#her aspiration is friend of the animals btw (^’:

[simgerale]

a few weeks later, gwen decided that she would make an abandoned cottage in brindleton bay a home full of love

[lineli225]

Shigaraki Tomura, Izuku Midoriya, and their past selves in Horikoshi's other works, an Analysis.

How their archetypes can be traced back all the way to Hori's oldest works!

Today I finally felt with the energy to write this analysis I've been cooking in my head for some months!

I'll be pulling apart the core elements of each of Hori's past work's protagonist duo and how they are essential to everything Hero Academia has became

It will be long.

First things first, let's start with Horikoshi's first work ever!

1. Tenko One Shot.

This tale tells us the story of two main characters, Hana and obviously, Tenko!

Hana is a woman aspiring to be a samurai, she is hopeful and stubborn, but is shunned down by most and ridiculed by other samurais for being, well, a woman wanting to be something only men can be.

But just like Izuku, she is VERY stubborn, and won't give up her dreams at all.

( You can read the full thing here btw! https://imgur.com/a/v7oBkfx )

Our second protagonist, and main tittle of the story, is a little boy called Tenko, who she meets when he literally attacked her lol

Like Tomura, he has the power to decay anything he touches, and is in seek of revenge, his goal is to destroy all swords after his mother was cruelly killed by a samurai.

Despite all the hatred the feels, he is still a kid, suffering and crying in seek of relief for his grief.

He is known as a vandal, and is being wanted dead or alive by the authorities for interfering in battles.

Hana, gentle and caring, notices the pain in Tenko and takes him with her, to take care of him, after all, he is just a child.

But after being found by an official, believes she has the chance to be recognized as a samurai if she give Tenko to the authorities, and well- it obviously goes terribly wrong- as she is attacked by them instead.

Suddenly realizing how cruel they truly are, she takes her own sword and fight them to defend Tenko, making Tenko also realize, swords can be used to protect and save.

In the end, they end up to saving each other, Hana saving Tenko's heart, making him realize his hatred will never lead anywhere, and lift the weight of his chest by winning a friend, and Tenko making Hana realize war is more than what she thought.

Tenko obviously, is literally Tomura's first prototype, the decay power, the white hair, the hatred, guilt and grieve are all there.

But what if I told you Hana is also, pretty similar to Izuku? Both have a dream that is deemed impossible to reach, due to something they lack, and are a joke to most people, but despite it all they never give up, and manage to reach their goals. They are also strong but gentle and caring ( ngl Izuku might even be more soft than Hana ajhdka)

2. Oumagadoki Zoo

This one, guess what, also have a female protagonist, yes also called Hana.

Aoi Hana is a bubbly, awkward and stubborn girl with her head in the clouds, but teased by everyone, known as "good for nothing" and useless.

She then decides to get a job during summer break, to prove she is more than capable of helping.

As an animal lover, she gets a job at the local Zoo as a cleaner, but she discover that the Zoon principal is a literal bunny person.

Shiina, the other protagonist of the story, is a man-child dude, he was cursed as a kid for being mean to a bunny, turned into a rabbit until he learned to be kind and help animals. Much like Tomura, he is short tempered, a gremlin, a little bitch!

He created the zoo to try to break the curse, and now counts with Hana's help to do so. The zoo, by the way, is also full of cursed half human half animal people!

The manga was canceled, so Hori had to rush the end, it has only 5 volumes, but I believe it would end with Hana finally breaking Shiina's curse.

Well, the similarities to Tomura? Once again through the roof, he is literally Tomura without depression (and scars and wrinkles)! He is a brat, selfish, intelligent and powerful, but incredibly dumb, he even refers to the other zoo people as "comrades" the exact same word Tomura refers the League of Villains as! They even sit down the same, careless way! Bad posture kings 🦐

Now, I think you noticed that Hana's story is also familiar? Yes! IZUKU

Both are deemed useless, are clumsy and awkward, and have pretty much low self esteem, but are kind, gentle and loving, and have an altruistic heart!

Just like in Tenko, Hana is key to saving Shiina's heart, and both learn a lot with each other, as Shiina sees the worth in Hana, and Hana sees the kindness in Shiina, evolving each other to the better.

3. Shinka Rhapsody One shot

This one is pretty much lost media, very few people know about it, but i found a thread about it

(thread here https://twitter.com/HeroFletch/status/1273054822162456578 )

It is literally MHA but the quirks work in a different way

This time the first protag is the man and the girl is the second, but it doesn't matter lol

The story happens in a world similar to the one of the raise of quirks in MHA, criminal rate is all time up.

The protagonist Magari/Masashi(idk) is, again, a guy with strong personality, seeking for revenge and power, as his family was murdered by a serial killer

He got a power similar to Kirishima's, but oh boy his face and personality is just Tomura all over again, Hori's favorite OC

And guess what??? Ohh he also has a female companion helping him???? YES HE DOES!

Her name is Aoi, yes, like Aoi Hana from the zoo one, yes guess what, yes, bubbly awkward, yes.

She is an aspiring detective and has the habit of asking people if they like Katsudon, her favorite food.

Wait... Katsudon? As favorite food... Where I saw this before-

4. Boku no Hero One shot.

here if u wanna read https://yesmangas1.com/manga/boku-no-hero-ym23733/one-shot#1

This one is a break to the pattern, no Shigaraki look alike, no Aoi Hana, but, someone who is pretty similar to her in personality:

Jack Midoriya

Jack Midoriya is a quirkless man in a super society, his job is to sell support items, but he is too awkward, clumsy and stubborn, causing more problems than helping, he has an impossible dream of becoming a hero, so he tries to become the first quirkless hero! (it goes wrong)

There is a girl in this story too, i guess she is this Izuku's Uraraka, they are both literally the same in personality, so i guess hori Split Hana in two for this one.

5. Barrage or Sensei no Bulge

(the second tittle is so funny lmao)

This time hori completly threw everything out and said: fuck the pattern, fuck Hana, fuck Tenko wanabe!

It has literally nothing to do with anything he did previously. Astro, can be similar to Izuku, but hmmm not fit the mold, so i'll just skip lmao, it also was canceled, ending in 2 volumes anyways.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

So far, we can conclude a very recurrent pattern in every work Horikoshi publicized (except barrage lolz)

Protagonist 1:

Is a gentle, caring, stubborn, clumsy and awkward person, they have a heart of a hero, but are often seen as weak, useless, and stupid for dreaming too high. They can be strong when they want to, but feminine and loving too, they are altruistic, loyal, and focused. Their role in the story is to find their own self worth, as well as help the 2nd protagonist break free from a torment.

Protag 2:

A selfish, childish, mean and also stubborn boy, who's heart is filled with hatred, hurt and grief, they are cursed somehow, and besides having a rough exterior, deep inside they are still just a child who seeks relief. Their role in the story, is to after Protag 1 advances, open up and allow themselves to be saved in heart and mind.

Of course, due to the past series length of few pages to only a few volumes, they open up to each other and befriend rather quickly, but MHA is well- 40 volumes long by now, ofc course P.2 will give much more trouble to open up, it's not that easy to cure someone's bitterness and guilt!

Which leads to Horikoshi's last work, My Hero Academia.

The story of protagonist 1 incarnated as a mix of every character Hori wrote before as Izuku Midoriya, a quirkless boy who feels useless, but has a big dream, a kind heart and the desire to save.

And also the story of MHA's society's biggest victim, a childish man who has been hurt in every possible way, by every person he dared to trust, be it his own family or his "sensei", Tomura Shigaraki is nothing but a child at heart, crying onto his puppy, waiting for the one who will save him.

This is undeniable, I was already sure with everything I've read in MHA that Tomura is getting saved, Izuku yelled it himself, and the narrative is walking towards that.

But after analyzing Hori's part works, and see how wholesome and hopeful his stories are, how he desires to transmit the message that everyone deserves a second chance, i have no doubt.

Tomura is DESTINED to be not only saved, redeemed or live, but to have a happy ending and finally have a friend to trust.

As every story so far ended with the kind one befriending and becoming a pillar to the hurt one.

Izuku and Tomura are more than the heart of My hero Academia, but also the heart of everything Horikoshi wants to tell to the world.

They are fated to end the same way every time, in every universe.

BESTIES ARC IS COMING.

[tea-coven]

I've been kinda hesitant to share this because I don't want to leak any personal info of anyone or myself, but I think I formatted it in a way that's respectful :>

About a year ago I attended my pediatrician, a lovely older woman who always made me feel really comfortable and I had a lot of fun talking with (which is rare for a doctor!). I was in my senior year of high school and she began asking typical college questions near the end of the appointment. Eventually she got to the expected, "-and what are you planning on majoring in?", I told her "2D animation!" I began to elaborate, as a lot of people I talked to about it usually needed me to explain what that meant, like cartoons, princess and the frog, etc. Eventually she spoke up in an "Ah!" manner, and excitedly said "Like Disney channel!".

This is went the story goes insane for me. And lead me to nearly passing out.

She states "you can make a lot of money off of those, very lucrative, congrats!". I was...confused. Most animators aren't known for their salaries and I wanted to know where she got the idea. She said "well my best best friend's kid, basically my godson haha, makes a lot off of it. He actually made a show on Disney!" (It was really sweet how proud she seemed, while still casual) I was pretty intrigued about this, and since I knew a good amount of animated shows and am really passionate about the subject, asked "what show? I probably have seen or heard of it!" (Especially since she said "made" and not "worked on"). She begins to go on about how she isn't sure if it's super well known or anything, but after more prodding (not malicious, I just was curious/ wanted learn about how he started), she goes

"Well I don't remember the name or much about it, but I do know that it stars twins, cause he himself is one." She began to go on about him, wanting to visit, and general stories about her and her friend. Small talk!

Unfortunately, I had froze, and also became increasingly grateful that I was in a doctors clinic.

I paused, and gently asked "is he...Alex Hirsch?"

"Oh you know him!"

"His show is gravity falls...it like, is the reason I'm so passionate about animating, story telling, etc. he's the reason I'm going to school for this."

She began to look a little confused while I talked, as I think she started realizing that this was not a small show. I speak up (albeit a little starstruck) telling her about how most my friends also really love the show. She had seen some of my work before, and began discussing how she was "sure he'd be as big a fan as her". (I don't say this in a parasocial, or bragging way btw, i just again found her really sweet and fun, and this a cute interaction)

The appointment was pretty much over by this point, but before I left she said "I'll give him a call and tell him about you! I'm sure he'd be flattered." I, as any 18 year old aspiring animator, go into a RATIONAL fugue state.

As my dad and I were leaving, and he finished signing some paperwork, she came out of a room down the hall waving, and called my name

"I just called and told him about you! He was very flattered! Good luck!"

And I, as any 18 yo aspiring animator, did the rational response

And passed out in the car

[cru5h-cascades]

Mini character bios for a possible Mat3 modern au (since I already made some modernized character designs for the main 5). Don't really have an idea for the au's plot as of writing this, but I'll figure something out soon. Also these bios might be subject to change btw some of this stuff isn't final.

Maya

Ended up in a super rough fight that ended up with her left arm having to be amputated

Likes playing field hockey & doing martial arts (uses hockey stick while fighting sometimes; she'll make modifications to her hockey stick if in a real bad fight)

Overall, she's a bit of a tomboy

Comes from a rich family

Found Zatz to be kinda creepy in her first few encounters with him but eventually warmed up to him

Rico

Artist (specifically likes painting)

Typically uses spray paint while fighting (basically acts as support for his friends by making enemies more volnerable via spraying paint on them)

Does gaming on the side (typically plays games that allows him to be a bit creative with stuff like Animal Crossing and Minecraft but also enjoys Jet Set Radio & Splatoon mainly because those games have a focus on art in some way)

Chimi

Part of her school's archery team (she's one of the best archers on said team) (weapon of choice is pretty obvious)

Social outcast (only friends are the prothecy crew)

Lives with Rico at his place (Chimi was homeless prior to meeting the prothecy crew)

Although pretty brutish, it doesn't mean she's unwilling to get girly (Chimi loves doing Maya's makeup when she gets the chance to do it)

Pichu

Part of his school's football team but doesn't really like hanging out with the rest of the team members

Has trauma from an abusive relationship (parallel to what happened during the village raid from the OG show)

Acts all tough when with the football team but is super caring for his friends

Is more of a hand-to-hand fighter because of his sheer size & the fact that he's had to tackle countless other teams while playing football

Zatz

Aspiring musician (plays guitar)

Is on his school's fencing team (weapon of choice is pretty obvious)

Sort of a social outcast but people aren't willing to admit bro's pretty hot

Huge simp for Maya (eventually goes on to live with her after his dad gets killed)

Listens to MCR, The Killers, and Radiohead

Bullying incident ended up causing Zatz to lose his right eye

[yurisorcerer]

The only way out is trusting the process.

Okay, no, let's stop for a second. What is this show? I thought I knew. In fact, as of the end of this episode, I thought I might have some idea again, but I'm now sitting with it and thinking and....seriously, what is going on here?

In theory, Narenare could not be simpler. It's a show about cheerleading. That's a little unusual in the context of the "girls do stuff" supergenre of anime but it's nowhere near the weirdest of these things in premise. But that hides how strange the execution of this all is. In this episode, we see several scenes from the last two weeks involving the character Suzuha. Except this time, they're from her perspective, and we see that far from being the cool, aloof near-cryptid we've been presented with so far, she's actually just extremely shy.

The show lets us in on her inner monologue by way of a chibi version of herself that hangs out in thought bubbles and occasionally just rides around on her head. It's hardly the strangest thing I've seen in an anime this season (Nokotan is airing, after all), but it's a notably weird way to present this information given the show's genre. This is a general trend that's true of everything in this episode; Kanata suddenly getting "the yips" about cheerleading (treated with grave seriousness by those around her, possibly having something to do with her dead[? {Seriously I have no idea what's going on there}] friend), Shion's singer-songwriter aspirations and so on. The show seems allergic to anything that would make its several running plot lines any easier to follow. Things are mostly followed up on by having them plonked onto the existing storyline in a decidedly odd way.

A friend compared this to Pride of Orange, another Girls Do X show that clearly had no idea what it was doing. But to be honest, I don't really see it. Pride of Orange's main flaws were an overwhelming lack of interest in its own premise and cast, and just a general deep cynicism toward the entire idea of the hobby/club anime. I don't get that off of Narenare at all. It is clearly sincerely trying to present an inspiring and straightforward sports girls narrative, but it seems either unable or unwilling to understand why those shows usually present things in the way that they do. The result is a strange alienating effect, in a way that feels uncannily GoHands-y in vibe if not looks. (Despite a shared affinity for weird color filter bullshit, Narenare looks much nicer than anything GoHands have ever done.)

Anyway, I plan to keep watching, because I am interested in if this effect is intentional or not. My guess is that it isn't, this thing has three different people on script and you could absolutely get something like this just by having too many cooks in the kitchen, but still, I'm curious to see if it manages to pull something out of this regardless or if it just completely crashes.

OTP, btw.

[laufire]

Today is @aninkwellofnectar's birthday. She's the indie author behind The Essence of the Equinox, a saga that I don't get tired of recommending, and someone who's become a dear friend in these last few years, so I wanted to do a little something for her this year to wish her a happy birthday.

I thought today I'd talk about Impératrice Amira Rose, one of my favourite characters of hers, yet one I don't talk about as much as the others.

I don't feel for Amira the endless affection I feel for Laila Rose, the true star of the tale, and Amira's daughter; nor the quick affinity I felt for Lyra; nor do I experience the fascination and catharsis I do with Serafina.

What I feel for Amira is akin to admiration. She's cold, incredibly intimidating in a way I find aspirational, and a true political animal. This series has a lot of incredible female characters but she shines among them for the way she looms over the other characters and events, her presence an infection in every area of Laila's life.

The way her role as a mother and as a political leader blends together is both engaging, and tough and challenging to read, especially if you emphasise with Laila, but I feel it's all the more important for it. Mothers come in a wide variety of forms and shape, and oftentimes I'm left with the impression that fiction falls short with them, that it doesn't give them their due. Not in TEOTE, especially not with Amira, or with Serafina, the mother of Laila's paramour (both of them could easily feature in r/motherinlawfromhell. btw).

If complex mother figures with power and influence over the narrative are something that sounds up your alley, I recommend visiting the author's page and taking a look at her published & upcoming works.

And if you're interested in Amira in particular, I'd like to point you towards "In Pursuit of Perfection". It's a short story set in Amira's younger years, featuring power hungry women, toxic and tragic sapphic relationships, and political intrigue!

[worstutfanonthingpoll]

Hey babygirls, poll is on hiatus because I just got back from italy and i am so so so so so so so so so so very very tired.

Instead, have a list of all my Undertale Aus!

Fishdings

TECtale

Underswitch

Doki Doki Monster Club

Underflame

Blankstatale

Fishdings

If you don't know this one by now you have not been here long. Here's the link to the account:

TECtale

So you know the early fanon version of undertale? Evil Chara, OP Sans, UWU Papyrus? Yeah, that's kind of what it is.

Basically, Sans (a genius scientist, ofc) and Frisk (a nineteen year old girl and his gf) decide to banish The Evil Chara (TEC) to another universe. They succeed, but TEC resets the timeline as they do it.

TEC ends up in the canon UT universe, where she (gender up to interpretation) is reduced to an angry narrator. Like that one "what do you want" "souls of the unliving" "a bagel" "nooo" meme. She is still convinced she's making you kill everyone, and even if you only kill a single Froggit she will remain convinced it's bc she's controlling you. At the end of the pacifst run, you get this dialogue:

(Art by worst ut canon)

Meanwhile, Canon Chara was sent to the fanon universe. It is literally Hell. Their mother is hypersexualised, their brother is a tsundere, the child they follow around and narrate about how has boobs, and worst of all said child is convinced they're making her kill everyone!

Once Frisk gets to Snowdin (after killing everyone in the ruins) she warps off to Sans' house with the man himself, leaving Chara to explore the underground on their own. Strangely enough, the world seems to be... glitching out? Monsters will talk about how their heads feel foggy or how they don't even know why they hate Sans so much and then glitch into a loop of "I hate Sans I hate Sans I hate Sans"

Is it something to do with those garbage noises that seem to constantly be playing with the music? Hopefully Chara can find out... before it's too late.

Underswitch

Literally just a common or garden roleswap, nothing special. Swaps are as follows:

Toriel ~ Gaster (a white fire elemental here)

Asgore ~ Grillby

Sans ~ Napstablook

Papyrus ~ Alphys ~ Mad Mew Mew (three way swap)

Undyne ~ Mettaton

Frisk ~ Human from the first image in the prologue

Chara ~ That one alt design

Monster Kid ~ Heats Flamesman

Asriel ~ Fuku Fire

Burgerpants ~ So Sorry

All the Blooks are cat people and cousins.

Papyton real, is the date storyline.

Alphys was Timid Dummy, and then Rar Rar Scratchy Clawy, a violent anime dinosaur sk8er.

Metta is captain of the royal guard and has a ponytail. Maddy wants to join but he fears she will kill everyone accidentally due to her incredible violence.

Undyne has several violent tv shows and movies. You shoot her legs off first and she's like "who needs legs... with arms like these?!" and starts suplexing shit.

Napsta makes sick beats and has anxiety, but is great at pretending they don't. They are incredibly popular. They still live in constant fear.

Sans records stupid jokes and never lets people hear em. He and the other ghosts aren't related.

Speaking of that last point, Alphys and Undyne are exes. Undyne abandoned her and Sans for the Hollywood dream. They probably get back together post pacifist.

Heats Flamesman is a child. He likes Metta because everyone knows his name. He aspires to be like that some day.

Monster Kid wants you to believe in them. If you don't they will be traumatised. If you do, they will be so shocked you did, they will be traumatised anyway.

Doki Doki Monster Club

Co created with my good friends @sans-au-war-ii and @bestfictionaldivorce.

The girls (™) are:

So-Sorryori

Grillbyuri

Natsundyne

Mewnica

It's pretty damn obviously who's who. The only thing of relevance I can think of to mention is that Grillbyuri is obsessed with water (not knives) and instead of stabbing himself he pours water on himself. Instead of watching his corpse decay for three days, you watch him slowly evaporate over three days.

And everyone wears a skirt.

Art by sans au war!

Underflame

Epic Au where Frisk gets blasted by Toriel's fire magic and their soul's like "not today satan" and turns upside-down and Frisk becomes a fire monster.

Sansby real, and they adopt Frisk. They call them Dad and Also Dad. Fuku is their cousin now, and Heats Flamesman is their weird tiny uncle.

Anyway, worst ut canon wrote this oneshot for it read it right now pls

Blankstatale

First off, Blankstablook is an oc of mine of sorts. They're the ghost possessing the ruins dummy and they live there to avoid the sheer chaos that comes from living in the same vicinity of its cousins.

Anyway, resets don't exist and the player is the opposite of an alpha gamer and gets wiped out by the first Froggit they encounter after Toriel skedaddles. Blanksta feels bad for them (and for Toriel, she'll only blame herself) and so decides to possess them.

It ties the soul around their neck with Frisk's bandages, and proceeds. They do an awful job at pretending to be an alive child. It floats two feet off the ground the whole time, while the soul flails around trying to kill.

They also just generally act like an eldrich abomination and freak the shit out of everyone. Except their cousins. Who are just like "man, classic Blanksta"

Oh yeah and being a ghost they can't take damage which makes fights both very interesting and incredibly hilarious.

Heres Blanksta!Frisk:

(Art by me for once lol)

Yeah that's it really. Feel free to ask about any of the Aus in my askbox! Also I will take drawing prompts for them, as long as they're sfw :)

[shoko-komi]

This Special Edition of The Komi Report is split into multiple posts. This is Part Two. Click here for Part One

5. It's Emoyama, Continued

I'm only listing the final chapter, but the whole little arc about Emoyama is basically the 5th pick. It added a new word to my vocabulary – Emoi. I'd say that on its own warrants a place here. But that's far from the only reason. 

With Najimi tagging along for the ride, these chapters feel like old times again. Komi's got a problem communicating with a classmate, the three stooges (Komi, Tadano, and Najimi) put their heads together to reach an understanding, and goofs ensue. It's fun, it's funny, it's light, and it's sweet. And it's well set up, with Emoyama's reason for crisis (peeling the unripe fruit of Emoi) having occurred quite a while beforehand. 

Add onto that how long Emoyama has been around - she even appears as a teaser in the (current) final scene of the anime... 

...along with Lily Sukida. Now that's what I call venerable. Anytime a character like her finally gets some serious attention it's a surprise, a delight, and a treat. Komi's world is full of sleeper agents waiting for their moment. (Just btw, I super ship Sukida and Emoyama now. Maybe I should write a fic....) 

Plus... 

...it gave us this. Sledgehammer Komi...... 

I love you, Emoyama. And your mother

Honourable Mentions 407 – Interview  409 - Can't Say Sorry  416 – The Rest  417/418 - Ogiya/Super Awesome  427 – Cool  429/430 - Fuki's Story  433 – A Date with Rumiko 

Funniest Joke

Comedy is extremely subjective, so take this category with a grain of salt. But given how much I've had to say about Kawai, I doubt you'll be too surprised: 

When tf did she have time to make this??????? It's all of the buildup that makes this so memorable to me; how Kawai is so serious and intimidating until she bonds with komi. Then it's like a switch flips in her head. She's such a dork. 

The whole of 393 is one joke – Kawai made a DVD about how they'd benefit from marrying her – so I'm saying the whole chapter gets the funniest joke award and calling it day. There's no better way to explain why this one's a winner than to show you some screenshots, so enjoy: 

I love you, Kawai (it bears repeating) 

Most Emoi Moment

This award would have gone to the kiss, but there's an underdog who I think has worked harder for it. She's captain of the track team; an aspiring restaurateur; an old friend, a bitter rival, and a true hero; and she's never won a damn thing in her life. She needs this. 

She's Makeru Yadano at the year three sports carnival!!! I bet you were surprised this chapter wasn't mentioned among my top picks; not even the honourable mentions!! That's what we in the biz call a fake out. I could never forget my girl Makeru. 

Something I noticed while writing this - Yadano probably would have won... 

...except that Komi got a head start. You can see that Yadano starts a moment behind (because her teammates are Sarutahiko and Inui, RIP). A relay race is a team effort, so can you really say that Yadano lost? Maybe I'm undermining her personal growth moment. Whoops. 

emoi...............................

I would also like to pay my respects to Benujit Spopo, a walk-of-fame KCC gag in my opinion. It appeared this year! 

(From Ch. 404 – Tales from the Summer Festival, Part 2) 

I love you, Yadano

Reader's Choice

Now is the time. This is the moment. The most coveted and prestigious award of all – the Reader's Choice Award. (It's the most coveted and prestigious because it's determined by democracy 🫡) 

For this category, the Komi Report received a record-shattering four votes - that's right!! Four votes!!! From you, the readers. 

The votes were extremely varied, and it turned out to be very useful that most people named multiple chapters in their submission. I used a sort of preferential voting system – I tallied everyone's first choice and there was no winner, so I added everyone's second choice, then third etc etc. 

Thus we find our victor. With a landside two votes, the 2023 Reader's Choice Award goes to: 

*drum roll* 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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.

.

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Paam pa du paam!! Chapters 417 & 418 – Ogiya & Super Awesome!!!! 

Well deserved!!!!!!!! Ogiya's story is heartbreaking; he was driven to become a literal man baby to escape the terrible price of popularity. Then Komi becomes the most assertive we've ever seen her as she keeps pushing him to accept her friendship. In the end, barriers are broken down!! Emoi!!!

I'm looking at this now... and Komi saying "It's alright. I'm super strong so I'll make sure you're alright" and the look on Ogiya's face.... that's making me tear up...

I love how Tadano and Ogiya are said to have been hanging out at other times before this event. It creates the feeling that these characters have lives when we aren't looking at them – very cool! It also demonstrates that Tadano attracts socially maladjusted people like a magnet. I'd say it's his gentle nature. 

My warmest thanks to everyone for their submissions. 

Conclusion

Phew... I'm knackered. I've been typing this in a document and the word count has passed 4,000... wowzers! 

If you've come this far, I extend to you my sincerest gratitude. I would have prepared and posted this even if I didn't expect anyone to see it, so to have someone read it all the way to the end is very cool. Maybe you even... enjoyed it?????? 

Here's my resolution for 2024 – I will strive to write every Komi Report as thoughtfully and conscientiously as I wrote this one. The weekly editions will be way shorter, of course. And I won't spend a whole week writing them, but each and every one will have the same love put into it 💪 

I hope this 2023 Annual Edition of The Komi Report got you excited about Komi Can't Communicate; whether that excitement is from being reminded of all the good times we've had, or from being annoyed by my opinions. Either way, you're thinking about Komi. 

I win. 

------------------------

Now that your appetite for Komi Can't Communicate has been whet:

Check out my Komitano AMV on youtube

Or my live action Komi-san compilation video

Thank you very much! Komi returns on January 5th, 2024. I'll see you then!!

[st4ri0zz]

Random lore of me

Hi-de-ha-hoo-ha!!!! I'm shart also known as star, but nowadays I sometimes go by the name Zion

I was a cringe kid about a few years ago who met some friends on a drawing website and fumbled so hard as a friend (I was such a bad friend back then and i regret everything)

I'm currently still a pretty young minor!!!1!1

I'm an aspiring artist who wishes to make my own pilot for a series on currently working on.

Beginner animator too!

Here's some background for myself.

I go by any pronouns but they/them should be just fine but you can also go by he/him or she/her!!

I'm genderfluid and currently debating if I'm a boy or a girl or anything lolz

I'm aromantic which means I'm not looking for any relationships!!

I like punk rock, metal and weirdly calm music.

I'm an omnisexual :3

My current interests are: bendy and the ink machine, spooky month, hazbin hotel and lastly gravity falls!!!!!

I'm an Asian btw lol

I'm autistic along with a few other mental illnesses but I'm just fine nowadays!!!!

Byeeee!!!!!!!!!!¡!!!!!

[adracat]

G-Witch episode 10 thoughts

This episode had so much happen in a small timeframe. All of it excellent but it's gwitch, so is anyone surprised? It's so efficient at conveying what it needs to and keeping us engaged. Going to touch on my overall thoughts linearly so I don't miss something important—

And right off the bat, we're treated to a drastic change in Suletta. Where once she was a bit neutral when mentioning Miorine, she's now progressed to blushing and gushing over her bride. She takes pride in being the only person who can tend Mio's greenhouse. This smitten goof even counted the days and hours until Mio returns. My god, this was a welcome surprise

Buying matching keychains too?? I've consumed enough anime/manga to know this isn't the behavior of a mere friend. There's a romantic connotation that can't be ignored, and combined with Suletta's insistence that she's the groom to Mio's bride—Suletta fall in lova

btw this joke is gold and coming from Suletta made it more hilarious. My guilty pleasure is puns, and it's nice the translators adapted it perfectly for us english watchers

The company progression in this episode was also incredible. We have them focusing on furthering GUND prosthetics and the inclusion of Belmeria is lovely after the revelation she was once an aspiring medical engineer. It's evident Belmeria is all too happy to see GUND's original purpose flourish, while Prospera seems apathetic at best :/

Of course, it's not all rainbows in Sulemio land as company intrigue is alive and well. Another Elan clone took the stage too, this one apparently close to Elan Prime in wicked personality. He's a snake and sows doubt in Suletta's Mio-infatuated head.

She pushes him away and flees, openly disturbed. It's good Suletta's rose-colored Elan lenses fractured but his words left their mark. And Miorine's next scene worsens it inadvertently.

Now I don't blame Miorine for reacting the way she did. It makes perfect sense imo for her to consider all the tasks she gave to Suletta as burdens and not something Sulletta has taken with pride. Miorine has never had someone do anything for her simply because they care. She's used to transactional relationships so this isn't surprising behavior.

We as the audience know Suletta has changed in her feelings for Mio. Mio does not, and is working off of outdated notions of Suletta's Elan fixation. There's also the chance Mio spotted the two together earlier and misunderstood what was happening. Either way, Mio is only doing what she feels Suletta would want... a hit and then a miss. Still, they're moving slowly toward each other even if it doesn't seem like it. Romantic tension is here everybody~

Speaking of romance and contenders, Shaddiq remains in the game. I had a feeling he hadn't thrown in the towel just yet; he's far too crafty and ambitious. We know his play now too or parts of it. He's deciding to bypass the duel system altogether and go right for the throat of Benerit.

He makes an interesting point that despite Holder Suletta, Shin Sei cannot take control after Delling passes/cedes. Mio's shares alone aren't enough. He intends to rid Bernerit of Delling regardless, and if his gambit with the Earthian mercenaries we see is successful then I assume he'll strong-arm Mio into an alliance to secure Benerit for Grassley and Mio—perhaps with another proposal. It's shady but not unexpected.

Because Shaddiq is the prince of this Utena homage. Something Elan was also previously referred to; only not an icy fake. Shaddiq has officially been upgraded to a major antagonist in other words. I could be looking too deep into the Utena parallels but considering gwitch (and Ōkouchi) knows their stuff I'm not discounting anything.

Poor Nika is caught in the middle, and her father of sorts seems to head the earthian group—Dawn of Fold. If the next episode title is any indication, we're in for a reckoning.

Oh and Guel appeared again... as a worker? That's neat, though I wonder if he'll help fend off the Earthian 'witches' somehow. Guel's fate is most uncertain at the moment, but I'm curious where he'll go from here!

But enough of the dour future. Let's all bask in Suletta declaring she's the groom in this relationship like a twitterpated goober

Edit: A friend mentioned to me the possibility of Imposter Mio and it makes too much sense for me to dismiss it. Peil facial switching tech, Elan 5, and Mio's early arrival? It's very suspect. I assumed her outsourcing the greenhouse work was just Mio being conscientious of Suletta, but now...

[probabludaistkf]

i heard you have ocs?

Oh heck yeah! Finally some one asked, bro you have no idea how long I’ve been holding this in warning it is LONG

Elijah

main OC he is currently 13 and about to go through a LOT. Half angel half demon also emo his father is a demon but doesn’t talk much about his mother and when asked dodges the question not because she’s dead or anything but she was part of his worst memories. All Elijah knows about her is that she was an angel, he also has a best friend who he’s known since the age of 4 named Xane (we’ll come onto him) in a foul attempt to learn more about his parents ,as his father is very secretive, he ends up roping his friends into the worst mess imaginable; they get into the middle of a war between two mafias as a third party that threatens to reveal all their secrets and one of his friends is directly involved with one side and his father the other. He also meets his grim reaper who in an act of mercy gave him three lives because he didn’t want to take someone so young. Elijah has an idol, a famous detective with no name, he aspires to be just like her no

likes: cats, mcr, Xane, Shelly (his girlfriend who he gets later on when he’s 15), the drums, skateboarding

dislikes: being called a vampire, being told what to do, his mother (but that comes later on), piano lessons (the ghost of an old lady teaches him and Xane on Sundays)

Xane

Just a lil’ ghost boy but not really, he wears a sheet over himself to look more like a ghost despite not being dead(the face on the sheet was drawn on by Elijah), although he does wish he was but not in a suicidal way. He is an orphan he was left on the doorstep of an old abandoned mansion and a married couple of ghosts took him in, the other ghosts weren’t pleased at first but soon grew attached to him. He’s very shy and doesn’t talk and he’s pretty much a wallflower. He does get bullied sometimes. No one has actually ever seen his face apart from the ghosts of course but no one else not even Elijah (he did get a glimpse but was knocked out immediately and forgot what happened). He also has a killer death metal voice. No one knows how he obtained that skill but you can always hear him at band practice.

likes : mochi, spiders, Elijah, skateboarding

dislikes: disobeying authority, the colour yellow, piano lessons, rin (we’ll come to him)

Anaiah

She is a dog girl she wasn’t originally thought so technically human. She has two older brothers Louis and Vencel and Louis is a bit of a mad scientist and he was testing to see if his dog girl serum was working which it did but he also made it to be permanent. He was making this serum because dog girls are fictional and he’s lost taste for prosthetic tails and ears. One method of obtaining his dream would be crossbreeding werewolves until he got results but that would be very illegal and expensive. She is quite the violent girl and is currently dealing with anger issues she may also be crushing on her friend. She plays the bass guitar and was taught be Vencel, Louis also taught her how to DJ and mix her own songs. She is very punk btw.

likes: Lilly, waffles, band practice, violence, her trusty bats (she has a lot her bedroom walls are lined with baseball bats), anime

dislikes: school rules, staying put for too long, eggs, spicy food

Lilly

She and her family are vampires and are very rich, her older brother is a famous pop idol and so to follow in his footsteps she became a popular influencer. He didn’t seem to pleased about it though. Most people recognise her from her brother which annoys her. When her brother got scouted and found out that dying his hair was in his contract she also dyed her hair the same shade of bright magenta. Her parent apply a lot of pressure on her to be perfect and get good grades but she likes hanging out with Anaiah because than she doesn’t have to be perfect she can do or be whatever she wants and she likes that same as when she’s making a video or on stream. It’s her dream to make as many people snails as her big brother does but she’ll soon learn why her brother doesn’t want her to take this path (he commits suicide). She is the groups lead female singer and she also plays the keyboard

likes: cats, boba, anime, sora/ whatever I’m gonna name him idk (her brother), spicy food

dislikes: being recognised for sora, being asked to change into a bat, rodents

YET TO BE NAMED!!!! Hopefully

Please note he is not a kitsune, I repeat NOT a kitsune!! He is a Korean yeoul they are completely different (probably make a post about it later this is already too long) he’s more average than the others also can’t do half the stuff they can because he’s Catholic. People often confuse him for Rin a kitsune exorcist who is an entirely different shade of orange btw. He does have an anthro form so the day I commit the grave sin of learning to draw furries you’ll start seeing more art of him. Doesn’t have much lore cause he’s a normal child apart from the fact his girlfriend is a slave to the mafia well one of them. He does help her cope and with his friends he’s trying to get her out of that hellhole. Also random fact he’s lactose intolerant and has a peanut allergy. He’s the guitarist and sometimes back up vocals. He is self taught and can often be caught playing the season 1 blue exorcist theme song to warm up

Likes: ramen, chicken, chicken flavoured ramen, cheese, peanut butter, blue exorcist,

dislikes: being unable to eat cheese and peanut butter, being banned from blue exorcist for mentioning the demonic, being called a kitsune

Also yet to be named seriously what is wrong with me

she is the poor victim of a human trafficking incident everything you can imagine she’s probably been forced to do it or had it done to her. I don’t know why I gave her so much trauma. She is a werewolf and her master is a high ranking executive of the mafia and is able to cover up his horrible acts, he is also a sex offender. Lilly is quite young but the miserable life she was forced to lead caused her to mature much faster than the others. I think I may stop here because I gave her way too much trauma so let’s look on the brighter side of things. She is unable to speak and so uses ASL(American sign language) or BSL (British sign language) (the day I learn to draw hands) she quickly bonded with Xane over that fact she also has many dog or wolf like tendencies for example tail wagging. Her tail conveys a lot of emotions even though her face might not. She does make sounds such as whining, barking or howling. In her anthro or wolf form she’s more comfortable and Is more likely to bark. She is also a Siberian wolf and if you can tell from the name she is indeed related to the Siberian husky so she is quite loud also the drama queen. To show affection she’ll lean on you and she licks YET TO BE NAMED!!!! instead of kisses, she does it around his neck and ears the first time she did it he misinterpreted it as a sexual gesture.

likes: chew toys, dog treats, YET TO BE NAMED!!!!, the dog park,

dislikes: her master, most forms of physical contact unless she deeply trusts you, stereotypes about what happens to her on a full moon (nothing happens apart from the fact she get her period)

Rin

Now this, this is a kitsune. You can tell from the number or tails he has he’s been around for more that 200 years. He’s also a major dick for no reason. He is worshipped and has a small shrine dedicated to him although it seems it’s most likely gone to his head. He’s an exorcist and keeps trying to exorcise the ghosts in Xane’s mansion Its the reason no one likes him. One day he was saved by this little girl who took him in and took care of him he did refuse he bit and scratched her but she seemed determined to show the fox affection even after he ran away she still loved him so he had no Choice but to settle down and be her new pet. The little girl is now an old lady and unknown to her a kitsune calls her ‘mama’ when no one’s around. He feels he has a debt to the woman but still hasn’t found a way to repay her even though he’s warded off all the evil spirits that could harm her resulting in her living a long, happy, healthy life but he still feels there’s he hasn’t done.

likes: feeling superior to people, stealing, being a fraud, scamming people

dislikes: being called a yeoul, being lied to, disrespect to his mama

[starthetripledevil]

Mario Legacy Challenge: Outtakes

So basically moments that happened during my Mario Legacy gameplay (1964-1990) that I took screenshots of but aren't really considered "canon" to the timeline.

Btw my headcanon ages for the premade characters from The Sims 4 don't even align with what they are in this save.

Starting with the Robotnik household in 1964, before the Mario family even began, we have a fire starting on day 2. Colin is on fire, but fortunately, his uncle Geraldo is there to save him.

And is Julian Robotnik protesting against (or for?) COVID-19? I'm sorry, but it's the wrong Tokyo Olympics for that!

GeekCon is happening near Mario's new home, with his mother attending! 😮 I didn't think she even knew this place existed!

But it's not just the Robotniks. The Vatore siblings are here too! Lilith Vatore seems to be... sleeping on a bench? Even though she's a vampire?

During the night this screenshot was taken, I also spotted Caleb and some random guy in a raccoon costume. (No, I'm not posting every instance of premade Sims appearing. The only reason why I even posted this is because Caleb and Lilith being around in this time period isn't really that implausible. But I still don't it's very likely they were in Mario's home dimension, so I'm not considering this "canon".)

For some reason, Mario's evil grandma Jennifer keeps calling him (because she totally has his contact information and interdimensional phone calls are a totally normal thing in the 1960s). One particularly OOC call is when she wants to go on a date with Dennis Kim. Yes, the base game character. (I guess this is just what happens when you don't delete the premade characters.)

When Colin ages up into a teen, the game seems to be making him into a furry for some reason... not shown here but he even has the Friend of the Animals aspiration. Could this have something to do with me placing the Robotnik lot in Brindleton Bay? Still, not really fitting for the character who's openly racist against Mobians.

Regan wants to have a romantic relationship with Duane Talla, a premade Sim from Island Living (I didn't realize that at the time of taking this screenshot). Based on the timing of this, he must have only recently aged up into a young adult, since he's a teen at the start of the game. I said yes, but at least it didn't actually result in a relationship forming. (It never does, as far as I know...)

During the Humor and Hijinks Festival (or New Year's festival to celebrate the start of 1970), Mario joins the jokesters. His enemy uncle (the main reason why he left the Robotnik family) is also there, of course on the opposing team.

In 1972, Mario and Pauline go on a date, but are interrupted by none other than the infamous Agnes Crumplebottom, who for some reason decided to travel to a romantic dating spot in San Myshuno.

In late 1972, Luigeena and Tony adopt a toddler.

I ended up moving her to a different household with no relationship with her previous parents. She is not considered "canon" to this series, as Luigeena and Tony's children are the biological twins born in 1973.

And now a timeskip to 1981, when the Mario brothers have aged up into infants and Jumpman (Jumpman is the same Sim who was previously referred to as Mario, and "Mario" from now refers to his son - a similar thing also applies to his wife Pauline, who is now referred to as Lady and their daughter is Pauline) has been modifying the infant beds. While editing the apartment in build mode, one of the infant beds somehow ends up out of bounds. It can't be deleted and it's blocking the way to the Marios' home.

And so begins the bugged bed "subplot", where I spent an hour trying to resolve this glitch in order to resume gameplay.

Failed methods to get rid of the bed include going to manage worlds and back (which only causes Lady to leave work early), using a spellcaster Sim to set it on fire (it burns it somewhat, but firefighters arrive before it can be destroyed) and setting it as head (makes a duplicate). A kleptomaniac also can't swipe it if they have a low mischief skill.

Finally, the problem is solved! Once she has mischief level 10 (which, yes, I cheated), Bianca Barov manages to steal the crib and save the legacy!

In my main 1985 post, I included an awkward conversation between Pauline and Emmalyn. But here's one particular thing that happens: Pauline suggests that Emmalyn should get together with Kaori (who's already married) and she actually considers it! I actually tried to pick some random guy in the list of available Sims, but must have accidentally picked Kaori.

Later on during the year, Jumpman catches Emmalyn apparently WooHooing. He asks Emmalyn if she knows Kaori (of course, Jumpman would have no reason to suspect that Kaori is there, but it's mostly just me being curious). Fortunately, she does say that she hasn't met Kaori.

Kayla's pre-makeover look when she aged up into a teen (the light is just from aging up, it's not any CC).

During Kayla's visit in early 1988, she leaves the apartment in order to age up.

After the whole circus plot, Harrison Gibbs (Jumpman's boss in the circus career) ended up getting married to a now grown-up Maira Watson (a premade character from Cottage Living). They live with Donkey Kong Junior and Cranky Kong (yes, I actually renamed him in-game, even though it's unlikely we're going to see him again).

Turns out Harrison also has 2 kids with random Sims (those MCCC kids generated between 2 Sims who don't even know each other), and it even connects the family tree with Lana Yee's family as well as Kayla (Pauline's best friend), Juanita (Mario's friend from school) and most of the premade characters from the packs I have.

[joselinealt]

This is based off of the post I reblogged!💜🦋

Ok. So, I want to start this off saying that I don't label myself as anything but asexual; yeah sure I feel romantic attraction towards all genders and I am gender queer (if I had to label it, it would be like agender or gender fluid ish?) but I still choose not to label that part of myself, I'm just me.

Now, I first found the term "asexual" when I was in 6th grade, while we were having "the talk" in our school. I'm very lucky that I lived in a state where rhe lgbtqia+ community was talked about freely with no consequences and because of this, during that time our teacher took the opportunity to talk about what every letter stood for and so she also talked about asexuality.

It's a fond memory of mine because before that moment I thought something was "wrong" with me because every time I heard about romance it was immediately connected with sex but everytime I thought about it I felt discomfort (I wasn't discussed by it per say but I just felt really uncomfortable with the idea and my fight or flight just kicked in). When I told my family that I never wanted kids they always told me that it was just a phase and that everyone says that and end up having 3 kids (everyone exept my mum pushed that on me). I told them that if I had to have kids the would be adopted but even then I didn't know why.

That was until I found out the term "asexual", right after the teacher explained what it was, I said out loud: "that's what I am", no one but my friend sitting next to me heard but she didn't fully hear thewords I said.

After that I told oe of my friends and they told me that the abbreviated version was "Ace". I pushed it to the back of my brain subconsciously and didn't think about it until I saw the interview that Anthony Padilla did, there I saw @shelbygraces , whom I had been watching years before then and it helped me validate myself.

When I started questioning more about myself, like perhaps being Bi/pan, (which btw my first crush was a girl) I pushed that idea down alot because I was scared of the idea; mainly the thought of having to come out to my parents as that.

Eventually, at the age of 13 I fully accepted myself as that and then came my gender crisis. I thought my pronouns where she/they but then at 14 I thought my pronouns where they/them and I was gender queer, (It was also at this time where I knew I was demiromantic, which felt so relieving because I had a hard time understanding why it took me so much to like/develop a crush on someone and why I only liked one person up until that point and why they had to be my friend first before developing that crush), into late 14 I went by any and all pronouns exept she/her.

And at 15, I deamed that I was more comfortable just not putting a label on myself at all and just exist (in the closet). So, let me introduce myself, My name is Jai or Joseline, My pronouns are They/he/it, I like playing minecraft, art, music, writing, animals and I am an aspiring content creator. 💜

[moonfromearth]

Celebratory Sim Dump!!

so, to celebrate a whole 75 followers (thank you so much btw 😊) i thought I'd put together a few cc free sims for downloading!!

you are free to do as you want with them, but I added a short blurb about them, for fun (also their careers and skills and relationships are already set) 😉

-download- (google drive)

Sim Info 💗:

Micaela Cunningham - They/Them. Noncommittal, Bro, Dance Machine. Biology degree. Twin sibling of Franklin Cunningham. An athlete who enjoys all types of fitness. Was a star cheerleader at their high school as well as throughout college.

Aubrey Fontaine - She/Her. Loner, Cheerful, Loves the Outdoors. Socially anxious Aubrey avoids all social interactions outside of her friends, which is why her gardening job is such a dream come true. Potato is her favorite of the group.

Sadie Choi - She/Her. Hot Headed, Genius, Freegan. Girlfriend of Aella Angelos. Physics degree. Not your average environmental scientist. Gets a new tattoo to celebrate just about anything.

Tyler Rouse - He/Him. Romantic, Athletic, Dog Lover. Joined the military right out of high school. Loves his job, but eventually wants to settle down somewhere permanently and maybe go to college. Potato's technically owner, but the group have adopted her as each of their own.

Aella Angelos - She/Her. Bookworm, Paranoid, Animal Enthusiast. Girlfriend of Sadie Choi. Dreams of one day owning (and running) her own vet clinic, but for now she's stuck as a barista in a bookstore coffee shop.

Potato - She/Her. Hunter, Smart, Loyal. A tough but loving dog perfect for her military employed owner, Tyler Rouse. Friendly and loves to watch what the friend group do when they're together.

Franklin Cunningham - He/Him. Good, Creative, Squeamish. Art history degree. Twin sibling of Micaela Cunningham. An anxious individual. Loves to paint for hours with no one to bother him. Working on 'getting out there' and being 'more confident' but it's harder than it sounds.

Desmond Lackey - He/Him. Ambitious, Art Lover, High Maintenance. Aspiring photographer who is currently taking any and every job he can get in San Myshuno. Thinks very highly of himself. Grew up in middle of nowhere/Strangerville as part of a group of close friends, but they stopped talking after high school...

and finally, a thank you to everyone who has followed me (or even anyone who's ever liked, reblogged, or engaged at all with one of my posts)!! I'm so grateful that people interact and even enjoy something I put together (cheesy as that sounds) 😁😁

[blackfern]

@floopi bachelorette challenge submission: hector williams ii aka 2ECOND

pov: its 2016 and everyones wearing thrasher hoodies and pink/red/grey camo trousers. eboys and egirls are just starting to become a thing but they wont be called that for a few years yet. you check soundcloud and a track from this guy pops up on the homepage.

details under the cut.

so i saw that my friend @cherryfizz-sims (who has the most phenomenal editing style btw check her out) made a submission for the bachelorette challenge @floopi is running atm, which requires all submissions to be based off a genre of music. immediately i was like "holy shit i HAVE to make a sim for this", and thus, hector was born!

also check this out! babys first edit :)

info

young adult

based off mid 2010s cloud rap / emo rap (lil peep was a HUGE inspiration here lol)

party animal aspiration

gloomy, jealous, and bro traits

bisexy (bc i saw almost all the submissions for this challenge are LOL)

child of a single mother, father was allegedly a famous rapper but this was never proven

grew up in strangerville and dropped out of school to move to san myshuno as part of a rap collective

left the collective and moved to del sol valley to focus on his music career after his producer/boyfriend died in a tragic accident

very good at making you think you know a lot about him without actually knowing a lot about him

will talk for hours about absolutely nothing

suffers from depression and relies on partying to distract himself from his own troubles

has a lot of surface-level friends/acquaintances but no close friends

constantly feels like hes only ever second-best, which is where his artist name came from

loves basketball despite being terrible at it

should probably stick to just watching it

still manages to sprain his ankle every other week playing it tho

[sophiamargaux]

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕱𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝕱𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕻𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖕𝖎𝖈𝖊

Hellooo! This is my very first fanfic post and I am incredibly nervous about it lol. I have always shipped Hinawa and Maki so here’s an ode to the HinaMaki ship :) I hope everyone will be respectful and know that you are allowed to ship whoever you want (as long as it doesn’t involve minors, incest, you know the rest). 

BTW the story happened when they were both still in the military.

_____________________________________________________________

The military is not for the soft – hearted. Its hard knuckle fights, intense violence of bombs, guns, and devastating destruction stemmed from a shallow and pointless war, is not for those with kind and gentle souls. Takehisa Hinawa only realized this truth a little too late before he joined the army. His motives?  It was not worthy of an award – winning speech about being faithful to the country. It was not even an illustration of something as heroic as world peace, or to discover the cure for cancer or aids. Motives that most aspiring politicians or doctors would have. But for him, his motives are as blurry as his eyesight. Maybe the military was the only pillar he could rely on for stability or maybe it was merely because he is a second generation pyrokinetic user. Although he only found out about it when he first held a gun during a range practice in his first days in the military. Whatever his motive was, you can say it was tenacious since it made him stay in the army long enough to become a sergeant.

Hinawa was packing an overnight bag for a mission. The night was silent, and it was the customary time where most of the soldiers are already asleep. The mission was mildly dangerous since it required an assistance from two second generation pyrokinetic users, Hinawa being one-half of the assistance. The higher – ups could call someone from the Special Fire Force Department, but they are afraid that it might be all for naught and it would waste their precious time where they could have been protecting the people from infernals. They also reasoned that if an infernal did happen, the second-generation users will hopefully be able to handle the situation just in time for the Fire Force to arrive. But then again, Hinawa is starting to get used to these situations. Especially since he was recently paired with his partner for these kinds of missions. Hinawa and his partner did not have a great start when they were first paired for these types of missions. It certainly did not help that his partner was under his command as a sergeant. But with the aid of time, they started to work in sync with each other. Things would not have worked out if his friend Tojo did not convince him to offer some help to his partner.

 “I’m all packed Sergeant!” A familiar voice rang through the open door.

 Hinawa looked back and saw a young lady dressed in the same military gear and uniform as him standing straight by his door in a salute stance. Private Maki Oze, daughter of the commander of the Tokyo Army and the other half of the second-generation user assigned for the mission. His partner.  To be honest, he was not exactly fond of her when she first joined in the army. During their first drills, she always came last and had no strength whatsoever. He often found her doing extra practice in training rooms, but he still thought all that effort was for nothing. She got in because she was a soon to be heir of the Tokyo Army, so it is safe to say that their partnership did not start off in the right foot. Maki did talk back to him once in a tone that he particularly did not like, and it ended with the whole section running fifty laps because of her. It did not end there. Maki had to run extra five laps and do fifty push – ups. He was not dubbed ‘Sergeant Hell’ by his comrades for nothing. Hinawa was always tough around them, but it was all for their sake. You needed to be hard and unbreakable for a job like this.

Maki specifically was a different story. Hinawa saw the determination and drive. Anyone can grow muscles and be physically strong but not everyone has the mental capacity of a fighter. But he saw that in her. It was not the same fire that he usually saw in other soldiers. It was brighter. It was like her flames were a loud voice in the dark. So, he decided to heed his friend’s advice and helped her. It took a lot of back – breaking drills and exhausting laps to dash the soldier out of her. No matter how much she improved, Hinawa still thought that he is right. She was not meant to be a soldier. Not with a kind heart like that.

 Hinawa zipped his bag and walked over towards Maki, closing the door behind him. He sported his head cap.

 “Let’s go,” he said, as they both started to make their way outside where a military truck awaits them.

 “What’s the mission this time, Sergeant?” Maki asked.

“We were asked to assist Captain Daichi’s troops in their retrieval for military armor and gear from a burnt down building in the south.”

“So why are we needed?”

“They said there might be some bombs in the building that are still active. Just to be safe than sorry, I guess.”

The cold air greeted them when they made it outside. All they could hear was the deafening noise of the crickets and the soft slow rumble of the chilly air that occasionally passed by. If they both listened closely, some mild snoring could be heard from the military truck situated three feet away from them. The military looked peaceful during nighttime. The gloomy atmosphere of the moonlight shone an agenda of rest for the beaten down soldiers. The green light signaled a temporary respite to put down their armors and shields, offering sleep before a new day starts once again. Hinawa would have loved to wave the white flag of defeat and retire to his bed but for now, he needed to be a soldier.

Upon closer investigation of the military truck, Hinawa’s urge to rest grew further. The truck was an old, rundown shackle with a tarp that not only barely covered the last row but had terrible patch work which meant all the good and comfortable spots were already taken. Maybe it was some sort of universal punishment or maybe it just so happened that the other good military trucks were taken but whatever the reason was, Hinawa was too tired to even make a face of disagreement.

“I know, she’s not much to look at but get on.” The vice-captain who was in the driver’s seat bellowed brusquely.

Maki was first to climb on the truck then Hinawa followed. He looked at his other comrades and saw some of them sleeping while the others gingerly engaged in some late-night idle chatter. Hinawa was on the verge of making a bitter face towards the soldiers who first claimed the spots he deemed were nice and favorable but stopped himself before Maki noticed his sour disposition.

“I guess we should have packed and arrived earlier, huh,” Maki said as she sat down, disappointment lacing her tone, as if she just spoke out loud the exact thing that Hinawa was thinking about.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Hinawa sat down, facing Maki on the opposite side. They were hardly being covered by the old, craggy, and uneven tarp in a somewhat crowdy vehicle, sitting at the very last row. The last row was not the most unfavorable of all places, Hinawa thought. The view could be amazing plus the breeze that you could feel while travelling felt refreshing but considering that it is the middle of the night and he had barely any rest, he was not looking forward to the cold air.

He felt a sudden jolt from the vehicle and after a few minutes the truck started moving towards their destination. Tokyo still looked busy and bright even at ungodly hours, Hinawa observed as he looked at the scenery behind the vehicle they were on. All he knew about the south is that the building was in the middle of a field, a couple miles away from civilization. He guessed that maybe it was to guard territory of the country, but he was not exactly sure. But he was positive that the fields of the south nurtured cows, goats, and other animals alike. If the mission went well, the captain might agree to stop by a nearby farm to gather raw ingredients for the army kitchen. He would not mind having the chance to enjoy rest time with farm animals. Besides, he did grow up in a small town.

Hinawa swarmed in his own thoughts when he felt the forces of fatigue and exhaustion pull him closer and closer to sleep. He crossed his arms close to his chest to combat the cold air. It was not long before Hinawa completely fell asleep.

 _______________________________________________________________

Hinawa felt the jostling of the vehicle and the gust of the cold morning air.  He slowly opened his eyes to see the sight of his lap. It appeared that he had fallen asleep with his neck facing downwards, and slowly he started to feel the ache gathering at the base of his neck as he tried to look up. Still groggy and dazed from recently waking up from his slumber, he gazed up at the free sky and the rough edge of the tarp that seemed to be falling apart at the seams. The sky was a lovely pool of lilac, pink, and blue. It was dawn at its most beautiful, banned from the shadows and despair that came with nightfall. The horizon painted a muddy picture of black and white, ambiguity brewing anticipation of a stupendous day. But at last, the world was brand new once again.

He looked behind him and noticed that the scenery had changed. Instead of buildings, towers, and a mob of civilians, what beheld him was a beautiful landscape of the countryside. Rice fields, trees, and far-off sights of the forest. It would not be long until he started seeing the fields of the south. He eyed his comrades and noticed that they were still sleeping soundly. Must be nice to not be affected by the cold air, Hinawa judged bitterly. He peeked at Maki in front of him and observed that she too, was still sleeping soundly.

He felt a small tug of his lips at the sight of her small snoring, sleeping form. She had her head rested at her left shoulder and the top of her head was facing the hide of the truck. He could already predict the look of her pained face once the sore on her neck started to settle. It pained him to see her this way, because she looked so lovely, despite the military camouflage clothing and the armor geared with it. She had grown up to be daddy’s princess, and here, a decade and thousands of miles away from that life, here amid the threats of violence from Infernals’ dissolute and unlovely tasks of the army, here was Maki Oze, asleep, raven hair softly dancing with the wind, radiating a gentle glow.

Her eyes slightly wrinkled as the sun started catching up with the moving vehicle. Immediately, Hinawa removed his field cap and gently placed it on her head, careful not to wake her up. It changed everything somehow to see this new facet of her and to be aware of how eagerly she had sought to be a better fighter. It made going through the mission with her a dangerous endeavor. A strange shiver of devotion passed through him and then a corresponding swell of protectiveness. Not that Maki needed much protection.

Hinawa realized that he had been slightly smiling for quite some time, unaware of his blatant stare towards his sleeping comrade. Instantly he dropped his smile and shook his head to be rid of the intricate thoughts he had of his partner. Such fragile, tender thoughts could cause the beating heart to act on its own that might travel beyond logic. Hinawa had to remind himself of who he was and what he needed to be, a commanding officer.

The vehicle came to a halt to signal their arrival. Hinawa stood up and gently shook Maki’s shoulder. Maki still a tiny bit bewildered, woke up from her slumber and looked at the person who woke her.

“It’s time to get off.” Hinawa said, not making eye contact as he immediately went down first. Slowly getting to her senses, Maki realized that there was something on top of her head and upon instant inspection, she noticed that it was Hinawa’s field cap. Or at least it was what she assumed since the sergeant earlier appeared to not be wearing his field cap. She removed the cap from her head and looked inside to find the tag in it beholding the name Takehisa Hinawa. She felt smitten and grateful as she gazed at her walking partner, smiling at his kind gesture.

 _______________________________________________________________

The sun had a blinding glow. Its fiery rays cascaded down the fields of the south border. Soldiers from left to right were moving armors. Half – way through the mission, another military truck arrived to compensate for the number of objects they have retrieved. Maki looked at the ash and soot that covered the building with disdain and annoyance. It had been three hours of back – tiring, back and forth slavery, climbing up and down the burnt building, carrying the surviving heavy equipment, while staying alert for stray bombs, and Maki has had enough. She had been sweating profusely and her arms were starting to ache. She had experienced worse, and it mostly involved Sergeant Hell’s drills and punishments.

Three hours had also passed since Maki felt nothing but scorn and spite towards her partner. She knew all too well the merry feelings she experienced earlier were too good to be true for Hinawa was stricter than usual and Maki was getting a little irritated. To think that he bestowed her his field cap only to be treated this way. Maki was certain, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Hinawa had her whole respect, but he was treading the line between army disciplinary and blunt rudeness.

Maki grunted and carried the large metal bin, making her way back into the building before Hinawa reprimanded her again about her tardiness – even if it was only a minute, no worse, thirty seconds late. Ever since she woke up, Hinawa was… a touch different. It was not a complete three sixty-degree transformation to the point where he was unrecognizable. It was more like a switch was turned on and out came a side of him that she had never met. She should not interest herself in such mundane and small observations, but she could not help but wonder at the baroque changes that Hinawa was making.  Hinawa appeared as his perfectly normal self to a random comrade at first sight, but Maki would digress. From the first hour of the mission, he had been barking orders at her with excessive intensity than the usual firm but authoritative tone. Lately, it was always Maki, walk faster! Or Maki, pay attention to where you are going! Not once did he even try to make eye contact with her. No matter how hard she tried to keep up to his orders it she was either a minute late or it was not done in the way he would want it to.  

Maki quickly jogged upstairs to where Hinawa was waiting. When she arrived, he already had a pile of different machine guns waiting beside him. She stood up straight and demonstrated her best salute stance while hiding her desperate panting.

“You’re late.” Hinawa said bluntly as he grabbed the bin that she was holding. He promptly dropped the bin and started placing the machine guns inside one by one. Maki swiftly struck her tongue at him when he was not looking, like a little juvenile child.

“Are you helping or not?” Hinawa ordered in firm and harsh tone.

Maki jumped to her feet and started placing the machine guns into the bin as well, scared at the possible return of Sergeant Hell. The mission was already tough on its own, she did not wish to worsen the weight of her burdens. The work was not entirely silent since they could hear other troops outside handling their own retrieved armor. Maki found the background noise pleasant since she could not handle Hinawa’s aggressive aura.

“Why am I always deployed with you?” Hinawa sounded like he was thinking his thoughts out loud after a long time of silence between them. Maki would had given him the benefit of the doubt and assumed the start of his day did not go as great as hers, or he had received bad news, but Maki was not feeling kind after three hours of nothing but boorishness and acrimony from him.

“It’s because we make a good team, you dipshit.” She muttered in her lowest, tiniest voice, silently praying that Hinawa did not catch what she said. She looked up at him just in case, but Hinawa was already staring. Maki’s blood ran cold, and her fingers started to get clammy. It was the stare. It was the look that Hinawa would use that rendered the rest of her comrades meek, frozen, praying for their lives. His face did not contort in any way nor did his eyebrows crease downwards. His face was rather relaxed and devoid of any emotion, but everyone could feel his unwavering motive for severe discipline strongly.

“I-I’m very sorry Sergeant! That will never happen again!” Maki hurriedly stood up and saluted. Without pausing, she picked up the bin and hastily made her way down. The bin was heavy, but she was willing to make that sacrifice if it meant she did not have to witness the wrath of Sergeant Hell. Although, she was fully well- aware that she would face the consequences of her actions when they returned to Tokyo.

Hinawa was left a little bewildered at the sight of Maki scurrying away. He wondered why she would suddenly bolt with the bin knowing very well that it was heavy. He sighed in frustration. He withdrew his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose to release some tension that he had been feeling lately. Hinawa was not known to be someone who was led by their emotions, in fact it was the opposite. He couldn’t even make decent eye contact without getting flustered for remembering her sleeping face. Hinawa felt pathetic at his disposition. It did not help that she was wearing his field cap. He probably scared Maki away when all she ever did was try her best while he was being a pain in the ass. He put his glasses on and went down to catch up with Maki, in hopes of trying to patch the things that he did.

It was not long before Hinawa witnessed Maki dragging the bin with whatever strength she got left. When Maki noticed his presence, she immediately had her back straight and was about to apologize again when Hinawa stopped her.

“You shouldn’t have recklessly carried this all by yourself.” Hinawa said in a calmer tone. An inconspicuous apology. He held the underside of the bin on one side and ordered Maki to do the same on the other, their fingertips briskly making soft contact. In the count of three, they lifted the bin and carefully tread their way down, conscientious of each step they took.

Hinawa cleared his throat and thought of the perfect words to say.

“I apologize for the way I um… acted earlier.” Still struggling to make eye contact he kept his gaze onwards. He felt stupid for struggling over something so regular and casual. Something he was able to do almost every single day. He could even meet eyes with strangers. But Maki was no stranger. She moved past that title long before Hinawa realized it himself. Finally mustering enough grit, he looked at her direction and there she was, looking at him with her bright purple eyes, smiling.

“You’re a weird one, Sergeant,” she said, simply. In her usual sweet, cool tone. Her eyes returned forward and continued to walk in silence with him, her smile not dropping.  

Hinawa did not want to overthink. He did not want to interrupt the soft mumbling of his heart. He had been too hard – like granite, that something as soft as Maki made him feel ominous towards all things that are delicate and gentle. He did not want to think of what will become of him in the future when the comfort that she gives, became too serene that he would no longer look for peace in anything or anyone else, but her.  But that was for future worries. Hinawa knew that the slope he treaded on was precarious, but for once he wanted to bask in the small joy that he found in this old, burnt, and retired building. When they finally made it outside, it was then that he realized the warm smile he wore the whole way down.

Maki stretched her back and groaned at the pain that came with it. She adjusted her cap and looked at the building. Is that all? She thought hopefully.

A sudden loud boom answered her question. The bellowing noise echoed from the top of the building. Large debris sputtered out with ashes and soot, as the soldiers ducked and took cover.  Hinawa looked around, checking for every soldier, hoping that all the troops were present outside, and none were harmed from the explosion.

Hinawa stood up and decided to go inside to check when he felt someone pull his uniform, crumbling to the ground, just in time when a large rock dropped in front of him.

“And to think that could’ve been you.” He heard a familiar voice by his side. Maki had a firm grip on the collar of his uniform and the other on the ground to support her upper body and his weight. Hinawa’s back was pressed against her chest as he lay in between her legs. They took cover when another wave of cinders approached.

Once everything settled, Hinawa stood up and helped Maki along with him. He took notice of the sight that was around him. Everyone seemed fine and no one looked harmed from the abrupt blast. The captain in charge quickly grabbed the megaphone and assured the troops. Orders were made. Everyone gathered around the center and checked. Hinawa could already tell the mission was going to be delayed for another day.

________________________________________________________________

The night was silent. Tents covered the area where soldiers rested after a long tiring labor. Thankfully, no one got hurt from the explosion, thanks to the great Sol’s mercy. Daylight resigned and made room for nightfall. The crescent moon that hung above the clouds were glistening with pride, silently saying good job for a well – spent day. The campfire placed in the center crackled softly as its tiny embers danced in the wind, its serene cacophony bringing peace to the sleeping soldiers.

Hinawa was sitting by the fire, polishing his guns. It was one of those days where sleep did not befall on him, causing him to gun at the blazing fire with thoughts at disarray. This happened once or twice in every two weeks ever since he joined the army. It was the one possibility he was aware of when he signed up. It did not dawn on him that another soldier also shared the same troubles.

Maki had always known that Hinawa had sleeping problems from time to time. It was a speculation she made on their first mission together and confirmed it when she once saw him strolling around the military campus late at night. She did not know why the information stuck with her. Maybe it was because she too, had difficulties with sleeping.  Whenever restless nights occurred, the Sergeant would come to mind. The cynosure of her thoughts often sloped to Hinawa on whether he was awake as well. She did not know how this circuitous way of thinking started, but it was a guessing game that she very much enjoyed playing.

Maki got up and went out of her tent. She looked around and noticed Hinawa all alone by the campfire. Maki was right again.

She approached Hinawa with careful posture, hoping not to disturb his deep contemplation. Hinawa already seemed aware of the approaching footsteps, then glanced expectedly at Maki.

“Why aren’t you asleep?” Hinawa questioned in a solemn voice while continuing to polish his guns.

“Why aren’t you?” Maki asked with the same solemnity.

“I can’t sleep.”

“It’s the same for me too.” She sat down beside him. Happily warming herself in silence.

Maki would not say it out loud, but she had always loved the silence between them. There was no tension, no awkward air, no rigidity. It was just him. His good old eccentric self. The gap amidst them, in vague estimation, was but a hand’s distance yet for Maki, it was more than enough.

“Thank you for earlier.” Hinawa stopped and turned to her.

Maki was a little surprised with his words of gratitude. It was not every day for her to receive a thank you from him, though still, she replied with a soft small nod. They spent more of their time together in gentle stillness, appreciating the campfire and its warmth. Maki observed his face in her own discreet manner. The mischievous shadows of the fire grazed his features. She suddenly got an idea.

“Sergeant, do you want to play a game?”

“Honestly, you and your games –.”

“This will be fun, I promise.” Maki looked at him with hopeful eyes, prying for a yes. It was late into midnight. Hinawa was tired, and it looked like Maki was in the mood to drop any form of formalities. He had been in this predicament more than once ever since he asked her to play a game of chess with him. From that day forth, she had gradually adapted into the habit of asking. Often a game of poker or go fish. It did not help that his fierce competitiveness would get the best of him. So whenever the chances arose, he’d give in.

Hinawa sighed in defeat.

“What is it this time? Poker?” He set aside his guns. Maki’s excitement increased after his agreement.

“I forgot to bring my deck of cards though. But I have an idea.” Maki’s arm reached out to touch the temple of his glasses. “May I?” She asked politely.

Hinawa tried to ignore the sensation of her fingertips on his face but instead eyed her in suspicion.

“What are you planning?” He asked defensively. When it came to his eyesight, he did not easily trust anybody.

“Don’t worry, I won’t run away with it. It’s a game called How far can Sergeant Hinawa see.” Maki looked skeptically happy for Hinawa’s liking. He raised his eyebrows at the absolute ridiculous made-up game she curated.

“And how is this exactly, fun for me?” He asked, reaching with careful ease to her out-stretched arm.

“You’ll get a chance to teach your subordinate about having bad eyesight? It is all for educational purposes!” Conviction laced her tone. “Well… at least it is for me.” She mumbled her words after, trying her best to convince him, but she knew she was not demonstrating conceivable reasons.

Hinawa stared at her pleading face and considered every possible outcome that could occur if he ever gave in. A bad feeling brewed from the very bottom of his guts, creeping up to his esophagus and felt himself enter an unknown territory.  

Maki cowered under his gloomy stare. Her shyness slowly resurfaced like a bad itch, until Hinawa eventually agreed.

“Try to run away and I won’t hesitate to shoot you.” He threatened.

“Yes, sir.” Maki swallowed back her fear.

When Maki detached his glasses from his face, the once bright and brilliant sight of the campfire suddenly shifted to an orange blur. He squinted his eyes on impulse but to no avail. He still could not see. He heard a giggle from where Maki was seated and tried to look at her pointedly, but his eyesight was too cloudy that he could not decipher her face.

“What are you laughing at?” He tried to scold.

“I’m sorry Sergeant, but I can’t take you seriously when you squint like that.” Maki sought an apologetic tone, but she could not control those small fits of giggles that came out.

“If you’re going to laugh at me, I’m no longer playing this ga-”

“Wait, wait, wait! I’m starting.” Maki waved her hands around in compliance.

Maki scooted a few places away from him, not far but far enough that she became a filmy mess of colors in Hinawa’s eyes.  

“Can you see me?” She asked earnestly, quietly, a small call amid the cackling of the campfire’s flames. Maki knew what she meant when she said those words, she promised no other message but the literal. And yet the chatoyance of her eyes and the comely warmth of her face begged to differ.

“No, you’re a blurry mess.” He said calmly, with a cool and collected composure that Maki was a little jealous.

So, he is nearsighted, Maki thought to herself. She scampered a little closer as the sound of her rustling clothes melded with the fire. She sat three steps away from him.

“How about now?” She asked once again. The tender beating of her heart elevated. Step by fragile step. A dangerous distance separated them.

“No.”

She moved closer. Two steps away. The sight of his face grew nearer. Her fast pulse teetered amidst a minefield, taking precise steps, yet fully anticipating the eventual fall, his succeeding notice. Nothing went past Hinawa’s strict observation, and yet, and yet! How his keen-eyed nature toppled in the face of sweet blatancy. Tension seized her deliberate advance. She mustered enough courage to ask once more, despite how her heart opposed.

“Can you see me now?”

“Maki, you have to move closer than that.”

It sounded like a small dare. A miniscule challenge to scoot closer, or so it seemed at first. Maki closed the chasm. Their bodies touched. And there it was, the fatal flaw. And suddenly his face was one breath away. She felt her heart tightened at the gnawing clarity in front of her. This was not the game she expected to play. The once dulcet juvenile idea was short – lived and it turned into a diaphanous duel of the heart. Regret dawned when her chest constricted, a great effervescent demise waited at the sight of his face only inches away.

If Maki had been brave enough, she would’ve taken another ghastly risk closer.

“How about now?” She inquired in a supple whisper, wordlessly urging him to say yes.

To her surprise, Hinawa drew his face closer to hers. Their noses nearly caressed. Her pulse drummed. Her heartbeat soared. The campfire’s amber glow resembled his orange eyes, brilliant like the shiny coppers and pennies in a treasure box, kindling a special flame of their own. She marveled in awe, staring deep into his copper pools.

Hinawa’s stare penetrated. Really looking at her. With enough fervor, passion, and blithe to ignite a golden unadulterated cinder.

“Now I see you.”

Maki knew with most certainty what Hinawa meant when he said those words. There was no code or hidden message. But across this labyrinth of newly planted confessions, burning novelties, and undecipherable sentiments, a fine piece of thread guided a way for Maki. And for a moment, her what-ifs exulcerated, paving fresh roads for more, knowing that she may be falling because just for a short second, she felt the whole world disappear. All she could see was the soft glimmer of his tangerine eyes.

Upon sudden realization of their proximity, Maki hastily moved her head and awkwardly laughed.

“Wow, Sergeant you have really bad eyesight.” Maki lightened the mood and placed his glasses back into his face. She shifted and moved herself away to create a tiny distance between them.

“You should have them checked.” She weakly added, her hands covering the reddening of her cheeks, completely avoiding his eyes.

“I already did but there’s nothing they can do about it.” Hinawa adjusted his glasses as he said so.

Maki cleared her throat and stood, feigning a yawn as she stretched her body.

“I’ll be going now Sergeant Hinawa, it was nice talking to you.” Maki respectfully bowed and quickly made her way to her tent. As she walked, she peeked him, hoping to find answers about the earlier endeavor. Maybe it was the night’s illusion or her sleep-deprived mind, but she could have sworn that his ears were a tinge pinker than ever before.

________________________________________________________________

Maki was lying in her tent, unable to fall asleep. She tossed and turned but nothing worked. For the past hour, her mind continually travelled to the glasses game that happened earlier. She wondered if she could ever face him again without being flustered. Hinawa must have been dense enough, right? There was no way he could’ve noticed, not when she had his glasses in hand.

But after her attempted conviction failed, she began to panic at the idea of Hinawa seeing through her façade. That her rose blush had been blatant enough for his blurry eyesight.

Maki groaned in frustration and turned to her side once more. Hinawa’s field cap occupied her vision. I must return this to him, she reminded herself. She took the cap and stared at the tag that held his name. Out of nowhere, Maki felt a smile budding. She had never been more confused in this predicament, and yet she had never been happier as well. Her feelings were still an unresolved puzzle towards Hinawa. She could not even begin to untangle her thoughts about him.

Maybe it was homesickness or a glitch in the mind. She could not care less either way, only a mellow delight seeped through the fabric of her confusion. Surely, one could never be in the wrong disposition when such odd joy triumphed.

And just like that, Maki fell asleep with a smile on her face that night. Whatever it was, whatever her heart whispered that evening, she’d had enough time to worry later. It can wait till then.