#i think so much of fandom thinks that there r only those two poles that exist for him

[ilynpilled]

im gonna be petty for a second but i do think that some shippers do not actually care for jaime as a whole character that much. which is fine but idk y u have to pretend otherwise. like it is just hard for me to buy the claim that he is a huge favorite of yours when u ignore a huge chunk of his narrative. again i do not mind it if someone is only that interested in him as an extension of the narratives of characters they really do love, but when that turns into “i have an unbiased and better understanding of him and i love him for what he really is” it falls real flat when the take that follows is the most blatantly incorrect thing that contradicts much of his narrative at the core. and i do value ppl that are more critical of him i think it is good because i despise when he is woobified and reduced in complexity and ofc it can balance my perspective since i have such a deep love for him. but there is a difference between reductionist misreads and actual legitimate acknowledgement of his huge flaws, especially ones within the jc dynamic. and ofc the same happens on the other side of the spectrum where there is a tendency to ignore some major issues he has that r located outside of his dynamic w brienne. jaime is a character outside of these two ppl with incredible internal narratives that are not solely rooted in just his relationship with these women. he has a very complicated and layered relationship with the self and his grappling with that manifests in different ways.

[a-secret-bolton-vampire]

Young Griff, Part 1: The Pisswater Prince

So, I know I haven't done a super deep dive in a while. I kinda got stuck, then binged Sense8, The OA, The Americans, and Dark. It just got hard to write, and I feel into a bit of depression. But I finally managed to complete this, something I've wanted to write about for a very long time. This is part of the Daenerys essays, but the main focus is not on her, but rather the enigmatic Young Griff who appears in ADWD. As he was never seen on the TV show, we have little to no idea of what his future holds. Personally, of all the characters cut from the show, I most wish they kept Young Griff, because his presence is quite interesting. The fandom (and the in-world characters) are highly skeptical of his identity, and think he is destined for major things in the future of the story.

There is no doubt his existence is tied heavily to Daenerys's storyline, although perhaps not the way that is often recognized. This was originally going to just be one long essay, but I uncovered more and more that I found compelling enough to write, and so it became split into two parts. The first part will be about Aegon's role in the story; his identity, what he represents, why he is here. The second part will be about Aegon's future; his next moves in the Stormlands, possible allies, and how he might meet his end.

The Dubious Prince

What's curious is that apparently, Aegon's return has been considered by GRRM for quite a while. A mere 2 days before the publishing of ASOS, in 2000, GRRM was asked a question by a fan:

Fan: I was wondering if you could answer (or take the "fifth") one teeny little question I've been dying to ask for the past year: Are Aegon and Rhaenys, Elia's children, well and truly dead? GRRM: All I have to say is that there is absolutely no doubt that little Princess Rhaenys was dragged from beneath her father's bed and slain.

And then when ADWD is published in 2011, it is revealed that in fact, Aegon isn't dead, but secretly alive. This is something that was actually rumoured in Westeros, according to this entry of Aegon VI in A World of Ice and Fire app:

Rumors persist, however, that it was not truly Aegon who was killed, but some other infant, and that Aegon has been taken away to safety.

Aegon literally tells Tyrion the story of how he was whisked away to safety:

"That was not me. I told you. That was some tanner's son from Pisswater Bend whose mother died birthing him. His father sold him to Lord Varys for a jug of Arbor gold. He had other sons but had never tasted Arbor gold. Varys gave the Pisswater boy to my lady mother and carried me away."

It's certainly a great story, that Aegon return from the dead, living in Essos waiting for the chance to take back his birthright. The fact Aegon is still alive is truly a miracle... but is he? Is this young boy who purports to be Aegon really Prince Aegon, son of Prince Rhaegar and Princess Elia? One of the most pervasive fan theories is that Aegon isn't a Targaryen at all, but secretly a Blackfyre, descended from the Targaryen bastard Daemon Blackfyre who rebelled and tried to become king (the Blackfyres are still Targaryens but don't tell them that).

It's such a popular theory that it is considered all but canon, as much as R+L=J is. Now, time for me to commit heresy: I do not buy this theory at all.

For those not in the know, some have pointed out potential circumstantial evidence of Aegon being a Blackfyre; he's supported by the Golden Company, a sellsword company that was made for the Blackfyres and ruled by them until Maelys died on the Stepstones. Dany sees a vision of a cloth dragon swaying on a pole in the House of the Undying, as the Undying call her the "slayer of lies". There is mention of Maelys being the end of male line of House Blackfyre, but no mention of what happened to the female line. There is a story about an inn that had a black dragon made of iron symbolizing the Blackfyres, and after Lord Darry (a Targaryen supporter in the Blackfyre rebellions) took it off, cut it apart, and threw it into the river, one piece showed up years later on the Quiet Isle, having reddened with rust (potentially symbolizing a Blackfyre returning disguised as a Targaryen). Illyrio is oddly emotional when talking about Aegon. Plus the entirety of the Pisswater Prince story sounds really out there and unlikely.

At first glance, I found this theory really compelling. There is all this subtext and reading behind the lines that you didn't see before, and on some level it makes some sense. Why introduce another secret Targaryen in book 5 out of 7 (8)? It also fits neatly with another theory I will talk about more in depth later. However, while it isn't a theory I think is necessarily 100% inaccurate and completely out there, I think it doesn't account for alternatives, and ultimately is an unnecessary plot twist.

The support of the Golden Company isn't all that suspect when you consider just what's been happening since Maelys died. The male line of House Blackfyre is over (who knows what happened to the female line), the Blackfyres no longer rule the Golden Company, they are gone. The Golden Company was also founded by Westerosi exiles who fled Westeros and supported the Blackfyres. The fact the Golden Company broke its contract with Myr and that "some contracts are writ in blood" more has to do with the fact that these people are mostly descendants of Westerosi exiles and want to return home. The idea of the Golden Company wasn't really to be a permanent thing, it was meant to be a means through which the Blackfyres had support when they invaded again, and when the Blackfyres were installed, those exiled lords would get their lost lands back.

With the Blackfyre cause gone, the only thing left for the Golden Company is home. And that's exactly what Aegon is giving them, regardless of him being Targaryen. The slayer of lies visions are implying Daenerys is going to be confronting people who are in some way not true. Stannis (who is the first vision) is not Azor Ahai. This probably means that the cloth dragon represents a fake Targaryen, and in comes Aegon, out of nowhere! The first issue I have is that the vision has to be literal. Prophecies are very tricky, and the House of the Undying prophecies are extremely finicky. What does slayer of lies mean? Does it mean she literally kills the lies? Is it more metaphorical that she exposes people to the truth? And if Aegon really is a true Targaryen, then why is he the mummer's dragon and considered a lie to slay?

Disregarding the fact Varys was a mummer and he is working for Aegon, even if Aegon is a Targaryen, it's very obvious that they need to do a lot to convince people he is one. He has to play the part of Rhaegar's son, because everyone thinks he is dead. Meanwhile, Daenerys has to do literally nothing of the sort, because she has dragons. She embodies what it means to be a Targaryen, she is about to embrace her house words. As Illyrio tells Tyrion, Daenerys is a true Targaryen. But Aegon doesn't have dragons, so he needs to play up his Targness in some other way. Rhaegar was called the Last Dragon. Viserys called himself a Dragon. Aegon is about to try to take Rhaegar's place. But neither Rhaegar, Viserys, or Aegon are the Last Dragon; Daenerys is, and the lie is that he is the last dragon, and that Dany's existence itself is the way she slays the lie. As Dany thinks to herself after Viserys dies, "fire cannot kill a dragon".

Look at Aegon being someone piggybacking off words and looks for his claims. Meanwhile, Daenerys has all the proof one needs. I think the vision is much more esoteric than literal. While Varys's story is suspect and even Tyrion finds it unbelievable, it's not entirely impossible. Hell, Mance Rayder climbed the Wall and went to Winterfell in disguise as a bard twice. It makes sense for Varys to take away Aegon and replace him with another child during Robert's rebellion, when things were going badly for the Targaryens and plans had to be made in case the worst came to worst.

Another popular interpretation is that Illyrio and his wife Serra are Aegon's real son, but I find this to be incredibly flawed. Not only does Serra not really look much like a Targaryen (blue eyes instead of purple), but Illyrio's somewhat emotional confession that he can't see Aegon before he drops Tyrion off doesn't mean he is the boys father. The idea that you need to be someones parent in order to have a strong connection completely holds disregard for other kinds of relationships. Aegon is implied to have been raised for at least a bit in Pentos. Illyrio probably felt some affection for him and genuinely enjoyed his company.

To me, however, it's not really the alternative explanations for the evidence of a Blackfyre conspiracy that convince me Aegon is in fact Rhaegar's son. It's rather simple; what's the point of yet another secret identity plot twist? Consider how we meet Aegon. We meet him through Tyrion's POV in his third chapter, under the guise of the son of a sellsword named Griff, called Young Griff, his hair dyed blue in honour of his dead Tyroshi mother. Tyrion is immediately suspicious, but he's not entirely sure what's going on. We then get two more chapters of him aboard the Shy Maid, and during that time we are meant to be a little confused and unsure what is going on. It's a mystery of why Tyrion is on this boat and who these people are.

By the third chapter of Tyrion on the Shy Maid, the mystery is finally lifted, and all is revealed; Griff isn't Griff, he's Jon Connington, an exiled lord thought to have drunken himself to death. And Young Griff isn't his son; he's Prince Rhaegar's son Aegon, who was thought to have been killed by the Mountain in Robert's Rebellion. I think it's important to remember that it isn't just Aegon who is thought to be dead. JonCon is considered dead too! Two dead people aboard a boat plotting to retake Westeros. We already had a mystery handed to us, and the plot twist was already revealed. Another thing to consider is how thematically and symbolically important the journey down the Rhoyne is for Aegon. To me I think it makes a lot of sense for Rhaegar and Elia's son to be on the Rhoyne, especially since there is a lot of evidence that he and Dorne will eventually ally.

It's also important to remember that apart from a very few sly people, Aegon being secretly alive wasn't even a possibility on most peoples radar. It truly was something that came out of nowhere. While that can be used as a marker against him being Rhaegar's son, with the complaints of such a large character being revealed so late with seemingly no forewarning, I think that's honestly sort of the point.

Aegon's existence is already so large of a twist that it feels awkward to then put in another plot twist that he's actually a Blackfyre, something that really only has significance to the people who have read the Dunk & Egg novellas and know the history of Westeros very well. Although not entirely the same, it reminds me of "the Others are actually morally grey/the good guys" theories, which are in a similar vein of "George is always subversive and this is classic George". However, while the text does sort of lend credence to this theory being at the very most plausible, I feel it's ultimately an unnecessary plot twist built upon another seemingly unnecessary plot twist to try to justify his late entry and/or his significance (as can be noted, I detest calling him fAegon). The plot for Aegon isn't to be uncovered as this secret conspiracy of another ultra-double secret identity, it's about what his existence does to change the story.

Young Griff, Daenerys Stormborn, and Jon Snow

A large part of why the Blackfyre conspiracy theory is so popular is that it actually does have a compelling narrative link to the series. It's a simple progression; there are hints at a second Dance of the Dragons, vision of a mummer's dragon, a fake Targaryen, boom, Dany and Aegon fight. Dany thinks her claim is the best, but then someone appears who has an even better claim, and she fights thinking there's no possible way he could be real. It's an easy to follow trajectory. As always, people are welcome to disagree with my interpretation, but I think there is a far better reason for Aegon's role in the story; he's more foreshadowing for R+L=J.

For certain, there's more to him than just that, but I think this is something that simply cannot be ignored. He's another Targaryen. Yeah, it's kind of a meme to say X is a secret Targaryen, but I actually see the logic in why GRRM did this. Jon Snow is the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, and most likely is a trueborn prince. He is the one destined to have an extremely significant relationship with Daenerys. I plan to eventually write an essay on how R+L=J effects the characters and story by itself, but for preface; I don't buy that R+L=J is there just to make Jon have an identity crisis. Something as significant as that is going to have a lot of consequences and reasons to be around, some more than others. I do think there will be people who will learn the truth and at the very least, some people will believe it.

This is where Aegon's appearance becomes more significant. Here is a Targaryen people had no idea even existed, let alone was still alive. It kinda opens the floodgates for the world to question what is known about Robert's Rebellion. It also serves as precedent for the reveal that Jon Snow reveal. One Targaryen we didn't know existed is suddenly here. Is there another nearby? You can't simplify such a complex plot quite that easily of course, but I think it's significant to think about how the Young Griff twist applies to the story as a whole, and specifically RLJ. George maybe thought of this as the initial purpose for Young Griff, but as per usual, he definitely has other reasons to exist.

In fact, Aegon is a perfect foil for Jon Snow. Both are the son of Rhaegar, both are disguised as someone else, both are thrusted into a leadership position at a young age. However, Jon is unaware of his true parentage, while Aegon is. Jon is reluctant to embrace his identity in general (especially as lord commander) while Aegon is embracing his identity to his fullest extent. In a way, Aegon represents what Jon's life could have become in a parallel world. Instead of being taken as Ned's bastard to Winterfell, he is educated and taught his role and origin in Essos as plotting begins for retaking Westeros. Aegon is literally parallel universe Jon Snow.

Aegon is also a foil for Daenerys (who in turn is a parallel to Jon Snow). Daenerys grew up poor, constantly visiting nobles in the Free Cities but never getting anything in return. She was sold as a marital slave to Drogo. Her brother resented and abused her, and anything she learned she learned from Viserys, who was very unreliable. Yet she climbs up and becomes an incredibly powerful figure, and is now one of the most powerful people in the world. In contrast, Aegon was always protected, given safety, care, education, train at arms. In fact, it might be accurate to say that Aegon is actually spoiled. His interaction with Tyrion while playing cyvasse is a good indication of this. After Tyrion defeats Aegon when he follows the bad advice he gave him (making a point to not always trust people), this happens;

Young Griff jerked to his feet and kicked over the board. Cyvasse pieces flew in all directions, bouncing and rolling across the deck of the Shy Maid. "Pick those up," the boy commanded.

This is quite an extreme reaction. It even reminds Tyrion of Joffrey, and I have to agree this is a very petulant, Joffrey-like outburst. I don't believe Aegon is really anything like Joffrey, but both kids were pretty spoiled and given so much safety and care that when things don't go their way they get upset. Aegon is used to having everything given to him, and Tyrion is the first to show that he won't always win. In contrast, Daenerys has suffered some pretty severe losses; Rhaego, Drogo's khalasar, Drogo, Jorah's betrayal, etc. I have a hard time seeing Daenerys react so badly to this the way Aegon did. It also casts doubt on the speech Varys gave to Kevan as he dies that Aegon was molded to be this perfect king. He may have been raised to be that way, but the opposite might be true instead.

In fact, this might really be the true crux and core of Aegon's storyline. He's touted as the rightful king, this perfect prince who has been taught everything he needs, ready to be this hero who returns to Westeros to reclaim the throne. But Aegon is a deconstruction of that trope. He seems to have everything going for him, and is touted as this great king, but the truth is he remains relatively untested. All the privilege he has been given has only made him spoiled. The game of cyvasse he and Tyrion play is a lot more significant than I think it is given credit for, but that will be saved for part two when I go in depth about his future.

Of course, there has been a lot of pushback against the idea that Aegon is spoiled and that he's no different from Jon and Dany and that it should be expected he react like that to losing cyvasse at his age. While the cyvasse outburst doesn't mean he is going to be evil or anything, I think the context about this is important, and there is a lot more stuff I think hints that Aegon is not really the prince Varys believes him to be. Again, this will be saved for part two.

The Dragons Will Dance Again

In 2003, a fan asked George:

Hi, short question. Will we find out more about the Dance of the Dragons in future books? GRRM: The first dance or the second? The second will be the subject of a book. The first will be mentioned from time to time, I'm sure.

This is further supported by a quote by Teora Toland in the first Arianne sample chapter for TWOW:

"It is dragons." "Dragons?" said her mother. "Teora, don't be mad." "I'm not. They're coming." "How could you possibly know that?" her sister asked, with a note of scorn in her voice. "One of your little dreams?" Teora gave a tiny nod, chin trembling. "They were dancing. In my dream. And everywhere the dragons danced the people died."

The use of the language of dragons dancing is very noteworthy, and when connected with the SSM show in-text hints that a second Dance is indeed going to happen. Various theories include that this refers to Jon vs. Dany, Dany vs. Euron, Dany vs. Aegon, or Jon vs. Aegon. The most common theory in the fandom is Dany vs. Aegon, with Dany believing Aegon to be a fake Targaryen and refusing to acknowledge his claim to the throne. Instead of facing Cersei as in the show, Daenerys will face Aegon.

The extension of this theory is that Dorne will ally with Aegon, with an ambitious Arianne marrying Aegon, and a burnt toast Quentyn showing Daenerys's rejection, turning Dorne against Daenerys. When Daenerys invades Westeros, Aegon is to be the perfect prince while Dany plays the role of the evil Mad King's daughter. In retaliation of Dorne siding with a false Targaryen instead of a true Targaryen, Dany will burn the Water Gardens. On a narrative level it kinda does make a lot of sense. In the first Areo chapter, Doran mentions that the blood oranges are well past ripe. He has waited for his vengeance for 17 years, because he's so careful about the cost, but in the end all that waiting will do him in and the second Daenerys will burn the Water Gardens that were built for the first Daenerys.

There is just a slight problem... someone talked about the theory that Daenerys will burn the Water Gardens in the comment section of a NotABlog post, and GRRM very quickly shut it down by saying "the Water Gardens bit... uh no". Not that we needed GRRM to debunk this tired theory, it didn't make much sense in the first place since the Water Gardens hold no strategic value and burning it would mean Daenerys has to do it for no reason other than needless cruelty.

The bigger issue I have is that of Dany and Aegon even fighting in the first place. Despite everything, what a "second Dance of the Dragons" even means is incredibly vague. A Targaryen succession crisis? A Targ succession crisis leading to war? A Targaryen man fighting a Targaryen woman? Does it need to be on the same scale as the original Dance? We have no context other than this and it could mean literally anything. What's more, there is a very often overlooked SSM that kinda puts the dampers on this theory a bit;

The second Dance of Dragons does not have to mean Dany's invasion. Geroge stopped himself short and said he shouldn't say anymore. The response came because of my question of whether the dance would take place in ADWD because AFFC and ADWD parallel.

We will definitely see more of Aegon in TWOW, and we'll probably get to know him better. I'm not going to argue that Aegon appearing in book 5 of 7 is bad writing, because I don't think it necessarily is. Perhaps he won't be as major a character as the fandom believes him to be. However, if Daenerys and Aegon are going to clash, there needs to be time for the characters to interact and establish any sort of relationship. I think the idea that Dany hears of Aegon's existence and immediately thinks he is a fake and goes to war with him completely disregards both Dany's character and how you establish a tragic event like this.

The first Dance of the Dragons was not something that happened on a whim. It was the result of decades of hatred built towards two factions. They weren't always antagonistic to each other, but as the years passed, the blacks and the greens grew to hate each other more and more and more until it took the death of the king that kept them at bay to start a devastating war. Dany declaring Aegon a fake without ever having met him and going to war with him is incredibly simplistic. Also, think about it from Dany's perspective.

Viserys was an abusive asshole to her, yet she still thinks about him and even feels lonely. It's natural to want to have a family and someone to feel close with. Dany is warned about the mummer's dragon, yes, but she is also lonely and thinks all her family is dead, that she is alone in the world. So what would really happen if she learned Aegon existed? For sure there would be intense skepticism, but I think there is a part of her that will at the very least want to believe it to be true. Daenerys is very ambitious yes, but I don't think she would simply refuse to believe someone is her nephew because that means he has a better claim to the throne.

Besides, kinslaying is a huge taboo, and killing someone who claims to be her nephew without being sure is definitely going to not be the best option in her mind. And also, Aegon hasn't done anything yet to earn Dany's resentment, unlike Viserys. There might be some anger at Illyrio, some serious shock, denial even, but at the end of the day, this is one more family member she didn't know she even had. The show portrayed Jon's parentage as being a bad thing for her since he would have a better claim, but I doubt that will be the first thing on Dany's mind. In fact, she thinks to herself what would happen if Aegon was alive:

Five Aegons had ruled the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. There would have been a sixth, but the Usurper's dogs had murdered her brother's son when he was still a babe at the breast. If he had lived, I might have married him.

There is a good chance that the emotions she feels when learning about Aegon will be a precursor to the R+L=J reveal with Jon Snow. Just more reason Aegon is a big step towards R+L=J being confirmed.

Although Daenerys is quite ready to leave Slaver's Bay for Westeros at the end of ADWD, Aegon's existence might motivate her to leave even more quickly and solidify her goal to get the Iron Throne. However, I don't think that Aegon is going to become a new main character. His appearance and his actions I feel are more important than his actual character. And hey, maybe the second Dance will involved Daenerys and Aegon, but I think there is enough reason to doubt it.

Next up; the Golden Company landing, Dorne, and Aegon's game of cyvasse, detailed.

[dallanebbia]

selcouth

fandom: bnha pairing: kacchako; bakugou katsuki x uraraka ochako word count: 6.6k warnings: minor descriptions of injuries synopsis: five times uraraka held bakugou’s hand – and the one time he held hers. pre-relationship, second year, future fic notes: written for day 5 of kacchako week 2020, with the prompt ‘hand holding.’ fun fact, this was the very last prompt i wrote for this event! i went back and forth with a ton of different plots,  but i ended up with a good ol’ 5+1 fic, ft. lots of fluff and an emotionally dumb, oblivious bakugou. when i started writing this ship, it was hard for me to get into bakugou’s head to write from his pov, but i think i’m getting a little better at it :) ao3: [link]

selcouth (n.) – Old English, something unfamiliar, unusual or wondrous

─── ･｡ﾟ❁ﾟ｡･ ───

The first time Uraraka held his hand was literally only because he had no other choice.

“Jeez, Bakugou… do you always hafta be so intense about things?”

Uraraka winced at the grotesque sight of Bakugou’s knee, swelling into an angry purple color between the shredded remains of his hero costume pants. 

“Tch, like I was gonna let someone else beat me to the action,” he scowled, leaning against an electrical pole for support.

In retrospect, launching himself headfirst into an ongoing robbery wasn’t the smartest idea – especially when he was only supposed to be an intern. He’d kicked ass of course – those shitty villains had nothing on him – but the busted kneecap and fractured foot he got in exchange weren’t really doing him any favors. 

Kamui Woods had taken one look at him, sighed heavily, and radioed Uraraka to escort Bakugou back to the agency for healing while he dealt with the police.

Bakugou had protested, saying that he didn’t need help – but it was quickly becoming clear that he wasn’t going anywhere. The pain in his legs was excruciating, throbbing in time to his heartbeat, and it took every ounce of his remaining energy to keep himself from collapsing in the middle of the street. 

“Bakugou –” Uraraka bit her lip, watching in worry as he tried to push himself upright, flinching violently. On instinct, she stepped forward, immediately coming up to try and steady him. “Let me –”

“I don’t need your fuckin’ help, Round Face,” he barked, jerking himself away from her outstretched hands. It was a mistake, though – he grimaced, his face crumpling in pain, and he missed the way Uraraka’s eyes narrowed in determination. 

“There’s no way you’re gettin’ back to the agency like that, Bakugou,” she said sternly. “Quit bein’ such a damn edgelord and let me help you!”

“Fuck off,” Bakugou snarled. “I don’t need some pink-cheeked – you bitch, don’t you fucking dare.”

“You really wanna be carried outta here on a stretcher?” He felt anger boiling in his blood just thinking about it. “That’s what I thought.” The set of Uraraka’s mouth just tilted down stubbornly, and before he could keep protesting, she slapped a hand over his bicep.

“I’ll murder you.” His eyes glared daggers into the side of her head, but the pain in his expression eased as he rose into the air.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Uraraka rolled her eyes, grabbing a fistful of his pants and tugging him along as she started down the street. There were already emergency responders helping to clean the crime scene, the police herding the robbers into cars, and all that was left was for them to check into medical and write up their reports. “Lord Explosion Murder, we get it already.”

“That’s King to you, Round Face,” he spat out, making a face as his body started to turn awkwardly in the air. “Oi, quit movin’ me around so much, I’m gonna flip over!”

Uraraka threw him an annoyed look, and adjusted her grip so that she was holding a bigger handful of fabric. “Well, it’s this or your foot, and I don’t wanna risk makin’ your injuries worse than they already are.”

“You’ll make them worse if you keep making me bump into random shit,” he sputtered furiously. He tried batting himself out of the way of a traffic sign, only to be jerked out of the way at the last second like a balloon. “Fuck – I said quit that!”

“If I knew you were gonna be such a pain about this…” Uraraka huffed and came to a stop in the middle of the goddamn sidewalk, ignoring all the attention they were drawing. “Fine, lemme just – “

Bakugou faltered as she yanked him down closer to her, grabbing his gloved hand in hers.

“O-oi, what are you – ?” He scrabbled at his arm, trying to shove her away, but his bulky gauntlets made it virtually impossible.

“S’just my hand, Bakugou,” Uraraka sighed, and tossed him a frown when he kept trying to pull himself out of her grip. “Stop bein’ so weird about it!”

“I’m not being weird,” he snapped, biting the inside of his cheek to hide his discomfort. Had her grip always been so strong? “I could blow your fucking arm off!”  

That earned him a scoff. “You’ve got the most control over your quirk outta anyone from our class, Bakugou. There’s no way you’re gonna blow my arm off,” she said exasperatedly, and he blinked a little at the way she said it, as if it were obvious. “Look, if it’s such a big deal, I’ll princess carry you back instead.”

“Try that and I’m actually gonna kill you,” he growled darkly. Shitty Hair was supposed to swing by the agency so they could grab dinner, and there was no fucking way Bakugou was letting his dumbfuck best friend see him carried in like a damsel in distress.  

Uraraka grinned to herself in victory. “You already said that.”

“Well, I mean it!” he grumbled, and slowly resigned himself to being dragged along like a balloon. At least he was floating right-side up now – and facing the right direction this time.

“… Wait. Did you call me a fuckin’ edgelord?”

─── ･｡ﾟ❁ﾟ｡･ ───

The second time Uraraka held his hand was an accident.

“Oh sweet Jesus.”

Bakugou exhaled slowly, trying to quell the frustration bubbling in his stomach, and shot a dirty look to the side.

“Oi,” he snapped, glaring at the petite brunette sitting next to him. “Zip it, Round Face.” Uraraka had been squealing and muttering under her breath since the damn movie started, and he was over it.

“Eeek – sorry!” Uraraka whispered, flashing him a wavering, apologetic smile before an upswell in the creepy background music made her features contort in a wince.

Bakugou just grunted, turning his eyes back to the laptop screen. He didn’t know how Pinky got Uraraka to join their weekly movie night ritual, but he had ended up next to her on Shitty Hair’s bed, the two of them squished her up against the wall. Pikachu and Tape Face were sprawled out on the rest of the bed, slowly dozing off, but Shitty Hair and Pinky, who had commandeered the floor space, had left the room ten minutes ago for snacks, and they hadn’t come back yet.

He hoped to hell that they weren’t making out in the hallway again.

“Oh god,” he heard Uraraka squeak quietly, as on the screen, a flash of lightning showed the silhouette of a man in the dark house, while the female protagonist was sleeping, completely unaware. “Oh god, oh fuck no – “

His eyes cut over to the side, eyeing Uraraka in surprise. “The hell?” he muttered, and brown eyes darted in his direction. “Since when do you curse?”

Uraraka frowned at him, but flinched as the woman on screen jolted awake. “M’allowed to curse, Bakugou, I’m not a kid,” she whispered back fiercely, but flinched as another flash of lightning showed the dark figure standing by the woman’s bed. “Ohmygod, ohmygod –“

He scoffed. “It ain’t even that scary, Cheeks,” he murmured with an eyeroll. “This is pussy shit.”

“Maybe for you!” she hissed, and let out a whimper as the music faded, leaving only the sound of the woman’s heavy breathing filtering through the speakers. “Oh my god, no no no – ”

At this point, Bakugou just tilted his head to sneer at her. “Seriously? You could literally fuck that guy up in a second.”

Uraraka made a face. “Just ‘cause I could, doesn’t mean it’s any less creepy! Nobody wants to wake up and find some serial killer in their house!” she protested, a little too loudly, and they both froze as Pikachu groaned a little, shifting so he was sprawled over Tape Face a bit more, before falling limp again.

For a few blissful minutes, she kept quiet while the movie played – but when the main character let out a dramatic gasp, she jumped again, hands flying to her face. She curled herself into a ball, peeking through the fingers covering her eyes, and Bakugou couldn’t help but mutter, “Tch, you’re such a wimp.”

Uraraka’s head whipped up, eyes narrowed. “I am not a wimp!” she whispered hotly.

A blonde eyebrow rose doubtfully. “Are too.”

“Are not!”

“Are too.”

“Are not!”

“Yes, you are,” he emphasized lowly, nodding at the laptop screen. He recognized the scene playing on the screen, and he had to bite back his smirk as he goaded, “You’re not even watching the damn movie.”

“Fine, I’ll prove it!” With a huff, Uraraka sat up, leaning forward and staring at the laptop with knitted brows. Bakugou let himself grin a little – baiting her was fun, but he kept his eyes on her as the main character crept down the dark hallway. He’d seen the movie once a while back, but he remembered that there was a jump scare, just after –   

“Holyfuckingshit!” The shrill, tinny scream from the movie almost covered Uraraka’s strangled squeal of fright, but Bakugou sure as hell didn’t miss the way the brunette leapt clean into the air, diving into Shitty Hair’s comforter like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand. Bakugou couldn’t quite hide his snickering, his body shaking as he cackled quietly, but when he tried to bring his hand up to wipe at his eyes, something was preventing him from moving.

“The fuck?” he uttered, staring down in bewilderment. At some point, Uraraka had grabbed his hand during her freak out, clenching it tight against her forehead, as if trying to hide her entire body behind the width of his hand. She looked utterly ridiculous, but some part of him couldn’t help but notice how fucking tiny her hands were.

Then, he realized that he was starting to float off the bed.

“Oi, let me go!” he hissed, shaking his hand to try and get her attention.

“H-huh?” Uraraka sat up, a little wild-eyed, and Bakugou leaned over to poke her in the middle of her forehead, hard.

“Your quirk, you idiot!”

Her mouth dropped open in mortification as she realized she had commandeered his hand, pushing it away from her abruptly as she quickly pressed her fingers together. “Sorry, sorry!” she squeaked, and Bakugou dropped back onto the mattress with a thump. “Oh god, I didn’t mean to – ”

“Will you chill the fuck out already?” he grumbled, repositioning himself on the mattress and kicking Pikachu’s fat ass over to give him some more room. He didn’t want her to use him as a teddy bear again, so he grabbed a pillow and shoved it at her. “Here, if you really need to hide behind something...”

He let his voice trail off as Uraraka took the pillow, still flushed in embarrassment. “… sorry,” she offered again, a little timidly, and Bakugou sighed.

“…Whatever, it’s fine,” he muttered, balling the hand she had held in a fist. It felt weird for some reason – why did his palm feel so prickly all of a sudden? “Just shut up already, will you?”

Uraraka just mimed zipping her lips together, nodding furiously, and he rolled his eyes as he turned back to the screen, a good half-meter between them.

─── ･｡ﾟ❁ﾟ｡･ ───

The third time Uraraka held his hand was just… weird.

“Shit.”

Bakugou glared down at the sloppy tangle of gauze wrapped loosely around his hands. With a grimace, he yanked the bandages away, gritting his teeth against the pain that shot through his body, the echoing ache digging down deep into his bones.

He wanted to call Shitty Hair for help, but the redhead was out for the weekend, visiting his family. There was no way he was going to cave and ask anyone else for help, so Bakugou had sucked it up and tried taking care of it himself.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t going so well.

“Eh? Is that you, Bakugou?” His head snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice, and a glance over his shoulder revealed Uraraka, standing in the entrance of the common room in her pajamas. Her hair was a mess and she was rubbing at her face sleepily, but none of that explained what she was doing up at three in the fucking morning.

“What the hell are you doing?” he scowled, turning his back to her.

“I got thirsty,” she yawned. “Why are you up so late? Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“What are you, my fuckin’ mother?” he snapped. “Fuck off.”

“Right…” Uraraka pursed her lips, padding to the kitchen. “I was just askin’, sheesh…”

Even though his body was hidden by the couch, and there was no way for her to see anything other than his head as she crossed the room, Bakugou still buried his hands into the front pockets of his hoodie. He was in pain and frustrated and exhausted, and he felt like a spring wound too tight. Uraraka’s sudden appearance had caught him off guard, and he felt oddly exposed for some reason.

She disappeared into the kitchen, and Bakugou exhaled slowly. He slowly pulled his hands back out, grabbing the bundle of gauze with a wince and settling down to untangle the mess for the hundredth time. He could feel his hands protesting, the stitches crawling up his palms already starting to bleed through antibacterial gel he’d lathered on earlier, and he slumped even further into the couch as frustration burned at the backs of his eyes.

“Um… Bakugou?”

He froze, eyes sliding to the side to see Uraraka. She was standing at the other end of the couch, a glass of water in hand, and looked both hesitant and determined all at once.

“Mind your own fuckin’ business, Round Face.” He ducked his head, swallowing as he took a steadying breath.

He picked at the tangled bandages, but the couch dipped suddenly under him. He felt Uraraka scoot close until she was sitting at his side, body turned to face him as she said softly, “If you want, I can…?”

She held her hand out, waiting for him to give her the gauze.

His first instinct was to say no. It was bad enough that he had to ask Shitty Hair for help, but he didn’t want anyone else seeing what a weak little shit he was. He had to learn how to do it himself at some point too – there wasn’t a point in relying on someone when he could do it alone, just as well or even better.

Still… his gaze fell to her outstretched hand, and he noticed the faint scars covering the skin of her palm and fingers. The pale marks were obviously not new, not years old either – but they were well healed, without any excess scar tissue. He didn’t know how he never noticed them before.

Huh. He flicked his gaze up to her face, where she watched him with patient eyes, gnawing at her lip nervously. Well, not like she can make it worse.

“… whatever.” He slapped the bandages into her waiting palm, and cursed himself for being a dumbass as pain and black dots exploded across his vision. “Do what you want,” he muttered with a grimace. He turned his head away, jaw set stubbornly, but slowly, he let his gaze slide to the side, watching her from the corner of his eye.

To his disgruntlement, Uraraka combed through the mess easily, fingers plucking until the length of gauze was coiled loosely in her lap. She reached towards him, and Bakugou had to bite back the instinct to recoil from her touch as she tugged his hand over, cupping it as she started to wrap his palm.

Her hands were cool against his skin, her touch firm yet gentle. She moved quickly and confidently, as if she’d done this exact same thing a hundred times before, and he didn’t notice his head turning to watch her work until she glanced up at him. She met his gaze with a startled “eep!,” and then immediately directed them back down with an embarrassed flush.

He felt his cheeks turn hot, and a weird buzzing sensation settled below his skin, one that got really loud every time Uraraka’s fingers brushed over his. It wasn’t a bad thing per se, but it felt disconcerting – and after she finished tying off the ends of the bandages, he immediately pulled his hands back.

He examined them, begrudgingly impressed. The wraps looked as good as when Recovery Girl had done them, possibly better – but he figured the pain was the reason he was thinking so weirdly, so he pushed the thought out of his head.

“How do they feel?” Uraraka asked. “Not too tight?”

“S’alright,” he mumbled. “Better than how Shitty Hair does it.”

For some reason, she laughed. “Don’t let him hear you say that. He was really touched that you asked him for help, y’know?”

“He’s fucking dead,” Bakugou growled, because of course Shitty Hair went and blabbed. He leaned back against the cushions with a sigh – the stabbing ache was still there, but it was slowly dulling. Without the stress of trying to wrap his injuries by himself, he felt ten times lighter.

He glanced over to Uraraka, who was staring off into nothing, toying with her half-filled water glass absently. His gaze dropped to her hands again, curiosity niggling at the edge of his brain, and he asked brusquely, “How the hell do you know how to do shit like this anyways?”

She jumped a little, blinking in surprise, but when he didn’t say anything, just waiting for an answer, she giggled nervously. “Oh, well… durin’ my internship with Gunhead, he taught me how to throw knives!”

He jerked upright at that, his eyes bugging out, because what the fuck?

“And I was pretty bad at it at first,” Uraraka continued, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. “I kept cuttin’ my hands up… so I got a lot of practice with takin’ care of stuff like that!”

“Knives?” he repeated incredulously. “You can throw fuckin’ knives?”

“Yeah?” She shrugged, as if she wasn’t aware of how fucking badass she sounded. “I mean, you never know when you’ll need one – that’s what Gunhead always said. I asked the Support Department to add a bunch to my hero costume, but I hafta pass some sort of test before I’m cleared to carry them…”

Bakugou huffed, clicking his tongue. “Un-fucking-believable,” he muttered, shaking his head. He knew that she was strong, but he could feel his respect for her leaping up a few notches.

Knives. Who would’ve thought?

Unfortunately, Uraraka somehow interpreted his words as disbelief, and her eyes narrowed into a glare.

“Hey, I’m serious!” she scowled, scooting closer so she could shove her hand into his face. “See – this one’s from where I dropped one and tried catchin’ it, but I didn’t get all my fingers on the handle… and this one is because I was testin’ out different weights, and there was this one that was super heavy and slipped and cut my palm. And this one –”

Bakugou rolled his eyes, but continued to listen as she chattered away. His gaze settled on one scar that curved from the middle of her left palm across the meat below her thumb, grazing the back of her wrist like a half-drawn contour line. The mark shined a little, catching the light as her arms moved, and he found himself oddly mesmerized by it.

Absently, he wondered what it would feel like, pressed up against the skin of his palm.

─── ･｡ﾟ❁ﾟ｡･ ───

The fourth time Uraraka held his hand didn’t really count – not until he apologized.

“Yield?”

Bakugou scowled, hands scrabbling against the muscled thighs squeezing his neck. “Hell… no…” he croaked through gritted teeth.

 “Ah-ah-ah,” Uraraka chided, her voice already lilting gleefully. The legs around his throat tightened just a little more. “You ain’t gettin’ out this time, Bakugou – yield already!”

He struggled against her for a few more seconds, trying to squirm his way out of the chokehold, but after another warning squeeze, he sighed, falling limp with a groan. “Fine, fine,” he grumbled, “I yield, now let me go!”

He gasped as Uraraka released him, gulping down air as he tried to catch his breath. At his side, Uraraka rolled onto her knees, grinning in victory.

“Heh, that’s one more for me!” she cheered, pumping the air with her fist, and she gave him a cheeky grin. “Better watch out Bakugou, soon you’re gonna be eatin’ my dust!”

“Tch, don’t get all cocky just yet,” he barked, pushing himself up off the floor. He used the bottom of his tank top to wipe at his face, wincing at the sting of sweat dripping into his eyes. “I’ve still got fifty wins to your forty-eight!”

“Yeah, but I’m catchin’ up!” she shot back, waving her hand dismissively. “You used to have like, ten wins on me at one point – just a few more spars and we’ll be tied!”

He scowled, but only because she wasn’t wrong – when they’d first agreed to start sparring together, a little while after his hands had finally healed up properly, he’d been pinning her to the ground consistently. Then, she started going to those supplemental martial arts classes, and he started getting his ass kicked more and more.

For some reason though, he didn’t mind the idea of losing if it meant he was losing to Uraraka.

Still, he had a reputation to uphold, so he rolled his eyes and spat out, “Pft, in your fuckin’ dreams, Cheeks.”

Uraraka paused, head tilting in confusion. “Cheeks?” she asked, brow raised. “What happened to Round Face?”

“I mean…” Bakugou cursed internally – he hadn’t meant to let the nickname slip out, but since it was already out there… he leaned forward and poked her, right below the pink blush staining her cheekbone. “If the shoe fits, and all that shit.”

It was also meant to refer to her ass, but he figured that she didn’t have to know that.

Uraraka’s expression darkened as he kept poking at her cheek, jerking her face away. “Stop that,” she snapped, and Bakugou just smirked.

“Or what?” he said teasingly. He didn’t quite know how it happened, but trolling Uraraka had become his favorite pastimes – she was just too easy to rile up. He just reached forward and poked her again, ignoring the glare she was giving him. “Whatcha gonna do, Cheeks?”

“If you poke me one more time, I swear – ”

He just snorted, going in to squish her cheek again, but Uraraka’s arm whipped up and caught his hand in a claw-like grip, her thumb digging into a pressure point that sent a stabbing pain shooting through him. “Ow, ow – fuck, what the hell – ?!”

She shoved him away as he crumpled under the force of her grip, and her voice was loud and angry as she yelled, “I said stop, Bakugou!”

He fell back, brows knitted in confusion as Uraraka stood up abruptly, stalking over to where they’d placed their things earlier. She pulled on her jacket roughly, grabbing her water bottle, and Bakugou scrambled to his feet as he realized that she was actually upset.

He caught her right before she made it to the locker room, grabbing her shoulder. “Oi, what was that for?”

“Let me go!”

“Not until you explain,” he growled, and yanked her back so she was facing him. “You’re being all moody now, what gives?”

“You were bein’ a jerk,” she snapped, mouth downturned as she stared at him defiantly. “I don’t appreciate bein’ made fun of.”

What? He frowned. “When the hell did I make fun of you?”

“You called me Cheeks!” she exclaimed furiously. “And you kept pokin’ at ‘em, lookin’ all smug!”

She said it so pointedly, as if that had proved her point, but Bakugou just felt even more confused. Were all girls so fuckin’ weird?

“You’ve got chubby cheeks, so I called you Cheeks.” He didn’t know what was happening – he thought the name fit pretty well, but clearly she didn’t agree. “How the fuck is that making fun of you?”

Uraraka’s jaw clenched. “You literally just called them chubby,” she said, her voice tight as she looked away.

“Cause they are, dumbass.” He paused then, studying her, and as she curled an arm over her stomach, he finally realized what she was going on about.

Bakugou frowned. He knew girls were all sensitive about their bodies and stuff, but he’d thought that Uraraka wasn’t the type to worry about that stuff. She was always stuffing her face when there was free food around, and her costume was basically skin-tight; he figured that she had to have some measure of confidence to pull that kind of shit off, but maybe he was wrong.

“M’not saying that you’re fat,” he said slowly, trying to come up with the right words to explain himself. He knew he could come off as an asshole, but he wasn’t the kind of guy who said shit like that. “You’re not, alright?”

“Whatever, Bakugou.” She didn’t seem convinced, rolling her eyes as she tried shrugging his hand away.

“Oi, I mean it.” He tugged on her shoulder insistently until she met his gaze. “Nobody gives a fuck about what you look like, Uraraka. You’re strong, and that’s all that matters. So fuckin’ what if you’ve got chipmunk cheeks – they’re c-cute, so fuck whoever gives you crap about ‘em!”

He stuttered over the word, his face flushing a little, and he had to avert his eyes when she blinked up at him in surprise. It felt awkward as hell, saying something like that out loud, but he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea about him.

He didn’t want her thinking that way about herself.

“Oh.” He heard Uraraka exhale slowly, as if trying to gather her thoughts. Then, she laughed a little and said, “Who are you and what have you done to Bakugou?”

“Oi, what’s that supposed to mean?” His head whipped up, a glare ready, but it faltered as he saw the smile on Uraraka’s face as she stared at him. It was small and soft, and there was something he couldn’t quite name lingering in her expression. He felt his tongue go heavy all of a sudden, and all he could do was swallow thickly as a swooping sensation erupted in his stomach.

She shrugged. “You bein’ nice is just… strange, I guess.”

That made him scowl. “I’m always fucking nice, what the hell?”

“Keep tellin’ yourself that, Bakugou,” she said dryly, and then shook her head, huffing a little. “Well, I guess Cheeks is better than Round Face, in any case…”

Her voice trailed off, and the silence that fell between them felt heavy and oppressive as Bakugou shifted on the balls of his feet. There was something weird about the way Uraraka was peering up at him, almost expectantly, but he didn’t know what she was waiting for.

Eventually, he settled on just repeating himself – he figured it wouldn’t hurt to hammer his point in, just one more time. “I mean it, y’know,” he grumbled. “You’re fine the way you are.”

“… Thanks.” For some reason, that made Uraraka’s shoulders slump a little, but before he could read into it, she offered him that weird little smile again. “That means a lot, comin’ from you.”

“Hah?” He blinked. “Why?”

“You’re always upfront and blunt ‘bout what you’re thinkin’,” she explained, and reached up to lay her hand over his, still resting on the curve of her shoulder. She squeezed gently, before dragging it off of her. “I know you really mean it – you aren’t sayin’ stuff just to make me feel better.”

Their hands hung between them, Uraraka still holding his, and goosebumps trailed up his arm as he felt his skin tingle under her touch. Even as she let go, the feeling lingered, and he couldn’t help but flex his hand, trying to work the strange sensation away.

“I don’t do that kind of fake shit,” he said, clearing his throat a little, and tried to hide his discomfort by shoving his hands in his pockets. “But… if you really don’t want me to call you that, I’ll stop.”

Uraraka shook her head. “No, I… I don’t mind it,” she said shyly, twisting her fingers together, and he offered her a nod, mouth quirking upwards as he resisted the odd urge to let himself grin wildly.

“Cheeks it is, then.”

─── ･｡ﾟ❁ﾟ｡･ ───

The fifth time Uraraka held his hand was only for half-priced ramen.

“Oh my god.” The brunette stopped dead in her tracks, eyes going wide in awe. “Bakugou, look!!”

He paused, confused, and followed her outstretched arm to the storefront of a local ramen shop. They’d gotten permission to leave campus to grab something for dinner after their sparring session, but they’d agreed on going to the supermarket for food.

Bakugou took a second to examine the restaurant façade, head cocked in confusion. There was nothing out of the ordinary – it seemed like the shop probably had decent ramen, but he could make his own just as easily.

“What the hell am I supposed to be seeing?”

“It’s right there! Look!!” Uraraka made an impatient noise, pointing at the shop again in excitement. “They have a 2-for-1 special on their ramen! It’s half the usual price!!”

Ah. Sure enough, there was a sign propped out in the middle of the sidewalk, advertising the very offer Uraraka mentioned. “Yeah? So?”

“So,” she said, dragging out the word expectantly, “Let’s go!”  

It was his turn to stop, this time turning to her incredulously. “… Hah?”

“Let’s go eat there!” she exclaimed, all starry-eyed. “We came out here to grab dinner, right? I bet they have spicy ramen too…”

“Cheeks…” he said warningly, rolling his eyes at her wheedling tone. “We’re supposed to be getting groceries.”

“Aw, c’mon, Bakugou!” she pouted. “We can get groceries after; this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

“Pretty sure that’s supposed to apply to things like winning the lottery, not some deal at a restaurant,” he said dryly. Still, he took a closer look, his brows rising as he read the tiny characters lining the bottom of the sign. “Besides, it’s only for couples. Unless you’ve got a secret boyfriend, I think you’re shit outta luck, Cheeks.”

Without missing a single beat, Uraraka said, “Well, I have you, don’t I?”

Bakugou sputtered, his heart stuttering. “What?”

Uraraka just blinked up at him even more eagerly, a determined smile growing on her face. “My auntie and her best friend used t’pretend to be a couple to get the paired ticket discounts at amusement parks,” she explained casually, and Bakugou could almost begrudgingly admire that – those places were expensive as shit. “This is the same thing!”

“Uh huh,” he said doubtfully. “And how the hell are we supposed to convince people we’re a couple?”

“All we gotta do is hold hands and be happy together,” she said cheerfully. “They’ll totally buy it!”

Hold hands. Bakugou swallowed a little, something turning uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach as he recalled the last few times she had held his hand. The weird feeling in his hand had eventually gone away, but when he’d gone online for more information, the only rational explanation he found was that his skin was reacting badly to her soap or something.

He scowled – he wasn’t going to risk a full-blown allergic reaction just so Uraraka could get a cheap deal on ramen. “Yeah, not happening.”

“C’mon, Bakugou – please?” He faltered a little as she stared up at him with wide, brown eyes. That weird, warm itch started to spread again, his palms going a little sweaty for some reason – what kind of weird-ass soap did she use? “I can’t eat out all that often… and we did come out to grab food, right?”

He clenched his jaw, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly. “No.”

“Please?” she pleaded, shaking his arm. “C’mon, just this once!”

He studied her with narrowed eyes, chin jutting out as he glowered down at her, but she just kept staring back at him, unblinkingly. As they stood there in stubborn silence, he felt that uncomfortable feeling surge to life, crawling up his spine, but he refused to look away even as he felt heat blooming across the back of his neck.

“Cheeks…” he growled warningly. His throat felt a little thick, a weird tightness spreading through his chest, but somehow, he found his resolve wavering a little. Clearly, whatever he was reacting to had already got to him – he might as well just take advantage of it. And it had been a while since he’d eaten ramen…

“Please?” she asked again, and he held her gaze for a few seconds longer before exhaling heavily.

“Ugh… fine,” he growled, scowling at the way Uraraka’s expression switched from puppy dog eyes to satisfied smugness in the blink of an eye. “But if you tell anyone this happened, you’re dead. Got it?”

“My lips are sealed!” she said cheerily, punching the air in enthusiasm as she beamed. “Ahh, this is gonna be great!”

She didn’t even hesitate as she pulled his arms loose, wrapping a hand in one of his. As their palms slid together, something in his gut did a little flip. Somehow, her hand snugly in his, clasped together as she started to tug him forward, and he could feel the ball of his hand rub against that scar he had noticed, back when she’d helped him wrap his hands that one night.

If she ever decided to switch soap brands, he decided that he wouldn’t mind her holding his hand again.

─── ･｡ﾟ❁ﾟ｡･ ───

The one and only time Bakugou held her hand was because she was a forgetful idiot.

He looked over at Uraraka again, watching the way she rubbed her hands together, breathing on them as she shivered. He cast a glare over at her shitty friends, who were standing around like oblivious idiots – couldn’t they see she was freezing?

Ending up at the open-air mall with the rest of his classmates had been the very last thing he’d wanted to do today, but Shitty Hair had gotten Tape Face and Pikachu to help drag him out of the dorms, ignoring his hollering as they literally wrapped him up in tape and carried his squirming body onto the train station. He’d given in at that point – especially when he saw the way Uraraka’s face brighten a little as she saw him enter the train car. She had offered him a wave and a smile, but had otherwise stayed with the rest of her stupid friends, even after arriving at the mall.

He kicked at the ground, slouching as he shoved his hands further into his pockets. Peeking at where Uraraka was sitting again, his eyes narrowed as he saw Deku and Frogface and Four-eyes wandering off, Ponytail and Icy-Hot heading in a different direction, until Uraraka was left alone on the bench, surrounded by a bunch of shopping bags that were too expensive to belong to her.

He chewed on his lip, staring as she rubbed her hands together again, and finally made up his mind.

A glimpse over his shoulder showed the other four idiots he called friends running around the shoe store, surrounded by piles of boxes, and he quickly spun on his heel and stalked over to where Uraraka was sitting, humming some song with her eyes closed. When she didn’t react to his presence, he nudged her leg with his knee.

“Oi. Cheeks.”

“H-huh?” Her eyes fluttered open, focusing on him, and he shifted a little as those big brown eyes made his knees feel oddly weak. “Oh hey, Bakugou, what’s up?”

He thrust his hand out with a sigh. “Gimme your hands.”

“Uh… what?” Uraraka watched him in confusion. “Why – ?”

He huffed, wiggling his fingers. “Just give ‘em to me, Cheeks.”

“O… kay?” The wary glance she gave him almost made him want to roll his eyes, but she still reached forward. She placed her hands on his open palm, almost tentatively, but Bakugou quickly grabbed them, engulfing her tiny ones in his as he squatted down to breathe hot air over her bare fingers.

“What kind of dumbass doesn’t bring gloves with them?” he muttered, brows scrunching in concentration. Uraraka squeaked in surprise, but she let out a sigh of relief as he activated his quirk just enough to let heat radiate out from his glove-covered palms. “It’s the middle of the winter, you idiot.”

Uraraka’s face went a deep pink, most likely from the cold air. “I was runnin’ late!” she said bashfully. “By the time I remembered them, we were already on the train…”

“Stupid.” He wanted to make a comment about how shitty her friends were for not helping her, but he bit it back in favor of bringing his hands to his mouth, pulling the gloves off with his teeth. “Here, put these on.”

“E-eh?!” Uraraka waved her arms, flustered, as he shoved them towards her, shaking her head. “Bakugou, what… won’t you be – ”

“I have my quirk, Cheeks.” He gave her a flat stare, holding up a sparking hand. “Take ‘em, it looks like your fingers are gonna fall off.”

“Ah, I’ll be fine, you don’t have to – ”

“Fuck, do I have to do everything myself?” he grumbled, and her mouth fell open a little as he took her hand – and he was right, even with how he’d warmed her hands up, they were still practically icicles – and shoved it into one glove, before doing the same to the other side. Uraraka was still staring at him in bewilderment, so Bakugou tucked in her sleeves before tightening the toggles around her wrists to keep her body heat from escaping.

He checked one last time to make sure all her fingers were in the right places, before letting out a satisfied huff. “There. Now you won’t get fuckin’ frostbite,” he said firmly, and smirked a little – there was no way Uraraka could say he wasn’t nice after this.

Except… when he looked up, she was staring at him with a strangely soft expression that made his lungs go tight. It made him feel all hot and weird all of a sudden – the stupid allergies were coming back, dammit – and he stood up quickly, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants.

“Give ‘em back later,” he said, suddenly feeling nervous for some reason. He shoved his hands into his pockets, nodding at her as he tried to act cool, and turned around to head back to the shoe store.

He only took a few steps before the sound of Uraraka’s voice called out to him. “W-wait! Bakugou!”

He turned quickly, seeing her standing behind him, his gloves looking comically large hanging off the ends of her arms. “Hah?”

“U-uh, just…” She fidgeted, shifting her weight between her feet, but then her lips stretched into a huge, beaming smile, her eyes crinkling. His heart started to race in his chest under the force of Uraraka’s grin. “Thank you! For…”

“Y-yeah, yeah,” he stuttered, feeling his cheeks burn. “Whatever.” Her smile somehow got a little wider, and he quickly spun around, nearly sprinting away.

Bakugou didn’t look back at her, despite how much he wanted to – but if he had, he would’ve seen the way Uraraka brought his gloves to her nose, inhaling the lingering smoky-sweet smell as she hid a goofy grin behind her hands. 

[usagichibamamorutsukino]

To all of the Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask Haters

This is my post on the Sailor Moon subreddit! I am very proud of the arguments I made and am extremely thankful for the amazing response I got! I got Reddit Gold for the first time in my life! I’m sharing it today here on my Tumblr, the place where I have found a wonderful niche of Tuxedo Mask and Usamamo lovers like me! Here is the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/sailormoon/comments/d0zm4c/to_all_of_the_mamorutuxedo_mask_haters/

Here is my post: 

Hi everyone! I wanted to share my comment on a video interview of the Viz dub voices for the Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal anime, Stephanie Sheh (Usagi), and Robbie Daymond (Mamoru). The interviewer talked about why she believes it's justified to hate Tuxedo Mask and why he isn't right for Usagi. The topics I covered in my initial comment are included here in greater detail. I am basing my response below on: the manga, the original 90's anime and its 3 movies, Sailor Moon Crystal, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, interviews with Naoko Takeuchi, articles that analyze the storylines and utilize fact-checking references, as well as my interpretation and analysis that bases itself on the cannon and overall understanding of the portrayal of the human characters and interactions in the story.

Obligatory note: You are entitled to your own opinion as I am entitled to my own. However, I feel obligated to voice my opinion and defense for Tuxedo Mask as he gets so much hate in the fandom, and there is so much misinformation about him. There are so many posts and articles trying to prove that Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru is definitively a horrible character, that he sucks, he is useless, etc. It is one thing to have your opinion. It is another to be so vocal about your hatred for a character basing your hatred on misinformation and superficial arguments.

In my lengthy post, I will discuss specific topics and arguments that people bring up to defend their hatred of Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru and his relationship to Sailor Moon/Usagi. I hope you enjoy reading and gain some perspective.

In the original anime, Usagi and Mamoru didn't have any feelings or love for one another UNTIL they remembered their past lives

I rewatched Season 1 of the original anime this past week and took notes of each encounter between Usagi and Mamoru until they remember their past lives. I analyzed their dialogue, how the animators portrayed their body language around each other, as well as how they talk about one another to other characters. Let’s begin our study by reading this quote from the manga in Act 10 when Usagi recounts that in her encounters with Mamoru: “I would get defensive, and we would get into a fight. We actually never had a real conversation. But the truth is… I was always so excited and happy to see him. That’s why we ran to each other… isn’t it? The two of us were drawn to each other.”

In the 90s anime, Usagi and Mamoru have an initially confrontational relationship. Mamoru’s first impression of Usagi was of a girl who hit him on the head with a crumbled-up test with a horrifying grade. Usagi’s first impression of Mamoru was a guy who told her she should study more; she was mortified and embarrassed by this, so she stuck her tongue out at him and walked away, disregarding him as a “weirdo”. The second time they bump into each other, Usagi throws a shoe at his head by accident, and she doesn’t apologize. The third time they meet, they bump into one another when Usagi is dreaming about “her future boyfriend.” She mistakenly apologizes to a pole, and Mamoru finds this funny and says that she should watch where she is going. Naru asks Usagi if she knows who that guy is, as he is “totally gorgeous” and Usagi responds “Wrong! There is nothing gorgeous about him!” By the 5th and 7th episodes, when Mamoru sees Usagi, he goes up to her and says, “Hey!” like they were friends. At the end of their conversation in Ep. 7, when Usagi walks away annoyed, we pan back to Mamoru, who is smiling at her genuinely. Through all of these interactions, Mamoru and Usagi go from strangers who are annoyed by each other’s existence to people who run into each other so often that Mamoru can find some humor in it.

You have to consider that Mamoru is acerbic since he is becoming Tuxedo Mask without his knowledge, is sleep deprived, has retrograde amnesia, and barely has anyone in his life who truly cares about him. He meets this girl who has hit him on the head, has bumped into him and has been rude to him on multiple accounts, of course, he’s going to return Usagi’s comments. But as he spends more time around her group, the teasing becomes well-meaning. Usagi shows that she values his advice, such as in Ep. 17 and when she is deciding if telling Naru about Nephrite's evil doings is a good idea or not. Usagi was visibly jealous of Rei’s crush on Mamoru and her three outings with him. Mamoru brought up "Bunhead" when Rei stopped him on the street to ask him out. He mentioned "Usagi" when talking to Motoki when the conversation wasn't about her but rather about Makoto. She's on his mind from early on.

There is a fantastic post that also discusses some of the points of evidence that Usagi and Mamoru had crushes on one another before they remembered their past lives, https://aminoapps.com/c/sailor-moon/page/blog/my-thoughts-on-mamoru-and-usagi/eYX5_MMdI3udVa3xwNvqExdKarRMM0xGlrm . One of my favorite observations is this: "Mamoru mostly teased her about her love life. When we look at what a person mostly tease someone about, it can give us an idea about their true intentions behind it. Mamoru teased her about romance-related things quite a few times, saying she wouldn’t get a boyfriend if she weren’t more lady-like, teasing her about Motoki twice, and her 'not-so-date' with Umino (it really wasn’t though). Not to mention when Motoki asked Mamoru why he always treated Usagi like that, Mamoru says, 'I guess we weren’t meant for each other.' " Also, in reply to this post, u/Rockabore1 made a fantastic analysis regarding the deeper meaning behind Usagi and Mamoru's teasing in the beginning:

"I love that you point out all the nuance in the way Mamoru and Usagi's relationship grew from roasting each other to realizing they care about each other and actually love being around each other. When they met, neither were really emotionally mature enough at that point to figure out an excuse to spend time together, and they kept using teasing each other as a reliable way to do it. I talked to another redditor about a scene that strikes me as a very multilayered in that regard. In episode 17, since when Mamoru talked about qualities, make a girl beautiful after Usagi feels discouraged to meet with the photographer. He describes 'someone with a kind-heart and bravery to do the right thing even when it's hard to do.' He says it with a directness like he means it as 'I see these qualities in you.' Yet he plays it off by saying, 'Obviously, you lack those qualities,' in a challenging way. I read it as him giving her the determination to try and prove him wrong because he knows she's not a quitter. Usagi went to the arcade to get Motoki to boost her ego, which she knew he would since he's always supportive, and Motoki's platitudes made her happy but didn't inspire her, whereas, Mamoru challenging her was what pushed her to actually go out and prove it. When she leaves, Motoki notes how the two always bicker, and Mamoru seems to half-heartedly lament that things always turn into an argument when they see each other and that 'I guess we're not meant to be.' It seems like he's admitting that he doesn't know how to give her a compliment without feeling silly or embarrassed to act like a softie, and he doesn't know how they could change (which obviously they do, but at the time both were really stubborn)."

In Ep. 28, they already demonstrate to the viewer that they have crushes on each other. Usagi, sitting next to him, thinks to herself, “but hey, he does look pretty handsome," then out loud, she says, "Oh geez, what am I thinking stop it Usagi, Tuxedo Mask is the only one I love!” He looks at her, and when she looks away embarrassed, he smiles at her. At the end of the episode, when Usagi says that their painting came out beautiful, Mamoru says, “I’d say it looks pretty good considering who the model was…” and his eyes immediately shot at USAGI! But she thinks he’s talking about himself, so she reacts annoyed. And in the last episode of the first season, when everyone gets their memory erased, Mamoru smiles genuinely after meeting Usagi. This encounter was just like the first one they had at the beginning of the series and similar to their third encounter as well. His reaction could very well have been the reaction he had after meeting her for the first time, but we, the viewers, didn’t get to see it. They had an attraction to each other from the start. Usagi felt that she made two horrible first impressions on Mamoru and even though she obviously found him attractive (as she later states on countless occasions), she felt that “this is an attractive guy I would’ve had a crush on now thinks I’m a ditz, so I’m going to treat him like I don’t care about him.”

Mamoru is someone who came from an upbringing with little attachment and has been pursued for his looks and wealth for presumably a long time. Think about how many characters and villains have hit on him. How Motoki told Rei that he lives in an expensive apartment all alone because of his inheritance, and her eyes lit up. Usagi probably is the only girl who isn’t fawning over him when they meet and instead is capable of sparing jokes at each other’s expense. His way of showing his attraction is not the best, but Usagi isn’t perfect either. I also noticed how, when Rei bumped into Mamoru in a ploy to ask him out, he acted concerned for her falling down for a moment, asked if she was alright and went on his way. Rei stopped him again, and he reluctantly stuck around for coffee. Meanwhile, every time Usagi bumps into him, he sticks around for a bit to tease her and get teased back. Why did Mamoru go out of his way to spend more time with "the annoying Bunhead” than he needed to? He even goes up to her to spar and teases her, and she reciprocates too.

At the end of Rei's first "date" with Mamoru, she tells Usagi that Mamoru is probably Tuxedo Mask, Usagi says that there's no way that he could be. Mamoru asks, "huh, who is Tuxedo Mask?" like he’s genuinely curious after Usagi noted the comment about Tuxedo Mask. Umino interrupts and asks Usagi to continue their own “date,” Mamoru says, “uuu, so that’s your type, huh?” in a flirty manner. This implies, "oh, so that's why you act like you don't like me. I'm not your type." Usagi is embarrassed and blushing during this whole encounter. Later, in Ep. 30, when Yuichiro and Rei are hitting it off, Usagi is ecstatic about getting them together. Rei tells her, "you know Mamoru is my guy, so what are you trying to pull here?" Usagi blushes embarrassed, her crush on Mamoru is obvious, her jealousy of Rei is evident. Even Ami starts to see this in Ep. 31 where Rei excuses herself from a Sunday outing with the girls for a "date," Ami tells this to Usagi while nervous, knowing Usagi will react annoyed at the thought of Rei going on a date with Mamoru. However, on Mamoru's part, he never took the outings with Rei seriously. He saw her as more of a friend while she was the one pursuing him to go with her on “dates.” Also, when talking with Motoki about the girls, he seemingly got really nervous at the thought of Rei “liking” him as more than a friend. After he realizes that he is Tuxedo Mask and realizes his strong connection with Sailor Moon and the princess to who appears to him in his recurring dream, he basically stops interacting with her altogether. In fact, in this same episode I just mentioned, Rei calls Mamoru to ask him out on a date but is met with his voice mail. We pan to Mamoru in the balcony of his apartment, ignoring Rei's voice message and instead of thinking about how he is determined to get the last rainbow crystal to find the legendary silver crystal and recover his lost memories.

Who can forget episode 34, where Usagi and Mamoru discovered each other's secret identities. Usagi recognizes Mamoru walking along the Juban Shopping District; she playfully hits him on the back, “Hey there, how you doing guy?” He grunts in pain. She genuinely asks him, "What’s wrong?" He responds, “Oh, hey Bunhead, you're sure cheerful today.” Usagi: “Well, excuse me then, it just so happens that I am a cheerful person all of the time!” and sticks her tongue out, as she does. He responds with a smile, “I hope you’ll always be that way. Take care, okay?” and walks away, holding his shoulder. Usagi reacts, confused, “What’s with him? He isn’t acting like himself.”, and notices his shoulder is hurt, “Could he be hurt in some way?” Mamoru probably thought he was going to die in the battle with Zoisite; he was also depressed about not being able to protect Sailor Moon, in what Mamoru thought was his last time seeing Usagi, he was kind and told her that she should always remain her cheerful self. Worried, she follows him. When he discovers this, he is genuinely surprised that she was worried about him. Mamoru didn't have anyone in his life who worried about him. In the iconic elevator ride, he genuinely opens up to her. He tells her about his past, his recurring dream, why he is looking for the silver crystal, things he hasn't told anyone else before. When she tells him, “You know what? Before, I thought you were the worst person in the whole wide world. But not anymore, now you’re the second worst.” The way Mamoru looked at her as she blushed saying that, the way he prioritized Usagi’s safety over the rainbow crystals, the way he pushed her out of the way from falling icicles, the way he looked at her when he saw his Bunhead transform into THE Sailor Moon, the way he looked at her when he pulled out that rose and turned into Tuxedo Mask. Mamoru and Usagi fell for each other long before they discovered they were Serenity and Endymion. Sure, it's not as explicit and cinematic as how it is portrayed in the manga and Sailor Moon Crystal. But their attraction is there. They are on each other's minds from early on.

The way the writers developed their relationship is actually genius. By the moonlight, Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon flirt, and he calls her smart and beautiful, and he believes in her leadership and talent as a superhero. Meanwhile, by daylight, Mamoru and Usagi bicker like a married couple. It's like Lois Lane falling in love with Super Man but dismissing Clark Kent. The dialogue they share, their body language, how others notice their connection goes a little further than they realize; I recommend that you rewatch Sailor Moon Season 1 and the first arc of Sailor Moon R (Makaiju) and notice how Usagi and Mamoru act around each other and how their feelings for one another develop. It's there as clear as day, and honestly, it's one of the reasons I love Sailor Moon. It's the best story ever told. Heck, even the intro song is from Usagi's perspective, singing about her miracle romance with Mamoru.

I think the most notable difference between Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship in Season 1 and Season 2 is that Usagi is much nicer to him in Season 2. As a result, Mamoru is much friendlier to Usagi. This, in turn, provides heartwarming moments between them, such as when they took care of a baby, their first “date” at the arcade, Mamoru’s sigh of relief when Usagi shows up to interrupt Natsuki’s incessant flirting, his blushing when Usagi called herself cute and when he thought Usagi was on a date with Seijuro, as well as many more moments between them. The reason Usagi treats him much nicer is because, at the beginning of Season 2, Usagi remembered her previous lives, she remembered who Mamoru is, his personality, what they went through, how he puts himself in danger to protect her, how he died for her, and most of all, she remembered why she fell in love with him. It becomes her mission to get Mamoru to remember who she is, what they’ve endured together, and how they fell in love. The Makaijju arc serves as a retelling of their love story, as Mamoru falls in love with Usagi all over again. This happens gradually; he starts to see how this Bunhead girl went from someone who is rude to him to someone who enjoys his company, cares about others, brave, fun to be around, and is a kind friend. When they are both captured by the Makaiju tree, Mamoru asks Usagi if she is alright and reaches out to hold her hand. When he and Sailor Moon are being thrown and flung around the room, he holds on to Usagi/Sailor Moon’s hand even though this aggravates their antagonists more, causing them to inflict more pain on them. He jumps in front of Sailor Moon to protect her near-fatal blows, as she did for him, because in Usagi’s words: “I’m willing to risk my life in order to protect anyone I truly love.” At this moment, Mamoru had already fallen in love with Usagi again. It wasn’t until he felt the same love he had felt in his past lives that his consciousness, the Moonlight Knight, returned his memories. Therefore, he fell for Usagi before he remembered their past lives. His undying need to protect her literally took physical form as the Moonlight Knight. This proves that Mamoru doesn’t love Usagi because she is Serenity and because of destiny, but because he genuinely loves Usagi. The cutest part of this moment was Mamoru waking Usagi up after the battle, and calling her his little Bunhead Usagi Tsukino.

Many people argue that he fell for Sailor Moon and settled for Usagi once he found out they were the same person. It is undeniable that Tuxedo Mask felt strong feelings for Sailor Moon since he could sense when she was in danger and felt this urge to protect her. However, Tuxedo Mask made an enemy of Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi when it came to finding the rainbow crystals. In The Shining Silver Crystal, Mamoru and Usagi are confronted by Zoisite, who demands that Mamoru surrender his own rainbow crystals so that they can fight, and the winner takes all. Mamoru tells Zoisite that he will do so only if he promises not to harm Usagi and let her go. This was BEFORE he knew that she was Sailor Moon. He prioritized Usagi’s safety over his unwavering personal mission of finding the silver crystal. He didn’t do this for Sailor Moon; he did this for Usagi.

One of the most important arguments, if not, the most crucial evidence for the validity of Usagi and Mamoru’s love for one another is why they fell in love and if it is merely because of destiny, as many skeptics online cite this as the only reason Usagi and Mamoru are together because they feel obligated to stay together due to past in the Silver Millennium and “destiny.” I found a fantastic essay series by Sailor Moon and Me, all about studying the dynamics of Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship to ultimately answer if they truly love one another in the original 90’s anime. You can find the whole series here; I highly recommend you read it! https://sailormoonandme.tumblr.com/post/93343451085/usagi-and-mamoru-essay-series-contents-page-and

In conclusion, the author writes: “Would Usagi and Mamoru have wound up together if they had not regained their memories from their past lives? If given the right opportunities to get to know each other better, almost certainly yes. And those opportunities would’ve probably presented themselves somehow because their past lives/destiny would’ve been influencing them. Remember, they even met as children. Were they obligated to be together because of their past lives? Not exactly. Their past lives guided them and influenced them, but the personality traits that Serenity and Endymion found attractive in one another were present in Usagi and Mamoru and was likely what they’re modern-day incarnations found attractive too. In particular, these traits were on display as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask and Usagi and Mamoru already effectively loved one another in through those identities anyway.” The author highlights a key aspect, the reason Usagi and Mamoru have fallen in love over and over again: they find each other’s personality traits attractive! Earlier in the essay series, the author brilliantly proves how, in the anime, Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask and Endymion act in the same way, as well as Usagi/Sailor Moon and Serenity. They are the same people, so if they fell in love during the Silver Millennium, they can fall in love again for the same reason, they like each other’s personalities!

Mamoru's breakup with Usagi

In the anime, after they finally get together during Sailor Moon R, he finally feels like he’s not alone. Then he gets these visions prophesizing that the woman he loves will die if he continues to be with her. He struggles with what to do; he just found someone who completes him, who gave him his lost memories and the meaning of his life. Who saw the best in him and believed in him even after him being brainwashed and soul strangled by the evil Metalia. He knows the pain that he’s caused her. He still has memories of being under Metaria's evil magic. He realized how possessed he was, enough to attempt to behead Usagi without question. He just learned that continuing to be a part of her life could put her in grave danger. He doesn’t take this lightly and breaks up with her because he thought he would protect her.

Mamoru thought that HE, HIMSELF, was the danger to Usagi. That's why he tried to get her to hate him. Even I initially judged the breakup arc as a victim of "bad writing" for Mamoru and Usagi's relationship. A few lines littered over a few episodes are unfortunately very negative coming from Mamoru's part. I cannot defend them when taken out of context. I am disappointed that the writers decided to include those few lines since they don't even correlate to Mamoru's character growth and overarching character arc over five seasons.

Furthermore, from his part, these comments are blatant attempts to portray himself as a despicable person, so Usagi would forget about him and move on. He thought that by getting Usagi to hate him, she would distance herself from him and be saved from the horrible fate he kept seeing in his nightmare. Many people use this as "evidence" that Mamoru "didn't love Usagi," and that he is a "horrible person." It is very easy to judge a guy breaking up with a girl as wonderful as Usagi and being so cold towards her. However, when you see Mamoru realize that marrying Usagi will cause her immediate death and that his only way of protecting her from this doom is to break up with her, he already hates himself. To provide more perspective of how this impacted him when he meets King Endymion in the future and realizes he was the one prophesying Usagi's death if Mamoru continues to be with her, Mamoru charges at him with anger.

There is no logical reason that Mamoru would willingly choose to make Usagi suffer. Why would he purposely put the only person he considers his family and his soulmate through so much pain and suffering. The breakup is as hard on him as it is on Usagi. This is clearly seen in Ep. 69, at the end, when he is crying by his motorcycle. He should’ve told Usako the truth about the dream. But she beats him to it in a later episode, and they decide to take control of their lives and be together, instead of believing in the nightmare. She was the one to believe in the strength of their love and do the right thing. Thanks to this arc, they learned that together they are unstoppable. Mamoru learned to trust Usagi wholeheartedly and to trust himself, as he felt that HE was the danger in her life. After the revelation that the messages from King Endymion were to test Mamoru's love for Usagi, even Mamoru realizes he made a horrible decision to lie to Usagi and hurt her the way he did. He realizes how dumb he was and latches on to Usagi and never lets her go again.

Furthermore, to provide a silver lining to the breakup arc, we have further evidence of just how much Mamoru loves Usagi. If he didn't love her, as so many people in the fandom like to claim, the breakup was his way out. But he didn't just up and leave. He hated that he had to be apart from Usagi. He truly loves her with all of his heart. He never once stopped calling her Usako. He never stopped being in awe of Sailor Moon's power, calling her invincible when talking about her to Chibiusa. He continued to help her and the Sailor Senshi in battle. He dreamt about marrying her; he imagined her face reflected on rivers; when he continued to run into her after the breakup, he was solemn realizing that it is fate that keeps making them meet.

This breakup isn’t my favorite part of the season at all, but it provides real character development and allows us to explore Mamoru’s fears and heartache. You see Usagi gets heartbroken, but she doesn't lose faith; she doesn't stop believing in Mamoru and love; she still has her circle of friends and family to fall back on. Mamoru had no one. Usagi was the only one he let in his heart. In the Sailor Moon R movie, he tells Usagi that his years of loneliness were worth it because he found her, and that she is his family. For years, Mamoru had the same dream about a princess who pleaded to him “find the silver crystal, find the silver crystal.” And this princess ended up being a real person! The girl with the weird hair he kept running into, Bunhead, Usagi, Usako! Are we internalizing how insane that is? To have literally no memories before your sixth birthday, to not remember your parents, to be an orphan with no family or close relationships, to have a recurring dream that wakes you in a cold sweat about the same person every time that pleads that you find this mysterious crystal you know nothing about? It’s insane. Of course, Mamoru has trouble with interpersonal relationships in the beginning. It’s thanks to Usagi’s constant love towards him and their growth as a couple that he becomes a kinder and more trusting person as the series goes on. Mamoru's connection to Usagi is so much deeper than the anime lets on at surface level. Mamoru went from someone who has had his memory stolen already three times, to someone who has finally found the love of his life, who was no longer alone, to someone who was forced to break his soulmate's heart and be pushed back to loneliness.

I recommend this great article that talks more about the breakup and Mamoru's perspective! http://starlight.csmalecki.com/reads/breakup.php

Mamoru's relationship with Chibiusa

On that note, of course, Mamoru felt a connection to Chibiusa. He was an orphan with no family, he finds this little kid all alone, of course, he is going to feel an urge to help her feel less alone. He connects with Chibiusa because he sees Usako in her; because he no longer has anyone else to fill the void of loneliness. Mamoru and Chibiusa are some of the characters that carry the underlying theme of loneliness in the Sailor Moon story. Chibiusa saw Mamo as someone who reminded her of her dad, and for a little girl who feels helpless and is separated from her parents, utterly alone in this strange world where she doesn't know who to trust, it is reasonable for her to latch onto him. She sees these people who look like her parents and Sailor Senshi back home but behave nothing like them. Mamoru is one of the few characters who is continuously nice to her and there for her; logically, she would want to be around him. There is an excellent article that talks about Chibiusa's "Electra Complex," I highly recommend you read it: https://shojopower.com/beautiful-like-you-black-ladys-uncomfortable-electra-complex/. Basically, it concludes that Chibiusa's "Electra Complex" is NOT sexual desire for her father but instead not being able to relate to her mother, "The Electra Complex is less about a daughter’s sexual desire for her father, but much more about the relationship between daughter and mother; the female child and her best friend." Once Chibiusa becomes Black Lady, her innocent feelings of love and attachment towards Mamoru get exploited and tainted and manifest as "sexual" attraction. But in reality, once Chibiusa can relate to Usagi, her "Electra Complex" is resolved, and Black Lady is defeated.

Tuxedo Mask is "useless."

What a double standard. Just because he is a man, he has to be the Batman or Spider-Man of the story? It’s called Sailor Moon. She is Wonder Woman; he is Steve Trevor. Tuxedo Mask exists to help Sailor Moon and support her, but Sailor Moon is the protector of the universe. The story is all about her and her fellow Sailor Senshi. It’s a female empowerment story; if you think that a male character is “useless” because he isn’t the one saving the day, you are missing the point. Tuxedo Mask has physically aided the Senshi in combat on countless occasions.

Furthermore, during numerous battles, if Tuxedo Mask had not shown up to shoot a single rose, Sailor Moon and the Senshi would have been goners. He utilizes his knowledge of physics and math during battles and is capable in hand to hand combat, as well as a formidable swordsman. In the manga and Sailor Moon Crystal, he has his own super-powered attack, Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber. Even cooler, he has a combined attack with his daughter, Pink Sugar Tuxedo Attack. He takes the place of Sailor Earth and Sailor Sun, as he possesses the golden sailor crystal. Concerning Earth, he recognizes it as his guardian planet and can "see" what the Earth feels. Concerning the sun, Takeuchi made him a Leo, a constellation related to the sun, also, when he dies, Nehellenia states that he is "The Prince of Earth, protected by the Sun."

He buys the Senshi time to power up for their Sailor Planet attack; he's freed them from traps from where they can't escape alone, he distracts villains and disables them with supernaturally strong rose darts, allowing the Senshi to give the finishing blow. I have to note; his aim is deadly. His rose darts took down Queen Beryl and Fiore, as well as others. He doesn't leave the scene until he sees the situation is under control and that the girls can handle it from there. In his dying words during the Stars arc, he proclaims that the Senshi will stop Galaxia, that she doesn't stand a chance. He believes in each of the Senshi's strengths and gives them useful advice that they apply to the situation and helps them succeed. In the story, his character supports female heroes and helps them do their best. As a female, I feel completely empowered and inspired by Sailor Moon/Usagi, by each of the Senshi and the story in general. It is rare to see female superheroes kicking butt, in a world of countless Iron Man, Captain America, Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man movies and a less than a handful of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel movies. A male superhero in a female superhero driven story is not "useless," they simply aren't the star of the battle, and there is nothing wrong with that.

The consensus is that Usagi's kidnapping by Prince Demande is straight-up assault and absolutely repulsive from Demade's part. And rightfully so, Usagi, in tears being grabbed and forced to kiss him is horrible and uncomfortable to watch. Compare this moment to Mamoru's kidnappings. He has been objectified and kidnapped by countless villains in the story. How is this different from Usagi's kidnapping? He is forced to kiss his own daughter possessed by evil, pinned against a wall by Fish's Eye trying to get a kiss from him while he is explicitly rejecting this and saying no, was submitted to bodily possession by Metaria's dark magic on two occasions with Queen Beryl (who is obsessed and infatuated with him) doing who knows what to his unconscious body. I could go on and on, Fiore, An, Mio Kuroki; there are many occasions where Mamoru has been objectified, kidnapped, and assaulted. It is disturbing that so many people interpret this as "weakness" from Mamoru's part. These assaults and objectification are against his will. A man who has been through these horrible experiences is NOT weak. Please don't contribute to this harmful double standard. A person being assaulted is a victim, regardless of their gender.

Finally, in the first episode, when Sailor Moon is crying because she doesn't know how to fight the monster terrorizing her best friend, Tuxedo Mask appears to her and tells her "Sailor Moon, crying won't solve anything." Taken at face value, this comment is bewildering since, in that scenario (and another battle scenario in Sailor Moon SuperS), her crying became ultrasonic and incapacitated her enemies. But this comment goes further, this comment sets the tone for Usagi's series-long journey into maturing and getting over her crying habit; this is part of Sailor Moon’s character development. This personal growth is highlighted in Ep. 74 when Usagi decides to face Rubeus alone to save her friends. She reflects on how, before she would've been a total crybaby if she had to go by herself to defeat a villain, she is amazed at how far she has come emotionally. She realizes that truthfully, "crying won't solve anything." As the seasons go on, her being a self-proclaimed crybaby is still used as a point of comedy, but in the moments of real desperation, she handles herself with maturity and bravery. So, ultimately, she valued what Tuxedo Mask said to her the first time they met.

Usagi and Mamoru's age gap

One of the biggest points of misinformation in Sailor Moon is Mamoru and Usagi's age difference and the legality of their relationship. Mamoru Chiba is 17. At the start of the manga, Takeuchi intended for Mamoru to be as young as 16. Usagi Tsukino starts the story as 14, but she actually isn’t 14 for very long. The Japan school semester begins in April, and her birthday is in June. This means that Seasons 1-3 happen pretty quickly. Therefore the age difference between Mamoru and Usagi isn’t that drastic at all. Furthermore, the fact of the matter is, Mamoru behaves older than he is. Why? He has had to mature very early on in his life. He has had to take care of himself for presumably a long time. Usagi has the perfect nuclear family and at the start of the series and is rather immature. She matures as the series goes on because of her responsibilities as a guardian and protector of the galaxy. At face value, it's easy to judge Mamoru and Usagi's relationship as one with a significant age gap. However, this isn't the case. 2-3 years of age difference is not outstanding at all and in Japan even less so. They are both above the age of consent of 13 and are still both teenagers. Even in the original anime, many scripts list Mamoru as a 17-18-year-old college student, and Usagi becomes 15 early on in the series timeline. He is shown to be extremely intelligent, so being a 17 year old in college is absolutely plausible. An important point to address, he is shown driving a car when the minimum driving age in Japan is 18. However, Haruka is 16 and drives a car and even a helicopter. I’m not losing any sleep over the fact that Mamoru could be driving a car before he is 18.

People argue that if Mamoru were precisely the same age as Usagi, the "problems" would be "fixed." But like I stated earlier, Mamoru behaves more mature because he was forced to be independent and self-sufficient from a very early point in his life. Even at 14, Mamoru would appear and behave much more mature than Usagi does. He is still obviously immature in how he deals with his crush on Usagi. When Takeuchi wrote the story about Serenity and Endymion, she was basing herself on medieval romance stories where the lovers are many years apart in age. Hence, the age gap was intentional in that aspect. Again, as I stated previously, 2-3 years of age difference is hardly noteworthy, especially as the series goes on, and they mature together.

Here is an excellent post that further discusses and debunks the age gap legality rumors: https://tiny012.tumblr.com/post/184025521241/in-the-defense-of-mamoru-chiba-because-bitch-im

Final thoughts and conclusions about Usagi and Mamoru's relationship and Tuxedo Mask

In the end, Usagi and Mamoru mature and grow together; they are each other’s rock. Mamoru becomes a more laid back person around Usagi, like when he takes her to see the cats at the abandoned house to cheer her up in Ep. 91. Usagi asks him, “but are we allowed to go in there?” and he responds, “I don’t know! Who cares!” and hands her a little kitten. I love Diana’s comment in Ep. 146 about how both Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion fake being sick together to get out of meetings and commitments.

Mamoru loves Usagi for who she is; in some ways, she is everything he's not, and he loves her for that - they complete each other; he keeps her grounded while she lifts him up into craziness. And he adores it. Mamoru has told Usagi: "Never apologize for being yourself.”, "Your strong will is what I love about you most.” and “Just being with you makes my life complete.” When Fish’s Eye questioned Mamoru on why he doesn’t want to be with anyone else but Usagi, he responds, "She’s full of dreams. That’s why.” In Stars, as Chibiusa is fading from existence due to Nehellenia’s curse on Mamoru, she pleads that he remembers that both him and Usagi have always shared the same dreams. Mamoru and Usagi are pretty different, sure, but in reality, they have the same visions for the future; they share the same values, and they have the same dreams. They complement each other beautifully, and that is why their love is as strong as it is. Usagi may be a bit clumsy and a crybaby, but in Mamoru's eyes, she's perfect.

People also bring up Mamoru's avoidance of public displays of affection with Usagi as evidence that "he doesn't really love her." In Japan, public displays of affection are seen as rude and inappropriate. When Mamo is alone with Usako, they share countless cute moments. Kisses, hugs, affection.. they love each other. Let's not forget when Mamoru gave Usagi a promise ring at the airport and kissed her like they were the only two people on Earth. His last words were "Usako." He has taken countless blows and stabs in Usagi's place, and she has for him too.

We saw them fall in love over and over, as Serenity and Endymion, and as Bunhead and Jerkface. Even when brainwashed initially in Season 1, Mamoru couldn’t bring himself to hurt her and kept unconsciously helping her succeed. You can brainwash him, kill him, erase his memory, separate him from her, but there is nothing you can do to make Mamoru’s love for Usagi fade. In the words of Toru Furuya, the voice of Mamoru: "He loves Sailor Moon and Tsukino Usagi with his whole heart. I think he’s a very great person."

Finally, Tuxedo Mask gives Sailor Moon strength; he supports her to become the best superhero he knows she can be. He does his best to help the Senshi in battle, but it’s a story about girls protecting the world. Takeuchi wrote this character to fit that narrative; he is one of the characters she holds dearest in her heart. Few people can really understand the beauty of Usako and Mamo together and how Sailor Moon is breaking the stereotypes of gender roles. If you can’t understand that, it’s your loss.

Tuxedo Mask is the hero Tuxedo Mask haters deserve, but not the one they need right now, so they’ll hunt him. Because he can take it, because he’s not a hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a Moonlight Knight.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[lildevyl]

Idea that will NEVER See the Light of Day!

Okay, so, I’m going through a FUNK right now!  So, I’m just going to put all my ideas that are going through my head and the ones that I actually written down here.  Feel free to use any of them! Just tag me if ya do so I can R&R!

Art Ideas:

My Creative Buddies/Multi-Fandom Fiends as Yugioh Cards:

Okay, so I’ve kinda have some inspiration! A while ago I posted that I’ve been going through somethings and needed a distraction. Someone reached out and gave me an Art Request! I’m going to do it! I just need kick myself to get going! The Art Request is Joey Wheeler from Yugioh in Prince Aldan’s Costume from Disney’s Aladdin.

The idea and inspiration is draw all of my Creative Buddies (Mutals) and my Multi-Fandom Fiends as Yugioh Cards! And have a little text about the cards. Their special Attacks/Abilities, which cards go great with them.

Don’t Draw Chase!:

This is a two parter!

Part 1:  I do the little challenge/tag reblog of my drawing Chase and then gets transported to where Chase got transported too

Part 2:  I draw my Creative Buddies/Multi-Fandom Fiends who are Artists, drawing Chase and then they get transported to where Chase gets transported too! The Plot Twist is that they call me up wanting to know if I can help them get back, only for me to find out that they somehow got transported into a story or comic that I was working on!

Animal AU:  This is based on @septic-dr-schneep​​ Animal AU.  The Egos as Animals! I want to draw JJ as a Rabbit thumping his big paw in Morse Code. Something like this, thumpthumpthump Thump Thump Thump  thumpthumpthump.  SOS

I’m planning on drawing all the Egos as the different Animals that I want to draw them as in the Animal AU that’s probably never going to see the light of day of me writing it!

JJ as a Rabbit.  Chase as a Golden Retriever.  Schneep as an Owl.  Marvin as a Cat or something in the feline family.  Jackie as Service Dog.  Anti as a Buzzer/Vulture something along those lines.

Draw this in Your Own Style:  I don’t think this is going to happen.  Mainly, b/c I don’t have my own style or I just don’t know what my style is!  I wanted to draw one of @huffletrax​ Marvin’s Drawings.  This might come around, when I get myself to stop staring at a blank screen or wasting time scrolling through Reddit or Tumblr and actually do something!

Fantasy AU:  Inspired by @rogue-of-broken-time​'s Fantasy AU.  I'm not sure if I'll ever get to draw this!

I want to draw like a mini comic or something.  You're walking along a path in the woods to find someone.  It's getting pretty dark, and you have no idea where to go or what's actually out here.  You see tiny little lights and then you see a floating eyeball?!  The green floating eyeball waves it's tail at you to follow it.  It leads down the path and then off the path to clearing.  There you see the person who you've been searching for!

"Ah, I see you found them, Sam!  Come in, come in!  Have a seat!"  The person points to one of the stones to sit on.  "So, what can I do for ya?" You hand them a scroll that King has order you, the Royal Scribe to give to them.  "Ah, so you want to know what actually happened?  You're the Royal Scribe?  The one to keep all the records?  I see.  Well, I can help you!  I know what did happen all to well."  They look off into the distance for some time.  "My name's Rogue and I'll tell you the tale."

Writing Ideas:

Animal AU:  This based on @septic-dr-schneep's Animal AU.  Thank You Rilia for the inspiration but I'm sorry that I won't be able to write anytime soon!

Summary:  Sarah needs a Service Dog a for her heart condition. If her heart rate reaches above a certain level she could pass-out and die.  Her father does everything he can to make sure that Sarah get the Service Dog that she needs! Sarah, names the dog Jackie after Septic City's Superhero Jackieboy Man. Some time passes and Sarah and Jackie are having a time of their lives!

Sarah's knows that do to her condition that she will never be able to follow in her father's footsteps to become an Officer, so she decides to become a Vet instead!  Being able to help others and their beloved pets.  However, Sarah and her friends notice that something really weird is going on in Septic City.  All the stray Animals have started to disappear and it's not do the Animal Shelters either!

Sarah accidentally stumbles upon the reason why the Stray Animals have been disappearing.  Some Mad Scientist/Vet have been pet-napping them and using them for his experiments.  Now, with Sarah in his grasp and them being out near the city limits of in one of the abandon warehouses, the Mad Scientist can finally start using her as a test subject!

Sarah's father, Septic City's Police Chief asks help of someone he never thought in a million years for help to help bring his daughter back in piece, Jackieboy Man.

Fantasy AU:  Inspired by @rogue-of-broken-time's Fantasy AU.  Thank You so much for the inspiration Rogue!  Hopefully, this might get written!

Summary:  In a far away land, a Kingdom lives in peace with Magic and Non-Magic users co-existing peacefully.  But things haven't always been, this peaceful between the two Races.  Magic was heavily feared and outlawed in a Kingdom where King Anti rules with an iron fist and a Black Heart.  One Kingdom welcomes all Magical beings and has kept the peace for years.  Until the Corrupted King declares war and secrets of the Corrupted King and the heir to the Magical Kingdom comes to the surface.

Wrestling AU:  This idea is inspired by the YouTuber Tournament Series by N60Sean!  He uses Create A Wrestlers of different YouTubers and it got me thinking!  A crossover of YouTube and Wresting!

Summary:  Felix Kjellberg aka "The King of YouTube" decides to start his own Wrestling Company with the help of his friends and Indie Wrestlers! The Wrestling Company is a huge success but it also catches the attention of another Wrestling Company, AEW (All Elite Wrestling).  Cody shows up on the biggest night of them all, offering to buy Felix's Company all out with no strings attached and to buy all of the Wrestlers too!  Felix refuses and now there is an all out War!

Yugioh AU:  A Crossover with YouTube and Yugioh!

Summary:  One of Jack's friends has been kidnapped!!!  Now, he and his friends have compete in a Duel Masters Tournament to get his friends back!  Along the way, Jack discovers more about himself, and about the spirit of his puzzle Sean.

Egopocaplse:  The Universe/World of the Egos that I've been writing about!  I'm not sure if I'll ever get to write the one-shots/multi chapter stories about the Egos that I want to write.  I have most of the Head Canons of the Egos and what I like to write about these guys and have an idea on where I want to go with it.  And with the all the Guest Stars too!  I just have no idea if I'll be able to actually not only write the stories but also finish the damn things!  I have so many WIPs it's not even funny and I want to freakin' finish them but it seems like every time I'm stuck on a story, I get an idea for another!

And no, I can't really hyper focus on one thing and though I'm super into it! My brain just work like that!  I don't know why, but I just doesn't!

Love Potion:  Inspired by @m4delin and @juju-on-that-yeet Ego Ship of Illinois and Yancy!

Summary:  Yancy and Illinois have a crush on another but neither of them know it!  It’s gotten to the point where everyone in Ego Inc. has place bets on who will confess to who first!  But when Illinois and Yancy over hear the other say something, they both think that the other has crush on someone else!

Meanwhile, Yandereplier is desperate to find their Senpi!!  After helping Marvin translate one his spell books, Yandere finds a spell that they want to try out. Reveal Your True Love.  When Illinois mistakes the potion for a flavor syrup that Yandere accidentally left out on the counter, Illinois suddenly has the urge to confess his love to a very confused Yancy.

Avatar the Last Airbender:

Summary:  Hundred years have passed since the last Avatar was reincarnated. No one knows what had happened to the last Avatar an Air Bender, but now with the Commit on its way to give the Fire Nation one last powerful push.  The new Avatar, a Water Bender has been found.  A South Pole Water Bender, named Sokka.

[fidothefinch]

Unauthorized Understudy: Chapter 2

Fandom: Batman

Prompt: Collared and Chained

There is a first chapter, but you should be able to understand without reading it.

Ao3

Damian woke up slowly, the effects of the drugs leaving his mouth dry and his thoughts cloudy. Before trying to move, he listened. It was deathly quiet, nothing like downtown Gotham. They must be underground.

Or they left the city.

Damian didn’t hear anybody else, so risked cracking his eyes open. It was as dark as it was quiet, though as his eyes adjusted he could make out a sliver of light coming from somewhere above him.

The floor was smooth and hard; concrete, he guessed. It was cold to the touch on his bare skin, of which he had more than he had fallen asleep with. His feet, arms, and legs were bare. In a moment of panic, he moved to feel for his domino, but only managed to snag his wrists against whatever was binding them behind his back. Judging by the hard plastic feeling, zipties.

He reached for the lining of his tunic, where he hid his lockpicking kit. And that is when it hit him that the material was rougher than it should be, and lighter than his winter suit. Somebody had changed him out of his costume.

He thought back to before he was drugged. The other officer—Heymann—hadn’t been shocked when he tampered with his suit earlier. It must have been easy for him to remove it.

He furrowed his brow in frustration (and yes, he could still feel his domino on his face, though that led to more questions than answers.) It meant no lock picks. No weapons at all, unless he could find one.

He tried not to think too hard about the implications of somebody undressing him while he was unconscious.

Footsteps. He froze, breath automatically evening out into deep sleep patterns. The heavy steps were coming from above him. They passed overhead, there was a scraping sound, and then silence again.

A basement, then. He could work with that.

He worked his way upright by leaning against the wall behind him. Other than his hands, he was unrestrained. The man was a fool if he thought this would be enough to contain him.

To be fair, the room was still spinning. He hoisted himself to standing with minimal wobbling.

A quick series of piercing, automated chirps chased away the rudimentary plans he was beginning to piece together. The room flooded with artificial light from overhead. Damian ducked his head while his eyes adjusted.

He was so distracted by the headache quickly forming that he missed the footsteps until they were coming down the steps above him.

“Robin? You’re awake?”

Damian shot his head up. The voice was a near-perfect match to his father’s. When he got a look at the figure standing in front of him, he felt his stomach drop. The giant man had donned a replica of the Batman’s suit, cape, and cowl.

“I wasn’t sure how much of the anesthetic to give you, so I wasn’t sure when you’d wake up. Good thing I installed the motion detectors; you’re an hour earlier than my estimation.” As he spoke, he stepped forward.

Damian pushed his fear back behind his bravado, lifting his chest and chin. “What do you want?”

The larger man—Heymann, Damian was almost sure—hummed. “Give me a twirl.”

Damian glowered. “What?”

“A twirl.” He lifted a finger to illustrate the action. “I worked hard on that costume.”

Damian looked down at himself. The heavy material was a red tunic, and his legs donned green scaly short shorts. Most telling was the ‘R’ insignia patched onto (the wrong side of) his chest. He sneered. “It’s shit.”

The kick came as a surprise. Not that he had anywhere to dodge, anyway. It landed squarely in his chest, forcing all of the air out of his lungs.

“Watch your language,” Heymann stated unapologetically.

Damian gasped for breath as he forced himself to stand straight again. “I’ve seen better Halloween costumes sold to children.”

“Oh?”

“Where are the gloves? The boots? The cape? You obviously haven’t done your research.”

“Haven’t I?” Heymann took another step forward, close enough now Damian had to look up to maintain eye contact. Too close.

The taller man’s breath ruffled his hair as he spoke. “Four months ago. Crime rates at an all-time low in Gotham. Batman has a new Robin. Then Batman disappears.”

A black-gloved hand gripped his jaw and titled his chin up. “You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?”

Damian growled and snapped his teeth around the glove. It was harder than he would have expected, probably reinforced somehow. Heymann hissed and drew his hand back. “Brat!”

The backhand across his face was swift and brutal, snapping his head to the side. Damian had to blink black spots out of his vision. He could already feel the heat coming off his cheek; it would bruise badly.

Heymann continued, undeterred. “Then Batman came back. But he’s not really Batman, is he?”

Damian kept his mouth shut, if only because he was trying to blink dark spots out of his vision.

“His fighting style is all wrong. He doesn’t face anything straight on. No balls.” Spittle landed on Damian’s face. He desperately wished he could wipe it off.

“This new Batman is ineffective. Gotham needs somebody who can throw real punches, make a real difference.”

“And you think that’s supposed to be you?” Damian clenched his teeth. “You think wearing a Deluxe Batman costume from Gotham Express makes you the Batman?”

Heymann grinned. It was nothing like Grayon’s—or his father’s, had he ever grinned in the cowl. It was malicious. “No, but you will.”

He pulled something from underneath his suit, obscured by the cape until he had a hand on Damian’s shoulder, pinning him to the wall. Damian’s eyes widened when he recognized the red loop of fabric for what it was: a collar.

He dove to the side, sliding out from beneath Heymann’s hand with minimal burn. His back was to the wall, so he ducked down underneath the man’s left arm.

He only got a few steps before a wave of dizziness overtook him, the drugs still wearing off. A well-placed kick to his back sent his knees crackingonto the hard floor. It wasn’t another second before the collar was looped around his neck. His heart skipped a beat when he heard it click into place.

Two fingers looped between the rough material and his neck and pulled. Damian choked as he was yanked back to his feet. “Too tight?” Heymann asked, still using his dead father’s voice.

Damian turned to glare at the man. “What the hell is this?”

“I asked you a question. Answer me, Robin.”

Damian remained stonily silent, his hands clenched into fists behind him. He ached to kick the man, but knew his bare feet would suffer more damage than the armor he wore.

Heymann used those two fingers to drag him close, so Damian was staring into the whites of his lenses. “Answer me, or I will make it tighter.” He punctuated the last word with a twisting tug that left an uncomfortable burning sensation across the back of his neck.

“No, it fits perfectly,” Damian spat. He had no desire to be found strangled to death with a dog collar.

“Good,” Heymann grunted. With a dawning horror Damian watched as he pulled out a chain with his free hand. There was a locking mechanism on one end and a loop on the other.

“Don’t you dare—”

Without preamble Heymann attached the end of the leash to the ring on the front of the collar. He removed his fingers as he did.

Damian reacted to the panic beginning to creep into his throat with instinct, driving his knee up and forward into Heymann’s groin. Predictably, with the hard cup that he hit, the man barely reacted outside of a wince.

Instead, he calmly rolled the slack of the leash in his hand until Damian didn’t have any wiggle room, then pulled back his free arm. Damian flinched, trying to dodge the blow but coming up short. The punch would have sent him to the floor if it weren’t for the collar holding him up. He had to fight the urge to throw up.

“I’m in charge now,” Heymann growled. He dropped Damian to the floor. The man stalked toward the stairs in the corner, unwinding the chain from around his hand as he did. Damian watched, recovering from his protective curl too slowly to stop him.

The banister for the steps was held up by a series of metal poles set into each step, and it was around one of these that Heymann wrapped the end of the leash, where he locked it in place with a padlock. It was about six inches over Damian’s head, were he standing, with enough slack he could lie down or walk a perimeter of about five feet. And the padlock looked cheap. Easy enough to break.

Heymann stepped back to examine his work. “There, that should hold you.”

Damian coughed as he lifted himself to his full height. “We’ll see.”

Heymann, wisely, stepped out of his range of reach. He cocked his head to the side, examining him.

Damian started to raise his chin then thought better of it. The collar left his neck feeling bare.

“You know,” Heymann started, finally dropping his imitation for his own voice, “If you behave, we could be a great team. I’ve seen you fight. You’re brutal.”

Damian barely hid his wince at the word.

“Gotham needs a brutal hand, one that acts swiftly and without remorse.” He opened a pocket on his utility belt and pulled out a knife. Damian fought not to shrink back away from it as Heymann approached him.

“Together, we could rid Gotham of all its vermin.” Heymann reached around him with the knife in an almost pseudo-hug and Damian felt the pressure around his wrists snap.

Without a moment of hesitation, Damian pushed Heymann far back enough he could properly move. Then he aimed for his jugular.

Heymann just chuckled, stepping backward. Damian pulled up short, the force of his attack nearly choking him. “That’s exactly what I mean.”

Damian glared through eyes made watery by the sudden oxygen deprivation. “I will never work with you.”

Heymann put his knife away and made his way up the stairs. “We’ll see.”

Next Chapter

[deliciousgears]

Myopia (Ranma Secret Santa 2017)

Fandom: Ranma 1/2

Pairings: Ranma/Akane, platonic!Mousse/Akane

Summary: Akane was having a very rough day. Mousse tries to make it better. Ranma just wants a crepe. 

Word Count: 5026

Notes: Written for firstdove15 for @ranmasecretsanta. I hope you enjoy this!

The training dummy shook with each impact of Akane's foot against it's side, rocking back and forth on its wooden pole. With every kick, the poll bended further and further to the side, making the dummy lean further and further over as it bended back for the next kick.

Akane had a long and very rough day. First, Ranma had ruined her favourite dressing gown because of a fall in the koi pond after morning sparring, and she had no spare clothes. Then she had to go to school alone, which attracted Kuno's attention. Dealing with him meant that she got to class late, and had to spend it outside holding buckets. One for herself, and one for Ranma being late as well.

And then, Shampoo was there too. Why was Shampoo at school, of all people? She must have known that Ranma would never want to dump her for whatever reason that could pop into his tiny little brain. Hell, she had probably known that for a long time. That's why she could never leave that jerk alone.

Shampoo had managed to grab Ranma's attention as he came in late at school. He didn't even care that Akane had to endure Ranma's punishment in her place. He only barely seemed to care that Shampoo was around, and that was because she brought a bowl of ramen with her.

When Akane protested, all Ranma could say was that he "didn't bring lunch with him", so he appreciated Shampoo's help. And when Akane pointed out that Shampoo was only trying to get into his good graces, he just said that if she could cook as well as Shampoo did, she could too.

Akane knew that giving Ranma a black eye wasn't a good way to get into his good graces, but she would be damned if it didn't make her feel good. At least then Shampoo would have to deal with Ranma's stupid handsome face being marred for at least a day. Well, as if that didn't deter her before...

Akane could imagine Shampoo right now, snuggled in Ranma's arms tightly, pressed against his chest, warm and content. Without anyone to drop in and ruin everything. Without Akane around.

The loud crack as the wooden stake supporting the dummy snapped in two shook Akane out of her thoughts, barely managing to right herself before she toppled over with it.  The dummy bounced off the stone floor, cartwheeling over and landing on its back with a soft thump. Akane watched the dummy lay there inert, but the anger didn't seep out as it usually did. She wanted something else to beat on to work out her anger, and she didn't want to go to the bother of fixing the dummy so she could stand it back up again. She needed something else.

"Shampoo!"

Akane froze up as a sudden weight landed on her back, and a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders. A familiar voice in her ear, of Shampoo's dim-witted hanger on.

"Shampoo, how could you ditch me in the middle of the dinner rush like that?!"

The last thing that Akane thought, before she turned around and laid into Mousse, was that maybe this time she could finally release some of that anger that had been festering in her all day.

The first thing that Akane thought as she stood over Mousse's thoroughly beaten body was that it wasn't as satisfying as she thought it would be. Maybe it was because Mousse looked so pitiful as he laid there, bruised and beaten, but surprisingly unbowed.

"Shampoo..."

"I'm not Shampoo, you idiot!" Akane snapped.

Mousse roused himself up at shocking speed, at sitting position before she could even blink. He stared at Akane with wide, blinking eyes. And then, slowly, he pulled on his thick-lensed glasses, and peered at her.

"My apologies, Tendou-san," Mousse said, "I thought you were Shampoo."

Akane rapped her fist on Mousse's head. "Can't you remember to keep those glasses on *before* you start chasing after people?! You could avoid so many beatings that way!"

"I tried to," Mousse said, as he quickly got to his feet. "But they had a habit of getting broken easily. But sometimes I end up forgetting where they are, too..." He touched the glasses awkwardly. "I've must've gone through at least ten pairs of these by now. Auntie Cologne said that about thirty percent of the Nekohanten's yearly budget is solely for my glasses."

Akane stared at Mousse in shocked silence. "That much...? For your glasses?"

Mousse just nodded. "I have a very particular prescription."

Akane stared at Mousse for a long while, before she turned around and headed inside. But then she paused at the door-frame, and looked back at him. "If you're looking for Shampoo," she said, "you're not going to find her here. She's dragged Ranma off I don't know where, and I don't really care about finding either of them."

"Do you really mean that?" Mousse asked. His sleeves were together, hands hidden inside. The lenses of his glasses glinted in the late noon sun. "Even I can tell that you can't bear to see him and Shampoo together. I might not have the best eyes, but I'm not that dim."

Akane narrowed her eyes at Mousse, but he still stood unwavering. After a moment, she just scoffed and stepped inside. Maybe a hot bath and a cold drink of barley tea could do what beating on a pair of dummies couldn't.

Unfortunately, the feelings still didn't subside while in the bath. And worse, Mousse was sitting in the living room when she stepped inside. A half-empty glass of iced barley tea sat in front of him, which could only mean one thing to Akane: Kasumi must have taken pity on him and invited him to stay.

Akane frowned, but as there was also a large pitcher of barley tea, she sat down to the table. At least Mousse was relatively safe to be around: as far as she knew, the only time he ever really threatened her was with the whole circus kidnapping incident. After that, he mostly left her alone. As far as she knew, he cared more about defeating Ranma and winning over Shampoo than anything else.

"Why do you keep chasing Shampoo, anyway?" She said, partly to herself. But Mousse definitely heard it, turning to look at her. "I don't think she even likes being around you. Every time I see her it's Ranma this and Ranma that..." She growled as she grabbed the pitcher of tea and a glass. "I don't think Ranma even likes her other than to satisfy his ego..."

"You don't think I've noticed too?" Mousse asked. "She never stops talking about him, even in the Nekohanten. She's always trying to think up some new scheme to get her to fall for him, day by day." He lowered his gaze, his long hair hiding his eyes. "I don't even know she even cares about how I feel!"

"Then why don't you leave her?!" Akane said, sloshing some tea over the table. "You could quit the Nekohanten and go somewhere else! You don't have to sit around being pushed around by her all the time!"

"You're wrong, Akane-san." Mousse's face was completely stone still as he looked at her. "If Shampoo told me to move Heaven and Earth, I would do it for her. I came all this way for her, why should I quit now?"

"But she doesn't love you!" Akane shouted, half rising from the table. "For all I know she wouldn't care if you die tonight!" Her palms slammed on the table with enough force to make the glasses of tea hop in the air, barely managing to hold on to their contents without spillage. "How could you keep being in love with a woman like that?!"

Mousse flinched back from Akane, even though his face didn't change. Somehow, even behind those thick glasses, Akane could tell that she had hit a nerve. Even so, he still sat there at the table, despite all of the spilled tea forming on the top, and now Akane could feel his gaze fixed firmly on her.

When Mousse spoke again, his voice was soft and level. "Because sometimes, love is something you can't help but crave. Even when it is at its most poisonous and hateful. Even if it is the last thing in the world that you want." He pushed his glasses back up his nose. "You of all people should know that."

Akane didn't say anything. She knew that Mousse was right. Even when he was wrong, he was right.

She silently rose to her feet, head hung low. "I'm going to clean the table off." And then she turned around and headed for the kitchen.

When she returned with a rag to wipe the table, Mousse was still there. "What, you staying here to gloat?" She asked, lacing her question with as much of the little venom she had left in her as she could, before she knelt at the table to mop up the mess.

"Why should I?" Mousse replied. "There's no satisfaction in verbal sparring like this. Especially not with you."

"Why?" Akane asked, bitterness in her voice. "Because I'm too beneath you?"

"No," Mousse said, "because you don't deserve that such disrespect. Not even from Shampoo."

Akane paused mid-wipe. "Do you really think that?"

"I don't doubt it for a moment." Mousse's features softened, even behind those all-concealing glasses. "Maybe, somewhere deep down, Ranma knows it too."

Akane didn't reply for a long while. Instead she just kept wiping up all the spilt tea, keeping her gaze low so she could avoid looking at Mousse's face. "You don't think I thought about that? You don't think I can tell that Ranma might actually..." She struggled for a moment to get the word out. "...like me?"

Mousse just poured some more barley tea into his glass. "Of course I do. I'm sure that everyone can tell how you really feel."

"Then why doesn't he just come out and say it?" Akane asked. "Why is he out there letting Shampoo hang on his arm all the time, or letting Ukyou fawn all over him? If he likes me so much, how come he still hasn't told me how I feel?!"

Mousse just growled, his glasses giving off a sinister glint. "You don't know how long I've been asking that question. Why do you think I've spent so much time and energy trying to destroy him?"

Akane just gave Mousse an icy glare. "I don't want you to destroy Ranma, you know. Just try and get Shampoo away from him." She paused to consider her words, and then added, "You could just kick his butt a little bit. But nothing lethal, or potentially crippling."

Mousse groaned in disappointment. "Not even dismemberment? I think Ranma could live with only one leg."

Akane just glared at Mousse, the hardest she possibly could. So hard that she could feel her eyeballs starting to hurt. So hard her chi radiated from her body like blue fire.

It didn't take long for Mousse to quickly cave in under Akane's judgemental gaze. "Alright, fine..." He bowed his head. "No dismemberment, either. Even if it can be justified..."

"Nothing Ranma does could justify dismembering him," Akane replied. "Not even him playing around with Shampoo could justify anything worse than a heavy beating. That's supposed to be the way it works."

Mousse looked at Akane desperately. "But..."

"No buts!" Akane said sharply, her eyes still fixed on Mousse. "If you're going to be spending time in this house, you have to stick to the rules. We have more than enough problems here with Ranma by himself..."

Mousse sighed, bowing his head again. Unable to recover from Akane's next-level chastisement, all he could do was mumble a half-hearted "sorry" to Akane, barely able to be heard.

The minutes ticked by slowly as Akane and Mousse sat together. A good chunk of it was spent in silence, but they occasionally talked in short bursts, mostly Mousse asking a question that Akane answered, allowing Mousse to make a comment on it. Then the two would occasionally feel a bit awkward, before letting time slip past them in silence.

It was during one of these silences that Kasumi arrived in the living room. "Akane-chan! You didn't tell me that you had a guest!" She gave Mousse a smile and a gentle wave. "Aren't you one of Shampoo's friends?"

Mousse was slightly taken aback for a moment, before he rose to his feet. "I'm not Shampoo's friend. I'm the one that is finally going to win her heart!"  He clenched a fist, chi aura flaring around him. "I've come here to challenge Ranma and steal Shampoo away from his undeserving grasp!"

Kasumi nodded, still smiling. "That sounds interesting, Mousse. But Ranma isn't going to be here for a while. He's gone downtown with Shampoo, on a date." She kept smiling, even though both Akane and Mousse were staring at her in horror. "They both seemed to be having fun when I came across them earlier. Well, Shampoo did, Ranma seemed to be a bit nervous."

Akane rose up from the table. "So are those two downtown right now? Like, can we catch up with them?" She looked over at Mousse, who still seemed to be stuck in a state of shock.

Kasumi just nodded, seemingly unaware of Mousse's continual shock. "I was just at the supermarket when I ran into them. They were probably on their way downtown by now, so..."

Akane nodded, and reached out to grab Mousse by his shirt. "Come on! There's still time to find them!"

"What happened to not caring what Ranma might be doing right now?!" Mousse said, half-spluttering from the awkward angle she was pulling him down into.

"There's no time!" Akane said frantically. "There's no telling what Shampoo might try and pull on him when they’re alone! Come on!" She started dragging Mousse out of the living room by his shirt, stopping only to let him pull on his slippers, before all but dragging him out of the Tendou house and down the street.

Despite the fact that it was late evening, it was still pretty bustling downtown in Nerima-ku. Akane and Mousse found themselves having to walk through the crowds hand in hand as they searched for Ranma and Shampoo. Mousse was slightly uncomfortable, holding the hand of a girl other than Shampoo, let alone Ranma's fiancee. Akane was more concerned with finding Ranma, and not having Mousse get lost in the crowd.

"Akane-san," Mousse said nervously, after several minutes of pounding the pavement together. "Do you really have any idea where they might be?" He tried his best to look around, trying to catch sight of that tell-tale lavender hair. "I mean, there's quite a lot of people around. Maybe we should have asked Kasumi if she knew where they could have gone?"

Akane stopped suddenly, and Mousse had to keep from slamming into her back and knocking her over. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry." And then Mousse got very nervous all of a sudden. Akane just apologising out of the blue was not a sight he expected to see.

Quietly, the two retreated out of the crowds into the nearest shop. The front was lively and pink, and seemed to be selling various kinds of sweet crepes. Schoolgirls in uniform gathered at the front counter, picking out various kinds to try out, watching the servers fill the crepes with ice cream, chocolate and fruit. Some of them gave Akane and Mousse odd looks, but that was probably down to Mousse wearing his usual white coat with the gigantic sleeves.

"Maybe they'll come in here," Akane said, a twinge of desperate hope in her voice. "I know Ranma's the type who'd go for this stuff." She looked amongst the gaggle of girls, but Shampoo or Ranma were nowhere to be seen. "I'm guessing that Shampoo would like these too..."

Mousse just nodded, moving across to look at the menu. "Shampoo always had a sweet tooth." He pulled off his glasses for a moment (which attracted some stares from the girls around him) to look at Akane. "What would you like?"

Akane blinked in surprise. "Me?" She looked around for a moment, then back at Mousse. "Are you really buying me a crepe right now?"

Mousse just smiled at her smugly. "What, don't you like sweet things, Akane-san?"

Akane scowled back at Mousse. "Get real!" But the scowl only last for a second, turning into lip-chewing consideration as she looked up at the menu board. "Well, maybe get me the strawberry crepe, too."

Mousse just nodded, and turned to the counter. "One strawberry crepe, and one lychee crepe, please."

"Hey, cutie!" A voice called out from beside him. "Couldja get me a chocolate banana crepe, too?"

Mousse smiled down at the redheaded girl beside her. "But of course! I think I should have enough money for all three of us!"

Akane snorted at Mousse. "What happened to looking for Shampoo?" She sat back against the wall, waiting for the staff to finish the crepes, handing them to Mousse and the redhead...

Wait... Redhead?

Akane quickly leaped to her feet, and stalked over to the redhead, who she could tell was wearing a school uniform Akane now realised was that of Furinkan High. And her eyes grew even harder as the girl giggled in a rather recognisable manner.

"Thanks a lot, cutie!" The girl said, taking her crepe before turning around to face Akane. But as soon as her big blue eyes fixed on Akane's, she stopped dead in front of her.

"Ranma!" Akane blurted out. "Just what are you doing here?!"

It was definitely Ranma. Ranma in girl form with loose hair and wearing a school uniform, but it was definitely Ranma. And she was definitely surprised to run into Akane and Mousse while downtown.

Mousse turned around to face... Well, Akane guess that it was supposed to be her, but ended up being one of the counter staff. "Ranma? Ranma's here? Now?!" Thankfully, he didn't grab the girl or anything, otherwise he might have been in real trouble.

"Mousse, I'm here," Akane shouted, "put your glasses on!" As Mousse struggled to put his glasses back on, she turned back to Ranma, who was now carefully nibbling at her crepe. "Just what do you think you're doing here?! And where is Shampoo gone off to?!"

Ranma swallowed her bite of crepe before she spoke. "Well, I'm having a crepe, aren't I? As for Shampoo..." Ranma took another bite, talking through her mouthful of sweet pastry. "I don't even know. It took me ages to ditch her, and I had to borrow this uniform from the school store."

Mousse glared at Ranma. "That's a likely story, indeed!"

Ranma glared back at Mousse for a moment, before looking back at Akane. "Where did you get him from? A garbage can somewhere?"

Akane's glare hardened further. "He came to our home, looking for you and Shampoo. I'm guessing that maybe Cologne must be getting upset, seeing that she's been gone from the Nekohanten for so long.

"Actually," Mousse said while stepping over to Akane's side, "I haven't heard much from Cologne about Shampoo today... She seemed to care more about me helping her in the kitchen than anything about her..."

Akane paused for a moment to look at Mousse in pity, before turning back to Ranma. "We've been looking for you two! We were really worried, okay?"

Ranma snorted. "You, worried? About me? I should have a plaque made or something. Believe me, I'm not in any trouble right now. It's nothin' I can't handle!"

Akane just frowned at Ranma. "Is that the reason why you're in a girls' uniform right now?" She folded her arms as Ranma started to sweat lightly, her frown deepening. "What have you and Shampoo been doing while you were out?"

Ranma backed away slightly. "What d'ya mean, Akane?! I didn't do anythin' with Shampoo! The only reason why I'm wearing this is because I wanted to get away from that crazy chick!"

Akane's frown didn't falter. "You can't just tell her to leave you alone? You weren't trying to fight her off at school, I could tell."

Ranma shrank back further from Akane's glare. Briefly, her eyes flitted over to Mousse, who was glaring at her even more murderously than Akane was. She froze for a moment, unable to think of anything other than what kind of dangerous weapons that Mousse might be preparing under that baggy tunic of his.

"Look," Ranma said desperately, "if you're gonna be like this, I'm just gonna leave right now!" And then she turned towards the door...

Only to see Shampoo standing there, her favourite chui gripped tightly in her hands. Around her, the other customers quickly filed out, retreating to a safer distance from the shop. Behind the counter, the staff retreated to a backroom, peering around the door.

"Ranma!" Shampoo said, raising a chui towards Ranma. "You ditch Shampoo in middle of date! Then find you dressing like a girl and sharing food with Akane and stupid Mousse?!" Her body started to glow with fury, her chi radiating. "I teach you hard lesson now!"

"Shampoo!" Mousse shouted, stepping in front of Akane and Ranma. "Cologne has been asking for you all day! You left us short during the lunch rush! You have to stop chasing Ranma and come home already!"

Shampoo glared at Mousse. "Stupid Mousse get out of way! Great-grandmother said I could take Ranma out on date tonight! You no try ruin it!" Before anyone else could respond, Shampoo was already charging, one chui reared back for a punishing swing.

Akane quickly grabbed Mousse by the back of his tunic, and yanked him backwards out of the path of Shampoo's chui. The heavy metal mace smashed into the glass shield of the counter, sending glass shards around the shop, causing the staff to further hide behind the door.

Ranma was already above Shampoo, somersaulting across the air to land on an unbroken part of the counter. "You're gonna have to pay for that, you know!" She squeaked as Shampoo whirled around, smashing her chui down where she was before she hopped across the counter again, leaving a massive dent where she was. "Are you nuts?!"

"Shampoo not nuts!" Shampoo pulled her chui free from the buckled counter. "Ranma nuts for ditching Shampoo for ugly idiots!" She jumped the counter effortlessly, hefting the large heavy maces in her hands like they were plastic toys. "Shampoo punish Ranma!"

Mousse and Akane watched the ensuing brawl in a mixture of appreciation and terror. Appreciation because Shampoo was always one of the better fighters among Ranma's four suitors, as far as natural talent went. Terror because Shampoo was also wrecking the shop as Ranma dodged her blows, shattering the counter and causing fruit, ice cream and crepe batter to splatter over the floor.

"What do we do?!" Mousse asked Akane. "If this goes on, Shampoo's going to destroy the whole shop! And we'll be on the hook for it!"

Akane looked around the shop for ideas. She knew she couldn't take on Shampoo in a straight fight. Even if she could, Ranma probably wouldn't let her help, out of that stupid pride that she had. Which meant that she needed something else.

Then Akane's eyes fell on a broken sink, smashed from Shampoo's rampage, spouting cold water across the floor. She quickly turned to look at Mousse. "Do you have anything in there that can hold water? Like a bucket or something?"

Mousse fished around in his tunic for a moment, before pulling out a child's potty. "I've got the Fist of the White Swan..."

Akane stared at the potty in silence, before she took it in her hands. "I guess this'll have to do..." She dashed over to the pipe as quietly as she could. She checked to see that Shampoo was still busy over at the other end of the shop, and grabbed the broken pipe and bent it downwards to collect the cold water.

Akane kept an eye on Ranma and Shampoo's battle as the potty slowly filled with water. Shampoo's attention was fully on Ranma, furiously striving to land a blow on her, while Ranma ducked and dodged around her. Thankfully, Ranma was trying her best to keep to the other end of the shop as she sprang about, away from Akane and Mousse.

Akane peered into the potty again: it was almost half-full, enough that she could use. She hefted the potty up again, the thick ceramic now somewhat unwieldy with water sloshing around in it, and turned towards Shampoo.

Akane watched as Shampoo swung again, the massive metal chui smashing into a wall, shattering tile and plaster in her wake. Ranma just managed to dodge, sailing above her head. And at that moment, Akane darted forward and launched the cold water into Shampoo's face.

Within seconds, Shampoo shrank into her pink outfit, struggling inside of the dress. But before she could wriggle out, Akane was already on her, grabbing at the ends of her clothes to keep her inside. She could hear Shampoo start to yowl as she struggled inside her improvised satin prison, which made Ranma leap away in terror.

"Don't let her escape!" Ranma all but shrieked, as she scrambled up onto a high shelf. "She'll be after me in seconds!"

Akane looked up at Ranma, bug-eyed and cowering, and nodded. She tied together the sleeves and neck of Shampoo's shirt together, to make a makeshift sack to keep the transformed cat inside.

As she did so, Mousse came up to her, a large steel wok in hand. "Put her in here," he said, holding the wok out. So Akane placed the little struggling pile in the wok, and covered it with the rest of her discarded clothes.

Mousse nodded to Akane. "Thank you, Akane-san. I'd better get Shampoo back to the Nekohanten."

"Are you sure you could do that?" Akane asked, her brow furrowing in concern. "Shampoo's going to be really upset at you about this." She stepped forward, towards Mousse carefully. "You don't have to go home with her, you know."

Mousse nodded his eyes distant. "I know that, Akane-san. But I've already experienced the worst that she and Cologne could possibly do to me." He turned towards Akane, giving her a sad smile. "It could always be worse. But at least I'll see you around."

Akane watched as Mousse turned around and left the shop, lugging the wok holding Shampoo out with him. She watched as he turned around and then disappeared down the street, out of her and Ranma's sight. Then she heard the sound of a door clicking open at her side.

She turned to see the two employees of the shop peering out at her and Ranma. "Is it finally safe to come out?" One of the employees asked.

Akane just nodded silently. "I'm sorry about the mess," she said quietly. "That girl is really dangerous when she's mad."

"No problem," the other employee said, "we're leaving this for the manager to deal with, anyway."

After managing to resolve everything with the staff at the shop, it was getting pretty late in the evening. Akane and Ranma walked together through the side streets of Nerima, Akane walking ahead while Ranma lagged behind. For a long while neither of them spoke a word, and as the streets were currently empty, that made for a long, lonely walk.

Eventually, the silence was too much for Ranma to take. "I'm surprised that you and Mousse managed to get so buddy-buddy so quickly..." She snorted, and looked out towards the canal running beside them. "Remember when he kidnapped you and tried to turn you into a duck?"

"Of course I do," Akane said, her jaw rigid. "I also remember him helping you a couple of times as well. Like the incident with those strange men that got you stuck as a girl for a while?"

Ranma was silent for a moment. But only for a moment. "Why did you two hafta go looking for me, anyway? Maybe if you weren't there, Shampoo wouldn't have found me and none of this would have ever happened."

"I kind of doubt that, Ranma." Akane kept staring straight ahead, because she didn't want to turn around and catch the smug look on Ranma's face. "And anyway, we were looking for you because I was worried about you."

"Worried?" Ranma asked. "About me?"

"Of course!" Akane said angrily. "What do you think I was doing since you disappeared out of school today? You really think I was taking it easy back there?!" She took a deep breath, feeling the conversation slip out of her grasp again.

"Well I'm sorry, okay?" Ranma blurted out. "I couldn't exactly figure out how to get home with Shampoo breathing down my neck. And I was thinking that you wouldn't even care..."

Akane turned to face Ranma, her eyes flashing. "I do care about you, you jerk! That's why I was there!"

Ranma was silent for a moment, her big blue eyes blinking in surprise. But Akane quickly turned around and stalked off, leaving Ranma behind. Instead, she heard Ranma dashing up behind her to try and catch up.

Ranma walked beside Akane, trying to match her pace. "It's nice to know that you care about me, okay? Just wanted to hear you say that."

Akane was silent for a long moment, before she reached out to take hold of Ranma’s hand. “Thanks, Ranma…��� She smiled inwardly as she felt Ranma stiffen slightly as she squeezed her hand, before the fingers relaxed into a more comfortable grip.

Quietly, the two girls walked side by side, their shadows melding together as they lengthened behind them.

[yesyunniechan]

Detective Conan File 1004 [Japanese to English Translation]

Finally, the 1004 that exploded the fandom!

There's something he wants to ensure while he's still Shinichi...

[The next day]

A: Anyway...

A: Since we found another cipher on Ihaya-san's body yesterday... 

A: The criminal is probably still plannin' to kill one of ya!

A: That's why, until the check-out... ya ought to stay put inside yer respective rooms, okay?

Ag: O-okay...

A: Just to be on the safe side, we'll put a police guard next to yer room...

M: Got it!

H: Oi, Kudo, is yer body OK?

S: Yeah, kinda... I drank the medicine late this morning...

Se: Medicine?

Se: What medicine?

S: T-the cold one...

M: What a terrible grave-visiting it turned out to be...

Ag: Yeah... we weren't able to visit Dekuri's grave after all...

K: Well, we can always do that next time...

[Shinichi drank the antidote for a third time. And the case is...]

K: A dream?

K: So that's a dream of yours, Dekuri-kun!

D: Yeah! To see that line, 'Original Manga: Dekuri Michio', on the big screen...

D: Really? You'll really put my name in the credits?

M: Of course! The manga is originally yours, after all!

D: I regret it all the time... I was so frustrated that that graduation project had turned out to be so super awesome, that I spoke without thinking back then...

D: Sorry...

A: Oi, what's up, Dekuri?

A: The preview room will close soon!

D: How weird...

D: No matter how long I waited, my name didn't show up...

P: Hm? Where are ya goin'?

M: T-the restroom... The one in my room is in bad condition...

M: So I decided to use the one in the lobby... I'll come back right away...

M: To Kiyomizu temple...

A: Yes, hello?

M: Oi, Agata, how long should I wait for you?!

A: Wait for me? What are you talking about?

M: Didn’t you just send me an email?

M: "I'm the one that killed Nishiki and Ihaya... There’s something I want to talk about before I'm arrested by the police, come to the Kiyomizu temple's stage...'

A: What? Such message isn’t possible! Did you check the address?

M: Address says "Chestnut@"... 

A: Chestnut... Isn't that Dekuri's address?

M: Eh?

[I'm the one that sent you that e-mail...]

M: Eh?!

[Dekuri...]

M: T-that's not possible!! 

M: Aren't you dea...

[I came back from the afterworld to settle the score...]

[You tricked me...]

[I won't forgive you...]

[I won't forgive you!]

[I won't forgive you!!]

M: N-no... Y-your name... Really...

M: Eh?

A: Make sure you apologize to Dekuri properly...

A: In the afterlife!!

A: W-what?! 

S: The height of this stage is around 12 m...

S: So if we prepare the air mattress beforehand...

S: Then his destination won't be...

S: The afterlife... Agata Riki-san?

A: W-why are you here?!

A: Y-you managed to solve the cipher?

S: Yeah... the hint was the white cross, which was constructed using those black squares at the beginning of the cipher...

S: It represented Kyoto's wards and the kanji were parts of Kyoto streets' names...

S: The placement of the kanji signified which ward the street belonged to and how to read those kanjis!

S: Using this method, the start of the cipher Nishiki-san received is...

S: Kamigyoku's Kontakacho's "kon"!

S: Nakagyoku's Tourouyamacho's "rou"!

S: Kamigyoku's Sujikaibashicho's "suji"!

S: Ukyoku's Adashino's "no"!

S: Sakyoku's Kamihatecho's "hate"!

S: If we only read the first syllables of those kanjis...

S: "Ko Ro Su No Ha"... Which means "Korosu no wa... (I will kill)...

H: And the reversed "saki" kanji...

H: Signified Nakagyoku's Pontocho.... But since it was reversed, it was "Npo", and only the "n" was supposed to be read...

H: And so the first cipher is "I will kill three people...

H: The first one is the scriptwriter"!

Se: And if we check the second cipher, found in Nishiki-san's pocket...

Se: "I will kill two more, next one is the lead role"...

Se: While the third cipher, which was in Ihaya-san's pocket...

Se: "I will kill one more. At the end, I will fall from the stage"...

Se: Well, after making it look like Mayama-san commited suicide by leaping to his death...

Se: You planned on saying that you'd figured out the means by which to read this cipher...

Se:You'd intended to make the third cipher Mayama-san's suicide note...

Se: Since you noted the suicide spot, we were able to prepare for it!

A: A-a curse...

A: I was trapped under a curse that made me do all of this!!

A: You saw it for yourself, didn't you?! The ceiling in Nishiki's room! A human can't possibly do that in less than 10 minu...

S: Magnetic notes! Nishiki-san used them during the remaking of the script, so you likely used those, right?

S: With enough static electricity, those notes would stick to any wall without the use of any glue...

S: You first stayed in this room a day ago, drew all the bloody splatters and footprints on the ceiling, and let it all dry...

S: You then covered it with those notes you placed on the ceiling... 

S: Of course, you didn't forget to reserve this smoking room the next day too...

S: But at the same time you reserved all smoking rooms...

S: And if you cancel the room with the paint in the middle of Nishiki-san's call... Nishiki-san is able to reserve this room!

S: Then, after stabbing Nishiki-san, you removed the notes from the ceiling with some sort of pole... 

S: And mixed the notes in with the script, thus tricking us...

S: While you used a syringe to take Nishiki-san's blood and then spray it in the middle of what looked like the blood splatter on the ceiling, right? 

A: T-then the tengu?

A: That huge tengu that suddenly appeared in my room and then burnt and disappeared...

A: What was that all about?!

H: When everyone wanted to help Dekuri-san with his manga, ya were the only one of any use, because ya had some artistic talent... so a handy guy like ya coulda made it, dontcha think?

H: With flash paper...

H: That huge tengu...

H: Since flash paper is light, ya stuck it to the celing with some glue...

H: And since ya painted it with markers that contained alcohol... Once the cigarette's fire touched it, it burnt up in the blink of an eye!!

S: The evidence supporting this are the 3 cm sized burn marks... 3 cm means that you had started smoking it just right before throwing  it at the tengu....

S: So you basically must've lit up your cigarette the moment you screamed and the bellboy opened that door for us...

S: Could a person who's supposedly being terrorized by a tengu really afford to waste that much time?

Se: What's more, you put those traces on that inuyarai the night before....

Se: And then covered it up with another inuyarai, which was one size bigger, right?

Se: Then, after committing the crime, you removed that inuyarai to reveal some traces... 

Se: And then put that one over the inuyarai of a different restaurant...

Se: We were able to find a lot of things under that one...

Se: The murder weapon, the raingear used to avoid blood splatters...

Se: I bet you wanted to wipe off your fingerprints and make it look like the crime had been committed by Mayama-san...

A: W-what are you saying?!

A: You saw it too, right? Mayama wanted to climb over the railing himself!!

I bet he was also possessed by something!!

H: Looks like there are transparent magnetic notes with red foorprints drawn on'em...

H: And ya covered that up with layers of notes that are colored like the wooden floor...

H: Ya attached a thin fiber thread to those notes and tore 'em off sheet by sheet...

H: So that it looked like Mayama-san had the bloody footprints approachin' him...

S: On top of that, only Mayama-san could hear that dreadful voice, because you used that directional speaker...

S: No wonder he tried so hard to escape it...

[I won't forgive you...]

S: Let's see... You were planning to retrieve those notes and this speaker amidst the fuss that the suicide would cause...

S: So it should still have your fingerprints...

A: Shit!!

A: Out of the way, brats!!

A: Eh?

A: Ehh?!

Ay: My apologies, but in order to lower yer guard...

Ay: The Kyoto prefectural police  had been asked to wear their old uniforms and pretend to be a group of students on a school trip...

A: Shit... shit...

H: What I still don't understand though... Why'd ya put two lumps on all the dead bodies?

A: Kobutori-jiisan...

A: When the bad jii-san tried to imitate the good jii-san, and invoked the wrath of a tengu... he put two lumps on him...

A: Well, when I saw Keiko fall during the shooting and growing a lump...

A: I came up with this plan for the murder...

Se: So the motive was that that Dekuri guy's name was not in the credits after all?

A: Yeah! Dekuri was sitting there in the preview room dumbfounded... And when I told those three who were at the celebration party, they laughed and said this...!!

I: Really? He was that surprised?

M: We did it!

N: What a great success!

S: But wasn't that an accident?

A: I was bewildered when I asked the staff afterwards...

A: They didn't remove anybody's name, and just fixed the spacing...

A: That means that those fuckers weren't even planning on putting Dekuri's name there... And called Dekuri to the screening room just to ridicule him!!

K: You're wrong, Agata-kun!!

K: They shouldn't have fixed that space!!

A: Eh?

M: This is the credits page that was supposed to be shown!

M: The names of all 5 of us... And me and Keiko-chan changed our names... And the irregular spaces...

M: All in all, it creates Dekuri Michio's name!

M: So that it will show his name at the same time as ours!!

M: We really wanted to include his name under original author, but the producers said it would be troublesome to pay the fee for this change, so we did this instead...

K: We thought that he, who likes ciphers, would notice it for sure...

A: N-no way...

K: We actually did the same in that graduation movie project to express our gratitude to him...

M: We wanted to surprise you as well, since you were his best friend, so we didn't say anyhing...

K: Sorry...

A: W-what have I done...

[The lamenting of a murderer shaken in the Kiyomizu temple...]

[While the autumn leaves surrounding the temple burned red...]

[As if withering away...]

R: What? Those voices... Did you catch the criminal?

S: Don't worry about it, Ran...

S: It was an unpleasant case after all...

So: Wha-at? Even though we changed course to follow you around?

Se: We've still got some time, so where should we go?

R: Well, how about Kitano's Tenmanguu? Okita-kun told me about it earlier!

So: Nice! Let's go, let's go!

Se: It's pretty far...

So: Yeah... and the way there...

S: Oi... Hold on a sec...

S: So... how do you feel?

R: "Feel"? 

S: About me! Apparently you met Okita yesterday...

S: You didn't forget...

S: That I confessed to you in London..

S: Did y...

[This is Ran’s (feelings) answer]