it was 2NenBro! Well… not all of them. This week, half of the second year students went on a field trip to a factory. Basically, in our school (and a lot of Japan) students enter high school pretty much already have made up their mind whether or not they will go to college. For those students that don’t want to, they get lumped into a different category, but still stick with a lot of their college degree seeking peers. The part that was not going to college went on a field trip to some factory where they basically saw what it was like to work there. One of the people that went on this trip was Hostess (if you remember the names of the students here) to which I had to laugh at. She is way too girly and concerned with make-up to set foot inside of a factory without spray, let alone work one. So I’m really thinking she thought “free trip or homework…?” and decided on the lesser of 2 evils.

Anyway, I say that to say that we were a little light in one of Kurt-sensei’s classes. So naturally, because it’s Kurt-sensei, we went to the gym to play volleyball. They had remembered that my favorite sport was volleyball, so he had me go play. He joined as well. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and I got a good work out because of it which I loved. My team was me, Flirt [Formerly Flirty Girl], Applehead and Soba-kun. Other team was  Kurt, Neptune (NEW!), Shika (NEW!), Mai (Kinda new?). I shall explain the new people.

I call Neptune “Neptune” because whenever we would do role play English in the class, it would be a 1 on 1 thing and he would come up to me looking terrified. Even if it was something rehearsed, even if it was just a simple question like “what is your name?” even if I threw in some Japanese in there, he would sit there like Mrs. Puff “Oh Neptune….” meme.

I found it hilarious. Thus, Neptune.

Shika because she reminds me of a baby deer. She’s one of the smallest girls in the year, she’s very quiet and skittish. Surprisingly she’s a bit louder and braver than Neptune. Super nice girl and always tries her best.

Mai reminds me of Mai from King of Fighters. No, it’s not because of the boobs, your mind together. When I first met her she had a huge long ass ponytail that looked vicious. It looked like it was her secret weapon in Fighting tournaments. Thus, Mai. I’ve known her for a while though, and she’s one of the few students I know the first and last name for. I could never come up with a name for her though.

Anyway, we got our butts kicked in volleyball. Shika, for her short stature and quiet demeanor, is a hella good server. Mai is also a beast at volleyball apparently. Also, halfway through, Kurt tagged out and had one of the PE teachers, who I shall name Chuckles, come in for him. I guess he got tired. We had a lot of fun though, and I think I have won over Flirt. Earlier in the year she was one of the few students who absolutely refused to speak to me at all out of fear. During the game however, we were high fiving back and forth. Soba-kun is also a really well rounded and good volleyball player as well. AH, not so much, but he keeps me entertained and he likes to think he’s good. Of course every time I missed I had to have my chops busted to bits by Kurt-sensei, but usually afterwards he would epically fuck up so it was all good.

After the impromptu game, my exploits had reached all around the school, especially to the volleyball players. I think one day eventually, I might play with the volleyball team here, but CAB-sensei is the teacher in charge of that. I’m not sure how ok should would be with that, and I’m not sure I would walk out without shanks in my back if I fucked up.