#also smug kuro

[koheekyat]

Boy meets boy

[tojiphile]

you want to say you hate him. your academic rival, your only competition for that number 1 spot in school. you’re at each other’s throats everyday, much to the amusement of your teachers and classmates. in reality? yes, it’s a competition, but you’re not fighting for valedictorian. you’re fighting to win that stupid bet you made: whoever tops the school gets to fuck the other.

so when you waltz up on stage to reap the fruits of your labour, you can’t help but meet the his steely gaze. you shoot him a cheeky wave and laugh internally when his jaw tightens.

“f— fuck you!” he spits, pushing his spectacles up. he really tries his best to be silent, but a desperate whine escapes his lips and his knees buckle as you stuff his tight hole with your 7” neon pink strap on, fucking him into his bedroom wall.

“that’s what i’m tryin’ to do baby doll,” you coo, pushing your hair away from your face, “if you just, shut— up!”

you give his perky ass a hard smack and he can’t help but jump at the impact, grinding his hips into yours. not just a smartass, you note, covering your own mouth to stifle a giggle.

you love seeing him like this. his ears burn a furious shade of red, his usually perfectly-styled hair messed up and sweaty. and god, he makes the most pornographic sounds, whimpering and moaning like a bitch in heat. he presses his palms against the wall, trying his best to hold himself up as you thrust into him, motivated by his babbling.

“‘s too much, i can’t— oh!” he gasps as you wrap your hand around his aching cock, running your thumb across his sensitive slit, leaking with precum. “fuuuuuck!”

it hits him all at once.

“i’m c—close, please— god, don’t stop, don’t stop!” he chokes, hot tears running down his face. any pretence of pride he had was thrown out the window as his hands balled into fists and he fucks himself on your strap, sinking down fully, whining and desperate.

“that’s it baby doll,” you murmur, “take it all.”

“ahhh— ‘m cumming, cumming, cum—” you feel his body convulse against yours, shockwaves sporadic and intense as you fuck him through his orgasm, strap mercilessly slamming into his g-spot. you jerk him off even as you feel him cum over your fist, a sticky warmth covering your palm.

you pull out of him with a squelch as you catch him before he collapses to the floor. his eyes are half-lidded, his glasses are crooked and he’s heaving as he tries to catch his breath. and he’s definitely still feeling the orgasmic high. you can’t help but feel a but smug, not only because of the mess you’ve made him into, but also because of how well he took your strap.

you lay him down on his bed, take off his glasses (you’re surprised he doesn’t stop you), clean them with the hem of your shirt, then place them on his bedside table, neatly folded.

you lay down next to him, opening your arms to offer a hug. he accepts, rolling over and getting on top of you, pressing his face into your chest.

“you’re mean…” he mutters, muffled by your boobs, “next time, i’m gonna be the one that fucks you.”

you smile. “game on.”

GOJO SATORU, okkutsu yuta, TSUKISHIMA KEI, oikawa tooru, miya atsumu, tendou satori, sanji, CHILDE, captain kuro, sawamura daichi, shirabu kenjiro, wanderer, thoma, geto suguru, miya osamu

[skygemspeaks]

okay let's do this again, for the last time this season, and what a way to end it!

i like that nami got to be included in the walk to arlong park, it was really nice!

the banter between zoro and sanji is already quite funny. i like that sanji is just earnestly trying to be part of the crew, but zoro's being a little bit bitchy because he feels like his place as the first mate is being threatened. later on in the episode when sanji starts calling out his move names, and zoro makes fun of him for it...how much do you wanna bet that the reason zoro starts calling out his attack names because his thought process is like "oh no, the shitty cook is also calling out his attack names what if luffy starts liking him better than me because i don't do it?"

as someone with dental trauma, seeing arlong's teeth fall out one by one was horrifying, thank you very much. it was well done

the fights in this arc were well choreographed, and i'm actually really happy that they all finished by around halfway through the episode because then we got a good amount of time to wrap everything up

it was really sweet when nami went running up to tackle usopp and zoro in a hug. i did feel a bit bad for sanji, but ehh it's understandable. she's been sailing with usopp and zoro for a while now! those are her boys!!!! and she didn't think she'd ever be able to sail with them again! she barely even knows sanji at this point

the scene after the tower comes crashing down and the straw hats are all waiting to see if luffy made it is great. nami looks like her whole world is ending again, because first she lost her mother, and now she might have lost her captain. and then everyone's relief when they see luffy come out is palpable! sanji doesn't even try to hide his relief! he's become so emotionally invested in this crew already and he's known them for just a few days

sanji's smugness when zoro comes back for seconds was cute, and i love their banter afterwards!

koby and helmeppo standing up to garp when they disagree with his orders was a good scene, and i liked their conversation about it afterwards at the end of the episode. each marine's personal code of justice is a big theme in the anime, and i like that they establish it here, and that it's what impresses garp enough to make him want to train them personally

we finally got the luffy vs garp confrontation! it was a good way to see just how small luffy is in the grand scheme of things, that he wasn't able to hurt garp at all. when luffy starts laughing and garp drops him and starts laughing as well, it was a good tension break. i really really wish that we got at least one grandpa hug before garp left...i know it never happened in the manga, but i crave that grandfatherly affection for luffy. but i know neither of these two idiots are like that. ace better fucking hug luffy at least once next season i s2g.

when nami is talking to bellemere's grave, and nojiko shows up wearing bellemere's shirt.....🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

the final conversation with luffy and koby was adorable! i loved the hug! also, i really like that koby was the first one to show luffy his bounty. a great way of coming full circle to the beginning of the season when he's standing next to luffy, looking at the notice board in shells town and luffy asks where his face is

the scenes where people see luffy's bounty!!!! makino grinning in pride!! kaya already looking healthier without kuro's poison! Zeff posting luffy's poster on the employee of the month board!!!!!!!! alvida and buggy meeting!!!! (if they make alvida lose weight or recast her next season i'm gonna kill someone)

helmeppo finally admitted that koby was his friend!!!! their little fistbump!! i've really come to like koby over the course of this season, and it's been great seeing his character arc

the mihawk and shanks conversation was great! shanks making jokes about his missing arm was hilarious, i love how irreverent he is

the redhair pirates are all SO proud when they see luffy's poster!!! and shanks' big, goofy, proud grin when as he stares at the poster just made my heart melt.

merry finally gets to fly the straw hat jolly roger again, i'm so happy for her!! luffy's absolute uncontainable joy at the sight of it, like he can't believe his eyes, was absolutely perfect!

the cast-off ceremony was fantastic! i really like the effect they did where their younger selves spoke in the voices of their older selves.

i could be wrong, but i think i heard we are in that last scene as they sailed off? which, amazing!

FUCK YEAH THAT LAST SHOT OF SMOKER!!! i can't wait to see more of him next season!!!

[agoraphobic-artist]

Kuro-Shit Mini Post

Yesterday, shortly after I posted my last haul on tumblr, these little guys showed up in a package!

These are the full set of 9 Public School Arc rubber mascot keychains, created by Bandai as capsule prizes.

As expected, the potential options include the main characters Sebastian and Ciel, as well as the four Prefects of Weston School. This second wave of released merchandise seems to have introduced Soma to the roster as well. (Undertaker makes an appearance as we approach wave 3)

Side Rant- Personally, I would have liked to see some Drudge representation but hopefully that will come at some point in the future perhaps as a 4th wave? Alternatively, maybe if and when they get around to animating the "Blue Cult Arc"...??

I have decided to show each keychain in closer detail and in order of my least to most favourite:

#9 SEBASTIAN "B-version"

This is the slightly more demonic design for Master Michaelis, appearing without his glasses so that you can better see his red eyes; It would have been a nice touch if his pupils had been shaped more into slits in my opinion.

Unfortunately, his gummy toothless grin does little for me.

#8 LAWRENCE BLUEWER

Bluewer is simply stood elegantly and reading his book.

Honestly, there is nothing wrong or particularly off-putting about his design, I just prefer other characters and poses to his.

#7 EDGAR REDMOND

I was a little disappointed with this keychain, as Redmond is a favourite character of mine.

Rather than looking sultry as I think was intended, he just looks a little sleep deprived. Also, I can't completely put my finger on why he looks out of place with the others... perhaps his face is too wide..?

That being said, I adore his sassy pose.

#6 SOMA ASMAN KADAR

I have found in the past, that merchandise of the prince is always very inconsistent and the pictures I saw online of this item I felt didn't look great. I was very pleasantly surprised however when I saw Soma's design in person.

My only gripe is the eyes lack the sclera, instead being filled with the same shade as his skin; This is true of all of the keychains but as the other characters have paler skin than him I feel that it is less noticeable overall.

#5 SEBASTIAN AND CIEL

Based on a particular moment in the series, this is adorable! Especially Ciel!

It would be higher on the list but something about Sebastian feels off again, but only slightly. Maybe the expression with the open mouth? or his abnormally small hand? Not sure but something about him is a little odd to me.

#4 SEBASTIAN A-Version

Finally, a Sebastian that I can fully get behind.

His tea coloured eyes behind his little tutoring glasses, his smug smirk and his formal pose as house master of the Sapphire Owls.

How could I not love the design of our demon in his human suit.

#3 GREGORY VIOLET

Adorable, Mopey, and ready to head back to Wolf houses dormitory immediately.

What else can I say, its Violet... but small.

#2 HERMAN GREENHILL

Stoically posed with his cricket bat as per usual.

I don't have alot to say about him.

I know that I am being biased putting him at #2 as someone else rating them might prefer Bluewer and hate Greenhill, but he is my favourite of the Prefects so this is where he stays.

... and last but not least...

#1 CIEL PHANTOMHIVE

I fell in love the second I saw him.

The attitude filled pose... the moodiest of expressions on his face.... the little books with the hat on top. Perfection.

Instant Favourite <3

[starrulet]

My Experience with P5R

So, I went into this game with Zero Knowledge™ of what it held. I only bought it, because I knew you got to play as a phantom thief, everyone loves Joker and everyone had at one point called it the Perfect Game™ (oh, and it was on sale).

First Playthrough

Start up game. Absolute banger of a first hour. Everything is on point, this truly is the Perfect Game™ when it comes to graphical interface. Also, hands down best intro segment I have ever played. Immediately 100% invested in the game.

I write my name. I'm too lazy to look up something authentically Japanese online, so I name him KURO KNIGHT. I do not realize that small caps were available and this does haunt me for the next 100+ hours.

I discover the ability to "befriend" shadows. I attempt to befriend every shadow I meet.

Igor tells me to kill two of my personas. I am heartbroken and horrified by their execution. I absolutely hate the function and vow to never use it.

(Arsène is never sacrificed. At the time, I did not know this is uncommon for the first playthrough).

I max out the amount of personas I can currently have. I am heartbroken. I want to befriend all the shadows, but the game won't let me.

I am introduced to social stats. I make the wild assumption that these will passively effect the story for good/bad endings, as well as chances of success in Palaces (e.g. charm will increase likelihood of befriending a shadow, knowledge improves Third Eye, etc.), instead of being a "you must have stat 4 to pass to the next story segment" role. I immediately start investing hard on maxing my stats.

I do not know how to check Confidant Availability on the map. I only go to meet confidants if they've texted me.

(As you can imagine, this will royally screw me over later)

A teacher smacks me in the head with a piece of chalk. I'm told if I improve my proficiency, I can dodge it. Guess which social stat I start heavily investing in.

I am introduced to Maruki. I am told I have until November to max my relationship with him. He is immediately given priority over all other Confidants. Keep in mind, I only meet confidants if they text me.

I meet Kasumi. I'm not that interested in her, until I realize she only has a 5-star confidant bond. I decide to max her out, because that will be easy to reach.

I reluctantly start executing personas. Arsène is never executed, even though he's becoming so weak, I can no longer use him in fights.

While on the main menu, I notice Joker's shoes for the first time. And then I check and yes. Joker has the worst shoes in existence. I hate them. Everything about his phantom thief outfit is on point, except for those monstrosities.

I go ballistic over no one asking why "Pleasant Boy" heard their conversation about pancakes. I am angry. Enraged. I want answers, but the characters don't seem to catch onto the pancakes. I am deeply upset.

This is when I start questioning the intelligence and competence of the Phantom Thieves. It will effect how I perceive them later on.

I officially meet Akechi. I instantly take a strong liking to him, because he is the absolute WORST person to befriend as a phantom thief. The pancake thing makes me also super suspicious of him, further adding to him being a BAD person to befriend.

Akechi gives me the Sleuthing Instinct Skill. Akechi is instantly my favourite Confidant and I am determined to unlock the rest of the skills on his Confidant route.

A teacher throws chalk at me. I dodge. The whole class is amazed. I'm smug about it.

I meet "Becky". I die of second-hand embarrassment.

Why can I not gift Morgana sushi when I want to? Let me feed my cat sushi.

Every new palace, the Phantom Thieves are like "No! They don't have a persona, they can't help!" and "Leave it to us experienced pro phantom thieves B) ", only to end up relying on the formally non-persona user. I really don't feel like they're competent, since they suck at protecting civilians so much, that the civilian has to awaken a persona to save everyone or they'll all die.

I finally have enough guts to call up "Becky". When she arrives, the second-hand embarrassment is so strong, I exit the game without saving and have to replay the last two in-game weeks.

I realize that Yusuke, Makoto and Futaba are not listed as my Confidants. I panic and despair. I have failed my friends.

(I am unaware that minimal confidant bond does not mean we are not in-game friends and that not maxing out a Confidant Bond does not have too much impact on the story...)

The first time I ram into a shadow with the van, I burst into laughter. It was entirely unexpected.

I befriend Chihaya. I can't help but notice how much of a Meet-Cute this is and decide that I will pursue a relationship with her.

In Hawaii, I spend the day with Mishima and Ryuji. I am unaware that this is because I failed to develop higher bonds with other Confidants.

I get my first part-time jobs to complete Mementos quests. I wonder why anyone would bother with jobs, since you can get more money in Mementos than at work.

It starts occurring to me, that maybe I'm not supposed to blast through palaces in one run. There are benefits to multiple visits. I continue to complete palaces in one run.

I get stuck on my second boss - Haru's dad. Even grinding in Mementos does not save the day. I look up advice online.

I go out of my way to meet Hifumi. I cry. I want to max out her bond, she's instantly proven herself so useful.

I defeat the boss by the skin of my teeth. I never want to face that boss again.

Akechi officially joins the team. I am ecstatic, but I am dreading it. I love him, but I still have that pancake thing in my head and I am fully aware that the rest of the Phantom Thieves do not like him. AT ALL. Which can only mean the narrative has labelled him a bad guy (otherwise they would have quickly warmed up to him, like they did with Haru), which means he is only temporarily on the team, which means he will do something nefarious because the narrative said he must. Also, he is conspicuously the only one wearing white as a main colour. So. Further fuel for the "not part of the group!!!" fire. I am deeply upset by this. I still love him, even though I know I will have to soon accept his role in the narrative, whatever that may be.

A teacher throws chalk at me. I'm one step away from maxing out proficiency. It smacks into my face. The cold war wasn't over after all. The teacher has improved his aim.

I try to start a Confidant bond with Haru. She snaps at me and I'm so terrified by the reaction from the otherwise sweet and polite girl, I never attempt to talk to her again.

"I hate you." Akechi, as your only friend, please go see a therapist.

It's November and I haven't maxed out my relationship with Maruki. I am not getting opportunities to do so via text. I despair, because Maruki has grown to be a favourite of mine.

Maruki wants to bid me personally farewell. My Confidant Bond with him maxes out during our tearful goodbyes. I whoop and cheer that I got to the end of his Confidant route, oblivious to what this means.

Akechi says we should leave stealing the treasure to the last second. The team instantly agrees. I get mad, because when I try to do that, the team nags at me and complains that we should really do this ASAP, but when Akechi suggests it, it's fine-

The police raid Sae's palace and I assume they're cognitions from the nearby cognitive police station, not real police. From that, I deduce that the interrogation scene is taking place in the Metaverse and not the real world.

Yeah. I wasn't wrong, but I wasn't right either.

Endgame spoilers under the cut.

Endgame

The game keeps telling me to think carefully about my choices. I become paranoid. I am in interrogation and I become confused.

I am so confused by the game, I start thinking that maybe my instincts are wrong, and I end up ratting out my friends while being interrogated.

Sensing this was the Wrong Option, I exit the game and reload the last save file without finding out if it really was the wrong option.

I was right. It was the Wrong Option, since I am now watching the Right Option unfold. I am frustrated, because if the game hadn't been so insistent I "think carefully" and "consider my actions seriously", I would have instinctively not named my allies. BUT because it was nagging me, I thought if I went with the obvious option, I'd end up with the bad ending.

I'm an overthinker, ok.

Akechi comes to kill me. He looks utterly unhinged, to the point it crosses over into hilarity.

(Akechi gets one(1) plus point for looking incredible while killing the policeman. Like, that was insanely slick. Several thousand minus points for killing Joker though. And then nudging his head to check if he's dead, like Akechi, you shot him through the head what do you expect-)

It turns out, the Phantom Thieves did know about the pancake thing. But I'm 60+ hours into the game at this point and I do not have the mental capacity to retcon that much time to fit this reveal into a cohesive story. As such, despite making sense and the game setting up for this, my brain does not completely accept this plot reveal.

In other words, I would have strongly preferred it if we continued having 100% of the protagonists' perspective, instead of the 90% we ended up having, to keep the 10% (knowledge that Akechi will betray them, and the plan to fool Akechi) secret.

Like, no. We didn't need that to be a "plot twist". It was obvious from the start. Just admit it upfront next time.

I also don't buy into the Phantom Thieves being smart enough to concoct such a plan, because they've been making things up as they go along since Day 1 and have been heavily reliant on picking up new team members to survive Palaces and defeat Bosses. As said. By not addressing the pancake thing, my opinion of them being competent phantom thieves was shattered. I can't unsee their shortcomings, even if the pancake thing wasn't a shortcoming after all.

A part of me feels icky, because I know my first choice had been the bad ending. It now feels like the bad ending was the true ending, and I've cheated my way out of it, so the good ending that I'm approaching does not feel earned. The feeling hangs over me for a while.

Even though KURO is not dead, his absence in day-to-day life is shocking. It leaves a really big impact and a sense of dread.

I like KURO's incognito civilian clothes until I realize he's got nothing on under the grey hoodie. Child. Put some layers on. It's winter. What the heck, are you trying to die of hypothermia or something.

I miss Akechi. Not because I actually miss him, I miss what he contributed to the group: Getting the others to get all the way off my back about leaving the heist to the last minute.

"No guys, we can't go to Shido's palace until I've made enough coffee and curry! Yes, I'm serious!!!"

The Phantom Thieves are turned into mice. This is one of the best things to happen in-game.

Akechi has a psychotic breakdown in the engine room. I repeat to myself that this really could have been avoided if Akechi had just gone to a therapist.

Imagine my shock when I defeat Shido, but the game doesn't end. Staggering.

Igor orders Caroline and Justine to kill me. I panic, wondering if this was because I failed to max out my bonds with the Phantom Thieves and I am approaching a bad ending after all. Then I wonder if maybe this could be avoided if Caroline and Justine had a higher Confidant bond with me and I regret that it's still at an abysmal level 1.

It turns out that having level 1 doesn't stop the girls from apparently liking me. They cannot of their own free will kill me. I'm glad that it doesn't matter that I only have a level 1 bond with them, but this still feels jarring. My mind still equates bonds to levels of friendship, meaning we're still barely acquaintances at best. Plot armour for Joker has kicked in hard.

I make the wrong assumption that maxing out bonds has no impact on the overall story.

I am surprised that Morgana is not - in fact - human. At some point I had convinced myself he was a teen persona user, stuck in a coma. Or that he is the persona of a persona user, sent loose to help his persona user wake up again. I don't know when I developed that theory, but it's so strong that the truth throws me.

Unlike the pancake twist, I accept this "twist" without issue.

Over the course of the game, I have been strengthening Arsène like crazy. He is my strongest persona and has inherited many powerful abilities from the persona sacrificed for him.

I head into the final battle with Arsène equipped. It's satisfying to kinda defeat the final boss with him.

There's something kinda depressing about the cutscenes in the final boss battle. Almost like my confidants are... absent...

I am overjoyed when Akechi is confirmed to have survived, as he turns himself over to the police. I assume this is the result of maxing out my bond with him.

I love Morgana's cat portrait. No, I am not biased because he's a cat.

I assume the game will end. Then KURO wakes up in the counselling room. The game is not over yet.

Third Semester

Because I happened to max out my bonds with Akechi, Kasumi and Maruki, I get the third semester story part.

I am unaware of how lucky I am, considering I didn't max out any other bonds by December (outside of the automated bonds of Igor, Sae and Morgana).

I make use of the extra costumes the game has given me for the first time. I pretend there's an in-story reason: The alteration in the universe has also affected how they appear as phantom thieves. KURO is now running around in his starlight clothes, Akechi in the dance costume and Kasumi I'm never quite able to settle on. Why those particular clothes? I am unable to come up with a theory, beyond reality alteration.

I am thrilled that the game addressed Akechi's unhinged nature by having Kasumi question it, and didn't just act like nothing had happened.

I am delighted that, in Morgana and Futaba's absence, Akechi is my navigator. I have not enjoyed myself that much in a long time. He's terrible and that's what makes him perfect.

To be honest, it's in the third semester where Akechi is elevated to absolute favourite character in Persona 5. Prior to that, he was liked, but not favoured.

I am horrified that Maruki is the new bad guy. I am even more horrified by what they did to his hair.

I am glad that "Please see a therapist" is not something I can tell Akechi during the first and second semester, because - after what has happened to Maruki - Akechi would never let me live this down.

To be fair, Akechi would also accuse me of being a kleptomaniac, considering how I've picked every palace clean so far.

Genuinely shocked by the Sumire reveal.

Sumire apologizes for trying to kill KURO. I wish KURO had told her it's fine, because Akechi, his currently only other friend, also tried to kill him.

I spend third semester trying to max out my bonds with the Phantom Thieves and any other Confidants I haven't maxed yet.

I befriend Haru, but I never get passed level one with her.

I manage to get to level 9 with Chihaya. We become a couple. I assume.

I succeed in maxing out Takemi and Mishima's confidant bonds, but no one else.

I max out the Baton Pass with all Phantom Thieves (including Akechi and Sumire). I do this just because it's cool to have. I'm not thinking strategically.

During this semester I go to play billiards for the first time.

Because I'm playing billiards for the first time, KURO asks "What's a cue stick?" Meanwhile, Akechi - with whom KURO has played billiards several times, who KURO has even beaten at billiards - is just standing in the background. I pretend Akechi is exasperated.

I had already suspected it when it's revealed that Akechi is a cognition-human of the new reality. I am not surprised, since despite my love for Akechi, it feels like some of his nuance is gone as of the third semester. Him being a cognition built from people's perception of him (with heaviest influences being directly from KURO and the Phantom Thieves) explains that.

"This isn't trivial!" Mmh. Some grade-A angst right there, I love it.

Of course I choose to defeat Maruki. I may love Akechi, but not so much that I'd let everyone on the planet be brainwashed into someone's perception of true happiness. There's a difference between living and being alive. And also, Akechi doesn't want to live in this reality either, so....

I really, really hate Maruki's metaverse look. Like, at first, you think, well, a bit weird, but tolerable. Then you get glimpses of what's underneath the poncho and oh... oh no...

I am glad to have maxed out the Baton Pass with everyone, because this is the only reason I am able to beat Maruki.

Much like with all bosses from Okumura onwards, I win by the skin of my teeth. Unlike other bosses though, I get max HP and SP after completing a phase. I appreciate this, because otherwise I would have lost (most Phantom Thieves are in the low 80s, high 70s range).

I can't believe I end up in a fistfight with Maruki. They're not even attempting to dodge each other. It's like I'm watching an 18th century boxing match.

The Ending

It's Valentine's day. Chihaya doesn't give me anything. I am disgusted.

I'm told to say goodbye to all my friends. I exit and can only bid farewell to Sae, Takemi and Mishima. I am distraught.

Even though the cutscene has all the Phantom Thieves bidding me goodbye, I don't buy it. I couldn't bid them farewell on my last day, so this doesn't feel earned or real.

I realize I couldn't bid farewell because I didn't max out their bonds. So maxing out the bonds does have an affect on the story, just not one I could have predicted. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Maruki is a taxi driver. Dude. You have a university degree. You have a doctor title. Is this really all you could come up with?!

The game ends, I get the extra cutscene with Akechi and KURO seeing himself as Joker in the reflection. I interpret this as 1: Akechi is alive in some shape or form (with how and why being up in the air), and 2: the Metaverse cannot be destroyed, but the Phantom Thieves actions have lead to it being purged and cleaned. Hopefully, it will be healthier this time.

First Playthrough took me 110 hours.

NewGame+

I start the game so I can say goodbye to my friends. Yes. I am so mad that I couldn't say goodbye to Ryuji (and tbh, specifically Ryuji), I am replaying the entire game.

For real, if I'd been able to bid farewell to Ryuji in the first playthrough, I wouldn't have bothered with NewGame+.

And yes I've only mentioned Ryuji like a handful of times, but that's because I didn't really need to. Everyone loves him. It's a given.

I set the game to safety mode, because I just want the story.

This time I put a bit more effort into Joker's civilian name. I've grown attached to Kuro, even though I'm fairly certain that's not a name in Japan. In NewGame+ his name is Kuro Kichihei.

I enter my first battle in the Kamoshida's palace. I am frustrated that my stats are so low.

I realize I can equip end-game gear.

I'm crying, the shadows stand no chance.

I am too powerful. I fail to befriend shadows. I am forced to execute Arsène. This hurts.

I see the cutscene for executing Arsène for the first time. The Best Boy was with me to the very end in the first playthrough. It hurts to see him leave so soon in another timeline.

"It's no use! They're too powerful!!" Morgana cries. We have taken 2 HP damage.

I kinda wish I had set the game to easy mode, because I have a strong desire to know if this would be just as easy in normal mode.

I am determined to max out all bonds I form. While reading an online guide, I learn about checking Confidants Availability on the map. I feel like an idiot. I knew the blue rectangles meant a confidant was there, I didn't know they may offer up more information.

I discover there is a Confidant I have never even met in the First Playthrough. I go out of my way to befriend him. It's Yoshida.

Befriending him is... kinda stalker-y. Because I first find out where he frequents, get a job there to talk to him, and then I'm able to open up the confidant route. Like. I- I stalked him. So I could befriend him. No matter how you slice it, it's creepy.

I am in Madarame's boss battle. I am using personas at levels way higher than me, than the palace. I throw fire at all Madarames, the fire Madarames reflect it back at me. I am insta-killed. It's the only time I've died in the second playthrough.

I'm befriending and levelling up all previous Confidants, even though I know some of their skills carried over to NewGame+. I plan on befriending Chihaya again too, even though I'm going to pursue Makoto this time.

I do not open up the route with Chihaya.

I do open up Kawakami's route. I emotionally distance myself from the game to do so.

I discover I really love Kawakami and relate to her. It's unfortunate that the guy helping her is a minor and her student.

I spend a day hanging out with Ryuji. He mentions that his favourite characters are the rival characters. Um. Ryuji. Are you sure about that. Are you sure about that-

I open up Haru's route. She doesn't snap at me when I talk with her. I'm relieved.

As I finish Makoto's route, I suddenly wish I hadn't started a relationship with her. Because as she's pouring her heart out, this feels like she needed a friend, not a boyfriend. It's too late now though.

Meanwhile, I'm in Haru's early stages and I am displeased by the fact that she's still with her fiancé. My sympathy is not very high.

I finally understand why the Phantom Thieves kept asking me how I felt about the plan for Sae's palace. They weren't worried about the palace, or working with Akechi, they were worried about Akechi freaking murdering me.

Why is it an option to date Futaba if Sojiro is against it? Don't go against your dad's wishes, man.

Because I am weak, when Akechi sends me a text, asking me to hang out two days before he will murder me, I agree. Even though there are other Confidants whose bonds are ready to level up. Even though I've already maxed out my relationship with him. Even though it only unlocks a bless skill he will not have in the third semester. Akechi is still the favourite and does, in fact, get special treatment as a result.

As the Phantom Thieves re-explain how they suspected and tricked Akechi, I am able to better accept it and see how it fits into the story, partly because it's taken me 30 hours to get to this point, instead of 60.

I may accept the twist better, but the distaste remains and so I'm still not wholly happy with it. Maybe it's favouritism though. No. Who am I kidding. At this point, it's definitely favouritism. It's rarely strong enough to break the narrative though, so. Idk what you did Akechi, but you did it right.

I learn that if you have high bonds with non-PT Confidants prior to having to pretend to be dead, they will all reach out to you, to know that you're still alive. This made me very happy. And I did think it was strange in the first playthrough that no one outside the Phantom Thieves seemed all that bothered that I was dead.

There is substantial fear that I won't max out all my bonds before the end of the game.

I am particularly terrified that I will fail to max-out Haru and Shinya.

NewGame+ : Endgame

I enter Shido's palace. For the first time, I am no longer killing enemies with guns and attacks alone. Still wiping the floor with them though.

Haru seems to laugh at all my jokes. I wonder why Haru, Kuro and Akechi are not a more common trio in the fandom. You just know Kuro will tell a terrible joke, which Akechi will reasonably not find funny, but Haru finds hilarious, bursting into laughter, further exasperating him. I mean, tell me you don't see it. Tell me.

I max out the technical skill in billiards. I wish I could switch to normal, to see what the difference is (considering I never even touched it in the first playthrough).

Turns out I didn't need to worry about Haru. She maxed out within ten days.

At level 9, I'm thinking "Wow. Joker and Haru are such good friends :) " Then I reject her and she runs away. I suddenly feel bad that I'm already dating Makoto. So far, the only other confidant that got sad about rejection was Takemi. And she swallowed it like a champ.

I finally start exploring Shido's palace. I skip dialogue and cutscenes, so when Ann asks me if I remembered the plan, I answered "I forgot, actually...", making her exasperated. I have discovered being dumb is way more fun than being a know-it-all.

I rewatch Akechi's confrontation and once again feel second-hand embarrassment for the boy. This really could have been avoided if you went to therapy like a normal person.

I didn't notice how cool Akechi choosing to side with the Phantom Thieves was during first playthrough. I'm able to appreciate it this time.

Shido demands that Akechi be brought to him. Sorry Shido, unless Akechi somehow managed to drag himself out of the metaverse, you're not finding the body. Assuming he died. If he didn't die, well. Brace yourself, you're in for a shock either way.

Actually, that opens up a can of worms. What does happen to a being of the real world, if they were to die in the metaverse? They're a physical being, surely they can't just stay there? ? ?

I attempt to open up Chihaya's route, even though we're days away from the final boss battle. I forgot that there was a lot of running back and forth to unlock her confidant bond.

In other words, I do not achieve what I set out to do.

I've maxed out all my bonds, prior to the final boss fight. Except with Futuba and Kawakami. I accept my losses and wonder if I have time to max out three confidant bonds in the third semester.

I get a lot of new cutscenes in the boss battle, because I maxed out most of my bonds. Too bad I am not as invested in the story this time and so it's more of an annoyance than an "oh cool, so happy my friends back me :) " moment.

I'm in the boss battle. I defeat the god of control very quickly, it's laughably easy.

It's why I call BS when the plot demands the Phantom Thieves are exhausted and low energy, so that the crowd can overwhelmingly cheer them on.

My Phantom Thieves were still on max health and their SP was still fairly high. We didn't need popularity to mop the floor with the god of control.

From what I gather, Akechi is the absolute first sign of reality manipulation. Everything else follows after Akechi appears. That's weird. I wonder if there may have been other hints I missed, but I don't think so. Wait. Does Kasumi count?

It's the first time I get to spend christmas eve with a gf, instead of Sojiro and Futaba. It's surprisingly sweet and I stop regretting dating Makoto. Idk, I feel Joker and Makoto work well together.

"My sis told me last night [about Akechi]!" Yeah, right Makoto. I know you spent last night with Joker, you totally heard it from your sister and not him.

Tbh, with the way the story works, it seems that Joker and Makoto are in a secret relationship. Which I'm fine with, secret relationships are like. One of my favourite shipping dynamics.

NewGame+ : 3rd Semester

It seems I'm very heavily invested in the third semester, because I don't skip nearly as many cutscenes.

I wonder what it would be like to play P5 and go out of my way to be as hostile as possible to Akechi. Like, avoid him at all costs and always shoot him down. I doubt it makes a difference to the story.

Can you even unlock third semester if you don't max out Akechi?

I change their uniforms again, because I like pretending that third semester also affects how their metaverse selves appear. And the explanation for a more casual look? Maruki wants them to be ordinary teenagers, without the pressure of having to save the world. So their phantom thief clothes are partially affected by that (which does work, since Kuro's starlight clothes look like a more casual version of his phantom thief clothes, etc.)

Akechi: "I think we handled that rather well!" Akechi killed the shadow in one attack. Kasumi and I did nothing, just stood by and watched. Let me repeat that, we didn't do anything. There was no we, Akechi.

Akechi really does just straight-up peace out and let Joker fight Kasumi by himself. And then appears in the background after the battle, like he'd been helping in some shape, way or form.

It's still very funny to see Akechi go full-on villain in his showtime with Joker, while wearing a hat with HERO written on it in big, golden letters.

It stings to lose Akechi as navigator so soon, but because we're all way higher levels than we were in the first playthough (we're steadily approaching 90), the segment where he's navigator is much shorter.

Kinda weird how Akechi is open and even pushes for teamwork this time, when he strongly rejected it in December. :/ Almost like... This might not be the real Akechi...

I finish Kawakami's route. It's sweet. I'm really glad I swallowed my second-hand embarrassment, because this was worth it.

The NewGame+ was worth it, because lemme tell you, those third persona awakenings are hitting me right in the heart. Ryuji almost made me cry.

Yusuke's third awakening is so great, it's easily tied with Ryuji for best third awakening.

Really wish I could tell my friends that considering how I've forgiven Akechi, who not only betrayed me, but actually tried to murder me, I'm pretty sure I can get over them ignoring me for a few days.

I mean, the bar to upset Kuro is pretty freaking high. Akechi can potentially have failed to reach it, depending on how snarky and hostile the player wants to be towards him, but in both of my playthroughs he hasn't.

Hey, has anyone decided to keep Maruki's reality, purely to spite Akechi? Asking for a friend.

I now have a new fear: Failing to max out Futaba in time. I consider it a minor loss though.

I ask Haru to grow moonlight carrots. It's the first time I've asked her to grow anything. I promptly forget about them and never collect them.

Akechi and Ryuji argue while at Maruki's palace. And I have to decide whose side I want to take. As much as I favour Akechi, when we get down to it, I will always side with Ryuji. Also, Akechi getting flummoxed by my behaviour will never not be funny.

I finally befriend Chihaya. With 14 days left before the ultimate final boss battle. But I have nothing else to do in the evenings now, so I might as well try. As exepected, it doesn't get far.

There are nine days left and I have not yet maxed out Sumire or Futaba. The fear of failing is becoming increasingly real and intense.

It's kinda funny. In the First Playthrough, Joker had a supporting role in battle, reviving, healing and using support skills. He also specialized in Bless and Lightning attacks, and switched between personas frequently. In NewGame+ he's become a tank, specialized in Almighty and Curse attacks, and only uses, like, two personas really. It's such a stark contrast, almost like they're different people.

I'm ranking up Futaba and. Oh. Oh no. She has a crush.

What is it with men head-patting women as romantic gestures in Japanese media, that's always been so creepy to me.

Sumire confesses to Joker, which good on her, she's the only one to have done so. But I still wouldn't date her. Feels like a saviour crush, and I'm not into that jazz.

I fail to max out Futaba, but I'm ok with that. Sorry Futaba (and technically Chihaya).

Hey, if Maruki could bring back Okumura and Futaba's mum (and maybe Akechi), why couldn't he bring back the real Kasumi? Pretty sure that would relieve Sumire more than imposing a fake Kasumi personality onto Sumire. Or even switching out Kasumi for Sumire. Like, what's up with that.

Also, do dead people get their desires fulfilled? I imagine not. Which might be why Akechi is dead set on rejecting the reality. He's real enough to behave similar or identically to the real Akechi, and therefore aware enough to see that everyone has their "desires" fulfilled, except his. Unless his wish was to not go to prison, but he could have avoided that by just. Not taking Joker's place.

Or maybe it was that his crimes had never happened? Which kinda does work, seeing as he was released by the police and his crimes "swept under the rug". He doesn't act like someone that wishes he hadn't committed his crimes...

I just assume Akechi's deepest desire is not having a dead mum. Or a dad that actually loves him. So. You know. Sorry Akechi, even in the dream reality, you don't get a living mum or loving dad. Be grateful to be alive.

The fistfight at the end is just as stupid as it was the first time around. Don't get me wrong - I love that it's there. It's glorious. But still stupid.

Ok, the "Free Kuro from Juvie" is way more positive and uplifting when it isn't just Mishima alone in the street, trying to get Joker out of prison and Takemi giving one(1) interview. I am so glad I decided for NewGame+.

Ohya's freaking awesome. Love her.

Valentine's Day is too cute when you're spending it with someone.

It's February the 15th and I am being A M B U S H E D.

White Day is also very cute and very different when you've got someone to spend it with.

I do miss being able to give Sijiro something on White Day though. He deserves chocolate.

Kinda weird that the game keeps asking me who I want to romance, when. I've only romanced Makoto. Because I am loyal.

I can bid my friends farewell! Yay!!!! I'm finally happy.

Based on online advice, I go to the jazz club. And Kuro. Kuro. What do you mean you weren't Akechi's friend. You were the closest thing he had to a friend. That makes you his friend by virtue of being closer to him than anyone else.

I am so glad I chased up Kawakami. Her story was one of the best in-game. No, I'm not biased because I'm a teacher too. I'm not.

Move over Akechi, I have a new favourite and her name is Ohya. You go, you beautiful, independent, alcohol-loving lady!

When talking to confidants, I love that there's implication that the adventure won't actually stop for Kuro. At least, that's my interpretation, since it nicely builds into my head canon that Akechi is alive and that Mementos is purged, not erased (again, Akechi couldn't have died, or it'd be in the news...)

The game ends. I can start another NewGame+, this time with all stats already maxed out and over 6 million yen in my pocket. I don't, because I basically got the satisfying end what I wanted.

Idk, maybe in a year or something. Might replay it then, on higher difficulty.

Second playthrough took me 50 hours.

Man, that was wild.

[theonceandfuturequeenoftarts]

Sebastian Michaelis for the 'break a character down' ask game 🍴😈

Oooo, unexpected but exciting! Thank you for the ask~ <3

✦˚₊‧⁺˖ Sebastian Michaelis ˖⁺‧₊˚✦

How I feel about this character

I love this smug, workaholic, one hell of a butler~ He's powerful but not undefeatable, so there are stakes, and his character development between being summoned and the school arc (I stopped reading right around the whole popstars thing, but want to get back into it eventually) is great. It feels earned and natural and the way his relationship with Ciel has grown makes me flail a bit.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Romantically, I must say I'm a SebaCiel shipper. I think Sebastian would have sex with other characters for a variety of reasons (like he did with Beast, if I remember that correctly...) but not necessarily attach any romantic emotions to the act. But when it comes to affection and intimacy, it's gotta be Ciel.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

I might be misinterpreting this, but I'm taking it to mean a "best bros" sort of relationship, which means Agni. Insofar as Sebastian respects anyone, I think he respects Agni (professionally and personally, to a degree).

My unpopular opinion about this character

Ooo... do I have any Sebastian hot takes? I'm not as involved in the Kuro fandom to know what's en vogue. I'm not a big fan of the first two seasons of the anime -- full-stop, but also for what they did to Sebastian's character. He's much more one-dimensional than I find him to be in the manga, where he can be very funny and goofy and still serious and cool. And while I think I'd enjoy watching the more recent anime season(s) more than the originals, I do miss his ikemen style appearance. He suits the sharper features, imho.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I doubt it'd ever happen, but I hope there's a kiss between Sebastian and Ciel at some point. (But at the same time I don't? I don't need it to happen to validate my ship or make it canon, it'd be more for the visuals :3 ) Maybe they can slip it in by having Sebastian have to mouth-feed Ciel an antidote, or that's how he steals Ciel's soul or something. I have faith that if any mangaka could find a way to include a joke-y kiss between their two protags, Yana Toboso would.

[verdantcrimson]

Gourmand Fragrance / Wagashi Revolution - 5

(Unproofread)

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[The next day]

Nazuna: —So yesterday, me and Keito-chin did some research to figure out what kind of wagashi to make for Valentine’s day.

Nazuna: Kuro-chin, you should have a look at the recipe too.

Kuro: Yup. Already heard about what we’ll be makin’ from Hasumi danna.

Kuro: What was it… We were gonna make a kind of wagashi called ‘nejikiri’, right?¹

Nazuna: You meant to say ‘nerikiri’, right? Saying we’re going to make screw cutters is scary, Kuro-chin!

Kuro: Sorry. Didn’t really check exactly what the name was. So, what kind of wagashi are nerikiri, exactly?

Nazuna: It’d be quicker to just show you on my phone. Nerikiri is a kind of wagashi made with bean paste that’s also fun to look at.²

Kuro: Ahh, I’ve seen those. Kanzaki brings them to me sometimes.

Kuro: I get it. Now that you mention it being fun to look at, I can see how cute they are.

Kuro: When Kanzaki gave ‘em to me, I ate ‘em without really lookin’ too close. I feel kind of sorry about that now.

Nazuna: Ahaha, well I’d feel good eating something delicious too.

Kuro: So, why’d ya decide on nerikiri?

Nazuna: After our market research, we realized that people like cutesy stuff for Valentine’s day.

Kuro: Ah, s’pose that’s true. Girls love cute things, after all.

Kuro: Recently my little sister’s started preppin’ to make chocolate. I’m lookin’ forward to what kind of chocolate I’m gonna get. ♪

Nazuna: Ahaha, Kuro-chin, you’re on good terms with your little sister as usual~.

Nazuna: On Valentine’s day I’ll bet we’ll get to see you looking all smug because you got chocolate from your little sister. ♪

Kuro: I don’t plan on showin’ that side of myself so easily. Besides, it’s gonna be busy that day thanks to the Chocolat Festival.

Nazuna: You really think so~? You tend to slip up a lot when it comes to your little sister.

Nazuna: Well, we’ll save that fun for the day of. For now, let’s focus on wagashi!

Nazuna: Since you can shape nerikiri however you’d like, I thought we might be able to create a cute design for Valentine’s day!

Nazuna: Making the nerikiri paste is pretty time-consuming, but there’s nothing you can’t do at home! What do you think?

Kuro: Right. If we leave the cute design work to you, Nito, there won’t be much to worry about.

Nazuna: Yup! When it comes to cute stuff, leave it to us Ra*bits!

Nazuna: … Is what I would really like to say, but I’m not great at cooking.

Nazuna: So that’s why we’ll be relying on you, Kuro-chin!

Nazuna: Kuro-chin, you’re great with your hands, so I’m sure you’ll be able to make the cutest nerikiri of them all!

Kuro: M’not sure if I can live up to those expectations, but I’ll do what I can.

Kuro: Anyways, Hasumi danna and co. are runnin’ late. Are they not back yet?

Nazuna: They’re taking more time than you normally would to buy ingredients, aren’t they? I haven’t heard from them, so I’m a little worried.

Keito: Sorry, did we keep you waiting?

Nazuna: Woah, speak of the devil. Welcome back, Keito-chin and Rei-chin.

Kuro: Ya took your sweet time comin’ back, didja get into some sorta trouble?

Keito: No, we just stopped by the office to drop off a proposal.

Nazuna: A proposal? Well, it’s fine if you happened to find the time while out shopping, but I wish you’d tell us beforehand.

Keito: I’m sorry, the proposal was put together in a hurry after some discussion with Sakuma.

Keito: At the time I left, it hadn’t been completed yet, so I was unsure if we’d be able to submit it.

Kuro: A proposal that you finished in that much of a hurry? What kind is it?

Rei: It’s a plan for Valentine’s day wagashi. We went to the agency and proposed a cooking show with the theme of ‘Wagashi as the star of Valentine’s day’.

Nazuna: Wh- What!? Why’d you go and do that!?

Keito: I apologize for not asking you first. In retrospect, it wasn’t a good idea to put off having a proper discussion about it in our frantic rush to create a proposal.

Kuro: I don’t really care. I’m used to bein’ pushed around by you, danna, and it’s not like I can’t think for myself at all, right?

Nazuna: I don’t mind either, but could you at least explain why you made that plan?

Keito: The reason is quite simple. It’s to solve the problem that we encountered during our research yesterday.

Nazuna: It was the fact that the fancy, formal image of wagashi didn’t match people’s preferences for Valentine’s day sweets, right?

Keito: Indeed. Though that isn’t the case in actuality.

Keito: We will remedy this by appearing on a cooking show to promote them. We’ll introduce and make all sorts of cute looking wagashi.

Keito: Let’s spread the word that “wagashi can be the star of Valentine’s day too!”

Nazuna: Keito-chin, I didn’t think you would go that far……

Rei: It just so happened that the agency was looking for a Valentine’s day project aside from the Chocolat Festival.

Rei: Little lady Anzu is helping out too, so as long as things proceed smoothly, the plan should go through.

Nazuna: I-Is it really going to happen so fast?! Actually, that’s concerning…

Keito: I feel that way too. The fact that the agency is looking for additional Valentine’s day projects alongside the Chocolat Festival sounds too good to be true.

Keito: It feels like someone conveniently suggested it to them in advance, doesn’t it?

Rei: Goodness gracious, whatever are you suggesting? I haven’t got a clue myself.

Keito: … Well, it’s fine. I’ll let this odd coincidence slide for now, since it’s working in our favor.

Keito: Kiryu and Nito, I’m sorry for getting you involved without asking you first. Like I said before, if you can’t do it, feel free to turn me down right now.

Keito: In which case, Sakuma and I will simply film an introductory program by ourselves.

Nazuna: Don’t start talking like a stranger, Keito-chin! Since we’ve come this far together, I’ll definitely join in!

Kuro: Yeah, danna. It’d be worse if ya decided to have us be the only ones left out.

Keito: … I see. Thank you, both of you.

Rei: Fufu. Now that we’ve decided on this, we ought to start our practice in making the wagashi that will be introduced on the cooking show.

Rei: We can’t be making concrete chocolate on filming day, now can we? ♪

Keito: Hmph. Even if you hadn’t said that, I’m well aware that I’m the weakest link of the bunch.

Keito: However, you have no reason to worry. I’ll make them perfectly on the day of.

Keito: I’ll prove that wagashi can be the star of Valentine’s day too!

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Translation Notes

Nejikiri is, well, a screwcutter. I couldn't translate the pun, so I did my best.

Nerikiri are small, detailed sweets made of sweetened white bean paste and rice flour. They come in a variety of designs and shapes. I happened to stumble across an artist's Valentine's nerikiri. Have a look!

[bezierballad]

please talk about your ocs! (i totally didn't run to your ask box after I saw the reblog)

Will do! I've also talked about these guys and discussed a lot of their story with my buddies @eemoo1o-animoo & @sebastian-ciel-mutual-bullying (Thanks so much you two, ya'll are awesome ^^)

(Bear with me folks this is still a WIP work)

The OCs in question are a trio of demon OCs—Tobias Gourmand, Napoleon Salver, and Maria DeVarre—who all serve the owner of an inn. (Adam Sinclair is his name. And his wife is named Evangeline. "Evie" or "Eve" for short. 😉)

The Sinclair Servants are basically meant to be foils of some sort to the Phantomhive servants (Finny, Mey-Rin, and Baldroy) but they're also basically the triplet demon servants from Black Butler II if they each had their own separate personality (also if one of them was a girl lmao)

Tobias is quite chatty with whoever decided to visit the inn, but is also considered to be the one with the least "tact" out of the three. Compared to his two companions, he's quite a bit more childish and less-levelheaded, and isn't usually seen without a mug of liquor in hand. That being said, he's a tad bit more of a flirt compared to the others, very smug and savvy.

Despite my personal preference to say his name second in order, Napoleon is actually the "ringleader" of the trio. He's the one that does most of the talking when other characters (such as Ciel, Sebastian, and/or Adam) are speaking to the trio as a whole. Napoleon is especially the one who has the most interaction with Sebastian in the story (in fact part of me feels like he's at least 45% gay for Sebastian but I digress). He's also considered the most manipulative of the three, but he's usually the one letting Tobias and Maria do most of the messier work.

Maria is without a doubt the most stoic of the three (in fact most of the time she rarely says anything), and since she's a kitchen maid she's usually barely seen ever interacting with the inn guests. Despite physically appearing to be the youngest of the three (looking no older than Ciel himself) Maria is actually far more mature and level-headed than one may think (second only to Napoleon but moreso than Tobias). She's also quite skilled with knives (more specifically the bigger and heavier butcher's cleavers to contrast with Sebastian's fancy dinner cutlery), in fact if anyone were to try and act creepy with this girl, she would no doubt threaten to stab that person.

Some may interpret these three as a "weird little demon family" and they're not wrong. Me personally I interpret their relationship with each other as "roomates/siblings who are usually on the same page, have the same thoughts and mindsets, and do a lot of the same things but occasionally get on each other's nerves". Sometimes I even think of them as a silly little "clique" of demons. Above all else, however, they're partners in crime.

Now, here's how they would play into the rest of the Kuroshitsuji world (specifically how Ciel, Sebastian, & the rest of the gang would come into play).

It basically goes out like this; Ciel and Sebastian are sent by the queen to investigate this inn. The reasoning is rather to-the-point; many people who have visited this inn are usually never seen walking back out.

There's a lot of your typical Kuro arc shenanigans, but there's also a lot of interaction with Sebastian and the Sinclair servants. A lot of "demon-to-demon" interactions.

Their relationship with Sebastian is... rather complicated. I'm still unsure whether or not these three would be able to tell if Sebastian is a demon or if Seb himself even knows that they're demons yet. If so, then chances are these three see Sebastian as, well, weird.

Like, "you're telling me that guy over there fawning over a litter of kittens is a member of our species? As if." They even make a few occasional mocking jabs at his expense (much to Seb's annoyance)

Anyway, there's a planned B plot with the reapers (specifically Grell, Ron, & Will) where they see that many souls have been strangely going missing. And they are, in fact, rather pissed. Will especially is rather triggered and believes Sebastian is the one at fault here (which Sebastian himself knows is absolute bullshit because he's been dieting fasting for what? Three years straight?)

Gee I wonder if the demons who are working at the inn know about this.

I could keep going on and on, but I think it's best that I stop there for now. This story has a looooooot going on, and that's far from even the tip of the iceberg.

Either way, thank you so much for the ask! And for those who were patient enough to get to the end of my bad storytelling and infodumping, thank you for reading 👋

[auxiliarydetective]

The Evil Eye

or: Zoro crushing on Lux Jirou far too hard and being a mosshead about it

Now that I've written fic for all of my OCs except one, I figured it was high time for Lux to get a fic for himself too! This is set during the garden scene in OPLA episode 3 and tells of the first meeting between two dumbasses. This is Zoro's perspective, but I might write Lux's in the future.

Also, quick note: Lux is still referred to as Jirou here because this is before he broke away from Kuro.

Enjoy!

Suddenly, the man on the other side of the pond threw his knife at Usopp, lodging it right between the legs of the “VIP guest”.

“The hell are you doin’ here, Usopp?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

“Buchi, buddy,” Usopp said quickly, somehow managing to sound both smug and anxious at the same time, “uh, Kaya’s expecting me.”

In his mind, Zoro repeated his statement from before: This guy’s full of shit.

Armed with a mop, the blue-haired woman – maybe she was a maid or something? – came towards the pond as well.

“Another one of your lies,” Buchi growled and grabbed Usopp by his vest.

He easily lifted him off the lily pad, holding him in the air with just as little effort.

“You ain’t welcome here and you know it.”

“I know nothing of the sort,” Usopp disagreed. “I’m here to give Kaya an extra-special gift!”

Just when Zoro wondered if he was going to have to save the idiot from getting himself beaten up, a female voice called Usopp’s name. It was a young woman with pale skin and light blonde hair, struggling to walk down the stairs towards the pond as she held on to her butler’s arm. Immediately, the maid respectfully straightened her posture and Buchi put Usopp down, but he didn’t let him go.

“What a wonderful surprise!” the young woman gasped.

With a smug smile, Usopp shook off Buchi’s hands and turned towards her.

“Kaya! Happy birthday.”

“You remembered.”

“Of course I did.”

That was when the butler lightly cleared his throat. Judging from his expression, he wasn’t even half as thrilled as Kaya to see Usopp there.

“Usopp,” he said in a voice one might use to gently scold a child. “We’ve had this discussion. You mustn’t show up unannounced.”

“Nonsense, Klahadore,” Kaya disagreed in her soft-spoken tone before turning back to Usopp. “Have you come to tell me another story? I do love hearing about your adventures.”

“I’ll do you one better,” Usopp declared. “I brought some of my crew!” he said, gesturing back at where Zoro and the others stood.

“Is he talking about us?” Luffy asked in confusion.

Of course he was, Zoro thought, and of course he was going to keep bragging and lying the whole time. At this point, Zoro just wanted to talk to Kaya about the damn caravel – no, he wanted Nami to talk to Kaya about the damn caravel because he sure as hell wasn’t going to do it – and then he wanted to leave.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Kaya said. “You all must stay for dinner.”

Oh no. Well, at least that meant free food. Maybe free booze, too.

“Miss Kaya,” Klahadore cut in, “it is a bit last minute. I’m afraid the kitchen hasn’t prepared for any extra guests.”

“Please, Klahadore… It’s my birthday. Can’t be too much trouble, can it?”

According to the looks on the staff’s faces, it definitely could.

“Of course, Miss Kaya,” Klahadore said. “Anything for you.”

“All right!” Luffy called out. “When do we eat?”

Of course, that was all he could think about…

“You don’t,” Klahadore stated. “Not like this. For now, you’re not going anywhere. – Sham!” he called the maid. “Where is Jirou? He should have seen these intruders coming from a mile away.”

“I gave him the day off,” Kaya quickly cut in. “You know he needs to rest and… there haven’t been any attacks on this house in years.”

“Just because I have the day off that doesn’t mean I’ll let a man with three swords just waltz right in.”

Zoro suddenly felt his heart stop and his face turned hot. Stepping out from behind a hedge was a young man with slightly messy hair that was neither blonde nor brown and white splotches across his skin. Sitting above a white shirt was a black leather holster, keeping a black-gripped revolver strapped to his body. Somehow, Zoro’s brain seemed to have completely stopped working, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the man. At least his heart was beating again, but it was racing in his chest. Jirou swung a black jacket over his shirt, covering part of the holster. It helped at least a little bit, but Zoro’s mind was still somewhere in a far-off place.

“Your weapons,” Jirou demanded with an outstretched hand, finally knocking Zoro out of his stupor. “Come on, don’t make me search you.”

“I don’t have any,” Luffy shrugged.

Then, Usopp came up to Jirou and placed something in his hand, bright green and looking more like a toy than anything. A slingshot.

“Oh bother,” Jirou scoffed with a slight smile, a smile that sent another shiver down Zoro’s spine. Jirou knocked Usopp against the chest with his slingshot, making him take it back. “Real weapons, Usopp, not this nonsense. You won’t hurt anyone with this.”

Nami sighed heavily, then handed Jirou her staff. Now, Jirou turned fully to Zoro, his hand only directed at him, his eyes feeling like they were piercing Zoro’s heart.

“Your swords, sir.”

“I won’t give them to you,” Zoro declared, his voice hoarse, his mouth having gone dry.

“Then I’ll take them,” Jirou responded.

Really, he reached out for Zoro’s belt without as much as hesitation. Somehow, Zoro was still partially stunned and his reflexes kicked in a little later than he had intended. Still, he managed to grab Jirou’s wrist when he was only mere centimeters away from his goal, his fingers already grazing the Wado Ichimonji’s hilt. But then, Jirou managed to twist his hand and break free, catching Zoro by surprise and now holding him by the wrist. Shockingly enough, he was able to match Zoro in strength! Once again, the shivers were back, and Zoro felt like his legs might just give out underneath him. What was this guy doing to him?!

“Jirou, don’t!” Kaya called, breaking the tension in the air. “He’s on Usopp’s crew, he’s not dangerous.”

“That’s the devil talking, Miss Kaya,” Jirou said, not breaking eye contact with Zoro for even a moment. “I think I know this man and, believe me, he is dangerous. – Listen, ronin,” Jirou hissed, clearly addressing Zoro now, “you either hand me those swords or you leave.”

“Can’t you find another alternative?” Kaya asked. “Please? As a birthday gift?”

With a sigh, Jirou let Zoro’s wrist go and took a step back. Immediately, the air around Zoro seemed a little colder to him, even more so when Jirou stopped looking at him as well.

“There is one,” he told Kaya. “If I can’t take his swords, I’ll have to watch them—” he finally turned back to Zoro “— which means I’ll have to watch the man. You won’t get even a second of privacy, understood? Now, do you still want to be stubborn or will you finally give in?”

Zoro’s mind was running hot, as was his entire body, yet the shivers across his spine kept coming back just the same. It took him too long to process the situation before he said:

“Fine. Watch me then.”

“Excellent,” Klahadore said in Jirou’s place. “Jirou, if you’ll be watching the man either way, would you kindly show Usopp and his friends to the guest suites? – You will bathe and change before dinner.”

“A bath does sound nice,” Nami said with a sly smile, elbowing Zoro – which hurt more than it should have since he was, once again, caught off guard – and nodding towards Jirou, her smile turning into a grin in the process.

Then, she followed Jirou’s gesture towards the mansion, where Luffy had already eagerly walked off to. Usopp followed next – though not after sticking his tongue out at Buchi— But Zoro was somehow stuck in place. It was only when Jirou grabbed him by the arm and almost shoved him forwards that he moved. The spot where Jirou had touched him felt like it was on fire. What was going on? And what scheme had Nami come up with now? Zoro hoped he wouldn’t have to find out. But with Jirou walking behind him, both of them in silence, for the first time, it felt truly, anxiety-inducingly awkward, making Zoro worry even more that the man had the evil eye. No, that was bullshit. Without thinking, he said the first thing that came to mind, which was:

“You gonna watch me shower too, you creep?”

Jirou let out something that sounded almost like a squeak. “No!” he scoffed in a high-pitched tone before taking a deep breath and growling: “What makes you think I’d wanna see that?!”

Zoro failed to scoff back, all that came out being a small, displeased hum. Why did that answer disappoint him?

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄✼▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

Taglist: @starcrossedjedis @oneirataxia-girl @daughter-of-melpomene @supermarine-silvally - let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!

[asena-graywolf]

I’m Sorry

You were very upset that day. You thought walking down the street with your head up would calm you down. But with every step you took, your anger was getting deeper

You looked like you were going crazy when you saw Kuro laughing with other girls.

Did he do it specifically? Or did you really not care?

Thousands of question marks were swirling in your head. If he was in front of you, you would punch him until his mouth and nose changed places. Maybe you'd even spit in his face.

It's been 5 months since Kuro asked you out. Kuro's girlishness had surfaced in the past month, and from this aspect, he did not hesitate to make you jealous from time to time.

He made you jealous today too. But he had gone too far.

Your legs were shaking with anger. As he continued walking, a black Lamborghini approached you. You always knew that car. Kuro thought this luxury car was cooler in the eyes of girls. He always came to campus by car. Sometimes he would do artistic maneuvers in the parking lot just to show off.

The car window came down and that familiar voice called out to you.

"Hey lady! Where are you off to? I can drop you off where you want to go"

You didn't even want to turn your head and look. But he called you once. You could feel the smug look behind the black sunglasses. His usual grin was shining on his face like a spotlight.

You've never been there. You continued on your way. You didn't want to talk to him until he realized your worth.

“Ma'am! I want you to come with me!”

“Y/N. Will you listen to me a little bit?"

“If you don't come, I'll follow you home in the car. I also keep watch in front of your house. I even wake up in the car”

Even though he was chasing you in the car and calling out to you, you were ignoring him.

Despite your ignoring him, Kuro wasn't going to give up. He pulled the car to a suitable place and parked it and got out of the car and blocked your way.

“Y/N! Please can you come with me a little bit? I need to talk to you"

“Get out of my way Kuro!”

You tried to change direction but Kuro appeared in front of you again

"Please! I just want you to listen to me a little bit. Then you can go if you want"

“I told you to get out of my way! Or I'll kick your ass! Let's see if you can speak for buncombe to girls again then?"

“W-What? Am i speak for buncombe? You're being ridiculous!”

“Do i look like dumb? You were having fun with the girls while looking me in the eye! All you know is speak for buncombe for girls! You came to this world to change girlfriend like changing clothes! That's obvious enough.”

"Not what you know. Really. Get in the car. Let's talk."

"No! Go away! Otherwise, I will shout that this man is harassing me in the middle of the street."

"Then I'll kidnap you too."

You suddenly found yourself in Kuro's arms. He hugged you tight so you wouldn't run away

"Hey! Let me go you scumbag!”

"I am sorry. You left me no other choice. Now be nice, my dear"

“Let me tell you! You churl, you bastard!”

He forced you into the car and stepped on the gas as soon as he got into the driver's seat.

"Are you crazy? What you're doing is called kidnapping!” you shouted

“Buckle up,” Kuro said carelessly.

You made a U-turn at the forward intersection. Kuro was going in the opposite direction of your path

“Where are you taking me?” you said hastily

"You'll see when you go!"

When you looked at the speedometer, you noticed that Kuro was going faster than normal.

“Can't you drive a little slower! Do you realize how fast you're going?"

“I am well aware Y/N. Even if the speedometer represents that I love you, it would be insufficient for me to go at full speed.

“Is that why you were having fun with other girls while looking me in the eye?”

“How do you know what I was talking about with them?”

“You were in a good mood since you were giggling all the time. Do you think I'm stupid?"

“Shut up a little y/n”

Kuro changed gear and you drove straight on the same road for a while

“Kuro? Won't you tell me where we're going?"

"Not long now. We'll be there soon"

You start to get impatient and restless

“I don't know where you got the courage to forcefully detain me, but don't ever do something like that again! Or I'll make you regret it"

“Where do I get this courage from? Of course out of my love for you"

“Stop humgug! ”

"I'm going to show you if what I'm humbuging now or not."

He turned left and stopped in a woodland a few meters away. He parked the car and got out of the car. Then he opened your door

"Get down"

You unbuckled your belt and got out of the car.

"You can't give me orders!"

“Don't talk too much and help me out”

He opened the trunk and took out two folding chairs. You reluctantly helped him. You unfold the folded chairs and set them up near the car.

“Sit down,” he pointed to the chair.

He then went back to the car to get something out of the car. He pulled out a cardboard bag from the backseat and came over to you.

“Take these”

There was a smell of coffee coming from the bag. There was coffee in two cardboard cups and another box with possibly something to snack on with the coffee.

“What are these?”

"Isn't it obvious that it's coffee y/n?"

“Which will you drink?” you asked reluctantly

“I bought you your favourite. Caramel latte. It's written on it. I bought a cinnamon rolls so we can eat it with it”

Kuro's kindness felt you softened a little, but you were still angry with your boyfriend.

He had your favorite dessert and coffee. You laid out the donuts and started to drink your coffees together.

“Will all this trouble be enough for me to take my heart? you asked implicitly

“Y/N…I'm sorry. I just wanted to make you a little jealous, but I know I've gone too far. Maybe I looked like a womanizer to you. But believe that not like that. I don't want you to know me as a bad person."

Kuro's words weren't enough to convince you.

Even though your anger went away, he didn't let go of the anger.

“And what was your fun with those girls, Kuro?”

"Aren't you going to ask what happened after you left?"

"I'm sure you had more fun after I left"

"No. I told them I love the most beautiful girl in the world"

"Oh really! Who did you say this to? To a blonde? Or a brunette?”

“Not for any of them. I showed them our picture that I had made as a screenpaper on my phone. They told me how lucky I am to have such a cute girlfriend. Some of them are very upset.”

Even though your heart seemed to soften, you wanted to creep Kuro a little

“What was the purpose of you wanting to make me jealous? To test my patience? Or to test how jealous I am of you?”

“Sometimes you're so cute when you're jealous. You were making me jealous too, remember?"

“At least I wasn't having fun gathering men around me and smiling at them”

Kuro had given up. He knew he had made a mistake, and now all he had to do was take your heart.

He took your hand gently and kissed your knuckles

"I am sorry. I felt guilty when I saw that I hurt you. Breaking your heart is the last thing I want in this world. I hope you forgive me y/n. I love only you. I would never do business with those girls. I haven't done anything with any of them the way you think, nor will I. You are the first for me in everything. I love you. Please tell me you forgive me y/n"

You took a deep breath and turned to Kuro

“Do you really want me to forgive you?”

“I will do whatever it takes for you to forgive. If you're going to punish me for that, I'm okay with that. I will gladly take my punishment"

You made your decision. Seeing Kuro's desperation made you sad too. Even if you didn't fully forgive, you would slowly melt the ice between you.

“Okay…then I want my kiss first”

"Where do you want me to kiss?"

You set the coffee down and get up from your chair and sit on Kuro's knees. Kuro's hands immediately wrapped around your waist and you grabbed his shoulders. One hand caressed his ebony black hair

“You already know. Of course you will kiss on the lips. But not with tongue”

"Ok"

He did what you wanted. He kissed your lips gently. Sucked your lower lip

“Yes, secondly, tomorrow you will publicly declare that you love me. Do you accept?"

"Yes, i do"

"Finally, you're going to take me to lunch in your car for a week and, three days in that week, we're going to have sex in the car."

Kuro's eyes widened in surprise, but then he liked the idea. A devilish smile spread across his face.

“I accept them all. I love the way you jump on my lap in the car. Oh, you said so, even now I have to do it. But I don't have a condom"

“You won't do it now anyway. You must wait until a week, sir.”

He placed a kiss on the your cheek

"From now on, I am at your command, ma'am."

[sugar-omi]

aww I'm gonna miss the Cove icon but who's the lady? 030

help i got so confused for a sec i totally forgot i changed my pfp but then I realized n pls I've never closed genshin faster...

the cove icon is such a staple tho!!! I hope yall recognize me without it but I trust my regular horny posts will be all you need anyway LOL

altho it may or may not come back some time after October yk, I was just tryna get in the spooky mood n stuff hehe but we'll see bc I am Crazy over this lovely lady here

BUT ANYWAY IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED HEHE THIS IS MY LOVELY LADY, MY CURRENT BRAIN WORM THAT IS EATING ME AWAY:

well.. ngl she's nameless right now. but she is my 3rd baxter child, yes I'm still on that bc yall ruined me w baxters kids being colorful n shit n now I like to laugh abt his child's fashion choices becoming progressively more colorful n crazier than his....

BUT TO INTRODUCE MY GIRL A BITTTT (also I'm literally drawing smth else for her n I didn't expect to reveal her like this but... she's everything to me n I cranked this out in like 3-4 hours bc I'm crazy)

anyway, she's Very into gyaru fashion, specifically n mostly kogal and kuro

she's looks like a cinnamon roll, will beat your ass!!!, I'm thinking she does competitive ballroom dancing like baxter or she can at least dance well enough to wear you out n tell you you suck

she's sarcastic, has the worst RBF of the whole family. at least baxter n theo look like they're just smug flirty assholes n aurelia looks more approachable in comparison to this lovely lady here.

also she has a heart shaped freckle. it's faint n you can't even rlly tell here but it's under her eye (I realize all my baxters children have one under their eye but idc. I am ONTO SOMETHING)

anyway.. her n theo are besties and baxter has to check in at night bc they'll be in her room painting each others nails n doing nail extensions or dying her hair (its 2 toned if you havent guessed, ive seen it sm n im obsessed n so she had it okay) like go to SLEEP YOU HAVE SCHOOL TMRW!!!

just thought abt it. she's obsessed w true crime, food, makeup, and stationary videos, and the stardew valley/the sims

also just decided she is soon for the ladies. I'm thinking lesbian n demisexual, mmm

COVE IS HER FAVORITE UNCLE ITS CANON

don't ask how, just know that it's true.

hates pickles. she is me. she is my child... omg Aurelia likes pickles. I was gonna say theo but he's a ramble for another time omfg I am thinking SO MUCH

anyway... ik you didn't ask for a ramble abt my oc but I will take this and run w it okay

she is very introverted but when she picks friends you are now 4lifers okay you cannot get rid of her n why would you want to? you life was a mess before her. trust. /j /lh

she's like baxter so much in the way she worries n has insecurities n stuff, honestly I think she inherited the identity crisis thing baxter got going on over there

also is the youngest and very much an accident (just like aurelia, dw they're FINE everyone laughs abt baxters reaction now which I will make a bit of later bc I'm thinking many thoughts abt the boys finding out mc is preg) so she's a bit spoiled bc her siblings were at least 9 n loved her sm when she was born

(imagining theo passing her to you or baxter n running away when she had a dirty diaper... pls thats so funny)

ALSO VTUBERS SHE IS CRAZY OVER THEM

yeah she is so my child omfg okay IM DONE IM DONE IF YOU READ THIS I SRSLY LOVE YOU BC I SPIRALED

now ik what it's like to jump at any chance to talk abt your ocs n how fucking crazy it makes you.... I am unstoppable now

[drippingheart]

── ❛ He . . . He's dead. ❜

The night of mission at the detention centre and even the day after was a blur. A blur of his perception of time just as the literal blur marring his vision; eyes fighting the cloud of melancholy threatening to downpour like the rainy season. It had been Fushiguro Megumi who failed to trick Sukuna. Megumi who watched Itadori Yuuji's heart being ripped out. He who wanted to disintegrate in the rain with the ease his shikigami dissolved into the shadows. Why couldn't the worst outcome of the mission been losing shiro? It almost felt like cosmic karma momentarily mourning the death of a shikigami he treated more like a companion than a weapon.

A special grade curse was dismantled solely by Yuuji's hand and at what cost? Just as Megumi could not erase the sight of the hole in Yuuji's chest, he could not erase the horrid nausea and chill rippling through his body as he had to carry his friend's corpse. Kugisaki Nobara and he escaped with their lives, a little worse for wear, but at what cost? Sukuna had been disgustingly smug, too; why couldn't the king of curses pummel him to the ground until he lost conscious ... until he lost his memory.

Another thing he did not recall was the entire trip to Jujutsu Tech nor releasing the death grip on Yuuji's wet and cooling body. Someone must have. Someone must have also guided Megumi to Ieri-san where his wounds were selfishly tended to, meanwhile there was no curing Yuuji. Why had the trio of first years been dispatched to exorcise a special grade curse? Why did the children fight? Why ... Why ...

WHY — why everything.

Fushiguro Megumi was no stranger to tragedy; life wrought in death and abandonment even before his technique surfaced. HIs father being a phantom in his life held less weight than the death of a both he barely knew. A boy, of course, who was doomed to death because Megumi was too weak to keep Sukuna's finger from being consumed. Megumi had accepted it; a bold lie which became easier to swallow each day despite facing the warmth which was Itadori's brilliance.

The King of Curses was not required to fill his head with demons ... they dominated his psyche on their own. He was plagued just as Megumi himself was a plague; his life contaminated and toxic to those around him. Jujutsu sorcerers were not supposed to display their depression. Be it seven or forty, sorcerers were weapons to kill and ultimately be killed. Like his shikigami, Megumi's tears were kept to the shadows.

Two days after the fateful night at the detention centre, the onyx haired youth emerged from his room with the excuse of requiring solitude to heal his wounds. What he needed was clean air ... and food. As soon as the plain rice touched his lips, a new wave of sickness coiled in his belly, and the onigri was abandoned to take fresh air outside. The school never felt so dismal as it did then, not even compared to when he was the sole first year. HIs solitude had been just that. Now he felt a genuine loneliness that kuro, his last remaining divine dog, could not dismantle.

What were his senpais doing? What was ... Kugisaki @strawdxll doing? Megumi was not normal. HIs sister, the most normal relationship he had, was doomed and comatose. Knowing not how to interact like a healthy human being, the teen dared not approach the woman. It made him feel shitty. One heap of shit piled on another without mercy. The storm clouds hanging over his head must have been perceptible from a kilometre away. One dimension of his guilt subsided with gentle footfalls approaching.

── ❛ Hey... ❜

[yes-my-paladin]

Have you been watching the new Black Butler season? If so how do you like it?

I have! I know it doesn't seem like it on here bc im more active on Twitter but it's been soooo refreshing to see the Kuro fandom (and sebaciel fandom) flourishing again. We've always been somewhat active but given the fact that it's been years since we've gotten a new animated arc and since Sebastian and Ciel have appeared in manga...it's just been such a wonderful experience.

I will say I was kind of worried the new artstyle would throw me off a little bit, and the opening theme wasn't what I immediately would associate with Kuroshitsuji (I'm so used to SID and GazettE) but they grew on me right away! Really wasn't aware of how much I missed watching Sebaciel be mischievous and conniving together again lol, it's absolutely entertaining! Ciel is most certainly giving Sebastian a run for his money, the poor devil. I dont think this is what he had in mind when they made the contract. Mans thought he was getting a lil snack and now he's here, 3 years later dressed as a priest and playing teacher while making treats and doing housework 😭😭😭

Also, love how they return to their penchant of committing arson this arc??? Lmfaooo these two just cannot get enough of setting shit on fire dbdhdnshdbsdbs. And this will not be the last time bc I know if we ever get the Green Witch arc animated (hoping we don't have to wait another 7 years for it 😭💀) they r going to have the time of their LIFE destroying the facility lol.

I'm really eager to see the (spoilers) face off they have with Undertaker again. Several ppl over on the bird app brought up how Sebastian seems to almost start spiraling and envisioning UT getting to Ciel again while, in reality UT is not even moving, let alone getting anywhere close to Ciel. It's like his version of entering a building and immediately trying to locate all the exits. I never realized it until someone put it into words, but I think Sebastian might have developed some degree of PTSD/gotten traumatized after that encounter with UT on the Campania, and he doesn't even realize it. It's quite interesting to see this normally smug and put together being that most ppl find to be nearly omnipotent, go up against someone who manages to not only best him in a fight (I do feel like Sebastian met his match that day. He's still very ferocious immediately afterwards and able to defend Ciel from the bizarre dolls in the boat but UT left unscathed) but also damage his mind (Sebastian literally got flashbacks like bro...how very human of u).

Sorry I feel like this got very off track lmfaooo u literally asked me if I liked the new season and I'm over here like "yeah and omg I think Sebastian might be the first demon to get ptsd ever".

TLDR: I'm absolutely loving it and I'm so excited for the major big bad to appear this arc! What about you?

[firebirdsdaughter]

Random baseless theory...

... Coming entirely from my own hopes and the fact that I don’t trust a Woz.

What if Geiz didn’t actually kill Sougo at all in the other future, and Shiro Woz is just bsing? Or everyone just assumes/thinks he did?

Like, Shiro Woz said ‘it’s an honor to meet you’ or something. He could’ve meant that since he was from a different timeline, but also could mean that despite being the ‘savior,’ Geiz isn’t around anymore in his timeline? So maybe neither he nor Sougo survived? Which could mean that something completely different happened, but this was the version that got told bc no one was around to correct it except maybe Tsukuyomi?

Like maybe they were both fighting something else entirely or something? Or there was another layer to the story that got dropped? I mean, I have ideas, but it opens up possibilities.

This is, of course, totally unfounded. I was just thinking about it today and idea came to me.

[shinsengumy]

Kuroshitsuji in a nutshell

Sebastian :

Me :

[starlitheaven]

— the shortest day.

pairing: Megumi Fushiguro / Yuuji Itadori

tags: no powers au, modern au, vague narration, college-aged itafushi

word count: 5.7k+

summary: On December 22nd, Yuuji decides to capture himself spending the winter solstice with Megumi.

notes: this type of pov really kicked my ass. this was meant to be for Megumi’s birthday, and I had planned to write something for it anyway. but I got inspired by this art and wanted to go along with that.

6:32AM

It begins with white sneakers walking down a cobbled street before panning up over a mostly secluded backstreet. There’s almost no sound aside from the soft steps of sneakers against concrete before a few people on bicycles ride past with a soft fwoosh. This early in the morning, especially in December, there’s not much foot traffic. The sky appears to be cloudy as well, but shows hints of it possibly clearing up soon.

There’s a cut, and then there’s the sounds of a dog barking. The sneakers begin to jog slightly towards the sound, and then the sounds of breathing and ruffling before a murmur of a man's voice. It’s inaudible due to the ruffling, but eventually slows down and there appears a dark haired man attempting to pull a dog away. The white dog is barking up at a cat who’s perched on a fence, seemingly smug that the dog is being held back and can’t reach.

“Fushiguro!”

The dark haired man looks away from his dog, while his black dog (who hadn’t participated in the other dog’s barking) runs up and then there’s the sound of cooing and more ruffling, this time by the dog’s fur. It’s difficult to hear for a while, but then all that’s visible is the cobbled ground and the black dog’s paws in the corner.

“—doing?”

“Oh, right. I’m filming your special day,” Yuuji, who’s behind the Super 8 Film Camera, says cheerily. “Happy birthday Fushiguro!”

It pans back up to Fushiguro, who’s green eyes had lit up at the sight of Yuuji, but then immediately scowls at the sight of the camera and turns away from it to pet his dogs. He’s wearing an oversized hoodie and navy sweatpants. It’s hard to tell if he has a bedhead or if it’s his regular hair. “Get your camera awa—wait, how’d you know it was my birthday?”

Yuuji hummed, zooming in on Kuro’s head. The dog had a goofy face as he basked in his owner’s absent head pats. “Your sister messaged me. She told me about how she couldn’t fly back for your birthday, and said to make sure you have fun today.”

“Tsumiki did? She’s so annoying.”

Yuuji laughs, bright and hearty. It makes the camera shake a little, still stuck on the dog who now has his tongue out with no thoughts in his head. “She said you’d say that, y’know,” Yuuji replies, before finally zooming out back to Fushiguro. Fushiguro who was still scowling, eyes shyly averting Yuuji’s gaze at the sight of the camera. “She also said you’re a loser and probably wouldn’t even have plans today, so here I am!”

The camera cuts off when Fushiguro begins to curse excessively.

7:03AM

There’s nothing in the shot except for a bowl of omurice set on a small kitchen table. The background noise consists of a tv playing in the background and two voices speaking but not too audible. The space is very small, so everything feels too close and can easily sound jumbled on camera.

“Fushiguro can’t cook,” Yuuji says to the camera, panning closely over the simple meal. The eggs are a nice yellow and then there’s a hand reaching over to pour ketchup onto the meal. He makes a happy face. “But his omurice is pretty good.”

“I heard that.” Fushiguro deadpans in the background. There’s the sound of sizzling and a rice cooker going off.

“He’s right, kid,” a deeper voice agrees. The camera pans up to the man behind the voice. Tall and broad with a black t-shirt and black sweatpants. Fushiguro’s father, Toji, who looks just like his son. He’s leaning against the kitchen counter while spooning mouthfuls of his omurice, green eyes staring at the small tv.“That Gojo brat taught you nothing but how to mouth off. Thank your friend here for teaching you some shit, like those meatball things.”

“Thanks, sir. They’re pretty easy to make, even someone like Fushi—”

“And what did you teach me besides how to fight? They didn’t have parenting classes in prison?”

There’s a tense silence in the small apartment for a second, and Yuuji’s finger hovers over the stop button on the camcorder. He quickly pans the camera back down towards his lap, but manages to catch loud laughter and Toji affectionately ruffling his son’s hair.

The camera cuts off and only cuts back on a bit later to Yuuji’s hand petting the dogs as they longue on their dog beds. It’s hard to do with one hand, so it’s shaky, but the animal’s content expressions are captured well. Yuuji continues his petting while talking with the dogs, and they simply roll over to expose their fluffy bellies. It continues on for a bit until the two voices from earlier slowly ease into hearing range.

“—had to pick up an extra shift tonight,” Toji is saying with a sigh. “Tsumiki’s plane tickets are fucking ridiculous this time of year. Sorry, kid.”

“I get it. It’s fine.” Fushiguro replies. There’s the jingle of keys and clothes ruffling, and Yuuji’s sure even the camera can pick up that Fushiguro doesn’t think it’s fine.

The camera cuts off.

9:10AM

There’s nothing particularly interesting being shown, Yuuji is simply holding the camera and pointing it at his side. The average streets of Tokyo, busier than normal now that it’s still the morning rush and close to Christmas, so there’s more tourists. The rustle and bustle of people walking past in several directions and the occasional snippet of pop music playing outside of stores. No one is paying the camera any attention, as everyone keeps to themselves and is focused on their own destination.

Yuuji and Fushiguro’s destination happens to be Shinjuku Station, which is near the birthday boy’s tiny apartment. Fushiguro’s voice is audible, but the words are hard to make out as he’s speaking on the phone. The camera has cut in and out as he receives birthday phone calls from his “sisters” and now it’s his old guardian, but the street is so loud that Yuuji doesn’t feel the need to cut off this time.

The camera remained on the street in front of them, slightly angled down as Yuuji looked away from the viewfinder. “Was that Gojo-sensei?” Yuuji asked. “I thought he’d come see you himself. He’s so funny, always showing up everywhere.”

“You don’t have to call him that, he just thinks he’s hot shit,” Fushiguro scoffs, and the camera can probably pick up the eye roll in his tone. “He said he can’t make it…his flight got delayed by the weather in the Netherlands.”

“Oh uh—” Yuuji begins, voice sounding unsure and hesitant. The buzz of the busy street remains, uncaring of their sudden silence. “Sorry about that, Fushiguro. First your dad now Gojo-sen—Gojo…”

“Whatever, it’s fine.” Fushiguro dismisses. The loud sound of the crosswalk at the intersection and the buzz of several voices speaking at once is the only audible thing for a few seconds.

The only thing visible now is the shoes of several people walking across the intersection, packed together like sardines. It gets a little shaky as Yuuji fiddles with the camera, contemplating what he should do, becoming swayed by Fushiguro’s being clearly upset, even if he pretends not to be.

“It’s okay if it’s not fine, you know,” Yuuji murmurs, and the camera shakes slightly to the side, picking up the sound of their thick jackets ruffling as he affectionately bumps Fushiguro’s shoulder. His voice is barely audible on camera now. A little more serious and subdued.“You said you feel better after you vent to me, remember?”

“...I was drunk.”

“So? Nanamin said drunk thoughts think—wait it’s—”

“Drunk words are sober thoughts.” Fushiguro corrects before Yuuji’s brain turns to mush. The camera shakes, Yuuji’s white sneakers being the only thing shown as the two walk down the stairs to the train station. There’s the sound of several shoes going down the steps and Yuuji’s mhm mhms.

Then, they reach the bottom of the stairs and the camera comes up to focus on Fushiguro. His brows are furrowed and he’s rubbing at his shoulder the way he does when he’s unsure. His mouth opens, then closes as he directly faces the camera.

“Fine. But put the camera away.”

It cuts off once again.

9:55AM

The camera turns back on, and it’s pointed at Yuuji’s hand, who’s humming a random tune while selecting a drink from a vending machine. Once he’s selected, the camera zooms back out and pans over all the bright drinks that are displayed. It pauses over certain drinks as Yuuji reads the names to the camera and gives commentary on the ones that he’s tried.

There’s the sound of steps coming towards him and then—

“Alright, I told Toji I’d be out most of the day,” Fushiguro begins, voice coming in and out as he’s probably looking around Tokyo Station. The murmurs of the busy station aren't too audible, as there’s no one really around them by the vending machine. “Where are you taking me?”

A peach plastic bottle is being taken out of the vending machine, and the camera follows its journey until it stops at the bottom near the buttons. Yuuji's hand reaches out to take it before the camera rustles and shakes, the image swirling in several directions as he opens the bottle to take a swig.

“Chiba!” Yuuji finally replied with a sigh, relishing in the sweet drink. “We’re taking the 10:30 Keisei, so we’ll just wait here till then.”

“That’s…far,” Fushiguro says, and the camera is now pointing at his lower half. His arms are crossed over his chest, looking like the aggressive old man he’s always been. “You’re not gonna tell me where exactly?”

“Nope! It’s a surprise.”

“Alright then. Let’s go wait by those benches, sometimes cats show up there.”

The image cuts out and cuts back in at 10:13AM for only a few seconds. Yuuji has the camera towards Fushiguro, who’s crouching down to pet an orange cat. The camera zooms in to give a clear image of the soft smile on Fushiguro’s face.

10:58AM

“—nk I got it,” Fushiguro says when the camera cuts back in. It’s pointed down at his lap before it pans up ahead of him.

They’re on the Keisei bus now on the way to Chiba. The sunlight is filtering in through the windows, and the bus is driving through a bumpy road, so it’s noisy. There’s the sound of the engine running and all the bumps along the way. And, in front of Fushiguro is Yuuji, who’s standing near the plastic grab handles at the top.

The entire bus is empty save for the two of them, so Yuuji is the focal point at the center of the aisles. It’s the first shot of the cameraman, in his olive green jacket with the fuzzy hood and his black pants, grinning at the camera. Fushiguro zooms in slightly as Yuuji begins to roll his shoulders and then stretches his arms above him in preparation.

“Alright, go.” Fushiguro instructs softly.

With a charming grin, Yuuji grabs a grab handle with each hand and begins to pull up his entire body like a pull up bar at the gym. He even crosses his ankles as he does so, showing his strength by doing it so effortlessly. For a few minutes, they converse like Yuuji isn’t doing pull-ups in a moving vehicle.

Sounding completely normal and not like he’s currently pulling up his entire weight, Yuuji glances over towards the camera. “Fushiguro,” he begins, holding his weight over the handles for a few seconds.“Please tell me I look cool on camera and not like a douche.”

Without missing a beat, “Nope, you look like a complete tool. Only Todo would think you’re cool.”

Yuuji sputters at that, and he falters which causes his arms to wobble around mid pull-up. He loses his rhythm at that a second later and slips off, barely avoiding falling on his ass. He’s groaning to Fushiguro and looking like a kicked puppy, but it’s muffled by the rare sound of Fushiguro laughing.

Like him, his laugh is quiet and subdued, but it’s laughter nonetheless. It’s not even exactly at Yuuji’s expense, but a genuine laughter at how unknowingly endearing Yuuji is. It causes the camera to shake, and will later become one of Yuuji’s favorite clips of the day.

2:00PM

The camera is pointing down to Yuuji’s next meal, which happens to be a sub sandwich. It then zooms out and the restaurant comes into view, if the tiny space could even count as a restaurant.

In front of him is Fushiguro, who’s picking up some greens and rice with his chopsticks. He’s unaware of the camera, and looks content to finally eat after a two hour bus ride and walking around Onjuku. Behind him against the wall is a poster with the restaurant’s name on it.

ONJUKU STAND, it reads. The same poster that was at the front door: a painted cartoon cactus with a sombrero holding onto a cheeseburger with the ocean behind him. It’s the entire reason that Yuuji wanted to eat there, and Fushiguro didn’t care as long as he ate. Neither of them cared that the decor in the small establishment was outdated by at least a decade, not when the food and service was so good.

“It’s so quiet here,” Yuuji says after he finishes chewing a bite of his sandwich. The camera is set down at the edge of the table, facing the vertical half of Fushiguro and half of the restaurant behind him. The daylight has brightened the exposure a bit, painting the frame with a white glow. “Makes me realize just how noisy the city is.”

“You’re from Sendai though, shouldn’t you be used to this?” Fushiguro retorts with a snort, setting his chopsticks down. He looks a little bored, but his face always looks like that. Resting Bitch Face, is what Kugisaki calls it.

Yuuji’s voice sounds louder as he’s right beside the camera, and there’s some ruffling as he wipes his hands on a napkin.“Yeah, but Tokyo is that loud. It’s so overbearing, that you forget what peaceful silence even is. Even in places like Aoyama where Gojo-sensei lives, there’s so many people and it’s not the same as this.”

A waiter passes by. “Do you ever miss it?” Fushiguro asks. Even with only half of his face showing, he looks calm now that he’s ate.“You never talk about Sendai unless it’s about your grandfather.”

“Oh, definitely,” Yuuji responds without even thinking about it. “All the time. Whenever I talk to Setsuko or Takeshi, they tell me how cool it is that I live in Shibuya. They thought it was crazy when I said I didn’t wanna grow old in the city.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, do you think it’s weird too?” Yuuji responds with a thoughtful hum. Their conversation is clear, as the restaurant is quiet. They’re the only patrons after an older couple left. “Doesn’t have to be Sendai, but just not a place full of concrete, y’know?”

“I—I do,” was Fushiguro’s quiet response. He looked down at his open palm, seemingly lost in thought. “....I want the same thing, actually. Somewhere quiet and bigger, a house so I can get more animals.”

There’s a jingle heard in the distance, and the muffled voices of the restaurant owner greeting whoever came in. Yuuji pays them no mind, sounding lost in thought at this hypothetical house outside of the city. “Like rabbits or something? That’d be cool!”

“Yeah, whatever you want. I’ve always wanted some.” Fushiguro responds without thinking, and becomes aware of what he’s said immediately. But any embarrassment disappears just as fast, and he stares resolutely now.

Despite the higher exposure in the frame, and the slight distance from Fushiguro across the table, the camera perfectly captured the way his pretty green eyes looked towards Yuuji’s brown ones. Thoughtfully, with an implication hanging in the air. That whatever this is, whatever their relationship has been for several months, has a future. Their close friends don’t know what to call their relationship, and they don’t understand how serious or not they are. How could they, when Yuuji and Fushiguro don’t even call each other by their given names? But the two of them have always been on the same wavelength from the moment they met. If it makes sense to them, that’s all that matters.

Yuuji laughs, light and carefree.“Sounds good, babe. Oh, but not too far from Tokyo cause it’s the only place that has that theater that—”

“Here’s your—oh!”

Their waitress speaks before there’s the harsh clicking and heavy sounds against the mic, image distorted until the camera hits the ground and clicks off.

3:52PM

They’re at 7/11. Yuuji is filming himself getting his cup to pour himself some hot chocolate, then shows Fushiguro serving himself black coffee. His cheeks are still pink from the cold air outside, and it makes him look…pretty. Without thinking, Yuuji zooms in a little until Fushiguro abruptly turns towards the camera with a scowl.

“Get that out of my face before I knock it off your hand.”

“Whoa, so violent!”Yuuji laughed, unfazed by Fushiguro’s ire. The camera panned down towards his drink, showing how he closed the lid over the hot drink. “Gonna beat me up, you delinquent?”

“The hell—” Fushiguro groaned. A loud cheer was heard in the bathroom, probably the owner, who was in the middle of watching a basketball game on a chunky wall-mounted TV when they walked in.“How much did Tsumiki tell you?”

“Uh…now I know you threw a tantrum until Gojo let you keep the stray cat at your old apartment. Oh, and that you got in trouble for punching your dad in prison.”

The camera remained on Yuuji’s hot chocolate for a few seconds before panning back up to Fushiguro, who had remained quiet. He was looking down at his own drink with a contemplative look. Like he was realizing something in that 7-11 all the way in Chiba.

“Tsumiki really likes you…”

4:35PM

There’s several cuts of them walking towards Onjuku Beach, the beach itself up ahead, and the back of Fushiguro’s head. The reason that the clips cut in and out is that the wind is hitting harshly against the mic, so Yuuji’s narration about how the sea has calmed and looked it's best for Fushiguro’s birthday is barely audible.

It’s completely deserted considering the time of the year and the fact that the sun is going to set soon, but it only makes their two voices sound all that much clearer once the wind has settled. The crunch beneath Yuuji and Fushiguro’s sneakers as they walk through the concrete littered with grains of sand and seagulls in the background are the only sounds for some time.

It’s serene despite the cold winter weather, and the camera captures how vast the sea is ahead of them; how the sky is beginning to darken for the night, and how content Fushiguro looks. They don’t speak for a while, not until they find a good spot near the shore and settle in with their drinks and snacks. Yuuji shows him digging his and Fushiguro’s warm drinks into the sand in front of them until the sand has flattened as a makeshift surface.

Now, the camera is facing the space in between Yuuji and Fushiguro, the white sand taking up almost the entire image. While the space between the two isn’t too far, it appears wide on camera. There’s some crinkling sounds as Fushiguro takes their snacks out of his small pouch and hands Yuuji’s over to him. The camera man takes his too close to the mic with an absent thanks, and the camera almost doesn’t pick up the birthday boy’s next words.

“You…” Fushiguro begins, and the camera pans over to him. The crinkling stops. He’s looking down at his drink on the sand.“Did you bring me here…because of what I said back then?”

Yuuji chuckles, and the camera shakes as he does so.“Yup,” he confirms with a pop on the ‘p’. Maybe Yuuji is aware of it, maybe he isn’t, but the camera is perfectly angled over Fushiguro. There’s a clear shot of his open expression, and the sky and ocean behind him. “It was when we were helping Kugisaki on her first date or something?”

One day, after class, the three of them got together at Kugisaki’s insistence once her and Maki had set a time for their first date. It was the first time they had seen this unshakable woman doubt herself, as she didn’t know what to plan for this important date. Ultimately, Yuuji and Fushiguro ended up being no help, but the latter had revealed something personal to him.

Once, when he was still young, Gojo had planned a day for him and Tsumiki. To this day, Fushiguro can’t remember what the original plan even was, but the timing of it wasn’t the best. They had spent the past few days slaving over the paperwork in order for Gojo to become their legal guardian, and it required opening a lot of wounds for the two siblings. It meant Tsumiki coming to terms with the fact that her mother left her, and Fushiguro discovering that his only living family had terribly abused his father. So, once it was all done Gojo had wanted to reward the kids with a simple day trip. But, the heir was still new to the bus and the three of them had been so exhausted from the previous days that they fell asleep through the entire bus ride until they ended up at a seaside town.

It was in December, in between Gojo and Fushiguro’s birthdays, so not the best time for a beach trip. Still, Gojo has always been spontaneous (annoying) and went ahead with the trip anyway. Yuuji wasn’t aware of the details regarding this impromptu trip, but it turned out to be one of Fushiguro’s favorites. The three of them wound up making it a tradition to visit the sea in the last month of the year every year after that. This would be the first time that Gojo and Tsumiki wouldn’t be able to make it, and Yuuji had found out beforehand.

“You didn’t…” Fushiguro begins, and the camera pans down slightly to his torso as he looks bashfully aware of the camera on him. Still, he isn’t telling Yuuji to put it away yet. “You didn’t have to do all this, you know. Now I've got to find a way to outdo you for your birthday.”

The mirth in Fushiguro’s voice makes Yuuji pan the camera back up to the birthday boy before going over to the view in front of him. Nothing but the glistening sea below the reddening sky is visible now. “Hey! It’s not a competition, sheeesh. And if it was, I won anway.”

“You—”

The camera cuts off forcefully as Yuuji’s suddenly tackled to the ground by Fushiguro’s delinquent self. The cameraman's laughs are all that’s heard before it shuts.

When the camera turns back on, the sky is still red, albeit darker. Not much time has passed since their tussle, but the sun is properly setting now. The country saw less than ten hours of sunlight today, but that’s about to change as well. It’s easy to enjoy such a beautiful, cold, and seemingly dark winter day when you know that there’s something else coming. The camera facing the horizon looks like it could be dawn, and the thought of a new and brighter day reminds Yuuji of something.

“Did you know,” Yuuji begins, zooming in on the water glistening. There’s a soft glow over them, painting the image in a warm light despite the cold weather. Even so, one is still able to tell that the air is cold. “Your birthday is on the shortest day of the year?”

There’s a snort beside him, and the camera pans over to Fushiguro, who’s sipping on his coffee while looking the other way. The back of his pale neck is visible, and it appears a little red. He’s probably colder than he looks. “Yeah, people tell me all the time, dummy.”

“Really? Heh, my bad.” Yuuji chuckles sheepishly, focusing on the sunlight hitting Fushiguro. The light breeze makes him bring his warm cup closer to him, which is oddly cute. Yuuji’s voice settles, and he feels like he’s caught in a dream.“I just found out.”

It’s what prompts the next words out of his mouth. The camera suddenly pans down to the sand, as if Yuuji wants to keep what’s in front of his eyes just for himself.

“It’s the shortest day, and longest night.”The camera is still pointed at the open space between Yuuji's crossed legs, and the mic picks up the tenderness of his voice. He almost doesn’t sound like himself. He’s caught in his affection for the boy beside him. “But it brings the promise of longer days.”

It’s quiet after that, only the sounds of the waves pulling in and out, the seagulls in the distance, and the wind slightly picking up. Thankfully, not enough to distort the sound on the mic.

Then—

“My dad is the only one who tells me that,” Fushiguro confesses, and Yuuji decides to keep the camera just where it is. He thinks he should cut off when Fushiguro sounds so soft, like he’s telling an important secret. But Yuuji wants to be able to keep this moment. “When I finally opened all his letters from prison, he says it every year on my birthday. He’s far from being a poetic guy, but he tells me every year because…I guess my mom used to say that.”

“That’s—” Yuuji cuts off, unable to form a proper sentence. He internally curses at the fact that the camera picked up how his voice fumbled. “Thanks for telling me. Thanks for spending your day with me.”

By now, he thinks he knows Fushiguro. Their relationship has been mostly formal and casual, with their developments only happening within the past months. Still, he knows that Fushiguro moves slowly when it comes to opening himself up (he’s emotionally stunted). And, he appreciates Yuuji’s earnest honesty and bluntness. So, that’s why he said the most simple thing that came to mind. A time will come when they can speak more and more freely, more intimately. Fushiguro has taught a loner like him how to be patient, and he’s slowly coaxing him to express himself.

The breeze has settled, and all that’s heard is the serene sounds of the beach. There’s some birds in the distance, some rustling, then the soft sound of a peck of lips. The camera is completely black, lens pushing against the fabric of Yuuji’s coat, but the sound of a deepening kiss is still audible through the rustling. There’s a soft groan and—

“Wait—,” Fushiguro murmurs softly, voice rougher than earlier. He’s a little out of breath, too. “—is the camera still on?”

The camera shakes up, facing the ocean at an odd angle.

“Oh shit—“

The camera cuts off.

6:43PM

When the camera turns back on, it’s pointed forward from where Yuuji is seated. They’re back on the train, this time back to Tokyo. The train isn’t empty this time, and the other three patrons are visible in the frame. An old man who’s dozed off, head lolling forward. A woman and her young child, engrossed in a book that’s opened across the woman’s lap. The camera remains like that for a few seconds before it pans over to Yuuji’s side.

Beside him is Fushiguro, with Tokyo Bay right out the window. He’s asleep and leaning his head against the glass, which made one side of his headphones slide off slightly. His slender neck is now covered in Yuuji’s scarf, well, it’s a hand-me-down from Choso. The birthday boy looks peaceful and unbothered, so Yuuji zooms in slightly. His eyes gaze into the viewfinder, lingering on the way that Fushiguro’s long dark lashes brush over his high cheekbones.

A thick hand comes into view, slowly inching closer to Fushiguro’s handsome face. He gently and cautiously brings the scarf up to keep Fushiguro warm, which he almost manages to do without waking up the other. Yet, at the last second, the backs of his fingers accidentally brush against the soft pale skin.

It probably tickles, because Fushiguro’s face scrunches up before he unconsciously swats at Yuuji’s hand.

“Whuh—”

“My ba—”

The camera abruptly cuts off.

9:04PM

“—kay, sorry. But yeah, I guess my grandpa was just making it up as he went along.”

“I mean, I would’ve believed you if Tsumiki hadn’t told me. I thought Orion was just the name of that cat from that movie Gojo showed us.” Fushiguro consoled, burrowing further into Yuuji’s scarf. Despite being back in Tokyo, the background noise around them was almost nonexistent, as if the universe understood this was a soft and intimate moment that the cameraman was trying to capture.“I guess that means that…”

“Another trip?” Yuuji supplied cherrily, perfectly picking up what Fushiguro was getting at, and his grin was almost audible despite not being visible to the camera. He could pretend his excitement was for what Fushiguro was in for, and not the promise of more alone time with his…his…“Stargazing?”

“Mhm,” Fushiguro agreed with a soft smile, making a little dimple appear. His spikes were softly flopping in the wind as they began to walk up the stairs into his small apartment. He hadn’t questioned why Yuuji turned the camera back on mid-conversation to what was supposedly the end of the night. “We can go to Hokkaido or—”

There’s the jingling of his keys as he’s opening the door, and then—

“Happy birthday Fushiguro!”

“Happy birthday Megumi!”

“Happy birthday Megumi-chan!”

“Happy birthday, kid.”

All at once there’s several variations of Fushiguro’s name being shouted out, all of their guests crowding in by the Fushiguro’s tiny doorway. The birthday boy has frozen, and Yuuji is sure that his face looks hilarious, but the camera is faced at the back of his head. So, he pans the camera around him and faces it towards everyone in the small residence.

It’s all their classmates and friends, and at the center are Fushiguro’s family. Tsumiki is releasing a party popper with a cheerful smile on her pretty face, and a pink party hat perched on her head. Beside her, towering over her more like, are Gojo and Toji.

Gojo is wearing a plastic tiara and he’s attempting to wrestle the custom birthday cake out of Toji’s big hands. It appears the two have been fighting over who gets to hold it.

The camera pans down towards Yuuji’s shoes as him and Fushiguro take them off on the genkan and Kugisaki is ushering them in because they’re letting the fucking cold air in.

Yuuji hadn’t anticipated how chaotic it’d be to hold his in such a small space, so this is the messiest of his camera footage for the day. There’s a lot of rustling and noise hitting the mic as everything gets settled in.

There’s Fushiguro punching Yuuji’s arm for not letting him in on the surprise, and then Tsumiki and Gojo coming to tell the birthday boy that they faked not being able to make it for the birthday as a surprise.

Toji’s deep voice cuts in to tell his son that the luxurious cake is a gift from him, and it’s a bittersweet flavor to perfectly suit his tastes. Gojo’s quick to give a snarky retort that it was him who paid for it and Toji’s a cheap bum.

Since the camera is facing slightly down at an angle, it captures Inumaki sliding over a baggie of weed as Fushiguro’s birthday present. It also captures Fushiguro’s grateful thanks. It’s a generous amount, so Panda cuts in to say that he and Yuuta pitched in as well. Megumi had already received the electronic concert tickets for him and Yuuta when the older student comes back from his trip abroad.

Suguru’s soft voice filters in and murmurs to Fushiguro that his present to him is that he’ll get Gojo out of his house before midnight. As the two head into the kitchen to cut the cake with everyone, the twins excitedly tell Yuuji to face the camera towards Kuro and Shiro. They pull Fushiguro to show him the sweaters they custom ordered for the dogs (with Gojo’s credit card), as it’s an exact copy of one of Fushiguro’s favorite hoodies.

Kugisaki simply pulls Yuuji’s ear to make him face the coffee table, and Maki jabs a thumb to show Fushiguro the stack of books they bought for him. With their closeness, the mic picks up Maki muttering to Fushiguro that Toji’s extra shifts lately had been in order to free up the next three days. He’s taking him and Tsumiki on a trip to Okinawa.

Yuuji isn’t sure what Tsumiki and Gojo gave Fushiguro, as by the time they hand him the large gift bag, Yuuji was by the kitchen counter filming Panda taking a mug of coffee out of his pants pockets. Whatever it was, it makes Fushiguro’s cheeks redden and makes him look away bashfully. He allows the two to envelop him in a big hug, the three of them rocking back and forth.

11:11PM

The final shot is facing the mirror, right by the Fushiguro’s front door. There, on the doorway, where the small mirror was against the wall, shows Yuuji pointing the camera against his face, which is partly visible. Beside him, leaning into his shoulder, is the birthday boy. Fushiguro looks properly tired after a long day, headphones still slung over his shoulders and Gojo’s birthday hat is now on his head. The birthday boy has a rare but content smile on his face, completely lighting up the room.

Yuuji’s pride at making such an expression is visible even with half his face hidden. Who wouldn’t be? Megumi’s face is gentle right now, green eyes softened as he gazes at the mirror, at the camera and most importantly, Yuuji.