#but when i think of them i think of Akira and her following these two around the foundation as a kid

[laugtherhyena]

I didnt know if i should send this ask or not but you responded to my ryudori brainrot post and im entering the epilogue rn. And i just. EVEN MINAKO KNOWS THERES SOMETHING GOING ON BETWEEN THE TWO

The fact that 2/3s of the rest of the 6.5 cast constantly ask/bother these two about them possibly dating will never not be funny to me honestly. Minako especially feels like the kind that would wanna know every detail of it

[katsukichu]

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 - 𝐑𝐮𝐦𝐢 𝐔𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐦𝐚 (𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐤𝐨) 𝐱 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Re-upload of an old piece I did for two collabs (chubby chasers collab by @/kyovtani & stay soft collab by @/touyaspeach). [NSFW-18+]. Minors and ageless blogs dni (I will block you)

Mirko sends you a picture of her at the gym & you get a bit self conscious. She reminds you that you'll always be her petty girl. [AO3]

The gym is eerily silent this morning. The usual buzz of people working out is replaced by the clattering of keyboard keys as the receptionist, Akira oversees the administration. She’s grateful for the silence but can't help but wonder why she's having such a slow start today. She stares at the empty studio,furrowing her brows she quickly dismisses her thoughts as she sifts through her emails.

Her tranquillity is soon interrupted by beeping from the revolving doors - indicating someone's just checked in. Akira looks up from her computer to see Japan's 5th hero - Mirko.

"Good morning, Mirko!" she greets excitedly.

"Sorry for the confusion but I thought you'd be in for your regular 3 o'clock session? “ Akira apologises checking her profile on the system.

"Hi hun sorry it must've slipped my mind I meant to call yesterday and reschedule.I have to attend that stupid hero gala today.” Mirko sighs as she tucks her membership card in her bag.

Oh, the hero gala! that explains why anyone isn't here. They’re getting ready, Akira thinks.

"No problem at all, I hope you enjoy the gala!"

"Thank you hun, but it's a big waste of time. I’d rather spend my time working and getting stronger. I mean who wants to be interviewed by people who just want to get under your skin?"

Akira acknowledges Rumi by nodding.

"Sorry you have to deal with the press being so rude. Just know us civilians appreciate you - thank you for your service"

Rumi smiles in response and slips into the studio - she appreciates the comment but truly doesn't care about what the public thinks of her.

Mirko is tough and fierce, especially to the public eye. She has a brash demeanour and laughs in the face of danger. She’s a hero, it’s her job to save people not to impress them.

Rumi is fit, she follows a strict exercise routine every day with no expectations - even a stupid hero gala. Although she enjoys carrots, she tries to have a balanced diet - unlike the cliche she doesn't "eat like a rabbit"

Mirko starts doing some warmup exercises - she switches between the treadmill and spin bike for a while before moving on to the calf and leg machines - these ensure she doesn't get any cramps.

Her favourite and most vigorous part of her routine included bench presses and hip thrusts. She’d even put some men to shame with how easily she does it.

It may look like she isn't breaking a sweat, but her heart is racing. It makes her veins feel like they're on fire and leaves her a little breathless. The only other time she feels like this is with you, her sweet y/n.

Mirko swears she doesn't have a type. Looks are not important to her but she can't help but gravitate towards chubby people. She thinks they're all so unique - just like the stretch marks that adorn their soft skin.

Society is cruel but your weight doesn’t define how "attractive" or how "healthy" you are. Just like the saying: "The bigger the figure, the more I can love.” Rumi thinks knows being chubby just means there's more of you to love.

There's nothing more that Mirko loves than to pick you up, as if you weigh nothing, and look into your eyes. She's constantly teasing you - yet also reassuring you - that she can handle your weight. Her bench presses, hip thrusts and lifts are double or sometimes triple what you weigh. If only you could see yourself from her perspective. Maybe then you'd understand how stunning you are.

Rumi is only satisfied with her workout when she's drenched in sweat and her muscles ache. Before showering she snaps a picture to send to you. Her left hand is up showing off her muscles and her abs are on full display. The sweat is still trickling down her toned body and her gym outfit - that she designed - hugs her in all the right places.

She sends you the picture saying "See something you like, baby bun? 😏😉"

The sunlight streams through your slightly parted curtain and illuminates your shared bedroomp. Rolling over to Rumi's side of the bed you sigh at the empty space. You move the pillows and blankets aside to locate your phone. Ignoring all your other notifications you smile seeing a message from Rumi.

Opening it you try typing a reply but can't form coherent sentences. You wake up, sit at the edge of the bed and stare at the picture of your gorgeous girlfriend and simply reply with a string of emojis 😍😍😍🥵🥵🥵

The longer you stare at the picture you realise it makes you feel a bit anxious and insecure. Rumi has an athletic body and a lot of muscle. You know you shouldn't compare your body type because all bodies are good bodies but you start to feel ashamed about your physique.

You don't have toned abs - instead, you have a plump tummy. Your thighs stick together and are covered in stretch marks and cellulite. Your arms aren't muscular at all; they're a bit flabby. You have back rolls and love handles. You don't have a perfect figure with big boobs or a fat ass - you don't fit the ideal description of being "curvy.” You have body hair, which is something natural, yet society is disgusted by it.

Dating Rumi feels magical and surreal. The only difficult things were dealing with the public and your own insecure thoughts. You try not to let the comments get to you, but some are so harsh.

Things like:

"Oh, so you're a hero huh? I thought the Commission was strict about training?"

"What makes you think you're cut out to be a hero, especially with Mirko? Can you even keep up with her? Didn’t think she'd be into someone bigger than her”

“ I'm pretty sure she said she doesn't need a sidekick especially not someone as useless as you"

"You're not exactly that 'graceful' why don't you pursue something else. Something more suitable for someone of your form?"

People have always doubted you. They’ve always questioned if you were cut out to be a hero. People have made you feel so different and alienated all because of your weight. You feel the hot tears stream down your cheeks. Using the back of your hand you try to wipe them away.

As if on cue Rumi comes home and due to her acute hearing from her quirk, she hears your sobs from the front door.

She drops her bag, slams the door and sprints towards your bedroom hoping you're not in danger. She's ready to pounce on the villain - fists clenched and teeth bared- but instead sees you. She takes a moment to gather herself before calmly making her way to your crying figure.

"Hey baby bun everything is alright" she assures.

She can be so soft and caring - a real 360 from what she was moments ago. Grabbing the tissues and water bottle from the bedside table she hops on the bed and sits next to you

"N-N-No it's not" you stutter, shaking and trying to hold back tears.

Rumi shushes you as she wipes your tears away. She holds the water bottle and helps you drink as well as take deep breaths in sync with hers until you're able to calm down. She holds you against her chest - you can hear her heart racing.

"Who made my baby bun upset?" Rumi asks as her ears and voice drop in pure concern.

"Me... I made myself upset" you admit.

"It's just…" you trail off avoiding eye contact

"Why do you love me? I'm not fit like you, I'm just me I'm fat -"

"HEY that's enough! “Rumi cuts you off.

"I didn't mean to startle you but you're fucking perfect! “ she exclaims

She feels her heart break into a million pieces. How long have you been keeping all this inside? Why haven't you told her - if someone was bothering you, they'd be dead because no one's hurting what's precious to Mirko.

Rumi has an idea, and her ears shoot up.

"Wait a minute I can show you! Come here bun" Rumi gestures for you to sit at the edge of the bed.

You don't know what she's up to but follow her regardless. She opens the closet door and you're met with the full body mirror inside.Immediately you look away and try to hide your dishevelled appearance.

"Come on my pretty girl, don’t hide from me, wanna see your cute face" Rumi says, making you look in the mirror.

"You know what I see when I look into the mirror? The most gorgeous girl in the world. You’re a cutie - a soft and cuddly one too. Being chubby doesn't mean you're greedy, ugly, or out of shape bunny. I love you just the way you are, and I'll always love you for you. I’ll do anything to make you realise that you are perfect just the way you are." Rumi says.

"You really think so" you sniffle looking up at her with teary eyes.

"Of course, baby. I mean every word! But you know what they say, actions speak louder than words. Let me show you what I love about you.“

Rumi tilts your chin up so you're looking at her.

"First off all I love all of you. Every single inch of you. Let's start from up her" Rumi kisses your forehead.

"You are so smart, talented,creative and so strong. I know your brain can be a meanie sometimes but I'm going to Lunar kick all those negative thoughts away" - the two of you giggle.

Rumi cups your face in her hands - her rough palms contrast your soft face.

"You are stunning - mesmerising actually. Your eyes - even though they're a little red now- remind me of the prettiest gemstones. Your lips are soft,sweet and so kissable" Rumi says, placing her chapped lips against yours.

"And of course, who can forget these adorable cheeks" she says while teasingly pinching and squishing them.

There are no bad intentions behind her touches or words purely love and admiration.

"Rumi I -"

"Sweetheart I'm not done yet. I want to praise all of you from head to toe." Rumi cuts you off.

"Your arms are perfect. When you hug me or cuddle me-it makes me feel like I'm at home." Rumi says hugging you.

"You know it'd be better if you're naked." Rumi mumbles pulling away from the hug.

"RUMI DON'T BE SO BLUNT!" you squeal. You feel the blood warm up your cheeks and both of you giggle again.

You hesitated at first but then realised it's just Rumi - the only person you'd leave yourself so open. The only one you will allow you to see you so bare - not only your body but your soul.

She tugs at the hem of your - her- shirt and asks if she can remove it. She does the same to your bottoms. You agreed but only if she takes hers off as well. She does and it makes you clench your thighs together.

Positioning herself on the bed and in front of the mirror she gestures for you to straddle her toned thigh.

"I can't sit there ill -"

"You'll what? Hurt me or something? Think I can't handle it? “She chuckles.

"Come sit. Now. “she instructs.

You know better than to keep her waiting, so you try and hover over her thigh. Only for her to grip the curve of your hips and pull you onto her.

"I said sit not hover bun. I hope you don't try to do that if I ask you to sit on my face.“ Her tone is dangerously low and makes your tummy pool with heat.

"Look how good we look together," Rumi says. You can't focus - not when your soft body is pressed against her strong one. You’re already soaked, and she hasn't even touched you yet. You can't bring yourself to look at the mirror, so you nuzzle your head into her neck.

"You're even cuter when you're squirming. Didn't know that was possible ”she teases.

As you wiggle your hips your clit catches on her muscular thigh, and you stifle back a moan. She flexes her thigh in response.

“Not yet bun”

She holds you in place and turns you so face the mirror once again.

"Your body is perfect.Look at your boobs so what if they're not perky or even? Mine aren't either" Picking your hand up she places it on her boobs.

"And this tummy… where do I even begin. It's not disgusting -it helps keep you nourished. It’s got stretch marks on it and so does mine “she moves your hand down from her chest, along her abs and across her stretch marks.

"Rumi, you're stunning “you whisper. She stretches her fingers over yours and pulls your hand closer so she can hold it.

"So are you, baby. I wanna take care of you.Bun there's so much I have to say. I could go on for hours talking about the reasons I love you - not only your body but your mind ,your soul but right now… I just want to worship your body a little ”

Slipping away from you she kneels on the cool tiled floor and settles between your thighs. You’re flustered by her comments, but your eyes follow the way she moves.

When her fluffy ears tickle you, your sweet laughter fills your shared bedroom. Rumi finally lets go of your hand with a kiss as she massages your thighs.

"So soft, pillowy, absolutely stunning" She traces her fingertips along your stretch marks. She runs her hands along the soft chub of your hips and all the way down to your calves finally settling her hands back on your thighs.You shiver at her soft touches - it makes your body feel electrified.

"Mind if I mark 'em up a little?"

"Mmh" is all you can respond with

"I need words baby. Are you in the mood for this & want me to continue?"

"Y-yes it's okay"

"Good because the only time I want to see you crying again is when it's on my strap. Got it Princess?"

(a/n-the best line I've ever wrote in my whole writing career)

Before you can respond she starts softly kissing along your inner thighs.You place your hands in her hair making sure not to grip too tight or near the base of her ears - which are extra sensitive. Rumi sucks on your soft skin and smirks when the bruises blossom on your skin.

You grind against the edge of the bed and your grip tightens on her hair. Looking down you feel a sense of pride and belonging which fades into concern.

Fuck how am I going to cover them up before the gala? you pondered.

"Eyes on the mirror pretty. Want you to watch how you fall apart for me" Rumi requested.

She smirks, spreading your plush thighs apart. You prop yourself up on a pillow and on your elbows trying to follow Rumi's order to look in the mirror.

You feel overwhelmed - mind hazy with lust and embarrassment. You don't know where to look.

"C-can I look at you instead?"

Rumi gives you a hazy smile before running her fingers along your pretty pussy. She swears she loves all of you equally, but your pussy was something else. She loves the way she has to use all her fingers to spread your folds and mound just so she can see your clit.

She adores the way you flutter and clench around nothing - you're so cute and eager. She doesn't mind whether you shave but secretly finds it hot when you let it grow. She's not letting a little hair stop her from pleasing you.

Rumi knows how to pleasure a woman - she alternates kissing along your thighs and pussy. The anticipation makes you dizzy. As she teases you, you gasp and buck your hips towards her.

She uses the tip of her tongue to swirl around your throbbing clit. She feels it pulsing on her tongue and stops to edge you for a bit before flattening it and running it along your eager slit.

She feels so good it almost hurts - you feel a dull pain almost desperate to feel something. Rumi always makes sure you're dripping before easing a finger into you. She curls her fingers upwards, and it hits your sweet spot every time and uses her other hand to spread you open so she can lap at your clit

Even though your plush thighs are muffling her ears she can still hear you.Your shared bedroom that was recently filled with sobs and giggles is now filled with lewd moans and erratic breathing

"No cumming until you tell me what I want to hear," Mirko says, slowing her movements

"Please… Please Please" you beg feeling a flurry of butterflies in your tummy.

"No not that… I want you to say you're pretty"

"m pretty" you try to say but instead it comes out in a high pitched squeal

"Say it like you mean it or you're not going to cum" Rumi demands, completely stopping her actions.

"Fuck. Mmh sorry. I’m pretty. I’m pretty Mmh so pretty. Mmh Mirko's pretty girl" you blabber, unsure of what you're saying all you can think about is cumming.Arching your back and trying to hump Rumi’s fingers you cry out of desperation.

"That's a good girl. You are my pretty girl, don’t forget that. You can cum for me sweetheart" Rumi praises, lapping at your clit, pumping, and curling her fingers again

You feel your tummy tighten before cumming all over Rumi's fingers. Your eyes are shut, and the most angelic moans leaves your lips.

Your chest heaves and Rumi looms above you cooing about how proud she is of you. She takes a moment to appreciate your stunning body again as she licks her fingers.

"You think you can give one more pretty? “ Rumi asks, massaging your legs

Still trying to catch your breath you nod frantically - wanting to please your girlfriend.

Rumi's pussy is throbbing and drenched in her own arousal. All she can think about is pushing your thick thighs up so she can grind on your pretty pussy.

She holds your legs to your chest - digging her hand into the soft flesh. Feeling her pussy on yours makes both of you whimper. The two of you are so wet and desperate and you know you're not going to last long.

She may be smaller than you but thanks to her training she pins you down easily and humps you like a bunny in heat. Slipping her hand between the two of you and spreading your pussy open so you grind clit to clit with each other.

“Just like that bun.... there’s my good, pretty girl” she grits.

With each harsh thrust of her hips, it makes your tummy rolls and boobs jiggle. Rumi is truly mesmerised by your beauty. She keeps glancing up and down. Your eyes are shut in pure ecstasy and your tongue is lolled out of your mouth.

"S'pretty like this - all for me right Princess?"

"Mmh. M f'you Rumi. I'm y-your pretty girl."

"That's what I wanted to hear"

You continue rocking your bodies back and forth at an even more frantic pace.

"Faster pretty. Fuck just like that. ahh" Rumi curses.

The two of you cum hard and Rumi almost collapses on you. Catching herself she allows herself to gently lie on top of you. Bodies pressed together and drenched in sweat and with racing hearts, the two of you lay like this for a while.

You can't think straight at all - the room feels like it's spinning. You struggle to keep your eyes open and even out you’re breathing.

“One more alright. Just relax, I got it".

Rumi is full of energy - it’s her quirk or being a hero but she's got excellent stamina. Sex always ended up being multiple rounds with the sweetest aftercare.

Rumi goes to the bedside table and grabs her strap on and a bottle of lube - not that she needed it.

"Are you okay with this? “She asks while lubing up her strap.

Still basking in your afterglow and trying to come back to reality you reply with a meek "yes.” You can't see Rumi but hear the jingle of the buckles as she secures the strap on.

"Absolutely sure? Cause I really wanna fuck you against the mirror so you can see how pretty you are taking me "

Taglist [click here to join <3]

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[ethicaltreatmentofcowplants]

Having completed her Angling Ace aspiration, Marin got cake-d up and sent on a vacation to Granite Falls and try and complete her fish collection. This gen's quirk is that they have to flirt with everyone who they encounter at a fishing spot, until they find their long-term partner.

Yeah, I'm thrilled about it too, Marin.

The rant follows. It was going to be a longer rant but then I got tired. You need energy to rant - who would have thought it? (Turns out I lied. It was still pretty long.)

Also anyone who isn't a Simmer will likely think that I need to touch grass after this (which, fair tbh). But then if you weren't a Simmer, you likely wouldn't be here in the first place 😉

(And yeah, it's all tongue-in-cheek/not to be taken seriously. Well, mostly lol.)

I know that the term 'long-term partner' is deliberately vague and leaves room for an aro-ace relationship (orrrr even a bff who you live with and raise a kid together?) which I appreciate. I know that she doesn't have to find her partner from this selection - the wording is that she just has to keep on flirting until she does.

But even of the premade townies, no one is sparking joy? I could default to Nalani, who you'd think would be perfect (I mean, gorgeous merperson and actually interesting in spite of her blah occult) and yet for some reason I'm just not feeling the two of them together.

So then the Watcher, in all her benevolence (aaaannd admittedly her cheapness for waiting on a sale to buy Lovestruck) set up a club for Marin. It was to be a club for young adults. It was to be a club for unmarried Sims. Which - I wish there was a finer means of classification, because I know damn well the two of you are engaged, Darrel Charm and Mateo Markovic from My Wedding Stories (whose name I had to look up, that's how little you inspire me). Bland as forbidden word townie from a pack so broke that it may as well be a millennial. Aaaand also it was to be a club for people with Level 2 Fishing and above.

Thus: young adults, unmarried, some skill (and therefore, hopefully interest) in fishing. Cute, cool. Hopefully we've weeded the catfish out of the pond.

Then we pulled up the tab of potential candidates and guess which forbidden word comes up.

Lou. Fucking. Howell.

For context, I have history with Lou Howell. I have beef with Lou Howell. Nothing particularly wrong with the guy, apart from a certain lightfingeredness (klepto trait) and a slight body hair problem around particular times of the month. But this motherfucker is like an universal adapter when it comes to all my Sims and I have to consciously make a decision to stay away from him in saves. In other words, Lou Howell is unwelcome here.

(I also don't really know yet what I'm doing with the fourth/next gen. Yeah, the rules say using music to make money. This Watcher however is this forbidden word tired of celebrity Sims popping up around the most random and out-of-way places that she's about to eject Get Famous into the sun, however, and it's taking every last once of willpower not to deactivate it right now. Sooo if I had an idea of what the fourth gen looked like, then I may have a less vague idea of what the baby daddy/mommy/gender neutral genetic donor should look like.)

Wait - what's happening now? Who moved my cursor?

NO, LOU. NO. IT IS NOT YOUR TIME. GO AWAY.

So I don't know what to do! Lou Howell Does anyone have gallery Sims to donate to this cause? Lou Howell Are there previously untapped mines of eligible townies who I haven't thought of? Lou Howell For the record, Akira Kibo and Paolo Rocca are granddad and dad respectively. In spite of the incest glitch making a comeback elsewhere (maybe it's heard the Targaryens have returned to the telly?), they are therefore out of the picture.

Play the Sims, they said. It will be fun, they said. A casual game, they said...

I need a lie down.

odd money legacy rules here. come join me. it will be fun...

[katsona-the-katsequel]

I imagine all the protags being friends tbh, like all of them, give me two and i can make a way i can see them interacting, but i really think Makoto and Yu would get along so so well, same with Kotone and Akira

Give them some time and they'll be some of the closest friends you'll see. Really helps that four of them made it their mission to befriend at least 19 people in a year. Naoya, Tatsuya, and Maya never stood a chance against their combined Max Charm. Naoya got that next-door, cheeky, pretty boy aura going on for him. He clicked with Akira right away, though surprisingly he found himself playing the straight man in Akira's jokes.

Naoya saw Yu taking charge once (1) and happily delegated all the leader duties to him. Minato followed suit. Yu offered the leadership duties to Maya (because oldest in the group should know best, right?) but she said "No, thank you :)". Yu glanced at Tatsuya, who just shook his head. Akira made a playful grab for the leadership position, but Yu believed he was joking and took it back (they didn't trust each other yet). Kotone ended up leading and ran everyone ragged. Naoya is scared. Maya is dead again. Tatsuya is reevaluating his initial impression of the little girl with the red bow. Minato seems barely phased, but if looks could kill... Yu and Akira are mentally taking notes for their respective teams.

Kotone and Akira are the type of people Tatsuya would be attracted to (Platonic! I mean, romantically too if you want to). They're the most vocal about their ideals and beliefs. If Naoya, Minato and Yu opened up more to talk about more personal stuff, he would like them as well.

Maya thinks they're all cute. Especially Minato. The kind to cover him with a blanket whenever he falls asleep. Akira is also on permanent coffee duty for Maya now. Yu discovered he had Mommy IssuesTM when Maya began to look after him. Aside from those uncovered feelings that he still needs to process, Yu found himself connecting the best with Minato and Akira. They relate to each other and don't find the occasional long silences nor the unprompted strange commentaries as offputting as other people. Those three are in the same wavelength, with Kotone occasionally joining them.

If someone asked Kotone, she would say Yu is her favorite because he feeds her. But honestly? Its Minato. They just get each other. True, that might lead to some frustrated arguments you can only have with someone who's too much like you, but its good to do or say something without having to explain herself. Minato thinks Maya, Kotone and Akira are a bit too much sometimes (where do they get all that energy from?), but he really likes them. Good luck making him admit it, tho.

Now that I think about it, Akira might be the most charismatic of the group. Huh.

[lemonadecandy103]

Psycho Pass Providence — The Re-introduction of Kougami Shinya

Still working on a general review on Psycho Pass: Providence and also a Shinkane/KouAka post. But I had so many thoughts on Kougami after watching the movie twice that I had to document them while they were still fresh. This is a follow-up to a post I made about Kougami prior to watching PPP: some of my impressions did change while others stayed the same. It’s a lot so keep reading if you’re interested in what I thought about Kougami’s character in Providence. WARNING: Spoilers!!!

I’ll begin with the scene in Dejima where Kougami and Saiga are drinking together. There’s one particular line that I felt could’ve been made smoother: Saiga says “the girl is neither a saint nor a bodhisattva, screw around too much and you’ll end up getting enforced. Apologize while you still have the chance Kougami. Take it from an old timer like me.” and he raises his glass with a smile. I watched both the subbed and the dubbed version and the line is very similar across both. I can’t help but think that line could’ve been improved slightly. Maybe it flows more naturally in Japanese so I can’t speak on that matter. But if I had the liberty of tweaking it even just a little, it would go as follows: “the girl in neither a saint nor a bodhisattva, screw around too much and you’ll end up losing her forever.”

And I don’t mean to necessarily press for him losing her as a love interest, but even just a trusted friend or at least a colleague who always had his best interest in mind.

Ultimately, not exploring the more emotional (and by extension—the romantic) aspects of Kougami’s character was a missed opportunity for Providence in my opinion. He’s the second main character in this installment and we got very little inward reflection from him this time around. The last 15 or so minutes of the film is what really impressed me with respect to his character. Seeing him exit the isolation facility, looking back, and then looking ahead, declaring “I swear, I’ll come back for you,”  with such ardor reminded me that he’s still a hero in this story, however unconventional he may be.

It was clear that Akane and Kougami’s relationship had to change in this installment. After 6 long years, they are both different people now and cannot go back to the same relationship dynamics as in Season 1. More on that in a different post. Consequently, the portrayal of these individual characters had to evolve in order to match this change. Initially, when I watched the promotional clips, I was put off by his bluntness—especially towards Akane. But there were instances where we saw the caring Kougami seep through. He smiles once in the film. And this is when Saiga tells him: “I don’t work with the PSB, I work with Akane Tsunemori.”  I don’t know if he smiles because he still finds it funny that Saiga is cooperating with the government or if he smiles at the mention of Akane’s name or even some matter of pride at how much Akane is respected by Professor Saiga. Either way, it was nice to see this moment.

The other less noticeable moments from Kougami were two times when he showed what I can interpret as a combination of grief and frustration. From my observations, his eyes were animated to have this glistening/“quivering” motion, similar to this gif, minus the actual tears — there were no tears in Kougami’s case:

It’s very subtle but please let me know if anyone else also noticed this. The first time his eyes did this was when after Saiga died and he called Shion to consult Saiga’s psychological profile of Tonami along wirh Akira’s poem. Shion mentions how horrible it was — what happened to the professor. Kougami pauses and adds “Yeah”  but the tone is almost as if he had to force it out of himself. I couldn’t help but feel like he was holding it together for the investigation, but deep down was grieving the loss of his dear professor. After all, he told Akane to keep it bottled up until the end of the case. The second time I saw this effect of his eyes was while he was reading Akane’s letter in his isolation cell. He gets to the part where she writes about being glad to have seen him again and that he helped her find the answer. He calls her a bakayaro, and his hands grab the letter so fiercely that it kind-of crumples while he throws his whole body into a defeated hunch — since he’s stuck in his cell and can’t even do anything to stop her.

I had read some early accounts by Japanese viewers that he was crying while reading her letter: this effect in the eyes may have been what was mistaken as crying.

Although it was nice to see Kougami go through these moments in PPP, I can’t help but feel like there could have been more. However, Providence is a very dense film and I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt that with all the action sequences, Akane’s iconic scenes, and the supporting cast all getting their own memorable segments, Kougami’s development just wasn’t a priority. If Shiotani, Fukami, and Ubukata intend to make an SAD spin-off as they’ve expressed in interviews, I would hope that they explore possible romantic or other intimate human feelings on Kougami’s part — similar to how he learned to be a father figure to Tenzing. In fact, I would argue that after Providence, it’s likely that they’ve backed themselves into a corner with regards to Kougami’s interpersonal relationships. The tension between Kougami and Akane was essentially the secondary conflict of the film and it ended with some resolution midway but also a shift in Kougami’s disposition once he read Akane’s letter, realizing the impact he had on her life. If there’s further content on Kougami as a person, we almost certainly need to at least confront his relationship with Akane and even Ginoza (was somewhat addressed on the boat scene and we see them on good terms in Season 3/PPFI). The other route is just watching a 007-Misson Impossible Kougami getting into knife fights and performing crazy stunts, but I think the PP fandom in general agrees that this option would be dull and a waste of a character who had such an artful inception. Now I know that PP wants to go for a more shōnen look and are cautious of depicting romance between the main characters. It was pretty obvious with Arata being introduced as the new main character and the fact that Yuki Kaji was brought on board to voice him (he’s done fantastic work on many popular shōnen characters including Eren Jaeger). But, showing how love could affect Kougami and how him giving love could present new angles of his character would undoubtedly be exciting to see. We know he wants to protect people. We know that he’s decided to work outside of the law in order to do that. He’s made peace with his revenge and he’s learned that he wants to protect people without any reserve or obligation. Saiga warned him about potentially becoming a killing machine like Tonami if he keeps letting people use him as a hunting dog, and he agreed that he doesn’t want that. I expect that he could follow the same thought process as Ginoza did in SS Case 1 where he ultimately just wants to help people with his detective work, without much care for who’s judged to be good or evil. On this note, it would be beneficial for Kougami to understand his heart a bit more. Maybe visit his mother too? Maybe actually value his own life instead of running into a fight like he has nothing to lose? He’d already prepared Akane for his death way back between S1 and S2. Would he fight differently if Akane were expecting him to come back home alive?

Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Kougami’s character. Still love our chaotic spikey-haired gun-slinging emo cowboy. And I’m looking forward to what the creators might do with his character next.

[puppiesandnightlock]

LINK: At least it’s not as dull as fitting like a glove

summary: Damian and Jon are, well, Damian and Jon.

They're idiots about their hideously obvious feelings, and their friends are *so* done with them. Time for operation Damijon.

otherwise known as the friends meddling >:)

“Alright, this is getting ridiculous.” Maya wrinkled her nose, watching Jon knock Damian in the shoulder, the shorter boy grumbling as he knocked back, hint of a smile on his face.

“They’re like, disgustingly mushy.” Colin agreed. “It’s horrible.”

“They should kiss.” Skyler nibbled on her pencil, sharing a sketchbook with Akira, who looked up and grinned.

“Is this meddling, I hear? Are we meddling?”

Maya nodded solemnly. “We’re meddling.”

“-eT OFF OF ME, YOU IDIOT-” They looked over at the exclamation, Damian squawking as Jon flopped on him, going limp and forcing all his weight onto the smaller boy, who was mostly upright.

Akira pointed a pen at them, considering for a moment. ”Gay.”  

“You’re gay.” Skylar kicked them under the table playfully. 

“Yes, I very much am.” 

“Children, please, back to the matter at hand.” Maya clapped. “What do we know about Jon?”

“He was an asshole!” Colin chirped.

“He was probably being an asshole specifically to Damian for attention.” Skylar added. “And he’s tall.”

“He has black hair and makes bad fashion choices.” 

“He could probably be a jock in a different life.”

“He’s like, secretly Nick Nelson but not British.”

“And not nearly as nice, less manners and more fictionally jock-like.”

“I mean anything useful.” Maya cut them off, rolling her eyes fondly.

“His best friend is a girl named Kathy, and her parents run a diner downtown. Also, he’s a secret southern good boy who would get whacked over the head with a wooden spoon if his grandmother knew he was acting like this.” 

Akira looked up from stenciling a piece they wanted to throw up on the school alleyway. “I follow her on Insta.”

“Something helpful, thank you.” Maya grinned. “Okay, we’re getting this Kathy chick in on this, Akira, send the address and we’ll meet up there this weekend, provided they aren’t there for a not-date.”

“Got it.” Akira pulled out their phone and tapped at it, creating a chat.

New Chat: literally_nobody, End_the_cycle, Sky_high_dreams

End_the_cycle has changed the name to: Op Damijon

End_the_cycle: idk i think it sounds good

Sky_high_dreams: when they get married we should make them a wedding sign with this

Art.is.lit(erature): woodworking bet

Anyways heres the address - link

literally_nobody: Sounds good

 everyone meet there at like 12:30-ish, thats when they have tutoring so they def wont b there.

“Why are they all on their phones?” Jon whispered, pulling out his own. They were watching their friend, having grown curious at the lack of chatter, not that they’d really been listening to it from how they’d been badly flirting messing around with each other.

“They’re sitting in front of each other, they can talk face to face.” Damian grumbled, before looking over Jon’s shoulder, resting his chin there.  “Maybe someone died?”

“Nah, no one’s socials have blown up.” he leaned back a bit, raven curls falling into Damian’s vision, causing his nose to scrunch up. He blew the hair upwards, getting a glance at the screen.

“Weirdos.” Jon muttered, putting his phone away. Damian nodded, the two still attached to each other and now swaying back and forth with the light breeze.

“Very much so.”

“Oi!” Jon shouted. Damian startled, having grown accustomed to the peace and detached himself from the taller boy, much to Jon's disappointment. “What are y’all doing? ” 

Four phones were promptly slammed face down onto the table, followed by a multitude of bad explanations. 

“What makes you think we’re dining anything anyways?” Colin challenged, Maya pinching the bridge of her nose behind him.

“Fine, don’t tell us.” Damian muttered. “A four year old could lie better than you.”

“You would know, wouldn’t you?” Jon poked his cheek, laughing as his hand was swatted away. 

“Are you insinuating I am a four year old, Kent?” 

“You’re as short as one.” 

“It’s not my fault you’re practically a giant!” he crossed his arms, before realizing Jon’s mischievous expression. “No. whatever you’re thinking, stop.”

He was scooped up not ten seconds later, screaming obscenities as Jon cackled. The four on the table shared a glance, one thought in their heads.

Truly sickening, they were. Oblivious and ridiculously pining.

Maya was outside of the diner at 12:30, impatiently tapping her foot as she waited for at least a head of red hair to come bobbing down the sidewalk. She watched the servers swoop in and out, a blond freckled one catching her eye. According to Akira’s phone, this girl matched the description of Kathy. 

“Hey, welcome! How many for ya today?” 

Maya coughed, coming in face first with the girl. “Erm, four. Hey, you’re Kathy, right?”’

She hoped she didn’t sound stalker-ish. Judging by the way the girl squinted her eyes suspiciously, she probably did.

“Who’s askin’?”

“My name is Maya, and I'm a friend of Damian and Jon’s.”

Kathy lit up at the mention, but before she could respond, Colin came barreling through the door, catching himself on Maya. 

“Sup, M? Akira volunteered to pick up Skylar, they should be almost here.” He looked between them. “Hey, are you Kathy? Did Maya tell you about Damijon?”

“Damijon?” Kathy asked at the same time Maya sighed and said, “I was getting there when you so rudely interrupted.”

“Oops.” Colin grinned, looking between them. “I’m Colin.”

“Yo!” Akira, followed Skylar, came through the door, one looking extremely pleased, and the other mourning the loss of their paint-splattered jacket. “Sky made me change.”

“What’s wrong with what you normally wear? And where’s your jacket?” Colin asked.

“That’s what I said! And she made me leave it, I feel naked.” To make a point, they shivered, and Skylar smacked their arm.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” 

They stuck their tongue out at her in retaliation, Colin and Skylar laughing. Maya sighed, turning to Kathy and asking for a table for four, loudly asking for three children’s menus. They all eventually made it to the table, all five nursing milkshakes, as Kathy had asked for her break.

“Okay, so let me get this straight, they aren’t dating yet? Cause when they came in, they seemed awfully couple-like. Milkshakes and fries, and It was more of an apology from Jon. He’s been texting more, waxing poetic about him.”

“Really?” Maya leaned forwards. “Damian hasn’t said shit about Jon, not that he’s had time to, they're attached to the hip and he barely uses his phone.”

“Okay, so we know that they are most definitely pining for each other, and Jon’s more vocal about it. They both like milkshakes, Damian's a little too attached to his grades to not be hiding from his feelings, and they are more similar than they think. Should we have them commit a felony together?”

Colin swirled his straw around what was left in his glass, Skylar sighing. “I have a feeling they’ve already done that, his lock pick kit was used.”

“How would you know that?” Akira perked up, Skylar looking away. “That’s for me to know, and none of you to find out.”

“We should try something legal.” Maya said. “Anything going on so far? Worst case scenario, we trap them in a closet.”

“Smallville’s having a festival in a few weeks. I know Jon’s been dying to go back, an’ my family goes every year. If y’all can get Damian to say yes, I can get Jon’s parents to agree.” Kathy suggested.

“We can make it sound like a friend's outing, and then leave them together,” Akira added.

“Ask the person to rig the Ferris wheel or something so that they end up on top with no way down!” Colin chirped. “They have fireworks at this fair?”

Skylar hesitated, “Maybe something less traumatic.” 

Kathy, however, seemed to love the idea, nodding enthusiastically. “As long as Damian ain’t scared of heights, we’re fine. There are plenty of other rides we could ‘accidentally’ leave ‘em alone in.”

“This will be more fun than i thought.” Maya pulled out her phone, grinning. “A few weeks' time and we can get them together, no problem.”

Damian’s phone buzzed as he pointed out a specific problem, explaining the process. He ignored it, but not five seconds later, Jon’s did as well.

“Permission to check, Teach?” Jon grinned, picking up his phone anyways. 

“Granted.” Damian answered, picking up his phone as well. Maya had texted Damian, detailing the dates and time that they would be doing this, leaving no room for a yes or no answer. Kathy’s was a more nice version, asking Jon if he’d like to come down to Smallville for the fair in a few weeks, and that the rest of his friends would be coming as well.

Damian seemed less pleased, but softened as he saw Jon's excitement, and beneath it, a strong pang of bittersweet.

“Will your parents allow you?” Damian said. “My brothers will, my father will not have much of a say in the matter. One of them will probably make their way with us.”

“I want to. God, I want to so bad.” Jon’s forehead fell into his hand, pushing up the curls that so often fell into his face. “My parents haven't let me go down for so long, I don't know why they’d say yes now.”

Damian mulled over it for a bit. “If your brother tells them he wants to go too, would they be more susceptible to letting you go? Since everyone else is going, and your childhood friend’s family whom they trust is the one offering it?”

“I guess, but he wouldn’t want to come.” Jon grumbled. 

“He can fake it. Your parents are rarely home anyways, right? Shouldn’t be that hard.” 

“I’ll talk to him, see what he says.” Jon pocketed his phone, looking at the time. “Can we call it an early day, Dami?”

“If the first thing you do is talk to your brother, yes.”

Jon grinned, pulling him to his side and rubbing his nose in the soft brown hair. “You’re the best, Dames. See you in a bit.”

Damian flushed, but only nodded, sliding his bag over his shoulder and sending a soft smile towards Jon, pink still dusting his cheeks.

“So let me get this straight. You want me to lie to mom and dad for you, and tell them that I oh so desperately wish to go back to the countryside for a fair, so that you can go down with your friends and possibly woo Damian.” Kon had his arms crossed, looking largely unamused.

“I didn’t say that last part!” Jon huffed, running a hand through his curls. “And Dami said one of his brothers might come too, for supervision. Ask Tim to come if you don’t want to lie.”

“I’m going to lie for you.” Kon decided after a beat. “But you’d better come home with a boyfriend.”

“Kon!” 

Nonetheless, everyone was extremely excited for the next few weeks, the fair landing on a long weekend. They all met up in front of the Brandens’ restaurant, the carpool going big. One of Damian’s siblings and their partner had opted to come along, much to Kathy’s parents' relief. Seven teenagers and only the two of them would have been a disaster. 

The Waynes had the bigger car, so the kids would be in that one, while they followed the Brandens’ car to the farm they still kept in the countryside. 

“ROAD TRIP!” Colin yelled gleefully. Akira looked pained at the sight, Damian rolling his eyes and putting in his earbuds before they were even in the car. Jon and Kathy were both talking a mile a minute, regaling Skylar and Maya with tales of their youth in Smallville.

One by one, they shuffled into the car, Damian and Jon sitting in the back with Maya and Kathy, Colin, Akira, and Skylar squeezing into the front. 

“All ready?” the driver called, and the car exploded into cheers and laughter, shoving each other and hugs. 

This would be a rather eventful weekend, wouldn’t it?

[shiki-aki]

Do you know how much Akira being Shiki's caretaker and guardian means so much for me in ED1?

Because being caretaker is so frustating (believe me I was the main caretaker for my late grandma in her last months and it isn't easy), I have to be patient to ny grandma who had dementia and regressed to be childish and likes to throw temper tantrum, my mental health went to the sewer, i barely manage to take care myself, my life is falling apart, im sleep deprived, i feel alone, there is many times i want to run away but i have obligation and i loved her so much to abandon her. She was like a second parent to me

My situation with Akira isn't the same, Akira doesn't have to deal Shiki throwing tantrum but he had to deal assassinations going after them in an POST-APOCALYPTIC WORLD WITH NO HEALTHCARE AND STABLE PLACE AND LITTLE TO NO FOOD??? THAT SPEAK SO MUCH DEDICATION, AKIRA DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE CARE OF SHIKI AFTER WHAT HE HAD DONE?! HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH SHIKI'S SHIT ANYMORE AND LEFT HIM TO DIE BUT NO. THIS MAN JUST STAY WITH HIM

ALSO SANITATION

Sorry, for the capslock, I got excited for a moment...

Ig this speak so much i liked the ED1 too

I definitely wasn't expecting to wake up to this, but thank you so much for this ask, I really loved reading about your experience and how ED1 resonates with you <3.

(Putting a 'read more' because my response is quite lengthy and treads into meta territory)

I don't have any experience with being a caretaker but gosh that sounds so stressful T_T. I really hope you're doing better now, and that hopefully your grandma was still able to live her life peacefully until the end. To be honest, when I think about ED1, I don't really consider the more sad/distressing aspects of it, like Akira having to be on the run with Shiki for 2 years and doing everything for him, so this was a bit of an eye opener for me. I did write an ED1 fic where it kind of detailed their life while on the run, but it wasn't that depressive, and instead focused on Akira's bittersweet feelings toward Shiki TwT.

But same, I really love how dedicated Akira is to taking care of Shiki in ED1. I think that, no matter what, Akira is the determined type of person who won't give up. He already experienced what it was like to lose Keisuke, so he doesn't want to lose Shiki, either. And I know I haven't finished my meta yet but I'll just spill a bit of my thoughts for why Akira follows Shiki in ED1:

Shiki was the one to bring back Akira's will to live when Akira was at the lowest point in his life. If Shiki hadn't found him in that alleyway, Akira would've let himself get killed by any random Igra fighter. Shiki's route is different from Motomi's/Rin's in that Akira actually sees Keisuke die in front of him, while in the other two, Keisuke just runs off, so Akira clings onto the vain hope that Keisuke is still alive. Yeah it's fucked up how Shiki went about bringing back Akira's will to live, but let's be real, that's exactly the type of character he is lol, and what I love about it is how it makes sense for him to kidnap Akira and rape him, based on Shiki's obsession with Akira's determined and defiant nature.

So now, when Shiki is at the lowest point in his life and has lost the will to live, it's Akira's turn to do the same for Shiki and force him to continue living. Which is why he sticks by Shiki's side for 2 years even when life seems absolutely miserable. (GOD I FUCKING LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH I JUST SFDGHFDHGHSDFHSDFHSDH they really get each other tbh).

But even though life seems miserable, Akira doesn't view it that way (and this is also why Shiki's ED1 is my favorite and why I personally think it's the one that most beautifully completes Akira's character arc). Like look at this:

It's so starkly different from Akira's POV at the beginning of the game. When Akira was in the CFC, he didn't care about anything and he certainly didn't wax poetic about the scenery (not that the scenery in CFC is pretty but like, you get what I mean lol). We can tell Akira is different in ED1, that his very philosophy is different, because he's looking at life from a new perspective now, taking the time to appreciate the nature around him and just... the simple fact of being alive. Whereas at the start of the game, Akira didn't see a meaning to his own life and was living just because. In Shiki's ED1, Akira does see a meaning to life, and it's why he takes care of Shiki and protects him. Because he finally understands how valuable life is, and how you should cherish it.

But I'm gonna go back to the tunnel scene real quick to touch upon what exactly Shiki said that changed Akira's perspective and made Akira want to follow him:

Akira, his whole life, was looking for a purpose/meaning to his existence, and now he's finally "found" it, but not in the way he expected. After learning about his own past/backstory and how he was experimented on in the past, Akira starts thinking that the only reason for his existence is to be a test subject/experiment, and that his blood dictates his existence. He starts having an identity crisis basically, especially since he already saw how his blood hurts/kills people (Rein users, Takeru, Keisuke), and that the whole reason for why Emma and Gwen wanted to capture him was for his blood so he could be further experimented on.

So Akira starts falling into this hole, thinking that his worth in life is only determined by his blood. And then he turns to Shiki and asks if Shiki wants to kill him, because he expects Shiki to view him as only the "null-Nicole carrier" and not Akira as a person. He knows that Shiki hated Nano for having a virus in his blood, and Akira also has a virus in his blood, even if the effect is different. So he fully expects Shiki to kill him at this moment.

And then Shiki tells him: "You're mine. That's all there is to it."

Shiki says exactly the right words Akira needed to hear at this time. He's not going to kill Akira, because he doesn't view him for his blood, but for who he is as a person. Now let me make it clear that Shiki isn't the most emotionally intelligent person out there lol but I think, even during this moment, he saw how conflicted Akira was feeling about his own existence, especially with regards to the blood thing.

So Shiki... comforts him in his own special way by saying that he won't kill Akira because Akira is his possession, but also remember that Shiki made Akira his possession in the first place because he was interested in Akira as a person. When he kidnapped Akira, it was because he was fascinated by Akira's resistance and defiance and determination. This is as close to Shiki saying he likes Akira for who he is as you're gonna get, and what I love about this dialogue is how it keeps Shiki entirely in-character. He's not gonna coddle Akira or sugarcoat his words, and he's also going to hide his true feelings by saying that Akira is just his possession, but his true feelings are there in how he refuses to kill Akira. Because again, he views Akira as his own person, and not just as someone carrying a dangerous virus in his blood.

I'M GONNA STOP HERE BEFORE I RAMBLE TOO MUCH BUT. Let me just add this one last scene from the game to end it off on this point lol.

Shiki had told him who he was: that he remained Akira, no more, no less, despite the tainted blood in his veins. That was why Akira had chosen to stay, to be as near as he could to the core of who Shiki was.

At the end of the day, this is what I love about Shikiaki. This is why I ship them so hard. Because they truly understand each other, they see each other for the "core of who they are" and are drawn to each other's character traits. Shiki dedicated his whole life to killing Nano because of the "dirty virus" in Nano's blood, but him refusing to kill Akira even after learning about how Akira has the same blood origin speaks VOLUMES about how fond he actually is of Akira, and how he views Akira as his own person.

And I feel like, at the end of it all, Akira just wanted someone to understand him and see him for who he is. He had a difficult time communicating with others his whole life because people didn't like his terse and reserved nature (even his own best friend didn't like that side of him). But Shiki doesn't care about Akira's emotionally stunted nature; he cares about how Akira is determined, stubborn, prideful, and how he doesn't take shit from anyone lol. And Shiki likes every side of Akira. His route is the only one where Akira didn't have to drastically change his personality just to make the romance work, but Akira's pre-existing character traits were strengthened over the course of Shiki's route.

*TAKES DEEP BREATH* OKAY YEAH SORRY I RAMBLED A LOT THERE and that's not even all my thoughts tbh, that's just like. A third of it LMAO. I'm saving the rest for my meta.

But okay going back to your ask, yeah the sanitation aspect is one that I don't want to think too heavily on lmao. I think it just speaks to how much Akira cares for Shiki though, that he would help "clean" Shiki up, and how again, Akira is doing all of this because he recognizes how precious life is, so he won't abandon Shiki, because Shiki didn't abandon him back in Toshima.

NO DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR BEING EXCITED ABOUT ED1 I LOVE THIS ENDING SO MUCH I LOOOOVE TALKING ABOUT IT. I ALWAYS END UP WRITING A WHOLE ASS ESSAY WHENEVER PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT IT. I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIKE ED1 AS WELL, I feel like many Shikiaki shippers hated ED1 back then because it was so sad, but I feel like in recent times people understand and appreciate ED1 for what it is? And that makes me happy ig lol, like don't get me wrong I adore all of Shiki's EDs but ED1 is just. IT HITS DIFFERENT. And I hope that in my meta I'll be able to explain why ED1 is just the perfect ending for Shiki and Akira's story despite how sad and angsty it is sfhsdhfhdghfdghgffdg.

Thank you so much for the ask and I'm sorry I wrote a long ass response in reply omg I was just really excited reading your thoughts!!!

[chasingshadowsblog]

"I am Tetsuo." - Youth vs. Adulthood in 'Akira'

"School kids these days!" Throughout its high-speed opening sequence Akira wastes no time in establishing a distinct line between the young people and the adults of its city, Neo-Tokyo. The adults include politicians and police officers, a resistance movement, the military and a group of scientists working alongside them; the youths are represented by Kaneda and his biker gang, the strange, sad children whose minds and bodies have been manipulated and damaged by the very people they believe are looking out for them, and, most importantly, Tetsuo. A shadow of blame, misunderstanding and fear has been cast over the various youth factions by the adult world, only for them to then be surprised later on when the children retaliate. A mistake frequently made by the adults in Akira is the underestimation of these groups thought stupider, weaker and more vulnerable than them. It is a mistake that will inevitably result in the destruction of the adult world and the creation of a new universe by the small hands and great minds of those same children.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to, moron?!" As well as establishing this theme, the opening battle between Kaneda's gang and the rival Clown gang also gives us a brief but clear glimpse of the relationship between the movie's two main characters, Kaneda and Tetsuo, the nature of which remains unchanged throughout the movie despite the rapidly moving events. Kaneda is a great character to look at in this context as not only is he a part of the childrens' world of juvenile delinquency, schools that offer no help or hope, "if you screw up here, it's the end of the road!" and vulnerability in the face of authority figures, he is also the adult foil to Tetsuo's child. Tetsuo is introduced to us playing with Kaneda's bike, listing in awe all of its special features, Kaneda bursts onto the street, catches him in the act and makes fun of him "…it's too loud, you couldn't handle it." The other guys follow his example, teasing Tetsuo as they hop on their bikes and take off after the Clowns, leaving Tetsuo to catch up, but, by the end of this sequence, Kaneda changes his tune. When the gang first leaves the alley he takes the lead, not looking back to see who follows. Later on, however, when the police join the chase, he is once again the first to get going, except this time he singles Tetsuo out, making sure he's following, "Let's go, Tetsuo!" Finally, after Tetsuo jets ahead of the gang and crashes into Takashi, causing an explosion, the entire group gathers around his body in panic and concern, even wanting to get him to a hospital. When the military shows up instead and takes his body away, Kaneda, pinned to the ground by a police officer, yells at them to stop, "You can't take him away like that!" Kaneda constantly flip-flops between hurting Tetsuo and caring for him deeply. We learn through flashbacks that the two boys have been friends since they were kids, with Kaneda having taken Tetsuo under his wing, creating the imbalance in their relationship that only grew with time - so much so that Kaneda believes that he can treat Tetsuo this way without any consequences. There is no indication that Kaneda is older than Tetsuo - if he is it can only be by a few months - but he certainly acts as if he is, an attitude that Tetsuo has cultivated a hatred for. It isn't so much the fact that Kaneda makes fun of him that drives Tetsuo over the edge, but that his friend, his best and oldest friend, treats him like a child. And, much as he tries to prove otherwise, Tetsuo is a child. He recognises this in himself, knowing Kaneda does too, and hates himself for it.

After escaping the hospital the first time, Tetsuo steals Kaneda's bike and goes looking for his girlfriend, Kaori, so they can run away together. He finds Kaori being assaulted by members of the Clown gang and in an attempt to rescue her (and be the hero for once) he ends up being attacked himself then saved moments later by Kaneda. Afterwards, Tetsuo beats up one of the thugs while Kaneda stands behind him and watches, as if he is letting Tetsuo do this in response to the attack on Kaori. Which is exactly what he's doing since, a moment later, he orders Tetsuo to stop and blames him for the fight happening in the first place, "Just knock it off now! This whole thing happened just because you took my bike for a spin." This, naturally, upsets Tetsuo, who responds in rage, "Shut up! Don't order me around!" then frustration and tears. Tetsuo wants desperately for people to see him as tough and competent, and Kaneda is surprised by this reaction. Saving Tetsuo has always been his job, that Tetsuo would be mad at him for it never occured to him.

Kaori is another significant relationship in Tetsuo's life. Like him she is on the younger side of their teen years; the other girls that follow the gang around are all dressed up and wearing make-up whereas Kaori appears without make-up in a simple tank-top and shorts. Kaori is well-matched to Tetsuo; he can relate to her youthfulness but her shyness and vulnerability allow him to feel like he is the strong one in their relationship, and Kaori shows genuine concern and love for Tetsuo, unlike Kaneda's inconsistent love-hate. However, Tetsuo often responds to her feelings as Kaneda has taught him, by needing her then brushing her off as it suits him. By the final sequence in the Olympic stadium, she is the first person Tetuso reaches out to for help as he loses control of his powers, inadvertently engulfing her in whatever is happening there, his childish grasping and carelessness killing the last person who cared about him.

Mentally and emotionally, Tetsuo is behind the other younger characters in Akira; even the ESPers are more mature than him, for all that they are trapped in the bodies of children. Tetsuo is sensitive but unable to control his feelings, when he gains his powers he prefers to threaten and intimidate those who have frightened and wronged him, and rejects all offers of help, as he has learned to do from the adult world. His childishness is evident to everyone around him, not just his friends but even people who have just met him. The second time he is confined to the hospital the children attack him mentally with a parade of toys that grow bigger and bigger, surrounding him in his bed. A giant teddy bear appears to bleed milk, a rabbit topples over, almost crushing Tetsuo under its weight, a toy car vomits milk, causing a flood in the hospital room and when he tries to escape through the door, the walls turn into plastic bricks and crash down around him. These images, traditionally of childhood and innocence, are exaggerated until they are grotesque; what should warm and comfort Tetsuo instead terrifies him. It is only when he breaks a glass in the reality of the hospital room, cutting his foot on the shards, that the children are thwarted (scared themselves by the sight of blood, an all too real concept in their otherwise safe and isolated nursery). In attempting to intimidate Tetsuo, the kids knew exactly which nerve to hit. Although these images initially frighten Tetsuo, by the end of the scene his fright turns into anger - at the attack, at being frightened in the first place, and at the reminders of his true nature. This anger is what drives Tetsuo throughout the rest of the movie and causes his powers to grow. The first thing he does immediately after this incident is kill two hospital workers, an action emulative of the violent grown-up world. Tetsuo is no longer going to be scared or controlled by other people, from now on, he is the one who will intimidate. Anger is a fuel for Tetsuo's powers and it is always after a spell of rage that he experiences them. After Kaneda orders him to stop beating up the Clown biker, Tetsuo explodes,"Why do you always have to try to save me? I could handle it on my own… I won't always be on the receiving end, you hear that?!" Tetsuo is enraged, and embarrassed by his tears in front of Kaori, prompting a slew of scary hallucinations he doesn't understand. If it is anger that causes his powers to expand, it is an anger at himself, his fear, his uselessness and his need to be taken care of. The conclusion of this scene encapsulates the vulnerability of the younger characters in the face of the adult world; as the military arrives on the scene to take Tetsuo away, Kaneda, Kaori and the boys can only stand by and watch it happen.

"They were too scared, so they hid it away from the public. They forgot all shame and honor, cast off the civilization and science we had created, and shut the lid of the Pandora’s Box they themselves had opened." The adult world in Akira, however it is represented, is purely antagonistic. Though Kaneda and the colonel often show concern for their charges, their respective relationships are wholly manipulative and abusive. Kaneda demonstrates power over Tetsuo in order to maintain their imbalanced dynamic; the colonel does so to instil loyalty in the highly destructive (and highly impressionable) children in his employ. However, where the colonel was successful, Kaneda failed; Tetsuo, in his power, became defiant rather than scared and submissive. Despite everything done to them, Kyoko, Takashi and Masaru remain with the military throughout the movie, deciding for themselves, too, that Tetsuo must be destroyed. Although Takashi appears to be fleeing the military with one of Kei's companions, after being tracked down again he returns to their home without a fight. It even appears as if the children are afraid of the outside world and have no wish to be a part of it, "You know we can't survive outside. We belong at home," a further example of the military's manipulation. These children (really adults by now) have known no other world than their nursery and are repelled by reminders of the outside world, "It's blood!" "I'm scared!" Kaneda, on the other hand, completely loses Tetsuo and doesn't get him back until it's too late. Unlike Takashi, or the student protestors we hear battling police in the news, Tetsuo does not try to run from or fight against his personal adult figure, instead he attempts to emulate it. "You see, Kaneda, I won't be needing you to rescue me ever again." After gaining his powers, Tetsuo tries to beat a rival gang member to death, murders members of the hospital and army, kills the bar owner and downs handfuls of capsules; all actions, flauntings of strength, that he has seen performed by adults around him all his life and that he never had the "strength" to do himself. In acting how he thinks a grown-up would act in his situation, Tetsuo ultimately causes his own destruction; he becomes overpowered and, without the knowledge and experience needed to control himself, is overwhelmed by it, killing himself and many others. When Kaneda realises that he won't be able to bully Tetsuo into submission anymore, he readily accepts that the only thing to do is kill him and insists that he must do it, "He's not your friend, he's ours! If somebody's gonna kill him, it should be us!" To Kaneda, Tetsuo is now a lost cause and cannot be reigned in by him or salvaged by him. The colonel's manipulation keeps the ESPers cowed; Kaneda's drives Tetsuo to self-destruction.

"It was too difficult for Tetsuo… of course, too difficult for us. And for Akira." Akira's world is dirty, seedy, ruthless and selfish; it provides no obvious hero for us to root for, so, by the final showdown in the Olympic Stadium, we aren't entirely sure what we want, only that we want it to be over. Akira's world has no room for heroes and villains, but it is a world where the weak (the young and vulnerable) suffer under and by the actions of those in power. And although the conflict in Akira is undoubtedly caused by adult hands it is the child characters who resolve it and it is those same characters who suffer the most by it. Kaori is engulfed by Tetsuo's growing body and dies. Takashi, Kyoko and Masaru, in saving Kaneda, sacrifice their bodies, joining Akira and Tetsuo in a new universe. Tetsuo spends the entire movie fighting the child in himself, turning everyone against him and ultimately killing himself. Still, however bad Tetsuo becomes, it is difficult to truly see him as a villain, even when every other character has a gun trained on his back. Instead we feel sympathy for Tetsuo, who, no stranger to mental abuse, loses his mind over the course of the film. Tetsuo performs actions that are wrong, but so do the colonel, Kaneda and the resistance movement. Yet, at the end of the film, it is Kaneda, Kei, Kai and the colonal who survive while Kaori, the ESPers, Akira and Tetsuo are dead. In this case, however, Tetsuo and the kids have come out on top, with a new universe to shape while back in the old one, the adults are left with the shambles of the bombed out Neo-Tokyo. If there is a positive note in Akira to end on, it is that now, after transcending to a new plane of existence, an uncorrupted world, Tetsuo can finally accept himself for who he is, "I am Tetsuo." It says a lot that he had to leave everything and everyone he knew behind to do so.

[beezonia]

more ryukoto olympic au stuff! ——

So Makoto is a BMX racer (I was gonna make her do park but god I think she’d be really good for the speed and nerve that’s needed for racing)

Ryuji does athletics (more of a sprinter so 100m and 200m and maybe a relay now and again)

The two of them met a athletics meet where Makoto was cheering on her friend Kaito (who introduced them)

They butted heads at first, especially since they both work in different areas and have different training regimes

but slowly and surely they get to know each other and begin to date (their first date was a day bmx racing and ryuji nearly died but loved it)

So they usually train in the gym together, watching each other’s backs and keeping each other grounded during fast combinations and all that jazz

they are each other’s biggest supporters like ryuji will post about makoto’s wins and her achievements all the time

Makoto tends to be more subtle, like talking about how proud and happy she is to watch ryuji but not specifically naming who’s she’s actually talking about

but a lot of their fans know they’re close due to them training together often and being gym buddies but also good friends out of their sports

so the fans have their suspicions about ryukoto’s relationship

it doesn’t help that when Ryuji won the world championships he ran to find Makoto first and nearly kissed her in the stands

——

Fast forward to an Olympic’s the two of them are there representing Japan

Cameras and fellow Japanese athletes catch them holding hands and chatting very excitedly with each other about the ceremony and their chances of winning

So there are even more suspicions about them dating because of how happy they look together

(They are dating, have been for a few years now)

—-

Then we see Ryuji with Ann (Taekwondo) , Akira (Fencing) and Yusuke (Diving) in the stands during the heats and these guys are screaming their heads of when Makoto wins her heat!

Then we see them all go absolutely berserk in the stands when she wins gold the following night (Like Ann’s screaming so loud, Akira is howling and Yusuke/Ryuji are a mix of tears and fucking hugging each other so tight)

Ryuji then deciding to just say fuck it and kiss her when she comes around the track to celebrate her win

the fans go wild

—-

It happens again when Ryuji begins his heats for the 100m

All the thieves are there right at the front of the stands waiting for him so they can celebrate

And we see Ryuji breeze through the first heat, he’s cool and collected watching with a smile as the thieves celebrate his quick time and win

(Futaba is nearly ripping that Japanese flag in half with how excited she is)

Makoto is filming because why not? (she wants to help him improve on his techniques and sprints)

It gets to the final and all of them are waiting with bated breath and tears in their eyes (koto and akira)

And once they watch Ryuji cross that line in first place, they go fucking berserk like jumping in the stands bursting into tears and howling like madmen

Ryuji runs to them to grab a flag (futaba didn’t rip her’s in half) and he kisses makoto so hard (both of them are in tears and so proud of each other)

he’s celebrating not only with fellow medal winners but with the people he’s closest to (his coach and his closest friends his girlfriend)

and so they literally celebrate all through the night

—-

Ryuji posts a photo with him and makoto with their medals, both of them are smiling so hard and are so happy

Captioned - Couples who win gold together stay together or something like that

And then another post of the two of them in tears and then the second slide has Makoto’s left hand and a ring on her finger

Ryuji captions it - She’s actually my wifey now!

The fans go wild and it’s on the Olympic Instagram for things that happened on a certain night

“Japanese Athlete and BMX Racer Ryuji Sakamoto & Makoto Nijima tie the knot after winning gold!”

——-

idk I just love this idea sm

[beyondplusultra]

mango hiii!! do you have any fic recs? my trust in your taste is absolute after you've obliterated me with your 2/2 comic with that war of vaslav nijinsky quote <3

Hello hello!! First of all, I'm glad you liked the comic! It was a joy to make, and an even greater joy to see how people have reacted to it :)

As for fic recs, here are a few of my all time favorites!

2/2 fics that will make you stare at the ceiling for an indeterminate amount of time as you contemplate life:

you've got me seeing through different eyes by futuresoon - this is the First Ever Shuake Fic I ever read and I immediately spiraled into the abyss from which I've never managed to crawl out. It's a very popular fic, so chances are you've read it already, but it's absolute peak 2/2 bad end content and I'm obligated to put it in every rec list

One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy by telekinetics - cries

Last Night on Earth by TzviaAriella - CRIES

Long fics that made me read long fic:

Black Star by HassouToby - This is pre-Royal, and for the longest time was what I accepted as my headcanon for what happened after vanilla's events. Not akeshu, but has some of my favorite characterizations of all the phantom thieves I've ever read, and honestly just a completely wild ride that WILL suck you in.

The Brigverse series by TzviaAriella - Akeshu pirate AU. Do I have to say anything else here. The third installment of the main series is currently ongoing as of this post's writing!

The Liminality series by MistressEast - NG+ with a twist. It's. It's so good you guys.

The Next Time Around by chashmish - No powers AU, this fic is about Akechi and Akira reuniting and rekindling a relationship during the events of Makoto and Ann's destination wedding in Italy. It's a fic I always fall back on when I want a feel-good time!

One-shots that rewired my brain chemistry:

you have to let it breathe, my love by ThirtySixSaveFiles - No powers AU, an akeshu love story that starts when the two of them meet in a wine shop.

hold my hand by relationshipcrimes - Gen fic, Akechi and Futaba bonding time, because Akira left Tokyo, and on this particular day Akechi is her only key item choice.

(don't shoot) the messenger by shouldbeworking - Ryuji is the center of a misunderstanding. This one never fails to make me laugh!

before midnight by specterthief - You guys know how during third sem, Maruki wired Sumi's parents to think she was at gymnastics boot camp or whatever? Yeah what the FUCK was up with that.

anywhere, i would have followed you by shantealeaves - MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. I've only read this fic once. One time. Ever. It's imprinted into my brain. Mind the tags!

[samarecharm]

Ryuji learns immediately that Akira is a little food goblin and in the worst way possible 😭 He eats literally anything, he doesnt attempt to ‘chef up’ anything he cooks. He draws the line at expired food but the food he makes for himself looks so fucking sad (ryujis words) that it might as well be garbage. And its not that Akira Wont cook or is averse to Learning how to cook, hes just. Busy. And he really doesnt balk at what most would consider bad tasting food. But ryuji does!!! He DOES balk!!!! He balks alot in fact! So while he knows he himself is not the Best cook in the world, he IS someone raised by his momma, and he will use everything she taught him to make food that Akira will ACTUALLY like and not just tolerate.

So he takes Akira food shopping in the market, picks out vegetables and spices and meats that Akira admits (embarrassed) he has never touched in his life. He tells Akira what to look for in markets, whats normally in season, what the appropriate prices are, what different cuts of meat are meant for, and Akira follows him like a toddler following their mother, looking at the displays listening intently. Hes a smart kid. Scary smart. And he picks and chooses whats worth investing into, whether Ryuji realizes it or not. So Akira listens and absorbs whatever Ryuji is telling him, bc Ryuji matters to him.

Ryuji has him on prep work duty. He shows Akira the easy way to chop and cube vegetables. Remembers halfway through that Akira is actually wicked scary with a blade; shows him a video of a professional cutting celery at lightning speed and is SO excited to see Akira replicate it near perfectly. Hes like a machine; chopping with such laser precision and Akira cannot help but feel a little bit warm when Ryuji openly compliments him

Ryuji is so loud and brash everywhere but the kitchen. Hes focused in a way Akira has never seen him be; listing off instructions and tips, carefully adding ingredients and measuring things by eye. While making the stew, he blanks on the amount of seasoning he should be adding, and before Akira can try to help him rubberduck, Ryuji video calls his mom. And Akira almost panics bc what if she was asleep? Or what if shes working??? But she picks up after two rings, wearing a nightgown and smiling huge and wide into the camera. Ryuji waves at her, and then moves the phone a bit to get Akira into frame. He does a very chill, not at all panicked and anxious wave and she smiles at him too.

Ryuji shows her the pot stewing and she comments on the coloring and texture of it. She pokes fun at him (‘oo did you go to a fancy market? Those beef cuts looks very nice’) to which ryuji waves her off, used to her teasing.

‘Have that young man try to season it; this is a team effort!’ And so Ryuji props the phone up so that she can see him and Akira by the stove top as she guides them. A sprinkle of this seasoning from top to bottom, yes perfect, and a pinch of that seasoning- ehh a little more than that- okay perfect, and add a ton of that seasoning in front of you- more. More. Ryuji I said a Ton, tell him i said a Ton- oh right he can hear me I SAID ADD A TON- okay thats it i think, if it comes out too salty, scoop some out and replace it with more stock or some water.

And from then on Ryuji just chats with his mom while Akira watches from his side of the counter; Ryuji mentions the nice lake that he wants to try fishing at, and some nice natural paths to run on in the mornings, and she tells him about her shift and the movie she saw the other day with some friends. Its very nice. It comes so easy to them; Akira cant remember the last time he got to hear his mom just chat about her life with him. Kinda hurts, but not really. Not when hes got Sojiro calling him, telling him about his day while Akira tinkers about at his desk. Its basically the same thing; even better when Akira thinks about it.

And then he thinks some more. And into the realization that Ryuji is here with him in his house cooking and relaxing and chatting with his mom. The tv is on in the livingroom buzzing at a volume thats barely audible. The setting sun is peaking through the curtains. His mom makes a snide comment about her coworker that makes Ryuji laugh a bit under his breath, and Akira is like. Painfully aware of how nice this feels. Warm and easy. It feels a bit silly to even say it but it feels domestic; it feels like home. And hes always been here, always lived here, but it didnt feel like Home as much as it did in this moment, with Ryuji idly chatting with his mom as he tended to the pot on the stove. He wants to capture this moment and keep it tucked away somewhere. And later on, when hes staring at the ceiling, head swimming as he tries to fall asleep, he’ll think ‘no. I dont want to just have this moment. I want more moments like this. I want to live in these moments again and again and again.’ Hes greedy like that, he thinks. He wants and wants and wants; wants so bad it makes his chest ache.

The stew comes out good. A bit salty, which Ryuji remedies by adding a bit more stock to the pot after theyve had their servings. Akiras face is a mix of childlike delight and contentment, eyes bright in that sweet and adorable way that has Ryujis face turning pink, suddenly a bit shy. Being complimented about his cooking is a different kind of nice hes not used to. Akira does a little happy bop with his head, the same bop he’ll do when he eats sweets with Ann.

“This is Really good-‘

“Oi! Please chew everything first before talking.”

Akira thinks its an act of love. In the same way art from Yusuke is an act of love, and the way Hangout Nights with Ann is an act of love; this is Ryujis. I want you to eat well. I want you to be well. Because I care about you. Ryuji cares so much. To come and stay with him. To cook with him, to live with him, even if for a moment. ‘My place…is right at your side.’ ‘Whaddya mean? Youre there.’ Like it keeps Akira up at night sometimes thinking of how much hes loved. It feels so foreign to him, yet natural all at once. Waking up to the rest of the breakfast Ryuji left for him after cooking. Ryuji listening to him ramble about some tech shit Akira knows only he truly cares about (Ryuji pays attention and tries to follow which is more than Akira can ask for). Like its a bit overwhelming but its nice. Its warm and loving and its nice.

Ryuji finds himself napping against Akiras taller frame on the couch, the movie they picked out failing to keep him entertained enough, and Akira thinks Ryuji feels the same way; its warm and loving and nice.

[gardenofbookworms]

SPECIAL: BEE’S SEVEN SOMEWHAT OBSCURE MANGA RECS (long post)

today is a very special day and so i am taking advantage of this opportunity to give you all my manga recs before rose kills me :D

(“bee i thought you hated romance there's a lot of bl on here” bl doesn't count okay. shhh)

*note: author and character names are in last-name-first-name format when full name is shown

Kindergarten Wars by Chiba You

in japan there exists an establishment called kindergarten noir, where children can often be seen running around in the playground out front. though it may look unassuming—this is the safest kindergarten in the world, daily attacked by assassins (such as leo) yet never having lost one single child. rita is one of the staff members, all of which are former convicts with more kills than their age in years and enough baggage to weigh down a jet. her only goal in life? to find a hot boyfriend (and definitely NOT her nicotine addicted swindler colleague). but before that, there’s something that must be done at any cost—protect the children.

▪︎

the balance in this manga is actual, literal perfection. it’s officially classified as a comedy, and yet there’s a real seriousness behind the characters and their missions that makes it so, so emotional (the end of the asakusa arc…). not only that, but there seems to be a lovebug going around, and of course it’s not complete without the resident manga otaku (luke). the “elite” from another level in fighting aren’t set apart from the others in the kindergarten, either—the characters are constantly unified and there for each other which only made it worse when [redacted].

Servamp by Strike TANAKA

shirota mahiru is a very simple person. if you see a lonely cat, you pick it up, right? but what if the cat is a vampire, or rather, servamp, and he's just been dragged into the complex world of the supernatural (y'know, vampires, werewolves, demon children splitting in half)? with tensions growing between the seven and the “eighth”, the servamps draw closer to war. and, thinking simply, mahiru and his neet vampire kuro are the only ones who can stop it—and not without help, of course. now, how much of that was a lie?

▪︎

word is that servamp is ending this year which, nooo…but holy shit is it a good series. everything escalates really really quickly (and ridiculously but that's the charm) but each arc is obviously carefully thought out (sakuya……lilly……ophelia……tsurugi……). the complexity makes it a little hard to follow sometimes, but seeing the way the characters struggle to keep their morals and navigate relationships with each other and more stuff i can't fit here is so, so worth it.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead by Aso Haro and Takata Kotaro

tendo akira has a definite zombie apocalypse role—the guy who’s just happy not to go to work. having had his dreams crushed by an exploitative corporation, akira would readily take a zombie apocalypse over another day in the office. when his prayers are answered, he realizes he’s had no free time to be anything other than an employee. so what does he do? make a bucket list, of course! after a reunion with college friend kenchiro ryuzaki, the two travel japan and meet other survivors—shizuka, a strategist whose dream is to become a doctor, and beatrix, a foreigner and samurai who came to japan with bright eyes. hordes and manipulative former bosses may follow them, but they can’t fall to their level—because they’d much rather be eaten by zombies than miss out on a chance to live.

▪︎

i first found out about this manga through the anime (which is phenomenal but beware for your mental health). the way it kicks off really set the tone—akira tries confessing to his coworker, but it goes nothing like he’d ever plan for—that bittersweet start had me hooked throughout the manga. a lot, if not all, of the circumstances are nothing short of ridiculous, my favorite examples being the zombie shark (defeated by electric punch) and the government robots (defeated with the help of a gamer girl). above all, the bad guys aren’t the zombies! it’s—you guessed it—capitalism (yay!).

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai

highschool gyaru oosawa aya is set apart from the rest of her glamorous friends by (mostly) one thing—her music taste. deviating far from the typical, fresh j-pop that everyone seems to listen to, aya prefers her much-treasured american indie rock bands. koga mitsuki, who quickly earns her reputation as “the prince”, is the same way, except she’s on the opposite side of the school spectrum. but it just so happens that mitsuki, one of those “loner-types”, sits right next to aya in class. when their paths cross for real at the record shop where mitsuki works, a case of mistaken identity is the first thing that sets off their relationship—but when you break it down, they’re just two people who really love music.

▪︎

there are two things that i absolutely adore in this manga. a) MUSIC IS A BIG FOCUS. AHHHH if you can’t tell im also obsessed with music so (btw on spotify i have a playlist of all the songs featured in the manga if you’d like to take a look). really loved the exploration with mitsuki and aya’s feelings about music and also mitsuki’s uncle AND kanna too. and b) the art style is so captivating…the use of green, and especially neon green at that, is so so cool. it kind of reminds me of glitter pen ink with all its shiny-ness. flashy teen romances are definitely not my thing but this series…

Hirano and Kagiura by Harusono Shou

kagiura akira has never been good at waking up early, despite all his early basketball practices. luckily, he's got his new school dormmate hirano taiga to help him get out of bed. but as the school semester progresses, kagiura begins to realize something—he is horribly, hopelessly, in love with hirano. when he figures out hirano doesn't return his feelings, they enter a compromise; for ten seconds a day, kagiura is allowed to touch him with more affection than just between “friends”. starstruck, kagiura is willing to give him all the time he needs to come to terms with his feelings. but hirano isn't even sure of them himself—kagiura is so, so close to his heart, but are those feelings really romantic? and just how long is he okay with making him wait? and when will they be past the point of trying?

▪︎

how do i even start to describe this manga. every single chapter i read, there were at least three times i had to put my phone down and take a deep breath. why? because they are so cute rahhhhhh. kagiura’s initial underlying uncertainty about his feelings growing into something he's more sure about is. an amazing reflection of his maturity. meanwhile hirano is still catching up, trying to sort through everything but still cheering his kagi-kun (that's so affectionate i’m gonna cry) on. and obviously, because this is bl and who are we kidding, there's niibashi and hanzawa for comical outsider pov commentary (while i'm on that pipeline, i adore how hanzawa knows and trying his best to be supportive).

▪︎

“but bee, i thought you had seven recs?” i do, but unfortunately i am lazy af and forgot to write the last summary for given (kizu natsuki). it’s still one of my favorites though. music, romance, and of course, angst. yes it’s bl, shhh. i also highly recommend the bungou stray dogs series (asagiri kafka and harukawa sango) but since that’s a little more widely known (and we trend once a month, if yk yk), i’m not gonna get into it.

hope you enjoyed :DDD

[suns-pott]

Hello, If it's still open, i wanna ask for yandere Ren/Akira/P5 protag. Like what would he do? Would we have to face him in his Palace(assuming we became a phantom thief) or would he sabotage us, instigating our Palace to manipulate our emotions?

My first persona 5 request :D

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Yandere Akira

Having known Akira for some number of months now made his descent into madness less noticeable to you and the phantom thieves.

After all, he's normally very quiet and keeps to himself a lot of the time. It makes it difficult to tell what he's thinking.

When he first met you, he really didn't know what he felt. At first he assumed it was a desire to become friends with you and get to know you better, but he soon realized that he wanted to be with you.

To you, he seemed like a trustworthy guy, when you had an actual conversation. Of course, you had heard all the rumors circulating around Shujin, but gossip is not always the truth anyways.

He friends soon accepted you as a part of the group and you awakened your persona one day when you accidentally followed them into the metaverse. The group started to gain new members and you were glad to have met such good people, but as time progressed, so did Akira's obsession with you.

Sure it was nice to hand out with him from time to time, and you knew how much people wanted his attention, but when he actively went out of his way to hang out with you, it raised a few suspicions in your mind.

One day when it was just the two of you hanging in Le blanc, he told you about his true feelings. The whole time you had no idea, but who could blame you, when he keeps almost all of his emotions hidden behind those charming glasses of his. You had to reject him as softly as you could, not really knowing what to do with the new information. He was never really the same after that.

he kept his distance from everyone, even Morgana, about everything. Morgana said that he's stopped going out as much and the rest of the group grew concerned for his wellbeing, but no matter who asked him, he always said he was fine. It wasn't fine. The phantom thieves eventually met up in order to discuss the leader's odd behavior. Futaba was the first one to suggest it. His behavior was similar to what she experienced before the changed her heart, she said, she pulled up the metanav on her phone, Morgana said it would be impossible for a persona user to have a palace, but everyone decided that it wouldn't hurt to look. Sure enough, Akira Kurusu has a palace.

With no other options, they all decided to input the rest of the details. When they entered, it was a huge palace, with many extravagant paintings of Joker and you, all over the place. Reminiscent of Kamoshida's palace, but with a darker color palette.

While exploring, the phantom thieves came across a huge dining room. A long decadent table with many foods crowding the space, and at the end sat Joker, a brighter version of his outfit with many ornate details. He leaned forward, a proud smirk across his face as he stared directly at you, absentmindedly nibbling on a fork. His smile grew wider as he said "Welcome my friends! I do hope you'll enjoy your stay, as our fun little game begins.." and in a flash, he disappeared. The game to get our leader back begins.

"Not to worry my dear, in the end you will be mine."

[sailingmakai]

Do you have favourite blogs?

Do you have favourite ships?

Do you have favourite blogs?

(( Yes~ As guilty as that statement makes me feel ;w; @tres-fidelis, @revclver-jesus, @oraclememehacker, @webbedphantom, and @trickstersshadow are a few of them! Probably others, but tumblr's being a POS to me right now and not letting me see all the people I follow OR that follow me so those are off the top of my head.

In general I love all the blogs I follow though so picking specific ones is haaard- D:

Do you have favourite ships?

Cutting this, because this one got a bit long lmao. I like talking about my favorite ships and I don't get to that often I value your ease of scrolling, so - it gets cut.

Anyway - also yes! :D

In Persona 5, my two favorite ships are

-> Akiren+Haru; she wants to make a cafe and he can cook, and they're cute as HELL together. I love the thought of them opening a cafe together~ Plus, Haru can be TERRIFYING when she wants to be, and I love the thought of her being sweet on her man one moment, then sweetly threatening to gut his enemies, the next. :D

-> Akiren+Akechi; I can't help it, they vibe so well with each other. I doubt they'd have the healthiest relationship, though. Not toxic, but it'd be toeing the line something fierce, I think. I think their flirting would look almost exactly like their fighting. And vice versa. You'd never be able to tell from the outside if they're mad at each other or not.

I'm also partial to PolyThieves, because it can be very cute when written well~

If I may offer some bonus ships;

-> FF7 / Cloud+Tifa; Come on that max-rank Gold Saucer date in 7R is ADORABLE as hell, and watching Tifa draw Cloud out of his shell the way she does in Rebirth now and again is just... ugh. I need Remake Finale asap, man. Also if it's not called Reunion I'm gonna be SO mad at Squenix I swear

-> HSR / Caelus+Aventurine; This is a bit of a weird one and I'm anxious as fuck mentioning it because my knowledge of Hoyoverse fandoms is that they can be toxic as fuck, but I just think these two would be really cute together once Aventurine lets his hair/guard down a little. There's some good potential for softness from these two - two guys that never really had a childhood just being soft with each other cause neither really belongs anywhere. Say what you will about Caelus/Trailblazer having the Express Crew, he's still kind of a sore thumb everywhere he goes, just like Aventurine.

And! a Super-Bonus!

-> Akiren+Korra+Asami! (P5+TLOK) This is a crossover ship me and a friend of mine stumbled into liking over on Discord. The idea of Akira meeting Korra is something we really liked, and then we realized they were actually... super cute together? I felt like Akira (at least MY Akira) would just turn to mush over seeing this really fit, really athletic girl with super cool Bending powers that could bench-press him with ease. We also didn't wanna seperate Korra and Asami, so we ultimately decided that all involved parties have more than one hand to hold. So now they're a trio of soft idiots being soft idiots together~ It's silly and probably dumb but I just think they're all super cute together~ ))

[dont-blame-it-on-the-kids]

I’ve been thinking about the Saikhan Hc lmao.

If I can think of a title I’ll put it up on Ao3.

^~^

Saikhan pulled his robe tightly around himself as he tied it and moved to answer the door.

Spirits who would be knocking at this hour?

He made sure his weapon was close by incase he needed it and looked out the small glass hole to see, Chief Beifong?

He opened the door.

“Chief?” He asked worried. “Everything okay?” He quickly pulled her inside.

She was trembling, tears frozen to her face as she held her elbows. She was in nothing but a tank top and some sweatpants and Saikhan didn’t know how she made it here with the snow coming down so hard.

“I- I didn’t know where else to go.” She whispered and Saikhan started to fear the worst.

He looked her over for injuries and frowned when he didn’t see anything obviously wrong.

“Chief what happened?” He asked as he quickly closed the door and moved her to the couch, pulling the soft throw over her.

“I- I don’t know I- I woke up and I saw- he-“ Lin was still trembling and Saikhan heard Akira come down the stairs.

“Honey? Is something wrong?” She asked as she stopped halfway down the stairs. She gasped when she saw Lin and hurried down.

“Lin! What are you doing here? It’s a blizzard outside.” She said as she came to look her over. “And you didn’t even put the kettle on for tea Saikhan,” she chastised and moved to do so.

Lin looked between them a moment.

“I- I’m sorry this is- I should have-“

“Oh stop it Chief. You need help, what happened?” Saikhan insisted.

“I- I thought I saw him.” Lin said as she hung her head now, she held the blanket close to her.

“Who?”

“Amon.” Lin’s voice was just above a whisper and Saikhan barely heard her.

“Oh. Chief he’s dead, I confirmed with my own eyes that it was his body pulled from the water.” He assured her.

Lin nodded and wiped a fresh tear off her face.

“I know, but it- it felt so real… he was there and I- I couldn’t-“ a sob escaped her and Saikhan frowned deeper.

“Have you been sleeping?” He asked softly.

“Not since coming back.” Lin said quietly.

“Here, a nice hot tea to help with your nerves.” Akira smiled warmly as she handed Lin the steaming mug.

Lin thanked her quietly and cradled the cup in her hands, glad for the extra warmth.

“Akira, can you get Rei’s old room cleaned up for Chief to stay in for a few nights?” Saikhan asked as he looked up at her. Akira nodded and leaned down to kiss him softly as she passed back by him.

“I’ll be right back.” She assured him and moved to head back up the stairs.

Lin kept her eyes down on the mug and took a few sips.

“Thank you.” She whispered.

“You’re always welcome here Lin.” Saikhan said gently. Lin looked up at him as he used her name and she started to relax some. Her trembling had eased and she took another sip of her tea.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Saikhan asked unsure of how she was feeling now.

“Not really…” Lin frowned softly. “I just… I saw him with every corner. I couldn’t get away.” She sighed. “But you- you’ve had my back for forever. I knew I’d be safe here. I- I had hoped you wouldn’t mind me intruding so late.”

“I don’t mind at all, I’m glad you came. You are safe here and I’m sure Taiyo will be happy to see you in the morning.” He patted her knee as he smiled. “He’s been asking when you’d be over for dinner again. He made his own paper badge and wants to show you.”

Lin smiled gently at the mention of the young boy.

Akira came back down and moved to sit beside Saikhan as he wrapped his arm around her and spoke with Lin.

After a minute the tea was gone and Lin had to admit she felt worlds better.

“Alright, off to bed you two, I still have to be up to get Taiyo to school in a few hours.” Akira smiled and moved to stand. “Lin I can show you to the guest room.” She offered. “And I have some pajamas set out for you, what you’ve got on is soaked with snow.” Lin hadn’t realized that fact yet and she shivered again as it hit her how cold she was. Saikhan followed the two up the stairs, making sure things were secure behind them.

Akira got Lin settled in Rei’s room turned guest room and then went to slide into bed with Saikhan.

Lin sat on the bed for a while in the warm pajamas that were a touch big on her. She felt foolish for coming here but at the same time… relieved. She had reached out for help and Saikhan and Akira had been there. Taking her into their home no questions asked.

Lin felt herself relaxing further and soon was curled up under the covers, warm and content. No more nightmares plagued her that night and Lin had half a thought to ask Akira what kind of tea it was she had been given.

[starryo]

Okokok i have more questions about this au because I’ve been rotating it very rapidly in my head all day

1. How does everyone react to akiras betrayal? Does it hurt more or less than akechis? Because I’m assuming that he’s still an older brother figure to futaba based on how you said he still hangs out at Leblanc, but how would she react to learning that he’s a murderer?

2. Do they even suspect him like how they suspect akechi? Or are sumire and futabas good word enough to throw them off the scent?

3. How does the engine room play out? Does he confess everything or do they not realize what’s really going on until 3rd semester?

4. Interrogation room? 👀👀

5. How does sumire react when she learns what her sisters been involved in?

Ok that’s it for now I’m just… I’m buzzing thinking about this au

OH BOY OH BOY those are some 👀👀 interesting question 👀👀 you have there. i’ll try my best to answer the ones i’ve already thought about!! these answers are definitely subject to change further down the line though.

it would definitely hurt more than akechi’s betrayal, which is honestly a really low bar considering akechi pretty much only really talks to akira and sumire prior to him blackmailing his way into the phantom thieves. futaba is pretty chill actually with her older brother figure being a murderer part, she’s done actual criminal activity before and she’s super attached to akira. i’ve always kind of seen futaba’s beef with akechi to be more over the fact that he killed her mom than him killing in general? haru is the one you should be more worried about hehe.

they don’t really suspect akira! there isn’t a pancakes moment in this au and akira can’t help befriending ALL of the phantom thieves even despite their new roles. it’s a little funny that you bring up sumire and futaba here, because they (along with akechi but he is a new addition) are actually the ones that kind of know there is something going on. it’s a side effect of having a close relationship with akira. kasumi used to be part of that group too but she found out the truth already. the other two try to justify or turn a blind eye to whatever details they notice. the other phantom thieves hardly notice a thing though, and sumi + futaba’s good word definitely helps. i haven’t completely figured out exactly how a lot of the pt react to prince detective akira’s views on the pt yet though.

bold of you to assume akira would let goro get hurt in the same way he did in the original timeline. both the interrogation room and engine room scenes will be different from canon! it makes me giggle and kick my feet and im keeping it a secret for the full experience when i present it (which i hopefully will, if not i will describe what it would have been)

see above.

akira does a real good job hiding all traces of kasumi’s involvement (he is already risking a lot by even befriending some of the pt pre-canon, because they get on shido’s radar. he has the excuses of connections for the nijiimas and the yoshizawas at least, but he stayed away from the other pt for a long time because of this reason) so sumire doesn’t find out for a long time. kasumi is also a relatively new addition to akira’s team, since she only follows him into the metaverse in the beginning of april. sumire doesn’t find out until akira’s palace though, and with kasumi she is less upset about the accomplice part than the trust parts (also canon sumi’s complex about her sister shows its claws). she likely would have been more upset with the accomplice stuff if she had found out at the same time as finding out about akira’s role, but because she finds out after, she already had some reconciliation over that fact.

i’m so glad that you like my silly little self-indulgent au so much!!! i really didn’t think people would be that interested in it aldhlsjdk thank you for your questions!!