#kamen rider and lupat are... all i got right now when it comes to that kinda stuff

[andsotheuniverseended]

goseiger for the top 3 thing?

as a note, im only like twenty-something episodes into goseiger and will remain that way until someone ( @iwatchtoomuchtoku ) finds the time to continue it with me

top 3 favorite characters

Hyde bc for some reason i like ‘sharkboy except as an adult who probs not only has a coupon binder but also organizes his coupons by expiration date and type’, Moune bc im gay, and Alata bc im specifically gay for dragons

top 3 least favorite characters

i??? dont think i have any, actually? not enough for me to think about off the top of my head. even the villains are fairly enjoyable in their own right, enough that i dont actually dislike watching them.

top 3 otps

Hyde x Past Teammate Guy That Died (Magis? i think?). Alata and Eri have some cute potential, i remember that ep with him having her do the training stuff she taught him as kids was super adorable. i dont actually ship much in this show, im realizing. i guess my last one would be…. Hyde and Agri seems fairly popular and also p cute, i could get behind that.

top 3 notps

i mean. hand-in-hand with not really shipping anyone is not really not-shipping anyone either. i mean besides the obvious (pls tell me theres no moune and agri ppl out there, theyre siblings, yo). 

top 3 brotps

Moune and Hyde are wlw/mlm solidarity and you cant change my mind. Moune and Eri are both different flavors of reckless, and its great. Alata is literally Everyone’s best friend, so can i say i brotp him with Everyone? if i gotta be specific, him with the kid is real cute.

top 3 favorite episodes/chapters/scenes/games in series

So far? the very first thing that comes to mind is when theyre all trying to communicate with their elements and alata and eri are flying, and moune and agri are just kneeling on the ground, and then theres hyde. floating, fully dressed, in the middle of the ocean. Fully Dressed. i think its part of why he became my favorite bc hyde. buddy. what are you Doing.

other than that… i liked hyde and moune working together to get outta that weird box/other dimension thing (i dont remember what episode this was). oh and when hyde and agri went shopping and hyde dragged them to all the stores to find the best deals, and then had them go back around again to actually buy all the stuff.

…all of these moments include hyde. dammit. okay lets see, a couple without hyde… alata drawing his own card bc his powers werent working was so so good. moune and eri working together whilst the boys were literal furniture was Also a gift sent to me, specifically.

top 3 other things u think ppl who like this thing should watch/read/play

i mean??? other super sentai stuff probably? idk ive seen like 2 super sentai and i dont know anything about it. i think literally everyone should go watch Leverage, and its got team-found-family dynamics and hijinks so if you like that kinda thing… thats all i can think of right now XP

my rating of this media out of 3, with 0 being lowest and 3 being highest

3 so far. its cute, and i like the team, and Hyde is my sharkman!

send me a show or anything really

[shewasanamericangirl]

i just finished ressha sentai toQger!

oh man, i have got to tell you about toQger--my new favorite season of super sentai!

the toQgers are a train-themed team, with train tracks on their masks! together they ride the rainbow line to travel from town to town, protecting the world from the darkness of the shadow line with the power of 𝙸𝙼𝙰𝙶𝙸𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽!

now, that premise may sound juuuust a little silly, but i assure you--

--this show is extremely silly.

five heroes regain consciousness while traveling via train, and two things are immediately apparent:

the five of them--right, tokatti, mio, hikari and kagura--were all best friends when they were little kids

aside from that much...they all have laser-guided amnesia. no idea how they got there. few memories of their lives. no idea whether that rude monkey puppet on the train conductor’s hand somehow possesses a life of its own...

these five friends must use their 𝙸𝙼𝙰𝙶𝙸𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 to become the toQgers, the rainbow line’s bright and colorful guardians! and what is it they must guard against...?

the shadows! (madame noire, seen above, is merely one example--great aesthetics, right?) shadows live off of darkness, and not just the absence of light--no, this darkness is an eerie, smoky substance of distilled despair. furthermore, the highest-ranking shadows each have their own agendas that drive them to clash with each other in their pursuit of darkness--prestige, conquest, political clout, true love...and then there’s the emperor of darkness, whose motives are perhaps the most twisted of all. if you enjoyed the drama between the vyram in chojin sentai jetman, you’ll definitely get into the intrigue going on between the shadows.

(spoiler alert: he’s hot enough)

anyway, toQger is colorful as heck, and even more than that, it has the feeling of a kid’s show. what’s that, you say? super sentai is a children’s show?! well...yes. but toQger is BRIGHT and COLORFUL and SILLY and about RAINBOW TRAINS and 𝙸𝙼𝙰𝙶𝙸𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽!! so it definitely has more of a kidcore vibe than most super sentai. it definitely does not feel like the same show as the more adult jetman.

does this goofy fun show carry emotional weight like jetman or lupat, though? in short, yes. you will get emotionally invested. you may cry. come for the laughs, and stay because you need to make sure these characters you adore are going to be okay in the end.

@shylax suggested evaluating tokusatsu on the five metrics of visuals, music, characters, plot, and choreography, so in brief:

visuals: bright and crisp and colorful. good CG, good mecha, fun costumes, so much to look at.

music: the music’s great, if not the most memorable. after you’ve watched the series for a bit, you’ll totally get pumped to hear the opening theme.

characters: WONDERFUL. the toQgers are a bunch of sweethearts, and i gotta make a special shout out to how beautifully fleshed out the villains are. the extra ranger in this series has especially captured my heart; his introductory arc stands out as an exceptionally moving part of the story. also, the group shots are extra dynamic--even when one or two characters are focused on, the ones in the background are still doing their own thing, fully in character. there is a little romance on this show, and imo, it fits into the plot more smoothly than it did on jetman.

plot: despite the playful atmosphere, you’ll get a sense early on that this series has mysteries to uncover--that is generally how it goes with characters suffering from memory loss, after all. a lot happens, and i think it unfolds and is wrapped up quite satisfactorily. i personally would’ve loved a deeper explanation of the mysterious link between [spoiler] and [spoiler] that becomes apparent in the last couple of episodes, but it wasn’t lacking per se--i’m just curious is all.

choreography: the fights are as dynamic and extra as you’d expect from super sentai. the toQgers have a special method of mixing up their fighting techniques which you’ll learn about early on, and that definitely makes for some exciting combos.

all told, toQger gets high marks from me!

so if you enjoy tokusatsu, and you don’t mind if it doesn’t always take itself seriously, i think you too will have a really good time watching toQger! if you do (or did), let me know what you think!

the next tokusatsu series i’ll be watching by myself will be kamen rider ex-aid. actually, i’ve already watched through episode 6!

[shylax]

all right, i want to see you introduce a bunch of *your* favorite toku characters to your non-toku-viewing audience!

Although the ask didn’t specify cute toku characters, this question was intended to be a reciprocation of my prior ask and I will answer it in that way. Also, in no particular order.

Tsukasa Myoujin/Patren 3gou from Lupinranger vs. Patoranger

Ironically, she wasn’t the first character I got attached to in LuPat, however, I think she might be my favorite cutie from that show now. She presents a tough and serious exterior, however her secret weakness is stuffed animals! She finds them so cute, especially her favorite, Porktato! She’s the one to keep the other Patorangers in line, when Keiichiro is being too hotheaded and Sakuya is being too goofy, and especially when Noel is on his bullshit again.

Umika Hayami/Lupin Yellow from Lupinranger vs. Patoranger

She was the first character I really liked from even before the show started. She’s the opposite of Tsukasa, she has a cute and cheery exterior but is serious inside. The Lupinrangers are each trying to get back someone important to them who was lost. She gets along really well with Tsukasa, who she doesn’t know is a Patoranger. She also has an older brother/younger sister thing going on with Kairi.

Koume Kodou/”Umeko”/DekaPink and Marika Reimon/”Jasmine”/DekaYellow from Dekaranger

Their dynamic is played more straight than the LuPat example, with Umeko being the cutesy one and Jasmine being the more serious one. Umeko likes to spend time in the bath with her rubber ducks, and Jasmine is an ESPer. If she touches things people have touched, places people have been, or people themselves, she can get information about them. That’s why she wears gloves, to control her powers.

Poppy Pipopapo from Kamen Rider Ex-Aid

She is the main character of the game DoReMiFa Beat, a rhythm game, and a Bugster. When she’s in civilian form, her name is Asuna Karino and she works at the Ministry of Health. Either way, she supports the Kamen Riders. She is cute, cheerful, wears lots of bright colors, and she has a cute verbal tic as well!

Commander Aya Odagiri from Jetman

She might be more fearsome than the worst Vyram! Aya Odagiri is the commander of Jetman. Due to an accident, most of the group is made up of untrained civilians, so she has to get them up to speed. She is very intimidating, but cares about her group. She doesn’t fight, but she can use a mech as the above gif illustrates. She’s great!

Akemi Takeda from Kyoudai Ken Bycrosser

She runs the Catswork Company, which is basically her doing odd jobs. She comes across the Bycrossers because their mother hired her to find them. They quickly become friends, although they like to tease each other playfully. I enjoy their interactions quite a lot.

Swan Shiratori from Dekaranger

She is one of the support personnel of SPD, she is played by Mako Ishino who seemingly doesn’t age. Swan is an ace with an abacus, doing mathematical calculations at warp speed. She is very good friends with the boss of Earth’s SPD, Doggie Kruger.

Tsukuyomi from Kamen Rider Zi-O

She is a time traveler from the year 2068 along with Geiz who is trying to stop the rise of Oma Zi-O. Unfortunately, they start to get attached to Sougo, who becomes Oma Zi-O, and can’t bring themselves to just kill him, although they get second thoughts at various times throughout the series. She is the first one to warm up to Sougo and think he can’t be that bad. She hasn’t done that much in the show sadly, although the episode that just aired apparently has something to do with her, although it hasn’t come out on Over-Time yet! Shieri Ohata is just so cute and her hair is perfect. Tsukuyomi’s style is great too (although she typically wears white, this is from one of the .5 episodes.)

Mari Sonoda from Kamen Rider Faiz

Her father gives her a mysterious belt, which she can’t use. However, she comes across a man named Takumi Inui. They don’t quite get along at first, but when they get into trouble, it turns out he can use the belt, and it turns out to be the Faiz belt. I like her interactions with Takumi, she makes fun of him for being a nekojita. She is looking for her father, and her dream is to be a hairstylist. There is just something about her face that appeals to me, it’s cute roundness, and I also like her as a character.

Yui Kanzaki from Kamen Rider Ryuki

Yui Kanzaki is looking for her brother, Shiro, who people say died in America before the show started. However, Shiro appears to people, giving them Kamen Rider decks. He created the Kamen Rider decks for the purposes of the Rider War, in which Kamen Riders battle in the Mirror World. The last man standing gets a wish. She opposes Shiro when she finds out about the Rider War, although Shiro says he’s doing everything for her. She initially appears with Geiz Ren, and her aunt owns the tea shop she and eventually Shinji work at. I like her style and face and although she doesn’t smile much, when she does it’s really cute!

Kaoru Okoshiba/Lady Battle Cop from Lady Battle Cop

I had to include one from the movies! She is a tennis player who is killed along with her fiance in a terrorist raid on the lab where her fiance works at, however her fiance has a trick up his sleeve. He turns Kaoru into the titular Lady Battle Cop, who aims to take down the organization who killed her originally. The movie is basically a riff on Robocop, although Robocop was originally inspired by tokusatsu, so it’s things coming full circle. She doesn’t get to spend much time being cute, because she has business to take care of, but she is cute!

Megumi Misaki/Blue Dolphin from Liveman

I knew I forgot one! Megumi is a student at Academia Island. She and four others were meant to be part of a space exploration group. However, three other students at the school turned traitor and the leader killed two of them. Liveman is a very serious show, but it has its moments of cuteness and lightheartedness! I prefer her longer haircut later in the series, but either way, she’s very cute and I love her signature blue outfit! She can even play a keytar.

Ui Tatsui from Ryusoulger

Another one I forgot! I kept thinking about how there was only one female ranger in Ryusoulger, but I overlooked Ui! She is a Youtuber who accidentally comes across the Ryusoulgers. Koh says he has to use the hammer of forgetting on her but thankfully doesn’t. She and the Ryusoulgers quickly become friends! I really like her style, she is very cute, and she also has a very pretty face!

[firebirdsdaughter]

Special Valentines Day Post...

... Zi-O 22 subbed.

Okay, maybe special in name only.

... I’m kinda scared, actually.

In no order:

GTFO Kuro Woz, I’m mad at you right now.

Poor Sougo gets Rider Kicked out of the Mirror World. Poor baby. DX

GEIZ! HONEY! BABY! You’re fine, stop it! God, why are you like this? I mean, I love you, but... Honey. Stop. Tsukuyomi, smack him. Actually don’t, that wouldn’t help.

God he’s so dramatic, though. I mean, it’s Geiz. Can’t do anything by halves here.

Okay. Wow. That was... Actually kinda a jerk thing to say, Tsukuyomi. Talk about not helpful. So he was wangsting a little, you didn’t have to go there.

Like, Geiz is upset bc he was looking at things purely as a, well, soldier, and briefly considered going through w/ Shiro Woz’s idea to stop the attacks and other people getting hurt, and is clearly being like ‘I’m such a terrible person for this.’ He expresses this to Tsukuyomi, and her response is ‘Yeah, Sougo didn’t even think about it.’ Like... I’m sorry, what? He’s clearly hurting over this already and all you say is basically imply ‘yeah, you’re not as good as Sougo’???? I will totally buy that she didn’t actually mean it that way, but that was very much how it sounded. You really couldn’t say something like ‘Sure, maybe you thought about it, but you didn't go through w/ it, why don’t you consider that?’ Man, no wonder he’d turned away from her when they camerawomen pulled back...

And then she just follows it up w/ asking about if he thinks Sougo will become Puma Zi-O. Tsukuyomi, how about comforting your friend a little? You’ve apparently got enough compassion to save the life of the person who murders your father in the future, but you can’t be bothered to show any for someone who is allegedly your childhood friend? Sweetie, I love you, really, but... Really?

Especially since it’s immediately followed by Ryuga attacking someone else. Like... Yes, I don’t agree w/ Shiro Woz’s plan, it probably wouldn’t work and sacrificing an innocent person is never a good course. But I can totally understand Geiz, esp given his background, thinking about it, given the circumstances (since there’s apparently no other way to beat Ryuga w/out a Kamikaze attack). He deserved a better response than essentially being told Sougo was a better person.

Again, I absolutely want to think she didn’t mean it that way. But that was what it sounded like to me.

Speaking of Sougo... Eh, he’s fine.

Alright, I may been a little annoyed at Tsukuyomi rn, but her and Geiz’s reactions in this scene remain gold.

Geiz just closing his eyes like ‘someone please shoot me...’

Also, the urge to punch something is just emanating from him in waves...

Sougo’s just lying there giggling like ‘whelp, no way out of this one...’

I... I thought you guys established this in the previous ep...

Oh, I’m sorry Tsukuyomi, you care now? Okay, okay. I’m being overly critical, I know. That earlier scene just really hit a nerve for me.

Sou is really cute, and also really good at the ‘sad puppy’ kind of look.

Geiz teleports to the front door again.

THANK YOU SOUGO. See? THAT’S a good response, Tsukuyomi. Not something that’s basically a guilt-trip. You want to mention it after, fine. It’s something to consider in the ‘will Sougo become Puma Zi-O’ brainstorming, absolutely. But you could’ve at least tried to reassure him a bit first, so it doesn’t, you know, come across as you telling him he’s a bad person compared to Sougo.

Again, I’m really sorry for going on about this one little thing. Like I said, hit a nerve.

Has Sougo tried to sacrifice himself at this point? Like, I don’t doubt he would, but... I guess she’s just saying theoretically? Or she’s referring to the ‘take me out if I go evil thing?’

Oh, wait, I guess he did try to kill his future self. I don’t know if that counts, though.

This is sweet and all, Tsukuyomi, but I’m still mad about what you said to Geiz.

I think ‘subjects’ is just gonna be Sougo’s little cute-though-also-obnoxious personal tic...

Now really starting to wonder if the ‘reason’ Sougo becomes Puma Zi-O was just... Always destined to be tied to Geiz somehow? I have wild and unlikely theories, but...

Angry puppy is yelling at sad puppy.

Seriously, as long as it’s also Sou I can’t feel threatened by Mirror¡Sougo.

Still trying to get used to Shiro Woz.

So... Did he write that, or... Did it appear? If you wrote it... Well, like I said. He’s strangely tolerable for this episode.

Oh, yeah, and:

WAGA KYUURANGERS.

Make up your mind, dude. Are you for helping, or not?

I still say bring back Woz.5.

Well... Technically he’s Kamen Rider Ryuki... Was... You know what, not gonna go into it. I already spoiled Ryuki up the wazoo in my Raw post.

I’m not even listening, I’m just watching him make the Shinji faces. XD

dude, it’s literally an evil, warped version of you. I’ve met the real you, he’s a sweetheart. Even Ron liked him. And Ron didn’t like anyone.

I love how every time we see this fight now, it’s just Geiz sitting down somewhere watching Shiro Woz get blasted. Which is a valid pastime.

Puppy debate! ^^

Mirror¡Sougo has the cutest ‘evilly confused’ face ever.

Still hoping for the thing to be that being a king doesn’t necessarily mean ‘ruling over’ people? If that makes sense? Like, he could be called the ‘King of Time’ bc he’s got powers over time, and it’s cool, rather than ruling it? Like, and I know many people didn’t like it, but, the way Daigo was nicknamed ‘King’ in Kyoryuger? He wasn’t a ‘king’ King, but he got called ‘king.’ If that makes any sense whatsoever.

 See, I definitely believe she cares about him very much, but she really choose her words poorly in that scene, and I feel like she should apologise for that. Just a ‘I wasn’t trying to imply you were a bad person or Sougo was better than you, I was just considering what this meant for him in regards to Puma Zi-O.’

Aaaagh! There I go again! Man, that one line just really got under my skin somehow...

Love how it does, like, a little laser-pointer effect.

WAGA KYUURANGERS.

In my defence, I wrote the most recent chapters of It Is The Clock’s Pendulum before this episode came out.

This scene is very serious, and heartbreaking, and sad. Geiz is my favourite.

...

I am losing it at Another Ryuga just chilling over by the tree.

Shiro Woz.exe has stopped functioning.

Weird sound effects when Sougo shows up???

Still wish they coulda given him more of a reaction. He does kinda do the sad puppy look, I suppose. Still.

Also wish Tsukuyomi could have had a better response to Geiz earlier... Can I just pretend those things happened?

How did he see the future? Did he just... Turn into Zi-O II on the way over? What does that even MEAN?

Sougo: ‘Fuck this timeline!’

The brief Woz-Fight is still funny. during this episode, I’d actually prefer that Shiro Woz win. But just for this episode.

I would always prefer that Woz.5 win.

I love how Geiz just... Doesn’t deHenshin. Like, He and Tsukuyomi are trying to follow this battle, but he just... Refuses to drop his transformation. For whatever reason.

Seriously? Your sword has your face on it and it compliments you? Who made these?

Yeah, Geiz is just literally blaming himself here. What do you mean ‘this time’ though? I guess... You mean all the times it was Woz? I actually think we can totally blame this on Woz, too. Though the Kamikaze stuff might have been a trigger, I’ll admit.

No, wait. What am I saying. This is obviously Decade’s fault.

The fact that it literally is is the best part.

Tsukuyomi, would it kill you to not let Geiz blame himself for everything this episode? -_-

Though I guess this is the ‘Tsukuyomi is suddenly weirdly angry’ scene...

Like... I’m really starting to think this is personal. I guess this is the power he used to kill her father? Pity we never brought that up before.

Though now that I think about it, that could be it. Puma Zi-O did use some sort of time-stop-manipulation ability when he dusted Dad, so that might be why she’s reacting like this.

Geiz, on the other hand, is really unsure.

Tsukuyomi, are you really that shocked that people have darker sides to them? You never met Kisaragi Gentaro, you have no excuse for (apparently) assuming Sougo has no traits that would ever lead to him becoming Puma Zi-O in some way.

Though I am admittedly not clear on what exactly those traits were... I guess his habit of being wily and the fact that wanting to be ‘king’ comes w/ wanting power? So... Ambition is evil here? I dunno.

I guess it’s all or nothing w/ Tsukuyomi. Though she could specifically be referring to ‘We have to actually decide whether or not we’re gonna kill him’ rather than saying ‘we should kill him.’ TV show cliffhanger tactic, make everything round more threatening than it actually is.

It’d be interesting if she and Geiz do switch up, though. Bc he’s the one who was super black and white (no references to any Wozes intended) about it at the start. ‘If I even think you’re going to turn into Puma Zi-O, I’m taking you out,’ and how quick he was to go for it in the Genm arc. But here... He seems really uncertain still (probably not helped by the fact that Sougo did this to save his life), while for Tsukuyomi, a line has clearly been crossed. It’d be an interesting way to twist things up if they do go that way.

Oh, yeah, and the two times Tsukuyomi talks at the camera this ep are still creepy.

I’m winder if the look Geiz just gave her was meant to be a ‘wtf?’ look. Bc it kinda looks like one? It also could be something else, I dunno. Maybe he’s just looking serious.

SHUT UP KURO WOZ.

I love how we don’t even see him, Kamen Rider Kikaider just freaking steals the shot.

Also, hi Kikaider!

Why is he punching me, though?

Freaking Zi-O II Watch is freaking huge in the end cap.

Kamen Rider Zi-O takes notes from LuPat and only schedules this actor for two episodes.

Man, he’s very good looking, though. Even in that outfit. Bet he uses the wrench to transform.

The fact that this ep ended w/ Tsukuyomi, of all people, apparently saying they need to kill Sougo (like I said, could just be a cliffhanger scare-tactic), then it goes to the preview of Sougo running around w/ some sort of ‘studying’ bandana on (I assume it’s studying bc the summary said he’s cramming for finals, essentially. Or midterms.) talking to some dude in a yellow turtle neck and a denim jacket that’s just a little too short. Whiplash.

Oh, wow, he’s from 2121? So that makes him the first/only future Rider we’ve had that’s from after the year that Geiz, Tsukuyomi, and the Wozes come from (in any timeline)!

Also interesting, bc it means he definitely won’t be around in any way in 2019. Not even as a baby.

Oh, hey, Sworz. I... Honestly almost forgot about you. Sorry!

This preview is trying to make me think the boys are competing, and I refuse to accept it until proven.

Or if it is, maybe it’s friendly. Or maybe it’s just ‘let’s both fight this thing, and, I dunno, one of us can take it down.’

My guess is Sworz is talking to Shiro Woz, but my knee-jerk reaction was ‘no, I don’t want to play a game w/ you.’

That’s all, folks! Virtual pond cake for anyone who read all that.

Anyway, I’m sorry I had such a reaction to that one line (well, two, kinda) of Tsukuyomi’s. It reminded me of a bad experience I had once and just really got on my nerves. I promise I still love her, and I know she does care about Geiz. I think some of her reaction to the Zi-O II power may have been bc of (well, I at least presume he was) her father? Bc remember, Puma Zi-O used the time powers to vaporise everyone, and he pushed her into the trench to protect her? So this may be her being like ‘I want to believe in him, but that’s the power that I literally watched kill my father, so now I’m freaking out.’ Also, it’s a beloved style of cliffhanger for any sort of tv show to make things sound more threatening than they really are. I dunno if Toei even remembers that (WHO IN TIME IS GOGGLES THE DEAD PERSON?), but that’s my initial thought.

Geiz looks super unsure, though? Like I think a line was crossed w/ Tsukuyomi now, but the line started crossed w/ Geiz. And I feel like it’s been getting... Uncrossed? Like, he started this so certain of what he needed to do and what was going to happen (I still think his plan was to go back, do it as quickly as possible, then get out before he had a chance to think about the fact that 2018 Sougo was still technically innocent, bc he knew he’d be too conflicted if he did), but he’s been steadily becoming less convinced of it? So, like, even now, he’s the one who’s still thinking they can still change things? Oh, well. We’ll see.

Special treat for anyone who actually read all this way (or just skipped to the bottom; in that case don’t read any further! No JK, you’re fine, I ramble a lot, I’m sorry), is a random concept/theory I had: What if Sougo’s recurring dreams when time is ‘altered’ (Shinobi, and now Kikaider no I will not stop) indicate that he’s somehow... Super connected to time? Like... If it were electricity, he’d be a conductor, or something? But then, like, Geiz and Tsukuyomi aren’t like that, but they’re like... ‘Anchors.’ Like, there are people who are sensitive to time, and kind of ‘flow’ w/ it, but then there anchors who keep them/it moored/grounded or something? Feel like this was a thing in Den-O, but I don’t remember the details. But, like the reason Sougo is able to get all these ‘time powers’ is bc he’s so sensitive to it? But it also means that it’s really easy for him to get... I dunno, absorbed by the time flow? And, like, Anchors can’t get all the wild powers, but they also are either impossible or significantly more resilient to the time flow? So, like... The wouldn’t get erased/absorbed (at least, not right away/as fast) if they like... Fell into the time stream? Augh! I’m bad at explaining. Point is, Sougo nearly gets absorbed into time stream, but the other two pull him back bc they’re anchors and they ground him in a particular time/location/time plane.

I don’t think that made any sense.

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

Can you do 24 for lupat red x ichigo pls and thank

Time for more Dramatic Public Kissing!

The message comes in from France HQ early in the morning.

Bonjour, mes amis--thought you ought to know that I’ve traced a Collection piece to Le Monde Bijouterie. Also, am planning to drop by for a visit in a couple of weeks, are there any sweets I can bring you?

It’s signed Noël, with a flourish and a couple of little hearts, one of which was clearly drawn to hide a coffee stain. Keiichiro reads it and grins, passing it to Tsukasa, who reads it as well, except that she almost winces. “You need an appointment to even go into Le Monde. The clerks there sneer at everyone. We’re going to need a warrant or they won’t let us past the door.”

Jim lights up. “I’ll work on that, Noël is also transmitting details on the piece and its movements so we actually have a basis to request one.”

--

The warrant turns out to be a moot point, because Le Monde gets robbed at seven o’clock that evening. The word about the Collection piece has already been passed to the local police, and so the PatRangers are on the way as soon as the call comes in.

“It’s sort of nice that we’re not going to be fighting a Ganglar,” Sakuya says cheerfully as they’re getting out of the car. “It’s lower stress, you know?”

Tsukasa glances to one side and then hisses, “The press is here!” through her teeth.

Keiichiro groans. The press has also been thrilled that the Ganglars are no longer a major issue, because now they can cover the “local celebrities,” as they keep putting it, without being in serious danger of getting blown up. It’s a problem. Wherever the PatRangers go now, reporters follow.

“Just don’t talk to them.” He pulls out his VS Changer. “We’re here to work.”

They acquit themselves fairly well, all things considered. The robbers have barricaded themselves into the store with several terrified sales clerks, which isn’t a great start, but they’re still only human, and they don’t have any super-tech on hand. There’s some careful negotiation involved, and a small amount of property damage, but in the end there are no deaths, no civilians hurt, and only one robber with anything more than some light bruising.

It’s when they can finally de-transform and Sakuya comes out of the shop with the Collection piece and hands it to Keiichiro that the reporters start yelling.

“What’s that up there?”

“Who’s that?”

A bright flicker of yellow darts across the roof of the jewelry store. A streak of blue settles down onto an apartment balcony across the street. Tsukasa says, quietly, “Oh no.”

Keiichiro groans. “I know you’re there, LupinRangers. You’re a little late, aren’t you?”

“Actually,” Kairi says from directly behind him, “I think we got here just in time.”

Keiichiro jumps and turns around. The reporters let out a collective shriek of journalistic delight. Camera flashes start to go off.

Kairi is hanging from the store awning by his zipline, feet braced on one of the support columns, grinning and resplendent in mask and top hat and ridiculous red brocade tailcoat. “Happy to see us?” He’s playing to the crowd of reporters. They’re loving it.

Keiichiro sighs. “This really isn’t a good time.” And, more quietly, “You couldn’t wait two days? I have a whole dinner planned.”

“And I’m really looking forward to it, but we’ve got an image to maintain,” Kairi says, just as quietly, and winks at him. Then, loudly again, “We’re only interested in the Collection piece, you know that.”

“What--I’m not going to just give it to you, this is in police custody.”

“Well, if you’re going to be like that...” Kairi leans forward. Keiichiro is fully prepared to toss the Collection piece to Tsukasa or something, but he doesn’t reach for it; he grabs the front of Keiichiro’s jacket.

And kisses him. In front of their teammates, the local police force, and most of the city’s news media. A slow, lingering kiss.

Keiichiro blinks dizzily when Kairi pulls back and zip-lines away into the night without another word. He’s vaguely aware that the reporters are yelling again, which seems like a reasonable reaction. He’s also considering doing some yelling, or possibly chasing Kairi down and making him yell.

Then he realizes his hands are empty, and, because he doesn’t quite have the presence of mind for anything more dignified, roars, “Goddammit, Kairi!”

The cameras are going off again. Keiichiro ignores them, steadfast, collects the shreds of his dignity, and shakes hands with the local officer in charge. “Your people did good work today.”

The officer in charge is staring at him wide-eyed. “Are. Are you all right, Officer Asaka?”

“I’ll be fine. Just a minor setback.”

As he and the others are walking back to the car, one of the reporters shouts, “How long have you been on first-name terms with the phantom thieves?”

Keiichiro continues to ignore them. Tsukasa’s the one who turns around and says, “Their identities have been public record for over a year now, and we’ve been dealing with them for over two. I’d hope we could address them by name occasionally.”

“So what about the kiss?”

That, thankfully, she ignores.

--

Postscript

Jim Carter stops Keiichiro the next morning with some interesting news, and after he’s taken something for his already-growing headache and had two coffees he sends a text to Kairi. [we’re trending on Twitter]

[no way]

And a moment later, [OH MY GOD THERE’S A HASHTAG]

Keiichiro sighs. [fortunately it doesn’t seem to have done our reputation any damage, the public’s more amused than upset]

[why wouldn’t they be, we put on a good show]

[oh no wait there’s another #tag pls don’t google shipping ill explain it to you later]

[Kairi I already know what shipping is, I’ve been proofreading Tsukasa’s Kamen Rider fanfiction since we were 18]

[u what]

[uve been what]

[Tsukasa’s WHAT]