#hikari mourned all day.

[dp-time-police]

punk vlad punk vlad puNK VLAD PUNK VLAD-

[disciple-of-frost]

Holy Shit, Oh My God, This Is a Long Ass Lore Post

Alrighty then. Thank you to @hikari-ni-naritai for the absolute plethora of questions. To be honest a lot of these are questions I never really considered before, so I gotta do a bit of digging around in my brain meat.

2.) How did they acquire their Echo?

I never thought of this before, but I now want Ishi to have acquired it after going on her investigation in Kugane to find her parents. She looked/asked around for an Auri couple for what felt like an enternity and one night as she went to sleep after a particularly fruitless day of questioning she had an incredibly vivid dream. A woman's voice, stars raining down from the sky, etc. The next day after walking through the Ijin District she witnessed a Garlean accosting some random passerby and she experienced her first Echo vision. She saw the same Garlean accusing her parents of espionage and took them into custody. The only lead she had after that was that they were taken somewhere called Castrum Abania.

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3.) Does their Echo function like it does in the MSQ? Or is there a twist to it? 

I think Ishi's Echo would function like the one we have in game for the most part. But, I LOVE the idea that the Echo allows the character to see the different battle mechanics that we, the player, are able to see and that is why our WoL is so hard to beat in combat.

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5.) Where are they from? What was their childhood like?

Ishi grew up in The Tail Mountains, the home of the Angura tribe, with her mother (Veda), father (Ashish), and step sister (Willow). She was a bit of a know it all and super arrogant when she was little because all of the adults in her life would heap praise on her and call her a child prodigy because of her natural aptitude for magic. After her parents found Willow abandoned and took her in she mellowed out a bit, but was still a bit prideful. She didn't have many friends because of her attitude, but the one friend she did have, Varun, saw the good in her and he was the only person she could be completely vulnerable around.

 ---

7.) How did they deal with Haurchefant’s death? 

.:Stars Align:. Ishi didn't personally know him that well. The only frame of reference she had for his character was through U'tala and how his death impacted her.

.:Diamond Aegis:. Ishi thought of him like another brother, very similar to Varun, both men being very bubbly and their strong willingness to defend the innocent. When he died she was devastated, but she didn't have time to mourn him properly so she was fairly cold and distant, she cut herself off from her emotions to an extant in order to continue on with the pursuit of Thordan.

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11.) Were they more sympathetic to the dragons, Ishgardians, neither or both? 

100% sympathetic to the dragons. In my .:Stars Align:. timeline she straight up joined the heretics because Ysayle showed her the truth to the Holy See's transgressions. Though she did come to the conclusion that it was wrong that the innocents of Ishgard were going to be the ones to pay for the consequences of their ancestors deeds and that the Church was content with that if it meant Thordan stayed the Arch Bishop.

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13.) Are they close with any of the other Scions? Who do they get along with the best? 

Ishi get's along with basically all of the Scions, but she is closest to Y'shtola, G'raha, and Alisaie. Y'shtola she sees as an academic rival and love's having intellectual conversation with her. G'raha is her platonic soulmate, they bring out best in each other. Alisaie is her pupil, in my canon Ishi was the one to teach her Red Magic, with X'rhun's help of course, put Ishi was her primary teacher.

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17.) Who is their favorite Alliance leader? Who do they get along with the best out of them? 

I'm just gonna say that anytime I see Aymeric pop up on screen I act like a giddy school girl and leave it at that.

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19.) What do they think of the Heaven’s Ward? 

Bastards, the lot of them. Thordan's perosnal goon squad and nothing more.

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23.) Are there any side quest storylines that you’re particularly fond of or think of as being canon to your WoL’s experiences? 

The Hildebrand Quests are all canon for Ishi. I used to be of the opinion that the quests were too silly, but my partner and I did them all together and I was able to see the heart in them and have fun with the silliness.

---

29.) Did your WoL suspect anything was amiss with Urianger or the Crystal Exarch? Did they feel betrayed? Upset? When the truth finally emerged? 

She believed Urianger up until she overheard the argument between him and Y'shtola, if Y'shtola was able to tell something was off then it warranted concern. She even opened the door and joined in on the conversation too, if this concerned her safety and the safety of the group then she felt she should be privy to any information Urianger had.

The Exarch was a little more complicated, though Ishi did have her suspicions that he was in fact G'raha Tia she didn't push him on the matter. Hells, the last time they interacted she didn't even know if G'raha saw her as anything more than a work colleague or that he cared enough about her to keep secrets from her. So her initial interactions with him were very professional, but through his actions she could see that The Exarch was a genuinely good person. When she saw that she was right about The Exarch and G'raha being the same person it initially hurt, this person she cared about lied about who he was so she wouldn't try to stop him from killing himself to save everyone, to save people he would never get the chance to know.

---

31.) What were their first impressions of Hien? 

Ishi thought Hien was going to be another super serious noble who only cared about his royal duty, but seeing his warmth, kindness, and playful banter with Yugiri and Gosetsu made her reconsider that stance.

[chaoticproductivity]

[Part 2]

It was only the second day of January when the letter arrived. 

Duke Hyuuga had always cultivated a long and courteous relationship with the neighbouring dukedom, the Uchiha, especially because both current dukes had attended college together.

Hinata remembered them, from when her mother was alive, because both duchesses had shared a season in the ton. Mikoto got married to Fugaku in her first season, but Hikari had to wait two to finally snatch Hiashi, who was doing business overseas.

They used to play together, Hinata and both the Uchiha boys, when she was still quite young. Itachi was much older and was sent to boarding school when Hinata was still a toddler, but Sasuke was only three years older than her, so they were able to spend a little more time together. Three summers, to be exact, from when she was 6 to 8.

She hadn't seen him in 15 years.

So yes, she could say that she really met him at the funeral.

Since Itachi was the heir, Sasuke had lived mostly unnoticed and didn't really have a reputation besides being the absent son of Lord Uchiha, always travelling to far away lands.

No one knew Itachi had poor health, not even the family, not even the wife! Itachi, apparently, had hid it too well.

"I-i-i..." The widow was inconsolable. "I-i ha-had... No..." Mikoto was beside her, also crying, but in a more restrained manner. "I had... N-no idea... He was even... Sick..." She was trying to justify her ignorance while gulping air and crying her eyes out. Poor thing.

The wake was held three days after the letter arrived and it was clear not many people had been invited. The Hyuugas, Marquis Jiraya and his adopted son, a few selected inferior Uchihas, no more than half a dozen of other important, close families.

Naruto passed Hinata, nodding politely, followed close by his pink haired wife. Neither of them gave any indication they remembered who Hinata was. 

Sasuke looked... Detached. It was known he and Naruto were close friends, having attended boarding school and college at the same time, then travelling together for a few years, but Sasuke had remained serious and stoic, cold even, when exchanging a few words with Naruto. He was polite when addressed, but Hinata noticed early on that people refrained from approaching him.

There weren't many flowers around, it was winter afterall, blossoms were hard to come by. The Hyuugas had a winter garden, therefore were able to send three vases to decorate the mourning hall, for which Mikoto was most grateful.

Sasuke helped carry the casket the short distance to the family burial ground. So did the duke. And Neji, to show respect. The widow had to be carried by the women, she simply could not stand on her own. The only good thing was that the snow had stopped falling. 

All in all, it was a quick affair.

When the people started to leave, Sasuke remained, a dark figure against the white and grey of the landscape. When she saw he was not walking back to the house, Hinata stopped. His shoulders were shaking, the telltale of crying. Hinata left him be, tragically beautiful, not senseless enough to pretend she could offer him any comfort.

A few days later, she learned Sasuke was still at the Uchiha property neighbouring the Hyuuga estate, because she saw him riding a black horse near the border of their properties while coming back to the mansion after an afternoon walk. He was riding too fast to make notice of her.

"Well, yes, he is to be duke now", her cousin explained when, at tea time, she told him of having seen Sasuke. "He can't just go travelling whenever he pleases, anymore. Now he is expected to attend to Itachi's duties and to get married."

"What about you, cousin?", asked Hanabi, coyly. Neji coughed, knowing what she meant. Where was his wife since he was also to be duke? Neji changed the subject.

The spare is how seconds sons are called. Collateral in case the first one doesn't make it. Hinata's father had really taken the short straw by having two daughters, but he was fond enough of his deceased twin brother's son, Neji, to be content with their predicament of the dukedom going to him instead. The Uchihas, particularly Fugaku, did not seem quite so glad that Sasuke was now the heir.

Hinata dragged Hanabi to have tea with them one afternoon mid January, that's how she learned the widow would now move in with the inlaws at the main estate. She was quite overcome with grief and Mikoto thought best not to leave her alone. At the same time, the duke was eager to go home, so they would do it in a couple days.

"Sasuke will stay behind to take care of Itachi's affairs a while longer." Mikoto turned to Hinata then, grabbing her hand. "Would you keep an eye on him for me, dear? Just to make sure he is in good health."

"Of course, Your Grace."

If Mikoto was any other mama, and if she had not just lost a son, Hinata would think she had other intentions with that request, but she knew better. The duchess saw Hinata as she was: a safe spinster.

The Uchihas left. 

Sasuke stayed behind, riding his horse through their fields. He was a creature of habit, Hinata noticed quickly. He would ride everyday, at the same time, except when the weather was unforgiving. 

At one of those evening rides, Hinata grabbed her own horse and went the opposite way, to his house. There she waited, under the gaze of curious servants, for she was an unmarried lady waiting for a bachelor, alone.

"What are you doing here?" Was the very rude question she was greeted with when he entered the drawing room where Hinata was waiting for him.

"Waiting for you."

"Why?"

"Your mother asked me to."

"What?"

Calmly, Hinata drank the last of her tea and stood up, grabbing a sugar cookie.

"Your mother worries, as mothers do." Hinata approached him, unfazed by the enraged dark stare. She looked him up and down a couple times, then, without warning or shilly-shallying, grabbed his arm, pinching it. 

"Have you gone mad?" He recoiled like an offended snake, flushing a little.

"Good, you seem to be in good health." Hinata gathered her coat and gloves that were draped over a side chair. "Good day, sir."

Hinata left a quite flabbergasted Sasuke behind, wondering what had just happened. How dare she... And alone... His mother? How? Why? When had she... What had just... Who she thought she was?

Sasuke was still trying to make sense of her when a note came the next day inviting him to dinner at the Hyuuga Manor. His first instinct was to decline, if not for the rather impressive encounter with the pearl eyed woman the day before. 

He barely remembered her from his childhood. They were playmates, briefly. He did not, however, remember her name. She was Miss Hyuuga, that much he knew, but what was her first name again? 

It was Neji who received him in the drawing room of Hyuuga Manor when the servant directed Sasuke to wait there.

"Uchiha, you came."

"Hyuuga", Sasuke answered as a greeting. He knew Neji from society. There were not that many dukes, after all. "Thank you for the invitation."

"My cousin insisted."

Sasuke nodded. He had not yet elaborated a full opinion regarding Miss Hyuuga and the previous day's encounter, but since she had been there alone, maybe Neji did not know about that particular excursion.

"Oh!" Sasuke turned to where a girl was standing, staring at him. He had not seen her before, but she looked the spitting image of the gentleman in the room with him. "Sister, he really came for dinner."

Not a second too late, Miss Hyuuga was standing beside the smaller girl in a beautiful light blue dress. Her hair was up with ribbons, a lace ribbon also around her neck, and long white gloves. Hanabi was dressed in a similar manner, and Sasuke realised even Neji looked ready for a ball at the ton. Sasuke, with his nice evening coat and simple cravat, felt suddenly underdressed.

"Yes, Hanabi", the woman smiled and prompted her sister to enter the room, nodding at Sasuke as a greeting when they were close enough. "He said so in his note."

"Good evening." Hiashi entered the room after his daughters.

"Lord Hyuuga", said Sasuke. 

"Uchiha", Hiashi also closed the distance. "We thought better to leave you be after your brother's passing, but feel free to come visit if you so please. You are welcome here. Itachi was always a kind neighbour."

Sasuke's expression did not change, for good or for bad.

"I thank you, sir.''

Hiashi seemed quite pleased with himself.

Before any of them could say anything else, a servant came to announce that dinner was served and it went by quickly and mostly silently. The food was exquisite, so Sasuke did not feel bad for focusing his attention on the plate. Afterwards, Hiashi retired upstairs right away, leaving the youngsters to socialise. Before, he would remain amongst the inebriated gentleman for whiskey and cigars while his Hikari had her own fun with the ladies. Now, he had Neji to chaperone his daughters when the need arises. 

"Uchiha", Neji approached passing Sasuke a glass with two finger's of an amber liquid. "Given the circumstances, will you be joining us this season?"

"It is going to be my first season", Hanabi piped in. "I convinced father that I needed more dancing lessons and was able to avoid being presented last year."

"You did need more dancing lessons." Neji commented as someone that had had his feet stomped on too many times. "And still do, for some rhythms."

"It is good enough." Hanabi retorted. "Sister has impeccable dancing and is still unmarried, which proves that dancing is not what a gentleman is really looking for in a wife."

The information caught Sasuke's attention. How come Hinata was unmarried and had gone to his house, had been alone with him so unceremoniously?

"It might be the thing a gentleman is looking for in you, Hanabi."

"Oh, please." Hanabi threw herself at the dessert plate. "Look at Hinata! I don't stand a chance of getting married if she received only 4 proposals after six seasons."

Hinata! Yes, that was her first name. The mention made him look at her. Hinata was uncomfortable, Sasuke could tell from the other side of the room. She faked well, looking out the window sipping her tea. 

"Yes", Sasuke finally answered Neji. "Given the circumstances, I might attend this year."

"Prepare yourself. You're going to be the talk of the season." Neji downed his drink. "And the highest prize for the plotting mamas."

Sasuke downed his drink too. Neji seemed like he knew what he was talking about, at least regarding that. Naruto had said something similar about the season when he was looking for a wife himself - the search was cut short because of his indiscretions with Sakura.

"That may be a good thing", Hinata said. "If you are looking for a suitable wife, you'll have the first pick."

"Indeed."

Sasuke approached the drinks tray on the other side of the room and decided to switch his liquor for some tea. He still had a ride home to take and the last thing he wanted was to fall from the horse and die in a muddy ditch. Fortunately for him, it was not snowing or raining. Unfortunately, it was a very cold night.

"Want me to serve you?"

"No need."

Hinata turned to the window again and Sasuke used that time to observe her. She was not a very tall woman nor horribly thin. Her skin tone was so white she could pass as a sick person if not for the rosy cheeks. She was well-mannered, discreet, and didn't seem to take up much space; loyal, if the checking up on him by his mother's request was any indication. Being the eldest daughter of a duke and motherless from a young age, no doubt she was capable of running a household. 

How was such a lady still unmarried?

"You are staring."

And spilling the tea, he noticed. Sasuke tried to recover when she came to his aid, simply tipping the tea cup a little so the excess was caught in the saucer and then dumped the saucer's contents into the teapot. 

"There." Hinata smiled and he saw the blush in her cheeks. "You should've let me pour you a cup."

Unfazed.

Teasing.

Caring.

How was she still unmarried?

"If you need assistance this season, let us know." 

"Huh?" 

"My cousin should also be looking for a wife, but he insists on marrying us off before doing so." Hinata was fixing her own cup, which made it impossible for Sasuke to look at her eyes. "Hanabi has yet to have her chance, but it's too late for me and I hope he realises that."

"What do you mean?"

Hinata did not answer. She took the cup to her lips and sipped, looking over to her cousin and her sister. Sasuke was curious, feeling like that was the answer he needed to truly understand her, but she stepped away without another word and he did not know her enough to pry.

A week later, Sasuke attended dinner with the Hyuugas again, this time dressed up a little more. Five days after that, it was afternoon tea. When the snow started to slowly melt, he went hunting with Neji. And every so often, would stop by to exchange a few words with Hiashi about the properties and dukedom affairs. On one occasion, he even walked from the village with Hanabi and her maid, and she told all the details to her older sister upon arriving home, like it was some kind of miracle. 

As for Hinata, she kept on visiting him, at his house, all by herself. 

After the third time, he got quite used to it.

After a couple more visits, he started to expect her.

She never stayed much, the doors were always wide open, sometimes the maid who brought tea would stay in the room, in the corner. For Hinata's sake, Sasuke noticed. They could be their servants, but the Hyuugas were the sires of that county, and there their loyalties laid. Or maybe, just with Hinata. She knew his servants by name since the first visit, he learned.

She never stayed much, the doors were always wide open, sometimes the maid who brought tea would stay in the room, in the corner. For Hinata's sake, Sasuke noticed. They could be their servants, but the Hyuugas were the sires of that county, and there their loyalties laid. Or maybe, just with Hinata. She knew his servants by name since the first visit, he learned.

During the five minute visits, she would not even sit.

For the fifteen minute ones, she would make time for a cup of tea.

One day, she stayed for half an hour, engrossed in a book. Sasuke entered while she read and sat, looking at her, both in perfect silence. Hinata took the book with her.

Sometimes, they would meet coincidentally along the way and walk together. It was an easy conversation. She was well-read in most topics and an expert on the society affairs that Sasuke had kept away for so long. All she asked in return were tales from his travels.

"Naruto was with me that time, it was raining and all the hotels were full, but we needed a place to stay, so without thinking we entered the first brothel we..." Sasuke interrupted himself, palling. He looked up at Hinata, but she simply sipped her tea. "Forgive me", he said, very stiff. "It's not a tale appropriate for a lady."

"Why not?"

Hinata put the cup back in the saucer and grabbed a cookie. 

"Do you think well-bread ladies don't know about brothels?" Her question was delivered without stuttering, but not without blushing. "Or that we don't know what happens inside them?"

"Do you?" Without waiting for the answer, he followed. "How?"

"Women can get to know the world too, we just have to be extremely more careful than men." Her words weren't bitter where they should be, but resigned. "We are doomed to a much bigger sentence for a much more insignificant sin."

"That's the reason why you are still unmarried?"

"Oh no", she smiled. "My reputation is pristine. Maybe too much so."

They finished going up the hill from where Hyuuga Manor could be seen beyond the woods and the field.

"At three and twenty, and so many seasons, I've learned society is more than willing to sweep some indiscretions under the rug. Not all of them are plotting all of the time, you know."

"So even someone like you has been indiscreet."

"Yes, even someone like me..."

"That's why you think it's too late for you?"

"No, I think it's too late for me because that's just how things are."

They made it down the hill, into the woods.

Sasuke realised he wanted her.

Like a man wants a woman, and a woman wants a man back, he wants her.

More dangerous still, he realised that he could have her. In that way, she would most likely let him. 

Why else would she be so honest and candid in their conversations?

Why else would she let him know she was not so innocent?

She trusted him.

Why did she trust him?

"The new season starts in two weeks."

"Yes." Sasuke was not looking forward to it.

"You'll find a wife, and when you do, treat her well." Hinata took a step closer to him. 

Hinata trusted Sasuke because, for her, he was safely just out of reach.

Sasuke had the time to notice the dots of light from the gaps between the leaves illuminating her. No, it was not that he had the time, but he wanted to notice how it illuminated her, how it made her eyes even more pale.

Sasuke realised he wanted her.

Like a husband wants a wife, like a person wants an equal, like wanting a partner, a friend. 

He wanted to ask her to marry him there and then, but he had a feeling she would say no for whatever reason, and for no reason at all, and he could not afford that.

Instead, he took a step closer.

"Let me tell you more about the world."

She nodded.

They kissed. 

And kissed and kissed.

And the new season began.

[patamon]

Takari Week 2022: [Day 1 prompt: Focus & Reflection]

Focus and Reflection were official character songs released outside of the main series. Focus was Takeru’s feature song on the Best Partner CD, and Reflection was Hikari’s song on the Digimon Girl’s Festival CD. It’s been widely speculated that Focus is Takeru’s song for Hikari, and vice versa for Reflection. For the Day 1 prompt, I thought I would imagine a scenario where Takeru and Hikari’s songs on the Adventure 02 Kizuna Character CD were dedicated to one another the same way Focus/Reflection is suspected to be. Turns out, it wasn’t at all difficult to do!

For reference, here is Takeru’s Kizuna song (Step High Step) and here is Hikari’s Kizuna song (Tomorrow’s Blue), which are inspirations for my Takari Day 1 fic.

Title: Tomorrow’s Blue Character: Hikari Yagami & Takeru Takaishi Pairings: Takari (for @takariweek​​) Word Count: 4410 Rating: G Summary: Hikari and Takeru discuss the uncertainties of their impending future, and the mysteries that will be ushered in by tomorrow.

Cross-posted on AO3

Read below the cut 👇🏻

Tomorrow’s Blue

Before Hikari stretched an endless sea of green. The green of innocence, as Hikari recognized it as, illuminated by the soft yellow light of the waning moon. This was the land where stories began, and coincidentally, where stories also ended. A beginning and an ending tied together by the thin thread of fate, and Hikari was sure that somehow, she was interwoven into it, her fate embroidered into the intricacies of this land.

At the present moment, she occupied the interstices between a beginning and an end, directionless and clueless, staring into the daunting abyss of tomorrow. But tonight, tonight she will pretend to be eight again, learning to explore the land around her, listening to the secrets this universe had to tell her. Tonight, she will forget her troubles and silence the funeral march in her mind as it mourned the seconds that passed while she sat static on this field of green.

“Lost in thoughts again?”

Instinctively, a smile dappled on the curve of Hikari’s lips. She turned her head slightly, enough to find a tall but familiar silhouette hugging the edges of her vision. Barely two seconds later, a pair of blue eyes stared back at her, accompanied by a scintillating, albeit roguish, grin.

“More or less,” she responded with a nonchalant shrug as her companion took a seat next to her on the lush green field.

“Oof,” he sang out, his tone a mixture of surprise and amusement as his body ricocheted off the bouncy field. 

Hikari couldn’t help but giggle, which earned her an exaggerated pout from her friend. The force of the bounce was a little stronger than anticipated. Not surprising, given the extra weight their adult body now carried, as opposed to their tinier frames back when they first set sight on this rolling fields of green.

“Thanks for coming to meet me here, Takeru,” she acknowledged softly, but not so soft that Takeru couldn’t hear.

Takeru flashed a grin, “I don’t mind, only because you now owe me lunch.”

Hikari stuck out her tongue in response. They lapsed into contemplative silence then, admiring the large building block monuments in the distance and the peculiar trees surrounding them bearing toys as fruits amongst its leaves. Hikari remembered once asking Takeru if he knew what the building blocks were made of, if they were hard and rocky like the mountains they resembled.

“No, it’s all just feathers,” Takeru had said matter-of-factly, to which Hikari had vehemently argued against, until Takeru conceded and admitted defeat.

Off in the distance, they heard a distinct crack, like delicate glass crumbling into fairy dust, a signal that another new life was born into the Digital World. Hikari closed her eyes and imagined a Nyaromon opening its innocent eyes for the first time. One day, it might grow into a regal Angewomon, or perhaps it was looking forward to flying into the digital sky as a majestic Nefertimon. It filled her to the brim with a strange sense of restlessness, knowing that the future potential was endless, yet uncertain. It was enough to make her shiver.

 “You okay?”

 Hikari turned towards the question and found herself staring once again into Takeru’s blue eyes, its depths endless. Her cheeks heated up, and she turned away quickly, hoping the night would be kind enough to hide her secrets.

 “Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

 “I don’t know, I just thought I saw you shiver, I was worried you might be cold”

In response, she feigned an eye roll, exaggerating the movement so it’s noticeable to Takeru. But inward, her stomach tightened. She felt sweat condensing on her palms, and quickly pressed them against the grass to wipe them away. Even now, on the cusp of adulthood, her favourite feeling remains the one that bloomed inside her from the time she was young, and nestled within her until this very moment. It was the feeling of knowing that Takeru cared, enough to watch over her and pick up a detail as subtle as a shiver

“I’m fine, Takeru,” she breathed out, “You know, you don’t have to worry about me all the time. I can take care of myself”

Takeru chuckled, “I know, I know. But…old habits die hard, you know?”

Hikari nodded in agreement, embracing this moment and basking in the familiarity and the warmth, the kindness that can only be found in Takeru’s voice. After all, she didn’t know how many more of these carefree moments they had left. The future was coming, tomorrow was uncertain, and dwelling on these thoughts now brought back to mind the two letters stuffed in her backpack, clipped between the pages of her blank new journal.

She shivered again, drawing Takeru’s immediate attention.

“Are you sure you’re not cold, Hikari?”

She looked away, back towards the checkered green fields and sighed.

“Takeru, have you ever thought about the future?”

Without looking, she could tell his blue eyes were lit in amusement at her sudden question. She wouldn’t be surprised if she could trace the distinct slope of his smile with her eyes closed.

“What do you mean?” he countered

“You know, the future, like what will happen, what we are going to do, who we are going see, where we’ll end up in the future”

“Hmm…let’s see…well tomorrow I am meeting up with Yamato for dinner, so I see a lot of spicy curry in my future”

She turned sharply in her seat and shoved him hard, just as Takeru burst into a rowdy guffaw. His long legs flailed out in a tangled heap as he fell sideways, his arms hugged his side as he continued roaring out his laugh.

“That’s not what I meant. Takeru, I’m serious.”

“What? You asked me if I ever thought about the future, and technically, tomorrow is the future”

Hikari stood up, arms grabbing her bag as she turned away, “Fine, if you don’t want to talk with me like a serious adult then we don’t have to be here. I’m going home”

“Wait, Hikari,” Takeru cried out in a frantic voice. His arms shot out and encircled her slender wrist, and with an easy jerk, he pulled her back down beside him. It was her body’s turn to ricochet off the bouncy green field, and although she donned on her most convincing scowl, inside, she felt satisfied that Takeru pulled her back. It was enough for her to believe that Takeru would always pull her back.

“Tomorrow is the future, Hikari. It means a new start, new adventures. Everything can change by the light of a new sunrise.”

She turned to him, to his dazzling blue eyes. Under the pale moonlight of the Digital World, it looked brilliantly bright, dancing a masterful choreography in Hikari’s eyes.

“A new start?” she repeated.

“Yes. Every time anyone mentions the future, they’re always referencing some…unattainable timeframe from now. They’re thinking about a year, or two, or five, maybe decades ahead. But I have always wondered, why can’t we talk about tomorrow? Tomorrow, I can start writing that book I always wanted to write. Tomorrow, Daisuke can submit an application to the culinary school he wants to go to in New York City. Tomorrow, Ken can finally stop dragging his feet and ask Miyako out on a real date. So many things can happen tomorrow, and thinking about tomorrow makes me feel like our goals are attainable. We don’t have to wait years to begin our future. It can all start tomorrow because tomorrow is ours.”

Hikari shuddered. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is deadline and confessions and uncertainty. Tomorrow is an adventure she still could not face. She tilted her face up towards the azure sky, watching as the stars above her twinkled against the darkened universe.

Tomorrow is blue, just like the night sky before them, mysterious and foreboding, snuffling out all traces of light.

“It’s almost like people are afraid,” Takeru continued, “They prefer to think of the future as this faraway place to delay the unknown for as long as they can. But it’s not like the future will wait for anyone. Things are changing, they keep changing, so why not face the changes and embrace the unknown of tomorrow? So tell me, Hikari, what do you want to do tomorrow?”

Then, it came. The tears gathered in her eyes. She bit her lips and rubbed at them, hoping Takeru would believe they were mere specks of dust, and not the daunting mysteries of uncertainty, of mediating between expectations and desires.

Behind closed eyes, she felt familiar touches lingering on her cheeks, and opened them to find Takeru wiping away residual tears with the pad of his thumb. She gulped and turned away, hugging her knees tighter to her chest.

“We’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we?” she whispered.

“Well…we’ve saved the world together a few times, but no big deal”

The tears gave way to an easy smile. In her mind were all the memories they shared together, all the fights, all the battles, all the times they ran together until they were breathless and fried. In her spirit were all the competing emotions threatening to spill, all the feelings she had no words for, no vehicles fit enough to carry them to Takeru. So instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and settled for another topic…

“You might be wondering why I asked you to come here tonight,” she began.

Takeru nodded, but kept silent, waiting for her to continue.

“I need your opinion on something, Takeru”

“Really? My opinion? But what about Miyako or Taichi?”

“Taichi cannot know…yet, not until I have my final decision, and I know what Miyako will say, and it won’t help me because I know it’ll only be what she would do if she were me. But…I want to talk to someone who knows me inside and out, because then they’ll help me figure out not only what I should do, but what I need to do…for myself”

His fingers twitched, the movement so delicate it was barely detectable. But she caught it all the same, no subtle details from Takeru could escape her attentive eyes.

“I received a letter last month…”

“Oh”

“Well…two letters”

“Oh…”

The second oh was heavy with confusion. An understandable reaction. Hikari reached for her bag, tucked neatly underneath one of the toy-bearing trees. With purposeful movements, she retrieved the brand new journal she brought last week, its pages still bare and crisp. Wedged between its pages were two letters, each with equally worn edges, a product of her pouring over the sentences night after night, memorizing each word and punctuation mark imprinted upon heavy stock paper.

“This was the first letter I received,” Hikari began, opening up the page, smoothing over the creases before running her fingers over the official emblem at the top.

Takeru quickly scanned the first sentence over Hikari’s shoulders, his eyes widening with understanding as he read.

“An acceptance letter!”

“Yes,” Hikari acknowledged with a nod, “To the early childhood education program at the women’s college in Shinjuku”

“It’s what you spoke about for awhile now”

She nodded again in response.

“And…the other letter?”

She produced the second piece of paper, still folded into perfect thirds and handed it to Takeru with shaking fingers. He accepted it from her, his touch on her fingers dappled a little longer than expected before he let go to devote his attention to the letter.

Hikari rubbed at the spot his touch had lingered on her skin, smoothing it slowly to distract herself from imagining Takeru reading the second letter, to will her imagination away from his eyes taking in the same words she’s read over millions and millions of times as she laid awake at night alone in her room.

The silence was deafening, lasting longer than she expected. Takeru was a fast reader, his eyes vacuuming up words at a rate that dismayed her. So this pause was worrisome, enough for her to cast quick glances at him. He had his eyes down, a divot between his brows as he rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. Finally, after what felt like an eternity and an hour, he looked up at her with the most complicated expression she’s ever seen.

“Hikari, I’m…I’m surprised, shocked…”

Without thinking, she leaned forward, her body drifting close enough to smell the faint smell of aftershave clinging to his body. For a brief second, her heart quickened. Takeru wears aftershave now. What a strange…yet enticing concept.

“...and impressed. You never told me you applied to Hokkaido University! And for veterinary medicine. This is…this is amazing, and…and you’ve been accepted!”

“I…I…I honestly never thought I would be accepted,” Hikari admitted in a meek voice, “I mean…I didn’t think my math and science grades were anywhere enough for the program. You have no idea how shocked I was when I received the acceptance letter”

Takeru sighed and shook his head slowly, pursing his lips as he carefully folded up the letter back into its equal segments.

“Hikari, you don’t give yourself enough credit. I wish…I wish you could see…”

His voice trailed off. Hikari watched him curiously as he combed his fingers through his golden hair, scattering specks of moonlight in all directions as he sighed again.

“But Hikari…if you didn’t think you would be accepted, then…why did you apply?”

Hikari offered a nonchalant shrug, but inside, her heart was hammering so hard, she thought her response would be drowned out by its beat.

“Isn’t that…isn’t that what we all have to do?” she managed to respond.

Takeru’s brow furrowed in confusion, “What do you mean?”

“Taichi did it. Miyako did it. They all moved away from home for university. That’s how you find yourself and become the adult you’re supposed to be, isn’t it?”

“But, Hikari, this is Hokkaido, and Hokkaido is…is….”

“Far,” Hikari offered.

For a brief moment, Hikari thought she saw the dull flicker of a grim frown on Takeru’s features, but it quickly evaporated away, making way for a cheerful smile. His cheerful smile.

“Yeah, it is…far, but is it what you want, Hikari? Because if it is what you want, I will support you, we will all support you.”

“Umm…I…” she bit her lips and looked away. It was the question she asked herself for weeks now, but she was no closer to an answer than when she first received the acceptance letters.

“Does anyone else know about this?”

“Miyako knows I applied to the school in Hokkaido, and has been asking me for updates every week since. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell her”

“Why not?”

She sighed, “I just knew if I told her, she would want me to leave for Hokkaido. But…”

“But…?”

“But…”

She heaved a heavy sigh and tilted her head up at the sky once more, studying the dark blue preceding tomorrow’s unknown, hoping to find the words to her explanation there.

But in the end, she had to find her own words within herself.

“I applied to Hokkaido University the same night Miyako submitted her application to that exchange program in Spain. I thought…I thought maybe for once, I could do something like that, too. So...I guess you could say...I applied because I wanted to be like Miyako, to be wild and adventurous and unpredictable, to run with my hair caught in the wind and not have to worry about the tangles that come after.”

“Wow, that’s good,” Takeru remarked with a laugh, “I should remember this for my next writing assignment. But…tell me the truth, Hikari.” 

He leaned close, then pressed one of the letters into her open palm. Hikari looked down and saw the logo of Hokkaido University plastered on the front, Takeru’s index finger inches away from its crest.

“It must come from somewhere right? There’s a part of you that must want this…to venture far away from home, to pursue this career path. It’s not just the need to be unpredictable like Miyako…”

“Well…” she began, before her breath hitched in her throat. By now, Takeru was so close, she could see her own reflection imprinted in his blue eyes. They were a mesmerizing shade. For years and years now, she struggled to find a word to describe the hue, no crayon or paint colour could capture the blue emblazoned on Takeru’s orbs.

Takeru blue. She decided that’s how she would name the colour. Takeru blue.

And surprisingly, she saw a small smile on her lips as she gazed into her reflection in Takeru’s eyes. It somehow put her at ease, to recognize her own kind of smile imprinted in the blue of Takeru’s orbs, to recognize her true self erected amidst the boundless land of Takeru blue.

Tomorrow’s blue.

It gave her the courage she needed to shatter the wall she hid behind, to offer up her truth.

“The truth is…I don’t know.”

Takeru looked taken aback. But before he could respond, Hikari spoke again.

“At the beginning, I thought it was what I wanted, but now, I’m not so sure anymore. I feel so…pathetic. I can’t figure out what I want to do and separate it from what I need to do. I wish I was more like Taichi, or Miyako…they’re so sure of themselves, they always know what to do.”

“Hikari…”

“It was my fault. I put myself in this situation, all on an impulse.”

The last word barely left Hikari’s lips, when suddenly, Takeru shot up beside her. She looked up at his form, a quizzical expression on her face before he bent and offered his hand.

“Come on,” he beckoned.

Without questioning, she accepted his hand, and together, they walked through the wide open space of Primary Village, carefully shifting their weight so as not to bounce too high on the springy floor as they walked.

“Where are you taking me?” she questioned.

But Takeru did not respond, he only led her deeper into the village until at long last, they stopped before a cliff. Hikari peered down at the edge, a rolling field of green before her, the brand new Digimon eggs resembled specks of dust from where she stood, and the brown of the earthen crib almost impossible to make out from her height. She gulped, inching away from the cliff ever so slightly while Takeru stepped forward.

“Jump with me?” he asked.

“What? Why?” she squeaked.

“No good reasons, but it’ll be fun”

Hikari blanched. She wanted to shake her head, but at the same time, she didn’t want Takeru to know she was afraid. So she etched forward with him, measuring the distance of the jump with wary eyes.

“But only if you want to, Hikari” came Takeru’s sturdy response.

But Hikari shook her head, placing a foot forward, shifting the weight onto her back leg as she prepared for the jump.

“I have to,” she asserted.

“Why?”

“Because…because I have to”

“Do you?”

“Yes, yes, I have to. You don’t understand, Takeru. I have to prove to everyone that I can do this…I have to prove to myself that I’m capable of being on my own, that I’m not…that I’m not some pathetic, scared, little girl that refuses to grow up”

“But Hikari, you’re not any of those things”

“Yes, yes I am,” without warning, the tears spilled. Her legs collapsed under her, and she found herself falling to the ground with her face buried in her palm. Her body bounced slightly on the springy floor as she struggled to stifle her sobs. She felt the weight shift on the floor beside her, then Takeru’s arms around her shoulders as she allowed her tears to fall unabated.

How long she cried, she did not know. She only knew Takeru’s warmth was with her the entire time, his hands holding her close as her tears soaked the whites of his school uniform.

“Miyako said once that she refused to stay in Tokyo because she didn’t want to be boring, that she wanted to spread her wings and fly away from her nest. She even talked about moving away from Japan. She said she wanted to make her own mistakes and learn from them, she said she can’t grow into the woman she’s supposed to be if she’s tethered to her family, so that’s why she’s leaving for Spain.”

“That’s…a little dramatic for a year abroad. But…I can’t say I’m surprised. It is Miyako after all.”

“Precisely. It is Miyako, we’re not surprised that Miyako is brave enough to do this. But I can’t help but feel like…that should be my journey, too. All my life, I’ve always wanted to stay close to home, to be near my mom and dad, to be close to comfort. But maybe that’s a sign of immaturity, Takeru. Maybe I have to push myself out of my comfort zone, like jumping off this cliff”

She attempted to stand, but didn’t get very far before Takeru pulled her down once again. Their bodies ricocheted together once it hit the bouncy floor.

“Hikari…wait, it’s not that I don’t think you can do this, on the contrary, I think you have everything within yourself to live on your own in Hokkaido and excel at this vet program, just like I know you can jump off this cliff and land on your feet without anyone’s help, but…but…”

“But what?”

“But…I don’t want you to do this because you feel like you have to do this.”

“Isn’t that why we do anything in life? We saved the Digital World because we had to do it. We fought all those battles because it was our duty. Life is about obligation, Takeru”

“No, it doesn’t have to be about obligation if. It’s our future, Hikari. I’d like to think that we have some control over what we want out of our lives. We don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Tomorrow is ours to make of it as we wish, we can decide on what it can and should be for ourselves. This is your decision, Hikari. So ask yourself, if you could do whatever you’d like, without worrying about what others think, what would you do?”

“I…I don’t know”

“Hikari…” he wiped Hikari’s face gently, in the area right underneath her eyes. She remained still, revelling in the steadiness of his hands, at the warmth of his breath as he caught her tears.

“What if I make the wrong decision, Takeru?”

“No matter what you decide, Hikari, if it’s a decision you have made for yourself, then it will be the right decision. I know you can overcome whatever trouble comes your way. You’ve done it countless times before, and I know you can do it again.”

“But what if…what if it is the wrong decision? What if I stay in Tokyo and regret not taking the chance? On the other hand, what if I leave home and hate Hokkaido? ”

“Then you can change your path the next day,” Takeru responded with a soft laugh, “There’s always tomorrow to bring something different our way”

“Is it really that easy?”

“No, no it isn’t. But I know you can do it. You are capable of so much, Hikari. I’ve been in awe of you since we were eight, since we started running through these fields together. We’ve always fought together, stayed together, been together, and through it all, I’ve never been short of amazed at all that you can accomplish”

Hikari let slip a delicate smile. She gazed at him once again, at the blue of his eyes dancing in the moonlight, wishing to be as close to him as possible so she could see her smiles reflected in his stares again.

“Will you think less of me if I decide to stay in Tokyo and do the predictable thing?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think, Hikari. You don’t have to be anyone but yourself, so do what’s best for you.”

Then, underneath the light of his smile, everything clicked. And for the first time in a long time, she had the courage to accept the truth.

“I’m going to stay,” she decided.

“Really?”

“Yes, I want to stay. Teaching has been my dream forever, and I want to stay in Tokyo. My friends and family are here in Tokyo. I don’t have to leave far away at this moment just because Miyako is doing it. I want to be myself, so I’m going to do this to stay true to myself.”

Takeru beamed, the light hitting him at a spectacular angle, buzzing around Hikari at an excitable speed.

“Sometimes, accepting what’s right for us is the bravest thing we can do,” Takeru assured her.

“Even if it doesn’t seem so brave to others”

Takeru nodded in agreement, and with that flick of his head and the charm of his smiles, Hikari was possessed with an overwhelming urge to pull him close, as close as possible until she could smell and taste more than the aftershave lingering on his skin. But then, a gale of wind blasted through, lifting her hair and blouse, breaking her eye contact with him as the force knocked both of them forward a few millimetres.

They both laughed, and before either of them could recover, she had her hands around his wrists, and she was the one pulling them forward.

“Jump with me?” she asked.

His trademark smirk came back, the one that set her spirit wild and her heart ablaze. He pulled her close, until their arms were linked and their waist were pressed up against each other. The wind picked up again, pushing them forward as if the Digital World wanted this for the both of them.

“Thought you’d never ask,” he responded.

She took a deep breath before she jumped, but there was no fear, no apprehension as they leapt. After all, she could see her smile reflected in his blue eyes, and it was enough for her to understand that he would watch over her…no, that they would watch over each other as they took to the air with the world of possibility beneath their feet.

It was how she knew, that whatever tomorrow brings, everything was going to be fine.

[scorch62msc]

Prologue: The Darkest Day and The Brightest Future

Akio sat there on the ground on his knees, holding his now dead father as the tears did not relent. His dad may have been a bastard sometimes…but he was still his father; he was still the man who raised him! His normally slicked back hair, black in color, was ruined and disheveled, his blue eyes hidden as they were closed by the tears he was letting out. Thankfully, he needn’t shed his tears alone; his adoring wife Hikari there by his side, as they fought together and killed the man responsible for this…for ALL of this. The sky turned dark…and rain started to pour.

     Hikari held her husband, sitting to the side of him and having her arms around his neck as she had his head cradled inside her bosom. Her long, red hair, which was usually in a ponytail, had been let out of it; which let her hair down all the way to her hips. Her modified uniform was completely disheveled, dirty…and almost ruined because of her willingness to stay by her husband. Even with the rain…she knew her husband needed time to collect himself; to have to let out everything now. They both sat there in the rain; Akio at least bringing an arm around his wife to fully feel her embrace. When he did though…the body of his father fell to the ground…and while Akio knew it happened, he held onto his wife…his everything.

     Of course, their daughter Asuka would be devastated by this as well; and they both could use their comfort in this. So, Akio did his best to dry his tears, Hikari gave him a kiss on the cheek, and went to pick up his father’s body. He stopped himself though, as another person suddenly flash stepped in; and both knew it was a friendly at least as it was Akio’s lieutenant Daisuke.

    Daisuke was just a couple inches shorter than Akio, with black and silver hair that normally would be combed backwards, but was disheveled from the large battle. “You alright Daisuke? Are all your sisters safe at least?” Akio asked first; the first thing Daisuke did was ask to look for his younger sisters and make sure they’re all right.

     “I am fine captain thank you,” Daisuke answered, though he sounded a little out of breath. “And my sisters are safe and helping others, thank you.” Despite his answer though, Daisuke showed a face of hesitance; like he wanted to say something else but couldn’t bring himself to say it.

     Hikari noticed it though and didn’t hesitate to say something, “Daisuke..what is it?”

    “Well…hopefully it is nothing,” he started. “Shouta approached me and told me to find you both right away.” Daisuke hesitated a little, as he then pulled out a red and silver hair pin…that both of them knew who it belonged to.  “Asuka has gone missing and he is trying to look for her.”      It has been two months since that day…two very long, and hard months for everyone in the Seireitei. The effects of that day were still being felt, Soul Society still healing its wounds, rebuilding…mourning. It came to be known as “The Quincy Betrayal” as the Quincies, longtime allies of the Shinigami, decided to attack the Gotei 13 with no explanation and no reasoning…and even though Soul Society won the encounter and pushed out what little Quincy survivors were left…it left a devastating blow to the Gotei 13.

     About half of the officers, both captains and lieutenants, were killed in the conflict, the Shino Academy was almost completely destroyed and only a fraction of the student body survived. These and so many other terrible losses happened; family and friends lost and divided, parents, siblings, and children…everyone in some way was affected by the unexpected attack of their former allies.

     Hikari Yamamoto took it ESPECIALLY hard herself; not only losing her father-in-law…but her beautiful daughter Asuka went missing that day and still hasn’t been found. Asuka was Hikari and Akio’s only child and had already become as strong as a Captain and they were both incredibly proud of her. Even more so, Asuka had found someone she had fallen in love with and everyone figured they were going to be married.

     The captain of Squad Four could barely eat or even bother to do anything for almost that first entire month she was so distraught. Today however…today might brighten things up a bit; it did for her when she found out and all that was left was to tell her husband.

     She had with her a tray of tea and all the needed extras with it, as Hikari opened up the door to her husband’s office. The redhead looked, showing a smile and sighing as sure enough; her husband was fast asleep at his desk.

     After the death of his father Akio Yamamoto was chosen by Central 46 to fill in the position of Captain-Commander. Needless to say, he’s had the hardest job to adjust to out of all the vacant positions. There were changes made in almost every Squad in the aftermath of all of it; and everyone was still adjusting.

     Even worse; one of the Noble Families decided to just leave the Gotei 13 altogether. Ayumu Katsumata, the original captain of Squad Nine, along with his wife Yuuna, who was the original captain of Squad 13, thought himself to take the vacant position of captain-commander of the Gotei 13. It did make the most sense in a way; he was the only founder of a Noble Family that was still an active Shinigami, as well as one of the most experienced Shinigami.

     To everyone’s surprise; including Akio, Central 46 appointed Akio to take his father’s position. While Akio HAD been a captain for at least 200 years; he had nowhere near the amount of experience as Ayumu, and both Takeshi Katsuo and Daichi Takahashi, the original captains of Squad Eight and Eleven respectively, turned down the role to stay in their Squads. This infuriated Ayumu so much that he decided to turn his back on the Gotei 13 and take his whole family with him. This included their three children: Myrna, Shouta, and Hisana, all of whom were well established and strong Shinigami themselves.

     At the moment though they thankfully had not made any provocations and were mostly quiet and kept to themselves in the Katsumata manor out in the Rukongai. Still, it was a troubling situation that they hoped wouldn’t boil over into anything too dangerous; or even worse a Civil War of some kind. For now, the Gotei 13 had to worry about licking its wounds and getting back up to full strength.

     To make matters even more awkward about the whole situation; Shouta Katsumata was the one that was in a relationship with Akio and Hikari’s daughter Asuka. Though it confused everyone that ALL of Ayumu’s children decided to leave with him; especially since none of them seemed too keen on leaving the Gotei 13. Akio and Hikari at least have told Shouta they have no ill will towards him for leaving, out of respect for their now deceased daughter. In fact, Hikari gifted Asuka’s hairpin to Shouta; knowing how much the two meant to each other.

     The captain of Squad Four put the tray she was carrying on a table in the room and fixed a cup of tea for both her and her husband. At this time, Akio finally smelled the tea and let out a large moan as he awoke. The new captain-commander raised his head with his eyes barely open, as he saw his wife preparing the cups of tea.

     Hikari didn’t even have to turn to face him to know he was waking up and said, “Good Morning Handsome.”

     Akio chuckled a little as he rubbed the drowsiness out of his eyes; he probably looked like a mess but she still always called him that. “Good morning beautiful,” he replied as he went to stand up.

     “Stay there Akio,” Hikari said before he could fully stand up. “You’re just waking up…I’ll bring the tea to you.” Akio just couldn’t help but show as bright of a smile as he could when his wife said that; as he stayed on his chair.

     The redhead finished pouring the tea and putting it all together and brought the cups over on plates. Finally seeing her husband after he woke up; he was completely disheveled. His usually slicked back, neat hair was completely in disarray and his vibrant blue eyes, while still having the same shine; had terrible bags under them and were a little red.

     She almost stopped herself when she saw the state her husband was in; showing a somewhat disapproving look. “How much sleep did you get last night?” Hikari asked, being terribly worried about his health. She knew she wasn’t faring much better, as she only finally started to recover from her near month-long depression; but it was of course in her nature to worry and look after him.

     “Actually, more than yesterday,” Akio admitted. “Managed to finish up everything around midnight-”

    “Akio,” Hikari said with a disapproving voice. Nonetheless, she walked up to him and put one of the teas down in front of him. “You have to stop working yourself so hard like this; it’s been 3 days since you’ve last slept at home.” She gave her husband a kiss on the cheek, “Do you even know the last time it’s been since we haven’t at least slept in the same bed together?”

     The Captain-Commander showed a look of shame, not saying much as he moved his head to look away from her. “I’m sorry…there’s almost no end in sight with everything that’s coming my way and-”

     “I know,” Hikari interrupted her husband, showing a soft smile as she moved to sit on his lap; having her cup of tea on the desk for now as well. The captain then moved her arms to wrap around him; one across the back of his neck and the other around his waist. Akio responded by having his arm closest to Hikari wrap around her waist and gently pulled his wife closer to him to steal a kiss.

     She happily obliged, losing herself a little and closing her eyes in bliss. Akio was the one who pulled back first; showing a smile, “Thank you…definitely needed that to start my day.”

     His wife smiled and let out a little giggle, “Of course my love.” She said before giving him another one then grabbing her own tea and taking a sip.

     This was the first time since after The Quincy Betrayal that the two of them were able to relax…even if just for a little bit. To be able to just enjoy the company and closeness of each other as the couple both just closed their eyes for a little bit and enjoyed their closeness. Akio was almost ready to fall asleep again though and forced himself to open his eyes and adjust himself so as to not disturb Hikari.

     He moved a hand to grab his cup of tea and took a sip; the tea cooling down a little now that he was able to have a bit more at once. Akio then kissed Hikari on her cheek to wake her up a little too, “So, how’s the new lieutenant?”

     In the aftermath Hikari’s former lieutenant, Ikumi, had her Zanpakuto destroyed; and even worse her husband was killed during the battle as well. Not having a Zanpakuto, Ikumi had an unseated position in Squad Four and helped around in the barracks now; whether doing desk or paperwork, helping patients, or even helping Hikari herself with paperwork.

     Now, Hikari’s Lieutenant was one Mizaku Izadora; formerly of Akio’s Squad who, before The Quincy Betrayal, thought fairly highly of herself and looked down on others a lot. However, just like everyone else Mizaku was affected by the attack as well; losing her father and her mother being seriously injured. It changed the girl’s mindset and almost immediately begged Hikari to take her under her wing.

     “She’s a fast learner,” Hikari admitted as she drank some more of her own tea. “I’ll have her as a top-notch healer in no time.” 

     Akio showed a chuckle though as he finished up his tea…though noticed something off about his wife. Her demeanor suddenly changed…to what though he wasn’t unsure, “Hikari…is everything alright?”

     The captain was a little hesitant; unsure of how to tell Akio this. After thinking it over she then said, “These last few days…I’ve been feeling a little ill in the morning; which of course you weren’t there to see.” Akio was about to say something but Hikari put a single finger to his lips, “I’m fine…it’s morning sickness,” Hikari said, showing a warm, happy smile as tears suddenly released from her eyes. She didn’t say anything more as she gently grabbed Akio’s hand that wasn’t at her waist, and moved it to her stomach; placing the hand on it.

     Almost immediately Akio felt it, and at first was completely speechless; as he looked down at his wife’s stomach. It was hard to see but easy enough to feel, as he looked back at her. “Y-you’re-”

     Hikari nodded her head, tears of joy flowing from her eyes, “Just a little over two months now.” There was somewhat of a silence before Hikari finished, “We get to try again…to start over with a new child.”

[ohnominamino]

An Essay on Love in Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time is a movie about love in all its forms. From the love of family, friends, and neighbors, to the compassion we feel for people we have never met. The movie reminds us that love is something we continuously gain, lose, and choose, again and again. Which love is greatest? In my opinion, the answer to that question is left up to interpretation. In this essay, I will give my own personal interpretation on certain character interactions and what I believe we are meant to take away from their Rebuild portrayals. 

The character I will start with is one I’ve noticed the most outrage over from people who haven’t seen the movie and read out-of-context spoilers: Kaworu Nagisa. 

Kaworu is a beloved character among many Evangelion fans, especially those who are members of the LGBT+ community. He is a canonical love interest of Shinji Ikari and I want to reassure people that this final movie does not change that fact. However, it does not make the couple blatantly endgame either. This skirting around the couple might make some fans upset, and while their feelings are completely valid, I do not think they fully understand the difficulties faced by LGBT+ people in Japan, nor do they understand the way that romance is typically conveyed in Japanese storytelling. (I recommend watching “Is ‘Yuri On Ice’ Good Gay Representation?” by James Somerton for more about storytelling nuances.) 

What have we been shown about Shinji and Kaworu’s love? The good news is, anything you read into the original TV series and End of Evangelion is completely true for the Rebuilds— because Kaworu is the same Kaworu. This movie proves Evangelion is a single universe set on repeat, and that Kaworu and Shinji meet each other every loop, and in each, Kaworu is trying to make Shinji happy. Within the final movie, Shinji becomes aware of the loops and chooses to break the cycle and free Kaworu from his pain. 

What does the relationship between Shinji and Kaworu teach us? I believe the purpose of their love is to show the audience that first, in the words of Kaji, “love has no gender.” Second, I believe Kaworu’s love in particular is a warning about basing your own happiness solely upon another person. There are parallels drawn between Gendo/Yui and Kaworu/Shinji. Gendo could not exist without Yui, and so he was willing to destroy the world to be reunited with her. For Kaworu, it was not the destruction of humanity, but the destruction of himself that defined his tragedy. What’s important within the final movie, in my opinion, is that Shinji does not reject Kaworu’s love. With the insight he’s gained from remembering past loops, he sees Kaworu’s love and appreciates him, but he also sees his suffering and wants to ease it. He helps Kaworu into a new world where he can seek his own happiness and find balance in his life (something his father did not have). 

While Kaworu and Shinji are not seen as an explicit couple at the end of the movie, it’s significant to note that, when he sets Kaworu free, Shinji holds out his hand to Kaworu as a promise to stay together. Over the course of the movie, Shinji comes to accept his connection to others through accepting touch (in the form of hand holding and hugs from Rei, Misato, and Gendo); however, Kaworu is the only character in the movie who Shinji initiates physical contact with and that speaks to how much Kaworu means to him. This simple gesture, in my opinion, keeps the door open for Kaworu and Shinji to be a couple one day, after Kaworu has found more balance in his life. 

If I were to write an entire essay about Kaworu, it would be titled, “Out of the Coffin: How the Resurrection of Kaworu Nagisa Buries the Tragic Lovers Trope” because this movie truly does just that. 

Another potential love interest for Shinji for many years was Asuka; however, unlike with Kaworu, the nature of this relationship is not left up to interpretation by the end of the movie. Before her big final battle, Asuka tells Shinji, “I think I loved you back then” (regarding their time in middle school) and Shinji, during Instrumentality, tells Asuka, “Thank you for saying you loved me. I loved you too.” It is past tense. 

What does this relationship teach us? It’s a beautiful way of showing that we can love people, and grow and learn, and let go when we no longer fit each other. Letting go is an integral part of life. Whereas other Instrumentality scenes involve touch, Asuka’s, mirroring the ending of End of Evangelion, has a distinct lack of touch. Shinji sits with his arms around his knees and Asuka turns her body away from him. He gives her his thanks and he sends her off to find her peace. Asuka and Shinji teach us that it’s okay to grow out of relationships. You can appreciate what they were to you at the time they happened and move on. 

What about Rei? To be honest with you, this movie is less about Rei’s relationship with Shinji, and more about her relationship with the world. Rei teaches movie viewers about the simple pleasures of living. While Shinji is in mourning for the first quarter of the movie, Rei (as “Sokkuri”) is learning about crop growing and community, the wonder of babies and kittens, the joy of the bath after a long day of fruitful work, and the power of words and picture books. At the end of her life, she only regrets not having more time to spend with the people she loves. In Instrumentality, Shinji accepts her hand when it is offered to him, which I hope signifies he is ready to see life as she had come to during the final movie. 

Rei teaches us that we can love living and to not take our limited time for granted. 

Next, we move on to parent figures: Gendo and Misato. I think they both represent people ill suited to the role, who do the best they can despite it. Gendo, as mentioned for Kaworu above, is a warning about defining yourself by your relationship to another person (Ikari, afterall, is Yui’s name). He is also a lesson in how people mourn and how they can lash out. Misato, like Gendo, felt herself a poor parent, and while mourning the loss of Kaji, she gave up her child to be raised by other people, but, unlike Gendo, went forward to put all her energy into protecting humanity. Both of them reach out to hug Shinji within the movie and he accepts them where they are. 

While I wouldn’t say the movie shows that Shinji forgives Gendo, it does show his making an effort to understand and make peace with what others have done. For Misato, it is fair to say we can still hope for a better future, even when it feels like everything is crumbling around us. Her self-sacrificing love for her son and the whole of humanity is what enables Shinji to then save the people he loves (via the spear of Gaius). 

In the movie, we are also shown friendship. Touji, Hikari, and Kensuke are important members of their community who maintain open communication with those around them and respect others’ boundaries. They are patient and kind and represent the importance of being present. They teach us to meet people where they are and support them how we can, whether it’s giving them a warm meal or giving them space when they need it. 

There are many more characters that could be talked about, but today I am going to end on Mari. Mari’s love is physical. She enjoys being in people’s personal bubbles. She cuddles Asuka and helps trim her hair, she gets into Gendo’s space at college, and at the end of the movie, she reaches out her hand to Shinji to help him stand up from his seat. Upon first glance, some viewers might take Mari and Shinji’s final scene to be romantic, but the reality of it is this: We do not, and cannot, know what kind of love she is meant to represent in his life.

We do not know Mari’s relationship with Shinji because they hardly interact in the movie. She clearly cares about him, but in my opinion, it comes from a place of duty and compassion— Mari was friends with Gendo and Yui. She has been there since he was born. (If we take the manga to be canon, then Mari even had romantic feelings towards his mother. Her hairstyle and glasses are from Yui. At the end of the movie, Mari has changed her hairstyle, which to me implies she has moved on, and “getting” with Shinji would be a thematic break.)

Additionally, their conversation, while flirty, is very much one that implies they haven’t seen each other for a while. Mari is someone who is very physically affectionate. With everyone. If someone ignores that and focuses on the fact she gets into Shinji’s space and claims that’s romantic, they better acknowledge it’s possibly romantic with Asuka, who we see far more intimacy with. When Mari flirts, Shinji flirts back and her initial reaction is surprise, “Wow, you’ve learned to talk back!” Her purpose is clear. She is there to remove the DSS choker from his neck. 

Personally, I love that Mari is the one to close the movie, for the exact reason that we do not know her relationship with Shinji. For Mari to have an assigned role would be to say, “This kind of love is most important,” when the entire movie was spent showing us each love is of equal importance in the balance and building of our lives. (It’s wonderful to see those types of love embodied across the platform from Shinji at the end of the movie: Rei and Kaworu, who, just like in End of Evangelion, could signify the ability to connect with others and be loved.)

If you view Mari as a romantic love interest, then I think it speaks to the value that you as an individual give to romance rather than what the characters themselves are feeling. To me, Mari, the character who was created to “destroy Eva,” is a symbol of all love. When Shinji takes her offered hand and then pulls her to run into the new world, it’s a symbol of balance. The give and take of any kind of relationship. 

We are the product of every relationship we have ever had, from our parents to the people we once loved, from our friendships to any other person we want to stay connected to. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time is a story about these relationships. It is a story about love. 

[dianapana]

SH Day 1: The Beginning of us

@sasuhinamonth

(Modern AU, OOC most likely)

“Kids, don’t forget to be very nice to Grandma today, it’s a difficult day for her” Hikari said once again, only to be met with silence. The woman sighed deeply and looked into the rearview mirror at her two teens, both with earphones in, typing away on their phones.

“They both love your mom; I know they’ve been in awful mood swings lately but they haven’t seen Hinata in a couple weeks.” Yuuta, Hikari’s husband tried to reassure her.

“I know, but this would have been dad’s birthday, and she always gets so sad around this time of the year. It’s been almost 10 years since dad died, but it still breaks my heart every time to see her cry”

Just as she finished talking the car stopped, Hikari did not have the time to turn around and ask her kids to be well-behaved because they were both out of their seats and running towards the house.

“These kids, I swear…” Hikari murmured to herself as she was putting her phone into her purse getting ready to get out of the car as well. She was just about to complain some more but was cut off.

“MOOOOOM, THE DOOR’S LOCKED”

That was it, the sentence that made her skin crawl, she froze in place. Hinata always waited for them by the window and would come outside when the car park, no matter how down she was that day, she would always be outside, but she wasn’t, the door was locked.

“Kids come back here,” Yuuta said softly while taking her purse. The kids got back into the car with wide eyes, confused but also scared. Hikari could not move, she stayed still and silent looking at her own hands as Yuuta went to unlock the door and then went deeper into the house. The few minutes he was gone felt both like a few seconds and an eternity.

He came out of the house with a deep frown on, he didn’t even have to say the words, they all knew. The kids cried Hikari fought against tears and Yuuta called his brother-in-law to tell him the sad news. Hinata had passed away in her sleep.

The week to come was a blur of phone calls and planning intertwined with crying, mourning and comforting. The funeral came and ended in a blink of an eye. Most of Hinata’s friends and generation had already passed, thus most of the people attending were distant family or kids of her friends. Regardless the room was filled with sobs and condolences. Just a few days prior Hikari complained about her kids growing up too fast, becoming adults that no longer needed her, but during the funeral, both of them held her hand as they cried throughout the ceremony.

Hinata was buried next to Sasuke, after 10 years of making him wait she decided to leave them and join him in heaven, part of Hikari was happy the two of them would meet again in the afterlife, but the other half of her was stubbornly missing her mother, needing her even in her adult life.

The last step of the process was cleaning out the house. It almost felt like blasphemy when they decided to sell the house. Sasuke built that house for Hinata, they started their family there. Even after Sasuke passed Hinata refused to move in with either of her kids because the house itself held importance to her. Two months passed since the funeral, but it still felt too soon, yet Yuuta and her elder brother were moving the furniture seeming not to understand the gravity of the matter.

Hikari on the other hand was on the floor of Hinata and Sasuke’s bedroom looking through photo albums of their childhood. She was reminiscing all the happy memories she had in the house, being in deep thought she didn’t hear her kids walking in until one of them affirmed loudly. “Wow Grandma and Grandpa look so young here”

Hikari looked over to see which photo they were referring to. It was a black and white shot of the two smiling, they were 19 at the time, Hikari knew the picture well, much like the story behind it.

“That was taken on their first date,” she said and the two kids looked up at her, waiting, expecting more, willing to hear the story. “Mom told me the story about a million times when I was a teen ‘If he doesn’t treat you like Sasuke treated me here, don’t bother he’s not worth your time Hikari’ she’d say”

Looking at the photo for a moment longer she could almost hear Hinata’s soothing voice as she was telling the story.

“The two of us met when we were small kids, our mothers were friends but we moved from Konoha after I entered elementary school. At the time the move was devastating, but as years went by, he slowly became a passing thought until finally I completely forgot about him and our friendship. Years later after, I returned to Konoha because I was assigned a kindergarten teacher post here. The first few days here were awful, I knew nobody and the other teacher was so rude and mean. I cried myself to sleep the first two weeks. I hated the apartment I stayed in as well; looking back, the apartment was lovely, but I hated being alone, I had never been alone before, and at the time being a single young girl in the city by yourself was frowned upon, and that mentality was so deeply rooted In my mind as well, I felt shame at times to come home to silence. I barely managed to get used to the job when I met Sasuke again, he was a young, handsome man; and he knew it too, if you think his ego is bad now you should have seen him back then. He came by the kindergarten to pick up his niece. He claims he remembered me and that’s why he kept approaching me, but I don’t believe that; I am telling you he fell in love at first sight.

I didn’t want to do anything with him, I was still having a tough time and a relationship would be too difficult to start at the time, but he insisted almost daily. It started out in a self-centred manner; he really believed himself to be the best catch out there, and he was, but still, it wasn’t very attractive at the time how he approached me in that way. So, after a few tries, he realized he should change how he tried to get my attention, he would bring me one flower every day when he came to pick up his niece; he apparently begged his sister-in-law to allow him to pick her up daily. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped coming, I didn’t ask about him because why would I, but his disappearance made me feel sad and disappointed; it made me realize how our small interactions actually meant so much to me and how much I basked in his attention.

A month passed and I had not seen him since, this time his memory was much stronger and harder to forget, but I was starting to lose hope of ever seeing him again. And just as I started accepting that fact, he returned with 31 flowers, one for each day he was absent, and a picture; a picture of the two of us as kids holding hands in the backyard of my old house. He looked so lovely, he was wearing a suit; it was the first time I saw him in one; he had just gotten an important job and couldn’t stop by due to the training program he needed to complete.

Before I could even get a word out, tell him I had missed him or that I was happy to see him, or how utterly surprising it was that we had met before; he started talking about fate and destiny, it was a lovely speech that painted us to be the one and only option for the other, it was very sweet. But once again he didn’t allow me to reply before asking me to wait. ‘Wait for a month’ he said ‘I will come and ask you on a proper date, one that I will be able to pay for with my first salary.’ I thought that was charming of him so I agreed.

Little did I know that a month later he’d show up once again with 31 roses and on a motorcycle. I had never dreamt of seeing one of those at the time, they were still so new and almost frightening. But I had waited for that date for such a long time so I decided to do things his way. He took me to the most expensive restaurant in the city.

The date itself is such a fun story too when he had to order he asked for the beef tartare, but he had never had it before and thought the condiments that came on the side were pre-portioned so he dumped everything in, it was so disgusting he couldn’t even take two bites out of it, so we ended up splitting my pasta. After the ‘dinner fiasco’ as Sasuke still refers to it, we continued our drive, he took me outside Konoha grounds to a small river bank where it was rumoured that you could see the most stars in the sky. That’s where we took the picture. We actually took about a dozen but we were both nervous, so either I had my eyes closed or his hands were shaking and the photo was blurred.

We leaned against the bike and looked at the sky for a while until he took my hand and held it, my heart was beating so fast I was certain he could hear it. I had never been on a date before, and the month of not seeing him made me realize my feelings, add to that a full month of waiting and expectations and I was a ball of stress, especially now that we were all alone in a secluded area. I had been fine at the restaurant, I was calm and collected while he had been the anxious one, but now the roles were reversed, he appeared to be so sure of himself and I was shaking all over. I thought the silence would be awkward, but it wasn’t, it was comfortable. I can’t even remember how long we looked at the starts and occasionally talked a bit, but I do remember the cool summer wind and his warm hand, I remember the mischievous glint in his eye, I was sure he’d kiss me, but he only looked at me and called me beautiful.

We only had our first kiss on date number six about three weeks and a half later, when I asked why he waited so long, he told me that Itachi gave him some advice, that at times waiting builds up suspense and makes the other person constantly think of you; which was true, all my thoughts would somehow lead up to him; and Sasuke said that he wanted me thinking of him as much as possible so I’d catch up to him; so, I’d like him just as much as he liked me. Poor him, not knowing I had already fallen deeply in love.

Don’t settle for less Hikari, they have to have an elaborate and intricate plan to get to you, and if it’s you doing the chasing follow your dad’s lead because I thought he was so charming.”

The story would forever be in Hikari’s mind, she would forever remember her parents as being deeply in love from their beginning until their last moments. The house was filled with memories, but so was she, she carried around all of the stories and moments of her parent’s love story throughout the years, and it was a beautiful tale.

[hikari-ni-naritai]

More hikari finalfantasy lore but since it contains endwalker spoilers for beating the second trial I'm saving you all from having to scroll past it

I think the thing hikari needs more than anything else right now is just. Time to mourn. For a lot of things. Like, she's not exactly a stranger to loss. She always imagined Haurchefaunt as a warm, glowing campfire, and she watched him die. Minfilia died to protect her (in itself a terrible emotional trauma), and then died again in the first. She wasn't really close to papalymo but lyse always looked depressingly incomplete after he died. Tsuyu wasn't really a friend, but she'd really gotten her hopes up that she might be, some day, and she had to kill her with her own hands. But hydaelyn had been with her from the very beginning, as a god, sure, but also as a friend. She always felt a little fuller inside when she looked at the aetherytes, and she looked at them a lot. Hydaelyn transformed her into the light she came to eorzea to find in herself. And actually meeting her in person in elpis, fighting alongside her against Hermes, like. It was transcendent. And then she killed her. Like. There had to be other options, right? They could've fled the star. She could've attacked less ruthlessly. I mean hydaelyn hadn't lost her humanity, she wasn't in any way past saving like tsuyu, it was just. Cold blooded killing. To save herself. And, sure, she saved the world too because of it, but like. The world isn't the one who has to bear the burden of this sin. She's managing to push it aside and ignore it for now but if she doesn't like, deal with it soon she's going to break. I don't want that for her :(

[uniarycode]

Takari Week Day 4 - Rainy Day

Yes I skipped 2 days I'll get on that

Could one cry tears of joy and sorrow at the same time?

Set ~year 2 of college. Written as part of @takariweek

Warnings: cheating, break-ups, some T-rated topics

Hikari always liked the feeling of rain. Especially warm rain, a gentle shower, caressing and cleansing her body.

She’d heard that rain was the tears of the gods. If that was true, then she wondered if they were tears of joy or relief, liquid stress escaping the body and purifying the soul. Or if they were tears of loss, of mourning that which would never again come to be.

Perhaps, someone could discover which her tears were as well.

They were well hidden, salt deluded by freshwater a thousand times stronger. No observer could tell if her sniffles were from her heart or the cold. From the pain of losing a lover, or the relief of no longer having to hide herself.

All was washed away from the rain. Perhaps if she were lucky, it would cleanse her sins as well.

The rain had started gently, but the absence came abruptly. The pitter-patter on plastic giving unwanted shelter.

“Don’t you think you’re wet enough?” a familiar voice teased, he bent down to her ear, not caring if her hair dripped all over him as he did. “Want me to get you even wetter?”

That was part of the problem, or the solution. She was still unsure whether her problems had increased or decreased.

Hikari shook her head lightly, slow enough that her hair would not whip him in the face. She pushed her eyes closed. There was very little she trusted right now, her voice, her eyes, her breath, all would betray her to him.

“You’re crying.” He said, a hand gently placed on her soaking shoulder, “Hikari what happened?”

Perhaps it was the gods that had betrayed her, perhaps Takeru just knew her too well. She took a deep breath to voice her crime. “Kamando.”

The blond jumped, “Yuki?” she did not react, but he took it as acceptance, anyway. “Since you’re using his last name, I take it things are not going well? Is it because…you know.”

She nodded; eyes fixated on her shoes. “He doesn’t know-know, but well, he thinks he knows. He decided it would be better to stop.”

“I see, I’m sorry you had to go through this because of me.” He said, moving his hand down her arm.

‘Sorry you had to go through this’ he had said. He did not say he was sorry that it happened, nor did he say he regretted his actions. Because both would be a lie, and she knew it better than anyone.

Miyako had once said that no girl could resist Takeru Takaishi, not when he positioned them squarely in his crosshairs. Hikari had laughed it off at the time, Takeru’s foreign looks, kind personality, and silver-tongued compliments had earned him a certain reputation in high school, but irresistible he was not.

She still believed that, she just knew better than to believe it applied to herself.

But then, he’d only teased her, only coaxed. He had followed her tempo, offered words of warning, advised her against continuing, even as he’d non-verbally begged her to stay.

She’d been the one to cross every line, to move past boundaries she thought she’d never break, pulling him deeper into her sin. Despite his reputation, he had saved himself for her, that final first. After learning that, how could she resist? How could she stop herself from coming back every time?

He had told her many things about their forbidden relationship, none of them were regrets, and he didn’t look to be starting now.

“We should get you home. Hypothermia always liked you far more than you like it.” He said, hand sliding further down her arm to her wrist, grabbing it gently to pull her forward. If she were in better spirits, he would have risked her hand.

The umbrella was not large enough to cover them both at an arms-length, and she did not have the energy to keep up with him, allowing him to drag her along. Despite the fact he was dry and she was soaked, he still chose her anyway, allowing his second hand to hang back. To shield her from the rain.

A gesture designed to be gentlemanly, but ultimately impractical.

Thankfully her apartment was not too far, by the time they got there, he was still dryer than she was. She did not care that he was leading her through the building. He held that right long before her now-ex, and he would hold it long after as well.

He moved through her apartment as if it was his own, obtaining some towels and bring them back to her, at least until she was dry enough not to drip all over the hardwood. Hikari found herself guided to her bed, another towel placed to save the blankets, as he fished out a change in clothes.

Takeru had left her alone to get changed, not that she saw much of a point to it, and made himself useful in the absence to make some tea.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked when he finally deemed her dry and healthy enough.

She didn’t respond.

“You aren’t crying.” He observed.

She wasn’t whether that was because her tear ducts were depleted or simply because he was there, she didn’t know. The latter seemed too harsh, too cruel to her ex, she was worried it was true.

He placed his hand inside hers, giving a light squeeze.

“I don’t know.” She finally said. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this. I’m sad, I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m scared, I’m guilty, I’m relieved. He didn’t know, he broke up with me, but I was the one who broke his heart, but…”

“But?” he coaxed, using his thumb to massage the back of her hand.

“But…” she took a deep breath. “Because I broke his heart, I didn’t have to break yours. I don’t think I ever could.”

“I don’t either, whatever happens to me, so long as your happy, I’m happy.”

Although that made her feel better, it didn’t reassure her.

“How can I feel like this? It’s like my emotions are doing summersaults.”

“People are complex. We knew this wouldn’t be tearless for a while now. If you didn’t like him, you would have broken up with him ages ago. If you wanted to keep him, you would have at the very least, admitted it.”

“I’m selfish.” She said, “I wanted him, I wanted you more. If I had just kept my hands to myself, no one would be hurting.”

“That’s good.” He said, “I’m biased though, but you always worry too much about others, being selfish for once is a good thing.”

“But he-”

Takeru silenced her with a kiss.

“The game of love is very dangerous, we all know that: he took a risk, you took a risk, I took a risk. Sometimes risks hurt. But a bad outcome does not mean a bad decision. Hikari, do you regret any of your decisions?”

The answer was surprisingly cruel.

“I don’t. I don’t regret saying yes to him, I don’t regret going on dates, I don’t regret him. I don’t regret you.” It was very selfish of her, but it was true.

“I don’t regret it either.” Takeru said, pulling her close, “And I can’t speak for Yuki, but I don’t think he regrets it either, other than the ending, which was his choice.”

They remained entangled for moments, minutes, perhaps days. Hikari felt her emotions continue to fluctuate, but in Takeru’s presence, no more sobs escaped.

“What does this make us?” she asked when her voice found strength once again.

“A thousand poets working for a thousand years could not begin to describe what we are Hikari, there’s no reason to try on such a dark day. We are Hikari and Takeru. We are complex. Whatever we want others to see us as can wait until later.”

She nodded. “Then stay with me, a bit longer.”

“As long as you need.”

She wondered if she could make him regret that. She didn’t know if the nerve required to face the world alone would ever come to her. But for now, she would bask in his presence, hear the pitter-patter of rain on her window, as she let the gods shed her ambivalent tears for her.

[hinagamoizaf]

On this day a year ago, I watched DA:LEK for the first time, and coincidentally received my degree results.

Ever since, I have been absolutely obsessed with Digimon again. This piece will contain spoilers to DALEK, and overall you’ll find I have a very nostalgic love for the anime. When I initially watched the film in theatres, my reaction was ‘oh okay, that was fun. Time to move on’. Very nonchalant, and obviously this was the first summer with Covid, the same summer I could have had my graduation ceremony. This is a roundabout way of saying I think I felt rather hollow during this period of time. I say ‘I think’ because honestly, it’s a blur to me. There wasn’t anything worth remembering and leading up to this, in general I was a bitter person.Like most people, I think I’ve just blocked out the lost time. So here was a fresh uni graduate, mourning over a page of her youth that wasn’t worth noting down; trying to be hopeful and find ways to mold herself into society as a ‘real adult’. I did have other plans and tried them out, not all of them flew with flying colours and had a dip towards the end of 2020. As would any other kid with an active imagination, I did what I knew best and distracted myself with writing. I don’t think I necessarily ‘channeled’ all these spiraling emotions into my work, something I’ve grown acquainted with in my poetry. I wanted to escape, hit pause and get myself lost in fiction again; another thing I used to do a lot but at a much younger age. If anyone’s seen DALEK, then I think you might find it ironic how I processed this transitional period by indulging myself in Digimon and writing fanfiction. 

To completely make a clown of myself here, yes I had a good time watching the film and appreciated the message that came with it; both as a Digimon fan and a Literature dork who naturally over-analyzes everything. But for the first time since I was in diapers, simply put, I thought Yamato was really hot and he lived rent free in my mind until I was like ‘aight I need to do something with this realization I have a DigiHusbando because I’ve literally watched Digimon since I was a baby and for a baby all those characters are too old for me to have a crush on’.

Then (for the lack of a better word) a very childlike ‘desire’ of me came and I was like ‘hey Yamato’s hot, Hikari was my favourite character as a kid, I want to see them kiss’. Idk man, it’s the same vibes like when I played Barbies and I paired her with Ken because girl pink-boy blue. There’s some meaning there I don’t want to unpack yet. It started off as a ‘haha what if so crackship right’, but then I legitimately grew to love the idea of Yamato and Hikari as a couple. I am aware my version of them has heavy fanon elements, and again reflects my personal preferences in ships. I remember a time where I was so self-conscious of getting into fanfiction, because ‘I can’t do the character justice’ or ‘I don’t know enough of the canon’. Yeah, I appreciate it when an author can play off that, when their depiction of these characters is something you’d actually see happening in the show. But overtime I was just like ‘...I just want to have fun man, here’s them going on their first date via Yama’s bloody motorcycle’.

I just found a way to be happy with my crackhead interpretation of Yakari while gushing over what the OG story had to offer. As this was happening, I was revisiting the existence of DALEK, and I fell in love with the film. I know this is coming together as a ‘right time and place’ type of situation, and it was. From that time and place, I took it and went ham & cheese on it.  

Just thinking about what happens in DALEK now and how the themes of Digimon have always, always been about the children’s growth; I actually get a physical sadness from my gut. Someone’s going to read this & think I’m insane, but to make a comparison literally only I understand, I’ve only gotten this feeling with Kimi no Na wa and Little Women (2019) in recent memory. Which for all the ways I can’t quite express with the English language, means I really fucking love DALEK. It has impacted me artistically as much as it left its mark on me as a person and my views on life. Over the past year, this intense love over a children’s anime has helped me put into perspective my own messy thoughts on growing up. About finding your own healthy relationship with things from a ‘simpler time’ that spark joy and they can still invoke that feeling. Inevitably everyone grows up and it’s not something that waits for you to be ready with it; but you can find ways to embrace it and seize this new dawn according to your own terms.

[love-bokumono-fics]

WIP Wednesday

With no game feature this week, let's look at some of the recent WIPs that haven't gotten a chance to be featured yet on the blog. These are the works that haven't been updated since I started the blog, so they haven't been included in the weekly Fresh Crops, or haven't been included in other feature posts yet.

Here's hoping you find a great new story to keep up with and await updates with bated breath!

(Have a WIP fic of your own that you'd like featured? Drop a link in the submission box! We'd love to see them!)

Edmond Route - by Mysterious_Prologue_Guy; WIP, 37/?, 54k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Light of Hope, Skytree Village

Relationship: Edmond/Light the farmer; Characters: Edmond, Farmer, Gareth, Tabitha, Harvest Goddess

Additional Tags: Harvest Moon a Light of Hope, Harvest Moon, Harvest moon Skytree Village

Summary: Contains spoilers. Meeting of Edmond and heart events.

Barriers - by krose13; WIP, 21/?, 148k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Friends of Mineral Town, Harvest Moon DS Cute

Relationships: Claire the Farmer/Gray, Ann the Innkeeper | Ran/Cliff; Characters: Claire, Gray, Ann the Innkeeper | Ran, Cliff, Kai, Karen, Popuri, Mary the Librarian, Rick, Basically the whole Mineral Town cast, plus Forget-Me-Not Valley

Additional Tags: Drama & Romance, Complicated Relationships, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Not for the kiddos, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy, Unplanned Pregnancy, trying to fit a realistic pregnancy in hm time is a challenge but we doin it, POV First Person, Mutual Pining, Drug Use, Dreams and Nightmares, Drowning, I’ll probably have to add more tags as we go along but

Summary: Unlike everyone else in town, Gray wants nothing to do with the new farmer. He can't stand Claire, despite all her attempts to befriend him. But when one small mistake leads to an even bigger problem, he might be seeing a lot more of her than they both had planned.

Watered-Down Ideals - by LemWrites; WIP, 4/?, 4k

Rating: Not Rated; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: M/M, Multi

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationships: Farmer/Ludus; Characters: Original Male Character, Frank, Megan, Hector, Colin, Noel | Noelle

Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Fluff, Self Confidence Issues, ADHD, I gave a farmer adhd and anxiety, this may have more projection then intended

Summary: Join Steve, the newly appointed farmer in the Trio of Towns world, on a journey full of; useless gay pinning, being a disaster, self hatred and more!

The Language of Flowers - by spoopybat; WIP, 68/?, 158k

Rating: Explicit; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: The Tale of Two Towns

Relationships: Cam | Kamil/Lillian the Farmer | Sato, Chelsea/Vaughn | Waltz; Characters: Lillian the Farmer | Sato, Cam | Kamil, Ash, Laney | Lia, Georgia | Raspberry, Chelsea, Vaughn | Waltz

Additional Tags: Tags Contain Spoilers, POV Alternating, Background Relationships, Starting Over, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Minor Character Death, Background Character Death, Minor Violence, Minor Injuries, Physical Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Socially Awkward Characters, Cliche, Mutual Pining, Awkwardness, Awkward Flirting, Emotional Baggage, References to Depression, Dorks in Love, Dysfunctional Family, Melodrama, Family Drama, First Love, First Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Making Out, Loss of Virginity, First Time, Morning After, Morning Cuddles, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Unplanned Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Morning Sickness, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Constipation, Arguing, Medical Conditions, Medical inaccuracies but I'm gonna do my best, Panic Attacks, Engagement, Wedding Planning, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, Honeymoon, Body Worship, Making Love, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Mental Anguish, Spa Treatments, Fights, Making Up, Mental Health Issues, Depression, Language of Flowers, Emotional reunion [Some tags removed to keep post sfw]

Summary: Lillian, a young woman from the Sunshine Islands, left her home and moved to Bluebell. In hopes that moving to this rural farm town to escape her troubled past and find the happy life she had always wanted.

Finding You - by HarukazeRen; WIP, 4/?, 3k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Harvest Moon 64

Relationship: Karen/Pete | Jack; Characters: Karen, Pete | Jack

Additional Tags: Harvest Moon 64, Tsundere Karen, Flashbacks, Slow Romance, Handsome Pete, Karen's hearts event, Some of Gray/Popuri and Ann/Cliff

Summary: Whenever he meets her, some memories of his childhood flash in his mind. A little girl who was playing with him and made his heart skipped a beat. He tries to trace the shadow of her because he wants to make sure, why does he keep thinking of her.

Earth and Rebirth - by TheBeckster; WIP, 17/?, 66k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: Multi, Gen

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Characters: Holly, Frank, Marlena, Wayne, Ford, Lisette, Brad, Carrie, everyone

Additional Tags: Undecided Relationship(s), Additional Tags to Be Added, lots of headcanons, Minor Character Death, Eventual Friends to Lovers, I'm not going to tag every single character, but they will all have a part in the story, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, New friends and found family, world building, Angst with a Happy Ending, Holly is an extrovert, endgame ship tbd, Cover Art

Summary: Holly considered herself fortunate to be living about as close to the dream as any young twenty-something could. A great family, a loving husband, and well, she'd admit their apartment was awful, but they'd be moving onto bigger and better things soon enough. She truthfully couldn't wish for more. But when an accident rips it all away from her, Holly finds herself seeking a change of scenery. Her Uncle's farm out in the middle of nowhere is the perfect place for her to hide to mourn. A familiar story with a twist or two.

Fire and Dew - by Juliko; WIP, 9/26, 73k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Trio of Towns

Relationship: Yuzuki/Original Character; Characters: Original Female Character(s) of Color, Original Characters, Yuzuki, Sumomo, Lisette, Colin, Wayne, Brad, Carrie, Shizu, Yaichi, Tatsumi, Omiyo, Umekichi, Lynn, Marlena, Daryl | Darius, Ittetsu, Moriya

Additional Tags: Harvest Moon, story of seasons, farming, Slice of Life, Drama, Family Drama, Family Issues, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Original Character(s), Major Original Character(s), Female Character of Color, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Friendship/Love, Past Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Humor, Eventual Happy Ending, Comedy, Friends to Lovers, Adoption, Sick Character, Lulukoko characters won't appear in this fic, Falling In Love, Dorks, Ableism, Happy Ending, Romantic Fluff, Break Up, Past Relationship, Cows, Chickens, Sheep, Rabbits, Flowers, Stimming, Family Fluff, Bisexual Female Character, Pansexual Character, Lesbian Character, Children, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma

Summary: For as long as she could remember, Harper Leigh Maxwell's dream has always been to become a farmer, but her father's job makes it hard to do so, since it involves lots of moving. After graduating from college, she finally decides to take a chance and get her own farm. She's determined to make the most of this opportunity and do what she's wanted. In the process, she makes new friends, learns many new things, and faces many hardships. One of the friends she makes is Yuzuki Fujiwara, a mellow, sweet natured man from the town of Tsuyukusa who doesn't have the best constitution. The two of them form a strong connection that may even end up blossoming into love. But Harper's past might make things complicated, and when it threatens to catch up with her, she may find herself facing the demons from her pre-adoption early childhood. This is the story of two different people, with different interests, passions, and paths in life, walking the same dirt road every day...

Finding the Way Forward - by AccidentallyTheWholeFanfic; WIP, 5/?, 35k

Rating: Mature; Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi

Fandoms: Story of Seasons (2014)

Relationship: Johnny/Fritz; Characters: Johnny, Fritz, Elise, Oak Tree Town, OCs

Additional Tags: Romance, Drama, Slice of Life, Friendship, Family, Heavy Subject Matter, Humor, If Reina Pops Up Here I Will Refuse to Refer to Her as Licorice

Summary: Three youths move to Oak Tree Town on the verge of adulthood - each one an outsider in their own way, setting out on their own paths in life under their own circumstances. When those paths begin to cross over and influence each other, they all find that they might have some growing up to do if they want to find their way forward in life. Slash, M later. Heavy themes present.

Bring On The Wonder - by UrzaHemlock; WIP, 1/?, 2k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Animal Parade, Tree of Tranquility

Relationships: Molly | Hikari/Toby | Tao, Candace | Kotomi/Luke the Carpenter; Characters: Toby | Tao, Luke the Carpenter, Candace, Harvest Goddess, Finn, Molly/Hikari is Corina

Additional Tags: Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Original Character(s), Family Issues, Plot of the game but with fleshed out magic and trials, Mostly Animal Parade but with some elements from Tree of Tranquility mixed in, more tags to come, Possible change to Mature down the road

Summary: When Corina agreed to help Finn the harvest sprite save the Goddess Tree, it seemed the perfect chance to start over. After all, how hard could ringing some bells be? But magic isn't that simple, and Corina quickly discovers that there is more to being a savior. She'll have to throw all of herself into saving Castanet, body, mind, and even soul. She'll have to endure physical trials and emotional turmoil and even confront the things she wants to run from... ...but with the help of some new friends and a rather sleepy fisherman, she might just pull through.

Trial & Error - by KuramaBabe; WIP, 3/?, 3k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/F

Fandoms: Back To Nature, Save the Homeland, Magical Melody

Relationships: Gwen/Original Female Character, Gray & Original Female Character, Popuri & Original Female Character, Karen & Original Female Character, Cliff & Original Female Character, Ray & Original Female Character; Characters: Karen, Gray, Cliff, Popuri, Saibara, Harvest Goddess, Harvest Goddess Mariel, Gwen, Joe, Ray, Mary the Librarian, Original Female Character(s), Dog, Original Child Character(s), Original Male Character(s)

Additional Tags: Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexuality, High School, Graduation, Party, Family Issues, Dysfunctional Family, Family Drama, Families of Choice, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Name Changes, Dead name, Makeover, Hair, Injury, Slow To Update, Strangers to Lovers, Starting Over, Road Trips, a capella, Fishing, failure - Freeform, Homophobia, Lesbian Character, My First Work in This Fandom, Coming Out, Cynophobia, Minor Karen/Rick, Minor Gray/Mary | Marie, Abuse

Summary: Maribelle has known for a long time she's different. But when she finally comes to accept it, her home life turns into something ugly. With the help of a friend, she changes her identity and moves to Sugar Valley. However, she has no idea she's moving into a construction zone and most of the inhabitants have already left...

[atsoraasayoma]

Excerpt from the Digital Record: Realized, Ch 7: Murderous Provocation:

Context: Fiermon a dark mega digimon has slaughtered four of the Digidestined’s friends in a live broadcast. Here is his response to their agony and his monologue:

"That's right, mourn for what you have lost," Fiermon said the chains behind him empty. "This is but a shadow of things to come for you digidestined." He held out one hand and then looked at the other.

"If you seek to fight me with courage, I will show you your cowardice!

If you seek to battle me with friendship, I will consume you with loneliness!

If you desire to come at me with love, I will bring out your hatred!

If you try to outdo me with knowledge, I will reveal you for your foolishness!

If you believe being dependable will help you, I will show you how useless you really are!

If you wholeheartedly think you just need to be sincere, I will bring out the lies that you've scattered around you!

Should you have faith that your hope will win in the end, I will be waiting with despair!

And then before all of this is over should you bask in the light, I shall corrupt you with darkness!"

Hikari felt all eyes leering over in fear at Fiermon.

"I know you Taichi, Yamato, Sora, Koushiro, Joe, Mimi, Takeru, and Hikari," he said. "Rest assured one day you will be permanently deleted. I will be waiting in the wings ready to strike you and your digimon down," he said, the broadcast deleting.

{Atsora Asayoma at fanfiction.net for the novel series.}

[midnight-in-town]

Hi I have a TG ask if that's ok. I was wondering what your thoughts are on Touka's tendency to wait for the people she loves to come back when they leave her behind (Ayato/Kaneki/Hinami) instead of chasing after them. Do you see it as a character flaw or the right thing to do? Sorry it's a bit of a random question, it's just something I've been thinking about recently

Hello Anon! Yeah, sure, it’s okay. :) I hope I remember the series clearly enough to answer you properly!

In my opinion though, I don’t think it was a character flaw: after all, Touka didn’t always stay behind and wait. In fact, in TG whenever she ended up waiting after people was also because of the consequences of her acting up and causing some avoidable damages in the first place. 

For example, Hinami. At the very beginning, Touka tried to help Hinami and ended up angrily killing several CCG investigators, including Mado, which only brought her a lot of guilt. So when Hina made the choice to go with Kaneki, she didn’t have it in her to stop her, also because that meant that at least Kaneki had someone who would bring him joy & comfort by his side. 

If you remember, she also expressed the will to go and fight alongside the rest of Anteiku at the very end of TG, but...

...in the end Yomo made her see that maybe she ought to live thanks to the sacrifices of others. 

In fact, I’d say that Kaneki is the one who rather illustrates being unable to let go and chasing after everything that he believes is within his reach, which was presented as a character flaw throughout the series [x]. 

Meanwhile, Touka learnt the hard way that surviving didn’t mean lashing angrily at everyone who wants you dead. Remember Arata, who couldn’t mourn Hikari properly and chose to attack the CCG, leading to his downfall instead of dedicating everything to taking care of his children (I’m not saying he was a bad father, far from it, but the fact remains that they ended up being orphans because he couldn’t let go of his hatred towards the CCG).

Then there were many other events, which is why Yomo bitterly reminds her that she needs to make all these deaths count, instead of trying to constantly fight against the system. 

Anyway, in my opinion all that development in TG is why in :Re it made sense that she learnt from her previous mistakes and avoided chasing after people when it would have led to more casualties than anything good. 

One of the most significant examples is Yoriko when she was arrested by Mutsuki. Where Kaneki took all his allies to save Akira in a previous :Re arc and was definitely ready to go save Yoriko for Touka’s sake, Touka was not ready to see Kaneki and others put themselves in danger just for one person’s sake, even if it pained her greatly. 

I honestly thought back then that she was immensely brave for that choice, even if many criticized her for it. It’s not like she was condemning Yoriko though: after all she knew back then that Yoriko had married a CCG investigator (Takeomi), so she left Yoriko’s fate to other people who loved her and she was right to do so.  

Similarly, it’s not like Touka never fought again after the Anteiku raid arc: she did go on that Cochlea raid, to protect Ayato and save Hinami, just like she went after Dragoneki to save her husband. Because fighting for family is often unavoidable and absolutely necessary, which is when she always stepped up.

Then again, I do believe that Touka learnt immensely from the example of her father. He loved his kids for sure, but they still came after his vengeance against the CCG and that’s how they ended up without one another. So it makes sense that Touka wasn’t going to make the same mistake when she resented it so much.  

That’s why I can’t see it as a character flaw, especially since she always was there to protect the people closest to her when it was needed. My opinion though. :)

I hope it answers your question? Have a nice day Anon!

[cycleof-dusk]

updating my pinned! i want people to have better access to my characters and their basics, along with a small introduction

i’m Jax! 23, located in the EST timezone, and use they/she pronouns! follows come from @darkxyzdragon​ as this is a sideblog - but my main is predominantly FFXIV and chronic illness/disability awareness, for those interested! you can find me on the NA servers at darkxyzdragon.4792 !

Characters are under the cut for length reasons, ofc! (Hikari is all the way at the end to keep everyone in one post)

Name: Sionedda

Birthday: 69 Scion 1325 AE (almost 9 years old! also yes i did change this)

Orientation: Bisexual

Partner: Aym Riverwolf (found at @/riverwoofs)

Gender & Pronouns: Feminine, she/her

Race: Sylvari

Cycle: Dusk

Role: Pact Commander, Leader of the Crystal Bloom

Profession: Elementalist (Tempest)

Alternate Professions: Thief (Deadeye), Revenant

Titles: Commander, Lightbringer, Voice of Aurene, Champion of Aurene

Likes: Cocoa, cold temperatures, light refracting through crystals

Dislikes: Desert, humidity, chak, fire, early morning

Originally a bright violet dusk bloom, reminiscent of a succulent with her hair pattern, Sionedda is bubbly and affectionate with everyone she meets. She predominantly focuses herself on Air magic, but is also known to fall back into a more supportive role with Water. After The Departing, she has never attuned to Fire again.

Her appearance changes twice throughout the story: First, after The Departing, she awakes from the Realm of the Lost with the fern hair instead of her succulent leaves. Then, during the scene in which Caithe is Branded, in Sionedda’s story, she takes her place, and her colors shift more to richer indigos and teals.

Name: Tiernanne

Birthday: 42 Zephyr 1333 AE

Orientation: Homosexual

Partner: Pact Marshal Trahearne

Gender & Pronouns: Trans, he/him

Race: Sylvari

Cycle: Dawn

Role: Pale Reaver

Profession: Mesmer (Mirage)

Alternate Professions: n/a

Titles: Warmaster

Likes: arid desert climate, soft textures, cold drinks

Dislikes: humidity, unfamiliar areas

A blind sapling, adopted by Sionedda during the events of the Icebrood Saga. His vision allows him to see enough to fight, but he prefers not to, in the off chance he hurt someone he cared about because of it. He never has, but he would rather not take the risk. He still ascended to Pale Reaver within the Vigil, as he’s hard-working and a damn good swordsman.

Name: Destiny Sonnen

Birthday: 85 Colossus 1313 AE (20 years old)

Orientation: Homosexual

Partner: n/a

Gender & Pronouns: Cis, she/her

Race: Human

Ethnicity: Canthan/Krytan

Role: Shining Blade Associate, Double Agent

Profession: Necromancer (Reaper)

Alternate Professions: Revenant

Titles: Magister, Lightbringer

Likes: food, her minions, research

Dislikes: dead ends, the ministry guard

A street rat of Divinity’s Reach, Destiny learned that her unknown family were Shining Blade - in addition, a whole line of them, on one side, going back 250 years. In being given a family heirloom - a curved dagger, pointed at both ends - she became determined to find out more about them. She managed to become both a Whispers Lightbringer and a Priory Magister in her efforts to uncover more. She has a feeling there are a few people who know, but possibly don’t realize they do.

In seeing the Pact Commanders in Divinity’s Reach one day, she had glanced at the norn and realized at his side was the twin to her own dagger, and immediately jumped to him and interrogated the two, only to learn the Aym Riverwolf had about as much idea as she did about the daggers. Currently, she’s still searching for her answers.

Name: Eir Aymsdottir

Birthday: - (currently undecided)

Orientation: -

Partner: n/a

Gender & Pronouns: Cis, she/her

Race: Norn/Sylvari

Spirit: Wolf

Role: baby

Profession: Ranger (Druid)

Alternate Professions: n/a

Titles: Little One, Dreamer

Likes: plants, fluffy animals, sugar

Dislikes: sour foods, slipping on ice, when her pets won’t come back to her side

A bubbly Norn-Sylvari child, short for a norn but massive for a sylvari, with a bioluminescent patterning in her skin easily mistaken for traditional tattoos. These markings, along with her freckles, the roots of her hair, and her eyes glow in the dark.

She’s quite sweet, and very empathetic, with a faint connection to the Dream.

[Note: This was me looking at ArenaNet giving Sylvari a FULLY FUNCTIONING digestive system but saying “nah they absolutely cannot reproduce”; I find it cowardly that none of the main races can reproduce among each other but that’s a conversation for a different day. MY POINT BEING, no one is under any obligation to agree with my headcanons and can choose to not ask/interact with her! <3]

Name: Hikari Poole

Birthday: 58 Scion 1051 AE

Orientation: Homosexual

Partner: Zhi Yawen (@/riverwoofs), Jora

Gender & Pronouns: Trans, she/her

Race: Human

Ethnicity: Canthan

Role: Hero of Tyria, Cantha, Elona

Profession: Elementalist/Necromancer

Titles: Priestess of Grenth

Likes: girls, opulent clothing & jewelry, street food, Echovald

Dislikes: the desolation, watching her loved ones in pain

A young elementalist and necromancer, originally from a small village on Shing Jea Isle, she’s attended Shing Jea monastery from a young age, honing her magical abilities and expanding on her knack for blood magic and sacrificial arts, as opposed to minions.

She and her partner - both romantically and in crime - Yawen have traveled across Tyria, Elona, and their Canthan homeland, and helped save lives (and the world, a few times).

In death, they both haunted the Echovald forest happily, as well as traveled through the Mists; when Glint arrived, they mourned, but greeted her warmly, having loved the dragon when they met her; it was during one of their forays back into the Mists that they were directed by Glint to assist the current Tyrian heroes in their fight against Joko - seeing as the two of them are the ones who freed him in the first place, two and a half centuries prior.

[dianapana]

SasuHina Month 2020- Day 2

Prompt: Your Voice Lingered in These Empty Halls

Mirror, Mirror- Part 2

WARNING:Death

“Hinata-sama it’s time” The maid said in a soft voice. Nobody dared speak to her since the incident, but they do talk about her, she’s heard some rumors but none of them mattered; nothing mattered anymore if she was being honest. Hinata was still looking at herself in the mirror almost expecting the image to disappear.

The maid didn’t call her name again she just subtly opened her door, that’s when Hinata placed the mirror down on her nightstand and rose. Her dress was black, her gloves were black, everything on her was black. The first step was the hardest to do, after it her body functioned on memory alone; it carried her down the empty hallways. The house was deserted; everyone had left already; she was the last to do so. She hadn’t slept in her room the past few days; she couldn’t go to that part of the house; not yet.

It was raining outside; the sky was black with stripes of pure light here and there when the lighting hit. Thunders could be heard everywhere; they were powerful and sounded like they were splitting the world in two, they might as well have. Neji noticed her and came to her side. Everyone from the Hyuga family was there from small children to the elders. The kids were crying, Hinata wasn’t sure if it was because they understood what was going on or if their fear of the storm was the catalyst. Either way the crying was fitting. Hinata had not dared look around, she knew she could not bear the sight. Neji walked her to her seat near Hanabi and her father. Her little sister reached for her hand and held it tight; her father had his head lowered for the first time in many years. The priest started talking but the thunders and the crying drowned him out. They all stood in the rain.

The service ended and everyone got up. The women would return to the house to cook the meal while the men would take the coffins to be buried. Hinata finally looked up and around herself at the hundreds of coffins places in hazard around the hundreds of living. There were small coffins too, ones to place children in. On every coffin was written the name of the person that would sleep there for eternity and a picture of them was frames into the wood.

For every dead Uchiha there was an alive Hyuga. An entire clan had been erased from the face of the earth. Hinata did not follow the women to the house but walked towards a beautiful ebony casket with roses made of white gold around the edges. She ran her fingers over the name. ‘Sasuke Hyuga’. He had changed his name for her. To each side was a smaller version of the same coffin ‘Hikari Hyuga’ was written on one and ‘Daisuke Hyuga’ on the other. Every Uchiha died alongside 3 Hyugas. She was still next to the 3 coffins when men came to pick them up and carry them to the burial site. She had been well aware that’s what would happen but seeing them being taken was too much for her. Hinata wanted to go after them, she wanted to join them. She started screaming but could not move. Neji was holding her in place saying her name louder and louder over the storm.

“Make them stop please” she begged her cousin. “Bring them back to me” her voice was covered by the thunder. “They’re all I have” Hinata was crying for the first time since it happened, she fell apart in the arms of her cousin, at her husband’s funeral, at her children’s funeral and the funeral of all Uchihas.

Neji stood with Hinata there as she cried and mourned the death of the 3 most important people in her life. It was hard trying to picture her happy face from a few days before. After a while Neji picked Hinata up and took her to the part of the house she slept in the past 2 days. After the wedding she and Sasuke moved into the main part but Hinata hadn’t gone back there since the incident. She told them she couldn’t bare see her and Sasuke’s old room; the kids’ room.

Nobody knew what had happened, just that dark heavy smoke was raising from the Uchiha house. Guards rushed over but nobody was alive anymore; most of the buildings were burned to the ground and Hinata was in the middle of the ruins holding the burned corpse of a child, her baby.

That morning Hinata had to attend a meeting with some people from outside the family; she took one of the coaches. Upon hearing that Sasuke said he and kids would ride with her to the Uchiha houses to spend the day with his parents and that when Hinata returned they would all come back home together. Hinata had returned to fire burning, to people dying, to someone screaming her name. She had reached them too late. The Hyugas that found her helped her up and instructed the coachman to take her back home. The following days coffins were made, corpses had to be identified and counted.

Stories started being spread, the Uchiha family was one born out of hellfire and they died in hellfire. The earth had been cleansed of evil, the devils returned to their home in the underworld. People tried naming it everything but what it was, a tragedy.

The funeral ended, they had all been buried, the rest of the buildings still standing were demolished. The land was divided and sold. Other families started building over it. They were all acting as if the Uchihas had never existed. There was almost no proof of their existence anywhere. Hinata held the only real evidence that the family had been indeed real. Her hand mirror was the inspiration behind her husband’s and children’s coffins. Her husband’s name was beautifully written on the back of the mirror together with the Uchiha family symbol.

The world continued moving as she stood still. The title of head of the clan had been returned to Hiashi until further notice because Hinata refused to leave her temporary quarter. Nobody was allowed inside either; she refused to see anyone.

One night when everyone was sleeping Hinata picked up the mirror with such care, it was the only thing that proved the love of her life had been indeed real. On unsteady legs she made her way to the part of the house she had shared with him in the past 10 years. The corridors were dark and empty but she could see him at every corner; he was smirking at her. The corridors were dark and quiet but she could hear him with every step; he was calling her beautiful and telling her ‘Come to me’. Hinata pushed open the door to what was Hikari and Daisuke’s room. The twins were 7 when they died; she could see them playing on the floor then suddenly turning their small innocent faces up at her and grinning. ‘Mommy! Come play with us! We miss you dearly’. She missed them more then they could ever know.

The next door lead to her and Sasuke’s room. The room in which they shared secrets, kisses, love. The bedsheets had not been changed since that day. Hinata made her way to Sasuke’s side of the bed and breathed in his smell. He smelled like home, how she wanted to fall into his strong arms and feel like the world could not hurt her anymore for she was safe.

Hinata placed the mirror on the nightstand and sat herself on the bed looking around the room. The door to the closet was open and her beautiful husband was standing there.

“I miss you dear” she told him; his eyes softened.

“I do too beautiful. We all do” he went into the closet; Hinata heard as he moved things around and finally, he returned to take the stool from her vanity and put it in the closet. Hinata was confused. “Come here love, I’ll show you a way to come to us” he said and extended his hand

Hinata got up from the bed and took her lovers hand. She remembered the first time she met Sasuke. She was a young girl in a white dress swinging in the summer sun. He played with her and promised her the world. They exchanged vows and flower rings under the clouds. “You’re wearing white. This was out wedding” he told her, and she was happy.

Years later the same thing happened. The two of them was swaying on a swing, Sasuke whispered love words to her and she to him; they exchanged real rings than and a real kiss. His hands were warm and familiar on her skin; his lips were soft and addicting. He was everything she could ever want and more.

But then his hand wasn’t warm; it was cold and his eyes were sad. Yet he guided her into the closet and helped her get onto the stool.

“Turn around love; I have a neckless for you” Sasuke said and she followed his instructions. She turned around and allowed her lover to place the heave rope around her neck. He walks around the stool to be face to face with her.

“Jump baby, I’ll catch you” Hinata jumped; the stool fell to the side and Sasuke was not there to catch her.

The following days Hinata didn’t answer when people knocked on her door and her father decided to give her space. A week passed and nobody has seen her. Neji begged his uncle to allow him to enter Hinata’s room without permission from the girl. He was worried Hinata hadn’t eaten in a week, the meals placed outside her door were untouched every night. Hiashi allowed his nephew to check on her but he was to leave immediately if Hinata so demanded. Neji rushed to his cousin’s room only to find it empty. He screamed for the guards to search the house. Hiashi and Hanabi looked everywhere as well.

Hanabi walked to her sister’s old room expecting to find her in the middle of the room crying while hugging Sasuke’s clothing but the room was empty. It looked almost the same. Hanabi noticed a few things were different; the hand mirror Hinata held to her chest whenever Hanabi saw her after the funeral was on the bed, the vanity was missing its stool and the walk-in closet door was closed. ‘Maybe Hinata is indeed crying holding Sasuke’s clothes but on the closet floor’ the girl thought to herself and opened the door.

Neji was still fanatically talking to the guards that were supposed to be outside Hinata’s room the whole week when he heard Hanabi screaming. He followed to sound only to find his little cousin on the floor of Hinata’s old room throwing up. He had been in a rush before; but he wasn’t anymore. He wished to delay the moment as much as possible, he walked as slow as he could muster to the open door of the closet. Neji knew what he’d find. The smell alone was enough indication, taking in consideration how shaken Hanabi was only added to his theory. He looked inside and closed his eyes a second after.

Hinata was hanging from the ceiling, she had been dead for days now and they did not know. “Go to your room Hanabi” his voice was rough and he waited as the girl stood up still crying and ran to her room. Hiashi was walking towards the commotion and bumped on his youngest daughter, he didn’t know at the time but, she was his only child now.

Neji walked into the closet, righted the stool and got up on it to take Hinata down. As Hiashi walked into the room to see the throw-up on the floor and to feel the smell, Neji walked out of the closet with a dead Hinata in his arms. The two men looked at each other for a second, both of them devastated.

“At least she’s with them” Hiashi said in a tight voice. Neji nodded and continued to walk with the corpse of her cousin in his arms. They had another funeral to plan.

Mirror, Mirror- Part 1(Day 1.2)

Mirror Mirror- Part 3(Day 3)

Mirror Mirror-Part 4 (Day 8)

[squitayumin]

Taiora Week 2020 - Day 4: Emblem

As a warning, there is a Kizuna spoiler in this. I was lucky enough to watch it at the cinema back in February, but I realise it has only been released worldwide as of last week. If you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, I’d suggest skipping this day.

He is the bearer of courage the way she is the bearer of love, but he lost functionality of his Digivice before her. He and Yamato had been first, followed by Joe. She helped all three of them through their losses, but now that it’s happening to her, she realises that everything she said to the three of them back then were just empty words, and in fact she had no idea what she was talking about. Even with the prior knowledge that this day will one day come, she isn’t prepared, and she feels an immeasurable grief incomparable to anything she has ever experienced.

He was strong, but she isn’t as strong as him, and it’s impossible for her to imagine a life without Piyomon. She’s lost Piyomon twice before, but this one is too permanent. She keeps having panic attacks, sometimes unable to breathe, like she’s been underwater for too long and is drowning. She self-diagnoses herself with depression, but she doesn’t seek help, instead locking herself away from the world.

Taichi is concerned and somehow lures her to his place, where she is momentarily distracted by his meagre way of living. She can’t believe how empty his refrigerator is. He orders dinner for them, but she doesn’t touch it, even though she hasn’t eaten anything in a while and really should.

He understands how she feels. She knows he does, but at the same time she has an evil, selfish notion that she is suffering more than he did. She knows that’s false and reprimands herself for even thinking it. He tells her she can talk to him if she wants, or, if not, he can just be in the same room as her so she doesn’t have to be alone.

He then makes her livid by refusing to eat unless she does, because he’s forcing her to do what she doesn’t want to do. She finally takes a nibble when his stomach grumbles loudly. She doesn’t want him to starve. He also takes a bite. A bite for a bite. She pushes herself to eat a bit more for his sake.

Without warning, she has another breakdown, and it’s not pretty. She feels her face scrunch together and her nose run, cries that sound like wails reverberating through his small studio. His walls are thin, and his neighbours must think that she’s either a lunatic or that he’s committing murder.

He reaches over to her and holds her.

In all the years she has known him, he has never held her this tightly. As children, he didn’t mind touching as much, but at one point such physical contact elicited a very different connotation. She knows he’s just being a friend, but alas it feels like something more. If she weren’t so upset, she could think on it, but her mind is currently only set on Piyomon.

His legs are on either side of her, his arms around her head as he holds her to him. She claws at his back, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and howling loudly onto his chest. They stay like that for a long time until she grows too exhausted and can produce no more tears.

He lives in a small studio, but he lets her spend the night on his bed. There is still space for him, but he sleeps on the floor beside her. He doesn’t even have an extra futon or duvet for himself, but he insists he doesn’t need one. Just before she falls asleep, she peeks over and sees him staring up at the ceiling, silent.

In the morning, she wakes up before him. She steps over his sleeping body, stops by the supermarket, and buys simple ingredients that she puts in his refrigerator to thank him. She makes him promise to make meals instead of letting everything expire and sends him easy recipes for him to try. Throughout the week, he sends her photos of his attempts.

She goes to see him on her own accord. She brings over more groceries as an excuse, but actually she is finally ready to talk about how she feels. She breaks down again as she speaks, but this time he is able to calm her. When she feels like she can’t breathe, he goes through the same breathing exercises they used to learn in their football club. When she can’t go any further, he holds her again. By the end of it, she has spilled every emotion to him. She leaves feeling better, but he looks troubled as he waves goodbye.

Somehow, the pain subsides, and life ensues.

Eventually, the same tragedy happens to Koshiro and Mimi, then Takeru and Hikari, then Daisuke, Ken, Miyako, and Iori. She is there to comfort each and every one of them, but she is only able to do so because he was there for her first. Each time, she leaves with a heavy sentiment in her chest, and she wonders if that is what he felt then too.

He always says that she is so busy looking out for others that she often forgets to look out for herself, but she thinks it must be tough to be him too. As their leader, he always takes the burden of experiencing everything first, considers dynamics that the others never have to, and acts okay even when he isn’t because he knows he’s the binding that keeps the team from collapsing.

She nearly died from sorrow when Piyomon left, and so does everyone else with their respective partners. The inhuman-like wails of some of her fellow teammates haunt her mind. He couldn’t have been any different, and she wonders who had been there for him. She imagines Taichi in his tiny flat with his empty refrigerator, alone as he mourns his loss, and she regrets that she hadn’t done more at the time. He embodies his crest so much, but sometimes she looks at her dead Digivice and wonders whether she ever really matched hers.