#but i think dimple & reigen can live up to it

[scribefindegil]

The thing about post-finale Ekurei is that they pass the "Kill Claudio" test and that's why their bickering is Good.

[abyssalgalaxy]

The fact that Tsubomi didnt end up as Mob's gf and became her friend is so important, it strenghtes the entire friendship motif of the series have and breaks the trope of there having to be romance between a boy and a girl, the friendzone isnt bad its just that ppl have been conditioned to think that it is, for Mob and Tsubomi could be one of the best things that happened in their lives. Im sure she wanted to have a friend that she could open up to without being judged and without having the risk of her being seen as just a love interest by them. I have the feeling that Tsubomi would enjoy being silly once in a while, leave the "school idol" status she has and I think Mob also likes to be silly! Based on the cake prank on reigen at the epilogue and Mob telling Dimple he didnt remember him during the Mogami Arc, Id love to see them being silly together as besties, laughing together loudly at dumb shit or messing with their other friends. Maybe at some point he invites her to hang out with the rest of his friends, going shopping w Teru, hanging out w the telepathy club, or just anything really, she deserves more true friends. And since tsubomi isnt impressed by anything psychic/supernatural related, Mob can tell her about his little shenanigans at spirits n such without being weirded out or anything, she'll just listen and its the same for Mob's side, he's good at understanding and giving a safe place to speak, I know I said it already but she really needs true friends that wouldnt wish bad things upon her or see her as a prize.

[stupidlittlespirit]

Good Boy

Rating: NSFW (very!), mdni Type: Longform Tags: webcam show, voyeurism, sex work, masturbation, female body described, one use of gendered language ('ma'am'), virgin!Reigen, pathetic!Reigen, Word count: 5797 My other works: here on tumblr and here on Ao3! Reigen finds your webcam show and proceeds to be a pervert.

“Should I send my boss a video of what I'm busy doing?” You ask, rocking your ass back and forth. The skirt lifts when you bend down and Reigen catches a peek of your underwear when you lean over a little more. You turn until your back is to the camera and then begin to lift the skirt higher and higher as you dance, tantalisingly slow.

Reigen squeezes the base of his cock and smirks to himself. “I wouldn't bother.”

He finds the video by complete accident.

Reigen is scrolling aimlessly through the feed of his favourite porn sites, rows upon rows of explicit content at his fingertips as he trolls through videos he's seen so many times before he has them practically memorised. They don't do anything for him anymore.

He's bored of the repetitive scenarios and over the top acting, and if he has to watch another shitty, stilted skit again he's going to stop jerking off for the rest of his life in protest.

Well. Maybe he won't go that far, but he's certainly fed up with the lack of excitement.

It's closing in on 1AM on a Friday night and Reigen is spending yet another weekend all on his own. Serizawa is busy with school friends, Dimple isn't in the mood to find a host body for a night out and Mob is likely fast asleep. If he's honest, even Reigen knows how pathetic he'd look if he asked a kid to spend his afterschool time with him.

The only other person he has to ask out is you. You're the newest member of the team and even though you've been out with all of them a fair few times, tonight you'd dismissed his suggestions with the simple excuse of being busy.

You hadn't specified what you were going to be busy with, but Reigen supposes it isn't really any of his business. He can't deny his disappointment, though.

He'd hoped you might jump at the chance for one on one time with him, and whilst he stares at the screen of his computer, desperate for something to make him feel less lonesome, the sting of your rejection is only softened slightly by the alcohol he's had for dinner.

At his feet, there are several cans of chuhai. Every time he drinks alone in his apartment, he finds that he only has two options when no one wants to be around him. One: get so wasted that he passes out before he can think too much about his misery or two: jerk off to prevent himself from thinking about his misery.

Right now, Reigen is reasonably drunk, he's totally lonely, and most of all, he's horny. He supposes he may as well achieve both outcomes at once tonight. He isn't looking for anything in particular right now, just something that might take the edge off and help him sleep a little better. His expectations of finding anything particularly exciting are very low.

However, perched at his PC, shirtless and in his sweatpants, Reigen is starting to think it might be a waste of time. Nothing seems of interest to him. It's either too weird or too boring, and he wonders if he might be better off just calling it a night.

In a last ditch attempt, he switches from his typical porn site to a newer one. One he hasn't tried before. Usually he'd watch something pre-recorded, but he faintly remembers reading something on a forum somewhere about the newest trend of cam girls.

The post had detailed how viewers could make requests for a performer to do whatever they wanted, all live and in real-time, and he has to admit it sounds a lot more interesting than viewing the same video over and over.

He clicks the first link that pops up from his search.

The website is simplistic and once he's clicked through his verifications, Reigen begins to scan the rows of people on offer. There are women and men and everything in between, but every time he selects one, the performer seems bored and uninspired. Sometimes, they're not even there.

Reigen tries the second page. He's halfway down it, not really paying full attention anymore, when abruptly one of the little preview windows looks vaguely familiar.

Squinting, he leans in to get a better view to try and place where he's seen that room before. The decor in the thumbnail looks like a place he's seen before, but he can't quite put his finger on where.

Reigen clicks it and at first, he doesn't quite believe what he's seeing. That decor, the colour of the walls, the furniture…. It's your apartment. He knows because he's been there; he's crashed on that very floor after several messy nights out, right beside the cushy bed that the camera is centered on.

He's absolutely, definitely, a hundred percent sure that that's your room.

For a second, he worries that someone might have snuck into your apartment and hidden a spy camera amongst your things without your knowledge. It's not unheard of for creeps to conceal webcams in places to catch footage of unsuspecting victims and although Reigen likes his fair share of voyeuristic content, he would never watch something that wasn't clearly a purposely set up scenario.

He reaches for his cell phone where it rests besides his keyboard, fully intending to call you and make you aware, when suddenly you're walking into frame and sitting on the bed, dressed only in your underwear, some sheer stockings and a ridiculously tiny little skirt.

You shoot the camera a coy smile and offer a little wave. “Welcome back, everyone.”

Reigen's jaw drops open.

You're on his fucking porn site.

You. Of all people.

Stunned, he watches you shift so that you can lie down on your bed, lounging leisurely on top of a thick, comfy looking blanket that covers your bedspread.

The lighting is low and moody, but there's a clearly a softer source of light emanating from somewhere behind the camera to ensure your half naked body can be seen properly.

Music is playing gently in the background, and beside the bed is a small table, on which rests a small selection of intimidating looking sex toys. There are a couple of interesting looking dildos, a chunky vibrator, and a few bottles of oil or something similar.

He watches you lean forward slightly to apparently read something on screen, your eyes scanning back and forth. Your tits press against the fabric of your bra as you shuffle up where you're resting, leaning forward to fiddle with what he assumes is your computer.

Reigen’s throat suddenly feels very dry.

Barely five hours ago, you'd been wishing him a nice weekend as you'd left the office, heading off for home to spend the weekend doing something that didn't include him. When you'd told him that you'd been too busy to go for a drink with them, he hadn't thought much of it.

Perhaps you'd been lying. Perhaps the real reason you'd said no had been to go and do this....

Briefly, he wonders if he's seeing things. Perhaps the room is simply similar to yours and you're not really you at all. Just another person who looks exceptionally similar.

He decides he needs to make sure that what he's stumbled across is the truth and not an unbelievably accurate illusion.

Reigen reaches for his phone again. Your face is just out of frame now and he can't be 100% sure that it's really you, but he's certain that he needs to find out. To test his theory, he types out a simple text, something casual to ensure that you'll have no idea that he's watching, and waits to see what happens.

[Reigen] - Hey, are you busy?

On screen there's a buzzing sound. You twist into a kneeling position to reach behind you and his blood runs cold. There's no way that it's a coincidence your phone is going off right now.

As he watches you shuffle back up to sit closer to the camera again, your pretty face comes into view and so does your cell phone, head aloft like a trophy. No doubt about it: this is no look alike.

You study your phone, reading the text and then glancing over to look at your audience. "Oh," You say, holding your phone up with a cheeky grin. “It's my boss.”

Underneath the video screen, there's a chatbox that's scrolling along, ticking upwards with each new message that pings through, and you look away from your phone to check it.

Several new chats pop up at your announcement and Reigen somehow manages to tear his eyes away from you to see what's being said.

What does he want? asks one viewer.

You laugh, soft and amused. “He wants to know if I'm busy.”

Your voice is softer than Reigen used to hearing it; teasing and intimate in a way that does something funny to his insides. A few more messages spin up in the chat:

is he cute?

Do you like him?

Would you fuck him?

Reigen swallows hard.

It's not like he hasn't thought about it. He's considered it several times, actually. In great, vivid detail. When he can't find any decent porn to get off too, he often finds thoughts of you wandering into his mind. Reigen knows it’s weird and unethical, but if no one else is aware then it's not like anyone can be hurt by it.

He's harboured a crush on you since the moment you'd walked into the office to drop off your CV and he hasn't known peace since. Every time you bend over to pick up files, he sneaks a peek at your ass. Whenever you brush up against him in passing, he prays he doesn't get hard. It's a nightmare.

When he's alone and he's given up on finding an ethical source of arousal for the evening, he’ll think about you in your office wear, or your underwear, or sometimes in nothing at all.

He's always had to imagine what you might look like naked and for some reason, he's never been able to get the vision to seem quite right. With nothing to reference, it's hard to know beyond the silhouette hidden by your clothes.

Until now, anyway.

You're leaning in close to look at the chat messages again, your tits pressed up against the thin fabric of your bra. They jiggle nicely as you move and Reigen feels his cock stir in his sweatpants. He reaches for the half-empty can of chuhai beside his PC and takes a swig to soothe his dry mouth.

“Oh yeah,” you say, biting down your lower lip. “Very cute. I'd fuck him anytime.”

Reigen almost chokes on his mouthful of fruity alcohol, spluttering awkwardly.

You begin to run your fingers up between the valley of your breasts, reaching over to toy with the lace cups of your bra and dipping your fingertips underneath the material to brush against your nipples.

“He's got such a great ass,” you whisper to the camera, biting down on your lip to stifle a smile. “I check him out all the time but he never catches me. What do you think he'd do if he did?”

Reigen's breath hitches. His face feels red hot at your confession and he knows that he's probably bright red, but can't believe what he's hearing.

The chat bumps up several rows, filled with suggestions and fantasies:

He'd punish you.

Probably promote you lol.

I bet he'd fuck you in the office.

“He would,” Reigen groans out loud to his empty room. “You have no idea how much he would.”

He's had plenty of daydreams about that exact scenario; bending you over his desk when everyone else has gone home for the day or letting you ride him while he sits in his office chair, slow and sweet until he fills you up. The thought drives him insane.

Almost of its own accord, his hand slips down to palm at his dick. There's a steadily growing wet patch on the front of his pants as pre cum begins to gather at the head and the slick friction of the fabric there only arouses him more.

“Ah,” you gasp happily as you pinch one of your nipples. “I wish.”

After a few seconds of touching your tits, you trace your hand up towards your collarbone and run your fingertips along them, back and forth slowly. It's teasing, erotic almost, and Reigen imagines your delicate fingers on his own skin, tickling along the soft flesh of his thighs or clutching at his back.

He's still reeling at your admitted attraction to him. He knows there's a chance that you're only playing things up for the camera, but he's so hard and so turned on by the notion that you might be into him that he doesn't care how true it is right now.

Rather than worry too much about the legitimacy, he hooks his thumb into the waistband of his sweats without looking away from the screen and shuffles in his seat so that he can expose his cock fully.

He knows he shouldn't really be watching this. He isn't even sure why you're on this website; he pays much more than he used to and there's no way you're short for cash, so you're not moonlighting to make ends meet. Maybe you just enjoy it?

The idea thrills him and so does the knowledge that what he's doing is forbidden. Again, he supposes that if you have no clue that he's watching you right now then he can excuse his actions…. Right?

“It's so unprofessional,” You're almost whispering now, talking softly as your touch travels to different parts of your body. “But I think about it all the time.”

Reigen reaches for the small bottle of lube that sits in the corner of his desk while you talk, squeezing some out onto the fingers of one hand. He trails it around his dick slowly, ignoring the chill and covering himself until the skin is slick and wet.

The chat pings again, except this time there's the sound of coins dropping. A pink message appears:

[400 coins] Ass shake/Dance

Briefly, Reigen is confused. He has no idea what that means and his hand pauses to check the message. Next to it is a little cartoon coin, and he realises that you've been tipped money to do an activity.

You smile brightly, however, clearly pleased by the strange sound, and slowly you get up from your seat. “Thank you so much!” You giggle, blowing a kiss to the camera.

He watches you stand and fiddle with something that looks like a TV remote, and then the quiet music in the background becomes a little louder. You begin to sway your hips in time with the beat of the music, turning on the spot slowly.

“Should I send my boss a video of what I'm busy doing?” You ask, rocking your ass back and forth.

The skirt lifts when you bend down and Reigen catches a peek of your underwear when you lean over a little more. You turn until your back is to the camera and then begin to lift the skirt higher and higher as you dance, tantalisingly slow.

Reigen squeezes the base of his cock and smirks to himself. “I wouldn't bother.”

Your skirt recedes to reveal the bare skin of your ass. You're wearing lacy underwear that barely covers your pussy and Reigen groans at the sight, watching closely as you wiggle your hips until the fat of your ass wobbles deliciously.

He barely gets ten seconds worth of a look before you're moving back to sit on your bed, and he can't help the disappointment that rises in him.

With his free hand, Reigen takes a chance and bravely types out a message in chat:

[anon] - keep going

“Ah ahh,” you chastise, clearly reading the command he's sent through. “Tip to make requests, boys, you know the rules.”

Reigen isn’t sure what he's more turned on by; the business sense or your bossy attitude.

One handed, he swiftly clicks through on the link that auto generates in chat to make an account. He spares a thanks that modern technology allows him to keep his credit card info saved online and as soon as everything has gone through, he comes right back to your room.

The chat spits out a menu, triggered by the forbidden request, that clearly states an extensive menu of services. There are lots of options, and Reigen's mouth begins to salivate as he scrolls down the list. Whilst he's busy reading, another tip comes in from a different user:

[800 coins] - topless

“Oh,” you say, grinning as you reach for your bra straps. “Stepping things up, huh?”

Your comment makes Reigen look up again and his stomach flips when he realises what's about to happen.

Teasing, you thumb down each strap, letting them fall down to your sides. You reach behind yourself to undo the clasp and very gradually, you lower the pretty lingerie until finally, the lace falls away to expose your chest to the camera.

Reigen stares at the screen, mouth open, and his hand begins to stroke his cock. He's imagined seeing your naked chest more times than he can recall but his mind's eye is nothing in comparison to the real (or rather, virtual) thing. They're gorgeous. Perfect, in fact. He's not sure that he's ever seen anything better.

Embarrassed as he is to admit, Reigen has never actually seen anyone naked in real life. He's never even fucked another person, but he's seen his fair share of porn and none of those videos compare to you.

Every fantasy he's ever had has been completely imaginary and he doesn't dare make a move to find sex in real life; being an adult virgin is horribly embarrassing and he doesn't want to risk being laughed at. For now, he'll stick to his usual viewing habits.

“Fuck.” Reigen mutters, breath hitching. His hand works the length of his cock, fist tight and slick with lube, and on screen you're reaching up to play with your nipples again.

Enraptured by your image, he tightens his grip on the bottom of his dick every time you pinch yourself gently.

You take both tits in hand and squeeze them together, biting your lower lip and grinning as chat messages pour through. It's evident that you're enjoying yourself and it makes Reigen feel slightly less guilty for being a pervert.

The languid strokes of his cock become even slower while he types out the message he'd intended to send before, heart pounding in anticipation:

[950 coins] - remove skirt/underwear

The jingle of the tip plays and your eyes light up. “Oh,” you say, leaning forward to check the request. “You're new here.”

Momentarily, Reigen's hand pauses. His username is just a randomly generated set of numbers. There's no way you'd be able to tell his true identity from, yet he briefly panics that you might have rumbled him. He holds his breath for a second.

You nibble your lower lip and smile, but his cover isn't blown. “You guys are excited today, hm?” You laugh, getting up again and shifting the camera to ensure everyone can see what you're doing.

Carefully, you make a show of lifting up your skirt and undoing the side clasp before letting it fall to the floor with a soft thump. The panties you're wearing are tiny, yet they cover you well enough that it's hard to see much just yet. You give your ass a little shake again and bend over, spreading your legs.

Relieved, Reigen's hand begins to move again and without looking away, he shirks his sweatpants completely. His body feels hot all over and being constrained by his clothing feels unbearably uncomfortable. He kicks the trousers away from him and grins at your excited laughter.

“How's the view?” You ask, squeezing your ass gently.

“Perfect,” Reigen grunts, as though you can hear him.

You're reaching between your legs now, stroking your covered pussy up and down, and Reigen moans quietly. Chat messages are stacking up below your video screen, but he only has eyes for you right now.

Deliberately unhurried, you drag your hand back through your legs and take hold of the waistband of your panties. You pull the fabric down, down, down, slipping it over your round ass until finally you're baring yourself to the world in the most intimate way.

Wetness clings to your underwear when you tug it away and you're visibly aroused by the movement, making a soft sound of pleasure.

Reigen almost cums immediately. He grits his teeth and exhales sharply, letting go of his cock and willing himself not to finish early. It would be a shame to spend himself so soon and he wants nothing more than to spend all night staring into you.

“Like that?” You ask your audience, voice a little muffled now that you're turned away.

Several messages affirm that they do, in fact, like what they're seeing.

Reigen breathes heavily through his nose and rolls his chair closer to the monitor again. He takes a second to calm himself down, though he doesn't stop watching you wiggle your backside, and once he feels capable, he types out another request:

[1000 coins] - touch yourself

This time, he follows it up with a ‘please’ and you turn slightly to see what's happening.

You smirk and move back toward the bed, choosing to sit down and spread your legs this time. The view is still perfectly clear and Reigen finds that he likes this much better; he can see your pretty face, your tits and your wet pussy all at once. Hand firm on his dick, he starts to jerk off again.

“Do you like what you see?” You giggle, hand wandering southwards.

“Fuck, yeah I do.” Reigen groans, swiping his thumb over the head. The motion sends a shiver through his body and he fumbles with his free hand and keyboard to type out an affirmative answer.

You smile, coy, and stop your fingers just above your clit. “And what do we say when we want something?”

Reigen swears under his breath. He likes this; being forced to ask nicely and hope that he's given what he wants. He doesn't know why he enjoys it, but the idea of having to plead for your attention and his own release does something undeniable to his body, and he loves every second.

The flush on his face travels down his neck and burns the tips of his ears, spurred on by his myriad of emotions.

With one sweaty hand he types out:

please

touch yourself, please

The smile that comes to your face when you notice his message is positively wicked and your hand drops lower, gathering wetness. “I think you can ask even more nicely than that, can't you?”

He doesn't care that he's paid for a simple act. What he's getting right now is more arousing than anything he could have ever dreamt of receiving. The way his cock twitches in his hand suggests his body agrees. “Please.” Reigen whispers to his empty room, voice breaking. “Fuck, please, touch your fucking pussy for me.”

Panting and moaning with every stroke of his fist, Reigen shakily taps out another desperate response.

plsaase

pls

im begging u

It's obviously the right response because you do exactly as he asks: your fingers begin to brush over your clit and you gasp at the contact. Gently, you rub yourself in tiny circles. Your skin glistens in the light and even with the music playing, he can hear your moans and sighs when your touches speed up.

Reigen jerks himself off in time with your movements. His apartment fills with the wet, oily noises of his lubed up palm on his dick and his heavy breathing, broken only by his pathetic begging for more. “Oh god,” he whines, leaning forward in his seat to grip the edge of his desk. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

He wants to ask for more, to see you get even more explicit, however he worries that if he lets go of his desk he might keel over. Fortunately for Reigen, another request pings in. This one goes even further.

The anonymous user tips a significant amount and much to Reigen's horny delight, asks you to use one of the larger sex toys on the table next to your bed.

A few minutes pass in which you continue to touch your clit and Reigen realises that you're getting caught up in this yourself. You're so lost in your own pleasure that you're too busy to see what your audience want.

It turns him on no end.

Eventually, you force yourself to pause and glance at the chat. There are a few annoyed messages about you ignoring them, but you pay them no mind, instead saying a breathless thank you to the new requester and reaching for a sizable, pink dildo. It's thick and decently long, and you hold it out for him to see properly.

“Should I use this one?” Your voice is fraying at the edges, strained from all your noise.

Oh yeah

Fuck yeah use it

Do it

You don't appear to need much encouragement and you sit back on your elbows, legs spreading even wider as you rub the head of the fake cock over your pussy.

Reigen imagines that instead of cool, false plastic, it's his dick that you're grinding your hips into. He pictures himself between your legs, gently slapping the swollen tip of his cock against the soft, wet folds of your cunt whilst you squirm and groan in pleasure. His moans are getting louder now, unrestrained and wrecked, and he knows he sounds like a girl but he can't find it in himself to give a fuck.

Again, he almost cums, but rather than let it happen he allows himself to get as close as he dares and then stops touching completely. He has plenty of time to draw this out; you haven't even put the dildo in yet.

You're still circling it around your hole slowly, grinning and chewing on your lip in anticipation of what's to, rather ironically, come.

Sweat trickles down Reigen's neck. He's over stimulated and unbearably turned on, body red hot and flushed. He reaches for his drink again and takes a quick gulp before picking right up where he left off.

“Wanna see me fuck myself?” You tease, peering at the message box.

Reigen is the only one who responds. He knows it's likely because every other person in here is too busy getting off to answer, yet he seizes the chance to catch your attention.

yes please

Your warm smile returns and he finds himself smiling too, enjoying the way your expression softens. “You're a sweetheart, aren't you?” You say fondly, sitting up a bit more.

Reigen grins and nods, even though he knows you can't see him. He dials up his politeness, practically gagging for your attention, and moves his hand down to stroke along the sides of his dick, teasing himself as he type:.

yes ma'am

Something changes in your gaze at his message, hot and intense, and you start to circle your clit again. “Ask me again.” You sigh happily. “Be a good boy.”

Reigen's brain almost short circuits at your comment. He moans again and tips his head back, hand working hard between his legs. “Oh, my god.” He chokes out, scrambling to answer via his keyboard. “Fuck, that's- say that again.”

please ma'am

pls fuck urself

ill do anything i swear

just call me that again

You're clearly entertained by his request. Even more so, you appear to be turned on by it. Slow and steady, you ease the dildo into yourself, keening loudly at the sensation yet still managing to fulfill Reigen's request.

“Good boy,” you breathe, smiling wide. “You're such a good boy for me.”

Reigen makes a humiliating noise. It's a mix of a moan and a sob, and he stops jerking his cock in favour of fucking his own hand instead. His hips buck forward wildly, uncontrollable and desperate, and he attempts to match the tempo in which you fuck yourself.

He watches in awe as you drive the dildo into your cunt, arousal dripping down the length of it and leaving it shiny and slick.

“Oh, fuck,” Reigen chokes out breathlessly, grinding into his fist like he's fucking you himself. “Don't stop, fuck, don't stop.”

His moans mix with yours on screen and if he could bear to close his eyes, he might imagine that this is what it feels like to be inside you. As it is, he can't bear to look anywhere but at you.

Your hand is moving quickly now, pumping the toy in and out while you rub your clit just as fast, crying out in pleasure.

Reigen's girly moans pick up in pitch and he begs you with everything he has: “Keep going, please, I-ha! You feel so good, so good, fuck!”

As though you can hear his pleas, you don't relent your movements. Your tits bounce with the force that you're fucking yourself with and you groan every time you hit a good spot.

It's obvious that you're no longer playing along with whatever your audience wants; You're lost in the sensation and Reigen is completely beside himself, right there with you.

His chair rocks and creaks underneath his moving weight and he scrunches up his bare toes against the wooden flooring to stay put, listening to you as you continue to encourage him.

“You're my good boy, aren't you?” You pant, eyes closed. “Touching yourself just like I asked….”

“Yeah,” Reigen whimpers. “I swear, just for you, whatever you want.”

“Fuck,” you sigh on screen, angling the toy. “Fuck.”

Reigen can barely breathe. He's sweating profusely, rivulets trickling down his brow and blurring his vision, and he can feel something tight and white hot coiling in his lower belly.

The pressure is building slowly, growing with every pass of his fist and every moan you make on his monitor, and his ability to speak unravels. He's babbling about anything and everything, eyes darting from your pussy to your face, and the feeling in his belly spikes.

“Oh, god, oh fuck,” he whines, long and low. “I'm gonna cum, I'm- please, let me cum!” His pathetic moans hitch and in their lull, he hears you speak a single word that sends him crashing over the edge:

“Reigen!”

You cry his name quietly, sweeter than a prayer, and shudder as you climax with him.

Unable to stop it, Reigen's orgasm hits him so hard he almost blacks out for a moment. He cums hard, spilling all over his fist and stomach, his toes curling and body convulsing with intense pleasure. He ducks his head and shouts something unintelligible, drool dripping down from his open mouth to mix with the mess on his hand.

The aftershock of his orgasm has him spasming in its wake, muscles twitching and cramping as he heaves for breath. Reigen releases his cock and slumps back in his chair, panting hard like he's run a marathon.

He's fairly confident that it might be the best orgasm he's ever had.

On screen, the music has stopped and there's only the sound of your laboured breathing filling the silence. You're panting hard, pussy spread by your toy, and you look wrecked. Your hair is a mess, your eyes are half-lidded, and underneath you the blanket is soaked.

Reigen wipes the sweat from his forehead with his clean hand and takes a few minutes to gather his bearings. He sees you remove the toy slowly and place it back on the bedside table before you sit back down, cross legged, on the bed. You avoid the wet patch, wrinkling your nose and flipping the blanket over to prevent yourself from sitting on it, and you pause to catch your breath. Your chest rises and falls rapidly for a minute, and he watches you catch your breath.

Clearly you're a seasoned professional however, because you go back to checking your chat messages only minutes later. Every user in the room is overjoyed with your performance and Reigen has to agree. He's never seen a porno anywhere near as sexy as what he just witnessed and he's not sure he ever will.

Reigen reaches over for the box of tissues next to his computer and carefully wipes up the mess on his hand. There's cum on the floor too and when he's confident that his jelly-like legs won't let him fall off the chair, he leans down to clean it up.

Once everything is less sticky, Reigen checks the chat. There are a good few messages pinging up and they make him smile, big and stupid, and more than a little smug:

Who is Reigen?

Fuck, he's a lucky guy

Wish I was him

Listening to you moan his name, watching your face whilst you'd fucked yourself silly, it's all imprinted on his brain forever.

He's still reeling over the fact that it was his name on your lips as you came. You've never shown interest in him like that, at least not to his knowledge, and if you've been getting yourself off to the thought of him anywhere near as much as he has to you, Reigen wonders if it might be worth catching a few more of these streams until he can find the courage to see if you might want to to go out sometime.

You're putting your lingerie back on when he looks back up to you again. There's a glow to you that only appears after a good fucking and Reigen's stomach summersaults. He knows that the small crush he has on you is going to snowball dramatically now.

He won't be able to look you in the eye again without thinking of the sounds you've made tonight. That being said, he’ll worry about how to deal with the awkwardness and the shame of spying on his subordinate once he's sober tomorrow morning. For now, he’ll enjoy the rest of his evening watching you.

You don't acknowledge the chat’s questions about who you're thinking of in your intimate throes, instead choosing to finish getting dressed and then grabbing your phone from where it sits at the end of your bed.

“Now I really should reply to my boss,” you tell the chat, leaning across the gap to click something with your mouse. “One second.”

The stream mutes and your fingers move back and forth over the phone keypad quickly. There's silence, and then Reigen's cell vibrates loudly. It scares the shit out of him and he snatches it up, staring at the screen.

Sorry. I was playing online. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow?

Reigen grins and fires back the smartest reply he can think of.

[Reigen] - Don't wear yourself out ;)

On his monitor, he sees you laugh silently, head tipped back and smiling wide, and his heart skips a beat.

Tomorrow it is.

[shigayokagayama]

incomplete list of weird/interesting manga-anime discrepancies

-you know the bit where they break into the girls highschool in episode 2? yea thats chapter 56. spliced into the middle of chapter 4. its supposed to go before the bit with the ghost family as a lead up to the mogami arc with mob starting to consider evil spirits as just as much “people” as living humans are. all things considered its kind of weird how well it fits its anime placement

-ritsu in the manga gets introduced in the same chapter as teru. you dont see mobs family at all for the first few chapters. infact i dont think his parents appear until like. chapter 25????? every interaction you see between mob and any of his family is completely made up for the anime

-in the manga during the claw arc instead of reigen sending them away all the lackeys just stood there awkwardly during the fight w the scars fdnjksndkjgnd

-mogami arc got GUTTED my god. the part where the fake psychics tried to murder minori got removed, shinras role in the arc got reduced to basically nothing, they move mogamiland ritsu to a bridge like 50 feet away instead of having him walk right over mob, mob only gets beat up like twice, the cat lives, the boxcutter bit is totally removed, the fight with the spirits is made a lot more abstract and less graphic. like im glad this one took the hit instead of the separation arc bc i cant imagine that arc ever being effective as one episode but wow.

-putting the “mob finding his family dead” thing at the end of the episode instead of in the middle of a chapter where it originally was was an objectively hilarious move

-rip the scene of teru outsmarting all three claw guys and saying “say old man have you ever been tortured before” unfortunately all scenes of teru being competent are not plot relevant and must die. also teru can make shadow clones

-hey remember those weird satellite people in claw keeping the viewer updated on where all the characters were in that infinite arc?

-mob with a gun.

-mob getting briefly knocked out while fighting toichiro and dimple possessing him then getting kicked out was replaced w toichiro just throwing him out the window or somethhing???

-toichiro saying that he only kept the super five around as spare batteries and draining serizawas power getting cut was a personal affront to me

-every single emotion mob cycled through in the anime got a 100% meter. the kid was super emotionally unstable in that fight

-that old man whos house they went to whos wraith made everyone asleep that they exorcised? yea they anime team made that up. they never went to his house in the manga, he just went to spirits and such for a shoulder massage

-manga reigen got 0 money for helping the yokai dude. it wasnt on the table. also most of the stuff he was saying was lifted from a video game serizawa played which he pointed out. also serizawa thought getting arrested was a type of spell

-takenakas general meanness was significantly toned down manga takenaka was a huge bitch

-in general the alien arc was a lot funnier in the manga? like the scene where reigen crashes they had reached a dead end on an extremely narrow path and were driving in reverse while tome and takenaka were screaming at each other in the back and inukawa was 5 seconds from snapping and killing everyone in the car. these might be my favorite pages in the entire manga they as so fucking funny

-originally when tome said she wouldnt keep climbing reigen suggested mob carry her with telekinesis (which horrified her) and mob said he was too motion sick to use his powers (obvious lie) but could carry her instead which got her to get up

-mezato asking mob to sign a t shirt for the psycho helmet cult in exchange for relationship advice got cut

-i cry every day that the sequence of ???% waking up didnt get animated it set a very different tone than the anime did. the anime was like. slow build up of dread. the manga was immediately bone deep horror i was literally sitting in my room yelling “WHAT???” over and over again at my computer as i clicked through it

-shigeo and mob conversation cut down significantly, all the references to the body improvement club being mob making a new self rather than embracing who he really is and being scared that all the friends hes made wouldnt like the real him removed </3

-the scene where reigen takes his shoes off is made a lot less somber and depressing. it feels less like “oh he knows hes going to die” and more like. triumphant? in the anime

-100% shigeo kageyama is an anime addition they added specifically to ruin my “the first time we see mob 100% is to fight dimple and the last time is to stop himself from fighting dimple” observation

-anime teru generally seems like hes in a better place than manga teru? manga teru seems very melancholy and like he doesn’t really know what to do with his life or his place in the world (which seems to put shigeo off) but anime teru is like wanna go shopping ^_^ *sips tea happily*

-manga shigeo deliberately threw the cake directly in reigens face and my fury over them making this ambiguous will last until i am dead

[spaceistheplaceart]

Body Swap - The Exorcism Part Two

wanted to do a bit more but ough i am TIRED... this took a lot out of me lmao but i hope y'all enjoy! lmk what u think in the tags/replies/asks :)

masterpost

previous

(Please Reblog! Leave a comment in the tags! They make me very happy :)

SUMMARIZED ID: Reigen and Mob are shown the client's living room, it is in disarray. Reigen begins investigating the room, but begins to feel the presence of spirits... They keep a sharp eye out, as something moves about the room quickly.

FULL ID UNDER CUT

START ID:

(This is a body swap, so I'll be referring to the characters as who they actually are but keep in mind that Reigen is in Mob's body and vice versa.)

Mob watches Dimple fly leave, then goes inside Hiroto's house by shutting the door.

Cut to inside, Hiroto is opening a door for Mob and Reigen. Reigen has his hands on his hips. The client says, "This is where it's been happening." The room inside is moderately sized with a triple pane window on the far left wall. There is a fireplace, a couch, a ripped up armchair, two carpets- both rumpled and one torn, a doggy bed, a toy train, some balls, a tipped over coffee table, some askew and fallen paintings, some shelving units, and a chest of drawers on the right hand wall that has upon it multiple knick knacks. A drawer is missing from it and laying on the floor. There is a book with some pages torn out as well. All in all, it's a room that has seen some damage.

Hiroto lifts a nearby painting, showing three long scratches that were seen previously in the comic as a flashback. "See?" He says, looking at Mob. Mob looks at the scratches, somewhat narrowing his eyes. "Hmm..."

Reigen steps in, leaned over with his hand on his chin, looking at the scratches. Hiroto looks down at him, a little surprised. Reigen asks, "Hmm... have you noticed any strange smells?" "Smells?" The client repeats.

"Yes, like something rotting or damp. Spirits can sometimes carry over scents from their bodies, and that helps us determine which kind of ghost it is." Reigen says, gesturing with one hand while pointing upwards with the other. Hiroto shrugs, smile askew. "No, I haven't smelled anything strange..." He turns to Mob. "What do you think?"

Mob stands in the middle of the room, looking up. "Hmmm. I... don't feel anything." His speech bubble is overlapped by Reigen's, "AHAHA!!!" Reigen laughs, moving to Mob's side and resting one hand on Mob's arm, smiling wide and nervous as he explains to Hiroto: "They must be so weak that my Master is having a hard time picking up on them, but I can sense something in this room... ah, I can sense weaker spirits-- you know. I take care of them for my Master."

Mob gives Reigen a deadpan look. "Is that all you do?" Reigen's smile dims and he sweats.

"Al... right. Well, I'll leave you two to it... I've got to run to the store for a bit..." Hiroto crosses his arms. "And those ghosts better be gone when I get back."

Reigen waves a hand dismissively, using his customer service smile. "Don't worry, Mr. Hiroto, we'll have your spirit problem taken care of in no time!"

Hiroto begins to shut the door. He smiles nervously. "Sure thing..." He leaves.

After a moment, Mob looks down at Reigen, who is now crouching and looking at the scratches. He joins him on the floor.

Reigen says, "Hm... This guy could have a mouse problem. Or termites, possibly... hopefully not."

"I don't think mice could tip over chairs, Master."

"True, but the dogs could chase the mice and knockk over the chairs...." Reigen holds up a finger, his eyes are shut as he lectures Mob. "Always rule out the probable, Mob! Then, you can start looking for the less probable." Mob looks unimpressed.

Reigen stands up, hand in his pocket. "You do have a point, Mob. Although I hate to admit it... This could be a real hauntiiii-IIING!" His speech transitions into a yelp as his back straightens and eyes go wide. The background of the panel is dark with white wisps darting across it. Reigen crosses his arms and glares off to the side, his hair floating up due to his psychic abilities. He shudders. "Do you think the client would notice if we turned his A/C up? It's freezing in here!"

"I'm not cold." Mob responds.

Reigen grits his teeth and narrows his eyes, still tense. He's shivering. "Huh? It's freezing! Are you anemic or... something? Sensitive to cold?"

"No, I think the cold is probably the spirits."

Reigen flinches, then looks off to the side, smiling nervously. "Oh! Yes! Yes. The spirits! I recognize it now. Uh... you don't feel anything, do you?"

"Nope."

"Great." He puts his hand to his chin in thought. "What do you see, then? Anything?"

"Master, I don't have powers right now, remember?"

Reigen stares at Mob, his hair floating up due to his powers again. The background is dark and shadow-y, with the colouring of Reigen being all white. He's pale.

The next panel is of a similar style, dark and silent as they both look at eachother.

Mob angles his head down, looking at Reigen through his bangs and sweating slightly. "... Because we've switches bodies, I only have your powers right now... not mine?" The panel colour is lighter, and Reigen's hair calms slightly.

"Right." Reigen says, sighing and turning away from Mob, arms crossed. The panel is nearly white again, like normal. Mob is looking to the side, too, eyes downturned with a sweat drop on his cheek.

A view of a model train set, turned over. The carpet is rumpled and there is a painting sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Reigen speaks, "I definitely feel something in this room... but I don't see it. Keep a sharp eye out, just in case. Even if you're having trouble with my powers, I'm sure you can still pull something off."

Mob and Reigen stand back to back, glancing around the room. Then something 'wooshes', represented by a panel with a dark gray background and white lines flowing across it with the text 'woosh' on it.

Reigen startles, turning to look at the far side of the room. There is nothing of note there. He sees only the window, the couch, and the chair.

END ID.

[angelmachines]

gawd . gonna pop some tags here and expand on them but teru really is like... peak slow-burn horror as a character. hes, like, seven tragedies waltzing around in a colourful trench-coat. i like to think that the people around him put together the pieces eventually because, well, hes not exactly subtle, and even when we meet him there is this blaring feeling that something is wrong. aside from the obvious violence he commits, of course, but it just keeps fucking Building

even after his fight with mob, teru as a character is so focused on his capabilities and independence that even when he realizes hes a normal person he still cant believe hes a normal KID. he has to believe hes more mature or capable in Some Way because otherwise theres no way to rationalize what has been done to him-- which is why i find his pre-mob self so fascinating because he is just. Pure hurt. pure attention seeking in a way that overcompensates for what his parents never gave him. those issues never really get Dealt with, either. they just get compartmentalized differently.

it's so nonchalant, too. teru shares his living situation with two people-- mob, who he, at this point, believes is an unequivocally Good Person who wouldnt share more than he has without being prompted, and dimple who... is a ghost. he could exorcise him easily, but more than that, dimple can only communicate with psychics or those who can see him, which means esper kids (aka mob and ritsu, because those are the only esper kids teru's ever met) and esper adults. and to teru, if theyre an esper adult, that means theyre claw, which means they already know.

its hard to remember in the context of the whole show, but teru didnt even know reigen existed at this point-- regardless of assumed psychic status or not. teru had no reason to believe that any adult, especially not an esper adult, would care. it can be easy to read this as teru being cornered because he needed to bring mob somewhere safe, too, but considering how calculating of a character teru IS, its hard to believe he wouldnt at least be convincing himself of his control over the situation

teru views himself as a commoner who lives in uncommon circumstances and thinks its super normal and just happens to never to tell any adults about it-- except that hes stupidly smart and, for all his absurdity, has a pretty decent concept of, like, strategy, and how not to get fucked over by adults. this kid ( again, stupidly smart, figured out his ENTIRE CITY was being brainwashed before anyone else ) focuses so hard on Not thinking about how fucked his situation is that he convinces other people not to think about it, either.

and the thing is that we keep SEEING how adaptable and strategic he is. need a pyrokinetic? air whips? name the technique and teru is LEARNING it. it doesnt take a genius to note that your life is severely different to other peoples. no WONDER he grows up thinking the world revolves around him, he needs something to make it all make sense, and when he finally views himself as a commoner he cant help but urge everyone to look away from the curtains

[bugcatcherkit]

What are your thoughts on Reigen I'm so curious now

Ohhh where do i start with Contradictions Georg himself.... Masking Andy... (clenches teeth) I have to make a list so I don't rant about one particular thing only.

the thing that hits hardest for me about his character is his Existentialism man. it's terribly relatable. Indeed, he is a Very Small Guy in a Very Big World and it's difficult to be Seen because of that. But also he's littered with Fear of Being Perceived and Understood. So he deals with his Existentialism by reaching for something (he doesn't know what) that'll make him somebody (he doesn't know who, just that it can't be his genuine self). MAN!!!!!!

Second thing that hits hard about his character is his unfiltered insecurities and self-loathing. Every time someone goes "We have to talk" he goes over every mistake or possible mistake he's ever made. He's the type of guy to search up the meaning of a word before he uses it, even if he's used it a 100 times before. Because what if he's wrong this one specific time?? Also his insecurities frequently make him act worse (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not) rather than better (as opposed to Mob most of the time) and i appreciate that so much.

I appreciate his Just Some Guyness over his babygirlness (not that they can't coexist i guess). Sorry guys. This is also why i think i prefer manga Reigen over anime Reigen. Like i can appreciate anime Reigen's maxed-out eccentricities and stuff, but overall I like the more Reservedness (?) that manga Reigen has. Personally it makes his groundedness, bad actions, and self-improvement hit a little harder. It goes well with his struggle to display his emotions in a loose and genuine way.

but despite this he's still silly. and frequently outlandishly embarrassing. and these are super important to his character also. Alongside his very genuine concern and care for the lives of others at any given moment.

He's always talking about his interpersonal relationships in terms of the Respect the other party holds for him. and then Separation Arc comes in with a steel chair that says "you have to give respect back to make a relationship Good and Fair and Genuine, idiot."

the only relationship this doesn't hold true to is with Dimple. Neither of them have any respect for each other really. And it's awesome.

i love how he is always just some Mediocre guy. He slowly self-improves certain aspects of his life but at the end of the day he's still paying Grown Man Serizawa 300 yen an hour (last time I checked). So.

Him being Mob's foil also means he has a lot in common with other Mob antagonists. But he has so many Mogamisms that it drives me up the wall. Sometimes he'll say a Mogamism and in my mind Mob looks at him with such a sudden intensity that he gets Scared

I frequently think of the scene where he is at the bar during Separation Arc and he realizes the bar people aren't his friends. And he says "I'm not good at this" and leaves. I don't have much to expand here but just know that when I think of how he experiences interpersonal relationships I think about this line. Because he's so good at a lot of things but Not This (Relationships overall. But also probably solving their problems in the moment).

not a fan of Dad or Uncle Reigen. To anyone really. Sorryyy. No hate to those who are though.

uhhhhhhh umm this has gotten so long. Sorry this is so unorganized i think i do better with more direct questions because i suck at staying on topic/being concise when i have free reign. There's so many aspects of his character that I didn't get to here that I also love. But its so hard to think of them all. I hope this gives you an idea though?

[etherealhoneybee777]

Okay, the mp100 fandom (and other fandom spaces as well) makes me really hopeful✨

The internet is mostly a cruel and terrible place. It largely exists as an instrument of global capitalism. Governments use social media to push propaganda that either reinforces their fascist, conservative ideals or instills leftists that want to fight back with a sense of hopelessness that paralyzes and scares them. And we’re also getting to a point where much of the content we see online is not only made by AI, but interacted with by AI as well. We’re seeing “art” and ragebait stories that aren’t even made by real humans, but are spread online as if they’re true. Transactions are everywhere, but because everything is a subscription service, we own nothing. Corporations are putting advertisements on even the most sacred corner of the web & encouraging people to constantly consume, to BE consumed with the desire to consume more things, and to fill up the little time we have left with constant, buzzing productivity—because the internet is an instrument of capitalism, and capitalism is about constant expansion, expansion that won’t stop until everything in our lives is quantifiable and our whole being is stretched thin in service of a pointless, unstoppable economic growth.

In the face of that, I think your mp100 art is amazing. I think your fic is amazing. I am glad you decided to share it with us. I am glad you took the time to analyze Mob or Serizawa or Tome. To post screen grabs of Dimple or gifs or animatics or anything else. I’m glad you reblogged my post and added some silly or thoughtful little hashtags. I’m glad you DM’d me or posted a long ramble about Ritsu or Teru or reigen.

People don’t have to do these things. They don’t have to sketch characters or share headcanons or write fic or make watch parties on cute little discord servers. But they do. They do it because it’s a fun thing to do & because they’re talented and passionate. And it makes me happy that on the internet—which is increasingly being used to alienate and control us—still hosts real communities and real people making real art and writing their real thoughts without any kind of profit motive or manipulative agenda. People are literally just posting because they want to share their work and connect with others. It reminds me that no matter what capitalism does, we live in a fundamentally social world & we’re constantly trying to connect with each other about the things we like. MP100 is the thing I like and the people here make me hopeful. I see people post their art/writing/headcanons and I get super happy. I get inspired. I look at people’s bios and all the different countries they’re from and get really happy that the internet can be used as a tool to connect people across the world with the same interest together.

Choosing to create and make friends and be nice and spread positivity over the internet is a uniquely powerful thing. It may not seem like much, (and being on the internet is often framed as “wasting time”) but the Internet is important and the things you do here are actually tangible and real. Making and sharing art—making friends—sharing writing and blurbs and headcanons is a legitimate pushback against the terrible capitalistic machine that the internet has become. I’ve heard a lot of creators say that their art doesn’t get noticed/doesn’t matter because it doesn’t get a lot of attention. But it DOES matter. Because, for every second that someone spends seeing your art, that’s one second that they don’t spend on government propaganda or brain-numbing advertisements or ragebait or AI generated “content”. And even if no one sees your art, YOU spent time making it. You loved it and cared for it and valued it in a way that capitalism can never profit from or understand.

I hope you know that I see your art & love it. I look at it when I’m sad. My gf and I look at mp100 art while we sit outside and feel the world leave our bones. Maybe this is too much, but I’m feeling earnest and joyful tonight & am trying to lean into those feelings.

I’m just thankful. You create and share just because you wanted to create and share. You’re making the world a better place.

[c-c-cherry]

Return of the king!!!!!!

For the ask game, you know I’ve gotta ask about the slayage #beachepisode

Hello everyone. I got two asks on this one so it's time for a story. (Ask game in question)

"#slay #beachepisode #reigentraintrauma" is the name of a google doc I created around 5am during Fall midterms last year that I never actually filled. This fic in question was manically story-boarded by myself and my roommate in one all-nighter because we needed a fun little reward during exams (but we apparently found some better reward because we never ended up writing it).

I have looked everywhere and cannot find a SINGLE TRACE OF THIS OUTLINE. This document is EMPTY. But the gist of it is under the cut. Buckle up. Does it still have potential?

◇◆◇◆

Picture this. A well-needed vacation. An expedition to the wonderful Rice Prefecture. A fantastic view of Mochi Mountain. A vacation home on the beachside of (insert another silly rice-related location I've forgotten). The cast is having a well-deserved holiday.

I can't remember how they even got into this situation. I have vague memories of Teru entering some kind of sketchy sweepstakes that won them this place for a few days? I have no idea. All I know is that it's free, they're all invited, and it's definitely not Reigen's idea.

This is supposed to be a calming vacation, but Reigen just cannot relax about it. For some unknown reason, every fibre of his being is entirely against making this trip, and he can't figure out why.

The cheapest transportation option is so clearly the train (which brings up some iffy memories), but he's been okay on them for the most part. Train trips are fine. There's no reason for him to decline a free vacation when everyone is this excited. He's been fine with this before—he should be fine.

The more veiled problem is this goddamn mountain.

Mochi Mountain is supposed to be one of the region's wonders. Instead, even the idea looms over him incessantly during the days leading up to the trip. The mountain is logically harmless. Beautiful, even. But looking out the train window and over to that towering peak on the way to the vacation spot makes everything click as to why this terrible gut feeling of his is so insistent. If you're familiar with the ova, it's no surprise. The combination unlocks some kind of trigger that he didn't even know was possible. Like, serious alarm bells are ringing. The type that tell him, "You are totally gonna die alone staring at this thing." The trip there is torturous, but he conceals it (for the most part).

When they finally arrive, Reigen finds that this holiday was more than a fatal mistake. That mountain did not stay with the train like in his past experience. In fact, he has a perfect view of it from the beach house's lounge, wrap-around deck, living room, kitchen, and is it really possible for the mountain to be in every single window view he can find?

He doesn't sleep. His silly businessman sparkle is gone. He opts to stay home while Serizawa takes the others out to do stupid tourist things that should have been fun. Even the isolation from staying inside is just as suffocating as a train car. He's the worst vacationer ever, and he hates it.

And worst of all? He can't stop thinking about what might happen on the ride back. The dread of the future completely ruins the whole point of this "relaxing" trip. He spends the rest of his time tailing the others on the beach or sitting off to the side while they all watch TV or play games, doom-scrolling on his phone as it seems like the only thing that distracts him from this weird limbo of anxiety (it is doing a horrible job).

The espers and Dimple start to notice, and someone finally has enough of Reigen being half-present. We couldn't decide on this next part. Do they take his phone and hide it? Does someone go way too far and accidentally drop it into the sea? Or maybe they pull some kind of light-hearted prank on him where they've all disappeared from his peripheral, just waiting for him to notice? Or use their psychic abilities to launch him into the ocean for a quick dip?

Whatever it is, it is definitely the wrong thing to do. Reigen totally loses it. Everything (embarrassingly enough) bubbles to the surface, and he starts to dissolve. His reaction concerns the kids the most, who feel like its totally come out of nowhere. Meanwhile Dimple's like, "jeeeez I'm used to talking Shigeo down, but how am I supposed to do damage control with something like this?"

And…Serizawa? Maybe he has no choice but to step up and take control of a situation he'd typically be a victim of.

All at once, this beach episode is in total shambles!!!

◇◆◇◆

And……..I can't remember how it ends. Or if it even had an ending. I'm not sure if we thought that far ahead. It's lost to the ages unless we uncover this outline in an archaeological dig. This would be fun to revisit and write up sometime, maybe as a long two-shot. Beach episode with a little twist? Who knows.

Thanks to anyone who stayed around to read this weird draft!

[sordidpsychick]

Angel Numbers

1 - Escapee

Reigen and CO. find an escapee from the local hospital rumored to be doing illegal human experiments.

Ao3 | Tip Jar | Next

Content: Reigen/Fem!OC, MDNI, eventual NSFW, I am cringe but I am free, self-indulgent, perv Reigen, human experimentation, OC can see ghosts, chubby OC, short-lived Dimple and Reigen rivalry, blood & injury

7.3k words

Reigen Arataka, self-proclaimed Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century, was currently on a call about some mysterious moaning and groaning coming from the woods surrounding said client’s house. 

“Talk about creepy,” said Dimple, the non-threatening evil spirit that always tailed Mob, Reigen’s trainee. 

“Yeah,” answers Mob quietly while looking around, shoes crunching on leaf litter. 

They were here at night when spirits were the most active, but that meant the forest was dim and little light from the moon descended through the fall foliage. Foggy too; the client had warned them about the small lake that resided in the middle of the forest. 

“Hmm.” Reigen rubbed his index finger and thumb from his chin outward to his jaw as he looked around the gloomy foliage. “I don’t sense any particular spiritual energy.” He paused as he took a few more moments to look around. “What do you think, Mob?” Reigen stopped and turned, one of his hands resting on his hip where his belt held his light gray slacks while his other arm was bent in the middle with his palm turned to the sky. The pose combined with his calm expression exuded confidence, putting everyone at some level of ease.

Mob looks towards his master, mouth opening, but is interrupted by an echoing sob that causes a few birds to flee from the treetops. The three of them tense, looking towards the sound that came from deeper in the forest, toward the lake. As the sound dies off, Mob speaks. 

“I don’t sense any evil spirits, master.” 

“I can’t say I do either, so whatever made that sound…” Dimple side-eyes the direction the sound came from. 

“Is not an evil spirit, I agree,” Reigen finished with a nod. He took a breath and looked at Mob firmly. “Mob, see if you can lure out the spirit with your energy. My ability is too strong and I could accidentally scare it further into the forest.” Reigen crossed his arms and walked to stand by his student, observing the forest around them with caution.

“Right.” Mob nods and closes his eyes. Silently, he raises a hand, dark hair picking up in some unseen wind. Another sob rings through the forest, this one more guttural than the last. 

“Woah, it’s working!” Dimple floats higher towards the foliage to see if the spirit is nearing. 

“No.” Mob drops his hand to his side, ability dormant once more. 

“Huh? Whaddya mean ‘no?’” Dimple floats back down immediately. 

“I mean; it’s a human.” 

Reigen put his hands back on his hips and stepped out from the group, cheap loafers crunching on the leaves lining the forest floor. “Come on out. If you’re trying to startle us you’re sorely outmatched.” He began to look around closer into the tree line, trying to catch a glimpse of someone hiding in the dim evening light.

“Um, master?” Mob calls meekly, suddenly looking paler than usual. He points to the ground. 

There, speckling the leaves, barely visible in the moonlight, is a trail of blood that leads into the dark forest ahead—towards the lake. 

“AWHH SHIT-“ Reigen jumped back at an alarming speed, nearly stumbling onto his ass as his face contorted with fear. He stood straight seconds later and cleared his throat as he adjusted his tie, “Ehem, yes well, let us proceed with… caution. I have the unfortunate feeling that this is who our client wants us to take care of.”  

Reigen was the first to step forward and continue.

The infrequent sobbing became clearer and unfortunately, the blood trail thickened the further the three delved into the forest. Soon enough, a glimmering lake came into view between the tree trunks. 

There was a shape up ahead, haloed in the white light of the moon, slumped on the bank of the lake. 

“It went quiet…” Dimple whispers, squinting at the shape. 

It’s without a doubt the thing that was making the creepy noises from before — the blood trail led right to it. The figure shifts and things start to make more sense. 

“It’s a-“ Mob opens his mouth but is immediately interrupted by Dimple. 

“HOT BABE!” The floating green spirit darts towards the shape, which seems to be trying to sit up. 

She originally looked like some strange glowing rock, but now it’s clear that the moon’s light was just reflecting off the white of her hospital gown. Her shoulders tremble violently, miniature versions of the cries from before tumbling from her paling lips. 

“Dimple, wait!” Mob calls from the tree line, but it’s no use. 

Moments later a gray flash pushed past Mob; Riegen. “No fair, Dimple!” He hissed as he ran with all his power towards the glowing figure, slowing as he approached with his hands cautiously out. “We mean you no harm, alright?” He assured the figure.

“Woah, crap! She doesn’t look good.” Dimple says, meaning all the blood. 

Soon, Mob catches up to them, heaving from the exertion. “I found some wire back there. I think she might’ve gotten caught in it and that’s what’s caused the…” he goes pale, turning his back at the sight of the wound that runs jagged around her calf.  

The woman lets out a shriek when the three of them crowd her, scrabbling on the pebbled shore towards the water. “G-get away!” She spits, pale eyes crazed with delirium and blood loss. 

“Hey babe, chill out! We’ll get your leg fixed up in no time.” Dimple floats just in front of her face and makes sure to wink to sweeten the deal. 

The woman just screams louder, tears spilling down her cheeks. 

“Dimple, you’re scaring her!” Mob shouts in a shaky voice.

Reigen quickly swats the green spirit away with his hand in the air, “Mob’s right, give her some air,” he said as he ignored his own words and crept closer.

He silently examined the wound. Shit… that's a lot of blood she will probably pass out soon. He took a moment to examine her outfit, trying to piece things together. Calling an emergency vehicle is the obvious thing to do here, but something is telling me she is trying to stay out of hospitals. Reigen knelt down and hovered his hand over the wound. “Mob, you wouldn’t happen to have healing capabilities would you?” He asked as he turned over his shoulder to look at his student.

The woman hissed in pain when Reigen’s hand put pressure on the wound but didn’t seem to have the strength to fight him. 

“N-no, I don’t think so.” Mob slowly turns around. “Oh! I do have…” He rummages through the pockets of his school uniform and produces a singular bandaid. 

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” Dimple manages to manifest arms for a sheer moment to shake Mob violently. “A hottie’s life is on the line and you’ve only got a single bandaid?!” 

“S-Shouldn’t we call for an ambulance?” asks Mob amidst Dimple's shaking. 

“NO!” The woman digs her nails—which are already caked in blood—into Reigen’s wrist. Her scream is ear-piercing and full of terror. “They’ll find me! I don’t wanna go back!” She shakes her head, white hair sticking to her tear-streaked cheeks. 

Reigen frown nearly stretched off his face, nostrils flaring as he took a sharp breath and fought back tears while holding in a scream. “N-no!” He managed to speak out through the strained urge to yell.  He got a grip on himself and took a few more breaths before shaking his head. “We have to carry her back to the road. Mob, call the cab and tell them to come back and get us.” He crept around her figure on his knees, the rocks crunching under him as he looked into the pale eyes of the mysterious woman. “I am going to pick you up, alright?”

Mob is quick to fumble for his phone, walking off to the treeline while mumbling to the person on the other side. Dimple follows, shouting this and that. 

The water laps at the shore, stained pink from the woman’s blood. “Don’t take me to the hospital,” she sputters. “I can’t go back there, please.” She looks up at Reigen with teary eyes, loosening her grip on his wrist. Then, her eyes seem to roll for a second before her head falls back on the pebbles. She’d passed out.

Reigen had been moments away from assuring her that this was not his intention when he watched her lose her grip on consciousness. He was grateful, in a way, it would make carrying her easier. He scooped his hands underneath her lower back and the backside of her shoulders as he stood. “Hhf-!” He took a small step back as he adjusted to the weight, forgetting how long it had been since he had last worked his upper body this hard.

Slowly, he began to walk her back along the path, not stopping to talk to Dimple or Mob who had just finished his conversation on the phone. Reigen knew if he stopped walking he might not be able to start again. 

“Master, let me help.” Mob jogs to catch up to Reigen. He holds his hand out, lifting some of the woman’s weight with his ability.

Dimple floats about, checking the woman’s wound and then inspecting her hospital gown. “Hey, this logo is familiar,” he says, pointing at a little gold symbol sewn into the chest of her gown. 

Mob gets on his toes to peer at the woman in his master’s arms. “I think I’ve seen it online somewhere. Isn’t that—” 

“It's that creepy hospital! Weren’t they exposed for doing human experiments?” Dimple fishes Mob’s phone from his pocket and starts typing madly on it. Soon enough, a grainy image of a long, square, white building with the same logo is floating in front of Reigen’s face with the news headline in bold underneath. 

“I thought that was just a hoax…” Mob trails off.

“Me too.” Reigen, now with the help of Mob’s telekinesis, was able to stop to look down at the woman's body in his arms. “We can’t take her to a hospital. They will identify her and probably try to transfer her to that other hospital when they finish treating her. It would be best to take her back to my apartment. I have food, medical supplies, and a place for her to sleep.” They had traveled back far enough now to be able to see the dark road, barely visible through the fog.

The headlights of the cab approach in the distance. They shine through Dimple’s ghostly shape as he floats in front of Mob’s face after returning his phone. “Mob, are you sure Reigen can be trusted with this kind of thing?” He squints at Reigen challengingly. You think I wouldn’t notice, huh? You just want a hot girl in your house!

The middle schooler looks up at Reigen, and then at the woman. “Yeah. Master is a good guy. He knows how to handle this sort of thing better than I could.”

Reigen’s smile reached the corner of his eyes as he smirked proudly at Dimple for a brief moment before closing his eyes and calmly nodding. “That's right. I have more experience with this sort of thing than Mob, not to mention more space in my room, so naturally, I am the top choice.” Reigen was relieved to see the cab. Even with Mob and Dimple around to warn him about spirits, the forest had really started to creep him out. 

“Speaking of handling,” says Dimple as the car pulls to a stop. “What are you gonna tell the client?”

--

The three of them got the mysterious woman to Reigen’s apartment after an hour or so. Reigen, of course, had lied to the client and said it was just a simple banshee—an easy exorcism. Now, the three of them were peering over her pale, sweaty form lying what looked to be close to death on Reigen’s couch. Her wound was cleaned and bandaged, so really, all that could be done here was to wait for her to wake up so she could be given food and water. 

“Well, if she dies I hope she becomes a vengeful spirit. Then that’ll be my department, eh-heh.” Dimple floats away, smirking. 

“Dimple! She won’t die…” Mob looks up at the spirit before looking back down at the woman, sweating. “...Right, master?” He looks to Reigen for reassurance.

Reigen was busy holding Dimple by the end of his ghostly form’s tail and swinging him in circles throughout the air with a building speed until releasing Dimple, sending him shooting through the wall.

Reigen dusted off his hands and then turned back to Mob. “Sorry, what? …Oh! No, she will be fine Mob, don’t worry.” Reigen gets on one knee in front of the young boy and calmly places a hand on his shoulder in assurance. “Everything will be alright. Now, it’s late. Why don’t you head home for the night?” His hand moves from Mob’s shoulder to his head where he ruffles the boy’s pin-straight black hair.

“Right.” Mob nods. “I’ll come by tomorrow if that’s alright,” he suggests while heading towards the door. When he gets a nod from his master, he gives a small bow before slipping out the door. 

Reigen places his hands on his thighs and stands to his feet, sighing tiredly. 

He liked Mob and appreciated how much easier he made most jobs with clients, but keeping up the constant ‘esper master’ act around him was getting to be a pain. 

Reigen slowly undid his tie while looking down at the young woman.

Her hospital gown was thin and looked rather uncomfortable. He wondered how warm it was. 

“Maybe I should get her a blanket in case she gets cold,” he muttered as he walked over to the only standing cabinet in his room, tossing his pink tie on his messy bed as he opened the bottom doors. Neatly folded on the bottom shelf was a spare blanket. Standing, he gently laid the soft fabric over her body, pausing to take a closer look at her now that Mob wasn’t analyzing his every move.

“You will wake up tomorrow, won’t you?” He softly asks as his hand lingers where he holds the blanket over one of her shoulders. “It would be a shame if I never got to hear your name.” He pulled away and stood, fishing out a box of matches and a cigarette from one of his pockets. He mumbled something about needing to cut back on some work hours as he walked out of the apartment briefly to smoke.

When Reigen returned, there was a ghostly apparition standing in the middle of his apartment—wait, that was just the strange woman. The blanket he’d laid over her was draped over her malnourished shoulders and she stood, trembling, weak, and terrified in the unfamiliar room—not to mention, she was putting way too much pressure on that freshly bandaged wound. Her adrenaline must be spiking through the roof once more, which wasn't good for someone who’d lost as much blood as she had. At the sight of him, she backed up against the furthest wall.

Reigen shut the door and upon seeing her, quickly raised his hands, dropping the lighter with a small, metallic, clunk on the floor. “Hey, woah, woah, deep breath okay? I'm the guy who found you, remember? All I've done is treat your wound, but I'm no doctor; you need to lay back down.” Reigan slowly approached her and gestured over to the couch pressed up against the singular window in the tiny apartment.

She seemed to recognize him after a moment, evidently after hearing his voice, and slowly inches back towards the couch, keeping a keen eye on him all the way. Eventually, she sits with a little wince and hugs the blanket tighter around herself. “Where am I?” she asks, voice hoarse from all the screaming and crying she’d been doing all night. 

“Seasoning city, in my apartment. Don’t worry, I haven't called the police or a hospital or anything. No one knows you are here, I promise.” Reigen slowly walked around her to sit on the edge of his bed, trying to appear as harmless as possible.

The woman lets out a breath and seems to relax immediately, shoulders slumping. Blinking blearily, she glances towards him. “...Thank you, um…” she gives him a little tilt of the head, clearly probing for his name.

Reigen smirks, fishing out a business card from the unbuttoned blazer he had yet to take off. It flips in his fingers as he extends it towards her with a wink, “Reigen Arataka, but please, call me whatever you would like.”

The woman gingerly takes the card from his hand and reads it over. “Psychic…? You’re a psychic?” She blinks up at him.

He crosses his legs, hand rising to his face to stream through his strawberry blonde hair. “That's correct!” He exclaimed with a smirk as his hand moved down to rest with the other one on top of his knee. “I mostly perform exorcisms, but I also have experience reading one's future as well.”

“Oh,” she trails off, blinking owlishly at him. Then, a corner of her lip seems to quirk upwards. “Heh… heheahah!” Then she’s laughing. It’s light, hesitant, and a little playful. The beauty of it ends with a dry cough and a painful swallow from the woman. “Could I have some water?” She croaks, touching her throat lightly. 

Reigen was stunned by the sound of her laugh. It sounded so lighthearted and angelic coming from someone who had moments ago been trembling in fear. He sat there for a moment, collecting all his thoughts before slapping his knee and nodding. “Right! Of course, yes, right.” His words trailed off into a mumble as he stood and approached the water jug beside the arm of the couch facing his desk. He grabbed the glass that he kept to the side of the taps and filled it with cool water, handing it to her. “It's a clean cup, don't worry.” That was a lie, it definitely was not clean, but he was too tired to walk down the hall to where he kept his scarce amount of dishes. Besides, some germs never harmed anyone. 

If she drinks from that… that's like an indirect kiss right!? Hah, Dimple will be so jealous that she indirectly kissed me first.

Reigen stood over her still, watching her with a blank face as she took the cup.

The first sip she takes is light. But then, like she’d gotten a taste for blood, she chugs the whole thing down before pulling the glass away and wiping her mouth. “Thank you,” she says behind the back of her palm, wiping the ravenous look from her eyes as well when she hands the cup back to Reigen. 

He takes the cup and stiffly sets it back down, face pale. That… was better than I ever could have imagined! So she likes some gentleness before getting rough huh? It was kind of scary but I can't pass a chance with a chick this good-looking, beastly tendencies or not! He cleared his throat and all emotions were wiped clean and replaced with new positivity. “So! You going to give me your name?” He asked as he sat back down on his bed and removed his blazer.

The woman looks nervously to the side. “Um…” She fidgets. “I… I think…” Her brows furrow as if she’s thinking hard. “… Seven, Seven, Seven.” She looks at him, clearly knowing that ‘name’ is not a name but instead a series of numbers, far too similar to common test subject numbers.

Reigen is surprised at first but doesn't ask questions, presumably piecing together that—with a name like that, her fear of hospitals, and her garments—she was some sort of experiment. He strokes his chin with his fingers, mumbling, “Seven, Seven, Seven,” when suddenly his fingers snapped and he smiled. “Self-growth! It's an angel number referring to one’s personal exploration, discovery, and growth. No wonder it sounded so familiar.” He sighed with satisfaction, obviously pleased with himself for being able to identify the correct meaning of the number.

The woman tilts her head, some white hair falling into her eyes “Angel… Number…? You must know a lot about those kinds of things, Reigen.” His name rolled off her tongue rather softly like she’d been practicing it in her head for a while. 

Reigen twitched at the casual way she had slipped his name in, heart sputtering with pride. He cleared his throat, marking a transition of tone. “Listen, no offense but I don’t really want to say ‘seven, seven, seven’ every time I want to get your attention, alright? So for the time being… how about I just call you ‘Angel?’” He tilted his head slightly to one side and gestured to her. “You have white hair and when we found you, you literally looked like you were glowing! Of course – it is up to you.”

“Really?” She leans forward, blushing. “That’s such a nice name. No one’s ever bothered to give me one. Thanks…” She smiles. “… I love it.” Immediately following her last sentence, Angel gives a big yawn. It was nearly one in the morning, after all.

“Right!” Reigen says as he claps his hands together. “You should go to sleep,” he said as he stood. “The bathroom is before the big locked door down the hallway, i'll be in the bathroom for a little while but after that wake me if you need anything.” The self-proclaimed psychic grabbed his pajama shirt off a hanger by his standing cabinet and disappeared down the hall.

--

In the morning, when Reigen rises to his alarm, there are two pale eyes and a growling stomach that greet him from the couch. Angel is bundled in her blanket and tries to casually look away when their eyes meet as if she hadn’t been watching him snore and drool all over his pillow.

Reigen groans and sits up, yawning and stretching his upper body, arms reaching into the air before coming down to wipe at dried drool in the corners of his lips. His alarm was still going off as he stood up and padded over in tall white socks to where his flip phone was charging underneath the TV. He unplugged it from its chord and flipped open the device, drowsily muttering things as he pressed buttons until the sound stopped. He tossed the device carelessly onto his bed and finally looked at his guest. “You are uh… probably starving, huh?” He said as one of his hands scratched around in his hair.

Silently, the woman on his couch nods. It's followed by another loud growl from her stomach. “Can I have some clothes?” She speaks up from the blanket. The hospital gown was probably chilly, especially if she had nothing on underneath. Quietly, she adds a ‘please.’ 

Reigens eyes go wide as he slowly pivots to count the four long blazars hanging on a small rack against a wall of the room. “Uhhh…” He slowly walks past it and opens the cabinet beside it, combing through an even scarcer collection. “Here, you can wear these exercise clothes for now,” he said as he tossed a thick-strapped, dark green tank top and a pair of plain running shorts at her. 

“After I make breakfast we can go shopping,” says Reigen. Then, under his breath, he adds; “Hm, I’ll have to tell Mob I won't be in the office today.” He walked groggily down the hall, hand reaching back carelessly to scratch where the fabric of his boxers rested on top of his rear. 

“Thank you,” mutters the woman. She leaves the blanket rumpled on the couch, heading quietly to the bathroom at a limping pace. The bandage that wrapped her calf had just barely bled through in the night, the front of it stained a dark brown. She disappeared with a click of the door and some muted rustling was heard. 

By the time Angel emerged again—hair brushed and cleaned up and wearing Reigen’s clothes—the scent of food caught her nose. She peered into the small kitchenette, staying shyly in the doorway like a wary stray. 

Reigen stood in the small kitchen at the stove holding a large pan. In it; scrambled eggs with some sort of meat that looked like ham. He shook the pan around, making sure to cook everything evenly, stirring with a spatula occasionally. A toaster in the corner of the kitchen contained four pieces of crispy toast, popped and ready to be grabbed. 

He poured the meal evenly between two ceramic plates then placed the toast to the side. He set the still-hot pan in the sink and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Done,” he said to himself.

Angel had watched him with silent fascination for a while before she spoke up. “Um, where should I put my old clothes?” 

They weren’t really much in the realm of clothes, honestly. Torn in places, speckled with dried mud and blood, and left crumpled on the floor of his bathroom.

“Hm?” Reigen pulled a towel off from where it had rested on his shoulder and wiped his hands before hanging it on a small hook. He stared up at the ceiling as he thought. “Uhhh���” Would she be offended if I told her the trash can? “...How about you just leave them there until we buy you some actual clothes?” He hoped that was polite enough. His dark brown eyes met Angel’s pale ones as he grabbed both plates and held one out to her.

“Okay.” She nods and takes the plate from Reigen’s hand with a muttered ‘thank you.’ She’s quick to return to the couch, where she sits cross-legged to eat. Like the night before, with the water, Angel started with polite, small bites before delving into ravenous hunger.  

Reigen took a seat on his bed’s edge, facing Angel as his mind swam with various pick-up lines he had used at the local bar on girls for years. The current one echoing as he watched Angel eat was; ‘I like a woman with an appetite.’ But saying something like that was out of the question. She was clearly neglected and traumatized in her previous living situation and was in no state for the stranger who took her in to suddenly start hitting on her. Instead, Reigen pushed these thoughts aside and focused on finishing his own meal. 

“What is this?!” Angel’s voice picks up louder than it ever had—except for her screaming in the forest last night. She holds up the meat with her fork, eyes dazzled with excitement. It’s scarfed down seconds later, leaving her plate entirely clean. 

Reigen gripped the plate nervously, startled by her raised voice, and let out a breath after her question was asked. He calmly turned his dark eyes upwards to her. “That is the miracle meat… Spam.” The hand holding his fork raised into the air and the fingers that were not holding the utensil waved about he was performing some magic trick. “It tastes and has the texture of ham, but it has an infinite shelf life! It doesn't even need to be kept in the fridge. Saves me on money and space.” He winked at Angel, pointing his fork at her before bringing it down to collect the egg spam scramble on his plate.

“I like it.” There’s a dangerous glint in her eyes for a moment there as they tick down to his plate. It’s easy to tell what she’s thinking, and yet, she seems to have self-composure because she doesn’t try to steal off his plate. Instead, Angel sets her plate aside on the couch and scratches at her bandage. “Who’s Mob? You said that name earlier.” 

“Mob is my student, he works alongside me as a psychic-in-training. He was there yesterday when we found you, but he kept his distance. Blood tends to make him a little queasy sometimes. I suspect an unpleasant memory.” Reigen stroked his chin, balancing his plate on top of his crossed legs. He realized he had strayed off topic by accident. He took a bite of food and resumed with his mouth full. “Weird blafh hair, gooffhy haircut – mmmh – dead eyeffs, hard to miff him.”

“Oh, him. And…” Angel looks to the side, rather pale. “What was… that green thing…?” Her voice darkens considerably like she’d really seen something truly terrifying. 

Reigen’s mouth fell open, eyes wide like some cartoon as a mush of chewed yellow egg and pink spam fell from his mouth and landed on his plate. Moments later, and without any signs of embarrassment, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and scoots closer. “You mean you can see ghosts?” 

At the word, Angel goes bone pale and stiff and she stares at Reigen like he might be the police. “I guess.” It's meek like she’s scared. “That thing was a ghost? It wasn’t very big, so I thought it might be something else…” 

Reigen was about to explain that he wasn't sure what Dimple technically was but realized that it would make his position as a psychic less believable. Instead, he leaned back. “Yeah, that’s just Dimple. He is sworn to help Mob or something. The two of them come on jobs with me and he’s pretty harmless so don’t be too scared of him.” Reigen shrugged, trying to stay casual and calm as he tried to figure out how she could see Dimple. She can’t be an esper, right?

“Dimple?” Her posture seems to relax and she’s starting to smile. “His name’s ‘Dimple?’” A short burst of light laughter is covered up by her hand. “Oh, sorry, that was rude. Um, I guess I’ll have to say sorry for screaming at him the next time we meet.” 

Reigen smiles, plate finished as he stands and stacks Angel’s on top of his and heads to the kitchen. “Don’t stress too much, he is not entirely deserving of an apology,” Reigen says with an irritated smirk as he sets the plates in the kitchen and walks back. Guess I wasn’t any better than him last night. I wouldn’t deserve one either, honestly.

Angel tails Reigen, watching from the doorway again. “Um, before we leave… I don’t have any shoes.” It wasn’t just shoes she needed. She needed a bra too. It was a little obvious that she wasn’t wearing one—if one looked long enough, that is. 

Reigen nodded, face turning red as he watched the slight bounce from underneath his gym tanktop. Yeah, he wouldn't be washing that for a while and he knew he would never look at it the same again. “Right,” he said with a nod as he brushed past her and handed her a pair of rubber slides. He slipped on a pair of slacks and turned his back to pull off the white t-shirt he had been using as a pajama top. He pulled on a white button-up and tucked it into the pants, finishing the outfit off with a simple leather belt and a pair of leather shoes. No tie or blazer today it seemed. Grabbing his phone off the bed and his wallet off the coffee table, he turned to Angel and gave a thumbs up. “Ready?”

“Mm-hm.” She nods, standing by the front door, twiddling her fingers around the drawstrings of her shorts.

--

Angel looks a little overwhelmed standing in the women’s section of a discount clothing store. It’s easy to say that she’d never gotten to develop a sense of style coming from wherever she’d been—and however long she’d been there. After a mere two minutes, she seems to look at Reigen for help.

Reigen looks just as unsure as she does, cheeks pinkening every time he looks at one thing for too long. “I-I suppose it would be best if we built your closet from the ground up… like a business! No point in buying shoes if you don’t have socks to go with it.” He pointed at her with a smirk, as if his business logic actually had a genuine application in this situation. He tried to remain calm as he walked past the shelves and assorted hangers of shirts to a more secluded section containing a variety of socks, bras, and panties. He cleared his throat and awkwardly looked around. “L-lets start with socks.”

Angel nods in agreement, bending down to look at a small pack of plain white socks. She takes them and places them in the handheld basket Reigen had. Then, her eyes trail over to the bras and underwear. This one’s a little more confusing. She tilts her head at two separate packs of underwear, both of the same coloring, but of different sizes. “I… I’m not sure what size I am.” She looks at Reigen. “What size are you?” 

Reigen is red and stiff as she turns to him so innocently to ask. “I-I don’t wear that kind so I wouldn't know.” He awkwardly cleared his throat and pointed to a few stalls hidden between the shelves. “Th-the dressing rooms should have a tape measure to measure yourself.” He put a hesitant hand on her back and slowly guided her over, holding the door open and peering inside. Sure enough, a plastic tape measure was waiting on a small stool. 

Angel stumbles inside and the door swings shut. There’s some rustling… and then a long moment of silence before the changing room door swings back open slowly and a sheepish Angel peers out at Reigen. “Can you help me…?”

Reigen goes completely red, quickly looking around and moving to cover the crack she caused in the stall door as if protecting her from passing eyes. He nods and closes his eyes as he rushes into the small room and shuts the door, locking it. His eyes opened looking down at his shoes as he took a deep breath. “Wh-what do you need help with?”

“My chest. I can't hold the measuring tape properly.” She holds out the plastic instrument to Reigen, lifting and holding her arms out once he’s taken it.  It made sense. It was the roll-up kind so getting the thing to unroll while holding her arms in such an awkward position must’ve been difficult. Not to mention… her breasts weren’t small. 

Reigen’s heart beats in slow-motion, throat bobbing as he swallowed nervously and reached shaky hands out. He had to look up, he had to look at her as his hands slid past her back and to her front, one on each side of her torso. Try to think of… fruit! Grapes, blueberries, apples, oranges, pomegranates, cantaloupe, w-watermelons – this was not helping ease his mind at all, in fact, he realized it was only spurring him on – watermelons, melons-!

He quickly shut his eyes and took a breath, exhaling on the back of Angel’s neck as he pulled out the rewindable tape measure and held its end on one of her breasts at the ‘0’ mark. He, as lightly as possible, continued to wrap it around her chest with the other hand and adjusted when the band came back around so he could see. “O-one hundred ten centimeters,” he muttered as his eyes glanced up to the chart hanging by the mirror, eyes wide. “S-so your bust is probably a double-D.” His hands pulled away and lowered to where her rib met the bottom of her breasts. He needed her to hold them up so he could get the plastic measuring device underneath for complete accuracy.

“One ten…” She memorizes the number. With a slight nod of understanding, Angel scoops her hands under her breasts and lifts them so that the flat, lower portion of her ribs is exposed.

Reigen swore his nose was seconds away from bleeding. There was no way this was real; this was just some dirty dream, a fantasy he would totally be stuck with for the rest of his life. His hands followed down her rib, finger holding the edge of the tape as his other hand ran along the hot underside of her plush breasts, relieved when he came out on the other side and was free from the strenuous torture of keeping his cool. He quickly reconnects his hands, glances at the number, and mutters, “Eighty-six,” before pulling back and taking a breath, turning to face the wall. 

He made it. He had made it with no suggestive comments or inappropriate lingering. If he wasn’t still stuck in the small stall with her, he would be patting himself on his back. 

“One ten, eighty-six,” Mutters Angel as she squints at the chart on the wall. “You’re right, I am a double-D.” Then, she hums and brushes past Reigen in the small space to unlock the door and step out. “Thanks, Reigen.” She’s quick to dart back to the underwear section, muttering under her breath. “My hips were a hundred-four, but I’ll probably be gaining weight now that my diet isn’t restricted so maybe I should get...” 

The door swings back shut, hanging open just an inch or two ajar as Reigen slumps down against the wall and slides to sit on the stool. He takes a few breaths, trying to take his mind off the sheer amount of heat his body was beginning to put off. The hardest part is done, now I just have to try and not pick out the things I find sexy when she looks at me all helpless. He stands, fixing his collar and hair in the tall standing mirror before leaving to find where Angel had migrated.

When Reigen returns to her side, Angel sets a pack of underwear and two cream-colored bras into the basket. “Umm… we built the foundation, like you said. So now… pants?” She looks at him curiously. Shopping seemed to be relaxing her. Angel was becoming more talkative and confident in taking initiative. 

Composure regained, Reigen is back to his normal self, pointing to Angel with a proud expression written on his face. “Exactly, you get it,” he said in a praising manner as he turned and carried himself, along with the basket, back to the more clothing-oriented section of the women's section.

Angel followed along, a small smile playing on her lips as they passed rack after rack. Soon, something catches her eye and her pace slows to peer at the rack of jeans. They’re pretty plain, but she seems to like a couple of pairs. They’re half off anyway, so Angel slips three into the basket. 

“Then, shirts.” She speaks up, walking ahead excitedly to pick through rack after rack of colorful shirts. Soon, she presents three to Reigen. One is a knitted, blue sweater, another is a plain gray tank top, and the third is a low-cut short sleeve that's white with green flower patterns.  “Do you like them?” She asks, peering over the hangers. 

Reigen streamed his fingers through his short hair as he let out a held breath, wondering how to answer. Looked to the side as he spoke, shrugging. “Yeah, they are pretty cute,” he said with pink cheeks. He held the quickly filling basket out to her, still not making eye contact. “Now you only need shoes, right?”

“Mhm.” The basket gets slightly heavier when the three shirts are set inside. 

After grabbing a box of shoes—some plain black buckle-ups—the both of them found themselves in the beauty aisle. “Uh…” Angel stares up at all the products nervously. They were just here for some soap… but she was getting kind of overwhelmed by all the options. Reaching out, she picks a pretty-looking bottle off the shelf and pops the lid to sniff it. Floral and sweet. Angel holds it up to Reigen’s nose. “Do you like this one?” 

He took a sniff, thinking about the smell. “It’s nice, but it has a heavy chemical smell. He grabbed the bottle and read the list of ingredients. “Aha, see this?” He pointed to one of the long-worded unpronounceable ingredients, “this will dry your skin and cause dandruff.” He set the bottle back down and took charge as he wandered further down the aisle and gestured to a collection of six pastel-coloured bottles from identical soap brands each with different scents. “See if there is one of these you like.”

Angel followed, leaning in to read the labels before she picked a creamy lime-colored one. It smelled like citrus and apple. “This one,” she says, depositing it into the basket and picking out a matching scent of conditioner. Briefly, she looks up and her eyes meet with the razors that hang above the soaps. They go wide for a moment and she side-eyes Reigen before leaving the aisle entirely. 

Reigen said nothing as they left the aisle. He understood that razors were probably highly intimidating for her. He wasn’t even sure if she would know what to do with one. “Anything else you can think of?” He asked her while simultaneously asking himself the same questions. His brain thought over a multitude of things: a hairbrush, toothbrush, condoms, a pillow and pillow case, and deodorant. All of these were great ideas he probably needed to voice, which he would have if it wasn't for how fixated he was on trying to imagine what the outfits they were planning on purchasing would look like on Angel.

There’s a clack in the basket as if she’d partially read his mind: toothbrush, hairbrush, and deodorant. “I think that’s it…” Angel taps her chin and looks towards the ceiling in thought. “… Clothes, bathroom supplies… yeah, that’s it.” 

Despite it being a discount store, the total on the register is enough to make Reigen’s wallet cough a little. Angel peers over his shoulder, mumbling out an apology for all the trouble. 

Reigen passed over his card and turned back to Angel with a smile. “It's fine, these are just a one-time buy kinda of thing, plus it was sort of inevitable. I only have so many shirts.” He shrugged and took his card back, trying not to sob internally as he slid the card back into his wallet and gripped the paper bags containing the newest transaction on his credit account. 

“Still… I could always use help in my office if you wanted to pay me back somehow,” he tapped his cheek in thought. “Something like… a secretary.”

“You’re offering me a job? Really?” Angel seems strangely excited about the idea, a smile rounding her already round cheeks. “What kind of things would I do?” She asks while following Reigen out of the store. 

“File paperwork, arrange my schedules, take phone calls while I’m out, write sticky notes on my desk, oh, and make me tea, of course!” Reigen led Angel out to the street, confidently walking to a curb and setting one of the bags down to raise his hand into the air and call down a cab.

“Okay,” she says enthusiastically, looking at him. “That sounds fun.”

When a cab pulls up to the curb, Angel is quick to step forward and get the door, seeing that Reigen’s hands are full. After that, they plop down inside and head home.

Next

[mangatxt]

any advice on how to improve writing style/get ideas for fics and dialogue? i’m forever in love with the way you write. it flows well, and the dialogue is super authentic and funny. i’m trying to get back into writing after a couple years of being crushed by the american secondary education system, so any tips would be much appreciated.

keep it up with the good work! i look forward to continue reading :))

Holy moly, this is a super kind ask. I'm so happy to know that you enjoy my work. Thank you for sending this!

As for the meat of this ask -- I'll do my best! I'll offer some reflections and then link some resources I've personally found helpful! I apologize for the length of this answer. This ask gave me a lot to think about, and brevity is my weakness as a writer.

I answer this with a few caveats:

I'm not an expert. I'm just loud.

I teach writing for a living, but I don't teach creative writing specifically. I do, by nature of my job, have more time for reading and writing than I did as a full-time student or corporate employee. That alone makes a huge difference. Everyone goes at their own pace, and it's hard to be creative without time, especially when you're starting out or getting back into writing after a break.

I write humor, so I'll discuss that primarily. While writing has rules that generally yield better results, comedy works often because it violates those established rules. Like many writing teachers, I have fully internalized the touted "canon" of Strunk & White's Elements of Style and George Orwell's Remedy of Six Rules. But sometimes, adverbs are funny. So I'll write an adverb, say "fuck you George Orwell," and, scandalously, call it a day.

If you want to deconstruct and consequently ruin comedy forever, start with Theories of Humor and then, to extend your suffering, hit the footnotes.

Humor writing is culturally dependent. You won't make everyone laugh. You'll flop. You'll embarrass yourself. You have to be willing to risk being unfunny. So it goes.

You can always publish anonymously on AO3 if it helps you start. Or for any reason. You can change your mind and claim it back to your account. Or you can abandon it entirely. I've done it plenty. Sometimes, it's what you need to do to draw up the nerve to put yourself out there, and that's completely fine.

Reflections

My first personal rule is that I write stories for myself, fic or original. If someone else likes it, that's a bonus. I write what I want to read. That factors into my overall writing style too. I write how I'd want someone else to write it for me. Even if someone's written it before, which is often the case with fic writing and popular tropes, I might want to hear it in another way. See: The Two Cakes Principle.

My second personal rule is that I write something every day. Even if it's a little bit. Even if it's all trash. Anything's better than nothing. Write without editing. Write without your spell checker on, even. (As they say "write drunk, edit sober" -- I don't drink much, so for me that means "write at 3AM, edit at not 3AM"). The more you play around with words and practice your voice, the easier it will get. Part of this is honing the muscle or whatever, but part of this is also gaining familiarity with structure that will make writing forever easier. How do journalists crank out stories everyday? There's a structure to newspaper and magazine articles that makes it easier to plug in the words and go. You'll find your own in creative writing too. Plus, the more you write, the easier it is to let go of things (aka kill your darlings). (Killed darlings go in your bits folder.)

My third personal rule is that I write every idea down, no matter how vague or ridiculous, because I might be able to use it later. I never want to lose things. I use my phone notes for this. They're full of silly ideas -- funny things I overhead at the library, out-of-context conversations I imagine Reigen and Dimple having, Wikipedia articles that I liked, funny plot concepts, etc. The other day, I wrote down, "The gang carbon-dates Dimple." I dunno where I'm going with that, but I like the idea. I write a lot of my plot ideas in IASIP title card style. It's more fun that way. Always prioritize having fun.

One last personal rule is that the mechanical act of writing has a purpose. You're rarely writing for the purpose of writing well, right? Most of the time, in class or at work, I'm writing for the purpose of being understood by my audience, and therefore, I do whatever I must to make my message better understood, even at the expense of "good writing." Here's a silly example: I've learned the hard way that some of my co-workers can't fucking read. So instead of paragraphs, I write emails in bullet points with bold and underlined text. At the expense of prose, the message is more likely received, and that's the goal.

This example might be on the nose, but it applies in some way to everything I write. When I write fic, I have to have a purpose. Maybe I'm trying to make myself laugh. Maybe I'm trying to explore some theme or feeling. Maybe I'm trying to correct canon. Maybe I'm trying to speculate how the conman will handle a Situation. Whatever that end is, I find the writing comes easier when I focus on the end more than the process of writing. It helps me stay focused, when I remember that writing's just the tool. I hope that makes sense.

Developing a writing style or a narrative voice depends on the writer. I'm an amalgamation of what I've read and watched and enjoyed, combined with formal writing education and my own personal narration. I hate to be the person who says "read a lot to write more!" I hate it so so so much, but...it's true. (That said, it doesn't have to be the classics. I get inspiration from there, sure, but I also get inspiration from sitcoms and crossword clues and the inane HOA emails my landlord forwards to me. "Honored neighbors, we are ecstatic to announce fire alarm testing next week..." Like, I'm sorry? That's a work of art I've filed away for later.)

For fics, some of the way I write is homage to the original creator. I consider this a plus, not a requirement. ONE writes satire. He's foremost a humorist. Most of his works are genre deconstructions. Like most shonen mangaka, he writes shorter narrative arcs that sum to (or in his case, reflect across) the overall narrative arc of the work. He's also pretty cringe/over-the-top with wordplay and cultural references (pop and traditional). When I try to reflect elements of his style in my own work, I find his characters easier to work with. For me, it's hard to write something fully comedic or fully serious with MP100 characters. The alternation between comedy and tragedy in MP100 works because it plays on emotional investment in the characters and subversion of expectations.

That said, I'm going to have to add something controversial: as a fic writer, how much you adhere to the original work doesn't fucking matter. (See my first rule -- write what you want to read.) Fic writing is meant to be transformative. The amount that you should care about canon depends on what you're trying to accomplish. My advice is to play fast and loose as much as you want. Unfollow and block the "he wouldn't fucking say that" people if it helps you write. I do, because they're annoying. Characterization is a product of audience internalization. Further, every work is for someone. Most importantly, you're doing this for fun, not pay or obligation. Sure, maybe ONE wouldn't write Reigen saying a particular line, but ONE also writes homophobic stereotypes into his works. No matter what you do, by definition of writing a fan work, you're gonna stray from canon. It's not holy word. Don't waste your finite man hours stressed about it.

Moving on to discussion of "get ideas" -- I mentioned I write every idea down. I try to stick with ideas I know fairly well off the bat, because it's easiest to write what you know. In absence of that, I find more inspiration in the research into an idea. Much of the action in TPC was heavily inspired by George Santos's many misdeeds, which I read in the news or on Wikipedia.

If I can distill the idea into a premise, it informs my narrative voice in a given work. Write what you know applies to premise as much as character perspective. You're always going to have an easier time writing a character you relate to or you encounter in real life and know quite well. You might consider this to get started. Personally, I find Reigen and Mezato easiest to write, because I relate to them the most. I find Serizawa and Shigeo more difficult to write, because I have more trouble relating to their life experiences. On the other hand, I find Roshuuto easy to write, because his brand of villainy is more familiar to me.

There's this notion of plotting vs pantsing. A plotter outlines every facet of their work before doing any writing. A pantser makes it up as they go (read: "by the seat of their pants"). Figuring out which one you are will enable you to write more comfortably.

Personally, I'm somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. For MP100, I always know where a work will end when I start. In TPC, the second scene I ever wrote was the epilogue. For me, the middle is what's more up in the air. In my experience, it's very difficult to be a total pantser and write comedic multi-chapter works, unless you write the whole thing before you post. It's not impossible, but in my opinion, humor relies on callbacks and repetition so much that you risk writing yourself into a wall if you're not careful. In general, I don't start formally "fic writing" without an overarching premise, but the premise might be as simple as: "Against everyone's better judgment, Reigen runs for union president. It blows up in his face."

This was my original outline for TPC before I even wrote chapter one:

I had the overarching narrative and the rough timeline for the mini-arcs in mind when I started. A lot of it ended up changing or shifting. I had a few themes I wanted to cover and comedic elements I wanted to set up. But when it came down to more specific mini-arc narrative details, I either plotted later or got away with pantsing it entirely.

Sometimes as I write chapters, I get stuck on individual scenes. Maybe I'm struggling to write scenery, or I haven't figured out a character interaction, or the dialogue isn't flowing the way I'd like. To deal with that, I have trained myself to write out of narrative order as needed. I write the scenes I'm most excited about first, and then I come back and fill in the rest of the connective tissue. This is easier in Scrivener, which is what I use to write, but you can set up any word processor to do this. Even within scenes, I sometimes skip parts that I need to think about for longer. Sometimes, I don't even finish sentences.

I'll write something like:

"Apparently you're quite popular on a particular Mobbit sub," he tells Reigen. Reigen's not sure he wants to know which one. "It was r/<SOMETHING FUNNY>. Did you know they hit a million subscribers this week? I think you helped."

And then in the middle of the night or in the shower or at the grocery store or whenever I think of "<SOMETHING FUNNY>", I fill it in later. When I edit, I make sure I clear out any remaining "<>." I do what I can, and then Future Ani does the rest. *handshake emoji*

For comedy writing, there are rules I follow that I'll link later on. While I've been inspired by a lot of other humor novelists or essayists, I also take a lot of inspiration from TV and standup.

I took a screenwriting class in college -- and while I didn't get the knack of screenwriting (B-, unlucky), I did learn a lot about plot progression, dramatic irony, show-not-tell, rule of threes, and scene setting. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I found it helpful. You can see some of that inspiration manifest, for example, in that many of my fics have cold opens. I've always liked that comedic structure for drawing in the reader while establishing an overarching theme for the chapter. I do a lot of scene-switching and flashbacks as well. Scene-setting in comedy often involves juxtaposition -- e.g. "what if we put the weirdest loner from 7th division in a highly-collaborative corporate setting?". You're subverting expectations, and this is where you break the rules. Sometimes, comedy is about using the funniest word or word combination possible to describe something.

On that note, take some tips from poetry too. Alliteration, repetition, synecdoche, a lot of poetic devices work well here, because, like poetry, comedy writing depends on build-up and timing. Rules are best broken when it's rare and unexpected. It's way funnier and impactful when a character who never swears drops an f-bomb when they've finally had enough. Here's another example: in general, you should avoid epithets in fic writing, but it's all about being judicious with your timing. I can call Reigen "the union's esteemed president" instead of his name in a scene in Executive Privilege, because I juxtapose it with him doing something less-than-esteemed.

Perhaps less obviously, the TV influence manifests in the way I write dialogue too -- shorter and generally interleaved between the characters. While I read everything I write out loud during editing to check flow, I especially focus on tightening up dialogue. I don't always get it right, but I try to make sure that every word in a piece of dialogue has to have a purpose: either characterization or timing, in that order. Serizawa uses a lot of "I think" or "In my opinion." Reigen...does not do that. And Dimple is a master of the last word in the form of a pithy quip. If I plan my scenes to use that characterization to support the comedic timing I'm shooting for, it works all the better. (e.g. -- let Reigen babble on like an expert about something he doesn't actually know anything about, let Serizawa think on it for a while and come to a conclusion that puts Reigen on the spot, let Reigen backtrack, and then let Dimple add his jab at the end. And scene.)

Aaand that's a lot of reflection. Probably too much reflection. These are some considerations that have helped me over time, so I hope others might find it helpful too. Getting started is tough, and it's often terrifying to put your work out there (and somehow, even more terrifying to put a GDoc in front of a beta reader, I haven't a clue why but it's true for me!). But once you start, I promise it gets easier! You'll build yourself a foundation and continue to pick up things you like, discard things you don't like, and grow from there.

Thanks again for sending this ask. It means a lot to me. Happy to continue the conversation and field other people's thoughts on any of this! Like I said, this is a reflection on my process, but everyone develops their own unique approach to writing over time. Mine changes over time too. Above all, I hope you can heal from the crush of the education system, find enjoyment in writing again, and discover the style and process that works for you <3

Resources (AKA things I personally have bookmarked):

general writing (in addition to Strunk&White, Orwell, and others mentioned earlier):

how to get out of a writing slump (this fixed me once)

masterlist of general writing resources

another big ass masterlist

resources for describing places

masterlist of facial expressions

how to write an inciting incident

i found this recently: cultural differences writing work set in japan

i also follow writing prompt blogs, nanowrimo, character and relationship week blogs, etc. prompts can be a great way to start and build community with other writers!

comedic writing:

basic tips on writing humor

comedic devices

comedic genre

i can't find the link for this BUT: humor and comedy is not inherently less complex or wise or valuable than non-comedic work. writing is writing and fics are fics, whether they make the reader laugh, cry, or both.

[scribefindegil]

Reigen and Dimple understand each other better than anyone else. They're the two adults in Mob's life who give him advice on how to use his powers, their viewpoints both self-serving but ultimately necessary. They're both excruciatingly lonely and doing their best to hide from it. They both think they can cover that loneliness up through the pursuit of worldly power before realizing that they only thing they really need to be happy is to be important to Mob. They both care about that kid more than their own lives. And it's only both of them, working together, that are able to get through to him when it matters most.

They have an easy camaraderie right from the start. They tease and banter with each other, but they're serious when the situation calls for it. Riegen is more honest with Dimple than he is with any other person. The Reigen manga confirms that post-series, Dimple consistently hangs out with Riegen even when Mob isn't around.

However you parse this relationship, it matters. They're important to each other. They're foils and narrative parallels and weird messy loving co-mentors of the most powerful kid in the world. They're friends.

Also, personally, I think it would be cool if they kissed.

[thefavchilde]

STAY A LITTLE LONGER (FOR NO SAKE BESIDES MY OWN)

pairing: reigen arataka x gn reader

synopsis: when spirits are low in the office (pun intended), serizawa calls on you, an old friend, to play makeshift pr agent to get business back up. unfortunately, a certain not technically boss of yours isn’t ready for you to leave, and metaphorically blocks the exit for as long as he can manage.

category: fluff, crack, #stomp on dimple 2023, serizawa has friends as a kid au idk plot convenience

a/n: my first non genshin writing on this blog. sorry i literally do not post consistently lol. i just had this idea and felt like writing something for it.

Reigen Arataka was a man of many words. Not dignified, not solemn nor sincere, but many words nevertheless. Any professionalism he managed to maintain was nothing short of an act. So, it was no surprise to Serizawa when Reigen had slipped up a few too many times in his attitude and services, and for the first time in a short while, the reputation of Spirits and Such began to fall. Enter you.

In a pit of despair, where all hope for a split second was lost, a shining beacon came through (as Reigen described it, “just like in minecraft) in the form of Serizawa’s childhood friend who he’d recently picked up contact with again. Sure, you’d just been laid off from a job with no relevance at all, but he knew you were head of your debate team as a student, and so he suggested the company pay you to be a makeshift PR agent until things were more smooth sailing again.

Well, you didn’t have any better options, did you?

If you weren’t previously aware of Serizawa’s psychic powers, you would’ve totally called bullshit on your first entry. Long story short, the place looked sketchy as shit. Hell, even their website looked like a museum displaying computer viruses since the beginning of time. It was lively though, that you could appreciate. You worked in a small circle, but everyone was welcoming. You’d taken a fair liking to the boss, Reigen; though Serizawa had warned you of his antics, you could only find him amusing for it. You couldn’t help but click with him. Aside from him, a less than pathetic looking spirit called Dimple lingered around, as well as a middle school kid they’d dubbed as Mob passing through on occasion to lend a hand.

Your makeshift corner of the office grew to feel like a second home. Reigen had helped you decorate it in your first couple of days, which Dimple claimed was completely unlike him to go so out of his way, but you didn’t think much of it.

Unbeknownst to you, Dimple was onto something. To him, the situation was glaringly obvious, and you just couldn’t get the memo through that thick mortal skull of yours. Did you not see the way Reigen’s eyes practically had the life injected into them when you entered the room? Were you blind or plain stupid?

You seem to find yourself alone in the office with Reigen more often than you had anticipated. Fleeting gazes and touches are exchanged, though not addressed at any point during your ever flowing conversation. Reigen found himself totally enamoured with you and your personality. You seemed to be somewhat alike in charisma, as he picked up on your natural capabilities in socialising over time. You did your job and you did it well. That’s the reason Reigen told himself he wanted to keep you around so badly. Yet, the thought kept circling. The realisation of how badly he’d miss you once you left.

All comes to a halt one evening, a few shifts before you were due to leave. You’d been with S&S for around a month and things seemed to be getting back on track, thus giving you not much visible reason to be here. After you pack your things and leave, smiling warmly as you shut the door behind you, Reigen’s eyes don’t leave the door. He zones out completely. Everyone had gone home for the night, leaving him alone. Or so he thought, as Dimple moves to loom over his shoulder once more.

“Do you ever leave me alone?” He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He’s visibly agitated. So stressed that if you approached him he might pop, like stabbing a needle into a balloon. Truthfully, he knows exactly what this is about before Dimple can even speak at all.

“Are you gonna ask them or not?” Dimple questions him bluntly, not bothering to tread lightly around the topic.

Reigen decides to play dumb, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” His face is screwed up and his posture is unnaturally stiff in that chair. He might as well have not even bothered to lie at all.

“Everytime [Name] leaves through that door, you look more and more dejected. You gonna miss all of their glitz and glamour, Reigen? Is that it? Gonna miss how they greet you every morning, with that smile that just makes your stomach do flips?”

Reigen practically growls his response through gritted teeth, refusing to look in his direction. “Let’s not.” He warns. “[Name] and I have a strictly professional relationship, and I’d much prefer to keep it that way.”

“You’re pathetic, you know that?”

“I am nothing of the sort.”

“Well-“ Dimple begins, forcing his way infront of Reigen’s line of vision, to which he simply turns his head once more in response. “What else- or who else- do you have going for you? You’re gonna let this chance slip by?”

“…I should fire you.”

“Am I officially employed? I don’t believe I ever signed a contract. And you expect to get rid of me how exactly?”

“Whatever, I’ll have to think about it. I’ll get back to you.”

“Good luck confessing by the end of the week. I’m not counting on you.”

Reigen can easily tell that Dimple’s method here was reverse psychology. It didn’t take a genius to catch on to the fact he was trying to get inside his head. Still, it worked. He just happened to be aware of it.

He spends the next two days preparing. He runs through plans with Serizawa and runs through errands with Mob. Flowers, your favourite sweets, nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from the fact that he assigns Mob the task of quite literally stealing from his school art department instead of just buying what he needed, simply because the thought didn’t cross his mind, as obvious as it may have seemed. All he needs is a large sheet of card and some colourful pens. And a quiet office. He’d have to wait for you to leave on the Wednesday evening to prepare everything.

He questions his own sanity throughout this process. What if he got rejected? Is this all going to be for nothing?

Dimple keeps a close eye on things, but refuses to interfere. He still doesn’t believe Reigen has the balls to follow through. He has killed social skills with strangers, but on the contrary, he himself was the stranger when it came down to love.

Reigen certainly lacks the confidence when Thursday rolls around. He can’t swallow the lump in his throat, and his fears manifest themselves in the pit of his stomach, making him feel very much ill. He yet again second guesses himself and the whole proposal. Stepping back from the setup, he concludes he shares more traits with a high schooler asking their crush to prom than an actual grown adult.

As expected, you’re the first one in, and yet Reigen practically jumps out of his skin, fumbling for the sign and gifts as you widen your eyes, totally confused. He holds up the sign with the best, least awkward smile he can manage- which is very awkward still- and you reciprocate his expression. Your eyes scan over the writing, surrounded by hearts and stars.

“Stay a little longer

(For no sake besides my own)”

You can’t help but burst out into laughter. Not maliciously- you’re very flustered by the whole ordeal, actually- but rather out of surprise.

“You like me? Romantically? You like me?”

“…Yes. Sorry- this was totally unprofessional. Wrong way to go about it, especially seeing as you barely even know me and yet here I am. Genuinely, no hard feelings, I promise-“ He begins regretfully before you cut him off.

“No, I definitely like you back. Pretty good way to go about it.” You grin, stepping closer. “My favourite sweets, too. You know me better than you think.”

“Oh- seriously?”

“Like so seriously. If you’re interested in keeping me on the team, maybe you can discuss that with me on our first date.” You wink, and although out of your sight, Dimple curses himself for being wrong. Reigen had actually gone and done it. Turns out he was slightly less pathetic than the spirit had once presumed.

[hongherbac]

[Serizawa centric] The Humanity of S&S - Chapter 3

Read it on AO3

Chapter: 3/6

Fandom: モブサイコ100 | Mob Psycho 100 Rating: General Audiences

Non-Romantic Relationships: Seirizawa Katsuya & Reigen Arataka & Dimple

Summary: Serizawa got a frustrating phone call, and his power didn't like that.

CW: emotional blackmail

Chapter 3

"Hey, Serizawa, don't you think that's a little bit too much?"

Reigen's voice brought him back to reality. The evil spirits had long since been destroyed to ashes under his power, leaving only the original possessed wardrobe, which was gradually burning black from the center, and even began to smoke due to the psychic powers.

Serizawa quickly withdrew his hand, "Right, right, sorry! I was distracted!"

The client came back from outside, "Why are you apologizing? How's the exorcism going? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, no problem at all! The evil spirits have been completely eliminated." Reigen greeted the client with a big smile, "It's just that, after all, the evil spirits are the embodiments of the dead with lingering grudges. Even though they need to be purified and eliminated for the sake of the living, we still have to pay them some respect. You see, this scorch mark is evidence of the spirit's ascension."

"I see. Thank you very much."

Reigen and Serizawa were on their way back to the city. As usual, Reigen had asked the client for travel expenses, but in the end, they either walked or took the bus. They had a lot of time anyway, but their income was inversely proportional to it. In addition, Reigen had always complained that his physical fitness couldn't keep up with Mob. He said that he should exercise more during the day, while going straight to the ramen store after work. As a result, only these little bits of stingy transportation time could dig this  lazy, pre-middle-aged guy out of his chair.

"Serizawa, what's troubling you?" Reigen said casually with his hands in his pockets.

Serizawa was startled. But it's Reigen-san after all. Of course Reigen can see right through him. Serizawa had barely slept last night and had nightmares after he finally fell asleep. Now, there were still dark circles under his eyes.

"Reigen-san… what should I do when I start to doubt myself?"

"Why are you suddenly thinking of such a heavy question?"

"Um, for example," Serizawa struggled, "when answering multiple choice questions, there are always two options left, right? Say, I've already chosen the answer B, but when I go back and check, I start to feel uncertain, and I can't help thinking that I should have chosen the other one."

"Huh?"

Reigen was expecting some kind of bigger problem, not something as trivial as a pop quiz. Being so concerned about exams and grades, surely Serizawa was still just a junior high school student inside. It might seem trivial from an adult's perspective, but it was indeed the main focus of student life, and also an important source of confidence.

"Ah… I understand. That happens sometimes. And if I later realize that I made the wrong choice, I would feel so regretful and think that I should have chosen the other one."

"Yes! Besides, if I keep hesitating, time will just keep passing. I've already wasted a lot of time. It's scary to think that I might spend it on the wrong options again."

"Uh-huh. Time constraints can be very stressful."

"What would you do if it were you, Reigen-san?"

"Well, I've never really cared much about such things." Reigen scratched his head, "It doesn't really matter. It's just a small part of life. Even if you get it wrong this time, you'll learn from it next time, right? Your diligence, and the effort you've put in, won't be shaken by this. In any case, I won't look down on you for that."

"That's very wise, Reigen-san."

"No big deal." Reigen tried to play it cool, "Let's stop by a convenience store before we get back to the office. I'll buy you a snack. No more than 200 yen."

They passed by one. Reigen told Serizawa to go in first, as he needed to withdraw some money across the street because ATMs in convenience stores charged a service fee.

A cool breeze came from the refrigerated shelves. Serizawa relaxed. Every time he talked to Reigen-san, even if it was just for a few words, he felt relieved and his thoughts became much clearer. He felt a little guilty for his doubts and thoughts of quitting his job, as if the wavering had not only affected him, but also offended Reigen.

He browsed the shelves, each product beautifully packaged, all designed to attract customers. To others, they looked ordinary, but Serizawa liked them. It was amazing how many colors there were in the world.

Bzzz… Bzzz…

The cell phone in his pocket vibrated, and he took it out. It's Mom.

"Hi, Mom?"

"Katsuya, I heard you turned down the job offered by President Ito?"

Serizawa was so shocked that he almost dropped the phone. He felt as if his stomach had suddenly been hollowed out. He quickly asked, "How did you know about this?"

"Ito-san just called the house. His voice sounds so young, but he acts very mature. I wish you'd learn more from him."

"How did he get our house number?… No, forget it. What did he say?"

"You should be grateful. He said a lot of nice things about you, and he wanted to invite you to his company. But you didn't accept it! What were you thinking? It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet such an outstanding person who appreciates you so much."

"But, Mom, I'm really happy with my current job…"

"Katsuya, you are still such a stubborn child, just like always." A heavy sigh came from the other end of the line, "Mommy had never understood what you're doing… You say exorcism? How am I going to tell people about this? I can't even hold my head up outside. You should grow up. Stop thinking only of your own feelings. You have to look at the bigger picture."

"No, it's not just about the feeling! I'm not losing control of my abilities now. I can use my power to help others, and I'm doing something meaningful. My boss and co-workers were very kind, and they care about me."

"… You mean, that scary ability?"

Serizawa felt dizzy.

"Since you can control it, it's better to hide that dangerous thing."

"Mom, stop."

Clatter. Clatter.

"What do you mean, 'stop'? I'm saying it for your own good. Do you know how hard it is for Mommy? After your father left, and you became like that, I've had to handle everything at home alone. I've even thought of taking you with me."

"…"

"Then we met Suzuki-san. What a wonderful man, who took you out of your room, and taught you how to return to society. But just a few years later, you said, ‘I've made a mistake, I'm quitting,’ and started doing those strange things instead. It's all because your father was away, and I was too busy making money to teach you well. How else could I have raised such an ungrateful child?"

"It's not like that! You got it all wrong… Please leave me alone."

Clatter. Clatter.

"Why are you so mean to me?" The woman's voice sobbed slightly, "How could I possibly leave you alone? You're my son. Of course I want you to be happy. But you're always like this. Other people's children are taking responsibility for their parents. I don't want you to be like a normal person, but at least don't let me worry about you all the time, okay?

Serizawa was about to retort, but he swallowed his words when he heard his mother sobbing.

"Just go work for President Ito, alright? Mommy won't hurt you." Bzzz. "Let's quit your job today. It's work time. Your boss should be around. Give him your cell phone, and let Mommy talk for you-" Bzzz. “Katsuya, are you interfering with the signal? Mommy I…home…can you hear me…ahh…emd…“

Snapped. Serizawa closed the phone, his heart pounding wildly as he felt the blood rushing to his head.

-Bang!

The muffled sound of something falling made him look up, only to realize that all the items in the store were shrouded in a faint purple light, trembling uneasily and violently on the shelves, almost being shaken off the ground. It was the overflowing emotions that unconsciously activated his psychic power.

Serizawa hastily reached out his hand, trying to retrieve the energy. However, his hand was shaking. The energy is turbulent.

Don't shake. Control it, before you get everyone into trouble. He gripped the wrist with his right hand. Clatter, clatter, clatter. Things shook even more violently. Packages of potato chips fell to the ground, then floated back up. Other items also floated up slowly, and the rebar groaned as it was dented by a powerful force. Please, stop. Widening his eyes, almost panicked, he tried even harder to contain the whirlwind of energy, but it felt as if the power had a mind of its own, slipping through his fingers like a flood, hissing to be released. He knew what would happen next. A familiar sight that had long been absent. It was going to be bad. People would get hurt. They would scream, cry out in fear. So,he can't let that happen. He MUST control it.

He couldn't. Serizawa was almost exhausted, but  it seemed as if he had forgotten how to use his powers, like he was falling into a deep, black hole. On the contrary, the purple energy kept pouring out, on the verge of exploding. He was desperate, screaming helplessly inside. Please, stop.

Please, somebody stop me.

Whoosh-bang. With the sound of the umbrella opening, he felt a shadow rise above him, blocking out the blinding pale daylight and most of his vision. The world suddenly became a small place. The umbrella wrapped around him. It felt small, dark, bare, but simple.

Suddenly he could see nothing but the smooth, grayish-white fabric of the umbrella, and the expressionless face of Reigen.

Things fell back to the floor. Shelves creaked with relief, and lights wobbled. In the distance, there were some rapid footsteps and frightened gasps from the clerk. But under the protection of the umbrella, those sounds felt very far away.

"Are you all right, Serizawa?"

Reigen held an umbrella for both of them which he had taken from a bucket a few seconds before. His voice showed no emotion.

"Reigen-san, I…"

"I know. No need to explain now. Did you get hurt?"

"No."

"Good. Everyone is fine. It's just a few things falling off. Don't worry."

"Okay. I'm really, really sorry…"

"As I said, no need to explain now." Reigen gestured for them to head outside. As they passed the counter, Reigen put some bills and coins on the table, covering the cost of the umbrella.

They stepped out of the convenience store. The sun was shining, but it was cool under the umbrella. Cars were rumbling, and the crowds were milling. Muffled conversations blended into an indistinguishable white noise. Nothing was affected by the commotion in the store. Serizawa had always concentrated with a furrowed brow, giving his all. He must be facing some very difficult problems that even his psychic powers couldn't handle… No, at times like this, his strong power might be a burden instead.

Reigen had never seen him look so miserable. Even when he encountered the most powerful evil spirits, even when he was confronted with the uncontrollable and simply unbeatable Mob, Serizawa had always concentrated with furrowed brows, and gave his all. He must be encountering some very difficult trouble that even couldn't be handled with psychic powers… No, at times like these, his strong power might be a burden instead.

People couldn't hear when they were overwhelmed by emotions. Reigen patted Serizawa on the shoulder, told him to leave work early and get some rest. Serizawa replied in a low voice, took the umbrella from Reigen and walked away in a daze.

"We should have a chat tomorrow." Reigen muttered to himself.

Serizawa returned to his humble apartment. He inserted the gray umbrella into the bucket, right next to the old transparent umbrella he had been using for years.

He didn't turn on the light, and the curtains had been drawn for years. Though it was not yet night, the room was dim. Instead, he turned on the game console and picked up the well-worn controller. The screen lit up, with rough pixelated graphics flashing intermittently.

Game after game. Virtual characters never grew tired, but the person playing in reality did. Barely sleeping last night, Serizawa hunched over in front of the TV, feeling his body getting heavier and heavier, his eyes sore, his concentration breaking sporadically, and the mistakes becoming more and more frequent. The clock seemed to be moving very slowly, but when he looked back, it suddenly jumped a long way forward. He unwrapped a carton of drinks he had bought earlier, absentmindedly realized that he had forgotten to buy the snack. He also forgot to buy dinner. Even forgot to go to night school.

Serizawa rubbed his eyes, trying to refocus. It was not that he cared so much about the score of the game, but it filled his mind with those sound and light effects.

The night was getting late. The already unlit room did not seem to get any darker. The clock showed two-thirty. He really should go to bed - especially if he wanted to be able to go to work tomorrow. But a resistance overcame his reasoning. He started the next game again. And then the next. And then the next. It seemed that if he stopped to sleep, tomorrow would come right away.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would have to get out of his room, head to the office, and explain to Reigen-san about his loss of control and the early departure. He would have to call his mother and apologize for hanging up so rudely in the heat of the moment. He would also run into Ito-san at the night school, who would surely ask him about his considered decision.

Took a deep breath. He could do it. He had been helped by so many people, and he had come so far. He couldn't go back anymore.

He should leave his umbrella in his room, and walk out the door with just his briefcase. He could no longer rely on others, but had to face the world on his own, maturely and independently. A world that is so wide, so sprawling, without any boundaries.

He could do it.

He HAD to do it.

… Just one more game.

[fullonfandomindulgence]

dimple is a great fucking character and i will fight anyone who says otherwise. specifically i will fight them by making them read this masterpiece client-crashing god-tackle effortpost about dimple

ive deliberately put off watching the telepathy arc episodes so i could finish this. i like tome So Much. you have no idea how much willpower it took. but it is done and its abt dimples like whole story and purpose and life and i think its a real good thing for you to read and enjoy

im so serious about this that I'm gonna capitalize and punctuate. My sorta thesis here is that Dimple's goals of manipulation are an expression of the basic act of choice that Mob Psycho 100 defines as living, but caring for Mob freaks him out because it distracts him from that purpose, and that contradiction and desperation to choose to live through control is tragically what ends him. Dimple is a friend. Strap in, motherfuckers, we're going for a ride.

Dimple's Goals (Dimpoals)

This is kinda an easy one.

I'm gonna be using images from the show and the comics but I'm not talking about anything past season three, episode six, so no worries anime-onlys. I describe all relevant visual info for each image, though there are also extra IDs in the alt text--I try not to repeat information.

Dimple wants to be a god, "the ultimate being in all creation," "the greatest power in the whole world," and "an object of devotion for all humanity." This dovetails with ideas about superiority and idealism in other parts of the comic but this post ain't about that. It's important that he never says what he'd actually do as a god. Like what is the power for? This comes up in his final confrontation with Mob, too.

Dimple claims that Psycho Helmet leads "people onto the right path," but the second Mob interrogates that he admits he has no plan, "no codex of any kind" from the comic. I don't think that's entirely true, though. Clearly Dimple doesn't care about ruling, because he doesn't actually know what he'd do with the power. But he does want to be revered--he wants positive attention!

Dimple's LOL cult is all about people laughing, and in this panel he says he chose that so he could gain a following without violence. Dimple's attempt with the divine tree is the same, he's trying to keep people the same besides their worship of the tree, make them feel happy in togetherness, help them "find peace at heart." I think there is a reading where making people happy is just a means to an end for Dimple. He for sure tries to kill Mob the first time they meet. But he doesn't have any logic for why he's not, like, using his powers to threaten people and demand tribute. He wants to become a god by making people feel good.

All this said--he's not gonna do it by being himself.

Identifying as evil

When Dimple meets Reigen he identifies himself as an evil spirit. Obviously this is sort of a joke. Like the idea that Mob's pet/mascot is actually an ancient malevolent ghost is pretty funny. But it's meaningful for Dimple's character too, so let's talk about what "evil" looks like. First, obviously the possession thing. How good is it that among all the people trying to manipulate Mob, one of them wants to literally control his every move? Second, here's a bunch of bad stuff Dimple did that Mob thinks about right after Teru tries to exorcise him:

Bro! She's like fourteen! (Dimple makes a lecherous comment about Tsubomi in this image.) He threatens Reigen, he tells Mob the body improvement club is a waste of his time, he straight up asks Mob if he can possess him... He's vindictive, pushy, mocking, and transparently manipulative.

Now to be fair lots of Mob Psycho characters are Like That. But there are some other things more specific to Dimple. Third, he tries to possess Ritsu, taking advantage of his fear of Mob. Fourth, again, the attempting-to-kill-Mob thing. Fifth, here's a bit from a recent side story:

My god. Dimple is terrifying in this. If you haven't read it, Uu is a little dog spirit that Reigen's been keeping around as a pet. Dimple notices that it's feeding on Reigen's energy so he gets rid of it. In these panels he waits until Reigen asks him where Uu is before telling him that he ate it. He has all these lines on his face and this expression of like hostile delight. There are creepy effects blobs behind him. He burps! He does a thing he knows will hurt Reigen and then rubs it in his face, acting like he takes pleasure in it. And finally from one of my favorite scenes in season 2:

I love love love this scene, when Mob is asked to exorcise the ghost family and he refuses. It takes the existing tropes in the story and introduces this like moral complexity and thoughtfulness, it communicates a change in stakes... "They won't have to exorcise you if the clients are dead." Again Dimple is smiling maliciously. He tries to manipulate ghost dad into attacking the college assholes, which is the one hand, for the purpose of getting him exorcised by Mob, which is the other hand. Harm in both directions. There is a third hand! We'll get to it.

But I want to summarize this section first: Dimple's default tool for dealing with adversity is manipulation. He, unlike, say, Reigen, is very comfortable looking like the bad guy, and to some extent he believes he is one. He wants to reach godhood by making people feel good, and he's going to do that not through bloodshed or by being a paragon of virtue but by using other people's flaws to control them.

The Living Spirit

Sorry, I want to do some more stuff before I get to the third hand.

I'd like to think I've been helpfully analytical up to this point, though probably not too novel. But I haven't seen anyone talk about this. Dimple is the liveliest dead guy in the comic, by a wide margin. He has multiple genuine relationships with people, he gets embarrassed, he gets happy, he fears things, he fully laughs. Sure in-canon this might be a proximity thing but in a narrative context I think it's significant that he's so much more of a character than other spirits. Here, in essentially his introduction as a significant character, he says, "I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a ghost!" There's also a great pun he makes in the Dark Horse translation when Reigen questions the existence of urban legend spirits--"Look, pal, just because you're a fake, don't disrespect the lived experience of the dead!" He thinks about living a lot.

Dimple comes back from apparent evaporation more than once, first when Mob exorcises him at the LOL meeting, second when Teru exorcises him in their first encounter. He really really wants to live.

Then there's the brief conversation between him and Reigen about the woman being stalked by what appears to be a spirit, but ends up being a neighbor astral-projecting himself. In this panel Dimple denies that spirits get horny. "It's not like we can do anything about it." He doesn't even think about like romantic love. So most importantly, canon aroace Dimple. But also Dimple believes that being a ghost reduces your existence. It's not even a possibility to do certain things, whether you want to or not. There's a tension here, Dimple craves life but knows that as-is he can't have it.

And then there's this six-page omake at the end of volume five. Please please read it if you can, it's not in the anime and it's such a good little story. When Dimple is almost exorcised by Teru, he only just manages to pull together an ant-sized form, and is rescued from being eaten by a pig ghost by a tiny human spirit called Stubble. The above image is an abandoned house in the woods, with Stubble, off-screen, monologuing, "I simply don't want to perish. I don't hold any grudge against this world. Neither do I have any dreams. Years have passed, without a clear goal." Stubble lives an extremely reduced existence, figuratively and literally. He rides around on the back of the ghost of flea, i.e., he is dependent on the echo of a thing that needs to latch onto something else to exist. He has no agency at all.

It's disconcerting, how Dimple starts at Stubble's size and slowly grows--or, reframed, Stubble slowly shrinks. Here Dimple accuses Stubble, "You died, even before your death. But I on the other hand..." Stubble gets angry. "You're dead too!" Again you should read the story, the way it concludes really blows me away.

Remember in the first episode of season three the S&S crew help the bald guy out of his funk, and at one point he says, "Am I doomed to just repeat these meaningless days until my death?" And then, soon after, "Wait, is my life already over?"

This is about the desperation of agency. Because like, Stubble is right. Dimple has been dead for a long time. His goal is ridiculous. His existence is scraps, yet he's clinging to them with everything he has. What's the point? Lay down alone among the insects, shrink and fade.

Dimple doesn't have a counterargument to Stubble. He doesn't justify "why." But the last sentence he says in the omake is, "I want to stay alive." Dimple, and by extension this omake, and if I may be so bold all of Mob Psycho 100, identifies agency with life. It's not even that life is about making choices, it's that life is literally the act of choosing. You have to choose to live. And Dimple does.

He likes control. He likes choice. He may not be alive but he chooses to live every day. Why? Because he has a purpose: he's going to become a god. And he's going to take Mob there with him.

The Third Hand

Are you good? You're like 1500 words in, feel free to take a break, drink some water.

Maybe you're starting to sense where this is heading. On the third hand, Dimple manipulates ghost dad to help Mob. He attempts to take away both of their autonomy in order to ease Mob's obvious distress. Let's talk about Dimple's evolving relationship with Mob.

I say this a third time, Dimple tries to kill Mob when they meet. Then, despite a positive spin on his initial pitch to Mob, he's pretty transparently evil about it.

These frames of the show are from that introduction, the first with Dimple surrounded in stars and bright colors saying "Let's shoot for the top of the world together," the second with Dimple thinking, face lit from below and body language full of menace, "I'll just wait for my chance to possess him." To be fair again, lots of Mob Psycho characters are Like That. Compare this to the first episode of season two: when Mob tells Dimple the story about Emi, Dimple, excited, assures him that they should keep sticking together so Dimple can help him out with these things. The animators even use the same image of Dimple with the stars and colors:

"Looks like you'll always need an advisor like me!" But this time he doesn't have the sinister turn he did when they first met. This is how Dimple keeps acting throughout season two. He helps Mob, apparently so that Mob trusts him so that in turn Mob can help him reach godhood. But he goes so far above and beyond without any malice: he keeps Banshomaru safe, he possesses one of the high school kids bullying Mob, he eats the curse off Reigen's back, he tries to defend Mob against fucking Toichiro.

Here's a great couple panels: after Dimple explains the deal with urban legends becoming real, he reiterates that he wants to be a god. Then Mob asks Dimple to "make sure [Banshomaru] won't get hurt," and little surprise lines come off Dimple. He agrees but says, "You gotta do me a favor sometime too." Dimple is a little struck by Mob's trust, but maybe more importantly this is the first time in a while, and I think the last time in season two, that Dimple suggests Mob do something for him. It only comes after he reiterates exactly what his purpose is. Dimple's priorities are a little unstable.

Yeah this is just a full comic page from the encounter with Mogami but it's meaningful as shit. Dimple has just suggested taking over Mob's body to protect it. The first panel is Dimple looking away and down, deflated, ashamed. A few sweat drops come down his face. He says, "but something like that..." And to his surprise (action lines, closeup, wide eyes) Mob agrees. Dimple puts on an evil affect when he responds: a horizontally squashed panel shows his backlit face. He smiles unpleasantly and laughs a little, "Kuku..." But his heart clearly isn't in it! His eyebrows are worried, not hostile. There's no pleasure in his smile. He's covered in sweatdrops, eyes wide. When Mob assures Reigen, "It'll be okay," there's another panel of Dimple where the remnants of that affect slide off him. The backlighting is still present but not as severe, the echo of that smile is on his cheek. He's openly worried and covered in sweatdrops. Mob's speech bubble covers a large portion of his face.

Points about this. First, by now Dimple has given up on possessing Mob. This thing that seemed like the main path to his goal is not an option. Second, while both Dimple and Reigen believe that this is a bad idea for Mob, Mob disagrees. Dimple identifies as evil. Reigen identifies him as evil. Mob no longer does. This is classic Shigeo Kageyama behavior, being generous to people even when no one including themselves thinks they deserve it. And the worst part for Dimple is he's starting to agree with Mob. When the option he'd dropped is handed to him on a silver platter, he finds he doesn't want to take advantage of this kid that way. He's a different person than he was.

I don't even know how relevant this is but. Look how much fucking fun Dimple has when he's possessing Mob to protect him. He's doing all these flips and kicks. His smile when he's fighting Mogami!Asagiri is so funny. He does the wildest mid-air combo I ever did see when he attacks the Claw guy as Mob.

Mob becomes such a top priority for Dimple that in the first episode of season three he realizes he forgot that he wanted to become a god. Not only that, but when he comes to Mob to convince him to lead the cult together he's immediately distracted by Mob and what's going on in his life. Mob has to prompt him for him to remember that he's there about the cult.

All this is why Mob's mistrust of Dimple in this conversation is so tragic. Dimple has helped Mob so much, and been so much of a genuine friend, because he knew that Mob trusted him. Where did it go? What happened? Mob's parting words to him are, "Why don't you give your schemes a rest already?" What schemes?? This is the first he's had in months. The translation in the comic, though, is so much more brutal:

"Why don't you stop doing bad things?"

Dimple is

Dimple is terrified of Mob. When Mob wonders if Dimple is scared of him, he's right, of course he is. He has lots of reasons. Mob almost evaporates Dimple when they first meet, threatens him multiple times. Dimple saw him at 100% rage, Mob's first on-screen. He watched Mob hit ???% without being knocked unconscious. This is all especially threatening given Dimple's drive to live. He's terrified when Ritsu tries to fight Mob, he's terrified when Mob asks him if he had anything to do with Ritsu's kidnapping, he's terrified when he thinks Reigen is about to tell Mob that they don't know what happened to his family. But I also read his fear as a symbol of how important Mob is. Dimple attached himself to Mob as the way to achieve his goal. Dimple helps Mob out in so many ways, putting off his goal, so that eventually they can fulfill his purpose together. Then he starts caring about this kid so much that he forgets his purpose! Of course Dimple fears Mob, because their relationship threatens what drives him to live. As much as Dimple is a manipulator, Mob is the one who ultimately has power over him.

Dimple so easily reverts to an evil persona once he leaves Mob because without Mob that's all he can be. If he can't get to the top with Mob, then he has to do it the old way, by using people's flaws to manipulate them. He's able use the broccoli to become a physical presence and get around the "amazing power" problem--though the broccoli's presence and power are still kinda Mob's! But why does he need to become a god at all? Because that's all he is. If he doesn't have Mob and he doesn't have his purpose, then he has nothing.

"Don't go casually denying the thing I've been wanting so badly!" Dimple gets so angry when Mob tells him he's being fake because first, Mob is denying Dimple's manipulative tendencies, which are really important to Dimple right here because he feels his identity is so precarious. And because second, Mob is denying Dimple's purpose. Dimple is in equal danger from Mob's physical attacks and Mob's denial of what he wants. What he wants, what he chooses, is what living is. Dimple doesn't want to die.

Here's a lot of a comic page again, from the final confrontation. Dimple tells Mob that he's just been using him the whole time they've known each other. Mob says, "I'm sad... Does that mean it's time to say goodbye to Dimple?" He steps towards Dimple, who screams in fear and anticipation. I think this is basically the worst thing ever, because god, Dimple is so afraid. Mob is justified in what he's doing but Dimple's desperation is what stands out to me, how hard he's tried to cling to agency and life and how sincerely he believes Mob is about to take it all away from him anyway, to disappear forever and ever.

And then Dimple insults Mob's shirt.

Dimple insults Mob's shirt

Fucking kills me. These are two frames from episode six, Dimple sees how much Mob suddenly trusts him and his reaction is anger, "You okay with leaving me like this?" His eyes are wide, brow down in anger. And then what he says next, "I'm... a dangerous evil spirit!" Here the anger is present but has softened with worry on his brow. The lines by his nose and his pouty lower lip make him look scared and sad. This fight has made it important to Dimple's identity that Mob try to stop him, because he's evil, and Mob stops evil spirits.

Panels from the comic where Mob tells Dimple, "You weren't doing bad things. You were just doing what you wanted to do. Together with me. You trusted me before I trusted you, Dimple. Thank you." Mob doesn't think Dimple is evil, but he identifies how important Dimple acting on his wants is, and he tells him that he still values their relationship. He denies that he has to hurt dimple but affirms his power to choose.

I maybe could've skipped a lot of BS if I put this page further up but I wanted this to get felt, what Dimple's admitting to himself here. It's another section of a page. Panel one, a white splotch in darkness with Dimple's thoughts, "It felt like my ambitions would fade away. Did spending time with unselfish Shigeo cause even me to lose sight of my goals?" Panel two, Dimple is the white splotch. He's scared. "...eh? Wait, that's a problem...!! I'll lose my reason for existing!" So Dimple tells Mob, angry, "No, not yet... I'm not done yet! Even now... I've still got... plenty of things I want to do! And ambitions!" Mob agrees, with that tired, frank look. "I'll hear you out for real. As your friend." Accepting Mob's friendship like this is terrifying, because it means what it always has, forgetting about this purpose. What if Mob stops trusting him again? If he really, consciously abandons his purpose, will he still have agency? He wanted a friend, always wanted a friend. Will it be enough? Will he disappear?

Dimple takes Mob's hand anyway. This was such an amazing shot, I've reproduced its animated glory here, Mob and Dimple reach towards each other, Mob weakly, so Dimple closes the gap and grabs him. The hand grasp of all time. I'm not gonna talk about how this fits into all the other Mob Psycho hand symbolism, that's another 4000-word megapost.

It's worth it. I'm convinced that by involving yourself in a network of people and creating some sense of obligation to others you can actually give yourself an even deeper kind of agency than you could achieve alone. And this is awful, terrifying. Because it involves giving yourself up a little bit. You have to give up some control. Dimple wants to be a god, to have ultimate power and control, so much of him is his manipulation, but he has to give that up for this. Goals that may have guided you for a long time can become irrelevant--and then who are you? If you've defined your life by something for years, and at the end of the decade you realize you don't fit your definition anymore, where do you go? Dimple tells Mob, "Let's go home." But...

Panels from the comic, where Dimple carries a sleeping Mob and thinks, "I said 'let's go home,' but I don't really have any place to 'go home' to... And I don't have anything to aim for from here... I wonder what I should do now." That Dimple is allowing himself to think this is really powerful. I don't think this has to be a sad moment. Like obviously Mob thinks that Dimple's home is his house. He just asked him to stay away until he reverts to his smaller form, as in, he otherwise would've expected Dimple to stay with him. I appreciate the larger point that now Dimple feels unmoored, and deciding on a new purpose is existential. But I think Mob also has a larger point that he believes he can help moor Dimple. I think allowing yourself to wonder where to go next is so important. Dimple is where Mob was a few months back when he decided he wanted to join the body improvement club! He has a future, even if he can't see it very well.

Or, um.

I keep fucking crying while I'm writing this. I love the translation in the comic here. Dimple kneels before a prone Mob and, finger touching his forehead, says, "Listen well... I'm giving you orders for the first and last time. First, wake up. Stand up, Shigeo." Mob is still for a moment and then says, "...it's no use. I can't put any strength into my legs. I can't move my arms either." Dimple is very serious now as he relays, "Your body may complain, but still... stand up. Even if you cannot stand... you must stand." God damn it, god fucking dammit.

Sometimes it's not so easy to change. Your actions have consequences. Your history follows you. Dimple's desperate attempt to keep his old wants comes back to kill his new ones.

Dimple's final act is the same thing he always does, he manipulates Mob to protect him. And it is good and kind. Suddenly his reason for existence is paradoxical: he's going to have to die to fulfill it. Who exists to die? But that's not what it is. Because he's making a choice. He denies death, he says, no, you can swallow me whole, you can annihilate me, but even then you can't take my agency away from me. And I will use this final choice to protect someone I love.

Dimple was a friend.

[reigenismyhusband]

10 5 4 for the S/I asks :3

THANK UUUU these are so fun to do thank u!!!!!!!! ask game post here!

also i answered 5 here but i answered it again bc i thought of something else hehe. TY NOEE

4 – Which of the elements best represents your S/I? Which of their aspects does it resonate with? (e.g.: their personality, astrology sign, powers, etc)

OOOOOH this one is so cool, im assuming it means like..elements like fire water etc? ace is definitely more of an earth guy; hes stubborn, hes set in his ways, and he strives to be the best he can. it really relates to his powers too, hes really good at making barriers and defending himself, but when it comes to offense, he gets really scared of hurting people and doesnt like to fight back! hed much rather stand his ground or run away.

5 – Is there any symbolism within your S/I's design that usually goes unnoticed? (e.g. colors in their outfit that reflect their personalities, their favorite flower and it's meaning, etc)

i wanted to answer this again BCCC i think his favorite flowers would be forget me nots, theyre really pretty (and also my favorite irl) but i think itd be a nice symbol of how he feels forgotten in everyday life (ie at school or at home) but reigen and mob help him feel like hes got people that actually care and wont forget him :')

10 – What was the scariest moment of your S/I's life? Did it change any aspect of their being or were they just emotional for a brief period of time over it?

OH BOY. angst time! (short summary for those unfamiliar with mob psycho) so in canon there's an evil spirit that used to be a very powerful psychic that is possessing a young girl. this man's name is mogami, and tldr is he wants to hurt and kill people for reasons that happened in his life. the best psychics in the land are called to try and get him to stop possessing this girl by her dad, but none are successful. ace decides the only way to get him to stop is to send his own spirit into the girls head to psychically drive him out from the inside. while in there, he falls victim to mogami's powerful abilities; mogami traps him in an alternate dimension where he has no powers, no abilities, no friends. for six months ace is trapped in this hell, bullied and abused every day, slowly wearing him down. he has no one; he never meets reigen or mob, his parents are gone, his sister wont talk to him. he gets relentelessly bullied everyday, far more than he even does in real life. mogami's aim is to show him "how the world really works", how people are cruel and how he wants him to be hateful too. ace is able to keep his humanity and kindness even through all of this, but after six months after hes getting beat up Again, he finally snaps and fights back, killing one of his attackers. but before mogami can get ace more in his claws, (either dimple's spirit or mob's, depending on if mob is there) someone finally is able to enter the land ace has been living in and talk him back to reality, reminding him of the people who care about and love him, and hes able to overpower mogami and get out of there.

But. ace remembers those six months like they happened in reality; his time in there really changed him, and hes affected badly by it for a long time. he doesnt talk about the full extent of it for a while, but to the people around him who care, its evident hes changed by it. reigen pats him on the back a little hard once and it sends him into a panic attack, and he finally spills about all the horrible shit he went through, and reigen comforts him. he has flashbacks often, even years later. angst my beloved…

THANK YOUUUU FOR ASKING!!!!! THIS WAS SO MUCH FUNNN