#ahh typing this was refreshing

[mycadences]

When Elain was about to be thrown into the Cauldron (so this was before she even entered the "oh so evil and corrupt" Cauldron that "definitely twisted and created fake mating bonds!"), notice who was the one who had a visceral reaction:

Also notice how I didn't include Azriel's reaction? Yeah. Because he had none. Azriel had no reaction to Elain's greatest trauma -- her transformation into a High Fae. I can't even find any quotes during that scene, and if you don't believe me, grab your copy of ACOMAF and verify it for yourself. This is why they are definitely NOT mates. Meanwhile, Lucien tried to help Elain although it was their first meeting, so how it possibly be that their mating bond is fake and created by the Cauldron when he felt the bond even before she went in?

In fact, during ACOMAF, Azriel was heavily implied to be shipped with Mor:

But Mor, as we all know, was likely retconned and revealed to be bisexual in ACOWAR (with a greater inclination toward females), putting an end to their ship.

Meanwhile, contrast Azriel's reaction toward Elain's violation to how Cassian reacted when Nesta was going through the same thing:

Cassian's wings were shredded. He was in a sea of agony. And yet when Nesta was being thrown into the Cauldron, he was fighting to stay conscious at her screams. Because Nesta is his mate.

The same way that Eluciens are undeniably, irrefutably mates, evil Cauldron be damned.

Alternatively, you can also contrast to this scene:

Azriel is the Night Court's Spymaster. Yet he didn't leave a single one of the Hybern soldiers alive for questioning? He killed them all immediately, suggesting that he was in a fit of blind, uncontrollable rage.

Which one screams mate behavior to you?

Edit to add: I finally found it! The evidence that Azriel knew to keep at least two enemies alive for questioning, so it was obvious he was incapable of thinking clearly when he killed every single one of the Hybern soldiers who hurt Gwyn.

In this scene (in ACOSF), Cassian and Azriel were attacked by Autumn Court soldiers, and if Cassian knew the reasoning behind keeping two soldiers alive, obviously Azriel (the actual Spymaster) would, too.

"But -- Elain was wearing a cobalt blue dress when she met Azriel!"

Yeah, so? Nesta was wearing an amethyst dress when she met Cassian...

... and she ended up with Cassian, didn't she? If cobalt is Azriel's color then crimson is Cassian's (these are the colors corresponding to their siphons btw), and if SJM intended the scene to be a parallel, wouldn't she have Nesta in a crimson dress?

Also tons of people wore cobalt outfits. Feyre, Eris, Helion, even Vassa in ACOSF. I guess we should start shipping Vassa and Azriel! Azris shippers should celebrate, since by Elriels' logic your ship is confirmed!

And if you really want to compare outfits, I think it's significant that both Azriel and Lucien draped their coats over Gwyn and Elain respectively in light of their traumatic experiences. This is how you do a proper parallel.

Even SJM herself alluded to being an Elucien shipper:

Yes, this was from her actual Pinterest account before she took it down. If you search online for it, you'll find other people talking about it and that this is true, it's not just some random fake account lol.

Elriels claim that Gwyn is the red herring in their ship. I propose the opposite -- Elain is the red herring in Gwynriel's ship, like how Azriel is the red herring in Elucien's ship. Because think about it, if Elriel were really meant to be, why would SJM need to introduce Gwyn as a potential love interest for Azriel? She already had one red herring in Lucien, did she really need a second one? No, she didn't. So why? Why does all the evidence, new and old, point toward Gwynriel and Elucien and not Elriel?

Because there was never Elriel. Elriel were never mates, nor would they ever be. There was only ever Elucien (which came first) and Moriel (but Mor was retconned into being bisexual), which eventually gave rise to Gwynriel and highly likely Emorie (Mor x Emerie).

[lunarharp]

played dragon age 2...just simple scribbles

[lemon-koii]

Hello!! Can i req Kalim, Cater, Idia and Epel with a reader that is just drop dead beautiful, they could even be mistaken for an angel. Theyre also like very cheerful and happy but when they look serious they just look angelic beautiful and cute maybe even prettier than vil or neige hope i siad it well? Anyways thank you if you do it!

•|An angel sent for me?!

Characters: Cater, Kalim, Epel, Idia

[It wasn't specified on what type of post you want this to be so I'll just assume it's a hc and I added a some scenario]

[•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•]

𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝

He was absolutely shocked when he first saw you at the opening ceremony. Every student was wearing dark cloaks but there you were, standing in the middle of it all and glowing. Were you really or was it just his imagination?

It was interesting to find someone who is more beautiful than THE Vil Schoenhei and Neige Lablanche. Your beauty was just other worldly.

The next time he saw you, he made you and Adeuce paint the roses but not out of malice towards you. He just wanted to stare at you.

Losing himself at your beauty that he actually forgot to ask you for a picture. He sulked in his room after that. He'll definetly ask for a picture the next time he sees you! But he's contemplating whether or not he posts it...

If you went to heartslabyul in promptness to help him, oh god he is over the mood by such a small act.

Just you and him, painting the roses away...

"Awww, so kind prefect-chan~"

While painting, he really enjoys how you're so cheerful and chatty. People like you are rare in NRC so you are very much a refreshment.

Getting too caught up on the conversation and admiring you, he yet again forgot to ask for a picture....

He was shocked when you were the one who asked him.

"Cater-senpai! We should take a picture, this was a very enjoyable day after all. This can be our first picture together! Make sure to send it to me though."

He was really happy that you were the on ethat proposed

Taking out his phone and posing you lraned in closer and did you own pose and smiled so brightly it was blinding.

Good Lord you were perfect....

𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐀𝐥-𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐦

He audibly gasped when he saw you. Freezing in for a few moments with his mouth hanging

When you noticed and waved at him, it snapped him out of his trance and started waving back enthusiastically

When he got back at the dorm, he was shaking Jamil by his sleeve and kept asking, "Jamil! Did you see her? She looked soo pretty! Probably even prettier than Vil."

Jamil placed his hand Kalim's mouth and told him to never mention that around Vil...

After the party for the first years, he told Jamil that he also wanted to host you a party. But Jamil reminded him that you weren't a student so you must have been sent home.

Kalim was a little disapointed that he didn't manage to talk to you. But atleast he got a wave!

His eyes shinned so bright and was ecstatic when he saw you once again, raking the leaves at the courtyard.

''Ah! You're that girl from the orientation right? You should totally attend the party I'm hosting for you! What's the point of a party if you aren't there?''

Althought it was a bit off guarding, he said it so cheery and nice that you just have to return the same energy and manner

The students were blinded by the aura of cheeryness

From then on, he keeps giving you gifts and white flowers since quote on qoute, ''White flowers really suit you:> You look like an angel after all!''

Jamil now has to deal with two sunshines

𝐄𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫

He was in awe seeing you for the first time, which was being dragged back to the mirror chamber.

A part of him wished you were going to be sorted into Pomefiore and was disappointed that you weren't an actual student.

Given by fate, he was really flustered when he accidentaly bumped into you in the halls.

He was about yell but stopped when he saw your face.

When you confirmed it was alright with a bright smile on your face, he felt his face heat up.

''Ah! Ya dum' lil– ahh..?"

"... Are you okay? Sorry for that..''

After helping him pick up his books, he bid you farewell, hoping to see you again but didn't have the guts to say it yet.

𝐈𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝

Epel would stumble over his words when he encounters you again. But after some time he'll get more comfortable and laugh with you about stuff.

He becomes self-conscious if you see him like how the other students do too. Weak and girly. But if not, shucks you're just making him fall harder

Finds it funny that you're prettier than Vil and Neige. Sometimes joke about Vil having another competition and got his ass in trouble.

He wasn't paying attention to who you were at the orientation since he was more focused on what's happening. Not until a rare day where he went out to get something from Sam's shop personally(via forced by Ortho)

You tapped his shoulder, asking him to reach something for you and when he turned around, half of his lower hair went pink. Short circuiting for a few momemnts before actually doing what you asked for.

The next time he's near you, he'd constantly be stuttering and at a loss for words in your presence

He'd struggle to make eye contact with you, unable to hold it for more than a second.

There's a very high chance that Idia will accidentally end up staring at them, which causes him to immediately go bright red. He'd then quickly look away and hope you didn't notice.

Whenever you compliment him or praise him, Idia becomes an absolute mess, struggling to form a cohesive sentence but also getting a lil bit smug.

It is near impossible for Idia to initiate a conversation out of nowhere- However, if he does, he would talk in gamer and if you don't understand it, he'd never talk to you again/hj

If the reader makes skin-contact with him- whether that be brushing his hand or just a simple pat on the shoulder, Idia will instantly go bright red and his hair will change into pink. God fobid anyone sees hum like that.

If you ever laugh at his jokes, he just loses it. The butterflies inside his stomach start going insane and he feels his knees become weak. Smiling like an idiot accomplishung an SSR achievment.

[cheolieji]

Roomates - Choi Seungcheol

pairings: idol!scoups x idol!reader

reader has boobs and vag

warnings/genre: smut, mentions of alcohol, mentions of food!!, swearing, pet names, fluff

the sex part is lowkey short cause idk

fuck was said at least 1000 times😨

you are Svts 14th member and have been roommates with seungcheol for a few months now. Nothing has happened yet, but who knows what could happen when two people who like each other drinks together.

mdni!!

don't like, don't read

a/n note: this is my first time writing on tumblr and first time writing in a few years + english isn't my first language so if there's any grammar/any type of mistakes don't be shy to point it out :)

updated a/n: This was a draft from Oct, so, no, It's not my first time writing on tumblr (not anymore). i deleted the previous draft and rewrote the whole thing, lmaoo

my brain stopped working when it went down to the actual smut omg

wanted it to be longer but im lazy

after a long day of shooting content, you and the members were exhausted. some went home, while some went out to eat, but you decided going home was the best idea. and so did seungcheol. and of course, you're going home with him, i mean, who else? you literally live with him

you two were approaching his car as he sped up a little to open the car door for you. You find his speed walking cute. "Thank you! Cheol, " "Of course, go ahead, watch your head"

as he's getting the car started, you asked, "cheol, do you wanna get something to eat before we go home? and maybe some drinks, too?" "Yeah, why not, we haven't drank together in a while, " says as he's putting his seatbelt on

after he bought the food and drinks (he went in to buy them while you were waiting in the car) you arrived home

taking your jackets off and hanging it on the rack, you sighed. "It's been such a long day, ughh i need a drink." "go wash your makeup off. I'll get the table ready.." "fineee"

felling refreshed, you went to help him set the table up. "we bought a lot of food, are we gonna finish it?" "i will, " he says, giving you a goofy smile

after a few shots, you were already tipsy. seungcheol is still completely fine. He's just admiring how you look while you're drunk

cheeks flushed, lips wet from the drink, and those eyes you give him.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" "No reason im just admiring your face." "Why admire from afar when you can come here? " you said, completely aware of what you're saying

"You come here." You walked over to him both hand on his shoulder while straddling his lap. he has his hands on your ass. "So? are you admiring me better now that im this close?" "So much better, babe"

leaning down to kiss him. it starts slow. Now he has his tongue down your throat with his hands roaming your body. and you're literally grinding on him. breathless, you let out a small moan. that led him to his edge. he picks you up while still kissing the hell out of you, walking to his room and almost tripping over a bag. putting you on the bed as he strips down, leaving his boxers on. you barely had anything on, so you just took your tank top and shorts off

you can see how big he is, even with his boxers on

he goes in for another rough kiss before putting his finger on the wet patch on your panties, sliding it off you. his big and long fingers doing circles on your clit "fuckk-" he pushes them in slowly before pumping your wet juicy cunt, it's so quiet the only thing that can be heard is your moans and the sound of your pussy. it's like music to his ears

"fuck me cheol.." "beg for it" as he's going faster with his hands "fuck.. ahh please–fuck me baby i need you so bad" he stops in his track, licking your juices off his fingers "shit babe you taste so good"

taking his boxers off and pushing your legs back to your chest. fuck his dick is big. "Can i put it in, baby?" "fuck yeah, just do it already please" he enters slowly "fuuck, you're so tight" resting a bit before moving, low grunts can be heard from him

"shit-ahh harder." he goes harder, balls slapping against your pussy "fuck you're so big" hearing that made his ego rise a little, he grabs your legs as he goes harder and faster than before "fuckkk ahh yeaaa" in overwhelming pleasure you scratched his back without realising "shit im sorry" "no, keep going" kissing you roughly before moving to your neck giving you hickeys

"Ah, 'm gonna cum-" "Yeah? cum for me baby" getting sloppy with each thrust. reaching your high he continues fucking into you for a little bit more before plopping next to you and kissing you on the cheek

he moved to cuddle you as if he didn't just ruin your insides a second ago, "you okay, babe? need anything? water? snacks?" "im okay baby, maybe later, " you said, hugging him in your arms

this is lowkey bad but who gives a fuck i don't get paid lmao

[kurishiri]

2nd Anniversary ┊ A short break with Darius

꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ notice ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ this is the 400 times sent bonus story for each suitor during ikevil's second elections! this translation may not be 100% accurate or contain creative liberties due to characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don't repost these or claim these as your own!

— cw: potato slander 😔✌️

Darius: Ahh, now that was fun.

Kate: Welcome back. You...don’t seem hurt anywhere, right?

Darius: Of course not, just who do you take me for?

A haughty smile playing on his lips, Darius sat on the sofa.

Darius: Anyway, enough of that, I’m feeling parched. Were you able to prepare the drinks and refreshments?

Indeed, that was the sudden order he left with me before departing.

(And he left before I could even talk back, so I was left here racking my head...)

But even so, I figured that he would feel weary upon returning,

and so, I prepared the refreshments as he had ordered and waited for him.

Kate: Here you are. Good job today.

With that, I took off the plaid cloth cover.

And beneath it laid a plethora of tea flavors, with scones, sandwiches, and whatnot lined up.

Darius: Well, I’ll be. You did all this for me, did you.

He pointed at the tea leaves, lined up together, and...

Darius: Which of these do you recommend?

Kate: The chamomile one, perhaps. It can relieve fatigue, so I’d go with that.

Darius: Alright then, I’ll go with that.

Accepting my suggestion, he waited for me to prepare the tea with a smile.

(Somehow I feel a bit like a maid...)

I put the tea leaves into the pot and poured hot water in before turning over the hourglass.

When it finished steeping according to that, I poured the tea using a tea strainer, and——

Kate: Here you go.

Darius, poking at the hourglass, then started to grumble idle complaints.

Darius: Not only with the tea, but the way to eat a scone too...the English get so caught up in all these excessive mannerisms. They’re so incessant about them too.

Kate: Hehe, I suppose. We do tend to get caught up in traditions and formalities.

Darius: And I hold little interest in them...that said.

D: What I do hold interest in is seeing the faces of those types of humans when I break the things they hold dear to bits and pieces, right before their eyes.

Kate: Wha...

Darius: Just kidding.

(Sometimes, I feel like I can’t read what Darius is thinking...)

I couldn’t help but think that hidden beneath that gentle smile of his was something so deeply dark.

Darius: Oh, and which of these dishes took the most time to make?

Kate: That would be the potato potage, if I had to say.

K: The process itself is simple, but the potatoes do need to be sieved to soften its texture.

K: So, I think it would qualify as something that took a lot of time, just as you like it.

When I said so, though, he furrowed his brow——

Darius: Out of every vegetable, I happen to hate potatoes the most.

Kate: Is that so?

Darius: Whole or not, I despise even looking at it.

(Well that’s troubling, what do I do now…)

In contrast to my panic, he spoke up upon spotting a certain something.

Darius: ...Ah, so you do have things I like after all.

Having found the crumpet, Darius’ expression shifted completely, his lips now in a full smile.

Darius: Portion this out, won’t you. And make sure to add a generous topping of butter and syrup too.

Kate: O-okay!

The butter, melting with the syrup, seeped into the crumpet as I carried the plate to Darius.

When I placed it before him, I tried to leave, when...

Darius: You stay here.

Kate: Huh?

He made space for another on the sofa and gestured to it,

and when I sat down, he enthusiastically clapped the fork into the crumpet and started eating.

Darius: You can have the potage.

Kate: I can?

Darius: Well, I don’t even want it in my sight, so I’d rather you eat it away.

(To think he hated it so much...)

I started to drink the potage by his side.

All of a sudden, he gave me a sidelong glance, and I felt as though he was looking at something distant...

Kate: ...Um...

Putting my hand on the open space, I called out to him before me.

Darius: Mhm, what is it?

He set his fork down, sparing a glance at my hand.

Kate: Every time we get together like this, I’d like you to tell me something about yourself I don’t yet know.

K: If I do, then I think something like this can be prevented.

K: And besides...

I approached him, closing the distance between us ever so slightly.

Kate: I...want to get to know you better.

His eyes widened, but then right after he started to laugh.

Darius: Ahaha, sure then. If you want to know then tell you I will.

And, ever so slightly, Darius closed the distance between us as well.

Darius: So, what’s the first thing you’d like to know?

——I felt then that, just a little, I had gotten closer to the depths of his heart that laid beneath that smile.

Fin

masterlist 🪽 ┊ ko-fi ☕️ ┊ comms 🤍

@injudescoat @caxsthetic @velisle ‪‪❤︎‬ ダリウス

[melodyartist]

Do u have an opinion on Hades 2 Odysseus ^_^?

*Crack knuckles*

Oh oh oh! I do indeed have an opinion on this bastard, it's an unreasonable love and hate relationship with this guy. I played the game for just like 20 hours till now and I still don't know If I like him or want to strangle him.

It's also funny that 4 or more characters in the game are directly linked to his misadventures, "what do you mean they hate me more because you had beef with them" Polyphemus my boy need some justice honestly 😭 (but the funniest line he had untill now was about Poseiodon)

Design wise? He is cool like everybody else in the game,definitely not the best and not the worse, nothing really bad to say. I would even like to admit that he has a refreshing design with all his maps and trinkets, plus the dagger on his finger is so unnecessary, I love it for a show off like him.

Side note: I've tried to draw him from memory a while ago it was almost 4 A.M when I still didn't buy the game at the time... It didn't go that well, the only thing that I remember vividly was his grin, eyes and weird mantle with crosses, he ended up looking like Peter B parker 😭

"We got Odysseus at home" looking ahh drawing

Going back on track! Personality wise? That's where I want to throw hands with him.

Is he funny? Yes sometimes, do I skip his dialogue? Of course not, I don't skip anyone's dialogue, I didn't even skip Theseus dialogue in the first game so Odysseus is no exception (Mainly because I love the voice acting of all the characters, is so well done)

But do I want to wrap my hands around his neck in a so not loving way every time he says "my goddess" and tries to be flirty in a subtle way? Absolutely!

This version of him is clearly a womanizer and I'm ok with that! He is weak to women, that's fine, give me a man with flaws! But who wouldn't be? Have you seen the women in this game? chef kiss, stunning, gorgeous...but that's not what's throwing me off... There is something in him that just make me wants to kick him, idk I can't pin point it...

Maybe it's because I've missed it but not even once he mentioned his wife and kid, or any type of deep remorse for his past life, while Achilles was kind of the opposite. I don't really see him like an Achilles counterpart but more like a Hypnos counterpart.

Catch my drift, his role (at least right now) is to bring back reports and update Melinoe on the situation, adding funny anecdotes and comments. His dialogues feels less like a mentor/father figure watching over you, like Achilles was to Zagreus, and more like a friendly companion who is there to keep track of your progress just like Hypnos

So that's it.

[jasfhercallejo]

Yup, this Father's Day is an extended weekend getaway!

The Cabin Resort in Bulacan is a loft-type cabin nestled in the middle of a farm, allowing guests to completely unplug and enjoy its natural surroundings. Though the cabins vary in size, each accommodation guarantees charming aesthetics, and a cozy ambiance! Guests who book a stay at The Cabin Resorts are also free to use the on-site pool, bikes, and even kayak through the ground’s lakes. You may rent an ATV to tour the entire farm or have a bonfire night for additional fees, too (read: sulit na sulit we tried all activities haha)

Each cabin can accommodate 6 to 8 people. It is fully made from wood and is elevated from the ground. The lower area, has a lounge, dining, and a veranda facing the man-made lake. The veranda was actually one of my favorite areas here (after the bedroom), overlooking the farmland where you can do fishing or just be seated on the wooden chairs to meditate or reflect. Inside, they have used huge mirrors to make the room look more spacious. It got huge windows too that give enough lighting during the day. Overall, the whole space got a very peaceful and homey vibe.

The resort doesn’t have a nearby restaurant or convenience store. But do not worry, because there is an in-house restaurant that can give guests decent food. The Cabin Resorts’ in-house restaurant is located at the end of the property just across the infinity pool. The restaurant offers Filipino foods like bulalo, sinigang, bagnet and likes. They also have kinds of pasta, grilled items, sizzlers, and snacks. All-day-breakfast also comprises of the usual tapsilog, longsilog, bangsilog variants.

After lunch, you can find your own sunbed and chill by the pool deck. When the sun is out, most of the guests are in their airconditioned cabins, so that was our favorite time to hang out. Because then, we’d have the place to ourselves! It was fun watching everyone do their first attempts at riding the ATV and shooting some arrows.

If you’re not particular about plush bedding and luxurious amenities, you’ll appreciate The Cabin Resorts and the activities they have to offer. Honestly, I think this is such an upgraded glamping experience. 

Last but not the least, the sunset bar. Ahh what a good way to cap the day! We never imagined that they would have free flowing cocktails at the Sunset Bar. We ordered everything available on the menu and danced to the music while watching the magnificent sunset.

Aside from being pet friendly, all the activities made this trip a very memorable one. Always refreshing to see my family, especially my parents, enjoy their time with our fur babies. Will definitely go back!

[mingiatz]

Summary: Years after breaking up, Nari and Yunho cross paths again—this time under unexpected circumstances. She had walked away from him to avoid holding him back, convinced he would move on without her. But when their reunion stirs up emotions neither of them have truly let go of, they are forced to confront their past, their fears, and the love that never faded. As they navigate old wounds, unresolved feelings, and the pressures of Yunho’s career, they must decide if love is worth the risk—this time, for good

Pairing: Jeong Yunho x OC (Nari)

Trope: Exes to Lovers

Genre: Romance, Angst, Slow Burn, Second Chance

Featuring: Ateez, OCs, mutual pining, lost love

This Series will have multiple Chapters with around 2000 words. I hope you like it. Please be kind this is my first Fanfiction and English is not my first language. (I am open for constructive criticism). I will try to upload a chapter everyday.

Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Five

Nari’s POV

The comforting atmosphere of the bookstore lingered around Nari like a warm embrace. It was quiet, but not the suffocating kind of silence—rather, the kind that allowed space to breathe, to think, to feel.

After the unexpected emotional release from earlier, she found herself strangely grounded. There was something about the presence of Hana and Jiwon, these two kind strangers, that made her feel safe.

They hadn’t pushed her for details. They hadn’t pried.

And yet, in their own way, they had helped.

Now, the three of them sat in the bookstore’s cozy reading nook, surrounded by shelves filled with stories of other people’s lives—fictional ones, perhaps, but lives nonetheless.

Hana leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “So, since we’re all sitting here like old friends, what kind of books do you usually go for?”

Nari blinked at the casual shift in conversation.

It was oddly refreshing.

“Oh,” she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I guess… I like a bit of everything.”

Jiwon perked up. “A mood reader, then?”

Nari laughed softly. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Ahh, a dangerous type,” Hana teased, smirking. “That means you have a huge unread pile at home, don’t you?”

Nari felt her face warm. “...Maybe.”

Jiwon chuckled. “Same here. I keep buying books even though I know I won’t get to them anytime soon.”

Hana huffed. “You two are exactly the kind of customers I love and hate at the same time.”

Nari raised an eyebrow. “Hate?”

Hana grinned. “Because you’ll keep buying books, but you’ll never finish them fast enough to come back for more.”

Nari laughed, feeling lighter than she had in days. “Well, in my defense, I plan to read them all. Eventually.”

Jiwon snorted. “That’s what we all say.”

The conversation drifted between book recommendations, favorite authors, and the struggle of resisting new releases despite an ever-growing reading list.

For a moment, Nari almost forgot why she had wandered in here in the first place.

Almost.

The bell above the door jingled again, signaling a new visitor.

A male voice rang through the air. “Why are you two interrogating a stranger?”

Nari turned to see a tall young man with light brown hair strolling toward them. His expression was teasing, his posture casual as he eyed the scene in front of him.

Hana rolled her eyes. “Noah, this is not an interrogation.”

Jiwon sighed. “You can’t just barge in and assume things.”

The newcomer—Noah—grinned, unbothered. “I just call it how I see it.”

Then, his gaze flickered to Nari, and he tilted his head curiously.

“Hi,” he said, offering a small smile. “Sorry if these two scared you off. They get really intense when they start talking about books.”

Nari chuckled. “It’s okay. I actually don’t mind.”

Noah’s grin widened. “Ah, so you’re one of them too. Another book addict?”

Nari smirked. “Guilty as charged.”

Hana waved a hand. “Alright, alright. Enough of that. Noah, meet Nari.”

Noah’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Nice to meet you, Nari. What brings you here?”

Nari hesitated for a fraction of a second before responding, “I just… needed a place to clear my head.”

Something in Noah’s expression shifted slightly—just a flicker of understanding—but he didn’t pry.

“Well, you chose a good spot,” he said instead. “This is Hana’s kingdom, and she’s got a way of making people feel at home here.”

Hana grinned. “Damn right I do.”

Jiwon smirked. “She’ll take all your money, though.”

Hana gasped dramatically. “Excuse me! I offer literature and happiness in exchange.”

Nari laughed, the tension in her chest loosening even more.

After a while, Hana glanced at the clock and stretched. “Alright, since you’re clearly our people now, I have an offer for you, Nari.”

Nari blinked. “An offer?”

Hana smiled. “We run a little book club. Very casual, just a small group of people who meet here now and then to talk about books, life, and whatever else comes up.”

Jiwon nodded. “It’s not formal or anything—just a good excuse to read more and have interesting conversations.”

Nari hesitated.

A book club?

It had been a long time since she had let herself be part of something like that.

Since she had let herself belong somewhere.

Hana must have sensed her uncertainty because she gently added, “No pressure. Just if you ever feel like talking to a friend.”

A friend.

The words settled deep inside her.

A small smile touched Nari’s lips. “That… actually sounds really nice.”

Hana beamed and pulled out her phone. “Here, let me give you my number. You don’t have to decide now, but if you ever feel like joining, just text me.”

Nari hesitated for only a second before taking out her phone as well.

It had been so long since she had opened herself up to new people.

But maybe… maybe this was the start of something good.

As she saved Hana’s number, she felt something she hadn’t in a long time.

Hope.

And for the first time in years, she didn’t feel so alone.

Yunho’s POV

Yunho had barely said a word all morning.

His members had noticed—of course, they had.

They always did.

But thankfully, no one had pushed him about it yet. Maybe because they knew he wasn’t in the mood to talk. Maybe because they assumed he’d snap out of it.

Or maybe because they were all too busy preparing for their upcoming meeting with KQ’s new Head Manager.

Still, despite the distraction of their packed schedule, Yunho could feel the concern radiating from his members, especially Seonghwa and San, who kept throwing him glances every few minutes.

"Are you gonna keep sighing like that for the rest of the day, or should we all start counting?" Wooyoung finally asked, breaking the silence in the van.

Yunho exhaled. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"You do know what I’m talking about," Wooyoung shot back.

Mingi chuckled. "He’s right, you’ve been in full-on emo mode since yesterday."

Yunho ignored them, looking out the window. He knew he wasn’t hiding it well. His mood had been off ever since he saw Nari leave with Jihoon.

The man she was with.

The man she had moved on with.

The thought made Yunho's stomach twist.

And now, he was stuck in this miserable in-between—unsure whether he should reach out to her or let things be.

Was there even a point?

What would he say?

What could he possibly say that would change anything?

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair.

"You guys think the new Head Manager is gonna be strict?" Jongho asked, shifting the topic.

"It’s a Head Manager," Yeosang said simply. "They’re all strict."

"At least we can hope they’re not like Manager Kang," San muttered. "I still get nightmares about that guy’s schedule micromanagement."

The group collectively shuddered.

Hongjoong, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "Either way, let’s just be professional and get through the meeting."

The conversation moved on, but Yunho found it hard to focus.

Something in his gut twisted—an odd feeling, like something was about to go wrong.

He just didn’t know how wrong.

The tension in the air shifted the moment they stepped inside the conference room.

A KQ executive stood at the front, smiling politely as ATEEZ took their seats around the table.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the executive began. "As you know, we’ve recently made some managerial adjustments, and today, we’d like to formally introduce your new Head Manager."

Yunho wasn’t paying much attention.

Until—

The door behind them opened.

Footsteps echoed through the room.

And then—

A familiar voice.

"Hello, everyone. I’m looking forward to working with you."

The entire group froze.

Slowly, Yunho turned his head—

And his stomach dropped.

Jihoon.

Standing at the front of the room.

Dressed in business casual, looking every bit like someone who belonged in this setting.

Looking completely unbothered.

For a few seconds, no one moved.

No one spoke.

Then—

"Holy shit," Wooyoung muttered under his breath.

Jihoon smiled. "Nice to see you all again."

San blinked. "No. No way."

Yeosang looked between Yunho and Jihoon, processing the situation. "So… this is happening."

Jongho, usually the calmest, looked genuinely thrown off. "You’re our new Head Manager?"

Jihoon nodded. "Yep."

Mingi let out an awkward laugh. "This is… interesting."

Hongjoong, who had been momentarily stunned, quickly composed himself. "You work for KQ?"

"Now I do," Jihoon said smoothly.

Yunho hadn’t said a word.

His brain was still trying to process the fact that Nari’s boyfriend—the guy he had been silently raging about for the past week—was now his manager.

Jihoon finally turned to him, his expression unreadable.

"Good to see you again, Yunho."

Yunho’s jaw tightened.

He wasn’t sure what was worse—the fact that Jihoon was here, or the fact that he didn’t seem remotely fazed by it.

The executive cleared his throat. "I understand that this is new but Jihoon has extensive experience in management, and we believe he’ll be a great fit for the team."

The rest of the meeting was a blur.

Yunho barely heard a word.

His mind was stuck.

Jihoon.

Jihoon.

Of all people.

By the time the meeting ended, Yunho was about two seconds away from losing his mind.

But before anyone could rush out—

Jihoon spoke again.

"Actually," he said casually, "do you guys have time to chat later? Maybe at your dorm?"

Everyone tensed.

Jihoon smirked. "Just thought it’d be nice to catch up."

♡♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

The mood in the dorm was weird.

Yunho sat on the couch, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

Jihoon was leaning against the kitchen counter, perfectly at ease, like he hadn’t just flipped their entire world upside down.

"So," Jihoon said, scanning the room. "You guys gonna act weird forever, or…?"

Wooyoung scoffed. "This is weird, dude."

"Yeah," Mingi added. "How the hell did you end up at KQ?"

Jihoon shrugged. "Right place, right time. I already had some experience in management, and when I saw the opening at KQ, I figured—why not?"

"Why not?" Jongho repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Jihoon grinned. "What, you guys don’t like surprises?"

Yeosang sighed. "Not this kind."

San leaned back in his chair. "You’re seriously not freaking out at all?"

Jihoon’s gaze flickered to Yunho, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Should I be?"

Yunho clenched his jaw.

He hated how casual Jihoon was being.

Like he wasn’t the problem. Like he wasn’t part of the reason Yunho had been losing sleep.

Seonghwa, who had been watching quietly, finally spoke. "You already knew about Yunho and Nari, didn’t you?"

Jihoon turned to him, his smirk softening slightly. "Yeah. I did."

Yunho tensed.

Jihoon exhaled. "Look, I get that this is unexpected, and I get why you’re all tense. But let’s just clear the air now—I have no intention of making things uncomfortable for anyone. I’m here to do my job, nothing more."

His words were even, measured.

But there was something in his tone—something that almost sounded like he was watching Yunho.

Testing him.

Yunho’s fingers curled into his sleeves.

Jihoon took in the silence, then let out a chuckle. "Man, you’re really sulking, huh?"

Yunho’s eye twitched. "I’m not sulking."

Jihoon smirked. "You kinda are."

A few of the members exchanged wary glances, half-expecting Yunho to explode.

But he didn’t.

He took a slow, deep breath.

Because as much as he wanted to throw Jihoon out, there was nothing he could do.

Jihoon wasn’t just some guy in Nari’s life anymore.

He was their manager.

And that meant—whether Yunho liked it or not—he wasn’t going anywhere.

The dorm was tense.

Yunho sat on the couch, arms still crossed, as Jihoon leaned against the kitchen counter, looking annoyingly relaxed.

The rest of ATEEZ sat scattered around the living room, all equally caught between curiosity and unease.

No one had quite gotten over the shock of Jihoon’s sudden reappearance—and his new position as their Head Manager.

Yunho, for one, was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the man he had assumed was Nari’s boyfriend was now supposed to manage their group.

Life really had a twisted sense of humor.

"So," Seonghwa said, breaking the silence, "I think we should start with the obvious question."

Jihoon raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"Did you know?" Seonghwa asked, voice measured. "Did you apply to KQ knowing that Yunho was here?"

Jihoon sighed and straightened up. "No," he said simply. "I had no idea Yunho was an idol until I was already deep into the hiring process."

Yunho narrowed his eyes. "Seriously?"

Jihoon nodded. "Dead serious. When I saw the job opening at KQ, I thought it’d be a good career move. I had some experience in management, and it just seemed like the right opportunity. But I didn’t know you were part of ATEEZ until, well… after I signed the contract."

A silence fell over the room.

It made sense, Yunho supposed. He had been surprised to see Jihoon—so it wasn’t impossible that Jihoon had been just as caught off guard.

Still, it didn’t make him trust the guy any more than before.

Jihoon exhaled, glancing around at the group. "Look, I get why this is weird. I get why you—" His gaze flickered toward Yunho. "—are probably questioning the hell out of this. But I want to make one thing clear."

He crossed his arms.

"I’m not here to mess with anyone. I’m not here to stir up bad blood. I’m here because I genuinely care about this job."

Wooyoung snorted. "Damn. You actually sound serious."

Jihoon smirked. "That’s because I am serious."

Jongho leaned forward, watching him carefully. "So what about Nari?"

Yunho stiffened.

At the mention of her name, a sharp pang shot through his chest.

Jihoon’s expression softened just slightly. "Yeah, I figured we’d get to that."

Yunho’s fists clenched.

Jihoon exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. "I won’t lie. Nari and I were involved with each other—but it wasn’t what you think."

Yunho’s stomach twisted.

He didn’t want to hear this.

He didn’t want to know details about the girl he was still struggling to get over being with someone else.

Jihoon must have noticed his expression because he tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Relax, man," he said. "It was just a situationship."

Yunho blinked. "What?"

Jihoon shrugged. "We were never together. Not really. It was nothing serious. We kept each other company for a while, but it was never anything more than that."

Yunho stared at him, struggling to process the words.

Jihoon and Nari weren’t actually together?

All this time, he had assumed…

His brain reeled as the realization settled.

Jihoon continued, "She and I are still close, though. I won’t pretend we aren’t. She’s one of my best friends, and I care about her a lot."

Something in Yunho’s chest twisted at the ease in Jihoon’s voice.

The way he spoke about Nari—like she was someone he knew inside and out.

Like he understood her in a way that Yunho no longer did.

"And before you ask," Jihoon added, "she doesn’t know I work here yet. I didn’t tell her because I figured it’d be better if it came up naturally."

San let out a low whistle. "Oh, man. She’s gonna love that."

Jihoon chuckled. "Yeah, I’m fully prepared for her to yell at me."

Wooyoung leaned back against the couch, looking between Yunho and Jihoon. "So, you and Nari weren’t really a thing. And now you’re here as our manager. How do you expect this to work?"

Jihoon sighed, his expression turning serious. "Like I said—I’m not here to cause problems. I took this job because I care about my career, and I take it seriously. I want to do my job well. If anyone has an issue with that, I’ll deal with it, but I’m not going anywhere."

His gaze flickered back to Yunho.

"And that includes you, Yunho."

Yunho clenched his jaw.

He could feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on him, waiting for his reaction.

His mind was still spinning from the revelation that Jihoon and Nari weren’t actually together.

And yet—

It didn’t change the fact that Jihoon was now an unavoidable part of his life.

He exhaled sharply.

"I don’t trust you," he said finally.

Jihoon smirked. "I figured."

"But," Yunho continued, his voice tight, "if you’re really here to do your job, then fine. We’ll deal with it."

A flicker of amusement passed through Jihoon’s eyes. "Glad to hear it."

The room was quiet for a long moment.

Then—

"Well," Mingi said, stretching, "that was dramatic."

"Very dramatic," Seonghwa agreed.

"Lowkey anticlimactic," Wooyoung muttered.

Jihoon laughed. "What? You guys wanted me to break out into a villain monologue or something?"

"Would’ve been more fun," Yeosang said dryly.

The group chuckled, the tension in the air easing slightly.

Yunho, however, stayed silent.

His mind was still stuck on the one thing that mattered.

Nari.

She wasn’t with Jihoon.

But what did that even mean?

And more importantly…

Did it change anything at all?

Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Disclaimer:This is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and scenarios in this story are entirely fictional and not intended to reflect the real lives of the members of Ateez or any other individuals. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes.

[katsona-the-katsequel]

Fuuka☆Stampede!

The winner of the mini-stories poll from the P3 Club Book has finally arrived. Enjoy!

___________________________________________

Testimony 1: "Yamagishi? Ah, that quiet, reserved girl, right? She used to be a bit gloomy, but recently she's become a bit brighter. I don't think she has any hobbies... or anything? She occasionally reads some difficult-looking books. Ah, but I'm sure she's in a cultural club, right? The rest- sorry, I don't really know."

Testimony 2: "Fuuka-chan is the best! That fragile appearance, that soft voice that lures the listener into a dream, that clear mind that always ranks highly in grades - everything about her is ideal. She's a beautiful girl! By the way, rumor has it that she's studying hard to get into medical school. Ah, I want to be soothed by Fuuka-chan in her white coat!"

Testimony 3: "Fuuka Yamagishi? You know, she's just so irritating. She's always so nervous and whiny. Well, it's true that her vibe has changed recently. She's always with Natsuki, isn't she? What do you call that? She's like a sheep that is scared of the tiger? Haha, she's just not that smart."

People have many different masks. When you're with friends, when you're with family, when you're with a lover, we each have a different face.

The same can be said for Fuuka Yamagishi, who has a hidden side that cannot be gleaned from various testimonies. And on rare occasions, this side is revealed in front of her fellow students living in Iwatodai dormitory. For example, like this.

"Ahh...huh? Fuuka, what are you doing?"

One afternoon on a holiday, after a lazy sleep, Junpei came down from his room to the lounge to find Fuuka sitting on the sofa, concentrating on something in front of her. On the table, around 20 small pieces were lined up neatly, and next to them were the remains of what appeared to be bags in which the pieces had been kept, piled high.

"Oh, Junpei-kun, good morning... ahaha, just a little collection."

"Hmm? Are these bottle caps? I used to collect them, too, the ones from the Major League Baseball series. That brings back memories."

As Junpei had said, there was a small figure shown in each bottle cap, a type of freebie commonly given with soft drinks.

"Actually... I quite like these things and have a lot of them. Is that strange...?"

It is true that most collectors are men, and women with a collecting habit are quite rare. Moreover, the items lined up in front of her were somewhat, no, quite maniacal.

"What is this? A monster?"

"N-No, it's not! This is the monster from "Monsters from B-Movies, Season 3 of the Nostalgic Monsters Series.""

To Junpei, who had no particular interest in that sort of thing, it was indistinguishable from the special effects monsters he saw as a child, but to Fuuka there seemed to be a big difference. Junpei found Fuuka's unexpected hobby a bit refreshing.

"It's the underground creature that appears in 'Basket Case', and this one is the older brother".

Even though she was referring to the older brother, Junpei, who didn't even know who his younger brother was, could only reply, "Oh, I see." Ignoring Junpei, Fuuka continued her explanation, gradually becoming more excited.

"So, this is the famous Thing. Of course, not the John Carpenter one, but the old one. Oh, this one was hard to get, it's Ash's hand from 'Evil Dead'! It's kind of cute, isn't it?"

Fuuka's momentum was unstoppable, and Junpei was drenched in sweat even though it was not even hot. What had only been a quick morning greeting (it was already noon) seemed to have flipped a strange switch, causing something inside Fuuka to explode.

However, for some reason, Fuuka's expression suddenly clouded over and she let out a big sigh.

"But..."

"Wh-what's wrong?"

Junpei was a little taken aback by the sad expression on her face. After all, Fuuka was a very beautiful girl. However, the words that came out of her small lips were enough to dampen Junpei's wicked, cocky spirit.

"I can't find anything rare."

"Huh? A rare item?"

"Yes. It was a specimen of a dog that appeared in 'The Return of the Living Dead' that was brought back to life by a zombie serum. It was amazing, because even though it was split in half down the middle, it still barked. It was crazy."

Fuuka was laughing carefree. Junpei happened to look towards the TV and saw Koromaru sprawled out next to her, asleep. Fuuka was definitely a dog lover, wasn't she? So Junpei couldn't help but wonder how she could laugh so hard at a dog cut in half.

"Apparently it's super rare, so no matter how many I buy I can't find it. It's a secret, so there's no information on how many there are or anything... I've already got the whole set, so I'd like to get this series too... but I'm getting a little tired."

The 20+ bottle caps lined up in front of her were likely purchased today, judging by the open bags stacked next to them. He didn't know how long she'd been collecting, but she must have bought quite a few by now. Looking at Fuuka's slightly depressed face, Junpei eventually came to a conclusion.

"Okay, Fuuka! Is there anything I can do for you? I'll help you get that rare item. Oh, but don't ask me to lend you money. I'm broke."

"Eh? Junpei-kun...really?...Oh, thank you...I'm happy."

Fuuka smiled shyly. Ah, this is it, Junpei thought. When Junpei had lost Chidori and had almost lost the will to live, it was Fuuka's smile that had casually cared for and comforted him. It was by no means a romantic feeling, but simply a pure and warm thought that he could not allow this girl to look sad.

"But I had no idea you liked horror."

"Huh? I don't really like horror."

"Eh?"

"I've learned a lot about horror movies because I've been collecting these bottle caps."

"Is that so...?"

Touched by the collector's spirit that ordinary people could not understand, Junpei's earlier warm feelings disappeared and a chill ran down his spine. However, he knew that he couldn't go back on his decision, so he summoned all the manliness he usually didn't show and made a strong declaration to Fuuka.

"Okay then, let's start our search for the rare and elusive item tomorrow!"

"Yeah!"

That was the beginning of Junpei's days of suffering.

A week had passed since he declared his intention to help with the rare item hunt, and Junpei was already beginning to give up.

"(Panting... panting... panting...) Fu-Fuuka... w-why don't we... take a break for a bit?"

"No Junpei, you just took a break. Look, we can almost see the dorms."

Helping her find rare items meant accompanying Fuuka on her shopping sprees after school and acting as her luggage carrier. However, carrying her luggage was no joke. On the way from school to the dormitory, she would stop at every department store, supermarket, and sweet shop, buying 3-4 dozen drinks every day. If you did some simple math and assumed that a regular-sized plastic bottle weighs 500 grams, then 4 dozen drinks would weigh a whopping 25 kilograms! Thanks to her diligent savings since childhood, Fuuka's financial situation was such that she could withstand such a large amount of shopping. Unfortunately.

But that was not the only hardship. After buying the drinks, there was still the task of drinking them. Fuuka hated waste, so up until now she'd been drinking them all by herself. Because of this, the number of bottles she could buy at one time was limited, but with Junpei's help this had increased significantly, and she seemed extremely pleased. However...

"It's not appearing... must be rare... agh."

"That's right... hehe."

They didn't know what the probability was, but rare bottle caps should appear.

They didn't.

"It'd be bad if I used up any more of my savings..."

"Well... (burp)... before that... (burp)... my stomach... (burp)"

“But... we can’t back out, Junpei. You’ll help me until the end, right?”

Fuuka stared at Junpei with a thoughtful expression. *I see. So she has a competitive side too...* Junpei felt refreshed again as he saw another side of Fuuka he didn't know. And one by one, these unknown sides of Fuuka were revealed to Junpei.

That was the beginning of Fuuka's rampage.

"Please! If you ever find this bottle cap, could you give it to me? Oh, here's my contact information!"

"Fu-Fuuka... this is really embarrassing..."

On one occasion, he saw a forceful side of Fuuka when she grabbed a customer who happened to have bought the same drink as her and tried to get him to sign a contract to transfer the rare item if it came out.

"I'm going to look for the rare bottle cap... with Juno's fingertips"

"Hey, summoning a Persona here is bad!"

On another occasion, he saw a reckless side to Fuuka when she used Juno's searching ability to try and guess the contents of a bottle cap without opening it.

"Junpei! We'll be fine now! I borrowed a non-destructive testing scanner from Kirijo's lab that was developed for Aigis' maintenance. It'll be easy to find bottle caps with it! But it weighs nearly two tons... How am I going to carry it to the supermarket? Can you carry it?"

And then at another time, he saw a side of Fuuka that seemed perfect in everything but was surprisingly not thoughtful about the consequences.

...If anything, there were many aspects that he would have preferred not to see if possible.

However, they still couldn't find the rare bottle cap... and the final day of the campaign arrived with disappointment for both.

"In the end... it didn't work."

"Well, that happens. My life is just full of no-no's."

As they sat next to each other on a bench at Paulownia Mall, Junpei jokingly said this to her, and Fuuka, knowing how he really felt when he overcame adversity, simply replied with a gentle smile.

"But I'm a little disappointed."

"Is this what they call a collector's spirit?"

"No, it's not that... I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to repay the help I received from Junpei and other people."

"Well, I got to see a lot of unexpected sides to Fuuka and it was fun, so it's all good."

Jokingly, but revealing his true feelings, Junpei consoled Fuuka of her frustration. And then...

"Now that I think about it, has anyone else helped you find the rare item?"

"Ah, well..."

Yes, that's what Fuuka was about to say.

"Fuuka!"

"Eh... Huh? Hey, Natsuki-chan!"

Suddenly, Fuuka's best friend, Natsu, who had recently transferred schools due to family circumstances, appeared.

"N-No way! What are you doing here?!"

"Well, today and tomorrow are consecutive holidays, right? I was a bit bored so I decided to stop by. I decided on the spur of the moment and didn't tell you anything because I thought it might be inconvenient for you. But isn't it fate that we managed to meet?"

"Yes, yes! It really was fate!"

Fuuka happily chatted with her, acting like a child and was asked, "Who's that guy? Is he your boyfriend?"

"No, he's not, he's someone from the same dorm..." This was another side of her that Junpei hadn't seen much of.

"Ah, that's right Junpei-kun."

At that moment, Fuuka turned towards Junpei and gently pushed Natsuki's shoulder.

"She's the other collaborator I mentioned earlier. Natsuki-chan wasn't interested in bottle caps either, but she looked up all sorts of information for me."

"Oh, what's the matter, Fuuka? You still haven't gotten bored of collecting them? That's a really strange hobby, don't you think?"

*Oh, I see*, Junpei thought, when Natsuki blurted out something shocking.

"Oh, by the way, Fuuka. I told you about it before, um... Batarian, I think? The secret one. The campaign finally starts tomorrow, right? Make sure you get it."

"...Eh?"

"...Huh?"

"Hmm? Did I say something weird?"

"Starting tomorrow?"

"That's right. Have you forgotten? The secret spoiler for season 4. I got it through my mobile phone network. It's super valuable information."

An unnatural silence reigned between the three of them.

And then...

"...Fuuka?"

"...Y-yes...?"

"What about my hardships up until now...?"

"…Umm…Sorry."

Junpei's whole body went limp and he collapsed, face down on the cold marble floor of Paulownia Mall, unable to move. Although she seemed serious and reliable, she was actually quite naive and forgetful. But that was another lovable side of Fuuka.

___________________________________________

Tag List: @kerto-p

[midnight---express]

Quite the Quirky Lot

James had just arrived into Knapford with an express from the mainland, his fireman had uncoupled him from the train and they were awaiting clearance to leave for Conrad's Bridge to refresh on water, so he was running a little hot today.

Passengers milled about from the train, amongst them a group of high schoolers, some of whom were making there way down the platform, one of them who had broken away from the group walked down alongside James muttering in Japanese, now James knew Japanese, he hadn't used in in awhile but he was fresh enough to understand what the young man was saying.

"We're late, and those stupid enclosed carriages meant the extras wouldn't shut up, who came up with all of this" He snarled to himself.

"Hey now, I'm not late," James spoke back, in near perfect Japanese, which unsurprisingly spooked the teenager, you don't expect to be spoken back to you in your native language, especially on the other side of the world, and by a talking train.

"There was simply a delay, not my fault that there was a special that had to overtake, no need to get angry," He spoke with a voice reserved for Customer service workers.

"You could have at the very least sped up a bit, it felt like sitting behind a group of slow walkers!" The blond hit back.

"Mate," He was getting angry now, the lack of water was making him feel unhappy, "I was running at the limit, I know where your from your used to expresses being faster, but trust me I was running at good speed!"

"Well you carriages are the worse with all there crapped space"

James burst out into English to get his anger across.

"Yeah well Puffball! I can't sit in those carriages I have no idea what there like, apparently those seats are made of horse fur! You can't get more comfy than that these days!" He snorted a jet of steam out his nose, "Maybe next time pick better travel partners!"

Several other students had been making their way down the platform to see what all the angry Japanese was about, and could only stand embarrassed as their classmate lashed out a train .

"Bakugou could you go an hour without yelling at something?" Came a croaky voice from James' side.

"Yes I can, but this big red sausage was late and I though he should know that!"

"I've told you, you sea urchin looking punk, I was on schedule!"

"Bakugou stop yelling at the train who is clearly trying to do his job" Came another voice.

"Right," James said with a grin, "Listen to your friend there, it sounds like he knows how to treat a steam engine"

"Sorry, Sorry, Sorry!" Came yet another voice as a young lad with spiked red hair hurried over to the blond who James had gathered was named Bakugou.

"He's not a big fan on enclosed spaced with a bunch of people, between this and the plane he's a bit antsy" He quickly said as he threw his arm around his friends shoulder, trying to defuse the situation.

"Ahh right, yeah that would probably drive me up the wall too, sorry about that man" James said with a look of semi understanding, he wasn't about to prolong the argument.

"Nice hair by the way, like the colour" He said to the red head, who simply smiled.

"Thanks man! Hey come on Bakugou I left my bag over with Sensei"

"You moron what did you do that for?!"

"So you didn't exploded on a train?" He replied as he lead Bakugou back down the platform, the blond surprisingly not making a fuss, James though he looked the type to.

"Sorry about him," James looked over at the young man that had chastised Bakugou earlier, "He's a bit much"

"Your telling me, woah, neat hair" James could finally see the young man, he had bright white hair on one side and a deep red on the other.

"uhh thank you" He replied in neat well practiced English.

"I was joking about you know how to treat steam engines by the way, you haven't meet a talking one have you?" James asked.

"No, I haven't exactly had the chance to meet any" he replied.

"Well if your here for a bit longer you'll meet plenty" James smirked.

"So we've been told" Said the croaky voice as a girl with large eyes and long hair appeared alongside.

"Yeah there are plenty of us here, how long are you staying?" he asked them.

"Just about two weeks," Came yet another voice, this one from a young man with a large yellow backpack and green hair, he was stood over by the bench with brunette girl and shorter boy with a large purple pompadour.

"Plenty of time to get a good show around, where are you headed?"

"We're staying at a hostel for the night, and then we should be heading up to, Har, har-" The Brunette stumbled on the word.

"Harwick? ohh yes it's quite lovely up there, make sure you get good seats, the run up the coast is quite charming" James was enjoying this they seemed like good company.

"Anything else on the schedule?" He questioned.

"Not that I know off, our class rep or our teacher should have that" The twin coloured boy replied.

"Well I think there's a concert at Arlesbrugh, this Sunday" He said with uncertainty, that got a yelp from down the platform.

"Hear that Jirou, there's a concert in town!"

"I heard that you dumbass, just because there is one on doesn't mean we have to go"

The other voice wasn't discouraged, "Hey your always saying that you'd love to meet some British Punk Rockers, maybe there will be some there?"

James would give the unseen guy some credit, he had some guts in him.

"I'm not sure about the artists, seeing as I can't go to concerts but that's a maybe on the Punks" James laughed.

There was a whistle behind him as a pilot drew the coaches out of the station.

"I guess that's my queue to leave, sorry I can't chat for much longer but I have to get going, you all have a lovey day now, I might see you lot around" He grinned as he whistled pulling out of the station in a cloud of steam, as the teenagers on the platform waved him out.

"Thanks for the recommendation!" Came a shout from a bright blond young man as James rolled past him and a girl with purple short hair.

"Anytime lad, take care"

James smiled to himself as he moved past the rest of the class making there way down the platform, but he had to double take, he could have sworn he saw one with the head of a bird, he blinked a few times as he passed the two boys from earlier standing along side a taller man with black hair who was speaking in an annoyed manner to the blond.

"What a weird lot" James mused to himself as the group of Japanese made their way to the station underpass.

[tparker48]

A monster party is being held at a mansion far up a hill. Mystical beast surrounded the ball room, leading to the main lobby where most of the guests resided. Gargoyles, werewolves, even vampires, all were present for the eventful evening. And there you were, standing along the corner of the lobby as you eyed the passing guests. Not many humans were brave enough to attend it, many who tried ran tail and returned to civilization.

You weren’t sure what caused them to flee, but you didn’t want to draw attention to yourself. You made your way through the mansion, creatures dancing while others ate food at the entré tables. But you weren't hungry at the time, slinking your way through the crowds before resting against the walls. You pulled out your phone, sighing as your human friends filled your feed. Post scattered along the frontpage, many making bets on if you’d even survive, or worse, eaten. Typical, at least they’re acknowledging the activity.

Your battery icon appeared as its battery started to drain. You searched for an outlet, but bumped into a solid surface as you fell to the ground, a limb falling onto you as it flailed in your lap. The figure turned and looked at his nubbed shoulder, turn back to you. "My arm! My arm’s cut off!" He shouted.

You panicked as he stared at the creature, clutching at his arm as he continued. This was it, this was how you were going to end.

"Aaaah hehehe..nah im just messing with ya, it's not broken." He popped off his head and waved it in his palm. "See?" He lowered his head toward your level. "The name's Frankenstein, Frank for short. Put it there." He reaches for you with his shoulder, the knub wiggling in front of you. "Ah right.."

His arm wiggled through yours like fish, worming its way through before Frankenstein placed it back into his socket. Fixing it, he lowered toward you, picking you up by your shirt as he placed you back on your feet.

"There we go, good as new. Say, now that I think about it, I’ve never seen you around."

You opened your mouth to speak, but it shriveled as you looked away.

"Ahh, shy type, I understand. You remind me of Mummy, he always gets a little stage fright nowadays. Say, why don't meet the gang! That should get the ball rolling" he flipped his head, placing it back onto his shoulders. He hoisted you toward his torso, making his way through the hotel as the party continued.

He bumped into other creatures, fur and slimes glossing across your side before the two of you entered a clearing. Poker tables rested to the side, zombies playing cards while vampires played checkers. But Frankestein went further ahead, coming up to a booth where Drac and the others talked.

"Hey boys, sorry I'm late." He greeted them.

"About time you showed up'' Wayne said. “The misses kept ya busy?"

"Nah, more than that, I brought a new pal" he hoisted you from his arm, holding you up like a purse. "Meet this guy.."

You shyly waved toward them, they're gaze meeting yours as you looked away.

"Ah new guy. Well new guy, I hope you enjoy the party." mummy said.

"Yes. Because we got some heavy stuff to kick it up. It's time for.." Drac paused, He swished his cape to the side, bats flying from beneath before a box formed on the table. “Shrink twister."

"Ooo Shrink twister! I love this game!" Frank said. He moved closer as he sat you down on his shoulder. "I haven't played this game in ages."

"Then I think it's time to have a refresher." Drac said.

You were unsure of what to say as Drac mentions the game, his fingers snapping as the booths disappeared. Chairs moved to the walls, a wooden board forming beneath them as dots scattered around. Poles stretch from the corners as curtains draped and formed a dome around you and the gang. You were still confused, but were snapped back into the moment as Frank sat you down upon the floor.

"Alright, now that the games are set, it's time for attire" Drac snapped his fingers, the monsters' clothes evaporating before shorts replaced them. Including your own as the cool wind blew between your legs. "The rules are simple: touch the designated symbol, without touching the white space. The more you touch the white space, the more you shrink."

"Ooo I can't wait to see this one.” Invisible man said. “It took forever for you to grow back Drac."

"Don't remind me" He groaned. "And like our past traditions, we shall start with, the new guy"

You? No no, it can't be you, you haven't played this before. What if you embarrass yourself? You took a step back as you pressed into the curtain, but Frank's meaty palm pressed into you. "Stage fright huh? I remember my first time. But hey, no need to be afraid, you'll be fine."

He ushered you back toward the board, placing you at the starting line as Drac handed symbols to a gargoyle. The creature flipped the cards at a quickening speed, before finally selecting a card. "Red, brain." It said.

You gulped heavily before taking your first step, looking to the wooden floor at the many symbols before you eyed a red one further ahead. You hopped over the white space, landed on the red spot. a corner of your foot slid across as it the white space, a jolt racing through your body as half your size diminished. You flailed to catch your balance, slamming your foot down to straighten yourself.

"Well done, usually newcomers don’t make it that far." Frank congratulated. "Now it's the pros turn."

He took his step onto the starting line, the gargoyle flipping through the pile before it plucked a card. "Blue, slime" it said.

Frank plucked his head from his shoulders and leaned over the board. It hopped around the line until a red spot came into view. Hopping onto it, it rotated as he looked toward you. "Tada!"

"You call that a magic trick? That’s mere amature season." Drac siad. "THIS is how the pros do it."

The gargoyle called the colo, Drac straightened his cloak and transformed into a bat. He swirled around the board like a fly, before hovering over his spot. In a spiral dive, he detransformed as his feet touched the blue symbol, casting his cape as it brushed over frank. "Perfect." He taunted.

"Hey, watch the cape show off!" Frank said, his head wrestling with the black fabric.

The two bickered like children, but it managed to make you laugh, but remained quiet as the game continued. The others took their turn. Mummy used his ribbon to spread his body to the symbols, whereas Wayne used his flexibility to maneuver around. And you, you simply moved your legs, nearly doing a split as you leaned to a yellow square. Your clothes started to sag from your first shrinkage, your pants drooping as you hoisted them back to your waist.

"Having some clothes trouble?" Drac taunted. "It would be a shame if someone were too, interfere" he snapped his fingers as his cape appeared, its tips tilting toward you as it wisped lightly into your ear while the other poked at your body. Your stance wobbled trying to bat away the assault, your hold slipping as your toes clinged to the yellow spot. "Easy does it, you don't want to slip” Drac giggled. “But there can only be one twist KING!"

Another force added onto it, his cape moving back as you looked above. Frank's torso loom led above, arching over the two of you as it bridged to the other side. "Sorry boys, the only green spit is here, hope you don't mind."

"I do mind!" Drac wheezed..

"Don't worry it'll only take a second." Frank replied.

He moved his torso further, pressing into you and Drac. Drac compressed as the weight of the torso pressed at his back, his hold on his stance waning as the weight increased. It slowly pressed into you, your toes sliding off the spot on the board as the electric feeling returned. Your size began to diminish, your pants sagging to the floor as your underwear slipped off. You grabbed for them, your hold slipping as you flailed to regain your balance.

But it was too late. You crashed upon the white space on the board, your size shrinking until your form fit into the spot you once stood on. "Out." The gargoyle announced. You looked around at the now towering monsters, each making their move upon the board as a foot and a paw landed upon the other spots. Grunts lingered above, Drac crouching to his knees to support the tub of weight that was frank.

The two bickered as his hold waned, his foot slipping off the spot as his size diminished as well. He tried to move himself back, but lost his footing as Frank's leg rested upon his designated spot. The count's cape fell just next to you, movement lingering before a naked dracula took to the top of the cape.

"Darn it frank! Now I'm out!" Drac shouted.

"Sorry Drac, no hard feelings right?"

"Oh I'll show you no hard feelings." He replied. He looked toward you as his eyes pierced through your soul. "Come on, let's show him the consequences of sabotage." He transformed into a bat. Even at a small size, he was like a giant pterodactyl compared to you. You already came this far, why not see it through. You took a breath before you nodded at the Drac’s request.

He flapped over you, grabbing you by the shoulders as he flew toward Frank's torso. You used your feet to tap around the large figure, snagging off a button off his shorts, before snagging on one of his pockets. "Hey, that's foul play!" Frank shouted from across the board. He wiggled his torso to swat at the two of you, Drac evading them like pillars as he flew in for another go.

You eye the torso carefully, finding weak spots for Drac to charge for next. The torso shifted and bucked, Drac lowering below the legs as he orbited around it. And there you saw it, gray skin exposing themselves from the back of its pants, a bubbled crack jiggling over the edge. You pointed toward it, Drac following your finger.

"Daring new guy huh? Alright then, let's do it!" He flew in, maneuvering past the flaps of Frank's shirt as your target came into view. Arching back, he flung you forward. You clutched your arms together and penciled your legs as you entered the past Frankenstein's shorts, darting through the gray cheeks like a torpedo as you plummeted to the center of the crack.

It was dim between the bubbled mounds of flesh, muscle clinging to you like a balloon as its warmth radiated your skin. Frank’s grunts and groans muffled from outside, the mass off his crack twisting as it dragged you deeper. Muscles squeaked past your legs as the warmth increased, a puckered hole appearing from the dimmed space as it cushioned your descent. You were deeper than you expected, and more earthy too, but that wasn't gonna deter you from your objective. You spread your limbs to create a meat pocket for yourself, flesh contracting as they forced you Into a crouch. You pushed into their bombardments like a car jack, prying them just enough as the large butt plonked around.

"H-hey! You-…hehe..can't do that!"

"Oh yes he can, mess him up, new guy" Drac cheered.

You wiggled faster upon the encouragement, your body slipping as the puckered hole gummed around your back. If it weren't for your hold, you'd be jammed inside in an instant. But thankfully, you had other plans in mind. You pushed a foot along the side of the rim, digging inward as Frank rear clenched.

Gravity suddenly shifted, butterflies ringing through your stomach as it hurtled downward. A thud boomed through the mass of flesh, a pulse following before the surrounding flesh began to spasm and shrink. Time to leave, you didn't want to be caught in a second shrink. You loosened your hold as ass flesh raced toward your side. It was like swimming through an ocean of tar, the spasming muscle too thick to force, but rather maneuver as you squeezed past the sweat covered walls. Light soon appeared ahead, slitted into a slim lining as the crack contracted. You pushed your limbs in between and pulled them apart, the underwear slipping as the party came to view.

His butt shrunk faster, pinning your sides together as they diminished in size. In a firm squeeze, you were launched into the air, flailing as your body turned aimlessly. But pairs of talons caught you, wings spanning above. "That's what I'm talking about!" Drac said. Swooping past the falling torso as it crashed to the board and shrunk.

"Out." The gargoyle announced.

"Ah what?" Frank groaned. "I still got my head."

"Let's see you try and move it without your body" drac said.

"Oh please, I can move my head around with ease. See?" He wobbled in place, leaning to a red spot next him. But toppled over, shrinking along with his body. " Okay, I see your point."

Hours passed since the party started. Most of the guests had left to attend newer activities, while others hung out at the snack bar. Near the exit, you and the gang talked as you prepared to head off.

"That was an amazing game, you two really brought on the heat." Mummy said.

"The heat? No no, I simmered in this one. But the new guy, they really brought out the heat."

You blushed, rubbing at your head as you looked away. A large fist wrapped around you, hoisting you into a sleeved jacked as a stitched hand ruffled your hair. "They sure did." Frank chimed in. "To think you'd be as daring to be a butt diver. And I thought invisible man was bold"

"Hey, I heard that!"

Laughter ensued from the group, you joining in as you as you shook your head. A ring soon came from your phone, a text from the folks that came to check up on you. The party was just about over, and it was time to return back to your normal life. "Ay, what's wrong bud, you gotta leave?"

You sighed as you nodded at the question, slinking out of Frank's arm. You prepared to head out, but fingers plucked you up and brought you back. "Well then, you're not leaving without a good old send off."

"Again with the sentimentals, Frank?" Drac playfully shook his head. "What you want to post it to your blog?"

"Yes!..I-I mean..no."

"I thought so, alright alright bring it in"

Frank placed you on his shoulders before making his way back to the group. Grouping into a huddle before a gargoyle floated in front of you all. "Say, Brains"

"Brains!"

You returned home and entered your room. Resting on the bed before you scrolled through your feed. The same photos would be there, your folks sharing their moments as they filled the bottom of the page. When you made a post about the party, you were bombarded with the other’s responses, many survived that you made it out. You rolled your eyes and prepared to close the media, but a message popped up in your notifications. A photo was attached to it, you and the monsters posing at the screen as bunny ears rested above your head.

A message read below. "You're hard to find new guy, I hope you had a blast at the party, hope to catch you at the next one."

You smiled at the screen, wiping a tear from your eye as you scrolled to the post. Sharing it, other users followed as well as other monsters. Resting back along your pillow, you pondered on the luck you've had. Perhaps going to that party wasn't too bad after all.

[moliathh]

hellsing and the case study of vanitas crossover would be so cool omg i like how blonde hair green eyed monster-hunter priest that is overly enthusiastic, have superhuman strength thanks to medical enhancement, is a big brother to others in his team and is only loyal to god is a universal thing in both of this media

cute short haired vampire girls with big ahh weapons

and a lot of vampires too (basically vanitas no carte is a manga about vampires)

it would be amusing to see alucard in this setting because according to the vanitas lore vampires are born under red moons and those born under blue moon are cursed, alucard was born in sunrise so hes built different plus that would be interesting to see a new type of vampire being introduced in the vanitas universe

in the vanitas setting there were vampires everywhere but they function and disguise like humans until there is a type of vampire rabbies that make them go bloodlust 🧎‍♂️ i would like to see alucard get sick with this typa rabbies too

and the vampire biology in vanitas universe allowed vampire and human crossbreed into half vampire half human called dhampir 😭 omg alutegra can have kids in this setting

and the difference is that vanitas is set in france while hellsing is set in england, that explain the big difference in attire etiquette (vanitas is set in 19th century and hellsing is set in 20th)

probably it have to be some sort of time travelling shenanigans that get the hellsing cast into vanitas universe where women dressing in breeches is not new but guns like hellsing arms is definitely a refreshing addition to the lack of gun as a weapon choice in vanitas no carte

i like how the vanitas cast are mostly bourgeois and dressed like one while the hellsing cast is also very high status but due to their job requirementsthey dress in uniforms like military force, it is stated in gonzoverse that there are other true vampires besides alucard that fly under the radar and was not exterminated since they did not pose a threat (idk if hellsing knew about helena’s existence but im sure they must had known and with the way helena phrased it there are more than only her and alucard) so despite france in vanitas universe being swarmed with vampires in hiding i dont think the hellsing cast would butcher them all since the vampires in vanitas universe live by vampire’s underground codes and rules forbid them from attacking human to protect their own people from hunters too

also vanitas no carte is a manga i would recommend because the WOMEN

[apuff]

@thankyouforthev3n0m

the cats of ulthar is pretty fun, it features bad thing happening to cats but it turns out pretty okay in the end (TRYING SO HARD NOT TO SPOIL)*

the nameless city is one of the best "spooky ancient society ahh" hpl type things that he wrote, it's pretty orientalist tho

2. the quest of iranon is cool*

3. the other gods is fun, like a lot of these i feel like they're supposed to be scary but i just find them to be fun and kinda campy? it's odd *

4. the music of erich zann (i forgor the spelling) is cool

5. sweet ermengarde is great because it's absolutely not horror or fantasy and it's just this weird spoof satire story

6. herbert west- already explained why it's good

7. the unnamable is weirdly meta and for that reason i find it to be refreshing

8. in the vault is just kinda crazy and i like how simple the premise is

9. cool air is just wack. somehow hpl is afraid of both spanish people and AIR CONDITIONING in this and for that reason it is funny

10. pickman's model is iconic and hilarious and pretty well executed (idk if i am SUPPOSED to find it funny but it's great )

11. the strange high house in the mist- kinda just weird and atmospheric *

12. the dream quest of unknown kadath, i think is almost the longest thing he wrote. it's kind of like an extremely long winded and vibes based stoner fantasy

(okay i looked this up and i couldn't find any actual definition of the phrase stoner fantasy but i just mean it's weirdly trippy and dreamy fantasy)

anyways it's pretty good if you lean into it

13. the colour out of space, i already explained why it's good

the alchemist and the tomb aren't that good since he wrote them when he was so young but they're kind of neat to hear anyway (actually the tomb just makes me sad but in sort of an interesting way)

*part of this thing called the dream cycle which is all set in this special stoner fantasy dream world and shares names and places and events

hpl recommendations OVERRR

[bunnyandcomet]

Kamiya: Personal Story 1

✧ Proofreader: Aca (@463ce6)

✧ Characters: Kamiya, Akehoshi

Kamiya: ……Haah, I really like the smell of this hand soap. I end up taking longer than usual to wash my hands……oh? Shinkai-san?

Soyogu: ……

Kamiya: (......He sleeps like a warrior.)

Past 3 am. In the short time I’ve been away from my seat, Shinkai-san has fallen asleep sitting up with his arms still crossed, exactly as I’d left him.

Shinobu-kun had greeted and mounted the bed with an “I may be inexperienced, but I look forward to working with you”, and he’s currently lying spread-eagled, sound asleep.

A little while ago, Akehoshi-kun said “I think I might need to have a word with the floor over here” before lowering himself to the ground and falling asleep. I look over at him next and smile a little.

Kamiya: (I guess we went pretty hard today too.)

Taking care not to make any loud noises, I slowly start to tidy up the table.

Something small rolls and falls off.

Kamiya: (? Ah, Shinobu-kun’s ring. Right, he took it off when we were thumb wrestling and left it here so he wouldn’t lose—) !

When I stand up to put it on the desk, the tip of my foot nudges Akehoshi-kun’s leg slightly.

Akehoshi: Nnnaah……? ……Ahh……Kamiyan……?

Kamiya: Sorry for waking you up.

Akehoshi: Mm-mm. I kinda feel like I had a dream just then.

Kamiya: What kind of dream?

Akehoshi: I dove into a suuuper big takoyaki, and then in the middle of it there was, like, a takoyaki ball pool.

Kamiya: We were talking about takoyaki before you fell asleep.

Akehoshi: Yeah, that’s definitely gotta be why. So I thought, well ain’t this an all-you-can-eat, and started munching……But just when I realised there wasn’t any octopus or other stuff inside, it suddenly went pitch black.

Kamiya: Huh?

Akehoshi: And then I realised, “Oh, I’m the one gettin’ eaten.” The punchline is that the ingredient was me. Kinda comedic, ain’t it?

Kamiya: More like the best horror story I’ve heard recently.

Akehoshi: Thanks to you, I avoided the worst part of it. Ya helped me just when it was gettin’ dangerous. However can I repay ya?

Kamiya: Ahaha! Well then, how about we tidy this up together, and then get Shinkai-san and Shinobu-kun into bed?

Akehoshi: Man, you’re always thinkin’ of others, huh. Ya should let loose and get more drunk.

Kamiya: It’s fine. I always have a ton of fun.

Splitting the work between us, we finish tidying up in no time and head outside to avoid waking the other two.

Akehoshi: Ahh, it’s freezin’……Yura might not be able to wake up tomorrow if it’s like this.

Kamiya: It's pretty hard to get out of bed now, right? But I like this wintry air quite a bit too.

Akehoshi: Yer the type who feels refreshed by the cold, huh.

Kamiya: Yeah. Haah. It’s chilly, but it feels kind of good, so maybe I’ll go for a little walk and sober myself up.

Akehoshi: A walk……phew. I might join ya, then.

Kamiya: I appreciate the offer, but your voice already sounds half-asleep. Don’t worry about me and go back to your room.

Akehoshi: I am tired, but if I crash out now, I’ll probably just see more takoyaki. If it won’t be a bother, let me come with.

Kamiya: Coming here at night feels kind of new.

Akehoshi: Do you come here at other times?

Kamiya: Pretty much every morning, since it’s on my running route. And then I come back again a few hours later.

Akehoshi: Yer amazing. I definitely wouldn’t be able to keep up the early mornings or the running. I’d take a break one day and my streak would end there.

Kamiya: I totally get that. The fact that Urara’s there too is a pretty big part of why I’ve somehow been able to keep going.

Akehoshi: Ohh, I see. You go running together, right? We live in the same place and work at the same shop, but I don’t really get the chance to see Urara-kun much.

Kamiya: Want to come running in the morning with us? You can see him every day.

Akehoshi: Ahh, here we are. The view from this place is real nice.

Kamiya: Ahaha, I’ve been rejected.

Akehoshi: Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I don’t want to meet him.

Kamiya: I know.

Laughing, I stand next to Akehoshi-kun, who’s come to a stop at a random place.

We’re in the park, which was just the right distance away for a walk. I gaze out at the scenery that we can see from the hill and take a slow, deep breath like I always do.

Kamiya: ……This might be my favourite place in Shibuya.

Akehoshi: Here?

Kamiya: Yeah.

Akehoshi: It wins out over Aporia and HappyDough?

Kamiya: Ah, wait. Now I’m not sure.

Akehoshi: Ahaha! Why here? Do you like high places?

Kamiya: Hmm. I’ve never climbed anything that high, but I guess I like them. Doesn’t it make you excited to think that you’re closer to the sky than normal?

Akehoshi: Kamiyan, yer the kinda guy who suits the sky. Especially the blue sky.

Kamiya: Never heard of that before. I think you suit both the blue sky and the night sky.

Akehoshi: I dunno about that. If we’re talkin’ ‘bout people with a night sky vibe, Kyoya-san or Haruhi-san come to mind.

Kamiya: How about Kiho-san?

Akehoshi: Nah?

Kamiya: So he’s different, then.

Akehoshi: Kiho-san doesn’t have a twinkly, shiny vibe. His face is a radiant beauty, though.

Kamiya: Twinkly and shiny?

Akehoshi: Like twinkle twinkle little star, and shine bright like a diamond, you know?

Kamiya: Ahh, stars……

Now that he mentions it, I think as I look up at the sky. But although morning is still far away, I can’t find anything shining there.

Akehoshi: Well, that’s the big city for you. The buildings are way brighter than the sky.

Kamiya: True.

The twinkling, shining city, stretching far into the distance.

Kamiya: ……

Just as I’m thinking about how beautiful that scene is…

Suddenly, I feel a twinge. And then, a dull pain inside my head.

Akehoshi: ……Kamiyan?

Kamiya: Watch.

Even if you were the only one in the world, as long as you were on my side, I could jump.

Freer, higher, than anyone else.

(Beep)

???: Why weren’t you watching properly? They took such good care of you. That’s why I told you to stop. Because of that nonsense… This is your fault. Yours. You…

???: …How can you have the nerve to live on?

(Ker-chak)

Higher, higher. So that you’ll be able to hear me.

Kamiya: ……I’m sorry.

So that this hand will never reach you again, no matter what.

Don't hesitate—just, jump.

Akehoshi: Kamiyan.

Kamiya: Eh?

Akehoshi: ……You good?

I hear Akehoshi-kun say my name in a kind yet unusually firm voice, and I turn towards him.

Kamiya: (.......Huh. Just now……what was that?) ……Yikes. I might’ve fallen asleep standing up.

Akehoshi: Impressive. Your eyes were still open, too.

Kamiya: Seriously?

Akehoshi: For real. I called out your name a few times. If ya didn’t respond to the next one, I was gonna shake ya.

Kamiya: Sorry. I don’t know why, but I think I had a dream just then.

Akehoshi: A dream?

Kamiya: Yeah. I forgot it when I woke up, but…

(Wind blows)

Kamiya: ……

Akehoshi: Well, it happens.

Kamiya: Yeah……

Akehoshi: ……Let’s head back, Kamiyan. It’s pretty here, but it’s chilly. We’d better not stay out here too long.

Akehoshi says that softly, then smiles. I smile back and nod in response.

Kamiya: Shall we?

Under the sky that neither twinkles nor shines, we chatter on about trivial things as we return the way we came.

The unceasing wind continues to blow.

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression: Vol.23 - Watching Hanshin vs. Orix in the Japan series.

·Kaoru explaining Hanshin's progress so far, imagining himself doing the ceremonial first pitch, and learning English through the window of the Hanshin Tigers.

J: Ah this is an important moment...whats his name? Dongu?

T: Not Dongu, TONGU.

J: Oh, Tongu! This must be the most important moment of the game so far.

T: Ah, it's exciting!

J: This must be the most important moment so far....go on, go on!

K, J, T: Aghhhh!

J: Eh?! Was that a walk?

K: No, no.

J: Its three balls, one strike??

K: Yes

J: The batter chose not to swing there, right?

K: Yeah

J: Or he just couldn't manage it?

K: Well, it could be either.

J: Come on, come on, come on!

T: Oh, a strike!

J: A strike?! Ohh, interesting from Tongu.

K: Haha, you just wanna say that!

T: Hang on, hang on! The broadcast started!

J: No way! We are on air already?? Leader, do the greeting!

K: Im Tongu.

J: Tongu! And im Hikomaro!

K: No, not Hikomaro, he isn't even there!

J: No, but there is that one who looks like him though, right?

K: Ah, Mune! Are you trying to mock him??

J: No no, the Orix players are...

J, K, T: Ahhhhhhh!

J: Yeahhh, lets go!!

K: This is what I like.

J: Crisis averted, right?

K: Yeah.

J: Easy going from now.

K: Ahh, we're off! At last.

T: Yeah, haha, at last.

J: Yep, and we can finally get started with Niconama too.

T: Oh, we're on niconama today?

J: Yes, we are! Look at all the comments!

T: Thanks for all the comments!

K: But we are also on Youtube too.

J: Yep, so today we are watching the 4th game of the Nihon series on the channel...what is it? Hulu?

K: Yes, Hulu.

J: Yes, so we are watching it on Hulu. We can't show you our screen, so if you have a spare screen, get it on at home too.

*Kaoru reaches behind to update the score on the white board, and writes a big 0 for Orix*

T: Ah, yes. This is Kaoru's job today.

J: What a big zero!

K: Yeah, I wanna fill all the rest like this too! haha

J: Haha, yeah. By the way, today's broadcast is titled 'Go go Tigers! Aiming for Japan no.1 special!!'

*applause*

J: So we are gonna have a drink while watching the game! We will do a toast soon, so everyone at home please have a drink ready too. Ok, Leader, its the 4th game, right? So, could you please explain what that means for people who know nothing about it (myself included), and tell us what has happened in the Nihon series so far.

K: Well, for the Nihon series, the first team to get 4 wins is Japan champion. Today is the 4th game, Hanshin won the first game, Orix won the 2nd game, and Orix won the 3rd game. We'll have to see what happens in the 4th game today.

J: So at this point, Hanshin have won 1 and lost 2?

K: Yeah

J: How did they score in that first game?

K: 8 - 0

J: Yeahhhh!

T: And Kaoru, did you say you were there for that game??

K: Yes, I went to Kyocera Dome to watch it.

J: Ohhhh! Where are our souvenirs??

K: I forgot, haha

J: You forgot to bring us souvenirs??! Thats the most important thing!

K: I left them at the studio, we've just been rehearsing for the tour. I did buy some Hanshin manju type things, but I left them all in the studio for everyone. I didn't bring any here.

J: Ahh, it would have been great to eat those now while supporting the team! Anyway, how was it at the game??

K: It was good, it was my first time to watch baseball at Kyocera dome, so it was quite refreshing.

J: Ahh, were there fewer Hanshin fans there?

K: Hmm, no, about half and half.

J: And it was a thrashing victory with 8-0.

K: Hm, is thrashing the right word? haha

J: Yes, of course it is! I bet you enjoyed it..How did you feel?

K: Oh, I felt great.

T: Haha, I've never seen Kaoru this happy.

J: You can see how happy he is with the way he just leaned back slightly then! haha. We don't see this very often. Look, that comment says 'I'm gad they won when you went'.

K: Yeah, absolutely. Because the next day, the score totally flipped, we lost 8-0.

J: Ahh, that badly? Leader, your presence is good luck for the team.

K: Yeah right?? I need to go to all the games.

J: Thats right! So what happened in the 3rd game?

K: That was yesterday at Koshien. We lost 5-4. We started to catch up towards the end, but couldn't make it in the end. Hanshin have a bit of a self destructive image when they lose. They tend to make a lot of errors and stuff. But they are not like that today...Anyway, in the 2nd and 3rd games, Orix gained the upper hand.

J: Hm, yeah. Hanshin couldn't take it back. And today is the 4th game...what innings are they in now?

K: The third innings.

J: And Hanshin are in attack.

K: Yes...Oyama, he just hasn't got the hang of it yet today.

J: Who is Oyama, what does he do?

K: He is a baseball player.

J: Yes, but what number/position etc?

K: He is number 3, and in first.

J: And despite this, he isn't hitting??

K: I'm not sure whether 'despite this' applies here, haha.

T: He just isn't hitting today.

J: Ah, he is not in good form today?

T: Yeah

J: But Hanshin are in the lead, right? How did they manage that?

T: Oh look, its Neuse!!

K: Ah, yes, good good.

J: Who was that?

K: Neuse.

T: Neuse is in good form.

K: Yeah, he is.

J: So now...

T: What?

J: Hm? Hang on?...Neuse leaves base, bottom of the third innings, Hanshin in attack, 2 out, Neuse hits, passes first base. Won't they score points from here on?

K: Yeah, I think so.

J: Ah, so its still ok.

K: Can't we have a drink yet?

J: Oh, ok.

K: Haha

J: Let me just explain the show quickly! Even if you don't like baseball, you can still enjoy this show. And we are always taking your messages, you all know this, right? Any, thoughts, comments, questions, please send them in. X (formerly Twitter) users can use the tag TFOE. The first part of the show is free for anyone to watch, but the second part is for channel members only, so you need to be a member if you want to watch to the end. If you join, you can watch this broadcast in the archives for 1 year, and there are also members only videos too, so please join using the link at the top of the screen. Also, in the second part of the show today we will be asking Kaoru all about the European tour scheduled for next year.

T: Loads of variety!

J: Thats right. You can't miss it!! Ok, Leader, its time for a toast! Everyone at home, join us too. Just a sec, Leader...ok ready now.

K: Joe, you can do it.

J: No no, you have to.

T: *raises hand* Ok, I'll do it.

K: *raises hand* No, I'll do it. (※This is a reference to a tv comedy skit by ダチョウ倶楽部/Ostrich Club, where the third guy is tricked into raising his hand to volunteer for something after seeing the other two raise theirs first)

J: Eh?! Who? Ok, Leader, you do it.

T: Agghh, haha

K: Agghh, of course, he doesn't watch tv so he doesn't get it!

J: Eh?! What?!

K: Nothing, nothing.

J: Ahh, Im sorry I ruined the joke!...Oh, it was that Ostrich method??

K: Of course, it was.

J: I just saw someone write it in the comments, haha.

K: Anyway, lets have a drink and enjoy watching the Nihon Series...Kanpai!

J, T: Kanpai!

J: So, Leader, they won when you went to the stadium, so we should support them as if we were there in the stadium today.

K: Of course!

J: That way it will help. If we half-heartedly support them, our support won't reach them.

K: Ahh, yes, thats right.

J: We've really got to be out of the ordinary.

K: Haha, you are so excited.

T: Joe, you know the least about baseball of all of us, yet you are the most excited.

J: No, but we've really got to imagine ourselves at Koshien! Is that where this is?

K: Yes...We have to?

J: Absolutely.

T: There is a comment saying Kaoru's hat is cute! Its unusual, right?

J: Was this a specially made item?

K: No, these are regular merch. It comes in different colours, even blue etc. You wouldn't be able to tell it was Hanshin merch just at a glance.

J: No, you wouldn't.

T: Isn't this one an unusual colour though?

K: I bought this years ago.

J, T: Ehh?

J: Ahh, yes, there is all sorts of Hanshin merch. You know, I wanted to wear that Hanshin happi to support the team today, but the staff forgot to bring it.

T: Haha, you should prepare that yourself.

J: I was thinking about wearing that pink happi, so I wore like totally room wear to go under it.

K: Haha, room wear? That doesn't matter.

J: Haha, well, whatever I'm wearing I'm at Koshien in spirit.

K: Yeah. Ah, I'll just update the scoreboard.

J: Oh, yeah. So, last time we had Morikawa Toshiyuki on the show, right? That was fun. What did you think, Leader?

K: Oh, I'm so grateful to him...Coming on a show like this.

J: Yeah, and he supports the Baystars.

K: Yeah, I felt sorry.

J: Yeah, cause they didn't do well, right?

T: Haha, he even came in here singing Rokkou Oroshi.

K: I'm really grateful to him.

T: There are not many people who know as much about professional baseball as he does.

J: He is such a great guy, we had a lot of fun. Yeah, we laughed a lot. If you are a channel member you can rewatch it in the archives. There are comments coming in saying it was incredible, and that Morikawa san was perfect at singing Rokkou Oroshi!

T: It would be good if we could do that kind of thing again sometime.

J: Yeah, last time was perfect though, with those talk topics and Morikawa san's personality. Anyway, today we are watching the Hanshin vs. Orix game, and I'm sure things will get exciting whenever the game heats up, but in the meantime the staff have prepared various fun things for us to talk about. So lets sandwich some of these in while we watch the game. The first topic is 'Dream ceremonial pitch'!

*applause*

J: Don't hold back, everyone! We gotta show our support! Ok, loads of different people have done the ceremonial pitch before, right? So I'm gonna ask both Kaoru and Tasai, if you were to do the ceremonial pitch, how would you do it? What music would you enter to, what would you wear, how would you throw etc, etc. Its a brilliant topic to talk about!

K: Who did the ceremonial pitch today? That rugby guy? The one who never smiles.

T: Was it Inagaki....?

J: Inagaki Goro? (*member of SMAP.....Kaoru is actually referring to rugby player Inagaki Keita*)

K: Not Inagaki Goro! haha

J: Haha, I don't know. Ah! Is it that half Japanese guy who looks like Inagaki Goro??

T: Haha, no no. Ah, *reading comments* it seems like his name is Inagaki though.

J: We just can't remember his given name.

K: Well, anyway, he did the ceremonial pitch today.

J: How do they actually choose who does it?

K: We should have asked Morikawa san this last time!

J: Right! He has done it before, hasn't he?!

T: I guess the team just choose someone.

J: Kaoru, have you ever been asked to do it?

K: Haha, no.

J: Oh, but to have a world famous musician like you sypporting them so much...!

K: No no.

T: What are they thinking by not asking you?!

J: Right?!

K: Guys, stop talking like this! They'll never ask me now, hahaha.

T: Hanshin players, please consider it!!

J: Look, there are comments saying they want you to do the ceremonial pitch! Anyway, Leader, if you did do it, how would you like it to be?

K: Hmm, well, I don't really like it when people try to make it all about them...

J: Ahh, some people are like that when they do this, right? I mean, I havnt really seen many people doing it though.

T: Yeah, it is often like that.

K: So, I would probably just go out, greet the crowd, and simply throw the ball.

T: Yeah, Joe, did you know, celebrities and such who do the ceremonial pitch often get booed if they try to appeal to the crowd to much. Its like, "Just get on with it!"

K: Yeah, cause no-one is there to see that.

J: Its unnecessary, right?

T: Yeah, sometimes that happens. But when Yanagisawa Shingo did it, they crowd was pretty happy....You know who that is, right?

J: Ah, yes, that comedian right?

T: Yeah

K: Well, if its someone very famous who everyone knows, it works.

J: Ah, its tough, it only works with big names. What does that comment say?

T: 'Degawa(Testurō) took his trousers off'...

K: Ah, someone like Degawa san is fun, you'd wanna see that, right?

J: Yeah! But Kaoru, you would just keep it very simple?

K: Yeah.

J: What about you, Tasai? How would you do it? Gyōza themed?

T: Im not all about gyōza, you know!

J: A gyōza shaped glove or something? Oh, what just happened in the game? He is out?

K: Yeh, at second base.

T: I mean, I'd probably want to do something UFO or kappa related. I'd do it with determination.

J: Well, Tokyo Sports are big enough misfits for that to work.

T: Haha, someone wrote 'throw a gyōza'

K: Throw a gyōza??

J: They wouldn't expect that!

T: They'd be asking me to leave! haha

J: Leader, someone just asked in the comments 'Would you do it if you were asked?'

K: Well, yeah, I wanna do it.

T: Hanshin, please consider it!

J: Ahh, so you wouldn't hesitate if you were asked. But, hey, its quite a long throw, right?

K: Yeah, I don't know if my throw would reach far enough. But remember, Morikawa san warned against practicing too much, or you'll be unable to throw on the day.

J: Yeah, but its a bit embarrassing if your throw doesn't reach.

K: Yeah, it might not.

J: What would you do then?

K: Well, yeah, cause most people have never thrown a ball from that kinda raised mound before, right? You have to throw it from above.

J: How high is that mound?

T: Quite high, but it depends on the stadium.

J: Really? So the pitchers have to maintain their accuracy even at different heights in each stadium?

T: Well, pitchers do have preferences about which mounds are easier or harder for them. And teams will even alter the mounds in their stadium to try to put the opposition to a disadvantage.

J: Ahh, to make it harder for them? This is such a grown ups' game!

T: Haha.

J: It all depends on so many factors, even with the top players.

K: Well, I guess because they are only active for a short time.

T: Kaoru, if you did the ceremonial first pitch, would you walk out to a DIR song? Like in that movie 'Major Leage'?

K: No no no, whatever the team preapres in advance is fine with me.

J: No, but I think the team would ask you about the music, since you are a musician.

K: No, I'd be fine with just a normal introduction, then just getting on with it. Playing a song of ours deliberatly, then walking in is really cringe!

J: Haha

K: I'd feel like apologizing!

T: Haha, I see.

J: Ah, whats going on with the game?? Do we need to check it?

T: *reading comments* 'Kaoru can throw towels to the 2nd floor'. Have you done that before??

K: Yeah, I think so.

T: Ehhh?! Do they reach that far?

K: If you drench them in water they do. And you have to throw underarm. Throwing overarm wouldn't work.

T: You are really good at underarm throwing. You throw all those picks too, right?

J: Yeah, and you squirt water out from your water bottle. I like that, its kinda kinky.

T: Haha, really??

K: Yeah, cause thats the only way Joe sees the world.

J: Its true!

K: Haha

J: I'm embarrassingly pervy about everything. Do you have a problem wth that? haha. Anyway, I'm going all out today, remember.

T: Ah yes, right. 'Joe always brings up dirty topics'.

J: Anyway, lets just check on the game.

T: Hirooka is doing well.

J: What doea Hirooka do?

T: He is a baseball player.

J: No, I mean his order and position etc.

T: He is number 8, but...hm, Im not sure.

*K eats cheese and ham snack*

J: This is no time to be eating ham.

K: But I'm hungry.

*J and T discuss the game for a few secs while K concentrates on eating snacks*

K: Mm, this tastes good.

J: Yeah, ham and cheese. I complained that the snacks were too cheap looking before, so now they are a bit more luxurious.

K: Ahh, ham, cheese, and crackers gives off more of a distinguished air, right?

J: Yeah. If people donate to us, we might get even better snacks.

K: Nah, I dont mind..You're the one who makes the most noise about this. Its you who got our bentos changed to curry.

J: Ah, yes! I really love that curry, but there is a yakiniku restaurant on the first floor of this building, right? And before now we've had yakiniku bentos, so today I avoided meat all day in anticipation, I was kinda disappointed we got curry again.

K: You're the one who made them give us curry!!

J: No, but this is the time and place for yakiniku! When are we gonna get yakiniku bentos again??

K: Haha

T: Joe, you are so noisy about food! You were eating more curry than us today!

J: Because I'd been saving myself all day! I was so hungry! You know that nice cafe nearby here? Its closed on wednesdays, so I couldn't go there. But I figured it would be ok if I was having yakiniku later. And then I almost got myself a steamed bun from the convenience store, but I decided not to in the end. And then I got here, and it was curry!! But actually, curry is more like Hanshin colours, so its for the best!

K: Hahaha, what a fuss.

T: You know, that curry comes with potatoes too? He was like, 'Ahh, maybe I shouldn't eat the potatoes..' But then he covered them in butter and ate them anyway.

J: Yes! And that led onto an interesting debate about whether this curry was made in Europe, remember?! Or was it a European style curry made in Japan??

K: Where are you going with this?? haha

T: Deflection, deflection.

J: If Hanshin win today, Kaoru, you should buy us yakiniku.

K: Oh, okay. Who knows what will happen, but thats ok with me.

J: Good, I can't stop thinking about yakiniku today.

T: You never shut up about food, haha.

J: I'm going all out today, remember?

T: Joe, the staff are trying to tell you something.

J: Huh? Ah, ok. Move onto the next topic about the Hanshin dictionary....thats enough about curry, haha.

K: We'll be getting complaints.

J: *reading comments* 'If Hanshin win, please sing Rokkou Oroshi'. Ah, yeah. Ok, so the next topic is about the 'Genius Japanese-English Hanshin dictionary' where many of the example sentences are Hanshin themed. I didn't realise something like this existed!

K: Yeah, I was surprised.

J: There are over 60 Hanshin related sentences. I think a lot of the editors are from Kansai, so thats why they made this version.

K: Oh, I see.

J: Yeah, so lets have a look at some of the examples. Are we gonna show them? No? I just read them out? Ok. For example the word 'atsui'. In English you'd say 'excited' - to be excited about something', right? So, the example is 'kare ha Tigers no koto to naru to, sugu atsukunaru'. Tasai, could you read that out in English?

K: Haha

T: 'He gets excited at any mention of the Tigers'.

J: Thats it! 'Tigers' at the end there, its great! The next one is 'uchimakuru' (hit a volley). I feel like thats not the type of word you'd usually need to look up though.

K: Right.

J: The example is 'Sakuya Tigers ha Giants aite ni hitto wo uchimakutta'

K: You never need to say that though.

T: In English, 'The Tigers got a lot of hits against the Giants last night'

J: Yeah, but with 'uchimakuru' the potential is there to use it. And you can use 'atsui' for people like me getting excited about sports. But the problem comes next, with 'oeru'...'to end something'. There is no reason to use this word about Hanshin, right?

K: Yeah

T: Haha

K: Yeah, its not a good meaning.

J: Yeah, because with hits and things, they still have that potential.

K: 'to end' is difficult to use.

J: The editors have thought hard about this one! The example sentence is, 'Kare ha Hanshin Tigers no guraundo seibiin toshite sono shōgai wo oeta.

K: It can be done! hahaha. But this sentence would probably never be used outside Hanshin fans.

J: No

T: Everyone, please check out this dictionary.

J: Yeah. Tasai could you read out the translation of that last one?

T: 'He ended his days as a groundskeeper for the Hanshin Tigers.'

J: Isn't this show great?! You can study English while you watch!

K: This one is good too.

J: Which one? Leader, which one do you like??

K: 'Tigers no roku senshu ga ponpon to home run'

J: haha

T: 'Six different players cracked....' haha

K: What does that even mean? Do we ever say 'ponpon to home run'??

J: You wouldn't have much need to say that to a foreigner.

K: But!! Today we will need to use it! Hahaha

J: Yehhhy, hahaha. And when that happens, you can say it in English, Leader!!

K: This one too, 'machigainai' (no doubt)

J: What does it say?

K: 'Tigers ga shiai ni katsu koto ha machigainai' (There is no doubt that the Tigers will win the game)

J: Ohhh, yeah. That, and ponpon are good. Leader, you will have to shout 'Ponpon!!' in English later.

T: How do you say it in English?.....'cracked'. It says 'machigainai' is 'on ice'....'The Tigers have the game on ice'

K: Shouldn't it be 'nice'? Or is it supposed to be 'ice'?

J: It might be an English idiom. They use idioms, like for heavy rain, there is an idiom about 'cats and something'

T: Oh, really?

J: Yeh, there is. How about this one.... 'ryūnin'. 'Fan no ōku ga Okada kantoku no ryūnin wo nozondeiru' (Many fans want Manager Okada to stay in office)

K: Well, there's no reason to make him quit.

J: Yeah. Ah, someone commented, 'Kaoru, make an example sentence'.... in Japanese.

K: A Tigers sentence?

J: Yes, and then the staff will use Chat GP and put it into English.

T: Thats a good idea.

K: Hmm..

J: Something that you wouldn't usually expect to see in a JP-EN dictionary. Anything is ok.

K: Hmmm.....uhhhh......'Jama'! (obstruction)

J: Jama?? Hanshin related?　Uhhh...ok.....jama.....uhh, ok.... go ahead...

T:...Uh..

J: Ah, ok, Leader then...

K: .Hm?...What are you asking for?

T: Right? haha

J: I've been talking too much, I'm too tired now, haha.

K: You want me to say the sentence, right?

J: Haha, yeh, I'm exhausted now, I'm just zoning out.

K: He's tired himself out after all that.

J: Haha, I'm 55, leave me alone! Haha, someone wrote 'Its mystery hour'. I don't know what I'm doing any more, haha.

T: Haha, you were so energetic at the start, and now you are totally burned out!

J: Yeah, ahhh, I'm tired. Ok, Leader, say your sentence.

K: Ok, so at their stadium, Koshien stadium....'kousokudōro ga jama de mienai'. (The highway obstructs the view of the stadium)

J, T: Ahhh

J: Really?

K: Yeah, its really close. From here to that wall is the same distance between the wall of the stadium and the highway.

T: Yeah

K: So you can't see the big 'Koshien Stadium' written on the stadium wall. (※TN: But you can if you drive on the highway past the stadium! 😁)

J: Ahhh, ok, well the staff will translate that for us. I think we should send this to the editors at Genius.

T: Someone wrote, 'Joe Yokomizo is the 'jama' haha.....ok, the English is 'Koshien stadium cannot be seen because the highway is in the way'. *laughs/snorts*

J: Ah, 'in the way'... you just snorted.

T: Haha, sorry. Put, 'Joe Yokomizo is noisy' into the translator!

J: Haha, the staff will put Kaoru's sentence and translation in the comments later. So thats how you can support Hanshin and study English.

T: Ah, Kaoru, you forgot to write the score. More 0s.

J: Oh, thats good.

K: Is it the 5th innings already?

J: Is the game running at a fast pace?

T: It is, yeah. Its still the first half of the game, right?

K: Yeah.

J: Mm, this ham is really good.

K: Haha, you've eaten loads.

J: Yeah, it tastes really good. So, for now they haven't changed the pitcher...

K: No, but we are in the lead.

J: There is a one point lead at the moment, but another two or three points wouldn't be bad.

K: Yeah yeah

J: Yeah, another point would be good. Which innings do you think they will really start moving in?

K: Oh, any time now. They are hitting a lot.

J: 86 throws so far, is that a lot for the 5th innings?

K: Hm, yeah well, the fifth innings might decide the game.

T: Just as long as they win.

J: Ah, yeah. Those Orix players are all really good-looking though, right? Like that Hikomaro guy before...

K: Remember who we talked about before though....Chikamoto.

J: Ah, Chikamoto, yes!

T: Hey, but its about time for the first part of the show to end, isn't it?

J: *talking with mouth ful of food' Yeah, so in the second part, we will go all out supporting, and we'll be talking about Dir en grey's...

K: He has no enthusiasm left!

J: *empties mouth* ...and be talking about Dir en grey's upcoming European tour, so please make sure you are a channel member. If you become a member, you can watch this broadcast in the archives for a year, and there will also be members only videos, where we try out lots of different things, so please check those out. Ok, here's how to join. There should be a blue link at the top of your screens now. Leader, please point to it. Please click this link to become a member. After you click it, you wil get a page asking you to choose your preferred payment type. Choose your method, click proceed, then enter your details. If you haven't joined yet, please do so to continue supporting Hanshin with us, and to hear Kaoru talking about the European tour. Ok, Leader, do you have any announcements?

K: The tour starts next week. I was just rehearsing today. It'll be fun!

T: I'm looking forward to it.

J: Kaoru, you said that with confidence.

K: Did I? Well, it will be. haha. Kawasaki is first, with the fanclub lives, I think Nagoya is after that.

T: Someone wrote they are going to Kawasaki, Haneda, Yokohama, and Omiya. Wow, thanks!

J: The merch info is out now too, yeah. Someone says they are going to all the dates!

K: Wow. You know, this really is the end of Phalaris. So please enjoy it.

J: People saying they are going to Wakayama, Niigata, some are joining in December. A question asks who designed the merch?

K: We all did.

J: They are looking forward to Wakayama.

T: Is it your first time playing in Wakayama?

K: Yeah.

J: Someone said its their birthday at Nagoya....Vol.3?

K: Yeah, Vol.3 is the final.

J: What merch do you recommend?

K: Recommend? Hm, the limited tshirt.

J: Is it limited to sale at the venues?

K: Yeah, but saying limited tshirt sounds a bit negative, so just look forward to it anyway.

J: Yeah, please look forward to the merch.

T:*looking at game* Oh no, Tongu.

J: Tongu...like thong sandals?

K: No, its 鈍宮, the kanji for don(鈍) and miya (宮).

J: It sounds like a summery name..

T: Anyway, should we finish here?

J: Yes, lets have a quick break here. The screen will change for a moment, but we will be back shortly with the second part, so please wait there.

T: People watching on youtube, please register on niconama too.

J: We'll be talking about the European tour too, it'll be fun! Ok, bye bye for now.

K: Yep, see you soon!

[belokhvostikova]

I love Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold with all of my heart and I just know when more angst comes I will be crying sobbing.

I love how Eddie definitely grown wiser to handle himself that make women attracted to him, but you can see that it still comes from a place of no self-confidence.

I also love how reader isn't so horny for Eddie and immediately wants to get into his pants, she has her head in the game most of the time and knows some of her boundaries. But she's still someone that wants love, but doesn't want to get hurt.

I really love that this isn't the enemies to lovers trope I thought it was going to go by the title; where it's more fueled in sex than emotional feelings. The type of characters jump into bed on the very first scene at the heat of the moment/when they're arguing. There's nothing wrong with that trope, but this feels refreshing when one character isn't always ready for sex.

I get the feeling that this will be a slow burn and I hope we get more and more emotional connection before somethings happen.

The chemistry is amazing. Flow is amazing. Plot is plotting. Overall it's one of my favourite Eddie x reader series that falls into my personal hall of fame.

You're doing amazing 🤍

I love long commentary, you just made me cry 🥹

Yay, I’m so ready for the angst! Yes, yes! Eddie’s confidence is very much a facade that has overtaken itself, just so he can have a different life! We’re seeing small peaks of it, but he desperately does not want to be the so-called “loser freak,” as he was known in Hawkins. You can even see it when he doesn’t receive a phone call from Reader, he’s immediate response to her rejection is to find someone else he can be with, so he’s not a “loser.”

Very hurt boy way of thinking! Very asshole way of thinking!

And Reader, of course there was still that underlying attraction to Eddie from when he was her coffeehouse crush, but finding out who he was has definitely hardened herself around him! You’ll see it further into the story, but her ex had cause why the detriment to her trust issues, which is why she’s making the smart decision to not latch onto Eddie! This is very a much a game to her for the sake of Winnie. But as they progress, maybe those feelings are going to get more real… AHH 🙂

And yes, you’re right! While Reader isn’t the biggest fan of Eddie, she still has to “like” him for the plan. So, not total enemies, but the banter is definitely there to get on each other’s nerves, definitely to overcompensate for some… feelings.

And while I love a good enemies to lovers where they bang it out first, lol, this is definitely not that trope! These bitches will definitely not be canoodling until way later on. I haven’t necessarily done a slow burn, and that trope can be so daunting given the longevity of it all, so hopefully I can articulate it well! I, a hundred percent, want their relationship to development with intimate emotions, not sex, so let’s hope I can accomplish that well!

And, thank you so much! You’re so very kind! I’m always quite insecure about the pacing/flow of my stories, so it means the world that you find it amazing! Again, just thank you, thank you so much <3 it’s not very often I get commentary on my fics, so I love and appreciate this very much, anon!