#if you squint Sumire is there

[senblades]

Adjustments need to be made. But first: what makes you tick?

[ghostgirl-ward]

choose a color to live by

[charpeas]

2/2 reblog :)

the garden of eden

[sohaoying]

that meme about types of friends

[twinkle-art]

P5r x LOST ONES WEEPING

[justifyanger]

FEATHERED. A text at this hour is uncommon, and Futaba is perhaps the only person he could think of that would send so many messages in so little time. It's perplexing, if he's honest-- especially since the Thieves have been giving him space ever since Akira's departure. He did ask for it, but something within him still aches for attention, for the connection he once had, however briefly.

Perhaps it is this deep-rooted yearning that prompts him not to simply ignore the buzz of each notification, and instead to pick up his cell phone. The ungodly amount of charms attached to it clink against each other as he scrolls up in his text list--

Ah. Interesting.

The little "read" indicator pops up on Sumire's side as he squints at the messages, intrigued. The first thing he sends in response is a simple greeting.

Akechi -> Yoshizawa: Yoshizawa-san. A pleasant surprise. ^^

As he continues reading, his brow knits in confusion. That's a bit of a pickle, isn't it? He doesn't drive, but-- hmm... perhaps this is an opportunity presenting itself.

Akechi -> Yoshizawa: Don't worry so much. You'll give yourself wrinkles. Akechi -> Yoshizawa: I'm afraid I don't drive, but do you think your father would be all right with us taking the train? Akechi -> Yoshizawa: We could even make an outing out of it.

He probably shouldn't have sent that. Ah, well, no taking it back now.

Akechi -> Yoshizawa: Do forgive me. It has been... rather boring of late. I am glad for the change of pace.

@justifyanger

She wasn't entirely certain how she had wound up with Akechi-san's number in her phone. It couldn't have been during their time together as Phantom Thieves; nothing that had happened in that reality had been real, so any exchange of numbers would have been undone. Sometime before then had to be the answer, but the only thing that she could even think of would have been one of the days she had been at the TV station while he had been filming for a show.

Maybe... Maybe then- Maybe he had been trying to be nice to her? He had been nice to her, guiding her through that strange palace. Vicious towards Joker, but polite and formal when speaking to her. Before that too, when he must have noticed that she wasn't acting herself and yet hadn't called her out on it.

Kind... or maybe he just didn't care and didn't think she was worth his time. Maybe he hated her, and his way of showing it was by acting nice. It certainly would make sense with how he had treated Joker and the other Phantoms.

That-- didn't matter. Maybe he despised her, but he was still the only person that Sumire could think to reach out to. Joker-- wasn't here anymore, and she wasn't close to anyone else. Her father was busy and her coach was now sick, so...

Sumire -> Akechi: Akechi-san, please forgive me for reaching out to you so suddenly Sumire -> Akechi: I know we haven't spoken at all recently and I know this is going to come across very rude and presumptuous Sumire -> Akechi: There's a gymnastic's meet that's happening in Nagoya in two days and my coach has fallen ill and my father isn't able to drive me Sumire -> Akechi: Is there any chance you would be able to drive me there? Sumire -> Akechi: My father doesn't want me taking the bus. He's worried that something will happen and he's told me I will just have to miss it if I can't get a ride Sumire -> Akechi: I'll pay you, I promise! For gas and your time! Sumire -> Akechi: Please

... perhaps she should have stopped texting him a few messages ago.

[arcadsia]

I posted some of these on twitter but i thought i’d do some here,,,HELL,, i’ve been thinking about Erina’s p5 social media/discord fic au and spawned this hell

[senblades]

a whole bunch of sketches /very/ loosely based on the fic I'm writing- faith for the second run

uhhh read it if you want, it's on ao3

[sumire-bride]

sumire and shuus route (demo) ecstasy 7

READ HASHTAGS!!! it has reads the tws before you proceed

scene is in a black room

*dream*

sumire- ..uh... (..what is this... so dark... a dream maybe....? so weird... normally i am not aware i am dreaming but... suddenly i am...)

*rustle rustle*

sumire- ...hm.. (..i really do not understand... maybe... someone put me here...? ne.. ne.. dear baby... do you know what's going on...?)

*sumire lightly taps her stomach a few times*

*a figure of a young boy appears*

sumire- ..huh... uwah...! (..a child...!!)

???- ...

sumire- ..erm... pardon me child... but... do you know why we are here...? (..maybe he knows...)

???- ...

sumire- ...

(..this child does not speak... maybe i should try and say something else...)

..this is quite a dark room.... a bit scary for a boy as young as yourself... do you know where your parents are--?

???- who're are you...?

sumire- ..hm...? (..do it does speak...)

..i am sumire kanashi... what is your nam...

???- no.. i know that... but..

sumire- ..huh...?

???- who do you think you are..?

sumire- ..who i am...? i am sumire kanashi... as simple as that...

???- ...

who're are you

sumire- ..eh... am sorry but i do not quite understand... if there is a way you help me understand then please tell me....-

???- you know he's coming...

sumire- ..coming...? who... i do not understand...

???- you know... him.. that guy is coming for us.. soon you and that other person will disappear

sumire- ..who... i will disappear...? (..i do not understand....)

*the boy puts his hands on sumires cheeks*

sumire- ..uwah... (..his hands feel weird... they feel cold and hot...)

???- i wonder.. what you are... i wonder what you and i could have been like... would you love me..? would you make me laugh...? or would you make me.. happy..?

sumire- ..happy...? laugh...? if there is a way of doing that i will do anything you would like me to..

???- humans feel so warm.. very fragile skin.. it's weird.. haha.. you seem very weird

sumire- ..uh... (..this child... gives me some sort of nostalgia... even if i have never meet him... i feel like we have some sort of... i do not seem to know the word...) are you not human...? what are you...-

???- i sometimes like to think would it would be like to touch you.. i wondered if you would be cold are warm..

but humans are warm.. very warm..

sumire- ..hm... (..he is most likely not human...) ..you have very weird hands...

???- ..hm...?

sumire- ..there not cold... but not hot... your left hand feels warm.. but then your right feels cold... i wonder if your face is like that too

*sumire puts her hands on the boys cheeks*

sumire- ..amazing... there like that too... you know... you are such a cute boy.... so sweet...

???- ...

sumire- ..i hope my child grows to be like you...even when i am not there.... i hope it knows...

???- ...?...

sumire- ..that all i want is for it to have undying happiness...i hope it gets to experience every emotion... and i hope... that when it thinks of me... even if it will not know who i am... it is good thoughts...

..i do not want to give away this child away... i do wish it could stay with me once it is born... but... reiji-sama said it will be unhappy with me... and that i am not fit to be a mother... and do not want to cause it to be unhappy...

???- ...!...

sumire- i also hope it knows one more thing...

???- ...?!...

sumire- ..that i have so much unconditional love for this child... i hope... it will know that i love my dear sweet child... so much... do you think it will think that when i send it off...?

???- ...

hey------- su------ mi-------

sumire- ..uwah...! (..this child is making weird noises... it is like he is trying to say something....) ..are you okay dear child...?!

???- ...wh--------- who------- lad------- sis------

mothe------

...

who're are you...?

sumire- ..uh... i am...

???- ..who do you think you are to me..?

sumire- i... i am sumire... but i am not quite sure who i am to you...-

???- ...

he's coming... soon this will all end.. we will never see each other again------

*the boy disappears*

sumire- ..uwah...! wait...!

*dream ends*

scene is on balcony

shuu- oi.. sumire..

oi..!

sumire- ..ah...

shuu- nightmare huh..

sumire- ..uh... (..was... was that a nightmare....? It didn't feel like one if i am being honest....)

*flick*

sumire- ..off... ow...

shuu- don,t daze off into the sun like that and answer my question you dumbass

sumire- ..nightmare... it... it...

..well i am not sure...

shuu- how are you not sure if you had a nightmare or not..? haah.. well i could careless..

sumire- ..mm... (..who was that child...? and why did he give me some sort of nostalgia...?)

shuu- hey.. tell me

sumire- ..huh...? what is it shuu-sama...?

shuu- tch.. i told you stop saying "shuu-sama", it's too formal for you to call me that now that we are this far in a relationship

sumire- ..ah... forgive me... what is it shuu... (..i feel uncomfortable and weird just saying shuu...)

shuu- have you been eating a lot..? you look like you grew a couple pounds even if it's been a month, it's not much but.. it looks like your stomach grew

sumire- ...uh... (..my stomach getting bigger was a symptom of pregnancy... i need a answer...)

..i suppose i have...i should stop...

shuu- no.. i don't really care, thinking and caring about weight is troublesome to worry about, eat all you want i don't care

sumire- ... (..aha... he believed me...!) ..i see... but.... i am not aloud to eat so much... so i need to stop..

shuu- who says...?

sumire- ..my father... my big brother kai-nii and my twin brothers will tell i'm gross if i eat to much... then mother will shame me...

shuu- ...

you family sounds like a bunch of shit, there not here to do that so do whatever you want, they can't stop you cuz there not here, you do realize that right..?

sumire- ...but...

shuu- they can't hurt you, yell at you, or put you away like you say they did because there not here to do em' so stop worrying about it

you'll grow winkles and look old if you worry to much

sumire- ..ah....!

shuu- haha.. kidding.. but seriously stop worrying over the littlest things

sumire- ..mhm... thank you shuu-sa... shuu...

shuu- whatever.. it's not like it's a big deal or anything, it's just common sense, something you don't get obviously

sumire- ..forgive me... i am trying to understand...

*sumire puts her hands on shuu's face*

shuu- ...

sumire- ...cold...

shuu- heh... lewd women, touching me like that out of the blue

sumire- ..i am not lewd i am sumire...

shuu- it's been a while since you last said that

*shuu puts his hand on sumire's cheek*

sumire- ...mm... cold...

shuu- warm.. humans are always so damn warm.. makes me jealous in a way

sumire- ..uh...

shuu- i wondered if you would be cold are warm..

but humans are warm.. not like i didn't already know that, but with your pale skin, it makes me think you have cold body temperature, but your warm

sumire- ..i see... well shuu-sama is very cold... (..strange... that boy said the same thing...)

shuu- no duh..

sumire- ..fufu... but he always makes me very warm... even if he so cold... i find that... he can have hot hands too...

(..sometimes... i wonder what shuu-sama will be like if he knew... would he be more gentle...? i truly wonder... what he would be like as a father as well...)

(..if only i could tell him...)

--To be continued--

ecstasy 6 -- ecstasy 8

[shinagawa-division]

The day was slowly winding down, turning daytime into night. Just a bit longer and it would mark the end of Miho Kobayashi's birthday. The lady of the hour was sitting in her office finishing up today’s work. Then all of a sudden her faithful butler entered the room. 

"Yes, Goro?" Miho asked, not moving her eyes from the paperwork she was working on. 

“Pardon me, my lady, but a visitor is here to see you,” Goro bowed. 

Miho raised her gaze from her paperwork and raised her eyebrows. Who would be visiting her? Quickly mentally running through a list of everyone she knew and coming up blank. 

“Send them in,” Miho was curious as to who had come. The butler nodded and left the room.

It was a few moments before the sound of heels clicking on the floor alerted the woman to the other party’s presence and much to her surprise, a somewhat familiar face was what greeted her.

“Hello Miho-san, Happy Birthday. Forgive me if I came at an inopportune time,” The leader of the Edogawa Division, Yuriko Kuromiya apologized, walking across the room and taking a seat across from Miho. 

“Ah, Yuriko-san, forgive me but I wasn't expecting you of all people. I assume you’re here because of my birthday, yes?” Miho asked, looking at the only other person who knew her pain of constantly dealing with trouble-making pains in the ass relatives. 

“I was in the neighborhood and thought it would be better to drop these off in person,” Yuriko responded, handing the CEO a noticeably sized gift bag with all the presents she had brought. 

“Thank you, Yuriko-san, you didn't have to do this.” Miho expressed graciously taking the gift bag from her. “May I offer you a refreshment? It’s the least I can do after you went through the trouble of getting here.” The black-haired woman offered to the green-eyed woman. 

Just as when Yuriko was going to answer the two women were interrupted by a ringtone echoing in the room. 

“Apologies,” Yuriko pulled out her cell phone and answered it. “This is Yuriko Kuromiya.” 

Miho couldn't quite help but shiver as she felt the temperature in the room dropped several degrees. 

“...I see…” A sharp smile stretched across Yurko’s face as she heard what the person on the phone was telling her. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll be there shortly.” 

“Yuriko-san?”

“Ah, Miho-san, I’m afraid we’ll have to do a rain check on that refreshment. It seems like Kaoru and Kanra have managed to get themselves arrested again.” Yuriko pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Sometimes I believe this is karma for all the things I did when I was younger.”

 “Karma?” Miho questioned feeling sympathy towards the forensic pathologist.

“Between me and you Miho-san, I was worse than Kaoru and Kanra combined.” A faint smirk appeared on Yuriko’s mouth. “My life has been an interesting one. Although, I don't think anything will top the time I got proposed to by the Crown Prince of Dubai.”  Yuriko let out a laugh. “Now then I have to take my leave because as much as I would like to leave those two in jail for the night. I know they'll somehow end up running it.”

The retired assassin gave Miho one last birthday wish before getting up and heading toward the door. The birthday woman wished her a farewell before looking back at the presents still in the bad, picking up the biggest present, and opening it.

Opening the gift revealed an elegant white cake with raspberry drizzle down the edges. Blackberries, figs, and flowers were across the top completing the look of the cake. Next to the cake was a letter, Miho had to squint at it for a minute the handwriting on it looked horrendous. 

“Dear Miho-san,

Happy Birthday! I hope you like the cake it's earl grey flavored. I would've asked Sumire what your favorite flavor was but I was afraid she would tell me some wacky flavor. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

From,

Kanra Akemi”  

Miho blinked she had heard Kanra was famous for her cakes. She didn't think the pink-haired girl liked her so she wasn't expecting one from her. Miho had to admit the cake was elegant in its simplicity. Setting the note along with the cake aside, Miho moved on to the final gift. This one felt like it weighed more than the last one.

Opening the gift reveals a black and gold china tea set with white rose designs on them. Alongside the tea set was a black box filled with containers of loose-leaf tea. The set was quite beautiful, Miho thought and checked to see if a note had come with it and sure enough, a note was tucked inside.

“Dear Miho-san,

Happy Birthday. I hope you enjoy the present I got you. Alongside the tea set, I got you a collection of teas that I’ve discovered from my travels around the world. God knows how many times I've needed a good cup of tea after a long day of work and after dealing with certain troublemakers. 

From,

Yuriko Kuromiya”

Placing the note down the black-haired woman snorted she needed more than a cup of tea but she appreciated the gift. Leaving back into her chair Miho couldn’t help but smile, quite the surprise this birthday was turning out, she thought. Perhaps Yuriko wouldn't be so bad to befriend. Although Miho wished her luck dealing with those two misfits she called daughters. 

Happy birthday Miho!

“My lady, shall I make you a cup of tea?” Goro offered and Miho nodded her head, why not after all, the tea set Yuriko gave her was quite beautiful and she had a feeling that she’ll be using this set more often in the future. Soon enough, Miho was settled into the living room on the reclining chair nursing a nice hot cup of tea whilst reading a book, every once in a while she would pause to take a bite out of the slice of cake Kanra made for her. For a girl that was known to put people in critical condition with just a literal flick of her finger, she could bake a damn good cake, that’s for sure. It was very nice for Yuriko to not only go out of her way to show up in Shinagawa in person but to also give her some wonderful gifts, perhaps someday the two of them could talk over tea together and vent about how stressful and soul sucking it is to have criminally insane children.

Thank you for the gift!

[scarletwritesshit]

〆Goro Akechi x Sumire Yoshizawa 〆Who am I, if Not a Shell of my Former Self?

"I don’t remember who I am."

"You are Sumire, if I am not mistaken."

"Yes, but beyond my real name, I have no concept of myself. All I know is that I am the inferior Yoshizawa sibling."

"I have no conclusive solution for you there, as I hardly even see myself as anything other than my father’s plaything.”

Sumire and Akechi hoped that they still remained anchored in the true reality. No delusional therapists to turn Japan into a dystopia of perfection, no recorded existence of the Metaverse, just a detective recovering from years of abuse and an aspiring gymnast once again seeing the world through her own eyes. It felt real. They felt physically there. Then again, so did the last two realities they had experienced.

"It’s an awful feeling, isn’t it Akechi-senpai?" Sumire asked.

"No need to refer to me with such formalities. It matters not to me in a conversation with a friend. That aside, might I ask, what precisely are you referring to?"

"S-sorry…Goro. I keep forgetting that you’re not as uptight as you used to be. Uhm, anyways, what I meant was having to fake your entire self just to appeal to those who hold high expectations in you. You never really get to be yourself, and if you were someone before, all sense of that identity is lost."

"I am not sure if I can exactly relate in your case, seeing as how I was never someone to begin with," Akechi said, no longer bothering to hide his dejected attitude from her.

"Well, now that you’re free, you can act on your own terms to finally learn what the real Goro Akechi is like.”

"So, you’re saying that I should kill of my own free will..."

"N-no!" Sumire panicked. "Don’t you want to move on from being a killing machine?"

"I suppose that sounds appealing, but killing is the only thing that I know how to do skillfully.”

Sumire thought for a moment. How was she supposed to coax a former killer into becoming at least a semi functional human being? She didn’t even know where to begin with herself, let alone another scarred individual like Akechi. All of the activities that came to her mind was Kasumi this, Kasumi that. Nothing really screamed "Sumire, no, I would enjoy this."

Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity for them to rediscover themselves, together?

"The only thing that I know how to be is Kasumi. But there still has to be me in there somewhere, right? I-I apologize if I am speaking utter nonsense to you."

"You are making absolutely no sense" Akechi said, without hesitation. "What could you possibly mean by…having yourself inside of you somewhere?"

"Well, that’s what we are trying to find out, are we not? I gotta stop trying to be like Kasumi altogether, and you gotta find out who you truly are."

Akechi still could not seem to grasp this concept. It was all too unfamiliar to him, as he had known nothing but abuse for the entirety of his life. He was clearly confused, squinting his eyes at Sumire and skeptical of whether or not she actually knew what she was talking about.

How could she know what she speaks of? Sumire had absolutely no idea who Sumire was. She only knew Kasumi. What made her think that she had the ability to dictate who Akechi was? Shido had done that to him enough growing up, and he wasn’t about to allow yet another person define who he was.

Yet, he was at a loss of where to begin discovering his true self. He can't start with what he knew, as his goal was to break free of his reputation of being a killer. That was unfortunately all that he was capable of. Sumire must see something completely different in him. An actual human being beneath the wrongdoings he committed against his will. Akechi couldn’t understand why she viewed him in such a positive manner, or why her kindness was somehow getting to him.

"How should I expect you to know where to begin, when you don’t even know who you are yourself?" Akechi asked, clearly becoming frustrated with his inner turmoil.

"Well, I know that I am Sumire, and not my sister. That's enough of a start to separate reality from delusion, is it not?"

Akechi did not respond to Sumire’s question.

"And you know that you are no longer a pawn of Shido’s. You're a free man. At the core of this all, we're in the same situation. Practically blank slates."

"And how do you suppose we fill in the blanks of who we are?"

"Maybe we just...need to try a little bit of everything. No more being intimidated by life's potential; we just need to jump in and have at it!"

"You’re acting awfully enthusiastic for someone who was just freed from...possibly two layers of false realities?"

"I told you, I'm putting my life as Kasumi behind me. You aren’t going to get anywhere with a negative attitude like that!"

"I suppose I cannot allow myself to be weighed down by the chains that I have been freed from months ago."

"Exactly! You've made this much progress in rehab, so you cannot be stopped in your tracks now!"

Akechi quietly thought to himself for a moment. He had been undergoing extensive rehabilitation for a few months now, and he had a better grip on himself than when he was working under Shido. He felt more, down to earth, as one may say, but he could alas, not depend on others to hold his hand through life.  

It was his chance to carve a path for himself. All he needed to do was take the first strike. Yet as much as he may try to deny it, he could not resist the feeling of wanting to step into a new life with someone that he felt legitimately cared for him for the first time in his life.

After a moment of hesitation, Akechi nodded his head in agreement.

"And I refuse to stop."

Sumire seemed relieved to have finally gotten through to Akechi. He was a fairly reasonable man once he calmed himself down and collected his thoughts. For a brief moment, she was worried that he may snap and lose his temper like he was previously infamous for doing.

Akechi did not allow himself to lose his cool out of frustration. In fact, Sumire was fairly sure that was the calmest he had ever been during a disagreement of their views.

"That's good news!" she said, enthusiastically. "But I guess you are right about being at a loss of where to start."

"Well then, why don't we start together?" Akechi suggested.

"T-together? That's a rather surprising statement coming from you, Akechi! N-no offense intended, of course!"

"I mean it. We've been through this much for this long, so why not face what lies ahead as one? We may learn a thing or two about ourselves from each other."

Sumire felt like she was beginning to burn up. Face the rest of her life, with a boy who had already helped her through a rough couple of months? She did initially plan on working with him to figure out a sense of self-identity, but Sumire was thrown off guard by Akechi suggesting the idea himself.

The way he phrased it made Sumire think he had…slightly different intentions. Or maybe it could be her awkwardness influencing her perception of Akechi’s feelings. Though, who wouldn’t become flustered when their adorable, loyal friend suddenly says that they want to face the world with you together? Surely, he just means as friends, right? There's no way that he could have enough understanding to think that-

"Huuuh? Like, as in a rest of our lives kind of thing?" she asked, words practically falling out of her mouth.

Sumire must've caught Akechi off guard as well, or maybe he wasn’t aware of the extent of the words he was saying.

"I wouldn’t object. After all, we know each other better than ourselves."

"Senpai, d-do you know what you could possibly be implying here?"

"Sumire, if it’s one thing that we have learned from being dumped off here, it’s that we should listen to our heart, and not let the pressure of others define who we are. I can tell you, though it is not something that I fully understand myself, I find the strangest sense of comfort in talking with you."

Sumire was left completely speechless.

“It is merely a suggestion, but perhaps we can start by teaching each other what it’s like to be genuinely loved. No one else has tended to our emotional needs in such a way, correct? A great understanding seems to be present between us, something that I have learned is important in any form of relationship.”

"Ah...S-senpai?"

He pointed towards the calendar on the wall behind them. The date was February 14th, not even two weeks after Maruki falsely assumed that Akechi was being put to rest permanently. By this time, he had undergone months of rehabilitation in the true reality, and even though it was still sinking in after all that he had experienced in the Metaverse, Akechi trusted himself and his intellect enough to have a sneaking suspicion of what he was feeling for Sumire.

"It is Valentine’s Day, after all" he noted. "Even if it is just for today, I’d like to take the first steps to rediscovering our true selves, together."

Sumire had given up completely on words at this point. Her perception of those around her had clearly been warped, yet what good would she be if she continued to believe everything to be a lie? Akechi was speaking genuine words, and she would be in no right to show any disbelief, especially if it was from his heart.

Tears now building up in her eyes, she flung herself into his arms and held onto him tightly.

The unlikeliest of allies had found themselves to be more alike than they thought, so who was she to deny a sincere bond from someone who absolutely refused to leave her despite the rocky road that recovery has been?

“Akechi…” Sumire managed to say through her tears, “does this mean that you l-like me?”

“I wouldn’t say that like is the precise word that I would use here, but I think you got the idea,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.

If they wanted to heal from a lifetime trauma and emptiness, they would first have to learn to see themselves in a positive light.

And what better way to learn how to love than with someone close to you who felt exactly the same?

[hpcprecure]

Happy Campers Precure Final Chapter: Friends Forever! Always Happy Campers!

"Good morning!" Airi opened her eyes, squinting at the opposite bed. Ena was stretching, and seemed to be the most excited.

"It's already morning?" Airi said, yawning. "It feels like I only just went to bed."

"Well, you guys did get here at around one, so that's probably why." Ena shurgged as she brushed her hair.

"Five more minutes." Hina mumbled, turning around in her sleep.

Ena's eyes widened. "It's the last day of summer, and even you aren't excited?"

Hina immediately sat up, practically jumping out of her bed. "Oh yeah!"

Airi laughed, climbin out of her bed. "Did you forget?"

"I guess...." Hina said, running into the bathroom to change.

Mei sat up, pulling her hair up. "Ena, didn't you ask us what happened last night?"

"Oh yeah, I did." Ena said, nodding. "So, what did happen?"

"It was a lot more complicated then this, but we defeated the evil queen we were fighting against in the first place." Airi said, joining the conversation.

"Correction!" Adelaide said, looking in the mirror to make sure her pig tails were even. "Airi defeated her."

"Geez, you guys." Airi said, blushing with embarrasement.

"Another thing is that..." Mei's expression turned into a melacholy one. "We'll never be able to see Anzu again."

Ena jumped in the air, shouting, "Did she die?!" 

"No!" The three girls exclaimed at once.

"She just doesn't have access to Earth anymore." Adelaide exclaimed. "And we don't have access to her world anymore, either."

"Wait, but aren't you from there?" Ena asked Adelaide, who nodded.

"Yeah. I'm moving in with Mei for the school year."

Hina opened the door, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Also, you are in charge of explaining where Anzu went." She said, pointing at Ena.

"Why?"

"I don't trust even me to talk about her without ruining the mood." Hina said. "Just say she left early or something."

"Got it!"

Adelaide ran to the door, smiling. "Enough with all of the chit-chat, let's enjoy our last day of camp!"

"Yeah!" The girls said in unison, running out of the door.

They stood on the patio for a few seconds, admiring the sunrise.

Airi looked at the the other girls, "Umm, what are we supposed to do?"

"Anzu has a schedule on her phone, right? We could see if it's in the cabin." Mei said, running back inside. Sure enough, her phone was sitting on the bedstand.

Hina grabbed the phone, furiously tapping on it. "Does anyone know what the password is?"

"What's her birthday?" Ena asked. No one answered. "None of you know?!"

"Are there any important dates to her?" Mei asked.

"The first day of camp was the ninth of June, right?" Airi asked. The other girls nodded.

Airi grabbed the phone from Hina, tapping 0-6-0-9 into it. The phone unlocked, and Airi almost dropped it out of joy.

She scrolled down until she reached a calender app. She opened it, scrolling to the date. "We're supposed to clean at our main classes."

Adelaide leaned over Airi's shoulder, reading along. "Then, we come back here and pack, and after that, there's a picnic."

Ena shrugged. "We'd better get to our classes. At this point, we're probably late."

At that moment, the girls frantically sprinted out of the cabin to each of their individual classes. 

"Not that late!" Ena yelled through the half-opened door, walking casually out of the cabin.

❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

Adelaide burst into the garden, almost falling after she stopped running. 

"Woah." Sumire said as she and Akio but supplies into the shed. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry for being late!" Adelaide exclaimed, gasping for breath. "I didn't know I was supposed to clean up here, but then I found out, so I-"

"It's not that big of a deal." Akio said. "Besides, we don't have that much cleaning up to do."

"Actually." Sumire said, closing the shed. "I think we're done."

"Now, to move onto the fun part." Sumire said, walking towards some empty patches of dirt. "Planning what to do next year!"

Akio tossed her a notebook, and Sumire opened it to a random page. "Does anyone have any ideas?"

Akio and Adelaide stood in place, neither of them saying a word. "Okay, then!" 

She threw the notebook back to Akio. "Sleep on it." She said, "Maybe we'll have some ideas then."

"But today's the last day of summer?" Adelaide reminded Sumire.

"Then tell me next year." She said. "I want to make next year's garden even more amazing, even grander!"

"Okay!" Adelaide exclaimed, smiling.

❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

Mei opened the door to the art building to everyone staring at her. "Sorry!" She said, running to her art spot. "I forgot we had to clean up."

"It's fine." One of the campers said. "Our camp councelor isn't even here, so why does it matter?"

Mei raised her eyebrow as she picked up all of her projects hanging on the wall. "Who was supposed to be here?"

The camper looked at the paper at one of the desks. "April Laverne,"

Mei smiled, "Oh, she had to leave early."

"But still..."

Mei scanned the things she had grabbed, making sure she didn't miss anything. 

She ran to the door, opening it.

"Bye!" She said, before slamming it behind her.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the door shut. "Hey."

"Ah!" Mei yelled, almost dropping her artwork. Adelaide was standing next to her, grinning. "Adelaide!"

"Sorry." She apologized. "Anyways, can I see your artwork?"

"Maybe." Mei said. Adelaide reached for an artwork in response, but Mei tightened her grip.

"Later!" She said, pulling the artwork away from Adelaide's reach. "Maybe you can see it later!"

"Okay!" Adelaide replied. "We have to clean up the cabin now, anyways."

Just as she said that, they reached the cabin. Adelaide opened the door for Mei, who dumped her pile of art on the floor.

Hina and Ena, who were sitting on Anzu's bed, immediately lunged for the art. Mei pulled the pile away from them. "No! I'll show it to you guys later."

"But..." Hina pouted.

"Sorry to break it to you, but we don't have a later." Ena said.

"I can video chat." Mei pointed out.

Hina scrolled through her phone."None of us have your number." 

"Let's exchange them, then." Mei said, grabbing her phone. The three girls huddled together, Adelaide watching over Mei's shoulder.

Airi suddely burst through the door, looking at the towering pile of assorted paintings, then the huddled girls. "What did I just walk into?"

"We're exchanging numbers!" Hina exclaimed, waving her phone in the air.

Airi dropped her bag, pulling out her phone. "Without me?"

She made room for herself in the circle, looking at the other girls' phones. "Done!" She exclaimed after a minute.

"I think we all are." Hina said, looking around her.

"Aren't we supposed to be packing?" Adelaide asked as the girls put their phones away.

Mei looked at the time, grimacing. "Yes, I believe so."

Adelaide grabbed her sleeping bag, along with the dress Anzu had given her. "Done! Where should I put my stuff?"

"We'll squeeze it into my bag." Mei said. Adelaide nodded, stuffing it into Mei's suitcase.

Mei took the sleeping bag out, tossing it towards the door. "Doesn't that belong to Ms. Hyuta?"

"Oh, yeah." Adelaide said. She ran towards the door, grabbing the sleeping bag. "I'll go return it!"

"Go ahead!" Airi said, waving to Adelaide as she closed the door.

"Hina, how did you bring your plants to camp?" Airi asked as she packed her things.

"I didn't."

Ena spoke up, "Then what did you do, buy them?" 

"I burrowed them from the other buildings. I'm sure they didn't even notice they were gone."

"Hina!" Mei yelled. "Go bring them back!"

"Right now?" HIna asked.

"Yes, right now!" Airi said. 

"Fine." Hina said, dragging her feet as she walked towards the door. 

She left the door open as she walked on the patio. "I can bring them back next year, right?"

"Sure." Airi said. "You're taking the blame if someone realizes, though."

"Yes, ma'am!" She said, slamming the door. 

Adelaide opened the door to an almost empty cabin. "Wow, this place looks kind of sad."

"It does, right?" Mei agreed as she pulled her suitcase to the door. "Now, to wait for Hina."

As if waiting for the right moment, Hina barged in. "I have an idea!" She said, pulling out a knife.

The other girls ran to the back of the cabin. "Drop it!" Mei warned.

"No." Hina plopped on the ground, bringing the knife to the floor. “I’m going to carve something.”

Mei sighed out of relief, but still sprinted towards her.

"I think everyone would rather have the artist do it." She said, grabbing the knife. "What were you planning on putting?"

Hina shrugged. "Our initials, I guess?" 

Mei nodded, drawing a big heart. "Everyone, put your initials in the heart.”

"Okay!" The others replied, each carving their initials.

"You know, we'll probably be in different cabins next year." Mei said, admiring the initials.

"I think you can put in requests." Hina said. "We can also beg for this cabin next year!"

"I call bringing the rug to cover this!" Airi said.

"As long as we all agree on the rug." Ena said.

"Got it!"

Adelaide looked through the window, gasping. "Mei, what time is it?"

Mei checked her phone. "It's twelve-thirty."

"I think the picnic’s almost over."

She opened the door as the others sprinted through it. 

"Why are we late to everything today?!" Mei asked.

"I don't know!" Ena said.

Airi pulled out a blanket from the bag, letting it go. It flew into Hina's face. "Set up our area! I'll get food!"

She sprinted towards the large table of food as Hina sat on the blanket.

"Seriously, we still have some time." Hina said.

Airi put the multiple plates of food on the blanket, almost tripping. "Just pick and choose what you guys want."

"Okay." Mei said, picking up a sandwich. 

"So, what is everyone's plan for the school year?" Ena asked as she ate a carrot stick.

"What is my plan, Mei?" Adelaide asked, quickly turning towards her.

Mei thought for a second, "Um, I think you're going to the same school as I do."

"Yes!" Adelaide exclaimed.

"I only think Airi and I live an hour away from each other, so I was thinking we could go on picnics every weekend." Hina said.

"Not every weekend. I still have to study." Airi pointed out.

"Studying is boring, though!"

"What are your grades?" Mei asked.

Airi spoke first. "Mostly in the nineties."

HIna shrugged. "seventies and the occasional eighty."

"My point proven!" Airi said.

Hina rolled her eyes, "Well, let's at least meet every other week."

Airi grinned, "Deal!"

"We should all video chat once a week." Mei said. "Considering Adelaide, Ena, and I live farther away."

"How about on saturdays!" Adelaide suggested.

Everyone nodded. "Well, that's settled!" Hina said. 

"Everyone!" Ms. Hyuta was now standing in the front of all of the blankets, megaphone in hand. 

Once the chatting had died down, she continued. "In a few minutes, many of your parents will be arriving. Please make sure you have all of your luggage. Once you leave, there's no coming back until next year."

Just as Ms. Hyuta was walking away from the front, she turned towards the girls again. "Oh, one other thing. People riding the bus, we will leave in twenty minutes."

As soon as Ms. Hyuta left, Mei jumped up. "I forgot my luggage!" 

She sprinted towards the cabin, the others following closely behind. Mei turned around, "You don't have to follow me!"

"But, we want to!" Hina said. Mei smiled, tripping on the front steps of the cabin.

"I'm okay!" She assured the girls, running inside the cabin. She quickly came out with her suitcase. "Let's go!"

They ran back to the blanket, Mei dragging the suitcase behind her. 

She looked out towards the parking lot, frowning. "I think my mom is here."

She turned towards the girls. "I guess it's time to say goodbye."

Airi stood up. "You're acting like we aren't going to follow you to the car."

"Yeah, who else will help you explain Adelaide?" Hina said as they started walking towards the car.

Mei's mom got out of the car, waving at Mei. Mei waved back. "Hello, mom!"

"Hi, Mei!" Mei's mom said. 

"Um, I have something I want to ask." Mei said. Adelaide walked up to Mei, smiling at Mei's mom. "Can Adelaide..." 

Adelaide gave a quick wave. "Can she live with us? She doesn't really have a family, and came to camp in the middle of summer..."

"My parents, um, kicked me out." Adelaide said.

"She's really nice!" Ena said.

"Yeah, and smart!" Hina added, looking at Mei's mom with pleading eyes. 

Mei's mom took a step back, trying to comprehend everything thrown at her. "I'm sure your father wouldn't mind. I've always wanted another child, anyways."

"Thank you!" Mei exclaimed, hugging her mom. 

"Yeah, thank you very much." Adelaide said. 

Mei's mom opened the trunk, putting the luggage in. She opened the car door to the back, where Adelaide and Mei decided to sit.

"Bye!" Mei and Adelaide said in unison, rolling down the window as the car started moving.

"See you sometime!" Hina said, waving at them until the car was out of sight. 

Ena looked quickly at another car in the parking lot, sighing. "It looks like my parents are here too."

Airi and Hina tackled Ena in a hug. "I'll miss you two, shananagins incuded."

"We'll miss you, too." Airi said. Ena backed up from the hug, running to the car.

"Bye!" Hina said as Ena got in the car. Ena waved as the car backed out of the parking lot.

As she watched the car leave, Airi sighed. "Looks like it's just us, now."

"Oh!" Hina said, turning around and running.

"Hina!" Airi said, following her. "What are you doing?"

"I forgot my luggage!" Hina said, pulling the cabin door open. 

"We were just here ten minutes ago!" Airi yelled. 

"I know!" Hina said, throwing her bag out of the cabin.

Airi caught it, almost falling. "We're going to be late."

Hina ran out of the cabin with her second bag, grabbing the other bag out of Airi's hand. 

"Not if we hurry!" Hina said, running towards the bus, which was starting to load people. 

Airi reered off to the side, scooping up the picnic blanket, along with her bag. She caught up, sprinting towards the bus.

They barely got to the door, stopping ther driver. "Wait! We're coming too!" Hina said. The driver opened the doors again, and the girls walked towards the very back of the bus.

Airi plopped into her seat, Hina sitting next to her. "This is exactly like when we met!"

Airi nodded. "Yeah." She looked out the window, silent for a few seconds.

"This is also where I met her."

"Anzu?"

"Yep. I was here to get my bag, and she insisted that she hide in my suitcase. Then chaos happened."

Hina laughed. "Chaos is an understatement."

Hina opened one of her bags, pulling out a notebook. She flipped to the page she had doodled her dream cabin in, sighing. "I never did find that asparagus fern."

Airi shrugged, "You found every other plant within a fifty mile radius of you, though."

"True."

The girls talked for what seemed like a few minutes, reminescing about the summer. As the bus stopped, Hina gasped.

She looked at her phone. "It's been an hour?!"

She looked outside at the sidewalk the bus had stopped at. "This is my stop." Hina said.

She hugged Airi, smiling. "Bye!"

"Bye." Airi said as Hina walked towards the front of the bus. 

Airi stood up, "Hina!"

"What is it?" 

"Thank you for changing my life." 

Hina froze up, sweat on her forehead. "I-?"

The bus driver started tapping his foot on the ground, and Hina ran off the bus.

As the bus started up again, Airi sat down. She looked out the window to Hina, who was typing something on her phone.

Airi's phone buzzed, so she picked it up. Hina had sent a text to her.

She opened the message, her phone buzzing even more. As she scrolled up, past the many hearts and smiles she had been sent, she got to the first actual message.

Hina: You're welcome! :D

As Airi's phone continued buzzing, Airi opened the keyboard.

Airi: Stop with the emojis, my phone feels like it's going to buzz itself out of my hands.

Airi then put her phone back in her bag, daydreaming the rest of the ride. As she started recognizing the landscape, she sighed.

She grabbed her bag and moved to the edge of her seat, the bus slowing to a stop.

Airi stood up, walking to the front of the bus. She looked at the now empty seat that Hina and her had sat in, before leaving the bus. 

She ran to where her parents' driveway was, and dropped her suitcase. She hugged them tightly, "I missed you."

"We missed you, too." Her dad said. "Now, how was your summer?"

Airi grinned, "Amazing!"

❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

-Ten Years Later-

❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

"I think this is it." Hina said, checking her phone to make sure. She fidgeted with the hair that had sneaked out of her bun, before opening the door.

The flower shop was small, but plants of various colors were hanging everywhere. A girl with long blue hair was working behind the counter, writing something down on a piece of paper.

The girl smiled at Hina. "Welcome to Flowery Bouquet-" 

She abruptly dropped the paper she was holding, running around the counter. "Hina!"

"Nice to see you, Adelaide." Hina said as the two hugged. 

Hina looked around at the shop, marveling at the beauty. "This place is really cool."

"Thank you." Adelaide said. She quickly turned to the stairway at the back of the shop, ducking under the employees only sign.

"Mei, honey!" She yelled up the stairs. After waiting a few seconds, she huffed in dissapointment. Right before running up the stairs, she looked at Hina.

"You can come up if you want." She said.

As Adelaide ran to find Mei, Hina admired the apartment. She sat on a small, leather couch, that was plopped on a small rug. To the left of her was a hallway that led to the kitchen, and the door to what she assumed was the bedroom. On the right was a door that was slightly open.

"What?" Mei asked from the room.

"Hina's here!"

Something fell in the room, and Hina could here Mei stand up. "Oh!"

The door flew open, and Mei came out. Her hair was short, just barely going to her shoulders. She had on a light blue sweater, but it was covered by a paint-covered smock. Even so, paint had gotten on her pants and on her sweater. 

"Sorry." Mei said to Hina. She turned towards Adelaide. "My girlfriend just happened to not remind!"

"I did remind you, right before you painted."

"Oh," Mei quickly said, before turning back to Hina.

She sat next to her on the couch, smiling. Adelaide sat on a chair that was adgacent to the couch.

"So, how has the camp been going?" She asked Hina, who perked up.

"Pretty well. I stil can't understand how Ms. Hyuta was able to handle an overnight camp, though. I feel like a majority of my camp kids wouldn't go the night without someone breaking their leg."

"I think you're the most suitable for it, though. You were the best counselor out of the four of us." Mei said.

"Even though everyone in my cabin got in trouble at some point?" Hina laughed.

"Other than that." 

Hina excitedly looked at Mei. "Anyways, when are you guys getting marr-"

Mei jumped out of the couch, practically pushing Adelaide into the hallway. "Adelaide, can you get some snacks?"

Adelaide tried not to laugh, looking at Hina. "Sure?"

Mei turned back around to Hina, marching up to her and putting her hands on Hina's shoulder. "Look, I am going to engage to her, eventually." She said in a hushed voice.

Hina raised one of her eyebrows. "You guys have been dating since, like, the start of high school."

"The second year of high school." Mei corrected. "Also, I'm waiting until Airi and can come. It would feel wrong not to do it with the four of us."

Hina nodded, "That makes sense." She looked baxk at the hallway to the kitchen. "That being said, I'm pretty sure Adelaide knows you want to propose."

"Yeah, I know that. I'm just pretending that I don't know that she knows."

"Guys?" Adelaide asked from behind the two. Mei jumped onto the couch, casually looking up at Adelaide.

Adelaide put a bowl on the table. "I brought chips."

"Thank you." Hina said, grabbing one. "Wait, can I see your art gallery?"

Mei nodded. "Oh yeah! I forgot you haven't seen it yet."

She opened a door to the right, and Hina walked in. It was a small room, with a bright blue tarp on the ground. Unfinished and finished painting covered the walls, along with a small shelf that had piles of buisness cards on them. A canvas was sitting in the middle of the room, still wet with paint. It was of an overgrown field, with rain pouring down onto it. 

"I still haven't done the sky, but it's almost done." Mei said.

"It looks beautiful!" Hina said. "What is it based on?"

Adelaide opened her phone, showing Hina a picture of an identical field. "Airi sent us this. She's competing somewhere in Europe right now."

"I heard she's doing well in the tournament." Hina said. "I wish I could watch all of the games, but I don't have the willpower to stay up late to watch some of them."

"I still can't believe she's playing internationally." Mei said. "I still remember when she was struggling to win games at camp."

"I miss camp." Adelaide said. "Even the whole 'saving the world' thing."

"I know, right? Sometimes I can't believe I'm feeling nostalgic for that one time I almost died." Hina said, laughing.

Mei looked at the painting, sighing. "Even so, those were fun times."

❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

A girl with white hair walked through the castle's hallway, clasping something in her hands.

She rolled her eyes at a man with blue hair, who was leaning against the wall. "Julian!" This place isn't going to clean itself!"

Julian picked up a rag, scrubbing the windows. "Sofia, I miss those times when you were on my side."

"You mean, never?" Sofia said, walking past him.

She turned into the throne room, where Anzu was standing nervously. She held a put-together gem in one hand, and a bag in the other. 

Sofia ran up to her, placing a gem fragment in her hand. "Here!"

Anzu fumbled with the gem, placing the piece in the right spot. The gem emitted a glow, beofre returnin to normal.

Queen Juniper watched from her throne, nodding at Anzu. "Are you ready?"

"Of course." Anzu said, holding the gem to her heart.

The queen smiled. "Make sure to be back for dinner."

Sofia laughed. "Bring Airi if you want!"

"I'll make sure to be back on time." She said as the gem grew brighter. She closed her eyes in anticipation, and dissapeared from the throne room.

❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

Airi put her tennis racket in her suitcase, looking around the hotel room to make sure everything was packed. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead, still exhausted from the match she had won earlier. 

She looked at her watch. "One more hour until I have to leave." She was about to turn on the tv before a light flashed behind her.

A familiar girl stood there, with stunning pink hair that faded into blue, stood behind her.

Airi stood frozen, in shock. "Anzu?"

Anzu smiled. "Hey, Airi."

-The End-

[ao3feed-assassin-class]

The Red Spirit

The Red Spirit by WhatsOnMyMind

A kid has a quirk called Universal Hop that conveniently develops at the wrong place, wrong time. It does exactly as it sounds like, it opens portals in different universes and sucks whatever's near, and drops them/it off in another universe.

In this case, Class E gets sucked in and dropped into a universe that has something called quirks? And why does Karma of all people get one!?

Desperate for a way home, Class E convinces Karma to attend the hero course so he can try to find some information regarding their way home.

Will UA catch on? Will Class E and Class 1-A accidentally bump into each other? And will Class E manage to find a way back home?

Meanwhile, Koro-sensei's more concerned about being replaced by this "Aizawa."

Words: 2610, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Assassination Classroom, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Akabane Karma, Shiota Nagisa, Kayano Kaede, Isogai Yuuma, Hayami Rinka, Chiba Ryuunosuke, Terasaka Ryouma, Korosensei, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Todoroki Shouto, Karasuma Tadaomi, Irina Jelavić, Kataoka Megu, Fuwa Yuzuki, Okano Hinata, Kurahashi Hinano, Kimura Masayoshi, Nakamura Rio, Mimura Kouki, Hazama Kirara, Muramatsu Takuya, Sugaya Sousuke, Hara Sumire, Yoshida Taisei, Kanzaki Yukiko, Okajima Taiga, Yada Touka, Takebayashi Koutarou, Maehara Hiroto, Sugino Tomohito, Okuda Manami, Aoyama Yuuga, Kaminari Denki, Ashido Mina, Asui Tsuyu, Ojiro Mashirao, Bakugou Katsuki, Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya, Kirishima Eijirou, Jirou Kyouka, Uraraka Ochako, Kouda Kouji, Satou Rikidou, Tokoyami Fumikage, Sero Hanta, Shouji Mezou, Mineta Minoru, Hagakure Tooru, Yaoyorozu Momo, Dabi | Todoroki Touya, Shinsou Hitoshi, Toga Himiko, Todoroki Enji | Endeavor

Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Akabane Karma & Korosensei, Akabane Karma & Todoroki Shouto, Akabane Karma & Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Akabane Karma & Class 3-E, Midoriya Izuku & Shiota Nagisa, Akabane Karma & Karasuma Tadaomi, Class 1-A (My Hero Academia) & Class 3-E

Additional Tags: Akabane Karma-centric, karma-centric, karma akabane-centric, but I still show a lot of everyone, BAMF Class 3-E, Humor, Akabane Karma is a Little Shit, Akabane Karma Has a Quirk (My Hero Academia), Assassination Attempt(s), Assassination Plot(s), Suspicions, some of them may be ooc, karma is HARD to write, Tried my best, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Todoroki Enji | Endeavor's Bad Parenting, Todoroki Enji | Endeavor Being An Asshole, Karma and todoroki bonding over terrible parents, Canon Compliant, Alternate Universe, assassination classroom and my hero academia crossover, Spies, set a little before entrance exams in mha, set a day or two after Terasaka almost killed the class, Spoilers, might change the title, Beta Read, credits to Lolo for helping me come up with the plot, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is So Done, Aizawa Shouta is suspicious, so are some of the more observant students, they're wondering where the hell Karma came from, Aizawa Shouta is tired, this will undergo some more deep editing later on, slight Irina/karasuma? I guess, mostly on Irina's part tho but you have to squint, I'm Bad At Summaries, might ALSO change the summary

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32184004

[kareofbears]

asymmetric styling

“I like the way you dress.”

Akechi looks up from his crossword (one word left, ten letters horizontally) to see Ann waiting for a response.

“What?”

—

read on ao3 or below the cut :) 

“I like the way you dress.”

Akechi looks up from his crossword (one word left, ten letters horizontally) to see Ann waiting for a response.

“What?”

“Your outfits are nice,” she clarifies, nodding at his winter attire. “I like how you present yourself, and the colors you pick. You have a knack for clothes, I think.”

“Okay,” he says for lack of a better response. “Why are you telling me that?”

“Because I want to?”

He sets down his crossword. “Why would you want to?”

Ann stares at him. “Because you have good outfits?”

“Yes, we’ve been over that, but you hate me, so why would you want to compliment me?” If this useless back and forth goes on any further, Akechi’s going to pop a vein.

“I can still hate people and compliment them,” she replies, rolling her eyes. “That’s called high school.”

“This,” he gesticulates at the empty interior of Leblanc. “Is us waiting for the rest of the halfwits and Sumire to show up, and that I’ve apparently been granted the unfortunate lottery ticket of spending alone time with you.”

“I think it’s called a blessing, actually,” she grins. “I’m something of a hoot. A rockstar. A Hollywood badass.”

“A nuisance?” he offers, smiling thinly in return.

“Are you always like this or is it because I’m just too pretty?”

“I feel like this is a trick question from how stupid it sounds, but it’s most definitely not the second one, I promise.” Akechi shrugs off his jacket, and moves to grab his crossword puzzle again. “How about you go back to your phone, and we can go back to the delightful silence we had before?”

Her hand slams down on the newspaper. “I knew it.”

Raising an eyebrow, “Are you about to tell me the final answer to this crossword? Because not only do I legally have to say that you seem like you’ve never attempted a mental aptitude test in your life, but because I’m generally against spoilers.”

“You do like fashion!”

Akechi represses a sigh. “What are you on about?”

“Your jacket,” she points at his brown peacoat. “That was on page thirteen of Vague, the July edition predicting sales on which winter apparel for men will take off later that year. That peacoat was rated number one in Japan and ended up being something like a self-fulfilling prophecy by using their earlier predictions and turned it into sales.”

He scoffs. “Okay, sure. Let’s say that I’m an avid follower of fashion.” Akechi leans forward, and his head tilts in mock-concern. “But doesn’t that mean that you rebuked your own statement? Since this was…what was that? ‘Rated number one in Japan?’ Won’t that mean that everyone would be trying to sell this coat? And it could be a complete coincidence that I have this jacket because it can be replicated in every fast-fashion store in downtown Shibuya?” He gasps. “Oh no, looks like you’re wrong about the very field you think you know the most in! How humiliating.”

Ann leans forward, her smile is wide but her eyes are sharp. “Silly me. I guess I forgot to mention a fact about this specific brand, color, and fabric on the very first day of release: it’s near impossible for manufacturers to try and replicate it.” She tilts her head to mimic him. “Humiliation’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

“Maybe, if I had ever experienced it the way you just did,” he replies pleasantly. “‘Near impossible,’ means statistically difficult, but not quite impossible.”

“Very true, but since that brand is on such high demand, they actually have a foolproof method to fight against fake brands. Perhaps they thought it was a good idea to have a small symbol that can be easily overlooked. Let’s say—” she reaches forward and grabs his coat, grin stretching even further when she points at one of the big brown buttons. “Something like a rabbit engraved on top of the first button?”

Akechi raps his fingers on the table. “Perhaps, but if you had done your research, this brand has two foolproof methods: the rabbit, as you annoyingly mentioned, and the code that you can enter in the website to prove its legitimacy. However, as you may have noticed—” he pinches the label near the collar of the peacoat. “No code. Sorry.”

Ann groans, throwing her hands over her face. “Dammit!”

Letting himself cheer internally, he makes sure the condescension is layered thick in his voice. “Not your fault. You tried your best.”

“Yeah…I’m sure you did.” Blue eyes peek from between her fingers. “Too bad you forgot the cute little fact that four years ago they actually put the code inside of the label.”

His shoulders tense.

“Do you mind flipping it for me, Akechi? Actually, no need,” propping her chin on her palm, he probably could have felt her smugness from three blocks away. “Even if there isn’t, I know that you live and breathe fashion as much as I do.” Her expression turns cheery. “Well, almost as much.”

“Congratulations, you beat me in a game you know you’re more knowledgeable in than I am,” he deadpans. “An outstanding feat. Can you let me finish my puzzle now?”

“I should’ve guessed you were a sore loser,” Ann says, ignoring him. “I still remember when Akira beat you in a round of Tycoon. Your face was stuck like—” she scrunches her eyebrows together and morphs her features into a menacing scowl. “For like four hours afterwards, it was great.”

“He only won because his cards were better than mine.”

“Actually, if I’m not mistaken, the cards you drew were basically as good as his, and you still lost.”

“Oh, I see, you’re trying to be funny. Hilarious. I can hardly breathe, please call an ambulance.” He rubs his temples. “I yield. I’m going to ask you this one last time: What do you want? And no games, I beg of you, you’re going to make my head burst.”

“Killjoy,” she sighs, before straightening up. “You know that we hate you.”

“I think I’m aware, yes.”

“And you hate us—”

“But Sumire doesn’t count,” they both say in unison.

“But you not only hate us, but I’m pretty sure you hate, like, everyone else,” she continues, gesticulating with her hands. “Japan, Asia, the world. I’m sure you have some random vendetta with some guy across the Pacific Ocean. He probably breathed too hard and made one of your hairs move two weeks later.”

“Is there a point to your prattling, or…?”

“I’m getting there,” she gives him an accusing look. “So with all that in mind, why does a guy like you, who would get in a boxing ring with just about anyone on the planet, know so much about something like the fashion industry?” Smoothing down his jacket, “Why do you put so much effort in how you dress when it’s so clear that you don’t care what other people think about you?”

“Is that what you think?”

Ann pauses at his tone. “Am I wrong?”

“No. Not necessarily.” She continues to stare at him, unblinking. “Do you ever learn to back down?”

That makes her grin. “Not in this line of work. If you think I’m bad, you should go a few rounds with Ryuji.”

“Sounds like a nightmare.” If information is the price for temporary silence, then he’s willing to pay the price. Even at the cost of prolonging his crossword. “I didn’t care what other people think about me, but I wanted them to see me in a certain light.”

She squints. “What?”

He finds himself fiddling with the edge of his newspaper. “The very first thing people notice about a person is how they present themself. In their hair, their expression, their posture. But above all that, is the clothes that they wear. The shoes on their feet, the jacket on their back, how expensive their watch is. All that information is melded together in an instant. That split second—” he snaps his fingers. “Is all they need to form an opinion of you. To define you, before you can even open your mouth.”

“I don’t care about fashion,” Akechi admits. “But I cared about what it could do for me. I got to have a say in who I am.” His eyes flicker to her. “Done?”

The look Ann gives him is unreadable. “You’re a liar.”

Akechi leans away, taken aback. “Well, yes, of course. I thought we all knew that by now.”

“You do care about what other people think about you, Akechi,” she accuses, realization dawning on her. “‘Want to see you in a certain light,’ my ass—all you’re doing is shuffling around what your words mean to justify your actions through your thick, annoyingly soft-haired skull. You’re right, you don’t care about fashion, because at the end of the day…” Ann shrugs helplessly, and her words are spoken with something like awe and dismay. “All you care about is how people see you.”

A beat passes. “Wanted.”

“Huh?”

“It’s ‘wanted,’” he corrects, unfazed. “Past tense.”

Ann gives him a hard look. “Correcting me on my grammar, now? Real mature.”

“Only because it changes the meaning of everything you just said.” Akechi reaches over to his jacket’s collar, and flips the label to reveal the code. “Thanks to your reminder, you helped me recall something.” He taps at the seemingly randomized set of numbers in front of him. “This lets you know when you bought the coat. What number is this?”

Reluctantly, she peers at what he’s pointing at. “‘10?’” she says quietly. “October?”

“I bought this about a week before my well-deserved beatdown in Shido’s ship,” he clarifies. “So about four months ago from today.”

“Okay? And?” she urges, still confused.

“And this coat is the newest thing I own.”

“Meaning…?”

“Meaning…” how strange it was, saying this out loud to another person. “That something between Shido’s ship and now, I stopped caring. About up-to-date fashion, about appearances, and especially stopped giving a damn about other people’s perception of me.”

Ann is silent for a moment. “Was it because of what happened in Shido’s ship?” she asks. There’s no trace of superiority or teasing in her tone—only curiosity.

“Could be,” he answers honestly. “Perhaps I realized that there was no need to uphold a specific personality anymore. Perhaps I was just tired after playing that song and dance for as long as I can remember. Bottom line is: I don’t give a single shit about fashion anymore.”

Her lips quirk up, “Even though you got into a fashion pissing contest not five minutes ago?”

“That’s different. I love to win.”

“I can tell,” she breathes out a laugh. After a moment, a thoughtful expression clouds her features. “Can I say something?”

“If I actually had a say in that, we wouldn’t have had this conversation at all.”

“How would you, Akechi Goro, feel about trying to get back into fashion?”

For once, Akechi looks surprised. “Did you not listen to anything I just said?”

Her hands drum on the table eagerly. “Just hear me out. You don’t care about fashion because it sort of, kind of, maybe represents how much you tried to be someone you’re not, which hey, I get that, super relatable, and it’s great that you don’t care about that anymore. But—and give me a chance here—” Ann grins. “Wouldn’t it be more interesting if you wore clothes that you wanted to wear?”

She shifts in her seat, excitement radiating off of her. It’s difficult to watch. “I’ve been studying fashion ever since I could understand the color wheel, and if there’s one thing I learned is that fashion is power. If you make it your own, then,” Ann shrugs. “All the more power to you, right?”

Akechi is struck with silence, and is saved from having to reply when the door to Leblanc swings wide open. An entourage of loud teenagers steamroll into the cafe, all brushing off various amounts of snow from themselves.

“Took you long enough!” Ann yells over her shoulder.

“Sorry for the delay,” Haru answers. She raises her hand to reveal a full plastic bag. “But we got snacks!”

“Takoyaki?”

“Pork kebab.”

She makes a face. “Stop indulging Ryuji!”

“Mm, literally impossible,” Akira replies, combing the snow out of Futaba’s hair.

Akechi sinks back into the booth, waiting for Sumire to walk in and prance by his side, when Ann turns back to him. “By the way, I think it’s ‘asymmetrical.’”

“What is?”

“The last word on your puzzle,” she nods down at his crossword. “‘With two halves, sides, or parts that are not exactly the same in shape or size.’ I read it while I was grabbing your coat.”

“Oh.” He reluctantly scribbles down the answer, lacking the usual enjoyment he gets from finishing a crossword. “…Thanks.”

Somehow, she’s still not done talking. “I heard Akira went shopping with Sumire last week. She came back with the cutest dress I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“I’m aware.” He’s pretty sure he’s compiled enough for a slideshow of it by now, given how many pictures of it Sumire’s sent to him.

She hesitates, before seeming to steel herself. “Wanna go shopping tomorrow?”

Akechi blinks. Twice. He’s about to open his mouth to say no as rudely as possible, when he lets his eyes wander the cramped coffee shop. All of them are in clothes that scream their personality, even if it clashes or has horrible style (he can barely look at Ryuji’s winter outfit without cringing).

But, as terrible as some of them may look, all of them seem content to be in the clothes that they chose.

“Maybe.”

Ann’s smile is bright and genuine. “I can work with a maybe.”

[bloodredruby]

Pausing my dr.stone journey for jshk new chap commentary!

SO IT WAS A TIME LOOP AFTER ALL!!! DAMMIT NO.6 WTF THATS JUST PLAIN CRUEL MAN.... RELIVING YOUR DEATH OVER AND OVER AGAIN

Hmmmm...im just a lil bit suspicious of this part or maybe its just me but still.....

*eye squint*

Yashiro Nene @ sumire: "been there done that, leave him girl you can do better, YOU DESERVE BETTER"

At least we see aoiaoi this chap BUT THEY END WITH ANGST WHY AIDAIRO WHY??!!!

I hope they will be okay

[oddlybitter]

Chapters: 1/4 Fandom: Persona 5 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Sakura Futaba, Niijima Makoto/Takamaki Ann, Akechi Goro & Okumura Haru Characters: Akechi Goro, Kurusu Akira, Takamaki Ann, Niijima Makoto, Sakura Futaba, Shido Masayoshi, Okumura Haru, Okumura Kunikazu, Yoshizawa Kasumi, Sakamoto Ryuji, Kitagawa Yusuke, Yoshizawa Sumire Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - American High School, Alternate Universe - American Football, Akechi Goro and Sakura Futaba Are Half-Siblings, Shido is a very bad dad, 0/10, would not recommend, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Underage Drinking, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, high schoolers man, they just can't keep it in their pants, Drunk Driving, but not like, DRUNK drunk driving, they're just dumbasses, Established Takamaki Ann/ Niijima Makoto, rated for language, sakura futaba/yoshizawa sumire if you squint, both the yoshizawa twins are here bc if i killed one i'd feel bad, rewritten!!, and now with:, Internalized Homophobia, Toxic Masculinity, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Self-Harm, Homophobia, Misogyny, wahooo, :/ Series: Part 1 of It Happens to the Best of Us Summary:

Goro Akechi is trying his best. He really is. He's got the perfect life: he's on the football team, his (not actually) girlfriend is a cute, rich cheerleader, he's got near-perfect grades. But apparently, his best doesn't quite cut it. When his girlfriend announces she's breaking up with him, Goro's father's plans go right down the drain. The wrench in the works? Akira Kurusu, the quarterback and likable ringmaster of the circus of high school.