#i think Rui grows up to save himself. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pjsk-writin · 2 years

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Hi! Can I request Kanade, Mafuyu, Rui and Tsukasa with a reader who is happy and energetic most of the time, especially around them, but when the reader is alone they sometimes have break downs and feel numb, empty, and don’t see their worth? And one time the Character catches the reader in one of these break downs and tries to comfort them? Sorry if this request is depressing and you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. Also can I be 🌈 anon?

oh its ok, hope you like this!! and sure, hello 🌈 anon! <3

♡ BREAKDOWN - Kanade Yoisaki, Mafuyu Asahina, Rui Kamishiro and Tsukasa Tenma x Reader

Kanade:

Kanade appreciates your happiness, she doesn't know too many people who constantly carry around that energy to them

...Of course, she did feel like there was something wrong, and the last time she felt that with someone, it led to her learning her secret-

So, she can't say she was too surprised when she finds you curled up on the floor, in the middle of a breakdown

She was still panicked though, and was quick to fall to her knees and take your hands in her, taking deep breaths to try and help you ground yourself

When you were calm enough, she gently asked you what was wrong, but also added that she wouldn't pry. Whether or not you do decide to tell her, she'll be there, a quiet and calm presence amidst your storm

Her resolve to write music that saves people grows even more, and while she assures you that you're more than enough, she starts writing a new song dedicated to you <3

Mafuyu:

Mafuyu is very aware that people who are that happy and energetic are either genuinely like that, pure and naive to the world, or are just like her, hiding secrets that they hoped nobody would ever find.

A gut feeling tells her that the two of you weren't different at all, so she waited patiently for the day she would be proven right

It didn't take too long for her to find you in the midst of a breakdown, your eyes looking scarily similar to hers

She didn't move much, if at all, simply staring at you through your breakdown. Whether you noticed her or not didn't really matter to her at the moment

When you had seemed to calm down, that was when she moved, sitting across from you but not moving to touch you. She just gives you a look, a blank look, one that said, "I guess we aren't different after all."

Instead of saying that out loud, her words are a quiet whisper, you almost couldn't hear her. But the words were there, the simple reassurance that you were enough, more than enough for her <3

Rui:

Rui doesn't mind how energetic you are, I mean one of his closest friends is Emu after all-

He thinks that it's sweeter coming from you, almost a bit too sweet if he was being honest with himself

When he finds you breaking down, he doesn't know what to do at first. He's just...Shocked

He sat down at your side, wrapping an arm around you and gently guiding you into a hug, rocking you in an attempt to help you stay calm.

He doesn't push or pry for you to talk, just wanting to make sure that you would be okay, that you were safe and sound in his arms.

After a while, he tells you in a hushed voice that you didn't need to pretend in front of him. If you were having one of those breakdowns, he wanted you to come to him. He promised (he hoped) that he could make everything better for you <3

Tsukasa:

Much like Rui, Tsukasa doesn't mind how energetic you are at all!

He thinks it's nice that he has someone who matches his energy but isn't as outlandish as Emu-

This does mean that he's the most caught off guard when he finds you breaking down. You were always so happy, and yet...

His movements are uncertain as he considers whether or not a hug will help you at all. He decides to sit in front of you, shuffling around

He asks what's wrong, but whether you tell him or not, he doesn't mind. He's more focused on helping you get out of the breakdown anyway

It's rare to see him so uncertain, so unsure of what he should do. If it were for any other reason, you'd probably tease him for it

However, he ends up steeling himself, looking at you with determination. He lists off all of the things that he loves about you, and states that nobody else could ever be as perfect of a co-star for him than you <3

#pjsk x reader #project sekai x reader #kanade yoisaki x reader #yoisaki kanade x reader #mafuyu asahina x reader #asahina mafuyu x reader #rui kamishiro x reader #kamishiro rui x reader #tsukasa tenma x reader #tenma tsukasa x reader #🌈 anon

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wellthebardsdead · 1 year

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Taliesin: I must admit I’m surprised you don’t know magic given you only have well, a stick.

Shen Lung: Bo.

Taliesin: what?

Shen Lung: it’s not a stick. It’s a Bo Staff. And I do know magic. I’d rather just save it in case I need it. It is not like the magic you or others in this land use… it… leaves me vulnerable afterwards.

Taliesin: Oh… I see… may I ask why your um, bo, staff is red then?

Shen Lung: Blood.

Taliesin: What?!

Shen Lung: It is lacquered in the blood of thousands of foes slain by being bludgeoned with its wood. If I drop it in water, it’ll stain a river red.

Taliesin: …Charming… I take it you’re an experienced warrior then?

Shen Lung: What? Me? Oh no! Haha! No this was a gift to me by master Luo Fang. He… he was the only person sad to see me leaving… he was the only one who made time for me too… I think he hoped it’d keep me safe as it did him.

Taliesin: … *contemplates touching his shoulder to pat him on the back by means of comforting him, but instead just folds his arms* Well I think he hoped correctly, you fight well with it… Can I ask, what did you do exactly in the order then if you didn’t well, fight.

Shen Lung: *tail curling around his leg a little* I’d rather not talk about th- hm?… *sniffs the air before crouching down and listening*

Taliesin: what is I-

Shen Lung: Shh. *creeps down the stream spotting an abandoned prison, and a thalmor guard fetching water* …thalmor?… here?… in this crumbling rui-

*CRACK!*

???: *distant agonised screaming*

Shen Lung: *looks back at taliesin* you fight with me or you side with the- *moves to guard himself with his staff thinking the high high elf is aiming for him, only to watch the bolt of ice fly right over him and into the thalmor soldier, sending them over the waterfall*

Taliesin: With you~ *offers him a hand up*

Shen Lung: … *growls and swats it away before getting up and shrieking in frustration* DONT SCARE ME LIKE THAT! *huffs and grabs his staff before jumping over to the other side of the water in one easy motion*

Taliesin: *snickers and hops over after him*

*a few minutes later*

Shen Lung: *creeping towards the cells, the cracking of a whip and the cries growing louder, and louder, only for him to halt in shock upon laying eyes on a human Akaviri, dark haired, his bloodied back turned, but unmistakably a child of Akavir* one lives- *quickly turns himself invisible as he finally notices the thalmor holding the whip*

Cyrelian: Huh? Who said tha-GAGHHH!!! *drops the whip and claws at his neck as he’s suddenly strangled from behind by a dense wooden pole* Geght oghhff off m-Ghmneee!! *lurches forward sending Shen Lung over his back, revealing the tang mo right as he draws back his staff and cracks it into the side of his head knocking his lights out*

Shen Lung: *rises to his feet* By honour of the dragon guard. You die thalmor scum!!! *raises his staff up and crushes his skull with a fatal blow*

Taliesin: *hurries in fixing his robes* the other one is dea-… Well I can see you needed no hel-

Shen Lung: *ignores him and immediately runs to the bloodied Akaviri hanging from the wall* H-hello? Hello can you hear me friend?

???: *slowly raises their head, glaring at him with blurred vision* when I get out of here, I’ll kill you all myself…

Shen Lung: Eh?… not the accent I was expecting. No young wraith, I’m a friend, I’m here to save you. What’s your name?

Kaidan: I?… you are?… I’m Kaidan… my names Kaidan…

Shen Lung: *pausing for a moment as if scanning a list of names from correspondence that died off some 30 years prior* Ah, I’m afraid you’re one I’m unfamiliar with. No matter I’m sure I can identify your parentage. *releases the shackles and catches him easily*

Kaidan: wh-what? *whimpers in pain as he’s finally set free, unable to do anything except cling to his strange saviour*

Taliesin: *walks over holding a potion* Oh so this is what a human Akaviri looks like?

Kaidan: I’m a what? What are you on about- you- YOU!!! *immediately tries to lunge forward and attack the high elf*

Shen Lung: *pulls him back* Atitititata, no dont, he’s a friend, he helped me find you… though admittedly this was pure luck if anything else. *takes the healing potion and hands it to him* You… You don’t even know you’re an Akaviri?…

Kaidan: … *shakes his head looking at him in pure bewilderment* no… I don’t even know, what in oblivion you are.

Shen Lung: Oh gods I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me…

#Shen lung dragonborn #skyrim taliesin #tang mo dragonborn #Kaidan skyrim

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belovedmuichiro · 2 years

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So I recently rewatched the spider mountain arc and idk do you guys think Muzan might’ve felt empathetic for Rui? Obviously he’s unfeeling in the face of most horror, but isn’t Rui so painfully similar to him? A sick person with a short life expectancy just barely saved by demonic blood, who also killed the people trying to help him? (even in physical appearance too?? They have dark hair as human/human appearing and white hair in their final forms).

Muzan seemed to be oddly gentle with him. Obviously not like a normal person would be, but he let Rui live a while with his human parents (def knowing he’d kill them but still) even though Muzan is very insistent on keeping demons a secret from the wider public, and when Rui killed them, he even had comforting words of how they feared his strength and he can grow from that. Muzan obviously doesn’t care about him that much since he bad mouthed his death, but isn’t that expected? If he saw himself in Rui, then heard Rui easily died from a Hashira, of course he’d lose that empathy in an instant.

My point is I can see Muzan coming up on a young, sick boy in an eerily similar situation he was in as a human and deciding to give him a chance as a demon solely for that reason.

#emmie speaks #and like we all know Muzan chooses demons for specific reasons #I just don’t know what Rui offered in the way of leverage for him. he was just a sick kid who wanted to live #unless it was because Muzan saw himself in him #demon slayer #kimestu no yaiba #kny manga spoilers

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ssruis · 5 months

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I think a ruikasa/wxs howls moving castle au has potential but only if you like. Make a huge mess of the plot. Just really fuck it up. Replace the story/role of several characters with something completely different that you made up.

- Tsukasa gets cursed for kind of being an asshole (to a witch that came into the restaurant he runs w saki. As is his right as a service worker.) (he still does theatre in this au) w something that slowly turns his heart to stone and in a canon typical tsukasa way goes “I am going to solve this problem on my own through sheer stubbornness/determination”, leaves a note for saki like “brb nothings wrong don’t worry about it :)” and goes to hunt down the wizard’s weird fucking castle sighted roaming the nearby wilderness everyone is freaked out about

- emu replaces turnip head but she got turned into a talking bunny with very few of her memories because it’s cute and I refuse to make an au where she can’t talk for 99% of the story. Tsukasa frees her from a tangled up net and she follows him bc she can’t figure out how to break her own curse so she might as well follow this goofy guy and see if the wizard can help her too

- nene as calcifer & rui as howl, nene (a witch) was cursed to die 300 yrs ago after freezing while performing for a (more powerful and significantly more cruel) witch -> rui prevented her death by figuring out a way to give her his own life force/soul/heart/whatever at the cost of her existing as a soul without a body, she keeps him alive through giving him her magic. Hard to explain. Whatever. Fullmetal alchemist vibes? We’re going on a quest to get your body back nene. They’re both functionally immortal but if one dies so does the other. She exists as a flame that operates the castle (nenerobo reference…)

- rui has been attempting to hunt down a way to reverse the curse while also fucking with the government that began cracking down harshly on magic usage after the beloved princess went missing with the evidence pointing to a witch or wizard as the culprit. Idk. Potentially pulling in soul eater inspiration with a war against witches… as a treat… rui interfering on both sides of the fight

- mfw I just wanted to do silly shows with my silly robots and now I’ve been alive for 300 years making zero progress on breaking a curse but at least I can use magic now (rui) vs mfw I messed up one thing and now I don’t have a body and I’m forced to watch my friend run himself into the ground trying to fix what should never have been his problem (nene). Canon typical nene guilt complex/rui giving nene a way to get around her issue that doesn’t help her grow. You understand.

- the kidnapped princess is emu she just forgot

- tsukasa catches up to the castle and enters it (bitch you live like this dot png) and emu discovers nene and drags her into a conversation. They discuss the curses and nene’s basically like (internally) ykw we’ve made no progress on our own maybe if we look into the curses you guys are under we’ll figure out our own on the way. (Externally) maybe having an idiot around will give rui some ideas. In return you can clean this place.

- emunene will be in this au what do u take me for. Emu entertains nene and helps her grow more confident, nene helps emu sort through her memories and more negative emotions.

- the flying over the town scene does happen (rui saves tsukasa (before tsukasa gets cursed) from a bunch of weird creatures created by the witch who later curses him) so when rui gets home and walks into the convo btwn emu/nene/tsukasa it’s essentially

Tsukasa: YOU!???

Rui: hello nice to see you again :) now please leave

Nene: I already hired him as a house keeper

Rui: but we don’t need a house keeper?

Nene: rui those dishes have been in the sink for a month

- plot happens I’m not rewatching hmc to figure this out (lying. I’ll probably do it even if I don’t do anything with this au)

- the cure for the curse for all of them essentially requires personal growth which is why I think making miku a witch that cursed all of them to inspire this/put in motion the events that would lead to them meeting is a funny idea. Not one I’m going to go with but it’s funny.

- the effect of the curse on rui was like… draining him of his passion for shows/inventing and his emotions which tsukasa helps bring back, and rui makes tsukasa realize why he loves theatre so much

- maybe tsukasa actually gets cursed by being egotistical like I will outshine everyone I’m the greatest world future star lalala (is cursed because the witch finds his lack of humility deeply grating and/or is insulted by the implication that this random guy is superior to her) oh shit

- leaning towards the witch being meiko just for funsies although kaito is also not a bad choice.

- drawback of rui using magic as someone who is not meant to be using magic is that the more magic he uses the more he’s turned into a weird bird cat beast (& the transformation back becomes harder and harder)

- one issue I have with a 1:1 hmc au is that like… rui and howl only share surface level similarities. If I wanted howl level dramatics in my story tsukasa would have to be howl which would require significantly more fucking around with the plot because rui would NOT do what Sophie did. Howl can be tsukasa but rui cannot be Sophie. Do u understand. Emunene has potential but unfortunately ruikasa fits the howl/sophie dynamic best. You know? You know. Tsukasa would get cursed and go on a quest and be perfectly fine cleaning the house of a guy who leaves food stains on the counter & never cleans them up if it meant he could lift the curse. I think if rui “canonically hates cleaning” kamishiro had to clean an atrociously messy house (disregarding the fact that tsukasa would not live like that) he would die.

- but rui also would not turn into a pile of slime because his hair got fucked up. That’s a tsukasa thing. Gestures at the card story where tsukasa is Pissed rui fucked up his hair with an explosion. I’m sure somewhere in the au over the course of canon typical rui fucking w tsukasa with his experiments I’ll work in a joke about that.

- I think in general the issue with a 1:1 au is you have to erase too much of the characters you’re inserting into the world to make things happen which is boring. U gotta change stuff. Unfortunately this leads to taking inspiration from like 4 different sources to make things work which is a huge pain in the ass and requires actual planning to create a coherent plot

- together wxs can make this moving castle a moving home :) just kidding they can’t all live together. tsukasa has to go home to saki and emu has to let her family know she’s ok. Also the lifting of the curse gives nene her body and her magic back/gives rui his life force back so 1) they’re no longer immortal 2) rui can no longer use magic (he’s fine w this he basically just used it to make truly impossible mechanical feats happen which he can figure out how to do without magic) 3) this results in the castle falling apart

- rui just moves in with tsukasa and works as a mechanic and nene moves to a nice calm cabin that emu essentially lives in when she isn’t needed to do princess stuff. They probably form a theatre troupe that eventually picks up as well & nene and rui can collab on a new moving castle to travel around if they do desire.

- why is this so scattered you may be asking. It’s because I had given this like 2 hours of thought at 2am before typing this out the next evening and had several more ideas as I typed. Firm believer that good ideas only arrive when you are sleep deprived and have given very little thought to what you’re laying out.

- I want an au that is shorter than the other aus I have so if I elect to actually write something I’ll have an easier time -> oh this is kinda getting out of hand -> god fucking damnit I did it again. Truly incapable of not making an au that has like 30 different plot threads.

#lalala (me in the carnage of better stories i massacred for an au)#the hideous frankensteined hmc + fmab/se/etc au that I did not need to make #listen it makes sense in my head.#mine #my writing #tbh I think if I do actually write anything it’ll be the wd/ohe au this one is barely planned #tsukasa #rui

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ariapmdeol · 3 months

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I started following you for cell of empireo purposes so. haruki atou for the character thing? :>

hiii i love haruki atou!! Spoilers for all endings of Cell of Empireo, and I mention a character from interlude!

How I feel about this character:

Oh haruki atou my darling!!! I love this guy. I think everyone comes out of COE with an appreciation for Haruki Atou, and I am not immune! Haruki Atou worldwide! I cosplayed him! I think he’s really well written, and the route differences and the way his will shifts depending on the circumstances are so compelling to me. I think about this all the time but it’s in more than just “in the lower roots, Atou refuses to face the truth and the humanity of those around him, more and more.” It’s also how he chooses to handle things in each ending.

in A root, he places his priority on saving Shinano and in being there for him, but he doesn't confront his own past, and focuses on the current moment instead. That’s why in that ending, nothing is resolved (as seen by the pink hair), but Shinano and Atou are sticking together, with Shinano staying in the Nagoya office.

In B root, he doesn’t have the information to save Shinano (or he’s chosen not to believe in him). He abandons the reason why he went to EHRI/Path to Empireo in the first place. His will is to seek a normal life, and for things to go back to normal. He doesn’t care anymore about the past, or about saving Shinano. And that’s why he ends up with Noa-Nina, in the end. The desperate attempt to pretend that it’s okay, and that they’ve reclaimed that peaceful dream (and he knows it’s a dream, and that he’s running away. He just doesn’t want to confront it).

In C, it’s Nina. The loss of Karen and the others meant he was desperate to save the one person he still has a chance to. So he abandoned himself, in favor of saving her in any way that he can. I still need to replay C and D, so my thoughts are a lot less coherent there ^^; I'll write again once I finish replaying those two roots.

In E? He loses everything. Haruki atou runs and runs away until all he has left to run from is himself. He runs and he fails and he watches everyone die ^_^ he denies the humanity of the path to Empireo/EHRI members and denies any connection to them. Refusing the truth as everything falls apart around him. I love E root and I will talk about it again but it’s soooo <3!!! the circumstances changing his mindset and his will growing weaker and weaker until he just doesn't want to do it anymore!! kill everybody fuck it we ball alpha take the reins!!! AND CALAMITYRUI!!!!

Even in S vs S+! he accepts all aspects of himself, and in doing so, he has the opportunity to save Reiji. He accepts Origin, and he rewrites what Hatsutori had planned. I went on a tangent but I like atou and I like the variations of his will and his decisions in all the endings!! It's a really important facet for me! Haruki Atou worldwide I love that guy

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

HARUKI ATOU HAS TWO HANDS AND TOO MANY LOVE INTERESTS!! My favorite pairing is him and Shinano (atou please give ur doggy a kiss please please plea--) and i've talked about them a lot before! other characters I ship with atou include:

Kanou! Atoukanou sweep I think they’re so fun! I love the banter, the layers of lies and yet they both understand each other. The murder. The Note. 'Kouji Asou' being the only one to understand Kanou, and the only one that he trusts with his will. Kanou’s curse protecting him. The Note. I like those guys a lot <3

Rui! Domestic best friends who are forever comfortable with each other! They understand each other! They trust each other!!

Nina! I think this one is less popular but C root is compelling to me and B root grew on me bc it’s the funniest ending to show other people. The chorus of pain and agony every time I watch B root makes me laugh. I think they could be cute,,

Aiba! This is a background one for me so i don't feel super strongly about it, but I replayed lately and it’s cute?? Aiba lives in every root, so Atou doesn't need to worry about him, and they stay in contact in every root too,,

My Nonromantic OTP for this character:

ISOI FAMILY SWEEP!!! The dynamics between reiji-haruki-sanemitsu are so compelling to me!! It’s complicated and difficult and it’s so fun!!! Layers and layers of unspoken words! Haruki being pissed at snmt and snmt’s reluctance and difficulty to even MEET with haruki, meanwhile haruki and snmt both have one favorite and his name is reiji isoi 🫶 The S root conversation vs the S+ one makes me so crazy,,, I like those guys a lot.

My unpopular opinion about this character:

It’s so awkward answering this bc I’m not sure this fandom is big enough that any of my opinions are “unpopular” more than just “my read of haruki may not line up with these 2 other peoples reads” 😭 and I don’t know Korean or Chinese so I’ve got no idea on the average fandom opinions there… I guess it’s a bit of a cop out answer ^^;

I've certainly had moments where my reads on characters or situations end up drastically different than what i've seen from others, but I don't think I've had such a visceral reaction with Atou opinions? At least, not to the scale where I'd consider any of my opinions 'unpopular'.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character:

IZU AND HARUKI MEETING IN CELL OF MIRAGE. Fukao Please,, I'd do anything,,

#cell of empireo #coe spoilers #fizzytastic #haruki atou #yeah sure this can go in the tag #aria rambles #aria answers

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demonslayedher · 2 years

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What would the Demon Spider Family have been like if they had been a demon slayer family (like the Rengokus) instead?

I may not have gotten ideas for them having been raised as generations and generations of Demon Slayers, but I did get ideas for them as a hodge-podge Spider Breath family! For brevity's sake, this is going to be focused on the main five.

We start with Rui, who once heard a story about a parent who dived into a river to save their drowning child. The child survived, but the parent sacrificed their life. This story left an impact on Rui, it moved him how deep the parent's love was, how courageous a strong person was in protecting the weak, and how tight their familiar bond must had been.

As he pondered it, his thoughts were interrupted by a light, crackly thud in the snow behind him. He looked over her shoulder to his mother, her knees flat on the ground, and her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry... Rui... that I can't be stronger for you..."

"You say that like you didn't give me a strong body," he replied flatly, then helped her over his shoulders so they could finish the walk home. "You and father both, you make it like I've drained the strength out of you two."

"I'm sorry..." They were always apologizing. It wasn't their fault that his mother had a weak constitution ever since giving birth to him, and his father made his own frailty worse with how hard he worked to provide for them. Rui sometimes bitterly thought how they had things backwards, the parents were supposed to care for the child, not the other way around.

It couldn't be helped, though. Rui was an absurdly strong child. His tiny muscles compounded with strength every year, he was quicker than all the children around him, and he was smarter than them, too. They annoyed him how they couldn't appreciate the intricacies of natural patterns, like the beautiful construction of a spider web. He amused himself with string and mimicking those patterns, and through his observations, he intuitively learned to control his Breath in a way that that made all his skills even sharper.

However, none of that helped on the night the demon attacked. His parents flung themselves between him and the demon, and they were killed instantly. This shocked Rui so much that his hair all turned stark white. Before the demon reached stunned Rui, a young man in a black uniformed and haori in two halves swept through his home and beheaded in the demon in one simple motion.

"This isn't how it should had been," Rui squeezed his hands over his parents' corpses, "I'm the strong one. I'm the one who should had protected the weak. I could had strangled that thing with only one string."

"You think you're strong enough to defeat demons? Don't make me laugh," the young man said to him. "Use that anger. Stand up and face them if you will. Join the Demon Slayer Corps to attain the only weapons that will kill them."

So that was what Rui did. After getting some basic training and know-how and a Nichirin blade, Rui went through the Final Selection with a Breath of his own invention (but thought to be an off-shoot of Insect Breath), Spider Breath. In addition to using a sword, Rui also asked for Nichirin iron thread to use as a secondary weapon.

Rui's reputation spread. Besides the stark white hair from the shock of loosing his parents, one of the other oddities was that a side effect of Spider Breath was marks appearing on his skin (although the Ubuyashiki family took an interest in this, they are understood as not being The Mark. That would look like a cooler spider design, later). Also, just as a side effect of Rui's unusual strong constitution, he grows very, very slowly and looks like a child even throughout his teenage years. It's annoying, but he dismisses it simply as that his body was confused about where to focus its development, so he just keeps getting stronger instead (especially in Corp training).

Eventually, this leads to people coming to Rui wanting to learn Spider Breath.

---

Mother Spider, Father Spider:

She lost her mother to demons when he was very young. Life was very unkind to her thereafter, she was often abused by her caretakers and was desperate to please them. Eventually she was married off to a butcher, a very undesirable partner because he was not considered very smart, but considered very violent. He was raised without much hope for his prospects, and having grown up under a lot of violence himself, he resorted to violence better than words. This was all he knew to do in his marriage, too.

Finally, she could not stand it, and she ran off (partially intending to seek refuge with a local religious leader). She encountered a demon and thought she might finally meet her end and be released from all the suffering of life, but Rui saved her. She was so deeply impacted by this encounter that it ingratiated her to Rui, who was still very young at the time. Her heart was moved for pity for this orphan fighting so hard alone, and she insisted on learning from him so that she could protect him and shield him from the horrors of the world. She was the first person Rui ever met who showed a similar understanding for Spider Breath, so he accepted her, on the condition that she make herself useful. She promised, and practiced hard under her strict teacher. However, in all that time together she cared a great deal about him and asked that he think of her as a new mother. Rui wasn't looking for a new mother, but rolled his eyes and started calling her that.

Eventually he sent her off to the Final Selection, she survived, and then she came back wearing a uniform of Maeda's design.

So in all this time, her husband, who could never express himself well, nor had he ever had the chances to learn how to express kindness, how been looking for his wife. After all, that was his wife. Husbands and wives were supposed to spend their lives together, and he was lonely. Husbands were also supposed to protect their wives, he knew this, and he had to find her somewhere out there in the big, wide scary world where she surely didn't know what she was getting herself into.

On the day he finally finds her, she is not happy to see him, and Rui is annoyed by the family drama as Mother hides behind him. It has been a long time since they've seen each other, and when Father hears Rui call her "Mother," he assumes this is his son, whom he wells up with pride for. Rui, however, chides him to back off because his violence made her run off, and this is the first time anyone has ever said that so plainly to Father's face. Rui says she's busy as a member of the Demon Slayer Corp now, so if he wants to see her, he's got to be a Demon Slayer too. Father goes off to the Final Selection to do just that, and Mother is shocked when he shows up in a Corp uniform which barely fits; those buttons are hanging on for dear life. (He didn't have a Nichirin blade and therefore did not actually kill any demons during the Final Selection, but he survived just fine.) Mother is not happy, but Rui rolls his eyes and tells him that if he's going to stick around, he's going to have to learn Spider Breath, and be a better husband. Having Breath technique to study and give him other ways to think and express himself gives Father a lot more self-control, and very, very slowly, he expresses his love and appreciation for Mother in different ways (usually with the rest of the family needed to plainly tell him how to do it), and she very, very, very slowly sees him in a new light. It'll take a long, long, long time, and Father makes lots and lots and lots of changes, but eventually, they will be a couple again.

Brother Spider:

He was in Insect Breath user and showed up one day asking to be Rui's Tsuguko. Rui chided him that he wasn't a Pillar and shouldn't be treated as one, but if that was what this Insect Breath user wanted, fine, Rui would teach him, but only if he showed promise. Still, Rui asked his motivation.

At this, the young man grinned, saying that he thought Spider Breath could be made more potent with the addition of wisteria poison. He grinned wider saying that he didn't find Insect Breath vicious enough and that Spider Breath might make demons suffer more.

So this guy was kind of a weirdo, but sure, Rui didn't have a problem with someone who wanted to make demons suffer, they deserved him. This guy heard all that "mother, father" stuff even though Rui was very clearly not the child of his two students, and this young man thought it was hilarious and jumped in with, "that means you should call me 'Oniisan.'"

Father asked Mother, "We have two sons?"

Mother's first impulse was to reply that neither were his sons, but she thought the better of it and stayed silent.

Sister Spider:

She and her older sister were orphans, but one day when they were attacked, Muzan offered to let them live if they became demons. Although this sounded terrifying and she wanted nothing more than to get away, her older sister accepted demon blood. The sight of her sister twisting in pain as she transformed and then reawakened with bloodlust in her eyes scared her so much that it finally gave her the extra burst of adrenaline to run away.

She came to bitterly regret this later, and joined the Demon Slayer Corp so that she wouldn't have to face such fear for her powerlessness ever again. She learned Water Breath and barely survived the Final Selection, but when that wasn't enough to make each of her battles a life and death struggle, she encountered Spider Breath and thought it might help her be less scared, so she bowed and begged Rui to teach her.

By this time, Rui was very tired of students. Having Mother's company was nice and all, and Father and Brother were certainly powerful Demon Slayers who took to Spider Breath well, but it was getting to be a little much. This girl gave him her whole sob story and he cut her short saying that he wouldn't train her because she was wibbling and sobbing for someone to protect her, and that she was weak-willed; if she ever encountered her demon sister she'd probably drop her Nichirin blade and be eaten without a fuss. Thus, he sent her away.

This stirred up something in her, she knew he was right. She had to work on her own willpower first. So she did, and she went looking for her sister, and she killed her. It was an intense battle, both physically and emotionally, but she came out of it stronger. She used this as proof to Rui, who honestly didn't think she had it in her and found himself impressed, so he felt he should agree to teach her Spider Breath like she asked. After all, she had aptitude for it, and it made her a better Demon Slayer than her Water Breath did.

Father assumed they had a daughter. His whole world changed at the thought of having a daughter to protect. Mother and Sister had a bit of a tense relationship because Sister found her simple and not as strong as everyone else, but they slowly found a bond, partly through being the two female members of the group. They both found Brother weird and whispered about him together but ultimately accepted him.

Rui remained the center of this family, whom he never recognized as such. They were his demon slaying students, and he made sure they all knew that the strong were meant to protect the weak. And, with him being the strongest, he accepted the annoyance that this meant he had to protect them a lot of the time.

They all wanted to support and care for him, though. And eventually, Rui started letting that into his heart. It was scary to have familial bonds again--after all, that bond was what got his parents killed.

But eventually, he let them into his heart, allowed himself to feel vulnerable again, and cared for. That became part of his healing process to accept the sacrifice his parents made for him.

Also, everyone else started getting marks on their faces from Spider Breath practice too. The end.

#rui #kny fix it au

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idiotwhotalkstoomuch · 3 years

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I never expected you guys to like demon Senjuro so much lol I’m really happy to see that like it was such a random impulse thought but the au has a lot of room for growth

In this post Im gonna establish a few things about what happened to Senjuro and Kyojuro in the events between Senjuro’s “death” and the pillar meeting. I will only cover their relationship and a little bit of Senjuro’s relationship with Tanjiro. The others can come at a different post cause this post is gonna be long lol so I put it under cut cause no one really wants a post to flood their dash

TW: Mentions of death (some are children), mentions of cannibalism (If you’ve seen even the first episode of demon slayer and had no problem, you’re fine with this post. This post is slightly not anime only friendly as I make references to an upper moon and I show a manga only panel as of posting this) Shnjuro gets really depressed but luckily there is no attempted suicide

Senjuro Rengoku

- His class was at the bottom floor and they were cleaning the school (I heard thats a thing in Japan if someone has a better idea on what they’re doing feel free to shoot an ask) when they got attacked

- In canon we dont know his age but I’m gonna guess like 12-14 but in the au he is 13 so he was 12 when he became a demon. A rogue demon attacked Senjuro’s class and Senjuro ran to get help and was fatally injured but still managed run to get help as he was given a nichirin sword and even if it didnt change color he must have known breathing techniques at the very least on a basic level and the demon was too preoccupied with some of the teachers and others trying to kill the demon, of course unaware of what it was except for Senjuro

- Upper moon 4 was sneaking around when he saw the all but dead body of Senjuro and demons really dont have standards for turning people into demons so when he noticed he was alive, turned him into a demon mostly so that if he did find any “evil people” (demon slayers) he could use him as his meat shield alongside his personalities

- When Senjuro woke up as a demon (cause even if he was a breath user he was very inexperienced so Hantengu had no problem making him a demon), he had no memory of his life as a human and looked around trying to find a human to satiate his hunger and saw a human in the distance with someone and began to run to them to satiate his hunger when he felt himself being held back.

- The spirit of Ruka Rengoku gently held her son back and instructed him to not eat humans as that’s not something he should do and even if Senjuro couldn’t recognize the woman holding him back, he found himself obeying her and running to go to a place to hide from the sun

- From that moment on for a few day he would hop from place to place whether underneath homes, in caves or any place he could find to avoid being seen and to be shielded from the sun and found himself growing sleepy so in the cave he hid in, far away from the place he was last in, he closed his eyes and fell asleep for a year

- When he woke up, he had unwittingly burnt away Muzan’s control of him and was unsure on what to do when Ruka’s spirit appeared again telling him that he needs to find his way home. Senjuro wasn’t actually listening to a lot of what she said except one thing stuck to him.

- “Senjuro”, he didn’t know what his name was as a demon but the name seem to stick to him and he figured this must be his name (he would of course be correct)

- When he found himself staying with the Kamaboko squad, having been spared despite being a demon due to him not having any form of aggression to them (something they all noticed due to his general demeanor and their enhanced sense) and Tanjiro could smell he hadnt eaten one human and he invited him to join them. He joined Nezuko in her box (she can grow really really tiny if she wants or is tired)

Reference:

Kny chapter 85

- He joined for two reasons: One, he was really scared of people and demon slayers especially so when Tanjiro offered him the chance to be able to be safe and hide he took it. Secondly, he wasn’t sure but the smile Tanjiro gave and his warm reassurance reminded of him of someone, when he thought hard he only saw blurry shadows and got a headache so didn’t try to push it

- Tanjiro did ask him in the wisteria house while Zenitsu was chatting with Nezuko and Inosuke was off being Inosuke about his past and Senjuro told him about his brief meetings with a woman with black hair and asks if they’ve met before as he feels familiar

- This is where he gets the idea that the woman with black hair (Ruka) is his mother and Tanjiro guesses that the person that he thinks is Tanjiro must be his father (right on the first part Tanjiro but wrong on the second lol, you tried)

- He wears a cyan yukata with a new hakama pants as the clothes he was previously wearing was the same bloodstained clothes he wore after turning into a demon and Tanjiro didnt want to leave him in that. Tanjiro thought to get him a gag but the idea made Senjuro uncomfortable so Tanjiro made him swear to never eat a single human

- In Mount Nagatumo, he was too scared to jump out to protect Tanjiro like Nezuko but when she gets sliced up he leaves the box to watch her while Tanjiro fights Rui, unfortunately he is caught in Rui’s webs like Nezuko and was saved from it by Nezuko flames (though it did burn him a fair bit, Nezuko would apologize to him for this later)

- Giyuu doesn’t kill Senjuro cause his resemblance to Kyojuro despite the different clothes and demon eyes is clear to anyone who can see and Shinobu also finds herself hesitating but shakes those feelings off as Kyojuro deserves better than to see his little brother as a demon. Luckily Giyuu stops him and Senjuro runs with Nezuko and Tanjiro but is later taken back to the demon slyer corps by a Kakushi who put him and Nezuko back in their box

- When Sanemi stabbed the box, he moved to try and protect Nezuko but the box was too cramped and they both got stabbed despite his efforts. Later when he tries to bait him with his marechi blood, he’s too focused on resisting the blood and on Nezuko who he had grown to see as a sister to care about the wide eyed looks the pillars were giving him.

Kyojuro Rengoku (I am so sorry in advance Kyojuro simps I put this man THROUGH IT)

- He had just finished a mission and was going to get another mission when a crow he hadn’t seen work in years came flying to him, obviously panicked telling him how Senjuro’s school was attacked and how no one can find Senjuro among the bodies. The crow was Shinjuro’s

- When he hears that, all the kakushi and other demon slayers present would say they had never seen the flame pillar run so frantically, he only stopped to apologize briefly if he bumped into someone while running but the only thing racing in his mind was his little brother who had no weapon to defend himself with. He forced the image of his brother being nothing but a corpse away only thinking about saving Senjuro

- When he reached the school, he forced himself to calm down. Panicking isn’t going to magically bring Senjuro to him so he needs to keep himself in check because with so many people dead, he’s not the only one concerned over the kids

- There were no survivors on the area that was attacked, the police were there investigating the deaths of the many children and teachers, Kyojuro had to spend time convincing the police he was with them and to be allowed to investigate as well

- With no survivors, he heard from the police that there was a blood trail when they got there and he went to find the trail, when he reached the end of it where there were no traces of Senjuro but since the people there were untrained civilians, Senjuro was the only possible person to have been there

- He spent multiple days searching, Mitsuri was at one point sent to check on him and it was clear he was pushing himself, as days passed by, his composure and bright demeanor were crumbling and he started latching onto any lead to at the very least find the body of Senjuro to take back home but it was becoming clear that he would never find it and a kakushi had to be the one to tell him that his body was likely eaten to the bone or eaten and discarded to either rot away or eaten by someone else

- Kyojuro took a week off, not just because of the grief he felt at that moment but because he needed to check on his father and make sure he would be okay, the man didn’t even face Kyojuro when he came in to visit, he forced himself to not cry in front of his father as he tried to talk to the man who couldn’t even say a word and just drank away even as his eldest son tried to talk to him

- Servants were hired to monitor Shinjuro by Kyojuro as he was concerned about his health both physically and mentally but he did notice how Shinjuro never resisted to being taken care of by the people he hired. They reported to him he could be heard muttering Senjuro’s name and even stares at his room for extended periods of time

- When he made his return, he apologized to the pillars for his behavior the past two weeks (even though no one blamed the man, some even said it was okay if he needed more time, they wouldn’t judge) but whenever he was told that he said he had to be strong to protect the weak so he could be someone that could stop families from ending up like his own

- He was far more determined in killing demons, demon attacks had become personal to him now, whenever he saw a demon eating people he found himself wondering what they must’ve thought in the afterlife as the demon desecrated their bodies

- In the pillar meeting, when he was informed of a swordsman who travelled with not one but two demons, he felt disgust as who knows how many humans they could eat. On the way to the meeting, he couldn’t help but notice Shinobu deliberately avoiding him a bit, Giyuu was doing the same but the man never really talked with them much to begin with

- When he saw Senjuro go out of the box with Nezuko, he felt the smile on his face drop and his heart practically sunk to the core of the earth as he saw the unmistakable hair of a Rengoku and the face was so clearly Senjuro’s despite his eyes having a black sclera and his iris and pupil becoming cat like, the pillars had all turned to see if the flame pillar was alright and he could hear Himejima mutter prayers and Mitsuri was on the verge of tears seeing Senjuro alive but as a demon

- He found himself going into denial until Tanjiro, who had been freed as Obanai left to comfort the distressed love pillar, ran and yelled Senjuro’s name and told him to resist his hunger

- “My sister and the other demon with us are different! They would never eat a human!”

- Senjuro was a good kid, he was innocent, kind and a bit on the timid side. He had helped raise him, he knew Senjuro would never want to harrm a fellow human even when threatened.

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addictedtomanga · 4 years

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Shoujo manga recommendations - love triangle

1. Ao Haru Ride

While most girls desire popularity among boys, Futaba Yoshioka wants the exact opposite. After attracting many admirers back in middle school which resulted in her being shunned by her female classmates, she decided that high school will be her chance to revamp her image. Therefore, she starts acting unfeminine and indifferent to boys, allowing her to make some “friends” along the way.

Little does Futaba know, her life will take another drastic turn when her first love, Kou Mabuchi, returns after his sudden disappearance years ago in middle school. Despite his extended absence, the fond memories they shared together still linger in her mind, and she wishes to return to those days. But she realizes that the sweet, gentle boy of the past has completely vanished, and in his place stands someone cold and pessimistic. While he admits that her feelings for him back then were mutual, he warns that they can never go back to the past, as everything, including him, has changed.

2. Beauty Pop

Although a truly gifted hairstylist, Kiri Koshiba has no interest in using her talent to pursue fame and fortune, unlike the three popular boys in the "Scissors Project" at school. Determined to become the best makeover team in Japan, they give showy makeovers to handpicked girls. As much as Kiri tries to shy away from the Scissors Project spotlight, she finds herself responding to beauty's call...

3. Blue Sky Playground

On a cold day, Mirita finds discovers a hidden room with a kotatsu (a table that keeps one warm) inside. The kotatsu belongs to two of the most popular and handsome twin brothers in school. Both immediately kick Mirita out. However, Mirita becomes even more determined to get back into that room. What love triangle will commence?

4. Boku kara Kimi ga Kienai

Hotaru managed to get in the same high school where Haruna-sensei teaches to see him again! However, on her first day there, she meets a very unpleasant guy who looks just like her beloved sensei...?

5. Dear!

Rei, Kazuma and Banri are close childhood friends. Rei, who's better than any guy, the cool and smart Kazuma and Banri who's mischievous and bright have the perfect balance. It's normal for the three of them to be together all the time and without thinking of themselves as men and woman they're just together. But something happens after which Rei starts to think of Banri as a "man", so the relation of the three changes...?!

6. Faster than a Kiss

After losing their parents, Fumino and her brother hop from one relative to another. Getting tired of all those moves, she finally decides to quit school and work to support her brother on her own. As they sat on a park bench, her teacher appears in front of her and agrees to her demands of marrying and supporting both her and her brother!! Is he serious or just playing around...?!

7. Haru Matsu Bokura

The timid and reserved Mitsuki Haruno seeks her dream sociable life at high school. But despite her best efforts, her ineptitude to speak her mind impedes her from befriending anyone. Nonetheless, while working at a cafe one day, she has a fateful encounter with her school's four idolized basketball players—Towa Asakura, Rui Miyamotoi, Ryuuji Tada, and Kyousuke Wakamiya. At first glance, these four heartthrobs come off as arrogant individuals, responsible for invading her cafe's safe haven. Soon after though, as they uphold their promise of keeping her workplace a secret, Mitsuki starts to see them in a new light.

Hence begins an improbable friendship between Mitsuki and the boys, as her days of solitude finally comes to an end. However, things aren't always so simple—with her heart waning toward Asakura and the female students green with envy, is there a chance this friendship could blossom into something more?

8. Hirunaka no Ryuusei

Suzume Yosano has spent the entire 15 years of her life in the countryside, so when her parents decide to move overseas for work and leave her with her uncle in Tokyo, she finds herself in a whole new environment. On the way to her uncle's house, however, she gets lost and faints.

Waking up safely at her uncle's house, she learns that a strange man had carried her there and that he happens to be an acquaintance of her uncle. Moreover, when Suzume goes to her new school for the first time, she discovers that the weird man in question, named Satsuki Shishio, is actually her homeroom teacher! Now, Suzume must adapt to her new school and make friends, since her blossoming high school life in the city has just begun!

9. Hoshi to Kuzu - Don't Worry, Be Happy

Anzu is poor but very ambitious and aims for a bright future. Her first step is to be student council president but that chance is destroyed by the equally ambitious and egocentric Yamabuki. She just has to settle for being the vice-president.

10. Iya da Nante Iwasenai

Anzu currently works part-time at a beach house however when it comes to serving male customers, she can't help but be cold and shy. When she accidentally spills a drink on one of them, a male co-worker saves her who ends up being her childhood friend Rei. Anzu is happy to reconnect with Rei, however, Rei might be after a bit more...?

11. Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Seika High School was an all-boys school, but it has since turned co-ed. Misaki Ayuzawa is the first female student council president of the school, eventually earning the nickname of the "Demon President" due to her mastery of Aikido and imposed iron rule.

However, Misaki harbors an embarrassing secret—she has to work at a maid café to support her family. If anybody from her school was to find out, her reputation would be utterly destroyed. And after Takumi Usui—the most popular boy at school—discovers her secret, that might just happen.

12. Kaoru-kun to Hana no Mori

Kaoru is as kind as a prince towards girls. She would love to met men stronger than her! And then, two men appeared in front of her...

13. Katakoi no Tsuki

Kurumi likes Souta-kun, but what happens when Kurumi witnesses Souta-Kun hugging one of her friends? Could Souta-kun already have someone he likes or is Kurumi misunderstanding? What can she do if that girl is her friend, too!?

14. Katakoi Triangle

Sekiya-san of the cultural library has an unrequited love for Yuuki-kun. The one who cares about Sekiya-san is the popular Kasai-kun, who is also Yuuki-kun's friend! And, what's this? Yuuki-kun is rooting for Kasai-kun?! It seems that everyone's feelings are one-sided...or are they?

15. Kimi to Koi no Tochuu

Just when I thought it'd start with you, you disappeared; I would've never thought this... Yuna has lost trust in love after her first boyfriend Takumi broke up with her. Shiina-kun from her class has already confessed to her twice and now finally she approached onto love another time. But Takumi appears in front of her!! What will the swaying Yuna do!?

16. Kyoudai Gokko

Growing up, Takara Rio has always wanted siblings. So when her parents decide to move overseas without her and tells her she will be living with two people around her age, she's cautiously optimistic. But they turn out to be brothers who fight like cats and dogs. Is this what having siblings is like?

17. Last Game

Nothing is beyond Naoto Yanagi, heir to the Yanagi business conglomerate. Idolized for his athletic and intellectual competence, looks and wealth, Naoto lived like a king during his elementary school days—then entered Mikoto Kujou, a plain, gloomy-looking transfer student.

Due to her low financial status, Naoto was initially apathetic towards Mikoto. But despite having just arrived at his school, she completely eclipsed him in everything by consistently scoring top marks in exams and placing first in athletic events. After a brief confrontation with her that left him shocked, Naoto vowed to outdo her no matter the cost.

Ten years later, they are now students attending the same college. Having failed to defeat Mikoto throughout middle and high school, Naoto decides they will have one last game: if he can make Mikoto fall in love with him and then break her heart, it will be his victory. However, he finds himself falling in love with her instead...

18. Last Notes

Haru and Aki are the masters of the branch store - an old-looking and very unusual shop. It sells only one thing: a special kind of incense that, when burned, allows the user to see and speak with the spirit of the dead person that appears in the smoke. Every customer has a different reason for calling up the dead, and how they use this unusual opportunity is up to them...

19. Love Berrish

15 year-old Yuya Fukushima has always wanted to live on her own, in an inn next to her school. This new dorm of hers, the Strawberry Tree Dorm, turns out to be a place with weird people -- a girl that touches her chest out of the blue, a guy with one of the shortest tempers ever. BUT the good thing is, there's a really handsome and nice guy that she fell in love with instantly! Also, not to mention a crazy cat who adores him (looks can be deceiving...). Yuya's life has just became much more interesting...

20. Mata Ashita

Towa's always been shy around guys, despite being a total tomboy. This has crushed her chances of ever having a boyfriend, but a perhaps fateful encounter on the first day of high school might lead to love? But will it be with the surprisingly kind "angelic" delinquent, or the popular yet secretly "devilish" prince?!

21. Momo Raba

Chieri (Cherry) was living an ordinary life, until her sister Ichigo (Strawberry) suddenly left her child Momo (Peach) on Chieri's doorstep. Momo is an infant; how is Chieri supposed to take care of a baby while still in high school!? To make matters even more frustrating, two guys are fighting for Chieri's love...!

22. Monokuro Shounen Shoujo

Kureha Mimachi, a 15-year-old girl, has just transferred into Shiritsu Kenhono High School. However, there is something weird about this school, it is actually a school where the Princes and Princesses of the beast-kind go to! Even though Kureha is human, she is there as a way to help the students lead their lives peacefully with humans and has the role as the "rabbit". Will she be able survive without being eaten by the students? Only time and her hidden bodyguards will be able to answer that...

23. Ouran High School Host Club

At Ouran High School, an academy where only the children of the rich and powerful attend, there exists a club consisting of the most elite of the student body: the legendary Host Club. Within the club's room, six beautiful, bored boys spend their time entertaining equally beautiful and bored girls.

Haruhi Fujioka, a poor scholarship student, has no interest in the Host Club—until she breaks a valuable vase in their clubroom. After being mistaken for a boy, Haruhi is forced by Kyouya Ootori to work for the Host Club to repay her debt. Tamaki Suou, the princely leader of the club, eagerly takes her under his wing to teach her the ways of the host. Things, however, are never quite so simple with the Host Club around. Even the most mundane events can turn into huge spectacles with the likes of prankster twins Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, stoic Takashi Morinozuka, and sweet Mitsukuni "Hunny" Haninozuka. The crazy adventures of the Host Club are just beginning, and Haruhi must learn how to survive in the glitzy world of the hosts.

24. Parfait Tic

Fuuko is a happy and cheerful girl. One day, two cousins, Daiya and Ichi, move into the apartment upstairs. Cold Ichi and mischievous Daiya gave a very bad first impression. All three are going to the same school as well. How will Fuuko's high school life turn out?

25. Renren Zakari

The day of her graduation, while she was lost and end up on the infirmary, a girl met by coincidence a good looking boy. But she was so panicked that the young man started to make fun of her...?

26. Rockin Heaven

Sawa applies to Heaven's Wing Academy, thinking she would look cute in the uniform. But she never expected the academy to be a previously all-boys' school! And the head honcho of the school, the class president himself doesn't seem to like her one bit and takes no pains to hide it. At first, adjusting to life at the academy is tough. Sawa is bullied and teased, and the boys in the class even throw her new shoes in the water. While attempting to retrieve her shoes, she falls into the water and is unexpectedly saved by Ran, who up until this point has made her life hell. The newfound gentleness in Ran intrigues her, and she finds herself falling for him. What will her days be like for the rest of her school life?

27. Saiouji Kyoudai ni Komarasareru no mo Warukunai

Satou Fuuka is an orphan. Her aunt, who was her guardian, absconded in the night, leaving her with no money. Her parents wanted her to go to school, so she was looking for a job to cover her school expenses and rent (plus living expenses, though she didn't mention it). She goes to be interviewed for a part-time house helper job but is rejected before she can say anything, because the guy offering the job is the eldest for 4 brothers and it's an all-male household. She pours out her story, so he takes pity on her (even though he'd pointed out that she can't really take a part-time job if she doesn't have a guardian) and offers the job as a live-in position. However, he has one condition: she's supposed to disguise herself so his brothers don't take an interest in her. Her disguise: lots of towels around her body, so she looks fat; makeup so she looks old (39); plus her hair is all loose and she's wearing glasses.

28. Sekirara ni Kiss

Chitose has always done well wearing her face like a mask: always smiling, always cute. She feels complete whenever she put it on because it's built to hide her unrefined self: no one hates her, and no one makes fun of her. But after meeting a cute boy who is instinctively more annoyed by her mask than her real self, can Chitose change and make people accept her for who she really is?

29. Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume

Uru is a very short girl and is constantly mistaken for an elementary school kid, but despite that, she is ridiculously strong and decides to live by herself after her mother gets remarried. She ends up working at a small cafe with two rather unique co-workers, Shindou, who acts gruff and intimidating, but who is really a nice guy who loves to make cakes and pies and the like, and Ichirou, who is really good-looking but who instantly falls asleep when he gets hungry and doesn't wake up again until he's force-fed something? What will the future bring to them?

30. Stardust Wink

I’m Anna. I’m 14 years old and I’ve just entered the ninth grade. Sou and Hinata, who live in the same apartment complex as me, are my childhood friends and we’re all the same age. I thought that from now on we’d become even closer friends, but then Sou suddenly did that to me…!!

31. Strobe Edge

Having no experience in romance, the vibrant Ninako curiously explores the meaning of what "love" really is, and is surprised to feel a colorful range of emotions as she grows closer to the school heartthrob, the quiet yet gentle Ren, who also happens to be involved in a longtime relationship. With every intention of keeping her head held high, Ninako prepares to face the mental pain of this one-sided love that she had allowed to take root, facing a series of trials that would either contribute to her growth as a headstrong woman, or break her as it did with other girls.

32. Suki desu Suzuki-kun

Suzuki Hikaru, Hoshino Sayaka, Itou Chihiro and Suzuki Shinobu are all new students who have just entered the same middle school. Sayaka is a shy girl who secretly loves acting. Hikaru is an energetic boy who loves basketball. Incidentally, he shares the same last name with Shinobu, a popular rich boy who would be perfect if not for his rotten personality. Chihiro is Hikaru's childhood friend and has long had a crush on him. On the day of the opening ceremony, Hikaru happens to witness Sayaka acting out the lines of a drama on the rooftop and is instantly captivated. Upon seeing Hikaru getting along with Sayaka, Chihiro's chest begins to ache. When Shinobu sees this, he is overcome by a strange emotion and his heart starts beating faster... Unbeknownst to the four, this is the beginning of their magnificent love story; one that would last years to come.

33. Taiyou no Ie

After her mother abandoned her and her father remarried, high schooler Mao Motomiya is left feeling like she doesn't have a place where she belongs. One night, her childhood friend Hiro Nakamura finds her in a shrine eating cheap convenience store food and offers to take her to a restaurant. Their subsequent heart to heart leads to Hiro suggesting that Mao move in with him. To Hiro who has lived apart from his younger siblings all these years after their parents passed away, bringing his family back together in the once-lively Nakamura home begins with the first step of giving Mao a loving place to belong. When Mao reluctantly accepts his invitation, she is surprised at how easy it is to settle in with her longtime friend. Now she must deal not only with mending her relationship with her father and helping the oldest Nakamura brother attain his goal, but also her growing feelings for Hiro.

34. The Maid at My House

Runako is studying hard to someday succeed as owner of her family's maid dispatching service company. One day, a request comes in from an entertainment production company and shockingly, it's for their super-popular star, Seirei Moroboshi! But could it be that the image he projects on the TV is far different than his true secret face...?!

35. Tonari no Koigataki

Hiro-kun and Icchan are both very important childhood friends to Akane. She thought they would always and forever be good friends, but...

36. Tsubasa to Hotaru

Tsubasa to Hotaru follows 15-year-old Tsubasa Sonokawa, a young student—and a renowned stalker? After one very romantic gesture by a popular upperclassman, she falls head over heels for who she believes to be her one true love. Unfortunately, love can be deceiving, as her feelings are soon proven to be one-sided; the upperclassman directly tells her that she's annoying and that she needs to stop bothering him. How's that for some tough love? Shortly after this horrific heartbreak, her good friend Yuri suffers from a sprained wrist, making it impossible for her to continue her position as the basketball team's manager. After some coaxing on Yuri's part, Tsubasa decides to take on the role in her place. This may be the perfect opportunity for Tsubasa to move on and forget about her unrequited love. On Tsubasa's first day as a manager, the team's shooting guard Aki Hidaka saves her from being hit by a ball. Is this another fateful encounter? Or just a random, meaningless event? One thing is for certain: Tsubasa's days will never be the same again.

37. Uwasa no Midori-kun

Midori Yamate is a 15 year-old girl and is very much a tomboy. When she was young, Midori meets a boy called Tsukasa Hino, who came to the island she lives on for a holiday. He teaches her to play soccer and she falls in love with the sport. Midori is inspired by Tsukasa and continues to play soccer in hopes that they would meet again someday. When they do meet again Tsukasa does something unforgivable. Determined to defeat Tsukasa on the soccer field Midori enrolls in an all boy high school.

38. Yagami-kun wa, Kyou mo Ijiwaru

Just by talking to the famous Yagami-kun, Shizuku's high school life has become hard even from the start—!?

39. Yumemiru Taiyou

While loitering in the park, Shimana Kameko, who intended to run away from home and skip school, meets a suspicious man in a kimono. This man, who had been locked out of his house, offers Shimana a place to stay. However, he requests she fulfill three conditions in exchange for her tenancy!?

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dropintomanga · 4 years

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Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia - 2 Sides of the Same Coin?

Whenever you hear about Koyoharu Gotoge’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, you tend to hear about the records the series has smashed in Japan since the anime adaptation aired. From taking over entire top 20 Oricon manga charts to being one of Japan’s most highly grossed movies ever to influencing political campaigns, Demon Slayer is a once-in-a-lifetime hit that captivated an entire nation. (Oh, and Gotoge is the 1st mangaka ever selected for the Time 100 Next list)

However, outside of Japan, Demon Slayer isn’t as popular as one of its other Shonen Jump brethren, Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia. Demon Slayer still sells well and fans love the series over here in The United States, but manga sales charts are filled with more My Hero Academia volumes than Demon Slayer volumes.

I’ve been thinking about both series’ popularity in the context of the East versus West dynamic.

As cultural experts will tell you, Western principles are built on a sense of individualism. You deserve the freedom to choose your own path. You can make it on your own. No one should get in the way of what you want. Eastern principles are all about collectivism. Make sacrifices for the prosperity of the group. Don’t do anything that hurts other people around you. The world doesn’t revolve around you.

When I think about My Hero Academia, it makes sense that Western fans love it a bit/lot more than Demon Slayer. We all want to be heroes of our story. We want to be more than who we are. It’s about youth who are focusing on their own growth and getting away from their comfort zones to find new opportunities to become stronger.

Demon Slayer isn’t about being a hero. It’s about a guy who wanted to make his demon sister human again. He’s not interested in being the absolute best to save the world. While saving Japan ends up being a consequence of his actions, family is what’s important to main lead Tanjiro Kamado. Also, superheroes aren’t nearly as popular in Japan compared to here (with the exception of Spider-Man).

There was a book I read, Amaia Arrazola’s Tokyo Travel Sketchbook, that briefly discussed the Japanese conventional idea about family. Post-WWII, Japan promoted the idea that it was going to take women to stay home and take care of the home life while the men went out to be the breadwinners. Japan had to, since it had to take everyone together to rebuild the country. However, after the real estate bubble of the 1980s’ was burst, the idea of family being the center really fell apart as Japanese men lost their status as breadwinners due to jobs being finite and gone.

I also remember reading about the history of Western influence in Japan. There’s been a bunch of debate about whether Japan truly embraced Western ideals. To be fair, a lot of voices that claim Western influence being high in non-Western countries tend to be Westerners themselves. Japanese voices on Western ideals may have been been misunderstood in the first place. Demon Slayer takes place during a time of transition where modernity was growing in Japan, while My Hero Academia uses the Western love of comic book superheroes as its basis for its story.

When I think about Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia’s popularities in different parts of the world, it’s perhaps the Western vs. Eastern view of how striving for new opportunities often means loss of community. In My Hero Academia, we do see the psychological effects of bad family influence due to the relentless pursuit of status in a modern world. I saw this mostly early on with Shoto Todoroki (this is being explored even further with the rest of his family as of this writing) and much later in the series with Tomura Shigaraki’s past being revealed.

I noticed that a lot of things are blamed on bad parenting (especially in Western culture). A lot of psychological help does suggest that the family has a big role in influencing a child’s development. However, are they to blame for everything? Outside factors, like social inequality, do play a role. Endeavor, the father of Shoto and top 2 hero at the time, had to deal with so much perceived inequality (i.e. being compared to All Might) that it drove him to abuse his own family. When Deku told Shoto that that his power was his alone regardless of his upbringing, Shoto saw that he was in a place of equality since he was in a supporting environment among his peers compared to his dad. He’s started to understand how life experiences with other people and circumstances can change someone for better or worse as he reluctantly re-connects with Endeavor (who’s trying to redeem himself).

With Demon Slayer, there’s the infamous Spider Family arc, where the villain, Rui, created a fake family in order to fill a void in their life as a demon. Rui ends up abusing their “family” to drive their superiority. They killed their parents at a young age while they were still human due to a fear of not being loved by them. The whole point of the arc was that everyone deserves some kind of loving family in their life. It’s hard to get through life by yourself even when you’re an independent spirit. I do feel though that certain relationships with family members/friends should be cut off if they are abusive like the case with Rui’s. There’s even more stories similar to this with the rest of the Twelve Moon demons (especially another family-related one with the arc that will be featured in Season 2 of the anime, which I might discuss later this year).

My Hero Academia is about moving forward with some reflection. Strive to be a hero of your life. Don’t think of the consequences as long as you’re saving innocent lives. Demon Slayer is also about moving forward, but remembering that there are points in your life where you need authentic connection and that bad people are still human beings who just feel disconnected from the world.

It also feels like both series address the issue of what connection-seeking traditions to pass on to newer generations that feel family/friendship seem lacking today. In My Hero Academia, there’s All for One’s desires to have successors to pass on his Quirk to even if they are dangerous. In Demon Slayer, there’s Kagaya Ubuyashiki, leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, who wanted to end his family’s curse and realizing over time that demons who wanted to fight back (like Tanjiro’s sister, Nezuko) against Muzan Kibutsuji should live. As someone who’s a Chinese-American, I've thought about what I could pass on as my culture has millennia of history and it does feel like age-old traditions/rituals are being passed over for materialistic convenience.

I do think it comes down to whether we pass on values or beliefs. Beliefs are basically “What’s good? What’s bad? This is real to me even if it’s not to anyone else!” There’s way too much emphasis on them. Beliefs tend to be very binary because people are often more than just their beliefs. Values are just abstract rules to everyday life and don’t involve personal beliefs. I feel like not enough emphasis is focused on values. For example, things like compassion and respect are values, not beliefs. I had to embrace what values I had to finally grow as a person because some of the beliefs I held to in my mind were hurting me.

Demon Slayer leans more toward appreciating values (usually ones that appeal to the Japanese mindset) due to Tanjiro’s personality, although My Hero Academia is a mix of appreciating both beliefs and values. While I do wish that “values > beliefs”, My Hero Academia does have some good insight on how beliefs can shape/warp values for both sides.

Both series take a look at the tension between family and the self in their own ways. It’s much more so with Demon Slayer due to how much the concept of family was important in the growth of Japan in the past. I think we can agree that while there are cultural differences in handling it, the idea of family is lost on both sides of the world. American and Japanese cultures aren’t very tolerate of “gray zones” (i.e. illegal immigrants who have families, sex workers who have families, etc.) and want life to be more black or white. That’s why many fans who don’t feel accepted for who they are look to other outlets for some kind of family that will accept them.

Healthy families of all kinds lead to stronger communities that in turn lead to a better world for everyone. I sometimes feel that modernity does family no favors. It’s fine to grow, but constant growth without self-reflection becomes harmful. Plus, family always comes back to affect you one way or another. You can’t ever fully get away from family as they’re the starting point to everyone’s life.

The only thing I can say is accept that your family/community, good and/or bad, is a part of your identity when you have conflicting thoughts and then take it from there. Denying that is just like trying to hide all your problems instead of dealing with them. It never ends well.

Blood is thicker than water and as both Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia show, when it’s shed, it can lead to disastrous consequences - both individually and collectively.

#My Hero Academia #psychology of heroes #mental health #superheroes #Demon Slayer #psychology of family #manga #anime #individualism #collectivism

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ey8508 · 4 years

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Impermanence [ 无常 ]

Rumors and Secrets: Li Zeyan / Victor

[From the beginning to the end, he only cared about the most common thing.]

Note:

R&S for this card (CG above)

Chapter SPOILERS up to Season 2: Chapter 2-5 (read at your own risk)

Contains 4 chapters

Translation isn’t 100% accurate (or include grammar errors)

Every part for LZ’s dialogue would be in “this setting”

Do not repost to any other site (reblog is fine)

Chapter 1 Page 1 The night breeze was slightly cool, and the feathers slowly fell, like a misty dream. A feather was lying on Li Zeyan's palm, and he looked down for a long time as if he wanted to engrave this small white shadow in his pupils. The girl asked him before leaving, what he would be like if all the external burdens were removed. Maybe it's like this feather. He thought it was very light, small, and lying quietly in the boundless night, just like the countless feathers on the feet. At this moment, he, like everyone else, stayed in place listening to the countdown of the clock. He believes that he will be saved in the future, but what about after that? Page 2 A gust of wind blew off the feathers on his palm, and Li Zeyan watched it land slowly, and sighed softly. I said I believed in her power, but I was still a little worried. He spent so long waiting for a miracle, and the girl faced the whole world, how much did she have to pay? He took the pocket watch from his pocket. The once shocking crack has been repaired since, and his fingertips lined up the smooth glass dial, and he seemed to see a light that did not belong to the eternal night in an instant. The distorted feeling of time and space suddenly wrapped him, and in a moment it led him to an unknown path- Page 3 Familiar streets, traffic lights alternately lit up at intersections, scenes tumbling thousands of times in memory, unfolded before his eyes again. He breathed a sigh of relief. Lianyu City seemed to be calm again, the sun was good, and someone in and out of the supermarket on the street was carrying a bag. She did it, as he always believed. But after observing around, Li Zeyan found that there was a trace of violation in this familiarity. He raised his eyes to look in the direction of Hua Rui. The building has fewer floors and the facade has not been changed to a glass curtain wall. According to his memory, Hua Rui in front of him should be what it was when it was first established. Page 4 Did you go back in time? Why did the pocket watch send him here? Li Zeyan was about to look away when the clear sky suddenly started to rain. He subconsciously walked to the house spear on the side, and the moment he turned, but suddenly was alert to the petite figure. Li Zeyan suddenly stopped. The girl is walking towards a crossroad not far away. Her face seemed a little more tender than she thought, she stared at the other side of the road blankly, took a small step forward, and stopped again, as if she was stunned about something. Li Zeyan looked in her direction, and across the road was actually himself a few years ago. Page 5 He carefully recalled the past fragments in his memory, after the kidnapping in childhood, until later accidentally rescued the girl on the road, before that, he seemed to have never seen her. The signal light flashed several times, from green to red. The girl in front of her has not taken any steps, and the opposite herself is ready to move on. Li Zeyan frowned as he watched this scene, and doubts grew in his heart. Could it be that during those 17 years, did he cross her? Wanting to answer his doubts, he tried to get closer, but found that he could not get close to her. The world seems to be repelling his existence. Page 6 As if hearing his wish, the world suddenly became quiet, and time seemed to pause. Someone behind him tugged at his cuff, and he looked back and saw a little boy in a weird dress looking up at him. "It's better not to be discovered by her." The little boy in front of him was about seven or eight years old, smiling at him with a calm tone that was not suitable for his age. "Don't worry, this is the world you were in before, and you have indeed successfully traveled to the future of this world." Page 7 The little boy pointed to the direction behind him, "But there cannot be two identical beings in the same world, so you can't do anything here, and you won't stay for long. Li Zeyan frowned slightly, squatting down and looking at him. "Who are you and why do you know this?" "I know everything in this world, and I know why you came here." The little boy looked down at him and tilted his head slightly. "You are great, but the future is always full of variables. If you are not prepared, everything will not go as desired." Page 8 The little boy slowly put away his smile. Li Zeyan looked at his eyes, and the bright pupils seemed to reflect the light and shadow of the whole world. After a long time, he stood up and nodded slightly. "I know." The little boy laughed again, as if he had sensed something, and waved at him. The distorted feeling of time and space strikes back, Li Zeyan finally raised his eyes and looked deeply at the familiar intersection. The scene that seemed to be about to be missed just now was printed in his mind. He understands that after every choice there will be countless variables, but for this alone, he must make sure that nothing is lost. Chapter 2 Page 1 Back to the present time, Li Zeyan still has some characteristics. Occasionally, he also imagined the future, whether it was good or bad, tacitly acquiescing to the premise that he would meet her. But if there is no meeting, let her fight the world alone... He has no doubt that after facing the world’s greatest danger, she will grow better, stronger, and be able to stand alone. But the world is not destroyed, there are still many things to do in the future, and there may be many unexpected dangers.... And he promised her that he would never leave her alone. Page 2 There is no new crack in the pocket watch, and he still has the opportunity to reconfirm and look into the far future. Li Zeyan used Evol again, and the pointer of the pocket watch rotated, chasing the time year after year. At the moment of stepping into the vortex, the pocket watch suddenly made a continuous sound of "crack", and dense cracks covered the dial. The familiar tearing sensation climbed to every inch of his skin, and a fierce pressure came from his chest, as if he was walking forward in a rush of countercurrent. A huge loud noise appeared out of thin air in the otherwise quiet space, like playing an upside-down disc, screaming vaguely and harshly. Anyone's first response to suffering is to escape, but the consciousness he struggled to maintain is still reminding himself that time is running out and he must get there before the day. Page 3 When the ears finally calmed down, the cold sweat had filled Li Zeyan's clothes. He held on to the wall beside him and took a few deep breaths. When the dizziness subsided and his vision recovered, he carefully opened his palm to check the pocket watch. Fortunately, the pocket watch was not broken, and his judgment was not wrong. Li Zeyan observed his environment. This seemed to be the inpatient department of a hospital. There were no people in the corridor, so when he turned his head, he easily saw the girl walking towards this side. Page 4 Li Zeyan walked to the corner and watched her walk into a ward. This time the girl looks like she remembers, but she has a more confident expression, and her tone of voice is polite and generous when she greets the people in the ward. Li Zeyan smiled slightly, his eyes were filled with comfort and pride that he didn't even notice. After a while, the girl opened the door and left, frowning slightly, as if thinking about something. Soon, the alarm sound of the instrument suddenly sounded in the ward just now, and the girl ran back after hearing the sound. A dark figure sprang from the ward with a cold light flashing in his hand and went straight to the girl. Page 5 "Be careful!" Li Zeyan shouted almost subconsciously, and the girl quickly reacted at the same moment, turning and running to his direction. Just when he thought that the crisis could be changed, the instrument in the ward rang again, and the girl looked back. The man in black who's face couldn't be seen was getting closer and closer, and the sharp blade in his hand always declared a bright threat. The time of the whole world seemed to stop at this moment. Page 6 The blood in his body seemed to freeze instantly, and circulation came back after a long time... At this time, he sharply pulled his nerves. From beginning to end, he only cared about such a simple thing: I hope she will live safely, no matter how the world evolves, he will come to her again. But right now, what he worries most still happened. He could not see the result of that scene, and the huge repulsion urged the pocket watch in his hand. However, just seeing her being chased by danger was enough to make his long-silent fear all come to his heart. This is not the future he wants to see. He does not accept such a situation. Even if it is only a small possibility, he will never allow. Page 7 The sharp pain of the body enveloped the throbbing of the heart, and he finally closed his eyes, and the flow of time brought him back to the original point. This pain made him clearly realize that he still needs to do more preparation. Chapter 3 Page 1 When Wei Qian received Li Zeyan's call, there was not much time left before the end. The long-standing habits made him subconsciously act in response. The task given to him by Li Zeyan is not difficult. Contact an Evolver who has the ability to transmit sound. Wei Qian remembers that this person is a member of Wumingdao and his contact information should be on the list. The phone vibrated again, Wei Qian picked it up and took a look, then widen his eyes in surprise. It was Li Zeyan’s text. He said, ‘I’m sorry, for troubling you at this hour.’ Page 2 In his impression, the CEO rarely speaks in this tone. Although he is a strict boss, he never gives useless tasks. Even if he is asked to deal with some personal arrangements occasionally, it is definitely not a "trouble". Wei Qian just froze for a moment, and then quickly responded. "President, you are welcome, this is what I should do." Perhaps it is because everyone has to be beaten back to the original point by force majeure, and many people no longer care about their social relationships. But Wei Qian didn't think so. His life creed always looked upward. Even if it was just a small favor, letting him know that there are people in this world who needs him, it is not a waste of time. Page 3 Li Zeyan walked out of the bathroom and put on a clean casual shirt. When he returned to the present from that hospital, he almost lost his strength and had to hold the table to stabilize his figure, accidentally knocking down a stack of documents. He noticed that the form that fell out was a list of personnel compiled at the beginning of Wuming Island, and it simply recorded the identity and ability information of each members. Li Zeyan's mind flashed through many records on the list, and finally stopped on an Evolver that once interested him.

The pocket watch can no longer bear more pressure, and the countdown to the future is constantly approaching. He is not sure what he will be like after the end. He must change everything now. Page 4 Wei Qian’s message came in time, saying that the Evolver had been contacted and he is now on Huapu Street. Li Zeyan asked Wei Qian to send him Souvenir's address not far from Huapu Street, where they could meet. Not much time, but enough. He must be able to do more. Chapter 4 Page 1 When Li Zeyan arrived, Souvenir had put up the store closing sign, and a young man was sitting at a small table outside the store and playing with his mobile phone. When the young man saw Li Zeyan, he was taken aback and blinked. "You, are you the boss of Wumingdao? You’re the one who is often on the news." "Hello, this is Li Zeyan." Seeing Li Zeyan stretched out his hand to him, the young man hurriedly put down his mobile phone and stood up and shook his hand firmly. Page 2 The meteors in the sky became denser, and the two of them did not say much, and went straight to the subject. In summary, the youth’s ability is to “send” the voice at a specific point, and at the selected time point, directly convey what they want to say to the designated person. Although you can choose any time, the number of messages in a short time is limited. The young man looked at Li Zeyan's frowning eyebrows, and tried his best to think about the words. "You can understand it as a microphone. My Evol is the line connecting two paper tubes, but after all, it's just a line. It's hard to talk like face to face." Li Zeyan thought for a moment and nodded. "How many times can I leave a message?" Page 3 "According to the time span you choose, you can stay about four times. But if I work hard, I can do it again." " Thank you." The young man looked at Li Zeyan and didn't feel any hesitation from him. He didn't seem to be worried about the outcome of this incident. "That... Have you ever been through this crisis? Mr. Li, you do this to make sure we can survive" "I am sure." " Why?" Page 4 "Because I saw that future." The youth froze for a moment, "But even if this message is successful, the future may not develop as you want." Li Zeyan looked at him, and seemed to be looking at a figure that emerged in his mind. "It doesn't matter. The future is still very long, I have the patience." He is always patient, waiting for her to get the hang of it. The young man unlocked his mobile phone and handed it to Li Zeyan. Page 5 "I'll give you a reminder later, just say it as if you were calling." Li Zeyan took the phone and looked at the blank call interface. He still likes to talk about important things in person, but it is undeniable that there is often a time difference between people. As the little boy said, many things are probabilistic events and will not be as you desire. He cares about results more than form. The young man began to use his abilities, and a slight electric current sounded in his ears and ripples appeared on the interface of the phone. A feather suddenly fell from mid-air, slowly staying on the small table between the two of them. The evening breeze turned it slightly, and the soft feather gently rubbed his little finger. Page 6 Li Zeyan bent his knuckles subconsciously, and in a daze he could still feel the girl's slender fingers hooking on him, chanting various promises. They still have many unfinished agreements. Only when you meet again can you keep the appointment. "The timing is set, is President Li ready?" Li Zeyan recovered and put the phone to his ear. The young man cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "Hello Miss MC, here is a message from the past. President Li, you can say it." Page 7 Li Zeyan thought of the back standing still at the intersection, gently curved his mouth. " Dummy..." "Why are you hesitating?" The bell rang over the city, and the expected end had arrived. The dense meteor shower is like someone who has burnt a match in the night, illuminating the eternal night with dazzling white light. Page 8 Li Zeyan looked up and saw a nearly transparent light curtain shrouded under the white light. The body seemed to lighten a bit, and the ability to melt into bone and blood was summoned from a distance, as if someone was pulling him to his side. The hands on the clock tower stagnated briefly, and in the next instant, they moved slightly in the counterclockwise direction.

#rumors and secrets Victor #love and producer #love and producer li zeyan #mr love queen's choice #mr love queen's choice victor #mr love victor #mr love li zeyan

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sisterkosho · 3 years

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Changing Fate

Characters: Ayume Nejireta, Genyō Anrui, Suguru Geto

Warnings: A bit angsty, but with a happy ending. Also major manga spoilers for volume 0.

Notes: As you can see, I am still not writing bios. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d end up writing anymore fics after that last one, or at least not so soon. But my besto friendo and I ended up getting into a conversation about this AU, and I couldn’t help but write it even if I didn’t do it enough justice. This is really just me using writing as a coping mechanism when it comes down to it so don’t mind me. 🚶

Panic. That was the only thing the girl could feel as she walked the streets, the soft glow of the moon and a faint trace of cursed energy being her only guide.

Just what was it that had taken place here? Suguru Geto was smart, there was no doubt about that. He knew what he was doing, he knew his own limits. And yet, she couldn't seem to shake the feeling of pure uneasiness that had formed and twisted itself into the pit of her stomach. It felt almost suffocating. She had only been on the move for a short while, and yet it had felt like an eternity. Each minute that passed by feeling longer than the last as the fear set in. Her mind repeating the same question over and over again like a broken record as her pace began to quicken. "Where is he?"

As if somehow sensing the woman's distress in that moment, the cursed spirit that resided within her seemed to awaken. With the traces of cursed energy growing ever stronger, it became clear that they were getting close to their destination. Yet her only concern, given the woman's current state, was what they would find when they got there. Knowing this, she wasted no time in having one of her eyes appear upon her cheek, using it to her advantage as she began to examine the area around her. And sure enough, there, just outside of her vessel's field of vision, was a darkened alleyway that the moonlight barely touched. Had she not been so on guard from the situation at hand, it would have easily been missed.

Upon seeing this, as if on instinct, the cursed spirit made a rare, spur of the moment decision. The woman stopped in her tracks immediately as various black markings began to appear on her skin, her consciousness slowly fading. Out of respect for her vessel, the curse had made it a point to never switch without permission, or a simple game of rock paper scissors. But this, was a very different case. It was the only thing she could think to do. There was no denying that Ayume was a strong individual. She wouldn't have accepted her as her vessel otherwise. Yet she could be vulnerable, emotions often getting the better of her. Especially when it came to him. Rui knew this better than anyone, and the horrific sight before her would have surely broken her far more than anything else ever could. "Sorry, Yume... You don't need to see this." She muttered, though silently hoping that her words went unheard by the curse user.

There, leaned against the cold, stone wall was none other than Suguru Geto. The very man that they had been searching for, bloodied and beaten. The entire right side of his body practically obliterated. The moment the two had learned of the man's disappearance shortly after his fight with that jujutsu sorcerer, Yuta Okkotsu, Rui had known something was off. But now, seeing him there at death's door, she couldn't help but feel annoyed at best. How could one be so careless? If he didn't value his own life, at the very least, he should value the heart of the one who did.

"The hell are you doing, Geto? You look like crap." Upon hearing the woman's voice, the man slowly raised his head, eyes moving up to meet her gaze. It was clear that his mind wasn't fully there at that point, seemingly in some sort of daze as he spoke. Truth be told, he had thought that anyone who found him would have been there to put an end to him. "Ayume....?"

"I suppose it can't be helped..." Rui began, ignoring his previous question, knowing full well that the markings present on her features would be a dead giveaway as to who it was he was speaking to. "If you died, you'd be taking her with you. And we certainly can't have that, now can we?" She let out a deep sigh before approaching him, kneeling down so as to get a better look at his condition. It would no doubt take up a significant amount of cursed energy to heal wounds this severe, but fortunately for him, there was no shortage of such things when it came to the Lady of Seals. What was important now was that it could be done. Though she was going to need an extra long nap afterwards, and she most definitely would not be disturbed.

"Sorry... I guess I was a little in over my head, huh?" Suguru said, letting out a somewhat forced chuckle as he leaned his head back against the now bloodied wall. Upon hearing this, the curse tore her attention off the man's wounds for a brief moment, only to send him a glare. "Save it for when we're done here. I'm not the one who needs to here that." Though there was still a hint of annoyance present in her voice, her gaze had softened ever so slightly as she heard him mutter a small thank you. It was strange to admit, but she couldn't help but feel relieved that they had managed to get to him before anyone else did, or better yet, before he ended up bleeding out. The fact he hadn't being a miracle in and of itself.

It didn't take long for the cursed spirit to finish her work. Despite the energy it had taken, healing a human was mere child's play to one who has lived as long as she has. The man in question now looking much better than he had been just moments prior. His missing arm had been practically healed to perfection, along with the rest of him that had suffered damage, and the initial shock of such an experience seemed to be wearing off. The worse he'd suffer now was fatigue, and whatever mental scars this may cause later. As for Rui, her job there was done. She could only hope that Ayume wouldn't be too shaken once she retreated back into the corners of her soul.

It took a moment for the woman to register what had just taken place as the markings on her face began to fade. Though with Suguru smiling in front of her, not a scratch to be seen despite the various traces of blood and his disheveled appearance, she didn't have to ask. It took everything she had not to break down into tears right then and there.

Whether it was out of fear for what would've happened had they gotten there a moment later, relief that he was alive and breathing, or simple tears of joy that he was still there, she wasn't sure. It felt as though she was being hit by every emotion imaginable all at once. And yet, she managed to keep her cool for his sake. He'd been through hell, and the last thing he needed was to see her cry. So instead, she smiled, that same smile she'd give him every time he'd enter the room. But he knew better than that. "I'm ok." Those two words were all she needed to hear as he pulled her into his arms. She tried. She tried so hard not to cry. But she was no longer able to hold back the tears as she buried her face into his shoulder.

Nothing else needed to be said in that moment as the two sat in silence in one another's embrace. Perhaps she'd scold him later for his recklessness, but for now, despite this cruel twist of fate, they had survived. And in the end that was the only thing that mattered.

"Come on..." She said, attempting to compose herself as she wiped the tears from her cheeks before swinging his now healed arm over her shoulder. She helped him off the ground, giving him a moment to steady himself before beginning to walk him out of the alleyway. "Let's go home."

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bruh-haikyuu · 5 years

Note

Yohoo~! Can i request a scenario where s/o is akaashi’s long time crush and v popular in their school, always smiling to people left and right but she’s suicidal and depressed when no one’s around and akaashi discover it one day? I hope you understand what im saying haha, thank you~!

A/N: I hope you enjoy anon! For anyone who feels this way, it’s always better to talk it out rather than bottle it in, I learned this the hard way :’) // I’ve made the reader female, if that’s alright with you!

P.S: next request is a sequel everyone’s been waiting for ;)) can you guess?

tacenda. | akāshi keiji

word count: 1804

warnings: depressive and suicidal themes!

(n.) things better left unsaid; matters to be passed over in silence

16 years old and Akaashi had never seen you cry. Not even once.

He recalled it from the moment he’d known you. From the lengthy days in grade school up until the wee hours in high school. Not a single tear had left the premises of your face.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

When the both of you were in first grade, he had watched you stumble and roll onto the coarse surface of a gravel road. Your knee had gotten helplessly scratched, the injury pulsing with deep, crimson liquid. At the sight of the open wound, your friends had cried and cried, whining about how the indomitable L/N Y/N had been overpowered by a simple road.

Akaashi had watched you from afar that day, the cacophonous cries of your volatile friends pulling his attention away from the family of stag beetles nesting in a tree.

Girls will cry at just about everything, he had thought, the shrillness of your friends’ lament boring into his head. I think Y/N’s going to cry too. I should probably go look for Kaneko-sensei—

“Hey, hey. I’m fine, see? You guys are such crybabies, Rui, Akarin.”

Akaashi’s face had whitened like a blank sheet, unable to correctly register the tone of your voice. Even your friends had stopped crying at your lukewarm reaction.

Your knee had been oozing out blood like a spilled bottle of ketchup, yet there you were, completely impervious to the obvious pain that your wound displayed, laughing and smiling like you always did.

It was from that day that Akaashi realized you were much harder to crack than you seemed to be.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

Ten years into the present, Akaashi Keiji still hasn’t had you solved.

Ten years into the present, you were still the well-liked, striking L/N Y/N he had known since he was six. In fact, you were even somewhat more dazzling each day. It didn’t dismiss the thought that you were an indomitable puzzle he was raring to decipher.

“If you ask me, L/N-senpai’s way cooler than any of the boys. Yesterday, she saved me from a speeding car on the way to school!”

“That’s so lucky, Mayumi-chan! Oh man, I would do anything to trade places with you.”

“When she spoke to me, I felt my insides tingle and everything… is that what it’s like to be in the presence of a deity?”

Lunch time was the only tolerating hour for Akaashi to eavesdrop on any of the school’s ongoing sensations without having to be called out for it. Like any other day, one of today’s hot topics was you.

Ears growing bigger by the second, he caught bits and pieces of the astonished first-year girls’ conversation. As they walked off into a corner, he managed to hear something along the lines of ‘beautiful’, ‘goddess’ and ‘confess’—but even that wasn’t new to his ears.

Yes, you were charming, kind-hearted and an absolute delight to be around but that didn’t even bring him closer to the truth behind your impossible perfection. His acquaintance with you from childhood didn’t do him any favors either, which was a downright pain-in-the-ass.

After all, Akaashi figured, if he was finally going to officially proclaim his feelings to you, he’d have to have at least a tiny grain of yours.

“Hey, Akaashi. You’re awfully quiet today. You good, man?” the captain of the volleyball club poked at him, stuffing his face with his second loaf of yakisoba-pan.

Sighing, Akaashi recollected his composure. “I’m alright, Bokuto-san… and please don’t eat while talking, you’ll choke yourself if you do.”

Bokuto said something, mouth full of yakisoba, bread and variants of sauce, but it all fell deaf on Akaashi’s ears because he had already picked up another conversation about you…

“Man, L/N’s trying out for a student council position again this year, right? That girl’s got a mad stamina when it comes to volunteer work.”

“Yeah…”

The conversation seemed to stray into the usual topics, but there was a malicious undertone that kept Akaashi’s ears on guard.

“…But don’t you think she’s just a desperate try-hard? Sometimes, she seems kind of shallow to me…”

‘Shallow’. That was definitely new. It was new, but it was irrefutably wrong.

Akaashi felt acid rising to his head. His teeth bit into his bottom lip, hard enough to possibly draw blood. He wanted to get up. He wanted to get up and beat the crap out of that guy.

But sitting in the spectator’s seat like always, Akaashi could only frown and watch. You were the star of the show and he was your closet fanatic—his abilities limited to throwing you congratulatory roses at every occasion. He would kill to share that spotlight with you.

The cafeteria began to clear up and Akaashi recollected his thoughts before returning to class. Class 2-6 had Modern Literature for last period—Akaashi wondered if his day could get any worse.

══════ ⋆★⋆ ══════

Practice ran late again with Bokuto’s persistent pleas for him to set for his ‘new’ variant of a cross spike.

Bokuto-san just wanted to do a cross spike while shouting ‘Hadouken’. Akaashi thought. What’s the difference from his usual spikes? I don’t get it…

Akaashi felt a wrinkle settling on his forehead as he double locked the clubroom for good measure. The captain’s insistence had prevented him from submitting the form for a school bus reservation—in fact, it had been Bokuto’s job in the first place. Akaashi couldn’t blame him though; Bokuto’s image didn’t exactly line up very well with paperwork and the Student Council (unless, of course, if it involved trumpeting about himself in front of its female members).

To his relief, the Student Council office was always open until 8:30 pm. It was now 8:15 pm. It would take him only a couple of minutes to drop off their form in the inbox bin. Then, Akaashi could finally sink himself in the warm clutches of his bathtub, surrounded by steam and the maybe that aromatic bath oil his aunt gifted him from Okinawa…

However, upon noticing the light streaming out of the rectangular, translucent window of the office accompanied with a faint sniffle from within, Akaashi felt his blood run cold.

It’s only 8 pm. It’s impossible. Ghosts don’t roam around student council offices, right…? I hardly think they’d come to this high school either… Oh no. How did that prayer Grandmother taught me go again?

Swallowing sharply, Akaashi’s fingers took the shape of the door handle and he pushed, eye screwed tight against whatever was going to greet him. “S-sorry for the i-intrusion.”

“Akaashi-kun?”

Akaashi let out a guttural noise inside his throat, teeth pinned to a grimace. Pupils adjusting to your slouched figure, he sighed, relieved that you weren’t any form of a Yuki Onna. However, your eyes were bloodshot, hair sticking up in various places. Any traces of your “perfect” appearance had been washed away with the tears that scarred your cheeks.

Looking at you in this state shattered Akaashi.

“I’m sorry.”

Meeting your darkened gaze, Akaashi murmured, “What?”

“I’m a selfish person for saying this, but I don’t want any of it anymore.”

Akaashi didn’t know how he didn’t notice the glint of a silver blade encircled by your fist until you pointed its tip at the upside of your wrist. He didn’t even think by then. He didn’t even think about the reservation form he dropped on the floor. He didn’t even count the steps he took to bound over the meeting table. He didn’t even think about how roughly he yanked your wrist away, knocking the cutter into a dark corner of the room.

He didn’t even think when he shouted, “Don’t!”

You furrowed your brows, palms clenching in resistance to his iron grip. “Are you stupid?!”

Akaashi’s hold on your arms slackened at your words, but he knew better than to let you go.

“I can’t take it anymore. It’s all too much!” more tears clump at your eyes, threatening to spill on Akaashi’s uniform slacks. “I tried! I tried to make everyone happy, but all they did was hurt me. It’s all my fault I’m like this. Please let me go, Akaashi-san…”

Your voice grew soft as your cries receded into gentle hiccups swaying in the windless room.

“Please let me end this…”

Akaashi felt the same acid from this afternoon bubble in his throat again, but this time he made sure it spewed. “Are you stupid, L/N-san? You can’t make others’ happy unless you’re happy yourself. Everyone knows that, you idiot!”

Akaashi felt his insides crumble as soon as his head registered the fact that he had called you, the most popular second-year at Fukuroudani, an idiot. But at least his words had stunned you so deeply you fell silent.

“Do things that make you happy, L/N-san,” he spilled, filter for words dissolved into nothingness. “It’s okay to take breaks and say no. Talk it out with someone you’re comfortable with. I’m even more positive that your friends will be happier if you were honest with them about your feelings. But doing things like…”

Akaashi’s attention caught the teasing shine of the cutter next to a potted plant.

“…this, would just make them miserable, won’t it? You may not see it, but everyone admires you. I admire you too. I would give anything to be like you. Kind, patient and all the more charming… You may not see it, but a lot of people are already happy just with your existence. That was you, L/N-san. You made them happy.”

Your gaze turned to that of a defeated puppy. A stray tear rolling down your cheek, you slid your arms down to take Akaashi’s hands in yours. In the midst of all the tension, his hands really felt like a warm bowl of miso soup. You really wanted to drink it all up to a finish.

“I’m really sorry for all the trouble I caused you, Akaashi-san.”

“It’s alright. Sorry for calling you an ‘idiot’,” saying more things than necessary really tired him out, but his energy really knew no bounds when it came to you.

“I-I’m really sorry, ‘Kaashi-san…’M really s-sorry…”

The hiccups returned and the dam to the waterworks burst at the linger of your voice. Despite all your trembling, Akaashi made it a point to hold you like he was never going to let go. If he had known from long ago, he’d tell you every day that he loved you, regardless if the feeling was mutual or not.

But he didn’t say a word for the length of the evening that he held you. His embrace seemed loud as it already was.

Akaashi Keji was 16 years old when he first saw you cry. And he was only 16 years old when he promised he was never going to let you feel that way ever again.

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #akaashi keiji #akaashi keiji x reader #akaashi keiji imagine #akaashi keiji scenario #sfw #fukurodani x reader #bruh haikyuu writing #akaashi x rader #keiji x reader

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kigozula · 4 years

Text

GladiatorWeek2

Day 1: Favorite Characters

1. AZULA - Crown Princess Azula

"...all I ever wanted

was to grow up to be like you."

Azula is and was always my favorite character in ATLA as well as in fanfics. Should be crystal clear already=). She is even higher than the first place.

Something I really enjoy reading in Gladiator is, that she brings up people's failures and throws it in an elegantly way straight into their faces, such as with Iroh and Zhao.=D And of course when she brings up embarrassing stuff Sokka said or did in his most defensless moments. How she thinks of herself shamless when she is with him sometimes and how much she loves him. So much that she even considered leaving her Nation in case her dad finds out.

I felt very bad for her throughout the whole part 1. When her heart was broken, when she got strong but then her Gladiator destroyed that with one kiss, when she longed to be with the man she loves but her circumstances would never allow it and what made me cry was her Flashback. How she ran away from her mother, how her cousin loved her but could never fullfill his promise and how her father didn't hug her when she cried*_*. This girl makes me emotional. And I adore her strength despite everything. That she still has an ear to listen, like her first discussion with Sokka.

She may have never endured what Slaves endured, but her emotional struggles given her with her status as Crown Princess is hard. Her nation on one side, her lover on the other. Her father on one side, but the innocence suffering people on the other. Some days I just wish she would ally with her uncle, the White Lotus and the Water Tribes... but then I think that be would not a solution right now.

Her relationship with her guards and friends is well portrayed.

2. Rui Shi & Royal Guards

It was true that he was meant to give his life for her if need be, but surely he had always imagined himself dying for her in a battlefield, or saving her life from assassins… dying because of Azula's clandestine relationship surely was the most shameful and least honorable possibility of all.

"We did adjust to being the Princess's guards quickly enough, after all" "

Rui Shi is AMAZING!! He is a very very good character, very handsome and I just love him. Although Gladiator is about Azula & Sokka, I cannot imagine the story without this precious guy. His personality, his true love for Song, his dedication to his Job and most of all: his loyality and his relationship with his Princess Azula. I just can't forget his "I could have lost my Princess" quote=D.

At the beginning I liked their little discussions when Azula didn't want to be protected and he complained all the time that she doesn't let him do his job. Over 100 chapters later he brings two unknown people to her at ease saying "...you'd surely be able to kill them first" in case they try to harm her. Yeah poor guy gave up and got tired.=D The way he protects her (wants to) from everything that could hurt her and he is not only dedicated because it his job, he shows also emotional attachment towards her. And this is something I love about him.

The panic he had in the Attack of the White Lotus arc was gold, really.

His talk when they were becoming Imperial Guards and he didn't obey and attacked Azula was one of my favorites.

As for the other Guards. Similar to Rui Shi, they are not always strict and just do their Job all the time, but also joke around and seem to really like Azula, as the Story progresses. They are very good characters. Of course this is also because of Azula herself. And she seems to like them too and their relationship is just so wonderful.

As for my favorite Guards, well other than Rui Shi I definetely choose Fei Li. His energy is so well written. He also looks handsome. Taro and Tai Wei are the most famous ones out of the rest I'd say. So I like really all of them.

3. Sokka

"You're my top priority,

and you always will be."

Sokka, well Sokka is kinda different. I can say surely that Azula and Rui Shi are my favorites all along the Story, but not for Sokka. My favorite Sokka is in the Introduction Arc and then in Part 2. Though, also at the end of Part 1.

This boy has some moments where I just like to throw a chair straight into his face... really, I am not denying it. Sometimes I really "hate" him. And when I take time and think, many of those moments are in Part 1. Especially when he didn't kiss Azula and slept next to her when she needed it*_*. But then in other moments he has these cute charming sides and broken moments what makes me love him.

Because with Part 2, he kinda becomes a different guy. I mean of course he had a horrible life and considering that he still made quick process, but still. With the start of Part 2, he becomes a better man maybe??

What I liked about him in the beginning was his whole attitude and conversations with Azula. In Part 2 I like it how he is sure what he wants and needs. And this has most likely something to do with them finally giving in. He loves Azula so beautifully, that I find the most amazing. She is his priority and always in his thoughts. Of course it is also great how he wants to help people altogether. But his special feelings and need of protecting for his most important people like Azula and his family is most amazing so far. I like him waaayyyyyy more in Part 2 I think.

4. Zuko

"I came back after ten years at sea and there

was no hugging involved whatsoever."

Zuko is good in your story. I mean many people know how I felt about him in canon...(tbh, I do not even want to think about it right now-_-). But so far he is pretty good. He has a hard life too. Ten years at sea, no parents, bad relationship with his sister and lost hopes...

When he met Mai... I think it was one of the saddest and emotional moments. But he still gets over it, although it must be very hard to see the person you love like that upon returning. The moment he thinks everything is okay, he lands in the South Pole, finds out his is going to be father, meets his life goal and has to spent a long time away from his "wife" as a prisoner. But I hope he will be happy. I have no idea what is coming for him in the future to be honest. Let's see it.

What I love the most is when HE started making steps towards fixing his relationship with his sister.💙 This is something I always wanted and I hope it will get better.

Zuko especially is very good in Gladiator and Bryke should see how character development really works!!

5. Seyary, you are really amazing with writing the side characters from ATLA and your wonderful OC's. Reaaalllyyyyy.

No particular order

I think maybe I should put Song also next to Rui Shi on the 2nd place?? This girl is so cute but also very ... I cannot find the right word, but I love her feelings about Sokkla. She also seems like a shipper to me?? Fighting on her own ways for their relationship. Song is very important.

I like Mai and Ty Lee, but Mai more. Her unexpected comments are bomb.

Okay, Haru and Ruon Jian are good too although we didn't see much of Ruon Jian=D. I wonder if he is still in touch with Chan??

Jet

I like Jet in canon and was happy that we saw more of him here. His interaction with Azula was very amusing and interesting, since he is one of those character I always wanted an Azula interaction with.

General Tiang

I am very curious about what way this guy will go. He seems to be more like an "Azula-Fan" but I might be wrong. His Story is such a good idea, I liked it. His wife and his nice personality make him very likable. And when that unexpected talk came with Iroh... it surprised me because I never thought he was Lu Ten's friend. A touching idea. We didn't see much of him but I like him. Everyone who cares about and respects Azula is sympathetic to me.

Zhao and Ozai ... ahhh these two. I think it is clear that I reaaallyyy like interactions with them together with Azula. They are just very cool... though in the Slave Riot Arc they kinda turn out not so cool. I would say I think Ozai is 50/50. He also has some nice moments, but then he acts pretty shitty. But then he tries to be better than his own father and listens to Azula and tries to support her. As for Zhao, he is in my Top 5 favorite characters list definetely. But Ozai too somehow... The fifth maybe?? (Tbh, the order from 3rd - 5th is very difficult). I totally like how Seyary portrays him. He helps Azula, is polite to Sokka as well as to Toph, has a daughter he seems to care for, a very interesting portrayal of his character. I like it when he is next to Azula and actually helps and respects her as well as her Partnership with her Gladiator. But then he hides that Spirit Oasis Information from his best friend and his daughter... I guess I still like him except that Slave Riot chapter... let's also see here what he is up to in the future... Again, I would love it if he allies with Azula in the future and also wants to make the world a better place, but I am not sure about him. I am sure about Ozai, but not with him.

Lu Ten

"I'll miss you too,

my wonderful dragon lady."

Okay, I love Lu Ten. My favorite part to read are those flasbacks with Azula and him that produced tears in my eyes. All those flasbacks. I just thought he deserves to be on my list. He loved Azula and he was very important for her too. Lu Ten's parts are beautiful and sad. And I love that combination.

#GladiatorWeek2 #azula #rui shi #zuko #lu ten #sokka

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intobarbarians · 4 years

Text

part twenty-six to this

Kuwabara is downright thrilled when Hiei announces he’s visiting Rui of his own accord. He kisses his husband’s cheek and promises to bake cookies. “The crispy kind! Even though chewy is better, you weirdo.”

Like every set of spouses that have stumbled upon a difference in opinion that cannot be resolved, they agree to disagree: Hiei wrestles Kuwabara into the bed of native grasses Kurama made them plant when Mrs. Kamiya walks her dog past the front gate and they jump apart like teenagers caught making out behind the school.

“Hey, Mrs. Kamiya!” Kuwabara crosses his arms to try and hide where Hiei had been unbuttoning his shirt; it doesn’t work. “Nice weather today, huh?”

Seventy years old and fully familiar with the concept of two people trying desperately not to be obvious about how much they want to fuck, Mrs. Kamiya winks at them.

“Great, now she thinks we’re perverts,” Kuwabara mutters as he smiles big and waves. “Wednesdays just got a little more awkward.”

Hiei, finding heretofore undiscovered depths of respect for his elderly neighbor, just says, “Like recognizes like.”

Kuwabara ends up baking two kinds of cookies and a loaf of banana bread. He tolerates Hiei eating two cookies before he pushes him out the door. “Save some for Rui!”

Hiei defiantly shoves a third cookie into his mouth in plain sight of his husband before taking to the roof tops. The city is more familiar from a bird’s eye view. Not much has changed up here, even as the people and the store fronts below have been replaced a dozen times from what he remembers before the coma.

He drops down onto Rui’s balcony because he can, neatly sidestepping the snow plants that hail from the coldest regions of Makai. He briefly wonders how it’s possible for them to thrive on earth before opening the sliding door--Rui left it unlocked.

She doesn’t bother hiding her pleasure at his presence. Rui stands, her long, brown skirt swaying around her ankles, and says, “Some things never change, do they? You still seem to think of elevators as quaint human inventions to be bypassed entirely.”

Hiei glances at the painting of Hyouga. “The glacial ivy outside-”

“A little piece of home.” She gestures for him to take a seat on the couch before pouring each of them a cup of tea. Hiei sets Kuwabara’s baked goods on the coffee table. “A tolerable one, at any rate. Would you like a cutting? You’ve declined in the past, but perhaps you’ll change your mind. Cats are completely unaffected by the venom, should Mr. Sims become unusually curious about the leaves.”

Kuwabara would love a chance to grow it. They have a window sill lined with repurposed glass jars and plants rooting in water and sunlight. “How are they surviving in such comparatively mild weather?”

“They can exist in subarctic temperatures, but it doesn’t mean they need them to live.” She offers Hiei an orange mug with sleepy cat faces tumbling from the rim. “The weather here actually makes them less toxic. They don’t need to produce as much of it when there are no ice creatures around to eat them.”

Hiei accepts the mug. Kuwabara probably gave it to her as a gift. He is thoughtful about others in a way Hiei is trying to understand and learn himself. “A cutting would be nice, thank you.”

They sit in silence, enjoying their tea. It’s more companionable than Hiei would have expected.

Rui looks out at the ivy on her balcony. The wind gently flutters the leaves along the vine. It’s not as gnarled or as thick as the one Yukina has. “You have every right to despise me,” she says, “but if you are at all willing, I would like to try and regain your trust.” She fiddles nervously with the hem of her blouse. “You are Hina’s only son. You and Yukina, you are all that is left of her in all the realms.”

The thought startles Hiei. He’s never thought of himself as a part of Hina, as her legacy to the world. If his mother knew what he grew up to be, he fears she would reject him as harshly as the rest of their kin. “Yukina says you were like sisters.”

Rui’s voice is oddly flat. “‘Like sisters,’” she parrots. She abruptly turns to the wooden chest at the foot of her bed. “I suppose that was true once.” She opens the trunk and pulls out a portfolio of drawings. She hands them to Hiei without a word.

Hiei sets down the mug and takes the portfolio. He pulls out the first sketch: his mother, pointing at the sky and laughing.

Rui watches his reaction closely. He’s not sure what she’s waiting for.

He continues to reverently inspect each drawing. Hina pouts in watercolor, spins on her tip toes in charcoal.

Some understanding begins to dawn on him; every picture Rui has crafted is of Hina, lovingly captured in all her moods and phases.

He looks at Rui, unsure of how to ask. She nods, confirming the unspoken revelation.

“Relationships with outsiders are forbidden in Hyouga, but relationships among the Koorime are equally condemned.”

“You and my mother--”

“We can give birth without ever knowing the touch of another. So, village elders have interpreted for generations that this means we shouldn’t.”

Rui was in love with his mother--and she still threw him away. “She...reciprocated?”

Rui nods, too overwhelmed to speak. It pains Hiei to look at her. The heartbreak on Rui’s face reminds him terribly of those fragile smiles Kuwabara gave him when he first came home, not yet certain that he would stay. “Even though the village tried to shame relationships like ours out of existence, there had been many women like us before we were born, and there will be Koorime like us as long as Hyouga exists.”

Hiei looks down at the last portrait of his mother in the portfolio. Her hand covers a slightly swollen stomach. She stares solemnly at the viewer, all traces of her former joy and exuberance gone. In this picture, she looks a little more like Hiei than she does Yukina.

“She asked me to run away with her. She hated hiding, hated that it was all we could have if we stayed. I was too afraid to go, but I was also sure she would never leave.”

But she did leave, and she brought back Hiei with her, a secret tucked beneath her heart. “Did she ever speak of my father?”

Rui’s eyes flutter shut. He almost regrets asking. “Not in words, exactly. I got the impression that he-he died, I’m sorry to say.” She does sound genuinely sorry. If Kuwabara fathered a child with someone else, Hiei would not feel so charitable.

“My mother had no choice but to return.”

“She thought she could convince them that you were different, that you wouldn’t be like the children the elders held up as boogeymen, a curse upon those who defied the laws. She already loved you so much; she couldn’t conceive of our people not feeling the same.”

He feels like he’s falling all over again. “That’s why they made you do it, isn’t it? Because they knew of your relationship.”

“They couldn’t resist punishing us both in the worst way they could imagine. Hina might have forgiven me for not leaving with her, but she never would forgive me for killing her son.”

So Hiei lost his mother and sister both. And he lost--whatever Rui could have been.

He cradles the portfolio carefully against his chest, and waits for the ground to rush up and meet him.

#yyh #hiei x kuwabara #my fic #canon child abuse cw #hxk amnesia fic

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