#but what he wanted was for Fushimi to solve his own problem and not run away

[ridiasfangirlings]

munakata introduced scepter 4 to fushimi as a place "not fit for children to run off to when they get into trouble," implying that fushimi either isnt that childish/he sees him as equally skilled and valued as all of his adult employees. but do you think as time passed, he started seeing those tiny child-like qualities fushimi has and smiling about it despite the fact he does not see childish qualities as something that fits within his ideal scepter 4?

Honestly the man who hired Doumyouji doesn’t get to talk about how S4 isn’t the place for childish people (for that matter, don’t complain about S4 not being a place for children when you’re the one recruiting teenage children, Munakata). I feel like Munakata’s intent there was less looking down on Fushimi for being a child and more that he wanted Fushimi to join S4 for the ‘right’ reason. Like the idea that Fushimi runs to S4 not because he wants to or out of any sense of belonging but simply because he has nowhere else to go, treating S4 like a place of refuge rather than a place where he’s expected to be a clansman working towards a goal. Actually even thinking about it I could see Munakata’s words there being less harsh towards children in general and more a kind of general childishness that Munakata ascribes to Homra in particular — because Homra absolutely is a place a kid in trouble could run to when in trouble, as long as you pass the test anyone can join and Homra will shelter them (this is particularly relevant in regards to the Minato twins being sheltered there right at that time in LSW too, in Munakata’s eyes being ‘children’ who got into trouble and ran away somewhere with no purpose other than to escape a situation). I think Munakata was well aware even at the time he recruited Fushimi that Fushimi had a certain childishness to him and didn’t mind, it’s just this specific thing that Munakata wanted Fushimi to grow away from because he had no use for a Fushimi who just runs from a problem rather than facing it head on — when Fushimi specifically faces off against ‘Niki’ in jcube and takes hold of his own destiny, that’s the point Munakata appears to back him up and invite him to S4 because this is what Munakata was waiting for. 

So that said I feel like Munakata does enjoy the childish part of Fushimi quite a bit. In the Sand Castle short story for example, there’s the moment where Munakata compliments Fushimi’s castle and it’s noted that for a moment Fushimi looked ‘disarmingly innocent’ before settling back into his usual cynical expression. It’s not noted in the text but I imagine this is absolutely something Munakata noticed, and at least he’s very clearly aware of the reasons why Fushimi destroys his castle and then simply chooses to make him a new one that will last. Munakata doesn’t have any issue at all with the fact that Fushimi was building a sand castle — something kids do — when he’s supposed to be digging for shellfish (Captain’s favorite privilege at work), in fact Munakata’s very interested in it. I think Munakata appreciates that Fushimi is talented beyond his years but is also well aware that the Fushimi who initially joins his clan is just a teenager and as Fushimi gets older Munakata is willing to be indulgent of Fushimi’s childish moments even if only as part of helping Fushimi work through that part of his personality. In particular I think Munakata would enjoy seeing Fushimi get to have ‘good’ moments of childhood wonder because it’s so clear even without knowing the details that Fushimi’s actual childhood deeply lacked those. Also it’s mentioned in Case Files that Munakata sees something of himself in Fushimi, that Fushimi is what Munakata could have been if he hadn’t had such supportive parents, so I feel like the part of Munakata that also childishly enjoys new experiences and interesting things allows Munakata to understand Fushimi’s childish side more than Fushimi even realizes.

[sasaranurude]

Coly, the company behind Mahoyaku and Stand My Heroes, have announced a new game. Some friends and I realized that despite looking somewhat generic at first glance, it's got a handful of intriguing things going on with it! So here's a quick kind of long introduction to/my thoughts on Break My Case!

First: the website! The music on the site is really good! Go listen while you read this post!! There are 12 people listed as composers in the credits page, and it seems most every VA involved has at least a bit of experience with singing or music projects. The tone is a bit dark for a rhythm game (though I'm not ruling that out entirely), but otherwise it seems like there's gonna be a music focus. Cool! As far as other staff goes--the main scenario writer is also the writer of Stand My Heroes, and the character designer is Utako Yukihiro, who also did some work for B-Project.

The story concerns a cafe with a myriad of eccentric employees that runs an after-hours service where they solve problems. The exact nature of all this is left pretty vague.

And the draw for a game like this: The characters! Interestingly, they're divided into different departments at the cafe. What exactly those departments do isn't clear yet. As for the characters themselves--the more we looked at them, the more we liked them, lol. Quick summaries about what intrigued us about each guy. Note that these are not translations, none of us are fluent in Japanese (we all know just enough to get by with the google+jisho combo lol), and this should all be taken with a grain of salt.

The Main Office, consisting of Ai Kosaka, Yuzuru Kise, and Roka Suoh. (Names are listed in western given-family order because that's what the site uses for romanized names.) Roka is the one who owns the cafe, is the oldest character in the bunch at 36, and is that fun "mysterious guy with unknown backstory and an endless amount of weird acquaintances, who acts incompetent but might actually be hypercompetent" type of trope.

On account of the whole acting-incompetent thing, Ai and Yuzuru run the actual cafe business. And normally I won't be including fullbody character art in this post but I have to make an exception just this once.

Anyways.

Tumblr won't let me put four images in a row. Come on man. I wanna maintain the BMC's site style. Why are you mean to me. Anyways. The Simulation Department, consisting of Kou Ayato, Mao Ukyo, Akehoshi Hinomiya, and Yuragi Kanno. "Simulation" is its English name given on the site, but the Japanese given would probably read more like "relationship department".

Kou is a footloose playboy and Mao is a serious intellectual type, but apparently Kou will ask Mao to pretend to be his girlfriend so that he can avoid trouble with women. That's gay. I love that. (Mao is a guy [as far as we know], he just likes makeup--he's not the only one in that cast who does, either!) We all want Mao's outfit.

Akehoshi was a sleeper hit in the group chat, because his bio has a sentence about how he's the most normal-looking-yet-dangerous employee at the cafe, and also explicitly describes him as being like a dog, and naturally we all went crazy for the silly puppy as soon as we realized that he was in fact a silly puppy. Yuragi, on the other hand, likes cats. Such a classic for his character design trope, lmao.

The Administrative Department, consisting of Taiga Tsukimoto, Haruhi Ichikawa, and Sei Okiya. Taiga looks cool but if you look at his fullbody he's wearing awful sweatpants and apparently he cries while watching anime. I love this for him. Haruhi is a streamer because that's like an obligatory character trope now I guess. Sei was very popular in the group chat for being the single most suspicious character in the cast. What's his problem.

The Watchdog Department (or enforcement department, if you translate the jpn) consists of Shizuka Fushimi, Takeru Mikado, Soyogu Shinkai, and Shinobu Aizawa.

My friend described Shizuka as a "wet looking glasshole" and yeah. ok. unfortunately he does look like that. But it's ok he's allowed because his bio says he prefers quiet, orderly places with plants and no people and keeps to himself in common spaces but his own room is a complete mess. AKA he's an autism king. So I like him.

Takeru was obviously a hit because look at them. Takeru and Mao talk about makeup together, apparently. CUTE! Shinobu is the most fashionable guy in the cast and his bio says he has a few screws loose, which is amazing. Good for him. I have nothing to say about Soyogu I think I forgot he existed until I was putting this post together and I only looked at these all guys a few hours ago

The Negotiation Department, with Kiho Arima, Kyoya Shido, and Riku Tateshina. I described this group as "grandma, grandpa, and Columbo" and then the group chat couldn't call any of them anything else. And I do mean grandma. Because. ok. another fullbody. Because oh my god we have to look at Kiho.

GIRL. WHAT. IS. THAT. YOU'RE WEARING A CARPET. YOU'RE WEARING A COUCH. kiho is apparently a fortune teller and my friend acted as if this excused the outfit but i DONT agree i don't think anything excuses this. WHAT IS THAAAAAT

Kyoya is an artist and Riku is a psychologist so honestly this is a really fun bunch of jobs going on in this department. Riku is described as someone who falls in love easily, and he's most interested in Ai (from the Main Office, the very first guy in this post). We couldn't tell if the implication there is that he's in love with Ai, or if he falls in love with random people and yet his true attention always drifts back to Ai. Both of these options are gay.

The ST (special tasks) Department, with Yomose Onda, Yu Nina, Kamiya, and Urara Manami.

Yu had his life saved by Tomose and has now dedicated himself to him, to the point of being ready to die for him. YOU GOTTA LOVE THAT. INCREDIBLE TROPE. UNBEATABLE. GAY AS HELL. All we know from Tomose's side is that he's "fond" of Yu. That's fine I'm sure you can learn to love him. Or learn to hate him. Whatever's more entertaining.

Kamiya has no memory, hence the singular name. I'm sure whatever's going on there is weird and interesting. Urara is the youngest character, at 20. THAT'S RIGHT. THE YOUNGEST CHARACTER IS 20. THERE ARE ZERO TEENAGERS! THE AVERAGE CHARACTER AGE IS AROUND 26. THIS SHOULDN'T BE AS NOTABLE AS IT IS BUT THAT'S GACHA GAMES FOR YOU. Anyways I like Urara because I think he looks like an angry kitty.

Anyways, that's the gist of what we know about BMC--or BreMai, if you wanna go for something closer to the jpn abbreviation--right now. More info might drop at/around Animate Girls Fest, since they seem to be giving out game beta codes there. I don't know if I'm completely sold on it just yet--coly did just have a detective-themed gacha game fail a few months ago with &0. But we're not even completely sure it is a gacha yet, or what kind of gameplay it might have otherwise, so... there's a bit of hope. Maybe it'll be a weird cool dark rhythm game! Who knows!!!

[ghostofnibelheim]

[Four Seasons] Where Crossroads Part

One-shot drabble for the “Four Seasons” Divergent Megaverse!

Of how Fuhito and Reisi, childhood friends and rivals, separated to follow their calling.

Involved Characters: Fuhito Fushimi, 10yo ( @fuhitoofavalanche​​ ), Reisi Munakata, 9yo ( @roleplay-abiogenesis2​ )

References: Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-

Settings: Wutai Village, July εγλ 1976

It was on summer days like these, when the scorching heat of the sun caused irritating tears of sweat to run down under the clasps of his spectacles, and the cicadas droned incessantly in his eardrums, that Fuhito found the very act of existing to be a challenge.

The bugs’ singing mostly. People said that you got used to it over time. Eventually, on these dull hot days, their sound would become so regular to blend in the background, and you wouldn’t notice it anymore unless the cicadas stopped abruptly.

He knew what that phenomenon was called: the subaudible. 

That’s because you got used to it, but one shouldn’t be fooled, that sound was always there. Even in a house where there aren’t any baseboard heaters, there are noises. The fridge goes on and off. The pipes thunk. The floors creak. The traffic goes by outside. You'd hear those things all the time, so most of the time you wouldn’t hear them at all…

That was how it was supposed to work, and yet… not for him.

Fuhito’s mind worked differently from the rest of the village. And with it, so did his perception. He couldn’t stop noticing the cicadas. Or the pipes. Or the creaking floors. His eyes and ears took in each meticulous detail, incredibly aware, and analyzed it. Filed it somewhere. Incessantly. There hadn’t been a moment in his life where he could recall to not be thinking about anything at all.

Genius, his family called it. But to him, it was a curse.

For as much as his mind raced to observe and study each little detail of this world, nothing around him changed. This place and its people were enslaved in a preternatural state of stasis that he simply could not bear.

So small… Wutai was so, so very small to this young boy. He hadn’t been on this Planet for a decade yet, and already he felt so very tight and constricted in this place. How was he supposed to endure this torture any longer?

Dark brows furrowed slightly, at nothing in particular; fixed on the rippling waters of the lazy creek that flew under that lonesome bridge on the edge of town. A fish hunting for bugs. Would that fish could fly to eat cicadas, he thought. That would solve both of their present problems.

But that small fish couldn’t go anywhere out of the small confines of that river. Pathetic and hopeless.

¬

There he was, standing on the bridge. Approaching at a calm pace, Reisi wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Not unusual for him either; even at his young age, where the world should be new and full of wonderment, hardly anything fazed him.

He’d always been a little special like that, by his family standards. The odd one, blessed with an incredible mind that was so frustratingly complicated and deep for his parents to fully grasp.

Even now, as he strolled alongside the river that slithered across the village, one would think the boy to be simply enjoying the summer, perhaps seeking the cool respite of the water from the heat of the blazing sun. But that wasn’t it at all: simply put, Reisi was headed to his destination.

He hadn’t been summoned by his friend by any means (and between the two of them, the term ‘friend’ had its own peculiar meaning); no agreement had been made to meet there and then. The boy with that strange dark, blueish hair simply knew this was where he was meant to be today.

It was a strange talent of his, to know exactly where something or somebody belonged. Not in the sense that he could find anything he wanted with some magic trick; he was far from being a miraculous detective. But he knew when he was looking at something that did not belong where it was, or when it did belong.

Looking at Fuhito, he’d always known from the start that he did not belong anywhere in the village. But, if he had to be in Wutai, on a day like this, with a mind such as his own, this little bridge is where he’d be.

Would it be the last time he’d meet him here? He had a feeling. The two of them would soon be entering adolescence besides. It was time for change to come. And though perhaps not in such a poetic way, Reisi thought that Fuhito believed the same.

“They seem louder than usual today, do they not?” He greeted with that provoking question, one hand rising to habitually adjust his heavy glasses over the bridge of his nose. The smile on his lips was a little smug. A bit of childish pride in his ability to read his favorite challenger so well.

¬

Fuhito scoffed… inside, anyway. On the outside, it displayed only through the slow, heavy closing of his eyes and a quiet sigh that would have been subtle enough, were it not for the fact that it was Reisi Munakata he was dealing with. This boy seemed to see through people as though they were made of glass.

“… I’m leaving.” He announced, refusing to beat around the bush as his ‘friend’ would like. His hand rose in the mechanic habitual gesture of adjusting the glasses on his nose, much like Reisi had.

¬

“Oya, that’s sudden.” Munakata turned his head in the slightest, flicking a glance at the other. Even from someone as unexpressive as Fuhito, he could tell the determination in that claim. The boy was not joking around.

“But not unexpected. You’ve always been a difficult one to take root. I suppose it was a matter of time before the wind would sweep you away from your family.”

¬

“My family… is nothing more than that.” A small world within a world that was even smaller before the grand scale of the Planet. Never mind the universe itself. Did a speck of mold on a tree stump care for the rest of the mold from which it had spread? Fuhito would never understand why something as abysmal as that mattered so strongly in Wutai. It was a constricting thought; it suffocated vision.

A light ‘humph’ huffed through his lips, and with the shortest tilt of his head in the direction of the other boy, he asked “I thought you might share the sentiment. Do you not?”

¬

“Are you asking me to come with, Fuhito?” Hands clasped behind the back, Munakata turned in full to face his friend this time; the teasing grin on his lips was smug.

Yet, it wiped almost instantly on his face, as something else caught his attention. Past Fuhito’s shadow, in the distance, a thin trail of black smoke tainted the sky.

¬

“….” A tough question that Fuhito couldn’t answer there and then. The timely distraction was rather welcome. Catching a glimpse in the reflection of Munakata’s glasses, he half-turned around to also spot the same thing.

Funny how something so familiar could still startle a boy’s heart.

“… Looks like he’s back at it.”

¬

“The forge hasn’t been burning for a few days. I thought he’d finished.” The blue-haired boy spoke, with a mildly bitter note in his voice.

He looked at Fuhito, and their agreement was unspoken but physical. Without another word, the two boys headed up the dirt path that led up the hill. A little further away from the village, to the small residence of the swordmaster.

The blacksmith of Wutai used to be a wise, pious man. Dedicated to his craft, strong even after many years beating the hammer, breathing the fumes of coal and melted steel, breaking his nails clumping dirt to make clay. Someone people looked up to, and considered without rivals even after successfully passing down his knowledge to two different apprentices.

But then, things had changed.

¬

Tragedy was an infection that spread misery and madness. Fuhito had witnessed that personally, lately more than in the past. Ever since the outside world seemed to have gained an interest in the archipelago, Wutai had been shaken off of balance. Visitors had brought instability; disease; and questions.

The latter had certainly affected him, he wouldn’t lie to himself.

For the swordsmith, it had been disease. His only daughter had been the first to go. Then his wife, killed by foreigners. Unknown people in blue had been scouting alongside the mountain ridges, deep within the caves where monsters came from. Where the earth cut open wounds and bled with light and colored fumes. A forbidden place to the village, that had been disturbed. The legend said going there would allow demons to steal your soul. Maybe the swordsmith’s wife had climbed up there out of concern for the foreign visitors.

But she’d never come back. And when her husband himself had gone to find her, he hadn’t come back as the same man. Maybe there was some truth to the myths. Or maybe, as Fuhito suspected, myths were nothing but truth dumped into a bog of ignorance and superstition.

Even with this strong belief in mind, he was well aware of how both of their feet had slowed down the more they approached the forge.

“… I heard you have been helping your neighbor. She went into labor the other day, did she not?” He asked the other boy, rather out of the blue as they came to a stop.

¬

Munakata turned his head with a curious rise of one brow. Was Fuhito… stalling? It was uncharacteristic of him.

But he indulged him and nodded. “She had a healthy boy. Tseng, I believe she named him. You should go see him before you leave.”

¬

“Kisaragi-san will not be pleased with you.” Fuhito quickly deflected, keeping a passive frown in his eyes as he cast a sideglance towards the other.

¬

“Hmph…” A small chuckle. “I will deal with it when that time comes.”

He knew what Fuhito was trying to do, and the attempt was deflected. He wasn’t going to leave with him; certainly not out of fear of the head of the village.

¬

Fittingly countered, just as expected by the most promising swordman in the village. But Fuhito’s disappointment was short-lived.

For the full front of his mind was brutally struck by disgust. Almost sickness-inducing, hitting straight at the nose.

“What the…?” He coughed, both he and Munakata quickly covering their faces with their hands. He pinpointed it then, by the cue of the ear. Intense buzzing of flies, right by the fence that framed the property of the swordsmith.

Beside the small gate lay a pile of different containers, half-open and ravaged by the wild. Food long spoiled, now a feast to the birds and critters, a nest for larvae, already crawling in the recesses of baskets and ceramics. The sight threatened to double his nausea.

¬

“Offerings from the village…” Munakata spoke barely, his words quick as not to breathe air more than necessary. “So he’s stopped eating, as well.”

To say the swordsmith had been neglecting himself since losing his family would be an understatement. Horror tales were coming from the quarry, one of the few places he’d still show up to, to get more materials. Even more gruesome were the stories from the polisher, the second most important authority in the realm of weapon-making in Wutai. The polisher was to a blacksmith what a musician was to a composer; their relationship was inevitable however unpleasant of late.

The man told of a swordsmith that barely resembled a human being anymore. Having forgone tending to personal hygiene or health, he stumbled into the shop in tatters, followed by the stench of sweat, blood, and excreta that his body or mind no longer controlled. A man with dead eyes, speaking incoherently, addressing the invisible. Only his hands still moved with expertise, as though his very soul clung to those limbs for a final job before tearing off what remained of a once strong body, now reduced to little more than brittle skin and muscles.

¬

Fuhito had also heard the stories; albeit uninterested, he could not deny the morbid curiosity behind the man’s fate. Or his condition entirely. When their tense silence was broken by the sound of a hammer beating on hot iron, his feet found new resolve to move. Climbing the steep hillside to the top, he approached the forge’s entrance, where the sun couldn’t reach. The open doorway was eerily dark, with red faint shadows of light flaring every now and then, as though a dying star hid inside.

Just an accomplice sideglance to his friend before he stepped inside. And soon enough, there he was. Curved like a dying old tree over the anvil, the hammer rose and fell in rhythmic blows like a storm in the clouds. Again, and again. Ignoring the protesting limbs, the shake of legs just about to give in. A bald scalp nodded at each strike, like the pendulum of a grotesque clock, as if the man himself was working in his sleep.

And maybe he was. Fuhito suspected the few days of quiet had been just a spell of rest; maybe the man had passed out in this very room, only to resume his craft as soon as consciousness had returned to him.

They stood there in silence until the hammer came to a stop. He’d noticed them, but the swordsmith did not rise his eyes from the burning red rod of iron in his hands; he just turned, barely, to lamely move towards the slack tub.

“…Go away, boys.” A voice barely above a whisper croaked. “Away from this cursed place.”

¬

“Okazaki-san…” Munakata spoke up in return but trailed off, his thoughts derailed like they rarely would be. For a moment, his focus on the man’s conditions was shifted, all in a split second the translucent red metal entered the water and the water hissed. It felt as though the Leviathan herself infested that small tank, and expressed her wrath at the weapon’s intrusion.

That blade was… off. Everything about what he was seeing could be described as that, but the craft itself stood out more than anything, even more than the barely breathing corpse who moved and spoke before them.

“What are you doing, Okazaki-san? The length of that sword… it’s unnatural.”

Average swords took a good year to forge. The finest blades could take up to eighteen months. It was as far as Munakata’s expertise in the field went.

But the swordsmith had been working on this one ever since his return from the mountains, and the death of his wife.

It had been two whole years. Had insanity ensnared the man into a never-ending process of smoldering and fusing steel with more steel to no end?

“If it gets any longer, no one will be able to wield it properly.”

¬

“… Not yet. It isn’t ready yet.” The husk of a man muttered once the steam began to disperse. He left the tank for a minute, moving to the bellows. Arms once large and strong lifted and lowered the equipment, pushing air into the furnace. The embers burst brighter with light and heat, the wave pushing through the room, threatening to scorch the clean, soft skin of the children who observed.

The moment he turned to grab the blade and bring it back to the fire, Fuhito thought he saw something new. Green stains had bloomed in the once perfectly black irises of the swordsmith. They shone like fresh flowers in the darkest forest.

And Fuhito thought they were beautiful, however frightening.

“Nobody…” The man whiskered against the sizzle of fire on cold steel, nearly repeating the words of his friend. “Nobody will wield it properly.”

He directed his attention to them no more. Fully refocusing on his work, bellowing, hammering, forging, driven to hysteria, he continued to whisper, and then rumble, and then scream those words, over and over. Until their ears could take it no longer.

“NOBODY! NOBODY!! NOBODY!!!”

[...]

“… Reisi.”

Fuhito had broken their silence first. They were at the edge of the village now, and his bag was ready. No goodbyes had been necessary; his family was busy doing what they did… absolutely nothing of interest. Only the bespectacled boy who had accompanied him to the boundaries of the village was needed.

He’d called him by name; something he typically wouldn’t do. Something too intimate perhaps. But Fuhito figured if the other would laugh at him for doing so, he’d be soon long gone to hear it.

“What happened to that man might be just the beginning of a change this place isn’t ready to face. Do you sincerely not care to know more?”

¬

From where he’d moved to sit atop a fallen tree, Munakata lifted amethyst-colored eyes back at Fuhito. His name sounded always strangely endearing on his lips, for how little he’d ever heard it. A bit too graceful on such a serious voice.

“I do.” He reassured him. “Maybe just not in the same way you do.”

¬

Fuhito’s eyes could be cutting blades underneath that front of absolute apathy that was his face. They met that violet and drilled into it sharply. After a few silent instances, a pull to the corner of his lip to the downwards betrayed his disappointment.

“You haven’t asked me where I’m going.”

¬

“Because I do not plan to come and find you.”

Maybe Munakata had survived that clash of stares, but it hadn’t been without breaking a sweat. His fingers rose to gently pick the silver-rimmed frame, bringing it to his lap where a purposefully kept piece of fabric was produced from his pocket to wipe at the lenses.

“Next time we meet, I will be right here.”

¬

“… You believe you’ll be staying here, and that I will fail. Return with my tail tucked between my legs in shame.”

¬

“Oya. That’s quite some lofty words you’re putting in my mouth, Fuhito.”

Munakata chuckled when his careful cleaning of the glasses was finished, and he could look back at his friend once again.

“What I believe in is order.” He then spoke, standing back on his feet, and moving up to where the other stood. “There is an order to everything. All of us here belong to some place, to some cause. And right now, where I belong is here.”

Slowly then, with maybe just a hint of hesitation, he raised one hand in offer. A more in-land method to part ways, perhaps, but he figured if he had to let Fuhito go, it would be with the gift of early practice for what awaited beyond the sea.

“Please, indulge me in my belief that your cause will bring you back someday. However different things will be.”

¬

“… Stubborn to the end.”

No matter, he thought. He always worked best alone. Munakata was brilliant, for all intents and purposes. And maybe Fuhito had been immature in thinking their heads could serve best together to make something great.

But things could be great without necessarily working to the same cause. In that, maybe his friend had a point.

What change was to come for them, and how it would shape them up as men, he did not quite know yet. But there was a fire, undoubtedly, that burned bright with curiosity to find out. Until the day he would be able to brandish that fire to shed light properly on his own fate and that of the Planet, Fuhito would walk alone in the dark; maybe with at least the comfort that a set of familiar, understanding eyes would be watching from behind.

Even if it was from a safe place he’d never come back to.

With respect, he took Reisi’s hand for a shake. No further words needed to be exchanged; just one last knowing look behind crystal lenses.

[chilly-territory]

K~Profiles: Munakata Reishi

Munakata's full profile from K Fan Clan (the original text is provided by the wonderful blueseraphima as usual)

[NAME] ・Real name: Munakata Reishi ・Terms of address: Captain, Munakata, Boss Glasses

[PROFILE] ・Birthday: 10/1, Libra ・Blood type: AB Rh- ・Age: 25 (at the time of season 2)

[APPEARANCE] ・Physique: 185cm in height. Tall slender well proportioned figure. ・Face, hair: intelligent with refined features. Wears glasses with thin metal frames. Smile of a person with a hidden agenda. ・Attire: Scepter 4 uniform ・Personal effects: personal use saber. Registration name is "Tenrou" (Sirius)

[HABITS, SKILLS] ・Excels at hypocritical courtesy ・Possesses the power to 'rule' over all things

[IMPRESSION, OTHER NOTES] ・Image color is blue ・Young king pursuing personal ideals ・Unfathomable person whose true motives are unreadable to ordinary people. Comes across as a VIP with the top class abilities and caliber. ・Possessor of a power rivaling that of the Red King Suoh Mikoto.

[POSITION, OBJECTIVES] The Fourth and the Blue King. Head of Annex 4 of Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau and leader of an anti-ability wielder security organization Scepter 4. Annex 4 is an official public organization, while Scepter 4 is a private armed organization siphoning off the former’s budget and personnel. However, with the Gold King Kokujouji’s backing, it is virtually an agency ranked above the police and functioning as an armed force with more authority. Frequently takes active arbitrary action for the sake of its ideals (preserving social stability).

[PERSONALITY, CONDUCT] His personality is characterized by steady and tenacious advance towards his personal goals. Makes daring moves in irregular circumstances without losing his calm. Does not reveal his real intentions even to his inner circle. Even before awakening as a king, Munakata had clear comprehension, boasting an understanding of all kinds of things and a vision of their significance and correct shape, but was not certain about who he himself was. For that reason, upon awakening as a king, realized that the answer to his question about himself was "a king", due to which has no hesitation or apprehension towards living as a king and working towards his ideals. Does not shy away from making sacrifices for the sake of majority's well-being, but considers it his duty as a king to take the heavy responsibly for it alone and does not reveal that intention to those around him. For that reason, people often see him as unfathomable and scheming. Has a preference for logical setups and puzzle games and seeks paths leading to the solution of the main puzzle (social stability), thinking even of his own existence as that of a pawn. Although a countless number of such routes is possible, what ultimately matters to him is his conviction of "solving the puzzle" as well as the aspect of "enjoying" the process. That trait is often seen as "arrogance" or "boldness" by others.

[FATE, ENDING] Priding himself on his ability, he feels strongly about the duty of a king and intends to devote his life to pursuing social stability. Knowing that the present society is maintained by the Gold King Kokujouji's existence alone, he took it upon himself to succeed that duty after Kokujouji's death. At the same time, due to shouldering the burden of king-slaying from Suoh Mikoto's death, his own fate became uncertain.

[ABILITIES, TACTICS] As a king, possesses enormous power, with its attribute being "ruling" over all kinds of things. Within the boundaries of his activated Sanctum, can restore or reconstruct things. Also, within the Sanctum, the powers of his clansmen are enhanced, while the powers of those from other clans and strains are weakened and even overridden (not in terms of special ability but in terms of raw power). Can freely use the superhuman swordplay and martial arts incorporating superpowers. Even without relying on his superability, possesses swordsmanship capable of overwhelming Yatougami Kuroh without drawing his sword. It was possible mainly due to his intelligence rather than physical training.

[POWER] A (king class)

[LIKES] Tea, wagashi, Japanese cuisine.

[DISLIKES] Disorder, chaos, vulgar individuals.

[HOBBIES] Tea ceremony. Performs the tea ceremony in his office or wherever it is where he dispatches to. Puzzles. Likes block puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and any other type that requires building an orderly structure. Usually does not smoke, but indulges in smoking from time to time. Smoked for a period when studying abroad.

[FASHION] Due to staying active in his official capacity 24 hours a day, does not have many chances to wear anything besides his uniform. It is unclear if he has any preferences in civilian outfits on the rare occasions of wearing them. For sleeping, prefers Japanese-style clothing (due to its comfort)

[BODY] He is slim but has sufficient stamina. Whether he works out or not is unclear. Due to efficient application of the available physical prowess thanks to his outstanding intelligence, sees no need in having great physical strength. Applying his superpower when necessary, displays superhuman physical abilities. Has severe myopia. His glasses are not for show.

[INTELLIGENCE] Exceedingly high, beyond the scope of ordinary people's imagination. From an observer's viewpoint, when presented with a problem, he provides the solution immediately, seemingly without spending any time on considering it.

[BELIEFS] Officially, honors and respects order, but personally does not necessarily act in accordance with clear-set rules, nor is averse to resorting to extra legal means. Exhibits the pattern of "acting without letting himself be bound by the rules in order to protect the rules of the majority" which can be viewed as self-righteous. At the same time, that way of thinking can also be viewed as a requirement for someone in the transcendental position of an extremely powerful king.

RELATIONSHIPS

[EARLY YEARS] Born to a family running a landscape gardening business. Both parents, as well as his magnanimous older brother, are ordinary people of virtue. Reishi was the only outstanding, high achieving member of the household, but he was not worshiped or avoided for it, he was simply honestly loved as a member of the family. He exceedingly excelled at studies. Has the experience of studying abroad. Munakata lives in the Scepter 4 dorm, while there are 6 people living in the Munakata family house - his father, mother, older brother, brother's wife, niece and nephew.

[TIMELINE] ・1988 Munakata Reishi is born. ・Summer 2010 Munakata awakens as the Blue King. Awashima becomes his first clansman. Suoh and Munakata meet for the first time. ・December 2012 To prevent the Damocles Down, Munakata kills Suoh in the course of the School Island incident.

ATTITUDE AND THOUGHTS TOWARDS OTHERS

[TERMS OF ADDRESS FOR HIMSELF] First person pronoun of choice is "watashi". Rarely, in private, switches to "ore". Second person preferred pronouns are "anata" and "kimi". On rare occasions, uses "omae" to address Suoh. Speaks politely although his words could be viewed as "hypocritical courtesy", sounding polite on the surface but being rude in intent. His catchphrase is "getting straight to the point". Although he usually speaks in a roundabout and obfuscating way, when he wants to make a strong assertion, he prefaces it with this phrase.

[TOWARDS AWASHIMA SERI, FUSHIMI SARUHIKO, OTHER SCEPTER 4 TROOPS] "Awashima-kun", "Fushimi-kun", "kimi". Uses polite language even towards his subordinates, but on occasions mixes in sarcasm or speaks his mind very bluntly. Despite that, tends to veil the true reasons behind his actions, but his subordinates do not mind being kept in the dark much. The tendency could be viewed either as him putting a wall between himself and others or, alternatively, as a relationship of mutual trust at a safe distance.

[TOWARDS KOKUJOUJI DAIKAKU] "Gozen" (Your Excellency), "anata". Takes the attitude of a lower ranking person, but does not understate his dignity as another king and does not show any fear of incurring Kokujouji's displeasure or wrath. His is the attitude of a daring youth.

[TOWARDS ISANA YASHIRO] "Isana Yashiro", "anata", "kimi". In season 1, was interested and at the same time wary of the mysterious boy. After the boy's true identity as the Silver King came to light, Munakata showed the basic degree of respect towards him, and although it is clear that he does not mind establishing a cooperative alliance, he does not fully trust the boy either. Also, feels somewhat resentful towards the Silver King who ran away, forsaking his duty.

[TOWARDS YATOUGAMI KUROH] "Yatougami Kuroh-kun", "Yatougami-kun", "kimi". Had a slight interest in Kuroh ever since Kuroh was Miwa Ichigen's retainer. In season 1, when he learned that Kuroh joined forces with the mysterious boy Isana Yashiro, his interest grew and Munakata was investigating Kuroh through conversations and fights. Kuroh who is straightforward and has faith in himself is suitable to be a Scepter 4 member. Sensing a potential in Kuroh, Munakata wishes he could have Kuroh as one of his subordinates had they been lucky enough to meet differently.

[TOWARDS SUOH MIKOTO] "Suoh Mikoto", "anata", "omae". While the line is blurred, there is a public and a private side to their interactions. For the latter, Munakata's expressions become somewhat rough. The very fact of a private facet of himself he only shows to Suoh Mikoto existing proves that Munakata is human, at the same time it also denotes that not even he is a perfect king.

[ridiasfangirlings]

Here me out: Day Care AU. Homra Daycare is run by the Trio while Scepter 4 Pre-School, run by Munakata and Awishima, is right next store. The clansmen are the kids. Saru's 'betrayal' is him climbing over the fence and refusing to go back so Munakata just puts him on his roll-call sheet. The have different backyards but share a large jungle gym park at the back of the properties. The kids claim 'territory' on it and try and put up boarders and stuff. Munakata and Mikoto play along by battling.

Somehow the idea of tiny Fushimi climbing over the fence and Munakata just being like 'okay, my kid now' cracks me up XD Like imagine Homra and Scepter 4 have competing daycares next door to each other, separated only this hedge fence in their respective backyards. Scepter 4 daycare is of course a very high class kind of daycare, where children play with the type of toys that enrich their brains and teach them important problem solving skills. All of Scepter 4's kids are very well-behaved and disciplined (well, most of them....tiny Kamo has been partnered with tiny Doumyouji in order to make sure that Andy doesn't start eating paste or drawing on the walls in crayon again), Munakata is very proud of them all and they like to stand politely behind him like little ducklings. Awashima makes them healthy anko snacks for the afternoon and then they all have a nice nap and then there's puzzle time with Munakata-sensei and it's a very calming and enriching daycare experience.

Meanwhile over at Homra daycare it's every child for himself, they play rowdy games in the mud and there's probably a lot of running around and screaming. Kusanagi makes the kids healthy snacks and makes sure that no one gets too scraped up, Totsuka thinks up fun new games to play with the kids and Mikoto naps in the yard while all the children crawl all over him like he's their favorite jungle gym. The Homra kids are very proud of their daycare and think it's super awesome, like they can kinda see over the hedge and they know that the daycare next door seems really boring and quiet, don't those kids ever just want to fling mud at each other and climb trees and do fun things. Fushimi and Yata are the youngest kids in the daycare (except for Anna who's maybe a baby cousin of Mikoto's and Kusanagi mostly takes care of her, the rest of the kids are always rowdy except when she's around and then they get all careful and gentle) and are very attached to each other, they were previously in another daycare together and then moved to this one and shy Fushimi doesn't feel safe around all these loud kids. Yata fits right in though and Fushimi starts to feel forgotten so one day he just climbs through the hedge and is promptly adopted by Munakata, much to Yata's dismay.

The kids start to have this little rivalry from either side of the hedge, like the Homra kids taunt the Scepter 4 kids and the Scepter 4 kids shoot back that the Homra kids have no discipline and are little heathens (Kusanagi's just like what kind of words are they teaching those kids over there). Mikoto and Munakata probably have their own kind of rivalry going too and so they end up encouraging this a little bit. Meanwhile actual adults Awashima and Kusanagi use this to set up fun little competitions between the daycares, like they have a dodge ball tournament or play kickball or whatever, maybe they have little races or even fun but safe mock battles so that Munakata and Mikoto lead their little armies of toddlers against each other (so, you know, kinda like in canon really).

[ridiasfangirlings]

Misaki spine is never safe in this world. How about a plot bunny with Saru time travelling with a mission to save Misaki's spine from breaking as there is a JUNGLE mission to break his spine before Saru's eyes?

Maybe time traveling Fushimi from a universe where Yata did have hisspine broken by jungle and Fushimi decides to go back in time to saveMisaki’s spine (now I’m imagining Fushimi meeting like multiplealternate universe Fushimis and so many are from universes whereYata’s spine got broken, Fushimi is just like why does everyone wantto break Misaki’s spine anyway). So after having been forced to watchhelplessly as Yata’s spine is broken Fushimi is upset and miserable,feeling that it’s his fault that he couldn’t save Yata in time. Hestarts trying to track down the jungle guys who did it and during thechase he ends up stumbling on a Strain with the power of time travel.Fushimi realizes that this may be the way to save Yata’s spine –not like he wants to save Yata of course, he tells himself that thisis just because he dislikes failing in his own mission and it’s notlike he’s super worried about Yata’s safety (imagine he hasn’t evenseen Yata since the whole incident, Fushimi almost goes to thehospital to check on him but talks himself out of it, saying it’sbecause he hates Yata but actually he just feels so guilty anduseless, part of him even worries that Yata will forgive him andsomehow that’s worse for him than the idea of Yata hating him morefor this).

So Fushimi goes back in time to like a few days before Yata’s spineis broken and he has to figure out a way to save Yata before ithappens. Say when he goes back in time he like inhabits his body fromthat time so it’s not like we have two Fushimis wandering around oranything, Fushimi just knows that in three days time he will run intoYata in the middle of the city, they’ll be attacked by jungle andYata’s spine will be broken. Fushimi starts trying to put plans inplace to stop this, like at first he tries to find a way to get Yataeven out of town by like using his hacking skills to fake a call fromYata’s mom that she needs him back home immediately. However whathappens is that just when Fushimi thinks he’s solved the problem Yatadecides to stop by Scepter 4 to see him and the jungle guys who brokehis spine the first time follow him there, Fushimi sees them too lateand Yata is once more attacked and his spine broken.

From this point on Fushimi gets stuck in like a Groundhog Day styleloop where the three day period will repeat until he manages to saveYata’s spine – or maybe just stop spine breaking in general, likein one loop Fushimi saves Yata but his own spine is broken and theloop still starts over anyway. Oh oh imagine the whole tragedy ofthat one day though, like Yata doesn’t understand what’s going on buthe’s suddenly attacked by these random jungle guys and he almosttakes a bad hit. But then out of nowhere Fushimi is there and hetakes the blow instead and you have Yata crying and shaking Fushimi’sinjured unconscious body. Then afterward he sits by Fushimi’s bedsideat the hospital and they have a tearful reunion and finally reconcileand everything is beautiful and even though he’s still shell shockedby no longer being able to walk Fushimi feels this sense of almostcontentment having Yata by his side once again…and then he wakes upthe next day with his spine unbroken and the loop having reset andFushimi just clicks his tongue like fuck this.

[ridiasfangirlings]

What subjects do you think middle school!Fushimi did worse in? Other than PE, because pasty nerd child can't possibly do well with all that physical activity. Although, the few instances where Fushimi demonstrated amazing soccer skills has me sort of headcanon-ing that he's actually good with sports, just too lazy to actually engage in playing, and while he CAN play, he can't play for long amounts of time.

Actually I kind of agree with you on the Fushimi + PE headcanon, Ithink he wouldn’t be terrible at gym, he’s agile and he’s gotgood reflexes so he’d probably be decent at it. The problem is hedoesn’t give a shit and is too lazy to really apply himself in anyway and he probably complains the whole time about how it’s hot andhe’s sweating and ugh exertion. When he wants to he’s probably prettygood, like I definitely lean towards the headcanon where he has poorendurance so he’d tire out quick but when he’s on he’s on. His bigweakness besides stamina would probably be that I think he’d dopoorly in a lot of team sports because Fushimi is not a team player,anything where he has to rely on other people I think he’d be bad atbecause he’d be trying to do everything on his own (though okayimagine him and Yata in gym class in middle school and they’replaying dodgeball, everyone assumes Fushimi will be an easy targetand then the game starts and he’s just dodging like a pro andthrowing balls at people with deadly accuracy while Yata just runsaround ducking and avoiding everything that comes his way and theyare like a killer duo and no one knows how this happened, how didthat skinny pasty nerd kick everyone else’s ass).

For the actual question, I could see him being bad at art, againlargely because he doesn’t give a shit more than a lack of skill.Plus I could see him considering art class to be pointless anyway,like in elementary school his classes probably did a lot of artprojects for their parents and of course since Fushimi’s parents arepieces of trash who never even looked at/threw away his projects itleft him with a deep lack on interest in art (I found a cute Hisarucomic on Pixiv once where little Fushimi’s class made Christmaswreaths for their parents and Fushimi’s is of course thrown away,he’s standing outside holding it when older Hidaka comes up and endsup trading him a scarf for the wreath). Also I think Fushimi woulddislike art because it’s not something that can be easily ‘solved,’like there’s not necessarily a right answer that you just have towork out and Fushimi doesn’t care for that sort of thing. I couldmaybe see him not doing so well in something like literature too,like if there’s assigned reading of certain classic books and such,Fushimi probably wouldn’t want to be bothered reading something hehas no interest in. Plus while I think he would be good at analysis –since he’s good at reading people and judging situations I think ifhe put his mind to it he could analyze a text placed in front of himpretty well – he might have a bit of trouble mapping out theemotions of the characters due to his own emotional issues and heprobably tends to take a dimmer view of any given text than most ofhis peers would since middle school Fushimi especially is very muchof the opinion that the world sucks and people suck and he’s probablythe kind of guy where if he cared enough to actually read the bookwould write his essay on how the hero is a stupid self-serving idiotand why would anyone root for someone like that.