#i am struggling to make art lately eh

[heybiji]

[ryuichirou]

How do you draw Idia’s hair so good?? I struggle with the basic shapes so much!

Sorry for the late reply! Your ask got us excited because Idia’s hair is such a pain to draw, but also such a fun detail, and I’m very happy that you like the way I draw it <3

Katsu suggested to me to record a speedpaint, and uhh, here it is. Please, don’t mind the wonky anatomy and me horsing around with zooming in and out randomly. As you can see, I struggle with Idia’s hair myself and constantly redraw it until I’m satisfied or at least tired enough to say “eh, that’ll do”. In case you’re wondering, it took me ~25-30 minutes to do the hair, and the original video was 59 min long lol I always spend a lot of time moving, reshaping and redrawing details when I draw Idia…

I’ll also list some tips and thoughts about it based on the way I draw it…

The shape of Idia’s hair is not at all consistent. Even in Toboso’s art it looks slightly different sometimes, which makes sense, because Idia has magical fire hair and technically you could do whatever you want with it.

But some rules tend to apply each time. For example, even though Idia’s hair is long and seems naturally “heavy” because of it, the individual strands tend to be turned upwards, like fire would. Not every single one, but the shorter ones and the ones closer to Idia’s head tend to do so. 

It’s wavy, but not too wavy. If the hair starts looking too “soft”, add sharp edges, random strands sticking out, rough shapes, etc.

Oh, and it’s important to remember that it floats. This means, it doesn’t just go straight down, it does this weird “S” shape. It’s also hella long, I always forget just how long Idia’s hair is. If the magic fire logic didn’t apply to it, it would reach the ground easily. The volume of his hair is much bigger than I tend to remember too: it's quite thick and luscious lol So please give him lots of hair!

Tiny little flames + “holes” in the main ehh body of hair (wow there must be a way to phrase it better) make everything look good and more believable. Have fun with it. You might’ve noticed, I draw and redraw and move them around a lot in my speedpaint.

Obviously, I am no expert, and every artist I know draws Idia’s hair a little bit differently. The speedpaint doesn’t show it, but I always have some of Toboso’s artworks of Idia open when I draw him, just to make sure his design is not too off. I would definitely recommend looking at refs while drawing Idia (or anyone), and maybe even trying to redraw the hair from Toboso’s artworks once or twice as a study, it’ll probably make it easier to understand how Idia’s hair works.

You haven’t asked about the colouring, but I love colouring Idia’s hair, so I’ll talk about it a little. Colouring Idia’s hair is simultaneously the most fun and the most tedious part of drawing him lol 15 minutes of my hour long video is just me filling Idia’s hair with the base blue colour with a lasso (I refuse to use a bucket tool…)

But once you’re done with the base, this is where the fun begins. Because at this stage you can be pretty rough, just add in darker and deeper blues near the middle/core(?) of the hair mass. It doesn’t have to be very even or pretty, add some smaller dark spots; we personally really love it when Idia has this round little blob on his bangs. In the video you can see that I added it later on because I forgot about it lol

After the dark part is done, erase the ends of it a little bit with a soft brush. Not too much, we should still be able to see the shapes.

Then, on a separate layer set on overlay mode, with the same soft brush add some additional brighter spots, to make the hair look glowy. I used the same light blue as the base colour, and the overlay gives it a pretty hue.

And finally, add some white highlights at the ends of the strands. This is the stage when everything stops looking wrong and weird and starts looking like Idia, at least to me.

Phew, I think this is everything I wanted to say… I hope it was at least somewhat helpful.

Sorry for the long post, I just love talking about the drawing process. And about Idia too!

Once again, thank you for your kind words; I’m very happy that you like my art.

Have a good day!

[spyroforlife]

23!

23.What work of yours would you like to have the biggest impact on the fandom?

Ooh.. tbh that's a tough one because I don't necessarily WANT to have a big impact on fandom at all, I'm just out to write self-indulgent lil things I enjoy and hopefully get feedback from people who come across my writing and also enjoy it, I write for myself but I also love discussing my works with others.

Storytime but I once had a very impactful fanfic, though this was while I was in the Gravity Falls fandom and it was midway through season 2, a VERY active time to be in the fandom. I wrote a BillDip fanfic called Payment in Blood that was pretty much just spawned from me drawing some stereotypical dark!Dipper corrupted by Bill Cipher artwork, and I thought. Hey I could turn this into a story. So I did, and what started out as a needlessly violent and gorey dark fic written for shits and giggles gained a huge following, to the point that you probably couldn't be a BillDip fan in late 2014 to 2015 and not know about it. I had people giving me suggestions to incorporate into the storyline and popular artists were drawing fanart for me, and when I showed up in art livestreams people would get all excited about me being there and want to discuss the story with me

Of course in livestreams I always made sure to gently redirect attention back to the artist, it felt rude to talk about my own stuff while someone else is sharing their art process with us, but it was really overwhelming tbh?? It was a LOT of attention to have on me and I felt a lot of pressure to make sure the story was absolutely perfect, and I think by the end I was really running out of steam and struggling to wrap it up. I DID manage to finish the story, it even got a sequel, and looking back on it I'm satisfied with what it is. And the story inspired a lot of new stories and artwork and I love that so many people got inspired to create because of PiB. But I'll always remember that as a very strange time in my life

So I guess what I'm getting at is that while it's fun to THINK about having a popular work that has a lot of impact on the fandom and everyone knows about it, having experienced that before, I can honestly say I can take it or leave it. I LOVE when I can inspire people to make things, if someone gets an idea from something of mine and wants to spin it into their own story, absolutely! Please! And I love having discussions about the characters and their choices, and about my planning, and ideas that were considered but ultimately abandoned, etc. Having a popular fic is fine. But idk. I don't think I'd like it if a story of mine got so popular that other people who aren't interested are getting bothered about if they've read it. I wouldn't want discussions about it dominating a tag that should be more general. I certainly wouldn't want to get harassed over a story of mine, or worse, someone ELSE getting harassed just because they openly enjoyed it. I can handle rude Internet tough guys. But I would never want other people being attacked because I made something popular and people liked it and other people think that's bad

idk if that makes sense but yeah. Sorry if this is really rambly, it's just that I genuinely am unsure if I want to make an impact on fandom, instead I just kinda like being in my own corner and if other people wanna come into my corner and hang out, that's great! But I don't really need to make anything that EVERYONE knows about. While there's good sides to that, there's negatives as well, so eh. I just don't know.

But as an apology for such a long-winded answer. If I did need to choose one to have an impact. You know what.

Triple Life because omegaverse (sorta) Life series season is SUCH a ridiculous fucking idea and I'm so glad for the post that made me go "haha what if" and then actually write it. I think it'd be funny if people were doing like. Analysis and fanart and shit about this story of mine in particular. Look at my smutty Life series fanfic, boy

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

🛠What tools/programs/apps do you use to write?

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

🙋‍♀️ Do any irl people know you write fanfic?

🍦 What's the sweetest fic you've created so far?

🍷 Do you drink and write?

🍆 Do you write the spicy stuffs? If so, what's your most popular nsfw fic?

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

💖 What made you start writing?

💌 How do you feel about comments and feedback?

💲 Would you ever open commissions?

🎨 How do you feel about fan art of your stories?

🦅 Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants?

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

😬 Which of your fics would you be most horrified for friends, family, or coworkers to stumble upon?

📚 Would you ever want to turn writing into a career?

⌛ How long does it take you to write a fic, or a chapter?

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?

💥 How do you feel about criticism?

🤭 Do you have a favorite tag to use when posting your works?

🥰 How do you feel about reader interaction? Are you open to receiving questions about your fics?

sorry about all of them dszjhgaier you don't have to answer all of 'em!

KDJFKSDJFKDJ WHY LMAO

decided to single-handedly complete this ask game 😭

💖🏆🦅 have been answered here!

i'd link the "send me more asks" thing but i think all the questions have now been answered ksjdflsdkjf

✨ give you and your writing a compliment. go on now. you know you deserve it 😉

ehhhhhh i can write emotions well?? mostly with angst i think, like the chaotic thoughts and physical sensations that happen during angsty scenes IDK I'M NOT GOOD AT AFFIRMING MYSELF ;-;

🎶 do you listen to music while you write? what song have you been playing on loop lately?

depends on my focus level! for a while i had @chaotic-on-main generate a fluff playlist for me as i was writing the cuter parts of matcha. sometimes if i'm angsty i'll listen to music. a recent listen has been this:

🛠 what tools/programs/apps do you use to write?

i used zenwriter for a while! but now i've just moved onto using google docs because adhd makes it so that i can't get myself to write if i dedicate my night to writing, but i can get myself to start writing if i'm doing it while gaming 👁️👄👁️

⛔ do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

SO MANY MY GOD i have a canonverse one for aot that was the first thing i wrote, but i scrapped it because i was eh about the story and characterization. i published some excerpts but the actual fic is just kinda sitting in my folder all lonely

🙋‍♀️ do any irl people know you write fanfic?

some do! i've kinda realized that fanfic is like the Thing™ that i do. what do i do on weekends when i'm letting off steam? i write. it's like the one area where i dont rly feel like an imposter if that makes sense??? anyways i say i like writing and if they ask i will say fanfiction lol. there are definitely some irls i'm more willing to share to than others though

🍦 what's the sweetest fic you've created so far?

hmmm including unpublished? honestly probably still matcha because it's like a modern au and isn't surrounded by death and angst like most of my fics are skdjfksjdf

🍷 do you drink and write?

hmmm i dont think i've written after drinking, but definitely after smoking!

🍆 do you write the spicy stuffs? if so, what's your most popular nsfw fic?

OH YOU BET, although reminder of the fun fact that i did NOT intend to publish smut at ALL when i first revived this blog and now look where i am dkflsdkjf i have a bunch of short drabbles that have gained traction because we're all horny with short attention spans djjksjfks if we're strictly talking about oneshots, i think it would be this one if we're including longer drabbles, i'd say this one

🌞 do you have a preferred time of day to write?

ehhh, writing at night is most convenient? i'll do it whenever the writing juices hit tho. i do like writing late into the night (like 12am-3am) because i can focus the best, but i can't stay up that late most nights u.u

💌 how do you feel about comments and feedback?

i love comments! feedback less so. do not provide unless i ask. any improvements in writing style will come from me. providing unsolicited feedback is one of the fastest way to getting blocked. i'm already disengaging from conversations regarding word count or use of y/n, so this entire topic makes me all skdfjkdsjf even if it doesn't directly involve my writing

💲 would you ever open commissions?

ehhhh if people are ever willing to pay? i feel like fanfic is just so available everywhere that people aren't really willing to pay for it? i've opened up tips a few years ago and nothing happened so i'm just eh about it

🎨 how do you feel about fan art of your stories?

I WOULD LOVE IT but do not expect it lol

🤗 what advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

write to your heart's content and if anyone shames you for being cringey, having a mary sue oc/reader, writing ooc or whatever, i would gladly unkindly tell them to fuck off for you 💕 but honestly, just write! you'll form your own style and process and it's the most organic way to begin writing. it'll teach you to write and pour your soul into it for YOU and not because you're trying to live up to anyone's expectations

😬 which of your fics would you be most horrified for friends, family, or coworkers to stumble upon?

OH MY GOD i wrote a mini-fic for WoW and it's literally in a folder in my google docs titled "things we can forget that exist"

📚 would you ever want to turn writing into a career?

eh. publishing it means opening it up for critique and having tangible expectations. so probably not.

⌛ how long does it take you to write a fic, or a chapter?

depends on the adhd gremlin. can range from 1-2 hours all the way up to like 3 weeks or a few months for the oneshots i keep forgetting about ksdjfksdjf

🤯 what's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc)?

hmm...maybe action? i love writing battle scenes, but idk if they're written well enough for someone that's freshly reading to know what the fuck is going on lol

💔 is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?

anything on my angst list makes me want to cry or resulted from me crying LMAO there is a hurt/comfort one that i wrote on a topic i struggle with a lot and will occasionally summon the feels when i reread it but it ends happy sooooo

💥 how do you feel about criticism?

refer back to what i said about getting feedback. do not provide unless i ask. if i know you, i'll ask you to stop. if i do not know you, then you will be blocked.

🤭 do you have a favorite tag to use when posting your works?

i think i use "pls i need him so bad" a lot LMAO because anything i produce quickly is motivated by me desperately needing the affection of levi ackerman and his cock

🥰 how do you feel about reader interaction? Are you open to receiving questions about your fics?

i love questions! i love it when people are screaming in the comments over cliffhangers! or even some that DM me with reactions and i'm just like 🤭 the entire time

[chromochaotic]

Reads of 2023 Part II (so far)

i was sad i couldn't fit all the cover pictures in my Part I post without it going off the screen, so might as well split it into 2 posts! update as of 6/11!

thoughts/reviews:

Heaven Official's Blessing: Volume 1

It's happening! My friends have been deep in this author's works/fandom for a while now, I'm pretty late to the party... Well, I guess I've dabbled in some of the animated/live action content that's out there for the different series. Anyway, this was a fun read! There's something so lush about historical dramas that definitely comes through here. When you add in the bits of humor and adventure, the whole story is really refreshing.

Even though the translation is still a tiny bit unprofessional, it's clearer than other options, haha. I was able to get a way better sense of the world and characters on this attempt (I had a good time watching the animated show! But as my friend put it, the season moved lightning fast, so it brushed over a lot of things). I don't have any other real nitpicks, other than like... the odd sexism that pops up now and then. Lmao

I am ofc in love with the main characters... They invented love... They invented devotion... I'm also delighted by the pace of things! Their relationship has managed to be both teasingly slow (like, the gradual reveal of Hua Cheng's true identity) but also very satisfyingly forward (the escorting!! the painting!! the righteous anger!!). Excited to see where things go with them, and the rest of the cast! (3.5/5—would be a 4, but the translation still kind of hampers things.)

Naomi Vandoren's Forest of Light

The second art book I bought from this artist! Same thoughts as before; for a quick browse, this was a refreshing little collection. Her style is just nice and soothing, with some fun surrealism/dreamscape vibes thrown in.

I'm not sure I'll buy any more of these, since the book didn't add quite as much insight into the works as I was hoping. Plus some of the concepts don't really resonate with me/seem that well researched...

I think one of my favorite things included was this abstract work the artist did—she wrote that she started with random watercolor mark-making, and then turned that into a piece. Those were very cool explorations! (2.5/5)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian

Done!! With the series! (Unless... It looks like there might be some followups to the main story?) I understand why the darker tone got dialed up, and other than the excursion with Nico, why the story kind of broke from the wacky-roadtrip vibe of the others. It made sense, while still keeping some of the lighthearted narration from the others, which was nice. I think what I appreciate the most about the series is the fun it has with its world. (Side note—I watched the movie based on the first book recently, and I can only assume it didn't do well! Bc omg, it completely missed the mood of the books. Instead of lingering on the whimsy, they focused on... making Grover a very cringey stereotype? Nah.) (ALSO??? THEY CUT OUT MY DAUGHTER CLARISSE????? THE AUDACITY???????)

I think my biggest gripe with the book was the very weird way the Annabeth-Percy-Rachel dynamic was handled. Like, it just got kind of tiring after a bit, especially with the way Annabeth acted so uncharacteristically catty at times. Plus, like, Percy's off falling in love with Calypso after like 5 minutes, the girl is right that he's kind of flighty. Rachel's ending also felt, just... eh.

Other than that, I was very into the last book!! There were some really moving character moments, like, Nico struggling with his place in the story, everything we learned about Luke... AND THE BIGGEST MASTERSTROKE OF ALL!!! I have been waiting to scream about the sapphic Patrochilles take??? At the end??? Clarisse has two hands and she can hold both Chris's and Silena's. She was moved to go into battle!!!! For her!!!!! She defeated one of the most terrifying foes in NO ARMOR just with a SICK ASS SPEAR and I LOVE HER. Anyway no notes, except they better do Clarisse justice in the new adaptation or I will riot. (4/5)

Secrets of the Oak Woodlands

Ooo I'm out of practice doing these reviews... Mostly from a funny cocktail of outside factors slowing me down, but also because nonfiction can be such a slog for me to get through. Tragic, because I do want to learn more ecology, I'm just... bad at it. Anyway! Bought this book on a fun West Coast road trip, I think I picked this up in the Sequoia National Park gift shop? The writing itself is great, especially how it tackles some pretty complex concepts in a way that's approachable. The book doesn't feel like Baby's First Nature Guide, but it also doesn't completely lose me when it explores why coyote populations actually rise when they're hunted or why Oak Mistletoe is a keystone species.

Even though the watercolor illustrations in the book were lovely, I sort of wish the visuals could have focused more on the tougher scientific concepts being explained. Like, instead of the illustrated "anecdote" of a quail sitting sentry, it could have been good to have a cross-section diagram of an oak gall or something. I guess it's always hard to balance interest and clarity in scientific writing, though. Overall, I think this was a pretty good eco-starter book! I'm just a square peg trying to force myself into a round hole, reading these nonfiction books. (So... 3/5?)

The Dragon's Bride

Hoo boy... Hoo boy... Listened to this audiobook at the recommendation of my friend who's very into erotica/romances. Which was an adventure, for me! To start with the good points, I really like the founding premise of this whole world/story. Deals with demons walk that perfect line for me of intricate and taboo power dynamics—and at the same time, the author satisfied my inner hopeless romantic by making all the demons (that we've met so far, at least) morally viable! So yeah, the world building and characterization is really nice, tbh.

I think my two sticking points are the smut itself, and that I didn't find these particular protags very compelling... It's interesting comparing this to, say, an above-average smut fic. On the one hand this has better prose, but on the other hand the smut veered into being a little too flowery now and then... (not to say all the sex scenes were like that. Uh. There were some choice ones.) I also personally found the frequency of the sex scenes a little ridiculous, but for most people that's probably a positive! 😂 And then, when it comes to the main characters themselves, I think they were well-rounded and the dynamic itself made sense. The personalities just aren't the kind I normally latch onto, though—they're not my blorbos, you know? So, where I'd go into a smut fic already attached (and therefore more into the smut itself), these... I could take it or leave it, haha.

That said, this installment did pique my interest for others in the series. I'm curious about the one with the succubus........ And the one with Eve..................... Those tidbits seem more up my alley. :] Also, the voice acting was pretty fun, tbh. They got separate VAs for Briar and Sol, the two POV characters, and they knocked it out of the park (even/especially in the smut scenes)! (well, except for a very funny instance where the guy VA had to voice Briar's lines in a smut scene in a Sol POV chapter. Damn, did he try.) Might pick up one of the other installments... if they come out on audiobook! (3.5/5)

Legends & Lattes

Another recommendation!! From a different friend! Apparently this book is popular on booktok but since booktok sounds like a cesspool (not really—pls don't come for me) I'm glad I didn't know that going in. As a purveyor and avid consumer of slice-of-life fluff.......... I loved this!!! First of all, the main character is My Kind of Girl, and exactly the kind of character I want to see getting a happy ending. Then, the rest of cast provided so many different kinds of delight—the warm Found Family feeling of a grumpy kind father figure and an adorable little Creature baking actual cinnamon rolls and a prim but secretly dorky girlfriend and and and—so many greats! Even the antagonists were enjoyable, in their way.

Hmmm... for the negative part of my postive-negative-positive sandwich, I think I'd just echo what I've seen in a few other reviews—I could have done with a teensy bit more of the romance. Or I guess, more of the cuteness of it? All we really got was a little bit of lead-up and then a big get-together, but I feel like the romance scenes I like most (shy flirting, a tiny bit of pining) got sort of skipped over. It's not a huge negative! Especially for this story, which seemed like it hit exactly the balance the author intended. Yeah, I might have just had the epilogue cover the main ship being cute and in love, instead of the little righteous vengeance scene that we got.

So this was a perfect little comfort listen (audiobook again! with really nice acting done by the author himself!). I saw other people calling the first chapters slow, but tbh I loved the steady, hopeful mood that came from all that straightforward hard work happening and then paying off. A great story, if you go in with the right expectations! (4.5/5) (P.S.: also this article touches on some other L&L points that I think explain why it resonates so well in post-pandemic life) (P.P.S. now I'm trying to parse out why I liked this book so much more than House in the Cerulean Sea... I think part of it is that the cast felt more respected? Like, it was more than just The Most Special-est Pretty Boy and his Plucky Boyfriend Fix Fantasy Racism)

[vgckwb]

P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 156: Keeping Your Head Straight

Wednesday after school, Ren got a message from Yusuke.

Yusuke: Forgive the sudden invitation.

Yusuke: But Mr. Kawanabe, the art director who caught us in Madarame’s house, invited me for a late lunch to talk.

Yusuke: I was wondering if you’d mind coming with. To help me keep my head on straight.

Ren: OK. Sure.

Ren: Where?

Yusuke: The sushi place we went to celebrate our victory over Kaneshiro.

Ren: Gotcha.

Ren: See you soon!

Ren put her phone away, and headed out.

Before she left the school, Kawakami caught her. “Oh, hey, just who I needed to see,” Kawakami said.

Ren was confused. “Oh?”

Kawakami looked around and then whispered “You may want to call that number tonight.”

Ren nodded. “Gotcha.”

Kawakami retracted to her original position. “Have a good day.”

“You too,” Ren replied. She continued heading out.

Yusuke was waiting for her outside the restaurant. “Thank you for coming,” Yusuke said.

“No problem,” Ren replied.

“Shall we?”

“Of course,” Ren answered again. The two walked in.

Upon entry, they saw Mr. Kawanabe already sitting down. He glanced over to see them. “Ah, I’m glad you could make it.” Yusuke took a seat next to him, and Ren next to Yusuke. “Please, feel free to order whatever you like.”

“Thank you,” Yusuke said. They placed their orders. “So, what did you want to speak upon?”

“Straight to the point, eh?” Kawanabe retorted.

“Forgive me,” Yusuke said. “I have some projects I need to do for school. And I don’t imagine that you have a wealth of free time on your hands either.”

“I suppose that’s true enough,” Kawanabe replied.”Very well then. Am I correct in that you are still looking for that creative spark?”

“Urgh,” Yusuke reacted, feeling stung. “I…guess you could say that’s true.”

“Well, like I told you earlier,” Kawanabe began, “I am the director of the Japanese Art Support Foundation. Now, forgive me, but I am quite familiar with your circumstances.” Yusuke was curious. “It is hard to be as entrenched in the art world as I have been and not know who Madarame’s last pupil is.”

“Oh…” Yusuke said, disappointedly, but without any confirmation on what disappointed him.

“Tell me: how many of ‘his’ works did you make?” Kawanabe asked.

“Well…ummmm…” Yusuke said, struggling to answer. “I…can’t say off the top of my head.”

Kawanabe nodded. “My apologies. To be completely honest, I could tell a good number of them by comparing what you brought to the exhibition to Madarame’s latest pieces.”

“I see…” Yusuke replied.

“Where are you going with this?” Ren asked.

Kawanabe took note of her. “Forgive me. I did want to make this conversation last a little longer.” He turned back to Yusuke. “The truth is, I have another art competition coming up. And I feel like with my guidance, I can help you win.”

Yusuke was shocked. “You’d rig your own competition?”

“Of course,” Kawanabe said. “You make for a really good story. An aspiring artist struck by tragedy bouncing back to rise to popularity and become the next big thing in the world of Japanese art.”

“I beg your pardon?” Yusuke said.

“That…seems a little excessive,” Ren pointed out.

“Perhaps,” Kawanabe replied. “But art can be excessive at times.”

“It can,” Yusuke agreed. “But it sounds like you want to turn my life into some kind of art piece.”

“Well, stories sell,’ Kawanabe countered. “Especially in the art world, and especially someone with such a compelling story. It is a little extravagant, but think about what you’d get in return: Fame. Fortune. Anything you could want. In that context, is it too high a price to pay?”

Yusuke glared at Kawanabe. “So, you’re just like him after all.”

“Pardon?”

“I will not be another man’s art project!” Yusuke declared. “Not ever again! I’m afraid I’ll have to decline your offer.”

Kawanabe remained calm. “I see…” He got up. “You are still free to enter the competition. Someone of your caliber will probably be granted entry like that. But if you don’t want to guarantee your victory, that’s fine by me as well.”

He started to leave. “By the way,” he said, turning back. “I have a tab going. Feel free to have as much as you want. Consider it a thank you for at least hearing me out.” He left fully.

“Maybe we should get out of here,” Yusuke said. “I don’t want any of his tainted sushi.” His stomach rumbled. “Then again, the sushi didn’t do anything wrong here.”

“Besides, if we eat a lot, we’ll put a dent into his wallet,” Ren said.

“Of course,” Yusuke said. “I can always count on you for formulating a cunning plan.” They kept eating.

As they were eating, Ren asked “So, how are you feeling?”

Yusuke looked distant. “To be honest…conflicted.” Ren was stunned. “A part of me wanted to take him up on his offer. I mean, money, fame, and fortune is hard to pass up. But it’s not what art is. At least to me. And he sounded like he wanted to control me.”

He looked at Ren. “To be incredibly honest, being controlled by someone doesn’t seem half bad. I can focus on what I want to make, and they can take care of other things. But with you here, I couldn’t. You and the others fought so hard to free me from someone else’s control before. To just blindly step into that again would betray everything we stand for. As friends. As teammates. As Phantom Thieves.” He let out a heavy sigh.

Ren patted his back. “It’s OK. I can’t say I haven’t had similar thoughts. But you are right. With others around depending on you, it becomes easier to make the right choice, which I feel like you did here.”

Yusuke smiled. “Hm. Thank you.”

Ren nodded back, letting go of Yusuke’s back. “So, are you going to enter his competition?”

“Perhaps,” Yusuke said. “If only to prove him wrong. Although I have no idea where to begin. After all, I’m still nowhere close to figuring out what true art is.”

“Well, you know what it isn’t,” Ren replied. “You told Mr. Kawanabe as much.”

Yusuke was surprised. “You’re right. I did say that.”

“I feel like that might be a good starting point,” Ren said.

“Hm,” Yusuke pondered. “Perhaps you’re right. What made me say no to this? Why did I say that that’s not art? I have to think on these questions, but I believe I can do it.”

“And if you need help, you can always come to us,” Ren said.

“Of course,” Yusuke replied. “What are friends, slash teammates, slash Phantom Thieves for?” They shared a giggle.

Emperor-Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 7

The two continued eating sushi for a while before leaving.

Meanwhile, Sae had spent her Wednesday at Okumura Foods trying to get any information she could. She was given bits and pieces, but nothing substantial, as Okumura’s employees were being as cagey as ever.

She went down to the lobby to give herself a break when she saw a curious sight. “Excuse me?” Sae looked up to where the voice was coming from. She saw a woman with a bob-cut, a camera, and a relaxed sense of dress at the front counter. “Would Mr. Okumura be willing to make an appointment for an interview?”

Sae was curious. “Hold on a second,” the receptionist answered. She picked up the phone. “Excuse me. Mr. Okumura? There’s a reporter here, and she wants to interview you…I see…Very well…Thank you for your time.” She hung up. “Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances, Mr. Okumura isn’t making time for interviews. But if you leave me your contact information, I could get back to you as soon as Mr. Okumura is ready.

The reporter was none-too-pleased about this response, but remained professional. Well, as professional as she could. “Fine then. Here.” She took out her card and gave it to the receptionist.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Whatever,” the reporter replied.

The reporter was just about to leave, when Sae caught a hold of her. “Excuse me,” she said. The reporter turned around. “You’re a reporter right?”

The other woman smiled. “Of course.” She took out another business card. Ichiko Ohya, at your service.”

Sae took it. She then took out one of her own business cards. “Prosecutor Sae Niijima. Also at your service. Might I ask why you wish to interview Okumura?”

Ohya seemed confused. “You…are aware of what’s happening right now, right?”

“Of course,” Sae said. “I’m working on a few cases involving Okumura. And right now, Okumura is trying to get his house in order. His lawyers have told him to limit public appearances and interviews. They sent out a bunch of press dockets. I assume you’d be aware of those, right?”

“What kind of reporter do you take me for?” Ohya replied.

“So, if you know, why try?” Sae asked again.

Ohya got a little defensive. “My reasons are my own,” she answered.

“Hm. I see,” Sae responded. “Well, professional to professional, and woman to woman, I feel like perhaps we could help each other out. If you’ll let me.”

“Hmm,” Ohya responded. “I’m intrigued. OK. I’ll take you up on your offer. Tomorrow night at Crossroads in Shinjuku?”

Sae nodded. “Very well.”

“Great! See you then!” Ohya said. She walked out.

Sae turned to the receptionist. “You can tell Mr. Okumura that I’m cutting today’s investigation short. I have some other cases I’m working on, so if he doesn’t want to cooperate, I have others who will. Good day.” The receptionist was in awe, and then nodded. Sae left the building.

As she was walking, she placed a phone call. “Hello?” Riko answered.

“Hi,” Sae answered. “Could you please do me a favor?”

“Of course,” Riko answered.

“I need you to look into a reporter named Ichiko Ohya,” Sae said.

“How come?” Riko replied.

“I’ve agreed to meet with her,” Sae said. “I need to know what I’m up against.”

“Well…this seems sudden,” Riko said.

“It is,” Sae said. “I apologize for putting you on the spot like this.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” Riko said. “I’m just surprised. I can get the report done by tonight.”

“I’ll take it tomorrow morning,” Sae told her. “I’m coming back to the office for a bit, but that’s only to get some other cases in order. I suspect my meeting with Miss Ohya will take a bit, so I want to try and compensate by not staying out too late tonight.”

“Yes ma’am!” Riko said. “I’ll have something ready for you tomorrow!”

Sae smiled. “Thank you.” She hung up, and continued to her office.

Meanwhile, a little after Ren got home, she used the pay phone to call “Becky”. Once Kawakmi arrived, she said “Greetings Master!~” Yet, there was no dismay on her face soon after. She walked in.

Ren grinned. “So, what’s the occasion?”

“Well…” Kawakami said, hardly able to contain her excitement. “Today is my last day.”

Ren’s mouth was agape. “You mean…?”

Kawakami nodded. “After tonight, I’ll only be Miss Kawakami.”

“At least, until you get married,” Ren retorted.

“Ummmm,” Kawakami blushed. “Wu…One thing at a time.”

Ren giggled. “Sorry.” She went behind the bar. “So, how do you want to celebrate?”

“Well…” Kawakami said. “I was hoping I could make you one last meal.” Ren seemed confused. “I mean…you’ve helped me so much throughout all of this. I figure it’s the least I could do.”

“Oh, uh, you don’t need to-”

“I insist,” Kawakami said. “After all, you’re never going to get this opportunity again.”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Ren said. She moved to a booth seat.

“Hm hm,” Kawakami giggled. “So, is there anything you want, Master?~”

“Anything’s fine,” Ren replied. “As long as it’s made by you.~”

Kawakami was a little stunned. “I see… You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you Master?~ Well then, I shall prepare you something extra delicious!~” Kawakami began cooking. Once she finished, she set the plates down for each of them. “Here you are, Master!~”

Ren giggled. “Thanks.” Kawakami giggled as well. She sat down, and the two started eating. “So, how are you feeling? About all of this?”

“Kawakami stopped for a moment “Hmmmm. Well… I don’t have an answer from the volleyball team yet. But I think it’s alright. I’ve been going non-stop ever since the Takases. It’s nice to have some time to breathe for a change. I thought I’d be more nervous, but I feel more alive than ever.”

“It is nice not to have the weight of the world on your shoulders at times,” Ren said.

“But sometimes you choose to bear it anyway,” Kawakami replied.

“Right…” Ren replied, sheepishly.

“It’s not that I’m not grateful that you helped me,” Kawakami said, “but it might be worth it to do something for yourself too.”

“I mean, I do like helping people…” Ren said.

“I know,” Kawakami replied. “I’m the same way. But it’s useful to relax at times too.”

“Yeah,” Ren agreed. She sighed. “A part of me feels like I do this because I want people to like me. Sometimes I feel like I’m not actually that nice, but I just don’t want people to hate me.”

Kawakami was stunned. “What brought this on?”

“It’s just…” Ren said. She sighed again. “In my hometown, I’d get into fights with everyone. Whenever someone was picking on someone, I’d try to defend them. I won a good amount of times too. But they started calling me…things. Some of the people didn’t even want me to defend them anymore. And it just kept getting worse and worse…”

Kawkami was stunned. She set her utensils down, stood up, walked over to Ren, and gave her a hug. “It’s alright.” Ren was surprised. She then loosened her grip on Ren and met her at eye level. “Speaking as both your teacher, and someone who you helped, I have to tell you you are genuine. You kept helping me, even when you could have just ran. And I would have allowed that. Almost preferred it in some cases. But I’m glad you’re you. Otherwise I couldn’t be the best me there is. So thank you.”

Ren was awestruck. Her eyes were watery. She swallowed some air and replied “Thank you.”

Temperance-Sadayo Kawakami: Rank 9

After a bit, the two went back to eating.

A little later, Ren asked “Do you have anywhere else to be?”

“Nope!” Kawakami said. “You’re my last customer. So I can be here as long as you’d like. Well, within reason. I still have to clock out and stuff.”

“Right,” Ren replied.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Kawakami asked. “I mean in general, not as a maid.”

“That..almost sounds like you have something in mind,” Ren asked.

“Well…this is going to sound a bit presumptuous,” Kawakami replied, “but do you want some advice on getting a boyfriend? I mean, not that I’d be that much help, but…”

Ren got slightly embarrassed. “Well, you see, I’m actually seeing someone right now.”

“Oh!” Kawakami replied. “I…didn’t know. So, what’s he like?”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Ren said. “‘He’ is not the operative word here.” Kawakami was a little confused. Ren continued “she is amazing though.”

“OH!” Kawakami replied once more. “Huh.”

“You’re not mad?” Ren asked.

“I’ve worked long enough as a maid to see it before,” Kawakami said. “Whether it be curious clientele, maids who like teasing men because they thought it was fun, clients trying to assert their straightness when they were not, maids who gave up on men after a certain point, people becoming maids to get their first taste of womanhood, or just closeted people. Some of them were very nice people. Some were a bit more forward, but there are rules at this job. What I’m saying is, it takes all kinds. And some of those people helped me through this dark time in my life. And now, I suppose that includes you.” Ren chuckled.

After they finished their meals, and Kawakami did the dishes, she decided to leave. Before going, she curtsied and said “Thank you for being my last Master!~ And my best.” Ren smiled and blushed slightly. Kawakami let go of her dress, and in her usual voice said “Thanks again for everything.” She had one foot out the door. “See you tomorrow.”

“See ya!” Ren replied. Kawakami left. Ren sighed, relieved. Today was surprising, but worth it in a lot of ways.

Meanwhile, Sae came home. Makoto was stunned. “Oh! I thought you’d be pulling another all nighter.”

“Not today,” Sae said. “I might tomorrow, depending.” She sat down on the couch. “Ugh. This whole ordeal is killing me.”

“Are you feeling alright?” Makoto wondered.

Sae just stared up. “Do you ever feel so close to something, yet so far away from it?”

“Well…” Makoto wasn’t sure how to answer that. She was feeling something like it with this Okumura investigation with The Phantom Thieves, but she wasn’t about to tell Sae that.

“Hm,” Sae replied. “You don’t need to answer that. I’m just venting right now.” There was a brief pause. “Did anything happen at school today?” Sae asked.

“Oh, uh, well,” Makoto began, “actually yes.” Sae’s interest was piqued. “Well, um, I wasn’t sure how to tell you this, but, um, so, you know how Principal Kobayakowa was…?”

“Right…” Sae said. “So, have they elevated the Vice Principal to his position yet?”

“Actually,” Makoto said, furthering Sae’s interest, “someone else decided to apply for the position as well.”

“Really?” Sae asked. “Who?”

“Mr. Arai,” Makoto told her.

Sae was stunned. “Huh. I’m surprised. So he’s giving it another go.”

“Seems like it,” Makoto said.

Sae sighed. “You know, he and Kobayakowa were up for the Principal job eleven years ago, but Mr. Arai dropped out unexpectedly. I had a feeling Kobayakawa had something on him, but I couldn’t figure it out.”

“Oh?” Makoto said.

“Perhaps this is the change Shujin needs,” Sae said. And perhaps this is a sign of things to come. Sae stood up.

“Um, do you want something to eat?” Makoto asked.

“I’ll eat later,” Sae said. “Right now I want a bath.”

“Oh. OK,” Makoto replied.

Sae was meditating in the bathtub. One way or another, I’m going to solve this. I’m going to solve this, and then I’m going to start my transformative reign as top prosecutor in the nation. I will begin to forge a new world. One where a person doesn’t need to be afraid of losing their father. One where a woman doesn’t need to be afraid to empower herself. One where the greedy and corrupt are imprisoned regardless of station. I’m almost there. I just need to stop these Phantom Thieves.

[datawyrms]

snap

It is The Day I post my Invisobang fic! it was a wild ride to write everything and not post. This is actually the second fic I did, as the first fell into my pit of ‘i hate it now’ and will sit in limbo for the rest of eternity. I teamed up with Spirit ( @ghostportals ), who has done some accompanying art! That, and Red @redead-red saved my bacon by doing some betaing last moment, so tell em they’re great too. Hope you’re all enjoying the flood of finished fics and art this week! Only the first chapter is here, the rest is posted on my Ao3 and complete. hope you enjoy!

One careless fall changed Danny's life forever. He was kind of hoping one fall like that was enough for any lifetime. Clearly fate disagreed.

It's fine though! He's got this. He's fine. He can totally explain why he ran off with his own body to mom and dad.

The stairs had always been a little too steep, a titch too narrow, but he was used to them. Jazz worried too much- the whole Fenton family knew how to take them two steps at a time. He wasn’t going to admit she might have a point just because he’d slipped one time. He wished there was a railing to catch himself with- it would have spared him some of the pain of his head knocking on the stair.

It didn’t hurt that much. Plenty of ghosts hit harder, and far more frequently.

“Took a bit of a spill eh, Danno?”

Great, dad saw him slip like he was three again. He wanted to speak, wave his behemoth of a father off before he got tangled up in some long lecture about whatever they were working on down here. Just had to sit up.

He was a little stunned or something. All those late nights made his limbs rebel when he wanted them to hurry up. Come on, before he tries to help and accidentally shaves his hair off with some anti-ghost stepladder or something.

His arms stubbornly rejected his internal horror story. His attempt to say ‘I’m fine’ was more a gurgle than anything. Way to go, Fenton. Do everything to get dad to worry! Really using those genius genes. Jazz probably stole his anyway, or they got fried in the accident. Come on! A bit of self berating should have him sitting bolt upright by now. Maybe his arm twitched. He felt something move, anyway. More like a muscle spasm.

“Danny? You okay?” The large man came closer, his usual jog slowed.

Of course he’s fine. He could see dad, sort of. He totally moved his eyes to see him better, even. Stupid ghost powers were just acting up.  It’s okay,  just give me a second to stand up. You’re worrying over nothing.

 Jack had already made it over, crouching to get a better look at his fallen son. Like he was trying to look smaller or something with how carefully he was moving. Where was all that slow, ginger movement when he was driving? Or trying to tell them about some new invention that might burn off your eyebrows?

 I’m fine, dad. He couldn’t get the words to come out, but he was just fine. He really didn’t like the strange look on his father’s face. After all, ‘Jack Fenton doesn’t know the meaning of the word fear’ or whatever random thing he felt like shouting when chasing after entities from another dimension. Come on dad, stop looking like that. It was creeping him out. Moving should be easy, a snap, but part of him didn’t feel like doing it. Apparently an important part? He could visualize exactly what to do, but he wasn’t sitting up. He swore he could feel his muscles clenching but not finishing the movement. Maybe they were testing something down here that just made all the ectoplasm hiding inside him take a nap. His ectoplasm was so fired after this.

 “Can you look at me kiddo?”

 Coaxing him. This was weird. Why wasn’t he just hauling him off the floor and laughing about how clumsy he was at his age too? Looking at him was easy. Pretty hard to miss him, with all the bright orange.

 “Maddie? Can you come over here?” His question was strangely stilted, not much of a bellow.

 Dad was going to get the wrong idea because his body didn’t want to cooperate. Great. Fantastic. He could feel the warmth in his chest, the sign his heart was still going. He was just fine, just a bit inconvenienced at the moment. Why couldn’t dad just be  dad  and do something dumb like pick him up with one hand while sounding way too excited about some new tool that he built?

 “What’s wrong?” His mom said, her footsteps doing the same thing dad’s had. Speed that suddenly cut down to almost nothing. “Danny, did you hit your head?”

 “I think he might have, he’s not responding. I didn’t want to try to move him-“

 “You did great Jack, it’s okay.”

 Gross. He hoped they didn’t get caught up in one of their lovey dovey circles while he was stuck trying to get his stupid legs to remember how to do things. He was responding! He groaned, and he definitely twitched a bit. Weren’t they paying attention? He tried again, a bit more forcefully and ignoring the pang in his neck. More of a jolt from someone with too much static cling than actual pain, really.

 “Should I call 911? He isn’t moving! He just stayed there- didn’t even act all tough for his old man!”

 Jack was panicking.  Dad was panicking. Over nothing! Why wasn’t mom distracting him with fudge or some random study? No one was being normal today. Danny shuddered, he knew he did, it went with the pulse under his skin.

 “That’d be great sweetie, just stay close.”

 “In case you need my big strong arms to help carry him, right?”

 “Just in case.” She wasn’t wearing the hood of her jumpsuit, at least.

 It didn’t make it more comfortable when she crouched down, biting her lip and staring at him. Like this was concerning. It was the opposite of that, he was a klutz, a gangly teenager, it was normal for him to be a bit banged up. This shouldn’t concern her, or anyone. The only reason it bugged him was the not being able to move right now nonsense.

 “You aware in there sweetie?” she said, rather loudly and clapping near his ear.

  Yes I am, but I can’t tell you. Maybe he could focus on taking a breath and it would kick off whatever turned off his mind to body connection. Had he done anything strange before coming down here? Not really. He could absolutely feel her digging her nails into his earlobe though, ow! More motivation to move, but something wasn’t getting across. Maybe he was getting a bit freaked out about it too. Only because of his parents being weird. He was fine, he had to be fine. It was nothing, less than nothing.

 “I’m just going to make sure he’s still breathing Jack, do you have anyone on the line yet?”

 A loud response, but not to her question. “No it’s not a ghost emergency! It’s a human emergency!”

 Of course he was breathing. He couldn’t look that bad from such a small fall. Just breathe out the words ‘Hey mom, personal space’ and they’d laugh and it’d be nothing. All this fussing was making his skin crawl but of course he had to have ‘special ghost freezing up’. Was it his ice powers? Like he could get his powers being snarky like that, appreciated it in a twisted sort of way- but it would be better around people who wouldn’t assume the worst? Like anyone else. Even Dash.

 “Tell the operator he isn’t breathing.” Maddie’s voice was cold and controlled, even as she went back to biting her lip right after.

 He was totally breathing. He could feel the air that ran in and out of his lungs, the swell and fall that other ghosts knew as a weak point, a way to slow him down. He knew what being doubled over, air shoved right out of him from a harsh blow felt like, how it felt like the portal again. Throat twitching, body heaving and trying to regain what it lost. The darkness that bit at the edges of his vision as every nerve went screaming  You’re Dying . Hated that feeling, shook the ghosts who did that hard once they were in a thermos. This was nothing like that.

 “He isn’t breathing, you need to hurry! My wife knows CPR- just tell them to hurry this is my  son , please”

 Yelling to hide the quaver in his voice. Like a kicked puppy yelping. It sounded so wrong. This was going to be so awkward after. They’d just...pretend this never happened, right? That’d be for the best. No, he was going to get grounded forever for some ‘dumb prank’, since he was fine and worried them so much. Which didn’t seem too bad if it stopped all of...this.

 He moved a little. A toe, he was pretty sure. More notably was his mother, carefully getting him off the uneven stair to be flat on his back. Trying to keep his head from moving, and she couldn’t see he was looking at her? When she was this close? Too busy trying to be calm. Who could be busy enough to think he wasn’t breathing or tracking with his eyes? Another twitch, another inward curse that he couldn’t get back in control.

 “Just hold on, help is coming.” She said, but the half ghost couldn’t tell who she meant, exactly. Him, dad or herself? Either way the quiet remark did not prepare him for the sheer force slammed into his crest. Like she wanted to slam right through him! Was it so much to ask that his parents stop nearly killing him by trying to help? Just try moving again and everything will be fine.

 He couldn’t keep the mental mantra up when he heard- when he felt his ribs crack from the pointless force. She was killing him, he didn’t need help breathing, he had to get it through to them no matter how much his body buzzed and resisted his need to move. He had to focus and push through it, ignoring how cold and wrong it felt, how it seemed like he was squirming free of something that didn’t want him to go.

 Her bone crushing assault stopped once he got his arm up, not even needing to touch her before she froze. The fear was wrong, out of place so he redoubled his efforts, twisting and struggling against himself, the sticky mass that wasn’t letting him act or speak to calm them down.

 The phone hit the floor. He heard it. So why didn’t dad say anything? Danny twisted, wanting to make sure he was okay. Still stuck. At least he had a hand free and most of an arm, the edges of his fingers tracing the tiles of the floor. He could brace himself that way, pushing down hard to try and jar his shoulder loose. He could hear air moving, like a harsh breath out. Good- breathing was good. Even when it sounded so harsh and low. 

 “Jack- are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Maddie moved back, giving him the space he wanted ever since she’d cracked his ribs. They still stung under his skin, hissing at him to keep his parents away before he managed to get even more injuries over something so silly.

 “I’m not sure what we’re seeing.” The phone remained on the floor.

 That didn’t seem right. He’d sat up, mostly. Half sat up, propped up with an arm. Still mostly stuck and uncomfortable, the snapping and crackling sensation still clinging to his free shoulder. Really, he felt worse than how he started. at least there wasn’t pain in ‘hah my body is playing freeze tag without me’ land. The pulling sensation made his head ache and vision swim to the point he wasn’t actually sure if he was still looking at the ceiling or not. He couldn’t go back to just being frozen though, that’d suck. So just convince the rest of himself to get up. No problem!

Were lies in his head always this unconvincing? It felt like yanking himself free of a too sticky slime, strands clinging and tugging back until they finally snapped, parts still stuck but free of the main mass. At least ectoplasm had the decency not to stretch when you got drenched in it most of the time.  Come on, focus and keep it together.  He let out a wheeze as the last stubborn strands snapped, ignoring how loud it sounded to properly reorient himself.

 Sitting up, properly, good! Parents staring with weird, half horrified expressions: bad. Very, very bad. 

“I’m okay, I just fell.” Danny spoke, he could speak properly again. So why? “Sorry for scaring you guys?” He tried again, trying to ignore the first thought across his mind.

 They kept staring. Maddie seemed to be recovering, shoulders starting to relax, but she seemed to be reaching for her belt.

 He didn’t sound right. No, that wasn’t quite right, he just sounded wrong for Danny  Fenton. Who he should be right now, he hadn’t been able to talk, let alone go ghost. This probably looked really, really bad. How had he switched, anyway?

Mom was reaching for a gun, wasn’t she? Crud. Now he regretted talking at all, how was he going to explain why Danny Phantom was treating two ghost hunters like his parents? Or how he managed to look like their kid. Maybe he could change back and convince them they were seeing things?

Yeah no, that was way too dumb.

 “Wait.” Jack rested a hand on his wife’s shoulder, causing her to stop pulling the weapon. He wasn’t looking at the ghost at all, just her. Maddie remained stiff, not able to ignore the glowing kid on her floor.

 Okay...dad was usually the gung ho one. Maybe he could get away with this? Danny tried to get a better grip on the situation. Felt a new pain, sharp and cold in his throat. Deep green scars clashed against his white gloves and ran all across his jumpsuit,  glow intensifying as the panic choked him into silence. Fresh and angry like back- back before he managed to stumble out of the portal when he died when the accident happened.

With his human arms just as scared below them, still against the tile. The damage looked old, half scabbed over with only a dull glow deep in the death marks wounds. His arms attached to the rest of his body- that he was half out of. 

 Why? How was his body still and silent while he was sitting and looking at it. He’s cold. His body is cold. It isn’t  breathing  there isn’t some other facet of his personality sitting behind the dull blue eyes. This isn’t how it works! If he splits, it’s just temporary, he can fix it but his other half- corpse is wrong.

The pulling and clinging at his legs doesn’t feel like slime anymore. Rotting flesh that wants to drag him back, smother him in a cloying warmth that will only remind him why it burned, how it hurt. He had to move, he couldn’t stay half like this, it would get better once it wasn’t like this.

It didn’t want to let go as he tried to pull away, ectoplasm getting snagged on every nerve and muscle fiber, each pause a reminder of the shock and pain of his end that day.

He knew he screamed when he pulled free and slammed into the wall, furious green scars still marring his jumpsuit where there should be none.

 What would Mom and Dad think?

 No no no no no. He spotted movement from them and acted. He couldn’t let his mom break his body more, or look at it too closely. Dad couldn’t see what happened! This was fine, he could fix this!

 He grabbed his corpse and fled through the wall.

[wisteriashouse]

sweet confession.

pairing: rengoku kyoujurou x reader

genre: fluff

word count: 4351

You’d never thought yourself to be the jealous type.

But when your best friend, Rengoku Kyoujurou, asks you what a suitable gift to confess with would be after a morning of sparring exercise, that green eyed beast in you somehow finds the energy to rear its ugly head.

The second the question leaves his mouth, you pause with your towel in hand to stare at his hopeful, earnest expression for a moment, a little thrown off by his words. Kyoujurou isn’t particularly close to anyone out of the corps besides his younger brother, being far too devoted with his job as a demon slayer to have the free time to know many people outside of the corps. The few people whom he does interact much with are you, Shinobu, when he gets injured, and of course, Kanroji.

You purse your lips, suddenly contemplative. Does Kyoujurou have feelings for the Love Pillar?

Kyoujurou hasn’t mentioned anything about it to you, but it would make sense for the two of them to be especially close, considering that Kyoujurou had acted as her trainer and master in Flame Breathing back in the past. Neither has Kanroji, for that matter, but she’s always been closer to Shinobu compared to you anyway. 

“Why do you ask?” You glance at him, trying to keep your tone as light and breezy as possible. Kyoujurou’s confident gaze falters for a moment, clearly hesitant, before he gathers his courage and opens his mouth to speak. “I would like to gift someone special to me with a present, but I do not know what I should give! I thought that I should ask you, since I trust your opinion!” His cheeks are dusted pink.

It’s almost painfully obvious to you who this ‘special someone’ is to him, but you force a smile onto your face, nodding in response to his question. 

“Ahh... well, personally, I like western desserts, like the ones Kanroji-san makes.” The mere thought of them makes your mouth water, but you’ve never really been close enough with her to ask for them. You mostly just steal them off Kyoujurou, who she bakes for regularly on a weekly basis. “Castella, tiramisu, crème brûlée, you know, the works.” 

Kyoujurou’s eyes are fixed on you as you speak, nodding attentively along everything you say. That’s when you realise that he can’t give Mitsuri her own cakes and hurry to rectify your earlier words. 

“But since you’re giving it to someone special, you should find something that they personally like! You should ask them directly yourself.” You add on hastily, before he can ruin his gift giving because of you. “If it’s someone who’s really important to you, you could try making something with your own hands. It would be more intimate and from the heart, am I right? I think it’d be really sweet.”

The seconds the words escape your mouth, part of you wants to hit yourself over the head. Why are you helping him get together with someone else?

You wonder if you should invite Obanai along to your pity party. He’d probably send Kaburamaru after you to bite your fingers off instead.

Lost in your own thoughts, you don’t notice Kyoujurou staring at you, fingers twisted in the fabric of his own towel. Something made with his own hands? He’s never really ventured into the finer arts of cooking or baking, but if that’s what you want, he’ll try his best to give it to you.

“I think it’d be really sweet,” you’d said. Kyoujurou wants you to think of him as sweet. 

There’s an important question he wants to ask you, after all.

>>>

“Like this?”

“Ah, no, Rengoku-san! You’re overmixing the egg whites!” Mitsuri yelps as she rushes over to his side, pulling the bowl from his hands. A bit of the meringue he’d been whisking splatters on his nose, and Kyoujurou peers into the bowl hesitantly, scratching his chin. “So, not like this either?”

He’s been doing this all morning, and he still can’t seem to get it.

“You need to handle the egg whites with a more delicate touch,” Mitsuri explains, setting his latest failed attempt next to six other bowls - prior victims of his dismal baking skills. “If not, the meringue will deflate. They need to have stiff, fluffy peaks!”

“Hmm!” Kyoujurou makes a noise of understanding, bending over the counter to study the batch that Kanroji has made earlier. Honestly, he can’t really tell the difference between and successful and failed meringue, but if Kanroji says that it’s not alright, there is no way he’ll be confident giving it to you. “This is more difficult than I thought it would be! Senjurou has always said my cooking isn’t that terrible, but I see now that he was just trying to make me feel better. I will never subject him to the torture of eating my cooking ever again.”

“Eh? No, Rengoku-san, you aren’t that awful...” Mitsuri presses her lips together as she looks over the mess that is her kitchen. Several broken egg shells lie on the ground, testament to Kyoujurou’s overwhelming strength and zeal. “Well... maybe just a little. As I said earlier, if you want me to bake them for you to gift, I would be willing to do that too!”

Kyoujurou shakes his head immediately, resolute in his determination. “No, I cannot.” He looks down at his hands, covered in egg white and sugar. “I want this gift to be from the heart, and it would lose its sincerity if I were to ask you to make it.”

He’s interrupted by a squeal from Mitsuri, her hands clasped to her chest and heart in her eyes. “That’s so sweet, Rengoku-san!” She gushes. “I never knew you were so romantic! Of course I’ll do my best to help you! You’ll definitely master the art of meringue whipping with practice!”

“I’ll do my best, Kanroji!” With that declaration, Kyoujurou takes a glance at his hands once more. The palms are calloused, small, bone white scars scattered over his skin. “A more delicate touch...” 

Perhaps it’s because he’s really only known wielding a sword his entire life, so he struggles to understand just what it would entail. “What would be a ‘delicate touch’?”

Mitsuri pauses to press a finger to her lips, face scrunched up in concentration as she tries to think of a suitable explanation. “Well, imagine how you would hold y/n’s hands if you could. That would be a delicate touch!”

Your hands. Holding your hands. 

He’d be gentle. Cradle your hands to him with tenderness, tell you that you’re the most beautiful person in the world in his eyes. Treasure you, love you-

Kyoujurou turns to look at Mitsuri with a frown, mildly confused. “I do not think I would want to tell the egg whites that they are beautiful!”

Mitsuri gasps, cupping her cheeks with her hands as she shakes her head from side to side. “Rengoku-san, you’re really too sweet and gentlemanly... ahh, my heart is fluttering. I love how romantic you are!” She takes a deep breath to calm herself, fanning her cheeks. “If you do hold y/n’s hands, you’d be firm but gentle, wouldn’t you? You should apply the same touch to the egg whites!”

More gentle. More delicate. Kyoujurou can do that.

Determined, he picks up another egg and holds it up.

“I can do this!”

>>>

He’s been spending an awful lot of time with Mitsuri lately, you think to yourself.

You’re waiting in the dojo of the Rengoku Estate for Kyoujurou to show up, bokuto in hand and absentmindedly practicing your kata. He’s late by a few minutes, and although you normally wouldn’t mind that, he has mentioned earlier that he’s meeting with Mitsuri beforehand. What for, however, you don’t know.

Pausing in the middle of swinging your practice sword, you glance down at your feet, pursing your lips.

Since when had Kyoujurou start to have feelings for Mitsuri?

“I can’t believe he didn’t even tell me that he was interested her.” You mumble to yourself under your breath, feeling offended for some reason before guilt hits right after. It’s not that he has to tell you, so why do you feel so annoyed? It’s not his responsibility to tell you everything that goes on in his life, not his obligation.

The door slides open behind you all of a sudden.

“Who is interested in who?”

“Ah! Kyoujurou! Don’t just barge in like that!” You cry out in shock, fumbling with your bokuto before you can drop it. Kyoujurou laughs brightly at your reaction, his face flushed as if he’d run all the way here.

“My apologies for making you wait, I had to rush here!” He grins at you, moving to drop his belongings at the side of the dojo. You squint; there’s a lacquered box typically used to store desserts, was it from Mitsuri? Before you can ask him about it, he’s already picked up his practice sword and smiling at you, adjusting the tie of his hakama. “I hope you don’t mind too much that I’m late! Let us begin training, then!”

It’s only then that you notice that his hair is damp, and his clothes seem ruffled. You blink, trying to keep your expression neutral as you ready your own sword into a fighting stance, but on the inside, your mind is racing. What on earth was he doing with Mitsuri?

Well, not that it’s any of your business, anyway. If Kyoujurou is interested in Mitsuri and the girl reciprocates, you’ll be happy for the two of them! Happy... for the two of them... the two of them going out on dates... and kissing...

Oh. You don’t like that idea very much now.

Kyoujurou lunges forward, swinging his blade in a smooth upward stroke before you can clear your mind. “Flame Breathing, Second Form, Rising Scorching Sun!”

Distracted, you barely manage to change your grip in time. “Snow Breathing, Fourth Form, Hoarfrost!” Kyoujurou’s sword collides hard with yours, the sound of your blades meeting echoing in the dojo. You wince as Kyoujurou forces you back and quickly disengage, retreating a few steps.

“Flame Breathing, Fifth Form, Flame Tiger!” Kyoujurou follows up easily, relentless as he swings his blade. Sucking in a deep breath, you dive between his legs and lunge. 

“Eighth Form, Winter Avalanche!”

“Your stance is off!” Kyoujurou calls over the din as you press him with a continuous barrage of strikes, countering with his own fourth form. “You’re not focused enough!”

Breaking off the attack, you leap back, adjusting your grip again.

What does Mitsuri have that you don’t? Is it because her hair is such a pretty colour? Because her personality is so bubbly and sweet? Because she bakes really nice western desserts and you can’t? You aren’t as outgoing, your hair is drab compared to even Kyoujurou’s, and-

… and the tip of Kyoujurou’s bokuto is resting against the your throat.

“You really are distracted today.” Kyoujurou comments, and you let out a little groan of disappointment as he lets the point of his sword fall. The expression on his face is one of genuine concern. “Is something the matter?” 

Smacking yourself on the head in an attempt to rid yourself of all thoughts, you shake your head and ready your sword once more. Focus!

“I’m sorry, it was my fault.” You admit, taking a deep breath to steady yourself. “Come on, let’s train properly. I’ll do better this time.”

“It’s not like you to be distracted, however.” Kyoujurou takes a step closer and you glance up to see him standing far too close to you, so close that your eyes are level with the exposed strip of skin from his collar. There’s a faintly sweet smell of burnt sugar and cream lingering on him, the very same scent that Mitsuri wears. Did he... “There is a flush on your cheeks and your pupils are dilated. Do you perhaps have a fever?”

Alarmed at his observation, you clap your hands over your cheeks and shake your head. Who? Flushed? Definitely not you. “I feel fine.” You desperately lie between your teeth. “Come on, let’s go another round!”

“Hmm.” Kyoujurou stares at you for a while longer before he takes a step back, a stroke of fortune for your madly pounding heart. “Well then, let us continue!”

Glad to have averted that crisis, you force your mind to stay on track for the rest of the training session, allowing Kyoujurou to pound every bit of distraction out of your bones with his bokuto. At the end of a series of matches, you’re sure that you’ve turned into one giant bruise, wobbling when you try to pick yourself off the ground and finally giving up, collapsing back onto the mats with an unintelligible groan.

“It was a good spar! We ended later than usual, today!” Kyoujurou enthuses as he sits cross legged next to you, seemingly still brimming with an unholy amount of energy. Staring at him for a few seconds more, you shake your head before letting yourself slump over on the ground, unable to comprehend how he’s not yet flopped over next to you out of sheer exhaustion.

“It’s your fault for coming late.” You grumble, feeling the ground dig into every bruise you have on your body. Too tired to think straight, you drag yourself over the floor to Kyoujurou, who’s tying his hair out of his eyes, and promptly pillow your head in his lap like you’ve done since you were kids.

His thigh stiffens under your touch, but he doesn’t remove himself from you. Instead, his hand reaches up to pull stray strands of your hair behind your ear, before his palm moves to rest gently on your cheek. “When is your next mission?”

He sounds slightly nervous.

“Hmm?” You’re too tired to put much thought into it, letting out a yawn. You’re just so tired, and you haven’t been getting proper sleep for the last few days, too wrapped up with thinking about the man in front of you. “I’m leaving tonight... I think. Some demon rampaging about in one of the northern mountains. Hopefully it’s not too much trouble.”

Maybe when you’re away from him for a bit, you’ll be able to clear your mind.

There’s a moment of silence between the two of you before Kyoujurou takes a deep breath, trying to bolster his courage. “When you come back... I have something important to tell you.” He says aloud, his voice solemn. Kyoujurou has never once thought of himself as a coward, but the thought of so much as confessing his feelings to you... it makes his heart swell and feel incomparably tiny at the same time.

You’d never break his heart on purpose, of course, but he knows the power you have over him. It’s one that you’re perhaps not even aware of, but he feels it keenly with every word you say, every smile you send his way. It scares him sometimes, but he’s learned that it’s as impossible to escape as gravity - he can only let himself fall.

When you don’t reply even after a full minute, Kyoujurou looks down in confusion to see your eyes shut and your breaths escaping you in tiny snores. 

“Oh.” His heart trips in his chest at the sight. Reaching over carefully so as not to wake you, he tugs out his haori and places it over you. Quietly, Kyoujurou picks up a few strands of your hair and presses his lips to them, eyes soft as he watches you sleep. He should probably wake you up so that you can head off your mission, but he can’t bring himself to interrupt your rest just yet.

Kyoujurou glances at the lacquered box out of the corner of his eye, at the slight burns on his fingers, before he looks down at you once more. There’s an unspeakable emotion welling in his chest. He smiles.

“I can be patient.”

>>>

You’ve been moping for an entire afternoon.

Sure, your mission ended up successful, but it fell drastically short of your usual standards. You’d been so ridiculously distracted by your own thoughts that you’d nearly let one of the demons get away - and you are a Pillar! If Shinazugawa hears about this, he’ll never let you live it down.

Groaning in frustration, you sink your face into your pillow, eyes shut tightly. Even in the darkness, you still see a familiar grin seared into your mind, those captivating golden eyes looking straight into your soul. It’s been like this for days, you blame all your distractions on Rengoku Kyoujurou. If only he wasn’t so trustworthy, so kind, so passionate, so him-

You can almost hear the way he says your name. Have you really been thinking about him so much that you’re hallucinating about his voice? With another groan, you burrow yourself deeper into the blankets. Just when had you fallen for him so hard?

“I’m sorry for dropping by without a prior notice!” His voice continues to say, and you pause in burying yourself in blankets, confused. That doesn’t quite sound like your imagination... “May I come in? I have something to tell you.”

Bolting upright in shock, you throw the covers off your head to see the outline of him through the paper screen of your door. He’s actually here! In a panic, you try to comb down your hair as quickly as possible, smoothing out your robes before you rise to open the door for him. 

“You know I don’t mind it when you come by.” You scold, standing to the side to let Kyoujurou in. In truth, you want to pull out your hair - the suddenness of his visit has left your heart racing in your chest, and you’re not even dressed in decent clothes! He’s dressed casually today, one of the rare times you see him out of his uniform. “Why the sudden visit, though?”

Kyoujurou pauses for a moment, and that’s when you notice the lacquered box in his hands, a small affair elaborately carved with flower and flame motifs. “Sit first,” he urges, and though a little confused, you do as he says. To your surprise, however, Kyoujurou doesn’t sit informally in front of you - instead, he adopts the formal seiza position with both legs folded beneath him and takes a deep breath.

Quite baffled, you reach out to tug at his sleeve. “Kyo, what are you doing?”

“Please give me a moment.” You’re stunned at the solemnity of Kyoujurou’s voice, his fingers gripping the box in his hands tightly. Is he perhaps nervous about something? Rengoku Kyoujurou, who smiles even in the face of demons and bloodshed, nervous? “I must build up my courage.”

At this point, you’re almost starting to panic from all the trepidation. Did something happen with Senjurou? His father? The possibilities popping up in your head seem to only get worse and worse, but since he asked you for time, you’ll give it to him. Anxious, you play with the hem of your robe, watching as Kyoujurou closes his eyes and breathes deeply for a few seconds. Just what is it he wants to tell you?

Kyoujurou’s eyes flash open all of a sudden, almost as if flames have ignited in them, and he thrusts the box he’s holding at you with both hands and an earnest expression on his face. He parts his lips to speak.

“This is cake!”

Stunned at the volume of his declaration, you blink down at the box being offered to you, before you look back up at the man before you, taking in the way his lips are pressed tightly together, his eyes focused on the spot just above your shoulder. “This is... cake?”

There’s a sharp inhale, and Kyoujurou nods his head vigorously, still quite determinedly not meeting your eyes. “Yes! It is cake!”

Still not quite understanding why he’s so nervous about a piece of cake, you take the box from Kyoujurou carefully, flipping open the lid. To your surprise, there’s a slice of castella cake nestled inside, the top glazed with burned sugar and a small silver fork lying next to it. 

“You got me cake!” Kyoujurou’s heart thumps wildly in his chest as he watches you lift the box closer, your eyes sparkling and a happy grin on your face. All those sleepless nights and failed attempts are forgotten in an instant, they’re all worth it just to see you smile like this. “Thank you, Kyoujurou!”

“I’m glad you like it!” Kyoujurou replies loudly, trying to calm his heart so that he can focus on getting the correct words out this time. “Please enjoy it!”

You beam at him, picking up the fork. “It looks a little lopsided,” you say, and Kyoujurou swallows nervously. To be honest, he hadn’t been completely satisfied with this batch, but Mitsuri had run out of eggs and he’d been forced to give up. Kneading his thighs in anticipation, he watches with bated breath as you cut a piece with the fork and lift it to your mouth, chewing it thoughtfully.

Before his thoughts can run away with him, your expression brightens and you turn to look at him, licking the crumbs off the fork. “It tastes great! The burnt sugar on top makes it really sweet, I love it.” You cut another piece, and this time, lean forward to hold it up to his lips. “Here, you try a piece too!”

You’re too close. Your scent is muddling with his head, the heat you emanate dancing along his skin - he’s too keenly aware of it. He wants to wrap you in his arms, bury his face in your hair, draw you close. But now’s not the time for that.

Very slowly, he opens his mouth and takes a bite, eyes fixed on the way you smile radiantly at him. Kyoujurou doesn’t have the heart to tell you that he can’t quite bear the taste of castella after having tested so many over the last few days. “Mm, it’s good.” He says instead, and you grin, pleased. 

“So, what is it that you needed to say to me today?” You hum cheerfully as you cut yourself another slice. Ah, right, he was supposed to... Then you pause, and your eyes narrow as you squint at him. “Do you need something from me? You know I’d do it even without the cake, yes?”

“No, there is no favour I need!” Kyoujurou hastens to answer. It’s something else that he wants from you, and to ask you to give it to him would require far more than a simple slice of cake. He takes another deep breath, eyes flickering to you as you take another bite.

Say it now, Rengoku Kyoujurou. Say it!

“I-”

“Oh, you were mentioning something about confessing a few days ago.” You interrupt him, and the words are trapped in his throat once again. “How did it go? Did that special someone...” you purse your lips, “accept your affections?”

Kyoujurou looks down at the piece of castella sitting in front of you, a deep sigh rising up in his chest. “Well, no. Actually, I still have not confessed.”

“Eh?” You look at him, clearly shocked. “Why not? That’s not like you, Kyo.”

He manages a small grin, reaching out to squeeze your hand. “Perhaps because I am afraid of the possible rejection.” Kyoujurou says lightly. “I do not know what I would do if that person turns me down.”

He tells you this as casually as possible, but then you surprise him by looking up at him with those sincere eyes, clasping his hand tight in yours. “To have your affection like that, I think that person is very fortunate to be so precious to you.” You tell him earnestly, and his heart skips a beat in his chest. “Mitsuri would surely appreciate it if you tell her directly-”

Wait, Kanroji?

“The one I wanted to confess to is not Kanroji!” The words leave his mouth before he can stop them, desperate to make his feelings known to you. Was that what you were thinking the entire time? That he was interested in pursuing Kanroji? “It is you.”

There’s a clatter as the fork in your hand falls to the ground, the sound echoing in his ears. You gape at him, before you look down at the cake in your hands, and then back to him. He sees the moment the pieces fall in place, and then a little noise of realization escapes your lips.

“Oh.”

He decides to speak before his courage can abandon him completely. “I’ve been wanting to say this for a while now. Kanroji advised me to pair the confession with a gift, hence the question. I wanted to give you something you would like.” You’re still staring at him with wide eyes, a dumbfounded expression on your face. Kyoujurou swallows, fists his hands in his hakama trousers, and opens his mouth to speak.

“I love you.”

You blink owlishly at him.

“You do not have to reciprocate.” Kyoujurou reassures. His chest feels lighter now that the words that have been residing there so long are finally aired. He rises to his feet. “I just wanted to let you know of my feelings for you. Then, I will take my leave first-”

Your fingers wrap around his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Wait.”

He glances down at you in surprise. Your own cheeks are a beautiful hue of crimson, rosy as the rising sun, but there’s a brilliant smile on your face as you look up at him. “Are you really going to leave without letting me accept? That’s terribly rude of you.” Your laughter reminds him of tinkling bells. 

“I love you too, Kyoujurou.”

He pulls you in close to kiss you, your laughter imprinted along his lips before he buries his face in your hair to hide his smile. Your lips taste like sugar, sweeter than anything else in the world.

You’re what happiness tastes like.

[pyraffin-drgo]

All Heavy interactions in Poker Night at the Inventory.

For you to interpret however you wish.

Video Version

(They have [bootleg movies] in your country?) "I like movies, yes." (Yeah, like what? [Lists movies]?) "No. My favorite are The Dirty Dozen and the first twenty minutes of Rocky four."

(We can talk Tetris?) "Hmmph. Tetris is baby game." (Tetris Attack keeps it hood!) "Why does everybody think I love this Tetris? It is just stacking!"

"[To Strongbad] Tiny Heavy." (What is it?) "Do you get the nightmares?" (I get the jibblie nightmares. [Describes silly nightmare, shivers].) "I am talking about the visions of endless suffering. Dead doctors everywhere. Spy can not be found. (No, but that sounds like the Jibblies.) "I do not like these 'jibblies.'"

"Strong and bad. How is boxing career?" (These. Are. My. HANDS!) "I was boxer, once. In school. We have to either box or learn to herd goats." Silence, looking concerned. "I am not good with goats..." (Too much information, man.) "At first, I do not like punching other boys... But then I learn to love it." Punches his palm menacingly.

(Find any rare drops lately?) "I do not understand." (When you get a kill, you get a present?) "When I get kill, I get honor of team." Smile drops. "Sometimes... I also get nightmares. A man does not go home to his wife and children." (So, no loot?) "Oh! You mean hat! Yes, I love hats! Sometimes, I get these. They are the best."

(Hey, Heavy. You know any hot Russian spies?) "I hate spies." (But you gotta have the inside line on some deadly minxes.) "You want hot spy?" (Am I not wrestle man?) "I have friend who gets you a hot spy. (Get em on the two-way, man!) "His name is Pyro." (Tycho, to Strongbad: The spy is hot because it is on fire.) (Oh...)

"[To Tycho] What do you do with life?" (Me?) "Yes. What is possible with tiny, frail body?" (I occupy myself with simulations... of various kinds.) "What is these?" (Struggles to explain.) (Strongbad: He lives in his parent's basement.)

(So, is there a Mrs. Weapons Guy?) "No. Sasha is my only love." (Sasha kills people, I presume?) "No." (Oh?) "WE kill people."

"[To Strongbad] Maybe you and I box?" (I can't risk my beautiful face, it's the franchise.) "We spar. For fun." (I don't think so.)

"Strong and bad. You wrestle? With mask?" (No, I'm a wrestle man, not those hack wrestle-LERS.) "Not like Iron Sheik?" (No, Iron Stake is a LER.) Heavy nods. "Hmm. This is too bad."

(So how long you been with those Team Fortress fellas?) "I do not understand." (The game's been on Steam for like 3 years. I imagine there was some audition process?) "Ohhh! Yes, I understand! I kill many men VERY quickly." (Excuse me?) "I kill record number of soldiers, and I am commissioned to join RED team."

(Mr. Weapons. I am in the market for a new firearm. [Specifications].) "Hmm, for you I do not recommend minigun then. You know, there is this fast baby man that annoys me greatly with shotgun." (Oh! Oh! What are the available options? I'll spring for leather!) "Da, this is good for you. I suggest Force-A-Nature." (I'll tell them [shop owner] Heavy Weapons Guy sent me.) "It is no need. I know guy."

"I will make hat from you, little bunny." No reply from anyone. A reference for the player to the Max hat in TF2.

"You look familiar, bunny." (How closely do you follow the Manhattan Crime Blotter?) Also a reference to the hat, Tycho then takes over conversation.

(If I need someone snuffed out, what's your going rate?) "Five hundred thousand U.S. dollars." (Steep.) "Cash." (You can do it discreetly?) "Sasha... not so discreet." (That's fine.)

(How did you guys hear of the inventory?) "My engineering friend brought me one night."

(This reminds me of the time Artie Flopshark rigged an entire poker tournament to pay off his loan shark.) "I know of this. This is respectable profession in motherland." Conversation is stolen by Tycho.

(This reminds me of [story]!) "I am reminded of time Engineer kill my entire team." (Damn Heavy, that's... heavy. Sorry to hear that.) "I search entire base for him. He tries to kill me with turret and mini turret, but I crush his toys like they are made of paper." (Sounds like crappy toys.) "Then I find him. Hiding by teleporter. I take his gun away from him. He tries to hit me with wrench! Hahohoh! So I take wrench away from him. I take his wrench and shove it down his throat, all the way down to the handle." (Christ!) Heavy laughs. "Then I rip off all his fingers one by one!" He talks while laughing. "Lets see you build toys now!" He breaks out in laughter. "There's blood- everywhere! And- he's crying!" More laughter. "I think he cries out for mother, but- but-" Crumples over laughing. "The wrench is stuck in his throat! And it sounds like-" Makes choking motions and noises then laughs. "Is this not the funniest thing??" (Horrified looks) (Head shakes slowly.) (That's some bleeped up bleep, man!)

(How about you, Heavy weapons? I'm guessing you're a vodka guy?) "Peach Bellini. But bubbles can give me headache."

(Mr. Weapons, how do you like your line of work?) "It is good. There are many benefits." (Oh! Like a free pass to snuff out bad guys or a waffle bar?) "Both. And full dental."

(I wonder if this dump is haunted.) (I hope so! Roughing up who can't die is fun!) "...I do not like ghosts..." (It's okay, Mr. Weapons. I have [extensive experience]. I can handle a few ghosts.) "...You will take care of ghosts for me?" (You bet cha!) Heavy nods at him. "I like you, tiny rabbit."

[Story including a union] "I am union. RED local six fifteen." (You guys unionized?) "Eh. It was necessity for group medical."

"Tycho. This sweater, is special equipment?" (No, standard issue.) "You have no class specific head gear?" (Got a motorcycle helmet that protects from 100% of UV rays.) "This sounds beneficial."

(Why do you keep calling me 'Tiny Heavy'?) "You are Heavy. Tiny. No? You are RED team. You have killing gloves of boxing. You earn these for being great killer! You should try out for RED team." (Hmm. Guess I could join your team of ruthless killers and lame hat wearers and watch you get grenaded by 8 year olds.) "You will take many bullets before dying I think."

(Hey, Heavy. I just finished [Russian fantasy book]. Ever read it?) "No." (Oh. What's your favorite book?) "I prefer war." (Ah, War and Peace. Tasteful.) "No. Just war." (Art of War?) "Nyet." Silence. "I like 'Tsar Hunger' by Leonid Andreyev. You know this?" (...No.) "Is classic."

"You have hands like young girl." (I keep them shits moist.) "...So you are more of sneaky, stabbing type?" (In an extreme circumstance, I guess.) Heavy looks at him suspiciously. "I keep my eyes on you." (No, no no- I wasn't implying that-) Heavy looking at him angierly. (Shit.)

(Ever listen to music while you work?) "Yes! I just buy new walkman." (What gets you in the killing mood? Icelandic death metal?) "I just get Huey Lewis tape. Keeps spirits up on battle field."

"[To Tycho] You have woman?" (Not with me) "She is pretty?" (Yeah, cute, glasses, red hair.) "She has the red hair??" (No, Heavy! She is not on the other team! Don't have to kill her!) "No. But I love the red hair!" (Well, you can't have her, either.) Re-used image of Heavy looking at him angrily. (Well, maybe we can work something out.)

(Hey, Heavyman. You think you can 'take care' of the King of Town for me?) "I can assassinate king, yes. It is expensive, though." (By take care of I meant sneak in and shave off half his mustache.) "I am not best at sneaking." (Confront him in a dark alley then?) "This is better. That way blood wash away in rain."

(You have any interest in moonlighting?) "WHAT? I am not moonlighter!" (Just a little work on the side with Sam and me beating up goons!) "Oh. I can not do this." (C'mon it's fun and free!) "No, I am sure it is." (Then what's the problem?) "I have non compete." (Ah, yeah. Lawyers.)

(All these aces reminds me of [weird dream]. You have any weird dreams, Mr. Weapons?) "I sometimes dream that I am killed. There is blood everywhere. (Tycho gives him a weird look) But then I wake up and I realize this is ridiculous! Nobody can kill Heavy weapons guy! (Riiiight...)

"[To his chips] This is good Solider. This one is good Doktor. You are demolition man."

"Saaaandvich, sandvich, I love you sandvich!" (Would you like someone to order you some food?)

"Blue man." (Tycho.) "Tycho. What college do you go to? You are educated, no?" (Actually, no.) "No?" (I studied at Gygax Polyhedral if you catch my drift.) "I do not. This is good school?" (Uh. The best.) "I went to Soviet College of Mines, Farms, and Science. I have PhD in Russian literature." (Do you.. use that in your work?) "More than you think."

"Tiny Heavy, who is your favorite to kill in war?" (Those discount three-pack green helmets.) "To kill spy is glorious thing! How about you, Max? You are killing type." (My favorite enemy? Like asking me to choose between my children!) Heavy laughs. "You crack me up, little bunny!"

(Hey, Hefty Bag, you ever play video games?) "Just one." (Oh yeah?) "It is called-" (Tycho: WoW?) "Nyet. That is not popular. It is called 'Where's an Egg'." (Strongbad: I love Where's an Egg!) "Where's an Egg is as big as Tetris in homeland."

(Concerning your firearm, whay caliber we talking?) "Big." (What, we talking 300 Weatherby Mag here?) "Bigger." (50 cal, whereabouts?) "Bigger than 50 caliber. They are hand made custom tool cartridges with classified diameter." (Why's that?) "So enemy canmot use ammunition. But Sasha can chew through theirs." (Diabolical!) "I think so." Nods.

(Alright, big pretend killer man. Tell me the most awesome story you have with plenty of senseless violence!) Heavy thinks. "When I was boy, I was at camp, being trained in many ways of combat." (Assassination camp for kids! This is gonna be good!) "There was sparrow sitting on fence. Snow falls quietly around me. Without notice, another boy jumps from behind tree and kills sparrow with throwing knife. The boy runs away." (And then??) "I pick up sparrow, and hear his last breath before digging him tiny grave..." (Tycho crying) (Max silent) (That's not even a little bit funny, man.) Heavy shakes his head solemnly. "No..." Sits back. "It's not."

(So, what do you do for fun?) "Clean Sasha. Use Sasha... Clean Sasha again." (Proper maintience is crucial.) "I also collect old coins." (A fellow numismatist!) "Which I melt down to make custom bullets." (Of course.)

"I am hungry for sandvich." (Then order a sandvich, man.) "Oh, I can not have sandvich! I become unstoppable killing machine!" (Yeah, maybe order a water.) "Is best."

"You wear blue sweater." (All the time.) "What are you?" (Haven't we went over this?) "You are not Scout. Maybe very tricky blue Spy? Maybe... new class?" (I can use a keyboard to sabotage your entire team, steal your intelligence, and have your sister delivered to my doorstep in one afternoon. Yes, I'm a new class.) Heavy, shocked, "This is true??"

(Hey, Heavyman, what's your living situ-aysh?) "I live in RED barraks. Is nice. There is foos table." (How about taking a room in the house of Strong?) "There is vacancy?" (First you'll have to dump the current person in your room.) "This is enemy?" (He won't put up much of a fight.)

Hope you enjoyed, spent most of the day copying all these down. The non-Heavy lines are paraphrased for shortness. Heavy's are full, how they are in game.

[red-hood-redemption]

SO I know I’m like, super late to the party, but I finally got my hands on Robin 2021 and there is literally no one for me to talk to about it so now I’m just screaming my thoughts into the void ✌

First off, before i even bought the first two issues, I read through a lot of other people’s opinions on it to kinda get an idea of where it was going characterization-wise for Damian, and because of all the mixed reactions, I figured I should just read it myself and find out. Now I am the FURTHEST thing from a comic book authority, so like, this is truly just an opinion piece but if it convinces anyone to give the run a chance, then yay!!! Honestly, I’m really glad I gave it a shot because I’m genuinely hooked! I’m actually excited about this series (and it scares me lol)!!!

I'm gonna separate my thoughts into two sections: characters, and story, mainly for my own ease, but also if anyone cares more about one thing or the other it's easier to distinguish. But,  the line is a little blurry so if I end up getting a little too much into the characterization in the story section, just bear with me lmao. OH and I'm going to try and keep this as un-spoilery as possible but we'll just have to see. SOOOOOOOO

Characters

I think it goes without saying that Melnikov's art is absolutely gorgeous, and really does show how much Damian has grown up. It makes me want to sob its so beautiful, everyone is so pretty, even the guy that looks like a washed up, high as fuck Tony Stark lmao. But moving on to the actual characters,

Rose Wilson

I honestly don't know too much about Rose, I haven't read enough about her to say anything about her characterization and how it compares to her other appearances, or whether or not she is OOC, but so far, I'm enjoying her taking up the "big sis" role, like, immediately lmao.

I don't know how much I trust her yet, but I definitely get the vibe that even if she does betray Dami in any way, she's probably gonna stick her neck out for Dami again and he's probably gonna do the same.

I'm really intrigued about her motivations for being here. Obviously, Respawn has something to do with it, but I want to know what's up with that. I've seen a lot of theories and I'm so excited. Also side note, that Black Swan chick is hot, and I can't wait to see more of her in action!!!

I feel like Ravager knows a WHOLE lot more than Dami does about the interesting things going on on the island, mainly because she's been doing a lot more sitting and waiting than he has as of yet, but I'm hoping to see more of the two of them doing detective-y sleuthing together. We love a mysteryyyy

Flatline

Okay but real talk, why does she look like a character straight out of Monster High

Honestly tho, I dig it. It's cute! She's cute! She isn't annoying (yet) but I don't know if I care too much about her other than she would make a cute friend for Dami.

I think the problem with DC is that they know people LOVE Harley Quinn and they try so hard to make characters just like her but it always falls short, so honestly I am a little wary of her character development in this run, but I'm willing to give her a shot since her little coffin purse on the cover of the second issue is so damn cute. I'm a slut for character design, okay?

Oh speaking of Flatline and Dami, I don't ship it and I don't want them to force a romantic relationship into Damian's "coming of age"/"soul-searching" moment okay? Because that's what this run is about, at least to me! More on that in the story section!

They're literally 13/14 years old. That's 8th-9th grade, babes lets think about that for a minute

Also let's stop the whole "lets introduce a female character just to make her a love interest!" bullshit okay?

Basically, Flatline is interesting, or at least has the potential to be, but I don't want to get my hopes up because DC is notorious for disservicing their female characters 😕

I think the mixed reaction to her is valid, I don't think she's had much time to make a solid impression yet, so I guess you'd have to read it for yourself. Personally, I don't understand why people immediately hate her, especially because she's like, 14, and what kid that age isn't annoying? like at least a little bit lmao! But, yeah. I don't trust her either but literally everyone on this island is sketchy at least and a murderer at best, so hey 🤷‍♀️

Damian

His new outfit lmaoooo at first I was like "WHaT is this child wearing? You'd think Dick would have rubbed off on him and taught him what good taste looks like" but then I saw the later outfit, with the gold patterning and those sleeeevessssss ugh and I take it all back. A Fashion Icon TM. Truly stunning. A sight to behold. So proud, look at him go 😪

I think there's a lot of different opinions on Damian's characterization in this run, and I can definitely see where its coming from, but I disagree with the notion that Damian has been done dirty and reverted to a blood-thirsty, feral child.  And I have a LOT of opinions on the whole "feral" thing regarding Damian period (but that's for another time).

I don't think of Dami's rampage as a regression for his character. He's letting of emotions right then and I think its very similar to him venting. Its just not verbal, its physical and he knows he's not going to have to grapple with the consequences of his actions on the first kill. He knows he's technically not doing anything wrong.

He is clearly upset at Bruce and his failure to protect Alfred, and while Dami and Bruce are really often described as being very similar personality-wise, they are still distinctly different individuals who came to their current moral codes in vastly different ways. Bruce came to his "no killing" rule on his own; he made that decision for himself. It wasn't taught to him, it was a moment-of-truth kind of situation. Damian, on the other hand is in a vastly different situation.

Dami is, I think, at the beginning of the climb to his own moment-of-truth. He is in his rebellious phase like Dick, where he's gone off to spread his wings. It's not his conscious intention (at least that's not the vibe I got from reading the first two issues), but its directly underlying his "mission".

Damian is growing out of the expectations of his parents and into his own person. We all know he's been thrown from one moral code to another, both drastically different from each other. I don't think its a regression for him to lose his way a little, because realistically, he's going to have to in order to find it, specifically a moral compass that he forged on his own. He's just what? 14? Like hell a kid his age wants to listen to any form of authority. He's as stubborn as it comes. Damian needs to come to his decision regarding the path he takes in life on his own. It can't be made for him. He's seen and lived both sides of the coin, and I don't think he should be forced just yet to choose a side or pave a middle ground, but I do think that he should get the opportunity to see and experience all the gray areas on his own.

I think I'll transition from characterization to story here, because let's face it, this story is about Damian dealing with his confused emotions right now, in the wake of losing Alfred, a man that kind of acted like a grounding presence, a voice of reason, or a moral compass for him (and honestly Bruce and the rest of the bat crew if we're honest).

Story

So there's a lottttt going on in the story that is really enticing and exciting, and I'm really interested to see how it all plays out.

All the rules to the tournament are so, sketchy? Like they don't sound like they are meant to be sketchy, its basic safety and guidelines or whatever but with all the glowy green shit and the stakes of the tournament? Yeah, you can bet your ass its the "no fighting at night" and other shit is gonna be broken, and that's likely when the fun begins *insert evil laughter*😈

I was slightly put off by the whole "let me teach you to have fun" thing with Rose, because it's not like Dick, Steph, Jon, and like the Titans haven't done that with him too, but eh, not something I'm too concerned about. It's definitely just a segway to get us introduced to more characters that might become Damian's friends which will be interesting considering what Mother Soul said about fraternizing.

And that's another thing! I want Damian to make some friends! I know he already has some, but here's the thing: I think he's already been struggling with belonging, and he's definitely been feeling the disconnect between his life and other kids', whether they're supers/vigilantes or not. I think it'd be nice to see Dami have the experience of meeting people who he at first thinks are just like him!! and then realizing that maybe he doesn't really fit in here either, and that it's okay to feel like you don't belong, as isolating as it may feel at times. It just means you have a set of values. I want him to realize that its not always a bad thing, and you learn more about yourself and your own heart this way.

And from there,,, lets talk about the thing that stuck out to me the most in these two issues! GUILT!! It's mentioned SOO many times already, and I think its going to be a really fun, heartbreaking, and interesting aspect to explore about Damian. Is it guilt about his actions? Leaving behind family? Not being able to save Alfred? Not being a perfect example of Robin? He may call himself Robin but he doesn't sport the OG look or symbol like before. I love that his guilt takes on the form of Alfred though, or at least his conscious. I think it'd be really interesting to see this conscious disappear when Dami strays too far from his center, and when he finds it again, it reappears.

I really think that seeing Damian's actions in this run as a failure of character development is an unfair assessment, though. You can't do everything right in order to grow! You have to screw up, lose your way, experiment with life to find your fit, right?

Something tells me he doesn’t care for the tournament itself, but the end result, and the people behind it and more about WHY it was hidden from him. I mean he finds out the tournament TRULY begins once everyone has died once and tHEN he kill everyone? Felt to me less like a “killing spree” as everyone put it to a calculated decision to get the tournament going. He literally cuts Mother Soul off in the middle of her speaking to start fighting at the beginning

Anyway, just my thoughts lol. I do have some issues with the past two issues, and I might make a separate post about that, but honestly not enough for me to dislike Robin 2021 so far. I mean, besides the very obvious white-washing in the second issue, because DC can absolutely do better. And they should. It’s like they thought we wouldn’t notice???? But besides that, story and characterization-wise I’m looking forward to more. Here’s to hoping it stays that way, just with a better colorist!

[makeste]

literally just a giant post of Bakugou faces.

today, 4/20 (actually it is very much still only 4/19 over here, but to heck with it, we’re getting an early start dammit), is Bakugou Katsuki’s birthday. and as someone who loves Bakugou and who also hasn’t found much worth rejoicing about in April 2020 in general, it’s important to me to celebrate the shit out of this day. but these are strange times and I am le tired, and so what my tired brain ended up arriving at was “just do a post about how much you love his stupid face.”

so these are my favorite Bakugou faces. I stopped after Kacchan vs. Deku because this post was already like 100k words (slight exaggeration) with like 40,000 faces (slight), and because this already took forever and the next 130-something chapters were only going to have about one fifth as many good faces compared to the first 120, even though there are some good ones there still to be sure. but anyway, so there are no spoilers here. 

happy birthday Kacchan, and happy birthday to Kacchan’s angsty side profile with his hair covering his eyes.

why I like it: he scured.

lol but seriously. because up until this point he’s just been a complete asshole. even after he gets grabbed by sludgeman, he’s all “AS IF I’D LET THIS MUDMAN TAKE MY BODY FOR HIMSELF”, and he’s all feral-looking, and at first you’re like “eh he’ll be fine.” but then along comes this panel to serve as our narrator saying “he was not fine.” because he really is not. and on the page before this too, you can see how tired and desperate his struggles are starting to get. and absolutely no one is trying to help him. and he’s fighting, he’s straining, but he can’t. fucking. breathe.

and then this panel. and he’s just a kid. he looks so very, very young here, like this is the youngest he looks throughout the entire series except for in his flashbacks, and it’s because all the pride and bluster and anger are stripped away and he’s just a boy underneath it and he’s scared. “you looked like you needed saving.” exactly. exactly. and for Katsuki to actually ask for help is so rare. so you know that when he does ask (and he absolutely was begging for someone to come help him even though he couldn’t vocalize it. credit to Horikoshi for conveying all of that emotion in a single panel), he really, really needs it. thankfully there was one person watching who finally snapped himself out of that “a hero’s bound to come along soon” mindset that had everyone else gripped, and realized that he needed to be that hero.

why I like it: because he’s humiliated and fairly shaken up and also the most handsome he’s looked up until this point, but most of all he’s just chewing his lip and being all “god fucking dammit did fucking Deku really just save me, fuck my life, why is the universe fucking dumb.” like even after this hugely traumatizing experience, he’s incredibly resilient to the point where after he calms down, his lingering emotions are mainly just “smdh this is a new level of irritated even for me.” he is so brave and thickheaded and tough and absurdly, ridiculously petty jesus christ.

why I like it: like the old man said. his face just screams “I’m a rotten thief.”

there’s so much personality in this one expression. and then it’s juxtaposed against proto!Katsuki who I really desperately just want to punch in the face. just. my son my be a dick, but by god he’s an honest dick.

why I like it: baby?? cute baby??? mine?? my baby?!?

he’s just like. “I got it all figured out. gosh I’m so good at life.” that is the face of a child who has never encountered a single difficulty in his very young existence. everything is easy and he expects to be good at everything and he always is and he’s so, so pleased with himself. with a kid that little you really don’t want to go and shatter their dreams just yet, but maybe someone should have taken him down just a peg or two before it all got out of hand. alas. he was so cute that nobody wanted to and I can’t even blame them because he’s just that fucking cute, though.

why I like it: this is a very underrated panel which I think most people probably don’t even recall. it’s from chapter 11 just after he loses to Deku and Iida, and specifically right after Momo just completely lays into him and explains in vivid detail exactly how stupid every single one of his decisions was lmao. and it’s like he’s just had his eyes opened. he talks about her speech later, too, so it clearly had an impact.

there is no pride here at all. initially when I was reading this, I thought he was still shell-shocked. but looking back at it, and knowing what I do now about his unexpected willingness to accept criticism (something I certainly wouldn’t have expected during my first readthrough of this chapter), I think this is also a genuine “!” face as he realizes that she’s completely fucking right. YOU DONE GOOFED SON. but it’s okay because he learned from it!

also look how big his eyes are. when they get all wide like that. it’s so rare that I have to appreciate each and every time it happens. also he has no right to have such thick eyelashes. goddammit.

why I like it: because he’s strongest at his moment of weakness! because he’s upset but he learned from it! because he is such a strikingly human character with such complex emotions and there’s such a lovely mix of them on display here and that shit is my weakness! because this is when I signed the adoption papers (well, had them finalized after I initially obtained them after the “you looked like you needed saving” face in chapter 1, at least)!! because he always cries in front of Deku and doesn’t get embarrassed, but then he does get embarrassed if anyone else shows up! because his emotions around Deku are so raw and out of control! because the intensity of them is as compelling as it is confusing! but mostly because someone showing fierce determination while simultaneously showing intense vulnerability is basically the cheat code to unlocking my heart, and also the best thing anyone can ever draw in a shounen manga. thank you I’ll take infinity of them.

why I like it: because half of 1-A saw this face and instantly thought “fuck that’s hot” and then went “!! oh fuck me” but it was too late! that’s right kids. even knowing firsthand what a trashpile he can be, you’re still not immune to his charms. that confidence, though.

why I like it: the face of a boy who has just realized that holy shit, there are other people in his class. nothing gets past him. his reflexes are too fast.

why I like it: the slow motion (this is such a cool moment even if it’s at his expense lol), and the fact that this is such a weird and totally unique expression, and yet he somehow almost manages to make it look good. actually he does make it look good, let’s be real. of course, this was back when Horikoshi had more time to roll up his sleeves and really get into the art. look at all that shading goddamn.

why I like it: he cares!! he has feelings!! he has concern about someone other than him omfg whaaaaaat.

he’s so unsettled by what he just heard about Todoroki. the guy who was so strong and cool turned out to have an absolutely horrifying shounen protagonist past that he never let on about. honestly this scene is one of the reasons why I’m so strongly in favor of not interpreting Katsuki’s parents as abusive; because I just really like the character arc of him actually having a pretty good childhood, all things considered, but still having all these problems. because sometimes people actually do have everything going for them and yet they still screw up, because people are only human and sometimes you can fuck up (or be fucked up) even on easy mode! and if that happens it doesn’t mean you’re any more to blame, or more worthy of derision or scorn, or that you already had your chance so screw you, or any of that! anyway so that’s just such an interesting and relatively rare thing to explore and so I like it.

anyway. so just, the idea of him thinking of Todoroki as someone who had it made all his life, only to realize that’s not actually the case at all and that he’s actually the privileged one in comparison, just makes for a really great character-building moment. it’s a really big wake up call for him, especially given that he’s so often just wrapped up in himself and his own concerns still at this stage of the game. and it’s a moment that has a lasting impact on him and that he doesn’t forget, and it helps contribute to him starting to learn more empathy.

why I like it: my child is rabid please help.

but he’s so happy to have Ochako prove to be such an unexpectedly worthwhile opponent. she was sneaky and she nearly got him and he only just made it out by the skin of his teeth and fuck yes, that was awesome. he was really ready to throw down some more with her and it was gonna be the highlight of his fucking day. I just love seeing him acknowledge other people’s strength, because we know the value he places on being strong. so that’s a ton of respect from him, and Ochako fucking earned it, and this is just a great moment.

why I like it: just casually spittin facts and launching ships. nothing to see here move along.

why I like it: for everyone reblogging that one scene of shoujou!Bakugou from the anime over and over again, I just want to remind you all that as great as that scene is, we shouldn’t forget that in the manga he can be effortlessly handsome without even trying.

why I like it: as I said above.

why I like it: another one of the infamous “haah!?” faces. whenever he does these that one raised-eyebrow eye always goes so wide, and even though he’s trying to look like a pissed off thug it always makes him look surprisingly young instead.

also I’m not crazy for seriously wondering if Horikoshi’s art peaked all the way back in the sports festival arc though, right?? you honestly can’t find a bad panel even if you specifically go out and look for them.

why I like it: babyyyy.

I still don’t get how anyone could watch this scene and not get that he was way more upset than he was actually angry. he looks like he’s about to cry honestly.

why I like it: MY PRECIOUS SON’S ANGELIC SLEEPING FACE. all tuckered out. he’s had a hard day.

but seriously when you smooth out all of the >:O it is amazing how young he actually looks though. this one panel is shaded in such a way that you can see that he still has baby fat in his cheeks!! he’s just a little boy! HE IS A LITTLE CHILD LIKE THE REST OF THEM AND YOU MADE HIM PARTICIPATE IN THESE HUNGER GAMES AND HE KICKED ASS AND THEN GOT SAD AND YOU MADE HIM SLEEP AND CHAINED HIM TO A POST WHEN HE WOKE UP ANGRY AND TRYING TO BITE PEOPLE. anyways what a whirlwind of events huh.

why I like it: this child is literally trembling. he has been shaken to his very core. also for real though how did Jeanist even do that. anyways great internship or greatest internship.

why I like it: this is from chapter 60, right after he basically declares war on Deku and says he’ll crush him during final exams. then he turns around and is just like AND LET’S NOT FORGET THIS ASSHOLE HERE!!! and his eyes are practically bulging out and Todoroki just has his trademark “!!!” totally blank stare. this panel fully kills me guys.

why I like it: how was he THE CUTEST CHILD WHO EVER LIVED?? look at his little fists?! I can’t even deal with this???

why I like it: I actually like this one even more than the more iconic “the strongest heroes always win in the end” panel right below it, because in this panel you can more clearly see that he was crying quite a lot (he was only six!!), but it seems to me that it was more because of the unfairness of it than because he was hurt. even though he was hurt. but these jerks bumped into him and then acted like it was his fault, and it was two against one and he was much younger than them and IT’S JUST ROUGH YOU GUYS! LIFE IS HARD WHEN YOU’RE SIX! but he’s a little tough guy though so he scrubs the tears away in this very clumsy and boyish fashion because HE WON ANYWAY SO TAKE THAT! he is so little but already so determined.

why I like it: his eyes are just so intense all the time. even when it’s not an intense moment at all. also the dot shading here is so cool.

why I like it: okay so technically it’s the back of his head and not his face. but I feel like the fact that Kacchan was twitching and flinching and shaking too doesn’t get enough attention in this scene. he and Todo were both wigging out here and I love it. during the third light novel he also gets freaked out by the whole Disney Channel “we were telling a ghost story but now it seems like the story has come to life” plot that goes on at one point, just fyi. Kacchan is absolutely that kid who will refuse to watch scary movies just because “they’re dumb” and definitely NOT because he is scared, how fucking dare you sir.

why I like it: because this is the first of many scenes in this arc and the next arc in which he is freaking out but doing an excellent job of covering it up with his natural ferocity. he and Shouto have just come across one of their classmates’ arms lying in the middle of the path being chewed on by a villain in a straitjacket. his first reaction is to ask Shouto which of their classmates had been out on the path in front of them. he has immediately put two and two together, and he is immediately ready to throw hands with this dude, rules or no rules. but you can see the shading over his eyes though, and I think that -- along with the sweat visible on his face -- is a huge indicator of how horrifying this actually is to him.

why I like it: because this blank “processing...” expression that he sometimes gets when a lot of people are talking at once and he’s not really sure but he is pretty sure that he doesn’t like where this is heading, is my favorite.

why I like it: because even now it’s still ambiguous just what exactly was the prevailing emotion in these eyes and this expression, and the prevailing sentiment behind the “stay back.” I happen to think it was fear! not the same overwhelming, helpless fear as the 14-year-old who was caught up in the sludge, but a very on-edge, controlled-panic fear of a 16-year-old who’s trying to remain in control because he’s a hero in training now. and I think the “stay back” is the “stay back” of a boy who knows the look in that other boy’s eyes, and knows that it’s no use this time. it’s not protective, and it’s not hostile or defensive either. it’s just... resigned. don’t do it, Deku. that could have been the last thing he ever said to him, and it was measured and brave even through his fear and I love him so much.

why I like it: this is one which has to be viewed in juxtaposition with the panel immediately above it lol. Tomura looks like he could literally stare a man to death with those crazy eyes, and Kacchan is comparison just looks so ridiculously young and small and out of his league. but he doesn’t crack. but his eyes are super wide and even the shadows underneath them are stressed almost to their breaking point. like I’m screwed I’m screwed I’m so goddamn fucking screwed oh shit. my baby, guh. this was such a fucking scary experience though for real??

why I like it: same deal as above lol. this whole situation just keeps getting worse and worse, and here he’s just probing for more information while simultaneously trying to buy himself more time to think of a miracle plan. there really isn’t much chance of him getting out of here unscathed at this point (or at least there wouldn’t have been if the heroes hadn’t shown up), but I don’t think he’s letting himself think about that yet. but I’m sure it’s there at the back of his mind all the same.

why I like it: this is my favorite Bakugou face ever. SO MANY EMOTIONS. All Might came to save him! his hero!! he beat the bad guys (or so they think for that brief moment anyway) and it’s all okay now! he was alone but now he’s not anymore and All Might is there! and he is relieved, and he actually lets his guard down to show it for just a split second! his lip is trembling! I don’t think he even realizes for a moment, and then he does, and he immediately goes all tough guy again and the moment is gone! but while it’s there! it’s so much! I have never so badly wanted to hug a fictional character in my life.

why I like it: don’t you think this person could one day inspire thousands of others. do you see this courage in those eyes. the way he pushes past fear and panic and fatigue. don’t think, don’t doubt. just win.

why I like it: by now you have probably detected a pattern of me liking all of the Kamino faces because he was going through so many emotions that for once the walls just couldn’t keep up. he always looks so much younger when he’s not making >: faces. everything just smooths out. I also like that Horikoshi never makes his expressions symmetrical; he almost always has one eye wider than the other, eyebrows doing different things, stuff like that.

also this is when he sees All Might’s true form for the first time, and you can just see it hit him like a punch to the gut. All Might weakened; All Might weakened because of him; All Might might lose (!?!); All Might might die???? Katsuki’s entire world is falling apart in an instant, and in this moment he’s just a little boy.

why I like it: it beginsss. the angstening.

he’s not even resisting the hand guiding him. none of his usual unruliness or general aura of barely-checked rage. he just looks tired. and completely lost in his own thoughts. which as we now know were not good. I cannot fucking believe we had to wait another 25 chapters after this to finally get this kid a damn hug.

why I like it: because Bakugou Mitsuki is fulfilling my (and dating sim!Momo’s) lifelong dream of ruffling Bakugou Katsuki’s (spiky yet fluffy!!) hair. and all he can do is just chew his lip and halfheartedly glare at her all “mooooooOOOOmmm.” he doesn’t even really look pissed off here (because it’s hard to be mad when someone is talking about how worried they were about you and how relieved they are that you’re safe now, especially when that someone is your mom who isn’t normally the type to be so open about this kind of stuff at all), just begrudgingly grumpy. and I swear to god his bottom lip is made of fucking rubber the way he moves it around, just look at it.

why I like it: those eyelashes though!?!? [grabs Katsuki by the shoulders and shakes him roughly] WHY ARE YOUR EYES SO PRETTY.

why I like it: this is right after he found out he flunked the license exam, and you can see how upset he is. obviously we now know that shortly thereafter he went and had a complete meltdown. and buddy if you keep grinding your teeth like that, your dentist is also going to have a meltdown.

and yet again Horikoshi manages to strike this uncanny balance between making him look pissed off and making him look like he’s trying very, very hard not to cry. he just failed, again. it’s like the whole world is screaming at him over and over again that he’s not hero material at all.

why I like it: because he drags Deku out to the middle of nowhere and is all “I know you have All Might’s power and we’re gonna fight”, and Deku protests, and you expect Kacchan’s reaction to be just about anything other than what it actually is. this is as close to pleading as Katsuki is ever going to get. he may not be drowning in sludge but he is still desperate.

why I like it: this may be the best Katsuki that Horikoshi has ever drawn.

why I like it: super ultra mega unpopular opinion: I like this panel even more than THE PANEL!! that follows shortly after it. I am a sucker for when Horikoshi does this thing where he shows Katsuki’s face from a side profile, and his eyes are covered by his hair so you can’t see his full expression, but you know it is something vulnerable because he only ever does this when Katsuki is trying to hide his vulnerability. I could make a whole separate post just about these hair-covering-eyes faces lol. but out of all of them this is my absolute favorite. I can hear Okamoto’s voice acting in my head just looking at it.

why I like it: because it is THE PANEL. he finally broke completely; he let the walls fall away; he couldn’t hide it any longer. he’s so unbelievably torn up about this; he hates himself for it and feels like a failure; he’s lost and doesn’t have the faintest idea how to find his path again. he ended the Symbol of Peace. he was weak and wrong, and Deku was strong and right, and he can’t even hate Deku for it anymore, he just wants to understand what it is that he keeps doing wrong, why it is that he keeps failing.

why I like it: it’s, uuuuuh, angst.

lol it’s funny because at the beginning of the series, it was always Deku who was always crying at the drop of a hat. and to be fair this is still true. but Katsuki also cries way more than I would ever expect a rival character in a shounen manga to cry. and specifically he has cried every single time he’s had a dramatic and overly emotional altercation like this with Deku (and that’s three separate times now). is it because he’s always felt like he has less to hide around Deku? or because his Deku Emotions are so much more intense and volatile than his other emotions? at any rate, whatever it is, if this happens one more time (and I guarantee you it will too because A Certain Someone still hasn’t officially made an apology yet) he will officially lose all authority to ever call Deku out for being a crybaby again. meanwhile poor All Might will just be beside himself. I’m sorry dude, both of your children are just like this, you just gotta deal with it and accept their feelings.

why I like it: HE FINALLY GOT HIS HUG, BLESS.

and more hair covering his eyes! and chewing of the lip! and his head is bowed so much here, he fully allowed himself to be pulled into this hug and to accept this gesture of comfort for once in his life, just for a moment! after everything he was feeling, everything he was beating himself up over, All Might comes and tells him it’s not your fault. and there’s still so much guilt there, but he needs to hear this so badly that he accepts it all the same. meanwhile he is also CRYING AGAIN!? because this was the chapter where Horikoshi said “I am going to put all of the angst and cathartic conflict resolution into a single fight and it’s going to be the best thing ever” and it really was. do you even understand how much I love this. do you??

why I like it: OH GOSH I FORGOT ABOUT THIS, THIS IS MY OTHER FAVORITE KATSUKI HAIR-COVERING-EYES PANEL.

oh no. he’s ruffling his own spiky fluffy hair. he’s tired and he’s beat up (and whose fault is that lmao) and he’s learning all kinds of new things about himself today. he’s got basically nothing left in the tank, but for the first time in ages he has his path laid out in front of him again and he knows the way to start moving forward. he has been absolved of his guilt, the guilt which was eating a hole away inside of him. and all of a sudden he realizes -- it occurs to him -- hey, All Might finally admitted it, he really did give his power to Deku. but it’s still a secret though, isn’t it? it’s important, isn’t it? and so he tells them, hey, look, I get it, I won’t say anything, you don’t have to worry. it’s partially gratitude -- he owes so much to All Might and it’s ridiculous, that’s a fucking debt right there, and this is the least and only thing he can offer right now in return -- and it’s partially just... the right thing to do. like, common sense. honorable and shit. and it’s not like it’s a big deal or anything. but just, let them know.

I love his side profile so much and I love his hair and his ear and the scuffs on his face and his beaten up hand and his hunched up shoulders and him being soft and trying not to show how soft he’s being and he is precious.

BONUS:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY HANDS IN POCKETS GRUMPY TRIANGLE EYES ROVING FERAL HOG SON, I LOVE YOU.

[ga-yuu]

~Sweet Punishment~ Yoritomo Route

(I know I already did the summary of this, but I just couldn't resist when I see Yoritomo.)

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

The trees, dyed bright red and yellow, sway their leaves in the autumn breeze.

On this day, I was with Kagetoki-san and others, gathered in the hall by order of Yoritomo-sama.

Yoritomo: "Okay, everyone is here. I'm going to ask you a straightforward question. What does autumn mean to you?"

Yuno: "Autumn?"

Yoritomo: "That's right. Anything you can think of, I want to hear your thoughts."

(Autumn, huh? Let's see...)

Kagetoki: "Well... If I had to pick, I'd say reading. I love reading in the long autumn nights."

Tamamo: "I'm all for the food, of course. Sweet potatoes, mushrooms, persimmons, chestnuts, pears...the list goes on and on."

Yoritomo: "Chestnuts are good, indeed."

Yuno: "It would be fun to go chestnut picking together!" (Yuno is sooooooooooo cute.)

Shigehira: "Woah woah, don't deviate from the main topic."

(Oh, I shouldn't.)

I hurriedly kept my mouth shut, and my eyes met Shigehira-kun's.

Shigehira: "Is there something you want to do, Yuno-san?"

Yuno: "Hmmm.... I think I'll go for the plants. There are many medicinal plants that can only be found in autumn."

Yoritomo: "That's just like you. But none of them are the answers I'm looking for."

Morinaga: "Then, what does autumn mean to you, Yoritomo-sama?"

Yoritomo: "Training."

Tamamo: "It’s going to be a sweaty autumn then! I'm surprised to hear you say this,..... but what are you up to?"

Morinaga: "It's not too hot or too cold, so it's a good time to get moving."

Yoritomo: "Isn't it? So we'll have a martial arts tournament."

The air in the hall seemed to tighten at the sound of his dignified voice.

Yoritomo: " Of course, we’re not doing this just for fun. The purpose is to strengthen the martial arts skills of the entire army. The winner is determined by a winner-takes-all competition, and the last one standing is rewarded with rice."

Tamamo: "Rice..... I'll have chestnut, of course, but sweet potatoes are very good, too."

Yoritomo: "What are you trying to win? Anyway, this time, you all will be working behind the scenes. You too, Tamamo. Kagetoki and Tamamo, you will assist me in running the whole thing. Shigehira and Morinaga were entrusted with guiding the participants in their training."

Kagetoki, Shigehira, Morinaga: "Yes!"

Tamamo: "What, no rice for me? Well, we'll have a party later, won't we? Let's hope there will be some good food there."

Kagetoki: "It's more motivating to have a friendly competition than to just to train."

Morinaga: "It's like a festival, right? I can't take part, but it gets my blood pumping."

Yoritomo: "Isn’t it? It's time like these that we need these events."

(I guess that's why we're here now because we don't know when the war will break out.)

(....In his own way, Yoritomo-sama is thinking of his subordinates when he makes this proposal.)

(I also want to help.)

Yuno: "Yoritomo-sama, I also want to help."

Yoritomo: "You can. But you wouldn't listen to me anyway, will you?"

Yuno: "Yes, I'll do my best."

(Then I'll have to get more herbs than usual.)

(Oh, and I think I need a spared bandage. And ......)

As I quickly thought about my preparations, I felt someone pinching my cheek.

Yuno: "Yoritomo-sama?"

Yoritomo: "Geez, you're always like this. When it comes to working, that's all you see."

Yuno: "I don't want to hear that from Yoritomo-sama. Even Yoritomo-sama, works day and night....."

(Hm?)

Suddenly I felt some gazes on me.

The next thing we knew, everyone's warm eyes were on us.

(I shouldn't! They're all here.)

Tamamo: "They are fighting like couple and that they only have eyes for each other and their work....I'd say, but Yoritomo did it on purpose, didn't he?"

Yoritomo: "Yeah, because she looks cute when she fights back."

Yuno(blushing): "!"

(I've been teased..... How embarrassing....)

Shigehira: "Please do those things when you both are alone."

Morinaga: "I think we're done here, so we'll leave you to your business."

Kagetoki: "Please feel free to go crazy."

Everyone left, leaving me and Yoritomo-sama in the hall.

Yoritomo: "Hey, Yuno."

Yuno: "Hm?....Oh."

My arms were drawn and I lean on Yoritomo-sama.

My heart began to beat faster and faster at the thought of being in a place where I didn't know who could see me.

Yuno: "No. Not here."

Yoritomo: "It's all right, there's no one here at the moment. More importantly.....I'll ask you to help with the first aid necessities. I'd let you do it, but on one condition."

Yuno: "Condition?"

Yoritomo: "Yeah."

The sound of Yoritomo-sama's breathing gently tickles my ear....

Yoritomo: "Don't overdo and if you need anything, just ask. If you don't, I'll make sure you get what you deserve."

Yuno: ".......!"

Provocative words flow into my ears makes my heart beat even more wildly.

(it's Yoritomo-sama, so he's not going to go easy on me.)

(But, what is that punishment?)

A moment later, both hands were grabbed and put together, and restrained with one hand.

Yuno: "Eh----Hmm."

Without hesitation, my lips were sealed and my eyes widen in surprise.

I tried to escape, but he held me by the back of the head, and the kiss became more and more deeper.

Yuno: "Mmm.....Ha...ah."

I was struggling for air, but the kissing never stops.....

As I was finally released, I started to breathe.

Yuno: "Yoritomo...sama?"

Yoritomo: "It's not bad to show people that you're mine."

(You mean, if I break my promise, he'll do this to me in public?)

Yuno(blushing): "Please don't do that...."

Yoritomo(smiling): "That's up to you. If you understand, don't overwork."

Yuno: "....Yes."

(Because it's Yoritomo-sama, I'll definitely do it.)

(But I have to be careful about this.)

......................

Then a few days later.

I was treating the injured soldiers while Morinaga-san and Shigehira-kun were in charge of the training.

Tamamo was also present since he had some free time.

Yuno: "This is the end of the treatment of your injuries. Good luck with your training."

Soldier: " Thank you!"

As I was smiling at everyone's enthusiasm, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps.

Retainer: "Yuno-san are you here? I'd like to talk to you about the medicine you're preparing."

Yuno: "Yes, I'll be there soon."

I informed Morinaga-san and the others and hurried to leave the room----

Yuno: "Oh!?"

I bumped into someone at the entrance.

Yuno: "So-Sorry---"

???: "Are you okay?"

(Ah, that voice.)

Yoritomo(smiling): "Don't be in such a hurry."

Yuno: “Yoritomo-sama!”

I bow my head, a little relieved that the person I bumped into was someone I was in love with.

Yuno: “Sorry, I was in a hurry.”

Yoritomo: “As long as, you don’t hurt yourself, its fine. You seem to be very busy, is there anything you need help with?”

(Although Yoritomo-sama told me to rely on him.)

Preparations for the martial arts tournament had begun and Yoritomo-sama was busier than ever.

First of all, this is a job that I volunteered to help with.

(I can’t let Yoritomo-sama get me and I can still do my best.)

Yuno: “No. I am doing fine. Excuse me, I’m in a hurry.”

I acted brightly as I could and left the place.

Yoritomo(smiling): “........Geez.”

Yoritomo sees off Yuno’s back, proudly as if he is amazed.

Then, Tamamo and Morinaga who was watching them, comes by.

Morinaga: “Yuno has been working really hard lately, right?”

Tamamo: “She running all over the place more than ever.”

Morinaga: “Thanks to her, everyone’s spirits are up. They don’t even mind getting injured now that there is a cute girl to take care of them.”

Yoritomo: “I see.”

Tamamo: “Aren’t you jealous? You never know when some random man will come and challenge you for her.”

Yoritomo: “Her heart already belongs to me. If a man comes and challenges me, I won’t let him take her away from me.”

Morinaga: “As expected, you seem very confident.”

Tamamo: “..............”

..................

That night----

As I was preparing the medicine in my room before going to sleep, Tamamo came to see me.

Tamamo: “You are still working?”

Yuno: “Yes, just little more for tomorrow.”

Tamamo: “No way. You look very tired. Don’t push your limit. So that’s why.....”

Tamamo, smiles wistfully and claps his hands---

The next moment, he quickly turned into a cute little fox.

Yuno: “Eh, why did you change your form?”

Tamamo: “Touching me, who is super cute and furry, has a great soothing effect. Go on, fluff yourself to your heart’s content.”

As if to give everything away, Tamamo rolls over on his stomach. 

(Tamamo’s belly, looks soft and fluffy!)

The tempting offer makes my heart flutter, but the face of my Yoritomo-sama comes to my mind.

(Yoritomo-sama told me to rely on him.)

I feel guilty, but I can’t resist my greed. .....

I put Tamamo on my lap and boldly buried my face in her belly.

(This is....!)

Yuno(blushing): “Mo..Mofumofu...!”

Tamamo: “Isn’t it?”

(Hmmmm, this is going to be a habit.)

It’s the best touch I can imagine and I’ll just get hooked----

Yoritomo: “Yuno, I’m coming in.”

(!?)

Before I could reply, Yoritomo-sama opened the doors and entered my room.

Yoritomo: “........”  (Okay, so let me try reading Yoritomo’s mind:*pictures regular Tamamo and Yuno resting her face on his belly*)

Our eyes meet and we stopped moving for a moment.

(What should I do? I can’t believe that Yoritomo-sama saw me like this....)

Tamamo: “It’s a crime to interrupt the time of lovers. Good night~” (You LITTLE BITCH!)

Yuno: “Wait!”

Tamamo jumped of my lap and left the room.

Yoritomo(angry): “........” (mind reading: “I told her that she could rely on me and yet she went to Tamamo. But they’re just friends and I know Yuno would never cheat on me. But still she went to HIM instead of me. Looks like she’s really wants to get punished. You’re such a sly, you know.”)

Yuno: “I sorry. I’m really sorry.”

(He’s angry. He is really angry. I can feel it.)

The awkwardness in the air makes me look down.

 I clenched my fingertips in preparation for my punishment and was lightly popped when he flicked my forehead.

Yuno: “Eh...”

Yoritomo: “As I expected. It’s already late, finish your work and go to bed. If you don’t, then I’ll change your clothes and take you to bed.”

Yuno: “No need. I’m in bed! Already!”

Yoritomo: “Good.”

(I wonder if he would say something.)

(But,,,,you were so worried about me that you went out of your way to see how I was doing...)

Although I feel a little uncomfortable with the overly gentle attitude. But that was soon overridden by the joy that came from Yoritomo-sama’s thoughtfulness.

......................

Finally, the day of the tournament arrived.

(Okay, let’s do our best.)

Yuno: “Thank you for your hard work!”

Soldiers: “Eh....”

When I went to the waiting area of the first-aid team, I got a strange look from everyone.

Soldier: “Yuno-san, why are you here?”

Yuno: “Huh? What do you mean?”

Yoritomo(fake smile): “Ah, Yuno. I didn’t know you were here.”

At the appearance of Yoritomo-sama, all his men straighten their postures in unison.

Yoritomo(smiling): “I’m hoping you’ll join me in keeping an eye on everyone’s progress. As a reward for all the hard work you’ve done today, will you come and watch the game with me?”

Soldier: “Yes, leave the work to us!”

Yuno: “Er, well...”

Yoritomo: “Well, let’s go then.”

(Ah)

While I was hesitating, he immediately pulled my hand.

...............

We were shown to our seats, which were the best seats in the venue, giving a view of the entire arena.

(Is is going to be okay?)

He makes me sit down on the tatami mat, and I somewhat started to feel nervous.

Then Yoritomo-sama, who was sitting next to me, leaned close to me.

Yoritomo: “It cold today. Let me make sure, you don’t get cold.”

A knee cover was placed softly across my lap and Yoritomo-sama’s.

Yuno: “Thank you.”

Yoritomo: “It’s nothing to be thankful for. ....but it’s still a bit cold. Would it be warmer if I did this?”

Yuno; “!”

He hugs me around the waist and I leaned lightly on Yoritomo-sama.

At that moment, a buzz spread around us.

Yuno(blushing): “Yo-Yoritomo-sama?”

Yoritomo(smiling): “You’re very warm.”

(Yes, it’s warmer than before.)

As you can see, I’m embarrassed, so I try to speak up.

Maid 1: “Yoritomo-sama is so kind, isn’t he?”

Maid 2: “Yeahhh, I’m jealous.”

I hurriedly closed my mouth, when heard the jealous comments one after another.

(Somehow, we are just keep getting a lot of attention.)

(In this situation, I can’t say ‘let go’, can I?)

Yuno(blushing): “Mm, Yoritomo-sama is also warm.”

I smiled awkwardly and snuggled up to Yoritomo-sama quietly.

(I feel like, Yoritomo-sama....is little scary.)

(The other night was a bit of a let down, maybe there’s more to it?)

When I was suspicious of his overly gently manner, our hands came together under the blanket.

Yoritomo(smiling): “Your fingertips are getting warmer.”

With a warm, sunny voice, the tips of the finger rub together.

His gaze is filled with deep compassion....

(How can I doubt this kindness.)

When I thought about it, Morinaga, the referee, appeared at the game.

Morinaga: “Then, let’s start the first game, both teams come forward!”

The match starts-----

I was completely absorbed into the series of heated battles.

(Wow! That attack was very fast.)

As I leaned forward to watch the game, I felt a smooth stroke on the back of my hand.

Yoritomo: “This could go either way.”

Our fingers entwined and squeezed.

(What is  going on here?)

When I smiled back, Yoritomo-sama happily brought his lips to my ears.

Yoritomo: “Who do you think will win?”

Yuno: “Ah....Well...”

My back trembles when he deliberately sighed near my ear.

I ducked quickly, but the hands on my hips prevented me from moving.

Yoritomo(evil smile): “Oh, that was a brilliant one, right? Everyone is doing well, because of the training. How wonderful.”

Yuno(blushing): “Mm.....”

I can’t reply well, because he kept whispering to me near my ear and it felt ticklish.

(Is he teasing me?)

Yoritomo: “The next game is about to start.”

Yuno(blushing): “Oh! re-really.”

(Thank god, it stopped.)

I breathed a sigh of relief and I felt a hand on my thigh.

(Eh!)

I looked at the owner of the hand and he couldn’t have been more full of himself.

Yuno(blushing): “------!?”

Yoritomo-sama’s hand slid easily down my inner thigh, and I flinched at the strange power.

Yuno(blushing): “Wai...Wait...”

Yoritomo(evil smile): “Hm? Did you say something?”

Yuno(blushing): “No, What’s the matter with you?”

Yoritomo(evil smile): “You said you are too embarrassed to do this in public. It’s not a problem, if it’s hidden under the blanket, right?” (Geez, if Yoritomo had one of those small vibrators, he would have not shown any mercy.)

(That’s)

---------FLASHBACK-------

Yoritomo: "It's not bad to show people that you're mine."

---------FLASHBACK ENDS-------

(Although it’s hidden.)

I still think it’s too mean to bea simple teasing.

(Is this how he intends to punish me?)

(I wonder if he was still angry with me for because of that Tamamo incident.)

The moment I tried to open my mouth to apologize.

The hand that had been caressing my thigh, crept inside, splitting the gaps in my kimono.

Yuno(blushing): “!? A......”

I bite my lips in panic as he stroked my bare skin.

Yoritomo(evil smile): “Everyone is crazy about the game right now....If you raise your cute voice, they’ll notice you.”

(No doubt! You are still angry about the other day.)

I bring my face closer to his ear and whispered lightly.

Yuno(blushing): “I’m truly....very sorry. I’m reflecting on it, so please....”

Yoritomo(evil smile): “No, not yet. You’re too stubborn, so I won’t let you go that easily.”

Yuno(blushing): “Mm, ah.”

The tips of his fingers lightly scratched my inner thighs, causing me to gasp uncontrollably.

At the same time, cheers go up.

Apparently, the game is in full swing.

(But now, I can’t focus on the game.)

Yuno(blush): “Mm....oh.....”

A soft numbness runs up my back as my ear is bitten sweetly. 

Further more, when his hand moved between my legs, I quickly tried to stop it.

Yoritomo(evil smile): “You’re pretty resistance. But how long can you hold up?”

Yuno(blushing): “Ah.....not there....oh.”

(No matter how crazy everyone is about the game, no more....!)

Yuno(blushing): “Okay, I understand. I’ll take the punishment but at least take me to your room....!”

With tears in my eyes, I pleaded and finally his hands stopped.

Yoritomo(evil smile): “I’ll take that word for now. The rest will be in my room, okay...?”

Premium END  // Epilogue

This story event is in short the scenario of what will happen if Yuno and Yoritomo go to movie theatre. Anyways, I’ll only be doing Yoritomo’s route because I love him and then I’ll take a break until the next story event. Also I’ll be posting the collection events time to time when I feel like it.

[fritae]

The Missing Piece : Chapter 1

Gang leader! AU / Corporate! AU

Characters: Dabi x F/OC

Status: Ongoing

Summary:

Rina Aoki is the secretary of one of the world's biggest broadcasting stations - only she hates her job and wakes up everyday asking herself if this is all there is to life. Then, she meets Dabi: a man of overpowering confidence and many, many secrets. But beneath all that confidence is a wounded soul and years' worth of repressed anger. The two struggle with fear, ambition, vulnerability - but eventually learn that life may just be better when you don't have to struggle alone.

A/N:

There are no quirks in this story. I tried to give it a real world spin. But it will explore dynamics between good and evil, right and wrong, and feelings of family, friendship, love and belonging. I'm super excited about the story and I hope you enjoy it!Chapter 1: the meeting

Chapter One: The Meeting

It was raining.

I hide my tote under my coat out of fear for my laptop. If it gets wet, I'm done for. My boss isn't exactly the most considerate person out there. If anything were to happen to the highly coveted files on it, I might as well hand in my resignation.

I sigh with relief once the bus arrives, and quickly hurry inside.

As I find a seat, I lean my head against the window, not caring for germs or the subtle tremble of the glass. It feels cool against my skin, and not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. But more importantly, it is distracting. It'll give me something else to focus on during the ride.

At least I hoped so.

But within minutes, it becomes clear that my mind has no intention of being distracted. The thoughts creep in and suddenly the soft hum of the engine is no match against the throbbing in my head.

Of course not.

Distractions simply don't last long these days.

So I surrender to the thoughts as I stare at the passing streets, feeling increasingly empty by the minute.

I hate my job. I hate everything about it. Working as a secretary for a broadcasting company is a dream for many. The salary isn't bad. I have access to exclusive events and frequently coordinate with the biggest names in the industry. I know the ins and outs of selling an idea and making it resonate with millions.

But I quickly learned all the people in this industry are insufferable. The whole premise rests upon the art of manipulation, taking something that may very well be worthless and conning people into thinking it will fill a hole they didn't even know they had. The people are superficial, be it actors or other famous personalities. Everyone is so obsessed with images. How to best put on a show to gain the love and admiration of millions.

But what use is their love if it's built upon the distortion of reality?

I shake my head before burying it in my palms.

No matter, I tell myself.

As frustrating and unfulfilling as the work may be, it pays the bills and keeps me busy.

A little too busy...

I get up once my stop arrives. I say a quick thank you to the bus driver before hurrying out.

The cold makes me shiver and I pull my skirt to cover more of my thighs before plastering a fake smile onto my face.

The fake smile is part of the uniform here.

My heels click together with attitude as I make my way through the building. The noise hits my ears immediately. Loud chattering, blaring music and upbeat announcements stand in sharp contrast to the calm of the rainy world outside. I blow kisses as my colleagues call out my name from the studio floor.

My friend and roommate Aliyah takes off her headset to wave me over. She left home extra early today owing to her busy schedule as floor manager. The glaring lights tell me they're about to start shooting but as much as I want to help her with final preparations, I have more important things to worry about right now.

"Can't talk now, Al!" I say apologetically. With one point to my tote bag, she understands. "Good luck!" she shouts back, before returning her attention to the production crew.

I sigh.

I will definitely need all the luck I can get.

I take the elevator up to the highest floor of the company. While our studios are bright, loud and fun. The offices are formal, professional and characteristic of a multibillion dollar company. I knock twice before heading into the largest office at the end of the hall, where my boss is waiting for me. The letters NNTV adorn the walls in an elegant gold print behind him.

A pair of glasses sits on the bridge of Mr. Lane's nose as he reads over today's reports.

"You're late, Ms. Aoki." He says without looking up.

"Apologies, sir. It was unexpected."

"Do I not say to account for the unexpected in your planning, Ms. Aoki?"

"It won't happen again, sir."

He offers me a *tsk* in response.

"Our ratings have gone down this month. Much more than we anticipated." Mr. Lane grumbles.

"CBS' new reality show has attracted a lot of viewers, sir. It's competing with our usual broadcasts at-."

"Then why have you not found a program to substitute whatever we usually air at that time?"

I bite back a sigh. "The current schedule is the most optimal, sir. If we switch around any programs we risk affecting the viewership of The Midnight Show and Killer."

"Well then figure something out!" He barks. "That's what your job is, isn't it?"

"We have a team for a reason, sir. Perhaps we can consult them today? I can schedule an emergency meeting to address this."

I say this knowing the rest of the team won't alter the schedule. The nature of the industry is ratings fluctuate all the time. To change our scheduling at every hint of a drop will only harm our future ratings.

He waves me away. "Schedule it for two hours from now. Cancel anything else I have at that time."

"Yes sir." I confirm, before turning around.

My nostrils seethe as I suddenly hear him mutter *Useless* under his breath.

The rest of the day is spent taking more orders and backtracking on Mr. Lane's previous decisions. Just as I'd expected, the board decided it would be better to simply wait out the next two weeks until the current programs are finished before rearranging any of the schedules. I make a mental note to consider what might be a suitable alternative in the meantime.

The hours drag on. I should have been done at 5, but 7 o clock hits and I'm still taking phone call after phone call. It isn't until a quarter to 9 that I can finally go home.

I sigh as I pass the much quieter studio floor on the way out. I don't find Aliyah among the crew, but I'm sure she's taking care of her own things at the moment. The Midnight Show is scheduled for well, midnight, so she's probably taking a final break before her last project of the night.

Once I am outside, I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding in. Instead of taking the bus straight home, I find myself walking toward Café Du Monde. It sits a few blocks away from the NNTV building.

The smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastries greets me as I enter. The soft jazz is welcomed by my ears after a day of nonstop chatter and corporate debate.

As I stand in line, I remind myself to pick up coffees before I leave for the crew working late tonight. Hopefully Aliyah will be back by then.

---

"Shit," I hear the man ahead of me in line mutter. "I think I forgot my wallet back in the office."

He checks his pockets again, but finding them empty he looks up at the cashier. "Sorry man, I'll be back another day."

But before he could walk away, I step up to the register. "It's okay, I got it."

He glances at me. "Nah, don't-"

"It's nothing. Can you add another coffee to the order please?"

The cashier punches a few numbers into the register and I hand him a 20.

---

The man tips his hand in thanks. I nod back at him and walk up to the roof.

With a coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other, I sigh. Now to get the day out of my system...

"How can I repay you," A smooth voice says behind me.

I look over my shoulder to see the man walk up to the ledge with me. He has electrifying blue eyes, a head of thick dark hair, and the kind of walk that signifies authority.

"You good at conversation?" I ask.

He thinks for a moment. "How about I let you be the judge of that?"

I pass the man a cigarette. "Then distract me."

"You don't look like the type to smoke." He comments before accepting it.

"Looks can be deceiving." I shrug.

"It feel good or something?"

"Or something." I confirm with a smile. "Just reminds me to breathe in," and with a soft easing in my chest, "and breathe out."

He leans back against the railing. "Hm. You know breathing quality isn't exactly what people would associate with cigarettes."

I roll my eyes. "You know what I mean."

The man chuckles. "Yeah. Although I think rearranging a few things in your life would help more than smoking. Don't want to grow reliant on an outside source for relief now."

"Well, well. Wasn't aware I was speaking to a mental health guru."

He seems amused by that. "That's not what the people working for me would say but it's nice to know their sentiments aren't universal."

"Ah. So you're a shitty boss."

"I'm just a boss." He corrects. "What people think of me has nothing to do with me."

"Must be nice to believe that." I sigh, taking another puff of my roll.

"No reason not to, eh? Letting others' opinions matter to you means you lose power over yourself. There's nothing you could want from them that you can't do for yourself."

"Money?" I suggest.

"That's easy. But it depends on how willing you are to work for it."

"Work quite a lot." I scowl. "...starting to wonder if it's worth the headache, to be honest."

The man leans closer to me, his breath warm against my ear. I try not to focus on the scent of his cologne, musky with notes of amber and cedar wood. "Then what you want isn't really money. Sounds like you want more."

"More?"

"Yeah. Money by itself isn't satisfying," He says matter of factly. He leans away to take a sip of his coffee. "Only when it's coupled with a goal."

"Hm."

"Money doesn't take you anywhere; it's just a means to an end." He continues. There's an air of mystery behind those turquoise eyes of his. "Your goal is what guides you. Where do you want to go?"

Someone in this neighborhood that doesn't live and die for money? I almost want to laugh. What goal guides him then? What does he stay alive for?

But I keep those questions to myself. I shouldn't get too close to a man I'll never see again.

"I want to be my own boss." I say with a soft smile. Be my own boss. Wouldn't that be nice? No more waking up with Mr. Lane's voice already echoing in my head. No more plastering fake smiles and maintaining that "professional" semblance for hours on end. "I'm tired of taking orders from other people."

I almost miss the sudden gleam in his eye.

"Now that's more like it."

---

I leave the cafe with a box of donuts in one hand and a coffee tote in the other.

I said goodbye to the stranger, happy to have shared these thoughts with someone. It strikes me that I didn't even ask his name.

I shrug. Perhaps that's the magic of moments like these. The universe puts us in places we don't expect to be in. Brings two strangers together and they realize maybe this meeting was just what they needed today. The man got his coffee and I...I was able to let my thoughts run freely.

At least for a while.

"And now we abandon the fantasies and return to reality," I mutter with a sigh. I hook my pinkie with the large glass double doors of NNTV and pull the handle toward me.

There's a small audience present now, the guests for the Midnight Show. I walk around them and smile when I find Aliyah, arms crossed and eyes trained on the set, trying to catch any faults before we air.

"Al!" I call out in a whisper. She immediately looks my way, face lighting up at the sight of the coffee.

"Oh, you're a lifesaver!" She says excitedly as she takes the sweets from my hand. "Hey Joe, set this up for the crew, will ya?"

An intern shuffles forward and takes the bags anxiously to prepare a little station for the team.

"How'd you know I needed the coffee?" She smiles at me.

"Because I needed the coffee," I say with a laugh. "And you've been awake far longer than I have."

Aliyah laughs and rubs her eyes. "I forget how much time I spend here sometimes. No matter - you staying for the show tonight?"

I smile apologetically. "You know I'd love to, but I can barely keep my eyes open. I've got a long day tomorrow, I'm gonna need all the sleep I can get."

I say goodbye to the rest of the crew, smiling sheepishly as they spout *thank you*s for the late night coffee and donuts, and make my way home.

Later that night, as I lay in bed with my eyes trained on the ceiling, I feel a sudden urge to whisper these words out loud.

Please let my life be worth more than the value I add to a company.

[asrisgratitudejournal]

25-28/09

Wow, betul-betul ya the power of procrastinating tuh dan how to build a habit out of something susah banget. Sekali udah ditinggalin, pasti keterusan buat nggak ngelanjutin. The same thing happened to me with running and exercising in general. Tiba-tiba lihat kalender, nah loh, sudah tanggal 28 aja sodara-sodara. Terakhir nulis savouring & journal padahal 24.... ke mana 4 hariku hilang? Ok baiklah, mumpung masih ingat, yang savouringnya w skip aja ya. Ini lebih ke 5 things to be grateful for everyday dari 25-28 hari ini:

25/09

1. Grateful for the fact that I could wake up late? Mulai minggu lalu, pagi-pagi udah ngga ada kelas DD dan SMA16 lagi soalnya KSN-Pnya sudah selesai, jadi bisa bangun siang. Eh tapi ujung-ujungnya bangun pagi juga deng, karena jam 0730 ada seminar kuliahnya Prof. Koesoemadinata jadi kebangun pagi sambil dengerin beliau di zoom terus malah dichat sama Mas Probo jadinya, Alhamdulillah ya sekalian menyambung silaturahmi lah ya.

2. Grateful for the badminton session! Cuma ber-3 main sama Archu dan Baron, Brigita salah baca court jadinya dia ga dateng, tapi senang, at least I could let out of sweat and get some endorphin lah ya.

3. Grateful for... being able to cook and enjoy my own food(?) kalau gasalah abis badminton laper banget terus masak nasi+kaldu ayam walaupun kebanyakan air, terus buat tahu-udang-mussel-salted egg, dimakan bareng abon, dan bikin minum teh tarik juga. I think sambil makan sambil telponan sama mita juga waktu itu(?) lupa :(

4. Grateful for apalagi ya... just the fact that it's weekend I guess? Jadi lebih relax dan ga stres dan anxiety aja

5. Grateful for... my existence.... gatau lagi mau nulis apa karena lupa details hari sabtu kemaren tapi yang jelas for the fact that I exist aja dengan kondisi sehat sudah amat sangat bersyukur. AH! Inget! Kayanya there's something to do with duolingo sih, tapi iya senang karena I think I climbed up the rank or something? Yah semacam itulah. So... kesimpulannya adalah I am living a good life

26/09

1. Grateful karena bisa bangun siang lagi yey! Masih sama seperti yang no 1 di tanggal 25

2. Grateful for the fact that my mom and dad and sister are all healthy back home. Got to talk with mom a bit, and I'm just so happy to hear from her that everything eventually gets better back home in Indonesia(?) If we keep it up at this rate, I think we'll definitely go back to pre-covid earlier than predicted!

3. Ke London sorenya! Tadinya mau berangkat abis lunch jam 1-an gitu. Udah booking Tate museum juga at 1500 tapi ujung-ujungnya karena rumah lagi agak rame jadi antre kamar mandi (ini excuse ajasih) akhirnya baru jalan dari rumah jam 1430 HAHA dan sampe London jam 1630. Langsung jajan ShakeShack (which makes me very happy)

4. Grateful for the fact that I'm an ARMY too! Di London langsung ke BWON, ini resto Korea gitu, terus ada event birthdaynya NJ dan JK diadakan oleh @minaluvchim. Di sini ketemu teman-teman ARMY baru dan senang aja, senang gaksih ketemu orang-orang yang passionate with the same thing as you are?? Wow, I wish I feel the same towards people in my department though. Harusnya gitu sih, tapi entah kenapa geology now feels more like burden to me rather than passion :( Terus senang bangetnya juga karena ku datengnya di slot akhir, ku bisa stay lama-lama di situ. Karena awalnya galau kan, mau take shelter di mana karena si Kings of Convenience-nya baru perform at 2030. Yah.. intinya bersyukur sekali ngga perlu lantang luntung kebingungan di London sendirian...

5. Grateful for the free ticket from Nugi to watch Kings of Convenience performance @ Royal Festival Hall! Sesungguhnya lagu KoC yang ku tahu cuma Cayman Islands doang (help?!), but I always appreciate music & art anyway, jadi walaupun folk guitar is not a thing for me, I'd still be happy kalau ada yang ngasih tiket gratis buat nonton such great artists (or just any artist sesungguhnya). Udah deg-degan kan awalnya pulang malem karena kupikir bakal lama konsernya, tapi ternyata jam 10 udah beres(?) akhirnya dah sampai rumah deh jam 12 malam.

27/09

Kemarin. I feel like I failed myself every weekdays. You can tell from my writing, most exciting things happened over weekend. But anyways I still feel very grateful though, dikasih waktu yang banyak sama Allah. So, 5 things to be grateful for yesterday:

1. I have so much time. As usual, weekdays is a nightmare for me, but I can always take things slow. Pagi-pagi ngopi, makan roti, sambil nonton apa ya kemaren? Lupa. Yang jelas I watched quite a lot of things kemarin, salah satunya We K-Pop di mana Prince Khun menjadi salah satu MC dan bisa melihat dia berinteraksi dengan idol-idol kesukaanku. Intinya makasih YaAllah dibuat bisa menyukai sesuatu yang mana ga semua orang bisa punya interest sebesar itu towards things.

2. Masih punya nasi yang masak Sabtu abis badminton itu, jadi bisa makan enak tanpa masak.

3. Kelas SeedWISE! Got to meet another fellow di departemen2 sebelah yang mengalami struggles yang sama dengan diriku ini. And how they encouraged me a lot. Walaupun ku masuk kelasnya telat sih karena lupa wkwkw.

4. Just to be able to wfh I guess? Karena tiba-tiba kemarin Senin dan hari ini cuacanya buruk aja, the sun was out but only for like 5mins? Sisanya hujan dan angin huft. Nevertheless, I am still grateful for being able to experience UK weather though.

5. Kalina cerita di perempatan Headington situ ada yang habis meninggal kecelakaan sepeda ketabrak lorry gitu umur 32 tahun woman :( sedih banget terus Kalina bilang "Asri, just dont ride a bike" :(( tapi emang di sini safety buat cyclistnya kurang banget sih, terutama kalau udah versus HGV atau kendaraan bermotor :( yaudah intinya ini bukan bersyukur karena ada yang meninggal sih, tapi lebih ke bersyukur karena selama 1 tahun di sini I am still intact dan gapernah mengalami kecelakaan sama sekali alias Alhamdulillah (apalagi melihat nature w yang butter finger dan clumsy ini)

28/09

Wow. Hari ini. Another failure of the day I think. Mungkin nanti malam atau besok akan ku-edit tapi ku-list dulu sampai jam 1444 ini apa yang sudah disyukuri:

1. Tadi pagi bikin sarapan enak. Masih punya roti tapi butter dan jam abis, akhirnya bikin sarapan ala-ala English breakfast lah: ngegoreng suny side up + sosis + toast roti. Senang banget makannya HUHU

2. WFH lagi(?) jadi gaperlu merasakan dinginnya angin dan hujan di luar. Tapi ya kekurangannya memang jadi less productive aja sih. But let's see what I can do after this. Plannya juga sebetulnya mau belanja ke luar karena susu, butter, egg, dan roti sudah habis... tapi mager banget ngeliat kondisi di luar huf

3. tba

4. tba

5. tba

Dah sekian dulu diary PR kelas coursera saya selama 4 hari terakhir. Sebetulnya ini kan PR week 2 ya, harusnya udah beres sih, cuma disuruh 7 hari doang, but I think I'd keep it up setiap hari akan nulis 5 things to be grateful for ini. Maafkan kalau terlalu sampah untuk teman-teman semua karena gabisa relate at all dan sangat personal aka TMI, but I need to do this just for myself actually. Mungkin suatu saat nanti akan membuat tulisan berfaedah macam "Jardine" atau "Akses" yang gain traction cukup banyak. Tapi sepertinya untuk sementara ini, masih di sini saja dulu kualitas pos tumblr saya. Ciao!

28/09 1448 pm Woodlands Close 9

[alonelysimp]

Hi can I participate in your event?? I really wanna try doing match ups and its my first time so I'll try my best to word things out ehe <3

So my pronouns are she/her and I would like to be matched with a male (romantic pls :>) my bti is INFP-T, I don't know what enneagram is tho but do you think this is enough? (Hehe)

Things I like are painting/art, books, the beach or some grassfields where there are flowers etc, plushies, food, staying up til 3 am, gaming, horror movies, creating/fixing my wardrobe and such :>

Things I dont like are annoying stuff? Idk how to put it tho, but If i dont like something my guts just tells me to "no just dont"

I don't have a character that I'd like to be excluded anyone can be fine :>

Also I'd like to add, I tend to push people away whenever I get sad or when that depression just kicks in and I have to cut off everyone in my life and return the next day as if nothing happened and just went back to being my usual self, I also tend to laugh a lot and I listen and observe very carefully as to what people do and I don't really share that much because I like seeing the people I like to talk, But if I get worked up over something I can't stop talking and I have to apologize for sharing too much (unless if Im comfy enough to the person im sharing)

I think thats all and I hope this helps tyvm :>

Your match is...

Albedo!

Picnic dates in fields where you end up staying for hours, either painting together or reading

He likes it when you stay in his lab. You can’t exactly do much (lab safety protocols <3), but he enjoys your presence.

Just in case something bad happens (spill, overflow, more violent reaction than anticipated, etc.), he knows he can trust you to help him out.

His handwriting for his notes and reports isn’t the best, per se, so he often comes to you to help double-check the information/help rewrite it since you’re one of the few that can actually read it.

Modern AU, often streams with you. Late-night horror game streams, if you don’t mind them.

Beware, he might try to scare you after <3

“Bedo- I can’t reach. Can you summon a flower or something?” One of your hands stretches up to reach his, which lazily hangs by his side. He makes no effort to grab yours, only reticently smirking down at your form. “Little gremlin. How did you climb that so fast,” you grumble, falling back down on your heels.

“Love, are you having some issues?” He creates a platform under your feet, which carries you to a height where you can comfortably sit on the branch of the massive oak.

“And here you go, “ you hum, handing him the bag of supplies he insisted on bringing. He smiles and takes it, rummaging through it for a few seconds before pulling out watercolour paper and a pencil.

“Are you gonna draw, Bedo?” The bark catches your pants, making you struggle a bit while scooting over to sit against the trunk. A smile spreads across his face watching you and he nods.

“I wanted to use the watercolours you gave me a few weeks ago. It’s a shame I haven’t found time until now.” The bag sits precariously on the branch, even if it is wide enough to fit both of you side by side. You pull it closer by the straps, pulling out your book and hanging it off your knee.

“This won’t work,” you mumble, crossing your legs to trap it between the branch and where it now hangs off your thigh. A satisfied hum escapes your lips and you crack open the book to the page where the tassel hangs out.

Albedo makes spring all the more beautiful, no?

[eerythingisshaka]

Ficmas Day #3 “Misfit Wakandans”

[T’Challa x OC]

Word Count: 1.2k

“You won’t win!  You’re just a toy maker, no match for Santa!  Now leave before you’re reindeer food!”

Akini looks over the script in her email as T’Challa claps.  “I don’t think the reindeer food line was part of it, Ezzy.”

Ezzy shrugs, hopping into her father’s lap as she twists her braid.  “They said we can make up some stuff sometimes if we want.”

Akini holds her daughter’s cheek.  “That’s good.  Maybe try something different because reindeer do not eat people, right T’Challa?”

T’Challa appears to mull it over.  “Given the barren environment of the North Pole, it could very well be in the interest of the animal to survive-”

“Well thank goodness this isn’t a nature documentary.  I would just stick to the script for that  part, baby girl.  Just so no one is confused.  Now go wrap your hair and brush your teeth.  Your father will put you to bed in a minute.”

Ezzy deals out kisses to her parents before scurrying to her room.  Akini turns to T’Challa suspiciously.

“Now, what is the meeting so important about that you must go right before our daughter’s first play?”

T’Challa’s hands splay over his knees as he breathes in deep, avoiding Akini’s eyes.  “There are a couple of businesses willing to donate to our center for the holiday.  It won’t be long until that time comes.”

Akini nods, reaching for her husband’s chin to pull his gaze to meet hers.  “You cannot, by any means necessary, be late.”

T’Challa nods, but Akin tugs his chin hair this time.  “I mean it.  The crowds are horrendous at this American school, I won’t be a part of a mob for Kumkani, ok?”

T’Challa wraps an arm around his beloved, resting his other hand on her thigh as he stares lovingly into her eyes.  “I won’t be late.  I promise.  It will all be worth it in the end.”

--

“Stop.  Just here is fine.”  T’Challa opens his door and glides out swiftly in front of the elementary school entrance area.  His heart beat picks up as he sees his wife standing outside the front door, arms folded in a tight cross under her chest.  Akini’s  billowing afro hides her expression from him as she looks in the opposite direction while Ayo stands idle by.  Before T’Challa can signal her to remain silent, Ayo’s lips move, alerting Akini to his presence.

Okoye lets out a low whistle next to him.  “That almost scares me, kumkani.”

Akini’s eyes lock onto him as she stomps her booties towards him.  

“Why weren’t you kimoyo beads active?”

“My love, please slow down,”  T’Challa says calmly, approaching to meet her halfway.

“Calm - T’Challa, I have told you to not be late for our daughter’s performance for weeks, the last time being this morning, yes?”

T’Challa puts a finger to his lips, holding Akini’s arm to escort her to the school.

“I know, I know.  But something came up, this has happened before.”

Akini stops walking to turn and face him down despite her short frame.  “Heh!  I know it has!  Ezzy has been practicing her American Christmas recital for so long.”

T’Challa nods, hanging his head slightly.  “She has shown me at home.  She is quite good.”

Akini claps for emphasis.  “And when it actually counts, where is her father?  And you know she hates a scene.  If you got here when I asked, I wouldn’t worry about people gawking at you instead of paying attention to the children.  Now there will be a fuss over your presence.”

T’Challa holds out his hand for Akini to place hers into.  “It will be fine.  Has it started?”

Ayo speaks up.  “Five minutes ago, but Ezzy will not be on for another 15 minutes.”

T’Challa nods approvingly.  “Then you and Okoye secure an area in the balcony, front seat.  Maintain a distance on the east and west until it is time to dismiss.”

Okoye and Ayo open the doors to the school for Akini and T’Challa to enter.  A starstruck volunteer hands T’Challa  a program before they make their way up the stairs to the balcony.  T’Challa doesn’t let go of Akini as they walk hand in hand to their designated seat.  A musical number begins to taper off as Ezzy makes her way to the stage.

Akini points.  “Look!  Look at her!  Oh, she is the cutest looking ragdoll isn’t she?”

T’Challa smiles warmly, seeing his daughter under the bright spotlight with crimson circles on her cheeks and her natural hair in braids and bows.  Despite taking the appearance of a ragdoll, her costume was more of an abstract art piece than rags.

“Santa needs our help to get the toys to the children!  Who is with me?”  Ezzy commands, stamping a buckled shoe on the wooden crate she stood on over the cheering crowd.  

“Aye, you hear her?  She speaks clear and strong, just like I told her.  She studies me well, eh?”  T’Challa beams with pride as she leads a march toward an evil toy maker’s cave who tries to end Christmas but fails thanks to Ezzy and her crew.

When Ezzy had practiced the play before, T’Challa was not sure if the story would measure up enough to carry a performance worth watching, but Ezzy livened the cast in a way that was infectious to the crowd as well.  When the curtains closed for the end, the crowd erupted in loud praises and whistles as the cast took a final bow.

“We should go now,”  Akini says, standing up in her seat and motioning for Okoye and Ayo to follow.  Soon as T’Challa and Akini start their journey to the lower auditorium, the crowd begins to notice the King of the richest country on earth.

“Whoa, look!”

“T’Challa!  I seen you on the news!”

“Hey King!  I’ve got an investment opportunity you may be interested in!”

T’Challa has good blinders for these kinds of hassles, but Akini struggles, shushing people and turning them down for conversations and pictures and autographs directly when anyone is brave enough to talk past Okoye or Ayo flanking the couple.

T’Challa grips her hand tightly, mouthing that everything is fine but they couldn’t get to their daughter fast enough to make their exit.

“Baba!”  a big voice from a tiny frame calls out.  T’Challa follows the sound of his offspring’s voice, expertly finding her in the hoard of children and parents buzzing with excitement.

“There she is!  Come here!”  T’Challa takes his arms wide, letting Ezzy jump into them.  Akini pats her back for attention.

“I was here first, you know!”  Akini pokes out her lip as Ezzy looks down from her father’s arms and reaches for her mother.  Akini takes her into a tight hug.  “You did exceptional, my girl!  Let’s get out of here so we can talk all about it.”

Ay and Okoye helped them safely outside and began to make a path for the car until T’Challa felt something shift.  He turns back and sees his wife appear bewildered and stumble.

“Aye!  Come!”  He pushes through bystanders, holding Akini close as Ezzy climbs into his arms.

“Someone pushed Mama,”  Ezzy says.

“I’m fine, let’s go,”  Akini says flustered.

“Hey, King!  I said wait up!”  A middle aged white man tries to close the gap before Okoye’s staff separates him from his target.

“Do not touch the king or his family,”  Okoye warns.

He holds his hands up.  “Hey, I didn’t know they were together.”

“That does not excuse your actions,”  T’Challa says curtly.

He stammers as the crowd around him notices the drama.  “Sure, I just got too excited I guess-”

“That is no one’s problem but your own.  You have nothing more to say to me.”  T’Challa turns to leave, holding tight to both of his girls as they get into the car for a safe ride home.

“I’m so sorry Akini.  You were right.”  T’Challa confesses, looking down at his daughter resting her head on his chest.

Akini holds his hand to her face affectionately.  “I was too harsh with you.  But I will accept the win nonetheless.  WE are going home, that’s what matters.”

Ezzy looks up at her father.  “Baba, remember in the play when the toymaker tries to make the toys think they are better with him than with Santa?”

T’Challa thinks for a moment.  “I do.  Why?”

“You kinda sounded like me talking to that pale face guy.  I think you could be an actor.”

T’Challa grins.  “No, I could not because that wasn’t an act.  I love you and your mother very much and no hurt will come to either of you long as I am around.”

Akini lays her head on his other shoulder.  “While also teaching our daughter to protect herself...she is lucky to have you as her father.”

T’Challa kisses his love’s hand, inhaling the sweet smelling oils in her hair as his calm nature begins to cement.

Ezzy puts a hand to her father’s ear.  “Did you get Mama’s present today?”

T’Challa puts a finger to his lips, nodding.  “Mama thought I was late, but I still got to see you.  She is lucky her birthday and Christmas are on the same day; she may forgive me.”

Ezzy eyes widen with wonder.  “Two presents?!  Is it the moon and sun like you always say you want to give?”

T’Challa shrugs.  “You and her will see,”  he whispers.  “You’re a big girl for helping Baba with this task.”

Ezzy snuggles under him.  “I know.”