#e: follow to tokyo

[4junhao]

230907 Follow to Seoul // Credit: 6_capsule_9

[tokyo-ghoul-heritage-posts]

Heritage Post Suggestions Welcome!

Tokyo Ghoul may have a dead fandom these days, but I'd hate for the old posts to slowly become lost to the void.

I'm looking for a minimum of around 10k with exceptions for notable posts such as more obscure content or translations* from Ishida or the anime or posts that I find particularly funny (I'll admit I've been biased a few times).

*(For example, if anyone saved the fully translated episodes of the radio show, please send them my way).

Any artist who does not appreciate their old work being reblogged here is welcome to contact me and I will remove it.

[takeomisbitch]

Can you do No. 38 (nsfw alphabet) with bonten haitani rindou please? 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️

NSFW ALPHABET

A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 900 FOLLOWERS I CAN JUST KISS YOU ALL😻🤭. Also day 31 of kinktober is giving me a headache cause how does one write a threesome with plot or how does someone write a threesomes it is very confusing to me🧍🏽‍♀️

Bonten Haitani Rindou x Reader

Word Count:1118

Tags:NSFW, supposedly a man’s penis can grow up to 2.5-3 inches when erected🤷🏽‍♀️ that’s it

Headcanon Prompt list | Tokyo Revengers

A-Aftercare [What they are like after sex]

Rindou can be soft after sex if you both had a rough session, Rindou would kiss and stroke your body whispering sweet nothings in your ear, then he would run you a bath for you, wash your body for you as he kisses your neck and the crown of your head. But he is different after a rather soft and loving session he wouldn’t be as attentive towards you, but he would still kiss and rub your body. 

B-Body Part [Their favorite body part of yours and theirs]

Rindou seems like the type to love his hands and fingers, from the way they wrap around your neck when he fucks you or the way they play with your sweet cunt. Now his favorite body part of yours and debatable cause he loves your lips but he also loves your ass, the way your ass ripples against his hips as he fucks you in doggy style or the way it jiggles when he roughly smacks your ass. Rindou loves your lips from the way they feel against his when he kisses you and the way you bite it when he hits that right spot when he fucks you. 

C-Cum [Where they like to cum]

Rindou likes to cum on your face. He loves the way your face looks covered in his cum, and the idea of painting your face with his warm liquid gets him hard all over again. 

D-Dirty Secret [Something they want to try but can’t tell]

Rindou really wants to try anal but is too scared to ask, thinking you might think he is dirty or gross. But the idea of fucking you somewhere where no one really wants to touch turns him on a bit to much. 

E-Experience [How experienced they are]

Rindou definitely had his fair share of women before he met you, he probably slept with 10-15 women, and not a single one meant a thing until he met you (AWW) But Rindou definitely knows what he is doing and he knows exactly what makes you feel amazing. 

F-Favorite Position  [How they like to fuck you]

Rindou loves to fuck you in doggystyle he loves watching your ass and he also loves to fuck you in a lotus flower position when he feels romantic or soft, and he gets a good look at your face as it scrunches in pleasure. 

G-Goofy [How serious/goofy they are during sex]

Rindou is very serious when you two are intimate, he never jokes around when the two of you have sex, he wants everything to be intimate and loving, Rindou never wants to play games or joke when having sex. 

H-Hair [How well groomed they are] 

Rindou is very well kept, hair is either trimmed or completely shaved. He hates the idea of a thick long bush down below so he shaves or trims and keeps it very clean. 

I-Intimacy [How intimate/romantic they are] 

Surprisingly Rindou can be very romantic on days like your anniversary or valentines day, he’ll have rose petals, champagne and he would even have nice loving music, but you’re not allowed to bring it up after. 

J-Jack Off [Do they masturbate and how often]

Rindou doesn’t masturbate as often as most men, probably once every couple of weeks, why would he when he has you. 

K-Kink [How kinky they are] 

Rindou isn’t really kinky, he would do the occasionally choke or sometimes use a vibrator on you but nothing really kinky

L-Location [Where they would fuck you]

Rindou will fuck you in your shared home anywhere in your shared home, but he will also fuck you in the back of his fancy car, only in secluded places, or in empty parking lots. 

M-Motivation [What gets them going/turns them on]

Rindou gets turned on by your looks or your sweet dirty talk, Rindou loves when you sweetly say his nickname “Rin~.”  He especially loves it when you tug on his hair and run your nails down his back.

N-No [What are their turns off]

Rindou does not like any form of extreme kinks like slapping, punching, gun play etc. He finds them uncomfortable and highly unnecessary.  

O-Oral [Do they have like to give or receive oral]

Rindou likes to give more than he likes to receive, he can spend hours in between your legs never leaving but if you rather give he would just put you in the 69 position  so he can have a taste as well. 

P-Pace [How fast they are]

Rindou is very quick or fast in bed or he is very soft when he wants to love on you, but he is mostly rough and fast leaving hickeys on your body as the sound of your skin slapping together so loudly can be heard into the next room. 

Q-Quick [How long do they last]

Rindou can last about 30 mins-1 hour. He learned to edge himself and to make sure that you at least cum 3 times before he releases himself. 

R-Risk [Do they take any risk]

The only risks that Rindou takes are the ones when he fucks you in the car but no one is ever around at least that is what you both think. 

S-Sharing [Would they share you like in a threesome]

No, Rindou doesn’t like threesomes he doesn’t like the idea of you getting fucked by someone else. 

T-Toys [Do they own/use any toys]

Rindou and you have two toys, a clear fleshlight that you occasionally use on him and a white vibrating wand that Rindou uses on you almost every time you both are intimate.

U-Underwear [Do they like lingerie] 

Rindou doesn’t really like lingerie, he finds it dumb when he doesn’t fuck you in it, but he loves the way you look in it. 

V-Volume [How loud are they]

Rindou is not very loud, a low moan and grunt here and there, but when you tease him with the fleshlight you have he would become very loud. 

W-Wild Car [Random headcanon]

Rindou occasionally likes to bottom but not getting pegged but getting edge and overstimulated by you is very hot to him. 

X-X-Ray [What’s going on under their clothes]

Rindou is 4 inches soft, and 7 inches hard, quite girthy.  

Y-Yearning [How high is their sex drive]

Most would think that his sex drive is high but it is quite normal maybe 3-5 times a month.

Z-Zzz [How quickly they fall asleep after]

Rindou would fall asleep after he takes care of you, grabbing you a glass of water, maybe a small snack then he would run you a bath, then he would wait for you to fall asleep before he does.

©Bella2023

[chrysalind]

last chance

pairing: kuroo tetsurou/reader wc: 860 tags: pre-relationship, fluff, high school setting (third year), bad flirting, kuroo is really trying

"What'd you get for number 8?" Kuroo asks as he leans over you.

"Umm," you tilt your head and the golden light of the late afternoon sun flickers across your cheek. "I think I put down 1868 to 1912."

"Wait, seriously?" He claps his hand on his forehead. That's five questions he's probably got wrong now, not to mention he'd barely finished writing his second essay, meaning the maximum possible grade he could get is...

"I hate history," he grumbles, trying to redirect his train of thought from its depressing destination. "I'm never taking it in university."

You sigh ruefully. "I feel the same way about chemistry. The moment I walked out of yesterday's exam, every piece of knowledge about thermodynamics just—" you wave your hand near your temple, "—vanished."

"Bet you're glad I gave you my notes though, right?"

The train doors slide open and a crowd of students from another school shuffle in. His legs brush against yours as he tries to make more room around him.

"Only because I gave you my English notes," you counter dryly, moving your bookbag onto your lap as a freckled teen slides into the seat beside you. The small plastic Keroppi charm on its side swings erratically against your thigh.

"A more than fair trade," he reasons. "Especially since I was getting the highest mark in chem, while you were just below Takaichi in English."

"Takaichi's mom is from New Zealand," you reply, with a roll of your eyes. "He's been practically fluent since he was born. Plus, your handwriting sucks, so you get points taken off for that."

Kuroo snorts, but has no choice but to concede. After all, he can barely read his own notebooks from last semester.

He watches as the Tokyo cityscape rushes past, still thrumming with life, even as the sun dips low in the sky. It's hard to imagine an afternoon where he won't be packed into the subway at this time, with his loosened Nekoma uniform tie around his collar, and your occasional company on the afternoons he's able to catch you at the school entrance.

His short spell of mourning is interrupted by the announcer as the train pulls into a familiar station. You both exit onto the platform and make a beeline towards the escalators.

"I'm not staying in Tokyo," he says, as you're halfway through the barriers.

Keroppi's face smacks against your zipper as you pause. "Oh?"

"I'm going to Osaka," he continues, weaving through the crowd. You fall into step beside him and there's a second in which Kuroo thinks he's vastly overestimated his importance in your life.

"That's..." He watches as a crease forms between your brows. "I thought you were going to Tokodai."

"Nah," he says, re-adjusting the strap of his bag. "I think it'd be good to gain some independence, you know?"

"Right," you say, tucking your Suica away. The sound of the city fills in the quiet that follows as you step out of the station.

Truthfully, Kuroo had been hoping for something—anything—more than the pensive silence that now settles between the two of you as you both walk the last few blocks of your high school era. But as you round the corner, the weight of the moment only grows heavier.

From his peripheral vision, he can tell you're sulking with your lips turned down in a pout that you probably aren't even aware of. And even though you've never admitted it to anyone, he's not oblivious to the way you can barely hold his gaze for more than two seconds, or how you linger at the intersection when you part ways.

"You know," he says, as you both stand before a crosswalk, "this is probably your last chance."

Your eyes flash up at him.

"What do you mean?"

He straightens up.

"Your last chance to admit that you're in love with me," he blurts. He had meant for it to come out a bit smoother, maybe aiming for a kind of teasing tone, but something had gone horribly wrong in the last second. Embarrassingly, he feels his own cheeks grow hot at the boldness of his declaration.

The crosswalk indicator changes, but you're both frozen in place.

You blink, looking absolutely bewildered, and he begins to fear that he's broken you.

And then an odd sound emerges from your mouth—a short snicker, followed by an open burst of laughter. Your giggle seems to carry over the noise of the traffic around you and Kuroo tries very hard not to die right then and there.

Instead, he forces himself to laugh along. How could he have miscalculated so bad?

He's sure he'll remember this moment for many sleepless nights ahead.

"Don't worry," you say later with the world's most bemused smile, as you near his building. "It's not my last chance."

Kuroo works up the courage to look you in the eye.

"After all, I still have our graduation ceremony."

[spooky-bunnys]

Hello! well first request and i'm nervous but anyway do you accept an omegaverse? how about bonten with an omega only he is goth like a vampire (if you want you can add something else or maybe a pregnancy if you wish :) ) thanks! (and sorry for my bad english, i'm not english speaking)

Title: Gothic Mood Swings

Fandom: Tokyo Revengers

Pairing: Bonten x Pregnant Goth Omega Male Reader

Warnings: Swearing, and mentions of punishment (not like that y'all)

The guard gulped as the phone rang. Nervous sweat sliding down his face. He knew this was a bad idea but they didn't know what else to do! Soon a click was heard. Nothing was said for a moment until deep voice was heard, "Speak." The guard nervously cleared his throat. "Sir. He closed himself in his coffin and we can't get him to come out."

There was a sigh from the other end. "What happened?" "He tried hanging upside down but got caught up in his morning sickness and got sick everywhere. He then got hungry and searched the cabinets and after not finding what he was looking for, closed himself into his coffin instead of laying in his nest." There was a humming sound and the sound of papers being shuffled.

"Alright we'll be back soon. So keep an eye on him until we get back. Understood?" The guard nodded and quickly agreed as the call ended. The guard let out a sigh of relief. Knowing he won't get too punished for calling his boss. I mean it was for the safety of their Omega and future pup. So hopefully the punishment won't be too bad.

~

Mikey ran a hand through his hair letting out a deep sigh. He had so much paperwork that needed to be done, but his Omega and pup were more important to him. Mikey carefully got up and texted the others to let them know they were needed at home.

On they're way home they made a few pitstops. One at a nesting store. Then next stop was at a store their Omega frequently visited. Finally they stopped at a restaurant their pregnant Omega has been eating so much of recently.

As they arrived at the mansion the pack lives in. Multiple guards met them outside. As they bowed the Bonten members made their way inside. When inside they took off their coats and shoes. Knowing their Omega worked hard on cleaning the mansion. They didn't want a repeat of last time.

Last time Takeomi has came in with muddy and wet shoes. Completely ruining the freshly cleaned floors. Their Omega had been so upset, he literally USED Takeomi to clean the floor. Like we're talking, used Takeomi as a mop to clean the floor. While it aroused most of the Alpha's, the others had be slightly horrified how their tiny Omega used a fully grown MAN, to mop the floors.

They didn't want a repeat of that. Especially Takeomi. After that they put away their shoes so nobody gets hurt. Mikey started up the stairs and the others quickly followed. Wanting to comfort their Omega. They know he's having a rough time with the whole pregnancy. It's been taking a huge toll on them all, but especially on him.

As they arrived to the door seperating the pack from their Omega, they could smell the annoyed pheromones coming from inside. Mikey shared a look with the ones holding bags for their Omega and motioned them forward. Kakucho, Mochi, and Rindou stepped forward.

Mikey carefully opened the door. Making sure they were all releasing calming pheromones. As they all entered there was a slient shuffle coming from the closed coffin in the middle of the room. Sanzu stepped forward and tapped a small rhythm on the lid of the coffin.

A few seconds passed beofre the coffin cracked open. A pair of (E/C) eyes peered through the crack. Sanzu bent down and chuckled. "Alright baby. Come on out. We know your upset. So we got you some stuff." He montions to the others who are holding bags.

The coffin fully opened and a gorgeous male with mid length (H/C) hair carefully sat up pouting. His (E/C) eyes sweeping past his Alpha's. He nods towards Kakucho who carefully placed the bag beside the coffin. Knowing it was warm and didn't want it hurting the Omega.

(Name) smelled the bag and hummed then carefully removed the food. He opened the box and smiled at the spicy yaskisoba inside. Then Mochi stepped forward and set and another bag by the coffin. (Name) carefully opened the bag and was welcomed with a fuzzy black blanket covered in his Alphas sents. (Name) smiles brightly and shoves his face into it taking a deep breath.

Finally Rindou reaches into his bag and held out a stuffed bat. (Name) perked up and quickly snatched it and finally started releasing happy pheromones. The others relaxed and smiled at the happy pregnant Omega. (Name) kissed Rindou's cheek and started purring happily.

Maybe they won't punish the guard for interrupting them today. Since they got to see their Omega happy and purring again. It feels like its been a while. After a few bites of food (Name) turned glaring at the now relaxed Alphas. "Now which one of you assholes has me always craving SPICY FOOD?!" They slumped. It was nice while it lasted.

[canmom]

The themes of NieR Reincarnation

A post about the recurring elements of Drakenier and the use of branching timelines as a storytelling device. I'll be discussing spoilers for basically every DoD/NieR game.

Records

A somewhat understated recurring motif of the Drakengard/NieR series is the idea of stories or memories of humanity being stored in some massive archive.

It's an idea that first entered the series in NieR Gestalt/Replicant. Early drafts of the game focused on the idea of a world built out of stories and fairytale characters, and while most of this was cut, some remained in the Forest of Myth area.

Following NieR's obsessive love of hopping between different game genres, the story here is delivered through prose/text adventure segments. There is a sense that this area of the game exists as prose, with the characters slightly aware of narration - narration which absorbs the characters until you find a way to escape. Eventually you find out - it's rather cryptic in the actual game, but spelled out explicitly in Grimoire NieR - that it's a huge computer system storing records of the deceased humanity.

In your second visit to the area, the story focuses more on distant history, that all these stories are fragments of memory of the lost pre-apocalpytic world. You encounter a Gestalt (human soul extracted from body) that is eating the memories stored in the tree, and kill it, and for Nier and co., this is enough - but for the player, you really don't know half of what is going on.

In the story The Lost World, which was adapted for the additional Ending E added in the Replicant remake, Kainé returns to the Forest of Myth and finds the computer system expanding. She fights clones of herself before eventually speaking to a mysterious administrator and descending into a virtual world that seems like a corrupted version of her memories. But she's able to connect to her memories of NieR, Emil and Grimoire Weiss, and through that connection cause a kind of timeline collapse effect that allows her to resurrect Nier. Terms from DoD3 such as 'singularity' come back again.

In NieR Automata, the idea of the legacy of humanity becomes increasingly central. While the androids believe they are reclaiming Earth for humanity, the Machine Lifeforms' motivation is in large part driven by their efforts to pore over the records of humanity and learn how to evolve their condition, even by blind imitation. Many of the different Machine Lifeforms you encounter are shaped by their interpretations of human society. The motif of human buildings recreated in white blocks recurs at certain points.

In the final sequence of the game, you climb a tower, and inside it visit simulacra of locations from the Replicant/Gestalt. You learn that the machines have infiltrated the androids' network and downloaded basically all the information the androids have, including all their records of humanity. When the machines' 'Ark' is launched into space, it carries their memories and consciousness in data form.

The YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse raid series in FFXIV continues this idea of obsessive, blind reconstruction. The machines you fight here are now all the more explicitly connected to the apocalyptic shit in DoD; they have also been frantically creating duplicates of YoRHa android 2P, the Bunker and so on in corrupted form. Although the story here has mostly other interests, it's another recurrence of the idea of trying to recreate things that were lost.

Along with this idea of the archive comes the idea of preservation of that archive. Whether by accident or deliberate attack, the survival of the archive is not guaranteed.

This is all absolutely central to what Reincarnation is about.

Branches

The Drakenier series has played around with branching narratives pretty much from the start. It's somewhat infamous for it in fact - did you know that NieR is actually a spinoff of ending E of Drakengard, the one where you appear over Tokyo and have to do a rhythm game? Yeah, so...

Most games are fairly cagey (ha ha) about the mechanics of these branches. Indeed, although we speak of branches, the structure of these games is not really a branching one like a visual novel. The branches and 'endings' are usually unlocked sequentially.

Drakengard/Drag-on Dragoon (DoD1) is probably the closest you get to a traditional branching structure. You can unlock routes in certain missions by fulfilling certain conditions. The exact logic of these branches is not really explained - you can go back to a point before you recruit a party member and get a different branch where they're present for example. That said, it's not like a visual novel where you can be 'on' one branch or another - you can always jump to any level from any timeline.

This oddness of the branches is also lampshaded a little more in DoD3, the game that is most explicit about the nature of the branching timeline. DoD3 is, from the player perspective, a linear game. After you complete the first 'ending', you unlock new levels that appear at earlier points in the timeline, and diverging branches appear. In the later branches, the logic of the world is starting to break down. Party members who you'd recruit later in the story are in your party much earlier, in some cases suffering from amnesia, the implication being that it's an effect of the Flower's corruption.

The game is intermittently narrated by a character called Accord, an android 'Recorder' whose job is to document all the different versions of the story for an unknown party. Accord isn't supposed to intervene in the story, though she occasionally talks to protagonist Zero, and in the final D route, she decides to break the rules and save Zero. Otherwise, she's responsible for 'sealing' branches where it seems the world cannot be saved.

This is Accord:

The final cutscene of DoD3, available only after you beat the ludicrously difficult rhythm game that is the 'final song', shows a bunch of other Accords appearing and talking about what a mess this all is.

Accord's other role in the game is to sell weapons. Another series tradition running back to DoD1 is the 'Weapon Stories'. In each game, you can collect weapons, which can be upgraded through a series of four stages. Each stage unlocks another part of a story. These stories tend to be quite brief - each entry is at most a short paragraph. They also, particularly in the DoD games, tend to be comically grimdark.

DoD 3 came out after NieR Replicant/Gestalt, but in every game since then, there have been cryptic mentions of Accord. In Automata she's mentioned in a note as a weapons seller; in the updated version of Replicant she is mentioned as visiting Nier's village while the party is away on her adventures, and you see a documention that mentions the 'Accord Corporation' supplying magic weapons.

OK, so, put a pin in that, we'll come back to her later.

The side material commits further to the branching idea. The original Drakengard is established to follow from the DoD3 Story Side novel, while Branch A gives rise to the Shi ni Itaru Aka manga and the DoD 1.3 novel. The YoRHa stage plays spawned alternative versions, namely YoRHa version 1.3a and Shōjo YoRha version 1.1a, with the gender of the casts flipped. YoRHa 1.3a also has Accord in it. The anime NieR Automata ver. 1.1a also presents an increasingly diverging version of the events of the game - notably, Adam turns into a multi-armed monster.

DoD2, something of the black sheep of the franchise, was originally written to follow DoD1 ending A; later it was retconned to belong to its own branch. Just 'cause.

With me so far? ...no? Yeah, that's fair. You can read about all the details I've gathered so far here, but in short, there are lots of timeline branches, and multiple versions of several stories with small or large divergences.

Reincarnation

NieR Re[in]carnation is a gacha game that's been running for the last three years, and is going to be shut down at the end of April. At the time it came out, it was acknowledge for having unusually nice graphics for a mobile game, but rather desultory, grindy, repetitive gameplay. Which remained true throughout the game's life, so I can't exactly recommend playing Reincarnation, especially at this point.

But! I would definitely say it's worth your time to dig up the story on Youtube/Accord's Library if you're into NieR stuff. I won't be going into all the ins and outs of the story and how it all fits together in this post, but I am gonna talk about how it's structured.

NieR Reincarnation places you in a vast stone city called the Cage, calling to mind the environments in Ico. At the outset, you play as a young girl travelling with a weird ghost-like creature called Mama, tasked with restoring the memories stored in objects called 'dark scarecrows' which are being subverted and corrupted by black birds which form into various monsters.

Within each chapter of NieR Reincarnation, you get a short story in four parts, presented in a kind of cutout style, which are the four segments of a weapon story. You collect the weapon and the character.

The Cage is shaped by the content of the weapon stories somehow bleeding into the simulated setting. A character's memories can be used to restore the stories to their proper course. It is possible to interfere in small ways with the worlds of the stories.

The corruption of the stories tends to involve subverting characterisation to make them crueller, more prone to random violence etc. - or points when a character could be threatened in a narratively unsatisfying way. For example, a peace-loving runaway prince could be turned into a warlike king.

Over the course of the first arc, you discover that the girl you are playing is actually a monster who has taken the form of a human girl and, regretting it, wants to give her her embodiment back. The second half of the arc has you playing the girl trying to reunite with her monster friend; at the end, you get her own backstory as a victim of brutal prejudice. After all is said and done, both characters transform into weapons, which Mama picks up and hides away.

The second arc, The Sun and the Moon, deals with a brother and sister from present-day Tokyo. Both of them have been transported into the Cage by more of the weird ghost thingies, to participate in a strange ritual that is allegedly going to restore the Cage. The rules are highly mystical - a significant sacrifice is needed.

In the most recent arc, The People and The World, the characters all emerge from their stories as the Cage becomes increasingly corrupted. We finally get the long awaited point where these characters can interact with each other, and advance the stories from a series of tragic vignettes to something more. At the same time, we get a lot more allusions to other games in the series - from the Lunar Tear room where Emil memorialised Kainé and later 9S memorialises 2B, to a brief appearance Devola and Popola.

There's even a nod to Yoko Taro's other terminated gacha game, SINoALICE, which is going to be made into a movie oddly enough. There's a wry nod to the game being shut down.

And in the most recent chapters we find out that the Cage is actually a server on the moon containing records of humanity - 10H from A Much Too Silent Sea is one of the main characters. 'Mama' is actually the Pod tasked with overseeing the archive, and wiping 10H's memories whenever she learns too much - though it seems at some point 10H learned the truth and affirmed that she'd protect the archive anyway and they stopped wiping her memory.

Over the course of the chapter, 10H helps the gang make their escape from the moon through the androids network, to Earth. But when they get to Earth, they find themselves in a strange white city more resembling the Cage.

We'll finally get some answers, maybe, later this month. Anyway...

So, these records come from multiple diverging timelines, and they take the form of weapon stories. You have a unity of the ideas of character - weapon - memory - world. A record is simultaneously a tragic series of events, a person who can manifest inside the Cage itself, a simulated world which other people can visit, and a weapon.

In addition to the main storyline chapters and 'character stories', each character is associated with two additional 'EX' storylines, termed Dark Memories and Recollections of Dusk. Each one is a much more substantial narrative than most in the game.

Some of these EX stories clearly take place in different timelines to the first ones we encounter. Akeha's story, for example, takes place after her death in the original version. For the brother and sister from the Sun and the Moon arc, originally from present-day Tokyo, their Dark Memories take place in the backstory to NieR Gestalt/Replicant - the period where humanity is dying out to White Chlorination Syndrome and fighting monsters called the Legion. In this one, before the siblings could be torn apart by family drama and resentment, the apocalypse happens. Both of them end up coming into their own as heroic fighters. In the finale arc, the characters learn a bit about these alter egos, and it's made very explicit that this is a different timeline.

The monster Levania's Dark Memory is especially weird. It's the story of a salaryman who plays a monster called Levania in an MMORPG. His MMO character inspires him to live more bravely in the real world, and his life seems to be improving, but he is murdered by a jealous coworker. He wishes for reincarnation as he dies - classic isekai stuff. But the connection to the Levania you encounter in the main story is far from clear. Are all versions of Levania derived essentially from this man's tulpa?

The nature of the 'enemies' attacking the Cage is still not yet clear. They take the form of black birds. The birds are given a small amount of dialogue and characterisation, and they seem to not be malicious, just confused. The girl from the first arc in particular tends to interact with them sympathetically. However, they seem to be connected with the mysterious 'God' who was trying to destroy the world in DoD1, and the Angels and Flower of DoD3.

The birds are able to gathe together to manifest much larger monsters, the largest being giant elk and fish called Cursed Gods. During the finale arc, one of these becomes something that resembles the Mother Angel from DoD1 - and yes, there is a rhythm game - though mercifully a pretty easy one.

In the same arc, the character Yurie, an AI city overlord with grandiose ambitions and a loathing of imperfection attempts to download the entire history of humanity from the Cage and become a more perfect being. She succeeds, only to find the answers disappointing...

This is perhaps the closest thing we ever get to an explicit statement of what all these stories and histories add up to, but despite all this, the throughline is very strongly that these stories are essential to preserve. NieR characters exist in small groups, and it is their intense connections to these others, their treasured memories of travelling together, that motivate them to fight to preserve that thing, even if the results are destructive.

Similar themes emerge for example in Noelle's Recollection of Dusk story, which sees her travelling to preserve a place valued by her sister in crystal. And they also connect to the theme of sacrifice - the recurring ending device where the player must delete their save data in order to help someone (something echoed in Hina and Yuzuki at the altar of the sun and moon, or Levania and Fio). It's perhaps fair to say that nothing is more valued in the world of Nier than memories of a treasured person.

What about Accord? She has in fact made a brief cameo in Reincarnation already...

It seems incredibly likely that Accord originates from the Cage, and the accumulation of weapon stories is accomplished by androids like her. Definitely in the fandom there's a lot of excitement for the idea that Accord - something of a fan favourite - will show up at Reincarnation's ending.

So mystery solved, the Cage exists in the world of NieR Automata on the moon server? Not so fast - there are various discrepancies which seem to suggest that the world of the Cage exists in a separate branch than the one we see in Automata. For example, the androids are aware that the humans are dead and what remains on the moon is a huge archive of their memories; the humans seem to have survived much longer; 2B and 9S seem to have died in different circumstances. There are other oddities which fans have compiled.

And yet, despite being a divergent timeline with a much older point of divergence, some things seem to be fixed. There is still a YoRHa, still a 10H deceived about being on the moon, still a 2B and 9S.

One popular fan theory is that Reincarnation belongs to the NieR Automata anime (ver1.1a), since Adam turns into a monster there similar to the ones in Reincarnation. The black birds are reasoned to be the Machine Lifeforms, since we know they come from Earth. I'm not 100% sure of this, but maybe?

Anyway, that's basically the gist of it.

A story told through permutations

In many fictional series with a shared universe, there is an effort to maintain a consistent shared universe, so all the different events can fit into a timeline with understandable cause and effect and characters living out their lives. Even when this proves impossibly unwieldy, as in comic books or Star Wars, the attempt is made.

NieR does not really take this approach. The creators leave many details of the world, such as place names, incredibly vague - the focus is always on telling an emotional story with characters. There is, as we've seen, an almost gleeful willingness to declare another new timeline.

There is also a certain aspect of repetition, or more kindly reiteration - the same core character dynamic revisited and retold in various forms. (2B9S gets the worst of it). A character is something like a principle or ideal, and each story shines another light on that 'core'. In the earlier storylines of Reincarnation, it became quite frustrating because it seemed like e.g. the character event stories were just rehashing the same idea rather than advance the story.

However, the more accustomed I get to this style of storyline, the more I think this kinda works. It is of course quite similar to the ideas proposed towards the end of Homestuck, or to time loop stories - the idea of varying the contingent circumstances to try to better illustrate the core characterisations and dynamics.

Yoko Taro has talked about how he constructs stories from a very simple idea, typically a moment of high emotional impact at the climax, and then works backwards to figure out what sort of story could lead into that. In Reincarnation, each character gets fairly limited time to establish themselves, so they tend to be defined in terms of a pretty narrow high concept.

For example, Akeha is an assassin in a vague historical Japanese setting; her introductory story sees her decide for the first time to disobey her lord after she finds another person who has been treated as instrumentally as her. Most Akeha stories focus on her assassinations, her relationship to her retainer, and what she sacrifices to perform the duty. Only her Dark Memory lets us see an Akeha who has escaped that life - it's a simple story about preparing food, but that's given meaning by all the other Akeha stories.

Hina and Yuzuki are defined by the same traits in their flashy scifi Dark Memory stories as in the more mundane ones - Yuzuki the quiet outcast, Hina the self-sacrificing star. Fio is defined by kindness in the context of abjection, seeing the good in monsters. Levania stories are about the desire for escape and transformation. Argo is always a shitty dad who only feels alive while climbing mountains.

The staticness of these characters seems on some level to be the point - in that we are told in Hina and Yuzuki's story that the mechanism of the Cage is to sort characters into 'Light' and 'Dark' natures, and push them to inevitable conflict, even if they try to break free. In the final arc, the characters seem to finally approach some resolution as they leave their contexts behind. Given the themes of Automata in rejecting an inevitable tragic fate, similar movement may be at work. There's an ambiguity - the need to hold on to even tragic histories, vs the wish to not be confined to them. (Perhaps it's significant that it's called the Cage...)

With so many balls in the air and so many mysteries still unanswered, it's hard to figure out how Reincarnation can deliver a satisfying resolution in just one remaining chapter, but the final arc has been really cooking so who knows! But I'm also coming to appreciate it as a kind of broader lens to notice all these recurring elements and tie them together.

Stories about alternate timelines and branching narratives are very common nowadays, particularly as a tool for revisiting a nostalgic franchise. Something something effect of the fan wiki era. So I can't exactly say NieR is doing something completely unique, but I do think there is something to its fragmented, collage-like approach to putting together story elements. There's something quite honest about it - an ability to say 'these details aren't important'.

Yoko Taro always talks about himself as an entertainer rather than an artist. And probably it is true that a lot of this eemerged from an iterative design process rather than being the plan from the beginning (the first draft of NieR envisioned it as something closer to what SINoALICE ended up being, about a world of fairytale characters; NieR Automata began life as backstory for an idol project). There's definitely a strong sense that it's being improvised. And yet despite that, it does feel like it is cohering into some sort of picture, that there is an artistic throughline to all this.

Or perhaps that's just the effect of getting way too invested in something. I won't deny that NieR brings out the fan in me.

Anyway Accord had better show up next month. Guys. You've been teasing us for so long...

[yanderederee]

YandereAlphabet MasterList

800 Follower Writing Event: April21st-May1st

*┊͙ ͙⋆┊͙* ⋆┊͙* ͙⋆┊͙* ⋆┊͙*┊͙ ͙⋆┊͙* ⋆┊͙* ͙⋆┊͙* ⋆┊͙*

Tokyo Revengers

Baji Keisuke - 〖 A , B , M , S , H, 〗

Haitani Rindou - 〖 A , F , S , T , 〗

Sano Manjiro - 〖 S , N 〗

Haitani Ran - 〖 K , 〗

Kazutora Hanemiya - 〖 H , 〗

Mitsuya Takashi - 〖 L , 〗

Kokonoi Hajime - 〖 Q , 〗

Kurokawa Izana - 〖 N , 〗

Kakucho - 〖 K , 〗

Jujutsu Kaisen

Sukuna - 〖 D , 〗

Choso -〖 E , H, 〗

Nanami Kento -〖 W , 〗

Ze’nin Mai - 〖 J , 〗

Katekyo Hitman Reborn

Reborn - 〖 A , 〗

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Imagine Part 4:

Rapper Erik and Y/N are official. How are they handling the new relationship?

“Tell us your name, gorgeous, and where you’re from and how we can connect with you.” 

She blushed into the camcorder with a bright white smile and dark brown eyes. 

“My name is Tasia. I’m from Houston. You can follow me on Instagram at Tasia Marie.”

The videographer panned Tasia’s body with the camcorder. Tasia gave him a sexy pose while seated in the back of a bright yellow 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman. She’s wearing a sage halter dress and her hair is styled in large knotless braids with sleek edges. 

“Tell us a little bit about Tasia.”

Tasia pondered with a cute smirk on her face. She giggled and licked her glossy lips before speaking. 

“I’m twenty eight years old. I love to dance and model. I’m a great cook. My sign is a Scorpio. I love to have fun and just…see the world, you know? Let’s get some stamps on our passports together.”

“I hear that! Now, you’re on set of E-rratic’s highly anticipated video shoot. He hand picked you to be his leading lady. How does that make you feel? Let the people know!” 

“I feel special. Not everyday an opportunity like this comes your way. I’ve been waiting for the moment to star in a video with GRIZZLEY. And plus, backseat interlude is on rotation right now so it’s only right.” 

The video set had a late night, city vibe with wet pavements and a low ambiance from the many colorful lights that illuminated the city of Tokyo. E-rratic wanted to take it up a notch and shoot his video in Tokyo, Japan; one of the places on his bucket list to travel to. He had an entire script to make it like a movie. KILL-OCHO is a wanted man by the Yakuza who wants revenge for coming into Tokyo and making a name for himself. He steals the lead member’s woman (Tasia) just because he could. It’s Tokyo drift meets street fighter. 

The first two days on set were about filming for his hit single titled ‘punisher’ and now he was ready to give a little sexy, steamy realness with back seat interlude. The fans were begging him to make a video for the short song so he secretly decided to add it in the video to please his fans. It was never his intention but he’s glad that he did it anyway. 

“Speak of the devil…”

E-rratic slid into the back seat of the Porsche next to Tasia with no shirt on, flaunting his muscular strength by picking her up and placing her within his lap. Tasia giggled and draped her slender arms around his neck. E-rratic smiled into the camcorder with his diamond-encrusted canines and dimples on display. Tasia couldn’t focus on anything around her except E-rratic. He had her in a trance. Thick, diamond chains hung from his tattoo-covered neck and diamond rings decorated his thick fingers. He smelled like money and looked like money. In Tasia’s mind, she couldn’t wait to taste the money on his plump lips. To even be within his personal space took a lot of strength to keep it together. In her mind, don’t no bitch want E-rratic as bad as she does. 

Not even his girl friend Y/N.

“What are we about to get into KING KILLMONGER? Let the fans know.”

E-rratic gave a deep chuckle that vibrated his chest. Tasia could feel the rumble and she shivered in his grasp. E-rratic turned to look at her, his obsidian eyes low and wanton. 

“This lucky girl gettin’ that exclusive treatment. We about to film back seat interlude. Gotta give the fans what they want, feel me?”

“And what’s that?” The videographer asked.

“Straight sexiness.” E-rratic replied.

Tasia blushes before pressing her face into E-rratic’s neck taking in a whiff of his Versace Dylan Blue cologne. He tapped the side of her hip to get her attention and Tasia discreetly gripped his hand to try and place it on her ass. This isn’t the first time she tried to get him to do something in between takes. 

“Looks like everything is a go. Y’all ready?”

Hype Williams walked over to the car to make sure everything was good to go before he called action. E-rratic gave him a thumbs up while positioning Tasia to straddle his lap. She playfully bounced on him, her ass jiggling out of control. 

“Aye, chill out,” E-rratic gave her a smirk but his tone was icy, “just do your part, girl. Sit and be pretty.”

Hype Williams walked away laughing. 

“That’s no fun,” Tasia whispered, “You know what I want.”

“Yeah, I know. And you ain’t getting it.” E-rratic replied with a hushed tone. 

“Not fair. I want what you gave that groupie on your tour bus…”

E-rratic ignored her and Tasia didn’t like that. She was going to get it out of him one way or another. 

“ACTION!”

We gon’ fuck for an hour then we gon’ move to the back seat…

The water on set came pouring down like rain over the car. A neon blue light covered their bodies causing the white of their teeth, the diamonds they were wearing, and the green of Tasia’s dress to pop. Kill pressed his lips against Tasia’s ear as if he were sensually whispering the lyrics of the song to her. As if it were his own words serenading her. Tasia arched her back and combed her nails through E-rratic’s locs. 

Watch how I blow that back out make yo’ pretty ass tap out…

Tasia looked into the camera with a seductive gaze while E-rratic continued to spit his explicit lyrics. His hands dragged from her back to her ass where he cuffed her booty for extra emphasis on the back he was going to blow out. Tasia started grinding her hips in E-rratics lap and biting her lip. 

Fat ass on you girl I had to take that pussy in the back of my Audi 

Got your face down and that ass to the north (damn that arch is nice)

“CUT!”

E-rratic gave Tasia a little push and she slid off of his lap and to the seat next to him. E-rratic climbed out and walked off for a smoke break so Tasia could have some screen time alone. She’s supposed to flaunt in front of the camera while the song plays in the background for added sexiness. As the camera zoomed in to her, Tasia moved her body in time to the lyrics. When E-rratic said to arch your back, she was face down, ass up in the back seat with her tiny dress almost revealing the lack of underwear. 

E-rratic entered his trailer and cracked the door behind him. He took a seat in front of his vanity where his weed and pre-rolled blunts are. After taking a swig of alkaline water, Erratic sparked up a blunt. Blunt hanging between his thick lips, he pulled up his special girl’s number and FaceTimed her back at the hotel. After the third ring, she  answered with a towel wrapped around her body and her expensive bundles clipped to the top of her head so it wouldn’t get wet. 

“Hey, baby girl. I miss you.”

“Mhm. Not enough if you’re not here with me right now.” Y/N replied. 

E-rratic’s eyes roamed over her body covered in a fluffy white towel. The amount of soft, brown skin that teased him was enough to make him go back to her. She gave him a look with an arched brow, challenging him to come to her and that was E-rratic’s favorite look. He loved it when Y/N got sassy with him. It let him know she wanted to get fucked harder. Longer. With his long dick. He chuckled when she turned around to tease him, bending over in the camera and shaking her ass from left to right. 

“You know daddy got work to do. I thought you said you love that I’m a hard worker?”

“I do, but it’s going on day three of this shit and I haven’t been able to properly enjoy you.” 

“Whatchu ‘bout to do?” E-rratic leaned into the camera with his blunt between his fingers, “Don’t do nothing that’s gonna get you in trouble, sexy. Thought I told you that pussy is off limits when I’m away? Don’t be hard headed.”

“Or what?” Y/N spoke defiantly, “Because you’re all the way over there, and I’m here. Can’t discipline me through the phone, Erik.”

“You talk so much shit and when I show up you sing a different tune. But I love it though, you real cute, baby.” 

Y/N rolled her eyes and made herself comfortable on the edge of their hotel bed to apply some vanilla oil to her skin. 

“Is that chick behaving herself or do I have to pull up?”

E-rratic’s intense stare and slight smirk distracted her for a second. She smiled at him before blowing him a kiss and licking her top lip lustily. 

“I got it under control. You know the ladies love E-rratic. How do you think I got you?”

He gave her a charming, dimpled smile.

“How many times do I have to remind you that you belong to me now and those bitches don’t stand a chance?” 

“You right. And you already know where I stand. So don’t waste your energy on these hoes. It’s me and you.” 

“Actions speak louder than words…”

E-rratic could sense the lack of confidence in her voice. Clearly, no amount of words will make her feel any better. It’s what comes with the lifestyle. E-rratic is a wanted man. No matter where he goes, some chick will throw themselves at him. They drop the panties for him, take off their bras for him, cheat on their men for him, risk it all to get some of that dick from him. That’s just how it is. It’s been years since he’d been in a committed relationship. He never imagined himself being where he is right now with Y/N; a fan. Respectfully, she’s more than a fan to him. He couldn’t explain it, but it was something about her. She had something that he couldn’t resist. 

“And haven’t I proven to you that I’m all about you?” E-rratic said, tilting his head into the camera. 

“Yes,” Y/N peered at him through her lashes, “Maybe I still can’t believe that I’m with you.”

“You’re rare, baby. I can’t believe the hold you have on me too. You know what I can’t stop thinking about?”

Y/N got comfortable on her side, one hand holding the front of her towel while the other propped her head up. The curve of her hip beneath that towel had E-rratic’s mouth watering. 

“What’s that?”

“…How you woke me up this morning with my dick in your mouth. Those pretty brown eyes staring up at me.”

“I could use some dick in my mouth right now if you were here with me,” Y/N said.

“Just your mouth?” E-rratic replied with faux shock, voice holding a bit of rasp.

“Of course not. That’s just the beginning. This pussy too.” 

“Mhm,” E-rratic took a hit from his blunt, allowing the purple haze strain to crowd his senses, “Daddy’s pretty pussy?”

Y/N gave him a sluggish nod of her head with a tantalizing bite of her lower lip. 

“I’ve been thinking about that phat pussy all day. That shit is mine.” 

“All yours,” Y/N said with a giggle.

“I got some time to kill, take that towel off and show me that pussy.”

E-rratic didn’t waste time. He sat up in his seat, pecks jumping and ab muscles flexing. Y/N couldn’t see his lower half that well, only the band to his white Calvin Klein’s. That brought her back to his recent Calvin Klein ad. Y/N made herself comfortable on her back facing the camera. She took the towel off and spread her legs to reveal her wet pussy to E-rratic. His deep grunt sent shivers down her spine.

“I want that pussy in my mouth so bad right now. First thing ima do when I get back is stick my tongue so far up your pussy…Fuuck.”

Y/N spread her lips for him so he could get a better look at how soaked she is for him. The contrast of her designer acrylics against the smooth, glistening flesh of her folds almost had him foaming at the mouth. 

“When I get to you, I’m a have you crying.”

“You know I can’t wait for that. You can find me ready and in position on the couch as soon as you get here.”

“Hmm…it’s like that?” E-rratic grabbed his crotch.

“All for you, Erik.”

“I love it when you say my name…it just rolls off your tongue all sexy and shit,” E-rratic smirked, “You gon’ moan my name?”

“Moan, sing, shout, all that,” Y/N replied. 

“That’s a good girl—give me a second, I’m coming—they want me back on set—”

“They can wait.” 

Y/N brought two wet fingers to her mouth to lick her juices off. E-rratic watched her with so much concentration. He slowly licked his lips as if he were the one enjoying her taste. If he could lick the screen and sample a taste, he would. 

“Aren’t you so lucky that you get to have all of this?” Y/N said.

“Shit, aren’t you so lucky that you get to sit on my face like it’s your personal seat?”

The thought alone had Y/N rubbing circles on her clit. Her head went back and she let out soft moans that bounced off of the walls of his trailer. 

“Can’t believe your favorite rapper eats that pussy up, huh?” E-rratic strained his neck to see if anyone was waiting outside of his trailer, “Got me talkin’ crazy right now…”

“Please hurry up, I need you,” Y/N moaned.

“I promise…hey…look at me…get your fingers off my pussy…I promise I’ll come straight to you when I’m done.”

Y/N kisses her teeth and to both of their disappointment, she closes her legs and sits up on the bed. Full titties with stiff nipples met his eyes and it didn’t make things better. The way his dick throbbed, you would think it was ready to burst through his zipper. The ache was uncomfortable and he didn’t know how he was going to be able to conceal a brick hard dick from Tasia. Have her thinking a torpedo is ready to blast off up her pussy with how hard he is. 

“Aight, we gotta behave ourselves. Go put on a robe and order yourself something to eat. Give me another hour and I’ll be right to you, baby girl. We can fuck with Joshi Luck on in the background.”

Y/N gave E-rratic an adorable pout with sad eyes. He picked up his phone and puckered his lips to give her a couple kisses through the phone. She wasn’t going to be satisfied until he came back to that hotel. He already knew that she was going to make herself cum at least twice. 

“You’re gon’ be a good girl for me?” E-rratic questioned. 

“I promise.” Y/N replied innocently.

“Aight, we’ll see. I’ll hit you when I’m on the way.” 

E-rratic ended the FaceTime and left his trailer so he could get this shit over with. As he walked back to set, he had to keep internally reminding himself to get Y/N off his brain until this was all over. 

_________________________________

How could Y/N describe what being with E-rratic felt like?

Euphoric

Like a dream

Perfect

Her fantasy made into reality 

The greatest feeling in the world

Not one word could perfectly express how she felt being with Erik. Her Erik. E-rratic Leader was her man. Saying that felt so unreal. Thinking about it felt like she was living a fictional life. She couldn’t begin to explain how happy she was. She never thought she’d see herself laid up in his hotel bed in another country wearing an iced-out Cuban link with her name on it or a diamond tennis anklet with his given name on it. 

Just three months after the tour, everything happened so fast. Was this how it was supposed to be? Was this what God had planned for her? Y/N resigned from her full time job, packed her bags—even though he got her a whole new wardrobe—and moved to LA. After the first half of the tour leg, Erik asked her to be his official girl. Y/N said yes before he could even get his words out. She told her family and friends, despite some of their disappointment. Her mother was the hardest to convince. Her father’s opinion didn’t really matter to her since he’s hardly in her life. Her sisters and cousins were nothing but judgmental, and her friends were protective. 

Still, every morning when she wakes up in his California king bed wrapped in luxury sheets with the highest thread count, she can’t believe that she’s sleeping next to E-rratic. Sharing a home with E-rratic. Driving his cars, eating food prepared by his personal chef, working out with his personal trainer, meeting his celebrity friends, and shopping with his money. She didn’t have to lift a finger. He had her set with racks. She could wake up and find five bands sitting on the side table next to the bed for her. He loved giving her bouquets of roses in different colors wrapped with individual bills. 

Whatever Erik wanted, she gave him no questions asked. That’s what comes with treating your woman right. Dick in mouth, ass in the air, pussy for the taking. She wore what he liked, styled her hair how he liked, got her nails done how he liked. Before their trip to Tokyo, Y/N got his name tatted on her hip and her clit pierced with a golden topaz and titanium ring to match the nipple piercings. She planned to do her tongue next. 

Everywhere they went, he would assert his dominance with his arm around her waist and his hand resting on her hip. He’d introduce her as his woman with such confidence and the biggest ego. So why did Y/N feel like it was all temporary? That he would find interest in some other girl and drop her back off to Detroit. It was all too surreal to believe it would last. Y/N dreamed of this. She was satisfied with just one opportunity with him, but to have him every single day, whenever and wherever, it blew her fucking mind. 

With new fame came controversy. Y/N went from 2K followers on Instagram to 1.5 million. She had to limit her comments to avoid an influx of rude, nasty people and she had to stay off of Twitter. Don’t even get her started on the blogs. The blogs were eating her up. Groupie. Hoe. One of many to have E-rratic. Some say it won’t last, others say she won’t be the same when her heart gets broken. She had to block all of them too. 

“When you let the shit people say get to you, it controls your life. You gotta ignore the bullshit.” 

E-rratic knew first hand what it was like. He had to learn to live his life the way he wanted and not how people watching him wanted him to be. He wanted the same for Y/N. 

“This shit is new for me too. I want it to work. I really like you, Y/N. Hell, I think I love you. It feels like love. You love me?” 

The feelings she felt for him ran deeper than him being her favorite rapper. She felt as if he were her soulmate. That God sent him to her. It was more than being with her celebrity crush. She got to know him. Not E-rratic. Erik. Erik Stevens. Born and raised in Oakland, CA. A parentless child at the age of twelve. Living with his grandparents and getting into trouble. In and out of jail. So smart he got a full ride to M.I.T. How he met the love of his life in school and how she was going to have his baby before it was all taken away from him. How he turned to music as an outlet to keep his mind right. She felt honored and special to know all of that about him. 

After eating her Japanese wagyu steak dinner and drinking some of Erik’s Japanese Whiskey, she fixed her hair and put on her YSL Cassandra Sandals in black patent. Y/N put on a little makeup with a bold red lip and put on Erik’s new album. She loved it. He was in his producer bag for sure. Some of the best music to come out recently. She already knew he was going to sweep at the Grammys. The imposing beats that gave way to nostalgic bops and transitioned into sexy instrumentals just showed how diverse he was. The lyrics hit every time for her. This was true art to her. 

Take off the top, baby let’s ride

She want the boss, the one own the tribe

Arm out the window, just throw it when we ride….

His voice, the energy he was giving off, the sexy beat, the background vocals of a woman moaning. It was all too much. 

I told her “I ain’t GRIZZLEY, baby, call me SEX.” 

If you my hoe, I call you sexy (yeahhh) 

I wanna see what you got inside

Can you make it say ahhh

Turn on yo side

While I switch lanes to pull over to the side

I promise it won’t hurt

Unless you make it hurt (yeahhh) 

You know them other niggas can’t do it like this (yeahhh) 

The lyrics to backseat interlude had her feeling herself. She knew that she was supposed to wait for him to get there, but she was naked and horny and listening to his voice couldn’t keep her under control. Y/N made herself comfortable on the couch and placed her glass of whiskey on the table. She got down on her back with her legs spread open and resumed rubbing her clit. To her surprise, she was still wet from their FaceTime. The song had slowly faded in the background and Y/N paused to play it again.

Y/N took a deep breath and relaxed. She closed her eyes. If Erik were there with her, he would be instructing her on how to touch herself. He’d tell her to start off slow and steady while rubbing her clit. To follow the speed of his soothing voice. She mimicked the speed of his voice on backseat interlude. She could feel her nipples hardening beneath the cool air of the hotel room. In her mind, she was envisioning herself sitting between his legs in front of a mirror while his hand did all the work and she sat there like a good girl. 

“Erik…Erik…Erik…”

Two fingers slipped inside and with her other hand she continued to rub her clit. She brought her knees to her chest and moaned his name over and over again. The song had stopped but she was already close to cumming so it didn’t matter anymore. 

“Fuck, I can’t wait to have your big dick inside of me…”

The anticipation was killing her. Every time with Erik felt like the first time. He was made to control her body. The way they’re bodies are in sync is both scary and amazing. He didn’t have to tell her how he liked it anymore, she knew what to do. From the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the floor, to the bed, she knew how to take his dick in every position possible. 

“I’m so wet…I can’t believe how wet I am…”

Hee fingers were damn near slipping into a puddle of arousal whenever her fingers would pump inside of her. Her clit was so ridged beneath the pads of her fingers. She desperately needs his tongue to replace all of this. 

“Oh, fuck, I’m gonna cum, fuck, fuck, shit…”

Hee inner thighs began to quake out of control and her body seized up like she was frozen in ice. Her mouth fell open with surprise and all she could feel seeping between her meaty thighs was her cum. A small puddle formed beneath her. Y/N inspected her fingers and there was cum dripping down to the palm of her hand. She cleaned her digits off and sat up on the couch, tacky skin sticking to the leather sofa. 

Hee phone vibrated next to her and when she noticed his name she picked it up and answered. 

“Open the door for daddy.”

____________________________

E-rratic gave BIG WILL the evening off and sent him to his room. There was no need for him to guard the door. E-rratic was rummaging in his jeans pockets, he realized that he left his key card back at the trailer on set. E-rratic pulled out his phone and called Y/N. She answered on the first ring.

“Open the door for daddy.” 

She hung up in his ear and E-rratic could hear her foot steps rushing to the door. She opened it wearing a robe and E-rratic rushed inside and slammed the door behind him. He pressed his much larger body against her small, soft one and Y/N ended up with her back against the wall across from the door and her arms above her head. E-rratic interlocked his fingers with hers to keep her in place while his skillful tongue slithered into her mouth hot and heavy. E-rratic brought one hand down to open her robe while the other hand gripped both of her hands. 

“You smell like sugar and sweat…you played with my pussy while I was gone?”

Y/N was so enraptured with him being there that she didn’t respond. E-rratic smoothed his hand down her stomach until his fingers were separating her outer lips to investigate for himself. He smiled slightly as his eyes bore into hers.

“And I can taste that Suntory Hibiki on your tongue. Turning up without daddy?”

E-rratic removed his fingers from between her legs and gripped her chin.

“You can’t speak now?” He said with an arch of his brow.

“I couldn’t help myself.” She finally spoke. 

“What I tell you? Hm?” 

Y/N looked E-rratic up and down.

“Okay…okay…I see what you want…let’s go.” 

E-rratic grabbed Y/N by the waist and they walked to the bathroom. Inside, E-rratic instructed Y/N to take off her robe and undress him. She removed her fluffy robe and walked up to him, taking off his white T-shirt first. She noticed a lipstick stain on it and her eyes locked with his. He followed her finger and when he saw the stain he kissed his teeth.

“From set. She must’ve done that while we were filming in the car.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. 

“C’mon Lil mama. You know I ain’t get down like that.”

E-rratic planted a kiss to her cheek.

“You tryna ruin the moment. I ain’t seen you all day.”

“I’m sorry,” Y/N tugged on the hem of his T-shirt, “Maybe I should have been your video girl instead…”

E-rratic smirked at her before lifting her chin so she could look up at him.

“Say the word and I’ll do this shit all over again. I’ll make you the leading lady.”

Y/N took a moment to think about it, but ultimately she shook her head.

“Nah, that’s more money and time put in. She just better watch herself before I snatch her ass up.”

“You sure?” E-rratic tucked his chin and gave her a serious look, “I’m good for it, you already know that.” 

“I’m sure. Now, where were we?”

E-rratic licked his lips, “That’s my baby girl. Finish what you started…”

Y/N continued to remove E-rratic’s T-shirt. The more skin revealed, the more she would kiss and lick him all over. When the shirt fell to the floor, Y/N locked eyes with E-rratic while taking off his pants. He watched her with a look in his eyes like he wanted to eat her up. When his briefs were the last to go, Y/N cupped his sack in her hand and got onto her top toes to get a kiss. Their tongues danced and their lips made sloppy wet noises the more they molded into each other. 

Y/N took off his briefs and the way his dick was looking semi hard had her ready to suck it until it was fully solid in her jaws. E-rratic chuckled at her expression and turned to get into the standing shower with multiple jets. Y/N grabbed her claw clip and joined him, not caring that she had already taken a shower before. The warm water painted their skin and Y/N grabbed a soap sponge to clean him off. She started with his back, sudsing him up real good, amazed at how the soap tricked down his spine to his toned ass. 

When he turned to face her, she got down on her knees and dragged the sponge down his torso and then squeezed soap all over his thick pole. She went to clean his legs and feet and when she came back up to his dick and balls, she used the sponge first to clean him, then she used her hands to stroke the soap all over his shaft. E-rratic looked down at her through the curtain of locs that framed his forehead. Water trickled down his body tantalizingly until his dick was free of soap. 

“Suck this dick,” E-rratic commanded.

Y/N opened her mouth and wrapped her greedy lips around the tip of his dick. She went lower, her eyes never leaving his, until he was at the back of her throat. She closed her eyes to fight back the tears and removed her mouth, his dick with a string of spit dangling in front of her. She used her tongue to massage the sides of his shaft. She used her lips like a suction for his nut sack just so she could hear him groan.

“This my fucking dick,” She moaned.

“Then make your dick cum,” E-rratic spoke with a gruff tone, “Do what I like. No hands, all mouth, lots of spit. Make that shit nasty.”

Y/N engulfed his dick again and started bobbing her head up and down while her hand massaged his heavy sack. She squeezed his sack to keep him still and the more she did that, the harder he became in her mouth. So hard to the point where she couldn’t suck him all the way down with ease anymore. The vein on the underside of his shaft made it more difficult. She used her tongue to flick the deep vein and he hissed. 

“Do that shit, baby, Gahdamn,” E-rratic’s brows drew together, “Fuuck, I’m gonna bust…”

Y/N was showing out. The slurping grew louder and E-rratic’s thighs started shaking. His fingers turned into fists and he threw his head back. All she could see was that perfect body and the length of his neck. Pre-cum mixed with her saliva covered his dick and she would slurp it up and spit it back out to make it as sloppy as she could.

“Stay on that tip…just like that…I’m gonna fuck you so good…SHITTTT!” 

His ass muscles tightened and a stream of cum hit the back of her throat. He stared down at her with disbelief. 

“You the only bitch to make a nigga nut like he been backed up for days…where you been all my life? Wish I would’ve wifed you up…”

Her eyes sparkled when he said that. He avoided touching her hair and reached for her hands. He helped her to her feet and immediately pressed his lips against hers. 

“Let me wash you off now…”

E-rratic took the sponge and applied soap to it. He made her turn around so that her back was facing him and she placed her hands on the shower wall. He started at her shoulders, then he rubbed circles into her back with the sponge. His dick was sitting between her cheeks and his lips were pressed against her ear. After he washed her ass and then dragged the sponge around to the front, cleaning her breasts and squeezing the sponge so that soap could run down her body. 

“You look good with my name tatted on your hip.” E-rratic whispered, “That let’s me know that it’s real.”

Y/N released a sigh of pleasure when E-rratic replaced the sponge with a soft rag and some sensitive wash to clean her pussy. With one hand he held her lips open while he gently cleansed her inner folds, careful not to get her piercing caught on the rag. When he was finished, he placed the rag on the side of the shower and turned her around to face him. 

“Get your pretty ass in the room so I can have my way with you,” E-rratic whispered against her lips, “All night long, girl.”

_________________________

E-rratic had turned the lights off in the room and on the flat screen, wall-mounted TV, he resumed the Hentai they were watching the night before. Joshi Luck episode four titled ‘raw’. That’s how he was getting into that pussy tonight. The episode started off with big anime titties. E-rratic, still wearing his chains, was standing at the foot of the bed, his eyes on Y/N who has her ass in the air. She’s looking back at him over her shoulder, bouncing her ass in his face. 

He got behind her and put his face in her pussy from behind. Not wasting any time, E-rratic started sucking her pussy from the back with both hands on her ass cheeks to keep them spread. The sound of slurping and sucking  from the hentai and E-rratic had Y/N dripping on his tongue like she sprung a leak. She sat up on one hand and reached behind her to grab the back of his head. She dragged her ass up and down his face and he poked his tongue out so she could ride his tongue.

He could never get over the taste of her. That’s why any chance he gets, he has his mouth between her legs. 

I want it like this now,” E-rratic got down on his back, “Get up here.” 

Giggling, Y/N climbed over his face and dropped her pussy into his mouth. His eyes never left hers and she loved the way he looked below her. Y/N gripped him by his locs and started grinding her hips in slow motion. E-rratic followed her movements with his tongue all over her slit. She bounced her titties in her hands to give him a show and moaned his name. Behind her, his dick was saluted to the ceiling. A hard pipe to sink onto. She reached behind her to stroke him. 

“That dick is so hard. You gonna fuck me good with this, daddy?”

He responded with his lips sucking her jeweled clit between his lips. Y/N let out a string of loud moans. 

“The wetter I am, the better it will feel when I’m on that dick,” Y/N looked down at him, “Hurry up and make me cum.”

E-rratic frowned at her and Y/N knew what that look meant. He was going to give her exactly what she wanted and she better not run. He could feel her body tightening up above him. He couldn’t speak with a mouth full of pussy, but she knew to stay right on his mouth. Her beautiful face contorted with uncontrollable emotions and the hold he had on her hips took a lot of strength. His biceps flexed and the veins in his hands almost popped. 

“FUCK DADDY!”

He finally let her go and she fell to her back. Wet beard and all, E-rratic stood up and cuffed her legs over his shoulders, dragging her along the bed, taking the sheets with him. Wet, pounding sounds from the hentai caught their attention briefly. When he turned back to look at her, a dangerous look in his eyes, he grabbed his big dick at the base and thrust into her. 

“You cum in my mouth like that? Huh?!” 

“Shit!” Y/N shouted.

“It’s wet just how I like it,” E-rratic snapped his hips into hers repeatedly.

The overwhelming pleasure had her lost for words. E-rratic didn’t let up. His dick was hitting spots inside of her she couldn’t explain. 

“Oh, daddy, fuck, how did it get so far inside of me?!”

“Look for yourself, lift your head up and look!”

She tried but it was too much. The muscles in her body seemed to shut down. She felt tingly and weak all over. 

“Hard headed, I said look,” E-rratic cuffed the back of her head, “You listen when I tell you to do something!”

She did her best, lip quivering and all. He would put all that dick inside of her and whenever he pulled out, it would only be a little bit so she could still feel his length. His many iced-out chains clattered against each other with his movements. Whenever he leaned over her body to suck her nipples, her knees would be to her ears and that dick would be balls deep. 

The girth, the tip of his dick hitting the back of her pussy, his halls slapping her ass, the way he moved his hips, she couldn’t take it all at once. 

“Squeeze this dick like that again,” E-rratic spoke close to her ear, “I’ll fuck this hole all night just to feel that shit again.”

“I’m gonna squirt!” 

“Oh yeah?!” 

He sat up so he could see for himself. Y/N slapped his chest to get him to slow down because the constant in and out over her g-spot was too much for her. It started sounding like he was splashing into a puddle and then soon she was squirting all over him. He withdrew his hips and replaced them with his fingers. Up and down he stroked that spot to get her to squirt again and this time she went into a shaking fit.

“Mm-Mm,” E-rratic maneuvered her body so she was arched, “Ass up. Don’t act like you can’t take any more dick.”

She got on her hands and knees and arched as best as she could. E-rratic smoothed her hair from her face so he could watch her expressions. 

“Don’t run. Y/N…ASS-UP.” 

He was growing impatient. Groaning and all.

“What I say?” He chuckled but it was out of frustration, “Girl…I wore you out that much? I’m just getting started. One squirt got you tapping out? You should see your back right now…”

She started straight ahead at her reflection. 

“Let me get the whiskey.”

She collapsed onto her stomach. E-rratic laughed the whole way into the lounge area to grab a couple of glasses and the bottle of Japanese whiskey. Back in the room, he tapped her on the ass to sit up and he poured her a fresh glass of whiskey. He looked from the glass in his hand to the bottle before shrugging his shoulders and drinking straight from the bottle. 

“Drink it all the way down, that’s it,” E-rratic bent his head down and stuck his tongue out to lick her neck, “mmmm…you want some more?”

“Yes,” She held her glass up.

“Daddy was deep in that pussy for real?”

Y/N nodded her head.

“I’m taking it from the back now.”

Y/N finished her second glass, “I think I’m good and turnt now for more.” She smiled up at him.

E-rratic took one more swig of his whiskey and he sat the bottle down next to the TV. Y/N got into position with her back arched low and E-rratic inspected her position, deeming it good enough with a slap to her ass. 

“You know your back arched deep when that pussy open from the back,” E-rratic tapped his dick on Y/N’s clit, “You know I wrote a song about you, right?”

He didn’t give her time to respond when he entered her from behind. She gripped the sheets and looked back at him. He locked eyes with her and with only his hips he fucked her, her ass moving like a tidal wave. She could feel him in her stomach. Her eyes went low and she spaced out. E-rratic pressed both hands into her back and cranked that pussy from behind. She could feel the pressure from his hands deep against her back and she couldn’t move.

“I got you now,” He bit down on his lip, “Keep that pussy in the air just like that.” 

“Oh my god,” Y/N felt tears brimming her eyes, “You fuck me so good I swear.” 

E-rratic smiled at her with his canines gleaming in the dark. 

“You throwing it back now? Ahhh shit,” E-rratic slapped her ass from one cheek to the next, “Bounce that ass!”

She couldn’t see the mess she was making on his dick and he wished she could. It was beautiful. 

“I love you,” Y/N said between moans.

“I love you too, mamas,” E-rratic replied. 

He meant it. 

“Aight, daddy ‘bout to cum. Fuck the tip.” 

His hands gripped her ass tightly while she slowly bounced on just the tip. 

“Shiittt, got my shit leaking, ugh,” E-rratic thrust all the way inside of her, “Take all that nut.” 

He groaned and Y/N could feel him throbbing inside of her. As her pussy throbbed, his dick was doing the same. He slowly slipped out and Y/N pushed his cum out so he could see how much he’d emptied inside of her. He used his fingers to push it back in before Y/N grabbed him by the wrist to lick them clean. 

“Tell me about this song you wrote?” She batted her lashes at him while licking his fingers.

“It’s called my only fan. You really emptied the clip!” E-rratic laughed in disbelief.

Y/N sat up and grabbed E-rratic by the hips. He looked down at her and stroked her hair from her face with his knuckles, the cold diamonds of his rings causing her to shiver. 

“I’m you’re number one?” Y/N asked.

“My one and only.” 

________________________________

“The video shoot was cool. Y’all saw the pictures. It was giving relationship!” 

“Listen, the amount of tea I have on E-rratic and how he was all over me in Tokyo. His girlfriend won’t know what hit her.” 

Tasia Marie was trending all over social media with the piping hot tea she spilled on E-rratic Leader. Her Instagram live went viral along with a few photos from Tokyo. The first photo that she posted was of her straddling E-rratic’s lap in the back of the Porsche. The second photo was of her holding his room key card. The final photo was of her laying on her back inside of his trailer. 

“He brought his girl to Tokyo and kept her inside that hotel the entire time. While I was on set getting it in with her man, she was at that hotel crying for help.” 

“It’s like she forgot who her man is. The ladies love E-rratic. Why do y’all think he hand picked me to be in the video and not her?” 

A popular podcast was trending on social media as well. The podcast is called Bri and Summer. Bri and Summer are two influencers and models who are best friends and came together to start a podcast discussing current topics. It’s nothing original about it, but as soon as the topic became about E-rratic, everyone wanted to know what they had to say:

“This your girl Brianna here!” 

“And this is summer!”

“And welcome to Bri and Summer Podcast!” 

Brianna kicked it off and didn’t hold back.

“Let’s get into the tea! Y’all know I don’t play around, I get straight to the mess. So, E-rratic is being E-rratic once again, chile! What’s new? He’s a hoe.”

Summer started laughing.

“You can’t tell me his girlfriend—if that’s even what you want to call her—thought that she was special? Somebody give her a hug!”

Summer chimed in, “Your man not too long ago was doing a fan like Melvin did Juanita!” 

“He has community dick!,” Brianna argued, “That nigga got y’all bitches reciting lyrics to backseat interlude with y’all pussies barking. I would never let that nigga hit!”

“Hold on now, hold on,” Their male guest from time to time, DJ Quick, cut Brianna off, “Weren’t you one of those girls? Didn’t you go on a date with OCHO some years back?”

“Okay, okay! Let me clear the air! I did go on ONE date with him. ONE. It was cool, I guess. He took me to this fancy Korean barbecue spot in Atlanta and then we went for a drive in one of his sports cars. Wasn’t nothing happening. That was it.”

“Nah,” DJ Quick laughed, “You are really giving off salty vibes, Bri! Did that man diss you or something? He wasn’t feeling it the way you were so now you’re out for blood?”

“Quick, first of all, it’s definitely the other way around. He wanted some of this ass and I said no. He wasn’t feeling it so he dropped me off back at my hotel and blocked me.”

“Damn, that’s messed up,” Summer said.

“Right?! And yet, y’all acting so surprised by the tea Tasia is spilling! Granted, yes, she a groupie just like the next bitch, but I wish y’all beautiful black women would wake the fuck up! E-rratic is not the end all be all.”

“Brianna, if E-rratic and you were in a room by yourself, you telling me that you wouldn’t fold?” DJ Quick argued.

“NO! I’d rather swallow glass before I let that man hit.”

“I heard he was a great lover,” Summer giggled, “I don’t know… I’d let him hit.”

“There you go! Y’all gotta let go of the fantasy. This girlfriend of his from what I gathered, was another crazed fan who got a lucky opportunity to go on tour with him. He’s having fun with her now, but it won’t last. It never does…

If things could take a turn for the worse, it would happen to Y/N. The Tokyo trip was a dream turned into a nightmare as soon as she touched back down in LA. That bitch from her man’s video went to the internet to spread tea about hooking up with Erik. At first, Y/N didn’t believe it, but the pressure got to her, and she started to question everything. Where he was going and with whom? Why was that lipstick stain really on his T-shirt? Is it more than one girl or just her?

Of course he’s pissed. The music video was out and at 100 million views in less than five days, but he knew most of those views were because of the drama. This one proved hard to debunk because he has a reputation of being a ladies man. Before Y/N, he was single and free to do whatever he wanted, SAFELY. All that mess about raw sex with different women was an absolute lie. All the other chicks except for Brianna had never badmouthed him. And Brianna is just a bitter bitch who didn’t get a taste. Now Tasia is spreading lies just because she took a few photos. 

He wasn’t going to feed into her trap. She knew he could air her shit out but he chose to ignore her childish antics and press on. The old E-rratic would have been the real villain and ruined her life. Despite her opinion of him, Erik’s fame continued to grow. Y/N didn’t think she would find herself getting into heated arguments with Erik about his whereabouts but here she was on set of a photo shoot sitting in a chair and keeping an eye on him. She never thought she would come to this, but the level of embarrassment she felt from what people were saying about her online got to her. 

She couldn’t avoid her friends and family calling her to check in on her. Her mother kept questioning if she was making the right decision being with Erik. As soon as her mother starts to come around, this drama pops up. 

“Miss Y/N, can I get you anything to drink?”

Erik’s assistant, Kiesha, a fine ass full-figured woman walked over to her with a bottle of alkaline water, a brand that E-rratic had a partnership with. 

“Thank you, Kiesha.”

“Let me know if you need anything else. E told me to keep an eye on you.” 

Y/N looked at Kiesha with a curious look, “Why’d he tell you to do that?”

“I don’t know. Just Erik being Erik.” Kiesha laughs.

Oh, so he’s Erik to you now? 

“Oh, okay,” Y/N placed the unopened bottle on a table next to her, “Thanks.” 

Kiesha smiled at her before walking away. Y/N glared at the back of her head. Why was she acting so fucking weird? Ever since Y/N started coming on video and photo shoot sets with Erik, Kiesha has been moving funny. That bitch better get it together before she ends up on her ass. 

Erik was currently doing a shoot for his collaboration with Nike. In just a couple of months, his own Nike Dunk shoe will drop. Y/N was currently wearing a pair with a brown, blue, and green colorway. 

Erik was looking too good. Fresh retwist, skin smooth and covered in tattoos, dimples deep whenever he cracked a smile, dressed down in the best shit his stylist could pull together. Y/N couldn’t stay mad at him for too long. Or could she?

Here comes Kiesha with water for Erik. She even unscrewed the cap for him and fed him some water. Erik thanked her and went back to posing. Y/N sat up in her seat and her eyes were on Kiesha like a hawk. What the fuck does she think she’s doing?

“Let me know when you need something, E!!”

E? Bitch…

“Kiesha! Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Y/N’s blood was boiling.

Kiesha sauntered over to her with that same smile she wanted to slap off her face.

“Yes, sweetie?”

Y/N did a double take.

“It’s Y/N. Uhhh, what’s this with you feeding Erik water?”

“Oh, aha, you know, just helping him out,” Kiesha smirked, “Why?”

“Why? Because I don’t like you doing that. He has two hands. He can do it himself.”

“Not while holding the merchandise. Erik—”

“E-rratic.”

Kiesha chuckles, “Mr. E-rratic gets the utmost treatment. I’m just being a good assistant.”

“You don’t need to do all of that. If he wants water fed to him, I’ll do it.” 

They started gaining attention from other people on set. Y/N was past the point of giving a fuck. Too often these bitches stepped out of line. And the nerve of Kiesha to do it in front of her.

“He instructed you to stay here. Are you sure that’s okay?” 

Y/N blinked at Kiesha like she lost her damn mind. Kiesha raised her brows at Y/N as if she were over exaggerating. 

“I’ll speak to him myself to confirm that.” Y/N said with a faux chipper tone.

Kiesha walked away without another word and Y/N sat in her seat fuming. She needed to take a second before she did something reckless. Climbing out of her seat, Y/N walked off set. As she was leaving, she spotted Kiesha talking closely with Erik. Erik looked up and caught Y/N’s eye, his face holding a stony expression. She picked up the pace of her movements and entered his trailer. Taking a seat at his vanity, she exhaled and closed her eyes. 

Did she over exaggerate? Was Keisha just doing her job? Whenever Erik does his boxing sessions with his personal trainer, there’s a woman who feeds him water through a squirt bottle. Maybe she was being overly paranoid. Maybe Kiesha wasn’t trying to hit on her man. After all, Kiesha knew Erik before Y/N. She’s his assistant. That has to be enough to be on a first name basis right? 

“You got something you wanna tell me, Y/N?” 

Y/N opened her eyes to find Erik staring at her through the vanity with his arms folded across his chest. He looked pissed.

“Not really if Kiesha already told you everything.” 

“I wanna hear it from you.” 

“Why?” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Because I said so. And because we need to talk.”

Y/N avoided his gaze. Erik walked up to her and placed his hands on the back of the chair. He leaned forward so that his lips were directly next to her ear. 

“Well? What’s up?” 

Y/N jerked her knee frustratingly, “I didn’t like the way she fed you water.” 

“My hands were tied up, Y/N. How was I supposed to drink the water?” Erik questioned.

“And she's going to you saying shit like I’m some child. All I did was tell her I didn’t like it and if you wanted water I could do it.” 

“You’re not always on set with me, Kiesha is. Kiesha been my assistant since day one. We grew up together, I trust her.” 

Y/N clicked her tongue, “She wanna be more than your assistant.”

Erik clenched his jaw, “How you figure that?”

“She just acts too giddy around you. I don’t like it. It drives me crazy.” 

“You ain’t have a problem with it before.”

Y/N shook her head, “You’re missing my point.”

“Who do you really have a problem with? Me or Kiesha?”

Y/N finally looked up at Erik. He was staring her down through the mirror with his black eyes. 

“Ever since all this shit with Tasia happened you’ve been on my back. What I gotta do to prove to you that it’s only you?”

“Nothing, you ain’t gotta do shit,” Y/N stood up, “I’ll see you when you get home—”

“Nah, uh-uh, you ain’t going nowhere. We ain’t finished.” 

Erik blocked her from getting out of her seat. Y/N tilted her head away from him.

“Talk to me,” Erik followed her movements, “I’m serious, open your mouth and talk.”

“…I just feel like you're gonna get tired of me.” 

Y/N looked up at the ceiling to stop herself from crying.

“I got my mom in my ear and everybody else. This shit is just too much. I’m trying to be Ray Charles to the bullshit but I can’t stop thinking the worst.” 

Erik closed his eyes for a second before he placed one hand on the back of her head, bringing her closer to him. She rests her cheek on his bare chest, her ear directly over his heart. He wrapped both of his arms around her and kissed the top of her head repeatedly. 

“You can’t let what people think get to you. I’m not leaving you. You gotta have faith in that, mamas. I ain’t say this shit was gonna be easy, did I? I don’t want nobody but you. The only one I wanna see laying next to me at night is you. The only face I wanna see when I wake up is yours. What I gotta do to cheer you up?”

Erik gripped Y/N by the chin with his hand. She looked up at him with sad eyes and a pout. He leaned forward and kissed her lips. Y/N wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Erik still had her chin so he could control her movements. The kiss turned heated and now Erik is sitting in the chair while Y/N is on his lap. He broke the kiss and rubbed her bottom lip with his thumb.

“Like I said, me and you…”

“Forever?” Y/N pressed her forehead against Erik’s. His hands were rubbing up and down her sides. 

“I want this shit forever.” Erik said. 

Soon, his hands were doing the same to her ass. Y/N started sucking on Erik’s neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and started thrusting his hips upward. He shut his eyes and moaned in her ear. She was attacking the spot behind his ear with her tongue. 

“Why would I fuck this up? You're special to me,” Erik lifts Y/N’s cropped shirt over her head. 

“None of those bitches matter. Not Tasia, not the chick from the tour bus, not Kiesha…”

He unclamped Y/N’s bra and smoothed it from her shoulders. Her warm breasts touched his chest and he hissed with pleasure. With both hands, he cupped her breasts and brought them together. Erik rubbed his face all over her breasts back and forth. He spread each breast and rested his face between them. Y/N reached between his legs to stroke him to stiffness. 

“I knew that’s what you wanted. You were acting up just so I could fuck you.” 

Erik started sucking on Y/N’s nipples one by one. She placed her hands over his hands and watched him enjoy her breasts. He would swipe his tongue between the heft of her breasts and then over each areola. 

“Won’t everyone hear us?” Y/N whispered.

“I don’t give a fuck. You know I don’t give a fuck…”

Y/N was wearing a denim skirt so Erik could easily lift it up to her waist and slip her panties to the side. 

“Lift up…”

She raised her hips so that Erik could free his dick. 

“Fuck me just like this, daddy,” Y/N teased him with a bite of her lip. 

With one arm around her waist, Erik tilted his hips up and Y/N sank down on him. Connected, Erik gripped her sides and with his powerful arms, he bounced Y/N at a moderate pace. She braced herself on his shoulders while he controlled her body to drop down on him. Erik would look from the mirror to her face. 

“I got that ass clapping…wet fuckin’ pussy…”

“Ooo,” Y/N moaned.

“This ain’t doing it,” Erik picked Y/N up and sat her on the edge of the vanity. He spread her legs and continued to fuck her. She gripped the edge of the vanity when he lifted her hips up. The vanity shook a little and Erik had to keep his eyes on the door. Y/N took one hand to grip him by his chains. He looked back at her, biting down on his lip. When she started to moan louder, Erik stuffed his fingers in her mouth for her to suck on and to keep her quiet. 

He looked from her pussy to her face and opened his mouth to spit on his dick. 

“Why every time I fuck you, your pussy get wetter and wetter?” Erik questioned with low eyes. 

He brought one leg up to his shoulder and leaned in to pound her. Erik covered her mouth with his hand and locked eyes with her. 

“What?” Erik raised a brow, “Too much?”

Y/N whimpered when Erik started stroking her clit with his thumb.

Erik’s eyes fluttered shut and then he opened them again to look at the door, “if somebody walk in on us I’m not stopping.” 

Y/N’s walls clenched Erik’s girth and he smiled, showing off his gold canines. 

“Do it again and watch how I put you next.” 

She couldn’t control it. Every time they had sex, she couldn’t control what her pussy did. He blamed her for the spasms her slick walls were doing but it’s because of him that it’s happening. 

“Time to put you on your stomach,” Erik slipped out of her and turned her around, “Bend the fuck over.” He said through clenched teeth.

Y/N went flat against the vanity and she could feel Erik lift her denim skirt and rip her panties off. He tossed the shreds onto the vanity and spread her cheeks with one hand. Dipping his hips because she’s much shorter than him, Erik found her entrance and pushed up, slipping inside with ease because of how creamy and wet she is. 

“Fuck this dick. Make this dick cum.” He commanded.

Y/N threw it back on him as best as she could. 

“For somebody that doesn't wanna get caught, you ain’t following directions,” Erik gripped her by her arms, “You ‘bout to have me blowing your back out in this trailer…”

Erik started pounding Y/N while holding her by the arms. Her head fell forward against the mirror from the force of Erik’s hips. On set, the music was loud so Y/N hoped no one could hear, but she wouldn’t be surprised if they did. 

“Damn, this pussy is so good,” Erik let go of her arms and brought one hand around the front of her neck, “Don’t you ever question what we got. It’s me and you, and that’s my last time saying it.”

“I’m gonna cum—”

“Hold that shit in!”

“I can’t! I—ohhhh shit—”

Y/N had Erik’s dick in a vice grip. He groaned and pushed her head forward against the mirror. He could feel warm liquid on his dick and he smiled with satisfaction. 

“That’s strike two. When we get home, best believe I’m gonna tear that ass up. I told you not to cum on my dick.”

He slapped her ass rough and brought her to her knees. Erik took it up a notch and slapped her in the face with his dick before smearing his shaft covered in her cum all over her lips. 

“Put this dick in your mouth. Teach you a lesson to follow orders…”

Y/N tried to grip his dick but Erik slapped her hand away.

“Mouth. All mouth. That’s what you’ve been giving me lately anyway. Use that mouth to suck this dick.”

She lowered her mouth onto his dick and started sucking. Pussy dripping to the floor and not fully satisfied, Y/N was all jaws and neck. Erik would look from the door, to her, trying his best to keep his composure. Y/N pulled out all the tricks to get him to moan. 

“You tryna make me moan, ain’t you? You know I like it when you suck my dick like this…FUCK.”

She savored the taste of him in her mouth. Erik took control with a hand to the back of her head, feeding his dick into her mouth. 

“Just like that…just like that…mmm…eat this dick up…Fuuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Erik’s hand shook on the back of her head. Y/N stayed on that dick until she had the last drop of cum. When she finished, Y/N swallowed it all and licked her lips clean. Erik helped her to her feet and he excused himself to the bathroom to clean his dick off before heading back to the shoot. Y/N looked disheveled and she didn’t want to stay on set so she decided to leave.

“Here, take this,” Erik gave her the keys to his Ferrari, “And here’s some money, “Erik dropped a stack into her hand from his duffel bag, “Go get you something sexy to wear for dinner tonight and something lacy. Get yourself a new pair of stilettos too…those red ones with the skinny heel…yeah, the Louis Vouitton pair. Spend this on whatever you want. I’ll have my driver pick me up. We got a special night planned.” 

Erik gave Y/N one final kiss. He stopped her before she left to fix her hair and her clothes. Satisfied he popped her on the ass and let her leave. 

“I love you!” Erik yelled after her retreating frame.

“I love you too!”

Erik crossed his pointer and middle finger, signaling to her that he was locked in with her and he meant it. Y/N smiled, doing the same with her fingers, before leaving the set completely. Y/N may have thought that Erik would grow tired of her, but he only hoped that she wouldn’t. 

She finally filled the emptiness he felt since the first woman to ever steal his heart left this earth. Maybe he could finally start the family he always wanted.

@goddessofthundathighs @theegoldenchild @hearteyes-for-killmonger @imagining-greatness @chaneajoyyy @uzumaki-rebellion @theeblackmedusa @daddiespamm @lisayourworries @bellleame @ratedbadgal @bombshellbre95 @cecereads209 @cancerianprincess @dameshaemonique @6lack-1otus @thickemadame @thickeeparker @stinkalinkkkk @1lavender-menace @ehniki @electrixit @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @washillary @bakarisprincess @melodicheauxxlovesfood @bxolux @sweet2krazee @bluesole16 @90sisthenew80s @ispywithmylileye @geemamii @unbotheredblackchild @nubianbabee @adoreesun @honeyandpeaches10 @blackpinup22 @nayaxwrites @dersha89@honeytoffee @thickianaaaa @modelmemoirs @why-wait-4-eventually @angelicniah @queenfaithmarie @soulfulbeauty19 @asweet-serendipity @kartierkitten @iamching07 @ladymac82@bbygirlwiththatass @cydneyloo @sexysativa605@chrisevans-world @aijha @novaniskye@princessxotwod@callmemckenzieee @blowmymbackout @lahuttor @momobaby227@blackerthings@neesiewrote

[songsofadelaide]

Paraselene

On one side of the coin of fate, Okkotsu Yuuta stopped wanting things ever since he lost one most precious to him, even though it was due to circumstances beyond his control. He decided against wanting anything ever again. 

And on the other side… As a beloved daughter of an age-old sorcerer clan, you often got everything you wanted. That is why you were allowed to grace the stage of many of Tokyo's extravagant places of gathering as one of this generation's most popular idols. And upon meeting Yuuta for the first time, you resolved that this man would be no exception— that you would get him, too— no matter how hard he tried to evade you and your most curious gaze. 

Though admittedly, he didn't try very hard. 

Still reeling from an overseas mission, Special Grade Sorcerer and for-hire bodyguard Okkotsu Yuuta gets roped into a one-night stand with a retiring idol trying to evade an unwanted engagement arranged by her family— and the choice that changes the trajectory of both your lives. 

[An Okkotsu Yuuta x Reader AU one-shot]

cw/tw: female reader, reader is an idol, sorcerer x idol romance au where things are all well (but not really), original characters, no use of yn and instead follows my usual naming convention (I use Otome as a placeholder for yn since it means maiden, which pretty much means yn too), song fic, inaccurate depictions of idol life, fluff, slice of life, some fun until it's not, it's kind of slow burn but maybe not really, mentions of heartbroken gay men because of the stigma, Nana and Soul Eater references, the Zenins are assholes here, too, mentions of the death of a loved one, arranged marriages and family traditions and breaking said family traditions, and a lovely, happy ending (for those who want to know beforehand)— ✦ oc guide here wc: 22.5k

— The boy in the shadows and the girl with stars in her eyes.

"Whenever I look at you, your shadow seems to cast a smile— hiding your teardrops from me secretly, like you always do—" 

Simply put, Yuuta was tired. 

It hasn't been a full 24 hours since he returned from the peacekeeping mission in Monaco that was previously assigned to him by his superior, but here he was with said superior, standing among the audience of a full Yokohama Arena. The lights, music, costumes and stage design were all so artfully made, its calibre unlike anything he had ever seen before— and it was all for the graduation of the centre of sensational idol group Rose Gold. 

"See her? The one in the sparkling red dress."

The boy with dark eyes followed his teacher's steady and slender finger as he pointed at the bright stage just mere steps away from where they were standing in the audience. 

There were five girls in total, but his eyes were drawn to the very same one the older man was pointing at.

"The centre?" He responded, squinting at the brightness of the stage to help his vision adjust and focus on the figure happily waving in the middle, all spotlights on her as she moved her glossy lips to sing to the audience. 

"Hope always may be found in the water's evidence— The loneliness of silence, oh, yes, I know that well, too—"

Pretty, he thought to himself as he was allowed a moment to rest his eyes on you.

"And do you see that thing over there?" His teacher then pointed overhead, just above the steel truss holding all the colourful lights illuminating the stage. Yuuta saw the shadow of a cursed spirit hovering above the centre of the performance, the girl in the sequined dress seemingly sparkling on stage and unaware of the danger that loomed over her. 

But dense, he shook his head. "All right. I know what to do." 

"Then the future starts to move, racing on— Open up the door! It's what you're searching for…"

"E—motion!" The enthusiastic crowd sang along, followed by the flickering of thousands of multicoloured light sticks illuminating the arena even further, like twinkling stars reflected in the inky ocean waves. 

"Suddenly, I know this sky— It's the one that's in my dreams! So anxiously, my heart resounds, passionate and warm!"

Yuuta quietly got up from his seat and shuffled out of the audience, seemingly disappearing backstage with his blade concealed under his jacket. He walked unnoticed, melting into the background as the melodious song filled the still air.

"Secretly, I long to repeat these dreams I had of you… So quietly, just close your eyes and hold me in your arms!" 

The blood rushing through your ears and the heavy pounding of your heart flooded your senses as the final bow call started, wet palms taking wet palms as your group granted your most grateful audience a graceful bow in unison. You could only look up in anticipation as the spotlights drew to a close, the dark energy you had been keeping an eye on for days just gone. 

And how odd it was that it just vanished after it metastasised into something you knew you couldn't do anything about if it went berserk all of a sudden. 

As your fellow idols shuffled off the stage to prepare for the after-concert handshake event, you stood there pondering the events of this show and the disappearance of the cursed spirit that had been plaguing you for weeks, the ache in your feet from the high heels you wore going unnoticed until your manager called your attention. 

Kagomura Sana was one of the few adults you trusted at your talent agency. Rose Gold was composed of five girls— each one with their own manager who reported to the group's main handler, whom you only know as Kyou-san. You didn't care much for the other managers or for Kyou-san, but Sana was someone special to you— she knew you and your peculiar circumstances, and why you were graduating at the height of your group's success.

"Otome! It's Gojo-san! He's here to see you!" 

Snapping out of your reverie, you were approached by two figures, the more familiar one flashing his million-dollar smile at you, bright blue eyes concealed under a pair of darkened sunglasses. In his hands was a bouquet of soft pink roses that added an even softer splash of colour to the exquisitely made crimson dress you were wearing. 

"Yo, ojou-chan!"  

"Satoru nii-san!" You beamed at him like you were still onstage, your arms open to receive the blooms bundled in white and pink crepe paper. "Thank you for coming, even though I know Kazu nii-san asked for your help with that, um, thing…" 

"Oh, that?" Gojo Satoru raised a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Your brother mentioned it, but we didn't expect it to grow that huge. Either someone's super mad or super obsessed with you."

"Or both," you groaned, cradling the flowers close to your chest. "But still, I must thank you for handling that thing in a… clean way. Anything other than that would have spooked everyone onstage and would have caused a scene…" 

"You should be thanking him," the older man jerked his thumb at the younger man standing behind him. "This is his mission, after all."

"I see," you replied with a nod, curiously peering over Satoru's right arm. "Then I must thank you for exorcising that curse, jujutsu-shi."

The younger sorcerer was slightly startled by your approach, even more so when you extended your finely manicured hand for a handshake, your wrist bejewelled with frilly bracelets adorned with fine plastic crystals. 

"It's no problem," said Yuuta. His smile was that of someone not entirely sure what he should do, but he gently took your hand in his and gave it a short shake. 

It was your turn to be surprised when you realised it wasn't another old man with Satoru, but a young sorcerer around your age instead. "O-Oh! I-I didn't know you were just a boy! I thought Satoru nii-san brought another old man like him again."

"Hey! I'm not that old!"

Yuuta saw the abundance of stars in your eyes as you nervously smiled and rambled at him, not at all minding how you grasped him with a sweaty hand. His teacher's rant faded into the air as he mustered a small smile. There was an assortment of equally sparkling jewellery and adornments on your pulled-up hair and right now he was unconsciously thinking you were just as pretty up close as you were on stage earlier. 

"Now that the two of you have been introduced, we should get down to business," Satoru started. "Yuuta's been tasked with searching for the one responsible for all these curses, ojou-chan. I know you have your ever-faithful guardian Yohan-san with you, but Yuuta will stick around to look after you as well."

"I suppose nii-san petitioned this to the magic school," you said with a sigh, only to brighten up with a smile as you clutched the younger man's hand even closer. "Yuuta-san, isn't it? You must allow me to treat you as thanks."

"No worries, ojou-san," he replied, echoing how his superior addressed you before softly gesturing to your sparkling outfit. "But won't you have a hard time moving around?"

His assumption elicited an even softer laugh from you. You graciously gave him your name before finally replying. "I won't go out like this, of course. I must apologise in advance, though, as I still have my final handshake event to get to. It may take some time…"

"Please don't worry about it," the young man reassured you. "It's my duty to keep you safe while you're still on the clock, so…"

—

You never really believed in the saying less is more, especially when it came to style and costumes. The popular idol group Rose Gold is known for its breathtaking and extravagant imagery that drew audiences of all ages from inside and outside the city. Apart from the idols' superb skills, their costumes by the head costume designer Irino Izuna, are often praised for their fine craftsmanship and her specific attention to detail. 

As a former idol herself, she found it a pleasure to dress those with star potential. Rose Gold was named after a precious metal, after all. For Izuna, more is better, and it became the group's principle.

This would be Izuna's final year as the group's head costume designer since she will be getting married soon, making your graduation outfit her penultimate masterpiece. The older woman had long been enamoured by you ever since you first auditioned to become a member many years ago and has since dressed you for every concert, every music video, and every guesting and show you starred in. 

"This one I made especially for you. It would hurt me to see another wearing it, so the group resolved to hand it over to you, Otome-san, if you'll accept, of course." 

"Is that heavy? Let me help you carry it."

Even in your simple civilian clothing, with the glamorous costume and accessories discarded, you still exuded the same kind of vibrance and elegance that made Yuuta rather nervous. 

"Thank you very much, Yuuta-san," you replied, allowing his larger hand to take your suitcase filled with costumes from your fingers. He paused in his tracks when he came in contact with the luggage. "Is something wrong?" 

"There's a curse in this luggage, Otome-san."

"O-Oh! How could I have not noticed?" Your brows furrowed in confusion. Yuuta pulled away from you as you reached for the suitcase once more. "Yuuta-san?"

"You must be exhausted," he remarked. "Can you not sense them?"

"I can, but faintly. Believe it or not, my family is pretty well-known in jujutsu society. I'm… not just some idol, I suppose," you nodded at him. "I believe my brother has made arrangements for you to stay with us for the duration of your mission."

He nodded at you this time, a smile still forming on his otherwise tired face. "I have a week to solve your predicament, but the investigation will be made quicker if you tell me everything you know, like people you suspect."

"Of course. Anything to help you, Yuuta-san," you eagerly nodded once more. The two of you were approached by an older man in a dark-coloured haori, his salt and pepper hair cut short and neat. Though his eyes were concealed under a pair of aviator sunglasses, there was no mistaking the sharpness of his sight. "This is Sakashita Yohan-san. Satoru nii-san mentioned him earlier. He is one of the Koganei Clan's finest sorcerers and has been my guardian since birth. He takes orders directly from my father and my brother, too, since he will be inheriting leadership soon." 

The two sorcerers acknowledged each other with similar bows, the older one taking the cursed suitcase from the younger one. 

"They are harmless at best, something you can easily sweep under the rug if you wish," stated Yohan. You gestured for Yuuta to follow the older man as he led you out of the arena. "Ojou-san, this way, please."

The car ride home was pleasant, but the two men couldn't help but keep their senses on high alert even after the exorcism of the seemingly harmless cursed spirit that chased you wherever you went. 

"Yo-chan, you think we can stop by a convenience store? I want some Yakult…"

"I'll call the estate ahead and let them know that you want some, ojou-san."

The older man could have sworn he heard a small grumble of protest from where you sat in the vehicle.

The Koganei Clan made their home alongside the golden ginkgo trees that lined part of the Meiji-Jingu Gaien, part of the estate shrouded with a curtain due to the perennial nature of the golden tree within the gated property. With a keen eye, any sorcerer would be able to knock on the gates that were hidden from the normal human being.

Yuuta knew that the older sorcerer families had treasures to their names— even yours, whose origins were considered lowly compared to the Great Three Sorcerer Clans. You were welcomed home by a line of female servants in mustard-coloured yukata, the one closest to your age at the very front with a warm smile on her face. 

"Welcome home, ojou-sama!"

You nearly forgot your manners as you happily embraced the other girl. "Marin-chan! Oh, how long has it been?" 

"Eight months to this day, ojou-sama. We're all so happy to see you back home," Marin replied as she returned her liege's embrace. 

Sakashita Marin was Yohan's niece whom he raised as his daughter. Given his close ties to the masters of the house, Marin was given her own task of being your attendant. You did not agree with her at first due to her straitlaced personality, but you soon became fast friends after bonding over the first generation of Rose Gold. 

"Ah, yes. We have a guest, as I'm sure you're all aware of," you said with a smile as you gestured towards the rather tired-looking young man standing right next to you. "This is Okkotsu Yuuta-san. He is a pupil of Satoru nii-san and has been tasked with guarding me?"

"Uh, yes. I will serve as another bodyguard for Otome-san. I-I'll be in your care, then." 

"It's an honour to have another esteemed sorcerer in our home," Marin bowed before him. "Please make yourself comfortable. We will handle your belongings." 

"I'll prepare some tea for you, Yuuta-san," you told him. "If it's not much of a bother, could you perhaps tell me more about the magic school? It's always been my dream to study there, but my family blocked my application to the school because they say it's too dangerous for someone like me to even consider…" 

"Oh, uh, I wouldn't want to impose…" Came his reply as he quickly followed you into your spacious home. "For starters, I was a pretty problematic kid. I have Gojo-sensei to thank for pulling the strings…"

For someone who held a three-hour-long farewell concert earlier today, you still had the boundless energy of someone who just woke up from a long rest. The servants in the kitchen were surprised by your arrival and even insisted on preparing the tea you promised your guest, urging you to rest for the night. 

"I suppose we both have something to be thankful for that weird old man," you said with a laugh as you were both shooed away from the kitchen and led to one of the guest rooms prepared for the young sorcerer. "If you don't mind me asking, what rank are you?"

A single futon was laid out on the tatami, along with most of Yuuta's belongings for the week. His sheathed blade rested against the paper-thin walls while you took your seat on the floor, a tranquil image now unknowingly burned into his mind. He sat across from you and lowered his eyes briefly before fishing out his sorcerer licence from the left breast pocket of his grey jacket. You graciously accepted it with both hands and were visibly surprised by the fact presented to you.

"You're a Special Grade sorcerer! Incredible! I see I've made quite a talented friend." 

He smiled rather sheepishly, a hand on his nape as he attempted to refute your point. "Not really… It's not all good, after all. Having this kind of power."

It was only when he lowered his gaze that you saw the exhaustion on his face, the dark circles under his eyes and a look that seemed to beg for even a moment's repose, only he was too polite to tell you to leave. 

"You must be tired, Yuuta-san. Let's continue this conversation tomorrow," you said with a smile as you slowly rose from your seat. "Please make yourself comfortable. I—"

"O-Oh, are you leaving now, Otome-san?" His eyes followed your movement, lit up by some kind of expectation. "Sorry… To be honest, I'm… having a hard time resting with all of this space. I was hoping you could stay a little bit more to chat…"

You blinked at him, surprised at his sudden insistence. He raised his hands in defence. 

"O-Only if you'd like! But I know you're probably tired yourself…"

"Not at all," you said as you shook your head and took your seat across from him once again. "You know, Yuuta-san, I understand if you feel like your skills may be a curse. Even I… I thought my technique to be my strength, but it made me weaker than the average sorcerer that I couldn't even study at the magic college."

Yuuta couldn't tear his tired eyes away from your leisurely-paced movement, the wave of your legs as you embraced them, the sparkle in your manicured nails, a polish of your choosing, and the tenderness of your voice as you spoke to him deep in the night, with his traditional-styled room illuminated by a single candle. 

"At the end of the day, we are what we make out of our skills. I want to be one of this society's… Well, let's just say I want to help even if I cannot defend myself in battle," you told him with a small curl to your lips. "Yuuta-san, you have the strength to protect many people… Don't ever say it's not all good."

"Perhaps the only regret I have was…" He didn't have the strength to dispute your declaration any further, only enough to start a tale he can't bring himself to finish. "Believe it or not, I had a fiancée before. She was a childhood friend of mine…"

Yes, even with all of his strength and gifts, he was powerless against death itself. 

— A madness and beauty unlike any other.

Sleep eluded you last night, and it was unfortunate that it was made so evident by the dark crescents under your eyes. On the contrary, your hired bodyguard had a refreshed look on his face as he stepped out of his room in his same grey jacket and his blade in tow. 

"Oh, what are we going to do about this?" Marin queried as she fussed over you as you both stood in the hallway. Compared to your decked-out form from yesterday, you were dressed more casually today. "Sana-san will definitely be asking you why you look like that, ojou-sama."

You yawned into your palm, warm tears prickling your eyes as you fought the urge to drive your fists into them, even more so as you saw Yuuta approaching you with a smile. He looked like he had a good night's rest and he deserved it more than you since you weren't careful with your words. 

"Good morning, Otome-san," he greeted you, to which Marin replied with a polite bow before you could even muster a response. 

"Okkotsu-san," she started. "I understand ojou-sama must have kept you up and you gladly regaled her with stories about your work as a jujutsu-shi, but her work as a celebrity has not fully concluded yet. Please urge her to rest once today's activities have ended."

"M-Marin-chan! Th-There's no need to scold Yuuta-san—"

"O-Of course, Marin-san. My apologies. I thought there would be no harm in talking… But yes, we didn't expect it to go all night," Yuuta replied with a quick bow. 

"Nothing inappropriate, I can only hope," Marin concluded before turning back to you. "Otou-san will be here with the car in a bit. Please send Sana-san my regards, ojou-sama. We are comrades in arms, after all!"

"It means they both look after me and my well-being," you said with a laugh as you finally approached the young man, who had a rather confused look on his face. "Good morning, Yuuta-san. I trust you had a good night's sleep."

Too good, he wanted to say. In fact, your conversation from the previous night about his past before becoming a sorcerer lifted a weight off his shoulders for some reason. He wanted to apologise for making you cry because of his story as well. 

"Well, just like Marin said, work's not done just yet," you started, gently psyching yourself up. "Today we're going to my talent agency, Mieux Folie Productions, to say my farewells and get my final paycheck. I suppose that's a good place to start checking the, uh…"

"It's the best place to start, Otome-san," Yuuta nodded at you. "We want to be thorough, even though I can't really sense any more of that lingering maliciousness from your concert last night."

"We'll see about that," you can only say as you stepped out of the main house's genkan, where Yohan waited in the running car.  

Cradled in the heart of Yokohama was the headquarters of Mieux Folie Productions, one of the city's top talent agencies known for producing the most popular personalities of this time, one of which is the Tall Idol Takada-chan. Since Rose Gold's inception nearly ten years ago and the debut of its second generation, Mieux Folie has maintained its stellar reputation as a star-making machine, eventually branching out to produce more talent on platforms like YouTube. 

But Rose Gold remained the agency's pride and joy and ultimate money-making machine, so the departure of one of its prized idols was met with a lot of disappointment.

"Otome! You're here!" You were greeted by Sana, whom Yuuta recognised as your manager. The older woman had a cordial smile on her face, though her eyes were a little red and puffy. As she moved to embrace you, you returned her hold and beckoned your bodyguard to approach. 

"Oh, could this be the rumoured husband-to-be?" Sana asked in a hushed voice as she released you from her embrace.

"Oh, no, I…" You replied with a small laugh. "Sa-chan, this is Okkotsu Yuuta-san. My family hired him as an additional, uh, bodyguard of sorts. He's from the, uh… And he's tasked with the, hmm… Yeah, that's pretty much it!"

"I see, I see!" Sana nodded at you, completely understanding your fragmented statements. "It's a pleasure, Okkotsu-san! I will leave my dear Otome in your capable hands, then."

"Y-Yes, of course, Kagomura-san."

Yuuta could tell from a single look that Sana had nothing but deep affection for you which you happily reciprocated, so she couldn't possibly be the root of that malicious cursed spirit from last night.

"Ah! Kagomura-san has Otome-chan!" Came a voice from one of your agency's many conference rooms. 

"They've been waiting for you, Otome," Sana nodded at you with a smile. "You should say your goodbyes since—"

The door finally burst open, followed by two girls running in your direction. "Otome-chan!" 

"O-Oh! Maho-chan! Nina-chan!" You exclaimed as the pair trapped you in their embrace. 

"Nooo! We can't believe it's finally happening! You're really retiring now!" The blonde girl with pigtails sobbed as she buried her face in your chest. 

"We're going to miss you so much!" The black-haired girl cried, trying to squeeze herself in your chest as well.

"I, uh…" You said with a defeated smile as you returned their embrace. "I'll miss you guys a lot, too."

"Maho, Nina, that's enough from you two," said another girl in a chic bob haircut. "We've prepared for this for a long time now, so don't make Otome sad with all the waterworks."

"Th-That's right! We p-promised Otome-chan not to cry, s-so…" A girl in braids stammered as she shyly hid behind the one whom Yuuta could only assume was the older sister of the group.

As the five of them regained their composure, they got into their respective positions and flashed their audience with one of their killer poses and catchphrases. "Rose Gold shines too! Kira Kira!"

Mieux Folie's staff clapped in wonder and amusement, pausing from their daily tasks to feast their eyes on their company's highest-acclaimed idol group. You stepped forward with the warmest smile on your face and gave everyone on the floor a deep bow of gratitude eternal.

"Thank you very much for all your support and for taking good care of me for the last five years, everyone! I am truly grateful to have been managed by such kind and steadfast people."

Yuuta could only blend into the background and observe. At some point in their lives, your brilliance has touched the people in this company, evident by how fondly they looked at you as you said your farewells to them. Some of them were even crying to themselves as you continued your appreciation spiel. 

"…most importantly, I'd like to thank my manager, Kagomura Sana-san. She has done a wonderful job of keeping me on track and step with my fellow idols…"

And then it hits him like whiplash— the distinct malicious energy so similar to the one from last night. He tried to move unnoticed so he could investigate further, but he couldn't stop his eyes from being drawn to the middle of the room where you stood.

"…fellow idols, my co-stars, girls whom I consider as good as sisters, Goda Karin onee-san, Kondou Shinju-chan, Tateyama Maho-chan, and Onodera Nina-chan… I hope you continue to support Rose Gold as they are now. My absence from the group doesn't make them any less spectacular, of course. They will continue doing their best…"

His trail ends in an inconspicuous corner of the room where a slightly older bespectacled woman stood, and though she had a warm smile on her face, she radiated the same dim energy that only seemed to rebound in the area. His approach was halted by the sound of applause and cheering from the centre of the floor, where the agency's idols were gathered, along with another figure he easily recognised as the Tall Idol Takada-chan, his colleague Toudou Aoi's one true love.

"Oh! Look at this! It's Rose Gold, in the flesh!" Takada happily spoke into the screen of her mobile phone, where she seemed to be live on her YouTube account. "Rose Gold shines too!"

To which you and the four other girls replied with the same cordial smiles on your faces. "Kira Kira!"

"Now, word on the street is that my good friend Otome-chan has retired from her idol duties! I'm sure many of your fans are wondering…" 

"I have family duties to attend to," you replied to her question with warmth and cheer despite being put on the spot. "I cannot thank my family enough for allowing me to pursue my dreams and meeting everyone in the process, but now it's time for me to return home. I hope everyone continues to support Rose Gold and Takada-chan, too!"

"I'm going to miss our silly little chats, Otome-chan, but we idols will know how and where to find you just in case!" Takada happily declared. "Oh, manager-san! Would you be so kind as to hold my live for us?!"

Sana stepped up as Takada motioned for someone to hold her mobile phone for them. Dutiful as ever, she made sure that all members of Rose Gold and the Tall Idol were perfectly framed onscreen. 

"Since it's your final day here, you wouldn't mind doing one last dance with me, would you, Otome-chan?" 

Karin, Shinju, Maho, and Nina nodded at you in unison, while you threw a sure thumbs-up at Takada. "Let's go! Rose Gold!"

One of Rose Gold's oldest upbeat songs filled the air, and even though the agency's staff had seen your group perform countless times now, each one of them was simply bewitched as you took to the impromptu stage, your blocking and choreography as seamless as always.

"I wanna be a viral star on a shiny stage somewhere! It may be sad— But I still a dream in the darkness of my mind!"

And Yuuta was just as bewitched as he followed your every hop and sway, completely drawn to your electric energy.

"A larger stage suits her better, wouldn't you agree?" 

His daydream was cut short when the bespectacled woman posed a question that was clearly directed at him. 

"We don't need a special future! I don't care if it's just fake— Whatever happens, I just want to grab that light!"

"There's no need to be so suspicious of me, jujutsu-shi. You caught me, and I admit my mistake," Izuna stated. "It's true that I was responsible for that… thing, but I didn't expect it to grow out of proportion…"

"Who are you?" Yuuta questioned, the gleam in his eyes replaced by a bloodlust not many people can sense. Upon hearing how she addressed him, he concluded that she must be a part of jujutsu society herself. 

"Who I am isn't important. I want to know what's going to happen to Otome-san from here on out," she answered him. "I suppose you could call me a fan…"

"Walkin' the streets between the junk, but it's a path I chose myself…"

"When she first walked in here five years ago as an idol trainee, I recognised from the very start that she was from a sorcerer family. I suppose it takes one to know one. She was incredibly empathic, after all… But how she managed to convince her family that she wanted to be an idol, I'll probably never know…" She said with a rueful smile on her face. "Her mere presence here was a sign of upheaval for women of our kind. It meant that she was subverting everyone's expectations of her. Because where else should she be if she wasn't going to be a sorcerer from the start?"

Yuuta could only listen, the excitement of the moment drowned out by the older woman's statement. 

"Girls from sorcerer families are only as valuable as the cursed techniques and the blood that runs in their veins. And I thought that she managed to escape that very fate. That's not the case, unfortunately, since I know she'll be married off to a son of one of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans," Izuna continued, her eyes not at all swayed by the other girls dancing alongside you. "I must have unknowingly cursed her… for not even going against her family's wishes for her. For giving up so quickly on her dreams. But who am I to assume such things when she could be doing all of this on her own accord? Who am I to curse her when I'm just a coward myself…"

He didn't know about that detail. Perhaps his superior found it irrelevant to his investigation that he didn't even bother mentioning it at all. Still, for his sensei to miss out on such a vital piece of information… 

Yuuta raised his dark gaze to rest on your dazzling figure. "She has a warmth that soothes a mind so close to jumping off the edge…"

"Right?! I knew I wasn't the only one who felt that way," the older woman replied before eventually bowing down deep before him. "Please… know that I meant her no harm. Like everyone else in this building, I adore Otome-san and the rest of Rose Gold. I didn't mean for it to grow like that. I didn't mean for it to terrify her."

That's a case closed, he thought to himself. Izuna no longer radiated that stark sinister energy but instead now cried tears of regret, her sobs drowned out by the resounding cheers and applause from the floor as the idols flashed their audience with Takada's signature Taka-tan Beam. 

"There in the window in the reflection, I see my uneasy smile— Wait for the day when sunshine puts the spot on me!"

"Otome-chan, your new bodyguard's pretty good-looking!"

You looked up from your strawberry and mango crepe as Maho and Nina made doe eyes at Yuuta, who was seated further away from the group with a cup of black coffee in hand as you shared desserts with the other girls in a cute little cafe neatly tucked away in a corner of the city. 

"What happened to Yo-chan?" Karin asked rather curiously as she stirred the ornate plastic straw around her iced caramel macchiato. For some reason, Yohan was incredibly popular with your friends despite his age.

"Yo-chan is still around! He's been busy is all, with Kazu nii-san ordering him around and stuff…" You replied to the older girl's question. "A-As for Yuuta-san, he's only going to be my bodyguard for a short while…"

"Ooh, is that right?! I suppose you won't mind us helping ourselves to him once he's done with his work, then!" Maho said teasingly, the slightly younger girl amused by your rather panicked reaction. 

"M-Maho-chan! Y-Yuuta-san is—"

You had to admit that Yuuta was pretty handsome, even when you first saw him so exhausted— standing next to that old man Satoru, too. There was something charming about his reserved nature; refreshing, even, compared to the other men around you who always wanted to have their best foot forward and impress you with just that.

"Oh, right! While we're still here, I wanted to talk to you about something, Otome-chan," Nina fished out her mobile phone from her purse. "Noah onii-chan called me earlier this week and said that he wants you to model for one last photobook."

"Really?!" You remarked excitedly. "I'd love to, of course! Noah-san takes the most gorgeous photos of us…"

"Onii-chan said that it's just you, though, Otome-chan. He even has a theme and a date ready and all…" Nina stated as she browsed through her texts with her older brother. 

Onodera Noah and Nina are the children of a famous actor from the 80s to 90s who married a foreign socialite and made a home in Japan. The siblings were no strangers to the entertainment industry, though the paths they chose couldn't be any different. Nina enjoyed her stardom as one of your generation's favourite idols, while her older brother Noah preferred working as a magic maker behind the camera.

The blonde handed her phone to you to read the details of her brother's planned photoshoot— a punk and grunge theme that stepped away from Rose Gold's usual cute style.

[ O. Noah お兄ちゃん 📷: It's a perfect theme for Otome-chan since she's moving away from Rose Gold's immaculately cute and pristine image. It's something that screams— ]

"…Cool…" Was all you could say after seeing Noah's mood board, which was composed of several images of Osaki Nana, the highly acclaimed vocalist of BLAST, a popular rock band from the early 2000s. Her dusky eye makeup, crimson lips, edgy accessories and husky voice were iconic, almost legendary, and to think that a talented photographer wanted to frame you as such… "O-Of course I'll do it! Noah-san has such great taste!"

"Thanks, Otome-chan! I'm sure onii-chan will be pleased. I'll send you the details on LINE," Nina said with a smile as she proceeded to message her brother. "I'll ask him if I come along too, just to assist you guys and all."

"Tell him I can do it tomorrow," you said, surprising the other girls at the table. "I… have to be in Kyoto first thing next week and I don't know when I'll be back, so…"

Ping! Came the sound of the notification from Nina's phone. "Onii-chan says… Oh, would you look at that? He asked if you were available tomorrow. Sounds like he's super excited for this."

"I'm looking forward to it, too," you concluded before happily digging into your creamy fruit crepe once more. 

"Aww! I want to go, too!" Maho exclaimed. "With Rose Gold on break at the moment, my manager loaded me up with so many solo photoshoots and product endorsement shoots that I hardly have any time to slack off…"

"Y-You're lucky, Maho-chan… My manager's having s-such a hard time booking me for anything…" Shinju quietly replied as she lifted her matcha latte to her lips. 

"We'll find you something worthwhile to do, Shinju," Karin stated with a sure smile on her lips. "Best of luck on your final photobook, Otome. Don't forget to send us a copy when it comes out."

"Of course! Thank you, Karin onee-san!"

From across the small cafe, Yuuta could hardly focus on anything other than following your every move. This place is what he would call your natural habitat. The staff there knew your group and, surprisingly, respected your privacy. Rose Gold weren't idols at that moment, but just regular cute girls doing regular cute girl things. You were laughing about something this time, your eyes lighting up in mirth as the blonde girl, Nina, poked your side. Maho, the brunette, stole a bite from your crepe, while the older sister figure Karin was busy fixing one of Shinju's braids. 

He lowered his eyes to his half-empty cup of coffee, feeling somewhat embarrassed at intruding on such a sacred time reserved for you and your friends whom you'll have to part with soon. The feeling was short-lived, however, when he caught Maho and Nina smiling and waving at him while you attempted to pull them back down to their seats. Their giggling filled the cafe even further when he decided to smile and wave back at them. 

Huh. It was his turn to be embarrassed. Maybe he was getting a little too ahead of himself.

A few moments passed before you finally decided to take your leave, giving each of your friends a long and warm hug. The cafe staff politely asked for your autograph and if you could kindly pose for photos, too, which you happily obliged to. 

Yuuta downed the rest of his coffee as he watched the small crowd around you, all smiles as you flashed Rose Gold's signature pose for the photo. They all gratefully bowed deep before you and you gladly reflected their movement, equally grateful for this little corner of peace and quiet in your ever-changing world as an idol. 

By the time the crowd died out and the rest of the girls left the cafe, you finally approached your bodyguard's table with an apologetic expression. "Yuuta-san, I'm so sorry you had to wait…"

"It's not a problem, Otome-san. It's my job to keep you safe," said Yuuta as he rose from his seat. "But don't your friends think it's strange that you have a bodyguard?"

"Oh, no, they don't think it's weird at all since they believe my backstory," you said with a small dismissive wave of your hand. "That I'm from a rich family. That's partly true when you think about it. They don't know about… the other thing, though."

The other thing being your sorcerer origins. 

"Of course. I suppose not everyone can understand that side of you and that side of things. I'll do my best to make sure you can continue on with your life as normal," he replied with a nod of understanding before eventually standing up. "Shall we go, then?" 

"Y-Yuuta-san, I… Well…" 

Oh, shoot. You stammered at him without even thinking about what you were about to ask. His full attention was on you. "Yes?"

This is all Maho's fault, you couldn't help but think to yourself. It was completely normal for idols to sign autographs for their fans if they could, but Yuuta didn't seem like the kind of guy who liked Takada-chan.

"M-my friends and I were… Well, uh, they were asking why you asked… Takada-chan for an autograph," you said quietly before pursing your lips. 

"Oh, that was for my colleague Toudou. He's a massive Takada-chan fan. Here, let me show you his Instagram," he replied with a smile on his face before pulling out his mobile phone from his pocket and scrolling through his apps. "Here we are. Toudou's always present at her fan meets, but due to the time constraints, he's never gotten her autograph before."

You're presented with the Instagram profile of Toudou, @aoisboogiewoogie— and most of his grid showed him and his fanboying over your agency's madly popular Tall Idol Takada-chan. He has photos of him beside her standees, photos of him outside her fan meet venues, photos of him with products labelled with her face, photos of him Takada-chan merchandise— you name it, he must have a photo of it. 

"Oh, wow. I've never seen such a dedicated fan before," you said as you slowly scrolled through more of Toudou's uploads. 

"I'm sure you must have a lot of fans, Otome-san."

"I suppose…" 

When you clicked on Yuuta's Instagram profile, @okkopi, it was just as you expected, perhaps even more neat and curated than you thought. There were very few posts, some with his friends and colleagues, you can only assume, some photos of his meals, and upon scrolling even deeper, you found a photo of a girl. 

Pretty. She had long dark hair and a distinct mole on the corner of her smiling lips while holding up what seemed to be a half-eaten strawberry doughnut with sprinkles. 

This must be his fiancée, Rika. 

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry for going through your photos, I…" Realising your actions, you could only hand him back his mobile phone without even looking him in the eye. You turned away from him, cheeks hot with embarrassment and something you couldn't quite put your finger on. "I'll call Yo-chan so he can pick us up now."

To which Yuuta could only conclude with… "Ah… Did she see that I was already following her on Insta? Was it weird?" 

It was only later that night when you were doomscrolling through your Instagram in the confines of your bedroom that you realised Yuuta was already following your account. "Oh, man, what have I been posting about lately? Nothing silly, I hope."

You couldn't follow back his account without anyone noticing and you didn't want him to be on the receiving end of any questioning messages, especially as to why the recently-retired centre of Rose Gold was following a private citizen.

You switched from your main account, @yn_rosegoldmfp, to another one. "He'll recognise this profile, I think?"

As he was drying his hair after his bath, Yuuta's mobile phone lit up with a single notification— 

[ Instagram: @daysofyn_ requested to follow you. ]

—

Your photoshoot the next day wasn't until the afternoon when the sun's calmed down a little, so you were afforded a slow-paced morning you spent lazing around in the kitchen while Marin was preparing your breakfast. 

"You should wait in the dining hall, ojou-sama. Okkotsu-san must be there already and you normally have breakfast with him before everything else," Marin told you with a hand on her waist. She moved to adjust the crooked collar of your pale blue yukata. 

"Mmmnnggh…"

"Ojou-sama!"

Marin couldn't believe the unpleasant groan that left your mouth as you sat at the servants' table with your head in your hands. You fought the urge to yawn since you knew she would scold you for staying up too late. Her warm hand brushed over the hair on your forehead and you heard her breathe a sigh of relief since you weren't unwell. 

A small knock on the kitchen's wide wooden door frame alerted your attendant, but you couldn't be bothered to lift your head from your oddly depressive state. 

"Good morning, Marin-san. Have you seen Otome-san this morning? She wasn't in her room when I passed by…"

It was Yuuta with the same refreshed and rested look on his face. He walked into the kitchen in a plain white shirt that seemed to hug his incredibly sturdy form. He didn't have his familiar grey jacket on yet, his blade nowhere in sight, too. Around his neck hung a silver chain that glinted in the morning light, the pendant concealed underneath his shirt.

Marin furrowed her eyebrows at him before opening her mouth to speak but then decided against it when your eyes met, prompting the outsider to turn around and face the figure seated at the servants' table.

"Ah, good morning," he greeted you with a polite bow, but you could see his expression slowly change into a look of complete surprise as you rose your head to greet him back. 

"Good morning, Yuuta-san."

"O-Otome-san?!" 

Oh, you got that a lot. Your work as an idol required you to put on a sweet kind of makeup for all of your gigs meant to accentuate your features and make them a bit sharper. Meanwhile, your bare face made you look younger than usual. Plainer, too, probably.

"My apologies… I, uh…" Yuuta said with a nervous smile on his face, a hand on his nape as though embarrassed by his reaction. "I almost didn't recognise you…"

"Don't worry, I—"

You were surprised when he got down on his knee so your eyes would meet, your face heated up once again as he held your gaze with his eyes that were a deep shade of ocean blue. "You must hear this all the time, but I think you're really pretty."

"Ahem!" 

Marin's feigned cough prompted both of you to straighten up. 

"Good morning, Okkotsu-san! Ojou-sama will be with you shortly," she stated with a warm smile on her face. "Please wait for her in the dining hall."

"Of… Of course."

The young sorcerer left as quietly as he arrived, though he was unable to remove his gaze from your already evident embarrassment. He stepped out of the kitchen with a small smile on his face which he covered with one of his hands. 

"Ojou-sama, that's no good. You know by now what your responsibility entails."

"I know," you shot right back at your attendant, trying not to let your disappointment in yourself show any more later on. "I am set to be married off to the Kamo Clan's heir. Otou-sama went through a painstaking ordeal to see that this marriage would push through because we minor sorcerer clans are always at the mercy of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans."

There was a reason why it was always older jujutsu sorcerers who handled missions related to you. They would go about their day without so much as having to talk to you because they had absolutely nothing in common with you. Older jujutsu-shi would accomplish their missions neatly, like walking in and out of a room without having to touch anything inside it. 

Marin, whom you grew up beside, knew every ebb and glow of your face like the back of her hand. She was sure of one thing right now— You were smitten with this young jujutsu-shi assigned to be your bodyguard in the meantime. 

"Besides, it's not like Yuuta-san would truly look my way," you said with a crooked smile and another dismissive wave of your hand. "I… I'm sure he was just being nice."

And that his heart still belonged to a girl already far beyond his reach.

—

When the afternoon rolled in, you and Yuuta were dropped off by Yohan at the Shibuya photo studio Nina sent you through LINE. It was a chic place that made sense given Noah's known straightforward personality. From the way the studio staff warmly greeted you, it was clear that the Onodera siblings Noah and Nina were no strangers to the place. 

"Ah! They're here!" Nina happily exclaimed as you were led to the main studio. Her older brother, who was busy setting up his gear, was equally elated to see you. Noah followed his sister's trail and enveloped the hugging girls in his arms. 

"Otome-chan! Welcome! I'm so glad you agreed to this!" 

"Oh, the honour is all mine, being the subject of the highly-skilled and highly acclaimed celebrity photographer Onodera Noah," you chuckled at him as he smothered you and his sister into an even bigger embrace. 

"Ah, and who is this?" Noah asked, his curiosity piqued as Yuuta dutifully stood a few paces behind you. "Don't tell me you got a boyfriend so soon after you retired from idol work."

"Of course not, Noah-san! This is Okkotsu Yuuta-san. He's my temporary bodyguard…"

Yuuta could only stand and watch as you introduced him once more as your bodyguard in the meantime. He could be called back to headquarters anytime now that the mystery of the cursed spirits hounding you has been solved. 

One of the studio's staff offered him a chair seeing as he won't be part of the shoot, but he insisted on remaining on his feet so he could act much quicker if needed. 

And now that he's thinking about it, bodyguard work is much tamer compared to most of the missions he is always being assigned to. This was something even a Second Grade sorcerer could handle, but his superior specifically chose him for this job. Why that is, he will probably never know. It was impossible to get a read on how his teacher's mind worked. 

As he had always done for the last couple of days, Yuuta followed your every movement as attentive as he could, watching from the corner as Nina carefully applied a shimmery dusky purple shadow over your closed eyes, lined your waterline with a heated eyeliner pencil, and swiped a striking shade of crimson over your lips. 

"Oh! Good job, Nini! Her makeup is spot on!" Noah ruffled his younger sister's hair as he praised her. 

"Naturally! I studied Osaki Nana-san's makeup last night and…"

The makeup was darker than your usual look and made even heavier by the way you lowered your eyelashes, giving you a more mysterious and gloomy yet haughty appearance. 

For Yuuta, however, there was no masking your radiance, even more so when you broke character and laughed at Nina's glitter-tinged fingertips. 

"Noah onii-chan really pulled out all the stops for this photoshoot, Otome-chan. He even reached out to some of Papa's costume designer friends and colleagues to ask for their advice… Though we all know that BLAST's Osaki Nana is such an icon," the blonde girl said as she ran a comb through your hair, parting it in the middle. "I think one of the older costume designers even lent him a few pieces of clothing for today."

True enough, Noah wheeled out a rack filled with various plaid and leather articles, along with imitation black leather boots your size. "I wish we could have brought in some real Vivienne Westwood stuff, though. Our old man's friend was pretty stingy, but we're thankful, still!"

Nina accompanied you behind the special partition assembled so you could change your clothes and get into character. Meanwhile, Noah did some empty test shots while ensuring the lights were all placed correctly. "All right, looks like everything's set."

Yuuta deduced that Noah could be around his age, or maybe a bit older. He was surprised when the blonde boy approached him with his DSLR camera around his neck. 

"So have you been doing this bodyguard gig for how long?" 

"Oh, uh… I've been doing it for quite some time now."

Not really, he thought to himself as he tried to throw off the photographer from his case. 

"I gotta say, you're younger than Otome-chan's usual bodyguards. I know her family's the richy rich kind, but it's so strange seeing one so close to her age," Noah chuckled. "Ah, but I didn't mean to underestimate you! I just thought it was kinda refreshing to see a younger guy accompanying her."

"No offence taken," Yuuta replied with a kind smile. He knew that those weren't bodyguards, though, but sorcerers handling her cases. 

The two young men exchanged a few more words before turning their attention to you, who stepped back out of the studio barefoot. You were like a different person in the leather jacket, plaid red skirt, dark stockings and spiked accessories, along with your styled hair and edgy makeup…

"Noah-san! Th-the laces of the boots are—!"

But as Yuuta said, there was no masking your radiance and your sweetness. 

"Oh, they're still undone from top to bottom, huh? What a drag. Let me…" Noah moved to assist you, only for him to pause in his tracks when Yuuta stepped up.

"I can help you, Otome-san. Please have a seat first." 

The blonde siblings exchanged knowing looks as they watched your bodyguard place a hand on the small of your back and gesture to the seat that was presented to him earlier. 

"Let's put them on and lace them at once," Yuuta stated as he knelt down before you, gently taking the boots in your hands and slipping your stockinged feet in them. From your vantage point, you could see how dark his eyes and lashes were as he tenderly worked the laces through their hooks. "Not too tight, I hope."

"Just right," you replied to him with a small smile. The boots fit you well, even more so with the laces now tied. "Thanks, Yuuta-san."

Nina approached her older brother with a glint of mischief in her blue eyes. "Onii, you don't suppose…" 

"…Yeah, I see it. I see a vision!" Noah nodded. "What's your bodyguard's name again, Otome-chan?"

You slowly rose from your seat while Yuuta got up from the floor. "O-Oh, his name is Okkotsu Yuuta-san."

"Okkotsu-san, yeah? Listen, can you do us a favour?" 

"Sure. Anything I can help you with?"

Noah lifted one of the larger leather jackets in Yuuta's direction. "Put this on."

Yuuta blinked at him in surprise. "M-Me?" 

"Yes, you. Has anyone ever told you that you have such a fine frame?"

"Noah-san means to say your build is… is good," you told him rather nervously. After seeing him in his form-hugging shirt this morning, you concluded that he wasn't just built well. He was built just like his teacher— the finest of their kind.

"Nini, his hair."

"Got it," Nina nodded at her brother before turning to the dark-haired boy with a sweet smile. "If I may, Okkotsu-san? We'll just change your style a bit, nothing too drastic, I promise."

"O-Okay."

"Let's take some test shots, Otome-chan. And don't worry, Nini won't do anything strange to him, not while I'm around," Noah said with a laugh as he pointed at the spot where you should stand, all the lights shining in your direction now. "The stage is yours."

You took a deep breath before getting into character once more, shrugging off a sleeve from your shoulder to expose a bit of your skin. 

"Good, good! Here, I brought these as props. We don't have to light them," the young photographer fished out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it in your direction. You caught it deftly, only for it to be taken from your hands by Yuuta, who was now sporting a similar leather jacket and a rather large but stylish chain around his neck. His hair was styled with a bit of wax and his gaze was smouldering. 

"Y—"

"I-I'm sorry. I'm a little nervous," he finally spoke, breaking out of his supposed character. "Nina-san said that Honjo Ren was cool and collected, but I'm not…" 

"Y-You were doing well, actually!" You reassured him. "He doesn't smile that much, so…"

"Osaki Nana's story is one of beauty and tragedy, but that's not what I want to capture here," Noah stated as he slowly raised his camera viewfinder to his eye. "In this story, she reunites with her one true love, Honjo Ren, so that is what I want you to do: hold each other as though you're about to lose each other."

A look of perplexion and despondency washed over Yuuta's features— And you realised why.

Wasn't he able to hold her in her final moments?

"Yuuta-san, look at me."

He does so upon your urging, his darkened gaze meeting your sparkling eyes. You placed your hand on his nape, your fingers tenderly grazing the ends of his jet-black hair, pulling him down much closer to you so your faces were but a breath apart. You took his hand and strategically placed it on your back, feeling the warmth of his hold even through your fashionable clothes.

"Yes, that's what I'm talking about," the photographer stated with a rumble of excitement in his voice as he finally started taking photos. The flashing lights didn't faze you one bit, but you could tell that Yuuta was tense.

"It's okay. I'll be the one to hold you," you whispered to him. "Let me take care of you while we're here."

"You can relax, Okkotsu-san! If you're worried about your face showing, don't. Otome-chan is still the focal point here, so your face won't really be seen. Maybe some bits, but not the whole thing." 

"What a relief," he sighed to himself. "I can't imagine the trouble I'll be in if Gojo-sensei finds out about this."

"I'll beat him up for you if he scolds you," you said with a laugh, to which he could only reply with the same low chuckle. 

"Stop smiling, you two!" 

"S-Sorry!" 

Fortunately, Yuuta only had to stand in for a few photographs. You spent the rest of the photoshoot shuffling in and out of the different outfits the siblings planned and styled for you. As Noah signalled Nina to bring in another of his props, this time a microphone stand, you couldn't help but hum to yourself while trying to stay in character.

"Oh, that song! That's one of BLAST's hits, right? Don't be shy now, just sing!"

"Wh-What?! Don't make me sing!"

"You do know that your face is more honest than your words, don't you, Otome-san?"

You shook your head and tried to stay in character, but as instructed by her brother once more, Nina played the song for you to sing along to.

"I could have seen the other side, taking a step into the sky… Ah, I'm always late! I could've done the same routine, showing the old and golden scene— Ah, I'm lying again to make them go!" 

It was cheesy having to do it, but the song evoked so many emotions in you that you couldn't help but try to picture yourself in the vocalist's shoes. In her position. Didn't she go through the same painstaking road of starting as nobodies before skyrocketing to fame?

"Wearing again my rocking shoes over the puddles made of tears— Flashback, I know you're clever! I remember…" 

Oh, you kind of wanted to cry right now. Your idol journey has come to an end, you still couldn't believe it. It wasn't like your path to becoming an idol was easy, yet you knew deep inside that you were born for something else entirely. 

That must have been the reason why Izuna-san didn't bother saying goodbye to you at all. Because you were a coward. A slave to your destiny just like she was. Being cursed was the least of your concerns.

"I know we could cross over rainbows! I wish that we could aim for the sun again. I know we could dream for tomorrow… To share the long-forgotten glamorous days!"

Yohan nearly had to carry you out of the studio with how tuckered out you were. You could tell from his sharp yet gentle gaze that he was admiring this new look on you, nodding at you in approval. 

"Yo-chan!" Nina excitedly hovered around the older man as he arrived at the studio in his usual pressed haori and hakama. "You're still so dapper as always!"

"Good evening, Nina-san," he gave her a short bow before patting her head. "And you are just as lovely."

"Ooh, I cannot wait to tell this to the girls! Karin-nee is going to smack me!"

You groaned in exhaustion as you approached your guardian, your makeup still immaculately in place as you handed him your things. "Ah, I'm beat! I'm so glad you're here, Yo-chan. Noah-san's asking for more photos, but I'm spent!"

Yuuta followed closely behind you with more of your belongings in his hands. The older man furrowed his brows and gave him a quizzical look. 

"Yuuta-kun."

"Y-Yes, Yohan-san?"

"…I like what they did to your hair."

"Oh! Nina-san fixed it for me earlier…"

You bid your farewells to the good-looking siblings, who were still settling their accounts with the photo studio. Nina gave you one last good look before engulfing you in another tight embrace. "Make sure to still call me and message me whenever you can, Otome-chan."

"Of course, Nina-chan."

"Otome-chan, I can't thank you enough for making this dream photoshoot a reality," Noah proceeded to embrace the two girls once more. "The photobook will be ready in a month or so. I'll be sure to send you your copy ASAP."

"Thank you as well for all your trust in me, Noah-san. You two should come visit me in Kyoto every once in a while."

"Just say the word, then. We'll be there."

—

As the car passed by the more familiar corridors of Shibuya, your after-work craving reared its head once more. It was unreasonable of you to ask if you could stop by a convenience store given anyone could recognise you then and there…

"Yo-chan, you think we can stop by a convenience store? I want some Yakult…"

You were ready to be dismissed from your request like he always does, but your heart was thrilled to bits when he decided to park his car in a corner next to a Lawson Store. 

"I'll wait here, then. Yuuta-san will accompany you. Do you have money?"

Oh, crap. 

"I—" 

I didn't think I'd get this far!

Your pause made Yuuta gently tap your hand. "I have some money here. Let's go grab your Yakult, Otome-san."

The two of you shuffled out of the car and into the streets, your face unable to contain your excitement as you entered the convenience store with your bodyguard close behind you, the chilly air making you sneeze all of a sudden. 

"Ot— Ah…" He knew it would be unwise to call you by your name in a public place, so he stepped into your space to gently grab hold of your hand instead. "Don't go where I can't see you, sweetheart."

"?!" 

Your eyes widened in surprise at his chosen remark, which was the quickest thing he could think of at that moment without saying your name out loud so you wouldn't get separated. 

"Excuse me, onee-san? Is this man bothering you?" A young girl in a high school uniform approached you, looking at your bodyguard rather apprehensively. "I-It's just that you looked a bit…"

"O-Oh! Oh, no, I-I'm all right!" You stammered at her before raising your other hand in defence. You instinctively clung onto his arm this time. "M-My boyfriend was just making sure he can see where I'm going. Thank you for your concern!"

Yuuta was struggling to stifle his own laughter and embarrassment at the situation you got yourselves in. He was thankful that a stranger was concerned for others, but you two really should have come up with a plan for such instances. He gave the stranger a small nod of affirmation before leading the way to the refrigerators, leaning down against you to whisper an apology. "I'm so sorry, Otome-san."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," you whispered back at him, only to burst into laughter not long after. He gently elbowed you as he hid his face in his hand, trying to quell the amusement bubbling in his throat.

How could you laugh so warmly, sweetly and carelessly in the midst of almost being recognised by someone? It was crazy of you.

"Mmm, maybe I should grab some canned coffee, too? Oh, wait, I'm broke!"

But he savoured the sound of your tender laughter, the softness of your voice that did not suit your moody makeup, and the light in your eyes that seemed to say, things are going to be okay. 

— Chasing a dream.

Yuuta's week-long assignment as your bodyguard finally came to an end. While you contemplated asking your brother to pull some strings for you so he could remain in your service for a while longer, you figured you couldn't hold him at home when there were more important missions for him to accomplish. 

The estate clamoured in activity as they prepared a little send off for the Special Grade sorcerer who solved their lady's predicament. The male servants in particular were grateful for his service. You only found out now that Yuuta not only trained with them every early morning, but even helped out with some of the heavy lifting they had to do throughout the estate. 

"Thank you very much for your hospitality. I felt more like a guest than a bodyguard, if I'm being honest…" 

You were prepared to bid him farewell as well as he thanked your family for their kindness during his stay. As you both waited for the vehicle from Jujutsu Headquarters to arrive, you decided to muster up the courage to ask for his contact details even though you were set to be married soon. 

No, that's no good. You need to gracefully let go of this fleeting infatuation before it gets out of hand. It would be unfair to both him and your future husband if you—

A familiar black car rolled into your driveway, followed by the entrance of a familiar silver-haired sorcerer into your home. "Yo, Yuuta-kun! Ojou-chan!"

"Satoru nii-san!"

The Koganei servants were quick to assemble at the genkan when they heard of Gojo Satoru's arrival, and even the masters of the house made their presence known by greeting him at the doorstep, most especially your older brother Kazuya, who looked both annoyed and pleased by his visit.

"Satoru."

"Kazuya! Long time no see!"

It was a jest, of course, for the two older men only met a few days back to discuss the curse that previously hung over your head. Satoru's nonchalance irked your older brother, the crooked smile on his face slowly straightening out as the silver-haired man walked over to him for a quick handshake. 

"Now that you're here, Kazuya, I'd like to let you know that your request for an escort to Kyoto has been approved," Satoru stated with a smile before eventually turning to his pupil. "That also happens to be your next mission, Yuuta-kun."

You blinked at Kazuya, not at all believing what you were hearing at the moment. "Kazu nii-san, you mean to say—?"

Your brother nodded at you. "Yes, I petitioned for Okkotsu-san to escort you and Marin-chan to the Kamo estate in Kyoto."

"B-But I have Yo-chan with me, too!"

"Sensei, if I may…" Yuuta started. "I'm not disagreeing with this, but if Otome-san is as important as her family says, why is it just Yohan-san and I escorting her to Kyoto?"

The older men exchanged looks, with Satoru nodding at Kazuya to explain the decision. 

"Because my sister will have one of this generation's finest Special Grade sorcerers with her, plus a First Grade sorcerer worth at least 20 men in terms of martial prowess and cursed energy output. I'd accompany her to Kyoto myself if I could, but I have duties I can't leave, and I think any more than you and Yo-san would already be overkill."

Yuuta couldn't believe his ears when he heard of Yohan's capabilities. He never thought that the unassuming old man was that terrifying. If your brother was right, Yohan's cursed energy output would put him on par with the elite himself, Nanami. Or Toudou, too. 

You sighed to yourself. "Well, it's not like there's gonna be a fuss or anything… It doesn't really matter who takes me to Kyoto as long as I get there."

Kazuya furrowed his eyebrows at your statement. He opened his mouth to say something but eventually decided against it. You noticed how Satoru lightly nudged your older brother with his elbow, to which the latter replied with a small shake of his head.

"Shall I have the servants prepare tea and sweets for you, big brothers?" You smiled at the older men. "Surely you must have other things to discuss…"

"Not really. In fact, Satoru was just about to get going," your older brother smiled back at you, a hand now clamped onto the outsider's shoulder to lead him out and away from the crowd. 

"I-I was?" The silver-haired sorcerer could only stammer in response to Kazuya's urging, a confused expression undoubtedly impressed upon his blindfolded eyes. "O-Oi! Kazu—"

You blinked in confusion as your older brother and older brother figure both stepped out of the house, a soundless struggle ensuing between them as you watched them pass nudges and pinches at each other. Sometimes you forget that they are just that close— very much so that your brother manages to bypass Satoru's Infinity. Or was it Satoru who lets his guard down? 

"I see. Safe travels then, Satoru nii-san!"

The tall man was shoved back into the vehicle from which he came from and was unceremoniously sent off with a single wave by Kazuya. "Good riddance. I'm sorry you had to see that, Otome. Okkotsu-san."

"I-It's all right, Koganei-san. If I remember right, you're the second person I've seen capable of manhandling Gojo-sensei like that," Yuuta chuckled. 

"Suguru, I assume. Then again, he has the patience of a saint…" Kazuya uncharacteristically rolled his eyes before composing himself once more. "With all of that said, I owe you an apology for not disclosing our family's plans to extend your… service as a bodyguard of sorts, Okkotsu-san." 

"It's not a problem. I live to take orders from my superiors, after all." 

"That's a pretty grim outlook on life," the older man stated before posing a question about the Kamo heir. "Are you familiar with him? Kamo Noritoshi-kun, I mean."

"Noritoshi-kun is the husband candidate closest to my age. We only met briefly once and he was pleasant to talk to. For that, I'm actually rather relieved," you said with a smile that didn't really reach your eyes. "I'm surprised the Kamo Clan even bothered to respond to my father's request all the while the Zenin Clan had been sending out messages to him, too." 

"We've only worked together briefly, but I can tell you that he's an all-around good guy. Responsible and honest to a fault," Yuuta replied with the same smile that seemed more synthetic than convincing. "You'll be in safe hands, Otome-san." 

"That's… reassuring to hear," you said with a nod, allowing the uncomfortable conversation to fizzle out in order to escape. "Well, I… Marin-chan and I ought to continue our preparations."

That was a lie, since Marin had already prepared everything you needed ahead of time. Yet she understood the look you threw at her the moment your eyes met, and you both bowed before the men in unison before disappearing into the main house. 

Kazuya watched as his younger sister faded into the backdrop of the estate before he eventually turned to the younger man left wondering as well. "Okkotsu-san, if you don't mind me asking, how have the past few days been for you? I trust your needs have been met…" 

"Ah, yes, Koganei-san! I really have no words for how well your family has treated me…" 

"That's heartening to hear. Rest assured that you'll be compensated accordingly for this mission as well," Kazuya continued. "And my sister… I trust she hasn't been troublesome to deal with."

"N-No! Not at all," Yuuta raised his hands in defence. "Otome-san has been nothing but kind and pleasant to me. It's a pleasure to be of service to someone like her."

Kazuya was surprised to hear that from the young sorcerer. Most of the older sorcerers previously tasked with looking after you found you a little bit too demanding for their age and liking— but they all agreed that you were a kind young woman. He expected you to make a bit of mischief with someone around your age handling you, but you were on your best behaviour now. 

Or was it because of the demands your father imposed on you that you're finally taking things more seriously now? Either way, the entire thing was an anomaly to Kazuya.

"That's good to hear. You must have your own preparations to make as well, Okkotsu-san. We'll leave you to it," he said as he casually slid his hands into the sleeves of his hakama. "I can have one of my men drive you to your home."

"Thank you, but there's really no need for that, Koganei-san. Your home is located in one of the most scenic places in the city, so I might just take a walk around the area before I head home."

"I see. I suppose a walk around town would be nice," the older man said, only for him to impose a subtle question. "But you must have a girlfriend to hurry home to."

"Uh, no. Not really," Yuuta said with a more sincere yet sheepish smile this time. "I've been… Well…"

"You don't have to answer that question, Okkotsu-san. I apologise for being nosy," Kazuya chuckled at him. 

"If you don't mind me asking, Koganei-san…"

"Yes?"

Kazuya was told that Yuuta could be a bit inquisitive if something piques his attention, and something about this mission must have set him off. 

"What does Otome-san think about this arrangement?"

The young clan heir fought the urge in his lips to crack into a crooked smile that could let on more than what he intended. 

"Well, you can expect a biassed comment from me, but she has all the time in the world to answer your question once you're on your way to Kyoto."

—

Though Yuuta made several attempts to talk to you throughout the day, all have been rebuffed by Marin, who simply said that her mistress needed her rest, for many days of celebration await her when she arrives at Kyoto. You were thankful for her presence and always counted on her to help set you on the right track, but sometimes you wished she wasn't so attentive. 

Nightfall marked your final evening with your family in your home— in the meantime, at least. If you and Noritoshi come to a mutual understanding in your short homestay, you will have to inform your family that you agree to the marriage. They will head to Kyoto, with your marriage and union the final seal to the deal.

The meeting was just a pretence, for you truly had no say in this matter at all. Same goes for Noritoshi, who has no choice but to accept you as his bride as decreed by his family. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement for both your families, but it didn't put much thought into your compatibility. All you knew is that the Kamo Clan wanted another heir to secure their foothold in Jujutsu society and they needed new blood for that to happen. 

Did your father not at all consider that you might be unhappy with the decision? Perhaps not. You were expected to conduct yourself as a lady of the house would, not a spoiled daughter like you already were. More importantly, he somewhat underestimated the gravity of your gift— your cursed technique— so much that he even ignored the advances of the more cutthroat Zenin Clan. 

It was clear that your father did not account for reprisal. It made you think if the trouble and violence that comes with making a choice and choosing the lesser evil was worth it. 

Kazuya selected Yuuta from a line of capable sorcerers as your second guard because a whole retinue of sorcerers from your family will only invite unwanted attention. Though Marin was raised and trained to be an attendant, she knew the basics of having to defend her master. 

It was only when you were fast asleep and already halfway to Kyoto when your single vehicle was ambushed by sorcerers with a distinct cursed energy that raised so many alarm bells in your head. The sedan screeched to a stop with your path barred and a shadowy curtain laid above your position. 

"Looks like the Zenin are trying to bargain," Yohan sighed as he unbuckled his seatbelt. 

"Y-Yo-chan! Where are you going?!" You asked nervously as Marin prepared to spirit you away from the scene. 

"To bargain, ojou-san," the older man stated. He took a deep breath and removed his aviator sunglasses, carefully dispensing it in your hands. "No need to worry. I'll be back."

"Yohan-san, I can—" Yuuta started, unbuckling his seatbelt as he watched the older sorcerer turn off the car's ignition. He was swiftly cut off, however.

"Your task is to keep Otome ojou-san safe, Yuuta-kun. I trust you can do that while I'm occupied with these—" Yohan clicked his tongue in obvious annoyance. "—uninvited guests."

"But they're—"

"A trifle in our trip, so I'll be quick."

"No! Yo-chan! We're not—" You cried out anxiously, only for you to be hastily pulled out of the car by Marin, who was ready to make a run for it.  "Marin-chan!"

"I am charged to keep you safe, ojou-sama. If Otou-san says he'll handle it—"

Yohan and Yuuta were finished conversing, the tired look in the young sorcerer's eyes replaced with a glint of tenacity. 

"Otome-san, Yohan-san needs the area. We'll come back for him," Yuuta tried to coax you out of the car willingly. "It's a terrible turn of events, but this is why we're here. Why I'm here. Just as you have faith in me, have faith in him, too."

The anxiety in your heart boiled over ever since you left your home. It did not bubble down even as you slept soundly moments ago. You were gripped with the fear of losing those precious to you when you're finally married off, but this panic you felt right now was something else. 

"He's right, ojou-san. Have a little faith in this old man," Yohan chuckled at you. "I promise you I'll be quick."

Yohan was just as much of a father to you as he was to Marin. He was the kind of man who was married to his duties, thus his current unmarried status. He once said that he'll retire when the time is right, and it's never too late for him to get married since he's quite the looker, or so he once joked. 

"Hear me and obey, Yo-chan," you stated, feigning bravery as you stepped out of the car. "Return to me!"

"Of course, ojou-san."

You slipped his sunglasses over your eyes before running off with Marin and Yuuta, his blade unsheathed as he watched your back for any attackers. Those who dared to follow you were swiftly dealt with by Yuuta, whom the Zenin did not take into account when planning this ambush. 

It was only when you were running that you completely gauged the situation. The Zenin sent out a unit of sorcerers that were plenty in number but were short in cursed energy. So much so that Yohan's cursed technique, Gold Smoke, eclipsed their barrage of attacks. 

From the distance and hidden in the bush, you saw how the ambushers fell to the ground like flies dropping dead as the curtain was dispersed.

"You know, ojou-sama, it's unlike you to worry so much about otou-san," Marin remarked as she crouched down next to you. "He's dealt with more dangerous situations than this before."

"You're right. I somehow forgot that he's a First Grade sorcerer," you replied with a sigh, deciding against speaking about your irrational fear of losing those you love. "Even if Yo-chan finishes soon, we've already been derailed from our appointment."

"I already informed Kazuya-san about this, Otome-san. He will get in touch with the Kamo Clan and inform them about this incident," Yuuta stated rather calmly. He didn't want to spook you any further by talking about details and the chances of your circumstances turning into a serious crisis. After securing your safety, he was just about ready to jump into the scene to assist the older sorcerer, but his intentions were unnecessary when you spotted your car's bright red tail lights blinking in the distance. 

The signal, he thought to himself, nearly in disbelief. He really did them in. 

True enough, there was nary a hint of the other party's presence in the area, the blow of the gentle evening breeze the only thing you could feel apart from the rush of blood in your ears. 

"Stay close to me," Yuuta told you as he straightened his back and angled his blade in defence. Marin nodded at you to follow his lead as he walked out of the bush and back onto the main road. Your guardians sandwiched you between themselves, an air of caution and aversion as you all approached Yohan, his favourite cigarette lighted between his lips as he stood by the driver's side of the car. 

A wave of relief washed over you as you three stood before him, all the adrenaline leaving your body as you fell on your knees, much to Marin's surprise. "Y-Yo-chan…"

The older sorcerer grinned at you as he caught you by your arm. "I told you I'd be quick, didn't I, ojou-san?"

"And you nearly gave me a heart attack, too!" You retorted, tears pricking your eyes as you broke into weak laughter. "I can't do that again, Yo-chan… The next time this happens, I—"

"No, that is enough. After all of this, I simply cannot, in good faith, send you to the Kamo House," Yohan stated firmly. While he was known to be fiercely loyal to the Koganei Clan, he wasn't above showing his masters the error of their ways. He shook his head with what seemed to be a look of disappointment. "I warned the master against this, that your gift is both a blessing and a curse and should be nurtured… But instead he chose to sell you off— The decision itself is inconceivable!"

Marin was taken aback by this sudden outburst. "Otou-san! What are you saying?! You shouldn't speak against our master—" 

"Marin, my child, this is madness! Sending our young mistress to one of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans as though she is nothing but a breeding mare," he spat out the stubbed out cigarette. "They're making a mistake sending her there. To the Kamo House. To the Zenin House. Fortunately Gojo-san is sensible enough to—"

Yohan was visibly disturbed and angered by the turn of events. His fingers shook as he raised another of his cigarettes to his mouth, unable to spark a flame with his gilded lighter. It was only when you gripped his wrists that he steadied himself once more. "Ojou-san, please… Just say the word. Say it and I will gladly take you back."

"I…"

I want to go home.

"I'll take whatever punishment the master has for me if it means you'll be safe back home."

But there is no going back from this. 

"No, Yo-chan. This is my duty. To our family, first and foremost. I can live a lifetime of unhappiness and displeasure if it means I can secure the clan's future. They've drilled it into me for so long that it was impossible to avoid, even when I became an idol." 

So that's what she thinks about this, Yuuta thought to himself as he watched you purse your lips. However, there was simply no concealing the shine of your tears that soaked your lashes even underneath Yohan's aviator sunglasses. You would subject yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness and live with it if it meant your own family could live comfortably undetected and protected by one of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans.

But still, why would someone willingly walk to their own undoing? Why curse yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness? He couldn't wrap his mind around it. 

"We'll take a detour tonight, ojou-san. If the Kamo Clan truly values their ties with our family, they will agree to meet us at a rendezvous point first thing tomorrow morning," Yohan finally stated as he urged the three of you to get in the car once more. "I will take responsibility for this excursion, so please take this opportunity to take it easy and rest up after all that's happened."

"All right, then…"

"And if by tomorrow morning, you've had a change of heart, we can always return to Tokyo," Yohan reassured you once more as he started the car and drove off as though nothing happened, even though the incident stirred so much unrest in your heart. 

It took about an hour of driving before Yohan took an unexpected turn and another 20 minutes of untraceable road before the vehicle eventually ground to a halt outside a well-maintained ryokan concealed deep in the woods edging Kyoto. It didn't take long for you to notice that there was a curtain around the area. 

"This place is owned by a good friend of mine," Yohan started as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "They've maintained this place for as long as I can remember."

Soon enough, an older woman around his age stepped out of the ryokan to welcome your group. She had an elegant, cordial smile on her face that suited the muted orange kimono she wore. 

"It's good to see you well, Yohan," the elderly woman said with a warm smile as she rested her gaze on you. "Ah, and you must be the lady of the Koganei House. You truly are as lovely as he recounted. Your guardian has told me much about you… And this one must be your Marin. How pretty you are as well!"

As for Yuuta, she only had a quick nod when she recognised him as one of jujutsu society's Special Grade sorcerers. 

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the proprietor of this inn. My name is Irino Izana. My husband and I are long-time friends with your Yohan."

"Irino?" You asked curiously. "Do you happen to know an Irino Izuna-san?…"

"Why, yes. She's my daughter. I— Oh, it's you. You must be the one… The idol she so adores dressing up in elaborate clothes and costumes. I couldn't believe it at first when she said you were…" Izana stated with a rueful smile. "Just like her, she said— a girl from a sorcerer family who found her way to stardom."

It clicks in your head all of a sudden. The reason why Izuna adored you so even when you were just an idol trainee, why she favoured you over everyone else in the group. You were just like her. 

"Izuna-san has since retired from her idol work and from her costume designing. Has she… been well?"

Izana averted her gaze from your face. "Yohan said that you are to be the bride of the Kamo heir. Your family must be overjoyed that you're fulfilling your duties…"

"Um, yes, I suppose," you replied with a small smile. "If… If Izuna-san is here, I would love to see her…"

Izana raised her eyes to meet yours, a subtle sharpness in her gaze that seemed more like a look of regret. "My apologies, ojou-san, but Izuna isn't here. You must have heard from your agency… the reason she retired from her job."

"Oh. They said she was going to get married, but…"

You and Yuuta exchanged glances, to which he said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Irino-san. If it's alright with you, Otome-san would like to get some rest."

"Ah, of course. How silly of us to be standing here when I should have welcomed you inside. Please, please come in! I will have our attendants carry your belongings to your lodging," the elderly woman said, her demeanour back to that of a hotelier.

As your group was ushered inside the quaint traditional inn, you quietly caught Yuuta by his sleeve, prompting him to slow his steps so that you were side by side. 

"Ojou—" Marin attempted to pull you back next to her, only for her to be stopped by Yohan. "O-Otou-san?"

"Leave them be. He is capable of protecting her, but I doubt anyone would find us here."

"But—"

"Otome knows what she is doing, Marin."

"She is disregarding her obligation to the masters of—"

The older man shook his head. "She is simply deciding for herself." 

The spacious ryokan allowed for your small group to each have their own room. While the quiet night was perfect for resting, too many thoughts raced through your mind for you to even lie down on the futon carefully laid out in the middle of the room. 

Was Yohan serious about returning home if you said you wanted to? More importantly, he was ready to accept whatever punishment your father would give him, all for your sake. 

The pearly white moon hung perfectly in the middle of your window like an exquisite painting. It was hard to tear your eyes from its beauty, so you beheld it even more by resting your head on the window sill. 

"Izuna-san must have been married off, too."

She did not have someone who would intercede on her behalf. Perhaps you may have been more spoiled than the other daughters of sorcerer families… Because how fortunate were you to have someone like that in your life? Yohan did not want you to live a lifetime of unhappiness. He did not want you to curse yourself to a lifetime of displeasure. 

And happiness for you was so simple. Being able to continue the work you love. Receiving the adoration of your friends and many fans. Drinking Yakult after a long day at work. Dressing up in all of Izuna's finely crafted costumes. 

"Mm…" You hummed to yourself as you recalled those precious moments that are now just memories meant to be cherished. 

—

Yuuta couldn't sleep either. But neither could Yohan, and they were equally surprised to find each other downstairs at the common area. While the older sorcerer made use of the yukata provided by their lodging, the younger one was still in his clothes from earlier that day.

"Are you having trouble sleeping, Yohan-san?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Yohan replied with a chuckle. "I used to work with the owners of this inn back when they were still sorcerers. Surprisingly, they got together one day and the rest was history."

"Ah, so that's what Irino-san meant when she said that you were good friends."

"Yes. Her husband was mad jealous of me back then, too, but I never understood why he felt that way," Yohan stated as he fished out his lighter and pack of cigarettes. 

"He must have thought you were a rival for, uh…"

"Izana? What a joke," the older man snorted, bringing a cigarette to his lips. "I would have accepted him being more jealous of my skills rather than being interested in the same girl. After all, Yoshitaka despised how I went about my work since I had very little regard for it. He came from an esteemed sorcerer clan while I was an outsider to jujutsu society with no significant ties to any family. It was only when Seito— Otome's father— commissioned me to be his guard that I found myself an anchor in this society."

"I see…" 

"Izana is a good friend, but I never liked her that way," Yohan said as he blew a puff of smoke away from Yuuta's direction. 

For Yuuta, it almost seemed like the more experienced sorcerer was basking in his nostalgia— wistful, even. 

"It was good that Seito-sama offered me this position when we met off the bat. He is a good master— he pays well and is an attentive clan leader, but he's not exactly the wisest when it comes to reading people, especially his children," the older man said with a small laugh. "If he had taken the time to get to know his children better, he would have known that ojou-san loves her work as an idol and that she makes so many people happy. That Kazuya-kun only has eyes for one person and one person alone and he could never have him— not in this lifetime, at least… If Seito-sama had grown to understand her, he'd know for certain that he would be cursing his daughter to a lifetime of unhappiness."

Yohan adjusted his aviator sunglasses, but Yuuta couldn't miss how red his nose had become. 

"Yoshitaka made an offer before Seito-sama did, but I rejected it because I'd be cursing myself to a lifetime of unhappiness too, had I accepted it. He despised how modern I was compared to his more antiquated ways. If I had accepted his offer, I wouldn't be the person I am now. I would have been tied to his outdated beliefs, too," he continued with the same rueful smile on his now-evidently tired face. "I might have loved him, but I valued my freedom of being more than anything." 

Loved? 

"What? Yohan-san, you—"

"Cursing yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness… What bullshit," Yohan shook his head. "If ojou-san decides to return home, I will show her father the error of his ways. That is if she does decide to… But if she insists on pressing forward with the rendezvous, then I have no choice but to heed her orders." 

Unhappiness was the very same thing Yuuta cursed himself with. He tormented himself with a life of contentment without wanting anything— anything at all— because why on earth was he free to live his life while she— Rika— had to die? Yet it wasn't like he was the cause of all of it. Why did he blame himself for something that was far beyond his control?

Wanting always leads to loss, after all, he told himself. But what if it didn't have to?

"You know Otome happens to be very fond of you," Yohan stated with a smile. "Somehow it always felt like her family knew this would happen. That's why they always hired older sorcerers for these kinds of jobs. Still, Gojo-san himself insisted that you take this job." 

"I didn't think much of it, either," Yuuta replied with a small chuckle. "Otome-san has been pleasant to work with…"

"And what do you think of her?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"What do you think of her?" Yohan repeated his question. "Especially since you know that she looks upon you with fondness."

"W-Well, she's… She's beautiful, kind, and warm… I, uh…"

"Does she make you nervous?" 

Yohan noticed how the younger sorcerer went bright red at his queries. He couldn't help but laugh all of a sudden.

"Y-You know you shouldn't make fun of your juniors, Yohan-san," Yuuta managed a weak rebuttal. "O-Otome-san is a wonderful woman, but— But I know where I should stand in this—"

"This circus? This sham of an engagement?" The older sorcerer replied as he stubbed out his cigarette. "I know you aren't as gutless as you make yourself out to be, Yuuta-kun. I think it's about time you started using that status of yours to your advantage. It's not just for display, is it?"

"But… But what if it's just me?" Yuuta said with a slight quiver in his voice. "Rika will never forgive me…"

"But what if it isn't just you?" Yohan shot back at him. "The dead can neither forgive nor dictate what it is the living can still do. And I mean no disrespect to her, but what you're doing to yourself is tantamount to emotional suicide."

"I'm afraid that if I want her too badly, she… She might—"

"Listen, kid. The worst thing that could happen is her wanting you just as much."

—

For once in a long time, Yuuta had a grasp of what he wanted— For himself, more than anything. He could still hear Yohan's voice in his head apart from the blood rushing in his ears as he hastily made his way to your room. He had no idea if you were already asleep, but he needed you to know something. 

So when you slid open the door for him after he asked if you were still awake, you were both equally surprised. And equally at a loss. And equally waiting, anticipating, the thumping in your chests seeming unheard, but you could— You could feel your heart in your throat now. What the hell was going on?

And Yuuta couldn't tear his eyes off you. He meant it when he said that you were beautiful even in this state of undoneness— your hair unkempt, your yukata slightly left open, the twinkle of wonder and confusion in your gaze that made him want to answer your every question.  

"It crossed my mind," he told you, finally breaking the silence. "Taking you away. We can go wherever you want to go."

"Y-Yuuta-san? Wh-Whatever do you mean?…"

"I hope you don't find it strange that I… want to be at your beck and call. And… And I know it won't be much work at all because you want so little—"

You stepped into his space and carefully brought a hand to his cheek. He was shaking in his spot, but he sank into your palm so comfortably and contentedly and the sigh of relief he breathed out was just so warm. 

"Do you even know what you're doing to me now?" You quietly asked him. He held your wrist in place when you tried to pull away from him.

"Without a doubt, I like you more than you think…" He chuckled. "I wish you'd trust me to be honest, even for just a little bit…"

What? 

"You… like me?"

"Is it a terrible idea for you?"

"No, no, not at all," you shook your head at him. "But why… Where is this all coming from?"

"I… had a little help," Yuuta stated with a nervous smile as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. "And I know I'm wanting something— someone way above my paygrade—"

"You're silly," you cut him off with a laugh. "You're a Special Grade sorcerer. You can have anything you want…"

"So long as I work for it."

"Then work for it," you said, taking his free hand into yours to finally pull him into your room. "You said that you didn't mind being at my beck and call, so does that mean you'll do whatever it is I tell you?"

Yuuta visibly swallowed at your question, but he allowed himself to be pulled in by your tender hold. He resisted so little when you pulled him down to your futon, his eyes now wide with surprise and wonder. 

"Are you… holding back?" Your voice was hushed to a whisper. The ghost of a smile danced on your lips as you gently drew him closer to you. 

Yuuta was a master of self-control, but the hardened warrior in him was rendered absolutely malleable in your hands as you pleaded to him with that look you gave him— that gaze so full of stars and a slightly crimson smile. Pretty girls with pretty smiles have always been his weakness. Not that he'd ever admit it, but it was already a given fact. 

Rika. The girl in the picture had the most mischievous smile that was still so endearing to him, after all. 

"You don't have to hold back at all." 

His resolve crumbled bit by bit the lower your yukata fell off your shoulders. 

"The work you do is hard. If… If there's any way I canmmf—"

He closed the distance between the two of you with one swift kiss, one so chaste that it pulled at your heart and made you think twice about seducing him further. 

"I think you do plenty," he murmured, his warm forehead resting against your own. "I'm no stranger to being adored, yet it does feel quite different coming from a living, breathing heart." 

You were done appeasing ghosts from the past, but that didn't mean you would disrespect their memory. 

"Because I'm certain Rika-san would want me to cherish you." 

No, you weren't, but did any of that matter at all now? You adored him now. And now is all you have. 

"You're not sure, are you?" He chuckled, the tiny smile on his obviously tired face slowly melting into a thin line. "You should know that I… I've never been with anyone at all, so I may be lack—"

"What? And you think I'm some expert at this?" You said with a small smile, warm hands on his even warmer face. "Oh, Yuuta. I've never wanted anyone as terribly as I want you. I—"

His fingers gently dug into the skin of your thighs as he lifted you onto his lap, lips on lips as you coaxed him to soften his tense shoulders. 

You didn't need the light to know that he was flushed all over. 

"I am yours," he breathed the words against your cheek. "If you'll have me." 

"I most certainly will." 

Something about the way he spoke to you made you tear up. How you wish you could kiss away the hurt that was so evident on his face. 

"The moon is exquisitely beautiful tonight, isn't it?" You whispered against his brow. A low hum of agreement that left his lips tickled your neck. 

"You're still prettier," he mumbled back, curling his arms around you to pull you even closer to him. You gently collided with his bare chest, allowing him to hold you tighter. 

"Don't say that," you chided him before running your fingers through his dark hair. "Mm…"

"Is something on your mind?"

"No, nothing at all," you told him, contentedly resting your hand on his nape. 

"Can you sing for me?" 

"Demanding things from me now, are we?" You said with a laugh. 

"I heard you humming something earlier this evening. Can you sing that one?"

"Now that is above my paygrade. But since you asked so nicely, I might just…"

Yuuta released you from his embrace and allowed you to sit up, pulling up the covers with you while he watched you with rapt anticipation despite his sleepy gaze. 

"I'm who I am, as I am; you're who you are, as who you are— The final words you whispered, before you left me with a scar."

"On your familiar silver jacket splattered coffee's left a stain, destined always to remain… And still we're lost inside the habit— Tears reflecting in the pane show our pitiful refrain."

You brought your hand to his cheek once more, but he grasped your fingers to press a tender kiss on your palm.  

"Stay with me… In the dead of night I'm banging on your door. I'm begging you, without you I'm done for. Now the winter arrived, like the tears in our eyes—" 

"Stay with me… While your voice remains an echo of the past, I'm holding on to moments that won't last. I will never forget, I will never regret our love…"

This time, he felt courageous enough to pull you down back next to him and press another kiss on your lips, tasting your sweetness once more along with the saltiness of your tears.

"Are you okay?" He asked you, your face in his warm hands. A look of concern lit his eyes as he surveyed your expression. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine," you said. It was your turn to grip his wrists in place this time. "There is something I must tell you, though… A-And I can understand if you feel it will be such a huge undertaking for you."

Yuuta sat up and helped you up as well, sensing the seriousness of this conversation. "I'm listening." 

"My family… My cursed technique is called Soul Resonance. A binding vow between a fellow sorcerer and I will allow me to turn into a weapon— any weapon you might desire. I, uh… You must have realised by now why I am so against my arranged marriage. I cannot allow myself or my cursed technique to be used by someone I don't know. Someone who may abuse this power," you stated as you wrung your fingers around the covers over your shoulders. "And this… This binding vow will be for eternity. My power will be yours until the day I die."

It finally dawned on Yuuta why two of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans wanted you into their fold and why your presence stirred so much controversy. You lowered your gaze in shame, your mind now grasping at straws and desperately thinking of ways this revelation could go wrong, and how he could outright reject you… But he stepped up, and you thought to yourself that I should, too. 

"Yuuta… You wanted nothing from me but me. You will neither yearn for nor despise my power because you have no need for it," you said, finally raising your eyes to meet his steady blue gaze. "You want me simply because you adore me."

You couldn't get a read on his expression, but it was soft and somewhat sympathetic. 

"So I feel my power rests safe and well in your hands, while my heart is safe next to yours," you concluded with a small nod. "Only if you'll have me." 

It was a power that ostracised you, much like him when he was just starting as a sorcerer. How could he not understand where you were coming from? And your wisdom— the way you knew full well that it would be a source of conflict if not managed well. His desire to protect you as charged to him flowered into a desire to hold you close simply because he adored you. 

Yuuta smiled at you before eventually taking your hands in his, raising your cold knuckles to his warm lips. "I would want nothing more than for your heart to be safe next to mine."

— Where my heart is safe.

It was a soundless, wordless understanding when you and Yuuta stepped out of the inn hand in hand. Yohan simply nodded at you both and gestured for you to get in the car. You turned to the boy, who gently released your hand so you could bid farewell to the owner of the establishment. 

"I must thank you for accommodating us, Irino-san," you said with a smile as you bowed down before the older woman. "Um, if you have any means of communicating with Izuna-san, I'd like for you to tell her that I… I'm well, I followed my heart, and that I forgive her. And that I hope she finds it in her heart to forgive herself, too."

Izana held your gaze for a moment before smiling back at you. She took your hands in hers and gently squeezed them, as though letting you know that things will be alright from here on out. "Of course. I'll be sure to let her know." 

When Yohan approached the older woman, they simply exchanged a quick but heartfelt embrace. "Be safe, Yohan. I'll let Taka know that you dropped by"

"No need," he replied with a grin. "I'm certain he still despises me to the point of cursing my existence."

"Yohan," Izana stated as she caught him by his hand. "Taka may have resented you a little for rejecting his proposition, but he never hated you." 

Yuuta was quick to notice the change in the older sorcerer's expression, the hint of yearning that flashed across his aged face— 

"We should get going, Yo-chan," You called out to your guardian as you read the notification on your mobile phone. "I just received a text from Kazu nii-san telling me to return home…"

"What? Did he just send that message now?" Yuuta asked. You nodded as you handed over your phone to him. "Yohan-san."

"I hear you, kid. We have to go."

"What? Wait, what's going on?" You asked, evidently confused by Yohan's sudden sense of urgency as he hurriedly urged you to get in the car. 

"We'll explain on the way back."

—

And it was just how Yuuta and Yohan described the whole thing. They were warned beforehand that the Zenin Clan did not take rejection well, so they should be prepared for anything, such as the attack from last night. Kazuya instructed them that he will be their point of contact and he will inform them of the clan's decisions before they made their move. But if he ever reaches out to his sister instead, that is something else. 

It was an emergency. 

Sorcerers from the Zenin Clan surrounded your estate's perimeters, but they allowed you entrance since it was you they were looking for, after all. 

The Zenin Clan sorcerers did not permit Yohan, Marin or Yuuta to accompany you to your family's audience hall, but a single nod was all it took for the three of them to understand. Do what you must. 

In the middle of the estate shoin sat the ever domineering head of the Zenin Clan, and he stank of alcohol even though you were still a metre's length away from him. Your clan's servants were gathered around him like he was the master of the house, while your father and brother sat adjacent to him. 

"Oh, I can see now why Naoya's so upset—" Zenin Naobito stated before taking another swig of sake from his glazed ceramic bottle. "She's as ripe as a peach."

"Zenin-sama," you greeted the older man. You tried to do so warmly, but your expression betrayed you as your lips curled in disgust, a look he didn't miss. 

"You wound me, girl. I would have had you flogged for looking at me that way if you were my daughter."

"Yes, so you see now why I'm trying to avoid that from happening," you shot back at him, much to your father and brother's surprise. You saw Kazuya shake his head at you, his sharp gaze telling you to stop it with your smart mouth.

And yet Naobito responded to your amusing quip with thunderous laughter. "What a quick witted girl you are. Though you'd be dead by now if not for that cursed technique of yours… The blood that flows in your veins. Since you want to be all smart with me, you know by now what will happen if you refuse to acquiesce to our clan's generous offer."

"The only thing that's going to happen is you and your clan leaving my home," you stated. "Or do you want to do this the hard way and be kicked out instead?"

Naobito unceremoniously dropped his bottle of sake on the tatami floor and turned to your father. "Seito! You said she would be an agreeable girl!"

"She—" 

You raised a hand to stop your father from speaking any further. He quieted down, much to your surprise. 

"My father and I will speak later, Zenin-sama," you continued. "But you will leave my family alone after this. You won't find much value in me, after all. Not after I—"

A scuffle by the entrance of the audience hall prompted your house's servants to gather in a single corner while your father and brother rose to their feet to shield them from possible harm. But the smoke was glimmering gold, which only meant one thing— Yohan cleared the way. 

"Otome!" 

From the smoke emerged Yuuta and his unsheathed blade, his arm outstretched toward you as you lunged right at him, meeting his open arms and kissing him then and there. You paid no mind to the gasps from your family's servants, the sounds of the clashing blades and heavy footsteps fading into the distance as you suddenly felt completely weightless.   

Your shared cursed energy easily and effortlessly melded together, allowing you to take the form of a gilded weapon he was most adept at using, your spirit form now perched upon his shoulder.  

"She formed a binding vow… with that lad! Special Grade sorcerer Okkotsu Yuuta!" Naobito slowly rose to his feet, the same look of amusement on his face as the gilded blade was aimed at him. "I should have known this worthless family would pull such a trick!"

"You forget just how fast I am, old man," Yuuta stated point blankly, unfazed by the older sorcerer's tirade. "Perhaps not as fast as you, but I sure as hell can take you in a fight." 

Naobito came here at his youngest son's behest— the spoiled thing— and he expected almost little to no resistance from your family. Seito was a known sycophant and he would have willingly handed over his daughter to keep the peace. The Zenin didn't account for Yuuta at all, and that you had a mind of your own. "Tch."

"Her offer still stands, by the way. Either you take your filth out of their home or I'll do it for her."

And how embarrassing would be it be for the rest of the society to know that he, of all people, attempted to bully a low-ranking clan into submission. 

—

While you and your father were busy ensuring all of your family's staff and servants were accounted for, Yohan and Yuuta were surveying the estate's perimeters. 

Kazuya was making important phone calls to the magic college when the door to the master's den slid open. 

"Kazu nii-san, it's Satoru nii-san. He came to check on us after that thing," you said with a smile. 

Satoru entered the den with an unreadable expression on his face though his blindfold hung around his neck. "Kazuya."

But your older brother had an aggrieved look on his face as compared to his usual annoyed expression. "Where were you, you idiot? I called you as soon as they started raiding our home—"

"I'm sorry. I still came here as soon as I could—"

"Stop apologising, damn it! I'm so tired of it!" 

In a rare moment of weakness, Kazuya dropped to his knees in tears, no longer caring for how his hakama creased and wrinkled up under his weight. Satoru got down on one knee and carefully placed a hand on his friend's quivering shoulder, not at all sure if he would be rebuffed. 

"Hey, ojou-chan. Why don't we catch up later?" Satoru told you, the confusion on your face clear as day. "Your brother and I have to talk for a bit."

"Oh, uh, o-okay then."

You slid the door closed behind you, only to find Yuuta standing right outside the den. 

"I heard that Gojo-sensei just arrived."

"Ah, yeah. He rushed all the way to nii-san, though… He was, well… pretty upset about the situation and how Satoru nii-san didn't come much sooner."

"Oh, I see…" Was all he could say, because while you were bewildered by your older brother's unusual unstable reaction, he knew the reason, perhaps a little bit too well. The sadness in Yohan's voice was so palpable, after all. Kazuya-kun only has eyes for one person and one person alone and he could never have him— not in this lifetime, at least…

Yuuta made a conclusion he couldn't quite share with you yet. He must have felt abandoned by sensei. 

"We should wait for them outside," he told you with a small smile on his face. He took you by the hand and everything was well in the world again, for you, at least. 

"I suppose I have some explaining to do, after all," you replied with a sigh of defeat. "B-But don't worry! My father is an agreeable man a-and we have Yo-chan on our corner, too."

"About that…"

As he gently pulled you out by hand to your estate's sprawling gardens, you found your father Seito and Yohan conversing just under the aged ginkgo tree, its golden foliage akin to a canopy overhead. 

"I think Yohan-san gave your father the scolding he threatened to give," Yuuta chuckled as you stood side by side. "It fills me with confidence that we have someone like him in our corner." 

"Mm…"

"I'm only a little worried. The binding vow we made will tie us to each other for eternity. After having resonated with you, I understand why you wished for this power to end up in the right hands. I'm not saying I am the right choice for this, but I… I'll endeavour to…" 

You squeezed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "I know, Yuuta."

He squeezed your hand right back before eventually lifting it to his chest. "And you… might feel obligated to accompany me on missions, but I'll never require you to do so…"

"I'm not really that noble, Yuuta, so I'll be sure not to get in your way. Also, I doubt that HQ will let me join you since I'm technically an ungraded sorcerer— I'm pretty much like a civilian, to say the least." 

It was your turn to chuckle this time. "However, we'll have to register this… newfound relationship that we have, for formality's sake. We are weapon and meister now."

"Ah, of course."

"And you do know the best way to keep our power safe is by marrying into my family, correct?"

"Well, I— w-wait, did you say marry into your family?!"

"Oh, is the thought so disagreeable to you?" You pouted at him this time, only for the corner of your lips to drop to a small frown. "But I understand your apprehension… You were once engaged, after all…"

Padded footsteps from behind you made their approach, another pair closely following. 

"Ojou-chan, you aren't a replacement for what he lost. Yuuta sees you as you are. He understands that you and Rika-chan are two different people, thus he should see you differently."

It was Satoru with a Cheshire Cat grin on his lips. His blue eyes were concealed beneath his dark blindfold once more, the look you and everyone else was more accustomed to. Closely behind him was your older brother, no more tears on his face yet the corner of his eyes remained red from his weeping. 

"Yuuta's pretty gutsy going against the wishes of three clans, especially when he doesn't even have a claim on you. Then again, he has his big name and high status to gamble on," Satoru stated with a small shrug. "There's so little to gamble on, anyway. Noritoshi didn't stand a chance and neither did that Zenin brat Naoya."

"Yes, all according to plan, just like you said," Kazuya said with a wave of his hand. "I believe I owe you an apology, my dearest little sister." 

"Did I hear you right? You… you just said Satoru nii-san planned this?"

"Well, not the whole fiasco with the Zenin," the silver-haired man replied. "But yes… I orchestrated the meeting between you and Yuuta. Only because your brother begged me—"

Your brother quickly elbowed his friend. "I asked Satoru to find you a suitable match, one that didn't require you to leave home or sacrifice yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness."

"But—"

"Satoru told me that your first meeting sparked a need within you both, or at least that's how he understood the situation. After all, he said that Okkotsu-san was absolutely bewitched by your presence." 

Yuuta immediately turned red at the very pointed truth your brother had just told you. 

"So you didn't know about this, Yuuta?"

He shook his head at you, a hint of defeat evident in his smile. "Not at all. Though I suppose sensei knew how to use my very weakness to his advantage…"

"Pretty girls with pretty smiles," Satoru stated with another cheeky grin. "But once he sets his eyes on someone, that's the end of the game."

"Did Yo-chan know about this… plan of yours?"

"No, it was just me and Satoru," Kazuya stated as he shook his head. "Though knowing how much that old man adores you, he might have had an inkling… More importantly, you and I have something to talk about. If you'll excuse us for a while, gentlemen…"

Your brother offered his elbow to you which you gladly took, slipping your hands to grip his arm as he led you to where your father and Yohan stood in the middle of your estate's garden. As Yuuta eyed your retreating figure, Satoru clamped a hand on his pupil's shoulder.

"You can always start wanting things again, Yuuta. Her death was beyond your control. None of what happened to her was ever your fault," the older man said. It was a truth so plain and simple yet something Yuuta had such a hard time believing. 

Rika died of an illness, one that plagued her since childhood. Her dreams of becoming a sorcerer by his side were nipped in the bud, for Yuuta wouldn't allow her to die a sorcerer's death, which was such an undignified death… She died a human, her heart full of love and gratitude for those who loved her and cared for her in her final days. 

And the last thing Rika bade him do was to live a life of happiness, because that's what he would have wanted her to do if he were in her position.

How could I have forgotten that? Yuuta shook his head and simply smiled to himself upon remembering.   

"There is a girl who wears her heart on her sleeve who has fallen in love for the very first time in her life," Satoru patted his pupil's back. "What you can control now is how things will move forward from here." 

"I know, sensei. I guess I just feel a little… apprehensive," Yuuta chuckled rather nervously. "I mean, you said it yourself, I went against the agreement of three sorcerer clans and entangled myself with the Koganei Clan's precious daughter— even though I'm just a nobody." 

"A nobody?" His teacher laughed at the incredulous statement that left his lips. "You're Okkotsu Yuuta, one of this generation's finest Special Grade sorcerers. The Koganei should be more than grateful to welcome you into their fold. And if their old man gives you shit, which I doubt he will given how spineless he actually is, you're just going to have to remind him who's protecting his house."

"I-I wouldn't go that far, sensei…"

"Only if he gives you shit."

"I hope he doesn't…" Yuuta muttered to himself. "I-I'll work hard to earn his approval. A-And I'll cherish Otome, so…"

From across the garden, you eyed the anxious smile that lit Yuuta's face as he spoke to his teacher. About what, you'll never truly know. All you know for certain now is that things are about to change in your family's way of life, especially with how they regard you. 

"I'm an old man. I can't keep up with all of this. And after all that's happened, I have enough reason to believe that our family's faith in me has been shaken," Seito stated with a slight raise of his hand. "It's good that you've made your preparations to inherit, Kazuya. I feel… No, I believe that you're better equipped to lead our clan in these ever-changing times…"

Your father admitting his ineptitude came as a surprise to you, but not so much to your brother, who simply nodded in agreement.  

"And what are your plans now, Otome?" Your father asked you, the edge in his voice gone and replaced with genuine concern for your future. "That binding vow you made with that young sorcerer will tie you to him for the rest of your life. Are you ready for that kind of commitment?"

"O-Of course! I-If it's with Yuuta, I'd be more than happy to!" You said, suddenly conscious about the heat rising to your face. "I… I want to get to know him more. And if he'll let me, he and I w-will have all the time in the world to…"

From where he stood, Yuuta could see just how flustered you were while the older men simply chuckled at your enthusiastic response. He knew that you meant well, too. That you would nothing more than for his heart to be safe next to yours, too.

~ ten months later.

Your marriage to Yuuta was conducted in the shadow of your older brother's inheritance ceremony. It was an even more private traditional ceremony that officially welcomed him into the Koganei Clan. Your marriage still took place despite all the apprehension he felt, but not much changed afterwards. Neither of you wore any wedding bands and he never took your name— and you didn't mind that at all since none of those formalities mattered to you, anyway. All that mattered to you was that he would come home to you at the end of every day. While his mandated work from Jujutsu Headquarters still took precedence over clan duties, he still proved to be a capable enforcer when called upon by Kazuya. 

Yuuta owed much to his brother-in-law, after all, especially since he vouched for his merits so he could marry you without so much of a hitch. 

Still, there was more to your brother's relationship with your husband than they let you in on, even more so when Kazuya started persuading you to return to your work in the entertainment industry. 

"No one wants to see a married idol, nii-san," you joked to him, but the look in his eyes was serious. "Do you… actually want me to start working again?"

"Why not? If you can't be an idol anymore, I'm sure there's a demand for you somewhere else. In fact, why don't you ask that smart manager of yours?" He told you from across his office table as he browsed through his usual paperwork. 

"Nii-san, we've arrived," came a most familiar voice from outside his den. 

"Perfect. Come in, Yuuta. I believe you have a surprise for my sister," Kazuya stated as he set down the documents he was reading. As the shoji slid open, you were elated to see your husband come home from running errands for your brother, but an even larger smile lit your face when you saw the person who entered right after him. 

"Sa-chan!"

"Oh! Otome! It does my heart good to see you well!" Sana happily exclaimed as she returned your embrace. "And I'm even more excited to see you return to work!"

"B-But who told you that? I…"

"I… did," Yuuta stated. "I'm sorry for being so presumptuous, but I… can see how much you miss your work every time you watch TV or check out your socials. You should know that I don't want to stop you from what you love. I know how passionate you are about your craft, s-so I—"

"I told Yuuta to get in touch with Kagomura-san," Kazuya finished his sentence. "You should be doing something you love rather than just languishing here at home, Otome."

"R-Right he is, Otome! Oh, Kyou-san will be thrilled to have you back at Mieux Folie, but not as an idol anymore. In fact, when Okkotsu-san reached out to me, the agency was mulling over who to give this certain movie role to, so it's like fate!" Sana squeezed your hands in sheer excitement over the possibility of signing you back in the agency as— "It's your acting debut!"

"And you're okay with this, n-nii-san?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kazuya answered your question. "I'm not like our old man. I actually see value in your talent as an entertainer."

"Really?" You quirked an eyebrow at his statement. 

"Of course I do," he stated with a thoughtful hand on his chin. "If you become an actress, you'll be invited to all sorts of events and occasions. Maybe you can tell a friend or two that you have an equally good-looking older brother—"

"All right, Sa-chan. Let's do it," You squeezed her hands back with a newfound exhilaration. "I'll sign back on with Mieux Folie, but only if you promise to be my manager." 

"As if I'd say no to that!" Sana stated with a smile on her face. "You know, Otome, Okkotsu-san is a pretty generous husband. Other husbands would want their actress wives to give up their careers to focus on their families instead, but he's here pushing you to pursue your dreams."

"Isn't that thoughtful of him?" You gave your manager a cheeky grin. "I suppose earning a little pocket money before we try for a baby is a great idea."

"O-Otome!" Came Yuuta's nervous interjection. "P-Please don't neglect to tell me if you're feeling strange or under the weather. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you without us knowing if you're actually pregnant…"

His concerns were eased when you took his hand this time and lifted it to your face. Just as your hearts were tied together by your marriage, your souls were tied together by something far greater. "Believe me, sweetheart. You'll know."

~ one year later.

"Is this thing on?"

You spoke into the screen of your mobile phone as you sat on the cushy couch in your spacious living room. After having starred in Onodera Noah's directorial debut film "Ever I Wander", which kickstarted your work as an actress this time around, you and Yuuta moved out of your family's estate to a condominium unit in the city. Your job as an actress demanded much of your time, but always made it a point to reserve days for rest with your husband, who was distant from the living room yet visible onscreen as you went live on your preferred SNS account.

[ Aaaaaa ]

[ It's Otome-san!!! ]

[ I can't believe you're going on live today! ]

[ What a great morning! ]

[ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ]

[ wwww such a blessed day!! ]

[ Good morning, Otome-san! ]

[ … ]

[ … ]

Numerous comments and reactions from your adoring fans and followers flashed and rained on your screen as you confirmed that you were indeed livestreaming at the moment. 

"Hello, everyone! I hope you're having a lovely day so far!" You waved to your screen with your megawatt smile. "I'm just hopping on here to give everyone a big thanks for supporting Noah-san's work, 'Ever I Wander', and of course for supporting me in my first-ever acting role as Hinarin." 

[ ❤️❤️❤️ ]

[ You did such a great job with Hinarin!! ]

[ ❤️ ]

"I'm so glad everyone loved the film. Noah-san and I have been good friends for quite a while now and I can attest to his dedication to his craft and the calibre of his work. I'm certain he's still on a high after the film's release. 'Ever I Wander' is such a profound piece of media that tackles so many relevant themes of our time, so please recommend it to your family and friends!" 

Yuuta approached you with a bowl of freshly cut fruit, careful not to appear onscreen but many eagle-eyed viewers saw his arm enter the frame. 

[ Is that your husband??? ]

[ Wow I can tell from his arm that he works out!! ]

[ ❤️❤️ ]

[ … ]

[ He has such a mysterious aura… ]

[ But didn't he accompany her on the film's premiere? ]

[ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ]

"Yes, that was my husband. He just handed me a bowl of my favourite fruits. Isn't he just the sweetest?" You couldn't help but gush and beam as you happily showed off the fresh and juicy fruit slices neatly arranged in the bowl. "His job requires him to work out a lot and I suppose it shows even though it isn't his intention to brag about his build. All the better to lift me, I guess!"

[ 😂😂😂 ]

[ 😂 ]

[ He must be the strongest soldier wwwww ]

[ 😂😂😂 ]

[ Can you please show us the photo on your background? ]

"The photo on my background…" You repeated the comment before eventually turning around to point at what the viewer mentioned. "Aha! Another one of Noah-san's works! This was from my last photobook after I retired from my idol work two years ago."

[ It's so risque 😳 ]

[ The theme is kinda sexy?? ]

[ 😳😳😳 ]

[ ❤️❤️ ]

The blown-up photo was one of you and Yuuta, a memento Noah sent you as a wedding gift. Just as he said before, you were the focal point of that photoshoot and Yuuta was just a mere framing device. With his back turned from the camera, he was an alluring mystery that gave the photo an even more charming appeal to the viewer. 

"Noah-san really knows how to make magic, doesn't he? My husband and I were so surprised to receive it, but we figured it had to be displayed somewhere…"

[ Your husband is sooo lucky!! ]

[ I say Otome-san is lucky with her husband he's hot wwwww ]

[ ❤️❤️❤️ ]

[ Will you ever show us your husband?? ]

[ ❤️❤️ ]

[ Let's respect their privacy ]

"You're right. My husband and I like things the way they are and I don't want to spook him by asking him to come on cam with me. He's actually very shy… But I suppose that's what makes him so charming."

Yuuta chuckled at your remark, just enough for your viewers to hear. Your screen erupted with hearts and even more reactions when he reached out to ruffle your hair. 

"He is my home, and I'm so happy that my heart is always safe next to his."

Your coffee table vibrated as your work phone lit up with a call from your manager Sana. You picked it up. "Hello, Sa-chan?… Oh, right! Of course, how could I forget?"

You turned to your ongoing livestream once more and gave your viewers another smile and a kind bow. "I'll have to cut our conversation short because I have some work to do! Thank you all again so much for your support for 'Ever I Wander', and for me in general! Please stay safe and let's talk again soon!" 

[ Livestream ended ]

"I'll drive you," Yuuta stated as he grabbed his black jacket on the couch. "Send me the details on LINE."

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to! I know it's your day off and all and you should be resting…" You told him as you fixed your setup and dismantled your little tripod. 

"And miss out on seeing you on the job again? You know it's always my pleasure to be at your beck and call," He said with a small laugh. "Plus, I want to make sure you get there safe."

"You're right. What better way to ensure my safety than by driving me there yourself?" You replied to him before planting a tender kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, baby!"

What was once his duty became his very pleasure— standing right next to you as you both pursued your dreams, your hearts safe and content right next to each other. 

✦ Original post (From Sept 2023, updated date to Feb 2024) ✦ Paraselene Playlist ✦ ✦ AO3 Link

[4junhao]

230908 post by Minghao on Weibo & Instagram

[the-24-7-lawlu-library]

Hellooo

~I'm searching for some Modern AU lawlu fic. Highschool AU are also fine

Thanks for this wonderful blog btw~<3

Hello nice person and happy new year !

We have quite a few for you:

Chasing the Sun by @illusiverose (E) [A Mod's favourite]

Trafalgar Law is a young surgeon who has carefully avoided getting too close to anyone to protect himself from his own dark past. This plan worked well, until a chance meeting with a young fireman named Monkey D. Luffy has him abandoning reason and dignity for a chance to bask in sunlight. He just hopes he made the right decision.

Broken Heart Syndrom by Callunar (M)

Law is a tired surgeon in the cardiac unit at Grand Line Hospital. He's got a few close friends, a cat called Bepo and an incredibly loud, annoying neighbour. Law had been doing his best to avoid said neighbour but life didn't always work out the way he planned.

More than a physical attraction (it's a passion) by gentoopengwyn (M)

When space was made available at the bar where the man stood, Luffy immediately shoved his (nonalcoholic) drink towards a confused Usopp and made his way over. "Hey," he said with a grin as he sidled up next to the man. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy." "I'm not interested." - Or: 5 times Luffy simps for Law + 1 time Law simps for Luffy

These Things Happen by trixree (T)

Law has been awake for twenty hours straight. He’s fine, everything is fine. And he will continue to be fine so long as no one takes his coffee away from him. Enter: Luffy.

Sabishigari-ya by Alexgrand (M)

Trafalgar Law attends medical school in Tokyo. Though he excels academically, his social life is lacking. He finds a website where he becomes infatuated with a user named Mugiwara22.

(We Would Never) Break the Chain by cosmicatta (M)

Two little boys meet in a small fisher village in the late 70s. As if brought together by the forces of nature, their lives become forever intertwined, their paths inevitably following each other in circles, always returning to the starting point. Luffy is sunshine and dynamite; Law is drizzle and dusk. It’s simple, until it’s not. They can’t be children forever, after all. “I’ve always been a little bit in love with you.”

Boyfriend's duties by Martilla (E) [A fandom classic by this point]

Law is a surgeon who needs some light in his life. Then Luffy happens.

The Other Side by methoxyethane (T)

Luffy gets sent to an alternate dimension and only has one thing on his mind when he gets there. Seeing Ace one more time.

Video calls in quarantine by anniedeodair (G)

The worst thing about not being able to leave the house was boredom and not seeing his friends or Law. Luckily there are video calls and until the quarantine ends, Luffy would talk to them through the camera.

Stolen Kisses by leafyxthiefy (G)

Someone has stolen Luffy's kisses. So of course, Ace will be there to avenge his beloved little brother! AU Implied LawLu, MarAce. One Shot. Light cursing, some OOC-ness and minor characters.

He’s mine! by libubs (NR)

Where Luffy is a famous pro gamer; millions of subscribers and social stats through the roof. But it’s not only his gaming skills and charming personality that make him so popular — it’s the mysterious “guy” who often appears in his streams, deep voice, and tattooed hands. His husband. But that’s a secret.

Sixth time's the Charm by katia-anyway (E)

5 times Law thought he was completely messing up wooing Luffy and 1 time he realized Luffy had been seduced all along!

What's A 'Closed' Sign Between Friends by teaandtumblr (G)

A tired, hungry surgeon drops in after hours once and Sanji doesn't have the heart to turn him away. What he doesn't expect is for his friend and this doctor to fall in love right under his nose. A 5+1 story.

A Strange Place to Meet New Friends by aspiringtrashpanda (G)

Nami drags Luffy to accompany her speed dating. Luffy's only in it for the hot chocolate. Good thing the handsome barista has just what Luffy needs.

Keep This Close To Our Hearts, Love by riverofnara (T)

It's amazing how a simple prank can be an expression of things unsaid.

-Mod Gigi

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group F, Round 3, Poll 4:

Propaganda under the cut

Tsurumi Tokushirou

in two words: "it's love". I was already insane about this guy but this line. just wow. the context is a flashback in which Tsurumi has been away fighting in the Sino-Japanese war and is now telling his dojo master that even trained soldiers are typically reluctant to kill another person and many will only pretend to fire their weapons. he spent a long time considering how you convince them to overcome that before figuring it out. "the motivating force that can bring out the aggressiveness in your soldiers... it isn't hatred of the enemy troops, nor is it fear... it isn't even a difference in political ideals. [what is it then?] it's love". this man is *surrounded* by soldiers who will do anything for him and you slowly see through multiple flashbacks just how much he has been pulling strings for *years* to make them love him. this particular flashback involves two fourteen year olds fighting over his attention until one of them kills the other and tsurumi helps cover up the murder and tells the murderer how *of course you have always been my favourite*. that kid goes on to work under him and when tsurumi draws on his face as a punishment he gets the drawings tattooed on so they stay forever. in another case he orchestrates the kidnapping of a different 14yo son of a navy commander by "Russians" (his loyal subordinates) and then pulls off a dashing rescue, earning the livelong military support of the dad and a major crush from the son. this kid chooses to go to army route rather than follow his dad into the navy, specifically because of tsurumi who he also ends up working for. he can't speak comprehensibly to tsurumi and edits himself into photos of him. case 3: while a soldier is away at war he crush appears to commit suicide by drowning in the sea. upon finding out that his dad told her he wasn't coming back, he beats him to death and ends up on death row. I forget exactly what info is revealed when but a) the woman is alive and tsurumi helped her move to Tokyo and get married, b) tsurumi planted fake bones under tsukishima's father's house to frame him for her murder, c) this then allowed tsukishima to be freed from jail, as long as he agreed to work for tsurumi as a Russian translator (he doesn't speak Russian at the time), d) tsukishima doesn't know all of this initially but tsurumi sets things up so he overhears a convo that reveals some of it so that he can know exactly what lengths tsurumi went to and feel even more in his debt, e) tsukishima later realises that conversation was set up and its purpose but *even with that knowledge* and being probably the character most aware of Tsurumi's manipulations, the pull is too strong and he will follow him to the ends of the earth. literally his only goal in life now is to have front row seats to the Tsurumi Theatre, which btw involves chasing convicts around to obtain their skins, wiping out entire prison populations and invading parts of Russia. he sometimes blames his erratic actions on the brain damage caused by a mortar shell to the forehead but he was doing all the same things before that, just more quietly. he knows *exactly* what he's doing and has everything planned out in detail

that post by @temp-propaganda because no way I can fit that all in propaganda section

Goncharov

He spends the entire film lying to and manipulating as many people as possible to achieve his ultimate goal (Katya is an obvious example; her having enough of that is a driving force behind their breaking relationship), and also including himself (insisting that he doesn't like Andrey when they're basically about to kiss anytime they're on screen). Also Gaslight Gatekeep Goncharov amiright

[agerefandom]

Agere Writers Masterpost (2023 Edition!)

Helpful reminders: 

all of these blogs are SFW but have their own DNIs, so please remember to check! 

not all of these blogs have open requests, so please read their bios and respect their boundaries! 

please let me know if I should add anyone! to qualify, blogs must take requests for headcanons or fanfiction, have an easily accessible fandom list, be specifically sfw/non-k!nk content, and have posted in the last three months! 

Holy moly, the list is LONG this year!!! We are still growing and expanding as a community! Because I don’t want to flood anyone’s dashes, the list will be under a ‘keep reading’. 

The list is organized in order of the number of fandoms they write for: with the widest range of fandoms at the top, down to single-fandom blogs at the bottom.

Blogs in italics are folks who don’t match my DNI or vice-versa (but are still sfw agere): I didn’t want to exclude them as many of my followers might have different personal stances than me! However, to respect both of our DNIs, I didn’t want to tag them, so please feel free to explore their blogs in your own time if they’re up your alley! 

@smollwriting​ (She-Ra, Creepypasta, The Good Place, Vampire Knight, BNHA, Undertale, Castlevania, Disney, Marvel, DC, D:BH, Life Is Strange, Resident Evil, Anne With An E, Black Butler, Tokyo Ghoul, Death Note, Assassination Classroom, AoT, Free!, Lucifer, OHSHC, Arcana, Stranger Things, and MANY more) 

@agerefandom​ (Adventure Zone, Animaniacs, ATLA, BNHA, Castlevania, Critical Role, Danganronpa, Death Note, Disney, Doctor Who, DDLC, Glee, Gravity Falls, Hannibal, Harry Potter, Homestuck, Magnus Archives, MCU, POTO, Sandman, Sherlock, Star Wars, Steven Universe, SPN, Twilight, Untamed, WTNV, and more) 

@ember-owlet​ (Encanto, Chainsaw Man, Beastars, Jujutsu Kaisen, Spy x Family, Witch Hat Atelier, Arcane, DHMIS, Killing Eve, MLP, Steven Universe, Owl House, OTGW, Wednesday, Cats, Heathers, Hadestown, POTO, D:BH, DDLC, FNAF, God Of War, RE:VIII, Last of Us, Undertale, and more) 

@writerpey​ (Arcane, ATLA/LOK, BTS, D:BH, Disney, Downton Abbey, GoT, God of War, Marvel, OFMD, Peaky Blinders, RDR2, Sherlock, Shadow and Bone, Star Wars, Stranger Things, The Batman, Last of Us, Uncharted, Wednesday, WWDITS, and more)

@wonderinglullaby​ (DC, Invader Zim, Breaking Bad, MLP, ATLA, SPN, Doctor Who, Invincible, Inside Job, Walking Dead, Carebears, Bojack Horseman, Stranger Things, Umbrella Academy, OTGW, Spiderman, Deadpool, Horror movies, and more)

@deuce-t-agere​ (911 Lone Star, Bluey, Care Bears, Criminal Minds, Critical Role, DC, Ever After High, Disney (esp. Hercules right now), Friday the 13th, Horror, James Bond, Lilo and Stitch, LOTR, Marvel, Monster High, POTO, Star Trek, Star Wars) 

@littlefirefly42​ (Marvel, She-Ra, Riordanverse, Owl House, Adventure Time, Bee and Puppycat, Stranger Things, Heartstopper, Gone, OTGW, DHMIS, Dragon Prince, Goncharov, It, Wednesday, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, HTTYD) 

@paper--moons​ (BNHA, Saiki K, Fairy Tail, Soul Eater, Death Note, FMAB, Dragon Ball, TAZ, Umbrella Academy, Marvel, DC, LOTR/Hobbit, Castlevania, TES, Dragon Age, Stardew Valley, The Witcher) 

@dreamties​ (Saw, The Collector, Black Christmas, Scream, House of Wax, The Boy, Heathers, Candyman, Carrie, Lost Boys, Psycho, Friday The 13th, Child’s Play, Spree, Laid to Rest, Dead by Daylight) 

@lavendermilkbottle​ (The Walking Dead, OFMD, DSMP, Hermitcraft, BNHA, Haikyuu, Star Wars, AFTG, DC, Grey’s Anatomy, Stranger Things, Leverage, White Collar, James Bond, Kingsman, Top Gun) 

@thorin-baby-bear​ (Stranger Things, Critical Role, Ghostbusters, It, Marvel, Ride The Cyclone, Doctor Who, Moon Knight, OFMD, Dead Poets Society, Welcome Home, Ash vs. Evil Dead, Werewolf By Knight, Bullet Train) 

@lains-cyberspace​ (Serial Experiments Lain, Complete Selection Modification, Welcome Home, BNHA, Genshin Impact, PJSK, Obey Me, Kpop, Slipknot, DHMIS, Enstars, TBHK, Danganronpa) 

@tinybeebo​ (Doctor Who, Marvel, X-Men, Moon Knight, Law and Order, Psych, Glee, Be More Chill, Dear Evan Hansen, Greatest Showman, Cobra Kai, Criminal Minds) 

@babiestbubbles​ (ROTTMNT, Daredevil, Spiderman, Stranger Things, Owl House, Bluey, Beyblade Burst, Disney, Harry Potter, DSMP/MCYT, BNHA, Sanders Sides) 

@strawbabys-blog​ (DSMP, Maze Runner, Harry Potter, BNHA, Merlin, Haikyuu, Heartstopper, Yuri on Ice!, Voltron, Hamilton, Marvel) 

@blankie-nest-agere​ (WarioWare, Psychonauts, MLP, Cookie Run, Stardew Valley, Owl House, Gravity Falls, Pokemon, Undertale/Deltarune, Invader Zim, Homestuck) 

@babybutlerarthur​ (Monster High, Danny Phantom, HTTYD, OHSHC, Hetalia, Disney, Welcome Home, SPN, Good Omens, Muppets, Star Trek)

@littlegummyfox​ (Series of Unfortunate Events, Adventure Time, Marvel, Steven Universe, Wednesday, HTTYD, Disney, Trollhunters, Welcome Home, Star Wars)

@mossysmolboy​ (OHSHC, BNHA, FNAF, Black Butler, Yuri On Ice, Stardew Valley, Creepypasta, D:BH, Sally Face, Arcane) 

shinxylullaby (Food Fantasy, Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, Cookie Run, Ouran, Sanrio Boys, Demon Slayer, BNHA, MXTX, MLP, Obey Me) 

@leos-regression-cove​ (Marvel, Parks and Rec, Good Omens, Bee and Puppycat, WWDITS, OFMD, Abbot Elementary, Ghosts UK/US, Better Call Saul) 

@froggy-clubhouse​ (Mr. Robot, Stranger Things, Teen Wolf, Homestuck, Haikyuu, Lucky Star, DHMIS, FNAF, South Park) 

aew-kun-age-regression (Marvel, SPN, Criminal Minds, Teen Wolf, Last of Us, Walking Dead, Harry Potter, Stranger Things) 

comfybuckets (Idolmaster, Project Sekai, Vast Error, Sanrio, Homestuck, Pokemon, Chrono Trigger, MLP g4) 

berrymoos (Moon Knight, Ninjago, Owl House, BNHA, Demon Slayer, Pokemon, Spiderman, Steven Universe, Stranger Things) 

@pup-writes-agere​ (Naruto, Pokemon, Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, Sonic, TMNT, FNAF, Danganronpa)

@sfwregressionfanfictions​ (Supernatural, RPF, Stranger Things, Marvel, Criminal Minds, Harry Potter, Addams Family)

@arcadian-agere​ (TWST, Genshin Impact, Death Note, Enstars, Black Butler, Nu Carnival, Pokemon)

kiddo-characters (Banana Fish, Owari no Seraph, Love Live!, Warrior Cats, sk8 The Infinity, ATLA, Genshin Impact) 

zeiru (Amphibia, ATLA, Disney/Pixar, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, MLP, Tangled Series, Owl House) 

@dino--boyy​ (Fear Street, Criminal Minds, Stranger Things, Owl House, Scream, Yellowjackets) 

@jjtheresidentbaby​ (Criminal Minds, SPN, Stranger Things, SWAT, Marvel, Teen Wolf)

@azulsgoldfish​ (TWST, PRSK, OHSHC, Persona, Enstars, Pokemon)

@honeybeewritings​ (Marvel, Stranger Things, Harry Potter, Wednesday)

@karaslittlesunshine​ (Supergirl, Marvel, Pitch Perfect, Criminal Minds)

@agere-ena​ (Project Sekai, Pretty Cure, Love Live!, Honkai: Star Rail)

enderlyghost (Ok KO, Encanto, FNAF: SB, MCYT/DSMP)

800-little-space (BNHA, Haikyuu, Assassination Classroom, Harry Potter) 

@tiniestroses​ (Project Sekai, Sonic, TMNT, Undertale)

@agere-fics​ (Marvel, Good Omens, The Mandalorian) 

@angelbaby-fics​ (Marvel, Stranger Things, other Chris Evans characters)

@guppies-daydream​ (Legend of Zelda, Splatoon) 

@gothicmunson​ (Stranger Things, Our Flag Means Death)

@smallboyontheship​ (Just Roll With It) 

@littlemetaknight​ (Kirby) 

@pumpkaboo-princess​ (Project Sekai) 

@prince-honeypaw (BNHA) 

@babs-and-bones​ (Undertale)

@babybones-agere​ (Undertale)

@sleepy-watcher​ (Our Flag Means Death)

@star-struck-wonderland​ (BNHA)

@bnha-crimebabies​ (BNHA)

@bnha-littlespace-things​ (BNHA)

@little-lippie​ (Kpop Girl Groups) 

pyrohrtd (Genshin Impact) 

[lowkeyremi]

I'm home (Sakusa x inferred blackfem!reader)

Content: Reader studies abroad in america and has finally come home to see her volleyball bf <33

thank u for almost 400 followers, honestly i have no idea why u guys follow me lmaoo

No cw just fluff

"Are you sure he misses me?" Those pretty acrylics you got done before leaving the states tapped your phone as it was pressed up against your ear. 

"How many times are you gonna ask? He's your boyfriend, so you of all people should know he misses you. Badly. It's always "I wish she were here", or "(x) more months until she's home." He's always talking about you." Motoya scolds over the phone, you're standing by the baggage claim waiting for your suitcase to appear on the conveyor belt.

"Don't give me that attitude, you're his cousin, which was why I was asking." You push a braid behind your ear, wearing a protective style is important especially for traveling. You don't have the time to put up with your hair. 

"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, are you stopping by Osaka first or what?" His voice is filled with pure curiosity. A groan escapes your throat. How long does it take for one suitcase to come out? You should have checked it in as a carry-on. 

"Well I'm closer to Tokyo so I wanna head there first. I'm gonna surprise Kiyo." The jet lag is finally starting to hit you, it's about 11:30ish pm in Tokyo while back home it's 10:30ish am. 

"Alright, make sure to come visit me and Suna though, actually how long did you say you were staying? We play the jackals next week. Maybe we can all get together!" He seems very excited, it's evident in his voice. 

"I'll be here for the next month and a half. I'm so fucking tired." He chuckles, "it might take a night or two, you've been in the states so long." 

"Yeah, I was gonna get a rental but I might just uber to Kiyo's apartment." Motoya hears you yawn. 

"E-excuse me, are you tourist?" A woman asks you in broken english. 

"It's better if you rest then see Kiyoomi tomorr-"

"I'll call you back, Toya." He tries to say something but you're already pressing the red decline button. 

"No, I'm just here visiting family. I'm studying abroad in the states." You answer back in english. The lady stares at you as if she's trying to understand what you just said. 

You repeat your sentence in japanese and she replies meekly, "I'm sorry, I just assumed you were american because of your skin. I just wanted to say it's super pretty." She smiles at you shyly.

"Well you wouldn't be too far off, I'm half american. Also thank you, you're so sweet." She nods and walks off to get her suitcase.

"Finally! My suitcase." A few people stare at you, when they see you jump up in triumph, they musn’t understand your impacience. 

------

"Where to?"  The cab driver asks. He seems pretty fed up and his cab smells of cigarettes. 

"Let me pull up the address really quickly, I'm sorry." He sighs impatiently while you hurry to type in your password to find Kiyoomi's address in the messages shared between you two. 

"Okay, it's xxxxxxxxx." The man nods. The slow hum of the cab let’s you know that he’s began driving and your eyes close. Secretly you hope to get a little rest, not that it would help much. The man hits the gas and you jerk forward, luckily your seat belt keeps you from hitting the passenger seat's head restraint. 

"Sorry 'bout that." There’s a tinge of sarcasm laced within his voice and it holds no real empathy. Instinctively your eyes roll. Why do people have to make other people’s day bad just because their day was bad? He's definitely not getting a good review from you. 

The drive was about thirty minutes with traffic being slow at such late hours. The street lights of Tokyo make it hard to sleep, it’s so unnaturally bright.

Where you live now is nothing compared to the brightly lit streets of Tokyo. Sleep is no longer an option, those pretty eyes of yours trail certain restaurants and shops the cab drives by.

The cab driver hit the brake indicating that you’ve arrived at your destination. Within seconds he turns around to look you in your eyes, “cash or card?”

You don’t have much yen on you. Making a stop by an atm is your top priority for tomorrow. “Card, what’s my total?” 

He scratches his head. He best not make up a price on the spot, that’s super annoying. The total isn’t too bad, luckily. He definitely charged you more than he deserved though, yes it was timely but customer service was awful, if you could even call that customer service. 

Excitement was hot in your stomach as you stepped out of the yellow cab. The tokyo air felt so nice against your skin, it feels amazing to be back, even if only for a little while. Once you’ve collected your bags it was time to walk into the apartment building. 

The receptionist looks up to meet your eyes when he notices you. "Are you a new resident or are you visiting?" His voice is perfectly generated, you don’t quite remember him from last time, but he must have been working here awhile to nail that voice. 

"I'm visiting." You bite your glossed lip, the flavor of peach invades your mouth. It’s Kiyoomi’s favorite. Mainly because the first time he bought it for you, it was a last minute first date gift. Since then it’s stuck with both of you, he enjoys the way it tastes on his lips after you kiss him. 

"Alrighty, do you know which apartment you're visiting? I'll ring to let them know you're here. It is quite late after all." He says, glancing back at his computer. 

The plan is to surprise Kiyoomi.. you set your bag down on top of your suitcase. 

"Do you mind if I just go up? It's been a few months, and I want to surprise my boyfriend." The man stops for a second, "In that case go ahead, but let me tell you, many people come to surprise boyfriends or girlfriends and they end up breaking up because said s/o wasn't expecting them and was seeing their side piece."

You giggle, it's wrong to laugh at such a story but you know your Kiyoomi. He misses you so much, everyday when you facetime he whines about wanting to see you. 

"I thought that was only in very cringey romance movies but thanks for the heads up." He nods and sends you on your way. You make a mental note to get a new suitcase. Yours is ratty and the wheel is broken which means you must drag it everywhere. That is not convenient, especially when traveling a lot.

His apartment is on the fifth floor of the building. "Where's the key he gave me?" A groan escapes your lips. You really hope that excitement didn't override your rationality and that this key is somewhere in your purse. 

Frantically searching, it turns up under a bunch of other crap you don’t need. Without Kiyoomi to lecture about your messy purse it’s become a nightmare inside of it.  "Oh thank God, I can't ruin this."

Ding. It's finally time, excitement creeps up in your body. It's been about seven months since you've seen Kiyoomi in person. He came to the states for christmas to see you. 

With him being a pro athlete and you being a college student, it's hard to find time in your schedules to spend time with one another. Long distance relationships aren't the easiest and you missed him terribly. The thought of seeing him kept you busy while flying. Now.. now you're right in front of his door. 

With patience you slide the key into the lock and twist it the right way in order to open the door. 

You hear footsteps, Kiyoomi's lamp is on in his room. What's he still doing up? Doesn't he have practice later?

"Motoya, I fucking told you I'm not watching a movie with you when I have practice later-" Your boyfriend stops at the genkan when he sees you. 

All the anger in his face disappears and his face smooths out. Before you can even process what's happening, those long arms of your Kiyoomi are around you. You practically melt in his touch, becoming one with him.

“What are you doing here, baby? I- when did you land?” He asks all at once, his sweet breath right in your ear. He smells like vanilla and cinnamon, “God I missed the way you smell.” Is all you can say at the moment.

“I just landed like an hour ago, came to see my man before I go visit anyone else.” That chuckle of his warms your heart. He’s going to be the death of you, for sure. 

“I was just about to call you, it’s like 12pm in the states right?” He asks.

“Something like that. I love you so much.” It’s so random but true, you do love him. 

“I love you too, so so fucking much. I can’t tell you how desperate I was getting to see you.” He sighs. He leans back slightly to take in your face, you do the same. He’s so handsome and beautiful at the same time. 

You pull him by his collar to kiss those lips you love so much. Honestly you expected this kiss to be desperate but it was passionate and slow. He placed his hands on your face, they’re warm and inviting. You break the kiss and he smiles at you.

It reminds you of how much a grouch your boyfriend was when you had first met him. He was always frowning or pouting. He keeps telling you he doesn’t pout but you know what you saw. His hands don’t leave your face and hell if you mind. 

“I’m finally home.” You say with a small content sigh. It’s only for a month that you’ll be home, but soon enough you’ll graduate and get to live with him permanently. 

“Yes, my baby is finally home.”

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics with a long distance relationship in an alternate universe as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

—Louis/Harry—

✈️ Darling, so it goes by @disgruntledkittenface

(E, 195k, Grace Kelly au) Harry Styles is a world-famous actor at the height of his career but a personal low point when he meets His Serene Highness Prince Louis of Monaco by chance. 

✈️ Hold You Now by solvetheminourdreams / @cursethedaylight

(M, 131k, ex-fwb) When he accompanies his best friend to a family wedding across the Atlantic, he'll be forced to reopen old wounds and face his past—one that no one wants to hash out, but may just have to.

✈️ Heading for Limbo by @kingsofeverything

(E, 100k, friends to lovers) When Harry discovers some life-changing things about himself, Louis is there for him, however he needs. But it’s all temporary because Louis has plans that will move his life from New York all the way to L.A. and the distance isn’t the only thing between them.

✈️ Old Photographs & Times I'll Remember by @jaerie

(E, 54k, time travel) A camera, a suitcase, and a relationship forged through time.

✈️ Without you it's a season I ain't needing by @perfectdagger

(M, 38k, fashion designer Harry) A long distance relationship au in which Harry is away for a year and Louis is left to pick up the pieces.

✈️ Up On The Shore by wordsnnotes / @quelsentiment

(M, 33k, Eroda) Louis hides his feelings under sarcasm, Harry is too sweet for his own sake, everyone is a rebel, the mums are amazing, Harry's dad is a jerk

✈️ wait up, i'm coming home by @hattalove

(T, 28k, Italy) the one where louis finds harry, then loses him, then finds him again. a flawless performance from fate featuring some penguins, some celestial bodies, and a whole lot of tea.

✈️ some things fade (some never do) by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(T, 25k, magical tattoos) Three years after their break up, Harry calls.

✈️ Play (series) by @taggiecb

(E, 19k, famous/not famous) Right now he is working towards his before twenty five bucket list, and fate must have been smiling on him the day he won tickets for a show at Wembly, getting into one of the locker rooms is something he will have to think about later.

✈️ You're A Universe by Jiksa / @jiksax

(E, 15k, kid fic) Louis’s a stay-at-home dad in London and Harry’s a business expat in Qatar. Louis doesn’t know how much longer their marriage can survive the distance.

✈️ Paper Houses by @allwaswell16

(E, 11k, famous/famous au) When model Louis Tomlinson admits to having a celebrity crush on a very famous actor in an article in GQ magazine, he has no idea it will lead to anything.

✈️ Baby, I'm Right Here by @fallinglikethis

(E, 8k, drunken confessions) Harry and Louis are best friends who live on different continents and may or may not be in love with each other.

✈️ What Goes Up by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(NR, 5k, space) The six month program at the space station means a very long distance relationship and a very nervous Harry back on earth.

✈️ Talk the Night Through by @lululawrence

(NR, 4k, chat rooms) It's 1995 and a chat room is the last place Harry ever expects to find the love of his life.

✈️ With All My Surrendered Hearts by softandslow

(E, 4k, pwp) the one where they're long distance boyfriends, and Louis rides Harry while wearing his snapback.

✈️ Follow the sun by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry

(T, 3k, light angst) Louis feels like last night’s Skype call changed something though, even if the emotional distress is pretty common during their talks. 

✈️ It's All Mixed Up! by orphan_account

(G, 2k, deck officer Louis) 4 times Louis' crew mates get sick of hearing about his "girl" and the one time when they finally meet the mystery lover.

✈️ until you’re home by @nouies

(E, 1k, pwp) Louis lives in London, Harry lives in Tokyo. They make it work.

✈️ Looking for Life Out There by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(T, 1k, girl direction) Doctoral candidate Harry Styles moves to Boston to complete her Ph.D. leaving her professor girlfriend behind in London.

—Rare Pairs—

✈️ The New Posh and Becks by mistresscurvy

(E, 28k, Liam/Louis) 2016 is a big year for solo artist Liam Payne. After his amazing experience on X Factor, releasing his own album and touring with Little Mix seems like the height of success. Then he meets Arsenal midfielder Louis Tomlinson at a charity event, and suddenly everything else fades into the background.

✈️ Oceans and waves and wires between us by becka

(E, 8k, Niall/Zayn) Niall wants to meet his online girlfriend, Veronica, and enlists the help of MTV's Catfish to do it.

[mugmegan]

Hi!! Im back in here since 2017 maybe 😅 and a lot tokyo ghoul-touken-touka content creators are not active anymore 🥲 do you know any related accounts that are active? Thank you so much in advance ❤️

Ps: sorry if my writing its weird, english is not my first language :c

Woah you are another old fan! Its so nice to see that. Hello!

So I only recently rejoined the tg fandom (and I plan to stay) but I discovered some active accounts through some interactions with my new posts and I can share some I noticed and already actually follow myself. If you wanna discover more you can also check some new popular posts in the tg tag and find new people, which is what I tried to do. Not a lot of people are left in the fandom so a lot of names will be frequent and familiar!

Some blogs I know of are @ipsen @ghoulsbian @e-l-forever @arcy-lethra @hakucho-art @kyanitedragon @uriekukistan @realmofjashin07 I am probably missing some but I tried to go through my recent notes to find them.

Hey uh, I am tagging you guys but you can ignore this if you wish. I am just doing this to confirm I got your url's right but anyone is free to add on names of blogs they know which I would love to learn about too!

Ps: English isnt my first language either! Let us be weird at writing together haha

Edit: Ah! I just remembered these blogs too @sentakatsukiofficial and @shewhoeatssand / @horrendousmustard