#and bring like Nishiki and shit back

[majimassqueaktoy]

So apparently it was said that a lot of the team really want to do a Kenzan Kiwami. They said it would depend heavily on Ishin's success.

Yeah, I've heard that too!

[dirt-str1der]

Love the thought of kiryu losing nishikiyamas lighter fucking instantly after he gave it to him. Like he leaves it in the car and nishiki is nice enough to re-gift it to him when they meet up again and then two weeks after that whole fiasco kiryu loses it again and nishiki just buys him those cheap packs of like fifty plastic lighters because this is why they cant have nice things and he hates (loves) him so much

[majimasleftasscheek]

I was wondering if you had any nsfw headcanons re: tigerfish? mostly asking cause i was thinking about the idea of nishiki doing his little hair-slick-back thing whenever he’s feeling Spicy (more dominant, regardless of position) so if/when he does that when they’re making out or whatever saejima knows what’s coming hehe

hope this isn’t too uncomfy to ask or anything! thanks for making me a fan of this tiny little ship lmao <3

not uncomfy at all! I'm always happy to talk about nsfw 😏

*as usual, even tho I talk about em as cis dudes, yall are welcome to imagine them however 😌

so prolly an uncommon take but Saejima's always sorta sat on the ace spectrum for me personally like he's into people but not in a way that's like something he'd go out and seek nor really need to be happy. not into being touchy feely with people he's just met and needs a bit of emotional bonding to let that happen *insert some joke about him making everyone he meets his kyoudai lol*. so when it comes to Nishiki, he feels a lot more comfy being openly intimate since they've gotten plenty of time to know each other in jail. Nishiki on the other hand, gives me casual guy™ vibes so he's into slapping the salmon whenever however but not in a wildin' type of way. he's into trying new things but also enjoys comfortable patterns that don't necessarily have to change anything up.

so when they're first shooting the shit about getting their freak on, I can see Nishiki being kinda surprised at first by Saejima's preferences but totally gets it too. he's used to Kiryu being a loner type who isn't exactly going out of his way for the ultimate boner experience. where they differ tho is Saejima is experienced while Kiryu just sorta bumbles through it. Saejima on the other hand, sees Nishiki who was a prominent crime boss and conventionally very pretty so he's thinking oh yeah Nishiki's prolly some kind of sex pest but is pleasantly surprised when Nishiki's more than considerate and patient.

now, Nishiki's been with people of all sorts so he knows his shit while Saejima is more like yeah I know my stuff but I ain't into it enough to really know if I'm performing up to the standards for my partner. he has a good bit of anxiety about that sorta thing and Nishiki didn't really believe him at first cuz like, just look at him. Saejima doesn't look like he'd have anxieties about anything so that's a hurdle they'd have to cross. Nishiki ends up being the lead in most cases, if anything to show the types of things he likes and to give Saejima confidence that he's doing a good job.

when Nishiki leads, he's either topping or power bottoming which defo pumps up the fish ego. but when tiger tops, it's more of a service top thing - he wants to see Nishiki pass the FUCK out lol. he wants to see toes CURL, he wants that ex patriarch to BEG for more. it makes him happy, knowing he can bring Nishiki down a peg for all the pride he's got in him. for Nishiki, it's a nice balance of leaving the work to Saejima while still being in control, even more so when he's going evil mode and gets a mad kick out of having such an imposing man at his beck and call hohohehe.

Saejima's very much not horny ever so Nishiki's gotta be the one to get him in the mood which is perfectly fine for the two of em. it's part of their foreplay, lots of talking and touching and even if it doesn't pan out to anything, they still enjoy just being around each other.

when Nishiki tops he's real sweet about it, very handsy and slick, doing everything you'd expect out of a well choreographed movie tbh. it's a very ideal time and Saejima just sorta gets lost in it, unused to being treated well and gentle. he's definitely prone to being a bit more emotional during these times and not afraid to show it which shocked Nishiki for a time until he got used to it and has come to really enjoy bringing such feelings out of him.

EVIL MODE so there's occasions where Nishiki's into the rougher stuff *insert whatever your heart desires here* and it's a lil bit embarrassing for him cuz there's been occasions with past partners where it's not exactly been the most enjoyable experience for either party, due to inexperience or going too far, etc. he's a lil too eager and too aggressive for his own good, especially back then cuz he had some aha issues to work out and ended up unintentionally taking it out on others.

so insert Saejima who proposes hey let's try out whatever the hell that maybe other people couldn't handle and Nishiki's hesitant, thinking, oh nah you already have anxieties and I can't do that to you but it's in the back of his mind like I want to tho. a big component of nsfw tigerfish to me is that they have a theme of taking time to get to things with a certain gentleness unlike my kazumaji hcs where they have a very intense, impulsiveness to them. so it takes a hot minute for Nishiki to open up this more aggressive side of him that for a long time he's suppressed cuz he felt that there's no place for it even tho it's very much a part of him.

so when Nishiki does eventually start to tip toe into his more perverse kinks, Saejima gives him comfort in that nothing really shocks him about what he wants and he's more than ready to handle it physically. with Nishiki leading, it's a good time for the two of em; Saejima can be of service while Nishiki can feel freer to explore this part of himself without judgment or so much worry.

after all that, aftercare! very important. it's usually Saejima who takes care of Nishiki, wrapping him up and massaging out the jitters. sometimes, one or both of them can experience some mixed emotions from a variety of things, performance worries, trauma, etc so they spend a lotta time just talking to each other. there's a lot of reassurances but also just a lot of wanting someone to listen.

random shit

Saejima loves some good head and body worship. he knows he's got a fine bod so complimenting him is the good shit 👌

Nishiki's all about smooches whether they be deep ones or just lil pecks here and there. ever since post y1, he's been one for enjoying simpler affections, especially when he knows his partner means it.

Saejima's a handsy drunk with people he's close to, but it's all cuddles and kissing and then passing the fuck out.

as a material girl in a material world, Nishiki gets off to gift giving lol. definitely has a praise kink but you gotta be a bit careful. be too dick sucky and he starts to feel like you're just patronizing him.

both of em are into overstimulation for different reasons: Saejima likes the intenseness and Nishiki likes inflicting it (receiving it ain't so bad either). Nishiki doesn't exactly have Saejima's stamina so they got a lotta toys just for the occasion 👀 there's been many a time where Saejima gets into it more than Nishiki can handle and he's then down for the count.

Nishiki tends to keep his prosthetic arm on and doesn't particularly like bringing attention to his disfigurement in general so when he's being intimate, he wants to be treated as if his body is like anyone else's. in that way, he's not into body worship at all, as he sort of warps it into pity he doesn't want.

Nishiki's possessive - not to the same extent Majima is @ Kiryu but it's there in the sense of like, look at this guy, he's mine.

bonus monster AU stuff 👀

as a literal tiger man, Saejima's got a lot of cat characteristics including loving pets and pats. Nishiki's learned very quickly which spots are best to get Saejima riled up and fiesty ;)

that being said, he's got a spikey dick lol. the spines aren't harmful, they more or less lock his partner to him which can end up being inconvenient if they're in a hurry.

big claws = lots of big scratches all up Nishiki's back. Saejima gets nervous he's hurting him but Nishiki think it's pretty hot to be marked up.

[annon-guy2]

Guilty Gear X BlazBlue: BlazBlue Reactions to Heavenly Potemkin Buster

Here's what I think the BlazBlue cast would say in response to Potemkin's Heavenly Potenkin Buster Super in a hypothetical Guilty Gear X BlazBlue Game.

Ragna The Bloodedge

● "SHITTTTTTTT!"

● "GYAHHHHHHH!"

● "God damn muscle head!"

Jin Kisaragi

● "How could this happen!?"

● "AHHHHHHHHH!"

● "I can't use Yukianasa!?"

Noel Vermillion

● "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

● "Mother! Father!"

● "Please! Don't go through with THISSSSSSSSS!"

Rachel Alucard

● "How utterly barbaric of you!"

● "Remove your hands from me this instant, you savage!"

● "Gii! Nago! How dare you lead me into this!"

Taokaka

● "MEOOOOWWWWWWW!"

● "We're so high up, meow!"

● "Going up... and DOWWWWWNNNN!"

Iron Tager

● "You copied my Genesic Emerald Tager Buster!?"

● "Preparing for impact!"

● "For you to lift me up this high!?"

Litchi Faye-Ling

● "Where do you think you're grabbing!?"

● "Are you the reason my recnt patients have broken spines!?"

● "PLEASE NOOOOOOOO!"

Arakune

● "GYAHHHHHHHHHH!"

● "DANGER! DANGER! DANGERDANGERDANGER!!!"

● "Touching... the Azure Sky!"

Carl Clover

● "SISSSSSSSSSS!"

● "Put me dow...! NOT LIKE THISSSSSSSS!"

● "Sis! Get clear of the landing!"

Bang Shishigami

● "How could I make a simple mistake!?"

● "I can't break free!"

● "MASTERRRRRRRRR!"

Hakumen

● "I let my guard down!"

● "I got careless!"

● "Impossible!"

Nu-13

● "A fatal error."

● "Escape impossible."

● "Rag... na..."

Tsubaki Yayoi

● "Assulting an officer is a serious crime!"

● "We should be talking this OUTTTTTTTTT!"

● "N-no! Not like THISSSSSSSS!"

Hazama

● "H-Hey! Don't do this to MEEEEEEEEE!"

● "You wouldn't hurt a non-combatant, would you!?"

● "Yes... this will bring me a new sensation!"

Mu-12

● "I didn't anticipate this!"

● "Even the power of the Godslayer can't escape this!?"

● "I... I must endure this!"

Makoto Nanaya

● "I not a flying squirrel you know!"

● "HEY! Watch the tail!"

● "I wanted to fly, but not like this!"

Valkenhayn R. Hellsing

● "I've taken much worse than this!"

● "Tch! I must be losing my touch!"

● "Madam Rachel... please forgive my blunder!"

Platinum The Trinity

● Luna: "LET LUNA GO YOU PEDOOOOOO!"

● Sena: "Please let us go! This will break us!"

● Trinity: " P-please! Think of the children in this body!"

Relius Clover

● "Impressive strength! I must make a note of this!"

● "An oversight on my end!?"

● "To be crushed when there's so much more research to be done!?"

Izayoi

● "We should be on the same side!"

● "Jin! Noel! Makoto!"

● "You would impede my justice!?"

Amane Nishiki

● "This will dry out my makeup!"

● "Despite your size, you're quite elegant in the sky!"

● "Such strength and determination!"

Bullet

● "How can an enemy this size be capable of this!?"

● "DAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

● "I'll pay you back for this! I swear it!"

Azrael

● "HAH! Bring it on!"

● "I MIGHT release a limiter afterward!"

● "Hmpf! This might be good for popping the crick in my back."

Kagura Mutsuki

● "Ugh! A dude's grabbing me of all things!"

● "Hope your grab's not as bad as the Red Devil's!"

● "Great... Hibiki's not gonna let me live this down..."

Yuuki Terumi

● "YOU MUCLE-HEAD BRICK SHIT HOUSEEEEEEEE!"

● "I'm gonna slice your arms off soon enough!"

● "Your helmet will make a good bucket for your servered head!"

Kokonoe

● "I can use this data to upgrade the Genesic Emerald Tager Buster for Tager later on."

● "Impressive rocket boosters! Zepp REALLY is something."

● "YES! This is what science is all about!"

Celica A. Mercury

● "Don't let go Minerva!"

● "You shouldn't toss or throw people mister!"

● "Don't worry Minerva, I'll heal you when we land!"

Lambda-11

● "Danger. Situation critical."

● "Escape not possible."

● "Ragna... help..."

Hibiki Kohaku

● "LORD KAGURAAAAAAAAA!"

● "I miscalculated!?"

● "How could raw strengh overcome tactical planning!?"

Naoto Kurogane

● "Aw man! This is gonna SUCKKKKKKKKK!"

● "Raquel! SAVE MEEEEEEEEE!"

● "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Nine The Phantom

● "I'll burn you for grabbing my legs!"

● "I'll take whatever you dish out!"

● "How dare you!?"

Izanami

● "Your attempts to kill me are futile."

● "Perhaps I should do this to you later on?"

● "Can you truly kill a Goddess of Death?"

Susano'o

● "YOU DARE TOUCH A GOD, YOU FILTH!?"

● "I'LL KILL YOU AS SOON AS WE LAND, MAGGOT!"

● "SUCH BLASPHEMY TOWARD A GOD WILL NOT STAND, YOU MONGREL!"

Es

● "I have made a mistake...!"

● "The damage will be severe...!"

● "Touya...!"

Mai Natsume

● "Nononononono! NOOOOOOOOOO!"

● "Ulp! I'm in for now!"

● "Please don't break my back!"

Jubei

● "Guess I got a tad careless this time!"

● "Alright, let's see what you got, ya youngster!"

● "Didn't think ya could outsmart me! Well done!

========================================================================

Hope you all enjoyed this!

[squishylemonbubbles]

I 100% agree with the kiwami 2 thing. i see people talk shit about the ending of kiwami 1 and. It wasnt stellar or anything but damn compared to k2 its so much better. I dont know why but that ending is so underwhelming and it kinda just sucks when it couldve been so good. The bomb fake out is just cheap im sorry (not that i wanted kiryu to die but….)

yeah! like i said i understand why it wouldn't be satisfying for others, especially nishiki for people who might have played 0 first. like we went through k1 and then 0, so we felt like 0 was giving context to nishiki's inevitable downfall, where a 0-first player might feel differently.

but k2 was… so much happening all at once. i'm struggling to even remember the order of events which, isn't a great sign heh. there were a few odd things throughout the story, especially the "they're actually korean" bit got old fast, and the ending feels like just… all those odd things trying to compete for attention.

0 had some similarly unsatisfying moments, characters i wish we could see more, but ultimately that's the problem of making a prequel game to a series already several entries deep LOL, you can't really bring those new characters back unless you have some seriously good explanation for their absence all that time. (justice for nishitani and tachibana though, fuck)

the fake bomb, wild. terada, wild. ryuji going out like that, wild. i don't think i'll write play-by-play fics like i have been with k1 but i definitely want to address and change some of this. i will pull a dead souls if i gotta, i like ryuji and that did not feel like an ending pfft

[mejomonster]

PLAYING MAJIMA AGAIN HELL YEAH BABY

ok but in earnestness I love his character. The enterance after a business yakuza meeting to contrast 1 how He's extra and will do this to prove a point 2 he's the mad dog of tojo and you are gonna get bit if you fuck over the clan 3 showcases so well how he balances his persona with his intelligence.

He knows this is a fucked situation. So he uses his extreme Persona to point out its fucked up to Terada, support the old tojo clan leaders complaints in a strong way, and remind the new blood that this is an established clan with competent people who matter too.

Then the car ride after again. His subordinate also wears eyeliner and more fun clothing, him and majima rocking punk bi chic with an air of casual and classy (nice fashionable unique clothes they like but also in majimas case tits out and subordinate no suit just comfy sweater shirt). Compared to the entire tojo clan meeting of men in dark suits. Without even nishikis old white getup to contrast anymore. So there's this whole vibe majima and his family are going for, to be a bit less to the book a bit less to the norm a bit more Themselves before anything else, and then to seem less Business hungry than the others - showing they value self over business or success. To look less ambitious, not an enemy to the top. But still competent at being the strongest, bringing in the most cash to prove a point. Majima is intensely smart (he ran the Grand, he survived intense shit, and he aims to help ppl around him survive who he picks yo care about). He doesn't want to be at the top, he wants to survive and thrive as himself in this Life he's IN and he clearly seems to aim for that for his family too. The car ride indicating at first a LOT of his intelligence and contemplations, an obvious sign why the subordinate probably likes and wants to work for him. Then his true concerns get asked about too close to home, and majima barks - yelling at the subordinate to floor it and stop asking stuff. A very obvious show that majimas bark is very much an act he does to manipulate people to be at the distance he wants or needs them to be. Despite that bark, his subordinates still end up somewhat trusting and admiring of him if this guy and nishida are anything to go by.

It's no surprise majimas family splits from tojo, and even tries to go legit into construction. Majima is a smart man, instills loyalty cause he can't quite cover up his intelligence or care fully to the ppl close enough like nishida (and like Kiryu). So of course they back him doing the crazy money stunt at the meeting, dress like him even though it clearly sets them apart from the tojo clan suits, and side with him whatever crazy idea he cooks up - from jumping kiryu in a baseball batting cage, to quitting the yakuza and buying purgatory. Much of the time his bark is loud and intense and bites at them too, but underneath it there's some gems and his subordinates stick around for that. It's no wonder he appeals in a way that instills more loyalty than say Terada (similarly the Kazuma family tends to instil tightness in its ranks).

Then on a shallower note. I fucking love and miss his fighting style. I love seeing majimas side of all this. I love the additional story for majima. I love that he dresses like he does. I love his characterization and I already LOVED characters that put on acts (hi Zhao Yunlan, Spock, Shen Wei, probably most of my faves), and this particular mini story they made for him is showing off his act versus internal motivation really well. In fact so far all of kiwami 2 has. When he re sees kiryu he puts on a light act of entertainment, then competition, which kiryu smiles at cause he's used to this play by now and way majima handles things. Then majima wont take his hand but Is happy theyre back to normal fighting, agrees to help and because he Is smart and does care points out kiryu is being played, then wants to go it alone on his construction issues (because he's not owing people, he doesn't wanr ppl hurt cause of him unless it's on purpose so he can control the fallout, he doesn't want kiryu admitting they really have grown from acquaintances who hoped well of each other from a distance - if u ignore majima everywhere side quests a bit lol - to actually friends who actually consistently side with each other). But kiryu is well himself, stubborn and entirely straightforward, and pushes majima go let him be part of the team. I loved majimas characterization already, and I love it evolving in this particular game.

I also am now loving getting to see the majima family members. More of them please.

[weirdbed]

whose ur fav yakuza char

none of them ‼️‼️‼️

sorry you're getting detail. i actually did a tier list

obviously i love kiryu and majima ect but everyone loves them and i like talking about my strange favs so we're setting them aside for now.

the top three living rent free in my head:

numba 1 obviously akira nishikiyama my favoritest man. i could talk about him for hours and hours. not a strange fav because he's fairly popular but im basically the patron saint and i know him better than everyone (/j). i like his crying styles and how he (and his sister) was doomed from the day he was born. i want to be him, i also want to give him a hug. and a gun. just an actual perfect character.

second is tanimura, goofy street cop who is also just a major asshole. the coolest thing he ever did was throwing away his badge and then doing all those flips and shit, and also beating his bosses ass. based thailand rep, rgg bring him back so he can have sloppy sex with date <- huh,,, who said that. i feel like no one likes him except for me bc im the only one who bothered to do his substories and get his lore. he's a puppy to me.

number threeeeee im gonna pair them together: kashiwagi and kazama. guy with dark ambient swag and worlds shittiest father respectively. kazama is just straight up evil and kashiwagi is just like, "well thats the grind #respeckt" and goes along with it. he may have a little crush on kazama. also kashiwagi loves weird fucked up food combinations, perhaps has a bit of the tism. kashi and kazama 4eva <3

honorable mention: yuko nishikiyama. she straight up isnt a character we never see her face. BUT SHE IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME!!!!!!!!! i need her frolicking with her big brother in a field of sunflowers immediately. ive written and drawn her so much. yuko my baby sweet baby im so sorry rgg hates women.

BONUS: all the characters in the kill yourself catagory and why:

richmond: american

riona: racist to my main man mitsuo

kamon kanai: kept stunning me when i played 5 and made me mad. also kidnapped haruka.

jingu: fucking everything. reason why nishiki is dead

saito: PISSED ME THE FUCK OFF EVERY TIME I PLAYED 4 FUCK YOU SAITO SHOVE THAT STUN BATON UP YOUR STUPID ASS

terada: thwomp looking ass

yoshinobu suzuki and ryuzo tamiya: politicians

baby: made me lol

[tg-headcanons]

Do you think Ayato and Juuzou can be friends?

They would be BROS

They would officially meet after decriminalization has been passed. Tensions are high, humans don’t want to work with ghouls, ghouls don’t want to work with humans. Ayato is tagging along with the Anteiku gang since technically schools haven’t started allowing ghouls in yet, and he does know how to kick ass when need be. Everyone at the CCG is very uncomfortable with the Child Who Can Kill All Of Them If He Wants so of course they keep bringing him, Touka and Nishiki like seeing them squirm

He knows about Juuzou. Everyone does. No human fights like that, like a ghoul without kagune. He was a horror story among Aogiri, a bogeyman dressed like a Claire’s dumpster. Ayato obviously wants to make it clear to this dude (who he’s totally not terrified of) that he’s not scared of him and could take him in a fight, so he weird his kagune back at him in a threat, but Juuzou just comments on how cool they are. They look like wings!

Ayato has no idea to respond. Humans never think they look cool, they’re threatening! This is a THREAT! But this fucking Honorary Whiteboy doesn’t seem at all afraid. In fact, he sort of follows him around to figure out Why He’s Like That, and he slowly pieces it together. Juuzou isn’t afraid of ghouls, he doesn’t even dislike them, he’s the only human he’s ever met who truly doesn’t really feel differently about ghouls and humans and it’s so weird! Clearly he knows about biology and laws and what his job is, but he’s kill humans too if he was told. He HAS

Ayato sort of comes out of his shell around him. He respects him for his raw power, likes him for not being judge mental like everyone else in this shitty building, and can vibe with him since he apparently gets ghoul body language. No eye contact? They both mimic each other’s tics? Juuzou understands what ghouls do and why? Awesome!

He doesn’t admit it, but he likes that unhinged fuck. He hangs out with him more because, as he puts it, “he’s the only human here I don’t want to strangle.” Since neither are very good at reading (both got late starts to learning how) and neither are well adjusted to literally anything, they just fuck around. They climb onto buildings, trespass places, train together, Juuzou even taught Ayato his knife throwing trick, and that kid can do some cool shit with his hardened kagune spikes now

Juuzou is better emotional support than he knows. Who else but Juuzou can spot ghoul emotions so well? He knows that ghouls stand against walls to hide their kakuhou when they’re stressed, so when he sees Ayato doing it he drags him to the break room to get coffee. He knows ghouls are twitchy and aggressive when overstimulated, so when he sees his bro doing it he tosses a blanket over him, and it actually helps. He even knows that ghouls need a lot of physical touch to feel safe, and drapes himself over Ayato’s lap when he’s on the couch like a cat. It just comes naturally to him to spot and handle ghouls in distress since he’s so well acquainted with their needs, and he just assumes it’s the right thing to do

On multiple occasions, Shinohara has been called by the police to Please Collect His Bastards when Juuzou and Ayato go places they shouldn’t. It was bad enough when it was just Juuzou, but know Ayato is helping him climb radio towers and shit

With the vaccine that allows ghouls to eat human food, they don’t really know what’s good. Juuzou knows that it’s like to live on one type of little food and then suddenly have a world of options, so he takes it upon himself to show Ayato the best foods right away. That means a hell of a lot of sugar. He is the reason Ayato knows which cinnabon dumpster doesn’t lock and what time the unsold pastries are tossed

[snuggetfish]

I gotta say, Majima is arguably the loneliest of the main characters in the yakuza series. Probably most of his loneliness stems from his tendency to push people away, and also from his troubled past. Tbh I’d just want to be his best friend & trusted confidant knowing how much pain he’s been through 😞

I fully agree anon... he’s a tragic character and it’s really heartbreaking to see how often he gets left behind. How much time he spends isolated, trapped in physical and mental cages, some others build to manipulate him, some he builds himself to avoid pain.

I think this was one the primary reasons I took such a liking to Majima. In Y0 the contrast between him and Kiryu was staggering if you looked past the surface. Two young men, both with gang aspirations, both caught up in a plot much larger than they can comprehend... but that’s roughly where the similarities end, because their lived experiences are so different. 

Kiryu is a no-name fresh face who’s still getting the hang of this yakuza thing. His upbringing was less than ideal, but he nevertheless has a support network - a kyodai, two father figures to look up to. Even if he’s not as keen on showboating as Nishiki is, admiration for Kazama and Kashiwagi and the glamour he thinks a criminal lifestyle will bring still drive him to some extent. He’s a bit naive, a bit awkward, a bit overly serious, sort of like you’d expect your typical 20-year-old to be.

But Majima... Majima’s barely 4 years older and he’s been through so. much. shit. At Kiru’s age, he already made peace with death, deciding to follow through with the Ueno hit. Then he’s torn away from his kyodai, gets mutilated for it, endures a full year of torture. By the time he’s “released” and expected to somehow fit into civilian life again, he’s accrued a reputation. Both Nishiki and Kiryu have heard of him, his name more a synonym for a cautionary tale. What happens when you disobey, what you definitely don’t want to have happen to you... 

While Kiryu has to climb from the bottom of the ladder again to earn a name for himself, Majima has to claw out from the pits of hell, pretty much literally if you think about what kinda place the Hole must’ve been... Even out of there, he spends every waking moment working a thankless job, under a sadistic, shitty boss, confined to a city far away from home, within just a few blocks of space he’s allowed to roam. And, as you mention, he’s... really lonely. I was so much more invested in making friends with the people in Sotenbori than those in Kamurocho because I felt Majima had no one at all. Not until he met the Sunshine girls at least.

And even then, they’re not the kind of friends he can fully open up to. In fact, I think very few characters throughout the series can say they’ve seen into his heart. Maybe because they don’t put in the effort, maybe because he doesn’t let them in... either way they don’t perceive this loneliness. 

Nishida knows his boss is sentimental, so he’s for sure seen glimpses of his inner turmoil, but I’m not sure how much he can be considered Majima’s confidant. More an unwitting one, at best. The power imbalance makes it hard to gauge how much of a true connection they have. Loyalty to the patriarch is paramount and I would bet a lot of the Majima family members see him mostly as a strong authority figure, someone whose image you respect and admire. Not necessarily as the complex, sometimes vulnerable man he is.

Also Kiryu. Kiryu realizes the clan isn’t what he’s bargained for and tries again and again to leave it all behind, by... offloading responsibility onto the shoulders of someone who’s as well dissatisfied with the Tojo leadership. He’s off to make his Okinawa orphanage a reality, but, like the comic I just reblogged before this says: 

“What about me?” 

What about Majima? He accepts the task of looking after Daigo, since he’s been beaten fair and square, by his own rules. But does Kiryu really never consider that Majima too may want something different? To run loose and be his own master, build a strong family, sure... alone? Always alone? Always left behind to clean up messes?

Even Saejima, the only guy who can claim he knows Majima through and through, fails to consider his feelings sometimes. Saejima’s main conviction is that “it’s never too late” and that he’s gotta put all his affairs in order, atone for what he’s done and once that’s out of the way he can resume his dream. It’s an optimistic and even idealistic way of looking at things, one that Majima doesn’t share. He’s not a kyodai collector like his bro, he’s already suffered through so many decades of loneliness and just when he thinks he has Saejima back, the guy returns to prison. Twice. 

Does Saejima really never see how much Majima's hurting? He scoffs at him in Y5 when they’re at the restaurant and then at the batting cages, says he’s being “a sack”... Come on man, you’re abandoning him at a time where he’s really feeling the weight of his years and of the changing nature of the yakuza. It’s not surprising that he’d be depressed...

I’ve rambled a lot I guess but in a nutshell: YES. I want nothing more than for Majima to have someone by his side who loves and appreciates him for everything - good, bad, crazy. Who doesn’t judge, mock or manipulate, who’s trustworthy and with whom Majima feels comfortable enough to share any and every thought. Maybe now that things have settled and he’s in his twilight years, that person can be Saejima once again... but his obvious anguish throughout the previous games is still hard to watch 🥺

[skygayzer]

(kulemii) i can't remember if i sent this yet or not but: a7, a9, c6, d4, d6, e3, f10! thanks for participating! i really appreciate it <3

Ofc!!! And thank you too for creating a fun ! ❤

A.7 Favorite substory(ies)?

My favorite substory is probably between the little doll girl from Yakuza 0, (Majima has dad instincts and it's just really sweet and heart warming to see😭). And idk if this counts as a substory but all the little things you have to do for Kiryu's kids like getting a shonen manga for Taichi, or helping Izumi train her dog.

Can u tell that my favorite trope is found family?

A.9 Favorite game location(s)?

KAMUROCHO! idk I just like the feel of it, it's homey for some reason. But also Okinawa for suuree, for aesthetic purposes hoho.

C.6 If you could revive any deceased character, who would it be and why?

NISHIKI, NISHITANI, SAGAWA, RYUJI, YASUKO, MIREI, OG OKUDERA, LEE, TACHIBANA, REINAAAAA!!! I know I missed so many other characters but those are the ones I remember the most.

D.4 Which character(s) do you believe should have never existed in the first place?

Okay so I know I said Mr. Libido (I still very strongly stand by that btw) but maybe the love interest in Yakuza 5?? Like no hate to her or anything I just felt like she was kinda unnecessary???

D.6 Do you think Kiryu was a good father figure to Haruka and Daigo?

Ohhhh... Oh man that's a really good question. Kiryu did try his best as a father figure, like he truly loved daigo and haruka. BUT, this might sound stupid, I think he was too traumatized to be a good dad.. (Just look at HIS dad 🙄)

Kiryu had a lot going on mentally and I think he wasn't exactly ready to be a father or someone in charge. The events through the whole series takes place in a short time.. Like my guy can't EVEN GET A COUPLE OF YEARS TO BE HAPPY HE IS ALWAYS SAVING SOMEONE!!!

BUUUT I also think that maybe if he was given more time to himself, and to his kids I think he would have grown as a person and would have been a much better father figure. (I am shit at explaining things so if this sounds stupid I KNOW)!!

E.3 Shinada or Tanimura?

OH WAIT THAT'S SO HAAARD, I obviously I love Shinada as a character much more then Tanimura. I think that's because he just has a lot more personality.. But Tanimura is a really cool too, I like how he helps and makes his way around little Asia, and I wish we just could have gotten so much more out of it.. OH WHO AM I KIDDING THE BEST CHARACTER TO PARTY WITH IS SHINADA SO BRING HIM BACK!!!!! 🕺🕺🕺🎶

F.10 Who would be your kyodai?

LEEEE!! He was so cool and good he deserves to be happy and to see Makoto happy 😩😩😩😩!!

[bastardbrujah]

The walls of this temporary home felt so tight. The repairs were still being done to their haven, and the more time Leo spent here alone, the more he hated it. He sinks further into the couch as he thinks of the living space. The cramped setup of he and Majima’s current living situation was one thing, but as much as he hated to admit it, it felt worse without Majima here.

Everything that happened with Nishiki still felt so fresh. That night where everything collided still repeats in Leo’s mind. When Nishiki broke down the door to their haven, pushed him up against the wall demanding to know why he’d even want to break off being friends, being punched by him when he tried to step in to defend Majima, and the copious amounts of flames that nearly pushed him to frenzying… each moment hurt but it was nothing compared to the pained look Nishiki had as he was being held responsible for his actions.

And now here Leo was, two weeks later, spending all his nights in an empty home, waiting for the one hour he’d get with his boyfriend before they both crashed when the sun began to rise. Ever since the incident with Yashiki, Majima has kept a short leash on Nishiki, and Leo’s been fully aware of the disagreements the two find themselves in. Leo’s done his best to not focus on it and drown his worries, but once there’s silence, it’s all he can think about.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, being alone right now was hard.

After the incident, everything was too heavy to talk about. The only thing Leo could bring himself to do was wrap his arms around his boyfriend and cry. Even now, finding the words to describe how Leo felt is a challenge. If anything, Leo thought he’d be able to get by with Majima, but each night that was starting to feel harder.

Suddenly, the door opens. Leo quickly rises, and his head quickly turns to see Majima walking in, his face twisted in anger.

“Majima…?” Leo speaks, stunned by his expression.

Majima can only let out a frustrated sigh as he moves to sit beside Leo on the couch. Leo can practically feel the agitation pouring from him. He scoots closer to Majima as he says, “C’mon, don’t ignore me here.”

Majima looks at Leo briefly before turning away, “Sorry. Don’t mean to bring the issues home.” He reaches into his jacket pocket for the box of cigarettes. “Someone just keeps deciding to push his luck with me.”

“So… Nishiki, then, right?”

Majima stays silent. 

Leo’s hand moves to tug at Majima’s arm. “C’mon, please just tell me.”

Majima still can’t bring himself to look Leo in the eye. The situation was far messier than he wanted to admit. The blood bond has done a fine job of making sure Nishiki didn’t step too far out of line, but it also amplified his feelings of hatred for Majima. It felt like they would fight every night, and each time Nishiki would chastise Majima on his approach to dealing with him.

“Nishikiyama… he just wants to start shit with me. Tries to take the blame off himself for what he’s done to you, and I won’t put up with it,” he throws the cigarette pack onto the coffee table. “I’m not repeating everything he says… I’m not putting you through that.”

Part of Leo’s grateful for that. He’s not sure he could bear hearing Nishiki try to paint this as someone else’s fault, but part of Leo wants to know what he’s saying if it’s making Majima this upset.

“I don’t mean to bring it home, but he knows who to grate a man’s nerves, that’s for sure,” Majima finally sits up, turning to face Leo. “Think we’re making some progress though, despite his problems. His anger’ll probably die down once the blood bond fades.”

Leo shapes up a little. “Oh. That’s good at least! Then maybe…”

He cuts himself off. Then maybe soon you’ll start spending more time here again. How could he say that when Majima was already spending so much time away for Leo’s sake to begin with? Half the reason why Majima bothered to try and rehabilitate Nishiki was for Leo. Saying that just seemed so selfish.

Majima raises an eyebrow at Leo trailing off, but Leo only shakes his head. “Sorry, not important. I know it must’ve been a long day.”

Majima doesn’t buy it, but he doesn’t push the issue further. His hand pushes Leo’s hair out of the way so he can place a quick kiss to Leo’s forehead. “I shouldn’t smoke inside here,” he comments. “Give me a minute and then I’ll be back in. After tonight, it’d be nice just to relax with you.”

Leo gives Majima a small smile as Majima grabs the cigarette pack and heads out. As soon as Leo hears the soft shut of the door again, he sinks back into the couch. It’s only been a little more than two weeks of this, and each night it just feels worse. The blood bond would wear off soon, but even then, what would stop Majima from just renewing it? Would Majima still be spending all his time at Nishiki’s home still as he kept him on his leash? Even then, each night Leo still felt alone to the point of drowning himself in distractions until Majima came back.

He wanted to talk to Majima about what happened, but he couldn’t get the words to come out. He wanted Majima home more, but even then it felt like he was pulling him away from where he was needed to use him as a crutch.

Leo felt so selfish.

He tries to sit back up as he collects himself and his thoughts. Soon Majima would be back in. If anything, for at least a little bit of time, he had another distraction.

[lightlorn]

10. What was the scariest moment you’ve had in public? @Nishiki

oh they hate this one. ll accepting.

“Becoming a patriarch, because it meant I would have to deal with your shit the rest of my life.”

Oh, the horror. The dread. The absolute bullshit. And yet, Nishiki ran his mouth all the same, openly denouncing the older patriarch. He was running into the arms of danger, most likely into a beating that he would gladly take.

It was preferable, beyond measure, to handing Majima the truth. His tongue could not form the shape, only his mind – a sterile hospital room, the flutter of nurses coming and going, and the centerpiece to his failure. A girl, young, pale, exhausted. A girl too young for any of this, for the rattle of her breath, the swelling of her hands. He could not even hold one, too afraid of hurting her. Her eyes found him, dull at first, then sharpened by some realization.

(Am I dying, Akira?)

Alone with her, caretakers be damned, he felt the fear tighten him to the spot. He failed her, with only this vigil left, frozen in place more for his own guilty conscience than his love for her. The inevitability finally cut through her like a knife, in some lucid moment. He would have taken the twist of that blade gladly.

Hit me, he begged inside that echochamber, reaching out for the present outside of his thoughts, hit me and bring me back. Do something right, Majima, for once in your life.

[dynakats]

Writing prompt #37: “Dance with me!”

Uta x Reader

(Fluff?)

prepare yourself for some cute cringe shit

You had finally moved to Tokyo and were supposed to be staying at Nishiki's place with him and Kimi. While convenient for getting a ride to work at Anteiku every morning, you had honestly gotten tired of hearing the incredibly suggestive noises coming from your roommates bedroom.

Deciding one morning that you were going to try and find somewhere to live, you went to the HySy ArtMask Studio to talk to Uta. Walking in, the bell above the door chimed alerting him of your presence. Looking up from the sketch he was working on, he pulled off his headphones and stared at you. Your shoes padded softly against the floor as you made your way towards the dark haired man.

"Hey." You said quietly. "Hello (Y/N). What brings you here today?" His face stayed expressionless for the most part as he spoke, but his eyebrows raised slightly. Usually you would call before coming over. Pulling a stool next to Uta's you sat down, bringing your legs up to your chest. You looked up to see Uta staring down at you, his question still hanging in the air.

You sighed. "Uta, do you know any cheap places I could stay? I refuse to live at Nishiki's place anymore. I can't sleep at all during the night when they're...together." You cringed to yourself. He then hummed to himself. Standing up he said, "Follow me." You watched him walk away before setting your feet on the ground to trail behind him.

Uta had led you into the apartment above his studio before turning to face you. "Living room," he said gesturing to the room you were currently standing in. "Kitchen," he pointed to the left. "Bedroom." He finished as he walked over to open the door. "There's only one bed, but I don't mind sleeping on the couch if you'd rather have the bed to yourself."

Looking at him you stuttered, "U-Uta, you don't- I'm-" He held up his pointer finger, silencing you. "Don't worry, you won't be staying here for free. You'll have to help me in the studio if I ever need you, and I would appreciate if you paid half the rent." He then paused. Pointing towards the kitchen he said, "The fridge is empty at the moment, so feel free to ask for anything you'd like to eat."

Smiling ear to ear you jumped up and wrapped your arms around him. "Thank you so much, Uta!" With your face pressed into his chest you then felt him put his hand on the top of your head. His eyes darted down towards you. "Of course," he said. "Anything for my favorite customer."

Releasing him from your arms you stepped back and asked, "When should I bring my things over?" Looking out of the window behind you, he said, "Let's get it now. I'll help you set everything up. I don't have any important customers waiting for a mask, so I have some free time." You nodded your head as the two of you made your way outside before heading to Nishiki's.

-

Wiping the imaginary dust off your hands you looked to Uta and let out a breath. "All done!" With a small, unnoticeable smile, he looked down at you. In the background, soft music was playing from the little radio Uta had on his shelf. It was then that you noticed the music as the two of you stood there staring at each other. You made your way across the room before walking back to where you had been standing.

Smiling fondly you held your hand out for Uta to hold. "Dance with me!" He shook his head before asking in a teasing tone, "Can you even dance, (Y/N)?" Slapping him lightly on his shoulder you said, "Of course not!" This caused Uta to smile softly as he placed his hand into yours. "Perfect."he said, "Neither can I."

He then set his hands on your waist while you wrapped your arms around his neck. Looking into each others eyes, the two of you swayed side to side. You then slid your arms down to wrap them around his torso.  Resting your head on his chest you smiled at the sound of his heartbeat. Uta pulled you closer before resting his chin on the top of your head.

Slowly breathing in your scent, He closed his eyes before letting a small smile slip onto his lips. Just then, a thought popped into his head. 'I have to tell her..' Continuing to sway back and forth as a new song began to play, Uta spoke softly. "(Y/N)." You hummed. "Just as a theoretical question," he paused for a moment before continuing, "what would you do if I told you I was a ghoul?"

Feeling you tense slightly he let out a soft sigh, preparing himself for whatever you were about to say. Your body relaxed as you continued to dance. Tightening your embrace around him you whispered, "If you just so happened to be a ghoul.." lifting your head off of his chest, you looked him in the eyes and said,"If you just so happened to be a ghoul, Uta, I would love you all the same."

You smiled at him softly. "I like you for who you are, Uta. I could care less about your diet..as long as you promise not to eat me." You said while laughing. The surprise was evident on his face, but he was quick to hide it. "Would you still stay here with me if I was a ghoul?" He asked. Nodding your head quickly you said, "Yes."

Uta then pressed his forehead against yours. "You're a good person, (Y/N). Why be friends with someone like me?" His question was more of a statement, so you didn't answer him. Lifting to place your hands on each side of his face, you whispered, "Uta.." As you looked into his eyes, a thought popped into your head. "Show me your kakugan."

Taken aback by your request he brought his face back and lifted his eyebrows. The look on your face showed no fear or disgust. Letting out a soft sigh Uta closed his eyes before asking, "Are you sure, (Y/N)? Once you truly see me like this there's no going back." "Yes." You said softly. Uta opened his eyes with caution, ready for you to scream at him and call him a monster..But those harsh words never came.

The two of you had already stopped dancing by this point. Sliding your hands down from his face and onto his neck you looked down. You smiled and brought your eyes back up to look into his. "I can live neither with you, nor without you," you whispered. "A ghouls relationship with humans." Uta replied with a nod of his head. "Because of the way society views your kind," you paused. "I can live neither with you."

Pausing again as you looked into his eyes, you brought your voice down to a whisper. "Nor without you." You pressed your forehead against his again. "Due to the feelings I hold towards you." Uta felt his heart stop in his chest as he looked at you. "(Y/N)..” He said before letting out an amused huff. “This world doesn’t deserve someone as kind as you.”

Uta took a step back, letting go of you. Confused, you just stood there. Once he held out his hand for you to take, you smiled at him. Looking at you fondly, Uta then said, "Dance with me."

Honestly this is probably shit and I’m sorry for that. I started and then had no idea where to go with this one. Hope someone still enjoys it though!!

[servantofmischief]

Christmas

I am so sorry! I promised I would have it up sometime during last week, but I lost track of time and had a lot to do, but here you go, Fluff-Anon! 

When Uta had proclaimed that he’d go on an art trip for a whole year, his friends had supported him. They knew that this was something really important to him, and now that there was a somewhat steady peace between ghouls and humans, he had the chance at fulfilling this dream.

Itori will readily admit that she felt a bit bummed after he had been gone for a while, when she realized she had to celebrate her birthday without him. To his credit, he did make a phonecall to congratulate her and at the moment it had seemed enough. Then, once they had ended the call and she had been left alone in her bar, she had felt lonelier than ever.

She doesn’t feel any better now, when it is Christmas Eve and her bar is nearly empty because most people have someone to celebrate with. And she does not, because her partner in crime is halfway across the world. She keeps up the act of cheery barmaid for as long as she can, consoling herself with the fact that she is going to close the bar early tonight. No one is going to come and drink until the wee hours in the morning tonight. It is hard to keep the act up though, until it is near closing time.

And Renji enters the establishment.

“Ren-chan!” She jumps at the chance for a distraction from her depressing thoughts and feels a little less lonely when he sits down in front of her. Once everyone is gone, and the door is locked, she offers him a choice between wine and coffee. He grunts, and the answer is obvious. He can’t hold his liquor for shit, of course he wants coffee. She pouts, calls him a party pooper, but lulls the coffee machine to life.

“What brings you here, Ren-chan? Aren’t you going to celebrate with Touka-chan, Kanekicchi and Ichi-chan?”

“No one should be alone on Christmas.” Renji says, thanking her as she sets a cup of coffee in front of him. She fills herself a glass of wine, because even if Renji is here right now, she needs something stronger than coffee.

“Oh, were you thinking of me? How sweet of you, Ren-chan!” She gush, but he gives her that look that tells her he knows she is putting up a front. And she’s tired of faking smiles tonight anyway.

“Am I so transparent now?” She asks, smile falling off her face.

“Hn.” She takes a sip from her glass, mulling.

“You’re also invited over. Touka thought you might be lonely tonight.” Renji informs her and the redhead huffs.

“Contrary to what everyone else believes, I do have other friends than you and U-chan.”

“Are these friends real?” She glares at him, actually upset by his comment because no, they are not.

“Be quiet!” But he doesn’t keep quiet, surprisingly.

“Are you okay?” To have Yomo Renji, of all people, notice how she’s not her usually cheerful self, is kind of sad, but she explains to him how it feels kind of weird, and lonely, that for the first time for as long as she can remember, she will not be celebrating Christmas with Uta. Itori never once celebrated any birthday or holiday before she met the mask maker, so everything feels wrong, but she had honestly been excited on his behalf when he told her he had found the chance to go on this trip. A trip that would let him experience all kinds of art. Even though she knew he would be gone for quite some time, she hadn’t thought it would feel this bad.

“But he was so excited, it was almost like when we were kids again. He’s been wanting to go on this kind of trip since he figured out he was good at art, that he loved doing it.”

“For what it is worth,” Renji says as he stares into his coffee, “I think that you supporting him meant a lot to him.”

“I’ve always supported him.” Itori says quietly, grip tightening on her glass. “From when we were kids, I’ve always had his back. Hey, Ren-chan?” The male turns his head to look at her, and his eyes widen at the sight that meets him.

“Am I being stupid?” She asks, tears falling from her eyes. She doesn’t even bother attempting at stopping the waterfall. She’s kept this bottled up inside for so long, she’s wanted someone to talk to, but she’s had no one she felt like she could confide in. When humans and ghouls considered each other enemies, when the Clowns had been active, she had distracted herself with orchestrating the tragedies that took place, but now that they live in peace with humans, there are no more fights to create and watch over.

“Uh…” Renji doesn’t know what to say and that makes Itori laugh as she cries.

“I am stupid, aren’t I? I’m stupid for loving him! He’s going to find someone on this trip who is an artist like him, and he’s going to stay with them in whatever-country! Even worse, he might bring them home!” As he embraces his friend and tries to calm her down, Renji also sends a text-message to Touka to tell her he might be late.

Uta himself is feeling a bit lonely as well. There is a museum that is open today, but considering what day it is, it will probably close early. He’s still in bed in his hotel, it’s still early, but in Tokyo it is probably late by now. It is still better to call now though, than in the evening because he is sure no one will answer him then. He takes a shower and dresses himself, before heading out. The people outside are running around, carrying bags and boxes and nearly yelling into their phones. They are stressed, because Christmas is upon them and they must finish the last preparations before they can celebrate and Uta thinks about what his friends back home is doing right now. Back home, Renji is probably with the Kaneki household, Uta muses. Nico is probably scouring the streets for the one, the Nishikis are probably doing some kind of form of experimentations, Naki and Miza are having their hands full with their new family, most likely, and Itori…

Itori is most likely alone in her bar.

Uta misses her. A lot. This trip is fun, but it’s lonely too. He never expected to feel like this… the trip is fun, he just shouldn’t have gone all alone. And the coffee is awful. No one can compare to :Re, but it’s all he’ll get until he returns. He enters a café, asks for a cup of coffee, and pops in his earphones as he takes a seat by a table. He dials Itori’s number, hoping she’s got some time for a video-call and when she doesn’t pick up immediately he thinks that she’s either perhaps busy or asleep. He’s about to give up when she does answer. Her hair is covering half of her face and her eyes blink sleep from them.

“Oh my, did I wake you?”

“U-chan? What time is it?” Itori squints at her phone.

“Well, it’s almost noon here.” He quips.

“Where are you now? It’s two in the morning here.” She yawns.

“I’m in the states.” She brightens, eyes twinkling as he sleepiness is soon forgotten.

“How is it there? Are the Christmas decorations just as over-exaggerated as they are in the movies?” He laughs at her excitement and nods.

“Almost. They take it very seriously.”

“Ara, U-chan! Bring me a souvenir!”

“Do you have a gift for too, then?” She rolls her eyes and reaches out to beside the bed, before appearing on screen again, holding a small package.

“I have your Christmas gift right here, not that you’re here to open it in time.”

“Yeah, well-“ Uta is interrupted when a waitress sits down his coffee on the table as she cheerfully tells him to enjoy his beverage.

“Cheery girl.” Itori’s voice has lost some of it’s cheer and Uta blinks. She’s slid properly beneath the covers again, and she’s pouting.

“Hm, yes.” Apparently that is not the answer the redheaded ghoul wants to hear, as her eyes darken. “But as for my gift for you, what do you want?” Changing the topic seem to work. He sits for a long time with her as she lists all the things she’d like and Uta realizes he’ll have a hard time choosing from her list. His cup is almost empty by the time she’s out of things she wants him to bring home to her.

“Hm, that’s a lot.” He says, taking on a thoughtful expression. “How about you come with me next time?” There’s a pause as Itori tilts her head, watching him.

“Will there be a second trip?” She doesn’t sound all that enthusiastic about the prospect, and Uta himself misses his friends and his shop.

“Only if you come with.” He says. He misses Itori, their nights in the bar, the easy conversations which seem a bit difficult to have over the phone. He misses being able to just head over and visit whenever he wants. Itori thinks back to what she had told Renji earlier, how she has admitted to him the feelings she holds for the mask maker, her inner conflict over what to do, wondering if there even is something for her to do. She had been so surprised when the stoic ghoul had actually embraced her. Renji is usually so awkward when it comes to comforting others and Itori’s never sought comfort from anyone.

“Do what you must.” He had told her. “Don’t worry about what’ll happen, do what you have to do to feel better. No matter what, I’ll be here to listen.” And then, when he left, she had gone to bed with a newfound courage. She had believed she had a few months left until she could say anything, to have some time to think through her words.

“If it’s you and me, I guess I could tag along.” She mumbles, hiding her pink cheeks behind her pillows.

“Good.” He smiles. “You weren’t alone today, were you?” He asks and she shakes her head.

“Ren-chan came by.”

“Oh? Did you celebrate together?” He can’t exactly say that he’s unhappy that Renji came by, but there’s a dark emotion brewing in the back of his mind at the thought of the two of them alone.

“No, we just talked for a bit.” Her cheeks darken and she casts her eyes down, avoiding eye-contact, and that dark emotion grows. It’s jealousy, he gathers, though he tries to reason with himself that he’s the one who left on this trip, and that he never once told Renji how he feels about the redhead. If Renji holds the same feelings, then Uta left the playing field completely open by leaving on this trip.

“How nice.” Uta hears how forced he’s own voice sounds. Itori must have picked up on it too, because she looks up at him, eyes wide in confusion. That’s what alerts him to the redness of her eyes, and he comes to the startling realization that Itori has cried. He can’t remember the last time she did that.

“Itori-san, what’s wrong?”

“Wrong?”

“You’ve been crying?” Her eyes widen some more and she is suddenly in a hurry to end the call.

“Nothing’s wrong! Hurry up and finish your trip and come home!” She says and the screen goes black. He blinks at the screen, before he gets up from his chair and dials a new number.

“It’s three in the morning-“

“Tough luck.” Uta growls. He’s feeling a bit angry now, and he’d rather not cause a scene as he pays for his coffee. Just because Japan promotes peace, it doesn’t mean the rest of the world does.

“I’m about to go back to my hotel. Stay awake, Raven, I need to have a chat with you.”

“It can’t wait four hours?”

“No.” There’s a steely undertone to his voice which Renji haven’t heard since they were teenagers, so he wisely keeps quiet until Uta reaches his hotel room. He uses that tie to wake up properly so he can talk properly to his friend, and perhaps make some sense out of whatever it is that made the mask maker angry.

“I heard you stopped by Itori-san’s place earlier.” Uta says the moment he shuts the door behind himself. Renji blinks.

“Yes, to wish her a merry Christmas.”

“Then why has she been crying? What did you do, Renji-kun?” The silver-haired ghoul frowns on the other end before sighing.

“We were just talking. She had an issue, and instead of bottling it up, she let it all out and told me about it.” Uta is the one who frowns this time.

“What issue?” He hasn’t heard anything about a problem Itori might have.

“It’s not exactly something I’m comfortable with telling you. Ask her yourself when you get back.” Renji tells him, running a hand through his hair. “It’s personal, so ask her about it when you return. I assume she’ll have everything sorted out by then.”

“Renji-“

“No. I’m tired, this has nothing to do with me, enjoy your trip, call me when it’s actually appropriate to do so, like after eight in the morning.” Renji ends the call and leaves Uta pouting. True, he did call at an ungodly hour, but they could both have entertained him a bit longer. He’s curious about Itori’s alleged problem though.

Three days later, as Itori moves is cleaning up behind her bar, the door opens. She is about to tell whoever it is that has entered that she has closed, but nearly drops the bottle in her hands when she sees Uta enter.

“U-chan?” She nearly shrieks.

“Yo.”

“Wha- Aren’t you in the states?” She’s more than just a little bewildered. This explains why there had been no phone calls after Christmas, but still, what is he doing here?

“Renji-kun told me that something was bothering you and that I could help, so I came back.” Renji had never said he could help, but Uta had come home anyway, because he is worried. He is worried that Itori kept something bottled up, that she didn’t feel like she could confide in him, and that whatever is troubling her caused her to cry. Itori frowns. She thinks it is sweet of him, to cancel his trip and come home the moment he learns that she is troubled.

“Ren-chan said that? When?”

“I called him after we spoke on Christmas.” Uta answers and the redhead groans. Renji has for once not kept quiet. The one time she needed him to actually be quiet he blabbers like a gossip-loving teenager.

“What did he tell you?”

“That I should ask you yourself when I came back, because you would probably have it all sorted out by then. So, have you sorted it out?” Never mind the fact that Uta should still be gone for another four months, Itori thinks. Of course she hasn’t sorted it all out yet, with only a few days having gone by since she decided to actually spill the beans, so to speak.

“Obviously not. Lock the door.” She rolls her eyes and beckons him to come sit by the bar-counter. He does as told and waits for her to explain everything.

“It’s not a problem, not really. It’s just something that’s followed me for years.”

“Do I have to kill someone?”

“I doubt you will.”

“I can still kill, just point me in the right direction.”

“I don’t need anyone to die. If it was that simple, I’d do it myself.” She huffs and fills him a glass of blood-wine.

“Hm, true that. So, what’s bothering you?”

“Emotions.”

“Ah, they are a hassle, aren’t they?”

“Terribly so.” She agrees as she wipes the counter. Uta raises a brow, because usually when he visits and locks the door, she comes around and sits beside him. What is on her mind, he wonders.

“What’s on your mind, Itori-san?”

“I’m thinking about how to tell you this, without making everything complicated.” She tells him, ducking beneath the counter to rummage through the tiny shelves there for something, Uta doesn’t know what.

“You’re making this far too difficult, Itori-san. Just tell me and I’ll help you figure out a way to deal with it.”

“Absolutely sure of that?” She asks him, peering up from beneath the counter and he nods.

“Of course.”

“Okay then. Come here.” She stands up and motions for him to come closer as she smiles at him.

“You ready?” He nods. She leans even closer and whispers in his ear.

“I. Love. You. U-chan.” The expression on his face nearly makes her burst out laughing. His eyes are wide, his mouth hanging open, his expression a mix of disbelief and shock. She moves back to continue to clean up after her customers and lets Uta process what she’s told him. He doesn’t move for the longest time, but she doesn’t worry too much. It’s not like he showed a negative reaction to what she just told him. She does worry that she might have broken him a bit, but then again, that is an amusing thought too. She is about to turn off the lights and just leave him in the bar when he pulls out his phone and dials a number.

“Renji-kun, good evening. Also, what the fuck?!” This time she does laugh, and Uta spins in his seat, pointing at her.

“And you, you can’t laugh now!” His voice actually cracks and she curls in on herself, nearly falling over. They will have to talk about this later, have a good and long discussion where they figure out what to do, what they want to do, but right now she is more than amused with the display of the mask maker freaking out.

[coromoor]

Submission: (It’s way too long to post it in the inbox so i will submit it like that, im sorry 😂)

Hello Cor! I just want to share my thoughts and my feelings with you ha ha because I’m so emotional right now like I dunno how to feel… It’s like im in denial but not that much? Im sad and all but the good fandom post and memes make me so happy ha ha and also, i can’t really be sad after such a beautiful chap. It’s was nearly perfect, i really loved it! (I want to say a random fact that this chapter was the longest I spend time on, 3h to read it ha ha ha) So, I have so much to say about it 😂

First, I really loved the contrast of the last two chapter covers with the B&W lycoris/butterfly and the minimalistic look, such an impact and it’s stunning!

Second, all the characters look are amazing! Hide? SUCH A CUTIE AND PERFECT BOI ❤️ (his smiley mask, i can’t 😭) Tsukiyama with his shorter hair and his hair on the side? PERFECT he really looks like a prince and/or a character from a shojo (as expected of TG XD) Nishiki with a little undercut? YASSSS good shit 👌 Urie with no undercut? ALSO VERY GOOD 👌 (he got an Ayato look :x) Mutsuki & Shinsanpei with shorter hair? GIVE IT TO ME Yusa? Still with fluffy hair! Yomo with (i hope it’s pink) ribbons? A dream comes true!!!!!!😭👌 Pleasure-chan? SO FCKING PERFECT SHES PERFECT I CANT OMFG AND KANEKI AND TOUKA ❤️💖❤️💖❤️💖😭👌😭👌😭👌 (and all the characters are perfect so many, to react to them all 😂)

Third, it was so bittersweet to see Ui, Hirako and Kuramoto seeing each other even when they don’t work together anymore and also when they visit Arima with Fura i- i just- 😭😭😭

Fourth, IM SO HAPPY TO SEE TOKAGE FUCKING FINALLY DEAD YES he really deserved it.

Fifth, Yusa grew up so much he’s so cute & hot i can’t 😭❤️ and the Qs and all at the Chateau living like a big family it’s just so perfect i can’t… My heart 😭❤️ Strong vibes from Urie being the Dad and Saiko being the Mom 😂😂😂 Urie smiling genuinely makes me so happy woahhh i love him so much (and him getting a little bit jealous over Mutsuki’s promotion was 👌) and the photos of the Qs… Like the photo Hori took way back in the first volume and the fact that Urie was making the same hand sign as Shirazu in the lastest Qs photo broke my heart… 😭😭😭

Sixth, the whole part with the reunion of Juuzou and Shinohara was too perfect for me, i couldn’t contain my tears… 😭 The page with Juuzou falling on his knees was so damn powerful and the next page have an even bigger impact with the parallel of the first part. Like Juuzou has the same expression for two similar situation… AND ALSO i broke in tears again when i saw the arcana 21 on Juuzou like… It hit me like a truck and reminded me again that it’s the end, it’s the conclusion and i can’t handle that… 😭💔Anyway, im so happy to see that Juuzou and Shinohara are reunited!

Seventh, all the marriages that happened and no AyaHina (yet) im waiting sensei ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) joking, all the marriages are so pure (Naki and Miza ha ha ha Poor Miza she really is strong and their kids are soooo cute, Nishiki and Kimi, I was really happy to be fully canon after that page in the calendar, they are so perfecttttt 💖 [but JB’s translation makes it like they aren’t married so i dunno actually] and Jiro and Banjou, so cute too!).

Eighth, the part with Rio is sad and I wished we could see more of AkirAmon but i dont really mind!

Ninth, I knew Yomo would be head over heels (well who isn’t lmao?) for Pleasure-chan ha ha and Ayato is like his uncle 😂 I laughed so hard when i saw those panels ha ha

Tenth, the new style for the Clowns is greatttt, i feel like everyone cut their hair shorter 😂 Uta is still great with that hair (Itori too) but something bugs me… Uta… Doesn’t have any tattoos anymore? 🤔 I think it’s maybe something Ishida-sensei forgot since he was in such a rush…

And CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW TOUKA IS PERFECT???????????? 💖 THE QUEEN IS PERFECT 💞💖😭👌 and the second baby Kaneki??? SIGN ME THE FCK UP!!!!! I hope it’s a boy so it’ll become a parallel to the Kirishima siblings ❤️ hu hu hu hu hu and is it me or i feel strange having all the characters infos but not Touka’s? :/

But it was great to see (and notice) that the first character we see of the TG series is Hide and that he’s the first one we see on the last chapter AND! the last one with the character info!!! I loved getting a little bit of his backstory (and even if it’s a mistranslation or smth i want Hide to have canon gay dads ha ha)! And to see Kaneki (being saved by Ayato 👌) so happy and all with his family, his friends, his loved ones, is so pure and amazing, he finally made peace and he is living. It’s such a perfect ending and im so proud of him and grateful to sensei. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ The clear blue sky page is so amazing i can’t… And the last nostalgic color page of TouKen? YES & THANK YOU ISHIDA-SENSEI 🙏❤️😭

It was a great manga that i followed for nearly four years with all the screamings, the tears, the stress, the pains and the joys and i never invested so much time and effort (even tho i remained in the shadows, lurking, of the fandom 😂) into a manga before and im so glad i found people that much invested in it and thank you Cor for always bringing the good in the fandom and let your emotions out for us, I really related to you! 😂 You really are a great person imo, so yeah, really, thank you very much for all the things you did! 😄👍 💖

(And i am so sorry for this big ass text i can’t believe it’s that long :x)

Ps : And also i forgot to talk about Kuroiwa being alive… Well im glad the Kuroiwa family is fine but i thought he was dead, and also Takeomi with his child (i hope he becomes a friend of Pleasure-chan and/or Baby Kaneki in the future) was funny and him and Urie being now bff is A+++++

Pps : Despite having being sold the CCG and endured so much, Saiko (and her mysterious brother, i really want to see his face) took care of their mother until the end…

Ppps : Last but not least, this chapter was really full of love and friendship, it was so bright and blinding, wow! Never a TG chapter felt this radiant before!

Tl;dr This chapter was amazing and a roller coaster of emotions but im so happy to know a fabulous manga like that! ❤️ And that’s all, thx for reading all that nonsense ha ha ha 😂😂😂

I’m answering this from the puddle in the floor I melted into seeing that ending with the blue sky, thankyou for sharing your thoughts and joining me in this fandom! I had so much fun ❤️

[shslmahoushoujo]

Ok, time for some more TGRE anime predictions! I’m enjoying the anime and the changes it’s done so far, partly because a few of them fall in line with what I’d been guessing they’d do for a while. So now, having looked at the things they’ve changed and switched around, it’s time to think about how they’ll handle the middle part. Because of all things, that’s what needs to undergo the most changes for this all to work out.

So, the four most changes so far: Tooru was found by Urie at Torso’s chamber Amon escaped Rue, Koma and Irimi stayed dead, and Kaiko wasn’t with Furuta when Tsuneyoshi was killed. I think these 4 changes are the key here to how they’re gonna create shortcuts to Dragon, some more noticeable than others.

Speaking of noticeable, the most obvious one to point out is Amon’s escape. That one plays the most straightforward, and it was by far the easiest guess. The lab section of the Clown Siege is... contrived, to say the least. Whatever his stay on the lab was meant for didn’t really go anywhere plot-wise But the anime decided to go for the more streamlined approach: You still have the mention that Amon’s pals with the :RE crew, so instead of him being caught and wrapping back around to the lab so he can be freed, he just poses dramatically on the cliffside thinking to himself “well... shit, they left without me” and he swims back to Tokyo, breaks into Akira’s place to get the cat, and then makes his way back to :RE. The important part here is, this cuts off a big part of 104-116 off, which allows them to be able to a) take it slower and b) use the post-Clown Siege parts for a longer breather episode. Were they to not cut the Clown Siege, we’d pretty much get no downtime episodes and we’d be jumping back to the action almost consistently.

Following that, let’s move on to the two smaller changes: Kaiko and Koma/Irimi. The latter one is one I’ve talked about before, a change I actually really appreciate because, other than the breaking of the Anteiku raid illusion, they really were just... there. I think they’ll just return as Spieldose in the finale, and that’ll be that. Which I’m fine with. As for Kaiko, his absence during the Furuta killing Tsuneyoshi scene means one of two things: Either he’ll deal with Matsuri right away... or we’ll get a scene of him approaching Eto in Cochlea. The preview for next week’s episode shows a bit more of the fight to escape Cochlea, so I could see a short conversation between Kaneki and Eto with the lines she didn’t bring up and telling Kaneki to hurry and go to his friends, Kaiko menacingly approaching from the shadows, and then the “I’m the One-Eyed King” line before cutting to the opening. Those are the two main reasons I could see them for not adding Kaiko to that scene, and instead have two random V dudes.

And then there’s Tooru. Hoo boy, is this gonna be the most controversial change. It already seems to be, actually. But being real here? I like it for a few reasons. One, the lack of shock value in how this is being handled; and two, the potentially interesting “outside perspective” take we might get here. I honestly suspect, at this point, that the anime will keep us away from Tooru’s thoughts for quite some time. I also think we’ll get some changes in the order of things, painting Tooru in a better light compared to the manga, and while still looking like someone on a dark path, it won’t have the amount of issues that you can easily raise with the manga version. And I think that at some point later, we’ll go back to the cave in a flashback, get a clearer idea of what happened there, and see what’s been going through Tooru’s head all this time, that being when we get to the equivalent of chapters 153-156.

Oh, I should talk about those changes that would make Tooru be seen in a better light compared to his manga self, right? Well, it all comes together with the other changes I’m thinking of, and how the middle part of the story leading up to Dragon can be condensed into 4 episodes. (Also, worth taking into account, the people present seeing dragon and their outfits). So here goes!

Episode 5: Potentially some of Kaneki’s talk with Eto that didn’t get mixed with Arima’s exposition, slight chance of Kaiko making his presence know after Kaneki leaves to help Touka & co, “I am the One-Eyed King” cutting into opening. Following that, chapter 99 (sans Koma and Irimi), Goat parts of 100-103, ending of 116, Goat parts of 117, ending of 118, Goat parts of 119, 120, the first half of 121, episode ending with the ending of chapter 100 (Kaneki meeting Furuta).

Episode 6: Kaneki-Furuta talk from 101, CCG parts from 100-103 with no Clown Siege references (mostly setting up the Yoriko-Takeomi wedding), Matsuri’s death happening if it didn’t in episode 5, CCG parts from 117-119 (introduction of the Oggai), second half of 121, Kaneki-Touka conversation from 122 interrupted not by news of an Oggai attack, but Tooru’s letter (changing “Yoriko was arrested” for “Yoriko will be arrested”), leading to the conversation from 124+125. 126 happens as is, with the knowledge of Yoriko’s arrest hanging over TouKen, but not straying off course. Yoriko/Takeomi related scenes from 129-131. End of 131+Qs scenes and wedding from 132.

Episode 7: Here comes the fun part. Ending of 128, with Furuta talking with the clowns about Dragon and Ayato finding the remains of the old underground king. Day after the wedding, news of the Oggai attack from 122. Talk and fight between TouKen and Tooru+Cousin Itt mostly the same, but Oggai bicycle attack replaced by a merger with the 24th ward arc fight. TouKen run into Juuzou blocking the path at the end. Closing images are a mix of the first few pages of 140+the ending of 133, Furuta seems to be in two places at once.

Episode 8: Office fight from 134-138 merged with Donato fight from 108-110. Furuta in the office is revealed to be Donato. Urie’s development from both parts mixed, fight ending with Roma’s death/Shikorae’s defeat and Donato’s “defeat”/finger reveal. Back to :RE, 143-144 happen, Marude arrives to a room with a distraught Urie and a nearly dead Kuroiwa, Hide reveal, earthquake, people there witness Dragon’s emergence. 145-146 happen, with a variant of 147 allowing for the the flashforward from episode 1 to happen the way we saw it marking the end of the episode.

Because of how the attack on :RE begins with most of the team scattered, a lot of the fluff from the 24th ward arc could be cut, and instead of Naki’s fake death you can easily have him just slated as missing in all that chaos. Yomo in the flashforward seems to be uninjured, both him and Nishiki are wearing suits, and Urie still looks injured and is looking from a broken window which matches the state of the chairman’s office, so this makes sense in my eyes so far. So I think this is how the rest of episodes would go:

Episode 9: Chapters 148-156. Cousin Itt and the other second gen Qs are mostly glossed over, with the Qs interaction with Tooru taking precedence. Technical aspects of Dragon simplified/bare minimum explained.

Episode 10: Chapters 157-165. The expected compressing this season has had so far, ending with the arrival of Eto to the battlefield to mirror episode 10 of Root A.

Episode 11: Chapters 166-172, 175. Following Donato’s defeat, 175 (without the opening scene) happens, and following Eto’s return to consciousness+the return of the White Suits, we move on to the Kaneki/Furuta fight, with Furuta’s fakeout mirroring episode 2 of the season, and ending in Kaneki’s finger crack.

Episode 12: Chapters 173-174, opening scene of 175, 176-179. Opening and ending tunes playing over certain scenes. Technically 7 chapters, which means they can take it easy compared to the rest of the season. First half of the episode ends on 177 (I can imagine Katharsis playing as 177 happens), I could see some things added to 178 (clarifying Eto’s fate, showing Ayato saving Kaneki), and I could see them streamlining 179 and not having all that narration but rather relying on show don’t tell. And of course, I’d hope for the major players of episode 1 of the season (Kaneki, Ayato, Eto, and Furuta) getting their time to shine this episode to mirror how the final season started. Rakuen no Kimi playing over the last HideKane talk and the final scene with the TouKen family.

That’s more or less how I expect it to go, at least. If it’s anything like this? I’m all in for it.